Extracted text · highlighting “Greg Pasquali”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 29      NO. 8    ISSUE NO. 314    September 6, 2014                    CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

College Avenue as Retail Hub and Neighborhood Spine

/Don Kinkead

One Door Opens and Another Door Opens
and Pretty soon, you’re shopping in Rockridge

RDA: “Thank You for Shopping Here” Studied: Much Change for College?

by Rockridge District Association board of directors
The Rockridge District Association (RDA) is a Rockridge Business
Improvement District (RBID) and a 501(c)3 organization. The
RDA was formed by a vote of our business owners in August of
2000. It was preceded by merchant groups with the same purpose:
to create a safe, clean and family-friendly shopping destination.
This is a testament to the strong dedication and desire to make
Rockridge great.
We want to thank the RCPC and The Rockridge News for the
opportunity to highlight our new businesses on a regular basis in
the newsletter. The current Rockridge News series celebrates the
“Business Side of Rockridge.” We also want to thank every single
person who has walked
by Zabrae Valentine, RCPC chair
Over the past few months, the RCPC board of directors has
detected a rising community concern regarding the number of
vacant storefronts on College Avenue and an apparent significant
increase in personal grooming salons and higher-end restaurants at
the expense of ground floor retail shops.
In response, the board surveyed current College Avenue ground
floor occupancy types and compared this to a similar survey
included in the 1994 Rockridge Area Plan (RAP).
Significant changes in the use of College Avenue ground floor
retial space could be viewee as weakening the character of the
commercial area, as codified by its CN-1 zoning designation.
(CN-1 is based on Rockridge’s
➧➧College: Retail Hub, page 4
➧➧RDA: “Thank You,” page 13
R
R
|
|
AGENDA September 18
RCPC Town Hall Meeting
S
Sa
a
18
z
z
V
Vz
z
P
Pi
i
On the way
        in October
Rockridge Out and About– a day of Live
Music, Street Entertainment, Gourmet
Food, and more; sponsored by the Rockridge
District Association (RDA) and Market Hall.
Sunday, October 12, 12-6 p.m.
Rockridge Halloween Parade– sponsored
by RDA, participating merchants and the
Rockridge Community Planning Council
(RCPC). Sunday, October 26, 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details in the October Rockridge News
p
p
:
:
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
r
r
r
r
o
o
o
o
c
c
f
f
k
k
s
s
The September and October town halls
will provide voter information for the
November 4 election. Ballot measures to
be reviewed include • Measure Y Reautho-
rization, • the Ethics Commission Reform
Measure, • the Oakland Redistricting Reform
measure, and • the Minimum Wage Measure.
Selected candidate races will be covered with
an emphasis on races not featured in other
forums. More info (including Mayoral debate
u
u
r
r
times and locations)
will be available at:
• Postings on the
RCPC web site at rock-
ridge.org
• The Rockridge E-News. Not yet sub-
scribed to the E-News? Sign up at http://
bit.ly/1tUwtXG, or e-mail your name and
address to info@rockridge.org. (Your infor-
mation is never shared.)
i
i
n
n
d
d
i
i
g
g
friends
friends
o
o
e
e
J
J
.
.
o
o
r
r
g
g
Thursday, September 18 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila
Pizza and Friends: 7 p.m. | Program: 7:30 | RSVP  info@rockridge.org


2.

September 6, 2014
2.

New Leadership for Claremont Middle School

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
N
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
ewly appointed CMS Principal Jonathan
Mayer, left, Assistant Principal Tonia Coleman
and Teacher on Special Assignment Matthew
Smith, took time out from preparations for the
new school year for a photo for The Rockridge
News. Writing in the Knightline, Claremont’s
on-line newsletter, Mayer said, “We feel honored
and humbled to be the instructional leaders of
such a warm, caring community school.” Read his
full remarks, and more, at www.claremontms.org/
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 9.
/Don Kinkead
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
The next Land Use Committee meeting is Wednesday, September
24, 7:30 p.m. in a meeting room at the Rockridge Branch Library.
Topic: Presentation on the Nautilus project, Telegraph between
51st Street and Claremont Avenue (formerly Civiq/Creekside
projects). Check with the chair (652-5373 or stuflash@aol.
com) for updated agenda. Meetings are open to the public.
will consider at its September meeting. Planner
is Aubrey Rose (238-2071; arose@oaklandnet.
com). Comment period closed September 5,
but FAST comments may be considered.
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge – West
Side of B’way, North of 51st Street
Project has city approval; construction
to start later in fall. Project website:
www.srmdevelopment.com/rockridge for
construction updates.
Rockridge Shopping Center Rebuild
– Broadway and Pleasant Valley Ave
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
Ramen Shop Use Permit Modification
– 5812 College Ave
Use permit modification to expand into
adjacent storefront (previous retail tenant
evicted to make way). Expansion would
increase neighbor problems, including noise,
cooking odors, parking. Restaurant owner Sam
White presented proposal and explained efforts
to address concerns. Committee recommended
building-wide mitigations, which RCPC board
Demolition begins in November;
construction shortly thereafter.
College Avenue Safeway Project
– College and Claremont Avenues
Construction continues. Call RCPC
(869-4200) with any problems. Safeway has
modified its sign programs. The result, while
not perfect, is far better than initial proposal.
Proposed large sewer line in middle of College
Avenue could be highly disruptive! RCPC,
Safeway, and the city are urging East Bay
MUD to modify design to reduce impact.
Projected opening date for the new store still
mid-November.
Nautilus Residential Project –
Telegraph Ave (East side) between
51st St & Claremont Ave
Proposed residential/mixed use project to
replace two approved but unbuilt projects, Civiq
and Creekside, involving over 200 residential
units. Presentation at the September Land Use
Committee meeting. (See box above.)
See full report: www.rockridge.org
Meeting Notice:
Telegraph Bicycle Plans
The City of Oakland has DRAFT recom-
mendations for redesigning Telegraph
Avenue as a safer street. The recommenda-
tions were created based on your ideas as
well as technical design requirements. We
want your input.
Public Open House(s)
(Same material at each event)
Thursday, September 11
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Beebe Memorial Cathedral
3900 Telegraph Avenue @ 40th Street
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
Saturday, September 13
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Gogi Time Restaurant Banquet Hall
2600 Telegraph Avenue @ 27th Street
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.
$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:
  October 4, 2014
  October deadline is September 18, 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.
September 6, 2014

3.

College Avenue: Vitality; Endurance; Excitement

Art on the Avenue:
CCA Sets a Pace
by Carl Schmitz
In response to recent concern for College
Avenue’s future as a retail center and the
related issue of neighborhood sustainability,
the Art on the Avenue column will promote
Rockridge’s contributions to culture and
commerce by highlighting the people
and places within the unique visual arts
community on College Avenue.
‘A
casual visit to the splendid site of the
California School of Arts and Crafts
at College Avenue and Broadway will show
the steady progress being made to prepare
buildings and grounds for Oakland’s new
Rockridge Rocks
Oakland Mag’s Best
of the East Bay
Art College. The school’s four-acre site,
with its background of hills, its outlook
over Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco and
the Golden Gate, and its splendid trees and
vistas, offers endless subjects for art study.”
— Oakland Tribune 8/3/1924
With September’s arrival, the fall term
is now underway at schools across the
Bay Area. At the intersection of Broadway
and College, it’s been over 90 years since
California College of the Arts (CCA) held its
first classes in Rockridge. Like the develop-
ment of the neighborhood itself, CCA was
created in the aftermath of the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake, when German-born
craftsman Frederick Meyer looked to the
East Bay for a temperate environment in
by Lauren Herpich
For Rockridge residents, it should be no
surprise to hear that the neighborhood
and many of our local haunts captured the eye
of editors and readers of Oakland Magazine
for its annual “Best of Oakland and the East
Bay” list. Earlier this summer, the magazine
published what has become its largest list
ever with 169 winners, 24 of which are found
right here in Rockridge.
Situated along the main artery of Col-
lege Avenue, these local shops, restaurants
and services not only were named “Best”
in their specific categories, but also helped
contribute to Rockridge being named the
Best Shopping District.
Fit (5707 College Avenue) won the Best
Women’s Clothing Readers’ Choice award
and was noted by editor Elise Proulx as
carrying “a selection of sophisticated gar-
ments for women who’ve gained enough life
experience to know what not to wear.” Fit
sells American and international designer
clothing and shoes as well as everyday
pieces that Rockridge women – and other
shoppers – can dress up and dress down.
It is also that established knowledge and
commitment to the community that brought
honors to some of Rockridge’s most popular
businesses. For instance, Ver Brugge Foods
(6321 College Avenue) was named Best
Butcher Shop. “We are very honored and
grateful to be nominated once again as the
best butcher shop. It is especially meaning-
ful this year as we celebrate our 35th year
serving the Rockridge community,” Ver
Brugge owner Michael Balliet says. In addi-
tion to its selection of high-quality meats
➧➧Art on the Avenue, page 8
Years of Service by Many Merchants
by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC boardmember
Recent discussion about businesses
on College Avenue highlighted an
important aspect of its merchants: their
longevity. Many in business today located
here long before the avenue became as
popular as it is now. These merchants toughed
out some difficult economic times – along
with residents – but they kept their doors
open, contributing to the economy and
success of Rockridge. They have earned our
support and patronage.
We want to give these long time busi-
nesses their due, and offer the following
opening list. There is no particular order.
The only criterion is that they have been
here longer than 25 years. The number that
meet that standard is surprising, and it will
take several issues of the newsletter to cover
them all. But you don’t have to wait to read
about them to visit. The next time you are
out and about, stop in these shops, enjoy
their services and tell them you appreciate
their being here.
One of the oldest is Dreyer’s Ice Cream,
founded in Oakland in 1928 by Joe Edy,
a candy maker, and William Dreyer, an
ice cream maker. Both names were used
to market the ice cream, depending on
the sales location in the U.S. A year later,
they introduced the classic “Rocky Road”
flavor to echo the economic times, and still
serve this flavor at the counter. In 1981,
the company went public and expanded
its offices despite some local opposition.
It was well positioned for an improving
College Avenue. If you haven’t walked your
kids down to Dreyer’s on a warm summer
evening to enjoy a scoop or two, you are
missing one of life’s treats. Wait no longer.
Across the street, Stauder Automotive,
also known as Sheaff’s Auto Repair, is
located in a building built in 1953 by the
➧➧Years of Service, page 7
➧➧Rockridge Rocks List, page 8
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.










 
­
24
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


 
	


4.

September 6, 2014
4.

were 20 years ago.
The data for 1994 was fairly
general; this time we collected more
detailed information, including the
range of average restaurant costs
and more specific information
on types of retail and personal
services. Lacking those details
for 1994 means, for example, we
can’t see whether there are more
higher-end restaurants today than
20 years past.
The best part of this exercise,
however, was the opportunity
to walk the full length of Col-
lege, more than once, deliberately
and observantly. Board members
noticed shops and signs not noticed
previously. We enjoyed talking to
people who asked what the heck
we were doing. And in the time
we were collecting this data, new
shops were filling the vacancies: I
Do Bridal Boutique, Floracultural
Society, the old Bella Vita in a new,
larger location, to name a few.
As businesses and services
come and go, we have opportuni-
ties to consider what we love about
Rockridge and how we can support
and nurture it as one of Oakland’s
great places.
Please tell us what you think
via this survey: surveymonkey.
com/s/RR-VISION. Four survey
respondents will be randomly
selected to receive gift certificates
redeemable at Rockridge stores or
restaurants. Details coming soon in
the Rockridge E-News.
 If you are not a subscriber, go to:
http://bit.ly/1tUwtXG, or e-mail
your name and address to: info@
rockridge.org. (No subscriber
information is shared.)
College: Retail
Hub
Ground Floor Uses Along College
Avenue: 1994 vs. 2014
Business/Use Type*
Total
1994
%
2014
%
Restaurants and Bars
45
23%
52
23%
from page 1
original C-31 zoning, the creation
of which was a motivating driver
of RCPC’s formation over 40
years ago. CN-1 zoning stands for
“Commercial-Neighborhood, level
1,” and signifies: ground-level retail
that promotes pedestrian-oriented
comparison shopping; a building
height limit of three stories; and
conditional use permit (CUP)
requirements for uses other than
retail, such as restaurants, grooming
salons, gyms, and banks.)
The findings of RCPC’s current
analysis of ground floor uses are
at right. Interestingly, little change
was found overall. The proportion
of restaurants, retail, personal ser-
vices (including grooming) have
changed, but only slightly. There
are fitness services and preschools
today that aren’t listed at all in the
1994 data. There also appear to be
more ground-floor professional
services. The total number of busi-
nesses is greater today, about 228,
compared to 198 in 1994 (excluding
residential units). Finally, at the time
of this survey there appeared to be
one fewer vacancy than in 1994.
What we don’t know is whether
Rockridge residents were
actually happy with the distribution
of shops and services in 1994.
(Readers who lived here then are
invited to share their memories via
email to info@rockridge.org.) The
fact of little change means just that;
things are probably about what they
Retail Food
21
11%
19
8%
Service Stations/Auto Supplies**
2
1%
0
0%
Other Retail
Apparel
13
7%
26
11%
General Merchandise
1
1%
0
0%
Drug Stores
1
1%
2
1%
Home Furnishings
6
3%
13
6%
Rugs
3
2%
2
1%
Antiques
4
2%
1
0%
Galleries
7
4%
0
0%
Building Materials/Hardware
1
1%
0
0%
Other Specialty Stores
27
14%
22
10%
Total Other Retail
63
32%
66
29%
Personal Services
Hair Salons
18
9%
23
10%
Cleaners/Alterations
8
4%
5
2%
Printing and Photocopying
5
3%
3
1%
Other Personal Services
24
12%
27
12%
Total Personal Services
55
28%
58
25%
Other
Professional Services
8
4%
19
8%
Public Facilities
4
2%
4
2%
Fitness
0
0%
6
3%
Preschools
0
0%
4
2%
Total
198
228
Notes:
*The 1994 data did not include places of worship, so
we didn’t compare that category; we counted 3 in 2014.
**Stauder and Germany’s Best are recorded in the 2014
data as auto repair shops and, as such, are included under
Professional Services.
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5.
September 6, 2014

5.

Creek to Bay Day; Revive Temescal Creek

Avenue. Families and groups are welcome.
Students needing service hours for school
will receive a signed letter verifying their
participation. Tools will be provided, or
bring your own, well marked.
For more information, contact Leonora
Sea, DMV Neighbors Association, Leono-
raSea@comcast.net, or find Temescal
Creek on the city’s Creek to Bay Day web
site: www.oaklandcreektobay.org.
Learn more about where Temescal
Creek originates and its flow through the
Rockridge and Temescal neighborhoods.
Visit the Oakland Museum of California
Creek and Watershed maps at museumca.
org/creeks/1160-OMTemescal.html and
museumca.org/creeks/MapOak.html.
by Leonora Sea, DMV Neighbors
Creek? What creek? Temescal Creek in
the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt has
gone AWOL this summer. Due to potential
toxins in the water from an algae bloom in
Lake Temescal, Alameda County Flood
Control has turned off the pumps that make
our wonderful little neighborhood creek
happen. Although the lake is not the only
water source for the creek, it is the major
one; better to be safe than sorry.
The turnoff left a creek bed that is
moist, soft, and the perfect environment
for weeds. Our greenbelt and creek now
look more like they do at the end of winter,
with nutsedge, kikuyu grass, and other
invaders spreading where flowing water
normally keeps them in check.
The DMV Neighbors Association,
sponsor of Creek to Bay Day along the
creek and greenbelt this and every year,
especially needs your enthusiasm and help
to revive Temescal Creek’s creek bed and
banks. Join your neighbors and friends on
September 20, 9 a.m. to noon, for coffee,
pastries, and juice at sign-in, for a morn-
ing of weeding, pruning, trash pickup,
raking and sweeping; snacks and cold
drinks to follow at noon. Meet at the big
eucalyptus at Cavour Street and Redondo

‘Unleashed by Petco’ Donates $10K for Hardy Dog Park Work

by Nancy Schaaf, Rockridge resident
A
pledge from Unleashed by Petco has put
the long-awaited community renovation
of Hardy Dog Park back on track. The project
stalled last fall when city planners mandated
ADA upgrades costing $10,000 more than
anticipated.
“When we heard of the budget problem,
we wanted to assist,” says Natalie Behlman,
Regional Marketing Manager for Unleashed
by Petco. “We are thrilled to help renovate
such an important amenity for Oakland and
make it more accessible to everyone.” The
company opened a store at 3300 Lakeshore
Avenue earlier this year, filling a void left
by the recent closing of Red Hound, College
Avenue’s upscale pet supply store.
The pledge puts the project’s budget
on solid footing, says Peter Lund, founder
of Scenic Streets, the group leading the
renovation. Volunteers are now refining
plans to be submitted for approvals in the
coming weeks.
The review process may be lengthy; a
long list of stakeholders needs to weigh in:
Caltrans owns the land and provides the city
an easement to operate the park; Bart has
pylons in the area and will coordinate repairs
with the park renovation; Councilmember
Dan Kalb’s office has been assisting coor-
dination among departments at City Hall;
and, patrons, neighbors and community
groups including FROG, ODOG (Oakland
Dog Owners Group) and RCPC are being
consulted. Scenic Streets shared updated
plans at a community meeting August 18 at
The Colombo Club, receiving lots of encour-
agement and some good recommendations.
The goal is to make the dog park more
accessible, functional, safe and pleasant,
says Lund. Planned improvements include
greenery, a play space for small dogs, updated
seating, sanitary watering stations, ADA-
compliant gates and pathways; and a new
play surface less likely to form the park’s
infamous muddy puddles.
Additional improvements, including
upgraded safety lighting, will take more
time. Scenic Streets encourages patrons
to form an advisory team to advocate for
the park. Learn more at scenicstreets.org.
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6.

September 6, 2014
6.

Rockridge
Learners
Give OLLI Classes
High Marks
Eyes on Rockridge
by Judith Doner Berne
Two physicists, two psychologists, a non-
profit housing developer and a physician
– all retired – showed up at my house on a
July Monday afternoon.
Rockridge residents all, they gathered
to talk about the experiences they have had
through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at UC Berkeley. OLLI @Berkeley, as the
program is known, is part of a network of
Osher educational programs for “seasoned
adults” – those age 50 and over – based at
colleges and universities throughout the
country. (See “About OLLI,” page 12.)
My visitors were among the approximately
100 Rockridge residents enrolled in the 2013-
14 curriculum, which drew a record 2,000
participants, according to Satya Levine, the
program’s communications coordinator.
Classes cover an array of subjects and can
be large lectures or small seminars – with no
grades, ever. They meet in various Berkeley
venues and at the Lafayette Public Library.
Despite being one of the newer OLLI affiliates
– the current program began in 2007 – “we
are one of the larger programs,” she said.
I took my first OLLI @Berkeley class
shortly after moving to Rockridge in 2011
and have taken one each semester since. Sub-
jects included renowned East Bay architects

Roy Kahn, left, Margaret Barbee, Nancy Moore Wright, Marian Whitehead, Lee
Cohn, Laura Schlichtmann, and Burns Macdonald discuss the benefits and fun of
OLLI continuing education at writer Judith Doner Berne’s home. /Judith Doner Berne

Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan, the
2012 Presidential race as it was happening,
six world cities when each was at the height
of its power, music history, international
film documentaries and, most recently, an
amazing history of baseball, given by Mick
Chantler, who will teach “Six Key Players
of the Civil War” this fall.
But the crew at my house, which also
included retired lawyer and RCPC board
member Laura Schlichtmann, made me
realize that I am a dilettante when it comes
to OLLI classes.
Over tall glasses of lemonade and San
Pellegrino, I learned that most take more
than one course each term. For instance,
Schlichtmann has taken as many as four in
one semester, and Margaret Barbee has taken
three at a time over the last four to five years.
For Barbee, an industrial psychologist,
“I’ve liked almost every class I’ve taken.”
Her favorites are on dance performance given
by Kathryn Roszak. She gravitated to the
Performing Arts Enthusiasts OLLI Interest
Circle, in which participants attend various
music, theater and dance performances
together.
 “OLLI permits self-organization and
we’d love to have new members,” Barbee
➧➧OLLI @ Berkeley, page 12


7.
September 6, 2014

7.

Frog Park Cleaning,
Closure; Swings
Funding – No Cold
Water Required

NCPC Names New Chair, Sets Board Elections
Plus: Meet BART’s Police Auditor
Mike Ubell, active with Make
OaklandBetterNow!, has volunteered
to be Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC) chair. His offer was
accepted by the board, pending confirmation
by NCPC members during elections at the
September meeting.
NCPC bylaws require an annual election
of officers. September meeting attendees
will be asked to confirm the board’s
acceptance of Ubell as chair, and to vote
on current board members continuing
in their positions. For a valid election, a

quorum of 15 must be present and voting.
Attend the September meeting and take
part in selecting your NCPC representa-
tives: Thursday, September 11, 7 p.m.,
Rockridge Library, College and Manila.
Also, Anita Grayson of BART’s Inde-
pendent Police Auditor’s office, responsible
for effective and independent oversight of the
BART police, will discuss her office’s role
and how the public can benefit. Visit www.
bart.gov/policeauditor for more information
prior to the meeting. Find more information
about NCPC, including how to volunteer
to help, at http://www.rockridgencpc.com.
— Material from NCPC secretary Karen Ivy
by FROG Steering Committee
The viral “Ice Bucket Challenge” that
swept through social media this summer
generated millions in donations to the ALS
Association. Frog Park isn’t asking you to
dump ice cold water on your head (we’re
in a drought, people!), but we are asking
for your support to help make an enhanced
park a reality for the Rockridge community.
We are almost halfway to our goal of
$50,000 to add more swings, a set of toddler
bucket swings, a merry-go-round climber
and see-saw to our popular park.
Here’s what you need to know about the
community fundraising drive:
Lynne has some personally made pottery
in the windows.
A little further north on College Avenue
are the two “pillars,” La Farine Bakery, 6323
College Avenue and Ver Brugge Meat-Fish
and Poultry, 6321 College. La Farine opened
its first store in Oakland here in 1977 and
now has four; Jerry VerBrugge took a chance
on the location next door two years later.
At the time, the neighborhood was
plagued by drug traffickers and boarded-up
store fronts. Jerry said the location across
from Safeway offered plenty of foot traffic.
He was confident that with hard work and
catering to residents’ needs, the business
would be successful. He was right. La Farine
has those incredibly attractive fruit tarts and,
some say, the best rustic baguette in town. At
Thanksgiving, while you wait in that long line
at Ver Brugge’s to pick up the bird, La Farine
can ease the wait with croissants and coffee.
More next month…
Years of Service
from page 3
Sheaff family and still owned by them. The
Stauder brothers, Mike, Bob and, until last
year, the late Jim, all Oakland natives, learned
the business from their father, who owned
the Chevron station at 55th and Telegraph.
The brothers moved to the current site in
1998. John Sheaff still works there. No need
to drive downtown for service when it is so
close to home.
Just up the street toward Claremont
Avenue, you’ll find Bosko’s Gallery and
Framing, serving us from the same site at
6038 College Avenue since 1945. John and
Lynne operate the business started by their
father Peter after he returned from WWII.
Custom framing has always been the main
service, but John enjoys vintage prints and
■
■You can donate online with PayPal or
credit card at www.frogpark.org/swings
or drop a check in the mail to FROG
c/o RCPC, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611.
■
■All donations are tax deductible. Dona-
tions of $250 or more will be recognized
on park signage.
■
■You or your company can sponsor.
■
■All current play features will remain
where they are; we’re just adding more fun.
So put down the bucket and make an
impact right here in your backyard by
donating to Frog Park today: www.frogpark.
org/swings.
Frog Park Named One of Bay
Area’s Best Playgrounds
Inside Bay Area News recently listed
Frog Park as one of “five Great Bay Area
Playgrounds,” the only Oakland park with
➧➧More Frog Park, page 11
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September 6, 2014
8.

cisco Art Institute. Notable alumni include
ceramicists Robert Arneson, Viola Frey,
and Peter Voulkos, painters Robert Bechtle,
Nathan Oliveira, and Raymond Saunders,
sculptor Manuel Neri, and conceptual artist
David Ireland.
CCA’s artists of today can be seen in
exhibitions at the Oakland campus and just
across the street at their College Avenue
Galleries. Of particular note from CCA’s
September exhibitions in Rockridge are the
fall show of faculty work, “Making _____
that Matters,” and “The New Look,” which
is the annual showcase for new students. All
galleries are free and open to the public.
Through CCA Extension, community
members can also develop their own talent
in classes ranging from fine arts to digital
tools, with additional opportunities for high
school students. Daily tours of the Oakland
campus are open to prospective students and
the public, with a virtual tour at www.cca.
edu/#virtualtour available online.
Although a second campus in San
Francisco was completed in 1999, CCA
remains rooted in its Rockridge home. One
tangible marker of this mutually beneficial
relationship is the positive economic impact
to area businesses that the students bring
into Rockridge, 220 of whom will be living
on-campus this term with others living off-
campus in the surrounding neighborhood.
And as CCA President Stephen Beal says,
there are many points of connection between
the college and the community: “For 92 of its
107 years, California College of the Arts has
been an important part of the Rockridge com-
munity. In addition to our degree programs,
we engage local citizens through classes for
youths and adults, free public exhibitions,
lectures, and other events. Our residential
community brings a lively presence to this
end of College Avenue, and our outreach
programs through the Center for Art and
Public Life serve diverse communities in
Rockridge and beyond. We take great pride
in being part of this vibrant neighborhood.”
Art on the Avenue
from page 3
which to establish a “practical art school.”
After a succession of temporary homes
in Berkeley, Meyer purchased the former
Treadwell family estate in 1922. The original
mansion, now known as Macky Hall, and its
Carriage House are listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Despite a shortening of the California
College of Arts and Crafts name that was
in use from 1936 until 2003, CCA has a
continued commitment to crafts through
an inclusive vision of the arts. In addition to
Ceramics, Painting and Drawing, Printmak-
ing, and Sculpture, fine arts degree programs
are also offered in Furniture, Glass, Jewelry
and Metal Arts, and Textiles. Further courses
of study include Animation, Architecture,
Interaction Design, Photography, and an
array of innovation-based MBAs. CCA was
the first art school on the Pacific coast to
offer academic degrees, decades before its
counterpart across the Bay, the San Fran-
Carl Schmitz is Art Research Librarian at the
Richard Diebenkorn Foundation, spending the last
decade working, shopping, dining, and running to
the train on College Avenue. He can be reached
at cschmitz@diebenkorn.org.
Rockridge Rocks
a List
own their local industry by picking up all
category-related awards. Seven 7 Salon won
the Best Hair Salon, Best Adult Haircuts,
Best Kids Haircuts and Best Place for a
Facial awards.
According to Oakland Magazine editor
Sara Lavender Smith, “Transports (6014
College Avenue) serves runners better than
any other East Bay sports store” because
of its expert staff members who are also
top-level competitive runners and the store’s
consistent support of local running events
and organized group runs.
Clearly, Rockridge is a must-do des-
tination for everyone in the East Bay.
Fortunately, that destination is in our own
backyard.
To see the full list of Rockridge busi-
nesses that made Oakland Magazine’s
“Best of” list, go to www.rockridge.org.
from page 3
and seafood, Ver Brugge is expanding its
selection with a new sous-vide prepared
food line for Rockridge residents who are
on the go and don’t have much time to cook.
There were even some shops like Seven
7 Salon (5358 College Avenue) who clearly
Lauren Herpich is the owner of the new Rockridge
Neighborhood Heritage & Walking Food Tour. To
schedule a tour, go to www.rockridgefoodtour.com
MAXI
LILLEY
THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A
designer’s
eye
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”
REALTOR® – DRE# 01919653
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com


9.
September 6, 2014

9.

a fenced-in dog run or dog park area. The
back of the field is not really used by the
sports teams and would be a perfect place
for a dog run or a dog park. This would
serve multiple purposes:
1. Sport teams and Chabot participants
will not have to share the field with dog
owners and dogs.
2. Dogs and dog owners will no longer
have to “disobey” the no dog sign.
3. Separate areas will keep the children
and the dogs safe and separated.
4. Dog owners will pick up after their
dogs.
5. Dogs grazing from left-over snacks
on the field would no longer be a problem.
— Paula Li
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.
The same happened during the retrofitting
of the Telegraph Avenue and Patton Avenue/
Broadway overpasses. In each of these
cases, the road suffered as much damage
as College Avenue. However, the Patton
Avenue/Broadway roadway was partially
replaced, and the Telegraph Avenue area
was replaced almost immediately after
completion of the retrofit.
It seems fair to ask why the College
Avenue roadway did not receive the same
treatment by the construction contractor,
Caltrans, or the city of Oakland as these
other locations. Could it be the prominent
and heavily used College Avenue location
was left unrepaired to encourage Oakland
residents to vote for increased road repair
funding this year?
— Chuck Byrne
Dangerous Street Paving Under
BART Walkway Still Rankles
Editor
Following up on M.C. Haug’s letter in
the July issue, I can confirm that in addition
to bicycles, the deplorable condition of the
College Avenue street pavement beneath
the Rockridge BART station and freeway
overpass is a safety hazard for cars and
pedestrians alike.
For several years, cars have had a
rough, bouncy ride there that often leads
to dangerous maneuvers as drivers try to
avoid the deteriorated pavement in this
very dark location. The danger brought
on by cars suddenly braking and changing
lanes is often compounded by pedestrians
jaywalking there and bicyclists trying to get
through this irregular stretch of pavement.
A good deal of the damage to the road
took place during the recent retrofitting of
the BART and highway overpass when part
of the roadway was used for material storage
and parking heavy trucks and equipment.
Keith Avenue Bike Lane Problems
Editor
I have lived on Keith Avenue for the past
7.5 years. I was surprised to see my street
go from two lanes to one lane in the course
of a day to provide a bike lane – without
public notice. I’m all for more bike lanes,
but this was a terrible decision. Now there
is backup on Keith that lasts well beyond 7
p.m., and impatient drivers with no regard
for public safety drive IN THE BIKE LANE
and way above the speed limit.
If the city wants revenue, start ticketing
these drivers driving in the bike lane. Keith
Avenue was dangerous enough with the
way people drove, now it’s even more so.
Reducing a feeder road between a BART
station and a major highway to one lane
is probably the stupidest decision the city
could’ve done with this settlement money.
— Joyce Bairum
Rockridge Needs Another Good
Dog Park
Editor:
I have talked to many Rockridge dog
owners and I am sure they agree with me
that we need another good dog park, similar
to Ohlone in Berkeley.
Following how Albany partitioned a
dog area from the athletic field behind
Albany High School, a part of the Chabot
soccer/baseball field could accommodate
Norman H. Burg, DDS
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September 6, 2014
10.

10.
uses fresh herbs, spices and pure organic
cane sugar for each batch. In addition to
ice cream, they offer a variety of sorbets,
also made daily. Tara’s has two locations:
3173 College Avenue at Alcatraz and 4731
Telegraph Avenue at 47th Street.
For a throwback to an earlier era, there
is Powell’s Sweet Shoppe at 3206 College
Avenue. Powell’s is a nostalgic recreation of
the classic candy store and is the proverbial
“kid in the candy store” kind of place. It
is truly a Willy Wonka world. In addition
to basic sweets and gums, Powell’s offers
a good selection of Italian style gelato. If
you want a little nostalgia with your gelato,
Powell’s is the place.
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
Ice cream – not just
for Summer anymore
As a child in the ’50s playing on the
streets of Brooklyn, summer for me
was a time for hanging out on the stoop,
playing New York City street games, and,
most of all, waiting for the Good Humor
ice-cream truck.
In the ’50s, most neighborhoods had
corner candy stores on every block. Candy
stores were a neighborhood hub for buying
daily newspapers, comic books, candy bars,
fountain sodas, and of course hand-dipped
ice cream in a sugar cone. But during the
summer, it was the sound of the Good
Humor truck bells that brought everyone
out on to the street to buy their favorite
ice cream treat.
ice cream. Smitten uses liquid nitrogen at
super-cold temperatures to make ice cream
that reproduces the hand churning process
to create ready-now ice cream cones and
cups. The ice cream is extraordinarily
smooth, dense, flavorful and made from
scratch. You can watch as your order is
created in front of your eyes at 5800 Col-
lege Avenue at Birch Court.
Our other neighborhood favorite is
of course Dreyer’s Ice Cream Parlor at
5925 College Avenue. Originally located
on Oakland’s Grand Avenue, Dreyer’s
was founded in 1928 by the Dreyer and
Edy families. In 2002, the company was
acquired by Nestlė and is now the largest
ice-cream company in the world.
French Chocolate Ice Cream
(makes 1 quart)
This month’s recipe is a classic prepara-
tion for a French chocolate soft ice cream.
Our family has been making this recipe
for over 45 years. It’s easy and yummy.
Ingredients
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs separated, yolks only needed
1-½ cups whipping cream, whipped
Preparation
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and
water. Bring to boil and boil rapidly
for 3 minutes.
In a blender, put: chocolate chips and
add the hot syrup. Cover and blend
on high speed for about 20 seconds
or until the chocolate sauce is smooth.
Add 3 egg yolks. Stir to combine; cover,
and blend for 10-15 seconds.
Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped
cream. Make sure it is well-folded in
and completely blended (no white or
chocolate showing).
Spoon mixture into a shallow bowl,
cover with waxed paper and freeze
for 2-3 hours. Don’t stir. Will not form
ice crystals.
Remove from freezer and let it soften a
bit before serving.
Top with whipped cream if you wish.
Drum roll please: Now in Rockridge
we have Smitten Ice Cream. Smitten
brings a whole new meaning to the idea of
“made from scratch.” Most commercial ice
creams contain preservatives, emulsifiers,
and stabilizers to prolong shelf-life. Once,
though, there was a time when ice cream
was hand-churned and actually melted if
not promptly eaten.
Smitten is based on a simple idea: use
modern technology to create old-fashioned
Dreyer’s uses a slow-churn process that
does not require the ice-cream to be frozen.
This produces a very smooth ice cream. The
company offers a large selection of flavors
including frozen yogurt, albeit made with
emulsifiers and stabilizers.
For purists, Tara’s Organic Ice Cream is
the place to go. Tara’s offers hand-churned
ice cream made in small batches. No
emulsifiers or stabilizers are added. Tara’s
Coming
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Open
Sunday
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NOTE: If you prefer not to use raw eggs,
you can use pasteurized eggs which can usu-
ally be found with the “regular” eggs at the
grocery store.
5231 Coronado
5470 Boyd
388 62nd
5371 Broadway
Daniel Stea
Advocacy & Integrity
Since 1997
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. He is available for cooking
classes and tours of East Bay ethnic markets.
Barry’s email is kaufman42@comcast.net.
Broker / Attorney
510.867.4094
Having Fun? Do it in Oakland!
BRE #01452156


11.
September 6, 2014

11.

‘Books for Wider Horizons’ Celebrates
20th Anniversary; Seeks New Volunteers

More Frog Park
from page 7
by Rochelle Venuto, Coordinator, Books for
Wider Horizons, Oakland Public Library
Oakland Public Library’s Books for
Wider Horizons program is celebrating
its 20th year of bringing storytime to the
children of Oakland.
The program, begun in 1994 as a coopera-
tive effort between the Library and partnering
Head Starts, trains and places volunteer story
readers in Head Start centers and preschools
in specific Oakland communities. It aims to
extend the reach of the library, to promote
reading readiness and library awareness,
and to create and sustain a love of read-
ing in Oakland’s children. Many of these
children have few books in their home and
may not have much opportunity for adults
to read aloud to them. Each week they look
forward to the visit of the storyreader, who
is often treated to hugs, and “treated like
a rock star” (according to one volunteer).
Each new volunteer is assigned a pre-
school, and commits to six months of weekly
storytimes with a particular class. Many
volunteers find it so rewarding that they
return year after year. Our longest-serving
volunteer has been with the program for
19 years.
In the 2013-2014 school year, Books for
Wider Horizons served 33 centers with 58
volunteer readers resulting in 86 story times
each week for 1,380 young children. Though
the program reaches many children, more
volunteers are needed to help meet demand.
To volunteer to be a storyreader, call or
email Rochelle Venuto, Books for Wider
Horizons Coordinator, at 510/238-7453 or
rvenuto@oaklandlibrary.org. Our training
begins October 7 at the Rockridge Branch
Library over six evenings (October 7, 8, 9,
21, 22, and 23) and one Saturday (October
25). Nationally renowned storyteller and
Oakland Public Librarian Gay Ducey leads
the training, with some help from current
volunteers.
Calling Past Readers! The Anniversary
Celebration is in January. We hope to
invite everyone involved in Books for Wider
Horizons, including past volunteers, but our
records are incomplete. If you or someone
you know has previously been involved in the
program, contact Rochelle with their informa-
tion so we can send invitations.
that honor. Called “a magical little bubble of
neighborhood delight,” Frog joins Blue Goose
Park in Brentwood, Oak Meadow Park in Los
Gatos, Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose
and Arbolado Park in Walnut Creek.
Update on Frog Park Pond
If you have visited Frog Park late this
summer, you have seen the dry creek bed
and empty pond. The city shut the water off
due to the blue-green algae contamination
in Lake Temescal, one of Frog Park’s pond
and creek sources of water, and it will remain
shut off until water quality is back to proper
levels. For updates, visit www.frogpark.org
or “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.
com/frogpark.
Important: Note that the water in the
pond and along the creek – before this inci-
dent and after – is neither treated nor tested
for recreational contact. If your children
play in the water, always wash their hands
and faces afterwards.
Fall Maintenance & Closure
of Frog Park: September 20
Frog Park was built, and has been
maintained for more than a decade,
by volunteer support. Next up is our Fall
Maintenance Day, Saturday, September 20,
9 a.m.-4 p.m. We need adult volunteers to
prune, weed and clean the structures and
reseal them. College Preparatory School’s
freshman class will be there with their
advisors to assist. Bring hand tools and rakes
if you can to lend a hand and keep our beloved
park in tip-top condition.
* NOTE: The Frog Park play structure
will be closed all day Saturday, September
20, for fall maintenance. *
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since 1992
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12.

September 6, 2014
12.

been working to increase the faculty pay.”
Nancy Moore Wright, the housing devel-
oper, also represented her (coincidentally
named) husband Ollie. “I love Bruce Elliott
(who taught on world cities and dressed up in
the garb of each). He’s an entertainer.” One
of her husband’s favorites was “Proust and
His World” given by KPFA/Pacifica Radio
national affairs correspondent Larry  Bensky.
The Wrights, who moved to Rockridge
five years ago, sometimes walk to their OLLI
classes from their lower Broadway Terrace
condo. “We also like taking the bus alongside
the Cal students. Aside from the classes,”
Nancy said, “I like being able to feel like
I’m part of college life, but still being with
my peers. We like being part of the fountain
of youth that is Berkeley.” Others mentioned
that there is general campus access via AC
Transit bus lines 51, 29 and 12, as well as
by BART.
I agree. I did take one class at Lafayette.
And although it was great (music history
with John Prescott) and parking was free,
I missed the Berkeley vibe.
Lee Cohn, the physician who had a
family practice in Berkeley for 40 years,
has generally taken two classes each term
over his three years at OLLI @Berkeley. The
long-time Upper Rockridge resident (the
1991 firestorm came within 100 yards of
his house) is a fan of musicologist Prescott,
calling his course on Gilbert & Sullivan
“just wonderful.” Another seminar-style
class Cohn enjoyed was “The Art of the
Puppeteer.”
Rockridge is also represented among
those teaching in the OLLI @Berkeley
program. Longtime Rockridge resident,
artist and retired San Francisco State art
department chair Sylvia Solochek Walters
taught “Appreciating Prints and Printmak-
ing” – her first OLLI class ever – this past
spring.
“The people were so appreciative,”
the well-known printmaker said. “It was
absolutely delightful to teach the class. I
took them around to different print shops
and galleries in the East Bay. Because they
enjoyed it, I enjoyed it.”
Although I haven’t attended OLLI with
OLLI @Berkeley
from page 6
says. “I’ve made friends especially in the
performing arts group… I’ve also encour-
aged several of my friends to go to OLLI.
That’s how I started.”
Meantime, Marian Whitehead and hus-
band Burns Macdonald, the two physicists,
have been involved since a predecessor
OLLI program in 2003. “We take two
classes,” Whitehead said. “We always take
one course together.” She particularly enjoys
those on foreign policy. Macdonald, who
used to coach the Cal handball team, likes
the “great courses on the Supreme Court.”
Psychologist Roy Kahn has taken two
“absolutely excellent” writing classes through
OLLI @Berkeley. But he enrolls more often
in the Cal State East Bay OLLI program in
Hayward, he said, since the Berkeley classes
cost more than twice as much.
“We know our membership expects a high
quality program,” Levine said. “Our payment
fee and structure reflect that. And we have
➧➧OLLI @Berkeley, page 13
About OLLI
O
LLI – the Osher Lifelong Learning
Institutes – is a network of education
programs for members 50 years old and
up. Students choose classes “for the love of
learning” – no exams, no grades, no credit.
OLLI @Berkeley, housed at UC Berkeley, is
one of nearly 120 OLLI programs nationwide
– at least one in every state plus Washington,
D.C. Two dozen operate within California.
OLLI is the creation of the Bernard
Osher Foundation, headquartered in the Bay
Area. The Foundation aims to improve the
quality of life by supporting higher education
and the arts, through a variety of program
initiatives. Bernard Osher, a Maine native,
was inspired to create OLLI by education
programs specifically designed for seniors at
the University of Southern Maine (USM) and
USF’s Fromm Institute. Key elements were
to include provision of a variety of intellectu-
ally stimulating courses; a university connec-
tion; and strong volunteer involvement by
participants. (For more information on the
nationwide OLLI network, see usm.maine.
edu/olli/national; on the Osher Foundation,
see www.osherfoundation.org.)
About 75 weekly two-hour courses
are offered per year, divided among three
6-week “semesters” and a smaller 4-week
June term. Classes – encompassing the
humanities, sciences, law and public policy,
international affairs, and politics – include a
mix of large lectures, seminars, and work-
shops; there are also special lectures once
a week, and occasional class-related travel.
Most sessions are conducted in downtown
Berkeley, primarily at Freight & Salvage, and
also at the new Magnes Museum and Univer-
sity Hall. A few courses are also scheduled
every term at the Lafayette “satellite,” in the
Lafayette library.
Members can take from one to five or
more courses per term, on variable pay-
ment schedules. More information on OLLI
@Berkeley is available at olli.berkeley.edu.
Other OLLI programs within driving
distance of Rockridge include Cal State-East
Bay; Dominican University (San Rafael); San
Francisco State; Santa Clara University; UC-
Santa Cruz; UC-Davis; and UOP. Informa-
tion on these programs is available through
their websites.
3rd Floor
Market Hall
TM
Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
For a free estimate
call Cydney
Advanced Preventive,  Restorative,  Periodontal  Gum Care,  and Dental Implants.
510•652•4034


13.
September 6, 2014

13.
RDA: “Thank You”

(Litwack) was teaching when I was at Cal
in the ’60s,” she said, “and I couldn’t get
into his class. I finally got to take it. He
was fabulous.” In both her OLLI classes,
“I ran into very good friends,” Dodie told
me. After years of teaching undergradu-
ates, “I’m happy to be in a class with white
hair,” she said.
OLLI @Berkeley
from page 1
from page 12
friends, in my international documentary
film class I spied Rockridge author Chana
Wilson, who I met when our neighborhood
book club read her 2012 memoir, “Riding
Fury Home.” Wilson was taking the course
for her work  on a documentary. Lecturer
Michael Fox’s focus “was on shifting from
the context of the film to pay attention to
the choices of the filmmaker in shaping
the story,” she emailed me. “The class
deepened my understanding of the art of
documentary filmmaking.”
Another Rockridge friend, Joe Lindsay,
turned up in the baseball course. “That
was my first class,” he said. “I enjoyed
Chantler’s manner and the way he interacted
with class members.”
Joe was familiar with OLLI through his
wife, Dodie Lindsay, a retired San Francisco
State teacher who jumped at the chance
to take “America in Crisis from the Civil
War to 2012” taught by Leon Litwack. “He

into a Rockridge establishment and spent
money. “Shop Local, Shop Rockridge” is
the core of our survival, and the benefits
of our success filter into our community
in many ways. We are all proud to be in
the Rockridge Business District. Please,
let us celebrate together: Join us at our
“Rockridge Out & About” from noon to
6 p.m. on Sunday, October 12. It will be
a day of live music, street entertainment,
gourmet food, and more.
Coming Up: Safeway/College
Construction Notes for September
Beginning with the area around the store,
in September you’ll see the construction
of public improvements beginning. This
includes new ADA wheelchair ramps where
the sidewalk meets the street across from
Cole Coffee and Yasai Market on 63rd St.
You’ll also see the construction of new, wider
sidewalks on College, along with a new
sidewalk on the Claremont side of the store.
The retail shops building at the corner
of College and Claremont is framed, with
exterior finishes being applied. Interior

Get the scoop on the fall schedule at olli.berkeley.
edu or by calling 510/642-9934. Open houses
for faculty presentations on this year’s courses
are 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, September 9, at
Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, and 3-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 11, at the Lafayette Library.
As always, your comments and suggestions for col-
umns are welcome by emailing judyberne@att.net.

framing is done, with roof construction to
follow.
The parking deck is about 80 percent
complete. Pouring concrete on the ramp
to College and the entrance on Claremont
comes next. The interior of the store is
coming together quickly. The concrete floors
are being polished, the ceiling and lighting
are going up, the refrigerator cases are being
installed, stock room and employee areas
are being framed, and the wall finishes
are going on.            — Elisabeth Jewell
Rockridge

Optometry
Your neighborhood 
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
Lic. 691894
Martin Coyle       510-655-8717     Mike Tracy
     5221 James Ave. Oakland Ca. 94618
w w w . c o y l e h o m e r e m o d e l . c o m
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.
Ortrun Niesar
Realtor®, BRE #01161032
510.326.2161
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
sothebysrealty.com
Each office is independently owned and  operated


14.

September 6, 2014
14.

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.
Jonathan Dimmock,
Organist for SF Symphony...
and co-founder of American Bach soloists,
in concert Sunday, September 28, 3 pm,
St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 6013 Lawton
at Broadway. BrownPaperTickets.com/
event/811618, $20-adults; $15-seniors &
children; $25 at door. Evensong will follow.
925/284-9090.
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.
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.
Want to dance at your
holiday parties?
Bring your sweetie to our Friday Night Date-
Night dance classes to learn how! Makes a
great gift! Glenview location. Classes start
9/19. Call Chris & David for info: 510-530-7671.
Your Rockridge Specialists
Judith Glass & Sheila Sabine-
The Grubb Company
Now may be the right time for a move. Call
510/326-5055 or email SSabine@Grubbco.com.
Awaken Your Inner
Feminine!
Zrinka Jancic, a spiritual teacher from Croa-
tia, is giving a free lecture on the topic at
the Rockridge Library on September 13 at
3:30 pm. zrijan@yahoo.com 510/646-7104,
www.timelessfemeinie.org
Take A Free Exercise Class
at Sweat – a new boutique studio located
at 5410 College Avenue in Rockridge! Our
bootcamp-style classes are a great way to
reach your fitness goals. Register at www.
sweathealthfitness.com (sign-up as unpaid).
Professional Math Tutor
Offers effective, consistent, and reliable
tutoring for middle/high school and col-
lege/university students (all levels, test
preparations). Former university lecturer
and LBNL researcher with 20 years teaching
experience. Andreas, 510/734-9189, email:
andreaszyx@yahoo.com.
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.
October issue deadline is September 18.
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 a.m.
New beginners start September. BKU METH-
ODIST 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.
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Rockridge Inventory Drought Continues

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

8/4/14
4
2
5339 Thomas Avenue
$1,125,000
$1,125,000 14
$1,210,000
8/5/14      2
 2
5342 Miles Avenue
$849,000
$849,000
10
$1,075,000
8/7/14     1
1
250 Whitmore Street
$255,000
$250,000
40
$245,000
8/8/14  2
1
335 Clifton Street
$749,000
$749,000
17
$921,000
8/22/14 2
2
5416 Broadway
$589,000
$589,000
11
$695,000
8/22/14 3
2
5842 Virmar Avenue
$1,049,000
$1,049,000 8
$1,455,000
Average original list price to sales price is currently 121% · Currently a 2 week supply of inventory
Median sold price is currently $998,000 vs. $800,000 last August·


15.
September 6, 2014

15.

6th Annual Volunteer Fair for
Oakland Schools
Find a volunteer program that’s right for you to help Oak-
land students. Meet the new Superintendent of Schools.
Get linked to school-based volunteer opportunities that
match your interests, schedules and abilities. Volunteers
fully trained before they begin a program. Sept.13 from
10am to 1pm at Lakeview School Auditorium 746 Grand
Avenue (at MacArthur Blvd., across the street from the
Grand Lake Theater). Free Parking in lot behind school.
Presented by Volunteering for Oakland, in partnership
with OUSD. More info: Natalie Van Tassel, 339-9785
or www.volunteeringforoakland.org or contact@volun-
teeringforoakland.org.
Jazz at the Chimes
The Pacific Mozart Ensemble (PME) will present
unplugged, “Jazz Expressions,” the “best-of” arrange-
ments of jazz charts from their acclaimed A Cappella
Jazz& Pop Concert. Sunday, 9/21, 2pm. 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 www.pacificmozart.org. 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.
Wisteria Ways House Concert

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
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. See story, page 7.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
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
sign-up starts 4:45pm at adult reference desk). Lawyer
leaves before 7pm if no more people present.
ART EXHIBITS (subject to change; call to confirm)
Gallery:
Sept: Oakland Art Assn. photography exhibit.
Oct: Oakland Art Assn. painting exhibit.
Lobby Display Case:
Sept: Oakland Art Assn.
Oct: Oakland Art Assn.
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. 9//9.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings Events
FREE and open to the public.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
y
y Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
y
y Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
NOTE: Story Time will go on a brief holiday in the
first week of Sept, and resume on Sept. 11.
FOR TEENS
y
y Sun., 9/7, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Marcia Falk and
Steven Rood.
y
y College Admissions Workshop: Get answers to
common questions and share strategies with high
school students and their families about the college
admissions process. October 4, 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
y
y Big Bad Gina (genre-hoppin’, folkin’-rockin’ brilliant
acoustic to radical electric) with folk/funk diva Laura
Love. Sunday, Sept. 14, 3pm (house opens 2pm).
Outside venue; wheelchair accessible. Bring a
blanket, lawn chair and picnic. Hear them at bigbadgina.
com/home and lauralovemusic.com.
y
y Tue., 9/9, 7pm. Robert Cohen: The Essential Mario
Savio: Speeches and Writings That Changed America.
y
y Thurs., 9/11, 7pm. Local author Meena Srinivasan:
Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of
the Classroom.
y
y Teen Poetry Workshop: Youth Speaks presents writ-
ing and performance workshops. Every Wednesday,
4-5:30pm for ages 13 -19.
y
y Thurs., 9/18, 7pm. Fall Issue Release Party for the
SF literary journal ZYZZYVA. Featured readers: Jill
Logan, Paul Madonna, Kelly Cressio-Moeller,
Joseph di Prisco, and Troy Jollimore. Free snacks
and wine.
y
y Oscar Reynolds & Karumanta: Bolivian folk &
fusion: unites the black rhythms of Bolivia and Peru
with Andean music traditions of the Quechua and
Aymara Indians. Sat., Sept 27, 3pm (house opens
2pm). Outside venue; wheelchair accessible.
Bring a blanket, lawn chair and picnic. Hear them at
www.karumanta.com.
y
y Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Advise the library
how to better serve teens. Get community service
credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st Sat. each
month, 1 to 2pm.
y
y Wed., 9/24, 7pm. Naja Marie Aidt: Baboon.
y
y Rockridge Ninjas: Watch Anime, 5 - 6:30 pm; 2nd
Tues. each month.
y
y Fri., 9/26, 9pm. Live Bluegrass music with Avram
Siegel & guest performers ($10 cover chg.)
y
y Cindy Kallet & Grey Larsen: Traditional and con-
temporary folk and world music. Sun.,Oct 5, 3pm.
Inside venue; not wheelchair accessible. Hear
them at www.kalletlarsen.com.
$15-20 donation for musicians (cash only at the door).
383 61st Street. For reservations (highly recommended),
RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
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 – 10pm. All
levels welcome; all dances taught on the spot. $5-10
sliding scale donation. The Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501
Telegraph Ave. Info: http://squirrellystringband.com/.
Seniors: Free Scam Prevention Seminar
How to recognize and protect against internet, Medicare,
and prescription drug fraud. Presented by the Alameda
Co. District Atty’s Office of Elder Protection Unit. Thurs.,
Oct.2, 10am to noon.
No. Oakland Sr. Center, 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way,
597- 5085. More info: Cheryl Poncini, Deputy Dist. Atty.,
268-7554 or Cheryl.poncini@acgov.org.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown
fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; home-made
bakery items; fresh cut flowers; unique prepared foods,
fresh locally caught fish, handcrafts and more. Sample
the goods; meet the grower; live music. Bring your own
reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph) at
DMV parking lot. More about Certified Farmers’ Markets
at urbanvillageonline.com.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Play video & board games, make crafts,
enjoy light snacks. Every Wednesday, 1:30 to 3:30pm.
FOR ADULTS
y
y Mon., 9/29, 7pm. Michael Cho: Shoplifter; (in con-
versation with editor Chip Kidd).
NOTE: Celebrate our 25th Anniversary: 25 hour
party over 3 days (during business hrs.), starting
3pm, Fri, 9/26 thru Sun. 9/28. Live music, free food
& drinks, games, raffles, prizes & more.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info:
653-9965 or events@dieselbookstore.com
Book Signing at the Pasta Shop
Tanya Holland: Brown Sugar Kitchen: New Style, Down
Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland. Free tastings,
Sat, 9/13, 2 – 4pm. The Pasta Shop in Rockridge Market
Hall, 5655 College Avenue, Oakland. Info: 250.6005 or
www.rockridgemarkethall.com.
y
y 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
each month; 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by the California


16.

September 6, 2014
16.

THINKING OF SELLING
OR RENTING?
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
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
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!
COMING SOON IN
ROCKRIDGE

KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
32
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Playing? Start in Oakland!

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fri-tues
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Living? Love it in Oakland!

“Selecting the right real estate agent can be difficult...what
we didn’t see with anyone else was narrated videos. Claudia’s
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video made us want to buy our house again!”

-Brian & Thuy, Rockridge Sellers
Claudia Mills
Realtor

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.
Ron Kriss, Broker
L A W T O N
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@JPS.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
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
“I know Rockridge”
sm

Local Expertise • Cutting Edge Marketing
Buyer/Seller Representation
510.350.6419  |  cmills@mcguire.com
ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com