OAKLAND MAGAZINE: July/August 2010
Who: Daphne Mejia of Oakland
What: Founder of Funk Town Farm, a church-sponsored community garden and farm that provides neighbors and indigents the opportunity to grow their own produce.
When: Mejia got the idea in 2008 when she and her husband moved into an apartment above their East Oakland church and noticed the empty lot behind the gym. “It was full of cement and weeds,” she says, “and I cried from sheer joy when I saw it.”
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Jean and Dick Spees
MONTCLARION: July 2, 2010
Montclair is losing two of its MVN’s – as in most valuable neighbors. Former City Councilman Dick Spees and his wife, Jean, are moving across the estuary to Alameda. At a going away party thrown by their Piedmont Pines neighbors, Jean told me that last winter’s “freak” snowfall prompted the move. “We went out to check for frozen pipes,” Jean said, “both of us with our canes on the steep hillside, and we looked at each other and said ‘what are we doing?’” They sold their house in one day and are now packing up for the move to a one story home in Alameda. “We’ll actually be closer to downtown,” said Dick, who is a member of several Oakland organizations and just received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading
OAKLAND TRIBUNE: July 2, 2010
It’s a warm summer’s eve and the air is perfumed with the scent of sausages and beer. Suddenly a booming voice punctuates the stillness. “Now batting…third baseman Kevin KOOOOOOzmanoff.” A chorus of KOOOOOOOS ascends from the stands as the crowd mimics the announcer, sitting high in his perch above home plate.
Dick Callahan is the man in the cat bird seat – the stadium voice of the Oakland A’s. His tools are his vocal chords and his work ethic. He prepares for each game as if it were his first, making notes and learning player pronunciations well before the first pitch. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 25, 2010
What a way to ring in summer, with the harmonious blend of wedding bells and school bells. Beloved teachers Candice Cheng (first grade) and Jesse Inclan (PE) got married at Hillcrest Elementary School, last week, in a surprise ceremony during circle time. “Naturally, they couldn’t invite 300 kids to a wedding,” says photographer Reenie Raschke, “so they brought it to the kids on the last day of school.” The bride looked beautiful in her white wedding gown and veil and the groom was dapper in his summer suit. For the kids – it was a school day they’ll never forget. Continue reading
Café Kandahar’s Premier Chef Andy Blanton
CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: June 25, 2010
Montana…there’s nothing here. Playing on a common misconception about the Big Sky state, this is Montana’s tourism slogan.
Turns out, the joke’s on us. Montana is on the leading edge of luxury accommodations and the slow food movement. At the epicenter is Whitefish, Mt. – population 8,000. The Western Governors’ Association meets here this weekend and with good reason. Named one of the “10 coolest small towns in America” by Budget Travel, Whitefish has a chic country vibe and is blissfully close to Glacier National Park (celebrating its 100th anniversary) and Flathead Lake (Montana’s largest lake and playground to the rich and famous). It’s also got its own world-class ski resort (Whitefish Mountain Resort) and a mountain lake of its own – Whitefish Lake. Continue reading
HILLS NEWSPAPERS: June 11, 2010
As we prepare to celebrate summer, let’s pay homage to the sultan of splash, Herbert Sellner. This Minnesota inventor came up with the water slide in 1923, the most exciting way ever to enter the H2o.
My affair with the water goes back to my childhood, growing up in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. We would splash down from rope swings and rings, even bridges and cliffs. I remember as a child, the most popular kid had an above-ground pool with a slide. Continue reading
A rescued fawn suckles on the hair of his surrogate mother, Lila Travis - founder of the Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue in Montclair.
MONTCLARION: June 18, 2010
Ever wonder what a baby animal does when it’s sick or orphaned? Its chances of survival are greatly diminished, unless Lila Travis comes along. Lila runs a wildlife rehabilitation center in the Oakland hills just below Skyline and Broadway Terrace. There are 51 animals at the center right now – everything from a baby opossum to a nest of newborn peepers. The baby birds share a heating blanket with a crippled bunny. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 11, 2010
It’s down to the wire as candidates jockey for position in Montclair’s mayoral race. Too bad the horse didn’t make the cut.
A miniature horse named Figaro was part of the initial field of 20 animals vying for mayor of Montclair. So was a rat named Twitchy and a goat called Willow. But with the primary over and just 10 days to run, the field has been narrowed to nine. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 11, 2010
The Wheels of change keep on turning in Montclair…with Wheels of Justice being the latest business to pull up stakes. The popular bike shop is moving to a new Montclair location to save money on rent, as the economy continues to put a strain on small business. Meanwhile, the venerable Raimondi’s Paint and Wallpaper closed suddenly, last week, leaving only a sign announcing the owner’s retirement. There’s already web chatter about how much the shop’s mascot (former pet mayor Hershey the dog) will be missed.
Turkey talk: As I mentioned last week, not everyone is happy about the wild turkey population boom in the hills. Scott Seidman says he’s been attacked so many times on his trail runs, he carries a bat for protection. “They’re not cute, they’re not endangered…and they’re dangerous,” he says, adding one of his neighbors even fell and broke an arm during a wild turkey attack. Continue reading
OAKLAND TRIBUNE: June 4, 2010
Meet Cindy Lovesy – the minimalist. It’s the little things in life that matter to this Montclair dental office manager – literally.
“I started making miniatures several years ago,” says Lovesy, “when my daughter wanted a doll house.” Realizing she could make it herself, she spent the nights before Christmas crafting the tiny doll dwelling in her garage – while her little girl was asleep. 14 years later, there are miniatures in every room of the Lovesy home, as well as the reception counter at her place of employment, Dr. Laurie Shepherd DDS. Continue reading
