Take a peek in Claremont homes decorated with the spirit of giving.

Courier
Claremont

claremont-courier.com

Claremont
Living
2017
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 5

COURIER photos/KathrynDunn
Were home
W
ere closing out our second week in our new home at 114 Olive Street. Its
been more than 10 years since we have enjoyed the energy of downtown
Claremont and the staffmost of us, anywayare delighted to once again
hear the sirens, cars and trains whiz by. Its been a real treat to have visitors and well-
wishers (and even a gift our two!) as we slowly unpack boxes and get the office deco-
rated. Come on by to say hello. Our door is always open. Kathryn Dunn

Living
114 Olive Street, Claremont, CA 91711
Claremont Courier
Claremont
(909) 621-4761 claremont-courier.com
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; claremont-courier.com
Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 6

Home tour proves that threes a charm

T
hree examples of
Claremonts
unique residen-
tial character were on
display for the annual
Childrens Fund Home
Tour.
The tour, which took place
on April 22 and 23, gave peo-
ple an opportunity to tour the
homes while also donating to
charity. All of the proceeds
from the ticket sales go to the
West End chapter of the Chil-
drens Fund, which includes
Claremont, according to Chil-
drens Fund Claremont Chap-
ter President Dr. Wanda Pyle.
The Childrens Fund, which
is celebrating its 30th anniver-
sary, was established to serve
and provide aid to children in
San Bernardino and Los Ange-
les counties who are abused,
neglected and impoverished,
according to Ms. Pyle. The
home tour has been around for
over a decade, and routinely
brings in donations in the tens
of thousands.
This year, the tour started
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff off with a fundraising gala at
The Sun Home on Hood Drive features a chefs kitchen with professional-grade appliances and luxury finishes like dark marble coun-
tertops. Designed by Claremonts Wheeler & Wheeler Architects, the homes inclusion in the Childrens Fund Tour was a great op- HOME TOUR/next page
portunity to show off the brand-new residence as it will soon be for sale.
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 7

Bottle brush lines the back garden wall of the Chris-

tiansens Webb Canyon home in keeping with the
Mediterranean influence of the entire home.

HOME TOUR/from the previous page

the DoubleTree Hotel on Friday, April 21. Ms. Pyle

noted that the gala alone raised around $6,000 for the
fund.
In addition to the home tour tickets, which ran
about $35 a pop, artwork by local artists was dutifully
placed around the homes for sale, with a portion of COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff
the proceeds going toward the fund. The outside spaces at Carol and Bill Christiansens Webb Canyon home create a focal point for the property
with views of the canyon and terraced gardens.

M
s. Pyle was quick to point out
that each home had no restag-
ing just for the tourthe homes
were presented to the patron in exactly the
same states as they are for the owners.
These are the homes they live in, she said.
The first house on the tour is a massive gray man-
sion located on Grand Avenue. The home belongs to
Bill and Judi Manis, who built the home in 1998 after
buying the plot of land two years earlier.
Bill, the city manager for Rosemead, and Judi, a
vice president for AT&T, transformed their dream
home into a Tuscan-inspired oasis peppered with fam-
ily heirlooms.
One of the first amenities one sees when entering
the homebesides the grand staircaseis a massive
grandfather clock, which has been in Judis family
since it was shipped from England in 1878. Atop the
towering timepiece is an artful depiction of the lunar
cycle.
Another family heirloom on display is a dining
room table belonging to Judis father. The four-bed-
room, six-bathroom home also includes an impressive
home theater, complete with comfortable couches and
HOME TOUR/next page
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 8
HOME TOUR/from the previous page
a massive flat-screen television. The
room was once used as a playroom for
the kids, Bill explained, but once they
grew up and moved out of the house
the couple reclaimed the room for
themselves.
The theater is adorned with original
prints of posters for the Mexican Play-
ers of the Padua Hills Theater, an im-
portant and enthralling piece of early
Claremont history. Bill Manis ex-
plained that the son of Frank Vecchio,
the artist, gifted the posters to him after
the elder Mr. Vecchio passed away.

N
early every room in the
house evokes images
of the Italian country-
side. From the halls to the mas-
ter bathroom, visitors feel like
they are in a Tuscan villa.
We tried to stay, as much as possi-
ble, true to that theme, Judi said.
The second home on the tour is a
brand-new addition to the neighbor-
hooda smartly designed contempo-
rary home on 731 Hood Drive. The
3,060-square-foot home, which has
four bedrooms and three-and-half bath-
rooms, was designed by local Clare- COURIERphoto/Steven Felschundneff
mont architects Wheeler & Wheeler. Judi and Bill Manis north Claremont home where theyve lived about 20 years was included the Claremont, West End Aux-
According to Childrens Fund docent iliary of Childrens Fund Home Tour and Art Show on Saturday and Sunday. The four-bedroom, six-bath home is decorated
to resemble an Italian villa, with sculpted ceilings and Italian-themed murals.
HOME TOUR/next page

HOME TOUR/from the previous page
Linda Rice, the home sits on what was originally a
vacant lot for the children of the next-door neighbors
to play in. Now, a grand, modern home with crafts-
man and country-inspired designs takes its place.
The house also presented patrons with an exclusive
sneak-peekthe residence would not be officially
listed for sale until the following Monday.
Its such an advantage for us, said Ms. Rice.
Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 9
Everyone in Claremont wanted to see this house.
The house has officially been listed for $1.85 mil-
lion.
Since the house doesnt have an owner as of yet, it
was turned into a makeshift art gallery with portraits COURIERphotos/Steven Felschundneff
and sculptures from local artists such as Jenny Simp- ABOVE: Flower arrangements were found throughout
son and Christy Johnson displayed everywhere, from the Manis home for the Childrens Fund Home Tour.
ATLEFT: The foyer includes many family heirlooms in-
the bedrooms to the garage. cluding an 1878 grandfather clock. The Italian flair of
the home can immediately be seen with the sculpted
HOME TOUR/page 11 ceilings created by local artist Steve Selos.

HOME TOUR/from the previous page
The house features a beautiful kitchen with a
restaurant-grade stove and refrigerator, two modern
bathrooms with sleek stainless steel showerheads and,
of course, a fireplace on the balcony of the upstairs
master suite.
All of these modern amenities are coated in cool
hues of sea foam green and eggshell white, colors that
elicit a calming effect softening the industrial design.
T
he third and final home on the tour
is nestled deep within Webb
Canyon, and required a shuttle
service to get to it. The home may not
look particularly dramatic on the outside,
but inside it showcases the homeowners
deep passions for travel and culture.
The home, belonging to Bill and Carol Chris-
tiansen, is full of remnants of the couples travels
around the world. Bills photographs of the people
and places theyve encountered, from women in
Africa to Draculas castle in the mountains of Tran-
sylvania, are stationed throughout the home.
The house is a study of modern and ancient con-
trasts, none more so than the new flat-screen televi-
sion sitting atop an ornate Tibetan altar. The
blood-red, gold and black hues make the piece an
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
The Christiansens Webb Canyon home has a bear as
a regular visitor and so they added pictures of the
bear to the homes decor and even a sculpture in the
bedroom. The three bedroom, two bath home was
built in the 1970s and has ample windows that provide
natural lighting.
eye-catching addition.
But the pice de rsistance of the home is the
sweeping view of Webb Canyon from the homes
back porch. The house sits along the edge of a ter-
raced cliff that, like the situation of Manis home, is
Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 11
reminiscent of rural Italy. The terrace is peppered
with different fruit trees and art pieces.
The homes rural location also allows the Chris-
tiansens to come into contact with Claremonts wilder
natives. In one instance, a brown bear ambled its way
onto the property in search of food. Instead of running
for help or calling animal control, Bill Christiansen
did what any photographer would dohe snapped
some pictures.
Those pictures of the animal making itself at home
on the Christiansens back patio are on display in the
couples bedroom.
The majesty of the homes aside, the event was for a
great cause. Ms. Pyle estimates the tour sold around
200 tickets this year, but the final numbers arent in as
of press time.
If past events are any indication, the tour could pro-
vide around $12,000 for the Childrens Fund, all in
the name of helping the regions most vulnerable pop-
ulations.
Matthew Bramlett
news@claremont-courier.com
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 12

Homes come in all shapes and sizes

O
ne woman is doing her part to
curb homelessness in Clare-
montby giving those in need a
place to stay in her home.
Karen Chapman Lenz, a retired schoolteacher and a
prominent member of the Claremont Homeless Advo-
cacy Program (CHAP), has housed two participants
(CHAPs term for the homeless people they help) in
her home for nearly a year, giving them a head start as
they get back on their feet.
Ms. Chapman Lenz, who has lived in the same
home on the border of Claremont and Pomona for
nearly 40 years, got the idea as a member of the citys
housing working group.
I thought, this is always what we wanted to do, to
find them places to live, she said.
She knew her two roommates from their stints at the
CHAP overnight house at the Quaker building on Har-
rison Avenue, and opted to lend them two of the empty
rooms in her home at 30 percent of their current in-
come.
Most of us pay quite a bit more than that, she
added. But we have more to start with, thats the dif-
ference.
Tom Magdziak, one of the men living in Ms. Chap-
man Lenzs home, keeps to himself most of the time,
but occasionally helps around the house whenever Ms.
Chapman Lenz needs anything done. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Karens considerate, and I try to be considerate, and Karen Chapman Lenz has opened her home of 38 years to two men who have come through the CHAP pro-
that makes it work, he said. Just showing a little con- gram and need a permanent home. The retired teacher rents rooms to the men at a reduced rate.
sideration goes a long way.
CHAP HOUSE/next page
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 13
Tom Magdziak rents a room in hardly know me!
Karen Chapman Lenzs north During the ceremony, she received congratulations
Pomona home, which she offers from local dignitaries such as Congresswoman Judy
to him at a reduced rate so that Chu and then-Claremont Mayor Sam Pedroza.
he can afford to have a perma- Ms. Chapman Lenz has a simple piece of advice for
nent home. Mr. Magdziak, and an- those who are thinking of opening their doors to Clare-
other man who also lives at the monters in needMake sure they knew them, she
home, met Ms. Chapman Lenz noted.
through the CHAP program. She added that she noticed Mr. Magdziak had undi-
agnosed sleep apnea while he was living at the shelter,
COURIER photo/ which eventually led him to receive treatmentan ex-
Steven Felschundneff ample of the mutually beneficial relationship between
advocates and participants.
Mr. Magdziak is thankful to Ms. Chapman Lenz for
opening her doors to him and Charlie during a time
when they needed it the most. I dont know how to
put it in words without crying, he said.
Matthew Bramlett
Notably, Mr. Magdziak helped Ms. Chapman Lenz news@claremont-courier.com
fix up her motorhome in her driveway. This routine, he
says, allows the participants to feel like true room-
mates.
She doesnt make us feel like were in the program
or anything, he said. Its a regular room.
Mr. Magdziak works part-time as a cook at a local
restaurant and Charlie, who declined to be interviewed,
works as a landscaper. Mr. Magdziak, who rides his
bike to and from work every day due to its convenient
proximity from Ms. Chapman Lenzs house, is thank-
ful for his job and acts as a father figure for another
employee.
Im kind of an advocate for another cook there, he
said. Hes a good kid. He doesnt have his dad around
so he talks with me a lot and I give him a little of my
experiences.
Mr. Magdziak also gives back to the group who
helped him. He volunteers as an overnight host at the
Quaker building on Saturday nights, where he oversees
the house during graveyard hours.
Its not hard to do your tasks when youre at the
shelter, he said. Its easy, any eight-year-old can do it,
and its showing appreciation for your friends there.
As for Charlie, Ms. Chapman Lenz keeps a folder of
his drawings on the dining room table for anyone to
look at. The drawings, Ms. Chapman Lenz explained,
are what Charlie did to pass the time while he was liv-
ing in his carmementos from a tougher time when he
was living day-by-day without a place to live.
Ms. Lenz has already been recognized for her hospi-
tality. The Democratic Club of Claremont (DCC) hon-
ored her during their December 4, 2016 meeting. Ms.
Lenz was initially shocked when she received word of
the honor.
I was very surprised in November when someone
called me and said the Democratic Club of Claremont
wanted to honor me because of my involvement with
the CHAP group, she said. And I thought, You

Its easy to enjoy
art, architecture
in Claremont on a
regular basis
Claremonts Art Walk takes place the
first Saturday of each month from 6 to
9 p.m. in the Village. Visit claremon-
tartwalk.com and the Claremont Art
Walk Facebook page for featured
artists. And be sure to check the Clare-
mont COURIER on the Friday prior to
the first Saturday for a list of participat-
ing galleries and artists. Art Walk is lo-
cated in and nearby the Claremont
Village.
Why not make a day of it by taking
the monthly Village walking tour from
10 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of
the month. The walk is, which is spon-
sored by Claremont Heritage, begins in
front of the historic Claremont
Metrolink Depot, 200 W. First St.
Claremonter Ginger Elliott often
serves as the tour guide for this enjoy-
able walk that includes the citys com-
mercial, civic and Colleges buildings,
which brings to life more than 100
years of Claremonts history. The cost
is $5 per person, with funds going to
support Claremont Heritages effort to-
ward historic preservation. Reserva-
tions recommended. Call (909)
621-0848 for more information.
For your weekly art fix, visit the
Packing House every Friday evening
from 5 to 9 p.m. and enjoy unique,
handmade arts and crafts. Artists set up
tables in the Packing House atrium at
Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 14
OUR TOWN
520 W. First St. to sell their crafts. For
information on becoming a seller or
about the sale in general, email aud-
sandends.sa@gmail.com.
Webb Canyon
project commu-
nity meeting Photo from the LATimes
Want to weigh in on a new housing Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne
will visit Claremont on Wednesday, May
development slated for Webb Canyon?
3 for a free talk sponsored by Claremont
A community meeting is planned for Heritage.
Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Padua Room of the Hughes Center, lo-
cated at 1700 Danbury Rd. Claremont Her-
Residents are invited to come and
hear a presentation on the proposed itage hosts free
Clara Oaks Estates Project, a develop-
ment of 47 single-family homes off of
talks next week
Webb Canyon Road. In celebration of National Historic
The developer is hosting the meeting, Preservation Month, Claremont Her-
and interested members of the commu- itage will host two free talks in May.
nity are encouraged to attend to pro- The first will bring Christopher
vide input. OUR TOWNS/next page

OUR TOWNS/from the previous page
Hawthorne to the Benson Auditorium at
Pitzer College on Wednesday, May 3 at
7 p.m.
Mr. Hawthorne has been the architec-
ture critic for the Los Angeles Times
since 2004. Before joining the Times,
he was architecture critic for Slate and
a frequent contributor to the New York
Times. He is the author, with Alanna
Stang, of The Green House: New Di-
rections in Sustainable Architecture.
Mr. Hawthorne grew up in Berkeley
and has a bachelors degree from Yale,
where he readied himself for a career in
criticism by his displeasure with design
flaws in his dormitory, which was de-
signed by Eero Saarinen.
A second event, An Architecture in
Place: Celebrating Cultural Context
through Design, will be presented by
urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides at Garner
House on Thursday, May 11 at 6 p.m.
Mr. Polyzoides was born and educat-
ed in Athens, Greece and later earned
bachelors and masters degrees in archi-
tecture and planning from Princeton
University. His career has engaged a
broad span of architecture and urbanism,
its history, theory, education and design.
He is a co- founder of the Congress
for the New Urbanism and, with his wife
Elizabeth Moule, a partner in Moule &
Polyzoides, a Pasadena practice since
1990. From 1973 until 1997, he was an
associate professor of architecture at the
University of Southern California.
Photo from Moule & Polyzoides
Urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides will give
a free talk sponsored by Claremont
Heritage on Thursday, May 11.
His professional experience includes
the design of educational, institutional,
commercial and civic buildings, historic
rehabilitation, housing and the urban de-
sign of university campuses, neighbor-
hoods and districts. Mr. Polyzoides has
led such projects throughout the United
States and around the world, in Canada,
Central America, Australia, China and
the Middle East.
He is the coauthor of Los Angeles
Courtyard Housing: A Typological
Analysis, The Plazas of New Mexico
and is the author of R.M. Schindler, Ar-
chitect and the forthcoming In Praise of
the Ordinary: The Architecture of
Housing.
Gather e-waste,
help the Scouts
An e-waste donation fundraiser is
scheduled for Saturday, May 13 from 8
to 2 p.m. to benefit Boy Scout Troop
402 and the local nonprofit Sustainable
Claremont.
Sponsored by Reece Community Ini-
tiatives, Inc, the drop off location is
ISN Global Enterprises, 678 S. Indian
Hill Blvd. in Claremont.
Suggested items include laptops,
monitors, televisions, video games,
smart phones, tablets, cables and wires.
No batteries will be accepted. For more
information, email events@rciinc.org.
Not yet biking to
work? May is a
good time to start
May is National Bike Month with an
ever-expanding diversity of events in
communities nationwide. In 2017, Bike
to work week is set for May 15 to 19,
with bike to work day on May 19.
Experts estimate that 40 percent of all
trips in the US are less than two miles,
making bicycling a feasible and fun way
to get to work. Claremont is 13.486
square miles, so if you live and work in
the city limits you may as well take ad-
vantage of the tight quarters here.
Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 15
With increased interest in healthy,
sustainable and economic transporta-
tion options, its not surprising that,
from 2000 to 2013, the number of bicy-
cle commuters in the US grew by more
than 62 percent.
Why not set a spring goaland work
on that summer bodyby taking your
bicycle to work in the month of May.
Permaculture talk
at Sustainability
Dialog series
Sustainable Claremont hosts at sus-
tainability dialog, Permaculture in an
Urban Context on Monday, May 1
from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Pomona Col-
leges Hahn 101, 420 N. Harvard Ave.
Is it the same as organic garden-
ing? a press release asked. To find
out more, join Larry Santoyo, a perma-
culture design teacher and practitioner,
as he describes how permaculture de-
sign addresses environmental, social
and economic sustainability in an urban
context, particularly in southern Cali-
fornia communities like Claremont.
The event is free and open to all, and
is sponsored by Sustainable Claremont,
the League of Women Voters, the Inter-
faith Sustainability Council, EcoCiv
and Pomona College. For information,
visit sustainableclaremont.org or email
coordinator@sustainableclaremont.org.
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 16

REAL ESTATE IN CLAREMONT

Call Rachel at
(909) 621-4761
for information.

t
 Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 17

REAL ESTATE IN CLAREMONT

Call Rachel at
(909) 621-4761
for information.

t

Gypsy Sisters offer
original art to beautify
your home
Gypsy Sisters and their Brothersperhaps one of
the oldest established, permanent, floating art shows
in Claremontwill host their artisans market Friday,
May 5 to Sunday, May 7 in the basement of Clare-
mont United Church of Christ, 233 Harrison Ave.
Hours are Friday, May 5 from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday,
May 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 7
from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information,
email a.jacobson511@gmail.com.
The Alphabet of Gifts
collage workshop
Create collages with fabric and paper in this work-
shop at Studio C Art Gallery, 260 W. Bonita Ave.,
Claremont. On Sunday, May 7 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.,
residents are invited to take time to create, including a
gift to share with another. The workshop begins with
a meditation. Aspire, balance and calm are the themes
of the day. The $40 fee includes all materials plus a
necklace by Elizabeth Carr. This workshop, which is
designed for adults, is part of the Take Flight exhibit
featuring Elizabeth Carr and Cindy Rinne. All levels
are welcome. Call (909) 289-9401 for information.
Claremont COURIER/Claremont Living 2017 18
OUR TOWN
Free turf removal class
Three Valleys Municipal Water District is offering
a free class on how to convert your lawn into a beau-
tiful, low water use landscape. The class will be held
on Saturday, April 29 from 9 a.m. to noon at the dis-
tricts headquarters located at 1021 E. Miramar Ave.,
in Claremont. For more information or to RSVP for
the class, contact Cindy DeChaine at (909) 621-5568.
Yard sale to benefit
food pantry
Sowing Seeds For Life is hosting a spring yard sale
on Saturday, April 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
1350 Arrow Hwy., La Verne, to raise funds for its vet-
erans and senior food pantry program. The goal of the
sale is to raise $3,000 for food and supplies. If you
would like to donate your gently used items to help
with this project, please drop them off prior to the
event at the yard sale location on Friday between 8
a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information, call (909) 293-
7735, extension 232.
Bi-annual fine book sale
sponsored by the
Friends of the
Claremont Library
Find highly discounted books of great value as well
as rare, old and first editions on Saturday, May 6 from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Claremont Library, 208 Har-
vard Ave.
The Friends of the Claremont Library will offer
fine early and later classics in nearly all academic
fields, especially history and literature, and a large
number of autographed works from specialty printers,
as well as finely illustrated books to brighten your
home library.
Highlights of the sale include art books, rare older
works and books published by specialty art presses.
Books and pamphlets are offered in all price ranges
with local, LA and California focus.
Collectors can find works from the early 1800s to
1917, including some surprises with fine illustrations,
marbled paper, guilt edging, leather, rare copies, a
few foreign language and some remarkably printed
on luxurious papers.
Cash, check and credit cards accepted. FOCL
members receive 10 percent off. For more informa-
tion, email: friendsofclaremontlibrary@gmail.com.
Learn to create a home
butterfly garden, just in
time for spring
On Saturday, May 6 from 10 to 11 a.m. head to the
Grow Native Nursery at the Rancho Santa Ana
Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., for a work-
shop on how to create your own butterfly garden at
home.
Help our local butterfly populations by planting na-
tive host and food plants. Creating urban wildlife
habitat is an important facet of native gardening, and
this workshop will give you an overview of how to
help our local (and migratory) butterfly populations
by planting the proper native host plants for caterpil-
lars and the best food plants for mature butterflies.
For information, call (909) 625-8767 or visit
rsabg.org.