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VOL. 19      NO. 1      ISSUE NO. 197      January 3, 2004!                        CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

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

Planning a Close Look at Rockridge’s Future

AERIAL IMAGE FROM THE WEB
by Jessica Pitt, RCPC Board Member
Oideal mix of retail, office space, residences,
and services would look like. The commit-
tee felt strongly that whatever positions it
takes on new business applications on Col-
lege Avenue should reflect the vision and
preferences of Rockridge residents. So, we
decided to launch a community planning
process that would result in a land use plan
for College Avenue.
PROVIDED BY JOHN POTIS.
ver the past several months, a number
of new businesses have moved onto
College Avenue or have made plans to open
in 2004. In the basement of Market Hall,
there’s Curves, a women’s workout studio.
Across the street, Pearl Oyster Bar is moving
into the Red Tractor space. Up the street,
on the 5400 block of College, a furniture
store and a new yoga studio just opened,
and right next door will be Ladies Fitness
Express, another women’s workout studio.
The old Crème de la Crème restaurant, next
to the Rockridge Library, is slated to be torn
down, and a Chinese restaurant will be built
in its place. Further down, near Broadway,
there’s a new personal training gym.
BART trains and Highway 24
split the center of Rockridge’s
now-thriving
commercial
heart. Decimated in the ’60s
when BART and the freeway were
built, College Avenue rebounded
from a forlorn collection of boarded-
up shops and vacant lots to its present
dynamism. BART’s original plan for station
development would have replaced many of
the surrounding Craftsman-style homes
with high-rise apartment buildings. RCPC
and other local neighborhood organizations
successfully countered with a plan for
“pedestrian friendly” shops on College
surrounded by the single-family and small
multi-family housing units that characterize
the neighborhood. The article at right and
others in this issue consider important
planning issues in Rockridge’s future.
Some residents may remember the
last time the RCPC undertook a commu-
nity planning process. In 1994, working
with Brady and Associates Planners and
Landscape Architects, we produced the
Rockridge Area Plan. Like the plan we are
currently doing, it assessed existing condi-
tions and, through a series of community
workshops, gathered ideas and input from
residents on what they would like to see in
Rockridge. Many valuable ideas and recom-
mendations came out of this process. Some
have been implemented; others have yet to
be acted upon. We intend to build on the
Rockridge Area Plan and update it.
RCPC has followed these developments
closely and debated their impact on Col-
lege Avenue. Will these businesses serve
Rockridge residents? Will they exacerbate
the parking problem? Are they consistent
with the C-31 zoning on College Avenue,
which is intended to promote retail devel-
opment?
The first step in our process was a land
use study. We obtained parcel maps from
the city and walked College Avenue from
a g e n d a:
RCPC General Meeting
These questions prompted the Land
Use Committee of the RCPC to reflect on
our vision for College Avenue and what an
 PLANNING ROCKRIDGE, PAGE 4
Thursday, January 15, 7:30 p.m.
Rockridge Branch Library
REPORT: BRUNNER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Rockridge As a
Livable Community
Community Room
5366 College Avenue at Manila
The Elephant in
The Living Room
D
 The Livable Community
Writ Small: Solving Problems
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN FRUSTRATED trying to
get the City of Oakland to respond to
neighborhood problems: illegally parked
vehicles, litter, blight, noise disturbance?
Turn your frustration into action!
oes Rockridge have a
parking problem? What
are the issues with parking in
Rockridge and specifically on
College Avenue and adjacent
streets?
by Daniel Ferdelman, RCPC Chair
When you think of livable communities, what do
you think of? Architect and urban planner Peter
Calthorpe says Rockridge is a good example.
At the January 15 RCPC General Meet-
ing, City staff will present the Clean City
Academy, a workshop on how the City of
Oakland is organized and what resources
and tools are available to fight blight and
other nuisances. Speakers will provide
phone numbers, maps, and service deliv-
ery procedures. You’ll have the opportu-
nity to present problems directly to city
staff and work with them on solutions.
Send your answers—or
related
questions—to
Daniel Ferdelman, RCPC
Chair, by email at dani
elferdelman@yahoo.com
or by regular mail at 5245
College Avenue, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94618.
About 100 North Oakland residents learned about
livable communities at Councilmember Jane Brun-
ner’s December community advisory meeting, where
Calthorpe presented a host of methods residents
can use to foster better connections between their
community, environment, and
the regional economy.
 CALTHORPE, PAGE 8


January 3, 2004
2.




ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
Around the Neighborhood
by Jacqueline Tasch, Editor, The Rockridge News
     Spreading the Social Glue
W

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.

hat is it about Rockridge that makes it such a cohesive
community? Why is everybody so nice?
Those were the questions that I started this column with, a little more
than a year ago. Since then, I’ve had some time to look around. Thanks to a tip from an
observant neighbor, I uncovered a sinister plot by middle aged white women to take over
the neighborhood. I partied with the stalwart folks who deliver The Rockridge News.
Spent a Sunday afternoon playing docent on the Kitchen Tour. Visited with a neighbor
called Neva, a lifetime Rockridge resident in her nineties, who told me about the horse-
drawn vegetable wagon and the endlessly reconfigured blessings of College Avenue.
Chatted on the phone with Annette Floystrup, who spent her childhood playing by the
creek that Highway 24 and BART displaced.




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.

For exercise, I took early morning walks, and everywhere I went, I seemed to trip
over people or stories about them. One morning, I strolled along with Chabot Elemen-
tary parents walking their kids to school. Some days found me on the same route where
Frank, another Rockridge elder, had been a regular. His neighbors missed their sidewalk
encounters even though they didn’t know his name: Frank had died.
S

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 Hatfield................... RCPC Liaison

ure, I groused occasionally: about the displacement of Christmas by the neutral
holiday, about the little games of chicken played by drivers on my neighborhood’s
narrow streets, about being recognized from the clearly unflattering [to my mind] photo
that accompanies this article. But even then, there was a silver lining: After all, people
did recognize me, and they were always smiling when they did so.

As I get ready to fold my editorial tents, fresh evidence comes in the mailbag. I’ll let
Jennifer Jackson tell you her story because she does so quite eloquently:

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

One of the perks of living in Rockridge is being able to join the citizen’s car pool any
morning on the corner of Claremont and Forest; commuters hitch a ride to downtown
San Francisco with other commuters, most of whom they’ve never seen before and will
never see again.

David Hatfield, Hiroko Kurihara,
Susan Montauk,Theresa Nelson,
Chad Thompson, Michael Whitfield

Recently, I rode in with a woman who had a baby carseat in the middle of
the back seat, which made a handy resting place for my purse. I read my book
all the way in, and when we arrived I leaped out of the car with my book in my
hand, completely forgetting about my purse.

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.

Because I had never met the driver, I was despondent. After several days of
angst, I walked home from BART one day to find a note on my door: the driver
of the car had brought my purse back and, not finding me home, had delivered
it to my neighbor. Her phone number was on the note. When I called my bene-
factor to express my relief and gratitude and to offer to do something nice for
her, she would not give me her name, saying: “Please don’t do anything! I want
to save up this Karma.”

Articles published in The Rockridge News may be
reprinted only with the permission of the Editor.
CONTACTING THE ROCKRIDGE NEWS
 Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
 Do you have questions about newsletter

Jennifer thinks her nameless benefactor deserves proper notice. I think Jennifer is to
be congratulated, too, for going to the trouble to say a public thank you.

distribution?
 Would you like to volunteer to be a Rockridge
News block captain?
Contact us at one of the following addresses or
telephone numbers:

So what is it about Rockridge that makes it such a cohesive community? It’s the
people, of course. Now, we just have to figure out why everyone’s so nice. I suppose the
water supply is too obvious.

$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)

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
 February 7, 2004
 February deadline is January 15
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.
RCPC Considers Claremont Avenue Traffic Fixes

January 3, 2004

White Lines as Guidelines to Safety
Are three lanes faster than four?
Restriping Claremont Avenue into two lanes plus a central
turning lane could significantly reduce traffic accidents
and make the street safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedes-
trians, according to John Potis, who spoke at November’s
RCPC General Meeting. As evidence, he pointed to findings
in a five-year history of auto accidents on Claremont between
Hudson and College Avenue, which was provided by Oakland
Councilmember Jane Brunner’s office.
Of 50 reported crashes in the report, more than half were
sideswipes at intersections between vehicles traveling in the
same direction. Sideswiping accidents often occur when impa-
tient drivers try to zip around slower cars or vehicles waiting
to make turns. The other accidents were full broadsides—one
vehicle ramming another attempting to make a turn.
A dedicated turning lane, Potis said, “would improve sight
lines and eliminate the frustration of getting caught behind
a left-turning vehicle, thereby improving tempers, reducing
collisions, and assuring a smooth flow of traffic.”
The RCPC is forming a subcommittee to pursue this
proposal. The first meeting will be held in mid January. If
you are interested, please contact John Potis at 595-1964 or
at jjpotis@yahoo.com
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JOHN POTIS
This digital photo taken at the intersection of Claremont Avenue
and Chabot Road, looking northeast, has been altered to show a
possible lane configuraton that could make Claremont Avenue safer.

Living in Rockridge: An Opinion
Adding Bike Lanes Key to Revitalizing Telegraph Avenue

by John Potis, RCPC Board Member
Wprovides freedom and access. It goes where
you go and waits for you right outside the
door. No circling the block. No parking
or meter fees.
space for cars on Telegraph.
Studies also indicate that Telegraph now
serves mainly as a conduit to Highway 24
via 51st Street and to MacArthur BART and
Emeryville via 40th Street. Heading down-
town past 40th Street, traffic drops from
over 36,000 to less than 20,000 vehicles
per day. A three-lane configuration (with
the extra room from the present fourth lane
used to add bike lanes) will accommodate
this volume while enhancing traffic flow
and improving safety. Safe bike lanes,
moreover, will attract more cyclists and
further reduce auto traffic. Win-win.
More than point A to point B
hile all major streets in Oakland
should safely accommodate auto,
pedestrian, and bicycle traffic, too often
Oakland cyclists get little more than the
shoulder. Almost everybody knows that
bikes in cities reduce travel time and conges-
tion and are good for the heart, the wallet,
and the environment. It’s time to emphasize
these facts in Oakland, and the best place
to start is Telegraph Avenue.
A multi-lane artery
To ride a bicycle on Telegraph Avenue
today, without bike lanes, is hazardous. It
requires keen vigilance and the reflexes of
a tennis pro to avoid being sideswiped by
drivers or hitting car doors that suddenly
swoop open in your path. Bike lanes are
essential for safety and nicely reminding
motorists that they are not sole owners of
the road.
Too congested for bike lanes?
Telegraph Avenue is the only major,
flat-as-a-desktop, multi-lane artery con-
necting downtown Oakland with UC
Berkeley. Using connecting sidestreets
off Telegraph, it’s easy to get to Shattuck
and College Avenues and thriving villages
like Temescal, Rockridge, and Elmwood.
Telegraph also features many restaurants,
shops, professional offices, and services
that are destinations in themselves.
Some argue that Telegraph Avenue
is already too congested to support bike
lanes, but a draft report assessing traffic
conditions on Telegraph Avenue (avail-
able on the City of Oakland’s website
http://www.oaklandpw.com/bicycling/
telegraph.htm) clearly shows that there is
no evidence of congestion on Telegraph
except at 51st Street. The bottleneck there
is caused by congestion on Highway 24
and convoluted intersections nearby and
not by problems associated with lack of
The value of a street to a community
isn’t simply a matter of how quickly a
person can get from one place to another.
A street is most valuable when people want
to spend time on it shopping for bargains,
eating at restaurants, or having a coffee
with friends and neighbors.
My hope is that one day Telegraph
Avenue will be as popular an attraction
as College Avenue. Bike lanes are a great
beginning.
If you’ve driven these routes, you know
that parking is such a hassle that you’d rather
just go somewhere else. A bike, however,


January 3, 2004
4.




Planning Rockridge
 Conducting a survey to gather ideas
from a broader group of residents.
Parking is an issue on
College Avenue and we
need to explore creative
options for alleviating
the parking congestion.
This process will culminate in an
updated plan that will guide the RCPC as
it makes decisions about how to respond
to new permit applications and provide
strategic direction for RCPC as it tackles
the parking issue and other College Avenue
improvements. We look forward to the ongo-
ing participation of residents in this process.
If you would like to get involved, please
contact Jessica Pitt at 655-1210.
from page 1
Alcatraz to Broadway, recording the use of
every single building. We produced three
maps. One shows the general uses: retail,
office, residential, and public spaces. The
second shows the type of establishment in
each building: restaurants, personal services
(hair and nail salon, massage, etc.), health
services (doctors, dentist, and therapist
offices), clothing, professional (lawyers,
accountants, Real Estate agents, etc.), and
residential. The third map shows the density
of each building (i.e., one, two, three, or
more stories).
many of the newer restaurants are high end
and not the kind of places that neighborhood
residents can take their families to eat on
a regular basis.
There was discussion about creating
more mixed-use development. This would
include higher density development along
College Avenue with more buildings that
have both commercial and residential space,
particularly housing options for seniors and
moderate income families.
Mon–Fri 9:30 - 6:00
Sat 9:30 - 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
Of the 285 establishments on College
Avenue, the single most common use is
restaurants at 12.3%, followed by residential
buildings (10%), clothing stores (4%), hair
salons (4%), and health services (4%).
3210 College
Near Alcatraz
652-1990
Finally, everyone agreed that parking is
an issue on College Avenue and that we need
to explore creative options for alleviating the
parking congestion. We discussed a variety
of strategies, such as a parking shuttle that
would take advantage of available parking
at the BART station in the evenings.
T
The Land Use Committee presented the
maps at the November 20 RCPC General
Meeting. A lively discussion took place
regarding what participants would like
to see on College Avenue. Most of those
present agreed that while College Avenue
has become a regional business district,
attracting people from throughout the East
Bay, it should be balanced with businesses
and amenities that serve neighborhood
residents, such as a hardware store and a
post office.

  	
 #
  
 
he land use study and the discussion
at the General Meeting were the first
steps in the planning process. In the coming
months, the Land Use Committee will build
on this start. Our next steps include:


	

! 
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 Reviewing the Rockridge Area Plan
and pulling from it those recommendations
that are still relevant;
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Many felt that while restaurants bring
vitality to the neighborhood and create an
active street life, particularly in the evenings,
the neighborhood has reached a saturation
point. Several people expressed concern that
 Holding a series of community
workshops at which residents will have an
opportunity to give their input regarding
what they would like to see on College
Avenue, and;
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5.

January 3, 2004

Library Hep
To Hip-Hop

RCPC Says Good-Bye and “Thank
You” to Valued Board Members

by Susan Stutzman,
Teen Specialist Librarian
H

by Daniel Ferdelman, Chair
A

s we celebrate the New Year in Rockridge, some changes lie ahead for the board
of the Rockridge Community Planning Council. Some members are moving on. In
an upcoming issue, we’ll talk about the new members.

ip-hop culture came to the Rockridge
Library in the form of an interactive,
hands-on Teen Hip Hop Workshop held
in October and November. Eight Oakland
youth immersed themselves in the history of
hip-hop, break dancing, DJ’ing, and graffiti
art. In the final session, they produced an
original CD entitled Streetlights.

CHAD THOMPSON joined the board in 1998 and has been master of all trades, as former
board chair, zoning chair, and a participant in the creation of FROG Park. His input and
energy will be sorely missed. During his tenure, Chad was involved in guiding the board
through decisions on Cigarettes Cheaper, the California College of Arts and Crafts, the
old Safeway at Claremont near the freeway, and Dreyer’s. Chad and his wife, Naomi,
spearheaded RCPC’s celebrations on Halloween and at the groundbreaking for FROG
Park. We are grateful for Chad’s consistent concern for preserving and enhancing our
neighborhood, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.

Workshop instructor Anthony Madrigal,
a poet, MC, and founder of the California
Alliance for Conscious Hip Hop Expansion,
reports that the kids “tried everything we
put in front of them and didn’t hold back at
all.” He describes hip-hop as “a participa-
tory culture in that it begs its devotees to
get out and partake in all its splendor, all
its events and most importantly to share
the hip-hop mindset.”

DAVID HATFIELD joined the board in 2002 and was the board’s liaison to The Rock-
ridge News. He worked behind the scenes to coordinate stories and to make sure the
board’s wishes were represented in the text. David is also active with Friends of the
Rockridge Library as secretary. The board will miss his quick wit and common sense
at our monthly board meetings. David recently became a father and is sharing family
duties while his wife finishes her graduate studies.

MICHAEL WHITFIELD joined the board in 2002 and right from the beginning one could
sense a distinct sensibility, As a business consultant by day, Michael was able by night
to strengthening RCPC’s relationship with the Rockridge District Association (RDA),
the College Avenue business association. Michael also chaired the Traffic & Pedestrian
Safety Committee and was instrumental in having the city restripe several crosswalks
in the neighborhood. He also presented the neighborhood’s concerns about a possible
fourth bore to the Caldecott Tunnel. Since moving to Orinda, he may now be on the
other end of this particular issue.

 LIBRARY HIP-HOP, PAGE 13
Friends of the
Rockridge Library
Seeks a New
Board Member
D

JACQUELINE TASCH moved to our neighborhood in July 2002 and just a couple of
months later, responded to the need for a new editor at The Rockridge News. New to the
scene, Jackie was soon diving right into the base of neighborhood politics and handled
it all professionally. The skills she developed in newspaper journalism, including a stint
with the Los Angeles Times, were readily evident in the way she crafted the paper during
her tenure. This is Jackie’s last issue. RCPC is grateful for the way she streamlined the
process of producing the newsletter and infused it with her unique insights.

o you love the library? Do you want
to make a difference?
The Friends of the Rockridge Library
(FORL) has a vacancy for one board position
beginning January 2004. FORL’s mission
is to provide support, books, and materials
that are not covered in the city’s budget for
the local library branch.
The Rockridge News Needs You
Do you have between 30 minutes to
an hour to spare each month? Would
you like to dedicate this time to your
community? A Rockridge News Marshal
is moving and we need someone with a
car to replace her.
The job involves picking up The
Rockridge News bundles on the first
Friday of the month and making about six
deliveries to houses in the neighborhood.
Please call 547-3855 or e-mail Susan at
smontauk@juno.com to volunteer.
Please submit a brief description of
yourself and your interest in serving to
Marilyn Citron: mbcitron@yahoo.com

 

	 
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January 3, 2004
6.




Fulfilling the Vision: UnderBART Finds Support,
Expertise for Plans to Enhance BART Station Area

by Teresa Drenick
A

Officials from BART, CalTrans, the City of Oakland,
and Councilmember Jane Brunner’s office… are
lending their support and expertise.

s it marks its first anniversary, the
UnderBART Committee is rapidly
moving forward on the Rockridge Under-
BART enhancement project. Meeting once
a month throughout the year, the committee
has crafted a vision statement, a compre-
hensive list of goals, and specific projects
to fulfill each goal.
Once the vision is fulfilled, the Rockridge
neighborhood will enjoy a large central plaza
area bordered by Keith on one side and the
BART station on the other. The plaza will
offer a space for neighbors, shoppers, and
visitors to gather and relax. There will be
seating, tables, plantings, improved lighting,
and spaces for public art.
Under the BART tracks and Highway
24, the committee envisions brighter and
more inviting space, with new surfacing on
the walls, new lighting and benches, and an
open breezeway over College Avenue.
In the area now filled with ivy on
the north side of the station, a beautiful
community garden will blossom. School
children as well as neighbors will have an
opportunity to contribute their gardening
talents to create a central space filled with
native plantings, pathways, and seating.
Suggestions from the community
T

he photo illustrations above and on the next page depict a paved plaza
with attractive paths, comfortable places to sit with friends and watch the
world go by, a community garden, and improved sight lines. It is the goal of the
UnderBART committee to create a more inviting and calming area around
the Rockridge BART station. The committee has been working with BART,
the City of Oakland, Jane Brunner’s office and consultants to bring the visions
illustrated above to reality.

The community at large contributed
many good ideas and a wealth of input at
the College Avenue street fair in the fall.
Neighbors filled out close to 200 surveys at
a booth hosted by the UnderBART commit-
tee. The surveys have been tallied, and the
information gathered will be key in steer-
ing the project according to neighborhood
demand.
at the Rockridge Library. New members are
always welcome. If anyone is interested in
joining, please attend a meeting, or contact
committee chairperson Teresa Drenick at
Tdrenick@aol.com.
With the New Year under way, the
committee is getting down to the difficult
business of searching for funding sources
for all aspects of the project. Grant oppor-
tunities as well as private funding will be
explored. Officials from BART, CalTrans,
the City of Oakland, and Councilmember
Jane Brunner’s office have all participated
in the process throughout the year. They are
lending their support and expertise in every
aspect of the planning process.
The UnderBART committee meets the
second Thursday of every month at 7:30pm






 











	



	
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7.

January 3, 2004

Liquor Store
Shuttered;
Building Owners
Seek Alternate Uses
M
UnderBART Brings Plaza Design
To Neglected Station Space
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS SUPPLIED BY UNDERBART COMMITTEE
onths after Rockridge Liquor was
shut down because of liquor sales to
minors, the eviction notice is still posted,
and the doors remain barred. A spokesman
for the owner says a new tenant can’t move
in until issues related to stock and furnish-
ings left in the store are resolved.
In the meantime, only one thing is clear:
No liquor can be sold at that address for a
while because of restrictions imposed by
state law.
Between December 11, 2001, and May 17,
2002, three complaints of selling alcoholic
beverages to minors were filed against the
operator of Rockridge Liquor, Rida Munir
Rasheed. A final offense was documented
last March. Under pressure from the City
Attorney’s office, the landlord, Youssef
Numeir, moved to evict the tenant.
Benches, a
garden, and
meandering
paths soften
BART’s
impact on
College
Avenue,
creating a
more restful
That eviction was ordered on June 30,
and the store was locked up on July 29.
However, over the next few months, pass-
ers-by glancing inside might have thought
the store was just closed for the day.
community
space.
The stock remained on the shelves
because the tenant hoped to find a new
tenant for the property who would buy his
stock and furnishings, but that plan fell
through, according to the landlord’s attorney,
David Fischer. Although the merchandise
was removed in the last few weeks, counters
and heavy refrigerator cases remain.
“The owners feel like part of the neigh-
borhood,” Fischer says. “They’ve been
around for a long time, and they’d like to
see the store return to being a productive
part of the College Avenue community.
They’re willing to consider alternative
uses for the storefront.”
December Sales in Rockridge
ADDRESS
BD/BA
LIST PRICE
SELLING PRICE
CLOSE DATE
5551 Country Club
3+/3+
$995,000
$935,000
12/05/2003
5524 Thomas Ave.
2/1
$585,000
$652,000
12/21/2003
Wishing you & your family
a healthy and prosperous 2004!
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


January 3, 2004
8.




Calthorpe
continues, residents can
look forward to 3- or 4-
hour commutes, along with
spoiled air and stressed
inhabitants. The alternative
is denser development with
mixed uses and connection
to transit. Calthorpe cited
Rockridge as an archetype
of what he called transit-
oriented development and
new urbanism and offered
a planning strategy.
from page 1
His Berkeley-based firm, Calthorpe
Associates (http://www.calthorpe.com), is a
leading proponent of Transit Oriented Devel-
opment (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm45.htm),
and Calthorpe himself is a founding member
of the Congress for New Urbanism (http:
//www.cnu.org). These two planning concepts
aim to achieve development that promotes
a multiplicity of housing types, mixed use
neighborhoods, and strong connections to
the region via transit (with neighborhoods
like Rockridge being the archetype).
Calthorpe Associates
was hired in the late 1990s
by the State of Utah to con-
sider the future development
of the Greater Wasatch/Salt
Lake City Area (http://
www.envisionutah.org). The
state was considering how to
handle a population increase
of 2 million by the year 2020
and its consequences in land
development. The citizens,
developers, and bankers of
Greater Salt Lake City were
presented with several possi-
ble developments scenarios,
each with a housing type and
the requisite cost to build and
maintain. The results were
quite startling.
Calthorpe’s career began with the elec-
tion of Jerry Brown as Governor. In the
heady days of the 1970s, Calthorpe worked
in the Governor’s Office of Planning and
Research to develop an urban strategy for
California, an early attempt at a “smart
growth” policy. While the urban strategy
was not formally adopted, it became the
blueprint for Calthorpe’s career.
The urban strategy seeks to inform
citizens of the hidden costs of current
development patterns: Zoning codes and
city general plans that call for land special-
ization, with single-family residences in one
zone and commercial activity in another,
often divided by six lanes of traffic. This
development pattern means residents must
use a car to complete almost any task.
The above Construction Cost & Land Consumption
graphs show the impact of the hidden costs related
to specialist development patterns discussed in the
accompanying article.
The bankers and develop-
ers, who insisted that people
wanted single-family homes on half-acre
lots, were surprised to find that 30% of
respondents to a survey chose multifamily
housing or other denser models. The data
showed that only 25% of the population fit
the traditional nuclear family model, and
alternative housing types were in demand.
The type of housing most favored looked
suspiciously like what already exists in
Rockridge. More surprising were the data
on government expenditures and resources
related to each kind of development (see
graphs at right, above).
GRAPHICS: CALTHORPE ASSOCIATES
Specialist development has created a
whole specialist industry, Calthorpe said.
Home builders build only one type of home
and bank with one type of bank, whereas
commercial builders build only offices or
strip centers and use another type of bank
to service their needs. Because each has
narrow interests, these industry segments
tend to work at cross-purposes. Moreover,
affluent citizens are segregated from the
poor and middle class, and residential areas
are segregated from work and play zones.
The sum of these patterns is what we call
urban sprawl, and sprawl is subsidized
through federal highway grants and lend-
ing practices.
After his presentation, Calthorpe and
Brunner fielded questions on the implica-
tions of a livable communities strategy.
The questions ran the gamut of crime,
bicycle lanes, overdevelopment, and traf-
fic. Of particular interest was Calthorpe’s
response to development pressures.
Rockridge, in particular, is a desirable
location based on varying factors, and Calt-
horpe said the neighborhood would benefit
from infill development. This comment was
met with concern from some and amuse-
ment from others. His stance is consistent
with the premise that density itself is not
bad, but can become bad in project design
and implementation.
T
Calthorpe ended his presentation with
his current plans for Uptown in Oakland’s
downtown. His firm is working with the
City of Oakland to determine a development
strategy for the area delineated by the Fox
Theater, 20th Street, Telegraph Avenue, and
San Pablo Avenue. The Uptown development
will offer a mixed use environment, but one
much denser than Rockridge, as should be
expected in the center city. “Cities cannot
be suburbs,” Calthorpe said.
While the suburban pattern of the 1950s
made sense for postwar America, Calthorpe
said, the model has been stretched beyond
its limits. In the Bay Area, people may com-
mute two hours each way to work and back,
with an obvious impact on family and the
environment.
his presentation is one of many Jane Brun-
ner will hold in relation to her Livable
Communities Initiative. For more information
on what Councilmember Brunner is doing, con-
tact her at 238-7001 or visit her website at http:
//www.oaklandnet.com/government/council/
coun_mem/brunner/index.html
What is the answer? Calthorpe laid
out the options. If the current trajectory




9.
ZONING COUNTER

January 3, 2004

New Stores
Red Feather Mercantile
Home accessories and furnishings
5418 College Avenue, Oakland
510/420-1928
Monday – Sunday 11 am – 8 pm
Lapin
Women’s clothing and accessories
5337 College Avenue, Oakland
510/595-0724
Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 6 pm,
Sunday 12 – 5 pm
Antiques & Interiors
5292 College Avenue, Oakland
Hours unknown
Closed
Rockridge Liquors & Market

5468 MANILA AVENUE
Proposal: To construct a 441 sq. foot, second
story addition to an existing 1,380 sq. foot
single family dwelling on a 4,120 sq. foot legal
parcel.
Applicant: Baird Wheatley
Contact Person/Phone Number: Baird Wheat-
ley 760/632-5317
Owner: Linda Fogel
Planning Permits Required: Regular Design
Review for an addition to a single family dwell-
ing. Minor Variance to allow 2’8” side (east)
yard setback where 5’ is required.
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property (PDHP);
Survey rating DC2+
Case Planner: Miroo Desai Brewer, 238-6935
or mbrewer@oaklandnet.com

6039 COLLEGE AVENUE
Proposal: To make façade and sign modifica-
tions to an existing service station.
Applicant: Ron Dultamel, Arc Inc
Contact Person/Phone Number: Ron Dulta-
mel 707/745-0502
Owner: Shell Oil Products
Planning Permits Required: Regular Design
Review for exterior modifications in the C-
31 Zone.
Case Planner: Leigh McCullen at 238-4977 or
lmccullen@oaklandnet.com
5633 MANILA AVENUE
Proposal: To establish a child day care center in
an existing church. Proposed hours of opera-
tion are 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
Applicant & Contact Person: Diana & Isidro
Ovalk, 652-7021
Owner: Manila Avenue Church
Planning Permits Required: Conditional Use
Permit to establish a day care facility
Case Planner: Miroo Desai Brewer, 238-6935
or mbrewer@oaklandnet.com

5316 College Avenue
@ F G H J K @


 
	
	
	

		
	

 
	
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January 3, 2004
10.




in alignment.
Most home chefs will need three types
of knives. An 8-inch chef’s or French knife
is used for chopping, slicing, and mincing.
A 4-inch paring knife for is used for peel-
ing and trimming vegetables and fruits. A
boning knife separates raw meat or poultry
from the bone. If you do a lot of Asian
cooking, you may want to have a cleaver
in your knife collection.
	





	
	


 
After knives, few tools in the kitchen are
as personal as your pots and pans. Know-
ing how well a material conducts heat is
the first step in selecting cookware. Each
cookware material has its advantages and
disadvantages. The choices for the home chef
include hard-anodized aluminum; multi-ply
cookware consisting of bonded layers of
pure aluminum, copper, and stainless steel;
and nonstick. You don’t have to spend a
fortune to acquire any of these different
types. Julia Child used her $20 nonstick
for more than 20 years.
A Chef’s Tools of the Trade
Iwill never forget my first day as a stu-
dent at the California Culinary Academy.
When I entered the building, I was struck
by the sight of all the students, dressed in
their starched white chef coats and hound-
stooth pants, scurrying around the building.
Would I ever become a chef? I was directed
to the Academy auditorium. There, as if I
had reported for military induction, I was
issued my basic chef uniform, which I was
expected to wear every time I entered the
building.
a knife. With proper care, a knife will last
a lifetime. I still have two Sabatier carbon
steel knives my mother-in-law purchased
for me nearly 40 years ago. They are my
favorite knives.
The following rules concerning knife
care are essential and part of the automatic
behavior of professional chefs.
 Handle knives with respect. Never put
good knives in the dishwasher or let them
dry on the drain board. Always store your
knives in a knife box; not in your utensil
drawer. When you take knives on trips, they
should be stored in sheaths.
Every home chef needs a few good pots
and pans. The saucepan is what we used to
call a pot. Capacity ranges from one to five
quarts. The home chef should have two or
three saucepans. Frying pans and sauté pans
are the workhorses of stovetop cooking. A
well-stocked kitchen should have at least
three sauté pans in different sizes; one of
which should be nonstick. Other pots in
the kitchen should include a stockpot (15-
quart) and a Dutch oven or braising pot.
If you cook Asian food, a well-seasoned
wok is essential.
At my first class, our teacher, Chef Suzi,
instructed us on the exact way to wear that
uniform as students at the Academy. If we
varied from those rules, we were told, any
chef instructor at the Academy could tell us
we did not meet Academy standards. Then,
we would have to adjust our uniform or leave
the building. Just like the military.
 There is no such thing as a knife that
never needs sharpening. Keep knives sharp.
Although there are many knife-sharpening
products on the market, I always take my
knives to a professional knife sharpener. The
best knife sharpener I know is not far from
Rockridge, in the Temescal shopping area
on Telegraph and 51st Street. Remember,
dull knives cause the most injuries.
That same day, I was also issued my
chef’s toolbox. When I opened it, I knew
that my life’s passion would be a reality. In
front of me lay the knives and other tools
that would turn me into a chef.
Knives, cookware, and cooking gadgets
have become a big-time market. Whatever
 Use the right size knife for the job.
Knives are intended for specific jobs. A
paring knife should not be used to chop
or dice large pieces of meat or vegetables.
A chef’s knife should not be used to cut
small fruits or vegetables.
 A CHEF’S TOOLS, PAGE 12
In the building trades, you often hear
the phrase, “A carpenter never blames his
tools.” In the culinary arts, however, the
right tools are critical to a great meal.
Bottom line: You cannot expect to cook a
great meal unless you have the right tools,
which include the right knives and the right
cookware. Cooking gadgets are always help-
ful, but in the final analysis, the knives and
the cookware are most important. Let me
share a bit of the tool expertise I acquired
at the Academy.
 Before starting to prepare your meal,
always run your knife over a steel. Contrary
to popular belief, the steel does not sharpen
the knife. The steel keeps the knife edges
OPEN DAILY 12 - 2
5352 College Avenue
The importance of knives to a cook
cannot be overstated—most chefs carry their
own to the restaurants where they work.
Early in my training, I learned that the knife
is an extension of the human hand and should
be treated with the greatest respect and care.
Never compromise on price when buying
663-6674
Your Neighborhood Pub




11.

January 3, 2004

What’s It Worth?
T
Players at the Julia Morgan Theater, wants
to try another approach this coming year,
which he thinks will address consumer
malaise. Let’s say that in our consumer
society a performance can be viewed
as a product that represents a certain
value to the viewer. As a consumer, you
would not buy a cell phone without
doing some serious research. With little
point of comparison, you may have some
trouble assessing the value of a play. Patrick
respects that feeling and is about to try
not charging admission at the door, but
instead passing the hat at the end of the
performance and asking the audience to
pay what they think it’s been worth.
Filling the theater
his Christmas, much of my gift money
went into buying tickets for all sorts
of performances and arts events I wish
I could attend but don’t have the time
for. It was a virtual or vicarious thrill
for me. I stuck these precious little
billets into the stockings of those who
I thought would enjoy the experience,
and it made me feel super good.
by Ortrun Niesar
Here I gave some pretty wonderful gifts
and, at the same time, had an opportunity
to support the arts in our communities
by getting people to go to the theater or
a concert more than just once or twice a
year. This may come as a surprise to you,
but statistics show that this has become
the average attendance at arts events,
even among those who would consider
themselves strong arts supporters. There
is enormous competition for our time
and money out there these days.
exclusionary and insensitive. Unfortunately,
in our society, when the price is high
for one activity, the door is opened to
a million other consumer choices. As a
result, live arts performances often lose
out to the quick fix of the video rental
and pizza delivered to the door.
That’s an awful risk, you might think,
because there are actors and rent to pay.
But Patrick says he would rather have
the theater filled to the rafters with an
audience than play to an empty house.
And Patrick is an optimist. His experience
doing “priceless” performances at John
Hinkel Park taught him that audiences
will respond generously — if they like
the play, that is.
Paying for what you like
Nonprofit performing arts organizations
everywhere are now experimenting
with a concept I find laudable:  While
performances cannot be free, they
should indeed be accessible to all.
Many institutions have been trying out
“suggested donation” (amount stated)
or “give what you can” where the ticket
price used to be. The caveat is that no
one will be left standing at the door
for lack of funds, and forms can be
filled out for tax purposes if desired.
All of that still has the side effect of
producing a feeling of lingering guilt or
anger, respectively, if you think what you
gave was not enough or was too much
for the performance.
I must admit that the prices of some
of these tickets were just about at my
upper spending limit. It made me think
about how unaffordable some cultural
events have become. I can fully understand
how potential theatergoers may feel angry
or turned off by the price, which seems
Patrick will begin his new program
with the production of Moliere’s The Miser
in April. You are invited to bring some
appropriate value exchange mediums
such as money—and ripe tomatoes,
I suppose.
Note: The Death of Meyerhof is now
playing under the old conventional payment
system. Please do go see it. Call the Julia
Morgan theater at 845-8542.
Ortrun Niesar can be reached at 986-9560
or oniesar@aol.com.
Patrick Dooley, director of the Shotgun
# ( 2 ) 3 4 % . 3 % .  ( % , , % 2  ' ! , , % 2 9
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
Nominated for 2003 Top 100 Craft Galleries in the United States
	
 

THIS BUSINESS IS FOR SALE!
exceptional american crafts
fine custom & designer jewelry
fine art
repairs and ap
raisals
CONTACT OWNER AT
PHONE OR WEB SITE BELOW.
gallery hours:
tue thru sat  11-6
sun 12-5
5831 college avenue
oakland, california 94618
510.655.5952
www.christensenheller.com

 

 	
 


 


January 3, 2004
12.




A Chef's Tools
▫ 1⁄4 cup flour seasoned with salt and
pepper
▫ 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil mixed with
from page 10
1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
▫ 1 shallot, minced
▫ 1 cup white wine
▫ 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
▫ 2 tablespoons capers
Directions
your level of cooking expertise, I suggest
you shop for these basic tools at a restaurant
supply house. You will get the best prices
and the best products. I shop at East Bay
Restaurant Supply in Oakland and Economy
Restaurant Supply in San Francisco. If you
are ever in New York City, Bridge Kitchen
Supply is the mecca for cooking tools. All
the top New York chefs shop there.
T
1. Dredge chicken breasts in flour. Shake
off excess.
2. Heat oil and butter in sauté pan over
medium-high heat until butter stops foam-
ing.
his month’s recipe is a perfect example of
how to use a sauté pan to create a very
simple but tasty entrée.
3. Lay breasts in the pan, and cook 3 to
4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and
place on warm plate.
Sautéed Chicken Breasts in a
White Wine Lemon-Caper Sauce
4. Add shallots to the pan and sauté until
soft.
5. Increase heat to high, add wine,
and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and
capers.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
▫ 4 chicken breast cutlets (half breasts,
boned and flattened)
6. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Pour over chicken breasts and serve.
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.
"SHOULD YOU
SAVE FOR YOUR
KID'S COLLEGE
OR FOR YOUR
RETIREMENT?
OR BOTH?"
  		

  
 	  
   
 
  

 	
  
  



 
       	 

 
  	     
 
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13.

January 3, 2004

Library Hip-Hop
from page 5
Christian, a sixth grader at Claremont
Middle School who attended the eight-
session workshop, said, “We learned a
lot about the history. Like in the ‘70s and
‘80s, hip-hop music sounded like rock. It
was really slow compared to hip-hop music
today.” He defines hip-hop as a combination
of rap and pop.

Facts, Figures and Trends
From Rockridge Beat 12Y
by John Potis,
RCPC Board Member
O

akland is divided up into beats covered by
police officers. The Rockridge neighborhood
is roughly similar to the 12Y beat. Although parts of Rockridge extend into other beats,
this report will focus on 12Y for simplicity.

From September 1 through October 15, there were 70 listed crimes for the 12Y beat.
About 90% of the crime in the 12Y beat occurred west of College Avenue, and more
than half of it was theft. Narcotics crimes were clustered in the vicinity of 63rd Street
and Alcatraz Avenue between College and Telegraph. Theft crimes generally occur along
College Avenue, Hudson Street, and near Telegraph Avenue, forming a rough circle.

Fifteen-year old Antonesha, a student at
Oakland Tech, commented, “The instructor
was tight — he really helped us learn.” Her
favorite part of the workshop was recording
her original rap on the group CD. She is
interested in pursuing music as a career and
said the workshop was the only opportunity
she’s had to record her own music.

From September 1 to September 15, the 17 listed crimes occurred in the west half
of Rockridge, with narcotics-related crimes in the northwest.

From September 15 to September 30, the number of reported crimes roughly doubled
to 32. Theft was clustered along Hudson and Kales Avenues, on College between Har-
wood and Miles, and along Chabot between Ivanhoe and Chabot Court.

From October 1 to October 15, reported crimes dropped to 22. Again, crime was
primarily in the west half of Rockridge, with a cluster of thefts, narcotics crimes, and
vandalism along Telegraph Avenue between 60th and Alcatraz.

Addison, the youngest participant, said
he enjoyed using the instructor’s professional
recording equipment. He learned that writ-
ing a song was harder than recording it and
that “the equipment is really delicate — you
need to keep food away from it.”

From October 15 to November 1, reported crimes stayed roughly the same at 20.
Thefts continued on College Avenue north of Highway 24. The single narcotics arrest
was north of Alcatraz on Telegraph. A cluster of burglaries and a single theft occurred
near 58th, Telegraph, and Claremont. A robbery was committed at the bottom of the
hill on Florio Street at Manoa Street.

Library Assistant Jennifer Rockwell, a
hip-hop aficionado, coordinated the series
and would like to bring more offerings of
this type to local teens. As she comments,
“It seems to me that hip-hop is the number
one inspiration to teenagers today so I want
them to see that they can do more than
consume hip-hop.”

From November 15 to December 1, reported crimes jumped slightly to 25, but nearly
all crimes clustered in an area bounded by Alcatraz, Colby, 62nd, and Telegraph. Narcot-
ics arrests, auto theft, burglary, petty theft, and a single assault occurred in this area.
A single auto theft occurred on Harwood near the palm in the middle of the road, and
two burglaries occurred near 51st on Shafter and Manila.
T

his crime report is based on information provided by the Oakland Police Department on their
website http://www.oaklandnet.com/cw/cwmain.jsp. To access the site, direct your computer to
http://www.oaklandpolice.com/index.html. You may need a plug-in that is provided on their website.
The website does not necessarily show the most up to date or complete information on crime and
the information provided is available in spreadsheet or map form. The information is not very
specific. Only the general nature and general location of the crime is given.

She also points out that the teens in this
workshop learned about all the resources
the library has to offer, such as CDs, books
about their favorite artists, or books about
how to make it in the hip-hop industry. She
may organize another workshop, perhaps
in the summer.
A copy of the workshop song, “Street-
lights,” is available for checkout at
the library. Anthony Madrigal may be
reached at 510/828-1081 or by email at
tax@stubbornlights.com.

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
www
www
www
www.MaryJaneMcConville.com
.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


January 3, 2004
14.




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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. Rick 510/464-5934.
Rockridge Resident
  


  

 


 
 	 
  
 
     

	









	

 



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

 	





  
Temporary Room Rental
Having out of town guests and nowhere to put
them? Large, sunny room available in Crafts-
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website for photos and info. http://geocities.com/
cayenne2810 or call 510/547-8788.
Work From Home
Earn $500 $5000 P/T to F/T. Full Training
Provided. Local Interview. Bilingual positions
available. For free information: 510/618-7670.
Landscape Garden Design
Temescal Landscape Architect with over 15
years experience. Specializing in design and
renovation of residential gardens in the East
Bay. References upon request. Please call
Tomi: 420-1197.
CHI KUNG for Health
Chinese self-healing exercises made simple,
gentle and easy to learn. Practice encour-
ages health, relieves stress, quiets the mind
and promotes healing. Especially good for
chronic illness, cancer, stress-related prob-
lems and RSI. www.healingchikung.com and
ellencr@sbcglobal.net. 597-1160.
Housecleaning
Reasonable rates. Expert & reliable services
from local employment cooperative. Call
534-6766 and we’ll send someone to spiff up
your home. Ask us for our references from
Rockridge clients.




15.

January 3, 2004



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
Writer’s Support/Critique Group
offered by Alta Bates/Sutter Health: call Monica
at 802-1725 or e-mail Monicalcsw@alum.calb
erkeley.org.
Volunteers Needed
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.berkeleywritersclub.org/  More information:
482-0265 or Writefox@aol.com
Free Comedy Showcase & Open Mic
First Saturday every other month, 10am to noon.
Peralta Elementary School: 460 63rd St. (parking
on Alcatraz Ave., just east of Telegraph). FEBRU-
•     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. Hotline shifts Mon-Fri,
9am-12pm and 1-4pm. Call Volunteer Mgr. Mary
Schoen: 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. Orientation and training for new
volunteers. Help with childcare, homework, men-
toring, field trips and house chores.  658-1380,
ext.4, or volunteer@oakhouse.org.
•     OAKLAND PARENTS LITERACY PROJECT: Com-
munity Activists for Reading Excellence (CARE)
program. Volunteer one day or evening per
month, at a School Clean Up or a Family Reading
Night. As the premier literacy program in the
district, OPLP hosts Family Reading 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.  George Willcoxon, Program
Director: 889-5903 or www.oplp.org.
•     BAMBINO THRIFT SHOP: All Volunteer Shop
benefiting OaklandChildren’s Hospital, 5290 Col-
lege Ave.  Volunteers needed Tuesdays through
Saturdays. We will train you to help with pricing,
selling and merchandise display. Call manager,
Carol Maes: 654-9709.
•     NORTH OAKLAND COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL
(NOCCS): tutors to work with 1st to 4th graders,
one-on-one or in small groups, on math skills,
beginning reading and writing skills. Weekly time
commitment of at least one hour. Located at Col-
lege Ave. Presbyterian Church, (next to Dryers
ice cream). Contact Jennifer Bloom, Director:
655-0540 or teachers@noccs.org.
ARY TOPIC: March ballot measures and elections.
Discussions about: Library Tax, Strong Mayor
(Measure X), School bond, Violence prevention,
County sales tax, At-Large-Councilmember and
the Presidential Primary. More information at
238-7001 or www.oaklandnet.com.
Oakland City Council Meeting
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: Call
420-0196 to find out about free acoustic music
performances from 7 to 9pm.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
Every Tuesday, 7pm, City Hall
Oakland Planning Commission
1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 6:
30pm, City Hall. Get agendas and details at
www.oaklandnet.com.
The Greater Rockridge N'hood
Crime Prevention Council
5433 College Ave. All Events are free and open to
the public.
• Tuesday, 1/6, 7:30pm, Laurie Fox: Lost Girls.
• Sunday, 1/11, 2pm, Big Fan Press chat-book
release party. Becky Peterson reads from Met-
ropolitan Bird Culture. Also, Julia Block and Malka
Geffen will read from new works.
• Wednesday, 1/21, 7:30pm, Jennifer Roberts:
Steering Committee meets 3rd Tuesday each
month, 7 to 8:30pm, Fire Station #8 community
room, 463 51st Street. Residents and business
members of NCPCs 12Y and 13X areas are invited
to voice their concerns about crime and public
safety.
Rockridge Branch Library
Good Green Homes.
• Thursday, 1/22, 7:30pm, Jennifer Margulis,
Ericka Lutz and Paul Kivel: Toddler: Real-life Stories
of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love.
• Sunday, 1/25, 2pm, Al Martinez: I’ll be Damned
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017.
FOR CHILDREN:
if I Die in Oakland.
• Wednesday, 1/28, 7:30pm, John Hart, author of
•  Toddler Story Time, Saturday, 10:30am:
San Francisco Bay: Portrait of an Estuary, will present
a slide show by the book’s photographer, David
Sanger. Sponsored by the Audubon Society.
More inf. about readings, discussion groups and
classes: 653-9965 or www.dieselbookstore.com.
College Avenue Adult Center
1/10, 2/7.
•  Pre-School Story Hours, Wednesday,
10:30 & 11am: 1/7, 1/21, 2/4.
•  Pajama Story Time, Tuesday, 7pm: 1/13,
1/27, 2/10.
SPECIAL EVENT:
College Ave. Presbyterian Church, 5955 College Ave.
Every Wednesday, from 9:30am to 1:30pm. Light
exercise, socializing, travel programs and music.
Hot lunch available at noon for $2. For details about
upcoming field trips and special programs, call
Kathy, 531-6724.
North Oakland Multi-Purpose
Senior Center
•  Craft session for all ages. Create your own
pop-up or flat Valentines. No pre sign-up;
all materials provided. Saturday, 2/7, 2 to
3:30pm.
FOR ADULTS:
•  LAWYERS IN THE LIBRARY: Free legal advice.
First Tuesday of each month, from 6 to 8pm.
Advance sign-up 5pm.
SPECIAL EVENT:
5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Center Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:45am to 4:45pm
Variety of computer classes, workshops,
educational/social events, walking groups and field
trips. Massage services, Monday and Wednesday
(by appointment). The newsletter, North Oakland
Senior Times, provides a full schedule of classes and
a monthly lunch menu: (suggested donation:
seniors age 60 + $2 and $4 for those under age 60).
Call 597- 5085 to get details about membership,
newsletter, class or appointment times, and
opportunities to become a volunteer.
Elder Care Support Group
•  WRITING FROM THE SOUL: Free workshop with
Suzanne West, M.A., Chair of the Dept. of
Liberal Arts, JFK University. Saturday, 1/31
from 1-3:30pm. Space limited to 25 partici-
pants. Call 597-5017 to register.
NEW LIBRARY HOURS:
TUESDAY, 12:30 to 8pm
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY 10am to 5:30pm
FRIDAY, 12 to 5:30pm
CLOSED: Sunday and Monday.
NOTE: All Oakland Libraries closed 1/16 and 1/19
Rockridge Toastmasters
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Veterans Building, 200
Grand Ave., Oakland. Improve public speaking
skills in a friendly and supportive environment.
For information: Kathy, 601-6176 or e-mail
www.rockridgetoastmasters.org
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


January 3, 2004
16.




Don Coelho
	
 

  	


    

		    

339-4721
 
 
28th year
serving Rockridge!

	

  
		
Buying or selling real estate in 2004?
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Terry Kulka
339-4789
Proven Results in Selling Rockridge Homes.
Providing top quality service to
buyers and sellers of fine homes for 1
 years.
A proud supporter of
                      Chabot Elementary School.

Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
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