Just The News

Park Blvd Light Goes Live, Tomorrow

Well, this has been a long time coming.  The Park Boulevard exit from Highway 13 has been graced with a brand-new traffic light, which has been “in mothballs” for a while.

Tomorrow the light will finally get turned on.  [On December 3rd, the traffic light went live.]

Traffic Light Tree

Depending on your commuting behaviors, this new light could be a blessing or a curse.  It’s easy to imagine a build-up on the highway during the rush hours – but we won’t know until the reds, yellows and greens are lit.

What was the hold-up?  We believe the PG&E staff changed and its work queue fell apart.  The power company plans to turn on the juice now, we’ll see.

November 29th Update:

According to City Council rep Jean Quan, “PG&E turned on power at the traffic signal on November 19th, as promised.  The City is now working with the contractor to complete all items on the final punch list.  This includes installing signs, pavement markings, barricades, photoelectric units, security locks, grounding, minor foundation work, clean-up, and tree trimming.  Note that all work is subject to inspection and approval by the City and CalTrans.  When all items on the final punch list are completed, the City will activate the traffic signal.”

Stop Your Jaywalking

Stop your jaywalking, while running errands or shopping in Montclair Village.  According to the buzz, our cops will begin actively ticketing pedestrians for committing this crime and breach of etiquette.

Local merchants watched the police hold court on La Salle last Thursday and Friday.  A few confirmed that cops were warning jaywalkers, yet stayed focused on ticketing folks who drove through crosswalks while pedestrians were still there.

No Jaywalking

According to eyewitness Laurel Strand, the cops “were actually holding up traffic yesterday while ticketing motorists in the middle of La Salle – kind of a surreal scene as the merchants and pedestrians all outside watched the ticketing as a strange form of entertainment.”

Roger Vickery, director of the Montclair Village Association, explained that Oakland Police were responding to community requests, and will “be back to address jaywalking and motorist behavior in the future.”

“Village merchants want the laws obeyed but not to the point where shopping in the Village is affected,” said Vickery.  “Perhaps with a bit more cooperation between pedestrians and motorists we won’t have the need for OPD enforcement.  I would seriously welcome that.”

So what is jaywalking?  Well, it means crossing the street between intersections where there are lights, stop signs, and obvious crosswalks.  To clarify, here are relevant excerpts from the California Legal Codes:

  • Code 21955:  Crossing Between Controlled Intersections – Between adjacent intersections controlled by traffic control signal devices or by police officers, pedestrians shall not cross the roadway at any place except in a crosswalk.
  • Glossary 445:  Official Traffic Control Signal – Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and proceed and which is erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction.
  • Code 21950:  Pedestrians At Crosswalks – (b) No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.  No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

Don’t know about you, but I have definitely parked on La Salle or other places and just scurried across the street to do errands.  Now we’ll have to consciously reach a crosswalk and proceed – and this shouldn’t be too onerous.

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.

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?