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www.rockridge.org

VOL. 26      NO. 4      ISSUE NO. 277      April 2, 2011                      CIRCULATION: 5,500 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

After Tussle, Council OKs Phase I Rezoning

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
After a final tussle centered on areas
bordering Rockridge, the City Coun-
cil gave final approval to Phase I of the
citywide zoning ordinance revision at its
March 15 meeting.
The revision, pending since the updated
general plan was adopted in 1998, replaces
zoning that dates back, in some cases, to
the 1950s.
Planning Department staff had conducted
a two-year process with multiple rounds of
community meetings to allow public input
into the rezoning. Nevertheless, a group of
property owners along the northern part of
Broadway (from MacArthur Boulevard to
51st Street), who didn’t get all the height
and density they wanted, complained that
they hadn’t been notified of the process and
had been denied their due process rights.
The battle over height and density on the
northern sections of Broadway and Telegraph
Avenue had been bouncing back and forth
for months. Staff, after much discussion
with the community, proposed a mixture
RCPC Board Election
Six RCPC board members are running
for re-election. What do they hope to
achieve through their service? Following
are edited excerpts from some of the can-
didates’ statements:
…keeping Rockridge the thriving neighbor-
hood it is today…
…I joined the RCPC board to give something
back to the community…
…representing the community’s interests
in land use, transportation and schools…
…I support local businesses and favor
buildings that are appropriately scaled…
Read more about all the RCPC candi-
dates and voting details on page 4; attend
the April 21 Town Hall meeting and cast
your ballot. See other meeting details in
the agenda box at right.
Addressing the City Council, PANIL
representative Valerie Winemiller
speaks in support of planning staff’s
height recommendations for Telegraph
and Broadway.               Photo: D. Kinkead
of 45- and 60-foot maximum heights. The
Planning Commission’s Zoning Update
Committee, still dominated by holdovers
from Jerry Brown’s mayoral reign, bumped
➧➧Rezoning OK’d, page 13
AGENDA: April RCPC Town Hall Meeting
21
■
■Board Elections: RCPC and FORL hold elections for board
candidates. Vote and show your support for the work of
these groups. Details below.
FORL to Hold Board
Election at RCPC Meeting
The Friends of the Rockridge Library
(FORL) was formed when the Rockridge
Branch Library built its new permanent
location on College Avenue in 1996. In
1997, FORL became part of RCPC.
The organization’s mission is “to foster
the continued development of the library
so that it can respond to the needs of our
diverse population.” Details about FORL,
its mission and its activities may be found
at http://www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.org.
FORL’s board, the Steering Sub-Com-
mittee, is composed of 11 members with
overlapping terms. Four incumbents are
running in
■
■Update and Discussion of BART Plaza Project: RCPC board-
member Ann Winterman chairs a presentation and discussion
of the BART Plaza project. Details below.
■
■Organization Elections: RCPC Board Candidates’ Forum
y
y Candidates for RCPC’s election to the board of directors will explain their positions
about Rockridge and Oakland issues and their interest in being on the board. Rockridge
residents may vote at this meeting or on Saturday, April 23, at the Rockridge Branch
library between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Residents will be asked to verify their address.
y
y Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL) will hold its election of board members
during the Town Hall meeting.
■
■Current Status, Elements of the BART Plaza Project
y
y For a number of years, improvements to the plaza next to the station at Keith and
College have been pursued. BART, RCPC, RDA and the city have been working to
bring the project to life. Now, plans are developed and contracts ready to be put out
to bid. Join RCPC and project partners for a review of plans and progress.
Thursday, April 21  |  7:30-9 p.m.  Rockridge Branch Library,
5366 College Avenue at Manila, Community Room (Upstairs)
➧➧FORL Election, page 12


2.

April 2, 2011
2.

Essays on matters of local interest are invited for consideration
as Op-Ed pieces for The Rockridge News. Please limit length to
450 words and submit to editor@rockridge.org.
Gang Injunctions Are Ineffective,
Resulting Only in Mass Incarceration

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
My family and I have been the victims
of many crimes in Rockridge and
elsewhere in Oakland. I am as concerned
about crime as anyone. Still, I oppose gang
injunctions because they are not effective
and because they are part of a race-based
mass incarceration policy. Instead, I sup-
port programs that address the root causes
of crime.
City Attorney John Russo defended his
controversial gang injunction program at
February’s RCPC meeting. Russo admits
that injunctions do not address root causes
of crime, but argues it is “only one tool.”
Supporters say, “we have to do something”
without asking whether this tool may do
more harm than good. We do not have the
resources to spend tax dollars on programs
that are ineffective or worse.
Some crime-fighting strategies increase
crime. Making it harder (or impossible) for
someone with a criminal history to find
lawful employment, obtain student loans
to pursue higher education, or apply for
food stamps increases recidivism. Yet all
of these policies have been adopted in the
name of fighting crime.
Likewise, gang injunctions have been
found to be ineffective in reducing crime
and can have unintended consequences of
propelling people into gang activity. Many
police chiefs do not support gang injunc-
tions. Russo admitted that many studies
show injunctions to be ineffective.
Russo claimed that the North Oakland
injunction was “effective.” His presentation
was misleading. He read off a list of crimes
committed by the 15 named defendants in
the “safety zone” before the issuance of the
injunction; then he stated that none of the
15 has been arrested in the zone since the
injunction was issued. Sounds impressive,
unless you know that his list of crimes goes
back at least 10 years, while the injunction
has been in effect for less than 8 months.
Some of the 15 have been in jail or prison
the entire time. Others had already decided
not to be involved in crime any more. The

injunction harms those young men who are
trying to turn their lives around, which in
turn harms the entire community.
Finally, issues of race are central to
any discussion about gang suppression
programs. Russo states that he opposes
racial profiling and argues that, because
the injunctions name specific individuals,
they are not subject to this criticism. Be
that as it may, gang injunctions target racial
minorities. They are not used against white
gangs, here or anywhere.
Police employ racial profiling to build
gang databases. These databases are then
used to add more names to the injunction
list or to prosecute named individuals for
violating the injunction. But gang databases
are inaccurate and overly inclusive, causing
great harm to individuals and communities
of color. Injunctions are part of a gang sup-
pression effort that contributes to the mass
incarceration of people of color.
I urge John Russo and the Rockridge
community to read Michelle Alexander’s
scholarly book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass
Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,”
to understand the proper context of gang
injunctions in our nation’s sorry history
of race relations.
These are complex issues that require
critical thinking. Please, let’s not allow
emotional exhortations about “bullets and
blood” — which we all abhor — to close
our minds in this important debate.
— Carol Strickman
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,
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.
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
 May 7, 2011
 May deadline is April 21, 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.)
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com


3.
April 2, 2011

3.

Kitchen Adaptations Meld Past and Present

Using the beautiful
e x i s t i n g  p e ri o d
details in her kitchen,
Rockridge resident
Jamie Kidson carefully
incorporated modern
conveniences within
its existing layout, and
selected period finishes
such as marble counters
and painted cabinets to
complement the original
design.

The RCPC Land Use Committee meets
the fourth Wednesday of the month
at the Rockridge Branch Library,
Upstairs Meeting Room, 7:30 p.m.
Next meeting: April 27. Subject to change.
Check www.rockridge.org for meeting updates.
Safeway Projects Updates
Photo: Natalie Mehta
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Reconstruction Project: (Corner
of Broadway and Pleasant Valley)
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Shopping Center: (Corner of
College and Claremont avenues)
Each of these large and important proj-
ects is slowly moving forward toward
release of draft environmental impact reports
(DEIR) within the next month or two.
According to Darin Ranelletti (238-3663,
DRanelletti@oaklandnet.com), the planner
assigned to the Rockridge Shopping Center
Project, that project’s DEIR will probably
come out some time in May. Peterson
Vollman, (pvollman@oaklandnet.com,
238-6167), the planner handling Safeway’s
College Avenue shopping center project,
says that staff is reviewing and revising an
administrative draft of that project’s DEIR.
He said to expect the DEIR to be released
for a 45-day public review and comment
period some time in April.
Both of these projects can be expected to
have multiple impacts on Rockridge, rang-
ing from traffic, to air and water quality,
to overall quality of life. RCPC expects to
be involved in commenting on both EIRs,
and encourages Rockridge residents to
participate in the public review process.
Look for future updates on both projects
on the RCPC website, http://rockridge.org.
by Natalie Mehta, chair,
RCPCKitchen Tour
Long ago, when many Rockridge homes
were first built, the kitchen was a room
tucked behind a door and hidden from
view. A utilitarian space, it housed an ice
box, sink, and modest storage. In contrast,
today’s homeowners desire kitchens that
are versatile enough to support a variety
of activities including cooking, dining,
homework, and entertaining. And, they
need to be beautiful as well, since modern
designs favor opening up the kitchen to
adjoining spaces.
So how does a homeowner with a vintage
kitchen approach the process of upgrading
and modernizing? Jamie Kidson, co-owner
of Atomic Garden, acquired a home that
had been built in the mid-1930s and was
well-maintained. The kitchen lacked modern
conveniences, which Jamie wished to incor-
porate in a manner that preserved the original
character of the kitchen. A piece of marble
found in the basement served as inspiration
for the new counters. When a malfunction-
ing vintage stove and refrigerator had to be
replaced, Jamie found modern appliances
with dimensions that fit the existing spaces.
New cabinets were designed with a
combination of wood, glass, and open door
fronts, and an island was added, making the
kitchen feel as if it had evolved over time.
Only half a wall was removed to open up
the butler’s pantry to the breakfast nook,
and a craftsman was brought in to repair
the original plaster walls.
Finally, Jamie researched and selected
➧➧Kitchen Adaptations, page 13
Save the Date: Kitchen Tour October 2
■
■Spread the word: Kitchen
Tour ticket sales are the primary form
of fundraising for RCPC. Each tour brings
guests from all over the Bay Area. Help
publicize the event by sharing the date
with your networks, family, and friends.
by Natalie Mehta, chair,
RCPC Kitchen Tour
Mark your calendars — the Rockridge
Kitchen Tour will be held Sunday,
October 2.
The tour has been a Bay Area favorite
since its inception in 1995 and much of
its success is due to the enthusiasm of
the community volunteers who make
this event possible. How can you help?
■
■Volunteer: If you have a few
hours (or more) to contribute, join the
team that makes the magic happen. We
are looking for volunteers to add to the
publicity, photography, food, and regis-
tration committees, as well as docents
to show off our fabulous kitchens. All
our volunteers are treated to a preview
of the kitchens that appear on our tour.
To find out which job may suit you or
to recommend a special kitchen for the
tour, contact Natalie Mehta at 415/279-
5148 or natalie.mehta@yahoo.com.
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.
■
■Recommend a kitchen: The
committee has toured a number of spec-
tacular kitchens but we are still looking
for more recommendations. If you know
of a recently renovated or remodeled
kitchen, please let us know so we can
ensure the tour features kitchens in a
variety of styles, sizes, and budgets that
will inspire our guests.
The Zoning Counter
A Zoning Counter item for a project proposal
at 6107 Harwood was submitted but could
not be printed for lack of space. To view the
city’s file on the application, go to http://tinyurl.
com/4r6d5ne.      — Editor


4.

April 2, 2011
4.

Candidates: RCPC Board Election
Ann Winterman
Ocean View Drive
I
am running for a second
term on the board in order
to continue to work on the
BART remodel at Rockridge
station, the Safeway remodel,
and the Caldecott settlement, in particular,
as well as other general board duties and
liaison appointments. I appreciate our active
neighborhood community, and the many
unique small businesses that are within
easy reach of alternative transit. I grew
up in Orange County, and moved north in
search of a lifestyle that included walking,
biking, and public transit. I attended law
school at UC Berkeley and now serve as
assistant regional counsel for FEMA Region
IX in downtown Oakland. I am interested
in supporting our local businesses and favor
buildings that are appropriately scaled with
greenery and open space.
later years when I would visit Rockridge, I
often marveled at the exceptional community
where I grew up and the positive changes
to the neighborhood.
When I returned to live here, I sought
out the opportunity to serve the community
and help preserve the neighborhood that had
enriched my youth. RCPC is that opportunity.
I ask for your vote to enable my continued
service with RCPC and keeping Rockridge
the thriving neighborhood it is today.
Cesar Angobaldo
Hudson/Lawton
I
was appointed to the board a year and a
half ago, and have served as Treasurer
for the RCPC since May 2010.
I look forward to serving in this capacity
over the next two years.
Andrew E. Charman
Lawton Avenue
I
joined the RCPC board
to give back to the com-
munity, and to help preserve
and enhance Rockridge’s
unique character as an
“urban oasis,” a neighborhood deftly bal-
ancing residential and commercial uses, with
well-preserved architecture and beautiful
gardens, friendly to families, amenable to
pedestrians and cyclists, and offering superb
access to public transportation, excellent
food and restaurants, and unique shops and
small businesses.
I have served as vice-chair of the RCPC
Board, liaison to the Friends and Neighbors
of College Avenue (FANs), a neighborhood
group concerned with Safeway’s expansion
plans, Fourth Bore Coalition representative,
and chair of RCPC’s Transportation Com-
mittee, which addresses issues concerning
traffic, transit, and pedestrian and bicycle
safety. I will soon begin neighborhood
outreach and education about soundwalls
along SR-24.
I hope to continue to serve in these
capacities.
Bill Kaufner
Taft Avenue
I
would like to continue the
work I am involved with
on the Rockridge Community
Planning Council in the areas of Rockridge
schools and land use issues. The Council
is in the midst of several exciting projects
involving beautification of the area under
BART, a DVD project for the Rockridge
Library, the Safeway designs, and the Cal-
trans 4th Bore mitigations. These projects
must continue and I am willing and able
to see them through should I be granted a
second term.
RCPC Board
Election Procedures
At the RCPC Town Hall meeting on
Thursday, April 21, board candidates
will introduce themselves and describe
their ideas and proposals for Rockridge.
There will then be two opportunities to
vote for the candidates of your choice:
You may vote at the meeting on Thurs-
day, April 21, or on Saturday, April 23, in
the lobby of the Rockridge library, between
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Voter Eligibility
Persons age 18 and over who live within
RCPC boundaries are eligible to vote.
Verification will be by driver’s license or
DMV ID card showing an address within
RCPC boundaries, depicted on the RCPC
website at rockridge.org.
Ronnie Spitzer
Kales Avenue
I
’m dedicated to repre-
senting the community’s
interests in the areas of
land use, transportation and
schools. Rockridge is a successful walk-
able community that can be even better.
Preserving and enhancing the community
by upholding all provisions of existing
Rockridge planning codes is one element
of our continued success. Making its streets
and air quality safer for pedestrians, bicy-
clists and school children through better
transportation planning is also important.
Michael R. Kan
Keith Avenue
For the past 16 months,
I have served on the
RCPC Board of Directors
and as RCPC Secretary.
I’ve experienced the many
aspects of RCPC’s involvement, providing
the community the information, facts and
projects that help shape and maintain our
neighborhood.
I spent my youth growing up in Rockridge,
attending our public schools, and working
at various local businesses. Throughout the
During my past two RCPC board terms, I
interfaced with the city, the state Legislature,
the community, and Caltrans on numer-
ous Rockridge development projects and
transportation improvements. My activities
include: Fourth Bore Coalition representa-
tive and Vice Chair, 2010 Halloween Parade
organizer, RCPC webmaster, and FROG
liaison. If re-elected, I will continue work-
ing to better the community.


5.
April 2, 2011

5.

What’s in a Street Name? A Sign of the Times

by Chuck Afflerbach,
Rockridge neighbor
Take a stroll along 51st Street, the border
of lower Rockridge. The avenues you
cross sound like characters from a Victorian
romance novel: Miles, Shafter, Lawton…
Manila? What’s that doing there?
There is, in fact, a connection. Our
street names of today were ripped from
the headlines more than a century ago.
These were our nation’s military leaders—
heroes of the day—who carried out the
westward expansion that reached as far as
the Philippines.
Like the parallel streets that honor them,
Miles, Shafter, and Lawton followed similar
paths throughout their military careers. All
three enlisted in the Union Army at the
outbreak of the Civil War and quickly rose
through the ranks. As career officers, they
rode out West to lead the troops that forced
Native Americans onto the reservations. And
in 1898, they were the generals who invaded
Cuba and Puerto Rico during the Spanish-
American War. They were competitors as
much as colleagues, each with his own
colorful style and history.
Nelson Appleton Miles was driven by
ambition and never shied from controversy.
As the jailer of Jefferson Davis, he caused
an uproar by shackling the former president
of the Confederacy in leg irons. Following
Custer’s infamous last stand, Miles headed
west to subdue the rebellious tribes. He took
credit for the surrender of Chief Joseph and
Geronimo, but the death of Sitting Bull and
the Wounded Knee massacre he blamed on
his subordinates.
By 1898, Miles was Commanding
General of the entire U.S. Army. Again he
took the field to capture Puerto Rico and
place it under the Stars and Stripes. When
the Philippines fell, Filipino partisans
who fought the Spanish also took up arms
against American rule. Years of brutal
warfare led to public protest in the States.
Miles traveled to Manila to
investigate; in his report he
denounced the army’s use of
torture—including the “water
cure.” Teddy Roosevelt called
him “a brave peacock,” likely
because Miles had his eye on
the president’s job.
William Rufus Shafter
was a contradictory mix of
bravado and incompetence.
He commanded “colored”
troops during the Civil War
and the “Indian Wars,” yet he
court-martialed the first black
graduate of West Point on
dubious charges. (Lieutenant
Henry Flipper was pardoned posthumously
by President Clinton more than a century
later.) When the army finally transferred
“Pecos Bill” Shafter from west Texas, he
left behind his failed silver mine and a ghost
town which still bears his name.
But General Shafter’s finest hour came
when he commanded the invasion of Cuba
in 1898. During the siege of Santiago,
he was preparing to retreat when the
Spanish commander offered to surrender
all his forces on the island. Shafter came
to California a hero. From the Presidio of
San Francisco he supplied the troops sent
to suppress the Filipino insurgents. He told
the New York Times, “It may be necessary
to kill half the population of the islands
that the remaining half may be lifted from
their semi-barbarity to the civilization we
are ready to give them.” He died in 1906
and is buried in the San Francisco National
Cemetery.
Henry Ware Lawton was a “soldier’s
soldier,” respected even by his foes. It was
Captain Lawton who pursued Geronimo
into Mexico and brought him back for his
official “surrender” to General Miles. In
Cuba it was General Lawton who led the
first troops ashore at Daiquiri. In later battles
Major General
William R. Shafter,
commanding the
A r m y  V  C o r p s ,
d i r e c t i n g
t h e
e m b a r k a t i o n  o f
t r o o p s  a t  P o r t
Tampa preparatory
to invading Cuba.
– From p. 313 of
Harper’s Pictorial
History of the War
with Spain, Vol. II,
published by Harper
and Brothers in
1899. (Public domain,
Wikimedia Commons.)
he pressed on, even when General Shafter
was sending word to fall back.
Lawton led a warrior’s life and met a
warrior’s death. On December 19, 1899,
he was killed by a sniper near the city of
Manila. As usual, he was leading his men
into battle—against the troops of a Filipino
general named Geronimo. Ten years later,
the Apache chief Geronimo died a prisoner
of war at Fort Sill, near the brand new town
of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Of course Nelson Miles never succeeded
Roosevelt; that honor fell to William Howard
Taft in 1909. Two years later, President Taft
laid the cornerstone for Oakland’s brand
new city hall. But Taft Avenue was named
in 1905; he was still the Secretary of War
and had just served as America’s first civilian
governor of the Philippines. And that’s why
there’s an intersection of Taft and Manila
in Rockridge today.
Want to know how your street got its
name? Head down to the Oakland History
Room at the Main Library and ask for
“Quentin’s Guide to the Streets of North-
ern Alameda County.” It’s an alphabetical
catalog of street name origins compiled by
Lawrence W. Rand.

a
$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

cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue, Oakland  510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • Visit: capcchurch.org
our wonderful community meal, fridays, 6-7pm
a great opportunity to serVe

EXPERT
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LAUNDERING!


6.

April 2, 2011
6.
Masons, Dads and Merchants Host Joint Pancake Breakfast
Community Invited to Help Support
Claremont Middle School Programs
The Oakland-Durant-Rockridge Masonic
Lodge #188, Claremont Middle School
PTA Dad’s Club, and the Rockridge District
Association (RDA) will jointly host the
Second Annual Community Pancake
Breakfast at the Rockridge Masonic Hall,
5449 College Avenue Saturday, April
30. Proceeds will support programs at
Claremont Middle School, part of the
College Avenue community since 1913.
The breakfast menu includes pancakes,
eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, coffee and
tea. Tickets for the event are just $10, and
children under 5 eat free.
W hile the brea k fast and the
accompanying social experience are the
main features of the morning, part of
the attraction of this event is the rare
opportunity to see the interior of the Hall,
one of the most prominent buildings on
lower College Avenue and an architectural
treasure. Constructed in 1926, the building

Rockridge Masonic Hall, site of the
fund-raising pancake breakfast set for
April 30.                         Photo: Kevin Keck
Tickets will be limited and time-specific,
so purchase yours early.
Because of the generous contributions of
time and food from the Masons, all proceeds
from the breakfast will be contributed to
Claremont Middle School to help offset
reduced state funding levels and support
Claremont’s renowned Music, Art and
Computer Lab programs that attract and
engage students from the community. The
goal is to raise $5,000 for the school.
Come for breakfast, meet your neighbors,
and tour one of our local architectural
treasures while supporting Claremont
Middle School.
For tickets, and additional information,
visit www.claremontms.org for online links
to the Pancake Breakfast. If you are unable
to purchase tickets online, contact Patrick
Zak at patrickzak@ymail.com and we will
coordinate with you directly.
replaced a previous Masonic Hall which
stood on the corner now occupied by Market
Hall. Among the prominent local men who
helped found Masonic Lodge #188 was
Henry Durant, the founding president of
the University of California and a mayor
of Oakland. Later, Oakland Lodge #188
and Berkeley Lodge #288 merged with
Rockridge Lodge #468, all three to become
known as Lodge #188.
The Masonic Hall will be open to the
public during the three breakfast sittings.

April 16: FROG Park Earth Day Cleanup, 9-12, & Family Fest, 12-2


Help at FROG Park, a City Featured Site

	 Hop on over to either recently reopened FROG Parks, Big FROG
(Hardy Circle near Miles) or Little FROG (Redondo Avenue at Clarke),
on April 16, 9 a.m. to noon, and join us for a fun, family-friendly Earth
Day cleanup. Bring work gloves and gardening tools, or use ours. Activities include playground
cleaning, weeding, planting, sweeping, sifting sand, and clearing the pond and creek bed.
Contact Carol Behr at carol@urbehr.com with questions. Water and snacks will be provided
for kids of all ages. Come for half an hour or the entire morning, rain or shine.

Time to Celebrate! FROG Family Festival

	 Join your neighbors and friends for a festival to celebrate Earth Day, the recent Park reopen-
ing, and the start of the restroom construction. Bring your family, kids, and your picnic lunch
and blanket to Big FROG (Hardy Circle near Miles) on April 16 between 12 noon and 2 p.m.
Expect loads of fun playing games, making crafts, and enjoying the entertainment. Rain cancels.
See Other Earth Day Events, page 9

FROG’s Family-friendly
Earth Day Cleanup:
Cleanup
Big & Little FROG parks
* 9AM-12 noon
Rain or shine
Festival & Fun in the
Park: Big FROG
* 12 noon -2 PM
Rain cancels
Festival







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April 2, 2011

7.

7.

It’s a Cakewalk at the Peralta in Bloom Festival, Coming May 14

by Laura Counts, Peralta
Parent Teacher Group
Dtraditional Peralta cakewalk, which is as easy
as it sounds. Emcee German Martinez will
have you strutting your stuff to an eclectic
sound track. Sit down when the music stops
and you may win one of the dozens of beau-
tiful cakes, including homemade creations
and donations from local bakeries.
Win a Unique Peralta Quilt
One lucky winner will leave Peralta
in Bloom with an original quilt, designed
and sewn by over 200 Peralta children with
artist-in-residence Ellen Oppenheimer.
Look for students selling quilt raffle
tickets ($1 each, $5 for six) outside shops
around Rockridge and at the Temescal
Farmers Market this month. The winning
raffle ticket for the quilt will be drawn at
the festival. (Winner need not be present.)
The Peralta in Bloom festival is organized
by the Peralta Parent Teacher Group.
All proceeds go to support our music, art,
gardens, library, and other enrichment
programs. For more information, visit www.
peraltaschool.org.
rop by Peralta Elementary on May
14 between noon and 4 p.m. for our
celebration of spring, gardens, and our
connection to the community. Every year
the school throws open its gates at 460 63rd
Street for an afternoon of old-fashioned
carnival fun, Peralta-style.
Along with games, a climbing wall,
and the ever-popular cakewalk, this year’s
Peralta in Bloom focusses on the three R’s:
Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. Bring
well-loved clothing for repair at the mending
booth, or give new life to old t-shirts, pants
or aprons at the silk-screening booth. Learn
how to create a patchwork quilt from recycled
fabrics at the quilt-in-a-day station. At our
zero-waste center, Peralta trash monsters
Compostina, Rerun and Lenny Landfill
will help us beat our record from last year,
when we sent just over one bin to the dump.
Many of the activities will center around
our beloved gardens, which will be in full
bloom. New garden coordinator Scott
McCandless, aka Mr. Mac, will lead kids
in vegetable art projects with natural colors.
Kids can re-pot and take home a seedling,
then munch on a sweet treat: edible dirt.
They’ll also have a chance to get close to,
and learn about, rabbits and chickens at a
small petting zoo.
The liveliest part of the festival is the
Benvenue Court
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April 2, 2011
8.

8.
Shout-Outs
✔ I highly recommend “The Lazy Gour-
met: Real Food – Real Easy,” by Rockridge
neighbor Marjorie Gelb and her daughter
Josie Shapiro. You can pick it up at Ver
Bruge market. It contains many simple and
delicious easy-to-prepare recipes.
✔ Two new restaurants have recently
opened and are worth community support:
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
SPRING LAMB
When it comes to food and dining,
the opening line of T.S. Eliot’s epic
poem “The Wasteland,” “April is the cruel-
est month,” does not ring true. April is the
month of hope and freedom.
From the Jewish Passover to the Chris-
tian Easter, no food is more symbolic to
the season of hope and renewal than lamb.
Jewish and Muslim dietary prohibitions
keep them from eating pork, and the cow’s
sacred status keeps Hindus from eating
beef. However, regardless of other dietary
restrictions, lamb is enjoyed throughout
the world.
Who can resist the spicy complex flavors
of Mongolian lamb from China, Italian
braised lamb shanks in a rich red wine
sauce, grilled Greek lamb kabobs marinated
in red wine, garlic and rosemary, curried
lamb from Northern India, and, of course,
grilled baby lamb chops with mint jelly?
Lamb is truly a food for people who enjoy
meat, especially in the spring.
In the time of the Jewish temple in
Jerusalem, each family was expected to
bring a young lamb for sacrifice during
Passover. The sacrificed lamb was then
brought home for the Passover Seder. For
over 2,000 years, that tradition has continued
in many Jewish homes. While in Morocco,
I traveled to a Berber market in the Atlas
Mountains. There, I saw newly butchered
lambs being sold. One of the butchers
offered me the lamb’s testicles, considered
a special delicacy. I respectfully declined.
■
■Southie is another project from Rich
and Rebecca Wood. It is next door to Wood
Tavern. In an informal setting, Southie
offers outstanding grilled sandwiches. Try
the meatball and yummy soups.
Cuts of Lamb
As with beef and pork, different cuts of
lamb require different cooking methods.
■
■Boneless lamb loin is sweet and
tender and is ideal for a deeply flavored roast.
■
■Next to Á Côté is Enoteca Molinari.
Enoteca Molinari is a very small (35 seat),
beautiful setting that is a primarily a wine
bar that serves unique Italian-style fare.
This month’s recipe is for a simple kefta.
Kefta is served throughout the Arab
world. Spices used vary from country to
country. This one is Turkish. The kefta
patties can be grilled separately or formed
on to flat skewers.
Kefta (lamb patties)
(4 servings)
1 pound of ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
Warm pita bread
Yogurt
Combine the lamb with cumin, parsley,
salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix well.
Form the meat mixture into 6-8 ½-thick
oval patties. Or form the mixture around
½-inch flat skewers.
Grill the kefta, turning often until done.
Serve with warm pita bread and yogurt
■
■Lamb shanks come, of course, from
the legs, and are meaty and succulent
when slowly braised. When buying lamb
shanks, have the butcher crack the shanks
on a band saw, which allows the delicious
bone marrow to seep out during braising.
■
■A lesser known and more affordable
cut is shoulder chops. This is the type of
chop my mom served. Shoulder chops can
be broiled or grilled or even braised.
■
■On special occasions, nothing beats
a crown lamb roast. Essentially, a crown
roast is two racks of lamb tied together
with the meat on the bones cut back to
create a crown-like shape. To enhance the
effect, small foil crowns are placed on top
of each bone. When you order a crown
lamb roast from Ver Brugge Meat-Fish
Poultry on College Avenue, they include
the little crowns.
■
■For a quick middle-Eastern dinner,
try grilled spiced ground lamb patties
(kefta) served in warm pita bread.
■
■My all-time favorite is a leg of lamb.
For me, nothing is better than a bone-in leg
of lamb slowly cooked on a rotisserie grill.
A simple paste of garlic, olive oil, rosemary,
salt and pepper rubbed on the leg is all you
need for a perfect rotisserie-grilled lamb;
very Greek.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes and tours of East-bay ethnic markets. His
e-mail is kaufman42@earthlink.net.
Just
Sold!
6225 Auburn, Rockridge
since 1997


April 2, 2011

9.

9.
RDA: “Come Join Us for Earth
Day – Saturday, April 16”
then on she would wash the dishes and
I would help dry them while she taught
me lovely melodies and words. I was
in heaven. This was different from just
hearing others make music. It seemed
to me that the sounds we were making
together formed an invisible pathway
right up to the sky. This was the two
of us rising together above the hunger
and deprivation. This was me being part
of something greater out there in the
universe. I have never forgotten that
feeling. And I think every child has a
right to that magic pathway.
The Piedmont East
Bay Children’s Choir
Here in the Bay Area, we are fortunate
to have a long-standing tradition of
choral singing for children taken to the
highest levels. It started in 1948 when
San Francisco Opera director Kurt Adler
was instrumental in founding the San
Francisco Boys Chorus. Others followed
in quick succession — alas, mostly in
San Francisco.
In 1982, Suzie Rahl, a Piedmont mom
tired of taking her young son to rehearsals
across the Bay, took the bull by the
horns and founded a small choir school
in Piedmont with the help of Robert
Geary, who had previously served as
associate music director with the San
Francisco Boys Chorus.
In that first year, 22 boys met for
rehearsals right in her living room. Today
the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir,
still under the leadership of Artistic
Director Robert Geary, consists of about
300 young singers and is making a joyful
noise all around the globe. The students
perform regularly on some the greatest
stages in the Bay Area, and travel for
competitions and festivals throughout
America and many countries. In 2011, the
destination is Denmark. In 2012, the Choir
will host the Golden Gate International
Choral Festival and competition here
in the Bay Area. Under the leadership
Mr. Geary, the Choir also is uniquely
privileged to experience the leading
edge of choral music, performing new
works created by some of the best new
choral composers in the world.
Training
The road to choral excellence is
not easy, but the rewards are many.
The children thrive intellectually and
The
Rockridge
 Muse
by RDA staff
R
DA (Rockridge District Association)
is again hosting an Earth Day painting
party. If you’re feeling a little Tom Sawyer-
ish, we have a fence for you. Dust off your
painter’s pants and plan to join us.
Where, you ask? We will gather on April
16, 9 a.m., at Subay Subay Thai Restaurant,
5231 College. The RDA will provide all
the necessary supplies needed as well as
refreshments for all our Picassos (young
and old alike) who participate.
Rockridge Home Sponsors
Library Grounds Cleaning
by Ortrun Niesar
Hear the
Children Sing
The Piedmont East Bay
Children’s Choir
Choral Singing for Children
in the Bay Area
Young children have an amazing
capacity for understanding and
internalizing music, even under the worst
of circumstances. Singing became an
indelible part of my life when I was
about four or five and living in postwar
Europe. One of my greatest pleasures
then – and always – was to hear my
mother sing. When I asked her to teach
me she promised to do it if I would help
her with the dishes. Every night from
by Jennifer Kaplan, owner,
Rockridge Home
Come join the Rockridge Home crew in a
garden cleaning party at the Rockridge
Library, 5366 College Avenue.
Rockridge Home has picked up the slack
left by city budget cuts for the last few years
by helping to maintain library grounds.
Several times a year, we sponsor a clean-up
to support the library and the community.
Meet us at the library on Earth Day,
April 16, at 9 a.m. and be prepared to weed.
And remember, lots of goodies for helpers.
Unlock your child’s
true potential with
Kumon Math and Reading.
KUMON MATH AND READING CENTER OF
OAKLAND-ROCKRIDGE
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➧➧Children Sing, page 10


10.

April 2, 2011
10.

Children Sing
held at Piedmont High School and other
facilities. Students come from all over the
East Bay, primarily Piedmont, Oakland
and Berkeley, but from as far away as El
Cerrito and Walnut Creek. A summer
camp session is held each August. Choir
members also have wonderful memories
of week-long music camp stays at Walker
Creek Ranch in Marin County. And, should
your child progress to the performing
level, there will be local and international
performances, festivals and competitions
to prepare for and attend.
Performing
Lately, the Choir has been involved
with the works of Benjamin Britten, which
it has performed partly in collaboration
with Cal Performances. The series, now
concluded, featured performances at
Oakland’s First Presbyterian Church at
Broadway and 27th Street and at Cal’s
Zellerbach Hall.
For information on scheduled
performances and enrollment, go to
www.piedmontchoirs.org or call the
Choir office at 510/547-4441.
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!
from page 9
emotionally as they acquire knowledge
and skills not only in the discernment
and execution of musical and vocal
possibilities, but also in many other
areas of personal development. In that
sense, this musical program rivals the
experiences a child might get by taking
up a competitive sport or other artistic
or intellectual pursuit: commitment,
focus, self-confidence, interpersonal
relationships, group dynamic, leadership
skills, and pursuit of excellence.
The Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir
begins its training with participants as
young as 4 years of age for both boys and
girls, with programs continuing for singers
to age 18. The teaching method, titled
“Growing with Music,” is comprehensive,
offering not only a music education but
also lessons in creative expression, poise
and cultural history. Children learn to
sing pretty much as demonstrated in
“The Sound of Music.” The program was
developed by Zoltan Kodaly and uses
the solfeggio system (do, re, mi, etc.)
to develop aural ability, sight-singing,
memorization, reading and writing music
and good vocal habits. Rehearsals are
generally twice a week in the afternoon,
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April 2, 2011

11.

11.

Rockridge Teen Playwright Shines at Berkeley Rep Festival

by Ronnie Spitzer
“O
h God, why?” ask the characters
throughout Speak Like This: the
Prayer Play, being performed in Berkeley
Rep’s School of Theatre. Described as funny,
sad, and often ironic, the play follows the
lives of five characters from different walks
of life over the course of a year through
their non-denominational prayers. These
strangers share their hopes, tragedies, and
triumphs with us, the audience, in a power-
ful 35 minutes.
Written by 16-year-old Rockridge resi-
dent Naomi Zingman-Daniels, this original
play is being performed as one of two win-
ners for Berkeley Rep’s annual Teen One-Act
Festival, with remaining performances
scheduled on April 2, 7 and 8 at 8 p.m.
It was directed, performed, designed and
produced entirely by teens, with mentoring
from Berkeley Rep’s fellowship program.
Naomi, a junior at Oakland Technical
High School’s Performing Arts Program,
arts comes to her as a member of Tech’s Per-
forming Arts Program and from her middle
school and freshman years at Athenian
School. She performed as a cast member
in this year’s Tech production of Dracula,
and participated in the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival. “That was an amazing experience.
We sold out three of our four shows—usu-
ally six people came to the other shows!”
Her academic schedule includes an
advanced drama class in acting techniques,
a semi-regular two-hour after-school
production class, and Paideia English and
History classes; not to mention attending
Poekoelen martial arts classes as a black
belt practitioner. Her life goals? Attending
college in a creative writing program and
pursuing a career as a playwright.
spoke with
us about
how she
came to win
the Festi-
val contest
and about
her life at
Tech. Her
first play
was written
last year as
an assignment for her creative writing class,
in honor of National Playwriting Month. “I
just realized I loved writing plays and kept
on writing,” she said. Encouragement from
her teacher, Performing Arts Director Jessica
Berkner, and fellow students, helped her
keep writing. Speak Like This started out as
a 50-minute play before edits, its characters
based loosely on people she knows. But the
story is completely Naomi’s.
Naomi’s solid grounding in performing
Photo: Naomi Zingman-Daniels
Speak Like This is being performed at the ninth
annual Teen One-Acts Festival — Berkeley Rep
School of Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Down-
town Berkeley — on April 2, 7 and 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Phone 510/647-2974. Tickets: $12 ($8 students),
available at the door only.
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Prediction Holds For A Great Spring!
Closing Date
BR BATH
Address
Original Price
List Price
DOM        Selling Price
 1/27/2011
2
1
5370 Bryant Avenue
$ 649,000
$ 629,000
57
$ 629,000
 1/31/2011
2
1
6273 Brookside
$ 309,900
$309,900
144
$ 300,000
 2/4/2011
2
1
5314 Shafter Avenue
$ 659,000
$ 659,000
4
$ 720,000
• Rockridge currently has a 3.27 month supply of inventory.
• Average list to sell is currently 102% – down from an average of 107% at this time last year.
• Average market time is currently 68 days in Rockridge – compared to a year ago when the
average market time was 33days.
• 7 properties went pending in the last month and these properties were on the market an
average of 18 days. The Median List Price was for these pending sales was $825,000


12.

April 2, 2011
12.

Rockridge
Resident’s Film
Plays at Oakland
International Film
Festival
Michael Bedar, a resident of Colby Street
in Rockridge, proudly announces that
a film he helped make is a featured selec-
tion in the 2011 Oakland International Film
Festival. His documentary,
“Simply Raw: Reversing
Diabetes in 30 Days,”
follows the remarkable
journeys of six diabetics
(Types 1 and 2) for 30 days
as they change their diet
to reverse their disease
naturally and without pre-
scription drugs by eating
only organic, live foods.
Bedar is a nutrition and lifestyle instructor
as well as an accomplished documentarian.
He operates the East Bay Movement to
Reverse Diabetes Naturally, which develops
ways to inspire improved eating and natural
health where it is most needed.
Bedar’s film screens Tuesday, April
12, in the 6 p.m. time slot at the Art Deco
Auditorium, 2700 Saratoga Street, Alameda.
— Michael Bedar
Green Short Takes
Rockridge Local to
the Red Carpet
FORL Election
from page 1
April for re-election:
 Jennifer Alper	 	Kathy O’Neal
 Carol Bieri
	Sharareh Tavafrashti
Rockridge residents are encouraged
to vote in the FORL election to be held
concurrently with the RCPC board election
Thursday, April 21, at the Rockridge Branch
Library, 7:30-9 p.m.
by Erin Milnes
Rockridge resident Joel Bloom walked
the red carpet for the first time at the
recent Academy Awards ceremonies as
co-producer of “Let’s Pollute,” an Oscar
nominee for Best Animated Short. The sharp
social satire with a green message didn’t
take the gold, but the nomina-
tion itself “was a big win for the
film’s environmental message,”
said Bloom.
“For a tiny independent film
no one had heard of only a few
weeks ago, the Oscar spotlight
has brought tremendous expo-
sure,” said Bloom. “The next
step is creating more opportuni-
ties for the film to be seen and
delivering its message to an even larger
audience.”
A satire animated in the style of 1950s
educational films, the six-minute “Let’s
Pollute” uses humor to address a serious
subject: our heritage and potential legacy
of toxic, irresponsible living. “It follows an
average family who wants to do their part
and pollute to their maximum capacity for
a better, blighted tomorrow,” explains the
film’s director, Geefwee Boedoe, tongue
firmly in cheek.
“Let’s Pollute” is available on iTunes.
Full information about the film and crew
can be found at www.letspollute.com.

5431 College Ave
        Oakland Ca 94618
510. 652. 5431

www.elizabethh.net

Praying - Serving - Growing
St. Augustine
Roman Catholic
Church
400 Alcatraz Ave.
Oakland
(between Telegraph
and College
Avenues)
510-653-8631
Mass Schedule
 Saturday: 5 p.m.
 Sunday: 8 a.m.
  & 10:30 a.m.
 Weekdays: 8:30 a.m.
Reconciliation
 Saturday, 4 p.m.
For information about the
Oakland International Film
Festival, visit http://www.
oiff.org/about.html
www.staugustineoakland.com
The market inventory has been increasing for several weeks
with demand being low relative to the available inventory.
27% of properties in 94618 have had a price reduction.
For the week of: 3/14/11
Median List Price: $898,000
Avg. Days on Market: 49
Avg. Price per Sq. Ft.: $449
Want all the facts?
Stop by our office and discuss
94618 weekly updates with a
Rockridge McGuire agent.


13.
April 2, 2011

13.

mont Avenue Neighborhood Improvement
League), and STAND (Standing Together for
Accountable Neighborhood Development),
and residents along Broadway and Telegraph.
The council eventually voted to keep
Brunner’s compromise height map. The full
zoning maps, including a separate height
map, are available on the city’s website at
http://oaklandnet.com/zoningupdate.
The next phase of the zoning update will
look at more specialized regulations,
including parking requirements and the city’s
local density bonus ordinance, and more
site-specific “overlay” districts to deal with
special situations such as protecting College
Avenue’s retail character. Councilmember
Rebecca Kaplan, who had led the charge for
increased density, signaled that the battle was
not yet over. She plans to propose options
for density bonus incentives beyond the
affordable housing bonuses mandated by
state law. Newly-elected Councilmember
Libby Schaaf supported Kaplan; Brunner
indicated she would be open to providing
more options for density bonuses. Crucial
questions will be how much, where, and
under what circumstances.
Rezoning OK’d
from page 1
all the heights up to 60 feet. The full Planning
Commission went along with that recom-
mendation, but the council’s Community and
Economic Development (CED) Committee,
at Councilmember Jane Brunner’s request,
revised the height limits to be more in line
with the staff proposal, with some heights
reset to 45 feet and a few raised to 75 feet.
The council had previously accepted the
CED committee’s recommendation, although
members of ULTRA-Oakland (Urbanists
for a Livable Telegraph-Rockridge Area), an
AC Transit representative, and other higher
density proponents objected to what they
termed“downzonings.” (They were not, tech-
nically, downzonings because the underlying
zoning was not made more restrictive. In fact,
in most cases the zoning revisions provided
more options and promoted increased density
over the current property uses.)
The final public hearing became a face-
off between the Broadway property owners
and ULTRA supporters on one side, and
other North Oakland community groups on
the other, including RCPC, PANIL (Pied-
Kumon Math & Reading
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In addition to his role with RCPC, Stuart Flashman
is a land use attorney in private practice.
successfully reincorporating them. Such was
the case for Shelly Fierston, whose front
rooms retained many of the original details
of a Craftsman home, but whose kitchen
had been turned into a bright white box.
The large footprint of the existing kitchen
was reconfigured, and a beautiful island
was incorporated to provide versatility –
seating for five, food prep by two cooks,
and plenty of room for homework and
entertaining. The warm earth tones so
characteristic of Craftsman homes were
returned to the space in the form of wood
cabinets, soapstone counters, and quarter-
sawn oak floors. Holophane glass light
fixtures, a vintage map, and a salvaged
school chalkboard provide the decorative
elements that both personalize the space
and reference earlier times.
In the end, the design and selected
finishes have helped restore the Craftsman
style that had been lost.
For more ideas on how to incorporate
modern kitchen features while retaining
architectural integrity, plan on attending
the Rockridge Kitchen Tour on Sunday,
October 2.
Kitchen Adaptations
from page 3
vintage floor tiles and had them installed
with a wide grout joint typical of the times.
Together, these thoughtful and sensitive
upgrades modernize the space without
sacrificing the integrity of the home’s
original design.
Unfortunately, some homeowners
are faced with situations in which
many original period details have been
stripped, and part of the challenge becomes


14.

April 2, 2011
14.

General Contractor
Craftsman Rehabs, remodels, seismic upgrades,
kitchens, built-ins, gates, windows, doors,
repairs, small jobs. Many local references fully
insured. See www.catconstruction.biz Craig.
510/232-5978.
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.
May deadline is April 21, 2011.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide excellent housecleaning service
with greatest attention to detail. Local rec-
ommendations. *Let us create free time for
you.* www.spectacularhousekleening.com
510/228-5704. Free estimate.
Gardening Excellence
Serving Rockridge over 20 years. Friendly,
personalized maintenance, expert pruning
and care; garden restoration; make-over to
prepare for sale; consultations. Non-toxic,
earth-friendly practices. Reasonable rates,
excellent references, free estimates. Chris.
510/655-0157.
Home Repair Expert
Carpentry, remodeling. Doors and windows,
glass and locks, small electrical, plumbing jobs,
drywall, painting, fences, decks and other odd
jobs. Good rates. Rick 510/761-7168.
Quality Gardening
Skilled Maintenance, clean-ups, aesthetic
pruning, real estate prep, irrigation, design
and installation. Local refs. Ecological-minded
since 1995, personal attention, free estimates.
Green’s Gardens: 510/593-3490.
Private and Cozy Rental Unit
Between Manila and Lawton. Good for one or
two people. Close to shopping and transporta-
tion. $1000 per month & deposit. 510/652-8803.
Spring 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.
Tutoring: Credentialed
Teacher
18 years experience. Primary grade expertise
in language arts and math. 4-12 Writing exper-
tise, homework help. Will coordinate tutoring
plan with your child’s teacher. References.
Reasonable rates. 510/420-1898. Jean-rains@
sbcglobal.net
Glass/Sabine JUST SOLD
We just sold 79 Ross Circle and 5153 Shafter.
Both houses sold over the asking price and
closed escrow in less than 30 days! Visit www.
GlassSabine.com. We love Rockridge.
Upper Rockridge Digital
Artist
Needs free ca. 500 sq. ft. studio space. Mature,
disabled woman. Can trade graphic arts, book
production, photography, video. Dry, very
secure garage or other OK. Very quiet, neat.
Call 510/295-9889.
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.
Love Your Surroundings?
Need help getting organized? Want to de-
clutter your home or office? Let me redesign
your environment in your style & create space
and harmony. Free Consultation. Laura Panica,
Organizational Consultant 510/658-6582.
www.liferestyled.com.
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.
Hello Gorgeous!
Celeste for Hair. 5336 College Avenue.
510/658-3658.
j
5278 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
510.654.6755
www.jarvisarchitects.com
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
Kitchen Remodel in 1920’s
Rockridge Shingle Craftsman
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
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!


15.
April 2, 2011

15.

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

aid program. Fri, May 6, 4-8pm. 4695 Telegraph Ave.
Info: Cynthia, 387-9135 or cynthia@creativereuse.org.
10th Annual Lower Rockridge
Parents Group (LRPG) Community
Yard Sale

Community Calendar

Benefit for Peralta Elementary and Claremont Middle
schools. Household goods, stuff for kids and much more.
Gourmet Burritos by Guerilla Grub and old fashioned
bake sale. Sat., Apr. 9, 9am to 1pm. Peralta playground,
Alcatraz Ave. (just east of Telegraph). Free parking at
St. Augustine Church. Info: Nicole Aruda, 547-7976 or
nicaruda@earthlink.net.
St. Augustine Spring Fling
Fundraiser
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y
and 13X areas can voice their concerns about
crime and public safety. 2nd Thursday each
month, 7pm. Rockridge Library, upstairs meeting
room, 5366 College Ave. (at Manila). Info: chair@
rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
referrals. First Tues. each month. 5 to 7pm (advance
sign-up starts 4:45pm). Note: Volunteer lawyer leaves
before 7pm if no more people are present.
ART EXHIBITS (call to confirm)
Gallery:
■
■Apr., Anya Behn: ceramic sculptures, wall hangings.
■
■May: Merritt College Portrait Class.
Lobby Display Case:
■
■Apr: Oakland Public Library Staff Art Display.
Rummage sale: household goods, clothes, toys, books
and more. Refreshments and games for kids. Sunday,
4/10, 11:30am to 3pm. 400 Alcatraz Ave (between Col-
lege and Teleg.) Info: Josie Zimmermann, 415-248-6672
or josiezim@yahoo.com.
2nd Annual Claremont Middle
School Pancake Breakfast
■
■May: Diane Jacobson: Glass works.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings, Events
■
■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:
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Fundraiser to support school programs and help offset
reduced state funding. Saturday, 4/30; seatings at 9, 10
and 11am. Tickets: $10 (kids under 5 free). Rockridge
Masonic Hall, 5449 College Ave. Get tickets now at
www.claremontms.org. See story p.6.
Windows & Window Treatments to
Save Energy
yy MoChA Spring Afterschool Art Workshop: craft
event celebrating National Library Week. Tues,
4/12, 4pm. All ages.
yy Celebrate Children’s Book Week (5/3 – 5/7) -
Children’s Own Stories: Kids ages 3 - 9 dictate and
illustrate your own story to be added to the library
collection. Call or stop by to make a reservation
for dictation time.
FOR TEENS
■
■Sun, 4/10, 3pm. Susie Bright: Big Sex Little Death.
■
■Mon., 4/11, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meeting
(2nd Monday each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
■
■Tues, 4/12, 7pm. Kate Levinson: Emotional Currency:
A Woman’s Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship
with Money.
Free seminar on best solutions (new, replacements
or retrofits) to lower utility bills. Tues, 4/25, 6:30pm.
Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave. Hosted by Greening
Oakland Homes (a volunteer community group). Info:
DeAnna, 595-1594.
Earth Day Cleanup and Picnic
at Frog Park
■
■Thurs, 4/14, 7pm. Noah Levine; The Heart of the
Revolution.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Ages 13 and up,
watch and talk about anime (Japanese animation).
Second Tues. each month (4/12, 5/10), 5 to 6:30pm,
upstairs meeting rm.
■
■Sun., 4/17, 3pm. Poetry Flash: Donna de la Perriere
and Joseph Lease.
■
■Thurs, 4/21, 7pm. Local author and cartoonist Daniel
Clowes: Mister Wonderful.
■
■Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Help advise the
library how to better serve teens. Get community ser-
vice credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st Saturday
each month, 4 to 5pm.
■
■Tues, 5/3, 7pm. Geoff Dyer: Otherwise Known as the
Human Condition.
April 16: cleanup from 9am to noon; picnic with enter-
tainment, crafts and games from noon to 2pm. See
details: article p.6.
North Oakland Senior Center
■
■Tues, 5/10, 7pm. Sloane Crosley: How Did You Get
This Number.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info about
these authors/ books (and other events and discussion
groups): 653-9965 or events@dieselbookstore.com.
Woodminster Theater Auditions for
Summer Musicals
■
■Free Comic Book Day: Annual nationwide event
on 1st Saturday of May (5/7). Get free comics and
make a superhero or other comic pin. All day (while
supplies last).
More info: Susy, 597-5017 or smoorhead@oak-
landlibrary.org.
FOR ADULTS
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health Insurance counsel-
ing; dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Groups and more.
■
■Free AARP Tax Help: every Wed., thru. Apr. 13. Make
appt.in person or by phone.
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, mem-
bership, and volunteer opportunities. Info: 597- 5085.
American Red Cross
Non-equity actors, singers and dancers (kids and
adults) audition for “Oliver!”, “My Fair Lady” and “Finian’s
Rainbow”. Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10 only.
For details and more info: www.woodminster.com
or harriet@woodminster.com.
Treasures from the Attic
■
■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.
Sale of collectibles and unique reused items to benefit
the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse’s humanitarian
■
■Mobile Blood Drives: During April, the Red Cross will
hold a drawing for one month’s mortgage or rent
payment – not to exceed $2,000 – paid by the Red
Cross. (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.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
■
■Volunteer Orientations: Tour the Oakland Blood
Center. Learn to assist blood donors; deliver blood;
help with special projects. Tues, 4/12 and Wed, 4/20
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.
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!


16.

April 2, 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

6072 Chabot Road
Quintessential Rockridge
This spacious and stately traditional home truly has it all. Formal dining room,
living room with a striking fireplace, 3 bedrooms, 1 ½ baths, home office, a
beautifully updated kitchen and a deck leading out to the exceptionally deep
yard. All of this located just a stones throw from College Avenue.
Listed at $1,100,000
TERRY KULKA  510.682.5917
terrykulka@att.net
terrykulka.com
Over 300 homes sold -
Experience 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
6069 canning Street (Lower rockridge)
   2 Beds & 1 Bath
         $574,000
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
www.6069canning.com
Sustainable Living
Starts at Home
6403-09 Benvenue ave. $995,000 - $1,195,000
   all 3Beds/2+baths
6 Brand New Arts and Crafts Single Family Homes.
1st New Homes in the Heart of Rockridge/Elmwood
in maybe 50+ Years. Amazing Location/Architecture/
Construction – “Nothing Else Compares”
award Winning Peralta School
www.Bevenuecourt.com
Only 3 Left!
Sustainable Building
Starts at Ashby Lumber
Looking for a Contractor?
Pending – rOckridge
Visit our Contractor Directory
at ashbylumber.com
442 60th Street (Lower rockridge) $785,000
   3Beds/2Full Baths.
Single Level Bungalow on an amazing double lot. 2
car garage, Hrdwd flrs, Remodeled Kitchen & Baths.
award Winning Peralta School
www.442-60thSt.com
.
824 Ashby Avenue    Berkeley
Ph: 510.843.4832  Fax: 510.843.3840
cOming SOOn – rOckridge
ayala avenue (Lower rockridge)
3 Beds & 1+ Bath
Craftsman Bungalow, Formal Living & Dining Rooms,
Hardwood Floors, Fireplace, Sunny Deck, Flat Yard
& 2 Car Garage
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