MONTCLARION: September 3, 2010

My mechanic gave me a tongue-lashing the other day. It was like something out of a Seinfeld episode.

“Have you been rotating your tires?” he inquired. “Because your tires are shot and your wheels are out of alignment.” Wait. Didn’t I just buy new tires a year ago? And didn’t I just get a wheel alignment?

Then it dawned on me. It’s Ascot Drive and dozens of other Oakland roads that are so pitted and potted, they might as well be in Beirut. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 27, 2010

They aren’t kidding when they call it the Dog Days of Summer.

I’m getting complaints about everything from soot in the air to the “garbage police” running amok in the hills. The sooty air is being documented by a number of homeowners, who say there’s a black film on their window sills and patio furniture. Reader Chris Piganelli blames the Caldecott Tunnel construction for aggravating his allergies.

“I need a third bore in my nose just to breathe” he says sniffingly. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 13, 2010

From Facebook to Twitter, the word is spreading about Montclair Swim Team’s 50^th anniversary this month. Since 1960, over 1000 little guppies, minnows and sharks have been part of this outstanding 12 and under program. From back strokers to butter flyers, the team has fielded some of California’s top swimmers – many who’ve gone on to compete at the college level. Continue reading →

     MONTCLARION: August 6, 2010

Montclair Village Hardware owner Erik Hoffmann

The banner hanging outside Montclair Estates is telling. “Everything Must GO!” it spells out with great urgency in fiery red letters. Montclair, like many retail districts across Oakland and the U-S, is feeling the pinch of a stalled economy. But higher expenses and cautious consumers are just part of the problem facing local small business owners today. Longtime merchant David Sarber, whose family has owned Sarbers Camera for 48 years in Montclair says we need to go back four or five years to find the rest of the story.  Back to better economic times, when “everyone was spending more money and there was more money to give landlords.” Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 23, 2010

The rumor mill is alive and well in Montclair.

Almost weekly, I hear reports of shops going under, restaurants struggling and stores closing down in the middle of the night. Maybe the Montclair Business Association should borrow the sentiments of Mark Twain to issue a statement: Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.

The way the MBA’s Roger Vickery sees it, Montclair’s new restaurants such as Amba, Grille One Carvery, Metro Montclair, Kakui Sushi and Kotobuki are drawing locals and diners from out of the area. And he says Yogofina is a hot spot for families at night. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 16, 2010

Like a long winter’s nap, folks are hunkering down for what looks like a long, pitted road to economic recovery. From the furthest reaches of the planet to our own little village, we’re seeing the effects of a global recession.

Here at home, Montclair Village continues to see a real estate shuffle — higher rents and sagging sales mean something’s got to give, and that something is breaking the backs of many small business owners. Reader David Cloutier thinks the new, higher parking fees are contributing to the problem.

“I cannot justify stopping at Peet’s on a weekday morning, running to get some aspirin at Rite-Aid or picking up a sandwich at Grinders when I have to pay one to two dollars to park,” he writes, adding that most of his neighbors concur. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 9, 2010

Driving in the hills is like driving in a wildlife park. You never know what’s going to come out of the brush. The other day I almost bought the farm when a fawn darted in front of my motor scooter. He was so small and spotted — he was barely visible as I came around a blind curve on Colton. It’s the time of year when young wildlife is everywhere — learning how to survive in their home in the hills. Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →