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www.rockridge.org

VOL. 26    NO. 10    ISSUE NO. 283    November 5, 2011                      CIRCULATION: 5, 500 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

Costumes on
College: RDA-
RCPC Halloween
Parade

Volunteers Serve at Thanksgiving
Oakland’s Residential
Permit Parking Program
Is Profitable for the City

by Jonathan Gabel, RCPC boardmember
The city of Oakland’s Residential Permit Parking (RPP)
program enables residents to purchase permits that
allow them unrestricted on-street parking in their own
neighborhood (not counting street sweeping days). Prior
to permit parking, commuters parked on the streets near
the Rockridge BART station in such numbers that there
were no vacant spaces left during the week days. Now,
vehicles lacking permits are limited to a 2- or 4-hour stay
on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
In response to a direct request made by the author to
Parking Division Director Noel Pinto, the city of Oak-
land disclosed operating costs and revenues for the RPP
Program during fiscal
Oct Town Hall: Rockridge Schools
/Monte McClain
College Avenue
Presbyterian to
Host Community
Thanksgiving Feast
➧➧RPP Pays Off, page 10
by Monte McClain, pastor
For more than 20 years, the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church community
has hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day
Community Meal.
Initially begun to build a deeper sense
of community in our neighborhood and to
respond to concrete needs, the meal continues
year in and year out to work towards that
consistent goal.
Then, Rockridge was emerging from the
shadow of the neighborhood transformation
by Don Kinkead, editor
Hampered by a shrinking budget
and declining state financial
support, the Oakland Unified School
District (OUSD) is forging ahead
with Superintendent Tony Smith’s
strategic plan envisioning “Com-
munity Schools, Thriving Students,”
school board President Jody London
told RCPC Town Hall attendees at
the October 20 meeting.
The plan’s goal, London said, is to provide every
Oakland public school
➧➧Oct Town Hall, page 13
/D. Kinkead
J o d y  L o n d o n ,
OUSD president,
at Oct Town Hall.
➧➧Thanksgiving Feast, page 12
RCPC Announces
Board Vacancies
D
Photos: Annette Floystrup
17
AGENDA: November RCPC Town Hall Meeting
☞
ue to the recent resignation of  board
member Ashley Etling, the RCPC
Board of Directors has a vacancy to fill.
If you are interested, send an e-mail to
chair@rockridge.org, or leave a messge
with your contact information at 869-
4200. RCPC is also looking for additional
members for its land use committee.
Again, send an e-mail or leave a message
if you are interested.
Oakland Walk Tours: Annalee Allen

Annalee Allen, coordinator of the Oakland Tours Program, a member of
the Alameda County Parks, Recreation, and Historical Commission, author of the weekly
Landmarks column in the Oakland Tribune, and Rockridge resident, will speak, along with
watercolorist Heidi Wyckoff, about their collaboration on Oakland Landmarks, a book in
honor of Oakland’s 160th birthday. The book features stories and pictures about such well-
loved architectural landmarks as the Rotunda Building’s 125 ft. elliptical dome, the Tribune
Tower and City Hall itself. Oakland is rich in architectural treasures from many eras;  come
and hear an exploration of our hometown’s best.

Thursday, November 17  |  7:30-9 p.m.  |  Rockridge Branch Library,
Upstairs Meeting Room, 5366 College Avenue at Manila


November 5, 2011
2.

Rockridge Through New Eyes: Motor City
Escapees Meet Pedestrian-Oriented Lifestyle

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 12 – 5:30 p.m.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
When Judith Berne and her husband
decided to move to the Bay Area,
they settled in Rockridge and found a
lifestyle very much to their liking. They
are within a comfortable walk from each
of North Oakland’s three community
hubs – College Avenue, the Temescal
District, and Piedmont Avenue – and,
at home, enjoy views that encompass
San Francisco, Marin County and the
Oakland-Berkeley Hills.
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays. Also: Fri and Sat, 11/11
and 11/12; and Thurs, Fri and Sat, 11/24 through 11/26
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, 2011-2012
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair
Vacant	�����������������������������������Vice-Chair
Michael Kan	������������������������Secretary
Cesar Angobaldo	���������������Treasurer
Andrew Charman	��������������At-Large Exec Comm.
Christopher Chin, Annette Floystrup,
Jonathan Gabel, James Kachelmeyer,
William Kaufner, Don Kinkead, Alex Naughton,
Ronnie Spitzer, Ann Winterman
Contact the Board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
/D. Kinkead
by Judith Doner Berne
The first thing we did upon moving to
Rockridge in June was pare down from
two cars to one.
So what, you might say. But I grew up
and lived all but 10 years of my life in
the suburbs surrounding the Motor City –
where two-car garages were the rule, and
sometimes an extra car for your teenager
was parked in the driveway.
Yes, we used our garages for parking –
not for storage or an extra room as many
do here.
As a result, our car wash bills have gone
up – along with the cost of housing, groceries
and dining out. But our dry-cleaning (more
casual lifestyle), lawn cutting (we now have
grasses, not grass) and heating/cooling (ah,
the temperate climate) have gone down.
Those are just a few of the differences we
are eager to absorb as newbies to Rockridge
– the neighborhood we targeted to live in
after renting a house in the Berkeley Hills
during each of the last two winters.
An on-line SFGate article confirmed our
choice of neighborhoods as we waited to
see if our offer to go from a 1972 two-story
air-conditioned colonial on one-third acre
to a 1914 non air-conditioned bungalow
with a postage-stamp yard was accepted.
“Although some have derided the neigh-
borhood for being too upscale, too yuppie,
Rockridge is, unlike many other gentrified
areas, ethnically diverse,” according to the
article. “After all, this is still Oakland, the
most integrated city in the United States.
It’s true the area has a chic edge. But it’s
also a place where people greet each other
on the street, chat in line while they wait
for their burritos at Cactus Taqueria, walk
home together from BART. In the hamlet
of Rockridge, a down-home feel prevails.”
That was certainly true of our block’s
annual street party the Sunday after Labor
Day. It was also in evidence at last month’s
Rockridge Out and About celebration,
where throngs of locals turned out for the
blocks-long street fair sponsored by College
Avenue merchants. The Halloween Parade
along the heart of College Avenue Sunday,
October 30, was another vivid example of
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
➧➧Through New Eyes, page 13
Wonderful, ongoing,
weekday classes for
babies or toddlers
A
Mov
e
m
e
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.
nt
Prog
ram f
or
Drop-ins or sign ups
for ALL families: songs,
slides, tunnels, parachute play,
bubbles, a fab ball pit, rocking
horses & more!
A
L
L
Fa
mi
lie
s
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
  December 3, 2011
  December deadline is November 17, 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.)
For 9 months up to 3 years with an adult
Dawn Margolin  |  510.547.7726
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!
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


November 5, 2011

3.

The RCPC Land Use Committee generally meets
on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the
Rockridge Branch Library, Upstairs Meeting
Room, 7:30 p.m. However, the November
meeting is set for November 16. See Land Use
Update, below. Subject to change. Check rockridge. org
the preceding week for the full meeting agenda.

cal design issues such as driveway widths,
building heights (and loss of views), and
architectural style, others emphasized how
poorly the large project would fit into the
surrounding College Avenue commercial
community with its small shops and pedes-
trian orientation. Still other comments
objected to the project’s potential for traffic
generation and the unimaginative Claremont
Avenue frontage. Lowney said they would
fix that problem by adding more windows.
Commissioner Colbruno, who had to
leave the meeting early, singled out RCPC’s
comments for praise. He noted that project
opponents often don’t propose anything posi-
tive, but limit themselves to criticising the
project. RCPC’s comments, after objecting
to the Safeway project’s lack of pedestrian
focus, suggested pulling the non-grocery
functions (including a florist, pharmacy,
deli, meat and fish market) out of the main
store and putting them in separate store-
fronts at the street level, where they would
have to compete directly with other College
Avenue merchants. This would result in a
smaller Safeway store more conducive to
College Avenue.
Other comments suggested adding a
residential component. Many speakers
urged Safeway to reduce its store from the
proposed 51,000 square feet to something
in the range of 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. It
was pointed out this would still be roughly
twice the size of Trader Joe’s, the other
major grocery outlet on College Avenue.
Susan Shawl of FANS presented a slide-
show showing how Safeway itself had rebuilt
or refurbished several of its Bay Area stores
in the general “Lifestyle” format but with
under 30,000 square feet of floor space.
Commissioners rebuffed by staff,
Safeway
Once the public comment period ended,
the two remaining commissioners spoke.
Commissioner Patillo asked to see Safeway’s

City’s Design Review Committee
Members Clash with Safeway, City
Staff on Next Steps for College Project

mostly asked the committee (and Planning
Commission) to quickly approve the project.
Most of these speakers appeared to have been
recruited by Safeway, as they sat together
and could be seen talking to one apparent
leader both before and after speaking. Many
of the speakers opposed to the project were
also organized, with neighborhood group
FANS (Friends and Neighbors of College
Avenue) taking the lead in setting up the
presentations. RCPC had two speakers;
its chair, Stuart Flashman, and vice-chair,
Andrew Charman. Also speaking was past
planning commissioner, RCPC Land Use
Committee member, and local architect
Glen Jarvis. RCPC also submitted a formal
comment letter, a copy of which is available
at rockridge.org.
While some comments dealt with typi-
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
The October 12 Design Review Com-
mittee hearing on the College Avenue
Safeway Shopping Center project proposal
(postponed from September 28 due to the
Jewish High Holidays) had more than its
share of fireworks, as well as a lot of nega-
tive comments on Safeway’s project.
Following a short introduction by Oak-
land planner Peterson Vollman, Safeway
architect Ken Lowney presented the design
of the shopping center, emphasizing how
well it would fit into College Avenue. The
committee (Chair Madeleine Zayas-Mart,
Vice-Chair Chris Patillo, and Commis-
sioner Michael Colbruno) then heard from
members of the community.
The majority of comments were negative,
although a smattering of positive comments
College Avenue CN-1 zoning area.
Contact Stu Flashman (652-5373 or
chair@rockridge.org) for a copy of the
agenda. Land use committee meetings are
generally open to the public.
See article above for a report on the
Planning Commission’s Design Review
Committee public hearing in October on
the Safeway College Avenue Shopping
Center project, and an unexpected decision
by planning staff at meeting’s end.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
Committee Notes:
The RCPC Land Use Committee’s next
meeting will be Wednesday, November
16 (note change of date), 7:30 p.m., at the
Rockridge Branch Library. Expected topics
on the agenda will be the College Avenue
Safeway project, the Rockridge Shopping
Center project, and discussion of a possible
zoning overlay for the central portion of the
➧➧Design Review, page 10
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.
www.staugustineoakland.com


November 5, 2011
4.

Letters to the Editor
allow those with individual questions or
comments to talk one-on-one.
We regret you found the process
unsatisfying. However, the purpose of
RCPC Town Hall Meetings is to provide
information to the community and to allow
community members to communicate with
their elected representatives. We believe
those purposes were satisfied by the format
chosen.
— Stuart Flashman, chair RCPC
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 at the editor’s discretion. Views expressed in any letter are the
writer’s own, and may not necessarily be shared by the editor, or by RCPC.

Kaiser School Parents’ Questions Given Short Shrift by RCPC

music, art, computers, etc., only we serve a
slightly more diverse student body. We are a
safe haven for LGBT families, multi-racial
and adoptive families as well. We are one
of only eight schools in Oakland with a
high API that serve more than 33 percent
African-American students. Of this subgroup
there are only four schools in Oakland where
these students have achieved API over 800
and two are slated for closure.
My question for Ms. London, which was
not addressed, was: “Why are you voting to
close or relocate a school with high African
American achievement?”
Our children come from every neighbor-
hood in the city. Kaiser is a model school;
we reflect our city and Oakland is our
neighborhood.
We want to keep open and stable a high-
performing, culturally and economically
diverse and successful school with a wait list.
OUSD wants us to “relocate” or “expand,”
but it is not clear which, or where or how.
We are defending our right to public
education. Our city can serve our children
but only if our communities, including the
Rockridge community, can expand support
for schools that lie outside community
“boundaries.”
We are told to be silent. Is this really
our neighborhood? Our Oakland?
— Caroline Stern
Editor:
I have lived here for 25 years. I moved
here to attend CCA back in 1990.
I have a business on Claremont Avenue,
I lived in Danspace for 10 years and I cur-
rently live near the DMV. My kindergartner
just started Kaiser Elementary School,
our school of choice.We are one of many
families who live within walking distance
of Peralta, Chabot and Emerson whose
children attend Kaiser.
While attending the RCPC meeting at
the Rockridge library on October 20, Kaiser
and Santa Fe parents were told we couldn’t
ask our school board representative Jody
London questions about Kaiser and Santa
Fe’s closure/relocation/expansion plan
because it’s not a Rockridge school. We
complied and our questions were largely not
addressed; including the pressing issue of
school closures affecting our community.
We were treated as if we were attacking
Ms. London and as if wanting to talk to
our school board representative was inap-
propriate.Five schools were discussed that
evening: Peralta; Chabot; Emerson; Oakland
International High School and Oakland
Tech. Technically, four of those five schools
do not lie within the Rockridge boundary.
We are trying to save our school. We are
trying to keep open a school which mirrors
all the successes of Peralta, high API at 885,
School Board President London
Replies: School District Must
Work With Deep Funding Cuts
While Maintaining Standards
Editor:
Thanks to RCPC for the October pro-
gram. Even during these difficult times, our
teachers, principals, and staff, working with
families and the community, continue to
provide a sound education for our students.
In July 2009, after six years of state
receivership, the Oakland Unified School
District [OUSD] hired the first locally
selected superintendent in years. The School
Board directed Superintendent Tony Smith
to develop a strategic plan that would lead to
more equitable outcomes for all children in
our school system. The result was “Commu-
nity Schools, Thriving Students,” designed
to ensure that all OUSD schools provide the
academic, social, and emotional supports
students need to graduate from high school.
Even as we implement this plan, OUSD,
like other California school districts, has
experienced massive budget cuts. Statewide,
$20 billion has been cut from K-12 education
in the past several years. In the last two years,
Oakland’s general fund revenue decrease by
$120 million. Districts throughout Califor-
nia, who rely on the state for 80 percent of
general revenue funds, are compensated at
2005-2006 levels, nearly $3,000 less per
student than required under state formulas.
Oakland today operates 101 schools for
38,000 students, far more schools than simi-
larly sized districts. This is not sustainable.
The Oakland School Board asked the
superintendent to recommend ways to
continue to reduce our structural deficit and
better direct limited resources to students.
This recommendation included merging
several schools located on the same cam-
puses, changing grade configuration at
several schools, and closing five schools.
The recommendation recognizes the quality
work at Kaiser and

RCPC Board Chair Stuart Flashman Responds on Behalf of RCPC
Ms. Stern:

attendance area does not include Rockridge;
hence, it was not a focus for the meeting.
Recognizing that there were many criti-
cal issues that audience members would
want addressed, meeting facilitators asked
the audience to submit written questions (a
method pioneered by the League of Women
Voters). The questions were screened and
combined to allow as many topics as possible
to be addressed. The facilitators tried to
ask questions covering all topics, including
school closures. In addition, the room was
kept open an additional half-hour past the
end of the meeting, and Board President
London stayed for that full half-hour, to
The regular October RCPC Town Hall
Meeting was about Rockridge schools
within the Oakland Unified School District
[OUSD]. By Rockridge schools is meant not
their physical locations, but schools that have
Rockridge in their attendance area. Those
schools are Chabot Elementary, Peralta
Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Clare-
mont Middle School, Oakland Technical
High and International High. Representa-
tives of those schools were asked to attend
the meeting and speak about their schools.
Some Rockridge families choose to
send their children to Kaiser School, but its

➧➧Letters, page 5


November 5, 2011

5.
Letters

RCPC Town Hall No. 2: Oakland’s Measures H, I and J
■
■Measure J would extend the full-
funding deadline for the city to fund a police
and fire retirement fund now closed to new
members but which still has about 1,000
participants. As with extending a mortgage,
the annual payment would be reduced, but
payments would continue longer. Under
current law, the city would be required to
pay $40 million into that fund this year.
The measure would reduce that amount
by about $10 million, the League reps said.
After explaining the measures, Che-
noweth and Gavzy briefly examined the
arguments for and against each measure and
answered questions from the audience.  They
also explained two changes in how elections
will be run in 2012 – the effects of the 2010
redistricting (Rockridge is unaffected in its
representation) and the open primary, which
will place all primary candidates on the
same ballot, regardless of party affiliation.
All-in-all, an informative evening. Those
present will surely feel more comfortable
when marking their ballots, which are due
by November 15. Happy voting.
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
Measures for the city of Oakland’s
special mail-in-ballot-only election
headlined an out-of-the-ordinary second
RCPC Town Hall Meeting held in October
and co-sponsored by RCPC and the League
of Women Voters of Oakland (LWVO).
Attentive Rockridge voters at the meeting
heard league member Megan Chenoweth and
LWVO President Katherine Gavzy explain
the ins and outs of the three measures placed
on the ballot by votes of the City Council:
Measures H, I and J.
from page 4
Burckhalter and suggests those schools grow
from under 300 students to 380 students.
Over the next year and a half, OUSD will
work with the schools to determine where
that growth can best occur: at the current
site, or in a different location.
— Jody London
President, Board of Education and
Director, District 1, Oakland Unified
School District
Ed note:
■
■Measure H would shift the City
Attorney position back to being an appoint-
ment by the City Council, rather than being
elective by Oakland voters as it has been
for the past 10 years.
Board President London also noted that
more information about the strategic plan and
its development – involving 14 task forces
and extensive community involvement –
can be found at www.thrivingstudents.org.
■
■Measure I would establish a five-year
parcel tax. Single-family residences would
be assessed $80 a year (other properties
would be assessed at different rates), to
fund some specific city services, includ-
ing police, fire, public works, parks, and
libraries.
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510.652.2133
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1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland
www.elizabethh.net



November 5, 2011
6.

RCPC Makes its EIR Grant Match:
Safeway Project Elements Studied
DMV Works with
Community on
Replanting Plan
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
Earlier this year, the Rockridge Com-
munity Planning Council (RCPC)
received a $10,000 grant from the Rose
Foundation for Communities and the Envi-
ronment to fund consultant analysis of the
environmental impact report for the College
Avenue Safeway Shopping Center project.
The grant required dollar-for-dollar
matching contributions from the community.
For several months, The Rockridge News
included a shopping bag “thermometer”
marking the progress in reaching that
$10,000 funding goal.
Now, RCPC is pleased to announce that
the community came through with the full
$10,000 in matching funds.
With the grant and matching funds, two
consultants – one specializing in traffic
impact analysis and one an expert in air
and water quality and toxics – to study and
report on the potential for adverse effects
in those areas that could be caused by the
proposed project.
The consultants’ reports were submitted
to the city along with RCPC’s comment
letter on the Draft EIR (environmental
impact report). The letter and the reports
are available on the RCPC website at
rockridge.org.
Thank you to everyone who made a
contribution, allowing the community to
be even more effective in monitoring this
important project proposal.
by Don Kinkead, editor
When state Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) loggers swooped in
early in August to trim the DMV grounds,
felling 100-year-old Eucalyptus trees and
laying waste to FROG Park shrubbery in the
Temescal Creek-FROG Park-DMV grounds,
they could not have foreseen the storm of
protest they would reap (The Rockridge
News, October, 2011).
In addition to outraged Rockridge
neighbors upset over the loss of FROG
Park greenery and woodsy ambience,
DMV management heard from District
1 Councilwoman Jane Brunner and State
Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner.
Without ado, DMV agreed to hire an
arborist to develop a replanting plan, and
agreed to consult with neighbors and FROG
Park supporters in development of that plan.
Meeting with a group of 20 neighbors
at DMV offices in mid-October, John
Hansen, chief of DMV’s facilities operations,
introduced arborist Steve Batchelder, who
wanted to hear what the community expected
from the replanting.
Community members lamented the loss
and seek restoration of the sense of place
the vegetation lent the area, berated DMV
for taking action without contacting nearby
residents, and called for input into the land-
scape design and replanting. The community
also wanted a liaison position reestablished
to ensure improved future communication
between DMV and the community.
Citing the need for timely planting,
Batchelder said it would be best to get “trees
in the ground” before the rains begin. That
Get in the Holiday Spirit
Be a Rockridge News Distributor
How would you like to give a
thoughtful holiday gift to your
neighbors at no expense? You can do it
by simply signing up for one of these
two Block Captain routes. Once a month
(except in August, when we do not
publish), you will deliver our little gem
of a newsletter to neighbors who have
sorely missed reading the local news
since their distribution captains Leah
& Ben Hoskin and Jennifer Gregovich
– thank you all very much for your
service – resigned.
Contact: smontauk@gmail.com
or 510/547-3855 to volunteer for:
Delivery areas and
Route
address ranges
#
7G
5800-6145 blocks of
Broadway, east side only
9H
Up Keith from McMillan
to 5925 Broadway
➧➧DMV Replanting, page 7


November 5, 2011

7.

AP courses, the comprehensive Performing
Arts program, athletics and more.
A series of two-hour tours begining
November 29 offers prospective parents
and students an opportunity to visit the
facility and classrooms during a typical
school day. Starting time is 9 a.m. on the
following scheduled tour dates:
Scholarship Program
Names Three Rockridge
Students at Tech
‘Commended Students’
suggested by Ronnie Spitzer
Of 12 Oakland Tech students recognized
by the National Merit Scholarship
Program as Commended Students, three
are children of Rockridge families: Naomi
Zingman-Daniel, Tom Dal Pino, and
Gina Napolitano. The other Tech students
awarded the designation are Ronah Baha,
Hannah Doane, Dylan Everingham, Dashiell
Harrison, Chloe Hawkey, Kelsey Higbie,
Samantha Lamont, Nicholas Regent, and
Evan Williams.
They all earned the designation by virtue
of their scores on qualifying tests admin-
istered under the auspices of the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The
students were noted as ranking among the
top 50,000 of over 1.5 million other students
nationwide who took the tests.
In another scholarship recognition,
two students were noted by the National
Achievement Scholarship Program, also
conducted by the NMSC. This program
is an academic competition established
to honor Black American high school
■
■Tuesday, Nov. 29
■
■Tuesday, Dec. 6
■
■Thursday, Dec. 8
■
■Tuesday, Dec. 13
students. Savannah G. Harris and Olivia
Hayden achieved test scores among the
top 3 percent of more than 160,000 Black
Americans who requested entry to the 2012
National Achievement Program.
■
■Thursday, December 15
“Shadow days” are available to 8th grade
students whose families have already visited
Oakland Tech (at Information Night, on a
school tour, through having another child
or family member who attended Tech) and
who have decided they’re interested in
seeing more. During a shadow visit, the
visiting student spends a day or part of a
day with a Tech student, following the Tech
student host’s schedule. Sign-up for a Tour
or Shadow Day on the Oakland Tech Web
site at http://oaklandtech.com/staff/admis-
sions/prospective-families.
— Ronnie Spitzer, from Tech sources­
From information provided by the acacemic coun-
selor’s office at Oakland Technical High School.
Find more information about Oakland
Tech and its programs at http://oaklandtech.
com/staff/
Oakland Tech Offers
School Tours to Future
Students, Parents
Oakland Tech offers prospective students
the nationally renowned Paideia
program, our rigorous “schools within a
school” academies centered on different
career fields, special academic programs,
DMV Replanting
from page 6
would give them a season to build stronger
roots. Asked about soil contaminants, he
said a general survey had found some but
not dangerous amounts. Skeptical neighbors
called for a fuller study.
Local landscape architect Penn Phillips,
of InsideOut Architecture on Harwood
Avenue, presented two versions of conceptual
plans for the desecrated Frog Park areas.
There was no consensus to move ahead
with the full Batchelder design, but neighbors
supported the idea of moving ahead with
replanting the trees in the rear parking lot.
There will be further discussions on what
species are best for this location. DMV
representatives suggested the agency might
be able to help with some costs of that part
of the project.
Assemblywoman Skinner’s staff and
Councilwoman Brunner are examining
ways to work with the community to begin
to redress the loss of the sense of place the
community enjoyed in the area.
The group agreed to meet again Novem-
ber 6 for further discussion and planning.
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November 5, 2011
8.

with a little sumac. Dukkah is made from
hazelnuts, pistachio nuts and sesame seeds
with spices such as coriander and cumin
added to the ground nuts. I really love this
mix. Check out this month’s recipe below.
If you want to make any of these spice-
blends yourself, the Field Guide to Herbs &
Spices by Aliza Green is a great resource for
recipes. In addition to the Pasta Shop, on-
line sources for many spice blends include
World Spice Merchants, www.worldspice.
com, and Penzeys Spices, www.penzeys.
com. In New York, the best spice market is
Kalustyans, www.kalustyans.com.
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
Spice Blends
Iwas recently wandering through the Pasta
Shop in Market Hall looking around
for new products. On the spice shelves
I found an assortment of spice blends often
used in a variety of North African, Middle
Eastern and Indian dishes. Until recently,
these spice blends were somewhat difficult
to obtain. As with most ethnic spice blends,
you will not find a singular recipe. As a
result, a home cook wanting to prepare
these blends would need to gather together
numerous spices and herbs and often hope
for the best. More recently several mail-
order and on-line spice outlets now carry
these hard-to-find blends.
My go-to spice blend is ras el hanout.
Ras el hanout, which means “head of the
market” in Arabic, is a complex mixture of
upwards of 22 spices and is basic to Moroc-
can and Tunisian cooking. In Morocco, ras
el hanout is the foundation for most lamb
tagines.
Traveling through Morocco, my first stop
was to go to the spice souks of Marrakech
and Fez. The spice master would lovingly
measure and weigh out the numerous spices
– piled high in beautiful, multi-colored
cones– to create his own ras el hanout blend.
I bought ras el hanout mixtures at sev-
eral different spice markets. Each mix had
a deep red color and was highly aromatic,
but each was a bit different from the others.
Leaving Morocco, I was stopped by a
customs officer and told I could not take
the ras el hanout out. I begged him and,
with little resistance, he smiled and let me
go ahead.
Another North African Arabic spice
blend is baharat. Baharat is simply the
Arabic word that means “spices.” Baharat
usually contains hot spices such as paprika,
chilies, black pepper; sweet spices such as
allspice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and
cardamom; and a touch of mild spices that
include cumin and coriander. In Tunisia,
crushed dried rose petals and mint are
included in the blend. Baharat is used as a
rub to flavor lamb and beef dishes.
The national spice mix of Ethiopia is
berberé. Berberé is highly aromatic and
extremely hot. It is a blend of Arabic and
Indian flavors and is used in the preparation
of Ethiopian stews called wats. Wats is the
Ethiopian version of Moroccan tagines. Ber-
beré includes coriander, cumin, fenugreek,
and ajwain (an Indian spice), black pepper,
allspice berries and various other sweet
spices such as ginger, cardamom, nutmeg,
cloves, and cinnamon. No two berberé blends
are the same. Try it out at one of the several
Ethiopian restaurants in the nearby Temescal
Triangle. Order one of the wats; it will most
certainly be prepared with berberé.
Another spice blend I saw at the Pasta
Shop is dukkah. Although not formally a
spice-blend, dukkah is an Egyptian mixture
of finely chopped and toasted nuts and
spices. It is used as a crunchy coating for
grilled lamb chops, or sprinkled over salads
This Month’s Recipe
Dukkah Crusted Lamb Chops
(serves 4)
1/2 cup of dukkah (available at Pasta
Shop)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
(available at Pasta Shop)
1 tablespoon honey
8 small lamb rib chops, well trimmed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Season lamb chops with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add lamb chops to
pan. Cook to desired doneness, about 3
minutes per side for medium-rare.
• Holding each chop by bone end, dip
both sides of meat in the dukkah to coat
and transfer to platter.
• Whisk pomegranate molasses and honey
in small bowl. Drizzle honey mixture over
chops and serve.
Goes well with couscous.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cooking
classes and tours of East-Bay ethnic markets. His
email is kaufman42@earthlink.net.

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November 5, 2011

9.
College Prep Dedicates Center for World Languages and
Cultures in Student’s Memory

by Jennifer Beeson, school communications director
Nearly 300 members of the College Preparatory School com-
munity gathered in mid-October to dedicate the recently
completed seven-classroom building that is the new home to the
world languages department, as well as the Imbrie Student Center
and the College Counseling Center. The Scott MacPherson Staple-
ton Center for World Languages and Cultures is named in honor
of College Prep alumnus Scott Stapleton ’01, who died tragically
in an accident abroad in 2008.
Head of School Monique DeVane acknowledged the many
individuals who were instrumental in bringing this new building
to life, and board of trustees co-chair Jim Gilliland lauded the
great generosity of the community.
The reception had an international flavor, with musical perfor-
mances in Japanese, French, Chinese, and Latin. On behalf of his
family, Frank Stapleton spoke of the role that College Prep played
in Scott’s life, and the very special pride they have in the new home
for the study of world languages and cultures, which resonates so
closely with Scott’s life of global scholarship and adventure.
The ceremonial ribbon cutting marked the official opening
of the building, and guests were invited to tour the new facility.
Students occupied their new classrooms on November 1.
/Courtesy College Prep
Pictured above, from left, are: Jim Gilliland, co-chair of
the school’s board of trustees; Monique DeVane, Head
of School; Pam Stapleton; Claire Stapleton ’03; Frank
Stapleton; Murray Cohen, former head of school.
College Prep, located at 6100 Broadway, is an independent, grades 9-12
coeducational day school in upper Rockridge. About 40 percent of the stu-
dents live in Oakland and in Piedmont, 31 percent are from Contra Costa
County, and 22 percent are from Berkeley and cities north of Berkeley. The
remaining 7 percent come from San Francisco and Marin. Visit college-prep.
org for more information. — Jennifer Beeson
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November 5, 2011
10.

Safeway come back with a project alternative
that was 10,000 sq. ft. smaller. Safeway’s
representatives stated emphatically that the
company would NOT consider a smaller
project option. Zayas-Mart suggested that
the committee continue its discussion of
the project to its next meeting, but Scott
Miller, Oakland zoning administrator
said that rather than hold the item over, he
would present the commissioners’ recom-
mendations to his boss, Eric Angstadt, for
his consideration.
The audience came away with the
sense that city staff and Safeway had more
control over the process than the citizen
commissioners who had been appointed
to make the decisions.
Design Review
from page 3
materials board – a depiction of the various
materials that would be used in the project.
Architect Lowney said he didn’t have it with
him. When Patillo asked if he could have it
brought to the meeting, he answered with a
flat, “No.” She then suggested the meeting
would need to be continued until she could
see it. After a few more comments on what
was lacking in the design, Commissioner
Zayas-Mart expressed a preference for a
design that included residential use and
indicated that based on the problems with
traffic and other issues, she’d like to have
to cover its costs. However, the true costs
of RPP were not then known because RPP
enforcement revenue could not be broken
out separately from general parking citation
revenue. With the advent of the Citation
Administration and Revenue Reconciliation
System software, also known as CARRS,
the city now can separate these costs. The
system went into operation in the summer
of 2010; 2010-2011 is the first fiscal year
for which such information is available.
According to an announcement made
by Pinto at a meeting in July, 2010, other
features of the CARRS program include:
RPP Pays Off
from page 1
year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
The figures are:
Gross Permit Sales Revenue: $	285,436.
Gross Enforcement
    Revenue (RPP Only):
$	858,230.
RPP Expenditures:
$	501,204.
The total revenue accruing to the city
is the sum of permit sales revenue and
enforcement revenue, or $1,143,666. The
net profit to the city is this amount minus
RPP expenditures, or $642,462. Enforce-
ment revenue exceeds RPP expenditures
by $357,026. So RPP would still be quite
profitable even if residents did not have to
pay anything for their permits.
Since RPP was put in place about 25
years ago, the city has raised the price of
permits twice. (The last time was December,
2009; permit renewals went from $20 to
$35 per year.) The justification for both fee
increases was that the revenue from RPP had
■
■a new telephone answering system
that is more responsive and more accurate
regarding wait times
■
■elimination of the paper-based sys-
tem’s six-week delay between the time a
citation is issued and the time when the
city is able to accept payment.
■
■ability of residents to apply for, renew
and pay for RPP permits online.
See The Rockridge News, July, 2010, page 3,
at http://www.rockridge.org/news/RN07.10.
pdf, for additional details.

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November 5, 2011

11.

Crime Victim’s Savvy Sleuthing Nabs Thief

plaza (since they were all there anyway).
I found officer Everett Peterson inside
City Hall, explained the situation and he
made some calls. Before long, OPD was
on the case.
We coordinated a would-be purchase
with the thief and waited nearby
with police. When the seller came out and
freed the bike, we pounced! I personally
snatched my beloved bike from his grubby
paws while the officers cuffed him and
read his rights.
I want to give a special thanks to Officers
Peterson, Calipes, Bermudez and Sergeant
Mitchell and all of my wonderful neighbors
who offered ideas and well-wishes.
I’ll be keeping my bike inside from now
on!
— Kadi Driscoll
Epilogue
a great deal of effort and the assistance of a
few friends and the OPD, my grandmother’s
vintage Schwinn was recovered tonight!
Here’s how it all went down.... After I
filed a report with OPD, I reported it stolen
through several stolen bike registries and
mailing lists. I also posted ads on Craigslist
to “buy” a vintage Schwinn and set up
automatic alerts for postings with Schwinn
in the title.
At 3 p.m., the posting came. A guy had
actually posted photos so I was able to
identify my U-Bolt lock still on the bike. I
alerted several friends and we all contacted
him to buy the bike.
Through contact with several of my
friends, the guy gave various clues: his
e-mail, which included his name; his area
(Temescal); his phone number; and photos
of the bike locked to a distinctive railing.
We narrowed down possible areas and set
out to locate the railing.
Lo and behold, after 40 minutes of
driving up and down streets in Temescal
and asking neighbors if they recognized
the iron work, we found the bike sitting in
plain sight at a house just off Telegraph.
I realized we had two big problems:
one, the guy had put another U-Bolt on the
bike, and, two, I was afraid to approach
the guy without backup. (Earlier in the
day, our OPD resource officer, Maureen
Vergara, told me there would be no police
assistance available since they were all at
the “Occupy Oakland” protest.)
After driving around to find a patrol
officer, we gave up and went to Frank Ogawa
Loss and Recovery Drama
Plays Out on Yahoo! Group Site
The potential power (and potential risks,
as well) in social media communications
was demonstrated in the early days of the
Arab Spring when dissidents used Facebook
pages and Twitter accounts to coordinate
their organizing.
Just as effectively, Oakland neighbor-
hood groups and resident organizations use
Yahoo! Groups to discuss community events,
note crime trends, trade shopping hints, and
build group cohesion. Some have even used
the groups to finesse small-time crooks.
This condensed series of Yahoo! Group
postings by Kadi Driscol begins with her
report of a crime that rarely ends well for the
victim: bicycle theft. It tells us of her dogged
sleuthing, and closes with congratulations
from a Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC) representative.
Dear Kadi,
My heartiest congratulations on such
terrific detective work and coordination
amongst you and your friends!
You also hit the jackpot when happen-
ing upon Officer Everett Peterson at City
Hall. He was our Rockridge NCPC’s PSO
(Problem Solving Officer) some years ago
and very enthusiastic and super in dealing
with our concerns and our observations of
suspicious activity.
With everything going against you — the
financial state of our city, OPD’s troubles
in general and lack of resources, timing
of the protests, etc. — you succeeded as a
team effort with OPD: perfect community
policing.
■ Initial posting by Kadi Driscol
Hey all.... Some time during the day
today, we had three bikes stolen from our
yard. Two of them were vintage Schwinns
that were secured (they cut the locks), the
third was not. I am heartbroken, as one was
my grandmother’s and I had recently brought
it to California and restored it.
I’m wondering if anyone knows if there is
anything I can do about it. I filed an online
report with OPD but the dispatcher said they
probably wouldn’t do anything about it.
■ Next posting by Driscol
I am grateful to report that after
Denise Jorgensen
Treasurer, Greater Rockridge NCPC
Beats 12Y & 13X
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November 5, 2011
12.
Thanksgiving Feast

from page 1
caused by the building of Highway 24 and
the BART Station. Today Rockridge is
established as a vibrant community: a des-
tination for shopping, foodies and families.
The Judeo-Christian Bible defines com-
munity as a place where those who may be
the least-noticed among us belong and are
not forgotten.
Our annual Community Thanksgiving
Meal is a way in which we serve each other,
investing our time and resources to care for
others, from the urban poor who live here,
to the homeless who live in Oakland, to the
elderly who are often alone at the holidays.
This Thanksgiving, College Avenue
Presbyterian Church will again be hosting
its annual Thanksgiving Day Community
Meal on Thanksgiving Day, November 24,
11 a.m. - 1 p.m., at 5951 College Avenue.
The meal is a joint project with diverse
members of our Rockridge community,
involving congregational members, local
merchants and local residents. In our cur-
rent economic and political climate, it is an
opportunity for us to gather as a community
to respond to the needs of those struggling
with hunger, solitude and joblessness.
The meal generally serves between
200-300 people with over 50 volunteers
gathered in the shared desire to make this
event possible. The meal is open and free
for everyone. Donations of money and food
are gratefully accepted. It’s because of
such donations that the meal takes place.
You can also give of your time. Help is
Attendees and volunteers at last year’s College
Avenue Presbyterian Church Thanksgiving Feast
gather for a post-meal photo.                        /Monte McClain
information, you can call the volunteer
coordinator Mike Castner at 658-3487
or contact the church office at 638-365
or capc1@sbcglobal.net, or look for the
Thanksgiving section on the church website
at www.capcchurch.org.
needed beginning Monday, November 21st
through Wednesday the 23rd to prepare,
set up and decorate the church gym for the
meal. Significant help is needed the day
of the event to set-up, cook, serve and also
clean up. To volunteer or to receive more
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November 5, 2011

13.
Through New Eyes

we like the vibe inside and on the street.
We are excited that we can buy sun-
glasses, have our shoes re-heeled, buy or
borrow books, pick up a tee or more, drop
off our dry-cleaning, have a massage, do
yoga and stock our fruit bowls, refrigerators
and pantries – all, if we choose, on foot.
We can’t get over that the Rockridge
BART lands us in the heart of “the City”
in less than half an hour.
And we have become addicted to your
big, fat, chewy ginger cookies, gourmet
pizza, exotic sorbets and organic ice creams.
They make up for the fact that your bagels,
shall we say, don’t cut it.
Summer here isn’t the summer of the
Midwest, and we have had to celebrate
from afar the victories (and defeats) of
our sports teams. But most of our Detroit-
area friends couldn’t stay up for the final
innings as the Tigers beat New York and
succumbed to Texas in the American League
championship. Ditto the Detroit Lions’
appearance on Monday Night football. We,
on the other hand, had just finished dinner!
Oct Town Hall
from page 2
from page 1
a community coming together.
Maybe we rejected Berkeley because
it was disconcerting to see hordes of blue
and yellow tees, sweatshirts and jackets –
only to know that they displayed the Cal
Berkeley logo and not the University of
Michigan, which generations of our family
have attended.
It did turn out that the former owner of
our 1914-era bungalow is a U-M graduate,
but we only discovered that when we had
to forward his alumnus mail.
The fact that three Cal law seniors
recently moved in next door was mitigated
when one told us she was getting up to
make an 8 a.m. public policy class taught
by our former Michigan governor Jennifer
Granholm.
So why did Rockridge and Northern
California appeal after growing up and
raising our children in the Midwest suburbs?
It wasn’t only that one of our three
children and one of our three grandchildren
live nearby.
We are in awe that we can walk two
blocks to College Avenue and enjoy the
incredible array of restaurants offering
almost whatever you can conjure up. And
student access to a high-quality education.
Moreover, “All children will graduate from
high school,” she said.
Invited to the Town Hall to discuss the
new plan and how it could affect Rockridge
area schools and students, London first
described the bleak legacy of the district’s six
years under state receivership, now lightened
by the local board’s hiring of Smith, the first
board-picked superintendent in 10 years.
Elements of Smith’s plan include linked
learning that will give students real-
world connections to classroom teaching,
rigorous academic standards, technical
knowledge and habits of mind, such as
self-discipline and problem-solving skills,
London explained.
Also, the district is improving facili-
ties across the city with Measure B funds
approved by voters in 2006. School buildings
will be brought up to “green” certification
standards, on-site resources will be improved
and landscaping will be added.
As to Rockridge area schools, London
introduced principals and some teachers
from Emerson, Peralta and Chabot schools,
and Oakland Technical and International
high schools to relate their work in support
of the strategic plan.
Although the plan calls for the merging
or closing of a number of schools throughout
the district over time, Rockridge schools
are not included at this point, London
said, although rumors to the contrary had
circulated for several weeks.
Subsequent to the question-and-answer
period that followed the presentation, a group
of Kaiser School parents said their concerns
about that school’s reported closing had
not been fully addressed. The meeting was
continued a half-hour beyond the scheduled
end for further questions.
Readers: Stay tuned for periodic
observations on Rockridge from the new
journalist on the block.
Judy Berne is a former writer, columnist and editor
for local newspapers in and around metropolitan
Detroit. You can e-mail her at judyberne@att.net
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Oakland born-Rockridge raised

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/D. Kinkead
More Halloween on College


November 5, 2011
14.

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.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
December deadline is November 17, 2011.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
ALL THINGS MATERNAL,
Psychotherapy for
Mothers and Others
Compassionate help for women and couples
facing the challenges associated with infertility,
pregnancy, post-partum, and parenting. On
College Ave/Chabot. Deena Solwren, LCSW,
510/364-2864.
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.
Rockridge LBGT Realtor
Both “on the ground” traditional and Internet
savvy marketing. Excellent detailed service. Buy
or sell transactions to “fit your life’s schedule,”
not mine. Lic#01885305. www.Medairy.net.
Medairy 510/517-9969.
Fall Special! Penelope’s
Aesthetics Skin Care Salon
25% Off waxing and facial services. Gift
certificates available. Receive excellent,
relaxing services with a gentle and personal-
ized treatment. www.penelopecalef.com. By
appointment. 510/594-1552.
Pet Care and House Sitting
Services
provided by experienced veterinary professional
focusing on your pets’ comfort and health while
maintaining your house in a perfect condition.
Day visits, overnight stays, medications. Please
call 510/910-4733.
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.
Art Advising Services
“Just one painting for over the fireplace” is right
up our alley. We specialize in sourcing fine art
under $5,000 from Bay Area MFA grad shows,
indie exhibition spaces, & downtown galleries.
www.FourWallArt.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.
Divorce Support Groups
Women’s divorce support groups on Solano Ave
in Albany. Groups are professionally facilitated
by two social workers, Kelly Cushner and Mara
Nachtsheim. For more information call 510/384-
4010 or visit www.bayareasupportgroups.com
SFbay.SmarterYellow-
Pages.com
No charge for Listings for biz/orgs in Bay Area.
Listings include usual plus email app and Topical
Links to Website Reviews Photos FaceBook
LinkedIn Twitter YouTube. 500 word Business
Profile is only $5/month psmithsr@gmail.com
Rockridge Residential Design
Creating livable, sustainable, enjoyable, and
practical design solutions; additions, bathroom
and kitchen remodels, garage renovations, and
paint color consulting. 10 years of local experi-
ence, in Rockridge, corner of James and Clifton.
510/652-5036. www.pumpkinhousestudio.com
Clean Green Mobile
& Detail Service
Eco - Friendly Car Wash
www.cleangreenmobile.com
(510) 965-8683
We come to you!!!

ANNUAL HOLIDAY EVENT
rockridge
in the snow
HOLIDAY
Jazz & Wine
Stroll
Friday Night
December 9th
Saturday
November 26th • 3–6 pm
Merchants 5-8 pm
Restaurants 5-9 pm
Children’s Play Area
with snoW!
at Rockridge BART
College Avenue merchants
will open their doors for an
evening of shopping and
live performances by top
Bay Area jazz musicians.
Shop, Dine and stroll
in our fine boutiques,
restaurants and art
galleries.
Experience “A Taste
of Rockridge” for the
holidays!
Live Holiday
Entertainment!
Come shop and
support your
local merchants!
Bring donations for
ONE WARM COAT
and
TOYS FOR TOTS
For more info: www.rockridgedistrict.com
Rockridge: 5400 College Avenue
Elmwood: 2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
Lic. #0670129


November 5, 2011

15.

First Friday Monthly Square Dance
in North Oakland

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

Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle. Every 1st Friday of the month from 8-10pm. All
levels welcome; all dances taught on the spot. $10 -5
sliding scale donation. The Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501
Telegraph Ave. Info: http://squirrellystringband.com.
Wisteria Ways House Concert
Series

Community Calendar

Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
sign-up starts 4:45pm at the adult reference desk).
Note: volunteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more
people present.
ART EXHIBITS (call to confirm)
Gallery:
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. Note change
of meeting place for Nov. only: College Preparatory
School, 6100 B’way. Info: www.rockridgencpc.com or
chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
NOTE: Library will remain open during construction
of the new TEEN ZONE through Nov.
FOR CHILDREN
Evie Ladin Band; string band and vocals. Saturday,
11/12, 8pm; doors open 7:30 (inside venue; not wheelchair
accessible). $15-20 donation for musicians (cash only at
the door). 383 61st Street. More info at: www.evieladin.
com. For reservations (highly recommended), RSVP to
info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
Women’s Cancer Resource Center
(WCRC)
■
■Nov: Jamie Treacy: Unity School Students’ drawings
and paintings.
■
■Dec: Jimi Evins: oil painting and prints.
Lobby Display Case:
■
■TBA; call for info.
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: Fri and Sat, 11/11
and 11/12 (Veterans’ Day and city-wide furlough); and
Thurs, Fri and Sat, 11/24 through 11/26 for Thanksgiving.
Note: due to possible shut-downs, confirm all dates.
Diesel Book/Readings and Events
All events are FREE and open to the public.
25th Anniversary Cabaret: an evening with the Duck’s
Breath Mystery Theater to celebrate the WCRC 25th
Anniversary. Wed, 11/9. Reception at 6:30pm; perfor-
mance at 7:30. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College
Ave. Tickets ($25) and info about future events: Pat,
601-4040 x 105 or www.wcrc.org.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5) Note new
day: every Thurs, 10:30am; (Sing-along story time
on 2nd Thurs.).
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2) Note new day:
every Thurs., 10:30am, upstairs.
■
■Family Story Time: Stories, songs and rhymes (kids
to age 5). Every Saturday, 10:30am.
Special Events
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown
fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; home-made
bakery items; fresh cut flowers; unique prepared foods,
fresh locally caught fish, handcrafts and more. Sample
the goods; develop a relationship with the grower; learn
about unique food varieties and cooking tips; greet your
neighbors and listen to live music. Bring your own reus-
able bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph) at DMV
parking lot. More info about Certified Farmers’ Markets
at www.urbanvillageonline.com.
North Oakland Senior Center
■
■Sun, 11/6, 3pm. Publication party for two local authors:
Alvin Orloff: Why Aren’t You Smiling? and Stephen
Beachy: Boneyard.
■
■Medicine Warriors Dance Troupe will perform to
celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Tues.
11/29, 7pm. Best for ages 3 to 10 but all ages welcome.
FOR TEENS
■
■Sun, 11/13, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Sharon Doubiago
and Lindy Hough.
■
■Mon, 11/14, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meet-
ing (2nd Mon. each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
■
■Teen Advisory Board: (ages 14-18) 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.
■
■Wed, 11/16, 7pm. Local author and teacher Jon
Schreiber: Waking Up to This Moment.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: (ages 13 and up)
Watch and talk about anime (Japanese animation).
Second Tues. each month 5 to 6:30pm.
■
■Mon, 11/21, 7pm. Photographer Annie Leibovitz:
Pilgimage.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
(and other events and discussion groups): 653-9965
or events@dieselbookstore.com.
Holiday Jazz and Wine Stroll
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health insurance counsel-
ing; dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s Caregivers support groups, computer classes
and more. Annual $12 membership entitles seniors 55
and older to get discounts on activities and trips.
■
■Soap Making Workshop: Make gifts in time for the
holidays. Sat., 11/19, 11:30am to 1:30pm.
■
■Youth Speaks presents free Writing and Perfor-
mance Workshops. Thursdays from 4 to 5:30pm,
ending on Dec 8.
FOR ADULTS
■
■Free flu and pneumonia shots: Wed, 11/9, 9am to
noon. (Bring Medicare card)
College Ave merchants will be open for an evening of
strolling, shopping and dining. Live music by top Bay
Area jazz musicians. Fri, Dec 9, 5 to 8pm (restaurants
until 9pm).
Rockridge in the Snow
■
■AARP driver safety class (8 hours): Tues, 11/15 and
Thurs, 11/17, 8:15am to 12:30pm (free for veterans
and spouses).
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 16 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced, MS
margins) of any prose for on-site reading/discussion
(also welcome to come empty-handed). Third Saturday
each month, 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by the California
Writers Club, Berkeley branch. (www.berkeleywrit-
ersclub.org.) Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.

■
■Red Hawk Casino trip: Mon, 11/14, 8am to 5pm. $25
(receive a $10 casino slot package).
Open Mon. – Fri., 9am to 3pm. 5714 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Way. Subscribe to “The North Oakland Senior Times”
for full schedule of classes/events, lunch menus, and
volunteer opportunities. Info: 597- 5085.
More... Halloween on College Avenue

■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 5 to 7pm (advance

Children of all ages are invited to play in the snow at
Rockridge BART. Live holiday entertainment. Sat, Nov 26,
3-6pm. Annual Holiday event sponsored by the Rockridge
District Assn. (RDA). Bring donations for One Warm
Coat and Toys for Tots. Info: www.rockridgedistrict.com.
Story Teller
Bobbie Kinkead
Singer
John Gomes


November 5, 2011
16.

Terry Kulka & Julie Bartlett
Number of Homes Sold: Over 400
Homes Sold in Rockridge: Over 80
Value of Working with Realtors who have
over 35 years Experience? PRICELESS
Call Today! (510) 682-5917
RockridgeHomeSales@Gmail.com
www.Rockridge-RealEstate.com
Over 400 homes sold -
Experience Counts
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
www.curvesrockridge.com
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri  6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
FOR SALE
in ROckRidgE
Back On Market
5350 Bryant Avenue   $649,000
2 Beds/ 1 Bath in Rockridge
Sunny & Charming Craftsman Bungalow.
Remodeled Kitchen that opens to the
backyard.
Award Winning chabot Elementary School
www.5350Bryant.com
serving you since 1981
AVEDA PRODUCTS
Now offering men’s waxing
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
5205 Manila Avenue     call For Price
2 Beds & 1 Bath
Craftsman Bungalow on a Quite Street.
Nice Architectural Detailing
www.5205Manila.com
p 510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
cOMing SOOn
in ROckRidgE
sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
Lawton Avenue
3 Beds/2 Baths
Shingled Craftsman Bungalow Above
College.  Hardwood Floors, Formal Living
& Dining Room.
Award Winning chabot Elementary School
Needed-
Nice
Homes
with
good
Rockridge Locations continue to sell
quickly. We need more homes to
sell. Well qualified buyers are taking
advantage of the extremely low interest
rates available now. Call or email me
for more information. 510-612-2547 or
ronkriss@jps.net
Ron kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
L A W T O N
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
A S S O C I A T E S
Over 100 Homes Sold in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E

INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
Sustainable Living
Starts at Home
Sustainable Building
Starts at Ashby Lumber
Looking for a Contractor?
Visit our Contractor Directory
at ashbylumber.com
.
824 Ashby Avenue    Berkeley
Ph: 510.843.4832  Fax: 510.843.3840
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN

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Better Homes
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5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!