MONTCLARION: February 24, 2017

In the dimly lit Oakland hills, with darkness as cover and crime as intent, a sedan slowly makes its rounds. Methodically, the car stops at each mailbox and what appears to be a woman emerges to jimmy each metal door. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: February 16, 2017

If someone offered to plant a tree in your yard at no cost, would you take it? Most of us would say yes. After all, trees enhance property. They absorb carbon dioxide, provide shade and a home for birds, squirrels and other wildlife. Continue reading →

A 96-year-old male driver sustained minor injuries Oct. 21 after his car crashed into the front of Someone’s in the Kitchen in Montclair Village, police said. (Harry Harris/Staff archives)

MONTCLARION: January 17, 2017

It must be something in the water. Montclair motorists can’t seem to keep their vehicles off the sidewalks. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: December 23, 2016

It’s never too late for the adventure of a lifetime. Just ask longtime Montclarions and octogenarians Paul Slakey and JP Jones. Together, they hiked the completed part of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: December 23, 2016

The 12 days of Christmas have nothing on Kay Loughman.The North Hills birder posts monthly listings of plants and animals — including calling birds — on her website at http://www.NHWildlife.net. Continue reading →

Bruce Paton, the “beer chef,” is the executive chef for Eve’s Waterfront, in the iconic, renovated site of the former Rusty Scupper in Oakland. (Courtesy of Eve’s Waterfront)

MONTCLARION: December 2, 2016

In a neighborhood known for its waterfront dining, a newcomer is making waves.Eve’s Waterfront Restaurant at 15 Embarcadero West has been steadily growing its fan base since its early fall opening. And let’s face it. What’s not to like about food prepared by a noted Bay Area chef in an iconic building perched over the estuary? (It was the Rusty Scupper for almost 30 years and then owned for a time by former Oakland Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett). Continue reading →

Montclair Lions Club member Bill Scramstad, right, is shown collecting eggs from young collectors during the Montclair Lions Club annual Easter egg hunt on April 12, 2009. Longtime Safeway managers Scramstad and John Lake recently retired after each working for Safeway for 41 years. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff archives)

MONTCLARION: November 25, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving! If your life is anything like mine, you’ve got a full tummy and a full house. But as sluggish as you may feel, you’ve got a job to do today, so you might as well get to it. Continue reading →

Award-winning Gather restaurant in Berkeley specializes in Northern California food, innovative craft cocktails and West Coast wines. Gather is headed by Executive Chef Charis Wahl. (Courtesy of Gather restaurant)

MONTCLARION: November 18, 2016

They call this place Gather, and gather we did on a mild moonlit night four days after Trump won the presidency. The Berkeley restaurant at 2200 Oxford St. was buzzing and the foursome next to us was digesting the results of the vote as they supped on small plates of steamed mussels and white sea Continue reading →

The Book Tree, 6121 La Salle Ave., in Montclair Village, hosts acclaimed chef Linda Carucci, left, in conversation with food trend expert Kara Nielsen at 7 p.m. Nov. 10. Carucci recently published the second edition of her popular “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks.” She is featured here with Book Tree owner David Hartsough. (Courtesy of Barbara Hardacre)

MONTCLARION: Nov 4, 2016

Growing old in Montclair can be hazardous to your health. In the wake of yet another accident involving a car into a storefront, (a 96-year-old man mistook the gas pedal for the brake) I’ve come to the conclusion that driving around here must be hell for the elderly. Can you imagine navigating the traffic, the hills, the bicyclists and the winding roads? Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: November 8, 2016

The Town Crier is cranky today. Please don’t say it’s hormonal — I’m much too young for a mid-life crisis. Rather, it’s a deep-seeded disappointment in how some people behave. Continue reading →