Month: February 2010

When Three Cops Hang Out

Not much of a headline here, but there was something very comforting about seeing three local cops hanging out at our coffee place last night.  Yet they weren’t chilling with their dinner salads.

Instead this trio was deep in discussion, much like any work colleagues getting together.  While I wanted to overhear them, I failed miserably in my attempts to play undercover agent.

Every so often, a word or two floated over to my side of the coffee shop.  My sense is these police were chatting about subjects like performance tracking.  They were definitely in lean-forward mode – and trying to figure out how to get some stuff done.

I admit to feeling a little glow of security, with all the officers nearby.  On reflection, I also felt empathy for what they needed to accomplish.  How can any cops really be effective with the continued, steady beat of crimes around here?

On that note, some Montclarions are having a rough time lately.  There’s a new wave of car windows broken, things stolen from cars and even stolen cars.  One neighbor mentioned running after someone who was aiming to steal more the other night, but the potential perp sprinted away.

It’s a big deal when you have been violated, regardless of the overall stats and response rates.  There’s not much you can do without garages to hide your cars.  While we assume all this activity has already been reported to the police, it dampens the spirits far more than the rains.

Still there’s no question that our cops seemed to care, as I watched them huddle last night.

Take A Number, Climb Half Dome

Starting this summer season, hiking on Half Dome will feel like visiting Merritt Bakery:  take a number.  Crowd control is an real issue on the upper cables, so Yosemite brass will now offer permits on a first-come, first-served basis.

What’s different?  You’ll need to plan in advance for ascents on busy Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting May 21st.  You’ll also need to shell out $1.50 for each ticket to the top – and that’s a small price to pay for improved safety.

It’s about time!  Half Dome is an iconic symbol of Yosemite, and everyone’s welcome to hike around it.  However far too many people attempt to reach the summit, topping out at 1,200 per day last season.  The U.S. Park Service will sell 400 permits per day, a volume that still seems rather high but makes good sense.

During my last Dome hike, hundreds of people waited, waited and waited some more to use the cables.  While on the sub-dome, I moved like molasses.  To my eyes, at least half the visitors appeared scared, weak or generally ill-prepared – and it was plainly risky under these conditions.

I have been fortunate to climb the Dome off season, when the approach hike was snowy and the cables were down.  This meant the stanchions were removed, and the cables hung right on the rock face.  It felt like a serious alpine ascent to me, even using the cables as a secured back-up.  On that early May day, there were few people in sight and the whole ascent seemed safer.

If you have been around Half Dome during the ‘aughts, then you know that something needed to be done.  Your National Park Service, acting in loco parentis, decided to give permitting a try the next two years – and we should all support ’em.

More info:  Half Dome’s permit sales begin on March 1st.  You may nab up to four daily permits per person, by calling (877) 444-6777 or registering online.  Read more about today’s permit news.

These Birds Aren’t Shy

Two handfuls of steller’s jays visited this morning.  They seemed like the quarterbacks of the bird world – handsome, hearty and very secure with themselves.  They also were quite noisy and not remotely shy, and checked out my place on their own terms.

Our visitors made themselves comfortable on the deck railing, roof line and nearby trees.  First we noticed two jays sitting on the railing for a pretty long time.  Then we “tuned in” and spotted three more tails sticking out from the roof-line.  A couple more were actively flying, landing and taking off around a nearby pine tree.

With plenty of windows, we felt lucky these visitors didn’t start attacking their own reflections – which they mistake for other birds.  According to Bay Nature, these birds may get rather feisty during mating season but not today.

Then we decided to get closer, and walked onto the deck.  The bold jays on the deck railing weren’t spooked and stuck around.  Maybe they were waiting for some morsels, which weren’t forthcoming from this stingy human!

Apparently these steller’s jays were stopping to catch their breaths, before departing for greener digs.  After 15 minutes or so, their visit was over and they took off to parts unknown.

Montclarions Speak: Singers You Like

Montclarions are more mainstream than we expected, at least when it comes to favorite singers.

A couple weeks back, Today in Montclair conducted a survey and asked about all kinds of entertainment picks.  Now that the Grammy Awards have been doled out, we wanted to see how your singer selections fared.

Your Favorites This Past Year

For male singers, you liked Jason Mraz and Michael Buble best.  Here your tastes matched up with Grammy voters.  Lately, Mraz has stretched out a bit with his jazzier Make It Mine.  And Buble has kept crooning, though we did laugh while watching his not-so-smooth supermarket video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA

You also stuck to Grammy winners when declaring favorite group and female singer, respectively.  The Black Eyed Peas have been around for some time, and their I Gotta Feeling was the “let’s party” hit last year.  Of course Taylor Swift broke from the 2009 pack, complete with her sweet and angsty country numbers like You Belong With Me.

Your Favorites Over The Years

There weren’t a lot of alternative rocker or rapper fans here.  Among male singers, you preferred John Mayer and Ben Harper this past decade.  Sting and Michael Jackson hit the radar for your favorite male artists of all time.

You were less unified when picking your favorite females, but Beyonce, Sarah McLachlan and Kelly Clarkson made the list this decade.  Earlier-era favorites included Madonna and Janis Joplin.

Finally, your top groups changed over time too.  Coldplay was the clear pick during the ‘aughts.  Before then, the Beatles and Rolling Stones were your all-timer groups.  And here I thought the Grateful Dead would emerge – no dice.

New Sushi Spot In Two Weeks

We are really excited about Kakui, a new sushi spot that’s scheduled to open in two weeks.  Today we stopped by this former Jamba Juice location to check the progress, and you don’t see much that makes you think “banana smoothie” anymore.

Years ago, there was a 50’s era restaurant here and maybe some features will re-emerge now.  Much of the exterior stucco has been removed, and you see a nice wood-topped entry instead.

We took a quick look inside.  The first thing that stands out is an elegant north wall with vertical cut-outs for sake.  A sushi bar takes its position on the opposite side, but doesn’t overwhelm the place.  Although Kakui’s tables and chairs were wrapped up, some espresso wood pieces peeked out.

Fortunately we ran into the proprietor, Yingji Huang, who was overseeing all the preparations today.  He’s eager to fill the gap for a top-notch sushi restaurant, and we can’t argue with that goal.  While Toshi Sushi is not far away, some serious competition is a very good thing!

Back in 2008, we asked about your Asian food consumption and half reported eating sushi once or twice monthly.  The most ardent sushi eaters didn’t stick around much at all, traveling to Berkeley and even San Francisco for fresh fish morsels.

My sense (and hope) is that Kakui will shine – and look forward to giving it a test run soon.

More info:  Kakui is at 2060B Mountain Blvd, in Montclair Village.  You may reach them at (510) 338-1188.