MONTCLARION: July 8, 2011
It’s hard to imagine a better friend than a pet, one who loves unconditionally and asks little in return. But for Valerie Comstock, her two cats have been more than companions — they’ve been a comfort in her struggle to overcome a serious illness.
Sadly, the time has come for her to give up her pets to someone who can offer them a quiet, loving home. These are no ordinary cats — they are pedigreed Pixi Bobs. Continue reading
OAKLAND TRIBUNE: January 21, 2011
It’s been said that a good man is hard to find. But the man of my dreams is more elusive than most. With his bedroom eyes and quiet disposition, he literally sweeps me off my feet. I call him Mr. Sandman.
It turns out I’m not alone. Millions of Americans are looking for a restful night’s sleep. But the good news is there’s a hotbed of local research that can help. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: August 6, 2010
When I started this column some ten years ago – (yikes!) it was a place to put news that didn’t make headlines. It was, and still is, about tying the community together – even if we disagree on things.
Without getting preachy, we really are blessed to be living in the hills, near park land and canyons and our own small town village. But Montclair is changing and merchants are suffering, as taxpayers get hammered at the federal, state and local levels. It doesn’t leave a lot of money for shopping, and the end result is that small business suffers (see today’s front page article on the changing face of Montclair). Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 4, 2010
There’s nothing like a good gobble to get you going. I encountered a group of wild turkeys, today, and told them just what I thought of them blocking the road. Yes – I rolled down my window and gobbled – a guttural tongue-lashing that got the birds so worked up, they flared out their fans and sounded off in unison.
Why do I mention this? Because the wild turkey population is way up in the hills and humans are starting to complain. Not only are the birds aggressive, they peck people’s gardens – uprooting plants as they forage for food. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: May21, 2010
The Bay Area is blessed with some of the richest wine regions in the world. Napa. Sonoma. Moraga.
Moraga? Yes, the oldest winery in Moraga is celebrating its new releases this month. Parkmon Vineyards has several impeccable offerings, including wines made with grapes from the owners’ Moraga vineyard. Continue reading
HILLS NEWSPAPERS: MAY 14, 2010
As we head toward Memorial Day and the advent of summer, it’s not too early to plan an island vacation. And while most Californians think San Diego or Hawaii, one of America’s best beach destinations is worth a trip east.
Ocracoke Island is a vacationer’s paradise – rich in history and mystery and natural wonders. Even a scoundrel like Blackbeard knew a good thing when he saw it.
Accessible only by ferry, Ocracoke is the southernmost tip of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In the 2008 movie Nights in Rodanthe, Richard Gere rides the Ocracoke ferry – wind whipping his peppered mane as he surveys the sand dunes and sun-splashed sea. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: MAY 14, 2010
Oh, to be young again. Watching the dazzling production of Peter Pan in San Francisco this week made me feel like a child in a backyard fort. I fought pirates and encountered Indians and did it all without nary a parent in sight.
J.M. Barrie’s story is over 100 years old, yet this version soars to new heights – literally. Through the use of the world’s first 360-degree video projection for live theater, you feel as if you are flying, yourself, with Peter and Wendy and Tinker Bell. It couldn’t have been done in a traditional theater, so a unique outdoor pavilion had to be designed with a 100 foot high ceiling packed with ten tons of high-tech equipment. Continue reading
MONTCLARION- May 7, 2010
We’re coming up on Mother’s Day – the mother of all weekends for chocolate, flowers and spa treatments. Would it be too much to ask for all three?
In my dreams, I’m floating on a bed of chocolate and rose petals, being massaged. An hour goes by, then two – and two more – and I have achieved a state of Nirvana. Suddenly, I understand the meaning of life. My skin is like that of a Goddess and I radiate goodness and light… Continue reading
It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. The rain fell in punishing waves and the wind whipped the trees like a dungeon master. There were voices, too…shrill, torturous sounds coming from the sea that was thrashing about, just yards from my bedroom window.
My mind was racing. 400 years of history were flashing before me as I lay in my bed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Wind and weather forged this chain of four islands – spits of land surrounded by sea and constantly shifting sands.
Nelson Stoll on the set of the TV showTrauma
MONTCLARION: April 23, 2010
It makes sense that a man who works with noise for a living would also seek out solitude. Nelson Stoll is an award-winning Hollywood sound engineer who’s worked on some of the industry’s biggest films, including the Oscar-nominated Total Recall in 1990. But when he’s not capturing sound on a Hollywood set, he’s in tune with the sweet sounds of nature at his idyllic retreat in the Oakland hills.
“One thing I like about Montclair is, it’s quiet,” Stoll says. “The house I have has about a dozen trees, and there’s a small creek running through the yard. That’s pretty special.” Continue reading
Ginny Prior 