Author: montclairoak

Happy 50th Birthday, Thornhill School

Thornhill Elementary School celebrates the big Five-Oh this year!  Originally it was built to serve the boomers, and has prospered since then.  Everyone connected with the school, past and present, is invited to a re-dedication ceremony on Wednesday evening, at 6:30 pm.

During the mid-1950s, the architects envisioned a very modern looking school situated beautifully in a natural landscape.  There was a large and open plaza for students to congregate as well.  Click here to see a full-sized version of the original architects’ drawing.

Thornhill School Vision

When construction began in 1957, the original site looked pretty barren and almost rural.  Here’s a snapshot of the framing underway and it doesn’t look too impressive at this stage.  Eventually the school was opened with great fanfare, by Fall 1958.

Thornhill School Construction

Not surprisingly, the school was an iconoclast right from the start and The Montclarion reported that “custard hit the fan” back in 1958.  Within weeks of opening, what should have been a perfunctory meeting of the new PTA (Parent Teacher Association) became a unified rebellion – and the unique PFC (Parent Faculty Club) was born.

Why did this happen?  Local parents objected to sending money to some far-away organization, preferring that all their resources stay with the new Thornhill School.  Additionally, mothers and fathers wanted to participate equally in the organization and hold meetings in the evenings.

Thornhill has been lovingly and consistently embraced by parents.  These days, they organize regular fundraisers to pay for a librarian and various arts/music offerings for kids, even when the Oakland Schools can’t afford them.  There are all kinds of special after-school enrichment classes too.

Today Thornhill has outgrown its original space, but the school continues to thrive.  Northern Montclarion kids are getting a good education and performing well, in what feels like a public/private partnership.  Congrats on reaching the half-century milestone, Thornhill.

Crimes Abate This Month

Based on the online stats available from the Oakland Police Department, the number of crimes has definitely been reduced in our neighborhood.

There were 25% fewer crimes than last month in the 94611 zip alone.  The northern reaches of Montclair (Beat 13Y) saw nearly a 66% reduction in crimes, due in part to the burglars who were finally caught.

Crime Last Month

While we continue to get smarter about locking up and generally protecting ourselves, there will be a Community celebration of sorts this Thursday evening, at the Montera Middle School Auditorium (map).

Sponsored by the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council and the Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association, all are welcomed at 6:30 pm for quick mixer and formal program from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Nick Vigilante, Montclair SIC co-chair, says “this will be a great opportunity for you to learn about what has occurred regarding the Montclair burglaries, meet many of the Police Officers assigned to Montclair, and say thank you to the Police Officers who have played a significant role in the burglary investigations and apprehensions.”

All our local cops will attend the meeting:

  • Senior Brass: Captain Anthony Toribio, Area Commander, who runs police operations for 1/3 of Oakland; Sgt. Oliver Cunningham, Lead Burglary Investigator; and Sgt. Bernard Ortiz, Problem Solving Unit Supervisor
  • Beat Officers: Montclair (Beat 13Z) Problem Solving Officer Maureen Vergara; Thornhill/North Oakland (Beat 13Y) Problem Solving Officer Mark Contreras; and Upper Estates/Rockridge (Beat 13X) Problem Solving Officer Randal Chew
  • Other Officers: Pat Gerrans; John Cunnie; and Mike Munoz

This is a convenient way to meet everyone, all in one place.  Of course, there will also be “business to conduct,” so come prepared with any questions you have while the officers are here in force.

Fire Season’s Officially Over

Hallelujah, the fire season’s officially over!

We fared well this year, with no real damage to home and hearth.  No one was forced to flee, like the Big One back in 1991.  Look at this photo showing everyone driving, one-way through town – and with the fires raging only a few miles behind them.

Oakland Fire 1991

During the 2008 season, we had two “book-end” fires:  one early and one late in the season.

The Hiller fire arrived in June and burned three acres.  It looked intense but was snuffed out quickly because we were, well, prepared for this sort of fire in the same place as 1991.

At the end of October, there was a controlled burn-gone-bad outside Tilden Park.  The Grizzly Peak fire burned around ten acres in the woods, but was put out quickly by coordinated fire fighters.

Add a few official Red Flag Warning days, where the winds are high and anything can ignite – and call the Fire Season over.

Who Is Bob Walker?

Lover of the East Bay Regional Parks, photographer Bob Walker was an activist who wanted to preserve as much land as possible.  He would have been quite happy about Measure WW passing, which extended the East Bay Regional Bond that he advocated through Measure AA.

Walker spoke through his photographs, not only snapping iconic vistas but also capturing other important open space perspectives.  Look at these examples below, showing the quiet perfection of fragile salt flats or new streets snaking into the landscape.

Bob Walker Collection

Bob became an environmentalist by chance, through his lenses.  He lead hikes, hosted slide shows, and took thousands of photos.  He’s known today by the ridge named in his honor, within the Morgan Territory Regional Preserve that he helped save.

Walker left behind 40,000 photographs of the parks, which he snapped between 1982-1992 for the Park District.  After his death in 1992, these images were eventually donated to and archived by the Oakland Museum.

The Museum periodically displays some of Walker treasures, including an exhibit of 40 selected images that closes today.  No worries, as there are many ways to check out the Walker collection online or in print – or just walk around the East Bay Parks legacy instead.

More info:   Some of Bob Walker’s images are available through this quick virtual slideshow.  The Wilderness Press also published After the Storm last year, a larger collection which is currently available from Amazon.  Learn more about Bob’s story, from the After the Storm exhibit several years ago.

No More Woolly Comfort

The Knitting Basket provided woolly comfort for Montclair Village.  When you passed by, those cubbies filled with colorful yarns looked wonderful – but there weren’t enough knitters to support the place.

The shop was already in its second life, re-opening a year ago under new management.  Now it’s out of business for good.

The Knitting Basket, R.I.P.

The Knitting Basket occupied a prime spot in the Village, right on Mountain Blvd.  There’s no way to tell who will take up residence next.  Does anyone know?