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Fast Food Vanishes In The Hills

Did you ever think about the lack of fast food outlets in the hills?  As you head up, the fast food outlets disappear from view.  When you drop down to the slants and flats, they return in full force and other options become scarce.

The Montclair District has a few convenience stores and no fast food chains at all.  You have to head down Broadway, to reach the closest Wendy’s.  You can also find Sparky’s Giant Burgers, near Lincoln Square.  Otherwise you are out of luck.

Take a look at this map prepared by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) last year.  It shows the quantity of fast food and convenience stores per 1,000 residents.   The highest concentrations,  in dark brown, are clearly located in the inner cities as well as UC Berkeley.

Oakland Fast Food Density

Our lack of fast food outlets should be a blessing.  Health officials in our county and state have studied the correlations between the presence of junk food and poor health.  If there are more outlets per capita, then there are statistically higher rates of obesity and diabetes among residents.

Last April, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy released a study showing 20% higher rates of obesity and 23% higher diabetes in places with RFEIs above 5.0 versus below 3.0.  RFEI, which stands for retail food environment index, calculates the ratio between junk food outlets and grocery stores/produce vendors.

The evidence is irrefutable, and the state-level study says that bad RFEIs cause equally bad health outcomes – whether these outlets are located in high or low income places.  We are what we eat, and if the junk food isn’t available then we don’t fall prey to it.

Throughout Oakland, the way to fix things isn’t to literally shut down all the fast food places but to add better options into the mix.  When we hear about farmers’ markets getting set up or a new grocery store opening, that’s cause for celebration.

More info: The Alameda County Public Health Department conducted a thorough study about health and social inequities, including Food Access & Liquor Stores.  The California Center for Public Health Advocacy released their Designed For Disease study, including policy brief, county ranks and methodology links.

Fantasy Picks For Montclair Village

While making the regular stroll around the Montclair Farmers Market yesterday, it hit me that four prime storefronts are currently available for rent.  They are located on Mountain Blvd and La Salle Ave, right in the heart of these Montclair streetscape plans.

What a perfect opportunity for fantasy picks!  Even in this recession, there must be some kinds of shops we would embrace.  Given our penchant to travel to other Oakland districts, Berkeley and distant points, there are many possibilities.

Vision of Montclair (MVA)

Drumroll please…here are Today in Montclair’s fantasy picks to fill the open storefronts.  We have suggested different food and non-food options, and wonder if they could fly.

1 .  Vacant Jamba Juice store

  • Food – Offer Middle Eastern takeout, including authentic falafel, hummus, tabouli, salads, etc.  Why wait for the falafel stand on Sundays?
  • Non-Food – Open a store which sells specialty soaps, creams and other affordable spa goods.  Beyond the brand-name  items, local soap maker  Montclair Soaps and other regional suppliers would be prominently featured here.

2.  Former Knitting Basket shop

  • Food – Stock an old-fashioned store filled with specialty nuts, designer popcorn, spices, penny (dollar) candy, honey and syrup, etc.  We should have something besides chocolate in town.
  • Non-Food – Create a regional gift shop with items similar to what’s sold at Chabot Space & Science, the Oakland Zoo, East Bay Parks, etc.  This shop would have a green vibe, with all kinds of eco-friendly items too.

3.  Place next to A Great Good Place for Books

  • Food – Open a small  grill which sells Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian-style beefs.  This place would be unique in the area, and perhaps attract some non-Montclarions as well.
  • Non-Food – Ride the scrapbooking wave, with a shop/studio where you could draw, paint, decoupage, work on books, etc.  There’s already a mosaic shop in the village, which seems more arcane than this hobby.

4.  Old Argento Jewelry location

  • Food – Fill the Greek food gap by selling lamb, gyros, moussaka, pastichio and some great desserts.  The place could have a few tables but be supported by takeout, somewhat like the Flavors of India nearby.
  • Non-Food – Open a small store where everyone gets their electronics and phones fixed, with an on-site geek who really knows his/her stuff.  Batteries and other key supplies could be sold here too, for when things fail on us.

To burst the fantasy, these open storefronts may be with us a bit longer than anyone would like.  There must be retailers who seek out a nice, thriving village.  We would even patronize (gasp) chain outlets beyond these fantasy picks.

City Rep Wants Albano Here

Jean Quan, our city council representative, seems to be picking up the torch for Claudia Albano – the city coordinator who has been actively supporting and nurturing Oakland’s neighborhood watch groups.

Yesterday we reported on the uproar surrounding the firing of Albano and re-assignment of Felicia Verdin.  It didn’t make any sense to Montclarions and others who develop grass-roots neighborhood groups.

Community Triptych

Apparently Albano will interview for another city position next week.  We’re still not sure whether she will continue to be in the driver’s seat regarding neighborhood services.

Quan clearly wants to push the matter, even though the City Council is limited in its authority.  She said “We are concerned that some front line services may be cut by the reorganization.  I expect there will be more discussion between the Mayor, Administrator and Council over the next two weeks.”

Here’s the full, uncut response from Representative Quan this morning.

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Montclarions Denounce Albano’s Firing

Some bad news was hidden in Mayor Ron Dellums’ announcement about new city appointees:  the quick firing of Claudia Albano, Oakland’s neighborhood services manager, who is much-loved among all neighborhood organizers.

Additionally Felicia Verdin, who coordinates the neighborhood watch program and community policing training, has been re-assigned to another department.  These changes are supposed to be effective by close of business, today.

Oakland Administration Gears

What the heck is this about?

When a politician or business executive first rides into town, you expect some housecleaning.  In this case, a new city administrator who isn’t new to the city, Dan Lindheim, may have some reasons to sack Albano and Verdin – or simply wants to create his own team.  We don’t know.

Yet this current team has made a difference for community volunteers.  They organize regular trainings, provide guidance and are touted as “what works” in Oakland city government.  There’s been a huge outpouring of grief from Montclarions, who have found them to be quite helpful on all safety matters (read here.)

Let’s see what happens today.

In this case, it makes sense for Mayor Dellums and City Administrator Lindheim to swallow their pride and reverse course.  Our neighborhood crime watch groups are based on volunteers and voters who value the support they have received over the past few years.  If it ain’t broke, then why break it?

Frankly I feel sorry for the new appointee, who is caught in the crossfire.  The Tribune reported that “Dorlista Reed, who helped develop the city of Berkeley’s Neighborhood Services initiative among other programs, [has been named] as public safety coordinator.”  She may be a qualified and wonderful person, but has a very hard act to follow.

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Check Out Monroy’s Photoshop Realism

For a little diversion, drive through the Caldecott and check out what artist Bert Monroy has been doing lately.  An exhibit of his digital paintings opens tomorrow at the Hearst Art Gallery, St. Mary’s College (map) – and the artist presents a photoshop demo on Sunday, at 2pm.

Monroy’s artwork looks amazingly realistic and, at first glance, seems to be based on snapped photos which have been digitally enhanced.  When you look more closely, you realize Monroy creates place-portraits.  “I consider myself a hyper-realist because my paintings are in focus everywhere you look,” he explains.

As a preview of the Hearst exhibit, take a quick peek at the Fox Theater in Oakland painting below.  Monroy pays homage to this newly-refurbished entertainment palace, and makes the place come alive.

Fox Theater - Bert Monroy

Another Monroy painting caught my attention as well, which captures a lunch scene in Tiburon.  I’m guessing this is an outdoor table at Sam’s Cafe, located near the Angel Island Ferry.  Even the typical condiments and drinks look fascinating here.

Lunch In Tiburon - Bert Monroy

Although this kind of digital art is only possible in the modern era, it makes me think about American photo-realism over the years.  There’s a fine tradition here in the Bay Area, especially with Robert Bechtle.  A few years ago, the SFMOMA exhibited a retrospective filled with rooms of his California dreamin’ paintings.  Here is a perfect example of a classic mid-1970s car, parked in Alameda.


Rather than snapping photos, these artists are attracted to depicting common life with their own brushes – and we all like to look at their artistic efforts too.  With this new twist from photoshop, I wonder what kinds of things artists will create and how their work will be exhibited in the real world.

Bert Monroy’s one of the earliest artists on this digital bandwagon.  “This [exhibit] is a retrospective, so it traces my work back to the MacPaint days of 1984,”  says Monroy.  “It moves forward to early Illustrator, PixelPaint and so on.”  To see how the evolving tools impact his work, put the Hearst Gallery on your “must-do” list.  The exhibit opens tomorrow and runs through April 5th.