Extracted text · highlighting “business”

VOL. 31   NO. 8    ISSUE NO. 336    September 3, 2016                CIRCULATION: 5,800 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES
 ckridgeNews

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www.rockridge.org

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

The Oakland Firestorm: A Rememberance of Loss and Recovery

by Annalee Allen
Twenty-five years ago, Oakland faced what was to become one of
the worst urban fire disasters in the Nation’s history. At 11 a.m.
on October 20, 1991, Diablo winds gusting at 65 mph fanned a small
blaze that had reignited from a grass fire incompletely extinguished
the day before, on a hillside close to the Caldecott Tunnel. Within
minutes the Sunday flare-up would sweep through the canyon, cross
Highway 24 and eventually char 1,600 acres.
At the fire’s peak a home was destroyed every 11 seconds. The
winds raged for six hours and the towering, billowing smoke and ash
was visible throughout the Bay Area. Thousands of residents were
evacuated or fled for their lives.
Full containment of the blaze was not achieved until three days
later. The disaster killed 25 people, injured 150 and destroyed
more than 3,000 dwellings, including houses, condominiums and
apartments. The estimated economic loss was $1.5 billion. Countless
pets and wildlife also lost their lives.
Many months and, in some
➧➧Oakland Firestorm, page 12

So Long, Summer... Hello, Fall Celebrations

10th Anniversary Out & About: Sunday, October 9
Firestorm 25th Anniversary
Ceremony Precedes Street Fair
Market Hall’s annual Picnic in the
Street is the centerpiece of the
Rockridge District Association’s (RDA)
10th Anniversary Rockridge Out & About
celebration set for Sunday, October 9, noon
to 6 p.m. The family-oriented street fair
celebrates Rockridge as a great place to live,
work, shop and play.

Firestorm Commemoration
Immediately preceding the start of the
festival, a ceremony commemorating
the 25th Anniversary of the Oakland/
Berkeley Firestorm begins at 11 a.m.
Hosted by the city of Oakland, BART
and RDA, the ceremony – to be held on the
west side of College Avenue beneath the
Rockridge BART station – rededicates
the Firestorm Memorial Plaque installed in
➧➧Celebrations, page 5

September RCPC Town Hall: Meet Oakland City Council Candidates
Oakland’s General Municipal Election will be held Tuesday,
November 8. Come meet the candidates for Oakland City
Council’s District 1 and at-large seats on Thursday, September 15,
7-9 p.m., in the upstairs meeting room of the Rockridge Branch
Library, 5366 College Avenue at Manila.
This candidates’ forum is hosted by the
Rockridge Community Planning Council
(RCPC), in cooperation with – and moderated
by – the League of Women Voters-Oakland
(LWVO). This event provides you the
opportunity to hear the candidates in person
and to ask them questions via the LWVO
moderator.
The two District 1 candidates – Dan Kalb, incumbent and former
California Policy Director with the Union of Concerned Scientists,

and challenger Kevin Corbett, probate attorney and community
volunteer, both of whom are Rockridge residents – will speak from
7 to 7:45 p.m. District 1 encompasses Rockridge and adjacent north
Oakland neighborhoods.
The other City Council position that Rockridge residents can
vote on is the council’s at-large seat. There are five candidates for
this seat; their portion of the program runs from 8 to 9 p.m. The
candidates are: 1) Rebecca Kaplan, incumbent and housing rights
attorney; 2) Matt Hummel, who currently chairs the Oakland
Cannabis Regulatory Commission; 3) Peggy (Margaret) Moore,
who directed Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign in California;
4) Bruce Quan, a businessman involved in securing financing for the
Brooklyn Basin development on the waterfront south of Jack London
Square; and 5) Nancy Sidebotham, tax specialist.
Find more city election details at: http://bit.ly/2bjY7Lt.


September 3, 2016
2.

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
                  5366 College Avenue
                   at Manila | 597-5017
Notice: Public Meeting for the Claremont
Middle School Cafeteria Construction Project
Claremont Middle School welcomes
all interested neighbors, business
owners and community members
to attend its second public meeting
regarding physical improvements to
the campus. The main focus of the
construction project is to replace
the cafeteria and kitchen, which were
destroyed in a fire. Plans also include the
installation of a new turf field and gym,
and an upgrade to the performing arts
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
space. Come find out about our plans
and contribute your ideas.
When:	 Thursday,
September 29,
6:30 p.m.
Where:	 C l a re m o n t Mi d d le
School, 5750 College
Avenue, Band Room.
For more information, contact Liz
Sullivan, OUSD, Director of Community
Engagement: liz.sullivan@ousd.org
The Rockridge News, founded March 1986 by Don
Kinkead, is published monthly (except in August)
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
Jo Ellis	�����������������������������������Asst. Editor
Judith Doner Berne	������������Eyes on Rockridge
Jo Ellis	�����������������������������������Advertising &
Community Calendar
Susan Montauk	�������������������Business Manager
Don Kinkead	�����������������������Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2016-2017
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair
Kevin Faughnan	������������������Vice Chair
Rekha Rao	���������������������������Secretary
Ronnie Spitzer	��������������������Treasurer
M C Haug, Dave Karlinsky,
Don Kinkead, Mike Lin, Christina Wong Masalin
Jesse Ortega, Laura Schlichtmann, Leonora Sea
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Newsletter Subscriptions
New Leadership for
Pollinator Garden
Following Gordon Piper’s announcement of his
retirement  from a leadership position with the
Broadway Pollinator Garden, The Rockridge News
publicized his hope for volunteers who could take over the
continuing development and maintenance of the Garden
in the ongoing partnership with Caltrans.
Two Rockridge residents answered the call, and now
issue a call of their own for others to join the existing
volunteer framework that keeps the pollinator garden a
vibrant and growing part of the area’s landscaping.
For details about how your volunteer time and support
can best be utilized in support of the Garden, email
either: Kristen Southworth, kdrickman@yahoo.com; or
Cathleen Schulte, cathleen@cc3design.com.
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
Volunteers at work and play
in the Pollinator Garden.
                            /Gordon Piper
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

Find more about pollinator gardens and the resources and support available for them at: https://www.
fws.gov/pollinators/pollinatorpages/yourhelp.html#garden

2017 Kitchen Tour: Call for Candidates
by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC board
It is that time again as we begin preparing
for the 2017 Kitchen Tour (KT), most likely
to be held in late September, 2017.
If you have a kitchen that has been
remodeled in the past several years that you
love and want to share with others, this is
a great way to do that and to contribute to
the efforts of RCPC. The biennial Kitchen
Tour is the primary fundraiser that pays for
the organization’s operating costs between
Tours, and enables us to support community-
building programs that include planting
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.
➧➧Kitchen Tour Call, page 13
$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 October issue is:
  October 8, 2016
  October deadline is September 22.
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Six-
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or e-mail
joellis1@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!


3.
September 3, 2016

commercial and residential projects. The
aim of the revisions is to recognize that
transit-oriented projects near major public
transit facilities should not require as much
off-street parking. The risk is that if the City
underestimates parking needs, the nearby
streets could end up with on-street parking
shortages that are bad for both residents and
businesses.
The revised parking requirement
proposal will be reviewed and discussed
by the City Council’s Community and
Economic Development Committee on
September 13, 1:30 p.m., in Hearing Room
#1 at City Hall. This meeting is open to the
public. Note: The new regulations could
significantly affect Rockridge’s already
congested parking situation.
The next Land Use Committee meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, September 28, at the Rockridge Branch
Library, 2nd floor meeting room. Check the RCPC website,
www.rockridge.org the week before for the agenda.
Land Use Update
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee co-chair
■
■Continuing Problems with
Ramen Shop, 5812 College
Avenue
RCPC has continued to receive
complaints that the Ramen Shop, while a
popular dining destination, is still creating
problems for nearby residential neighbors.
RCPC has attempted in the past to mediate
these disputes and will continue to investigate
how it can help prevent a successful business
from having damaging side-effects.
■
■Nautilus Mixed-Use Project:
Telegraph Avenue Between 51st
Street and Claremont Avenue
RCPC and the Nautilus Group are putting
the finishing touches on an agreement that
goes beyond the City’s use permit conditions
of approval to protect the existing residents
of the area from negative impacts from the
project. The agreement will also ensure that
the aim of the City and Nautilus that the
project not encourage more auto-oriented
commute patterns is achieved regardless of
the project’s future ownership. We hope to
have the agreement finalized shortly.
■
■Oakland Off-Street Parking
Requirements for New Projects
Citywide
As a follow-up on the citywide rezoning
effort, city staff has been working to revise
the off-street parking requirements for new
RCPC Appoints Two
New Boardmembers;
Thanks Departing
Member Noah Rosen
At its August meeting, the Rockridge
Community Planning Council (RCPC)
appointed two area residents to fill out
existing terms on its board of directors. Dave
Karlinsky and Christina Wong Masalin each
responded to the board’s invitations to devote
some time to continuing RCPC’s mission.
Boardmember Noah Rosen, elected in
April 2015, resigned in April 2016 to meet
increasing family commitments. Rosen,
formerly the board’s secretary, was thanked
by the board for his excellent service and
support.
RCPC has a 14-member board of
directors. The newly appointed members
bring the membership count to 12.
Help Fill the Vacancies
RCPC depends on community volunteers
to represent Rockridge residents. If you are
a Rockridge resident at least 18 years of age,
have an interest in Rockridge’s future, and
have some available time, you are invited
to apply for a board seat.
Find more information on time
requirements and how to apply at: www.
rockridge.org; or e-mail: chair@rockridge.
org.
Dave Karlinsky is excited
to join the RCPC board. Dave
grew up in the East Bay and
has lived on College Avenue
in the heart of Rockridge since
2007. He happily returned
to the area after completing
his education in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, and Washington
DC. Dave is an attorney who
has practiced law in Oakland
for almost 10 years – you’re
likely to see him at BART
most weekdays, commuting to
his office in Old Oakland. He
loves living in Rockridge and
looks forward to helping the
board continue in its efforts
to improve our corner of this
beautiful city.
C h r i s t i n a  W o n g
Masalin brings over 10
years of policy, land use,
and marketing experience
to RCPC. Christina joined
RCPC to keep the Rockridge
community thriving for all.
Through holistic community
planning, she hopes to
maintain the quaintness of
the neighborhood, support
local businesses, facilitate high
quality educational resources,
and improve public safety.
Christina graduated magna
cum laude from U.C. Berkeley
and holds an M.B.A. from
the University of Southern
California. She has a husband
and a 1-year-old son.


September 3, 2016
4.

NCPC Meeting + Election: October 13, Rockridge Library, 7:30 p.m.

In addition to the election described below,
the format of the October 13 meeting of
the Greater Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC) combines the standard meeting
fare of officer reports, hot spot discussions,
and neighbor reports with a helpful and
informative presentation by Farrah Hussein of
the Neighborhood Law Corps (NLC).
Described on its website as an award-winning
unit in the City Attorney’s office, the Corps’
goal is to improve the quality of life in Oakland
neighborhoods through lawsuits and other actions
taken against such nuisances as illegal dumping
as well as more heinous crimes such as human
trafficking.
One NLC attorney is assigned to each
Oakland Police Department Command Area. To
contact the attorney for your area, call 510/238-
6517 or email lawcorps@oaklandcityattorney.
org. Find more information at: http://www.
oaklandcityattorney.org/community/nlc.html
During this regular October 13 meeting, the
NCPC board will hold an election to fill
the group’s open treasurer position, empty since
Treasurer Molly Singer resigned earlier this year.
A volunteer, Eric Neville, has agreed to accept
the position but NCPC bylaws require that he be
elected at a public meeting of the organization.
In addition, section IX of the NCPC bylaws
needs to be modified. The section now reads:
“At least four members must be present
to conduct business at a Steering Committee
meeting and at least fifteen members must be
present to conduct business at a community
meeting. (Amended by voice vote 2/10/2011.)”
Because the current steering committee
has only four members, we’d like to reduce the
Steering Committee quorum to three. The new
section IX would read:
“At least three members must be present
to conduct business at a Steering Commit-
tee meeting. A majority of attendees may
conduct business at any community meeting.
(Amended by voice vote 10/13/2016.)”
Plan to attend this informative meeting and to
vote to fill the treasurer’s position.
Find more NCPC
information: http://www.
rockridgencpc.com/
Email the NCPC at chair@
rockridgencpc.com if you
have items you’d like to add
to the NCPC agenda. Find the
current agenda: http://www.
rockridgencpc.com/12y13x-
ncpc/ncpc-current-agenda.
Bike
Share is coming to the East
Bay. Motivate, the Bay Area
Bike Share Operator, has plans for three
phases of expansion that will bring
thousands of bikes to Berkeley, Oakland
and Emeryville.
Motivate’s proposal will bring a ten-
fold increase in the number of bikes,
including 1,400 for Oakland, Berkeley
and Emeryville by mid-2016.
Bike East Bay is advocating
for a system that will serve all
East Bay residents regardless of
race, gender, class, or income.
Learn more about the expansion:
follow Bay Area Bike Share
on Facebook
and Twitter
for updates.
New Bike Share Stations Are
Coming. You Decide Where:
BIKE SHARE is expanding to the East Bay.
Join Bay Area Bike Share to help decide
locations for the bike share expansion
in Rockridge and North Oakland. This
meeting is co-sponsored by the office of
Councilmember Dan Kalb.
FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL:
EXPANSION@BAYAREABIKESHARE.COM
What?	 Bike Share Planning Workshop
When?	 Tuesday, September 27
Where?	Rockridge Branch Library

5366 College Ave, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Each office is independently owned and operated.
EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE
Chabot Elementary
CARNIVAL SAVE THE DATE
Please mark your calendars and save
the date for the 2016 Annual Chabot
Fall Carnival on Sunday, October 16,
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All residents and
neighbors are welcome to join in the
fun and festivities – and, as always,
admission is free.
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510.326.2161
Realtor® | CalBRE #01161032
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
baysir.com
Local with Global Reach.
Specializing in the East Bay.
Discreet and Professional.


5.
September 3, 2016

Celebrations
from page 1
1995. The restored plaque memorializing
those who lost their lives in the fire will be
unveiled. All are invited to the ceremony
which will include the sharing of stories
and memories, and a musical performance
by Oakland Fire Captain Larry Sampson.
Out & About Details
The street fair takes place over the one-
mile stretch of College Avenue from Manila
to Alcatraz, incorporating the new Safeway
store and plaza.
It blends perennial favorites with new
activities including: live Jazz, Rock, Folk,
and Blues on multiple stages; the always
standing-room-only Kinetic Arts Center
Circus Stage; scores of artisan, business and
community booths. Market Hall hosts the
ever-popular annual cookbook exchange.
Their annual picnic is a foodie’s paradise
where merchants take to the street to offer
delicious foods and demos. Fun activities are
available for the entire family.
Creek to Bay Day Comes Again to
Temescal Creek and Frog Park
by Leonora Sea, chair, DMV Neighbors
Once again, it’s time for the annual
Creek to Bay Day Temescal Creek and
FROG Park cleanup. Join in on Saturday,
September 17, 9 a.m. to noon, and be part
of International Coastal Cleanup Day, a
truly worldwide effort to make our planet’s
waterways cleaner and healthier.
Join with DMV Neighbors Association
and the Friends of the Rockridge Temescal
Greenbelt (Frog) in our own very special
Rockridge neighborhood park and have fun
in our community while sprucing up the
creek and park.
While Temescal Creek between the pond
at Big Frog and Clarke Street is a pumped
water feature in the park, the water does
return to the actual Temescal Creek through
the grate at Little Frog. Every bit of trash and
debris we clean up not only makes our park
look better, but keeps it out of the creek, the
Bay, and the ocean.
Pick Your Area and Sign In
Volunteer sign-in tables will be located
at Cavour and Redondo, for those who want
to work on the creek between Clifton and
Clarke Streets, and at Big Frog near the play
structure for those who want to work on the
pond, play area and greenbelt path to Clifton.
There will be coffee and snacks at sign-in,
and some thank-you “swag” from the city of
Oakland for volunteers.
Tasks include weeding, pruning, trash
pickup, raking and sweeping. Families and
groups are welcome, and students needing
service hours for school will receive a signed
letter verifying their participation. Tools and
gloves will be provided, or if you’d like to
bring your own tools, make sure they’re well
marked as yours.
For more information, contact Leonora
Sea, DMV Neighbors Association,
LeonoraSea@comcast.net; FROG, info@
frogpark.org; or look up FROG Park and
Temescal Creek on the city’s Creek to Bay
Day website: www.oaklandcreektobay.org.
The Rockridge District Association
invites everyone to shop, dine and
explore our beloved neighborhood at
the 10th Anniversary Rockridge Out
& About. Find more details at www.
rockridgeoutandabout.com.
Presenting a large-scale, multifaceted street fair
is no easy task; festival organizers are seeking
additional sponsors to make it all possible. To
join in supporting the 10th anniversary event,
send an email now to festival co-producer Samee
Roberts, samee@rockridgeoutandabout.com or
call 510/550-4804, ext. 1.
YOGA + WELLNESS
NAMASTE
WE          ROCKRIDGE!
NAMASTE IS
EXPANDING!
SAME LOCATION
MORE ROOM
MORE CLASSES
BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M


September 3, 2016
6.

Eyes on Rockridge
now 20, says. She took pictures for both the
newspaper and yearbook while a student at
Oakland Technical High School. And in 10th
grade, she was awarded a $2,000 grant from
the Eva Gunther Foundation “to buy my first
DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera.”
Although photography has helped pay her
way through college, Anya’s goals are law
school and, one day, to be a judge.
For both Anya, a life-long Oaklander,
and Elazar, who moved to Rockridge when
he was 14, a love for Oakland is at the core
of their friendship and their book. Indeed, a
mutual friend introduced them on the basis
that they both had strong talents and this
shared passion for Oakland. “Even when I
lived in Berkeley I was always taking the bus
into all parts of Oakland to see my friends,”
Elazar says.
“I feel Oakland has this strong sense
Local Teens Cook Up a Tribute to
Oakland Residents: Their Recipes;
Backgrounds; and Neighborhoods
by Judith Doner Berne
Over a six-month period, teenagers
Elazar Sontag and Anya Ku showed
up at the doors of home
cooks in 20 Oakland
neig hb or ho o d s  –
notebook, camera and
bags of groceries in
hand – often traveling
by bus.
As they watched
each one prepare that
night’s meal, Elazar
wrote down their
recipes and stories as
Anya used her lens to
document the cooking
process and take their
portraits. Then they
joined the family
around the dinner table.
The result is Flavors of Oakland which
Elazar, a Rockridge resident who is a
freshman at Bard College (N.Y.), and Anya, a
senior political science major at UC Berkeley,
recently self-published.
Subtitled “A Cookbook in 20 Stories,” it
contains the family dishes and back stories
of Oakland residents representing a range of
neighborhoods and ethnicities, who shared
the ups and downs of their lives as they
cooked.
“I’ve been cooking since I was seven,”
says Elazar, now 18, as he and Anya sit in my
living room. “My parents are food people.
I got myself into restaurants – Duende and
Pizzaiolo” – where he interned two days a
week. “I would go straight from school (Drew
➧➧Oakland: Flavorful, page 7
In Rockridge since 1997
Have you reviewed your
business insurance lately?
Yes we do offer:
Elazar Sontag’s and Anya Ku’s Flavors of Oakland
cookbook is their ode to the city they love. /Judith Doner Berne
Workers Comp
Insurance
High School in San Francisco). But I’m not
a protégé,” he was quick to say. “I was just
cutting onions.”
His interest in cooking food evolved into
writing about it. “I started a food blog when
I was about 12. I wanted to be the food critic
for the New York Times,” Elazar explains.
“Now I’m more interested in writing about
people and their food. I don’t care if they’re
rich or poor.” He is designing his own food-
focused major at college.
“When I was 10, my parents gave me
what was essentially a $10 camera from a
convenience store and it just clicked,” Anya,
Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050
INSURANCE SERVICES,  INC
CA License 0D34069
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7.
September 3, 2016

yams); Jackie, relatively new to the cooking
of her Chinese ancestors, from the Oak
Center neighborhood of West Oakland (pork
potstickers).
They chose home cooks, Elazar says,
because Oakland restaurants are already so
well recognized. While acknowledging the
city’s “cracks and tarnishes,” they were also
out to defy the way Oakland can be portrayed
by the media and others who haven’t been
here. “Oakland is full of people exactly like
the ones we visited,” Anya says.
“A neighborhood focus was also very
important to us,” she adds, as they sought
recommendations for cooks who would
represent the diverse ethnicities and areas of
Oakland. So no question of socio-economic
barriers would arise, the two always tried to
pay for the ingredients.
For months after they completed their
recipe gathering, Elazar, with help from
friends and mentors, tested each one. “I didn’t
realize it was going to be such an effort,” he
says. “Some dishes got tested 10-15 times. I
would cook it and know it wasn’t right. I can
kind of hold on to a taste.”
More than 150 people contributed to a
crowdfunding campaign that not only paid
for design and publication, but also allowed
Anya and Elazar to set aside 200 books to
donate to Oakland’s libraries and schools.
“Oakland’s fresh, made-to-order vibe is
best exemplified by two things – our young
people and our food,” writes Mayor Libby
Schaaf in a preface to the book. “So it’s not
surprising at all that two Oakland-raised
young people, Anya and Elazar, have cooked
up ‘Flavors of Oakland.’”
The book “is a testament to Anya’s
and Elazar’s work, and to the food of
Oakland,” says Charlie Hallowell, owner of
Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service and Penrose
restaurants, in the book’s foreword. “It’s an
exploration of the ways in which Oakland is
one of the richest food cities in America, and
an example of what two young people who
have hearts filled with passion and bellies
full of food can accomplish.”
I first saw “Flavors of Oakland” at Diesel
Bookstore and gave it for Father’s Day to
my son-in-law. He lives in North Oakland
and likes to create ethnic dishes. As of mid-
August, Diesel had sold 70 copies. That’s a
lot, I was told by bookseller Colin Waters,
for a self-published book.
Anya and Elazar say the emotional and
practical support of both sets of parents was
crucial to its success. “It has been selling
incredibly well and is now in its second
printing,” Elazar says. “People seem to feel
attached to it. I am totally shaken.”
Lorelei Sontag, Elazar’s mom, says
she sees the book “as Elazar’s entry into
adulthood. It was kind of magical – they
started with a feeling and it amounted to a
book,” she says.
“We moved from the Berkeley Hills (to
Rockridge) because we wanted to downsize
and spend our city time in a more urban
neighborhood,” his mother says. The fact
that Oakland residents opened their lives
and that crowdfunders invested in Elazar’s
and Anya’s project “is an amazing gift from
the community.”
Oakland:
Flavorful
from page 6
of community,” Anya says. “People here
identify as Oaklanders before they identify
as anything else.” To Elazar, “Oakland is
such an inclusive community. People really
took us in. We built relationships with them.
The fact that people would just let two kids
into their homes….”
On the nights a cooking session was
scheduled, each rushed home from school,
then “hopped on a bus heading wherever
our next meal was being cooked,” Elazar
recounts. “Wherever we went, doors opened
and warm faces greeted us.”
There’s 70-something Marta from
Rockridge by way of Oaxaca, Mexico (rolled
tacos, rice, salsa and guacamole); 17-year-old
Nick from Piedmont Avenue who began
cooking with his Italian grandmother and
then cooked for her (ricotta gnocchi); Kim,
a mother of five from the Meadow Brook
neighborhood near Fruitvale Avenue and
East 22nd Street, whose dishes reflect her
southern heritage (catfish and candied
To comment on this column or to suggest topics
for future stories on your Rockridge neighbors or
neighborhood, email judyberne@att.net.


September 3, 2016
8.

Letters to the Editor
Intersection Near Chabot School
Gets Uncomfortably Congested
Editor:
The Rockridge News welcomes
posted letters and emails to the
editor. Your name, address, phone
number, email address and city/neigh-
borhood 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 are the writer’s own, and may
not necessarily be shared by the editor
or by RCPC.
The intersection at Chabot Road and
Roanoke Road on the north side of Chabot
Elementary School is begging for a traffic
circle. Parents dropping off or picking up
their kids at school often make a U-turn
in this intersection. A simple pillar in the
middle like the ones Berkeley uses plus a
few “Yield to Traffic in Circle” signs would
go a long way to easing congestion before
and after school.
Pedestrian traffic isn’t a concern here
since few, if any, cross at this intersection.
Everyone crosses at Patton Street with the
crossing guards.
— Bill Levinson
A Life Nobly Lived Still Inspires
Editor:
Mowed Lot Lost More than Weeds
Editor:
Just a remark: Not all Rockridge residents
were relieved to see that the vacant lot at
College and Claremont had been mowed.
Whoever got rid of the weeds also cut down
the bushes and flowers. I walk past that lot
several times per week and always enjoy the
fragrance of the plants there. Although some
of the weeds were ugly, I’ve also seen at least
10 different kinds of wildflowers blooming in
that lot, including our state flower and colors
covering the whole rainbow. There used to
be sparrows and finches flitting around in
the bushes and brush, but now there are just
pigeons.
— Sally P.

Thank you for the article a while back
concerning Mountain View Cemetery. The
article mentions several notable people buried
there. Another distinguished American
whose grave and monument at the cemetery
are inspiring to visit is that of Japanese
American civil rights hero Fred Korematsu.
He resisted the internment of Japanese
Americans in American concentration
camps during WWII and fought in the courts
for decades afterwards, finally achieving
vindication in the 1980s. He was eventually
presented with the Presidential Medal of
Freedom and other honors.
Through the Fred Korematsu Foundation,
his daughter, a Rockridge resident, carries
forward his message that no one should be
racially profiled or have their civil liberties
curtailed because of race, religion or ethnic
origin. Their work took on new importance
after 9/11 with the rise of Islamophobia.
It is so gratifying to visit his monument
right in our neighborhood and see the small
stones left as tokens of visits by many others
who have come to pay their respects. Thanks
for the article on a local treasure that is full
of life.
L. Correll
➧➧Letters, page 9

Editor’s Note:
Mr. Levinson also wrote to Councilman
Dan Kalb about his concerns. The councilman
is responding directly to Mr. Levinson, but
offered the following general information
about the necessary steps for suggested
changes in street patterns. The Rockridge
News is printing that information here in
paraphrased form since it may be helpful to
other Rockridge residents faced with similar
concerns:
Councilman Kalb wrote: Traffic Calming
mechanisms (on residential streets) such
as the one Mr. Levinson is recommending
generally require a petition or some other
indication of extensive support among those
who live very close by. In this case, since
the school would be affected, it would also
be important to contact the Chabot school
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
DANIEL’S ROCKRIDGE LISTINGS
3 Offers
5 Offers
5119 Desmond; Sold @ $1,085,000
2 Bed / 1.5 Bath; 1,140 SF
5310 Lawton; Sold @ $1,900,000
3 Bed / 2 Bath; 1,952 SF
DANIEL STEA
BRE #01452156
510.867.4094


9.
September 3, 2016

Letters
from page 8
principal to see if they would offer support
for such a request. However, the first main
step is to contact the Traffic Engineering
division of Public Works to discuss the need
and the process. Requests of this nature get
more attention from Public Works when
accompanied by signatures and support
from several neighbors who agree with the
requested action and then submit a group
letter or petition.

Oakland’s Residential Permit Parking
Program Still Profitable for the City

by Jon Gabel, former RCPC boardmember
I
have obtained cost and revenue data for
Oakland’s Residential Permit Parking
(RPP) program by means of a Public
Information Request. This data is for the
fiscal years 2011-2012 through 2014-2015
and is summarized in the table on page 11.
(Data for the full fiscal year 2015-2016 was
not available at the time of my request.)
Similar data that I obtained for fiscal
year 2010-2011 was published in the
November, 2011, Rockridge News. Now, as
then, the City could still make a profit on
RPP even if it gave away the permits for free.
For each fiscal year, the City provided
RPP revenue (derived from permit sales
and citations), the number of RPP citations,
the total number of parking citations, and
total parking enforcement cost. The City
does not directly track RPP administration
and enforcement costs. (Perhaps it should,
since RPP permit rates are being justified
by purported RPP costs.) RPP enforcement
costs can be estimated as a portion of
all parking enforcement costs, i.e., the
percentage of RPP citations compared to
all parking citations. If anyone thinks that
these cost estimates might be too low, note
that even if they are multiplied by 5, the
City would still have made a profit on RPP
every year. And this was before the permit
rates recently increased.
Councilmember Dan Kalb stated in an
article in the November 2015 Rockridge
News that the City’s cost per year per RPP
permit was $82. That statement is not
consistent with this data.
In my letter to the Editor of the Rockridge
News published in December 2015, I
mentioned that enforcement of RPP had
fallen off, but this comment was based solely
on personal observation. Councilmember
Kalb’s letter to the Rockridge News of July
2016 confirms that RPP enforcement had
been deficient due to “lack of additional
staff.” Since I filed my Information Request
for RPP data with the City, I have noticed
that RPP enforcement has greatly improved.
Because enforcement was apparently down
for some time, the estimated cost of RPP
enforcement presented here may be higher
than what it actually was.
One might question whether the City
could have generated even more profit in
recent years with strong enforcement of
RPP. And, with such large revenues from
citations, one could also ask why the City
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
➧➧OpEd RPP Costs, page 11
CollegePrep
A private high school for grades 9-12
Our approach to learning requires collaboration, patience,
and creativity—all within a kind and joyful community.
Be inspired. Refine your thinking. Express yourself.

The College Preparatory School     6100 Broadway    Oakland CA 94618     510.652.4364   college-prep.org


September 3, 2016
10.
Scenic Streets: Mulching Plants, Pulling
Weeds, Pruning Trees; Beautifying
Scenic Streets/Oakland had a productive
work day on Saturday, August 20, as new
and seasoned volunteers devoted two hours
to give much-needed care to the vegetation
on the Highway 24 Claremont Avenue
on-ramp and the street trees adjacent to
DaVita Oakland Dialysis Center at Clifton
and Claremont.
Many wheelbarrows of mulch were
spread, drought-stricken plants and trees

/Betsy York

Neighbors Improving the
Rockridge-Temescal Gateway
Scenic Streets is a group of neighbors –
all volunteers – dedicated to improving
the beauty and safety of roadsides in North
Oakland. Since just 2013, our volunteers have
made lasting enhancements to prominent
public lands. We have planted hundreds
of drought-tolerant shrubs along highway
ramps, added dozens of sidewalk trees to
barren streets, secured new public trash
cans and even renovated a city park. Our
enthusiasm is contagious and has inspired
nearby businesses and homeowners to
undertake improvements of their own.
watered by hand, trees pruned, weeds pulled,
leading to many bags filled with accumulated
dried plant debris for Caltrans’ disposal to
reduce fire danger.
Scenic Streets is a dedicated group of
neighbors who volunteer their time and
energy to maintain landscaping on the
Highway 24 Claremont Avenue ramps and
street trees along Claremont Avenue and
Vicente Street.
If you couldn’t attend the work day
but are interested in participating in this
neighborhood beautification project, contact
Scenic Streets via www.scenicstreets.org.
One of the volunteer Scenic Street crews pauses briefly for a photograph
during the August 20 cleanup. Kneeling, Robert Firehock. Standing,
from left: Lee Patterson, Laura Schlichtmann, Betsy York, Brad Dickson,
Margaret Pinter.                                                                             /Dan Kalb
Left column,
above,
Councilmember
Dan Kalb waters
a sidewalk tree
next to DaVita
Dialysis Center.

Right, plant
debris, bagged
and ready for
removal, on
the Highway 24
On-ramp.
/Robert Firehock


11.
September 3, 2016

issues dated November 2011; November
2015; December 2015; June 2016; and July
2016.
OpEd RPP Costs

from page 9

raised RPP permit fees – or even why there
are any RPP permit fees at all.
Previous relevant articles and letters to the
Editor can be found in The Rockridge News

Summary of Information Request Results for RPP Costs from the City of Oakland
Prepared by Jon Gabel

Fiscal Year (FY)
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015

RPP permit sales, $
$145,069.54
$223,082.30
$198,627.25
$320,798.48

RPP citation revenue, $
$870,187.67
$755,384.39
$805,608.34
$767,132.45

Total RPP revenue, $
$1,015,257.21
$978,466.69
$1,004,235.59
$1,087,930.93

Total parking enforcement cost, $
$1,425,472
$3,882,027
$4,055,694
$4,259,520

# RPP citations
9,534
7,979
8,674
8,769

Total # parking citations
369,964
326,174
330,078
323,542

Estimated RPP enforcement cost, $
$36,734.52
$94,963.71
$106,578.11
$115,446.31

Estimated RPP program profit, $
$978,522.69
$883,502.98
$897,657.48
$972,484.62

Estimated RPP enforcement cost = Total enforcement cost) x (# RPP citations) / (Total # parking citations)
Estimated RPP program profit = (Total RPP revenue) – (Estimated RPP enforcement cost)

Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

• Dispute resolution
• Special needs trusts
Please contact me during regular business hours to
      schedule an appointment.

City of Oakland supports 2nd unit developments.
Thinking of a 2nd unit? Contact FMSProjects
to see how to best achieve this in 2016!
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5429 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
Ofc: (510) 547-6111
Cell: (415) 722-9805
Email: fmsprojects@icloud.com
NAT-53556-1


September 3, 2016
12.

to set up painting workshops and
arrange outreach.
Over many months, one by
one, tiles were painted and fired,
and then stored until the next
phase – creating the mural – could
be started. Each tile was labeled
and recorded in a log book, with
the names and comments of the
individuals who made them.
The first person to make a tile
was a little girl, Rachel Lomax,
four years old, whose family had
lost their home.
The first workshop was held
at the CRDC center. Dozens of
workshops, in schools, homes,
churches and in community
centers, would be arranged.
The Tile Mural was dedicated
October 16, 1994. Rachel Lomax
was there to see her tile unveiled.
Now, 25 years later, Rachel,
29 and a nurse, will take part in
the rededication of the memorial
plaque at the Rockridge BART
Station on October 9. See www.
oaklandnet/firestorm25 for details.
On a personal note, I was hired to
coordinate the workshops for the tile
mural, and it was my privilege to assist
the hundreds of people who made tiles.
Every time I pass by the mural, I am
reminded of the resilience and strength
of our friends and neighbors who rose
like phoenixes from the ashes. And in
this summer of 2016, I am thinking of
Californians around the state who are again
witnessing the power of Mother Nature
with yet more destructive wildfires. I hope
those affected by these most recent fires
will benefit from how we in the East Bay
were able to survive, rebuild, and move on
with our lives.
For more on the tile wall and images
Oakland Firestorm
from page 1
cases, years, lay ahead for the survivors as
they began to recover and rebuild.
Assisting them with all this would prove
to be a mammoth challenge for the city,
county and federal agencies assigned to help
them. Elihu Harris, Oakland’s mayor at the
time, directed his staff to lead the recovery.
He charged staffer and Rockridge resident
Brooke Levin to find a location for a one-stop
shop where people could go for answers and
to figure out next steps. It would also be a
place where they could rest, reconnect with
neighbors and take stock.
Brooke found the perfect place, the then-
vacant former Safeway store building at
Claremont Avenue and Clifton Street. It would
be known as the Community Restoration and
Development Center (CRDC).
Emotional Toll for Survivors and
Community Alike
The emotional toll on not only the
survivors but the entire community was
heavy. In the months that followed, it became
clear that some sort of tangible community
expression of loss and grief could help with
the recovery process. Recognizing this,
Brooke Levin came up with what proved to
be another simple but brilliant idea: Anyone
affected by the disaster, whether through
direct loss, from witnessing the event, or by
knowing loved ones or friends who had lost
their lives, could create a ceramic tile. The
tiles would then be assembled into a mural
at a public place and would be a visible and
lasting symbol of the area’s rebuilding.
Community Fund Supports the
Tile Project
The nonprofit Oakland Community
Fund (OCF) stepped up with funding for the
project, the BART station area was identified
as the location, and a coordinator was hired
The fire often left only chimneys and
foundations visible in its wake.        /D. Kinkead
of individual tiles, visit oaklandwiki.org/
Oakland_Firestorm_Mural.
Annalee Allen is a long-time Rockridge resident
and is the Oakland Tours Coordinator. She was,
for many years, a columnist for the Montclarion
newspaper and the Oakland Tribune. Brooke Levin
is the City of Oakland Public Works Director.
SOLD!
∙ 5812 CANNING STREET – SELLER REP.
∙ 462 61ST STREET – SELLER REP.
∙ 6410 REGENT STREET – BUYER REP.
∙ 6011 ROCKRIDGE BOULEVARD – BUYER REP.
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
designer’s
eye
MAXI LILLEY
 THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A
3rd Floor
Market Hall
TM
Ste. 312
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
Advanced Preventive,  Restorative,  Periodontal  Gum Care,  and Dental Implants.


13.
September 3, 2016

Kitchen Tour
Call
Volunteers Needed to
Deliver The Rockridge
News
Many, many thanks are owed to Claudine
and Richard Jones for a yeoperson’s
job of delivering The Rockridge News to
a score of homes above College Avenue.
Richard is recuperating from surgery and
it may be a while before they can return to
their routes. Can you help out? We have a
large number of routes to choose from so
take your pick.
Block Captain/Route 21G: Odd numbers
along the 6000 block of Claremont Avenue
North Oakland Senior Center
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health counseling;
dancing and exercise; trips; support groups, computer
classes/more. Annual $12 membership entitles seniors
55 + to discounts on activities and trips. JOIN NOW.
• John Muir House & Port Chicago National
Park: docent tour with picnic lunch Thurs, 9/29.
$10 for members.
• Apple Hill Loop: Sign up now for Oct 13 day-trip
to Placerville’s High Hill Ranch on a deluxe motor
coach. Includes coffee with apple donuts on arrival,
guide relating the history of California’s apple country,
BBQ lunch with apple pie and time to browse in local
shops. $50, member; $62 non-member.
Get more trip details at the desk or 597-5085.
Mon. – Fri., 9am to 4:30pm. 5714 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Way. Subscribe to “The North Oakland Senior
Times” for full schedule of classes/events, lunch
menus, and volunteer opportunities. Info: 597- 5085.
from page 2
trees, awarding community grants, and
periodic major projects.
The plan is to have nine kitchens in three
different geographic areas within Rockridge;
we may stray slightly outside RCPC’s
boundaries when warranted.
We look for a balance of kitchens from
economic, small and efficient to larger and
more spectacular spaces that inspire visitors
with a variety of creative solutions.
If you have a kitchen that you would like
to have considered for the Kitchen Tour,
please send us a note at rockridge.org.
Block Captain/Route 16D: Both sides
of 5200 Claremont and 5400 block of
Claremont Ave, west side only from Clifton
to Cavour.
District Captain/Route 04: 9 drops along
Harwood and vicinity
Rockridge
Serving Rockridge
since 1992
District Captain/Route 01, 03, 05: 7
drops above College along Chabot Rd
and vicinity
Optometry
5400 College Avenue at Manila
Marshal: Routes 02, 05, 09,10: 4-6 drops
above College Ave, between Claremont
and the BART Station
Your neighborhood 
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
Norman H. Burg, DDS
■
■Block Captains deliver door to door.
■
■District Captains need a car or bike
to deliver bundles to Block Captains.
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
■
■Marshals need a car to pick up
boxes and deliver them to District Captains.
The newsletter is published the first
weekend of each month except August. Call
510/547-3855 or email Susan at smontauk@
gmail.com to sign up.
A Prevention Oriented Practice

Competition Drive Price in August

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

8/5/2016

3 1.5
6037 CHABOLYN TER
$799,000
$799,000
12
$1,180,000

8/8/2016
  3
2
5340 LOCKSLEY AVE
$995,000
$995,000
11
$1,425,000

8/15/2016    2     2     5577 TAFT AVE
$1,249,000
$1,249,000 12
$1,640,000

8/22/2016   3     2     5525 Taft Avenue
$928,000
$928,000
13
$1,400,000

8/24/2016   2     2     5290 BROADWAY TER
$550,000
$550,000
62
$540,000

8/24/2016   2    1.5   5119 DESMOND ST
$849,000
$849,000
14
$1,085,000

8/26/2016   2     2     5589 LAWTON AVE
$2,700,000
$2,500,000 27
$2,400,000

Homes sold in August closed 20% over the asking price on average.


September 3, 2016
14.

College Avenue businesses can seem
constant and unchanging. Perhaps a
vacancy here and there showcases a pop-up
opening to keep the space occupied, but in the
main: constancy.
Recently, distant stars have realigned,
bringing a spate of expansions and new
businesses replacing older establishments. Two
of them are described here.
At far left are co-owner Caroline Conner,
right, and Chef Candice Caris, readying the
opening of Duchess to offer American Tavern
style foods at 5422 College, former site of
Pizza Rustica.
Left, owners Scott Ayers, Julie Figueras,
and Jeff Saltzman (not pictured), have cleaned
up and renamed the former Hut as The
Rockridge Improvement Club, 5515 College
Avenue, a bar harkening to the historic intent
of the original Rockridge Improvement Club
of 1913: Community involvement and support..
Caroline Conner (r), co-owner, and Chef Candice Caris
Scott Ayers and Julie Figueras
House Repairs & Rehabs,
Interior & Exterior
Kitchen & bath remodel, tile, decks, dry rot,
drainage, walls, termite damage, doors, win-
dows. Professional work for affordable prices.
Local References Available. Lic#458473. Don
510/812-0310.
Gardener
Over 15 years of service to the Rockridge
area. Maintenance and gardening restoration.
Reasonable rates and excellent references.
Please call Chris. 655-0157.
Software Interview Help
and Tutoring
Our instructors have decades of experience
working for the world’s most prestigious
hi-tech firms. We can help you with
interviews, career coaching and tutoring.
Please visit www.SharpDojo.com or call
800/378-2711.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
October issue deadline is September 22.
For information: smontauk@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.
Your Personal Driver
in my Jaguar
Shopping, doctor appointments, airport,
errands. I’ll take you where you need to go
in my Jaguar. Courteous, reliable service.
Extra care for the elderly. 510/841-2891.
Cell 510/982-9757

Penelope’s Aesthetics Back
Rejuvenating Essential
Wearing tank tops? Bathing suits? Worried
about back blemishes? Experience an essential
back and arm treatment to renew, exfoliate,
nourish and hydrate dry, itchy skin. $35. Call
for an appointment: 510/594-1552 www.
penelopecalef.com
Caitlin Crawford

Your Rockridge Neighbor
and Home Specialist
Specializing in Rockridge Real Estate

Summer sales: 53 homes in 94618 June-August ranged from $900k-$2.81m w/ the average
over $1.5m.  49 of 53 were $1m+, 7 were $2M+.   Many variables contribute to sale price
besides size and bed/bath count, including: market timing, occupied or staged, physical
condition, yard size and access, layout, accessibility to College Ave/BART, views, seller and
buyer motivations, etc.  An experienced local expert can assess your unique home.
Pending lease: 5849 Virmar: 3 bedroom 1 bath bungalow, approx 1380 sf, Heart of Rockridge,
4.5 blocks to BART.  Call for details
Sold:  5589 Lawton 3+ bed 2.5 bath including detached cottage, “A modern craftsman”
rebuilt in 2006.  Call for details
Happy Autumn!!
Perry Riani, Senior Associate
1900 Mountain Blvd Oakland, CA 94611
1625 Shattuck Ave Berkeley, CA 94709
C: 510.813.3799  perry@pacunion.com
License # 01402540

ccrawford@grubbco.com
510.339.0400/287
Direct: 510.289.7218
Cal BrE liC. # 01951131


15.
September 3, 2016

y
y Wed,10/12, 7pm. Nell Zink: Nicotine. Joined in con-
versation by DIESEL’S co-manager Brad Johnson.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.com.
St. Albert Priory Celebrates 800th
Anniversary of Dominican Order
The friars invite you to two free events on Sunday, Oct 9.

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

Compiled by Jo Ellis

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

District 1 Councilman Dan Kalb
Drop-in Community Office Hours at the Temescal Farmers
Market, 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph) at DMV
parking lot on the 3rd Sunday each month,10:30am-
12:30pm. For times and locations of other office hours
and more information from Dan Kalb: www.dankalb.
net/contactdan.
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
RSC Computer Tutors: For all ages; starting 9/17.
Get help with basic computer skills, email, device set up,
and e-book & audio book downloads. Drop-ins welcome.
Every Saturday,10:30am – 12:30pm.
FOR CHILDREN
Sat, 9/17, 11am.
y
y Art 101: A Hands-On Look at Painting with the
Oakland Art Association. Take an in-depth look at
the technique of a master painter, then try your own
hand at painting. Sat, 9/24,11am.
y
y Fine Hand Press Prints by Br. Antoninus (William
Everson) on display in the Priory refectory from 1 to
2:30pm. Beautiful items and manuscripts, including
his famous Novum Psalterium Pii XII from the Albertus
Magnus Press at St. Albert Priory.
y
y National Voter Registration Day: Tues,9/27. All Day.
Register to vote. The League of Women Voters will
also provide non-partisan information on the election
(call 597-5017 for times).
y
y Concert by the Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble
(WAVE) entitled, “Mission Project - Renaissance and
Baroque music from New Spain” at 3pm in the Priory
Chapel. More info at www.wavewomen.org/
St. Albert Priory, 5890 Birch Ct. 596-1800. St. Albert
Priory Chapel 6172 Chabot Road.
Jazz at the Chimes
“Come Swing with Me” featuring vocalist Denise Perrier
performing Sinatra favorites and other classic standards.
With pianist Tammy Hall, bassist Paul Eastburn and
drummer Darian Gray Sunday, Sept 18, 2 pm. Tickets
at the door (cash only) beginning 12:30pm (doors
open 1:30): $15 general; $10 srs. (60+) and students.
Advance ticket sales: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
event/2581849. Refreshments and reception follows to
meet the performers. Info at www.deniseperrier.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 accessible. Free parking. More
info: www.jazzatthechimes.com, chimesjazz@gmail.
com or 654-0123.
Wisteria Ways House Concerts
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal information
and referral. 1st Tues each month, 6pm-8pm; Note:
No lawyer in Sept; branch closed 9/6. Next session
Tues, Oct 4. A lottery system determines who may see
the lawyer. Sign-up opens at 5pm; must be present
for lottery drawing at 5:45. Call day of program to
confirm: 597-5017.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery- Sept: Paintings by the Oakland Art Association;
(hands-on workshop 9/24).
Oct: The Fire Art Project Revisited (commemorative
event 10/29).
Lobby Display- Rockridge library memories - stop by
to add your own.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun and Mon; also Tues, 9/6 for Labor Day
and Fri, 9/9 for Admission Day.
Become a Volunteer Story Reader
in Oakland Preschools
Oakland Public Library’s volunteer program Books for
Wider Horizons holds its annual training at the Rockridge
Library over six evenings from 6 to 8pm: 9/14 and 15;
9/21 and 22; 9/28 and 29; and Saturday, 10/1 from 10am
to 5pm. Foster a life-long love of reading in Oakland’s
children. To volunteer or for more info contact Rochelle
Venuto at rvenuto@oaklandlibrary.org, or 238-7453. More
info at http://oaklandlibrary.org/kids/welcome-teachers/
books-wider-horizons
Diesel Book / Readings / Events
FREE and open to the public.
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (for all
ages); Saturdays, 10:30am.
y
y Toddler Story Time: Songs, active rhymes and
stories (ages 9 months to 2 years), Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.
y
y Pre-School Story Time: Read-alouds, songs, and
rhymes (to age 5); Thursdays, 10:30am.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
SPECIAL EVENT:
y
y ‘Tween Scene: A monthly, ‘tween-directed group
for ages 9 to 13. Bring ideas of what you & your
friends would most like to do each month. We’d like
to hear about last year’s Pen Pals, and see how
many people will be doing National Novel Writing
Month this November. Snacks served. Every 2nd &
4th Tuesday evening (9/13 and 9/27), 6:30-7:45pm,
in the Children’s Area.
More info on children’s programs: Erica Siskind, 597-5017.
FOR TEENS
y
y Ya Layl: Sarah Michael, Suellen Primost, Peter
Maund, and Niko Bakulich. “Mostly Middle Eastern;”
program including Arabic, Turkish, Greek, Armenian,
and Sephardic music. Sample at https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=hd9QRbbBVzY&feature=youtu.be. Sat.,
Sept 17, 8pm; house opens 7:30pm. Inside venue; not
wheelchair accessible. $15-20 donation for musicians
(cash only at the door).
y
y Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Meet with other
teens, plan and organize library activities, and get
community service credit for school. 1st Sat. each
month, 1 to 2pm.
y
y Teen ‘Scape: Play video & board games; make crafts;
do homework. Enjoy meals. Tues, Thurs, and Fridays:
3:30 -4:30pm and Wednesdays: 1:30 - 4:30 pm.
y
y Duo Trios - Bal du Kor (West African) & Brisas do
Brazil: Sat, Oct 8, 8pm. Inside venue; not wheelchair
accessible. More info about these trios at http://
wisteriaways.org/events.html. 383 61st Street. For
reservations (highly recommended), RSVP to info@
WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
8th Annual Volunteer Fair for
Oakland Schools
Find a volunteer program that’s right for you to help
Oakland students. Get linked to school-based volunteer
opportunities that match your interests, schedules and
abilities. Volunteers fully trained before they begin a
program. Sat, Sept.10 from 10am to 1pm at Lakeview
School Auditorium, 746 Grand Avenue (at MacArthur
Blvd., across the street from the Grand Lake Theater).
Free Parking in lot behind school. Hosted by Volun-
teering for Oakland, in partnership with OUSD and the
Mayor’s Office. More info: Stan Weisner: 531-2055;
www.volforoak.org/volunteer-fair/; or email contact@
volunteeringforoakland.org.
Temescal Farmers’ Market
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown fruits
and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; home-made bakery
items; fresh cut flowers; unique prepared foods, fresh
locally caught fish, handcrafts and more. Sample the
goods; meet the grower. Live music. Bring reusable bags.
5300 Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph) at DMV parking lot.
y
y Welcome Back Party for Teens: Take funny pictures
with your friends and classmates. We will set up
photo booth and provide photo booth props. Wed,
Sept 14, 2 to 4pm.
y
y Sun, 9/11, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Susanne Dyckman
and Elizabeth Robinson.
y
y Tues, 9/13, 7pm. Julia Claiborne Johnson: Be
Frank with Me.
y
y Backpack/Locker Charms: Create your favorite
charms and add to your backpacks or lockers. Wed,
Sept 28, 2pm.
FOR ADULTS
y
y Thurs, 9/15, 7pm. Local author Zach Wyner: What
We Never Had.
y
y Thurs, 9/22, 7pm. Juan Gabriel Vásquez: Reputations.
y
y Tues, 9/27, 7pm. Cartoonist Riad Sattouf: The Arab
of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-
1985: A Graphic Memoir.
y
y eBook Help: Tuesdays by appointment, 6 - 7:30pm.
Get help downloading eBooks to your Kindle, Nook,
smartphone, or laptop. Make an appointment online
at www.oaklandlibrary.org or in person at any library
location.
y
y Fri, 9/30, 6pm. Pajama Party Story Time for Kids.
Come in PJs, bring teddy bear, have milk and cookies.
Hear bedtime story by author/illustrator Bob Barner:
Sea Bones.
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 Sat.
each month (9/17), 1 to 5pm; wheelchair-accessible.
Sponsored by the Calif. Writers Club of Berkeley.
Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com. Call 597-5017
to confirm.
y
y Wed, 10/5, 6:30pm. Freud’s Bar (monthly talks given
by local Bay Area psychoanalysts, aimed at students
ages 16-25, while enjoying drinks and snacks): Topic:
Guilt, Pseudo-guilt and Woody Allen, presented
by Lee Grossman, M.D.
y
y Thurs, 10/6, 7pm. Colin Dickey: Ghostland: An
American History in Haunted Places.
y
y Drip Irrigation Basics: With Landscape Designer
and author Douglas Kent. Save water while keeping
your plants healthy and thriving. Co-sponsored by
East Bay MUD. Light Refreshments provided.
y
y Sun, 10/9, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Martha Collins:
Admit One: An American Scrapbook; and Rosa
Lane: Tiller North.


September 3, 2016
16.

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