CHS students featured at tonight's Democratic Club gathering

The Democratic Club of Claremont will hold its monthly meeting tonight, March 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Porter Hall on the Pilgrim Place campus (601 Mayflower Road).

This month's gathering will feature a panel of members of the Student Democrats Club at Claremont High School. The students will share their knowledge of the opinions of their peers on a variety of topics, according to a recent press release.

For more information, visit www.claremontdems.org.

Solar contractors on hand at Hughes

Claremont residents are invited to participate in a free Solar Connection event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at the Alexander Hughes Center.

Hosted by Southern California Edison, the networking event will help connect residents interested in solar generating or solar water heating system installation with contractors, according to a recent release.

The Hughes Center is located at 1700 Danbury Road. To register, visit www.sce.com/solartrainingCLARE or call 866-970-9221.

Free dessert for Fair Trade tonight

Locals are invited to join the community in supporting Fair Trade products through a dessert party titled Sweet Justice, to take place tonight, March 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Pomona College campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The dessert social, co-sponsored by Fair Trade Claremont and Pomona College International Relations, is an initiative to help bring together people interested in learning about and discussing issues of Fair Trade, and to generate further enthusiasm and support on campus and in the community.

Fair Trade is a movement aimed at promoting better trade conditions and sustainability. Fair Trade products focus on quality, improving the lives of the workers that provide the product and protecting the environment.

The event will take place on the Pomona College’s campus in the Hahn Building, Room #101, 420 N. Harvard Ave. Pomona College Dining Services will provide Fair Trade coffee, tea, hot chocolate and desserts.

Fourth of July honoree nominations sought

The 2012 Independence Day Committee is now accepting nominations for Grand Marshal, Honored Citizen, and Honored Community Group to be recognized at the Fourth of July Celebration. The deadline to submit nominations has been extended to Thursday, March 29 to the Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road.

Applications are available at the event's website www.Claremont4th.org. All honorees will be presented with certificates at the pre-parade reception on July 4, 2012 at Garner House at Memorial Park. Honorees will also appear in the official parade in their own decorated vehicle.

Last year, the Blue Ribbon Committee, comprised of city council members, school board members and other respected community leaders, met and selected 2011's Grand Marshal Linda Elderkin, Honored Citizen Chris & Barry Ulrich, Honored Group CHS Wolfpack Alumni Society, and Blue Ribbon Spirit Award recipients CHS Theatre Department.

The Fourth of July Celebration is a time-honored tradition in Claremont. The celebration consists of a 5K run, pancake breakfast, opening ceremonies, festival area with games, parade, and a Fireworks Sky Show.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Claremont Human Services at 399-5490. Additional information about the celebration can be found at the Claremont Fourth of July Celebration website at www.Claremont4th.org.

Foreclosure rally planned for Thursday

Claremont residents and members of MoveOn.org, a grassroots political action group, will lead a rally against foreclosure on Thursday at Wells Fargo, located on the corner of Yale Avenue and Second Street in the Claremont Village. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday’s demonstration is part of a nationally organized “Save Our Homes event” sponsored by MoveOn.org, demanding that government-sponsored lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac adjust the mortgages of those struggling to keep their homes. The event was planned to coincide with a meeting of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs taking place in Washington on Thursday to discuss issues of lending and foreclosure.

For more information on Thursday’s rally contact organizer Don Overlin at 626-383-9344 or visit MoveOn.org.

Claremont Chorale to perform at Bridges Saturday

Twentieth century classical music for chorus and orchestra will be featured at the spring concert of the Claremont Chorale, the premier choral group in the Pomona-Claremont area.The concert will be at 3 p.m. next Saturday, March 17, at Bridges Hall of Music, 150
East Fourth St., on the Pomona College campus in Claremont.

Its theme is the cycle of life, as indicated by the program title, "Songs of Life and Death." Concert tickets are $15 for general admission or $12 for students and seniors, and season tickets are also available.

The Claremont Chorale was founded in 1968 and is currently in its 44th year. It is composed of about 60 experienced choral vocalists, chosen by audition. Gregory Norton has been its conductor and music director for the last 19 years, and its accompanist is Barbara Durost, a faculty member at the Claremont Community School of Music.

In 2006 the Claremont Chorale represented the United States in the Seventh International Choral Festival in Puebla, Mexico. It has also participated in several recent music festivals, including the choral festival in Redlands, Messiah concerts in Santa Monica and Glendale, and a concert exchange with the U.C. Berkeley Alumni Chorus.

Volunteers to help support the Chorale's programs and activities with time or monetary donations are always being sought. Interested individuals are urged to contact the Chorale at P.O. Box 489, Claremont, CA, 91711, phone at 621-9782, or email info@claremontchorale.org.

Botanic garden welcomes new horticulture director

Rancho SantaAna Botanic Garden's has hired Scott LeFleur as its new horticulture director. Mr. LeFleur succeeds Susan Jett, who accepted the position of associate director of horticulture for nursery operations last fall.

Before coming to the garden, Mr. LeFleur was on the staff at the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) for 6 years, most recently as the director of horticulture. NEWFS, a non-profit dedicated to native plants of New England, is the oldest plant conservation organization in the United States.

As NEWFS' director of horticulture, Mr. LeFleur was responsible for the operations for the society's public botanic garden and native plant nursery. He modernized and advanced awareness for the botanic garden by designing a new public entrance, emphasizing the society's connection to conservation through the landscaped living collection, designing a demonstration garden to help homeowners appreciate the beauty of native plants and creating a native edible garden.

Mr. LeFleur also reorganized the nursery operations for the society, which resulted in a rapidly growing native plant nursery, which produces more than 75,000 plants each year for homeowners, landscape professionals, restoration projects and towns.A1994 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he worked in private landscape design and installation before joining the NEWFS team.

"I am really excited to have Scott LeFleur join our leadership team. He brings a great experience from the world of public horticulture and conservation," said Patrick Larkin, RSABG's executive director. "Scott's enthusiasm for engaging people with native plants will
be valuable asset as RSABG increases its engagement with the greater southern California community about the importance of natives."

Claremont nonprofit to launch new senior program

Claremont-based nonprofit Community Senior Services is preparing to launch a new program called REAL Connections (`REAL'stands for Resources for Ageless Living). In the planning stages for nearly 2 years, REAL Connections is a member-driven network of information and valued services, volunteer opportunities, and enriching social engagement for those age 50 and over.

Guided by a community advisory council chaired by Dr. Pauline Abbott, the program will officially launch in mid-2012. Charter members are now being accepted.

Community Senior Services will offer 2 community events. The first will be held on Thursday, March 15, at the Hughes Center College room from 8:30 to 10 a.m. The second is scheduled at the Pomona Valley Health Center, Room 150, 1601 N. Monte Vista Ave., Claremont, on Wednesday, March 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served. For more information call Community Senior Services at 621-9900.

Claremont silent auction to support education, environment

The Friends of the Bernard Biological Field Station (FBBFS), a local non-profit dedicated to education and the environment (fbbfs.org), is holding a silent auction through the end of the month at the Folk Music Center. Items feature an array of artwork by local artists that include paintings, prints, ceramics, jewelry, batiks and more.

The silent auction is the major fundraiser for the FBBFS and will run until 5 p.m. on March 31 Artwork can be seen in the window of the Folk Music Center, 220 Yale Ave. Bids can be left in the notebook inside the center.

Gas company alerts of impostors

The city of Claremont, on behalf of the Southern California Gas Company, is alerting residents of recently reported incidents involving gas company impostors. Here is the press release posted on the city's website:

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is alerting customers to be aware of persons who reportedly have recently posed as SoCalGas employees. According to a news account, the imposters distract an unsuspecting customer by performing "gas leak inspections" while an accomplice burglarizes the customer's home.

SoCalGas wants to assure all customers that all SoCalGas employees carry proper identification when called out to any job. Customers should verify the employee's proper uniform and identification before letting anyone in the home or on their property.

Customer safety is a top priority for SoCalGas and employees will always be happy to wait while the customer confirms their identity.

Here are some tips to help customers identify SoCalGas employees:

* Be vigilant and question anyone who presents themselves as a representative of the utility

* SoCalGas workers who perform in-home appliance services, work on gas meters or work on gas pipelines wear uniforms. However, some other employees do not. Always ask for identification before allowing anyone inside the home or on the property.

* The majority of authorized SoCalGas employees will be in uniform with company logo and carry an official employee badge. Most field employees also drive a company vehicle.

* Most of the time a SoCalGas employee visits a home or business in response to a service request. If no one scheduled an appointment, call SoCalGas before allowing anyone inside the home or property.

* Never leave the house unlocked and unattended. SoCalGas does not ask customers to leave their homes unattended.

* To verify the authenticity of anyone claiming to be a representative of SoCalGas, customers are encouraged to ask for proper identification or call the utility at 1-800-427-2200 (or 1-800-342-4545 in Spanish). SoCalGas customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

* Visit socalgas.com/safety for more information on staying safe.

Goodwill Drive this weekend

The El Roble Cheer Team is holding a Goodwill Donation Drive Fundraiser this Saturday, March 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Roble Intermediate School, 665 N. Mountain Ave.

Residents may drop off donations of small furniture, clothing, toys, etc. to El Roble during these hours. For information, contact Kevin Berry at (323) 539-2092.

30 Rock Actor at Claremont Colleges tomorrow

An evening with 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy at Scripps College Actor Maulik Pancholy, best known for his roles on the hit TVshows 30 Rock, Whitney, and Weeds, will lecture on "Diversity on the Screen" at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 2 in GarrisonTheater, Scripps College PerformingArts Center, 231 E. 10th St. His lecture is free and open to the public.

Mr. Pancholy visits Scripps College as part of the Alexa Fullerton Hampton Speaker Series, "Voice and Vision." Mr. Pancholy uses his personal experiences as an Indian-American actor to discuss how media stereotypes have evolved over the course of his acting career. He'll discuss what's changed, why it matters, and how much further we have to go in order to tell
"the whole story." Mr. Pancholy's other television credits include guest starring roles on The Sopranos and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He has appeared in several films, including 27 Dresses, Friends with Money, and Hitch.

He earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Northwestern University and a master's degree from Yale School of Drama. Members of the Scripps College community with Scripps identification will be given priority seating at the event. Limited seating will be available to all others on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, call the Office of Malott Commons at 607-9372.

Local artist to be featured in Dallas exhibition

Local artist and Claremont resident Gary Poon will exhibit watercolors at the 2012 Artscape show next month in Dallas,Texas, which runs from March 16-18 at the Dallas Arboretum.

The Dallas Arboretum will exhibit works of more than 100 artists from around the country. This juried show takes place during Dallas Blooms, the garden's spring floral festival. To see more of Mr. Poon's work, visit www.taipoon.com.

Little League throws first pitch this weekend

The Claremont Little League's 2012 opening day ceremonies will officially begin the new season this Saturday at College Park.

The ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. with Claremont City Councilmember Sam Pedroza throwing out the first ball with help from Hal Hargrave Jr. Mr. Hargrave's father, Hal Hargrave Sr., will receive Mr. Pedroza's throw.

A total of 415 players from 36 teams will be introduced at Saturday's event. Check out Claremont Little League updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/claremontlittleleague.