Tyler Carson, owner of Hayasa Motorbikes, 430 E. 10th St., in Oakland, will celebrate his 20th anniversary next year running the motorcycle repair shop with a refreshing integrity and passion for the sport, Ginny Prior writes. (Ginny Prior/For Bay Area News Group)

MONTCLARION: May 2, 2017

One of our paper’s more popular features was the Good Neighbor column written by Dave Newhouse. Too bad Newhouse has retired … because Tyler Carson would have been perfect for his column.

Carson owns Hayasa Motorbikes, 430 E. 10th St., in Oakland. Next year will be his 20th anniversary running the motorcycle repair shop with a refreshing integrity and passion for the sport.

Carson moved to the Bay Area to be part of a motorcycle culture that feeds off the thrill of our winding hills roads. Have you ever seen cycles parked in a scenic pullout along Grizzly Peak near Berkeley Lawrence Livermore Lab? Apparently, that’s like a “clubhouse” for motorcycle enthusiasts on one of the hill’s most popular roadways.

Last time I saw Carson, he introduced me to his “shop steward,” a rescue cat named Fiona. She’s not much for mechanics, but she’s a good mouser. As we walked through the rows of motorcycles, most of them Japanese brands, (Hayasa means “fast” in Japanese) there was a certain zen to the place. Carson seemed deeply grateful for all the people in his life who’d taught him his trade and “taken him under their wings” so to speak. Clearly, for Carson, working on bikes is a compliment to a life well lived. When you can blend your passion with your job, the road ahead looks pretty smooth.

Food news: The Terrace Room, 1800 Madison St., is celebrating its 90th birthday with a new chef and a summer remodel. Executive Chef Jack Andrews brings a new menu to this historic property with wild salmon, flank steak and tasty starters like marrow with creamy, tangy tonnato sauce. The restaurant already offers sweeping views of Lake Merritt, live music and weekday happy hour from 5 to 10 p.m. This historic venue is one of Oakland’s treasures and a sure fired winner for date night.

Email bag: More trash talk coming into the Town Crier. Reader Donna Bersaglieri is the second person to tell me the City of Oakland is forcing her family to pay for weekly trash pickup when they only need it monthly. So much for the rewards of recycling. “We have had the monthly plan for many years and it is a discouraging turn of events,” she writes. “Do you have any ideas on how to respond to the changes?” she asks. Any ideas, dear readers?

On the pothole problem, reader Don Colton questions my recent suggestion to Oakland’s Public Works — to train and equip citizen pothole patrols. “I was surprised at your suggestion that citizens might fill in potholes by themselves,” he writes. “We don’t have ready access to hot patch asphalt which is clearly the best solution.” Colton sent along a pretty good photo of a pothole (up on ginnyprior.com) and a request that I mention the city’s pothole report line and email again, so here it is: 510-615-5566. pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com.

Animal tales: Hills dad Mason Brooks has a cat tale. Some time ago, the family’s black kitty with two splashes of white, disappeared. Eight months later, after a brutal winter when we even had snow in the hills, the cat reappeared. He’d been subsisting on mice and the kindness of neighbors, but was apparently no worse for the wear. Now Mason’s kids want to hear these adventures at bedtime. The cat tale they get is the story of a brave four-legged warrior who lived off the land until finding his human family. Just for the record, the cat’s name is Mooch.

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