I often feel blessed living in Montclair. Not many folks see the Golden Gate Bridge in one direction and a hillside of cows in another. And I’m not the only one who feels this way. Reader Nikki Pooshs says when she tells people she lives here, they look at her like she has fingers of pure gold.

“I assure them that not everyone living in Montclair is filthy rich,” but she says there’s a perception that we’re not only rich, we’re snobs. And that, she says, couldn’t be further from the truth.

Pooshs found out first-hand about our caring community when she moved here from Hawaii and took a job with Curves in Montclair.

“It was there, in that tiny place, that I met the most incredible women I have ever known,” she says. They brought her hand-knit scarves and Hawaiian treats on her birthday. They formed a support system for workers and members when they needed help.

“And even after I moved on to a different job,” says Pooshs, “they collected, in one week, over $400 when my young mother suddenly died.”

This wellspring of love was bound to spill over. Now the women at Curves have started a knitting group, where they craft handmade hats, blankets and booties for charity.

“Not just any charity,” Pooshs says, “but a carefully chosen hospital or elderly facility where people might be a little less fortunate than us.”

It’s a story that had to be told — because we’re not just perched on the hill, looking down at others. We’re part of a village that pitches in to help, whenever we hear the call. If you’d like more information on the Curves knitting group, call 510-338-0302.

TAHOE-BOUND: If the hills seem quiet this Easter, it’s because so many folks are headed to Tahoe. The skiing is still great and local ski mom Lelia Tokuyama says she’s found the perfect new place to stay, as well. The Hampton Inn outside Truckee is a cozy hotel with a warm wood lobby and a free hot breakfast and wireless Internet. And it’s just 10 minutes from Northstar ski resort, where it’s snowing even as I write this column.

WEDDING BELLS: Thanks to local Realtor Katie O’Shea for the big spring scoop that Dale Marie Golden is getting married. The Wells Fargo vice president known for her passion for purple — is tying the knot July 23 with building fix-it guy Hugh MacDonald. O’Shea has been hired to find them a house and that in itself is a scoop. Between Golden and MacDonald, they probably know every Realtor in town.

WORDSMITH: Not many eighth graders can compete with adults when it comes to vocabulary. But the Glenview’s Molly Montgomery is not only a word smith, she’s the California state champ in the Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge. Molly’s mom, Sandra, says her daughter is a voracious reader — with Harry Potter at the top of her book list. She competes for the national championship in Orlando next weekend.

ROAD RAGE: Just when you think everyone in town is a Democrat, a story surfaces from Canyon resident Lois Aldrich who says she was run off the road by a hot-headed conservative on Shepherd Canyon Road, last month. The driver of a pickup truck was apparently offended by Aldrich’s bumper stickers — one of which takes aim at President Bush and the other at Gov. Schwarzenegger.

IF I WERE A GUY, I’d want two things in life: A big-screen TV and a job where I could wear shorts. Jeff Acosta has at least one of these covered. He wears shorts every day on his job delivering packages in Montclair. Twenty-nine years with UPS and his legs don’t look a day over 30. But even more important, Acosta loves the kudos he gets for running a tight route.
“All my customers know what time I’ll be there,” he boasts. “They can pretty much set their clocks by me.”
But while Acosta has been good for Montclair, the Village has been good to him, too.
“I’ve gotten to know hundreds of wonderful people,” he says, adding some are a little difficult but most are just great.
“I remember one lady — she was crabby to me and I finally just confronted her with it,” he recalls. He asked her why she didn’t break out a smile once in a while. After that, she laughed whenever she saw him and the friendship evolved into something so sweet, Acosta sent her flowers when she retired.
The word “respect” is used a lot these days, but for Acosta it means more than the title of a ’60s Aretha Franklin song.
“My dad is gone now but he left me with something huge,” Acosta says. “He showed me how to earn respect.”
And the lessons he learned have been paid forward.
“Dad, you know everybody,” said his youngest son when Acosta took the boys around Montclair. He introduced them to customers and made sure they shook hands.
A smile and a handshake are just two of the “special deliveries” we get from Acosta each day.
And I’ll sign on the dotted line for that anytime.

EMAIL BAG: The feathers have been flying since last week’s item on wild turkeys. Readers say they’ve been spotting the gobblers all over the hills, and they range from shy to a little dangerous. But reader Liz Taylor says Tom turkeys should be given a wide berth, especially in spring when they are defending the hens and going through their mating ritual.

“The gobbler will give plenty of body language warning before resorting to delivery of a kick or wing beating to whomever or whatever is perceived as a threat to the hens,” she writes. A wing beating? I’ll have mine with a side of garlic mashed potatoes.

SPRING FLING: There’s finally a reason to celebrate tax day, April 15. It’s the day of the big Botanic Garden sale in Tilden Park. This 10-acre garden will wow you with its large variety of native plants — virtually every species found in California. You can take home shrubs, ferns and trees, and know that they’ll grow just fine in your own yard. Proceeds help keep the garden open to the public year round at no charge. For more information, call 841-8732.

HEAVEN CENTS: Thanks to local Realtor Tiffany Stechschulte for telling me about her friend’s organization Good Cents For Oakland. Dagmar Serota came up with the idea a few years ago to collect pennies for worthy causes. There are two penny roundups in April — the fifth-graders at Emerson Elementary School are collecting coins for an after-school program called Sports4kids and Hillcrest Elementary School first-graders are donating their pennies to Hopalong Animal Rescue.

“We’ll have armored cars come pick up the coins from both schools,” Serota says. Way to go, kids!

BASH BROTHERS: Talk about a power shot. A hills dad and his 21-year-old son were playing ball at Montclair Park recently when the son hit the ball over the fence and into the windshield of a very expensive foreign sports car. Apparently, the driver wasn’t impressed and threatened to sue the father and son. No word on whether the son also was offered a contract with the Oakland A’s.

BE AFRAID. Be very afraid. No one is safe from the gangs that strike terror in the hearts of people who cross their paths. The Town Crier is a witness to their aggression, having encountered them twice in the last week.

The first time was near Skyline High School, where a dozen or so came down from the hillside and blocked the road. My instinct was to run, but I got out of the car and challenged the ring leader. He assaulted me with a blow to the ankles. I barely escaped with my life. Days later, I ran into them again. At least I thought it was them, but I couldn’t be sure. Roaming the Canyon near Pinehurst, it was clear they were up to no good. I rolled down my window and shouted at them and they screamed something back that I’ll never forget. A loud, shrill GOBBLE!

Alfred Hitchcock has got nothing on us. The wild turkeys are taking over the hills and their demeanor is alarming. Mary the walker (I’m not printing her last name for fear of reprisal) says her neighbors had to rescue her from the wrath of a giant, prehistoric looking creature near Broadway Terrace. Witnesses say the bird was a behemoth with a wingspan the size of a minivan.

“I thought it was human,” one man told me. “It was that big.”

What can we do to protect ourselves? Hunting is not really an option. These roasters are way too big for most ovens, and they’re tough old birds, to boot.

“Not even cream of mushroom soup will moisturize these babies,” one witness told me. Besides, they seem wise to the whole Thanksgiving ritual anyway. These birds have attitude and they’re not to be messed with. Take it from the Town Crier. Just leave them alone and hope they’re not roosting above you on your next walk through the woods.

E-MAIL BAG: The building of many faces (it’s been the Thornhill Café, La Taza de Café and numerous other restaurants in the last decade) has been transformed, once again. Reader Jackie Sisich says she and her husband had a great dinner at Viva Voce Café on Thornhill (next to 7-Eleven) the other night.

“We split a shrimp wrapped with pancetta and both had a wonderful pasta dish and a class of wine,” she writes, for about $43.

DIRTY AIR: Walking the streets at night, you have to wonder, sometimes, what your neighbors are burning in their fireplaces. Your eyes start watering, your nose starts twitching — and the air smells thick and nasty. Reader Sue Oscher says despite all we know about wood smoke pollution, folks still love their fireplaces.

“Would you encourage a factory next door,” she asks, adding the smoke doesn’t help our soaring childhood asthma rates.

FLOWER POWER: You’ve got to love the local color on Park Boulevard. No, I don’t mean the people — I’m talking about the plants in the center strip, brought to you by the Glenview Neighborhood Association. Organizer Roxie Kellam says the community spirit has been great and they’ve especially enjoyed working with the youth groups that help on planting days. With the city’s cooperation they’ve made the once barren boulevard a feast for the eyes.

Speaking of eye candy — reader Pat Schwinn says a wonderful native garden tour is coming up May 7, which lets you meander through 60 East Bay bird and butterfly gardens that are low maintenance, pesticide free and drought resistant. You can find out more online at www.bringingbackthenatives.net or by calling Kathy Kramer at 236-9558.

I HAD BREAKFAST with a diet guru the other day. No, we didn’t have wheat germ and Slim Fast. We met at the donut shop and packed in a few hundred calories. Man, was it liberating.

“You can feel great about your body without dieting,” writes Montclair psychologist Ed Abramson in his new book, “Body Intelligence.”

First, you need to understand why you’re eating — are you hungry or just bored, angry, stressed or eating because it’s time to eat or you see someone else eating? Dr. Abramson’s book helps you identify the trigger points and deal with them. Then you need to get to the root of your excuses for avoiding physical activity and make a plan to get moving.

Abramson guides you and then helps develop a realistic body image and weight goal so you don’t look at your body in disgust and give up.

“Hating the way you look is not a useful strategy for weight loss,” he says. “It’s demoralizing and causes people to give up any attempt to control their weight.”

The proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Abramson himself was overweight when he developed the plan for this book. Today, he’s fit and has settled into a comfortable pattern of eating and exercise that can easily last a lifetime. And with the wide girth of diet books on the market today, his guide stands out. It was recently honored as a finalist in the Books For a Better Life Awards in New York. Think of it as food for thought — as we head into swimwear season.

ANIMAL TALES: It’s a well-known fact that dogs like to swim, but Luther was testing the waters when he jumped into the pool at The Hills Swim Club in Montclair the other day. The Shepherd/St. Bernard mix had apparently run away from his home on Skyline, and wanted a dip in the private club’s sparkling blue pool. He was promptly fished out and his owners were called to come get him. It’s not the first animal hi-jinks at the club. A family of raccoons was spotted one night frolicking on the children’s play structure. And yes — the babies were even using the slide!

E-MAIL BAG: Calls and letters are pouring in regarding my item on recycling thieves. Reader Ann-Marie Moggan writes: “There is nothing that irritates me more than listening to (or reading about) the complaints of the rich.”

She goes on to defend people who take the cans and bottles out of our recycling bins by writing: “Why not applaud people for being opportunistic? Where is your sense of patriotism for the entrepreneur?”

Meanwhile, reader Mary Commanday agrees with my complaints about parked cars blocking lanes on blind curves in the hills.

“I think you must live on our street,” she writes, “since there is never a day when our curvy, sub-standard street isn’t filled with contractors’ trucks parked on both sides of the street.”

CHAMPAGNE BREAKFAST: The mimosas will be flowing at a free party this Sunday at Montclair’s Century 21 Heritage Office. Artist Sonia Kouyoumdjian is displaying her works and donating a portion of her sales to create a new park at the corner of Moraga and Thornhill. It’s a project that hits home for the father and daughter Realtor team of Mel and Tiffany Copland.

Mel remembers playing along the tracks of the Short Line Railroad, which ran along the spot where the park is proposed. The party runs during the Montclair Farmer’s Market. Everyone is invited.

IF MISERY LOVES company, then last week’s kvetching made me a lot of new friends.

All week long, I’ve been hearing complaints about one thing or another. But what really hit home was my ranting about recycling thieves.

Rita Kresha said her street used to have the same problem until the homeowners embraced Section 19 of the California Penal Code. It states that removing anything set out for recycling is a misdemeanor, punishable by law.

“We have lived on Glen Eden at Piedmont Avenue for 12 years, and have kept our street clear of scavenging by having copies of this law in English and Spanish and challenging the guys (always men), presenting the copy and sternly warning that if they ever appear on our street again, they will be met by the police.”

Other readers have told me they take more drastic measures.

“I put dirty diapers on top of the cans and bottles,” said one neighbor.

Another told me she took a photo of the Dumpster divers and turned it into the police. “Most scavengers have criminal records and are looking for more than just cans and bottles,” an Oakland policeman told me recently. “Let’s just say they’re not Boy Scouts.”

FASHION PLATE: Montclair readers are in for a treat when professional shopper Maureen French starts her column in the newspaper. French is a Montclair mother of twins (yikes!) who’s had a career in fashion for 20 years. Now she runs her own personal shopping business and you should see her in action. She helped me pick out a great outfit for my bartending debut at Montclair Bistro the other day and we were like two whirling dervishes in the women’s department at McCaulou’s. When the dust cleared, I looked like a million bucks for the price of some slacks and a blouse.

ROAD BLOCK: Driving is always an adventure on the winding canyon road called Pinehurst. Just ask Megan Carey, who’s route to school was blocked by a downed tree the other day. Luckily her dad had a chain saw and with the help of another man was able to clear the path in just minutes. The mountain men may have saved the day, but I’ll bet the kids were disappointed. They could have had a “tree day” break from school.

NIGHT OUT: Montclair musician Caren Armstrong is playing at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage on March 24. Armstrong teaches guitar in the hills but she’s also known for her witty and poignant songwriting. She’s going solo Friday night with songs from her new CD, as well as some old favorites.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING: Channel 4 anchorwoman Wendy Tokuda was spotted doing a little weed control in Redwood Park the other day. She was pulling up Scotch Broom and Poison Hemlock by the roots as her dog looked on.

Tokuda lives in Montclair and volunteers in the parks, pulling up invasive weeds and replacing them with native plants. She reportedly has a killer native garden in her own yard, too.

GOVERNMENT TORTURE: My visit to the Oakland DMV last week was worse than death and taxes combined. Sitting in the waiting room, a robotic recording came on every couple of seconds announcing the next number to be served. It was loud and annoying and eventually it forced me outside in the chilly rain to wait while my daughter took her driving test.

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. My sour disposition started when I found a man in a flannel shirt rifling through my recycling bin. Not just mine, but he was cherry-picking the cans and bottles (and God knows what else) from every gray can on the street.

That’s all it took to stew my juices. I started noticing everything under the sun. It was like a dark cloud was forming over my head, threatening to thunder clap me.

“I have to clear the air,” I thought, “and I’ll do it through my column.” So, dear readers, please let me indulge in a little self-medication as I endeavor to cure some of society’s ills.

Does it every bother you when cars park on blind curves, forcing motorists into oncoming traffic? It wasn’t so long ago that people actually parked in their garages. Now the garage is a room of the house that’s often too full for a car. Or, in the case of one family I know, they’re renting their house to four different people with four different cars, none of which goes in the garage.

And what’s with the constant construction up here? The Winchester Mystery House doesn’t get as much attention as the homes in the hills. Everyone I know is having a kitchen remodeled or a bathroom redone or a roof repair or a root removal. I think every neighborhood should have its own full-time handyman so there aren’t a dozen different company trucks on your block each day.

Other than this, I’m relatively happy. The trees give off plenty of oxygen, and I’m grateful for the fresh air. Maybe I just need to breathe a little deeper, to calm myself.

E-MAIL BAG: Thanks to reader David Schwoegler for telling me that Montclair’s Mike Healy has agreed to be Ron Dellums spokesman for the Oakland mayor’s race.

“This ‘pro bono arrangement should help keep Mike off the streets (and tennis courts) and may help Mr. Dellums find his way to the mayor’s office,” says Schwoegler.

Speaking of politics, Montclair resident John Bernard launched his campaign for Alameda County Superintendent of Schools last week at his old school — Maxwell Park Elementary. Reader Tina Lowden says he’s “Oakland public school educated — and reaching for the brass ring.”

And former Montclarion and Piedmonter columnist Ronnie Caplane kicks off her campaign tomorrow for the state Assembly. She’s having a party at 19 Grand Avenue from 1-4 p.m., followed by a “hit the bricks” precinct walk to work off the food and drink.

PLANT THIS: As flowers spring up all over Oakland, I’m told there’s a growing movement called the Million Plant March. And it’s happening in March, no less. You can pick up your free herbs and vegetables at 704 Filbert St. in San Francisco, while they last. If you want to call them first, it’s 415-421-4769.

SILENT SPRING: There’s a place in the Oakland hills where being speechless is a good thing. It’s the Hesed Meditation Center, in a residential neighborhood at 3745 Elston Ave. Folks come to practice Christian meditation from 7-7:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well as various times throughout the day and evening. It’s a kind of “urban monastery,” and it’s open to the public.

DISCO DANCING: I was surprised to see a psychedelic flyer on the table at a Moraga coffee shop, recently, advertising a church dance in Oakland. St. Lawrence O’Toole holds its Disco Night dance from 8 p.m. until midnight on April 1. There’ll be plenty of polyester and a high time on old High Street that night.

SPRING IS busting out all over. So is my wasteline, but that’s a story for another day. I’d rather concentrate on the beauty that surrounds us when wildflowers emerge from their winter slumber and tulips spring from the ground with their soft pastel petals. It’s a time for rebirth and it brings to mind the work being done at the northernmost entrance to Montclair.

Once just a spot on the Sacramento rail line, the corner of Thornhill and Moraga has gone to seed in recent years — sporting nothing but weeds and an ugly metal fence. But hills resident Jill Broadhurst adopted the lot, lovingly developing a plan for it to shine. With the help of landscape artists Feyerbend and Madden, she’s rounding up volunteers to turn this high profile corner into a little “pocket park.” If you’d like to donate time or money, please contact Jill through the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council at www.montclairsic.org. This is the perfect example of how we really can make a difference in our little village.

SPRING CLEANING: A reader reminded me recently that Mother Mary Ann Wright is still taking in clothing for Oakland’s poor. She’s the saintly woman who, at 84, has been feeding and clothing the disadvantaged since 1980, when she had a middle-of- the-night epiphany. Her foundation is located on 26th Street and you can reach her by calling 510-601-8119.

E-MAIL BAG: Reader Trish Hare tells me her neighbor, June Ko-Dial, has been nominated as a district 4 local hero. “She’s a very strong advocate for elementary ed and one of the most down-to-earth people,” Hare says. Despite personal challenges with her health, Ko-Dial is being honored as someone who puts so much energy into the community — she’s an inspiration to others.

You can see a full list of nominees on Councilwoman Jean Quan’s Web site at www.jeanquan.org.

PUFFED UP: More no-smoking signs are going up around a Glenview coffee shop in the wake of complaints about the “air pollution” outside. Neighbors tell me early morning smokers were ignoring city laws and lighting up within 25 feet of the doors and windows of Ultimate Grounds on Park Boulevard.

Several merchants smoke outside their shops here and one disgruntled person told me he’d be smoking in the street if he complied with the 25-foot minimum.

“If the smoke doesn’t get me, the traffic will,” he laughed.

CUDDLE UP: It’s Valentine’s weekend, but not everyone sees this as the ultimate lover’s holiday. At Glenview Lock and Key there’s a spoof in the window pairing dozens of unlikely couples like Gumby and Godzilla and Sen. Dianne Feinstein and former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein. But the real message is no joke. If you want to love someone on Valentine’s Day — start with yourself.

THE TOWN CRIER sees things and hears things. With ears as big as palm fronds, she is dialed into dialogue that others only dream of knowing. Actually, this isn’t quite true. One source of information is easily available with Internet access. It’s the crime report on the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council Web site. More than just the police blotter that The Montclarion runs each week, this Web site offers a forum for folks who’ve been ripped off.

From burglaries to purse-snatchings, the victims provide valuable information — not only to police — but to anyone who reads their entries. You can join the discussion by logging on to www.montclairsic.org. It’s one more way we can stay a step ahead of the bad guys and keep our village safe for everybody.

E-MAIL BAG: Last week’s item on crime struck a chord with reader Randy Vogel, who wrote that studying martial arts with the Yongmudo Club at UC Berkeley has sharpened his response to real life situations.

“From little things (like being better able to catch accidentally falling objects due to improvements in my perception, reflexes and eye-hand coordination), to bigger ones (losing weight, gaining in overall fitness),” says Randy, he recommends martial arts. He says beginners are welcome and you can get more information on the Web at www.yongmudo.org.

NIGHT LIGHT: When nighttime comes and your street light burns out, who are you going to call? Neighbor Robert Anderson says the answer is Councilwoman Jean Quan, who forwarded his complaint about a broken street standard to the city’s electrical department. A guy was out in no time to shed some light on the situation. If you have a similar problem, you can call the city’s light team directly at 510-615-5430.

MORE E-MAIL: Regarding the subject of movie stars in Montclair, reader Constance Young says her nephew, Owen Granich-Young. is the producer and audio wizard for the upcoming feature film “The Nightingale Princess.” Owen is the son of Montclair photographer Ralph Granich, and at 22 years of age, is also a talented musician and composer. He attended the French American School in Berkeley and is now a senior at Hampshire College. You can see clips of his movie on the Internet at www.thenightingaleprincess.com.

MOUNTAIN MAJESTY: As the weather warms, a mountain nearby is calling us. It’s beautiful Mount Diablo, with its sweeping vistas and endless moods. Perhaps Miss Linda with the Royal Grounders Bike Club puts it best.

An avid local cyclist, she often rides to the top of the “devil mountain,” taking in what she calls “the oak-forested hillsides and undulating landscapes. At the top,” she writes, “looking out to sea — seeing San Francisco and it’s skyline — it draws you back to society, culture and humanity.”

The wildflowers will be popping out soon on the mountain, and I can’t think of a more beautiful ride.