City of Claremont

Goodbye to Raph's

Claremont’s popular grocery, Ralph’s, formerly located on 835 W Foothill Blvd, has closed its doors.  Brian Desatnik, Housing and Redevelopment Manager for Claremont, explained that the store closed because it was a small store in comparison to other Ralph’s. Instead of the typical 40-50 thousand square feet store, the Claremont Ralph’s was 20 thousand, leading to underperformance. According to Desatnik, there are several markets looking to buy the property, possibly a more upscale tenant. Ralph’s will definitely be missed! –J.K.

Los Angeles

Sun, Sand, and . . .Trash?

On the morning of September 16th, about 9,500 volunteers took part in the 22nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, the world’s largest volunteer event. The event took place at 58 sites in Los Angeles County, including Leo Carrillo Beach, Belmont Shore, and Compton Creek. All told, the volunteers found about 64,785 pounds of trash and 3,247 pounds of recyclables. Among the junk, crews collected such trinkets a handgun, a can of crab cakes, a steel-jaw bear trap, a breast pump, what appeared to be a mountain lion carcass, and a Rubik's cube. Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay, said he sees vast improvement in cleanliness at the beaches. Along inland creeks, however, "sites are as disgusting and filthy as 15 years ago." Coastal Cleanup Day involves individuals, schools, and community and company volunteer groups. It is held annually on the third Saturday of September. Throughout all of California, about 50,000 volunteers turn out to over 700 cleanup sites statewide for what the Guinness Book of World Records deems "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Coastal Cleanup Day raises awareness of each individual’s impact in bettering the environment. –M.B.

The Nation

Fewer U.S. College Graduates

The United States is losing its edge in the global economy because of a lack of college graduates, educational news sources report. Likely due to the astronomical cost of American higher education, the U.S. has fallen behind other nations in rates of completion, appearing in the lower half of developed nations. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that although the United States still leads the world with 35- to 64-year-olds holding college degrees, it ranks seventh among developed nations for 25- to 34-year-olds. –M.B.

The Nation

Early Decision Eliminated

Several Ivy League universities are trimming the administrative vine, so to speak. In June, the presidents of Williams, Barnard, Swarthmore and others concluded that early admissions disadvantage low-income applicants by driving up selectivity ratings, awarding merit scholarships to non-needy students, and chaining students to one college before they have a chance to compare financial aid packages, according to the New York Times. Based on this information, both Harvard (on September 12) and Princeton (on September 18) announced that they will no longer accept students early admission. –C.J.

Scripps College

Damage Control for Matalin?

Despite being “delighted” to bring former assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to VP Dick Cheney, Mary Matalin, to speak at Scripps on October 5th, the college seems to be bracing itself for negative student reactions. Matalin is the first in a series of speakers for the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Public Affairs Program, the goal of which, Scripps’ announcement for the event not-so-subtly reminds us, is to better the Scripps educational experience through exposure to different opinions, especially to those “with which we may not agree.” –C.J.

City of Claremont

Car Collides with Home

5C students may have a hard time rolling out of bed and getting to class, but the walk from the dorm to the classroom isn’t too hazardous. Not so for a Claremont resident on his way to work at 5am. The twenty-year-old fell asleep at the wheel and bulldozed into a home on College Ave., where a Claremont High student was doing her homework. However, the home’s owner, Robin Adsit, told the Claremont Courier that she was “not upset with [the driver]. He didn’t intentionally run into our house.” –C.J.

Five College

Get Set for Sedaris!

Save fifteen dollars from your work-study paycheck! David Sedaris is coming to town, and for just that price, you can spend an evening giggling along to a live performance of his stories. Appearing on stage at Pomona’s Bridges Auditorium on October 26, Sedaris is the very witty author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Named Time’s “Humorist of the Year” in 2001, Sedaris frequently reads on NPR and is consistently published in Esquire and The New Yorker. –C.J.

Los Angeles

Party in His Pants

The law finally caught up with forty-five-year-old Chris Mulloy on September 18th, 2006, four years after he had committed a dangerous smuggling crime through LAX International Airport, the LA Times reported last month. Smuggling what, exactly? Two rare newborn Asian leopard cats from Indonesia which he had stowed away in his backpack. He escaped the notice of airport security in taking advantage of the confusion caused by his friend’s mishap: Robert Cusack accidentally set loose one of the four birds of paradise stowed in his own bag. After customs officials searched his bag to discover the other three, along with containers of fifty protected orchids, a customs official asked Cusack whether he had anything else to declare. “I’ve got monkeys in my pants,” he answered, referring to the two flea-scratching pygmy monkeys tucked away in his underwear. Cusack immediately served six months in jail. The two friends, along with Mulloy’s sister, alleged to be planning to build an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica. Meanwhile, all four birds of paradise died, the monkeys are at the LA Zoo, and the leopards are still at large, though officials have tips as to their locations. Mr. Mulloy faces up to twenty years in jail and $1 million in fines. –S.L.

Los Angeles

Homeless Policy Fails to Pass

Los Angeles

Painted Elephant Controversy

Last month, “mischievous” British artist Bansky brought a peculiar piece of art to his warehouse exhibit southeast of downtown L.A. His intricately painted, real-life “elephant in the room” made for quite the attraction to many of the city’s most famous residents. However, it also drew attention from the city’s most vociferous animal rights groups. After a mere few days on display, the artist was ordered by L.A.’s Department of Animal Services to wash the animal off. –S.L.