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VOL. 20 NO. 4 ISSUE NO. 211 April 2, 2005 CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES
Sponsored by The Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 644-4228
Spring Blossoms in Rockridge
RCPC Board
Election: Nine
Vie for Six Seats
Meet and vote for candidates at
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
The nine candidates for the six seats
on the Rockridge Community Plan-
ning Council Board of Directors will
share their views of Rockridge and their
qualifications for the Board at the April
Town Hall Meeting, Thursday, April
21, at 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs meet-
ing room of the Rockridge Library.
Voting will take place at this meeting
and on Saturday, April 23, in front of
the Rockridge Library from 11-1 p.m.
See candidates’ statements and photos,
pages 4 and 5.
Evergreen pear trees (Pyrus Kawakamii) in full spring blossom
on College Avenue. A capital improvement plan sponsored by
RCPC and Councilmember Jane Brunner calls for more trees to
be planted at no cost to merchants. Free trees are also available
for home owners. Call 238-7001. PHOTO: CY GULASSA
agenda: RCPC Town Hall Meeting
A Glimpse Into
Oakland’s Past
Thursday, April 21, 7:30 pm.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue at Manila,
Community Room (Upstairs)
Politics & History
by Deborah Weinstein
Y
Politics: Meet, greet and vote for
ou’ve heard the stories of the streetcars
that used to run through the Oakland
streets, including College Avenue, but have
you ever seen photos? Do you know what
Oakland looked like in the 1800s before
the roads were paved? Join our April Town
Hall meeting to view fascinating compari-
sons of Oakland then and now, compiled by
renowned Rockridge-based photographer
Bill Caldwell in his book, Oakland — A
Photographic Journey.
the nine candidates vying for seats on
the Rockridge Community Planning
Council Board of Directors. See
candidate’s statements and photos,
pages 4 and 5.
History: Oakland, Then and Now.
Renowned Rockridge-based photog-
rapher Bill Caldwell will take us on a
nostalgic slide show of Oakland today
with contrasting photos of the same
locations from the last two centu-
ries. The new collection contains rare
images from an all-too-forgotten past.
Come, witness history, see a reality
show of the past. Details at left.
Caldwell will share images from his
book as well as rare photos he has collected
GLIMPSE INTO OAKLAND’S PAST, PAGE 5
2.
April 2, 2005
Join the Kitchen Tour Excitement
And Help Your Neighborhood
&## !
, %+
Kitchen Tour 2005
It’s time to get your kitchen on the Rockridge Tour
T
he 2005 Rockridge Kitchen Tour Committee has had
the pleasure of viewing a number of stunning kitchens
since the selection process
began last December. For
our neighbors who spent
weeks or even months
cooking on a camp stove
in the garage or washing
dishes in the bathroom sink,
the sacrifice has more than
paid off. We look forward
to a spectacular Kitchen
Tour on October 2.
Rockridge
Kitchens
" ( (-'(&!( $ * "#) # % (' !
Sunday, October 2
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.
Rockridge News Production
Cy Gulassa ..........................Editor-in-Chief
Ortrun Niesar,
Claire Wahrhaftig-Isaacs.... Writers
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Advertising &
The continuing success
of the Kitchen Tour is due
not only to the magnificent
kitchens on display, but to
the enthusiastic volunteers
who lend their time, energy
and specials skills to
this biennial event. Many
of our volunteers return year after year to be part of the excitement.
Kitchen Tour volunteers lend time and energy to help
make the RCPC fund-raising event a success. In return,
they get early access to Tour kitchens — such as the one
pictured above — and a Tour pass.
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson ....................Neighborhood Merchant
Lydia Gans...........................Photography
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2004-2005
Daniel Ferdelman ..............Co-Chair
Deborah Weinstein...........Co-Chair
Jessica Pitt ...........................Vice-Chair
Mike Taylor..........................Secretary
Ehab Bandar........................Treasurer
This year we have openings on the publicity, photography, food, flower and raffle
committees. We are also looking for docents to show off Rockridge’s finest kitchens.
All our volunteers will be treated to a ticket to the show. But perhaps the most gratifying
reward is knowing that, as a Kitchen Tour volunteer, you’ve helped raise the funds that
allow RCPC to advocate for health, safety and quality of life in Rockridge. Volunteer-
ing is also a great way to meet your neighbors and feel connected to your community.
If you have a few hours to contribute, we have a place for you!
Jennifer Edmister, Cy Gulassa
Hiroko Kurihara, Susan Montauk, Mike McDonald,
Theresa Nelson, Camille Reed
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS
To volunteer for the Kitchen Tour committees, or to make a last-minute recommen-
dation of a special kitchen, contact Jennifer Edmister at toejrb@earthlink.net or call
644-4228. To volunteer as a docent, call Nancy Sale at 655-4625.
$$
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For annual subscriptions to The Rockridge
News, send your check for $18, payable to Rockridge
News Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions
at the address below.
CONTACTING THE ROCKRIDGE NEWS
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
Do you have questions about newsletter
distribution?
Would you like to volunteer to be a Rockridge
News block captain?
Contact us at one of the following addresses or
telephone numbers:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 5245 College Avenue,
PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
RCPC Voicemail: 510/644-4228
Articles published in The Rockridge News may be
reprinted only with the permission of the Editor.
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING/DEADLINES
Publication date of the next issue is
May 7, 2005
May deadline is April 21.
Advertising rates are $22/column inch. Six-month
pre-pay rate available. For display ads, call Jo Ellis
at 653-3210, or e-mail joellis1@hotmail.com.
(RCPC reserves the right to refuse any display or
classified ad that it deems inappropriate.)
3.
April 2, 2005
Seismic
Retrofit for
Claremont
Water Tunnel
The Zoning Counter
The Zoning Counter provides Rockridge
residents with an opportunity to review
construction project proposals in their neighbor-
hoods. It is a compilation of recent applications
filed with the Oakland Planning Department,
but not necessarily a complete or up-to-date
listing. Individuals may contact the case plan-
ner or the Planning Department for additional
information.
Controlled detonations
blast through hills
Many applications that require conditional
use permits have 7- to 10-day public comment
periods. For the most up-to-date information
about applications on file at the city, go online.
Here’s how:
by Claire Wahrhaftig-Isaacs
If alarm horns start sound-
ing while you are driving
near Chabot Road and Golden
Gate, don’t panic. The horns
alert neighbors that controlled
blasts will occur within five
minutes in the Claremont Water
Tunnel project.
1) Go to the City’s home page:
PHOTO COURTESY OF EBMUD
www.oaklandnet.com;
2) Select Department: Community Economic
Development, scroll to Planning and
Zoning;
3) Hit “GO”;
4) Click on “Recent Applications to the City.”
Residents of upper Chabot
and the hills west of Tunnel
Road have received frequent
telephone and mail notices to
expect “controlled detonations”
since EBMUD started its blasting back in
November. Such attention to the environ-
ment and public notice to the community
are required by terms of the project’s
Environmental Impact Report (EIR). But
the detonations are so well controlled that
many neighbors report not hearing them
at all.
5715-5717 KEITH AVENUE
Proposal: Three unit condominium conversion
Applicant: Kevin Weatherman
Contact Person/Phone: 290-9647
Owner: James Kilpatrick
Planning Permits Required: Tentative Parcel Map
for condominium conversion.
Case Planner: Pete Vollman at 238-6167 or
pvollman@oaklandnet.com
was created by an act of the California State
Legislature in the 1920s. The Tunnel exits
the hills in the west just above the former
Rock Le Fleche School Reformatory, carry-
ing as much as 175 million gallons a day 3.4
miles from Orinda. The water originates in
high Sierra streams, is collected in Pardee
Dam, and then is channeled through a series
of aqueducts to Walnut Creek and Orinda,
where it is treated. Gravity brings it down
from the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. Finally,
it is distributed to 800,000 residential and
business customers, in an area extending
from Richmond almost to Castro Valley.
What was once snowmelt is the life blood
of the East Bay.
6426 BENVENUE AVENUE
(Misidentified on announcement as “6426
Benevue St”)
Proposal: To revise the roof design on a previ-
ously approved rear addition to a four-plex.
Applicant: Bill Coburn
Contact Person/Phone: 510/893-8826
Owner: Morteza Javaheri
Planning Permits Required: Regular Design Review
for an addition to a residential structure
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property (PDHP);
Survey rating: D1+
Case Planner: Robert D. Merkamp at 238-6283
or rmerkamp@oaklandnet.com
The boring under the East Bay hills
is a significant part of the major retrofit
EBMUD is doing to its entire water system.
According to Charles Hardy, Public Affairs
Director of EBMUD — the Claremont Water
Tunnel — the “crown jewel” of the local
water system, is being upgraded to avoid
service disruption by an earthquake. Work
started last summer and is scheduled for
completion by June of 2006.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was
the “milestone event” that demonstrated the
old system’s vulnerability. To prepare for
another catastrophe, the EBMUD Board
The Claremont Water Tunnel project is
a major component of the redesigned water
system envisioned by EBMUD, which in turn
WATER TUNNEL RETROFIT, PAGE 10
4.
April 2, 2005
Candidates
for RCPC’s
Board of
Directors
Election
two-year old son Wyatt, and soon-to-
be baby daughter. A Bay Area native and
life-long Bay Area resident, we moved to
Rockridge from San Francisco three years
ago for its sense of community, diversity,
and easy access to transportation. We
cherish the dynamic urban fabric of the
neighborhood, and the good friends we
have made. As an RCPC board member,
I hope to have a positive influence on the
inevitable growth and change in the area.
Particular interests lie in strengthening the
community through stronger neighborhood
ties, improving schools, improving safety,
and maintaining the diversity that makes
Rockridge what it is through sane,
sustainable, transportation-supported
mixed-use development.
served two terms on the Land Use
Committee and RCPC Board, most
recently as Co-Chair, and have been a
part of some great projects, including
FROGPark, and some bad decisions
(opposing a Montessori daycare). All along,
I believe I and the RCPC Board have had the
best interests of the neighborhood in mind.
If elected, I would like to push forward with
capital improvements in the neighborhood
(see March issue of The Rockridge News)
while also addressing some of the long-
term issues related to its sustainability
and diversity. I have been a seven-year
resident and renter in Rockridge with
my wife, Marina, and most recently my
seven-month old daughter, Rosa.
Anyone 18 or older who lives within
RCPC boundaries is eligible to
vote. See www.rockridge.org for a map of
Rockridge boundaries. (Bring proof of
address, such as a driver’s license.)
Jimmy Halloran
Boyd Avenue
Jennifer Edmister
Manila Avenue
Adrienne DeAngelo
Colby Street
I am interested
in becoming an RCPC
Board
member
because I have serious
concerns
about
the current budget
deficit in Oakland.
As I understand it,
the City must bridge
a $31 million gap. There will be no easy
fix. All local communities have been
asked to establish priorities to save what
is most important. I believe that even if
Oakland does float some bonds, services
and programs will require re-evaluation
and some will probably be cut back. We
will need to explore options and employ
problem-solving techniques. My interest
is to assist in resolving conflicts that will
inevitably arise. I plan to help to move our
neighborhood toward reaching the goals
that have been established by the leaders
of our community.
I joined the RCPC
Board of Directors in
December, 2003, to
put my enthusiasm
for Rockridge to
good use. After
spending
nearly
ten years in the
neighborhood, we were thrilled to start our
family here. Now, as a FROG Park regular,
and a wagon-toting shopper on College
Ave., I have an even greater appreciation
for the quality of life here. Through RCPC,
I can help ensure that Rockridge remains
a healthy, vibrant neighborhood where we
can all live, walk, and send our children to
school. I am excited to be the chairperson
of the 2005 Rockridge Kitchen Tour. If I
am re-elected, the Kitchen Tour, RCPC’s
primary fundraiser, will continue to be
my top priority. As a former real estate
litigation attorney, I also look forward to
continuing to work with RCPC’s Land Use
Committee.
I have lived in
Rockridge since 1989,
first as a renter and
now as a homeowner.
I love Rockridge for its
diversity, vitality and
small-town feel, yet the
benefits of city living.
I had my first taste of community activism
last year when a retail development project
landed on my doorstep. I organized
a community group and defeated the
proposed development. Although I am
not opposed to development, the project
would have opened our residential street
to increased congestion and traffic safety
issues. As a result of neighborhood efforts,
the City Planning Commission has approved
lower impact uses for that space. It was
the RCPC that encouraged me to share my
concerns. I look forward to giving others
a voice and helping shape the future of
Rockridge.
Hiroko M. Kurihara
62nd Street
Daniel Ferdelman
Claremont Avenue
Kent Deverell
Chabot Crest
I’ve been lucky to
live in Rockridge for
the past seven years.
Next September my
daughter, Denali, will
start Kindergarten at
Peralta Elementary.
My
professional
background is in
community economic development
I ran for the
RCPC Board in
2001 to give back
to the community
in the field of my
profession
and
passion, Architecture
and Planning. I have
A San Francisco
small
business
owner since 1996,
I currently live in
the Northeastern
corner of Rockridge
with my wife Alison,
5.
April 2, 2005
and more recently I started a socially
responsible, Rockridge-based blanket
making company. I’ve been on the RCPC
Board for the past two years and have been
Chair of the Land Use Committee, which
has advocated for Rockridge residents
by reviewing Conditional Use Permit
applications, shaping residential design
review guidelines and completing a land
use survey. We’ve also developed good
working relationships with the Rockridge
merchants association and City Planning
officials. Our committee meets regularly
and has a strong core group of committed
and gifted people. This coming year we’ll be
engaging all stakeholders in our community
in a neighborhood planning process that will
inform our approach to creating a more
sustainable and equitable neighborhood.
I look forward to continuing!
board so that I may help to preserve and
strengthen the Rockridge community for
all residents.
Rockridge. I would like to continue to use
my skills as a professional urban planner
to contribute to our neighborhood and
improve the quality of life for Rockridge
residents.
Jessica Pitt
James Avenue
Robert C. Wiles
Florio Street
I am very excited
to run for a second
term on the RCPC
Board. Currently, I
serve as an RCPC
Vice-Chair. I have
also been an active
member of the Land
Use Committee,
where I have been
very involved in designing and implementing
a participatory community planning process
that will result in an updated neighborhood
plan for Rockridge. In addition, I have been a
frequent contributor to The Rockridge News.
I am running for re-election because I would
like to continue the work I started during
my first term. I want to see the planning
process through to completion and move
forward on other community priorities,
such as establishing a community center in
I
appreciate
the opportunity
to be a voice for
the
Rockridge
community. Raised
in Rockridge of the
1960s and back
after a few years
on the other side of
the Caldecott, I believe this area is defined
by more than the College Avenue strip.
Watching the changes here and hearing
the debates in public meetings encouraged
me to join the Land Use Committee. I
would like to take a more active role in
the future of our area on the Board and
I ask your support in helping keep our
community vibrant and welcoming.
Steve Meyer
Broadway
My interest in
RCPC stems from
my desire to be
more active in and
contribute to this
great community,
and to ensure that
all of the many
things (such as the
library, fantastic
restaurants, parks, diverse housing
stock and architectural character of our
neighborhoods, schools, Market Hall,
shops, and BART, to name a few) that
many of us now take for granted remain
for all current and future generations to
enjoy. My specific areas of interest include
addressing traffic concerns, preserving and
improving our schools and parks, getting
more trees planted, and keeping our
community safe. I would very much like
the opportunity to serve on the RCPC
Glimpse Into Oakland’s Past from page 1
since its publication in 2003. Each picture
comparison has been selected for its abil-
ity to tell a story about a particular part
of the city. In some areas of Oakland, the
changes have been dramatic; in others,
subtle changes illustrate the historic rel-
evance of many of our city’s landmarks.
time has been spent for the past 150
years.
Paperback copies of Caldwell’s book
will be available for purchase. Please
come for a rear-window view into our
collective past.
The meeting will begin with a state-
ment of qualifications from each of the
nine candidates for the RCPC Board of
Directors. Be sure to vote — they will
working with the community to design
Rockridge’s future.
Caldwell’s focus is on landmark build-
ings, old Oakland, Lake Merritt, the Port,
Oakland’s professional sports teams and
neighborhoods, as well as transportation
advances and the ways in which leisure
Horse Railway A car of the
Broadway & Piedmont Horse
Railway. This five-foot-gauge
railway was organized in 1876.
The line began at Seventh
and Washington Streets, and
took passengers six miles
round-trip along Broadway
to Piedmont Avenue and
Mountain View Cemetery.
! "
!
From Oakland, A Photographic
Journey by Bill Caldwell. Used
with permission of the author.
(Visit www. oaklandphotojour
ney.com.)
6.
April 2, 2005
Where is Dr. Ward’s Recovery Plan for Oakland Schools?
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). Located mainly in central
and east Oakland, these schools are overcrowded and serve a
population of overwhelmingly non-English speakers, who are
required to take their achievement tests in English. Ward last
November gave the school staff six weeks to draft proposals that
promised dramatic improvement quickly.
After 20 months of control, Dr. Ward
has yet to reveal his recovery plan for
Oakland Public Schools, says Hamill
by Kerry Hamill, District One
School Board Member
M
Five of the schools submitted plans acceptable to Ward, and
they will have another year to boost test scores. Ward’s solution for
the remaining eight schools is to convert them to charter schools.
Teachers at all eight are fighting this plan and have refused to sign
an agreement to allow conversion, potentially blocking any move
by Ward for next year. What discourages teachers and parents is
that neither Ward nor his staff have diagnosed specific causes of
the schools’ poor performances or prescribed educational strate-
gies for improvement.
any school board members agreed that
the Oakland School District needed help
when we learned in September, 2002, that our
financial systems were in such disarray that
the district could no longer determine its own
bottom line. Eight months later, the state con-
cluded we were $57 million in debt from two
years of overspending.
Kerry Hamill,
District One
School Board
Member,
represents
Rockridge and
North Oakland.
The district received a $100 million line of
credit in a bailout, which included the assign-
ment of a state-appointed administrator in June, 2003. In arguing
for total control over the Oakland system, State Superintendent of
Public School Jack O’Connell promised to stabilize the district
quickly, and within three months have his designee, Dr. Randy
Ward, present a Recovery Plan to the community, which would
then be circulated for input and buy-in. The Plan was to be a
roadmap to guide the district through its toughest chapter. It was
to outline major district reorganization strategies and identify what
it would take to get the maligned district to financial solvency
and stability.
I have repeatedly asked Ward to look at successes within
the public school network here and model dramatic reforms on
lessons learned. Examples are out there. During the four years
I have been on the School Board, the demand for better schools
has been relentless. Thousands of parents want better choices and
programs for their children. I was instrumental in creating the
district’s uniform reading program and teacher training module
that have doubled the number of students reading at grade level
over four years. I helped create successful parent-involvement
programs. New educational innovations, including some charters
and new small alternative schools, have netted exciting results.
Proven strategies like these need to be refined and made a part
of any reform plan.
Twenty-two months later, Ward makes veiled references to
the plan but has not released it. He attends community meetings
about it and School Board retreats on the subject – but does not
hand out copies. He has been required to seek plan approval from
the County Office on Education, the Fiscal Crisis and Manage-
ment Assistance Team (FCMAT) and experts in school finance
hired by FCMAT. Now the plan rests with O’Connell, who has
embargoed it from release.
A system of more independent charter schools is no solu-
tion. Oakland has 17 non-union charter schools, which educate
10 percent of the
SCHOOLS PLAN STALLS, CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
Feel free to be yourself again.
In the meantime, Ward continues to launch one controversial
initiative after another without talking in any detail about their
budgetary impact or demonstrating how they will improve the
system.
For example, Ward will soon announce “radical changes” for
the 13 schools named as failing under the Bush Administration’s
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7.
April 2, 2005
API Ratings for North Oakland Schools
Schools Plan Stalls
from previous page
school rank
Number of
Academic
students
North Oakland
Elementary Schools
district’s children. With a few exceptions, students do NOT
perform to a higher educational standard in most of them,
as rankings from last year’s state tests demonstrate. Some
of the city’s most successful charter providers are eager to
work within the school district and our collective bargaining
agreements, provided that they are given flexibility to select
their own staff and have a distance from some central office
“mandates.” This strategy makes good sense and should be
implemented across the district.
Number
Similar
mance
Perfor-
tested
rank
API
Oakland Public Elementary Schools
Chabot Elementary School
298
896
10
10
Emerson Elementary School
172
648
2
7
Golden Gate Elementary
110
545
1
1
Hillcrest Elementary
188
907
10
7
To date we have no blueprint that defines the many ele-
ments involved in implementing sweeping changes for the
district. There are more than 6,000 new housing units planned
or under construction in Oakland, yet we have no multi-year
enrollment projections to help plan for potential new students.
We have a chaotic and reactionary environment that continues
to breed mistrust.
Peralta Elementary
114
785
7
10
Kaiser Elementary
148
825
9
10
Santa Fe Elementary School
179
629
2
3
Washington Elementary School
117
610
1
3
Piedmont Avenue Elementary
188
683
4
4
Oakland Charter Elementary Schools
On another front, Ward is threatening to shift the school
district’s 30,000-student Adult Education program to the
Peralta Community College District. Adult Education has
been in and out of financial trouble over the years and, in
the past, has drained money from our K-12 program. (It is
currently supporting itself.)
Growing Children
46
464
1
N/A
American Indian Public Charter
112
813
9
10
North Oakland Community Charter
28
902
10
N/A
Lighthouse Community Charter School
97
635
2
N/A
Monarch Academy
225
625
2
5
Ward is in contract negotiations with teachers, pushing for
concessions he believes to be essential for financial stability.
It may be that threatening to dump Adult Education is simply
a bargaining ploy. But since he has been asked to consider
adopting the program, Elihu Harris of the Peralta Community
College District is visiting Sacramento, begging legislators for
millions in additional money to pay for the conversion – just
in case Ward agrees to the transfer. No analysis has been
prepared about the shift’s potential impact on the thousands
of immigrants and older residents who aspire to improve their
lives by enrolling in the program.
Huerta Learning Academy
158
567
1
2
East Bay Conservation Corps Charter
103
730
5
6
Rheems Academy
250
634
2
5
The API is a numeric scale that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The
State has set 800 as the API score that schools should strive to meet. The API
reports include a “similar schools rank,” which shows where a school ranks
academically compared to 100 other state schools with similar demographics.
active parent participation.
How we do things is as important as what we do. Ward’s haphaz-
ard and confrontational style inhibits success and builds resistance to
reform. I had hoped that after two-and-a-half years of miserable cuts,
downsizing and the loss of 9,500 students, we could spend the next
In sum, the “recovery” of this district requires analysis
and integrated planning centered on the main ingredients of
a successful school—great principals, excellent teaching and
few months discussing recovery. Instead of
providing inspired leadership and guiding a
maligned school district back to solvency,
Ward prefers to act like a general in search
of war. His boss, Superintendent O’Connell,
seems to have defaulted on his oversight
of a district he demanded to control. Call
O’Connell at 916/319-0800 and ask where
our recovery plan is.
Average price per sq. ft. for homes in Rockridge is $626!
Address
Bed/Ba.
List Price
Selling Price
Close Date
5812 Clover Drive
3/1
$699,000
$902,000
2/23/05
Music That Cooks
452 Cavour St.
2/1
$675,000
$725,000
2/25/05
5312 Manila Ave.
1/1
$549,000
$626,000
3/9/05
5340 Broadway Terr.
2/2
$499,000
$575,000
3/15/05
6108 Harwood Ave.
3/1
$825,000
$1,020,890
3/15/05
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue Oakland 658-3665
Please contact me if you are interested in buying or selling.
Friday May 13 7:30pm
8.
April 2, 2005
Artists: Public Art Opportunity in
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt
Hop to It At
FROGPark!
by Jennifer Cooper, FROG
Lentrances, and connections.
Earth Day cleanup scheduled
F
An informational meeting will be held
Thursday, April 14, 7 p.m., at the Rockridge
Library for interested artists and community
members. Submissions are due no later than 5
p.m. on April 29. Call Roberta Babcock, 238-
2155, or visit www.oaklandculturalarts.org for
a Request for Qualifications. The top three
artists or artist teams will each be awarded
a stipend of $1,000 to develop a proposal.
Proposals will be on display and available
at public meetings in June and July; final
selections will be completed in August.
ast summer, Friends of the Rockridge
Greenbelt (FROG) secured $40,000 of
Measure DD funds for interpretive art along
the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt supple-
menting City of Oakland funds and other
private funds raised by FROG. Oakland’s
Public Art Program, in conjunction with
FROG, is seeking artists to design art for the
Greenbelt that will complement scheduled
Phase II improvements.
ROGPark needs your help on Earth Day,
Saturday, April 23, from 9a.m. to noon
at our spring Community Work Day.
This is everyone’s opportunity to be a
FROGPark supporter. As community mem-
bers, we built these playgrounds with our
own hands, and that’s how we maintain
them. We sweep, rake, collect trash and do
other family-friendly tasks each spring (and
do major maintenance in the fall). Bring
children of all ages; there’s something for
everyone to do.
The art project’s goal is to help orient
park users to the Greenbelt via creative and
playful identification markers and sculptures
highlighting park features such as the creek,
Come to the Hardy Park or Redondo
play structures with your work gloves and,
if you have them, a garden rake, broom
and hand whisk. Mark your belongings to
distinguish them from others. Come for an
hour or the whole day, whatever you can do.
Cold beverages and water will be provided
for all volunteers.
Preference will be given to artists who
reside or work in Oakland.
! %! " ! $
$" # %&!! $'
We also need six adults to volunteer as
Captains to answer questions and guide
the work as needed. No special tool skills
required. Please call Howard Ferrier at 653-
6463 for a spot on the team of Captains.
FROG depends on the support of every-
one who uses and enjoys our community
parks. Mark your calendar, spread the word
and come lend a hand.
General Dentistry
9.
April 2, 2005
Winter Rains Bring Runaway Weeds;
Earthday Volunteers Needed to Catch Them
by Susan Montauk
Fciation will provide drinks and dessert.
Earth Day Projects
pruning, and cutting. Tree limb saws come
in handy. A map of the work areas will be
available at the sign-in table.
or those who derive a certain satisfaction
in taming the wild, Earthday 2005 offers
opportunities to put weeding and pruning
talents to the test. Following are two proj-
ects to choose from on Saturday, April 23,
from 9 to noon. The sign-in for both is at
the DMV parking lot at Miles and Cavour
where some tools are provided; but if you
have favorite pruning or weeding tools, bring
them along (put your name on them.)
DMV Creek Cleanup: The area
along the creek between Clarke and Clifton
Streets needs help. A handout at the sign-
in table will list activities such as picking
up trash, piling up green waste, digging a
channel in the creek (bring boots!) and cut-
ting back ivy around trees. Rakes, loppers
and wheelbarrows are especially useful to
bring. Call Margaret, 655-1767.
Ongoing Project:
Manila Ave Gardeners
Neighbors whose homes are in the
vicinity of the Claremont Country
Club golf course are forming a group to
work with the club’s gardeners to plant
drought-tolerant or low maintenance
plants along the edge of the course.
Those interested in planning and plant-
ing the strip and creating a neighborhood
garden may contact Norma Solarz at
solarz@mindspring.com.
51st Street Public Way and median
strip between Telegraph and Lawton. Bring
your weeding tools and paper pinchers for
the lilies, daffodils, weeds and litter in the
median strip. The public way on the north
side of the street needs hacking, whacking,
We break at noon for a delicious lunch
of garlic bread and pasta—both basil pesto
(vegetarian) and red meat-sauce—provided
by the Colombo Club. Contributions of side
dishes of green salads and fruit salads will
be appreciated. The DMV Neighbors Asso-
REFILL
"SHOULD YOU
SAVE FOR YOUR
KID'S COLLEGE
OR FOR YOUR
RETIREMENT?
OR BOTH?"
SAVE BIG
PRINT HAPPY
Guidelines to Multiple Offers in Real Estate
Most sellers and buyers realize the present market is
generating multiple offers on many properties. Sellers
are delighted by this trend and buyers are becoming
frustrated and turned off. Sellers: Learn how to best
market and price your property to generate the most
favorable response. Buyers: Learn how be in top
contention with your offer.
Please contact me by email or phone for the guide on:
Multiple Offers in a Competitive Real Estate Market.
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Real Estate Reports and Info at:
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10.
April 2, 2005
Crimes Reported March 7-15, 2005
Beat 12Y
T
HE GREATER ROCKRIDGE NCPC (Neigh-
borhood Crime Prevention Council)
combines Oakland Police beats 12Y and
13X and meets the third Tuesday of each
month. At these meetings, current crime
trends and police activities are reviewed,
and priority concerns are established and
relayed to the OPD beat officers. The table
at right presents some recent Rockridge-
area crime statistics.
3/7/2005
9 PM
6400 Benvenue Avenue
Auto Theft
3/9/2005
3 PM
5700 College Avenue
Disturbing the Peace
3/9/2005
6 PM
5141 Miles Avenue
Petty Theft
3/10/2005
7 PM
5756 Claremont Avenue
Auto Burglary
3/11/2005
7 PM
5530 College Avenue
Vandalism
3/12/2005
1 PM
6201 College Avenue
Forgery
3/12/2005
6 PM
5300 Claremont Avenue
Vandalism
3/13/2005
10 PM
Chabot Rd & Golden Gate
Auto Burglary
Beat 13X
To participate or bring problems to our
attention, join us at the next meeting. See
Calendar, page 15, and visit the NCPC
web site at www.rockridgencpc.com/
about.html for meeting information.
3/8/2005
11 AM
5840 St Paul Court
Residential Burglary
3/9/2005
6 AM
5295 Broadway Terrace
Commercial Burglary
3/9/2005
2 PM
123 Golden Gate Avenue
Burglary
3/12/2005
7 PM
5511 Golden Gate Avenue
Assault
has recently been developed which will be
injected into these voids. The tunnel itself
is flat on the bottom, round on the sides
and top. Probes revealed voids as large as
a foot as well as many small cracks and
holes that need repair. The injected grout
will fill these spaces and greatly strengthen
the tunnel against movement.
Water Tunnel Retrofit, from page 3
in 1994 approved $189 million for seismic
improvements, including $31 million for the
tunnel project and $5 million for design.
supports, made of steel and timber, are too
few and too far between. Furthermore, the
pipe itself does not fit snugly in the tunnel;
voids have developed around it which would
allow huge shifting to occur in the event
of earth movement.
The purpose of the seismic upgrade is
to prevent an interruption in water delivery
in the event of a major quake. The 9-foot
Claremont Water Tunnel crosses the Hay-
ward Fault 130 feet below Tunnel Road. That
1500 foot section is extremely vulnerable
to the 66% likelihood of a quake measur-
ing 7.0 in the next 30 years. A shutdown
for repairs could cause up to a six-month
disruption that would require severe water
rationing, reduced fire fighting capacity,
and cause huge economic losses estimated
in the millions.
So, when those polite men with signs
and orange vests direct you to stop or slow,
inconveniencing you slightly while driving
up Chabot Road, you might reflect on the
enormity of this project. It employs hun-
dreds of workers in dozens of specialties
and vocations so water will flow freely in
the years ahead without disrutptions to our
daily routines.
There are two components to the retrofit
and upgrade. The first is to relocate the sec-
tion most vulnerable to harm by blasting a
by-pass through the hill. Since less water is
required in the winter months, it was possible
for EBMUD to reroute customers’ water
and schedule boring and blasting from last
November through February, 2005. Tsztoo
says to think of this as a heart artery by-pass,
leapfrogging the vulnerable part.
If you have any questions, phone the
informative and accessible Community
Liason Donna Kerger at 287-0165. She and
her staff have worked tirelessly to prevent
all but minimal inconveniences.
According to Chief Project Director
David Tsztoo, the old tunnel was underre-
inforced when it was constructed. Its current
The second phase is to fill the voids,
or space between the pipe and the tunnel
itself. A new kind of extremely strong grout
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11.
April 2, 2005
Heartfelt Thanks to FROG Phase Two Donors
FROG
UPDATE
by Theresa Nelson, RCPC Board
Member and FROG Liaison
Tthe portable toilet) for the next few years.
Seating wall and enhanced paving
at Hardy Plaza
Additional trees
Additional small picnic table at
With the final drawings undergoing
City review and the design/build team
pinning down the final budget numbers,
the stage is set for construction to begin in
a few months. FROG representatives met
with City staff, Friends of Oakland Parks
& Recreation and the design/build team
to review final changes and details of the
plans, and generate the following list of
items to fund as part of Phase Two:
he FROG Committee offers its heart-
felt gratitude to the community for
its generous donations to the Phase Two
campaign.
Hardy Plaza
In next month’s article, we expect to
present the final drawings and a full list
of some of the items to be built as part of
Phase Two.
Last spring, we planned to raise $25,000
to fund needed Phase Two elements. Through
mid-March 2005, we received $37,015 from
individual donors and businesses, enough to
exceed the goal and secure two additional
matching gifts totaling $5,000 from the
Rockridge Community Planning Council
(RCPC). This brought the campaign total to
$42,015, enough to fund critical park items
as well as provide maintenance (including
Like Phase One and the Big Build of
2001, Phase Two would not be possible
without community volunteers and ongo-
ing financial support. We are grateful to
everyone who gave to this campaign, and to
all those who volunteer their time, expertise
and energy for maintenance days and other
special projects. Thank you!
Bike racks by ball courts & Hardy
Plaza
Additional benches
Swings
Informational kiosk and donor
recognition signage
Leah and Isaac Douglas
Constance Dove
The Drogin Family
Gilette and Oliver Edmunds
Andrew Faust
Sally Garbarini
Suzanne Grishman
Sophie Anne Josephine Gullung
Vanessa and Quentin Hardy
Mary Catherine Haug
Chris Hausser
Sheridan Hitchens
Alice Hoffman
Mark H. Hopkins and Wendy Jacks
Balance Hydrologics, Inc.
Jarvis Architects
Sydney Johnson and Kyle Verrips
Meredith McGovney Kaplan
The Lee Family
Linda Lemon and Michael Chervenak
Sandra Lessenden and Jeffrey Ghent
Madeline Lilley and Eric Faurot
The Liu/Young Family
Mary MacDonald
John Maier
Liz Maxwell and Jim Clarke
Roger Mendelson
David & Nora Mitchell
Steve Mitchell and Kate Runyan
Susan Montauk
Theresa Nelson, Barney Smits &
Madeleine Nelson
Helen Francis Neville and John R. Neville
Sarah Rainey
Michael Reardon
Clifford L. Rechtschaffen and Karen Kramer
Lucy Richardson
Rhonda Righter
Drew L. Robarts and Margaret Robarts
Jeff and Kristal Robarts
Victoria and Jeff Rugato
Christine Shields
Kenji Spencer
Damir Sudar
Glen Tripp & Lauren Dutton
The Vetters
Weiss-Swiedler Family
Marcia Whitebook and Carl Price
Geof and Hilary Wills
Doug Winger and Amy Ariel Betts Winger
FROG Park Phase Two Donors
(Note: where donors wished their gifts
acknowledged in honor of another person,
only the honoree is listed.)
Jacob and Wendy
Maureen Alano, George and Julia Zolinsky
Yeda Altes
Michael Aronson and Jody London
The Employees of Ashby Lumber
Helen Rose Balawedjer
Gary Barg
June Batterman
Zoe Benjamin
David Bond
Anne Brandon
Molly Brostrom and Todd Schafer
Betsy Cotton
Isadora Clements
Jennifer Cooper and Tom Dolan
Patrick Cullinane
Danspace
Benjamin Mark Davis
Hon. Ignacio De La Fuente
!
!
!
12.
April 2, 2005
Councilmember
Brunner
Discusses
Priorities for
Rockridge
Claremont Festival to Benefit Arts Programs
O
n Saturday, May 21, from 10 to 1p.m., the Claremont Middle School PTA will
hold its first-ever Spring Fling, a combination rummage sale, community mar-
ketplace and silent auction to benefit the school’s art programs. The event will also
feature student and community talent on stage. Through Spring Fling, PTA hopes
to meet more of Claremont’s neighbors, raise more funds for the school’s visual arts
program and implement new drama and music programs.
Ways to participate: Donate an item for the silent auction or buy booth space
to sell your food or wares (call Bonnie Trinclisti at 547-2313); Donate good-qual-
ity used clothing, books, or household goods to the PTA rummage sale booth (call
Nitza Lopez at 420-7022); Perform on the community stage (call Jack McGuire
at 654-5187).
by Jessica Pitt
The March Town Hall Meeting was an
opportunity to educate community
members about the City budget process,
the expected $27 million shortfall, and help
City Councilmember Jane Brunner decide
on neighborhood priorities, tentatively iden-
tified as: parks and open space; street tree
planting and trimming; recreation centers;
libraries; preserving direct services (such
as senior centers), and hiring a grant writer
for the city.
Four members of the City’s Budget Advi-
sory Committee at the meeting provided
an overview of the budget process, which
outlined the major sources of city revenue
and expenditures and the budget outlook
for 2005-2007. If you would like to share
your budget priorities with Councilmem-
ber Brunner, please contact her office at:
238-7001.
Budget Advisory Committee members:
Jessica Pitt
Benjamin Fay
Iris Winogrond Maeve Elise Brown
RCPC Land Use
Committee Meeting
Times Change
The RCPC Land Use committee has
changed its monthly meeting time to
the second Monday of the week. Location
rotates. For more information, contact
Chair Hiroko Kurihara at 384.0557 or
h2Oakland@sbcglobal.net.
The festival will be held at the school, 5750 College Avenue. All are welcome.
A No-Pain Way to Donate Funds to Claremont
Register your grocery club card through www.eScrip.com and
enter Claremont Middle School’s ID: 142129067.
5295 College Avenue (nr Broadway)
Oakland • 510 601 8828
13.
April 2, 2005
The Rockridge Muse
year. They welcome your support of this
great nonprofit organization designed to
promote the visual arts and artists in the
East Bay. Call 763- 4361 for information
or visit www.proartsgallery.org. Tickets
for the gala need to be purchased in
advance.
by Ortrun Niesar
Don’t Know
Much About
Our History…
Hand we are looking for a few good people
to join us. We are organizing a one-day
workshop with oral history authority Gail
Kurtz in late April or May, date to be
determined. Anyone interested in oral
history, whether family or community
oriented, will find this workshop valuable.
Ms. Kurtz, who lives in Berkeley, has
conducted projects and workshops both
locally and nationally for many years. She
is currently working with members of the
Berkeley Historical Society to get their
project off the ground. Please contact
me at 652- 6664 or oniesar@aol.com
soon so that we can set a date and place.
There is a shared cost involved.
Being Something: Living
“Young” and Growing
“Old” in Oakland
How appropriate the name of this
stage production is to our theme this
month. Oakland’s Opera Piccola (Youth
Theater) and Stagebridge (Senior Theater)
will be combining forces to present a new
play focusing on the dynamics of living
young and growing old in Oakland. The
play/musical was written by nationally
known playwright Anne Galjour and
others based on oral interviews with local
youth and seniors. It is being directed
by award winning stage director Ellen
Chang of San Francisco.
istory gives a community its special
character, but we often ignore it
as we rush about our daily routines. Of
course we have a history, we say, as we
point proudly to our Craftsman homes.
But the essence of history lives in the
memory of our friends and neighbors
and is vulnerable to time. Our elders
who have lived here for decades are
gradually disappearing, and with them
the remarkable stories that unfolded in
Rockridge in the 20th century. Some were
historic, some catastrophic, many merely
personal. All of them have enriched our
community life and should be preserved
for the benefit of future generations.
Pro Arts Spring Gala
Pro Arts’ Annual Open Studios will
open with its fundraiser gala and preview
exhibition on Thursday, April 28, from
6 -9 p.m., at its beautiful new gallery
located at 550 Second Street in Jack
London Square. Almost 500 East Bay
artists, including numerous Rockridge
residents, participate in this event each
The play will run at the Oakland Metro,
corner of Second Street and Broadway in
Jack London Square Thursday, April 21,
through Sunday, May 1. Call Stagebridge
444-4745 or go to www.stagebridge.org
for ticket information.
So, we would like to start an Oral
History Project for Rockridge this year,
$ ) 3 * 4 5 & / 4 & /
) & - - & 3
( " - - & 3 :
Rockridge Photography Show 2005
P
lans are underway for this year’s annual photography exhibition scheduled
to take place October 1-30. If you would like to participate this year, please
call Lydia Gans at 658 - 4445, or e-mail lydiagans@juno.com. Non-photographers,
if you have organizing skills and the time, we need you too! Join a group of
enthusiastic camera buffs, be in on the fun and lend us a hand to get the show
on the walls.
Art Fine Jewelry Crafts
.
.
Nominated for 2004
Top100 Craft Galleries
in the United States
Custom Jewelry Design
Appraisals
Jewelry Repair
Jewelry Refurbishing and
Redesign
Engraving
Jewelry Cleaning
NEW ADDRESS!
5829 College Avenue
Oakland, California 94618
510.655.5952
Sunset Bottling
Company,
San Francisco, c. 1914.
— Files of
John Bosko,
Bosko’s Framing Shop,
College Avenue.
14.
April 2, 2005
Attention Homeowners
Do you want to know how much Your Home
or Property is Worth? FREE on-line valuation.
Go to: www.EastBayHomeWorth.com or call
510/504-1522.
Support Your Local Cyclist
Lifecycle4, 585 miles SF to LA. Benefits
SF/Aids Foundation needs your support.
Mention “RRNews” to enter the chocolate
cake raffle. TO DONATE: 882-7600 or
www.aidslifecycle.org/donate/5616.
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. May deadline is April 21.
How Much is Your Home Worth?
Get a FREE, On-Line Home or Property
Valuation. There is no charge or “hassle.” Go
to: www.EastBayHomeWorth.com or call
510/504-1522
Tahoe Condo For Rent
Two bedroom condo (North Shore) for
rent week of May 29—June 5. On beach.
Excellent for families. $850. 658-9530 or
janebcal@yahoo.com
Place a classified ad: call Susan Montauk, 547-3855
Jazz and Classical Piano Lessons
Rockridge jazz pianist with UC Berkeley music
B.A. offers lessons in jazz, blues, classical, music
theory, ear-training, technique. Experienced,
patient teacher, all ages/levels. Janet 653-6783.
Pilates or Gyrotonic®
Free 30-minute private session*.First class FREE*
in Pilates, Yogilates, NIA®, Gyrokinesis®, and/
or Yamuna® Body Rolling. (*For new clients).
Mind-Body Connection, 5255 College Ave,
420-0444 (www.mindbodyconnection.net)
Housecleaning
Reasonable rates. Expert & reliable services from
local employment cooperative. Call 534-6766 and
we’ll send someone to spiff up your home. Ask
for our references from Rockridge clients.
Home Repair Expert
Carpentry, remodeling. Doors and windows,
glass and locks, small electrical, plumbing jobs,
drywall, painting, fences, decks and other odd
jobs. Good rates. Rick 510/464-5934.
Temporary Room Rental
Having out of town guests and nowhere to put
them? Large, sunny room available in Craftsman
home in Rockridge/Elmwood area. See website
for photos and info. http://geocities.com/
cayenne2810 or call 547-8788.
YOU MAY LIVE 30 YEARS
PAST RETIREMENT.
' #(" )" &*
"$'+ !))' "* " ( )" &*&, )*% &*)
((")'&+"*
.#$&
--- -( ) '% $ "$ '+ !
Personal Chef
Nutritionist/Personal Chef available to cook
colorful, healthy meals for you. Will prepare
vegan, vegetarian, low-fat, Mediterranean and
special diets to your taste. Reasonable rates,
flexible hours. References available. Bon appétit!
Call Anne 415/690-6397.
Alternative College
5 minutes from Rockridge: Western Institute
for Social Research (WISeR) offers individual-
ized BA, MA, and PhD programs for working
adults. State approved. Socially progressive.
Multiethnic. www.wisr.edu 3220 Sacramento
Street, Berkeley 94702. 510.655-2830.
Antique Repair and Refinishing
Experienced and knowledgeable. All types of
furniture. New finishes, repairs, waxing, p/u
& delivery available. Family run since 1990.
E-mail pictures for estimates and questions.
Bruce@BayAreaAntiques.com 534-0603.
15.
April 2, 2005
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.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Compiled by Jo Ellis
• Ryl Brock Wilson: May 2nd to May 31st. Col-
Branch Library, April 16, 1:30 - 5pm.Call 482-
0265 or Writefox@aol.com.
Councilmember Brunner’s
Community Advisory Meeting
lages, prints and textiles. Artist reception with
light refreshments on May 2 from 6 to 7pm,
followed by slide show and lecture.
In The Display Case:
• Marilyn MacGregor, ceramics.
Activities & Events for Seniors
First Saturday every other month, 10am to
noon.Saturday, April 2 topic: Oakland
City Budget. A special meeting on Bushrod
Park and the surrounding neighborhoods will be
held in April. Call 238-7001 for date and time.
No May meeting. Peralta Elementary School,
460 63rd St. (parking on Alcatraz Ave., just east
of Telegraph). For information on all District One
issues, call 238-7001 or www.oaklandnet.com
(the site for all City-related information).
• College Avenue Adult Center: Light exercise,
socializing, travel programs and music. Hot
lunch at noon for $2. Every Wednesday from
9:30am to 1:30pm. College Ave. Presbyterian
Church, 5955 College Ave. For field trips and
Summer Camps for Seniors, call Kathy at
531-6724.
• North Oakland Multi-Purpose Senior Center:
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
Library Hours:
Monday and Tuesday, 12:30 to 8pm
Weds, Thurs and Saturday 10am to 5:30pm
Friday, 12 to 5:30pm • CLOSED Sundays.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
*Free help with taxes until 4/12. Call for appoint-
ment. *Sign up for trips to Monterey on 4/21,
and the Asparagus Festival in Stockton on
4/23. Center Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:45am to
4:45pm. 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
The Newsletter, “North Oakland Senior Times”
provides a full schedule of classes as well as a
monthly menu for lunch: (suggested donation:
seniors age 60 + $2.25; $4 for those under
age 60). Call 597- 5085 for details about
membership, newsletter, classes/events and
opportunities to become a volunteer.
All events are FREE and open to the public.
• Thursday, 4/7, 7:30pm. National Poetry Month:
The Greater Rockridge N’hood
Crime Prevention Council
reading by local poets.
• Monday, 4/11, 7:30pm. Amnesty Interna-
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y
and 13X areas are invited to voice their concerns
about crime and public safety. Steering Committee
meets 3rd Tuesday each month, 7 to 8:30pm at
Temescal Library, 5205 Telegraph Avenue.
Rockridge Branch Library
tional Monthly Meeting: All welcome.
• Wednesday, 4/13, 7:30pm. Daniel Alarcon:
War by Candlelight.
• Thursday, 4/21, 7:30pm. Camille Paglia:
Break, Blow, Burn.
• Wednesday, 4/27, 7pm. Members of Oakland
For Children:
• Toddler Story Time: 1st and 2nd Saturdays,
Fire Dept; Geoffrey Hunter: slide show from
Oakland Fire Department and Zach Unger:
Working Fire: The Making of an Accidental
Fireman.
• Thursday, 4/28, 11:30am. Quincy Troupe
Elder Care Support Group
10:30am: 4/2, 4/9, 5/7.
• Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wednes-
Free for family and friends caring for older adults.
Third Wednesday of each month, 4 -5:30pm at
the Alta Bates Medical Center, Herrick Campus,
2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley. For information on all
support/education groups offered by Alta Bates/
Sutter Health: call Monica at 510/869-4569 or
e-mail Monicalcsw@alum.calberkeley.org.
days,10:30am: 4/6, 4/20, 5/4.
• Pajama Story Time: 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 7pm:
(2002 Poet Laureate of California): Little Stevie
Wonder.
• Wednesday, 5/4, 7:30pm. Readings from poetry
4/12, 4/26.
Special Events:
• BOOK SWAP. Saturday, April 9, 2:30 to 3:45pm.
anthology Van Gogh’s Ear.
5433 College Ave. Call 653-9965 for more infor-
mation , or www.dieselbookstore.com.
In preparation for National Library Week (April
10 to 16) and Turn Off Your TV Week (April
25 to May 1), kids and parents are invited to
bring as many used books as they want to part
with to trade with others. Bring a layout mat
or blanket. Light snacks provided. All ages
welcome, especially ages 5 to 15. For more
inf. call Erica: 597-5017.
• CRITTER TALES. Wednesday, April 13, 11am.
Volunteers Needed
• American Red Cross Blood Services is holding
Book Signing & Recipe Tasting
a volunteer orientation from 10 a.m. – 11:30
a.m. at its office 6230 Claremont Avenue, Oak-
land for all East Bay locations. Volunteers are
needed to call previous donors, offer refresh-
ments, make deliveries to hospitals and assist
with community outreach. Advance sign-up
required. For more information: 510/594-
5165.
• Alameda County Community Food Bank. All
Pamela Sheldon Johns will sign books and
present comparison tastings of recipes from her
new book in the Italian Artisan cookbook series,
Prosciutto, Pancetta, Salame: Cooking With the
Cured Meats from Italy. Saturday, April 9, 11am
to 1pm at The Pasta Shop, Rockridge Market
Hall, 5655 College Avenue. For more informa-
tion: 547-4005.
Guest readers from the Oakland Zoo will tell
stories about animals and talk about what’s
new at the zoo. Geared toward pre-schoolers,
but all ages welcome.
For Adults:
• Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice.
Art Exhibition at Curves
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 Volun-
teer Mgr. Mary Schoen: 834-FOOD(3663) or
www.accfb.org.
• Bambino Thrift Shop: All Volunteer Shop
Free and open to the public. Art and Transforma-
tion: collages, prints and textiles by Ryl Brock
Wilson, April 1 to May 31. Artist reception April
19, 8 to 9:15pm with lecture and slide show.
Light refreshments served. Curves Rockridge,
Market Hall lower level. For more information:
655-8808.
First Tuesday of each month: 6 to 8pm. Advance
sign-up starts 5pm.
• Hanna Somatic Education with Abby Rose: last
2 of 6 Monday evenings, April 4 and April 11
from 6:30 to 7:45pm. FREE series of work-
shops teaching the Hanna Somatic Program
for relief of chronic pain. Wear loose clothing
and bring a mat. Participants must be able
to lie on the floor. Call Linda at 597-5017 for
more information.
• Workshop on Relieving Stress, taught by Kate
benefiting Oakland Children’s Hospital. 5290
College 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
Hopalong Animal Rescue
Open your heart and your home to a new friend.
The Rockridge Dog Mobile will be at Rockridge
Pet Food Express, 5144 Broadway, Saturday,
April 9, noon to 3pm. Adoption applications
for may be submitted at the mobile. Contact
Hopalong Animal Rescue at 267-1915 ext 500
or Info@Hopalong.org.
Schrup. April 12, 6:45 to 7:45pm.
• Digital Photography: An introductory presenta-
tion by Paul Soregh. Tuesday, April 26, 6 to
7:30pm.
• TAX INFORMATION: Rockridge Branch Library
(NOCCS): tutors to work with 1st to 5th
graders, one-on-one or in small groups,
on math, reading and writing skills; time
commitment of at least one hour per week.
Located at 410 Alcatraz Ave. (cross St. Colby).
Contact Julia Kassissieh, Director: 655-0540
or director@noccs.org.
has State and Federal tax forms available but
does not offer tax assistance.
Art Exhibits
In The Gallery:
• Works by Gladys Eaton, through April.
Writers Support/Critique Group
ALL writers welcome. Bring 8 copies of 5 pages
of your prose for on-site reading/discussion,
www.berkeleywritersclub.org/. Rockridge
16.
April 2, 2005
gifts,
clothing,
and bliss
at namaste
,
-
510 547-YOGA
5416 College Avenue
(near the library)
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www.namasterockridge.com
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Choose a Full Service
Realtor. Residential
& Investment sales,
renovation consulting,
proven strategies
to increase value.
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www.HomesEastBay.info
Century 21
$ )+ !+" $
Classes offered at Piedmont Adult School
Terry Kulka
• Taking the Confusion out of Purchasing a Home
Saturday, April 9 9:30 to 1:00
• Everything you wanted to know about Selling Your Home:
Saturday, April 16 9:30 to 1:00
For more detailed information on these classes, go to
www.piedmontadultschool.org or call 594-2717. Terry has been teaching
these classes at Piedmont Adult School for over 15 years.
Jan Fougner
OWNER ² BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
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