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VOL. 28  NO. 4  ISSUE NO. 299  April 6, 2013  CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

RCPC Town Hall: Meet Councilmember Dan Kalb

Rockridge Kitchen Tour:
How You Can Help
by: Natalie Mehta
Mark your calendar
now: the Rock-
ridge Kitchen Tour
will be held Sunday,
September 29.
This RCPC biennial
fundraiser has been a
Bay Area favorite since its
inception in 1995, and much of
its success is due to the enthusiasm of the
community volunteers who make this event
possible. How can you help?
was also comfortable not
answering questions on
subjects he felt he needed
to know more about.
Excerpts from the inter-
view follow:
City Operations
It was an eye-opener in
his early council experi-
ences, Kalb said, to realize
the extent of the influence
wielded by the city adminis-
trator over city affairs.
“Oakland has a strong-
mayor system in name
only,” he said, referring
to the arrangement put
in place during Jerry
Brown’s mayoral terms as a
“convoluted kind of hybrid.”
The position of the mayor,
separate from the person
occupying it at any one
An Interview
With Dan Kalb
by Stuart Flashman and
Don Kinkead
‘I
t’s a lot of work, about
what I expected, but I’m
a workaholic generally,” said
Dan Kalb, characterizing
his first months as the City
Councilmember for Council
District 1 which includes
Rockridge.
Kalb met late in March
with RCPC board members
Stuart Flashman and Don
Kinkead to discuss a range
of Oakland and Rockridge
issues in anticipation of his
attendance at the RCPC
April Town Hall meeting.
For one so recently
elected to public office, Kalb
was at ease with the range
O F R O C K R I D G E K I T C H E N S
A T A S T E F U L T O U R
Rockridge
Kitchens
2013
P L A N N I N G C O U N C I L
ROCKRIDGE COMMUNIT Y
■
■Recommend a Kitchen: The
committee has toured a number of
spectacular kitchens and is looking for
more recommendations to ensure the tour
features kitchens in a variety of styles, sizes,
and budgets that will inspire our guests.
If you know of a beautifully renovated or
remodeled kitchen, please let us know soon.
The committee makes its selections in May.
Councilmember
Dan Kalb /D. Kinkead
of questions prepared by
the RCPC board, discussing
city-wide and Rockridge-
centric issues with equal
comfort and depth. He
➧➧Dan Kalb, page 13
■
■Spread the Word: Ticket sales are
the primary source of the fundraising, and
each tour brings guests from all over the
Bay Area. Help us publicize the event by
sharing the date with your networks, family,
and friends.

April Election: RCPC Board of Directors
R
CPC’s annual election for its board of directors will be held at the April town hall
meeting Thursday, April 18. Voting will follow statements by incumbents seeking
reelection and new candidates seeking a board position who will discuss their interest
in board service. Voting will also be held the following Saturday for those residents
unable to attend the town hall session. Residents will be asked to confirm a Rockridge
address within RCPC boundaries, and should therefore bring a driver’s license or DMV
ID card showing their address. See bottom of page 3 for further details.

■
■Become a Sponsor or Advertiser:
Is your prime business target an audience
interested in homes and renovation?
Advertising and sponsorship opportunities
are available. Contact Natalie; see below
for information.
■
■Volunteer: If you have a few hours
(or more) to contribute, join the team that
makes this fantastic event happen. We are
looking for volunteers to add to the pub-
licity, photography, food, and registration
committees, and docents to show off our
fabulous kitchens. Volunteers are treated
to a preview of the tour kitchens.
To find out which job may suit you, to advertise
and/or sponsor, or to recommend a special
kitchen, contact Natalie Mehta at 415/279-5148
or natalie.mehta@yahoo.com.

18
AGENDA: RCPC Town Hall Meeting, April 18
Meet Dan Kalb
RCPC Board Candidates’
Forum and Elections
y
y New District 1 Councilmember
Dan Kalb is the featured speaker at the
April RCPC Town Hall meeting. Come hear
his views on Oakland and its future, and his
thoughts about Rockridge and Council Dis-
trict 1. For a preview, see above for Kalb’s
interview with RCPC’s Stuart Flashman
and Rockridge News Editor Don Kinkead.
y
y Candidates for RCPC’s board of
directors will discuss their positions on
Rockridge and Oakland issues and their
interest in being on the board. Rockridge
residents may vote at this meeting or
on Saturday, April 20, at the Rockridge
Branch Library between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
See more details, page 3.
Thursday, April 18 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila

April 6, 2013
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.
Views expressed in Op-Ed essays do not necessarily reflect those of The Rockridge News,
its editor, or the board of directors of the Rockridge Community Planning Council.

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED

Broadway Safeway Project Ignores Neighborhood

Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 12 – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday and Monday: CLOSED
by Rachel Grossman
The Safeway rebuilding project at
Pleasant Valley and Broadway presents
an opportunity to revitalize the southern
part of Rockridge, connect it with nearby
walkable areas such as Piedmont Avenue
and Temescal, and serve as a gateway to
the Broadway corridor. A successful project
would require a radically different approach
to the one Safeway is currently taking and
that Oakland is too eagerly embracing.
Safeway’s design is disconnected from
the fabric of the Rockridge neighborhood
and completely automobile-oriented. It will
substantially increase traffic and pollution
without providing any significant civic
asset. Is there a garden in the project? A
dedicated pedestrian walkway? A real
plaza? Benches? A single fountain? So far,
the answers are no. Instead, Safeway has
presented a design where delivery bays for
big box stores invade a primary pedestrian
pathway.
Inward-Facing Design
The proposed design (available on the
city’s website or by appointment with City
Planner Darin Ranelletti, 238-3663, e-mail
dranelletti@oaklandnet.com) is completely
inward-facing, raising a line of opaque walls
along Broadway and Pleasant Valley, with
few actual store fronts and entry points.
Pedestrians or bicyclists attempting to
access the shopping center from the College
Avenue direction and only reach an entry
by crossing a hazardous driveway/street
that serves as the primary entrance to the
three-story parking structure.
No Viable Public Transportation
In its current form, the project fails to
offer viable public transportation options.
A bus stop on Broadway has been relocated
to be closer to the center’s shopping street,
but there are no integrated bus stops or
shuttles to BART stations.
The Environmental Impact Report vastly
underestimates the traffic challenges that
will be caused by this significantly enlarged
shopping center, claiming the problem can
be solved by fine-tuning the timing of a
few traffic lights. It’s clearly not just about
the inconvenience of well over double the
traffic flooding into Rockridge and adjacent
areas, but it’s also about the serious health
problems caused by the emissions generated
by cars sitting in gridlock.
Alternative: Mixed Use
As an alternative, a mixed-use project
involving not only retail but also residential
would be a vast improvement. There would
still be significant traffic, but it would be
distributed over the course of the day as a
function of varied land use.
A strong design concept would also
accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and
those who use public transportation. It
would integrate public spaces where friends,
families and neighbors could meet. Modern
retail design employs those principles.
Safeway and City Must Listen
Let’s be honest: Safeway wants profits;
the city wants tax revenue. The citizens of
Rockridge should also get something positive
from the new shopping center.
There’s a lot we can do to improve
this proposed project if we can persuade
Safeway and the city to listen and to enter
into respectful dialogue with the public.
The approval process has been accelerated
so the final vote will come in June or July
of this year. Then it goes to construction.
Now is the time to get involved.
Getting What You Want
What do you want to see in this project?
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
Andrew Charman ��������������Chair
Christopher Chin �������������Vice-Chair
Laura Schlichtmann �����������Secretary
Bernard Baltaxe �����������������Treasurer
Stuart Flashman �����������������Chair Emeritus
Virginia Hamilton, Michael Kan, William Kaufner,
Don Kinkead, Lisa McNally, Greg Pasquali,
Ronnie Spitzer, Zabrae Valentine, 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
■
■Collaborate with neighbors after set-
ting up a username and password at:
www.neighborland.com/pleasantval-
leysafeway
■
■Share opinions and ask for the
documentation and transparency
you expect from city government
at: http://safewayrockridgedialogue.
blogspot.com
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.
■
■Contact District 1 Councilmember
Dan Kalb: dkalb@oaklandnet.com
■
■Contact Dan Pryor, Safeway’s vice
president of communications: dan.
pryor@safeway.com
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
 May 4, 2013
 May deadline is April 18, 2013
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.)
■
■Lobby the Planning Commission for the
project you want to see: http://www2.
oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PBN/
OurOrganization/PlanningZoning/o/
Commissions/index.htm

3.
April 6, 2013

RCPC Board Candidates: 2013 Election
RCPC Financial Report
Posting Delayed
Due to technical problems, publication
of the Rockridge Community Planning
Council’s annual financial report in the
April issue of The Rockridge News has
been delayed. It will be published in the
May 2013 newsletter.
Copies of the report will be available
to the community after April 25. Residents
who wish to receive a copy of the report
prior to the May newsletter publication
should e-mail info@rockridge.org or write to
RCPC, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland,
CA 94611.
Andrew E. Charman
Lawton Avenue
I
joined the RCPC board
to help preserve and
enhance Rockridge’s unique
character as an “urban
oasis,” a neighborhood deftly
balancing residential and commercial
uses, with well-preserved architecture and
beautiful gardens, friendly to families, and
amenable to pedestrians and cyclists.
I have served as vice-chair and chair
of the board, liaison to the Friends and
Neighbors of College Avenue (FANs),
a neighborhood group concerned with
Safeway’s expansion plans, Fourth Bore
Coalition representative, and chair of
RCPC’s Transportation Committee, which
addresses issues concerning traffic, transit,
and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
I hope to continue to serve in these
capacities.
Bill Kaufner
Taft Avenue
I
would like to continue the
work I am involved with
on the Rockridge Community Planning
Council in the areas of Rockridge schools
and land use issues. The council helped
work through the Safeway designs, and
the Caltrans 4th Bore mitigations, and has
worked to bring exciting projects to fruition
including the BART plaza, and a DVD
project for the Rockridge Library. Should I
be granted another term, I look forward to
working for the gains from projects to come.
City Releases
Soundwall Study
Petitions
Lisa McNally
62nd Street
I
’ve lived in Rockridge for
nearly three years after
having lived in Piedmont
for four years. I live on 62nd
Street in a rare rental unit
on a street of predominantly single-family
homes. Civic engagement is important to
me, and being a part of an historic and
dynamic neighborhood planning group such
as RCPC allows me to stay informed while
actively contributing to my community. I
believe that space informs a sense of place,
with our environment affecting how we
interact with others and shaping our personal
development.
by Victoria Eisen, Oakland Caldecott
outreach coordinator
Following the process presented at
the September and January RCPC
Town Hall meetings and in articles in the
December 2012 and January 2013 issues of
The Rockridge News, the city of Oakland
has released petitions that eligible property
owners can use to indicate their support of
further study of two potential soundwalls
along eastbound and westbound SR-24 in
Rockridge (see January issue for map).
If at least two-thirds of these property
owners sign the petition by March 26,
2014, the studies will be funded through
Oakland’s $8 million Caldecott Tunnel
Settlement Agreement with Caltrans. If
fewer than two-thirds sign, these funds will
flow to pedestrian lighting and intersection
improvement projects and other potential
soundwall studies.
For more information, see www.
fourthbore.org or contact Oakland Caldecott
outreach coordinator Victoria Eisen at
victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220.
Michael R. Kan
Keith Avenue
My name is Michael R.
Kan and I’ve had the
great opportunity to serve
on the RCPC board both in
an appointed and elected
capacity. Serving on the RCPC board has
been a great experience, working to preserve
the fabric of our community and bring
the issues necessary to the enhancement
and preservation of our community to our
neighbors.
If re-elected, I would work to continue
my efforts with the RCPC board to best
serve our community. Thank you.
Greg Pasquali
Lawton Avenue
I
am running for the RCPC
board because I am
excited to help make this
➧➧Board Candidates, page 9

RCPC Board Election Procedures
At the RCPC Town Hall meeting Thursday, April 18, five candidates – three
elected incumbents and two recent appointees to previously vacated seats
– will introduce themselves and describe their interest in RCPC Board service.
There will then be two opportunities to vote for the candidates of your choice.
Balloting will be held at the meeting on Thursday, April 18, and on Saturday, April
20, in the entryway or 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 paint chips flaking from the pillars
in the BART parking lot recently
revealed a possible cause of the blight
lurking beneath the surface. /D. Kinkead

April 6, 2013
4.
2013 Tech Auction a
Smashing Success

Gateway to History for Centennial Bash

Possible future
C l a r e m o n t
Middle School
students strolling
past the original
entry gate to the
school. In careless
storage since the
school was rebuilt, the
timeworn gate is now
slated for restoration.
The gate’s position
in the original school
building, pictured
lower right, was inside
the arched portico.
by Lyn Hikida, Claremont/Chabot parent
As Claremont Middle School celebrates
its 100th birthday this year, efforts
are under way to restore the historic gate
that may be the last remaining piece of the
original school. Claremont, along with other
beautiful Oakland public schools from the
early 20th century, was deemed seismically
unsafe in the 1970s, when it was torn down
and rebuilt.
According to Claremont parent Kristofer
Brekke, who is leading the restoration
campaign, the gate was saved but placed in
an interior courtyard, where it deteriorated
from exposure to the elements. Today, the
gate stands at the corner of College Avenue
and Birch Court.
Brekke is researching multiple scenarios
for gate restoration, ranging from cosmetic
repair and protection from further
deterioration to more extensive historic
preservation. To donate to the gate restoration
project, visit www.claremontms.org.
Join in the Claremont Centennial
Celebration
Mark your calendar for the Claremont
Centennial Celebration, Saturday,
June 1, 3 to 5 p.m.
Reunion festivities will take place in
the garden and on the school yard, with
live music, special guest speakers, birthday
cake and a display of memorabilia from the

by Tech Auction Committee
Thank you to the Oakland community for
supporting the 2013 “This Is It” auction,
our school’s most significant fundraiser.
We are pleased to report that we grossed
more than $85,000, a new record. The total
includes 350 tickets sold, and income from
online, silent and live auctions.
We appreciate the generous donations
from Rockridge businesses and residents
to our auction. Your special items, food,
and generous gift certificates enabled us to
offer a tantalizing array of dinners, clothing,
food, vacations, wine and outings to the
Tech community.
Funds raised at our annual auction touch
all areas of the school, from classroom
support to grounds beautification, from
athletics to music, and from lab supplies
to technology.
Thank you to these Rockridge merchants
for their generous support of the school and
the auction:
/D. Kinkead

school’s 100-year history.
One alumna who plans to attend is
Charlotte Coomber, who attended Claremont
in the early 1940s. She and her junior high
friends have been meeting annually for
lunch for more than 30 years. “My days
at Claremont were full of learning and
pleasure. Now we can look forward to the
next 100 years!”
If you attended Claremont and have
memories, photos or memorabilia to share,
please contact Claremont 8th grade parent
Michelle Bilensky at mdb.pta.oakland@
gmail.com.
Spread the word to family, friends,
neighbors, and Claremont alumni who
have moved from Rockridge. Donate to the
Claremont Fund in support of our cherished
school. Visit the school website at www.
claremontms.org to make a donation and/
or find out more about the plans.
To help with the celebration outreach
and planning, contact Michelle Bilensky.
Claremont Thanks
Chabot for Support

and will be sending $6,000 to enhance the
Claremont Middle School music program.
This kind of support makes a very big
difference and is much appreciated. The
Claremont Middle School PTA Music
Committee will begin immediately to put
the funds to use and report back on the
progress made.
A
huge thank you from the Claremont
Middle School community to the
Chabot School community for the support
and energy shared at the March auction.
Chabot families stepped up in a big way

Namaste Yoga in
Rockridge
Oliveto Cafe &
Restaurant
Pavé
Pegasus New &
Used Books
Pharmaca
Integrative
Pharmacy
Pizza Rustica Cafe
Prez, Inc. Hair
Rockridge Barber
Shop
Rockridge Cafe
Seven 7 Salon, Inc.
Spasso
Coffeehouse
Stella Karakasi
The Pasta Shop at
Rockridge Market
Hall
Toast Wine Lounge
Tootsies Rockridge
Trader Joe’s
College Avenue
Transports
Uzen Japanese
Cuisine
Vero for Hair
Vino!
Zachary’s Chicago
Pizza
À Côté
Arellano Salon
Atomic Garden
Bella Vita
Bellissimo
Ben ‘n Nick’s
Bar & Grill
Bittersweet
Body, Mind & Spirit
Massage Therapy
Center
Bosko’s Picture
Framing
Breema Clinic
Brow Lounge
Cole Coffee
Collins Plumbing
Diesel Bookstore
Elizabeth H
Filippos
Homesteader
In Full Swing
Katrina Rozelle
Pastries
La Farine
LOOT
Maison D’Être
Market Hall Foods
Moderne Eye
Optometry
Mr. John’s Dog
Grooming

5.
April 6, 2013

The RCPC Land Use Committee meets the fourth Wednesday of the month
at the Rockridge Branch Library, upstairs meeting room, 7:30 p.m. Next
meeting: Wednesday, April 24. Topics will include updates on the College Avenue
Safeway and Rockridge Shopping Center projects, as well as possible discussion of the
zoning ordinance’s off-street parking requirement and tightening up College Avenue
zoning. (Subject to change. Check www.rockridge.org for updates.)

Land Use Meeting Agendas: Contact
Stuart Flashman (652-5373 or e-mail stuflash@
aol.com) for a copy of the current Land Use
Committee meeting agenda.

Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
take the community by surprise. The first
group of drawings have just been released,
and, at first glance, don’t appear to contain
anything alarming. However, the architects
in the groups will review them carefully.
Construction of the project will probably
begin towards the end of 2013, and is
expected to last about a year.
comment period on the Draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) closed last month,
and the city and its consultants are now
working on preparing responses to the many
comments received.
Representatives of RCPC, Piedmont
Avenue, and Temescal community groups
met with our new council member, Dan
Kalb, and with Darin Ranelletti (238-3663,
dranelletti@oaklandnet.com), the planner
handling the project, to discuss community
concerns and how the Final EIR will address
them. Two topics were uppermost – housing
and traffic.
Safeway’s master lease with the owner
of the shopping center property prohibits
any residential use on the site. All the
community groups, and several planning
commissioners, felt this was unfortunate, and
that the community would be better served if
the project included a residential component.
Council member Kalb has promised to try to
arrange a meeting with the property owner
to discuss whether the prohibition against
residences can be modified.
Of the many traffic concerns raised by
the project, perhaps the most important has
been the prospect of increased cut-through
traffic on nearby residential streets. The
Draft EIR dismissed
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project: College & Claremont
Avenues
This project was approved by the City
Council last December, with the final
project a result of a settlement negotiated
between Safeway and neighborhood groups
(including RCPC). Safeway is now in the
midst of converting the pretty pictures
presented to the City Council into the
working drawings that will guide the actual
construction. The settlement agreement calls
for periodic meetings between Safeway
and the community groups as construction
preparations move forward to ensure that
any last-minute changes in the project don’t
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center:
Rebuild and Expansion
Project, Broadway & Pleasant
Valley Avenue
This project would, in three phases,
replace the current shopping center with
an expanded center, enlarging the Safeway
from 50,000 to 65,000 sq. ft. and adding
120,000 sq.ft. of retail and office space. The
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➧➧Land Use, page 9

April 6, 2013
6.

Letters to the Editor
Rendering of
DaVita landscaping
proposal/Courtesy
Scenic Streets (File)
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.
DaVita Edges Closer
to Landscape
Renovations
these should go away much sooner than
that, here are some people to contact:
Safeway Ad Banners Don’t Fit
Editor:
I recently noticed the tall banners that have
gone up around Safeway advertising their
gas promotion with Chevron. I think they are
totally hideous and
out of synch with
both the aesthetics
and signage of our
neighborhood.
I spoke with the
store manager. She
said there’s nothing
she can do about it,
and the signs will be
up for the next four
months. If you are
like me and think
y
y George Arias, Safeway district
manager (covering our Rockridge/
College Avenue store):

925/516-7137
y
y Wendy Gutshall, Safeway Public
Affairs for Northern California:
925/467-3000, or e-mail: wendy.
gutshall@safeway.com
I’m also going to be in touch with the
Planning Department to see if Safeway has
a permit for these signs. (And, if they do,
why was there no request for neighborhood
comment?)
Thanks so much for your help in keeping
our neighborhood as lovely as it can be.
— Laura Mytels
by Sean Riley, Local Resident
DaVita Dialyisis Corporation hopes
to break ground on landscaping
renovations to its Claremont Avenue
facility this summer, according to Peter
Lund, founder of Scenic Streets, a local
volunteer group.
Scenic Streets has been negotiating
improvements to the prominent property at
the corner of Clifton Street and Claremont
for nearly two years. The removal of blight
and addition of greenery promised by DaVita
last summer remain eagerly anticipated by
local residents and businesses.
Lund reports that DaVita claims to have
provided property owner Jim Falaschi
of Transbay Holding with the necessary
documentation several months ago. Falaschi’s
approval is the last significant hurdle before
work can begin.
Falaschi did not return calls from The
Rockridge News regarding the status of
the paperwork.
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(510) 654-3339
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
the Rockridge community
in lifestyle and service.
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate
with the most real estate transactions in Rockridge from 2011 to 2013
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

Inventory levels remain low, and buyer demand is very high. This makes it a great window of time to
sell. Call for a free home evaluation!

PENDING:
• 3BD++/2BA on main level & 1BD+/1BA legal in-law unit on lower level, combined for a grand
4000sf 4BD 3BA stately home @ 5932 Ocean View Dr in Chabot District.

SOLD:
• 2BD, 2BA @ 5335 Lawton Ave, Chabot Dist. w/ FP, large bonus room, yard, garage. Sold @ $870,000.

Lic. 691894
Martin Coyle 510-655-8717 Mike Tracy
5221 James Ave. Oakland Ca. 94618
w w w . c o y l e h o m e r e m o d e l . c o m

COMING SOON:
• 2BD, 2BA in Peralta School Dist. w/ cute detached art/work studio.
NEEDED
• Any and all properties. There is a shortage of supply in all size homes and investment properties.
Happy Spring!
Call for a real local expert opinion.
Perry Riani, Senior Real Estate Specialist
Lawton Associates DRE# 01402540
510.813.3799
priani@earthlink.net
L A W T O N
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
LAWTON ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

April 6, 2013

Lower Rockridge Parents Group Sets 12th Annual Community Sale
The Lower Rockridge Parents Group
(LRPG) holds its annual Community
Yard & Bake Sale Saturday, April 20,
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The sale, proceeds of which
benefit Peralta Elementary and Claremont
Middle schools, is held on the Peralta School
playground on Alcatraz Avenue between
Telegraph Avenue and Dana Street.
LRPG was founded in 2001 by three

neighborhood moms who had two specific
goals in mind: to build community support
for Peralta, their neighborhood elementary
public school, and to increase the general
level of community within the Lower
Rockridge neighborhood.
One LRPG event has become an annual
rite of spring – the Annual Community
Yard Sale Benefit. The event is 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 coffee and a brownie
in one of Peralta’s many gardens.
This Yard Sale is like no other – it’s one
of the East Bay’s largest and has raised over
$38,000 to help support our neighborhood
➧➧Peralta Yard Sale, page 9

Rockridge’s New BART Rep Has Change in Mind for Trains and Board

by Rebecca Saltzman
My name is Rebecca Saltzman, and I
am the recently elected BART Board
Member for District 3, which includes
Rockridge.
I’m excited to represent Rockridge on the
board. For five years, I lived a short walk
away from the Rockridge BART station and
used it frequently.
I have advocated for transit, bicycle, and
pedestrian issues in Oakland and the East
Bay for many years. When I’m not at BART,
I’m Government Affairs Manager for the
California League of Conservation Voters,
where I help pass state laws protecting our
transit systems and environment.
It’s an exciting but also a challenging
time at BART. Ridership is rapidly growing,
approaching 400,000 average weekday
ridership. The system is more than 40 years
old, and growing ridership is stressing BART
infrastructure. To keep BART reliable, we
need to reinvest in our aging system. BART
has billions of dollars in capital replacement
and improvement needs. Our biggest needs
connections. I will be working with AC
Transit to improve connections between
buses and BART.
I’m thrilled about the new Rockridge
BART plaza, which connects the BART
station to the surrounding neighborhood
and adds inviting public open space. I
greatly appreciate the hard work and the
vision of the Rockridge community and
my predecessor, Director Bob Franklin, in
making this project happen.
I will work with the Rockridge community
to further improve the BART station and
BART service, and I’d love to hear your ideas.
Please e-mail me at RebeccaForBART@
gmail.com or leave a phone message for
me at 510/464-6095.
The BART board meets every 2nd and
4th Thursday of the month at 9 a.m. in
downtown Oakland. The public is invited
to attend and provide comment on agenda
items or general comment. You can also
watch BART meetings online live or
archived. Learn more about the board and
its meetings at www.bart.gov/board.
District 3
BART rep
Rebecca
Saltzman
wants to
improve
connections
between
BART and
ACTransit.
/R. Saltzman
are purchasing new rail cars, replacing the
train control system, and expanding the
Hayward maintenance facility.
Reinvesting in our core system is my
number one priority as a BART director.
I am also working to increase access to
the BART board and our decisions. I have
proposed holding board meetings in the
evenings, when working people can attend,
and the board will address this proposal
soon. I want to make it easier to access
BART board materials online.
Another one of my priorities is improving
access to BART stations, particularly by
increasing transit, bike, and pedestrian
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since 1997
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Attorney
510.867.4094

April 6, 2013
8.

A Stellar Store
for Women
T
The Neighborhood Merchant
by Theresa Nelson
he open, clean lines of the Stella
Carakasi store echo the smooth and
wearable styles of the clothing and
accessories. Every woman I saw who entered
the store was drawn to the flowing lines and
interesting cut of the varied separates in
organic fabrics and luscious colors.
Bearing the name of the designer Stella
Carakasi, who for 20 years has had the design
studio and catalog Two Star Dog, this is the
signature store for her new line of clothing
that combines a casual California style
with a European architectural sensibility.
They offer eight seasonal collections each
year, with each collection building on the
previous ones, allowing customers to build a
wardrobe of certain basics and adding new
colors and styles over time.
The fabrics are almost all soft and drape
beautifully, and for spring include organic
cotton, linen jersey, printed georgette, twill,
Tencel® cotton, and wool-silk blends. Winter
fabrics include boiled wool, alpaca, hemp and
cotton sateen, and the clothing is all made
in the USA. Ranging from tops, cardigans
and tunics to jackets, dresses, skirts and
shrugs, all the pieces work together in a
variety of interesting combinations, and
almost all are wash and wear.
The early spring collection included
colors like Bliss (taupe), Haze (pale grey),
and Aloe, a lovely green, along with black
and white. Up next is the spring collection,
which includes Lemongrass, Havana (a
warm brown) and Apricot, along with a
beautiful new print. Each collection adds
seasonal colors to the neutrals and basics
to build a wardrobe.
The separates all have interesting names
as well. You can try on the basic Sure Thing
Tee, the floaty Cloud Cover Tunic, the Ready
To Wear Leggings, the long-ish After All
Tunic, the simple Front Page Pants, the
lined Ever After Skirt, the Headliner Tunic
layering a print tunic over a chiffon under
tunic, the draped Made You Look Tunic, the
Day Tripper pants with inverted pleat front,
and the Second to None Tunic. Many of the
styles feature gentle draping, unusual twists
and asymmetrical cuts that flatter almost
every shape and size. The website offers
more info on the collections, and even has
a video of store manager Yarra McClure
showing three ways to wear their lovely
Stella Carakasi
5410 College Avenue | 510/658-5410
Open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily
http://www.stellacarakasi.com/
#!signature-boutique/cee5
Yarra McClure, Store Manager
Winning Ways cardigan.
The clothing comes in sizes from 4 to
18, is aimed at fitting many sizes and shapes
of women. The store offers complimentary
hemming so that the fit is perfect. And
because their headquarters is in Berkeley, a
different size or color can usually be easily
gotten. Accessories include a wrap belt in
Havana (brown) or Caviar (black) that fits
over various tunics and dresses, and floaty
scarves dipped in multiple coordinating
colors or studded with small silver disks to
complement many of the outfits.
In addition to the beautiful clothes, the
store carries a variety of stunning jewelry,
ranging from earrings at $18 and necklaces
that start at $26 – perfect for a quick gift or
to add something to an outfit. The Karine
Sultan line from Paris includes wear-with-
anything double and triple strands of small
linked disks in rose gold or sterling silver
with matching earrings, and a bold rose
gold over pewter cuff. Lauren Wolf from
Oakland shows ocean-inspired jewelry,
some featuring a texture like the skin of a
Store
manager
Yarra
McClure
models
the store’s
clothing in
its website
videos. She
enjoys the
friendliness
of the
Rockridge
area.
/D. Kinkead
stingray. Zina Kao from Emeryville shows
jewelry made of a series of delicate disks,
simply and with a lot of style.
Store manager Yarra McClure noted that
she finds the neighborhood “awesome, really
friendly, a great area for women to shop for
➧➧Stella Carakasi, page 9
3rd Floor
Market Hall
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Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
Advanced Preventive, Restorative, Periodontal Gum Care, and Dental Implants.

9.
April 6, 2013

FROG Park & Creek: Earth Day Call to Action

Redondo and Cavour parks for the creek site.
Questions? E-mail info@frogpark.org.
by Howard Ferrier, volunteer
coordinator, Friends of the Rockridge-
Temescal Greenbelt (FROG) Park
Join your neighbors for a community work
day on Earth Day, Saturday, April 20,
9 a.m. to noon.
We will remove debris and trim the
plants around the park. Even an hour of your
time will make a difference. There will be
kid-friendly jobs and families are welcome
but childcare is not provided.
The DMV Neighbors Association is
coordinating clearing the creek bed and
cleaning up along the Greenbelt between
Clifton and Redondo playgrounds to get
ready for the creek to flow again. Also, the
pond will be cleaned out in preparation for
the creek flow.
We will weed, sweep, sift, seal, clean
and, in general, do the things needed to
keep the park up to snuff for our children
and community members to enjoy.
This is your chance to pitch in to show
you care about FROG Park, and to make
a difference in keeping it clean and fun
for everyone as we work with the city to
support our park.
There will be tasks for all ages. Bring
gloves and hand pruners if you have them,
marked with your name. Other tools will
be provided on-site.
Sign in with FROG at Hardy Park at
Claremont and Hudson for the park cleanup
and with the DMV Neighbors Association at
FROG Notes:
■
■N e x t F r o g
meeting: April 9.
Please e-mail info@
frogpark.org for
details.
■
■First Saturday Clean Up Reminder:
The next family-friendly First Saturday
cleanup is May 4. Join Oakland Tech
Community Club students to rake,
plant and tackle family-friendly tasks.
Meet at Big Frog (Hardy Circle),
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Park remains open
during the clean up. Rain cancels.
Carol Behr, FROG Chair
Friends of the Rockridge Greenbelt
Board Candidates
Peralta Yard Sale
Land Use
from page 3
from page 7
from page 5
public schools. Through the years, LRPG
Yard Sale proceeds help support music,
art, physical and science education at both
Peralta and Claremont. Collaboration among
the schools’ communities, neighbors and
businesses has helped buoy Peralta and
Claremont during difficult financial times.
Items not sold will be donated to other
charities. Past charities receiving donated
items include Clausen House, Elizabeth
House, Bananas, Alta Bates Thrift Shop
and The Salvation Army.
the project’s effects on this traffic as
insignificant, but the neighborhood groups
are united in insisting that a more thorough
study is needed.
Presently, the only measure the city
uses for traffic impacts is congestion, as
measured by intersection level of service
calculations. However, cut-through traffic
can destroy a residential community’s peace,
quiet, and safety even if the traffic isn’t
slowing to a crawl.
The groups are pushing the city to find
better ways to measure traffic impacts on
residential streets. The groups also suggested
that the city report back to the community
on how it’s dealing with this and other
important issues before it finalizes and
issues the final EIR and moves ahead on
considering project approval.
At the moment, the city says it expects
to publish the final EIR early this summer.
Greg Pasquali, cont’d
great neighborhood even better. Since my
wife and I moved to Rockridge a year ago,
we’ve been really happy with the strong
sense of community, great events, and
beautiful neighborhood.
I’ve worked for progressive urban
planning and development organizations
in Oakland that focus on making cities and
neighborhoods more livable and sustainable
by building buildings that positively impact
their neighborhoods, making public spaces
safer and more beautiful, and giving people
new transportation options.
Donations still welcome.
If you have questions about the sale and/or want
to donate or volunteer, please contact Chris Moraes
at chris@ridebrazil.com.
Rockridge Market Continues to Heat Up
Stella Carakasi
from page 8

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

3/12/13 3
1
6100 Taft Avenue
$869,000
$869,000
15
$1,050,000

3/16/13 1
1
320 51st Street
$409,000
$409,000
13
$450,000

a variety of clothing, and the merchants are
all very supportive and welcoming of each
other.” She noted that women who have
bought Stella Carakasi clothing on the East
Coast often visit this signature store when in
the Bay Area, since it is only a short BART
ride from San Francisco. So take a walk on
College Avenue and stop by Stella Carakasi,
a half-block from the Rockridge Library.

3/21/13 4
2
5355 Broadway
$825,000
$825,000
16
$910,000

Average original list price to sales price is currently 114% vs 99% last year · Median sold price
is currently $910,000 vs. $585,500 last year · Properties are selling in an average of 15 days ·
There is a one month supply of active inventory

10.

April 6, 2013
10.

happy to pay for. But, as more fundraising
events enter the field, competition for
donation dollars rises, pushing event
planners to offer ever-more exciting
themes, competitive prices, convenient
dates and enticing food and beverages.
Event location is critical. The winning
location this year is the Uptown Body
and Fender Building on 26th Street, a
noisy, hip environment where you can
dance and not worry if an hors d’oeuvre
falls on the floor.
The April/May Line-Up
We admire the PTAs of Chabot
Elementary School, Claremont Middle
School, and Oakland Tech for their
great successes in March. Now, three
more events:
galore. Buy a raffle ticket and you might
win the grand prize, a week’s stay in
a beautiful beachfront villa in Mexico,
complete with cook and chauffeur. For
more information, see www.ligureclub.com.
The
Rockridge
Muse
The Annual Luncheon Benefit
for Oakland’s Elizabeth House,
located in Rockridge, will be held at the
Claremont Country Club April 25. This
is a more reserved event. Be prepared
to bid on some beautiful and substantial
items, such as a one-week vacation on
Galway Bay in the west of Ireland. The
goal is to raise $50,000 to help sustain
Elizabeth House’s residential program for
women and children. Visit oakehouse.
org/events for more information.
by Ortrun Niesar
The Growing Need for
Community Fundraising
Every year, as soon as the weather
warms, local fundraising events spring
up like daffodils all around our community.
Fundraising is something all of our
schools and 501c(3) charitable institutions
rely on these days to fulfill their missions.
Most missions are designed to help fill a
basic human need that has fallen between
the cracks in our social system.
If it’s parks and libraries we want,
enriched education or restoration of
that historic gate at Claremont Middle
School, it’s up to us as a community to
raise the necessary funds.
Organizations large or small are
getting better at it all the time. Your
talent and time are needed. Volunteer,
and you will find out just how involved
and complex a good fundraiser can be...
and how rewarding.
Putting the Fun
Into Fundraising
To ask for money without making
people feel they are being pressured is a
lot easier if the objective is coated with
activities that people enjoy and will be
The Peralta in Bloom Spring
Festival 2013, open to the community,
will be held May 18 from noon to 4 p.m
on the Peralta School grounds, 460 63rd
Street. The event, “Art Making,” is built
around school and children and is largely
dependent for success on sponsorships.
To help, contact Tara Horton at 510/333-
2580 or tara.mcculoch@gmail.com.
The Ligure Club’s “La Dolce
Vita IV” takes place April 20 at the
Fratellanza Club, 1140 60th Street. This
annual wine tasting event, raffle and silent
auction raises funds for the Ligure Inc.
Scholars Fund. If you like freewheeling,
noisy events, go to this one. There will
be food and music and fun and games
Rockridge: 5400 College Avenue
Elmwood: 2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only Present with incoming order
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Mon – Fri 7 – 7 • Sat 8 – 6
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LAUNDERING!

11.
April 6, 2013

11.

“I’m a Hudson address, but they let us
in,” says Annie Goglia. “It’s really nice to
have a sense of community.”
“The organizing plan is two soups and
bring stuff,” Greg Robb offered. “Stuff” is
salads, breads, side dishes, desserts, drinks.
“Sometimes there’s a theme – like Indian
or Mexican.”
“We never know how many are coming,”
Sara says. And since no foods are assigned,
it can be heavy on one thing or another. “But
no one ever goes home hungry.”
This night, no theme. To sample the
soups, we headed to the kitchen where two
big pots simmered on the stove. Labels
identified them as ‘Pozole’ (a Mexican pork
and hominy stew) served with sour cream
and chopped onion, and ‘Curried Lentil.’
One soup is always vegetarian.
Gary Sponholtz, a three-year resident,
says he relishes both the home-cooking and
interaction with his neighbors.
“By this kind of connection, we get to
talk about issues like honey mushrooms
(the Armillaria fungus that invades trees
and shrubs), offer gardening tips and
exchange seeds,” Sponholtz says. “We bring
embellishments and good California wines.
We’re foodies and wineys.”
Margaret Garms signs up each month’s
host and e-mails everyone the information. “I
lean on people a little bit if I need volunteers.
Everyone has almost the same house, so no
one’s embarrassed.”
(Indeed, last July a block party celebrating
the 100th anniversary of many of the block’s
Craftsman bungalows took the place of the
usual soup affair.)
“Our conversations range from talking
about our families – kids and grandkids – to
politics, to the neighborhood, to how we’re
renovating our homes, to vacations we’re
taking or have taken,” Sara says. “And that’s
just a few of the topics.”
“It’s a real community builder,” says
Roger Howland, who attended with his wife
Lisa, daughters, Emily, 20 .and Madeleine,
16, and Madeleine’s boyfriend. “Whenever
we can make it, we’re here,” he says.
But all the news exchanged at this month’s
event wasn’t pleasant. Kevin Kuo, a senior at
California College of the Arts, detailed how
he had been mugged a couple of weeks ago,
walking home from an evening class. He
had already put out an e-mail so everyone
would be extra -cautious. He now rides his
bike to evening classes.
Sara Robb, left, and
Deborah Putnam,
who started her
block’s monthly
Soup Nights,
display a T-shirt
commemorating the
fact that most of the
houses of the Boyd
Avenue Soup Night
neighbors were built
one hundred years
ago.
/Judith Berne

When “Soup’s On,” a Neighborhood Gathers

by Judith Doner Berne
Every February, in the heart of our mostly
cloudy, cold winters back in the suburbs
of Detroit, I hosted a soup party for 10-12
(depending on who was not in Florida) of
our good friends.
I would generally make one soup,
someone would bring at least one other,
and the rest would chime in with salad,
bread and dessert.
On moving here, going on two years
ago, I’ve thought about hosting something
similar. But, truth to tell, it’s taken us that
long to acquire enough friends. And winter
here is mostly sunny and warm, by Midwest
standards.
Recently, however, I discovered that
soup parties aren’t necessarily subject to
old friends and weather.
As we pulled up to Sara and Greg Robb’s
house on Boyd Avenue, we saw two groups
walking, bowls and spoons in hand.
No, they weren’t looking for a hand-out.
They, like us, were headed to the block’s
monthly Soup Night, initiated by long-time
resident Deborah Putnam, aided and abetted
by her down-the-street friend, Sara Robb.
As we all filed into the Robbs’ cozy
home, we found a group already gathered
around the dining room table, filled by a
potpourri of side dishes – with desserts on
a nearby buffet.
Putnam doesn’t remember exactly how
many years ago Soup Night began. Sara
thinks it was seven or eight. “I saw an article
in Sunset Magazine about how a woman
new to her neighborhood came up with a
soup party to meet her neighbors,” Putnam
says. “I copied her idea.”
She started with two soups and 10
homes. It grew to encompass the rest of
the block, occasionally taking in a stray
from a neighboring street, house guests or
visiting relatives.
“We’re interlopers,” acknowledges Jane
Courant. She and husband Michael Gliksohn
have been coming for a few months although
they live a block away. “We’ve met so many
nice people.”
“It’s wonderful, delicious and neat
to know people in the neighborhood,”
Gliksohn says.
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on the following dates
April 21st, May 26th, and June 30th
Sundays, 6:00 p.m.
Powerful & relevant liturgy
Contemporary music - A new time for busy schedules
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
400 Alcatraz Ave • Oakland, CA 94609
Also join us Saturdays, 5:00 p.m. Mass and
Sundays, 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses

Watch us live via webcam every Sunday (8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. )

Please visit our website: www.staugustineoakland.com

➧➧Soup’s On, page 12

12.

April 6, 2013
12.

Claremont Avenue Newsletter Routes Available to You Now

We are looking for a replacement
for Michelle Beaudoin who
faithfully delivered The Rockridge
News to residents along Claremont
Avenue for many years. She has
reluctantly moved out of her beloved
neighborhood and hopes someone
will volunteer to keep her Rockridge
readers abreast of the news. Call
510/547-3855 or e-mail smontauk@
gmail.com if you are ready, willing
and available to spend about 20
minutes once a month delivering to:
Route 20A: On Claremont from
5900 even numbers up Claremont
to former Shell station.
Route 21G: Along the odd numbers
of 6000 Claremont
town. “We’re missing an anthropologist, our
geologist and our art professor,” Howland
tells me. “It’s a cast of characters. It’s a
lot of fun.”
“We’ve all gotten much closer through
this,” Sara says. “I just hate it when I miss. We
all feel much more of a sense of community
warmth, friendliness, safety and support.
It’s a way for neighbors to become friends.”
Soup’s On
April Town Hall Agenda:
• Councilmember Dan Kalb
talks about his expectations
for Oakland and Rockridge
from page 11
As the youngest person attending on his
own, Kuo is grateful for the Soup Nights as
“a place people can gather. We need more
community,” he says.
I counted 20 people this night. Sara says
they vary between 20 and 40. Indeed, founder
Putnam and husband Bob Hale were out of
• Election of RCPC board of
directors members
Details, Agenda box page 1.
Judy Berne welcomes your comments and column
ideas. You can reach her at judyberne@att.net.

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13.
April 6, 2013

13.
Dan Kalb

Lic. #0670129

NCPC Role in Crime Reduction
As an existing crime reduction strategy,
Kalb supports Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Councils as providing a good
place to share crime tips and information,
both at their regular meetings and on
the various group listservs. Patterns can
be recognized and communicated to the
Problem Solving Officers (PSO) attending
the meetings. Neighborhood Watch groups
are also important, he believes.
Rockridge Zoning
Kalb said that he supports Rockridge’s
current CN-1 zoning, but he also said, “I
am definitely open to considering more
requirements on conditional use permits
and variances,” while also noting that not
all District 1 neighborhoods have the same
needs. He cited the interest that San Pablo
Avenue area residents in the Golden Gate
neighborhood have in more housing and
retail development.
Local Schools
“The biggest factor of how well a student
does in school is home life,” Kalb believes.
Suggesting a return to the view that the
primary responsibility for student success
lies with the family, rather than the school,
he believes it would be beneficial for young
students if parents throughout the city would
take more responsibility for creating an
environment more supportive of learning,
both in the school and at home, as a part
of the answer to public school children’s
performance. While recognizing the role
that intra-district transfers play in promoting
diversity, Kalb thinks that, ideally, children
should attend schools near their homes. He
said that he grew up being able to walk to
his local school. He’d like to see Oakland’s
schools improve to the point where every
neighborhood’s schools would be schools a
parent would be happy to send their kids to.
Acknowledging the limited role of the
city in school affairs, Kalb has already met
with District 1 School Board member Jody
London and has committed to meeting with
her on a monthly basis to learn how he, and
the city, can better support the schools. “I
intend to be an active partner with Jody.”
from page 1
time, he noted, “has no veto authority and
can only break a council tie vote, but since
council members are allowed to abstain,
there are few ties to break.”
Day-to-day operation of the city is left to
the City Administrator, including the hiring
and firing of department heads and staff. The
mayor can appoint people to commissions,
some of which have lots of authority, but
“that may be the most significant thing the
mayor has.” In the end, the mayor gets either
the credit or the blame for city policies.
Community Concerns: Crime
During his door-to-door campaigning,
Kalb said he heard from Rockridge residents
– and many others in the larger district – that
they want more of a police presence. “Every
part of Rockridge has gotten more crime
in recent years than residents have been
used to.” Thus, he supported the hiring of
the Strategic Policy Partnership consulting
team headed by Robert Wasserman.
“I am hopeful that the strategies and
recommendations that come out of the
consulting team will be helpful,” he said.
He also said that he thought the reforms
being required of the police department in
the wake of the “Riders” scandal would, in
the long run, be beneficial in restoring trust
in the police, especially among the city’s
minorities. As to why those reforms have
taken so long to implement, he said he wasn’t
sure, but it appeared to him that the current
city administration was making them a top
priority, an approach he approves.
Kalb added that whatever decisions are
made in the redeployment of new police
resources in the future, “I want to make
sure District 1 gets its fair share.”
Kalb believes that, in addition to
structural changes in policing, such as
expanding investigative capacity with well-
trained civilian personnel, a multifaceted
approach to reducing crime is important:
“More police is one essential thing, and
how they are deployed is another. How the
department is structured is important, and
working effectively with ex-offenders as
well as youth before they get started in the
criminal world also needs to be a part of
the overall approach.”
As to the result of crime reductions,
Kalb said, “I hope that feeling safer and
being safer end up being the same thing.”
Dan Kalb had more to say on these and other
issues. Join him and your neighbors at RCPC’s
April 18 Town Hall meeting at the Rockridge
Branch Library for a full discussion.
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!

14.

April 6, 2013
14.

Piano Lessons in Rockridge
Study jazz, classical piano and music theory
with jazz pianist and teacher with B.A. in
music from U.C.Berkeley and over 15 years’
experience. All ages, levels. Contact Janet
at 510/653-6783, janetjazzclassicalpiano@
gmail.com.
Personal Assistant
Wish you had a Personal Assistant? I can help
with your project and household or personal
needs. Highly experienced, versatile, and
efficient. Allow me to make your life simpler.
Contact Cynthia 510/326-9985. Cd.warren@
comcast.net.
St. Peter’s Parish,
6013 Lawton @ Broadway
Musical, Messianic, Anglican, Episcopal,
Christian, American. Just don’t call us late
to the Lord’s Supper! 8 & 10 a.m. Sunday.
wwwsaintpetersoakland.com
Gardening Excellence
Serving Rockridge over 20 years. Friendly and
personalized maintenance; expert pruning
and care; garden restoration; makeovers to
prepare for sale. Consultations. Non-toxic,
earth-friendly practices. Reasonable rates,
excellent references, free estimates. Chris
510/655-0157.
Resume Writing
A marketing pro will advocate for you with
imaginative layouts and high-energy writ-
ing to get you more interviews. Specialize
in executives, professionals, and people in
career transition who must present their best.
510/590-0110, marilyn@deltastrategies.com.
Pilates at Home 4 U
Training in Pilates Mat (floor) exercises at
your home, or at my live-work studio on
Ocean View Drive at College Avenue. Ses-
sions: Mon-Sat mornings or afternoons.
Small group possible. Irving, 510/735-9479,
iswirving@comcast.net.
Rental Wanted
House or flat, 2 bed/1 or 2 bath. Walk to
Rockridge BART. Quiet, retired couple, no
pets. $2,800/mo. 510/339-8409.
Do You Need to Update
Your Wardrobe?
Don’t have time to shop? Stylist and personal
shopper available to assist you. Flexible
schedule, first 30 minutes discounted. Contact
Shakira at simply.scott3@gmail.com.
Mr. Green Jeans
Appliance Repair
Authorized for Miele, Asko, Lacanche, Aga/
Marvel, Delonghi, & more. We service all
major household appliances. Visit our website
www.mrgrnjns.com or call 510/787-4900
(Lic#A45798).
Looking for Summer
Housesit in Bay Area
Helen and Dean Madsen, 2216 Sawtooth
Mtn. Drive, H. Las Vegas, Nevada, 89044.
madsenjd@cox.net. Good references. Lived
in Bay Area over 50 years. Like to garden.
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 18.

For information: smontauk@gmail.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.
Spring Cleaning?
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Take a break, relax and rejuvenate with a
paraffin hand treatment and deluxe European
facial for only $59! www.penelopecalef.com.
Located two blocks from the Rockridge BART.
Please call for an appointment: 510/594-1552.
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide excellent housecleaning service
with greatest attention to detail. Local
recommendations. *Let us create free time for
you* WWW.spectacularhousekeeping.com
510/228-5704. Free estimate.
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.
TAI CHI and QIGONG
303 Hudson, Rockridge BKU Methodist
Church. Thursday, 9:30am and Saturday,
9am. Learn Tai Chi principles. Cultivate
health through this ancient gentle exercise.
Visit our website www.harmonytaiji.com
E-mail harmonytaiji45@gmail.com. Phone
415/786-2469.
Property Management and
Leasing Services
Need someone reliable, efficient and avail-
able 24/7 to manage your rental property?
Bringing landlords and good tenants together
is my job! Contact George Vassiliades at
510/710-6826. GvRealtor@gmail.com.
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry
rot, drainage, walls, termite damage, doors,
windows. Professional work at affordable
prices. Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!

15.
April 6, 2013

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 other events and discussion groups): 653-9965
or events@dieselbookstore.com.
“Concert for a Cure” Benefit Show
One of the featured acts is Rockridge rock band Dear
Indugu (hear them at www.dearindugu.com). This
is the final concert in the series to raise funds for the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This show will be
filmed as part of a documentary on the Concert Series.
Sat., April 13, 9pm-12:30am (doors open 8pm). $8-15
sliding scale (all proceeds donated); 21+ ;wheelchair
accessible; kitchen open until 10pm. The Starry Plough,
3101 Shattuck Ave, 841-2082.
California College of the Arts (CCA)
Spring Fair

Community Calendar

Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Residents and business members engage in discussions
about crime and public safety with representatives
of OPD. 2nd Thursday each month, 7pm. Rockridge
Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College Ave.
Confirm mtg. info at www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@
rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
***Find out how your library card allows you to get free or
discounted passes to museums and cultural institutions
with the “Discover & GO” program. Some participat-
ing partners are the Asian Art Museum, the Aquarium,
Exploratorium, Oakland Museum, Cal Shakespeare
Theater, and Yerba Buena Ctr. for the Arts.***
FOR CHILDREN
y
y Rockridge Ninjas: watch Anime. 4/9 and 5/14 from
5-6:30 pm.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Play video and board games; make
crafts; light snacks provided. Every Wed., 2 to 4pm.
FOR ADULTS
y
y 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. Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com.
The Oakland campus becomes a bustling arts bazaar
for a day. The public is invited to shop for one-of-a-kind,
handmade, affordable gifts created by the CCA staff and
students: paintings, drawings, prints, cards, jewelry,
ceramics, hand-blown glass, clothing, photography,
textiles, and more while enjoying live jazz and tasty
treats. Sat., Apr 27, 11am to 3pm. CCA campus, 5212
B’way. 594.3600 or www.cca.edu/.
Oakland Heritage Alliance
Fundraiser
Great Estates In April: A House Tour of Claremont
Pines & Upper Rockridge
Splendid examples of Tudor and Mediterranean revival
style homes by distinguished architects.
Two different tours to fit your schedule and pocketbook
on Saturday, Apr 20, 1 to 8pm.
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month (2/5, 3/5), 5 to 7pm.
(Advance sign-up starts 4:45pm at adult reference
desk). Volunteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more
people present.
ART EXHIBITS (subject to change; call to confirm)
Gallery:
Apr: Oakland Art Association
May: Merritt College Figure Drawing Class
Lobby Display Case:
Apr: Carla Dole: Handmade books.
May: Merritt College Figure Drawing Class
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays.
Diesel Books/Readings/Events
All FREE and open to the public.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
y
y Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
y
y Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
y
y All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
y
y Vintage Vistas, 1-4 pm: View home interiors and
enjoy light refreshments. Street map provided for
self-guided walking tour to enjoy exterior views of
additional homes, vistas, and landscaping. Tickets:
Advance: $30/OHA members, $35/general. On-site:
$35/OHA members, $40/general.
y
y Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros : Day of Children,
Day of Books. Tues., 4/30, 7pm. Celebrate children
& reading with your family: We’ll be acting out a few
of our favorite bilingual stories. Each family will go
home with a gift book.
y
y Sunset Over the City, 5-8 pm: Tasting tour features
music with libations and appetizer pairings at multi-
venue reception.
Advance registration required: $75/OHA members,
$95/general. Includes access to “Vintage Vistas”
tour from 1-4 pm.
Advance tickets: http://oha-greatestates.eventbrite.
com/. On-site and advance ticket check-in on April 20th
begins 12:30pm at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 6013
Lawton Avenue. Un-metered street parking on B’way.
Use Church parking lot only after 3:30pm. More info:
763-9218 or info@oaklandheritage.org
Square Dance in North Oakland
y
y Bananas Parenting Workshop: Sleep Issues. New
and expectant parents; First of 4 classes: Helen
Neville, sleep expert and author of What to Do About
Sleep Problems in Young Children, 12 Months to
5 Years. Sat., 4/13, 11:15am. Series will continue in
May & June, with workshops on Yoga, Massage, and
Language & Brain Development.
FOR TEENS
y
y Sun., 4/7, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Joseph Campana,
Jane Mead, and Kerri Webster.
y
y Mon, 4/8, 7:30pm. Amnesty International Meeting
(2nd Mon. each month): All invited to exchange
ideas on action.
y
y Fri, 4/12, 7-9pm. Live music with local mandolinist,
guitarist, and singer Lucas Gonze. Vintage Americana
from the Civil War to the early recording era.
y
y Teen Advisory Board: (ages 14-18) Advise the library
how to better serve teens. Get community service
credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st Sat. each
month, 1-2 pm. Confirm: 597-5017.
y
y Sun., 4/14, 3pm. Gish Jen: Tiger Writing: Art, Culture,
and the Independent Self.
y
y Tues, 4/16, 6-7pm. Everyone invited to a party with
free pie and door prizes one week in advance of
WORLD BOOK NIGHT (on 4/23). (Designated “givers”
who have signed up can pick up their boxes of books).
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle (with occasional guest performers). 1st and 3rd
Fridays each month, 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.
y
y Sun., 5/5, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Kazim Ali, Tony
Barnstone, and Willis Barnstone.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice

16.

April 6, 2013
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

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
For Over 26 Years.
www.curvesrockridge.com
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri 6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
We Need More Rockridge Homes to Sell!
Every home that closed escrow in March, Sold
for 12% above the asking price. An increase
on average of $120K! 17 Homes went pending
in March with an average days on market of 15
days. Currently there are 12 homes for sale in
Rockridge versus a norm of 22-23 homes. The
medium days on market for the active homes is 6.
32
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
FOR SALE ROCKRIDGE
PENDING
30 Roanoke Rd, Claremont $699,000
2 Bed/ 1+ Bath
Fabulous European Feel to this 2 story home.
Loads of updating & newer systems.
Rockridge feel w/Berkeley Schools.
www.30Roanoke.com
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
5373 Shafter Ave. Call for pricing*
2 Beds/ 1 Bath + a Studio in Back
On the cozy side, but very well located.
Bring your ideas and make it yours.
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
www.5373Shafter.com
+Discretely offered for sale
5500 block of Lawton Avenue above College
3+ Beds/ 1.5 Baths One story
Hardwood floors, fireplace, amazing detailing,
office, many upgrades
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
Call Ron for Details 510-612-2547
Playing? Start in Oakland!
Sold w/25 Offers
Sold @ $935K
SOLD IN ROCKRIDGE
5815 Lawton Ave $639,000
4+Beds/ 2Baths
Craftsman Bungalow on quiet tree lined street.
The perfect home for all of your remodeling ideas!
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
www.5815Lawton.com
*NOTE: Because of Rockridge Newsletter lead
time, all prices are not available at print deadline.
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 130 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

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