Extracted text · highlighting “Fourth Bore Coalition”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 24    NO. 4    ISSUE NO. 255    April 4, 2009  
 CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

RCPC Town Hall Meeting
AGENDA
April 2009
Vote for RCPC
board members:
Pg. 2: Election
steps;
Pg. 3: Candidate
statements
RCPC Board
Elections
FORL
Elections
Rising Sun
Energy

RCPC Board Elections
■
■
FORL Board Elections
■
■
Rising Sun Energy
■
■
Oakland Green Initiati
■
■
ve

Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Rockridge Branch Library,
5366 College Avenue at Manila,
Community Room (Upstairs)

Andy Charman
Bill Kaufner
Colby Lavin
Ruth Miller
Ronnie Spitzer
Ann Winterman

The Friends of the Rockridge
Library (FORL) holds its annual
election at the April RCPC Town
Hall meeting. Candidates are:
■	 Jennifer Alper
■	 Kathryn O’Neal
■	 Shari Tavaf
■	 Carol Bieri (Incumbent)
The FORL board’s mission is
to champion the Rockridge branch
library and to stimulate enthusiasm
and interest for library programs.
Vote for
FORL board
members
The California Youth Energy
Services program (CYES) offers
free “green house calls” to East
and North Bay residents. Teams of
trained Energy Specialists will visit
your home, install free energy saving
energy inspections (coming this
summer). Save energy and money,
and help support young people.
Sign up at the meeting, call CYES at
510/665-1501x10, or visit their Web
site at www.risingsunenergy.org.
equipment, and provide a personal-
ized energy savings plan.
At the RCPC meeting, a rep-
resentative from California Youth
Energy Services will present details
of their free PG&E-sponsored home
Budget time?
Come learn
how much
green you
can save
Oakland is developing a commu-
nity-wide Energy and Climate
Action Plan (ECAP) to identify
actions it can take to help minimize
Oakland
Green
Initiative
Oakland seeks to become a
model sustainable city. Your input
can help shape this important
initiative.
energy use and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions throughout the
city.
RCPC will have a short pre-
sentation on the plan.
Oakland’s plans
for sustainability:
share your ideas

Rockridge Celebrates Earth Day

RDA Earth Day Events
Earth Day is coming Saturday, April
18. To celebrate, the Rockridge Dis-
trict Association (RDA) is sponsoring
three projects; the public is invited to
help with all of them.
 First is cleaning the pedestrian walkway at College and
Broadway between Wendy’s and Sabuy Sabuy Thai restaurant
at 5231 College. This one is a big job. Starting at 9 a.m., we will
paint the fence, put up a mural,
and pull weeds. This project is
Earth Day RDA, page 8
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Ready? Kitchen Tour 2009 is Coming!
Do you have a kitchen you would like to see
on RCPC’s Kitchen Tour 2009? Want to be a
volunteer for the Tour? It can happen!
See page 12 for details.

FROG Park Corner
Celebrate Earth Day at FROG Park
Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to noon
Meet at Redondo Playground (Redondo and Clark Streets) or
Hardy Playground (near Hardy Circle and Hudson/Claremont).
Help honor the Earth and lend a hand at FROG Park, our neigh-
borhood park. YOUR help is needed! FROG is organizing a
fun, family-friendly Earth Day clean-up Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m.
to noon. Bring work gloves, and gardening tools, rake or gardening
fork, if you have them. Projects include playground cleaning, weeding,
planting, turning fibar, sweeping, and clearing the pond and creek
bed. See www.frogpark.org
Earth Day FROG Park, page 8
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Safeway Development BULLETIN!
Safeway Corp has announced a public meeting to
present the company’s latest plans for the College
Avenue store. See Land Use Committee report, page 5.


2.

April 4, 2009

RCPC Board Election Procedures
At the RCPC Town Hall meeting on
Thursday, April 16, board candidates
will introduce themselves and describe
their platforms for Rockridge. Following
candidate introductions and statements,
there will be two opportunities to vote
for the candidates of your choice:
You may vote at the meeting on Thurs-
day, April 16, or you may vote Saturday,
April 18, in the lobby of the Rockridge
library, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Voter Eligibility
People age 18 and over who live within
RCPC boundaries are eligible to vote.
Verification will be by driver’s license or
DMV ID card showing an address within
RCPC boundaries, as depicted on the
RCPC website at rockridge.org.

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
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
Annette Floystrup, Jonathan Gabel, William Kaufner,
Don Kinkead, Colby Lavin, Katy Taylor, Doug Patton,
Ellen Peterson,  Andrew Charman
Contact the Board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org

Budget Cycle Planning Is a Challenging
Process for City and Citizens Alike

such as debt service and voter mandated
programs, the council was forced to cut
$42.5 million from a remaining total of
$110 million.
A look at last year’s budget
process helps in understanding
this year’s difficulties
by Jane Brunner, President
Oakland City Council
Oakland is about to begin a difficult
budget process. In this report, I am
going to look at aspects of last year’s process
to assist understanding of the challenging
situation Oakland is facing for this next two
year budget cycle.
Last year, Oakland’s overall budget was
close to $1 billion. Approximately $600
million of that money came from grants
from the state or federal government or from
other sources. Money from those sources
has to be used as allocated. That left the city
with $400 million, which we refer to as the
General Fund. City funding for everything
that doesn’t have earmarked money has to
come from that fund.
Last fall, the City Council had to cut
$42.5 million from the General Fund
because the city was receiving significantly
less revenue from real estate transfers and
sales tax. Police and fire services receive
65 percent of the $400 million in the fund
and the Council decided not to cut police or
fire. After accounting for other fixed costs
“This spring, the Council
will have to cut somewhere
between $50 million and
$70 million to balance the
budget.”
The Council made the cuts by elimi-
nating vacant positions, choosing not to
fill new positions, and, mainly, by cutting
staff that do not directly affect programs.
The Council also established 13 furlough
days, which are days that employees do not
come to work.
This spring, the Council will have to cut
somewhere between $50 million and $70
million to balance the budget. Since it will
be able to make cuts only from the General
Fund, and since the easier cuts were made
this fall, the Council will have to look at
cutting major programs and may not be able
to protect police and fire completely.
An additional challenge in this year’s
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
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.
City Budget, page 8
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$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Zachary’s Pizza
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
 May 2, 2009
 May deadline is April 16.
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.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!


3.
April 4, 2009

Election 2009: RCPC Board Candidates

Andy Charman
Lawton Avenue
A
fifth-generation
Californian, and
resident of Oakland
for over a decade,
I would like to help
preserve and enhance
Rockridge’s unique
character as an “urban oasis,” and its
appeal to residents and visitors alike — a
neighborhood balancing residential and
commercial use, with historical architecture
and beautiful gardens, friendly to families,
amenable to pedestrians and cyclists, and
with superb access to public transportation,
excellent food, and unique shops.
My issues of interest include many
central to the “New Urbanism” movement,
especially traffic calming, and further
“greening” of our community.
I work at UC Berkeley as a physicist,
while my pro-bono work has included
education outreach and consultation for
education non-profits. I have served on
the RCPC board and the transportation
safety committee since February.
Colby Lavin
Locksley Avenue
I
grew up in Rockridge,
moved back with
my family in 2006,
and recently finished
graduate school at the
UC Berkeley Haas
School of Business. I
was appointed to the
board last summer and have thoroughly
enjoyed “giving back” to the community
that I have called home for 35 years.
With RCPC, I am leading the effort to
launch a new community-focused Rockridge.
org website, and working with Rockridge
Montessori and the Red Cross Blood Bank
to reduce the impact of these changing
businesses on their residential neighbors.
As a long-time Rockridge resident,
parent and primary caregiver of two
young girls, and an experienced technology
business leader, I am a unique voice on
the board and I hope to continue serving
Rockridge as somebody who believes in
strong support of local businesses but not
at the expense of our neighborhoods.
Ronnie Spitzer
Kales Avenue
I
’m dedicated to
u p h o l d i n g  t h e
historic RCPC mission
and representing the
community’s interests
in the areas of land
use and transportation. Rockridge is a
successful walkable community that can
be even better. Preserving and enhancing
the community by upholding all provisions
of existing Rockridge planning codes is
one element of our continued success.
Making its streets and air quality safer for
pedestrians, bicyclists and school children
through better transportation planning is
also important.
I interfaced with the City, State
Legislature, community, and Caltrans on
numerous Rockridge development projects
and transportation improvements during
my 2007-9 RCPC board tenure. My service
includes Traffic Committee chair, Fourth
Bore Coalition representative, and RCPC
Vice-Chair. If re-elected, I will continue
working for the community.
Bill Kaufner
Taft Avenue
A
R o c k r i d g e
resident since
1977, I am currently
a n
a p p o i n t e d
b o a r d  m e m b e r
of the Rockridge
Community Planning Council. I would
like to serve a full term as an elected
board member. I am co-chair of the RCPC
education committee which is charged
with supporting our local schools. As a
former administrator at Claremont Middle
School (1987-2003) and an employee of the
nonprofit Public Health Institute (2003-6),
I am eager to continue my service to the
Rockridge community. My goals for this
year are to deepen my involvement with
our local schools and to support their
efforts to attract and retain our Rockridge
school children. I also plan to continue my
contributions to the Rockridge News and
assist in its distribution. I am committed
to maintaining and enhancing the best
qualities of our neighborhood.
Ann Winterman
Ocean View
I
am running for the
board to support
development in
h a r m o n y  w i t h
t h e
e x i s t i n g
neighborhood and
values. I grew up in Orange County, and
moved north in search of a lifestyle that
included walking and public transit options.
I attended law school at Berkeley and now
practice at a downtown Oakland firm. I
find great energy and balance through
dance, yoga, and the outdoors.
I am particularly concerned about
traffic in Rockridge, and plans to expand
the Caldecott tunnel. I am also concerned
about our water shortage.
In addition, I would like to work
on creating an emergency plan for our
community. Finally, I am interested in
supporting our local businesses and favor
buildings that are appropriately scaled in
terms of greenery and open space.
Ruth Miller
Colby Street
I
a m  a  r e c e n t
gr aduate from
MIT’s Department
of Urban Planning
and a new resident
of Rockridge. I love
my new community, and am excited to
contribute my training and experiences
to keeping it safe and comfortable.
Particularly, I’m concerned about the
difficulty of crossing the Claremont and
College intersection on foot, and would
like to investigate the possibility of a
pedestrian-only signal interval.
Urban Big Box renovations can end up
working for everyone, and I imagine more
beautiful shops along the Safeway-side of
College Avenue, instead of the concrete
walls and planters there today, as well as
a careful look at how Safeway can help
improve traffic problems in the area. I
look forward to bringing these ideas and
others to the RCPC.


4.

April 4, 2009

Letters to the Editor
in my recycling bin since last night.
I am awakened almost every night before
trash collection by banging bin lids, rattling
glass, trucks being loaded and noisily driven
off. I’d like to think it is just a nuisance, but
I am also concerned about safety. Is it legal?
Have there been any problems with children
or theft related to these recyclers?
— Kevin Richter
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.
learned from speaking with neighbors, none
of whom has been exempt from being a
victim of crime here.
I urge you to do whatever it takes to
pressure our city to protect us.
— Naomi L. Maloney
Crime is Theft of Sense of Security
Editor’s Reply
The Rockridge News is not planning
a specific article about recycling theft in
the near future, since the topic is so often
discussed in other forums.
For example, below are two links to
Web sites related to OPD Rockridge area
police beats 13X and 12Y and our local
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
that coordinates response to crime issues
with the police in those beats. Our local
NCPC meetings would be a good place to
discuss your concerns and ideas. It meets
monthly. Below those links are two more
links to Web sites that give other general
information — not necessarily specific to
Oakland — about the concerns you raise.
Link to a map of the two OPD police beats
■
■
as Well as Belongings; The City
Must do More to Protect Citizens
Editor
Yesterday afternoon, upon returning to
my home on a sunny afternoon after taking
my little dog for a walk, I found my driveway
empty. There was no car there. It had been
stolen sometime in the 30-40 minutes I was
absent from my house.
This may seem isolated as incidents go,
but since moving to Rockridge in 2004, I
have been a victim of crime three times:
In 2007, my house was broken into,
■
■
tumbled and burglarized, computer and
jewelry gone.
In 2007, returning from purchasing
■
■
groceries, I was attacked from behind very
near my home. The assailant grabbed me by
the neck and, in the struggle, my keys and
wallet flew from my purse as I was knocked
down and he fled with my belongings.
Now, in 2009, my car has been stolen;
■
■
not an easy thing to take from a careful and
cautious person.
In each case the police have been prompt
to respond and have been sympathetic. Yet
in no case has any person been brought to
face any consequence for harm. The police
have said I have been lucky.
But as I lie awake at night I wonder:
when will my luck run out? What does
it mean to be a citizen of this city? How
vulnerable must one feel? Sadly, in these
economic times and worried as we all are,
how much does it take to work hard for the
modest things we have, only finding it more
and more difficult to replace them? And at
what point do we find ourselves robbed of
things that are impossible to replace?
My experience is not unique, as I have
Editor’s Reply
The Rockridge News will soon inau-
gurate a column written by the Greater
Rockridge Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Councils’ two Public Service Officers titled
“Ask A Cop.” It will speak to the questions
you raise. Also, connecting with the NCPC
Web site could provide support and answers:
http://www.rockridgencpc.com/
What Are “Unofficial” Recyclers
up to? Are There More of Them?
Editor
I am hoping you will run an article help-
ing me understand the “unofficial” recycling
collectors, those men and women that mys-
teriously show up on my block on trash day
and take what appears to be mostly glass
and aluminum from my recycling bin.
Why do they do it? I assume they take
the recyclables to a center and cash them
in. How much is it worth to them? Are they
doing a service by sorting it, or are they
indirectly raising my trash collection costs
by lowering the value of my bin that Waste
Management picks up? Has pricing gone up
for recyclables, or is the economy a factor?
I used to see just two or three of them; I
have seen no less than six different people
(12Y and 13X) involving Rockridge:
http://maps.google.com/maps/
ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid
=117539466904926966837.00044a
60353cdf8e803b6&ll=37.844969,-
122.236891&spn=0.023816,0.045233
&source=embed
Link to the Greater Rockridge NCPC
■
■
Web site:
http://www.rockridgencpc.com/
Link to an SF Gate (SF Chronicle) article
■
■
on recycling thefts:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.
cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/01/MNVI11GE90.
DTL
Link to a Berkeley City Council site
■
■
discussing recycling theft:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/council5/
poachingnews.html
Rick Prime    Financial Planning
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Obtain objective advice from your local
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Private Patrol
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2936 Domingo Ave., #1, Berkeley, CA 94705
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5.
April 4, 2009

The RCPC Land Use Committee meets the
fourth Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m.,
at the Rockridge Library.
Next meeting: Wednesday, April 22, 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.

Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman,
RCPC Land Use Committee chair
Land Use Meeting Agendas
Contact Stu Flashman at 652-5373 or chair@
rockridge.org for a copy of the current Land Use
Committee meeting agenda.
Red Oak Realty (5915 College
■
■
6409 Benvenue Avenue and
332 Alcatraz Avenue
Proposal: To demolish two existing structures
on two contiguous lots, merge the lots and re-
subdivide them into 6 mini-lots, and construct
a new single family dwelling on each lot for a
total of six homes served by a Shared Access
Facility.
Owner/Applicant: Jerry & Mary Ann Boddum
Contact Person/Phone No.: Ed Buchanan, Jarvis
Architects 510/652-3582
Permits Required: Vesting Tentative Tract Map
for a mini-lot subdivision to create six mini lots;
Minor Conditional Use Permits for: 1) a Mini-Lot
Development, and 2) a Shared Access Facility
[Shared Access Facilities are private drive-
ways or private access easements that cross
one parcel to access another, and have been
determined to have specific additional potential
impacts warranting additional review criteria.
— Oakland Planning CUP requirements; and
Regular Design Review for a new construction
of six new single family dwellings.
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property (PDHP);
Survey Rating: Db1*
Case Planner: Maurice Brenyah-Addow at
510/238-6342 or mbrenyah@oaklandnet.com
area. Please come out and let Safeway know
what you think of their new plans.
This may be another tough fight through
the planning commission and up to the City
Council. Between Red Oak Realty and Safe-
way’s proposals, perhaps our College Avenue
area needs a new slogan: “If it ain’t broke,
for gosh sakes, don’t break it!” The planner
is Peterson Vollman, phone 510/238-6167,
or e-mail pvollman@oaklandnet.com.
6409 Benvenue Avenue &
■
■
Avenue – Dreyers Building)
Red Oak Realty’s application to move
its Oakland office, now located at Pleasant
Valley and Broadway, into the 4,000 square
foot space formerly occupied by Cotton
& Co. in the Dreyer’s building at College
Avenue and Chabot Road will probably be
heard by the Planning Commission some
time in April. (Visit RCPC’s Web site —
www.rockridge.org — for the exact date
and to sign up for the RCPC e-news to get
current information.)
RCPC is opposed to this move for two
reasons: First, the Dreyers building lies in
the heart of College Avenue’s commercial
district. Putting this large non-retail use into
that key location is likely to seriously damage
the continuity for the pedestrian shopper.
Second, office uses can often afford to pay
much higher rents than retail merchants.
Allowing major office uses to move in on
the ground floor of College Avenue will
encourage landlords to further raise their
rents, potentially displacing retail merchants.
RCPC asks you, Rockridge News readers and
others who shop on College Avenue, to help
by urging merchants you patronize to oppose
this dangerous application. The planner is
Dave Valeska, phone 510/238-2075, or e-mail
DValeska@oaklandnet.com.
College Avenue Safeway
■
■
332 Alcatraz Avenue
This proposal to build six single-family
homes on what are currently two lots at the
corner of Benevue and Alcatraz will be heard
by the Planning Commission on April 1. It
requires two minor conditional use permits
(one for mini-lot development and one for
shared access). The Land Use Committee
informally reviewed the project plans in
January and found that the project generally
conformed to zoning requirements and was
consonant with the surrounding residential
area. RCPC has taken no official position
on the application. An earlier controversial
project proposed 17 housing units for the
same two lots. The planner is Maurice
Brenyah-Addow, phone 510/238-6342 or
e-mail mbrenyah@oaklandnet.com.
1982 Pleasant Valley Avenue
■
■
Visit the City’s Web site for Planninng and Zoning
for details of “Historic Status” and “Survey Rat-
ings”: http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/
ceda/revised/planningzoning/HistoricPreservation/
HP-overviewH.html. (The asterisk above is part
of the rating system.)
(Site of the former Emil Villa’s
Barbeque Restaurant)
The City is proposing to rezone this prop-
erty under “best-fit” zoning from its current
boundaries of R-50 to C-30. While the Emil
Villa’s property is just outside of RCPC’s
boundaries, the zoning proposal affects part
of the parking lot for Long’s Drugs, for which
RCPC has longstanding concern. Planning
staff feels that the current zoning was prob-
ably a “slip-up” because R-50 residential
zoning makes little sense for that location,
especially since the entire site is already in
long-standing commercial use. The Land
Use Committee discussed the proposal at its
March 25 meeting and will make a recom-
mendation to the RCPC board. The planner is
Kitchens
rebuild (6310 College Avenue
at Claremont)
Late-Breaking Update, March 31:
Safeway has announced a meeting to
unveil its latest plans for a 50,000 sq.
ft. store plus small shops. The meeting
will be held Wednedsay, April 29, from
7 to 9 p.m., at the Claremont Hotel (self-
service parking available).
Local architects had drawn up a smaller
and far less ambitious alternative and pre-
sented it to Safeway’s newest architect, but
they appear to have been ignored. RCPC’s
position is that it’s simply not possible to have
a store of that size at that location without
creating major traffic problems and disrupt-
ing the human scale of this successful retail
• Design
• Remodeling
• Showroom Sales
www.acornkitchens
andbaths.com
KITCHENS & BATHS
510
547-6581
4640 TELEGRAPH AVE  •  OAKLAND
HOURS: T-F  10-5  •  SAT. 10-4
Land Use Committee, page 9
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6.

April 4, 2009

G
Rock  ridge
ot some time available? Share
it with RCPC by volunteering.
E-mail chair@rockridge.org, or call 869-
4200 and leave a message. Thank you!
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
A
Neighborhood Comings & Goings
Bellanica, also on Park Boulevard in the
Glenview district. And finally, Adesso,
a restaurant devoted to Italian cured and
game meats including cured pork loin,
salumi, pigeon and rabbit has opened near
the intersection of Piedmont and Pleasant
Valley avenues.
All of these restaurants represent a
commitment to quality and a return
to the authentic earthiness of good dining.
Although several are not in our immediate
Rockridge community area, they are our
Oakland neighbors and need our support
during this difficult economic downturn.
lthough the economy continues
to hurt the restaurant and food
industry, Rockridge neighborhood

eateries are, nevertheless, on
the move.
The Hurley family of Garibaldi’s on Col-
lege has opened Marzano, a splendid Italian
bistro on Park Boulevard in the Glenview
neighborhood. The tiny restaurant bristles
with Italian charm with a reasonably priced
menu that includes 10 uniquely styled pizzas
and delightfully prepared antipasti, salads, and
entrees. Marzano does not take reservations,
but they will put you on a wait-list and call your
cell phone when your table is available.
The folks at Á Côté have signed a lease
to open a new restaurant, also on Park
Boulevard in the Glenview district. It will
be located in the former Mexican restaurant
building at Park Boulevard and Wellington
Street and will feature a Pan-Latino small
plate menu. Presently in the permit process,
the owners hope to open in late spring.
San Francisco’s B-44 (Belden Alley)
owner Daniel Olivetta has opened Barlata
on Telegraph Avenue in the Temecal district.
Barlata is a traditional Spanish tapas bar with
an extensive Spanish wine list. The menu
features typical items found in a Madrid or
Barcelona tapas bar, such as clams sautéed
with Spanish chorizo and white beans, stuffed
piquillo peppers, house cured sardines, and
mussels in wine sauce.
Café Lyon (College Avenue at Miles
across from the BART station) has a new
owner. Harry Marshall has transformed the
menu to reflect a true Lyon-style neighbor-
hood cozy café. Café Lyon offers a delightful
breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Specialties
include an authentic Lyonnaise salad and
onion soup, duck rillettes, duck confit cas-
soulet and a nice selection of cheeses and
desserts. Harry lives in the neighborhood
and Café Lyon deserves our support.
Oakland is beginning to be recognized as
a restaurant destination. Ozumo, the popu-
lar Japanese restaurant on San Francisco’s
Embarcadero, has crossed the Bay with a
new location in Oakland’s Uptown district
(Broadway & Grand). And the owners
of Operto on Potrero Hill have opened
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
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REMAX ACCORD
This month’s recipe is found in almost
every Spanish tapas bar.
Clams with Spanish Chorizo
(Almejas con Chorizo)
4 appetizer servings
2 pounds of Manila clams (Ver Brugge)
¼ pound Spanish chorizo thinly sliced
(Pasta Shop)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
4 slices of rustic bead, toasted and
sprinkled with olive oil
coarse Kosher salt
Place the clams in a large pan. Sprinkle
the chorizo and shallot on top. Pour in
wine. Cover the pan, place on high heat
and cook until the clams open. Place a
slice of toast in the center of each of four
shallow bowls. Divide the clams and
chorizo and the remaining pan juices
among the bowls. Sprinkle with coarse
Kosher salt to taste.
Residential
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Income Properties
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REO Specialist
■
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WWW.REO-SFBay.COM
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JeffAuen@comcast.net
800-805-8827
りきゅう
After 25 years of preparing
authentic Japanese cuisine
for exceptional restaurants
such as Kiku of Tokyo,
Mikaku San Francisco,
Kirala, and We Be Sushi,
Chef Tatsuya Koyake
decides to have his own
space to share his passion
for cooking. Come join
him for a taste of Japan.
Authentic Japanese Cuisine
ADDRESS 5335 College Avenue,

 Oakland, CA  94618
Rikyu
TEL 510 595 7388
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes. His email is kaufman42@earthlink.net.
Praying - Serving - Growing
St. Augustine
Roman Catholic
Church
400 Alcatraz Ave.
Oakland
(between Telegraph
and College
Avenues)
510-653-8631
Mass Schedule
 Saturday: 5 p.m.
 Sunday: 8 a.m.
  & 10:30 a.m.
 Weekdays: 8:30 a.m.
Mon – Fri  9:30 – 6:00
Sat  9:30 – 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
3210 College Avenue
Near Alcatraz
652-1990
Reconciliation
 Saturday, 4 p.m.
www.staugustineoakland.com


7.
April 4, 2009

What Legacy for
Oakland, a City of
Contradictions?
Have you noticed how beautiful Oakland
really is? I mean the Oakland beyond
Rockridge.
city of heartbreaking beauty at times
and of painful memory at others. A
city that is feared and loved; hopelessly
frustrating and full of possibility. And it
is precisely this disturbing, challenging
mix that evokes a strange kind of loyalty
among those of us who live here.
The
Rockridge
 Muse
Our Legacy
What kind of a legacy will we leave
behind, I wonder. We live mostly
in houses and neighborhoods we did not
build. But what a rich experience that is.
People all over the world fight for their
histories and we have this wonderful
opportunity to connect right here.
What about a legacy of thoughtful care
and respect for the old and sensitive,
appropriate design and care of the new
right here in Oakland?
What we do in our communities on our
watch is terribly important and will have
repercussions for years to come. Each
year Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA)
honors projects, programs, organizations
and individuals whose work meets those
standards.
This year’s Partners in Preservation
awards will be presented at an awards
event on May 14 at Chapel of the
Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland.
Applications are accepted until May 1.
You will find the necessary information
and application forms at their web site
www.oaklandheritage.org, or e-mail
them at info@oaklandheritage.org. The
OHA phone number is 510/763-9218.
If you want to learn more about
Oakland, I recommend “Oakland’s
Neighborhoods” by Erika Mailman. It’s
fascinating. Last time I looked you can
get a copy at Diesel Books, 5433 College
Avenue, Oakland.
Lake Merritt
The other night we attended the Chabot
School auction at the Garden Center by
Lake Merritt. We went outside to cool
off a bit from all that lively action inside
and found ourselves bowled over by how
beautiful Oakland is by night seen from
this vantage point. Wow!
To the west, the gently curving façade
of the Kaiser building rose above the
tree line into a blustery evening sky lit
from the street below. Grand Avenue
skirting the north side of the Lake is
truly grand, a stately setting for some
very beautiful buildings, past and probably
future.
At the far end of the Lake, the riot of
scrolling lights of the Grand Lake Theater
sign joyfully announced themselves as
they have done for as long as anyone
remembers.
To the east, the Oakland Hills stretch
expansively, lush and dark green. Lights
sparkled here and there like a carpet
of stars. It was chilly out there, but I
was imagining a stroll along the Lake on
some timeless warm summer evening,
joggers passing by me and strains of
music wafting from the quaint bandstand
on the green, while kayaks and gondolas
glide silently into the dark across the
by Ortrun Niesar
water’s glassy surface. And I found myself
grateful for the work and visions of
others who created this environment.
Thank you, Mayors Merritt and Mott,
for creating this jewel of an urban lake
and park and wildlife sanctuary from
what used to be a swamp. That was
about 150 years ago.
City Hall
I am in City Hall along with many
other Oaklanders, waiting in line to sign
four simple books. My friend mentions
how impressive the building is, richly
adorned with marble detailing, a gracious
staircase leading ever upward. We crane
our necks to look up into the dome.
He conjectures that Oakland must have
been very wealthy at one time, a real
destination point. He has no idea how
right he is. This impressive building was
constructed in 1911, the first City Hall in
America to be built as a skyscraper.
It’s our turn to sign a book and stand
in yet another line. There are four lines,
four books to sign, and four officers
dead. Our hearts are filled with so much
sorrow. This is our city, I thought, our
Rockridge
    Optometry
Ortrun Niesar can be reached at
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Your neighborhood
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Norman H. Burg, DDS
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
General Dentistry
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Sunglass Frames
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5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
A Prevention Oriented Practice
5418 College Ave. (510) 420-1928


8.

April 4, 2009

City Budget
Earth Day RDA
Earth Day FROG
from page 2
from page 1
from page 1
sponsored by the RDA and the Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC).
 The second project involves the
planted traffic island at College and Miles
avenues across from Claremont Middle
School. Come work with Susan Bernosky
from Allstate and Elizabeth Armstrong
from Dreyer’s to pull weeds, trim shrubs
and help with painting a mural, all begin-
ning at 9 a.m.
 Sponsored by Jennifer Kaplan of
Rockridge Home, the third project is to give
a good cleaning up to the Rockridge Library
grounds. This project starts at noon.
Come on out, meet your neighbors, and
help your neighborhood. We will have Earth
Day T-shirts and snacks for participants.
All you need to do is bring gloves and
pitch in. Please go directly to the project
of your choice.
To RSVP or if you have questions,
contact RDA@rockridge.com or call
510/604-3125.
budget is the passage of Measure OO.
Last November, Oakland voters approved
Measure OO, an extension and expansion
of the existing “Kids First” set-aside of
1.5 percent of the General Fund for kids
programs throughout the city. Measure
OO raises the original Kids First set-aside
to 2.5 percent and is calculated based on
all revenue to the city rather than just the
general fund.
Unless Measure OO is repealed, or a
compromise measure is passed, the city
will need to find an additional $5 million
for Kid’s First this year, increasing to $15
million each year starting in 2011.
Arriving at a budget for the next two-
year cycle will be extremely difficult. The
council is looking at a wide range of options
very carefully – everything from eliminating
outside contracts, to furloughs, to negotiat-
ing with the unions for salary and benefit
reductions, to laying off employees. We may
even have to close libraries, senior centers,
and park and recreation programs for some
days each week.
I suggest that all residents watch the
budget process carefully.
or www.oaklandearthday.com for more
information. Contact Howard Ferrier at
hwferrier@sbcglobal.net with questions.
The April FROG steering committee meeting details
will be posted on the FROG Park Web site, www.
frogpark.org. Information: e-mail Jennifer Cooper,
FROG chair, at jennifer@live-work.com.
To adopt a spot for an Earth Day project
of your own, visit the city of Oakland’s Earth
Day Web site at http://www.oaklandpw.
com/Page289.aspx.
Ed. note: Councilmember Brunner’s April Com-
munity Advisory Meeting was to continue the
budget discussion but was scheduled for the day
the April Rockridge News was first available for
distribution. Most readers would not have gotten
the notice in time. Instead, you may visit her Web
site at http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/
council/coun_mem/brunner/ or call her office at
510/238-7001 for further budget information.
G
R   E   A   L   T   O   R   S
The GRUBB Co.
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.
A New Year
and a
NEW DAY
 to help
those in need.
local  sustainable  residential  architecture
Susan Bernosky, LUTCF
(510) 450 9050
Throughout 2009, I will donate 10% of
my net proceeds to the charity of your
choice whenever I represent you (or a
friend) in the purchase or sale of a home.
You pick the charity and I will promptly
send a check after the close of escrow. So
pass the news along and please send your
referrals my way.
BUTTRICK WONG
5940 College Ave, #A
Oakland
susanbernosky@allstate.com
Architects
Together, we can truly impact some
very worthy causes.
Julie Gardner
510.339.0400/245
jgardner@grubbco.com
JulieGardner.com
G
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
Jerome Buttrick, AIA
Tim Wong, AIA
www.buttrickwong.com
510.594.8700


9.
April 4, 2009

Rockridge News
Delivery Person
Needed
If you are interested in helping to deliver
The Rockridge News and live in the gen-
eral area of the route, we would love to give
you an assignment. The route is 24A and
includes Woolsey from College to Benvenue
and both sides of 6400 Benvenue, then up
Alcatraz to College.
Please contact Susan at smontauk@
gmail.com or call 547-3855 to help out.
Land Use
Committee
Bike Parking Racks Installed
As the city of Oakland replaces College
Avenue’s parking meters with “pay and
display” kiosks, the old parking meter poles
are replaced with hoop-style bike parking
racks that hold up to two bicycles each.
from page 5
Dave Valeska, phone 510/238-2075, or e-mail
DValeska@oaklandnet.com. Comments should
be submitted by April 8.
Rockridge Montessori Expansion
■
■
Project (5616 Broadway)
RCPC has already expressed concern
about this expansion of a private school facil-
ity in the residential area on the east side of
Broadway to over 200 students and requested
preparation of an environmental impact
report. The school has filed an application
with the city, and the case has been assigned
to Ulla-Britt Jonsson, phone 510/238-3322,
or e-mail ujonsson@oaklandnet.com. RCPC
will continue to follow up.
College Preparatory School
■
■
Complete architectural
services since 1970
Facilities Master Plan (6100
Broadway)
The College Preparatory School (CPS)
has submitted a proposed facilities master
plan to the City. The plan outlines major
construction projects for the next 10 to 15
years. The project amounts to about 20,000
sq. ft. of space, some of which would replace
buildings to be demolished. The school
envisions no increase in its student popula-
tion. Included are 14 new or replacement
classrooms in two two-story buildings, plus
a dedicated theater building.
RCPC and CPS are co-sponsoring a com-
munity meeting to review and comment on
the plan. The meeting will be in the Smith
Room (next to the parking lot) on the CPS
campus, 6100 Broadway, beginning at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 6. (Confirm meeting date
and time at www.rockridge.org.)
The case planner is Leigh McCullen,
phone 510/238-4977, or e-mail lmccullen@
oaklandnet.com.
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
(510) 654-6755   fax 654-3424
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
 Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
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The art of hair design
5431 College Ave Oakland Ca 94618
510.652.5431
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Financial Advisor
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Berkeley, CA 94704
510-704-8854
www.edwardjones.com
Member CIPF
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Eco-friendly salon
Experienced Stylists
Organic & Sustainable products
Peace of Mind
Bodywork
A touch therapy to relax
the fabric of your being.
Sharon Smith, CMT
6097 Claremont Ave., Oakland
www.peaceofmindbodywork.com
510-461-6431


10.

April 4, 2009

a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
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

Restoration / Renovation
Custom Wood
Windows and Doors
(510) 893 1157
www.woodenwindow.com    Lic 640153
Rebecca Lueck, LCSW
Individual and
Family Counseling
(415) 235-1071
Located at College and Alcatraz
Treating relationship issues,
anxiety, depression, panic disorders,
childhood trauma, grief, infertility
and adoption, and addictions.
Sliding scale : Insurance accepted

Temporarily under the baton of
Claremont student Sirmorian Johnson,
school musicians play on College
Avenue to raise funds for music
program expenses. School music
director Renae Briggs says the number
of music students has grown steadily
over the yers.
‘Thank you,’ Says
Claremont PTA After
Successful Fundraiser
by Jessie Thaler, English teacher,
Claremont Middle School
The 2009 Claremont PTA Silent Auction,
whimsically dubbed “$9.99 and Some
Change!,” was a huge success, uniting the
Claremont community for an evening of
food, conversation and, of course, cutthroat
bidding wars to raise over $18,000.
The auction, held February 21, was hosted
by Thelma Harris of the Thelma Harris
Gallery and Susan Bernosky of Allstate
Insurance. Parents, staff, and local busi-
nesses donated over 170 auction items from
jewelry to weekend retreats, yoga classes to
dinners and parties. Trader Joe’s provided
chocolate and other desserts, and grocery
bags to hold auction items.
Parents Celeste Allen and Becky Couch-
Claremont Auction, page 11
¤
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3 classes for $30*
Morning Power Hour
Mondays & Wednesdays 7:30-8:30
Also visit our store for the largest selection of
women’s yoga wear and yoga props in the East Bay

*new students only; valid for 30 days
When hiring
a service
company,
make sure
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Residential &
Commercial
Armed Patrol,
365 x 24 x 7
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(547-7233)


11.
April 4, 2009

Meet Your Neighbors and Support Rockridge
Join the Rockridge Kitchen Tour!
by Jennifer Edmister,
RCPC Kitchen Tour co-chair
The Rockridge Kitchen Tour committee
is busily viewing wonderfully remod-
eled kitchens throughout Rockridge, and
will continue to do so through April.
If you have a great kitchen you’d like
to showcase, this is your last chance to be
considered for the September 20 event.
Please contact Jennifer Edmister at kitch-
entour@rockridge.org.
If you don’t happen to be the proud
owner of a sparkling new kitchen but do
enjoy seeing beautifully renovated spaces,
meeting your Rockridge neighbors and sup-
porting a great cause, we invite you to join
the Rockridge Kitchen Tour as a volunteer.
We have openings on several committees,
including publicity, brochure text writing
and event coordination. We are also seeking
docents to guide our guests though some
of Rockridge’s finest kitchens.
All volunteers will receive a ticket to the
Rockridge Kitchen Tour, the area’s oldest
and premier kitchen tour. Volunteers also
receive the satisfaction of knowing that

Claremont Auction
from page 10
Alvarado created the festive decorations,
caterer and parent Lois Neuberger con-
tributed hors d’oeuvres, and parent Ron
Kriss designed and donated the banner
that adorned the school. Led by Calvin
Hightower, Claremont Dad’s Club members
tended the bar with aplomb, and Claremont
alumni, now in high school, were on hand to
help out. The event would not have been pos-
sible without the planning, organizing, and
auctioneering skills of PTA board members
Claudia Mills and Julie Parker.
The PTA uses the money raised through
fundraisers like the auction to fund teacher
mini-grants, field trips, the library, the music
department, the computer program, the garden,
and more. As Claudia Mills put it, “PTA money
has touched every kid at the school in one
form or another in this year alone.”
Thanks to the Rockridge community,
the PTA will be able to continue to enrich
the lives of students at Claremont.
Exceptional interior and
 exterior service.
Call for a free estimate.
 510.407.7749
Or visit us on the web at:
www.coastalwestpainting.com
CA License #892264

the funds raised allow RCPC to advocate
for health, safety and quality of life in
Rockridge, a neighborhood that continues
to thrive in these challenging times.
If you have a few hours to contribute,
we have a place for you! To get involved,
contact Jennifer Edmister at kitchentour@
rockridge.org or call 510/869-4200, atten-
tion Kitchen Tour.
Below: photos of two kitchens featured
in the most recent Rockridge Kitchen
Tour. Yours could be one of those on
display in the 2009 Tour.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Certified Public Accountants
and Consultants
A Professional Corporation
■
• tax preparation • estate planning
• tax planning
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5940 College Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, California 94618
510.652-1000   FAX 510.654-2363G
Henry C. Levy & Co.
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland


12.

April 4, 2009

Illustrated East Bay Rail Transit History Points to the Future

A book review by Jon Gabel
Rail lines and East Bay urban
growth have been intertwined
from the first subdivisions.
Development of a compre-
hensive transit system was
set back with the dismantling
of the Key System in the late
1950s and early ’60s.
‘K
ey System Streetcars — Transit, Real
Estate, and the Growth of the East
Bay,” by Vernon J. Sappers, is a reminder
of what we had, what we lost, and perhaps
what we can aspire to have again – a com-
prehensive electric streetcar network. And
the book is a treasure trove of photographs
going back to the 19th century.
On nearly every one of the 480 pages
of this coffee-table sized book are wonder-
ful historical photographs of the East Bay,
including Rockridge. These photos docu-
ment the history of the Key System: the
horse-drawn trolley lines that developed
into the superb electric train system that
served our community, the gradual decline
of the system, and finally its destruction
and conversion to diesel busses by General
Motors, Standard Oil of California, and
Firestone Tire.
The book is organized in several over-
streetcars in operation on it. Check out the
section on the College Avenue No. 6 Line for
photos from 1912 and 1946 of the intersec-
tion of College and Broadway, a 1941 shot
of a passenger train headed for Sacramento
stopped at the corner of College and Shafter,
and pictures of other familiar intersections
along College Avenue (including Claremont,
Alcatraz, and Ashby) showing many build-
ings that are still in place. There are also
sections of this chapter on other familiar
areas, such as the No. 4 Shattuck Avenue,
the No. 5 Telegraph Avenue, and the No.
10 Piedmont Avenue Lines.
And if this is not enough, Chapters 5
and 6 document the Key System facilities
and every type of rolling stock ever used.
Finally, there are several maps showing
the Key System at different stages of its
development.
In all, this is a book that will provide
many hours of pleasurable reading. The
Rockridge Library has acquired a copy,
which will be available at the Reference
Desk as soon as it has been cataloged. In
addition, the Oakland Main Library also has
one in its Oakland History Room, and the
Berkeley Central Library has one reference
and one circulating copy.
If you want to purchase your own copy, it
is available online for $70 from the publisher,
Signature Press, at www.signaturepress.
com/currtitl.html.
lapping ways. The first three chapters are
chronological and document the history
of the small streetcar lines that eventually
merged to become the Key System. Among
the more interesting photos in these chapters
are those of downtown Oakland around
Broadway and 12th to 14th streets. In 1902,
the wooden buildings in the area were two to
three stories high and the streets were shared
by trains and horse-drawn wagons.
By 1910, there were iron- and steel-
framed buildings taller than 10 stories
and automobiles had replaced the horses.
In 1912, pedestrians still strolled casually
across the area without the need for traffic
signals. Huge crowds filled the streets on
November 11, 1918 to celebrate the end of
World War I and in 1919 during a strike by
the Street & Electric Railway Workers union.
By 1920, there were more “skyscrapers,”
and women’s skirts had risen to mid-calf.
During World War II, the streetcars are
shown “packed to the ventilators” with
riders. Due to the military draft, women
train operators are seen.
Chapter 4 (all 230 pages of it!) has a map
of each streetcar route and photos of the
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OAKLAND, CA 94607
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Outside
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■
■


13.
April 4, 2009

Metals Thieves Have Their Brass
by Don Kinkead, Editor
A
little-noted crime wave recently washed
over College Avenue from Broadway to
Alcatraz Avenue as metals thieves made off
with what must be the easiest gotten yet least
rewarding swag in all of thiefdom: brass caps
from fire hose connections on multi-storied
residential and commercial buildings.
Found on what are known as siamese
connectors, the caps protect the metal thread-
ing to which fire hoses would be attached
to supply water to upper floors during a
fire. Two fire hoses can be hooked up to
the Y-shaped siamese connectors.
Working in the dead of night, or even in
broad daylight while shielded by ornamental
shrubbery, these brazen, bottom-feeding
thieves collect the protective brass caps for
resale to metals buyers.
According to Lt. Jim Reis, normally
assigned to Fire Station 20 but visiting at

Fire Station 19 on Miles Avenue, missing
caps can lead to hazardous situations for
firefighters and fire victims alike.
“When the connector is open to the
street, passersby may use them as trash
receptacles for coffee cups, gum wrappers
and other litter.” he explained. Also, accord-
ing to Reis, water pumped into a clogged
connector can force the litter deeper into
the pipe, slowing or preventing the water
from reaching the site of the fire.
An informal survey of College Avenue
building owners whose siamese connector
caps had been stolen revealed that many
were unaware of the theft. Some were
unaware that the specialized connector had
been installed.
Reis says that some building owners
attempt to fashion a replacement cover by
wiring a tin can or attaching other unsuitable
material to the openings. Removing these
unorthodox covers in an emergency can
be difficult for firefighters, costing crucial
minutes of firefighting time.
An Oakland metals dealer, who asked not
to be named, told The Rockridge News that
the brass nets the thief about $0.25 per pound;
the caps can weigh up to three pounds each.
Replacement covers cost from $35 to $75 for
brass, and $5 to $6 for firefighter-approved
aluminum or plastic cover plates, according to
firefighting-supply company representatives.
To discourage purchases of stolen scrap
metal, the California Legislature passed AB
844 (Berryhill) which took effect December
1, 2008. The bill requires metals dealers to
obtain a photo ID from sellers, photograph
the purchased materials, and withhold pay-
ment until three days after the transaction.
Similar federal legislation is pending.
According to its Web site, the Institute
of Scrap Recycling Industries feels that the
proposed federal legislation requires undue
oversight by metals dealers, and fails to crack
down directly on the metals thieves.

Siamese connectors, one with brass
caps (top), one without.
Photos: Don Kinkead

College Avenue Stores Host Children’s Art
Kids Paint the Town and the Museum
of Children’s Art (MOCHA) announce
their Kids Art Showcase and Art Event
April 2 through 30.
Over 200 pieces of local kids’ art will
be displayed in merchant windows along
College Avenue, at the Alameda Towne
Centre and at Walgreens on Adeline at
Shattuck in Berkeley.
Kids Paint the Town was designed as a
way to enable people to make a contribution
to their community. They believe everyone
has a part in this project, from kids who

love to draw, to merchants who create tem-
porary “galleries,” to sponsors who donate
to make the event fuller, and the public that
appreciates the art. Each piece submitted
is displayed.
Locations and kids’ names will be posted
at http://www.KidsPaintTheTown.org. Call
510/814-8127 for further information.
Project sponsors: BLICK art materials, Miraglia
Catering & Events Planning, Trader Joe’s, Dreyer’s
Ice Cream and The East Bay Monthly magazine. For
more information, contact Jennifer Rogers at 415/652-
2217 or e-mail info@kidspaintthetown.org.
Will the April showers bring May more home sales?

Kimberly Lang

Closing Date BR	Bth	 Address
Original Price
DOM
LP
SP
 2/27/2009
4
2
4325 Harbord Dr.
$995,000
8
$995,000
$1,029,000
 3/6/2009
3
2
6231 Contra Costa Rd.
$1,295,000
14
$1,295,000
$1,385,000
 3/11/2009
2
1
5563 Lawton Ave.
$735,000
11
$735,000
$743,450
 3/18/2009
3
2
5247 Locksley Ave.
$799,000
40
$784,000
$755,000
 3/18/2009
3
2
5656 Buena Vista Ave.
$895,000
16
$895,000
$890,000
The Average Market time has decreased by 34%.
There is currently a two month supply of inventory in Rockridge.
The Average List to Sell Price last month was 129% vs. 102% in 2008.
60% of Rockridge sales in the last 30 days sold for over the asking price.
Comparing the current market to a year ago, this time there has been a 31% decrease in sales.

Draperies
Roman Shades
Cushions and Pillows
Fabric and Style Advice
510.540.6864        www.kimberlylang.com


14.

April 4, 2009

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!
Unexpected Guest?
Short-term rental, lovely room 2 blocks from
Rockridge BART in owner’s flat. A steal. Photos
available. Wi-fi, cable, TV. Suitable for one person.
Photos available. Barbird@aol.com 510/652-7044.
Decorative Painting
Faux finish, children’s murals, refinishing,
interior painting and color consultation. Call
Deco Art. 510/593-4574.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Clas-
sifieds, 5245 College Avenue, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94618. May deadline is April 16.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Jazz & Classical Piano Lessons
Jazz and classical piano lessons from Rockridge
jazz pianist with B.A. in music from U.C.
Berkeley, 15 years experience teaching and
performing. Reasonable rates, patient, dedi-
cated. All ages welcome. Janet 653-6783.
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
Help with Your PC or Mac
College student can help you in your home.
Affordable rates. Experienced & patient. Routine
scans/maintenance $35/hr. Internet applications
training, repairs & upgrades $25/hr. Call Tony,
653-1079. Rockridge only.
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.
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
Home Repairs
Carpentry, electrical, kitchen, bath, decks,
fence, drainage, tile, windows, walls, dry rot,
termite damage, crown molding. Lic#458473.
Don 510/812-0310.
Low Stress Carmel Getaway
Comfortable, cheery 3BR+2BA family home
available for short-term rental. Fully furnished
from piano to ping pong, sunny patio. Quiet,
peaceful: pines, oaks, birds. Only two hours
away. Reasonable weekly rates. E-mail lowstress-
getaway@yahoo.com. [Hyphen is in address.]
SIMPLIFY!
Clutter Control
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.
Paper/Filing Systems
Kitchens/Closets
Affordable Home Cook
I cater to your dietary needs with as many meals
per week as needed, cooked in your home or
in my Rockridge kitchen. 30 years professional
cooking experience. Excellent local references.
Call Elvia 510/557-5947.
Space Planning
Packing/Unpacking
Solutions for the critical mess
Non-Judgmental & Confidential
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under 20
feet tall. I work with trees to enhance their natu-
ral beauty. Specialties: maples, camellias, fruit
trees, & focal points. Pruning instructor Merritt
College. Bruce Thompson 510/428-4964.
www.SummersOrganizing.com
Barbara ✔ 415-381-0707
Electrical Repairs & Remodels
From doorbell repair to whole-house rewiring,
we’ve been doing electrical work in Oakland
and Berkeley for over 30 years. Sutorik &
Company, lic. #397149. 510/655-3677.
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.
Food Garden Installation,
Maintenance and Consulting
Trust in your food sources. Connect with your land
and your neighbors through our CSA. Reduce your
carbon footprint. Learn about gardening. Feast Bay
Farming. www.feastbay.org; or call 650/303-4237.
Psychotherapy for Older
Women/Grandmothers
Brief or long-term therapy for women wanting
a better relationship with their adult children/
grandchildren. Older, 30 years experience,
interactive psychotherapist. Maggie Rochlin,
LCSW. 510/845-6556.
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.
6
Patios, Decks, Fences, Painting/
Custom Artistic Tiling
I build outdoor amenities and have 20 years
experience with lots of Rockridge references.
www.Diegodesigns.com. Call Diego: 510/828-
9473. “We listen to your dreams.”
%
Pilgrimages: Medjugorje & Rome
Join us on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje and the
shrine of Our Lady of Peace or Rome and the
Seven Pilgrimage Churches. Visit www.MyUITour.
com or call 866/984-8687 or 415/963-4477.
CST:2070359-40.
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.
Since 1986
realtyadvocates.com
Dim Sum Mania @ Becky’s
Chinese Restaurant
5620 College Avenue, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
11:30 am-3 pm. 510/601-9888.
(510) 428-0757


15.
April 4, 2009

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

fiddle champ) John Pedersen will read, discuss and
fiddle in support of his first novel, Scroll and Curl.
Thurs., 4/30, 7pm.
■
■
John Wray: Lowboy.
Sun., 5/3, 3pm.
■
■
Poetry Flash, featuring Carol Moldaw,
Julia B. Levine and Ruth L. Schwartz.
Wed., 5/5, 7pm. Rockridge resident
■
■
Jennifer Riggs
Vetter: debut picturebook, Down By the Station.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. Info: other
events, book groups and Spanish discussion group El
Grupito: 653-9965 or www.dieselbookstore.com.
Hillcrest School Carnival

Community Calendar

Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Rockridge residents and business members are
■
■
Free Comic Book Day:
■
■
 Free comics until they are all
gone. Saturday, May 2, starting at 10am.
FOR ADULTS:
Writers’ Support/Critique Group:
■
■
ALL writers
welcome. Bring 12 copies of up to 5 double-spaced
pages of prose for on-site reading/discussion. 3rd
Sat/month, (4/18) 1 to 5pm. California Writers Club,
Berkeley branch (www.berkeleywritersclub.org.)
Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
Knitting Classes for Seniors
■
■
 (50+): instructor Teri Barr.
All levels. Beginners bring light color yarn and a pair of
size 8 needles. If experienced, bring projects to work on.
Tuesdays, 12:30-2:30pm, upstairs meeting room.
Yiyun Li
■
■
 reads from her debut novel, The Vagrants, set
in Communist China, in the late 1970s. Co-sponsored
by the American Assoc of Univ Women, Oakland-
Piedmont Chapter. Saturday, April 4, 2-4 pm.
How to De-Clutter Your Papers and Your Place
■
■
:
methods and tips from Professional Organizer Joan
Craig. Sat. 4/18, 2-4:30 pm. A follow-up workshop
on 5/2, 2-3:30pm.
Peace Corps Information Session
■
■
: No upper age
limit to join. Mon., 4/20, 6pm to 7:30pm. Info: Nick
Bosustow, 452-8444.
Financial Foresight: surviving, and thriving during
■
■
invited to voice their concerns about crime and public
safety, 4th Thurs. each month, 7 to 8:30pm. Rockridge
Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College Ave.
info@rockridgencpc.com or infofordenise@
yahoo.com.
Joint Public Meeting
■
■
: Rockridge NCPC, Montclair
Safety and Improvement Council and North Hills N’hood
Council. Topic: The City-wide Problem of Sexually
Exploited Minors. Speakers from “MISSEY” and
Oakland Family Violence Law Cntr. Tues., Apr.14, 6:30
– 8pm, Montclair Park Rec. Center, 6300 Moraga Ave.
Info and RSVP: chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Town Hall Meeting on the Education
Budget Process
Fun for all: games, a giant slide, face painting, BBQ, Jamba
Juice, live music and more. Proceeds benefit Hillcrest
PTA for school programs. Sat., 4/25, 11am- 3pm. Hillcrest
School, 30 Marguerite Dr. Info: hillcrestpta.org/walk-
athon.shtml or email hansonds@pacbell.net.
Secret Gardens of the East Bay
Park Day School benefit. Features 10 local gardens
created by renowned local landscape designers. Tours:
Sat., 4/25, 9am-4pm and Sun., 4/26, 9am-5pm. Also on
4/26: Marketplace and Green Talks. Garden-related
wares; talks by garden experts; lunch and other foods
available. Free, open to the public 10am-5pm. 370 43rd St.
The Garden Tour raises funds for academic and financial
assistance programs. Info: 653-0317x103, or cathy@
parkdayschool.org. Garden photos, Marketplace events
timetable, tickets: www.SecretGardenTour.org.
Wisteria Ways Concert Series
Speakers: OUSD Chief Financial Officer Vernon Hal,
OUSD Budget Director Jason Willis and District 1
School Board Director Jody London. Tues., 4/14, 6
to 8pm. Santa Fe Elem. School, 915 54th St. Food
provided (maybe child care: call to confirm). Info: Jody
London, 459-0667.
Rockridge Branch Library
Palm Wine Boys: Tom Chandler, Richard Linley, Q.B.
Williams, and Dylan Eliyahu Sills, sing and play acoustic
world folk music. Saturday, 4/18, 8pm (house opens
at 7:30pm). $15-20 suggested donation for musicians
(cash please at the door).383 61st St. (inside venue, not
wheelchair accessible). Reservations recommended:
RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
Pacific Boychoir Academy Performs
tough times: Saturday, April 25, 2-4:30pm
Lawyers in the Library:
■
■
 Free legal advice. First Tues/
mo., 6 to 8pm. Sign-up starts 5pm. Info: 597-5017.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery: April: Vaughn Hovanessian: Photography.
            May: Merritt College Students: Figure and
portrait drawings.
Lobby Display Case:
            April: Children’s Art from Museum of Children’s
Art (MOCHA).
            May: Barry Paul: drawings.
LIBRARY HOURS:
Mon. and Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm. Closed Sundays
Also closed: 4/9 and 4/10 for City of Oakland
Non-Emergency-Services Shutdown.
Diesel Book/Poetry Events
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Sun., 4/5, 3pm.
■
■
Poetry Flash, featuring Diane di
Prima, Michael McClure and David Meltzer.
Wed., 4/8, 7pm.
■
■
Pico Iyer: The Open Road: The Global
Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Thurs., 4/9, 7pm. Local illustrator
■
■
Michael Wertz will
discuss and sign his picture book of feline poems, A
Curious Collection of Cats.
Mon., 4/13, 7pm.
■
■
Amnesty International Meeting:
All invited to exchange ideas on action.
Thurs., 4/16, 7pm. Local author and radio show host (on
■
■
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN:
Toddler Story Time: Every Saturday
■
■
, 10:30am.
Pre-School Story Time
■
■
: 1st & 3rd Weds, 10:30am.
New additional Baby and Toddler Story Time
■
■
: 1st
and 3rd Wednesday, 10:30am, Community Room.
Pajama Story Time
■
■
: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7pm (see
special events below).
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR CHILDREN:
Celebrate National Library Week
■
■
 with guest story-
teller Gracie Woodard. Get a small gift of a matching
pencil and notebook. Tues., 4/14, 7pm.
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs in Your Pajama Story Time
■
■
: stories
about all kinds of insects. We’ll each make a bug or two:
Butterfly, dragonfly, moth, bee? Tues., 4/28, 7pm.
FOR TEENS:
Rockridge Ninjas (Anime Club): Teens 13 and up
■
■
,
watch and talk about anime with other teens. Second
Tues/month (4/7), 5 to 6:30pm, upstairs meeting rm.
6th Making Manga Magic Contest:
■
■
On one 8-1/2 x
11” sheet, draw, paint, or use computer graphics. Must
be 12-18 and have an OPL card. Write your name,
age, email, address, phone number, and OPL card
number on a separate sheet of paper. Drop entry at
the Rockridge Lib. or mail to: Contest, TeenZone/OPL,
125 14th St., Oakland, CA 94612. Deadline is April 18.
Your artwork will be displayed. Awards ceremony with
great prizes! Call Susy at 597-5017 for details.
The Rockridge based, Grammy winning choir performs
the Pergolesi Stabat Mater in Holy Week observances,
St. Augustine Catholic Church, Good Friday, 4/10. Church
opens at noon; the Stabat Mater begins at 1pm. 400
Alcatraz Ave. Info: 653-8631.
Christensen Heller Gallery
Dusk on Lucy’s Pond: Fine oils by Calif. Artist Juliana
Harris: through May 3. Gallery hrs: Wed.-Sat. 11am-
6pm; Sun., noon-5pm.
Calif. College of the Arts (CCA)
Undergraduate Exhib
■
■
itions: CCA student work, rotat-
ing weekly. Receptions every Wed., 5:30-7:30pm. 5212
B’way, Oliver Art Center. Info/hours: 658-1223 (or 1224)
or www.cca.edu/students/undergadexhibitions.
22nd Annual Barclay Simpson Award Exhibition
■
■
:
Award-winning work by MFA graduates. 4/20-25. 5212
B’way, Oliver Art Center. Info/hours: 415/551-9214.
CCA Oakland Campus Spring Fair
■
■
: Apr.25, 11am
to 3pm. Singular affordable gifts made by students,
alumni, faculty and staff: paintings, jewelry, ceramics,
blown glass, photos, textiles and more. Refreshments
and live jazz. 5212 B’way. Info: 594-3678.
American Red Cross
Mobile Blood Drive; Donate blood
■
■
: Thurs., 4/9, 10am-
3pm, Claremont Resort, Horizon Ballroom, 41 Tunnel
Road. Call 800-GIVE LIFE or go to BeADonor.com
(Code: CLAREMONT) to schedule an appt.
Volunteer Orientations
■
■
: Learn how to: serve, inform
and thank blood donors; deliver blood; call donors;
special projects. 4/18, and 4/11, 10am-noon; 4/14 and
4/22, 6pm-8pm. 6230 Claremont Ave. Info/sign up: Anne,
594-5165 or BlackstoneA@usa.redcross.org.
KPFA) David Bacon: Illegal People: How Globalization
Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants.
Sun., 4/26, 3pm. Local resident (and “old-time” banjo and
■
■
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
Kim W., Oakland
Homeowner:
“The best and most
focused residential
patrol service that I
have ever seen!”
www.curvesrockridge.com
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri  6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon


16.

April 4, 2009

Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
ROCKRIDGE? IF YOU
NEED THE SERVICES
OF A REALTOR, CALL
ME. I HAVE 31 YEARS
OF ROCKRIDGE SALES
EXPERIENCE AND THE
EXPERTISE YOU NEED.
6 5 5 - 2 3 3 0
ROCKRIDGE
R
E
A
L T
Yaboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
serving you since 1981
Specialists in
Brazilian waxing
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

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN

WResidential Sales

WIncome Property

WCommercial

WProperty Management
29
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland

24 Years as a Full Time Realtor
Over 300 Homes in Oakland/Piedmont Sold
70+ Homes Sold in Rockridge
It’s Experience That Counts!
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
With over 300 homes sold –
Experience Counts
WINSTON’S PLUMBING
ROBERTS ELECTRIC
HEATING & ELECTRICAL
RECO
COMMERCIAL
RESIDENTIAL
lic.# 537739/554406
Since 1979
• Trenchless Sewers
INSTALLATION  •  REPAIR  •  220 WIRING
• Earthquake Protection
NEW CONSTRUCTION  •  REMODEL
FREE ESTIMATES
• Tankless Water Heaters
2408 Webster St.  834-6161  Oakland
• Remodel & Repair
SERVING THE EAST BAY SINCE 1932            CA. LIC# 728215
510-652-8014
www.winstonsplumbing.com
“”May your toilet never runneth over!”
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL
ABOUT
ASHBY LUMBER?
For rent oFFices – rockridge

5767 Broadway
$3,000/ mo.
Professional Offices Approx 1,350sqft
Remodeled Open Floor Plan, 2 Bathrooms, Kitchen
www.5767Broadway.com

For sale – elmwood

3040 Benvenue Ave
$1,495,000
5 Beds & 2.5 Baths
Traditional Craftsman w/ Flair
www.3040Benvenue.com

coming in april – rockridge

331 Clifton Street
Call for Pricing
2+ Beds & 1 Bath
Charming Craftsman w/ Office
www.331clifton.com
1,458
years of
Experience,
…as of today.
ASHBY LUMBER
HARDWARE & BUILDING SUPPLIES
824 ASHBY AVE    BERKELEY
(510) 843-4832  OPEN 7 DAYS
2295 ARNOLD INDUSTRIAL WAY
CONCORD  (925) 689-8999  Mon-Sat
431 Clifton Street
Call for Pricing
3 Beds & 2 Baths
Rebuilt From the Ground Up
www.431clifton.com

5677 Ocean View Drive
Call for Pricing
3+ Beds & 2+ Baths
Traditional 2-Story Craftsman
www.5677oceanView.com

5906 Colby Street
Call for Pricing
2 Beds & 2 Baths 2-Story Owners
w/ 2 Beds & 1 Bath Apartment
www.5906colby.com
L A W T O N
ron kriss, Broker
lawton associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
A S S O C I A T E S
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E