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www.rockridge.org
VOL. 25 NO. 10 ISSUE NO. 272 November 6, 2010 CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 BusInesses
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200
DVD Project Info Stand
Set Up in Library Lobby
18
AGENDA:
New at the
Rockridge Branch Library
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
November 18, 2010
7:30-9 p.m.
Rockridge Branch Library Prepares New
Resources and Opportunities for Patrons
The November Town Hall meeting is all about the Rockridge Branch Library. First,
Head Librarian Pat Lichter and Teen Specialist Librarian Susy Moorhead will discuss
the construction slated to start early next year, which will create a Teen Center. There
will also be more shelves for DVDs and a new computer area. Then, Annette Floystrup
and Jon Gabel, co-chairs of the Rockridge DVD Project, will give an update on the
status of this project to fill the coming increased DVD shelf space.
Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Avenue at Manila,
Community Room (Upstairs)
Halloween
November 8 – Notice of Public Meeting
4th Bore Mitigations
Caltrans did not directly mitigate any construction
or long-term environmental impacts along Hwy. 24
stemming from construction of the added tunnel. The Oakland
settlement agreement includes what Caltrans should have
done in Rockridge. These projects will be reviewed and
discussed at a public meeting November 8. See details, page 2.
College Ave
Jon Gabel and Annette Floystrup,
Rockridge DVD project co-chairs, left,
and Rockridge Branch Library Manager
Pat Lichter join in solid support of the
project that will supply 2,800 DVDs for
circulation to library patrons when the
project is complete. The easel pictured
with them in the library lobby presents
patrons with project information and holds
brochures describing how donations may be
made to support DVD acquisitions.
City Discusses Rockridge
Bore Mitigation Projects
• Learn more about the DVD project: Visit
www.rockridgedvdproject.org
• Learn more about the Rockridge Branch
and Oakland’s Library system at http://www.
oaklandlibrary.org/Branches/rockridge.htm
• Join others who support the Rockridge Branch
Library: http://www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.
org Photo: Don Kinkead
Safeway EIR Matching
Grant Still Open: Page 3
On the east end of the Caldecott Tunnel, the
mouth of the fourth bore begins to take
shape. Traffic continues to flow west through the
existing tunnel at left of photo. See full story and
meeting details, page 2. Photo: Don Kinkead
Halloween on College Avenue shows us a bit
more about who we are and who we might
wish to be. At left, from top, photos by Shona
Armstrong, Yeda Altes and Ashley Etling.
More Halloween, pg 13.
College on Safeway Website
2.
November 6, 2010
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
Fourth Bore Mitigation Funding Meeting
Monday, November 8, 7:00 p.m., Kaiser Elementary School,
25 South Hill Court (Hiller Highlands Neighborhood).
For carpool information from Rockridge BART,
e-mail: info@rockridge.org.
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
CLOSED: Sunday and Monday; also 11/11, 12, 25, 26, 30
Tunnel Mitigation Money to Fund Many
Rockridge Projects: Please Comment!
Rockridge residents are invited to a public meeting to discuss a proposed list of trans-
portation projects along Highway 24 west of Caltrans’ Caldecott Tunnel Project.
The city of Oakland received an $8 million settlement when it negotiated with Caltrans
on the construction of the tunnel’s 4th bore. The projects serve to mitigate the impacts
of the new bore and to enhance pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the area that includes
the Rockridge and Temescal districts.
The goal of the meeting is for residents and merchants in the North Oakland Hills,
Rockridge and Temescal neighborhoods to learn about the list of proposed projects, and
for the City to hear meeting participants’ perspectives. This input will be used to generate
a final project list. Meeting participants will be introduced to the process that led to this
list and will hear a presentation on the projects themselves.
Plan to attend this important meeting Monday, November 8, 7 p.m. at Kaiser Elementary
School, 25 South Hill Court (Hiller Highlands Neighborhood). For carpool information
from Rockridge BART, email info@rockridge.org.
To help inform participants, the City’s draft project list and links to project fact sheets
and location maps are available at www.fourthbore.org and on the RCPC Web site: www.
rockridge.org.
Many worthwhile Rockridge projects will
potentially be funded within the $8 million
settlement. They include:
■
■Broadway Bike Lanes from Brookside
Ave. to Caldecott Sports Field;
$410,000
■
■Broadway Walking Path from Golden
Gate Ave. to Lake Temescal; $275,000
■
■Soundwall study: Eastbound between
Vicente Road and Broadway;
$554,000
■
■Soundwall study: Westbound between
Ross Street and Ayala Avenue;
$487,000
■
■Broadway/Keith Intersection
Improvements; $840,000
■
■Col lege/ Keit h I nt er se ct ion
Improvements; $95,000
■
■Bike Route Signage at Rockridge
BART; $20,000
■
■Broadway/Lawton Intersection
Improvements; $400,000
■
■Br oa dway/SR 2 4 O n-r a mp
Intersection Improvements; $295,000
■
■Rockridge BART Bicycle Parking;
$100,000
■
■On-street Bicycle Parking in
Commercial Areas; $30,000
■
■Te l e g r a p h / C l a r e m o n t /52 n d
Intersection Improvements; $240,000
Worthy projects not currently funded:
■
■Soundwall studies: additional
Rockridge locations not meeting
ACTC criteria
■
■College/Claremont Intersection
Improvements; $225,000
■
■Broadway/Manila Intersection
Improvements; $257,000
■
■Claremont/Hudson/SR 24 On-ramp
Intersection Improvements; $180,000
■
■AC Transit Route 51 Service
Improvement; $920,000
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, 2010-2011
Stuart Flashman �����������������Chair
Andrew Charman ���������������Vice-Chair
Michael Kan ������������������������Secretary
Cesar Angobaldo ���������������Treasurer
Annette Floystrup, Matthew Edling, Ashley Etling,
Jonathan Gabel, William Kaufner, Don Kinkead,
Alex Naughton, Robert Orenstein,
Ronnie Spitzer, 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.
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, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611
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.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
December 4, 2010
December deadline is November 18, 2010.
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.)
The public comment period extends until November 22. Submit comments to
Iris Starr via e-mail: istarr@oaklandnet.com, phone: 510/238-1725; fax: 238-7415.
Letters may be mailed to: Iris Starr, Division Manager, Infrastructure Plans and
Programming, City of Oakland Public Works Agency, 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza,
Suite 4344, Oakland, CA 94612.
3.
November 6, 2010
The RCPC Land Use Committee meets on
the fourth Wednesday of the month at the
Rockridge Branch Library, Upstairs Meeting
Room, 7:30 p.m. Next meeting: November 24.
Land Use Meeting Agendas
Contact Stuart Flashman at 652-5373 or chair@
rockridge.org for a copy of the current Land Use
Committee meeting agenda.
district, specific concerns included the
project’s large barren area along Claremont
Avenue, the disruptive effect of the four-lane
garage entrance/exit on College Avenue
pedestrian movement, the monolithic
appearance of the second-story College
Avenue frontage, the problematic nature
of the second-floor café area at College
and Claremont and the lack of any easily
accessible public space within the project.
This project will also be discussed soon
by the Planning Commission’s design review
committee. RCPC has posted most of the
project plans on its Web site. Friends and
Neighbors of College Avenue (FANS), of
which RCPC is a member, also has its own
Web site at http://www.fansco.org.
An EIR in preparation for about the
last six months may be released for public
comment within the next month or two.
RCPC is raising funds for professional
review of the adequacy of the EIR’s technical
analyses. (See separate progress report
below on that campaign.) The assigned
Oakland planner is Peterson Vollmann;
tel: 238-6167; pvollman@oaklandnet.com.
Update on College Avenue Safeway EIR Matching Grant Fundraising
R
CPC has received a generous $10,000
matching grant from the Rose Founda-
tion for Communities and the Environment
to fund professional consultants to review
and critique the environmental report for
the College Avenue Safeway Shopping
Center project. We are progressing towards
meeting our $10,000 goal of matching
use of the project’s frontage on the adjoining
quarry pond, and the relative inactivity of
the design’s Broadway and Pleasant Valley
street frontage. The Planning Commission’s
design review committee will discuss this
project, as well as the College Avenue
Safeway Shopping Center project (see
following item) in the near future. Check
the RCPC Web site (http://rockridge.
org) and sign up for the RCPC e-news to
find out when the hearing will be. Some
of the design documents have also been
posted on the RCPC site and the full set
is available from the City (see below). An
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is in
preparation. The Oakland planner assigned
to the project is Darin Ranelletti; tel: 238-
3663; DRanelletti@oaklandnet.com.
■
■TOAST Wine Bar
5900 College Avenue – former San
Francisco Dancewear location
Local photographer and resident Kristen
Policy proposes to establish a wine bar at
this location, vacated by San Francisco
Dancewear when it moved across the street
to the Dreyers Building and larger quarters.
While called a wine bar, TOAST would also
be a restaurant serving light Continental
cuisine. Proposed hours are from 11 a.m.
to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The
Land Use Committee discussed this project
in October but took no action. The RCPC
board of directors will consider the proposal
at its November meeting.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Corner of Broadway and Pleasant
Valley Road
The Land Use Committee discussed
design aspects of this very large project at its
October meeting. The committee expressed
concerns about the large amount of surface
parking being proposed, the location of the
Safeway at the rear of the center and far
removed from transit stops, the ineffective
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Shopping Center: (Corner of
College & Claremont Avenues)
Design aspects of this large proposed
project on College Avenue were another
topic at the committee’s October meeting.
Other than the project’s large size and failure
to fit into the surrounding commercial
at RCPC’s Web site, http://rockridge.org/
Safewayfunds.html, or you can complete the
coupon below and mail it with your check,
made out to RCPC/Safeway EIR Fund, to:
RCPC, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland,
CA 94611. Contributions are tax deductible
to the extent allowed by law.
donations. As of October 27, RCPC had
received donations totaling $6,500. The
release of the Draft EIR has been put off
until December at the earliest, giving a little
more time to meet our goal and bring in a
full slate of consultants for the Draft EIR’s
45-day public review and comment period.
You can contribute via PayPal or credit card
YES! I want to help RCPC protect Rockridge by making sure the EIR
for the College Avenue Safeway Project is complete and accurate. Here is my
contribution of $
.
Graphic: Stuart Flashman
Name
Address
City
ZIP
Phone #
e-mail
Thank you!
Mail to: RCPC, 4123 Broadway PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
Checks should be made payable to: RCPC/Safeway EIR fund.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal tax ID no.: 94-3011284
4.
November 6, 2010
Rockridge BART Plaza Plans Progressing
by Ann Winterman, RCPC
boardmember
B
ART is ready for a visual upgrade.
After years of difficulty gaining
consensus on design, representatives
from BART, the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC), and the
Rockridge District Association (RDA)
have developed a plan to remodel the
plaza area of the BART station at
College and Keith. The design calls for
the creation of a sense of place and a
public square, where people can enjoy
this central aspect of our neighborhood,
meet arriving BART passengers with
ease, find their way with distinctive
directional signage, and appreciate the
three tall redwoods that grace the square.
The collaboration of the organizations
gained momentum in April following the
generous contributions of two long-term
area residents: local landscape designer
Greer Alley created a smart and beautiful
plan, and hills resident Gordon Piper
contributed his great knowledge of plants
and outdoor elements.
In a meeting with Chief BART
Architect Tian Feng last month, the coalition
gained design approval, and BART is
preparing to submit plans to bid.
Project representatives are now inviting
one or more artist/designers interested in
working on the project in a pro bono capacity
BART passengers and College
Avenue pedestrians could shelter
more comfortably than the passerby
perched on a coping in the photo when
the area under the redwoods is reborn
as a plaza/public square, marking the
importance of the space in identifying
Rockridge. Photo: D. Kinkead
project and RDA has pledged a matching
$20,000. BART is putting up the bulk of the
funding of this nearly quarter-million-dollar
project, in the works since BART District
3 board member Bob Franklin helped to
earmark parking money for it years ago.
For more information, to adopt a
design element set forth in the plan or
to make contributions in kind, contact
Ann Winterman, RCPC board member
and RCPC Parks Committee chair, at
annwinterman@gmail.com/, or phone
510/757-3334.
You may contribute via PayPal or credit
card at RCPC’s Web site, http://rockridge.
org/rockridgeplaza.html. Contributions are
tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Rockridge
to develop a Rockridge logo in the form
of a metal compass rose paving element,
and a three-dimensional “Rockridge” sign.
In addition, individuals and organizations
wanting to help sponsor this important
aesthetic upgrade are invited to contribute.
RCPC has already pledged $20,000 for the
Optometry
Your neighborhood
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
$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 Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
Spruce up for
the holidays
Design
Installation
Rockridge Resident
5.
November 6, 2010
OPD Chief: Police and Public Share
Responsibility for Public Safety
by coordinating with city departments.
■
■What can the NCPC do to strengthen
relationships among individuals, com-
munity groups and organizations in the
beat? • Push Neighborhood Watch, get
more groups involved, and get block
captains regularly in touch with the
NCPC and with each other. The biggest
obstacle here is people’s rooted habits
and unwillingness to get involved.
by Karen Ivy, NCPC secretary
When Oakland Chief of Police Anthony
Batts spoke with federal law enforce-
ment agencies about their help after recent
officer layoffs in the city, he heard, “Oak-
land doesn’t seem to think public safety is
important.” The agencies then said, “So why
should we put resources into it?”
Batts now seeks to do more with less.
At the Community Policing Reorganization
meeting held October 25, the Chief and his
area captains appealed to the Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) officers
and Neighborhood Watch block captains
for ideas on how to manage community
policing in Oakland with a skeleton crew
of eight Neighborhood Service Coordina-
tors (down from 17), and the possibility of
more officer layoffs in January.
Chief Batts opened the evening with an
impassioned speech on the mutual respon-
sibility of police and citizens to maintain
public safety in Oakland, and to protect Oak-
land’s youth from incidents like the bullet
which struck 6-year-old Leslie Ramirez as
she slept in her bedroom. “We can’t hang
up our guns and walk away from 6-year-old
kids,” the Chief said, asking how OPD and
Oakland citizens can work together better
to improve public safety and reduce crime.
Batts said he thinks the community
policing structure in Oakland is excellent.
Composed of Neighborhood Watch, NCPC
groups, and the Community Policing Advi-
sory Board, it could be a model to other
cities, but the citizen groups and the police
often don’t cooperate well.
Recent layoffs have hampered the police.
According to Batts, if the city loses more
officers in January, OPD will be reduced to
answering 911 calls, and won’t be able to do
the proactive work which can prevent crime
and the need for 911 calls. The Chief asked
his audience — “35 people who aren’t on my
staff” — to tell him what they want him to
do, and to work with him. He has reached
out to churches with success and he wants
more neighborhood groups to organize and
walk their neighborhoods for safety.
The Chief invited the public to his
CompStat (Computer Statistics data collec-
tion for law enforcement) meetings, where
OPD leadership decides how to deal with
crime in the three police beat areas. Data
show that crime in Oakland is not pervasive,
but is localized. When OPD concentrates on
the “hot spots,” he said, crime goes down
everywhere. But once the hot spot is doused,
there is a need to sustain and heal the com-
munity, and the police can’t do that alone.
After Batts’ speech, the audience formed
into three groups and met with Area Com-
manders to develop responses to several
questions:
■
■How will the patrol areas deal with the
NSC shortage? Combine beats? Meet
quarterly? • The group discussed some
alternate meeting arrangements but came
to no specific conclusion.
■
■Can we arrange dates and standing
agenda items for the Area Captain and
the NCPC officers to meet quarterly? •
Some NCPC chairs noted that the pre-
vious Area Captain had met with them
bimonthly. New Area Captain Allison
agreed to that.
Rockridge: 5400 College Avenue
Elmwood: 2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
■
■With only 8 Neighborhood Service Coor-
dinators for all Oakland, what are the 3
most important things the NSCs can do
for the NCPCs? • Agreed critical NSC
functions were facilitating communica-
tion, and managing ongoing problems
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.
G
Reconciliation
Saturday, 4 p.m.
www.staugustineoakland.com
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland
Open 11am - 8pm Everyday
5418 College Ave. (510) 420-1928
6.
November 6, 2010
Review: October Town Hall Meetings
RCPC & League of Women Voters Present Election Forums
however, questions such as supporting a tax
holiday and cutting city programs to pay for
more police officers drew mixed responses.
It was difficult for several candidates to
stick to the finality of the yes/no format.
Many hedged on some questions, falling
back on, “it depends!”
The forum closed with final statements
from the candidates stating why each
deserved voters’ support.
More than 150 people attended the
candidate’s forum, according to an unofficial
count.
Ballot Preview Forum
The RCPC-LWV ballot preview held
October 21 was led by LWV representatives
Megan Chenoweth and Earl Hamlin, who
took turns describing the ballot measures
and pointing out that, in some cases, a
vote on one proposition could affect the
outcome of another proposition, e.g. Prop
27 and Prop 20.
by Don Kinkead, Rockridge News editor
This campaign season was one in which
candidate mailings received by voters
could be quantified by weight as much as
by the positions of the candidates and the
issues.
Knowing that Rockridge area voters
were to choose from among 10 mayoral
candidates, nine State propositions and
five Oakland ballot measures, RCPC and
the Oakland League of Women Voters
(LWV) collaborated to present two non-
partisan forums where voters could hear
from candidates and discuss ballot measures.
Candidates Forum
At the mayoral candidate’s forum
held October 14, Theresa Nelson, LWV
representative and Rockridge resident, deftly
guided the candidates through opening
platform statements and on to specific
electoral questions including: how City
pension reform might best be achieved; what
budget restructuring steps could restore the
City to profitability; what considerations
would be important in hiring a new city
administrator; and how many police officers
would be necessary to provide adequately
for public safety.
Toward the end of the forum, candidates
were asked a “lightning round” series of
questions to which each could answer only
“yes” or “no.” No candidate supported
higher density along College Avenue or
around the Rockridge BART station, or
abolishing the city’s Ethics Commission,
Chenoweth and Hamlin noted that
specific evaluative steps for ballot
propositions include examining the goals
of the measure, learning who is sponsoring
the measure, and learning how the measure
is to be funded. They encouraged audience
members to examine the LWV publication
Pros & Cons, which was available at the
meeting and could be found on-line, as well.
RCPC thanks the League of Women Voters of
Oakland for its support and assistance in these
presentations to Rockridge residents. The
League’s Web site has additional information
about the organization and on general election
issues. Visit http://www.lwvoakland.org/.
A related site, http://www.smartvoter.org/,
provides specific ballot information based on
particular residence addresses. Additional
information about RCPC and its activities
is available at http://www.rockridge.org.
a
Henry C. Levy & Co.
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
the Rockridge community
in lifestyle and service.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Certified Public Accountants
and Consultants
A Professional Corporation
■
• tax preparation • estate planning
• tax planning
• business valuation
5940 College Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, California 94618
510.652-1000 FAX 510.654-2363
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
7.
November 6, 2010
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
Has New Pastor
College Avenue
Presbyterian Church
Community Hosts
Thanksgiving Day Meal
by the CAPC Pastoral Committee
After several years of searching, the
congregation of College Avenue Pres-
byterian Church (CAPC) welcomed a new
installed pastor this fall: Monte McClain.
Monte and his family are long-time Oak-
landers. He served as pastor to Fruitvale
Presbyterian Church in the Dimond District
for seven years before leaving to pastor
a congregation of the French Reformed
Church in the town of Poissy, just outside
of Paris, France.
Monte comes to the church with a love
for the cultural diversity of Oakland, good
coffee, foodie tastes, urban farming dreams
and a fascination in how faith is lived out
communally in an urban context, and an
ironic sense of humor.
In the chaos and speed of modern urban
life, he finds he is intrigued by what gives us
a center and shapes not only our world-view
but our daily life. He has been wrestling for
several months with a sentence uttered by
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield: “Answers make
life manageable, but it’s our questions that
make it meaningful.”
Come meet Pastor Monte McClain at
the church, encounter his blog at www.
monteskewed.blogspot.com or look for him
in the cafés in Rockridge in the mornings.
by Monte McClain, Pastor, College
Avenue Presbyterian Church
For more than 20 years, the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church community
has hosted a Thanksgiving Day Community
Meal.
Initially begun to build a deeper sense
of community in our neighborhood and to
respond to concrete needs, the meal continues
year in and year out to work towards those
goals. A church member active in most of
the meals recalls that her involvement began
because of a comment made by her young
daughter. Relocated in a hotel while their
home was being rebuilt after a fire, this
little girl asked, “Why don’t the homeless
people just order room service when they
get hungry?” It was with an earnest desire
to empower her daughter to see the bigger
picture beyond her own experience that
first brought this woman and her family to
help at the meal, which continues to be an
annual practice for their now-grown family.
This Thanksgiving, the church hosts its
annual community meal on Thanksgiving
Day, November 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5951
College Avenue.
The meal is a joint project with diverse
members of our Rockridge community,
involving congregational members, local
merchants and residents. It is an opportunity
to gather as a community to respond to
those struggling with hunger, solitude and
joblessness. The meal generally serves
between 200-300 people with more than
50 volunteers gathered in the shared desire
to make this event possible.
The meal is open and free for everyone.
Donations of money and food are gratefully
accepted. You can also give of your time:
Help is needed starting Monday, November
22 through Wednesday, November 24 to
prepare, set-up and decorate the church
gym for the meal. On the day of the event,
significant help will be needed to complete
the set-up, and to cook, serve and clean up
after the meal. To volunteer or for more
information, contact the church office at
510/638-3665 or capc1@sbcglobal.net,
or volunteer coordinator Mike Castner at
510/658-3487 or look for the Thanksgiving
section on the church Web site at www.
capcchurg.org.
Pastor Monte McClain in his office
at the College Avenue Presbyterian
Church. Photo: D. Kinkead
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8.
November 6, 2010
Rock ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
on College near Alcatraz. Powell’s describes
itself as a nostalgic re-creation of an old-time
candy store. Think “kid in the candy store.”
Finally, a big mazel tov shout-out to
Rebecca and Richard Wood of Wood Tavern
on the birth of the newest College Avenue
gourmand. Reilly Celeste came into the world
over the summer. Always listed on the Bay
Area’s top 100 restaurants, Wood Tavern is
a treasure for our Rockridge neighborhood.
Be sure to stop by to wish Reilly, Rebecca
and Richard the best with their newest
“project.” Work has started on their other
project, next door to Wood Tavern – stay
tuned for more details.
In line with celebrating the “comings
and goings” with “the new and old,”
this month’s recipe is a new twist on an old
time favorite:
Shrimp and “Barbecue” Sauce
(a New Orleans standby)
Comings and Goings: New (and Old) Places to Eat, Drink and Shop
and poultry. Marin Sun Farms features
top-grade grass fed and sustainably raised
beef and pork products. The butchers are
helpful and will cut and prepare to your
exacting specification. I particularly like
their gourmet preparations like the lamb
roulade. They also carry hard-to-find cuts
like flat-iron steaks.
Coffee… and More Coffee!
Oakland is HOT!!
The New York Times, cooking and life-
style magazines, and social networking
sites are calling Oakland the new culinary
Brooklyn.* When it comes to food, there is
certainly a “there” here. Oakland’s Uptown,
Temescal, and Rockridge neighborhoods
are bringing national notoriety to Oaktown
and an endless array of dining and shopping
opportunities for those of us lucky enough
to live here.
As the seasons change, our Rockridge
culinary landscape keeps evolving. I was
saddened to see that long-time destination
restaurant Citron has closed. However, its
sister restaurant, À Côté, continues to thrive
and recently received a 3-star rating from
SF Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer
– congratulations Matt, Jeff and the two
Mikes behind the bar.
The folks at À Côté are branching out
into Oakland and San Francisco. Their pan-
Latino restaurant on Park Boulevard in the
Glenview neighborhood is under construc-
tion and an exciting new project is underway
in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood
on Valencia Street in the beautiful historic
building formally occupied by New Col-
lege. It will become a venue for the New
Orleans Preservation Hall Band and feature
authentic Big Easy cuisine.
Big change at Market Hall
Long-time butcher Enzo’s Meat and
Poultry has been replaced by Marin Sun
Farms, considered by in-the-know carnivores
as one of the finest purveyors of beef, pork
Do we have coffee? Count them – on
College from Broadway to Alcatraz there
are now over a dozen coffee-house cafés.
Two new cafés recently opened: Tiny Bica
Café at College and Shafter serves a unique
Portuguese-style espresso. (While traveling
in Portugal, we always started our day with
a strong bica.) Bica Café opens at 6:30 a.m.
for the early BART rush and features a real
time BART schedule. The other new venue
is Café Zoe at College and Chabot. Café
Zoe features the usual espresso fare and
specialty teas, and carries a good assortment
of European style pastries. For the coffee
elites, Blue Bottle Coffee will soon open
its own store on College Avenue and is the
featured brew at Miam.Miam.
Openings
Miam.Miam (“yum-yum” in French) is
a new hip and “in” gourmet frozen yogurt
shop and bakery at 5856 College Avenue.
Miam.Miam is self-serve, featuring locally
made gelatos and freshly brewed Blue Bottle
coffee. Toppings include a wide variety of
fresh fruit, specialty cookies and candies and
artisanal sauces. The free tasting is a must.
Powell’s Sweet Shoppe will soon open
(4 servings)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-½ pounds shrimp, unpeeled
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
• Melt butter in a sauté pan over high heat.
• When butter is foaming, add the shrimp
and Worcestershire sauce.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5
minutes, until the sauce is glossy and
thick and the shrimp turn pink. (Do not
over-cook or the shrimp will get tough.)
• Add salt and pepper and stir in the
lemon juice.
Eat out of hand with lots of napkins, or
just lick your fingers.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes and leads culinary tours of local ethnic
markets. His email is kaufman42@earthlink.net.
* See: http://sf.curbed.com/
archives/2009/09/16/oakland_is_the_
new_brooklyn.php
• Stuck? Depressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed?
• People driving you to distraction?
• Doubting yourself?
• Difficulty coping?
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.
It's time to engage the help of
a good Therapist . . .
Authentic Japanese Cuisine
ADDRESS 5335 College Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94618
Sharon Testa-Harker, MFT
CA License No. MFC29310
Rikyu
TEL 510 595 7388
Berkeley Office near the Claremont Hotel
Office hours by appt.
510-655-3289
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
November 6, 2010
a
rk Corner
P
G
Help FROG
Park with
a gift of
your time
A monthly update on
what’s happening at the
best community-built
and maintained
park in Oakland
FRO
9.
Rot was found
in parts of the
FROG Park play
structures and
will be repaired.
The structures
are closed
during the repair
period.
Closed
For Repairs
Concern Over FROG Park Facilities Closure
tions, monitoring park issues and problems,
volunteering for maintenance, and helping
to ensure this is a wonderful, safe place for
children. Come to our next meeting Novem-
ber 16, 7 p.m., at the Rockridge Library. If
you can’t attend, contact info@frogpark.org
so we can help you get involved. Sign up
for the FROG e-Newsletter via parknews@
frogpark.org to keep informed.
2. Volunteer for FROG workdays.
The City faces a budget shortfall, so some
work must be done by the community.
FROG needs community members to
help remove the redwood roots from
Redondo Park immediately and reopen
the park. When the Hardy structure
repairs are complete, FROG will
clean and replace the drainage system.
Contact info@frogpark.org to sign up.
3. Contact City Council President
Jane Brunner’s office at 238-7001,
or e-mail jbrunner@oaklandnet.com.
Tell them how important this is to the
community and urge them to speed the
repairs. Also contact the Public Works
department, which is responsible for
doing the work: Interim Director
Vitaly B. Troyan, 510/238-3961, or
e-mail vtroyan@oaklandnet.com,
and deliver the same message.
4. Make a contribution to FROG
to help cover these repair costs. Click
on http://www.frogpark.org/donate/. The
City’s intricate purchasing procedures
take months; FROG has offered to pay for
materials to help speed the repairs. Your
contribution will help replenish the FROG
fund for maintenance and repairs.
Many of us on the FROG Steering
Commitee have children who grew up here
when there was no park. This is why we
worked so hard and raised so much money
and recruited so many volunteers — over
1,300 — to build the play structures in 2001.
Ann Lovi
510.339.0400/351
alovi@grubbco.com
D.R.E. Lic. #01716499
GRUBBCO.COM
Editor’s Note: A question recently posted on the Temescal Families Yahoo group (http://
groups.yahoo.com/group/temescalfamilies/) decried the temporary closing of FROG
Park facilities. The posting and a reply from the FROG Park steering committee follow:
Question: My family is pretty devastated about the closing of both of our community
parks. There just isn’t much to do in our neighborhood for toddlers, and now my
three-year-old has nowhere to play for three months. She isn’t yet school age, so this
is a huge inconvenience. Does anyone know exactly what is being done for renovations,
and why? Is there any possible way to expedite the upgrades?
Answer: Having the play structures
closed for repairs is something we on
the FROG Park steering committee
are unhappy about, but the work
must be done to keep the structures
safe. When the cushioning fibar was
removed, more extensive dry rot was
found than expected. Much of the
damage to the train structure resulted
from accumulated sand moved by
children from the sandbox to other
parts of the park which mixed with
the fibar and retained moisture. To
prevent future sand problems, the City
is considering relocating the sandbox
entrance to the path area.
The City has done an exceptional
Hardy Park play structures are temporarily
fenced off for repairs. Photo: D. Kinkead
job surveying the damage and proposing
solutions but the repair work will take time.
Here’s how you can help:
1. Join the FROG (Friends of the
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt) Steering
Committee and get involved in finding solu-
WINSTON’S PLUMBING
Third Generation
Rockridge Resident
HEATING & ELECTRICAL
lic.# 537739/554406
Since 1979
• Trenchless Sewers
• Earthquake Protection
• Tankless Water Heaters
• Remodel & Repair
The next FROG Steering Committee
meeting is November 16, 7 p.m., at the
Rockridge Branch Library. If you can’t
attend, e-mail info@frogpark.org to learn
how you can get involved.
510-652-8014
www.winstonsplumbing.com
“”May your toilet never runneth over!”
10.
November 6, 2010
Chabot’s Fall Carnival Comes, Rain or Shine
by Jennifer Vetter, Chabot Elementary
School parent
For the first time ever, Chabot Elemen-
tary School’s annual Fall Carnival on
the Sunday before Halloween nearly got
rained out. But co-chairs Suzanne Skip-
per and Hope Broderick refused to blink,
snatching victory from the jaws of defeat
and moving forward with this popular
event that brought an impressive number
of families out for fun and fundraising,
even in the rain. Sales of 11,725 tickets
for games and food netted $10,000 for
When rain
threatened
Chabot School’s
fundraising
Fall Carnival,
organizers
moved the
activities
inside the new
multi-purpose
auditorium,
where
attendees
purchased
more than
11,000 tickets
for games and
food.
The Really Fun Part
Responses of a few Chabot 1st
and 2nd graders when asked,
“What was your favorite part of
the Carnival?”:
Charlie Perl: Painting a sugar
skull.
Xiomara Tilghman: The Haunted
House.
Grayson Broderick: The jumpy.
No, the prizes AND the jumpy.
I went about 15 times.
Cybele Bourelly: The Haunted
House.
Mika Tway: The henna [showing
the beautiful design on her
hand].
Caroline Pers: The dunking booth.
I dunked Mr. Mayer!
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chabotelementary/
prize table and the costume contest were
on the stage, while contestants danced
the cakewalk around the circle formed
by haybales in the center of the floor. The
adjoining kitchen where school lunches are
served worked tolerably well for parent and
alumni volunteers serving food donated by
Chu Restaurant, Red Buffalo, and Safeway.
The hotdog grill, the dunk tank, the
game booths that involved throwing balls,
and the petting zoo were set up outside,
for obvious reasons. The big garage-style
doors were kept open throughout the event
and everyone was grateful to the architects
for providing the long sheltering eaves –
designed for shade, but great for keeping
the rain off, too.
the PTA to support art, the garden, music,
library, science, and Spanish at Chabot.
Claremont Middle School generously
allowed Chabot to use their campus for
the Fall Carnival in 2008 and 2009,
while Chabot’s campus was undergoing
major construction. This year, everyone
was excited about having the Carnival
back home at Chabot, and on the newly
landscaped upper yard with the cool new
play structure that just opened September
24th, no less. But then it RAINED. HARD.
ALL WEEKEND LONG.
As the dire weather predictions came
in, the intrepid organizers put out the word,
“We’re still on, rain or shine,” and moved
most of the booths and activities into the
new Multi-Purpose Room, the large one-
year-old auditorium designed to hold the
entire student body for assemblies. The
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Closing Date
BR BATH
Address
Original Price
LP
DOM
SP
10/1/2010
3
1.5
5387 Miles Avenue
$869,000
$869,000
25
$832,095
10/07/2010
4
1
5600 Oak Grove Ave $699,000
$699,000
15
$699,000
10/12/2010
5
5
5950 Margarido Dr
$4,300,000
$3,395,000
99
$3,395,000
10/14/2010
4
2.5
5490 Kales Avenue
$995,000
$995,000
14
$1,150,000
10/22/2010
3
1.5
5232 Miles Avenue
$769,000
$769,000
14
$785,000
• Rockridge currently has just over a 2 month supply of inventory • Average list to sell in October of
this year was only 89% - but 40% of the sales still sold over the original list price • Average market time
is currently 33 days in Rockridge - an increase of 44% compared to a year ago • Median sales price has
increase by nearly 2% over last year.
11.
November 6, 2010
Peralta Students Make Good… Public Art
by Laura Counts, Peralta Parent Teacher
Group
Dtion, recycling, and disposal. They built
sculptures, and told paper’s tale in a video.
This year, students are making their
own paper from Peralta’s scraps, and even
sewing it into books. Next up are plastic
bottles: where they come from, and where
they go. They’ll collect bottles and use
them to build a greenhouse—while learning
about plastic’s longevity in landfills (and
the Pacific Ocean).
Another way students are becoming
community stewards is through regular
visits to the North Oakland Senior Center.
Here, they connect with elders by work-
ing together on crafts, often with recycled
materials. The simple projects are a direct
bridge between the generations.
The Telegraph transit-box portraits are
part of the stewardship program’s public
art component, linking the school to the
neighborhood. Watch for more recycled
vinyl transit-box art, this time focusing on
the water cycle, scattered around Rockridge
soon. New banners will also go up on Alca-
traz Avenue.
All of this is the result of years of work
by Oppenheimer, Noval, and Principal
Rosette Costello—along with classroom
teachers—to integrate the arts into the
curriculum, top to bottom. They have won
for Peralta designation as an Arts Learning
Anchor School from the Alameda County
Office of Education, as well as funding from
the Altamont Education Advisory Board,
Bechtel, the California Arts Council, and
the City of Oakland.
Learn more about Peralta at www.per-
altaschool.org.
riving along Telegraph Avenue, you
may have noticed the whimsical self-
portraits that began appearing on transit
boxes last spring—a sign that Peralta Ele-
mentary’s art program had spilled beyond
its mural-covered walls.
Even with the budget crisis that has
forced California schools to cut programs
to the bone, the arts are thriving at Peralta.
The K-5 school at 460-63rd Street is in its
third year of an ambitious Arts Stewardship
Program, made possible by a patchwork of
public and private funding.
“The idea of stewardship is to give kids
a voice in building a world they want to
grow up in,” says Peralta artist-in-residence
Ellen Oppenheimer, a noted textile artist.
“The problems they are facing are really
terrifying. We want them to feel like they
have power to make beneficial changes.”
In one project, Oppenheimer and digital
artist-in-residence Trena Noval led students
on an investigation of paper, collecting all
the waste paper the school used in a month.
They weighed and measured, researched
and graphed, delving into paper produc-
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.
5431 College Ave
Oakland Ca 94618
510. 652. 5431
Photo supplied by Laura Counts
Susan Bernosky, LUTCF
(510) 450 9050
www.elizabethh.net
5940 College Ave, #A
Oakland
susanbernosky@allstate.com
Preston Grant
REALTOR
LIC R01375357
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
Direct 510.220.7908
preston_grant@sbcglobal.net
12.
November 6, 2010
Your Invitation to
Join the Rockridge
News Team
Oakland Technical High School
Welcomes Future Students with Tours
Every year, prospective families tour
high schools throughout the Bay Area
seeking the right fit for their student.
Oakland Tech offers prospective students
the nationally renowned Paideia program,
our rigorous “schools within a school”
academies centered on different career
fields, special academic programs, AP
courses, the comprehensive Performing
Arts program, athletics and more.
There are many ways for families
considering Oakland Tech to learn more
about the school. Oakland Tech offered
the community a first introduction at its
annual Information Night/Open House
on November 3. A series of two-hour
tours begining on November 9 offers
interested prospective parents and students
an opportunity to visit the facility and
classrooms during a typical school day.
Starting time is 9 a.m. on the following
scheduled tour dates:
Tuesday, November 9
Tuesday, November 16
Thursday, November 18
Tuesday, December 7
Tuesday, December 14
“Shadow days” are available to 8th grade
students whose families have already visited
Oakland Tech (at Information Night, on a
school tour, through having another child
or family member who attended Tech, etc.)
and who have decided they’re interested
in seeing more.
www.rockridge.org
VOL. 25 NO. 10 ISSUE NO. 272 November 6, 2010 CIRCULATION: 5,100 RESIdENCES; 200 BUSINESSES
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200
DVD Project Info Stand
Set Up in Library Lobby
AGENDA:
New at the
Rockridge Branch Library
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
November 18, 2010
7:30-9 p.m.
18
Rockridge Branch Library Prepares New
Resources and Opportunities for Patrons
The November Town Hall meeting is all about the Rockridge Branch Library. First,
Head Librarian Pat Lichter and Teen Specialist Librarian Susy Moorhead will discuss
the construction slated to start early next year, which will create a Teen Center. There
will also be more shelves for DVDs and a new computer area. Then, Annette Floystrup
and Jon Gabel, co-chairs of the Rockridge DVD Project, will give an update on the
status of this project to fill the coming increased DVD shelf space.
Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Avenue at Manila,
Community Room (Upstairs)
November 8 — Notice of Public meetiNg
Jon Gabel and Annette Floystrup,
Rockridge DVD project co-chairs, left,
and Rockridge Branch Library Manager
Pat Lichter join in solid support of the
project that will supply 2,800 DVDs for
circulation to library patrons when the
project is complete. The easel pictured
with them in the library lobby presents
patrons with project information and holds
brochures describing how donations may be
made to support DVD acquisitions.
4th bore mitigatioNs
Caltrans did not directly mitigate any construction
or long-term environmental impacts along Hwy. 24
stemming from construction of the added tunnel. The Oakland
settlement agreement includes what Caltrans should have
done in Rockridge. These projects will be reviewed and
discussed at a public meeting November 8. See details, page 2.
Halloween
College Ave
City Discusses Rockridge
Bore Mitigation Projects
• Learn more about the DVD project: Visit
www.rockridgedvdproject.org
• Learn more about the Rockridge Branch
and Oakland’s Library system at http://www.
oaklandlibrary.org/Branches/rockridge.htm
• Join others who support the Rockridge Branch
Library: http://www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.
org Photo: Don KinKeaD
Safeway EIR Matching
Grant Still Open: Page 3
On the east end of the Caldecott Tunnel, the
mouth of the fourth bore begins to take
shape. Traffic continues to flow west through the
existing tunnel at left of photo. See full story and
meeting details, page 2. Photo: Don KinKeaD
During a shadow visit, the visiting
student spends a day or part of a day with
a Tech student, following the Tech student
host’s schedule.
Sign-up for a Tour or Shadow Day
on the Oakland Tech Web site at http://
oaklandtech.com/staff/admissions/
prospective-families
Halloween on College Avenue shows us a bit
more about who we are and who we might
wish to be. At left, from top, photos by Shona
Armstrong, Yeda Altes and Ashley Etling.
More Halloween, pg 13.
College on Safeway webSite
The Rockridge News team is looking for
a couple of block captains to deliver
papers once a month on Claremont Avenue.
If you live nearby and like to walk and meet
neighbors give us a call and tell us which
route you would like to take on:
20A: On Claremont from 5900 even
numbers up Claremont to Shell
station
21G: Along the odd numbers of 6000
Claremont
Call Susan at 547-3855 or e-mail her at
smontauk@gmail.com to volunteer.
Regency Antique Restoration
Professional and Experienced
ALL Furniture Repairs
In-Home Services
New finishes & waxing
FREE ESTIMATES
Pickup & Delivery
517-6280
Bruce Wagg
bruce@bayareaantiques.com
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
We’re excited and proud to announce that McGuire Real Estate
has acquired Elmwood Realty & Investment Co.
ERI, located at 2991 College Avenue in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood, will serve as
McGuire’s 9th Bay Area office. This acquisition allows McGuire to reinforce its presence
in the East Bay and extend its services to Berkeley, Albany and other surrounding
communities. This is McGuire’s 4th acquisition in 2 years. As a result, the company has
increased its ranking in the Bay Area from 8th to 5th, all while delivering a high level of
service to our clients and providing a luxury experience at all price points.
Please look for more innovations and growth from McGuire soon.
13.
November 6, 2010
Dog Park Re-Opens as BART Finishes Retrofit
New
Café Zoë Rockridge
6000 College Avenue, Oakland
(510) 658-4963
Monday – Saturday 7:00am – 7:00pm,
Sunday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Coffee, tea, salads,
sandwiches, pastries
Owners Shawn Allison and
Kevin McLain
Facebook: cafezoerockridge
Clementine
5322 College Avenue, Oakland
510-284-7081
Wednesday – Sunday 11:00am –
6:00pm
Floral, home and garden
Owner Natalie Marvin
www.ohmyclementine.com
Cocoon Bare
5326 College Avenue, Oakland
510-394-8161
Tuesday – Friday 11:009am – 7:00pm,
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm
Waxing, threading, bronzing
www.cocoonbare.com
Stella Carakasi
5410 College Avenue, Oakland
510-658-5410
Monday – Sunday 11:00am – 7:00pm
Men’s and women’s clothing
Owners Stella Carakasi and
Steven Boutrous
http://twostardog.com/
B
ART has completed earthquake
retrofitting at Hardy Park and
the dog run is open.
Construction supervisor
Refugio Haro, right, welcomes
park returnees to the like-new
area. At left, Belle the Dog waits
impatiently for a romp on the
resurfaced field, while guardian
Sam Abdnor counsels patience.
— D. Kinkead
Halloween on College Avenue
Moved (in Rockridge)
San Francisco Dancewear
Now at 5933 College Avenue,
formerly at 5900 College Avenue
Photo: Ashley Etling
Photo: Yeda Altes
Photo: Yeda Altes
Photo: Shona Armstrong
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
482-2227 Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work • Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com
X xperience the Unique Difference...
Ortrun Niesar
Realtor, DRE #01161032
1986 Mountain Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94611
510-326-2161
ortrun .niesar@soth ebysrealty.com
eastbaysir.com
I look forward to serving you!
14.
November 6, 2010
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, www.sutorikandco.com, lic#397149.
510/655-3677.
Kitchen & Bathroom
Remodeling
Family Owned and Operated Business. We
specialize in kitchen and bathroom remodels
as well as room additions. We are licensed,
bonded & insured. Please call today for a free
in-home consultation. www.SRYConstruction.
com. 510/620-0722.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA
94611. December deadline is November 18.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Gardener
Over 15 years of service to the Rockridge area.
Maintenance and garden restoration. Reason-
able rates and excellent references. Please call
Chris: 510/655-0157.
Free Yellow Page Listings
Including free 500-word business profile. Your
offerings interest visitors: The Yellow Page
advantage & why I call visitors Prospects/
Customers. Paul 510/386-7849. SFbay.Smart-
erYellowPages.com – For/About SF Bay Area
businesses.
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide quality housecleaning. We use
eco-friendly products because the planet is
important to us. Let us create free time for
you... call today! 510/228-5704. Excellent
recommendations, Licensed, bonded & insured.
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.
Private and Cozy Rental Unit
Between Manila and Lawton. Good for one or
two people. Close to shopping, transportation.
$1,000 per month & deposit. 510/652-8803.
Fall Special! Penelope’s
Aesthetics Skin Care Salon
25% off waxing and facial services. Come visit
my salon in a serene garden setting and receive
excellent, relaxing services with a gentle and
personalized treatment. www.penelopecalef.
com. By appointment. 510/594-1552.
Free Yellow Page Listings
I offer visitor-friendly & quickly updated Yellow
Page listings for/about all in the Bay Area with
a free 500-word business profile at SFbay.
SmarterYellowPages.com (by an Oakland firm).
Paul 510/386-7849.
Mother Nature’s Carpet
Cleaning; Chemical-Free
Products!
Chemical-free cleaning for your carpets,
upholstery, area rugs and more. Please call
today for a free estimate and find out about
our low rates and promotions! 510/776-8115.
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under 20
feet tall. I work with trees to enhance their
natural beauty. Specialties: maples, camellias,
fruit trees, & focal points. Pruning instructor
Merritt College. Bruce Thompson 510/428-
4964.
Need Night Out? Going
Back to Work?
Sweet Peas, an agency for all your childcare
needs, is a locally owned and operated nanny
placement agency. We are currently looking for
families needing childcare and nannies seeking
a position in childcare. 510/289-5477.
Got Tenants? Need
Tenants? Property
Management Services
Need some help managing your rental property?
Great rates! Bringing tenants and landlords
together is my job! Attention to detail. Contact
George at 510/710-6826. GvRealtor@gmail.com.
j
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
510.654.6755
www.jarvisarchitects.com
New homes at
121 &123 Sheridan Road
to be completed late fall!
call for a free consultation
15.
November 6, 2010
E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or mail to:
Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611. Deadline is the next to the last
Tuesday of the month.
Compiled by Jo Ellis
6013 Lawton (at B’way). Info: 655-4951 or www.
SaintPetersOakland.com.
California College of the Arts (CCA)
Holiday Fair
Community Calendar
Saturday, Dec 4, 11am to 3pm. One-of-a-kind, handmade
affordable gifts by students, alumni and staff. Paintings,
drawings, jewelry, ceramics, blown glass, photography,
textiles and more. Live jazz and holiday treats. CCA
campus, 5212 Broadway, main walkway. Info 594-3678
or www.cca.edu/.
Annual Thanksgiving Day
Community Meal
Public Mtg to Discuss Caldecott
Fourth Bore Settlement Projects
ART EXHIBITS (call to confirm)
Gallery:
■
■Nov: Rick and Tina Nelson: Photographs and
paintings.
Give your input on potential projects to be funded. Mon,
Nov 8, 7pm. Kaiser Elem. School, 25 South Hill Ct. (Hiller
Highlands N’hood). For carpool info from Rockridge
BART, email info@rockridge.org. See full story p. 2.
Rockridge Branch Library
■
■Dec: TBA
Lobby Display Case:
■
■Nov., Exhibit by Adele Crawford.
All welcome on Thurs., 11/25, 11am to 1pm. Free event
but donations gratefully accepted. Volunteers of all ages
needed for prep, set-up, serving and clean-up. Hosted
by the College Ave. Presb. Church, 5951 College Ave. To
volunteer, donate or for more info, call Mike: 658-3487 or
www.capcchurch.org. See full story p. 7.
Support Claremont Middle School
with Cal Football Parking
■
■Dec: TBA
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays; also Thurs, 11/11 for
Veteran’s Day; Fri, 11/12 (city-wide furlough); Thurs and
Fri, 11/25 and 11/26 for Thanksgiving; and Tues, 11/30
(city-wide furlough).
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings, Events
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
■
■Toddler Story Time: Every Saturday, 10:30am. (Note:
no story time 11/27)
■
■Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wed., 10:30am.
■
■Baby and Toddler Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wed.,
10:30am, upstairs.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
If you’re driving to see Cal play Oregon on Nov 13,
or Washington on Nov 27, park at Claremont Middle
School to raise funds for the 6th, 7th and 8th grade
class trips. 5750 College Avenue. More info: 654-7337.
North Oakland Senior Center
■
■MoChA Workshop: Make recycled art for the Annual
Re-Create Art Contest. Thurs., 11/18, 4pm. All ages
welcome
FOR TEENS
All events are FREE and open to the public.
■
■Sun., 11/7, 3pm. Daniel Pinchbeck: Notes from the
Edge Times.
■
■Mon., 11/8, 7pm. Amnesty International Meeting
(2nd Monday each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Ages 13 and up,
watch and talk about anime (Japanese animation).
Second Tues. each month (11/9, 12/14), 5 to 6:30pm,
upstairs meeting room.
Programs include: Arts and crafts; health Insur-
ance counseling; dancing and exercise; trips, tours
and theater outings; Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support
Groups and more.
■
■Wed., 11/10, 7pm. Local author Thaisa Frank: Hei-
degger’s Glasses.
■
■Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Help advise the
library how to better serve teens. Get community
service credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st
Saturday each month from 4 to 5pm.
■
■Feather Falls Casino Trip: Mon, Nov 8. 7:30am
(meet in lobby) to 5:30pm. Cost: $25 (receive $10
casino slot play).
■
■Sun., 11/14, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Steven Night-
ingale, and Grace Marie Grafton.
■
■Sat., 11/27, 3pm. Chronicle Books Cookbook Extrava-
ganza! Tom Hudgens: The Commonsense Kitchen:
500 Recipes Plus Lessons for a Hand-Crafted Life;
Jennie Schact: Farmers’ Market Desserts; Local
author Vanessa Barrington: D.I.Y. Delicious: Recipes
and Ideas for Simple Food from Scratch; and Amy
Teadwell: Whoopie Pies. All will share samples
from their cookbooks.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info about
these authors/ books (and other events and discussion
groups): 653-9965 or events@dieselbookstore.com.
Liz Maxwell, Rockridge Artist
■
■Holiday Gala: Fri., Dec 3, 2pm to 6pm. Tickets: $10.
More info: 597- 5085.
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8:30am to 4pm (closed: Nov 11,
12, 25, 26, and 29). 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Subscribe to “The North Oakland Senior Times” for full
schedule of classes/events, lunch menus, membership,
and volunteer opportunities. Info: 597- 5085.
American Red Cross
■
■Soap Making Workshop: Make gifts for the holidays.
Create your own soaps from supplies provided by the
presenter, Masina Tillo. Ages 12 to 18. Sign up in
advance. Sat., 12/4, 1 to 2:30pm.
Info about teen programs: Susy, 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 15 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced,
manuscript margins) of any prose for on-site reading/
discussion (you’re also welcome to come empty-
handed). Third Saturday each month (11/21), 1 to 5pm.
Sponsored by the California Writers Club, Berkeley
branch (www.berkeleywritersclub.org.) Info:
420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
■
■Mobile Blood Drives: In Nov., there will be 4 weekly
drawings and 4 winners for $100 Macy’s gift cards
(not available at high school or college blood drives).
Call 1-800/Red Cross (1-800/733-2767) or visit www.
redcrossblood.org to find a location near you.
Open Studio, Dec 4 and 5 from noon to 5pm. Paintings,
prints and mixed media in wide range of sizes. Also, a
chance to earn free artwork doing logic-puzzles. 5808
Chabot Road. lizmaxwell@prodigy.net.
Holiday Boutique & Tea
Sat. Nov. 13, 10am to 4 pm. Handmade holiday
items: scarves, aprons, home-baked goods, jams
and jellies. Tea served from 11am to 2pm. Hourly
prize drawings. St. Peter’s Anglican Church,
■
■Volunteer Orientations: Tour the Oakland Blood
Center. Learn to assist blood donors, deliver blood,
help with special projects. Tuesdays, 11/9 and 11/16
from 6pm – 8pm. 6230 Claremont Avenue (across from
College Ave. Safeway). Learn more or sign up: Anne
at 594-5165 or BlackstoneA@usa.redcross.org.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 6 to 8pm. Advance
sign-up starts 5pm.
Wonderful, ongoing,
weekday classes for
babies or toddlers
A
Mov
e
m
e
T nnouncing
One Extraordinary Collaboration
nt
Prog
ram f
or
Drop-ins or sign ups
for ALL families: songs,
slides, tunnels, parachute play,
bubbles, a fab ball pit, rocking
horses & more!
A
L
L
Fa
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East Bay Sotheby’s International Realty proudly welcomes
Ortrun Niesar!
“We don’t just have access to extraordinary properties, we have access to extraordinary people!”
Mark Attarha, Owner and Managing Broker
For 9 months up to 3 years with an adult
Dawn Margolin | 510.547.7726
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
1986 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94611
o 510.339.4004 | f 510.339.8490
w w w . t b a o a k l a n d . o r g / k i n d e r g y m
16.
November 6, 2010
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
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
O Residential Sales
O Income Property
O Commercial
O Property Management
29
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
65 ROBLE ROAD:
URBAN HIP MEETS COUNTRY COTTAGE
Experience the pleasure of coming home to the feeling of living
in the country yet being just minutes from Rockridge BART, College
Avenue and amazingly convenient freeway access. Situated on an
approximately 15,000 square foot lot, this 3+ bedroom 2+ bath home
has that rare combination of magical setting, mostly all level living &
unique imaginative architecture. $875,000
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DRE# 00875454
510.682.5917
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Mon – Fri 9:30 – 6:00
Sat 9:30 – 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
3210 College Avenue
Near Alcatraz
652-1990
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
For Sale – rockridge
5354 Broadway 2beds/1bath + small studio
Nice Craftsman Bungalow w/ Great Architectural
Detailing, Hardwood Floors, Big Kitchen, Fireplace,
and a Cozy Studio Rental.
award Winning chabot elementary
www.5354Broadway.com
Price reduced
5131 desmond Street 2bed/1bath $699,000
A Perfect Craftsman Bungalow with Amazing
Architectural Detailing in Beautiful Gumwood, Big
Eat-in Remodeled kitchen and Updated Bath.
Hardwood floors, Fireplace, and Built-ins
www.5131desmond.com
Price reduced
Sustainable Living
Starts at Home
442 60th St. 3beds/2baths
Remodeled w/ a Huge Double Lot $838,000
Really nice Bungalow with hardwood floors & a
Master Suite.
award Winning Peralta elementary School
www.442-60thSt.com
Price reduced
5240 locksley ave. 3+ beds/2++baths
Cottage Style on a Huge Lot $869,000
Close to everything in Rockridge and Temescal. Quite
Street. Move-in Condition.
www.5240locksley.com
Price reduced
Sustainable Building
Starts at Ashby Lumber
Looking for a Contractor?
Visit our Contractor Directory
at ashbylumber.com
coming Soon – rockridge
.
824 Ashby Avenue Berkeley
Ph: 510.843.4832 Fax: 510.843.3840
61st Street 2+beds/1bath with a
Legal 1bed/1bath In-Law Below
Quiet Charming Street, Great Craftsman Home
Recently Remodeled, South Facing Park-like Yard,
and a Legal 1bed/1bath Apartment Below.
award Winning Peralta elementary
Pending
5524 lawton avenue
3beds/1bath Plus Detached Studio/Office $799,000
An
Architectural
Gem
w/Stunning
Craftsman
detailing, “Clinker” Brick Fireplace, Box Beamed
Ceiling, and More, Big Modern Kitchen, and Detached
Office/Studio in the Back Yard.
award Winning chabot elementary
www.5524lawton.com
545 43rd St
2beds/1bath Plus big South facing yard $414,000
A really nice split-level starter Bungalow in the heart
of Temescal. Hardwood flrs, nice detailing, breakfast
nook.
www.545-43rdSt.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”
www.lawtonassoc.com
R E A L E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E