Places Of Note

Where Montclarions Buy Xmas Trees, Wreaths

You could travel far and wide, venturing to actual Christmas Tree farms in the hinterlands.  But the Piedmont Boy Scouts and local nurseries make holiday decorations much easier.

For traditional cut trees, head over to the Boy Scout lot on 890 Moraga Avenue (map).  The scouts will be at your service on Monday-Thursday, 4:00-8:00pm; Friday, 1:30-9:00pm; and weekends, 9:00am-9:00pm through December 23rd.

The Piedmont scouts have organized this tree lot for the past 40 years, and it’s become a local tradition for both scouts and their neighbors.  Even KCBS News Reporter Mark Seelig reported on the action, just a few days ago (listen to MP3).

Wreaths

Maybe a cut tree isn’t your thing?  No worries, as our local nurseries have other options available for holiday decorations.  Make a quick visit to Thornhill Nursery (map, site, reviews) or Broadway Terrace Nursery (map, reviews) instead.  I reached both places today and they are stocked with plenty of wreaths, garlands and swags now.

In addition, Thornhill Nursery can provide live Christmas trees for an eco-friendly twist.  They offer a nice selection of redwood trees for you to decorate and appreciate all year round, in five, seven and 15 gallon containers – which roughly equate to five, six and eight-nine footers.

The Broadway Terrace folks mentioned their supply of beautiful flowering plants, including poinsettias, cyclamens, amaryllis and even hand-selected orchids that won’t bankrupt you.  This nursery sells interior decorations, too.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, our hillside homes look good with extra dose of greenery this time of year.  It’s worth sprucing up, if you pardon the pun.

Backstage At The Caldecott Tunnel

When you’re a Montclarion, the Caldecott Tunnel is an omnipresent beast.  You constantly drive over, around or through the tunnel – and know the bores quite well.

However there’s a seldom-seen backstage for tunnel operations.  Much like a theater, Supervisor Doug LaVallee and other Caltrans workers monitor the stage for air circulation and traffic.  Check out Inside Bay Area’s video and article, which are interesting.

In the video, the supervisor explains how the tunnel operations work and walks through all the backstage areas.  He opens the stage door, where the traffic is whipping along.  Plus you glimpse the barrier changes, when traffic directions are switched that day.

Caldecott Tunnel Video

History and Growth:

These tunnels have been part of the landscape for a long time.  The Caldecott’s original two bores opened in 1937 and replaced the rickety hillside tunnel built in 1909.  The third bore was added in 1964, to accommodate the growing East Bay population headed to Oakland and San Francisco.

In the intervening years, BART was constructed and these trains accommodate many commuters.  Yet auto traffic still creeps along the Rt. 24 freeway, and Caldecott’s one of the best-known traffic jams in the Bay Area.  We’re so proud to hear the radio reports weekdays!

Plans for a fourth bore have been shaping up for years, and are slated to begin during 2009.  Some $420 million of funding has been secured from a mix of agencies and bonds, at least the last we knew.  Here’s how the eastbound approach looks today and would appear with an additional bore.

Caldecott Before And After

Construction Matters:

Montclarions are rightfully concerned about the disruption underneath our proverbial feet, when drilling starts up.  There are mixed feelings about whether the State authorities have done a sufficient job with construction mitigation.

Many locals, who live north of the tunnel, organized as the Fourth Bore Coalition to file suit and push for additional environment review.  They are worried about noise pollution and its impact on local schools, among other matters.

By contrast, local press wants the construction to proceed without delay.  The Contra Costa Times called this a nuisance lawsuit.  The Oakland Tribune felt the bore should proceed as well, when the suit was filed.  We await the judge’s ruling this month.

Regardless, the fourth bore is a done deal.  Whenever the Caldecott construction finally begins, this new bore will be a mostly underground and slow-moving project.  It’s expected to take five years, and open sometime in 2014.

More info:   The California Dept of Transportation has a tunnel site devoted to all its construction plans, and you can spend hours reading here.  The Fourth Bore Coalition has filed a brief here, which seeks additional assessments.

Acupuncture For Your Pets

Maybe this isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds!  Dr. Gary Richter has opened a new business, Holistic Veterinary Care, as an adjunct to his standard veterinary practice in the Village.

Yes, Fido and Fifi can now opt for alternative treatments when modern western medicine doesn’t work effectively.  Maladies like back pain or hip degeneration are experienced by our pets, and they can be addressed through holistic approaches.

Holistic Vet Care

Dr. Richter has begun offering alternative care for dogs, cats and other small creatures.  These treatments include acupuncture, chiropractic services, pulsed signal therapy and herbal/nutritional advice.

Some real-life successes?  Richter effectively cured Kettle, who suffered from renal failure, and Poppy, who had debilitating back pain – and both are thriving today.

More info:  I stopped by the vet’s busy office yesterday and confirmed they are accepting patients now.  Holistic Veterinary Care is located at 1969-B Mountain Ave (map) or call 510-339-2600.

Housing Prices Dipping Slightly, Sort Of

Given the credit crisis underway, you might expect to see downward pressure on our local real estate.  Yet our listing prices, courtesy of Trulia.com, seem fairly solid so far.

If you stare long enough at the monthly numbers, then you’ll detect a slight softening for two and three bedroom homes.  Listing prices have dipped slightly over the past two months – but it’s hard to call this a trend.

94611 Real Estate Prices

Surprising to me, because banks have pulled back on easy mortgages and increased their down payment requirements.  I’m wondering when this tightening will impact real estate listings in the 94611 zip.

There are plenty of other influences playing here.  Our available inventory isn’t that large, which may buttress prices.  On the other hand, there are foreclosures which naturally push down numbers.

It would be good to revisit these prices, as a bellwether for our area.

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.