Extracted text · highlighting “Hiroko Kurihara”

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VOL. 18       NO. 8     ISSUE NO. 193    September 6, 2003                       CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

Sponsored by The Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 644-4228

Rockridge Kitchen Tour Is Here
Order tickets now for the September 28 tour
a g e n d a:
RCPC General Meeting
a g e n d a:
RCPC General Meeting
by Natalie Mehta
N
Thursday, September 18, 7:30 p.m.
Michael Tompkins
and Luann DeVoss
get cooking tips
from Christopher
Cheung, owner
and chef of
College Avenue’s
Marica Seafood
Restaurant.
The couple’s
kitchen will be
featured on the
September 28
Rockridge
Kitchen Tour.
ine outstanding rede-
signed kitchens will be
on display Sunday, Septem-
ber 28, from 1 to 5:30pm for
the fifth biennial Rockridge
Kitchen Tour. This popular
RCPC fundraiser offers
visitors a rare opportunity
to see inside some of our
most attractive Rockridge
homes, where owners have
taken innovative approaches
and used unique materials in
remodeling their kitchens.
Rockridge Branch Library
Community Room
5366 College Avenue at Manila
 Kitchens, Books, and Bungalows.
 “Classic Kitchen” authority
Jane Powell and expert architect/
designer Kathy Rogers will offer
professional advice on kitchen
remodeling with a slide show.
(See article below.)
 Rockridge Kitchen Tour tickets
will be available for purchase at the
meeting.
 A copy of Jane Powell’s
Creative and affordable
ideas are presented in this
year’s tour, and kitchen
styles range from contem-
porary to Arts and Crafts.
Visitors will see a variety of
kitchen layouts, appliances,
cabinet finishes, and color
schemes. Those looking for
kitchen counter ideas, for
instance, will be treated
to beautiful examples of
tile, granite, limestone,
and even custom-made
zinc counters. This unique
walkable tour has become
a popular Rockridge event
Bungalow Kitchens will be given
to a lucky audience member.
PHOTO: SUSAN MERRELL
since its inception in 1995,
with nearly 1,000 visitors
participating. An equally
large crowd is expected
this year.
vine, Dreyers Grand Ice
Cream, Filippo’s Pastaria,
Garibaldi’s, Grasshopper,
Homesteader, Hudson Bay
Caffe, Ildi & Company,
Katrina Rozelle, La Farine,
Loot Antiques, Lulu’s
Kitchen, Maison d’Ètre,
Marica Seafood, Market
Hall, Nan Yang, Oliveto,
Pendragon Fine Books,
Rustica Café, Rockridge
Café, Rosso Mano, Ruta’s
Indian Kitchen, SOI-4, and
Zachary’s.
Changes: Kitchen
Design Then and Now
G
To further bolster our
fundraising efforts, this
year’s tour features a
raffle of fabulous prizes
from local merchants. One
$2 raffle ticket provides a
chance to win a generous
gift certificate from our
local donors: À Côté, Cactus
Taqueria, Christensen Heller
Gallery, Citron, Crêpe-
ranite, limestone, tile, or Corian coun-
tertops, six-burner stoves, stainless
steel appliances, two-drawer dishwashers,
and recessed spot lighting: These are all on
the A-list of kitchen accoutrements in the
21st century. A hundred years ago, however,
kitchens had a very different look and role
in everyday life. Two local kitchen experts
will offer a slide show and lecture on kitch-
ens of both centuries at the September 18
RCPC General Meeting.
 KITCHEN TOUR, PAGE 7

Jane Powell, author of Bungalow Kitch-
ens, explores the history of the “modern” City Cuts Not as Painful as They Could Be

About $750,000 will be available for
capital improvement projects in North
Oakland over the next two years, thanks
to efforts by Councilmember Jane Brunner
to redirect some money from downtown to
the neighborhoods.
hard to know when you’ve arrived. A gate-
way or signage might correct that. Actual
plans will be discussed with community
organizations, including the Rockridge
Community Planning Council.
 KITCHENS THEN…, PAGE 11
A denizen of the
restored Oceanus
mural eyes
Claremont
Brunner and the City Council worked
hard this summer to save valued neighbor-
hood institutions—the Rockridge Library
and Fire Station 7—from devastating
budget cuts related to shrinking state and
city revenues. The
 BUDGET CUTS, PAGE 11
Avenue
Brunner and her staff are looking at pos-
sible streetscape improvements up and down
College Avenue, as well as a gateway to the
area. Although Rockridge has a national
reputation as a workable neighborhood, it’s
passersby.
OCEANUS PHOTO,
ARTICLE REFERENCE
Story and
more
photos,
page 5.


September 6, 2003
2.




Around the Neighborhood
by Jacqueline Tasch, Editor, The Rockridge News
Secrets of the S’ters
A

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
NEW HOURS:

Tuesday: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Weds, Thurs, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday 12 – 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, Monday CLOSED
LIBRARY DETAILS: SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 15.

mong my guilty secrets, the oldest is this: I liked school. In
August, when all my friends were wailing about the approach
of Labor Day—school, in those days, always began two days later—I
nodded sympathetically, but my heart danced with excitement. A new school year meant
new notebooks and lunch pail, new pencils and pens, maybe a new color ink: midnight
or peacock blue, even purple? There would be new dresses in dark cottons—light colors
were banned after Labor Day, whatever the temperature—to wear for the few weeks
before the first snowfall (I grew up in Buffalo).




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-
profi t public benefi t 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.

But of all the new things a school year brought, the most precious of all was new
textbooks. We used to buy mine secondhand from a family up the street whose daughter
was a year older. I remember walking the two or three blocks to her house, and drink-
ing lemonade politely with Patsy and her mother before the transfer took place. Then I
ran home, plopped the books on my bed, and sat all afternoon examining the wonders
on tap for the coming year: unfamiliar words, pictures of unfamiliar people in far-off
times and places, incredibly unfamiliar numerical calculations.

Rockridge News Production
Jacqueline Tasch..................Editor-in-Chief
Ortrun Niesar, Claire Isaacs...Writers
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Calendar
Theresa Nelson ....................Neighborhood Merchant
Lydia Gans...........................Photography
Lauri Scharber....................Advertising
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
David Hatfi eld................... RCPC Liaison

I have no idea how this book transfer came to be. I wasn’t friends with Patsy, and
our parents knew each other only from church. My envy of Patsy is still another guilty
secret. It seemed to me then—although they both laughed later when I told them—that
my parents would have been happier with the more extroverted Patsy for a daughter.

With all of these guilty secrets floating around, some readers will surely have sur-
mised that the school I went to was Catholic, taught mostly by “S[is]ters” in long brown
dresses with cords at the waist and black veils bound to their heads with uncomfort-
able-looking starched white cloth. It must have pinched and chafed, but I’m sure the
S’ters happily “offered it up,” as we were regularly told to do. (Offering it up was their
translation of “No pain, no gain,” with salvation as the prize.)
T

RCPC Board of Directors, 2003-2004
Daniel Ferdelman ..............Chair
Deborah Larson.................Vice-Chair
Jessica Pitt, John Potis .......Secretaries
Greg Yoch............................Treasurer

here used to be a mythology about Catholic schools: that by some magic, the S’ters
could turn out brilliant students on a shoestring. It’s a myth that I hear occasionally
in times like these, when public schools are facing budget cuts. The obvious explana-
tion is that the S’ters, at least in the olden days, worked for room and board. But there
are other elements, too.

David Hatfi eld, Hiroko Kurihara,
Susan Montauk,Theresa Nelson,
Chad Thompson, Michael Whitfi eld
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS

In my Catholic grade school, class size often approached 50, and so there was little
individual attention except for those who misbehaved. I didn’t hear a language other
than English until high school, and even then, the “language lab” was an aging tape
recorder. The year I took biology, we dissected earthworms because there wasn’t enough
money for frogs. No joke.
Ways to do more with less

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

So it pains me to hear how our Rockridge schools struggle from year to year to pro-
vide more with less. I talked to several school leaders for the report that appears on the
facing page, and they are remarkably resilient and cheerful in the face of the cutbacks
that followed the state takeover. Magically, they are creating new programs.

 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

I also asked how we could help, and you’ll find some ideas there. Please have a look.
Remember that among the dour-faced kids heading back to school, there may be a few
who are secretly delighted. We should encourage that.

$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
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601-1188
Mon-Fri 7-7 • Sat 8-6
(Across from Albertson’s & Zachary’s Pizza)

News block captain?
Contact us at one of the following addresses or
telephone numbers:
Editor: jatasch@mindspring.com
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 5245 College Avenue,
PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
RCPC Voicemail: 644-4228
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING/DEADLINES
Publication date of the next issue is
 October 4, 2003;
 October deadline is September 18.
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 classifi ed ad that it deems
inappropriate.)




3.

September 6, 2003

Helping Our Schools
Public schools are an important
part of our community, and
you’re invited to provide support,
from money and materials to time
and energy. Here’s what’s needed.
What can you contribute?
Claremont Middle School
• Contributions for a $10,000
fundraising drive.
• Volunteers to periodically
freshen bulletin boards and
public areas.
• Assistant tutors for afterschool
programs for underperforming
students.
• Volunteers for afterschool
enrichment programs in home
economics, movement, computer
technology, the arts, etc.
• Contact PTA President Edith
Gambrell Hanspard at 879-2010.
Chabot Elementary School
• Funds and material contributions
for the garden, the library,
and music, art, and computer
programs.
• Contact PTA President Nora
Mitchell, nora@bidmaker.com,
or 879-1060.
Far West
• Volunteers for garden workdays
the third Saturday of every
month from 10am to 1pm.
• Garden materials and tools.
• Artist volunteers to work with
students.
• Art supplies.
• Books for middle and high school
students on the arts and social
justice themes.
• Ideas for community service
projects.
• Contact Principal Linda McCluskey,
lmcclusk@ousd.k12.ca.us or
879-1580.
Peralta Elementary School
• Contributions for a $50,000
fund-raising drive.
• Volunteers to water and tend
the garden.
• Mentors to spend one-on-one
time with students during the
day or afterschool.
• Contact Parent-Teacher Group
Co-chairs Margit Birge, 428-0366,
and Rose Rice, 655-9075.

Schools Rally to Beat Cuts
There’s a new principal at Claremont
Middle School this fall, and Arts Far
West has lost part of its name and its K
through 5 student body. Peralta Elementary
has lost state and federal funds supporting
several programs. Cutbacks related to the
school district’s fiscal crisis and the state
takeover are whittling away at the already
spartan budgets of local schools. Never-
theless, there’s an ambitious new reading
program for sixth graders at Claremont,
new garden spaces at Far West and Peralta,
and an expanded afterschool program at
Chabot. Details follow:
Claremont Middle School
cover supplies. Call the school, 879-1060, to
sign up for a tour with Saddler any Friday
in October from 8-9:30am.
The PTA-coordinated afterschool pro-
gram will be enlarged with several new
subject areas, from circus arts and global
education to rhythm rock and Chinese
brush painting. Check the new website,
www.chabotelementary.org.
Far West (formerly Arts Far West)
Although Arts Far West is losing part of
its name, it will continue to have a strong
focus on art. As part of a collaboration with
nearby California College of the Arts, art-
ists will work with teachers to introduce a
component of art in every curriculum.
David Chambliss is the new principal at
Claremont Middle School, after two years
as assistant principal of the Havenscourt
Middle School and several years working
on school reform with RPP International.
Assistant Principal Carolyn Gramstorff
returns, but former Principal Dorothy Wig-
gins and Assistant Principal Bill Kaufner
have taken other assignments.
Far West is also losing its K through
5 students and will be a middle school
of 100 students and a high school of 125
students. Some students were traded with
Kaiser Elementary School, which closed
its Middle School component. Also, about
25 students are coming to Far West from
private schools.
Based on a projected decline in enroll-
ment, Claremont will lose the equivalent
of three to four full-time teachers, but
Chambliss believes some will be restored
when more students than expected actually
turn up for classes.
None of these changes were related to
budget cuts. Far West lost four K-5 teachers
and has hired two science teachers. In space
made available by the dismantling of play
equipment for the youngest students and
some asphalt, a garden — initiated last year
by a Japanese artist — will be expanded.
Peralta Elementary School
A major focus at Claremont this fall will
be a reading program for all sixth-grade
students; an existing program for those
significantly below grade level will be
complemented by an enrichment program
for those at or above grade level. In addi-
tion, the afterschool program is expanding,
with the invigorated PTA coordinating
volunteers.
Chabot Elementary School
A beautiful new garden opened in May
at Peralta Elementary, and work is planned
to enhance the Alcatraz side of the school
yard. Despite district budget cuts, the band
teacher will be back for the fourth and fifth
grades, and parents are sponsoring two
notable guest music teachers: well-known
folk singer Bonnie Lockhart (K-3) and Q.B.
Williams, director of the Vukani Mawethu
Choir (4-5).
An already active PTA at Chabot was
galvanized by last spring’s budgetary crisis,
and an organization called Chabot Parents
Respond fought for local control of Oakland
schools. While they lost that effort, they
continue to monitor the changes in the school
district. Chabot parents took the lead in
forming a citywide network of parent lead-
ers, Parent Leadership Alliance Network,
now including about 60 parents.
The Parent Teacher Group at Peralta is
working hard to plug the holes created by
losses of federal and state funds that mean
limited resources for afterschool programs,
special needs children, social services, men-
toring, and a Family Resource Center. The
demise of the State Arts Council means
parents will also have to raise money for
arts instruction.
Principal Denise Saddler was able to
avoid any significant cuts at Chabot, and no
teachers were laid off. Meantime, parents
are prepared to cover losses of money to
While no teachers were lost at Peralta,
increased enrollment is expected to provide
a challenge to present resources.


September 6, 2003
4.




September 20 FROG Playground Work Party

And Oceanus Mural Dedication
by Sally Fitzhugh
Hreturn. Check in at either the Hardy Park
Playground or the Redondo Playground
(corner of Redondo and Clarke) before
proceeding to the Hardy Park or Redondo
play structures. Bagels and coffee will be
provided at Hardy Park (first-come, first
served), and FROG will host a hot dog bar-
beque (courtesy of Niman Ranch) in Hardy
Park at noon for all volunteers. Refreshments
will be served at the 5pm Oceanus Mural
dedication ceremony as well.
and regular sweeping types.
 (10) Shovels: triangular (pointed)
elp install more tiles at FROGpark, fix
up play structures, and celebrate the
restoration of the Oceanus mural. You can
do all of the above on Saturday, September
20, by joining Friends of Rockridge-Temes-
cal Greenbelt (FROG) for its semi-annual
playground work party. FROG work takes
place from 8:30am to 5pm, followed
immediately by a dedication ceremony at
5pm for the newly restored Oceanus mural
on Claremont across from Hardy Park.
( Oceanus story and photos, page 5.)
types preferred, but square types
OK.
 (20) Rakes: garden type with metal
tines (for raking fibre wood
chips)

(5) Wheelbarrows

(2) Twenty-foot or longer extension
ladders

(6) Eight-foot or taller step ladders
 (10) Cordless screw guns with Phillips
drivers (charge the batteries &
bring spares)

(6) Cordless orbital or palm type
Sorry, no childcare. Parents with children
under the age of 13 are encouraged to partici-
pate in the creek clean-up, a family-friendly
event which is run by the City of Oakland,
Friends of Temescal Creek and DNA, on
the same day, from 9am to noon.
Besides installing new tiles, the FROG
work party will add some new features and
perform regular maintenance on the existing
play structures. FROG is looking for both
skilled and unskilled workers. No prior
experience is necessary.
sanders (charge batteries & bring
spares)

 Miscellaneous wood files, exten-
sion cords, hammers
Please contact Lisa Kaplan at 653-
5870 or Lisak_k@yahoo.com or visit the
FROG website, www.frogpark.org, for
more details.
FROG needs some basic tools and equip-
ment for the day. Please let us know if you
can lend us any of these items:
Volunteers for the playground main-
tenance should bring their own gloves,
a garden rake, broom, and shovel to help
sand, seal, rake, sift and build. Mark your
name on any tools you bring to ensure their
(30) Brooms: both hand & whisk types
Mon–Fri 9:30 - 6:00
Sat 9:30 - 5:00
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5.

September 6, 2003

Mural Miracle: Oceanus Restored After 26 Years

by Claire Wahrhaftig-Isaacs
Tprovided snacks and drink, and painted with
zest. Amid the comings and goings along the
orange-coned area, with tarps and paint cans
spread along the sidewalk, Gary counseled
and cautioned, taught and urged, painted
and checked from close up and afar as the
work progressed.
io is a sailor from Martinez who aspires
to an art career. Eleanor is a master
drawing teacher. Roberta works for the City
of Oakland. Julie lives in the neighborhood.
Teenage sisters Caitlyn and Chelsa were
looking for some vacation fun.
Among the crew were some well-known
area artists: muralist Dan Fontes, creator of
giraffes and zebras under another freeway;
Temescal’s Jeff Norman, author of the Fire
Station Eight historic walkway; and Herschel
West, President of Pro Arts. Eleanor Dick-
inson, a renowned human figurative artist
and 30-year professor at the California Col-
lege of the Arts, serenely took on the “hard
stuff” like bubbles and reflections. She took
pains to maintain the “dreamlike” quality
of the divers, while giving them a bit more
volume and anatomical credibility.
These are just a few of the 80 people
who restored the mural Oceanus to its
former glory this past summer. From July
9, when the Department of Public Works
under coordinator Jamil Blackwell removed
all the graffiti and dirt and pulled off the
invasive ivy, through July 20, when Jamil’s
crew sealed the surface with a graffiti-resis-
tant covering, the site under Highway 24
on Claremont was alive with people from
every walk of life.
“This has renewed my faith in human-
ity,” said the mural’s creator, Gary Graham,
seeing the 3,000-square-foot work restored
to life under the expert and amateur hands of
dozens of paint-stained people. A teacher at
Vista College in the 1970s, Gary convinced
PHOTO: CLAIRE WAHRHAFTIG-ISAACS
Artist Gary Graham mixes paints and
coaches technique during restoration of
his mural Oceanus.
There were also contributors like Roberta
Babcock, Oakland’s assistant public art coor-
dinator, who assembled the financing for this
project, then supervised while adding her
landscape design student Julie Franklin
cheerfully sharpened the shark’s teeth.
hand to images on the far right.
Tio’s school counselors advised
him not to study art, so he joined
the Navy. But, awaiting orders to
ship out, he stumbled across the
mural project and turned up every
day thereafter. While he painted,
Gary explained color theory and
design, reviewed Tio’s portfolio,
and offered career advice.
Caitlyn
(l.) and
Chelsa
Greene
bring new
life to
seaweed.
On the scaffolding, Joël Blondeau, a
close friend and associate of Gary, sponged,
scratched, and scumbled the surface of the
whale, bringing the huge beast to life again.
Joël is a renowned restorer, having worked
for major clients such as Disney.
Oceanus is an environmental mural with
a political message. Besides the whale, the
fish, and the waving seaweed, it depicts divers
retrieving barrels of radioactive waste (some
had been found near the Farallon Islands
about the time the mural was created).
PHOTO:
CLAIRE
WAHRHAFTIG-
ISAACS
Gary also worked diligently
with the less experienced. Cait-
lyn and Chelsa Greene, graduates of the
Berkeley Arts magnet school, took time
between their summer classes and camps
to revive purple/yellow sea grasses under
Gary’s patient direction, while their mother,
Carol Greene, cheerily grumped that she
“got to clean brushes.” Perched on a ladder,
Caltrans to allow him and his students to
paint the wall. Its since-defaced beauty
inspired the summer project funded by
the City of Oakland, RCPC, FROG and
private donations.
As the work went on, drivers tooted
and gave thumbs up. Dog walkers cheered
and wandered over to stare and admire.
“It was a life-changing experience,” said
Kate, the organizer. “I wonder if there are
other neighborhoods we could organize to
do this? The most wonderful thing was the
huge diversity of people who came together
to get this done.”
Every day, Rockridge resident and project
director Kate Runyan signed in volunteers,
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September 6, 2003
6.




Rockridge Crime Network Goes Yahoo

by Susan Montauk, Rockridge Neighborhood Watch
Network Moderator
Rillegal businesses, and apprehend code violators. Monthly police
reports are posted on the system, and Oakland Police respond to
reports by members and follow up when warranted.
ockridge has a new tool to fight crime and respond to quality-
of-life issues. The Rockridge Neighborhood Watch Network
has recently been converted to a Yahoo Group, giving citizens the
ability to communicate on these matters with blocks throughout
the community.
The Rockridge system will not be directly tied to the Oakland
Police Department, but the moderator will distribute relevant
monthly police reports to members along with other crime-related
messages. In addition, residents will be able to post any notices or
concerns they have regarding crime or quality-of-life issues and
to chat with members who might have helpful suggestions.
About 10 months ago, in response to a surging crime rate
in the City of Oakland, residents throughout Rockridge began
signing up to be block captains for the newly formed Rockridge
Neighborhood Watch Network. An e-mail web was created and
used by the captains to alert residents of each block about inci-
dents of crime and suspicious behavior. By April, 37 volunteer
block captains had stepped forward.
Blocks that are not already represented by a block captain are
invited to join the Network. A list of those blocks can be viewed
on line at www.rockridge.org. Click on “Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council” and then on “Watch Network.”
If you would like to represent your block, you may send an
e-mail to smontauk@juno.com. State your full name, address,
and the block you wish to represent. When your membership is
approved, you will be asked to keep in touch with your neighbors
through a block e-mail list.
In July, the Network converted to a Yahoo Group. Those famil-
iar with the Oakland Police Yahoo Group, moderated by North
Oakland Lieutenant Lawrence Green, know just how effective
such a system can be. That group, through member e-mail chats,
can boast of helping Oakland Police arrest offenders, shut down

Sex Offenders in Rockridge: Evaluating the Risk

by Michael Whitfield
A
Alameda County has the second-highest
number of registered sex offenders with
2,351, but they account for only 16 per
10,000 residents. The city of Oakland (1,092
offenders) approaches the state’s rate at 27
per 10,000. By comparison with all these,
Rockridge’s 11 registered sex offenders
account for only .07% of the population,
or 7 per 10,000 residents.
sex offender. The CD-ROM provides the
offender’s name and any aliases; a photo,
if available; gender, physical description;
offenses; and county and zip code of resi-
dence, but not an address.
mong Rockridge’s 15,000 or so resi-
dents are 11 registered sex offenders.
Five have committed offenses involving
minors, four of them with children under
the age of 14. All are classified as serious
offenders, a middle category between
low-risk and high-risk. These facts were
gathered during a visit to the Oakland
Police Department, which provides access
to information about sex offenders to anyone
18 years or older.
Oakland Police point out that registered
sex offenders may pose less risk to resi-
dents than offenders who have not yet been
arrested and convicted of crimes.
To review the OPD’s information on
registered sex offenders living in the 94618
zip code, visit Oakland police headquarters,
455 7th Street, Room 313, between 8am and
11:30am or 1pm and 3:30pm Monday
through Friday, or 10am to noon on
Saturday and Sunday. Appointments can
be made by calling 238-2191, but are not
necessary. You will need to show a Cali-
fornia driver’s license or other ID, to state
your purpose, and to sign a statement that
says, among other things, that it is illegal
to use the information to harass, discrimi-
nate, or commit a crime against a registered
Police urge all residents to take pre-
cautions, particularly with young children.
Some suggestions from the Oakland City
Attorney are available at http://www.oakl
andcityattorney.org/megan.html
An officer with OPD’s Special Victims
Unit explained that while there are no set
guidelines for classifying sex offenders,
the level of violence and likelihood of new
offenses are major elements leading to a
high-risk rating. Low-risk offenders often
are those caught with child pornography or
using suggestive language with children.
Serious offenders probably committed
actual sexual acts, but not in combina-
tion with other crimes—breaking into a
house or using violence other than the
sexual act itself.
OPEN DAILY 12 - 2
5352 College Avenue
In trying to evaluate the level of risk in
Rockridge, demographic statistics may be
useful. The state’s 97,000 registered sex
offenders account for .28% of its popula-
tion — please note the decimal — which
indicates that the rate is 28 per 10,000
rather than one in four. In the Bay Area,
Your Neighborhood Pub




7.

September 6, 2003

Merchants Bring Food, Fun, Fair
To College Ave in September
Kitchen Tour
from page 1
Get Your Tickets Now! Four convenient
ticket purchase options are available for this
year’s tour:
by Roberta Klugman,
Rockridge District Association
Wentertaining folks. A cable-car trolley will
transport visitors from Broadway to Alca-
traz. Market Hall’s annual “Picnic in the
Street” will have tasty treats, comparative
tastings, cookbook signings, and the Used
Cookbook Exchange.
hile you’re visiting houses on RCPC’s
fabulous Kitchen Tour September 28,
you’ll find College Avenue hopping with a
street fair, “Out and About in Rockridge,”
from 11am to 5pm: The street will be alive
with musicians, clowns, street performers,
and sidewalk sales.
 MAIL: $25 advance purchase tickets
are available via the coupon at right below.
Mail-in ticket orders received before Sep-
tember 15 will be filled by mail; orders
received after the 15th will be held at the
registration desk, 5951 College Avenue
(College Avenue Presbyterian Church)
starting at 11am.
A sidewalk chalk art contest, hip-hop
dance demonstrations, videotaped gait
analysis, a 5K Fun Run, the Oakland
Zoomobile, search and rescue dogs, and
a feng shui lecture are just a sampling
of what College Avenue merchants are
planning.
Organized by the Rockridge District
Association, the street fair features food,
fun, and entertainment. Child stilt walkers
and clowns from the Prescott Circus Theatre
will perform, as will Crying High, a Brazil-
ian Choro-style jazz band. Other performers
will play at various locations, and a Bolivian
carnival troupe will travel College Avenue
 ONLINE: Advance tickets are also
available for purchase online, using a
credit card, at www.rockridge.org. Tickets
purchased online will be held for pick up
at the registration desk.
For more information, contact the
Rockridge District Association at 604-
3125, info@rockridgedistrict.com, or visit
www.rockridgedistrict.com.
 LOCAL BUSINESSES: Tickets are also
available during business hours at Rockridge
Realty, 6019 College Avenue (655-2330), and
at Maison d’Ètre, 5640 College Avenue.
2003 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
ADVANCE TICKET ORDER FORM
Save me a spot for the:
 REGISTRATION DESK: $30 day-of-tour
tickets will be sold at the registration desk.
Yes!
Tour hours are 1pm to 5:30pm. For addi-
tional information, visit the RCPC website,
www.rockridge.org or call 644-4228.
Docents Needed
2003 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
Sunday, September 28, 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Please send me the following number of tickets:
Docents play a key role in the success
of the tour, and volunteering provides an
easy way to become involved and assist in
this neighborhood fundraising effort. Two
docents are assigned to each home for a
2-1/2-hour shift. They are treated to a
pretour of three homes and a free ticket
to the tour. To be a docent, contact Nancy
Sale at 655-4625.
tickets @ $25 ea. advance price = $                  total enclosed
Name                                                                               Phone
Address                                                                City                                    Zip
Please mail this coupon, a self-addressed stamped envelope,
and your check or money order payable to:
RCPC Kitchen Tour, 5245 College Avenue PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
Thank you!   The Rockridge Kitchen Tour Committee





 











	


August Sales In Rockridge
Address
Bd/Ba
List Price
Selling Price
Close Date
5943 Ocean View
3/2
$ 699,000
$ 699,000
8/13/2003

5946 Manchester
3/3
$ 1,295,000
$ 1,200,000
8/15/2003
	
! 

!"
$
5405 Carlton
2/2
$ 495,000
$ 495,000
8/22/2003
5506 Taft
2/1
$ 595,000
$ 652,000
8/22/2003
	
6016 Auburn
3/2
$ 675,000
$ 801,000
8/26/2003


 
 "!
$

#
The average price paid per square foot was $412, up 12% from last year.


September 6, 2003
8.




asked me: “As good as your father’s?”
“Better,” I replied.
	





What a comfort it is to connect to
memories of our loved ones through the
delights of special food. Every time we make
a “grandma” dish, we bring the genera-
tions closer to our hearts. I look forward
to the time when my new granddaughter
makes zucchini latkes or Passover potato
knishes and we tell her that these were
handed down from her great-grandmoth-
ers Laura and Ida.
	
	


 
Grandma Food
S
Passover Potato Knishes
everal years ago at the Jewish Film Fes-
tival, I saw a short documentary film on
three generations of Jewish women prepar-
ing gefilte fish. The grandmother went to a
live-fish market, picked out a perfect carp,
had it killed, and brought it home where she
filleted the fish, hand-chopped it, and used
the bones to make a perfect broth to poach
the fish. Her daughter brought home filleted
pike and white fish, chopped it in the Cusin-
iart, and poached the fish in store-bought
fish stock. Her granddaughter opened a jar
of prepared gefilte fish, arranged them on
a plate with lettuce leaves, and topped each
gefilte fish with a small carrot slice saying,
“That’s the key, the sliced carrot.”
smile when she held out her hand to indi-
cate measurements and said, “about this
much of… and about that much of….”
Her fist expanded and contracted for each
ingredient.
(Gail Kaufman, as told to her
by Ida Moskowitz)
Ingredients
(As with all grandma recipes,
measurements are not exact.)
 6-8 large russet potatoes, peeled and
We can buy the latest “in” cookbooks,
but it is our mother’s, grandmother’s, and
great-grandmother’s recipes we yearn for. I
will never forget when my then-10-year-old
daughter asked my mother for her zucchini
latkes recipe. My mother told Jennifer that
she learned to make zucchini latkes from her
mother and her mother before her. Jewish
food historian Claudia Roden believes the
dish originated in the Turkish Jewish com-
munity and spread throughout the Ottoman
Empire and to Italy.
cut into quarters
 1-2 large onions, chopped
 Butter
 1⁄2 cup matzo meal
 Salt and pepper to taste
 3-4 egg yolks mixed until uniform
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil potatoes until very soft.
3. Sauté onions in butter over low heat
until caramelized (slowly caramelizing the
onions until golden brown is the secret to
this recipe).
We have just become grandparents.
Our culinary genealogy—three and more
generations of special dishes passed down
from grandmothers to mothers to grandchil-
dren—is fresh on my mind. Following my
mother’s secret recipe, our daughter has for
many years made zucchini (not potato) latkes
on Chanukah and perfectly light matzo balls
for Passover. Every Passover my partner
makes kosher potato knishes she learned
from her mother. Sweet and sour Romanian
stuffed cabbage and Swedish meatballs are
also part of the heritage.
A number of years ago, when my
mother-in-law passed away, we returned
from the cemetery to a lavish meal of
Jewish appetizers that included smoked,
baked, and pickled salmon; chopped egg
salad with mushrooms; smoked whitefish,
carp, and sturgeon; and herring in wine and
cream sauce. Our daughter, who loved and
misses her grandmother to this day, calls
this food “grandma food.” The other day
my partner was making cole slaw. My dad,
who was a salad chef, made the best cole
slaw and potato salad. After tasting and
adjusting for the perfect balance of lemon,
salt, pepper, and mayonnaise, my partner
4. Mash potatoes and mix in onions,
2 tablespoons of butter, matzo meal, and salt
and pepper to taste.
5. Butter a large baking pan.
6. Form mixture into flattened balls about
3-4 inches in diameter.
7. Place on baking pan and brush egg
yolk mixture on top of knishes.
8. Bake until golden brown on top and
bottom. Serve fresh and hot.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the Cali-
fornia Culinary Academy. His e-mail is
kaufman42@earthlink.net. Barry is available for
private cooking classes and fundraising events
Many years ago, I asked my partner’s
grandmother for the recipe for her special
Romanian eggplant. I will never forget her




9.

September 6, 2003

Rockridge Photo
Exhibition
The Subject Is Us
If you were asked to capture in a
photograph something about yourself
or the environment we share here in
Rockridge, what would you decide to
reveal? That is the question some 20
Rockridge photographers are asking
themselves at this moment as they prepare
to present another slice of Rockridge
life in the third annual Rockridge Photo
Exhibition. They know a good photograph
needs to be more than just a pretty
picture. They know that to take a good
picture requires intense observation and
concentration. If you are practiced, and
a bit lucky, all that concentration just
might transform what you see into a
by Ortrun Niesar
new image with its own constellation
of meanings, intended or not. So a rose
will no longer be just a rose. That new
revelation can be both exciting and a
little scary, as all mysteries are.
This year, our talented artists are
creating an amazing kaleidoscope
of new thought images for you.
Chris Holmes meditates on light
refracted through a dewdrop, while
Courtenay Redis’ photos literally
burst with the joy and laughter of
children at play at Elizabeth House.
Stephen Seche lets the incidental
detail tell the whole story. Why
write a book when you can say
it all in a sentence? Bill Kepner
captures the lively energy on
Shafter on a Saturday morning. Nick
Wirtz sees local history and classic
beauty in architectural structure.
Gary Nakamoto is working on long
exposures of church interiors in
our area. Claire Isaacs finds the
roses of Claremont irresistible. And
so it goes, to each his (or her)
own, each adding another thread
to the fabric that is the Rockridge
community experience.
Rockridge Dew 574 — Chris Holmes
Other
artists
include
photojournalist
Lydia
Gans;
Wendy Wheeler and daughter,
Tassia Reoutt, age 6; Martha Snider
Henry C. Levy & Co.
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510.652-1000 FAX 510.654-2363
2831 Hillegass Avenue, Berkeley
Phone: 510.729.5352 / Fax: 510.549.9251
License# 729761

(photo collages); Thomas Dalpino, now
8, who has participated for the past
two exhibits; Robert Hofmann, Alan
Stross, Ortrun Niesar, Jeff Lindeman,
Ted Williams, and Irving Wiltshire.
The exhibition will open at the
Rockridge Library with a reception
for the artists on Friday, September
12, from 6pm to 8:30pm and will run
through Friday, October10. All are
cordially invited. You will be able to
purchase many of the works directly
from the artists.
Grandma’s Valedictorian — Courtenay
Redis; Elizabeth House series
Box Art/Art Box
Annual Fundraiser
For Pro Arts
This is a year when all of us who
think that the arts are an important
part of life must go that extra mile to
help our community arts organizations
make it through tough funding times. But
this is not drudgery by any means. Arts
groups are enormously imaginative when
it comes to fundraisers. Their events
could be a much better night out than
the perennial movie and a pizza.
Pro Arts will be holding the opening
event of its second Annual Box Art/Art
Box fundraiser, silent auction, and raffle
on Thursday, September 4, 6 to 8:30pm,
followed with three weeks of silent
bidding, and a smashing closing event
and auction on Thursday, September 25,
from 6-8:30pm. Friendly competition for
the wonderful box creations contributed
by over a hundred well-known Bay
Area artists will help to raise much-
needed funds. We hope you will join
in on the fun and bid on a piece by a
favorite Rockridge artist. You’ll be glad
you did. Call 510/763-9425 for more
information.


September 6, 2003
10.




RCPC Bylaw Amendments
Approved at July Meeting
by John Gussman
A

t the RCPC general membership meeting on July 17, the members voted to approve
two changes to the organization’s bylaws. These clarify the length of elective terms
on the Board of Directors and adopt term limits for elected directors.

The amendments, which had been recommended by the Board, became effective upon
adoption. The term of an elected director now expires at the end of the annual meeting
in the second calendar year after that person was elected. Henceforth, no person will be
eligible to serve more than three elective terms on the board, with certain exceptions.

Further information on the bylaws can be found in the July issue of The Rockridge
News or on the RCPC website, rockridge.org.

$15 Off
Lube, Oil and Oil
$10 Off
Smog Inspection
$20 Off
30,000/60,000
$10 Off
Any Repairs
Filter Change
Expires 10/10/03
Mile Service
Expires 10/10/03
Over $100
Expires 10/10/03
Expires 10/10/03

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
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 Lubrication Services
• Appointments Recommended
 Electronic Ignition and Driveability

 Steering and Suspension Service

 Timing Belts  Brake Services  Clutch Services





En Français
Maison Nouveau...Qu'est que ça veut dire? Est-ce du mauvais Français?
Non, pas du tout. Maison Nouveau provient de «La Maison du Nouveau Siècle» qui pourrait se
traduire en anglais par «The House of the New Century» or «The Firm of Change» .

De la même façon que «L'Art Nouveau» à révolutionné l'art en général à l'aube du vingtième siècle,

nous transformons le marché immobilier dans la région de la baie de San Francisco en offrant de

1IPUP
,BSFO
3VTUFO

meilleures prestations de services et des prix plus competitifs pour le vingt-et-unième siècle.
In English
Maison Nouveau . . . What is this? Bad French?
No, not at all. Maison Nouveau is derived from "La Maison du Nouveau Siècle" which
translates as "The House of the New Century", or "The Firm of Change".
Just as the Art Nouveau movement revolutionized Art at the turn of the 20th century Maison
Nouveau is changing Real Estate in the Bay Area with better service and better prices for the
21st century.
Come see what we are all about at:
www.MaisonNouveauRealty.com
510-849-9900
2701 College Ave Berkeley
www.MaisonNouveauRealty.com




11.

September 6, 2003

Budget Cuts
At the July RCPC Meeting
from page 1
Hollywood Boosts Neighborhood
council also restored money for neigh-
borhood services coordinators, library
materials, and recreation program direc-
tors. About $420,000 was put aside for park
maintenance and cleanup.
Beautification Work
Imagine Sean Penn showing up at your
door, asking to borrow your house for a
month or so. That’s what happened to one
family in the 5200 block of Locksley last
June, as Penn’s film crew found in Rockridge
an “East Coast-like” neighborhood where a
character in their movie could “live.”
Public Works Agency offered information
on how the Adopt-a-Spot Program can help
other area residents who want to transform
their neighborhood’s public areas, whether
parks or median strips. Beautifying a spot
could be as simple as picking up trash
regularly or as complicated as removing
graffiti or planting a garden. If your spot
qualifies, the city may provide tools, pick
up collected trash, and offer support or
advice. For more information, contact
Adopt-a-Spot at 434-5131.
False Alarms May
Enrich City Coffers
Rockridge residents with home
alarm systems may find themselves
helping to fill the city treasury. The
mayor’s budget proposed, and the
Council approved, the creation of a
new security alarm permit: $25 per
year for residential and $35 per year
for commercial tenants.
Besides the brush with Hollywood, the
lucky householders got to spend a month
in the Claremont Hotel at Penn’s expense.
And, it turns out, the whole neighborhood
will also benefit. A check for $500 from
Penn’s production crew was turned over to
Friends of the Locksley Gardens Project,
a group aiming to transform the neglected
parcel of Caltrans land under Highway 24
at Locksley and Forest into a community
bright spot.
[Penn’s movie, “The Assassination
of Richard Nixon,” will be released in
2004.]
Most home alarm systems are set up
to trigger a police response if residents
don’t quickly issue an all-clear. Some-
times—in fact, about 34,000 times each
year—police respond to what turns
out to be a false alarm. Under new
rules, residents will be allowed one
free false-alarm response each year.
After that, they will pay a fine of $100
for each false-alarm response. This fine
is an effort to deter false alarms while
also generating revenue to balance the
police resources used in responding
to such alarms.
Kitchens Then…
from page 1
The transaction took place at RCPC’s
July General Meeting during a forum for
efforts to make Rockridge a prettier place
to live. Besides the Locksley Garden group,
representatives of Friends of the Rockridge
Greenbelt and the UnderBART improvement
committee were present.
kitchen—the one found in all early 20th-
century houses, not just bungalows. She
discusses how it changed women’s lives, the
various elements it contained, and practi-
cal ways to use 21st-century improvements
without compromising the period look. An
Arts and Crafts restoration expert, Powell
is a lecturer and consultant on all aspects
of early 20th-century houses.
Niccolo DeLuca of the City of Oakland’s

From Students to Teachers Via Scholarship Program

O
Kathryn Rogers worked in design/build
firms as a carpenter and an architect for
several years before starting her own design
firm, Sogno Design Group. She specializes
in residential remodels and additions with
a focus on rethinking the flow of spaces
inside and outside the home. Her interests
include using found and recycled objects;
exploring combinations of elements, light,
and color in her designs; green building;
and most important, working with clients
to produce designs that suit their needs and
complement the original architecture of their
house. One of Sogno Design’s kitchens will
be featured on the September 28 Rockridge
Kitchen Tour.
akland Tech students Kimber Towers
and Leah Oliver moved to the other
side of the teacher’s desk this summer as
the initial participants in the Friends of
the Rockridge Library (FORL) Summer
Scholarship Program. Now back at Tech
for their senior year, the pair spent two
months coordinating the library’s “Summer
Reading Game.”
ful program, which encourages youngsters to
read at an early age. They also coordinated
the volunteers’ schedules.
“Every morning I’d get to the library
and wonder how we could have done this
program without Leah and Kimber. They
were terrific,” said Susan Stutzman, Teen
Specialist librarian.
Towers and Oliver each received a $1,250
stipend from FORL, which will continue
the scholarship program next year.
Towers and Oliver trained and supervised
more than a dozen volunteers for the success-
New Hours for the Rockridge Library
Following recent budget cuts, the Rock-
ridge Library has a new schedule:

Tuesday 12:30-8pm

Wednesday 10am-5:30pm

Thursday 10am-5:30pm

Friday 12-5:30pm

Saturday 10am-5:30pm
 Sunday & Monday CLOSED
providing a free consultation with a volun-
teer lawyer, will now be on the first Tuesday
evening of each month from 6-8pm. There
will be no program on October 7, when
the library will be a polling place for the
recall election.
Both experts will address the meet-
ing in the Rockridge Library Community
Room at 7:30 pm September 18. Audience
members will get a chance to win a copy
of Powell’s Bungalow Kitchens. Tickets for
the Rockridge Kitchen tour will also be on
sale at the advance price of $25.
Other branches have also had schedule
changes. Schedules are posted on the library’s
website at www.oaklandlibrary.org.
The Lawyers in the Library program,


September 6, 2003
12.




ROCKRIDGE
ZONING COUNTER

# ( 2 ) 3 4 % . 3 % .  ( % , , % 2  ' ! , , % 2 9

5665 COLLEGE AVE
(LOWER LEVEL OF MARKET HALL)
Proposal: To establish a fitness weight-loss
business
Applicant: Palapa Dreams, Inc. - DBA.
Curves
Owner: Wilson Associates
Planning Permits Required: Minor Con-
ditional Use Permit for a Group Assembly
Commercial Activity in the C-31 Zone
Case Planner: intern Amy Million, 238-
6661 or Crescentia Brown, 238-6190 or
cbrown@oaklandnet.com
437-439 65TH STREET
Proposal: Application for a condominium con-
version of two existing residential units.
Applicant/Owner: Matthew Wadlund/Mark
Mumm.
Planning Permits Required: Tentative Parcel
Map for condominium subdivision.
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property; Survey rating: C2+.
Case Planner: Pete Vollman, 238-6167 or
pvollman@oaklandnet.com.
Complete architectural
services since 1970
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 654-6755
fax 654-3424

Nominated for 2003 Top 100 Craft Galleries in the United States
exceptional american crafts
fine custom & designer jewelry
fine art
repairs and ap
raisals
gallery hours:
tue thru sat  11-6
sun 12-5
5831 college avenue
oakland, california 94618
510.655.5952
www.christensenheller.com
'
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Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville...............The T
The T
The T
The T
The Team Y
eam Y
eam Y
eam Y
eam You Can T
ou Can T
ou Can T
ou Can T
ou Can Trust
rust
rust
rust
rust

You Come First
You Come First
You Come First
You Come First
You Come First
Providing Exemplary Service
In Rockridge since 1980
Shannon Klatt
Shannon Klatt
Shannon Klatt
Shannon Klatt
Shannon Klatt
Buyer Specialist Realtor
(510) 339-4281 direct line
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Mary Jane McConville
Senior Realtor
(510) 339-4280 direct line
Call
Call
Call
Call
Call Mary Jane
Mary Jane
Mary Jane
Mary Jane
Mary Jane today
today
today
today
today for all your Real Estate needs
 for all your Real Estate needs
 for all your Real Estate needs
 for all your Real Estate needs
 for all your Real Estate needs
(510) 339-8400
(510) 339-8400
(510) 339-8400
(510) 339-8400
(510) 339-8400 office
 office
 office
 office
 office ♦www
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www.MaryJaneMcConville.com
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Jan Carlisle
Jan Carlisle
Jan Carlisle
Jan Carlisle
Jan Carlisle
Administrative Assistant
Linda Fino
Linda Fino
Linda Fino
Linda Fino
Linda Fino
Escrow Coordinator




13.

September 6, 2003

FIT for a Change
W
PHOTO: DON KINKEAD
THE NEIGHBORHOOD MERCHANT
hen you walk into FIT Clothes for
the Modern Lifestyle, you’ll meet two
savvy women who will listen to what
you want and what you don’t like, and who
won’t tell you that everything looks good
just to get you to buy it. “Between me and
store manager Denise Mitidieri, we have
almost 60 years of retail experience,” said
Joyce Gardner, who opened FIT Clothes for
the Modern Lifestyle last December, “and
we know how to dress women.”
BY THERESA NELSON
FIT Clothes for the Modern Lifestyle
Joyce Gardner, Owner
a brown, gray, sage green, charcoal, and tan
print, with coordinating pants and jackets in
sage green and gray. The synthetic material
feels like soft wool but travels very well
(you can see more at the trunk show on
September 13 at the store).
FIT Clothes
owner Joyce
Gardner
displays some
of the wide
variety of styles
she carries.
She explained that she talks to a woman
to understand who she is, what her body
image is, what she wants to highlight and
what she wants to minimize, how she wants
to look, and what’s going on in her life.
Then, she suggests clothes that truly fit the
woman’s needs. Many women come back
to FIT and say that they’re wearing their
purchases all the time and receive compli-
ments, Joyce said. That’s the reward she
hopes for.
Joyce also carries a number of shirts
by Farinez, including a French-blue shirt
with an open neck and interesting cuffs
in a smooth sateen-finished cotton. She
carries the “perfect basic white shirt” in a
comfortable stretch fabric. The well-known
blue dot pants are also available in invit-
ing fall colors, updated classic shapes, and
materials from cotton to a leather that looks
better the more it is worn. These are pants
with personality.
PHOTO: JACKIE TASCH
After nearly 20 years as a partner in
a chain of four women’s clothing stores
in San Francisco and Burlingame, Joyce
took a break, then decided to open a store
here in Oakland, where she lives. She was
familiar with the neighborhood and knew
the quality of the shops and restaurants in
the area. When the current space became
available just a few steps from the Rockridge
BART station, she signed a lease.
FIT also offers a full range of basic cash-
meres and wools, the sweaters and tanks
that fill out any wardrobe. Joyce carries
these items in a medium weight, “autumn
cashmere,” rather than the heavy weight
appropriate to colder climates.
That’s who I buy for.”
Growing up in New York City, Joyce
worked in her mother’s clothing store after
school, learning about the business and how
to work with women customers. She went
to the Fashion Institute of Technology and
later moved to California, working as dis-
play director at Casual Corner, among other
positions, before opening the four stores she
had until recently. Like her mother’s store,
FIT is a neighborhood store, where women
come back over and over. “Here you get
to know women and build relationships,”
she noted. “Buying a dress in a new store
is like getting a haircut for the first time…
I need to hear about your preferences and
what you like, because no woman wants
just a dress anymore than she wants just
a haircut.”
A Rockridge neighbor happened to be
in the store, picking up an outfit for her
20th high school reunion, a big moment
in any woman’s life. Joyce had suggested a
lovely black silk two-piece dress, highlighted
with blue and taupe embroidery. Denise, a
jewelry designer who shows some work at
the store, made a pair of lovely earrings
to go with it. The customer said Joyce is
“good at telling you what looks good on
your body and putting outfits together. I
don’t have to go to San Francisco anymore
to find something stylish, I can just come
here and know that I’m supporting unique
local stores as well.”
Joyce said the response from the neigh-
borhood has been great. “This area has a
lot of women who are 35 and up and who
are looking for a sense of style, interesting
clothes that are stylish and of good quality.
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
	
 

She left knowing that she would look
great for this important event. What more
could any woman want?
As we walked around the bright, airy
store, the new Diane Von Furstenburg items
leapt out at me, with her signature inventive
print. There’s also a black and tan chevron
knit skirt, jacket, and dress in a fabric that
just melts in your hands, and a stunning
black and white dress with eye-catching
details. A number of fall items are from
Poleci, including a versatile optical shirt in
FIT Clothes for the Modern Lifestyle
Joyce Gardner, Owner;
5707 College Avenue

 

 	
 

510/923-0784
Open Monday – Saturday

 
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.,
Sunday 12 – 5 p.m.


September 6, 2003
14.




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. October deadline is September 18.
Pilates or Gyrotonic®
Try a FREE 30 minute BUZZ Session. CLASSES:
First Class Free in Pilates MAT, NIA®, Yoga,
Yogilates and/or Yamuna® Body Rolling.
Workshops & Teacher Training Certifications.
Mind-Body Connection, 5255 College Ave.  510-
420-0444 www.mindbodyconnection.net
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.
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 510/464-5934.
AVON Calling
Bug Guard , Cellu-Sculpt, BeComing and mark.
See the August Allure magazine, page 58, for
more information about mark – for women
between the ages of 16 and 24. Call Claudia
510/655-4258.
Need a Temporary Extra Room?
Family or friends visiting and no place to put
them? Beautiful bedroom available in a craftsman
home in Rockridge/Elmwood area. Convenient
location for shops, cafes, restaurants, BART,
bus. 510/547-8788.
Violin Lessons, All Ages
Principal Second Violinist of Berkeley Symphony,
Symphony San Jose, Del Sol Quartet. We’re
new in town! Stop by to say hello. Rick (violin)
and Irene (piano). 595-7310.
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.

S and J PCS Center
serving the Rockridge Community
5916 College Ave @ Chabot Ave
(510) 601-8282
Open 7 days a week

















 
Authorized cell phone Dealer for:

 



	
AT & T, T-Mobile & Verizon
 


	







	


Rockridge Resident
  


  

 


 
 	 
  
 
     

	









	

 



Leila S. Gough
leila.gough@agedwards.com
1999 Harrison Street, #2050
Oakland, CA 94612

 	





  




15.

September 6, 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
Free Comedy Showcase & Open Mic
library is a polling place for the recall election.
Note: New Library Hours
Tuesday, 12:30 to 8pm; Wednesday, Thursday and
Start your career in comedy at A ’Cuppa Tea,
3200 College Ave, (corner of Alcatraz). Tuesdays,
7:30 to 9pm. Be there by 7pm to sign up. ALSO:
Call 420-0196 to find out about free acoustic
music performances from 7 to 9pm.
College Avenue Adult Center
FIRST SATURDAY EACH MONTH, 10am to noon. Peralta
Elementary School: 460 63rd St. (parking on
Alcatraz Ave., just east of Telegraph). Note: No
September meeting. For information on future
meetings: 238-7001 or www.oaklandnet.com.
Oakland City Council Meeting
Saturday 10am to 5:30pm; Friday, 12 to 5:30pm.
Sunday and Monday, CLOSED.
Rockridge Toastmasters
Every Tuesday, 7pm. Veterans Building
200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Improve public speaking
skills in a friendly and supportive environment.
For information call Kathy, 601-6176 or e-mail
www.rockridgetoastmasters.org
Writer’s Support/Critique Group
College Ave. Presbyterian Church, 5955 College
Ave. Every Wednesday, 9:30am to 1:30pm. Light
exercise, socializing, travel programs and music.
Hot lunch available at noon for $1.75. For details
about upcoming field trips and special programs,
call Kathy at 531-6724.
North Oakland Multi-Purpose
Senior Center
Every Tuesday, 7pm, City Hall.
Oakland Planning Commission
1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 6:30pm,
City Hall. Agendas, details: www.oaklandnet.com.
The Greater Rockridge N’hood
Crime Prevention Council
Rockridge Branch Library, 1st Saturday of the
month: 2:30 to 5:30pm. ALL writers welcome.
Bring 6 copies of 5 pages of your prose for on-site
reading/discussion. Sponsored by the California
Writers Club, Berkeley branch (www.berkeleywri
tersclub.org/) For more information: 482-0265 or
Writefox@aol.com
Third Annual Rockridge
Photo Exhibition
5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Center Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:45am to 4:45pm - closed
Tues., Sept. 9th, Admission Day. CELEBRATING FIVE
YEARS! Open House, Wednesday, September 17
1 to 4pm. The community is welcome to celebrate
with us: Exhibitions, official speakers, live swing
band and light refreshments. Classes, workshops
and educational/social events. The Newsletter,
North Oakland Senior Times provides a schedule of
classes and a monthly lunch menu : (suggested
donation: seniors age 60 + $1.75 and $4 under
age 60). Call 597- 5085 for details about mem-
bership, newsletter, class or appointment times,
and volunteer opportunities.
Elder Care Support Group
Steering committee meets the 3rd Tuesday
of each month, 7 to 8:30pm, Fire Station #8
community room, 463 51st Street. For more
information see the link to the NCPC webpage at
www.rockridge.org.
2003 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
Rockridge Branch Library, September 12 through
October 11. Local photographers present their
impressions of life in Rockrige. Contact Ortrun
Niesar: 986-9560, 326-2161 or oniesar@aol.com
Oakland Tours Program
Sunday, September 28, 1-5:30pm. This RCPC
fundraiser will feature nine beautifully remod-
eled Rockridge home kitchens with the latest
trends in architectural styles. For tickets, go to
www.rockridge.org and click on 2003 Rockridge
Kitchen Tour, or use the coupon on page 7.
Out & About In Rockridge
Free city-sponsored guided walking tours on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. Discover Oakland’s
changing skyline, landmarks, churches and high-
rises. Eight different tour itineraries are repeated
throughout the season. All tours start at 10am and
last 90 minutes. For a 2003 tour schedule, call
238-3234 or visit www.oaklandnet.com.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
STREET FESTIVAL Sunday, September 28, 11am
to 5pm. Music, entertainment, and displays from
our local shops and restaurants. Sponsored by
the Rockridge District Association: 869-5600 or
www.Rockridgedistrict.com
Oakland Creek to Bay Day
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 support/
education groups offered by Alta Bates/Sutter
Health: call Monica at 802-1725 or e-mail
Monicalcsw@alum.calberkeley.org
Volunteers Needed
5433 College Ave. All Events are free and open to the
public.
• Wednesday, 9/10, 7:30pm, Alice Wilson-Fried:
Saturday, Sept. 20, 9am till noon. Neighborhood
volunteers meet at DMV parking lot off Claremont
Ave. at Cavour St. to clean Temescal Creek.
Potluck lunch to follow at noon at the corner of
Cavour and Redondo. Sponsors: DMV Neighbors
Assoc., providing coffee and snacks, and the
City of Oakland Environmental Services Division,
supplying gloves, tools, bags, et al (or bring your
own tools). See if we can find a winner for the
California Coastal Commission’s yearly contest
for the most unusual piece of garbage. For any
questions, call Margaret at 655-1767.
FROGpark Work Party
Menopause, Sisterhood, and Tennis: A Miraculous
Journey Through the “Change.”
• Thursday, 9/11, 7:30pm, Clive Matson, Editor, &
•   ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK. All
welcome, including groups and kids age 10 or
older. Assist in the warehouse or office; staff
the Hunger Hotline, the Food Bank’s toll-free
food referral service. Call Volunteer Mgr. Mary
Schoen: 834-FOOD(3663) or www.accfb.org.
•   OAKLAND ELIZABETH HOUSE. A Transitional Resi-
dence for Women and Children in Rockridge 6423
Colby St., Oakland. Residential and support ser-
vices to homeless and low-income women and
children. Help with childcare, homework, mentor-
ing, field trips and house chores. 658-1380,
ext.4, or e-mail volunteer@oakehouse.org
•   OAKLAND PARENTS LITERACY PROJECT Join our
Community Activists for Reading Excellence
(CARE) program. Volunteer one day or evening
per month, either at a School Clean Up or a
Family Reading Night. OPLP hosts Family Read-
ing Nights at 37 Oakland Schools, including two
events each at Emerson, Santa Fe, and Golden
Gate Elementary Schools. Care members are
eligible for various benefits and prizes. For more
information, call George Willcoxon, Program
Director, at 889-5903 or www.oplp.org
Other Bay Area Poets: An Eye for an Eye Makes
the Whole World Blind. Poems in response to the
events of 9/11.
• Wednesday, 9/24, 7:30pm, Robbie Conal: ART-
BURN: The Twenty-First Century Shots from
a Guerrilla Artist.
• Thursday, 9/25, 1pm, Ann Perry: No Graves as
Yet.
• Friday, 9/26, 1pm, Vicki Robin: Your Money or
Saturday, September 20, 8:30-5pm, followed by
dedication of the newly restored Oceanus mural.
Volunteers meet at Hardy Park. Refreshments:
morning coffee and bagels, hot dog BBQ lunch
and snacks at dedicaton. Mark your tools. No
children under 13. Details: Lisa Kaplan, 653-5870
or FROG website, www.frogpark.org.
Rockridge Branch Library
Your Life.
For more information about readings, book
discussion groups and classes, Call 653-9965 or
www.dieselbookstore.com
Julia Morgan Center for the Arts
2640 College Ave., Berkeley. TREASURE SALE: Sunday,
Sept. 21. Proceeds to benefit this exquisite historical
building and theater. Donations of items in good
condition accepted through Sept.12. Call to arrange
donation drop-off. We will send a tax donation
receipt. 845-8542 x376 or rica@juliamorgan.org
5366 College Ave. Call 597-5017 for information
about pre-school, toddler, and pajama-time story
hours, and special programs.
• Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8pm. Sign-
up begins 5pm. (NO MEETING in October;


September 6, 2003
16.




Don Coelho
339-4721
27th year
serving Rockridge!
Buying or selling real estate in 2003?
Call me… the proven professional
Live ... Work ... Play
I can help you
Buy or Sell
in Rockridge!
“YOUR 24/7”
  REALTOR”
L A W T O N
{       }
Coming in September....
2/1 on Desmond St.
Urban Farm on Lawton
3+/1+ on Taft Ave.
A S S O C I A T E S
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
Ron Kriss, Realtor®/Partner
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
“I Know Rockridge”
Q Jeffrey Auen Q
Buyers, Sellers, Investors
Choose a Full Service
Realtor. Residential
& Investment sales,
renovation consulting,
proven strategies to
increase value.
Full Service
Pre- and Post-Sale.
25 Years in Rockridge
www.HomesEastBay.info
1.800.805.8827
Century 21

	
 

  	


    

		    

 
 

	

  
		
Flush with
Confidence
www.
.com
• Sewer Pipe Diagnostics
• Trouble Shooting & Repair
• Trenchless Sewer Replacement
510/465-3000
Berkeley – Oakland – Rockridge
ORTRUN NIESAR
Rockridge Real Estate Marketing Consultant
Direct: 510/986-9560
Email: oniesar@aol.com

Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
ROCKRIDGE? IF YOU
NEED THE SERVICES
OF A REALTOR, CALL
ME. I HAVE 26 YEARS
OF ROCKRIDGE SALES
EXPERIENCE AND THE
EXPERTISE YOU NEED.
6 5 5 - 2 3 3 0
ROCKRIDGE
R
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6 0 1 9  C O L L E G E  AV E N U E
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING
Professional,
Full Service
Real Estate Brokerage
To Rockridge Clients
For Over 24 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN
 Residential Sales
 Income Property
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Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland