Month: January 2009

Guvernator Picks His Murder Mysteries

Today Governor Schwarzenegger announced monetary rewards to solve six murder mysteries scattered throughout California.  In the Bay Area, the bounties are $35k for a Union City teen and $50k for another Livermore teen.  If you have information leading to an arrest, then you could receive a nice payout.

Crime Scene Triptych

Begs some obvious questions:  Are certain lives worth more than others?  What about all the other unsolved cases in the state?  Are the folks killed in Oakland simply unworthy?

Let’s take the case of Johnikka Jackson, who attended Skyline High and later took medical assistant classes at Laney College – until she went missing last summer.  We know about Johnikka because her body was discovered behind Skyline and positively identified in December.  Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering a $10k reward for more tips on this crime.

Many Oakland murders, though, seem to be an afterthought.  It’s just endemic crime, drug-induced crime, ongoing gang warfare, murders that simply happen in every inner city across America, etc.  There might be some minor or occasional rewards for tips, but we’re pretty much awash in zero expectations.

Maybe bigger bounties would make a difference, who knows for sure.  Let’s say tipsters start receiving from $35k to $50k for each unsolved homicide, based on clear reward criteria.  Surely a few Oaklanders might fess up and be worthy recipients.

Of course, the State can’t afford an across-the-board crime reward in this economy.  The Guvernator is doing something good, by announcing rewards for several heinous crimes.  Yet we’re left wondering what this means and why now.

Artistic Merits Of The Bay Bridge

As a commuter, the Bay Bridge can become something you barely even notice – except for the traffic delays as you scurry back and forth.

Yet if you slow down, our beloved “number two” bridge displays its artistic merits in spades.  Here’s a quickly-curated photography exhibit that reveals the elegance and moods of this work-a-day bridge.

Bay Bridge Alignment

“Alignment” – Our first photograph provides nice contrast between the man-made structures and well-lit sky above.  It almost looks like the bridge towers and skyscrapers were built in a formal alignment.

Bay Bridge Industrial

“Industrial” – This next image highlights the scale of the bridge, compared to the surrounding land.  We can marvel about the bridge’s construction in the 1930s, and understand why it takes billions to support infrastructure now.

Bay Bridge Peaceful

“Peaceful” – In this third photo, the bridge fits perfectly within the serene landscape.  It seems to be a welcomed icon when viewed from the San Francisco Embarcadero, right at water’s edge.

Bay Bridge Streaming

“Streaming” – Finally, this bridge of streaming light just screams at you.  The photographer creates the sensation that you are entering an alternate or virtual universe here.  What intensity!

So that concludes our quick photography exhibit of the Bay Bridge.  The next time you are trying to cool your heels in the maze or are crawling eastward through the second level dungeon, maybe you’ll pause and appreciate – rather than curse – this amazing bridge.

Pied-Clair Should Coordinate Plans

Piedmont and Montclair residents share plenty of things in common, including this 94611 zip code for starters.  We live in nice, quiet hillside locations and are proud of our local schools.

We are in a kerfuffle right now about potential traffic problems on Moraga Ave.  Piedmont is trying to address some school overcrowding and wants to accommodate students at a local park.  This is an opportunity to play nice and coordinate plans.

Piedmont City Council Meeting

What’s happened?  Piedmonters have started planning improvements, including classrooms and fields, at Blair Park.  That should be well and good, as the park is within Piedmont’s jurisdiction.  However Montclarions living near Moraga Ave know and feel otherwise.

If kids are going to be dropped off and picked up at Blair Park, there would be clogged streets nearby.  If you live on Harbord, then it’s possible to experience morning rushes as Piedmonters turn around and head back home.

According to Montclarion Sandra Pohutsky, “Piedmont officials have been bombarded by email from Piedmont residents insisting that the temporary school not be placed in their neighborhoods, or objecting to having their child go to Emeryville to attend a temporary Piedmont school there.”

Last Friday, several Montclarions met with Piedmont councilwoman Margaret Fujioka and asked for guidance about communicating concerns.  She advised attending the upcoming meetings of the City Council (Jan 5th) and School Board (Jan 14th) – and time will be allotted for Montclarions then.

Reasonable discourse is possible!  Our first opportunity is tonight, when Piedmont is holding its City Council meeting (map).  These modular classrooms are on the agenda, and it would be lovely if concerned Montclarions appeared and addressed the Council.  Otherwise, expect this expansion to become a done-deal for the 2010 school year.

More info:   Read tonight’s City Council Agenda as well as the City Administrator Report about the entire Blair Park project.  Reach Geoffrey Grote, Piedmont City Administrator at ggrote@ci.piedmont.ca.us with your views, as well as City Councilmembers and Board of Education members.

Montclair Mirror: Your Searches Tell All

Today we would like to share what’s interesting to Montclarions, as reflected by the most popular searches conducted to find Today in Montclair and postings clicked once here.  In case you are worried, nothing traces back to individuals at all.

Let’s start with what you searched throughout 2008.  Bar none, the Hans Reiser case was the most sordid and popular news of the year.  Beyond that infamous murder case, our most prevalent concerns related to local fires, burglaries, voting, home values, and a little shopping.

Reiser On 48 Hours

All Things Reiser: Our famous murder case featured computer expert Hans Reiser, who killed and buried his wife in the hills.  We were aghast at the court proceedings, Nina’s recovery and their poor kids.  CBS-TV even aired a special 48 Hours program last night, where Hans reflected on his crime:

I felt that I was trying to keep my children safe….I feel very sad.  Sometimes, sometimes keeping children safe doesn’t lead to happiness.  In the law, there’s a difference between killing and murder.  I think that Rory deserved to be safe, which is different from thinking that Nina deserved to die.  I don’t think that people who hurt children or threaten to hurt children should die, but I think that children should be safe.  And I’m very sorry that Nina died.

Fires: There’s ongoing interest in local fires, long after the flames have been snuffed out.  As everyone knows, there were two main events this past year, namely the pre-season Hiller flare-up below homes and above Rt 24; and the late-season Tilden blaze mistakenly set during controlled burning.

Crimes: Of course, all the local crimes deserved our attention and there were some creative efforts like the restaurant stick-ups.  More recently, there have been perpetrators casing the hills and later breaking in.  While we have apprehended some burglars, there’s ongoing interest in how to protect our hearths.

Voting: This civic discourse was heartening, at national and local levels.  We wanted to attend an Obama rally, know exactly where to vote, and find out election results.  The interest in village leaders, local reps, and measures like OO and  WW was strong as well.

Home Values: The top searches related to median prices which recently held steady, as well as foreclosures and their movements.  Many villagers have lived here a long time, before cheap credit appeared.  As the market contracts and job losses mount, we’re holding our breath for the bad news ahead.

Pizza, Pizza: The sad truth is that Montclarions searched for pizza places more than anything else, except the Reiser murder.  Do you recall The Net (1995) with Sandra Bullock, when she ordered pizza online?  It’s nothing today to check menus or reviews online, though we still place orders by phone.  Searches for other edibles paled by comparison.

More Goods: Yes, the web has become our new yellow pages.  The searches for clothing, gifts and kids stuff remained steady all year.  Of course the search volumes spiked over the holidays, including decorations, village events and giving back to others.

So there you have it, a Montclair mirror held up to our collective souls.  We care about larger issues in our community, staying safe at home, and maybe trying to save a little time.  Just a microcosm of Hills life, I suppose.

Where To Book Dead Tickets

Yes, it’s true.  The Dead are undead again, and have announced a new spring tour.

By virtue of our geography, we are all honorary Dead Heads.  Maybe some of you can name concert dates/venues from your past, while others are wannabes.  Here’s another limited nostalgia trip, even without leader Jerry Garcia RIP.

Dead Tour 2009

What’s fun is playing the game, aka trying to nab a few tickets during the “pre-sale” period.  Ticket sales for Shoreline Ampitheater and all locations begin January 13th – click dead.net for details.  You should plan to go online at the strike of midnight, which beats lining up somewhere.

I understand that UC Santa Cruz, sacred keepers of the Grateful Dead’s papers, already chartered buses for this one Bay Area concert.  That way, their students and faculty can make an Olympics-like assault on Shoreline – only kidding.

Maybe some of you have the time, energy, desire and bucks to follow The Dead around the country, dunno.  There are 20 scheduled concerts in April and May, including many East Coast spots like Wilkes-Barre, Albany and Buffalo.  Do you really care that much?