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VOL. 31 = NO. 10 m ISSUE NO. 338 m November 5, 2016

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— November 17, 7-9 p

Caltrans workers clean out a homeless
Person’s campsite next to the CA 24

Claremont Avenue exit.

PHotos/D. KINKEAD

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www.rockridge.org

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oin your friends and neighbors for an

RCPC Town Hall panel discussion and
examination of homelessness in North
Oakland. Co-sponsored by the Rockridge
Community Planning Council, the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church (CAPC), the
Greater Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC), and the
office of Alameda County Supervisor
Keith Carson, the meeting will be held
in the church sanctuary, 5951 College.

The panel includes: Aisha Brown from

Berkeley
Firestorm Memorial

Ceremony Recalls Loss,

Celebrates Recovery

ayor Libby Schaff, Rockridge

District Association (RDA) chair
Susan Bernosky, BART General Manager
Grace Crunican, BART boardmembers,
Oakland and Berkeley firefighters, and
members of the BART police department
joined in a ceremony complete with
color guards and songs to memorialize
those who died and those who lost their
homes and belongings in the Firestorm.
A reading of each victim’s name was
punctuated by a bell’s toll for each person.

> Firestorm Memorial, page 7

oC I 5,800 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

PMB 3I1 * Oakland, CA 94611

Homeless in Rockridge: RCPC November Town Hall Panel

-m.; College Avenue Presbyterian Church | 5951 College Avenue —

Supervisor Carson’s office; representatives
from Bay Area Community Services
(BACS); and Susan Shelton from
Oakland’s Human Services Department.
They will discuss a pilot program
for providing community services at
homeless encampments.

We will also have Officer Anthony
Hutzol, our local Community Resource
Officer from the Oakland Police
Department, who will talk about how he

) Nov. Town Hall, page 2

Halloween Parade Not
a Wash: Goblins at Play

hortly before the Halloween

parade sponsored by the Rockridge
District Association and the Rockridge
Community Planning Council was to
begin, pouring rain gave way, permitting
crowds of kids and their families to
saunter up and down College Avenue,
trick-or-treating all the way.

Later, clouds were threatening and
the ground outside was damp, so CAPC
graciously welcomed goblins, ghosts and
swordfighters inside for storytelling by
Michael Litzky, songs and accordion by
Salane Schultz, and pumpkin bowling and
crafts. See photos, page 9.

e

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*

we.
?

Juan L. Sanchez, “Music Without ‘
“Borders,” entertained library
celebrants with an interactive

musical experience.

=| Branch Library
~~ Fans Celebrate 20
*“» Years of Books +

At stream of Rockridge
residents and interested
visitors listened to live music,
drank punch, ate cake and
learned the history of the
Rockridge Branch Library’s

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» Library Anniversary, page 13

Snow? Yes. Page 11

7

Réckridge News

N Vv. Town Hall

from page |

works with calls for service involving the
homeless in the Rockridge area.

ORG a

CAPC Pastor Monte McClain will
introduce the panel and present short video
interviews of some of the people with whom
the church is working. See Op-Ed below for
further discussion about the panel's topic and
the challenges to be met.

Homelessness in Oakland -

What Do We Have to Do With It?

by Stuart Flashman, Chair, RCPC
S most people in Rockridge know,
Oakland is in the midst of a housing
Crisis — too little housing at too high prices.
If you recently moved to Oakland, you might
think it’s always been this way. It hasn’t.
Housing prices have escalated remarkably,
even shockingly. Why?
The obvious answer is supply and demand
— too little supply and too much demand.
Home prices and rents have mushroomed with
the arrival of a surge of households fleeing

more second units on existing lots. None of
that, however, will help those who can’t afford
the lowest “affordable” rents in this area. Nor
is it any solution to hand people a bus ticket
and ask them to go elsewhere,

In addition to figuring out what’s needed to
return housing affordability to the Bay Area,
we need to address the social needs of the
homeless. Often, mental illness and/or social
instability are part of the constellation of
factors leading to homelessness, and those are
issues our society often fails to deal with well.

November 5, 2016

5366 College Avenue
at Manila | 597-501 7@
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 1s |

RockridgeNews

OE ee

—
—

The Rockridge News, founded March 1986 by Do,
Kinkead, is published monthly (except in August)
and is sponsored by the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC), a nonprofit publi.
benefit organization founded Co: preserve ang
enhance the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood; promote the health, safety ang
quality of life of its residents; furnish a forum fo,
community involvement; and provide leadership ang
representation of neighborhood interests.

Rockridge News Production

Don Kinkead.....-sssorererere Editor
© Ellis ....c.sessccscresesnressnsenenseens Asst. Editor
Judith Donner Berne or. Eyes on Rockridge
JO Ellis .....ss-sseeserveerssurneenecesnnss Advertising &
Community Calendar
Susan Montauk......cescereeeeees Business Manager
Don Kinkead........:nsseee Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2016-17
Stuart Flashman ......-.-0 Chair
Kevin Faughian .....-s-0-ss+ Vice Chair
Rekha Rao .....ssssscasessnereneees Secretary
Ronnie SpitZer’........rveeeree Treasurer

M C Haug, Dave Karlinsky,

even more unaffordable housing in San
Francisco. Meanwhile, as people scramble
to bid for houses and apartments, those with
less adequate financial resources are dropping
out of the bottom of the housing market and
into homelessness.

As far back as I can remember, there have
always been some homeless people around,
but their numbers, too, are skyrocketing.
What Is to Be Done
to Meet the Challenges?

Our Mayor’s answer is that we need to
build more housing. Of course we do. We
can't just turn off population increase as we
would a faucet. However, the rush of people
attracted by the growth in high-tech jobs has
far exceeded housing growth throughout
the Bay Area. Further, the “trickle-down”
economy doesn’t seem to trickle down as
far as the homeless. Yes, we can build more
housing and we are doing so here in Rockridge
and elsewhere in Oakland. We can also add

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
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send

your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at

the address below.

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 9461 I

Articles submitted for publication may be
emailed to the editor or mailed to the addresses above.
Submissions are limited to 600 words, must include
the author’s name, phone number, email 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, contact the editor.

RCPC November Town Hall
Examines Homelessness

This month, RCPC teams up with the
College Avenue Presbyterian Church,
Alameda County Supervisor Keith
Carson’s office and the Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC) to sponsor a Town Hall panel
discussion on homelessness in Oakland and
Rockridge. It’s an appropriate topic as we
approach the holiday season — a season of
giving and sharing.

Ignoring the problem of homelessness
won't make it go away; nor will it be solved
by just dropping a coin in a tin cup. Yet steps

are being taken right here and right now that
could help address the issue.

Our panel will discuss what’s being done
locally, as well as how you can become
involved. Come to the meeting at 5951 College
Avenue and become part of the discussion,
and perhaps part of the solution.

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Dry Cleaning only ® Present with incoming order

Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the December issue is:

w December 2, 2016
L Garden Cleaners ™- December deadline is November 17. ES
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month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
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ae inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)

November 5, 2016

Rdéckridge News

3.

Commitee =

City Update on Oakland
Caldecott Settlement

Agreement Projects

Ae projects on Broadway, both funded
via the city’s Caldecott Settlement
Agreement, are currently under construction
or will be soon.

Improvements to Broadway between
Keith and Brookside Avenues are underway.
The project, which includes Oakland’s first
cycle-track (a two-way, separate bikeway)
and pedestrian crossing enhancements, Is
On schedule. Weather permitting, the detour
will be lifted by the end of November. The

whole project (including the portion not
requiring a detour) is expected to be complete
in March 2017.

Construction ofa “road diet” on Broadway
between Keith Avenue and Broadway Terrace
is planned to begin by mid-November 2016.
The goal of this work is to make the roadway
safer for all roadway users: pedestrians
cyclists, and drivers.

The project will resurface the roadway;
reduce the number of traffic lanes from four
to three (one in each direction with a two-
way center turn lane); add bicycle lanes on
both sides of the street; install a pedestrian-
activated traffic signal at Lawton Avenue;
install high-visibility crosswalks: and

,

he October Land Use Committee was canceled. The next Land Use Committee meeting is
scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, 7:30 p.m., at the Rockridge Branch Library, 2nd floor
— room. Check the RCPC website, www.rockridge.org the week before for the agenda.

construct bulb-outs and pedestrian refuge
medians at key intersections to reduce the
distance people crossing Broadway on foot
must travel in the roadway.

Road diet construction will begin with
the bulb-outs, which will be minimally
disruptive to traffic. Any required periodic
lane closures will begin after the detour for
the Broadway/Keith to Brookside project is
lifted. Unlike the ultimate project, which will
include bicycle lanes and a two-way center
turn lane, these closures may require through
traffic to wait behind turning vehicles.

For more details, contact Caldecott
projects consultant Victoria Eisen at
victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220,

a—

Rockridge Builds a Library, 20 Years Ago

by Annette Floystrup
SECOND INSTALLMENT

Qi: Note: At the end of the first install-

ent, library activists within the community
had proposed forming a Mello-Roos assess-
ment district to raise funds for a new branch
library. Within a month, $10,000 in dona-
tions were received; Measure L appeared on
the ballot in November 1990; 81.6 percent
of voters within the assessment district
approved the special parcel tax of $25 per
year per living unit for 30 years.

Ww one source of funding secured, and
the commitment of the neighborhood
established, volunteers began to seek
additional funding from the state Library
Committee. Our State Senator, Nicholas C.
Petris, worked to secure additional funding
for our project and helped in every way he

Martin Coyle
5221 James Ave. Oakland Ca. 94618

www.coylehomeremodel.com

510-655-8717 Mike Tracy

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“The corner of College and Manila Avenues, not
foe _ long before the library was built on this site.

could. When the time came to allocate state
funds, his legislative aide, Paul Bradford
(Brad) Onorato, contacted every legislator
on the selection committee with the

ROCKRIDGE FAMILY DENTISTRY

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p: 510 653 4306
5277 college ave #103
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Rockridge story.
In 1991, the Proposition 85 funding
committee was awarding grants of bond funds

» Building a Library, page 13

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4.
Facelift for a Faded Welcome

he “Welcome to Rockridge” sign on the fence just past
Wendy’s at College and Broadway has found new life.
The original greeting sign, much weathered over time and
obscured by orange tree foliage, had lost its pizzazz. To refresh
the welcome, the Rockridge District Association (RDA) and
the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) worked
with local artist Caroline Stearn. Now clean and crisp, the
sign features California poppies, a butterfly and the RDA and
RCPC logos. Stearn’s work was underwritten by a joint RCPC
and RDA grant.

Another important Rockridge entrance — Claremont Avenue
by Frog Park — is being studied for similar improvement.

NCPC Election at December 8 Meetin

conduct business at a community meeting
Business conducted at acommunity meeting
will still require two-thirds of those presen}

by Karen Ivy, secretary, NCPC

he December Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council) NCPC meeting
will feature Mark Pilotin of the Oakland

Also, the steering committee has on ly 4

members. We'd like to reduce the quorum to
three members. The Neighborhood Services
Division agrees that “there 1s no need to

and voting, as stated in sections X and x].
The amended section IX would reflec,

that change.
We hope to see many Of you at the

have a quorum for NCPC meetings because

attendance at any given meeting cannot be
predicted,” so we will remove the wording

on the minimum number of attendees to

Public Ethics Commission speaking about
the commission and what it does.

The Greater Rockridge NCPC will also
hold an election at the December 8 meeting.
Eric Neville has volunteered to accept the
vacant treasurer’s position, but our bylaws

December meeting to help us elect our new
treasurer and update our bylaws to represent

our current situation.

require that he be elected at a public meeting Questions About sf oe
with at least 15 people attending. Wills, Trusts, <A ,
Our meetings don’t always have 15 and Probate? PAINTING & WATERPROGEFING Inc.

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At least four members must be present to 5315 College Ave .
Professional preparation. Many local

conduct business at a Steering Committee
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Oakland, CA 94618
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November 5, 2016

Rdéckridge News

~F

Community Thanksgiving Day Meal at
€Lollege Avenue Presbyterian Church

by Rev. Monte McClain

ow more than ever, we need to experience
Nix community-creating power of
empathy.

As this election season draws to a close,
we ready for the move into the holidays. For
many it’s a respite, a change of daily rhythms
and routines, an opportunity to connect with
distant family or rarely seen friends.

Our culture also pulls us to recognize the
other in our society. Some call it welcoming
the stranger, others express it as a chance to
give back from our fortune or abundance. You
don’t have to go far to do acts of kindness and
social action. You can make a difference in
the life of another, and in your own, here in
North Oakland.

For over 30 years, the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church community has hosted
an annual Thanksgiving Day Community
Meal. Initially begun to build a deeper sense

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of community in our neighborhood, the meal
continues — year in and year out — working
towards that consistent and morphing goal.

It began when the Rockridge community
Was emerging from neighborhood
transformation caused by the building of
Highway 24 and the BART station. It provided
a space for our larger community — business
and residential, homed and homeless — to
connect and collaborate around a common
goal. Today we hear talk of gentrification, of
residents not being part of their neighborhood
or knowing who their neighbor is. The annual
Thanksgiving Meal is a unique opportunity to
connect with neighbors new and old, homed
and homeless, young and older, and to respond
to our hungers for food, relationship, and a
safe place on a holiday.

This Thanksgiving, the church will
host its Community Meal on Thanksgiving
Day, November 24, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at 5951

College Avenue. The meal ts a joint project
with diverse members of our Rockridge
community: congregational members,
local merchants and local residents. It is an
opportunity to gather as a community and
respond to the needs of those struggling with
hunger, solitude and joblessness. The meal
generally serves between 200-300 people with
more than SO volunteers working to make this
event possible.

The meal is open and free for everyone.
Donations of money and food are gratefully
accepted. It’s because of such donations that
the meal takes place. You can also give of
your time. Help is needed beginning Monday,
November 21 through Wednesday the 23rd to
prepare, set up and decorate the church gym.
Significant help is needed the day of the event
to set up, cook, serve and also clean up.

Visit the Thanksgiving section on the
church website at www.capcoakland.org/
thanksgiving-meal to sign up for a volunteer
slot or to make a donation; or contact the

church office at capc1@sbcglobal.net or
510/658-3665.

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The market remains strong in Rockridge. Long term interest rates remain relatively low.
short term rates to banks effecting prime rate and consumer products such as equity lines
of credit and credit cards may go up in December pending strength of inflation inducing
economic indicators. The election, depending on how market perceives the victor, may also
cause some changes in the stock and bond markets, which could effect rates. Inventory

is slowing as is typical this time of year.

This can mean less competition when listing

a home. There could be enough demand to mitigate any potential holiday slow down.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Perry Riani, Senior Associate
Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate

1900 Mountain Blvd Oakland, CA 94611
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Rockridge News

November 5, 201¢

a

‘She could teacha
tree to read’

by Judith Doner Berne

haron Zinke just assumed that her

fellow special education teachers were
sending their students on to middle school
with adequate reading skills.

But when she found out that wasn’t
the case, the long-time Rockridge resident
began promoting the method she had
developed for struggling readers over a
40-year teaching career in the Hayward
and Berkeley public schools.

It's a decoding solution called “Rime
Magic.” In brief, instead of reading a word
from its beginning, Zinke focuses on the
middle of the word, adding to it from either
end. For example, ep might become step
and then stepped or stepping.

“L’ve worked with struggling readers
all my life,” the now-retired teacher says.
This system “takes a few minutes of class
time a day — for special ed kids, somewhat
longer. But once the kids get it, it gives them
a solid foundation.”

Scholastic Inc. published her book,
“The Decoding Solution: Rime Magic

Rocikridee

and Fast Success for Struggling Readers,
in 2013. But Zinke was left to create an
accompanying set of rime cards, with
the help of her husband, Michael Zinke,
co-principal of RadiantBrands in Berkeley.
She peddled them herself to teachers. |

This January, Scholastic will combine
an expanded version of her book plus its
own “bigger and better kit” into a teacher S
guide titled: RIME MAGIC: Phonics-
Powered Prevention and Intervention for
All Students. “Now I’m going to be all over
the country,” she says with a definite air of
both wonder and satisfaction. |

“All research shows that success 1N
school is tied to the number of books in the
home,” says Zinke, who holds a master’s
degree in reading from California State
University-East Bay and a certificate In
special education.

That makes her trust that the new
Oakland Promise program, a cradle to
career strategy designed to triple the
number of Oakland public school students
who earn a college degree, begins at the
cradle stage with story books.

“T want Oakland (school district) to have
it,” Zinke says of her decoding system.
“This thing really works. But they've
(school officials) seen a million products
going by.” So, pro bono, “Any Oakland

Weiss, 26, to get her master’s degree j,
reading and teach in the Oakland Schools
Weiss was a reading intervention specja};
at Acorn Woodland Elementary for ty
years and now teaches second grade i
Cox Academy.

“T saw how my aunt worked With my
little sister when she was struggling to read”
Weiss told me. “My sister now has a strong
love of reading. I also saw the way the kide
lit up in her (Zinke’s) classrooms.

Weiss uses Rime Magic which she
finds easy to fit into her teaching day and
accessible to all her students. “It’s really
nice to see kids who struggle as they start
to feel successful,” she says. As a result
of demonstrations Zinke has given at the
school, “the other teachers are pretty excited
about it,’ Weiss says.

Finke is also familiar with Oaklangq
Schools as a parent. After the Zinkes’
son, Daniel, attended a private elementary
school in Berkeley, “he announced to us that
he wanted to go to public school,” Zinke
told me. He went on to Claremont Middle
School, graduating from Oakland Technica]
High School and U.C. Santa Cruz and js

now operations manager and buyer for an
online wine club. “He said just the oth
day that he was so happy he went to Tech’

“What I tell parents around here

(Rockridge) is: ‘Don’t worry. If you read
to your children, they don't need anything
else.” Her mantra: “Read it TO them,

WITH them and then it’s read BY them.”

“She could teach a tree to read,” says her
neighbor, Nora Wolfson, who has known
Zinke for nearly 40 years. “I’ve followed her

> Decoding Words, Creating Readers, page 7

school that wants me, I go to. It’s my town.

I love Oakland. I’ve been in about nine

schools in East Oakland over the years.”
Her work also inspired her niece Laura

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November 5, 2016

Réckridge News

—_=

Decoding Words,
@Creating Readers

from page 6

entire career in literacy. I’ve seen her videos
and I’ve heard countless stories over the
years with the individual kids she’s tutored,
her classroom students and her work with

different school districts.
“I have some understanding of what

works for people,” says Wolfson, an
organizational development consultant.
“TI understand what she is doing. And |

understand that it works.”
Zinke is no stranger to innovation and to

fighting for young students. In the late ‘90s,
she was part of the “politics of reading”
movement to replace basal texts such as
the Dick and Jane series with real books. It
pitted phonics first advocates against those
who believe, as Zinke does, that “phonics
should be taught in the context of reading.”

In an extensive cover story and photos
that ran over seven pages in the East Bay
Express, she detailed her philosophy and
her successful trips to Sacramento to ensure
@: a state-wide reading task force wasn’t
going to require teachers to spend most of
their time teaching phonics.

“Doing the political stuff made me look
at what I think is really important about
teaching reading,” Zinke said at that time.
“Ts it about curriculum or 1s it about kids?”

Yes, her system is directed at phonics.
“But I call it ‘not stupid phonics,’’’she
says. “Because it’s done in engaging,
fast sessions exposing them to all phonic

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elements rather than
one phonic element
atatime.” It doesn’t
happen ina vacuum,
Zinke reminds.
because “students
are reading books
at their independent
and instructional
levels every day...”

Jaime Vines,
who teaches first
grade at Oxford
Elementary Schoo
in Berkeley, coulc
hardly contain
herself as she
described to me
how well Zinke’s
decoding system
has worked for her
students.

=D m y
goodness, it
is absolutely
incredible. It’s the fastest way to teach
decoding and it’s also fun. The kids love
it. You should see how their confidence
skyrockets. It’s a cool tool for teachers to
add. And it creates this positive culture in
your classroom.”

Vines had Zinke as a teacher when
she was earning her accreditation at U.C.
Berkeley Extension, so “I learned the
foundation from her. [ use the program and
my school uses the program.”

But Zinke won’t be satisfied until it’s
everywhere. In her mind, “It can change
the dropout rate, the crime rate, the prison

grade level.

Morning wake-up Calls
Social network modeling
Curling up with a good book
Gardening together

Making lots of biscuits

Local caregivers wno want

to help make great memories.

OPEN 7 DAYSA WEEK.

510.653.0212.

Reading specialist Sharon Zinke uses her decoding method
to help a Berkeley 18-year-old who was reading at first-

/Courtesy SHARON ZINKE

rate — because the kids who drop out of
school are the ones who can’t read.”

And now that Scholastic is taking over,
“it will go big time,” she predicts. “That just
couldn’t happen with me selling one kit at
a time to teachers.”

To comment on this column or to suggest topics
for future stories on your Rockridge neighbors or
neighborhood, email judyberne @att.net.

Firestorm
Memorial

from page |!

In her opening remarks to a largely
standing room only crowd, Mayor Schaff
emphasized the importance of preparedness
for future disasters, such as earthquakes.
Oaklanders are resilient, she agreed, but
broader disaster preparation is important.

Susan Bernosky spoke of her experience
with past traumatic loss and its hidden effects
on people, and emphasized the healing
benefets of talking aloud about such losses.

Recovery follows loss, and the successful
post-fire regeneration of Oakland’s
devastated neighborhoods was noted by
speakers as a triumph of residents’ — and
Oakland’s — spirit.

Ed. note: this report was prepared with information
provided by Susan Bernosky.

mM—- Zn Qe

Rdckridge News November 5, 2016

y
2016 at Chahot

Elementary

by Krista Reinhard
habot Elementary is proud to announce
its first Oakland Day. Oakland Day will
bring together Chabot students, teachers and
parents to learn about and celebrate the rich
ethnic and cultural diversity of Oakland.

Oakland has been recognized as one of
the nation’s most diverse cities in terms of
language, culture, business and more. Chabot
teachers, School Site Council (SSC) and PTA
seek to shine the spotlight on this exciting
and important dimension of life and learning
in Oakland.

On Friday afternoon, November 18,
from 12-2:50 p.m., students will leave their
classrooms and join artists, musicians, and
other Oakland notables to share and learn
more about Oakland’s exciting past, present
and future. All students will receive a
Diversity Passport to document the different
interactive workshops they engage in and
find “20 Fascinating Facts About Oakland
You Never Knew.”

Learn more about Oakland Day at: http://
www.chabotelementary.org/oakland-day

Attention: If you are an Oakland artist,
musician, author, or historian and would
like to get involved, contact us at info@
chabotelementary.org.

Norman H. Burg, DDS

General Dentistry

(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland

A Prevention Oriented Practice

Ride for a Reason Readies to Roll for
Schools in 2017; There /s Time to Train @

Kick-off Registration Party Friday Night, December 2
by Jen Ryden at Tip Top Bike Shop (http:/tiptopbikeshop,
| ooking for a new project for spring? Get com/), 4800 oot ai dia he aa is
fit and raise money for neighborhood during the monthly buzz o mi irst riday
schools at the same time by joining the 9th — Art Murmur. The event = ave music,
annual Ride fora Reason on Saturday, April snacks, and early bird pricing for the ride,
29, 2017. Ride for a Reason Is an annual bike

The kick-off registration party will be ride from Oakland to Sacramento to draw

| | ‘on to the ongoing K-12 education
ht, December 2,6to 8 p.m., attention | se
held Friday nig funding crisis, and to

raise funds for schoo]
enrichment programs.

Last year, 260 riders
pedaled to Sacramento
and raised $106,000 that
was shared by six local]
public schools. Riders
are Oakland parents,
community members,
teachers and students
who rally together for this
beautiful bike ride.

This year, riders wil
have three distances ®
choose from: 45, 60, and
109 miles.

For more information
on Ride for a Reason or
to register online, check

out the event’s websites
at r4rschools.com and

Ride for a Reason (R4R) riders take a break along the
highway during a recent ride to Sacramento. Riders are

accompanied by support vehicles that can repair cycles :
and soothe blisters./Pamecas PALMA, HTTP://WWW.PAMELAPALMA.COM http://r4rschools.org/.

o— —a

Help Restore Racine Point Park gardener Mika Matsui have purchased plants

acine Point Park. across from 58th. and snrubs:and seek volunteers to help plant

Street and Telegraph was created forthe them this month. No need for expertise; just
community years ago by John Wagers, who 2 love for gardens and a willingness to help.
planted the acorn that is now the big oak tree Call John Wagers at 653-1871 to set up
in the park. The park now needs attentionand convenient times for a work party and to
first steps are under way: John and landscape _—_ discuss tools.

EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE

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Réckridge News

2,

City of Oakland supports 2nd unit developments
Thinking of a 2nd unit? Contact FMSProjects
to see how to best achieve this in 2016!

5429 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609

Ofc (510) 547-6111
Celt: (415) 722-9805
Email. fmsprojects@icloud.com

> OFFERS

REPRESENTED THE SELLERS

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J THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A

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How Does the Rockridge News Get to Your Porch?

4 Twenty-one-month old Alejandro helps his mother, Ann Lage, with her
deliveries of The Rockridge News. You are invited to join the delivery team.

New Block Captains Needed

Me thanks to Erica Dennings who has
been delivering The Rockridge News
to her Ocean View route for over 12 years,

and to Cindy Trueblood of Rockridge Place.

Both are stepping down and the newsletter
needs replacements for their routes.

lf you are looking for a quick and
casy way to contribute to the Rockridge

community, here’s your chance: Become
a Block Captain and deliver the newsletter
once a month to your neighbors. If you
live nearby and want to volunteer for one
of these routes described below, please let
us know,

The newsletter is published the first
weekend of each month except August. Call
510/547-3855 or email Susan at smontauk@
gmail.com to volunteer.

Route I0E | From 5658 Ocean View even numbers to McMillan, and odd numbers
from McMillan to 5667 Ocean View
Route 06D | Both sides of Rockridge Boulevard South from 6101 to 6184.

RCPC and RDA thank College Avenue Presbyterian Church Pastor Monte McClain
and members of his staff and church community for their generosity and support
helping to host a Halloween party on a cloudy October day. Albert Hussian handled
sound equipment and seating, while Rockridge mother and daughter team, Linda
Davis and Maya Patil, handed out treats for the tricksters.

a

——_—
— .
——

*

Time Flies! It’s been 30 years now since

Realty Advocates opened its office in Rockridge. With
several hundred sales in the area to our credit, one
thing has not changed over time: our consistent deliv-
ery of top-notch service, highest market prices, and as
a bonus: the lowest commissions!

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™ REALTY
mata ADVOCATES

HIGHEST SALES PRICES + LOWEST COMMISSIONS

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brett@realtyadvocates.com 510-428-0757

=a? a" ow

November 5, 29)

CLAREMONT HoTet DEVELOPMENT A
Hazarp to RockxripDGE

Epitor:

I read in the October Rockridge News
about the plans to develop part of the
Claremont Hotel property. I strongly oppose
this huge project; it is way too large and |
value the view of this historic hotel high on
the hill.

It will not only affect the view of the
hotel but will also worsen our local traffic.
| remember that during the 1991 firestorm,
there was a huge problem with automobile
traffic and fire engines getting through on our
small urban roads, especially the firetrucks.
I had to evacuate my house on the corner of
Roanoke and Manor Crest during that fire.

[ want the developers to reconsider
project plans and make it fit in with our area
neighborhood.

— A. J. Van Aardenne

Late

College Avenue
Presbyterian Church

5951 College Avenue | 94618
(510) 658-3665 | www.capcoakland.org

Ei] By safe | open | real ER

y

he 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

Réckridge News

Letters to the Editor

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.

CLAREMONT Hortet Housinc WoutpD
Here HousinGc AFFORDABILITY

Epiror:

I think it’s perfectly fine, if not actually
beneficial, to build new housing at the
Claremont Hotel. As any look at the real
estate ads in the Rockridge News tells us,
we're clearly in a housing affordability crisis,
and building more homes is the best way to
address it at the lowest cost to the public.
I don’t think hills communities should be
spared from having to do thgir part to make
housing available to more families, and
putting a few dozen homes on a parking lot
seems fine by me. Personally, I am far more
interested in making Oakland a place more
families can enjoy than I am in preserving
an “historic” parking lot. The Oakland and
Berkeley hills are plenty charming—I doubt
40 or so condos for empty nesters are really
going to change all that. What those homes
may do, though, is stop those same empty
nesters from looking for housing down the
hill and putting pressure on many of our
neighbors by bidding up rents. Sure, as a
homeowner, I have everything to gain from
keeping housing supply low around here,
but I think at this point there’s still plenty
of room for other people in our neck of
the woods.

— Justin Horner

ST

~~
ae CI
’ 7)
<<
“
*

‘

MOTLEY TEAM

on

| witt BE WRITING DIRECTLy To
Counci_mMemMBeER Kats About Rpp

EpiToR:

The Rockridge News declined to pub
my response to Councilmember Dan Kaj,

critique of my September Op-Ed piece op
Residential Permit Parking fees. | hay,
been asked to correspond directly wity,
Councilmember Kalb instead, and [ hay.
done so.

However, I don’t want to create the
public impression that I have no answer
to his critique of my article. Based on the
information I presently have, I stand behing
the conclusion of my article: that the City
makes enough revenue from citation fees
to show a profit even if it gives away Rpp
permits for free. I hope that, in the future, |

will have an opportunity to explain this jp
more detail in The Rockridge News.

— Jon Gabel, former RCPC Board
Member

Response TO Op-ED REGARDING
RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERmits in
SEPTEMBER ROCKRIDGE News

EpiTor:
I read with great interest Jon Gabel’;

well-researched article about the Resident
Permit Parking (RPP) program in the
September Rockridge News. It is refreshing
to see at last the true costs and revenue from
this program. The numbers also reveal some
disconcerting mismanagement.

There is a striking disjuncture between
increasing costs and decreasing enforcement,
citywide and with the RPP. Mr. Gabel’s
analysis refutes Councilmember Kalb’s

> Letters, page ||

PACIFIC
UNION

CHRISTIE'S

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a sf < - ° . : + _ = ba : oe

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Selling price

Closing date BR BA Address Original price  Ust price DOM

10/11/2016 2 2 5290 BROADW AY TER $599,000 $599,000 15 $725,000
10/14/2016 3 2 6020 HARWOOD AVE $949,000 $949,000 13 $1,045,000
10/18/2016 2 1 5938 CHABOT RD $1,150,000 $999,975 44 $900,000

This year there were 3 homes sold in October
and closed 1% below the asking price on average.

Last year there were 4 homes sold in October
and closed 21% above the asking price on average.

Specializing in Rockridge | 510.459.4338 | MotleyTeam.com

If you're thinking of buying or selling, give us a call for a free consultation.

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ROCKRIDGE
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November 5, 2016

Letters

Crom page 10

statement about the cost of the program. Mr.
Gabel’s analysis also raises new questions
about the fiscal management of the program
that Mr. Kalb could perhaps explain.

Citywide Parking Citations

1. How is it that the total parking
enforcement cost went up 300 percent during
the three-year period, 2012 - 2015?

2. And with that increase, why did the
total number of citations drop 13 percent?

Residential Parking Permit Citations

1. How is it that RPP permit sales
increased 220 percent during the same
three-year period, while citation revenue
went down 12 percent?

It seems that the revenue brought in by
the increased sale of permit fees does not
correspond well with Councilmember Kalb’s

SNOW IN OAKLAND?

ne District Associmtion Presents:

ne): =
aN | Avan .

in the”

L~ Snow

Saturday
November 26, 2016
3:00 — 6:00 pm

he Rockridge District Association (RDA)
and BART invite you to shop, dine, and be
merry at the 8th Annual Rockridge in the Snow
event on Saturday, November 26, 3-6 p.m.

The festive, free event transforms the
Rockridge BART station into a winter wonderland
with tons of snow and family fun.

New this year: A district-wide shopping and

Réckridge News

11.

assertion that the lack of additional staff is
the reason there is little enforcement. Where
is the money going? Itis apparently not going
to enforcement. Mr. Gabel’s experience that
RPP patrols have increased is not borne out
on my street. On the 5400 block of Boyd
Avenue, I have not seen one parking control
officer working from July 4 - September 4. (I
work at home and often walk my block.) Due
to Boyd’s proximity to the BART station and
College Avenue, there is usually no street
parking available from Monday through
Friday. BART and other long-term parkers
have learned that they can leave their cars
with impunity on this block.

Mr. Gabel’s analysis has made it
clear that the RPP system is poorly run.
Councilmember Kalb should huddle
with the city staff and give a satisfactory
explanation why fees and revenue go up
while enforcement goes down.

— M. Reardon

Merchants and BART: Snow for Rockridge

2016 Highlights include:

Sa

Avoip Woob Fires For HEALTH —
Yours AND Your NEIGHBOR’S

EpitTor:

I am writing to ask the community:
Please don’t burn wood. Beginning and end
stages of a wood fire, especially, produce a
lot of smoke. This is not contained. From
the chimney (or fire pit) it spreads out a
good distance, affecting anyone within that
area, outside or even inside their home (if
windows are open).

Wood smoke, while pleasantly fragrant
and comforting, contains particulate matter
that adversely affects respiratory and cardiac
conditions. The particles are small enough
to enter and remain in lung tissue, even to
travel through the blood stream.

Wood fires are wonderful, but they are
not for today’s world. Let’s try to spare the
air of our planet and preserve our health.
Let’s cut down on one pollutant, if we can.
— MJ Makar

Holiday Shopping & Dining Stroll

Live music and caroling along
College Avenue

Santa and Elves

Pony rides & petting zoo (nominal fee)
Holiday treats and warm beverages
Donation drives — Toys for Tots and One

Warm Coat”

Note: the city provides free holiday parking

ew ee
Obartoble — FAST AMT ETPEESS  Oallend Moporine

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Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
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510-655-3797

Optometry

family eyecare providers

5321 College Avenue, Oakland

www.rockridgeoptometry.com

dining stroll along College Avenue. It’s a great
way to kick off your holiday shopping and dining
while supporting the more than 100 street-level
businesses that call Rockridge home.

piedmont dental

> OF SA Martenson, DDS .

in metered spaces and city-owned garages on
Saturdays between Thanksgiving and New
Year’s Day. ’Tis the season to shop, dine and
support Rockridge.

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Rockridge News

November §, 2016

—— an

Abundantly Clear: Frog Park + Greenbelt Anc

by Leonora Sea, RCPC boardmember
and DMV Neighbors Association chair
Ow to describe the spirit of Creek to Bay
Day 2016 in the Rockridge-Temescal
Greenbelt and Big Frog Park? One word:
Abundance!

An abundant turnout of volunteers with
abundant enthusiasm weeded, raked, pruned,
picked up abundant (unfortunately) trash,
consumed abundant donated snacks, juice,
and coffee, and appeared to be having an
abundance of fun.

In the weeks before Creek to Bay Day,
families and other groups contacted me, as
site coordinator, to ask if we needed help and
if under-7’s could join in. The answer is, “Of
course, and welcome!” With supervision by
parents and group leaders, even our youngest
volunteers can make a real contribution to
the cleanup; this year they certainly did that.

Every year, the children are encouraged
to find “weirdest trash of the day.” This year
it was a wheel for either a very small bicycle
or a cart. Runner-up was a golf ball. The
grownups were a little puzzled by the ball;

there aren’t many places to swing a club along
Redondo Way. The boy who found it had the
best answer: “It’s a toy fora really little dog.”

Volunteers at Big Frog at Hardy Circle
did a terrific job beautifying the park and
preparing it for the work day of the College
Preparatory School students, an annual event.

hor Community

Several high-schoolers at Creek to Bay D.
told me they ve been coming to the park int
they were toddlers. These neighborhoog
young people have always had the wonderfy]
structures to play on, and are excited to Sive
back to the park they ve enjoyed all their lives.

Many older neighbors have come to
Creek to Bay Day in the park and along
the greenbelt since the cleanups began.
This year was poignant as we remembered
Denyse Stearns, longtime resident of Miles
Avenue and volunteer, who died August 23.
Denyse always had her particular spot that
she tirelessly weeded and pruned; we wij|
miss her joyful spirit.

So: come take a walk along the greenbelt,
sit at one of the lily pad tables at Big Frog,
experience our abundantly enjoyable park.
and if you see someone out with a rake or
pruning shears, thank them for keeping up
our local gem. Next time you get coffee at
Peet’s in Temescal or shop at Trader Joe’s,
remember them for their abundant donations
to feed and caffeinate volunteers.

The Library as
Community

by M C Haug, RCPC boardmember and

Kales Avenue resident

W: are fortunate to be able to celebrate
the 20th anniversary of our Rockridge

Library, an excellent literary and media

resource in the heart of the neighborhood.

In addition to its traditional services, |
was struck recently by another benefit the
library offers the community: sociability.

[ had taken a guest to the branch to assist
her in checking out a few books, and it turned
out to be a celebration of Kales Avenue
neighbors’ library usage as well.

At the front desk, we were pleasantly
greeted by the staff, and Jean, a retired
librarian volunteer, came to our aid. As we

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.
6100 Broadway Oakland CA 94618

The College Preparatory School

See you in the park.

stood to the side of the main desk, Dianew
a neighbor from the far end of Kales came
up to check out a book. Shortly after, Ellen,
who lives near Kales and College, walked
past on her way to the reading room. As we
left, Jim, from the middle of the Kales block,

sauntered up.
I’m sure any other Rockridge resident

might experience such a reunion of neighbors.
How lucky we are.

?

510.652.4364 college-prep.org

November 5, 2016

Building a
@iibrary

from page 3

throughout the state to support the construction
of new libraries. Successful projects would
receive two-thirds of needed construction
dollars, but remaining costs had to be covered
by local funds. Since many more districts
were interested than could be accommodated,
Neighbors for a Rockridge Library urged
people who had donated time and money
to the Measure L campaign to write letters
to members of the committee. During this
early process, Rockridge’s proposal was not
highly ranked.

Not long after the 1991 Oakland Hills
Firestorm, residents led by the indomitable
Nancy Dutcher bused to Sacramento for a
little “Christmas library shopping.” Donning
Rockridge Library badges sporting colorful
flames, they personally lobbied the state
Library Committee for funding. Of 48
libraries applying for the bond funds, 12 were
approved. Rockridge was one, and received
an award of $2.4 million early in 1992.

a Over the next four years, community
nvolvement determined the footprint of
the new facility, the architecture, the color
scheme, furnishings, books and equipment.
At the request of the community, a large
community meeting space and a dedicated

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BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
WWW.ILOVENAMASTE.COM

Rdckridge News

children’s wing were included. The expertise
of Rockridge residents was involved in
every step of the process. Urban and city
planners, architects, designers, avid readers,
marketing specialists and many gifted artists
and individuals gave freely of their skills
and talents. In the process, friendships were
formed and Rockridge’s reputation as an
“urban village” was solidified.

Merchants also helped raise money by
donating food and material for fundraising
events. Alison Reid and John Evans of Diesel
Books worked tirelessly to source free and
low-cost books for the library. Great Harvest
Bread Co., J. Wiggins Fine Foods, the
Rockridge Cafe and Market Hall all assisted
with the project. Granite tiles now covering
the library entry and the covered walkway by
the parking lot were purchased and engraved
with family names, names of parents and
grandparents, faithful pets and pithy sayings.
Local artist Gerta Farber painted a wonderful
watercolor of the library that was turned into
limited edition prints and postcards. Every
conceivable effort was made to raise money
for important equipment, and $140,000 was
raised to buy books. Construction began at the
groundbreaking on February 11, 1995. The
doors officially opened on August 3, 1996,
and crowds of Rockridge neighbors turned
out for the grand opening and dedication
ceremony.

When the doors did finally open, there
were long stretches of empty shelves. During
its nomad years, the Rockridge branch had
been bypassed in funding for new books.
Now RCPC pressed the City hard to free
up book acquisition funds. The Friends of
the Rockridge Library (FORL) formed to
succeed the former Library Committee

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and the Neighbors organization; it soon
became a subsidiary of RCPC. FORL
contributed $50,000 for children’s books.
The general collection expanded as well,
and the shelves began to fill up. In 201],
the library’s collection underwent another
major expansion when RCPC sponsored the
Rockridge DVD Project, which added 2,800
DVDs, doubling the existing holdings.

The diligence and perseverance of all
those involved cannot be overstated; over
100 volunteers put in thousands of hours for
close to 11 years before the doors opened
in September 1996. The willingness of the
community to come together and offer their
time, energy and money, plus the leadership of
RCPC anda handful of dedicated individuals,
created a cherished resource that will serve
our community long into the future.

Special thanks to John Gussman, and to Jennifer
Vetter and Bernie Baltaxe whose 10th Anniversary
articles were freely sampled for this article.

Editor’s Note: Correction

The first installment of this article, in the
October issue, unfortunately misstated the facts
surrounding the library’s move in August 1987
from its original location at the corner of Miles
and College Avenue. The city was offered the
opportunity to buy the building, but declined.
The property then changed hands. The rent
continued at a below-market monthly rate
of $550 for 9 more months, but then rose to
$2,500, a sum the city paid for some months
before relocating the branch. The precipitating
reason for the move was the discovery that
the structural integrity of the building had been
compromised by dry rot.

The Rockridge News apologizes for the
misstatement of fact.

Library
Anniversary

from page |

conception and construction as Senior
Librarian Paul Schiesser and his staff
presided over the branch’s 20th Anniversary
celebration in October.

The festivities included a recounting
of the years of community work that went
into getting the library built, including
campaigning for a special tax district,
lobbying for State bond funds, and working
with architects on the design.

Life-long Rockridge resident Nancy
Dutcher, leader of the community effort,
joined Winkie Campbell Notar, aide to then-
Councilmember Marge Gibson Haskell, to
share details of the effort to an audience
gathered in the upstairs meeting room.

14.

Réckridge News

=.

November 5, 2016

RNeiassifieds

Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
December issue deadline is November 20.

For information: smontauk@gmail.com

Celebrate the Holidays!

Penelope’s Aesthetics is offering a full
European facial w/eyebrow wax for $55! Relax
and refresh for the holidays. Gift certificates
available! Call for an appointment today.

510/594-1552 penelopecalef.com

Looking To Refinance and
Don’t Want to Speak with
a Bank?

Home Loans-Refinance-PreApproval. David
Herrenbruck — Rockridge Resident-Call
510/918-9799; david@fishmanfinancial.net
FISHMAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.,
NMLS#1384117 — CA BRE#01986477

nanotice to the Park Day School community,
Head of School Jon Kidder announced the
White House invitation extended to Middle
School Director Lizette Ortega Dolan to attend
President Barack and Michelle Obama’s final
Hispanic Heritage Month reception.

Kidder reported that Ortega Dolan
was recognized at the reception for her

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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

Your RockrRIDGE SPECIALISTS—
JUDITH GLASS & SHEILA

SABINE- THe Gruss Company
Now may be the right time for a move.
Your home says a lot about you and we are

here to listen. Call 510/326-5055 or email
SSabine@Grubbco.com

Mentoring Academy

Do Something Extraordinary: An independent,
progressive, private high school, featuring
individualized programs and committed
mentor-teachers. Information Sessions
on November 5th & December 3rd, 1!-3
pm. 5951 College Ave, 510/400-7696.

wwwMentoringAcademy.org

Compassionate Caregiver,
CFA Certified

Over |5 years of experience with dementia,
Parkinson’s and hospice clientele. Can
chauffeur to appointments, cook and do light
housekeeping. Excellent references. Available
Sundays-Thursdays and some nights. Call or
text Sharon: 925/705-3249.

achievements as a Latino educator, activist,
and change-maker.

Between September 15 and October 15
each year, Hispanic heritage month celebrates
the contributions of the Hispanic community,
honors its heritage, and looks ahead to even

more progress for Latinos across America,
Kidder said.

Happy hour with seasonal
cocktails & small plates

Sunday brunch with live music

Wine dinners & special events

Visit MillenniumRestaurant.com for menu, reservations & gift certificates
5912 College Ave 510-735-9459

Hoping? Find it in Rockridge!

Playing? Start in Rockridge!

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Community Breema

| laxing and revitalizin
Receive profoundly re |
acaeitis Bodywork ina group setting. Nov.

(every 2nd Friday of the month) 3-5pm, $|
$20 for 20 min. session. Drop-ins welcome.
6201 Florio Street, Oakland. 510/428-1234.

Breemahealth.com

ardener
= 15 years of service to the Rockridge

area. Maintenance and gardening restoration,
Reasonable rates and excellent references.

Please call Chris. 655-0157

TIDDOS

since 1992
5400 College Avenue at Manila

ee

In Rockridge since 1997

Have you reviewed your
business insurance lately?

Yes we do offer:

Business
Insurance

Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050

INSURANCE SERVICES, INC
CA License 0D34069

www.strahaninsurance.com

November 5, 2016

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Rdckridge News

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Email Rockridge News Community Calendar items to:
mail to: Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broad

District 1 Councilman Dan Kalb

Drop-in Community Office Hours at the Temescal
Farmers Market, 5300 Claremont Ave. (off Teleg.) at DMV
parking lot on the 3rd Sunday each month, 10:30am-
12:30pm. For times/locations of other office hours or
more information: mmharris@oakland.net or www.
dankalb.net/contactdan.

Rockridge Branch Library

5366 College Avenue, 597-5017

Technology for all ages:

» Ready, Set, Connect! One-on-one computer
tutoring for all ages. Get help with basic computer
skills, email, device set up, and e-book & audio book
downloads. Sign up, or just drop-in; Saturdays, 10:30
am-12:30 pm

« 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.

FOR CHILDREN

NOTE: No story times: Thurs 11/24 and Sat 11/26.

« Family Story Time: Stories/songs/thymes (for all

ages); Saturdays, 10:30am.

« Toddler Story Time: Songs, active rhymes and
stories (ages 9 months to 2 years), Thursdays,
10:30am, upstairs.

aes 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 Events

« Young Writers NaNoWriMo: Write a novel In 30
days. A national event for all writers age 9*to 13.
Register under the Rockridge Library Young Writers
at the ywp.nanowrimo.org website. We meet every
Tues evening in Nov from 6:30-7:45pm to help you
write your novel.

e International Games Day: Active Indoor Games
for Kids: Sat,11/19, 10am — 12pm. Play non-compet-
itive, fun, indoor jumping, rolling, crawling, dancing,
throwing, catching games. All ages welcome, best
for ages 2 to 7 years.

¢ ‘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. Talk about your
participation in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoW-
riMo). Snacks served. Every 2nd & 4th Tues evening,
6:30-7:45pm, in the Children’s Area.

FOR TEENS

¢ Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Meet with other
teens, plan and organize library activities, and get
community service credit for school. ist Sat. each
month, 1 to 2pm.

¢ Teen ‘Scape: Play video & board games; make crafts;
do homework. Enjoy meals. Tues, Thurs, and Fridays:
3:30 -5pm and Wednesdays: 1:30 - 5pm.

« Homework Tutors Avallable: Tues and Thursdays,
4 - 5pm; Wednesdays 3:30 — 5pm.

« International Game Day: Sat, 11/19, 1pm. Wii U

& Super Smash Bro. Braw! Tournament. For all skill
levels. Refreshment provided.
« Yu-Gl-Oh Card Game Club: Every Friday at 3:30-5
pm. Beginners welcome. 7
* Mosalc Art: Wed, 12/7, 2pm. Create amazing art
with colorful paper.

wT

joellis!@hotmail com
‘Com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or
way, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611. Deadline is the rahe to

Compiled by Jo Ellis

®comMUNITY CALENDAR

FOR ADULTS

* 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 (11/19), 1 to opm; wheelchair-accessible,
Sponsored by the Calif. Writers Club of Berkeley.
Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.com. Call 597-5017
to confirm.

* Making Sense of Medicare: Sat, 11/12, 11am. Find
out the difference between: Medicare Advantage
plans; Medicare Supplements; and Traditional
Medicare Prescription drug plans. Free coffee and
light refreshments.

* Watercolor with Wendy: Sat, 11/19, 11:30am. Learn
the bare basics of watercolor: color mixing, paper and
brush use, and material choices. Then, see how you
can take your watercolors on the road.

. Virgle Tovar: Tues, 11/22, 6:30pm. Author and activist
Virgie Tovar discusses body image, fat discrimination,
and diet culture. Start the holidays with love - by losing
the hate, not the weight.

* Annual PEN Oakland Awards Presentation: Sat,
12/1, 11:30am. PEN Oakland Awards honor writers
of exceptional works often not acknowledged by the
mainstream literary community. Judged by respected
writers, the awards honor books that both reflect a
multi-cultural or marginalized viewpoint and represent
the highest standards of literature.

+ Lawyers Inthe Library: Free legal information and
referral. ist Tues each month, 6pm-8pm; A lottery
system determines who may see the lawyer. Sign-up
opens at Spm; must be present for lottery drawing

at 5:45. Call day of program to confirm: 597-5017.
ART EXHIBITS

Lobby Display: Holiday Feasting - Cookbooks and More.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun and Mon; also Fri 11/11 and Thurs-Fri
11/24 — 25,

Diesel Book/Poetry Readings and
Events

FREE and open to the public.

e Fri, 11/11, 7pm. Civil Coping Mechanisms exhibit their
new series, #RECURRENT. Featured writers: Harold
Abramowitz, Jordan Okumura, and Doug Rice.

e Sun, 11/13, 3pm. a celebration for Four Way Books:
featured guest poets Karen Brennan and Elizabeth
T. Gray, Jr.

e Mon, 11/14, 7pm. Lawrence Levy: 7o Pixar and
Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make
Entertainment History.

e Tues, 11/15, 7pm. Local poet/translator Alan Bern-
helmer: Lost Profiles: Memoirs of Cubism, Dada,
and Surrealism.

¢ Fri, 12/2, 6pm. Pajama Party Story Time for Kids.
Come in Pus, bring teddy bear, have milk andcookies.
Hear bedtime story by local author Mac Barnett: How
This Book Was Made.

¢ Sun, 12/ 4,1pm - 3pm. Annual Winter Cookbook
Extravaganza. Presenting their new cookbooks
(and bringing some excellent food) will be authors:
Georgeanne Brennan: My Culinary Journey: Food
& Fetes of Provence with Recipes; Heidi Gibson &
Nate Pollak: Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese

+ Everything in Between; Cal Peternell: A Recipe
for Cooking; and Alanna Taylor-Tobin: A/fernative
Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains
and Flours
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More info (other
events and discussion groups): 653-9965 or events@
dieselbookstore.com.

Jazz at the Chimes

Trio Garufa: international ensemble performing authentic
Argentinian tango, with Guillermo Garcia, guitar; Adrian
Jost, bandoneon; and Sascha Jacobsen, string bass.
Sunday, Nov 20, 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: www.
brownpapertickets.com/event/2603516. Refreshments
and reception follows to meet the performers. Info at
www.triogarufa.com. The concert series honors the
individual stories and unique artistry of Bay Area jazz
musicians in a landmarked Julia Morgan venue: Chapel
of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair acces-
sible. Free parking. More info: www.jazzatthechimes.
com, chimesjazz@gmail.com or 654-0123.

Square Dance in North Oakland

Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by
Jordan Ruyle. ist Fridays each month, 8 - 10pm. All
levels welcome; all dances taught on the spot. $5-10
sliding scale donation. The Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library,
6501 Telegraph Ave. Info: squirrellystringband.com.

North Oakland Senior Center

Programs Include: Arts/crafts; health counseling;
dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer's caregivers support groups, computer
classes/more.

Annual $12 membership entitles seniors 55 + to discounts

on activities and trips. Get details about events at the

desk or 597-5085.

* Nov. 8, 10:30am - 12 Noon. Healthy Living for
Senlors: includes November Harvest of the Month
(Yam), and Workshop on Falls Prevention presented
by Spectrum Community Services.

¢ Nov. 22, 12:30pm. Free Shuttle to City of Oakland
25th Annual (free)Thanksgiving Dinner for the
Community (at the Marriot). RSVP by Nov. 13.

« Nov. 29 -AARP Driver Safety Refresher Class.
Driving safely lets you keep your insurance discounts.
Pre-register with check only: $15 AARP members, all
others $20. Details at desk or 597-5085.

Get details about events 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.

Temescal Farmers’ Market

Open Sundays, 9am to ipm (all year). Locally grown
fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; homemade
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.

The Conversation Project
Towne about dying isn’t easy, but it’s vitally
important. Do your loved ones know
what you want if or when you become ill or
approach death? Do you know what they
want? Find more information about this event
online at www.capcoakland.org/the-conversa-
tion-project or about the project at thecon-
versationproject.org. — Rev. Monte McClain,
College Avenue Presbyterian Church

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16. Réckridge News

November 5, 2016

5845 Colby
This home needed lots of TLC and we received || excellent
offers. One was accepted. That means that there are
10 well qualified but disappointed buyers.
Is there a move in your future?

Terry Kulka—Experience Counts!
510.682.5917
rete terrykulka@att.net

CalBRE No. 00875454 RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE

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Family Owned & Operated

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654-8707 or 593-4780

A el

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