Local Events

Fine Art Returns To Montclair Village, This Weekend

The 34th Annual Fine Arts Sidewalk Festival is returning to Montclair Village this weekend, when our sidewalks come alive!  Stroll along Mountain, La Salle and Antioch to appreciate the artwork or acquire a treasure.

More than 90 professional artists from across the western US arrive here, after getting selected for this juried festival.  What we like best is the scale of the event, because it’s possible to meet the artists and learn what makes them tick.

You can expect a variety of painters, sculptors and jewelry makers in our nabe.  Below are some artists we discovered before, to whet your appetite for this year’s three-day show.

The sculptor, James Moore, hails from San Rafael.  He exhibited in Montclair last year, right in front of Le Bon Bon.  Moore’s pieces are all about guys who are unbalanced – or are balancing things.  Many of the sculptures are massive, and I want all of them.

Painter Kelvin Curry is from Oakland.  I think this piece above is elegant, don’t you?  You can see a video interview with Kelvin, who was inspired by his grandmother to become an artist.  He also likes to work in series, trying certain things over and over.

Jeweler Sica Roman wants to “create wearable art that can be recognized as symbols of our interconnectedness.”  This isn’t a piece you are likely to see everywhere, and I think it contains an evil eye and a serpent, hhmm.

We treat the Montclair Village Festival as a gallery or museum-quality stroll, and usually plan on spending a few hours wandering our streets.  This free exhibit is one of the highlights of living in the hills, where strollers are lucky to see the good stuff up close.  We also like to stand back and watch how other folks react to the art!

More info: Our 2009 festival takes place from June 26th – 28th. On Friday and Saturday, the hours are 10am – 6pm. On Sunday, the hours are 10am – 5pm.  It’s presented this year by the Montclair Village Association and Bay Area Newsgroup.

Soccer Celebrates Forty Years In Montclair

Over the years, the Montclair Soccer Club has provided a great haven for girls and boys.  Kids can join the club as little tikes (age five) and many stick to it for years and years.  Real-life soccer moms and dads are devoted too, with more than 900 families and 1,300 players now participating in club activities.

On Saturday, local soccer devotees are invited to celebrate 40 years in Montclair Village. The first youth team was started back in 1969, and this Shepherd Canyon celebration will be fully retro with hot dogs at 1969 prices (that would be 25 cents) plus fun stuff for kids like a slide and jumpy house.  There’s a raffle for the adults as well.

Tiffeny Milbrett - Soccer Star

The celebration features Tiffeny Milbrett, who will make an appearance at our field. Tiffeny’s a World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic Medalist, currently playing professional league soccer with the FC Gold Pride.  She plans to sign autographs and take photos with aspiring girls (and boys), who have seen her play in Santa Clara.

“Our first choice was Tiffeny Milbrett,” explained Montclarion Kimberly Guillen.  “Tiffeny’s story, from youth player to world class athlete, is one of resilience and triumph.  From a family with a hardworking single mom, Tiffeny had to make her own luck.”

As icing on the celebration cake, the Montclair Soccer Club will dedicate their new Shepherd Canyon parking lot.  Montclair Soccer has worked for eight years (!) to expand this lot for park users, in conjunction with other local groups and the City of Oakland.  The lot was constructed last fall – and has greatly improved the safety of park users and drivers since then.

More info: The Montclair Soccer Club celebration takes place on Saturday, June 13th, from noon to 1:30pm, at Shepherd Canyon Park.  Tiffeny Mibrett will appear at 12:30pm.  Given the expected crowd, please take the upper road and park at Escher.  To learn more, visit the Montclair Soccer Club for upcoming activities and season plans.

Camp in Joaquin Miller Park, A Rare Occasion

2010 Update:   Camp in Joaquin Miller Park this year, on June 26-27th!  Please call Stephanie Benavidez at 510-238-3739 to sign-up.  It costs just $8 per person, and remember to bring your own camp gear.

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If you have kids, then why not take them camping?  You probably have many excuses wrapped around the logistical maneuvers and long drives.  Save the hassles by participating in the Great American Backyard Campout – right here at Joaquin Miller Park.

Great American Backyard Campout

Once a year, you and your family can easily camp under the stars.  Oakland Parks and Recreation runs this great event at Joaquin Miller Park (map) – starting at 2pm on June 27th and breaking camp by noon on June 28th.

This camping staycation costs only $9/resident or $11/non-resident, which includes dinner, camp snacks, and a continental breakfast.  You do have to bring your own camping gear, though.

The main catch is signing up for a few coveted slots in advance.  Please sign up here or else call Stephanie Benavidez at 510-867-0669.

Mayor’s Race Begins In Montclair

Eight candidates have made it through the primary season, without too much fur flying.  Now it’s time to decide which beast will represent your interests in the Village.  Voting booths are officially open, and we encourage you to cast a ballot (or two) for Montclair’s next mayor.

Pet Mayor Contest 2009

What’s interesting is that two incumbents are on the ballot this year.  Current Mayor Gracie is running again as top dog.  Bella, a past mayor who’s now serving as canine commissioner, is also seeking to reclaim her spot.  They are well-known and often shake hands around the village.

Since there are eight candidates, they all deserve equal shakes.  Start by studying the candidate photos and their campaign promises here.  The other fresh and furry faces include Alice, Little Bear, Molly, Nitro and Rico.  Plus a turtle named Alex is making a slow and steady run.

It’s hard to pick from this august group, but no worries!  Each vote costs a buck, and there’s no limit to how many times you vote or who you vote for.  All proceeds go to the Pet & Wildlife Fund, which raised $15k last year to support injured wildlife.  The Montclair Veterinary Hospital fundraisers are hoping for a similar voter turnout this year.

Montclarions may either vote online or cast ballots at the Sunday Farmers’ Market voting booth – and maybe get a chance to meet the candidates in person.

Voting Tomorrow In The 94611

While you won’t be able to personally solve the State of California’s budgetary woes, at least you have a chance to be heard a little bit tomorrow.  You can decide whether to shuffle the state budget around…or not.

If you are registered and haven’t voted by mail, then this is your friendly push to vote on Tuesday, May 19th.  Now I’m not going to tell you what to do, but here are some handy links so you have no last minute excuses to forget your civic duty.

Not sure if you are eligible? There’s one way to find out, by checking your registration status.  If you are present and accounted for, then go ahead and identify your polling location for tomorrow.  We live in the modern era and you can do these things with your mouse-clicks.

Great Seal of California

Enter the no-spin zone. You probably have heard opinions about the six propositions already,  but we encourage you to enter the no-spin zone for a few minutes before heading to the polls.  Try out these video and text summaries of each proposition first:

To find out more about each proposition, read this Easy Voter Guide, prepared by the League of Women Voters.  Or else link to this Quick Reference Guide To Props, which was created by the State of California.

Want even more?   Dive into these Proposition Analyses or Full Voter Information Guide links.  Or worst case, check out  Google Search or Google News results and fend for yourself.

It will only take a few minutes at the polls tomorrow, and you have nothing to lose.  Have we created enough guilt and sense of responsibility for you to cast a ballot now?