Extracted text · highlighting “Colby Lavin”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 24        NO. 6        ISSUE NO. 257        June 6, 2009                   CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

2009 Rockridge Kitchen Tour: Sunday, September 20. Purchase tickets at www.rockridge.org

Rockridge Kitchen Tour Introduces the Margarido House

 Experience eight spectacular
Rockridge kitchens plus the nationally
renowned Margarido House on
September 20. Save now: buy advance
tickets!
Only in Rockridge: Eight
Kitchens Plus a Full-Home Tour
of a National Showpiece
by Jennifer Edmister,
Kitchen Tour co-chair
After a difficult selection process, we
are pleased to announce our choice
of eight spectacular kitchens for the 2009
Rockridge Kitchen Tour.
This year, we are also proud to offer a
full, open-home tour of the famed Margarido
House, the first new home in the United
States to be both LEED-H certified and
Greenpoint rated. The Margarido House
and top-to-bottom green strategy has been
well accomplished.
Margarido House features solar electric
power and solar thermal heating, onsite
rainwater reclamation, locally sourced and
recycled building materials, a rooftop garden
and more.
Presale tickets for the Rockridge Kitchen
Tour, which includes eight kitchens plus the
Photo: McDonald Construction
also represents an extraordinary collabora-
tion of builders, vendors and community
members whose goal of exquisite design
Kitchen Tour 2009, page 3
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Acclaimed FROG Park at Risk: Budget to Minimize Maintenance, Staff

RCPC Protests Park Maintenance Cuts
R
CPC and FROG (Friends of the Rockridge Greenbelt) have each
written to City Council President and District One councilmember
Jane Brunner protesting City plans to curtail maintenance of the highly
popular FROG Park. The proposal is part of the draft 2009-10 fiscal year
budget, which attempts to address
FROG Park Threatened, page 6
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More than 100 volunteers celebrate their work at the Hardy play area,
October 2001. See more FROG Park photos, new and old, on FROG’s
Facebook page or http://www.frogpark.org.    Photo: Bill Caldwell
Weaving Spiders:
Get Caught in
Rockridge’s Web
C
Solar Seminar!
June’s RCPC Town Hall
M e e t i n g  f e a t u r e s  a
look at solar systems,
their installation, and
their advantages (and
disadvantages). Find out
if solar power is for you.
P
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
AGENDA
June 2009
R
C
Thursday, June 18, 7:30 p.m.
Rockridge Branch Library,
5366 College Avenue at Manila,
Community Room (Upstairs)
by Colby Lavin, RCPC boardmember
Talking about Rockridge is pretty easy. Talking with
Rockridge and its 10,000 residents is a lot trickier.
There are lots of great voices in our community from which
we can learn about the huge Safeway remodel, an event at
a local school, a volunteer day at one of our parks, or how
to create a beautiful garden;
Rockridge Web, page 12
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Are you tired of paying PG&E for electricity? Do you wish you could
do more to save the environment and prevent global warming? An
increasing number of Rockridge residents have trimmed, or even eliminated,
their electric bill through solar power. Additional savings are possible with
the federal stimulus package and state and federal tax incentives. Learn
all about it at RCPC’s June 18 Town Hall Meeting.


2.

June 6, 2009

In My Opinion

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.

Rockridge and the Economic Tsunami
How We Can Maintain the Livability of Rockridge in Bad Times

12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
by Doug Patton
The economic crisis we now face
requires us to consider what was once
unimaginable: that the services we receive
from government agencies are becoming
scarce, and will continue to be challenged
at an increasing rate. We have depended
on these services to a large extent to help
create Rockridge as a special place. The
issue before us is: what do we need to do to
maintain the livability of Rockridge?
Most of the government funding comes
from the city of Oakland, which gets most
of its revenue from sales tax, property tax
and real estate transfer taxes. These sources
are being severely diminished through lower
sales, car dealerships closing, lowering
property values that will result in lower
property tax revenue, and other challenges
to the income stream available for providing
services. The shortages are so drastic that
some cities are finding it necessary to file
for bankruptcy.
Mayor Dellums has presented his budget,
which calls for substantial reductions in all
services, including police, parks and recre-
ation. School funding is also being reduced.
Added to that is the State’s budget crisis. The
Governor has stated that the failure of the
propositions on the recent ballot will result
in the taking of an additional $2 billion from
cities’ property tax revenues. Rockridge
will feel the pain from the reduced funds
available to provide the services we have
come to depend upon.
Our national leaders want us to believe
that what is happening now is just an aber-
ration, and that we will eventually return
to the way things were before the crisis
hit. For a number of reasons, that result is
highly improbable. We should prepare for
a different result; that public agencies will
no longer provide the services that we have
come to depend upon as being permanent
and ongoing.
We should begin to prepare now for
the effect of the crisis on Rockridge. To
start, I submit that we should explore the
following:
1. What services do we rely upon to
maintain the quality of life we now experi-
ence in Rockridge?
2. If these services are severely dimin-
ished, what will be the effect on the quality
of life in Rockridge? Are we agreeable to
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
Andrew Charman	���������������Vice-Chair
Ruth Miller	��������������������������Secretary
Joan Martin	��������������������������Treasurer
Annette Floystrup, Jonathan Gabel, William Kaufner,
Don Kinkead, Colby Lavin, Doug Patton,
Katy Taylor, Ann Winterman
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.
Economic Tsunami, page 11
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¤
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
Doug Patton is a member of the RCPC board of directors. The opinions expressed
in this article are his alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the RCPC.
Mon – Fri  9:30 – 6:00
Sat  9:30 – 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
3210 College Avenue
Near Alcatraz
652-1990
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.
$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
 July 6, 2009
 July deadline is June 18, 2009.
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.
June 6, 2009

kitchens. Two to three docents are assigned
to each home, and rotate duties, greeting
guests at the door, guiding them through
the kitchens and helping to serve refresh-
ments on back patios. Docents are treated
to a pre-tour of three kitchens, as part of
their training. If you are interested in being a
docent, contact Nancy Sale at 655-4625.
To assist with other pre-tour and event day
activities, please contact Jennifer Edmister
at 547-2841 or toejrb@earthlink.net.
Kitchen Tour 2009
Brochure Advertising
The kitchen tour brochure provides
merchants, real estate brokers, builders,
architects, designers, decorators, and
other residential home professionals with
an opportunity to reach an interested and
enthusiastic audience.
For more information about advertising
space in the tour brochure, contact Jo Ellis
at joellis1@hotmail.com, or at 510/653-3210,
after 12 noon.
from page 1
Margarido open house on September 20, are
available now for $30 each. (Day-of-tour
tickets are $40.) To buy your advance tickets
now, return the coupon below with a check
by mail or visit www.rockridge.org.
Margarido Reception, September 17
This year, we are also pleased to offer
something extra. For the Premium
Ticket price of $60, you will delight in the
full Rockridge Kitchen Tour experience
on Sunday, plus an evening cocktail recep-
tion at the Margarido House on Thursday,
September 17. Spend a late summer evening
taking in the gracious 4,000+ square foot
home at your leisure, enjoying the San
Francisco skyline from the patio or the
rooftop garden, and lingering over a bite
and a drink in good company. Premium
tickets are limited.
Volunteers Still Needed
We are still recruiting volunteer docents
to guide tour guests through our showpiece
Yes!

Advance Ticket Order Form
Save me a spot for the 2009 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
Sunday, September 20, 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Please send me the following tickets:

Standard Tickets @ $30 presale price..........................................= $

Premium Tickets (Includes 9/17 cocktail reception) @ $60........= $

TOTAL...........= $

Name:
 Phone (
)

Address:
 City:
 Zip:

Please mail this coupon, a self-addressed stamped envelope and your check or money
order payable to: RCPC Kitchen Tour, 5245 College Avenue PMB 311, Oakland, 94618.
Thank you!
The RCPC Land Use Committee meets the
fourth Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m.,
at the Rockridge Library.
Next meeting: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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.
Neighbors of College Avenue (or FANs of
College Avenue, for short). Over the next
few months, as the City starts its environ-
mental review of the project, FANs will be
working on trying to get Safeway to rethink
and revise its proposal into something
more in keeping with its College Avenue
location. Please check the RCPC website
at http://rockridge.org for pictures of the
Safeway plans and updates on FANs and
its activities.
Rockridge Montessori
■
■
message that College Avenue retail needs
and deserves continued protection.
RCPC will be working with Dreyer’s and
its real estate agent, Cityshapers, to identify
one or more appropriate retail tenants for
this large and important space.
College Avenue Safeway
■
■
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman,
RCPC Land Use Committee chair
Red Oak Realty (5915 College
■
■
Avenue – Dreyer’s Building)
In early May, RCPC learned that Red
Oak Realty’s use permit application had been
pulled off the June 3 Planning Commission
agenda. We then heard that Dreyer’s, the
landlord for the site, had reconsidered and
decided that it would not rent to Red Oak
Realty, making the use permit application
moot. Dreyer’s indicated that it had not
realized the neighborhood’s concerns about
the use of the space.
Presumably, Dreyer’s change of heart
had something to do with letters Rockridge
residents wrote to the City and/or Dreyer’s
expressing their objections to Red Oak’s
proposal. If so, give yourselves a pat on
the back.
RCPC would like to thank the more than
40 College Avenue merchants who signed
the petition to the City opposing Red Oak
Realty’s move. We think the City got the
Rebuild (6310 College Avenue
at Claremont)
Safeway has now filed its formal applica-
tion with the City for a new store complex,
including a second-story Safeway of just
under 50,000 sq. ft., located on top of park-
ing (173 customer spaces, with a separate
surface lot for employees and delivery trucks)
and 11,000 sq. feet of small shops along
College Avenue. While the design for the
complex is better than Safeway’s previous
proposal, RCPC remains opposed to the
project due to its large size and associated
environmental and economic impacts on
the community.
The various stakeholder groups that had
participated in trying to work with Safeway
on new store plans have now formed them-
selves into a coalition called Friends And
Expansion Project (5616
Broadway)
Rockridge Montessori’s original use
permit application for the proposed expan-
sion to over 200 students was deemed
incomplete. The City is currently reviewing
the applicant’s recently submitted supple-
mental application materials.
RCPC has raised concerns about the
project’s potential traffic impacts, especially
the safety hazards that would be caused by
extensive U-turns at the Broadway/Manila/
Monroe intersection in front of the school.
Land Use Committee, page 12
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4.

June 6, 2009

Letters to the Editor
etc. – to recuse themselves from weighing
in on the school’s expansion plans.
Responding to a neighbor’s letter, Col-
lege Prep Head of School Murray Cohen
said, “I understand your point about not
paying enough attention to establishing
and maintaining good relationships with
our neighbors. Now that we are alert to that
failure we will, with your understanding
and help, repair that damage.”
Hopefully this new, good-neighbor
policy will reflect itself in some mutually
respectful compromises to these super-sized
expansion plans.
— Laura Santina
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.
this tight, close neighborhood, the trees are
the only barrier between the neighborhood
and the sights and sounds of school rallies,
assemblies and dances and they keep the
air cleaner for everybody.
Suggestion: Reconfigure plans to
allow no removal of old-growth oaks or
redwoods.
4. Future Unregulated Growth:
College Prep’s 1993 amended use permit
allowed an enrollment of 325 students.
Enrollment is now in violation at 350. The
school plans to add students forthwith
with no guarantee that enrollment will not
continue to increase. The City of Oakland
does not have the staff to monitor adherence
to permits. For instance, Bentley School in
Oakland now enrolls over 50 percent more
students than its legal permit allows. Given
the present parking, traffic and noise prob-
lems, any increase in population is seen by
most neighbors as civically irresponsible.
The likelihood and effect of future runaway
enrollment is mind-boggling.
Suggestion: RCPC, as an elected public
agency, should regularly monitor College
Prep’s numbers to ensure they stay at “per-
mitted” numbers.
The City’s deadline for comments has
been extended to June 30. Neighbors will
be meeting with RCPC and City staff to
present their suggestions. Hopefully, RCPC
will come into compliance with its own
potential conflict of interest on this issue by
asking any members with ties to the school
– trustees, former parents, current parents,
Neighbors’ Response to College
Prep School Expansion Plans
Editor:
College Prep’s ambitious expansion
plans, presented by RCPC on May 6, include
an additional 25,000 sq. ft. of new buildings
including a 10,000 sq. ft. Performing Arts
Center, increased student enrollment, and
the removal of old growth trees protected
by City ordinance in the original permit. I
have been asked to bring to your attention
neighbors’ primary concerns about these
plans and suggestions for better adapting
them to neighborhood needs.
1. Parking/Traffic:
Streets surrounding the school are
already packed with parked “school cars,”
creating parking problems for residents and
visitors and hindering emergency vehicle
access to homes further up the hill. Morning
traffic is so congested that some neighbors
have difficulty exiting their driveways.
Suggestion: Close off the Eustice Avenue
drop-off and make it a one-way emergency
exit. Consider a morning shuttle from Lake
Temescal parking lot to the school.
2. Size and rental of Performing Arts
building:
Considering the tight neighborhood
setting, this 450-seat building would be an
eyesore, and, when rented out as planned,
would spill beyond the school’s 107 parking
places creating formidable parking conges-
tion and noise at night and on weekends.
Suggestion: Reconfigure the size, loca-
tion and design of this building with help
from an architect and a developer from
the neighborhood. Adopt a definite NO
RENTAL policy.
3. Removal of Old-Growth Trees:
The trees have been the peace bridge
between the school and its neighbors. In
Murray Cohen, CPS Head of
School, Responds
Editor:
Challenges bring opportunities; prob-
lems, solutions. College Prep welcomes the
surfacing of what have been largely quiet
frustrations and irritations that some of our
neighbors have been experiencing. The most
sustainably effective answer to current (and
any future) issues is a “standing committee”
of neighbors and school people that meets
regularly to identify promptly points of
conflict and opportunities for cooperation.
College Prep is eager to help bring about
such a group.
Briefly, on the specific matters that
Laura Santina raises:
1. College Prep will substantially enhance
its active parking and traffic plans, including
closing off the Eustice gate as an entrance
to the school.
2. The plans for a 350-seat (not 450)
performing arts center will be in keep-
ing with the scale and style of the rest of
campus, which has an intimate, rustic feel.
The school’s policy of not renting any of its
facilities will continue to apply to future
construction.
Letters, page 5
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5.
June 6, 2009

Trim, Expand, Maintain: May’s Town Hall
Meeting Had Something for All

Letters
from page 4
3. We are at least as fond of our trees
and outdoor orientation as anyone. We
will remove as few trees as necessary for
construction, paying particular attention to
mature trees, and we will replace each tree
removed with two others.
4. We are building to suit an enrollment
that has averaged 335/year for the past 10
years. In the amended Conditional Use Permit
(CUP), we are asking for an enrollment cap
of 340. Given our current enrollment (349),
it will take two to three years to get back
to 340, and we would welcome the active
monitoring of enrollment, perhaps by the
standing neighbor/school committee men-
tioned above or by the RCPC. If the school,
in the future, seeks an enrollment cap over
340, neighbors would be apprised and an
amended CUP would be sought.
Thank you, Ms. Santina, for citing my
commitment to establish and maintain good
relationships with our neighbors. That’s good
ground for neighborliness going forward.
— Murray Cohen, Head of School,
The College Preparatory School
by Don Kinkead
Audience members at the May Town Hall
meeting heard presentations on three
different local issues, each broadly posing
the question of how to extract the most public
benefit from limited resources.
Jane Brunner, City Council President,
■
■
speaking first, detailed the severe City
budget shortfall that is likely to reduce
programs and services affecting all Oak-
land residents.
Next, Oakland Library staff discussed
■
■
how a TeenZone in the Rockridge Branch
library could be created without encroach-
ing on space and resources already allotted
for other uses.
Lastly, architects Jerome Buttrick and
■
■
Tim Wong evaluated Safeway’s proposal to
build a 50,000 sq. ft. market with parking
garage to replace the existing 24,500 sq. ft.
store and parking lot at College and Clare-
mont avenues. They sought to determine
whether the plan is even a proper use for that
retail space, given the existing traffic conges-
tion and the likely negative effect of such a
complex on nearby small businesses.
Following are details from each presen-
tation. Your comments and suggestions are
important: contact information is included
at the end of each topic.
position may be cut.
Another constraint is $40 million in debt
service payments that can only be changed
by renegotiation. The City is pursuing this,
with a hoped-for reduction of $6 million.
That leaves about $50 million for dis-
cretionary programs; this year’s budget
called for about $130 million in spending,
thus about $80 million of the discretionary
budget must be cut. This is on top of $40
million in cuts made last October.
Some major funding cut categories
include:
Parks and public works:
■
■
 Loss of
maintenance personnel for 212 park areas.
Maintenance personnel will be retained
for only 104 “priority” locations (mostly
at major city parks like Mosswood and
Joaquin Miller). Staff and coverage will
be reduced at recreation centers. Remain-
ing staff will be shifted to grant funding
or fee-based classes and activities. There
will be no tree trimming, planting, or
maintenance (except for emergencies), no
median strip maintenance, no speed bump
installation, and reduced street cleaning
and maintenance.
RCPC Chair Stuart Flashman
also responds:
As RCPC Chair, I should disclose that
my older daughter graduated from CPS a
year ago. However, I no longer have any con-
nections to CPS, other than knowing some
of the people there, and do not feel that is
a sufficient basis for recusing myself. (By
the same token, one RCPC Land Use Com-
mittee member lives on a street adjoining
CPS, and he did not recuse himself either.)
Another Land Use Committee member,
Glen Jarvis, serves on the CPS board of
trustees, and he did recuse himself from
voting on the issue.
I believe that I, and RCPC, can serve a
constructive role in resolving the kind of
neighborhood disputes involved here, and
we intend to continue to do so.
Libraries:
■
■
 Branch libraries will be
cut back by at least one day per week; some
lower activity libraries (not Rockridge)
reduced to two or three days per week with
staff sharing; no bookmobiles; reduced
programs for kids, teens, etc.
n Proposed Oakland Budget
Targets a Broad Array
of City Services
According to Councilmember Jane
Brunner, the City faces an $80 million
shortfall for a budget that must be balanced
before June 30. There is little room to
maneuver, Brunner said.
Of a total City budget of about $1 bil-
lion, $550 million is federal and state grant
money whose uses can’t be changed. Of the
remaining $450 million, about $320 mil-
lion is for police and fire and is locked in
by union contracts that can’t be modified
without union agreement or arbitration
upon contract renewal. The City seeks to
negotiate with both unions. Meanwhile, to
prevent immediate cuts in police staffing,
the City anticipates federal stimulus money
starting in October to pay for 140 officers.
If that money doesn’t come through, those
Senior Services:
■
■
 Unless stimulus
funds become available, the city’s senior
shuttle service, run by Bay Area Com-
munity Services (BACS), will end, as will
other senior services.
Pay Cuts:
■
■
 City Council will take a
10 percent pay cut. (The Mayor, the City
Attorney, and the City Auditor have not
agreed to accept pay cuts.)
Safe?:
■
■
 Some fee-funded departments,
such as the Community and Economic
Development Agency (CEDA) and parking
enforcement, will be unaffected. However,
their funding cannot be used for other
purposes.
A special election with three ballot
measures in July could modify recently
passed “Kids First” legislation to save $3.9
million, and add two new minor taxes. If
these measures fail, additional cuts will
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
www.curvesrockridge.com
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri  6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
May RCPC Meeting, page 10
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6.

June 6, 2009

a
rk Corner
P
Kitchens
G
A monthly update on
what’s happening at the
best community-built
and maintained
park in Oakland
• Design
• Remodeling
• Showroom Sales
www.acornkitchens
andbaths.com
FRO
The pieces of the Rockridge-
Temescal Greenbelt
— Hardy Park, FROG Park,
the Clifton Greenway, and
Redondo Park — were each
built by volunteer labor using
materials purchased with
public and community-raised
funds. Planned budget cuts will
require additional volunteer
work just to maintain the park
in a decent condition.
KITCHENS & BATHS
510
547-6581
4640 TELEGRAPH AVE  •  OAKLAND
HOURS: T-F  10-5  •  SAT. 10-4
 The Redondo
Park site before
construction.
 Redondo Park,
completed.
Photos: Bill Caldwell
FROG Park
Threatened
tion could lead to a resurgence of rodent
problems at the park, converting it from a
community asset to a public nuisance.
Finally, the letter pleads with the City
not to lay off the park’s only maintenance
worker, Clinton Pugh, whose outstanding
efforts led to his being named “employee
of the year” two years ago.
The City has held two public budget
workshops, May 28 and June 1, where
RCPC reiterated its concerns. An official
public hearing on the proposed budget
will be held June 16 at City Hall, with final
adoption slated for June 30.
As always with controversial Council
decisions, expressions of public concern
are influential. Express your feelings
about FROG Park at the June 16 public
meeting.
The full RCPC letter is available on
the rockridge.org website.
from page 1
an $80 million budget shortfall.
The proposed budget calls for no
maintenance at the Hardy Park play
structures and swings, the Redondo Park
play structure, the grassy areas of FROG
Park, as well as the basketball courts and
the dog park. Only the pathway from
Clifton Street to Cavour Street would
be maintained, because of recent capital
improvements there.
RCPC’s letter points out that FROG
Park has benefited from over $2 million
dollars in capital improvements, as well as
thousands of hours of volunteer efforts,
and the loss of maintenance could put all
of that at risk.
The letter notes that park deteriora-
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.
Susan Bernosky, LUTCF
(510) 450 9050
5940 College Ave, #A
Oakland
susanbernosky@allstate.com
Praying - Serving - Growing
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.
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.
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
Reconciliation
 Saturday, 4 p.m.
Authentic Japanese Cuisine
ADDRESS 5335 College Avenue,

 Oakland, CA  94618
Rikyu
TEL 510 595 7388
j j p j j p j j p j j
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
www.staugustineoakland.com


7.
June 6, 2009

Changes in Store ? – 63rd Street and College
Wuxtry! Wuxtry!
Opportunity: Deliver The Rockridge
News on Broadway. Details below.

YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE GOES BEYOND
STOCKS AND BONDS. SHOULDN’T YOUR
FINANCIAL STRATEGY DO THE SAME?
HALLIE HART, CFP®, FINANCIAL ADVISOR
510-208-3823
MERRILL LYNCH
1111 BROADWAY, 22ND FLOOR
OAKLAND, CA 94607
CFP® is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
Total Merrill (design/words) is a registered service mark/service mark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
© 2007 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Member, SIPC.
Henry C. Levy & Co.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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 510.654-2363

At right is a view looking up 63rd Street
toward College Avenue, as depicted by
Safeway’s architect. In Safeway’s current
plans, 63rd Street leads directly to a street-
level entrance to the parking garage. Left- and
right-turn lanes are also to be provided on
College at that entrance.
Safeway plans about 180 garage parking spaces
for its expansion. No formal traffic studies have been
done, but trip extrapolations discussed at the May
Town Hall meeting indicate 1,500 additional cars
per day could be searching for parking. How many
shoppers will use the Alcatraz to Hillegass to 63rd
Street route to get to the garage? What effect will that
additional traffic have on those two-lane residential
streets? How is the current pedestrian-friendly shop-
ping area, pictured here, likely to be affected?
Rendering, top:
Safeway Web site
Photos: Christina
Ahlstrand
Join the Rockridge News Delivery Team
Thanks to Stephanie
Forbes for her services
as The Rockridge News
Block Captain for the east
side of Broadway. Stephanie
has to give up her route so if
you’ve got about 30 minutes
of free time each month, like
to walk and live on or near
Broadway you can support
your community by deliver-
ing The Rockridge News to
your neighbors. Please let us
know if you can pick up route
07G. Call Susan Montauk
at 547-3855 or e-mail her
at smontauk@gmail.com to
volunteer for route number
07G, delivering to 5800-
6199 blocks of Broadway,
east side only.


8.

June 6, 2009

Ask a Cop
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
by PSO Officer Chew and PSO Officer Garrans
The “Ask a Cop” column provides
a question-and-answer format for
Rockridge Problem Solving Officers (PSO)
to answer residents’ law enforcement and
crime-related questions. PSOs Chew and
Gerrans hope the column will improve
communications and involve residents in the
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC) activities. Send your questions
to editor@rockridge.org. Please include
your name and address. Only your name
will be printed.
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problem. The PSO Officer is not required
to respond to 911 or emergency calls, or to
calls for service sent out by our dispatch.
This enables the PSO Officer to address
these continuing, and often deeply embed-
ded, crime issues that the patrol Officer
does not have the same time for.
The issues addressed by the PSO are
not things that can be solved by one course
of action at one time only. The issues the
PSO is designed to address range from
drug problems at a specific house, corner
or block, to traffic, blight and nuisance
problems affecting whole neighborhoods.
The responsibility of the PSO Officer
is to come up with plans to help abate the
problem completely or prevent, as much as
possible, such activity from occurring.
May’s Ask-A-Cop Question
What are the responsibilities and the
differences for the PSO Officer
compared to the Beat Officer?

 — E. Galimba
The beat Officer, also called the patrol
Officer, works out of the patrol division.
The beat Officer’s primary responsibility is
to respond to 911 calls and calls for service.
These include crimes that are in progress,
such as burglaries, robberies, shootings
and emergency calls for service.
Responding to 911 calls and emer-
gency calls keeps the beat Officer very
busy during the course of his or her shift.
The beat Officer may also respond to take
reports about crimes that are not actively
occurring, but have occurred and need to
be documented.
The PSO Officer addresses long-term
problems. These are issues and crimes that
occur on a continual basis on the beat and
necessitate solutions that may take long-term
planning and solutions to help abate the
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
G
R   E   A   L   T   O   R   S
The GRUBB Co.
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
A New Year
and a
NEW DAY
 to help
those in need.
Rockridge
    Optometry
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.
Your neighborhood
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
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Featuring selected BCBG, Cole
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Together, we can truly impact some
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510.339.0400/245
jgardner@grubbco.com
JulieGardner.com
G
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com


9.
June 6, 2009

Celebrating
the Arts in the
Month of June
T

will find more information online at
www.oaklandartmurmur.com. Also, on
June 25, 5-8 p.m., the Oakland Art
Gallery in collaboration with Pro Arts
will hold an opening reception for “Bay
Area Currents 2009,” showcasing the
cream of the crop of Bay Area artists
as selected by Kevin Chen, Program
Director at Intersection for the Arts in
San Francisco. The gallery is located at
150 Frank Ogawa Plaza, City Center, just
across from the Rotunda building. It’s just
a few steps from the 12th Street BART
Station, so it’s easily accessible. Come and
discover this gallery, Oakland’s gallery,
if you have not been there before.
The
Rockridge
 Muse
here is something remarkable
about the indomitable spirit of our
artists as they struggle to survive
the economic crunch and seemingly
endless budget cuts.
Last October, they massed together
at City Hall alongside alongside other
Oakland citizens as an immovable force
to preserve Oakland’s cultural life. Our
civic leaders got the message: the arts
give back much more than they take.
The arts programs have been spared,
for now at least.
Let’s take the month of June to
acknowledge their importance to our
communities. Let’s make the arts a part
of our lives now. There are many ways
to do this, from quietly contemplating
a favorite artist’s work or attending a
play or concert, to sending the kids
to a summer arts camp or taking a
course yourself at Studio One in our
neighborhood. So much of it is free to
the public or offered at a nominal fee.
East Bay Open Studios
Traditionally, East Bay Open Studios
is held the first two weekends of June.
And again this year, from Alameda to El
Sobrante, over 400 artists are throwing
open their doors, waiting to welcome
you. It’s a self-guided tour. Samples of
art work can be previewed at the Pro
Arts Gallery on Second Street in Jack
London Square, where artist receptions
by Ortrun Niesar
will be held on Thursday, June 4. You
can pick up the Directory of East Bay
Arts at stores and cafes along College
Avenue, or look for the insert in the June
3 edition of the East Bay Express. You
can also log on to www.proartsgallery.
org, and navigate to the Online East
Bay Open Studios Gallery. Then go and
enjoy, meet our artists, see art come
alive, be part of the creative process for
a day. Do buy something, even if it is
only a postcard. At the end of the day
you may just feel remarkably refreshed
in heart and mind. Dealing with things
beautiful has that effect.
Kala Art Institute
I
can’t rave enough about this fine
institution which has now opened a
full-fledged, gorgeous exhibition space
at 2990 San Pablo at Ashby Avenue in
Berkeley. Go, and experience this new
arts venue. Its inaugural exhibition is
entitled “re:con-figure” and runs through
June 27.
Kala offers a full array of artist
resources for printmaking and digital
media, the best to be found in California.
It also offers a large collection of prints
and other works on paper for sale. Check
out the Kala Web site for summer classes
as well as year-round courses available
both for adults and school-age children:
www.kala.org.
Bay Area Currents
You thought it would never happen
in our lifetimes, but the arts are indeed
becoming an ever-stronger presence
in the East Bay. New smaller galleries
and music venues, however humble,
are opening up, particularly in the Fox
Theater area. Who knows, Oakland’s
Art Murmur First Fridays may someday
rival First Thursdays in San Francisco.
And, if you go, you will be able to say
you were there when it all began. You
Fairs Galore
When it comes to the arts, there is
something out there for everyone to
enjoy. Artisans will be out in force at
neighborhood street fairs this summer.
On June 7, noon to 6 p.m. the Temescal
Street Fair will be in full swing on
Telegraph Avenue between 47th and
51st Street. And on June 13-14 there
will be an especially joyful celebration of
arts and crafts at Live Oak Park Fair in
Berkeley. To get specifics, go to www.
oakparkfair.com.
Montclair Village will have its street
fair June 26-28. While you are at the
computer, you might also check out
the calendar for the Solano Stroll and
the Rockridge street fairs coming up
in September.
Be pro arts. Support our arts.

Open11am - 8pm Everyday
G

GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland

5418 College Ave. (510) 420-1928

Ortrun Niesar can be reached at
oniesar@sbcglobal.net


10.

June 6, 2009

May RCPC Meeting
 The computer-use area in the
Oakland Main Library’s TeenZone, as
shown on the Library’s Web site.
from page 5
Give your suggestions or get more information:
Patricia Lichter, Rockridge Branch Manager;
 
 
plichter@oaklandlibrary.org
Susy Moorhead, Rockridge Branch Teen
 
 
Librarian; SMoorhead@oaklandlibrary.org
FORL (Friends of the Rockridge Library):
 
 
Carol Bieri, chair: cbieri@pacbell.net
be needed.
If federal stimulus funds don’t come
through in October (Dellums, and City staff
are working very hard on this, Brunner said),
additional major cuts will be needed.
In addition, the state may “borrow”
about $11 million in property tax revenue,
which the City would backfill with short-
term commercial loans.
n Safeway’s Big Market
Plans Clash with College
Avenue Environment
Architects Jerome Buttrick and Tim
Wong examined Safeway’s proposed
new 50,000 sq. ft. store to be built on the
site of the present store at Claremont and
College avenues. Late in April, Safeway
had presented the plan to the community
in a public meeting at the Claremont Hotel.
The corporation announced that this was
the plan it intended to submit to the City to
begin project review.
Buttrick, speaking in non-architectural
terms and using photographs of Safeway’s
own graphics, pointed out jarring differ-
ences between the corporation’s plans and
the existing pedestrian-friendly experience
that is College Avenue. For example, accord-
ing to Buttrick, the plan’s street frontage,
apparently felt by Safeway to be typical
of Rockridge’s ground floor shops with
one to two residential floors overhead, has
instead a second-story shopping platform
dedicated to a commercial use above the
planned ground floor storefronts.
Although Safeway has said its plan is
consistent with the neighborhood, many at
the meeting felt that the building’s size and
design dominate the location, corrupting
the existing streetscape.
Pointing out that the space in the
Rockridge Library now allotted for teen
use is smaller than one of the library’s
restrooms, Garzon said planning has begun
for a Rockridge Branch TeenZone.
Architect Chris Noll of Noll and Tam
described ideas for the space that will be
carved out of the present computer area
and some shelving space on the east side
of the main floor. The new area would be
separated from the rest of the main floor and
its users by a glass wall with sliding glass
doors. Using design “special to the teen,”
he said, would ensure a space attractive to
their use and enjoyment.
To compensate for the changed ground
floor space, a portion of the upstairs com-
munity meeting rooms would be set aside
for a new, quiet, reading and computer
use area. Patrons could read, or access the
Internet via built-in Wi-Fi (wireless network-
ing system), using their own computers or
laptops that would be available for checkout
use in the library.
A Friends of the Rockridge Library
(FORL) member in the audience pointed out
that the group had invested a lot of money in
reference materials not available online and
housed near the proposed TeenZone area.
He feared the plan would encroach on that
material and its users. Noll said planning
was in a preliminary stage, leaving time to
consider such concerns.
The foregoing is based on meeting notes taken
by Stuart Flashman.
Send your thoughts and proposals to Jane Brunner:
JBrunner@oaklandnet.com.
n Rockridge Library
TeenZone Design Begins
Built in 1996 following a community-
organized fund drive, the Rockridge
Branch Library is today called upon to
serve a growing pool of library users.
Never a collection of dusty tomes where
staid librarians harshly shush the careless
whisperer, the branch occasionally finds
itself caught between users who view the
library as a low-key refuge, and younger,
often boisterous, users for whom the library
is more of a social and collaborative study
resource. Comes the teen center to resolve
the conflict.
According to Gerry Garzon, associate
director of the Oakland Public Library, teen
centers are a growing specialty offering
of libraries across the country. One such
teen-oriented space, called the TeenZone,
has been operating since January 2009 at
Oakland Main library. It features a computer
lab, reading bars and work areas, private
group study spaces, quiet reading areas, and
more, all designed to better accommodate
young people within the library.
May RCPC Meeting, page 11
¤
¤
Kimberly Lang
Residential &
Commercial
Armed Patrol,
365 x 24 x 7
When hiring
a service
company,
make sure
they are the
best at what
they do.
Draperies
Roman Shades
Cushions and Pillows
Fabric and Style Advice
547-SAFE
(547-7233)
510.540.6864        www.kimberlylang.com


11.
June 6, 2009

B
ART has moved its earth-
quake construction project
area to the east side of College,
rerouting traffic temporarily.
Also, BART will begin
limited nighttime work from:
1 a.m. - 4 a.m. Friday, May 29, and
9 p.m. Friday, June 12, to 5:30 a.m.
Saturday, June 13.
Major noise or lighting
impacts are not expected, BART
said, and lighting will be directed
away from residences.
Economic Tsunami
BART Shifts Station Construction
from page 2
doing without these services?
3. If we cannot get an outside source to
provide these necessary services, can we
provide them ourselves, and if so, how?
How much, if any, are we willing to pay to
support them?
4. Are there other things that we can do
that are not provided by outside agencies
that would improve the quality of life in
Rockridge? If so, do we want to pursue a
way to obtain these things?
In Rockridge, we have a substantial amount
of experience to be able to meet the coming
challenges, such as our history of getting a
local parcel tax for a library, and organizing
to create the FROG Park.
We have skilled individuals — creden-
tialed teachers, sport coaches, CORE-trained
disaster responders — who can provide
volunteer services where other traditional
sources fail. There are others and we may
have to tap into them to meet our needs. Will
we need to hire a security service?
I submit that we should start to consider
what we want and how we will provide it if
the economy continues to suffer the effects
of this economic crisis, which appears not
only possible but also probable.
To that end, I have proposed to the
RCPC board that RCPC set up a committee
to investigate how Rockridge might cope
with diminished government services.
If you would be interested in serving on
such a committee, if it is approved, please
contact the board via e-mail to chair@
rockridge.org.
Photo: Don Kinkead
program’s information line:
510/874-7425. Visit BART’s
Web site at www.bart.gov/
earthquakesafety.
For nighttime assis-
tance, call BART police,
at 510/464-7000. You may
also contact the Earthquake
ing “orchard-style” appearance.
Additional design elements more in
keeping with College Avenue’s present
appearance would be included, Buttrick
said.
May RCPC Meeting
from page 10
A group of local architects known as the
Local Architects and Planners Guidelines
Group has met with Safeway representatives
and their architect to discuss local concerns
about the project. The group has prepared
an alternative, smaller store design that
would retain and repair the existing build-
ing, add an adjoining structure for storage
and a new truck loading area, as well as
reconfiguring the present parking lot to
provide more parking spaces and a soften-
Contact the following with your thoughts on the
Safeway proposal:
Friends and Neighbors (FANS) of College
 
 
Avenue: collegeavefandn@gmail.com
Councilmember District 1: Jane Brunner
 
 
jbrunner@oaklandnet.com   ph. 238-7001
Oakland Planning Dept.: Peterson Vollmann
 
 
pvollman@oaklandnet.com   ph. 238-6167
Safewayoncollege.com
 
 
Write to City representatives c/o City Hall,
 
 
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland 94612
Complete architectural
services since 1970
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
(510) 654-6755   fax 654-3424
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
 Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
Note from the RCPC chair: The
RCPC board is considering boardmember
Patton’s proposal and welcomes comments
from Rockridge residents. Send your e-mail
to chair@rockridge.org, or leave a message
on the RCPC voicemail at 510/869-4200.
Rockridge Sales Jumping Off This June?!
 Clsg Date BR/Bth
Address
Original Price	 DOM
LP
SP
 4/24/2009
2/2
6040 Harwood Avenue
$695,000
13
$695,000
$726,500
 5/15/2009 4/2.5
6154 Buena Vista
$1,170,000
108
$1,049,000
$1,049,000
 5/22/2009 3/2.5
344 62nd Street
$1,075,000
13
$1,075,000
$1,120,000
 5/15/2009
5/3.5
6168 Contra Costa Rd
$1,595,000
1
$1,595,000
$1,595,000
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated

• A year ago this time, Rockridge yielded four times as many closings as we’ve had in the last month.
• The average market time has increased by 8.5% since a year ago this time.    • The average List to Sell price
was 99% a year ago, vs the current 101%.    • Half of the Home Sales in Rockridge last month Sold
for over the asking price, while the other half sold for the current asking price.
• The average sales price has increased by 8% from the prices of 2008 to the present day.

482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711


12.

June 6, 2009

30. The Land Use Committee and board are
now taking another look at the project in
hopes of getting agreement between CPS
and its neighbors on appropriate modifica-
tions and conditions to make the project
mutually acceptable before it is brought to
the Planning Commission.
Citywide Zoning Update
■
■
Rockridge Web
Land Use
Committee
from page 1
an important part of Rockridge is sharing
ideas, experiences and stories.
The Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) has created a Communi-
cations Committee to improve how these
voices are heard. The committee hopes
to find new and creative ways to use The
Rockridge News, the Rockridge.org Web
site, and RCPC e-mail notifications to keep
Rockridge residents informed, entertained,
and involved in keeping Rockridge a great
place to live.
You can help build community
The committee has so many ways to talk
with Rockridge that it needs some help. Do
you like writing interesting articles about
Rockridge? Are you interested in using your
computer science skills to help improve the
Web site? Are you familiar with common
practices for reaching out to communities?
Are you knowledgeable about graphic design?
Would you just like to help out? There are
many important things to accomplish; you
are sure to find a way to help.
Find out more about working with the
RCPC Communications Committee. E-mail
communication@rockridge.org. Have fun,
give back to Rockridge, and create something
to share with friends.
from page 3
The City’s case planner is Ulla Britt-Jonsson
(238-3322, ujonsson@oaklandnet.com).
Winebar/Restaurant (6000
■
■
The Commercial Corridor Technical
Advisory Group, which includes RCPC,
held its second discussion meeting on
May 14. Staff has come up with an overall
framework for revised zoning for the com-
mercial corridors, which include College
Avenue, Broadway and Telegraph Avenue.
The framework envisions no change in the
zoning for College Avenue or the Rockridge
section of Broadway. Proposed zoning for
Telegraph Avenue is still in flux.
Staff is suggesting a relatively small
number of commercial zoning categories
that would apply citywide, to be followed up
with more locally focused overlay districts
specific to the various commercial areas.
There would also be an independent set of
height limits that would act as an overlay
on the commercial zoning. Staff is propos-
ing that parking regulations be revised in
a future phase of the rezoning, as there is
insufficient staffing and funding to do so
now. The staff reports and proposals can
be viewed on the City’s website at: http://
oaklandnet.com/zoningupdate/
College Avenue at Harwood)
The RCPC board voted unanimously
not to oppose this small winebar/restaurant
application. The board is concerned about
long-term parking problems for this sec-
tion of College Avenue and their impact on
nearby residents, but felt the burden should
not be placed on an individual small shop
application. There will be more discussion
of parking in the citywide zoning update
process (see: Citywide Zoning Update).
College Preparatory School
■
■
(CPS) Facilities Master Plan
(6100 Broadway)
The RCPC board reviewed this appli-
cation at its May meeting and voted not
to oppose it, so long as certain conditions
are met (in particular, a prohibition on the
simultaneous use of the auditorium and
performing arts center for public events).
Since then, RCPC has learned of addi-
tional concerns from the project’s immediate
neighbors, and that the comment period on
the application has been extended until June
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Also visit our store for the largest selection of
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(near Rockridge library)


13.
June 6, 2009

just in time for bed, with: “SHHHHHHH.
Here we stay.”
The illustrations, from Frank Rem-
kiewicz (of the popular Froggy books)
successfully complement the text. Cheerful
animal characters drive, sail, pilot and work
among a palette of bright, true colors that
begins with a red locomotive.
In an answer to a child’s dream, a child-
animal helps to run each vehicle. Young
readers will notice a rooster and snake in each
episode, and then see them ascending in the
rocket on an extravagant vertical two-page
spread. End papers show the cast framed in
gold cameos. Nice touch, and just the kind
of detail little ones like to pore over.
There is so much to like here. A book-
song to be spoken or sung, or both, pages
filled with exuberance and good humor,
likeable characters, big, glamorous transport,
and chug-along verses with a sophisticated
rhyme scheme.
The Rockridge Library will be ordering
several copies and I intend to read it often
to our preschoolers. They are always ready
for a great ride.

Off We Go!: A Book Review
“Down by the Station,” by Rockridge resident Jennifer Vetter

by Gay Ducey, Rockridge Branch
Library Children’s Librarian
Transportation picture books work hard.
They circulate very briskly, take a lot
of punishment, and give a lot of pleasure.
While anything with a wheel or rudder
will move well, we are always looking for
more really good ones
Jennifer Riggs
Vetter, Rockridge author, can help us with
that, because her new book, “Down by the
Station,” is as good as it gets.
Using the well-known song of the title,
Jennifer has made the trip much more
exciting by adding big, snazzy conveyances
to the modest little puffer-bellies children
know. The book offers a sailboat, a race
car, an excavator and a rocket, among other
transport stars.
Pages race along, accompanied by
amusing verses, and really satisfying sound
effects. (My favorite: “weeooo, weeooo” for
the fire engine). At the end, having raised a
ruckus, the locomotive pulls into the station,

Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
LOOKING FOR DIRECTION IN THIS
VOLATILE MARKET? LET'S TALK.
Lan J Shaw
Financial Advisor
.
2161 Allston Way Suite A
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-704-8854
www.edwardjones.com
Member CIPF
Member SIPC
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

Jeff Auen
REMAX ACCORD
Residential
■
■
Income Properties
■
■
REO Specialist
■
■
WWW.REO-SFBay.COM
WWW.JLAHOMES.COM
JeffAuen@comcast.net
800-805-8827

The art of hair design
5431 College Ave Oakland Ca 94618
510.652.5431
www.elizabethh.net
Eco-friendly salon
Experienced Stylists
Organic & Sustainable products


14.

June 6, 2009

Patios, Decks, Fences, Paint-
ing/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.”
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.
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. July deadline is June 18.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
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.
Pilgrimages: Medjugorje
and 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.
Weeding and Yard Clean-Ups
Areas below Broadway served. Three and
4-hour jobs welcome. Have most small tools.
No hauling. Fred, 510/234-2902.
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.
Restring Necklaces
Pearls, stones, any beads. Necklaces will have a
brand-new beautiful look with knots, silk thread,
French wire by Experienced Professionals at
Fine Jewelry Stores. $25/choker (sliding scale).
Pearl Lounge Jewelry Design. 510/547-9856.
www.myspace.com/SFPearlLounge.
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.
Home Repairs
Carpentry, electrical, kitchen, bath, decks,
fence, drainage, tile, windows, walls, dry rot,
termite damage, crown molding. Lic#458473.
Don 510/812-0310.
Take Music Lessons!
Private lessons on electric bass, violin, viola,
flute, clarinet or saxophone. Musically Minded
Studio’s dynamic staff produces great results
in a fun and inspiring environment. www.
musicallyminded.com, 510/428 4094. admin@
musicallyminded.com. Initial consultation free!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My neighborhood gym!
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.
“After working out here for years,
I bought the place!
Check out our new
equipment & classes.
Bring in this ad &
get a *FREE
WORKOUT*”
SIMPLIFY!
Clutter Control
6
-Lisa
Gartland,
gym owner
%
Paper/Filing Systems
Kitchens/Closets
Inside
Space Planning
Outside
Fitness
Packing/Unpacking
Solutions for the critical mess
Non-Judgmental & Confidential
Since 1986
realtyadvocates.com
* New members only *
(510) 655-8308
4444 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA 94611
www.InsideOutsideFitness.com
www.SummersOrganizing.com
(510) 428-0757
Barbara ✔ 415-381-0707


15.
June 6, 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

and Mary Mackey.
Thurs., 7/9, 6pm.
■
■
The Bay Area Writing Project’s
Young Writers’ Camp will read their work.
Sun., 7/12, 3pm.
■
■
Dorianne Laux, Joseph Millar and
Michelle Bitting read their poetry.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. Info about
other events, book discussion groups and El Grupito,
the Spanish discussion group: 653-9965 or www.
dieselbookstore.com.
Wisteria Ways Concert Series

Community Calendar

Official Public Hearing on
Proposed Oakland Budget
pages of prose for on-site reading/discussion. Meets
3rd Saturday each month, 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by
the California Writers Club, Berkeley branch (www.
berkeleywritersclub.org.) Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com.
Lawyers in the Library
■
■
: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday each month from 6 to 8pm. Advance sign-up
starts 5pm. More info: 597-5017.
OTHER ADULT EVENTS:
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)
■
■
:
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y and
13X areas are invited to voice their concerns about
crime and public safety, 4th Thursday each month,
7to 8:30pm, upstairs meeting room. Info@rockrid-
gencpc.com or infofordenise@yahoo.com.
East Bay “Democracy for America” Meetup
■
■
: Discus-
sion will cover pending state and federal healthcare
legislation. Wed., 6/10, 6:30pm. Info at http://dfa.
meetup.com/78/calendar/10002254/.
Peace Corps Information Night
■
■
: Learn about
volunteering overseas in education, health, busi-
ness, environment and more. No upper age limit.
Mon., 6/22, 6:30 to 7:30pm. Info: Heather Driscoll,
452-8444, sfevents@peacecorps.gov or www.
peacecorps.gov.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery: June: Alicia Wallace and class: Paintings
and drawings.

July: Darrill Tighe: Abstract watercolors.
Lobby Display Case:

June: LGBT Gay Pride Month display.

July: David Peniston: assemblage of old
books.
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:
Fridays, 6/5 and 6/19 and Sat. July 4th.
Diesel Readings & Events
June 16, City Council Chambers at City Hall. 7pm, 1
Frank Ogawa Plaza. Express your concerns and opinions
before the final adoption of the budget slated for June
30. For more information: call 238-7001 or JBrunner@
oaklandnet.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
Elameno Quintet: Jazz and Arabic to Flamenco, Brazil-
ian and Irish. Eclectic influences from jazz and classical
and world travel. Saturday, 5/30, 3pm (house opens at
2:30pm). Outdoor concert: be sure to bring something
to sit on (blanket or lawn chair), hat, a picnic. $15-20
suggested donation for musicians (cash please at the
door).383 61st Street. Wheelchair accessible. Info
at http://elamenoquintet.com/ and http://www.
myspace.com/elamenoquintet. For reservations
(highly recommended), RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.
org or 655-2771.
Christensen Heller Gallery
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
NOTE: If you are ages 11 to 16 and are interested in
being a summer volunteer at the library, see Erica
or Gay or call 597-5057.
FOR CHILDREN:
Toddler Story Time:
■
■
 Every Saturday, 10:30am.
Pre-School Story Time:
■
■
 1st and 3rd Wednesdays,
10:30am.
Baby and Toddler Story Time:
■
■
 1st and 3rd Wednesday,
10:30am, upstairs Community Room (same days and
times as Pre-School Story Time).
Pajama Story Time:
■
■
 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7pm,
(see events below).
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR CHILDREN:
Summer Reading: starts Sat., 6/13
■
■
 through 8/8.
Sign up, read for 8 hrs. over the summer and get
prizes. All ages welcome to read or be read aloud to.
Summer Reading Kick-off Party, 6/13, 2 to 4pm,
with painting, Kamishibai stories, games and treats.
Magic Andrew:
■
■
Tues., 6/16, 7pm.
Buki the Clown:
■
■
 Wed., 6/24, 10:30am.
Craft Workshop Making Books:
■
■
 Thurs., 6/25, 3pm.
Puppet Art Theater:
■
■
 Tale of the Dragon’s Tail. Tues.,
6/30, 7pm.
Making Jewelry
■
■
with Chelsea Robinson: Tues.,
7/7, 7pm.
FOR TEENS:
Rockridge Ninjas (Anime Club): Teens 13 and up
■
■
,
watch and talk about anime (Japanese animation) with
other teens. Second Tuesday each month (6/9 and
7/14), 5 to 6:30pm, upstairs meeting rm.
Get Out! Teen Summer Passport Program: Runs
■
■
“Soft Sculpture” by Calif. artist Emily Peters. Now
through July 5. Gallery hrs: Wed.-Sat., 11am to 6pm;
Sun., noon to 5pm. 5829 College Ave., 655-5952; www.
christensenheller.com.
Free Hands-On Bicycle Classes
Learn to maintain your bike in excellent working condi-
tion. Sundays, 6/14 and 6/28. The 6/14 class: flat repair.
The 6/28 class: safety inspection; how to check wheels,
derailleurs, gears, et al for wear and tear. Bring your bike
and tools; the REI bike technician will provide expert
guidance. No membership or registration required.
REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. (near Gilman), Berkeley, in the
bike parking area. Info: REI bike shop, 527-4140.
Nutrition for Pain-Free Living
Learn the top 10 dos and don’ts of nutrition to reduce
inflammation and improve overall health. Free class
with Dr. Carolyn Finnegan. Mon., 6/15, 7:30 to 8:30pm.
Align Chiropractic Center, 6239 College Ave., Suite
201. Reserve a space at 654-2207; www.alignchiro.
com.
North Oakland Senior Center
Program Highlights: Computer classes; health Insur-
ance counseling and advocacy program; exercise;
trips, tours and theater outings; Alzheimer’s Caregivers
Support Groups.
Lavender Lunch Bunch: free lunch
■
■
, entertain-
ment, socializing for LGBT elders 55+ and friends.
6/26 at noon.
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8:45am to 4:45pm. 5714 Martin
Luther King, Jr. Way. Subscribe to “The North Oakland
Senior Times,” for a full schedule of classes/events
and monthly lunch menu ($2.25 to $4). Details about
events, membership, and opportunities to become a
volunteer: 597-5085.
Red Cross Blood Drives
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Sun., 6/7, 3pm.
■
■
Poetry Flash – Lyric Postmodern-
isms. Readings by C.S. Giscombe, Gillian Conoley,
Martha Ronk, Aaron Shurin and Carol Snow.
Mon., 6/8, 6pm.
■
■
Seth Grahame-Smith: Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies!
Mon., 6/8, 7pm.
■
■
Amnesty International Meeting: All
invited to exchange ideas on action.
Thurs., 6/11, 7pm.
■
■
Cheryl Wagner: Plenty Enough
Suck to Go Around: A Memoir of Floods, Fires,
Parades and Plywood.
Sun., 6/14, 3pm.
■
■
Students from Renee Swindle’s
novel writing workshop at UCB, will read from their
novels-in-progress.
Tues., 6/16, 7pm.
■
■
David Carr: The Night of the Gun:
A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His
Life. His Own.
Wed., 6/24, 7pm.
■
■
Monica Ali: In the Kitchen.
Sun., 6/28, 3pm. Local contributors,
■
■
Pamela Bass,
Laurie King, Diana Cohen, Y.J. Yu, Ken Matusow
and Millicent Susens: The Best Women’s Travel
Writing 2009 and The Best Travel Writing 2009.
Wed., 7/1, 7pm. An evening with the
■
■
UC Berkeley
Extension Writers reading from their work.
Thurs., 7/2, 7pm.
■
■
Kate Christensen: Trouble.
Sun., 7/5, 3pm.
■
■
Poetry Flash with Charles Entrekin
June 17 through Aug. 5. Pick up your Teen Summer
Passport at the Library and get your passport stamped
as you explore recommended Bay Area Hot Spots.
You can also earn stamps by volunteering, doing book
reviews, attending library programs, or personalizing
your passport with a photo or drawing. Teens can win
prizes such as an iPod Nano, a laptop computer,
and a Flip camera.
Call for Book Buddy Volunteers!
■
■
Teens will read aloud
to younger kids, or listen while new readers practice
reading aloud themselves. Every Wednesday, starting
June 17th until Aug. 5th, from 2 to 4pm. Contact Susy
at 597-5017 to volunteer.
FOR ADULTS – Library sponsored events:
Writers’ Support/Critique Group: ALL writers wel-
■
■
World Blood Donor Week Blood Drives – Open to the
Public: June 8 through 14 at mobile blood drives and
blood centers throughout the Bay Area. Find a center
near you: Call The American Red Cross at 800-GIVE-LIFE
(800/448-3543) or go to HelpSaveALife.org to schedule
an appt.For all presenting blood donors: Weekly
drawings in June for a Garmin nuvi 265WT GPS, and
in July for a $100 gas card. (Note: promotions not
available at high school or college drives.) More info:
594-5204 or schultzmanjj@usa.redcross.org.
come. Bring 12 copies of up to 5 double-spaced
F.B.I.: Oakland is the 4th
most dangerous city in
the entire United States of
America.
 Summertime patrol
specials: Call us now
before your vacation!


16.

June 6, 2009

Restoration / Renovation
Custom Wood
Windows and Doors
(510) 893 1157
www.woodenwindow.com    Lic 640153
aboutface&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

Terry just sold her 72nd Rockridge Listing
Is there a move in your future?
Put 25 years of real estate sales experience
to work for you
Let’s make your home number 73!!
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?
Vacant & Available
FOR RENT OFFICES – ROCKRIDGE

5767 Broadway
$2,500/ mo.
Professional Offi ces Approx 1,350sqft
Remodeled Open Floor Plan, 2 Bathrooms, Kitchen
www.5767Broadway.com

NEW LISTING – ELMWOOD
2902 Hillegass Avenue
$1,195,000
3++ Beds & 3 Baths
2-story Shingled Craftsman
www.2902Hillegass.com

NEW LISTING – ROCKRIDGE

5616 Kales Avenue
$719,000
2 Beds & 1 Bath
Redone Craftsman Bungalow
www.5616Kales.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
492 58th Street
$750,000
2 Beds & 2 Baths + 1/1 Studio
Featured in Dwell Magazine
www.492-58thSt.com

5677 Ocean View Drive
$1,195,000
3+ Beds & 2+ Baths
Traditional 2-Story Craftsman
www.5677OceanView.com

5906 Colby Street
Price reduced $899,000
2 Beds & 2 Baths 2-Story Owners
w/ 2 Beds & 1 Bath Apartment
www.5906Colby.com
Pending
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