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VOL. 29 NO. 7 ISSUE NO. 313 July 5, 2014 CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200
RCPC Board
Vacancy Offers
Opportunity
Are you looking to help promote
community projects that enhance
the quality of life in Rockridge? Are you
concerned about traffic, development issues,
parks and schools? Rockridge needs people
like you.
Serving on the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC) board of direc-
tors provides you with the perfect volunteer
opportunity to work on these issues and
more. Boardmembers serve a two-year term.
RCPC, a nonprofit public benefit cor-
poration (501(c)(3)), represents Rockridge
to the city of Oakland on such matters as
zoning, development and crime. It acts as a
community steward on a variety of issues,
ranging from land use to traffic and schools.
RCPC has also spearheaded neighborhood
improvement projects such as the Rockridge
Branch Library, the Rockridge-Temescal
Greenbelt (Frog Park) and Hardy Dog
Park. The Rockridge News, published by
the RCPC, serves as an important vehicle
for neighborhood communication. Recent
RCPC Town Hall meeting topics have
included plans proposed for the Rockridge
Rockridge Talking: Wish Lists & Ideas
Shared at June Town Hall Meeting
W h e n a s k e d
“ H o w
m a n y
h ave l i ve d i n
Rockridge more
than 20 years?”
the majority of
the more than 70
Rockridge resi-
dents at the June
RCPC Town Hall
meeting raised
their hands. The
meeting was to
consider ways
Rockridge could
be improved.
/Don Kinkead
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
Pizza: 7 p.m. | Program: 7:30
17
Thursday, July 17
AGENDA
Are You Feeling Parched?
by Zabrae Valentine, chair, RCPC
Oakland City Planning Director Rachel
Flynn drew a huge crowd at the June
RCPC Town Hall, where she provided a richly
informative overview of Oakland’s approach
to urban planning, how Rockridge fits into
that vision, and what kinds of things we can
do to further enhance our neighborhood.
RCPC board member Virginia Hamilton
then led the 70-plus attendees in an exchange
of ideas including expressions of local
concerns as well as a wide range of possible
solutions.
The ideas offered by community mem-
bers at the June program added to the wealth
RCPC takes a look at the whys
and wherefores of the drought
and remedies available now.
Join us and a panel of experts that
will offer ideas of how to reduce your
water consumption and whether the
Bay Area should make these changes
permanent as we look to the future.
Bring your water bill along and
share examples of your savings.
If you own a single family home, and
plan on modifying it, selling it
or buying another, learn what
n e w b u i l d i n g c o d e
r e q u i r e m e n t s
will apply to you
effective January
2 014 . Wa t e r
c o n s e r v a t i o n
is no longer just a
voluntary idea.
☞
➧➧Board Vacancy, page 10
BART Parking Lot Set
for Re-Landscaping
A
failed water
line caused
an extensive die-
off of landscaped
pla nts in the
BART lot near
Forest. BART will
be repairing and
replanting. Story,
page 9.
➧➧Rockridge Talking, page 11
Oakland Changing:
Planning Director Gives
Perspective to the Present
V
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V
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Come
at 7 for
pizza and
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
z
z
k
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by Don Kinkead, editor
Once upon a time, before the automobile
and the bus became dominant in urban
transportation, most American cities had
robust streetcar systems that were dependable,
comfortable to ride, and took people where
i
i
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p
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i
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friends
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J
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Thursday, July 17 | 7-9 p.m. Rockridge
Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila
/RN Files
Don Kinkead
➧➧Oakland Changing, page 11
2.
July 5, 2014
2.
Rockridge businessman and early Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) chair
Ray Perman submitted this nostalgic look back at streetcars and commuter rail lines
once prevalent in the Bay Area well in advance of Oakland Planning Director Rachel Flynn’s
lament for the long-gone streetcar (article, page 1) in her remarks at the June Town Hall
meeting. Perman describes his research into local rail transit and a trip to the Western
Railway Museum in Suisun City where many of the old trains are preserved. — Editor
‘...It Takes (Losing) a Train to Cry’
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
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., Sept 2.
by Ray Perman
As a Berkeley student in the pre-Transbay
BART 1970s, I often rode mass transit
between my parents’ home in Palo Alto
and the Cal campus. The trip was generally
timely, but during one evening rush-hour,
minutes, they made it to most other locations
in the outer Oakland, Piedmont, and Berkeley
areas within 30 to 40 minutes – every day
– no matter what the traffic. The Key Route
E Line traveled up Claremont Avenue and
terminated at the Claremont Hotel; travel
time between San Francisco
and College Avenue was
only 32 minutes.
Equally astounding was
the level of service provided
by Key Route Local Service
streetcars. They collected
passengers on such streets
as Broadway, College
Avenue, Telegraph Avenue,
Alcatraz Avenue, Piedmont
Avenue, Highland Avenue
and others, and delivered
them to the Bridge Service
train routes and other East
Bay locations with typical
service frequencies of every 15 minutes. I
recall an aging merchant telling me that you
could set your watches by them and that most
everyone knew the quarter-hour schedules
for their stops by heart – in both directions.
More remarkably, during rush-hour, the
frequency on Telegraph Avenue would be
doubled to a streetcar every 7-1/2 minutes
and they would hold perfect spacing. Thus,
citizens could time their walks to their local
stop to arrive just a minute or two before the
next streetcar. By comparison, the number
of times I have had to wait over 30 minutes
for AC Transit 50-Line buses should be
considered shameful.
Rockridge was also blessed by being
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
Judith Doner Berne ������������Eyes on Rockridge
Jo Ellis �����������������������������������Advertising &
Community Calendar
Susan Montauk �������������������Business Manager
Don Kinkead �����������������������Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2014-2015
Zabrae Valentine ����������������Chair
Virginia Hamilton, ��������������Co-Vice-Chair
Lisa McNally ������������������������Co-Vice-Chair
Michael Kan ������������������������Secretary
Jennifer Daskal �������������������Treasurer
Andrew Charman, Kevin Faughnan, William Kaufner,
Gabe Kleinman, Don Kinkead, Greg Pasquali,
Laura Schlichtmann, Samantha Weaver
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
A Key System electric rail car on an Oakland street.
From the files of the Western Railway Museum at
Suisun City near Fairfield. “Key System Oakland, 1950.
Key System transit lines, 187B at Oakland, CA, 28 Oct 1950.
Don Ross Collection.” Source: Ray Perman.
I found things decidedly different; the
platforms of San Francisco’s Transbay
Terminal were jammed with what seemed
like 10,000 waiting passengers, with only
about three AC Transit buses in sight.
Suddenly an older looking AC Transit
supervisor brushed through the crowd
grumbling loudly to no one in particular,
“We’d used to have trains out and back in
40 minutes no matter what!” Apparently a
serious auto accident had closed the bridge,
and a closed bridge meant no transit service.
Following up on this experience, I went
to the UC Main Library and checked the
old Key System Bridge Service schedules. I
found that not only did the trains make it to
most points in central Oakland in about 20
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.
➧➧Train to Cry, 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:
September 6, 2014
September deadline is August 21, 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.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
3.
July 5, 2014
3.
NCPC Chair Moves On
Frank Castro Leaves Crime Group
The next Land Use Committee meeting is Wednesday,
July 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge branch library.
Check with the chair (652-5373 or stuflash@aol.com)
the week before for an updated agenda.
All of the buildings included in the first
construction phase of this project, including
the CVS, have been vacated. Demolition
should begin shortly. Pre-construction
traffic measurements have been made to
compare with after-project traffic to see
if the project adds to cut-through traffic
on nearby residential streets. Safeway has
set aside mitigation funds to address those
impacts if they occur.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
■
■Merrill Gardens at Rockridge:
West Side of Broadway North
of 51st Street
This project, which proposes market-
rate senior housing over ground floor
retail, received final Planning Commission
approval on June 18. Neighbors of the proj-
ect had concerns about project access by
construction equipment and deliveries as
well as removal of street trees. For the most
part, these appear to have been addressed
during negotiations with the developer
and conditions of approval included in the
use permit for the project. RCPC assisted
by meeting with the neighbors to discuss
approaches to addressing their concerns.
File/Frank Castro
Rockridge NCPC
Seeks New Chair
The Greater Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) bids
farewell to chairman Frank Castro, who is
moving on to other pursuits. He has served
as NCPC chair for Greater Rockridge (police
beats 12Y and 13X) since early 2010.
We will miss Frank, but the organization
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project: College and
Claremont Avenues
Project construction continues. Call the
RCPC message phone number (869-4200)
if you see something that needs to be
brought to Safeway’s or the City’s atten-
tion. Safeway has submitted a Master Sign
Program application for project signage. The
proposed signs total 335 square feet, almost
90 percent of which will be lighted at night.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Safeway Rebuild Project:
Broadway/Pleasant Valley
➧➧Land Use Committee, page 10
➧➧NCPC Seeks New Chair, page 13
City Encourages Annual Block Parties as Anti-Crime Tool
Frequently Asked Questions: National Night Out
This year every party will receive at least one visit from a team of
city officials, police officers, or city employees, so register early.
1. When Is National
Night Out?: Tuesday, August
5, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. It
is always held the first Tuesday
in August.
Monday, July 28. Register early
to receive a visit from city staff.
3. What Is National Night
Out?: National Night Out is the
2. How Can I Register
for National Night Out?:
The online registration form is
at http://gismaps.oaklandnet.
com/nno/. The deadline is 6 p.m.
➧➧National Night Out, page 13
Rockridge
Optometry
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”
Your neighborhood
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
4.
July 5, 2014
4.
cal Creek in the greenbelt. Join
in on September 20 from 9 to
noon for (yes, again!) weeding,
pruning, ivy eradication, and
trash pickup – all most impor-
tant to keeping our creek and
park healthy and welcoming.
There may also be an oppor-
tunity to plant some natives
along the creek as well. Watch
for more news.
— Leonora Sea
DMV Neighbors Association
Creek to Bay Day, September; Fun
at the June Interim Creek Cleanup
Saturday, June 20, marked
the summer solstice and the
DMV Neighbors Association’s
annual June Interim Creek
Cleanup in the Rockridge
Temescal Greenbelt. The group
tackled pruning, weeding, ivy
eradication, and trash pickup,
and removed some non-native
volunteer small trees and shrubs
before they could get out of
hand. A good time was had by
all, and a lot was accomplished.
Stroll by and admire the creek
between Cavour and Clarke.
In September, DMV Neigh-
bors will once again sponsor
Creek to Bay Day along Temes-
City Responds to Community Questions and
Comments About Planned Broadway Changes
by Victoria Eisen, city consultant
In the weeks since the May 29 community
meeting hosted by the city of Oakland to
present planned improvements to Broadway
between Broadway Terrace and Ocean
View Drive (see June 2014 issue of The
Rockridge News for a report of the meeting),
staff and their consultants have transcribed
and responded to over 70 comments and
questions conveyed at and since the meeting.
A summary of this information is avail-
able at www.fourthbore.org.
The current project schedule calls for
construction documents to be complete by
early next year, which will allow the com-
petitive bidding process for construction to
occur in spring 2015. The City Council will
be asked to approve the project and award
the construction contract next summer,
with construction beginning in fall 2015.
For more information, contact the city’s
Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria
Eisen, at victoria@eisenletunic.com or
510/525-0220. [See project details below.]
Two DMV volunteers have cleared a
mound of ivy — partially visible at
right and in photo below — from a
very large eucalyptus tree along the
Temescal Greenbelt creek bed.
/Margaret Pinter
Project Information Reprinted from Newsletter May 2014 Issue
The project includes the
following components:
Resurfacing the roadway
sometimes referred to as a
road diet)
crosswalks at all intersec-
tions
Adding bicycle lanes on
both sides of the street
No changes to existing
on-street parking
Reducing the number
of traffic lanes from four
to three (one lane in each
direction, with a two-way
center turn lane, steps
Installing a pedestrian-
activated signal at Lawton
Avenue
Constructing bulb -
outs at Taft Avenue, Kales
Avenue and Ada Street.
Improved, high-visibility
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313 oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700 www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning
• Probate / trust administration
• Dispute resolution
Margaret Pinter piles the ivy pulled
from the eucalyptus. /Leonora Sea
• Special needs trusts
Please contact me for a free consultation or to schedule
an appointment.
Visit the RCPC Website
for News and Events: rockridge.org
5.
July 5, 2014
5.
[already on an 85-year repaving schedule].
Unfortunately, the City’s budget for street
renovation is just a fraction of that:
Letters to the Editor
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Your name, address, phone
number, e-mail address and city/neighborhood must be included for verification.
Only your name will appear with your letter. Letters may be edited for clarity
and brevity at the editor’s discretion. Views expressed in any letter are the
writer’s own, and may not necessarily be shared by the editor, or by RCPC.
Fiscal Year
Resurfacing Notes
2012-2013
$4.3M. Entire amount is
County/State/Federal funds
“The backlog of streets needing work
is $435M and growing.”
Shaff said Oakland residents will have
a chance to vote on street repair funding
in elections set for later this year.
College Avenue Pavement Under
There Is No News in the College
Avenue Retail Situation
Editor:
the BART Overpass Is Hard on
Cyclists and Drivers
Editor:
Regarding concerns about Rockridge
retail, what is the news here? When residen-
tial rent or mortgage payment plus associated
expenses go up, purchasing power goes
down, and retail suffers.
Other than a few food stores, there is
nothing being sold on the Avenue that folks
need like, say, a hardware store.
— Bryan Grunwald
I’ve just started riding a bicycle again
along College from my home on Kales.
The College Avenue pavement under the
BART tracks is killing my bicycle, and it’s
bad enough in a car, too.
Why does it stay so rough and unruly
for so long? Whose jurisdiction is it? Will
the pothole blitz fix it?
If the 51 bus is at the curb on the west
side, I have to go around it and am almost
bumped off my bike, or I must go around
on the sidewalk to survive. If I get hurt,
whom should I sue?
— M. C. Haug
Rockridge Lacks Senior-Friendly
Housing
Editor:
After house hunting all over the Bay
Area, my husband and I downsized from
our large home in the suburbs and moved
back to Oakland in 2002. Because my
husband is legally blind and can’t drive,
we kept coming back to Rockridge with
its walkability and great public transit.
Now we are at a crossroads again; our
lovely LITTLE home has lots of stairs—
which are getting harder for us to navigate
as we get older. He is 71 and I’m 67.
For a dozen years, we have hoped that
Rockridge would create some three-story
buildings on College Avenue with retail on
the ground floor and condos or apartments
(with elevators) on the upper two floors.
RCPC has been deaf to the needs of
many of its residents even when possible
sites became available. I joined RCPC in
2003 and volunteered to be on the Land Use
committee, but resigned when it became
apparent that board members were deter-
mined to ignore the growing needs of the
residents who live here.
Now, the lack of senior-friendly housing
options is forcing many long-time residents
who live in homes with flights of stairs to
move out of this area. We have become
a community of high-priced destination
restaurants and overpriced tiny, old houses.
And so, we are losing the character and
charm that we once had—even 10 years ago.
The sites of currently empty storefronts
would make excellent locations for that
type of housing.
— Eileen and Kenny Levin
Editor’s Reply:
Allow Landlords to Rent to
Sustainable Tenants
Editor:
Your article on page 10 of the May 2014
Rockridge News about the restriction to
retail only has come back to bite the com-
munity of Rockridge and the RCPC. All
communities need a diverse arrangement
of customer goods and services to make a
community viable.
In my opinion, the RCPC should push
to scrap the retail only restriction and allow
the landlords of these very attractive spaces
to be filled with tenants that are sustainable,
which would help our business community
be more diverse, which in turn will create
tenants that can be very successful in serving
our neighborhood.
— Larry Olund
Editor’s Reply:
According to Kristine Shaff, public
information officer for the City’s Public
Works Agency, the area of College Avenue
you refer to is a resurfacing problem, not a
pothole problem, and it will not have been
fixed during the pothole blitz. But, says
Shaff, the real problem is a lack of resources
(read money). According to the agency’s
Oakland Streets Fact Sheet, online at http://
www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/pwa/
documents/report/oak029773.pdf, “Oakland
would need to spend $28M per year just to
maintain the existing pavement condition
Mr. and Ms. Levin: You may find
answers in the proposed market-rate senior
development project noted in the Land Use
Committee report on Merrill Gardens,
page 3, and the article on North Oakland
Village, page 13.
6.
July 5, 2014
6.
they were newly married.
As a result of their feedback and that
from other tours, Lauren has already altered
the route to make it more direct while adding
Ver Brugge Meat-Fish Poultry market
(begun in 1947 and celebrating 35 years
at its current location) to the list of stops.
Now is the time to tell you that the
33-year-old Herpich is no novice at leading
New Rockridge
Resident Cooks Up
Local Food Tour
cialty on-tap olive oils from the owner of
Amphora Nueva, who said her family has
been associated with olive oils for a century.
Then we headed for the heart of
Rockridge, getting information about and
tasting cheese at Market Hall (started
in 1987), stuffed pizza at
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
(1983) and Dreyer’s sig-
nature Rocky Road ice
cream, reportedly created
by William Dreyer in 1928
at Dreyer’s original ice
cream parlor.
Along the way, Her-
pich gave an animated
history of Rockridge, its
neighborhoods and iconic
buildings and homes. High-
lights were the Claremont
Hotel, examples of Julia
Morgan’s architecture, and
St. Albert’s Priory at the end
of Birch Court. On College
Avenue, below BART’s
overcrossing, she pointed
out the resident-made multi-
tile mural memorializing the 1991 Oakland
Hills Firestorm and its impact, including
the tile signed by President Bill Clinton.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,”
Sara Nolan, volunteer coordinator for
Alameda Health System Foundation, told
me. “I really liked the stop at the cheese
shop” where head cheesemonger Juliana
Uruburu gave us a glimpse into the world
of cheese. “Knowing there was a woman
architect” who rose to prominence so long
ago impressed Sophia Tsiouris, a dental
hygienist from Concord. And Sarah Mays,
a Pittsburg resident, was excited to experi-
ence the area where her parents lived when
by Judith Doner Berne
When you stop and think about it, it
makes perfect sense – a Rockridge
Heritage and Walking Food Tour.
But it took a newcomer to make it happen.
Lauren Herpich and her husband Chris,
who met on Match.com, moved here from
Chicago a year and a half ago – a few
months after they were married (a desti-
nation wedding in Napa). As they got on
the plane to return to Chicago, they asked
themselves, why?
Soon they were headed west, but unlike
many young people, they didn’t start out
living in San Francisco and then head for
the East Bay.
No, the two targeted Rockridge from
the get-go, following up on an Oakland
Hills friend’s recommendation and their
own Internet research. Like the rest of us,
“We liked that we can walk everywhere, the
weather and the great vibe,” Herpich says.
It was mid-January and they felt fortunate
to find a rental they loved in a building that
straddles the Rockridge-Berkeley border.
“We are the last address in Rockridge,” she
says. Their mailing address and garbage
pick-up are actually Berkeley, since that’s
where the building’s entryway is. But their
DMV registration, voting and cable are
Oakland where their apartment sits. “We
feel like Rockridge picked us,” she says.
On a Thursday afternoon in early June,
I joined a group of about a dozen people
on Herpich’s second-ever tour. Most were
friends and friends of friends who had come
from Pleasanton and Pittsburg, Walnut
Creek and San Francisco; one was visiting
from Nebraska.
We met at the corner of Ashby and
Tunnel Road (she is hoping to attract visitors
staying at the Claremont Hotel), where she
handed out morning buns from La Farine
French Bakery (begun in 1977) and bottled
water to help sustain us on the sunny, hilly,
three-hour, three-mile route. “Let me give
you some food. It’s a food tour,” she began.
Starting on the Berkeley side of Tunnel
Road, we learned about and sampled spe-
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza is the one sit-down stop on
Lauren Herpich’s (near right in photo) Rockridge food
tour, which also covers some of the community’s history.
/Judith Doner Berne
food tours, although certainly new at design-
ing one of her own. The New Jersey native
led tours for Chicago Food Planet while
earning her master’s degree in integrated
marketing communications at the Medill
School of Journalism at Northwestern
University. “I truly loved doing it.”
Used to juggling several enterprises,
Herpich was looking to add on to the digital
marketing and communications consulting
she does for small- and mid-sized businesses
and her website “Why Not Girl!” named
by Forbes Magazine in 2013 as a Top 100
Website for Women.
➧➧Food Tour, page 7
24
7.
July 5, 2014
7.
Progress Report: Frog Park Swings Funding
tire-swing, to protect the redwood trees.
Therefore, the equipment planned for that
space must be moved.
Additionally we are working to include
an ADA accessible swing and chang-
ing the surfacing design, all resulting in
layout revisions which would require us to
use more grassy area next to the existing
regular swings along the freeway towards
the restroom.
We are seeking volunteers and our fund-
drive continues: www.frogpark.org/swings.
by Carol Behr, Chair, FROG, and
Annie Suttle, Fundraising
Since we first announced plans to move
ahead with new swings and play features
at Frog Park last December, we have raised
approximately $22,000. We are well on our
way to the $50,000 goal.
Volunteers will be out in the park
several weekends this summer to answer
questions, take donations and show you
revised layouts where the new structures
(toddler and regular swings, ADA swing,
pole spinners, see-saw, merry-go-round
climber) will be located.
Equipment Layout Changes
FROG has been working with the City
and MIG (our design group), to revise the
swings and play equipment layout in order to
address tree mitigation and ADA requests.
We are also tackling permit requirements
and any cost impacts.
The Tree Department requires we leave
some of the grass next to the path by the
Do you have an opinion, questions or
want to volunteer to help us implement
this project, and more? Contact info@
frogpark.org.
Stop by the park and learn more, or make
a donation online today at www.frogpark.
org/swings. Together we can meet this goal
and get more fun out of Frog Park.
Please give to more
fun at Frog Park:
www.frogpark.org/swings
Tours operate at 2 p.m. Thursday and
11 a.m. Sunday and cost $60 for adults,
$50 for seniors and $30 for children 12
and under. Private tours can be booked
at a higher per-person rate. A dollar from
every ticket purchased goes to the Alameda
County Community Food Bank.
Look for Herpich to add a sit-down
restaurant experience to her offerings,
come fall. She is considering a monthly
progressive style dinner that would span
a trio of Rockridge restaurants.
For the record, husband Chris, who has
just one job handling sales for a digital
advertising company, “is the cook in our
house,” Herpich says. But they are quite
familiar with most of College Avenue’s
restaurants. “This is our neighborhood.
We live here. We love to eat.”
Food Tour
from page 6
When she saw that Berkeley and Uptown
Oakland had food tours – but Rockridge did
not – and buoyed by learning that Rocky
Road ice cream was concocted here, she
thought: “Why not me? I’ve always been
a ‘Jill of all trades.’” In her mind, she
fits right into what writer Nathan Heller
described in the October 14, 2013 issue
of the New Yorker magazine as “the three
business card life” that marks the San
Francisco area.
Putting the tour together required hours
of research, digging into library archives
and talking with long-time Rockridge
residents. “But the biggest part was get-
ting the businesses on board,” she says.
“A lot of the restaurants just didn’t get it.
We ultimately came up with the right time
and the right process.”
G
GRUBBCO.COM
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
Your comments and suggestions for columns about
your neighbors and neighborhood are welcome by
emailing judyberne@att.net. More information on
the food tour is at www.rockridgefoodtour.com or
by calling 510/604-6546.
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard • Oakland
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
http://staugustineoakland.com
questions? call the parish 510.653.8631
8.
July 5, 2014
8.
A Year in Senegal Reveals a Path to Personhood and Decision
Following her graduation from Oakland Tech, Rockridge
resident Kaitlyn Johnke lived in Senegal under the auspices
of Global Citizen Year (GCY). In a “bridge year” program, par-
ticipants live and work with local residents of cities in Africa
and Latin America on projects in education, technology, health
and the environment. Rockridge News columnist Judith Doner
Berne wrote in October 2013 of Kaitlyn’s impending odyssey
with GCY. Below, Kaitlyn writes of her experience and educa-
tion in Senegal. She will also present a program at the Rockridge
Branch Library Saturday, August 9 at 2 p.m.
by Kaitlyn Johnke
A
year ago, I was a recent high school
graduate from Oakland Technical High
School getting ready for a big adventure— I
would live in Senegal for eight-and-a-half
months with a program called Global Citizen
Year (GCY).
The design of GCY is similar to that
of the Peace Corps; the bulk of it is a full
immersion home-stay with community
involvement activities. Knowing I would
have to pay for my future education, I
would not have been able to take a bridge
year (often also called a “gap” year) had
I not gotten a much-appreciated financial
aid package from the program.
Unlike my peers, my challenge of choice
wasn’t college, at least not immediately.
Though I had no idea of the obstacles and
long days ahead, I had a gut instinct (and
previous experiences traveling with the
Oakland Zoo to Borneo and Guatemala on
their teen conservation trips) that I would
learn more about the world and myself by
doing this. And doing it now was important:
I was burnt out on school, cramming for
finals and AP exams, and completing college
and scholarship applications. On top of this
I was filling my weekends with community
service, running on the Oakland Tech track
team, and doing odd babysitting jobs for
neighbors. This is what
we are led to believe is a
“headed for success” high
school lifestyle. I hardly
had time to breathe.
I found a new way of
life in Senegal – much
slower, punctuated with
meal times, social tea
drinking, and visiting
neighbors.
It was not an immedi-
ate transition. The largest
struggles came in the
beginning: having no lan-
guage; no understanding
of social norms; no idea
of where I was at or what was around me;
no friends and no family.
It was from learning all of these things
slowly over time – as I sat down and pointed
at things with my host cousin Yaya and
learned the family’s Pulaar names – or as
I washed my clothes by the river with my
neighbor named Mama, or learned to cook
beside my host mother Neena Dialamba,
that I grew the most. I learned where local
resources were, took on some responsibility
in my host family, and came to understand,
for the most part, a new language. I had
friends to make jokes with, a family to
Kaitlyn Johnke with members of her host
family in Senegal. /Kaitlyn Johnke
worriedly wonder where I was or if I were
sick, neighbors that insisted I stay to eat, and
a community that yelled out my Senegalese
name, Mariama Diallo, and not toubab or
toubaako, Senegalese for foreigner, when
I passed by. I found a new home.
Now that I am back at my other home
here in Rockridge, I make sure to call my
Senegalese family at least a few times
a month, because I am still part of their
family. I was able to develop myself as a
person in Senegal while previously I had
only been a student.
➧➧My Year in Senegal, page 10
MAXI
LILLEY
THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A
designer’s
eye
REALTOR® – DRE# 01919653
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
July 5, 2014
9.
9.
BART Moves on Fix for Pre-Drought Damage to Parking Lot Planting
by Don Kinkead
Reports of concern at the severe neglect
and die-off of plants in BART’s west
parking lot area led The Rockridge News
to contact District 1 BART boardmember
Rebecca Saltzman for information about
plans to save the plants. BART had fully
landscaped the area following earthquake
retrofit work at the station. Following is the
content of a staff report made to her:
“This area was landscaped at the request
of the community as part of the earthquake
retrofit project at the station a few years
ago. BART agreed to install the enhanced
landscaping and the city of Oakland agreed
to take over the maintenance of this area
after an 18-month establishment period.
“Unfortunately, shortly after installation
the water meter was turned off because of
multiple leaks in the BART main water line
that supplied the landscaped area’s irriga-
tion. As a result the plants did not survive
the establishment period.
“Plan: BART will install a new 1"
water meter that connects to the EBMUD
water line on Forest Street and replace the
landscaping. At present staff is working
with the landscape architect to develop
the palette for the replacement planting.
All plants will be drought tolerant and low
maintenance. Staff is working to coordinate
the re-establishment period with the city of
Oakland and to request a new water meter
with EBMUD.
“Schedule: Estimated Completion Sep-
tember 2014: Staff is currently working on
the redesign of the planting and irrigation,
expected to be completed within two weeks
[of mid-June]. Staff is coordinating with the
city to determine establishment period and
maintenance transfer.
“Staff needs to engage EBMUD to install
a new water meter. (This process can take
up to three months and is dependent upon
EBMUD.)”
Director Saltzman was quick to respond
to requests for information and to forward
regular progress reports.
Report: College Avenue Safeway Construction; More Cement Pours
by Elisabeth Jewel, AJE Partners
Construction at the College
Avenue Safeway building site
is moving along on schedule, with
lots of activity all around the site.
In the next few weeks you’ll see lots
of cement trucks come through as
the loading dock on Claremont gets
underway, and the slab store floor
gets poured. Cement trucks will be
pouring the footings for the loading
dock building at the top of the site
off Claremont at the same time as
numerous trucks will be accessing
the front of the store from Claremont
Avenue to pour the interior floor.
Cement will also be poured for the
elevator at this time.
Safeway construction site above 63rd Street and
College Avenue. /Elisabeth Jewel
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388 62nd St
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Since 1997
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Crews will also start building
out the interior of the store. The
“back of house” areas – offices and
employee rooms – will get under-
way in the next couple of weeks.
Parking restrictions will be in
place on some days on College
Avenue to allow for joint trench-
ing of utilities in the street. New
electrical is going in for streetlights.
More information and photos at:
http://www.safewayoncollege.com/
Aroner, Jewel and Ellis Partners (AJE)
provides consultation on government and
community affairs for public and non-
profit agencies, associations and private
sector clients: http://ajepartners.com/
Lic. #0670129
10.
July 5, 2014
10.
recruits and trains high potential high school graduates
and supports them through a transformative “bridge
year” before college. Through training and immersion
in communities across Africa, Latin America (and
eventually Asia and the Middle East) they contribute
to local efforts in education, technology, health and
the environment, developing the global competence,
entrepreneurial savvy and self-awareness they need to
be transformative leaders in college, careers and life.
http://globalcitizenyear.org/about/about-us/
San Luis Obispo this fall. I will attend col-
lege with a wealth of real world experience,
resilience, and curiosity.
Come to the Rockridge Branch Library
meeting room at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August
9, to hear more from Global Citizen Year
Fellows from the Bay Area.
My Year in
Senegal
from page 8
I also discovered my interest in Anthro-
pology, which I will be studying at Cal Poly
From the GCY Web Site: Global Citizen Year
Committee will hold discussions over the
coming months about threats and oppor-
tunities the changing environment presents
for College Avenue. It will also consider
what, if any, changes in Rockridge zoning
are needed to keep Rockridge a thriving
business and residential area. Please join
the discussion by attending land use com-
mittee meetings over the coming months..
between the Rockridge and Temescal neigh-
borhoods were both approved by the City,
but never built. Now, a local development
group, The Nautilus Group, with offices in
Berkeley, has bought both entitled projects
and is planning a redesigned single proj-
ect to cover both sites. The two projects
together had been entitled for a little over
200 residential apartment units. RCPC
will be discussing the proposed project
with the developer and plans to invite the
developer to a Town Hall meeting for the
Rockridge public once the plans become
more solidified. Nautilus plans to submit
a pre-application to the City next month.
Land Use
Committee
from page 3
This doesn’t include the large Rockridge
sign that was eliminated in negotiations
over the project’s increased height. The
three community groups that settled with
Safeway over the project approval submit-
ted a comment letter objecting to the large
amount of signage, which is four times as
much as for the recently renovated Shat-
tuck Avenue store and includes ten times
as much lighted signage. Oakland planner
Peterson Vollman (238-6167) has indicated
he intends to approve the application. Once
approved, there are ten days to appeal to
the Planning Commission. Let us know
your thoughts.
Board Vacancy
from page 1
Shopping Center, Rockridge schools, and
a presentation on local planning issues by
Oakland’s director of planning.
Prospective candidates must be at least 18
years of age and must reside within RCPC
boundaries as shown at www.rockridge.org.
Contact Zabrae Valentine, RCPC
chair, via chair@rockridge.org for further
information.
■
■The Future of College Avenue
Last month’s Town Hall presentation by
Oakland Planning Director Rachel Flynn
has opened up discussion of what the future
holds for College Avenue as a retail and
commercial center. While she noted that
Oakland considers College Avenue one
of its success stories, local retailers at the
meeting revealed a lot of concern about its
continued success and even viability in this
age of Internet purchases. The Land Use
■
■Civiq/Creekside Project
Replacement: East Side of
Telegraph Avenue Between
51st St. and Claremont Ave.
These two large projects on the border
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
the Rockridge community
in lifestyle and service.
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11.
July 5, 2014
11.
on International Boulevard will be “getting
back what we pulled up with the streetcars.”
Oakland’s planners, she reported, are also
considering more free shuttle buses like the
Free B now operating in Downtown Oak-
land and Chinatown. Bicycles are making
a comeback, and Oakland has dedicated
miles of streets where cyclists and motor-
ists share roadway space. “We are getting
back to shared streets where pedestrians
are now at least equal partners” with other
users. Pedestrians and cyclists know when
they are wanted, by the types of spaces a
city provides, she explained.
“Transportation is critical to planning,”
she pointed out, so her department is focus-
ing on Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
that would concentrate more housing near
BART stations, a neglected opportunity to
date, she thinks. Currently, there are five
such projects: Estuary, Broadway-Valdez,
West Oakland, Coliseum City and Lake
Merritt-Chinatown. [Details: http://www2.
oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PBN/
OurOrganization/PlanningZoning/index.
htm]. With generous housing components,
Flynn expects them to attract retail business.
“Retail follows roof tops,” she declared, and
said that many parts of Oakland, including
Rockridge, could handle higher housing
densities. “We don’t want to displace,” she
emphasized; “we want things to grow.”
And grow they will, apparently. “A lot of
people say nothing is happening in Oakland,
but we have 1,000 units under construction
representing $35M in investments; $3M in
commercial development; 7,500 units in the
pipeline along with 4M square feet of office
and retail.” At the completion of all this, she
said, smiling, “We’ll plant 1,000 oak trees.”
Oakland
Changing
Rockridge
Talking
from page 1
from page 1
they wanted to go. Often founded by
development and business interests, the early
streetcar routes spawned new housing and
commercial districts. Operating at speeds that
did not overly threaten pedestrians or disrupt
the sociability of folks on the sidewalks,
streetcars were more a part of the environment
than an imposition.
“Then,” said Rachel Flynn, director of
Oakland’s planning and building department,
“the car screwed us up. A great invention in
many ways but it wreaked havoc on our cities.”
Speaking to an audience of more than
70 people at June’s RCPC Town Hall, Flynn
went on to review the founding of Oakland
and its initial grid design, typical of cities
of the time. She spoke glowingly of the
network of parks spread across the then-
new city, each about a quarter of a mile of
comfortable walking distance apart.
“Pedestrians had about as much right
to the streets as the streetcars did,” she
explained. Cars changed that. In time, pedes-
trians were relegated to the sides of streets
and able to cross only at designated points.
Still later, she continued, cities across the
country replaced their streetcars with fleets
of buses. “There went the people from the
urban centers,” and there began a decline
in urban retail business.
Now wanting to bring people – shop-
pers – back to urban areas, planners are
turning to the past, Flynn said. The Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) line slated to operate
of material produced by participants in the
February 22 Town Hall, “Reducing Crime
through Community Design,” facilitated by
RCPC board members Hamilton and Gabe
Kleinman. That discussion addressed com-
munity concerns related to public safety, and
elicited a number of solutions substantially
similar to those heard on June 19.
RCPC will post the substance of these
meetings at rockridge.org. Meanwhile, here
is a sampling of what residents say they
would like to see and experience:
Make Rockridge more pedestrian
and bike friendly: level sidewalks; more
visible crosswalks; better lighting; more
trees; more places to sit; better garbage
collection; more public art; fewer potholes;
more bike lanes; a College Ave Shuttle from
51st to Alcatraz.
More actively promote and support
local businesses: more local business
advertising opportunities in The Rockridge
News; crowd-source small business loans
for neighborhood priorities and local busi-
nesses; improved use of digital tools for
local promotion and public communication;
more shared parking on weekends; public
notice kiosks.
Do more to discourage crime: cameras
at major gateways (reduce “get away” access
to Hwy 24); reduce orphaned space around
freeways; encourage residents to know
➧➧Rockridge Talking, page 15
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12.
July 5, 2014
12.
Train to Cry
State Legislators Respond to Outcry Over Smart
Phone Thefts: Call for Manufacturer ‘Kill’ Switch
from page 2
by Zabrae Valentine, RCPC chair
Not long ago, there was much talk in
Oakland and other California cities
about how best to reduce spiking rates of
smart phone theft.
Public officials and law enforcement
agencies settled on the possibility of requir-
ing phone manufacturers to install a “kill
switch” in smart phones to allow rightful
owners to make them instantly inoperable
if stolen.
A bill to do just that is making its way
through the State Legislature. SB 962 passed
out of the Senate in May, has cleared two
policy committees in the Assembly (the
most recent being the Assembly Utilities and
Commerce Committee on June 23 with a 9-2
vote), and is expected to be voted on by the
full Assembly in mid- to late August.
The bill was introduced by State Senator
Mark Leno and co-authored by East Bay
representatives Assemblymember Nancy
Skinner and Senators Loni Hancock and
Mark DeSaulnier, among others. It is
supported by a number of statewide law
enforcement groups, the City of Oakland, the
Oakland City Council, the Alameda County
District Attorney, Oakland Police Chief
Sean Whent and others. (See http://leginfo.
legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.
xhtml for more information.)
If SB 962 passes the Assembly in August,
its next and final stop is the Governor’s desk.
If you support this measure, call, email,
or write Assemblymember Skinner if you are
in Rockridge as well as the author, Senator
Leno, to let them know.
They will keep a record of these contacts
and reference how many people they have
heard from when promoting the bill with
colleagues, which absolutely influences votes
when those numbers are high. On a measure
like this, don’t doubt for a moment that your
voice matters.
served by the Sacramento Northern Railroad,
the largest electrified inter-urban train
system in the U.S.
Trains operated from the Transbay
Terminal to Oakland and up Shafter Avenue
to a station at College Avenue and Chabot
Road, then on past Lake Temescal and
through Montclair to Lafayette, Walnut
Creek, Concord, Stockton, Sacramento,
Marysville/Yuba City, all the way to Chico.
Astoundingly, the track on the long 50-mile
stretch between the hills just north of the
Carquinez Strait and Sacramento’s Tower
Bridge was absolutely as straight as an arrow.
Travel time from the Montclair Station to San
Francisco was just over 30 minutes, and to
Sacramento about two hours and 40 minutes.
The nicest features of the train service
were the lounge cars with large, rear-facing
balconies and continuous lemonade service.
As I now ride BART’s transbay service,
enduring the monotony of flickering lights
and the dangerously high interior noise
levels, I often wonder how exquisite it
must have been to ride a train across the
Bay Bridge on a glorious sunny morning,
enjoying one of the best views in the world.
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
Is a return to streetcar service in Oakland a pos-
sibility? A Stanford student thinks so, and has
submitted his plan to the City. See it at http://
oaklandnorth.net/2010/07/15/a-streetcar-for-
oakland-a-student-shares-his-plan/
Support Oakland
Feather River Camp
The City of Oakland needs encouragement to
recognize this asset which would profit the
children of Oakland. A good, fun, active place
to spend a vacation. Oakland Feather River
Camp: Summer specialty weeks for Oakland
and Northern California residents, in beautiful
Quincy, California: http://www.featherrivercamp.
com/ —Sarah Knopp
A Prevention Oriented Practice
Rockridge Prices Keep Soaring
Closing date BR BA
Address
Original price
List price DOM
Selling price
6/3/14
4
3
6469 Benvenue Ave
$1,595,000
$1,595,000 19
$2,100,000
6/5/14 4
2
5425 Belgrave Place
$1,175,000
$1,175,000 15
$1,565,000
6/6/14 2
1
5509 Kales Ave
$950,000
$950,000
5
$1,075,000
6/13/14 2
1
5242 Miles Ave
$525,000
$525,000
8
$642,000
6/13/14 3
1
5231 Coronado Ave
$725,000
$725,000
16
$850,000
6/13/14 4
2
5206 Lawton Ave
$1,200,000
$1,200,000 9
$1,750,000
Average original list price to sales price is currently 129% ·
Median sold price is currently $1,320,000 vs. $970,000 last June·
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034
13.
July 5, 2014
13.
vides rides to appointments and shopping;
medical companions for doctor visits;
in-home assessments and help; phone
check-ins; referrals to pre-screened pro-
fessionals from plumbers to home health
care experts; social visits; and the like.
Village services cover northern and
central Oakland and the city of Piedmont,
roughly from the Berkeley border, east
to Montclair/Hills and south to Redwood
Road.
For more information, call 510/547-
8500. Or visit: www.northoaklandvillage.org.
National Village Movement Honors Oakland
Only three years after opening its doors,
North Oakland Village (NOV) has
won national recognition for its warm,
personal support of seniors continuing to
live independently in their own homes –
instead of moving to retirement centers.
“She’s there for
every kind of
request from our
members.”
T he Oa k-
land nonprofit,
like other Vil-
lages around the
country, puts
on a range of
cultural, educa-
tional and social
events. Its team
of grassroots
volunteers pro-
Dr. Patte Bishop of Rockridge, retired
pediatric surgeon and NOV board member,
was named Volunteer of the Year at the
annual meeting of the national Village to
Village Network, representing 120 Village
organizations from Boston to San Diego.
“Patte is the ‘quintessential neighbor’
that everyone has in her dreams,” said
NOV board president Sandra Coleman.
For local direct contact: Frank Giunta, 510/652-
0505, or email francobollo16@yahoo.com. Photo
courtesy of North Oakland Village,
Dr. Patte Bishop,
NOV Volunteer
of the Year.
the Rockridge Branch Library
NCPC Seeks New
Chair
National Night
Out
■
■Acts as primary contact point with
OPD Area 2 command staff
■
■Attends the bimonthly Area 2 leader-
ship meetings.
To volunteer for this position, email
the current staff at chair@rockridgencpc.
com. See Community Calendar on page
15 for information about attending NCPC
meetings.
Additional information and detail is
available at the City’s web site at http://
www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/
CityAdministration/d/NSD/DOWD005152
from page 3
from page 3
now needs a new chairman. None of the
three existing officers can take on the chair
position, although until another volunteer
is found, the chair’s duties will be shared.
The NCPC chairman performs the
following duties:
sponsored by the National Association of
Town Watch. Residents are encouraged
to join with their neighbors in an outdoor
event to build neighborhood spirit and
unity, the first defense against crime.
4. Block Party Guide: Visit http://
www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/
cityadministrator/documents/webcontent/
oak040819.pdf for the Block Party Guide.
5. Who Can Host a National Night
Out Party?: The City of Oakland wel-
comes any neighborhood or community
group in National Night Out, and encour-
ages this event to bring people together
and to have fun.
6. Organize a Neighborhood
Watch Group on Your Block: A
flyer that tells how to start a Neighborhood
Watch is available at www2.oaklandnet.
com/neighborhoodwatch
■
■Chairs the public meeting held the
second Thursday of each month at
3rd Floor
Market Hall
TM
Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
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Henry C. Levy & Co.
As a Realtor® at East Bay Sotheby’s International Realty, my goal is to provide
your home with relevant points of exposure designed to connect you with
potential buyers. Contact me today for a complimentary market analysis.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Certified Public Accountants
and Consultants
A Professional Corporation
■
• tax preparation • estate planning
• tax planning
• business valuation
5940 College Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, California 94618
510.652-1000 FAX 510.654-2363
Ortrun Niesar
Realtor®, BRE #01161032
510.326.2161
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
sothebysrealty.com
Each office is independently owned and operated
14.
July 5, 2014
14.
Catholic Clarity, Eastern
Splendor, Evangelical Fervor
And Yiddish Humor! Who needs more? St
Peter’s, Lawton at Broadway, 8 & 10 a.m.
Sunday, noon Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Tutor Accepting Students
Middle school, high school, college prep stu-
dents for essay and creative writing, grammar
& syntax, world literature comprehension,
SAT/ College Boards. Thirty years experi-
ence as teacher/tutor. Further information/
resume: George Davis (510/306-0082),
georgewdavisii@gmail.com.
Bake Your Own
Amazing Bagels
Workshops and parties, your home or
mine (in Rockridge). Host an unforgettable
brunch or learn to make your own naturally
fermented, artisan bagels from scratch.
laurieleiber@hotmail.com 510/435-3995.
Free Solar Analysis
Lower your monthly expenses and take a
step for the environment! Your own solar
power costs less than what you pay PG&E
for electricity. Call Andrew at The Solar
Company 209/781-6830.
Rockridge Heritage
& Food Tour
Discovery your local yummy! 3-hour guided
walking tours of Rockridge. Perfect for
new and established neighbors alike. Tours
Weekly. Private group tours available. Go
to www.rockridgefoodtour.com, or call
510/604-6546.
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.
September issue deadline is August 21.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Summer Special!
Purchase a series of 3 anti-stress and oxy-
genated Royal Jelly facial treatments and
receive the corresponding facial beauty
package FREE!!! Call for an appointment,
510/594-1552 penelopecalef.com
TAI CHI and QIGONG in
Rockridge
Improve your health through breathing and
gentle exercise. Thursday and Saturday morn-
ings New beginners start September. BKU
METHODIST CHURCH, 303 Hudson (College
at Manila). Visit our website www.harmonytaiji.
com email harmonytaiji45@gmail.com.
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.
YOGA + WELLNESS
NAMASTE
Sweet Summer
SPecials!
30 MINUTE
PRIVATE
YOGA OR
MASSAGE
$39
5 CLASS PASS
+ 60
MINUTE
MASSAGE
$149
BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Shopping? Find it in Rockridge!
15.
July 5, 2014
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.
and music clips at www.secondsightmusic.com/
NUVO.html. 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.
Woodminster Summer Musicals
Compiled by Jo Ellis
Community Calendar
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
FOR CHILDREN
sign-up starts 4:45pm at adult reference desk). Vol-
unteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more people
present. Note: No lawyer in Sept.
ART EXHIBITS (subject to change; call to confirm)
Gallery:
July- Vivian Wiitala: watercolor figures.
Aug- Darril Tighe: abstract watercolor.
Sept- TBA
Lobby Display Case:
July- Kim Anderson: jewelry display Americana.
Aug- TBA Sept- TBA
Come early to enjoy a picnic, a walk in the hillside park,
and beautiful bay views. As the sun sets, be seated in
the amphitheater for an evening of music and magic
under the stars.
y
y Les Misérables: July 11-20
y
y Catch Me If You Can: Aug. 8-17
y
y Flower Drum Song: Sept. 5-14
“Half Price Opening Nights” Any Oakland resi-
dent can get half price tickets on July 11, August
8, and September 5 by using the code MyCity.
Details at www.woodminster.com/Web-
pages/Ticketbuying/oaklandfriends.html
“Kids Come Free” program: a child 16 or younger can
attend any performance for free with an adult paying full
price. Details for other promos, showtimes and ticket info:
Kathy Kahn, 418-8523 woodminsterpr@gmail.com, or
Harriet Schlader, 531-9597, harriet@woodminster.com.
Square Dance In North Oakland
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle or Evie Ladin (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 Tele-
graph Ave. Info: http://squirrellystringband.com/.
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. Live music.
Bring your own reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave.
(off Telegraph) at DMV parking lot. More about Certi-
fied Farmers’ Markets at urbanvillageonline.com.
y
y 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: Sun., and Mon; also Tues, Sept 2 (Labor Day).
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/Events
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:
NOTE: Volunteers Needed: If you are 11 to 16 years old,
and have some free time this summer, consider volunteer-
ing to help with the Summer Reading Program (it’s fun
and it looks good on your college applications). Contact
Erica at 597-5017, or esiskind@oaklandlibrary.org.
Summer Reading continues: Get all your reading
done by Aug 9 to be included in the last Grand-Prize
Raffle (make sure to come pick up your prizes).
Crafts every Thurs: through Aug. 14; 3:30 to 5pm (best
for ages 4 to 12).
y
y All FREE and open to the public.
y
y Thurs., 7/10, 7pm. Edan Lepucki: California.
y
y Thurs., 7/24, 7pm. Talk by C.S. Soong (political
journalist and KPFA host of Against the Grain) entitled
Who’s in Charge Here? Reflections on Work, Alienation,
and Human Agency.
y
y Sun., 7/27, 3pm. Poetry Flash with poets of The Marin
Poetry Center Summer Traveling Show: Adrienne
Amundsen, Rose Black, Nellie Hill, Lynne Knight
and Connie Post.
y
y Sun., 8/3, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Julie B. Levine
and Alison Luterman.
y
y Sun., 8/10, 3pm. James Penner: Timothy Leary: The
y
y 7/8 Tues, 7pm: Bodac; high energy, West African
drumming.
Harvard Years: Early Writings on LSD and Psilocybin
with Richard Alpert, Huston Smith, Ralph Metzner,
and Others.
NOTE: A new monthly music series is planned with
Avram Siegel (banjo) and Mike Witcher (dobro and
guitar). Call for more information.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info
(other events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or
events@dieselbookstore.com.
Celebrate National Recreation and
Parks Month at
Lake Merritt Boating Center
y
y 7/15 Tues, 7pm: Germar the Magician.
y
y 7/22 Tues, 7pm: Movie Night: Vote for your favorite
animal movie when you stop by the library. We’ll show
one of the popular choices.
Rockridge Talking
y
y 7/29 Tues, 7pm: Circus of Smiles; acrobatic per-
formance.
FOR TEENS
from page 11
immediate neighbors (soup nights, block
parties, Neighborhood Watch, volunteer
locally); emergency call boxes; and better
use of street barriers/traffic circles.
Miscellaneous: • Develop a social media
strategy that might include a Rockridge
blog; smart phone app; City-issued email
addresses; free wi-fi with community notices
and broadcasts. • Collaborate with local
churches and schools. • Improve management
of homelessness. • Create a CA State Historic
Rehabilitation Tax Credit (AB 1999, Atkins).
• Create a Neighborhood Improvement Dis-
trict. On College Avenue: a hacker space;
a start-up hub; community space for kids
after school; community garden; bowling
alley; more live music. Longer-term: fewer
parking lots on College; more intensive use
of the BART parking lot; and underground
utility lines.
Email info@rockridge.org with your
thoughts.
y
y Teen Summer Passport Program: Win prizes by
exploring local hot spots or write book, movie, music
reviews. Program runs thr. Aug. 9. Info from Teen
Librarian Vicky Chen, 597-5017.
y
y Henna Program: The Coburn Family will draw you
a henna tattoo; traditional or your own design. Sat.,
7/5, 2-3:30pm.
“Splash Into Summer Open House,” Sat., July 26, 1 to
3pm. Free boat rentals. Water safety games for youth.
The Blue Boating Center, Lakeside Park, 568 Bellevue
Ave. More info: 510/238-2196; www.sailoakland.com;
or Sarah Herbelin at sherbelin@oaklandnet.com.
Giant Yard Sale At Bananas
y
y Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Advise the library
how to better serve teens. Get community service
credit for school. Snacks provided. 1 to 2pm, 1st
Sat. each month.
Benefit for Parent Voices Oakland (affordable quality
child care for all families). Baby equipment, toys, books
and more. Donations still being accepted and vol-
unteers still needed. Sat., July 19, 9am to 2pm (early
birds at 8am for $10 fee). BANANAS parking lot, 5232
Claremont Ave. More info: Clarissa, 338-3049 ext 301
or info@parentvoicesoakland.org.
Jazz at the Chimes
y
y Rockridge Ninjas: watch Anime, 5 - 6:30 pm; 2nd
Tues. each month.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Join other teens every Friday during the
summer, 2 - 4 pm. Play video & board games, make
crafts, enjoy light snacks. The program moves back
to Wednesdays (1:30 to 3:30 pm) in September.
FOR ADULTS
y
y Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 15 copies of up to 5
Featuring Nuvo Chamber Trio: Michael Smolens
(instrumentals and vocals), cellist Sam Bass, and per-
cussionist Brian Rice. Jazz, blues and classical styles;
world music and free improvisation; and original Brazilian
and Turkish compositions. Sunday, 7/20, 2pm, 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
y
y 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.
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 5 to 7pm. (Advance
16.
July 5, 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
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visit; RockridgeHomeValue.com
serving you since 1981
Eyebrow waxes 90K to date
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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
510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
fri-tues
10:30-5:30
wed-thurs 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
An age old maxim “sell when others are buying
& buy when others are selling.” This never hit
me like today and like a ton of bricks in this
SELLERS’ Market -
Call or email me for more information!
510-612-2547 or RonKriss@JPS.net
SPECIALIZING IN
O Residential Sales
O Income Property
O Commercial
O Property Management
NEW ROCKRIDGE LISTING
5451 Broadway $799,000
Perfect 2+BD/2BA Craftsman Bungalow. Brand
new foundation & master bath. Big plus room &
lots of architectural goodies still intact
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
www.5451Broadway.com
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
COMING VERY SOON IN
ROCKRIDGE
5342 Miles Avenue *not priced yet
2+BD/2BA Sweet Bungalow w/perfect period
kitchen. Cool Hipsters bar & possible third bedroom
on lower level. 2 Garages!! Frog Park, casual
carpool just out the front door.
Award winning Chabot Elementary!
Playing? Start in Oakland!
COMING SOON IN
ROCKRIDGE
McGuire Real Estate is pleased to welcome
Claudia Mills
to the Elmwood Office
Belgrave 2+BD/2BA Chabot School
Truly a masterpiece from an era gone by.
Broadway 2BD/2BA Chabot School
Killer Kitchen, Family Room.
*NOTE: Because of Rockridge Newsletter lead time, all prices are not
available at print deadline.
What truly sets Claudia apart is her use of high
end video on all of her listings. She is a firm
believer that if you are selling beautiful properties
it necessitates the use of the most cutting edge
marketing tools available.
Ron Kriss, Broker
L A W T O N
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@JPS.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
www.ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com
Over $110M OF Sales in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com
A S S O C I A T E S
R E A L E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
510.350.6419 | CMILLS@MCGUIRE.COM
“I know Rockridge”
sm