MONTCLARION: June 3, 2011
I did a dumb thing the other night and left my garage door open. Thankfully, my neighbor called to warn me.

The last time I did this a bandit broke in and ransacked the place. Sure, it was just a raccoon — and the only thing lost was a bag of Meow Mix — but it could have been a human predator, intent on committing a violent crime.

Throughout the hills there’s a growing concern about burglaries, robberies and assaults. And everyone — especially the bad guys — knows Oakland police are understaffed .

Here’s one way to fight back and protect ourselves: Organize. If we all form neighborhood watch groups and then collectively demand more city services, our voices have to be heard.

In fact, work has already begun. The Montclair Safety and Improvement Council is meeting with neighbors on the first Thursday of every month.

This week they gathered at Montclair Presbyterian Church (their permanent meeting location at 5701 Thornhill Drive) and talked about everything from public safety to pot holes.

The point of these meetings is to let the City Council know that we want our fair share of services. It’s time to do more than just complain. It’s time to organize.

Mark July 7 at 7 p.m. on your calendars right now for the next MSIC meeting at Montclair Presbyterian Church.

STOLEN GOODS: A bit of good news on the crime-fighting scene. OPD is calling victims of a crime wave last fall that produced quite a haul for the burglars, who are now in custody. One reader says he went downtown to the police “bunker” and recovered his vintage albums and photographs. Thankfully, they had labels on them so they were easy to identify.

MUSICAL NOTES: Summer is in the air — as noted by the number of free outdoor concerts coming up next month. One of the best is Saturday and Sunday at the Gardens at Lake Merritt — one of the Top Five California Gardens, according to Via Magazine. Treat your senses with a musical bouquet of classical, jazz, Mississippi blues, Japanese flutes, flamenco guitar and chamber music from noon to 5 p.m. both days.

FOOT WORK: Kudos to local Bay Oaks soccer coach Ajit Rana. Reader Jean Marcuzzo says four of Rana’s original players from his Under-10 team are playing D1 college men’s soccer next year.

“Having a third of your soccer players play at such an elite level is amazing,” writes Marcuzzo. The athletes include AJ Rana, Air Force Academy; DeVante DuBose, Virginia Tech; Max Oldham, Cal; and John Marcuzzo, San Diego State.

HAPPY TOGETHER: A little bird (probably a love bird) tells me it’s Sally and Jack Costello’s 60th anniversary. The Montclair pair met when they were attending California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, and were married on June 6, 1951. Not many couples make it to this milestone any more, so if you see Jack and Sally, give them a pat on the back.