The Claremont Planning Commission reveals their vision of future Claremont at the 1/18/2000 joint council, planning commission meeting. Audio online.
In Part 1 the Director of Community Development, Tony Witt, updates the city council on Village West plans. If you're unfamiliar with the scope of the city's plans, this development might surprise you.

The First Council meeting of the Millennium Gets Off to a Rocky Start. Audio Available Online. 1/13/2000

City Holds Private Meetings with Landrum Protesters.
City Manager Southard apologizes (off the record) to Obee Landrum after "joking" that Councilman Held "told me I had to be here." Meetings end in controversy when Landrum side leaks news of meetings to the press.

City Council Holds Special Meeting to
SRO Crowd. (1/4/00) Audio Available online
In a special meeting Monday, the embattled Claremont City Council reversed course and apologized for their handling of the Landrum Jr. affair and for comments and actions made by city manager Glen Southard. Southard, under fire, was without comment on his role in this debacle. ( Daily Bulletin Coverage). Complete text of City Council Statement (read).

Landrum confronts Southard. (Listen) Mr. Obee Landrum whose nephew, Irvin Landrum Jr., was killed by the Claremont PD, has orchestrated an ongoing protest over the shooting. Southard in an apparent attempt to discredit Mr. Landrum, released an 18 year old arrest record and termed Mr. Landrum a "career criminal". Mr. Landrum questions the sincerity of the council's apologies. The shooting of Irvin Landrum Jr. is under investigation by the DOJ.

Judge Finds Claremont Motion "Frivolous". (1/4/00)
In a stunning setback for the Claremont City Council's newfound sensitization, U.S. District Court Judge Spencer Letts found the city's motion for dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the mother of Irvin Landrum Jr., on a technicality, frivolous. So frivolous in fact, that on the 10th the city's attorney must show cause as to why the city should not be fined for attempting this maneuver.

Turmoil over Landrum Jr. Affair Deepens. 12/31/99
Claremont is castigated in the opinion section of the LA Times (Earl Hutchinson Editorial, Metro sect., 12/27), Ben Harper, internationally known troubadour and Claremont native chimes in with full page "ashamed" ad (read) in the Courier and Gregory Tolliver announces a recall effort (hear Real Audio®
file, approx. 5 min. from start) of Mayor Rosenthal and Councilman Leiga at the Dec. 11 city council meeting. Adding to the council's woes are two petitions for referendum, the OAKS Project and the Claremont Colleges, Keck development (hear Real Audio® file approx. 7:40 from start).

Claremont a No-show on NPR's Respected, "Which Way LA" Radio Show. Audio Online KCRW.org 
(Approx. 20 min. into show)

In another screaming lapse of good judgment, Claremont's council members and city manager declined Warren Olney's invitation to discuss Inland Empire race relations on Wednesdays show entitled "Ethnic Peace Across Southern California." Citing the legal muzzle imposed upon them by an attorney for the city's insurance carrier, the six city officials remained in the bunker.

The KCRW radio show is regularly used by Los Angeles politicos and city officials as a platform for the discussion of hot local issues. The City of Riverside, also invited to participate, sent Louise Hayes, chair of the Riverside Human Relations Commission. Claremont's lack of official participation might be interpreted as further evidence of the insularity, arrogance and insensitivity of which they've been regularly accused.   

Former Claremont mayor Dian Ring unofficially subbed for the Claremont officials on the program. In a rambling, emotional discussion, Ring, a staunch council supporter and apologist,  defended the city's handling of the Landrum matter and blamed the media, local malcontents "who have been "harassing  the city council and manager for about five years" and "outsiders" for the "siege" on Claremont. Blaming the pressure put on the council and manager, Ring explained "Do they make mistakes under that kind of siege? Yes."  Ring defended the officers involved in the shooting saying "they've done nothing wrong, there are no unresolved issues in my mind". A surprised Olney replied, "There are in the minds of the Department of Justice".   

Olney, intentionally or unintentionally did not mention the city's release of protest organizer Obee Landrum's 18 year old prison record. 

Ms. Ring sparred with ULV professor Richard Rose. Rose doubts the police accounts of the Landrum shooting and is critical of the council's response. Olney, after some back and forth between Mr. Rose and Ms. Ring, summed up the exchange this way. "Each side appear to be looking at some facts but not others".

Other guests on the show were Ron Wakabayashi, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission; Thomas Ambrogi, Ecumenical theologian, active on a wide range of Human rights issues, current resident of Pilgrim Place in Claremont; Richard Rose, Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of La Verne, a participant in meetings about the Irvin Landrum shooting; and Edward Chang, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside, co-author of Ethnic Peace in the American City: Building communities in LA and beyond.

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