Extracted text · highlighting “Fourth Bore Coalition”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 27       NO. 4       ISSUE NO. 288        April 6, 2012                    CIRCULATION: 5, 500 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

19

Vote RCPC Board: Seven Candidates, Six Slots

April 2012
RCPC Town
Hall Meeting
AGENDA
n RCPC Board Election:
Candidates will discuss
their candidacy and
positions, and take
questions from the
community. Voting will
then be open.
☞ See candidates’
statements, page 3.

No Photo
Submitted

Bernie
Baltaxe
Christopher
Chin
Stuart
Flashman
James
Kachelmeyer
Alex
Naughton
Doug Oliver
Laura
Schlichtmann

RCPC Board Election Procedures
At the RCPC Town Hall
meeting Thursday, April
19, Rockridge residents
may vote for RCPC board
candidates. Twenty-five or
more residents must vote
at the meeting to establish a
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:
rockridge.org.
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.
☞ Statements: Page 3
n The Two Safeways
& Other Rockridge
Projects:
A look at what could be
new: ☞ See page 6, top.

RCPC Town Hall Meeting: Thursday, April 19 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila

Join FROG’s Earth Day and
10th Anniversary Celebration
BART Plaza Construction Nears
BART board member
Bob Franklin, who
represents Rockridge,
holds an image of
the compass rose
m e d a l l i o n  t o  b e
embedded in the
walkway near the
BART Plaza to be built
in the ivy area. The
emblem symbolizes
the myriad travel
destinations available
from the Rockridge
BART station.
Big Build volunteers celebrate
their progress at Hardy Park.
Photo/Bill Caldwell
A Look Back: The Frog Park Big Build
A Look Ahead: Frog Park Anniversary
April
21
D. Kinkead
What: FROG Earth Day maintenance and family-friendly
10th Anniversary Celebration and Earth Day clean-up.
Where: “Big Frog” grassy area at the end of Hardy Street
When: Saturday, April 21; Clean-up: 9 a.m.–Noon;
Celebration: 12 noon – 2 p.m.: Juggler, magician, face painting,
games, crafts, food trucks and more.
Who: Everyone is invited. Big Build volunteers and other
volunteers: plan to join us to celebrate this milestone. E-mail
info@frogpark.org for more information or to offer help on the
organizing committee. ☞ More details and FROG News: Page 9
by Bob Franklin,
BART boardmember
The renovation of Rockridge
BART Plaza will finally
begin construction around
mid-April, nine years after
being initially conceived as a
community vision to improve the
area under Highway 24 and the
BART tracks on College Avenue.
BART, in partnership with the
city of Oakland, the Rockridge
Community Planning Council
(RCPC), and the Rockridge
District Association (RDA),
awarded the contract for the
project last winter to Golden
Bay Construction.
New benches will be added
➧➧BART Plaza, page 5


April 6, 2012
2.

Pastor Casts Bread Upon Parishioners

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
A few of the St. Augustine
parishioners participating in a
reverse collection to raise funds
for a Kenyan orphanage gather
on the steps of the church with
Father Mark Wiesner, right rear.
Fr. Mark reports the seed money
for the project has already been
reimbursed by parishioner fund-
raising projects.
Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 12 – 5:30 p.m.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays.
and Saturday, 4/14.
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
field nearby, Fr. Mark saw a foundation for
another building that could house 50 more
children. However, the Tonga Parish lacked
the resources to build it: about $65,000.
Funding the project seemed like an
achievable goal to Fr. Mark: “I realized that
our parish, our community, could really
make a difference in the lives of people by
funding the dormitory.”
But how to raise the money? The economy
has been hard on many of St. Augustine’s
parishioners, who are also asked by the
church and the Bishop’s Appeal for additional
giving, while living expenses in general
continue to rise.
The answer came via a story on the radio
about a Baptist church in Texas that had held
a reverse collection, starting with $30,000
given to members who returned $150,000
in five weeks.
“I knew we had to build the building.
That radio program told me how we actually
could,” said Fr. Mark.
He withdrew $12,100 from a church
savings account to give to parishioners on
the first Sunday of Lent. People will have
by Don Kinkead
When the collection baskets were passed
at St. Augustine Church one recent
Sunday, parishioners were surprised to hear
Father Mark Wiesner invite them to take
from the basket rather than add to it.
There for the taking were small, unlabeled
envelopes containing from $15 to $100 each
and a letter asking parishioners to “apply
creativity, ingenuity and cleverness to mul-
tiply and return” the funds for construction
of a dormitory for Kenyan orphans. Fr. Mark
calls it a reverse collection.
It all began in September 2011, when Fr.
Mark spent 18 days in Africa at the invitation
of Father Gilbert, an African cleric visiting
St. Augustine, located at Alcatraz and Colby.
In his visits to Kenyan leprosy clinics,
missions, and hospitals, Fr. Mark saw many
areas of great need. The Tonga Parish Mis-
sion, in an area hard-hit by the HIV-AIDS
epidemic that has orphaned many children,
presented a need that he thought St. Augustine
could help meet.
The Tonga Parish maintains a children’s
care home with two dormitories housing
32 orphans, a fraction of the need. In a
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
➧➧Funding an Orphanage, 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
  May 5, 2012
  May deadline is April 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.)


April 6, 2012

3.

RCPC Election 2012: Statements of RCPC Board Candidates

its College Avenue store. By contrast,
the Rockridge Shopping Center could and
should be made more of a center for the
North Oakland community.
But RCPC is more than development
issues. We support our schools, library,
parks, and public safety. We work with local
merchants to keep Rockridge a thriving
commercial and residential community.
Your vote in this election will keep
Rockridge moving forward.
better communication and participation
within the Rockridge community.
Bernard Baltaxe
63rd Street
Douglas Oliver
Broadway Terrace
My  n a m e  i s
Bernard Baltaxe
and I am running for
the Board because I
am impressed with
this organization
and I want to help
it shape the future
of Rockridge and Oakland. I am a lawyer
that represents employees in workers’
compensation cases. I am a member of
the Board of Governors of the California
Applicant Attorneys’ Association and spend
significant time advocating for workers’
rights to our State Assembly Members
and Senators. I also feel strongly about
keeping Rockridge and Oakland the great
place that it is and even making it better.
My wife and I moved to Rockridge six
years ago from San Francisco because
we liked the family and progressive
atmosphere. We heard about RCPC, but
found out that our house was just outside
the boundary. Fortunately for us, the
boundary has been expanded to include
us and we are eager to give back.
Please vote for Douglas Oliver in the
RCPC Board of Directors election.
He has degrees in anthropology and
architecture, and is an associate at a local
architecture and planning firm. Committed
to environmental and social issues, he
has earned a Leadership of Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation
and worked with Architecture for Humanity
in the “Rebuilding Haiti” program.
His extensive professional experience
designing communities around the Bay Area
has enabled him to recognize characteristics
that create better neighborhoods and to
offer perceptive observations that provide
unique points of view. He believes in facing
and evaluating issues in a holistic manner
with long term vision and an open mind.
His goals are to:
•	Enhance and protect the small-grained
character of our neighborhood,
•	Protect the environment with
sustainable planning,
•	Represent and integrate Rockridge as a
part of the community in the Bay Area.
With his relevant experience, integrated
holistic perspectives, and the desire to
contribute, he will be a valuable addition
to the board.
James Kachelmeyer
Claremont Avenue
Incumbent

James Kachelmeyer,
a Claremont Avenue
resident, has served
on RCPC since July
2011. After moving
to Rockridge in June
2010, he quickly
grew to love the
neighborhood and
volunteered to be a block captain for The
Rockridge News. Today he sees his role on
the Board as an advocate for the younger
residents of Rockridge, including the
community’s many U.C. Berkeley students,
and if elected he plans to push for affordable
shopping and dining alternatives, improved
transit and bike connections, and stronger
ties with the University. James holds a B.A.
from the University of Texas and an M.A.
in economics from Fordham University. He
works for CCIG, an Oakland real estate
development and brokerage firm, where
he is involved with the Oakland Army
Base redevelopment project. His wife is in
her first year of a Ph.D. program at U.C.
Berkeley, so he looks forward to calling
Rockridge home for a while.
Much has changed
since I moved to
Rockridge in 1992,
but it remains a good
place to live. I’m now
seeking my third
term on the RCPC
Board to continue
working to protect and improve Rockridge.
As a land use attorney, I know that
zoning has a lot to do with Rockridge’s
success. While development can bring
benefits, College Avenue’s limited traffic
capacity means careless development can
be disastrous. That’s why I’ve opposed
Safeway’s oversized expansion plans for

Christopher Chin
Incumbent
Ch r i s t o p h e r
Chin has lived
in Rockridge for the
past twelve years,
and in the East Bay
for twenty-five years.
While he has an
engineering degree
from U.C. Berkeley, he spent many years
after graduation working for the University
on its IT systems and infrastructure,
including helping to set up the campus-
wide wireless network.
Christopher’s avid interest in
SCUBA diving led him to underwater
cinematography and ocean conservation,
and he went on to found The Center
for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and
Education (COARE), where he serves as
its executive director. Christopher joined
the RCPC Board because he wanted to
give something back to his community,
and is particularly interested in promoting
Stuart Flashman
Ocean View
Incumbent

Alex Naughton
Taft Street
Incumbent
I
would very much
appreciate t he
o p p o r t u n i t y  t o
continue serving on
the RCPC Board of
Directors. This will be
my second term, and
I feel there
➧➧Board Candidates, page 4


April 6, 2012
4.

Board Candidates

The RCPC Land Use Committee generally
meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month
at the Rockridge Branch Library, Upstairs
Meeting Room, 7:30 p.m. *Change: Next
meeting: April 26. Subject to change. Check rockridge.
org the preceding week for the full meeting agenda.
Committee Notes: The next meeting of the RCPC Land Use Committee is April 26, the
fourth Thursday of April (note change of date), 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library.
Agenda topics include updates on the Rockridge Shopping Center and College Avenue Safe-
way projects. 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. Note: there will be
an executive session for committee members only at the end of this meeting.

from page 3
is important work to continue. I am looking
forward to continuing as the Board’s
Liaison to the FROG committee, and
contributing as the RCPC Board’s
alternate representative to the Fourth
Bore Coalition. If elected, I will work
to effectively represent the concerns of
Rockridge with particular attention to my
neighbors “above” Broadway. Thank you.
Laura Schlichtmann
Clifton Street
Land Use Update as of March 28
■
■Rockridge Montessori School
Expansion Project
5610 Broadway, and
■
■College Preparatory School
Expansion Project
6100 Broadway
These two private school expansion
projects along Broadway would each
potentially add traffic, especially morning
traffic at the already-congested Broadway/
Keith/Patton intersection. Impacted now by
the Chabot Elementary School expansion,
that intersection will be affected even more
by the Caldecott Improvement Project.
While RCPC has not yet expressed an
opinion on either project, it has submitted
comments on both projects asking that
cumulative traffic impacts along Broadway
be addressed before either project is
considered for approval.
The city planner for the Montessori
project is Ulla-Britt Jonsson (ujonsson@
oaklandnet.com, 238-3322); for the Col-
lege Preparatory School, it is Aubrey Rose
(arose@oaklandnet.com, 238-2071).
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
Incumbent
Appointed to an
RCPC board
vacancy early this
year, I have time
and commitment
available to serve
as a board member, and ask for your
vote to let me continue working with the
board on issues important to Rockridge.
A fuller statement of my interest
and background appeared in February’s
Rockridge News. The gist: I moved back
to Rockridge last year after a decade
across the Bay, am now retired and eager
to volunteer for Rockridge and Oakland,
and see working on the RCPC board as
reciprocity for the service of other board
members in the past.
Besides my law background, I did
graduate work in urban planning, worked
in state government for ten years, and have
varied experience in dispute resolution.
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Shopping Center Project
College & Claremont Avenues
City staff and consultants continue
to review and revise the roughly 2,000
page administrative draft of comment and
response documents for this 62,000 sq. ft.
proposed project, which would replace
Safeway’s current 22,500 sq. ft. store.
Committee members noted there had been
additional traffic measurements on College
Avenue. The committee felt that neither
traffic issues nor toxics problems had been
adequately addressed in the draft EIR and
that the proper course would be to recirculate
the revised document for additional public
comment. RCPC is retaining legal counsel
to advise it.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Rebuild Project
Broadway & Pleasant Valley
The release date for the Draft EIR on this
292,000 sq. ft rebuild/expansion proposal
(put forward by Safeway, the master tenant
at the site) has again been pushed back. The
DEIR might now be released in late summer
or fall. The lease for the shopping center’s
CVS store has been extended to the end of
2012. CVS’s management says they will be
restocking some areas, but it appears many
of the most popular departments, including
hardware, housewares, and fabrics, have
been permanently eliminated or greatly
scaled back.
Representatives of RCPC and other
North Oakland neighborhood groups hope
to meet soon with Safeway’s management
to discuss concerns and issues still needing
to be addressed in Safeway’s proposal.
➧➧Land Use Committee, page 14
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
    


April 6, 2012

5.
3rd Annual Pancake Breakfast: 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 music
and fine arts programs and the modern
computer lab at Claremont Middle School,
a part of the College Avenue community
since 1913.
The menu includes pancakes, eggs,
sausage, bacon, fruit, coffee and tea. Event
tickets are $10 (with a small transaction
fee added when purchased online). Tickets
are limited and time specific, so purchase
yours early. There will be four seatings.
In addition to breakfast, the event opens
the meticulously maintained 1926 interior
of one of the most prominent buildings on
lower College Avenue to diners.
Claremont School musicians will
perform in the second floor lounge of the
hall under the direction of music teacher
Renae Briggs.

College Avenue merchants
Claudette Black of Agatha
Rainford, left, and Lynne Bosko
of Bosko’s Picture Framing and
Gallery dig into their generous
pancake platters during the
2011 Pancake Breakfast. Behind
them, neighborhood parents and
children finish their breakfasts.
Tickets can be purchased online
or by check through the school.
/Carroll Moore
Generous contributions of time and
food from the Masons permit all breakfast
proceeds to be contributed to Claremont
programs. This event raised $5,000 for the
school last year.
Come for breakfast, meet your neighbors,
and tour one of our local architectural
treasures while supporting Claremont
Middle School.
Middle School PTA. Note on the check
that it is for the pancake breakfast and
what seating – 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., or 11
a.m. – you would like to attend. Mail your
check to – or drop it off at – Claremont
Middle School, 5750 College Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94618. Checks should be
placed in an envelope labeled Claremont
Middle School Breakfast. Your name will
be placed on the guest list.
3) Contact Patrick Zak at patrickzak@
ymail.com to purchase tickets directly.
■
■Get your tickets now for the
Pancake Breakfast:
1) Purchase tickets online via www.
claremontms.org. The Pancake Breakfast
link (about the middle of the page) will
take you to the website.
2) Pay by check payable to Claremont
■
■Things to note
• The date (April 21); • choice of one of
four seatings (8, 9, 10 and 11); • the cost ($10
if purchased in advance, $12 at the door);
and, • the menu.

Claremont Middle School Art Exhibited on College

by Carroll Moore,
for the Claremont Dad’s Club
Beautiful drawings by Claremont Middle
School students are on display in store-
front windows of the Rockridge Masonic
Lodge, 5449 College Avenue, featuring
work by Claremont students Anthony
Beron, Eli Parker, Henry Moore, Julia Thao,
Kayloni Killingsworth, Sylvie Rogers, Tess
Falkner-Kenny and Unique Smith. All are
in the school’s art program led by teacher
John Broussard and financially supported
by the Claremont PTA.
BART Plaza
from page 1
along the perimeter of a reconfigured
planter, where the ivy is now. Additionally,
an artistic cast iron compass rose, four feet
in diameter, will be placed in the plaza, as
well as Sierra Granite boulders, which will
form a “rock ridge.”
BART will also be repairing some
tripping hazards in the concrete caused
by the roots of the London Plane tree on
College Avenue, just north of Keith Avenue.
I would like to extend a special thank
you to volunteer Landscape Designer Greer
Alley, who not only conceived most of the
plans but has also been spending countless
hours making sure all of the details of the
project are being followed.
/Carroll Moore










 
­
24
Bob Franklin, BART Board of Directors. Mail:
BobFranklinBART@aol.com. Cell: 510/684-0026.


 
	


April 6, 2012
6.

April RCPC Town Hall Forum: Safeway, and Other Projects
The Two Safeways and Other
Rockridge Development Issues
The April Town Hall Meeting agenda
includes updates from the RCPC Land
Use Committee on the two Rockridge

Safeway projects: the College/Claremont
Safeway Shopping Center and the Rockridge
Shopping Center rebuid/expansion project.
There will be an update on the current status
of the environmental review and approval
processes for both projects, plus discussion
of the 10 project issues put forward to
Safeway by North Oakland community
groups on how to improve plans for the
Rockridge Shopping Center project.  Other
current Rockridge development issues will
also be discussed.

a
Caldecott Settlement Projects Examined

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
City staff and consultants joined City
Council member Jane Brunner in
a public meeting to discuss the first six
projects included in Oakland’s settlement
agreement with Caltrans over the Caldecott
Improvement Project, or Fourth Bore.
The goal of the meeting, held March
26 at Kaiser Elementary School, was for
participants to tell the city their thoughts
on these designs, before the city moves
forward to the final pre-construction stage.
The settlement was reached in 2008
after Oakland had objected to the impacts
a fourth bore added to the Caldecott Tunnel
would have on
➧➧Caldecott, page 11
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.
Mystery Photo: Solved
Editor:
Enduring Bonds of Rockridge
Editor:
The photo that appears on page six of the
March issue of The Rockridge News was
taken at Joe Kaiser’s barber shop (now the
Rockridge Barber Shop) in 1947 by Fred
McFeely, my father. [See photo below. – Ed.]
That’s Joe with the glasses and me (Jim
McFeely) sitting in the barber chair, age 3.
This was my first haircut.
— Jim McFeely
The March edition of The Rockridge
News had several smiling faces that I
recognize, even though we moved from
Rockridge 12 years ago. And Esther
McFeely’s bungalow, as pictured on the
iconic Rockridge mug, faithfully appears
beside our coffee pot every morning.
— Trish and Charlie West
Ashland, Oregon (formerly of
Ocean View Drive)
A young Jim
Street Sweeper Had Finished;
I Was Ticketed Anyway
Editor:
McFeely sits in
the Koken barber
chair (fitted with
I was interested to read the article on the
profitability of the “street sweeping program”
in the March issue of The Rockridge News.
This is in keeping with my view of it as a
fund-raising program for the city, with a
pleasant side effect of cleaner streets. You
may view me as cynical, but I have received
two tickets, parking on streets during the
designated hours, but AFTER the sweeping
had very obviously been done. I was stone-
walled in my protest to the city. If it was
truly a street sweeping program, I should
never have gotten those tickets.
— Jimmy Pedersen
a booster board)
as ba rber Joe
Kaiser gives him
his first haircut.
McFeely’s father
took the photo.
Deliver The Rockridge News
Route 07G: 5800-6145 blocks
of Broadway, east side only
Contact Susan: 510/547-3855 or
smontauk@gmail.com

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April 6, 2012

7.

Peralta: a Feast of Spring Fun
Lower Rockridge Parents
Group Holds 11th Annual
Yard Sale Benefit: April 28
of the organization. We feel that FORL is
now prepared to operate as an independent,
nonprofit entity dedicated to the needs of
the Rockridge branch.
In the months ahead, we will work closely
with library staff to determine immediate
and longer-term needs for the branch in terms
of materials and infrastructure, as well as
opportunities to bring in additional programs
and events of value to the Rockridge branch
patrons and our community. If you have sug-
gestions for FORL projects or are interested
in volunteering in some of FORL’s work,
or if you have any feedback, please e-mail
co-chair Kathy O’Neal at onealkathryn@
gmail.com. Our meeting minutes are avail-
able at the Rockridge branch reference desk.
OPL Reorganizes
Our Rockridge branch has been busy as
the Oakland Public Library (OPL) reorga-
nizes to meet changing needs around the
system, including the beautiful new branch
at 1021 81st Avenue. Two of our librarians,
Manager Pat Lichter and Children’s Librar-
ian Gay Ducey, have been temporarily
assigned to other branches. Luckily, we
have marvelous staff that continue to step
up to lead our branch, including new acting
Branch Manager Sandra Toscano, and our
existing library staff who create a wonder-
Bikes aplenty
at the LRPG
Yard Sale .
C o m e  s e e
w h a t  e l s e
there might
be.
Rockridge Library Friends Report
■
■FORL Established as an
Independent Non-Profit
Organization
■
■Staffing Shifts at the Rockridge
Branch
It’s been a busy few months for the Friends
of the Rockridge Library (FORL). Along
with our successful year-end fundraising
effort, FORL also officially established
itself as an independent, nonprofit entity.
FORL formed in 1996 when the Rockridge
Branch Library opened its new permanent
location on College Avenue, and was soon
adopted as a committee of the Rockridge
Community Planning Council (RCPC).
Since then, FORL has served as advocate
and supporter of the Rockridge branch.
The FORL board, through the generous
donations from our community, has allo-
cated funds to purchase needed books and
periodicals; to support the summer intern
and children’s reading program; and has
helped with maintenance and improvement
of library furnishings. Over the years, with
the support of our donors, FORL has filled
many of the gaps created by city budget cuts.
FORL has appreciated working closely
with RCPC on a variety of community proj-
ects, and has benefitted from its assistance
and guidance, particularly in the early days
The Lower Rockridge Parents Group
(LRPG) will hold its annual Commu-
nity Yard & Bake Sale, proceeds of which
benefit Peralta Elementary and Claremont
Middle Schools. The sale takes place on the
Peralta School playground (Alcatraz Avenue
between Telegraph Avenue and Dana Street)
Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
The LRPG Yard Sale has grown to
become a great opportunity for friends and
neighbors to do some spring cleaning, shop
for great stuff, meet new friends, catch up
with old friends, and/or have a coffee and
brownie in one of Peralta’s many gardens.
Unlike any other, this yard sale is one of
the East Bay’s largest and has raised over
$33,000 to help support our neighborhood
public schools. There is always an abundance
of great stuff:  baby clothes and equipment,
toys, bikes galore, sports equipment, furni-
ture, household goods, pet supplies, tools,
art, music, books and more.
Donate, volunteer, shop and enjoy: We’ll
see you there!
If you have questions and/or want to
donate or volunteer, contact lowerrock-
ridgeparents@yahoo.com or call Nicole
at 510/547-7976.
➧➧Changes: FORL, page 9
Rockridge design
firm providing
creative, livable
design solutions
Coming to Peralta in May
Peralta in Bloom:
Community Fair, May 12
•  Residential Remodels
•  Kitchens + Baths
•  Green Building Design
•  Color Consulting
Clara Brownstein
and Abigail Zhen
Lamoreaux enjoyed
their new faces at
Peralta in Bloom
2011. More fun at
the 2012 annual
spring fest, May 12.
W e ’ re  In  The   
neIghborhood
Jennifer Cooper, owner
5275 James Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
5 1 0 . 6 5 2 . 5 0 3 6
pumpkinhousestudio.com
/Daniel Brownstein


April 6, 2012
8.

Shaking Up a Neighborhood for Its Own Good

by Judith Doner Berne
‘W
e’ve got to put together an emer-
gency kit,” I said to my daughter
for the umpteenth time.
But it’s been nine months since we
moved to Rockridge and neither my daughter
Deborah, who lives with her family a couple
of miles away, nor her dad and I have done
much about it.
Oh yes, we did the retrofit before we
moved in.
And I have a flashlight, a set of keys
and an extra pair of contact lenses (I just
put those there) in my bedside table. I try to
keep a six-pack of bottled water in the pantry.
Lame, I know.
That’s why I’m hoping that Roberta
Stern’s enthusiasm and persistence in orga-
nizing and educating her Ocean View Drive
block will have a domino effect.
“It just takes one person to get something
started,” says Stern, a Rockridge resident
since 1985.
But even though she experienced the
1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and the 1991
Berkeley and Oakland Hills fires up close
and personal, it took viewing television
footage of last year’s Japanese earthquake
to shake her into action. “I realized that I
had to come out of denial and complacency,”
Stern says. And, “maybe it’s that I’m older
and also wanted to connect with the people
around me.”
Obviously, she wasn’t just thinking
Emma Haft,
Roberta Stern
and Matthew
Duplessis feel
better prepared
for an emergency,
partly because
Haft and
Duplessis have
stratigically-
filled backpacks
and Stern keeps
keys, whistle and
flashlight at her
bedside.
about making her own preparations to
meet emergencies but also about rallying
her neighbors.
It helped that “I saw my cousin organize
her neighborhood.” Also, that “I’m a social
worker to begin with. I’m used to connect-
ing people.”
Still, “It was overwhelming,” she says.
It was a happy discovery that the city
offered free training sessions through its
CORE (Citizens of Oakland Respond to
Emergencies) program, run by the Oakland
Fire Department Office of Emergency Ser-
vices. But, apparently what was happening
in Japan prompted a surge of interest in the
program, so it wasn’t until October that
CORE volunteer Ben Hamburg presented
the first of his two two-hour-plus seminars
to the requisite number of people.
According to Stern, “It was a bit of a
process to schedule the training. But I found
out that if you had 15 people, they’d come
to you. I went door to door with flyers – and
got some response. But there was also a
certain amount of lethargy.”
CORE sessions teach self-reliance skills
and help neighborhoods establish response
➧➧Shake It Up, page 13
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April 6, 2012

9.

from page 7
Celebrate FROG
community feature.
Without the dedication of the Big Build
volunteers and many other dedicated
Rockridge and community volunteers, there
would be no Frog Park to enjoy.
We will celebrate this gift on Earth Day.
Join us Saturday, April 21, for the combined
annual Earth Day maintenance activities
and to celebrate and comemorate the people
who made Frog Park and the play structures
possible.        — Carol Behr, FROG chair
Changes: FORL
In October 2001, more than 1,300 vol-
unteers from Rockridge and nearby
neighborhoods joined together to work for
10 days from dawn until after dark to build
Frog Park’s custom-designed play structures
in what was called the Big Build.
Up to that time, the area had been a
neglected, mostly fenced and heavily weeded
patch of land with dilapidated basketball
courts, all located under a heavily travelled
freeway.
After years of planning and design, the
time had come for the final push to bring
to life a park in Rockridge. Community
volunteers laid hands, hammers and heart
on wood, tile, painted butterflies and fenc-
ing to complete a park that is now a central
ful environment for all our patrons. We will
miss Pat and Gay, and hope they will be
back at home in our branch soon.
FORL Seeks Board Members
FORL seeks to fill two board positions.
We have a specific interest in bringing on
board members with legal or accounting
expertise – although we have outside, inde-
pendent support for these functions as well,
so you won’t be asked to do our books or
write a brief! The most important element
our board members bring, however, is a
passion for libraries and community.
Please e-mail Kathy O’Neal (onealkath-
ryn@gmail.com) or Carol Bieri (cgbieri@
gmail.com) of your interest.
— The FORL board
Next FROG Meeting: April 12
Rockridge Library, Thursday, April 12,
7:30 p.m. Join with neighbors who
care about Frog Park. Plus: We are
seeking volunteers for the Earth Day and
FROG anniversary celebration. E-mail
info@frogpark.org
Coming FROG Events and Opportunities
A
number of FROG activities are in the
2012 pipeline, including volunteer-led
park maintenance, a community survey to
review and discuss park improvement pri-
orities, and working with other community
groups to implement related projects.
Also, FROG and many DMV-area
neighbors continue work to respond to the
unannounced tree cutting at the DMV area.
          
Restoration plans are
moving forward with
the DMV; the agency has begun to plant
replacements for the five trees removed
from the parking lot near Miles and Cavour.
E-mail info@frogpark.org for more
information and to get involved with proj-
ects that utilize your expertise or those that
involve the whole family.
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April 6, 2012
10.

e
r

This month’s recipe is one we enjoyed in
Fez, Morocco. It is an excellent before-
dinner appetizer.
Radishes with Harissa
Harissa is a North African spice blend and
also found in a paste form.
It is available at the Pasta Shop.
Ingredients
4	tablespoons unsalted butter softened
to room temperature
1	tablespoon harissa spice (dry preferred)
salt and pepper
2	cups of halved French breakfast radishes
1	tablespoon minced Italian flat parsley
Smoked sea salt (available at Trader Joe’s)
Preparation
Combine butter and harissa in small bowl
and mix until well combined. Season
to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside
In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté
the radishes with a few tablespoons
of water for about 3 minutes or until
slightly soft. • Toss in the parsley; add
salt and pepper to taste. • Add about
2 tablespoons of the harissa butter and
a pinch of the smoked sea salt; cook
until butter just melts. • Add additional
harissa butter to taste.
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
Radishes Front and Center
Radishes are one of those vegetables that
look so beautiful on the market shelf and
yet are seldom used by home chefs. We
are not immediately drawn to the sharp,
peppery biting flavor of radishes. When I
do use radishes, it is mainly to add color
and texture to a salad.
On a recent stroll through our local
farmer’s market, I saw a number of lovely
varieties of radishes in addition to the
familiar red globes. In the U.S., radishes
are usually eaten raw, but they can also be
steamed, sautéed, and stir-fried. The green
tops are edible and offer a peppery taste
to salads. I began to wonder how, other
than as a color splash, other varieties can
be prepared to add a bit of zip to a dish.
Radish varieties are generally catego-
rized by color and shape. Black radishes
have a rough black skin with a hot-flavored
white flesh and are found in both round and
elongated forms. Often sold in Russian or
Polish neighborhoods, black radishes are
typically served in Russian and Polish
dishes.
One upscale preparation that is sure
to impress is to arrange black radishes in
a small dish accompanied by a variety of
coarse salts for dipping – such as smoked
sea salt, Hawaiian pink salt, and French
gray salt – very Russian. The combination
of the peppery radish and salt makes a nice
before-dinner appetizer.
The color contrast is wonderful.
Finally, there is the French breakfast
or icicle radish. They are shaped like
small carrots with a mild and juicy taste.
French breakfast radishes spruce up any
simple salad.
Most radishes are available year-round
with peak season in the spring. Look for
fresh, brightly colored radishes that are
firm, tender, and have crisp unblemished
skins. I always buy my radishes with the
tops attached. Do not remove tops from
radishes as they will rapidly spoil if you
do. Red radishes and daikons will keep
up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Black
radishes can be stored for months.
The extra benefit of eating radishes is
their nutritional value. They are very high
in vitamin C and only 20 calories in a cup.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cook-
ing classes and East-bay ethnic market tours. His
email is kaufman4f2@comcast.net.
Faith for the iPod generation!
Announcing a NEW Mass time,
Sunday at 6:00p.m. (Every 4th Sunday)
beginning April 22, followed by social time and food.
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Powerful & relevant liturgy • Contemporary music • A new time for busy schedules
400 Alcatraz Ave • Oakland, CA 94609
Watch us live via web cam every Sunday (8:00a.m. and 10:30a.m.)
 At http://www.staugustineoakland.com
Easter Schedule
April 5, Holy Thursday 7:00p.m.
April 6, Good Friday, noon – 3:00 and 7:00p.m.
April 7, The Great Vigil, 8:30p.m.
April 8, 8:00a.m. and 10:30a.m.,
followed by Kenya Orphanage Fundraiser
Artisan Faire and Easter egg hunt.
Daikon radishes are native to Asia and
are cucumber shaped. Their white flesh is
juicy and hotter than red globes but milder
than black ones. Daikons are prepared for
numerous Japanese salads and soups. They
can be steamed with shredded carrots and
dressed with Asian vinaigrette made with
rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
A somewhat new variety on the scene is
the watermelon radish. Watermelon radishes
are slightly larger than the traditional red
globe with a green outer skin and pink to
red flesh radiating out from the center –
so beautiful. I like to cut them into thin
rounds and then semi-circles to resemble
tiny watermelons to garnish a green salad.


April 6, 2012

11.

BRT on Telegraph Meets Skeptical Audience

Utilizing Law Enforcement Resources
Making it Tough on
Crime: Hardening
the Target
by NCPC board members
Officer Maureen Vergara, Problem Solv-
ing Officer (PSO) for Rockridge’s Beat
12Y (below College Avenue), announced at
the March 8 Greater Rockridge Neighbor-
hood Crime Prevention Council (GRNCPC)
meeting that PSOs are able to do street
security assessment and problem analysis.
Vergara said she and Jo Balaoro,
Rockridge’s PSO for Beat 13X (above
College Avenue), and Patricia Rose, the
assigned neighborhood services coordinator,
could make appointments with residents to
review their properties and point out areas
vulnerable to thieves.
It is called Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design (CPTED). Its goal is to
make the physical environment unattractive
to criminals casing a neighborhood by
designing or revising the design of a physical
environment to decrease the ability of a
criminal to commit a crime, to increase
the chance that a crime would be seen by
legitimate citizens, to reduce the fear of
crime and to improve the quality of life.
Officer Vergara would like as many
neighbors as possible to participate at the
same appointment; an entire block may
work together to keep thieves off its street.
Contact NSC Patricia Rose at prose@
oaklandnet.com to see how you may benefit
from OPD’s expertise.If you do not have
time to organize an appointment, the Greater
Rockridge NCPC’s website, rockridgencpc.
com has a detailed document about CPTED.
under the drop-down menu “Resources/
OPD Security Brochures.”
distributed throughout the room to answer
questions and respond to comments. This
arrangement troubled a number of vocal
audience members, who demanded AC
Transit allow comments to be addressed
to the meeting as a whole, so everyone
could hear attendees’ comments and the
agency’s responses. A compromise was
reached and a small number of comments
(“requests for clarifications”) were aired
prior to participants gathering in smaller
groups around the tables.
Permeating the entire session was the
knowledge that the project’s just-released
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Report (FEIS/R) included a new project
alternative. Dubbed the Downtown Oakland
to San Leandro (or DOSL – pronounced
“docile”) alternative, it would extend BRT
from San Leandro along International Bou-
levard (E. 14th Street) north to 20th Street in
Oakland, just south of Grand Avenue. The
existing 1 and 1R service would continue
from that point north to Berkeley.
While the DOSL alternative wouldn’t
bring major service improvements to North
Oakland and Berkeley, neither would it
bring the project’s major impacts. Also, it
would be cheaper than the full BRT project,
and might actually fit within AC Transit’s
current budget. While there was no official
confirmation, and a final decision will be
made by the AC Transit board and Oakland
City Council, transit staff candidly admitted
that the approved project was much more
likely to be DOSL than full BRT.
Watch for future AC Transit and City
Council meetings, where the decisions will
be made later this spring.
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
When AC Transit held its meeting on
March 6 to present its proposed Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) project for Telegraph
Avenue, it played host to a feisty audience
that called for more of a public exchange
of information than meeting planners may
have had in mind.
The already controversial project would
convert one traffic lane in each direction
of Telegraph to dedicated bus-only lanes.
The lanes would close off through access
on a number of residential streets that cross
Telegraph, forcing drivers going in the
east-west direction to the main streets still
allowing through traffic.
Also, a large number of on-street parking
spaces along Telegraph would be eliminated
to make room for the bus lanes and board-
ing stations. This has particularly alarmed
Temescal District merchants, and rumblings
have been heard of a possible lawsuit against
AC Transit and the city if the project is
approved. RCPC has expressed concern
about the spill-over of the increased conges-
tion to residential streets east of Telegraph
and ultimately College Avenue.
On the positive side, the project would
provide more prominent and easier to use bus
stations, instead of the current bus stops, AC
Transit representatives said. It would speed
bus travel with pre-boarding ticket purchase
and signal override so busses would not be
backed-up at red lights.
After a short PowerPoint presentation
explaining major elements of the project,
attendees were to have clustered around
tables where detailed route maps had been
arrayed. AC Transit staff members were
bicyclists. RCPC expressed concern about
the loss of on-street parking spaces in the
section of Broadway between Brookside
and Golden Gate, which could put addi-
tional pressure on parking spaces on the
residential streets.
Fact sheets on the 6 projects are available
for review on the Fourth Bore Coalition’s
web site via: http://tinyurl.com/7yncyak.
Council Member Brunner’s office also
announced it would host a meeting later in
the spring to begin the public process for
considering whether soundwalls are war-
ranted for some portions of Highway 24 in
Rockridge. Consideration of soundwalls was
another element of the settlement.
More information will be provided in the
May issue of the Rockridge News.
Caldecott
from page 6
the North Oakland community. Of the six
projects, four are in the North Hills area
north of Highway 24 along Tunnel Road and
Caldecott Lane, while two involve the upper
section of Broadway east of Brookside Road
in Rockridge. The two Rockridge projects
would improve the pedestrian path and add
bicycle lanes along Broadway.
After the city’s presentation and dis-
cussion of plans for the six projects, the
meeting was opened to audience comments
and questions.
Most concerns centered on the North
Hills projects, especially their impacts on
When a missing library door key almost
derailed the March NCPC meeting, resource-
ful board members started looking for a restaurant
near the library that might have a meeting room.
hudson restaurant said they had a back room
and would have provided it but it was already
in use. Restaurant Chu, next door to the library,
was able to make their upstairs area available
on short notice, even serving a large tray of ice
water and tea to the many meeting attendees.
Frank Castro, NCPC chair, and boardmembers were
pleased to note the ready generosity of hudson and
of Restaurant Chu.


April 6, 2012
12.

the wider Rockridge neighborhood,” and
expand the reach of the project.
It reached even further than that. A woman
living back East saw the story on the church’s
Facebook page. Out of work, she could not
contribute money, but she designed a logo for
the program. People from New York, Ohio,
Iowa and other states, through the PayPal
portal on the church web site, contributed
more than $500 toward the project in its
first four days.
Excited by the response to the program —
the resourcefulness participants have shown,
the creativity they have unleashed, and the
sense of capability they have developed —
Fr. Mark is not worried about its ultimate
outcome.
“Regardless of our success,” the pastor
said, “the good this project is already
accomplishing makes it worth doing.”
Funding an
Orphanage
from page 2
until the Feast of Pentecost, May 25 and 26
– about 90 days overall – to develop their
projects, multiply the seed money, and return
the seed money and its gains to the church
orphanage project.
“The excitement has been phenomenal,”
the pastor reported in mid-March, citing
several examples:
Four women held a garage sale on
64th Street, earning $864 without even using
their seed money,
A 10-year-old parishioner used her
$25 to raise $184 with a lemonade stand.
Congratulated by Fr. Mark, she said, “Oh,
I’m not done yet!”
Visit http://www.staugustineoakland.com/
index.html for more information about St.
Augustine and its Kenyan orphanage project. St.
Augustine also provides aid for local residents in
need, offering food baskets for families and food
bags for the homeless.
A man bought $25 worth of candy
to sell at work, raising $150, and
Twenty parishioners are planning an
artisan faire to be held on the church grounds.
Fr. Mark said, “A part of the project is to
encourage the parish community to involve
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License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
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Closing date BR BA
Address
Original price
List price DOM
Selling price

2/29/12 2
1
5350 Bryant Avenue
$629,000
$620,000
9
$622,000
            3/7/12 3
1
5237 Lawton Avenue
$660,000
$660,000
11
$663,500

3/15/12 2
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$365,000
112
$340,000
          3/20/12 2 1.5
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16
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April 6, 2012

13.
Shake It Up

safety plan for the neighborhood,” Haft says.
“One of the main fears is fire.”
“If we can identify everyone’s gas shutoff
valve, we can help each other,” Duplessis
adds.
You could feel a definite momentum,
Stern says. “It’s very exciting. I have met
so many people I didn’t know and we also
discovered a lot of people with skills in our
neighborhood.”
They included three doctors, a nurse,
someone with firefighting training and
another with construction experience. “You
need to have a medical team,” she says.
Another neighbor offered to store extra
water and tools in his basement, for which
they are collecting equipment. “It can be
our control and medical center.”
Haft acknowledges that having experts
outline the area’s vulnerability has led to
some sleepless nights. But, “I feel better
knowing more people on my street and that
we will look out for each other.”
Their communication list has already
been important in publicizing some recent
muggings, car thefts and a scam attempt on
their street. “We have a little crime watch
committee that has come out of this,” Stern
says. “We are also encouraging everyone
to leave their porch lights on overnight.”
Stern is happy to talk to anyone interested
in getting an emergency preparedness pro-
gram started in his or her neighborhood. You
can e-mail her at rozydeco50@hotmail.com.
Getting the initial word out is hardest,
Duplessis says. It might have been helpful if
their neighborhood hadn’t discontinued its
annual block party – which there is talk of
resuming. “You could have a table set up.”
“The big message,” Stern emphasizes,
“is DON’T WAIT.”
Coincidentally, CORE emergency train-
ing sessions are scheduled at the Rockridge
Branch Library on the following dates in
May:
from page 8
teams until that help arrives.
“It was excellent, excellent training,”
Stern says. “He gave us the ‘how to’ on
organizing the neighborhood.”
Even more neighbors showed up for the
second session, buoyed perhaps by the fact
that “we had had a series of earthquakes,”
she says.
Meanwhile, Matthew Duplessis, Emma
Haft, Jamie Pillers and Ken Wong signed
on to be part of a neighborhood emergency
preparedness committee. “Now I don’t feel
so alone,” Stern says.
An early step was to get a roster of all
the households, their e-mails and phone
numbers. With approximately 50 dwellings
involved, which include homeowners as
well as tenants, “We are still in process,”
Stern says.
Another was to bring in a consultant to
discuss earthquake retrofitting and automatic
gas shutoff valves. “We’re working on a gas
Wednesday, May 2, 6:30-9 p.m.
(CORE 1),
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30-9 p.m.
(CORE 2), and
Wednesdays, May 16, 23 and 30, 6-9
p.m. (CORE 3; A, B, and C).
Note: A CORE 3 Hands-On class
will be held Saturday, June 2, 9:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the OFD training
facility, 250 Victory Court.
For specifics, and to enroll, call the
CORE program at 510/238-6351, visit its
website at www.oaklandcore.org or e-mail
core@oaklandnet.com.
I just might see you there.
Judy Berne was a writer, columnist and editor
for local newspapers in metro Detroit. Since
moving here in 2011, she has been learning
about Rockridge from its residents. Her e-mail is
judyberne@att.net.
Coming
Soon!
Just
Sold!
Call
Me!
10
Offers!
Shafter
Woolsey
Boyd
Ross
Daniel Stea
Rockridge
Broker/Owner/
Attorney
and beyond
since 1997
510.867.4094
Lic. #0670129
2907 Claremont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705  N  DRE #01452156


April 6, 2012
14.

Land Use Cmte.
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
from page 4
■
■21st Amendment Beer
Emporium (name subject to
change): 5330 College Avenue
The owners of the 21st Amendment
Brewery bar and restaurant in San Francisco,
who already have their offices on the second
floor at this Oakland address, propose a store
to sell exotic and micro-brewed beers on the
first floor. According to co-owner Shawn
O’Sullivan (shaun@21st-Amendment.com)
who attended the meeting, the operation
would be similar to that of wine shops that
allow tasting, rather than being a conventional
bar. The business would feature a beer-tasting
area where customers could open and drink
some of the beer they had bought and sample
unusual beers on tap and available in 6-ounce
servings for tasting.
The business would need permits from
the Alcoholic Beverage Commission and a
minor conditional use permit from the city.
No applications have been submitted. The
Committee strongly suggested that the owners
discuss the proposal with their College Avenue
neighbors, and with Bryant Avenue residents,
before moving forward. After discussion, the
Committee voted to recommend that RCPC
not oppose the proposal. The recommendation
will be considered by the RCPC board at its
April meeting.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
May deadline is April 19, 2012.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
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.
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.
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under 20
feet tall. I work with trees to enhance their natu-
ral beauty. Specialties: maples, camellias, fruit
trees, & focal points. Pruning instructor Mer-
ritt College. Bruce Thompson, 510/428-4964.
Spring Special! Penelope’s
Aesthetics SkinCare Salon
25% off waxing and facial services. Come visit
my salon in a serene garden setting and receive
excellent, relaxing services with a gentle and
personalized treatment. www.penelopecalef.
com.By appointment: 510/594-1552.
Need Website Content?
A customer newsletter? Blog posts? An e-book?
Professional business writer/editor can meet
your writing needs from marketing commu-
nications to information products. Contact
Patricia Haddock at 415/863-3917 or info@
patriciahaddock.com for information about
our services.
TAI CHI and QIGONG
New and returning students welcome. Cultivate
your health through breathing and awareness of
this ancient gentle exercise. Rockridge Method-
ist Church, Thursdays, 9:30 am. Saturdays, 9 am.
For details please visit www.harmonytaiji.com
HOME REPAIR ACE
Finish carpenter with over 20 years experience.
Repairs, remodeling, fencing, decks, doors &
windows, tile, painting, electrical and plumb-
ing. Attention to detail and focus on beauty.
Jim 760/840-1504.
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.
Your lovely home
deserves a lovely
landscape
Kathleen Carson-Asher
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.
Designer,
Landscape Contractor
www.LANDesignBuild.us
510/531-4905
lic 960326
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
ECO PAINTING
High quality, ecologically conscious painters
currently booking work for spring/summer
season. Interior/exterior. We do the prep
right for beauty, durability. Local references.
Jim 510/654-3525.


April 6, 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.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
(and other events and discussion groups): 653-9965
or events@dieselbookstore.com.
Rockridge Market Hall
Compiled by Jo Ellis
Community Calendar
Presents “Closer to Home,” an afternoon of events
dedicated to backyard farms and local food artisans.
Food tastings; demos; honey harvesting; product
making secrets and more; Nigerian goat petting zoo;
panel discussion/ book signing with the authors of The
Essential Urban Farmer. Sat., 4/21, noon to 4pm. 5655
College Ave. Info and events schedule: 510/250-6011
or www.rockridgemarkethall.com.
Calif. College of the Arts (CCA)
Spring Fair
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
referrals. First Tues. each month , 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.
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
■
■East Bay Chronic Pain Group: 1st and 3rd Tues.
each month from 3pm to 5pm. Free. Susan Malley:
655-3278 or susanmalley@yahoo.com.
■
■Jack Norris: Discussion and book signing of Vegan
for Life. Tues, 4/17, 6:30-8pm.
ART EXHIBITS (call to confirm)
Gallery:
Apr: Rick Nelson; Photography; Color photos of pottery
and sculpture.
May: Sherry Qwint-Cattoche; Merritt College; figure
drawing.
Lobby Display Case:
Apr: Kim Anderson; “Adornment;” originally crafted
jewelry.
May: Rob Anderson; Atelier student work
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, 4/14.
Note: due to possible shut-downs, confirm all dates.
Diesel Book/Readings and Events
Shop for one-of-a-kind, affordable gifts made by students,
alumni and staff: ceramics, blown glass, jewelry, clothing,
photos, textiles, paintings and more. Live jazz music
and tasty treats. Saturday, 4/21, 11am to 3pm. CCA
campus, 5212 B’way (at College Ave), main walkway.
Info: 415/703-9571, 594-3600 or glee@cca.edu.
Square Dance in North Oakland
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5) Every Thurs,
10:30am.
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2) Every Thurs,
10:30am, upstairs (followed by playtime).
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age 5).
Every Saturday, 10:30am.
SPECIAL EVENT:

Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by
Jordan Ruyle (with occasional guest performers). 1st
and 3rd Fridays, 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.
Wisteria Ways House Concert
Janam (“My Soul”): a compelling mix of Balkan, Romani,
Turkish, Sephardic and American roots music & originals.
Sat., Apr 14, 8pm; doors open 7:30pm (inside venue; not
wheelchair accessible). Artists’ info at www.janamband.
com. $15-20 donation for musicians (cash only at the
door). 383 61st Street. For reservations (highly recom-
mended), RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
11th Annual Community Yard and
Bake Sale
Lower Rockridge Parents Group (LRPG) benefit for
Peralta Elementary and Claremont Middle Schools.
Saturday, 4/28, 9am to 1pm. Peralta school playground,
460 63rd St. (on Alcatraz, one-half block east of Teleg.).
Donations are still welcome: email Heather at grillmeyer@
sbcglobal.net. See article, page 7.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
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.
G

■
■Dia de los Ninos & Dia de los Libros: Bilingual
music concert by Chiquy Boom to celebrate children’s
reading. Saturday, 4/28. Festivities begin at 4:00, with
a free book give-away, snacks, and doing a simple
craft. Concert starts at 4:30.
FOR TEENS
■
■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.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas Anime Club: Watch and talk about
anime (Japanese animation). Second Tues. each
month (4/10), 5 to 6:30pm.
FOR ADULTS
■
■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). Note day and
time change for April: 4th Saturday, noon to 4pm.
Sponsored by the California Writers Club, Berkeley
branch. (www.berkeleywritersclub.org.) Info: 420-8775
or Writefox@aol.com.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland

All events FREE and open to the public.
■
■Mon, 4/9, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meeting
(2nd Mon. each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
■
■Thurs, 4/12, 7pm. Publication Party for local author
and KPFA radio host Chana Wilson: Riding Fury
Home: a Memoir.
■
■Fri, 4/13, 7pm. Publication Party Lisa Nola: Film
Listography: Your Life in Movie Lists, with Jon Stich,
featured illustrator (and former Diesel manager).
■
■Wed, 4/18, 7pm. Local videogame critic and designer
Anna Anthropy: Rise of the Videogame Zinesters.
■
■Thurs, 4/19, 7pm. Only Calif. appearance of all-time
Jeopardy! Champion Ken Jennings: Maphead.
■
■Fri, 4/20, 7pm. Publication Party for local author Diana
McRae: Deerhaven Pines.
■
■Thurs, 4/26, 7pm. Poetry reading with Alice Jones
and Stephen Motika.
■
■Sun, 4/29, 3pm. Local author/poet and KPFA journalist
Dennis Bernstein: Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden
Classroom.


April 6, 2012
16.

COMING SOON IN UPPER ROCKRIDGE
A HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS – all seasons of your life and
all seasons of the year.  This striking contemporary three story
home with level entry features an elevator to all floors. Designed
with flair, flexibility, light and livability in mind this over 4,000
square foot home includes an apartment with its own separate
entrance. Call us for additional details
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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Across from BART
Open 7 Days
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Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
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5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!

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dayspa      oaklandberkeley
serving you since 1981
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at alcatraz
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p 510.428.2600
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sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
FOR SALE IN ROCKRIDGE
5678 Ocean View Dr.
Price Reduced $925,000
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
5866 Birch Court      $1,275,000
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
www.5866Birch.com
There continues to be even bigger
crowds at our Rockridge listings
in March. The market is currently
underserved with actively available
homes in Rockridge. Again if you are
thinking about selling any time soon
please call me for a free evaluation
of your home 510-547-5970 e55 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
Shopping? Start in Oakland!