Author: montclairoak

Oakland’s 13th Worst In Crime

Oakland does have high crime rates, when you look at both violent and non-violent crimes.  According to the MetroCrime 2008 Rankings, Oakland came in 13th worst out of 388 U.S. metro areas.

The CQ Press produces their rankings based on FBI crime statistics for six crimes:  murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.

Unlucky 13

For each crime type, CQ calculates the number of local crimes/100,000 population as well as variances vs. national averages.  Then CQ adds these six variances together to issue the metro results.

We’re not saying that violent crimes aren’t important.  However burglaries and motor vehicle thefts also contribute to quality of life, and should be included when assessing Oakland’s crime issues.

With this 13th ranking given to Oakland, we don’t have much farther to fall…sigh.

Oakland From Afar

We’re away from Oakland for a few days, and on the chilly East Coast.  There are no blossoms or signs of spring here.  There is plenty of crime and mayhem.

Essex County, NJ bears some resemblance to Oakland.  It’s home to Newark as well as Short Hills.  Of course, this is part of the Sopranos’ playground.

With all the Montclair and Oakland happenings, we are missing home now.  Please feel free to post messages about doings today in Montclair – and we’ll be back in a day or so.

Looked Around And Saw Blossoms

While Oakland began grieving today, we looked around and noticed all the spring blossoms.  What a relief to see all the seasonal flowering – whether next to highways, in cultivated gardens, or across open spaces.

Poppies Oakland

Our hearty California poppies are making their first appearances in various nooks and crannies.  Take a look at these “jailed poppies,” growing behind a chain link fence right now.

Lupines Oakland

The lupines are also showing up in open spaces and other odd places.  I spotted some of these wildflowers between Highways 24 and 13 today, on a small strip of land.  They were mixed together with the ubiquitous poppies, which were opening too.

Calla Lily Oakland

My personal favorites, the calla lilies, are appearing in gardens everywhere.  They have opened fully and are ready for admirers to ooh and aah.  Here’s a close-up image of this architectural flower.

All these shots were taken by Oaklanders in the past week or so.  Like your neigbhors, consider stopping to appreciate this multi-hued beauty contest.  It’s bound to perk you up.

Oakland Cops Killed In Our Backyard

What a sickening feeling, when we heard that three Oakland police officers were killed today along with one suspect.  Another officer remains in critical condition, and on life support.  Cop killing is rare indeed, and last happened here five years ago.

Two related shoot-outs took place today.  The first shootings occurred near the Eastmont police substation, while the later ones followed the suspect to 74th Avenue.  Check out the battleground in this Google map, below.

Eastmont Mall Area

Of course, this killing spree happened right in our backyard.  If you are a frequent flier, then you typically drive right past the old Eastmont Mall to the Oakland Airport.

We notated this Google map, by tagging Montclair (“A”), Eastmont (“B”) and the Airport (“C”).  The Eastmont area is at the halfway point, and the quickest way over to Hegenberger.

Montclair To Airport

It’s hard to comprehend the senseless killings and mayhem in this place today.  You could start driving on Rt. 880 to the airport, but is that really the right reaction?  These shootings won’t change my route yet, because I think they are just too random and rare.

Maybe this is how people who live in war zones start to feel.  There are some who batten down the hatches and stay in the green zone.  Meanwhile, others ignore the stormy weather and go about their business anyway.

More info:   Check out the Oakland Tribune’s report, several photos which don’t seem real, and early video with Acting Police Chief Jordan.  Also read the San Francisco Chronicle’sreport with updates, and national coverage from the NY Times and AP Wire.

Curing Poor Cell Phone Coverage

“My cell phone coverage stinks!” is a common cry from Montclarions.  When you drive around the village, it’s a hit-or-miss proposition.  Carrier signals vary from one neighbor to the next, in a seemingly random fashion.

“The Hills are probably the worst area to service from a cell phone provider’s standpoint,” explained Soren Jensen, who lives in the Village. “The geography combined with the need for line of sight and limited range requires you to be able to ‘see’ a cell tower in order to get reliable service.”

Ancient Phone Switch

Before you give up and simply rely on old wire lines, consider these tricks while at home.  Props to Paul Lindner, who shared some ways to fix your limited or non-existent cell phone reception:

  • Try a cell phone repeater: Amplify the signal with a device like zBoost.  This might work if you get some reception on your roof already, but not indoors.
  • Use a special cell phone: Buy a special, unlicensed mobile access (UMA) cell phone, and then rely on your WiFi/Internet service to make calls.
  • Look into a femtocell: Ask your carrier (i.e. Sprint or Verizon) for this device, so you can make Internet calls from any cell phone model.

It seems like you have nothing to lose by trying out some of these in-home solutions.  If you can freely use your cell at home, then lucky you!

P.S.  Thanks to everyone complaining about their cell phone carriers and coverage tonight, on the Montclair SIC message board…such inspiration.