Extracted text · highlighting “Erica Siskind”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 29      NO. 5      ISSUE NO. 311      May 3, 2014                          CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

The View from 63rd St.: Reality Meets Design as Safeway Builds

As the outlines of the new College Avenue Safe-
way store emerge, pedestrians, shoppers and
sidewalk café patrons must accustom themselves to
a view more focused on a building close by than on
the now-obscured hills. Project drawings, such as
the one below depicting the intersection of College
Avenue and 63rd Street, showed how the store’s
façade could dominate the view from College to the
hills. It has come to do so.

Rockridge Voters Fill Board, OK Bylaw Changes

15
Thursday
May 15
R
|
Sa
Vz
z
by Zabrae Valentine, RCPC chair
R
CPC’s annual election for positions on
its board of directors, held during the
April 2014 Annual Meeting/Town Hall,
saw 46 residents cast their ballots for four
incumbents and two new candidates running
for six uncontested board seats. Voters also
approved two proposed bylaw amendments
on the ballot.
Elected to full two-year terms were
incumbents Christopher Chin, Virginia
Hamilton, Laura Schlichtmann, and Zabrae
Valentine. New candidates Gabe Kleinman
and Samantha Weaver were also elected to
two-year terms.
After the election, Chin found that
unexpected demands of his employment
would leave him insufficient time for active
board service, and he resigned. The board
now has a vacancy that will be filled at a later
date by appointment of the board.
If you have an interest in board service,
e-mail chair@rockridge.org.
To contact the board with questions or to
discuss an issue, e-mail info@rockridge.org.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Pi
:
RCPC Town
Hall Meeting
Pizza: 7 |Prgm: 7:30
p
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
r
r
o
o
c
f
k
s
r
u
i
d
n
i
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friends
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J
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AGENDA
Education and local schools headline the
May 15 RCPC Town Hall meeting.
Jody London, Oakland School
Board Member, District 1 (includes
Rockridge) will discuss:
☞
■
■The new state Local Control Fund-
ing Formula (LCFF), and how it is
implemented in Oakland
■
■Implementation of the Common
Core State Standards
■
■The District’s focus on full-service
community schools. (“A number of
key initiatives fall into place here,
including linked learning academies
in our high schools, social-emotional
learning, work to reduce suspen-
sions and expulsions, and a focus on
City Offers Pancake Rest Stop for Cyclists
Join Bike to Work Day: Thursday, May 8
Bike-to-Work Day is held annually statewide to encourage
bicycling as a non-polluting and healthy commute option.
In Oakland, Bike-to-Work Day is part of the city’s strategy
to promote cycling as affordable transportation, to improve
public health, and to stop global warming. By cycling, you
can: Reduce air pollution; stay healthy and fit; save money;
and ease street congestion.
Hank and Frank

City Programs
Planned for Bike
to Work Day,
Thursday, May 8
➧➧City Bike to Work Day: Goodies, page 13

➧➧Town Hall Agenda, page 15


2.

May 3, 2014
2.

Story of a Bowl; Story of a Community

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
by Lucia R. Briggs
Opening the door to find Kingsley Moore
on my front porch is not a common
occurrence; he hardly ever visits. Yet, there
he was – the antiques dealer, textile specialist,
restorer and preserver of “beautiful old
things,” and owner and proprietor of
Talisman Antiques on College Avenue.
“Uh, Kingsley?” I asked.
My husband and I have been friends
with Kingsley for years, and we knew of the
recent theft of an ancient burl wood bowl that
had been left with him for some restoration.
The sign posted in his store window with a
photograph of the bowl and the notice of a
reward for its return had produced no results.
After three months, things were beginning
to look bleak.
The theft of the bowl was a blow for
Kingsley. The items entrusted to his care for
repair or renewal are much more than the
sum of their parts. They embody not only
the souls of their current and former owners,
but also the spirit of the people who made
them. Those in the community who know
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fri: 12 – 5:30 p.m.

CLOSED Sun and Mon, also Tue, 5/27
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, 2014-2015
Zabrae Valentine	����������������Chair
Open	��������������������������������������Vice-Chair
Laura Schlichtmann	�����������Secretary
Open	�������������������������������������Treasurer
Andrew Charman, Jennifer Daskal, Kevin Faughnan,
Virginia Hamilton, Michael Kan, William Kaufner,
Gabe Kleinman, Don Kinkead, Lisa McNally,
Greg Pasquali, Samantha Weaver
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org

Recovered Bowl
Now Holds Added
Meaning
by Dori Maynard and
Jan Christenson
It took an ancient wooden bowl to
tell the story of our community. The
burled bowl has been passed down from
generation to generation.
In December, the current custodians
of the family heirloom took it to Talisman
Antiques for some minor repairs. The
bowl was then stolen. The family was
heartbroken. Together with Talisman
owner Kingsley Moore, they offered a
$1,000 reward.
For months there was no word about
the bowl. One day in April, a homeless
man, friend of many local merchants,
found the bowl in the bushes at the
church near Talisman Antiques.
He turned it over to Kingsley, who
gave him the reward. As soon as he
received the reward, the finder went
straight to another merchant to donate
a large portion of it to her daughter’s
college fund.
The bowl was battered and broken,
and Kingsley worked hard to restore it
for the owner.
The bowl now holds two stories.
First, a story of a family. Now, too, a
story of the strength of our community;
a community where we all look out for
each other.
➧➧Story of a Bowl and a Community, page 8

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?
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block captain?
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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
Kingsley Moore, owner and proprietor
of Talisman Antiques, worked long
hours to repair the damage to the
stolen bowl.                             /D. Kinkead
Kingsley, who have watched him work and
who know the passion and reverence he has
for the pieces that pass through his hands,
understand why the loss was so personal.
What Kingsley wanted when he dropped
by the house was to give us the mixed news
that while the burl wood bowl had been
returned, it had been out in the weather the
entire time, abandoned in the bushes and
filled with rainwater. The small crack that
had split the rim – and was the reason the
bowl had been brought for repair – had grown
to a dark gash across one side. Hardwood
patches, meant to strengthen hairline
cracks, had broken loose or were missing
entirely. The standing water had softened
and swelled the wood, warping the bowl,
and leaving a dark ring.
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
600 words; must include the author’s name, phone
number, e-mail address, and city or neighborhood
of residence; and are subject to editing. To reprint
a Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
  June 7, 2014
  June deadline is May 22, 2014
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.)


3.
May 3, 2014

3.

six months. Committee member Glen Jarvis
was tasked with preparing a draft “sunset”
provision for board consideration.
The next Land Use Committee meeting will
be Wednesday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. in a meeting
room at the Rockridge branch library. Topics
will include an update on the Rockridge Safeway
projects.
Please check with the chair (652-5373 or stuflash@
aol.com) the week before for an updated agenda.
■
■Proposal to Require Use
Permits for Personal Services
Businesses in the CN-1 Zone.
In response to concerns about the
proliferation of “personal services” (e.g.,
hair salons, nail salons, spas, and hair
removal) uses along College Avenue in the
CN-1 zone area, the committee discussed
whether to recommend that such uses
require a minor use permit in the CN-1
zone. After discussion, the committee
voted to recommend that the board consider
endorsing requiring a use permit for
“personal grooming” uses in the CN-1 zone
and that RCPC consult with business and
residents’ organizations in other CN-1 zoned
areas of the city to determine their feelings
about such a proposal.
recommendation to the board of directors.
The recommendation is that RCPC not
oppose the application.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman,
RCPC Land Use Committee chair
■
■Proposal for Use Permit
“Sunset” Provisions
The committee had further discussions
of a possible sunset provision for use
permits. The committee reviewed use
permit provisions for the nearby cities of
Berkeley, San Leandro, Hayward, Fremont,
and Walnut Creek. The provisions either
void any previous use when a new use for a
property is approved, or provide that a use
permit lapses if not exercised for more than
■
■Café Proposal for 5269
Broadway (minor conditional
use permit required)
The committee discussed a proposal
for a café to be located at 5269 Broadway.
It would be open during the day and cater
to students at the California College of Art.
Although an applicant representative did not
attend the meeting, committee members
present felt they had sufficient information
about the proposal to make an informed

Meeting: Broadway Improvement Plans

City Releases
Updated Caldecott
Project List
by Victoria Eisen, city consultant
The latest plans for pedestrian crossing,
bikeway, lane configuration and related
improvements on Broadway between College
Avenue and Ocean View Drive will be
presented by city staff Thursday, May 29,
beginning at 7 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch
Library community meeting room on the
second floor.
Following review of a traffic study, plans
are moving forward on the project, which is
intended to improve safety in the corridor
for all roadway users.
The project includes the following
components:
HAWK (High-intensity Activated cross-
WalK beacon*) signal at Lawton Avenue
■
■Improved, high-visibility crosswalks
at all intersections
■
■No changes to existing on-street
parking
by Victoria Eisen, city consultant
As a result of recent project updates, the
city has released a revised project list
for the Caldecott Settlement Agreement
reprinted later in this article. The updates
include:
■
■Constructing bulb-outs at Taft Avenue,
Kales Avenue and Ada Street.
The design that will be presented on May
29 takes into account comments received
at a November 2013 community meeting
about the project and the results of the recent
traffic study.
Project designers also considered a traffic
jam on Broadway occurring February 19,
2014, the result of a crash on eastbound
SR-24 in Orinda. Traffic backed up through
■
■Nearly complete construction plans
for the first seven Caldecott agreement-
funded projects
■
■Elimination of two soundwall studies
from the project list (see The Rockridge
News, April 2014, page 1)
■
■Resurfacing the roadway
■
■Reducing the number of traffic lanes
from four to three (one lane in each direc-
tion, with a two-way center turn lane, steps
sometimes referred to as a road diet)

➧➧Broadway Improvement Plans, page 4
➧➧Project List, page 4

Protecting Pets From the Foxtail Scourge
by Sarah Kulberg
This is a message for everyone who has
or cares about dogs and cats.
Foxtails (pictured below right) are out
and ready to spread. They can work their
way into every orifice of the animal – eyes
too – and can cause great damage. They are
barbed like fish hooks. They go in easily
and are difficult to remove.
When you see foxtails growing in a
planted area, pull them out by the root,

■
■Adding bicycle lanes on both sides
of the street
■
■Installation of a pedestrian-activated
Neighbors: Are you now, or have
you ever been, a member of The
Rockridge News delivery team?
If so, email info@rockridge.org or phone
510/869-4200 and tell your name and
the street/s you delivered to. You will
be contacted with a special message.
Thank you. — The RCPC board

trying to get all the parts. Put them into
a plastic bag tied tightly so nothing can
escape, and put that bag into the trash, not
the green bin. Every foxtail plant not pulled
out will turn into many more foxtails next
season.
All the pets will thank you.


4.

May 3, 2014
4.

ects to account for inflation from the time
they were estimated in 2010.
The effect of these changes is that five
more projects than reported in December
2013 are projected to be funded. As always,
the actual projects that will be delivered
with settlement agreement funds will not be
known for certain until the city has obtained
construction bids on the early projects.
For more information, contact the city’s
Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria
Eisen, at victoria@eisenletunic.com or
510/525-0220.
Project List
from page 3
■
■Commencement of plans for the next
set of projects
■
■Escalation of costs for all other proj-
Broadway
Improvement Plans
Caldecott	
  Tunnel	
  Settlement	
  Agreement	
  
	
   	
  
Final	
  Project	
  List
Original	
  
April	
  2014	
  
	
  
	
  
	
   	
  
cost	
  
revised	
  
	
  	
  	
  
	
  
No.	
   Name	
  
estimate	
  
estimate1	
  
	
  

1 Tunnel Road/SR 13/Hiller Drive Intersection Improvements
$950,000
$1,333,000

2 Pedestrian Facilities on Caldecott Lane/Tunnel Road
$850,000

3 Bicycle Facilities on Caldecott Lane/Tunnel Road
$290,000

 2&3 Pedestrian & Bicycle Facilities on Caldecott Lane/Tunnel Road

$1,075,000

4 Caldecott Lane/Kay overcrossing Intersection Improvements
$100,000

5 Bike facilities on Broadway from Brookside Avenue to Kay OC
$410,000

6 Jogging/walking path on Broadway from Golden Gate to Lake Temescal
$275,000
 4-6 Pathway & Bicycle facilities on upper Broadway2

$   639,000

7 Soundwall study: Eastbound between Vicente Way and Broadway3
$554,000
$        0

8 Soundwall study: Westbound between Ross Street and Telegraph Avenue3 $628,000
$        0

9 Broadway/Keith Intersection Improvements
$840,000
9&14 Broadway bike & ped improvements, Keith Avenue to Brookside Lane

$2,250,000

10 College/Keith Intersection Improvements
$235,000

10,11,15,20 Rockridge BART Station Area Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements3

$   686,000
from page 3
the Caldecott Tunnel and onto the Brookside
freeway on-ramp and Broadway. This
collision coincided with PG&E’s closing of a
northbound traffic lane on Broadway during
some utility work, creating a considerable
backup.
The intersection improvements at Ocean
View and Lawton are funded through
Caldecott settlement agreement funds
(see project list at left). Other project
components, such as the resurfacing, striping
and improvements to other intersections will
be funded through other city sources.
For more information, contact the city’s
Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria Eisen:
victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220.

Safe Routes to Transit Recommended Grant Award and contributions4

- $   485,000

11 Bike Route Signage at Rockridge BART
$  20,000

12 Broadway/Lawton Intersection Improvements
$400,000
$   335,000

13 Broadway/Ocean View intersection improvements
$400,000
$     30,000

14 Broadway/Brookside/SR 24 On-ramp Intersection Improvements
$295,000

15 Rockridge BART Bicycle Parking
$100,000

16 On-street Bicycle Parking in Commercial Areas
$  30,000
$    32,000

17 52nd/51st/SR 24 ramps/Shattuck Intersection Improvements
$635,000
$   686,000

18 Soundwall study: Westbound between Patton Street and Ross Street5
$179,000

19 Alternatives' Analysis of Lake Temescal - Tunnel Rd Bike/ped connections $200,000
$   216,000

20 College/Miles Intersection Improvements
$160,000

21 Claremont/Hudson/SR 24 On-ramp Intersection Improvements
$180,000
$   194,000
Original funding line 6

22 College/Manila intersection improvements
$200,000
$   186,0007

23 Pedestrian Scale Lighting on Telegraph from 42nd Street to Berkeley border $240,000
$   259,000
Current. funding line 8

Notes

* Ed. Note: A HAWK beacon (High-intensity
Activated crossWalK beacon) is a traffic
signal used to stop road traffic and allow
pedestrians to cross safely. It is officially
known as a “Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon”
(PHB). The purpose of a HAWK beacon
is to allow protected pedestrian crossings,
stopping road traffic only as needed. [From
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
HAWK_beacon.]

Bold project costs indicate cost has changed since last cost revisions.
1.   Cost of capital projects that have not begun design process escalated using Engineering News Record & CPI inflation factors.
2. Project includes improvements to the Kay Overcrossing, bike facilities on Broadway from the Kay Overcrossing to Keith
Avenue, and pedestrian improvements from Golden Gate Avenue to Lake Temescal.
3.   Projects failed petition process needed to show support.
4.   Includes $417,000 grant, $18,000 BART contribution and $50,000 contribution from Fourth Bore Coalition.
5. Found to be infeasible.
6. Projects #24-37 hidden to allow notes to be seen.  Please see earlier list versions for projects farther down list.
7.   Cost reduced by the portion of the project that will be covered by AC Transit’s Route 51 improvements on College Avenue.
8. Includes $250,000 for consultant fees to develop the project list and companion fact sheets, coordinate the public/
community process and plan and facilitate community meetings to determine ultimate design of specific projects.
Updated 4/17/2014

Rockridge Optometry's
Frame Style Show
30% OFF Eyewear
GUCCI
EVATIK
William Morris
Saturday, June 21st
10am – 2pm
5321 College Ave.


5.
May 3, 2014

5.

Letters to the Editor
But most of all, I find it shameful
that staff did not once address the issue
of Environmental Justice for Rockridge,
a neighborhood that has now lived with
almost identical issues as those endured
in West Oakland – and for 10 years longer
and counting.
And, I wonder, is Rockridge less
deserving of Environmental Justice than
West Oakland?
— Annette R. Floystrup
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.
all their power to obtain Environmental
Justice for the people of West Oakland,
ensuring the least harmful placement of the
reconstructed freeway section. They gave a
voice to residents who had no voice in the
matter when that freeway was constructed
35 years before.
Similarly, Rockridge residents had no
voice in the process that created the section
of the Grove-Shafter freeway that stretches
from the Caldecott tunnels to Hwy 580,
even though all parties acknowledge that
using today’s environmental standards, this
freeway could not be built as it currently
exists.
I find it shameful that staff inserted a
petition process that was NOT required
into the mandated state process to obtain
sound walls. I find it shameful that the
petition process itself contained errors,
omissions and extra hurdles, such as the
refusal to accept legally approved verified
PDF electronic signatures.
City staff ignored environmental
justice in soundwall procedure
Editor:
In all the discussion of sound walls,
there has been not one single mention
of Environmental Justice for the people
of Rockridge. None of the other projects
promoted by staff have an Environmental
Justice component.
For 45 years, thousands of Rockridge
residents, along with thousands of Claremont
Middle School students, have endured the
unmitigated adverse environmental effects
of having an elevated 8-lane freeway and
BART cutting through the heart of their
neighborhood. These well understood and
well-researched effects include decades of
particulates, air pollution, and ever rising
noise levels as traffic steadily increased
since the freeway was opened in 1969.
In the wake of the collapse of the
Cypress Structure during the Loma Prieta
earthquake in 1989, Oakland officials used
Judith Berne’s articles help me
learn abut my neighbors
Editor:
Just a quick note to let you know how
much I enjoyed reading Judith Berne’s “book
club” piece just now [The Rockridge News,
April 2014]. Chana Wilson has a great story,
and I remember that New Yorker piece on the
Frank Lloyd Wright house being moved from
New Jersey to Arkansas in order to save it.
Ms. Berne has a great writing style:
warm, approachable, while still crisp. And,
I love learning more about our neighbors in
each piece.
Thanks for this contribution to our com-
munity. I look forward to her article in each
issue of The Rockridge News.
— Erin Flynn

Peralta Elementary School Hosts Peralta in Bloom Spring Festival
Saturday, May 17, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Peralta in Bloom, the school’s spring festival fund-raiser, is an
event open to the entire community, and anticipated by all kids.
The celebration runs from noon to 4 p.m., and includes fun for
kids and the entire family: a barbecue with vegetarian options; live
music; a two-hour cakewalk based on musical chairs; a climbing
wall; art booths; 10 carnival games. Also, free events range from
face-painting to balloon twisting to flower-pot painting. The event
ends with an annual Quilt Raffle, featuring a lovely quilt designed by
resident artist and quilt-maker Ellen Oppenheimer, and made by kids.

These traditions are organized by parent teams. Each year, we
add new events to celebrate spring in a new way. The fair is free to
enter, and the event is all about providing a fantastic day for the kids
after the mandated testing period has ended.
Our spring festival helps support the school’s art projects, and is
also a great way to introduce the community to the school.
For more information, contact organizers:
■
■Daniel Brownstein (dabrownstein@gmail.com) or
■
■Richard Stuverud (richardstuverud@gmail.com).
Photos from past festivals by Peralta Parents
a
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
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


6.

May 3, 2014
6.

Loved Twice was legally established as
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2009—with Klein as
its executive director, an eight-person board,
and the couple’s basement as its
base of operations. But as it grew,
both in donations and requests from
hospitals and social service agencies
locally and nationally, three program
coordinators have been added and
storage and packaging moved to a
nearby warehouse.
“My kids have seen it grow
– they grew up with it,” she says.
Early on, Klein recalls, she and
the kids passed a mother pushing a
stroller along College Avenue and
one suggested donating to her. “It
was a chance to explain to them that
the moms we help don’t have money
for an expensive stroller. It sort of
taught them that people grow up in
different circumstances.”
In any case, she emphasizes,
“We don’t donate to individuals.”
Loved Twice works through social
workers at 154 and growing social
service agencies. They drop off as
many as 100 boxes at a time to their
largest clients – Oakland Children’s
Hospital and Alta Bates Summit
Medical Center. Inside every box,
no matter where it goes, are 75 tiny
gently used garments, hand-picked
to clothe a baby from infancy to
12 months. Each box is designated
“Girl” or “Boy.”
Although the East Bay is still their prime
area for donations, Loved Twice fulfills
needs throughout six California counties
and 18 other states, including Klein’s native
Michigan, as well as Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Donations take various forms: Retailers
place babywear donation bins in their stores;
corporations, small businesses and civic
Helping Needy Babies
Earns Lisa Klein
Oakland’s Mother of
the Year Award
by Judith Doner Berne
Rockridge resident and Oakland’s 2014
Mother of the Year Lisa Klein was home
with a new baby when Hurricane Katrina hit
the Gulf Coast in 2005.
“It was on CNN all the time,” she says.
“I kept searching for something I could do.
I’m not a doctor; I couldn’t be deployed.”
While viewing the New Orleans’ Craig’s
List, she saw that an area church was
pleading, “We need everything – aspirin,
baby clothes, blankets” for the displaced
victims camped out on their lawn.
Baby clothes was a need Klein could meet
– with some help. So she emailed members
of her moms’ group. They told their friends.
It got posted on the East Bay Craig’s List.
Within four days, 200 pounds of gently
used baby clothes had been left on her front
porch. “Consider how small a sock is,”
Klein says in explaining how much had been
donated. She and her mom’s group packed
them in boxes marked either “girl” or “boy”
for easy distribution and sent them off.
But the donations kept coming, even
after the Katrina needs had been met. And
that’s how Klein decided to turn a one-time
far-off cause into an established, Bay Area
charitable institution – Loved Twice – which
provides gently used baby clothes to low-
income mothers. “I realized a local need
here,” she says.
Early in our interview, I learned that
Klein grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan,
where I attended grade school and junior
high. After graduating from Western
Michigan University with a BFA in graphic
design, she took a job in San Francisco.
She met her future husband, William
Carson, then a student at Cal Berkeley,
while they were waiting at the San Francisco
Airport to take the same flight home to the
Midwest for Thanksgiving – he to Pittsburgh
and she to Detroit. He asked for her phone
number mid-flight.
After a few years of living in the Potrero
Hill area, she told him: “I need to be warmer.”
Loved Twice founder and 2014 Oakland
Mother of the Year Lisa Klein.  /Judith Berne
They moved to Rockridge in 2001 for its
“weather, weather, weather” and “we loved
the walkability, the access to BART, the
restaurants.” The Ramen Shop, Takara Sushi
and Smitten, the new made-to-your-order ice
cream shop, are favorites.
William is a downtown-Oakland-based
environmental consultant. They are parents
of a 10-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy.
“We are both so passionate about what we
do,” Klein says.
➧➧Loved Twice, page 7







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24


 
	


7.
May 3, 2014

7.

Loved Twice

Garden, 700 Jean Street. The award, begun
in 1954 and now sponsored by the Oakland
Parks and Recreation Department, is given
annually to honor a community member
who symbolizes the finest traditions of
motherhood. Last year’s award went to
another Rockridge resident, Annalee Allen.
“Lisa Klein is an absolute gem,” says
Kim Wilson, who in 2011 volunteered to
collect from local drop off spots and then got
involved with grant writing. “She took a great
idea and RAN RAN RAN with it. Now the
environment is better off. And 9,000 babies
are better off. What an accomplishment.”
Wilson, a psychologist who has lived
in Rockridge since 2002, characterizes
Klein as “smart, persistent and dedicated.
And as a bonus, she never seems to lose her
positive attitude. I’ve worked with a lot of
nonprofits,” Wilson says, “and I’ve never
encountered someone in that arena who has
so consistently expressed so much gratitude
to her volunteers. It makes working with her
extra rewarding.”
To do or know mor about Loved Twice,
visit the organization’s website: lovedtwice.org.

from page 6
May Construction
Activities at College
Avenue Safeway Site

groups host hand-me-down events; and
individuals donate clothing, money and time.
It’s easy for you and me to donate. Bins
are located at Cool Tops, featuring haircuts
for children, at 5697 Miles just north of the
BART station, and Child’s Play, the children’s
consignment shop at 5377 College in the
former Brass & Glass building.
Stopping in at Cool Tops, I saw two
shopping bags and a large box of donated
clothing spilling out of the Loved Twice
bin placed near the front door. “We love the
Loved Twice thing,” says Clarice Woods who
has worked there for four years. “It’s simple
to use. Lisa is such a sweet lady. She comes
in to check on us and sometimes just to say
hi. We get a lot of donations,” Woods says,
which volunteers pick up every week.
Klein deliberately chooses to stay behind
the scenes, not wanting to intrude on any
mother and baby that receives a Loved Twice
package. “It feels great. I love my job. It’s not
about me meeting the people. I’m doing it to
help the babies.”
Nonetheless, she and the organization she
heads have been featured in People; Women’s
World; USA Weekend; O, The Oprah
Magazine; Reader’s Digest; The Huffington
Post; ;The Today Show; and CNN.com
 Loved Twice was named the San
Francisco Bay List Best Charity in 2011.
Klein’s most recent tribute is as Oakland’s
2014 Mother of the Year. She will be honored
at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10, when her
name is added to the permanent plaque on
a special walkway in the Morcom Rose
by Elisabeth Jewel, AJE consultants
The precast columns and roof structure
have arrived on-site and are being
erected with the help of a large crane.
Once the roof is in place, parking deck
preparation begins with waterproofing. At
the same time, crews will be laying the
underground utilities inside the store and
construction will begin on the loading dock
with concrete footings being poured and
walls going up.
You’ll also see joint trench utility work
beginning in the streets around the store and
retail shops’ construction will commence.
Below, a photo of the concrete form for
the ramp to the parking deck.
Your comments and suggestions for columns about
your neighbors and neighborhood are welcome by
emailing judyberne@att.net.
Serving Rockridge
since 1992
5400 College Avenue at Manila
/Elisabeth Jewel
law office of
dave karlinsky
MAXI
LILLEY
THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A
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725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
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• Special needs trusts
Please contact me for a free consultation or to schedule
      an appointment.
REALTOR® – DRE# 01919653
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com


May 3, 2014
8.

8.

April 26 Earth Day and Frog Park Family Fest
We thank Greer Alley, Grand Lake Ace
Garden Center, Bakesale Betty’s,
Alem’s Coffee, Semifreddi’s, Americorps,
Park Supervisor Giacomo Damonte, city
gardener Lydia Swann, irrigation specialist
Laura Compton, baker Jenna Brotman,
community members and volunteers for
another successful Earth Day. The butterfly

garden was replanted, weeds cleared from
the creek bed, the sand box refilled, ivy
hacked, the Big Frog cushioning wood chips
turned, and the pathway swept.
Stroll by any Sunday to play in the
refreshed park and learn more about the
park improvements.
— FROG Committee and DMV Neighbors
Larry and 7 yr old Everett Dolton in
their third year at the clean-up.
www.kenricephotopeople.com
www.kenricephotopeople.com
See more photos at www.frogpark.org
Flora Attix
chat about anything from antiques to politics
to baseball. During the weeks he worked
on the restoration, he was hyper-focused,
listening to Gregorian chant, and trying to
maintain his equanimity.
He pursued a painstaking process
of drying out the bowl, clamping and
re-clamping it as it dried. There was the
matter of pulling the crack together and
joining the separated pieces with specially
crafted dovetails, then replacing a patch
in the rim. There was the surface finish
to consider: how to reclaim the depth and
shimmer of the burl, while protecting and
preserving the remaining patina. This was
all was done as a steady flow of people came
by the shop – folks stopping in to say hello,
checking to see if the news was true: The
ancient burl wood bowl, in the same family
for eight generations, had been returned.
Word spread quickly through the
neighborhood, and as Kingsley worked,
many people rooted for him. Locals,
merchants, close friends, even those who pass
his door daily with just a nod and a smile,
poked their heads into the shop to watch the
progress and bring moral support.
In the end, Kingsley’s efforts to put things
right paid off. The repair of the bowl was
delicate, challenging, and successful. The
reward went to the deserving soul that found
and returned the bowl and the owners got a
piece of their personal history back. Kingsley
got to move forward with the knowledge
that the heirloom given into his care was
once again whole, brilliantly restored, and
back with its family – with a new story to
burnish its legacy.
Story of a Bowl
and a Community
from page 2
Though elated at the return of the bowl,
Kingsley was horrified at its condition.
He wanted my husband Tim, an artisan
woodworker, to take a look at it with him, and
discuss options for its restoration. Tim made
some suggestions, as did a few other people,
but in the end it was Kingsley’s own years of
experience and a trust of his own instincts,
as well as good, old-fashioned tenacity and
dogged determination, that brought the bowl
back to life.
On a normal day, Kingsley is relaxed and
outgoing – absorbed in his work, but happy to
Coming
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Open
Sunday
SOLD
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388 60th
5330 Manila
5231 Coronado
Daniel Stea
Advocacy & Integrity
Since 1997
Broker / Attorney
510.867.4094
Lic. #0670129
BRE #01452156


9.
May 3, 2014

9.

about $45,000 (our warmest thanks to all of
you who have donated). To reach our goal
of $120,000, we need your support. Please
consider making a generous donation today:
Every dollar donated goes to student
programs, and your contribution is 100
percent tax-deductible.
For more information about where the
funds go and the programs we support,
please go to:
http://rideforareason.dojiggy.com/
ng / index.cfm /a91bd50/regPages/
pages/?p=b0177d58
Working together we can make Oakland‘s
future bright. Thanks so much for your
support.
Middle School.
To make a donation, please go to:
http://rideforareason.dojiggy.com/
ng / index.cfm /a91bd50/regPages/
participantSearch/
Ride for a Reason is the single biggest
fundraiser for Emerson, International, and
Westlake, and the second biggest fundraiser
for Brewer, Claremont, and Tech. At least
two-thirds of the students at each of these
schools qualify for free or reduced-price
lunches. The funds we raise are critical for
helping to maintain high-quality programs
that support and encourage students all over
our city.
We are making excellent progress in
recruiting riders: we expect to have more
than 200 on May 17. But we need to pick up
the pace in donations. So far we have raised
Donate for a Reason:
Help Tech and Five Other
Oakland Schools Raise
Critical Funds
by Ride for a Reason organizers
Ride for a Reason, now in its sixth
year, is a two-wheeled protest to
advocate for more state funding for public
schools, and a fundraiser for programs that
support student creativity and a nurturing
environment in six Oakland schools.
Our goals this year are 250 riders
in Sacramento and $120,000 raised
for six Oakland schools: Claremont
Middle School; Edna Brewer; Emerson
Elementary; Oakland International High;
Oakland Technical High; and Westlake
have you been away from your faith for a time?
you are missed.
st. augustine catholic church
join us for mass on saturdays at 5 pm, or
sundays at 8 am, 1030 am, or 6 pm.
400 alcatraz (between college and telegraph) oakland  94609
Ride organizers Mike Napolitano,
Paul Vetter, David Yungert, and Mike
Mages in Sacramento after riding the
course to Sacramento to confirm road
conditions.                      /Mike Napolitano
http://staugustineoakland.com
questions? call the parish 510.653.8631
You’ve cleaned up
your act, now clean up
your record
• Expungements
• Misdemeanors  • Felonies
• Infractions
Aggressive & Compassionate
Criminal Defense.
www.elizabethgrossmanlaw.com
510.548.5106
FREE CONSULTATION


g
g

10.

May 3, 2014
10.

Is Our Neighborhood
Character at Risk?

by Zabrae Valentine, RCPC chair, and
Don Kinkead, editor
When RCPC worked for the downzoning
of Rockridge in the early 1970s, one
of the goals of the organization was a vibrant
commercial district along College Avenue.
Members of the group wanted ground
floor retail space to be retail only, with office
and other non-retail uses located on the
floors above the retail spaces. They planned
a pedestrian-friendly retail environment.
College Avenue today largely reflects
that goal, and is a Bay Area success story
attracting customers from throughout the
region.
But the neighborhood character that has
come to define Rockridge is dynamic. As
businesses come and go, the mix of shops and
services evolves. Moreover, business cycles,
the economy, consumer tastes, planning
changes, and property management can
influence change.

➧➧College Avenue Store Fronts, page 11

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11.
May 3, 2014

11.

College Avenue
Store Fronts
support that view? Should specific services
be emphasized to preserve the area or to
add to it?
In the coming months, RCPC will be
inviting Rockridge residents, merchants, and
commercial property owners to share their
thoughts on these questions, and others that
will come up. This information will help us
work together to retain that special sense
of place that Rockridge offers, even as our
favorite shops may come and go.
To share your thoughts on this topic,
or to be contacted to participate in the
conversation, email info@rockridge.org. Be
sure to include your name and street. If there
are particular services that you would like
to preserve or attract, mention them as well.
The progress of these conversations will
be reported in The Rockridge News.
from page 10
The photos on these pages are of currently
empty College Avenue commercial spaces.
The future tenants of these properties aren’t
yet known, but many Rockridge residents
are concerned that the avenue’s commercial
diversity, that special mix of uses that meets
the needs and interests of local residents and
regional shoppers, could be at risk.
What Do Rockridge Residents
Want in Their Retail Mix?
What is it about Rockridge that you
think makes our neighborhood special? How
does the mix of shops on College Avenue
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate
$20 million+ in Oakland/Berkeley transactions in 2013

Demand is still outpacing supply of homes in Rockridge.  If you’re considering selling your home and
need help deciding what would be the best steps to prepare your home for the highest return, that’s
our specialty.  Feel free to schedule a home evaluation.

JUST SOLD:  5602Taft.com, 5bd 2.5ba nr College Ave, Chabot Dist. $1,300,000
FOR LEASE:  3BD 2BA Craftsman, large kitchen, period liv rm, nr College Ave, $3,800/mo+utilities
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/Photos: Don Kinkead


12.

May 3, 2014
12.

Oakland Tech Engineering Academy Supporter Thanks Volunteers

by John W. Bliss, P.E., LEED AP, vice
president, SCI Consulting Group
The Engineering Academy at Oakland
Technical High School is a “school
within a school” at Tech. This extremely
rigorous Academy attracts and educates the
“best and brightest” high school students
in Oakland.
The Academy’s Model Bridge Building
Contest is in its 19th year. This year, 34
student teams were challenged to build
models of a self-anchored, single tower,
suspension or cable-stayed bridge. We had
many outstanding and creative entries. The
students and their parents had a great time
watching their bridges tested to the point
of catastrophic failure. Congratulations to
the winning team, whose bridge held 48
pounds.
We couldn’t have had the successful
competition we did without the outstanding
work of dedicated volunteer engineers.
Special thanks to these engineers and
their supportive companies and agencies:
Debra Murphy– AMEC
Peter Chun– City of Oakland
Derrick Lind– Liftech
Alvin Hoffpauir– Liftech
Special thanks, also, to the American
Society of Civil Engineers and the city
of Oakland Professional and Technical
Engineers Union (P.T.E.U.) for their
continued financial support of this event.
Encouraging young Californians
to enter the engineering field is more
important than ever.
Good-bye, TopDog:
Rockridge Center
Expansion Plans Bring
Early Ripples of Change
According to a TopDog employee
contacted by The Rockridge News, the
Rockridge Center branch of this iconic local
sausage emporium will close June 15. In
anticipation of the shopping center’s redesign,
the company established a Lakeshore branch
about two years ago.
It is expected that other favorite shopping
destinations will also be lost in the change.
California College of the Arts
CCA Extension for adults
design, digital tools, fine arts
Pre-College
for high schoolers
Summer Session
for college students
Young Artist Studio Program
(YASP) for middle schoolers
Oakland campus
near Rockridge Bart
San Francisco campus
in Potrero Hill
cca.edu/summer


13.
May 3, 2014

13.

Local Masons Flip Flapjacks for Claremont

City Bike to Work
Day: Goodies
thanks to the members of the Rockridge
Masonic Lodge for opening their beautiful
facility to the public and cooking delicious
food for all who attended. Credit also is due
to Chris Jackson and the Rockridge District
Association for helping to make the pancake
breakfast a success.
Local merchants that purchased tickets
included FIT, a women’s fashion boutique
just across the street from the school; First
Federal Savings and Loan at the corner of
College and Claremont; and Market Hall
Foods at Rockridge Market Hall.
The CMS Dads Club would also like to
thank Tootsies Shoe Boutique, Pegasus Books,
Jules Thin Crust Pizza, TRANSPORTS,
Rockridge Home and the Oakland Athletics
for donating valuable raffle prizes to the event.
Also attending the breakfast were District
1 Councilmember Dan Kalb and our local
School Board Director, Jody London.
Go to www.claremontms.org for more
information about happenings at Claremont
Middle School.
by Morris Dye, Claremont parent
The Fifth Annual Claremont Middle
School Pancake Breakfast hosted by the
Oakland-Durant-Rockridge Masonic Lodge
#188 raised about $4,000 to benefit our
neighborhood public middle school.
The Masons generously hosted this annual
PTA fundraiser on April 26 in association
with the Rockridge District Association
(RDA) and the Claremont Middle School
Dads Club. Guests enjoyed a hearty menu of
pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage cooked up
at the historic Masonic Lodge at 5449 College
Avenue in the heart of Rockridge.
The event, both fundraiser and community
builder, brought people from the school
community, the neighborhood and local
merchants together to eat, meet and mingle.
Funds raised will support PTA-funded
educational enrichment at Claremont –
including the school library, computer lab and
an upcoming 7th grade field trip to Yosemite
National Park.
The CMS Dads Club extends sincere
from page 1
Bicycles will host an Energizer Station at
the Rockridge BART station from 7 a.m.
to 9 a.m. with great swag and giveaways.
Oakland City Hall’s “energizer station”
is one of the biggest in the Bay Area, co-
sponsored by the city and Bike East Bay
(formerly East Bay Bicycle Coalition). Stop
by for a pancake breakfast, all day valet
parking, exhibits, free bike safety checks,
useful gifts and more.
Information available at: https://www.
ebbc.org/btwd, http://www.youcanbiketh-
ere.com/, and http://bit.ly/B2WOakland
Bike Commute Tips
Check out your route in advance
Make sure your bike is tuned and your
helmet fits
 
  Wear comfortable clothing
Obey all traffic laws
Ride predictably, visibly and safely.
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Low Inventory Means Buyer Frenzy in Rockridge

Closing date BR BA Address                               Original price List price   DOM Selling price
      4/3/14
2
1
5228 Boyd Avenue
$750,000
$750,000 10
$850,000
4/14/14
2
1
5621 Miles Avenue
$725,000
$725,000 14
$803,000
4/21/14
2
1
383 Cavour
$649,000
$649,000  16
$775,000

Rockridge homes are selling at $200 more per square foot than this time last year! •
Median Sold price is $803,000 • Currently no active inventory
• Average market time is currently 13 days


14.

May 3, 2014
14.

Looking for tax deductions?
Avonwalk 2014 San Francisco. The more
of us who walk the more who survive. To
make tax deductible donations and help save
lives go to avonwalk.org. Participant name:
Melissa Parker, Participant Number: 451806
or call 415/527-7647.
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.
June issue deadline is May 22.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com

Pop Singing for Girls’
Summer Camp 2014!
Shimmer and shine in our “On Broadway”
session. Girls ages 9-13. Great songs, vocal
technique, dance, performance fundamentals,
lots of fun. July 28 – Aug. 1. 9-3 pm, pops-
ingingforgirls.com, 510/653-0107.
Catholic clarity, Eastern
splendor, Evangelical fervor
and Yiddish humor!
Who needs more? St Peter’s, Lawton at
Broadway, 8 & 10 a.m. Sunday, noon Wednes-
day, 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Home Financing
Has that house down the street caught your
eye? Contact Scott Murray, a local mortgage
consultant, for a free discussion on how
to make your dreams a reality! smurray@
rpm-mtg.com, 510/852-5150. See ad below
for licensing information.
Tailored Financial Solutions
for Home Financing
Scott Murray, smurray@rpm-mtg.com,
510/852-5150, will assist you in financing
your dream home. NMLS# 1020834 CalBRE
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Equal Housing Opportunity.
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Spring Special!
Freshen up spring with 25% off waxing ser-
vices! For first time customers.penelopecalef.
com By appointment, call 510/594-1552.
20 Family Garage Sale
May 10, 8-4
471 McAuley 1/2 block from Telegraph.
Furniture, sporting, exercise, & household
items, books, clothing, games, electronics
and more. Food/drinks for sale. Fundraiser
for DragonMax, dragonboat racing team.
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.
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under
20 feet tall. I work with trees to enhance
their natural beauty. Maple specialist, but I
prune all garden trees. Certified Aesthetic
Pruner. Bruce Thompson 510/428-4964.
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry rot,
drainage, walls, termite damage, doors, win-
dows. Professional work for affordable prices.
Local References Available. 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 com-
prehension, SAT/ College Boards. Thirty
years experience as teacher/tutor. Further
information/resume: George Davis 510/306-
0082, georgewdavisii@gmail.com.
Neighbors: Are you now, or have you
ever been, a member of The Rockridge
News delivery team?
If so, email info@rockridge.org or phone
510/869-4200 and tell your name and
the street/s you delivered to. You will
be contacted with a special message.
Thank you.    — The RCPC board
There’s a
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W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M


15.
May 3, 2014

15.

Town Hall Agenda

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
from page 1
Community Calendar
African American males,” London says.)
■
■Reggie and Ronnie Richardson, princi-
pals of Claremont Middle School, have
been invited to attend.
A Q&A segment will follow Director Lon-
don’s presentation.
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Discuss crime and public safety with representatives of
OPD. 2nd Thurs. each month, 7 to 8:30pm. Rockridge
Library, upstairs meeting room, 5366 College Ave.
Confirm mtg.at www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@
rockridgencpc.com.
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
**Ready, Set, Connect Program**: Free computer
tutoring for all ages. Get help with smart phones,
basic computer skills (internet, e-mail), e-book, Microsoft
office, and more. Every Tues., 4 - 6 pm & Sat., 1 - 3 pm.
FOR CHILDREN
each month; 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by the California
Writers Club, Berkeley branch. Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and refer-
rals. First Tues. each month, 5 to 7pm. (Advance sign-up
starts 4:45 pm at adult reference desk). Volunteer
lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more people present.
ART EXHIBITS (subject to change; call to confirm)
Gallery:
May- Aparna Ewing and Patricia Smith: Exhibition
of Quilts featuring abstract collages and hand-dyed
fabrics and paper.
June- Julie Bernstein: watercolor figures.
Lobby Display Case:
May- Patty Garret; blown Glass.
June- Library Display in honor of Gay Pride Month.
We look forward to seeing you at the
meeting. Remember: come for pizza
and friends at 7 p.m. Program starts
at 7:30. (RSVP for pizza count to: info@
rockridge.org)
local artists and ProArts East Bay Open Studios 2014
at www.proartsgallery.org.
Jazz at the Chimes
Featuring veteran jazz vocalist Kellye Gray with bassist
Marcus Shelby and pianist Adam Shulman.
Sunday, 5/18, at 2 pm, followed by artists’ reception and
refreshments. Tickets at the door (cash only) beginning
12:30; doors open 1:30pm: $15 general; $10 seniors (60+)
and students. More info and music clips at http://www.
kellyegray.com. The concert series features Bay Area
jazz musicians in a landmarked Julia Morgan venue:
Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair
accessible. Free parking. Info: www.jazzatthechimes.
com, chimesjazz@gmail.com or 654-0123.
Square Dance In North Oakland
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle or Evie Ladin (with occasional guest perform-
ers). 1st and 3rd Fridays each month, 8 – 10 pm. 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;
support groups, classes/more.
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays. Also Tues., 5/27.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/Events
All FREE and open to the public.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Events:
Kamishibai Stories to celebrate Asian & Pacific
Islanders Heritage Month: Watch & listen to Kamishibai
stories on a Japanese-style box-theater on the back
of a bicycle, while you nibble some Japanese treats.
Tuesday nights at 7 pm: May 13 at Frog Park and May
20 at the Library. All ages welcome.
FOR TEENS
NOTE: Volunteers Needed: If you are 11 to 16 years
old, and have some free time this summer, consider
volunteering to help with the Summer Reading Program
which begins Saturday, June 14. Contact Erica at 597-
5017, or esiskind@oaklandlibrary.org.
■
■Sun., 5/4, 3pm. Poetry Flash presents The Blooms-
bury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American
Poetry with Susan Cohen, Lucille Lang Day, Julia
B. Levine, Colleen McKee, Melissa Stein, and Lisa
Gluskin Stonestreet.
■
■Wed., 5/7, 7pm. Elizabeth Fishel: Getting to 30: A
Parent’s Guide to the 20-Something Years.
■
■Thurs., 5/15, 7pm. Publication Party for local author
Tai Moses: Zooburbia: Meditations on the Wild
Animals Among Us.
■
■Sat., 5/17, 4 pm. The annual student reading event
of UC Berkeley Extension’s Post-Baccalaureate
Certificate Program in Writing: works of poetry,
nonfiction and fiction.
■
■Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Advise the library
how to better serve teens. Get community service
credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st Saturday
each month, 1 to 2pm.
■
■Thurs., 5/22, 7pm. Local writer Nina LaCour: new
young adult novel, Everything Leads to You.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.com.
Rockridge Artist Open Studio
Liz Maxwell, participating in ProArts Open Studios,
welcomes visitors to her studio to view her paintings
prints and drawings: Sat. and Sun., June 7-8 and June
14-15, 11 am to 6 pm. 5808 Chabot Road (not wheelchair
accessible). Simple refreshments. More info: 654-5741
or lizmaxwell@prodigy.net. Information about other
■
■Giant Community Flea Market to benefit the No.
Oakland Sr. Center, Sat., June 7, 9 am -4 pm. *Register
now (9:30 am to 4 pm) for vendor spaces: $18 ($12
Sr. Center members) – Cash only.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas: watch Anime, 5-6:30 pm; 2nd
Tues. each month.
■
■Teen ‘Scape: Join other teens each Wed. after school,
1:30-3:30pm. Play video & board games, make crafts,
enjoy light snacks.
FOR ADULTS
■
■Presentation about Ranked Choice Voting: Tues.,
May 13, 10:45 am.
■
■BART Tickets on sale for $9 (a $24 value) for seniors
65 and over. Annual $12 membership entitles seniors
55 + to discounts on activities and trips. Mon. – Fri.,
9 am to 4:30 pm. 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Info: 597-5085.
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 15 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
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice


16.

May 3, 2014
16.

Is there a move in your future?
aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
As a team we bring twice the knowledge, attention & effort.
We’re THERE for you!
 Benefit from our combined 35 years experience selling
Rockridge homes. For a Complimentary Market Analysis
visit; RockridgeHomeValue.com
serving you since 1981
AVEDA PRODUCTS
Now offering men’s waxing
Terry Kulka & Julie Bartlett
510.339.4789
RockridgeRealEstate@Gmail.com
Over 400 homes sold - Experience Counts
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
CALBRE# 00875454
CALBRE# 01404404
p 510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
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!
THINKING OF SELLING
OR RENTING?
32
There is a severe shortage of homes to sell or lease in
Rockridge (any size or condition).  I estimate we are
short by at least 16 homes = Read “Sellers Market.”
There are only 9 homes actively for sale right now at
the height of the Spring market.  Same for rentals
- call or email me for more information! 510-612-2547
or RonKriss@JPS.net
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
FOR SALE IN ROCKRIDGE
5429 Belgrave Place               $1,175,000
4+BD/2+BA
Almost untouched since build. Part of a very
upscale development of 7 mini mansions.
Grand rooms, amazing detailing, maids stairway -
you get the picture. Cool old bathrooms - intact.
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
COMING SOON IN
ROCKRIDGE
Broadway                          *not priced yet
Perfect 2/2 Craftsman Bungalow.  Brand new
foundation & master bath.  Big plus room &
lots of architectural goodies still intact
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
Playing? Start in Oakland!
FOR LEASE IN ROCKRIDGE
5521 Lawton Avenue              $3,850/mo
2BD/1BA Newer kitchen. So. facing yard.
Award winning Chabot Elementary.
LEASED
*NOTE!  If you want to rent let me know ASAP.
I had over 25 groups tour this property and
leased it in a week.
*NOTE:  Because of Rockridge Newsletter lead time, all
prices are not available at print deadline.
Ron Kriss, Broker
L A W T O N
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
Home, the Ultimate Luxury Address.
ronkriss@JPS.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
Over $110M in Sales in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com
A S S O C I A T E S
EAST BAY OFFICE   |   510.883.7000   |   MCGUIRE.COM
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
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