Month: July 2008

Montclarions Chilled – Nina’s Been Found

We are all pretty chilled by this unexpected news about Nina Reiser.  As a bargaining chip, Hans Reiser was brought back to Montclair this afternoon to show authorities where he buried his estranged wife.

Nina was located in a four-foot ditch near the West Ridge Trail, in Redwood Regional Park.  I shudder while thinking about how many times I walked right by her grave.  This was not exactly a remote spot!

CBS News Producer Paul LaRosa filed this report a little while ago.   We all remember the Hans Reiser case, and the defenses including Nina’s escape to Russia.  As LaRosa said, “that puts a lie to his story.”

I’m sickened about this visit to the Hills today.  With Nina’s body as evidence, Hans might be able to prove the murder wasn’t pre-meditated.  This means the sentence could be reduced from 25/life down to 15/life instead.  Not that this brings back Nina or changes his kids’ lives in Russia.

Do you recall when Nina first went missing?  In Montclair, we were all horrified by this disappearance for a few days and hoped for the best.  But those flyers were up long after we knew better.  Years later, Hans was convicted of her murder due to overwhelming circumstantial evidence.

Our famous murder case is no longer a mystery.  Even though this closes the sordid tale, it will remain chilling for the Reisers’ neighbors.

Outside Mag: Brown, Not Dellums

Oakland has now been called a “bright idea” by Outside Magazine, which gives credit to former Mayor Jerry Brown for buffing up the downtown.   Is our current Oakland Mayor, Ron Dellums, just some metaphorical chopped liver?

In its August issue, Outside touts our urban renewal progress.  The article points to the housing units and restaurants built.  If you build it, then they will come.  (Yes, this doesn’t just apply to baseball diamonds built in cornfields.)  In Oakland, folks are starting to be drawn back to the urban core.

Mayor Dellums is attempting to take a little credit.  His chief of staff, David Chai, tried to attribute the city’s progress to the mayor during KQED’s Forum program last week.  After getting challenged by local journalists, this spokesman backed down quickly.  While Dellums may have supported additional development, results are a long-term proposition.

Of course, Dellums still needs to improve his public relations and communications.  On the local front, he did emerge recently to dismiss the city administrator and show who’s in charge at City Hall.  Most of the time, he avoids press conferences, individual interviews or, ultimately, the general public.

Until reading Outside, I didn’t consider how Dellums would be seen in the national press.  This magazine is far from a political centerpiece, appealing to active or armchair nature enthusiasts.  However it’s telling that the current mayor isn’t mentioned at all.

Non-existent press is probably the reason Mayor Dellums got ignored here.  Try this:  google “development” and “Dellums” together, and you see a few irrelevant results.  So if journalists or researchers tried to find out what’s happening lately, they would come up empty-handed.

There’s no question the quiet mayor needs to pull his communications act together soon – whether that’s putting more effectively flacks out there OR just deciding to engage with media more actively.

Jack London Fourth

The place for Oaklanders on July Fourth?  Jack London Square, which has free activities starting at 4pm today.  If you haven’t made plans, this line-up should make you feel appropriately patriotic.

You can hang out and listen to these groups:  Basic Black Soul and RB; Amigos Latin Pop; House of David Pop/Rock/Cover; and The Ben Oni Orchestra Big Band.

Your kids can be entertained for hours, too.  There’s the requisite magician, a jump house, carnival games, animal balloons, face-painting, and arts & crafts.

Fireworks return this year, after last year’s hiatus.  The display runs from 9:15 – 9:35 pm, accompanied by the Ben Oni Band playing our anthems.

Sibley Volcanic Preserve Is Art

Today, I decided to display some Sibley Volcanic Preserve imagery.  Sibley is sui generis in the East Bay Parks – and a convenient volcano right in our neighborhood.

Normally I think of Sibley basking in its East Bay glory.  I expect to see amber waves of grain, the volcano and its cool labyrinth, or else the typical views to San Francisco.  We always take visitors to Sibley and hear the oohs and aahs about how lucky we are to live here.

Sibley also inspires photographers to create art.  These images are taken at special moments, such as the spring when the grass is green or on days with amazing sunrises.  Have you ever seen Sibley looking so lovely?

Saving Beaconsfield Canyon From Ourselves

We just learned that some irresponsible folks left kerosene-filled torches in Beaconsfield Canyon, a brilliant move.  CBS5 Anchor and fellow Montclarion Wendy Tokuda discovered these torches and saved the day!

Beaconsfield Canyon is a small, five-acre preserve near Ascot Drive, which is managed by the City of Oakland.  It’s pretty much left alone by the City, but needs restoration work.

The Friends of Sausal Creek organize monthly work parties, where volunteers devote time to clearing the brush.  Their efforts prevent fires and encourage biodiversity.

CBS5 Anchor Tokuda joined the clean-up crew last weekend.  She fixed the immediate problem, and then reported the news to the Montclair Watchdogs:

This last Saturday when we were working in Beaconsfield, we found 3 torches on long bamboo poles, used to provide light…They had kerosene in them and there was evidence at least one had been used. I took them to the Shepard’s Canyon fire station and asked if they might post a no-fires sign down there.

This Canyon is small but valuable to the Sausal Creek ecosystem.  I’m fascinated by Sausal Creek’s history, including the impacts by natives, farmers, landed gentry and 20th century developers.  Now we are trying to return to the past, slowly but surely.

So fair warning to these (or any) folks who decide to “hang out” in the woods:  please think before you leave fire-starters and other detritus behind.