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Claremont Heritage 2020 Theme "Our Town"
Claremont - That was Then - This is Now
A new column from Claremont Heritage that honors our past
and celebrates our present.
Please join Claremont Heritage as we search through our archives and tap local citizens for memories of buildings from our past that have been preserved and given new uses. We also want to support our local businesses who are serving our community day-in-day out. Enjoy!
Sugar Bowl
The popular 1960s TV show "The Fugitive" utilized the Claremont Village for one episode entitled "Echo of a Nightmare" that aired on January 25, 1966. The clip starts with a scene inside the popular
Sugar Bowl soda fountain at the corner of Bonita and Harvard. As the clip progresses, actor David Janssen leaves the
Sugar Bowl and walks past what is now City Hall and then past the WPA Post Office (still intact with its Milford Zornes mural in the lobby). In the background you can see the old Claremont Library, a beautiful Spanish Revival building designed by noted architects, Marston and Maybury. Unfortunately, the library is gone, but the
Sugar Bowl building still exists and is currently the popular fruit bowl haven, Pepo Melo.
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TV Show The Fugitive Shot in Claremont Village
aired Jan. 25, 1966
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A little over 10 years ago, local historian and sage, David Allen wrote about "The Fugitive" episode in one of his famous
blogs for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
David Allen "Fugitive" Blog
HERE
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Around 1968-1969, Roz Zavidowsky opened Claremont's first organic food-and-whatnot store in the Sugar Bowl building after it closed. She had not only vitamins, but fresh organic local produce, sandwiches full of sprouts and fresh organic juices made in the store. Somewhat ironic considering that the current tenant Pepo Melo has brought the concept full-circle.
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Gallery 8
In the mid 1970s a group of eight local businessmen including Millard Sheets opened Gallery 8 in the Sugar Bowl building. Recent CGU MFA grad, artist Barbara Beretich was tapped to run the enterprise and did so with her trademark spark and determination. Local noted architect, Everett Tozier clad the building with diagonal cedar tongue and groove boards. Some of the cladding still exists today painted white.
Pepo Melo is currently the only place in the Village that sells fresh organic vegan and healthy fast-food.
Keith Strenger, the owner of Pepo Melo, is a produce broker for melons. "Being in the fresh produce industry, I always wondered why there weren't more options that dealt with fresh cut fruit," he said. After seeing frozen, pressed and blended fruit products, he came up with the idea of serving fresh cut fruit in its own natural way.
"Pepo" is the scientific word for the flesh of a melon, and "melo" is an abbreviated form of melon. Pepo Melo thus not only has a nice ring to it, but represents the roots of Strenger's career as a melon broker.
#mypepomelo | Plant-Based Fast Food
Açaí, Coconut, Banana & Cacao, Matcha, Pitaya and more...
And of course David Allen doesn't miss a beat and has also written about Pepo Melo - Thank you David for keeping us connected to our history!
David Allen "Pepo Melo" Blog
HERE
If you like what you have read in his blog, Allen has also compiled his columns into several books - His latest book, "On Track" is available in the Claremont Heritage online shop HERE
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