Extracted text · highlighting “Kevin Faughnan”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 28     NO. 11    ISSUE NO. 306    December 7, 2013                    CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

Two New Members
for RCPC Board

Kevin Faughnan
College Avenue was a fairly
empty and unattractive area
in 1975. I know lots of people
have added to what it is
now-and what we enjoy as
residents. The area has its
share of problems to solve,
and I want to be part of those
solutions.
R
CPC is pleased to announce the
appointment of Jennifer Daskal and
Kevin Faughnan to fill the two current
board of directors vacancies. Meet them at
the January 16, 2014 Town Hall meeting.

Jennifer Daskal
I enjoy working with the
public, listening to the
needs of the community
and problem solving. My
family has enjoyed the com-
munity of Rockridge and
Oakland in general since
moving to the area and I
want to give back.
Notes: November RCPC Town Hall on
Neighborhood Watch Groups
2013 On the Way Out: What Have
’Ya Done for Me Lately?
by Zabrae Valentine, chair,
RCPC
We hope November’s RCPC
Town Hall spurs you to
action! The audience heard a
panel of local residents who
are part of active Neighbor-
hood Watch groups and other
public safety efforts share ideas
about how Rockridge neighbors
can make our streets safer.
The discussion was moderated
by Rockridge resident Allie
Rasmus of KTVU News, panel-
ists included David Lorie, Andy
Young, Frank Castro, and Don
Link. OPD’s Capt. Anthony
Toribio and Lt. Chris Bolton and
Neighborhood Services Coor-
dinator Patricia Rose were also
present to answer questions. Here
were the primary “takeaways”:
What matters most of all is
simply getting to know your
neighbors and being able to reach
The RCPC Mission Statement
• Preserve and enhance the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood of Oakland, California; • Promote the health, safety, and
quality of life of its residents; • Furnish a forum for community involvement;
• Provide leadership and representation of neighborhood interests
In fulfillment of its mission statement, the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC) presents up to 10 public Town
Hall meetings each year, reviews and comments to the city on
development and business proposals, and meets with adjoining and
nearby neighborhood associations to share concerns and interests.
Throughout, the RCPC board strives to communicate its
activities to the community – and to get community response –
via the Town Halls and its sponsorship

➧➧Neighborhood Watch, page 9
➧➧RCPC in 2013, page 13

Because you never know when you may need them,
keeping your resources ready is always a good thing.
Take a moment to think of your year-end donating and think
of RCPC, FROG Park, and/or Scenic Streets. Donations to
these groups are tax-deductible. Thank you.
F
C
R
G
S
R
O
Pc
Ce
ni
c
Help Fill the Buckets
Str
e
s
et
Pk
ar
Put FROG Park Swings on
Your Year-End Giving List
To make the vision of an
enhanced FROG Park a
reality, we need to raise $20,000.
It’s been a part of your
family’s life. Now it’s time to
make FROG a part of your year-
end giving. More details, page 3.
C r e a t e  S u s t a i n a b l e
Service: Donate to RCPC’s
General Fund
R
CPC main funding is from
the biennial Kitchen Tour.
Between tours, it can be difficult
to meet large unexpected
financial challenges. Donations
to RCPC’s General Fund will
smooth out the cash flow.
Scenic Streets Has a Few Specific
Projects on its Wish List:
■
■
Hand tools: $150
■
■
Replacement shrubs for highway
ramps: $250
■
■
Mosaic artwork for sidewalk trash
can: $500
■
■
Shade trees for Hardy Dog Park: $750
■
■
Commercial grade and ADA compliant
bench for Hardy Dog Park: $1,500
More Scenic Streets information, page 3.
RCPC General Donations. Online:
rockridge.org/support. Mail/Payto: RCPC,
4123 Broadway, PMB #311, Oakland, 94611.
Tax ID 94-3011284
FROG Park: Online: frogpark.org. Mail/
Payto: FROG Park, 4123 Broadway, PMB
311, Oakland, 94611. Tax ID 94-3011284
Scenic Streets. Online: www.scenicstreets.org/.
Mail/Payto: RCPC/Scenic Streets, 362-60th
Street, Oakland, 94618. Tax ID 94-3011284

Happy Holidays! No RCPC Town Hall Meeting in December. Next meeting: January 16, 2014


also 12/24, 12/25 and 1/1/14

2.

December 7, 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.

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.

Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 12 – 5:30 p.m.

Sun and Mon: CLOSED & 12/24-25, 1/1/14
Public Safety, Not Private Security

12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
by Laura Counts, Nicole Aruda and
Susette Min
It’s fair to say that everyone—whether living
in Rockridge or any other neighborhood—
wants to feel safe. But not everyone believes
the recent hiring of private security makes
our community safer. In fact, no one has
presented any empirical evidence that it does.
Some Rockridge residents are organizing
to find other ways to reduce crime.
“Just because we’re worried about private
security doesn’t mean we aren’t concerned
about public safety,” says Irene Yen, a 20-year
North Oakland resident. “There are many
alternatives, and we want to include as many
people as possible in the discussion.”
For those who missed the news, guards
from VMA Security are now patrolling
at least two North Oakland areas, hired
by groups of residents through online
“crowdfunding.” The organizers launched
the campaigns and then let the community
know, rather than seeking input first. Not
to doubt their good intentions, but to many
people this felt profoundly undemocratic.
Organizers say 20 percent of the
neighborhood funded the VMA guards, but
we couldn’t verify that claim through census
data. There are 2,655 households in the
Lower Rockridge South/West crowdfunding
zone (Census Tract #4003), and 281 people
contributed. That represents about 11 percent
of households. In Lower Rockridge North/
West, 226 people contributed—about 12
percent of the 1,911 households. It’s unknown
how many went on to sign contracts with
VMA.
It seems that a small number of people
have made a decision that makes many feel
less safe, has the potential to escalate class
and racial tensions, and fails to address the
core issues behind this recent crime wave.
“This sets an ugly precedent for our
community by privatizing a most basic
civic function,” says North Oakland
resident Kristy Guevara-Flanagan. “I’m
also concerned that the potential for racial
profiling by outside security guards could
affect children and youth.”
We’ve spoken to many neighbors who
are unhappy about the patrols but hesitant to
speak up, given how divisive the discussions
have been on local listservs and blogs. Many
others, including longtime residents not
tapped into online discussions, don’t even
know about the patrols.
There are many unanswered questions
about how this experiment will work. For
example, it’s unclear whether the guards will
remain unarmed in the future, and, if they
do carry weapons, how organizers will let
the broader community know. There’s also
the question of what actions guards might
take. Many of the scariest recent crimes are
armed robberies on city streets—crimes
police say are largely driven by the cash
market for stolen electronic gadgets. But
public streets are supposedly outside the
scope of VMA’s work.
Organizers say the guards will only
patrol streets with paying clients, so it’s
uncertain what VMA will do if they witness
a crime in progress, or spot someone they
consider to be acting “suspiciously” near a
client’s property.
“Can they stop me and ask what I’m
doing?” asked one 40-year resident who
is active in the neighborhood. He said he’s
worried about being profiled, and is even
more concerned for his grandchildren (he
didn’t want to put his name out publicly).
“This doesn’t make me feel safe. Are they
keeping the neighborhood safe, or are they
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, 2013-2014
Zabrae Valentine	����������������Chair
Christopher Chin	�������������Vice-Chair
Laura Schlichtmann	�����������Secretary
Bernard Baltaxe	�����������������Treasurer
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair Emeritus
Andrew Charman, Jennifer Daskal, Kevin Faughnan,
Virginia Hamilton, Michael Kan, William Kaufner,
Don Kinkead, Lisa McNally, Greg Pasquali
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
Contacting The Rockridge News
	 Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
	 Do you have questions about newsletter
distribution?
	 Want to volunteer to be a Rockridge News
block captain?
	 Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611
RCPC Voice-mail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
600 words; must include the author’s name, phone
number, e-mail address, and city or neighborhood
of residence; and are subject to editing. To reprint
a Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
➧➧Private Guards; Public Ground, page 12
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
  January 4, 2014
  January deadline is December 19, 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.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!


3.
December 7, 2013

3.

Safeway projects.
Agendas: Please check with
committee chair Stu Flashman,
652-5373, or e-mail stuflash@aol.
com the week before the meeting
for an updated agenda.
The RCPC Land Use Com-
mittee meets Wednesday,
December 18, 7:30 p.m,
location to be determined.
Note change of date. Topics
will include an updates on the two
F
R
G
O
Pk
ar
previously-unknown group has filed suit
against Safeway to block the project. The
group’s nature and motive remain unclear,
but the suit is unlikely to take long to
resolve. When the project was approved by
the Planning Commission, nobody appealed
that decision to the city Council. The
failure to take the issues to the Council (as
RCPC did last year for the College Avenue
Safeway project) practically guarantees that
the lawsuit will be dismissed for “failure
to exhaust administrative remedies.” This
will likely happen some time in the next
month or two. Demolition and construction
might then begin.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
Put FROG Park Swings
on Your Year-End
Giving List
With your help, FROG Park will be
home to new toddler swings, regular
swings, climbing merry-go-round and
more (highest rated features for those who
took the survey). After extensive public
comment this fall, and meetings with the
city of Oakland, we’re moving ahead with
new swings and play features in 2014; but
we need your support.
To make the vision of an enhanced FROG
Park a reality, we need to raise $20,000
from the community. And just in time for
the holidays, a mystery donor has given
$5,000 towards a match. Please donate now
to ensure we receive that money.
For more than a decade, FROG Park has
been a second home for area children – for
playdates, birthday parties, field trips, and
get-out-the-energy excursions. It’s been a
part of your family’s life. Now it’s time to
make FROG a part of your year-end giving.
Thank you for your generosity.
■
■College Avenue Safeway
College & Claremont Avenues
At a two-and-a-half hour negotiating session
on November 1, Safeway representatives (led
by Corporate Vice President for Real Estate
Steve Berndt), and the three community
groups – Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC), Friends and Neighbors of
College Avenue (FANS), and Berkeleyans for
Pedestrian Oriented Development (BPOD)
– hashed out a compromise agreement over
Safeway’s increasing the height of its new
College Avenue store. The final height is still
2-½ feet taller than shown in plans the city
approved last December, but the community
groups achieved a number of concessions to
compensate for the additional visual impacts.
Since then, things bogged down, with Safeway’s
attorneys inserting provisions not agreed to
and omitting things that were. Hopefully, the
agreement will be finalized soon.
Construction has been stalled until the
negotiations are completed; it’s now going
to be a race between Safeway’s construction
crews and the serious winter rains. Once the
foundation is completed, construction can
continue regardless of the weather. Otherwise,
the work could remain stalled until spring.
■
■Bourbon & Beef Restaurant
5634 College Avenue
In November, The Rockridge News
reported that complaints from this new
restaurant’s upstairs neighboring tenants
would be resolved by the restaurant’s owners.
However, problems have continued. RCPC
is being asked to intervene and try to resolve
the continuing problems. Failing that, it may
be necessary to contact the City Manager’s
staff to seek nuisance abatement (which
ended up closing down Bourbon & Beef’s
predecessor, Water).
■
■Bica Coffee Shop
5701 College Avenue
We reported in November that Bica
planned to apply for full-service restaurant
use permit. City staff has since concluded
that a restaurant use permit had already
been issued for this location some time in
the past. Oakland’s zoning ordinance (unlike
in most cities) makes use permits permanent,
with no expiration date. Thus, Bica is being
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
[Safeway]
Broadway & Pleasant Valley
When the local community groups
and Safeway reached agreement over
plans for the Rockridge Shopping Center
redevelopment project, everyone assumed
that the controversy was over. Now, a
Sc
e
ni
c
Str
e
s
et
Support Scenic Streets’
Claremont Avenue Area
Beautification Efforts
➧➧Land Use Committee, page 9
by Scenic Streets staff
Several new public trash receptacles
were added along southern Claremont
Avenue last month thanks to Scenic Streets,
the group leading landscaping renovation
of the area.
The city placed the sidewalk cans in three
litter hot-spots along the street: the corner
of Clifton, the corner of Hudson and mid-
block near the underpass “Oceanus” mural.
➧➧Scenic Streets, page 13


4.

December 7, 2013
4.

to reduce particulates in the air and make
it healthier for our children is wonderful,”
stated Laura Burnett, Chabot Elementary
School PTA president. “It has been a continual
concern that Chabot Elementary School is
so close to a freeway and so the particulate
matter is especially high. Currently, it’s at
unhealthy conditions. Between the enhanced
beauty and better air quality for our children,
we couldn’t be happier.” Jon Mayer, Chabot
Elementary principal, added, “It cannot hurt
to have more trees around our site. Having
more trees is great protection and can only
clean the air up.”
The success of the Lorax Project is not
assured. Proulx warned, “We have taken a
big step forward, but our agreement with
the city gives us only a short time to plant
trees. While we would love to plant 100
new trees, we are completely dependent on
funding from the local community. We can
use all the help we can get.”
For more information about the Lorax
Project, contact Rich Proulx, The Lorax
Project, 46 Roanoke Road, Berkeley, CA
94705; richproulx@lyceuminstitute.org or
call 415/637-5890.
City Approves Chabot
School & Recreation
Center Tree Plantings
The Lorax Project’s Goal: Plant
Trees, Keep Air Clean for Kids
T h e  L o r a x
project will be
planting trees
in the Chabot
R e c r e a t i o n
Area and the
edge of Chabot
Elementary.
Trees pictured
are g rowing
on the Miles
Avenue side
of Claremont
Middle School.
by Jon Welch
As part of its settlement with Caltrans,
the Fourth Bore Coalition proposed
planting trees along Highway 24 to mitigate
the effect of the newly expanded Caldecott
Tunnel. Caltrans balked.
“We picked up where the Caldecott
Settlement ended,” said Rich Proulx, director
of the Lorax Project, a local tree planting
initiative. “We addressed the concerns raised
during the negotiations. We even offered to
adopt a highway so we could plant trees on
the Caltrans land along Highway 24. After
years of trying, it was clear that the tree
planting would never be permitted.”
The Lorax Project received a second wind
from the city of Oakland when it recently
obtained approval to plant redwood trees along
the southern edge of the Chabot Recreation
Center area and Chabot Elementary School.
The Lorax Project also plans to offer trees
to residents on Miles Avenue.
A 2003 California law banned new school
construction within 500 feet of any major
freeway. Legislators reviewed the scientific
evidence and determined that the health
risks for children attending schools located
so close to freeways were unacceptable, so
new schools are not exposed to the conditions
faced by Chabot Elementary School and
nearby Claremont Middle School, whose
/Don Kinkead
campuses are entirely within 500 feet of
Highway 24.
Scientific research has established the
negative health consequences of exposure to
pollution for people who live, work, or attend
schools near major freeways. Exposure to
pollution among children living or attending
schools near freeways is known to increase
risks of asthma, allergies, bronchitis, other
respiratory problems, and impaired lung
function growth. Of particular concern for
schools and parks in such locations is that
children’s lungs are fragile and developing.
Current research shows that repeated exposure
to freeway pollution can result in critical long-
term consequences, including compromised
adult lung functioning, lung disease, heart
disease, and cancer.
Two years ago, Claremont Middle School
planted rows of redwood trees along the
side of the campus grounds adjacent to the
highway to help mitigate this danger. Studies
have shown that trees located near highways
can serve as barriers that significantly reduce
the transmission of pollutants through the air.
“The fact that the Lorax Project can help
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
Still here for you!
BUTTRICK WONG
While we await the return to normal parking conditions,
your support means more than ever.
Yasai Market
655-4880
Southie
654-0100
Ver Brugge Foods
658-6854
La Farine
654-0338
Trappist Provisions
594-2339
Vino!
652-6317
ARCHITECTS
The Meadows
653-3322
Wood Tavern
654-6607
Jerome Buttrick, AIA
Tim Wong, AIA
Ivor Brown
www.buttrickwong.
510.594.8700


5.
December 7, 2013

5.

City Solicits Comments on Newest Caldecott List
As reported in the October 2013 issue
of The Rockridge News, Oakland staff
and consultants are well into designing
many of the highest-ranking projects on
the Caldecott Settlement project list. As
detailed design of construction plans has
unfolded, cost estimates have grown from
the initial costs used to develop the list, in
some cases significantly. The result is that
fewer projects on the list will be funded
than originally anticipated.
At the October 17 RCPC Town Hall
meeting and via a letter e-mailed to over
200 affected residents, city staff described
the current status of the project list and
corresponding costs and outlined potential
cost-cutting options. The four projects
for which adjustments have been publicly
suggested are:
Project #1 (Tunnel Rd/SR-13/Hiller
Dr intersection improvements). The
estimated cost of this project has risen from
$950,000 to over $1.5 million. Meanwhile,
the city of Berkeley has submitted plans
to Caltrans for a new pedestrian-activated
traffic signal on Tunnel Road at The Uplands
and Caltrans has committed to clearing all
sidewalk obstructions and rebuilding the
missing section of sidewalk on the east/
north side of Tunnel Road between Hiller
Drive and Vicente Road. These planned and
funded improvements will give pedestrians
continuous access between the hills and
west/south of Tunnel Road. Some say this
renders the $680,000 sidewalk component
currently included in this project redundant,
although some still argue for keeping the

Broadway Road
Diet Discussed at
Community Meeting
City staff presented proposed designs
for the Upper Broadway “road diet”
and related intersection improvements at
a public meeting held in mid-November at
College Preparatory School.
This project includes components that
will be funded through the Caldecott
Settlement Agreement – including a
pedestrian-activated traffic signal at Lawton
and corner bulb-outs to reduce the speed of
vehicles turning from Broadway onto Ocean
View and Lawton – as well as a number
of improvements to be funded through
roadway resurfacing and other funds. These
components include:
sidewalk as per the original plan. Staff
will be reviewing plans to reduce cost and
scope while still adhering to the original
intent of the project.
Project #6 (Jogging/walking path on
Broadway between Golden Gate and Lake
Temescal). After closer investigation, city
engineering staff has determined that the
project’s retaining walls are not needed, and
disturbing the existing jogging path could
make it more prone to damage from storm
water runoff. Instead, staff recommends
that Caltrans, neighbors and the city work
together to better maintain the area by
cleaning the drainage ditch and pruning
trees along the pathway. These activities
are not eligible for Caldecott funds.
Projects #7-8 (SR-24 Noise Barrier
Scope Summary Reports). Since original
costs were estimated, the city has learned
that Caltrans procedures have changed,
causing the studies’ costs to rise by
$300,000. Furthermore, funding for
soundwall construction will be extremely
difficult or impossible to come by. A petition
process is underway to make a determination
on whether or not these studies will proceed.
Staff and their consultants are in the
process of reviewing all comments received
during the October 17-December 6 comment
period to determine if any project changes
are in order and if additional meetings are
necessary.
For more information, contact the city’s
Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria
Eisen, at victoria@eisenletunic.com or
510/525-0220.
■
■Resurfacing the roadway
■
■Reducing the number of traffic lanes
from 4 to 3 (1 lane in each direction, with
a two-way center turn lane)
■
■Adding bicycle lanes on both sides
of the street
■
■Adding high-visibility crosswalks
■
■Keeping existing on-street parking
■
■Bulb-outs and high-visibility cross-
walks at Taft Avenue, Kales Avenue and
Ada Street
Support was expressed for these
improvements at the meeting, as well as
concern that the lane reconfiguration may
increase congestion on Broadway during
commute periods.
This effort will be the subject of a future
public meeting. Construction is expected
in 2015.
For more information see www.
fourthbore.org/featured/1118-mtg-on-
broadway-safe-crossings or contact the
City’s Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria
Eisen, at victoria@eisenletunic.com or
510/525-0220.
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


6.

December 7, 2013
6.

schoolers is intense. The same week that
Ronald and Reggie spoke at Peralta, that school
hosted a Middle School Information Night
at which parents met with representatives
of various middle schools, both public and
private.
Later in the month, fourth-  and fifth-grade
parents were invited to a “Claremont Mix and
Mingle” held at a private home. Lefkowitz
also is part of a team of sixth-grade teachers
and parents reaching out to Emerson and
Parents Give Second
Look to Claremont
Middle School
started. “That impacted our students,” he said.
They say it shouldn’t happen again.
And they point to strengthened academics,
individually differentiated instruction,
increased support for teachers, dynamic
electives (Design Making and Thinking and
the first Ethnic Studies class in the OUSD),
plus a newly-added Enrichment Wheel of 16
six-week classes (Calligraphy,
Leadership, Gender Studies,
for example) in which students
do not receive a grade.
I decided to see what
the enrichment classes were
about.
After I signed in at the
office and donned my visitor’s
badge, it seemed easiest to
follow the only child I knew
in the whole school (she called
out, “Hello, Judy!”) to her
Exploring Engineering class.
“We’re making a Rube
Goldberg design,” math
teacher Alonna Hauley told
me. A few clusters of students were at work,
each group tweaking its collaborative designs,
which were a few days away from completion.
Hauley took me to another enrichment
offering, Critical Media Literacy, taught by
sixth-grade history teacher Lacy Lefkowitz.
She was welcoming, despite explaining to me
that some students were cutting up.
But once she started playing the rap
song she had chosen to show that rap music
could be both positive and negative, they
were all ears. Their assignment was to write
a rap song, or poem, or narrative, “about the
conditions that you or others live in or about
positive changes.”
Lefkowitz, who is in her seventh year
at Claremont, invited me to stay for one of
her Ancient History classes. “There’s a big
difference between enrichment and actual
classes. You will see; they (her history
students) are completely quiet.” And so
they were.
She used her lunch break for a weekly
meeting with other sixth-grade teachers to
share concerns. Several were the new hires
the Richardsons had mentioned.
In the hallway, I was hailed by substitute
teacher Ernie Jacob. “I’ve been subbing here
for years,” he said. “There’s a big improvement.
It’s more controllable.”
Meantime, the competition for middle
by Judith Doner Berne
Although Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) is a “Schools of Choice” district,
Rockridge parents have readily sent their
children to the neighborhood elementary
schools and, perhaps to a lesser degree,
Oakland Technical High School.
Claremont, our neighborhood middle
school, has been seen as the weak link, with
parents often enrolling their sixth-, seventh-
and eighth-graders in other public, charter,
private or parochial middle schools.
So last year’s appointment of Reginald
and Ronald Richardson as the new Claremont
co-principals was hailed as an opportunity
to improve instruction and atmosphere and
provide stability, both in teaching staff and
at the top.
Determined to stop the siphoning of
students from its feeder schools – Chabot,
Peralta, Emerson and Piedmont Avenue – the
Richardsons told me in an interview following
their appointment: “We will be really showing
our faces at those elementaries.”
This year, Claremont enrollment shot up 45
percent – from 335 to 487 – seemingly buoyed
by the new principals, pro-active parents and
somewhat higher test scores. Forty-two sixth-
graders from Chabot reportedly led that surge,
up from 25 the year before. Lesser numbers
came from Emerson (21), Peralta (18) and
Piedmont (12).
I attended the Richardsons’ “Claremont
Update” at the Peralta Parent Teacher Group’s
November meeting. “We have a personal
commitment,” Reggie told the audience of
about 30. “Our mom went to Peralta; our
uncle and mom went to Claremont.”
“Our framework is social justice, and
moving away from traditional teaching and
discipline to more of a humanistic approach,”
Ronald said. “And yes: We have challenges.”
These include students coming to school late,
a lack of resources and the ability to retain
teachers.
“We did retain 90 percent of our teachers
this year,” Reggie said. But due to the
enrollment increase, five new teachers had to
be added, vetted and hired after school had
Potential Claremont students and their parents
crowd the school’s gym for an open house forum
held in November.                                   /Judith Doner Berne
Piedmont.
Claremont also held an Open House forum
on a Saturday afternoon which an estimated
200 parents and children attended. They had
a full hour to direct questions to a panel of
teachers, parents and students before touring
the school.
One questioner asked how much instruction
actually goes on in the classroom.
From teachers: “There may be a few
disruptions. They’re 11 years old. You can’t
be frustrated about the things that go on in
middle school. A quiet classroom is not always
the ideal classroom. The ideal classroom is
when the kids are engaged.”
From students: “I feel we get enough
(instruction), except for PE where there is a
lot of disruption. The stronger teachers know
how to approach the class.”
Another questioner requested advice from
kids and parents on how to make middle school
less scary to the fifth-graders in the audience.
From students: “Don’t be afraid to ask
for help. Make as many friends as you can.
Join the clubs.”
From parents: ‘I encourage my kids
to advocate for themselves. This is my
kid’s middle school experience, not mine.
Remember your middle school experience.
You don’t have to protect them, just guide
➧➧Claremont Looking Good, page 11


7.
December 7, 2013

7.

Keep the Rockridge Library Vibrant

A note from FORL board member Sarah Washburn, on the importance of the Rockridge Branch Library

Thank you for
visiting the
Rockridge Public
Library this past year. Thank you for
checking out a book, or for enjoying a DVD;
for encouraging your teen to study in the
Teen Zone, or for singing and laughing with
your child during storytime; for finding
a cozy spot to read the newspaper, or for
using the free Wi-Fi; for receiving advice
from a lawyer, or for logging on to a library
computer and getting tech help when you
needed it. We’re glad you found what you
needed at the library.
While this may not describe how you’ve
used the library, it tells a story of how your
neighbors have benefited from the rich
resources our local library provides. This
past year, donations to the Friends of the
Rockridge Library bolstered programs that
connect our community to information,
enrichment, and fun. Community support
enables the Rockridge Public Library to
continue offering resources and programs
for everyone who walks through the
library’s doors.
Please help this story continue for you
and your neighbors by making a donation
to the Friends of the Rockridge Library.
Clip and send the coupon below or visit
www.FriendsoftheRockridgeLibrary.org
and click on “Support the Library.”
Thank you for your support,
Dear Friend,
Yes, I want to be a Friend!
Support Your Library:
❐	 $200 Book Lover
❐	 $100 Book Worm
❐	 $50 Book Friend
❐	 $35 Family
❐	 $25 Individual
❐	 $15 Senior/Student
❐	 Other $
❐	 Employer will match my contribution.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
  Name
	_______________________________________________________________________________________
  Street                                                                                              City                                                          Zip
	___________________________________________________________________________
  E-mail    (please include for library news and FORL up-dates)
Send this completed form and your check made payable to FORL to:
Friends of the Rockridge Library, Post Office Box 3723, Oakland, CA  94609
Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL) is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization |Tax ID No. 45-3951826
Donation Coupon
✁
Area Schools Open for Parent and Student Tours
Peralta Hosts Kindergarten
Tours, December & January
Peralta Elementary continues to host
the parent-led kindergarten tours for
prospective kindergarten parents that began
in November. The tours are 45 minutes long
and start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday
on the following dates: December 10 & 11,
December 17 & 18, and January 7 & 8.
If you know anyone with kids entering
kindergarten next year, have them call Peralta
secretary Jan Seagren, 510/654-7365, to sign
up for a tour.
If you have any questions or for additional
information, contact Juliana Van Cleve,
Chair, Peralta Parent Teacher Group, e-mail:
pptgchair@peraltaschool.org
Claremont School Tours in
December
Are you considering Claremont Middle
School for your child? Information
and school tours for prospective Claremont
families are available. Download the
2013 Welcome to Claremont Brochure
(PDF format) (claremontms.org/docs/
Welcome-to-Claremont.pdf) to learn
more about academic programs, electives,
extracurricular activities and our Five Pillars
of Horizontal Leadership. Tour dates for
prospective family tours in December are:
Friday, December 13
Thursday, December 19
Tours on all dates are from 9 to 10:30
a.m. Please meet in the school library.
Visit Tech High During Tours
in December
Visit Tech classrooms during a school
day on December 10, and December 12,
9-11 a.m. Sign up for a school tour on-line
at oaklandtech.com/staff/admissions/
prospective-families/tours.
Shadow visits are an opportunity for
future students to spend a day with a
Tech student host, following the host’s
daily schedule. Sign up for a Shadow day
at oaklandtech.com/staff/admissions/
prospective-families/shadow-day
More information is available on the Tech
website: oaklandtech.com/staff/
Chabot Kindergarten Tours
Tours of Chabot Elementary School for
prospective kindergarten families for
the 2014-2015 school are full for December.
January 2014 tour dates are:
Tuesday, January 14, and
Wednesday, January 15.
All tours are from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.
These tours are for parents and guardians
only (no children, please), and your child
must be turning 5 by September 1, 2014.
Contact the school office in advance
to reserve a space– 510/654-4884, e-mail
office@chabotelementary.org.







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24


 
	


8.

December 7, 2013
8.

Authors’ Note: As Oakland Tech
approaches its Centennial in 2014-
15, the PTSA publication Bulldog Bytes
has been highlighting Tech alumni. Here
we present a Rockridge family with deep
roots at Tech.

Celebrating a 3-Generation Tech Bulldog Family

by Cathy Rosenfeld and Julie Parker
Anita Debro (formerly Anita English)
graduated from Tech in 1948. Her son,
Keith Debro, a long time Rockridge resident,
has been a teacher at Tech since 2000. And
Keith’s son, Drew Debro, graduated from
Tech in 2013.
Last June, Anita Debro shed tears of joy
as she watched her grandson Drew take the
stage to read his graduation speech. Seeing
him on stage took her back to her own Tech
graduation in 1948 when she was one of the
graduation speakers. As she looked at the
graduates, Anita remembered her classmates
on stage in their purple and gold robes.
When Anita attended Tech, its population
was mostly white. She was the only black
student in most of her college prep classes
and only the second black girl to be invited
into the “Delphian Club,” a club for girls
with high grades and good character. Anita
played on the golf team and rowed with the
rowing club on Lake Merritt. While Anita
feels proud that she went to Tech, she is even
more proud that her son is a Tech teacher
and that her grandson was chosen to speak
at his graduation.
Keith Debro has been a teacher in the
non-severely handicapped/special day class
program at Tech for 13 years. Commenting on
the connection his family has to Tech, Keith
says that his son’s attending the same school
that his mom attended “represented a 360
degree move over several generations.” Keith
and his mom had the pleasure of attending
Drew’s plays and lacrosse games together.
A freshman at the University of Hawaii,
Drew says that at times he “would have
preferred not to be at the school where my
dad taught… where all your teachers already
know who you are.” As for his grandmother
having attended Tech, Drew says, “Until last
spring, my grandma and I had never even
compared stories about Tech, but it sure was
an interesting conversation when we did!”
During an interview with his grandma for the
student-created play 99 Years, Drew learned
that she was the second black “Delphian”
and was in the archery club. Drew says,
“I am proud to be a Tech alum because of
the exemplary diversity that you can find
at Tech. Everyone is welcome.”
As she watched Drew step onto the
stage to give his graduation speech, Anita
was calm, knowing he would do well since
he had won first place in OUSD’s Martin
Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest six of
the past seven years! But when he started
speaking, Anita almost “fell off my chair,”
because his speech was about her! She says
she will never forget that day. The Debro
family is large and close, and one of the
many things they share is their pride in
being a three-generation Tech family.
First published in the October 2013 on-line
issue of the Tech Bulldog Bytes blog: http://
oaklandtech.com/staff/blog/2013/10/28/
bulldog-bytes-october-2013. Find more about
Tech at http://oaklandtech.com/staff/.
The PTSA is publishing a memory
book in honor of Tech’s Centennial
containing articles about Tech’s his-
tory, photos, and reminiscences by
Tech alumni and teachers/staff.
We are looking for alumni. We are
especially looking for 2-, 3-, 4- (or more)
generation Bulldog families to interview
for the book. Please get in touch: Please
e-mail: otcentennialbook@gmail.com.
Tech graduates Anita Debro and her
grandson Drew.
Top right, Drew and father, Keith Debro,
a teacher at Tech.    courtesy of Tech PTSA
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9.
December 7, 2013

9.

Letters
to the
Editor
great. Some groups only meet once a year
and say that works.
Best advice of the night: DON’T get
together to discuss crime. When crime
rates fall, so will your group’s motivation
to stay active. Instead, get together to
talk about… anything you want. Disaster
preparedness? Volunteering as a group?
How to make your street prettier? The
Oscars? Have fun – seriously. Make sure
there is lots of dessert…
Neighborhood
Watch
from page 1
each other easily if needed (individually or as
a group). You can register as a Neighborhood
Watch group or not: this is up to your group.
To start a Neighborhood Watch group or
learn more about them, call Neighborhood
Services Coordinator Patricia Rose: 510/238-
6822 (prose@oaklandnet.com).
Essential steps:
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the
editor. Your name, address, phone number,
e-mail address and city/neighborhood must be
included for verification. Only your name will
appear with your letter. Letters may be edited
for clarity and brevity at the editor’s discretion.
Views expressed in any letter are the writer’s
own, and may not necessarily be shared by the
editor, or by RCPC.
A Final Thought: If you already are part
of an organized neighborhood group or are
starting one, please e-mail info@rockridge.
org to let us know: the RCPC Public Safety
Working Group wants to track actions we
take as neighbors or community-wide to
discourage criminal activity.
If you can help us collect data on Rockridge’s
response to see if we can correlate it with
improved results, e-mail us at info@
rockridge.org.
■
■Get as many neighbors to participate
as you can (whatever number that is);
Publicizing Patrol Information
Editor:
■
■Collect e-mail addresses and create
a shared list everyone has access to and
create a phone tree (in case cells and
e-mail are down and you need to share
information quickly); and
Some of the e-mails about the patrols
came my way. The e-mails listed the hours
that the cars will patrol. This information
should never be revealed. The majority of
car thefts in our neighborhood occur in
the middle of the night. Twenty-four hour
random patrols are necessary.
— Sally Williams
■
■Get together periodically to get to
know each other – a few times a year is
Patrol Fund Organizer Paul Liu
Responds:
may be used when a new tenant comes in,
defeats the purpose of having use permits
at all. The idea of a use permit is that a use
might be acceptable, if appropriate conditions
were attached to the use.
Allowing a generic restaurant use permit
issued years earlier to remain in effect when
the type of restaurant and the surrounding
conditions may have undergone major changes
makes little sense as a way to protect the
community. RCPC will be talking to groups
in other CN-1 areas of the city to see if we
can reach consensus on trying to convince the
city to update this outdated zoning provision.
Land Use
Committee
Patrol hours needed to be listed in the
contracts and generally known so people
would know what they were signing up
for. However, actual patrol hours may vary,
based on evolving need.
from page 3
allowed to convert to full-scale restaurant use
with no public input and no conditions, other
than any that might have been imposed via
the previous use permit.
RCPC thinks the idea of use permits
never expiring, and for a single storefront
site to have a “closet” full of different, non-
conforming use permits, any one of which
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10.

December 7, 2013
10.

Children’s Hospital Expansion Plans Seen as More Neighborhood Friendly
City Planners Seem to Hew to a Stricter Line

by Robert Brokl
Expansion plans for Children’s Hospital
and Research Center Oakland (CHRCO)
have taken a turn for the better. The
organization and its architects have adjusted
the preliminary plans in ways viewed by
the community as improvements.
In the latest plans, the heliport would
remain south of 52nd on the new Link
Building; the entrance to the parking garage
would be from MLK Jr. Way and not Dover
Street; and several residences owned by
CHRCO would be relocated rather than
demolished, or have modifications but retain
their appearance from the street. Fifty-third
Street would retain a residential feel and
Dover may be closed to all but bike traffic.
These changes affirm the importance of
a thriving neighborhood next to the hospital.
More modifications and commitments are
necessary, but this is progress.
Yet to be determined is the fate of the
iconic “Holdout House” at 52nd Street and
MLK, whose previous owner refused to
sell. CHRCO may move this house to the
easterly end of 53rd Street, near two other
relocated residences from 52nd Street.
For most of the public, the brick wing
of the hospital – the Baby Hospital from
1926 – has only been visible from the Hwy.
24 on-ramp. And while the 160-year-old
magnolia, a remnant of the McElrath
mansion, would be cut down, the bays and
courtyard in the proposed new entrance
to the hospital would be a revelation to
patients and public alike.
If only planning staff were exhibiting
the same openness as CHRCO. Exhaustive
new research was generated regarding the
magnolia, but planning staff have so far
disregarded neighbors’ requests, joined by
the state Office of Historic Preservation,
to analyze the entire study area as part of
the draft EIR to assess potential impacts
and mitigations.
Outstanding issues include:
■
■CHRCO may redesign the cinder-
block wall of their surface parking lot west
of MLK (they’re open to the possibility)
and the “park” at 52nd and MLK. However,
Councilmember Kalb’s office needs to be
involved in discussions of the park.
Corner detail of the original Baby’s
Hospital building on the grounds of
Children’s Hospital. /Courtesy Robert Brokl
■
■Traffic in neighborhoods is a plan-
ning concern. We will be analyzing the
potential traffic as part of the EIR in
the transportation section. However, city
planners say increased traffic does not
materially impair the historic significance
of a building or a neighborhood, per Oak-
land’s CEQA Thresholds of Significance.
53rd and Dover, even before the traffic
analysis.
Next steps include release of the DEIR
and further refinement of CHRCO plans.
For more information, contact planner
Heather Klein at 510/238-3659 or e-mail
hklein@oaklandnet.com
Artist and activist Robert Brokl lives a few blocks
from the CHRCO project.
■
■Staff also opposes a cul-de-sac at
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11.
December 7, 2013

11.

Peralta, she had a very different take. “I’m
very happy with what I see here,” she said.
“It’s going in a very positive direction,”
seconded Terrell Richard, who has a seventh-
grade daughter and a sixth-grade niece at
Claremont as well as a fourth-grader at Chabot.
“My wife went to Chabot; my wife went
to Claremont; and my wife went to Tech,”
he said. “I went to Tech. We believe what is
happening at Tech is going to happen here.”
Claremont
Looking Good
from page 6
them.”
Afterwards, I spoke to Lisa Cloud, who
bypassed Claremont a couple of years ago to
enroll her son at Oakland School for the Arts.
Now, as she makes the rounds looking for
the best place for twin daughters who attend
Judy Berne welcomes your comments and column
ideas at judyberne@att.net.
College Avenue Presbyterian Church: Christmas Events
a
0	Family Advent Craft Fair

Sunday, December 8, 12:30-2 p.m. at
CAPC, 5951 College Avenue

Advent Craft fun; Alternative Christmas
gift ideas, ages 1-99 years. More info at
www.capcoakland.org.
0	Winter Solstice Meditation

Sunday, December 21, 5 p.m.
0	Christmas Eve Service

Tuesday, December 24, 7 p.m. Family
Friendly.
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
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
Rockridge Sales Heat Up in November

Closing date BR BA Address
Original price List price DOM
Selling price
           11/7/13
2
2
5400 Broadway Terrace
$700,000
$700,000 0
$720,000
11/12/13
2
1
5438 Boyd Avenue
$850,000
$850,000 15
$901,875
11/13/13
3
1
6029  Hillegass Avenue
$995,000
$995,000 12
$1,300,000
11/19/13
3
1
318 Clifton
$565,000
$650,000 33
$660,000
11/20/13
3
1
35 Armanino Court
$850,000
$850,000 14
$928,000
11/26/13
2
1
5276 Redondo Avenue
$649,000
$649,000 15
$755,000
11/26/13
2
2
5319 Shafter Avenue
$795,000
$795,000 15
$950,000
11/27/13
2
2
5400 Broadway Terrace
$649,000
$649,000 34
$640,000


12.

December 7, 2013
12.
Private Guards;
Public Ground

neighborhoods?
The increase in crime is not limited to
our ZIP codes, after all. Ariel Bierbaum,
an eight-year Rockridge resident, worries
that hiring guards here may simply push
robberies and burglaries elsewhere. This
raises competing definitions of community.
“I consider my community to be not just my
immediate neighborhood, but Oakland as a
whole. Decreased crime here at the expense
of other neighborhoods is not a solution I’m
comfortable with,” she says.
“There are other neighborhoods in
Oakland where people are truly unsafe,”
notes Jonathan Osler, who is raising a family
in Lower Rockridge. “My perception of my
own safety is linked to their daily struggle to
survive. We need to start investing beyond
our own ZIP code if we want to build healthy
and safe communities.”
An informal group of neighbors has
been organizing to make sure the whole
community knows about the patrols, to
survey people on their views, to ensure that
the results are transparent, and to develop
alternative ways to fight crime that we can
all get behind.
There are many short- and long-term
options: installing street barriers to block
easy freeway access or putting cameras by
on-ramps; boosting neighborhood watch;
improving street lighting; increasing foot
traffic in structured ways; pressuring smart
phone manufacturers to build their products
with instant “kill” switches; drafting a
ballot measure to expand the number of
trained police officers. The Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC) has been exploring some of those
strategies, and the Bushrod/Shattuck area
also has a proactive NCPC. A good piece
of news is that burglaries there are down 35
percent so far this year, and robberies are
down 6 percent, according to OPD statistics.
We agree that crowdfunding is a powerful
tool and can be used in many ways to bring
us together. For example, the national
group GunByGun (https://www.gunbygun.
org/oakland-gun-buyback) organizes
crowdfunding campaigns for gun buybacks.
Oakland’s Youth UpRising is hosting one
on December 14 (www.youthuprising.org/
get-involved/gun-buy-back).
If you’d like to help make Rockridge—
and all of Oakland—safer for everyone,
e-mail us: saferoaklandforall@gmail.com.
from page 2
keeping your house safe? I’m part of the
neighborhood.”
Even the crowdfunding organizers
concede that private patrols are merely a
Band-Aid approach. The original plan was
to try the patrols for four months, starting in
early November. Yet the initial campaigns
raised enough for a year.
When they kicked off the effort,
organizers said they were interested in
collecting and disseminating data, but
they’ve stopped short of a clear commitment.
Paul Liu, who started the first campaign in
Lower Rockridge, was quoted in November’s
Rockridge News as saying he’d “...do what I
can in terms of data.” The article also quoted
VMA General Manager Elizabeth Caprini:
“I don’t keep track of (crime) statistics.”
If VMA won’t collect data, who will?
How will it be shared and how will success
be measured? How will funders make
a decision whether to continue after the
four-month trial? Will anyone monitor
how this experiment is affecting adjacent
Laura Counts, Nicole Aruda and Susette Min are
active Lower Rockridge residents raising their
children here. Between the three of them, they’ve
lived in the neighborhood for 41 years.
Temescal, Piedmont Avenue, and Grand/
Lakeshore).
Questions or Comments?
Anyone with comments, concerns, or
suggestions, or wishing to sign up for a
private patrol, can contact the organizers at
saferrockridge@gmail.com, and/or VMA
Security, security@vmasecurity.com.

Paul Liu and Other Patrol Organizers Respond

responses coordinated by Paul Liu
The opinion piece above contains a
number of mischaracterizations:
Degree of Participation
The original crowdfunding campaign
was launched with the support of many
neighbors. We held a neighborhood
block meeting following the daytime
armed robbery of two of our neighbors,
and all expressed interest in a private
security patrol. A similar discussion took
place on a neighboring block’s e-mail
list and the response there was also
very supportive. That several hundred
households subsequently joined in the
campaigns indicates to us a deep desire to
take concrete actions towards improving
public safety in our neighborhood. As the
OPD has stated, “Any help that we can
receive to reduce crime in our city is good
for all of us.”
Patrols as the Only Solution
Security patrols are not an “either-or”
proposition. There is no reason not to look
into other options for reducing crime as
well. We welcome any and all efforts to
reduce crime in our neighborhood and
throughout Oakland.
Likelihood of Profiling
The concerns of racial profiling are
unfounded. VMA Security Group is an
African-American-owned, Oakland-based
firm that has been retained by the Rockridge
merchants’ association and many Oakland
businesses. Over 95 percent of VMA’s
employees are Oakland residents, the great
majority of African-American or Latino
background, and the company has stated
that they do not and will not racially profile.
Analyzing Patrol Effectiveness
Using crime data from the OPD-
recommended website, early results
suggest that burglaries and robberies in
Lower Rockridge have declined by 50
percent relative to what would have been
expected absent the patrols. This is based
on burglaries and robberies in Lower
Rockridge before and after the patrols,
compared to other similar neighborhoods
in Oakland and Berkeley (Elmwood,
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December 7, 2013

13.

13.
Ayala Park, a pocket park
at Ayala Avenue and 57th
Street, suffered extensive damage
during November’s strong and
sustained winds.
Cre ated by long-time
Rockridge resident John Wagers,
the park is maintained by Wagers
and Ayala Avenue residents.
Resident Constantine Cherkashyn
photographed the damage and
helped with cleanup.
Scenic Streets
from page 3
Nearby DaVita Dialysis Corporation has
offered to fund the three concrete cans with
the graffiti resistant mosaics of local artist
Juan Lopez who has decorated most of the
cans in the Temescal shopping district.
Scenic Streets is seeking an additional
sponsor for one older receptacle in front of
Cost-U-Less Insurance opposite the DMV
offices. The volunteer group purchased
a can with its own funds last year. It has
dramatically reduced littering in front of
the agency, but the insurance company’s
headquarters has declined to fund the $500
artwork upgrade.
2014 agenda in January.
If there are issues you want to know
more about or ideas you’d like to share in
the coming year, please contact us at info@
rockridge.org.
Thank you for your broad and generous
support.
RCPC in 2013
from page 1
of The Rockridge News.
In 2014, RCPC has several exciting
Town Halls planned, and will publish the
RCPC’s Activities in 2013
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
Oct	 FROG Park Improvements & Caldecott
Project Costs
Nov	Fight Crime One Block at a Time:
Neighborhood Watch
Dec	No Meeting
Town Hall Meeting Topics
Jan	 Soundwall Study Petitions & Oakland
History
Feb	 Caldecott Settlement Improvements and
Rockridge Shopping Center EIR
Mar	 New RCPC Website Unveiling
Apr	 Meet Councilmember Dan Kalb & RCPC
Board Candidate Forum & Elections
May	Communication in Rockridge
Jun	 RCPC-NCPC Joint Meeting: Mayor Jean
Quan and Chief Sean Whent
Jul
No Meeting
Aug	 No Meeting or Newsletter
Sep	 Peter Calthorpe: Of Cities and Survival
Land Use and Community Issues
•	Continued to encourage the city to keep
retail businesses on College Avenue street
frontage.
•	College Avenue Safeway: Enforced and
monitored construction compliance, including
meeting with Safeway representatives.
•	Rockridge Shopping Center Project:
Worked with city and community organizations
to craft an improved pedestrian-friendly design,
with neighborhood mitigations.
•	Mediated several disputes between College
Avenue merchants and neighboring residents
•	FROG Park: Prioritized goals and identified
park feature improvements and enhanced
maintenance; Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) landscape plantings replaced; repaired
park equipment; coordinated with city and
community groups.
•	Fourth Bore Coalition (FBC): work with city
and community to review Oakland settlement
project issues and designs; oversee FBC
settlement agreement provisions and projects.
•	Transportation: Responded to concerns
about Rockridge transportation issues, e.g. AC
Transit Line 51 re-routing.
•	Other groups: worked with Piedmont
Avenue Neighborhood Improvement League
(PANIL), Rockridge District Association (RDA),
Urbanists for a Livable Temescal-Rockridge Area
(ULTRA), and Standing Together for Accountable
Neighborhood Development (STAND).
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com
LAW OFFICES OF
KYLE M. JOHNSTON
!
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
CALL FOR YOUR FREE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
FAMILY   ╬   BUSINESS   ╬   ESTATE
WWW.KYLEMJOHNSTON.COM


14.

December 7, 2013
14.

Licensed General Contractor
Craftsman rehabs and restoration. Kitchens
and baths, finish and structural work, seismic
upgrades, doors and windows, inside or out,
big or small. Professional and courteous. Many
local references. www.catconstruction.biz.
Craig: 232-5978.
The Perfect Holiday Gift
Searching for the perfect gift? “Date-Night
Dance Class” gift certificates now available
for 2014! Friday night classes start Jan. 10 in
Glenview. Interested? Contact David Kelso
& Chris Mehling 510/530-7671 madeinca2d@
earthlink.net
St. Peter’s Parish,
Lawton/Broadway
Sunday Mass 8am & 10am, Wed noon, Evening
Prayer Thurs, 6:30pm w/Bible Study follow-
ing; CHRISTMAS EVE Organ concert w/
carols 9:30 p.m., 1st Xmas Communion 10pm;
CHRISTMAS MORNING Low Mass with
Hymns 10am. XMas Children’s Pageant
10 a.m. Sunday 12/22.
Gold West Vintage
Sell your used, out-of-date gold and silver.
I’ll test it, weigh it, and hand you a check
right there! Book your private consultation,
party, or fundraiser today! Noa Alonigreen
noa@goldwestvintage.com 619/573-0639.
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.
Providing In-Home Services
Homecare Assistance, personal car, meal
preparation, light housekeeping, laundry,
medication reminders, shopping. Experience,
bonded, insured. Background/references
provided. Please phone for assessment
appointment. 510/677-7127.
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
January issue deadline is December 19.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
New Year’s Special!
Purchase a series of 3 select facial treat-
ments and receive the corresponding facial
beauty package FREE!!! Gift certificates
available! Peaceful, cottage setting, located
2 blocks from BART. Penelope’s Aesthetics
penelopecalef@yahoo.com. By appointment.
510/594-1552
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry
rot, drainage, walls, termite damage, doors,
windows. Professional work for affordable
prices. Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
Tutor Accepting Students
Middle school, high school, college prep students
for essay and creative writing, grammar & syntax,
world literature comprehension, SAT/ College
Boards. Thirty years experience as teacher/
tutor. Further information/resume: George
Davis 510/306-0082, georgewdavisii@gmail.com.
Love Your Surroundings?
Need help getting organized? Want to de-
clutter your home or office? Let me redesign
your environment in your style & create space
and harmony. Free, no-obligation consulta-
tion. Laura Panica, Organizational Consultant.
510/407-2679. www.liferestyled.com
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
NA MA S T E
G
GIFTS FOR THE
YOGI IN
YOUR LIFE
$69
$50 GIFT CERTIFICATE +
BAREFOOT YOGA MAT
GRUBBCO.COM
AND OTHER
SWEET
DISCOUNTED
DEALS!
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland
W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M


15.
December 7, 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

Get Into the Holiday
Spirit: Deliver the
Rockridge News to
Your Neighbors
Here are two blocks in Rockridge
that will sorely miss The Rockridge
News if we don’t find block captains for
them. If you live close to either of these
routes and wish to give a gift to your
neighbors please let us know:

Community Calendar

Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Residents and business members engage in discussions
about crime and public safety with representatives of
OPD. 2nd Thurs. each month (12/12), 7 to 8:30pm.
Rockridge Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College
Ave. Info at www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@
rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
** Free computer help & tutoring (for all ages)**
Internet, e-mail, Microsoft office, EBook download,
and more. Tuesdays 4-6pm and Saturdays 1-3pm.
See Vicky Chen.
FOR CHILDREN
each month, 1 to 2pm.
y
y Rockridge Ninjas: watch Anime, 5-6:30 pm; 2nd
Tues. each month.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Join other teens each Wed. after
school, 2:30 - 4:15pm. Play video & board games,
make crafts, enjoy light snacks.
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.
Route 03C: Along Eucalyptus in
Oakland boundaries. Odd numbers
along Eucalyptus from 33-99; Even
numbers along Eucalyptus from
32-100.
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 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:
Dec: Darril Tighe: Abstract Paintings
Jan: David Platford: Silk-screened images
Lobby Display Case:
Dec: Peter Langenbach: Whimsical Sculpture AND
Kwanza Display
Jan: Cynthia Jacobs: Handmade puppets
December at the Circulation Desk: See samples of
the Arts & Crafts Workshops we’ll be doing with children
in December.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
Route 06D: Both sides of
Rockridge Boulevard South from
6101 to 6184.
E-mail smontauk@gmail.com or
call 510/547-3855 and name your route.
Happy Holidays!
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.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Events:
y
y Junior Center of Arts & Sciences “In the Style
of...” Workshop: 12/12, 4 to 5:15pm. Learn more
about an artist and create your own art in the style of
one of their masterpieces. Faith Ringgold’s collage-
painting “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the
Sky” will be the inspiration on 12/12. Phone or stop
by the Children’s Desk to reserve a spot.
evening of ancient and traditional holiday music includes
Sarum chant from the 12th century; music from the 13th
to 15th centuries from England and France; works by
Ravenscroft, Ord, Mouton, and Michael Praetorius; and
traditional Christmas carols with audience participation.
Sat., 12/ 21, at 8pm; ($20 General/$15 Students/Srs). All
tickets sold at the door. St. Albert Priory Chapel, 6172
Chabot Road. More info: 596-1800.
Square Dance in North Oakland
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/.
North Oakland Senior Center
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health counseling;
dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s Caregivers support groups, computer
classes/more.
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 12/24, 12/25 and 1/1/14.
St. Albert Priory Christmas Concert
y
y Make a Snow Globe: Saturday, 12/14, 2 to 3:30pm.
All ages welcome. Bring a small glass jar with a lid;
other supplies provided.
FOR TEENS
y
y Teen Screen Printing Workshop: Create your own
t-shirt or tote bag with help from a talented artist from
the Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective. Wed., 12/11,
2 pm. All supplies provided.
The Schola Cantorum of St. Albert Priory and the
Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble (WAVE) will present
their annual Christmas concert following the customary
format of a Festival of Lessons and Carols, as sung at
King’s College, Cambridge, England since 1918. An
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 Saturday
O N E
D A Y
S A L E
MAXI
LILLEY
THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A
designer’s
eye
y
y BART Tickets on sale for $9 (a $24 value) for
seniors 65 and over.
y
y New Zumba Gold for Seniors: Thursdays,1-2pm
($5/class); through Dec. 19.
Annual $12 membership entitles seniors 55 + to discounts
on activities and trips. Mon. – Fri., 9am to 4:30pm. 5714
Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Subscribe to “The North
Oakland Senior Times” for full schedule of classes/
events, lunch menus, and volunteer opportunities.
Info: 597- 5085.
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 about Certified
Farmers’ Markets at urbanvillageonline.com.
Featuring
Michael Kors
&
Dragon Eyewear
Saturday, December 21st
10am to 2pm
REALTOR® – DRE# 01919653
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
5321 College Ave • Oakland • (510) 655-3797


16.

December 7, 2013
16.

aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
5438 Boyd
Sold SuBStantially over the asking price!
The seller is thrilled! Benefit from “the power
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Want to know the market value of your home?
Visit: www.RockridgeHomeValue.com
serving you since 1981
AVEDA PRODUCTS
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510.339.4789
RockridgeRealEstate@Gmail.com
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
BRE# 00875454
BRE# 01404404
p 510.428.2600
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KEVIN BROWN
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654-8707 or 593-4780
sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
Living? Love it in Oakland!
I want to tell you how thankful I am this year. My
business in Rockridge has grown every year. I just
went over the $100,000,000 mark in sales of homes
in Rockridge alone. I have sold and closed over 130
transactions in Rockridge and since I live and work
here, it makes this success even better.

One of the biggest joys is how the RCPC News has
changed since I moved here in 1987. In 1987, no
one ever mentioned a public school in Rockridge. I
found this fascinating. And now, after all of these
long years and tireless efforts of many neighborhood
families, it seems that every issue is full of news
about Peralta, Chabot, Claremont and Oakland
Tech. My son is senior at Oakland Tech and I could
not be more proud of him and the other students
there. He accomplished so much at a great and often
underappreciated school. It has given him every
possible chance to succeed. He will be able to land
anywhere in the world with excellent social skills and
a good education. There is so much to be thankful
for living here in Rockridge.  I am almost speechless.
32
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

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Oakland
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Happy
Holidays
Luxury is not a price point...
It’s an experience!
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
L A W T O N
mcguire.com   |   510.883.7000
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
A S S O C I A T E S
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R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E