Extracted text · highlighting “Carl Schmitz”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 29    NO. 11    ISSUE NO. 317    December 6, 2014                    CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

More
information,
and how to
help: page 5.
’Tis the Season — to
Support Your Community
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www.scenicstreets.org/Donate.html
www.frogpark.org/swings/
rockridge.org
Cole Hardware
Readies for
Rockridge Opening
Contacted by The Rockridge News for
details about the January Rockridge
store opening, Cole Hardware owner Dave
Karp reported the following: “On our first
day, Friday, January 2, we’ll open at 9 a.m.”
After that, he said, the store will be
open, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. until
8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, from
8 a.m. until 8 p.m. The store will keep lim-
ited holiday hours, but, Karp said, “We are
open every day of the year for neighborhood
convenience. For example, on Thanksgiving
our stores were open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
We were very busy with grateful custom-
ers purchasing cooking supplies, and last
minute fix-it items.”
Karp said the January opening will be
low-key. The family plans a grand opening
in February on a date to be announced.
November Town Hall
Hardware
  Dreams
November Town Hall speakers Carol
Strickman, left, Jeff Morelli, Eileen
Levin and Howard Cook.      /D. Kinkead
by Don Kinkead, editor
None of the speakers at the RCPC
November Town Hall mentioned
ostriches, but all made it clear that living
in the Bay Area and failing to prepare for
earthquakes or other major disasters was
nothing more than hiding one’s head in the
sand.
“The Hayward Fault is on a 140-year
repeat cycle,” said presenter Howard Cook
of Bay Area Retrofit, “and it’s been 146
/Don Kinkead
➧➧November Town Hall: CORE, page 10
by Chris Jackson, RDA
The Rockridge District
Association is pleased to
bring extra security to College
Avenue for the holiday season.
The Rockridge District
Association (R DA) has
contracted with Intervention
Group Inc. (IGI) Security
Services, an Oakland company,
helping to make for an enjoyable
time on the Avenue. They will
not only help keep us safe but
will be able to provide assistance
with directions and information
to our neighbors and guests
alike. We all will be working
together: IGI Security Services,
Oakland Police Department,
Market Hall security personnel,
Dreyer’s, Trader Joe’s and other
security services on the Avenue
to make this a happy holiday
season. IGI will be with us
seven days a week and into the
evening hours during the month
of December.
Holiday Security, College Ave
 Robert Taylor, IGI Security
Services, left, and Chad
Carlin.                /Chris Jackson

Happy Holidays! No RCPC Town Hall Meeting in December. Next meeting: February 19, 2015


2.

December 6, 2014
2.

RCPC Celebrates Stuart Flashman
Plaque and public recognition for retiring long-time chair
The plaque honoring now-
retired RCPC board
chair Stuart Flashman and
presented to him at the
November RCPC Town Hall
meeting could hardly do full
justice to his seven years of
service with RCPC.
Flashman did not come to
the RCPC board as a novice
in public service. He had been
a planning commissioner
and city councilmember in
Emeryville; an East Bay
MUD director and, later,
president; and he founded
the Emeryville Shoreline
Committee and served as its
co-chair for five years.
Flashman slowed down a
bit after moving to Rockridge
in 1992, only to get involved
again when he accepted an
appointment to a vacant
seat on the RCPC board
of directors in 2007. After
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
                  5366 College Avenue
                   at Manila | 597-5017
being elected to the board
in 2008, he was chosen to
serve as chair for the next
four years. He continued to
serve on the board through
the end of his third term last
April, and while no longer
on the board, he continues
to serve as co-chair of the
Land Use Committee with
current board member Greg
Pasquali.
Flashman has said he
feels most proud of progress
made during his tenure in
raising RCPC’s visibility in
Rockridge and with the city.
We are indebted to him for
his work representing the
interests of the community
on a variety of local land use,
planning and transit issues,
including the two Safeway
projects, the city’s rezoning
process (with Glen Jarvis),
and generally strengthening
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
Stuart Flashman, plaque
in hand, and RCPC Chair
Zabrae Valentine.
/D. Kinkead
the technical expertise of the
land use committee and its
commitment to maintaining
the character and vitality of
Rockridge.
$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
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
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Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News? • Do you have
questions about newsletter distribution? • Want to
volunteer to be a Rockridge News block captain?
• Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611
RCPC Voice mail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may
be e-mailed 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.
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
  January 3, 2015
  January deadline is December 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.)


3.
December 6, 2014

3.

The December Land Use Committee
meeting is Wednesday, December 17,
7:30 p.m. NOTE: Change of date. To be
held in an upstairs meeting room of the
Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College
Avenue, the meeting will include a further
update and discussion of revised zoning for
College Avenue, and updates on the two
Rockridge Safeway projects. Meetings are
open to the public.
Construction of the retail building lags
even further, as does approval of its tenants.
Don’t expect that building to open before
late January.
The oak tree to be planted next to the
College and Claremont intersection is still in
the plans. Judicious pruning may be needed
in the future to ensure visibility of the newly
installed traffic signal. Once the Safeway
does open, expect some traffic disruption on
both College and Claremont avenues.
the remaining Safeway building and the
AAA building to its south. Parking for
construction workers will likely also be
on-site. For the Merrill Gardens project on
the other side of Broadway, construction
parking will be on the southwest side of 51st
Street (where the giant billboard is). Expect
some additional congestion at the Broadway/
Pleasant Valley/51st Street intersections for
quite a while to come. You may want to look
for alternative routes, such as along Telegraph
Avenue or MacArthur Boulevard.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
Committee Notes: Meeting location, date
(changed), and agenda in box above.
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project– College and
Claremont Avenues
Construction of the Safeway building
is nearing completion, but there have been
more glitches. In response to merchant
concerns about the lack of parking in the
pre-Thanksgiving week, Safeway agreed
to temporarily reopen on-street parking on
the east side of College Avenue. However,
as of November 30, Safeway has stated
the parking will again disappear between
December 1 and December 6. RCPC will
ask the city to insist that Safeway leave the
College Avenue on-street parking spaces
available for the shopping public until after
Christmas, and, if possible, open the College
Avenue sidewalk area, too. Local merchants
shouldn’t have to suffer because of Safeway’s
construction delays. Meanwhile, the Safeway
store’s opening has again been delayed, and
it is not expected to open until mid-January.
Call RCPC at 869-4200 or e-mail info@
rockridge.org to report problems regarding
the construction area or problems such as
significant increases in cut-through traffic
on streets west of College.
■
■College Ave Retail Zoning Study
RCPC representatives met with city
staff members to discuss a possible study
of College Avenue retail zoning. The wide-
ranging discussion covered topics such as:
the appropriate size threshold for requiring
use permits; whether limits should be placed
on the extension of use permits to businesses
subsequent to the original permit grantee
(presently there are none); and how to
maintain an appropriate balance of uses on
College in the face of the increasing shift of
retail sales towards the Internet. A follow-up
meeting is tentatively set for December. There
may be a future RCPC Town Hall to open
the discussion up to the broader Rockridge
community. Provide your thoughts: phone
(869-4200) or e-mail info@rockridge.org.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center/
Merrill Gardens Senior
Housing Project– Broadway
and Pleasant Valley/51st St.
Demolition in preparation for both
these large projects is expected to begin
in December. Parking at the Rockridge
Shopping Center will be reduced to allow
space for construction “staging” – the storage
of construction equipment and supplies. It
may become more difficult to go between
NAMASTE
RCPC Studies and
Adjusts Town Hall
Meeting Schedule
Have you been to an RCPC Town Hall
meeting this year? If so, you may
have noticed that the RCPC board has been
experimenting with some new practices
intended to make it easier for folks to attend:
for example, opening at 7 p.m. and serving
Jules Pizza to help tide folks over who
come straight from work without grabbing
dinner first. You may also have noticed
RCPC has been more about publicizing the
meetings to try to increase awareness of
them among residents who may not see the
announcements in The Rockridge News.
The results have been informative.
Several of this year’s
Perinatal
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➧➧Town Hall, page 9


4.

December 6, 2014
4.

College Avenue: Variety; Endurance; Excitement

Many Merchants Have Been on College for Decades

Art on the Avenue
Beyond the
Shelves at the
Rockridge Branch
Library

Years of Merchants’ Service: Part 4
Following is the fourth in our series on businesses in business on College Avenue at
least 25 years. We are nearing the end of our series and don’t want to miss anyone.
If you have been “on the Avenue” and haven’t seen your name yet, drop us an email at
editor@rockridge.org. We want readers of The Rockridge News to know about you
and to stop in to see what you offer.

by Carl Schmitz
After a hard-fought community campaign
led by the RCPC, the Rockridge Branch
of the Oakland Public Library opened on
August 3, 1996, on the southeast corner of
College Avenue and Manila.
Rockridge’s first library was established
95 years ago on Shafter just off College
and has since been housed at a handful
of locations. The current site is where the
Longo family lived and worked for the better
part of the last century, making and selling
decorative cement sculptures as part of their
Art Stone business.
While the library has circulating
collections focused on general subjects, it
also provides opportunities for seeing art.
On permanent display at the library are two
colorful sets of quilts. Four quilts were made
by children under the guidance of artist Ellen
Oppenheimer and another pair, according to
Children’s Services Librarian Erica Siskind,
were made with interactivity in mind: “We
have two quilts made by organizers of
the Bay Area Storytelling Festival which
feature themes from both oral and written
storytelling traditions, with sufficient detail
in the stitches that they make a good guessing
game for children visiting the library.”
As part of an active exhibitions program,
rotating displays at the library are held
in both the upstairs gallery area and in a
by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC boardmember
■	 Jarvis Architects, 5278 College Avenue,
began in Glen Jarvis’ Benvenue  home in
1971, just after he graduated from USC. That
worked out for about 10 years, even though
the kids made conferences with clients a
little challenging. By that time, Glen had his
first employee, Robin Pennell, and two kids;
it was time for a more-removed office, the
first of several. After time on Shattuck and
Alcatraz avenues, Jarvis Architects settled
in on College Avenue in the late 1990s,
an easy commute from Benvenue Avenue.
Glen’s business is primarily from East Bay
families who are remodeling, rebuilding or
modifying properties. He has also been a
pillar of the RCPC Land Use Committee
since 1974, except for a few years spent on
the Oakland Planning Commission. His
early guidance and efforts were a big part of
the then-new zoning designation Rockridge
residents achieved during the early – and
successful — efforts to prevent the neigh-
borhood from becoming a major high-rise
apartment transit hub when BART was in
its early days. Jarvis Architect’s signature
designs can be viewed on the company web
site: www.jarvisarchitects.com.
■	 Hudson Bay Café, 5401 College Avenue,
located where College and Hudson intersect,
has sidewalk and indoor tables, a bright
décor, friendly staff and darn good coffee to
go with a breakfast sandwich or a lunchtime
meal. Serving Rockridge residents and other
customers since 1978 (when it operated under
the name “The Dancing Goat”) the business
has a neon sign in the window offering
“Coffees and Candies,” so you can get those
too, if needed. It has been owned since
2004 by Sadri Madjlessi and his wife Tanya
Anderson, ex-manager of Peaberry’s Coffee,
located in Market Hall years ago. Sadri and
Tanya recently opened Homespun Fare right
next door, serving basic dinners at reasonable
prices, which must leave them exhausted by
the end of the day. (The owners of many – if
not most – of College Avenue businesses work
long hours to provide their services to us; let
them know you appreciate that the next time
you are in your favorite store(s)).
■	 Green Copy is located at 5267 Broadway
in the College Point building across from
CCA. Opened under the name of Crimson
Duplicating Center in 1981 by Frank
Barzin and his partners, Frank, an engineer
by education, changed the business name in
2000. A few years later, he brought his son,
Behrang, into the business after he graduated
from Cal State Chico (just like Dad) with
a degree in cartography. If you have any
questions about maps, Behrang is the man
to see. Large posters and prints and copying
services of all types brought to Green Copy
are often handled immediately.
An offshoot of the original business,
now separately owned, is Green Graphics
Design, which handles more traditional offset
printing jobs and graphic art designs such as
logos, business cards, and letterhead printed
in quantities greater than 500 copies. It is also
located at College Point with an entry on the
College Avenue side. When I mentioned the
numerous other Persian merchants located
on College (see Sadri at Hudson Bay, for
example), Behrang reminded me that Persians
are business people by culture. When they
come to the United States, the first thing they
do is open a business.
➧➧Art on the Avenue, page 12
➧➧Years of Service, page 13
have you been away from your faith for a time?
you are missed.
st. augustine catholic church
join us for mass on saturdays at 5 pm, or
sundays at 8 am, 1030 am, or 6 pm.
400 alcatraz (between college and telegraph) oakland  94609
http://staugustineoakland.com
questions? call the parish 510.653.8631


5.
December 6, 2014

5.

use and transit-related projects are designed
and implemented in ways that serve and
enhance the neighborhood.
Please consider a tax-deductible
contribution to RCPC to support its work:
Visit rockridge.org and use the PayPal
button on the home page. Or, send a check
to RCPC Donations, 4123 Broadway, PMB
311, Oakland, CA 94611. The RCPC Tax ID
number is 94-3011284. Thank you for your
help and support.

Your Donations Help Support RCPC’s Community Role

In 1966, California State Assembly Speaker
Jesse “Big Daddy” Unruh declared, “Money
is the mother’s milk of politics.” Money is also
the mother’s milk of non-profit organizations
like the Rockridge Community Planning
Council, working to preserve the human
scale and commercial and social diversity of
our neighborhood. RCPC’s primary source
of revenue is the biennial Rockridge Kitchen
Tour. We also rely on ad revenue from this
paper in excess of production costs, and direct
contributions from Rockridge residents. RCPC
funds are used to host public forums, co-host
the Halloween Parade with the Rockridge
merchants (RDA), produce and distribute The
Rockridge News, support FROG Park, Scenic
Streets and other local programs, and work
with the city and other parties to ensure land
Hardy Dog Park:
New Look,
New Group
Temescal Creek
and the Greenbelt
at Year’s End
Support the
Library, Support
Your Community
by Sarah Washburn, FORL board member
I
’m willing to guess you love your library.
Or perhaps you remember fondly when
you and your little ones loved visiting the
library.
If you have supported the library in
the past, thank you for expressing that
love through a donation to the Friends of
the Rockridge Library (FORL). Like you,
we love our neighborhood library, and we
work hard to ensure the programs, services,
and facilities meet the needs of our diverse
community.
Donations to the FORL bolstered many
areas of the library in 2014. Donors helped
fund drama workshops for children, laptops
for checkout in the library, magazine holders,
ergonomic computer stands, craft materials
and video games for teens, outdoor benches,
a New York Times subscription, and other
accessories, materials, and programs. This
by Chehie Songstad
Popular Hardy Dog Park is getting
a makeover. Following a two-year
donation campaign by Scenic Streets, enough
money was raised to begin improvements to
the park. The long awaited renovations are
being reviewed by the city. Work will begin
sometime this winter. The renovations will
enhance and beautify the park, make better
use of the space, and fix basic safety issues.
Highlights include improved drainage, play
surface and watering stations; a small dog
play area; durable and comfortable seating;
ADA compliant upgrades; and landscaping
to add shade-loving plants and shrubs. See
the proposed plan at ScenicStreets.org (click
on the Hardy Dog Park tab).
With renovations comes a new Hardy
Dog Park Group. The group’s initial meet-
ing was held late in October. The first order
of business was to spruce up the existing
by Leonora Sea, DMV Neighbors
Thinking back over the important
achievements of the DMV Neighbors
Association in 2014, the most vital
accomplishment was to bring together
residents to become neighbors, neighbors
to become friends, and diverse people from
multiple generations to care for and benefit
from our portion of Temescal Creek.
A cooperative effort between the DMV
association and FROG (Friends of the
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt) led to
Temescal Creek, FROG Park, and the
Rockridge Temescal Greenbelt earning
Featured Site status for Earth Day 2014,
inspiring more volunteers and attracting
more resources to our neighborhood gem.
Creek to Bay Day and the FROG Fall
Maintenance are separate activities, but
because they both happened on the same
Saturday in 2014, the DMV Neighbors and

➧➧New Look, New Group, page 10
➧➧Library Support, page 12
➧➧DMV Neighbors, page 11

Lic. #0670129


6.

December 6, 2014
6.

Eyes on Rockridge
volunteering. I loved the nature walks,” one
of a full calendar of Ashby Village activities.
But a year ago, she had a serious fall which
required knee replacement. “I was home-
bound.”
That’s when the support side of the
village movement kicked in. “Alison stayed
overnight,” Hirst says. Another volunteer, an
early riser, brought her breakfast those first
mornings. Someone was always available
for a ride. ”People were so responsive. I was
stunned.” Indeed, Ashby Village is bolstered
by 250 volunteers, just 40 percent of whom
are members.
Neighboring North Oakland Village
(NOV), opened in 2011, functions without
a paid executive director. Its 55 members
include six from Rockridge. “I always said I
want to stay in my house ’til they carry me
out,” says Judith Coates, a village founder.
“It’s pure selfishness on my part,” board
president Sandra Coleman adds. “I want this
to be available when I need it.”
Rockridge is where Ashby and NOV
overlap. “Whenever someone calls from an
area for which they would also be eligible
for North Oakland, they are invited to join,”
Gaines says, “but also encouraged to check
out NOV to determine what feels right to
them.”
“We are the only village located in
Oakland,” Coates says. Forced out of the
Rockridge Shopping Center due to the
upcoming renovation, they moved to less
visible digs in the First Congregational
Church on Harrison at 27th Street.
Now they are more dependent on word
of mouth and notices in church and Rotary
Club bulletins to attract members and
It Sometimes Takes a ‘Village’
to Keep Seniors in Their Homes
by Judith Doner Berne
If anyone has a handle on the ever-
growing Village Movement, aimed at
helping older adults to age in their homes
and neighborhoods, it’s my neighbor Janis
Brewer.
Brewer, a management consultant
specializing in non-profit agencies, has aided
a slew of villages who hire her independently.
These range from the Ashby and North
Oakland Villages, which serve Rockridge,
to locations in San Francisco, Silicon
Valley, Petaluma, even two in Arizona. (See
overview of the Village Movement on page 7.)
“I do love the Village Movement,” Brewer
says as we drink tea on her sunny front
porch. “It’s grassroots; it’s consumer driven.”
Statistics, she says, show that 85 percent of
this age group want to stay in their homes.
“They don’t want to only hang around with
a bunch of old people.”
It takes about three years and a lot
of energy to start a village, Brewer says.
Usually the founding members are in their
60s, and many were active in one or more of
the movements of the Sixties and Seventies.
“They say: ‘I was in the first movement; now
I want to be in the next.’”
Brewer was there from the start of Ashby
Village, officially opened in 2010, and
counting 38 Rockridge residents among its
more than 300 members. As interim executive
director, she set up the village’s operations
and helped the board hire full-time executive
director Andy Gaines. Rockridge resident
Gaines lives a bike ride away from the group’s
offices on Durant in Berkeley.
“I never knew my grandparents,” Gaines
says as we sit with Rockridge residents Alison
Colgan, Charlotte Herzfeld and Ella Hirst at
the Kales Avenue home of board member
Roberta Pressman. “I’ve always loved older
people.”
Now Gaines’ children, ages 5 and 2, who
he brings to Ashby Village social gatherings,
“have 300 grandparents,” says Pressman, a
psychologist by training, who coordinates
the members’ support team.
“I was looking to meet people and get
involved,” she says, echoing what I heard
from the others. Herzfeld found the village “a
good fit” that would let her utilize her social
work background.
The four are part of Outlandish, one of
Ashby Village’s five neighborhood groups
who regularly meet in each other’s homes.
“As we grew, there was less of a sense of
intimacy,” Gaines says. “So we initiated a
neighborhood concept.”
Outlandish tends toward monthly potluck
lunches and dinners. Other groups meet over
jigsaw puzzles or handiwork. They come
together at Ashby Village Happy Hours and
at holiday parties where rides are provided
and the building is wheelchair accessible.
When each joined, she participated
socially and volunteered, whether it was to
introduce a new member to the organization,
drive someone to an appointment or contact
the family of a member in distress. “You
change roles from time to time,” Colgan, a
retired administrative law judge, says, “like
Ella.”
“I was invited to a living room chat,”
Hirst, a retired librarian, explains. That’s
where Gaines and several board members
introduce the Village concept to prospective
members and/or volunteers, as they will
from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, December 14, in the
Rockridge area. (To register, call 510/204-
9200 or go to www.ashbyvillage.org.)
Impressed, Hirst immediately decided: “I
want to work with people like this. I started
➧➧Urban Villagers, page 7


7.
December 6, 2014

7.
Urban Villagers

It is so rewarding and people are so
appreciative.”
Giving members rides is a
primary function. “Not only do we
drive you to the doctor, but we go in
when needed,” Coleman says. On
a lighter note, she reports: “Older
women would rather die than not
have their hair done.”
New Rockridge resident Larry
Hannah saw a piece on NOV on a
blog. “I saw that one of the things
they did was to drive people to the
doctor,” he says.
Although the retired Cal State
teacher-educator moved here
to be near family, “I want to be
independent,” he says. So he’s
“paying ahead” by volunteering now
so that if he can’t drive himself, this
village will be there for him.
from page 6
volunteers. “Our members tell their
friends. When the villages started,
we focused on service. But it’s really
become community,” Coates says.
Members can participate in a
weekly walking group, Monday
mending where Coleman offers her
sewing skills to those who may be
unable to sew on a button or take up
a hem, and monthly potlucks and
holiday parties.
“Our self-appointed task is to
be in touch with our members to
make sure they are getting what
they need,” Coleman says. “People
often find it difficult to ask for help
even though they are paying for it.

/Courtesy of Andy Gaines

“I’ve always loved older people,” says Rockridge
resident Andy Gaines, center front, Ashby Village
executive director, surrounded by some of its
members and volunteers. Immediately behind him
are Rockridge residents Irene Marcos, 2nd from
left, Rachel Kahn-Hut, 3rd from left, and Charlotte
Herzfeld, far right.
Your comments and ideas for columns are welcome by emailing judyberne@att.net.

An Overview of the Village Movement
WHAT: An innovative, consumer-driven,
self-governing model designed to support
older adults who want to age on their own
terms in their own homes and communities.
WHERE: 140 operating villages in 41
states with 120 more in development,
according to Village to Village Network
(www.vtvnetwork.org).
WHEN: Begun in 2001 by a group of
seniors living in the Beacon Hill section of
Boston to help one another stay in their
neighborhood as long as possible.
SERVICES: Many use a tiered service
delivery model to address the needs of their
members, according to a report published

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510.919.8997
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foundations, corporations and government.
Annual membership costs vary from $25 to
$948 per individual and $50 to $1,285 per
household, depending on the village, with
some discounted memberships for those
who have financial need.
LOCAL: • Ashby Village encompasses
Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, Kensington,
El Cerrito and Rockridge. Annual dues
are $750 for an individual, $1,200 for a
household. Its offices are at 2330 Durant
Avenue, Berkeley. More information
is available at 510/204-9200 or www.
ashbyvillage.org. • North Oakland
Village boundaries generally encompass
north and central Oakland, including
Rockridge. Annual dues are $600 for an
individual, $750 for a household. Offices
are in Oakland’s First Congregational
Church, 2501 Harrison at 27th Street.
More information: 510/547-8500 or info@
northoaklandvillage.org.
by the Rutgers School of Social Work. This
may include some services provided by paid
staff, some through volunteers who may or
may not be members, and some by external
providers who are usually vetted by and
sometimes discounted for village members.
SOCIAL: Since isolation is as much an
issue as the need for transportation and
household-based services, villages also focus
on social engagement, community building,
discussion groups and involving members
in governance.
FUNDING: The largest funding source
is membership fees aided by fundraising,
individual gifts and grants from private


8.

December 6, 2014
8.

Ver Brugge butchers know their trade and are
happy to share their knowledge so you can
have a great meal. They will custom order
almost everything you will need. For years
they have provided me the perfect ground fish
to make my annual Passover gefilte fish. And
finally, La Farine Bakery. What can I say?
La Farine is perhaps the best French bakery
in the Bay Area. Since 1977, customers have
started their day with the legendary morning
bun from La Farine French Bakery. La Farine
offers the finest in French pastries, delicious
fruit and nut tarts, classic cakes, cookies, and
rustic breads.
These shops are directly across the street
from the new Safeway. Whatever you choose
to buy at that Safeway, or at out-of-the-area
stores you may also visit, I hope you will
keep Rockridge’s local family-owned food
and coffee shops in mind.
This extends, of course, to support for
the incredible variety of food stores in
Market Hall. These include the nationally
recognized Pasta Shop, Marin Sun Farm
Butcher and recent arrival Highwire Coffee
Roasters. Market Hall Bakery, Hapuku Fish
and Market Hall Produce all carry top-notch
products. David, at Market Hall Produce (we
call him the fruit whisperer), will always
steer you to the best fruits and vegetables.
More choices among smaller food businesses
continue down College, with coffee shops and
a chocolate shop among the offerings.
By the time you read this edition of The
Rockridge News, the new Safeway may
have opened. Folks will flock to the store
to see what’s new and interesting. College
Avenue shopkeepers and neighbors worked
to keep the store to a reasonable scale, but
it looks pretty big to me. I’m not suggesting
we shouldn’t shop at the new Safeway, but
we are the Rockridge family and we need to
support the small family-owned and locally
scaled shops that define our community.
Grab a cappuccino at Cole Coffee; buy some
Rock  ridge
Cornucopia
Cornucopia
Barry A. Kaufman
My Vote for Local Loyalty
I
consider myself fortunate to have grown
up in a time and place where there were
no large supermarkets.
Flash back to the 1950s to a working-class
Brooklyn neighborhood populated mainly
by Italian and Jewish immigrant families.
We had two commercial streets filled with
small family-owned shops. There were two
of everything: bakery, fish store, butcher
(kosher and non-kosher), live poultry market,
green grocer, appetizer store (smoked fish
and Jewish delicacies) and pizza by the slice.
Believe it or not, we even had two horse-
drawn carts that set up shop on the street
selling vegetables and fresh fish.
The shop owners lived in our community
and we played on the street with their
children. On Fridays, my brother had an
after-school job delivering on his bike freshly
killed chickens to Jewish homemakers for the
Sabbath chicken soup. As the shop owners’
children grew older, they worked in their
parents’ stores.
My first family chore was to pick up a
bread or challah at the bakery. As young
child, I would always get a cookie before I left
the shop. As I nibbled the cookie, someone
would yell out: “Say hello to your mother
and father.”
By the late ’50s, the first supermarket
opened: Key Food, still a mainstay in New
York. Neighborhood homemakers flocked
to the store. Everyone wanted to be modern.
Except for the kosher butcher, within a year
every family-owned food store had closed.
Before long, a Jewish style supermarket
opened: Waldbaum’s, also still around in New
York. Goodbye kosher butcher! Overnight, it
was the end of an era.
Older balabustas (a Jewish grandmother-
type homemaker) were at a loss. They could
never really accept the idea of a supermarket.
We in Rockridge are truly blessed to
have many small, family-owned shops
along College Avenue that have been in the
community for years. Cole Coffee has been
on the corner of College Avenue and 63rd
Street for nearly 30 years. Max’s blend coffee
beans are named after the original owner’s
son, born soon after the shop’s opening. Mike,
the current owner, first worked at the shop and
continues to brew the finest cup of coffee in
the Bay Area. Sisters Bo and Lisa and their
family have run Yasai Market for 22 years.
In addition to top-rate produce, they have a
wide selection of Asian products and spices
not found in most supermarkets. No need
to shop in Chinatown; Yasai has whatever
I need to cook an Asian meal. Ver Brugge
Meat Fish and Poultry has been on College
Avenue forever. Jerry Ver Brugge and his
crew make shopping a true family experience.
Garlic Steamed Clams
(ingredients can be purchased at Yasai, Ver
Brugge, Vino, La Farine and Market Hall
shops)
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small shallots
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup clam juice
3 tbs unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds manila or little neck clams
2 tbs minced parsley
Crusty French bread
Preparation
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium
heat. Cook garlic and shallots until golden
brown. Add wine, clam juice, butter, salt
and pepper; bring to a boil. Add clams,
cover until shells open. Stir in parsley and
serve with bread.
➧➧Local Loyalty, page 12
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.
Barry Kaufman is a graduate of the California
Culinary Academy. Barry is available for cook-
ing classes and tours of East-Bay ethnic markets.
Barry’s email: kaufman42@comcast.net.
Advanced Preventive,  Restorative,  Periodontal  Gum Care,  and Dental Implants.


9.
December 6, 2014

9.

Christmas Revels Celebrates Americana
by Anne Daniels, Rockridge resident, Revels participant
Revels is a family-friendly production to please all ages in a
celebration of the long-ago
winter traditions that bring us
together to welcome the Yuletide.
California Revels has brought
its unique theatrical, participatory
holiday celebration to Oakland’s
Scottish Rite Center since 1986,
presenting the customs of different
cultures through songs, dances,
poems and plays as they respond to
the Solstice and the turning of the
year. Past Revels took us to Galicia,
Renaissance Italy and Medieval
England.
This year, the show is set in
the United States during the Great
Depression, with a musical exploration starting in Appalachia,
then traveling westward through the bayous of Louisiana toward
the Pacific Coast. Then, new technology – radio and the 78 RPM
phonograph record – brought music and stories from remote areas
of the country into many homes. The old, simple and traditional
songs and dances – part of a world now gone by – gave a nuanced
sense of what it meant to be a part of American culture. They may
be familiar, some may feel modern, yet they are all part of our
continually emerging tradition.
The Revels adult and children’s choruses and their town band will
be joined by talented storytellers and performances by accomplished
guest artists. I invite my Rockridge neighbors to join me, whether
your roots are in rural America in the 1930s or in another time,
place or culture.
Ten performances: Friday through Sunday, December 12 – 14
and 19 – 21: Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 5pm.
Parking for all performances will be available at ALCO Park garage,
1220 Jackson Street (three blocks from the Scottish Rite Center) for
a flat rate of $5. Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Drive. For more
information and ticket prices: 452-9334 or http://californiarevels.org/.
Oakland Tech Presents “The Living”
by Julie Parker, PTSA Communications
Save the date and come see a great show: OakTechRep, our award-
winning student theatre company, presents Anthony Clarvoe’s
“The Living,” in the Oakland Tech Auditorium. The playwright
himself visited with the student actors in mid-November and wrote
afterwards: “Here’s a powerfully moving thing: talking with the
cast of your play, none of whom had been born when you wrote the
play, all of whom seem to be getting ready to own the hell out of the
play. Thanks to Jessa Brie Moreno and the actors of Oakland Tech
for a beautiful afternoon, and looking forward to their production
of ‘The Living.’”
Set during the Great Plague that tore through London in 1665,
Anthony Clarvoe’s play explores the motivations and behaviors of a
group of Londoners who remained in the city after the majority of city
officials fled. The play focuses on characters ranging from doctors to
clergy to average citizens and city officials as they struggle to keep
on living during a catastrophic epidemic.
Written during the AIDS crisis, the play remains relevant as
communities around the world today encounter yet another epidemic.
OakTechRep’s production features original puppets designed and
fabricated by the Tech Techies and manipulated by the ensemble.
“The Living” will perform December 11-13, with three evening
performances at 7 p.m. and one Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. in the
Oakland Tech Auditorium, 310-42nd Street. General admission
tickets are $10 at the door; $8 for OUSD staff and students. Due
to the nature of the play’s content, this event is recommended for
middle-school ages and older. The production is directed by Jessa
Moreno with technical direction by Casey Fern and choreography
by Ena Dallas. For more information, contact jessica.moreno@
ousd.k12.ca.us or 510/450-5400.
R e v e l s  p e r f o r m e r s ,
clockwise from left: Tristan
C u n n i n g h a m ,  J a m e s
Galileo, Rene Collins, Liam
von Holder.
Town Hall from page 3
programs have had higher attendance than any in the previous year;
a few programs filled the Library meeting room. However, we also
cancelled at least one program for insufficient RSVPs, a practice
instituted out of respect for the time of prospective panelists. The
experimentations will continue in 2015. Instead of hosting Town Halls
every month of the year (except August), we will organize five or six
only (in February, April, June, September,
November, and possibly December) and
continue to improve the planning that goes
into the meetings. If there are topics you
would like to hear covered, please share them
with us at info@rockridge.org.
Ann Daniels has lived in Rockridge for over 20 years.
This is her first year performing with the California Revels.
SPECIALIZING IN ROCKRIDGE REAL ESTATE

After a very strong year and sunny outlook for next year in our local real estate market, we welcome the well needed
rain and the joy the holidays can bring at the end of the year.  We look forward to the completion of the Claremont
Safeway project, the coming Cole Hardware store and the festive holiday decorations along College Ave.  The
inventory of homes are down and will continue to fall until after the new year.  Sometimes that means opportunities if
folks are busy with festivities this season, even if there are less homes to see.  Feel free to contact me to see what is
on the market or for a home evaluation. Experience the value from the knowledge gained on nearly 200 transactions.

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10.

December 6, 2014
10.

Department developed the CORE program,
or Communities of Oakland Respond to
Emergencies, to teach a community how to
survive for seven to 10 days after a disaster,
about the time expected for professional first
responders to arrive.
The CORE program, speakers explained,
has three training modules – Core I, Core
II and Core III – that begin with becoming
aware of home hazards and safety needs,
move on to building a neighborhood
resource network and conclude with basic
aspects of search and rescue, first aid and
disaster response organization. There is,
of course, much more information on the
CORE web site at www2.oaklandnet.com/
Government/o/OFD/s/CORE/index.htm.
RCPC thanks Howard Cook for his
discussion of the intricacies of strengthening
foundations; Jeff Morelli, Assistant CORE
Coordinator; Rockridge resident Carol
Strickman, a former CORE teacher and
trainer; and Eileen Levin, CORE outreach
co-chair, for their report on the skills and
support available to those who enroll in and
complete the free-of-charge training.
New Look,
New Group
November Town
Hall: CORE
from page 5
from page 1
park with a Cleanup Day on November 11.
The dog park was raked, swept, and
cleaned of papers, old balls, litter and other
debris inside and outside the park. Hardy
Dog Park users donated stainless steel water
bowls to replace old plastic bowls at water
spigots, as well as a fresh supply of poop
bags and new balls. The “hardy” workers,
including HDPG members, their families
and dogs, and volunteers, transformed
the park in just an hour. Dog park users
voiced their delight and appreciation for the
clean park, and also left written messages:
“Thank you so much to those who cleaned
the park. It looks
great.”
A n  H DP G
meeting was held
early in Decem-
ber. The next
group meeting
will be Tuesday,
January 6, 7 p.m.
at 5500 Vicente Way, Oakland (around the
corner from the Colombo Club). A Cleanup
Day is scheduled for Sunday, January 11
at 11 a.m.
Hardy Dog Park Group is seeking
additional members. All are welcome at
the meetings and Cleanup Days. Hardy
Dog Park Group will continue to schedule
cleanups at the park as renovation work is
pending and after renovations are complete.
For meeting location, questions, addi-
tional information or to be added to the
Hardy Dog Park Group email list, contact
Lauralj24@gmail.com or Chehies@gmail.
com. To make a year-end tax deductible
donation to the Hardy Dog Park renovation
project, visit ScenicStreets.org.
years since the last major quake on that fault.
We are due.” Cook’s approach to disaster
response is to harden the target, to make
your home as resistant to destructive forces
as possible. “It’s a major inconvenience if
you are prepared; a disaster if you are not,”
he suggested.
Earthquakes may dominate predictions
of Bay Area disaster, but they are not the
only sources of potential trouble. Consider,
for example, the Oakland Firestorm of
October, 1991. But, two years before that
fire, it was after an earthquake – Loma
Prieta, October 17, 1989 – when the Oakland
Fire Department and other first responders
realized that no city could mount an effective
response to a full-scale disaster and that
many citizens would be on their own for
some time.
To fill that support gap, the Oakland Fire
Sadie, Mack and
Cowboy at rest.


11.
December 6, 2014

11.

Appreciation for Ace Ellis
Hardware Store
Editor:
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).
In welcoming Cole Hardware to
Rockridge, I am sorry that you chose to
dismiss Ace on Grand and Ace Ellis on
MLK. Both stores are wonderful resources
for our community, and I have yet to find a
store, hardware or otherwise, whose entire
staff has the knowledge, good nature, and
efficiency of those at Ace Ellis.
— Cathleen Schulte
Danger for Cyclists at Night in
Dark Clothes
Editor:
Parklets Needed on College Ave
Editor:
While I love Rockridge Market Hall, so
do many others who block the sidewalk in
front. I am finding this getting worse and
it is aggravating trying to get through the
crowd and animals.
Please encourage the management to
think of putting a parklet or two on the street.
Oakland has ended applications for this
year, so there is plenty of time to consider
this for 2015. See www2.oaklandnet.com/
Government/o/PBN/OurOrganization/
PlanningZoning/parklets/index.htm
— Donald Switlick
With the season of early darkness now
upon us, I am disturbed by the high number
of cyclists riding on College Avenue without
adequate lighting on their bicycles. Do these
riders, most in stylishly dark clothing, realize
to how much risk of serious accident they are
exposing themselves?
As a child, I received a citation for riding
a bicycle without a headlamp. Where is OPD
now? Where is the enforcement?
— Ray Perman
Editor’s Reply:
I am in total agreement with your assess-
ment of the two stores, and did not mean
to seem dismissive of them. It is just that
the appeal of a hardware store on College
Avenue in Rockridge after decades without
one is noteworthy and merited a good-
humored comment.
— Editor
and their teachers and parent chaperones,
arriving on a September Saturday for Creek-
to-Bay Day, during one of the busiest months
of the school year; • Cub Scouts who came
with parents on busy Saturdays for Earth
and Creek-to-Bay Days; • neighbors who
love the creek and new neighbors who hadn’t
learned about it yet, showing up to volunteer
and connecting with each other.
Also to be included are the merchants
who donate coffee, printing services, plants,
snacks, drinks, ice, and window space for
posters. There are the children who wade,
toss pebbles, sail leaf boats, splash their
siblings, and learn the pleasures of wild
places and moving water that will stay with
them forever. There are the friends who’ve
moved away, but remain on neighborhood
email lists to keep up with a place that will
always be home. Temescal Creek and the
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt can claim
no finer achievements.
Moving forward into 2015, if you enjoy
the creek, want to catch up with some of
your neighbors, and stretch your weeding,
raking, and pruning muscles, join the DMV
Neighbors Association on January 24, 2015,
from 9 a.m. to 11a.m. Meet at the corner of
Redondo and Cavour by the big eucalyptus;
hot coffee and snacks provided. Rain cancels.
DMV Neighbors
from page 5
FROG could share planning, tools, and
volunteer efforts, with excellent results for
both Big and Little Frog parks, and the creek.
Turnout for events is a decent proxy for
interest and support, and lots of people came
out in 2014. More important than numbers is
who turns out: • Oakland Tech’s Build On and
Key clubs – high school students voluntarily
rolling out of bed early in the morning every
First Saturday event to care for Big FROG
and the creek; • elementary school kids,
Prices Soar in November

Closing date BR BA Address
Original price List price  DOM
Selling price
11/5/14     5
2
5470 Boyd Avenue
$1,100,000
$1,100,000 14
$1,380,000

11/7/14    2
1
5701 Oak Grove Avenue
$825,000
$825,000
23
$850,000
11/10/14 2
1
5130 Lawton
$899,000
$899,000
17
$1,015,000
11/19/14 3
2
482 Clifton Street
$769,000
$749,000
37
$769,000
11/21/14 3
2
5377 James Ave
$699,000
$699,000
13
$860,000
11/23/14 3
2
5857 Ocean View
$1,100,000
$1,100,000 25
$1,150,000


12.

December 6, 2014
12.
Art on the Avenue

cultural organizations. Participating visual
arts institutions include the nearby Oakland
Museum of California and the Berkeley Art
Museum (closed from December 22 until
early 2016 while it moves to a new location);
San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum; Cartoon
Art Museum; Contemporary Jewish Museum;
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; Bedford Art
Gallery, Walnut Creek; San Jose Museum of
Art; Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History;
and Napa’s di Rosa galleries.Since passes
can be reserved online and printed at home,
library patrons are just a few clicks away from
a world of inspiration.
Local Loyalty
from page 8
from page 4
display case downstairs. Over the years,
the monthly shows have featured works of
the Oakland Art Association, Rockridge
Community Photography Group, grade-
school or college classes, and Oakland Public
Library employees. Artwork in a variety of
media has been shown, from oil paintings,
watercolors, and mixed media, to photographs
and quilts. The exhibition program is booked
for the next year, but community members
can learn how to propose their own shows
by asking at the reference desk.Through
the Oakland Library’s participation in
the Discover & Go program (discover.
oaklandlibrary.org), library cardholders can
request complimentary family passes to an
impressive variety of area museums and other
lemongrass from Yasai; order one of Ver
Brugge’s famous poached whole salmon;
and get a loaf of olive bread from La Farine.
Support and enjoy our local community.
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Carl Schmitz is Art Research Librarian at the
Richard Diebenkorn Foundation. A card-carrying
member of the Clyfford Still Museum and an
expert on the pedestrian traffic light patterns at
the intersection of College and Claremont, he can
be reached at cschmitz@diebenkorn.org.
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Library Support
from page 5
year also marked a new area of support:
FORL funded and is providing oversight on
the installation of air con-ditioning in the
branch’s Teen Zone and upstairs meeting
areas. We also organized a program called
“Seasoning to Taste: an interactive tasting
experience,” where local chef instructor
Linda Carucci guided a packed house
through tasting and seasoning, learning
how different ingredients change a dish
and your palate.
Please consider donating to the Friends
of the Rockridge Library. A thriving library
is the mark of a thriving community. Your
support, your donation, and your love of
the library helps make that happen. Visit
www.RockridgeFriends.org, or send a
check payable to Friends of the Rockridge
Library, PO Box 3723, Oakland, 94609.
The Tax ID no. is 45-3951826. Thank you.
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







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24


 
	


13.
December 6, 2014

13.
Frog 2014: Year of the Swings

by Annie Suttle, FROG volunteer
Based on a community survey and
outreach at Frog Park throughout 2012
and 2013, in 2014 we embarked on a $50,000
community fundraising drive to add a bevy
of new play features: bucket swings, more
regular swings, a merry-go-round climber,
pole spinners and a see-saw.
This fundraising effort has included:
Circle K.
■
■R e p l a n t e d  t h e
butterfly garden, newly
designed by Rockridge
resident Greer Alley, with
plant donations from Ace
Grand Avenue Hardware
and Keep Oakland Beautiful
grant funding.
Kids hanging out
on one of Frog
park’s large play
structures. /Ken Rice
Please consider a year-end gift to
Frog Park, especially businesses
whose donations are eligible for
matching funds through December
31. More information: www.frogpark.
org/swings.
■
■Finalized park layout based on
community feedback, tree mitigation and
city and ADA requirements.
■
■Finalized tree replacement planting at
the DMV in concert with DMV Neighbors
Association.
■
■Secured $100K in funds as part of
the 4th Bore Coalition/Caltrans settlement.
■
■Dedication plaques installed on park
benches.
Worked with the city to resolve
maintenance and safety issues, including:
■
■Raised for additional $50K to fill
gaps for planning, contingency, permits
and equipment.
Update: Frog Park
Enhancement Planning
We recently met with local neighbors
who voiced concerns about more
equipment in the park, and the potential
impact on homes nearby of increased park
usage. We take these concerns seriously and
look forward to identifying how to balance
them with community wishes. To share your
opinion, please email chair@frogpark.org.
You can see the latest park plans at www.
frogpark.org/swings.
■
■New creek water safety signage;
■
■Secured a grant from a local family
foundation with matching funds from local
business donations.
■
■Concerns about people sleeping in
the park
■
■Repairs and graffiti mitigation.
Built by more than 1,300 volunteers
in 2001 and sustained over the years
by volunteer maintenance and generous
donations, Frog Park is a testament to the
power of a community-driven vision. The
outpouring of support in 2014 has been
incredible.
Thank you to all of those who have
helped us get within reach of our goal.
Meanwhile, there have been regular park
maintenance events:
■
■Earth Day Cleanup and Frog Fest
with the help of the Rockridge Cub Scouts.
■
■Fall Maintenance Day with the help
of College Prep students.
■
■Monthly cleanups with the assistance
of Oakland Tech BuildOn and Key Club
students, Berkeley Kiwanis Club and UCB
wanted to return home and teach. They
first located above College Avenue Liquors
in 1958, stayed there 10 years until their
current 1909 Craftsman home, directly
across Alcatraz, became available. Frank and
Victor are still active, with Frank dancing
almost daily. They decided to change their
business to a non-profit corporation so they
could support upcoming artists and dance
troupes – sometimes with money, sometimes
just providing free practice space – in a
field known for its fierce competitiveness.
The studio retains that same spirit today,
welcoming dancers and their families with
over 100 classes each week taught by a staff
of 40 professionals. Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop
and Modern dance, as well as conditioning
programs, are all available. Over 800 dancers
practice there each week, making the
entryway a little hectic at times. Managing
Director Rebecca Johnson would like to
find additional space along the Avenue. If
you know of something that might support
their needs, give her a call at 654-5921.
■	 Oliveto (the olive grove), 5655 College
Avenue, offering a café on the ground floor
and a fine restaurant above, is the literal
cornerstone of Market Hall. Opened in
1986 by Maggie Blyth Klein, who took a
big chance since her restaurant was the
only business in Market Hall at the time,
Oliveto now enjoys a widespread reputation
for quality and style. Offering a Northern
Mediterranean Italian menu, with the
freshest of California ingredients and a great
atmosphere, this restaurant is a fine choice
for special occasions. Maggie, a former
food book editor at UC Berkeley, developed
long-term relationships with many of the
small farmers around the Bay Area; those
personal connections now give Oliveto an
advantage in purchasing quality items they
can offer their guests. Not content to stand
on past accomplishments, she is installing
a Meyer Sound System, only the second
to be installed in a restaurant. The system
is designed to allow clear communication
between diners at any table by dampening
interfering noise from adjacent diners,
allowing a great meal to be accompanied
by an equally enjoyable conversation. Just
in time for the holidays.
Years of Service
from page 4
■	 The Burrito Shop opened its first
location at 5359 College Avenue in 1978
and on a part of the Avenue then very
sparsely populated. Empty storefronts were
the norm at the time and people looked at
you in wonder when you said you lived in
Rockridge. But the Burrito Shop built up a
loyal base and eventually opened other stores
on Lakeshore Avenue and in Castro Valley.
The College Avenue site expanded to add a
few seating tables and the menu took on new
items with fish tacos and vegetarian burritos,
but the shop never abandoned its traditional
specialty. The Burrito Grande easily feeds
two people for a budget price. The Burrito
Shop now offers catering, as well.
■	 “Do you want to dance” is the refrain
but Shawl Anderson Dance Center is
where the action is. Frank Shawl and Victor
Anderson were New York City dancers
in the 1950s under the guidance of May
O’Donnell, modern dance pioneer, but they


14.

December 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.
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
A Great Holiday Gift
Searching for the perfect gift? 2015 “Date-
Night Dance Class” gift certificates available
now! Friday night classes start Jan. 9th in
Glenview. Interested? Contact David Kelso
& Chris Mehling 510/530-7671 madeinca2d@
earthlink.net
New Art Gallery
Arte Verissima at 4432 Piedmont Avenue.
Currently “The Founders Show,” local artists
Andrew Ameral, Kristen Brown, Sean For-
rester, Scott Johnston, Jamie Morgan, Abigail
Spector, Lauren Szabo and Bruce Wolfe.
Friday – Sunday 12-6. www.arteverissima.com
Denize & Idelvan
House Cleaning
We clean houses, apartments, offices, in the
Bay Area. Nine years experience. E-mail:
idelvandenize@hotmail.com or call 510/253-
5309 or 510/739-0717.
Belly Dance!
Want something unique for your next party
or event? Birthday parties, bridal showers,
team building, corporate events, etc. Inter-
national teacher and performer. Elegant,
fun and suitable for all ages. Call Jennifer
at 510/326-3933. www.hipbellydancer.com
Rockridge Acupuncturist
Acupuncture at 5664 Broadway. Family owned
since 1978. Gentle, relaxing treatments for
difficult pain, stress relief, depression, etc.
For appointment or free consultation with
Alex Chung, L.Ac, please contact: 510/882-
8900 or alexchunglac@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.
January issue deadline is December 18.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Happy Holiday’s from
Penelope’s Aesthetics!
Bring in the New Year with relaxing, reju-
venating and restorative facial! See what
one treatment can do! Custom facial with
eyebrow wax only $54! A 40% savings!By
appointment. 510 594-1552 www.penelo-
pecalef.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.
TAI CHI and QIGONG in
Rockridge
Thursday, 9:30 am and Saturday, 9 am. Learn
Tai Chi principles. Cultivate health through
this ancient gentle exercise. New classes
start January 3, 2015. Email harmonytaiji45@
gmail.com phone 415/786-2469
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.
Homemade Desserts
Made in Rockridge from Oaklandishally local
ingredients. Fruit pies include apple, pear
& pumpkin. Pumpkin & persimmon bread;
Raspberry & persimmon ice cream. jazzber-
ries@LMI.NET or visit us at 417 Avon St.
on Farmers’ Market Sunday.
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034
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
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
Norman H. Burg, DDS
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

• Dispute resolution
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
• Special needs trusts
Please contact me during regular business hours to
      schedule an appointment.
A Prevention Oriented Practice


15.
December 6, 2014

15.

E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or mail to:
Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611. Deadline is the next to the last
Tuesday of the month.

Compiled by Jo Ellis

12/12, 7–10pm. Tecoah Bruce Gallery at the Oliver
Art Center, 5212 B’way. Info: John Jenkins, 594-3648
or jjenkins@cca.edu.
Avonova House Concert
Free Dive: an improvisational, jazzish music collective
led by Keith Terry. Body music, beat boxing and sponta-
neous musical invention. 12/ 21, 7pm (doors open 6:15).
$20 admission (cash only) at the door; complimentary
snacks and drinks. Avonova Studios, 417 Avon St. Info:
652-8440 or www.Avonovamusic.com.
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.
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/.
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. More about Certified Farmers’ Markets
at urbanvillageonline.com.

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@
rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
**Computer Tutors Available: Get help with basic
computer skills; email; e-book & audiobook download;
or social media. Drop-ins of all ages welcome. Info:
Vicky Chen, 597-5017.**
FOR CHILDREN
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.
■
■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 EXHIBIT (call to confirm)
Dec: Patrick Ducey: As the Sixties Ended: 1967-72,
black and white photographs: environmental and anti-
war posters.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun., and Mon;
also Wed-Thurs 12/24 - 25, and Thurs, 1/1.
OakTechRep, Student Theater Co.
Anthony Clarvoe’s The Living, Thurs thru Sat, (Dec11-13);
three performances at 7pm and one Saturday matinee at
2pm in the Oakland Tech Auditorium, 310-42nd Street.
Tickets: $10 at the door ($8 for OUSD staff and students).
Best for middle-school ages and older. Info: 450-5400
or jessica.moreno@ousd.k12.ca.us. See story p.9.
Calif College of the Arts (CCA)
(Free and open to the public)
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Events:
■
■Winter Bingo: Any time in Dec pick up a BINGO card,
either the Kindergarten-to-Fifth-Grade version, or the
Preschool-Toddler version. Complete 5 of the bingo
activities in a row to get a Free Book! Pick up prizes
between Dec 18 & Jan 31.
■
■Launch of Humble Pie Volume 11. Hear work by
artists and writers included in the online edition of the
journal and partake of a variety of delicious pies.
Part of the HearSay Reading Series which features
CCA students and established Bay Area writers. Wed,
12/10, 7:30–9:15 pm. CCA campus, Nahl Hall, 5212
B’way. Info: www.humblepiemag.com.
■
■Winter Sewing Session: Sat, 12/20, 2:30 - 5pm. Make
a gift for someone you love! Sew cloth pouches – the
perfect holder for tissues, phone cords, pencils, or
other tchotchkes inside a backpack or purse. Ages 5
to 12 (if under 8 must bring an adult).
FOR TEENS
■
■Interface Show: Art Using Technology Using Art:
An exhibition featuring interactive, kinetic, robotic,
generative, responsive, and computer-based art and
design. Presented by the Animation Program. Fri,
■
■Teen Movie Show (PG): Dec 17, 2 – 3:30pm (Title
TBD). Popcorn and lemonade provided.
■
■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.
■
■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
■
■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).
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

Happy New Year
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
LAW OFFICES OF
KYLE M. JOHNSTON
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
CALL FOR YOUR FREE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
FAMILY   ╬   BUSINESS   ╬   ESTATE
WWW.KYLEMJOHNSTON.COM


16.

December 6, 2014
16.

aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
Is there a move in your future?
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serving you since 1981
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3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
fri-tues
10:30-5:30

wed-thurs 10:30-8:00
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
Playing? Start in Oakland!
HI ROCKRIDGE!
32
WHAT A GREAT YEAR FOR ROCKRIDGE
PRICES, UP 22% FROM NOV 2013. IF YOU
HAVE ANY THOUGHTS (OTHER THAN OVER-
EATING) ABOUT BUYING, SELLING OR
RENTING, GIVE ME A CALL.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS & BE SAFE IF YOU TRAVEL
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
RON KRISS
Call or email me for more information!
510-612-2547 or RonKriss@JPS.net
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
PENDING IN ROCKRIDGE
multiple offers - way over asking!
5429 Belgrave
2+BD/2BA
Truly a masterpiece
from an era gone by.
*Award Winning Chabot
Elementary School
Living? Love it in Oakland!
Just Sold! Multiple Offers! 38% Over Asking!
Happy
Holidays
Representing distinctive properties
throughout Oakland.
Commanding the highest values and
using the most tech savvy marketing.
See the possibilities at:
www.2038Lakeshore.com
Ron Kriss, Broker
L A W  T  O  N
Robin Dustan & Claudia Mills
415.385.3499  |  510.350.6419
rdustan@mcguire.com
cmills@mcguire.com
Lawton Assoc.
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@JPS.net
“I know Rockridge”
sm
over 140 homes
www.ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com
Sold at $1,925,000
sold in Rockridge
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
www.LawtonAssoc.com