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Our Oakmont Community Up Close
Facts, questions and conversations about the community we share There is always a lot happening in and around Oakmont. Some subjects deserve more than a quick social media post or comment, so I’m going to try something new: Our Oakmont Community Up Close, a recurring Oakmont Observer feature taking a closer look at something that…
Read MoreSocial Media, Resident Speech and OVA Governance
A Response to the OVA President’s Message OVA President Steve Spanier’s recent President’s Message, “Social Media and Oakmont,” is ostensibly about Nextdoor. But it raises a more important question: how should OVA leadership respond when residents criticize its decisions? Spanier is certainly right that social media is imperfect. Nextdoor is not a scientific survey. Its…
Read MoreALERT: OVA Board to Choose Future Berger!
Following two informative Town Hall meetings and many Board discussions, both in public meetings and executive sessions, the Oakmont Village Association is set to choose a strategy for renovation of the Berger auditorium. This decision, to be discussed at Tuesday’s Board of Directors meeting, will impact: These and related issues were discussed in some depth…
Read MoreWildfire Risk, Insurance, and Oakmont’s Financial Future
As Oakmont members consider major financial decisions involving reserves, infrastructure investments, insurance costs, the proposed Berger Center project, and even the potential purchase of an aging OVA office building, there is another issue quietly influencing all of them: wildfire risk. Wildfire risk is often discussed as a homeowner insurance issue. In reality, it is also…
Read MoreBerger Center Is Only One Piece of a Much Larger Financial Puzzle
A Town Hall About More Than Berger The June 8 Berger Center Assessment Project Town Hall was presented as an update on proposed improvements to one of Oakmont’s most important community facilities. By the end of the afternoon, however, the discussion had expanded well beyond Berger Center itself. Residents heard updates not only about Berger…
Read MorePlant Your Kitchen Garden
BACKYARD GARDENS OFFER FRESH VEGGIES AND FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL A quick guide for simple ideas to start off your backyard kitchen garden. With endless health and medicinal benefits, combined with the beauty and enjoyment to be found, gardening is endlessly rewarding. Getting Started What to Plant Whether starting from seed or seedlings, you can’t…
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