If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? An old soldier bit the dust on Saroni Drive, last week, and apparently lots of folks were around to hear it.

Neighbors say it rumbled and cracked as it crashed to the ground below. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it's a reminder to check the trees in your yard for disease and old age, especially before our rainy season.

Speaking of noises, did you hear the big boom a week ago Tuesday? Oakland police got more than a dozen emergency calls reporting a loud explosion around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 21. They reportedly searched wide areas of the Glenview, Dimond and Montclair districts and couldn't find the source. Maybe I've been watching too much TV, but I hope it wasn't a drug lab.

Around town: Seems Montclair's cat mayor is getting tough on dog doo. Stomper is asking all humans to pick up after their pups in the Village. It seems like a no-brainer, but at least one shop's owners have complained about dog dirt in front of their restaurant on a weekly basis. The word "gross" comes to mind, as does the word "inconsiderate".

Email bag: Thanks to reader Richard Schwarz for his enthusiastic endorsement of the Shepherd Canyon Railroad Trail. He says he had no idea there was a "walkable trail" to the Village -- until he read my column. "What a terrific find," he writes. "I sauntered up the trail, reading all the signs and posters

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and learning all about the area, enjoying the houses on both sides and marveling at the views, the trees and the peace and quiet of it all ...." He also thanks the scouts and other volunteers who maintain the trail and its historical markers. Meanwhile, reader Allison Burke echoes the sentiments of readers who want to save the Canyon Post Office from budget cuts. She says it's the friendliest, least crowded post office in the greater Bay Area. To prove her point, she says that before her son's wedding, the postmistress let her spread 175 wedding invitations all over the lobby to be hand-canceled so the calligraphy wouldn't smudge.

Got news? You can reach Ginny Prior by phone at 510-723-2525, by email at ginnyprior@hotmail.com or on the web at www.ginnyprior.com.