Extracted text · highlighting “Karen Ivy”

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e News

VOL.32 = NO.5 m ISSUENO.344 m May 6, 2017

CIRCULATION: 5,800 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council * 4123 Broadway, PMB 3II ° Oakland, CA 94611

Town Hall Meeting
Presented Options for
Rockridge Housing

Panel of Experts Discussed What
Rockridge Could Do About Oakland’s

Housing Crisis

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair
crowd of more than 50 attendees filled the
Rockridge Library’s upstairs meeting room
to hear about and discuss the future of Rockridge’s
housing, as the RCPC Land Use Committee presented
an interim report on preparing a Rockridge housing
policy for the RCPC (Rockridge Community Planning

Council) board of directors.

The April 20 Town Hall presentation was part

f RCPC’s annual meeting where RCPC members

(everyone over the age of 18 living within RCPC’s

boundaries) were able to vote on the election of five

members to the board of directors. (Story at right.)

Land Use Committee chair Stuart Flashman began
by presenting background information on Rockridge’s
housing and sketching three possible future scenarios
for how Rockridge might respond to Oakland’s
current housing crunch. A copy of that presentation
can be accessed via http://bit.ly/2pZu2sL. Following
the presentation, four panelists discussed, from their
different perspectives, the possibilities and limitations
on how Rockridge might respond to the need for more
housing in Oakland. Panel members were:

m Jeffrey Levin: Policy Director for East Bay
Housing Organizations, a local nonprofit
representing a coalition of more than a hundred
organizations and local governments involved
in advocating for and building affordable
housing in the East Bay.

@ Glen Jarvis: Long-time Rockridge resident and
architect and principal of Jarvis Architects, a
firm that has built, renovated, or remodeled
many Rockridge homes. Jarvis also served on
Oakland’s General Plan Congress and Plan-
ning Commission and on the RCPC board of
directors. He was part of the group of Rock-
ridge residents that wrote and helped enact
Rockridge’s current residential and commercial

zoning regulations. > Town Hall, page 3

RCPC 2017 Board Election Results

Rockridge Voters Elect Five Candidates to
New Terms on Board; Five Vacancies Remain

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Ronnie
Spitzer

Jesse
Ortega

Andrew
Masalin

Stuart
Flashman

Alden
Conner

ith the election of candidates Alden Conner and Andrew Masalin to RCPC’s

board of directors, the board membership count stands at nine. Under the
terms of its bylaws, a full RCPC board consists of 14 members; five vacancies
remain. In addition to election, positions may be filled by board appointment.
You do not have to wait for the next election to find your place on RCPC’s
board and in your community. Anyone interested in appointment to a board
position should email chair@rockridge.org or write to: RCPC, 4123 Broadway,
PMB 311, Oakland, 94611. The board will begin making appointments at its May
meeting. Is RCPC board service for you? Email or write to the above sources

for more information.

NCPC, RCPC Annual Joint Meeting

The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

ave the date: The Rockridge
Community Planning Council
(RCPC) and the Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC) hold their annual
joint meeting Thursday, June 29.
Oakland’s new police chief, Anne
Kirkpatrick, is the featured speaker.

in the upstairs meeting room

of the Rockridge Branch

Library, 5366 College Avenue.
Note: there is no NCPC

meeting in May.

— Karen Ivy, Secretary,

Greater Rockridge NCPC

inspire Others! Show Us Your Kitchen

hew! Your kitchen remodel is finally done. The contractor has moved on
to another job, and the house is quiet. The kitchen is gorgeous. What could
be better now than showing off that splendid new kitchen in the 2017 Rockridge

Rockridge Kitchens

Kitchen Tour?

Whether yours incorporates the latest trends in design,
or reuses and updates classic features in clever ways, the
Rockridge Community Planning Council Kitchen Tour
Committee invites you to apply now for your kitchen to be
one of those highlighted on the 2017 Kitchen Tour, held
this year on Sunday, September 24. The tour celebrates
Rockridge’s many design aesthetics, inspires tour guests
planning aremodel of theirown, > Kitchen Tour, page 12

x———

—— ie ee eee ————E

kridge News

———=—

2. ROC

Broadway Projects Approach Completion

empty pit just below Brookside designed
to filter water runoff); and complete the
eastbound bike lane striping on Broadway
east of Brookside.

by Victoria Eisen, city consultant
akland’s first cycle track —on Broadway
between Keith and Brookside Avenues

~ 1s nearly complete. See box below

‘ e
for announcement of Clean up: Befor

the ribbon-cutting Broadway Cycle Track | the contractors are
ceremony. Ribb Cutti | done, they will take

The facility, a two- on-wU ng away the temporary
way bikeway separated Date: Monday, May 8 | traffic signs and

Time: {lam-12pm

Location: Broadway at Keith

Avenue
Please come to a short ceremony to
officially open Oakland’s first cycle completed.
track, a two-way bikeway separated Improve project:
from motor vehicle traffic. | Given that this facil-
For more info, contact: Victoria ity is the first cycle
Eisen at victoria@eisenletunic.com OF] track in Oakland,
910/525-0220. | some of its features

—_ ee :
may need tweaking

before it functions as designed. This will
include:
= Adjusting the new traffic signals
so they detect waiting vehicles and are
visible as designed.
® Replacing the red right-turn arrow
on Keith with a traditional red ball and
extinguishable “No Right on Red” sign

b Projects’ Progress, page 12

piles of debris. The

porta-potty will stay
in place until the

bio-swale work is

from motor vehicle
traffic by a concrete
median, was funded
through the City’s
settlement agreement
with Caltrans over
the fourth bore of the
Caldecott Tunnel. This
project also includes
enhancements to
improve crossing
Broadway on foot. As of early May, these
improvements were mostly in place with the
following work still to be done:
Complete construction: All that
remains is to make the new bike signal at
Keith operational (it is currently bagged);
install the accompanying striping across
the Broadway/Keith intersection; install the
fill and landscaping in the bio-swale (the

The Patrols at Three Years and Counting

by Paul Liu and Gordon “Jake” Jacobs
D* you know that lower Rockridge is patrolled by private security professionals in marked
vehicles eight hours a day, six days a week, and that upper Rockridge has patrols too?
In September 2013, robbers mass-mugged about 20 people standing in the casual carpool
line at Hudson and Claremont. From this incident, which made headlines statewide, arose
a local effort to provide a more regular security presence in lower Rockridge, since OPD
typically has at most one beat officer, and sometimes none, available to patrol the combined
areas of lower Rockridge and Temescal. An initial phase of online crowdfunding by more
than 650 interested residents eventually led to the creation of a nonprofit group called Safer
Rockridge which pools donations from the community to fund private security patrols.
The intent is to create a visible security presence that deters crime in the neighborhood
during peak crime hours. Patrol staff are unarmed and do not racially profile. While the
patrols primarily serve as “eyes and ears,” they have > Community Patrol, page 13

f A R [ E lH $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

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY

5366 College Avenue
at Manila | 597-5017

Library program a Calendar page 15
RéckridgeNews

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 public
benefit organization founded to: preserve and
enhance the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood; promote the health, safety ang
quality of life of its residents; furnish a forum for
community involvement; and provide leadership and
representation of neighborhood interests.

Rockridge News Production

Dorn Kinkead......-.0scesreeenees Editor

JO Ellis.....eccssesrssessersssereneesnnees Asst. Editor

Judith Doner Berne........... Eyes on Rockridge

JO Ellis .....-.sseesseessscssneessnsennnes Advertising &

Community Calendar

Susan Montauk.......cc-csecceses Business Manager
Donn Kinkead.......-.:c-soseerrves Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2017-18

Stuart Flashman. ........-.-s0+« Chair

OP eR ...nesssessesecneenssrnesrneensrenes Vice-Chair

OP eR ...ssnccrvecsesrssenesnsennseneenses Secretary

Ronnie Spitzer... Treasurer

Alden Conner, M C Haug, Don Kinkead,
Andrew 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 |

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.

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

@ june 3, 2017.

™@ Submission deadline is May 18, 2017.
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Si
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or email
joellis1@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)

May 6, 2017

Rocsndgeh News

Dd.

| Tes next Land Use Committes meeting will be
RCPC Land Use Wednesday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge

Branch Library upstairs meeting room. Please check
the rockridge.org website for updates on future
meetings and agendas.

— . EE

Land Use Committee Update

@ Vita — Yoga, Pilates, Barre
Studio, 6034 College Avenue
(Formerly Ag Photo-Digital Image Lab)
The owner of this proposed new College

Avenue business explained to the committee

what it proposes to offer to the community.

In addition to a variety of exercise and

meditation classes, Vita plans to have the

front part of the space devoted to the sale of
products made by local artists and artisans.

The committee felt this would help maintain

the continuous retail frontage that keeps

College Avenue vital. In addition, Vita is

working with other local stores to have

cooperative arrangements where doing
business with one College Avenue store
would entitle patrons to discounts at other

College Avenue stores. The committee

thought this was a novel and interesting way
to promote a cross-fertilization of College

Avenue businesses. Because an exercise
studio is called a “civic assembly” use, it
requires a use permit to occupy the College
Avenue street-level floor space. Vita has
submitted an application for a use permit

to the City.

@ New Unisex Barber/Hair
Salon, 5391 College Avenue (former

site of Loot)

Appearing before the committee was
the proponent of a proposed unisex barber
shop/hair salon that would occupy space
on College Avenue opposite the library.
Because personal service businesses, like
general retail, do not require a use permit,
RCPC does not generally take a position on
such proposals. Nevertheless, the proponent
wanted to explain his business concept and
to see if there was any response. The idea
would be to offer moderately priced ($30-35)
haircuts, styling, and coloring for men and

women. Those present expressed various

personal preferences, but the committee
made no recommendation regarding the
proposal.

@ Continued Discussion of
Rockridge Housing Policy
Following up on the previous week’s

Town Hall meeting, the committee discussed
moving forward on developing a housing
policy proposal for Rockridge. Considering
comments heard at the Town Hall, the
committee felt that it needed to flesh out the
existing three alternative scenarios as well as
to develop additional housing options for the
community’s consideration. The committee
agreed to seek more professional evaluation
of the options, including their pluses and
minuses. The committee also felt it would be
worthwhile to develop additional background
information, including the current state of
housing along College Avenue and how many
additional units could be accommodated
within the present zoning envelope.

The committee expects to continue
working on this question over the coming
months, with the goal of having a final
draft proposal for public presentation and
comment by the fall.

Orown Hall

from page |!

m Greg Pasquali: A Rockridge resident
and former RCPC board member who
has worked as a planner on affordable
and on market-rate housing projects
in the East Bay and owns a number
of Oakland rental properties.

= Dan Kalb: Rockridge resident and
Oakland City Council Member rep-
resenting District One, the council
district that includes Rockridge.
Kalb has been extensively involved
in addressing issues of displacement,

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Levin's presentation emphasized the
difficulties in trying to build more affordable
housing in Oakland, especially the amount
of time and effort needed to assemble the
financing needed to make affordable housing
projects feasible. He also commented how
the liberal height and density provisions in
Oakland’s zoning ordinance provide little
incentive for private developers to include
affordable units in their housing proposals,
and, perhaps as a consequence, how little of
Oakland’s recent residential construction has
been affordable.

Jarvis reviewed the history of planning

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efforts in Rockridge, and emphasized that
Rockridge’s current zoning has produced
one of the most successful and desirable
neighborhoods in the East Bay. He noted
that the attractiveness of Rockridge has,
ironically, made it difficult to maintain
affordability in the face of market demand.
He also commented, as had Levin, on
how Proposition 13 has distorted the
housing market by keeping “empty nester”
homeowners in homes far more space than
they may desire.

Pasquali noted that while Rockridge’s
current zoning along College Avenue had
produced a successful commercial district, its
height and density limitations gave property
owners and developers little incentive to
provide more housing by building beyond
the current building envelope. He noted
that there are a few large parcels that might
become available for redevelopment, but,
without an increase in height and density
limits, Rockridge could not expect much
additional housing to be built, whether
market-rate or affordable.

Finally, Dan Kalb commented that the
Legislature had become very active and
interested in promoting housing development.

» Town Hall, page 8

—_—_—_—_— i a Pata Oe ee eee eee eee i

4. Rockridge News May 6, 2017

by Carol Behr, FROG chair

cera important activities took place
at this year’s Earth Day cleanup, and we

have many thank you’s to share:

— Frog Park’s ‘Swings & Moret’
playground expansion information-board
was displayed showing the equipment and
final playground layout.

— Fremont Bank presented FROG
(Friends of the Rockridge-Temescal
Greenbelt) a $4,000 donation check. This
generous donation is much needed and
will immediately be applied to our park-
expansion project and park improvements
(www.frogpark.org). We also thank the
numerous Fremont Bank volunteers that
came to help. ne fe se Spee ee ae

— A mural was painted on the west asa xi ee uy gs ie i
bathroom wall by local artist Caroline Stern aqme eae ot nr ae a
(funded by a Keep Oakland Beautiful grant).

— The park, greenbelt and creek were
markedly improved for all to enjoy, thanks
to the hard-working community and
bank volunteers. There was major foliage
overgrowth from the rains to remove, as
well as many cleanup tasks to complete.
We are amazed at the great job volunteers
did. We believe this cleanup is among the
most work ever completed in a Frog Park
Earth Day event. Y oan | =
Volunteers enjoyed delicious ~ | © ~4.# mae SE | 9 OFFERS
morning fare: ep te *: REPRESENTED THE BUYERS

5865-5863 CHABOT ROAD
— Thank you Bakesale Betty, for your mets

annually donated baked treats.

— Thank you Fremont Bank, for providing
ample treats, coffee and water for the army
of community and bank volunteers.

A big, overall Thank You from FROG
and DMV Neighbors Association to all who
could attend and help on this Earth Day.

ta

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May 6, 2017 Réckridge News

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How Oakland Residents Can Play a Part

In Choosing New OPD Officers

by Judith Doner Berne

| Gam many, I was dismayed to hear not
only of the December prostitution-

related charges against Oakland Police

Department (OPD) officers, but that several

were recent hires.

According to the East Bay Times, “The
arrest of another Oakland police officer — at
least the eighth since December — has left
critics wondering what has gone wrong with
the department’s recruitment practices. Of

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the eight arrested, six were rookies. Three

attended Oakland’s police academy, and
three others graduated from other academies
all within the past three years.”

So when I saw, via our neighborhood
listserv, that Karen Ivy, secretary of the
Greater Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC), was looking
for someone to take her place interviewing
OPD candidates, I signed on. As it turned out,
Ivy herself was able to attend, as was another
Rockridge resident, Susan Shawl.

Who evenknew that the opportunity
existed to be part of the police hiring
process? But as it turns out, an Oakland
resident is part of each interview panel,
along with a police officer and a city
employee.

It was scheduled as an 8 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. affair, including breakfast
and lunch. Our on-the-job training that
morning began at 9 a.m. and lasted
about an hour.

“The biggest challenge for police
departments across the country is
public trust,’ Officer Damon Gilbert,
from the OPD’s Recruiting and

Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick
speaks at a community meeting
early in her tenure. /D. KINKEAD

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

Making lots of biscuits

Local caregivers who want

to help make great memories

“OPEN 7 DAYS.

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May 6, 2017

Background Investigations Unit, told the 30)
or so of us. “We want to hire people who cap
help us rebuild that public trust. This is a huge
opportunity for us to make our city safe. We
want you to help us put the city in motion 4
We went around the room stating oy;

names and why we had come. Some reasong
given were: “T want to help with recruitment
and hire good people,” said a city employee.
“T was on the other side of the table five years
ago,” said a relatively new police officer
And, “I have a vested interest in who’s going
to be with me on the streets,” said another
“T have done this before. You have changed
the process. I’m interested in how it goes”
Ivy said.

We learned that the 94 candidates had
already passed physical and written exams,
The oral interview was the next step to
qualify for police academy training. And.
of course, applicants would be further
evaluated over those weeks of training as
they competed for a job that pays, at entry
level, from about $69,912, depending on prior
experience, according to Gilbert.

We had received a six-page information
sheet ahead of time that explained, “A basic
principle of interviewing is that all questions
must be standardized, that is, the same
questions are asked of each candidate x
The same point was emphasized during our
training session.

> Choosing New Police Officers, page 7

Your Rockridge Neighbor
and Home Specialist

ccrawford@grubbco.com
510.339.0400/287
Direct: 510.289.7218 yo

Cat BRE Lic. # 0195113]

May 6, 2017

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Choosing New

Police Officers
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from page 6

When we broke up into our three-person
panels, I was teamed with an experienced
police officer and a civilian police employee
who did fingerprinting for the department.
Both had participated in the past and were
very helpful.

We divvied up the questions and tried
to ask them in the same way to each of the
seven candidates we interviewed in two
sessions, broken up by lunch. Each interview
was limited to twenty minutes.

Immediately following each interview, we
evaluated the candidate based on a numerical
scale. It covered oral communications and
comprehension; problem-solving and
decision-making; dealing with people and
empathy; and composure and tolerance.

That was the easier part. Assessing

each candidate’s performance in our own
written words “in a meaningful way” was
a lot harder. For example, putting down
“Candidate was excellent,’ was considered
a poor comment. “Candidate gave a well-
organized, comprehensive response and had
innovative ideas,” with examples cited, was
what they were looking for.

I was impressed with the diversity of
the seven candidates our panel interviewed.
They appeared to range in age from
20-something to over 40. All but two were
minorities and two were women.

Since | was the newbie and both of my
fellow Rockridge residents had done it
before, I wanted their views.

“The six candidates for OPD that my
panel interviewed were much better as a
whole than I remember in previous times,”
Shawl wrote in an email. “We used to get
one or two candidates that we felt should
proceed in the vetting process with the
majority not as thoughtful about their
responses or just unable to think and express

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— of Oakland

wing to the substantial winter rainy season, Scenic @
Streets of Oakland volunteers are busy clearing weeds

re ras ra

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from the Claremont/24 on- and off- ramps. Who knew so§
=] many seeds were lying dormant these past 5 years? We could
= use more volunteers like Scotch broom warriors Patrick
Sis 94 Cullinane, right, and Lee Patterson. Contact Lee Patterson
ae. Caled sa jat i 510925 1084 spe more iui Photo/D. Kinkead

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themselves clearly.

“Communication skills are so important
in police work that I give it more weight
when judging a candidate,” she said.

Shawl has volunteered for the oral panels
four or five times for the police and once
for fire department recruits. “It gives me a
sense of being a part of the community. I’ve
always been a concerned citizen and like
being active in any way that might be useful.”

“I see the OPD oral board interviews
as an extension of my service as an NCPC
secretary,” Ivy emailed me. “I’ve done the
oral board interviews maybe two or three
times before this last one, because my
normal volunteer load is quite heavy.

“Our candidates included no women and
no African-Americans,’ she said. “They
were all very well-dressed and very nervous.
They all spoke well. Being neither a cop nor
an HR (human resources) specialist, I have
no idea how to tell if one of these young men
would repeat some of the things the earlier
rookies are said to have done.”

In Ivy’s opinion, “If OPD is going to stop
having startling articles in the newspaper,
the change has to come from the new chief,
who has to stay long enough to make a
difference; and it has to come down through
the command structure to the captains and
sergeants.”

I thought it a good sign that the police
officer and civilian employee on my panel
were both excited about the new chief, Anne
Kirkpatrick. The first woman to head the
OPD had been on the job for about two
weeks at that point, but both had already met
her. “It’s the first time a chief has come to
our department to meet us personally,” the
fingerprint specialist told me. That was the
officer’s experience as well.

The police candidate interviews
take place approximately every three
months, according to a police department
spokeswoman. “We've actually had acouple
hundred interviews in a day,” she said.

The next oral interviews are scheduled
for June 6-7. To be put on the list as a
community member for those or future
dates, email DGilbert@oaklandnet.com.

I plan to take part in the interviews at
some point again. I think I could do a better
job the second time around.

Maybe I'll see you there.

To comment on this column or to suggest
subjects for future columns on your neighbors or
neighborhoods, please email judyberne@att.net.

ee ee ee ae |

Rdckridge News May 6, 2017
Letters to the Editor Town Hall

he Rockridge News welcomes appear with your letter. Letters pred from page 3
posted letters and emails to the be edited for clarity and brevity at the

editor. Your name, address, phone editor's discretion. Views expressed He said that in this session aldne..¢ks
number, email address and city/neigh- in any letter are the writer's own, and
borhood must be included in either may not necessarily be shared by the

for verification. Only your name will editor or by RCPC.

q

Legislature was considering more than a
hundred pieces of housing legislation. While
many of those bills would not be enacted, he

thought that we could expect the legislative
MacArRTHUR STATION TOWER A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT cunidation for howling development ‘¢;

Epiror: buildings in the Temescal area, this structure continue to change rapidly. He also noted
[ am writing to express my personal and is far out of scale and will stand out from that the City had recently passed increased
deep disappointment that RCPC decided far away (similar to the 30-story Pacific tenant protections, and that both Oakland
not to take a position on the MacArthur Park Plaza in Emeryville). and Alameda County voters had recently
BART housing tower and that the City How is the “situation very different from approved additional financial resources for
Council (including our representative) voted — Rockridge (or any other Oakland area similar developing affordable housing.

unanimously, contrary to existing zoning. _ to Rockridge)?” As I note, we, too, are next Lively comments and questions from the
I believe this could be a precedent-setting to BART. It seems the whole thrust these — audience followed the panel presentations,
building. 1know RCPC is concerned about days is to go beyond zoning and height- while three scenarios had been presented,
its jurisdiction, but RCPC should havetaken _limits, ignoring resident’s wishes. I urge the audience consensus was that much more
a stand. If it were in Rockridge—and we are RCPC and our district representative(s) to discussion was needed before people could
a transit location next to BART -—wouldn’t — stand up against tower/skyscrapers. Our make informed choices about what made the
you want others to stand with us? representatives should support the existing most sense for Rockridge’s housing future.
understand this “village” (more of ahigh- zoning regulations established in the Specifically, speakers wondered about the
rise skyscraper) is the near-equivalent in community. Do not let a precedent be set. _ pluses and minuses of different choices and

height to some of the tallest buildings in — Carol Behr whether there needed to be more choices
downtown Oakland. Given the surrounding and a wider range of options. People also

felt they wanted more expert evaluation of
THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING KEVIN FAUGHNAN the different options.

\

Epitror: a smile anda greathike recommendation Land Use Committee Will
Just a quick note of thanks to RCPC_ ready for you. There were so many Continue Research: You Are
and Brendan Havenar-Daughton for folks from Ross and Clover Street at his Invited to Contribute

remembering Kevin Faughnan inthe April memorial service. We miss our friend and The RCPC Land Use Committee will
issue of The Rockridge News. Kevin was __ neighbor and appreciate youhonoringhim ©°Mtinue to explore housing policy Options,
an incredible neighbor and friend to all _as we process this sudden loss. gathering more public and expert opinions
of us. He kept us posted on what was Best and thanks, beh RCPC's Facebook page, through articles
happening in Rockridge, helped rally folks — Ingrid Aguirre Happoldt 09 polling in The Rockridge News and
for neighborhood cleanups and always had using on-line resources.

The Land Use Committee meets the
fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30
p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library,
5366 College Avenue at Manila. Meetings

are open to the public; your participation
is encouraged.

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May 6, 2017

New Senior Livin

by Judith Doner Berne

ey, Rockridge: Make room for a slew
of new neighbors.

That’s because Merrill Gardens at
Rockridge, the senior living mid-rise that
has been under construction at Broadway
and 51st Street for two years, opened in mid-
April with five or so new move-ins per day.

“T’ve been waiting to sit in this place all
my life,” Richard Crocker said, as the retired
Cal Berkeley music professor and his wife.
Gloria Crocker, sat at a table in “The Bistro”
of the assisted living complex. They were
there with their Realtor, finalizing the sale
of their home in the Berkeley Hills.

“This is the Grand Hotel,” said Gloria,
their dog Alfie (yes, he’s moving in, too) at
their feet.

“The Crockers are our first residents.”
Merrill Gardens Community Relations
Director Kristine Schrudder told us, with
a smile. “Tons of (incoming) residents are
affiliated with UC Berkeley,” whether they
be professors, administrators or graduates.

Deposits have been put down on 115 of
the 126 studio to two-bedroom-two-bath
artments in the five-story building, which
so includes a 16-bed memory care unit, she
detailed. Base prices range from $3,500 to
$9,000 per month.

Thus far, most (60 to 70 percent) potential
residents are from Rockridge, Piedmont,
Montclair, and Berkeley. About 20 percent
are couples; the average age is 75. “A lot of
people who are coming in are younger than
you might expect,” Schrudder said. She
attributes that to their moves from hillside

Réckridge News

homes, where steep steps may have prompted
a departure.

“Some of them sell and others are not
going to do things with their homes right
away or will rent them out,” she said. “It’s a
very independent, active community.”

On our walk-through with Rockridge
News editor Don Kinkead, my husband
and I experienced a first floor reminiscent
of a cruise ship, featuring airy living and
dining rooms, comfortable furnishings and
large windows, though they may look out on
Broadway rather than a broad ocean.

Views from the upper floors can take
in downtown Oakland, downtown San
Francisco and the Oakland and Berkeley
Hills. A dining.patio and roof-top garden,
where soil-filled, raised wooden beds await

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9.

§ Center Pumps Up Rockridge Population

Richard Crocker
and his wife,
Gloria Crocker,
with their Realtor

(left) complete
the sale of their
Berkeley hills
home at a table
in “The Bistro”
of the assisted

living complex.
{DON KINKEAD

would-be gardeners,
allow all residents to
enjoy the outdoors,
whether or not their
room has a balcony.

And like acruise
ship, you have your
theatre/lecture hall, exercise room, hair and
nail salon, library, dining room, card room,
computer center, bar, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. anytime
dining, and daily activities, both inside the
building (we saw a bingo set) and excursions
(we saw a small bus in the drive).

“We don’t want people to be isolated in
their rooms,” Schrudder said.

For those of us living in the immediate
neighborhood, the back of the building with
its brightly colored panels somewhat relieves
a massiveness that we are still getting used
to. After all, the six-story assisted living
complex replaced a block of vacant low-rise
retail shops.

It was a nice surprise to hear Schrudder
explain: “We chose the colors for the panels
from the houses in the neighborhood.”

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10.

by Katie Noonan, editor “The Tidings,”
and Lake Merritt Institute board member
Shae space, urban refuge, and “Jewel

in the heart of the City,’ Lake Merritt
draws Oaklanders and East Bay residents to its
shores year-round. People come from all over
for daily exercise, family fun, a competitive
race on land or water, company picnics, to
celebrate the arts, or to express their feelings
about events and issues of the day and to seek
a sense of community. Lake Merritt is the
“there” in Oakland.

Yet not everyone knows that the beauty of
the lake has been guarded for 26 years by the
work of a small nonprofit —- The Lake Merritt
Institute (LMI) — supported by Oakland’s
Public Works Department.

LMI is a uniquely structured Oakland
operation that cannot be defined simply as
a trash abatement service. For example, the
Institute maintains three beautiful aeration
fountains in the lake that have become as
iconic as the Necklace of Lights as a symbol of
Oakland. LMI’s founder, Dr. Richard Bailey
(Doc Bailey), envisioned a public institution
that would advocate for the health of the
aquatic ecosystem using science and best
management practices, celebrate diversity and
the arts, and most importantly, rally ordinary
citizens to own their lake and to work together
to take care of it.

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Rockridge News

The Lake Merritt Institute: Guardian of

According to new executive director James
Robinson, water quality in the lake ts the best

it has been for over a century. cae
But there is a continuing lurid fascination

with the body of water which once served as
the city’s open sewer. It is hard to buck the
appellation “lake of a thousand smells” applied
in the East Bay Express article appearing
February 21, 2017: “Lake Merritt's Weird,
Polluted — and Stinky — Legacy,” but there 1s

more to the story.
The Camron-Stanford House on Lakeshore

offers a series of lectures this spring, Sundays
|-4 pm, titled “Slough, Cesspool, City Jewel:
The Evolution of Lake Merritt.” KQED’s Bay
Curious recently (March 23, 2017) devoted a
segment to a viewer’s question: “What would
it take to make Lake Merritt swimmable?”

Taking the long view, LMI volunteers
envision a day in the not too distant future
when the lake’s reputation as an Oakland jewel
will be secure against all detractors.

LMI has strong city support in its efforts;
the organization’s contract with the city has

ie a oe

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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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just been extended to 2019. The institute js
a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, supported “@®
sponsored by the city and by subscriptions
and donations made by everyday citizens, It
was founded in 1992 by Dr. Bailey to promote
education, research and capital improvements
such as the fountains, trash barriers and storm
drain filters around the lake (Institute Bylaws),

On your next visit to the lake, please take
note of LMI’s many enhancements and find
out how you can get involved.
Read the Bulletin Boards

IMI maintains four bulletin boards for
the education and enjoyment of thousands of
visitors. In addition, become informed about
local public initiatives such as the Measure
DD Project. Pick up an issue of The Tidings,
LMI’s official newsletter. The newsletter is
also available at many local coffee shops and
other venues. The late Ray Perman, former
Tidings editor, made bulletin boards and
newsletter holders a personal mission. With his

business acumen, talent and appreciation for
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RéckridgeNews

rr SN

Watery Jewel

from page 10

6. arts, Ray launched the “Love Your Lake”
movement. He designed Scout programs and
mentored local Eagle Scout candidates in

building and maintaining the attractive and
useful bulletin boards.

Subscribe and/or
Make a Donation

It’s expensive to maintain the LMI truck,
the specialized equipment — extendable nets,
gloves, and pickers — and aeration fountains:
and to do public outreach to keep Lake
Merritt beautiful. You can help by becoming
an LMI member or by making a one-time
donation. Members enjoy the monthly
Tidings newsletter delivered electronically or
by mail. To contribute to LMI, use PayPal at
the LMI website (lakemerrittinstitute.org) or
send a check to: Lake Merritt Institute, 568
Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-5026.

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Contact LMI at 510/238-2290 (office) or by
email Ilmi@netwiz.net.

Volunteer

LMI hosts several community clean-up
days throughout the year such as on Martin
Luther King Day, Coastal Cleanup Day, and
Earth Day. Also, join fellow citizens on a
regular Tuesday or Saturday cleanup. Meet in
the LMI office upstairs at 568 Bellevue Avenue.
The Institute provides tools and instructions for
Safety and proper trash disposal. Ray Perman
was the beloved cheerleader and mainstay
of the regular A-Team lake volunteers. He
organized celebrations and social events to
keep the enthusiasm going. His spirit will carry

on with this dedicated and amiable group of
Oakland citizens.

Be Spontaneous

Do your own cleanup event using one of
the four “U-Clean-It” boxes around the Lake.
You will find gloves, trash bags, barrels, nets,
directions and a sign-in sheet. The “secret”
combination lock code is 1-6-1-6. It is
important to sign in and follow the directions
for safe cleanup, proper waste disposal and

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securing the tools for the next volunteers
after you are done.
Arrange Cleanups

Sign up your school, club or business for
a Lake Cleanup to show their appreciation
for the lake. Call director James Robinson
(510/238-2290) or email Imi@netwiz.net.
Support Science-based
Stewardship

Lake Merritt was declared an “impaired
body of water’ by the EPA because of trash
and low dissolved oxygen levels. LMI has kept
the spotlight on this problem since its founding
and meets with Oakland’s Lake Merritt Water
Quality Technical Committee to address the
issues. Detailed studies of the lake ecosystem
can be found at the LMI website.

Scientists and conservation groups
coordinate with LMI for research. Last
October, Ray Perman accompanied Dr. Jim
Carlton (Smithsonian National Ocean Hero
and Oakland High alumnus 1966), Dr. Andrew
Chang of the Smithsonian Lab in Tiburon and
LMI staff to repeat Carlton’s famous 1966 study
of marine invasions in the lake.

Above all, don’t litter — anywhere.

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i ee a ee eee

Projects’ Progress

from page 2

that will light when pedestrians or bicy-
clists are in the crosswalk. This change
was developed in response to confusion
about the red arrow.

# Grinding out the first right turn
arrow on eastbound Broadway just before
the break in the cycle track median and
installing a sign limiting motor vehicle
access through the break to homes
adjacent to the cycle track. Although the
arrow was meant to direct motorists onto
Brookside, some have misunderstood and
have driven in the pass-through and onto
the cycle track.

Construction of a separate project on
Broadway between Keith Avenue and Broad-
way Terrace has also begun. The primary goal
of this work is to make the roadway safer for
all roadway users: pedestrians; cyclists; and
motorists. The project will construct bulb-
outs and reconstruct existing ADA ramps
to meet current standards; add pedestrian
refuge medians at key intersections to reduce
the distance people crossing Broadway on

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foot must travel in the roadway; and improve
underground infrastructure at specific loca-
tions to support signal improvements at the
Broadway/Manila/Monroe intersection and
the new pedestrian-activated traffic signal
at Lawton, also part of this project.

When these improvements are complete,
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); install high-visibility crosswalks;
add bicycle lanes on both sides of the street;
and install the pedestrian-activated signal
at Lawton.

Construction of this project began
in November 2016 with the bulb-outs,
underground infrastructure improvements
and related concrete work. The contractor
is targeting mid-June to pave, which needs
to happen before the new signals can be
turned on and the new striping installed.
This schedule is dependent on work PG&E
must do to prepare for the signals.

For more details on either of these projects,
or to be placed on a list to receive periodic
updates about either one, contact Oakland’s
Caldecott projects coordinator, Victoria Eisen:
victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220.

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May 6, 2017

Kitchen Tour

from page |!

and gives architects, designers, and suitors
responsible for the kitchens a chance to meet

potential new clients.

If you have or can recommend a new or
classic kitchen, this is your final opportunity
to submit it for consideration for the
2017 Rockridge Kitchen Tour. For more
information, contact us at kitchentour@
rockridge.org.

Money raised by the 2017 Rockridge
Kitchen Tour will fund ongoing projects
of the RCPC, such as the Kevin Faughnan
Community Grants program, named in
honor of the RCPC board member and
Kitchen Tour chair who died unexpectedly
in March. Proceeds will also support Town
Hall presentations that cover many topics
of current interest to Rockridge residents,
the most recent of which featured a panel
discussion considering affordable housing in
Rockridge. Finally, events such as Rockridge
Out and About and the annual College
Avenue Halloween Parade benefit from the

Kitchen Tour.

RCPC works diligently to keep on top of,
issues affecting Rockridge, and the Kitchen

Tour helps make that possible.

Coming issues of The Rockridge News
will present further Tour information
including the announcement of the beginning
of ticket sales.

To volunteer with the Kitchen Tour
committee leading up to the event, or as a
docent on the day of the Tour, contact us at
kitchentour@rockridge.org.

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Community Patroj

from page 2

6... been responsible for a few arrests and
have been involved in assisting residents
deter crimes in progress. A statistical]
analysis found that the introduction of the
patrols decreased robberies and burglaries
by 30 percent.

Safer Rockridge continually works with
the security patrol service provider (PPS) to
improve responsiveness and visibility. PPS
has implemented a GPS tracking system
on its patrol cars, giving Safer Rockridge
insight into coverage gaps and increasing
accountability. Just about every street in the
patrol area is Visited two or three or more
times per day by the service. PPS has also
added additional decals to its patrol cars
and LED beacons at night to make them
more visible.

Funding for the Safer Rockridge patrols
depends entirely on the generosity of the
community. In a typical month, Safer
Rockridge’s funding draws from over
300 individual donations (with most at
the suggested amount of $30/month)

nd several commercial sponsors. Safer
Bociciage accepts both recurring and one-
time donations at saferrockridge.org. For
info on how to send checks or to provide
feedback, please email saferrockridge@
gmail.com. For patrol hours, please subscribe
to the monthly newsletter at saferrockridge.
org/subscribe.

The Upper Rockridge Neighborhood
Association (URNA) was formed by
volunteers about six months after the

Rdckridge Ney

formation of Safer Rockridge to cover the
area between Broadway and Highway 13 to
address similar concerns about increased
crime and reduced police resources in that
area,

With few commercial businesses in
upper Rockridge, outreach is done directly
to residents with a membership-based
revenue model that has two levels. Residents
can choose to get full services, or simply
contribute to support more patrol hours even
if they have alarm/patrol services already
(many do).

URNA’s goals — and those of four other
neighborhood associations in the Oakland
hills — mirror those of Safer Rockridge,
and they have collaborated at group meetings
with OPD and city council members to
try to get the best information and safety
enhancements to residents, as well as
applying political pressure to the city to raise
resource allocations to their former, higher,
levels. URNA runs patrols with shifting
hours, provides security assessments of
homes, offers a vacation watch, and supports
several cameras with video storage at a key
location in the area with plans for more.

For information about the URNA patrols,
Safety tips, services description, (free)
newsletters, and subscription details, visit
URNA-oak.org or email info@urna-oak.org.

a —_—_—— 2

Unforced Error
ate in production of the April issue of The
Rockridge News, a careless edit in the story
on Oakland’s new police chief erased the name
of Carolina Juarez and seemed to attribute her
remarks (which were quoted) to Karen Ivy. The
Rockridge News regrets this error.

LAW OFFICE OF

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Please contact me during regular business hours to
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13.
The Rockridge News

Harwood/Ross
Route Available

any of you read the news in last
month’s Rockridge News about the
sudden death of Kevin Faughnan. Kevin
was an incredible volunteer. Not only was
he an active member of the RCPC board but
he also delivered The Rockridge News to
two routes. We found a volunteer for one of
those routes, but there is one more we hope
to fill by one of his neighbors:

6200 block of Harwood
and 5900/6000/6200

blocks of Ross.

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.

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14.

AD B S SH So SH H FH FH

MAY 11? OAKLAND BIKE>T> WORK o«
BD BS FH FH GH HH HH GH HH

May 11: Bike
to Work Day (+ More)

ay is National Bike Month, as declared
by the League of American Bicyclists.
Locally, WOBO (Walk Oakland Bike
Oakland) is sponsoring a wide selection of
events throughout the month, including Bike
to Work Day on May 11.

Among the many events are:

= Sunday, May 7th: Grizzly Peak Century
Ride

= Thursday, May IIth: Bike To Work
Day

= Friday, May 12: Bike decorating at the

Oakland Museum of California during
Friday Off the Grid

m Saturday, May 13: Ride to Cleophus
Quealy Beer Co (10 miles flat terrain)
in San Leandro for small scale craft
brew

m Sunday, May 14: Cyclofemme Ride for
Mother’s Day

m Sunday, May 21: Group ride with the
Oakland Museum of California and
learn about the Punk History of the
East Bay

= Thursday, May 25, WOBO-Bike East
Bay Women Bike Happy Hour (loca-
tion tbd)

Visit WOBO’s web site for more infor-
mation: https://wobo.org/bike-to-work-day/

Put your mettle to the pedal.

May 6, 2017

Réckridge News

nn’

Rlelassitieds

Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
June issue deadline is May 1/8. June issue
distribution begins June 3.

For information: smontauk@gmail.com

Mother’s Day Special!

Penelope’s Aesthetics

Professional Skin Care Salon: offering a full
deluxe stress reduction facial with massage
and eyebrow wax for $59. Gift certificates
available. Located 2 blocks from College

Ave. Call today for an appointment. www.
penelopecalef.com 510/594-1552.

Your Rockridge Specialists
-JUDITH GLASS & SHEILA SABINE— THE GRUBB
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

Gardener
Over 20 years of service to the Rockridge

area. Garden Restoration. Great References.
Reasonable Rates. Please call Chris. 655-0157.

Looking to Refinance and
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Living rm wi Fireplace & wall of French doors, verdant yard.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Perry Riani, Senior Associate

“2016 Realtor of the Year”

1900 Mountain Bivd Oakland, CA 94611

1625 Shattuck Ave Berkeley, CA 94709

C: 510.813.3799 perry@pacunion.com
License # 01402540

PACTFIC
UNION

CHRISTIE’S

INTTHNATIONAL HEAL PSTATE

Eee, » hi ale ee

i!

Compassionate Caregiver,

CFA Certified |
Over |5 years of experience with demen-

tia, Parkinson’s and hospice clientele. Ca
chauffeur to appointments, cook and d
light housekeeping. Excellent references.
Available Sun-Thurs, days and some nights.
Call or text Sharon, 925/705-3249.

Handyman Services,

interior & Exterior
House repairs, kitchen & bath remodel,

tile, decks, dry rot, drainage, walls, termite
damage, doors, windows. Professional work
for affordable prices. Juan 510/692-6399,

Refresh Organizers

Here to help you organize your entire
home or workspace, from top to bottom.
Let’s work on “stress-free” decluttering,
downsizing, space-planning, staging and photo
organization. Call for a free consultation:
510/984-1607. RefreshOrganizers.com

It’s a Seller’s Market

No need to pay high commission fees in a
seller’s market. Professional, experienced
Realtor®. Free home valuation of estimated
seller proceeds. 510/517-9969. Sharon
Medairy Ca. Bre #10885305. Real Estate
Source, Inc. www.medairy.net

Small Two-Bedroom Home

Rental in Lower Rockridge
436 61 Street, 94609. Hardwood flooring
remodeled kitchen, yard and on-site laundry™

$2,299 first month rental, last and security.
Please call Melissa at 415/527-7647 or email

melissabparker@gmail.com

EAST BAY RENTAL SPECIALIST

ROCKRIDGE § PIEDMONT BMONTCLAIR

Caldecott

Property Owners, for a consultation on leasing
your home contact a local expert:

Julie Keys, Director of Leasing
BRE#01945588
$10.225.9244

Julie@caldecott.com

CALDECOTT.COM

City of Oakland supports 2nd unit developments.
Thinking of a 2nd unit? Contact FMSProjects
to see how to best achieve this in 2017!

—» 5429 Telegraph Avenue
> Oakland, CA 94609
GED. Ofc: (510) 547-6111

Cell: (415) 722-9805
Email: fmsprojects@icloud.com

4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland,
Compiled by Jo Ellis

@ COMMUNITY CALENDAR

pistrict 1 Councilman Dan Kalb

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

Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017

Technology for all ages:
-¢ One-on-one computer tutoring. Sat,

10:30am -12:30pm. Help with basic skills.
Sign up during the week or drop-in.

e eBook Help: Tuesdays, by appointment.
6-7:30pm. Help downloading eBooks. Make
appt. at www.oaklandlibrary.org or in person

at any library.
FOR CHILDREN

e Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes
(for all ages); Saturdays, 10:30am.

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

¢ Pre-School Story Time: Read-alouds,
songs, and rhymes (ages 2 to 5); Thursdays,
10:30am.

All story times followed by Play Time; parents
and caregivers invited.

@Precial Events

¢ Kamishibai: Tuesdays, 7pm. Celebrate Asian
& Pacific Islanders Heritage Month AND
Bicycle Month with Kamishibai stories —- every
Tuesday night in May (5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23).
Allages welcome. Japanese treats served.

e Bicycle Story Time & Craft: Saturday, 5/20,
10:30am — 12:30pm. Ride your bike to story
time; hear stories about adventurous bicyclists
and make handlebar streamers.

e TWIG, Rockridge (Tween Interests Group):

call Erica (597-5017) for details.

FOR TEENS

Free Comic Books Day: May 6. Come early;
supplies limited.

¢ DIY Anime Keychain: Make anime character
keychain with shrink—dinks or cardboard. 5/10,
2pm.

e Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Help
advise the library how to better serve teens;
get community service credit for school.
2nd Sat. each month, 1 to 2pm.

¢ Teen ‘Scape Program: Play video & board
games; make crafts; enjoy meals. Tues, Thurs,
and Fridays: 3:30 — 5pm and Wednesdays:
1:30 — 5pm.

¢ Homework Club: High School Tutors
Available: A quiet place to do homework. Tues
and Thurs, 4-5pm; Wednesdays 3-4:30pm.

e Yu-Gi-Oh Card Game Club: Beginners OK.

Every Friday, 3:30 — 5pm.

OR ADULTS

Computer Help (until May 16): Saturdays
10am-12pm and Tuesdays 5:30pm-—7:30pm.

¢ Lawyers in the Library: Free legal info and

referral. ist Tues each month; 6pm—8pm.
Sign-up for lottery starting 5pm; lottery at
9:45 pm. Call day of program to confirm.

Bike for Tibet: Climate Change atthe Roof
of the World. Sat, 5/13 11am. Nam Arya

discusses the impacts of climate change in
Tibet.

Rita M. Gardner reads from her memoir
Coconut Latitudes: Secrets, Storms and
Survival in the Caribbean. Sat, 5/20 11am.

Co-sponsored by the Amer. Assoc. of
University Women.

Writers Support/Critique Group: Bring 15
copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced, MS
margins) of any prose for on-site reading/
discussion (or come empty-handed). Third
Sat. each month, 1 to 5pm; wheelchair-
accessible. Sponsor: Calif. Writers Club of
Berkeley. Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.
com. Call to confirm.

¢ Wine + Watercolors: Drink wine and learn
about watercolor painting. Must be 21. Small

venue; only the first 25 to sign up will be able
to participate. Sat, 5/27, 1:15pm.

Gallery Exhibit

May: Merritt College Portrait Drawings.
June: Oakland Art Association Paintings.

Lobby Display Case
May: Bike Month
June: Pride Month
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, 5/30 for Memorial Day.

Diesel Book/Readings and Events

FREE and open to the public.

e Tues, 5/9, 7pm. Publication party for Edan
Lepucki: Woman No. 17.

e Thurs, 5/11, 7pm. David Weisberg: The
American Plan.

¢ Sat, 11/13, 7pm. Elena Passarello: Animals
Strike Curious Poses. In conversation with
R.O. Kwon.

e Tues, 5/16, 7pm. Stephen Mikesell: A TJa/e

of Two Bridges: The San Francisco—Oakland
Bay Bridges of 1936 and 2073.

e Thurs, 5/18, 7pm. Panel discussion from
Granta 139: Best of Young American
Novelists with Lauren Groff, Esm Weijun
Wang, and Anthony Marra.

e Tues, 5/23, 7pm. Madison Smartt Bell:
Behind the Moon.

e Wed, 5/24, 7pm. China Miévil: October: The
Story of the Russian Revolution.

e Thurs, 5/25, 7pm. Peter Rock: Spells.

e Fri, 5/26, 6pm. Pajama Party Story Time for
Kids. Come in PJs; bring teddy bear; have
milk and cookies. Local author/illustrator
Michael Wertz reads a bedtime story from
ABC Oakland.

DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More

15.

info abt the authors, books and other events:
653-9965 or events @dieselbookstore.com.

Peralta in Bloom

Sat, May 13, noon to 4pm. Annual spring festival
for the whole community and fundraiser to
support art and other enrichment programs.
Events for all ages, including live music; fresh
food and BBQ; arts and crafts projects; climbing
wall and bouncy house, petting zoo, cartooning
with Lloyd Dangle, and an emceed cakewalk
featuring beautiful cakes donated and designed
by parents. Other events include expanded
carnival games, cool prizes for kids, a basket
raffle, and the raffle of a new quilt. Peralta
Elementary schoolyard, 460 63rd St. More info:
www.peraltaschool.org or 654-7365.

Jazz at the Chimes

Featuring vocalist Andrea Claburn with Matt
Clark (piano), Peter Barshay (bass), Alan Hall
(drums), Terrence Brewer (guitar) and Erik
Jekabson (trumpet & flugelhorn). Sunday, May
21, 2pm. Advance tickets: http://andreaclaburn.
brownpapertickets.com/ or at the door (cash
only) beginning 12:30pm (doors open 1:30):
$15. Refreshments and reception follows. Info
at http://www.andreaclaburn.com. Honoring
the unique artistry of Bay Area jazz musicians
in alandmarked 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 Concert

Claudia Schmidt: Singer, songwriter &
entertainer of multiple genres. Sample podcast
at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/claudia—
schmidt-6-23-08/id815553397i=79487889. Fri,
May 12, 8pm. House opens 7:30 (inside venue,
not wheelchair accessible). $15-20 donation
for musicians (cash only at the door). 383 61st
Street. Reservations: info@WisteriaWays.org
or 655-2771.

North Oakland Senior Center

Mon. - Fri., 9am to 4:30pm. 5714 Martin Luther
King, Jr. Way: 597-5085

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

e COMMUNITY FLEA MARKET: Annual
Spring Fundraiser. Saturday, June 3rd.
9am to 4pm. Purchase vendor space now.
NOSC members: $12. Non-members: $18.
Cash only.

Seniors age 55+ join for $12 annual dues to

get discount and other benefits. Receive “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 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.

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Rdckridge News

May 6, 2017

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License to Root

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License #754966.

BETTER LIVING —
through Modern Plumbing —

(510) 465-3000

www.pipespy.com 2

Do you have a gripe about Rockridge
you would like to tell about? Let’s get
in touch. Email editor@rockridge.org.

I hate to be pushy, but
if you want to sell,
NOW is the time!

COMING SOON - Rockridge
6436 Colby - livable fixer, but
needs it all.

PENDING - Rockridge’
5240 Locksley

www.5240Locksley.com

7

Rare Live/Work Opportunity
for lease - in ROCKRIDGE
www.5767Broadway.com

Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
Ronkriss@JPS.net
510.547.5970 ex. 55
BRE#00784235

LawtonAssoc.com

COLLINS ROOFING

Family Owned & Operated

(610) 444-22
www.collinsroofing.com

Quality Work « Free Estimates
Lic #695711

Do you have a story about Rockridge
you would like to tell? Let’s get in touch.
Email editor@rockridge.org.

Mortgage solutions tailored to
you and your family.
Local. Knowledge. Integrity

Scott Murray

Loan Advisor

NMLS #1020834

925 743 3512
smurray@rpm-mtg.com
www.rpm-mtg.com/smurray
3240 Stone Valley Road West
Alamo, CA 94507

RPM Mortgage. inc. - NMLS#9472 - Licensed
by the Department of Business Oversight under
the Residential Mortgage Lending Act

| 6041) Equal Housing Opportunity @

‘a’
ie. Va

6286 Colby Street
re 2 plus bedroom 2 baths.

Period details, private

KEVIN BROWN

Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780

PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage
To Rockridge Clients
For Over 36 Years.

SPECIALIZING IN
“> Residential Sales
“> Income Property

“ Commercial
“> Property Management

Better Homes

Better Realty
Homes 5353 College Avenue
Realty Oakland

Fr “4 patrick perez ar chit ect. bane

architecture + interiors

WM 415/370/7269/

® patrick@designpad.net
we www.designpad.net

CLAUDIA MILLS

REAL ESTATE

garden and deck.

www.6286Colby.com
Offered at $975,000

CLAUDIA MILLS

MCGUIRE

REAL ESTATE

Savills PoR/OLIO

Top Producer with Local Expertise
910.350.6419 | cmills@mcguire.com
ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com