Property crimes in Rockridge were down significantly last month compared with January 2009, and violent crimes remained flat, reported one neighborhood resident who keeps a close eye on the numbers.

They said they’d do it, and now Urban Village Farmers Markets, the organization that runs the Temescal, Montclair, and Old Oakland farmers markets, has finally banned plastic bags! Originally scheduled to go into effect on October 1, the ban was pushed to January of this year to give vendors time to research their options and prepare for the change over. Beginning this month, a sign greets patrons as they enter the market informing them of the change and encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags.