Happy Wanderer: Plenty of floating history, even ghosts, in Bay Area

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: August 3, 2012

The ghosts of a dozen sailors swirl across the dance floor. Some fan out toward the deck, others sweep into the sleeping quarters. And one sassy spirit slips into the powder room to tease the ladies. Yes, the USS Hornet is haunted. I’ve felt the presence myself. Many years ago I walked the ship with two ghost hunters and heard heart-thumping tales of men who met untimely deaths on the aircraft carrier — at least one in the blades of the propeller. Today they are part of the draw to this ship dubbed “The Gray Ghost.” Continue reading →

Town Crier: It takes a cat to do a politician’s job right

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MONTCLARION: August 3, 2012

I really put my foot in it this week. I jumped right into a fray over politics, knowing it would be awkward. The conversation arose during a walk on the Village trail. “Look at all these squirrelly dogs, sniffing and yipping at each other,” I said to my friend. “I’m so glad Montclair has a cat for a mayor.”

A slip of the tongue, I admit. After all, my friend was walking her dog, an adorable mini pinscher that kept getting “oohs” and coos from other pup owners. Maybe I was a little jealous. My cat never gets attention like this. Continue reading →

As the saying goes – We vote with our wallets

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MONTCLARION: July 20, 2012

“Put Your Money Where Your House Is”.  The owner of Farmstead Cheeses and Wines shares this slogan in response to last week’s Town Crier column on the closure of another small business, The Tulip Grove. The question I posed was “are we doing enough to support shops in Montclair?” Diamond, who is also the vice president of the Montclair Village Association, says over 200 businesses make up Montclair. “We’re dentists, psychologists, cheesemongers, chiropractors, barristas, bagelmen, cobblers, grocers, bankers, realtors, chefs, bakers, kitchen mavens, computer repairmen, camera shop experts, wine and liquor purveyors, booksellers, and a myriad other professions who are committed to making Montclair Village a fun and useful place to visit.” Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: How South Dakota bees put food on Bay Area plates

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Wilhelm Schumacher as pictured in Life Magazine in 1937 edition of Life Magazine

CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: July 20, 2012

This is a tale about travel, not by humans but by honeybees. It’s a tale of two regions — one in South Dakota and one here in Northern California — and how they’re connected.

My great grandfather was a pioneer and a sodbuster. He brought his family to America in 1898 to escape Russian oppression against the Germans. The homestead he built with his muscle and sweat is still standing today, and my cousins still farm the once-rocky soil that surrounds it. Continue reading →

Oakland resident recalls years as local air traffic reporter

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Photo by D. Ross Cameron

 

OAKLAND TRIBUNE: July 13, 2012

She was our eye in the sky for 12 years. Oakland Realtor and longtime broadcaster Katie O’Shea took her last look at traffic from the seat of a Cessna, June 30, after KGO Radio eliminated airborne traffic reports in a cost-cutting move under new ownership.

It was the end of an era for the venerable news-talk station, and O’Shea could see it coming. “With cameras everywhere and people calling in — I think it’s a dying breed,” she says of the concept of traffic reports from a chopper or plane. “It’s still great for covering fires and protests — stories that filter over to news.” Continue reading →

Town Crier: Montclair shop owners need hope kept alive

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MONTCLARION: July 13, 2012

Say goodbye to Montclair’s popular infant and baby shop, The Tulip Grove. Owner Jen Frick is moving her family and her business to Lafayette.

Some may consider this a sign. Like the canary in the coal mine, the loss of another small business seems to chip away at the heart of our Village. Frick says the bottom line, however, is there wasn’t enough community support to make her store prosper. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Old mines, wines mix in Calaveras County

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CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: July 6, 2012

Things are jumping in Calaveras County — and I’m not just talking about the annual frog competition. This Gold Country region is emerging as a popular wine destination.

Take Highway 4 east from Stockton, and the first thing you’ll notice is the romantic landscape of grazing cattle and rustic farms under an endless expanse of blue sky. This is breathtaking scenery, unspoiled by development for as far as the eye can see. Continue reading →

Dude Ranch Dreaming: Make for Montana for the Time of Your Life

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Courtesy of the Ranch at Rock Creek

OAKLAND/ALAMEDA  MAGAZINES: July/August 2012

I had to pinch myself. Twice. This chiseled cowboy was singing a love song just for my girlfriends and me. And when he finished, he ambled over to the saddle-shaped bar stool and poured us all drinks.
Our own private bartender and karaoke crooner looked like he’d stepped out of GQ for Cowboys, and he wasn’t the only one. Every wrangler was dreamy at The Ranch at Rock Creek outside Philipsburg, Mont. Like giggling schoolgirls, we secretly called it The Ranch at “Hottie” Creek. Continue reading →

Look for get-tough approach from Montclair’s new mayor

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MONTCLARION: June 29, 2012

For those of you pushing for secession, Montclair is throwing you a bone. There’s a new mayor in town — a feisty feline who won’t pussyfoot around when it comes to fighting crime.

Yes, Stomper is the new pet mayor of Montclair. Whether she won by a hair is irrelevant. She is a born leader — a survivor who cared for her siblings after her mother was killed near Interstate 580. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer Great golfing and gourmet dining at Bay Area courses

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: June 21, 2012

Whether you play the game or not, golf courses offer some of the most inspiring scenery on earth. Consider the love that goes into a course — the years of design by golf pros, architects and landscaping experts. Like the curves of a woman’s body, the fairways undulate into an expanse of green velvet, framed by foothills and water and trees. Continue reading →