Ginny Prior

MONTCLARION: January 26, 2011 It was fun while it lasted. After two trailblazing months, the pop-up shop Montclair Collective has closed for retooling. Co-owner Reenie Raschke says November and December were “wonderful” for the collective of craftsmen and women. “Great response — total love-fest,” she says, adding that what started with a few local artisans [...]

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MONTCLARION: January 20, 2012 Cupid, take note. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I’ve discovered a new way to revitalize a relationship. Extreme sports. What I mean is extreme interest in sports. It’s no revelation that most men love ballgames — to the point where they scream at the TV, causing neighbors to wonder if [...]

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MONTCLARION: January 13, 2012 News of Oakland’s ranking in the top five places to visit in 2012 is “blowing up Facebook,” according to my college-aged daughter. A lot of young people are commenting on a New York Times article, which cites Oakland’s “excellent restaurants, exciting music venues and thriving night life” as reasons to visit. [...]

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MONTCLARION: January 6, 2012 “Power to the people.” Remember that old ’60s sticker that was slapped on everything from brick walls to VW vans? Well, the people have won big on Estates Drive, where neighbors say T-Mobile has withdrawn its application to install a 55-foot monopine at the Dingee Reservoir. I reported last fall that [...]

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MONTCLARION: December 29, 2011 The curtain comes down on the holiday season this weekend. It’s been quite a run, and, frankly, I’m pooped. What other season triggers a six-week celebration and a calorie count in six figures? My body needs a break. Still … some of you may be holding onto the holidays, and that’s [...]

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MONTCLARION: December 23, 2011 A guy walks into a bar. No, this isn’t a joke — it’s a story about social networking. So, this guy walks into a bar, and suddenly I’m traveling through time back to 1971 and my senior year of high school. He was dreamy back then — with blond hair and [...]

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MONTCLARION: December 16, 2010 From “talkies” to texting — Elfie Larkin has seen it all in her last 100 years on this Earth. But one of her highlights has to be the surprise party thrown for her recently at the Oakland Zoo. More than 160 of Larkin’s friends — including a collection of cousins from [...]

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I close my eyes and make a wish with Santa………. MONTCLARION: December 8, 2011 It’s still three weeks till Christmas, and there’ve already been hundreds of Santa sightings. I’ve seen him in department stores and minimalls and at numerous holiday soirees. He was even at the Montclair Village Holiday Stroll, surrounded by wide-eyed children waiting [...]

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MONTCLARION: December 1, 2011 “The big boys are up!” With those five little words, my neighbor has kicked off the Christmas season. The “big boys” are those eye-popping, old-fashioned lights with the big, bright bulbs — a la Clark Griswold’s work in “Christmas Vacation.”

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Montclarion: November 25, 2011 It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Do you know where your turkey is? If you’re anything like me, your bird has been picked to pieces by now, with some of it simmering in a soup and the rest bubbling gently in an oven casserole. Having grown up in Minnesota, I can say [...]

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