City of Claremont Denies Equal News Access to ClaremontCA.com
8/10/2000

Informed that there was to be a news conference Wednesday, ClaremontCA.com called the city manager's office for time and place information. Assistant City Manager Bridget Healy, a bureaucrat paid $105,000 per year to represent the city, told ClaremontCA.com that the meeting was "only for the invited press."  When cautioned that such an arrangement was improper, Ms. Healy responded, "Whatever". When asked to include ClaremontCA.com in the meeting she refused to assist. "There's nothing more I can do for you".  When asked if ClaremontCA.com would be allowed into the meeting Ms. Healy laughed and said "You'll just have to go and find out for yourself". When pressed to extend the invitation to ClaremontCA.com Ms. Healy hung-up the phone in mid-sentence. 

Can’t we all just get along, Bridget? 

Is a private meeting with handpicked news organizations the way to discuss the public’s business? The question raises ethical and legal issues.  On legal grounds, The California Newspaper Publishers Association’s “Handbook of Media Law” refers to the case of Anderson v. Cryovac  Inc. “The court held that the government may not give particular organizations exclusive rights of access to information, i.e. by preventing others for obtaining the same information." The book goes on to say, Bridget, that “once a government agency decides to release certain information (including holding press conferences) or an official has chosen to speak to members of the press, it may be unconstitutional to exclude selected news organizations or individual journalists from receiving the information in question.”

In the “Handbook” it’s called the “General Rule of Equal Access” and the laws appear to say that government agencies cannot pick and choose the news agencies that will be allowed to cover them.  It would also appear to prohibit government agencies from treating a news agency preferentially.

The Bulletin, Times and Courier were invited to attend this meeting. Sources told ClaremontCA.com that the meeting was held to correct published reports regarding City Attorney Carvalho’s role (or non-role) in the City’s secretive hiring of a controversial law firm to oppose the “Oaks” campaign finance reform referendum.  

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills - Know Thy Neighbor
Part II.
7/30/2000
The Pomona and Claremont McKenna Colleges have substantial land holdings in the foothills of Claremont with which to wheel and deal. According to deeds on record with the county tax assessor's office, as of January 2000, the two colleges hold 400+ acres in the foothill region. There were 3 additional foothill parcels with a sale price of 1.25M each that we were unable to locate on parcel maps. We're still looking. Follow the link below to see our table of local holdings with the locations of the land parcels.

Table of local college properties

Know Thy Neighbor - The Land Holdings of the Claremont Colleges.
7/26/2000
Surprised by college-owned foothill land sales/swaps and large scale college-adjacent developments that like a plague of Caterpillars, are eating their way across Claremont? Want to know what else the colleges own? So did we and with a little research we found out. A one and a half acre Malibu Beach property, 320 acres in Monterey county, 316 acres in Shasta County. The results will surprise you. Below we present a comprehensive breakdown of the land holdings of our resident colleges. From Shasta to San Diego the deeds fall where they may.

In Part One our focus is on Claremont's college-adjacent areas.

Scripps property - College Ave.

We’ll start our tour of local college properties with single-family dwellings, duplexes and apartments, once private homes, which have been purchased by the colleges.

Since the 1960’s, Claremont McKenna College has purchased the single-family dwellings and land to the south of their campus. These acquisitions span many city administrations and include dozens of single-family dwellings and apartments. In
fact pretty much the entire neighborhood from 1^st. to 6^th St., between Claremont Blvd. And Mills.  And CMC continues to absorb what it doesn’t already own. Here’s our breakdown of college-adjacent properties purchased by or given to the Claremont Colleges according to county tax assessor’s records as of January 2000, defined by deed as single-family dwelling, duplex or apartment. We’ll skip the sites that are obvious college property.

Arbol Verde - South of CMC.

 CMC purchased addresses 135, 139, 147, 247 and 205 Brooks in 1966. 340 N Mills in 1966. 221, 243, 285, 506 and 515 Brooks in 1967. 108, 114 and 564 N. Mills in 1969. 220 Brooks in 1970. 506 N. Mills in 1971. 606 Blanchard in 1972. 256 N. Mills in 1972. 124 N. Mills in 1974. 543 Brooks in 1974. 533 and 519 in 1975. 622 and 641 Blanchard in 1978. 310 N. Mills in 1981. 204, 236 and 250 N. Mills in 1982 (duplex). 526 in 1979. 520 in 1988. 555 Brooks in 1990. 218 N. Mills in 1995 and finally, 121 Brooks in 2000.  On 6^th St., CMC bought address 520 in 1960, 624 in 1966, 536 in 1967, 606 and 634 in 1968, 620 in 1970, 640 in 1975, 608 in 1981, 610 in 1980.  Slowly and methodically a neighborhood is absorbed.

College Avenue

Bordering the college on the west, College Avenue is a another popular real estate target. Pomona College owns 1237 N. College in 1974. Scripps owns the N. College addresses 1244 deeded in 1969, 1060 in 1984. 1030 and 1040 in 1985, 1050 in 1987, 1280 and 1254 in 1987 and 905 in 2000. The School of Theology owns 1006 N. College deeded in 1966.  Claremont University Center owns 740 N. College deeded in 1963, and 703 N. College, date unknown. CMC recently purchased the beautiful 739 N. College.


CMC property - 739 N. College.

On Harvard Ave. Scripps owns 1035 deeded in 1980.  Pitzer owns 739 deeded in 1972. Pomona College owns 730 deeded in 1976.

Pomona College owns 431 W. 6^th deeded in 1992 and 230 W. 7^th St. purchased in 1970.

Part Two of this series continues on Sunday with a look at the foothill land holdings of the Claremont Colleges.

Coming in August, The Land Holdings of the City of Claremont.

Another major land development greenlighted.
Keck is approved, Bernard Falls. 6/9/2000 Special
Council Meeting Online
6/21/00
The golf course is assured for 25 years, the field station operation isn't and the door is opened for further development. The development "master plan" is assailed and the development process defended. Everyone but the janitor is there from Claremont University Center to defend the project. Legal muscle for both sides is displayed and the city is in a major defensive posture.

Listen on ClaremontCA broadcasts.

5/9/00 Council meeting online.
The council, surrounded by great debate, spurns the transportation commissioner and approves "Cruise night". Also, re: Landrum. Mayor reports on a conversation with D.A. Garcetti. Plus a report that Congressman Drier facilitates communication with the Department of Justice
- but a ruling is likely to take five years. Citizen commentary on the "9 point police reform plan". Sunrise facility officials continue their appeal of City's reversal of park assessment fee. And a whole lot more!

Listen on ClaremontCA broadcasts.

Go To CCA Page Two

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