MONTCLARION: October 19, 2012

October is a month of celebration and sadness. Memories of the Loma Prieta earthquake and the Oakland hills firestorm are seared in our collective memory.

Not as many of us remember another disaster that struck 50 years ago this month. Oakland’s “Great Columbus Day Flood” caused death and widespread destruction. In a copy of The Montclarion, saved by JoAnn Newcomb and sent to me by reader Harriet Schlader, it shows photos of flooded streets and mud-ravaged homes and businesses. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: October 12, 2012

My dad was cracking me up this morning. He does that a lot because he’s a master joke teller with a folksy Midwestern wit. “So this guy walks into a bar,” he says for starters. My dad opens most of his jokes this way, and they almost always end with some line about a lawyer or a chimp. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: Sept 27, 2012

If football is a religion, then my husband has racked up more church time than the Pope.

So what do you give a man like this on your 24th wedding anniversary? You acquiesce to a new endeavor and become co-owner of an ESPN Fantasy Football team.

Our marriage has never been stronger. Instead of long walks with girlfriends, I spend Sunday afternoons on the couch with my husband, screaming for our team — Teebow Steaks. We have a common goal, now — to squash our opponents and take home the cash prize at the end of the season. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: Sept 21, 2012

Everyone talks about wine pairings — especially during September and crush. But did you know that a spicy plate of chicken wings goes best with beer? It’s something I discovered when I tested out our neighborhood Red Boy Pizza’s new pairings menu. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: Sept 14, 2012

My cat is a night owl. She slips out at dusk on our mild, moonlit eves and doesn’t return until dawn. Where she goes, nobody knows — until now.

Seeing the performance of “Cats” at the Woodminster Theater opened my eyes to her escapades. Cats of all stripes took the stage Sept. 7 for a marvelous moondance and prance. The performance was perfect for a summer musical under the stars at one of Oakland’s real treasures — the little theater in the redwoods. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 31, 2012

The stained glass caught my eye as I strolled by. It was throwing shards of light across the landscape. My family and I stopped to admire the work.

Not since the days when shopkeepers swept their sidewalks have I seen this kind of community pride. Gina Dominguez was gently embedding the colorful glass into a motif on the cement planter near Starbucks. The owner of Snapshot Mosaic (6202 La Salle Ave.) was on her knees, eyes darting back and forth between an artist’s rendering and her emerging masterpiece. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 17, 2012

Canyon — the whole town revolves around two buildings, the school and the post office, and the post office is slated for dramatic cuts in service and the elimination of its longtime postmaster (or in this case, postmistress).

You’d half-expect there to be a protest. After all, Canyon is known for its countercultural roots. Many of the folks moved to the nearby unincorporated community from Berkeley and had ties to the Vietnam War protests. But instead, the town is taking a different tack. They’re working within the system by pointing out the post office’s assets and historical importance. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 10, 2012

It was like finding a time capsule. When the Beaumont family started their remodel, last month, they discovered an old Montclair Village business directory on the wall of their Estates Drive garage. With the recent changes in town, including the retirements of the Sarber and Sullivan families, Bob Beaumont thought it would be fun to look back to 1978. Continue reading →

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 →