MONTCLARION: August 28, 2015

Finally, foodies are leaving their hearts in San Francisco and coming to Oakland. A new poll by 10Best.com and USA Today has Oakland ranked seventh in the nation’s best food destinations. San Francisco was nominated by readers — but didn’t make the cut. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 20, 2015

The popularity of food shows has exploded since Julia Child sliced, diced and peeled her way into our hearts. Just ask Montclair cooking instructor Linda Carucci. The author of “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks,” with 40,000 copies sold, is working with local filmmaker Mike Williams on a web-based cooking show scheduled to debut this fall.
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MONTCLARION: August 12, 2015

If Thursday is the new Friday, then Jack London Square is the new Pier 39. Happy hour is suddenly a happening place at old stalwarts like Scott’s and Kincaid’s, with newcomers like Plank and Forge driving the traffic. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: August 6, 2015

The Sixties. They say that if you remember them, you didn’t really live them. Still, someone in the Skyline High class of 1965 must know where the time capsule is buried. The reunion committee went out to dig it up the other day and couldn’t find it.
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MONTCLARION: July 30, 2015

In the distance, the mounds of gray sand look like pyramids, rising abruptly above the landscape. Soon enough they’ll be gone as the foundation is poured for a brand new shopping center at Pleasant Valley Road and Broadway. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 22, 2015

Nights like this make me grateful to live in Oakland. I’m sipping white wine under a purplish sky kissed by a crescent moon. In a few minutes, one of my favorite productions will come to life on the stage below. “Mary Poppins” will soar across the sky and land light-footed in a home where her magic is sorely needed. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 10, 2016

Almost a half-century ago, the Skyline High class of 1966 poured out the doors of their hilltop school, wide-eyed and ready to take on the world. They were a close-knit bunch, according to Lafayette’s Anne Grodin — one of 630 students to graduate that year. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: July 3, 2015

Happy birthday, America. There’ll be celebrations from sea to shining sea Saturday, but none sweeter than the Piedmont parade, which is turning 50. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: June 25, 2015

Chalk one up for the fathers out there. In the wake of Sunday’s Father’s Day celebration, the images of one man, in particular, stand out. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: June 17, 2015

The hills are abuzz these days. Whirring weed whackers and high-pitched chain saws are a necessary annoyance as homeowners brace for hot weather and Oakland’s fire safety inspections. Continue reading →