Extracted text · highlighting “David Lori”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 23  NO. 11  ISSUE NO. 251  December 6, 2008 
 CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

Planning Commission Approves
Creekside Project After Changes
by Stuart Flashman, Chair,
RCPC Land Use Committee
Despite opposition from the Rockridge
Community Planning Council and
STAND (Standing Together for Accountable
Neighborhood Development), the Oakland
Planning Commission voted 5-0 to approve
the 102 unit Creekside Mixed-use Project.
This project, slated for the former site of
the Global Video store at the intersection of
Telegraph and Claremont Avenues, has been
“in the pipeline” for nearly two years.
Creekside Approval, page 4
¤
¤

Report: November
RCPC-NCPC Meeting
City Attorney John Russo
■
■
Planning and Zoning Updates
■
■
NCPC-OPD Crime Review
■
■

Caldecott Project Lawsuit Now in
Judge’s Hands for January Decision

by Stuart Flashman, attorney for the
Fourth Bore Coalition
After two three-and-a-half hour sessions
of oral argument, the Fourth Bore
Coalition’s lawsuit challenging Caltrans’
Caldecott Improvement Project has been
submitted to Alameda County Superior
Court Judge Frank Roesch for a decision.
With almost 90 pages of briefing and more
than 32,000 pages of administrative docu-
ments to read through, that decision could
be a while in coming.
The Fourth Bore Coalition (FBC)
includes the Rockridge Community Plan-
ning Council (RCPC) as well as the FROG
Park Committee, East Bay Bicycle Coali-
tion, and several other Oakland/Berkeley
community groups. FBC sued Caltrans over
its decision, made over a year ago, to add
a fourth bore, or tunnel, to the Caldecott
Tunnel connecting Alameda and Contra
Costa counties. The suit is not about whether
Oakland City Attorney John Russo
fights quality of life crimes. Russo
spoke at the November NCPC-RCPC
Town Hall Meeting.      Photo: Don Kinkead
John Russo: Less
Grime and Better
Government
Fourth Bore Suit, page 5
¤
¤
by Don Kinkead
So, how’s that pesky Job Jar list coming
along? Are you freshening up the house
paint? Keeping the yard tidy? Sweeping up
after trash pick-up day?
According to a Danish study published
in Science Magazine and reported recently
in the SF Chronicle, “trespassing and minor
stealing all increased when people saw
Rockridge Montessori School
Expansion Plans Gall Neighbors
by Colby Lavin, RCPC board member
Good care for pre-kindergarten-aged
children is hard to find. Many places
in Oakland, particularly the Rockridge area,
have waits of six months to a year. Within
this childcare problem lie other problems:
where should people open new childcare
facilities and what kind of impact on the
local neighborhood is acceptable?
Rockridge Montessori School (RMS)
believes they have a partial answer to
the childcare shortage and is proposing
to convert a home at 5616 Broadway to
expand their program by 50-60 children.
RCPC-NCPC Meeting, page 8
¤
¤
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
☛NO   MEETING
December 2008
☛
Happy
    Holidays
Rockridge Montessori School
expansion plans worry neighbors
about added traffic and the character
of the neighborhood. Photo: Don Kinkead
Montessori Expansion, page 13
¤
¤


2.

December 6, 2008

Letters to the Editor
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
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.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
Safeway stakeholder process subverts true community input
Safeway, to say they have done everything
they could to address neighbors’ concerns,
even though they eventually don’t change
anything of substance. This can put us in
an extremely bad position later on when we
go before the hearings and say the Safeway
plan for a monstrosity is not at all what the
overwhelming majority of neighbors and
other community members want or ever
would have agreed to.
I would like to think I am wrong about
this, but years of bad experiences tell me that
this is a very significant risk to our real goals
if the Safeway-organized “Stakeholders”
approach supplants a real Neighborhood-
organized program. If Safeway does not
in the very near future agree in a formal,
written statement that they will not pursue
a store significantly larger than the existing
structure, I would hope the “Stakeholder
Representatives” would withdraw from the
process on the grounds that Safeway is not
proceeding in good faith.
— Gerald V. Niesar
Editor:
I have been concerned from the outset
by the Safeway-organized “Stakeholders”
committee. I have worked as a business
attorney for 40 years, often seeing this
co-opting approach used by the big, well-
funded organizations like Safeway, or
some other interest group, to build a case
that they have “worked with and listened
to” the affected groups and given “seri-
ous consideration to all of the concerns”
of those groups. The problem is that they
only pretend to listen, then go on with
their predetermined program. Meanwhile,
when the project is presented through the
approval process, they say that they have
“worked with” the neighbors, and feel
their project has accommodated the major
concerns that were worked through with
the “representatives,” etc.
What happens is that the neighborhood
remains unorganized because it assumes the
representatives are handling the matter for
them, which in good faith they are attempt-
ing to do. But in reality, it is just a part of
the program for the sponsor, in this case
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
Danica Truchlikova	������������Secretary
Joan Martin	��������������������������Treasurer
Jason Burke, Annette Floystrup, Jonathan Gabel,
William Kaufner, Don Kinkead, Colby Lavin,
Katy Taylor, Doug Patton, Ellen Peterson
Contact the Board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
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.
☛ More on Safeway, page 5.
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
Elegant Nail
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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.
Small Office Specialists
Small Office Specialists
For a kitchen,
consult a kitchen expert.
For a closet,
find a closet designer.
For your office,
come to us.
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Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
 January 3, 2009!
 January deadline is December 18.
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.)
WWW.GALVINS.COM


3.
December 6, 2008

City funding
f o r
t h e
R o c k r i d g e
Branch Library
may be reduced
in the coming
budget year.
Neighborhood
help is sought
to help maintain
the branch.

File Photo, R. News

purchase DVDs and audio books.
In addition, we’ve had to spend our
resources to refinish and repair most of
the library’s 10-year-old and well-used
solid maple tables and chairs; you’ll notice
that most of them are now graffiti-free and
looking like new.
The City can no longer give our beauti-
ful wisteria and surrounding plantings the
attention they need, so responsibility for
some of this also falls to the Friends.
We very much hope that you will continue
to help maintain the quality of our wonderful
Rockridge branch library by sending now
your once-a-year tax-deductible donation.
Please use the coupon below to assure credit
for your donation.
With heartfelt thanks,

Carol Bieri
Karen Carlson
FORL Co-Chairs

City Library Support Likely to Fade;
Friends Group Calls For Donations

Dear Friend of the Rockridge Library:
It will come as no surprise to you that this
year our library’s allocation from the City
of Oakland is expected to be even smaller
than last year’s. It falls to the Friends of
the Rockridge Library (FORL), like you
and me, to help keep our library current
and looking great.
During 2008, FORL again paid for many
in-demand subscriptions, from the daily
New York Times to the Value Line finan-
cial report, to Art in America, and a dozen
others. We also continue to help replenish
the hard-used children’s collection and to
How FORL Helps

Your Donation Will Help FORL Help the Branch Library

A Tale of Two
Bookcases
by David Brown, FORL member
Even those of us who are not the most
avid readers can find ourselves sur-
rounded by piles of books; books that need
to be stored somewhere. Imagine having a
whole library of books that not only need
to be stored but need to be accessed at the
drop of a hat.
Storing the collection of books at the
Rockridge library has become a pressing
burden to the already busy librarians. Gay
Ducey and Erica Siskind found that their
precious collection of books, used for the
branch’s popular story time sessions, lived
in precarious piles on a book truck. As a
stopgap measure, Ms. Siskind provided a
pasteboard bookcase she brought from home
until something better could be found.
Something better did not arrive in time.
Strained and weakened beyond endurance by
too many must-have books, the pasteboard
bookcase imploded and books scattered
onto the floor.
Fortunately, at this point the Friends of
the Oakland Rockridge Library (FORL)
stepped in and purchased a bookcase to house
those story time books. And since branch
manager Pat Lichter desperately needed more
storage, FORL decided to purchase another
Donation Coupon
Friends Of the Rockridge Library (FORL)
Please return this coupon with your donation to:
FORL, 5245 College Avenue, #335, Oakland 94618) or drop it off at the library.
Name
(as it should appear on our donor roll inside the front door)
Address
  City
Zip
  E-mail address (optional)
Below: Select your donation amount and details.
❑	 $ 200+ Book Lover
❑	 $ 25 Individual
❑	 $ 100 Book Worm
❑	 $15 Senior or Student
❑	 $ 50 Book Friend
❑	 My employer will match my contribution
❑	 $ 35 Family
My donation is a:   ❑  Renewal    ❑  New
Milton: Campaigned for Freedom of
Publication, a Cornerstone of Libraries
“Truth and understanding
are not such wares as to be
monopolized and traded in
by tickets and statutes and
standards. We must not
think to make a staple com-
modity of all the knowledge
in the land, to mark and
licence it like our broad-
cloth and our woolpacks.”
For books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency
of life in them to be as active as that soul whose progeny they are;
nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extrac-
tion of that living intellect that bred them. — John Milton
This month marks the
quadricentenary of
the poet John Milton, born
December 9, 1608, in the
house at the sign of the
Spread Eagle, Bread Street,
London. Milton was remark-
able not only as a writer, but
for the manner in which he
joined the fray on public
issues of the day, including
the divorce laws, which
he thought should be lib-
eralized, and the advance
licensing of publications,
which he vigorously opposed.
FORL Help, page 12
¤
¤
Milton, page 12
¤
¤


4.

December 6, 2008

No December Land Use Committee Meeting:
The RCPC Land Use Committee meets the fourth
Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., at the Rockridge Library.
Next meeting: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Zoning Counter
The 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.
Creekside Approval
Temescal Changes Elicit
Commissioner Comments
Although the Commission was generally
supportive of the Creekside project,
two commissioners offered surprising
assessments of changes to Temescal area
developments:
Commissioner Madeleine Zayas-Mart
 
 
said she felt that adding congestion was
beneficial to the area;
Commission Chair Michael Colbruno
 
 
lamented the reduction in the
Creekside project’s size and height,
and regretted that the adjoining CiviQ
building height was reduced from its
originally-proposed 65 feet during the
appeal-approval process.
from page 1
For the past six months, RCPC, along
with the FROG Park Committee, other com-
munity organizations, and property owners,
has been participating in a stakeholder
process organized by the project applicant,
Hauser Architects of San Francisco. The
process has led to some improvements: The
project shrank from 117 to 102 units; one
story was removed, reducing the building
height from 65 to 55 feet; additional com-
mercial street frontage has been added
on Claremont Avenue; the faux creek and
walkway have been revised to meet FROG
Park concerns; more clearance has been
added between the new building and the
adjoining Claremont Towers apartment
building, allowing those units better access
to light and air; and arrangements have been
made for evening valet parking to address
potential parking shortfalls if, as expected,
one or more restaurants occupy the project’s
commercial space.
RCPC certainly appreciates these changes
for the better. Nevertheless, the project
represents one more insult to the existing
zoning for the area and will add to the
already congested local traffic and parking
situation. Indeed, in approving the project,
the Planning Commission was forced to
adopt a “statement of overriding consid-
erations” acknowledging that the project
would cause “significant and unavoidable
traffic impacts.”
While the City is requiring the applicant
to prepare a transportation demand manage-
ment plan intended to reduce traffic impacts,
there are no requirements on what that plan
must accomplish. RCPC proposed specific
benchmarks for reducing the project’s traf-
fic and parking impacts, but the Planning
5867 Birch Court
Proposal: To legalize a 297 s.f. secondary unit
constructed above an existing detached garage
located in the rear yard of a lot containing a
single-family dwelling. (the project converts a
legally conforming accessory structure into a
nonconforming residential structure)
Contact: Abron Yates, Jr., 510/482-1425
Owner: Eugenia Escobar
Case File Number: DV08-268
Planning Permits Required: Regular Design
Review to legalize a secondary unit
Minor Variances to legalize a structure contain-
ing habitable space with a rear yard of 3'-3"
where 15 feet is required and a right side yard
of 1'-8" where 5 feet is required
Zoning: R-35 Special Residential Zone
Environmental Determination: Exempt, Section
15301 of the State CEQA Guidelines
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property (PDHP)
City Contact: Ann M. Clevenger, Planner III,
510/238-6980 or aclevenger@oaklandnet.com
Commission brushed those aside. Only
newly-appointed Commissioner Sandra
Gálvez expressed concern about the project’s
potential parking impacts. No other com-
missioner supported her concern.
This project approval represents one
more setback in trying to enforce livable
standards for the Rockridge area. RCPC
is hopeful that the planned update to the
zoning ordinance will put in place more
desirable and predictable regulations that
preclude the Planning Commission from
disregarding the established standards for
Rockridge.
Rockridge News
District Captain
Needed
www.rockridge.org
VOL. 23
NO. 11
ISSUE NO. 251
December 6, 2008
 CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 869-4200
An Opportunity
for Community
Service
Planning Commission Approves
Creekside Project After Changes
by Stuart Flashman, Chair,
RCPC Land Use Committee
Despite opposition from the Rockridge
Community Planning Council and
STAND (Standing Together for Accountable
Neighborhood Development), the Oakland
Planning Commission voted 5-0 to approve
RepoRt: November
RCPC-NCPC Meeting
City Attorney John Russo


Planning and Zoning Updates


NCPC-OPD Crime Review


the 102 unit Creekside Mixed-use Project.
This project, slated for the former site of
the Global Video store at the intersection of
Telegraph and Claremont Avenues, has been
“in the pipeline” for nearly two years.
Caldecott Project Lawsuit Now in
Judge’s Hands for January Decision
Creekside Approval, page 4

¤
by Stuart Flashman, attorney for the
Fourth Bore Coalition
After two three-and-a-half hour sessions
of oral argument, the Fourth Bore
Coalition’s lawsuit challenging Caltrans’
Caldecott Improvement Project has been
submitted to Alameda County Superior
Court Judge Frank Roesch for a decision.
With almost 90 pages of briefing and more
than 32,000 pages of administrative docu-
ments to read through, that decision could
be a while in coming.
The Fourth Bore Coalition (FBC)
includes the Rockridge Community Plan-
ning Council (RCPC) as well as the FROG
Park Committee, East Bay Bicycle Coali-
tion, and several other Oakland/Berkeley
community groups. FBC sued Caltrans over
its decision, made over a year ago, to add
a fourth bore, or tunnel, to the Caldecott
Tunnel connecting Alameda and Contra
Costa counties. The suit is not about whether
Oakland City Attorney John Russo
fights quality of life crimes. Russo
spoke at the November NCPC-RCPC
Town Hall Meeting.      P
: D
 K
John Russo: Less
Grime and Better
Government
Rockridge Montessori School
Expansion Plans Gall Neighbors
Fourth Bore Suit, page 5

¤
by Don Kinkead
So, how’s that pesky Job Jar list coming
along? Are you freshening up the house
paint? Keeping the yard tidy? Sweeping up
after trash pick-up day?
According to a Danish study published
in Science Magazine and reported recently
in the SF Chronicle, “trespassing and minor
stealing all increased when people saw
by Colby Lavin, RCPC board member
Good care for pre-kindergarten-aged
children is hard to find. Many places
in Oakland, particularly the Rockridge area,
have waits of six months to a year. Within
this childcare problem lie other problems:
where should people open new childcare
facilities and what kind of impact on the
local neighborhood is acceptable?
Rockridge Montessori School (RMS)
believes they have a partial answer to
the childcare shortage and is proposing
to convert a home at 5616 Broadway to
expand their program by 50-60 children.
RCPC-NCPC Meeting, page 8

¤
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
☛NO   MEETING
December 2008
Rockridge Montessori School
expansion plans worry neighbors
about added traffic and the character
of the neighborhood. P
: D
 K
☛
If you have a half hour to spare monthly and
would like to dedicate it to a community
service, The Rockridge News would love to
have you join its family of distributors.
In fact, District Captain Route #07 is
available now. Newsletter bundles would be
delivered to your doorstep the first weekend
of each month. Your job would be to deliver
them to nine houses above and right below
Broadway in the Broadway Terrace area.
Call Susan Montauk at 547-3855 or e-mail
her at smontauk@gmail.com to confirm
your availability.
Happy
    Holidays
Montessori Expansion, page 13

¤
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5.
December 6, 2008

tive Todd Paradis finally stated in frustration
that Safeway would drop the small shops
and focus on the store itself. He then gave
Safeway’s bottom line: a 50,000 sq. ft. store
with a minimum of 150 parking spaces
(more if the parking was also intended to
serve College Avenue merchants). He said
this would mean essentially full-lot cover-
age with rooftop parking.
Paradis said that if this was not accept-
able to the community, Safeway would limit
improvements to a minor refurbishment
of the existing store — a clean-up, repair,
and repaint job — and perhaps a repaved
parking lot, for a total cost of under $1.5
million. He said nothing in between would
make financial sense for Safeway. He also
said that under the refurbishment plan, the
gas station site would probably be converted
to additional parking.
The next stakeholder meeting was set
for December 9, when the architects would
present their ideas, designed, presumably,
to fit one or the other of Safeway’s alterna-
tive scenarios. However, Safeway has now
cancelled that meeting. No new date has
been set.
Check for updated information at RCPC’s
Web site at http://www.rockridge.org or
Safeway’s Web site at http://safewayon-
college.com.

College Ave Safeway Meeting Ends
With Ultimatum From Safeway

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
It seemed at the beginning that it could
be a promising meeting between Safeway
representatives and community stakehold-
ers, one that might resolve the design issues
separating the two groups. Instead, the meet-
ing foundered when Safeway representative
Todd Paradis delivered Safeway’s bottom
line: a 50,000 sq. ft. store with parking for
150 cars. The alternative? A minor “patch
and paint” remodel of the existing store.
The November stakeholders’ meeting
for the College Avenue Safeway rebuild
project had been much anticipated. At the
October meeting, stakeholder representatives
had presented a “Proposed Program for
Safeway on College.” It called for rebuild-
ing the store with far greater respect for the
surrounding neighborhood.  Safeway had
promised to respond to that proposal at the
November meeting.
The meeting began with a comparison
of the stakeholders’ program with public
input received at earlier meetings. The
program’s topics were placed in one of two
categories: “areas of alignment,” i.e., general
agreement; or “open items,” topics where
facilitators said there was “a wide range of
opinions.” Althought most topics were in
the “alignment” category, the facilitators
claimed there was divergence over:
size of structure (including use of
■
■
gas station parcel);
whether a cafe, a florist, and a
■
■
bakery would be included in the
store;
location of parking (rooftop or
■
■
surface or underground).
The audience questioned what “a wide
range of opinions” meant.
With that introduction, Safeway architect
David Blair presented streetscape sketches
for the new store, showing two plazas, one
at the corner of Claremont and College, the
other on College facing 63rd Street. The
sketches showed a row of small shops along
College and hinted at a second story above
the shops. Also included were sidewalk
“bulb-outs” along College Avenue, displac-
ing current on-street parking and reducing
College Avenue to two travel lanes and one
[west side] parking lane.
There was considerable discussion and
dissension over whether these designs
respected College Avenue and the neigh-
borhood. The discussion then focused on
Safeway’s refusal to declare what size store
it was actually planning. Safeway representa-
represented by local attorneys Stuart Flash-
man and Antonio Rossmann. The hearings
covered a wide range of issues from noise,
lighting, traffic, bicycling and pedestrian
safety impacts to whether Caltrans should
have looked at having carpool/bus lanes as
part of the project.
Judge Roesch listened attentively
throughout and asked probing questions
of both sides. The Judge seemed particularly
skeptical of why Caltrans chose to limit
the area it looked at for project impacts
and to exclude consideration of impacts
on Claremont Middle School and Chabot
Elementary School – both located very close
to Highway 24 and the traffic coming and
going through the tunnel.
Under state law, the judge must issue
his decision within 60 days. The case was
submitted for decision on November 5.
Fourth Bore Suit
from page 1
a fourth bore should be built. Rather, the
Coalition asked reconsideration of how it
would be built, how it should be operated,
and what mitigation measures should have
been included with the project.
In the two hearings, the Coalition was
Kimberly Lang
Norman H. Burg, DDS
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Fabric and Style Advice
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A Prevention Oriented Practice
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www.woodenwindow.com    Lic 640153


6.

December 6, 2008
Let There
Be Music
OYC for Me
Last month I told you of the grave
danger we are in of losing our public
arts programs in Oakland. We dodged
the bullet this time, and we are lucky to
still have so many wonderful programs
with us. But that experience should
make us all aware that nothing is to be
taken for granted.
Last Saturday, I stopped by the
First Congregational Church at 2501
Harrison Street, Oakland, to pick up my
granddaughter from an Oakland Youth
Chorus (OYC) rehearsal. I found myself
enthralled by the sounds emanating from
the open door to the sanctuary. Thirty
children’s voices were repeatedly belting
out a tune with astounding musical bravado.
“I got a pocket full of sunshine, I got
a love and I know it’s all mine, ooh…”
It was a phrase, just a phrase, a little
piece of music, that was being tossed
nonchalantly out the door, but I found
myself trying to catch all those phrases
like they were manna from heaven. For
a moment the world seemed a little
brighter, a little more hopeful. Such is
the divine power of song.
The 34th OYC Annual Winter Choral
Concert entitled “Let the Music Ring”
takes place December 13 at 7 p.m. at
First Congregational. I hope many of
you will come to hear this remarkable
group of young singers. I don’t know a
much better forum than this to test the
healing power of song.
OYC is a citywide public arts program
that Oakland can be proud of. The choir
is made up of school children from
all over Oakland and from all grade
levels, neighborhoods and backgrounds.
Here everyone counts. There is no

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of doing a little research. Also, if auditions
are not your cup of tea, you are in luck;
most community singing organizations have
done away with them. Instead, they invite
you simply to come join them in the joy
of making music together with others.
Here are a few recommendations:
The Berkeley Playhouse is a
great new resource for those who love
Music Theater, song and dance. Visit
www.berkeleyplayhouse.org for a virtual
musical smorgasbord. Performances take
place both at Ashby Stage and Julia
Morgan Theater.
The Berkeley Community
Chorus wants you to join them beginning
January 5 to sing Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater”
this spring. Call 510/433-9599 or go to
http://bcco.org.
The Distaff Singers, that delightful
group of about 40 women who love to sing
songs in tight harmony from traditional
ballads to jazz and pop, invite you to join
them beginning late January for Tuesday
night rehearsals at St. Theresa’s church
on Clarewood. Visit http://distaffsingers.
org for information.
The
Rockridge
 Muse
by Ortrun Niesar
requirement to read music, at least
not in the beginning.
Children are taught by professional
music educators to sing naturally through
the direct experience of language, music,
and movement. This approach, developed
by composer Carl Orff to put music into
the reach of everyman, has brought joy to
singers and audiences alike for 75 years.
Besides learning music of many cultures
and traditions, the children experience
music among professional performers,
musicians, and ethnic dancers and singers.
What a marvelous use of public funding!
Chabot School participates in this program.
Learn more at www.oaklandyouthchorus.
org or call 510/287-9700.
Singing in the
New Year, 2009
Singing is a tonic for body and soul for
all ages. There is certainly something
out there for everyone; it’s just a matter
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7.
December 6, 2008

Revels: A Different Kind of Community Holiday Celebration

Submitted by Theresa Nelson
The critically-acclaimed Christmas
Revels (www.calrevels.org) has been
named among the “Top 10 Theater Events
of the Year,” a musical theatre holiday
tradition where the audience can join in
the celebration. The Christmas Revels
observes the longest night of the year – the
winter solstice – with a blend of ancient folk
rituals, songs and dances from a diverse
cultural canvas, to produce a celebratory
theatrical production. One doesn’t just “go
to” the Revels; one participates in a wholly
unique experience that is a fundamental
part of the Bay Area holiday calendar.
In The Monthly, Rita Felciano observed
that “while the Christmas Revels program
changes every year, certain ingredients are
fixed. A griot figure tells stories of old.
Children have their moment on stage. A
communal singing and dancing of “The
Lord of the Dance” ends the first act; the
“Sussex Mummers” carol closes the pag-
eant. Thematically, the shows often revolve
around traveling – pilgrims, adventurers,
royal courts. For the 23rd annual Christ-
mas Revels, audiences are transported to
medieval Europe with a brand-new staging
of The King and the Fool.
In the setting of an ancient castle,
the King is entertained by his court, his
troubadour, and his court jester (played by
renowned comic actor Geoff Hoyle, who
has performed with Berkeley Repertory
Theatre and Cirque du Soleil).
Directed by David Parr, this brand new
production includes choral music, hearty
sing-alongs, lovely costumes, and courtly
dancing. The wonderful Revels children’s
chorus will be a key ingredient this year,
along with mumming, the Abbots Bromley
dance, and performances by accomplished
guest artists.
Over the course of 10 performances
in December, Revelers of all ages will
join together to welcome the return of the
Comic Geoff
Hoyle plays
the jester in
this year’s
Christmas
Revels
celebration
of the winter
solstice.
— Cal Revels
light from the darkness of winter, with
centuries-old winter traditions.
Performance/Ticket Information
Dates: December 12-14 and 19-21, 2008
■
■
Times: Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays and
■
■
Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Place: Scottish Rite Theater (1547 Lakeside
■
■
Drive, Oakland) Wheelchair seating available.
Tickets: $15 – $50 general
■
■
Special prices! On opening night, Dec. 12,
■
■
and on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 5pm, all side
dress circle and center balcony seats are $19
For all shows - side balconies are $19
■
■
adults/$15 senior, youth
Box Office: 510/452-8800 and
■
■
calrevels.org
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
Me. I’ve been an Allstate Agent for 10
years. And riding bikes for 17. That means
I can talk all day about insurance features
and discounted rates, but I’d just as soon
talk about a new route you’ve found.
Let’s talk today.
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
 Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
Susan Bernosky, LUTCF
(510) 450 9050
5940 College Ave, #A
Oakland
susanbernosky@allstate.com
Rockridge Approaches the 2008 Finish Line Strong

Close Date	 BR	Bth	Address
Orig Price
LP
SP
 11/18/2008
2
1
5242 Miles Avenue
$479,000
$479,000
$484,000
 11/20/2008
3
2
4857 Harbord Drive
$825,000
$825,000
$825,000
 11/14/2008
4
2
6190 Contra Costa Road
$1,295,000
$1,295,000
$1,275,000
 11/13/2008
3
2
5909 Acacia Avenue
$1,295,000
$1,295,000
$1,285,000
Rockridge (94618) has a 1.75 month supply of inventory
Grand Lake/Crocker Highlands (94610) has a 2.90 month supply of inventory
Montclair/Piedmont Ave (94611) has a 3.56 month supply of inventory

The Cupped Hands logo is a registered service mark of Allstate Insurance
Company. Life insurance and annuities issued by Allstate Life Insurance
Company, Northbrook, IL and Lincoln Benefit Life Company, Lincoln, NE.
In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge,
NY.  Property-casualty insurance products issued  by Allstate Fire and
Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate
Insurance Company, Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company:
Northbrook, IL. © 2007 Allstate Insurance Company


8.

December 6, 2008

of which you [citizens] are the stockholders.
I am corporate counsel for this corporation,
the City of Oakland.” He supports the legisla-
tion and feels homeowners’ insurance will
protect them from potential claims.
NCPC Reports
OPD Lt. F. Hamilton and Police Services
Officer (PSO) Paul Gerrans (12Y) said crime
in Rockridge police beats 12Y and 13X was
mixed: robberies, vehicle thefts are down;
burglaries and assaults are about the same.
Police advised neighbors to be watchful of
free-lance recyclers; the practice is illegal
and subject to citation. Police advised an
immediate call if a free-lance recycler
enters a private yard. Find more informa-
tion at the NCPC Web site: http://www.
rockridgencpc.com.
RCPC Issues
Other RCPC agenda items at this joint
meeting involved several planning and
zoning issues. They are more fully reported
on pages 1, 4 and 5. Visit http://www.rock-
ridge.org for more information.
tion hawkers as an example, he said such
contacts might mask a reconnaissance for
more nefarious deeds.
Another activity of Russo’s office is
ROAR, or Real Oakland Administrative
Reform. Working with City Auditor Court-
ney Ruby, Russo said ROAR’s goal is to
improve the accountability, transparency
and effectiveness of Oakland govern-
ment. He listed five programs he believes
will achieve that goal: ethics training for
administrators; whistleblower legislation;
better records management; anti-nepotism
rules and improved personnel department
procedures.
His office is also working to help hom-
eowners facing foreclosure, and imposing
stricter operating conditions on problem
liquor outlets.
Asked at the end of his presentation about
proposed City legislation to extend liability
to homeowners for injuries caused by faulty
sidewalks adjacent to their property, Russo
said, “My job is to protect the corporation
RCPC-NCPC
Meeting
from page 1
evidence of others ignoring the rules of
good behavior.”
The Danes’ findings seem to confirm
the “broken windows” theory often cited
as a precursor to urban crime and violence.
Fix the problems when they are small, say
theory advocates, and bigger problems will
be prevented.
Oakland City Attorney John Russo sup-
ports the broken windows approach to crime
prevention and has created a team of legal
professionals to pursue those who would
degrade the City’s environment.
Speaking at the November joint RCPC-
NCPC meeting, Russo said, “New York
pressed on quality of life crimes; it worked.
We can do it in Oakland, too.”
Russo christened his team the Neighbor-
hood Law Corps. With him at the meeting
were team members David Hall, who covers
North and West Oakland, and Reve Bautista,
a special prosecutor. Along with two other
team members, they work with the Alameda
County District Attorney’s office to charge
and prosecute quality of life crimes. Russo
hopes one day to establish a community
court system to deal with the infractions
his prosecution team unearths.
Meanwhile, he urged his audience to be
aware of events that seem trivial but are the
types of situations his office encounters.
Citing door-to-door magazine subscrip-
NCPC Says: “Don’t be a Target for Crime”
With all the colorful holday lights, joyful
music and feelings of good will, it’s easy
to forget that we may become a victim of a crime.
There are several things you can do to avoid being
an easy target:
1) Indoor and outdoor lights and a radio should
be operated by an automatic timer so your home
looks and sounds occupied when you are away.
2) Home displays of holiday gifts should be out
of the line of sight of windows and doors.
3) Do not leave packages or other valuable items
in plain view on the seat of your car.
4) Be wary of aggressive solicitors or panhandlers
at your front door and NEVER invite them into your
home.
5) Say NO to anyone representing “charitable”
organizations who wants cash at your door. Donate
directly by mail to recognized charitable organiza-
tions.
New Year’s Resolution: Program the OPD
Emergency cell phone number into your phone:
510/777-3211. (911 calls from cell phones are routed
through the Highway Patrol’s Vallejo dispatch office,
delaying a response to the emergency.)

Enrollment Time: Finding the Appropriate School for Your Student
OUSD Opens
Schools for Visits
To give parents a better
sense of the schools they
are considering, the Oakland
School District is hosting open
houses and school tours (local
schedule at right). Families can
learn more about the district’s
educational options, and speak
directly with staff to help deter-
mine where they’d like their
children to attend school. The
tours and open houses set the
stage for Open Enrollment,
which lasts from December 10,
2008 to January 15, 2009.

EBISA Can Help with
Private School Search
by Jana Branisa
As January application deadlines
for schools draw near, parents may
wonder, “Where will I send my child to
school next year?”
For most families, the first option is their
neighborhood school. If your neighborhood
school isn’t the right match, the East Bay
Independent Schools Association (EBISA)
can help you find a school that suits your
family’s and your child’s needs.
EBISA is a non-profit alliance of
over 40 independent K-8 schools located
throughout Alameda and Contra Costa
EBISA, page 12
¤
¤

Chabot Elementary
6686 Chabot Road, 94618
*call to register for school tours
Phone: 879-1060
December 10, 16: 8:15-9 am
January 7, 9: 8:15-9 am
Claremont Middle School
5750 College Avenue, 94618
Phone: 879-2010
Every Friday, 10-11am
Emerson Elementary
4803 Lawton Avenue, 94609
Phone: 879-1150
December 10, 10-11 am
Oakland Technical High
4351 Broadway, 94611
Phone: 879-3050
December 16, 9-11am
Hillcrest (K-8)
30 Marguerite Drive, 94618
Phone: 879-1270
December 16, 8:30-9:30am
January 6, 20: 8:30-9:30am
Kind. Open House: 7 pm 12/10
Far West  (9-12)
5263 Broadway Terrace, 94618
Phone: 879-1580
December 15: 10-11, 5-6:30
Peralta Elementary
460 63rd Street, 94609
*Call to register. School tours
are limited to 8 at a time.
Phone: 879-1450
December 9, 19: 8:45-9:30 am
January 6, 8:45-9:30 am
Oakland International
High  (9-10)
4521 Webster Street, 94609
Phone: 879-2142
December 16,
      10-11 am, 5-6:30 pm


9.
December 6, 2008

Starting a Home-Based Business
networking fees for Chamber of Commerce
events or for other groups pertinent to your
industry or interest. At http://www.irs.gov,
you can find a long list of business expenses
in Publication 535, “Business Expenses.”
(Search: Publication 535.)
Calculating office rent or utilities for your
home-based business is also clearly defined
by the IRS and its deductibility rules. Just
because you use the dining room table to
spread out your work papers does not mean
you can deduct that room on your taxes as
“office rent.” IRS Publication 587, “Business
Use of Your Home,” spells out what can and
cannot be deducted. Review this topic with
a CPA before making any decisions.
Remember insurance. Now that you
may have more people in and out of your
home, have your insurance agent review
your home policy for liability limits includ-
ing slip and fall scenarios. You might also
consider an Errors and Omissions (E&O)
policy if your business plan opens you up
to that arena.
Set up your plan to get the most out of
the good idea that you have. For a nomi-
nal fee you can consult for an hour with a
seasoned business consultant, a CPA, an
attorney and an insurance agent. It will
cost you a little at the front end and help
you enormously in the long run.
Once you’ve tallied the income and
expenses for two to three years, take
another hard look at the plan. Be sure to
have enough cushion to fund your life for a
couple of years in case the income doesn’t
flow in as you’d hoped.
If you decide it’s possible, go for it!
Being your own boss is wonderful.
by Joan Martin
Ever hear the term “Solopreneur”? It
describes the entrepreneur who flies solo
or works alone. (It is a sexier version of the
“Sole Proprietor,” a term that can conjure
an image of a merchant with an apron and
spectacles standing behind a counter ready
to sell something.) Often, solopreneurs work
from home. This is the first in a series of
articles that will address starting and main-
taining a home-based business.
Perhaps you already know one of these
home-based solopreuners and like the idea.
Maybe you’re dissatisfied with your corporate
job and want to work on that dream of yours.
Perhaps they’ve already “helped” you with
that decision. Where should you begin?
Investigating zoning and business license
requirements for a home business is a critical
first step. Oakland permits home businesses
with some restrictions. Having a city busi-
ness license is a requirement, as well. Visit
the following Oakland City Web addresses
as an informational starting point:
• Oakland Municipal Code Chapter
17.112 Home Occupation Regulations: http://
municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/codes/
oakland/
• Business Tax FAQs: http://www.
oaklandnet.com/government/fwawebsite/
revenue/revenue_faqbiztax.htm
• Business Application Form: http://
www.oaklandnet.com/government/fwa
website/revenue/pdf/Newbusapp.pdf
A business plan is equally important.
Even if it’s an outline of the most obvious
income and expense categories, write them
down. This way, you can see if your dream
work ought to stay a dream or if it is worth
pursuing. Be as detailed and honest as you
can about income potential. If you want to
consult as an Interior Designer, for example,
find out from those already in the business
just what volume of work they can handle and
what they charge. But, beware: In the first
one to three years, more of your time will be
spent networking rather than earning.
On the expense side of the business
plan, list everything you can think
of, including business cards and other col-
lateral material such as office supplies, gas,
coffee shop expenses for business meetings,
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10.

December 6, 2008

Safeway
Trader Joe’s
Ver Brugge Foods
Vino!
Yasai Market
Sports, Luggage, Bikes and
 
 
Motorbikes, for the active ones
in your life:
Hank and Frank Bicycles
Namaste
Pilates Plus
Powerform Personal Training
Rockridge Luggage
Rockridge Two Wheels
See Jane Run Sports
Transports
Music
 
 
for your moods:
Flashback Guitars
The Groove Yard
Pretty Penny/Saturn Records
Pets,
 
 
for those who are part
of the family:
Redhound
Mr. John’s Dog Grooming
Flowers,
 
 
for the perfect touch
at home or a party:
Bloomies
Spring Fever Flowers
Sun Flower
The Meadows
Bodycare, Hair, Nails and
 
 
Beauty, to look your best and
give to others:
Alexander Pope Salon
Arellano
Bellissimo Salon
Bisou Nail Lounge
BodyTime
The Brow Lounge
Chez Aesthete
Chimes Pharmacy
Claremont Hair Salon
Cool Tops
Cuttin’ Up on College
Elegant Nail
Galaxy Nails
Genray Hair Salon
Hello, Gorgeous
J Salon
Lucero
Marilyn Jaeger Skincare Studio
Massage Therapy Center
Milagro Salon
Moda
The Nail Spa
Oriental Nails
Pharmaca
Ponzo
Rockridge Barber
SaHaíra
Seven Salon
Snips
Supercuts
Vero
White Rose Skin Care
The Neighborhood Merchant
Photo: Don Kinkead
by Theresa Nelson
Shop Rockridge: Celebrate and
Support Your Community
The twinkling lights have
gone up at Market Hall and
the holiday decorations have
appeared along College Avenue.
Rockridge residents have the
opportunity to find unique
gifts and services, support local
owner-operated businesses, and
put sales tax dollars back to work
in Oakland.
Stroll along College Avenue,
Claremont and Broadway, find
one-of-a-kind gift ideas at a wide
variety of prices, and then enjoy
a delicious lunch or dinner at one
of the area’s many restaurants.
Local shoppers will save on gas,
avoid the crowds and parking lots
in malls, and support libraries,
parks, public safety and senior
and family services in Oakland
via local sales taxes. Rockridge
merchants and services have
something for everyone on your
gift list, and for you and your
home as well.
S 
  hoes for Men, Women and
Children, everyday wear and
special shoes for the holidays:
Cotton & Company (closing)
Rightway Shoe Repair
Shuz of Rockridge (formerly
Birkenstock)
Tootsies Rockridge
Transports
Home Décor, Furniture,
 
 
Table Accessories, Antiques,
Fabrics, and Linens, to decorate
your home, find the perfect gift,
a new dining room table or rug,
home office, and more:
Atomic Garden
Bella Vita
Berkeley Kids Room
Bird’s Eye
Brass and Glass
Christensen Heller Gallery
Claremont Rug Company
Fenton MacLaren
    Vintage Furnishing
Form Vintage Modern
Galvins Workspace Furniture
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Hazara Gallery
Homesteader
Levant Oriental Rug Company
Maison d’Etre
Murasaki Fine Futon Shop
Rockridge Furniture Company
Rockridge Home
Talisman Antiques
Thelma Harris Art Gallery
Warm Things
Food,
 
 
glorious food gifts,
gourmet ingredients, indul-
gences, and fine wines:
Bittersweet a Chocolate Café
Cole Coffee
Eddie’s Liquors
Enzo’s Meat & Poultry
Great Harvest Bread Company
Hapuku Fish Shop
Hudson Bay Caffe
Katrina Rozelle Pastries
     & Desserts
La Farine Bakery
Lulu Rae Confections
Market Hall Bakery
Market Hall Produce
The Pasta Shop
Paul Marcus Wines
Peaberry’s Coffee and Tea
Says Who?
See Jane Run Sports
Sefina Studio
Serrahna
Tootsies Rockridge
Vie Vie Boutique
Viva Diva Boutique
The Wedding Party
Who’s Your Betty Boutique
Children’s Toys, Games,
 
 
Clothing and Accessories, for
the tiniest babies to pre-teens:
Bella Vita “Upstairs”
Bellies and Babies
Child’s Play
Cotton & Company (closing)
Milk
Rockridge Kids
Arts, Framing, Jewelry &
 
 
Collectibles, items from all
over the world and for the artist
in you:
Blick Art Materials
Bosko’s Framing Gallery
Christensen Heller Gallery
Favor
The Great Frame-Up
High Strung
Itsy Bitsy
Pavé Fine Jewelry
Thelma Harris Art Gallery
Books, Cards, Gifts &
 
 
Flowers, for any taste or interest:
Atomic Garden
Bella Vita
Bloomies
Chimes Pharmacy
Diesel A Bookstore
Heartfelt &
Itsy Bitsy
The Meadows
Rockridge Home
Pendragon Fine Books
Spring Fever Flowers
Sun Flower
Menswear,
 
 
styles for teens
and men:
Alta Bates Showcase
August
Bambino Thrift Shop
Chic
Crossroads Trading Company
Dapper
Rockridge Rags
Women’s Clothing and
 
 
Accessories, with every imag-
inable style, size and price
range, truly there’s something
for everyone on your list:
Agatha Rainford Boutique
Alta Bates Showcase
Atomic Garden
August
Bambino Thrift Shop
Bellies and Babies
Body Options
Chic
Cotton Basics
Crossroads Trading Company
Crush on College
FIT
Habit
i-elle
Inamorata
Iniam
In Full Swing
Itsy Bitsy
Pretty Penny
Recapture Vintage Bridal
Rockridge Rags
San Francisco Dancewear
Merchant, page 11
¤
¤


11.
December 6, 2008

a
Merchant

Pubs and Bars:
 
 
Barclay’s Restaurant and Pub,
Ben ’n Nick’s Bar & Grill,
Conga Lounge, George and
Walt’s, McNally’s, Water
Lounge
Fine Dining and Small
 
 
Plates:
À Côté, Citron Restaurant,
Garibaldi’s on College, Marica
Seafood Restaurant, Oliveto
Restaurant, Wood Tavern
Café, Café Lyon, Christopher’s
Burgers, Claremont Diner,
Cole Coffee, College Point
Café, Crepevine, Dreyer’s
Grand Ice Cream, Green
Bean, Hudson Bay Caffe,
Oliveto Café, Rockridge Café,
Somerset Restaurant, Spasso
Coffeehouse
Italian and
 
 
Mediterranean:
Extreme Pizza, Filippo’s
Pastaria, I Squared, Pasta
Pomodoro, Pizza Rustica,
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
Mexican:
 
 
Cactus Tacqueria, College
Avenue Burrito, Las Palmas
Tacqueria
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
from page 10
Cafés, Restaurants, More:
Asian Cuisine:
 
 
Becky’s Chinese, Flavors of
India, Great Wall Chinese,
Khana Peena, Mitama Jap-
anese, Nan Yang, Noodle
Theory, Pearl of Siam, Rikyu
Japanese, Sabuy Sabuy Thai,
Soi Four Bangkok Eatery,
Tachibana Sushi Bar & Grill,
Takara Japanese
Café and Casual
 
 
Dining:
A Cuppa Tea, Barney’s on
College, Bittersweet Chocolate
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue, Oakland  510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • ViSit: capcchurch.org
our wonderful coMMunity Meal, fridayS, 6-7pM
a great opportunity to SerVe
Web sites for many College
Avenue stores, restaurants and
services may be found through
the Rockridge District Associa-
tion’s Web directory: http://www.
rockridgedistrict.com/
Find Out What Homes
in Your Neighborhood
are Selling for. Visit:
www.EastBayHouseSales.com
FREE Seminar: How to get
REAL RETURNS Investing in
Today’s REAL ESTATE MARKET.
BayAreaRealEstateInvestor.com
SIMPLIFY!
Clutter Control
Paper/Filing Systems
Open 11am - 8pm Everyday
5418 College Ave. (510) 420-1928
Kitchens/Closets
Space Planning
Packing/Unpacking
Solutions for the critical mess
Non-Judgmental & Confidential
Holiday Greetings from Namaste
PEACE ON EARTH
www.SummersOrganizing.com
Barbara ✔ 415-381-0707
Visit our store for
beautiful & luxurious
organic cotton
clothing and hand-
crafted gifts for your
holiday shopping.
G
Feel like
a kid again...
GRUBBCO.COM
Yoga &
Retail Gift
Certificates
Available
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
for more info and class schedule, visit
www.namasterockridge.com
    5416 college avenue    5 1 0 . 5 4 7 . YO G A
( n e a r  Ro c k r i d g e  l i b r a r y )
Group Classes
Cardio & Weights
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12.

December 6, 2008

FORL Help
from page 3
Sonnet XII, By John Milton
Milton
from page 3
I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs

By the known rules of ancient liberty,

When straight a barbarous noise environs me

Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes and dogs:
As when those hinds that were transform’d to frogs

Rail’d at Latona’s twin-born progeny

Which after held the sun and moon in fee.

But this is got by casting pearl to hogs,
That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood,

And still revolt when truth would set them free.

Licence they mean when they cry liberty;
For who loves that, must first be wise and good.

But from that mark how far they rove we see,

For all this waste of wealth and loss of blood.
bookcase for her office. This is just the sort
of gift that FORL loves to give.
The Friends favor buying locally when-
ever possible. FORL board member Kristine
Carraway found a good deal for two solidly
built wooden bookcases, tall enough and wide
enough to hold plenty of books, at Fenton
MacLaren on College Avenue. Another
FORL board member transported them to
the library, and the deed was done.
Thanks to FORL, two well-used collec-
tions of books are now housed in sturdy,
earthquake-safe, bolted-to-the-wall wooden
bookcases. No more book trucks, no more
pasteboard stopgaps, just three pleased
librarians.
(Areopagitica). During
the English civil wars
of the 1640s, after a
furious reaction by the
established church to
several of his tracts on
divorce, Milton wrote
the sonnet at right:
— Submitted by a
FORL member
fall, and open houses and tours. Finan-
cial aid is available at all EBISA schools.
Several schools conduct financial aid
workshops.
More about the EBISA schools is avail-
able at their Web site: www.ebisaca.org.
EBISA
Real Estate in the New Market
from page 8
counties. For over 20 years, it has provided
free assistance to families that choose to
explore an independent education.
EBISA sponsors school fairs each
Selling and Buying in the New Market at:
www.JLAhomes.com
Educator Jana Branisa is a publicist for EBISA.
Reo Specialist at:
Mary Smyer, M.A.
Psychotherapy
YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE GOES BEYOND
STOCKS AND BONDS. SHOULDN’T YOUR
FINANCIAL STRATEGY DO THE SAME?
www.REOs-BestDeals.com
1-800-805-8827
Compassionate Support for Difficult Times
HALLIE HART, CFP®, FINANCIAL ADVISOR
510-208-3823
MERRILL LYNCH
1111 BROADWAY, 22ND FLOOR
OAKLAND, CA 94607
Jeff Auen
Remax Accord
Holistic Terapy Center
WINSTON’S PLUMBING
6536 Telegraph Ave., Oakland
510•915•5046
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Sliding Scale $100-$65 - Initial Meeting $45
lic.# 537739/554406
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• Trenchless Sewers
CFP® is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
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Supervised by Mary Owen, MFT #14190
• Earthquake Protection
• Tankless Water Heaters
• Remodel & Repair
510-652-8014
www.winstonsplumbing.com
“”May your toilet never runneth over!”


13.
December 6, 2008

Montessori Neighbors Write RCPC

Montessori
Expansion

from page 1
Four neighbors of the Montessori School wrote
to the RCPC Chair to express their concerns
about the proposed expansion. No one wrote
in support. Excerpted letters follow:
✒ I am concerned about the negative impact
the continued expansion of this particular school
is having on our small neighborhood. The two
streets that surround this school are only one
lane wide and in a couple of cases only one
block long.
— Hallie B. Hart

ing is an ongoing concern... the majority of the
school population arrives by car.
— Tony Morse
✒ I have lived on the Kales/Manila/ Broadway
block for 26 years. I treasure this residential
single family dwelling neighborhood with its mix
of young and old residents. This is a neighbor-
hood community, not a commercial zone.
Within a 3 block radius we have at least
3 other preschools in converted houses. This
neighborhood is overly served with preschools.
With such expansion comes increased traffic in
a neighborhood with narrow residential streets.
Fifty per cent of the [school’s] population is from
outside the 94618 Zip code.
— Anne Williams
✒ As a resident of Kales Ave, I object to the
proposed expansion of the school. The school
is continually seeking to build and develop
(despite their promises not to) and it will con-
tinually erode the feel of the neighborhood and
chase out neighboring residents. There has to
be a limit on the growth.
— Name Withheld
Currently, RMS operates in an adjacent
building at 5610 Broadway, and in a former
church building across the street on Manila.
Enrollment is 97, with a permit to go to 132.
With the new expansion, total enrollment
could reach 192.
RMS and their architect Charles Kahn
shared details of the expansion at the
November RCPC Town Hall meeting. The
5616 Broadway building would be converted
by adding a second story and creating a
common entrance with the 5610 Broadway
building. The unsightly garage would be
removed and two small rooms, not as big
as the garage, would be added in its place.
Parking for the new employees would be
across Manila at the church. A curb on
Broadway might be converted to a short
term loading zone.
Neighbors Concerned
A group of nearby neighbors is strongly
opposed to the expansion. RMS has met
with these neighbors twice in an attempt
to come to an agreement. As a result of
these talks, RMS will not physically join
the two buildings with an enclosed space
and will locate all entrances on Broadway.
It is RMS’s assertion that these changes
will preserve the residential look of the
buildings and result in less traffic on the
narrower residential streets.
The neighbors continue to feel that a
childcare facility with 192 children is too
large for a small residential area, the new
traffic flow is unsafe, and Rockridge as an
area should be preserving residential homes,
not converting them into businesses.
RMS also plans to continue having stu-
dent families sign a transportation agreement
with guidelines that are intended to reduce
the impact of traffic on neighbors. Two
violations of the agreement would result in a
family being asked to leave RMS. Neighbors
and school administrators both agree that
enforcement would be difficult.
When RCPC met with RMS, their appli-
cation schedule had not been defined, but
they believed the project would probably
be presented to the Planning Department
in February.
If you have any comments or ques-
tions about this project, e-mail chair@
rockridge.org.
✒ My wife and I live on upper Kales Avenue,
around the corner from the Rockridge Montes-
sori School’s Manila Avenue sites. Since the
school’s arrival in the neighborhood over a
decade ago, it has continued to expand (on at
least one occasion in direct contradiction to
the owners’ assurances that they planned to
live on site and that their operation would only
constitute a small family daycare.)
1) We feel that the scale of the RMS pres-
ence in the neighborhood pushes the boundar-
ies of appropriateness.
2) Increased traffic and school-related park-


14.

December 6, 2008

Non-Toxic House Cleaning
Lotus Cleaning Services provides excellent ser-
vice while protecting your health and the planet.
Licensed, bonded and insured. Experienced,
reliable cleaners. Great for households with
allergies, asthma, small children. Reasonable
rates. 510/452-0755, lotusclean@comcast.net.
Private Licensed RN/BSN
Knowledgeable, compassionate medical
advocate and care provider. No matter how
complex. 28 years experience honing my
skills in the nursing arts. Schedules and rates
negotiable. References. Please contact Anna
at 510/526-9222.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland,
CA 94618. January deadline is December 18.
For information: e-mail smontauk@gmail.com
Psychotherapy for Women
Relational Depth Therapy with older, experi-
enced, interactive, kind psychotherapist. Women
of all ethnicities and sexualities welcomed.
Maggie Rochlin, LCSW. 510/845-6556.
Rockridge Holiday Trunk Show
Local designer gifts! Fantastic array of unique
infant and children’s clothing. Handmade Loret-
taberetta handbags and more! Cookies and hot
cider served. 1 to 5pm, Sunday, December 14.
6108 Hillegass Avenue (College/Claremont).
Gardener
Over 15 years of service to the Rockridge
area. Maintenance and garden restoration.
Reasonable rates and excellent references.
Please call Chris: 510/655-0157.
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.
Home Improvements Done Right
• Slate porches & stairs • kitchens & bathrooms
• decks, fences & cedar shingles • room addi-
tions • retrofits, structural works & dry rot
repair. Good rates. Licensed, bonded & insured.
Ned, 510/301-5448.
Traditional Spanish Paella
Catering
Enjoy the experience of traditional paella being
cooked on-site or delivered fresh. Organic
and seasonal! Tapas, paella and desserts! Ideal
for indoor/outdoor gatherings. 15% holiday
discount until 12/31/08. www.vengapaella.com
or 415/377-6392.
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.
Manicure & Pedicure
20% off first visit. We use Zoya polish which
does not contain formaldehyde or toluene
or DBT. Call Halina Wednesday-Saturday at
Elizabeth H. Salon, 5431 College Avenue at
Kales. 510/652-5431.
Quality Gardening
Skilled monthly or bimonthly maintenance,
aesthetic pruning, planning, design, irrigation,
consultations, ecological practices. 15 years of
horticultural experience in the East Bay. Local
references. Green’s Gardens, 510/593-3490.
Judith Glass & Sheila Sabine
Your Grubb Company Agents appreciate
Rockridge. If you are thinking of selling your home
contact us. -Moving changes your life- we make
the process easy. www.GlassSabine.com.
Skin Care Salon
Penelope’s Aesthetics, a serene garden setting
in Rockridge 12 years, specializes in professional
beauty needs. Facials, waxing, lash/brow tints,
skin tag/capillary removal, permanent make-
up, reflexology and more! 30% off w/ad. www.
penelopecalef.com 510/594-1552.
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees and shrubs under
20 feet tall. I work with trees to enhance their
natural beauty. Specialties: mples, camellias,
pines, conifers, fruit trees, focal points and detail
work. Bruce Thompson 510/428-4964.
RockridgeResidents.Org
We’re a non-profit, no-ad based website
intended to increase the sense of community
between Rockridge Residents. Connect with
neighbors on the Online Forums. Read resident-
submitted articles, review local businesses. Visit
www.rockridgeresidents.org today!
Wanted: House or Apt. for
6-12 Months
East Coast couple seeks modest Rockridge/
Elmwood house or apartment so we can be near
our new grandson. Dates flexible starting mid-
2009. Currently happily renting on Woolsey.
We love it here! Call Karen: 202/256-6304.
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.danmattson.
net or call Dan at 510/658-2819.
Need Change in Your Home?
We offer affordable one-day redecorating ser-
vices that help you rethink your space and reuse
what you have in a new way. It’s the ultimate in
green interior design! www.woodhouseinteriors.
com Kim, 510/435-0712.
Custom Sewing for the
Home
Window Coverings: Curtains, Roman shades,
top treatments: Slipcovers; Pillows and Cush-
ions; Duvet covers, bed skirts, pillow shams &
bolsters. Special projects. Decorator fabrics &
drapery hardware. Holly. 510/531-1177.
Kitchens
Home Repairs
Carpentry, electrical, kitchen, bath, decks, fences,
drainage, tile, windows, walls, dry rot, termite
damage. Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
• Design
• Remodeling
• Showroom Sales
www.acornkitchens
andbaths.com
Based here in Rockridge,
we specialize in:
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
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510
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Architectural remodels/additions
Gardens/outdoor spaces
New construction
www.AboutInsideOut.com     510.655.7674


15.
December 6, 2008

Office Manager/Bookkeeper
For Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC)
We are seeking a highly quali-
fied candidate to fill a part-time
Office Manager/Bookkeeper position.
Responsible for but not limited to the
following duties:
Bookkeeping
Enter data into QuickBooks soft-
•
ware for RCPC and sponsored
groups (3).
Enter all A/P for RCPC.
•
Pay bills and print checks weekly.
•
Receive payments in QuickBooks
•
and make infrequent deposits.
Enter all fixed assets and loans.
•
Reconcile cash accounts monthly.
•
Reconcile financial statements
•
monthly.
Enter depreciation and prepaid
•
expenses thru monthly memorized
journal entries.
Gather sponsored groups’ financial
•
information monthly.
Prepare monthly Board Meeting
•
financial statements (P&L, B/S,
Budget vs. Actual, Variance report).
Interface with CPA annually and as
•
needed. Month and year end close
in a timely manner.
Prepare annual Budget for Board
•
review.
File timely sales & use tax forms.
•
Report to Treasurer with all financial
•
information as needed.
Keep accurate records of all finan-
•
cial back-up to financial statements.
Administrative
Answer phones and field calls.
•
Organize and maintain company
•
records.
Retrieve mail from neighborhood
•
mail office box.
Rout and open mail.
•
General office duties including:
•
filing, ordering supplies.
Retain merchandise for sale and
•
fulfill merchandise orders.
Interface with Treasurer, President,
•
vendors, customers.
Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of QuickBooks and
•
accounting a must.
Intermediate knowledge of MS
•
Word and Excel.
Organized/detailed/self motivator.
•
Must be willing to work alone.
•
Compensation commensurate with experi-
ence. Please submit resume with cover letter
to: RCPCbookkeeper@Gmail.com.

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.

Compiled by Jo Ellis

Community Calendar

Rockridge Branch Library
St. Albert Priory Christmas Concert
The Schola Cantorum of St. Albert Priory and the
Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble (WAVE) “Shepherds
Arise!” Gregorian chants from the 9th century. Monteverdi,
Menotti and others, and traditional carols. Saturday,
12/20, 8pm. St. Albert Priory Chapel, 6172 Chabot Road.
Tickets at the door: $15 General/$10 Students/Seniors.
Info: Fr. Chris Renz, 510/596-1800.
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN:
Toddler Story Time: Saturdays, 10:30am.
Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wed. 10:30am
Pajama Story Time: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays. 7pm.
Holiday Puppet Show: Fratello Marionettes perform
The Frog Prince, 12/16, 7pm. All ages.
Cozy Story Time: hear stories and make snowflakes
with a librarian in pajamas by the light of a Hanukah
menorah. 12/23, 7pm.
FOR TEENS:
Rockridge Ninjas (Anime Club): Teens 13 and up.
Tuesday, (12/9), 5 to 6:30pm.
FOR ADULTS:
Writers’ Support/Critique Group: ALL writers welcome.
Bring 12 copies of up to 5 pages of your prose for on-site
reading/discussion. 12/20, 1 to 5pm. Info: 420-8775
or Writefox@aol.com.
Knitting Classes for Seniors (50+): All levels welcome.
Every Tuesday, 12:30-2:30pm.
Peace Corps Information Session: No upper age
limit to join. 12/22, 6pm to 7:30pm. Info: Nick Bosustow,
452-8444.
Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday each month from 6-8pm. Advance sign-up
starts 5pm.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery: Oakland Art Assoc. miniature oil paintings.
Lobby Display Case: John Baldwin, mixed media
finger puppets.
See box, p.2 for library hours. Due to budget cuts
there may be additional closed days in December.
Gaelic Christmas Choral Concert
Mary McLaughlin’s Cor Aingli (Angel Choir) and the
Winterberry Carolers, join to present ancient Irish
and modern Christmas songs. Saturday, 12/13, 3pm to
5pm. Tickets: $15 - $8 (under 16 and over 65). www.
brownpapertickets.com or call 800/838-3006 or
482-9479. Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave.
Info: 228-3218.
Big Fat Year-End Kiss Off
Comedy Show XVI
Will Durst, joined by many great comics, presents a
hilarious night of stand-up, improv and sketches based
on major news stories of 2008. May not be suitable for
kids. Sunday, 12/28, 7pm. Julia Morgan Center, 2640
College Ave. $20 – $15 (students and srs,); www.
brownpapertickets.com or call 800/838-3006. More
info: 845-8542.
Pacific Boychoir Academy Auditions
Boys 5 to 18: audition for the Grammy award-winning
choir’s after-school program on 12/17 from 4:15 to
6pm. No musical experience required; choir directors
will gauge musical ability and willingness to learn. 410
Alcatraz Ave. To register for auditions: 652-4722. Info
www.pacificboychoiracademy.org.

Principals only.
Recruiters, please do not contact us.


16.

December 6, 2008

Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER
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Oakland

Toys for Tots
Once again the Coldwell Banker office is collecting toys
for needy children this holiday season. This is a particu-
larly difficult year for many residents of Oakland. If you
have new unwrapped toys to donate, give me a call and I
will be glad to pick them up for the Toys for Tots Drive.
Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season to you and yours!
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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