A big old tree in Montclair has been around for an estimated 150 years, and possibly longer. But it won’t be there much longer: It’s died, despite efforts to save it, and will soon be cut down. Friday’s column tells the tale.
Above, a current view of the tree (at 4594 San Bernardino Street, west of Monte Vista Avenue) contrasts with a photo from a few years ago; below, Dave Schroeder of the Chino Basin Water Conservation District takes a close look at the massive trunk.
The Deja Vu strip club outside Montclair is no more, with a bar slated to occupy the building under the same owners, Tollis Inc. It’s the subject of my Sunday column. To eliminate any hanky-panky, San Bernardino County planners and lawyers set down a list of possible new names for the business. I couldn’t resist sharing them.
From the conditions of approval:
“Tollis shall select the name of the business operated in the Building from the following names, which have been mutually agreed to by the Parties:
a. Ontario Food & Beverage
b. Deja Vu Comedy and Sports Bar
c. The Gay 90′s
d. The Roaring 20′s
e. Deja Vu Bar & Night Club
f. Hammered Harry’s
g. Club Paradise
h. The Iron Rail, or
i. Shooters Sports Bar.”
That’s, um, quite the gamut. So the new business will either have an 1890s theme, or a 1920s theme, or a tropical theme, or maybe a Hooters knockoff theme, or…
In Wednesday’s column: A thief makes off with the utility bill payment dropbox at Montclair City Hall but doesn’t get much for his effort. Also, more items from Montclair, Culture Corner items from Chino Hills and Pomona, and details of my next three book signings — two of them on Saturday, the next on Aug. 21.
Wednesday’s column begins with an item on the architecture of the Montclair Police Department, then presents some shorter items. Above is the station, below is an image of the police badge, which incorporates the building’s likeness, and the patch.
For a change of pace, and also to hear the discussion about the Gold Line, I attended Tuesday’s Montclair City Council meeting. I decided kind of late to go, and was starving. So I got a sandwich on my way, to go, and took it to eat during the meeting. Despite having attended hundreds, maybe a thousand, public meetings in my career, this was a first. Who says I can’t innovate?
(Although the audience was sparse and I tried to eat discreetly — such as taking bites of my crunchy sandwich when people were applauding — I felt a little guilty about the whole thing. Didn’t want to seem rude. Of course, there’s no sign on the door banning “outside food and drink,” I bought my meal in Montclair and everyone expects newspapermen to be ill-mannered slobs, so maybe I got a pass.
Sunday’s column about the meeting can be read here. And I’ve updated my 2008 blog post about Super Sandwich here, adding photos.
Remember the bird sculptures from Montclair Plaza’s JC Penney atrium? You might if you lived here prior to the mid-1980s, when they were removed. Now they’re back, only this time they’re at City Hall, inside and out. Read all about it in my Friday column.
Above, an undated photo from the book “Images of Montclair.” Below, a view of the west lobby of City Hall, showing five of the 12 birds that are back on display.
A city employee talks about the restoration in a short video. There’s also a hyperlink in the column for (heh heh) a scene from “The Birds.”
A former Tastee Freez at 9617 Central Ave. in Montclair that dates to 1961, and has had a series of taquerias and other businesses in recent years, will soon reopen as a new taco shop, Taco Man. They’re sharp enough to have produced a video. It’s cute.
Book Exchange in Montclair is closing Saturday after some 30 years in business. Friday’s column has that story, as well as a smattering of cultural and other items of note. Above, owner Luisa Conner is seen Thursday at her store.
Wednesday’s column begins with news that a favorite former hangout of mine, Borders in Montclair, is set to become a furniture store. (Yawn.) Also, readers school me about the old Convair (not Corvair) plant in Pomona, new Pomona council members are sworn in, and we learn about two new restaurants headed to Claremont.
The one in Montclair opened in 1979, but Southern California’s Don Jose Mexican Restaurant chain (its website is here) is marking its 40th anniversary, its Orange location having opened in 1972.
I’ve only eaten there once or twice, but I enjoyed the experience. It was the first time I ever ordered fajitas.
Montclair reader Anna Hernandez alerted me after the fact to the anniversary, which featured a one-day rollback in price one recent weekend.
“I enjoyed dinner for $2, plus margaritas! As did many, probably hundreds, more,” Hernandez, a regular, told me by email. She lauded the professional staff, tasty food, fun atmosphere and an operation that ran smoothly despite the crush of customers.
She said apologetically: “If you missed it, sorry I didn’t alert you sooner.”
That’s OK, Anna. I probably wouldn’t have wanted a delicious meal from a friendly staff for $2 anyway.
