Big doings in Upland, where the City Council embarked Monday on a path that may lead to contracting out for fire protection. I report on that in Wednesday’s column.
Monthly Archives: November 2016
Column: Leonard Cohen: Mt. Baldy monk, Claremont consumer
Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s death reminds me that some 20 years ago he was apparently a familiar sight in the Claremont Village. (He left about the time I moved there, alas.) Sunday’s column pays tribute through color gleaned from talking to a bunch of people who saw him or waited on him. Above and below are views of the window display in his honor at the Folk Music Center.
Column: La Verne, determined not to make news, succeeds
Friday’s column begins with an account of Monday’s La Verne council meeting, followed by a half-dozen Ontario items and a Valley Vignette from Chino.
Column: Leon Russell’s low profile worked against him in Ontario
Wednesday’s column starts with a cute story about the late musician’s 2010 concert with Elton John in Ontario and continues with two cultural notes and a long item about the two mayoral farewell events last week.
Farewell, mayors
Goodbye events took place last Thursday for the mayors of Upland and Chino. The former, for Ray Musser, was at the Carnegie Building. Above, he gets a plaque and is applauded by council members, with his wife, Fern, to the right.
Dennis Yates’ more formal event was at Chino’s Planes of Fame Museum, a unique setting. For the speeches, Yates was sat in a rocking chair, not his usual position of authority, as speakers praised and mocked.
Column: Avila goes out in fine form at last council meeting
Paul Avila had his last full Ontario City Council meeting last week, and naturally I was there. I write about it in Sunday’s column.
Column: It’s a renaissance for long-closed museum
The Claremont Museum of Art, open from 2007 to 2009, is reopening Sunday in a new venue: the train depot. I write about the museum’s revival in Friday’s column.
Restaurant of the Week: Mustang Sally’s on 66
Mustang Sally’s, 8411 Foothill Blvd. (at San Bernardino), Rancho Cucamonga; open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends
Mustang Sally’s was subject of a column of mine due to its location, in a small older building, probably originally a house, by the Pacific Electric Trail and overlooking Foothill Boulevard. At the time I hadn’t eaten there, but since then I’ve been in twice.
It’s a cute place, with decor that emphasizes Texas and the Southwest. I went in on a quiet Friday last month for lunch.
They have a steak special that day: a bone-in ribeye, salad and fries, normally $12, for $8. Too good to pass up. Did I want onion straws? Sure.
The salad, served in a metal bowl, could have been a meal in itself — but then there was the steak, said to be fresh from Hottinger’s, a well-regarded meat market in Chino. It was a decent steak, and excellent for the price; I took home half or more of everything. I can fault them only for bringing out the salad at the same time as the entree. It really was an embarrassing amount of food for eight bucks.
I returned earlier this month to try the Mexican food, ordering the Tasty Tacos ($7), three hard shell tacos with lettuce, tomato, cheese and a mix of beef and potatoes, a family recipe.
They were stuffed and the overflow from each created a sort of mini-taco salad on my plate. The tacos were tasty, just as advertised, and the avocado salsa was a solid accompaniment. I took a photo of the final taco so you could see what one actually looks like under all the cheese.
Service is casual but friendly. (It might have been the cook who was waiting on me during the slow period.)
There’s a neat patio out back with picnic tables and a bean-bag toss with a view of Foothill and the bike/walking trail. The food at Sally’s is good, the setting a little better.
Column: 3 high schools rank high on ‘most beautiful’ list
A list of the top 40 prettiest high school campuses in California includes three in the Inland Valley. Also: an astrologer apologizes for a bad election prediction, my Culture Corner includes the local screening of a Beatles documentary, and an overseas encounter turns into a Valley Vignette. All this in Wednesday’s column.
Column: Change, status quo and puzzlement from elections
In Sunday’s column, I take a look at the local election results and note the elements that jump out at me. As always, your own reactions are welcome.