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Our Beloved Bay Bridge, In The Beginning

In honor of this weekend’s Oakland Bay Bridge closure heading westbound, we decided to remember the 75-year-old in better days.  As a newborn, she was an engineering marvel and the longest cantilever bridge in the world.

Let’s flashback to the four-day long, bridge opening celebration.  Julian Lozos, a San Franciscan, shared this cover art from the ceremony program itself.  The cover, which Lozos discovered and bought on eBay, is a thing of 1936 deco-beauty.  Though I wonder why all the people seem mellow and a bit snobbish.  Show some enthusiasm!

Next, we go to the Bay Bridge parade route.  Another local, Ward Ryan, digitized films about Bay Bridge construction and discovered this lovely parade float.  Who are these goddesses adorning the bridge?  Do they provide a classy touch or something more?  We think they have been replaced by our lucky troll, who currently resides on the bridge itself.

Last but not least, we present an image from the Little Miss Bay Bridge contest.  Pleasanton resident J. Boles shared this snapshot of his mother, who represented Emeryville and won the contest.  She was awarded a nice ribbon by actress Rochelle Hudson, a big deal at the time.  So we have proof there were contests well before the Toddlers & Tiaras era.

The Bay Bridge has done yeoman’s service, without major changes.  Her two decks were revamped over fifty years ago, to remove the trains and accommodate growing vehicle traffic.  And we know about the fixes since the 1989 Loma Prieta collapse, necessary but not sufficient for long-term safety.  The bridge could only last for a lifetime.

On Labor Day 2013, we will marvel at our brand-new, replacement bridge that moves with earthquakes.  She will become another shining beacon, complete with open views towards Oakland and the hills.  And we’ll all be there, this time.

P.S.  Tip of the hat, to contributors and posters on Facebook’s Bay Bridge memories.

Safeway Redwood: Impact On Montclair?

Safeway’s been slowly upgrading their Oakland stores.  They did renovate the Montclair location a few years ago, to give Lucky’s a run for their money.

Now the small, old Safeway on Redwood Road, at Lincoln Square, is getting its day in the sun.  Unlike other Oakland spots where potential upgrades would impact traffic and walking flows, this Safeway sits in the back of an existing parking lot.

Thus far, Safeway has asked for online supporters and their inputs.  Over 230 locals have already applauded the renovation news.  And now, let the quibbling over features and amenities begin.

Libby Schaaf, our District 4 Council Rep, is planning a meeting to gauge comments, ideas and concerns on a broader scale.  We think that’s a good move, given the hoopla with other Safeway renovations.

Montclarions probably don’t and won’t frequent this location too much.  Yet some of these new Safeway supporters, who live further East,  have mentioned they will stop heading to Montclair to shop.  We’re wondering if we should start getting concerned about how these improvements might impact our faire village.

Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, RIP

The Oak Knoll Naval Hospital’s carcass will be demolished this Friday, sometime between 10:00 am and noon.  There’s been an awful, silent and ignored hulk shadowing the Oakland Hills for 15 years.  Good riddance, we say.

According to the Oak Knoll Coalition, a group of neighbors, the main hospital will be exploded this week.  They reported that developer SunCal will raze all the remaining masonry buildings by year-end.  However Club Knoll, a relic of the country club which preceded the hospital, will be saved for later refurbishment.

Over the past few years, there have been several visitors to this supposedly off-limit place.  Check out the fascinating coverage (part 1, part 2), images and videos which document the derelict hospital compound — and also honor what once took place on the hill.

The hospital base was opened from 1942-1996, which means the East Bay’s filled with former workers, their families, patients and even those born there.  Please visit the Facebook petition underway to create a fitting memorial on the hillside.  It’s a nice idea, we think.

So what’s next?  After the demolitions, we wait for new homes and a little open space.  Presumably housing developers will get capitalized again, whether it’s SunCal or someone else — though nothing is truly known or scheduled at this point.

Update:   Courtesy of The Bay Citizen, here’s a video showing the hospital implosion.

for Oak Knoll Naval Hospital Memorial

Curb Appeal Visits Montclair

If you are an aficionado of HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block, then you already know that Montclair received its 15 minutes of national media fame tonight.

Here’s the scoop on Juniper Jungle to Modern Masterpiece, aka episode HCRBL-301H:

David and Kerryn La Duc live on a close-knit cul-de-sac in the Montclair neighborhood in Oakland, CA. While they love their neighborhood, their dated modern ranch style home could use some updating. Their front yard is almost completely covered with juniper….

The program began with some quick video of Montclair Village and then traveled to a neighborhood off Joaquin Miller Road.  It showed the neighbors hanging out, followed by the homeowners (and their kids) as work proceeded to kill the junipers.

We’re so proud!  The couple, who are now officially famous, represented our best.  We learned that Kerryn is a teacher, though the show didn’t reveal too much about David.  However it was clear they were Montclarions, and a team of equals.  We also enjoyed how Kerryn was grateful and yet not a pushover about all the changes to their home.  🙂

Today in Montclair could not resist “googling” these neighbors and they are typically interesting.  Kerryn had twittered about teaching ancient Chinese philosophy to her sixth grade class.  Meanwhile David placed third in last year’s Sequoia 50K Trail Run, and has been running long distances for years.

Anyway, we wish that we could show you the amazing transformation to the La Duc home along with the quick upgrades to a few neighbors’ places.  Their mid-modern house looks so cool now, with stone and wood accents and great landscaping.  Living in a place where the foliage grows so quickly, we would like Curb Appeal to make a few more visits to our neighborhoods.

Check back on the HGTV site, since they’ll eventually show repeats online.

Got Issues Or Concerns, Reach Jenny

If you have any issues or concerns related to the City of Oakland, then Jenny Feinberg’s your go-to person.

According to District 4 Rep Libby Schaaf, in her recent newsletter (subscribe here), the district staff of three has been divided by location.  Feinberg is fully devoted to Montclarions, as our new community liaison, and may be contacted at (510) 238-7273 or jfeinberg@oaklandnet.com.

Here’s the formal introduction to Council Aide Feinberg:

As Councilmember Schaaf’s recent Campaign Coordinator as well as the former Program Assistant at Emerge California, Jenny has dedicated her professional career to helping women run and win for public office. She first discovered her passion for public service and constituent services when she completed internships with former Senators Joseph Biden and Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC and New York City, respectively.

Jenny has also worked in consulting, strategic planning and organizational management with the Center for Applied Research (CFAR) in Philadelphia. Jenny studied Women’s Studies and Political Science at Brandeis University and earned highest honors for her thesis entitled “Fostering Women’s Political Ambition: Who Runs for Congress, Who Wins, and How to Expand the Pool.”

In addition, Rep Schaaf will meet with Montclarions on a regular basis.  She’s attending the Piedmont Pines’ Annual Meeting — this Monday at 6:30pm, at Chabot Space & Science Center (map).  She’s also holding monthly community office hours during the Montclair Farmer’s Market.  Her next date will be Sunday, February 27th, from 9 am to 12 noon.

February Update:  We seem to have another direct District 4 contact now. For all-things Montclair, Patricia Rose may be reached at 510-238-6822 or prose@oaklandnet.com. Jenny’s still around but taking on additional tasks for Council Rep Schaaf.

March Update:  Thanks, Libby.  Jenny is still our go-to girl for all-things Montclair.