Extracted text · highlighting “Monte McClane”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 29    NO. 10    ISSUE NO. 316    November 6, 2014                    CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

Shape-Shifters Throng College Avenue
Crowded Retail Center Enjoys 22nd Annual Halloween Parade


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
Presbyterian Church
Hosts Community
Thanksgiving Meal
by Pastor Monte McClane
For nearly 30 years, the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church community
has hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day
Community Meal.
Initially begun to build a deeper sense
of community in our neighborhood and to
respond to concrete needs, the meal con-
tinues year after year to work towards that

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Photo credits:

Lisa McNally

Michael Eastman
	 Don Kinkead
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P
Pi
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:
:
20
Town Hall • AGENDA • November 20
  Hey, What’s Shakin’? 
EQ and Disaster Preparedness
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
Come
at 7 for
pizza and
r
r
r
r
o
o
o
o
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c
f
f
k
k
s
s
u
u
r
r
i
i
n
n
d
d
i
i
g
g
friends
friends
o
o
e
e
J
J
.
.
o
o
r
r
No one can say when or where
the next earthquake or other
disaster will strike, but everyone CAN
be prepared. The RCPC November Town
Hall presents resources for that preparation;
g
g
Training program with
handouts for further information.
Rockridge resident Carol Strickman,
former CORE teacher and trainer,
will speak on her experience as a neigh-
borhood organizer and discuss the CORE
I, II and III training levels.
Jeff Morelli of CORE Oakland
will give a brief overview of the CORE
(To  Page 13)
Thursday, November 20 | 7:30-9 p.m. Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College at Manila
Pizza and Friends: 7 p.m. | Program: 7:30 | Please RSVP   info@rockridge.org

➧➧Community Meal, page 11
■  NO December Town Hall — Happy Holidays!  ■


2.

November 6, 2014
2.

Appointment Brings RCPC Board to Full Count
Glendale Avenue resident
Brendan Havenar-Daughton
became the latest member of
RCPC’s board of directors when
he was appointed in October to fill
a recently vacated seat, bringing the
board to its full complement of 14
members.
Born and raised in Rockridge,
the new board member cut his teeth
in community service delivering
The Rockridge News to neighbors
with his late father, dedicated com-
munity activist Patrick Daughton.
Later, in college, he furthered his
connection with the newsletter when he
submitted articles seeking reader support
for the Finca Project, an NGO (non-
governmental organization) he founded,
dedicated to small-scale reforestation and
related community education in Costa Rica.
Now, with degrees in international
affairs and natural resource management,
Havenar-Daughton continues to address
environmental challenges. He is the senior
program manager for the East Bay Energy
Watch, a partnership between Alameda
and Contra Costa counties and PG&E,
working to help residents, businesses and
municipalities save energy and money, and
reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He has

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
                  5366 College Avenue
                   at Manila | 597-5017
also worked with the
city of Oakland on
energy conservation
programs.
In a personal
statement about his
interest in board
service, Havenar-
Daughton wrote, “I
was born and raised
in Rockridge and I
am proud to call Oak-
land home. I attended
Peralta Elementary,
Claremont Middle
School and Oakland Technical High School.
Over the decades, I have seen College
Avenue transform and I feel compelled
and excited to contribute and ensure its
continued sustainable development.
“What draws me to serve our community
is my belief that community health is directly
correlated with community engagement. Just
as highly engaged and supportive parents
can be instrumental in the success of a
school, engaged and action-oriented com-
munity members are critical to sustaining
a vibrant and healthy community.”
Welcome, Brendan Havenar-Daughton.
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
Programs/Events/Hours:
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
Barry Kaufman	�������������������Rockridge Cornucopia
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, Brendan Havenar-Daughton,
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
Newsletter Subscriptions
Board appointee Brendan
Havenar-Daughton.
/Brendan Havenar-Daughton
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
From material provided by the appointee.
To check out a laptop, you need a valid
Oakland Public Library card and a piece of
mail or identification that shows your current
address. Then, sign a portable electronic
device use agreement and you’re ready to
use an available laptop inside the library.
Children’s Librarian Erica Siskind shared
how a family benefitted from the lending
program: “A mom with her four- and seven-
year-old children came into the library.
They didn’t have a computer at home, and
the mom needed to type a resume, fill out
some online work applications, and take
care of email. The mom checked out a
laptop and sat at the table in the children’s
area, where she could easily observe her
younger daughter playing with toys, coloring
with other children, and looking at books,
while she completed her work. Her son
played educational games on the children’s
computer, also within sight of his mom.
Everyone was happy.”
The laptops were also a boon during
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
Lending Laptops
at the Library
by Sarah Washburn, Friends of the
Rockridge Library boardmember
The Rockridge Library has a new program
for Oakland Public Library cardholders:
laptop checkout for use in the library.
Maybe you have a big project you’re
working on that might take a couple of
hours (workstations have a one-hour limit),
or perhaps you’d prefer to settle in to the
cozy chairs near the newspapers to work.
Check out a laptop and you’re assured two
hours to get your work done. Whatever
your needs, the Rockridge Library has five
laptops available for use in the library. Just
ask at the Reference Desk.
Articles submitted for publication may
be e-mailed or mailed to the above addresses.
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. Views expressed in articles accepted for
publication do not necessarily reflect those of The
Rockridge News, its editor, or the board of directors of
the Rockridge Community Planning Council. To reprint
a Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
  December 6, 2014
  December deadline is November 20, 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.)
➧➧Laptops at the Library, page 10


3.
November 6, 2014

3.

The November Land Use Committee meeting
is Wednesday, November 26, 7:30 p.m. in
a meeting place to be determined
(library meeting room unavailable).
Check at the RCPC website – rockridge.org
– for location and agenda, or call co-chair
Stu Flashman at 652-5373. Meetings are open
to the public.
at that corner. Latest negotiations are still
in progress.
any use occupying more than 5,000 sq ft.
The provision is in recognition that gener-
ally large uses have greater impacts (e.g.,
parking and traffic) and are more likely
to be inconsistent with College Avenue’s
intended pedestrian orientation. However,
a hardware store is a traditional use for a
neighborhood retail area, and a hardware
store — at least, a successful one — can’t
exist unless it’s at least 5,000 sq.ft.
Thus, the question raised is whether
CN-1’s uniform 5,000 sq.ft. threshold for
a use permit is too broad, and perhaps
ought to be more fine-grained.
To discuss this and other related Col-
lege Avenue zoning questions (e.g., should
use permits be specific to their approved
location and end when the business closes
or moves), RCPC has opened discussions
with the Planning Department about look-
ing at what makes sense for the future of
College Avenue’s zoning. RCPC represen-
tatives will meet with the city in the near
future to discuss whether it makes sense
to initiate a detailed study of how College
Avenue can continue and improve upon its
current success as a neighborhood retail
area. More on this in the December issue.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center –
Broadway and Pleasant Valley
This large project is supposed to begin
construction next month with the tear-down
of the CVS store building. Jamba Juice
and Starbucks have already moved over
to the AAA building across the parking
lot, because their old building will also
be demolished. Construction of the new
Safeway may start as early as January.
Side note: Demolition in preparation for
the new Merrill Gardens senior housing
project across Broadway from the shop-
ping center should also be starting shortly.
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project – College and
Claremont Avenues
You have probably noticed, if you’ve
been past the site, that construction on the
College Avenue Safeway store is moving
along, but not at the pace Safeway had
hoped. The opening date has now slipped
into December. Still, the street and side-
walk work is almost done, so disruption to
pedestrian and automotive traffic should
soon be a thing of the past. (Whew!) Call
RCPC (869-4200) with any problems or
concerns you may have. Safeway has not
yet confirmed who the tenants will be in
the retail building, so last month’s listing
must still be considered tentative. Some
tenants may also require use permits, which
will, in turn, require a public process. The
latest construction snafu is that the oak
tree planned for the “point” at the corner
of College and Claremont avenues may
conflict with placement of a traffic signal
■
■Discussion: College Avenue
Retail Zoning Study
As last month’s Rockridge News
announced, Cole Hardware will be opening
on College Avenue in the space formerly
occupied by the Fenton MacLaren furniture
store (and before that, by Such a Business,
a children’s store). The backstory is that it
almost didn’t happen.
As it turns out, that building space is
more than 9,000 sq. ft., and College Ave-
nue’s CN-1 zoning requires a use permit for
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4.

November 6, 2014
4.

College Avenue: Variety; Endurance; Excitement

Art on the Avenue:
Adria Peterson

Long Time on the Avenue for Many Merchants
More Years of Merchants’ Service: Part 3
Following is the third in our series of businesses in business on College Avenue at
least 25 years. There are more to come. If your business has been on the Avenue (or
adjacent to it) that long, email editor@rockridge.org. We want readers of The Rockrdige
News to know about you and to stop in to see what you offer.

by Carl Schmitz
Next door to Rockridge’s CCA Galleries,
a testing ground for new artists, is
the studio of Adria Peterson, one of the
neighborhood’s established artists. Since
1999, she has shared space at 5253 College
Avenue with her
husband, architect
Kirk E. Peterson, in
the building some
may remember as a
long-gone imports
store.
Raised in Dela-
ware and an alumna
of the Rhode Island
School of Design,
Adria Peterson moved
to the Bay Area in
1976. Her father, the
artist Domenico Mort-
ellito, began his career
with the Works Progress Administration in
by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC boardmember
■	 Claremont Day Nursery opened in 1942
and is one of three daytime nursery schools
owned by Tom Morabito. The location at
5830 College Avenue, near the intersec-
tion with Chabot Road, was a miniature
golf course prior to becoming a toddler
day care program and retains vestiges of
that past. For example, the front counter
where golfers picked up a putter is now a
reception area for youngsters. To care for
30 children from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., including
lunch, snacks and a good nap, the toddler
day care center has dedicated providers,
some of whom have worked there more
than 25 years. Children come primarily
from the neighborhood, although that is
not a requirement. Judging by the number
of strollers I see on College Avenue these
days, Tom can expect to remain full for
many years to come; I am sure the parents
of today’s babes-in-arms are happy to hear
that he’ll be there waiting for their call when
the time comes.
■	 The Graduate bar, 6202 Claremont
Avenue just up from College Avenue, began
life in 1963, possibly named after the book
also published that year, and a few years
before Dustin Hoffman brought the movie
to life. The East Bay Express voted it “the
best dive bar” in 2010. You might not think
that a compliment, but it is. The term defines
a bar’s clientele, its free popcorn, and its
atmosphere, but what the bar must have is
“dirt-cheap drinks.” During the day, the
establishment hosts an older crowd which
gets younger as the evening wears on.
The place can be especially crowded on
the weekends with students and discount
beer. Hungry? You can have a nice meal
delivered while you enjoy your beer. The
bar is conveniently located next door to
the Claremont Diner at 6200 Claremont.
The two establishments have a common
owner, Javad Parsa, who will arrange for
your lunch or dinner order to be brought
over to the Graduate by a server.
Today’s Claremont Diner sits on the
site of a one-time Baskin-Robbins ice
cream store. Javad purchased that business,
remodeled it to a diner and opened in 1989.
The menu is traditional American fare such
as pork chops, BLTs, and patty melts, but
Javad blends in a few of his home country’s
specialties, such as Persian Kebabs, as
well. One of the diner’s unusual features
is the model train running on tracks close
to the ceiling. Javed added the HO Gauge
model trains himself. They often run on
weekends and holidays. The vintage radios
also make you feel like you are in a ’60s
diner anywhere in America.
■	 First Federal Savings & Loan, 6058
College, opened its doors in 1972. Its focus
has always been as a community bank,
involved in local activities. It does offer ATM
services and loans to small businesses and
“Heron,”
©Adria Peterson
➧➧Art on the Avenue, page 12
’Tis The Season for
Holiday Dinner Help
by Lauren Herpich
The last two months of the year are always
filled with the sounds of holiday cheer:
the jingle of bells, the crunch of shopping
bags being filled with goodies and holiday
music being played on our Pandora stations.
But with all of that hustle and bustle,
sometimes we can also find ourselves
➧➧Years of Service, page 12
➧➧Holiday Meals Help, page 13






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5.
November 6, 2014

5.

COLE! HARDWARE!

Frog Park: Thankful
for Cactus Taqueria’s
Generous Swings
Donation
It’s the season of
thanks, and this year
we want to thank the
individuals, businesses
and foundations that have
helped us raise more than
$35,000 ($950 of it at our Rockridge Out
and About booth alone) for toddler swings
and new play features at Rockridge’s own
Frog Park.
Our goal is to raise the final $15,000
this year; as we approach the season of
giving, please consider giving back to the
park that has given so much to our families
and our community. Donate at frogpark.
org/swings.
A special thanks to Cactus Taqueria and
the Wilson family for their $3,000 donation.
The best part? That money will be matched
by an anonymous local foundation. The
foundation is matching up to $7,000 in
business donations; other local businesses
can also stretch their dollars through
December 31. Contact info@frogpark.org
to learn more about this matching fund.
More Jules Pizza and Pasta
Pomodoro = More Swings
Two favorite family restaurants on
College are donating 10-20 percent of
of their sales on special nights in November
to Frog Park’s swings fundraiser. Make your
lunch and dinner plans now, and you’ll be
supporting local restaurants and Frog Park.
by Don Kinkead, editor
Br e a t h e s  t h e r e  a
Rockridge resident
who has not, at one time or
another, cried in frustration;
“Oh! To have a hardware
store in Rockridge!”?
It’s not that hardware-
stores are unavailable. There
is Home Depot, of course. In
Emeryville. There is an Ace
on Grand Avenue. In Pied-
mont. And, true, Oakland
has Ace Ellis Hardware on
Martin Luther King Jr Way.
But these are not places
of one’s own. These are not
the beloved – and long-
gone – Fiorio Hardware on
Telegraph Avenue with its
oiled wooden floors or the
lamented G&G Hardware,
a block or so away from
Fiorio, with its helpful – and
occasionally querulous –
extended family behind the
counter. No, these are not
even Elmwood’s cooly effi-
cient Bolfing’s Hardware.
Those are gone. All gone.
But, the wheel is turn-
ing and the news is good:
Rockridge is destined to
be home for a new Cole
Hardware branch. Cole,
the growing merchandising
progressing to her current
position. She looks forward
to being “the face of the
store, and to interacting with
the community.”
Asked about the recep-
tion Cole has received in
Rockridge, Tessa and David
both said they had been
“blown away by the enthu-
siasm for the store. A lot
of people at Out and About
said how happy they were,
and we had a really good
response to a job fair we
held at the store location.”
The job fair was a key
expression of the Cole plan
to staff the store locally. “We
are looking for people with
strong product knowledge
in plumbing and electrical
areas,” Tessa explained, and
offered the store’s web link
– http://www.colehardware.
com/ – for information and
application forms. (Employ-
ment information is under
“About Us.”)
Plans for the store’s
opening continue to be
geared toward a debut early
in January 2015. At least one
long-time frustration can
soon be put to rest. Now,
which screwdriver...?
F
R
O
G
Par
k
Tessa Riley and David
Karp at the entrance
to Cole Hardware.
/Don Kinkead
legend that started with a
single store on Cole Street
at the foot of San Francisco’s
Parnassus Heights has now
grown to four renowned
stores in the City by the Bay.
Late in October, The
Rockridge News ventured
across the Bay Bridge to
visit Cole Hardware and
talk with the manager-to-
be of the Rockridge store,
and with David Karp, son
of the owner.
Tessa Riley (“Just Tessa
or Tess; it’s not short for any-
thing”), assistant manager at
the Cole Street store, is to
be manager of the Rockridge
store. She started with Cole
five years ago as a cashier,
November 19: Eat at Jules Thin Crust
on College
 
  November 23, 24 or 25: Eat at Pasta
Pomodoro on College (important:
mention Frog Park to your server)
Thanks to our College Avenue Jules and
Pasta Pomodoro for their support.
Facebook Photo Contest
If you’re at Frog Park enjoying the fall
weather, pull out your smart phone and
snap a photo of your children having fun.
Post it to our Facebook page (facebook.com/
frogpark) by the end of November and you
could win one of two $25 gift certificates
to a local Rockridge bookstore (just in time
for the holidays).


6.

November 6, 2014
6.

Eyes on Rockridge
Fairy tales sometimes come true
for aspiring actors, as Nancy Morton,
below left, and Grace Poon won
small parts at open auditions for last
year’s East Bay Children’s Theatre
production. Morton went on to become
president of the theater group’s board
and Poon joined as a new member.
Neighborhood Go-getter Sets Her
Sights on Keeping Beloved Children’s
Theatre Group on Stage
/Courtesy of Nancy Morton
by Judith Doner Berne
‘I
hadn’t been in a show since third grade,”
confides Nancy Morton, the recently
elected board president of the long-running
East Bay Children’s Theatre (EBCT).
But last year, she came full circle, making
her adult debut as a townsperson in EBCT’s
production of “Jack and the Beanstalk and the
Giant, and the Goose, and the Really-Truly-
Uly Rotten Day” in front of third graders plus
other pre-K to 5th-grade students. “I only
had a few lines,” Morton is quick to tell me.
For more than 80 years, the non-profit
group has presented musical theater take-offs
of traditional folk and fairy tales without
charge, mainly to elementary schools in
Oakland. Its funding comes from grants,
donations and public performances, which
this coming year will be held March 15 at
Berkeley’s East Bay Jewish Community
Center and March 22 at the Lafayette Town
Hall.
The EBCT, begun in 1933, bills itself as
“the oldest continuously performing theatre
company in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Although its productions are written, directed
and staged by professionals, it is volunteers
such as Morton who perform, help with
costumes and sets and handle lighting and
sound. (The EBCT shouldn’t
be confused with the Bay
Area Children’s Theatre,
begun in 2004.)
Morton was brave enough
to let me attend the first
general membership meeting
she chaired as 15 members
gathered on a Septem-
ber morning in her sunny
Rockridge bungalow, very
close to where I live.
I had been to her home
twice before. Once, she
spontaneously invited my husband and me
to her annual Christmas party as I walked
by her house during our first holiday season
after we moved from the Detroit area.
Some months later, we got an invite to an
impromptu summer Solstice celebration.
“Any excuse for a party,” says this free spirit
who attended Burning Man two years ago
for the first time.
Morton grew up in Pasadena and majored
in English at UCLA, but then became a
banker. She moved first to Berkeley, then
to San Francisco. At a time when she was
between jobs, she bought her house in
Rockridge.
That was 1995: “Lucky me. I ended up
living in Rockridge at a time when you could
afford it.” She answered “a little ad in The
Rockridge News” about selling advertising
for the paper. “I did it for a couple of years
to get connected with the neighborhood.” In
those days, she said, “I had to scour around
for those ads.”
Then, “I reinvented myself as a book-
keeper for nonprofits,” until her retirement
several years ago. Meanwhile, she still helps
bundle the newsletter for its monthly distri-
bution in Rockridge and delivers a batch to
a street near her home.
➧➧Go-getter Trods the Boards, page 7
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7.
November 6, 2014

7.
Go-getter Trods
the Boards

“They’re wonderful,” says longtime
Peralta principal Rosette Costello, of the
troupe. “They’re responsive. They truly
love what they’re doing. They would never
be invited back if they weren’t wonderful.”
The EBCT also delivers an educational
guide to teachers ahead of each performance.
“A lot of our members come from teaching,”
Morton says. “This year they are working
hard to incorporate it with the new CORE
curriculum.”
One of those charged with developing the
guide is Barbara Sloane, a 20-year member,
who first met Morton at last year’s auditions.
“Nancy immediately began asking people we
hadn’t thought of to join. She’s a go-getter.
She won’t let people say no.”
“Nancy is a real ‘pick up the ball and run
with it’ kind of person,” Kulberg seconds.
“She’s very generous, open, thorough – and
a lot of fun.”
But don’t look for her on stage this Feb-
ruary and March, which EBCT members
refer to as “the trouping season.” “I think
I will forgo performing in order to focus
on rebuilding the organization,” Morton
told me. “There’s so much to do, including
growing our membership.”
Still, she makes time to volunteer for
North Oakland Village, which works to keep
area seniors living in their own homes. “I
set up their books and I drive for them,” she
says. “I just feel we need to help while we
can when we can. It’s the right thing to do.”
from page 6
As for a lot of organizations that started
way back when, the challenge for EBCT
is to bring in newcomers. What a perfect
entrance for – drum roll please – the recently
retired Morton.
The backstory is that Morton, always
an avid theatergoer, rediscovered her love
to be part of show biz when she celebrated
her 65th birthday in January 2013. “I threw
myself a big birthday party, rented a hall and
created a slide show of my life,” she says.
Then she lured six people she knew from
the Montclair Presbyterian Church Choir to
perform as a sort of Greek chorus, singing
lyrics she wrote set to well-known melodies.
“I realized I was sort of the executive pro-
ducer of this show.” That prompted her to
confide to her friend Sari Kulberg that, “I
really want to do something with theater.” It
was Kulberg, a member for about 10 years,
who told her about the EBCT.
“Anybody that I find who’s interested in
theater, I direct to the East Bay Children’s
Theatre,” says Kulberg, who has lived 47
years in the same Rockridge house. “Their
productions bring kids to life. Everybody –
adults and kids – has something to love about
the plays.” This year’s production – “There’s
No Business Like Shoe Business” – based
on “The Elves and the Shoemaker” fairy
tale, will be given at 11 schools, including
Peralta Elementary which many Rockridge
students attend.
The EBCT welcomes new members and donations,
and holds open auditions for roles in their annual
productions. Go to ebctonline.org for further
information. As always, your comments and story
ideas are welcome by emailing judyberne@att.net.

Oakland School
Board Director
Jody London
Invites you to a North Oakland
Community Meeting, featuring
Superintendent Antwan Wilson,
Wednesday, November 12
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Chabot Elementary School, 6686
Chabot Road. • Meet our new
Superintendent; • Learn about
Oakland’s education priorities;
• Provide your ideas.
Opportunity to enroll in Covered
California, the State’s health
insurance exchange.
Childcare available. Please contact
Jody London, 510/459-0667 or
jody.london@ousdk12.ca.us
to reserve a spot for your child
To RSVP, or for more
information, contact
Jody London
LAW OFFICES OF
KYLE M. JOHNSTON
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
CALL FOR YOUR FREE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
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eye
REALTOR® – DRE# 01919653
510.919.8997
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8.

November 6, 2014
8.

Fund raised over $100,000, primarily from
alumni of the 1950s. Lauralee and Suzanne
Westaway, lifelong Rockridge residents,
have been active members. Suzanne uti-
lized the skills she learned as editor of the
school newspaper, Scribe News, to create a
library fund newsletter to keep classmates
connected with the school and to solicit
donations. Classmates Elaine Selle Gal-
laher and Roberta Christianson served as
secretary and treasurer and their friends
Lily Brooks Toney and Katy Hollis Emerson
threw themselves into the effort as well.
Library nonprofit broadens
The group is now “graduating” from
its fundraising and passing the baton to
the newly formed Tech Parent Emeritus
Committee, made up of parents who want
to give back to the school that launched
their children.
The Parent Emeritus Committee is
organizing a celebratory fundraising event
open to all and tied in with the school’s
Centennial– the Technites Past and Present
Talent Showcase on February 8 in Tech’s
newly refurbished auditorium (another
PTSA fundraising effort). They have lined
up amazingly talented singers, dancers, and
musicians from the 1940s on. For more
information, or if you are a Tech graduate
and would like to perform, contact techtal-
entshow@gmail.com.
So, it isn’t only colleges that keep their
alumni involved. Tech has a growing com-
munity of involved and inspiring alumni
right here in Oakland. Join in by support-
ing these two great programs so they can
continue to support Oakland Tech students.

Ties That Bind: Tech Alumni and Parents Stay
Connected to their School Through Giving Back

by Cathy Rosenfeld, parent of a Tech
senior and a PTSA historian
Many colleges aggressively solicit
donations from their alumni. High
schools, particularly public schools, generally
don’t do this type of outreach, but that hasn’t
stopped some fiercely loyal 1950s Oakland
Tech graduates from helping current Tech
students in concrete ways.
Graduates create a foundation
Ernie Goldsby (OT ’58) and his wife
Henrietta and a group of 1950s alumni
including Suzanne (OT ’54) and Lauralee
(OT ’57) Westaway, lifelong Rockridge
residents, have helped students graduate
and go to college and, in the process, have
touched countless lives.
Ernie Goldsby had two passions at Tech:
baseball and music. When he started at Tech,
he had been playing baseball for years, but
had never played an instrument. At Tech he
learned to play both trombone and tuba; his
dance band was so good, it was hired to play
at other schools’ dances. After graduation,
Ernie played a year in the Minor Leagues,
served in the Army, and worked for the
post office. In 2004, his wife Henrietta,
who grew up in Tennessee, wanted to mark
Ernie’s “big birthday.” At a surprise party
attended by his Tech baseball buddies, she
presented him with a letterman jacket and
a college scholarship in his name for a
current Tech baseball player. A few years
later, Henrietta took up painting. People
liked her art so much that she decided to
sell it to create a more permanent scholar-
ship at Ernie’s old school. With proceeds
from online and gallery sales of Henrietta’s
“modern folk art,” the Ernest and Henrietta
Goldsby Foundation has awarded college
scholarships to eight Tech students. In 2012,
Ernie Goldsby
Oakland Tech ’58
the foundation “Art for Catching a Dream”
(http://www.artforcatchingadream.org) was
awarded 501(c)(3) status. Its mission is to
help Tech students “catch their dreams,” just
as Ernie, with dreams of his own, caught
baseballs years ago at Tech.
Class of ’54 saves accreditation
When Tech’s class of 1954 had its 50th
reunion, classmate Henry Ramirez, then a
counselor at Tech, told the group that prob-
lems with Tech’s library were putting the
school in danger of losing its accreditation.
The class formed a nonprofit and raised over
$24,000 to purchase a copy machine, bar-
coding machinery, and books. The school’s
accreditation was saved and the Library
Fund turned to funding an after-school peer
tutoring program. Academically success-
ful students were hired to tutor struggling
students.
Over 20 years, the OT Alumni & Library
Scene at Out and About
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”
“Rockridge Leashes”
RebeccaMeredith.com


9.
November 6, 2014

9.

dock (talk about too tall) and that wall on
Claremont.
Are any trees or shrubs planned? The
project architect did a nice job with the
Whole Foods on 27th Street, mixing old
with new. Would it have been too difficult
to design a building that fits in our neigh-
borhood? Safeway must think this is all
we deserve.
I know where I won’t be spending my
money.
— John Dal Pino
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 published
are the writer’s own, and may not necessarily be shared by the editor, or by
the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC).
more traffic lights, more noise, lots of brick
on mortar and deep disregard. They had a
real opportunity to make something that
looked to the future model of a store, not
to a tired one. I will not be seen in that
store when it opens, except on the rarest
of occasions. I simply do not want in any
way to give affirmation to this degree of
disrespect and pursuit of crass profit.
— Camille Reed
More Like an Invasion Than a
Supermarket
Editor:
I am watching with heightened distress
as I see the new Safeway on College go
higher and wider. More and more, I am
reminded that our consideration of a store
that respected the scale and ethic of our
neighborhood has given way to Safeway’s
failing model for increased square-foot
profit.
These days, people want a smaller, more
farm-friendly supermarket integrated into
the neighborhood such as the Safeway
in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto and on
Oakland’s Grand Avenue. That Safeway
model was ignored in Rockridge. I feel
steamrollered and invaded.
I am grateful to the neighborhood
committee that worked so hard to keep
this Safeway at a scale that respected our
neighborhood. Alas, they did as much as
they could but did not succeed. And our
city fathers, in my experience going to
the meetings, seemed so insensitive to our
neighborhood concerns.
I do not respect what Safeway has done
and I do not think they respected us. Short-
sighted profit spoke to them; our treasured
shopping community and the essence of it
did not. They have given us more traffic,
Fireplace Smoke a Nuisance
and a Hazard
Editor:
I am writing this on a fall evening,
at 10:30 p.m. It was 90 degrees today in
Rockridge and is around 70 degrees now.
My windows are open because I am still
trying to cool down my house. But in through
two windows comes wood smoke in rather
a large quantity. From where? A fire pit, a
restaurant with a wood burning oven, or,
hard to believe, someone’s indoor fireplace?
At any rate, one would like to be safe from
someone else’s wood smoke in their own
home. Closing the windows, I find it hard
not to be annoyed.
Fireplace smoke is a small particle
pollutant, which is of special concern because
its minute size allows it to move deep into
lung tissue and remain there. For vulnerable
persons, with asthma, respiratory issues,
heart conditions, it is a special health risk.
Please be aware that when you are burning
wood in your cozy fireplace or fire pit, its
smoke is not contained in your dwelling or
on your property, but goes floating along a
street or two where people may be walking,
gardening, bicycling, running. It can enter
open windows of neighboring homes. If the
fire has just started or is dying, the smoke
can be especially heavy and unpleasant.
— Mary Jane Makar
The New Safeway Project: a
Comment from a Neighbor
Editor:
I was part of the “it’s too big” crowd and
worked to get signatures on the petitions.
But after seeing the final project, should
we have just let Safeway build what they
had wanted to in the first place?
Major projects are a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to improve and revitalize, or
set a new higher standard, for an area.
Bettering a gas station and a run-down
1960s building wasn’t much of a hurdle,
but collectively, I think we missed. Archi-
tecturally, we ended up with an In-and-Out
Burger on the corner (with no architectural
linkage to the existing neighborhood) and
a tricked-up McDonald’s behind with the
arches to boot.
The worst is the brutalist loading
Rockridge Continues to Surge in Flat Fall Market

Closing date BR BA Address
Original price List price  DOM
Selling price
10/1/14     3
1
5977 Keith Avenue
$629,000
$629,000
53
$600,000

10/2/14    3
2
390 50th Street
$635,000
$635,000
14
$805,000
10/17/14 3
2
6116 Hillegass Avenue
$850,000
$850,000
16
$935,000
10/23/14 2
1
5243 Locksley Avenue
$815,000
$815,000
12
$1,100,000
4 Rockridge sales – same as October 2013 · Currently a 23 day supply of inventory
Median sold price is currently $870,000 vs. $700,950 last October ·


10.

November 6, 2014
10.

Laptops at
the Library
from page 2
open enrollment for the Affordable Care
Act, during which the library hosted popular
sessions to help people sign up for insur-
ance. The mobility of the laptops meant that
the library could hold separate sessions in
the meeting room, allowing individualized
support to those navigating the system, all
without disturbing others in the library.
The Friends of the Rockridge Library
(FORL) purchased the five laptops for the
new laptop checkout program that began
in March. FORL collaborates with library
leadership and staff to determine funding
needs for the library and community. In
hundreds of libraries across the country,
laptop checkout programs have expanded
access to technology and allowed libraries
more flexibility for training, to address
space constraints, and to facilitate mobile
programs.
The Rockridge Library is excited to offer
this resource to the community.

At RCPC’s October Board Meeting
The RCPC board of directors presents
the following list of items discussed
at its most recent meeting, to increase
community awareness of issues consid-
ered and acted upon.
At its October meeting, the RCPC board
covered the following topics:
corner of College and Claremont). [See
Land Use Committee report, page 3,
for more on this topic. — Ed.]
■
■Reviewed results of conversations
regarding changes in access to the
Dreyer’s parking lot. The company will
allow the College Avenue Presbyterian
Church to continue using the lot; the lot
will be available to the public during
retail hours; and people will continue
to be able to walk through the lot.
■
■Interviewed candidates to fill an open
board seat. Appointed Brendan Havenar-
Daughton to the position. (See story
and photo, page 2.)
■
■Discussed AC Transit’s plans to move
some College Avenue bus stops. The
board was opposed to any changes to
the current location of the stops unless
more information becomes available
showing that such changes would
significantly improve public transit
service to Rockridge residents without
also impacting services on College in
a way that would likely be considered
a net negative.
■
■Scenic Streets update by group organizer
Peter Lund (http://www.scenicstreets.
org/).
■
■Finalized plans for October events
(RCPC’s booth for Out and About and
the Halloween Parade collaboration with
RDA (Rockridge District Association)).
■
■Reviewed action items for annual board
planning retreat.
■
■Reviewed progress and next steps related
to “Rockridge Vision Conversation.”

■
■Noted that College Avenue under the
Hwy 24 overpass and BART pedestrian
walkway is scheduled to be repaved
“within a year” according to the city’s
Public Works Agency. [Ed. Note: Shortly
before press time, an agency representa-
tive reported the deteriorating asphalt
would be replaced soon – weather
permitting – with compacted crushed
aggregate base and asphalt pavement,
removing most of the potholes and ruts
in the existing pavement. The finish, or
top, coat will be applied at a later date
in the contract period.]
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339

Find out more about FORL, its programs, and
how you can help at www.RockridgeFriends.org
Henry C. Levy & Co.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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

■
■Discussed material planned for the
November Rockridge News.
■
■Reviewed plans for October and Novem-
ber Town Halls.
■
■Reviewed the Nautilus development
proposal at 51st and Telegraph as
presented at the most recent Land Use
Committee meeting.
■
■Reviewed the status of construction at
the College Avenue Safeway, including
placements of light posts on Claremont
and plans for trees (still expected to be
sycamore on College and an oak at the


11.
November 6, 2014

11.
Community Meal

It is an opportunity as a community to
respond to the needs of those struggling
with hunger, solitude and joblessness.
The meal serves between 200 to 300
people and involves over 50 volunteers
gathered in the shared desire to make
this event possible. It is open and free for
everyone.
Donations of money and
food are gratefully accepted.
It’s because of such donations
that the meal takes place.
You can also give of your
time. Help is needed beginning Monday,
November 24 through Wednesday the 26th
to prepare, set up and decorate the church
gym for the meal. Significant help is needed
the day of the event to set up, cook, serve
and clean up. (The latter requires the most
work and often is the one the least number
of people sign up for.)
To volunteer, sign up online or find a
donation list in the Thanksgiving section on
the church website at www.capcoakland.
org or contact Kathryn in the church office,
capc1@sbcglobal.net, or 658-3665.
Safeway on College
Construction Update
Store Opening Delayed
from page 1
goal. Then, Rockridge was emerging from
the shadow of transformation caused by
the building of Highway 24 and the BART
station. Today, Rockridge is
established as a vibrant com-
munity of families and of widely
appreciated resources.
The Judeo-Christian tradi-
tion defines a community in
which those who are have the least among
us — the widow, the orphan and the for-
eigner— are not only not forgotten, but also
have their place. Our annual Community
Thanksgiving Meal is a way in which we
serve each other, investing our time and
resources to care for others, including the
urban poor, the homeless, and the elderly
who are often alone at the holidays.
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
will hold its annual meal on Thanksgiving
Day, November 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at 5951
College Avenue.
/Elisabeth Jewel
by Elisabeth Jewel, AJE Partners
The opening of the new Safeway store has
been delayed to mid-December due to
multiple factors. Safeway, at the direction
of the city of Oakland, was required to
install new storm drains, water pipes, sewer
pipes, fire hydrants, street lights, traffic
lights, ADA ramps, and more. Safeway’s
construction schedule, dependent on
EBMUD and PG&E to complete its portion
of the improvements, was unfortunately
pushed back to accommodate delays beyond
its control.
Construction crews are working to com-
plete improvements on College Avenue in
the next week to return parking spaces to
public use and eliminate lane restrictions
as we move into the holiday shopping
season. There will continue to be a closed
lane on Claremont as the exterior work is
finalized and crews turn their attention to
the store interior.
Expect to see crews working in the
intersection of College and Claremont as
they pull conduit for the new traffic sig-
nals. There will be intermittent delays in
the intersection as work moves through a
series of underground vaults that control
the signals.
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate

There is no ‘Fall’ when it comes to Rockridge real estate prices this year. We are still seeing multiple offers well over
the asking price on ‘most’ properties. Feel free to contact me for a home evaluation. Experience the value from the
knowledge gained on 175+ transactions worth $125M+

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! There’s no better time to express thanks for how fortunate we are to live in this community. It’s
been fun to see so many neighborhood block parties, including on our very own street on Taft Avenue! Thanks neighbors!
Looking forward to our new hardware store coming soon. What else are you thankful for? I’m very grateful to my family for
their love and support, my friends, colleagues, where & how we live in our home, neighborhood and Bay Area.

Pending: 5857 Ocean View Drive, listed @ $1,100,000 representing buyers
Leased: 5268 Locksley, 1BD, $2,350/mo
Call for a real local expert opinion.
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Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate
510.813.3799  PerryRiani@gmail.com
License # 01402540


12.

November 6, 2014
12.

Art on the Avenue
from page 4
the ’30s. His work was shown a few years
ago as part of an exhibition celebrating the
75th anniversary of the WPA at Walnut
Creek’s Bedford Gallery. Because her
father kept his studio at home, Peterson
grew up making art, and she has passed
on this interest by teaching classes for both
children and adults.
Peterson has worked as graphic designer
and illustrator, and makes art in a variety
of media including jewelry, ceramics, and
sewing. She is best known, however, for her
detailed colored-pencil drawings on slate
that incorporate gold leaf backgrounds.
The subjects for these works often come
directly from nature: a landscape; a bird
perched on a tree limb; fruit hanging from
a branch; or a still life composition. When
American Artist published an article on
Peterson’s use of gold leaf, colored pencil,
and slate in 1996, it was almost 60 years
“Persimmon Branches,” ©Adria Peterson
since her father’s carved and lacquered
linoleum technique had been featured in
the same publication.
In 2007, Peterson’s art was featured on
the cover of Edible East Bay. She appreci-
ates living in the area and the rhythm of
things in Rockridge: “It is a vibrant neigh-
borhood with great restaurants, markets,
library, bookstores, people out and about,
easy transportation around the Bay Area
and close access to UC Berkeley and Cal
Performances.”
Links to web sites for Adria Peterson and
her father, Domenico Mortellito:
www.adriapeterson.com;
adria@adriapeterson.com:
www.domenicomortellito.com
Carl Schmitz is Art Research Librarian at the
Richard Diebenkorn Foundation. A specialist on
Albuquerque’s modern art scene of the ’50s as
well as a connoisseur of Cole Coffee’s dark roasts,
he can be reached at cschmitz@diebenkorn.org.
John, who was in the Marine Corps during
WWII, was stationed at Camp David (then
known as Shangri-La) where he took care
of FDR’s famous dog Fala plus a few others
when the president would visit. When John
returned to Oakland, he began to work with
Dr. Murray at the current Claremont Vet
site until 1970. Debbie “Reynolds” (she says
that is not her real last name but it’s easy to
remember) has retained a staff of three that
stays busy caring for and grooming dogs.
Debbie says her nursing skills have been
a big help in the business as she caters to
owners’ pets and when she helps owners
work through the grief of losing a pet.
■	 Congratulations to Claremont
Veterinary Hospital, serving Rockridge
customers for over 100 years. Located at
5331 College Avenue, Claremont Veterinary
has served the neighborhood since 1912. It was
originally owned and named by Dr. Murray,
until the early 1960s. Then, John Catanho
(Mr. John’s Dog Grooming, above) ran the
practice. However, John was not a licensed
vet – a requirement since drugs are kept on
premises – and had to sell the business. In
came Dr. Ken Hansen, who brought in Dr.
Taylor. The old veterinary hospital building
was replaced in two stages in the mid- to late-
1960s and early 1970s. My family and I began
bringing our pets to Claremont Veterinary
in the mid-’70s. Dr. Frizell, who joined the
hospital in 1979, bought the practice in 1981
and has been there since. While the waiting
room is usually busy with dogs and cats
coming and going amid the sounds of phones
ringing, our pets have always received great
care from all four veterinarians on staff.
Years of Service
from page 4
for multi-family residences, as well as that
personal touch that many people want from
their neighborhood bank. Unlike many other
banks, First Federal keeps your loan for its
full term; if problems develop, borrowers can
meet personally with a bank representative.
Beverly McArthur manages the branch and
is active in Rockridge activities.
■	 Mr. John’s Dog Grooming, 5361 Col-
lege Avenue, has been owned by Debbie
“Reynolds” since 2011, but the business
has been in the same location since 1970
when it was started by John Catanho. John
is still active at 94, and can be seen sweeping
up the front area just about every Sunday.
3rd Floor
Market Hall
TM
Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
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13.
November 6, 2014

13.

Serving Rockridge
since 1992
5400 College Avenue at Manila
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue, Oakland  510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • Visit: capcchurch.org
our wonderful community meal, fridays, 6-7pm
a great opportunity to serVe
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051

November Town Hall, from page 1
EQ preparedness and construction standards.
An EQ/Disaster Family plan guide from
California Shakeout (http://www.shakeout.
org/california/) will also be available. See you
there.
Printed resource material will be
available from ABAG (Association of Bay Area
Governments) with contractor and engineer
resources. These are specialists who have
completed the ABAG prescribed training for
Hall is also offering its “Whole Feast”
Thanksgiving Day meal for the second year
in a row. A full meal including a roasted
BN Ranch turkey, sides and classic pumpkin
pie serving 8 to 10 people is available to be
ordered on its website by Sunday, November
23. (http://www.rockridgemarkethall.com/
pasta-shop/holiday-menus/thanksgiving-
menu)
Whether you conquer the cooktop or
decide on something already prepared, Col-
lege Avenue newcomer The FloraCultural
Society (6307 College Avenue) wants to
make sure that your tablescape is as beauti-
ful as your meal. Owner and purveyor of
flowers Anna Campbell says the best tip for
creating an easy centerpiece is to “include
branches as your starting point as they act
as a natural flower holder.”
The FloraCultural Society will host a
centerpiece-making class that’s kid-friendly
on November 22 at 11 a.m. Register on their
website at http://floraculturalsociety.com, or
stop by their new shop to purchase one of
two special holiday wreath designs that use
organic and local farm-sourced fall leaves,
mixed berries and pomegranate.
And if you do decide to give the cooking
a go and it doesn’t go the way you planned,
there’s always Zachary’s to the rescue.
The Chicago pizza joint is offering some
seasonal specials, including a new roasted
potato, rosemary, and garlic pizza – perfect
for that back-up holiday meal. Fa la la la la.
Holiday Meals
Help
from page 4
uttering words of frustration as meals are
burnt or we realize that we don’t have that one
ingredient to make grandma’s favorite dish.
But have no fear! Many of our local ven-
dors have already been busily preparing to
make sure that your holiday dinner tables are
filled with what you need to gather around
for a festive meal without any hitches.
According to Sara Feinberg, marketing
and communications manager at Market
Hall Foods, “The holidays are the time
when we bring in all sorts of extra cheeses,
ingredients and gifts to help our customers
prepare.” Linda Sikorski, Market Hall’s head
buyer, is stocking the shelves with cooked
chestnuts and chestnut cream, an extensive
selection of holiday baking ingredients and
freshly pressed California extra virgin olive
oils and special balsamic vinegars, which
make for “perfect hostess gifts.”
Ver Brugge Foods co-owner Michael
Balliet says that much of creating the perfect
holiday meal is taking simple dishes that you
already know and adding a little something
special. “Wrapping a pork tenderloin with
thin slices of prosciutto and just adding
sprigs of sage leaves, and some salt and
pepper goes a long way,” Balliet says. You
can get more recipe ideas from the store’s
weekly email. Visit Ver Brugge to sign up
– you can even win a $25 gift card.
If you’re not in the mood to cook, Market
Lauren Herpich is the owner of the new Rockridge
Neighborhood Heritage & Walking Food Tour.
To gift your new neighbors or treat your holiday
guests, go to www.rockridgefoodtour.com
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.

November 6, 2014
14.

The Sierra Club’s tree team has been making up
for the layoff of street tree planters and has now
planted more than 1,070 trees all over Oakland. We
are accepting requests for trees in the area: Request
forms and program details are available at 510/910-
6451 or arboone3@gmail.com. Some trees are
free; others require payment. — ARBoone, Senior
Advisor, Sierra Club Tree Team
Tutor Accepting Students
Middle school, high school, college prep
students for essay and creative writing, gram-
mar & syntax, world literature comprehension,
SAT/ College Boards. Thirty years experience
as teacher/tutor. Further information/resume:
George Davis (510/306-0082), georgewdavi-
sii@gmail.com.
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
Acupuncture & Herbs,
Sara Weinberg, MS, L.Ac
Orthopedic Specialist, 510/316-1391, Call for
an appointment. 3179 College Ave. #1C (at
Alcatraz) Berkeley. www.SaraWeinbergLac.
com. *Most Insurance Accepted
Light, Bright Craftsman
with Modern Furnishings
7 blocks from BART & 10 from UC campus.
Great alternative for visiting families/profes-
sionals. Available 11/15-12/31. By week or
month. 510/735-7150.
Kitty Corner Cat Sitting
Providing in-home care for your cat when
you can’t be there. Reasonable rates. Insured.
Experienced at caregiver. Visit: www.
KittyCornerOakland.com or email Kitty-
CornerOakland@gmail.com for more info.
Rockridge Acupuncturist
Your neighborhood acupuncture practice at
5664 Broadway. Family owned since 1978.
Focusing on pain relief, alleviating stress,
primary care. For appointment or free
consultation with Alex Chung, L.Ac, please
contact: 510/882-8900 or alexchungacu-
puncture@gmail.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.
December issue deadline is November 20.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Holiday Special! Penelope’s
Aesthetics Skin Care Salon
25% Off waxing and facial services. Gift
certificates available. Receive excellent,
relaxing services with a gentle and person-
alized treatment. www.penelopecalef.com.
By appointment. 510/594-1552
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.
Construction Complete
St. Peter’s (Lawton at Broadway) open for
celebrations: Masses Sundays 8 & 10a.m.,
Wednesdays 12:15p.m.; Evensong Thursdays
6:30p.m.; Bible Study Wed. 10:45a.m. &
Thurs. 7:00 p.m.
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
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034
NAMASTE
Perinatal
Rockridge
Optometry
CLASSES,
WORKSHOPS,
+ MASSAGE
Norman H. Burg, DDS
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
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
A Prevention Oriented Practice
BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!


November 6, 2014

15.

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.

ing some excellent food): Sara Deseran, Tony
Gemignani, Kathleen Weber, Alice Medrich, and
Tanya Holland.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.com.
Art Exhibit

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 mtg. room, 5366 College Ave. Confirm
mtg. at www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@rockrid-
gencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
margins) of any prose for on-site reading/discussion
(also welcome to come empty-handed). Third Saturday
each month (11/15; call to confirm Dec. date), 1 to 5pm.
Sponsored by the Calif. Writers Club, Berkeley branch.
Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
Nora Reza’s color field paintings continue to be exhibited
through Nov and early Dec at Caldecott Gallery and
Agency, 5251 Broadway (at College); Mon through Fri,
9am to 5pm. Sample paintings at www.norareza.com.
Calif College of the Arts: Holiday
Arts And Crafts Fair
Shop for one-of-a-kind, affordable gifts made by students,
alumni and staff: Ceramics, hand-blown glass, jewelry,
clothing, photos, textiles, paintings and more. Live jazz
and holiday treats. Sat., Nov 22, 11am to 3pm. CCA
campus, 5212 B’way, main walkway. Info .594.3600 or
www.cca.edu/.
Singers Wanted
The Distaff Singers, the Bay Area’s longest-running
women’s choral group, is seeking new members. No
auditions necessary, just ability to match pitch. Practice
Tuesdays, 7:15-9pm at Christ Episcopal Church, 1700
Santa Clara Ave. in Alameda. Info: Carola Ingram 547-
1191 or www.distaffsingers.org.
Jazz at the Chimes
Featuring Latin Jazz vocalist Maria Marquez and
friends performing “Venezuela on My Mind” Sun.,
Nov. 16, 2pm. Tickets at the door (cash only) beginning
12:30pm (doors open 1:30): $15 general; $10 srs. (60+)
and students. Reception and refreshments to follow to
meet the performers. More info and music clips at www.
mariamarquez.com. The concert series features Bay Area
jazz musicians in a landmarked Julia Morgan venue:
Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair
accessible. Free parking. Info: www.jazzatthechimes.
com, chimesjazz@gmail.com or 654-0123.
Square Dance In North Oakland
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle (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 Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave.
Info: squirrellystringband.com/.
North Oakland Senior Center
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health counseling; dancing
and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings; Alzheimer’s
Caregivers support groups, computer classes/more.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month (12/2), 5 to 7pm.
(Advance sign-up starts 4:45pm at adult reference
desk). Volunteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more
people present.
ART EXHIBITS (call to confirm)
Gallery:
Nov: Two exhibits curated by Irving Wiltshire: Rockridge
Community Photography Group; and The Art of Modeling.
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age 5);
Saturdays, 10:30am.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
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, 11/11 (Veterans
Day), and Thurs. – Fri, 11/27 – 28 for Thanksgiving.
Diesel Book/Poetry/Music Events
FREE and open to the public.
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Events:
■
■Young Writers Program – NaNoWriMo: Every Tues.
& Sat. in Nov.; 2:30-5pm. Tweens 9 to 13 invited to
write a novel in just 30 days! Snacks served. Contact
Erica for more info.
FOR TEENS
■
■Sun, 11/9, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Howard Levy and
Suzanne Lummis. Info: Poetryflash.org.
■
■Sun, 11/16, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Lisa Gluskin
■
■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.
Stonestreet and Robert Thomas.
■
■Thurs, 11/20, 6:30pm. Panel Discussion with contrib-
uting authors Faith Adiele, E.B. Boyd, Christina
Ammon, and Erin Byrne, hosted by series editor
Lavinia Spaulding: The Best Women’s Travel Writ-
ing, Volume 10.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas: Watch Anime, 5 – 6:30 pm; 2nd
Tues. each month.
■
■Teen ‘Scape: Play video & board games, make crafts,
enjoy light snacks. Every Wed, 1:30 to 3:30pm.
FOR ADULTS
■
■Fri, 11/21, 9pm (doors open 8:30). Music Performance
with bluegrass banjo and guitar impresario, Avram
Siegel and legendary fiddle player, Blaine Sprouse.
Note: $10 cover charge for this event; all proceeds
go to the musicians.
■
■PEN Oakland Annual Awards: 24th annual PEN
Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Awards presented,
followed by reception and book signing. Named for
the late poet and UC Berkeley professor, the awards
recognize literary excellence in several categories
and are given to local authors by their peers. Join us
at this free event on Sat., Dec. 6, 2pm.
■
■Sun, 11/23, 1pm to 4pm. Thank You Pie Party to
thank our customers for their many years of support.
All books will be 20% off and we’ll be serving pie and
drinks. Celebrate and bring your friends.
■
■Sun, 12/7, 1pm. Winter Cookbook Extravaganza!
Authors presenting their new cookbooks (and bring-
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 15 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced, MS
■
■Seminar on “Medicare and Changes for 2015.”
Tues, Nov 18, 10:45am to noon. How to make changes,
understand prescription drug choices, and more.
Medicare Open Enrollment runs through Dec.7.
Presented by HICAP Health Insurance Counseling/
Legal Assistance for Seniors.
Annual $12 membership entitles seniors 55 and older
to discounts on activities and trips. Mon. – Fri., 9am to
4:30pm. 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Subscribe to
“The North Oakland Senior Times” for full schedule of
classes/events, lunch menus, and volunteer opportuni-
ties. Info: 597- 5085.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown
fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; home-made
bakery items; fresh cut flowers; unique prepared foods,
fresh locally caught fish, handcrafts and more. Sample
the goods; meet the grower; learn about unique food
varieties and cooking tips; live music. Bring your own
reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph)
at DMV parking lot.
3 Offers
Pending
3 Offers
Sold
5231 Coronado
5371 Broadway
388 62nd
5470 Boyd
Daniel Stea
Advocacy & Integrity
Since 1997
Broker / Attorney
510.867.4094
BRE #01452156


16.

November 6, 2014
16.

Is there a move in your future?
As a team we bring twice the knowledge, attention & effort.
We’re THERE for you!
 Benefit from our combined 35 years experience selling
Rockridge homes. For a Complimentary Market Analysis
visit; RockridgeHomeValue.com
Terry Kulka & Julie Bartlett
510.339.4789
RockridgeRealEstate@Gmail.com
Over 400 homes sold - Experience Counts
CALBRE# 00875454
CALBRE# 01404404
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
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Call or email me for more information
510.612.2547 or RonKriss@JPS.net
COMING MID NOV. IN ROCKRIDGE
5429 Belgrave
2+BD/2BA
*not priced yet
Truly a masterpiece
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*Award Winning Chabot
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Oakland
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Realtor

5130 LAWTON AVE
List $899,000
Sold $1,015,000
Award Winning
Peralta School
*NOTE:  Because of Rockridge Newsletter lead time, all prices are not available
at print deadline.
L  A  W  T  O  N
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Assoc.
547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@JPS.net
A S S O C I A T E S
“I know Rockridge”
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R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
www.LawtonAssoc.com

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