Our Opinions

Dealing With Those Ants

We have arrived at ant season.  Somehow, these very small ants find their way into interesting spots around the house.  They arrive in battalions, sneaking through cracks and door jams and other unknown sources.  Even if you are very clean, they still appear inside older homes.

Ant Triptych

I wonder how they decide to make their formations.  Often they walk in line on the floor, playing follow the leader’s scent.  Sometimes they choose to fan out a bit, in a corner.  Occasionally they break from organized teams, trying to find something interesting to explore.

Regardless, they are an easy target.  The mass murderer arrives – that would be me – fully armed with appropriate carcinogens from the supermarket.  I have a lemon fresh variety this season, and generally spray into a location.  Then I unceremoniously pick up the remains with some tissues and flush them away.

After a while, I forget these creatures ever graced the place – until fresh rains arrive and a new group decides to visit.  History repeats itself every year.

Do Oakland Closures Save Enough Money?

The City of Oakland will save *a little* money by closing its offices one day/month.  We seem to be timid about asking city workers to feel the pain, though.

On the day before Thanksgiving, the City of Oakland will shut down all non-essential services.  Our police and fire departments stay opened, along with Head Start and a few other places.

Shut Happens

Last week, the Oakland Tribune confirmed these monthly closures through June, as well as regularly scheduled closures between Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

There are also cuts in police overtime, five percent reductions in base pay, and $430k savings from the Mayor’s Office.  There’s no question all these actions will help, as every penny matters now.

However I’m an advocate for cutting back further. Start by looking at Silicon Valley as an example, where many engineers and knowledge workers toil away.  These tech sector employees aren’t exactly landed gentry anymore.

Since the cold winter arrived last month, Silicon Valley managers and staffers have been laid off in droves while others have taken large cuts in take-home pay.  Everything is slowing and cash must be conserved – and these businesses cannot operate with Oakland-like deficits.

With that in mind, it’s tough to say that Oakland has gone far enough. I’m unable to inspect city salaries, yet understand (but cannot verify) that we pay pretty well compared to other cities.  Oakland is almost treating employment like an entitlement program.

City workers don’t seem to be giving up much, yet.  With offices closed one day per month, these workers will sacrifice 1/30th of their pay.  They should be able to keep their health and other benefits without problems.

So while I’m pleased that Oakland’s taking some steps to conserve, they could cut more deeply like their private industry counterparts.  Is this simplistic?  Do you agree?

Celebrating $2.50 Per Gallon

Among the three gas stations in the Village, one has finally dipped below $2.50 per gallon for low-test gas.  The independent station at Thornhill attained this milestone, while the two oil company-branded stations on Mountain are almost there.

Gas Prices

What a change from the sheer despair we felt back in June when prices were north of $4.50 per gallon.  Now that it costs just 55% of that sky-high amount, commuters can breath a sigh of relief.

According to U.S. Census data, some 62% of 94611 residents drive alone to work.  We travel to all compass points, and 25% spend at least 45 minutes commuting daily.  So declines in gas prices translate into meaningful savings.

Do we return to our gas-guzzling ways after work?  Do we hit the roads, California dreamin’ and all?  Hhmm.

Sorry, Montclair Soaps Aren’t Edible

“I cut my soap into square bars an inch thick.  At first glance they look a bit like a nice cheese,” says Kim Emanuel, owner of Montclair Soaps.  They look so delectable that he’s actually heard someone exclaim, “Wow, these are lovely…can you eat them?”  Well, no.

Emanuel has been making unique soaps here for the past two years, using olive oil.  He explains that “olive oil is very similar to the natural oils manufactured by skin and so it acts to moisturize and protect, without being greasy.  The cold process of making olive oil soap results in a bar that is both deeply cleansing, moisturizing and extremely gentle to the skin.”

Montclair Almond Cherry Soap

Of course, there’s an interesting back story about Kim and his decision to begin making and selling soaps in 2006.  He’s a semiconductor engineer by day and felt the need to do “something a bit more human.”

“Soap by nature is very touchable, has wonderful aroma, it’s pretty and one can retreat into a tub of hot water with a bar of great soap,” declares Kim.  “Before you know it, all the stress of the day drifts away.  It’s a meditation.  Soap is wonderful!”

He says his “favorite part of the whole process is when people come back to me after using my soap and tell me how much they love it, or how nice their skin feels…or how their nine-year-old son takes more baths now.”

It’s great to have a real soap maker in our backyard.  Among the 14 varieties, he sees the highest demand for Mint Rosemary, Almond, Apricot, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Pear and Lavender soaps.  I’m attracted to the Lemon Grass, which puts me in the minority.

Montclair Soaps

Holiday Gift Alert! Montclair Soaps maintains an online store and also holds court Sundays at the Temescal Farmers Market.  You can order soaps online here, and Kim has graciously offered all Montclarions a $1/bar discount by inserting the word “MONTCLAIR” in the coupon code box at checkout.

Also you can avoid shipping charges completely, as a local.  Just mention that you want to pick up bars at the Temescal Farmers Market (next to the DMV on Claremont Ave) when you see the special instructions in the online shopping cart.  You can meet Kim there every Sunday to pick up your order.

The First Signs Of Rainy Season

After taking our weather for granted, this storm is a quick reminder of the rainy season ahead.  It’s admittedly beautiful in some ways, as we’re watching the fog pour through the hills.  The rains are not torrential yet.

Here’s a virtual tour of how a Montclair rainy day looks and feels, up in the parks.  We begin with a snapshot of a local chihuahua, who’s clearly stressed by the muddy trail walk.  He (or she) is properly pampered and protected from the raindrops, but that doesn’t seem to help much.

Next, the earthworms emerge from even the slightest rain showers.  (Personally I prefer the banana slugs, but they have not yet arrived on the scene.)  In this photo, a lone earthworm has surfaced on top of the rocky soil, and will likely be joined by others soon.  Of course, they have nowhere to go and may get trampled.

Finally here’s an peaceful image of a foggy and rainy day taken in Redwood Park, which should be familiar to Montclarions.  To me, the rainy days actually tamp down the noise levels in the parks.  It’s very comfortable walking among the trees.  For Hollywood mavens, we’re about to see something evil unfold – Blair Witch Trial, anyone?

We haven’t had any rain in so long, and are still suffering from drought conditions.  This weekend provides just a taste of the rainy season we desparately need.  Yet we have to whine a little – it’s sometimes difficult to stay upbeat with the doom and gloom surrounding Montclair.