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Extracted text
www.rockridge.org
VOL. 23 NO. 6 ISSUE NO. 246 June 7, 2008
CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 869-4200
Fourth Bore Group
Presses for Tunnel
Project Changes;
Asks Suit Support
See page 2
Agenda: RCPC June
Town Hall Meeting
(Special Location)
Thursday, June 19, 7:00 p.m.
Peralta School Auditorium,
460 63rd Street
Presenting: Revised Plans for
■
■
Safeway’s College Avenue
Store Rebuilding
Safeway has changed architects and
revised its plans for the rebuilding of its
venerable College Avenue store. In a
public forum at the Peralta School Audi-
torium (note meeting location change) jointly
sponsored by the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC), the Claremont
Elmwood Neighborhood Association
(CENA), and Councilwoman Jane Brunner,
Safeway Stores will present the revised
plans for community response.
Oakland planning department staff will
also be on hand to describe and explain
the administrative process in processing
planning applications.
There will be a question-and-answer
and comment period.
The College Avenue
Safeway store’s
curving roofline will be
a thing of the past when
the market is replaced
by a larger facility and
a different parking
layout. Revised draft
plans will be presented
at public meetings to
be held in June.
Photo: Don Kinkead
Safeway to Present Revised Plans
For College/Claremont Store
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
In the midst of revising its plans for the
replacement of its market on College
Avenue at Claremont, Safeway Stores last
month replaced its local architect, Kirk
Peterson, with David Blair of MCG Archi-
tecture, a San Francisco firm, who will
complete the revision.
According to Safeway consultant Eliza-
beth Jewel, the revised plans will be posted
on a Safeway website, http://safewayoncol-
lege.com, on June 13. Jewel said Safeway
will present the plans privately to immediate
neighbors before making them public. She
also said Safeway would try to put the plans
up earlier if that was possible.
The Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC), the Claremont Elmwood
Neighborhood Association (CENA), and
Oakland Councilwoman Jane Brunner will
co-sponsor a public presentation of the
Safeway plans and community forum to be
held in the Peralta School auditorium, 460
63rd Street, on June 19 at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting will also feature a presenta-
tion by Oakland planning staff explaining
the administrative process for considering
Safeway’s application. There will be an
opportunity for attendees to ask questions
and to comment on the plans.
Preliminary indications are that the new
plans will include a series of small shops
fronting on College Avenue and will focus
all auto and truck traffic on Claremont
Avenue, thus eliminating access to the store
from College Avenue. As evident from the
scope of the original plans, the project has
the potential for either a positive or negative
effect on the neighborhoods near the store.
Attend the meetings to learn full details.
Join the RCPC Board: Help Shape the Future of Rockridge
Although stable in many
ways, Rockridge is also a
place of change, of evolution.
Some change – demographic
shifts, for example – results from
factors beyond direct community
response. Other change – city
planning decisions, development
proposals, local improvements
– can be influenced by direct
community involvement. This
is your invitation to become a
part of that process.
Joining the Rockridge Com-
munity Planning Council (RCPC)
board of directors offers you the
opportunity to help shape your
community. Currently, there are
three vacant positions to be filled
by board appointment; apply now
for one of those positions.
Candidates must be 18 years
of age, reside within RCPC
boundaries and indicate their
interest in the position by June
30, 2008. (A map and description
of RCPC boundaries is available
online at www.rockridge.org.)
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.
Be sure to include your address,
phone number and experience.
Electronic copies can be sent
by e-mail to chair@rockridge.
org. Mail hard copies to RCPC,
5245 College Avenue, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94618.
2.
June 7, 2008
Caldecott Tunnel Project Update
Fourth Bore Coalition Seeks Funds,
Support for Tunnel Mitigations
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
by Ann Smulka, Fourth Bore
Coalition chair
Planning for construction of the fourth bore
of the Caldecott Tunnel is well underway.
Designed and managed by Caltrans, the
project is expected to be noisy, to create vast
amounts of dust and debris, and to increase
long-term noise, pollution, and traffic from
the highway, among other effects.
Many believe Caltrans has failed to fully
disclose environmental impacts, failed to
adequately consider alternatives, and failed
to adequately identify mitigations to reduce
the impacts. Seeking mitigations, the Cal-
decott Tunnel Fourth Bore Coalition (FBC)
and the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC), as an FBC member, joined
in a lawsuit last fall challenging Caltrans’
Final Environmental Assessment/Impact
Report (FEA/EIR) for the Caldecott proj-
ect. The Coalition’s goal is to minimize
the project’s impacts, not to challenge the
project itself.
RCPC wants project impacts affecting
Rockridge — such as increased noise and
decreased air quality at Rockridge schools
and parks, increased traffic on Rockridge
surface streets, noise and threats to pedes-
trian safety — to be reduced.
Caltrans proposed to FBC that the par-
ties attempt to settle the case; settlement
discussions began in January 2008, with
FBC challenging Caltrans to find pragmatic
solutions to the impacts of the project during
the construction and operational phases of
the new tunnel.
FBC and Caltrans are still engaged in
settlement discussions, and Caltrans has
put forth a settlement proposal that the
FBC is considering. However, the lawsuit is
moving forward because Caltrans declined
to continue a stay of the litigation during
settlement talks.
The Rockridge News, founded in 1986 by Don Kinkead,
is published monthly in Oakland and is sponsored by
the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC),
a nonprofit public benefit organization founded to:
preserve and enhance the unique character of the
Rockridge neighborhood; promote the health, safety
and quality of life of its residents; furnish a forum for
community involvement, and provide leadership and
representation of neighborhood interests.
Rockridge News Production
Don Kinkead.......................Editor
Ortrun Niesar.....................The Muse
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Advertising &
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson.....................Neighborhood Merchant
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2008-2009
Stuart Flashman..................Chair
Ronnie Spitzer..................... Vice-Chair
Katy Taylor...........................Secretary
Joan Martin..........................Treasurer
Annette Floystrup, Jonathan Gabel, Don Kinkead,
Doug Patton, Ellen Peterson,
Danica Truchlikova, Margaret Wahlberg
Contact the Board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Dedicated FBC volunteers from all
coalition member groups are preparing
“the record” for review by the judge, a
time-consuming process. To help, contact
fourthbore@rockridge.org.
FBC is now a California nonprofit cor-
poration, and is filing for 501(c)3 status with
the IRS. Contributions for hiring the legal,
environmental, and construction experts
needed to help protect our public commons
and to make the Caldecott Improvement
Project an exemplary one are welcomed.
Contributions are tax deductible if made
to the Sierra Club Foundation, a 501(c)3
organization, and the FBC’s fiscal agent.
Non-tax-deductible contributions can be
made directly to the coalition.
Newsletter Subscriptions
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
In support of the important work being done by the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore
Coalition, I enclose a check for the following amount:
o $500 o $250 o $100 o $50 o $25 $__________
Checks may be made payable to:
And mailed to:
o The Sierra Club Foundation. (The SCF is
a 501(c)3 organization; your gift will be tax
deductible to the full extent allowed by law.)
Fourth Bore Coalition
2930 Domingo Ave., #139
Berkeley, CA 94705
o OR to the Fourth Bore Coalition
(not currently tax deductible)
Acknowledgement and Communications Choices:
o Please recognize the individual(s) named below:
Name ______________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
City _____________________________ State _ _______ Zip__________
o Please include additional acknowledgement (e.g., citing memory of loved one)
___________________________________________________________
o I/we o do or o do not want our name(s) published as a donor in any print
or electronic media associated with this campaign.
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
600 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.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
July 7, 2008
July deadline is June 28.
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.
June 7, 2008
| Report |
Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood
Crime Prevention
Council May
Meeting
Violence prevention
in schools
by Karen Ivy, NCPC secretary
Following a number of aggressive incidents
involving middle- and high-school age stu-
dents fighting on College Avenue, vandalizing
College businesses, and screaming threats at
passers-by, the Greater Rockridge Neighbor-
hood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)
dedicated its May 22 meeting to reports from
local school representatives of what is being
done to end this type of behavior.
Speakers from the Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD), Claremont Middle
School on College Avenue, Rock La Fleche
School on upper Chabot Road, and Oakland
Technical High on Broadway described the
training in mediation and impulse control that
is available to students, and discussed how
neighbors can respond to such incidents.
Jackie Shonerd of OUSD said the district
is devoting time and energy to programs
redirecting student violence. She introduced
consultant Gail Sedalla who has devised
the peer mediation system being taught at
Oakland middle schools, including Claremont
Middle School. Students attend a six-hour
training in mediation techniques, then work
with their peers to resolve conflicts by talking
instead of fighting. The school district also
teaches impulse control, anger manage-
ment, and problem-solving. At Claremont
Middle School, social worker Greg Bailey
Land Use Committee Meeting: Wednesday,
June 25, 7 p.m., Rockridge Branch Library
Land Use Committee Meetings
The RCPC Land Use Committee meets the fourth Wednesday of each month,
7 p.m., at the Rockridge Branch Library. Contact Stu Flashman at 652-5373 or
stuflash@aol.com for copies of the agenda.
Committee Notes
by Stuart Flashman,
RCPC Land Use Committee chair
would exceed the City’s zoning height and
density limits for the site. However, it would
seek exemption from these limits because it
would be providing the five units of afford-
able housing.
Plans call for a private walkway continu-
ation of the Rockridge-Temescal Greenway,
but with no special amenities. There would
be commercial frontage on Telegraph, but
a blank wall on Claremont. The City is
currently preparing a draft environmental
impact report (DEIR) for the project that
will consider traffic and parking, visual,
and shadowing impacts and is due to be
released at the end of June for a 60-day
comment period. RCPC intends to comment
College Avenue Safeway rebuild
■
■
(6310 College/Claremont)
Story, front page.
Hauser/Creekside residential/
■
■
mixed-use project (Global
Video Site – 5132 Telegraph)
The developer has released revised
preliminary plans for this project, which
is to include 115 residential units (either
condominiums or rentals), including 5%
affordable to very-low-income households.
The proposed project, located just west of
Redondo Park, would be six stories (65')
high (see architect’s rendering below) and
Land Use Notes, page 11
¤
¤
The proposed Hauser/Creekside project extends along the east side of Telegraph
Avenue between Claremont Avenue and 51st Street.
Claremont Avenue
Telegraph Avenue Frontage
51st Street
Meeting: NCPC, page 8
¤
¤
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4.
June 7, 2008
Letters to the Editor
sons. They were pleased that a neighbor had reported it and that
the school had found out about it. Together we put real fear into
the boys that they could end up dead over something as stupid as
a broken pellet gun.
Obviously we are happy that there wasn’t a real gun involved
and that no gun of any kind (broken, plastic, or otherwise) was on
the Claremont campus. If you hear from any student at any time,
even a hint that something involving a play or real gun was around
campus, we hope that you will report it to us right away. Please let
me know if you have any additional questions.
— David Chambliss
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Your
name, address, phone number, e-mail address and city/
neighborhood must be included for verification. Only your
name will appear with your letter. Letters may be edited for
clarity and brevity.
Principal! I Saw Schoolkids With a Gun!
Forwarded to The Rockridge News
Dear Mr. Chambliss: On Friday, May 2 at approximately 3:45
p.m., I witnessed eight school boys brandish what appeared to be a
silver automatic handgun at the corner of Forest and Ayala streets. It
appeared that another boy held the clip. I called the Oakland Police,
and they sent patrol cars to look for the boys.
The boys are between the ages of 13 and 14 years old. As a
group, they walk home via Forest and Ayala streets practically
every day. Forest, Ayala, Colby and McAuley streets are popular
routes for Claremont Middle School students. Unfortunately, many
of the houses and cars along these routes are subject to petty juve-
nile crimes, mostly stones (or other objects) thrown through house
windows and broken-into cars – all between the hours of 3 p.m. and
4:30 p.m. (On Wednesdays, it starts earlier.)
After school, petty juvenile crime is one thing. Students carrying
and brandishing weapons is another matter that needs to be dealt
with seriously and swiftly.
Since December, there have been at least three “hold-ups”
involving teenage boys brandishing guns on or immediately around
Claremont, Colby and Forest streets. I am not suggesting that
these are your students (mentioned above). But, I am suggesting
that there is a correlation: getting away with carrying a weapon to
school may embolden a child to commit a crime with it at school
or after school.
— Forest Street Neighbor (Name witheld by request)
American Red Cross a Noisy Neighbor
Editor:
The Red Cross has been operating a loading dock alongside
Florio Avenue ALL NIGHT LONG for the past three years. Once
the executives and staff leave the Claremont Avenue office build-
ing at 6 p.m., it turns into a loading area, with trucks and vans
delivering large boxes, often at 8:45 p.m., 9:45 p.m., midnight, 1:30
a.m., 1:45 a.m., 3:30 a.m., and 4:45 a.m. The trucks idle outside the
loading area; the rear doors are rolled open, giant boxes thrown
onto metal dollies and the dollies rolled up the metal ramp into
the back door.
Since this nighttime, after-hours noise first began 3-½ years
ago, I have contacted five different Red Cross executives. I learned
the organization dropped its lease on an east Oakland industrial
site and moved all its industrial loading actions to the Rockridge
site to save money.
My neighbors and I drafted a letter and signed a petition that
we gave to Councilwoman Jane Brunner asking that the Red Cross
honor their stated business hours. Fines levied against the Red
Cross by the City had no effect. For three years, Jane Brunner’s
office has sent me e-mails and phone calls telling me that they are
“looking into it.” But the noise continues.
So, I ask for help. Help from my community, from the City
Council and from my neighbors ensuring that organizations that
do business in our area allow us to sleep at night.
The City Council must step in to protect the neighborhood.
And it should not take THREE YEARS to make healthy changes
happen: especially when it’s just to make a big, bad, very rich
corporation behave in our neighborhood.
— Tamar Larsen
Reply from David Chambliss, Claremont Middle
School Principal
Dear Claremont Middle School Community: I wanted to bring
you up to date on our investigation of Claremont students allegedly
in possession of a silver handgun after school one Friday. With
the help of the neighbor who witnessed the event, we identified
two Claremont students as having been there. Last week I met
separately with the two boys we identified and additional boys
that their stories revealed were involved. I did the interviewing in
a way that the boys could not coordinate their stories. Each boy
told consistently the same story: that there was a broken, clear
plastic, spring-loaded pellet gun that they were playing with. One
student had it Friday morning, but it was broken. He tossed it aside
on the way to school, and they found it later that afternoon. Each
student was very clear that the gun was never on campus. They
knew how much trouble they could get in and very consciously
dumped it before they got to school. They described playing with
it after school, pointing it at each other and at cars.
I spoke with each of the boys’ parents and described what the
boys did, how a neighbor had called the police about a real gun,
how the police had missed catching the boys by a few minutes,
and how either the police or a private citizen might have reacted
believing the gun was real. The parents were furious with their
5.
June 7, 2008
rk Corner
a
P
Rockridge
Library Seeks
Reading Program
Volunteers
by Gay Ducey, Children’s Librarian,
Rockridge Branch Library
I
was in O’Hare recently, waiting to board
a plane home, when I felt a tap on my
shoulder. I turned and a woman asked, “Are
you Gay Ducey, the one who works at the
Rockridge Branch Library?” “I am,” I said.
She used to live in Rockridge, she told me,
but now Chicago is her home. After we
compared towns and reviewed restaurants,
she asked, “Do you still have that summer
reading program?” “Yes,” I said, and she
told me that her son had not been much of
a reader until he enrolled in the Library’s
program. Then he was hooked, reading much
of the summer day and sometimes late into
the night. “What books was he reading?” I
asked (librarians always like to know). “Oh,
just stuff. Nothing special.” That is the part
I liked best: “Nothing special.”
Freeway
G
A monthly update on
what’s happening at the
best community-built
and maintained
park in Oakland
FRO
New restroom
location
Hardy Street
turn-around
FROG Park will soon have a new
restroom similar to the one pictured
at left (arrow above and left). It will
be located near the Hardy Street
turn-around.
Photo and graphic: City of Oakland
FROG Park Soon to Have
A New, Permanent Restroom
by Nila Kim, aide to Councilwoman
Jane Brunner
The starkly utilitarian comforts of por-
table restrooms will soon be a thing of
the past for visitors to Rockridge’s FROG
Park. Thanks to community support and
the efforts of Friends of the Rockridge
Temescal Greenbelt (FROG), the park will
have a new, permanent restroom ready for
use by fall 2009.
with a special anti-graffiti coating, making
unwanted paint easier to remove. The City
is currently determining the hours of opera-
tion, and how to further secure the restroom
and resolve safety issues.
FROG Park sits on properties owned by
the City of Oakland, the Alameda County
Flood Control District, and Caltrans. The
current, temporary restroom is on Caltrans
property. Because of increased rents required
by Caltrans and Alameda County Flood
Control, the new restroom will be located on
City property. Also, it will not be affected
by the BART retrofit construction slated
for the summer of 2009.
If you have any questions or com-
ments about the restroom, please contact
Denise Louie, restroom project man-
ager, at 510/238-3682, or Nila Kim, staff
aide to Councilwoman Jane Brunner, at
510/238-7011.
Summer Reading, page 11
¤
¤
Library Wants
Photos of Branch
by Kristine Carraway, Friends of the
Rockridge Library (FORL)
Our Rockridge Branch Library needs
photos. We’re putting together a photo-
graphic history of our branch, starting with
our first location at the corner of Miles and
College Avenue, and then moving to our
second location in the trailer on the grounds
of Claremont Middle School. If you have
any photos taken inside or outside either
of those locations that you’d be willing to
share with us, we’d be happy to copy and
return them to you.
Although we have many photos of our
current building, we’ll welcome others that
you may have and are willing to share. Along
with the photo album we’re putting together,
we’re planning a historic photo exhibit in
the library during the fall. Let your memo-
ries become a part of our archives and be
enjoyed by the wider community.
To offer photos, call Gay Ducey or Pat
Lichter at the library, 597-5017, or just stop
by the branch. Many thanks in advance!
Designed for unisex use, the structure
will be located directly south of the present
temporary location, and northwest of Hardy
Street (noted in the site drawing above). It
will be accessible by a pathway from Hardy
Street. Funding for the new restroom was
allocated in the City’s two-year budget by
Councilmember Brunner.
The new restroom will be open seven
days a week (and securely locked at night).
Its outside finish will be smooth and covered
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6.
June 7, 2008
Report: May RCPC Town Hall Meeting
RCPC Hosts May
Candidates’ Night
by Don Kinkead, Editor
Assurances of an improved city council
and a more effective school board
took center stage in Sanctuary Hall in the
College Avenue Presbyterian Church as 10
candidates vying for three Oakland elected
offices discussed their concerns and plans for
the city at the candidates’ night presented by
RCPC at its May Town Hall meeting.
Grouped by candidacy, three candidates
for Oakland’s School Board District 1, five
for City Councilmember-at-Large, and two
for District 1 Councilmember told the audi-
ence of more than 60 persons why they are
running, then answered questions submitted
through League of Woman Voters (LWV)
moderator Nikki Harris.
In perhaps the most closely followed
contest of the three, incumbent District
1 Councilwoman Jane Brunner is being
challenged by political newcomer Patrick
McCullough, an attorney and electronics
technician. Of the eight questions posed to
both, four dealt with crime and police staff-
ing concerns, two with development density
on College Avenue, one with the best use for
discretionary funds available to councilmem-
bers, and one with strategies to strengthen
Oakland’s business environment.
McCullough, whose candicacy stems
from his efforts to quell crime in his neigh-
borhood, said change is needed in Oakland
but there will be no change without new
council leadership.
Brunner pointed to her 12 years of
representing the council district and her
achievements in increasing affordable hous-
ing, improving the quality of civic life, and
fighting crime.
Like the District 1 candidates, the
Patrick
McCullough and
Jane Brunner
discuss their
respective
qualifications
for election
as District 1
Councilmember
at the May RCPC
candidates’ night.
Photo: Don Kinkead
candidates for Councilmember-at-Large
were questioned closely about crime. Other
questions centered on the housing market,
the city budget, violence prevention, and
development in Rockridge.
Praised by all at-large candidates and
called a model for transit-oriented, pedestrian-
friendly neighborhoods, Rockridge was seen
as a neighborhood to inspire change rather
than to be changed to meet an ideal.
At-large candidates were Kerry Hamill,
school board member; Rebecca Kaplan, AC
Transit director at-large; Clinton Killian,
attorney; Charles Pine, retired information
technology professional and neighborhood anti-
crime activist; and Frank Rose, a member of the
Oakland Advisory Commission on Aging.
Oakland School Board candidates Jody
London, businesswoman and parent; Ten-
nessee Reed, writer and editor; and Brian
Rogers, retired teacher and parent, were
asked about the role of schools in today’s
society and how best to reach students, how
to resolve disruptive behavior by students,
and how to work with an unruly educational
bureaucracy.
Discussing recent student misbehavior
near Rockridge schools, the candidates
offered solutions: Rogers proposed increased
school site resources and parent participation
in the classroom; Reed would lower class
sizes and provide healthier cafeteria foods;
London would work closely with the PTA and
administration at school sites, and encourage
connecting students and local merchants in
educational and social activities.
The election involving these candidacies
was held June 3.
RCPC is grateful to the League of Woman Voters
(LWV) for its help and support with the candidates’
forum. Readers are encouraged to visit the LWV
Smart Voter website at http://www.smartvoter.
org/ca/alm/ to find a non-partisan voting and
election resource.
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7.
June 7, 2008
Chabot Elementary Invites
Community to a Groundbreaking
And Reunion Party
Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m. – noon
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by Polly Winograd Ikonen, co-chair,
Chabot: Way to Grow! campaign
A
school construction project that will
yield two new buildings and re-graded,
re-paved play yards officially begins when
a sledgehammer ceremonially falls on the
campus of Chabot Elementary School, 6686
Chabot Road, Saturday, June 7, at 10:30 a.m.
The overall celebration begins at 10 a.m.
and continues to noon.
Members of the greater Rockridge
community—especially Chabot Elementary
alumni—are invited to join in the fun. The
Groundbreaking and Reunion Party will
include music, games for kids, refreshments,
tours of the campus and opportunities to
share memories and bid farewell to the
campus as it has stood for most of its 80
years at Chabot Road and Patton Street.
The Groundbreaking and Reunion Party
is organized by the Chabot: Way to Grow!
capital campaign committee. This PTA-
backed campaign aims to raise $500,000
toward closing the funding gap between
what the Measure B funds will cover and
what the community has envisioned for
the campus: new playground equipment,
park-like landscaping, and reconstruction of
Chabot’s award-winning garden program.
Full details about the construction project
are available at www.chabotelementary.org
and will be covered further in the summer
issue of The Rockridge News. Questions
about the construction can be directed to
construction@chabotelementary.org.
Chabot Auction
A Huge Success
This year’s Chabot Elementary auction,
A Night in Paris, was a great success,
with the PTA raising over $100,000 for
Chabot’s students. We could not have done
it without the many generous contributions
of the Rockridge community and our local
businesses in particular.
Our biggest thanks go out to our Gold
and Silver Sponsors, Ron Kriss of Lawton
Associates and the Jocelyne and Jason
Gardner Family, respectively.
We are very proud to be a part of your
community: Thank you!
Kimberly Lang
Draperies
Roman Shades
Cushions and Pillows
Fabric and Style Advice
510.540.6864 www.kimberlylang.com
8.
June 7, 2008
Meeting: NCPC
Rock ridge
from page 3
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
runs the peer mediation program and has
trained 20 students. Eighty-six per cent of
students referred to peer mediation after a
suspension are not suspended again.
Claremont Principal David Chambliss said
most violence is caused by a small number of
students (he estimated about 20), and the lack
of connection between the students – many
of whom travel in from other neighborhoods
– and the Rockridge community. Chambliss
said his biggest issue is identifying problem
students. He urged neighbors to send photos of
problem students to him for identification. He
offered his cell phone number (510/750-8745)
for urgent situations. Chambliss and Greg
Bailey plan to develop bridges between the
students and the community over the summer.
NCPC co-chair Denise Boisvert invited any
neighbors who care to represent the NCPC
in those discussions to call the NCPC at
510/373-NCPC.
Jim Armstrong, Rock La Fleche School
and Richard Fairly, Oakland Technical
High School advised the same: call the
school and the police or the truancy hotline
(510/879-8172) if trouble occurs; take
pictures to help identify bad actors; and
volunteer at the schools. The schools need
the help (classroom aides, tutors, mentors);
as the students get to know the residents,
they will seem less forbidding.
Barry A. Kaufman
Picnic Time
For most Americans, Memorial Day ushers
in the backyard barbeque season. I love a
backyard barbeque, but for our family nothing
is better than a traditional picnic at a local
park, the beach, a Napa winery, or a coastal
roadside scenic vista point. We enjoy a leisurely
outdoor gathering with friends and family in
a beautiful setting eating at picnic tables or
on a blanket spread out on the ground. Picnic
hampers, attractive non-breakable plates and
glasses, colorful napkins, wine, and easy to
serve and eat room-temperature food make
for a lovely picnic in any setting.
Food historians trace the picnic back
to elaborate outdoor feasts enjoyed by the
wealthy. Hunting feasts, Renaissance coun-
try banquets, and Victorian garden parties
provide the foundation for today’s leisurely
picnics. During the Impressionist period,
artists painted scenes of picnics as a sign of
the rise of the bourgeoisie as a leisure class.
In the 19th century, particularly in France,
picnics became outdoor feasts enjoyed by
all classes.
The American picnic is a unique culinary
tradition. It is a celebration of culinary diversity
and community. What do we eat?
• Traditional American foods prepared
at home and served on a blanket at a local
park – think fried chicken or deviled eggs
• An artfully presented picnic hamper of
gourmet delights and wine served at something
like Opera in the Park
• Bread, cheese, pâté, fruit, and wine with
crusty French bread eaten nearby a beautiful
California river or lake
• Ethnic finger foods served at family
celebrations.
We like to bring a variety of relishes,
mustards, olives, and crackers. Our picnic
friends enjoy creating a mix and match of
hams, salamis, cheese, and different mustards.
A true picnic adventure is to go to the Pasta
Shop to buy a variety of cured Italian meats,
hams, hard cheeses, mustards, olives, and
crackers. Once we hit the beach or park we
just dive into our picnic. Nothing completes
a picnic like a variety of seasonal fruit and
berries such as ripe peaches, watermelon,
and strawberries.
The key to a good picnic is to avoid serv-
ing anything that does not taste good cold
or at room temperature. Although a picnic
hamper has a romantic feel, small soft-sided
coolers are a better choice if you are serving
anything made with mayonnaise or other
foods that might spoil, such as fish or poul-
try. Keep things simple. Remember: the goal
of a picnic is to enjoy the setting and being
with friends.
A staple for our family picnic and a spe-
cialty of my partner is curried chicken salad.
It is easy to prepare and travels well.
Curried Chicken Salad
1 pound of cooked (preferably boiled in broth)
chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 cup raisins
1 tart apple peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise or yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Refrigerate for a least an hour.
Your Greater Rockridge NCPC’s Crime Preven-
tion Tip of the Month: Adequate street lighting is
important to crime prevention. Report burned out
street lights to Oakland Public Works 510/615-5566,
naming the street address and/or intersection.
CFP® is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
Total Merrill (design/words) is a registered service mark/service mark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
© 2007 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Member, SIPC.G
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes. His email is kaufman42@earthlink.net.
YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE GOES BEYOND
STOCKS AND BONDS. SHOULDN’T YOUR
FINANCIAL STRATEGY DO THE SAME?
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HALLIE HART, CFP®, FINANCIAL ADVISOR
510-208-3823
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1111 BROADWAY, 22ND FLOOR
OAKLAND, CA 94607
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9.
June 7, 2008
June Open Studios—
Get the Catalog and Go
June is East Bay Open Studios month.
On June 7-8 and 14-15, artists living
in our neighborhoods and nearby light
industrial areas will open their rolltop
doors and invite you into their world.
It’s a fascinating and fun experience you
won’t want to miss.
The
Rockridge
Muse
about studios, arts organizations, classes
and other arts services and resources.
The catalog is free and available at Pro
Arts Gallery, Blick Art Stores, Rockridge
Branch Library, Diesel Books, Bosco’s
Frame Shop and other venues.
GO—
Planning a workable tour can be
challenging. Of course you’ll visit old
friends and particular favorites whose
artistic progress you have been following.
But, do consider visiting at least one
new venue, whether it is a new artist
or a new arts complex. New kids on the
block are Laney College and Berkeley
City College with dozens of participating
artists. And, if you have not been to
Jingletown or Art Murmur, put it on
your list for a refreshing change of pace.
Check the catalog for details.
Among the artists showing work in
Rockridge and environs are Marsha Balian
(sculpture) Andy Black (painting), Ann
Daniels (jewelry), Liz Maxwell (painting
and print making), Sara HaBa (painting),
Whitney Giehl (painting and drawing),
Linda Lemon (handmade paper), and Jeffrey
Obser (painting and drawing). Joanne
Yeaton (prints and paintings) and Jeannine
Chappell (painting) are on Alcatraz. Diane
Jacobson Studios on Kales will feature
artists Miriam Abramovitch (textiles)
Cydne Kaye (ceramics), Diane Jacobson
(glass), Chandra Garsson (jewelry). In
Temescal you will find, among others,
Judy Belcher (crafts), Carrie Rehak (mixed
media and painting), Wendy Yoshimura
(watercolor) and I Made Moja at Desa
Arts (painting). Enjoy!
by Ortrun Niesar
See the Show
All artists’ work can be perused online,
but of course there’s no substitute for
experiencing it live. Samples of each
artist’s work are on display at the Pro
Arts Gallery, 550 Second Street, Jack
London Square, through the middle of
June. Find more information at www.
proartsgallery.org.
Get the Catalog
Whatever you do, get the catalog! It is
the best so far. Thanks to ever-increasing
municipal support and public demand,
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the new Pro Arts Directory to East Bay
Open Studios is so comprehensive that
you will want to keep a copy all year
’round. The catalog features about 450
artists and studios. In addition to artist’s
information and color images and maps
pinpointing studio locations, the artists are
listed by media and in alphabetical order.
There is also a calendar of major East
Bay arts and cultural events, information
3 classes for $30*
Rockridge Holds Strong
Close Date BR Bth Address
Orig Price DOM
LP
SP
5/09/2008
2
1 5261 Miles
$659,000
22
$659,000
$659,0000
5/09/2008
4
2 6242 Rockwell
$1,295,000
26
$1,295,000
$1,275,000
5/13/2008
3
1 371 Hudson
$749,000
16
$749,000
$725,000
5/20/2008
2
1 4965 Desmond
$699,000
20
$699,000
$699,000
5/20/2008
4
3 258 Cross
$1,375,000
14
$1,375,000
$1,350,000
5/22/2008
2
1 376 Cavour
$749,000
0
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10.
June 7, 2008
‘Peralta in Bloom’ Celebrates
Students, School and Community
Red Cross Needs
Summer Blood
Donors Now
by Jen McKillips
Spring Festival co-chair
More than 500 families,
including students,
neighbors, friends and
alumni, gathered at Per-
alta Elementary School in
Lower Rockridge to cel-
ebrate “Peralta in Bloom”
on Saturday, May 10. Per-
alta’s Spring Community
Festival 2008 highlighted
the school’s blooming and
growing gardens and its
blooming and growing stu-
dents. Everyone enjoyed a
day of music, food, and fun
in support of the unique and
vibrant community, which
extends beyond the walls
of the school. The festival,
a collaboration between the
school and its surrounding
community, is co-spon-
sored by the Peralta Parent
Teacher Group (PPTG) and
the Lower Rockridge Parents
Organization (LRPG).
This year’s festival, the
most successful ever due to
One donation may help to save
up to three lives
Blood donor qualifications continue
to become stricter, and as the donor
population ages, the Bay Area is at risk of
a dangerously low blood supply, according
to the American Red Cross. Officials say it
is not necessary to know your blood type
in order to donate because every type is
needed, but there is a special need for Type
O donors, the universal blood type.
Peralta students Lauren Tramiel, Emma McKillips,
Tiana Chang, and Kaia Marie Howard line up for
cotton candy. Photo: Christopher Waters
During the summer, the Red Cross gives
donors small gifts such as t-shirts and reus-
able shopping bags. The Red Cross also holds
drawings for gas cards and other items.
The donation process takes about an
hour. Donors provide their health history
and receive a mini-physical, checking blood
pressure, temperature and iron, to confirm
they are eligible to donate blood. Bring in
names of any medications taken. The actual
donation takes five to seven minutes.
People not eligible to donate may help the
Red Cross in other ways, such as recruiting
another donor.
The Red Cross is always in need of vol-
unteers to assist at the center or to organize
mobile blood drives. Call 800-GIVE LIFE
(800-448-3543) or go online to www.bea-
donor.com to schedule an appointment.
The local blood donation center is at
6230 Claremont Avenue, Oakland.
everyone’s hard work and
the generous donations from
members of the business
community, raised money
for school enrichment pro-
grams such as art, music
and sports that benefit all
of Peralta’s students. The
real measure of success
was the joy of bringing the
community together for
such a wonderful celebra-
tion. Thanks to everyone
for helping to support a
fantastic public school for
all our children.
Please, join us again next
year for “Peralta in Bloom.”
If you would like infor-
mation about the Peralta
Spring Community Festival,
contact Jen McKillips at
jsmckillips@yahoo.com.
Learn more about Peralta
School at http://www.per-
altaschool.org/
Summer Art Camps
Draw-Learn-Sculpt-Create-Enjoy
Half-Day and Full-Day Art Camps
• Africa Adventure
• Art About Me
• Cartoons & Clay
• Horse Camp
• Myths & Magic
• Ocean Exploration
Discover the
MONART Difference!
Fine Arts Classes for Children, Teens and Adults
5427 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
www.monarteastbay.com
510.654.DRAW (3729)
11.
June 7, 2008
opportunity and requirement for students to
read; they must do so in school. But reading
for pleasure? Less opportunity. If we wish
to raise readers, we must provide space and
time for them to develop the private joy
that reading can become. Your library can
help with that this summer, and so can you.
Here’s how:
We’re hoping to get 1,000 kids signed up
for the Summer Reading Program, to read
and get prizes this summer; to do that, we’ll
need about 25 young volunteers to explain
the game and to give out prizes. If you know
someone 11 to 16 years old, who likes read-
ing or likes talking to kids, let him or her
know that the Rockridge Branch Library is
looking for volunteers. Volunteers will also
help with other library tasks, such as label-
ing, stamping, and sorting books, or setting
up furniture for special events.
Kids can volunteer up to three hours at a
time, on a schedule we’ll work out together.
Please call Erica Siskind or Gay Ducey at
597-5017 to set up an orientation. The library
is at 5366 College Avenue at Manila.
Summer Reading
Land Use Notes
from page 5
from page 3
The Summer Reading Program
Our program celebrates a child’s private
relationship with reading. Kids are not
tied to a reading list of Worthy Books, nor
are they prohibited from choosing comics,
graphic novels, or magazines. There is no
prize for reading the greatest quantity of
titles. No, Sir. The Summer Reading Program
is not a competition. Instead, we ask children
to keep track of the amount of time they
read. We ask kids to aim for eight hours of
reading, and when they reach that goal they
get a nice, fresh paperback, along with other
stuff like a trip to Lawrence Hall of Science,
maybe an ice cream cone. Any child can
join, including preschoolers, because being
read to counts as well. We make it easy. We
want kids to have a good time.
Joining In
Please bring your children in and enroll
them. It is important. There is no dearth of
extensively on this very large and important
project. RCPC believes the project as cur-
rently proposed is too big, and is negotiating
with the developer and other community
groups, seeking changes that would make
it a better fit for the site.
5175 Broadway residential/
■
■
mixed-use project
This project will be heard by the Plan-
ning Commission on Wednesday, June 4,
6:00 p.m. at Oakland City Hall, hearing
room #1. The applicant’s architect has
revised project plans slightly (for the better).
RCPC continues to support changes to the
traffic circulation pattern to reduce traf-
fic impacts on surrounding residents. The
applicant also supports these changes, but
the City’s traffic department has opposed
the changes.
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12.
June 7, 2008
An interview with Michael
Morgan, conductor of the
Oakland East Bay Symphony,
over lunch at Oliveto
with Californian composers. As the state
capital, they support that.
JV: I find your programming choices really
interesting. Do you get much push-back from
people who prefer the traditional classics?
MM: Not really, because I tend to dislike the
same music that most people dislike. I avoid
the really cacophonous, atonal material.
JV: One of my favorite pieces this year was
Tan Dun’s “Water Concerto.” It was exciting
sitting down front and wondering if we were
going to get splashed! What did the score
for the percussionists look like?
MM: I sat in the front row during rehearsal
to make sure all the splash guards were
protecting the audience. Lots of people have
asked about the score – the percussionists
actually had to memorize their parts because
the pages were soaked and falling apart by
the time we finished the rehearsals. The
composer had also created an instructional
video, which helped.
JV: Many of your concerts have a choral
component. Is that a focus of yours?
MM: The East Bay has so many great
choral groups, we’d be foolish not to take
advantage of that.
JV: Are you concerned about the so-called
“graying of the audience for classical
music”?
MM: Well, we aren’t panicking about it
the way everybody was a few years ago.
It seems to me that the graying audience
keeps replacing themselves. I think what
happens is people have children, and they
disappear for a while, and when their chil-
dren get older, the parents start going out
to concerts again. So what we have to do is
expose children to classical music, through
our programs in the schools, and then they
will come back to us in the future.
JV: What are you doing to encourage younger
people to come to the symphony?
MM: Well, everyone’s trying. It’s hard. I’d
by Jennifer Vetter
Jennifer Vetter: My in-laws live in Sacra-
mento and they enjoy going to your concerts
there. How do you manage to conduct
symphonies in Oakland and in Sacramento
during the same season? Do you spend a
lot of time on the road?
Michael Morgan: Yes, I end up eating in
my car so often I’ve been thinking I should
set up a table in there. But it’s not as bad
as when I was conducting in Chicago and
Oakland, back in the days when Southwest
Airlines only did short hops and you had
to stop several times each way. This week,
for example, I’ll drive there on Wednesday
and stay in a hotel in Davis until Monday
morning. I have to get back for a Follies
rehearsal here on Monday afternoon, so my
assistant conductor will do the last concert
on Monday night in Sacramento.
JV: Do you do the same programs or have
any of the same performers in Sacramento
and Oakland?
MM: [shaking his head adamantly] No, it’s
COMPLETELY different. We could never
do the sorts of adventurous programming in
Sacramento that we do here in Oakland.
JV: Why? Do you get complaints when you
try something too challenging?
MM: No, we just see it in ticket sales. We did
an Israeli-Egyptian program in Sacramento
that got an okay response, but not great.
We should have done it here. It probably
would have been a slam-dunk, like our
Persian New Year program here in March.
The way we sneak in new music there is
Oakland East Bay Symphony (OEBS)
was founded in July 1988, when musi-
cians from the former Oakland Symphony
and the Oakland Symphony League joined
together to form a new orchestra; Michael
Morgan was named OEBS Music Director
in September, 1990.
In the Symphony’s early years, concerts
were performed at the Calvin Simmons
Theatre at the Henry Kaiser Convention
Center. They moved to the larger space
of the Paramount Theatre during the
1995-96 season. The first live telecast of
an OEBS concert was done on BayTV in
November 1999.
— Adapted from the OEBS Website, http://
www.oebs.org/
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13.
June 7, 2008
recommend our recent Follies program
[Stephen Sondheim] presented in May.
Our holiday program [Let Us Break Bread
Together, on Sunday, December 14] is fun
for everyone, even kids. The klezmer guys
[Kugelplex] are so funny; we never know what
they’re going to do but it’s always fabulous.
Last year they sang Rudolph the Red-nosed
Reindeer in Yiddish. This year they say they
want to interact more with the symphony
ensemble, so we’ll see how that goes.
JV: Are you familiar with Claremont Middle
School’s orchestra?
MM: Sure, I was just there a couple of weeks
ago. They asked me to help them prepare
for an orchestra competition. I also visited
Chabot Elementary School last fall.
JV: Do schools in Oakland have music
programs if they don’t have a strong PTA
presence?
MM: Every school has a music program,
but they need help from the PTA to get
everything they need.
JV: What are you up to this summer?
MM: I’m conducting the Festival Opera
[at the Lesher Center for the Arts] in
Walnut Creek.
JV: Is opera a tougher sell than orchestral
music?
MM: Well, people are often advised to start
with light comic opera to see if they like it,
but the plots are often so complicated and
silly and they’re just not that… funny. I mean,
I can barely see the humor of “The Barber
of Seville.” One year we brought some kids
from East Oakland to a rehearsal of a tragic
opera. The kids, even the ones studying music,
didn’t want to come in the first place. But it
was a very simple story of unrequited love,
not a comedy, and the kids could relate to it.
In fact, they enjoyed it so much they didn’t
want to leave, and they asked to be brought
back out there again for a performance!
Michael Morgan is conducting the Festival Opera’s
peformance of “Il Trovatore” from July 12-20, and
Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
from August 9-17. http://www.festivalopera.com/.
Oakland East Bay Symphony’s 2008-2009 season
begins with Prokofiev’s Suites from “Romeo and
Juliet,” George Antheil’s “Jazz Symphony”and the
world premiere of Nathaniel Stookey’s “Zipperz”
at the Paramount Theatre on November 14. http://
www.oebs.org/
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June 7, 2008
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510/428-0757.
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.
Low Stress Carmel Getaway
Comfortable, cheery 3BR+2BA family home
available for short-term rental. Fully fur-
nished from piano to ping pong, sunny patio.
Quiet, peaceful—pines, oaks, birds. Only two
hours away. Reasonable weekly rates. E-mail:
lowstress-getaway@yahoo.com.
Hardwood Floors by 4th
Generation Craftsman.
Install, refinish, repair, anything related to
wood floors. Bruce Williams Woodfloors.
510/652-8121. Lic#913727.
Unexpected Guests?
Short-term rental, lovely room 2 blocks from
Rockridge BART in owner’s flat. Wi-fi, cable,
TV. Suitable for one person. Photos available.
Barbird@aol.com 510/652-7044.
Help — We’ve Grown!
Rockridge-based community foundation seek-
ing, long-term lease of a house or office that
will fit our 5-person staff. 12 years at our cur-
rent College Avenue location. 510/658-0702,
tlittle@rosefdn.org, www.rosefdn.org.
Woman to Woman
Psychotherapy
Feminist Relational Therapy with older, expe-
rienced, interactive, kind therapist. Women of
all ethnicities and sexualities welcomed. Maggie
Rochlin, LCSW. 510/845-6556.
Handyman
Carpentry, electrical, kitchen, bath, decks, fence,
drainage, tile, windows, walls, dry rot, termite
damage. Lic#458-473. Don: 510/812-0310.
400 sq. ft. 2-Car Garage for Rent
Manila Avenue, 1 block from Rockridge Library.
Can be used for art studio, storage, cars, etc.
Electricity, cement floor. $375/month. Call
415/456-7851 or 415/456-4111.
Couples Therapy in Rockridge
Missing your partner? Rediscover the spark.
Center for Stress Reduction. Rebecca Connell,
LCSW. 510/594-8224. I have advanced training
in the highly-regarded Gottman Method, proven
to increase intimacy and improve conflict skills.
www.CenterforStressReduction.com.
Manicure & Pedicure
20% off first visit. We use Zoya polish which
does not contain formaldehyde or toluene
or DBT. Call Halina at Milagro Salon, 5269
Broadway at College. 510/593-5080.
Affordable Painter for Big
Jobs or Small
Excellent workmanship, with an experi-
enced and professional crew. Commercial
or residential. Licensed. Call 507-3024 for a
free estimate. We power wash, sand and seal
outdoor decks too.
Quality Gardening
Skilled monthly or bimonthly maintenance—
pruning, planting, design, irrigation, outdoor
lighting, ecological practices. 15 years in East Bay,
local refs. Green’s Gardens: 510/593-3490.
Gardening and Landscape
Maintenance
Experienced, skilled gardener serving Rockridge,
Piedmont & Montclair for over 20 years. Excel-
lent references, excellent rates. I do landscape
restoration and maintenance to suit your
gardening needs. Chris: 510/655-0157.
Pacific Boychoir Auditions
The Boychoir is auditioning boys ages 5-10. No
experience necessary for this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for boys, concerts with orchestras, at
sporting events, and around the world. Convenient
rehearsals at Alcatraz/Colby. 510/652-4722.
Mad Mats: New
Vacation in a Castle in Tuscany
My parents offer weekly rentals of their castle
or its surrounding houses. Swimming pool,
wooded trails. Also weddings. Call me for
more information (Paola: 510/654-4480) or
visit their website: www.montalto.it.
Styles & Colors!
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees and shrubs under 20
feet tall. I work with trees to enhance their natural
beauty. Specialties: maples, camellias, conifers, fruit
trees, focal points, hands-on pruning instruction.
Bruce Thompson 510/428-4964.
Women’s Self-Defense Workshop
4 hours. You will learn avoidance strategies
and brutally effective physical techniques. For
women 12 years and older. 3234 Grand Avenue,
Oakland. $125.00. Registration or more infor-
mation. practicalselfdefenseproject@yahoo.
com. 415/990-9230.
Tai Chi Classes in Rockridge
Thursday, 10 am and Saturday, 9 am. Rockridge
Methodist Church, 303 Hudson at College. For
more information please visit our website www.
harmonytaiji.com or call Gail at 510/479-7840
or email harmonytaiji@yahoo.com.
Photovoltaic Open House
Neighbors keep stopping by to ask about
our solar electric panels. Bring your ques-
tions to our photovoltaic open house, 10 am
Saturday, June 14, Dana Street. RSVP by June
10: Rachel Hollowgrass rachelhollowgrass@
gmail.com.
Home Services
I offer carpentry, electrical work and electro-
magnetic field consultation. For information
about EMF and my 34 years of home service
experience in the East Bay visit www.danmatt-
son.net or call Dan at 510/658-2819.
$PMMFHF"WF
15.
June 7, 2008
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
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
sons and daughters to play along and friends to hear
you. Light brunch provided. All free. Sunday, 6/15, 11am
to 1pm. Info/sign-ups: 228-3218. Followed by:
A Tribute to Hal Stein:
■
■
concert with The Pete Yellin
Allstars, followed by artists’ reception and refresh-
ments. Sunday, 6/15, 2pm. Tickets: $10-15, cash only at
the door (starting at 12:30pm). Kids under 12 free.
Sponsored by the Lifemark Group Arts program that
features Bay Area talent. Chapel of the Chimes, 4499
Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair accessible. More info at
228-3218 or www.lifemarkgroup.com/oakland/
special_events.asp.
place winners will be declared .They will compete at a
final tournament at the TeenZone at the Main Library.
Saturday, 7/12, 2 – 4:30pm.
Be a Book Buddy:
■
■
teen volunteers needed to read
with children this summer. There will be an end-of-
summer party for all participants. To get info or sign
up, call Susy at 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS:
Writer’s Support /Critique Group:
■
■
ALL writers
welcome. Third Saturday each month (5/17), 1 to
5pm. Bring 10 copies of up to 3 pages of your prose
for on-site reading/discussion. Sponsored by the
California Writers Club, Berkeley branch (www.
berkeleywritersclub.org.) Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com.
Knitting Classes for Seniors
■
■
(50+): with instructor Teri
Barr. All levels welcome. Beginners bring light color
yarn and a pair of size 8 needles. If experienced, bring
projects to work on. Every Tuesday, 12:30-2:30pm.
NOTE: no knitting class June 3 due to election.
Writing From the Soul
■
■
: free creative writing workshop
with Suzanne West. Saturday, 6/21. Call 597-5017
to sign up.
J. Gary Gwilliam
■
■
: successful attorney will sign and
discuss his book, Getting a Winning Verdict in My
Life: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul. Saturday, 6/28,
2 -4pm.
Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice
■
■
. First Tues-
day each month from 6 to 8pm. Advance sign-up starts
5pm. More information: 597-5017. Note: no Lawyers
in the Library on June 3 due to election.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery: June: Robert Horning; paintings.
July: Cliff Dunning: portraits of Rockridge
Firefighters.
Lobby Display Case: June: Laotian needlepoint.
July: Lila Wahrhaftig: prints, paper objects.
LIBRARY HOURS:
Mon. and Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm. Closed Sundays.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y and
13X areas are invited to voice their concerns about
crime and public safety. New time and place: Meets
4th Thursday each month, 7pm, at Rockridge Library,
upstairs meeting room, 5366 College Ave. info@
rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN:
Toddler Story Time: Every Saturday
■
■
, 10:30am.
Pre-School Story Time:
■
■
1st and 3rd Wednesdays,
10:30am: 6/18, 7/2.
Pajama Story Time:
■
■
2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7pm:
6/10 only – see special events.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES:
The Summer Reading Program
■
■
begins June 7. Kids
of all ages can sign up and earn prizes for reading.
Summer Reading Kick-Off Party:
■
■
Treasure hunt
followed by an Ice cream social. Kids of all ages
welcome. Saturday, 6/14, 2pm.
Meet Moritz, the Big, Big Dog: Moritz
■
■
, a Bernese
Mountain dog, whose job is to visit hospital patients
and make friends, will be here with his companion
Barry Schieber, who writes books about Moritz and
his adventures. Monday, 6/16, 7pm in the Community
Meeting Room.
Puppet Art Theater:
■
■
Tommy’s Space Bug Adventure.
Tues., 6/17, 7pm.
The Bubble Lady:
■
■
Tues., 6/24, 7pm.
Family Reading Fun Workshop:
■
■
the first of three
hands-on events that each includes a story time and
literacy activity. Ages 2 to 5 and their parents/caregiv-
ers invited. Saturday, 6/28, 10:30am.
Crosspulse Rhythm Duo:
■
■
Intercultural music and
dance. Tues., 7/8, 7pm.
VOLUNTEERS AGES 11 TO 16 NEEDED TO HELP IN THE
LIBRARY WITH THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
To get info or sign up, call Gay or Erica at 597-5017.
FOR TEENS:
Anime Club: Teens 13 and up
■
■
, watch and talk about
anime (Japanese animation) with other teens. 2nd
Tuesday of each month, 6/10, 7/8. 5 to 6:30pm in
upstairs meeting rm.
Mehndi: Temporary henna East Indian hand tat-
■
■
Wisteria Ways Concert Series
Fishtank Ensemble:
■
■
“Cross-pollinated gypsy and world
music”, using a variety of instruments to play and sing
everything from Romanian folk, flamenco, Swedish
folk and original songs. Saturday, 6/14. House opens
2:30pm. Outside venue (wheelchair accessible). Bring
a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic. $15-20 suggested
donation for musicians (cash please at the door).
Elameno Quintet
■
■
: Saturday, 7/5, 8pm. Details at
www.WisteriaWays.org.
383 61st Street. For reservations (highly recommended),
RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
Photo Exhibit and Reception
Show by Rockridge photographer Paula Li: Frozen Warmth.
Photos of polar bears. Show runs June 16-August 11.
Reception Friday, 6/20 7:30 to 9pm. Music and refresh-
ments. Sahaira, 5510 College Ave. Info: 653-6466.
Singers Wanted
The Distaff Singers, the Bay Area’s longest-running
women’s choral group, is seeking new members. No
auditions necessary, just the ability to match pitch.
Practice Tuesdays, 7:15 to 9:15pm at St. Theresa Church
on Clarewood Ave. A benefit concert in the fall supports
local K-12 music programs. For more info: Carola Ingram,
547-1191 or www.distaffsingers.org.
North Oakland Senior Center
Program Highlights: computer classes; health insurance
counseling and advocacy program; exercise classes;
trips, tours and theater outings; Alzheimer’s caregivers
support groups. Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8:45am to 4:45pm.
5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Subscribe to “The North
Oakland Senior Times,” for a full schedule of classes/
events and a monthly lunch menu ($2.25 to $4.00). For
details about events, membership, and opportunities
to become a volunteer, call 597- 5085.
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Wed., 6/11, 7:30pm:
■
■
David Guterson: The Other.
Friday, 6/27, 6:30pm:
■
■
David Sidaris: When You Are
Engulfed in Flames.
Wed., 7/9, 7:30pm:
■
■
Monica Ferrell: The Answer is
Always Yes.
5433 College Ave. For more information about other
events, Book Discussion Groups and El Grupito, the
Spanish discussion group: 653-9965 or www.die-
selbookstore.com.
tooing. A permission slip (available now at the desk)
needs to be signed by parent or guardian. Saturday,
6/28, 2 -3pm.
Guitar Hero III Video Game Tournament:
■
■
1st and 2nd
Rebecca Lueck, LCSW
Individual and
Family Counseling
(415) 235-1071
Located at College and Alcatraz
Book Signing at The Pasta Shop
Carlo Middione, of Vivande restaurant in S.F., will present
his two new books, Pasta and Panini. The Pasta Shop
culinary team will prepare some of his classic recipes
to sample, and Carlo will be signing books, tasting and
discussing his food and recipes. Saturday, 6/21, 1 -3pm.
The Pasta Shop Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College
Ave. Info: 250-6005.
Treating relationship issues,
anxiety, depression, panic disorders,
childhood trauma, grief, infertility
and adoption, and addictions.
Jazz at the Chimes
Second Annual Fathers Day Jazz Jam and Brunch:
■
■
For all dads. Here’s your chance to jam with some of
the Bay Area’s finest jazz sidemen. All instruments and
vocalists are welcome. All levels. Bring your musical
Sliding scale : Insurance accepted
16.
June 7, 2008
Jan Fougner
OWNER – 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
ROCKRIDGE
R
E
A
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Y
6 0 1 9 C O L L E G E AV E N U E
30
30
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Specialists in
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3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
p 510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING
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For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN
W Residential Sales
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5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Work With a True Professional
Terry has again been named a member of Coldwell
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as a top producing full time realtor.
Is there a move in your future?
Talk to me about featuring your home
For Sale in this ad space as well as other
creative marketing ideas
Terry Kulka 510/339-4789
terrykulka@att.net
http://www.terrykulka.com
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