MONTCLARION: September 18, 2009

They call them “crimes of opportunity” for a reason. Take away the temptation and you eliminate the crime.

Car thieves and vandals have been having a heyday in the hills, lately. In many cases, these crimes could be prevented if folks would just put their cars in the garage (or for those without garages, a driveway).

Consider the facts. You’ve got car thieves and burglars in every city – and they’re looking for ways to maximize their profits – just like the rest of us. What better place to shop than where the merchandise is plentiful. Expensive cars on dark, quiet streets – we might as well put up a billboard saying we’re open for business. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION SEPT 10, 2009

Everyone loves a good block party – and one of the best is set for this Sunday at the Montclair Village Jazz & Wine Festival. Truth be told – the event was threatened this year by the struggling economy. But thanks to the work of a few tireless volunteers, the bands have been hired, the tents are going up and the show will go on. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

It’s Labor Day weekend — the last blast of summer as families prepare for fall and the start of the school year.

For kids it’s a bittersweet holiday, marking the end of a lazy summer schedule and the beginning of late night studying and early morning chaos.

But for parents, it’s a return to normality. “I can finally get some work done,” a harried mom told me last week. She’d been running her kids from one attraction to the next, all summer — and was literally spent.

But be careful what you wish for. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION AUGUST 28

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to….

Pardon me if I wallow a moment in self pity. It’s my birthday week and I’m feeling my age. Too young for retirement and too old to be bossed around, I’m officially a junior senior. My blemish of choice is the sun mole, not nearly as fun as a pimple. I’ve replaced Margaritas with joint juice. And I’m single-handedly keeping the Postal Service afloat with offers from AARP.

Did I mention my joints? I can’t remember. But in case I haven’t brought up my bones in this missive – they hurt. I probably should have skipped the media bull riding competition a few years back. Ditto the Olympic bobsled run.

Yes, the sins of my youth are catching up with me. But I feel better already, just sharing. Now if I could just find a good recipe for vodka and joint juice…. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION  August 21, 2009

Am I lucky, or what? I have this cool job where the world is my office. So I’m writing this piece at Marine World, and it occurs to me that there’s one job better than being a writer. It’s working with Killer Whales.

Not that I didn’t have my chance. In 1983, I was ready to give up my radio career for a job as an Orca instructor at Sea World. A modest monthly salary and all the fish I could eat was a tempting offer, but I couldn’t make the commitment. I couldn’t see being on call for my whale 24/7. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION NEWSPAPER – August 14, 2009

LIKE SANDS THROUGH the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.

Why can’t I get that old soap intro out of my head? Maybe it’s because my daughter is packing, as we speak, to go back

The new Full Plate grocery section

to college in Georgia. Soon I’ll be left with just memories of our summer adventures.

We did some wacky things in those three short months. We made Greek salad together and boldly substituted blue cheese for feta. We bought matching pink work out shorts and wore them to Pilates. And we watched every episode of “CSI: Miami.” We even have Horatio Caine as our cell phone wallpaper.

OK, that last part may be an “over-share” (A term we discovered this summer and have overused ever since).

Continue reading →

MONTCLARION NEWSPAPER – July 31, 2009

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? It’s the sound of our citizens crying “Uncle” over the new parking regulations. And while the results of my Town Crier poll are still being tabulated, it’s clear that Oakland has touched a nerve with its new fines and longer meter hours. Here is just a sampling of comments from readers:

“We’ve spent over $4,000 at Southshore and El Cerrito because we’re not dealing with it. I even changed veterinarians.” “That’s what I like about living in Oakland — so close to such good shopping… in Emeryville, in Walnut Creek, in Berkeley. Gotta love our city leadership!”

Continue reading →

MONTCLARION NEWSPAPER – July 25, 2009

DON’T LOOK NOW, but we’ve hit the trifecta. Our city, state and federal governments are broke. Too bad we didn’t bet on it, and now we’re left holding the bag. What’s so interesting is the confusion over basic economic principles. Take Oakland for instance. Business revenue is down. Rather than make it more inviting to shop here, thus bolstering small business and increasing tax revenue, the city drives business away with its new parking policies.It would be different if people were dying to get into Oakland but please, there are too many shopping alternatives. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION NEWSPAPER – July 17, 2009

IT WAS OCT. 26, 2001, when I first wrote about Bud and Dina Means. The Montclair couple had found their own sunny side of the street, turning a dusty little triangle of city-owned land near their house into a respite for hikers and happy hour aficionados.

The other day, I went back to that spot at the corner of Gaspar and Snake for the first time in eight years. Bud and Dina were there, sipping wine in the shade of the two healthy oaks they’d planted as sticks when they first adopted the spot. Continue reading →

HILLS NEWSPAPERS  July 9, 2009

THERE THEY GO AGAIN, defying the laws of common sense and economics. The city of Oakland has once again raised the price of both parking meters and fines, driving even more business through the tunnel. Shoppers beware — meters now cost $2 an hour and run until 8 p.m. Slip up, and you’ll be nailed with a fine for $55. Continue reading →