Where Are the Montclair Creeks?

The news of 500-year floods in the Midwest was amazing, with Iowan cities submerged from levee breaks.  That’s one catastrophe which won’t visit the Montclair Hills anytime soon.

Yet I became curious about our water flows through the Village.  After all, we experience our own special brand of mudslides, sink holes and floods each rainy season.

Where are the Montclair Creeks?

Our main creeks are partly hidden from view.  They aren’t conforming to Mother Nature’s direction anymore, especially as you drive through sections of Thornhill, Shepherd Canyon, and the Montclair shopping district.

The Temescal and Shepherd Creeks flow into culverts and storm drains, as noted by the dotted red lines below.  Solid blue lines indicate visible streams, such as the Palo Seco until it reaches town.

Typical rainy seasons have caused problems in Shepherd Canyon.  It’s logical that above-average rainfalls would overwhelm the hidden and visible streams, too.

The Oakland Museum of California has full-sized detail of these watershed maps – so you can study exactly where you live among the Montclair (and other Oakland) creeks.

Also take a closer look at the Temescal and Sausal Creek Watersheds, as many tributaries flow from the Montclair Hills into the San Francisco Bay.  Mother Nature still prevails!

New Song for Oakland

Should we reach out to Bruce Bratton, for a new Oakland theme song?

When asked to identify a city theme song, Oaklanders proudly point to Bruce’s historical kitsch: Oakland, We’re For You. While this song is undeniably catchy, it received radio airplay over 40 years ago.

Back then, we were honoring the Alameda Tube, Nimitz Freeway and Tribune Tower with Tin-Pan stylings. How about a rap or jazz piece instead?

A UC Berkeley alum, Bratton organized the trio who wrote and performed the ditty. He remains quite fond of his Oakland music-making days – even mentioning those “15 minutes” when interviewed last year.

In the negative column, Bruce transferred his allegiance to Santa Cruz years ago. Currently he pens a weekly column and hosts a radio show there.

While we could tap Bruce, it’s time for a new generation to share their talents. Anyone out there?

Experience Matters in Montclair Race

While Montclair’s Mayoral Race was tight, all ballots were counted and verified this afternoon.  The Montclarion pointed to the winner, Gracie Condon.

Gracie brings experience to the position. She’s been part of Montclair Village government for the past three years, most recently serving as vice mayor. Thus her win was well-deserved, according to her handlers.

Lee Richter, election administrator, explained that “a last-minute donation of $100 over the Internet finally put Gracie ahead by 46. It’s the closest election in the history of the contest.”

It was a competitive slate, filled with experienced politicians, newcomers and non-canines as well. Over $14k was raised for the Pet and Wildlife Fund this year.

Now what do we do at the Farmers Market…just shop?

Hiller Fire Photos, 2008

Nothing like a fire to support the first Red Flag Warning this season. In all seriousness, we are better prepared than in 1991 – and equally lucky we didn’t incur the wind god’s wrath last Thursday.

Joe Dougherty snapped a complete set of Hiller fire photos, including the fire crews and helicopter water drops. Here’s a preview of the fire, before it was controlled:

While the fire was around three acres – and extinguished quickly – it was very close to us. It’s time to pay attention to the brush around your homes, as this season could be a scorcher.

Make Montclair Village Shine

We are a vocal bunch about ways to improve the Montclair Village streetscape – but our voices are merely mumbles among friends and neighbors. Now we’re getting organized.

Tonight there’s a joint meeting between the Montclair Village Association (MVA) and Montclair Safety & Improvement Council (MSIC), to bring “shoppers and merchants together to brainstorm ways to improve the look and ambiance of the Village.”

The meeting takes place at Zion Lutheran Church (5201 Park Blvd, map), at 6:30 pm tonight. If you can’t attend, then send ideas to MVA Executive Director, Roger Vickery: MontclairVillage@sbcglobal.net.

MVA and MSIC want to consider everything that beautifies the town. Some of the topics include views, traffic flows, intersections, signs, benches, and other forms of spit-shine.

I think its safe to say that we need better “hang out” space. I like the idea of pedestrian areas without cars, but I’m sure there are opponents. Anyway, let’s see what we can develop collectively.

After ideas are gathered, a landscape architect will prepare drawings and costs and share them publicly. A master plan will be finalized – to trigger the funding, permits and actual improvements.

What are your hot buttons? How would you improve the Village? Please comment here, thanks.