Extracted text · highlighting “schools”

w w w.rockridge.org

VOL. 18    •    NO. 2  •  ISSUE NO. 187 •  February 8, 2003                             CIRCULATION: 4,500 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

Sponsored by The Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618

a g e n d a:
RCPC General Meeting
Thursday, February 20, 7:00 p.m.
NOTE: Regular location, early start time!
Rockridge Branch Library
Community Room
5366 College Avenue (at Manila)

At the January RCPC General Meeting: Caldecott Tunnel Plans
RCPC Says No to a Westbound
Bore, Asks for Broader Study
by Jacqueline Tasch
A

fter listening to views from Rockridge residents at its General Meeting on Janu-
ary 23, the Rockridge Community Planning Council has sent a letter to Caltrans,
opposing any plan to create a new westbound bore in the Caldecott Tunnel. The letter
also urges Caltrans to broaden the scope of its environmental impact study and to
make plans to mitigate negative impacts on Rockridge and other neighborhoods in
the Highway 24 Corridor.

 Rockridge Public Schools Meeting
Find out which school won RCPC’s
first Community Service Grant!
Kerry Hamill, Rockridge’s School
Board representative, will open discus-
sion about how the Oakland Unified
School District plans to face budget
deficits (see accompanying article). All
public schools in Rockridge will join in
a panel, offering descriptions of their
school communities.

“We’re strongly opposed to the current plan for a westbound bore,” said RCPC’s
Traffic Chair, Michael Whitfield, who led the meeting. “The plan lacks a serious
look at negative local impacts and what remediation steps would be needed to offset
increased sound and traffic problems.”

The present plan, which can be viewed online at
SEE “CALDECOTT,” PAGE 5
Hamill Sees Progress for
Schools Despite Budget Woes
RCPC Seeks Candidates
For April Board Election
Do you have kids in Rockridge schools? Are you concerned
about traffic in the neighborhood? Do zoning issues interest
you? Or are you just excited about Rockridge and willing to
contribute time to help sustain our wonderful environment?
If so, the perfect volunteer opportunity is here. The Rockridge
Community Planning Council holds its annual election at the
April 17 General Meeting at the Rockridge Library. Rockridge
residents, at least 18 years of age and residing within RCPC
boundaries (see map below), are encouraged to run for the
five open positions on the 11-member board.
will speak at the General Meeting
of the Rockridge Community Plan-
ning Council on February 20.
Board Member.     PHOTO: SUSAN MONTAUK
Kerry Hamill, District 1 School
“Our classroom teachers have been
getting better and better at their jobs,
and that’s what parents care about
first and foremost,” Hamill says.
“I think most parents care about
the classroom more than they care
about the budget.”
Candidates are invited to submit a statement of about
125 words (and a photo) describing their interest in run-
ning for the board.
Statements must be
Which brings us to the bad news.
Last summer, when the Oakland Uni-
fied School District went looking for
an anticipated $40 million in income
from revenue bonds to pay its bills,
only $19 million was on hand. Super-
intendent Dennis Chaconas called
Hamill, who was then President of
the School Board, and said, with some
understatement, that the district “had
a big problem.”
SEE “BOARD ELECTION,” PAGE 11
Woolsey
Alcatraz
by Susan T. Montauk
F
Berkeley
irst, the good news: “Over the last
three years, the superintendent has
hired a fleet of wonderful principals
who are the most important people
in the organization. He has initiated
a whole number of reforms, many of
which paid great dividends for kids,”
District 1 School Board member Kerry
Hamill said in a recent interview
with The Rockridge News. Hamill
Colby
Claremont
BART
Chabot Road
Broadway
51st Street
College
The problem was the projections
used to create a budget were incorrect.
Broadway Terrace
SEE “HAMILL,” PAGE 4


February 8, 2003
2.




Around the Neighborhood
by Jacqueline Tasch, Editor, The Rockridge News
Counting on Everyone
I

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Monday, Tuesday, Saturday: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday: 12:30-8 p.m.
Closed: Friday and Sunday

owe an apology to the 1,384 or so Rockridge residents of Asian
heritage. In my column last month, I neglected to include them in
some remarks about Rockridge’s demographics. It turns out that the
percentage of Asians in Rockridge is slightly lower than the percentage
in California—9% compared to nearly 11%—but Rockridge has much larger percent-
ages of Chinese (4.2 compared to 2%) and Japanese (1.4 compared to .9%) residents
than the state as a whole.

SEE COMMUNITY CALENDAR, PAGE 15,
FOR LIBRARY PROGRAM DETAILS.




I’m not sure I can tell you why I overlooked Rockridge’s Asians when I pointed out
that Rockridge is 79.7% white, 5% African American, and 5% Hispanic. It would be
easy—and true—to say I was focusing on gender and age and meant no offense. It would
also be true to say that I left others out, as well: Rockridge is 3% Native American, .1%
Pacific Islander, and 5.5% other or mixed races.

The Rockridge News, founded in 1986 by Don Kinkead,
is published monthly in Oakland and is sponsored by
the Rockridge Community Planning Council, a non-
profit public benefit organization founded to: preserve
and enhance the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood; promote the health, safety and quality
of life of its residents; furnish a forum for community
involvement, and provide leadership and representation
of neighborhood interests.

On the other hand, whatever I intended, people were hurt and angry. I’m responsible
for that, and I’m sorry. I thank the readers who called this to my attention.

Going Public in Black and White

Rockridge News Production
Jacqueline Tasch..................Editor-in-Chief
Margret Elson, Ortrun Niesar, David Hatfield
Neil Getz ........................... Writers
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Calendar
Theresa Nelson ....................Neighborhood Merchant
Chris Ahlstrand, Ken Ellis,
Lydia Gans...........................Photography
Lauri Scharber....................Advertising
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout

In the past, I’ve joked that the only jobs I haven’t done at a newspaper were selling ads
and driving the delivery truck. But I never wrote a column either, and only once or twice
used the word I in a story referring to myself. It’s been an interesting experience.

I’ve been surprised that people read what I have to say and even more surprised that
they take the time to tell me what they think about it—both complaints and congratu-
lations. In addition, I seem to have achieved a small measure of celebrity: I’ve been
recognized more than once when I was going about my personal business, my Rockridge
News hat left at home.

The first to link the real me and The Rockridge News editor was John Gelinas, pharma-
cist-owner of Chimes Pharmacy, who had a few words to say about the first column when I
picked up a prescription some weeks ago. Of course, he had the advantage of knowing my
name (from the prescription) and having only to match it to the name on the column.

RCPC Board of Directors, 2002-2003
Glen Tripp............................Chair
Dan Ferdelman...................Vice-Chair
Deborah Larson.................Secretary
Sally Fitzhugh......................Treasurer
David Hatfield, Susan Montauk,Theresa Nelson,

Last week, while I was waiting to buy sausage at Ver Brugge’s, a woman reader who
lives on Ivanhoe squeezed my arm and said, “I just saw you in The Rockridge News.”
(She liked the demographic column in which I noted that middle-aged women may be
taking over Rockridge.)

Worth a Thousand Words?
I

Eric Neville, Jacqueline Tasch, Chad Thompson,
Michael Whitfield
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS
Annual subscriptions to The Rockridge News can
be obtained by sending a check for $18, payable
to Rockridge News Subscriptions to: Rockridge News
Subscriptions at the address below.

n December, members of The Rockridge News staff persuaded me to attach a photo
to my column, and at least one person has seen the likeness. This is a matter of some
dismay to me. I like to think that I don’t take a good picture, and my friends have been kind
enough to assure me that I’m much better looking in person. Now the truth is out.

Articles published in The Rockridge News may be
reprinted only with the permission of the Editor.
CONTACTING THE ROCKRIDGE NEWS

The last time my photograph appeared in print, I was a cub reporter at the Buffalo
Evening News, writing a feature about what it’s like to ride an elephant in a circus parade
(everyone looks at you admiringly, but wear gloves — elephant hide is like steel wool).
If we could just delete the elephant — surely some computer program could manage
that — I would prefer to use that photo with the column.

 Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
 Do you have questions about newsletter
distribution?
 Would you like to volunteer to be a Rockridge
News block captain?
Contact us at one of the following addresses or
telephone numbers:

But then, I’m afraid, no one would ever recognize me, and it’s nice to hear from you
— e-mail, snail mail, or up front and personal.

$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Ave., Oakland
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
601-1188
Mon-Fri 7-7 • Sat 8-6
(Across from Albertson’s & Zachary’s Pizza)

Editor: jatasch@mindspring.com
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 5245 College Avenue,
PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING/DEADLINES
Publication date of the next issue is
 March 8, 2003;
 March deadline is February 20.
Advertising rates are $22/column inch. Six-month
pre-pay rate available. To advertise, call Lauri
Scharber at 655-2196. (RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate.)




3.
Neighborhood Celebrates Fire Station 8 Opening

February 8, 2003

Official ribbon cutting
at Station 8 dedication:
(l. to r.): Council
Member Henry Chang,
Jr., Fire Chief Gerald
Simon, DPW Director
Claudette Ford, Jane
Brunner, City Manager
Robert Bobb.
“Within specs, ahead of time, and
under budget”: A “green” building
for Oakland
by Claire Isaacs
Father Jay Mathews intoned the Firefight-
er’s prayer. Architect Alan Kawasaki
bragged that 65% of construction debris
from the demolished 50-year-old Fire Sta-
tion 8 was used to build its replacement.
The firefighting staff presented District One
Councilmember Jane Brunner with a piece
of the old station’s brass pole. Ninety-year-
old John Muzio mused about his days as
Lieutenant at Fire Station 8. A baby crawled
on artist Jeff Norman’s new History Walk.
And the kids devoured the treats.
PHOTO : CLAIRE ISAACS
wouldn’t let me pay for.”
quarters with a restaurant-quality kitchen,
housing safe from garage gasoline fumes,
a deep bay to accommodate the huge new
trucks, natural ventilation, energy-efficient
appliances, an exercise room floored with
ground-up tires, and formaldehyde-free
cabinetry.
Fire Station 8 is double the size of the
former facility and cost $4,284,000. It is
a model of unique fast-tracking, “the fast-
est-built fire station in Oakland history,”
Project Manager Rob Lim said. The
community had fought to get this station
reopened as quickly as possible, so as not
to leave the community of North Oakland
without adequate protection. The station
was completed “within specs, ahead of
time, and under budget,” as City Manager
Robert Bobb put it.
It was Friday, January 24, and the official
Opening Day for Fire Station 8 at 463-51st
Street was blessed with perfect weather. Two
huge trucks framed the scene, one flying
an American flag from its extended ladder.
Surrounding the spanking new station were
at least 200 people, from Fire Department
vets, artists, and neighborhood sages, to the
“under four-footers,” as Fire Chief Gerald
A. Simon fondly called the kids squatting
on the pavement.
After the ribbon was cut, everyone surged
into the station to explore and marvel at
the shiny new gadgets and equipment.
A slide show traced the stage-by-stage
construction.
Two hours later, the station was quiet
again, and as the sun set, the glass doors
rolled down over the lighted interior. Fire
Station 8 was officially open for busi-
ness.
Chief Simon reviewed 10 years of strug-
gle to fund this new building to replace “an
old, inadequate and hazardous structure.”
He praised Deputy Chief Ron Carter’s con-
tribution as OFD project coordinator and
introduced OFD staffer Ray Dossa, who was
present when the former building opened 50
years ago. Public Works Director Claudette
Ford could not resist commenting that, “It
may take a village to raise a child, but it
takes a public works department to build
a fire station.”
A highlight of the day was unveiling of
a public art work by Temescal artist Jeff
Norman, made of tiles and photographs
describing Temescal’s history and pres-
ent.
PHOTO: CLAIRE ISAACS
old, examines her Uncle Jeff
Hands On! Analyn, 11 mos
Norman said that the work brought him
closer to the people in the neighborhood
and to the crew of Station 8, who, “with
all their hospitality, helped me to enter a
world I knew nothing about.” He acknowl-
edged present, former and retired station
personnel, thanking them for “the stories
you told, the photos you handed around,
the meals you shared, and the T-shirt you
Norman’s art work.
The building’s red-toned façade, with
its graceful arches and deeply inset second-
story windows, fits the neighborhood well
and provides for modern firefighter living


February 8, 2003
4.




FROG Invites Neighbors to Support
Hardy Park, Paint a Personal Tile
Rockridge families will have a final opportunity to
make a tile that becomes a permanent part of
Hardy Park. On April 19, Friends of Rockridge Greenbelt
will hold its springtime, family-friendly maintenance day,
when neighbors are invited to come help spruce up the
FROGpark playgrounds for summer fun. For $25, families
can paint a tile of their own, which will be glazed and
mounted on the fence along the inside of the playground.
Don’t miss this opportunity to leave your family’s mark on
Rockridge.
will get the money,” Hamill says. “I hope we
get all of it, but I am not sure.” The state’s own
budget problems make the situation more
difficult. “We’re first in line, and everybody
knows about our problem. That’s the good
news,” says Hamill. “I think anybody who’s
thinking that the state is going to write us
a check for $100 million without serious
strings attached is dreaming.”
cers, custodial crews, and elementary prep
teachers (they relieve teachers for lesson
planning and meetings with parents while
providing instruction in non-core areas such
as music and art). Hamill disagrees with
this approach and would like to see school
principals have more freedom, at least in
coming years, to make decisions about where
to use reduced funds. The district restructur-
ing will provide an opportunity, as Hamill
sees it, to “do things a little bit differently,
to give more autonomy to our schools sites.”
Some downsizing is inevitable, and charter
schools may also face a tougher battle in
getting approved for funding.
Hamill
from page 1
“The core problem is we had a 4,300-student
enrollment dip over the last five years at
the same time… we were giving across the
board wage increases,” Hamill says. The
bad projections are explained in part by
a communication failure between Human
Resources, which handles payroll, and
the finance team that creates the budget.
“Nobody’s been able to tell us really how
long it’s been going on.”
W
One string is likely to be outside budget
oversight. Having lost control of its finances,
the Oakland Unified School District will face
“a serious level of control over our finances
for the next few years,” Hamill says. “I don’t
necessarily think that’s a bad thing.”
hen the crisis was revealed, the County
took over and assigned a fiscal adviser
for the district. The fiscal advisory team said
“they had never seen a system so dysfunc-
tional in terms of no communication between
two critical banks of information,” Hamill
says. “The problem was much bigger than
we had guessed. But we’re responsible, and
the administration is responsible.”
Another string may involve leadership
changes. Superintendent Chaconas “has
a really good team that’s helping him,”
Hamill says, referring to his district depu-
ties as well as the school principals. “My
guess is that the administrator would try
to keep as many of those folks in place as
possible because why would you want to
mess with something that was working at
a lot of places?”
While the bottom line is getting all the
attention these days, Hamill urges parents
to take a look at “the great stuff going on”
in the schools. “We’ve learned that we can
do it in Oakland,” she says. “The learning
in this district continues to improve. The
teaching continues to improve. This is not
an educational crisis. It’s a money crisis.”
Hamill wants to make clear that the
teachers are totally blameless. “At the
time the teacher raise was given, every-
body should have been clear that we did
not have the money to pay for that raise in
the second and third year,” she says.
Despite the bailout, schools will defi-
nitely face budget cutbacks. Chaconas has
recommended reductions in security offi-





 











	


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5.

February 8, 2003

Transit Agency Supports UnderBART Planning

by Teresa Drenick
Nresentatives told residents interested in
the project that such improvements were
a realistic goal. In fact, they said, other
BART stations have recently been remod-
eled as a result of neighborhood efforts.
Most recently, the 16th Street station in
San Francisco was upgraded to include a
plaza area with public artwork, seating and
local vendors. Similar projects are in the
works throughout the Bay Area, and BART
welcomes the proposed changes.
The next meeting, on February 13 at
7:30 p.m., will focus on creating a vision
statement and a list of both short-term and
long-term goals. Officials from BART and
the City of Oakland are expected to partici-
pate. The group will gather on the second
Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., and
meetings will be structured so that each
session will result in significant strides
toward the goal.
orth and south of the BART station,
College Avenue is a vibrant, bustling
street. Day and night, people stroll between
shops, cafes and restaurants. Each month,
exciting businesses open. But right in the
middle of this thriving commercial district,
the dark and unfriendly space under BART
and the freeway splits the neighborhood in
half. Pedestrian traffic tends to stop one
side or the other of this physical and visual
barrier. The barren space is often lonely
and presents safety concerns.
Anyone interested in participating in
this exciting project is welcome to attend.
The February 13 meeting will be at the
Claremont House at 4500 Gilbert. Park-
ing is available in the Safeway/Longs lot
directly across Pleasant Valley Road.
For more information, contact Teresa at
At a brainstorming meeting in December,
residents offered ideas for improvements.
Their visions included fresh paint, new light-
ing, seating, tables, public art, landscape and
hardscape (e.g., walls and pavers). Kiosks,
coffee vendors, magazine racks and other
business ideas were also discussed.
Late last year, the Rockridge Commu-
nity Planning Council organized a group
of Rockridge citizens and business owners
with the goal of improving the space under
BART. At a January meeting, BART rep-
TDrenick@aol.com
Caldecott
formally studied where traffic leaving
Contra Costa in the morning goes, Whitfield
acknowledges, but experience suggests that
much, if not most, of it heads for the Bay
Bridge. “Imagine that from the Caldecott
Tunnel to the Bay Bridge, it’s bumper to
bumper, stop and go traffic every day,” he
says. “That’s the worst-case scenario.”
I
Suggestions included building sound
walls on the elevated section of Highway
24, where traffic noise would increase by
3 decibels according to one estimate. The
walls would also provide some protection
to neighboring homeowners. One Miles
resident told the meeting he “doesn’t sit
in his backyard any more because of the
debris and dust that comes off the free-
way,” Whitfield said. As for traffic flows,
the timing of traffic lights would have to be
re-examined. Mass transit options, includ-
ing commuter lanes, are also notably absent
from the Caltrans plan.
from page 1
www.caldecott-tunnel.com, studies the High-
way 24 corridor between Highway 680 in
Walnut Creek and Highway 580 in Oakland.
“What it doesn’t do,” Whitfield says, “is
look at the real capacity for the Bay Bridge
and its toll plaza to digest westbound traf-
fic during the morning commute.” With 28
lanes, the toll plaza is already the world’s
largest, and the new east span of the Bay
Bridge will accommodate exactly the same
traffic flow as it does today.
n such a situation, experience elsewhere
in the Bay Area indicates that cars would
get off the freeway and maneuver through
surface streets, hoping to save time by
cutting across to another freeway access
point. That would mean more traffic on
Miles and Forest, as well as Claremont,
College, Alcatraz and Broadway. “It won’t
help to increase traffic flows out of Contra
Costa if there’s nowhere for that traffic to
go,” Whitfield says.
Caltrans has not specified in its plan
whether an additional bore through the
Caldecott Tunnel would be westbound or
eastbound as they have sketched plans for
both. An eastbound bore might provide
some relief for Rockridge traffic doing
a reverse commute into Contra Costa in
the morning and ease congestion on the
Highway 13 interchange.
Neither Caltrans nor anyone else has
0%% +!11 .-
  
In fact, some impact may already be
happening. Participants at the RCPC forum
talked about high-speed traffic and U-turns
on upper Presley, related to cars taking a
shortcut to the freeway. In addition, resi-
dents on central Chabot have noticed an
increased number of large delivery vans
using their street instead of taking Clare-
mont and College to get to the Albertson’s
Supermarket.
"7 !- %6/%02
)+!07 07!- .& (% .$7 !2  .0*
Caltrans has been describing its plans
at a series of local meetings, asking for
feedback no later than January 30. An
environmental impact report, along with
a recommendation, is expected in two to
five years. Caltrans would not be bound
by the recommendation, but Public Hear-
ings are required before any plan could
go forward.
!230$!7 %"03!07  !2  /,

  
	  
   

     
   
Besides collecting feedback on the
Caldecott plan, the RCPC meeting looked
at some tactical recommendations “if we’re
faced with the reality of a westbound bore,”
Whitfield said. “What do we need to do in
Rockridge?”
.++%'% 4%-3%
For more information on Rockridge traf-
fic issues — or to participate in efforts to
improve conditions — please contact Whit-
field at michaeljwhitfield@hotmail.com
-%!0 +!0%,.-2
 


555'!+4)-1#.,


February 8, 2003
6.




Crime in Rockridge…
and Oakland
Home Burglary
On the Rise
In Rockridge

Rockridge Area Crimes
Reported to OPD
Report Period: 12/16/02 – 1/21/03
by Neil Getz
DATE
DESCRIPTION
LOCATION

12/16/02 .......Petty Theft: Shoplift ............................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

12/17/02 .......Robbery .................................................................Ayala & 57 St.

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Birch (East end)

12/19/02 .......Burglary: Residential ..........................................Bryant (Ada - College)

Burglary: Residential ..........................................63 St. (Dana - Canning)

12/20/02 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Brookside (Eustice - B’way)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................49 St. (Lawton - Shafter)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Colby (60 St. - 61 St.)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................62 St. (Colby - Canning)

12/21/02 .......Burglary: Residential ..........................................Manila (Clifton - Hudson)

12/22/02 .......Arson: Inhabited Structure/Property ............Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

12/23/02 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Brookside (Eustice - B’way)

Burglary: Residential ..........................................Claremont & Martin

Receive/Etc. Known Stolen Property ............College & Miles

Burglary: Auto.......................................................College & 63 St.

Burglary: Auto.......................................................College & 63 St.

12/24/02 .......Petty Theft: Shoplift ............................................Telegraph (51 St. - 51 St.)

Theft: Personal Property [Over $400] ..........Harwood (College - Auburn)

12/25/02 .......Robbery .................................................................Telegraph & Alcatraz

12/26/02 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Manchester (Acacia - Ocean View)

Robbery .................................................................College (Lawton - Taft)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................College (Chabot - Oak Grove)

12/27/02 .......Vehicle Theft..........................................................B’way & Napa

Burglary: Residential ..........................................Lawton (McMillan - B’way)

Attempted Burglary: Auto .................................Mystic & Manoa

Burglary: Auto.......................................................College & Oak Grove

Burglary: Auto.......................................................McMillan & Lawton

Burglary: Auto.......................................................McMillan & Lawton

12/28/02 .......Robbery .................................................................College (Bryant - Manila)

12/29/02 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Brookside (Eustice - B’way)

Burglary: Residential ..........................................51 St. & Manila

Vehicle Theft..........................................................College & Miles

Grand Theft ..........................................................Clarke (Claremont - 51 St.)

12/30/02 .......Grand Theft ..........................................................Telegraph (65 St. - 66 St.)

Petty Theft: Shoplift ............................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................51 St. & Manila

12/31/02 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................51 St. & Miles

1/1/03 .......Grand Theft ..........................................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

1/2/03 .......Grand Theft ..........................................................College (Keith - Ocean View)

Personate to get Money/Property ..................Ayala & McAuley

1/3/03 .......Petty Theft w/Prior for Theft/Burglary/Robbery....Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Robbery .................................................................Whitmore (Gilbert - Broadway)

Inflict Corporal Injury on Spouse/Cohabitant....College & Ocean View

Burglary: Auto.......................................................66 St & Telegraph

1/5/03 .......Attempted Burglary: Residential .....................Shafter (Cavour - Clifton)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Ross (Chabot - Miles)

1/6/03 .......Vehicle Theft..........................................................College (B’way - Clifton)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Clifton (Shafter - Locksley)

Petty Theft w/ Prior for Theft/Burglary/Robbery....College (Birch - Miles)

1/7/03 .......Vehicle Theft..........................................................Bryant & Ada

Theft: Personal Property....................................Kales (College - B’way)

1/8/03 .......Robbery .................................................................B’way & B’way Terr.

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Miles & Presley

1/9/03 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Clifton (E of B’way)

Personate to get Money/Property ..................49 St. (Lawton - Manila)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................53 St. (Shattuck - Telegraph)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Telegraph (52 St. - 55 St.)

Burglary: Residential ..........................................Chabot (Claremont - College)

Personate to get Money/Property ..................College (Lawton - Taft)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................College & Manila

1/10/03 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Clifton (E of B’way)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Manila (Clifton - Hudson)

Petty Theft: Shoplift ............................................College & Bryant

Personate to get Money/Property [Over $400]......62 St. (Hillegass - College)

by Neil Getz
In 2002, a Rockridge resident was 50%
more likely to be the victim of a residential
burglary than a typical Oakland resident.
Following a 23% drop from 2000 to 2001,
Rockridge experienced a 58% jump in resi-
dential burglaries in 2002.
Residential burglary ranked third in
Rockridge crime in 2002, behind auto
burglary and auto theft. For those of you
not clear on the distinction, auto burglary
is stealing what is in a car, while auto theft
is stealing the whole car — of course if you
steal the whole car you get what is in it as
a bonus. A Rockridge resident in 2002 was
45% more likely than the typical Oakland
resident to be the victim of an auto burglary
but 27% less likely to have a car stolen.
Non-residential burglaries are also on the
rise with Rockridge experiencing a 56% rise
over 2001 levels, though per capita levels
are on par with the rest of Oakland.
And those long-time residents uncom-
fortable with Rockridge’s increasingly
uppity image may be comforted to know
that in 2002 a Rockridge resident was just
as likely to be robbed as any other Oakland
resident.
The news is not all bad. Though
Rockridge had Oakland’s only incident of
“Possess/Manufacture/Dispose of Fire-
bomb,” it had not one incident of Murder,
Rape, Torture, or “Grand Theft: Animal
Carcass.” Be thankful because the same
cannot be said for the rest of Oakland.
In 2002 petty theft continued its decline
from its 1998 level. Overall 2002 crime,
though 12.5% above 2001 levels, remained
substantially below 1998-1999 levels.
These conclusions are drawn from
this writer’s analysis of data provided by
the Crime Analysis Section of the Oak-
land Police Department. That analysis is
summarized in the table at the bottom of
page 7.
According to Sgt. Donny Williams of the
Community Services Section of the Oak-

SEE “CRIME ANALYSIS,” RIGHT, PAGE 7
Continued top of next page




7.

February 8, 2003

Crime Analysis
1/10/03 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Miles & Presley

1/11/03 .......Burglary: Residential ..........................................51 St. & Clarke

1/13/03 .......Robbery .................................................................Telegraph (52 St. - 55 St.)

Burglary: Residential ..........................................Hudson (Lawton - James)

1/14/03 .......ADW* or GBI** Force: Not Firearm ............Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Theft: Personal Property....................................College & Bryant

1/15/03 .......Petty Theft: Auto Clout*** ..............................Claremont (College - Auburn)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Hudson (Manila - James)

1/16/03 .......Petty Theft: Shoplift ............................................College (Birch - Miles)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Alcatraz & Regent

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Manila (College - Bryant)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................College & Oak Grove

1/17/03 .......Grand Theft ..........................................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

1/18/03 .......Vehicle Theft..........................................................Rockridge & B’way

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Ocean View (B’way - Margarido)

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Locksley & Hudson

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Keith (McMillan - Presley)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Claremont & Martin

1/19/03 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Buena Vista (N of Golden Gate)

Petty Theft: Auto Accessory ...........................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Burglary: Commercial .........................................College (Birch - Miles)

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Claremont & Martin

1/20/03 .......Burglary: Auto.......................................................Telegraph (52 St. - 55 St.)

Grand Theft ..........................................................Boyd (Forest - Hudson)

1/21/03 .......Attempted Robbery ...........................................49 St. & Manila

Burglary: Auto.......................................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Attempted Robbery ...........................................Broadway (Coronado - 51 St.)

Robbery .................................................................66 St & Telegraph

Vehicle Theft..........................................................Shafter (Forest - Hudson)
from page 6
land Police Department, Rockridge’s easy
freeway access, reputation for wealth, and
abundance of homes that are vacant in the
daytime make it attractive to burglars.
Lt. Lawrence Green, Police Service
Area Commander for North Oakland,
agrees. “You can’t rely on the police to
prevent home burglaries. With only one
police officer per beat it would take an
extraordinary coincidence for that officer
to spot a burglary in progress.”
Yeda Altes, OPD Neighborhood Services
Coordinator for Community Beat 12Y, says,
“The level of participation of the Rockridge
community in crime prevention has lagged
behind the level of crime in Rockridge.
Involvement of residents and merchants has
been incident-driven. Many citizens seem
unaware of suspicious activity, allowing it
to go unreported.” As Sgt. Williams points
out, “a report of suspicious activity from a
resident provides the necessary ‘probable
cause’ for a police officer to stop and detain
an individual or group.”
Dial 911 to report crimes and suspicious actvity in progress.
(Cell phone users in Oakland, call 777-3211 for 911 service.)
Remember: If you don’t report it, it didn’t happen.
*ADW – Assault with a Deadly Weapon    **GBI – Great Bodily Injury
***Auto Clout – a part of an automobile.
SEE “CRIME ANALYSIS,” PAGE 10
A Look at Crime in Rockridge and Oakland

Oakland
Rockridge (Beat 12Y)
Crime
2002
2002
2001 2000
1999
1998

N
% Tot
P/100
N
% Tot
P/100
N
N
N
N

Burglary & Attempted Burglary: Auto*
5143
18.1%
1.29
195
28.5%
1.87
147
206
216
156
Auto Theft & Attempted Auto Theft*
5952
21.0%
1.49
113
16.5%
1.08
110
66
88
75
Burglary & Attempted Burglary: Residential*
2772
9.8%
0.69
109
15.9%
1.04
69
85
89
61
Petty Theft*
3253
11.5%
0.81
72
10.5%
0.69
72
73
122
157
Robbery & Attempted Robbery*
2205
7.8%
0.55
57
8.3%
0.55
53
44
50
40
Theft*
1420
5.0%
0.36
38
5.6%
0.36
34
29
41
31
Grand Theft & Attempted Grand Theft*
1443
5.1%
0.36
34
5.0%
0.33
39
38
50
59
Burglary & Attempted Burglary: Other*
1142
4.0%
0.29
25
3.7%
0.24
16
17
39
119
Personate to Get Money/Property*
948
3.3%
0.24
15
2.2%
0.14
24
6
2
3
Assault and/or Battery*
1596
5.6%
0.40
9
1.3%
0.09
14
16
14
16
Child Abuse*
460
1.6%
0.12
3
0.4%
0.03
10
5
2
8
Arson*
339
1.2%
0.08
3
0.4%
0.03
3
2
3
0
Inflict Corporal Injury on Spouse/Cohabitant*
459
1.6%
0.11
2
0.3%
0.02
1
4
3
5
Receive/Etc Known Stolen Property*
157
0.6%
0.04
2
0.3%
0.02
7
4
4
3
Elder/Dependent Adult Cruelty
22
0.1%
0.01
2
0.3%
0.02
0
0
0
0
Remove/Steal/Possess Shopping Cart*
32
0.1%
0.01
1
0.1%
0.01
0
3
0
0
Theft of Elder/Dependent Adult*
8
0.0%
0.00
1
0.1%
0.01
1
0
1
0
Exhibit Firearm in Presence of Reserve Peace Officer
5
0.0%
0.00
1
0.1%
0.01
0
0
0
0
Obtain Money/Etc by False Pretenses*
4
0.0%
0.00
1
0.1%
0.01
1
1
0
1
Possess/Manufacture/Dispose of Firebomb
1
0.0%
0.00
1
0.1%
0.01
0
0
0
0
Other Crimes
1018
3.6%
0.25
0
0.0%
0.00
7
5
11
19
TOTAL
28379
100%
—
684
100%
—
608
604
735
753

* Consolidated crime category which includes multiple OPD crime categories.
N
Number of crimes.
% Tot Percentage of the total number of crimes.
 P/100
Number of crimes per 100 residents.


February 8, 2003
8.




the takeout orders kept an entire family
busy cooking banh khoai. The phone never
stopped ringing, and the crew would cook
and pack the order up just as a motorbike
arrived, its driver offering money with
one hand and picking up the order with
the other.
	





	
	
Like pho, spring rolls (nem in the north
and cha goi in the south), are another staple
served with anything and everything. Rice
paper wrappers are filled with shrimp, thin
rice noodles, shredded carrots and herbs.
The rice paper is rolled up, deep-fried and
served with the ubiquitous dipping sauce,
nuoc cham. If you order “fresh” spring rolls,
you can put the various fillings together
yourself and roll your own. Other delicacies
include banana flower salad, green papaya
salad, shrimp mousse grilled on a thin sugar
cane skewer and sticky rice.


 
Good Morning, Vietnam!
sliced beef or chicken, then garnished with
basil, coriander, lime, and sliced bird chile
peppers. I loved starting my day with a
steaming bowl of pho bo and didn’t miss
bagels or eggs.
Learn to eat before learning to walk.
— Vietnamese proverb
F
On the banks of the Perfume River,
the old imperial capital of Hue is home to
the highest form of Vietnamese cooking.
Intricate and delicious dishes were devel-
oped and prepared here, and sophisticated
techniques and presentation skills define
Hue-style cooking. Our eight-course impe-
rial meal (for $10) was a classic example
of food as art. What I thought was a bou-
quet of flowers turned out to be intricately
carved fruits and vegetables served in a
flower vase.
reshly baked French-style baguettes,
hearty beef noodle soup, rice paper rolls,
banana flower salad, and savory rice flour
crepes filled with roast pork, bean sprouts,
shrimp, and coriander. These are only a
few of the culinary delights of Vietnam.
Although the French and Chinese have
influenced Vietnamese cuisine, it retains
a flavor and tradition uniquely its own.
In a previous Rockridge Cornucopia, I
reviewed the numerous Asian restaurants
on College Avenue – Chinese, Thai, Japa-
nese, and Burmese. Sadly, we do not have a
Vietnamese restaurant. The best Vietnamese
restaurants are in Oakland’s Chinatown.
Check out Vi’s for pho (an Alice Waters
favorite) or May Hung for many traditional
Hue-style dishes.
Our recent nearly month-long trip to
Vietnam introduced us to one of the great
cuisines of the world. The Vietnamese seem
to eat all day long, starting at 6 a.m. with
pho (noodle soup) with either bo (beef) or ga
(chicken). Served throughout Vietnam, pho
is considered the country’s national dish. For
breakfast, people sit on the street at little food
stands, chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in
the other, eating large bowls of the fragrant
pho. Between parked motorbikes and people
sitting on little stools eating their morning
pho, it is nearly impossible to walk on the
sidewalks of Hanoi in the morning.
The following recipe is a fairly simple
adaptation for pho bo. All of the ingre-
dients are available at Yasai Market and
Market Hall.
On another excursion in Hue, we spent
over an hour walking in the rain trying to
locate a food stall that supposedly had the
best banh khoai in Vietnam. Banh khoai
are crepes made of rice flour and ground
yellow mung bean. The crepe is not turned
and becomes very crisp. Every food stall has
a different filling for the bahn khoai. The
one we eventually found filled the crepes
with bean sprouts, shrimp, roast pork, and
a fried quail egg. The banh khoai is folded
like an omelet and served with a delightful
peanut dipping sauce.
Hearty Vietnamese Beef
Noodle Soup (pho bo)
(Serves 4)
Soup
5 cups of canned chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1⁄2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut
Pho is a slowly simmered beef broth,
aromatic with star anise, cinnamon and
ginger, poured over rice noodles and thinly
into 1/8 inch rounds and smashed
2 three-inch cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Accompaniments and garnish
1⁄2-pound of thin dried rice noodles
Our food stall had only two tables, but
soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
1 pound of very lean beef, very thinly
sliced into 1-2 inch slices
Limes cut into quarters
Cilantro
Bean sprouts
One or two serrano chiles thinly sliced
Bring all soup ingredients to a boil in sauce-
pan. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover for 20
minutes. Remove solids with slotted spoon.
2002 Top Producer
at the College Avenue Office
Thank You
for a very successful year!
Drop rice noodles into boiling water and
cook about 30 seconds. Add beef to broth
and cook for about 2 minutes.
To serve, divide noodles and beef in
individual bowls. Pour hot broth into bowls.
Provide each guest with a spoon and a pair of
chopsticks and a garnish plate of limes, cilantro,
bean sprouts, and sliced chiles. Enjoy!
If you are thinking of buying or selling
call me for a free consultation.




9.

February 8, 2003

Arts, Schools, Libraries
in Jeopardy Again
As we all know by now, Governor
Davis is having one tough time trying
to keep the state from dissolving in red
ink this year and next. The sheer size
of the deficit is beyond what most of
us can imagine.
But as we see the effects of the fiscal
crisis creep into our own neighborhood,
the seriousness of it all begins to hit
home. Our public education and cultural
institutions are suddenly in jeopardy. We
find tottering arts and cultural programs,
school and library closings, right in our
midst. I hope we will all heed the call
to protect, nurture, and support these
great monuments of our civilization at
this critical time.
by Ortrun Niesar
that once a library is closed, it may never
open again because of Robert Bobb’s
and Library Director Carmen Martinez’s
interest in moving from a neighborhood
to a regional library system.
Before that happens, neighbors must
meet to clarify just what purpose libraries
serve in a community today. It should
also be remembered that bond issues
approved by Oakland voters paid for
the libraries. For more ideas on how
to get involved, you may reach Jeff at
jnorman@california.com.
Library Closings
The possible closings of Temescal,
Melrose, and Golden Gate Libraries are
being discussed even as we go to press.
We are dismayed at this suggestion by
City Manager Robert Bobb, who does not
appear to have a full understanding of
what libraries mean to the communities
they serve.
Got Kitchens?
RCPC is looking for
redesigned and classic
Jeff Norman, of the Temescal
community, has suggested that instead
of closing a few neighborhood libraries, it
may be fairer to cut hours at all library
branches. That makes sense. The fear is
kitchens to feature on
!  
its September 28
!  
  !" "
2003 Rockridge
 
Kitchen Tour.

If you or
someone
you know has
a “special” kitchen,
contact Susan Montauk
at 547-3855.
 	"!#
!
 	"
ROCKRIDGE RESIDENT

Opera Piccola
From her tiny office at the Methodist
Church on Manila, Susannah Wood
oversees the activities of ArtGate and
Community Performances. ArtGate is
a multidisciplinary residency program
where artists work with students and
teachers in the classroom to create art
based on an important issue. Community
Performances brings interactive theater
to schools, libraries, senior centers, parks,
museums, and community centers, where
audiences may have little access to the
performing arts.
Susannah just received the news that
many nonprofits and public schools have
lost their funding for enrichment programs
like hers. Susannah is not giving up.
Both ArtGate and Community
Performances are under the umbrella of
Opera Piccola, which means “small works.”
Since 1993, Opera Piccola has brought
magic to 45,000 inner-city children, youth
and families via 150 free performances
and 30 educational residencies annually.
Susannah is desperately looking not only
for financial support (however small),
but also for volunteers. If you love the
theater and working with children, give
her a call at 658-0967.
Rockridge Oral History
Do you have a story to tell? Or would
you enjoy listening to others tell their
stories while recording them for future
listeners? If so, you’re just in time to
help organize an oral history project
for Rockridge. Please call 652-6664 or
email oniesar@aol.com.


February 8, 2003
10.




Crime Analysis

from page 7

	
 
	 	 

with a 1.5 foot side yard setback (five feet
required), resulting in 2,364 square feet of lot
coverage (maximum of 2,080 square feet of lot
coverage permitted).
Historic Status: Potentially Designated His-
toric Property; Survey rating C2+
Case Planner: Leigh McCullen, 238-4977 or
lmccullen@oaklandnet.com.
If January is any indication, Rockridge
residents have cause for some hope in 2003.
Between January 1 and January 27 incidents
of residential burglary and grand theft in 12Y
were half what they were during the same
period in 2002. Auto burglaries remained
the same. Lock your cars, though. Vehicle
theft in the same period has doubled, from
5 in 2002 to 10 in 2003.
F
LOCATION: 4902 BROADWAY
Proposal: To construct an eight-unit residen-
tial building with approximately 525 square feet
of ground floor commercial space.
Applicant: Thomas Dolan Architecture
Owner: Sean and Mike O’Neill
Planning Permits Required: Regular Design
Review for residential construction; Minor
Variance to allow all of the group open space
to be placed on the roof (20 percent maximum
allowed; 100 percent proposed)
Case Planner: Robert D. Merkamp, 238-6283
or rmerkamp@oaklandnet.com
LOCATION: 5410-5418 COLLEGE AVENUE
Proposal: To renovate the existing building to
accommodate three new commercial spaces.
The building currently contains a manufactur-
ing use.
Applicant: Kava Marsh
Owner: Paul Boero
Case Planner: Pete Vollmann, 238-6167
or the purposes of this analysis Rockridge
crime is characterized by Community
Beat 12Y crime. Bounded on the south by
51st Street, on the east by Broadway, on the
north by the Oakland-Berkeley line, and on
the west by Telegraph, Beat 12Y is home to
the vast majority of Rockridge residents. It
also includes an area bounded by Telegraph,
Claremont, Colby, and Alcatraz, not within
the voting area of the Rockridge Commu-
nity Planning Council. It does not include
those parts of Rockridge east of Broadway,
generally a low-crime area.
LOCATION: 6551 TELEGRAPH AVENUE
Proposal: to install retractable windows
along Telegraph Avenue to create an unen-
closed interior patio area. Owner/Applicant:
Chuck Davis
Planning Permits Required: Regular
Design Review for exterior alterations in the
C-28 Zone
Case Planner: Darin Ranalletti, 238-3663 or
dranalletti@oaklandnet.com
LOCATION: 5823 ROSS STREET
(Note: This item is being republished from the Janu-
ary Rockridge News due to error in Historic Status
information).
Proposal: To construct upper story additions
to an existing single-family dwelling.
Applicant/Owner: Laura Zuckerman & Kirk
McInnis
Planning Permits Required: Residential
Design Review for additions to an existing
single-family residence.
Historic Status: Potential Designated His-
toric Status (PDHP); Survey rating:C2+
Case Planner: Anne Clevenger, 238-6980 or
aclevenger@oaklandnet.com.
LOCATION: 5690 OAK GROVE AVENUE
Proposal: To construct a second story rear
addition to an existing single-family dwelling.
Applicant: Morgan Smith
Owner: Gregory J. Feist
Planning Permits Required: Special Resi-
dential Design Review for a residential addition;
Minor Variance to provide for a rear addition
I am grateful to Marie Mason of the Oakland
Police Department’s Crime Analysis Section for
supplying the data upon which the table is based.
Complete architectural
services since 1970
Your Rockridge
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Real Estate Broker, California Department of Real Estate License # 00930036, (916)227-0931




11.

February 8, 2003

Board Election
from page 1
received by March 20 and will be published in the
April issue of The Rockridge News. Please include
your address and telephone number in your mailing.
Candidates will speak and voting will take place at
the April 17 meeting.

February 15 Party for
Rockridge News Volunteers!
O

ver 150 volunteers and their families will be honored at the February 15
Rockridge News Valentine’s Party. A delicious buffet potluck supper will
be served, a live jazz band will regale the crowd with its sweet tones, and Jim Beatty,
bagpiper extraordinaire, will accompany partygoers in a sing-along. If you deliver The
Rockridge News and have not yet received your personal invitation in the mail we want
to know! Please call 547-3855 and leave your full name, telephone number and route
number or route description or email that information to smontauk@juno.com. We will
make sure you get the details about the party.

Mail statements with photos to: RCPC, 5245
College Avenue PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618.
For further information contact the Board Chair
at GlenTripp@Yahoo.com or visit the website,
http://www.rockridge.org
If you have some spare time the first Friday of
each month, the Rockridge News assembly team
needs your help. From 4 to 6 p.m. we bundle and
prepare the newsletter for pick up at the Rockridge
home of a staff member. We’d love to have you
join us. Also, a few more distributors have moved
and their routes need covering. Many thanks to
Bagpiper Jim Beatty will
play- and sing-along with
Valentine’s Day partygoers.
those who responded to the call for volunteers
T I M  W R I G H T
these last two months. The list below has some
E L E C T R I C A L  C O N T R A C T I N G
new routes and some old ones. If you have
an extra half-hour a month to deliver the
paper, please give us a call or an email and
mention the route along with your name,
address, phone (and email address if you
have one). Call Susan at 547-3855 or email
smontauk@juno.com
2831 Hillegass Avenue, Berkeley
Phone: 510.729.5352 / Fax: 510.549.9251
License# 729761
BLOCK CAPTAINS NEEDED
(Parenthesis refer to number of drops.)
 #03C: (23) Eucalyptus both sides from
32-100
 #06I: (25) 5800 & 5900 Block of Margarido
 #14B: (34) Both sides of Desmond between
Coronado and 51st, and 51st
from Broadway to Coronado.
 #21G: (80) Along the odd numbers of 6000
Claremont (Hillegass to
Claremont)


 	   
     
       
   
 
         	 
   	         
    	  
 	   
     
      
 
      
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444./24# !-+!*/#+-,1


February 8, 2003
12.




The Global School: Charter Middle
School Proposed for North Oakland
ers more time to form close relationships
with their students, identify their learning
styles and areas of strength and weakness,
and individualize instruction.
The design team plans to conduct a series
of focus groups throughout North Oakland
for input on the middle-school needs of its
varied communities and to address these
concerns in the school’s design. Prior to
the school’s enrollment period, they also
will hold public meetings and network with
neighborhood organizations with the goal of
recruiting a student population that reflects
the diversity of Oakland.
by Carolyn Krebs
Deducation for middle-school students in
two senses: by addressing the needs of
the whole child--emotional, social, physi-
cal, and academic—and by gradually, with
a broadening geographic focus each year,
developing students’ understanding of their
world.”
uring the past year, a group of Chabot
Elementary parents and educators have
been investigating the possibility of open-
ing a small public middle school in North
Oakland. The co-founders of the project,
Rachel Wylde and Vicki Hammarstedt,
recently received a federal development
grant, administered by the California State
Department of Education, for designing and
implementing a charter middle school in
the area. The school, called The Global
School, is scheduled to open its doors in
September 2004.
Among the key curriculum elements
are project-based, hands-on instruction that
stresses critical thinking and deep analysis
of subjects; teacher evaluation of student
achievement through portfolios and exhibi-
tions of work, in addition to test scores; a
small-group advisory system with students
and staff to address social/family issues
and study skills; and a strong emphasis on
parent involvement and community-service
learning.
The next major challenges for the design
team are gaining charter approval and locat-
ing an appropriate facility for the school.
Heading the search is Rockridge resident
and realtor Ron Kriss, who emphasized
the need for everyone involved to be alert
for possible school sites that have room to
grow as enrollment increases.
On January 8, the school’s design team
held its first parent information meeting
for an audience of about 100 people at the
Rockridge Branch Library. Co-founders
Wylde and Hammarstedt outlined plans
for the school.
The Global School design team has
formed committees that will have respon-
sibility for specific aspects of the school’s
development once the charter has been
approved. If you would like to contact the
school, send e-mail to theglobalschool@ya
hoo.com or phone 510/384-0473.
If the proposal is approved, the school
will open in 2004 with 100 sixth-grade stu-
dents. The school will grow by one grade
of 100 students per year, to a total enroll-
ment of 300 students in Grades 6, 7, and
8. The goal is to have class sizes of about
25 students. Small classes will give teach-
Hammarstedt said typical middle-school
students have the intellectual ability to
succeed in school but lack behavioral and
learning skills to keep them engaged in the
process. Hammarstedt stressed the need
for a small, personalized middle school
with staff that truly wants to work with
middle-school learners and can give their
students support with health, social, and
self-esteem issues to create a solid basis
for academic success.
Mon–Fri 9:30 - 6:00
Sat 9:30 - 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
Wylde then described the philosophy
and structure of the proposed small school.
She envisions a school that, as its mission
statement says, “will provide a ‘global’
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652-1990
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(510) 339-8400 office  ♦(510) 287-9583 direct line
Your Neighborhood Pub
Jan Carlisle
Administrative Assistant
Lisa Anderson
Escrow Coordinator




13.

February 8, 2003

Scouting Out the
PHOTO: DON KINKEAD
THE NEIGHBORHOOD MERCHANT
New and Exciting
W
BY THERESA NELSON
hen you combine three things that
most people enjoy — home, garden,
and travel — you get Scout, an innovative
new store on College Avenue. Each season,
owner Paul Scott Silvera travels to a desti-
nation, “scouts” the best shopping, hotels,
restaurants, and things to do, brings back
items for home and garden inspired by that
locale, and offers specialty tours to the site
so you can have your own adventure.
Scout
Home – Garden – Travel
PHOTO: LYDIA GANS
Several walls feature the old-fashioned pull-down
roller maps, each one a history lesson in the changes
the world has been through in the last 150 years.
Vintage paper goods from all over the world pack one
large bookcase, along with handcrafted paper and
notebooks made by local artists and the stylish
Oh Boy line of papers and accessories.
In late January, the store was in transi-
tion, from the exotic drama of “Christmas
in Venice” to the new, not-yet-announced
spring location. The winter destination of
Venice brought all the glitter of gold and the
richness of jewel-toned fabrics and glass-
beaded jewelry to the store. As Paul noted,
his aim is “to offer what you might bring
back for yourself from Venice: Murano glass,
Venetian silk pillows, hand-painted masks, a
garden trellis with Gothic arches like those
of the Piazza San Marco.” The related trip to
Venice featured special architectural tours
and shopping excursions and was offered
through an independent travel agency.
Ceramics have a special place in both
the downstairs home display area and
the upstairs garden area. Paul com-
missions local ceramicists to create
works especially for Scout, such as
the ceramic cannoli (which look good
enough to eat), pumpkins, and even tiny
Scout owner Paul Scott Silvera and
companion ready for adventure.
silver shoes that will keep large pots raised
off of your deck or table.
store, and the site of a former travel agency
was the perfect location. Paul designed the
display furniture, which looks like it came
from long ago and far away, and his own
line of notebooks with the Scout logo.
Among the most unusual items at
Scout are the aromatherapy cleaning sup-
plies. It’s easy to imagine how cleaning
could be — well, maybe not joyous but at
least a bit more fun — if you were using
lavender-pine all-purpose cleaner, or green
tea-patchouli glass cleaner, jasmine lily hand
soap, and lavender drawer liners.
U
He notes that his colleagues, Jennifer
Walker and Christopher Lee, play a major
role in the store, adding their own perspec-
tives to make the environment “the kind of
place where you want to spend time.” Paul
said, “people are coming to Rockridge now
for stores which are exciting and clever but
still familiar and warm. People who live in
this area are very independent, and prefer
stores which are unique rather than chain
stores, and this is why College Avenue has
become one of the most exciting retail areas
in the entire Bay Area.”
Scout opened in April 2002 and offered a
spring trip to England for the Chelsea Flower
Show, followed by a summer adventure in
the Hamptons (on Long Island, New York)
and fall in Brussels. The Spring 2003 des-
tination will be unveiled in March.
pstairs in the garden room, you’ll find
charming striped sling chairs — yes,
like the ones your grandmother might have
had on her front porch. They are smaller
than today’s oversize outdoor furniture but
perfect for the smaller yards and decks of
Arts & Crafts bungalows.
Combining regular items with special
pieces that change with the season, Scout
exudes a sense of fun and excitement about
the world. Start with a vintage blue and
white Pan Am travel bag — that’s right,
the one you may remember from years
ago, when flying was still glamorous and
people got dressed up to travel. Nearby is a
large steamer trunk, covered with authentic
stickers from the good old days of travel.
Paul is a Rockridge neighbor who was
working as a corporate event planner for a
large travel firm in San Francisco. He had
been thinking about combining his passions
for home, garden and travel into a single
Scout’s own gift enclosure cards epito-
mize the sense of wit and fun in the store.
The small cards feature quotes such as, “I
bought it at the flea market so you can’t
take it back,” “I want one too,” “Open in
private,” and “Something from your wish
list.” They’re the perfect finish for a gift for
family, friend or yourself, from a store that
“scouts” the unique and beautiful.
Scout
Home – Garden – Travel
Where Cooking IS the Party!
OFFERING
In-Home Cooking Classes
Custom-Designed Cookbooks
www.LulusKitchen.com  510.520.6397
5550 College Avenue, Oakland
547-2688    www.scout510.com
Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.


February 8, 2003
14.




Home for Rent
We are renting our Rockridge home from
March-August while we are away traveling.
Are you remodeling, relocating, having visitors
for an extended period? Nice home—close to
College Avenue. Jonathan 510/601-5829.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message: $18 (phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland, CA
94618. March deadline is February 20.
Small Relaxed Office in
Rockridge Seeks…
An experienced, part-time database/office
administrator. Must have excellent typing
and organizational skills, be attentive to
detail and comfortable with a variety of
computer operating systems. Send resumes
to jobs@calmuni.com.
Pilates or Gyrotonic®
1 free private session with purchase of 2 ses-
sions ($75 value). CLASSES in Pilates MAT,
Pilates Group Reformer, NIA®. (1st Class
Free, mention Rockridge News). WORK-
SHOPS: Yamuna® Body Rolling. Mind-Body
Connection, 5255 College Ave. 510/420-0444
(www.mindbodyfitness.net).
Black and White Turtleneck Sweater
Hand-knit for DKNY label. Heavy, thick, warm,
beautiful. 94% wool, 6% nylon. In perfect condi-
tion. Almost new. $325. 510/547-2631.
Your Local Fiduciary
Successor Trustee, Executor, Conservator of
the estate, 55 or VA payee. Trustworthy, knowl-
edgeable, I can do it all or provide crucial help.
Elizabeth Callaway Trust Services. 530-1720.
Jazz and Classical Piano Lessons
Rockridge jazz pianist with UC Berkeley
music B.A. offers lessons in jazz, blues, clas-
sical, music theory, ear-training, technique.
Experienced, patient teacher, all ages/levels.
Janet 653-6783.
Tahoe Condo For Rent
Our lovely 3br/2+ba condo in Incline Village is
available for rent! Sleeps eight, is fully equipped!
Close to everything! Call 652-6664 for more
information.
Home Repair Expert
Carpentry, remodeling. Doors and windows,
glass and locks, small electrical, plumbing jobs,
drywall, painting, fences, decks and other odd
jobs. Good rates. Ric M. 510/464-5934.
Got Off-Street Parking?
Wanted: storage for 29' RV in Rockridge, for
occasional use. Barbara. 652-7044.
$15 Off
Lube, Oil and Oil
$10 Off
Smog Inspection
$20 Off
30,000/60,000
$10 Off
Any Repairs
Filter Change
Expires 3/10/03
Mile Service
Expires 3/10/03
Over $100
Expires 3/10/03
Expires 3/10/03

ORTRUN NIESAR
Rockridge Real Estate Marketing Consultant
Direct: 510/986-9560
Email: oniesar@aol.com
"SHOULD YOU
SAVE FOR YOUR
KID'S COLLEGE
OR FOR YOUR
RETIREMENT?
OR BOTH?"
  		

  

Stauder Automotive Service
@ Sheaff’s Garage • 5930 College Avenue  State Lamp and Brake Inspections
        Oakland (510) 658-3070
 Smog Inspections
• Mon.-Fri. 7:30am - 5:00pm
 Heating and Air Conditioning Service
• Walking Distance to BART
 Lubrication Services
• Appointments Recommended
 Electronic Ignition and Driveability

 Steering and Suspension Service

 Timing Belts  Brake Services  Clutch Services

 


	







	


Leila S. Gough
leila.gough@agedwards.com
  


  

 


 
 	 
  
 
     

	









	

 



1999 Harrison Street, #2050
Oakland, CA 94612
510/452-8060

 	





  

 	  
   
 
  

 	
  
  



 
       	 

 
  	     
 
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15.

February 8, 2003



Compiled by Jo Ellis
COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Check Your…

E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210, or mail to: Rockridge News
Community Calendar, 5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618. Deadline is the next to the last Tuesday of the month.

Councilmember Jane Brunner’s
Community Advisory Meeting
FOR ADULTS:
 Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
 Field Trips

2/8 Planetarium Anniversary Show at Golden
Gate Park. Hot lunch available at noon for
$1.75. For details and inf. on upcoming field
trips and events, call Kathy at 531-6724
North Oakland Multipurpose
Senior Center
Thursday of each month from 6 to 8pm. Sign-up
begins 5pm.
Library Hours: Mon. Tues. Sat. 10am to 5:30pm
Wed. Thurs. 12:30 to 8pm. Closed Fri. & Sun.
For more information call 597-5017
NOTE: The current budget crisis will create serious
staffing and material cutbacks for the Library. Con-
tact information (mail, phone and e-mail) is available
at the Library for anyone who wants to express their
opinions or suggestions to City staff.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings, Events
First Saturday each month, 10am to noon.
Peralta Elementary School: 460 63rd St. (park-
ing on Alcatraz Ave., just east of Telegraph).
Meeting Topic for Sat., Feb. 1: Senior Needs and
Resources In North Oakland. Providers will pre-
sent available programs and discuss how to make
North Oakland more senior-friendly. An extra
hour will be devoted to discussing the budget
crisis and proposed spending cuts in Oakland. For
more inf. and to get meeting topic for March 1st:
238-7001 or www.oaklandnet.com.
Oakland City Council Meeting
5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Center Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:45am to 4:45pm.
NOTE: closed 2/12, Lincoln’s Birthday and
2/17, President’s Day.
SOME OF THE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS:
 Free health screening, Tuesday, Feb.25
 Health Insurance Counseling and advocacy,
5433 College Ave. All Events are free and open to the
public.
 Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:30pm Juan Williams: This
Every Tuesday, 7pm, City Hall
Oakland Planning Commission
2nd and 4th Mondays (2/10 and 2/24) from
1pm to 3:15pm
 AARP Tax assistance every Tuesday until tax
Far by Faith: Stories from the African-American
Religious Experience.
 Wednesday, Feb.12, 7:30pm Geoff Dyer: Yoga for
1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 6:
30pm, City Hall. Get agendas and details at
www.oaklandnet.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
day, beginning Feb. 4th
 Craft and sewing classes
 Walking groups and field trips
The Newsletter, “North Oakland Senior Times”
provides a full schedule of classes and a monthly
lunch menu. Suggested donation, seniors
age 60+ $1.75 and $4 for those under 60. Call
597- 5085 for membership details, class or
appointment times and volunteer opportunities.
Elder Care Support Group
People Who Can’t be Bothered to Do It. A collec-
tion of travel memoir essays.
 Thursday, Feb.13, 7:30pm Kate Moses: Winter-
5366 College Ave. Note: Library Closed Wednes-
day, Feb. 12 (Lincoln’s Birthday) and Monday,
Feb. 17 (Presidents’ Day)
FOR CHILDREN:
 Toddler Story Time on Saturday: 2/1, 2/8, 3/1
ing. A novel tracing the complex final months of
Sylvia Plath.
 Monday, Feb.24, 7:30pm Lillian Faderman: Naked
in the Promised Land. Autobiography
 Thursday, March 6, 7:30pm Dao Strom: Grass
and 3/8 at 10:30am
 Pre-School Story Hours on Tues.: 2/4, 2/18, 3/
Roof, Tin Roof. A novel.
 Diesel Book Groups:

Feb. 18, 7:30pm Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Feb. 25, 7:30pm The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
 El Grupito – Spanish Language Discussion
4 and 3/8 at 10:30 and 11am
 Pajama Story Time on Wed.: 2/26 and 3/12 at
Alta Bates Medical Center, Herrick Campus,
2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley, 3rd floor, room
3369B (take elevator B). Free for family/friends
caring for older adults. 3rd Wednesday of each
month, 4-5:30pm. For information on all Alta
Bates/Sutter Health support/education groups,
call Monica at 802-1725 or e-mail Monicalcsw
@alum.calberkeley.org
Benefit: Julia Morgan Center
7pm
SPECIAL EVENTS:
 “Dayo’s Circle” will perform African music and
Group. Casual, friendly opportunity to improve
your Spanish will meet on Tuesday, March 4 at
7:30pm. For more information: 653-9965 or
www.dieselbookstore.com
Poets and Writers Meetings
dance: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7pm
 Make a Valentine’s Day Pop-up Card: Thurs-
day, Feb. 6, 3:30 to 5:30pm
FOR YOUNG ADULTS:
 Teen Advisory Council meets 2nd Thursday
Spasso Coffeehouse, 6021 College Ave., Oakland.
First and third Saturday each month, 3:30 to 5:
30pm. Read and critique each other’s work; occa-
sional writing exercises.
AD ASTRA READING SERIES; Each Monday evening, 7pm;
sign-up at 6:30pm. Featured reader, followed by
Open-Mic. For more info, e-mail holly@hitx.com.
For inf. on occasional free music events, call Spasso
at 528-1818.
Comedy Showcase, Open Mic
2640 College Avenue, Berkeley. Second Annual
Valentine’s Day Cabaret, Friday, February 14, 7pm
Support our closest Performing Arts Center and
celebrate love with a fun musical evening of song
and dance with an ensemble from the Shotgun
Players. Chocolate and Bubbly on the house. All
proceeds benefit the services, programs and
maintenance of the beautiful Julia Morgan build-
ing. Tickets: $20 in advance (call CBON ticket
line: 925/798-1300) or $25 at the door. Call 845-
8542 x302 for childcare (by reservation only) on
the premises for kids 4 yrs. and older.
Volunteers Needed
each month, 3:30- 5:30pm: February 13,
March 13
Start your career in comedy at A’Cuppa Tea, 3200
College Ave, (corner of Alcatraz). Every Tuesday,
7:30 to 9pm. Be there by 7pm to sign up. Also: Every
Sunday, free acoustic music performance 4 to 6pm.
For more information call 420-0196.
College Avenue Adult Center
   Alameda County Community Food
Bank. Assist in the warehouse or office; staff
the Hunger Hotline, the Food Bank’s toll-free food
referral service. Hotline shifts Mon-Fri, 9am-
12pm and 1-4pm. Volunteer Mgr. Mary Schoen:
510/834-FOOD(3663) or www.accfb.org.
   Oakland Elizabeth House:
A Transitional Residence for Women and
Children in Rockridge  6423 Colby St., Oakland.
Residential and support services to homeless
and low-income women and children. Orienta-
tion and training for new volunteers. Help with
childcare, homework, mentoring, field trips and
house chores.
College Ave. Presbyterian Church, 5955 College Ave.
Every Wednesday, open from 9:30am to 1:30pm.
Light exercise, socializing, travel programs and
music.
 Special programs 11am to noon

2/5 Fitch Slides of Alaska.

2/12 School children will visit to help celebrate
the Center’s anniversary

2/19 Kathy’s slides of Canadian Rockies

2/26 VCR tape: History of USA in early days

3/5 Slides of Alaska


February 8, 2003
16.




Don Coelho
	
 

  	
Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER


    

		    

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