Ginny Prior

MONTCLARION: February 23, 2012 Who puts in three decades at one job anymore? Most folks are lucky to eke out five years before their position is outsourced or downsized. But Katie Murphy has been the principal at Piedmont’s Corpus Christi School for 31 years.

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MONTCLARION: February 17, 2012 Recently, I reported that Red Oak Realty was making a bid to move into the long-vacant Wachovia Bank building at 6450 Moraga Ave. in Montclair. It turns out not everyone is onboard with the plan. Longtime merchant David Sarber sees it as going down the wrong path for the Montclair Village [...]

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MONTCLARION: Feb 3, 2012 Wildflowers peeking through the forest floor, birds happily building their nests — you’d think spring had already sprung in the Oakland hills. That’s why I had to get away. As you read this column, I’m in Minnesota waiting for snowflakes to fall from the steel gray sky. It’s supposed to be [...]

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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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