CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM – October 16, 2009
Once a year my husband partakes in an out of town male bonding ritual. He 
and a pal pick a city in which to immerse themselves in football. First, it’s Friday night lights with a high school game, then college ball on Saturday and the church of the NFL on Sunday. It’s understood that the wives aren’t welcome and frankly, I’m fine with it. Normally.
MONTCLARION: October 9, 2009
Are we a little jittery – or what? When a low flying plane buzzed the hills, last week, some people ran for cover. They thought we were under attack, or at the very least, were in danger of being hit by a malfunctioning aircraft plummeting to earth. Turns out it was part of a military air show for the Cal/USC football game.
It reminds me of the time I checked into a hotel on Galway Bay in the Irish town of Salthill. Weary from a red-eye flight, I closed my shades to get a little shut-eye and was suddenly awakened by a squadron of screaming jets outside my window. The room was literally shaking and I thought certain we were under attack. It turned out to be a multi-national air show in the wake of 9-11 – an incredible display of military might. Once my heart stopped racing, I realized my good fortune. I had the best seat in town. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: OCTOBER 1, 2009
To know them is to love them. Nine little storybook homes in Montclair’s quaint Fernwood neighborhood are being featured in a self-guided tour next month, put on by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. If you’ve never been inside one of these whimsical 1920’s homes, they are an architectural treat. They look like a page from a fairytale, with their secret gardens and picturesque bridges that crisscross Temescal Creek. For more information on the tour, see http://www.oaklandheritage.org/fernwood.htm. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: September 25, 2009
GOOD THEATER has a tendency to tweak your comfort level. I knew that going into “American Idiot” at the Berkeley Rep, but the temptation was too strong to resist. Here was an album of angry punk rock set to a story line — and delivered, untested, on stage. All I knew was that Green Day was local and I actually liked a couple of their crossover hits, like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
But despite the fact that I didn’t fit the audience demographic, I completely bought into the angst and idealism that exploded on stage. It was a 95-minute firestorm of rage and redemption, told through the poignant words of 13 songs written when the country was bitterly divided over a war and a presidency. Continue reading
Every neighborhood should have a way for folks to get together and cultivate common interests. We all need to look out for one another! A little food, some libations and even entertainment make a block party the social event of the summer. ..like this moonlight bash on Merriwood with master didgeridoo player Stephen Kent.
Ginny Prior 