MONTCLARION: April 27, 2012

A lot of my neighbors are nightwalkers. We meet on the street and exchange pleasantries under the moon.

But after last week’s shooting of a dog walker on Elverton Drive, I’m — quite frankly — a little afraid. And mad.

What does it take to stay safe around here? We have our neighborhood watch groups and our video cameras — do we need to start walking with escorts? Get bigger dogs? Walk only in daylight?

One thing I do know is that partnering with police is effective. Yes, we need more patrols, but we also need to help the patrols we have. Keep gathering evidence and working together to put these thugs behind bars.

Councilwoman Libby Schaaf, doing her best to keep the hills on the radar with Oakland police, did a recent ride-along with officers in Montclair. On a Monday morning before noon, she says they drove along recently burglarized streets, armed with suspect and vehicle descriptions. They didn’t see anyone suspicious in Montclair that morning, but Schaaf says she was impressed with the dedication and professionalism of the officers.

Email bag: Some hills homeowners are still dealing with last week’s storm damage, including reader Bonnie Marks, who had a giant tree come down on her roof. Her husband was up every 90 minutes during the night, emptying buckets of rainwater that were pouring through the gaping hole. Still, it could have been worse. The Monterey Pine narrowly missed fallingon Marks, who had pulled her car into the driveway just seconds before hearing the crash.

On stage: There’s nothing like a good raspberry to give a crowd of sophisticated theatergoers the giggles. Monty Python’s “Spamalot” is playing at the Orpheum and is even funnier on stage than on screen. Where else can you so effectively tap into your inner child? This is humor you haven’t heard since kindergarten — complete with sound effects. Talk about a joyful noise!

Animal tales: You’ve heard of an open house? Well, the Montclair 4H is hosting an open barn May 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Stables on Skyline Drive. It’s your chance to see kids in action as they groom their geese and comb out their roosters. Alright, I’m joking about the roosters, but reader Serena Hawkey says they’ll teach folks how to show goats and may even have a pig in their petting zoo. This is a great club, so stop by and give them your support.