Extracted text · highlighting “Karen Carlson”

THE ckridgeNews

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 30    NO. 6      ISSUE  NO. 323         June 6, 2015                         CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

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

Rockridge Crimes Raise Fears, Feed Frustrations

Action Steps: Police, City, Private Patrols on RCPC June Town Hall Panel

R
|
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June 2015
RCPC Town
Hall Meeting
18
Vz
Pz
i
:
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Special RCPC/NCPC Crime/Public
Safety Town Hall Meeting
 
  Thursday, June 18, 7:30pm-9pm
Rockridge Library, 5366 College Avenue:
(Come at 7 for pizza.)
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at 7 for
pizza and
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o
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Are you concerned about crime in Rockridge? Are
you worried about the recent surge in residential
burglaries in parts of Rockridge? About assaults?
About wheels stolen from parked cars? Plan to attend
the special June 18 RCPC/NCPC Town Hall meeting
and learn what you can do.
RCPC and NCPC are hosting a discussion with
Oakland officials and Rockridge community leaders
about crime, response and personal safety. Speaking
at the meeting will be:
g
g
r
e
o
.
■
■Greg Minor, assistant to the City Administrator
■
■OPD Lt. Randy Brandwood, Special Resource
Commander
■
■Officer Anthony Hutzol, Community Resource
Officer (CRO)
■
■A Rockridge NCPC representative and a
Safer Rockridge patrol steering committee member
will be on hand to provide information and respond
to audience questions on reducing Rockridge crime.
Learn which steps
➧➧RCPC/NCPC, page 12

NCPC: A Part of Your Crime-Fighting Team

by Karen Ivy, secretary, Rockridge NCPC
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils (NCPCs)
are part of the community policing program in
Oakland. In the words of the authorizing resolution
by the City Council, community policing is to “create
a working partnership between the community and
the police... to analyze neighborhood problems, set
priorities, develop strategies, and work together to
improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”
NCPCs provide forums for all Oakland individuals
and neighborhood groups (including block clubs,
neighborhood watch programs, community-based
organizations, merchant associations, citizen
associations, and houses
➧➧Your NCPC, page 12

Kitchen Tour Snippets — a Peek Inside the Event

by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC board member
Eight kitchens, each with its own special qualities, are on the
Rockridge Kitchen Tour Sunday, September 20, seven of them
within an easy walk from our registration site at the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church, designed by Julia Morgan in 1917.
The eighth requires a short drive to reach, but you will
find the visit well worth it.
Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, to see for yourself. Be
sure to mention that you want to see them at the
Kitchen Expo, as they have intriguing products.)
The Tour’s grand finale is the eighth and last
kitchen of the day, and different from anything
done in past tour events. This final home will open
later in the day; there will be time to see the other kitchens before
you take the short drive to this one. Watch for more details in the
July issue of The Rockridge News and at rockridgekitchentour.org/.
Carpooling is recommended.
Plan to buy your tickets early. It will save you money and is
helpful to us as we plan the following two pre-tour warm-up events
that will enhance your tour and your resource planning list:
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
Do we have anything special in the kitchens
selected for the Tour? How about a countertop
made of paper? You’ll see one, but we’ll
leave it to you to figure out which home has
it. You’ll have to look closely; this “paper” looks
like natural stone. Made by Richlite in Tacoma,
Washington, these “very green” tops are created
with recycled paper formed under heat and pressure,
and come in a variety of colors. The variety of edge banding styles
is especially striking. (Stop in at EcoHome Improvement, 2619 San
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
■
■The Kitchen Expo, scheduled for Thursday evening, September
17 – the Thursday preceding the tour – is FREE to ticket
holders. It is an opportunity to meet the creative talent behind
the kitchens you will see on the
➧➧Kitchen Tour, page 3


2.

June 6, 2015

In May, The Rockridge News noted a
possible resurgence of the mysterious
telephone pole gnomes, and asked readers
to report sightings. Two reports follow.

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
                  5366 College Avenue
                   at Manila | 597-5017

Those Gnomes Are Everywhere, Still

Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
by Karen Carlson
‘W
hat’s det?” said two-year-old
Jeremiah, squatting low by a
telephone pole, as we were taking our usual
walk around the block to see my neighbor’s
chickens. Bending my creaky knees way
down, I saw, painted on a little
plaque, I wasn’t sure what – An
elf? A dwarf? Maybe a gnome?
Yes – how exciting!
This first one we spotted
was wearing a very tall red
hat and had a huge white
mustache, a bright blue shirt, a
rakish red plaid kilt, and clunky
brown shoes. We ran with great
excitement to the next pole, and
the next, and soon had discovered a slew of
these little guys, each individually painted
onto a 6-inch block of wood and screwed to
the very bottom of many of our utility poles.
Gnome spotting has become our favorite
pastime, and sighting one never fails to
delight us both.
Since then, I’ve been spotting them all
over Oakland, but to my casual eye, they’re
randomly placed. They’re on many of my
closest streets, but not all. Who painted
these charming creatures? Until recently,
I knew nothing about them, but an on-line
query revealed I was but one among a flock
of inquirers.
By Googling “Oakland Gnomes,” I
found lots of media attention has been paid
to our guys starting in 2012. From the San
Francisco Chronicle, the LA Times and NPR,
here is sampling of what I learned:
■
■They were first noticed near Lake
Merritt in 2012, usually at the bottom of
poles, but one was even found on a coffee
shop windowsill.
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
Ronnie Spitzer	��������������������Treasurer
Kevin Faughnan, Gabe Kleinman, Don Kinkead,
Greg Pasquali, Laura Schlichtmann
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Newsletter Subscriptions
■
■They all have red hats, white beards,
and brown boots.
■
■Their middle garb
changes. In most places, they
wear pants, but near Jack
London Square, they might
don shorts. On anything
resembling a hill, they often
appear in kilts (in two choices
of plaid.)
■
■The artist has chosen
to remain anonymous despite
being interviewed by NPR, the Chronicle,
and others. He says the gnomes are his gift
to the Oakland community; his way to lift
our spirits.
■
■The artist confesses that he screws
them to the base of the poles late at night.
If a passerby happens to come near, he has a
dog bag handy to pick up the real/imaginary
droppings of his terrier accomplice.
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
■
■There may be as many as 2,300 in
our fair city.

■
■PG&E put out word they would
remove them, fearing they would set a prec-
edent for “defacing” utility poles. Happily,
a public outcry ensued, and the gnomes
were granted an exemption.
Will there be more? Keep your eyes open
and send sightings and photos to editor@
rockridge.org.
Found It!
I
spotted this gnome while parked across
from Pasta Pomodoro on College. It made
me smile. Thanks for the “heads up.”
—Michelle (via iPhone)

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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.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the next issue is:
  July 4, 2015
  July deadline is June 18, 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.)


3.
June 6, 2015

The June Land Use Committee meeting
is Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 p.m., at the
Rockridge 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.
appears likely to happen in June. The
construction of the new Safeway will likely
start some time this summer. We hope there
will be fewer snafus with this project than
there were with the College Avenue Safeway
project.
also discussion of several unusual situations
that may warrant special treatments (e.g.,
large, old spaces that would be hard to fill
if any use would require a use permit). The
group plans to meet again at the end of July
for further discussion and to pull together
recommendations for amendments to CN-1
zoning. Check the rockridge.org website for
details of time and place.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
■
■College Avenue Safeway
Project – College and
Claremont Avenues
As those who go by the new store will
notice, the electronic sign that is supposed to
show how many spaces are available in the
parking deck is still not working properly.
Safeway has been told of the problem, which
violates both the settlement agreement
with the community groups and the City’s
conditions of approval for the project. We
are still waiting to hear when and how it will
be fixed. If you notice other problems with
the store’s operations, you should raise them
with the store manager, but also drop us a
line at landuse@rockridge.org.
■
■College Avenue Retail Zoning
Working Group
The first meeting of the CN-1 study group
occurred in conjunction with the May Land
Use Committee meeting. Representatives
of merchant and community groups from
Dimond, Montclair Village, Lakeshore, and
Glenview, in addition to RCPC, attended. We
have also kept merchant and resident groups
for Piedmont Avenue in the loop. Together,
these areas make up the parts of Oakland
that share CN-1 zoning, which also applies
to College Avenue.
The groups shared discussion about
what’s working with the CN-1 zoning, and
what could be improved. There was general
agreement that there needs to be a way for
use permits to be extinguished when the
use is abandoned or replaced. There was
Editor’s Note: Oakland planning
documents describe the CN-1 zone
as: “CN-1: Neighborhood Commercial
Zone.  The intent of the CN-1 zone is to
maintain and enhance vibrant commercial
districts with a wide range of retail
establishments serving both short and long
term needs in attractive settings oriented
to pedestrian comparison shopping.” The
zone, previously designated C-31, was
originally designed by RCPC and resident
neighborhood planners that called on the
city to down-zone Rockridge in the 1970s.
The area had been zoned to permit high-
rise development.
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center –
Broadway (East Side) North of
Pleasant Valley Road
Demolition of the CVS building (and
probably of the retail building to its west)
of fine furniture and cabinet making
into the kitchen design you may have in
mind. This event has limited seating.
Be sure to sign up now.
Can you help? We need docents for
September 20, the day of the tour, either to
support the homes on the tour or to assist with
registration. Email Laura Schlichtmann,
Kitchen Tour Docent Chair (docents@
rockridge.org) to discuss the possibilities.
Docents are given a pre-tour of the kitchens
and a pass to the full tour.
Tickets
Ticket prices increase by $5 from $35
to $40 as of midnight, June 15; now is a
good time pick up a bargain.
For the easiest way to purchase tickets,
visit www.RockridgeKitchenTour.org and
locate the Tickets tab. Follow the instructions
from there.
If you prefer, you can purchase tickets
by filling out a paper form at Cuttin’Up on
College, 5811 College Avenue, or Rockridge
Home, 5418 College Avenue.
Rockridge Branch Library, a larger venue
for the Expo may be needed. Watch for
information.
Kitchen Tour
from page 1
■
■The Berkeley Mills Seminar Saturday,
September 19, will introduce you to
this kitchen design and construction
company that can integrate its history
tour on Sunday, and to learn how these
design professionals approach kitchen
renovations. Planned to be held at the
www.RockridgeKitchenTour.org


4.

June 6, 2015
Art on the Avenue: Gallery Systems
As the Bay Area continues to rise in the
tech world, College Avenue finds itself
home to at least one of its own world-class
software firms. With a main office in New
York city, Gallery Systems has satellite
offices in the UK, Germany, Spain, and an
office with a four person staff (along with
two dogs) in Rockridge that opened in 1999.
Located in a second floor office in
a building at the
corner of College
and Alcatraz, the
California-based
outpost of Gallery
Systems (GS) is part of a company that
provides collection management and web
publishing software to more than 800 clients
in over 30 countries.
The database software that GS develops is
specifically tailored for cultural institutions
seeking to gather and manage information
about their collections. While collection
management software is used in many
fields in addition to the visual arts, the GS
tool allows museum registrars to track the
locations of artwork in their storage facilities.
This helps curators browse large sets of
artwork images and more conveniently select
art for exhibition.
Clients of Gallery Systems’ products
and services include important national
and international art museums such as the
Getty and LACMA, the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art; New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art, and Museum of Modern
Art; and the Tate in London.

Zoning
Counter
While their Rockridge office provides
sales and support services for their products,
it is also home base for EmbARK, their
collection management system used by local
and regional arts institutions including Mills
College Art Museum, SF Museum of Modern
Art, San Francisco Arts Commission, San
Jose Museum of Art, Stanford’s Cantor
Center, and the Crocker Art Museum in
Sacramento.
Sales director
Paul Thyssen sees
Rock r idge as a
good fit for Gallery
Systems and its staff: “Working in Rockridge
is convenient for our commuters with direct
access to BART and nearby freeways. The
Gallery Systems Oakland team enjoys all
of the neighborhood’s wonderful amenities-
grocery stores, top dining spots, and pubs
for lunch or after work. Some of our favorite
businesses are Wood Tavern’s Southie,
Zachary’s Pizza, La Farine French Bakery,
Safeway, and Peet’s Coffee.”
5945 Broadway
Proposal: Make a revision to the approved
design review and variance application to add
156 square feet to the proposed upper floor
addition.
Applicant / Phone Number: Esther Tse/
510/828-8185
Owner: Steve Gilman
Planning Permits Required: Regular
Design Review to add 156 square feet to the
proposed 990 square foot upper floor addition;
and Minor Variance to reduce the front yard
setback to 6 feet where 14 feet is required along
Keith Avenue.
Case Planner: Michael Bradley, 510/238-
6935 or mbradley@oaklandnet.com
626 51st Street
Proposal: To construct a new 3-unit
residential building, totaling 4,051 sq. ft.,
on a vacant substandard lot.
Applicant-Owner/ Phone Number:
Matthew Baran / 415/710-0486
Organization: Baran Studio
Owner: Pyraivatlo Robabeh
Planning Permits Required:
Regular Design Review for construction
of a 3-unit residential building; and
Minor Variances for (a), less than 10 feet
of separation between the proposed
driveway and the adjacent neighbor’s
driveway and (b), for portions of the
building to have a 3-foot side yard, where
4 feet is required.
Case Planner: Ann Clevenger,
at 510/238-6980 or aclevenger@
oaklandnet.com
www.RockridgeKitchenTour.org
Carl Schmitz is Art Research Librarian at the
Richard Diebenkorn Foundation. He first used
EmbARK 10 years ago as an intern for the CSU
WorldImages project, and can be reached at
cschmitz@diebenkorn.org.
“I saw it at
the RCPC
Kitchen
Tour”


5.
June 6, 2015

Join DMV Neighbors in June Greenbelt Cleanup

by Leonora Sea, DMV site coordinator
April’s Earth Day at FROG Park and along
the Rockridge Temescal Greenbelt was
the usual blend of excitement, enthusiasm, hard
work, and ultimate reward. Many volunteers
spent three productive hours getting our
neighborhood open space ready for summer
and the flowing creek. (The creek turn-on had
to wait until some water quality questions were
resolved but, happily, the creek is now running.)
Thanks to all who donated snacks and drinks,
staffed tables, worked tirelessly, and made the
day successful and fun.
Each year, Earth Day’s good work helps to
define the priorities for the DMV Neighbors
Association’s June Greenbelt Cleanup. This
year, the focus will be on the section along
Redondo between Cavour and Clarke. Most
in need of attention: the leftover detritus from
felling the giant eucalyptus; weeds in the creek
bed; the two stressed willow trees by the lawn;
ivy on tree trunks and encroaching on the creek;
the usual small amount of trash.
Join your neighbors and friends
Saturday, June 20, 9 to 11 a.m., for the 2015
Cleanup. Volunteers will be provided with tools
and gloves (or bring your own, well marked as
yours), snacks, and coffee. The creek will be
flowing: wear shoes that can get wet if you plan
to work in the creek bed. Families are welcome,
and there are plenty of kid-appropriate tasks.
Meet near the eucalyptus stump at the corner
of Cavour and Redondo to sign in.
To RSVP, or for more info, contact
leonorasea@yahoo.com.
In Rockridge since 1997
A  c a m e r a  s h y
v o l u n t e e r  a n d  h i s
mother pause for a
photo during the Frog
Park Earth Day cleanup.
The DMV Greenbelt
Cleanup offers many
k i d - a p p r o p r i a t e
opportunities to get
involved.     /Ronnie Spitzer
➧
Yes we do offer:
Pet
Insurance
➧
S i t e C o ord in a t o r
Leonora Sea displays the
range of tools available
to Cleanup participants.
Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050
/Michael Perlmutter
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate

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6.

June 6, 2015
Eyes on Rockridge

setup, popcorn making, trivia games (they
give out candy bars for answering trivia
questions correctly), and assorted tech help,
Gray says.
“Movie night should be seen in the
context of the bigger picture on our block,”
says “Mayor” Kay. “We have made an effort
over the years (28 for him) to create an
old-style neighborhood. This means getting
to know as many neighbors as possible so
that we can enjoy that two-minute
conversation with each other as we
walk down the block.
“Thea and Jeanine provided
some new energy when they moved
in,” Kay noted. “Many of the
activities are planned by a core
group of long-time residents, so it’s
great (and rare) when people move
in and immediately get involved.
Thea and Jeanine are exceptional
because they not only volunteer for
existing tasks, but also launch new
things – like the movie nights.”
“It doesn’t take much,” says
Gray. “Any neighborhood can do
it. You borrow a projector and you
borrow a screen and you have a community
event.”
The more established “Colby Park
Cinema” draws a larger, younger audience
as befits an area near Peralta Elementary.
Begun by two sets of parents, Ben Riddell
and Star Lightner, and their neighbors, Keith
Beattie and Shelli Strand, this summer’s
screenings mark the fourth year of what
Lightner likes to call “pop-up movies.”
“Our two families live directly across

Neighborhood ‘pop-up’ outdoor movies help create community

by Judith Doner Berne
‘S
umer is icumen in” which, in at least
two Rockridge neighborhoods, means
the resumption of outdoor movie nights.
Residents of the 5300 block of Shafter
and the Colby Park area host
several films each summer
as a way to create a sense of
community.
“Thea’s a real community
builder,” says Sue Emmons,
who has lived in her Shafter
home for nearly 40 years.
She means Thea Gray who,
with her spouse Jeanine
Mattson, moved across the
street from Emmons only
three years ago.
Gray transported the idea
of a neighborhood open-
air movie from “my very
foggy neighborhood in San
Francisco.” This will be the “Shafter
Summer Cinema’s” second year. “The
movies we’ve done are family-friendly,” she
says, on a block where younger families are
moving in, but are still a minority.
Last year, “The Princess Bride,” “Big”
and “Up” were shown on a screen hung in
the middle of the street or on the lengthy
shared driveway between Emmons and her
neighbor, Patricia Muscatelli. However, they
projected “The Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl” on a sheet turned
mainsail, one of three sails and a Jolly Roger
(which Gray sewed) wafting from their house
to make it resemble a pirate ship.
The evenings usually draw 20 or so
neighbors, Gray told me. Two films planned
for this summer, no dates yet, are “The Lego
Movie” and “Maleficent.”
“I may have started it, but with the
exception of Jeanine and me, all the
neighbors pitching in for movie night are
old-timers – in terms of how long they’ve
Thea Gray and Jeanine Mattson turned their house into a
pirate ship for Halloween, then unfurled the mainsail as
a screen when the neighborhood viewed “Pirates of the
Caribbean.”
/Courtesy of Shafter Summer Cinema
lived here – as are many of the diehard folks
who show up at the screenings,” Gray says.
That includes Tony Kay, whom Gray calls
“The Mayor of Shafter – the 5300 block at
least,” who provides the screen, and Maureen
Alano and husband George Zolinsky who
bring the popcorn popper. Gray’s brother-in-
law lent the digital projector the first couple
of times. Now she borrows it from work,
where she is a medical editor.
A friend from their old San Francisco
neighborhood sometimes comes to help with
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034

➧➧Pop-Up Movies, page 7


7.
June 6, 2015

challenging since the kids range from about
two to 12, but it’s always a good time.”
Past films have included “How to Train
Your Dragon,” “Frozen,” “Cars,” “Tangled,”
“Despicable Me,” “The Spy Next Door” and
“Princess Bride.”
“It’s a great neighborhood occasional
event,” Lightner confirmed, although she
also invites friends whose children attend
Chabot Elementary. “We usually get from
50 to 75 people.”
Picture a large movie screen hanging
from one of the bigger trees, a projector
and tarps spread on the ground for kids to
sit and lie on. “Adults bring camp chairs and
snacks and, more recently, we started doing
a potluck dinner beforehand, for anyone
interested in joining,” Lightner says. “It’s a
big kids’ fest: They have their popcorn; we
have our garage bar.”
Her children, Ethan, 12, and Alyssa, 7,
enjoy it in different ways. Ethan, now in
middle school, is apt to be running around,
while Alyssa is still enraptured by the films.
“The kids are all snuggled up in their
sleeping bags with their pillows and their
blankets,” my daughter Debbie Berne, a
Peralta parent, described to me. Sometimes
the adults watch too, she says, but they also
can be seen socializing on the edges of the
pocket park.
“It’s pretty much what your daughter
describes,” Keith Beattie says. “I drag out the
equipment (some borrowed from neighbors)
and set up everything well before sundown:
tables; chairs; projector; screen; computer or
DVD player; and speakers.
“It’s a lot of work to drag all that gear
out, then back, including my usually
sleeping child at the end of night,” Beattie
acknowledges. “But I love doing it. It creates
a truly wonderful feeling of community
around the park.”
Pop-Up Movies
from page 6
from Colby Park and wanted to utilize this
great community resource for everyone’s
benefit,” Lightner told me. A nearby
neighborhood used to hold an annual outdoor
movie fundraiser for Peralta, but took some
flak for blocking off the street.
When the couples took it over, they
dropped the fundraising aspect in favor of
a free neighborhood gathering. “I feel like
Colby Park is kind of a hidden gem, and
somewhat underutilized,” Lightner says.
(That’s why she also started the Colby Park
Easter Egg Hunt, which just celebrated its
11th year.)
It happens randomly, she explains, “when
the four of us have a free Friday or Saturday
night.” A few days ahead, they email the
Lower Rockridge Parents Group (LRPG).
“We do at least three over the summer. We
try to find adult-friendly kids films. It can be
How does your neighborhood create community?
Who is/are the sparkplug(s) on your block? To
answer these questions (with an eye to future
stories) and/or to comment on this column, email
judyberne@att.net.

Report: Claremont Middle School Fundraising

On a Roll: Ride for a Reason Pedals to
Sacramento; Still Accepting Donations
More than 200 cyclists rode to the State Capitol on Saturday,
May 16, to raise money for Oakland schools, and to rally for
increased funding for public education statewide.
The good news is we surpassed our goal of raising $100,000 from
rider pledges and other donations. If you want to add your financial
support for the rider(s) of your choice, or to make a general donation
to this year’s ride, pledges will be accepted until June 12. Go to www.
rideforareason.dojiggy.com and click “Sponsor a Rider.”
The money raised for this year’s ride will be divided among six
Oakland schools: Claremont; Edna Brewer; Emerson Elementary;
Oakland International; Oakland Tech; and Westlake.
Kudos for Play-A-Thon
Mr. Tolliver and CMS Student Musicians
Raise More Than $5,000 for Claremont Programs
The CMS Play-A-Thon — 100 songs in one afternoon — held
Friday, May 15, was a huge success, raising more than $5,000
from online donations, student-collected donations, and on-site
donations during the event. It was great to see all the student musicians
performing for our community on the BART plaza. Mr. Tolliver did
a wonderful job leading the kids, and they played beautiful music.
We also want to thank the incoming Claremont students who did a
good job soliciting donations from BART patrons and passersby. We
are so grateful for the continuing support of our school community
and of our music department.

This report contains material from
the “Knightline,” Claremont Middle
School’s publication for students, families,
staff and community. Keep up to date on
CMS activities via the school’s web site:
www.claremontms.org/

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8.

June 6, 2015

One Hundred Twenty-Five Rockridge
Homes Turn 100 Years Old in 2015

getting a drink at a bar.
Despite the growth, many homes had
room for truck gardens on their large lots;
many streets had no homes at all.
You may have seen photos of the time,
and what a different time they show. But
is it really that different? Rockridge 2015
still reflects the growth and prosperity of
Rockridge 1915.
by Ron Kriss
In 1915, Rockridge was a bustling and
growing part of Oakland. According to
city of Oakland historic preservation files
and Alameda County property records,
1,311 homes had been built in Rockridge by
1915. Trolleys, stores, and night life were in
full swing. At that same time, the pace of
building and development was exploding.
One hundred twenty-five homes were built
in Rockridge in 1915, an almost 10 percent
increase in the number of homes by the end
of the year.
The Craftsman Bungalow was a popular
housing style. Everything needed to build
your new home could be bought from
the Sears Catalog for $1,945. (Today’s
homeowner is likely to pay that just for a
new water heater, delivered and installed.)
Amenities in the houses of 1915 were a big
improvement over the past: a bathroom
inside; running water; electricity; gas heat;
hardwood floors; a prominent fireplace
in the living room; and a kitchen likely
equipped with a gas stove, farmhouse sink,
a pantry, and lots of tiling – a dream home
for the times.
Claremont Junior High School, now
known as Claremont Middle School, had
opened in 1913. The students of 1915 loved
to walk along College Avenue. Everyone
could also easily hop on the trolley for a
trip downtown. On Saturdays, friends and
families could venture onto the Key System
ferry and head over to San Francisco, but
folks would never stay long, drawn home
by the fun and good weather in Rockridge.
More and more families began to move
into the neighborhood, and College Avenue
was bustling with confection shops and
grocers. The Photo Play movie theater was
a big draw. Friday and Saturday nights were
busy with people spilling into the streets
after watching a film, and maybe even after
Celebrating 100 Years
Ron Kriss of Lawton Associates
Real Estate Brokerage is holding
a birthday party in honor of homes in
Rockridge that turn 100 years old in
2015. If your home was built in 1915,
you will receive an invitation in the mail
for a party with cake and ice cream to
be held around the 4th of July.
Owners of each 100-year-old home
will receive a commemorative solid
pewter plaque that can be attached to
the front of the home in recognition of
this anniversary.
Is your home on the list? Go to
LawtonAssoc.com and click on the
“party” button.
Rockridge Growing, Circa 1915
Your home didn’t make the century
mark, but you’re curious? Research
its age at: http://www.oaklandheritage.
org/researching-your-house.html.
Rockridge News Seeks
Memories, Photos of
More Recent Early Days
Did you or relatives of yours live in
Rockridge at the time of the construction
of Highway 24 and BART? Would you like
to share your experiences?
The Rockridge News wants to hear
your story from during that time, and see
any photographs you may have showing the
neighborhood of the day. Your story could
be part of a series of articles reporting on
what it was like then for Rockridge residents.
If you or your family or friends have
stories and photos to share, contact editor@
rockridge.org. Help us gather the point of
view of  residents who lived here in the ’60s
and ’70s when hundreds of houses were
removed or destroyed to build the freeway
and BART.
/Oakland Public Library History Room
According to an Oakland Wiki entry,
“These gates were built in 1910 at
the entrance to the Rock-Ridge tracts
(Broadway and Lawton) by Walter Reed.
His brother, Fred Reed, was the subdivision
manager for the company responsible for
opening up Rockridge.
“Rockridge began being developed in
the early 1900s when the Horatio Liver-
more family began selling off the land they
owned. The first chunk went to the current
Claremont Country Club. A banker named
Philip E. Bowles bought land between
Acacia and the Country Club, and the rest
went to ‘Rock-Ridge Properties.’
“The property was opened up in 1906
by the Laymance Real Estate Company and
divided into three subdivisions: Rockridge
Place, Rockridge Park and Rockridge Ter-
race (some of this is now Claremont Pines).
The higher the land, the higher the prices.”
— https://localwiki.org/oakland/Rockridge
Help and Direction from Rehab Right
Planning a rehab project? Get off to a good
start. Check out “Rehab Right,” a city
publication available at: http://www2.oaklandnet.
com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/agenda/
oak039424.pdf.


9.
June 6, 2015

Frog Park Earth Day Recap & Thanks

Election Over, Some
RCPC Board Seats
Still Available
May’s RCPC board election confirmed
continuing terms for two current
members and added new member Noah
Rosen to the roster.
Meanwhile, several retiring and termed-
out members left the board. We offer heartfelt
thanks for their service and best wishes to:
Andy Charman; Virginia Hamilton; Bill
Kaufman; Michael Kan; Lisa McNally; and
Samantha  Weaver.
At its April meeting, the board appointed
Ronnie Spitzer to a vacant seat, leaving four
vacant seats. Join your friends and neighbors
in service to the Rockridge community. If
you are at least 18 years of age, live within
the RCPC boundaries (see www.rockridge.
org/boundaries, to confirm), and are ready
to help, email chair@rockridge.org for more
details.
Neighbors Association, Masons from the
Oakland Durant Rockridge Masonic Lodge,
Brownies Troop 33429, Job’s Daughters and
many local individuals, keeping our park
in great condition. The Oakland Parks and
Recreation Department looked after the
grounds, pruning trees and providing bins
for green waste disposal.
All the work and effort was rewarded by
local merchants, including Bake Sale Betty
and Zachary’s Pizza, who provided snacks
for the volunteer workers.
by FROG boardmembers
Thanks to volunteer efforts by the
community, the Frog Park Greenbelt
received its annual Earth Day cleanup and
maintenance on April 18.
From the Hardy Street Park and swings
area to the Little Frog Park structures at
Redondo Avenue and Clarke Street, dozens
of workers pitched in to weed, trim, and
groom our neighborhood park, grounds,
creek and play facilities.
Participating groups included the DMV
Among the volunteers for the Frog Park
Earth Day cleanup were Mayor Libby Schaff,
Councilmember Dan Kalb, Public Works Director
Brooke Levin and public works staff. Snacks and
drinks were donated by Zachary’s Pizza, Bakesale
Betty, and real estate consultants Janine & Paul
Hunt. Photographer Ken Rice captured the event.
➧
Volunteer Everett Dolton works at
Frog Park during the April cleanup. It
is his fourth year doing this. His family
reports he is eight-and-a-half years old
and is adamant each year that he be
involved in the activities.      /Ellen Dolton
“Hi! Jenner and Erin here with mommy reminding
you to take good care of your teeth!”


10.

June 6, 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.
house, we will return at the end of the day
to find it ransacked. Crime here is epidemic,
nothing less.
— Tim Caton
722 officers, calls are assigned on a basis of
the violence and immediate threat to life of
a victim. A high priority call can pull all the
officers from a given beat to the greater threat,
leaving other calls for later follow-up.
Still, he said, the city is not ignoring the
need. The Department is in a “continual
recruitment mode” and is running five
academies in two-year budget cycles to beef
up the force and to replace retiring officers
or those who move to other cities.
Given current staffing, Captain Allison
said all Oakland citizens need to “harden
the target” by improving home security with
alarms and secure locks, and paying attention
to surroundings when they are out and about,
especially in evening hours.
Crime on Town Hall Agenda
To continue and broaden the discussion
of crime, RCPC presents a panel of city and
police representatives, as well as private patrol
sponsors, at the Thursday, June 18, Town
Hall. Find more details in the article starting
on page 1. Plan to attend to learn more about
resources available now for crime prevention
and avoidance.
Crime in Our Neighborhood is
Epidemic: Nothing Less
Editor:
What follows is text that I originally
posted on the Nextdoor Rockridge website.
It was written in frustration and anger at the
time, and I thought to edit it somewhat as a
letter to The Rockridge News, but I’m just
leaving it as is, since I hear daily of more
and more crime on my tiny street:
An informal count of the break-ins and
attempted break-ins in the last few months
along the two blocks of Locksley between
Hudson and Cavour comes up with 10
occurrences. We have been broken into
twice, so we are the winners so far. Each
car on our little block is tested each night
by opportunists. Yet, no one in the city
government seems to show much interest
in our little lower Rockridge crime wave.
We called Dan Kalb’s office after our
last break-in but heard nothing back. The
Rockridge News doesn’t seem to report
crime anymore. And, of course, the police
have no money, and, in our experience, little
interest. It’s no wonder that the crime wave
is increasing. Even criminals who don’t
keep up with current events will have heard
that our formerly charming neighborhood
is defenseless.
It’s gotten so bad that we fully expect
and certainly fear that any time we leave our
Editor’s Note:
Subsequent to the receipt of Mr. Caton’s
letter to the editor, Councilmember Dan Kalb
and OPD Area 2 commander Captain Darren
Allison convened a meeting of Locksley
Avenue residents to discuss their concerns
about “the lower Rockridge crime wave.”
More than 50 Locksley area neighbors and
others attended.
Beginning with an overview of current
Oakland crime rates, Captain Allison said
different areas of the city have different
concentrations of types of crimes. However,
burglaries are increasing “across the board”
in Oakland, and burglaries are the number
one problem in Rockridge. He said there have
been 212 burglaries in Beat 12Y alone, which
includes Rockridge, since January 2015.
Foremost among the obstacles to an
effective response to crime in Oakland, the
Captain said, is that “we are completely
understaffed.” At a present count of about
➧➧Letters, page 11


11.
June 6, 2015

Letters

one occurs. I don’t want to be over-persistent,
but if this is a matter of concern to others, I
urge them to follow it up.
— Ron Sipherd
from page 10
Chabot Repaving Leaves Smoother
Pavement and a Safety Hazard
Editor:
Editor’s Note:
Mr. Sipherd reports that, since sending
his letter, “Jody London of the school board
and Brooke Levin at Public Works were quite
responsive. Councilmember Kalb’s office
said city staff told them: ‘Based on the review
of the Google street views of the pre-existing
and current conditions, the ... stretch ... is
very much flush between the pavement and
shoulder area. Both conditions (pre and post)
remain similar as the paving project has not
changed the pavement elevation. Also, under
both conditions, vehicles are parked similarly
[in] that some were closer to the fence line
than others.’
“Mr. Kalb’s office advises that: ‘This
inquiry has been referred to Transportation
Services. They can help evaluate and
recommend for possible solution.’
 “From my daily use of that sidewalk, and
not Google street views, I can see the staff
report is incorrect. The stretch of asphalt
sidewalk beside the municipal tennis courts
was not flush with the street before the
repaving, but is now. The incidence of cars
completely blocking the sidewalk, bad before,
is now much worse.
“It is unclear when the Transportation
Services Division will act on the issue.”
Last winter’s repaving of Chabot Road
greatly improved the surface, but it has also
created a serious safety hazard.
There is no sidewalk on the north side of
Chabot Road between Roanoke and Golden
Gate; pedestrians have to use the tarmac
strip along the south side. Because the road
is narrow and the demand for parking space
(school, sports field, tennis court, Seneca
Institute, EBMUD) sometimes heavy, cars
often used to park partly on the sidewalk
strip, which was raised above the road
surface. Unfortunately, the repaving made
the road surface flush with the sidewalk
beside the city tennis courts, and cars now
park entirely on it, blocking the path and
forcing pedestrians into street traffic. This
includes children from Chabot Elementary,
parents, staff, and residents.
Given the especially chaotic nature
of traffic at the start and end of school
when drivers are distracted by their small
passengers, the chance of an accident is great.
The risk of a tragedy is considerable, and
I think an answer needs to be found before
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WILLS, TRUSTS & PROBATE?

Grants for Murals
in Rockridge
City Councilmember Dan Kalb invites
proposals to combat graffiti and
beautify neighborhoods through the
creation and installation of new murals
and “green walls” in District 1.
Positive and vibrant artwork
reflecting the unique character of a given
neighborhood and the diversity of Oakland
is encouraged.
Eligibility and Program Scope
Grant proposals are invited from
community-based organizations,
neighborhood groups and business
associations, in partnership with property
owners and individual artists, that have
identified needs and opportunities for
murals and living walls.
Any selected wall proposed for this
project must be publicly visible and
located in a well-trafficked area. New
projects on privately owned walls are
preferred. Please note that murals on City-
owned walls have specific restrictions and
require a coordinated approval process
through the appropriate City department
as well as the City’s Public Art Program.
Find full details at: www2.oaklandnet.
com/oakca1/groups/citycouncil/
documents/agenda/oak053092.pdf

a
Norman H. Burg, DDS

KYLE M. JOHNSTON
ESTATE ATTORNEY
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
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Each office is independently owned and operated.
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Specializing in the East Bay.
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cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
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   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
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
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12.

June 6, 2015
Your NCPC

12Y with Beat 12X (Temescal) and its CRO
for Beat 13X with Beats 13Y and 13Z (upper
Rockridge and Montclair). The Community
Resource Officers were formerly known as
Problem Solving Officers. Each NCPC also
has a Neighborhood Services Coordinator
(NSC) assigned, who is a liaison with the
police and other city departments.
The CROs and the NSC attend NCPC
meetings as other assignments allow. NCPCs
identify one priority per beat, and the CRO
and citizens discuss recent crime activity and
“hot spots” at the meetings. NCPCs often
use email to communicate with the CROs
and the NSCs and work with OPD to attack
neighborhood problems like outbreaks of
burglaries, or problem houses.
One of the most important messages the
Greater Rockridge NCPC tries to convey is:
If you don’t report a crime, any type of crime,
it’s as if it never happened. Reporting helps
OPD plan how to allocate its resources to
reduce Rockridge crime.
The Greater Rockridge NCPC meets at
7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the
month, upstairs in the Rockridge Branch
Library meeting rooms. Check the website
(rockridgencpc.com) to confirm the meeting.
The next meeting is on June 11. The speaker
at this meeting will be Christopher Sean
Watson, director of the Sexually Exploited
Minors (SEM) Program for Bay Area Women
Against Rape (BAWAR). He will discuss
what their programs have to offer the Oakland
community.
from page 1
of worship), to participate in making their
communities, better, safer, and stronger.
They are organized and run by local citizen
volunteers and currently receive no funding
from the city.
NCPCs are supported – but not controlled
by –  the Oakland police department (OPD),
that works with the NCPC to develop
strategies and allocate resources to address
problems. The police also report back to the
NCPC about progress on specific issues and
priorities set by the NCPC.
OPD assigns Community Resource
Officers (CRO) to each of the 35 community
policing beats, some of which are divided
into sub-beats. The Greater Rockridge
NCPC shares its resource officer for Beat
RCPC/NCPC
from page 1
make for a safer home and better lifestyle.
Help shape the conversation. See you
at 7 p.m. for pizza with friends/neighbors.
Special Town Hall program starts at 7:30
p.m. Please RSVP for your slices of Jules
Thin Crust pizza to chair@rockridge.org.
We Have the
Perfect Volunteer
Job for You
Just what you have been looking for: a job
close to home that’s good for your health,
takes only a small amount of your time and
benefits your neighbors as well.
Sign up for one of The Rockridge News
delivery routes below and you’ll be doing
your community a great service.
Jobs average about 15-30 minutes, once a
month, except in August when the newsletter
is not published. If you see a route you like,
contact us at: smontauk@gmail.com or
510/547-3855.
Let us hear from you soon.
Thank you.
“I saw it on the RCPC
Kitchen Tour. This year
offers even more!”
www.RockridgeKitchenTour.org
ROCKRIDGE
REAL ESTATE UPDATE
ROCKRIDGE PRICES BROKE ANOTHER
ALL-TIME RECORD IN Q1 2015
$1,300,000
$1,250,000
Q1 ONLY
$1,200,000
$1,100,000
PRICES ARE UP 71% SINCE 2010!
$1,000,000
Route
09H
Up Keith from McMillan to
5925 Broadway.
$900,000
$800,000
$700,000
Route
01B,D
Chabot Road beginning
across from public tennis
courts at 6885 extending to
just past Marie Way.
$600,000
$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
2015
Marshal
Four drops in Lower
Rockridge. This job requires a
car. You pick up the boxes on
the weekend of publication
at the bundling venue on
62nd Street and deliver each
box to an address in Lower
Rockridge.
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


13.
June 6, 2015

Studies Become Reality in Tech Bridge Building Contest

Submitted by John Bliss
Oakland Tech notched its 20th Annual
Model Bridge engineering contest in a
roomful of students, volunteers and unlikely
construction materials.
The contest is a culmination of a
semester’s study by students in Tech’s well-
known Engineering Academy. The academy,
a “school within a school,” is an extremely
rigorous program that attracts and educates
the “best and brightest” high school students
in Oakland.
Each year, the contest gets more exciting
than the last. This year saw another emotion-
packed event as students put their book
learning to a reality-based real-world
challenge: building a bridge out of specific
materials, then testing the bridge’s stability
against that of others constructed by
classmates.
Each bridge builder or builder team
works with the same materials: one ounce
of balsa wood and Elmer’s glue, and a
small spool of thread to design and build
a suspension bridge to a specified set of
standards and specifications. Finished
bridges are subjected to survival stress tests
as increasing weight is added to the structure.
The winning model bridge is being
loaded up to its impressive capacity
of 60.0 pounds.    /Engineering Academy
The look on students’ faces as their model
bridges were loaded with more and more
weight reflected anxiety, dejection or elation
as each bridge was tested.
Volunteer engineers and sponsors help
with the contest, setting up displays, hanging
weights and clearing the display area of the
debris of failed attempts.
The winning model bridge was loaded
to an impressive capacity of 60.0 pounds.
Oakland Technical High School thanks
these volunteer sponsors and engineers
and their supportive companies and agencies:
Sponsors
Volunteers
engineers. Encouraging young Californians to
enter the engineering field is more important
than ever.
John W. Bliss, P.E., LEED AP
Vice President
SCIConsultingGroup
y
y Peter Chun, Transportation Engineer,
City of Oakland
y
y Derrick Lind, Liftech
y
y Grant Iwamoto, HNTB
y
y City of Oakland – Public Works Agency
y
y Vladimir Calugaru, InfraTerra, Inc.
y
y American Society of Civil Engineers – Younger
Members Forum
y
y Derek Schubert
We couldn’t have done it without the
outstanding work by these dedicated volunteer
y
y Oakland Unified School District – Oakland
Technical High School – Engineering Academy
Rockridge Optometry
Invites You
To An
Exclusive
Event
Featuring
May Market Takes Off

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

5/7/15   2
1
5111 Desmond Street
$800,000
$800,000
15
$1,110,000
5/12/15  3
1
5370 Miles Avenue
$975,000
$975,000
10
$1,550,000
5/14/15 4
3
5665 Keith Avenue
$1,195,000
$1,195,000
7
$1,550,000
5/26/15 4
1
5261 James Avenue
$699,000
$699,000
10
$1,250,000
5/27/15 3
1
5815 Presley Way
$1,195,000
$1,195,000 10
$1,750,000
• Properties are selling an average of $806/sf up from $768/sf in April
• Buyers bidding average of 48% over list price

Saturday, June 13th
9am – 1pm
5321 College Ave
(510)655-3797


14.

June 6, 2015

Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under
20 feet tall. I work with trees to enhance
their natural beauty. Maple specialist, but I
prune all garden trees. Certified Aesthetic
Pruner. Bruce Thompson, 510/428-4964.
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry
rot, drainage, walls, termite damage,
doors, windows. Professional work for
affordable prices. Local References Available.
Lic#458473. Don 510/812-0310.
Looking for a New Career?
Interested in modeling? Mary K consultants
help men and women with their professional
and personal cosmetics needs. Call Melissa
for a free consultation at 415/706-7888 or
email melissabparker@gmail.com.
Your Rockridge Specialists
JUDITH GLASS & SHEILA SABINE- The
Grubb Company. Now may be the right
time for a move. Call 510/326-5055 or email
SSabine@Grubbco.com
Rockridge Acupuncturist
2nd generation acupuncturist, 5664 Broadway.
Gentle, effective treatments relieve stress
and difficult pain (sciatica, back pain, sports
injuries, etc.). For appointment or free
consultation with Alex Chung, L.Ac, contact:
510/882-8900, alexchunglac@gmail.com,
www.chungacupuncturecenter.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.
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.
Garden Maintenance
and Restoration
Over 20 years serving the Rockridge area.
Knowledgeable, great references. Chris;
510/655-0157.
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.
July issue deadline is June 18.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
It’s Spring at Penelope’s
Aesthetics!
Refresh, rejuvenate, renew and enrich
with an Express facial for only $49! www.
penelopecalef.com. Please call for an
appointment, 510/594-1552.
Electrical Repairs &
Remodels
From doorbell repair to whole-house
rewiring, we’ve been doing electrical work
in Oakland and Berkeley for over 30 years.
Sutorik & Company, www.sutorikandco.
com, lic #397149. 510/655-3677.
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
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Lic. 691894
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

• Dispute resolution
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
• Special needs trusts
RCPC Kitchen Tour
Sunday, September 20
Tickets, Info:
www.RockridgeKitchenTour.org
Please contact me during regular business hours to
      schedule an appointment.


15.
June 6, 2015

Diesel Book/Poetry Readings/ Events
FREE and open to the public.

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 Fri, 6/12, 9pm (doors open 8:30). Music Performance
with bluegrass banjo and guitar impresario Avram
Siegel and legendary fiddle player Blaine Sprouse.
Note: $10 cover charge for this event; all proceeds
go to the musicians.

Community Calendar

Greater Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)
Discuss crime and public safety with OPD, 2nd Thurs.
each month (June 11), 7:30pm. June speaker: Christo-
pher Watson, director of the Sexually Exploited Minors
(SEM) Program. Rockridge Library, College and Manila.
Info: www.rockridgencpc.com or chair@rockridgencpc.
com. NOTE: Special RCPC/NCPC joint Town Hall mtg.
on crime/public safety, Thurs., June 18, 7 – 9pm at
Rockridge Library. Pizza at 7, program starts 7:30.
See details: story, p.1.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN
Kids ages 11 to 16. Spend a few hours each week at the
library, signing up reading program participants, giving out
prizes, helping with library tasks like sorting and shelving
books & movies. Call Erica or stop by to sign up for an
orientation & schedule some hours over the summer.***
FOR TEENS
y
y Sun., 6/14, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Chana Bloch,
Andrea Hollander, and Danusha Laméris.
y
y Thurs, 6/18, 6:30pm. Chris Leslie-Hynan: Ride
Around Shining.
y
y Sat., 6/20, 7:30pm. Literary Karaoke Night. Bring
something from home or grab a book off one of our
shelves, read one or two pages, and perhaps just as
important... listen to everybody else do the same. All
we ask is that it not be something you wrote. (There
just might be a bottle of something strong and distilled,
should you need some liquid courage or your voice
a smoky rasp.)
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: Join other teens every Wednesday
2 - 4:30 pm for playing video & board games, making
crafts, and enjoying light snacks. The program will
end on 6/10 and will restart on 8/26.
y
y Tues, 6/23, 6:30pm. Alex Dolan: The Euthanist.
y
y Tues, 6/30, 6:30pm. Liz Prato: Baby’s on Fire: Stories.
Author Ellen Sussman joins the discussion.
y
y Screen Printing: Design and print your own t-shirt or
poster with the talented artists from the Rock Paper
Scissors Collective; 6/10 at 1:30pm.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); Saturdays, 10:30am.
y
y Thurs, 7/9, 6:30pm. Linda Lambert: A Rapture of
Ravens: Awakening in Taos.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.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.
Wisteria Ways House Concert
Gary Muszynski and Friends (Moses Seder and
David Worm). Into the Mystery: an afternoon of global
acoustic music. Sounds and instruments from Africa,
Brazil, and Peru blend with jazz improvisation for a
unique musical hybrid. Saturday, June 20, 3pm; doors
open 2:15pm (outside venue; wheelchair accessible).
Bring a hat, sunscreen and a picnic. More info at www.
oneworldmusic.com/store/cd-hang.htm. $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.
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.
y
y Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.
y
y Teen Summer Passport program: Explore community
hot spots, receive passport stamps for visiting muse-
ums, skate parks or write book reviews. Participants
will have chances to win great prizes. The program
starts on 6/13 and ends on 8/8.
FOR ADULTS
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 How a Victorian Dog Taught Me New Tricks:
y
y Summer Reading Program 2015: Read to the Rhythm:
begins Sat., June 13, and ends on Sat., Aug., 8. Kids
from birth to age 14 get prizes for reading. Read a
little every day, or have someone read aloud to you.
Get your Reading Log and Stickers at the library, or
sign up online.
Events on Tuesdays at 7pm:
Crowd-funding My Way to (Re)Publishing a Family
Treasure. Local publisher Betsy Cordes, will discuss
independent publishing and her success in crowd-fund-
ing her dream project: reintroducing a Victorian-era
children’s tale as an heirloom-quality picture book,
illustrated by award-winning artist Adam McCauley.
Thurs., June 25, 7pm.
y
y June 16: Magic Dan: a mesmerizing, fast-paced
magic show.
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 June 23: Drummm!: wonderful, loud, participatory
drumming.
y
y June 30: Charged Particles: a jazz trio demonstrates
rhythm, melody, harmony, & improv.
y
y July 7, Kamishibai: Japanese Paper Theater -
English stories told on a Japanese mini-theater on
the back of a bicycle.
Events on Thursdays, 4pm:
Crafternoons: Join us for hands-on arts, crafts, science,
or music. June 18 to Aug. 6.
Events on Saturdays:
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 5 to 7pm. (Advance
sign-up starts 4:45pm at adult reference desk). Note:
Volunteer lawyer leaves before 7pm if no more people
present. Call to confirm.
GALLERY ART EXHIBIT
June: Ted Crawford: “Personages of Note” oil paintings.
July: Darryl Tighe: abstract watercolors.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun. and Mon. and Sat., July 4.
y
y Annual Paper Airplane Contest: Use a tried-&-true
design, or create your own to win a prize. June 20, 4pm.
y
y Little Explorers Farm Animal Petting Zoo: Meet,
pet, brush, & feed the warm and gentle farm animals
in our back parking lot. July 11, 10:30am.
***Volunteers Needed to Help with Summer Programs:






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16.

June 6, 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
100 Years Old!
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
Happy Birthday!!
34
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Lawton Associates is commemorating
the 100th birthday of homes built in
1915. There will be a party w/cake & ice
cream @ The Rockridge Cafe around
July 4th. Go to LawtonAssoc.com and
press the “party” button to see if your
house is on the list!
Living? Love it in Oakland!

aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
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!

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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