← HomeAll issuesSeptember 2005Issue 2005_09 · 16 ppShowing matches for “Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig”‹ PrevNext ›Download PDF
‹Page 2 / 16›
Extracted text · highlighting “Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig”
w w w.rockridge.org
VOL. 20 NO. 8 ISSUE NO. 215 September 3, 2005 CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES
Sponsored by The Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 644-4228
Home & Kitchen Renovation
Forum Set: September 15
Do all remodeling roads lead to the kitchen?
Ask the experts at the RCPC September Meeting
by Jennifer Edmister
A
Among our featured guests
is Kathryn Rogers, owner and
founder of Sogno Design Group.
Kathy, who approaches her work
as art, has been designing kitch-
ens in Rockridge and throughout
the East Bay for over 15 years.
Kathy will share with us her
observations about exciting
new trends in home design, as
well as offer some perspectives
on what makes a kitchen time-
less, classic and functional in
any home. Learn about new
materials that are quickly
s the October 2 Rockridge
Kitchen Tour approaches,
many home enthusiasts allow
their minds to wonder: “What
is really involved in a kitchen
remodel?” “How realistic is
my budget?” “What can I do
myself?” “Shall I add a second
story while I’m at it?” Conve-
niently, we have invited a host
of renowned local professionals
to answer these questions, and
many more. Join us Thursday,
September 15 at 7:30 pm for
our home and kitchen renova-
tion forum.
Jan Louden renovated her classic Craftsman
kitchen on her own. Her exquisite work, including
her handcrafted beadboard cabinets, are featured
on this year’s Rockridge Kitchen Tour. PHOTO: KEN RICE
Join Us for the October 2
Rockridge Kitchen Tour
Buy your tickets in advance and save!
by Jennifer Edmister
T
RENOVATION FORUM, PAGE 10
he Rockridge Kitchen Tour is upon us. After careful consideration
of a record number of outstanding kitchens, our committee has
selected nine of the finest home kitchens in Rockridge for the sixth
biennial kitchen tour. Our kitchens reflect a variety of architectural
styles as well as budgets from modest to elaborate. This year, we
are particularly proud to present two kitchens — one Craftsman
and one contemporary — that were
agenda: RCPC Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, September 15, 7:30 pm., Rockridge Branch
Library, 5366 College Avenue at Manila, Community Room
Kitchen Renovation Forum: A renovation slide show and talk
with Kathryn Rogers, Sogno Design Group, builder Tom Lawrence
and developer Mike McDonald. Details in story above.
KITCHEN TOUR, PAGE 10
Over 300 Rockridge neighbors
held a candlelight vigil at the
Rockridge BART station on the evening
of August 17. It was one of many
such demonstrations that occurred
simultaneously all over the country in
support of Cindy Sheehan, whose son
was killed in Iraq. Sheehan has been
camping near President George Bush’s
ranch in Crawford, Texas, asking that the
president meet with her to explain what
the “noble cause” is that her son had
to die for. Her vigil touched the hearts
of many people who are increasingly
questioning the President’s rationale
and conduct of the war.
PHOTO AND TEXT BY LYDIA GANS
2.
September 3, 2005
Letters to
The Editor
The Rockridge News
5245 College Ave., PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
&## !
, %+
or e-mail: editor@rockridge.org
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Please limit to 200 words
and include name, address and a phone number for verification. Only your name
will appear with your letter. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.
" ( (-'(&!( $ * "#) # % (' !
grow into a thriving, vibrant community,
recognized as one of the finest neighbor-
hoods in the Bay Area. That didn’t happen
by accident.
I
PLEASE, NO FRUITVALE-STYLE,
HIGH-DENSITY “TRANSIT
VILLAGE” IN ROCKRIDGE!
Editor:
Three decades ago, the latest and greatest
trend was shopping malls, and thousands
large and small were built in just about
every community. Many of these shopping
malls were successful. Some were initially
successful, only to find later that they did
not fit the character or economics of the
community, which caused many of them in
the Bay Area to fail.
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.
n the ’60s, Rockridge was devastated by
the construction of the Grove Shafter
Freeway (Highway 24) which destroyed
hundreds of fine craftsman homes, but the
community regrouped and came together
to oppose further demolition of homes by
developers and to push for reasonable growth
and development. It resisted outsized projects
like high density towers around the BART
station, a three-story parking lot under the
freeway and expansion of the Dreyers fac-
tory as entirely inappropriate for Rockridge.
Instead, it pulled together as a community
to build cultural amenities like the library, a
Greenbelt, Frog Park, and even a park for dog
lovers, and it crafted a development plan that
to this day assures all of us and our children
a walkable, sustainable neighborhood.
Rockridge News Production
Cy Gulassa ..........................Editor
Ortrun Niesar.....................The Muse
Claire Wahrhaftig-Isaacs.... Writer
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Advertising &
The latest and greatest planning idea to
reach communities these days is the transit
village. The concept is based on an inter-
modal facility where trains, buses, taxi and
parking are intermixed to allow access to
and from all points within the Bay Area.
This intermodal facility is expanded with
high-density housing, commercial business,
schools, day care and/or senior centers. The
most recent example of this development is
in the Fruitvale neighborhood.
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson ....................Neighborhood Merchant
Lydia Gans...........................Photography
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2005-2006
Deborah Weinstein...........Chair
Jessica Pitt ...........................Vice-Chair
Adrienne DeAngelo..........Secretary
Ehab Bandar........................Treasurer
Kent Deverell, Jennifer Edmister, Dan Ferdelman
The idea of RCPC leaders wanting to
bring to Rockridge a Fruitvale-style transit
village (as reported on the front page of
the East Bay Daily News, June 7) is simply
ridiculous, as the density, economics and
community are completely different. The
idea of tearing down beautiful Arts & Crafts
bungalow homes and shops to construct a
high-density transit village development
around BART is as crazy as the idea of big
box stores and a strip mall in the neigh-
borhood, to say nothing about parking
congestion and traffic.
Cy Gulassa, Hiroko Kurihara, Susan Montauk,
The Fruitvale Transit Village is new and
has great potential, as the community was
already fairly dense and somewhat economi-
cally depressed. Thus, the development of
shops, businesses, and senior and child cen-
ters within a transportation center seems to
have provided focus and direction for local
economics and community interest.
Mike McDonald, Mike Taylor, Robert Wiles
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS
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?
But where did the transit village idea
originate? Rockridge is the original transit
village. The idea of business, school, church,
library, restaurant, super mart and shopping
all within easy walking distance of transit
and home is the essence of a transit village.
The blend of single and multi-family homes
with apartments, shops, community and busi-
ness centers is what has made Rockridge
Do you have questions about newsletter
distribution?
I caution my friends and neighbors to be
observant, and to respond quickly and nega-
tively to the suggestion of increased density
and the development of a Rockridge “transit
village.” Rockridge is already a nationally
acclaimed transit village.
— Barney Smits
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.
ther demolition of homes”. That community
eventually organized as the RCPC and incor-
porated in 1985. Today, the RCPC simply
advocates for full density as permitted by
the designated C-31 zoning which allows
for three story buildings not to exceed
35 feet on College Avenue. We promote
adding stories to smaller buildings (not to
CORRECTION:
We welcome opinions and encourage
dialogue on this issue; however, for the
record we would like to clarify that the
RCPC has never suggested that homes in
Rockridge be torn down nor is the RCPC
proposing a Fruitvale-style transit village
in Rockridge. As the author states, “…the
community came together to oppose fur-
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING/DEADLINES
Publication date of the next issue is
October 1, 2005
October deadline is September 15.
Advertising rates are $22/column inch. Six-
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or e-mail
joellis1@hotmail.com. (RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate.)
LETTERS, CONTINUED PAGE 8
3.
September 3, 2005
RCPC Appeals Permit for Ground
Floor Real Estate Office on College
The Zoning Counter
5950 MARGARIDO DRIVE
Proposal: To construct a new approximately
4,023 sq. ft. single-family residence on a vacant
lot.
Applicant: Ike and Ivy Eze
Contact Person/Phone Number: Ike Eze 510/
893-0233
Owner: Ike and Ivy Eze
Planning Permits Required: Residential Design
Review per Chapter 17.136 to construct a new
single-family residence, and a Minor Variance
per Chapter 17.148 to locate the structures 46'
from the rear lot line whereas 50' is required
(for lots exceeding 100' depth, the required rear
yard setback is 20' plus 1/2 foot for each foot
of lot depth beyond 100’).
Case Planner: Ann Clevenger at 238-6980 or
aclevenger@oaklandnet.com.
by Jessica Pitt
T
Rockridge residents fought hard for C-31
zoning because the community recognized
that the economic vitality of the College
Avenue commercial area depends upon a
vibrant retail environment. RCPC is not
opposed to having a real estate office on
College Avenue, but it should not be located
on the ground floor. RCPC prefers to have a
retail establishment that would attract more
shoppers to the business district than a real
estate office is likely to, and generate foot
traffic that would, in turn, support surround-
ing businesses.
he June issue of The Rockridge News
reported on the purchase of 5327 Col-
lege Avenue by Maison Nouveau, a real
estate company which plans to locate their
offices on the ground floor of the building.
RCPC has opposed the issuance of a minor
conditional use permit to Maison Nouveau
because a real estate office does not conform
to the C-31 zoning guidelines on College
Avenue. C-31 requires retail on the ground
floor with an allowance for offices and hous-
ing on upper floors.
In late July, RCPC learned that the City
had approved the minor conditional use
permit for Maison Nouveau despite RCPC
opposition. RCPC has appealed this decision
and will present its case before the planning
commission on Wednesday, September 21,
at 6:30pm.
5431 CLAREMONT AVE.
Proposal: To convert an existing basement to
a second unit at an existing single-family resi-
dence, replace existing rear stairs and add a new
deck at the rear.
Applicant: Niccolo DeLuca
Contact Person/Phone Number: Niccolo
DeLuca 510/774-9840
Owner: Niccolo DeLuca
Planning Permits Required: Residential Design
Review per Section 17.136 to convert an exist-
ing basement into a second dwelling unit at an
existing single-family resdience, and Minor
Variances to: (a) locate the required living
room window 3'8" from the side lot line,
whereas per Section 17.108.080, the minimum
side yard opposite legally required living room
windows on properties containing 2 or more
residential units is 8 feet, and (b), to provide
the new second required parking space as a
tandem space, whereas non-tandem parking
is required.
Case Planner: Ann Clevenger at 238-6980 or
aclevenger@oaklandnet.com
RCPC needs as many voices as
possible at the planning commission
meeting. Please contact RCPC via email
at RCPCOakland@comcast.net if you are
able to attend.
Halloween Parade
Volunteers Needed
T
Rockridge Annual
Street Fair
Out & About:
Exploring Rockridge
he Annual Rockridge Hallowe’en
Parade needs a few more moms and
dads on its committee to help organize
and plan the event. A large contingent
of witches, gremlins, ghosts, pirates and
wizards are expected to march on College
Avenue in October to receive tributes
from our merchants.
and Market Hall’s
Picnic in the Street
Sunday,
September 25, 2005
Contact Grand Wizard Deborah Wein-
stein for more information: 510/595-3352
deborahlweinstein@yahoo.com.
Noon – 5 PM
College Avenue between Alcatraz and
Broadway • Live Music and Entertainment:
• Hip-Hop • Swing • Country Dance •
Fashion Shows & Contests • Prescott Circus
Theater • Kids’ Games • Fun Projects •
• Food & Wine Tastings •
Picnic Fare:
• Porchetta • Prawns • Oysters • Veggies •
• Cheeses • Kebabs & Sandwiches •
Burgers • Beer • Famous Chefs & Authors •
• Cookbook Signings•
4.
September 3, 2005
How Do You See Rockridge in Two to 20 Years?
by: Hiroko Kurihara, Chair,
RCPC Land Use Committee
Mcommercial area. In 1974, the Rockridge
community and the RCPC fought to estab-
lish the C-31 zoning designation for College
Avenue, which encourages mixed-use
development with retail below and hous-
ing and offices above with a height limit
of 35 feet. The current RCPC Land Use
Committee has been advocating enforce-
ment of the C-31rules and will be going
to the planning commission on September
21 to appeal the city’s decision to permit
non-retail activity on the ground floor at
5327 College Avenue.
ily serve a wider region. There is also
more than our fair share of mental health
providers. A transportation survey claims
that 50% of Rockridge residents drive to
College Avenue.
any say Rockridge is one of the best
places in the world. How we define
that is what makes the difference in who
we are, what we believe in, and what we
hope for. How we sustain and enhance our
neighborhood is the mission of the Rockridge
Community Planning Council (RCPC). All
residents in Rockridge are members of the
RCPC and our collective voice is important.
The Board of Directors decided, in our last
strategic planning session, that we would
go to the community to hear from as many
people as possible. In the coming months,
the RCPC Land Use Committee will be
holding informal discussions throughout the
neighborhood in people’s homes and other
community venues to begin conversations
and hear your suggestions for the coming
years in Rockridge.
Other relevant questions include: How
can we work with BART to improve the
plaza when the seismic retrofitting starts?
Do we need more green open space or bike-
and pedestrian-friendly travel? How could
we work together to create a community
center? Or implement a farmer’s market?
For example, in 1994 the Rockridge Area
Plan (RAP) suggested the Rockridge
library and the FROG Park as projects for
implementation.
P
Twelve years ago, RCPC, together with
the city, completed a 1994 Rockridge Area
Plan (RAP). Two years ago, the land use
committee began to revisit the plan and
asked, “Where have we come since then
and where are we going?” We conducted an
inventory of land use along College Avenue
to get a sense of how the business patterns
were changing. We found that increased
rents were driving local commercial ser-
vices out of business. We also found that
there was a steep increase in restaurants
— which is great, but restaurants primar-
lease contact us and participate in dis-
cussing your perceptions of Rockridge
and your vision for creating positive changes
in the quality of life in our community.
Check www.Rockridge.org for the dates
and locations of groups happening in your
neighborhood starting September 22.
Recently, fears have been expressed that
there may be hidden agendas of developing
multi-story buildings along College Avenue.
However, there is no RCPC policy that is
promoting high-density development in the
For more information, contact
Hiroko Kurihara at 510/384-0557 or
h2oakland@sbcglobal.net
Become a Head-Start Storyreader
Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish. For
more information, call 238-7453.
Development Centers, introducing children
to the pleasure of stories and inspiring excite-
ment about reading books.
Instructor Gay Ducey is the Children’s Librarian
at the Rockridge branch. She is a professor of
storytelling at Dominican College, Santa Rosa
College, University of California at Berkeley
Extension, and the UC Berkeley Library School.
She is the former co-chair of the National Story-
telling Association, and co-founder/director of the
Bay Area Storytelling Festival.
Rockridge Librarian Gay Ducey
offers story reading workshop
Want to pick up great story-reading
skills and encourage a new genera-
tion of readers in
Oakland? Volun-
teer storyreaders
present weekly
storytimes
to
preschoolers at
one of Oakland’s
Head Start centers
or affiliated Child
Beginning Tuesday, September 13 at the
Rockridge Branch Library, participants will
learn the art of story reading from a true
professional, Gay Ducey, whose storytelling
talents have been featured on The Mister
Rogers’ Show. Call 238-7453 to reserve a
spot. Space will be limited again this year
so call today!
All training takes place at the Rockridge
Branch Library, 5366 College Ave. Bilin-
gual volunteers are needed, especially in
Gay Ducey FILE PHOTO
! "
!
!" $
!
" !$
#
5295 College Avenue (nr Broadway)
Oakland • 510 601 8828
5.
September 3, 2005
Star-Studded Parade of Cops in
“Lineup” at NCPC Town Hall Meeting
See page 12 for a list of
local crime-fighting groups
and law enforcement
contact phone numbers.
Crime is down in North Oakland, they tell residents
by Janet Somers
O
I grew up in the city of Oakland, I’m very
committed to its welfare, I’m committed to
the people who live here. I love the fact that
we’re so diverse. I love the fact that we’re
very liberal. I’m a very liberal guy!”
n a balmy evening in July, about 80
fans of crime prevention turned out
for the Greater-Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)’s Town
Hall Meeting, held, as it always is twice each
year, upstairs in the Rockridge Library.
OPD about anything that looks suspicious.
“Until you get the Measure Y cops, there
isn’t any cop just lollygagging through your
neighborhood,” he said, responding to the
audience question, “Why don’t I see a patrol
car in my neighborhood?” He said patrol
cops are always either on 911 calls or cruis-
ing focused-enforcement areas. “When we
Tucker said that crime in North Oakland
(a large area that includes Rockridge) is
low. OPD is conducting a citywide violent-
crime reduction program, but violent crimes
It was a star-studded lineup. The Oakland
Police Department’s newly-minted Chief
Wayne Tucker was there, and North
Oakland’s Lt. Lawrence Green, who
dispatches his duties with eminent
enthusiasm — he was at one point
criticized for being too open with the
public, NCPC Chair Susan Montauk
told the audience — also put in an
appearance.
get the dedicated beat cop for this
beat (Rockridge), then you’re gonna
have one person who can really
focus on all of your concerns.”
Oakland
Police Chief
Wayne
Tucker
Montauk introduced North
Oakland’s two “Problem Solving
Officers,” Debi Mack and Steve
Mitchell (Mack’s area includes
Rockridge), to the audience. “What
kind of problems?” someone asked
Mack, who answered, “Something
that might be longer term; I can
do the little nuisance stuff. You know, the
continuous barking dog. A lot of people feel
they don’t want to bother the police for that,
but that’s what we’re here for.”
O
Police
Lieutenant
Lawrence
Green
After Montauk ran down a list of
recent NCPC activities, including the
placement of wily crime-prevention
flyers that look “just like parking
tickets” on car windshields at BART, and
conducted some brief NCPC business, she
introduced Chief Tucker, who was looking
urbane in a suit and tie.
against persons – rape, robbery, aggravated
assault and homicide – have been minimal
in this area for several years, he said. “I’m
happy to report that your crime categories
are either all down or pretty much manage-
able for us.”
Tucker, 62, retired from the Alameda
Country sheriff’s office in January after 40
years of service. He became interim OPD
chief on February 1 and (subsequent to the
meeting) permanent chief on August 8. Lt.
Green said in a later interview, “I wouldn’t
have believed that somebody could have
such a great impact in such a short time.
It’s like he stepped in front of an aircraft
carrier and just said, ‘Move!’”
akland’s Neighborhood Services Man-
ager, Claudia Albano, whose job it is to
“manage the community side of community
policing,” was pitching Home Alert groups.
Paul Revere succeeded in his mission, Albano
said, because he knew his neighbors; but
there was another rider that night. “At the
beginning of the midnight ride, there were
Paul Revere and William Dawes,” she said.
“And you might ask yourself: ‘Why has no
one heard of William Dawes?’”
Tucker expects to have Oakland Measure
Y’s 63 new cops (there are currently 739), 57 of
whom will be dedicated community-policing
officers (one for each beat in the city), hired,
trained and up-and-running by 2007.
During his own presentation, Green con-
curred with Tucker about the safety of
North Oakland. “Crime here IS low,” he
said, citing a 20% overall reduction since
last year and a 50% reduction in aggravated
assaults specifically. But, he said, car thefts
are up here, and he warned residents against
a false sense of security: “I think before the
cat burglar (the hills cat-burglar of 2004)
came, people were a little bit too relaxed and
felt like they lived in Mayberry. You do live
in an urban environment… and you need
to do some basic things to protect yourself
and your assets. You need to harden your
targets of your house, your car and so on.
Realistically with property crimes, you are
the first line of defense.”
Of his abbreviated retirement, Tucker
told the crowd: “I’m one of those persons
who didn’t really intend to suddenly do noth-
ing. The mayor asked me to do this job and
it took me about a microsecond to say yes.
Apparently, the hapless Dawes was a shy,
scholarly type who didn’t know his neighbors
well enough for him to convince them to
run outside and fight the British. But Paul
Revere, Albano said, was a “very social guy:
He was sort of the NCPC Chair, the Kiwanis
Club. People knew him and they trusted
him, and they did take up their arms, and
they did go to Lexington and Concord for
the shot heard round the world! The security
of our neighborhood, of our block, of our
community, of our country, really rests on
our relationships with each other.”
General Dentistry
Green said the notion that a cop would
happen be on your block and catch someone
breaking into your house is a “needle-in-a-
haystack kind of proposition,” and advised
neighbors to watch out for each other and call
Albano said she thinks having a Home
Alert group is nothing less than a civic duty,
and that getting to know your neighbors is
a revolutionary act.
6.
September 3, 2005
Upper Broadway Corridor:
Residents Want Safety and
Streetscape Improvements
Creek-to-Bay
Day: Temescal
Creek Cleanup
Saturday, September 17,
9a.m. – noon, rain or shine
Vby Steve Meyer
Mitems like traffic noise and parking were
discussed along with street and sidewalk
improvements. Suggestions for enhanc-
ing the streetscape ranged from planting
additional trees to adding a center median,
with or without trees, similar to those on
Broadway south of the College Avenue
intersection. Residents also recommended
sidewalk improvements and better street
lighting.
ore than 25 residents gathered at the
Rockridge Library July 27 to discuss
safety concerns about the “Upper Broadway
corridor,” the stretch of Broadway from the
Highway 24 interchange to its intersection
of College Avenue. Ideally, this corridor
should serve as a parkway for pedestrians,
bicyclists and cars rather than as a hazard-
ous freeway for speeding traffic.
olunteers are invited to meet at Temes-
cal Creek where it runs through the
DMV parking lot at Claremont and Cavour.
Potluck follows from 12:15 to 1:30 at the
corner of Redondo at Cavour. Oakland’s
Public Works Environmental Services divi-
sion will supply tools (loppers. rakes, hoes,
brooms, litter pickup sticks and other items),
but if you have a favorite tool, mark it with
your name and bring it along. Wheelbarrows
are especially useful. Wear outdoor clothing
and closed-toe shoes, boots for creek work
and, if you want, your own gloves. For the
potluck, a side dish or salad to share would
be welcome. The Colombo Club will pro-
vide pasta and garlic bread, and the DMV
Neighbors Association (DNA) will provide
dessert and beverages.
Since Broadway serves as a major con-
duit into and out of downtown Oakland,
maintaining efficient traffic flow is very
important. But with high residential density
and nearby schools and daycare centers along
the artery, pedestrian and bicycle safety must
be major priorities.
There is still a lot of planning and work
ahead that will require the sustained par-
ticipation of residents, RCPC, the City
Council, Oakland’s Public Works, Traf-
fic Engineering, and Police departments.
To support these efforts, contact Steve
Meyer (upperbroadway@sbcglobal.net
or 510/655-6081). In the coming weeks,
residents along the Upper Broadway cor-
ridor will be going door-to-door to ask
about other concerns. Also, an online
Yahoo! Group has formed to facilitate
communication: http://groups.yaroo.com/
group/upperbroadwayproject.
Residents at the meeting expressed
concerns about speeding traffic and a lack
of well-marked pedestrian crosswalks and
bicycle lanes. A 2002 traffic study found
that speeds along Broadway averaged 40
MPH at Napa and 39 MPH at Lawton. While
those speeds seem close to the 35 MPH limit,
they represent average speeds. Many cars
race by on Broadway at highway speeds.
With so few crosswalks, simply crossing
Broadway can be perilous. Participants sug-
gested that a “road diet,” reducing traffic
lanes to create turning and bicycle lanes,
would significantly improve safety.
This important work benefits us all
with a neater, clearner creek in the neigh-
borhood.
This event is sponsored by DNA and
the City of Oakland. For more information,
call Margaret, 655-1767.
The next meeting is set for 7 p.m.,
Thursday, September 29, in the Rockridge
Library upstairs meeting room.
In addition to safety issues, “nuisance”
! " "
""" $
"
# % #
!
7.
September 3, 2005
Artist Selected for Frog Park Public Art Project
by Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig
Mark Brest van Kampen has been
selected from among three finalists
to create public art for Rockridge’s FrogPark,
according to Steven Huss, Director of the
Oakland Public Art Advisory Committee
(PAAC). Huss noted that the selection still
must be approved by the Cultural Arts Com-
mission, the Life Enrichment Committee
and the City Council.
Upon final approval, PAAC staff will
contract with the artist for design, fabrication
and installation of the project. The award is
for $60,000, funded through a combination
of City of Oakland Percent for Art Funds,
Bond Measure DD, community contributions
to FROG Park and additional Measure DD
funds for creek interpretive materials.
Sketches of FROG Park art submitted
by winner Mark Brest van Kampen.
Above, spotting scope trained on
sculpture of native bird. Right, periscope
Van Kampen, an Oakland resident, has
worked on many environmental public art
projects and has taught and exhibited widely.
His Greenbelt proposal combines 12 spot-
ting scopes focused on strategically placed
sculptures and signage to draw viewers’
attention to the history and ecology of the
Greenbelt and Temescal Creek.
through scopes will heighten awareness of
the natural history of the Greenbelt.
Van Kampen has worked on other creek
projects in urban settings, including the
Ravenna Creek project in Seattle, a mile-
long corridor of art tracing Ravenna Creek
which runs under city streets and surfaces
in a park. He was also commissioned by the
California Academy of Sciences to create
six signs around San Francisco that reveal
what the sites would have looked like before
the city was built. During a residency for the
Marin Headlands Center for the Arts, van
Kampen designed gray water systems using
marshes as biological filters to clean water
from washing machines. He also has team
taught with a Stanford geologist, blending
art with science to interpret the hydrology
of the Mono Lake Death Valley area.
“The first view will be subterranean,” he
said, explaining that a periscope will allow
viewers to see three meters below their feet
into the culvert that carries Temscal Creek
underground. A sign will outline and explain
the engineering of the watershed and its
impact on the ecology of the area.
The artist’s work is “site-specific rather
than media-specific,” using whatever materi-
als are appropriate to the project. He works
with a regular team including a welder,
blacksmith, glass specialist, tile maker,
sign fabricator and general fabricator.
Other scopes will be permanently
trained on sculptures of native plants and
endangered animals like the red-legged
Frog and Cooper’s hawk. Peering at them
The other two finalists were Mark Bull-
winkle and the team of Lauri Twitchell and
Tracey Cockrell, selected from a field of 17
at a meeting last summer. The three finalists
each received a stipend of $1,000 to develop
their original sketches.
NOTE: Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig is a member of
the PAAC and served as the non-voting chair of
the selection process.
Rockridge Rocks! - Average Home Sales are at: $875K
Address
Bed/Ba.
List Price
Selling Price
Close Date
5355 Miles Ave
2/1
$ 729,000
$ 875,000
7/26/05
73 Beechwood Dr.
5/5.5
$ 2,695,000
$ 2,648,630
7/26/05
5532/4 Claremont
3/3
$ 795,000
$ 805,000
7/29/05
5433 Carlton St.
5/2.5
$ 699,000
$ 970,000
8/1/05
5869 Chabot Ct.
3/2
$ 795,000
$ 953,000
8/1/05
6110 Colby St.
2/1
$ 530,000
$ 590,000
8/2/05
322 Clifton St.
2/1
$ 695,000
$ 875,000
8/5/05
6329 Colby St.
2/1
$ 499,500
$ 650,000
8/5/05
Please contact me if you are interested in buying or selling.
!
!
!
8.
September 3, 2005
passengers there. It’s so dark under the BART tracks that a driver
can’t determine it’s illegal to unload passengers.
More
Since then I’ve seen the Sheriff's cars giving the same ticket
over and over under the Rockridge BART station on College (I’ve
seen it happen four times in one week). The Sheriff’s deputy sits
parked near Keith and College and waits for someone to drop off
passengers, then immediately pulls up and issues the ticket.
Letters to The Editor
Transit Village/Correction," from page 2
This certainly looks like the twin of the rural “speed traps” I
remember from my younger days in Nevada. It appears that the
Sheriff’s Department has discovered a money-maker and is using it
to the fullest. I also understand that the Sheriff’s Department may
be contracting with AC Transit to police these bus zones. So maybe
this is a way AC Transit is trying to fix gaps in their budget.
exceed three stories) when the opportunity arises, knowing that
the more eyes are on our street, the safer it will be and the more
economically viable. The RCPC will restate again the parameters
of our policy regarding development in the October issue of The
Rockridge News.
— Deborah Weinstein, RCPC Chair
Oh… did I mention that the only way one can contest these
tickets is to try to work through a mailbox address in Southern
California listed on the ticket?
— Jamie Pillers
GREATER DENSITY NEEDED IN ROCKRIDGE
Editor:
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) has esti-
mated that approximately 1.6 million new people will be joining
us in the Bay Area over the next 20 years. Our neighborhood, in
fact all neighborhoods, must change by accepting a modest increase
in density around the transit hubs unless we want all the beauti-
ful rolling hills and open space in the Bay Area built upon. The
demand for housing seems to give us a choice: build houses on all
our remaining natural areas or build more houses/apartments in
areas already developed. We can increase density and to do it in
a way that is creative and well designed. It can be done and there
are many examples.
Rockridge is a desirable place to live because others before
had a vision of a good neighborhood plan in the face of increas-
ing development. It can continue to be a leader by seeing the big
picture. Our quality of life will get worse if we resist making the
needed changes.
— Betsy York
WHAT DOES THE RCPC BOARD MEAN BY “INFILL”?
Editor:
I don’t understand what the RCPC Board proposes regard-
ing higher-density “infill” development. Will it be along College
Avenue, which already allows residential development, or will it
be at other locations in the neighborhood surrounding the BART
station? While the main Rockridge streets, such as Claremont,
Broadway and Alcatraz, allow apartment buildings, the rest of
Rockridge is designated single-family housing. Is the Board
planning to change that zoning to restrict proposals to the three
arteries? I also wonder where the infill residents will park. Our
streets are so crowded now that I often can’t find a place to park
at night on my own block. As I understand the C-31 zoning, each
newly constructed apartment would require one parking space.
Will this also be true of infill development?
— Joe Orenstein
SAY GOOD-BYE TO YOUR FAT PANTS.
Curves introduces the end of
dieting as you know it.
Introducing the Curves 6 Week Solution. Six weeks
of small, intimate nutrition classes where you’ll learn
how to lose weight and keep it off for good. Classes
starting September 12th. The power lasts forever.
Six-week program for just $69. Includes a tote bag
full of the tools you need to help you reach your goals.
19th.
Over 9,000 locations worldwide.
BEWARE OF BART BUS ZONE PARKING TICKET TRAP
Editor:
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
©2005 Curves International
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
(510) 655-8808
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
In May, I drove a friend o the MacArthur BART station. Before
I could pull away from the curb, an Alameda County Sheriff's car
pulled up and gave me a $250 (!!!) ticket. I had unknowingly pulled
into the bus zone in front of BART. There were taxicabs parked near
there so it didn’t seem obvious that there was a problem dropping
Market Hall’s lower level
Entrance on Shafter, @ BART FREE PARKING!!!
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
000-000-0000
Entrance on Shafter, @ BART
000-000-0000
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
FREE PARKING!
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
Local Address
curves.com
Prices may vary. Void where prohibited. Offer valid at participating locations.
9.
September 3, 2005
The Merits of Redevelopment
Districts, Pro and Con
ments, building and housing rehabilitation,
and construction of new buildings on vacant
or under-utilized lots.
The second issue has to do with what
constitutes a redevelopment district. To
be eligible for redevelopment status, an
area must be physically or economically
blighted. Opponents object to the designa-
tion of this particular area of North Oakland
as blighted. They argue that the area is
rapidly gentrifying and successfully attract-
ing private investment on its own without
government intervention. Supporters, on
the other hand, point out that commercial
corridors have not kept pace with residential
areas, and say these areas could benefit
from the investment that would come from
redevelopment funds.
F
Proposal to expand Broadway development to 51st Street stirs debate
by Jessica Pitt
Tand north to the Berkeley border at 67th
Street. It would also include parcels that
front the Broadway commercial corridor
between 42nd and 51st Streets. Altogether,
the expanded area would cover 880 acres
of North Oakland.
hese days, as cities face growing budget
shortfalls, one of the few sources of
financing available for development projects
— from street improvements to new parks
to revitalizing neighborhood commercial
corridors — comes from “redevelopment
districts.”
Most of the controversy revolves around
three hot button issues. The first has to do
with the financing of redevelopment dis-
tricts. Funds for redevelopment projects are
generated by freezing property taxes at their
current value when the redevelopment dis-
trict is approved. Then, as property taxes go
up over the life of the district (usually 30-45
years), the tax increment above the frozen
value is set aside for investment in the rede-
velopment area. This funding mechanism
is called tax increment financing.
O
Huge areas of West and East Oakland are
already designated as redevelopment areas,
and now there’s talk about including parts
of North Oakland abutting Rockridge in a
redevelopment district. But a proposal to
expand the Broadway/MacArthur/San Pablo
Redevelopment District has met with mixed
reactions from residents in City Council
District One.
inally, perhaps the most contentious
issue in the debate around redevelop-
ment is the use of eminent domain, which
can be used to clear blighted properties
and make way for new development. Many
people fear that the power of eminent domain
will be used to legally seize residences.
However, both City staff and Council
Member Jane Brunner have publicly said
that eminent domain would not be used to
take peoples’ homes.
In mid-May, the City proposed expand-
ing the existing Broadway/MacArthur/San
Pablo Redevelopment District. Currently,
the district includes two sub-areas in North
Oakland. The Broadway/MacArthur sub-
area encompasses Broadway Auto Row to
Telegraph Avenue between 27th and 42nd
Streets. The San Pablo sub-area includes
the portion of San Pablo that runs from
53rd Street to 67th Street. The expanded
district would incorporate the area west
of Telegraph and 42nd Street to San Pablo
pponents argue that redevelopment
districts capture money that would
otherwise go to the General Fund, thereby
reducing the amount of money available
for police, fire, libraries, schools and other
essential services. Proponents point out that
the benefit of a redevelopment district is that
tax money from the district itself becomes
available to make improvements that directly
benefit residents living in the area, such
as streetscape and infrastructure improve-
The decision to expand the North Oak-
land Redevelopment District is currently
on hold. Jane Brunner has been gathering
input from District One residents, and will
continue to work with the community to
explore various options, which might include
narrowing the proposed area or abandon-
ing the plan altogether. In the meantime,
residents continue to vocally advocate both
for and against the project.
%#$ #
Songwriters performing In the Round
to benefit the Friday Night Meal
$10 Suggested Donation
& %"#'$" %"
& %
"' $( !
10.
September 3, 2005
Renovation
Kitchen Tour
Get Your Tickets Now and Save.
$25 if purchased in advance!
$30 if purchased on day of tour!
Four convenient ticket purchase options
are available for this year’s tour:
Mail: $25 advance tickets are available by
from page 1
from page 1
replacing old favorites—like granite—in
popularity and functionality. View a slide
show of stunning kitchen projects, and
learn how Kathy and her team of experts
blend materials like stone, tile, glass and
steel to yield a warm, inviting space that
suits the specific needs and personality of
its owner. Glean a few of her trade secrets,
including how and why to incorporate your
everyday living into your kitchen. Kathy
will also offer valuable information about
renovating other parts of your home and
discuss why all (remodeling) roads often
lead to the kitchen.
designed and constructed almost entirely
by the homeowners themselves.
If you are in the midst of a kitchen
remodel, planning one in the future, or
if you’re just interested in seeing some
of the latest ideas in kitchen design, the
Rockridge Kitchen Tour has something for
you. Examine hand-crafted cabinetry in fir,
cherry and other luxurious woods. Marvel
at the next generation of counter surfaces,
from soapstone to Ceasarstone to quartz.
Share innovative storage secrets, and learn
how to make the most of a small space — or
a large one. In many cases, our homeowners
offer “before” and “after” photographs which
put their project in perspective.
clipping and mailing the coupon below. For
orders received before September 15, tickets
will be mailed to the address requested; for
orders received after the 15th, tickets will be
available for pick up on the day of the tour
at the sidewalk registration desk, 5951 Col-
lege Avenue (in front of the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church), starting at 11 a.m.
Online: $25 advance tickets may be purchased
online via credit card at www.rockridge.org.
Tickets purchased online will be held for pick-
up on the day of the tour at the sidewalk
registration desk, starting at 11 a.m.
Local Business: $25 advance tickets are
To complete our discussion and address
some of our technical questions, we are also
pleased to present builders Tom Lawrence
and Mike McDonald. Mike McDonald of
McDonald Construction and Development
is a designer-builder who specializes in lift-
ing homes to create a ground floor addition.
This technique is often an attractive option
for bungalows and other small homes with
many of their original features intact.
available during business hours at Maison
d’Être, 5640 College Avenue.
Tour Registration Desk: $30 day-of-tour
This year, we expect another fantastic
turnout, with guests from all over the Bay
Area and beyond. As the tour grows ever
more popular, and as the selection process
becomes more competitive, this is an event
you won’t want to miss.
tickets will be sold only at the sidewalk reg-
istration desk, starting at 11 a.m.
The 2005 Rockridge Kitchen Tour:
1-5:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct.2
For additional information, please check
the RCPC website, www.rockridge.org, or
call 644-4228.
As you stroll through some of Rockridge’s
finest kitchens, enjoying refreshments and
the company of your neighbors and friends,
know that your participation supports
important community interests. RCPC is
a non-profit, public benefit corporation, dedi-
cated to serving the Rockridge community
in the areas of land use, schools and parks,
among others. RCPC’s committees are com-
prised of dedicated community volunteers,
working to represent our neighborhood inter-
ests in the larger Oakland community.
Tom Lawrence is a builder/general
contractor whose vast experience includes
second storey construction and home reno-
vation. Tom and Kathy Rogers have often
worked together, with Kathy designing and
Tom building second story additions, kitch-
ens and other home renovation projects in
Rockridge, and throughout Oakland.
Tom and Kathy’s work is featured on
this year’s Rockridge Kitchen Tour, which
takes place on Sunday, October 2 from
1 to 5:30p.m. Pre-Tour tickets are on sale
now for $25, and can be purchased at the
library before and after the September 15
kitchen and home renovation forum, as well
as at other venues. (See adjoining article for
locations.) Join us for an entertaining and
informative meeting, and to grab Rockridge
Kitchen Tour tickets at the advance-pur-
chase price.
Advance Kitchen Tour Ticket Order Form
I want to join the fun at the 2005 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
YES!
Sunday, October 2, 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Please send me the following tickets:
___ # of tickets @ $25 advance price = $_______ total enclosed
Name ________________________ Phone ______________
Address __________________ City___________ Zip______
Please mail this coupon, a self-addressed stamped envelope,
and your check or money order payable to:
+
+
+
$")*$(* !%&!'#
RCPC Kitchen Tour, 5245 College Avenue PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94618
Thank you!
NOTE: To ensure receiving your tickets in time for the tour, mail-in
payments must be postmarked on or before September 26. Thank you.
11.
September 3, 2005
The Rockridge Muse
by Ortrun Niesar
In her weekly column in the Oakland
Tribune, Allen writes about landmarks
and local history. She also orchestrates
the Oakland Walking Tours program. She
is widely recognized as an authority on
Oakland’s architecture and has served as
president of Oakland Heritage Alliance
and a member of Oakland’s Landmarks
Preservation Advisory Board.
Hardy Park, by Lydia Gans
Rockridge Photography
Exhibition (Telling it
Like It Is)
T
Postcard view, Claremont Hotel, c. 1952
Other books about Oakland published
by Arcadia include Oakland’s Chinatown by
William Wong, Oakland Fire Department
by Geoffrey Hunter, and Oakland Hills,
by Erika Mailman. Call Allen for more
information about a planned signing for
all four books: 238 -3234.
COURTESY, ED CLAUSEN
he Annual Rockridge Photography
Exhibition will be held at the
Rockridge Library throughout October.
A community event, the exhibition is
loosely edited, not juried and open
to all who now live, study or work in
or around Rockridge or did so in the
past, regardless of skill level. Passion
and imagination are what we look for.
Parent-and-child teams are particularly
welcome. The subject is how we live,
think, play and work in Rockridge. We
plan eventually to weave the images into
a tapestry that defines the character of
Rockridge.
Oakland Histories
(Telling it Like it Was)
Several
wonderful
publications
celebrating Oakland’s history will
be featured in Diesel and Pendragon
bookstores this month. Among them is
Oakland, a Postcard History, by Rockridge
resident Annalee Allen (Arcadia Publishing,
$19.99). The book features a selection of
fascinating postcards chosen from over
1000 collected by Ed Clausen.
Also, if you don’t yet have a copy of
Oakland, A Photographic Journey by Bill
Caldwell and would like to order one,
call 653- 4311, or e-mail bill@oaklandp
hotojourney.com.
To submit work or get information, call
Ruth Woodruff, Exhibition Coordinator,
as soon as possible at 655 - 6081,
or e - mail ruthwoodruff@gmail.com.
Volunteers are also needed to help with
the installation, publicity and reception.
Deadline for submissions is September
25. The opening night reception is slated
for Saturday, October 1.
1,458
#
"
$ ! #
Author, Author…
W
HARDWARE & BUILDING SUPPLIES
e know that many talented
writers live in Rockridge. Who
are you, where do you live and what
have you written? We’ll be glad to tell
our readers all about you in the Muse.
E-mail oniesar@aol.com.
"
"
"
!"
%$ #&
"
! ! #
$
!
12.
September 3, 2005
Your One-Stop Shop for Crime Stats, and More
Claremont
Middle School
Joins College
Avenue Street Fair
Activities
Owhat is happening in your neighborhood, learn
more about OPD, the City and get fresh crime
stats and public safety information.”
To join the Colby Park Watch Yahoo group,
a network for neighbors in the Colby Park area
(bounded by Claremont, Telegraph, Alcatraz
and 56th), go to www.yahoogroups.com and
search under “Colby Park.”
Home Alert Groups:
For information on organizing a Home Alert
group for your block, call Home Alert Coor-
dinator Brenda Ivey at 777-8621.
by Janet Somers
Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council:
The Rockridge NCPC meets at 7 p.m. on
the third Tuesday of each month at Fire
Station #8, 463 51st Street. Contact Neigh-
borhood Services Coordinator Yeda Altes at
615-5802 for information. To volunteer for
NCPC projects, including an upcoming Cal-
trans-area cleanup, contact NCPC Chair Susan
Montauk at smontauk@juno.com.
Who to Call:
For ongoing problems (not crimes in progress),
call Problem Solving Officer Debi Mack on her
cellphone at 750-4556 or her office at 238-7517;
or e-mail her at dmack@oakland.net.com.
For emergencies or serious crimes in prog-
ress, call 911 from land lines or 777-3211 from
cellphones. (Dialing 911 from a cellphone will
connect you to the CHP, who must then re-
direct you to OPD.)
For in-progess non-emergency problems call
the OPD non-emergency number, 777-3333.
Websites:
For information on crime in North Oakland,
including recent arrests and photos, visit Lt.
Lawrence Green’s website, www.northoakla
ndpolice.com, “your one-stop source to learn
n Sunday, September 25, Claremont
Middle School will participate in the
Out & About Exploring Rockridge street
fair by opening its Scholastic Book Fair to
the community. The school library will be
transformed into a bookstore featuring the
latest titles published by Scholastic Press
for middle-schoolers as well as posters and
other novelty items. Proceeds benefit the
library. The PTA will also sell ice cream
and Claremont Knights T-shirts to benefit
the school arts program.
"SHOULD YOU
SAVE FOR YOUR
KID'S COLLEGE
OR FOR YOUR
RETIREMENT?
OR BOTH?"
! %! " ! $
$" # %&!! $'
!2(' + $-$(' % ! % ,- -!
!"" .!'
!+$- #! ! % ,- -! !'-.+2
!,$ !'-$ % '/!,-&!'- (-, ' ' !'(/ -$(' (',.%-$'#
0-(' '$*.! $1!+ + ',"(+&!
! ! ! $ ! #
#
# ! # #
# $ ,!! !1 &)%!, -
000(&!, ,- 2'"(
# $ # # $ "
$ "!
" # #
# $ # ! !
! ! ! # $ !
$ #
!"(+!
"-!+ (% "(+ (/!+
!"".!' (& ,-'!-
#!1.'0'#/,$$#.#"0&.,1%& ))/0 0#'+ +!' ) #.2'!#/ #!1.'0'#/'+
+" #%'/0#.#".,(#.# )#.#* #. $$'!#,$ 1-#.2'/,.3
1.'/"'!0',+ ,10&
0& 0.##0'+!,)+
4))/0 0#+/1. +!#,*- +3 ))/0 0#!,*
13.
September 3, 2005
A new
community
information
kiosk and donor
recognition
structure could
be built at Hardy
Park later this
fall, if plans
currently in
the works are
approved.
DESIGN: LISA FERRIER
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
*0&.,.&0(2& ('*
+*+. )%-1&/
3
! #! $ !
'3&& %3:$-&"/*/( XJUI HBSNFOU PSEFST PWFS
PS 0'' PSEFST PWFS
%SZ $MFBOJOH POMZ 1SFTFOU XJUI JODPNJOH PSEFS
(BSEFO $MFBOFST
$PMMFHF "WFOVF
0BLMBOE
&91&35
4)*35
-"6/%&3*/(
.PO o 'SJ o t 4BU o
"DSPTT GSPN "MCFSUTPOT ;BDIBSZT 1J[[B
REFILL
Frog Park Annual
Maintenance Day,
September 17
by Howard Ferrier
Join your Frog Park friends and fans for
our big maintenance day and mini-build
on Saturday, September 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Work will continue throughout the day, so
come whenever your schedule permits.
Please note that the Hardy and Redondo play
structures will be CLOSED both Saturday
and Sunday to allow time for the sealant on
the play structures to dry.
This annual major maintenance day
involves sanding and sealing the structures
and building a small fence to separate the
Hardy play structure from the sandbox and
keep the sand in the sandbox. We hope to
demolish the large concrete ring near Hudson
Street, which was the old play area. For
gardeners, we’ll plant and weed along the
Hardy-Clifton pathway. Later this fall, if
the plans are approved, we’ll construct the
new community information kiosk and
donor recognition structure at Hardy (see
drawing at top left), designed by Rockridge
resident Lisa Ferrier.
Throughout the day we’ll be adding new
fibar and sand to the play areas, and as in
past years, we’ll be joined by the freshman
class of the College Preparatory School,
who will provide welcome muscle and
enthusiasm.
FROG Park Needs You!
The FROG Committee needs your help
to make the park a continuing success. Vol-
unteer positions now available include:
Maintenance Captains
Food Coordinator (for
maintenance days)
Phase Two Coordinator for
FROG-built projects (new plaza
and others)
Communications Coordinator
Gardeners and Horticultural
Coordinator
Treasurer
To join or learn more, contact Howard
Ferrier at hwferrier@sbcglobal.net or
653-6463. See you on the 17th.
SAVE BIG
PRINT HAPPY
14.
September 3, 2005
Handmade Paper & Mixed Media
Art Classes in North Oakland
Learn papermaking and explore media
(watercolors, acrylics & found materials)
and techniques (collage, painting, printmak-
ing). Two Wednesday classes (1-4 & 7-9:
30 pm) start 9/21/05. Linda 510.428-2915.
www.LindaLemon.com.
Kundalini Yoga Meditation &
Gong Meditation Classes
Strengthen your body, focus your mind and
experience the vastness of your soul through
this ancient practice. Monday & Wednesday,
7 pm, Rockridge Wholistic Health, 5253B Col-
lege Avenue, 985-0097, info@Dr.Yogi.com.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message: $18 (phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland, CA
94618. October deadline is September 15.
Carmel Family Home
Furnished 3BR+2BA available for short-term
rental. Peaceful setting, 15 minute walk to
town. Great patio, reasonable rates (1 week
minimum). Not cute, quaint or upscale, but
has character. Call 510/547-1856.
Place a classified ad: call Susan Montauk, 547-3855
Jazz and Classical Piano Lessons
Rockridge jazz pianist with UC Berkeley music
B.A. offers lessons in jazz, blues, classical, music
theory, ear-training, technique. Experienced,
patient teacher, all ages/levels. Janet 653-6783.
Pilates or Gyrotonic®
Free 30-minute private session*.First class FREE*
in Pilates, Yogilates, NIA®, Gyrokinesis®, and/or
Yamuna® Body Rolling. (*For new clients). Mind-
Body Connection, 5255 College Ave, 420-0444
(www.mindbodyconnection.net).
Housecleaning
Reasonable rates. Expert & reliable services from
local employment cooperative. Call 534-6766 and
we’ll send someone to spiff up your home. Ask
for our references from Rockridge clients.
Home Repair Expert
Carpentry, remodeling. Doors and windows,
glass and locks, small electrical, plumbing jobs,
drywall, painting, fences, decks and other odd
jobs. Good rates. Rick 510/464-5934.
Tahoe Condo For Rent
Our lovely 3br/2+ba condo in Incline Village is
available for rent! Sleeps 8, is fully equipped!
Close to everything! Call 652-6664 for more
information.
YOU MAY LIVE 30 YEARS
PAST RETIREMENT.
' #(" )" &*
"$'+ !))' "* " ( )" &*&, )*% &*)
((")'&+"*
.#$&
--- -( ) '% $ "$ '+ !
Professional Pet Care
Loving & responsible care for all species. Ser-
vices include dog walking, park excursions,
home visits, meds, pet parties. Licensed,
insured, bonded, excellent references. 18-
year Rockridge homeowner. Buddies Dog
Adventures by Diane. 654-1202
Got Something To Say? Need
Help Finding The Right Words?
Marc Wordsmith—Writing and Editing
Services — Words that Work for You.
marcwordsmith@california.com 658-9358.
Please visit www.marcwordsmith.com for
more information.
Green Housecleaning
We use 100% eco-friendly products to
achieve unsurpassed quality, while protecting
your health and the environment. Regular and
moving service. Call 510/532-6645 for a free
estimate. Natural Home Cleaning Professionals,
a worker-owned cooperative.
Jazzercise
Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd Street.
Mon/Wed 5:30; Tu/Th 6:15 pm; Sat 9:00 am.
New Students $8/wk. First class free. 654-
7078. www.jazzercise.com
15.
September 3, 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
Councilmember Brunner’s
Community Advisory Meeting
9am to noon. First Saturday of each month, 9 am to
noon. UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive,
Berkeley (above Cal Memorial Stadium in Straw-
berry Canyon). For more information: 643-2755
or http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu.
Friday, 12 to 5:30pm
Closed Sundays.
Workshop For Story Readers
Gay Ducey, Children’s Librarian at the Rockridge
Branch Library, will hold 7 training workshops
on story reading and storytelling skills, starting
Tuesday, September 13 from 6pm to 8:15pm at
the Rockridge Library. Participants will learn
the art of story reading to become Volunteer
Head-Start Storyreaders. Space is limited: call
238-7453 to reserve a spot.
First Saturday every other month, 10 a.m. to noon.
No September meeting. October meeting Topic:
Cal Trans issues, including Caldecott tunnel 4th
bore. 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).
Activities and Events for Seniors
• 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 details about upcoming field trips, call Kathy
at 531-6724.
• North Oakland Multi-Purpose Senior Center
Program Highlights: Computer classes; Health
Insurance counseling and advocacy program;
driver safety; trips, tours and theater outings.
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.
The Greater Rockridge N'hood
Crime Prevention Council
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
All events are FREE and open to the public
• Thursday, 9/8, 7:30pm. Local poets, Laynie
Brown, Jean Day, Dana Goodyear and Tessa
Rumsey will read from their newly published
works.
• Thursday, 9/22, 7:30pm. Joan Bechtel
and Linda Cohen: Motherhood Confidential:
The Strange Disappearance of My Best
Friend.
• Sunday, 10/2, 2pm. Dan Savage: The
Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage and My
Family.
• Wednesday, 10/5, 7:30pm. Daniel Gole-
man: has written the introduction to Blazing
Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen
Rinpoche as told to Erik Pema Kunsang and
Marcia Binder Schmidt. They will all be here to
discuss the book.
5433 College Ave. For information about book
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y
and 13X areas are invited to voice their concerns
about crime and public safety. Steering Commit-
tee meets 3rd Tuesday each month, 7 to 8:30pm
at Fire Station #8, 463 51st Street.
Rockridge Kitchen Tour
Sunday, October 2, 1pm to 5:30 pm. Bi-annual
RCPC fundraiser. See coupon, page 10, to
purchase advance tickets. More information:
644-4228.
Rockridge Annual Street Fair
Sunday, September 25, 11 am to 5 pm on Col-
lege Avenue between Alcatraz and Broadway.
Live music and dancing, food and wine tasting,
picnic in the street and other events.
Oakland Museum White
Elephant Sale
Accepting donations for the 2006 sale from 10am
to 12pm on Sept.10 (call for additional dates)
at their warehouse, 333 Lancaster Street. For
FREE van pickup call 839-5919. More details
at 536-6800.
Temescal Creek Cleanup &
Lunch
discussion groups and classes:
653-9965 or www.dieselbookstore.com.
Saturday, September 17, 9 am to noon. Meet at
DMV parking lot, corner of Redondo and Cavour.
Pasta lunch, dessert and drinks provided. Bring
a potluck side dish to share. For questions, call
Margaret at 655-1767.
Writers Support/Critique Group
Food Recycler Needs Space
ALL writers welcome. Bring at least 10 copies of
5 pages of your prose for on-site reading/discus-
sion. Sponsored by the California Writers Club,
Berkeley branch (www.berkeleywritersclub.
org/) Rockridge Branch Library, third Saturday
of the month 1 to 5pm. For more information:
482-0265 or Writefox@aol.com.
Daily Bread, the volunteer group that picks up
leftover food from Market Hall daily and delivers
it to shelters for folks in need, still is in need of a
spot in the neighborhood to keep its refrigerator
for situations where deliveries can’t be made
until the morning after the pickup. An accessible
back yard or garage would be ideal. Any leads,
suggestions, please call Joan Sautter: 655-6432
or 415/986-1338 x133.
Rockridge Branch Library
For Children:
• Toddler Story Time: 1st and 2nd Saturdays,
10:30am: 9/3, 9/10, 10/1, 10/8.
• Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wednes-
Christiansen Heller Gallery
days, 10:30am: 9/21, 10/5. NOTE: no pre-school
story time 1st week in September.
• Pajama Story Time: 2nd and 4th Tuesday,
Sapphire Seminar, 9/25, 2 to 3pm. Offered as
the Gallery’s participation in A Month for CERF,
the annual September event that raises funds
for the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF)
which offers direct financial and educational
assistance to craft artists nationwide. For more
information, visit www.craftemergency.org.
5829 College Avenue. For more information: Jan
Christiansen Heller, 655-5952 or jan@christe
nsenheller.com.
Volunteers Needed
7pm: 9/13, 9/27.
For Teens:
• Bookwormz (Teen Book Club): last Tuesday
• Second Start Adult Literacy Program:
Teach an adult to read. Free training. Nine
month minimum commitment. Volunteers
can meet with their students at the Rockridge
Branch Library. For more information:
238-3432 or www.oaklandlibrary.org/
services/SecondStart.
• Friends of Temescal Creek: Monitor water
quality by collecting water samples at Temes-
cal Lake for analysis. Important for Rockridge
residents because Temescal Creek runs above
ground near Frog Park. Volunteers meet on the
third Saturday of each month from 10am to noon.
Regular commitment preferred. For more infor-
mation and for where to meet, contact Friends
of Temescal Creek at fotc2005@yahoo.com.
evening of each month at 5pm: 9/27.
For Adults:
• Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday of each month: 6 to 8pm. Advance
sign-up starts 5pm.
ART EXHIBITS
In The Gallery:
• September: Susan Hall and Mike G. Surprise
Frog Park Big Build Phase II
Saturday, September 1, 9am to 4pm. Projects will
be going on all day and lunch will be provided.
For more information: call Howard Ferrier at
653-6463 or hwferrier@sbcglobal.net.
exhibit!
In The Display Case:
• September: Claire Lomax; Paper sculpture
and collage.
Sick Plant Clinic
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
Bring your ailing plants to the University of Cali-
fornia Botanical Garden and get a free diagnosis
by a team of expert UC plant pathologists and
entomologists. First Saturday each month from
LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday and Tuesday, 12:30 to 8pm.
Weds, Thurs and Sat, 10am to 5:30pm
16.
September 3, 2005
gifts,
clothing,
and bliss
at namaste
510 547-YOGA
5416 College Avenue
(near the library)
www.namasterockridge.com
'% ( &
"! !
(((
"
,
-
*($ # !"%& %
*$"' ""& !# $
*$! %%($# !&
%$'!(('%# '
*)%$((% ! ) (
+)
'%$#'!((
"&($ )
$ )+ !+" $
New On The Market
Like Having Your Own Park — 6687 Chabot Road
This lovely 3+ bedroom 1-1⁄2 bath home with its lovely
hardwood floors, home office and formal dining room is
graced by a large level yard perfect for play or entertaining.
Asking $850,000
Jan Fougner
OWNER ² BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
ROCKRIDGE? IF YOU
NEED THE SERVICES
OF A REALTOR, CALL
ME. I HAVE 28 YEARS
OF ROCKRIDGE SALES
EXPERIENCE AND THE
EXPERTISE YOU NEED.
6 5 5 - 2 3 3 0
6 0 1 9 C O L L E G E AV E N U E
%"#
)
&"((
"& '# $ #
" $ $"(#" $
& %
!
)
&"((
(66(4 1/(5 ($.69
4(5(065
" # ! ! !
1/( 79,0*
,0$0&,$. (48,&(5 (/,0$4
%
!
%
%
$
#
% " #
#
#
! ! #
#
1&$6,10
,6,%$0- (4-(.(9 37$4( )),&(
+$667&- 8(07( (4-(.(9
106$&6
$674'$9 (26(/%(4
110 :