MONTCLARION: June 17, 2015
The hills are abuzz these days. Whirring weed whackers and high-pitched chain saws are a necessary annoyance as homeowners brace for hot weather and Oakland’s fire safety inspections. Continue reading
Author Archives: Ginny Prior
Town Crier: View Oakland Zoo’s rare guest — a California condor
MONTCLARION: June 12, 2015
“The Condor Lady” — that’s what the CBS radio network called me in 1983. I was a reporter for affiliate KSDO, covering efforts to save the California condor from extinction. With just two or three dozen birds known to exist at that time, the news was so big that it always aired nationwide. Continue reading
Town Crier: Landscaping firm’s roots in fashion, design
MONTCLARION: June 5, 2015
Call it outdoor eye candy. Gardens are spaces that cultivate joy. Just ask Montclair mom Debbie Tallia, whose landscaping business is becoming a big hit. Tallia Gardens grew from a 25-year career in fashion that led Debbie to the world of home staging for real estate. The garden was a natural extension. Continue reading
Town Crier: Ducks dodge danger with some hills help
MONTCLARION: May 28, 2015
It was a scene straight from the famed children’s book “Make Way for Ducklings.” Mama mallard and eight little Montclarions were marching dangerously close to the Highway 13 onramp. But instead of being rescued by a kindly policeman, it was two moms who stopped traffic to round up the ducks and return them to Montclair Park. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclair man’s mission is keeping hills streets safe
MONTCLARION: May 21, 2015
It’s no secret that Oakland’s police force is stretched beyond its capacity to serve. But a Montclair man is making it his personal mission to help police keep the streets safe. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: Music festival season begins this weekend
Contracostatimes.com: May 21, 2015:
Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossa nova; You’ll be dancing with ’em, too, before the night is over — “Downtown” by Petula Clark
Memorial Day Weekend marks what I like to call the fifth season — the season of downtown music festivals. The festival grande dame kicks off Friday in California’s capital city. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclair family’s memoir details recovery from tragedy
MONTCLARION: May 8, 2015
Pain and suffering. We all experience it. Some more than others. In August 2002, Nancy Johnson, her husband Arthur and their 7-year-old son, Wally, were driving home to Montclair when their car was struck head-on by a Chevy pickup. What the family went through to recover from this near-fatal accident was nothing short of hell. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclarions play role in Hank Williams musical
Cowboys, Hank and mama
MONTCLARION: April 17, 2015
Tax day is behind us. Time to climb out from the paperwork and hit “the highway.” Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: At Big Sur, yin and yang balanced
Contracostatimes.com: April 17, 2015
My husband’s teeth were clenched like a man facing a tooth extraction. Hours of unwinding in one of California’s most scenic spots — wiped out as we white-knuckled our way up the narrow ribbon of a road. Continue reading
Town Crier: Hills author’s book an eye-opener on faith
MONTCLARION: March 25, 2015
You think you know a person. I’ve seen Barbara Falconer Newhall many times over the years, usually in her gym clothes at the Hills Swim and Tennis Club. I had no idea, until recently, that her long career in journalism included the religion beat for the Contra Costa Times. Continue reading
