MERCURYNEWS.COM: July 5, 2013
I was sipping a zin in a cozy coastal wine bar when the call went out. “Does anyone speak German?” asked Beth Lemke, the owner of A Grape in the Fog in Pacifica.
“I do,” I said, like a savvy world traveler. Four years of German four decades ago didn’t make me fluent, but it was enough to help two foreign tourists order red wine and beer. Continue reading
MERCURYNEWS.COM: June 21, 2013
As we prepare to celebrate summer, let’s pay homage to the sultan of splash, Herbert Sellner. This Minnesota inventor came up with the water slide in 1923, the most exciting way ever to enter the H2O. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 21, 2013
Oakland is feeling the love these days. Crime stats aside, the national media have been fawning over our town, with the latest accolade coming from Arianna Huffington’s publication.
“Why are all my friends moving to Oakland?” asks a young blogger at the Huffington Post. We already know the reasons: An amazing park system, great restaurants, museums, the lake and the waterfront, $2 Oakland A’s games and music and art at every turn. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: June 6, 2013
It’s graduation time, and Wendy Tokuda is getting ready to walk. The former Bay Area television anchor and Montclair resident will be part of the June 22 third annual GRADWalk in Golden Gate Park in support of the charity she co-founded some 15 years ago — Students Rising Above. Continue reading
MERCURYNEWS.COM: June 7, 2013
Some of the most appealing Bay Area destinations have their forefathers to thank. Take the city of Saratoga — population 30,000.
In the mid-1950s, locals saw something that alarmed them. Sprawling growth from nearby San Jose was threatening to wash over the mostly agricultural community. “Keep it rural” was the battle cry for incorporation that helped preserve the rural charm we see today. Continue reading
HILLS NEWSPAPERS: MAY 31, 2013
The pint-size body of water in Montclair Park is more than just a pond. It’s what first drew me to the Montclair Village — the reed-lined shores where ducks preened and bobbed and children caught crawdads with a line and a pole. It seemed something straight from the pages of Huck Finn — or at least from my childhood memories of Minnesota. Continue reading
MERCURYNEWS.COM: May 31, 2013
One hundred and fifty years ago, this place was a hellhole. Screaming 200-pound shells packed with incendiary explosives were raining down on the quiet streets of this gracious southern town. Charleston was in the cross hairs of Union troops who were determined to take her captive. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: May 24, 2013
Oakland gets called a lot of things, but here’s a little note worth repeating: real estate firm Movoto thinks we’re the most exciting city in the nation. The firm says Oakland beat out 50 other hip cities to win the award. Take that, San Francisco. Continue reading
OAKLANDTRIBUNE.COM: May 10, 2013
In the push to compete for your tourist dollars, Monterey has always been known for its outreach. But some of its best ambassadors have not one arm, but eight, to embrace you.
The giant Pacific octopus is one of the biggest draws to an area that attracts some four million tourists a year. With its reddish brown body and huge bulbous head, this crafty creature gets plenty of attention at the Monterey Bay Aquarium — especially at feeding time. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: May 10, 2013
Alarms, patrols and reinforced doors. These are a few of our favorite things as we pony up money to protect our homes. But what if we pooled our resources and formed a Crime Protection Assessment District? Sound familiar? It wasn’t that long ago that we agreed to a tax to fight fires. Continue reading
Ginny Prior 