Weinberger was a patron of local journalism - a last bastion of quality in a sea of chains and community-based fluff. He put real stories on the page for decades (though his affinity was photography). The mere fact that he survived the newspaper bloodbath is testimony to what he'd built. Courier alumni include Los Angeles Times reporter David Zahniser and Times photographers Genaro Molina and George Rose (Rose is no longer at the Times).
I worked for Martin as a reporter and editor between 1997 and 2002. He was of another age: He was still pasting up the paper the year I left. When he recited the axioms of our newsroom heroes, he got the words right and meant what he said. Claremont City Hall never truly understood him and it never ignored him. He will be missed by those who knew him, and by a world that's leaving his hard-earned wisdom behind.
*Update: From the Courier's Facebook page:
The COURIER staff is sad to report that owner Martin Weinberger died July 5th at 12:20 a.m. Mr. Weinberger bought the COURIER in 1955 and remained at the helm until his retirement in 2008. He is survived by his wife, Janis; his son, Peter, the current publisher; his daughter-in-law, Betsy; and his grandchildren, Matthew and Collette. Service arrangements are pending.
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The passing of Martin marks more so the passing of the yesteryear days of Claremont. Community buildings shared by diverse business, much like the old Courier Building, once filled w/the newspaper, a produce company, a former member of , "The Byrds" giving music lessons, a prison library foundation & an open art space...not to mention a few smaller offices that I'm still not sure what they did. A time when Claremont not only believed outside of the box but acted outside of the box. The believed so much in recycling that our playgrounds were filled & constructed w/giant spools once used for telephone wire were designed for children to crawl on & through. Just like the old recycled giant oversized tires that would make towers of black rubber again all to benefit the planet & it's children. Modern day Claremont no longer caters to it's seniors but it's students, w/plenty of neon & plenty of bars. The original Courier Place itself now another local watering hole where local drug addicts go to pretend they are artist-musicians. The passing of Mr. Weinberger is the official reality check of growing up in a place like, "The Sound of Music" & now waking up to realize you're starting to grow old in, "Blade Runner".
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