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ckridgeNews
THE
www.rockridge.org
VOL. 30 NO. 5 ISSUE NO. 322 May 2, 2015 CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200
April: an RCPC Triple-Header Meeting
making themselves available to respond
to comments and/or questions. See http://
www.51standtelegraph.com/events/ for
details.
Between the election and the development
report, Don Kinkead, Rockridge News
founder and longtime editor, was presented
with an Oakland City Council resolution
recognizing his contributions to Rockridge
and the city of Oakland. Councilmember
Dan Kalb, whose office deftly coordinated
this effort on behalf of the Council,
personally presented the resolution to Don.
Highlights of the Resolution: “In 1986,
one year after RCPC incorporated as a
nonprofit public-benefit corporation, Don
launched The Rockridge News to help
inform the community of issues affecting
the neighborhood and of ongoing activities
of RCPC.
“Don has been The Rockridge News’
editor for 15 of those years and responsible
for graphics and paper layout since the
first issue of the paper. Don’s wife, Bobbie
by Zabrae Valentine, RCPC chair
The April 16 annual RCPC members’
meeting managed to be three great
meetings rolled into one.
First, RCPC held its annual election
of boardmembers which resulted in the
reelection of Jennifer Daskal and Greg
Pasquali as well as the election of new board
member Noah Rosen. Jennifer is co-chair
of the 2015 Rockridge Kitchen Tour and
board vice chair. Greg is co-chair of the
Land Use Committee. Noah is fairly new to
Rockridge, and we welcome his willingness
to join the rest of the board in volunteering
time to provide representation to the broader
neighborhood.
Second, Greg Pasquali shared a brief
overview of some of the development
projects currently underway in Rockridge.
Then, 51st and Telegraph developer Nautilus
Group presented an update of their plans for
the mixed-use proposal of the Global Video/
Creekside site. There were a lot of questions,
/D. Kinkead
Voting at the RCPC board election.
and a number of concerns – including the
planned density of the building; the location
of the commercial loading zone; and details
related to the possibility of a new grocery
store in the plan.
The developer still seems to be working
out the answers to many of the questions
the community has. Nautilus planners
have established times for the public
to meet and discuss the project and are
➧➧Town Hall, page 2
Refresh Your Kitchen While Preserving Your Budget
are dated, try a bold color that stands out
over the design of the cabinets.
change the feel of your kitchen and is
relatively inexpensive.
■
■Lighting: Forgo recessed lighting
and simply replace existing fixtures with
something more pleasing.
■
■Appliances: Look for sales or stores
that carry appliances with minor scratches
or dings for discounts.
■
■De-Clutter: We all fill our kitchens
with gadgets and countertop appliances.
Decluttering, organizing and paring down
to necessities can create a calm space
where everything is within reach.
■
■Plants: A bit of nature can balance
hard surfaces in a kitchen and offset the
gadgets.
■
■Accessories: Mixing objects from your
travels, artwork, and vintage furniture
with modern conveniences can bring
warmth and character to your kitchen and
personalize the space.
10 Ways to Refresh Your
Kitchen on a Budget
by Jennifer Daskal, RCPC
boardmember
In anticipation of the RCPC Kitchen Tour
coming this September, let’s explore
ways to revitalize your kitchen on a budget.
One of the great benefits of
the Kitchen Tour is all of
the fantastic ideas you
can borrow from other
people’s projects. A
high-end kitchen
remodel might be out
of your reach or your
desire, but the Kitchen
Tour provides an abundance
of ideas you can incorporate
into a budget kitchen design.
■
■Paint: Whether walls or cabinets, a
fresh coat of paint can change the char-
acter of your kitchen. If your cupboards
■
■Ca bi n ets: Consider refacing or
refinishing your cabinets. Remove
upper cabinet doors to open up a small,
claustrophobic kitchen. Open shelving
looks great, but remember: the dishes are
now in the open. Keep all dishes of one type
on your open shelving for a cleaner look.
■
■Countertops: New countertops can
be expensive depending on materials
you choose. If you are flexible and work
directly with a fabricator, you may be able
to find remnants or discounted materials.
New countertops out of your budget? Use
a large bamboo cutting board to draw
attention away from the countertops.
■
■Sink and Faucet: If you choose to
replace countertops, consider replacing
your sink and faucet, too. The fabricator
can cut the material to fit your new choices.
■
■Hardware: Changing hardware can
Rockridge Kitchens
Coming in 2015
O F R O C K R I D G E K I T C H E N S
A T A S T E F U L T O U R
Rockridge
Kitchens
2015
P L A N N I N G C O U N C I L
ROCKRIDGE COMMUNIT Y
To a Kitchen
Near You
2.
May 2, 2015
Rockridge Librarian Pat Lichter Retires
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
at Manila | 597-5017
by Erica Siskin, Children’s Librarian
After 12 years as esteemed manager of
the Rockridge Branch Library, and a
total of 21 years of service to the Oakland
Public Library system, Pat Lichter is retiring
this month.
Just before taking the position of Head
Librarian at the Rockridge Branch, Pat’s
proudest accomplishment was turning
around the under-performing children’s
services program for the entire library
system by focusing on outreach and creating
an after-school homework assistance
program.
While at the Rockridge Branch, she over-
saw the development and construction of the
new TeenZone. She also coordinated all the
resources needed to fund and establish the
DVD Project.
In her management overall, she calmly
and skillfully coped with the challenges of
budget cuts, new technologies and changing
procedures. She has been thorough and
detailed when managing the materials
budget and employee schedules, and has
been a patient and flexible supervisor of
staff and volunteers.
Since Rockridge patrons (like most
library users) have high expectations for
service and access to materials, the branch
manager has a lively and vital position. Pat
embraced her role here the day she arrived,
and rose to the challenge of guiding staff
to provide excellent service, even during
a recession that reduced hours of service.
Beloved by her staff at the branch, she is
seen as a model of collaborative leadership
who has kept the mission of the library as her
highest priority, even under stress: to inform,
inspire, and delight our diverse community
as a resource for information, knowledge,
and artistic and literary expression.
We invite all members of the public
to drop by the library before May 7, Pat’s
official last day, to jot down a personal
message to put into our comments box.
Thank you, Pat, for your service and
support over the years.
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
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, 2015-2016
Brendan Havenar-Daughton Chair
Jennifer Daskal �������������������Co-Vice-Chair
Zabrae Valentine �����������������Co-Vice-Chair
Noah Rosen ������������������������Secretary
Open �������������������������������������Treasurer
Kevin Faughnan, Gabe Kleinman, Don Kinkead,
Greg Pasquali, Laura Schlichtmann
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Newsletter Subscriptions
Town Hall
from page 1
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
Kinkead, and supporting community
members designed the enduring network
of 150 volunteers who deliver the paper to
every residence and business within RCPC’s
boundaries. Don has also worked with other
Oakland neighborhood groups to set up and
maintain local newsletters.
“From the original issue, printed on
both sides of a single sheet and distributed
to neighbors by volunteers, The Rockridge
News has grown in size, quality, and volume
of advertising by local businesses to today’s
16-page monthly, delivered to some 6,000
residences and businesses.”
Contacting The Rockridge News
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News? • Do you have
questions about newsletter distribution? • Want to
volunteer to be a Rockridge News block captain?
• Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611
RCPC Voice mail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may
be e-mailed 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.
Dan Kalb, left, presents the Council
Resolution to Don Kinkead at the April
Town Hall. /Joshua Morales
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri 7 – 7 • Sat 8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
June 6, 2015
June deadline is May 21, 2015
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Six-
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or e-mail
joellis1@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
3.
May 2, 2015
The May Land Use Committee meeting is
Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m., at the Rock-
ridge Branch library, 5366 College Avenue,
upstairs meeting room. Confirm at rockridge.
org. (Front door will be unlocked; auto-open
will be off; pull doors apart to enter.) The agenda
will be posted on rockridge.org by the preceding
Sunday. Meetings are open to the public.
triggers restrictions if parking demand
exceeds available spaces for more than 15
hours in a three-month period.
Another RCPC concern is the Claremont
Avenue casual carpool. That area now has
meters, but no signs prohibit use of the
meters in the carpool area during its hours
of operation. RCPC would like to hear
from casual carpool users whether cars (or
delivery trucks) parked in the casual carpool
area are interfering with its operation. Send
e-mails to landuse@rockridge.org; leave a
voicemail at 644-4228; or write RCPC, 4123
Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland 94611. Photos
would be helpful.
Other issues about Safeway and Terramar’s
compliance with the settlement agreement
and use permit conditions will be discussed
with the city and Safeway.
The new residential permit parking area
around Safeway is soon to be approved by
the City Council, after which permits should
be available and signs placed.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project, College/Claremont
RCPC and the other North Oakland/
Berkeley community groups that reached
a settlement with Safeway over the new
College Avenue center are still negotiating
with Safeway – and with Terramar, new
owner of the retail buildings – over project
issues. Most important: the malfunctioning
parking deck space monitor. The street level
display should show how many spaces are
available, but reports incorrect numbers.
This is important: the settlement agreement
■
■Merrill Gardens Senior Housing
Project – Broadway (West
Side) North of 51st Street
Completion of this large senior housing/
mixed-use project is projected for the early
summer of 2016. For more details on the
construction schedule, see http://www.
srmdevelopment.com/rockridge. If you
➧➧Land Use, page 9
Meet Captain Darren Allison, OPD Area 2 Commander
by Don Kinkead
In “The Pirates of Penzance,” Gilbert
and Sullivan presented a view of law
enforcement through the prism of doing one’s
duty, and turned duty into a burden:
“When constabulary duty’s to be done,
“A policeman’s lot is not a happy one.”
Ask OPD Captain Darren Allison about
that, and he has a ready answer: “I love my
job!”
Captain Allison has spent his entire
working career with the Oakland Police
Department. “I started young as a police
cadet – I was 19 – and decided I wanted to
make a career of policing, and I wanted to
do it in Oakland.” He was not interested in
other, smaller departments with fewer and
more routine challenges “where I wouldn’t
be able to be helping as much.” He found
OPD’s moderate size and availability of
opportunities and challenges provided him
the chance to have an impact.
Recently named commander of Police
Area 2, consisting of a number of police
beats including 12Y and 13X which, in turn,
include Rockridge and Upper Rockridge, he
hosted Rockridge News editor Don Kinkead
and writer Judith Berne in his office for an
interview following his assignment. Before
starting, he asked for a moment to complete
and send an e-mail he had needed to finish
prior to the meeting. Two large monitors
blinked and flashed above his computer as he
typed. Responding to Kinkead’s exclamation
about having “a lot of real estate, there,”
Allison agreed and said, somewhat under his
breath, “I have more databases than I know
what to do with.” It later became evident that
he has many things to do with each of them.
The e-mail complete, the Captain
was asked about his early career plans.
In his younger days, envisioning a future
employment environment, Captain Allison
had undefined career goals, but he knew he
➧➧Captain Allison, page 12
Daniel’s
Recent
Rockridge
Listings
SOLD: $1,380,000
Listed: $1,100,000
5470 Boyd • 3 Offers
SOLD: $1,275,000
Listed: $995,000
5646 Oak Grove • 3 Offers
SOLD: $1,210,000
Listed: $949,000
388 62nd • 3 Offers
SOLD: $950,000
Listed: $795,000
5319 Shafter • 5 Offers
SOLD: $950,000
Listed: $695,000
5347 James • 7 Offers
SOLD: $925,000
Listed: $795,000
5272 Lawton • 5 Offers
SOLD: $925,000
Listed: $849,000
5330 Manila • 7 Offers
SOLD: $925,000
Listed: $699,000
5344 Shafter • 19 Offers
SOLD: $920,000
Listed: 749,000
5486 Kales • 12 Offers
SOLD: $905,000
Listed: $795,000,
391 Alcatraz • 5 Offers
SOLD: $850,000
Listed: 725,000
5231 Coronado • 3 Offers
SOLD: $830,000
Listed: $749,000
5371 Broadway • 2 Offers
SOLD: $811,000
Listed: $695,000
74 Ross Circle • 5 Offers
SOLD: $775,000
Listed: $725,000
5370 Bryant • 4 Offers
SOLD: $775,000
Listed: $649,000
5276 Redondo • 3 Offers
SOLD: $735,000
Listed: $625,000
359 Cavour • 3 Offers
4.
May 2, 2015
College Avenue Commerce: Decades of Service
Merchants’ Years of Service: a Final Look
Following is the last in our series on businesses in business on College Avenue at least
25 years. If you have been “on the Avenue” and didn’t see your business’ name, email
editor@rockridge.org. We want readers of The Rockridge News to know about you.
Art on the Avenue:
The Richard Diebenkorn
Foundation
by Carl Schmitz
On College Avenue, just on the north
side of the Berkeley-Oakland border,
is the office of the Richard Diebenkorn
Foundation. Richard Diebenkorn (1922–
1993) was a painter and printmaker who was
raised in the Bay Area and spent the majority
of his life in California. From 1956 to 1966,
the Diebenkorn family lived in the Berkeley
Hills near Rockridge.
Diebenkorn made nearly 5,200 unique
works of art in his lifetime, and the foundation
that bears his name has been part of an effort
initiated over 20 years ago to document
each of those works. Jointly sponsored by
the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco,
the Diebenkorn catalogue raisonné will be
published in a four volume edition by Yale
University Press in 2016.
In addition to its own publication project,
the foundation helps other institutions to
organize publications and exhibitions.
Recent shows have been as near as San
Francisco’s de Young Museum in 2013 and
the Richmond Art Center last fall, and as far
away as London, where the Royal Academy
of Arts is currently hosting a retrospective
by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC boardmember
■ The Breema Clinic at 6201 Florio (above
1st Federal Bank) and the Breema Center at
6076 Claremont Avenue were both opened in
1981 by Jon Schreiber. The center is where
classes are held for practitioners who come
from all over the U.S. and the world. The
clinic is where clients go for classes, which
are private and usually with an instructor.
Breema’s goal is to have you focus on
yourself and experience the present to find
balance and harmony. Novices achieve this
state initially with the help of an instructor
and some physical exercises, but eventually
are able to find the focus on their own.
Meditation, yoga, a little self-reflection all
are components of the practice. Breema staff
invite you to come learn how Breema can
help with physical, mental and emotional
well-being.
■ Maryanne Byars, owner of Cuttin’ Up
on College, is a very proud 6th generation
Californian: her ancestors settled in Lake
County and San Francisco in 1836. She was
born at Berkeley’s Alta Bates Hospital and
remained in Oakland, later attending Don’s
Beauty School and graduating in 1977. Some
of you may recall Hairy Ways located on
Claremont Avenue and operated by her mom.
Maryanne worked there earning her spurs
until she realized it was time to manage her
own business. She opened Cuttin’ Up on
College in 1983 at 5811 College Avenue and
has been there ever since. She has passed
on her skills to over 150 stylists, including
her son Louie who now holds down one
of the chairs. While in her salon, I noticed
all the seats were occupied by young men.
Maryanne says that’s nothing new for her;
she has been styling men’s hair since she
opened. Maryanne is one of the businesses
supporting this year’s Kitchen Tour. You can
fill out a paper sign-up form there (rather
than on-line), and if you mention this article,
she’ll give you a 10 percent discount on
your haircut. That sounds like a winning
proposition. Hope you see her soon.
■ Katrina Rozelle Topp, owner of Katrina
Rozelle Pastries and Desserts, graduated
from the California Culinary Academy
in 1984, spent a short time at Narsai’s
restaurant in Kensington, then opened her
own business in 1987 on College Avenue.
Located at 5931 College Avenue, she is
next door to Dreyer’s Ice Cream, about as
good a location as one could want. Best
known for her wedding cakes, Katrina
also offers cookies and cupcakes if you
can’t wait for the special order. However,
her imagination and execution in wedding
cakes is nearly boundless. When you are
planning that wedding at the neighboring
Julia Morgan-designed church (College
Avenue Presbyterian), make a right as you
come out the door and order your cake at
the same time from Katrina Rozelle. If
you aren’t getting married, you can still stop
by for a cake especially designed for that
golfer, musician, executive or other favorite
attraction in your life.
■ The Bank of America has been at the
corner of College and Claremont avenues
since the late 1960s when the business was
moved from its previous location to make
room for BART and Hwy 24 construction.
The bank has always been generous about
letting shoppers use the metered parking lot,
especially while Safeway construction was
underway. The branch now serves mostly
local businesses and residents, and does
no mortgage financing. Friendly tellers
are a hallmark of the branch’s service.
(Ed. Note: The stark appearance of today’s
bank building contrasts dramatically
with the decorative flat-iron building
the bank formerly occupied, which was
➧➧Diebenkorn, page 11
Did you know Rockridge prices broke an
all-time record in 2014?
PRICES ARE UP 36% SINCE 2010!
MEDIAN SALE PRICE OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN ROCKRIDGE
PROVIDED BY RED OAK REALTY
$1,000,000
$900,000
$800,000
$700,000
$600,000
➧➧Merchants, page 12
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
* Data is sourced from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). MLS data is provided by individual listing brokerages. These are sources we deem re-
liable. We have no reason to doubt their accuracy, but we do not guarantee them. Past performance does not guarantee future performance.
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
It’s never been a better time to sell.
Contact me for an evaluation of your property today.
MAXI LILLEY
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
5.
May 2, 2015
RCPC Works With RDA on Tree Costs
by Chris Jackson, RDA operations manager
Thanks to a collaboration between
the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) and the Rockridge District
Association (RDA), we have been able to
plant 14 new trees in our neighborhood. Just
in time for the recent Earth Day.
You may have noticed a number of empty
tree wells as you strolled the neighborhood
on either College or adjoining side streets.
With the generous donation of $5,000 from
the RCPC as well as RDA funds, we were
able to replace one tree that had died and fill
13 vacant tree wells, new saplings that join
15 trees planted in past years. This is part
of this year’s $30,000 budget set aside for
maintenance and beautification of College
Avenue. All of these improvements make
Rockridge a more pleasant place to be.
The RDA has become steward of the
trees here in our district not by choice but
by necessity. Over the past years many
limbs have come crashing down causing
damage, fortunately only to vehicles. This is
partly due to budget cuts in Oakland’s tree
trimming and maintenance department. The
department has been restricted to emergency
service only on a city-wide basis due to lower
staffing. By maintaining the existing trees,
we improve their health and viability, and by
eliminating hazard limbs, we afford better
safety for pedestrians. This work does not
come cheap; this is our second go-round
trimming and planting along with tree well
enhancements. We’ve hit the $60,000 mark.
This work is made possible because
Rockridge merchants and RDA members
voted to form a Business Improvement
District, known as a BID, in the year 2000.
BID members are assessed a fee on a sliding
scale based on sales tax revenue to the city
of Oakland. These funds are then returned
to the RDA, a 501(c)(3) organization, to
help manage and improve the quality of the
district. Unlike a tax, 100 percent of this
assessment is returned to the district and is
used for advertising to help bring folks to the
Avenue; new banners; holiday decorations;
and our special events, to name a few uses
for the funds. We are committed and working
to keep moving our neighborhood forward.
So, from the Rockridge District
Association and the Rockridge Community
Planning Council, enjoy a stroll around the
neighborhood, enjoy the trees and all else
College Avenue has to offer. Help support
your local merchants in keeping Rockridge
one of the most successful districts Oakland
has to offer.
He’s
Baaack...
Or is he?
Are the
mysterious
telephone
pole gnomes
out and about
again? If you
spot one, send
a photo and
general location
to editor@
rockridge.org.
Sighting submitted
by Theresa Nelson
RCPC Past Chair Zabrae Valentine,
left, RDA operations manager Chris
Jackson and RDA chair Susan Strahan
of Strahan Insurance Services celebrate
the planting of 14 new trees to fill vacant
tree wells on College Avenue and some
adjoining streets. RCPC contributed
to funding arranged earlier by RDA.
/D. Kinkead
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”
6.
May 2, 2015
Eyes on Rockridge
Along the way, she married Sam Jackson,
a physician who is an executive director and
department head at Dynavax Technologies
Corporation in Berkeley. They adopted two
daughters from Guatemala, Olivia, now 9,
and Claudia, now 8, who attend Escuela
Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) in Rockridge.
And as Sittig-Jackson and her friend
Kristen Policy strolled College Avenue,
with their young children, they looked for
somewhere they could sit with a leisurely
glass of wine and not have to order a meal.
When they couldn’t find what they wanted,
Sittig-Jackson suggested: “Let’s just open a
wine bar in Rockridge.”
The result is Toast, which opened four
years ago at the corner of College and
Chabot, where parents with kids in strollers
are a regular sight mid-afternoon sipping
wine on its patio under its bright, outdoor
umbrellas. Two years later, they expanded
into some of the space left vacant when
Somerset restaurant closed, and added
full-scale dining. “You’ll notice in that list
of things I’ve done, I never worked in a
restaurant,” Sittig-Jackson quipped.
About the same time, Sittig-Jackson
enticed her sister, Hillary Spry, to move from
Seattle to open and manage Spruce salon in
the former Maison Nouveau office at 5327
College. “It was like, hey Hillary, don’t you
think this would make a great salon and spa?”
Now, as she prepares to launch Relola,
Sittig-Jackson has stepped away from both
Toast and Spruce to concentrate on creating
a start-up aimed at a national audience.
“We’re starting small by just doing the
Local businesswoman sets sights on
new ‘Facebook’ for home buying
by Judith Doner Berne
‘T
ech rules real estate” blared the front
page headline in the April 11 issue of
the Oakland Tribune.
And Heather Sittig-Jackson, a Rockridge
businesswoman and 13-year resident (who
moved in March to the Oakland Hills),
hopes to capitalize on it – going even beyond
the new 3-D walk-through video tours that
prospective buyers now use to get up close
and personal with prospective homes.
She and business partner Kristen Policy
are about to launch Relola, which Sittig-
Jackson calls “the first socially fueled
platform dedicated to real estate.” Many of
the details are still hush-hush, but Jackson
explains it as “a more efficient and effective
search engine for buyers that will allow real
estate agents to stand out as experts.”
According to its website, “Relola is
determined to provide the most delightful,
informative and useful environment for
home hunting.” It asks prospective clients
to think: “Uber and Facebook and Angie’s
List = Relola.”
Many readers know Sittig-Jackson,
co-owner of Toast kitchen+bar restaurant
and of Spruce Salon & Spa, both on College
Avenue. But prior to those businesses, she
founded the real estate company Maison
Nouveau, also on College.
Though born in Southern California, “I
grew up all over the country because my
mother was an army captain,” she told me,
as we sat at an inside table at Toast. “I love
houses. We moved a lot – every two years –
which is maybe why I got into real estate.”
A bit of a wunderkind, she entered real
estate as a 16-year-old high school student,
doing research and property management
for a San Antonio Remax office. “I collected
rents. It was Texas, you know. They get
married at 16.”
While earning a B.A. in English with
minors in geology and architecture from the
University of Washington, she worked at an
architecture firm and decided “this wasn’t
the sexy architectural stuff I want to do.”
After a year in Europe, her jobs included
real estate development, mortgage loans for
Pan American Bank and selling real estate
in Berkeley. “I saw there is a better way to do
this,” she says, and opened Maison Nouveau,
at the age of 26.
Her new agency promoted itself as a
discount broker and used a team approach to
sales. “Our goal was to create a client-centric
model to replace the pervasive broker-centric
model that is common in our market place,”
Sittig-Jackson says. Ten years later, she sold
her business to McGuire Real Estate and
headed in a different direction.
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313 oakland, ca 94607
➧➧Businesswoman, page 7
a
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
the Rockridge community
in lifestyle and service.
(510) 788-5700 www.davekarlinskylaw.com
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
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning
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• Dispute resolution
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Please contact me during regular business hours to
schedule an appointment.
Serving Rockridge
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5400 College Avenue at Manila
7.
May 2, 2015
Businesswoman
“Let's open a wine bar in Rockridge,”
Heather Sittig-Jackson, right, said to
her friend Kristen Policy. Toast, at
College and Chabot, is the result.
from page 6
United States,” she says. “We want it to be
international in five years.”
“The biggest satisfaction will be if it is
transforming to the industry,” Jackson says.
“That would be my reward. I already have
a great life.”
Although Relola will be located in
Emeryville and although she now lives in
the Oakland Hills where she found a larger
property than was available in Rockridge,
Jackson is a huge Rockridge booster. “Oh, my
gosh, I love Rockridge. I love the weather, the
neighborhood, everybody knows everyone. It
seems like a small town in a big town.
“Honestly, the nicest people are here. The
business community looks out for one another.
Everyone gets together.” That was particularly
evident, she says, as the new minimum wage
law was about to take effect and they met to
discuss ways of implementing it.
At Toast, “We came up with a hybrid
15 percent service charge that we can
distribute to the kitchen,” she said. “We invite
customers to add a tip if they like that goes
to the front of the house. Almost everyone
adds the tip.”
“Heather is probably the most tenacious,
creative, enterprising, loyal and honest
person I know,” says Policy, about her best
friend and two-time business partner. “She’s
the perfect person to partner with because
she works harder than anyone, yet creates
environments of collaboration and care
around her.
“There’s never a dull moment being
friends with Heather,” Policy says, “because
you never know what she’s going to dream
up to do next. But whatever that thing is, I
want to do it with her.”
“She’s amazing,” real estate broker Ron
Kriss of Lawton Associates told me of the
former competitor. “She does such innovative
things.”
Indeed, when asked what she does for
fun, Sittig-Jackson said, “I start businesses.”
Close on the heels of that came, “I hang out
with my family and have fun with my kids.”
You are invited to comment on this column and
suggest subjects for others by e-mailing judy-
berne@att.net.
Pedal for Education, May 16
Support Ride for a Reason
The 2015 Ride for a Reason
cycling rally is Saturday,
May 16, when a large group
of cyclists will ride to the
State Capitol to raise money
and awareness for quality
public education. Proceeds
from this annual event
support six Oakland schools:
Claremont, Edna Brewer,
Emerson Elementary, Oakland
International, Oakland Tech
and Westlake.
100 Songs;
1 Afternoon;
You are Invited
If you don’t plan to ride,
please consider pledging
financial support for the rider(s)
of your choice, or make a
general donation at http://
rideforareason.dojiggy.com/
ng/index.cfm/13973/regPages/
pledge/generaldonation to help
us reach our goal. Go to www.
rideforareason.dojiggy.com and
click the “Sponsor a Rider” link
to find out which of your friends
are riding.
Claremont Middle School
music students will perform
100 songs for this year’s public
Playathon on Friday, May 15,
near the Rockridge Bart
station, from 3:30-6 p.m.
As the students play, they
will serenade passersby and
welcome folks home from Friday
commute.
Please consider donating
to our fundraising efforts.
The monies raised will fund
sheet music for further musical
advancement, instrument
purchase and repair, and costs
associated with sending students
to music competitions, recitals
and camps. There will be buckets
to receive your donations at the
Play-a-thon, or donate online:
www.claremontms.org
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WILLS, TRUSTS & PROBATE?
Norman H. Burg, DDS
KYLE M. JOHNSTON
ESTATE ATTORNEY
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
FREE CONSULTATION
For a free estimate
call Cydney
PLANNING, TRUST ADMIN & PROBATE
WWW.KYLEMJOHNSTON.COM
510•652•4034
A Prevention Oriented Practice
8.
May 2, 2015
8.
Gathered under the sheltering canopy of redwood trees at Redondo Park (aka
Little Frog), urban park planners and supporters learn of Frog Park’s history of
community construction and volunteer support from FROG committee members
Barney Smits and Carol Behr (left foreground, facing away). D. Kinkead
There’s a
new broker
in town.
Frog Park Achievements Attract Park
Supporters and Planners to Tour
Alerted by a report on Frog Park in the
February 2014 issue of Landscape
Architecture, Greater & Greener designed
a mobile workshop tour of Frog Park for
attendees at its current biennial conference
in San Francisco.
Forty workshop participants were guided
through the park in mid-April as FROG chair
Carol Behr and FROG committee member
Barney Smits described the remarkable
history of the park from its conception to its
hands-on construction by more than 1,300
community volunteers, and the continuing
volunteer support for its ever-growing
features.
Greater & Greener, as described on
its website, is the leading international
conference for urban park leaders, city
planning and design professionals, public
officials, advocates, funders, and innovators
to explore the issues, challenges, and
opportunities facing today’s urban parks.
Learn more: www.greatergreener.org/
about/greater-greener.
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate
Susan Bernosky
Strahan
Insurance
Services, Inc.
510-450-9051
Tip of the month: Where were the April showers that bring May flowers? Sun can be fun, yet lack of water is concerning. When
prepping homes for market we want them to look fantastic. Now we especially need to consider water use, both during the sale and
for the new owner’s long term ownership. The state and EBMUD have implemented long awaited restrictions you must know (16-20%
locally). My daughter, an avid Environmental Science major, explained the potential for new long term shifts in weather patterns for
our area, so we all need to be prepared for a changing ‘landscape’ in water management. Current EBMUD restrictions: 1. Water
no more than 2 non consecutive days/week w/ no runoff! 2. Only water between 6pm-9am. 3. No watering within 2 days of rainfall.
4. No washing driveways/sidewalks. 5. Only recirculating fountains allowed. 6. No watering public medians.
Rockridge Market: We all know values are at an all time high with short supply. The few # of sales means the data pool is too small
to look at averages or medians that won’t translate specifically to your home. Feel free to contact me for an analysis of your home,
whether it’s deciding on best return remodeling choices or prepping your home for sale.
Very Happy Mother’s Day to Moms everywhere!
Call for a real local expert opinion.
Perry Riani, Senior Associate
Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate
510.813.3799 PerryRiani@gmail.com
License # 01402540
9.
May 2, 2015
Scene In Rockridge
Rockridge resident and BART commuter Amy Lemley has
bought her daily newspaper from vendor Robert Mohead at his
BART lobby newsstand for the past nine years. “Over the years, we
became friends,” she says. Mohead, who worked on the City Council
campaign of Carter Gilmore in 1976, reviewed Lemley’s mailing
pieces during her council candidacy in 2012.
To help celebrate Mohead’s 87th birthday, she invited the
community – via Next Door Rockridge – to gather at his newsstand
for the presentation of a City Council resolution proclaiming April 11,
2015, as Robert Mohead Day in the city of Oakland; a gift certificate;
a chocolate birthday cake; and balloons. Joining in, a lobby musician
played Happy Birthday on his keyboard. /D. Kinkead
Amy Lemley formally reads and
presents the Council’s declaration
of Robert Mohead Day to Robert
Mohead. D. Kinkead
Redondo streets soon.
Land Use
■
■Nautilus Mixed Use Project
– Telegraph Ave (East Side)
Between 51st Street and
Claremont Avenue
The developers of this large mixed-use
project (185-195 residential units, 50,000
sq. ft. retail) presented current plans at the
RCPC April Town Hall meeting. (Story,
page 1.) RCPC concerns include shadowing
of the surrounding area; traffic impacts;
and whether the extension of the FROG
Greenbelt to Telegraph Avenue will occur
as promised. The developers have painted a
picture, but there are too few details to know
whether it will be a masterpiece, or an optical
illusion. The developers have promised to
meet with neighbors of nearby Clarke and
■
■New Tenant, Dreyer’s Building
The Dancewear store at this site moved to
San Francisco and Dreyer’s/Nestlé is looking
for a new tenant. RCPC’s strong preference
is to keep the space in retail use. Suggested
uses have included a kitchenware store,
an office supply store, or a men’s clothing
store. If you have thoughts about what you
would – or would not – like to see, or know
someone who might be interested in renting
the space, let us know. We will relay the info
to the Dreyer’s real estate agent.
from page 3
have concerns about the construction work,
phone numbers for developer SRM are
available on the website, or e-mail RCPC at
landuse@rockridge.org.
■
■Temescal Apartments Project
– Broadway (West Side) South
of 51st Street
This project will probably begin
construction in the beginning of 2016. It is
unlikely to be completed until fall of 2017.
■
■College Avenue Retail Zoning
Working Group
RCPC plans to start discussions for this
study of College Avenue retail – specifically
whether modifications to the current use
permit regulations are warranted – during
May. The first meeting will likely be held
in conjunction with the May Land Use
Committee meeting. Check rockridge.org
in mid-May for details.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center –
Broadway (East Side) North of
Pleasant Valley
Work on this large Terramar project was
supposed to start this spring, but obviously
hasn’t yet. With three large construction
projects surrounding the Broadway/Pleasant
Valley/51st Street intersection this might be a
good intersection to try to avoid come 2016.
10.
May 2, 2015
Letters to
the Editor
The Rockridge News welcomes posted
mailings and e-mails to the editor.
Your name, address, phone number, e-mail
address and city/neighborhood must be
included in either 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 appearing in The
Rockridge News are the writer’s own,
and may not necessarily be shared by the
editor, or by RCPC.
Foundation, I prefer to shop where my money
is more likely to remain in the community,
rather than going into the pockets and
investment accounts of stock holders and
over-paid executives far, far from Rockridge.
Finally, architectural merit is, often, in
the eye of the beholder. Some people think
a strip mall on I-99 is where they want to
be; some might think the Safeway building
is not gross, contemptible and hideous. They
have only to look at the restrained and elegant
Berkeley Bowl West to find what Safeway
could have, and should have, been. Instead,
we got a gross intrusion into an old, unique
and fragile neighborhood, an occupying
power.
Corporate money versus community
interest; who wins?
— Jeff Gillman
forward. I am so very grateful that the
beautiful Safeway store has opened and that I
can, for example, walk over and get milk for
breakfast at 6 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday. I
am grateful for the diversity that is back in my
neighborhood as Cal students and others are
once again shopping in the store. And I am
grateful for the other stores on College that
offer meat, bread, wine, vegetables and the
like, providing us with a number of choices
for our patronage. I venture to say – and I
do hope – that the nearby small, independent
stores will continue to be a part of the College
Avenue retail community.
Finally, I urge my Rockridge neighbors to
move forward with gratitude and appreciation
for our fine neighborhood which, like it or
not, includes Safeway, which is here to stay.
Safeway used to have a motto which is
appropriate now: Since we’re neighbors, let’s
be friends.
— Leila Gough
In Support of Safeway,
But Not Chain Coffee Shops
Editor:
I would like to add my voice in support
of the new Safeway. We have a population
that continues to grow and need services.
I have mixed feelings about all the chain
coffee shops in that block, though, and will
continue to support Cole Coffee, personally.
— Ben Riddell
There’s Nowt So Queer As Folk
(People Are Funny)
Editor:
This letter’s title is what I thought when I
read Mary-Lynn Wilson’s letter in the April
2015 issue of The Rockridge News. Someone
can be found who will defend anything! A
point that stood out in her letter is that Ms.
Wilson had “never set foot” in any of the
locally owned stores on College Avenue.
If she had, she would know that the food
products offered at Yasai, Vino, Ver Brugge
and the rest are generally better, fresher,
often cheaper, and more likely to be locally
produced than those offered at Safeway.
Ms. Wilson is right, the people at Safeway
are generally lovely, hard working, and well
trained. Ms Wilson might find, however,
that shopping at stores owned and operated
by people who live and are invested in the
community is a different experience.
As to the contributions of the Safeway
Now Time for Gr atitude and
Appreciation for Our Neighborhood
Editor:
I am writing about gratitude. I love living
in this neighborhood and am grateful that
members of the Rockridge community care
about the neighborhood, desire to improve
it and work hard to do so by being actively
involved in Rockridge issues. However,
the level of entitlement and NIMBYism
that I have witnessed in the last two years
– particularly over the Safeway on College
project – is not healthy for us as we move
Cole Display Hampers Passage
Editor:
Until recently I, as seemed to be the case
with every Rockridge citizen, was all warm
and fuzzy over the arrival of Cole Hardware.
This was based on having seen the newcomer
only at night when passing in the car. My
feelings changed when I took an afternoon
walk down College Avenue and saw what
appeared to be the
➧➧Letters, page 11
Rockridge Listings Drought
Closing date BR BA Address
Original price List price DOM
Selling price
4/17/15 3
2
6229 Chabot Road
$1,295,000
$1,295,000 7
$2,000,000
4/21/15 2
2
423 Cavour Street
$1,025,000
$1,025,000 14
$1,350,000
• Properties are selling an average of 142% of list price at $768/sf
• Only two Rockridge sales in this hot April market
11.
May 2, 2015
Letters
Elmer Bischoff grew up. (Bischoff’s brother,
John A. Bischoff, Jr., was featured in the April
1987 issue of The Rockridge News as part of
an oral history compiled by Andrea Gabriel.)
Between projects, the staff of the
Diebenkorn Foundation might be found around
Rockridge, lunching at Wood Tavern or taking
their dogs over to Barclay’s Pub. Richard
Grant, whose
wife Gretchen
is the daughter
of the artist,
also sees some
of the benefits
of living in the
neighborhood
by noting “the
Diebenkorn
from page 10
from page 4
Rockridge Annex to Home Depot. Over half
the sidewalk was packed with plants and
garden supplies, including huge bags of either
soil or fertilizer. I have a mobility problem
made worse by having to navigate through this
mess. Heaven help anyone in a wheelchair or
a mother with side-by-side twins in a stroller.
— Pat Parker, Rockridge resident
since 1973
Ed. Note: Below, Cole Hardware responds
to concerns expressed in the above letter.
exhibition spanning five decades of the artist’s
work. Each of these shows has featured works
made by the artist during the time he lived in
the area; the de Young show was composed
only of works
made during
Diebenkorn’s
Berkeley years.
As noted by
Richard Grant,
the foundation’s
e x e c u t i v e
director, there
a r e
m a n y
con nections
between the
foundation, the
artist, and the
neighborhood: “The Diebenkorn Foundation
is fortunate to have found a home within
a few blocks of where Diebenkorn created
the works from the Berkeley period. He had
several studios in the East Bay, and the last
one was behind his house on Hillcrest Road
just up from the Star Grocery. His children
went to neighborhood public schools, and
both continue to live here.”
Diebenkorn also spent time later in life in
the Elmwood District, where his colleague
Cole: We Want to Offer a
Complete Hardware Store
Editor:
Richard and Phyllis
Diebenkorn on the
porch of their Hillcrest
Road home. Photograph by
Morley Baer, 1966.
We are doing our best to offer the
neighborhood a full, complete and unique
hardware store, that is a fun place to shop.
This is a challenge within the confines of
the physical space we have. Prior to opening,
we polled the community on product
categories we should stock. Folks made it
resoundingly clear: they wanted us to offer
a line of organic and locally sourced plants
for their gardens. We’ve striven to do so, but
we have no parking lot or usable backyard
for display. Thus, the carts on the sidewalk.
We have worked closely with the Rockridge
Business Improvement District to make sure
the limited space we use is in compliance
with standards for College Avenue.
We are excited to be part of the Rockridge
community and will continue to do whatever
it takes to be a welcome addition to the
neighborhood. I can be reached anytime to
further discuss this or any other way I can
be of service.
— Rick Karp, President
of Cole Hardware
rick@colehardware.com
Cell: 415/846-2004
convenience of being able to walk to BART
and do all of our shopping without getting
into a car is great. And the one-half block
commute to work is pretty good, too.”
Carl Schmitz is Art Research Librarian at the
Richard Diebenkorn Foundation. He also serves
as Director of Communications for the Catalogue
Raisonné Scholars Assocation, an international
professional group, and can be reached at
cschmitz@diebenkorn.org.
requires a minimum five and one-half feet
clear space on the sidewalk for public use;
encroachments can extend a maximum of two
feet into the sidewalk area from the property
line. Furthermore, the federal Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) requires a minimum
three-foot wide clearance on public sidewalks.
ADA Violations are subject to federal suit,
including award of damages and attorneys
fees. Rockridge merchants, and RDA, need
to keep these requirements in mind.
Ed. Note: Stuart Flashman, Co-Chair of
the RCPC Land Use Committee, adds the
following comment:
Editor:
3rd Floor
Market Hall
The Oakland Municipal Code (OMC)
has provisions on sidewalk encroachments.
All encroachments require City permits.
The Rockridge District Association (RDA)
has gotten a “Master Encroachment Permit”
covering all College Avenue merchants; this in
spite of OMC Sect. 12.08.080, which requires
a separate permit and site investigation for
each encroachment. OMC Sect. 12.08.100
TM
Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
Advanced Preventive, Restorative, Periodontal Gum Care, and Dental Implants.
12.
May 2, 2015
is where the databases play a role.
Declaring that “there is no typical
workday,” Captain Allison says his general
practice is first to review crime statistics
from the previous 24 hours for patterns
of occurrence – past and present – and to
determine if an apparent spike in a particular
type of crime is supported by data over time
or is simply a statistical blip. “A rise in a type
of crime of 50 percent can be alarming, but if
it is based on a change of two or three crimes,
we will work to solve them, but added patrols
may not be the best use of an officer’s time. I
place officers on focused assignment based
on where the data show crime is occurring.”
In closing, the Captain said he was
pleased with progress on the Negotiated
Settlement Agreement (NSA). “We are in
compliance on the greatest number of tasks
in the history of the decree. I am optimistic
we will reach full compliance in 2015. Then
there will be a period of sustainment followed
by a transition out of the NSA.”
Asked to sum up his feelings about his
job, he said, “It’s been a rewarding career. I
am committed to the work and to the city. I
chose to stay here.”
And that is the difference between Gilbert
and Sullivan’s portrayal of duty as a burden
and Captain Allison’s commitment as a
choice: this policeman’s lot is a happy one.
He now finds himself spending more time
at his desk than his younger self might have
planned, but he does get out for on-scene
responses and meetings.
In the different assignments, especially
community policing, he found a value
in working with the community. “Law
enforcement is a part of the community as
much as residents and business entities. It’s
not just about arresting people. Working
closely with the community and building
a solid foundation of relationships that can
advance the overall goal of violent crime
reduction is a big part of the puzzle,” It all
comes under the heading of “hardening the
target,” he suggested. That means, for homes:
enhanced lighting and alarms. For the street:
being aware of surroundings. Still, he said,
“The main engine for public safety is the
patrol officer.” With staffing approaching
700 officers, though, “we have to be smart
and efficient with our resources.” And this
Captain Allison
from page 3
wanted to be able to stay active and to work
in a non-desk-bound job. He found that
environment during his early years with the
Department, but it began to slip away as he
rose through the ranks.
Since his graduation from the Police
Academy in 1996, Captain Allison has
served in many of the Department’s offices
commensurate with his increasing rank.
A partial list of his assignments includes:
Patrol; Field Operations; Community
Policing; Crime Reduction Team; Special
Operations/Gang Unit; Internal Affairs;
City-wide Incident Commander; and
Inspector General’s Office. Along the way,
he finished his college degree, majoring in
organizational studies, and attended the FBI
Academy in Washington, D.C.
work in the store and are busy with a new
line of aromatherapy products. The culture,
however, has remained the same: quality
products and a reward for customer loyalty.
Stop in and see how you can be pampered.
■ One of the first tenants in Market Hall
when it opened in 1986, Paul Marcus Wines
founder Paul Marcus had worked as a record
buyer for Berkeley’s Leopold’s Records. That
seemingly unlikely jump makes sense upon
reading the background summary of staff
displayed at the store and on Paul Marcus
Wine’s website, revealing how a love of wines
can span many backgrounds. Whether it’s
wines from California or Catalonia you are
after, Paul Marcus carries it or will work hard
to get it, but they do like to try everything
themselves first before they buy it. The store
also hosts special evenings at local restaurants
for meals paired with their wines. Visit the
website for a list of interesting evenings.
(paulmarcuswines.com/)
Merchants
from page 4
located roughly where the BART station
is today, according to long-time Rockridge
resident Annette Floystrup. If you have
more information or photos about that part
of Rockridge, or others, email editor@
rockridge.org.)
■ Body Time started life as The Body
Shop, a store that many of us grew up with,
that was on College Avenue in the Elmwood
District beginning in 1980. The two sisters
who started the business, which began in
their garage, first opened the doors in 1970
on Telegraph Avenue, and that store is still
there. In 1992, after opening the Rockridge
branch store, the sisters sold to a British
company called Body Time, the Rockridge
store we now shop with. The owners of the
store are Terra and Al Alberto, who actively
Judith Berne contributed to this story.
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
13.
May 2, 2015
Oakland Tech Centennial Celebration
to End Memorial Day Weekend
If you missed any of Oakland Tech’s
centennial year kick-off, book launch, and
Technites Past and Present Talent Showcase,
you can still experience the celebration on
Memorial Day Weekend – May 22-25 – by
participating in one of the events listed
below. For details and to register for any of
the events, visit the centennial page of the
Letter to
the Editor
Stand: The Telegraph Avenue
Bicycle/Traffic Plan is Unsafe
Editor:
In January, the Oakland City Council
approved its traffic flow plan for Telegraph
Avenue from 20th to 40th streets.
Going north, the design consists of curb,
dedicated bicycle lane, parked car lane, all
other regular traffic (e.g. transit and cars)
lane, and emergency lane, respectively.
Going south, the order is reversed with
north and south bound traffic sharing this
center emergency lane.
STAND has the following concerns.
1. It may be difficult for motorists to
see through the parked car lane to avoid
accidents when making right hand turns. The
same holds true for bicyclists making left
hand turns across oncoming traffic. There
continue to be concerns for cyclists trying to
go straight when the lane changes to allow
motorists to turn right.
2. The emergency lane does not take into
account the fact that there may be concurrent
accidents or emergencies to be dealt with.
Also, by removing a lane on each side of the
roadway, there is no place for delivery trucks
to park without stopping traffic.
3. Occupants of parked cars have no way
of getting safely from car to curb. They must
cross the bicycle lane to get to the sidewalk.
STAND has asked the City Council to
respond to our concerns. So far, it has not.
If you would like these issues addressed
by the City Council, send your comments
and concerns to: dkalb@oaklandnet.com.
— STAND Steering Committee
and photos, and sales of the Oakland Tech
Centennial Book. Noted actor (“Love Boat”)
and Tech alumnus Ted Lange narrates a film
of Tech history.
2. Mixer at Pro Arts
Friday, May 22, 7-10 p.m. Mix it up with
fellow Bulldogs at the no-host Centennial
Mixer at the Pro Arts Studio in Frank Ogawa
Plaza. Admission to this no-host event is
free, limited to the first 200
registrants.
3. Picnic at Middle
Harbor Shoreline Park
Saturday, May 23, 11 a.m.-
3 p.m. Visit with Bulldogs from
all generations at this scenic
venue on the Oakland Estuary.
Admission is $30 per person and
includes food and drinks.
4. Wine Tasting at Jack
London Square
Saturday, May 23, 2 - 5 p.m.
Enjoy an afternoon sampling local
wines. (Location TBD. Check
the website.) Participation lim-
ited to the first 125 registrants:
Price: $50.
5. Brunch at Pican Restaurant
Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m.-12 noon. The price
for this event is $35.
6. Centennial Gala at the Fox
Theater
Sunday, May 24, 6-11 p.m. The Gala is
the culmination of the centennial weekend
and includes many events. Tickets: $100 per
person, available online.
7. Golf Tournament at Lake
Chabot Golf Course
Monday, May 25, 9 a.m. Join us for a
round at Lake Chabot Golf Course. Entry fee
includes green fees and carts: $75.
Oakland Tech has been part of our
community for 100 years. There is much to
celebrate and be proud of. Join us.
Oakland Technical High School Band, 1917.
school’s website: http://oaklandtech.com/
staff/centennial/event-calendar/
1. History of Oakland Tech at
Oakland Technical High School
Friday, May 22, 2-5 p.m. Artifacts, guided
tours, displays of Oakland Tech memorabilia
Learn more about the bicycle plan: http://www2.
oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PWA/o/
EC/s/BicycleandPedestrianProgram/
OAK024597
Questions?: centennial@oaklandtech.com
Each office is independently owned and operated.
EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE
ORTRUN NIESAR
510.326.2161
Realtor® | CalBRE #01161032
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
baysir.com
Local with Global Reach.
Specializing in the East Bay.
Discreet and Professional.
14.
May 2, 2015
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.
Professional Math Tutor
...Offers effective, consistent, and reliable
help for middle/high school, college/university
students (all levels, test preparations).
Former university lecturer, LBNL post-doc
and researcher with 20+ years teaching
experience. Andreas 510/734 9189 or
andreaszyx@yahoo.com.
Property Management
Need help managing your property?
Attention to detail. Great rates! Bringing
tenants and landlords together is what I do.
Contact George GvRealtor@gmail.com or
510/710-6826.
Garden Restoration
Over 20 years serving the Rockridge area.
Knowledgeable, great references. Chris
510/655-0157.
House Wanted
Mature, professional, employed woman with
stellar credit looking for a roomy cottage
or small home in the area starting in June.
Please call or text 510/333-6999 or email
cmberger150@gmail.com.
New Psychiatric Practice
Robert Levin, MD. In Rockridge, close to
BART. ABPN Diplomat. Adults only. Call
831/601-5771.
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.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
June issue deadline is May 21.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Back Rejuvenating Essential
Experience an essential back and arm
treatment to renew, exfoliate, nourish and
hydrate dry itchy skin. On special for a
limited time. $35. Call for an appointment:
510/594-1552 www.penelopecalef.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.
Guidance for College
Admissions
Call Lucas McAdams, Rockridge’s resident
“College Coach,” to receive mentorship-
driven support for your son/daughter
regarding SAT/ACT testing, building the
college list, and essay/application submission.
971/506-7690 or visit esmcollege.com
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry
rot, drainage, walls, termite damage,
doors, windows. Professional work for
affordable prices. Local References Available.
Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
The More of us Who Walk
the More of us Who Survive
Avonwalk 2015. Donations can be made
at avonwalk.org. Participant name Melissa
Parker. Participant number 572066. Email
melissabparker@yahoo.com with questions
or call 415/706-7888.
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
Short Term Rockridge Rental
8/12-mid-Dec. (some flexibility), $5,400/mth
or $4,950/mth for entire time. 4 bed/2.5
bath home, formal liv/dining, gourmet
kitchen, backyard w/deck & BBQ. Nr shops,
restaurants & BART. Ron Kriss, Broker,
Lawton Associates, 510.547.5970 ex. 55.
Rockridge Optometry
Invites You
To An
Exclusive
Event
Featuring
Saturday, June 13th
9am – 1pm
5321 College Ave
(510)655-3797
15.
May 2, 2015
Crust Baking Factory, and photographer Ash Thayer:
Kill City: Lower East Side Squatters 1992-2000.
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
y
y Sun, 5/24, 3pm. Poetry Flash, with Richard Newmark
(All the Wasted Beauty of the World – Poems) and
Lee Rossi (Wheelchair Samurai).
Community Calendar
y
y Thurs, 6/4, 6:30pm. Ellen Meeropol: On Hurricane
Island.
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
Discuss crime and public safety with representatives of
OPD. 2nd Thurs (5/14) each month, 7:30pm.
Rockridge Library, College and Manila. Confirm mtg. at
www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
For All Ages: Ready, Set, Connect Program. Computer
tutors help with basic skills, email, portable device setup,
e-book & audiobook download, or social media. Tues,
4:30-6:30 pm and Sat, 2 – 4pm. Drop-ins welcomed.
Info: Vicky Chen, 597-5017.
FOR CHILDREN
FOR TEENS
y
y Tues, 6/9, 6:30 pm. Publication party for Robert
Roper: Nabokov in America: On the Road to Lolita.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.com.
Book Signing at Market Hall
Meet Alice Medrich, noted baker and cookbook author
of FLAVOR FLOURS: A New Way to Bake with Teff,
Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains,
Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours. Discuss baking techniques
and taste samples of desserts baked with various flours.
Alternative flours available for sale. Sat, May 9, 2- 4pm.
Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College Ave. 250-6001
or www.rockridgemarkethall.com.
Rockridge Artist Open Studio
Liz Maxwell, participating in ProArts Open Studios,
welcomes visitors to her studio to view her paintings
prints and drawings: Sat. and Sun., June 6-7 and June
13-14, 11am to 6pm. 5808 Chabot Road (not wheelchair
accessible). Simple refreshments. More info: 654-5741
or lizmaxwell@prodigy.net. Information about other
local artists and ProArts East Bay Open Studios 2015
at www.proartsgallery.org.
Jazz at the Chimes
Featuring vocalist Nicolas Bearde with Glen Pearson
on piano, Aaron Germain on upright bass and Leon
Joyce, Jr. on drums. Sunday, May17, 2 pm. Tickets at the
door (cash only) beginning 12:30pm (doors open 1:30):
$15 general; $10 srs. (60+) and students. Refreshments
and reception follows to meet the performers. Info at
www.nicolasbearde.com. The concert series honors the
individual stories and unique artistry of Bay Area jazz
musicians in a landmarked Julia Morgan venue: Chapel
of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair acces-
sible. Free parking. More info: www.jazzatthechimes.
com, chimesjazz@gmail.com or 654-0123.
Berkeley Baroque Strings Concert
All Telemann program. Many members perform on
replicas of period instruments and bows. Wed, May 20,
7:30pm. Free, but donations appreciated. St. Clement’s
Church, 2837 Claremont Blvd., Berkeley. Info: berkba-
roquepr@aol.com.
Wisteria Ways House Concert
Janam: Quintet of multi-instrumentalists who sing and
play American & Balkan Roots Fusion that explores a
dizzying range of styles, from Appalachia and Asia Minor
to Eastern Europe. Saturday, June 6, 3pm; doors open
2:15pm (outside venue; wheelchair accessible). Bring
a hat, sunscreen and a picnic. Hear a sample at http://
www.janamband.com/. $15-20 donation for musicians
(cash only at the door). 383 61st Street. For reservations
(highly recommended), RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.
org or 655-2771.
Free Yoga Classes
On-going classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9am and
6:30pm. All levels welcome. Bring your own mat. Call or
come in to sign up. All classes are free and open to the
public (but donations welcome). Body Options, 3212
College Ave. More info: Cory DeGregorio, 595-8101 or
corydegregorio@icloud.com.
y
y Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Advise the
library how to better serve teens. Get community
service credit for school. Snacks provided. 1st Sat.
each month, 1 to 2pm.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Play video & board games, make crafts,
enjoy light snacks. Every Wed, 2 to 3:30pm.
y
y Self-Defense Workshop: Learn basic verbal and
physical self-defense techniques. For ages 12 to 18,
with parent’s permission. 5/13, 2- 3 pm.
FOR ADULTS
y
y Local author and yoga professional Kimber Simp-
kins will read from and sign copies of her new book,
Full: How I Learned to Satisfy My Insatiable Hunger
and Feed My Soul, and lead a discussion about the
interconnectedness of body image, yoga, meditation,
and mindfulness. Tues, 5/12, 6:30pm.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
y
y Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers wel-
come. Bring 15 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced,
MS margins) of any prose for on-site reading/discussion
(also welcome to come empty-handed). Third Satur-
day each month (5/16), 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by the
Calif. Writers Club, Berkeley branch. Info: 420-8775
or Writefox@aol.com.
y
y Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
y
y Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Events:
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month (May 5th, June
2nd), 5 to 7pm. (Advance sign-up starts 4:45pm at
adult reference desk). Note: Volunteer lawyer leaves
before 7pm if no more people present. Call to confirm.
GALLERY ART EXHIBIT
May: The artist group Islamic Art Exhibit presents:
“Arabic: Language of the Quran.”
June: Greg Welker: photography
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun. and Mon. and Tues, 5/26 for Memorial Day.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/ Events
FREE and open to the public.
y
y Bike to Books: Resources for Family Riding
with Bike East Bay, Sat, 5/ 9, 1- 2pm. Riding bikes
together as a family can be fun and rewarding – and
everyone benefits from the exercise. Get the best of
family cycling resources in Oakland from Bike East
Bay staff in this one-hour workshop. Bring your bike
if you want to add d.i.y. decorations.
y
y Kamishibai - Japanese Paper Theater. Celebrate
Asian & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month with Librarian
Erica’s presentation of this traditional form of story-
telling popular in Japan during the 1920s to 1950s.
Nibble on Japanese treats as you watch stories from a
variety of countries performed in English on the back
of a bicycle. Saturdays at 10:30am (5/2, 5/16, 5/30);
Tuesdays at 7pm (5/5, 5/12, 5/19); plus a presentation
at the Oakland Museum on Friday, 5/29, at 6:30 pm.
More information & to register: call Erica: 5017.
***Volunteers Needed to help with Summer Programs:
People ages 11 to 16 who would like to spend a few
hours each week at the library, signing up participants
in the reading program, giving out prizes, and helping
with various library tasks like sorting and shelving books
& movies, we’d love to have your help. Call Erica or stop
by to sign up for an orientation & schedule some hours
over the summer.
y
y Fri, 5/8, 9pm (doors open 8:30). Music Performance
with bluegrass banjo and guitar impresario Avram
Siegel, joined by Mike Witcher and Grammy winner
Kathy Kallick. Note: $10 cover charge for this event;
all proceeds go to the musicians.
y
y Tue, 5/12, 6:30 pm. Patrice Vecchione: Step into
Nature: Nurturing Imagination and Spirit in Everyday
Life.
y
y Thurs, 5/14, 6:30pm. Reid Mitenbuler: Bourbon
Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey.
Note: Free Bourbon Tasting with advance purchase
of book (a flight of bourbon to sample during the
event. Call for more information or to purchase your
copy: 653-9965.
y
y Sun, 5/17, 3pm. Publication Party for 580 Split Literary
Magazine (an annual journal of arts and literature
published by grad students of the English Department
at Mills College), with managing editor Rebecca
Woolston and contributors, Rex Leonowicz, Nicole
Trigg, Emily Kiernan, Ivy Johnson and Margaret
Ann Miller. Come early for snacks and drinks.
y
y Mon, 5/18, 6:30pm. Filmmaker John Waters: Carsick:
John Waters Hitchhikes Across America. Note: one
seat may be reserved for each purchased book. Call
for more info.
y
y Thurs, 5/21, 6:30pm. Stacy Wakefield: The Sunshine
16.
May 2, 2015
Is there a move in your future?
With over 350 homes sold why not benefit from
my experience selling fine homes.
Terry Kulka – Experience Counts!
510.682.5917
terrykulka@att.net
CALBRE#00875454
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING
Professional,
Full Service
Real Estate Brokerage
To Rockridge Clients
For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN
O Residential Sales
O Income Property
O Commercial
O Property Management
Market Update
34
Multiple
offers
are
back!
Buyers are scrambling for
homes because of the lack of
inventory. Call me if you would
like to know how much your
house could sell, or rent for.
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Coming Soon
Rockridge!
2BD/1BA on Vicente
Great Value & Peralta School
Living? Love it in Oakland!
2BD/1BA on Miles
Perfect Craftsman
Big yard and
Detached Garage
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serving you since 1981
Eyebrow waxes 90K to date
Brazillian waxes 24K to date
Now offering men’s waxing
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
fri-tues
10:30-5:30
wed-thurs 10:30-8:00
Playing? Start in Oakland!
Just Sold! Multiple Offers! 19% Over Asking!
“I Know Rockridge”
Representing distinctive properties
throughout Piedmont.
Commanding the highest values and
using the most tech savvy marketing.
See the possibilities at:
www.3Nace.com
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
510.547.5970
ronkriss@JPS.net
“Over 140 Homes
Sold in Rockridge.”
LawtonAssoc.com
Sold at $1,300,000
Robin Dustan & Claudia Mills
415.385.3499 | 510.350.6419
rdustan@mcguire.com
RobinDustan.com
cmills@mcguire.com
ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com