Extracted text · highlighting “Jennifer James Alper”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 27     NO. 2      ISSUE NO. 286      February 4, 2012                     CIRCULATION: 5, 500 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

16
AGENDA
y
y Hear FORL board
members talk about
the group’s new status
as an independent
y
y Tour the new Teen Zone
dedicated study area
with Teen Librarian
Susy Moorhead.
Rockridge Library
y
y Teen Zone
y
y FORL Plans

nonprofit group and
what it hopes to
accomplish during the
coming year.

February 2012 RCPC
Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, February 16 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila

RCPC Invites Candidates for April Board Election

of life in Rockridge? Are you concerned
about crime, schools, traffic, development
issues, or parks? Well, Rockridge needs
people like you. Serving on the Rockridge
Community Planning Council (RCPC)
board of directors provides you with the
perfect volunteer opportunity to work on
these issues and more.
RCPC, a nonprofit, public benefit cor-
poration, represents Rockridge to the city
of Oakland on such matters as zoning,
development and crime. It acts as a com-
munity steward on a variety of issues,
ranging from land use to traffic and schools.
RCPC has also spearheaded neighborhood
Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed people can
change the world. Indeed, it is the
only thing that ever has.
 — Margaret Mead
by Ronnie Spitzer, RCPC boardmember
Are you looking to help promote commu-
nity projects that enhance the quality
➧➧Board Candidates, page 6
Recently Appointed RCPC Boardmember
Explains Her Interest in Board Service
BRT Station and Buses, Urumqi, China
off- and on-ramps,
and joined the Labor
Day weekend work
party that cleaned up
the Library’s exterior.
After Board and Land Use Committee
vacancies remained unfilled at year’s
end, I applied to fill the remaining
terms and was appointed to these
positions in January.
From earlier years living here,
I appreciate the important role that
RCPC has played in maintaining
Rockridge as a vibrant, enjoyable
community. (One example: when our
Laura Schlichtmann
Clifton Street
I
moved back to Rockridge in 2011
after a decade as a litigator on the
Peninsula. It was always my aim to
return. I love the East Bay’s beautiful
landscape and built environment; its
diverse, progressive, creative popula-
tion; and its orientation toward smaller
scale, public transit, and walking. Now
retired, I am looking for volunteer
opportunities. In recent months, I
have helped distribute the Rockridge
News, participated in Scenic Streets’
volunteer landscaping of Highway 24
Laura
Schlichtmann
This photo, taken from a city bus in Urumqi,
China, shows a BRT passenger shelter and
two BRT buses in the BRT bus-only lanes.
On each side of the cordoned lanes and shelter area,
the street is three traffic lanes wide in each direction.
/Don Kinkead
Bus Rapid Transit Meeting:
Plans Ignore Concerns
➧➧New Boardmember, page 12
by Jane Kramer, STAND steering committee
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an AC Transit project
proposed for Telegraph Avenue, International
Boulevard and East 14th Street in Oakland and San
Leandro that would remove one lane of traffic for
dedicated bus lanes.
Meeting January 20, the East Bay BRT Policy Steer-
ing Committee, comprised of AC Transit board members
and city council members from Oakland and San Lean-
dro, reviewed preparations for the Final Environmental
Impact Study (FEIS) schedule and approval process
for the project.
Logitech Cameras, WhistleSTOP Donation
The Greater Rockridge NCPC
(Neighborhood Crime Pre-
vention Council) thanks everyone
who attended last Thursday’s
meeting for the special pre-
sentation by Logitech on their
state-of-the-art surveillance cam-
eras. NCPC Secretary Karen Ivy
REPT: NCPC Meetings
will soon announce when the
meeting’s minutes are available
on the NCPC website at www.
rockridgencpc.com. (See camera
purchase details at end of article.)
February’s meeting, set for
Thursday, February 9, at 7 p.m.,

➧➧Report: NCPC, page 14
➧➧BRT Ignores Concerns, page 12


February 4, 2012
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.
difficult development climate. Miller cited
the “flexibility” and “marketability” these
mini-lot developments afford developers.
(Planning staff are paid primarily through
developer fees and permits.) We actively
participated in the lengthy citywide rezoning
process, but “mini-lot developments,” which
pre-empt zoning, were never even put on
the table.
While nine different households
contributed toward the appeal fee, and we had
support from more, Commissioner Huntsman
used the condescending term NIMBY (Not
In My Backyard) to describe us.
The city of Oakland’s “A Guide to Mini-
Lot Developments in the City of Oakland
(Chapter 17.102.320)” states: “Mini-Lot
Development is defined by Section 17.09
[Definitions] of the Oakland Planning
Code as ‘a comprehensively designed
development containing lots which do not
meet the minimum size or other requirements
applying to individual lots in the zone where
it is located’.”
Mini-lot developments are allowed in all
but a few areas of the hills — ranchettes along
Skyline Boulevard, where the minimum lot
size is four acres.
Rockridge, Temescal, and North
Oakland are especially rich targets for
such shoehorned projects because of
keen developer interest in areas that are
weathering the Great Recession better,
and because the relatively restrictive RM-1
and RM-2 zoning we thought protected us
apparently doesn’t.

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.
Mini-Lot Developments:
The Underbelly of
Planning Revisions?
by Robert Brokl
Our Maccall Street neighbors group
lost the $1,352 appeal over a mini-lot
subdivision, a vacant lot at 5919 Maccall
(two blocks west of Shattuck at 59th Street).
Two 1,452 sq. ft., two-story buildings – a
project of the Wilson Family, developers of
Market Hall – on the substandard 4,140 sq.
ft. lot where 5,000 sq. ft. would be required
were approved at the Residential Appeal
Committee January 11. Two of the three
commissioners, Jonelyn Whales, a city of
Richmond planner recently appointed by
Mayor Jean Quan, and Blake Huntsman, a
Dellums appointee, heard the appeal. Both
peremptorily voted us down.
Apparently, the zoning we thought we had
achieved during the recent rezoning is only
advisory if a developer wants to build the
maximum number of structures on a vacant
lot, back, front or side yard. Conditional use
permits and variances are being granted
for these mini-lot projects. (We’re assum-
ing the project pending at 4812 Lawton in
Temescal – www.savelawton.org – is also
a mini-lot development.)
Testimony at the hearing by Zoning
Manager Scott Miller and developers
indicated condo financing is harder to
come by, and mini-lot, multi-unit structures
on substandard parcels is necessary in a

12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays.
Also: Fri, 2/10, and Sat, 2/11
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, 2012-2013
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair
Andrew Charman	��������������Vice-Chair
Michael Kan	������������������������Secretary
Cesar Angobaldo	���������������Treasurer
Annette Floystrup	�������������At-Large Exec Comm.
Christopher Chin, Jonathan Gabel,
James Kachelmeyer, William Kaufner, Don Kinkead,
Alex Naughton, Laura Schlichtmann,
Ronnie Spitzer, Ann Winterman
Contact the Board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
Contacting The Rockridge News
	 Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
	 Do you have questions about newsletter
distribution?
	 Want to volunteer to be a Rockridge News
block captain?
	 Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611
RCPC Voice-mail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
600 words; must include the author’s name, phone
number, e-mail address, and city or neighborhood
of residence; and are subject to editing. To reprint
a Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
  March 3, 2012
  March deadline is February 16, 2012.
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Six-
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or e-mail
joellis1@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right to
refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)


February 4, 2012

3.

February Meeting Agenda
The next meeting of the RCPC Land
Use Committee is Wednesday,
February 22, 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge
Branch Library. Agenda topics will
include updates on the Rockridge
Shopping Center and College Avenue
Safeway projects and possibly discussion
of the City’s proposed revisions to its
off-street parking requirements. Please
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.
The RCPC Land Use Committee meets on
the fourth Wednesday of the month at the
Rockridge Branch Library, Upstairs Meeting
Room, 7:30 p.m. Next meeting: February 22.
Subject to change. Check rockridge.org the preceding week for
the full meeting agenda.
according to Oakland planner Daren
Ranelletti (dranelletti@oaklandnet.com,
phone 238-3663), still in process, and
an administrative draft has not yet been
received. Among other things, the city is
still awaiting revised project plans promised
by Safeway, the master tenant and project
sponsor, in response to comments at last
January’s design review committee hearings.
The RCPC Land Use Committee, joined
by John Gatewood of Urbanists for a Liv-
able Temescal-Rockridge Area (ULTRA),
discussed trying to identify a single com-
munity alternative for the project. Rather
than try to redesign the project, however,
the committee recommended a number of
principles that should be addressed in the
project’s final design. The principles are
intended to create a pedestrian and transit-
friendly urban shopping area. They included:
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
January Meeting Notes:
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Shopping Center Project
College and Claremont Avenues
Peterson Vollman (pvollman@oakland-
net.com, phone 238-6167), the city planner
handling the case, indicated that the admin-
istrative draft of the final EIR has just come
back from the city’s consultants. It’s about
2,000 pages long, and, as he put it, there’s a
lot that will need to be reviewed, and perhaps
modified, before it will be released to the
public. His estimate is perhaps some time
in March, or maybe later. At the moment,
he is still of the opinion that it will not
need to be recirculated for further public
comment. No word as yet about whether
there will be any further meetings of the
Planning Commission’s Design Review
Committee on the project before it goes to
the full commission.
■
■Better AC Transit access to the center,
including a possible onsite station;
■
■Direct pedestrian access to shopping
from Pleasant Valley;
■
■Better landscaping and sidewalk
amenities on the Pleasant Valley frontage,
in surface parking areas, and on the “shop-
ping street;”
■
■Prominent pedestrian crossings (e.g.,
speed tables) across access roads on site;
■
■Provide space for a future phase to
include housing.
These principles will be reviewed by
the RCPC Board and other North Oakland
community groups, and if accepted, could
form the basis for discussions with Safeway.
■
■Safe, convenient, and pleasant pedes-
trian access to the Safeway store and other
shopping from both Broadway and Pleasant
Valley shopping center entrances;
■
■Extend the city street grid into the
center so that extensions of Coronado and
Gilbert Streets connect within the center
and extend to the quarry pond and all
parking structures;
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Rebuild Project
Broadway and Pleasant Valley
The Draft EIR for this project, which
involves demolishing and rebuilding the
shopping center while adding approximately
120,000 sq.ft. of additional retail, is,
The Zoning Counter
The Zoning Counter is a compilation
of recent applications filed with the
Oakland Planning Department. Individuals
may contact the case planner or the Planning
Department for additional information by
phone or online at http://www2.oaklandnet.
com/Government/o/CEDA/o/PlanningZoning/s/
Application/index.htm.
■
■Replace most of the surface parking
areas with structured parking so that the
land is used efficiently and appropriately
for an urban area;
■
■Activate the quarry pond frontage
with restaurants or another activity center;
Wonderful, ongoing,
weekday classes for
babies or toddlers
5902 College Avenue
Proposal: To expand an existing full-service
restaurant “Toast” into an adjacent vacant unit
located on the ground floor of a commercial
facility.
Applicant/ Heather Sittig
Phone Number: 510/282-1696
Planning Permits Required: Minor Conditional
Use Permit to expand and operate a full-service
restaurant activity in the CN-1 Neighborhood
Commercial Zone
Historic Status: Potential Designated Historic
Property (PDHP);
Survey Rating: Fc3 (modernized)
Case Planner: Mike Rivera at 510/238-6417 or
mrivera@oaklandnet.com
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for ALL families: songs,
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Dawn Margolin  |  510.547.7726
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
w w w . t b a o a k l a n d . o r g / k i n d e r g y m


February 4, 2012
4.

FROG Park News

family-friendly activities including music,
crafts, games and festivities.
We hope all FROG volunteers from the
original Big Build can attend, as we want
to acknowledge their work and dedication
to the community.
E-mail info@frogpark.org for more
information or to help on the organizing
committee.
Frog’s 2011 Accomplishments

FROG Plans 10th Anniversary Celebration
and Marks Annual Earth Day: April 21

by Theresa Nelson
It was just over 10 years ago, in mid-
October, 2001, that community volunteers
finished building the play structures at Frog
Park. Prior to 2001, it was a place of delapi-
dated basketball courts under the freeway,
partly fenced and overrun with weeds.
More than 1,300 volunteers from around
the area came together for 10 days to work
from dawn until after dark to build the
custom-designed play structures.
Every bit of wood and Trex, every screw
and nail, the mosaic turtle and wall, every
painted wooden butterfly, flower or leaf,
and all the fencing was built by community
volunteers who gave their time and energy
to make this park a reality.
More than 1,000 tools were lent for the
Big Build, we offered childcare so parents
could participate in the build, and we fed
everyone lunch, dinner and snacks from a
field kitchen set up in the park.
People took off from work to serve
as captains for the entire build, working
with groups of volunteers from throughout
Oakland, as well as local corporations,
garden clubs, UC Berkeley students, the
Junior League, Oakland Firefighters, and
many more.
The park has since become a central
Save the Date
■
■Play Structure Renovations
We worked with the city to complete
renovations of both play structures so they
could re-open after several months of closure.
Dry rot and other repairs were made and old
Fibar and sand were replaced. An arborist
and community volunteers helped remove
invasive roots – January 2011
■
■What: FROG Park 10th
Anniversary Celebration and
Earth Day 2012
■
■Where: “Big Frog” grassy area.
■
■When: Saturday, April 21:
Earth Day maintenance,
9 a.m. – noon; Celebration,
12-2:00 p.m.
■
■Earthday and Family Fest
We hosted the Earth Day FROG Fest.
More than 100 volunteers took part, followed
by games and crafts for children. – April 2011
■
■Who: Everyone is invited; Big
Build and Maintenance Day
volunteers, and all who enjoy
the park
■
■New FROG Restroom
We ensured that work on the restroom
stayed on track, celebrating the new
feature of the neighborhood, with custom
play structures, ADA accessible play areas,
swings, water fountains, a bathroom, reno-
vated basketball courts, and a stream along
a beautiful pathway connecting Big and
Little Frog parks.
Earth Day Maintenance and Park
Anniversary Begin at 9 a.m.
Join us at the park on Saturday, April
21, for the annual Earth Day maintenance
activities — 9 a.m.-noon — followed by
our very special FROG 10th Anniversary
Celebration — noon to 2 p.m. — to honor
the people who made Frog Park and the play
structures possible. It will be a full day with
➧➧FROG Celebrates, page 5
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510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland


February 4, 2012

5.
Welcome New FROG Chair Carol Behr

FROG Celebrates
by Theresa Nelson, FROG co-founder
Please welcome Carol Behr as the new
Chair of FROG. Most recently, she
chaired last year’s successful FROG
Fest, where more than 100
volunteers turned out to help
take care of our park, and
celebrated afterward with
music, games and crafts
for children.
Carol is a longtime
Rockridge resident and
lives here with her husband,
Gideon, and their 3-year-old
daughter Sara.
A certified project manager, Carol has
worked for Kaiser Permanente as a senior
project manager and consultant, implement-
ing their online medical records and other
strategic initiatives.
Carol is also an avid gardener.
She understands how important
parks are, and the impact they
have on our quality of life
and community.
She will lead the pro-
cess to discuss possible
enhancements to Frog Park
in 2012, and the completion
of renovation plans for the
DMV creekside area.
Look for news of the February
FROG meeting on the website, www.frog-
park.org, or e-mail: chair@frogpark.org.
from page 4
structure’s opening — July 2011.
■
■Parks Coalition Survey
Completed the Oakland Parks Coalition
Stewardship Survey – September 2011
■
■Annual Fall Maintenance Day
Hosted the 10th annual fall Main-
tenance Day with almost 100 students
from College Preparatory High School
— September 2011.
■
■Response to DMV Unan-
nounced Tree Removal
FROG and a number of DMV-area
neighbors joined to protest and respond to
the unannounced tree cutting at the DMV
area, surveyed neighbors about preferences,
and helped craft consensus for restoration.
A community meeting with Councilmem-
ber Jane Brunner led to an agreement for
restoration. This work is to begin in 2012.
— November-December 2011.
Planning Activites
As we begin planning for FROG 2012,
we seek volunteers – especially families
with young children — to participate on the
FROG committee or with specific projects.
Please e-mail info@frogpark.org for more
information about how you can help.
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Visit http://www.frogpark.org/ for more about
FROG and to view Flicker photostreams.


February 4, 2012
6.

Spread the
Word to Your
Neighbors
The Rockridge News
is offering three great
volunteer opportunities begin-
ning in March. If you live in the vicinity of
any of the three routes and would like to
deliver the newsletter to your neighbors once
a month, we’d love to hear from you. Call
510/547-3855 or e-mail smontauk@gmail.
com. Be sure to include the route number.
Thank you.
Letters to the Editor
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Your name, address, phone
number, e-mail address and city/neighborhood must be included for verification.
Only your name will appear with your letter. Letters may be edited for clarity
and brevity 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.
Rockridge Library Seeks Money, Rebuffs Volunteers
Editor:
they no longer accept volunteers.
If the library is not willing to accept
support from the community, whether it is
in the form of time, energy, or initiative,
I do not see why they deserve to receive
our charitable dollars instead.
Furthermore, there are many people who
would love to contribute to the library but
cannot afford to give money. Volunteers
are not a burden. They are an invaluable
resource, and many non-profits should be
so lucky as to have such support. Shame
on the Rockridge Library for overlooking
a resource more precious than money:
passion.
— Elizabeth James
I am writing in response to the articles in
the last two issues of The Rockridge News
regarding the Rockridge Branch Library.
The December article called for donations
to the library, and the January article speaks
about the New Teen Zone, and finishes with
another appeal for more money.
I find it surprising that the very same
library that will not accept volunteers is
again asking the community to write checks.
As I value the contribution the library
makes to our neighborhood, and as I am
aware of their struggle to provide services
during a budget shortfall, I attempted to
volunteer at the library but was told that
Route No. Description
07G
5800-6145 blocks of Broad-
way, east side only.
16A
Both sides of Miles between
Cavour and Clifton.

Even numbers along Chabot
from and including St. Albert’s,
then College Avenue shops
to 5830 College, Claremont
Nursery.
Rockridge Branch Head Responds re Volunteer Opportunities
Editor:

05K
Second Start Literacy Program, Books for
Wider Horizons (a volunteer storyreading
program), Main Library Information Desk
and Main Library Computer Lab each hosted
a table in job fair style with information
about their volunteer program. The volun-
teer coordinator for Public Works’ “Adopt
a Spot” gardening/beautification program
and Friends of the Oakland Public Library/
Bookmark Bookstore volunteers also par-
ticipated, giving participants a wide range
of opportunities to explore.
For more information about the upcom-
ing sessions, contact Winifred Walters at
510/238-6932 or email wwalters@oak-
landlibrary.org.
And, again, a heartfelt Thank You! to our
wonderful patrons who have offered help
and support to the library during difficult
times. We truly appreciate you!
— Pat Lichter, Manager, Rockridge
Branch, Oakland Public Library, 597-5017
Board Candidates
In response to concerns regarding the
Rockridge Branch Library’s moratorium on
accepting new volunteers, I’d like to first
emphasize how grateful we are to members
of the public who generously offer their time
to help at the library. Regrettably, due to
severe staffing cuts, branch staff members
are not presently able to train and supervise
new volunteers.
However, exciting volunteer opportu-
nities are offered by the Oakland Public
Library system. The library will be hosting
Volunteer Information Sessions for members
of the public, as follows:
from page 1
improvement projects such as the Rockridge
Branch Library, Hardy Dog Park, and the
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt (FROG
Park). The Rockridge News is published
by the RCPC and serves as an important
vehicle for neighborhood communication.
Recent RCPC Town Hall meeting topics have
included Rockridge schools, plans proposed
for the Rockridge Shopping Center, and a
primer on land use for the layperson.
In April, RCPC will hold its annual elec-
tion for six board directors, each to serve
a two-year term. The board consists of 12
elected directors, one appointed director
and the editor of The Rockridge News,
who serves ex officio as a nonvoting board
member. Prospective candidates must be
at least 18 years of age, must reside within
RCPC boundaries as shown at www.rock-
ridge.org, and must inform the RCPC of their
intention to run by February 29. Prospective
candidates meeting the February 29 deadline
are invited to submit a photo and a written
statement of 125 words explaining their
interest in running for the board. Statements
and photos must be received by March 22
■
■March 15 (Thursday) at the Main
Library, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
■
■March 17 (Saturday) at Rockridge
Library, beginning at 10:15 a.m.
Approximately 40 people attended
the library’s pilot Volunteer Information
Sessions in September. Staff representing

Call for Community Support for Local Bungalow Restorationist
Labeled “the bad girl of bungalow
writing,” Jane Powell is a restoration
consultant, house restorer, lecturer, and
author of six books. Now, burdened with
a chronic and expensive disease, a major
fixer for a house, and a huge mortgage
that the bank refuses to modify, she needs
your help. We CAN make a difference!

ATTEND: A fabulous event at the
“Sunset House” Feb. 12, Sunday, 2-5 p.m.
Singles $25/couples $40 (no one turned
away). Sunset House, 2708 Sunset Ave., is
east of Fruitvale Ave., at Lynde and 27th.
More information: See
Jane’s blog at JanePowell.org

➧➧Board Candidates, page 12


February 4, 2012

7.

When Rockridge Was ‘Little Italy’
by Judith Doner Berne
The largest piece of art on the walls of
Ben and Antonietta Tamburrino’s 1907
Rockridge bungalow is a color photograph of
the hill town in Italy where they were born.
And some of their most cherished
memories date back to a time when the
section of Rockridge closest to Temescal
was known as “Little Italy.”
It wasn’t just that Italian immigrants
populated their neighborhood along streets
like Shafter, Cavour, Desmond and Kales,
they explained, but they also worked in and
owned grocery stores, shops and restaurants,
particularly along Telegraph Avenue.
Tamburrino, 82, is a retired carpenter.
His dad, Domiano, who immigrated to the
United States in 1921, had four different
barbershops along College Avenue over
the years.
Three of the shops were across from
or close to what is now Zachary’s Pizza.
His last barber shop is the present-day
Rockridge Barbers, owned since 1986 by
Marty Hatton and located near Hudson Bay
Cafe. “Some of the furniture [the chairs that
customers sit on to wait their turn] was my
dad’s,” Ben says.
Ben Tamburrino in
1947 – with his hair
cut by his dad. The
photo was taken at
age 17 when Ben got
his citizenship papers.
Ben Tamburrino’s
father in one of the
barbershops he owned
on College Avenue, now
the Rockridge Barbers,
owned since 1986 by
Marty Hatton.
Original photos copied by
camera by Judy Berne and
adjusted by Ed Berne.
firemen (successfully) blocked our street.”
Once their children were in school, she
worked part-time at Maria’s, a cheese-
cake factory which used to be on Broadway
across from Oakland Tech. Most recently,
she was a cook at Alta Bates Hospital in
Berkeley, retiring after 20 years. “I just loved
that job,” she said. “I cried when I left.”
“You know, (Chez Panisse restaurateur)
Alice Waters gets credit for a new kind
of cooking,” Ben says, using only locally,
organically and sustainably grown ingredi-
ents. “But the Italians were doing it before
Alice Waters.”
As proof, Antonietta points out her back-
yard vegetable garden which she supplements
at Berkeley Bowl. She also grows orchids
alongside her garage.
“When I first came here, I walked Oak-
land from one end to the other and I loved
it,” Ben says. And he and Antonietta still
walk almost daily – north to Elmwood,
south to the Rockridge Shopping Center.
This day, it was through Mountain View
Cemetery. “It’s so beautiful and there are a
lot of Italian names,” she says.
Much as they would love it, they don’t
anticipate that their children and three
grandchildren, who all live in the Bay Area,
will add to the family’s Rockridge roots.
“Who wouldn’t want to live in Rockridge?”
Antonietta said. “But it’s just too expensive.”
very friendly. My sister-in-law lived across
the street. You didn’t always have to lock
your doors.”
Along with their Italian friends and
neighbors, they sent their three children to
Catholic schools although Ben is proud of
graduating from Oakland Technical High
School. They attended St. Theresa Catholic
Church.
Many Italians gathered at their own
social clubs, such as the Columbo Club
on Claremont at 55th Street, he says. The
Tower Theater, at Telegraph and 51st, showed
Italian films.
Ben and Antonietta remember when
College Avenue looked very different: the
Safeway grocery was in the space now
occupied by the Levant Rug Company; the
Cactus Tacqueria was the Chimes market;
another market, Louie’s, was at Chabot; and
the Chimes Drug Store had a soda fountain.
They also remember when College
Avenue fell on hard times in the ’70s, and
many stores were simply boarded up.
Ben misses the street cars and trains
that once provided Rockridge’s public
transportation, while recognizing that access
to BART and the freeway has helped revi-
talize the area.
He is proud that he helped build the
columns for the SR-24 freeway, while
acknowledging that, “I hated all the noise
and dust and to see all the homes that were
destroyed. Some people had their houses
transported to new streets.”
When fire swept the Oakland hills above
them in 1991, “We filled up two cars with
all our pictures and documents,” Antonietta
says. “I was up all night with the hose. The
Domiano returned to Italy to marry and
start a family, but they didn’t join him in
the United States until after World War II.
Ben, then 15, spent his teen-age years in
their house on Shafter at a time when the
Sacramento-Northern Railroad ran down
the middle of the street.
It was the first of the three Craftsman
bungalows that have been his homes over
66 years in Rockridge.
“My dad found an area that was full of
Italians,” which made easing into American
life and culture a little easier, Ben says.
“We could live within ourselves – if
that’s what we chose to do,” says Antonietta,
whom he met and married when he went
back to his hometown, between Rome and
Naples, for a visit.
In 1961, Ben brought his 19-year-old bride
with him to Rockridge. They stayed with
his family, who had moved to a bungalow
on Harwood, until they bought their own
home a few blocks away where they have
lived for the last 48 years.
“In the ’60s, it was a blue-collar neigh-
borhood,” Antonietta says. “People were
Judy Berne is a former writer, columnist and
editor for local newspapers in metro Detroit.
Since moving here in June, she is learning about
Rockridge through its residents. You can e-mail
her at judyberne@att.net.


February 4, 2012
8.

By 1913, Cracker Jack was the world’s
largest selling snack food. In 1912, a small
toy was placed in every box. The little
sailor-boy and his dog Bingo became the
icons of American snack food. Gourmet
versions of Cracker Jack dominated this
year’s Fancy Food Show.
Now, here’s how you can make your own
“gourmet” popcorn:
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
Too Pooped to Pop
Caramel Popcorn
(10 servings)
2-1/2 quarts of popped popcorn
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Each year, I look forward to attending the
annual Fancy Food show sponsored by
the Specialty Food Association at the
Moscone Convention Center in San Fran-
cisco. Nearly a thousand exhibitors cover
the entire convention center floor, hawking
their products to the likes of the Pasta Shops,
Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowls and gourmet
markets of the country. Exhibitors lavish
tastes and product samples to potential
customers. It is a three-day gastronomic
experience – gluttony on steroids.
In addition to snacking my way through
the exhibits, I look for new and “in” food
trends. Several years ago it was pasta, the
following year tea took home the prize and
last year salt was everywhere. This year’s “in”
food is… drum roll please … POPCORN
and popcorn creations.
Who would believe? A very close second:
jams, jellies, and marmalade seemed to be
everywhere.
A Bit of History
Popcorn predates eating corn kernels.
Pre-Columbian corn kernels were too
hard to chew. Mesoamericans found that
by heating the kernel, pressure builds up
in the form of steam that pops the outer
kernel skin. Recent evidence has unearthed
ancient popcorn in a 6,000 year-old Peru-
vian archeological site. By 1840, popping
corn was the fad in America. Young boys
sold popcorn at train stations and on street
corners. Popcorn recipes began to appear
in early 19th century cookbooks. Many of
these recipes gave rise to cold breakfast
cereal and popcorn candies. An iconic figure
in American small towns and big cities is
the red popcorn wagon invented by Charles
Cretors in 1885. By 1900, nearly every
street corner had a popcorn wagon. By the
late 19th century, popcorn was America’s
first – and favorite – snack food. As movie
theaters grew, so did the consumption of
popcorn. To this day, popcorn is the most
popular movie snack.
In 1893, at the Columbian Exposition
in Chicago, German immigrant brothers
Frederick and Louis Rueckheim sold a con-
fection of popcorn, peanuts and molasses.
The brothers named it Cracker Jack and it
was an instant hit. By 1909, Cracker Jack
was immortalized in the national pastime
song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with
the lilting line, “buy me some peanuts and
Cracker Jack....”
Preheat oven 250 degrees, place
popcorn in a large bowl
In a medium saucepan over medium
heat, melt butter.
Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring
to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil without stirring 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in baking soda
and vanilla.
Pour in a thin stream over popcorn,
stirring to coat.
Place in large shallow baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every
15 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool and break
into bite-size pieces.
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@comcast.net.

Inventory is Low & Demand is High in Rockridge

Closing date BR BA
Address
Original price
List price
DOM
Selling price

1/04/12 4 1.5
5905 Claremont Avenue
$1,295,000
$1,220,000 47
$1,200,000
           1/10/12  2
2
7325 Chabot Road
$895,000
$895,000
24
$852,500
           1/20/12 2
2
494 Clifton Street
$650,000
$599,000
62
$590,000
           1/26/12 4
3
6431 Brookside Avenue
$1,099,900
$1,099,900 18
$1,000,000
           1/26/12 3 1.5
328 63rd Street
$1,295,000
$1,295,000 42
$1,200,000

Average original list price to sales price is currently 93% vs 96% last year · Median sales price is
currently $1,000,000 vs $629,000 last year · There is currently a 1.3 month supply of inventory

Lic. #0670129


February 4, 2012

9.

Auctions • Support • Schools

Tech Annual
Fundraising
Auction: March
Wonderful food and entertainment
and the chance to bid on an enticing
array of auction items await you at “This is
It!,” Oakland Technical High School’s 2012
Auction, the school’s main fundraising event.
Sponsored by the school’s Parent Teacher
Student Association (PTSA), the auction
provides crucial support for the school, hailed
in a front page Oakland Tribune article as
“Oakland’s new ‘it’ school.”
Funds raised by the auction provide
necessary support to all areas of the school
and its students: from classroom needs to
infrastructure materials; from athletics to
music; from lab supplies to technology,
and more. This year, we hope to raise over
$52,000 and surpass last year’s total.
Chabot School Spring
Auction: Dancing, Gambling,
Bidding and Bond!
by Jennifer James Alper, Chabot parent
The Chabot Elementary community is
already hard at work on the school’s
largest and most sensational fundraiser of
the year – our annual spring auction. “Casino
Royale,” this year’s event, is sure to be a
crowd pleaser, with an amazing collection of
items and unique experiences available for
bidding, fabulous food, signature cocktails,
music, dancing – and for the first time, a live
casino! Are you a high roller? Get in on the
action and come try your hand at blackjack,
roulette and other casino favorites, while
raising funds for Chabot. On Saturday,
March 10, at 5:30 p.m., we return to the
historic Scottish Rite Temple, 1547 Lake-
side Drive,
on the shores
of beautiful
Lake Merritt
for the gala
event. Step
into our version of the world of James
Bond, and bring your bank roll for bidding
and betting.
The money raised through the auction
allows the PTA to fund a wide range of
enrichment programs that enhance the
core curriculum at Chabot, including art,
garden, library, media lab, music, science
and Spanish. Through the collective
➧➧Chabot Auction, page 13
Rich Array of Prizes Rewards Peralta
School and Lively Auction Bidders
➧➧Tech High Auction, page 12
Peralta-Claremont
Yard Sale Planners
Seek Temp Storage
by Michelle Quinn
Raffle tickets for keys to wine cellars
sold like hotcakes. Children’s artwork
spurred a bidding war rivaling Christie’s. A
parent swore off buying a second car after
winning a donated bike at a bidding table.
These were some of the highlights of
Peralta Elementary School’s auction last
year. This year’s auction on March 3, from
5 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the Uptown Body and
Fender building at 401 26th Street in down-
town Oakland, is slated to be another great
party with dinner, drinks, a DJ spinning
by Nicole Aruda and
Heather Grillmeyer, Peralta parents
The Lower Rockridge Parents Group
Yard Sale Crew is gearing up for the
11th Annual Yard Sale, to be held April 29
on the Peralta playground. This annual event
has raised over $30,000 over the years with
all proceeds donated to Peralta. Last year,
yard sale proceeds (a record at over $6,000)
A live auctioneer hawks striking items
at Peralta Elementary School’s 2011
auction.                                Photo: Ann Becker
➧➧Peralta Yard Sale Storage, page 11
➧➧Peralta Auction, page 13
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


February 4, 2012
10.

A Photo Finish for Oakland Encounters

Say what you will about Oakland, you
can always count on an encounter
with beauty, nuttiness, whimsy or despair
whenever you are out and about.
Say what you want about Oakland and
you can expect a list as long as your arm.
Say what you like about Oakland and you
have only to look around to see wonderful
things on any corner.
Seeking a downtown parking spot the
other day, a Rockridge driver turned left
onto 17th Street after leaving the freeway,
turned right at San Pablo Avenue, then right
again on 16th Street, and WOW!, found the
stunning mural at left on the back of the
Haley Law Offices building, an evident
tribute to the Oakland Worker.
From a phone call to the artist, who had
left his name at the bottom of his work,
the driver learned that Oakland billboard
painter and muralist Michael Manente of
Masterpiece Sign Painting and his son John
had painted the first of a series of “People
of Oakland” portraits on the erstwhile blank
back wall of the Haley building. Lawyer
Haley is a friend and gave his blessing to
the project. The carpenter is also a friend
of Manente’s, and posed for the preliminary
sketches.
“I was a billboard painter for 20 years,
and I have painted murals in San Francisco
and Oakland over the years,” Manente
said, “many in West Oakland, some for
San Francisco merchants, and some on
Fisherman’s Wharf.”       — Don Kinkead
/Don Kinkead
Painter Michael Manente and his son John
painted “The Carpenter” on the blank back wall
of a downtown office building. John Manente
recorded the event for You Tube at http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfRCQrpXSVY
Do you have a “Photo Finish” of an
Oakland scene you’d like to submit
to The Rockridge News? Send your digital
files – color or B&W – to the newsletter c/o
editor_rn@mindspring.com. E-mail that
address if you have a photo printed on paper.
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
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Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
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Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
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There’s a
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February 4, 2012

11.
Peralta Yard Sale
Storage Space

from page 9
The Rockridge
Library – Off to a
Great Start for 2012
was split between Peralta and Claremont. It
is our hope we can continue this wonder-
ful event that brings neighbors and school
communities together.
Many things go into making this sale
a continued success: dedicated workers;
generous donations by community mem-
bers; shoppers from all over the East Bay;
and pre-sale access to storage space for
donated items.
Unfortunately, this year’s sale is threat-
ened because we are losing our storage
space. Wonderful neighbors who have so
generously let us use their basement for
the past three years are moving next month
and we will lose the use of this space for
pre-sale storage of donated items.
Having adequate pre-sale storage allows
us to collect, sort, organize and price all
donations prior to the day of the yard sale.
This pre-sale organization is crucial for
efficient set up, sales and tear down/clean
up. Trying to do it all the morning of the
sale is just too difficult.
If you have space you could donate to
us, we would greatly appreciate it. Ideally,
it would be a ground floor space, located
in our neighborhood. We would be using
it for about a month. All the stored items
would be gone by 9 a.m. April 29.
All leads are appreciated. Send sugges-
tions and offers to Heather Grillmeyer at
grillmeyer@sbcglobal.net.
our library facilities. We thank all of our
“friends” for their generous donations and
support.
This year, FORL will be working closely
with the Rockridge library staff, as well as
the larger Oakland Public Library system, to
find ways to improve the library experience
for patrons.
FORL has also taken steps to register
as an independent non-profit corporation
and expects our new status to be approved
shortly. Originally founded in 1996 as a
sub-committee of the Rockridge Community
Planning Councl (RCPC), FORL will now
operate as a separate non-profit, with the sole
focus of supporting the Rockridge branch.
The FORL board has enjoyed working with
RCPC on a variety of community projects
over the years, and appreciates the guidance
they have provided to us. We will continue
our efforts to best serve the neighborhood
and residents through our work with the
Rockridge Library.
Keep up with FORL’s activities on behalf
of the Rockridge branch at our website
(www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.org); we
look forward to seeing you at the library.
by Jennifer James Alper, FORL
boardmember
The Rockridge Library is clearly a
beloved and valued institution in our
neighborhood. Once again, the Friends of
the Rockridge Library (FORL) are extremely
grateful for the continued support the
community has shown for our local branch.
Donations to FORL provide the vital
funding that bridges the budget gaps faced
by many of the popular programs and
services we need in our library. FORL funds
underwrite a variety of the children and teen
programs, as well as popular periodicals,
books and continued maintenance for
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
WHAT’S COMING SOON in Rockridge Real Estate?
3+BD, 3+BA over 3,500 sqft, professionally landscaped yard, views,
 Chabot District $1,375,000
4+BD, 2BA, 1 Block from College Ave, Chabot District, under $1M
2BD, 1BA, near park and transit, Chabot District, under $700K
2BD, 1BA, near park and College, Peralta District, under $700K
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Happy Valentine’s!
A  S  S  O  C  I A T  E  S
R  E A  L    E  S T A T  E
B  R  O  K  E  R A  G  E


February 4, 2012
12.
Tech High Auction

Board Candidates
New Boardmember
from page 9
from page 6
from page 1
We encourage everyone to participate
in whatever way appeals to you. Local
businesses or community members can
sponsor our event, donate merchandise
and services or purchase a catalog ad. The
entire Rockridge community is invited to
the party and to participate in Tech’s first
online auction this March.
Plan now to attend this exciting event,
to be held Saturday, March 24, from 6:00-
10:30 p.m., at the Uptown Body and Fender
building at 401 26th Street, Oakland. Tickets
are $25 per person until February 29, and
$35 afterwards.
For more information, to purchase
advance tickets, or to donate an item, contact
auction@oaklandtech.com or visit: www.
oaklandtech.com/ptsa/auction-2012/.
and will be published in the April issue of
The Rockridge News.
At the April 19 RCPC Town Hall meet-
ing, candidates will explain to the audience
their interest in serving on the board, and
voting will take place. Neighbors unable
to attend the April 19 meeting may vote at
the Rockridge Branch Library on Saturday,
April 21. Further details will be published
in the April issue of The Rockridge News.
E-mail your letter of intent by February
29 and a written statement with photo by
March 22 to: rcpcchair@rockridge.org, or
send your letter, postmarked by the appli-
cable deadline, to: RCPC Elections, 4123
Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
Include your address, phone number and
and e-mail address.
Past board members may be subject to
terms limits.
daughter was small, we sometimes took
her to the location of today’s FROG Park;
but the setting was far less inviting then,
and we often ended up driving to Tilden
or smaller Berkeley parks. Determined
area residents, with RCPC support, made
FROG Park possible.) That role continues
as Rockridge faces Safeway expansion
plans on both ends of the neighborhood,
along with other current issues.
Besides my legal work, I have a Master’s
in planning, spent several years in Sacra-
mento as a legislative analyst, and worked
for Leo McCarthy through his first term
as Lieutenant Governor. This background,
focused on issue analysis, writing, and
dispute resolution, along with my ability
to commit significant time, will help me
play a useful part in RCPC’s work in the
months ahead.
BRT Meeting
Ignores Concerns
announced two possible routes for the BRT:
Rockridge residents have, such as traffic
congestion and loss of parking; the impact on
an existing vibrant local merchant economy
that has taken years to build; placement of
bus stops two blocks apart so that riders
(including most disabled) can get local
errands and business done in a timely and
convenient manner; bicycle lanes; and a
clear definition of pollution.
Bring your input and concerns to
the District/public impact meeting
Wednesday, March 7, 6-8 p.m., at Faith
Presbyterian Church, 430 49th Street.
■
■One would begin on Telegraph Avenue
at the Berkeley border on its way to San
Leandro, and therefore would include
the Temescal District.
from page 1
Included in this process are the follow-
ing steps:
■
■On or about February 3, the resubmit-
ted FEIS will be released to the public.
■
■The other possible route would go
from downtown Oakland to San Lean-
dro, and therefore would exclude the
Temescal District.
Tina Spencer saw the March public input
meetings as a way to include the public in
the policy-making process by providing an
opportunity for people to make suggestions
about such things as bus color, shelters,
and lighting.
Community Concerns Not
Mentioned
No mention was made of the deeper
community concerns that Temescal and
■
■Public meetings for input will be held
in March (details at end of article).
■
■In April, the two city councils will
vote on the BRT project.
■
■In August, the Federal Transit Admin-
istration, which oversees and finances the
project, will issue a Record of Decision.
If approved, construction of the BRT
project will begin in April, 2014, to be
completed two years later.
STAND (Standing Together for
Accountable Neighborhood Development)
E-mail: standnorthoakland@gmail.com
Contact person: Jane Kramer,
510/522-6423
During the meeting, AC Transit staff rep-
resentatives Tina Spencer and Jim Cunradi
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com


February 4, 2012

13.
Chabot Auction

supporting our school. Can’t attend the live
event? Take part in the online auction. Oth-
erwise, join us March 10 to celebrate our
fantastic school community. We’ll wager
that it will be a wonderful night. More
information at www.chabotelementary.org.
money, and buy tickets to the event.
Casino Royale, the gala live auction and
silent auction will feature parent-hosted
parties, classroom art projects and gift
baskets, along with one-of-a kind items and
experiences. Items to be auctioned off at the
gala include an electric guitar signed by the
Rolling Stones; a framed photo signed by
all six James Bond actors; a framed photo
signed by the cast of Star Wars; and a two-
night stay at a Napa bed and breakfast with
wine tasting. Festivities will continue well
into the evening hours, so be sure to wear
your dancing shoes.
Chabot relies on the generosity of its
school and local communities to make our
annual auction a success. Local businesses
are encouraged to sponsor our event, as well
as donate goods, services and gift certifi-
cates. It’s a targeted and effective way to
reach the broader Chabot community while
from page 9
generosity of parents and local businesses,
the PTA raised over $175,000 at our 2011
auction, a fantastic showing! Our goal is to
match or surpass that benchmark, and we
need support to reach it.
As in years past, the auction has two
phases:
We kick off with the online auction of
teacher/staff donations, gift certificates and
other wonderful items like travel experi-
ences, clothing and jewelry. The online
auction runs from Wednesday, February
29 through Thursday, March 8. Link to
the Casino Royale event featured at www.
chabotelementary.org and view the auction
catalog as it’s being built, donate an auction
item or service, sponsor Chabot or donate
Peralta Auction
from page 9
disks and tables chockfull of certificates to
local restaurants, as well as items and services
donated by local merchants. Tickets can be
purchased for $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
The entire community is invited to this
party as well to the school’s online auction,
which runs February 20-27. It is a great
way to support the school and discover a
treasure trove of deals and coveted items.
To donate an item or service to the auction,
contact Lisa Beyer at 510/384-8724. Dona-
tion deadline is February 11.
Peralta’s auction supports important
programs at the school, which are in
jeopardy amid the financial strain of years
of budget cuts. Thanks to the community
support for fundraisers like the auction,
Peralta continues to offer art, music, physical
education and other services once considered
part of every kid’s school day.
“All these things we want at our school,”
said Star Lightner, chair of Peralta’s parent
teacher group. “Now, if we want kids to have
a truly rich, diverse learning environment,
we have to fund it.”
To meet the challenge, the community
has successfully ramped up the auction, the
school’s second biggest fundraiser. Since
2009, the auction has more than doubled
its revenue, bringing in $55,000 last year.
There is a sense of urgency about funding
to ensure that Peralta, honored last year with
a U.S. Department of Education National
Blue Ribbon School award, can maintain
its standard of excellence.
For more information, visit http://www.
peraltaschool.org.
In and Around Rockridge, There’s Only One #1
Find Out Why!
Homes SOLD in 2011 by Ron Kriss
Sale Price $652,000
Sale Price $837,000
5131Desmond.com
379-61st.com
SOLD
SOLD
Sale Price $1,150,000
Sale Price $818,000
BenvenueCourt.com
458Hudson.com
SOLD
SOLD
Sale Price $518,000
Sale Price $580,000
PiedmontAvenueLofts.com
5205Manila.com
SOLD
SOLD
Sale Price $825,000
Sale Price $806,000
4191Gilbert.com
5333James.com
SOLD
SOLD
Sale Price $806,500
Sale Price $850,000
a
127Gleneden.com
LawtonAssoc.com
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
SOLD
SOLD
L A W T O N

Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
DRE# 00784235
www.LawtonAssoc.com

A S S O C I A T E S
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E

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


February 4, 2012
14.

Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
March deadline is February 16, 2012.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com

Traditional Anglican
Worship in Rockridge
St. Peter’s Church, 6013 Lawton at Broadway.
Mass Sunday, 8 & 10 AM, Wednesday at noon.
Sunday School and Childcare, Sunday at 10.
510/597-1400. St.peters.oakland@gmail.com
www.saintpetersoakland.com
Enjoy the Romance of
February
Hair cut and color only $100.00 with Celest.
510/658-3658. Hello Gorgeous, 5336 College
Ave., Oakland.
Shicong Ma Massage
Relieve tension, headache, stiff neck, back
pain. Feet reflexology, stress reduction, body
relaxation. The best massage. 20 min/$15. 45
min/$30. 60 min/$40. 5406 College Ave., M-Sat,
9am-7pm. 510/654-2983.
Licensed General Contractor
Craftsman Rehabs, Remodels: Kitchens, baths,
gates, fences, decks, doors, windows. Profes-
sional and courteous. Fully insured. Many local
references. See www.catconstruction.biz Craig
510/232-5978.
Report: NCPC
Lesbians in Piedmont or
Rockridge?
Join us for the first event of the Rockridge/
Piedmont Lesbian Social Club at 6 pm on
February 25, for good food and good company.
Location provided upon RSVP to rpsocialclub@
gmail.com.

from page 1
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.

The College Preparatory School, 6100
Broadway, will be a special one as well:
Margaret Wahlberg and Christine Acker of
WhistleSTOP will donate the balance of their
nonprofit funds to the Greater Rockridge
NCPC as they retire their WhistleSTOP
program. WhistleSTOP raised money to
purchase and resell keychain whistles as
a crime prevention tool. Because the city
no longer funds the NCPCs, composed of
citizen volunteers who offer their time, office
supplies, and other resources, WhistleSTOP’s
$441 donation to your Greater Rockridge
NCPC will help continue crime prevention
and awareness in Rockridge.
Plan to attend the February meeting to
show your appreciation to Christine Acker
and Margaret Wahlberg for their Whistle-
STOP work and the donation to the Greater
Rockridge NCPC.
Valentine’s Day Special!
Penelope’s Aesthetics is offering a full European
facial for $49 for the month of February! Gift
certificates available for use any time. Please
call for an appointment. 510/594-1552. www.
penelopecalef.com
Reduce Stress, Get Fit,
Gain Inner Peace with
Dancemeditation
Fluid Yogic stretching, Expressive Dance.
Wednesdays, 7:00 - 8:30pm, 5390 Miles Ave,
with certified Dancemeditation teacher, Anasta-
cia. $18 drop in, $66/ 4 classes. 510-501-4489,
www.anastaciakaser.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.
Handyman Services
for Less
Painting, moving and many more tasks.
Same day service available. 510/379-0152.
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide excellent housecleaning service
with greatest attention to detail. Local recom-
mendations. *Let us create free time for you*
www.spectacularhousekleening.com
510/228-5704. Free estimate.
Violin Lessons in Rockridge
Experienced violinist new to the East Bay
accepting students. In-home studio, teaches
all ability levels, beginners to advanced, ages
5-adult. Friendly and personalized approach.
For more information, please call Lauren:
502/741-2447.
Purchasing surveillance cameras: Details about
the cameras, how they work, prices and the 30
percent community discount (six camera minimum)
will be in the NCPC minutes. To help people get
the discount, NCPC has started a list of names of
those interested so we may introduce people to
each other to meet the purchase minimum. If you
need one or two “order buddies,” e-mail chair@
rockridgencpc.com, noting how many cameras
you are interested in purchasing.
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. www.deenasolwren.com
Rental Needed
Condo or house on 1 level, off-street parking,
close to College Ave, or Piedmont Ave. Reliable
tenant, retired teacher, excellent credit and
references. Please email Phyllis Calechmen at
phylcal@yahoo.com or call 510/653-0471 or
510/207-3701.
Pregnancy Support Group
Intimate group provides a safe place to share
experiences and get support during this
transformative time. For women in all stages
of pregnancy. 6-week commitment; Tuesday
mornings. Deena Solwren, LCSW. 510/364-
2864. www.deenasolwren.com
Improve Communication
Skills
With free, ongoing classes in Transactional
Analysis for teachers, singles, parents, heal-
ers, principals, doctors, nurses, police, social
workers, citizens. Saturday mornings. Call
510/653-4844.


February 4, 2012

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. $5-10
sliding scale donation. The Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501
Telegraph Ave. Info: http://squirrellystringband.com.
School Fundraising Auctions

Community Calendar

Councilmember Jane Brunner’s
Community Advisory Meeting
Free and open to anyone 13-19 years old. Thursdays
through 3/22, 4 to 5:30pm.
FOR ADULTS
Saturday, February 25 from 10am to noon. Featured
speaker: City Adminstrator Deanna Santana. Peralta
Elementary School: 460 63rd St. (parking on Alcatraz,
east of Telegraph). Info: 238-7001, or view Brunner
Report at www.oaklandnet.com (the site for all City-
related information).
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
■
■Peralta Elementary School: Saturday, March 3, 5 to
11pm at the Uptown Body and Fender Bldg., 401 26th
St., as well as the on-line auction from Feb 20–27.
Info at www.peraltaschool.org.
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 17 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.
■
■Chabot Elementary Annual Spring Auction, “Casino
Royale.” Saturday, March 10, starting 5:30pm, at the
Scottish Rite Temple, 1547 Lakeside Drive, Oakland,
and an on-line auction from Sunday, 2/29 through
Friday, 3/9. Info at www.chabotelementary.org.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month (2/7, 3/6), 5 to 7pm
(advance 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: meeting
location Feb.9th: The College Preparatory School,
Room P1, 6100 Broadway. Confirm mtg. time/place at
www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
■
■Oakland Technical High Annual Auction Fundraiser:
Saturday, March 24, from 6:00-10:30 p.m., at the
Uptown Body and Fender building, 401 26th Street.
For more information or to donate an item, contact
auction@oaklandtech.com or visit: www.oaklandtech.
com/ptsa/auction-2012/
More details in articles beginning on page 9.
Wisteria Ways House Concert Series
■
■Feb: Tomye; Gouache painting.
■
■Mar: Rick Nelson; Photography.
Lobby Display Case:
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
Harps Galore: Patrice Haan, Lisa Lynne and Aryeh
Frankfurter. Saturday, February 25, 8pm; doors open
7:30. (inside venue; not wheelchair accessible). $15-20
donation for musicians (cash only at the door). 383 61st
Street. For reservations (highly recommended), RSVP
to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
■
■Feb: MoCHA; Children’s artwork.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5) Every Thurs,
10:30am; (Sing-along story time on 2nd Thurs.).
■
■Mar: Women’s Studies Month display; Women,
Wealth and Economic Justice.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays. Also: All branch
libraries closed Fri 2/10 and Sat 2/11. Note: due to
possible shut-downs, confirm all dates.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/Events
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2) Every Thurs,
10:30am, upstairs.
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5). Every Saturday, 10:30am.
Special Events:
■
■Make Your Own Valentines: Thursday, 2/9, from
3:30 to 5:00; Bring a list of names –make a valentine
for everyone in your class. All materials provided.
Children under 7 bring a grown-up.
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown
goods; home-made crafts, and more. Sample the goods,
greet your neighbors and listen to live music. Bring
your own reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. at DMV
parking lot. More info at www.urbanvillageonline.com.
North Oakland Senior Center
■
■African Stories on Film for Children: Wednesday,
2/15, 4 - 5pm. Watch fables, songs, & stories together on
the big screen. Snacks provided. Best for ages 5 to 10.
FOR TEENS
All events are FREE and open to the public.
■
■Thurs, 2/09, 7pm. Local journalist Thomas Peele:
Killing the Messenger: A Story of Radical Faith, Rac-
ism’s Backlash, and the Assassination of a Journalist.
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.
■
■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,
Note new time: 1 to 2pm. More info: Susy, 597- 5017.
■
■Mon, 2/13, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meet-
ing (2nd Mon. each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
■
■Thurs, 2/16, 7pm. Publication party for local author
Nina LaCour: The Disenchantments.
■
■Free African Dance Class taught by BB Borowitz.
Every Thurs through 3/8; 1:15 to 2:15pm.
Open Mon. – Fri., 9am to 3pm. 5714 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Way. Info: 597-5085.
Staff Changes at Rockridge
Branch Library: Temporary?
No Guarantees
Branch Manager Pat Lichter and Storytelling
Librarian Gay Ducey are being transferred
to other branches. Pat is going to be branch man-
ager at the new 81st Avenue Branch, while Gay
will be branch manager at the Dimond Branch
for six months. We hope their assignments are
temporary and that they will return to Rockridge,
but there are no guarantees.
The library system has had a hiring freeze in
place for a long time. These moves are therefore
forced by a promotion and a couple of people
going on leave, creating a domino effect.
City budget cuts are also causing a lot of
furlough days at the library, which many patrons
only discover by accident when they go on a day
that the library would normally be open.
— Jennifer Vetter, ardent library supporter
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Watch and talk
about anime (Japanese animation). Second Tues.
each month 5 to 6:30pm.
■
■Fri, 2/17, 7pm. Ramona Ausubel: No One Is Here
Except All Of Us.
■
■Make your own duct tape wallet: Saturday, 2/25,
noon to 1:30pm.
■
■Thurs, 2/23, 7pm. Gary Taubes and Frederick Crews:
Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It.
■
■Youth Speaks Writing & Performance Workshops:
Taught by experienced writers Dyanna Loeb and
Milani Pelley. The 10-week on-going series covers
everything from fiction to storytelling to desktop
publishing, improvisation, poetry, and performance.
■
■Sun, 2/26, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Willis Barnstone
and Stanley Moss.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
(and other events and discussion groups): 653-9965
or events@dieselbookstore.com.


February 4, 2012
16.

Terry Kulka & Julie Bartlett
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
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impeccable references is seeking a relatively level-in
2 bedroom 1 bath condo or bungalow close to College
Avenue or Piedmont Avenue with off street parking.
Call Today! (510) 682-5917
RockridgeHomeSales@Gmail.com
www.Rockridge-RealEstate.com
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
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Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri  6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
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