Month: February 2009

Mom-in-Chief Appears In Montclair

No, Michelle Obama did not make a stealthy appearance in Montclair Village recently.  While the First Lady defines herself as a Mom-in-Chief, she’s clearly not alone.

There are many mothers trying to “get their acts together” at home, and they frequently rely on leadership skills learned at work.  Oaklander Jamie Woolf decided to share these approaches through Mom-in-Chief, a spiritual bible for would-be chiefs everywhere.

She published the bible last week, and began her speaking tour at A Great Good Place for Books.  See Woolf in action below, sitting on our favorite counter in the Village.

Mom-in-Chief appears in Montclair

Mothers should be able to reduce the chaos, explained Woolf, by learning how to motivate their kids.  Start the new school year, for example, by sharing a positive attitude.  “If every other word out of your mouth conveys how much you dread getting up early, supervising homework, running to sports practices and music lessons, and so forth, your child is hardly going to be enthusiastic about it either.”

The key is to set goals that matter to you and your kids.  Once the goals are established, it’s up to you to provide the right tools, chart out specific tasks, get back on track when things go awry, and remember to celebrate endings and beginnings.  Wow, that does sound a lot like the workplace!

Of course, parents want different things for their kids so these goals vary widely.  Try out the short quiz (PDF) to rank your parenting priorities.  There are some soul searching questions which help rank what you value most:  achievement, relationships or individuality.

No one said parenting was easy, but it appears that you are appreciated more than you realize.  Woolf pointed to a recent MTV/AP study which said that “the majority of teens find the most happiness in family.  What’s more, most respondents listed their parents (i.e. you) as their heroes.”

Anyway this new bible should provide sound strategies and inspiration, for fathers as well as mothers.  Hail to the Chiefs.

Metro Cafe & Bar, A Seismic Shift For Village

Forgive the earthquake metaphor, but we’re really excited the Metro Cafe & Bar has taken up residence in Montclair Village.  What an nice upgrade from predecessor Royal Ground, complete with real cafe food, coffee, wine and wi-fi.

Most importantly, the Metro sports nice, long hours:  6am-9pm weekdays and 7am-8pm weekends.  The place is located at 2058 Mountain Blvd, right in the center of the Village (map).

Cafe Metro Opens

There are good breakfast options until 11am, especially if you want to grab something beyond the baked goods typically in coffee shops.  I can attest to very friendly service today, as they accepted my bagel and lox order a few minutes past the cut-off time.  Other menu items include oatmeal, yogurt, fruit and an egg sandwich.

I’ll have to return for lunch or dinner soon, since the mediterranean, nicoise, salmon and chinese chicken salads all sound quite good to me.  While there are several hot and cold veggie sandwiches, the hot ham and gruyere catches my eye as well.

We hope the Metro turns into another third-place for the Village, as a real alternative to Peet’s or Crogan’s.  Have you tried ’em yet?

North Hills Council Stays Vigilant

As you may know, Montclair is divided into two police beats lovingly known as 13X and 13Y.   The “Y” actually ranges from Thornhill Drive to the Berkeley border, with plenty of hills and circuitous streets through Montclair, Hiller and Claremont.

In these northern reaches, residents communicate their safety priorities through the North Hills Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC).  The area is doing pretty well in terms of lower reported crimes, but the Council stays vigilant.

North Hills - Ten Areas

Council officers meet monthly to discuss safety matters and establish priorities which are shared with Oakland police.  Additionally, they host three Town Hall meetings each year and local luminaries are invited to speak.  Here’s the scoop from the latest Town Hall, held on Wednesday night:

  • New Citizen Officers: There’s a newly-elected slate of leaders including Chair Nancy Mueller; Vice Chair Melissa Rosengard; Secretary Steve Reinlib; Treasurer and Webmaster Barry Pilger; Neighborhood Watch Chair Jim Dexter; and Publicity Head Sara Somers.
  • Crime Under Control: Beat 13Y residents have seen crime levels drop after two burglars were identified and nabbed last fall.  While there are no active burglary trends now, Police Officers Mark Contreras and Randall Chew continue to provide roving patrols.  The cops said that traffic officers are issuing tickets in problem intersections, as identified by the Council.
  • Supporting Audits: Oakland Auditor Courtney Ruby shared her accomplishments and challenges.  Ruby has audited measure funds, including emergency/medical and library services.  She also plans to work through all city departments.  Regardless of progress, audit recommendations aren’t treated as a priority – and Ruby asked residents to push the City Council about these fixes.

Want to help the hood? The North Hills Council welcomes your participation in sharing local safety matters.  They are still filling volunteer spots to represent each neighborhood area.  Additionally, they invite the public to their monthly meetings (times/dates), at Fire Station 7, 1006 Amito Ave (map).  Of course, North Hills residents are encouraged to share their concerns or ideas anytime with the Council, at info@northhillsncpc.org.

City Boosts Public Safety Team

There seems to be some good news from City Hall, since newly-appointed public safety coordinator, Dorlista Reed, will work with her predecessor, Claudia Albano.

With both Reed and Albano on board, this team represents a boost to public safety.  Now let’s see how they work together, to support community-based policing and neighborhood watch groups.

Albano issued this message about her role:

I have accepted the position of Deputy Public Safety Coordinator, and will be working under the new Public Safety Coordinator Dori Reed.  I will be talking with her…about my specific duties and how they may relate to the Neighborhood Services Division.

Last week, City Administrator Dan Lindheim surprised “everyone” when he announced changes to the public safety team.  Coordinator Albano, who was admired by many Oaklanders, received a pink slip.

There was an immediate hue and cry from Oaklanders who relied on neighborhood services.  Montclarions and other neighbors protested loudly to City Council members, the City Administrator, and Mayor.

Well, the combination of protests and good politics kept Albano on Oakland’s payroll.  We think Oaklanders may end up with even more support for local neighborhood and safety initiatives – and that has to be a good thing.

Fast Food Vanishes In The Hills

Did you ever think about the lack of fast food outlets in the hills?  As you head up, the fast food outlets disappear from view.  When you drop down to the slants and flats, they return in full force and other options become scarce.

The Montclair District has a few convenience stores and no fast food chains at all.  You have to head down Broadway, to reach the closest Wendy’s.  You can also find Sparky’s Giant Burgers, near Lincoln Square.  Otherwise you are out of luck.

Take a look at this map prepared by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) last year.  It shows the quantity of fast food and convenience stores per 1,000 residents.   The highest concentrations,  in dark brown, are clearly located in the inner cities as well as UC Berkeley.

Oakland Fast Food Density

Our lack of fast food outlets should be a blessing.  Health officials in our county and state have studied the correlations between the presence of junk food and poor health.  If there are more outlets per capita, then there are statistically higher rates of obesity and diabetes among residents.

Last April, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy released a study showing 20% higher rates of obesity and 23% higher diabetes in places with RFEIs above 5.0 versus below 3.0.  RFEI, which stands for retail food environment index, calculates the ratio between junk food outlets and grocery stores/produce vendors.

The evidence is irrefutable, and the state-level study says that bad RFEIs cause equally bad health outcomes – whether these outlets are located in high or low income places.  We are what we eat, and if the junk food isn’t available then we don’t fall prey to it.

Throughout Oakland, the way to fix things isn’t to literally shut down all the fast food places but to add better options into the mix.  When we hear about farmers’ markets getting set up or a new grocery store opening, that’s cause for celebration.

More info: The Alameda County Public Health Department conducted a thorough study about health and social inequities, including Food Access & Liquor Stores.  The California Center for Public Health Advocacy released their Designed For Disease study, including policy brief, county ranks and methodology links.