Extracted text · highlighting “Brooke Levin”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 22      NO. 5     ISSUE NO. 234      May 5, 2007  
 CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 869-4200

You’re
Invited!
Town Hall Meeting coming in June. Watch for details
in the June Rockridge News and at www.rockridge.org.

Rockridge Voters Oust Incumbents
In Heated RCPC Board Election

Ellen Peterson
Jeff Small
Ronnie Spitzer
Peter St. John

by Cy Gulassa
Rcommitment to RCPC principles. Of par-
ticular concern was her prominent role in
an organization promoting zoning views at
odds with those of RCPC.
ockridge voters ousted four incumbents
of the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) and swept into office a slate
of six candidates who pledged to return the
organization to its roots and to champion
community interests.
These and other actions prompted a revolt
that swept Kurihara and three other incum-
bents from office. Six candidates formed
an election slate and wrote a platform that
included opposing out-of-scale development,
restoring transparency and community
access to the organization, and representing
the interests of Rockridge residents.
The turnout was the largest in RCPC’s
21-year history, with residents braving long
lines on April 19 and 21 to cast ballots in
the hotly contested election. The mandate
was decisive, with each of the six candidates
receiving more than twice the votes of the
highest-polling incumbent.
Flyers with photos of the challengers
were distributed to hundreds of homes, and
volunteers handed them out at the BART
station and on street corners on election
day. Many residents arrived at the voting
table clutching a flyer after waiting up
to 20 minutes to vote in an election that
made RCPC history. The incumbents also
distributed flyers and e-mails.
I
Prior to the election, residents had
expressed growing concern that during the
tenure of RCPC’s Land Use Committee
chairwoman, Hiroko Kurihara, the organi-
zation had drifted from its primary mission
to uphold C-31 zoning, support residents’
concerns and preserve the unique charac-
ter of the Rockridge neighborhood. Many
residents had complained that in develop-
ment disputes, the interests of developers
sometimes took precedence over neighbors’
concerns. At the January town hall meeting,
many community members openly criticized
Kurihara’s leadership and questioned her

n all, 532 ballots were cast. The final
tallies were: Ronnie Spitzer 371, Ellen
Peterson 369, Danica Truchlikova 362,
Margaret Wahlberg 351, Peter St. John 343,
Jeff Small 342, Steve Meyer 139, Jennifer
Edmister 138, Grace Park 120, Hiroko
Kurihara 115, Albert Hussian 59.
R

Danica
Truchlikova
Margaret
Wahlberg
New Board Off
To a Fast Start
ockridge residents
waiting to vote in the
RCPC board election formed
in patient lines that filled
the foyer of the Rockridge
branch library, then snaked
outside along the sidewalk
down College Avenue. In all,
532 ballots were cast in two
sessions of voting, one on
Thursday, April 19, following
the campaign statements of
the candidates, and one on
Saturday, April 21.
Photo: Helen Brainerd
Board: Fast Start, page 
¬
by Annette Floystrup,
RCPC Vice Chair
The newly elected RCPC board of direc-
tors, whose election was certified on
Saturday, April 21, got down to business
on Tuesday, April 24, in a special meeting
called to deal with pressing administrative
and land use issues.
Administrative Steps
The board adopted a policy of roll-
call voting to increase transparency and
accountability to the community, with


2.

May 5, 2007

RCPC Seeks New Board Member
Interested in serving your community? Joining the Rockridge Community Planning
Council offers you that opportunity. Currently, there is one vacant position
to be filled by board appointment. Candidates for the RCPC board are invited
to submit a 125-word statement describing their interest in being appointed to
the board for a limited term. Please include your address, phone number and
experience. Electronic copies can be sent by e-mail to ronnie@rockridge.org. Mail
hard copies to RCPC, 5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618.
Candidates must be 18 years of age, reside within RCPC boundaries and
indicate their interest in the position by June 1, 2007. (A map and description of
RCPC boundaries is available online at www.rockridge.org)

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon,Tues:
Weds,Thurs, Sat:
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
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.

Rcpc Welcomes 100th Board
Member Since Incorporation in 1985
T

Rockridge News Production
Cy Gulassa...........................Editor
Janet Somers.......................Copy Editor
Ortrun Niesar.....................The Muse
Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig.... Writer
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Advertising &
Poticha, Mary Lamprech, Peter Ng, Kathy
Walsh, Steve Borstad, Theresa Nelson,
Ronnie Polonsky, Mary MacDonald, John
Thomas, Stuart Davis, Gary Jereczek, Lisa
Haage, Reed Holderman, Shawn Hooks,
Beryl Shore, Leigh Trivette, Cliff Cline,
Ginny Palmer, Meredith Kaplan, Maya
Byrne Nissanka, Ronnie Spitzer, Dan
Pitcock, Susan Montauk, Bill Penney,
Roger Mendelson, Mark Swingle, Carmen
Borg, Kerry Compton, Cy Gulassa, Franz
Seidelhuber, David Clover, Don Coelho,
Marilyn Citron, Chad Thompson, Frank
Giunta, Patty Brunn, Danielle Hawn Bluey,
Janet Somers, Dan Ferdelman, Sally
Fitzhugh, Bryan Grunwald, Glen Tripp,
Gregory True, Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig,
Eric Neville, Deborah Larson Weinstein,
David Hatfield, Michael Whitfield, Jacque-
lyn Tasch, Hiroko Kurihara, Jessica Pitt,
John Potis, Greg Yoch, Jennifer Edmister,
Mike Taylor, Dulcy Anderson, Ehab Bandar,
Mike McDonald, Camille Reed, Adrienne
d’Angelo, Kent Deverell, Robert Wiles,
Stephanie Upp, Steve Meyer, Al Hussian,
Gloria Bruce, Janelle Cavanagh, Ellen
Peterson, Peter St. John, Jeff Small, Danica
Truchlikova, Margaret Wahlberg.
he 2007 RCPC board election has
resulted in the seating of the 100th
member of the board of directors since
the organization was incorporated, in
October 1985.
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson.....................Neighborhood Merchant
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2007-2008
A list of the directors who have served
since 1985 appears below, in approximate
order of when each first joined the board.
The names of post-1985 directors who have
served as chairpersons (either before or since
the incorporation) appear in bold.
Ronnie Spitzer....................Chair
Annette Floystrup ............ Vice-Chair
Gloria Bruce.......................Secretary
Susan Montauk...................Treasurer
The individual with the longest record of
service on the board of directors is Theresa
Nelson (1991 to 2005).
Jennifer Edmister, Cy Gulassa, Ellen Peterson,
Peter St. John, Jeff Small, Richard W. Smith,
Danica Truchlikova, Stephanie Upp, Margaret Wahlberg
Newsletter Subscriptions
(The Rockridge News apologizes in
advance to any one whose name may have
been omitted by mistake.)
Jack Brown, Ray Perman, Nina
Robinson, Richard W. Smith, Barbara
Anderson, Don Kinkead, Bonneau Dick-
son, Annette Floystrup, Sue Parker, Bill
Chung, Mark Aaronson, Nancy Dutcher,
Barry Epstein, Peter Goldsmith, Eddie
Zeidan, Marc Beyeler, Brooke Levin,
John Gussman, Kerry O’Banion, Elizabeth
Allen, Steve Belcher, Glen Jarvis, Michael
Peltz, Jean Astrinsky, Bill Manley, Andrea
Walhof, Lisa Curet, Alisa Metzner, Shelley
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, 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?
	 Want to volunteer to be a Rockridge News
block captain?
	 Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 5245 College Avenue,
PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
RCPC Voicemail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
650 words; must include the author’s name, phone
number, e-mail address, and city or neighborhood
of residence; and are subject to editing. To reprint a
Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
Theresa
Nelson,
former RCPC
chairwoman
and longest-
serving board
member, and
co-founder of
FROG Park.
Photo: Cy Gulassa
Former RCPC
chairwoman
Mary
MacDonald
addresses the
crowd at the
opening of the
new Rockridge
branch library,
August 1996.
File Photo
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
 June 2, 2007
 June deadline is May 19.
Advertising rates are $26/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. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)


3.
May 5, 2007

Board: Fast Start
from page 
accompanying comments for absten-
tions or dissenting votes. The new board
elected Ronnie Spitzer chairwoman and
board member Annette Floystrup vice
chairwoman. Gloria Bruce was appointed
secretary. The board also filled two seats
recently vacated by Mike Taylor and Mike
McDonald. The new appointees are Rich-
ard W. Smith and Jennifer Edmister, both
past members of the RCPC board. Smith,
who holds a doctorate in architecture, is
an architect and urban planner who has
lived in Rockridge, in the same house, since
1973, and was involved in the formation of
the RCPC and The Rockridge News. He was
an RCPC board member and chairman of
the land use/design review committee. The
board will solicit statements of interest
from the community to fill the final vacant
board seat.

n	 Cohousing Plan Height a Problem for RCPC
n	 City Design Review Seeks Changes in Tele-
graph/Claremont “Creekside” Proposal

RCPC on Kingfish, Creekside Projects

by Gloria Bruce, interim chairwoman of
the RCPC Land Use Committee and
Ronnie Spitzer, RCPC chairwoman
Bplanning commission considered Hauser
Architects’ “Creekside” project, a 115-
unit building at the Global Video site on
Telegraph Avenue, at its April 25 meeting.
The committee agreed with RCPC’s view
that the project had been brought before
it prematurely. A less massive, lower-rise
project including significant changes to
the proposed Clarke Street building should
emerge. Daylighting part of culverted
Temescal Creek must be explored by the
architect before the proposal can return to
the committee.
ased on the recommendations of its
land use committee, the RCPC board
voted April 4 to oppose a proposal for a
mixed-use, 33-unit cohousing community
project at 5227 Claremont Avenue. The
land use committee had expressed general
approval of the building’s Craftsman-influ-
enced look and the cohousing concept, in
which residents form a community and
share amenities, but opposed the five-story
height, which would set a precedent for
taller development along the Claremont
corridor. The board will draft a letter prior
to the next planning commission meeting,
expected in early June.
Jane Brunner’s office reports that Trader
Joe’s plans to move in at 5727 College this
summer.
Next Land Use Committee Meeting

The next Land Use Committee meet-
ing date will be announced in the June
Rockridge News. Meetings are held at 7:30
p.m. on the second Monday of the month
at the Rockridge branch of the Oakland
Public Library.
An ad hoc committee of present and
former board members with expertise in
planning, zoning and design review, including
interim Land Use Committee Chairwoman
Gloria Bruce, was charged to bring rec-
ommendations before the full board for
reorganizing the land use committee and
related functions.
Land Use Issues
On May 2, the planning commission will
hold an appeal hearing on 5253 College
Avenue, a proposed six-unit condominium
that neighbors have vigorously opposed.

The design review committee of the


Changes in Oakland Policing
Designed to Brake Runaway Crime

N C P C
Meeting:
The most pressing business concerned
the design review hearing, scheduled for
April 25, on the Global Video/Hauser
project, at 5132 Telegraph Avenue at
Claremont. The proposed Clarke Street
building lies inside RCPC boundaries and
would affect future development at FROG
park. For design review results, see the
land use column on this page.
by Cy Gulassa
The Oakland Police Department is under-
going major organizational changes that
will enable it to focus more aggressively
on fighting crime, according to Deputy
Chief of Police Jeffrey Israel, who gave
a spirited talk to a packed Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meeting
in the Rockridge library on April 19.
said.
When vari-
ous strategies
failed to slow
the increase in
crime, former
mayor Jerry
Brown com-
m i s s i o n e d
a study by
Harnett Asso-
ciates, a New
York  t e a m
credited with helping reduce crime in
New York city by 70 percent. A key recom-
mendation of the report, delivered just last
December, is to divide the city into three
geographic regions and demand accountabil-
ity from those assigned to these areas.
Board members Susan Montauk and
Jennifer Edmister, co-chairwomen of the
2007 Rockridge Kitchen Tour, reported
on the progress and needs of the Kitchen
Tour. See article on page 4 for details.
As part of the $10.5 million suit against
the officers known as the “Riders,” the
police department had to shift attention
and resources from protecting precincts to
internal administrative procedures designed
to improve police conduct and relations
with the community. These reforms helped
professionalize the force, Israel said, but
they weakened efforts to fight crime because
there was neither time nor money to do the
statistical analyses of data and trends that
help control crime. “We were reduced to
responding to calls as best we could,” he
OPD Deputy Chief
Jeff Israel
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
The current way the department is
organized is very inefficient, according to
5951 College Avenue, Oakland  510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • ViSit: capcchurch.org
our wonderful coMMunity Meal, fridayS, 6-7pM
Policing Changes, page 13
¬
a great opportunity to SerVe


4.

May 5, 2007

Local Businesses
Give Claremont
A Makeover
Get Involved! Docents Needed
For October 7 Kitchen Tour
The new kitchen of
Peter Wohlfeiler & Jane
Randolph’s Benvenue
Avenue home opens on
to a spacious deck, as
seen during the 2005
Rockridge Kitchen Tour.
Photo: Susan Montauk
Photo: Claremont School
by Julie Harris
Cby Jennifer Edmister
Tbeing a docent, please contact Nancy Sale
at 510/655-4625.
Set-up volunteers: assist with pre-tour
and event day preparations, including food,
flowers and kitchen set-up. For more infor-
mation, please contact Jennifer Edmister
at 510/547-2841.
Publicity volunteers: assist with
pre-tour publicity. For more informa-
tion, please contact Jennifer Edmister at
510/547-2841.
Brochure advertising: provides archi-
tects, designers, decorators, and other
residential home decoration profession-
als, as well as local merchants, real estate
brokers and builders, with an opportunity
to reach an interested and enthusiastic audi-
ence. For more information about buying
advertising space in the tour brochure,
contact Jo Ellis at 510/653-3210 (afer
noon, please).
laremont Middle School won M.B.
Jessee Painting and Decorating’s
second annual Painting for Charity contest
this year, receiving a free paint makeover
for the art room and many of the interior
hallways. Thanks to 23 M. B. Jessee crew
members who donated their time, paint
donated by Mark’s Paint Mart, and a color
consultation donated by Angelisse Karol,
dingy-looking avocado green interiors were
transformed into sunny yellow spaces. The
painting company made Claremont this
year’s winner in response to a Claremont
parent’s entry. Claremont thanks these
businesses for supporting our neighborhood
public middle school.
Claremont
Outdoor Festival
Coming May 19
by Julie Harris
Ahe 2007 Rockridge Kitchen Tour will
take place Sunday, October 7. An
ensemble of spectacular kitchens awaits
visitors from near and far. Whether you
are a kitchen enthusiast in particular or a
Rockridge enthusiast in general the Kitchen
Tour committee cordially invites you to
participate in and support this regionally
renowned event. There are many ways to
participate, but one of the most enjoyable
is to volunteer as a kitchen docent, guid-
ing tour guests through Rockridge’s finest
kitchens. Docents, and all other volunteers,
receive a complimentary ticket to the tour.
Below are a few of the available volunteer
positions and other ways to support the tour.
For more information on how you can join
the fun, please contact us.



Docents: guide visitors through the
homes and provide background informa-
tion to tour guests. Docents are treated to
a pre-tour visit of three kitchens, and will
have time to visit the other six kitchens
with their complimentary ticket on the
day of the tour. If you are interested in

This year’s Kitchen Tour promises to be
one of the most exciting yet, as the event grows
ever more popular. As a tour guest, a volun-
teer or a proud kitchen owner, Rockridge is
the place to be on October 7.
silent auction, carnival games, food
and arts booths, prize drawings, a
jumper, and a performance stage! Enjoy
all of these at Claremont Middle School’s
3rd annual Spring Fling on May 19 from
10 to 3. The event, organized by the Cla-
remont PTA, is a community festival and
fundraiser for school enrichment programs,
including a new school garden and salad
bar, classroom mini-grants, school commu-
nications, special field trips and promotion
activities, community-building events, and
educational programs for students and
families. Everyone is welcome.
YOU MAY LIVE 30 YEARS
PAST RETIREMENT.
ARE YOU PREPARED?
Rockridge Resident
[24778-v1-0668]RP-260-0805
Leila S. Gough,AssociateVice President-Investments
1999 Harrison, Suite 2050 • Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 452-8060
www.agedwards.com/fc/leila.gough
Help us reach our financial goal by
coming and spending (or donating) money,
2004 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. • Member SIPC
Claremont Fair, page 10
¬


.
May 5, 2007

“W
hy do you want to spend 20 minutes in line
just to vote in this election?” (Asked of
Rockridge residents waiting to cast ballots in the
RCPC board elections, Saturday, April 21.)

Peralta Refugees
Relocate at
Carter, but Kids
Long for Home
by Sepeedah Zabala
More than a month has passed since
arsonists struck Peralta Elementary
School just before midnight on March 26,
setting fire to the well-loved K-5 campus,
located at 460 63rd Street in North Oakland.
No one was hurt and Oakland firefighters
stopped the fire quickly, but not before it
destroyed the library, office and garden
courtyard, and severely damaged the kinder-
garten classrooms, causing the school to close
for extended repairs and relocate to Carter
Middle School at 45th and Webster.
Volunteers arriving for weekend “work
parties” at Carter, which had previously been
closed, were overwhelmed by the stench
of forgotten food in the freezer, cobwebs
in the classrooms, dank bathrooms, graf-
fiti-covered lockers and weedy patches of
dirt. Two days later, however, after waves
of staff, families and community members
had worked from early morning late into
the evening, the rooms were ready for the
kids. They moved in April 2.
Peralta has a long tradition of parent/
neighborhood involvement, led by a devoted
and visionary principal, Rosette Costello,
and her staff of committed teachers and
administrative workers.
True to tradition, the Peralta Parent
Peralta Update, page 10
¬

Spring Friedlander:
“I’m a member of
ULTRA and strongly
suport higher density
in a way that is appro-
priate and sensitive to
the character of the
neighborhood and is
balanced with the need
for open space and
parks.”
Aggie Brenneman:
 “This is the first time
I’m voting because
I want to maintain
what I’ve been striving
for the last 20 years.
Rockridge is a place
for familes.”
Brooke Levin:
“I’m here voting
because it’s important
to show commu-
nity interest in this
issue.”

Dom Dimento:
“I’ve lived here for
21 years and I’m
just as thrilled to be
here as I was in the
beginning. It has to
do with the character
of Rockridge. I’m not
opposed to change, but
we have to look closely
at each change.”
Craig Lyall:
“I like the charac-
ter of Rockridge and
don’t want to see
density increase sig-
nificantly.”
Robin Bishop:
“I’m very concerned
about encroaching
development and want
to keep the character
of the neighborhood
the same.”
Don Day:
“I like the gradual
pace of evolution I’ve
seen in the last three
decades in Rockridge.
Let’s keep it smooth,
no sudden changes.”
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711


6.

May 5, 2007

Traffic, Pedestrian and
Bicycle Safety News
crossing.
Diagrams of typical lane configurations
(below, top) are contrasted with
proposed changes (bottom) that create
bike lanes and potentially improve
pedestrian, bicycle and driver safety.
The Web-
ster/Shafter
b i k e w a y ,
which includes
Colby Street,
provides an
important (but
less direct)
a lt e r n a t ive
to Broadway
and Telegraph
Avenue. A new
proposal in the
master plan
would improve
this route by
c on ne ct i ng
it to the Hil-
legass bicycle
boulevard in
Berkeley. The
route would serve the Rockridge BART and commercial district,
Studio One Arts Center, Temescal Pool, Temescal commercial
district, Carter Middle School, Mosswood Park, and Summit
Medical Center. What would a “bicycle boulevard” mean to those
who live in the area? Bicycle boulevards are routes on residential
streets with low traffic volumes that prioritize bicycle traffic and
provide direct, right-of-way travel. A key provision of the plan is
traffic calming to discourage drivers from using the boulevard as
a through route, a primary issue with Triangle area residents. In
addition, intersections with major streets need bicycle-actuated
traffic signals. The plan will
Bicycle Plan, page 12
¬
RCPC Traffic, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
(TPBS) Committee
by Steve Meyer
Oakland Bicycle Master Plan Revisions Presented
At the April RCPC Traffic, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety (TPBS)
committee meeting, Jason Patton (Bicycle and Pedestrian
Program Manager, City of Oakland) presented specific Rockridge-
related details of the proposed updates
to the Oakland Bicycle Master Plan.
Changes for the Broadway corridor and
improvements to existing bikeways,
particularly along Colby Street in the
“Rockridge Triangle” area were of
major interest.
Broadway-Keith Avenue to Broadway Terrace
Changes for Broadway, between Keith and Broadway Terrace,
include resurfacing the roadway and re-striping the traffic lanes to
create bike lanes in both directions, reduce motor vehicle traffic
lanes to one lane in each direction, and create a center turn lane.
Street parking would be unaffected. Lane configurations would
vary beyond Broadway Terrace, but bicycle lanes would continue
along Broadway all the way to 22nd Street downtown.
While one meeting attendee feared such changes would create
traffic congestion and interfere with emergency vehicles, Patton
provided evidence from the Broadway Corridor Feasibility Study
to neutralize those concerns. Implementing such “road diets”
improves traffic flow since left turning vehicles no longer interfere
with through traffic, he said. Emergency vehicle passage is also
improved, since it is more efficient for a single lane of traffic to
move to the right to allow emergency vehicles to pass, as opposed
to the merging and yielding of two lanes of traffic. Also, emergency
vehicles can use the center turn lane to by-pass traffic.
Over 10,000
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are eliminated and pedestrians need only cross two lanes of traffic
instead of four. With four traffic lanes, vehicles stopping for pedes-
trians block the view of vehicles in adjacent lanes, creating a danger
for pedestrians. This is the problem at the Lawton and Broadway
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Oakland, CA 94618
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May 5, 2007

Now there are over 500 varieties of hot sauce
available to the pepper sauce connoisseur.
Check out More Hotta the Betta website,
www.mohotta.com.
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
I love having a good stock of condiments
to prepare a quick but distinctive meal.
Vietnamese sweet chili sauce (look for it at
Yasai Market) is ideal for sautéed shrimp. I
sauté a pound of shelled shrimp in canola
oil with some chopped garlic and minced
ginger. Once the shrimp are pink, pour in
the sweet chili sauce – just enough to coat
the shrimp. Serve with rice and you have a
perfect Asian light supper.
Barry A. Kaufman
Saucy Foods
Several years ago my daughter came
home from high school, opened our full
refrigerator and yelled: “There is nothing to
eat! You have 10 mustards, umpteen Asian
sauces and every condiment known to man,
but nothing to eat.” On another occasion,
a poker player in our local weekly game
went to get a beer and said, laughing, “You
must not have young children; nothing but
condiments.”
Gmore recently, ethnic condiments.
A visit to Market Hall’s Pasta Shop is a
great place to see and sample the array of
new fancy condiments. A few years ago,
home chefs had a choice of three types of
salt: table, kosher, and sea. The Pasta Shop
and other gourmet food stores now carry
over a dozen different types – pink, gray,
black, red and smoked, to name a few. You
can even buy a chunk of a salt rock and
grate your own.
Achiote paste can be found in virtually
every Mexican market. Sold in small red
blocks, it is a combination of crushed achiote
seed, vinegar, salt, garlic and spices. A small
chunk of the block, diluted with either lime
or orange juice, makes the perfect Yucatan
marinade for fish or pork. Marinate for
about 15 minutes. Grill the fish or pork.
Serve with tortillas and black beans for a
perfect Sunday supper.
uilty as charged – my refrigerator
door and pantry are filled with every
conceivable condiment.
Most of us grew up with the standard
sauce condiments: yellow mustard, ketchup
and mayonnaise. Now, my refrigerator door
holds 10 different types of mustard and a
myriad of Asian and table condiments: soy
sauce, hoisin sauce, wasabi, Vietnamese
and Thai fish sauce, Chinese chili sauces,
plum sauce, and Indian chutneys. Since
the Civil War, Tabasco sauce, produced by
the McIlhenny family on Avery Island, in
Louisiana, was the mainstay hot sauce at
home and at every restaurant in America.
The term condiment originally meant
pickled or preserved foods. Chutneys are a
good example. Earliest condiments were salt,
pepper, seeds, jams, mustard and molasses.
In the 19th century, Americans began to use
table condiments, like ketchup and mayon-
naise. Today, condiments include any food
item used to complement or enhance our
dining experience, including spices, bread
or cracker spreads, table sauces, dips, and
The widespread availability of commer-
cially manufactured condiments has brought
a revolution to the average American table.
The downside of mass-produced commercial
condiments, however, is standardization.
This is particularly the case with ethnic
condiments. As ethnic condiments become
part of the culinary mainstream, they can
lose their unique homemade flavor.
W
Rebecca Lueck, LCSW
e all the like the convenience of
twisting open a jar of Mexican salsa.
But here is an easy recipe for a traditional
Mexican Pico de Gallo that is better than
any commercial version.
Individual and
Family Counseling
(415) 235-1071
Located at College and Alcatraz
Based here in Rockridge,
we specialize in:
Pico de Gallo (Salsa Mexicana)
Treating relationship issues,
anxiety, depression, panic disorders,
2 tablespoons diced white onion
8 Roma (Italian pear) tomatoes, diced
2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped (use
Architectural remodels/additions
Gardens/outdoor spaces
childhood trauma, grief, infertility
New construction
and adoption, and addictions.
jalapeño pepper for milder salsa)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, freshly squeezed
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Chill in
the refrigerator for a least an hour before
serving. Note: You can also use this
salsa as a marinade for shrimp civiche.
Let shrimp marinate for an hour. Serve
with chopped avocado.
Sliding scale  :  Insurance accepted
www.AboutInsideOut.com     510.655.7674
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For a closet,
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classes. Email: kaufman42@earthlink.net.
1265 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, 650-365-7800


8.

May 5, 2007

from San Jose to Brentwood, Cristian saw
much of the Bay Area. We went bowling
and swimming in San Jose, made art in
Oakland, and had a Fourth of July picnic
in Walnut Creek.

‘A Summer Miracle’ in Rockridge

by Mike Taylor
Fneighbors fluent in Spanish helped.
or six weeks this past summer, Rockridge
was temporary home to a little boy from
Colombia. Cristian came to Rockridge
through the “Summer Miracles Program,”
created by an organization called Kidsave.
Kidsave’s goal is to help children in orphan-
ages and foster care throughout the world
find permanent families in the U.S. Their
Summer Miracles program brings children
between the ages of 6 and 15 to the United
States – the ones who are past the typical
age of adoption. Through the program, over
90% of the children who participate are
eventually adopted. This translates to over
1,300 children who have found families.
Cristian loved helping make dinner and
working in the yard. He was fascinated
by the computer and played math games
and listened to music whenever we would
let him. His favorite pastime was riding a
bike loaned to us by one of our neighbors;
Janine, our dog Krypto, and I would run
along the Berkeley shoreline while Cristian
zoomed back and forth in front of us on
his bike. During the week, Cristian went
to Adventure Day Camp in Walnut Creek,
where several of the staff members were
fluent in Spanish and took him under their
wing. He loved the canoes and swimming.
One of his favorite moments was getting to
sleep out under the stars with all the other
kids on the last night of camp.
The children all get a great summer in
a foreign place and they all return to their
home country together, whether or not there
is a family interested in adopting them.
My wife and I decided that we were not
ready for adoption. In fact, we plan to host
another child this summer. We are also
still in contact with Cristian (he turned
12 last month) and continue to advocate
for him. If no one has stepped forward to
adopt Cristian by this summer, he’ll have
the opportunity to go to another part of
the United States. Kidsave never gives up
on their kids.
My wife, Janine, and I saw Summer
Miracles as an opportunity to open up a new
world to a child. While we were unsure if we
wanted to adopt, we felt opening our home
to an orphaned child, even for a short time,
would benefit everyone involved. Because of
Kidsave’s commitment to their children, we
felt confident that Cristian, the 11-year old boy
we hosted, would eventually find a family.
To find out more about Cristian, donat-
ing to Kidsave or hosting a child yourself,
please contact me at MikeT@alumni.duke.
edu. More about Kidsave can be found at
www.kidsave.org
On most weekends, Kidsave arranged
group events for the children to play together
and for interested families to meet the
kids. Since these events were spread out
(Total resulting size: 2,974 sq ft).
Contact: Jarvis Architects, 510/654-6755
Owner: Bill Craig and Christie Shannon
Case File Number: DV 07-106
Permits Required: Design review for addi-
tions and alterations to an existing SF dwelling;
variance to raise a dwelling within the 5' mini-
mum side yard (3'-3" existing; 3'-3" proposed).
General Plan: Detached Unit Residential
Zoning: R-30 One-Family Residential Zone
Historic Status: Not a potential designated
historic property
City Contact: Ann M. Clevenger, Planner III,
510/238-6980 or aclevenger@oaklandnet.
com.
The Zoning Counter
T
When Cristian first arrived at the Oak-
land airport with nine other orphans and
their escort/translator, he was a little shy as
would be expected of any child landing in a
strange new place. But he soon settled in.
he Zoning Counter is a compilation of re-
cent applications filed with the Oakland
Planning Department. Individuals may contact
the case planner or the Planning Department
for additional information by phone or on-line
at www.oaklandnet.com.
Cristian has a big smile, lots of energy,
and a strong desire to try anything new,
and it was a wonderful and challenging
summer. The language barrier was often
difficult, but Cristian’s English slowly got
better and my Spanish improved. We also
made use of internet translation sites, and
5862 Virmar Avenue
Proposal: Raise an existing 1,534 sq ft single-
family (SF) dwelling up to 5' in height; create a
new 1,487 sq ft first floor; add a rear two-story
stair addition. Remove an existing unpermitted
rear addition and existing rear porch and steps.
More Zoning Counter, page 12
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9.
May 5, 2007

Got Potholder?
Sarah Stuetz displays and
sells her potholder handiwork
at the Village Market on
Broadway Terrace.
Photo: Janet Somers
Enterprising 9-year-old sells
home-made potholders for charity
ing the money. “There were so many
other people who could use it better
than I could,” she explained.
by Janet Somers
On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon,
9-year-old Sarah Stuetz sat behind a
table outside the Village Market, on Broad-
way Terrace. On the table were a handful of
colorful woven potholders, and Sarah was
in the process of weaving another one on
a small plastic loom.
In the beginning, she set up
shop outside her house, in the hills
above the market. But the foot traf-
fic there was disappointing. So her
father, Chris Stuetz – who says the
whole enterprise was “absolutely
her own idea” – got permission
from the store management for her
to move the operation there. “She
makes these potholders, and she makes
different patterns and different colors, and
when she gets a few together, she sets up
out there,” he said.
Signs reading, “Sarah’s Potholders! Buy
One Today! All profits go to the Susan G.
Komen breast cancer fund or local animal
shelters!” and, “I take special orders! No
extra cost! Still $3! Hurry! I only take 6
special orders a day!” in large, multicolored
crayoned lettering hung from the table.
retriever named Annie; some fish; and two
cats. She’s a third-grader at Redwood Day
School. She has raised and given away
about $250 so far, said her father when
pressed to give an estimate. She wants to
become either a veterinarian or an activist
who raises money for animal shelters when
she grows up.
Since the tender age of 8, Sarah has
been making potholders, selling them, and
giving the money away to various chari-
ties and nonprofit organizations she reads
about in the newspaper. She started making
them five years ago after her mother, Kathy
Wheadon, bought her a potholder-making
kit as a present.
The market proved a more lucrative
venue. “Today I sold seven,” Sarah said.
“I spend about an hour a week to make
three, and usually I also make them as I’m
selling them. Sometimes I’ll have to stop
because I have no more potholder loops,
and sometimes I’ll stop because I have too
much other stuff to do; like maybe I’ll have
a friend over.”
She makes the potholders just for fun.
“I just enjoy it,” she said.
To buy a Sarah Stuetz potholder, you might catch
her on a Sunday afternoon outside Village Market,
at 5885 Broadway Terrace. Bear in mind that all
potholders are handmade, so weekly production is
limited; but she does take special orders.
“My dad does a lot of cooking, but he
didn’t need as many as I was making,” Sarah
said. So she started selling them. After
awhile, she felt “not too good” about keep-
Besides her mom and dad, Sarah lives
with her brother, Alexander, age 12; a golden

Rockridge’s Pacific Boychoir
Academy Scores Big – in Many Ways

“minstrels” through the accomplished
“troubadours.” No slouches, that group
will be touring Italy this summer, where
they will play at the Vatican, the Spoleto
Festival, and St. Peter’s Basilica, among
other venues.
by Rockridge News Staff
Fthe most prestigious high schools in the East
Bay, including College Preparatory School,
The Athenian School in Danville, Bishop
O’Dowd, Head-Royce, St. Mary’s, Bentley,
and the Orinda Academy. (The other two
students plan to move back to Poland and
Livermore, respectively.)
or the boys of the eighth-grade class
at Pacific Boychoir Academy (PBA),
the payoff just rolled in. Three years ago,
their families made what may have seemed
like a high-risk decision to enroll them in a
brand-new boys’ choir school. Now five of
the seven have been accepted into several of
Although auditions are required, and
there are some superstars (like 11-year-old
soprano Jack Lundquist of Berkeley, who
recently performed as a soloist with the
San Francisco Symphony), Head of School
Pamela Weimer says most of the kids are
“average, regular boys who like to go out
and play basketball or football.”
Pacific Boychoir Academy, which runs
out of the second floor of St. Augustine’s
Church, on Alcatraz at Colby, is a boys’
day school incorporating a full academic
curriculum with a Grammy Award-winning,
professional boys’ choir program. Modeled
after choir schools around the world like
the Vienna Boys Choir School, the school
began as an afterschool choir in 1998; the
day school opened in fall of 2004. Boys can
still participate in the after school program
without enrolling in the day school.
Regency Antique Restoration
The school recently performed with
the San Francisco Symphony in Berlioz’s
“The Damnation of Faust.” The sendoff
concert for the Italian tour is on June 3 at
St. Augustine’s.
T
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he PBA is a nonprofit, non-denomi-
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grounds. For further information visit www.
pacificboychoir.org or call 510/652-4722.
Pickup & Delivery
534-0603
Bruce Wagg
bruce@bayareaantiques.com
The group’s 100+ members advance
through six levels of choir, from pint-sized


10.

May 5, 2007

Peralta Update
from page 
Teacher Group (PPTG) initiated a major
post-fire fundraising drive, “Peralta Rising,”
to renew, rebuild and regrow the school. As
the news media reported the spirited response
of the school community, donations began
to pour in almost immediately.
The Oakland A’s donated $5,000, an
anonymous donor $10,000 and the Lytton
Band of Pomo Indians $100,000 toward the
rebuilding. To date, they have raised nearly
$150,000. But even when combined with
the $750,000 OUSD has earmarked for the
rebuilding, these funds still fall short.
Even though flowers bloom in Carter’s
courtyard and artwork decorates the newly
painted walls, the transition continues to
be a difficult one. Each day children and
teachers struggle to make the middle school
facility work for them, if only temporarily.
The students miss their old campus and
play structures and many don’t want to go
to school in the morning.
Oakland businesses, civic organizations
and individuals from all over the country
are helping to rebuild this wonderful school.
Please visit the PPTG website at www.
peraltaschool.org for more information
and how to make a donation.
Claremont Fair
from page 
renting booth space for $20 to set up shop
and sell your own food or wares, or by
donating merchandise or gift certificates
for the silent auction. Donations are tax-
deductible; donors will be acknowledged
in our school newsletter, which is delivered
to about 400 Claremont families and 60
staff members.
For a booth rental or silent auction dona-
tion form, stop by the school office at 5750
College Avenue, or contact Julie Harris at
julieharris@pacbell.net or 510/652-2373.
Complete architectural
services since 1970
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
(510) 654-6755   fax 654-3424

Peralta Spring Festival
“Peralta in Bloom”
“P
eralta In Bloom” is an end of the year spring festival that celebrates
the blossoming school and the community that nurtures it. Students,
teachers, staff, families and neighbors come together to enjoy fabulous food
accompanied by entertainment from the students and others. Past highlights
have included a climbing wall, cake walk, carnival games, and locally sponsored
arts and crafts activities.
Saturday, May 12, noon to 4:00 p.m.
Note New Location: Carter Middle School, 4521 Webster Street, Oakland
Norman H. Burg, DDS
Pilates Plus
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A Prevention Oriented Practice
510 . 420 . 1412
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11.
May 5, 2007

sorts of life stresses. They may be abused,
addicted, lonely, homeless, enraged at
injustice, unemployed, depressed, hear-
ing voices, cutting themselves, feeling
too young or too old, and on occasion,
considering taking their own lives. You
have probably known people with these
kinds of problems. Training covers an
understanding of these human conditions.
Now your compassion and patience can
be used to help those without friends and
families to support them.

Get a Life? Heck! Volunteer For a Life

by Claire Isaacs Wahrhaftig
Ito climb a mountain, ride a horse, scuba
dive or swim, practicing each step leads to
competence and security in performance.
Many people report that the skills learned
at CSS, which include active listening and
sensing underlying themes, are useful in their
everyday lives with friends, family and co-
workers. Others enjoy working side by side
with the lively students and interns working
on psychology and counseling degrees by
volunteering at CSS.
f you had the chance to save a drowning
person, would you do it? Now you can,
without even going into the water.
Crisis Support Services of Alameda
County (CSS) is looking for a few good men
and women to volunteer on phone crisis lines.
Phone counseling is exciting, often dramatic,
and always meaningful. No prior experience
or training is necessary. Volunteers are asked
to commit to a year of service; this includes
four months of one-on-one supervised
hands-on experience plus a series of weekly
workshops on serving different populations,
including specific techniques and how to be
effective in a short or long call.
Volunteers can choose from a schedule
of four-hour shifts on weekdays, evenings,
or weekends and can arrange vacation time.
CSS is close to BART and bus stops, has free
parking, and is handicapped accessible.
CSS volunteers represent every walk of
life. Current volunteers include a gardener,
taxi driver, accountant, psychiatric nurse,
social worker, teacher, bookkeeper, publisher,
arts administrator, writer, and more. One
volunteer counselor, a software developer,
said that before CSS he used to do what he
termed “warm body” volunteering. He would
sign up for marathon monitoring or fund
drives or house building, and then, poof, it
was over. He enjoys his shift at CSS because
it is a regularly scheduled stint at which he
meets people and forms relationships, simul-
taneously watching his own skills grow and
helping individuals.
Contact Crisis Support Services of
Alameda County, – “healing hearts, one
call at a time” – by phone, 510/420-3204,
or e-mail, cwahrhaftig@crisissupport.
org. (Crisis Support Services also offers a
variety of other counseling and education
programs. For full information on programs
call 510/420-2460.)
It is easier than you think. Weekly
training includes step-by-step procedures
that become second nature. As in learning
Claire Isaacs Wahrhafitg is a writer and a former
editor of The Rockridge News. After five years of
volunteering at Crisis Support Services, she now
serves as the organization’s outreach coordinator.
The clients who phone are undergoing all
Mon – Fri 9:30 – 6:00
Sat 9:30 – 5:00
CHIMES
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Serving Rockridge Since 1909
Susan Bernosky LUTCF
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
3210 College Avenue
Insurance Agent
(510) 450-9050
Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Near Alcatraz
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
652-1990
5940 COLLEGE AVE #A
OAKLAND
susanbernosky@allstate.com
CA Lic: 0738807,0D34069
Call me today to see how you can save
when you combine your auto policies.
(Spend more on your honeymoon).
A Buyers Market In Rockridge?  I don’t think so!
With the six properties
that sold in April,
only one property went for
under the list price. The
majority were well over the
asking  price with a high
of $200K! From January
– March ’07 16 SFR sold
for a median sales price of
$825,00, compared with the
same time last year, 7 SFR
with a median sales price
of $815,000.
Address
Bed/Ba	 List Price
Sell Price	 Close Date
Notary Public available
5400 Broadway Terrace	 2/2
$ 669,651
$ 669,651
4/5/2007
5766 Broadway Avenue	 2/2
$ 800,000
$ 779,875
4/6/2007
5433 Belgrave Place
3/1
$ 525,000
$ 655,000	 4/10/2007
5985 Claremont Avenue	 3/2
$ 777,000
$ 796,000	 4/10/2007
5533 Taft Avenue
3/1
$ 849,000
$ 960,000	 4/10/2007
5581 Lawton Avenue
4/2	 $ 1,350,000	 $ 1,535,000	 4/12/2007
Insurance and savings subject to availability and qualifications.
Savings applies to most major coverages. Allstate Indemnity
Company:  Northbrook, IL.
©2004 Allstate Insurance Company.


12.

May 5, 2007

Book
accounts of the author’s excursions to the
regions under discussion.
Bicycle Plan
Note
With deft strokes, Babbitt paints the envi-
ronmental value at stake in each situation,
and the economic and political background,
and then goes on to show how, by the exercise
of leadership, use of sound science, and a
willingness to engage with the key actors,
government can, or might, resolve seemingly
intractable land-use conflicts in a manner
protective of both environmental and human
needs. His fascination with environmental
problem solving is contagious.
from page 
be coupled with the traffic study underway
in the Rockridge Triangle area (expected to
be complete by the end of May), to ensure
a holistic solution benefiting the safety and
overall quality of life of area residents.
Cities in the Wilderness: A New Vision of
Land Use in America, by Bruce Babbitt
Island Press, 2005. 216 pp.
$25.95 (hardcover), $17.95 (paperback)
Reviewed by John Gussman
B
These are but two of the many proposed
city-wide changes for the Bicycle Master
Plan presented April 18 to the Oakland
City Planning Commission for public com-
ment and Draft EIR review. Jason Patton
expects the final plan to go back to the
planning commission in the fall of 2007,
and then on to the city council by the end
of the year for incorporation into the city’s
general plan.
ruce Babbitt knows more than most about
conserving America’s resource lands, and
in his recent book, Cities in the Wilderness
– now out in paperback – he does not disap-
point. The book, which leans heavily on Mr.
Babbitt’s experience as U.S. Secretary of the
Interior from 1993 to 2001, is at once one of
the best-informed, and one of the most read-
able and engaging books ever published on
the topic of national land-use policy.
Wilderness is the main subject of this
book, with cities providing a mostly silent
backdrop. Early in the book, the author
writes: “Ideally, cities on the land should
be visualized like an archipelago, as islands
surrounded by a sea of open landscapes”; and,
in a kind of summing up: “There is still time
and space enough to design an appropriate
separation of town and country, setting cities
in a matrix of open landscapes that retain
more of their ecological functions.”
In a clear and conversational style, and
taking an insider’s point of view, Babbitt
recounts some of the most tempestuous land-
use controversies of the present era, weaving
them into a broad tapestry. Among his focuses
are the restoration of the Florida Everglades
and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, efforts
to preserve areas of biological viability for
native species in Orange County, restoration
of prairies in the Midwest, dam removal to
bring back fisheries, and balancing energy
production and environmental protection
on Western lands. After the first chapter,
the reader looks forward to the next vivid
Watch for bicycle plan updates in future
Rockridge News issues and/or join the
RCPC TPBS Committee Yahoo Group. E-mail
your contact information (name, address,
e-mail, and phone number; and your area(s) of
interest) to: RCPC_Traffic_Pedestrian_and_
Bicycle_Safety_Committee-subscribe@
yahoogroups.com.
Anyone with an interest in preservation
of the natural environment, whether a sea-
soned hand or a novice, will find this book
rewarding.
More
The Zoning Counter
from page 8
We’re a boutique real estate firm
specializing in superior marketing.
We give your home the visibility it deserves.
5165-67 Coronado Avenue
Proposal: Convert existing duplex to two
condominium units.
Contact Person: Dennis J. Woodruff
510/625-9544
Owner: Dennis J. Woodruff
Case File Number: TPM 9380
Permits Required: Tentative Parcel Map to
create 2 residential condominium units.
General Plan: Mixed Housing Residential.
Zoning: R-35 Special One-Family Residential
Zone
Environmental Determination: Exempt,
CEQA section 15301(k): Division of residences
into common interest ownership, and exempt,
CEQA section 15183: projects consistent with
a community plan, general plan or zoning
Historic Status: Not a potential designated
historic property:
City Contact: case planner Jason Madani,
510/238-4790 or jsmadani@oaklandnet.com.
With our unique teamwork approach,
and commissions that make sense,
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13.
May 5, 2007

that we don’t have time to take a step back
to analyze crime patterns.” Crime reduction
teams, which investigate incidents, gather
evidence and track perpetrators, do not even
communicate with beat patrols, officers who
usually know their neighborhoods best and
have valuable information, he said.
Policing Changes
The next NCPC meeting is
from page 
scheduled for May 15.
Visit www.rockridgencpc.com
the report. The 24-hour workday is divided
into three separate watches, each headed by
a different captain who supervises patrol
officers and 911 calls. “If a murder happens
on somebody else’s watch, it’s not my prob-
lem,” Israel said. “In fact I might not even
know about it. It’s even hard to hold anyone
directly accountable for the effectiveness of
a police response to an incident.”
for meeting details.
at his command tremendous resources to help
neighborhoods fight crime,” Israel said.
However, Israel is optimistic that changes
underway will turn things around. Under
the new command system now being
implemented the city has been divided into
three geographic areas. Each has a captain
responsible to the community who will
supervise all police and crime activity. “If
I’m your captain and you have a concern,
I’m the guy you call,” Israel explained.
Israel acknowledged that there are
shortages of technicians and inspectors, but
believes the 63 additional officers provided
for by Measure Y, many of whom are now in
training at the police academy, will provide
a boost to community policing and assure
the success of these changes.
Israel says that poor communications
affect the entire chain of operations. “We
are so focused on answering calls for service
Also at the meeting, Israel introduced the
team responsible for policing the Rockridge
area, including beat officer Doug Chimpky,
crime reduction team officer Gonzalez, and
Problem Solving Officer Everett Peterson,
who said that the neighborhood crime
prevention councils are the ideal way to
draw on police resources to solve issues.
At NCPC meetings, residents identify local
problems – drug activities, for example
– and the problem solving officer works
to resolve them. It’s win-win, he said: “We
feel good that we’re helping you and you
guys feel good that you have ownership of
police department processes.”
The new system requires that patrol
officers, crime reduction teams and prob-
lem-solving officers will all communicate
with each other and report to the supervising
captain. This will provide a stream of coor-
dinated information that keeps everybody
aware of what’s happening, gets police to
know the community better, and enables the
captain to plot crime patterns and develop
proactive responses. “The captain will have
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I am a Rockridge resident


14.

May 5, 2007

Handyman
Carpentry, electrical, Kitchen, bath, decks,
fence, drainage, foundation repair, windows,
walls, dry rot, termite damage. Lic#458473
Don 510/812-0310.
Got Tenants? Need
Tenants? Property
Management Services
Tired of managing your East Bay rental property?
Need some help? Reasonable rates regardless
of size. Bringing tenants and landlords together
is my job! Contact George at 510/710-6826
GvRealtor@gmail.com.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $20. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Clas-
sifieds, 5245 College Avenue, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94618. June deadline is May 17.
For information: e-mail smontauk@gmail.com
Pop Singing Classes for Girls
New summer session for Girls ages 9-13. Sing
songs from the Wiz and the Wizard of Oz!
Vocal technique, group dynamics. Tuesdays,
Thursdays, 7-8 pm. 3 weeks, 6 classes. June
26-July 12. Lisa 510/653-0107.
Automobile for Sale
BMW 540i 1995. Fantastic Condition. $8,000.
510/834-7559.
Tai Chi Classes
Thursday/10 am, Saturday/9 am, No class
April 7. Rockridge Methodist Building, 303
Hudson at College. Harmonize the mind and
body with gentle exercise. Contact: Instruc-
tor Gail Sprung, 415/786-2469 or visit www.
harmonytaiji.com.
Piano Lessons, Vocal Lessons
Highly experienced piano/voice teacher now
has openings for summer in Rockridge music
studio. Classical, jazz, pop, rock styles. All
ages, levels. Lisa 510/653-0107.
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 510/761-7168.
PC Repair & Optimization
Wireless Network setup, Firewall setup, Data
recovery, Backup solutions, VolP, Hardware
installation, Troubleshooting, Virus & Spy
removal. Computer Training available. Reason-
able rates. fixit@allsetTech.com Call Frank
510/843-2412. Please leave msg.
Housecleaning Cooperative
Reasonable rates. Expert & reliable service
from local employment cooperative. Call
510/499-5836 and we’ll send someone to spiff
up your home. Ask for our references from
Rockridge clients.
Manicure & Pedicure
We use Zoya polish which does not contain
formaldehyde or toluene or DBT. Call Halina
@ Milagro Salon, 5269 Broadway @ College.
510/593-5080. Mention this ad and receive a
10% discount.
Jazz & Classical Piano Lessons
Rockridge jazz pianist with UC Berkeley music
B.A. offers lessons in jazz, blues, classical,
music theory, ear-training, technique. Expe-
rienced, patient teacher, all ages/levels. Janet
510/653-6783.
Big Island, Hawaii Luxury
Condo for Rent
Relax on sunny Kohala coast. Immaculate,
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www.time4hawaii.com or for info/photos-
Helene 510/654-4042.
High Quality Gardening
Skilled maintenance and fine gardening, aesthetic
pruning, outdoor lighting, irrigation, clean-ups,
real estate prep, installations. Organic practices.
14 years in the Berkeley/Oakland area. Green’s
Gardens ­ Green Huse. 510/593-3490.
Low Stress Carmel Getaway
Comfortable, cheery 3BR+2BA family home
available for short-term rental. Fully furnished
from piano to ping pong, sunny patio. Quiet,
peaceful—pines, oaks, birds. Only two hours
away. Reasonable weekly rates. 510/547-1856.
We Hand Wash Rugs from
Around the World!
Fifty years of rug washing and repair as well as
carpet and upholstery cleaning in Rockridge
homes. Yes, we will pick up your rugs. www.
Applebycleaning.com 510/351-5230.
Custom Sewing for the Home
Window Coverings: curtains, Roman shades,
valances. Slipcovers, pillows & cushions, Bed-
ding: Duvet covers, bed skirts, pillow shams
& bolsters. Special Projects. Holly, 510/531-
1177.
Aesthetic Pruning and
Garden Maintenance
Combining art and science in the care of your
garden. Complete garden maintenance or sea-
sonal pruning of trees and shrubs under 20 feet.
Specialties: Japanese maples, pines, camellias.
Bruce Thompson 510/428-4964.
SHE Custom Building
Bookshelves, window seats, loft beds, door
installation, windows, fences, small decks,
miscellaneous repairs, reasonable rates. Call
Yvonne for free estimates. 510/520-0295.
Bozikis Salon is Back!
Kostas: 925/247-4428
Teresa: 925/247-4436.
Kitchens
• Design
• Remodeling
• Showroom Sales
www.acornkitchens
andbaths.com
KITCHENS & BATHS
510
547-6581
4640 TELEGRAPH AVE  •  OAKLAND
HOURS: T-F  10-5  •  SAT. 10-4

$PMMFHF
"WF
	




15.
May 5, 2007

E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), 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

Rockridge Branch Library
Pro Arts Open Studios
LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday and Tuesday, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10am to 5:30pm
gallery hours: M – F, 9am to 5pm. Women’s Cancer
Resource Center (WCRC) Gallery, 5741 Telegraph
Ave. Wheelchair accessible. Show co-sponsored by the
American Cancer Society. 601-4040 x111 or wcrc@
wcrc.org.
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN:
Toddler Story Time: 1st and 2nd Saturdays, 10:30am:
5/5, 5/12, 6/2.
Rockridge area artists will participate in Pro Arts Open
Studios June, 2-3, and 9-10. Maps and information will
be available in May at the Rockridge Library.
Friday, 12 to 5:30pm
Closed: Sundays and Monday, 5/28 for Memorial Day.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
Independent Policy Forum: Is
Wal-Mart Good Or Bad For America?
Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays,
10:30am: 5/16, 6/6.
Pajama Story Time: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7pm:
5/8, 5/22.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES:
ó
All events are FREE and open to the public
ó
Monday, 5/14, 7:30pm: Amnesty International
meeting. All welcome.
Wednesday. 5/9, 7:30pm: Reading and slide show
by local author Cheryl Koehler: Touring the Sierra
Nevada.
Wednesday, 5/23, 7:30pm: Poet Aliki Barnstone:
Wild With it and The Collected Poems of C.P. Cavafy
and Willis Barnstone: Sweetbitter Love: Poems of
Sappho and his autobiography, Life Watch.
Thursday, 5/31, 7:30pm: Gordy Slack: The Battle
Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent
Design, and a School Board in Dover.
5433 College Ave. For more information about other
events, Book Discussion Groups and El Grupito, the
Spanish discussion group: 510/653-9965 or www.
dieselbookstore.com.
ó
A debate with Ken Jacobs (Chair, U.C. Berkeley Labor
Center) and Richard Vedder (economist). Tuesday, 5/8.
Wine and cheese reception: 6:30pm; program from 7
to 8:30 pm. The Independent Institute Conference
Center, 100 Swan Way. Disabled accommodations
available. For tickets and info, call 632-1366 or order
on line: www.independent.org/events/detail.
asp?eventID=125.
ó
Celebrate Asian-American Heritage: Make a
variety of origami birds to decorate a tree in the
library and extra to take home. Thursdays, 5/3, 5/10,
5/17, 3:30 to 5pm.
The Summer Reading Program begins on Saturday,
6/9. Children of all ages, get ready to sign up and
get prizes for reading.
FOR TEENS AGES 13 and up:
ó
ó
ó
Carnaval De Colores: 1st Annual
Fundraising Gala for Escuela
Bilingüe Internacional (EBI)
ó
Anime Club: Watch and talk about new anime
(Japanese animation) with other teens. 2nd Tuesday
of each month, from 5 to 6:30pm, upstairs meeting
room. Film on 5/8 is Trinity Blood. For questions
about this or any other teen event, call Susy, the
Teen Specialist Librarian, at 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS:
ó
Live salsa music, great Latin food, silent auction,
children’s activities and more. Benefit for EBI, located
at 410 Alcatraz Ave (at Colby), the first Spanish-English
bilingual school in the state. Sunday, 5/20, from 3:30
to 6:30pm at The Montclair Cultural Arts Club, 1650
Mountain Blvd. (Parking at Montclair Elementary).
Advance tickets: $30/$5 kids; after May 10: $40/$10 kids.
RSVP: 219-6186 or Lisa@lisaevents.com. Online
reservations: www.ebinternacional.org.
Rockridge Storynight
Storytelling for Grownups: Open mic personal
stories, solo performance, folktales and more. 15 yrs
and up welcome. Hosted by storyteller Annie Goglia.
Tuesday, 5/15 from 7 to 9pm. Rockridge Library, 5366
College Avenue. Annie at 655-1433 or kalamari@
juno.com.
Writers Support/Critique Group. ALL writers
welcome. Bring at least 10 copies of 5 pages of your
prose for on-site reading/discussion. Sponsored by
the California Writers Club, Berkeley branch (www.
berkeleywritersclub.org/).Third Saturday of the
month (3/17), from 1 to 5pm. For more information:
420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
Knitting Classes for Seniors (50+): All levels
welcome. Beginners bring light color yarn and a
pair of size 8 needles. If experienced, bring projects
to work on. Tuesdays, from 12:30 to 2:30pm in the
upstairs meeting room.
Stepping Away From the Stereotypes: Two Latina
Authors Discuss Fact and Funny Fiction, with Marta
Acosta and Rose Castillo Guilbault. Saturday,
5/19, 2 to 4pm. co-sponsored by the Amer. Assoc. of
University Women, Oakland-Piedmont Branch.
Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8pm. Advance sign-
up starts 5pm. More information: 597-5017.
ART EXHIBITS:
Gallery: May: Merritt College Portrait Class, Students
of instructor Sheri Kwint-Cattoche. June: Dana Davis,
photographs.
Lobby Display Case: May: Manga Art by Rockridge’s
Teenscape participants. June: Puppets and book
illustrations by Katherine Tillotson.
ó
Jazz at the Chimes
Shanna Carlson and Cathi Walkup in Almost Famous.
Sunday, 5/20, 2pm. Tickets: $10 for Concert and recep-
tion; kids under 12 free. Chapel of the Chimes, 4499
Piedmont Ave. Tickets at the door (cash only). Box office
opens 12:30 pm. or make reservations at 228-3218 or
mdorazi@lifemarkgroup.com.
Meet The Author
ó
Ruta Kahate, local cooking teacher, will discuss and
sign her new book, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian
Recipes Using Five Common Spices. Get to taste spices
and ingredients featuring recipes from the book. Sat-
urday, 5/12 from 1 to 3pm. The Pasta Shop, Rockridge
Market Hall, 5655 College Ave. 547-4005 or www.
pastashop.net.
JazzCity Singers’ Spring Concert
ó
Friday, 5/19, 8:30pm. Tickets: $5 in advance, $7 at the
door. The Rockridge Methodist Church, 303 Hudson St.
(just off College Avenue). Refreshments available and a
raffle for prizes. For tickets and more info: 658-7136.
Family Science Night at Bananas
Lawrence Hall of Science and Bananas presents and
evening of science fun designed especially for young
children. Thursday, 5/31, from 6 to 7:30pm. 5232 Cla-
remont Ave. Register on line at www.bananasinc.
org or 658-7353.
ó
Bicycle to Work Day
May is National Bike Month. Join residents from all
over the Bay Area to experience bicycle commuting as
a healthy and viable way to get to work on Thursday,
May 17. Energizer Station in Rockridge at College and
Claremont, and at Carter Middle School at Webster
(between 47th and 48th) from 7 to 9am. Get more info
and the locations of other Energizer Stations at www.
bayareabikes.org, www.511.org, or dial 511 and
say “bicycling.”
“Significant Others”
Third annual art show featuring the works of 14 local
artists from the LGBT community. Show runs from May
18th through June 28th. Reception on Friday, 5/18, 6 to
9pm with live music and no-host bar to meet the artists
and musicians. Show and reception are free. Regular
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16.

May 5, 2007

VINITA GOKHALE
ROCKRIDGE REALTOR AND HOMEOWNER
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Happy
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Advance priority list now forming for
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Ron Kriss, Broker
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510-547-5970 Ext. 55
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terrykulka@att.net
http://www.terrykulka.com
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