IF EVER you doubted the stimulating properties of the coffee bean — look no further than Montclair Village on a Wednesday or Sunday morning.
Gathered inside the biggest coffee shop in Montclair is a group of cyclists ready to roll. They’re called the Royal Grounders, and they’re fueled by the same black brew that the rest of us use, only they seem to get more mileage.
“Our cycling ‘tribe’ started about five years ago,” says local attorney Howard Neal, “as an informal group of mostly Montclair residents.”
They convene for their coffee at 8 a.m., then ride north to Lake Temescal and up to Skyline Boulevard. And that’s just the beginning.
“When we started riding five years ago, that was all us 40- and 50-somethings could manage,” Neal laughs, but soon the boomers were biking to the steam trains in Tilden Park, then over the hill to Orinda.
In fact, the ‘tribe’s’ inspiration is Lafayette cyclist Joe Shami, who at 70 bikes 400-500 miles a month. And the group keeps on growing, with founder Ron Scrivani pumping out regular e-mails about cycle trips throughout California. From Solvang to Yosemite, they put the pedal to the metal in some of the state’s most stunning scenery. But one thing remains the same. Coffee and camaraderie begin each ride at Royal Ground in Montclair.

COPS ON CORNERS: If some of you were stung by big, fat U-turn tickets last week in the village, look for more of the same.
Montclair’s beat officer, Felicia Aisthorpe, says she’ll not only be looking for vehicle violations, but will be ticketing jaywalkers in the next few weeks. The fines are hefty and plenty of people have given Felicia a piece of their mind, which is not fair to her. We might as well face it, the law is the law. And quite frankly, nothing is more annoying than a motorist who makes a sweeping U-turn right in front of you. It needs to stop.

CRIME SCENE: Speaking of cops, merchants are still talking about the action in Montclair recently when police rounded up the suspect in the Knitting Basket robbery. Acting irrationally and muttering something about being a member of the band “Motley Crue,” he reportedly grabbed money from the tip jar at Noah’s Bagels. When merchants realized where they’d seen him before, they called police, who hurried to the scene with guns drawn, and hauled him away.

RAFFLING PRIUS: Thanks to reader Heather Marchman for letting me know that Oakland’s Bentley School is raffling off a brand new Toyota Prius. Yes, a silver hybrid beauty will go to the lucky number holder, with tickets selling for $100 each. The drawing will be held April 2 and the chances of winning are much better than the state lottery, since only 1,250 tickets will be sold. Proceeds go to scholarships and teacher enrichment programs. For more information, visit the Web site at www.bentleyschool.net.

TOOTING MY HORN: Faithful readers know the “Town Crier” rarely boasts, but this is just too good to keep quiet. While walking the other day, a gal stopped me to say: “Do you know who you look like?” I couldn’t imagine and wasn’t sure I wanted to hear, but I indulged her. “From the side, you look just like Grace Kelly,” she exclaimed. I went home feeling lighter than air, hoping all along that she didn’t need glasses.

I’VE OFTEN admired the Latin culture. They really know how to embrace life. So, I wasn’t surprised to see a rumba line through the window of the new La Taza de Café on Thornhill Drive the other night. With the building flooded in moonlight, the silhouettes of dancers called to me. I parked the car.
Live Latin jazz sent sparks through the room as my waiter, Diego Escobar, beckoned me to enter. The sangrias were flowing, and the smell of warm tapas filled my senses, though I’d just eaten. This was the place I’d written about just months earlier when I interviewed the owner, Daniel Brajkovich. La Taza was finally open, and the word was starting to spread.
“Amazing entertainment and I’m already craving the tapas again,” wrote one diner in an online restaurant review. Another entry said “Excellent food and service — cozy, quaint and delicious.” But the best endorsement came from neighbor Robbie Neely, whose group “Friends of Montclair Village” asked folks a while back what they wanted to see. “A number of pleas were made for more nightlife, good music, more variety of restaurants,” she said, adding, “This is it!”
I couldn’t agree more. We’ve been starving for music in our little village. We’ve been yearning for a place to gather and dance and celebrate life. If it means taking rumba lessons, then so be it. I’ll be the first in line.

ON THAT NOTE: Speaking of music, La Taza de Café is so authentic, even the musicians are Cuban. The Evelio Roque combo is from Havana, and Evelio now lives on Thornhill Drive, after marrying a teacher from Montclair. His Latin Jazz rhythm is punctuated by his talent on two reed instruments, the sax and clarinet. But Evelio ran into some bad luck recently when his clarinet was stolen while he was unloading his car for a gig. (Until he comes up with the money to replace it, he’s playing a more vintage instrument from his youth.) You can check out Evelio and his partner, Coto Pincheira, from 5-11 p.m. Thursday nights, and on Valentine’s night for the cafe’s special four-course dinner.

REMEMBERING THE ROCK: Readers are wondering why the rock on Skyline Drive is suddenly black. Who painted over the green and blue globe and the words that read “Vote for those who vote for the earth”? Was it a political statement? Or was it the boulder’s stealth artist — preparing the canvas for yet another masterpiece?

A LOT O’ CARS: Thanks to reader Dana Zimmer for mentioning yet another way to buy or sell a car these days. She says she’s had luck in Moraga with a used car lot along Moraga Way near the country club. Among the shiny SUVs and luxury sedans that line the road, she says she saw a “bimmer,” recently, with a sign that read “low mileage – driven mostly to the bank and back.”

SNAPPY ENDING: Just when you think Oakland has nothing but city slickers, you hear about a country hoedown. Last week’s party for outgoing Lake Merritt Breakfast Club president, Barbara Gerber, featured western singers and a lady rope trick artist, who used a bull whip to snap the stem off a rose. And don’t think the flower was just sitting in water. It was being held in Gerber’s chattering teeth. Ladies and gentlemen — that’s no bull!

I CAN SEE the headlines now: “Montclair Boy Makes Good!” Yes, Roger Price is a Montclair boy who, at the age of 67, is becoming an Ironman. This is no easy feat — even for a spry guy like Roger. The Ironman Canada is a daylong, 17-hour event with a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. I’m tired just writing about it.

But Roger is motivated by the money he’ll raise –for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They provide the training and support and volunteers like Roger and two of his sons pledge to bring in donations. “The unusual part of this is that I am about 20 years older than any of the other athletes,” Roger says, adding that his love for running and biking goes back to his teen days of “commuting” to his job at Hunt’s Ice Cream Store in Montclair. “The long walk evolved into a jog and then a run (2- miles) and shortly into the Oakland High track team.” Roger went on to get a track scholarship at Cal.

Now he’s ready to run again — in the Ironman of Canada on Aug. 28. The only thing that will stop him is the level of donations it takes to qualify. He needs to raise $7,500 in pledges as soon as possible. If you’d like to help, you can contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Roger. It’s a great cause and it proves once again, that like a fine wine, some folks get better with age.

The link to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for Roger Price’s campaign in Ironman ’05 is www.teamintraining.org/participant/ price-156213.

MOVIE MANIA: With the cost of movies pushing nine bucks at the theaters, here’s a cheap alternative. Heck, it’s not even cheap — it’s free! The Montclair Library is using some of its Measure Q bond money to beef up its movie selection. So now you can check out classic thrillers like “Psycho” or westerns like “Unforgiven” –free for a week on DVD. What an improvement over the thin little selection of videos the library used to have. And I think most of those were donated.

BAG IT: San Francisco’s debate over a grocery bag surcharge has me thinking there must be a better way. Safeway Stores have one solution. They give you a rebate if you bring your own bags. Three cents for paper and a penny for plastic per bag. And what can you buy for small change these days? Not much, but if you save up for a year, you can make a pretty good run at the penny slots in Lake Tahoe. Even better, recycling bags is good for the environment.

HOUSE HUNTING: A new wave of housing has hit Oakland, and it’s being featured in AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) magazine. It’s called Cohousing, where residents plan their units and landscaping as a group — before ground is even broken. Once built, folks live in a friendly and cohesive community, even sharing nightly meals. Oakland has several Cohousing developments already, including Swan’s Market and Temescal Creek.

DANCING LADIES: You’ve heard of the Rockettes? Well these are the Mamas. The Samba Mamas, who meet every Saturday morning for the Latin dance class at Inside Out Studios on Piedmont Avenue. After an hour of hot Latin beat and sexy dance movements they head to the Broadway Terrace Cafe for, what else — a cup of java.

THERE’S a real division in our town today, between the haves and the have nots. Some of us have fat, and the rest do not. And among those lucky enough to wear spandex, there’s a whole subset of bikers who ride up and down the hills all day. Alison Stone is one of those pedalers, whose shocking pink outfit and saddlebags set her apart from the rest of the pack.

“I ride virtually every day to work in West Oakland,” she says, and in her spare time she does more riding, up and down the Tunnel Road and through the redwood canyons. “There are so many great places to ride, it is hard to know where to begin — but my favorites are Mt. Diablo — I do that at least once a week — and a great 40-mile, 4,500-foot loop from the house that includes going up Tunnel, along Skyline and Grizzly, down through Tilden, along Bear Creek Road, then up Happy Valley into Lafayette for a coffee frappacino, the bike trail to Moraga then home through Canyon and Montclair — where I almost always stop to do some shopping before the final grunt home.”

And if all that exercise isn’t enough, — riding 500 to 1,000 miles a month — Alison carries bricks in her saddlebags. Pink bricks! “It keeps me strong and ready to go,” she says, whether it be a ride from Istanbul, Turkey, to London, North Africa to the Arctic Circle, or a bike trip across the United States, which she and her husband, John Weiss, have completed four times.

So why all the pink? Alison says it’s a disarming color that gets folks to smile and wave as she rides by. And something else. “It invites people to talk to me — and has been one of best parts of my bicycling experience. I only did it for safety — and it has almost transformed my life.”

E-MAIL BAG: As the Montclair merchants consider the bounty of a possible Sunday farmer’s market, reader Marc Viale reacts to the news that a new restaurant is coming to town. “I read in your article that the old Paradise Pizza place may become a Mexican restaurant. Uggghh — We have five coffee shops, three Mexican restaurants, three florists, three candy shops, two juice places, etc. Can’t the Montclair merchants think out of the box?” he asks.

And reader Adam Herbert responds to my Jan. 7 column on stray cats with word of an ongoing cat abandonment problem near the Montclair Golf Restaurant: “My mother, Nancy Herbert, was one compassionate individual who took it upon herself to rescue a stray named “Sylvester”, and take him to the Lake Veterinary Hospital for emergency medical care after a run-in with a suspected raccoon,” he says, adding Sylvester was near death but has since been adopted into a warm, loving home. It’s hard to believe that anyone could be so cruel as to dump their family pet in the hills, leaving them to fend for themselves. With dogs and raccoons and other wild animals, it really is a jungle out there.”

TIM-BER: As the towering eucalyptus trees come tumbling down, you may be wondering what the future holds for Shepherd Canyon Park. More parking, for one thing, as crews push to accommodate the throngs of soccer players that descend upon the area most weekends. The Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Association has worked long and hard on a plan for the park, which includes replanting native trees in the area. Thanks SCHA!

DUTY CALLING: When nature calls during class time, teachers don’t always answer. But a local high school Spanish teacher has come up with a way to limit those disruptive bathroom breaks by students. Anyone needing to leave the room must first don a sombrero. It’s amazing how many students stay in their seats till class has ended.

IT’S NOT OFTEN you hear a catchy new song — one that puts a little bounce in your step. So much of today’s music is heavy metal din or urban rap — and it seems to feed the anger that some folks are feeling.

Enter a guy named Jeffy pop. No, that’s not his real name, but it seems to fit his light-hearted lyrics and pop music sound. And he’s an Oaklander, too.

Jeff Hanson has played for a bunch of big names. He’s opened for Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind. But to meet him, he’s the boy next door — the guy who helps you bring in your groceries or jump start your car when you need it. His modesty trumps this tremendous talent that allows him to not only write his own lyrics, but play all his own instruments.

In a home studio he built himself, Jeff carefully crafts the kind of pop music that can make artists famous. “My ‘studio’ is just a spare room in my apartment,” he says, “but it’s a comfortable space and I can work there without bothering anyone.”

Jeff’s neighbors don’t even hear the music, because he built a little vocal isolation booth out of a closet.

And where does he get inspiration? Some of it just comes from everyday life. “Stuff happens, some of it makes you think, and some of what you think about gets written down. Then you pick up a guitar and find a way to turn a line or two into a melody, and you’re off.” Jeff likes songs that tell a story, and like many boomers, he grew up listening to the Beatles and top 40 AM radio.

“I’m still, and will probably always be, drawn to the same things I’ve always loved in songs: a memorable melody and a big hook.”

Jeff’s solo CD “Here At Home” is available on his Web site . (http://www.jeffypoprecords.com/) Remember his name. As an old radio deejay, I predict he’ll be coming to a station near you — sometime soon.

CRIME ALERT: If you think your garage is a safe haven, keep reading. A hills neighbor was shocked the other morning to find that his van was gone from his garage. Somehow the door had been left open or opened on its own overnight, and someone took advantage of the situation.

Even worse than the missing car, the man’s wallet and personal information were inside the vehicle, along with some outgoing bills.

Oakland police are warning residents to keep their garage doors closed, their valuables in the house, and the door between the house and garage locked. Sad but true, we need to be on guard — even in the sanctuary of our own home.

E-MAIL BAG: The Town Crier’s column is read far and wide — even in Australia. A couple from Queensland checked in with reaction to last week’s piece on Cold Stone Creamery’s decision not to move to Montclair. The pair weren’t big fans of Cold Stone, but then I wouldn’t expect them to be.

They reportedly operate the No. 1 volume Baskin Robbins in all of Australia.

Speaking of Montclair, reader Michael Levy wants to know what’s happening to the old Paradise Pizza, which is undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts.

While I don’t know too much about it, apparently a Mexican restaurant is opening there. But there must be a flood of memories right now for long time villagers. With the paint being stripped off the signage above, it’s gone back a few decades to read “Montclair Hardware.”

READERS RECOMMEND: If you’re looking for something to do in January besides go to the gym, Dorothy Manly suggests Head Royce School’s upcoming performance of Carmina Burana. About 150 students from the music department will be involved in this major work by Carl Orff, including four of the school’s choirs and its orchestra. The concerts take place tomorrow and Sunday, as well as next Friday, at Regents Theatre at Holy Names University.

HEAVENLY HARMONIES: On the subject of music, have you heard the East Bay Urban Harmony Chorus? It’s one of the neat things about our multi-cultural community. They do everything from ’50s doo-wop to ’60s rock ‘n’ roll — even music from the ’70s and ’80s sneaks in. And it’s always a cappella, in four part harmony. If you want to add your voice to the mix, come to any of their Monday night rehearsals from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 116 Montecito in Oakland.

AFTER MONTHS OF SPECULATION, it appears Cold Stone Creamery won’t be moving into Montclair.

The word is there aren’t enough ice cream eaters to make it profitable. Or could it be we’ve got too many sweet shops in town as it is?

But just the mention of another chain in the village brought a landslide of comment to the Town Crier’s e-mail box. Small business owners Marian O’Brien and Keith Whitaker wrote: “Too many times now, all over the country, the chains win and it is heartbreaking and creates homogenization of communities.”

They cite a number of studies used to convince small towns, their zoning boards and city councils that they shouldn’t turn their backs on the traditional, small-town businesses.

Montclair merchant Debi Echlin (A Great Good Place For Books) agrees: “Having a grouping of small independent shops is much of what contributes to the charm. I am constantly dismayed that our landlords have little concern for the quality of life of their tenants and the residents they serve.”

One of Echlin’s goals is to help folks understand that every time they open their pocketbook, they are voting for something. In this case, it’s chains versus small, independent retailers.

E-MAIL BAG: People are talking (hopefully not with their mouths full) about the new gourmet restaurant, Montclair Bistro.

I’ve even had feedback from folks in Orinda, where they know a little something about fine dining, themselves. Then there’s the e-mail from reader Vera Louie, who says her party’s conversation at the Bistro lasted well beyond dinner, the other night.

“They (the restaurant staff) kindly asked if they could buy us an after dinner drink at the bar in order to free up the table for other customers. We were definitely impressed.”

DINING ADDENDUM: On the subject of restaurants, a reader approached me with this comment about my Jan. 7 article on Pastino’s, on Park Boulevard in the Glenview: “You talked about the great service but mentioned very little about the food.”

While I did say the food was great, I should have said authentic too, since it’s every bit as good as the food my Italian husband grew up enjoying. And though pasta gets a bad rap on the low carb diet — when you find a good comfort food, I say “stick with it.”

AMERICAN DREAM: There’s nothing so grand as a parade, and the Rose Parade is one of the biggest.

So you can imagine how Montclair mom Patricia Absalom felt when she was invited to ride on the Starbuck’s Coffee float New Year’s Day. The float featured Starbuck’s Costa Rican Coffee and Patricia is from Costa Rica. She and her husband Ken, and sons Ashley and Julian, were flown to Los Angeles and wined and dined for four days during the festivities.

And how were they picked for the honor? Much like the Lana Turner story, Patricia was discovered in a popular place, casually sipping a beverage. But instead of Schwab’s on Hollywood and Vine, the setting was Starbucks on Mountain Boulevard — in Montclair.

ZOO UPDATE: And the winner is … Tulsa, Okla. Yes, Tulsa has won Microsoft Game’s “Best Zoo in the Country” competition, sadly leaving Oakland behind. Still, our hometown zoo finished in the top 15, which leads director Joel Parrott to reflect on how far the Oakland Zoo has come.

“It wasn’t that long ago we were called one of the worst in the country,” he says, “and I’m honored to have been considered for this award.” The Tulsa Zoo gets a $25,000 grant for animal care and operations.

LET ME BE the 500th person to wish you a happy New Year! The Town Crier had to take time off last week to recuperate from the exceptionally long holiday season. But now that it’s 2005, I’m following through with a resolution to share certain secrets in the neighborhood — for the betterment of mankind.

Most locals have been to Pastino’s, the cozy Italian eatery on Park Boulevard in the Glenview district. You’d never know by tasting the food, but there isn’t an Italian in the whole operation. George Chan is the owner, and he kept the old recipes and some of the staff from the days when Sal Calo ran the place.

But it’s not just about comfort food. Pastino’s has two of the best waiters in town: 23-year-old Carlos Ham and his 18-year-old sister Wendy love working for their cousin George. “He needed someone he could trust,” says Wendy, who always seems to be smiling.

A student at Cal State Hayward, Wendy was born and raised in Honduras, along with her brother, making them tri-lingual in Chinese, English and Spanish. “Sometimes we get mixed up and speak ‘Spanglish,'” jokes Carlos, who is glad they can communicate with Pastino’s Spanish-speaking kitchen staff.

So there you have it. I’ve shared the secret of a great Italian restaurant with a multicultural twist and brilliant wait staff — and I’m probably going to regret it. After all, how many “high maintenance” customers like me can they handle?

Welcome sight

Isn’t it nice when you enter a town, to be greeted with a “welcome” sign? Some of Montclair’s movers and shakers are coming up with a plan for a sign and a garden — as you enter the Village from the north.

Volunteer Jill Wilson Broadhurst with the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council says the group is working with a landscape firm that’s has done a lot of pro bono work for non-profits and community groups, and an intern from UC is working on the plans and sign design.

Once that’s done, Broadhurst will be calling on all green thumbs to help with things like stump removal, soil preparation and planting. Oh, and the Montclair group would love to hear from local artists who might want to paint the concrete walls in town (what remains of the old railway).

Murals of Montclair would be a great way to celebrate the history of our “town.” If you’d like to help, log onto www.montclairsic.org and send an e-mail to the appropriate chairperson.

E-mail bag

Reader Shelley Brooks had this comment on my Dec. 17 piece about the adopted stray pussycats at Quinn’s Lighthouse on the Embarcadero: “My daughter attends Beacon School on Livingston Street at Embarcadero, and I am on a campaign to trap/neuter/return the feral cats near the school.”

She says feral cats are a huge problem on the waterfront and she hopes folks won’t feed them unless they’ve been spayed or neutered, because the number of kittens that can result is “staggering.” The kitties at Quinn’s have reportedly been fixed.

Strange coincidence

With the world rushing to help in the wake of Asia’s natural disaster, the timing of this is uncanny. Chabot Space and Science Center debuts a giant-screen film this week, called “Forces Of Nature.” It’s as close as you’ll ever want to get to the awesome power of an earthquake or severe storm. Save your meal for after the show.

Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the land

Was utter exhaustion

The holidays were at hand

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE. Time to wake up and smell the pine needles. Savor the flavor of spicy egg nog and hot mulled wine. Take a walk through the holly berries and spot the mistletoe in the treetops above you. Reach deep inside and find the spirit of the season — then let it radiate so others can feel the warmth.

And if all this seems hard — remember the children. They’ve been waiting all year for Santa’s arrival, and my “mole at the Pole” tells me a big stack of letters have come in from the Oakland hills. Here are some excerpts:

“Dear Santa: This year we’re on a cruise. If you could deliver them (the presents) on the cruise that would be great, but if you can’t — it’s awesome if you deliver them at home. There will be cookies and cider on the cruise but only cookies at home…”

“Dear Santa: I really, really, really want a pet. Any kind of pet. I just want a pet — badly. Maybe you can get me a hamster.”

“Dear Santa Claus: Of course I want a cell phone…”

“Dear Santa: I have been good most of the time. I would like a blue bike. No — a red bike.”

“Dear Santa: I want a toy machine gun that doesn’t shoot anything but makes the noise.”

And finally, the wishes of a little girl who didn’t mince words when she ended her letter with this: “Okay — only two words — may I please have an Aurora dress (from Sleeping Beauty), a sleigh, and snow on my Aurora dress.”

In reading all this, I can’t help it think how much better we’d be — if our own wishes were this simple.

E-mail bag

More letters are pouring in on the makeup of Montclair. With rumors that Cold Stone Creamery wants to open here (as reported in my Dec. 3 column), reaction has been swift to the advent of more chain stores in the village:

LaRee Jensen-Graham writes, “I have seen the dedication to service of Maurine Marie at Montclair Malt Shop, I have benefited from the knowledge and experience of Erik Hoffmann at Montclair Village Hardware, I have experienced the personal attention and marveled at the artistry of Jameela Bragg at Esther’s Garden (gone now to Orinda because of the very high costs of overhead).”

LaRee feels if competition from the major chains forces the little guys out, the younger generation will miss out on the personal attention and service offered by our “small town” merchants.

But reader Sharon Collins has a different perspective: “I think the idea of a small community shopping area is great, however, I have not found Montclair’s businesses for the most part to be very ‘thankful’ that they have this opportunity be a part of this wonderful community. For the most part, the people who operate the businesses do not show friendliness towards their customers.” She feels that competition can bring out the best in an area, and she wants Montclair to “show that it is the best.”

But maybe the future can best be told by looking at the past.

Harriet Schlader remembers the way things used to be: “It has saddened me each time a nice retail shop has gone out of business or elsewhere. Remember Rose and Rodden (next to the B of A, with shoes and women’s clothing). There was another nice dress store on La Salle next to the Travel Agency which I miss. The Ice Creamery was a place where my daughter worked, briefly, and we frequently visited as a family and sent Woodminster patrons there after a show on a warm night. The bakery, J. Coop Ltd., and on and on…”

Schlader thinks that shoppers, merchants and landlords should agree to a plan for preserving Montclair — and making it even better.

Seasonal offering

And finally, here’s an addendum to last week’s story about figgy pudding. When I mentioned the Jones family no longer makes the traditional English faire because of the hazards of cracking one’s teeth on the hidden six pence — I discovered a “pence-less” pudding for sale in Montclair.

The Malt Shop not only has little containers of the holiday dish, it also carries the brandy butter complement. So bring me some figgy pudding and bring it right here!

I’ve seen him a couple of times. A bent over man with a flowing white beard, hitchhiking along a rural canyon road. It’s Christmas, I’m thinking, and he looks like Kris Kringle. Still, I keep driving — feeling cautious and guilty at the same time. “What if he is Santa?” I ask myself. “What if I’ve lost the ability to believe?”

Then I remember last week’s hold-up at the Knitting Basket, where a man walked into the store with a gun. I remember the string of recent robberies in Montclair, catching shoppers off-guard.

The holidays bring out the best — and the worst — in people. We want to believe in the goodness of mankind. But for some, this is only a season to steal and to victimize. Santa is out there, but so is the Grinch. Let your heart be merry — but your eyes be watchful.

Speaking of Santa

The last of Santa’s workshops and photo sessions is this Saturday in Rockridge. Bring the kids from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa is set up at 5467 College Avenue.

And take a ride on the free cable car running up and down the busy street.

Chain reaction

Everywhere I go, people stop me to talk about the future of Montclair. My Dec. 3rd column on chain stores in the Village really touched a nerve.

Here’s more feedback: Robbie Neely with Friends of Montclair Village writes: “Hear, hear! As you might recall, voters in our survey last summer — what do you like most/least about the Village? — frequently mentioned the absence of chains and the uniqueness of shops under “like most.” And, under “like least” the lack of dining diversity was among the top vote getters.”

Montclair shopper Sheryl Nureck says she’s originally from New York and always seeks out neighborhoods with stores that make people feel connected to their neighborhoods. She, too, wants to keep that small-town feeling. “I hope in the end, it’s not just about money for the real estate owners (landlords),” she says.

But local Realtor Lydia Nayo (Coldwell Banker) offers a different perspective: “I want to believe Montclair is a sufficiently diverse community to be able to handle two ice cream shops with different ambiances and experiences to offer.”

Nayo says the Village has competition in other categories such as dry cleaners and restaurants, and “the answer will be for loyalists of a favorite place to keep it their favorite, and for the merchants to do their work and keep up with change.”

Animal tales

The raccoon and the pussy cat are the subject of two tales from readers. The “coon” nearly died while dining in the trash at a local swim club. How he got there was most unfortunate. The club’s cleaning crew unwittingly wrapped him in the nightly garbage — and tossed him in the Dumpster. He was freed when the day crew saw the trash take on a life of its own, with the bag flopping wildly in the bin. And you thought only cats had nine lives.

Speaking of cats, they’re part of the ambiance at Quinn’s Lighthouse on Oakland’s Embarcadero. Restaurant owner Bodo Eichler says he feeds four stray cats. They give him such joy, they’re like part of the family. All I can say is the fish must be really fresh at Quinn’s. You know how finicky cats can be.

Holiday surprise

What’s a good English Christmas without figgy pudding? Just ask Frances Jones, who says she’s stopped making the dish at her house, after a guest nearly cracked her tooth on the filling.

No, it wasn’t the fruit that was hard — in fact, this recipe was fig-less. It was the six pence hidden in the holiday offering — a tradition that required guests to cut their portions into tiny, bite-sized pieces. With no figgy pudding this Christmas, is there a void in the holiday season? Apparently not. “It’s like the fruitcake tradition,” says Jones. “You know, everyone hates fruitcake. We just kind of gave it up.”

Do you see what I see? I borrowed this line from a popular Christmas song last week to ask a serious question.

Do you see the advent of more chain stores in the Village as a threat? Does it matter to you if Cold Stone Creamery moves in (a possibility that’s still up in the air) or if small shops struggle to survive in the environment we’ve already created?

Well, apparently I’ve struck a nerve, because the e-mail is piling up. Here are some of the responses:

Reader Don Mackey says the “chain environment I fear” has already arrived in Montclair. But he suggests we vote with our pocketbooks. “The landlord should have the right to sign leases with almost whomever he deems fit (taking into consideration that all codes and statutes are adhered to). It is the customer who then decides over time if that was a good business decision on behalf of the landlord and the tenant.”

Mackey says he doesn’t want to see any more national accounts in town. “Call me crazy, but I would like Montclair to be distinguishable from any other ‘strip mall USA.'”

Reader Marc Viale has a different perspective. “I welcome the arrival of new stores in Montclair Village,” he writes. But he thinks that Rockridge small business merchants have done a better job of providing unique and successful small businesses.

“Rockridge residents would not allow a major chain to enter as their needs are exceeded by the existing merchants,” Viale says. “If anything this is a wake up call for Montclair small business, as Montclarions want more.”

I’ll keep a running dialog (with more reader feedback) in future columns, as I strive to be the voice of the people. After all, that’s the job of a Town Crier.

Highway sentiments

Diane Hill has these comments on last week’s column update on Highway 13: “I was so pleased to see that Caltrans is considering a change in the form of the median — so plants can go in along even more of the highway than before.”

“I found it interesting that the reason, they claim, to put in an asphalt lane is to make highway cleaning easier,” Hill says. “I’ve noticed that areas that have a wide asphalt are not necessarily cleaner. So much for that argument.”

Holiday treat

No Christmas seems complete without the classic “A Christmas Carol.” While lots of theater companies offer it, the most talked about show seems to be at Moonlight Productions in Piedmont today (Dec. 10) through next Sunday (Dec. 19).

The children’s theater group is directed by Danny Buell, who has acted in “A Christmas Carol” every year since he was 4 years old! For more information, call 510-482-1569.

Flower power

Thanks to reader Jonathan Taylor for giving me the “dirt” on Oakland’s daffodil project. He says the idea “sprouted” from the almost entirely volunteer organization Keep Oakland Beautiful.

“Thousands of daffodils will bloom in public spaces all over Oakland,” he writes, “and dozens of volunteers have worked hard to bring the program to life.”

Taylor says his group looks for ways to keep Oakland beautiful, clean and green — especially involving children. It’s an official chapter of the national organization Keep America Beautiful.

Humbug

Parking lots can bring out the best, and worst in holiday shoppers.

Reader Randa Peterson says she witnessed a verbal altercation over Thanksgiving that involved two senior men, arguing about a parking spot at the Montclair Safeway.

Each one had a spot, by the way, but that wasn’t good enough. They wanted the same spot, no doubt closer to the door.

It reminds me of the gray-haired motorist who thrust his middle digit in my direction at Albertson’s one holiday season. I can only surmise that the man hadn’t eaten — and was acting impulsively on an empty and rumbling stomach.