Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

HOLIDAY magazine
Kindness Tree

The Nutcracker

by Mick Rhodes

Returns to Bridges Auditorium

...............4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Unique gifts

Holiday Promenade

by Matthew Bramlett

Hosted by the city of Claremont

...............6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Taste of the holidays

Make a lasting impression

by Sarah Torribio

by Alicia Balderrama

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Ste. 205B Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-4761 claremont-courier.com
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

STAFF: Peter Weinberger, Kathryn Dunn, Sarah Torribio, Matthew Bramlett,

Mick Rhodes, Steven Felschundneff, Grace Felschundneff, Vickie Rosenberg,
Mary Rose, Rachel Fagg, Dee Proffitt, Tom Smith.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Tis the season for kindess

for these Condit kids

lot of folks talk the talk

about random acts of
kindness, but Condit
Elementary Schools Kara
Leeper walks the walk as well.
The Claremont schools speech therapist and co-advisor to its student council
has taken a program that was once
going through the typical student government motions and turned it into a
thriving wellspring of giving.
Kids can be so self-centered by nature, right? Ms. Leeper said. Thats
just the way they are. So were just trying to get them to think about others.
And theyve loved it.
Ms. Leeper, along with co-chair and
Condit fifth-grade teacher Jennifer
Luebbers, recently created a kindness
tree, where students and faculty can
write down an act of kindness on a cutout paper leaf or flowers and attach it to
the tree.
It really took off, Ms. Luebbers
said. Within the first day, the whole
thing was covered.
And its clear the giving gene hasnt
fallen too far from the, um, tree.
Our family has this thing where we
give a homeless man food and clothes,
said 11-year-old Zack Leeper. The Condit Student Council member and sixth
graderand Ms. Leepers sonsaid
the Leeper family has recently been assisting an Upland man named Mike
Tietz. Mr. Tietz, who is a 1981 Claremont High School graduate, has been
homeless for eight years.
Weve always just been like that,
Ms. Leeper said. My husband works in
Apple Valley and theres a huge homeless population there.

The Leeper family has brought Mr.

Tietz clothing and food, and even tried
to get him into a homeless shelter, but
since he has a dog, the shelter would not
admit him.
Shes a sweetheart, Mr. Tietz said
of Ms. Leeper. Ive known her probably half a year now. She helps me out
quite a bit.
The kindness tree project at Condit
began unexpectedly with the combination of a simple act of carelessness and
a random click on Facebook. Last year,
the student council had a large group
about 40 membersand at the beginning of one meeting a student dropped a
stack of papers near the door.
As the kids filed in for the meeting,
they all stepped over the papers. Nobody stopped to pick up the mess.
So I said to them, You guys, you
need to be more aware, Ms. Leeper
recalled. You need to be more aware
of each other and help each other. And
then this summer, I saw this video online.
The clip was of Florida special education teacher Chris Ulmer earnestly
and lovingly complimenting his students. Mr. Ulmer posted it on his Special Books by Special Kids Facebook
page last November and the clip went
viral. The Special Books page had been
liked by nearly 800,000 users.
The video completely motivated me
to make changes in how I teach and
how I advise student council, Ms.
Leeper said. I shared it with Jennifer
[Luebbers] and we immediately took off
with it. We searched Pinterest and found
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
the kindness tree idea and many more
Condit
student
council
members
Zack
Leeper,
left, Melina Tisopulos, Carson
ideas that we are excited to implement.
Mowbray,
Camille
Leible,
Kyli
Epling
and
Emily
ONeill
came up with the idea of a
The Condit Student Councils theme
KINDNESS TREE/next page

kindness tree, where students could write notes about the nice things they had
done for others.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Parent Kara Leeper

discusses how she
came up with the idea
for the Kindness Tree.
COURIER photo/
Steven Felschundneff

KINDNESS TREE/from previous page

this year is A kind word can lift a soul

and change the world. Every month,
the kids undertake a different project
around this theme. The kindness tree
will be up through fall.
Next up will be blessing bags for
the homeless, where the student council
kids will use donated items from families and teachers to fill bags with a new
pair of socks, a granola bar, a toothbrush and toothpaste, gum, mints and
other supplies. Last year the group
passed out 45 bags, and Ms. Leeper
said she thinks this years project will
yield an even larger bounty.
The council also has plans for a drive
in April to accumulate donated dog and
cat toys for Pomonas Inland Valley
Humane Society.
Another student council member,
fifth grader Camille Leible, made pink
pins to raise money for people battling

breast cancer.
We sold them for 50 cents each,
Camille said, and raised $85.40. The
remainder we taped to cards and were
going to give them to people with
breast cancer so they can wear their
pins proudly.
Getting Condits students to focus on
those less fortunate has been a very rewarding experience for everyone, Ms.
Leeper said.
I mean, were so blessed and lucky
here. And we dont realize how people
really do struggle, even here. If you
open your eyes, there are plenty of people here that struggle as well, she said.
For Ms. Leeper, her hope is all of this
will lead the kids to be good, respectful
citizens and to help others.
The simplest random act of kindness really can change someones day,
or even change someone forever. You
never know. It really was to try to get
them to think about helping others and

Photo Kara Leeper

Max Leeper (8), twins Abby and Chloe Leeper (6), and Zack Leeper (11) spend some
time with Mike Tietz and his dog Jack in Upland. The Leeper family has been bringing Mr. Tietz, a Claremont High School graduate who is homeless, food and
clothes for the past few months.

how if you make someone elses day

great, that will make your day great too.
Sometimes it makes you feel better
than the person youre helping, she
said.
To see the video that inspired the
kindness tree project, visit Youtube and

search Florida Teacher Starts Each Day

Complimenting Students One by One.
The Special Books for Special Kids
Facebook page is at facebook.com/specialbooksbyspecialkids.
Mick Rhodes
mickrhodes@claremont-courier.com

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Unique gifts for unique people

HEIRLOOM

s many of us know,
one of the most stressful parts of the holiday
season is thinking of what to
get for that special Claremont
bon vivant in your life.
Buying a gift card seems like cheating, and your friend could tell from a
mile away that you got them that appliance last-minute from Bed, Bath and
Beyond.
Fortunately, the Village is rife with
cute shops full of gift ideas that would
impress any quirky soul. From Heirloom to DeeLux to Rio de Ojas, Claremont has you covered for thoughtful,
original presents on a budget.
Tell your eccentric friend in your life
that you get them and appreciate their
lovable weirdness with these budgetfriendly gift ideas.

COURIER photo/Matthew Bramlett

Tough Cookies, a cookbook featuring cookies with everyones favorite tattoo designs, is a great stocking-stuffer for your inked-up friends. The book is available
at Heirloom on Indian Hill Boulevard in Village West.

Located on the corner of Indian Hill

Boulevard and Second Street, Heirloom
is a one-stop shop for anyones inner eccentric. The shop is full of books, cards,
dishware and knick-knacks that will
liven up any living room.
Consider a group of Star Wars drink
coasters with smartly-designed depictions of characters from the beloved film
series. Or maybe you can get the Tough
Cookies cookbook, which shows you
how to make cookies depicting traditional and colorful tattoo ideas.
If you want a good coffee-table
warmer, the books Hipster Animals, a
Field Study offers hilarious drawings of
how members of the animal kingdom
would appear if they got a pair of Warby
Parkers, started a Vaporwave band and
freelanced while coasting on trust-fund
money.
Heirloom is located at 175 N. Indian
Hill Blvd., Suite 100A. (909) 621-1125.
GIFT IDEAS/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

GIFT IDEAS/from the previous page

CHEESE CAVE
Maybe you want to ditch the amusing
gifts this year and move toward something more edible. Claremont is blessed
with specialty food shops, but nothing
compares to the Cheese Cave.
In addition to the impressive assortments of cheeses and the knowledgeable
staff, the Cheese Cave also has a wonderful array of fine wines, beers and
other accoutrements to satisfy any
friends epicurean palette.
The Cheese Cave is located at 325
Yale Ave. (909) 625-7560

A SHOP CALLED QUEST

Feed your inner geek with a gift from
Claremonts premier comic book shop.
One may feel a little overwhelmed when
presented with the impressive haul of
comic books contained inside this tiny
GIFT IDEAS/next page
COURIER photo/Steven Feslchundneff
Cheese lovers from all over the region
come to the Cheese Cave to create the
perfect cheese platter for the holiday
season.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

GIFT IDEAS/from the previous page

Village West shop. But fear not, citizen:

A Shop Called Quest (a name Q-Tip
would be proud of) is here to quell your
comic queries.
Grab a graphic novel or two from celebrated authors such as Kate Beaton and
Neil Gaiman. Or, for the monster-lover
in your life, you can get a Godzilla piggy
bank that will look properly menacing on
your friends shelf.
A Shop Called Quest also has several
prints that could adorn any wall in the
home of the hardest culture kid, including scenes from Pulp Fiction, Akira, and
My Neighbor Totoro. Print prices range
from $30 to $55.
A Shop Called Quest is located at 101
N. Indian Hill Boulevard. (909) 6241829.

COURIER photos/Matthew Bramlett

ABOVE: Dyna Moes Hipster Animals:
a Field Study is a fun and inexpensive
gift for your fashionable friend.ATLEFT:
For the monster lover in your life, pick
up a Godzilla piggy bank from A Shop
Called Quest for $34.99

DEE-LUX
The Villages premier secondhand
store is also a haven for unique gifts.
Peruse the aisles of trendy and sometimes ironic alternative fashions, such as
the stores impressive collection of ugly
Christmas sweaters and vintage band
tees, to find the threads that will impress

your friend or family member the most.

The clothes are relatively inexpensive
and always in great condition, so theres
no worry of wear-and-tear.
Dee-Lux also has accessories, such as
purses and sunglasses, that make it easy

to look fly on the cheap. A local favorite

are the novelty socks that feature cacti,
bacon strips and even famed Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo.
Dee-Lux is located at 224 Yale Ave.
(909) 399-0721

RIO DE OJAS
Tucked in a lush corner of Harvard
and Bonita avenues across the street
from the new Shelton Park, Rio de Ojas
has long been a go-to center for unique
gifts that will enthrall the eccentric
Claremonter. Their Dia de los Muertos

and holiday collections are second-tonone in the city, and a must-have for anyone looking to decorate their home
during the holiday seasons.
Rio de Ojas also has a large and eclectic collection of Mexican and Spanishimported foods that would elevate any
kitchen, including Brava Sauce to add a
spicy kick to your meal.
Rio de Ojas is located at 250 Harvard
Ave. (909) 624-4141
Matthew Bramlett
news@claremont-courier.com

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Priceless Pets,
Eddies Italian
Eatery host
fundraiser
Help Claremonts pets in need
through the holiday season during
Priceless Pets meal ticket giveaway on
Sunday, December 4.
The pet adoption group will be selling $20 meal tickets for Eddies Italian
Eatery and they can only be purchased
at Priceless Pets adoption center, The
Orphanage. Tickets are good for either a
baked dish, chicken dish or a vegan dish
and will include a salad, fresh baked
bread and a soft drink or iced tea.
The fundraiser runs from 11 a.m. to
8:30 p.m. at the restaurant. Tickets are
available at The Orphanage during regular business hoursWednesday
through Friday from noon to 7 p.m.,
Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
The Orphanage is located at 665 E.
Foothill Blvd., (909) 203-3695. Eddies
Italian Eatery is located at 1065 W.
Foothill Blvd., (909) 398-1985.

OUR TOWN
Fiddler on the
Roof Tradition
continues at
Laemmles
The Laemmles Claremont 5 theater
will be holding a Fiddler on the Roof
sing-along, an alternative Christmas
event set for Saturday, December 24 at
7:30 p.m.
This year, the annual screening of the
1971 classic should be particularly festive, as it coincides with the first night
of Hanukkah. The show often sells out,
so youll want to get to the box office
early.
Viewers will be able to belt out their
holiday spirit...or their holiday frustra-

tions...as they croon along to all-time

favorites like Tradition, If I Were a
Rich Man, To Life and Matchmaker, among others.
Originally based on Sholem Aleichems short story Tevye and His
Daughters, Norman Jewisons adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in a Russian village at the
beginning of the 20th century.
Israeli actor Topol repeats his legendary London stage performance as
Tevye the milkman, whose equilibrium
is constantly being challenged by his
poverty, the prejudice of non-Jews and
the romantic entanglements of his five
daughters.
The Laemmles Claremont 5 is located in the Claremont Village Square,
at 450 W. Second St. in Claremont. For
information, call (909) 621-5566.

Fundraising event
sends rappellers
over the edge
In its biggest fundraising event to
date, Community Senior Services
(CSS) of Claremont offers organizations and individual participants the opportunity to rappel down the 10-story

Ontario Airport Hotel.

The Over the Edge event takes
place on Monday, December 5 at 9 a.m.
in celebration of CSSs 40th anniversary. Each rappelling participant raises
funds by seeking sponsorships from
friends, family and colleagues to meet
this once-in-a-lifetime bucket list challenge.
Inter Valley Health Plan is a sponsor
and has a few of their employees participating. Longtime employee Gail
Blacklock will be participating in the
rappel. She is also a longtime resident
of Claremont.
The day will be filled with camaraderie and events that enhance the
bonding experience for both rappellers
and their supporters, including a lunch
to cheer the participants on.
Proceeds from the Over the Edge
fundraising event will benefit Community Senior Services, a nonprofit organization that provides an array of
programs, services and support for seniors, their families and their caregivers
in the lnland, Pomona and East San
Gabriel Valleys.
CSSs mission is to connect people,
information, resources and communities to enrich the lives of older adults,
enhancing every seniors ability to live
with dignity and independence while
promoting self-sufficiency and quality
of life.
For registration and more information about the event, visit community-

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

10

Rio de Ojas
brings taste of
holidays to
tamale workshop

hen you visit Rio de Ojas, a

gift shop on the corner of
Bonita and Harvard avenues
celebrating Mexican and Hispanic culture,
owners Ray and Terry Riojas want you to
feel at home.
Last March the couple expanded their home,
adding on a space they call the Cocina (Spanish for
kitchen). Its stocked with items like hand-painted
dishware from Guanajuato and specialty foods from
Mexico and Spain.
The centerpiece of the space is an island, made
from an oversized table topped with a granite slab,
where the Riojases preside over cooking demonstrations.
In the past year, theyve hosted workshops on making Mexican chorizo and Spanish paella, on cooking
with a terracotta pot called a cazuela and creating colorful sugar skulls, just in time for the Day of the
Dead.
Most recently, the shop played host to its first
TASTE OF HOLIDAYS/next page

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Friends Alice Torres and Ramona Talampas enjoy making their first tamale during a tamale-making class
recently at Rio De Ojas in Claremont. The owners of the Village area shop make tamales as part of their
New Years holiday tradition, so they decided to offer a class to help others make them as well.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

11

Rio de Ojas owners Terry and Ray Riojas conduct a tamale making class at
their Village area store during a recent
evening. They have kept up the family
tradition of making tamales during the
holidays and this year started to offer
classes for the public.
TASTE OF HOLIDAYS/from previous page

tamale-making workshop. The first session filled up quickly with students, including a matriarch who brought along
her two daughters-in-law and a granddaughter.
A second session, held on Thursdays,
November 10 and November 17, was
smaller.
Two friends, Alice Torres and Ramona Talampas, who hail from Glendora and Diamond Bar, respectively,
were there. There was one more participant, Claremonter and emeritus biology
professor Leah Haimo, who was eager
to add a delicious but daunting Mexican recipe to her culinary wheelhouse.
Ms. Riojas, who is Mexican by marriage, not by birth, served as their
teacher. She began the first evenings

class, focused on savory tamales, with

an explanation. Ive been making
tamales with my mother-in-law for 42
years. Thats why you have a white
lady standing before you, she said.
Traditionally, tamale-making is a
large-scale affair undertaken by the

women of a family. If you grew up in

or are an honorary member ofa Mexican family with an emphasis in
preserving traditions, chances are
youve been part of at least one tamalemaking gathering.
Everyone has their designated task, a

distribution of work thats a testament

to the phrase, Many hands make light
work.
With plenty of talk peppered through
the process, tamale preparation is half
assembly line, half fiesta.
TASTE OF HOLIDAYS/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

12

TASTE OF HOLIDAYS/from previous page

In a typical household, one woman might spread

masa onto the dried corn husks while another ladles
filling onto the bed of cornmeal. A third might deftly
fold the edges of the cornhusks, while a fourth layers
the tamales like staggered bricks in a steamer.
A family might work with 40 or 50 pounds of
masa, which costs about a buck a pound. For the purposes of the workshop, however, Ms. Riojas simplified things.
The students worked with a little less than five
pounds of masa, and tried their hands at each step of
the process as they prepared a small batch of green
chile and cheese tamales.

owadays, most people buy preprepared masa at a market like

Claremonts Super King. It typically includes chicken broth and animal
fat, so Ms. Riojas cautions anyone hoping
to make truly meatless tamales to only
buy pre-prepared masa expressly labeled
as vegetarian.

Or, they can buy masa flour and reconstitute it with

water into dough themselves. The result is crueltyfree, if a bit harder to work with than regular masa.
You should allow the masa to sit for a while, because its easier to spread at room temperature. Its
spread on dried cornhusks, called ojas or leaves,
which are sold in bags at most Mexican supermarkets.
When Ms. Riojas was taught to make tamales, she
was instructed to soak the ojas overnight to make
them pliable. Eventually she discovered an easier
route. I just put them in hot water for a couple hours.
Bada-bing, bada-boom, Ms. Riojas said.
The students were seated at a table covered with

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Claremont resident Leah Haimo reaches for the masa as she learns how to make tamales recently at Rio de
Ojas in Claremont. Owners Ray and Terry Riojas conducted classes in tamale-making for two weekends earlier in the month and plan to teach it again next year.

floral-printed oilcloth. Their station featured access to

a stack of cornhusks, a colorful bowl of masa and
their choice of a spoon and icing spatula for a spreading implement.
Before they got started, however, Ms. Riojas
pointed out a subtlety that could easily be missed by
the novice tamale-maker.

There is a right side and wrong side of the cornhusk. One side of an oja is rigid, while the other is
smooth and glazed. If you dont want your masa to
stick when you unwrap your cooked tamales, you
should spread it on the glazed side.
The students were then instructed to follow Ms. RiTASTE OF HOLIDAYS/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

TASTE OF HOLIDAYS/from previous page

ojas example and spread their masa. She suggested

her apprentices be less careful. She said its okay to
get some masa smeared on the tablecloth as you strive
to make sure your cornhusk is completely covered.
Yours looks nice, Alice, Ms. Torres said. Its not
as good as hers, Ms. Talampas replied, indicating
Ms. Riojas handiwork. Mr. Riojas used a quip to
urge the novices to go a bit easier on themselves.
My dad always said, it doesnt matter how it looks.
Its all going to the same place, Mr. Riojas said.
With the masa spread, it was time for the women to
fill and wrap their tamales.

he Riojases had prepared the filling in advance. Each tamale contained two sticks of Monterey Jack
cheese and one of cheddar as well as a
peeled slice of fire-roasted poblano chile.
The chile can be cookedcharred until
its blackon the broiler, on the barbecue
or right over the flame of a gas stove.

The women placed the goodies on the masa and

then folded their cornhusks, an exercise in Mexican
origami. They did it several times until they had a
small batch of tamales.
The students could steam their tamales as soon as
they got home, but Mr. Riojas had another suggestion.
The best way is to freeze them in this stage and
then take them out and cook them, Mr. Riojas said,
adding that an hour-and-a-half or two in a steamer
does the trick.
The students were then encouraged to tuck into
warm green chile and cheese tamales that the Riojases had prepared in advance. They got a tasty pre-

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

A bowl of dried cornhusks or ojas, which have been
soaked in water to make them more pliable, awaits a
layer of masa and a tasty filling during a Rio de Ojas
tamale-making class.

13

view of what, with a little luck, their finished product

would taste like.
The students still had another lesson on making
sweet tamales, but the first class covered the basics.
Each participant gained enough familiarity with
tamale-making that they said they planned to try it on
their own this holiday season.
Many Mexican families make tamales for Christmas. The Riojases choose to make them for New
Years Eve. They are wonderful for dinner, and might
even be better the next day.
Im from Kansas, so I was raised with fried [cornmeal] mush. Its like a polenta sliceits so good,
Ms. Riojas said. And tamales are so good in the
morning with fried eggs on top.
The Cocina has added greatly to business at Rio de
Ojas, both aesthetically and financially, according
to Mr. Riojas.
He said hes delighted with the success of the cooking workshops, which he considers one more way
Rio de Ojas can continue what amounts to an ambassadorship.
In uncertain times, where there is talk of building a
wall between the United States and Mexico and all
points south, the shop lets the Riojases build a bridge.
I tried to make it all about the Latin culture, he
said. A woman came in last week and looked at our
display of nativity scenesshe was obviously not a
native hereand she said, Oh my God. I feel like
Im back home.
Thats what we want, he continued. We want
people to feel comfortable.
For information on the workshops held at Rio de
Ojas throughout the year, of both the arts and crafts
and cooking ilk, visit the Rio de Ojas site on Facebook. The shop is located at 250 N. Harvard Ave. For
information, call (909) 624-4141. Sarah Torribio
storribio@claremont-courier.com

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

16

Celebrate the season with The Nutcracker at Bridges

nland Pacific Ballet returns

this holiday season with its
production of The Nutcracker, the classic holiday
story danced to Tchaikovskys
beloved score.

Critically-acclaimed Inland Pacific

Ballet (IPB) brings The Nutcracker to
life with sets complete with falling snow,
an antique original Albany Flyer onehorse open sleigh, a 40-foot Chinese
dragon, elaborate costumes handmade at
IPBs costume department and a cast of
more than 80 dancers.
New to this years production is a
completely re-choreographed battle
scene with additional characters and an
ace battalion of mice. The snow scene
will also feature the new principal role
of a Snow Queen. IPBs Nutcracker
will have 12 performances in three theaters from November 26 through December 18 at Lewis Family Playhouse in
Rancho Cucamonga, Riversides Fox
Performing Arts Center and at Pomona
Colleges Bridges Auditorium in Claremont.

Photo by E.Y.Yanagi

This annual holiday favorite tells the

story of a young girl named Clara who
receives a magical nutcracker doll on
Christmas Eve, and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow
and the Kingdom of Sweets. A fantastic
dream with battling mice, dancing

snowflakes, waltzing flowers and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination.
Attendees are invited to meet the cast
after the performance for photos and autographs, making this a holiday tradition
for the entire family.

Much of the new choreography and

fresh approach to this seasons Nutcracker has been spearheaded by IPB
Principal Dancer Jonathan Sharp, who
has recently been named associate artistic director of IPB, says Artistic Director Victoria Koenig. Now dancing in
his 10th season with the company,
Jonathan has a unique perspective on
our wonderful production and has found
delightful ways to enhance the show and
create some surprises.
Mr. Sharp collaborated the new battle
scene with choreographer Zaylin Cano,
who is fresh off her success as choreographer for California Theaters production of Footloose.
This years cast features new talent
from southern California, most notably
Zachary Guthier and David Block, who
both previously danced with the Los Angeles Ballet; Devon Lux-Archer, who
began training at IPB and returns this
year after completing a fellowship with
the Atlanta Ballet; and Allynne Noelle, a
returning guest artist who currently performs with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet in
Washington, DC.
THE NUTCRACKER/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

THE NUTCRACKER/continued from previous page

Partnering with Ms. Noelle is guest artist Thomas

Garrett in the role of the Cavalier in performances at
the Lewis Family Playhouse. Mr. Garrett was previously with the Richmond Ballet and is also a member
of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. IPB Principal Dancer
Meilu Zhai of Montclair will return to reign over the
Kingdom of Sweets as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ms.
Meilu is a former dancer with the National Ballet of
China and returns for her fifth Nutcracker appearance. Mr. Sharp brings an extensive professional resume that includes dancing with the Boston and Pennsylvania Ballet companies, appearances in original
casts of several Broadway shows and teaching as an
Idyllwild Arts Academy faculty member.
IPB is a professional ballet company established in
1994. Its studio in Montclair includes in-house costume and scenic departments. Through an educational

outreach program, IPB aims to introduce young audiences to ballet by making the experience accessible to
all. For pre-school through 12th grade students, IPB
offers A Young Persons Guide to the Ballet, connecting the arts to learning through music and movement with five educational outreach performances of
The Nutcracker.
Choreography for The Nutcracker is by Victoria
Koenig along with pas de deux choreography by Clinton Rothwell and Nutcracker-Mouse King battle scene
choreography by Zaylin Cano, scenic design by
Nancy Seruto and Daniel C. Nyiri, costume design by
Jeanne Nolden, new lighting design by Eric Larson
and music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
IPBs Founders/Directors Victoria Koenig and
Kevin Frank Myers are southern California natives
who bring a wealth of experience to their visionary
leadership of this young company. Over the past 21

17

years they have built IPB into the premiere ballet company and a key creative force in the region, enjoying
critical acclaim while performing the largest and most
varied repertoire in the area.
Victoria Koenig is a Los Angeles native who lives
in Claremont. After years as a professional dancer, Ms.
Koenig returned to southern California where she cofounded the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, was on the
faculty of the Stanley Holden Dance Center and
served on the dance faculty of California State University Long Beach. Ms. Koenig is also on the dance faculty at Pomona College.
Kevin Myers danced with the Houston Ballet in
solo roles in the classic repertoire including Giselle,
Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty
and in work created for him by Houston Ballets artistic director, Ben Stevenson. Later as soloist with the
Los Angeles Ballet, Mr. Myers danced principal roles
in a variety of Balanchine ballets, including Tarantella and Jewels. He is co-founder and associate director of IPB and of the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy.
Performances of The Nutcracker take place at the
Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Dr.,
Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, November 26 and
December 3 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 27 and December 4 at 2 p.m.
Addtional performances are at the Fox Performing
Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside on Saturday, December 10 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 11 at 2 p.m.
Finally, The Nutcracker will be performed at
Pomona Colleges Bridges Auditorium, 450 N. College Way, Claremont on Saturday, December 17 at 2
p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 18 at 2
p.m.
Tickets start at $39 with senior, child and group discounts available. For more information and tickets,
visit ipballet.org.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

18

Get in the spirit of the season at the

Holiday Promenade tree lighting

s the holiday season

approaches, mark your
calendar for the Claremont Holiday Promenade on
Friday, December 2, from 5 to
8 p.m.
The Claremont Village will transform into a holiday wonderland where
you can enjoy an evening filled with
live music, festive storefronts, a magnificent tree lighting ceremony and
great local shopping.
The tree lighting ceremony will
begin at 6 p.m. with remarks from city
council members and performances by
the Moultrie Academy singers and Dynamite Dawson at the Depot.
Parents are encouraged to bring a
camera to take a photo of their little
ones with the Clauses at city hall from
5 to 8 p.m. Mr. and Ms. Claus will head

over to the Depot at 6 p.m. for the tree

lighting.
Shelton Park will host the Claremont
High School Band, live reindeer and
facepainting from 5 to 8 p.m. The folks
at the Packing House have a photo
booth as well as a live performance
from a harpist and the band Cool Yule.
Stop at the public plaza on your way to
the Packing House to enjoy a performance by the Garey High School Orchestra.
The Holiday Promenade and tree
COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff
lighting
ceremony is co-sponsored by
City worker Joe Ybarra hangs decorations on the citys Holiday Tree recently in the
Village. Crews decorated the tree a little early this year because of the Thanksgiving holiday and to get things ready for the December 2 Holiday Promenade.

HOLIDAY PROMENADE/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

19

Celebrate winter at holiday concerts with

the Mountainside Master Chorale
The Mountainside Master Chorale is
always busy in November and December as preparations are underway for
the winter concerts.
MMCs holiday concerts will be
held Saturday and Sunday, December
17 and 18, at the UCC Church in
Claremont at 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.,
respectively. UCC is located at the corner of Sixth and Harvard in Claremont.
Tickets can be purchased online at
mountainsidemasterchorale.org.
In addition to preparing for the winter holiday concerts, Mountainside
COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff
Christmas carolers will stroll the Village streets from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, December 2 as part of the citys Holiday Promenade.

the city of Claremont, Claremont Lincoln University, Claremont Village

Marketing Group and the Doubletree
Hilton Claremont.
Village businesses will also be participating as Holiday Cheer Stops and
will provide treats like hot chocolate,
tea and cookies. Christmas carolers will
stroll the Village in traditional caroler
attire, adding to the holiday cheer.
For more information, call the
Human Services Department at (909)
399-5358 or visit the city website at
www.ci.claremont.ca.us. Get even more
details at claremontvillage.org.

The Claremont Depot and the rest of

the Village will transform to a wonderland at the citys Holiday Promenade.

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Master Chorale will be providing the

musical accompaniment to Forest
Lawns annual candle-lighting memorial service on Tuesday, November 29
at 7 p.m. at the Covina Hills location.
This service is open to anyone who
would like to attend, and can be especially comforting to those who have
lost a loved one in the preceding year.
Visit mountainsidemasterchorale.org
to hear a sampling of music by the
chorale or to learn more about spring
concerts.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Bi-annual fine
book sale, sponsored by the
Friends of the
Claremont Library
Find highly-discounted books of
great value at the Friends of the Claremont Library sale on December 3.
These include rare, old first editions;
fine early and later classics in nearly all
academic fields, especially history and
literature; a large number of autographed works, works by specialty
printers; and finely illustrated books.
The sale will take place Saturday,
December 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Claremont Public Library, 208 Harvard Ave.
Highlights of the sale include art
books, both rare older works and books
published by specialty art presses,
books and pamphlets in all price ranges
with a local, LA and California focus.
Shop for real antiquesworks from
the early 1800s to 1917, including
some surprises like fine illustrations,
marbled paper, gilt edging, leather and
rare copies. There are a few foreign language books remarkably printed on
luxurious papers. Have a friend who
loves to cook? Search the selection of
cookbooks; these beautiful works have
diverse focus, different publishing dates
and various prices, but each is a real
find for the cook.
And special for this sale, one autographed copy of the books by each of
the authors featured at the Claremont
Authors event held September 24 at

OUR TOWN
the Claremont Library.
Cash, check and credit cards. FOCL
members receive 10 percent off. Memberships are available online at claremontlibrary.org or at the sale. For more
information, email friendsofclaremontlibrary@gmail.com.

reminds residents to get overnight parking exemptions for guests during the
holidays. Parking on city streets is prohibited from 2 to 6 a.m. Residents can
request three exemptions per month.
Telephone exemption requests will only
be accepted between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
daily by calling (909) 399-5411 or
(909) 399-5415. Online requests are
only accepted until 3:30 a.m. the morning of the exemption request. Visit
claremont.parkingexemptionapp.com to
enter your exemption.

The Rembrandt
Club holiday tea, City-wide Thankschildrens party
giving food drive
The Rembrandt Clubs annual holiday tea will be held Saturday, December 3 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at
Pomona Colleges Seaver House, 305
N. College Ave.
The tea and boutique features wassail, syllabub, a tasty array of sweets
and savories, crafting activities and
treats for children, including a visit
from Santa and Mrs. Claus from 1 to 2
p.m. for photos. All proceeds support
The Rembrandt Club Summer Research Grant presented to one or two
Pomona College junior art students.
Tickets are $7 at the door, $20 for
four purchased in advance. Children 5
and under are free. Call (909) 981-7245
for more information.

Holiday parking
exemptions for
overnight guests
The Claremont Police Department

Join the city of Claremont in the fight

against hunger throughout the community. To get involved, simply donate
food items at any drop-off location
throughout the community now
through November 30. All items col-

20

lected will directly benefit the 4,500

clients served each month by the Inland
Valley Hope Partners Family Stabilization Program and food pantry.
Participating drop-off locations include: AbilityFirst, the Blaisdell Community Center, city hall, Community
Senior Services, the Hughes Community Center, the Joslyn Center and
Wolfes Market.
This is the fifth annual Thanksgiving
Food Drive hosted by the city of Claremonts Senior Program, the Committee
on Aging (CoA) and Community Senior Services.
For more information, call the Claremont Senior Program at (909) 3995488 or visit claremontca.org. For
information about the Inland Valley
Hope Partners Family Stabilization
Program and food pantry, call (909)
621-2400 or visit inlandvalleyhopepartners.org.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Community-based
organization grant
applications now being
accepted
The city of Claremont is now accepting grant applications for the 2017-18 community-based organization (CBO) program.
The CBO programs mission is to partner with nonprofit service providers to strengthen the social, economic and family infrastructure in the Claremont
community.
Within the overall grant program there are two
funding programsgeneral services and homeless
services, with separate funding sources for each. Funding will be awarded to those programs/projects that
best address the communitys needs and priorities.
The city has allocated $86,650 for general services
and $60,000 for homeless services. Applications are
available at the Hughes Community Center or by contacting the human services department at (909) 399-

OUR TOWN
5331 or emailing amartinez@ci.claremont.ca.us, as
well as through the citys website.
Grant requests must be submitted on a city-provided application form. All applications are due to the
Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd., no
later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

Shop local on Small

Business Saturday,
November 26
The Claremont Chamber of Commerce encourages
residents to take part in Small Business Saturday,
which is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Small Business Saturday is a counterpart to Black
Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box
retail and e-commerce stores. Small Business Satur-

21

day encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brickand-mortar businesses that are small and local. Kick
off your holiday shopping at Claremont businesses on
Saturday, November 26.

LA Master Chorale
singers to visit La Verne
Director Nik St. Clair and composer Shawn Kirchner will present Dulci Jubilo with the La Verne
Church of the Brethren Sanctuary Choir on Saturday,
December 17 at 4:30 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.
Experience the sights and sounds of Christmas in the
churchs sanctuary, which will be decked out in garlands and bows. The Sanctuary Choir will offer caroling favorites by Mr. Kirchner with pipe organ, strings,
horn and more. Mr. Kirchner will lead a sing-along after
the concert. Stay for cider and freshly-baked holiday
cookies after the performance. There is no admission
charge, but a free will offering will be collected during
the performance. Visit lavernecob.org for more information.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Festive lights,
holiday music at
Claremont
Chorale benefit

22

OUR TOWN

holiday music performance featuring composer and singer

Shawn Kirchner and tenor and
songwriter Ryan Harrison will
be offered on Thoroughbred
Street in Rancho Cucamonga,
which is well-known in the
area for its over-the-top Christmas decorations and lights.
The performance will serve as a
fundraiser for the Claremont Chorale.
Locals are invited to provide a donation
and listen to these great musicians play,
while enjoying refreshments and the
dazzling light display.
The performance is scheduled for
Thursday, December 21 at 6 p.m. at the
home of Linda Battram Dorosh and

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Richard Dorosh, 7994 Thoroughbred

St., Rancho Cucamonga.
Attendees are encouraged to come
early to find parking as the street gets
very busy. When you arrive, look for the
lawn full of angels and a small stage.
The Dorosh family has a stage, mic
and keyboard on their front lawn as part
of the decorations so guests are invited
to join in a sing-along of Christmas carols. Dress for the weather!
Seating is limited. To RSVP, email
theclaremontchorale@gmail.com. Visit
claremontchorale.org for information.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Claremonter
works to update
Little League park
through Eagle
Scout project
Aaron Patterson, a Boy Scout with
Troop 402 in Claremont, has set his
sights on beautifying the College Park
Little League fields for his Eagle Scout
project.
Aaron, who is a ninth grader at
Claremont High School, has been a
Scout since first grade. He played baseball at College Park for seven years and
says he wants to give back to the community. His plan? Replacing 900 square
feet of dirt with beautiful brick pavers
in the snack bar area.
With the help of Kasey Jones from
Jonescape Construction, and through
donations from friends and family,
Aaron says this project will be one in a
million. The donations will be used for
the supplies and the brick pavers.
We will lay the pavers one-by-one
to make sure they are perfect, he said.
The project will be complete by the
end of the year, so fundraising will
close at the end of December.
This project means so much to me,
and will benefit both the Claremont Little League and the city of Claremont. I

OUR TOWN

For his Eagle Scout project, Aaron Patterson aims to improve conditions at
Claremonts Little League Park.

have been working toward this goal for

eight years. I love the Claremont Little
League Baseball Park, he said.
This all-volunteer project will help
beautify one of Claremonts parks.
I love living in the city of Claremont; it is a great place to be a kid. I
can't wait to get some of my Scout buddies to help me so we can start making
some serious progress!
To help Aarons project, visit
www.gofundme.com/2tj5d2yc and donate or send a donation to 1645 Rutgers
Ct., Claremont, CA 91711.

Kiwanis Sees
candy shop has a
new location
The Kiwanis Club of Claremont recently opened its annual Sees candy
retail store. This year, through the generosity of Richard Hibbard, the Kiwanis are enjoying a new location.
The store is located in the Hibbard
showroom, 191 S. Indian Hill Blvd.,
Claremont and will be open daily from
8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Profits from candy sales will benefit
Kiwanis Club projects such as Read
Me, Shoes That Fit and school scholarship programs.
The Kiwanis Club welcomes residents interested in assisting their community to visit their weekly lunch
meetings, held every Thursday at noon
at St. Ambrose Church Fellowship
Hall, 830 W. Bonita Ave. For information, contact membership chairman Jess
Swick at (909) 621-2996.

Police offer vacation

house checks
As we enter the holiday season,
many residents will be taking vacations
to visit family and friends. This is also a
season when criminals target homes
that appear empty. The Claremont Police Department offers a vacation house

23

check program for residents who will

be gone.
Community patrol volunteers staff
this program and perform checks, Monday through Friday, on homes that have
Vacation House Check cards on file.
If something out of the ordinary or
suspicious is found, they radio on-duty
police officers who respond to the location to check the residence further.
Residents may sign up for this free
program by completing an application
and bringing the printed form to the
Claremont Police Department (570 W.
Bonita Ave.) to be processed. Applications are available at the police department during lobby hours from 7 a.m. to
10 p.m. Applications will not be accepted online or by mail and must be
delivered in person to be processed.

Senior program
holiday party
Join the Claremont Senior Program
for its biggest event of the year. Festivities include a holiday meal, live entertainment by Jerome Dean, a visit from
Santa and more.
The event will take place at Taylor
Hall at 1775 N. Indian Hill Blvd. on
Thursday, December 8 from 10 a.m. to
noon. Tickets are $5 and must be purchased in advance. Sponsored by Inter
Valley Health Plan. To reserve your
spot, contact the Joslyn Center at (909)
399-5488 or visit claremontrec.com.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

24

Students leave lasting impression on Alzheimers patients

or Vivianne Mitri, visiting a Claremont senior

center isnt just volunteer workits a passion.

The second-year business student,

who is changing her major to biology,
is the founder and president of the Cal
Poly Pomona Alzheimers Buddy Program, which connects students with
people battling Alzheimers disease to
provide friendship and support.
Students visit the Claremont Place
senior center twice a week to keep the
residents company and join them on
walks at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic
Garden, which the club recently partnered with.
Oftentimes, students from the music
department bring their instruments and

perform for the residents.

The way that they light up when the
music comes on is just incredible, Ms.
Mitri says. They light up when children walk in, or people in general, because they have visitors. They start to
recognize that were coming and theyll
be like, Theyre here! They look forward to it now.
Ms. Mitri was 14 years old when she
decided to learn Arabic so she could
communicate with her grandmother.
Before she could master the language,
her grandmother died.
I was really upset and some part of
me thought that I needed to fill a void,
so I decided that I wanted to go to the
senior center, she said.

n her first day, Ms.

Mitri was asked
much to her dismayto work with the
Alzheimers patients. She had
hoped to be matched with patients she could communicate
with in a way she hadnt been
able to with her grandmother,
and feared the disease would
create a barrier to that goal.
Ms. Mitri agreed to work with the
Alzheimers patients for that one day.

She met a woman named Doris who

wanted to see her family. Ms. Mitri
asked the caregivers about it and discovered that Doris family lived across
the street but didnt want to see her.
I was just devastated, Ms. Mitri
said. I had to visit her every day as
much as I could.
Since then, she hasnt stopped.
Ms. Mitri first tried, unsuccessfully,
to establish a buddies program at her
high school in the last semester of her
senior year. She then tried again at Cal
Poly Pomona as soon as classes started.
She found that the best way to promote
ALZHEIMERSBUDDY/next page

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

ALZHEIMERSBUDDY/continued from previous page

the campus club was to go to classes and explain why

students should join.
I could look people in the eye and communicate
that theres a cause that they should contribute to,
Ms. Mitri said.
The clubs objectives are to show the residents that
someone cares about them and to help them focus
their thoughts. Ms. Mitri encourages students to challenge their buddies to hold a conversation about a single subject by guiding them back when their thoughts
wander.
Lisa Hunt, the executive director of Claremont
Place, says she is thrilled to work with the Buddy
Program.
What joy it is for the residents to be able to form
new friendships and have individual time with their

25

buddies talking, singing, taking a walk, listening to

music or just sitting together with a puzzle, book or
game, Ms. Hunt says. Viviannes experience relating to seniors and the resulting comfort level she exudes is evident as she easily forms one-on-one
relationships and is a comforting presence.

uring her first few months on

campus, Ms. Mitri approached the
Cal Poly Pomona Center for
Community Engagement with the idea to
start the Alzheimers Buddy Program. She
received a Reach Beyond award from the
center in May for her efforts.

The Alzheimers Buddy Program has 15 members.

Ms. Mitri believes that the students have good hearts

Photo by Tom Zasadzinski/Cal Poly Pomona

Vivianne Mitri, a Cal Poly Pomona student, has been
regularly volunteering with Alzheimers patients at
Claremont Place. She has since launched a buddy
program through the college.

and they may not know immediately that its really

important, but theyll realize it soon after.
The organization also attracted the attention of University President Soraya Coley. The president visited
the senior center to meet with Ms. Mitris buddy, Edda.
She brought flowers and fresh fruit as a gift to the resident, who started crying because she was so happy.
They were both from North Carolina and, when we
walked in, Edda was drawing a picture of her home
state. They were able to talk about that, so that was really nice, Ms. Mitri said. President Coley got to see
the impact that she had, so it was a great experience.
Ms. Mitri plans on partnering with an animal shelter
to bring pets to the center once a week. She also wants
to expand the weekly outings to include the nail salon
and other local shops. She also plans to increase the
residents involvement with music by bringing in instruments for them to play.
More than anything, she says she wants the students
relationships with the residents to impact them and influence their college lives the same way she has been
impacted.
Sometimes, Im at school and Im feeling stressed
out, so I go talk to Edda. She really calms me down
and puts me in my place so I can come back ready to
go, Ms. Mitri said.
The Alzheimers Buddy Program has partnered with
Harvards version of the program and expanded to
other universities to form the National Alzheimers
Buddy Program.
Ms. Mitris goals also encompass her care and passion for Alzheimers patients. She wants to earn a doctorate in neuroscience so she can research degenerative
diseases, starting with Alzheimers. She is looking forward to graduating so that she can dive into research.
Despite her busy schedule, she says that she wont
stop visiting her friends at the center.
I dont even think of it as volunteering anymore,
Mitri says. I still have a lot of disappointments in
myself because I cant visit everyone, but Ill always
be there for them as long as I can.
Alicia Balderrama

Alicia Balderrama is a second-year student at Cal Poly

Pomona studying communication.

Claremont COURIER/Holiday Mag 2016

Luminaria Nights at
Rancho Santa Ana
Botanic Garden
Illuminated evening walks featuring live acoustic
music, cookies, hot cider and more than 1000 glowing, candle-lit luminarias lighting a half-mile loop on
Indian Hill Mesa at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic
Garden will be held on Friday and Saturday evenings,
December 9 and 10 and again December 16 and 17
from 6 to 9 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased online at rsabg.org. Tickets are available at the door, but this event does sell
out. In the event of cancellation due to inclement
weather, pre-purchased tickets may be used for either
admission to another scheduled Luminaria Night date
in 2016 or one free general admission to RSABG, excluding special, ticketed events and expiring one year

26

OUR TOWN
for students, seniors and children. Garden admission
fees do not apply for this special ticketed event.

Photo by Marge Rohr

from event date. There are no refunds on sales of Luminaria Nights tickets. If weather is questionable,
check back on Twitter (@rsabg) or rsabg.org on the
day of the event for status updates.
Tickets for RSABG members are $7 for adults, $5
for students, seniors and children. Children under 3 are
free. General public ticket prices are $8 for adults, $6

Claremont Heritage flea

market,
crafts event
Get some holiday shopping done on Sunday, December 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p,m. at Memorial Park, 840
N. Indian Hill Blvd., in the Garner House courtyard.
Vendors will offer vintage and collectible items with
a myriad of styles from Arts & Crafts to Country
French to Mid-century Modern. Items include furniture, artwork, jewelry, clothing and accessories. Also
look for citrus industry memorabilia, including original crate labels and artwork.