Extracted text

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 27       NO. 3       ISSUE NO. 287        March 3, 2012                    CIRCULATION: 5, 500 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

March 2012 RCPC
Town Hall Meeting

y
y I
s your home drafty and cold? Utility
bills too high? Energy Upgrade CA is a one-
stop shop for energy efficient home improvements
that will save you money, help the environment,
and make your house more comfortable. Learn

how you can get up to $4,000 back on your
project, and even help neighborhood schools
in the process.
Now might be the right time to get the new
Improving Home
Energy Efficiency

15
AGENDA

➧➧Energy Efficiency, page 13

Thursday, March 15 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila

Claremont MS Principal
Selection Process Begins
School Parents, Incoming School Parents,
Teachers and Staff, and School Community
to Elect Applicant Review Panel
April 19: RCPC Board Elections;
Six Seats. vote for rcpc repS: page 3
Reprieve: CVS Closing Extended for a Year
Closing…
Re-opened!
Closing…?
Re-opened!
The CVS roller
coaster slows
down again as
the store makes
plans to be open
for another year.
Spring is coming.
Buy plants.
Thursday, March 8 in the Claremont Middle School
gym, Mia Settles and Kyla Johnson-Trammell explain
the OUSD principal recommendation process.
Dinner 6-6:30; Meeting 6:30-7:30, Childcare available.
Claremont Middle School and its community members
have been invited by the Oakland Unified School
District (OUSD) to participate in the Principal Recom-
mendation process per OUSD Board Policy 4500.
/D. Kinkead
➧➧Claremont Begins Principal Search, page 11
What is BRT?
by Don Kinkead
For at least the last 10 years, AC Transit
has been planning a BRT – Bus Rapid
Transit – system that would share some of
the features of light rail lines except it would
be buses, rather than rail cars, running in
dedicated lanes.
AC Transit’s proposal is to run such
lines from Berkeley along the center of
Telegraph Avenue to Downtown Oakland,
then along International Boulevard (E. 14th
Avenue) to San Leandro. Patrons would
board at sheltered stations along the route,
or “transitway.” However, the stations would
generally be farther apart than current bus
stops. Also, many intersecting streets along
the Telegraph route, for example, would be
closed to automobile crossings, requiring
drivers to take alternate, perhaps longer,

Note: New location for the North Oakland BRT community meeting Wednesday,
March 7. If you cannot attend a meeting, call Jim Cunradi, AC Transit BRT Project
Manager, 510/891-7175, to learn where to submit your written comments prior to the
March 19 deadline. ­— Editor  Meeting information notice was provided by AC Transit

➧➧BRT-AC Transit, page 12


March 3, 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.

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.
Hey! Where’d Everybody Go?

12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays.
and Saturday, 3/31.
by Don Kinkead
Well, here it is, March already, and 2012
no less! Three months into another
new year and April Fool’s Day just around
the corner; 2011 fading into the fog of was.
Still, it’s nice here at home in Rockridge
with many of life’s comforts close at hand.
Are you hungry? Let’s check out that new
place that just opened up, then hop on over
to Cole’s or Peet’s or Hudson Bay for a
lingering afternoon latte. Afterwards, we
can wander on down to the library and go
through the new DVD selections; might
find something good. On the way back, we
can swing through Frog Park, then head up
Claremont Avenue to College for a little
window shopping, then home at last to our
cozy urban retreat.
Idyllic, no? But how did it happen here,
in this place? Fact: it didn’t just happen; it
was caused.
It was caused by people who fought to
preserve houses slated to be buried under
planned high rises. It was caused by people
who fought to craft a new urban zone dedi-
cated to neighborhoods built to a human
scale with nearby commercial areas that
could be comfortably sauntered through
by shoppers and residents.
And the library? It was built because
people said, “We need a library,” and taxed
themselves to pay for its design and construc-
tion in the neighborhood. The park? Same
deal! People wanted it and got together to
make it happen.
Many of these people and ideas were
associated with the Rockridge Community
Planning Council, RCPC as it is known,
that helped foster and fight for many of
these Rockridge features people decided
they wanted.
There were other ideas and supporters
along the way as the organization worked to
fulfill its mission to preserve and enhance
the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood, and to furnish a forum for
community involvement.
“A forum for community involvement”?
Certainly. Since RCPC formed in the mid-
’70s, the organization has held monthly
meetings open to all Rockridge residents
to come together to discuss neighborhood
issues, challenges and progress. RCPC board
members develop a presentation of topical
concerns or general interest that could be
useful to residents, providing the forum for
community involvement.
Have you had a chance to attend any of
the meetings? Rockridge folk are a
protective group and will turn out for con-
tentious issues, but judging from attendance
at the regular meetings, are otherwise likely
to be busy elsewhere.
So: an invitation to you. Read through
the following list of 2011 meeting topics
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
➧➧RCPC Agendas, page 12
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
  April 5, 2012
  April deadline is March 19, 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.)


March 3, 2012

3.

RCPC Board Election Procedures
At the RCPC Town Hall meeting Thurs-
day, April 19, Rockridge residents
may vote for RCPC board candidates.
Twenty-five or more residents must vote
at the meeting to establish a quorum. If
the quorum is met, residents unable to
attend the Town Hall may vote Saturday,
April 21, in the lobby of the Rockridge
library, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Voter Eligibility
Persons age 18 and over who live within
RCPC boundaries are eligible to vote.
Verification will be by driver’s license or
DMV ID card showing an address within
RCPC boundaries, depicted on the RCPC
website at rockridge.org.
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: March 28.
Subject to change. Check rockridge.org the preceding week for
the full meeting agenda.

Rockridge Community
Planning Council
2011 Financial Statement
Fiscal Year January 1 – December 31, 2011
RCPC P&L
All as of 12/31/11
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Contributions
15,710
Rockridge News
40,653
Kitchen Tour
21,749
Total Income
78,112
Expense
Rockridge News
35,416
Bank Charges
3
Office Expenses
3,338
Contractors
5,634
Fundraising
509
Grants / Awards / Scholarships
1,830
Programs - Safeway
11,763
K-Tour
3,102
Misc Expenses
2,753
Taxes, Licenses, Fees
81
Utilities
237
Total Expense
64,666
Net Income
13,447
FORL (Friends of the Rockridge Library) P&L
Ordinary Income/Expense

Committee Notes: The next meeting of the RCPC Land Use Committee is Wednesday,
March 28, 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library. Topics on the agenda are: • updates
on the Rockridge Shopping Center and College Avenue Safeway projects; • the Rockridge
Montessori expansion project; and • discussion of the city’s proposed revisions to its off-
street parking requirements. Contact Stu Flashman (652-5373 or chair@rockridge.org) if you
want a copy of the agenda. Land use committee meetings are generally open to the public.

Report (EIR) for comments on newly-added
information, once this volume is completed
and released to the public, the entire EIR
will go to the Planning Commission. The
commission will consider whether to certify
it as adequate and then use it to decide on
whether to approve Safeway’s 62,000 sq. ft.
proposal, or something else instead.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Shopping Center Project
College & Claremont Avenues
Nothing new to report. Peterson Vollman
(pvollman@oaklandnet.com; 238-6167),
the planner assigned to this project, is still
working with the city’s environmental
consultants on revisions to the 2,000 page
administrative draft of the responses to
comments document. Unless the city decides
to recirculate the Environmental Impact
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Rebuild Project
Broadway & Pleasant Valley
The RCPC board of directors earlier this
month adopted the Land Use Committee’s
➧➧Land Use Committee, page 6
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Income
Contributions
4,291
Earned
0
Total Income
4,291
Expense
Library Furniture
3,510
Bank Charges
6
Office Expenses
727
Grants/Scholarships
4,959
Misc Expenses
2,146
Office Supplies
32
Total Expense
11,380
Net Ordinary Income
-7,088
Net Income
-7,088
FROG (Friends of the Rockridge Greenbelt) P&L
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Contributions
566
Earned
20
Total Income
587
Expense
Bank Charges
0
Maintenance/Cleaning
1,393
Misc expenses
823
Events
265
Grants
150
Utilities
126
Total Expense
2,757
Net Ordinary Income
-2,170
Net Income
-2,170
RCPC, FROG, FORL Balance Sheet
ASSETS
CDs
FORL
30,000
FROG
10,353
RCPC
38,836
TOTAL CDs
79,189
Checking/Savings
FORL
14,199
FROG
33,080
RCPC
56,353
Whistlestop
442
Scenic Streets
3,162
Locksley Gardens
499
Total Checking/Savings
107,735
Other Current Assets
FROG: Bal of Paygo-de la Fuente
22,022
Inventory Asset - FORL
-700
Inventory Asset - RCPC DVDs
12,350
Total Current Assets
33,671
TOTAL ASSETS
220,595
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Sales Tax
10
Total Liabilities
10
Equity
Opening Bal Equity
193,172
Unrestrict (retained earnings)
21,226
Net Income
1,978
Total Equity
216,375
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY
216,385
RCPC tax records are on file at the
Rockridge Branch Library for public review.


March 3, 2012
4.

School Director Jody London Invites Master Plan Participation

a new Facilities Master Plan and members
of the school board need to know what
improvements you’d like to see.
The Facilities Master Plan will help
determine what changes we make to OUSD
facilities and campuses over the next five
years. With input from throughout the com-
munity, this plan will provide a framework
for continual improvement over the next
generation of Oakland students and families.
Following is a list of community meet-
ings to be held on the topic in different
areas of the school district; more may be
added later.
Facilities Community Engagement
Plan Schedule
■
■March 13: Oakland Tech High,
4351 Broadway; 6-8 p.m.
Friends,
A little over six years ago, my involvement
with Oakland Unified School district
(OUSD) as a parent volunteer kicked in
to high gear when the district revised the
Facilities Master Plan. With the passage
of Measure B in 2006, OUSD has been
able to upgrade schools across our city.
The Facilities Master Plan is being updated
again this year. I encourage you to attend
one of the meetings shown below to learn
more, and/or review the online documents.
Please spread the word.
— Jody
■
■March 20: Madison Middle School,
400 Capistrano Drive; 6-8 p.m.
■
■March 27: Franklin Elementary
School, 915 Foothill Boulevard;
6-8 p.m.
■
■April 3: Havenscourt Middle/
HS (Roots/CCPA), 1390 66th
Avenue; 6-8 p.m.
For more detailed information about the
Facilities Master Plan and related activities,
visit: www.ousd.k12.ca.us/facilitiesplan.
Jody London, President, Board of
Education and Director, District 1
Oakland Unified School District
510/459-0667
jody.london@ousd.k12.ca.us
Help Plan the Next Generation of
OUSD Facilities Improvements
The Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) is in the process of developing
■
■March 6: McClymonds High,
2607 Myrtle Street; 6-8 p.m.

Chabot Fundraiser: Many Ways to Play and Support a Local School

This month, Chabot Elementary School
hosts its Spring Auction, the most
important and exciting fundraising event
of the Chabot year. Plan to attend the
festivities Saturday, March 10, 5:30 p.m.
at the Scottish Rite Temple, 1547 Lakeside
Drive. Tickets are $40 and can be bought
online at the Chabot website, http://www.
chabotelementary.org/ (click on the Casino
Royale logo).
There will be dancing, great food and
drinks, and in keeping with the Casino
Royale theme, there will be a working
casino with blackjack tables, roulette and
more. Come join us.
In addition to the live auction, the
online auction that began in February runs
through Thursday, March 8, closing at 10
p.m. Preview the online catalog of exciting
items, including gift certificates to your
favorite Rockridge stores and restaurants,
camps, and more, then bid on them from
the comfort and convenience of your home.
You do not have to be a Chabot School
family to participate. Check out all the
action at http://auctions.readysetauction.
com/chabotelementary/home.
Much thanks to the community for all
your support of Rockridge public schools.
G
Rockridge
Optometry
Your neighborhood 
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland


March 3, 2012

5.

Ride for a Reason: Together We Will Make a Difference

Cyclists Carry Word of Public
Schools’ Needs to the Capitol
In this photo taken
a t  t h e  s u c c e s s f u l
conclusion of a previous
by Mike Napolitano
Ride for a Reason is a bike ride to Sacra-
mento to draw attention to the budget
crisis for public schools in California, and
to raise essential funds for enrichment
programs in four North Oakland schools:
Emerson Elementary, Claremont Middle
School, Oakland Technical High, and
Oakland International High. California
now funds its schools at 25 percent below
the national average. We must do better.
The ride takes place May 12. Join us
for fully supported 45-, 65-, and 105-mile
rides to the Capitol; transportation home is
available. As of mid-February, 70 riders had
registered. With your help, we will reach
our goals of 200 riders on May 12, and
$60,000 donated to our schools.
The 45-mile ride is ideal for families
Ride for a Reason,
s a t i s f i e d  c y c l i s t s
celebrate their arrival
in Sacra mento a nd
make a point of getting
their message to state
legislators about the
inadequacy of school
funding.
low gears, tame a “wildcat,” ride through
the “valley of the red palace,” and cross a
“blessed” bridge, and that’s before lunch!
You’ll have to register, volunteer, or donate
to find out more. One hundred percent good
feeling guaranteed. Working together we
will make a difference.
and children. All riders are encouraged to
raise $250 or more in donations. To register,
volunteer, or donate, go to: http://www.
rideforareason.dojiggy.com/. For more
information, contact Mike Napolitano at
mikenapolitano5@gmail.com.
On the ride you’ll “spruce-up” your
T
3RD ANNUAL CLAREMONT MIDDLE SCHOOL
PANCAKE
BREAKFAST
he Community is
invited to join
SAT
APRIL
21
Masons, Dads, and
Merchants as they
host the 3rd Annual
Cla remont Middle
S c h o o l
P a n c a k e
Breakfast Fundraiser,
Saturday, April 21.
More, page 13.
FROG Earthday and
10th Anniversary
Celebration: April 21
Cleanup
Family-friendly Cleanup:
* 9AM - 12 noon (Big & Little
FROG parks)
10th Anniversary Celebration
CHOOSE FROM 4
SEATINGS AT
8, 9, 10 & 11
ROCKRIDGE
MASONIC
HALL
5449 COLLEGE AVE
$10
GET TICKETS AND DETAILS AT
WWW.CLAREMONTMS.ORG
IN ADVANCE
S12 AT THE DOOR
INCLUDES FULL BREAKFAST
KIDS UNDER 5 EAT FREE
SPONSORED BY THE ROCKRIDGE DISTRICT ASSOCIATION,
THE FREEMASONS, AND THE CLAREMONT DADS CLUB
Regency Antique Restoration
Professional and Experienced
ALL Furniture Repairs
In-Home Services
New finishes & waxing
FREE ESTIMATES
Pickup & Delivery
517-6280
Bruce Wagg
bruce@bayareaantiques.com
Big Build Celebration and Family
Fun:
* 12 noon-2 PM (Big FROG)
And...
Frog Park Meeting
Rockridge Library, Thursday, March 8,
7:30 p.m. Join with neighbors who care
about Frog Park to plan the Earth Day
clean-up and planning for 2012.


March 3, 2012
6.

Street Sweeping
More Profitable for
City than Permit
Parking Program
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.
‘A Storied Establishment Recognized’
by Jon Gabel, RCPC board member
In response to the story on Residential
Permit Parking (RPP) costs and revenues
published in the November, 2011 Rockridge
News, several readers asked for the same
data on street sweeping.
Here is that data for fiscal year July,
2010 – June, 2011, as provided by the city:
Thank you for that splendid article in
The Rockridge News (“Eyes on Rockridge,”
February, 2012) about the Rockridge Barber
Shop; always a pleasure to see a storied
establishment recognized.
Marty and I are convinced that the photo
in the article is, in fact, the present day shop
as the overhead light location matches an
electrical plate that is now there in its stead.
Not to mention the art-deco waiting chairs.
The owner of the Levant RugCompany
across College Avenue remembers the shop
from the early ’30s and was in for a haircut
recently. Also, a gent came in with a photo
of himself getting a haircut in 1946 as a
10-year-old [right]. We should have taken
a snapshot with him holding the picture!
— John (second chair) Busher
Ed. Note: This letter was sent to the
article’s author. It is published here with
permission of the letter writer.
Street sweeping citation revenue:

$10,115,673.
Cost of street sweeping parking
enforcement:
$1,046,000.
Street sweeping budget (cost of
sweeping);
$6,851,784.
Net revenue to city of Oakland:

$2,217,889.
This is considerably more than the
$642,462 net revenue from the RPP program
for the same time period.
A related concern is the proposed drop-off/
pick-up parking zone on Broadway directly
in front of the school.
The City planner involved, Ulla Britt-
Jonsson (ujonsson@oaklandnet.com,
238-3322) met with the school staff and
consultants and some of the neighbors on
February 22. While some progress has been
made, major issues remain unresolved. The
city will schedule an administrative hearing
soon. At present, the city has considered the
project exempt from environmental review
based on its location and small size.
toddler and preschool students (toddlers on
the first floor, 3-5 year-olds on the second).
The current Broadway building holds 38
students, and a former church on Manila
is state-approved to hold up to 59; its city
use permit would allow up to 94. With the
new building, the school could potentially
house as many as 191 students.
This project was first put forward
several years ago, but has been stalled for
the past year while the school’s consultants
address traffic, parking, and other issues.
The school’s immediate neighbors have
repeatedly expressed major concerns about
the expansion, both in terms of its specific
impacts and the appropriateness of having
such a large facility within a residentially-
zoned area. RCPC has expressed concerns
about safety issues associated with its
Broadway location for pedestrians, bicyclists,
and vehicles. Of particular concern have
been the potential problems from U-turns
at the Broadway traffic signal, especially
in light of the city’s planned “lane diet” – a
reduction from four travel lanes to two – and
the addition of bicycle lanes on Broadway.
Land Use
Committee
from page 3
recommendations on ten issues that Safe-
way needs to address in its proposal for the
rebuild and 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of
this shopping area, located at the borders
of the Rockridge, Temescal, and Piedmont
Avenue districts. (See last month’s issue
or the rockridge.org website for details.)
Other North Oakland community groups
are discussing whether to also support these
issues. The Draft EIR for the project is still
in preparation.
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.
■
■Rockridge Montessori School
Expansion Project
5610 Broadway
This project,which would be the third
proposed expansion of the school, would
convert an existing residence next to the
current Broadway facility to a classroom
building, with the addition of a second story.
The new building is proposed to hold up to 59
Reconciliation
 Saturday, 4 p.m.
www.staugustineoakland.com


March 3, 2012

7.
NCPC Backs Group Buys of Security Cameras

Springtime is
the Perfect
Time...
To Become a Rockridge News
Block Captain
Although it’s not officially spring, we
can definitely feel spring in the air.
And what better time to become a block
captain than now, when you can enjoy the
fresh air while you stroll down the block
dropping off the Rockridge News to friends
and neighbors?
We have two easy blocks to cover, if you
live in their vicinity. Thanks to Amy Vernetti
and Leah & Ben Hoskin who have covered
these routes until just recently and welcome
to new Block Captain Patty Siri Tarino who
will deliver Route #5K along Chabot.
Please call or email if you are interested
in becoming a Block Captain and mention
the route number: smontauk@gmail.com
or 510/547-3855
by Denise Jorgensen, treasurer,
Rockridge NCPC, Beats 12Y & 13X
The first Rockridge Logitech Camera
Order Buddy group to receive and
install its security cameras has given strong
positive feedback about the program and
offered their thanks to the Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
(GRNCPC), to Paula Stringfellow, the
NCPC’s Rockridge resident volunteer for
the program, and to Logitech.
Since the NCPC’s January meeting
launching the discounted security camera
program in Rockridge, Paula has been
coordinating the Order Buddy introduc-
tions and creating groups of interested
Rockridge residents who live close to each
other to meet the minimum of six cameras
purchased to be eligible for the significant
37 percent discount.
www.rockridgencpc.com. The pdf file,
and information in the January 2012 meeting
minutes (http://rockridgencpc.com/docu-
ments/minutes/NCPC%20Minutes%201-12.
pdf) should answer all of your questions.
If you are interested in purchasing a
camera system, send an e-mail with your first
and last name, address, and the number and
types of cameras you would like to purchase
to Paula Stringfellow at paulaps@mac.com,
with a copy to chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Technical questions not answered on the
website may be addressed to Alex Zaliaus-
kas, Senior Product Manager for Logitech,
at logitechforcommunities@gmail.com.
While you are at the NCPC website,
check out the dropdown menus for crime
prevention tips and resources. The March
meeting will be held at the Rockridge
Library, Thursday, March 8, 7 p.m.
Details about what are likely the most
state-of-the-art security cameras currently
available to consumers on the market today
may be found on the GRNCPC website,
The Greater Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (GRNCPC) meets the second
Thursday of the month at the Rockridge Branch
Library, College and Manila Avenues, Oakland.

WhistleStop Disbands; Passes Funds to NCPC
At the Greater Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council’s (GRNCPC)
February  meeting, the WhistleStop
Association
of Rockridge
closed out its
b o o k s  a n d
turned over
the balance
of its funds
to the NCPC.
WhistleStop
founders Mar-
garet Wahlberg
and Christine
Acker pre -
s e n t e d  t h e
NCPC with a
check for $440
to help in the
ongoing effort
to fight crime
in Rockridge.
WhistleStop, a nonprofit citizens’ action
group, was patterned after one at the Hyde
Park-Kenwood Community Conference in
Chicago (http://www.hydepark.org/pro-
grams/whistlestop.html). The Rockridge
program was organized in 1992 in the

Route No. Description
07G
5800-6145 blocks of Broad-
way, east side only.
16A
Both sides of Miles between
Cavour and Clifton.
midst of a particularly bad crime spree that
followed the Oakland Hills fire.
Together with the Oakland Police
Department,
WhistleStop
sought to raise
c o m m u n i t y
a w a r e n e s s
and vigilance
by providing
resident s a
practical way
to get help in an
emergency. The
WhistleStop
p h i l o s o p h y
was simply to
blow a whistle
when help was
needed, and
when a whistle
was heard to
respond with
the needed help by calling the police.
In the past 20 years, over 1,000 whistles
were sold to Rockridge residents at selected
stores on College Avenue and at street fairs.
In addition, WhistleStop contributed to
crime-fighting causes in Rockridge and
in the city of Oakland at large by helping
to purchase a bloodhound “Buddy” for the
OPD, and by joining with the Rockridge
Community Planning Council (RCPC),
the Rockridge District Association (RDA)
and the NCPC to buy bicycles for the OPD
College Avenue patrol officers.
As time passed and high-tech methods
of fighting crime became more widely used,
WhistleStop decided to dissolve the orga-
nization and give its funds to the NCPC,
the perfect organization to continue the
cause for which the money was originally
intended—that of fighting crime.
The NCPC is actively involved with
community outreach and awareness. Work-
ing with the Oakland Police Department,
the NCPC helps identify trouble spots in
our neighborhood and helps Rockridge
residents prevent crime.
Learn more about the Greater Rockridge
NCPC: Visit the organization’s website
at rockridgencpc.com and plan to attend
the next meeting at the Rockridge Library,
Thursday, March 8, 7 p.m.
WhistleStop passes its remaining funds to
NCPC boardmembers. Karen Ivy, left, and
Barbara Minton, NCPC; Margaret Wahlburg and
Christine Acker, WhistleStop; Frank Castro and
Denise Jorgensen, NCPC.        /D. Kinkead


March 3, 2012
8.

by Judith Doner Berne
A
It’s hard to imagine Oakland’s walking
tour coordinator, Rockridge resident
Annalee Allen, at a standstill. But here
she is, in front of the mural painted
on Hudson Bay Café, holding her
newest book, “Oakland Landmarks.”
It honors the city’s 160th birthday and
is illustrated by watercolorist Heidi
Wyckoff.
nnalee Allen’s name may sound
familiar.
That’s partly because the long-time
Rockridge resident writes a weekly column
on topics covering local landmarks, tours
and history for the Oakland Tribune.
She also manages the city of Oakland’s
Walking Tours Program and has authored
three books dealing with Oakland history.
But you might not know that her love
of old buildings was honed at an early age
and by local architecture.
“It was so inspiring,” she says, of look-
ing out her bedroom window at the historic
Claremont Hotel as she was growing up in
Berkeley.
“I knew who Julia Morgan was as a young
girl,” she says, because her grandmother lived
in the Morgan-designed Berkeley City Club.
She also credits her Berkeley High
School Latin teacher with introducing her
to Roman architecture. She went on to major
in art history, with a focus on architecture,
at UCLA.
When she and her attorney husband,
Jim, who were high school sweethearts,
moved back to the Bay area, they settled
“briefly in Moraga. It was just a little
too homogeneous for me, I’m just saying.
Fortunately, an opportunity came up and
we moved to Rockridge in 1978.”
“I wanted there to be sidewalks. I wanted
our children – Conor, now 33, Brian, now
/Judith Berne
and more involved in Oakland politics.”
Indeed, after working for the election of
Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, who served
from 1991-1999, she was rewarded with
an appointment to the city’s Landmarks
Preservation Advisory Board.
“That was a huge breakthrough” because
no one from the Oakland Heritage Alliance
had ever been appointed to that board,
Allen says.
At the same time, she was hired to coor-
dinate the Firestorm Tile Mural Project at
the Rockridge BART, to honor those who
had died and suffered in the 1991 fires that
engulfed the Berkeley and Oakland hillsides.
“Although the fire didn’t come on our
side of Broadway, everyone was affected,”
she says.
“My job for a year (1992-93) was to carry
the tiles in my car, to set up tile workshops,
to catalogue them until the wall went up.”
Allen has been at the helm of walking
tours of the city for 16 years. “I transitioned
30, and Ross, now 26 – to be able to walk to
College (Avenue)” as she had done growing
up in the Elmwood/Claremont neighborhood.
They bought their house on Lawton which
she describes as “the spookiest Halloween
street in Oakland.”
Meantime, she began volunteering
for the boys’ local schools (Chabot and
Claremont Middle School) and joined the
Oakland Heritage Alliance where she served
as president.
Allen realized that her interest in local
history paralleled what was happening
throughout the country, fueled by the nation’s
1976 bicentennial celebrations.
College programs in historical preserva-
tion were popping up, but “I couldn’t find
a program in this area.” She settled for
a certificate in arts administration from
Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
As her children grew, “I’m getting more
➧➧Oakland Historian, page 14
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March 3, 2012

9.

Rockridge
Resident Esther
McFeely is 101
There was a wonderful neighborhood
birthday party on Lawton in late
January. The invitation was written in
chalk on the sidewalk for all who wished
to take advantage of it. Esther McFeely,
one of Rockridge’s longest living residents,
was celebrating her 101st birthday.
Esther was born in 1911 in San
Francisco, barely missing the Great
Earthquake of 1906. Her daughter Suzy
Ruhe tells me that her Mom moved into
her present home on Lawton in 1920,
at the age of 9, when Rockridge was
barely Rockridge and the neighborhood
below College was called Vernon Park.
In 1941, she married Fred Paul McFeely,
the boy who lived a few doors down on
Shafter. She brought him home, too,
and together they raised two children,
Suzy McFeely Ruhe and Jim McFeely. The
kids left the nest early on, but Esther
never felt the need to budge from her
Rockridge home. It’s been 92 years so
far, and here she will stay as long as
she can, thanks to the loving care of
her son and daughter.

Esther’s mother was born in 1879.
She and her two sisters, beauties all,
became excellent dress makers under their
mother’s tutelage. When the time was
right, the ladies moved to San Francisco,
setting up a prosperous high fashion
dress-making business. In the aftermath
of the 1906 Earthquake, the sisters were
seen rolling their mannequins loaded
with dresses, hats, feathers and laces
down Van Ness Avenue to escape the
ensuing fire. After this adventure, the
sisters sought safer ground in the East
Bay. Esther’s family eventually settled
permanently in Oakland.
Home Sweet Home
Esther’s classic bungalow home was
built in 1913. You all know it for its strong
resemblance to the famous Rockridge
coffee mug design. Her mom and dad
bought the home from a contractor
who built the Methodist church on
Broadway and 25th, now the YMCA. It
is therefore no surprise that sections of
stained glass found their way into cabinet
doors, and the massive stone fireplace
seems a little out of place. A portable
box pedal organ Esther’s grandmother
brought west sits in a corner of the
living room. Suzy Ruhe has wonderful
memories of that old instrument being
rolled out onto the front porch each
Christmas for neighborhood caroling
while the ladies handed out homemade
popcorn balls. Suzy also remembers the
ice man singing as he went up and down
Lawton delivering chunks of ice, leaving
a trail of water on the pavement. And
then there was the rag man, pushing
his hand cart down the middle of the
street, chanting, “Rags, bottles, sacks!”
Esther was always a strong community
member, never took things for granted.
For years she had folks gather at her home
to bundle and distribute the Rockridge
The
Rockridge
Muse
by Ortrun Niesar
Esther
McFeely and
Baby the Dog,
her constant
companion.
Esther
McFeely and
Baby the Dog,
her constant
companion.

A Family Tale
Esther looks wonderful, always with
a big smile on her face. Her memory
may not be as good as it used to be,
but she still recalls the days when….
For us, Esther is a real treasure and a
living link to the California’s gold and
silver mining days. Her grandmother,
from County Mayo, Ireland, landed in
Long Island, New York, then trekked
west in a Calistoga wagon to become the
“mail-order bride” of a wealthy Nevada
City saloon keeper named Kistle. Alas, it
seems to have been a sham: the saloon
keeper wasn’t as rich and handsome as
he had made out to be.

➧➧Esther McFeely, page 14










 
­
24


 
	


March 3, 2012
10.

Then and Now: Claremont MS Entry Gate
Returned to a Place of Prominence

When RCPC board member
Annette Floystrup gradu-
ated from Claremont Junior High
School, as it was known in 1964,
teaching staff stood for a group
photo in front of what was then
the gated main entrance to the
school building. That gate, found
on the school grounds several
years ago, has been refurbished
and installed on the corner of
College Avenue and Birch Court,
close to its original location.
/Photo, scanned from
Claremont Knights yearbook,

The long-running
Claremont Middle
S c h o o l  e n t r y
gate restoration
project, below,
sponsored by the
Claremont Dad’s
Club is nearing
completion. Finish
w o r k  f o r  t h e
pillars and a little
more landscaping
remain.

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5940 College Avenue
www.cartridgeworldusa.com/Store197

courtesy of Annette Floystrup
/D. Kinkead

Inventory Rising in Rockridge

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

1/30/12 4 2.5
5727 Keith Avenue
$798,000
$649,000 162
$675,000
           2/10/12 4
3
71 Buckeye Avenue
$819,000
$819,000
9
$851,000

2/22/12 5 4.5
123 Wilding Lane
$1,168,000
$999,900 176
$950,000
          2/23/12 2
1
321 Hudson Street
$650,000
$650,000
55
$628,500
           2/23/12 5
5
115 Alpine Terrace
$4,250,000
$3,500,000 249
$3,000,000

Average original list price to sales price is currently 79% vs 100% last year ·
Median sales price is currently $851,000 vs $629,000 last year ·
There is currently a 4 month supply of inventory

Shopping? Shop Oakland, First


March 3, 2012

11.

The Marathon Runs Through Rockridge
Claremont Begins
Principal Search

The Oakland Running Festival returns
for year three Sunday, March 25.
First held in 2010, the event publicizes
Oakland, but also affects homes and
businesses along the course.
Race organizers supplied the fol-
lowing link to the race map: www.
o a k l a n d m a r a t h o n . c o m /A s s e t s /
Oakland+Marathon/2012AllRaces.pdf.
The timeline below and the map
at right show when runners will pass
through Rockridge at indicated mile-
age points shown as numbers in circles:
Find a street-by-street listing of
the route at this race-provided site:
www.oaklandmarathon.com.
from page 1
At a meeting March 8, the community
will vote on who will represent Claremont
on the Principal Recommendation Com-
mittee (PRC) to consist of four parents,
three teachers, two staff members, one
retired administrator and one community
representative. This committee will help
interview all eligible candidates, then make
final recommendations to Superintendent
Tony Smith.
Be a part of this important process.
Those elected to participate on the commit-
tee will be committing to 4-6 preparatory
and follow-up committee meetings and one
full day (usually a Saturday) interviewing
finalists.                  — Shona Armstrong
ROCKRIDGE
o
a
r
Bd
w
ay
6
7
Mile First
Runner
Last
Runner
Telegraph
24
Claremont
Keith
Lake
Temescal
5
6
5
7:55
a.m.
8:58
a.m.
Broadway
Rockridge
BART
6
8:00
a.m.
9:00
a.m.
e
c
a
rr
College
Ter
ay
w
d
Mile
Markers
Mile
Markers
OA K L A N D  M A R AT H O N
R O C K R I D G E  A R E A
M a r c h  2 5,  2 012
Adapted from the map
provided by race organizers
a
ro
B
7
8:05
a.m.
9:32
a.m.
4
5
51st St
OAKLAND MARATHON
ROCKRIDGE AREA
March 25, 2012
More information about Board Policy 4500 is
available online at: (http://bextest.ousd.k12.
ca.us/attachments/17165.pdf)
TEMESCAL
Adapted from the map provided by race organizers
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
Rockridge Real Estate
With my over $10,000,000 in home sales in Rockridge
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Call for a real local expert opinion.
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Happy Spring!
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


March 3, 2012
12.
BRT-AC Transit

RCPC Agendas
man chairs a presentation and discussion of
the BART Plaza project.
May 2011
from page 1
from page 2
■
■Board Elections: RCPC holds election for
board candidates. Show your support for your
neighborhood organization.
to see if, in retrospect, you find any that
appeal to you. In the spirit of community
and communication, you very well may. If
you find none, or few, that appeal, e-mail
info@rockridge.org with your suggestions.
A boardmember will be happy to discuss
a program with you. (You can also send a
letter to RCPC, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA  94611.)
Meanwhile, read the monthly Town
Hall meeting agenda, always on the front
page of The Rockridge News. Meetings are
held in the upstairs meeting room of the
Rockridge Branch Library, starting at 7:30
p.m. on the third Thursday of each month,
except August and December.
Your attendance and participation will
help keep Rockridge vibrant.
routes, likely shifting heavier traffic to
adjacent streets. The central transitway
would leave one lane of traffic on either
side of Telegraph and remove a number
of parking spaces in commercial districts
along the route.
AC Transit says the dedicated transitways
would increase speed and reduce travel
time, making BRT attractively competitive
with automobile use. The agency says the
transitway stations would provide seamless,
covered connections, easing ticket purchase
and boarding, and the bus entry doors would
be level with station platforms, also improv-
ing boarding time. Also, the buses would
have electronic control of traffic signals
giving them more consistent right-of-way
over other traffic.
Over the years, there have been many
public meetings and hearings on the pro-
posal. The transit agency has now released
a final environmental impact statement and
is hosting a series of meetings for public
review and comment on the BRT plan.
A rewarding Google search on “BRT”
or “AC Transit BRT” returns a wealth
of topical articles. Three sites below are
examples, offered for their information,
not their points of view. If you are unable
to attend any of the public meetings, you
may still comment on the environmental
report through March 19.
■
■Safeway Update: Updates on the Rockridge
Shopping Center and College Avenue Safeway
Projects.
June 2011
■
■Primer, General Plan and Zoning Continued.
The second of a series of discussions of basic
elements of land use and planning presented
by Land Use Attorney Stuart Flashman.
July 2011
■
■Joint Meeting: RCPC and NCPC discuss
crime and crime prevention in Oakland and
Rockridge.
■
■Jane Brunner’s aide and an OPD representa-
tive discuss budget impacts.
August: No Town Hall Meeting
September
■
■PANEL Presentation: Maximizing Value in
Your Kitchen Remodel (Kitchen Tour)
October 2011
■
■Oakland School Board President Jody
London reports on the school district’s strategic
planning process, entitled “Thriving Students.”
November 2011
Retrospective: RCPC Town Hall
Topics, 2011
January 2011
■
■Oakland Walk Tours: Annalee Allen,
coordinator of the Oakland Tours Program,
discusses historical Oakland
December 2011: No Town Hall Meeting
■
■Community-proposed alternatives for the
Rockridge/Safeway Shopping Center
■
■RCPC Committees Annual Community
Report
February 2011
■
■City Attorney John Russo Discusses Gang
Injunctions and the City Budget.
Wonderful, ongoing,
weekday classes for
babies or toddlers
■
■A Look at Urban Wildlife and the Birds
and the Bees, with City of Oakland Naturalist
Stephanie Benavidez.
A
Mov
e
m
e
nt
P
■
■Mike Lynes, Audubon Society: Birds in
Rockridge.
March 2011
rog
http://www.actransit.org/planning-focus/
your-guide-to-bus-rapid-transit/brt-in-the-
east-bay/
http://urbanhabitat.org/node/1468
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/
whats-left-of-brt/Content?oid=2414177
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
■
■Primer on General Plan and Zoning, Land
Use Attorney Stuart Flashman
■
■Forum: RCPC Board Candidates for April
2011 Election
April 2011
For 9 months up to 3 years with an adult
Dawn Margolin  |  510.547.7726
The above is offered as a broad overview
of AC Transit’s BRT proposal, and of some
concerns expressed by the public. It is
intended only as an introduction to the topic
in advance of the scheduled meetings, not
as an endorsement of any position.  —Ed.
■
■Board Elections: RCPC and FORL hold
elections for board candidates. Vote and show
your support for the work of these groups.
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
■
■Update and Discussion of BART Plaza
Project: RCPC board-member Ann Winter-
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
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com


March 3, 2012

13.

Support Oakland Tech’s ‘This Is It!’ Auction

invited to the party, and are welcome to
participate in Tech’s first online auction
this March.
The event is Saturday, March 24, between
6:00-10:30 p.m., at the Uptown Body and
Fender building at 401 26th Street in
Oakland. Tickets are $25 per person until
February 29, and $35 afterwards. For more
information or to donate an item, contact
auction@oaklandtech.com, or visit: www.
oaklandtech.com/ptsa/auction-2012/
Energy Efficiency

by Ronnie Spitzer, Tech parent
Wonderful food, friendship, entertain-
ment 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.
Funds raised by the Auction provide
necessary support to all areas of the school
and its students, including classroom needs,
athletics, music, lab supplies, technology
and more. This year, we hope to raise
over $52,000, and surpass last year’s total.
Oakland Tech’s Academic Performance
Index (API) scores have steadily increased
in recent years, and Oakland Tech now has
the highest API score of the comprehensive
high schools in Oakland Unified.
Neighborhoods throughout the city are

April Event: Claremont Pancake Fundraiser

from page 1
Third Annual Pancake Breakfast to
Support Claremont Middle School —
April 21, Rockridge Masonic Hall
The Oakland-Durant-Rockridge Masonic
Lodge #188, Claremont Middle School
PTA Dad’s Club, and the Rockridge District
Association (RDA) are jointly hosting
the Third Annual Community Pancake
Breakfast at the Rockridge Masonic Hall,
5449 College Avenue, Saturday, April
21. Proceeds from the breakfast support
programs focusing on music, fine arts and the
state-of-the-art computer lab at Claremont
Middle School, a part of the College Avenue
community since 1913.
The breakfast menu will again include
pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, coffee
insulation, windows, or furnace you have
been putting off.
This is a statewide program that is
making our communities more sustain-
able and creating green jobs with local
contractors.
Edie Irons, an outreach coordinator for
the program, will explain how it works and
answer your questions.
Peralta Elementary, Chabot Elementary,
Hillcrest Elementary, Claremont Middle,
and other neighborhood
schools can all get money
when local homeowners
do upgrades. Learn more
at the RCPC Town Hall
meeting, or at www.
energizefortheprize.org.
Get ‘em while they’re hot! A volunteer
Mason cooks up a stack of flapjacks
for last year’s Claremont Pancake
Breakfast. The annual funraising event
is set for April 21. Plan now to attend.
and tea. Tickets for the event are $10 (with a
small transaction fee added when purchased
online): go to the Claremont website: www.
claremontms.org. The Pancake Breakfast
link (about the middle of the page) will take
you to the website where you can buy tickets..

City of Oakland Uses App – SeeClickFix – to Keep on
Top of Public Works Needs and Track Complaints

Henry C. Levy & Co.
The city of Oakland is offering a new
tool that streamlines the process
of reporting a prob-
lem. SeeClickFix is
an online and mobile
tool that helps residents
report and track non-
emergency problems,
such as graffiti, ille-
gal dumping or potholes. With apps for
iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, and a
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Certified Public Accountants
and Consultants
A Professional Corporation
■
• tax preparation • estate planning
• tax planning
• business valuation
5940 College Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, California 94618
510.652-1000   FAX 510.654-2363
Web interface that is simple and intuitive,
users can submit a report with a photo,
track requests and monitor local activity.
The information above is from the
Oakland city website. Visit the site for
more information about this handy and
interesting tool: http://www2.oaklandnet.
com/Government/o/PWA/index.htm.
Find SeeClickFix itself on the
web at: http://seeclickfix.com/how_
seeclickfix_works
a
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
EXPERT
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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


March 3, 2012
14.

director of public works. “It causes her to
be driven to preserve the rich fabric of our
community.”
Allen acknowledges being so busy
trumpeting local history that “I never docu-
mented my own house,” a typical two-story
Rockridge bungalow probably built in 1912.
“I love my street. I love my neighbors,”
she says.
This admiration goes both ways, accord-
ing to Ron Kriss, principal Realtor with
Lawton Associates Realty, who has owned
two different houses on Allen’s street.
“Not only is she a good neighbor,” Kriss
says, “but she’s taken such care of so many
assets of the city with her institutional
knowledge of its architecture, businesses
and history.”
“Walk, walk, walk, that is the mantra
of Rockridge, isn’t it?” Allen says. “I feel
so lucky to live here.”
Hello Gorgeous!
Take a stroll in March along the Avenue and
stop in. $100/cut & color with Celeste. 510/658-
3658. 5336 College Ave.
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
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.
April deadline is March 19, 2012.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Purebred German
Shepherd Puppies
Now available. Very intelligent; 24/7 security
system. Great service dogs. Very faithful. Not
for breeding. Obedience class necessary/$50
rebate. Located in Rockridge. $750. 510/409-
1686. www.gsdpuppies.weebly.com
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.
Tax Stress? Penelope’s
Aesthetics
Professional Skin Care Salon: offering a full
deluxe stress reduction facial with massage
and eyebrow wax for $59. Gift certificates
available. Located 2 blocks from College Ave.
Call today for appointment 510/594-1552.
www.penelopecalef.com
Oakland Historian
Judy Berne is a former writer, columnist and
editor for local newspapers in metro Detroit.
Since moving here in 2010, she is learning about
Rockridge through its residents. You can email
her at judyberne@att.net.
from page 8
from being a 100 percent community volun-
teer,” she says. “The pay was secondary to
me. I’m passionate about what I do.”
She may need that passion. Her position,
which looked like it would be terminated
as part of the recent city layoffs, is now
tentatively assured through June. “After
that, it is a question mark,” she says.
“As coordinator of the walking tours
program, I recruit and train volunteers to lead
the tours,” Allen says. “I also end up leading
quite a few of the tours myself – especially
the African-American-themed tour.
“She’s the go-to person in Oakland
if anyone wants to know the history of a
building or an event,” says Brooke Levin,
a fellow Rockridge resident who first met
Allen at a Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) meeting in 1987.
“Annalee has a passion for the sig-
nificance of our history and our past to our
future,” says Levin, now Oakland’s assistant
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 & Com-
pany, www.sutorikandco.com, lic#397149.
510/655-3677.
Esther McFeely
from page 9
News. She sang in the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church for many years and
served on numerous school committees.
She also started a family tradition of
teaching English (ESL) to immigrants.
First it was to Chinese workers sitting in
rail cars on the tracks in West Oakland,
then to the children of Mexican laborers
attending local schools. During WW II,
her husband served as block black-out
warden and also tended a victory garden.
Everyone did what they could to keep
us all safe in those days.
Happy Birthday, Esther McFeely!
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide excellent housecleaning service
with greatest attention to detail. Local rec-
ommendations. *Let us create free time for
you* WWW.spectacularhousekeeping.com
510/228-5704. Free estimate.
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
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711


March 3, 2012

15.

E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or mail to:
Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611. Deadline is the next to the last
Tuesday of the month.

Compiled by Jo Ellis

and Fender, 401 26th Street. More info at www.
oaklandtech.com/ptsa/auction-2012/.
See story and details, p. 13.
Jazz at the Chimes

Community Calendar

Le Jazz Hot, the quartet of the Hot Club of San Francisco.
Sunday, 3/18, 2pm, followed by artist’s reception and
refreshments. Tickets: $15 ($10 srs.60+ and students)
for concert and reception.. Cash only at the door starting
at 12:30pm.  A concert series featuring Bay Area jazz
musicians in a beautiful Julia Morgan venue.  Chapel of
the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair accessible.
Free parking. More info at 654-0123 or chimesjazz@
gmail.com.
First and Third Fridays: Square
Dance in North Oakland
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Lobby Display Case:
■
■Mar:  Women’s Studies Month display; Women,
Wealth and Economic Justice.
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y and
13X areas can voice their concerns about crime and
public safety. 2nd Thursday each month, 7pm. Rockridge
Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College Ave.
Confirm mtg. date at www.rockridgencpc.com
or chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
■
■Apr: Kim Anderson; Adornment and originally
crafted jewelry.
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 Sat. 3/31. ■
Note: due to possible shut-downs, ■
confirm all dates.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings, Events
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
■
■First Friday: Music by The Squirrelly String Band.
Calling by Jordan Ruyle, 8-10pm.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5) Every Thurs,
10:30am.
■
■Third Friday: (Rotating cast of bands and callers):
Mar 16. Music by the Black Crown Stringband,
calling by Jordan Ruyle, 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://squirrel-
lystringband.com.
Wisteria Ways House Concert Series
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2) Every Thurs,
10:30am, upstairs.
All events are FREE and open to the public.
■
■Tues, 3/6, 7pm. Mikey Weinstein: No Snowflake
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5). Every Saturday, 10:30am.
FOR TEENS
in an Avalanche; The Military Religious Freedom
Foundation, its Battle to Defend the Constitution,
and One Family’s Courageous War Against Religious
Extremism in High Places.
■
■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, 1 to 2pm. More info: Susy, 597- 5017.
■
■Mon, 3/12, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meet-
ing (2nd Mon. each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
Ma Muse and Walter Strauss: Sweet duet harmony and
world-wide guitar. Sunday, Mar 18, 3pm; doors open at
2:30 (inside venue; not wheelchair accessible). Hear
artists at http://www.mamuse.org/ and http://
www.walterstrauss.com/ $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
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Watch and talk
about anime (Japanese animation). Second Tues.
each month (3/13), 5 to 6:30pm.
■
■Tues, 3/13, 7pm. Jonathan Evison: West of Here.
Joined in discussion by Joshua Mohr.
■
■Fri, 3/16, 7pm. Publication Party for Aimee Phan: The
■
■Youth Speaks Writing & Performance Workshops:
(ages 13 to 19). Taught by experienced writers Dyanna
Loeb and Milani Pelley. Free 10-week on-going series
covers everything from fiction to storytelling to desktop
publishing, improvisation, poetry, and performance.
Thursdays through 3/22, 4 to 5:30pm.
FOR ADULTS
Reeducation of Cherry Truong.
■
■Sun, 3/18, 11am. Stephen Dau: The Book of Jonas.
■
■Sun, 3/18, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Sarah Menefee
and giovanni singleton.
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; meet the grower; learn about unique food varieties
and cooking tips; and listen to live music. Bring your own
reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph)
at DMV parking lot. More info about Certified Farmers’
Markets at www.urbanvillageonline.com.
North Oakland Senior Center
■
■Thurs, 4/5, 7pm. Local author and comedian Moshe
Kasher: Kasher in the Rye; The True Tale of a White
Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal,
Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
(and other events and discussion groups): 653-9965
or events@dieselbookstore.com.
Chabot Elementary Spring Auction
■
■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.berkeleywriter-
sclub.org.) Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
“Casino Royale,” Saturday, March 10, starting 5:30pm,
at the Scottish Rite Temple 1547 Lakeside Drive. Also
an on-line auction through Thursday, 3/8. Info at www.
chabotelementary.org (click on the Casino
Royale logo). See story and details p.4.
Oakland Tech Fundraising Auction
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
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.
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:
“This is It!” Great food and entertainment and a chance
to bid on an array of fabulous items. Also on-line auction.
Proceeds provide crucial support for school programs.
Saturday, March 24, from 6 to 10:30pm. Uptown Body
■
■AARP sponsored FREE tax assistance through
Apr 11. Schedule apt. at reception desk: 597-5085.
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.
■
■Mar. and Apr.: Rick Nelson; Photography; Color
photos of pottery and sculpture.
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
 Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood


March 3, 2012
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
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
PROVIDING

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31
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Shopping? Find it in Oakland!

INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
FOR SALE IN ROckRIdgE
5678 Ocean View dr.    $950,000
3+ Beds / 1+ Baths      2-Story Home
Amazing Art’s & Craft’s Showplace.
Great Architectural Detailing Intact.
Detached Studio Space – Many possible uses.
Award Winning chabot Elementary School
www.5678-OceanView.com
Birch court           call for Pricing
3+ Beds / 2+ Baths
   2,500+/-sqft 2-Story Home
Perfectly Redone Classic Home.
Recently Remodeled from the ground up.
Big Backyard, Amazing Spaces inside & Out.
Award Winning chabot Elementary School
PENdINg IN ROckRIdgE
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
Wow – At my 1st Open house in
Rockridge this year I had over 250
people tour the property. I have seen
several multiple offer situations on well
priced and well located properties. I
need to find more homes to sell. There
are so many well qualified buyers looking
to buy a house in Rockridge and take
advantage of these historically low fixed
rate loans. Call or email me for more
info 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