Andy Hawkey is the dairy goat leader for the Montclair 4-H Club and her goats just had babies. The goats will be featured at the Montclair 4-H’s April 30 “Meet and Bleat” fundraiser.

MONTCLARION: April 15, 2016

There’s a mom in Montclair who has 25 kids. Really. Andy Hawkey is the dairy goat leader for the Montclair 4-H Club and the goats in her charge just had babies. Black kids, brown kids, little gray and cocoa kids. These fuzzy critters are tottering all over the pen.

Why should we care? Because of the goat cheese, of course. The mama goats lend their lactose for yummy goat cheese, which the 4-H’ers make and then will pair with nice wine at the upcoming “Meet and Bleat” on April 30. It’s a clever name for a $5 fundraiser ($3 for kids) and you not only get to nosh, you can bond with the babies and see how the 4-H students show their goats during fair season.

Hawkey says they raise four kinds of goats: “Nigerian dwarfs are the size of a medium dog and are friendly. And there’s good butterfat content in their milk. Nubian goats have pendulous ears. Oberhasli are silent goats — they don’t bleat. And Tagenberg goats have white lines on their faces.”

Each kid is adorable. Trust me — I’ve seen them all and even nuzzled with a few. You can too, at the 4-H “Meet and Bleat” from 3 to 5 p.m. on 5700 Parkridge Drive and Skyline Boulevard behind the fire station and just south of Skyline High School. Want more information? Call 510-339-1078.

Email bag: Have you checked out the new street furniture in Montclair? Reader Rich Fisher has, and he’s noticed something interesting — a metal sign attached to the base of the benches that prohibits loitering. “On a bench!” he quips. “What a town.” If you read between the lines, I’m guessing the benches are for short, vertical rests. The prone position is a no-no.

Do be do: Montclair’s own Sinatra cover band plays at the Terrace Room at the Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday. Jet Blacq singer Rebecca Faiola says one of her first dates with husband and fellow band member Frank Faiola was attending a Sinatra concert in Reno. They sat at the “mob tables,” courtesy of Sinatra’s manager who had purchased some prints from Rebecca when she was in the art business. Who knew these “strangers in the night” would go on to make beautiful music together? The Chairman of the Board would be pleased.

Hot spot: Friday night fun is back with the Oakland Museum of California’s evening market, music and food blowout. The event is so popular, organizers are adding seven more food trucks to make a total of 20 gourmet kitchens on wheels. The museum is also staying open until 10 p.m. for people who want to take advantage of the half-price admission.

Animal tales: Give me a home where the buffalo roam — here at the Oakland Zoo. A herd of around 20 bison will make the Oakland Zoo their new habitat this fall. They’ll have 56 acres to hang out in and breed naturally. The offspring will go to live on the Blackfeet Reservation near Browning, Montana — restoring buffalo to their native lands.

Got news? You can reach Ginny Prior by email at ginnyprior@hotmail.com or on the web at http://www.” ginnyprior.com.