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www.rockridge.org

VOL. 26      NO. 2      ISSUE NO. 275    February 5, 2011                    CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 BusInesses

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200

Interview: Mayor Jean Quan
Nine Kitchens for Ninth Tour Event
2011 Rockridge Kitchen Tour:
the Search Is On!
by Natalie Mehta, chair,
Rockridge Kitchen Tour
As the holidays have wound down
and the New Year is gathering
speed, planning for this year’s Rockridge
Kitchen Tour is now in full swing. For
those of you who may be new to the
neighborhood, this fall will mark the
ninth biennial kitchen tour since 1995 and
will feature nine beautifully renovated,
restored, or remodeled Rockridge residential kitchens.
This event is the primary fundraiser for the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC), the non-profit community organization
that sponsors publication of The Rockridge News, holds informational
monthly town hall meetings, and supports community concerns. Funds
raised are dedicated to community projects that advocate for health,
safety, and quality of life in Rockridge.
As shown in the photographs at right
and above from past tours, the kitchens
come in a variety of styles, sizes, and
budgets: Traditional, modern, Craftsman,
modest updates to large-scale renova-
tions, green features and interesting
Photo: D. Kinkead
➧➧Kitchen Tour, page 4
by Don Kinkead, editor, The Rockridge News
Shortly after her inauguration, Mayor Jean Quan
met with RCPC Chair Stuart Flashman and Rockridge News
editor Don Kinkead in her office to discuss her plans and
concerns for Oakland and its future. Working from a list
of questions prepared by RCPC’s board and submitted
in advance, the new mayor spoke broadly about Oakland
schools, public safety, the need to improve retail, the city
budget, public facilities, redevelopment and zoning, and AC
Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal.
Mayor Jean Quan’s City Hall office is a roomy space
overlooking 12th and Broadway from the third floor of
the building first occupied in
AGENDA: February RCPC Town Hall Meeting
17
1. City Attorney John Russo Discusses Gang Injunctions
and the City Budget.
2. A Look at Urban Wildlife and the Birds and the Bees,
with City of Oakland Naturalist Stephanie Benavidez.
3. Mike Lynes, Audubon Society: Birds in Rockridge.
of Oakland Naturalist and Resident
Naturalist at the Rotary Nature
Center, will speak about city wildlife
and answer your questions.
3. Mike Lynes, Conservation
Director of the Golden Gate Audu-
bon Society, will discuss and identify
1. City Attorney John Russo
discusses Oakland’s gang injunction
strategy, and how it differs from
injunctions in other California cities,
and will also talk about a “back-to-
basics” budget approach to the city’s
massive pension debt.
2. Stephanie Benavidez, city
➧➧Interview, page 5
➧➧Feb. Town Hall Meeting, page 7
In April: RCPC Board Elections;
Six Seats. Serve RockridgePage 4
Thursday, February 17  |  7:30-9 p.m.
Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Avenue
at Manila, Community Room (Upstairs)


February 5, 2011
2.

Rockridge News Volunteer
Esther McFeely
Celebrates 100th Birthday
Esther McFeely celebrated her 100th
birthday in January. That is not an
age most people expect to reach, or maybe
even plan to reach. Explaining how she
made it so far, Esther said, “Just meet it
head on.” More than 60 friends, neighbors
and admirers attended the open house
held in her honor.
Esther’s family moved to Rockridge in
1920, when she was nine years old. Prior
to that, the family lived in San Francisco,
where Esther was born, then in Nevada
City, hometown of Esther’s mother. The
family settled at last on Lawton Avenue
in Rockridge and Esther has lived in the
house since that time. “I have seen many
a home change ownership,” she says.
An early supporter of The Rockridge
News, Esther opened her home for several
years beginning in the late 1980s to the
monthly gathering of volunteers who met
to count out and bundle newsletters for
district and block captains to distribute.
She always pitched in to help expand
her dining room table with extra leaves,
then joined the hubbub and gossip as the
Esther McFeely at 100, pictured
during the open house celebration
in her honor.
Photo: Michael (Buddy) Collins
sorting and counting went on.
A widow, she raised her family of
two children, taught ballet in the large,
open upstairs of the home, fostered young
chimpanzees until they were old enough
to move to the zoo, and was Mother Goose
at Children’s Fairyland.
“I would like to do it all again,” she
said. And meant it.
— Don Kinkead
rockridge.org to find the Survey Monkey
form to fill out online or the manual form
you can download, complete with ink or
pen, and return by mail.
25th Anniversary Year Notes
from Prior Editors
The note from the next prior editor
of the newsletter was lost in a computer
mishap, and will be published in March.
Editor’s Notes:
Rockridge News Reader Survey
The Rockridge News reader survey con-
tinues through February, with results
to be reported in the March newsletter. The
response has been strong – and interesting
– from all around Rockridge. Have you had
a chance to send in your response? There
is still time to get on record. Go to www.
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
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Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
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5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
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ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays; also Feb. 12 & Feb. 22
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, 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 Voice-mail: 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
 March 5, 2011
 March deadline is February 20, 2011.
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.)


February 5, 2011

3.

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: February 23.
Subject to change. Check Rockridge.org for meeting updates.

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.

No Land Use Committee report this month. No news or change to report on the College Avenue Safeway proposal.

Report: RCPC January Town Hall Meeting, in Two Parts
by RCPC Chair Stuart Flashman

Rockridge Shopping Center Plans are
Topic in Town Hall, then City Committee
Safeway’s proposal to redevelop the
Rockridge Shopping Center was a hot
topic during January. Safeway wants to
totally rebuild the shopping center, a 15-acre
mini-mall at the corner of Broadway and
Pleasant Valley Avenue that also includes
the large and popular CVS store.
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
Considers Possibilities
Starting things off was RCPC’s January
Town Hall Meeting, where RCPC board
Chair Stuart Flashman and John Gatewood
from Urbanists for a Livable Rockridge
Temescal Area (ULTRA) presented a cri-
tique of Safeway’s plans and four alternative
proposals – two from ULTRA and two from
RCPC members. Flashman stressed that local
community groups are critical of Safeway’s
proposal, and that the proposed alternatives
are a starting point in looking for a better
plan. The other groups involved are Pied-
mont Avenue Neighborhood Improvement
League (PANIL), Standing Together for
Accountable Neighborhood Development
(STAND) and Friends and Neighbors of
College Avenue (FANS).
ULTRA’s two plans stress the benefits
of including residential development. One
proposes establishing an entirely new neigh-
borhood in the site’s northeast quadrant
(the current CVS store site), where Safeway
wants to put its new store. The plan suggests
putting Safeway, instead, on the Broadway
street frontage. The second ULTRA plan
has less residential and more commercial
development and includes phasing to accom-
modate Safeway’s desire to keep its store
in continuous operation.
The other two plans, one by local architect
and former Oakland Planning Commissioner
Glen Jarvis and the other a group effort led
by Flashman, would redesign Safeway’s
“shopping street” into a more integral part

The next day, representatives of RCPC,
ULTRA, FANS and PANIL met with Safe-
way executive David Zylstra and Oakland
planner Daren Ranelletti to discuss Safe-
way’s plans and alternatives. It was clear
from the discussion that Safeway intends to
stick to its current plans, although Zylstra
said he was open to the suggestion of put-
ting a restaurant and café next to the quarry
pond. Zylstra also raised the spectre that if
Safeway’s plans weren’t approved, it would
move its store to the existing CVS building,
leaving the rest of the site unchanged. (Since
this would make the store considerably
less accessible, it would probably only be
a temporary stopgap measure.)
Design Review Committee Hears
Community Interests
On January 26, the Planning Commis-
sion’s Design Review Committee held
a public hearing on Safeway’s plans. The
five community groups again presented
their critique and alternative proposals,
which were backed by many of the local
community members who spoke. The
Greater Oakland Chamber of Commerce,
of the site’s traffic flow. Both also place a
restaurant and café along the shoreline of
the quarry pond at the site’s eastern edge.
Jarvis’ proposal leaves Chase Bank at its
current location, while Flashman’s proposal,
like Safeway’s, would move the bank to a
new building. Jarvis’ plan accepts Safeway’s
plans for surface parking for its new store,
while Flashman’s proposes moving the
Safeway closer to Pleasant Valley Avenue
and putting an entertainment-restaurant-
structured parking complex (similar to
Bay Street in Emeryville) at the site’s
northeastern corner. All four proposals, as
well as Safeway’s plans, are posted on the
RCPC website (http://www.rockridge.org).
Based on audience comments, most
of the 40 Town Hall attendees seemed to
prefer the alternatives to Safeway’s pro-
posal. There was still major irritation and
disappointment at losing the CVS store, and
skepticism that Safeway could replace the
store’s many valued functions.
➧➧Town Hall Report, page 4
Part 2 of the Town Hall Meeting
Annual Reports from RCPC’s Committees
January’s Rockridge Town Hall Meeting
had a two-part agenda. Part one was a
presentation of four alternative proposals
for revamping the Rockridge Shopping
Center. (See article, top of page.) Part two
was presentation of reports from RCPC’s
committees and sponsored projects, and
comments from the public on what RCPC’s
priorities should be for the coming year.
While this is a traditional beginning of
the year topic, it was handled a little differ-
ently this year. The reports were put together
in written form and were available both at
the meeting and on RCPC’s rockridge.org
website. (Extra copies are still available in
the Rockridge library lobby.) In addition,
each committee chair gave a very short
summary of the committee’s activities.
The committee reports were generally
well-received, although some specific
questions were raised. All of the commit-
tees emphasized their interest in having
more Rockridge residents participate. It’s
also still not to late to provide your input
on RCPC priorities for 2011.
To find out how to work on an RCPC
committee, or to tell us what you’d like to
see RCPC focus on this year, e-mail chair@
rockridge.org, leave a phone message at
869-4200, or write RCPC, 4123 Broadway,
PMB 311, Oakland, 94611.


February 5, 2011
4.

Kitchen Tour 2011 Planning Begins
Kitchen Tour
Planning for the 2011 Rockridge Kitchen
Tour event is now under way, with
Rockridge resident Natalie Mehta as commit-
tee chair. While there were some concerns
that the recession may have dampened
renovation activity over the past few years,
early indications are that many residents
have used this opportunity to engage great
architects, designers and contractors who
have a shorter waiting list than during the
market peak.
This year’s event promises to bring
tour participants a plethora of ideas from
neighborhood kitchens in a variety of styles,
from page 1
O F  R O C K R I D G E  K I T C H E N S
sizes, and budgets.
Meht a  h a s  b e en  a
neighborhood resident
since 2002. While her
own family of five
continues to thrive without
a dishwasher or garbage
disposal (yes, it can be done),
she is looking forward to seeing
the wonderful kitchen renovations that
have taken place over the past few years, and
selecting the nine kitchens to be showcased
in this fall’s tour.
— Natalie Mehta
A  T A S T E F U L  T O U R
designs, we want to see it all!
If you have or can recommend a
kitchen to be included on the tour,
the RCPC invites you to submit it
now for the fall 2011 tour.
For more information, please
contact Natalie Mehta at natalie.mehta@
yahoo.com or call 415/279-5148.
Rockridge
Kitchens
2011
P L A N N I N G  C O U N C I L
ROCKRIDGE COMMUNIT Y
Town Hall Report
from page 3
by contrast, gave its full backing to Safeway.
There were also a number of other speakers
who supported Safeway’s plans, many of
whom wore professionally prepared stick-
ers supporting Safeway and had apparently
been recruited by Safeway-hired solicitors.
At the end of a long hearing, the com-
mittee voted two-to-one (committee Chair
and architect Madeleine Zayas-Mart voting
“no”) to support Safeway’s plans and send
them on to the full Commission.
The city is still preparing an environ-
mental impacts report for the project, which
staff indicated would probably be released
in February or March for public review and
comment. The project will likely go to the
Planning Commission for a decision some
time this coming summer.
In the meantime, RCPC will continue
to work with the other community groups
to improve the final project so that it will
be something the community can be proud
of for years to come.

RCPC Board Invites Election Candidates
The Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) holds its annual
election for seats on the board of directors in April. Six board seats (out
of a total of 13 voting seats) will be up for election. One of them could be yours.
To apply for board candidacy: Send a short statement of your interest,
including contact information, to: RCPC Board Elections, 4123 Broadway, PMB
311, Oakland, 94611. Statements of interest must be received by February 14. A
candidate forum will be held at the March Town Hall meeting.
For more information or to discuss your interest, e-mail chair@rockridge.org.

✔

Growing Support Helps to Swell FORL Funds

by Kathy O’Neal, co-chair, FORL
The Friends of the Rockridge Library’s
(FORL) annual donor campaign
continues to demonstrate community
support for our Rockridge Library with
a total of 110 donors, comprised of 85
continuing and 25 new supporters for 2011.
With this financial support, FORL will
provide funds to our branch to purchase
books and periodicals, support teen
programs and a summer intern for the
Children’s Reading Program as well as
other important projects in 2011.
To learn more about FORL, visit
friendsoftherockridgelibrary.org.






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510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com


February 5, 2011

5.

in the Uptown area with a focus on retail
opportunities for Oakland residents, she
believes.
For Quan, many of Rockridge’s ameni-
ties – ready access to shopping and public
transportation, pedestrian-friendly retail,
a variety of interesting shops – can be
templates for Oakland’s redevelopment
planning. Still, smaller, more localized
shopping gains are also important to her.
She is pleased to report that with the open-
ing of a grocery store in West Oakland and
two in East Oakland, no area of Oakland
now lacks grocery shopping.
However, to the extent Governor Jerry
Brown’s proposal to eliminate redevelop-
ment funding is successful, Quan’s quest for
retail growth could suffer. “We are going
to fight this redevelopment transfer,” she
says. “I need that money to amass the space
along Broadway in the Uptown area. It will
attract the stores that people want to come
to and shop in.”
Oakland’s Budget
Beside retail, the mayor’s other long-term
economic goals include fostering growth in
jobs and increasing recruitment of business
to the city.
Quan believes that the city’s budget
can be strengthened with greater sharing
of resources between the city and public
agencies, such as schools and libraries, that
could, for example, reduce costs by sharing
existing space instead of constructing indi-
vidual facilities. She recalled that while the
Rockridge Library was being built, a corner
of Claremont Middle School’s playground
became the site of a temporary library build-
ing, open to the public and easily accessible
to students, immediately expanding that
school’s library resources. Other resource
sharing could include multi-agency use of
the same accounting software, she suggests.
Quan also plans to address financial
and administrative concerns underpinning
several city departments, including Oakland
school and police departments.
After-Effects of School’s State
Receivership
When the state returned control of the
school district to Oakland, the turnover
included $17 million in structural deficits
accrued during seven years of state man-
agement, the mayor said. She has asked
her education policy appointment, Lewis
Cohen, to address the effects of the state’s
administration. First, he will be working
Interview
Mayor Jean Quan:
I am adamant
about keeping
crime down.
from page 1
1914. Soaring overhead is a 15-foot ceiling
bordered by carved representations of gods
and goddesses.
Several large potted plants are lined up in
the sunlight on a table by the windows, and
a painted scroll and other paintings adorn
the walls. Flanked by two easy chairs, a
coffee table sits in front of a modest couch
placed against a corner of the room.
On the coffee table is a box of Vice
Chocolates, produced and sold in Oakland,
that Quan buys to give as recognition gifts
for staff and city personnel. She used to buy
a well-known brand of chocolate in San
Leandro, but now buys the Vice creations
at the Temescal and Jack London Farmer’s
markets, to emphasize what will be a tenet
of her administration: Oakland needs to
bring home the sales tax money now hem-
orrhaging to nearby cities that offer a more
rewarding shopping experience.
The 25 Percent Solution
“My focus is to strengthen retail,” she
says, and describes her “25 Percent” solution.
“Bring back 25 percent of your shopping to
Oakland,” she asks of Oakland residents.
She says studies show that just that small
step could add $10-12 million annually to
city coffers, equivalent to the entire Park
and Recreation budget, or the cost of 60
additional police officers.
She adds that the 25 percent program
is a stop-gap measure while she works to
create new retail opportunities. The success
of the Fox Theatre Downtown redevelop-
ment that has fostered restaurant growth,
housing and a vibrant street life in the area
can be replicated farther north on Broadway
with Assemblyman André Swanson to
craft legislation to get the state to take
some responsibility for the increase in the
district’s debt during the receivership. “If
we can get some of this debt eliminated,
the district would have more money,” she
pointed out.
A related assignment for Cohen is to
work with Assemblyman Swanson to develop
state standards for future receiverships.
“The first rule,” she says, “should be: ‘Do
no harm.’” Quan said she anticipates that
with looming state cuts in education fund-
ing, more school districts will be at risk for
receivership, and deserve better treatment
than was afforded Oakland.
Public Safety and Policing
Meeting the expense of additional police
officers is a concern of the mayor. “I would
like more police, but they are expensive.”
Looming over the normal costs of recruit-
ing, training, equipping and deploying
police officers is the issue of pension fund
contributions. At this time, the city pays full
pension contributions for police officers
and says it can no longer afford to do so.
The city wants a contribution rate of nine
percent from officers, an amount paid by
other city employees. The police union does
not support that plan.
Quan sees resolution of the impasse as
critical to future public support of other
economic measures that could be developed
to pay for more police. Quan’s hope is for “a
settlement by the spring.” In the meantime,
her public safety goals include keeping
crime down and building trust between
the city and the police, and getting police
to interact more with the community. “It
can’t be just the Problem Solving Officers
who have public contact,” she said. Still,
recently-passed Measure BB that restores
Problem Solving Officers “will help keep
crime down. I am adamant about doing that.”
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Part 2 of the interview will be published in the
March issue of The Rockridge News.
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
Shopping? Shop Oakland, First
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


February 5, 2011
6.

I will edit the recipes to conform to pub-
lication style. Rockridge News editor Don
Kinkead will design the publication. The
cookbooks will be sold at local businesses
at a price to cover production expenses.
The cookbook may also be included as a
bonus for those who join in the Rockridge
Kitchen Tour to be held this fall.
I’m excited about this project and look
forward to receiving your family’s culinary
treasures. Please e-mail your contributions
to kaufman42@earthlink.net or mail Barry
Kaufman, 5699 Oak Grove Avenue, 94618.
I’m looking toward a spring/summer publi-
cation. Send me your recipes by mid-April.
Let me know your thoughts on how to make
this project a success.
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
Creating a Community Cookbook
This holiday season, I received a copy
of “Images of America: Rockridge”
(Arcadia Publishing) by Robin and Tom
Wolf.* Using archival photographs, “Images
of Rockridge” celebrates the history and
stories that shape the unique character of
our community. As I read the book, I began
thinking about an idea I’ve had for several
years: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a
Rockridge community cookbook that shares
the culinary fabric of our neighborhood?
Throughout the 12 years I’ve been writ-
ing Rockridge Cornucopia, I’ve had street
conversations with neighbors and received
numerous phone calls and e-mails com-
menting on the recipes. Neighbors have
shared memories of how their parents and
grandparents prepared these dishes. Now, I
invite you to share a family favorite recipe
to be compiled with others in “Rockridge
Cornucopia: A Community Cookbook.”
Our treasured culinary memories will add
to the ever-evolving Rockridge community.
Think about a family recipe you would
like to contribute to the cookbook; it should
hold a special place in your family culinary
history. Use the following as a format for
your contribution:
1. Title: A pithy and inviting title,
something like: Aunt Jenny’s Thanksgiving
Leftover Turkey Hash
2. Dining category: appetizer, soups,
salads, vegetables, side dishes, seafood,
poultry, meat, desserts and beverages
3. Number of servings
4. A recipe header: Headers are short
introductions to a recipe. For our cookbook,
give some historical and cultural/ethnic
background and why the dish is important
to your family. Or tell something about the
special character of the ingredients that
gives meaning to the recipe
5. The recipe: Recipes generally have
two parts:
* Robin Wolf is a sociologist and former Diablo
Valley College professor. Tom Wolf is a U.S. and
Oakland historian and is retired from teaching
at Laney College. They have lived in Rockridge
for 38 years.
Ingredients with measurements and
preparation instructions: Be specific with
measurements and preparation. Include
where to get hard-to-find or specialty
ingredients.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes and tours of Bay Area ethnic markets. His
e-mail is kaufman42@earthlink.net
Cooking instructions: Include pre-
heated oven temperature, type of cookware
used, and timing (or signal that the cooking
is done). For example, you can say “sauté
chopped onions for 5 minutes” or “sauté
onions until soft.” You might also want to
include some special tips or substitutions. It
also adds a nice touch to mention the type
of plate or bowl suggested for presentation
of the meal.
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since 1997


February 5, 2011

7.

Rockridge DVD Project FAQ
by the Library for this purpose. Once funded,
this process should take only a few weeks.
■
■Why can’t volunteers do the
cataloging?
Most libraries, Oakland Public among
them, are members of the Online Computer
Library Center, Inc. (OCLC). Among many
things, OCLC maintains WorldCat, the
combined catalogs of the member libraries.
Think of it as the world’s ultimate (vir-
tual) card catalog. (See http://www.oclc.
org/worldcat/) The practice, called copy
cataloging, is: picking up an item, looking
to see if someone has already created a
record for it in WorldCat, and, if so, press-
ing a button to make a local copy of that
record. The outsourcing firm specializes
in this and has their own private catalog of
ready-to-go bibliographic records.
by Annette Floystrup, co-chair, the
Rockridge DVD Project
The Rockridge DVD Project team has
received questions about the workings
and origins of the project from potential
donors. While a number of articles about the
project details appeared in the Rockridge
News in 2010, here is an overview of the
most frequently asked questions.
■
■Has the
library
accepted
DVD
donations
before?
Yes. In June 2008, Friends of the
Rockridge Library (FORL) voted to use
$200.00 to purchase 40 DVDs at $5.00 each
from the Global Video store on Telegraph
Avenue, which was closing. These were
cataloged in-house and placed in the library
with stickers reading “A Gift from FORL.”
■
■Does the Oakland Public
Library (OPL) administration
approve this project?
The project has the blessing of the OPL
administration. Gerry Garzon, Associate
Director of the Oakland Public Library, has
said: “It is especially critical when people
are looking for alternatives to purchasing
of books, DVDs, music, cable and internet
connections at home, that they can turn to
the Library to provide free access to all of
that and more. We appreciate and value
this Rockridge DVD project and know
that they will be received by a grateful
community.” OPL also lent the services
and expertise of Randy McDevitt-Parks,
Collection Management Librarian for the
city, and barcode scanning equipment to
help build the DVD database (now online
at www.RockridgeDvdProject.org.
■
■Where did the DVD Project
DVDs come from, and what
did they cost?
The DVDs were selected and purchased
from the extensive specialty inventory of
the now-closed Videots store on College
Avenue in Berkeley’s Elmwood district.
Videots was known for offering unusual
and hard-to-find DVDs including a large
selection of documentaries, films of inter-
est to cinephiles and PBS series such as
“Mystery!” Each DVD cost $4.00 and has
been maintained in like-new condition by
state-of-the-art polishing equipment.
■
■Are DVDs an outdated
technology?
DVDs will be relevant as archival
material for many years to come. As digi-
tal media, they can be played on several
generations of DVD equipment already
as well as most computers. The estimated
17,000 (and counting) movie and TV titles
available as streaming video are eclipsed
by the more than 100,000 titles available
on DVD. In the Videots collection, a large
percentage of the movie and TV titles are
not available as streaming content. Many
likely will remain so since demand plays a
role in the licensing agreements necessary
for streaming content. Licensing agreements
are also frequently time-limited, unlike a
hard copy DVD.
Many of the vintage films our librarians
selected to flesh out the Rockridge Branch’s
archive of important films by period or
director, most of the documentaries and
almost all the British TV series are unavail-
able as streaming content. In addition, the
library collections are intended to serve all
the community, including those who cannot
afford the devices and fees associated with
streaming content. DVDs at the library are
free for library card holders.
■
■Why does it cost $11.00 per
DVD to put one in the library?
The purchase cost of the DVDs was $4.00
each. In addition, it costs $7.00 per DVD
to pay for cataloging and the standardized
security cases the library has specified. OPL
is converting their DVD collections citywide
to these cases. The cost also covers the labor
to move the DVDs from their original cases
to the security cases and proper recycling/
disposal of the original cases.
■
■Are the Rockridge Branch
librarians involved in the project?
Though not involved in the fundraising
effort, Rockridge Branch Head Librarian
Pat Lichter has allocated additional shelf
space for the DVDs, and lent Rockridge
librarians Gay Ducey, Susy Moorhead and
Eve Buckner to the project. Together with
Randy McDevitt-Parks from downtown,
they sorted through the DVDs, selecting
2,877 discs for the branch. (See additional
details in the May, 2010 Rockridge News
archived online at www.rockridge.org.)
■
■Who does the cataloging and
how long will it take?
The DVDs will be cased and cataloged
by a city of Oakland-approved vendor used
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February 5, 2011
8.

choice was made to take it directly to the
city as opposed to trying to resolve the issue
in a direct resident to business relationship.
One of the published letters refers to a
letter from Oakland’s nuisance abatement
administrator to George and Walt’s and
another bar nearby to tell of neighbors’
concerns. In response to the letter, Barbara S.
spoke directly with a representative of the city
about whether there were more complaints
after that warning, which there were not.
Action was taken immediately to address
the complaint by extending the hours of the
doormen, and mandating the front door and
windows be closed at 10 p.m. There already
had been a sign posted stating “please
respect the neighbors and leave quietly.”
These changes were relayed immediately
to Ms. Marcus [Special Activity Permits,
city administrator’s office – Ed.] along with
follow-up on a regular basis up until the
meeting of the pool hall permit (January 6,
2011). NO other complaints had been filed
against George & Walt’s.
Concerning direct communication,
George and Walt’s have every intention of
working with the community and in response
to the noise and loitering. We will be taking
the following steps:
Letters to the Editor
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.
George & Walt’s Responds to Neighborhood Letters
food drives, Toys for Tots, schools, police-
men and continue to be involved with local
fundraisers, raising tons of money.
The letters published under the heading
“Problematic Bar” are incorrect and mis-
leading by stating that George and Walt’s
has done nothing in response to the noise
abatement act, nor the “myriad requests
for relief.” The statement that “George and
Walt’s management deny any responsibility”
for their patrons to the point of letting them
drink outside is completely ludicrous. Also,
the number of pool tables is two, not three,
as stated. The complaint that George and
Walt’s ignored many attempts to address
the issues of noise and to create a procedure
to receive complaints is misleading. The
only acknowledged attempt has been to
call the bartender after 1 a.m., which was
unsuccessful. In meetings with neighbors in
2006, the Owners and Managers gave their
personal phone numbers to call about any
issues presumed to be caused by the business
of George and Walt’s. No one has phoned
them or come in to speak with anyone in
management (manager Barbara Stelzriede
is on premise five days a week). Instead, the
Editor:
This letter is in response to letters pub-
lished in the January issue of The Rockridge
News and the e-mail the RCPC sent to
George and Walt’s.
First, I want to clarify the Pool hall
permit. This permit was required by the
city to continue the present operations of the
already existing two pool tables in the bar.
Therefore, the permit would not exacerbate
or change anything. However, the permit
process was instead used to give notice to
George and Walt’s that there is a noise issue
for some residents of the surrounding area.
Rockridge is a great area that was/is
ahead of its time. Long before the “new
green” concept of work/business/live
neighborhoods, there has been this com-
munity. George and Walt’s are a part of this
Rockridge history. The bar has been in the
same family and in the current location for
over 65 years; the original location, called
Trueb Café (est. 1931), was in Rockridge
before the Grove/Shafter freeway was built.
George and Walt’s take pride in being a
part of Rockridge and are greatly involved
with the community. They have supported
■
■Any complaints or concerns brought to
Management will be addressed in a timely
manner. Please call 510/653-7441.
■
■If groups are congregating out front
at closing time, the doormen will strongly
discourage them. With warning, the police
may be called.
■
■A staff member will be attending
NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention
➧➧Letters, top of page 9
Third Generation
Rockridge Resident
Ann Lovi
510.339.0400/351
alovi@grubbco.com
D.R.E. Lic. #01716499
GRUBBCO.COM


February 5, 2011

9.

one minute, then courteously transferred
to the fire department, who said, “We’ll
send someone.”
They came within five minutes – a large
firetruck and several firefighters. The gas
was still spurting. They said it was good that
I called, and asked if I knew whose truck it
was, because they really needed to get inside.
I said no, but given the playoff game and my
proximity to George and Walt’s, I suggested
that they ask there. In the meantime, to stop
the spurting, they put something around the
cap. The fireman returned from GandW’s
with an embarassed owner (“Oh, gosh.
Sorry”) who got in and drove it away.
I am telling you this because it all
worked the way we hope it will: a person
alerted me to a problem, I called 911 and
the service was great; the firefighters came,
all worked out fine.
— Kales Avenue Resident
➧➧Letters, from page 8
Committee) meetings on at least a quar-
terly basis.
■
■There will be a set volume level on
the jukebox for after 10 p.m., along with
the door staying shut (other than for in/out)
after 10 p.m.
■
■To establish a direct communica-
tion with the residents/businesses of the
community.
— Barbara Stelzriede
George & Walt’s
Staff and Management
FROG Park:
Open At Last!
by Theresa Nelson, chair,
FROG Committee
On the last Friday of January, the two
play structures in Frog Park re-opened,
after an unexpectedly long closure due to
the major repairs needed. Our thanks to
everyone who called or wrote the city to
show how important Frog Park is to our
community.
The FROG Committee (Friends of the
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt) worked
extremely hard since last September to get
the repairs done quickly and correctly. Staff
from Public Works handled the renovation
work, and FROG worked closely with the
play structures’ original designer, Leathers
& Associates, to make sure the renovations
were consistent with the original design.
Once the fibar was removed from the
play areas, the extent of the damage was
apparent, and work began to obtain the
specifications for the special playground
materials. FROG donated $15,000 towards
purchasing the specially treated wood,
the synthetic wood, the tot slide, and the
fibar. Some of these are unusual materials
specific to this kind of play structure; the
specially-treated wood alone took eight
weeks to receive here in Oakland.
Spearheading the effort for FROG was
treasurer Ronnie Spitzer, who worked
countless hours to keep the work moving,
ordering materials, and communicating
A Comforting Moment of
Civic Support and Service
Editor:
On a recent Sunday afternoon, someone
came knocking loudly at the door, interrupting
my watching of the playoff game. I made
him shout through the door because I don’t
open my door to strangers, even on a bright
afternoon. He said the truck parked in front
of my house was leaking gasoline and if it
was my truck, maybe I would want to do
something about it.
I went out and looked and indeed, this was
not a slow drip but a steady spurt from the
gas cap. Weird. Gas collecting on the curb.
Not good. Not my truck, but the man and
I figured this perhaps could be dangerous.
I called 911, was on hold for maybe
FROG Park Closures Persist;
Why?
Editor:
We’re going on our sixth month of closures
to our neighborhood’s only playgrounds.
What is this awful city doing about it? Is
there an official timeline? How can we push
on local politicians?
— Bethany
See FROG report, next column. – Ed.
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February 5, 2011
10.
The Italians of
Oakland
G

and experience the colorful traditions
around family weddings, communions
and funerals. One strong holdover of
days gone by are the Italian-American
social clubs (Colombo, Fratellanza and
Ligure), but I think more than that, it’s
the traditions , the culture, their values
and attitude toward life that resonate
so much with us.
Rosetta Costantino and her family
did not settle with her parents on Boyd
and Hudson until 1974, when she was
14. Her family were recent immigrants
from Calabria, not the North of Italy,
but her love for the Italian way of life,
where “food “is written in capital letters,
was clearly well nurtured right here.
Today, Rosetta lives a couple of miles
further up the hill, but otherwise nothing
much has changed. She and her family
continue to grow their own vegetables
and prepare their meals the way their
grandparents did in the old country.
When we visited her recently, the
discussion was all about splitting small
green olives – one at a time, mind you
– and curing them the Calabrian way.
You might try it if you have olive trees
in your garden, but be forewarned, it’s
extremely time-consuming.
Rosetta, a Silicon Valley chemical
engineer, has given up technology for
cooking, a skill that surely contains a
larger potential for furthering human
happiness. She has just published a
marvelous cookbook titled “My Calabria:
Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s
Undiscovered South.” Look for it at
Market Hall and in our book stores. Her
cooking classes, taught in Emeryville,
are immensely popular. She is currently
organizing a culinary tour of the Calabrian
countryside in May. Contact her at
rosetta@cookingwithrosetta.com or www.
cookingwithrosetta.com
Sempre Avanti.
The
Rockridge
Muse
reat neighborhoods don’t just
happen overnight, as some new
homes advertisements might want
us to believe. Like a good bottle of wine,
they take time to mature. In fact, 50 or
100 years are nothing when it comes to
the making of a distinct neighborhood
culture. Many factors come into play along
the way, many of which are beyond our
control, perhaps just happy accidents.
For Rockridge and several other
Oakland neighborhoods, the happy
accident was the Italians. There is no
doubt they had a major positive impact on
how this area developed and even how we
live today. Their history is the subject of a
new Arcadia book coming out this month,
written by Rick Malaspina and titled
“Italian Oakland.” Rick’s grandparents
came to California in the late 1800s,
so it has been a labor of love for him
to chronicle the history of the Italian-
American communities that sprang up in
Oakland. Many descendants of the original
families still live here and opened their
family albums to contribute wonderful
photos to the publication. We thank
them for helping us understand our
community history. Go buy the book.
by Ortrun Niesar
their first jobs at the Bilger Quarry, now
the Rockridge Plaza shopping center at
51st and Broadway. Others rode wagons
through the streets of Oakland collecting
garbage, forming the beginnings of the
Oakland Scavenger Company. Women
found work at the Rossi Cigar Factory
(now remodeled as lofts on Center
Street in West Oakland) or they did
piece work at home while raising the
children and preparing the meals they
remembered from back home. Vegetables
and fruit trees were tended in large
backyards, prosciutto hams were cured
in cool cellars where “custom crushed”
grapes aged in nondescript bottles as
well. In short order, produce businesses,
groceries, restaurants, barbershops and
dry goods stores sprang up to provide
service far beyond this tight-knit,
industrious community. Churches and
schools followed, along with lovely new
homes. The Italian-American community
had arrived in Oakland, and its hub was
Temescal and Rockridge.
Now
Italian is no longer the language of
choice here, but get to know an Italian-
American neighbor(and there are many
still here, living in their original homes)
and you will hear the dialects peculiar to
Northern Italy, taste the authentic foods
Then
In the first half of the 20th century,
probably more Italian than English was
spoken in the Temescal District. The
Italians who settled here about 100
years ago came predominantly from the
northern regions of Italy (Piedmont,
Liguria and Lombardy), driven by poor
economic conditions back home and a
strong desire to succeed and prosper
in the new world. Lively, energetic and
hardworking, they soon realized, like
many immigrant groups, that America
offered opportunity but that nothing
came for free. There is a familiar saying
among the Italians: “I came to America
because I heard the streets were paved
with gold. When I got here, I discovered
three things: The streets weren’t paved
with gold, they weren’t paved at all,
and I was expected to pave them.” But
their willingness to pitch in made a huge
difference in the way our community
developed over the years.
In fact, many of the young single Italian
men who landed in Rockridge found


February 5, 2011

11.

FROG Park Open
Shopping? Shop Oakland, First
from page 9
There’s a
new broker
in town.
with city staff and Leathers & Associates.
Carol Behr brought in a pro bono arbor-
ist who advised on the invasive redwood
roots at Redondo. Jimmy Pedersen (part of
the original Big Build), used his construc-
tion knowledge and contacts to advise on
replacement surfacing to minimize future
drainage problems. Howard Ferrier, FROG’s
maintenance manager, began the work last
September at the Fall Maintenance Day and
continued to provide renovation advice. Many
community members turned out in October
and November to clear roots and clean the
gravel sub-surface: thank you.
We appreciate the efforts of Jim Ryugo
and Wes Ramsey from Public Works, who
spent many hours with FROG on site, on
e-mail, and on the phone assessing the
damage and determining how to proceed;
Brian Carthan directed much of the repair
work, and gardener Luciano Cortes helped
throughout the process. Thanks, too, to
Councilmember Jane Brunner and staff chief
Zac Wald for their efforts to speed the work
and help re-open the park.
And now, enjoy the re-opened play
structures and all of Frog Park. And join
us in keeping this community asset open
and in top shape. Come out on Earth Day,
April 16, with your family and friends, to
plant, clean the creek and clear vegetation.
We need you, and the children of this com-
munity need you and all of us as stewards of
the Park. Visit our website, www.frogpark.
org and see “Contact Us,” or send an e-mail
to info@frogpark.org. More details to follow
in the March issue of The Rockridge News.
Join the Newsletter Team
The Rockridge News
Needs Your Help
The Rockridge News is looking for a
new block captain and district captain
to deliver the monthly newsletter. Block
captains typically deliver to one block of
residents while district captains deliver
bundles to block captains. Both jobs take
only 20-30 minutes once a month and come
with the reward of satisfaction that you are
doing your part to keep our community
informed and united. Please call or email
to sign up for one of the following:
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Route
Description
From Ada down Broadway,
odd numbers to the real estate
office on Broadway at the
Broadway/College intersection.
12C
Block
Captain
6 newsletter bundle drops to
houses off Broadway.
07
District
Captain
Call the Rockridge News business man-
ager at 510/547-3855 or e-mail smontauk@
gmail.com to volunteer. (Be sure to note
your route choice.)
CA Insurance License 0D34069
NV Insurance License 16154
Winter Doldrums Bring Hopes For A Great Spring!
Closing Date
BR BATH
Address
Original Price
List Price
DOM
Selling Price
12/28/2010
3
2.5
55 Ross Circle
$1,075,000
$950,000
60
$925,000
12/28/2010
2
1
5131 Desmond
$719,000
$654,000
66
$644,000
12/30/2010
2
1.5   5332 Boyd
$729,000
$729,000
17
$729,000
1/21/2011
4
2
6107 S Rockridge Blvd
$865,000
$865,000
58
$818,300
• Rockridge currently has a 2 month supply of inventory • Average list to sell is currently 92% - down from an
average of 100% at this time last year • Average market time is currently 50 days in Rockridge - compared to a
year ago when the average market time was 25days • Median sales price has increase by 4% over last year. Last
year it was $741,000 and this year it was $776,650 at this time • The number of sales during this 30 day period
has fallen from 6 last year to 4 this year


February 5, 2011
12.

Where can you find delicious,
healthy treats and fun,
playfully designed products in
the same place? At miam.miam
(French for “yum yum”), the
frozen yogurt (and more) shop
that showcases the unique and
lighthearted work of designers
and culinary experts from the
Bay Area and around the globe.
Opened in August 2010,
miam.miam is the brainchild of
an interesting group of designers
and cuisine experts, originally
as a concept to inspire their
work, which then became a real-
ity. Eight years ago, the group
asked themselves, if we actually
opened a store, what kind of
food would support the product
design, and what kind of prod-
ucts would appeal to customers?
Thinking about many culinary
options, about three years ago
they settled on frozen yogurt,
because it is healthy, colorful,
fun, and appeals to both children
and adults. The frozen yogurt
idea was the catalyst to finally
plan and open the store.
The store itself is unlike any
other, built by a team of indus-
trial and graphics designers with
craftspeople, architects, furni-
ture designers, culinary experts
(including chefs from Tartine
and Slanted Door), all working
together. There are virtually no
straight lines in the store; every-
miam.miam Means Delicious in Any Language
The Neighborhood Merchant
by Theresa Nelson
miam.miam
thing is curved, organic, flowing, with blue,
green and white colors creating a cheerful
and festive atmosphere. Colorful plexiglass
tables swivel into position for customers of
all sizes, and the custom graphic wallpaper,
light fixtures and seating support the design
concepts of the group. The side wall features
curving shelves showcasing their designs:
colorful mugs shaped to fit perfectly in your
hand, storage containers made of double-
walled glass or white porcelain, stainless
steel tableware and kitchen accessories, their
iconic white mushroom bowls, and white
porcelain plates that look like the shape of
water rising in slow motion from a droplet
hitting a surface.
Marrying useful, beautiful design with
delicious, fresh food means constant research
and testing of new recipes and flavors, many
of which are unique to miam.miam. Every
day they feature 10 flavors of locally sourced
frozen yogurt, ranging from classic tart
vanilla and chocolate to blood orange and
pomegranate blueberry (pumpkin ended a
while ago, more seasonal flavors to come).
The frozen yogurt is sold by the cup size, not
weight. The delicious, flavor-rich gelato is
made by Alberto Malvestio, according to the
recipe from his great-uncle, a gelato-maker
in Italy for decades. Toppings for the frozen
yogurt go way beyond the usual sprinkles
and sauces, and include Valhrona chocolate
seeds and other chocolate chips, an array of
seasonal fresh fruits, nuts, granola, green
tea mochi, cocoa nibs, various cookies and
candies, with sauces including warm cara-
mel, warm honey, and warm chocolate. With
so many coffee-related design products,
they feature a selection from local roaster
Blue Bottle Coffee.
Co-owner Baran Dilaver, a native of
Turkey and a UC Berkeley alum, worked
with mostly European culinary companies
and chefs, with a special focus on Italian
products including olive oils, truffles, and
more. Shaped by his own background as
the son of an artist and an architect, he saw
the opportunity to present the lighthearted
culinary product designs with top-quality,
playful foods. His partner, Jimmy Zaharya,
had a frozen yogurt store on Telegraph
Avenue, and knew the Berkeley/Oakland
area well. They both felt that College
Avenue and the sophisticated customers in
the area made Rockridge the perfect place
to test their concept. The design team for
the products include Bay Area natives and
designers from around the world.
So what’s new at miam.miam? On the
menu front – sweet crêpes! Four different
flavor combinations are now available,
and savory crêpes will be coming soon,
➧➧miam.miam, page 13
All of us at McGuire Real Estate would like to
wish you and your family a Happy New Year.
Since 1919 we have provided the Bay Area
with premier Real Estate services and look
forward to being there for you in 2011.


February 5, 2011

13.
miam.miam

from page 12
as well as other breakfast options. Using
their specially designed whipped cream
dispensers, they offer flavored whipped
creams including jasmine, classic vanilla,
almond, chocolate, even mascarpone. On
the design front: the Duet™, the world’s
first combined French press and tea pot/
infuser. The ingenious design includes an
interchangeable coffee mesh filter and a
tea basket that can float up from brewed
tea, allowing the steeping of the tea to
be carefully controlled and the tea to be
steeped again without any mess. It saves
space, and would make a great graduation
gift for students heading off to college.
So far, says Baran, they’ve enjoyed the
feedback from customers, responded with
new flavors and food choices, adding more
local ingredients, and continue to focus
on learning more about what people like.
They welcome suggestions for flavors,
topping, and products. So stop by, try a
flavor or two or three, a few toppings,
maybe a cup of coffee or even a crêpe,
browse the shelves of ergonomic mugs
and eye-catching tableware, and enjoy
the colorful environment of miam.miam!
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bruce@bayareaantiques.com

 m i a m . m i a m
c o - o w n e r  B a r a n
Dilaver prepares a
sample of one of the
many inventive gelato
combinations the
new College Avenue
business offers.
 a  m i a m . m i a m
custom lamp.
Photos: Don Kinkead
miam.miam
5856 College Avenue at Chabot
510/658-1500
Owners: Baran Dilaver and
Jimmy Zaharya
www.miammiamlounge.com (store)
www.unitedbrands.us/miam/welcome
(cups and accessories)
Winter Hours:
Monday – Thursday : noon – 9 p.m.
Friday : noon – 10 p.m.
Saturday : 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday : 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Hours change in spring

Note: limited parking is available behind the
building on Chabot; more available after 5 p.m.
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated

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

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.

A Prevention Oriented Practice
G

GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland
Shopping? Shop Oakland, First

Reconciliation
 Saturday, 4 p.m.
www.staugustineoakland.com
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland


February 5, 2011
14.

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.
Practice Space
Saxophonist looking to rent or share quiet,
private practice space in or near Rockridge,
primarily for evening and weekend use. Please
reply to rockridgespace@gmail.com
Home Repairs &
Improvements
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry rot,
drainage, walls, termite damage, foundation
(new/repair). Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
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.
March deadline is February 17, 2011.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
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.
Grab Your Customers’
Attention
Websites with video automatically get ranked
higher in search. Make your message sharable
via Twitter & Facebook. $800 Special: 1-day
video shoot and video edit. Rockridge based
producer: Dane Frederiksen fuzzytangent@
gmail.com 415/407-0967.
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 and transporta-
tion. $1,000 per month & deposit. 510/652-8803.
Penelope’s Aesthetics:
Certified Organic
Treatments
Paraben, silicone, and artificial coloring-free
facial treatments. On special now for $49. Expe-
rience a complete European facial with massage
using eco-cert products. www.penelopecalef.
com. Call for an appointment. 510/594-1552.
Feather River Art Camp...
for adults (and kids), June 19 to 26. “A per-
fect joyful blend of art, nature, creativity,
comradery” Painting, Watercolor, Writing,
Papermaking, Guitar, Mosaics, Bookmaking,
Beadmaking, Gourdcraft, Wearable Art, Fused
Glass. www.featherriverartcamp.com
Baths & Kitchens
We build barrier-free ADA-compliant bath-
rooms/kitchens. We design to match the style
of your home, handcrafting many of the details.
North Berkeley Construction, est. 1982.
Lic. 445216. Call 515/286-8786.
Tutoring by Credentialed
Teacher
18 -years experience. Primary grade
expertise in language arts and math. Writing
coach experience for grades 4 through 12.
Tutoring plan coordinated with your child’s
teacher. References. 420-1898. E-mail Jean at
jean-rains@sbcglobal.net
Scrapbooking for Beginners
January 16, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, East Bay Depot for
Creative Reuse. $22. All materials provided.
Limited enrollment. Send check and contact
information to: Classes, The Depot, 4695
Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 94609. 510/547-6470.
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.
Hello Gorgeous!
Celeste for Hair. 5336 College Avenue.
510/658-3658.
j
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
510.654.6755
www.jarvisarchitects.com
Kitchen Remodel in 1920’s
Rockridge Shingle Craftsman
call for a free consultation
E  xperience the Unique Difference...
Ortrun Niesar
510.326.2161
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
sothebysrealty.com
DRE #01161032
I look forward to serving you!


February 5, 2011

15.

Wisteria Ways House Concert Series

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

Jamie Laval, Celtic violinist and Richard Mandel, gui-
tarist in local Irish bands. Traditional music of Scotland,
Ireland, Brittany and Quebec. Sample sound clips at
www.jamielaval.com/listen.html. Saturday, 2/19,
8pm (door opens 7:30pm). $15-20 donation for musi-
cians (cash only at the door).383 61st Street (inside
venue, not wheelchair accessible). For reservations
(highly recommended), RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.
org or 655-2771.
Women Singers Wanted

Community Calendar

Art Exhibits (call to confirm)
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
CounciL (NCPC)
Gallery:
yy Feb: Oakland Art Assn. Rick Nelson: small
paintings.
yy Mar: Oakland Public Library Staff Art Show.
Lobby Display Case:
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y and
13X areas can voice their concerns about crime and
public safety. 2nd Thursday each month (2/10), 7pm.
Rockridge Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College
Ave. (at Manila). Info: chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
The Distaff Singers, the Bay Area’s longest-running
women’s choral group, is seeking new members. No
auditions necessary, just ability to match pitch. Practice
Tuesdays, 7:15 to 9pm at Bishop O’Dowd HS, 9500
Stearns Ave. A benefit concert in the fall supports local
K-12 music programs. Info: Carola Ingram, 547-1191 or
carolaingram@mac.com.
The Princess Project
yy Feb: Re-Create: Art by Kids; sponsored by MoCha
and the Rockridge Library.
yy Mar: Oakland Public Library Staff Art Show.
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 all Oakland
Public Libraries closed Sat, 2/12 and Tues., 2/22.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/Events
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
■
■Toddler Story Time: Every Saturday, 10:30am.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wed., 10:30am.
■
■Baby and Toddler Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wed.,
10:30am, upstairs.
Special Events
Provides free prom dresses and accessories to high
school girls who could not otherwise afford them. Clean
out your closets of new and “nearly new” fashionable
dresses, formal gowns and party dresses: all lengths,
sizes, fabrics and colors. Collection drive is between
Feb 7th and 21st. In Rockridge, dresses and accessories
(no shoes) will be collected (clean and on hangers) at
Crush on College, 5550 College Ave. (Hrs. Mon-Sat
11am-7pm; Sun 11am-5pm). Complete guidelines for
donations at http://princessproject.org/donate/
dresses-accessories/. More Info: Tara: 981-1420
or tara@princessproject.org.
North Oakland Senior Center
y
y Adkinkra Cloth Learning & Doing: Learn about
traditional West African cloth patterns; decorate a
few pieces of cloth and make a small book cover or
placemat with your cloth. Thurs., 2/17, 3:30 to 5pm.
All ages welcome: best for kids 5 to 12.
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Sun., 2/13, 3pm. Alan Senauke: The Bodhisattva’s
Embrace.
■
■Mon., 2/14, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meeting
(2nd Monday each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
y
y Fridays With MoChA: create art with MoChA (Museum
of Children’s Art) artists. Fri., 2/25, 3:30 to 5pm. All
ages welcome.
FOR TEENS
■
■Thurs., 2/17, 7pm. Mark Hertsgaard: Hot: Living
Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth.
■
■Sun., 2/20, 3pm. Poetry Flash: Peter O’Leary: Depth
Theology and Brian Teare: Pleasure.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Ages 13 and up,
watch and talk about anime (Japanese animation).
Second Tues. each month (2/8 and 3/8), 5 to 6:30pm,
upstairs meeting rm.
■
■Thurs., 2/24, 7pm. Michael McClure: Of Indigo and
Saffron.
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health Insurance counsel-
ing; dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Groups and more.
■
■Thurs., 3/3, 7pm. Elena Mauli Shapiro: 13 rue Therese.
■
■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, 4 to 5pm.
More info: Susy, 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS
■
■Sun., 3/6, 3pm. Lisa Catherine Harper: A Double
Life: Discovering Motherhood.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info about
these authors/ books (and other events and discussion
groups): 653-9965 or events@dieselbookstore.com.
College Preparatory School: Book
Fair and Car Wash
■
■Free AARP Tax Help.
Mon. – Fri., 8:30am to 4pm. 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
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 15 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced, MS
margins) of any prose for on-site reading/discussion
(you’re also welcome to come empty-handed). Third
Saturday each month, 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 Feb., all presenting donors
can enter 4 weekly drawings for “Movies for a Year”.
Each winner will receive 12 pairs of movie tickets
(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.
17th Annual Parent’s Association Fundraiser: Book
sales on Sat., 3/5, 10am to 4pm and Sun., 3/6, 10am
to 1pm. Book prices: $2 and $3. Donations of books
(new or used), CDs and DVDs, in all categories for all
ages, are needed and are accepted thru Mar 3. Put
donations in collection bins (near stairs in the parking lot)
and pick up a tax deduction form. Unsold books donated
to local charities. On Sat, 3/5, there is a car wash and
yard sale in the parking lot from 8am to 3pm. Proceeds
benefit teacher’s classroom enrichment programs. College
Prep School, 6100 B’way. Free parking in lot during
the Fair. Info: Silvia at silviahughes@comcast.net.
■
■Volunteer Orientations: Tour the Oakland Blood
Center. Learn to assist blood donors, deliver blood,
help with special projects. Tues., 2/8 from 6pm – 8pm
and Wed., 2/23 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 refer-
rals. First Tues. each month. New times: 5 to 7pm
(advance sign-up starts 4:45pm). Note: Volunteer
lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more people are present.

5431 College Ave
        Oakland Ca 94618
510. 652. 5431

www.elizabethh.net



February 5, 2011
16.

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 waxing
Now offering men’s 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

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
30
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland

6161 Margarido
This almost level entry 3 bedroom 3 bath Mid-Century Modern home
was designed with easy living in mind. Open and gracious it features
a large living room, hardwood floors, den with a fireplace and a dining
room overlooking the resort-like yard. Convenient to Rockridge BART
and shops. See more at www.6161Margarido.com
$780,000
TERRY KULKA  510.682.5917
terrykulka@att.net
www.terrykulka.com
With over 300 homes sold -
Experiance Counts
DRE# 00875454
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
379 61st Street
 $849,000
   2+ Beds/1 Bath with a Legal
   1 Bed/1 Bath in-Law Below
Quiet Charming Street, Great Craftsman
Home Recently Remodeled, South Fac-
ing Park-like Yard, and a Legal 1bed/1bath
Apartment Below, Plus Basement
Award Winning Peralta elementary School
www.379-61st.com
Sustainable Living
Starts at Home
Sustainable Building
Starts at Ashby Lumber
coming Soon – RocKRidge
Looking for a Contractor?
canning Street (Lower Rockridge)
   2 Beds & 1 Bath
Amazing Cottage Style Home as one of
two Condos on one lot. Great Location,
Sunny South Facing Yard, Deck, Lovingly
Remodeled by Architect Owner.
Award Winning Peralta elementary School
Visit our Contractor Directory
at ashbylumber.com
.
824 Ashby Avenue    Berkeley
Ph: 510.843.4832  Fax: 510.843.3840
Help!
We have Many, Many Buyers for the
Rockridge Area and not enough current
listings to Supply the Demand. Interest
Rates have ticked up and Buyers are
ready to buy. Call me to arrange for a
private consultation on your Rockridge,
Elmwood, North Oakland Property to
see what your home might be worth in
Today’s market.
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