Author: montclairoak

Shepherd Canyon Spring, While It Lasts

Like many Montclarions, we drive up and down Shepherd Canyon all the time.  It’s easy to forget all the preservation efforts, especially the push back on California Highway 77 decades ago.  With time to spare (or kill), we took a quick turn up Escher to appreciate the peaceful park.

These days, you can get your Shepherd Canyon spring while it lasts!  The park radiated lushness late yesterday.  Plenty of water flowed in the creek, the trails felt damp, and the greenery exploded everywhere.  This scene seemed perfect looking down into the park.

We walked down the trail and were amazed by the range of greens and yellows, especially from the blossoming trees and glistening grass underfoot.  It helped that the photo below was taken near that “bewitching hour,” when the colors seemed crisper.

In fact, the color palate just kept changing and looking glorious.   A couple and their baby were posing in the grass for a professional photographer.  Even a non-pro, like your faithful blogger, was able to capture this landscape painting.

We visited this little park when it was virtually empty.  There were a couple of young guys playing Tarzan across the creek, as well as a daughter who dallied in an inner-tube swing while her father cheered her.

This scene could have played fifty-odd years ago.

Bike Racks Are Hitching Posts

Yesterday, we noticed an everyday occurrence in Montclair Village:  a trusty steed waited patiently for its master, who was grabbing coffee or running errands nearby.

The bike racks frequently serve as modern-day hitching posts for dogs, not all that different from saddled horses.  Their owners arrive in town with their best buddies and tie them safely to these inverted-U posts.

This cute pooch, who had been secured to one of the racks, was well-behaved and friendly as the world passed by.  We couldn’t resist a quick hello here and the dog reciprocated.

While hanging out, the steed eventually resorted to a sidewalk nap.  We didn’t clock how long this particular dog was hitched, though we believe a half-hour passed until the master returned.

These hitched dogs come and go all day, along Mountain Boulevard and Antioch Court.  To us, they are Montclair Village’s goodwill ambassadors.

Crime Stats Reveal Leap In Burglaries

When you dig into the Montclair crime statistics, there’s a real story around here.  In the Montclair core, burglaries increased nearly three-fold during the past month:  from five to 14 hits.

As a public service, below are Oakland Police Department crimes reported over the past 60 days.  We divided the relevant stats into two 30-day chunks, to see what’s changed or not changed.

When you look at the entire 94611 zip code, overall reported crimes dropped slightly.  The northern Montclair (13Y beat) dropped a bit, with fewer burglaries but increased thefts.

The Montclair core (13Z beat) was hardest hit by burglaries, while the area’s overall crime count remained steady.  Our village also experienced an obvious spate of vandalism earlier this year, only slightly visible in the reported stats.

One last observation:  we have noticed that traffic tends to drop when reporting crimes stats and subjects.  With the burglary news, we hope you were able to swallow this dose of cod-liver oil.

Oakland Wins An Oscar

It’s true!  At the Oscar awards this weekend, Pixar’s Up received golden guys for best original score and best animated feature.  We watched locally-based director Pete Docter accept the feature award on primetime TV – and loudly hooted and hollered for Oakland.

Pixar sometimes sneaks a Bay Area reference into their movies, which makes sense considering the animators work in nearby Emeryville.  Oakland made a cameo this go-around, as the place where you could eat ice cream and truly appreciate life.

Pete Docter lives somewhere in spitting distance of Piedmont Avenue.  So when our Oscar winning director decided that an ice cream shop belonged in the story, he naturally cast Fentons Creamery as the idealized spot.  According to Fentons folks, he goes there all the time with his family and friends.

We are now officially immortalized by Members of the Academy, no less.

Greening Oakland Homes Checks In

Over the weekend, Greening Oakland Homes held a fair at the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club.  After months of consideration and contributions by many volunteers, this Saturday event invited all neighbors to dip their toes into the world of energy audits, green retrofits and alternative energy.

Yes, saving energy is inherently local.  As a homeowner, it’s pretty natural to ask neighbors what they did or who they used when making improvements in their energy and water consumption.  It can be daunting to embark on a project, when you haven’t been swimming here before.

Rather than some overwhelming event, there were selected vendors who served Oakland.  Many of them said things like “well, we did a place that…” and proceeded to share projects that happened nearby.

Of course, going to the Women’s Club is always a treat.  The room on the left, a dark and richly covered place, was used for presentations.  And the main ballroom showcased all the vendors, along with info from local utilities and the City of Oakland.

I don’t really want to play favorites but the cool windows and coverings caught my eye.  One group that trains young adults to do energy audits and improvements seemed pretty terrific, too.

Missed it?  You can check out info about greening initiatives and more at their website.