claremont courier 3-25-16

8/19/2019 Claremont COURIER 3-25-16

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POLICE STATION AD HOC COMMITTEE MOVES ALONG/

Friday, March 25, 2016 $1.50

Cour er iclaremont-courier.com

OBITS/ PAGE 8, 11, 12, 13

CALENDAR/ PAGE 18

Don’t forget the eggs Sunday.

Vi si t claremont-courier.com.

BLOTTER/ PAGE 4

SPORTS/ PAGE 26

l remont

PAGE 3

COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

Claremont resident Emma DeWees, 8, is all smiles following the pie-eating contest on Saturday in Claremont. Her tech-

nique, which involved mainly pushing the pie from the tin onto the table, did not earn her a victory but seemed to be fun.

See page 23 for more photos of the festival.Awww! Join the Wolfpack on anundersea adventure/PAGE 5

T-REX TOURS/ Alf Museum docent shows kids the excit-ing side to science

PAGE 15


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The Claremont Courier (United States Postal Serv-ice 115-180) is published once weekly by theCourier Graphics Corporation at 1420 N. ClaremontBlvd., Suite 205B, Claremont, California 91711-5003. The Courier is a newspaper of general circu-lation as defined by the political code of the state of California, entered as periodicals matter September17, 1908 at the post office at Claremont, Californiaunder the act of March 3, 1879. Periodicals postageis paid at Claremont, California 91711-5003. Singlecopy: $1.50. Annual subscription: $56. Send all re-mittances and correspondence about subscriptions,undelivered copies and changes of address to theCourier, 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Suite 205B,Claremont, California 91711-5003. Telephone: 909-

621-4761. Copyright © 2016 Claremont Courierone hundred and eighth year, number 14

READERS’ COMMENTS ADVENTURESI N H A I K USpring growth: jonquils, rag weed ladies bend to tanned legs

shaving their knees— Frances Ruhlen McConnel

Haiku submissions should reflect upon lifeor events in Claremont. Please email entriesto [email protected].

A zero-sum gameDear Editor:

At the recent Claremont PlanningCommission meeting, Pomona College’sproposal for an art museum appeared tobe a zero-sum game: disrupt the Victo-

rian houses on the west side of CollegeAvenue or deny the college a modernconsolidated art museum. Testimony pit-ted Claremont’s preservationists againstartists and college employees. However,there is an alternative that isn’t zero-sum.

Pomona’s new art museum can be lo-cated on the east side of College Avenue,northwest of the softball field, acrossfrom Second Street. This is where thecollege proposes to relocate the historicRenwick House, using about half of theavailable space. A substantial art mu-seum can be built there instead. It willhave a smaller footprint than the pro-posed design for the west side, but thefootprint can be maximized by curving

the southeast side of the museum aroundthe softball field, and an additional levelcan be added if necessary.

The college will have its art museumclose to the Village, the public parkingstructure and public transit, while thetown will preserve the lovely row of his-toric houses on the west side of the streetand will more fully comply with its Gen-eral Plan, its Village Design Plan andCEQA.

During the commission meeting testi-mony, the proposed college museum wasdescribed as a bridge between the townand the campus. The above solution pro-vides a better bridge.

Art lovers who visit an art museum onthe west side of the street are unlikely tobother crossing the street and visiting thecampus. However, if they visit the mu-seum on the east side they will be right onthe campus, and they will find it moreconvenient to stroll around a bit. Their ac-cess to the museum from the Village canbe made easy by having a pedestrian sig-nal at Second Street and College Avenue.

This will be a win for everybody, not azero-sum game. Bob Gerecke

Claremont

CORRECTIONS

A quote attributed to CommunityServices Director Brian Desatnik inthe Friday, March 18 edition was in-correct. At the March 15 planningcommission meeting, Mr. Desatnikemphasized that “the city does have agood relationship with ClaremontHeritage, it just uses outside firms forlarger projects.”

* * * *In the obituary for John Bonilla,

Mr. Bonilla was not driving the carduring the accident that left him par-alyzed. Mr. Bonilla’s obituary isreprinted in full in this edition.

We apologize for the errors.


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 25, 2016 3CITY NEWS

COURIERphoto/StevenFelschundneff

Workers with West

Coast Arborist cutdown one of the

statuesque Dutch

elm trees Wednes-

day on Indian Hill

Boulevard in Clare-

mont. The trees,

which form a canopy

over Indian Hill, were

determined to be too

damaged by drought

and old age to be

saved, according to

city staff.

City marketing efforts get mixed results for 2015

Azone change for online colleges, anupdate on the city’s tourism wingand a parking permit approval high-

lighted Tuesday’s breezy Claremont CityCouncil meeting.

One of the consent calendar items on the agenda wasan annual report on the Claremont Tourism BusinessImprovement District (CTBID), which was establishedin 2009 to promote tourism in the city.

The report detailed the CTBID key highlights from2015, including the “Discover Claremont” video, whichhas been viewed more 70,000 times on YouTube. Thefinal version of the promo video was released in June2015 after a previous version garnered mixed reactionsfrom residents.

Other notable moments in 2015 include the “Sharethe Secret” ad campaign that was plastered on Metrolinktrains throughout the region, “Discover Claremont” giftcard packages, increased clicking of Claremont bannerads on TripAdvisor (0.47 percent, compared to the av-erage click-through rate of 0.08 percent) and continuedsupport of Claremont Restaurant Week.

In addition, the CTBID increased its social mediapresence, showing gains in every platform from a yearago—11,721 Facebook likes by January 1, compared to6,200 in 2015; 838 Instagram followers by January 1,compared to 437 in 2015; and 736 Twitter followers byJanuary 1, 2016 compared to 595 in 2015.

Overall traffic to the DiscoverClaremont.com sitewas down in 2015 compared to the previous year, de-spite an extensive revamp of the site. There were 43,665visits to the site in 2015 with 37,335 uniques, comparedto 64,290 views and 53,705 unique views in 2014.Website page views were down in 2015 as well—91,176 versus 113,721 in 2014. The report blamedlower website traffic on a server error in October as wellas a web server switch in 2015, which apparently re-sulted in the site not being tracked by Google Analyt-ics for a week.

Occupancy rates in the city’s hotels experiencedmixed-to-positive results in 2015 compared to 2014.The Claremont Lodge and Motel 6 experienced an in-crease in occupancy rates, both by over 10 percent, but

Hotel Casa 425 and the DoubleTree Ho-tel experienced a slight, less than onepercent, drop-off in 2015. DoubleTree

blames the remodeling of more than 1,400 rooms anda power outage affecting 500 rooms for the drop-off, ac-cording to the report.

Financially speaking, the CTBID has been in theblack. The agenda report states that expenditures were$57,502 under budget in 2015. Revenues included$225,000, plus $145,388 in 2014 carryovers and$50,000 in reserves, for a total of $420,388. Expendi-tures totaled $303,463, leaving $66,925 to be carriedover into 2016, according to the report.CLU on the move

The Claremont Municipal Code (CMC) wasamended to include online educational institutions inseveral zones around the city.

The change in the city code comes on the heels of Claremont Lincoln University’s desire to move into a newoffice space at 150 W. First Street to serve as the head-

quarters of the online college. CLU has been operating ina space at 250 W. First Street for the past three years.

Assistant Planner Nikola Hlady presented the staff’sreport, which mandates online educational institutionsto be eligible for a conditional use permit (CUP) in fourzones in the city—Claremont Village, CommercialHighway, Business/Industrial Park and Mixed-Use 3,which means properties with ground-level retail alongFoothill Boulevard.

In addition, the Village Expansion Specific Plan(VESP) was amended to allow colleges conditionallypermitted use on the second and third floors of theCommercial Mixed-Use zone, better known as theAmerican Apparel building on the southwest corner of First Street and Indian Hill. Keck Graduate Institute iscurrently planning on leasing that space for additionalclassroom and office space.

CLU President Eileen Aranda was present at themeeting, telling council that the online institution willhave little impact on the Village, as students and facultylearn and teach on the Internet and away from the head-quarters, save for two annual meetings.

She also noted CLU’s desire to stay within the city.“As you are well aware, land and buildings are very

scarce in Claremont, and we are committed to being apart of the Claremont community.” Ms. Aranda said.

The ordinance comes weeks after CLU rescinded itsoffer to purchase La Puerta for a headquarters afterpush-back from residents in the area.

The ordinance mandates, in part, that an online edu-cational institution “shall not offer regularly scheduledclasses on-site and its students shall not convene regu-larly at the institution’s physical location.”

The wording of the ordinance concerned Coun-cilmembers Joe Lyons and Opanyi Nasiali, calling it po-tentially “limiting” for future expansion. Mr. Nasialiwondered if the ordinance could benefit from a “lessemphatic” statement than “shall not convene.”

Councilmember Corey Calaycay asked Mr. Hlady ifthe ordinance’s wording is loose enough that it could bebetter defined during the CUP application process. Mr.

Hlady explained that it was staff’s intention to set broadparameters that could be more clearly defined during fu-ture applications for conditional permits.

Both ordinances passed unanimously, 5-0.Parking permits on Marion Drive

Another consent calendar item approved a parkingpermit request for Marion Drive, a cul-de-sac north ofSan Jose Avenue. The approval mandates that parkingpermits be required from 8 a.m. to noon, Mondaythrough Thursday.

City staff received a petition letter from residents onMarion Drive claiming that overflow parking from thenearby Claremont Unified School District office hasclogged up parking spots for residents on the street. Thenew rule takes effect immediately.

The next city council meeting is April 12.—Matthew Bramlett

[email protected]

CITY

COUNCIL

Goodbye

heritagegrove


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 25, 2016 4CITY NEWS

Tuesday, March 15An allegedly drunk La Verne man was

arrested after he became combative withpolice officers. Michael Sanchez, 23,was hanging out in front of RhinoRecords at approximately 6:23 p.m.when officers first made contact withhim. Mr. Sanchez was showing obvioussigns of drunkenness, and became agi-tated with officers, screaming and slam-ming a clipboard on a nearby brick wall,according to Lt. Mike Ciszek of theClaremont Police Department. After un-successfully trying to get Mr. Sanchez tosit down, the officer grabbed him by thearm, which caused Mr. Sanchez to pullaway. He continued to pull away fromofficers before he was brought to theground and handcuffed. Mr. Sanchez

was arrested for public intoxication andobstructing and resisting an officer andwas transported to CPD jail, where hewas held for a warrant that was found onhis record. Both the officer and Mr.Sanchez were uninjured in the scuffle.

Wednesday, March 16Police arrested a Claremont man after

allegedly finding child pornography onhis iPod. An anonymous tip led police tothe apartment of David Ibarra, 41, on the700 block of Bonita Avenue at approxi-mately 9:32 p.m. Mr. Ibarra consented toa search of his residence, his iPod, hiscell phone and his car. During the search,officers allegedly found thousands of pornographic images of children on theiPod. Mr. Ibarra was arrested for posses-

sion of child pornography and was trans-ported to CPD jail, where he was held on$20,000 bail. The investigation is ongo-ing.

Friday, March 18Police are looking for the driver of a

gray four-door vehicle who allegedly hita 13-year-old with his car. The child waswalking his bicycle at the intersection of Bonita Avenue and Cambridge just after7:30 a.m. when the car struck him on thelower left leg. The child complained of pain, but declined any medical treatment.The bicycle was not damaged. Thedriver failed to stop and continued south-bound on Cambridge. He is only de-scribed as a Hispanic male in his early30s with a bald or shaved head. Any in-formation should be forwarded to the

CPD at (909) 399-5411.

Saturday, March 19Police arrested a man after he al-

legedly tried to rob two people in a bankparking lot. The two victims were with-drawing cash just after 1 a.m. whenAdrian Oropeza-Peralta, 21, parked be-hind their car. Mr. Oropeza-Peralta thenapproached the passenger side of the carand tried to get in, reaching into his frontwaistband as if he was trying to pull outa gun, according to Lt. Ciszek. The vic-tim’s threw the car in reverse, hitting Mr.Oropeza-Peralta’s car, and took off. Mr.Oropeza-Peralta followed. The victimseventually flagged down two police offi-cers who were conducting a traffic stop.Mr. Oropeza-Peralta, who apparently re-mained on scene, was arrested on suspi-cion of attempted robbery andtransported to CPD jail.

—Matthew [email protected]

POLICE BLOTTER

Committee picks up the pace on police station plans

The Police Facility Ad Hoc Com-mittee pored over financing op-tions and debated the need for a

community room during the group’s thirdmeeting at the Hughes Center Wednesday

night.The committee, led by chair Mark Sterba and an-

chored by ex-officios Councilmember Corey Calay-cay and Police Commissioner Ed Reece, started themeeting off by amending their official charter to focuson cost reduction and the approval of an adequate“Plan B” based on the committee’s findings.

After the over two-hour meeting, the committeeagreed to look more into a blended financial ap-proach, with the basis being a general obligation(GO) bond with general fund money being used forsmaller costs, according to Mr. Sterba.

The financial options presented by Finance Direc-tor Adam Pirrie outlined four mechanisms to fund apossible police station: a general fund purchase, gen-eral fund financing, a GO bond and a parcel tax.Measure PS, which was voted down by residents in

2015, was a parcel tax.The funding scenarios were presented using three

figures—$20 million, $30 million and $40 million—with an assumed 30-year debt repayment schedule,according to Mr. Pirrie.

Under a GO bond, Claremont property ownerswould have to pay $137 annually on a $20 millionbond, $205 annually on a $30 million bond and $274annually on a $40 million bond, according to the staff report. Under a parcel tax, property owners wouldhave to pay $122 annually on a $20 million bond,$183 annually on a $30 million bond and $244 on a$40 million bond.

If a measure will be brought to the ballot, both fi-nancing options require a two-thirds majority vote topass.

Average contributions from businesses in the city

range from $108,800 under a $20 million bond to$217,600 under a $40 million bond with the GO bondoption, versus $34,400 under a $20 million bond to$68,800 under a $40 million using the parcel tax, ac-cording to the report. Mr. Pirrie stressed that theClaremont Colleges and nonprofits would be exemptfrom having to contribute to a GO bond. Under theparcel tax, college contribution would range from$34,500 under a $20 million bond to $69,100 under a$40 million bond.

The committee debated the pros and cons of eachoption, but the consensus was clear—the committee

had to move away from a parcel tax due to the failureof PS. Measure PS, if passed, would have mandated a$286 annual parcel tax for 40 years.

Mr. Sterba floated the possibility of a sales tax,which was brought up by a number of residents dur-ing the PS campaign. “We don’t have a Costco, wedon’t have a plaza, but we may still have access to

some funding through a sales tax,” he said.City Manager Tony Ramos said the staff didn’t

bring an analysis back for a sales tax option becausethe sales tax base in Claremont is low. “I’d be thrilledthis year if we get to $4 million,” he said.

“We have looked under the rocks, we have lookedat all the options available and this is what you’redown to, one of these options or a partial sales tax op-tion,” Mr. Ramos added. “Or a hybrid at least.”

Mr. Sterba said smaller costs, such as furniture,could be paid for by the city’s general fund as a wayof telling voters that those “soft costs” won’t be partof the bond measure, an idea that was seconded bycommittee member Sally Seven.

In the end, the committee agreed to do more re-search into a blended funding option with a GO bondbase, with general fund money being used for soft

costs and a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) center-ing on a possible contribution from the colleges.

Committee member Stig Lanesskog, who serves asthe CEO of the Claremont University Consortium,told the committee that a “more definitive financialcommitment” from the Colleges might not be avail-able by the next meeting.

Discussion on a multi-purpose community roomand the 2002 police station space needs feasibilitystudy was up next on the agenda. Claremont PoliceCaptain Shelley Vander Veen presented the report onthe room at the existing station, which is used as amulti-purpose facility for programs such as neighbor-hood watch, Community Emergency Response Team(CERT) training and employee training.

According to Cpt. Vander Veen, the department’sEmergency Operations Center (EOC), which is cur-

rently at the mobile command post, as well as the al-ternate EOC in city hall’s Citrus Room are notproperly prepared in the event of a major disaster.

The 2002 study noted that the current police stationwas inadequate and “needs virtually every major in-frastructure element replaced.” If construction were tobegin at the site, the density would be “very challeng-ing” and there would be no suitable location for con-struction staging.

In fact, the firm hired to do the 2002 study, Mc-Claren, Wilson & Lawrie, noted the city would save$2 million if they were to build at-grade—or on level

ground—at a different location. The city cautioned inthe report that the numbers are 14 years old and mayhave changed over time.

The committee debated the community room’s in-clusion on a “nice to have or need to have” basis.Committee member Michael Shea was in favor of acommunity room at the police station, while commit-tee member Jack Blair brought forth the idea of anoff-site location somewhere in the city.

Mr. Sterba was focused on parking, relating a storyfrom a former employer about opening up their com-munity room, only to have parking be an issue. Com-mittee member Paul Wheeler called for looking intohow many officers are in the station and a communityroom at a time and “reverse-engineer it” to see howmuch parking is needed.

Mr. Ramos said the city has standards of lookinginto that subject, and will come back to the committeewith the exact numbers.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Ramos tried to get ahandle on what the committee wanted to bring backto the next meeting, claiming the group didn’t offerany motions on specific ideas.

“If the chair or [Vice Chair Marcia Horowitz] couldgive me some direction, or if you want to meet afterthis meeting. What is it you really want us to bringback to [the next meeting]? And when do you want itback by so I can make sure and let you know whetherthat’s possible or not,” Mr. Ramos said. “Because it’sreally not clear.”

Mr. Sterba said the committee wanted to look at thesplit financing, as well as information on local legisla-tion about parking for community rooms and a “back-of-the-envelope” calculation—or ballpark figure—onthe number of square feet required per sworn officer.

The next committee meeting will be on April 13 atthe Hughes Center and will focus on real estate andlocation, as well as a partnership with the colleges.

—Matthew Bramlett

[email protected]

Mark Sterba said smaller costs, such asfurniture, could be paid for by the generalfund as a way of telling voters that those

“soft costs” won’t be part of the bondmeasure, an idea that was seconded bycommittee member Sally Seven.


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The Claremont High School TheaterDepartment invites you to go“under the sea” this weekend as

they present a family-friendly musical inthe Don F. Fruechte Theatre for the Per-

forming Arts.Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. just became

available for schools to perform. It’s a lively 45-minute version of the popular Disney movie The Lit-tle Mermaid which, in turn, is loosely based on theHans Christian Andersen story of the same name.

It follows the adventures of 16-year-old Ariel, amermaid with a fascination with the land, who—dur-ing a forbidden excursion to the surface of the sea—spots and falls in love with the handsome humanPrince Eric.

“The show is so artistic,” stage manager AllegraFass said. “You really have to work to make it looklike it’s underwater.”

In the CHS production, the title character is playedby junior Naomi Almeria. A long red wig has helpedtransform her into the iconic Disney character. Naomi

has an emotive vibrato that serves her well as shetackles unforgettable tunes like “Part of Your World.”

Freshman Emily Pocock was a big Disney princessfan when she was little, so she was delighted to findout she had landed the role of Ariel’s nemesis, Ursula.

If you haven’t been under a shell for the last quarterof a century, you know that the über-evil octopustempts the lovesick Little Mermaid to trade her haunt-ing voice for a pair of legs.

Emily finds Ursula, and Disney villains in general,to be fascinating because of their back story—theevents that made them turn bad. With purple irides-cent tentacles, she does an able job of performingtunes like the show-stopping “Poor UnfortunateFools.”

It all came down to preparation for Emily. “When Igot the role, I watched the movie The Little Mer-

maid as well as Broadway versions,” she said.Other standout performances include Reel Eltahir

as Sebastian, the bossy crab with an island accentwho is appointed Ariel’s unwilling guardian, SarahHamid as Ariel’s fish friend Flounder, Liz Chua as theseagull Scuttle and Anthony Villegas as Prince Eric.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. is being put onby students of the children’s theater class. It’s the onlyCHS theater course that doesn’t require its partici-pants to audition. The class has yielded a big cast,with 81 students in all taking the stage.

And yet, it’s many of the offstage elements that re-

ally help make the show. The all-new set includeseverything from a ship, sailing on waves created bystudents fluttering cerulean fabric, to palace both sea-side and undersea. The students have been quite in-ventive. For instance, wooden coral is attached to thecastle and can be hidden or flipped out, depending onthe scene.

The lighting is designed to create a rippling under-water effect when appropriate, and to highlight themovements of an impressive parade of sea creatures.There are Ariel’s fellow mermaids, including her sis-ters, clad in metallic pink tail-like skirts. There areclown fish, starfish and all manner of aquatic critters.

A dress rehearsal held this Tuesday was, as all in-the-works productions, an exercise in controlledchaos. Assistant director Destiny Dominguez andtechnical director Gavin Derleth were hard at work assound, lights and stage cues were perfected.

Jamie Brown, a grown-up costume designer whoworks with the CHS theater department, was busysewing costumes designed by students with an inter-

est in fashion. These include CHS sophomores Lau-ren Haskin and Miranda Michno, who have an inter-est in fashion and designed the costumes. Lauren’sgrandmother taught her to hand-sew when she waseight, spurring a lifelong passion. Miranda learned tostitch when she was in kindergarten at Sycamore Ele-mentary and the school’s afterschool program offereda sewing class.

“I really like creating a fantasy. I’ve always done itin my head. It’s fun to have it come to life,” Laurensaid.

The Little Mermaid will be coming to life on Fri-day, March 25 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday,March 26 at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Admission is $7.

—Sarah [email protected]

Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 25, 2016 5EDUCATION

CHS to perform Disney ‘tail’ for kids of all ages

COURIER photos/Peter WeinbergerThe Little Mermaid, left, played by Naomi Almeria, and Flounder, played by Sarah Hamid, take part in a dressrehearsal at CHS on Tuesday. The CHS Theater Department will offer four performances this week as part ofthe children’s theater class offered at the high school.

Teen committee

holds mental health

awareness event

Claremont’s Teen Committeewill be hosting a Mental HealthAwareness Event at the Youth

Activity Center on Wednesday, March30 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The workshop will consist of a panel of mentalhealth experts, interactive studies, stress relief giveaways and snacks. The Claremont Teen Com-mittee is working in conjunction with Tri-CityMental Health to create the workshop for youngadults on the realities of mental illness in order toreduce the stigma surrounding the issue.

The YAC is located at 1717 N. Indian HillBlvd., just north of Claremont High School inCahuilla Park. For more information, contact theYAC at (909) 399-5363.

The CHSTheatreDepart-

ment willperform afamily-

friendlymusical,“Disney’sThe LittleMermaid,Jr.,” thisweekendat theDon F.FruechteTheatrefor the

Perform-ing Arts.


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Portuguese and Spanish temptationsby Jan Wheatcroft

Gather ‘round the table and we’llshare some meals. We will hap-pily eat and enjoy some new

foods in Portugal and Spain while we try

the drinks for which they are famous—port wine and sherry.First, we jump onto a hop on-hop off bus and drive

around the city of Porto in Portugal and see the distill-eries sticking up at the top of the skyline with theirwell-known trademarked names of port.

Then we enter a covered market in the town and sitat one of the tasting booths and order a few smallglasses of various ports to taste. Delicious, we purr aswe sip, share and marvel at the variety of choices of these drinks which I did not know existed. A few sipswas all that I was able to try if I was to continue towalk on my two legs unaided. We left the rest on thesmall table as a tourist lady sidled up and asked if weminded if she finished what we had left. We didn’t.She happily sat down.

One evening, we passed by a small door around the

corner from our hotel. The door was open and a fewscruffy locals and some tourists stood around drinkinga dark liquid in small glasses. Interested, we stuck ourheads into the small interior bar and asked the propri-etor what he was serving. “Ginga,” he replied, “madefrom wild cherries.” We shared a taste between us andit was rich, delicious and strong. We could understandwhy all the people chose to stand about enjoying theirgingas as there was no room inside for more than twoor three people at a time.

In Spain, we tasted the different sherries, some richand creamy, others lighter, but all interesting. It waseasy to gather up many small bottles of all three types

of drinks to bring home as souvenirs as they are bot-tled and sold in every shop for tourists and are nice tocollect.

At each of the hotels where we stayed, breakfastcame as part of the price. We were presented with bor-ing bread, pre-cooked eggs, a variety of cereals and,sometimes, sliced cheeses and deli style meats alongwith automated coffee from machines. Economicaland filling but boring, especially if you stayed in thesame hotel for many days. Then we stumbled on smallcafes serving a working man’s breakfast. We wereserved a crisp toasted, sliced roll over which had beenpoured a rich greenish olive oil. This was then spread

with chopped fresh tomatoes and some salt. It wasserved with small cups of freshly-brewed coffee,which smelled so good. This made such a lovelybreakfast and it was so much more interesting to sitoutside in a cafe with the locals, who were eitherhunched over their food and a newspaper or chattingwith a neighbor, than being held captive in an imper-sonal breakfast room eating a changeless, taste-freebreakfast.

The evening meal was the most fun. The air hadcooled down and we enjoyed our first drink, perhaps aglass of wine or something bubbly, along with a fewtiny fish or some nuts or olives. We strolled past

restaurants with outdoor seating and waiters who triedto pull you in while they pointed to displays of foodarrayed in front of them on menu boards in five differ-ent languages. Sometimes we found ourselves onsmall winding streets with the restaurant below beingserved by busy waiters. Apartments stood above, full

of the sounds and shouts of daily life.I often longed for octopus, which the Portuguesecook in a tomato-style sauce until it is soft and deli-cious. The Portuguese love their salt cod, but it is notsomething I would choose. Fresh fish called to us. Fatgrilled sardines sizzling over coals getting crisp andthen lining up on a plate to be served; grilled salmon;boiled potatoes; a wide variety of green vegetablesand, surprisingly, many Italian choices and restaurants.

Spain offered one of my favorite foods, gazpacho,that rich tomato soup served cold but with an array of small morsels to add in to each bowl. We were givenchopped hard boiled egg, crispy croutons, cut greenpepper, chopped onions and fresh tomatoes. That deli-cious soup became thick, rich and full. It was a mealin itself.

We also tried a paella with seafood hiding among

the rice grains and for lunch we often ate lovely freshsalads topped with cheese, basil or pimento, beets andbest of all slices of the sweetest and tastiest onions.

The summer heat, a few drinks and walks made ustired. Once we went to listen to Fado music in a hillypart of Lisbon, sacrificing a good meal for the chanceto hear the singing. At another meal, we were enter-tained by a music student who stood at the entrance of the restaurant and sang. It was a real treat. Then she

joined us for a short time and shared some of herhopes and musical dreams. And so with bellies full,we wandered home content to dream of a new day’sadventure after a good night of sleep.


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The commission’s roleDear Editor:

Thank you for the extensive articleabout the planning commission meeting atwhich the Pomona College Master Planwas considered. I stayed for the entire timeand would like to make a few comments.

The commission was charged with de-ciding if the environmental impact reportfor this extensive master plan adequatelyidentified and discussed the possible sig-

nificant effects of all of its aspects. It wasnot charged with deciding whether any of the included projects were desirable, butonly with deciding if the impacts of theproposed projects had been examinedfully as required by the California Envi-ronmental Quality Act (CEQA). Unfortu-nately, the commission did not restrict itsdiscussion to this well-defined obligation.

The meeting centered on a newly-pro-posed project in the revised plan, the in-tent to move Renwick House from itsoriginal location in the row of historic res-idential-style Victorians along the westside of College Avenue, replacing it with amuseum. The merits of the function of thisproposed institutional building should

have been irrelevant to the planning com-mission’s discussion of the EIR, but in-stead they dominated the decision.

City staff admitted that this newly-re-

vised EIR omitted any mention of the ef-fect of moving Renwick House on the aes-thetics of the historic streetscape, which ina town like Claremont is something of great importance and would be a signifi-cant environmental impact. Failure to ad-dress this impact comprehensively was initself a reason to reject the EIR and ask thatit be revised and resubmitted.

In addition to this, there were severalother areas in the EIR where actual dataand arguments to support the conclusionswere missing and the basis for the analy-sis boiled down to “because we say so.”

Whether the Pomona College museumwould be a benefit to Claremont citizenswas not relevant to the discussion. Thecommission should only have addressedwhether the paper work for the EIR andthe master plan was adequate and con-formed to the goals and policies of thecity’s general plan.

Planning commission recommenda-tions go to the city council, which is the

body that actually makes the decisionabout whether or not the projects are in thecommunity’s interests.

Unfortunately, the desire for the mu-

seum got in the way of proper process atthe planning commission meeting and thedeficiencies in the EIR were discounted bysome members, resulting in a split vote,with 4 to 3 in favor. The city council willnow need to make a decision without hav-ing strong supporting documents.

Sue SchenkClaremont

Partnerships make Claremonthistory come aliveDear Editor:

On March 14 and 15 at Pitzer College,Claremont history came alive. “LettersHome: A Claremont History Play” wasperformed by about 100 third grade stu-dents from Chaparral Elementary School.

Under the amazing direction of Chap-arral third grade teacher Jean Merrill, theexciting performance included a beautifuldance representing the Mexican Players atPadua Hills Theatre, a musical renditionof “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” that put

Asleep at the Wheel to shame and a won-derful pump house/orange picking skitconnecting us to our citrus roots.

Parents attended the performances on

Monday night, and on Tuesday morningover 300 third grade students from acrossthe district came to see the show. Manythanks to the Claremont EducationalFoundation (CEF), which provided finan-cial support for transportation.

The musical performers, videographerand playwrights were all Claremont HighSchool students. Claremont Heritage pro-vided the historical photos, which illus-trated the history of Claremont over the

last century. Third grade teachers Ms. An-drade, Ms. Cortese and Ms. Uy workeddiligently to bring our town history to lifefor their students. Parent volunteers helpedwith costumes and props. And Pitzer Col-lege proudly opened its doors to host theperformances.

As president of the Claremont UnifiedSchool District Board of Education, it ismy privilege to serve a community thatplaces such a high value on educating ourstudents. This collaborative performanceinvolved many other people and organiza-tions who share our motto to “inspire stu-dents of today to be leaders of tomorrow.”Thank you, Ms. Merrill and the entireChaparral third grade team for helping us

understand our wonderful Claremont his-tory! Nancy Treser Osgood

President, CUSD Board of Education

READERS’ COMMENTS

Ihave only been a volunteer memberof the Claremont Homeless AdvocacyProgram (CHAP) for a year, but I

want to share some personal observationswith Claremonters that may urge residentsto volunteer or make donations to furtherthe cause for the homeless in our city.

CHAP, which is celebrating its third anniversary,held an appreciation gala in February for its volun-teers. The event was attended by more than 80 peo-ple, with special awards given to David Levering, afounding member, who spent months designing theorganization’s concept.

Mary Cooper, another founding member, receivedaccolades for her diligent work and substantial mone-tary contribution, which was the crux of the first“community house” rented in Claremont.

CHAP also recognized Dr. Harry Brown and hisstaff, who provided dental services to program partici-pants, some who smiled for the first time after visitingDr. Brown.

Joe Lyons championed for CHAP after the OccupyClaremont movement, has remained vocal in his sup-port for CHAP as a Claremont councilmember.

Two-and-a-half years ago, CHAP volunteerssearched Claremont and identified 50 homeless peo-ple who needed a warm, welcoming place to gatherand sleep.

Through the generosity of the Quakers, CHAP waspermitted to use the Friends Meeting House on Harri-son Avenue to allow 12 men and two females to usethe facility to sleep, shower and wash their sheets andblankets.

Volunteers supervised the overnight visits andhelped participants with breakfast, clean up and toprovide a to-go lunch. Some participants now serve asvolunteer hosts.

When a participant died recently, a memorial serv-

ice was held at the Friends House and participantswere there to talk about the wonderful times they had

shared with “T.” Yale Avenue business owners came

to the service and one participant recalled T saying,“Claremont is the only city where the homeless puton weight!”

Potluck dinners called CHAP cafes are a wonderfulway to sit and talk with participants. Sometimes Inever say a word because the person I sit next to lovesto do all the talking and enjoys having a listener. I’veheard stories of abuse, loss, fending for one’s way onthe streets and, most importantly, about their hopesand dreams for the future.

Each participant shares one thing: they want dig-nity and to be looked upon as a human being. In thatway, the participants become our teachers.

Cafe meals are provided by volunteers at the Clare-mont United Church of Christ on Wednesdays; St.Ambrose Episcopal Church on Thursdays; HarveyMudd College on Saturdays when school is in ses-

sion; and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in thesummer. The community is always invited to join inthe potlucks. We’d love to see new faces.

The most unique aspect of CHAP is the advocatesystem, where each participant is teamed up with twoadvocates to develop an individual plan, which servesas a road map so that participants can obtain neces-sary documentation and benefits like general relief,social security disability, food stamps and health care.The end goal is employment and securing affordablehousing.

The “system” is such a maze, participants need anadvocate to provide transportation, to set up appoint-ments, help fill out the numerous forms and to trans-late the sometimes confusing questions. Without anadvocate, one could get lost in the system or simplygive up.

In June 2015, CHAP rented a house in Claremontat a cost of $24,000 for the year plus utilities. The

plan was to try a “community house” for four partici-pants to move from the Friends Meeting place. Thehome was furnished by volunteers, family andfriends. When “C” moved in, he was elated to find adog food set, doggie treats and a dog bed. He saidupon opening the kitchen drawers that he was amazed

to find a rolling pin and pizza cutter. He remarked thatit was a “real home.”Another resident in the community house, “S,” got

tears in his eyes when I helped him make up his bed.He said, “This is my own bedroom—a real bed,dresser and closet to put my things. I have sheets andblankets and my own towels in the bathroom.” Sadly,

just last week, S visited the USC hospital and learnedhe has an aggressive form of leukemia and is now inchemotherapy. How wonderful that he had a chanceto live in a “real house” and enjoy the comforts of home, even for a short time.

CHAP cannot afford another house this year forparticipants—the cost of renting a home in Claremontis just too much. There are homes in the city withguest houses and a number of empty homes. Wouldthe owners be willing to allow participants to live

there at a reduced rent? Could half the rent be donatedby CHAP and the donated portion be listed as a tax-deductible gift?

We urge Claremont residents to help out howeverthey can—gas cards, bus passes and store gift cardsare all needed.

We ask that you become a monthly supporter of $10 or more by visiting www.chapclaremont.org.There, more information can be found about how todonate and how to volunteer.

CHAP has now become affiliated with Inland Val-ley Hope Partners. This joint effort should provide ad-ditional resources to help Claremont become the firstcity to no longer have homelessness.

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers in Clare-mont. Thanks also to those who will read this letterand donate your time, money or housing to move thisprogram forward to our goal—sustainable housingand no homelessness in Claremont.

CHAP volunteers aim to change the lives of Claremont’s homelessby Joyce Sauter

VIEWPOINT


8/36


Although I’ve heard it suggestedthat that English is more difficultthan other languages, most lin-

guists agree that there is no such thing as“the hardest language.” Language diffi-

culty is an instinctive notion based onwhich languages one is fluent in.All languages, however, have components that are

especially difficult. When it comes to English, thehomonym can be surprisingly perplexing for lan-guage learners (and native speakers!).

I remember feeling totally lost in grade school as Ilearned about synonyms, antonyms and homonyms.At a young age, these distinctions were hard to grasp,but most of us eventually got the hang of them.

Now, of course, we can rely on the Internet for aquick reference: antonyms are opposites (big andsmall); synonyms are words with shared meanings(house and abode); and homonyms are words thatsound exactly alike but have different meanings(aloud and allowed).

Homonyms, it turns out, are much more complicated

than we were led to believe in elementary school. Theword comes from a combination of the Greek roothomo, ‘one and the same,’ and onym, ‘word or name,’and, thus, refers to words that represent some type of sameness. The idea of sameness is divided into subcat-egories with very specific distinctions.

Homophones, for example, from homo + phon,‘sound,’ are words that sound the same but have a dif-ferent spelling, such as pear, pare and pair. Words inthis group generally have different etymologies,

which accounts for their orthographic differences.‘Pear,’ for example, comes from the Old High Ger-

man pira, which also refers to the fruit; the root of ‘pare’ is the Latin parare, ‘prepare’; and ‘pair’ comesfrom Medieval Latin paria ‘equals.’ Homophones arequite common and often lead to crafty wordplay.Consider, for example, the riddles one could contrivewith morning and mourning, air and heir, cent andscent, him and hymn, idol and idle.

Another type of homonym, the homograph, comesfrom the combination of homo + graph, ‘written ordrawn.’ Not surprisingly, a homograph refers to wordsthat are spelled the same, but have different meanings,such as ‘fine’ (it’s fine if you pay your fine tomor-

row…but, be sure to read the fine print ), ‘down’ ( put your head down on the down pillow) and mind (do you mind if I mind the children?). These words areunderstood entirely by context.

Although homographs often come from differentorigins, there are a few instances where both versionsof the word come from the same source, which, overtime, splintered into different meanings. One such ex-ample is ‘present.’

The word present comes from the Old French prae,‘before,’ and esse, ‘to be.’ In Old French, present was

an adjective meaning ‘existing at the time.’ As a nounit could mean ‘this point in time.’ When people of-fered a gift, it was offered en present meaning “(tooffer) in the presence of,” which is how the word‘present,’ as a gift, came about. Among common ho-mographs are can, bank, nail, rock, file, sign, lie, bearstory, sink and the verb present.

When homographs are only understood by the waythey are pronounced they are called heteronyms,from the Greek hetero, ‘different or other,’ and onym.Heteronyms share sameness in that they look identi-cal, but they are actually understood by their qualityof differentness. That is to say one must ascertain themeaning from the way in which the word is pro-nounced and its context.

Common examples of heteronyms include ‘tear’ ( I shed a tear when I saw a tear in my favorite jeans),‘lead’ (the lead in Flint’s water supply leads me tosuspect foul play), ‘object’ ( I object to the placement of the object ), ‘close’ (That was a close call, now

please close the door), ‘wound’ (the bandage waswound around the wound ), and ‘refuse’ ( I refuse toleave the refuse out all night ). English is full of thesepuzzling phonographic wonders. Consider mobile,bow, minute, affect, invalid, wind and intimate,among others.

English learners often struggle with trying to figureout which which is which and, in fact, even nativespeakers like to disagree about the rules that governhomonyms. I came across one language blogging sitewhere adults actually argued over the topic! I did findsome humor, however, amidst all the confusion. Oneman offered the following: “A homephone is actuallythe opposite of a mobile or cell phone—it’s the one

you keep at home. Can we all agree on that?”

A hymn to the homonym by Mellissa Martinez

LEX

CITY

IN THE


9/36


New employee brings design acumen, touch of grace to newsroom

The COURIER has welcomed anew ad designer, Grace Felschund-neff, to the fold.

Now in her second week on the job, she is master-ing the tricky task of making the messages—of localbusinesses, colleges, nonprofits and the city itself—stand out in a publication chock full of content. She’s

also responsible for laying out the paper’s classifiedand legal advertisement sections.

While advertising is the bread and butter of anynewspaper, some aspects of Ms. Felschundneff’s jobare mundane. Still, she is deriving enjoyment fromher contribution to community journalism. “It’s like apuzzle, getting everything to fit. It’s very satisfying,”she said.

Ms. Felschundneff’s gig is part-time. The setup,which involves her coming in three days a week, al-lows her to continue to pursue freelance editing anddesign. Given the scale of her duties at theCOURIER, it also means she must work efficiently.

Fortunately, running a tight ship is second-nature toMs. Felschundneff. “I have extra attention for detailsand organizational skills,” she said. “Lack of thatmakes me crazy.”

She likes the spaces where she works, whetherelectronic or analog, to be kept in order. When itcomes to her design aesthetic, she enjoys a combina-tion of boldness and simplicity, allowed to breathe viathe use of plenty of negative or white space. Ms.Felschundneff draws inspiration from the sleek linesof mid-century modern architecture.

She attributes some of her aesthetic to her upbring-ing. Ms. Felschundneff spent her formative years,

from age 8 to 12,living in Tokyowhere her father wasworking as a banker.There, she absorbedJapanese qualitieslike kanso—simplic-ity or the elimination

of clutter—andshibui, which meansprecision and under-statement.

As a towhead, shealso attracted quite abit of attention, par-ticularly when herfamily left Tokyoand took excursionsto more rural areas.It seems every kidwanted to touch her

blonde hair and her brother’s brown locks, and to tryout a few English phrases.

Ms. Felschundneff also showed herself to be a bitof a rebel. She and her brother were a bit unruly. “We

were shooting bottle rockets through open windows.We were not good ambassadors,” she said.

She was singled out from her private internationalgirls school, however, and expelled for “her creativewriting and caricature skills.” These were demon-strated in a passed-around slam book in which youngGrace sought to either lampoon or evoke the essenceof her teachers, depending on one’s view.

Her last several months in Japan still proved fruit-ful. Along with studying academics with private tu-tors, she took lessons in niceties like flower arranging.

When her family returned to the United States, theysettled in McLean, Virginia. The transition was atough one—there were just so many cultural differ-ences. For instance, she discovered her new set of peers no longer thought the band KISS was cool. Nomatter. She kept on listening to tunes by the painted-

faced quartet.“I was never interested in fitting in,” she said.Still, Ms. Felschundneff managed to excel in school

and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in masscommunications/creative advertising from VirginiaCommonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

She began her career as a partner at a small adver-tising agency in Naples, Florida, where she used herphotography, design and writing skills to promoteluxury real estate. Later, she worked as marketing de-signer for the Naples Daily News.

You may have noticed that Ms. Felschundneff’sname is familiar. That’s because she’s married toCOURIER photographer Steven Felschundneff, whoshe met when he was photographer for the Naples

Daily News.The couple moved to Claremont in 1999 and wed

in 2001. Their unusual appellation springs from a cre-ative collaboration. Steven’s last name was Felsch

and hers was Neff, both good German names. They joined the two last names together with “und,” theGerman word for “and.” The rest is surname history.

The couple lives in a house in north Claremont.One of their first moves when they settled there wasto take out the front yard and replace the grass withcactus. “There were no rebates at the time,” Ms.Felschundneff said. “We were brown before it wasgreen and green before it was cool.”

As it turns out, she loves California. She and Mr.Felschundneff particularly appreciate the state’s natu-ral beauty and enjoy camping in Joshua Tree.

In Claremont, Ms. Felschundneff’s favorite hauntsinclude Some Crust—“I can’t do without it. Theirbreakfast sliders are awesome”—and Blue Fin Sushi.

The Felschundneffs are also regulars at The Press,so much so that a fashion choice once posed a prob-

lem. Ms. Felschundneff decided to don a dark wig fortheir usual date, just for kicks. It soon became appar-ent that the wait staff was ignoring Steven and hismysterious brunette.

“They thought he was stepping out on me,” shelaughed.

As far as hobbies, Ms. Felschundneff has a pen-chant for amateur millinery. “I like to make gianthats,” she explained. She has made light-up hats, atree water bag hat and one that looked like a teapot,with steam coming out of the spout.

All in all, it’s a good life. “I love Claremont. I can’tsee any reason to ever leave,” she said.

And Ms. Felshundneff, who had a gig copy editingfor the COURIER in 2010-2011, is glad to be backworking in print journalism, a field she loves. “I like tosit on the sofa in front of the fireplace and read the LA

Times in print,” she said. “It’s a physical thing for me.”While there’s no reason to leave the City of Trees,Ms. Felschundneff did return to Tokyo seven yearsago, accompanied by her brother. The pair visited theirold neighborhood and even played in the playgroundthey loved as a kid. It still had the same rocket slide.

It was a delightful homecoming. As Ms.Felschundneff quips, “You can take the girl out of Tokyo, but you can’t take the Tokyo out of the girl.”


COURIER photo/ Steven Felschundneff

Grace Felschundneff joined theCOURIER staff this month.


10/36


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11/36

William “Bill” Benjamin Arce Jr., alongtime resident of Claremont, died onMarch 7, 2016 at the age of 90. Hepassed in peace, surrounded and com-forted by his loving family.

Born in Oakland, California to

William Benjamin Arce Sr. and EdithCaroline Friberg Arce, Bill was raisedwith his older sister Lorraine. His fathershared with him his love for the gameof baseball. Pearl Harbor and WorldWar II interrupted what might havebeen a great professional baseball ca-reer. He enlisted at 19 and, as part of the“Greatest Generation,” he fought withPatton’s infantry in Europe and waswounded in the Battle of the Bulge. Acritical point in Mr. Arce’s life camewhile facing a life or death situation. Hemade a promise that if the Lord sparedhim, he would do something meaning-ful with his life. He survived to win aPurple Heart and fulfill his promise. He

attended Stanford University, captainedthe baseball team, became a mathteacher and earned a doctorate in educa-tion from Stanford.

In 1956 Mr. Arce accepted an offer to join the athletic staff at Pomona Col-lege, and in 1958 he was asked to be-come the first athletic director andbaseball coach for Claremont Men’sCollege-Harvey Mudd College (nowcombined as the Claremont McKenna,Harvey Mudd and Scripps colleges or“CMS” teams). He retired as the CMSbaseball coach in 1980 and as athleticdirector in 1982. Under Bill’s initialleadership, CMS became one of the topcollegiate NCAA Division III athletic

programs. The CMS baseball field isnamed for Coach Arce; there is an ArceScholarship Fund established by formerplayers and CMS. In 2013, CMS en-

dowed its athletic director position asthe “Director of Athletics William B.Arce Professor and George Roberts Fel-

low.”In addition to his storied collegiate

coaching career, Mr. Arce developed asecond, unpaid “side career” coachingand teaching baseball internationally. In1962-1963, he took his young family tolive in the Netherlands to help developthe Dutch national baseball program.The contacts he made on this trip led tohim taking multiple collegiate teams toEurope. He organized clinics and taughtplayers and coaches alike, all over theglobe, many times taking Major Leaguecoaches with him. He was the firstAmerican to run baseball clinics in Bel-gium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Yu-goslavia and, in 1980, the People’s

Republic of China. He coached numer-ous US national and international all-star teams in tournaments andcompetitions throughout Europe, Cen-

tral America and Asia. And, as headcoach, he led the Dutch and later theItalians to win the European BaseballChampionship. In 1985, Bill foundedInternational Sports Group (ISG), stilloperating today, to continue his mission

of coaching and teaching baseballaround the world.

Using baseball and sports as ametaphor for life, Mr. Arce coached anddeveloped generations of young playersand coaches throughout the world. Hebecame one of the most well-knownand influential people in internationalbaseball. He was inducted into the Na-tional Association of IntercollegiateAthletics Hall of Fame, the ClaremontMcKenna College Hall of Fame, theAmerican Baseball Coaches Associa-tion Hall of Fame and the Dutch andItalian Baseball Halls of Fame. In2001, he was awarded the prestigious“Lefty Gomez Award,” collegiate base-

ball’s highest honor.Mr. Arce took great joy in traveling to

Hawaii, Australia and San Francisco tovisit his children and their families. Heloved spending time at the family lakehouse in Twain Harte, California, andhe was very proud of the colorful flow-ers that bloomed in his garden at hishome in Mt. San Antonio Gardens. Billwas a member of the “Bear ValleyGang,” was on the board and a pastpresident of the American BaseballCoaches Association and was an elderat the Claremont Presbyterian Church.

He was preceded in death by his sis-ter Lorraine, who died in 2012. He issurvived by his loving wife of 65 years,

Nancy; his daughter Judy Arce Scott(David); sons Jim (Pat) and Jeff (Loan);nine grandchildren, Michael, Douglas,Owen, Erin, Beth, Paul, Jamie, Caitlyn

and Brianna; and his great-grandchil-dren, William, Thomas, Christopher andOliver.

The family appreciates the profes-sional and thoughtful care of the nursesand physicians in Bill’s final days and is

comforted by the outpouring of loveand affection received in his passing.Personal stories and memories areposted at and can be shared atwww.forevermissed.com/bill-arce-memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations may bemade in Bill’s honor to the “William B.Arce Scholarship Fund” at CMC, 400N. Claremont Blvd., Claremont, CA91711, or online at cmc.edu/arcegift-page, or to the Mt. San Antonio Gar-dens Scholarship Fund at Mt. SanAntonio Gardens, 900 E. Harrison Ave.,Pomona, CA 91767.

A memorial service will be held onSunday, May 1 at 1 p.m. at McKenna

Auditorium on the Claremont McKennaCollege campus, with a reception to fol-low.


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William Benjamin Arce Veteran, internationally-renowned coach

Patricia Rohrs, a longtime Clare-mont resident, died on March 17,2016. She was 96.

No services will be held, per herrequest. In lieu of flowers, dona-tions may be made to the charity of

your choice. A full account of Mrs.Rohrs’ life will be featured in a fu-ture edition of the COURIER.

PatriciaRohrs


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Don C. Force died at Mt. San Anto-nio Gardens on December 3, 2015. Hehad been a Claremont resident since2000, after living in Pomona since1965.

He was born on July 5, 1928 in Clear

Lake, South Dakota, a small town nearthe Minnesota border, the fourth childof Hazel (Clement) and Clifford Force.It was the beginning of the Great De-pression and his father was able to findonly part-time work as a carpenter. Thewindstorms that came through the areaat that time helped the family during hisearly years by blowing down barns andhouses so his father could find employ-ment.

In 1936, the family moved to thesmall town of Healdsburg, California,where Don lived until he joined the USArmy in 1947. He never liked schoolvery much because he stuttered and,being shy to begin with, was pro-

foundly affected by the problem. But heliked Healdsburg, where he could ridehis bike around every day when theweather was good. After school let outin the afternoon, he worked for hisuncle delivering milk to houses off atruck. It was kind of a hazardous jobbecause, in those days, most milk wascontained in glass bottles that wouldbreak if you fell while running the milkup to the houses. The delivery boys al-ways ran because it was faster thanwalking, but many of them got badcuts. He learned to play the clarinetwhen he was nine or 10, and the onlyclasses he liked in school were bandand orchestra. Unfortunately, his

mother died suddenly when he was asenior in high school.After joining the army, he took basic

and band training at Fort Ord, Califor-nia. He was later stationed permanently

with the Letterman General HospitalConcert Band at the Presidio of SanFrancisco. A few months before he was

due to be discharged, he decided to seehow far he could walk in one day. Hisbarracks was located near the approachto the Golden Gate Bridge, so he got upone Saturday morning, ate breakfastand started walking across the bridge.Ten hours later he arrived in Petaluma(about 40 miles north of San Fran-cisco), and took a bus the rest of theway to Healdsburg.

Dr. Force met his future wife,Frances Jean Johnson, of Hershey, Ne-braska, in 1949 when she was ateenager and visiting her aunt and unclein Healdsburg. They were connectedthrough his sister Betty, who had mar-ried Frances’ uncle Carl Young. Al-

though they didn’t take much notice of each other when they first met, sparksflew three years later when Dr. Forcehelped Betty and Carl relocate to Ne-braska. Don and Frances were married

in 1953 at Maria Lutheran Church inHershey.

Dr. Force used the GI Bill to enroll inSanta Rosa Junior College in January1950. He didn’t think he would likecollege but found it was better than he

expected, graduating from Fresno StateUniversity in 1954. The same year heenrolled in UC Davis, got a master’sdegree in entomology and took a posi-tion as research entomologist withStauffer Chemical Company in Moun-tain View, California, testing chemicalsfor their insecticidal activity.

Wanting to continue his education,he enrolled in UC Berkeley, attained hisPhD in 1963 and took a research posi-tion with the US Department of Agri-culture in Columbia, Missouri.Unfortunately, the entire family had se-rious sinus problems in Missouri, soafter nine months he found a teachingposition in the biological sciences de-

partment at California State Polytech-nic University, Pomona where he laterserved as chairman for seven years.

Dr. Force found he liked teaching buthis real love was research. He and hisfamily camped frequently while doinghis field research projects. Over theyears he was a member of numerousscientific societies, obtained severalgrants from the National Science Foun-dation and the US Forest Service and

published 25 papers in various scien-tific journals or as chapters in books.After retirement, he published a novel,the plot of which included chaparralwildfire, faculty, students and research.

Don was an active member of Good

Shepherd Lutheran Church in Clare-mont, where he enjoyed playing hisclarinet on various occasions duringservices and with the choir. He lovedworking with members of the churchon Saturday mornings, assisting withthe maintenance of the church property.

He is preceded in death by his sistersBetty Young and Miriam Solem andbrother Robert Force. He is survived byFrances, his wife of 62 years, twindaughters Jean Bradley (Ron) of Sanger and Rachel Arciniega of Pomona, and son Daniel Force (Noel)of Albuquerque, New Mexico, alongwith four granddaughters, Karen Arcin-iega Steichen, Shelley Carlson, Skye

Bradley and Alexandra Force.A celebration of life service will beheld at Good Shepherd LutheranChurch on Thursday, March 31 at 2p.m. Donations in Don’s honor shouldbe made to Good Shepherd LutheranChurch, music department, 1700 N.Towne Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, orto a charitable organization of yourchoice.


OBITUARIESDon C. ForceEntomologist, professor, writer


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OBITUARIES

Doris Caldwell Rhoades died on March 19, 2016 atthe age of 97. She was in the presence of loving familyand friends at Pilgrim Place in Claremont, where shehad been a resident since 1992.

She was born in 1918 on the Caldwell Homestead, adairy farm in central Pennsylvania, to Frank and Eliza-

beth Caldwell. Doris was the eldest of four daughters.Nurtured in the Presbyterian Church, she was early oninspired to commit her life to serving disenfranchisedpeople.

After earning a master’s degree in social work, shewas called to service in China by the Board of ForeignMissions of the Presbyterian Church. In 1947, she setsail to China from San Francisco. Once there she stud-ied Mandarin and went to work in the rural provinceof Soochow, but within six months she was “liberated”by young soldiers of the Red Army and the ChurchWorkers’ Training Center was closed.

In 1951 Ms. Rhoades returned to the United Stateswhere she did graduate study at Cornell Universityand became the director of Christian education in thePresbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Still,she longed to return to China. When in 1957 she was

asked to work with Chinese refugees in Hong Kong,

her first reaction was, “No, I don’t want to work in acolony.” As she mulled it over, however, she realizedthat those she would be serving wanted to return toChina as badly as she did. She agreed to go for “a yearor two,” and ended up staying for 26 years.

After retiring in 1984 Ms. Rhoades returned to NewYork, where she took a part-time job with the Vocation

Agency of the Presbyterian Church. There in late

1986, “after several years of trying to get used to liv-ing in the United States,” she met Benton Rhoades, di-rector of Agricultural Mission, related to the NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in the USA. They weremarried on January 3, 1988.

She later recalled that, “My new family is quite dif-

ferent from my large Hong Kong family, but no lessinteresting.” At the spry and youthful age of 70, Ms.Rhoades became the loving and dearly adored“mother” to Benton’s four children and 10 grandchil-dren. During their years together at Pilgrim Place theyadded to their family 12 great-grandchildren. Doriswas a natural in her various family roles.

She is survived by two of her three sisters, Margeand Peg, and many adoring nieces and nephews. Amemorial service was held at Pilgrim Place’s DeckerHall on March 22.

Memorial contributions can be made in the name of Doris Rhoades to either: Residents’ Health and Sup-port Fund (make checks to Pilgrim Place with RHSPin the memo line), Pilgrim Place, 625 Mayflower Rd.,Claremont, CA 91711 or to Agricultural Missions Inc.,475 Riverside Dr. #1505, New York, NY 10115.

Doris Caldwell RhoadesMissionary, world traveler, loving wife


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John Bonilla of Irvine died on Janu-ary 18, 2016 of complications fromquadriplegia. He was 54.

He was born on June 14, 1961 at FortMonroe in Hampton, Virginia. Theyoungest of four siblings, John grew up

in Claremont where he was quite ac-tive, playing AYSO soccer and compet-ing with the Claremont Club andClaremont High School tennis teams.He loved to ski in Mammoth and wasalso musically inclined, particularly en-

joying playing guitar. He graduatedfrom CHS in 1979.

John’s life changed in 1982 after an

auto accident that left him paralyzed.After the accident, he spent severalmonths at Pomona Valley Hospital andthe Casa Colina and Rancho Los Ami-gos rehabilitation centers. He returnedhome to live with his mother Diane

Bonilla and stepfather Tim for eightyears. He then married Barbara Granerand they were loving companions for26 years until his death.

John participated in several rehabprograms at local community collegesand was active in the Orange CountyMADD group, taking part in educa-tional efforts to warn teens about thedangers of driving under the influence.He will be remembered for his perform-ance as a clown in the Ringling Bros.Circus, which was one of his lifegoals!

Throughout John’s life he broughthumor, insight and great strength intohis personal challenges. He had a great

love of family and friends and nevermet a stranger.

“He will be greatly missed by all,”family shared, adding, “We love you,John. Rest in peace.”

He was predeceased by his father,

Ken Bonilla, in 2009 and his brotherRichard’s wife, Lara, in January 2016.He is survived by his wife BarbaraGraner and his mother Diane DeLoryBonilla. He also leaves his stepchildrenAndy and Matthew Graner, his sisterLynn Traver (Robert), his brothersRichard and Steve (Gay) and his niecesand nephews, Jennifer, Jessica andNicholas Traver, Tyler and CameronBonilla and Katie, Allison “Ali” andChristy Bonilla.

Donations in John’s memory may bemade to your local MADD group. Hisashes will be scattered in MammothLakes, where he loved to ski, backpackand camp with his family.

John Kevin BonillaLoving son, husband, brother, uncle and friend

Visit our website for photo galleries.www.claremont-courier.com


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Docent finds her fit, fancy among the fossils

Sometimes one is so wellsuited to their work thatwatching them in action

is to witness grace personified.Joe DiMaggio, it’s been said,

was like this; Meryl Streep,same. Although not on theworld stage, witnessing CarolJorden at work is similarlymesmerizing.

Ms. Jorden, senior docent at the Ray-mond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology,has been honing her craft for decadesnow at the Claremont institution. “She’sbeen that way for 30 years,” said KathySanders, Alf’s director of outreach.“Her enthusiasm has not waned.”

As she led a small group of CubScouts and schoolchildren last weekthrough a presentation about various

ancient creatures such as anomalocaris(a genus of anomalocaridid, a family of animals thought to be closely related toancestral arthropods) and dunkleosteus(a genus of arthrodire placoderm fishthat existed during the late Devonianperiod), Ms. Jorden’s unique ability toreach young children was apparent.

Her kindly, animated style kept thechildren—a notoriously fickle audi-ence—in rapt attention throughout the25-minute presentation. It’s not an easyfeat by any measure, as most parents of young children would attest.

“I can’t walk in the Alf without see-ing something new,” Ms. Jorden said.“I am just so excited about paleontol-

ogy.”

It was her lifelong fascination withscience that led Ms. Jorden to the Alf in1986. A newly-hired third grade teacherin Rancho Cucamonga’s CentralSchool District, Ms. Jorden was “look-ing around for some interesting thingsto go see” and discovered the museum.

“And I just fell in love with the place,”she said.A single mom with a young son at

the time, Ms. Jorden soon found herself drawn to the fledgling museum’s com-bination of small-town charm and seri-ous scientific bona fides. “And I’vebeen here ever since,” she added.

Ms. Jorden’s passion rubbed off onher third graders, with several of hercharges becoming junior paleontolo-gists through the Alf’s after school pro-gram. “A number of them have movedon to science,” she said of her students.“So, that was really cool.”

Watching Ms. Jorden interact withthe children in her group, it’s clear how

30 years in the classroom helped to

hone her skills as a communicator. Sheis engaging and kind while remainingfirm and authoritative. While she ad-mits she’s working off a loose script,she seems natural, and somehow re-mains charming and spontaneous. Atone point she gathered the group of nine into a circle near a tyrannosaurusrex skull and had them lean in close.“He could eat all of you in one bite!”

And Ms. Jorden’s excitement wasn’treserved for exclusively for the chil-dren. Speaking of the Alf, she re-counted a long list of changes and ac-complishments the museum has seenover the years.

“There have been a number of very

unique scientific discoveries,” she said.“There’s the hadrosaur skeleton withthe skin impressions, again, found byhigh school students. We just discov-ered baby Joe, a few years ago,” Ms.Jorden continued, making reference tothe 75 million year-old parasaurolophusfound recently by Alf paleontologistswhile on a dig in southern Utah.

“The amphycion footprints—com-monly called ‘bear dog’—he’s down-stairs. We have the only known foot-prints of a giant bear dog.”

As she continued to list the mu-seum’s triumphs and prizes, it was evi-dent that Ms. Jorden’s knowledge of

and pride for what the Alf has becomeare invaluable. “She is very protectiveand very proud of the museum,” saidMs. Sanders. “I am incredibly grateful.We can’t run this place without [do-cents]. Their importance is immeasura-ble.”

Asked what she’s most proud of afterall these years, Ms. Jorden’s responsewas typically earnest.

“I guess I am most proud of the factthat … not only am I a lifelong learner,I am encouraging and enthusing chil-dren,” she said. “You will hear childrenat my talks that say, ‘Oh, I was here lastweek, when you did this!’ To a teacher,there’s nothing better.”

And while another group of childrenbegan assembling outside in the mu-seum, Ms. Jorden eyed the clock andsaid she had better get back to the jobshe has loved for 30 years.

Ms. Jorden leads tours on FamilyScience Discovery Day the second Sat-urday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m.,November through May. Her next touris April 9. The Raymond M. Alf Mu-seum of Paleontology is located at 1175W. Base Line Rd., Claremont. Informa-tion is available at alfmuseum.org or bycalling (909) 624-2798.

—Mick [email protected]

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffAlf Museum docent Carol Jorden gives a presentation on ancient predators on Sat-urday at the north Claremont museum. Ms. Jorden has been a volunteer at the mu-seum for 30 years, longer than any other person currently at the institution.

Ms. Jorden, at right, talks about prehistoric predators who lived in the oceans during her tour of the Alf Museum on Satur-

day. Ms. Jorden leads museum tours the second Saturday of the month at 1:30 and 2:15 p.m. November through May. Hernext tour is April 9.

WHAT:Family Science Discovery Day

WHEN: Second Saturday eachmonth, November through May

WHERE: Alf Museum of Palentology,1175 W. Base Line Rd., Claremont

TICKETS: $3; kids 4 and under free.

INFO: Call (909) 624-2798 orwww.alfmuseum.org.

The Basics



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17/36


The COURIER reporting staff hasbeen enriched by the hiring of a newwriter. Claremonter Mick Rhodes

has taken on the job of covering the bustlingarts and entertainment scene of the city andits environs, as well as creating the news-paper’s weekly calendar.

Mr. Rhodes has four kids, one 32 and the

rest—13-year-old Grace, 10-year-old Lucyand 6-year-old Everett—considerablyyounger. He’s been a stay-at-home dadsince 2002 and so it’s refreshing to get outof the house and into the office, even on apart-time basis.

Mr. Rhodes was born in Duarte and grad-uated from Glendora High School. Whilestudying journalism at Pasadena City Col-lege, he began stringing, covering sports ona freelance basis for newspapers like theSan Gabriel Valley Tribune and the now-de-funct San Fernando Valley edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Before long, he was hired as a full-timereporter for the North Tahoe Bonanza. Dur-ing his two-year stint, he served as businesseditor and spot news reporter, covering the

police and fire beats, among others. Heeventually became sports editor.

He next moved to Los Angeles to em-bark on a career in the entertainment in-dustry. He was CFO of a production com-pany called Tribe which specialized inmusic tours by name artists like Madonnaand large-scale events like the Superbowl.

Mr. Rhodes isn’t big on name-dropping,but he can’t help talking about one enter-tainment giant he came across. Johnny Cash

was sick at the time, and only able to offera friendly “Hi” to Mr. Rhodes. Still, he wasawed to have met the Man in Black and his

devoted wife June.“He’s a hero of mine,” Mr. Rhodes said.In fact, since he was a kid, most of his

heroes have been musicians. Mr. Rhoadesgot into music as a kid, and rememberswatching Elvis on TV as he embarked onhis 1968 comeback special. He recalledthe female contingent of the audience en-circling the King on his intimate set. Theywere screaming.

“I thought, I can try that, just to get

girls,” he said.At age 10 he picked up the guitar, find-

ing his own way as he coaxed music fromthe frets. He’s had callouses on his fingersever since.

Mr. Rhodes, who is also a singer/song-writer, serves as frontman of an Americanamusic outfit called Mick Rhodes and the

Hard Eight. The group performs all overCalifornia and Nevada and has a standingdate the third Friday of each month at theBlack Watch Pub in Upland. Assumingyou’re not racing to file your taxes, you cancatch them next on April 15.

The Upland gig is a quick commute forMr. Rhodes, who moved from Venice to theCity of Trees in 2008. His daughter wasabout to start first grade and he and histhen-wife wanted to settle somewhere thatwas safe and had good schools. Claremontfit the bill.

Proximity to family also played a part.Mr. Rhodes mom lives in Pomona and hiscousin is raising his family in Claremont.The suburban life has been good for hisfamily; his younger kids are happily en-

sconced at Condit Elementary and his 13-year-old daughter is now at El Roble.

Still, as his young family grew, Mr.Rhodes discovered that he had his workcut out for him. Journalism? Productiondesign? He says both are “a cakewalk.”

“They are super-easy, pleasant and non-stressful compared to being a full-time par-ent,” he insists. “It’s the toughest job everand the best job ever.”

Mr. Rhodes’ only regret is that he does-

n’t have more time to spend with his grand-kids Catie and Vincent, who are 7 and 3months old, respectively. After all, he hashis own houseful of kids.

“I’m unfortunately not as traditional agrandfather as I would be,” he said. “I seethem when I can.”

Settling into his new job at the local pa-

per has thus far been a blast, Mr. Rhodessaid.“It’s a totally familiar world,” he said of

the COURIER newsroom. “Stepping backinto it is surprisingly easy. There’s a learn-ing curve—things I need to relearn—butevery one is so cool here. I love it.”

Claremont is a community full of musi-cians and artists and the town, as well asneighboring cities like Pomona, has count-less venues. It’s tough narrowing downwhat to cover in a newspaper that offers afinite amount of ink.

For Mr. Rhodes, it’s starting with thepeople he knows. And one thing seems tolead to another.

He was in Pomona, interviewing a friendwho is a Claremont artist and has a show at

the dA gallery. As he left, he ran into his for-mer neighbor. She shared with him that shehas launched a poetry foundation for youthsand that the organization will soon be hav-ing an awards ceremony.

It’s a story for another week.“That’s how things work in Claremont,”

Mr. Rhodes said. “Everyone knows eachother. It’s the Kevin Bacon game of art.”


Guitar playing dad strikes a new beat as entertainment reporter

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffMick Rhodes joins the COURIER staff.


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ART EXHIBIT Recent works by Claremont artistJessica Wimbley are on display through March 31 atThe University of La Verne’s Campus Center, locatedat the corner of C and Second streets, LaVerne. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Monday through Friday or by appointment. Informa-tion at (909) 448-4383 or by email at [email protected].

claremont courier 3-25-16

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