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ckridgeNews

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www.rockridge.org

VOL. 32       NO. 6        ISSUE NO. 345        June 3, 2017                        CIRCULATION: 5,800 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

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

June 29: NCPC, RCPC Annual Joint Meeting

M

s. Venus Johnson, Mayor Libby Schaaf’s new Director of Public Safety, is the featured
speaker for the annual joint meeting of the Rockridge Community Planning Council
(RCPC) and the Greater Rockridge Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to
be held Thursday, June 29, from 7-9 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library upstairs meeting
room. Ms. Johnson’s position is intended to bring effective crime prevention coupled with
principled policing to a department roiled recently by multiple leadership changes. Johnson,
37, born and raised in Oakland, began her career in the Alameda County district attorney’s
office prosecuting homicide and sexual assault cases, as related on city websites. Meeting
planners are also working with the Police Department to schedule a senior police official
who will discuss Chief Kirkpatrick’s recent reorganization of the Police Department.

AGENDA
Annual NCPC/RCPC
Joint Town Hall Meeting
7 p.m. Thursday, June 29
Rockridge Branch Library
Speaker:
Venus Johnson,
Director of Public Safety
The Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) and the Greater
Rockridge Neighborhood Crime Preven­
tion Council (NCPC) meet Thursday,
June 29, in the upstairs meeting room of
the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College
Avenue, for their annual joint meeting.
Meeting begins at 7 p.m., and ends at 9 p.m.

Auto-Related Crimes in Rockridge; a Brief Review
by Karen Ivy, NCPC secretary
Iwhich reduced certain nonviolent, non-
serious crimes to misdemeanors when the
stolen property value was less than $950,
and permitted resentencing of inmates
based on  new
t seems like every time we turn around,
someone is reporting a stolen or a
burglarized car. In November 2014,
California voters passed Proposition 47,
➧➧Auto-Related, page 13

Kitchen Tour Planners Invite You to Pick a Way to Join in

Tour Volunteers Able to Help In a Variety Of Roles
P
Being a Tour docent “A Fun and Rewarding Experience”
Preparations for the 2017 Rockridge Kitchen Tour are full
steam ahead, and the Kitchen Tour committee is now calling
for volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to get to know more
about the neighborhood, and to give back to Rockridge.
lanning for the 2017 Rockridge Kitchen Tour, scheduled for
Sunday, September 24, is in full swing. The Kitchen Tour
committee has selected the kitchens to be featured on this year’s
Tour, and is now turning to the vital task of recruiting another
great group of Tour docents. Whether you’ve been a docent in the
past, or are new to the Rockridge Kitchen Tour, volunteering as
docent is a fun and rewarding experience. But don’t take it from
us – read on for comments from 2015 Tour docents, But don’t
take it from us – read on for comments from 2015 Tour docents,
many of whom return year after year. “I do know that I will be
happy to encourage friends to sign up to be a docent at the 2017
Kitchen Tour!”
Be a Tour Volunteer
Be a Docent Volunteer
The Tour isn’t just about kitchens; it’s the main fundraiser
for the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC). Over
the past two decades of the biennial Tour, proceeds have helped
many local projects supported by RCPC including the creation
and maintenance of the Rockridge Branch Library; supporting
construction play structures and other amenities at Frog Park;
and the Kevin Faughnan Memorial Community Grants Program,
which supports local projects to benefit Rockridge.
Becoming a Tour volunteer may be ideal for someone who
wants to help out in the community, but doesn’t have the time
for a long-term commitment to our neighborhood boards and
associations. Volunteer opportunities include: helping with
publicity; providing behind-the-
A week or two before the Tour, all docents attend a 2-1/2 to
3-hour pre-Tour training session, including visits to several of the
houses. The behind-the-scenes look at the kitchens ahead of the
Tour and the opportunity to hear about the kitchens directly from
the homeowner and builders are

➧➧Tour Volunteers, pg 13
➧➧Docent Volunteers, pg 13

Can You Picture It?
Cthe past or the present — of your
favorite haunts, scenes, events
or people unique to Rockridge.
All images will be considered for
printing in future issues of the
newsletter. Forward digital images
to: editor@rockridge.org; mail
printed images to The Rockridge
News, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611.
Include your name, email address,
and short remarks about why the
image appealed to you.
Click.
alling all shutter bugs,
photogs, and photobombers,
from amateur to professional. The
Rockridge News would like to see
the photographic images — from


June 3, 2017
2.

Protected City Cycle Track Now Open
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
                  5366 College Avenue
                   at Manila | 597-5017
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
The Rockridge News, founded March 1986 by Don
Kinkead, is published monthly (except in August)
and is sponsored by the Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC), a nonprofit public
benefit organization founded to: preserve and
enhance the unique character of the Rockridge
neighborhood; promote the health, safety and
quality of life of its residents; furnish a forum for
community involvement; and provide leadership and
representation of neighborhood interests.
Rockridge News Production
Don Kinkead	�����������������������Editor
Jo Ellis	�����������������������������������Asst. Editor
Judith Doner Berne	������������Eyes on Rockridge
Jo Ellis	�����������������������������������Advertising &
About two dozen people turned out
Monday, May 8, to applaud city officials
and their community partners as they cut the
ribbon to mark the completion and opening
of Oakland’s first physically separated two-
way protected bikeway, known as a cycle
track. The facility, located on Broadway
between Keith and Brookside Avenues, also
makes crossing Broadway on foot safer.
Bike to Work Week in Oakland and marked
Russo’s first day on the job.
Community Calendar
Susan Montauk	�������������������Business Manager
Don Kinkead	�����������������������Graphics & Layout
As noted in the May 2017 issue of the
Rockridge News, work associated with
the project, including signal adjustments,
striping changes, a bio-swale to filter water
runoff and cleanup, continues as does
construction of improvements to Broadway
south of Keith Avenue.
RCPC Board of Directors, 2017-18
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair
Leonora Sea	������������������������Vice-Chair
Jesse Ortega	�����������������������Secretary
Ronnie Spitzer	��������������������Treasurer
Alden Conner, M C Haug, Don Kinkead,
Andrew Masalin, Laura Schlichtmann
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
Ribbon-cutters included District 1
Council Member Dan Kalb; Oakland’s first
Department of Transportation director Ryan
Russo; Bike East Bay executive director
Renee Rivera; and Fourth Bore Coalition
chair Ann Smulka. The event kicked off
Please contact Oakland’s Caldecott
projects coordinator, Victoria Eisen:
victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220
with any questions.
— Victoria Eisen, Caldecott projects
coordinator
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:
From School Board Director Jody London’s Newsletter
Please Take My Survey
of North Oakland Schools
Editor: editor@rockridge.org;
www.rockridge.org;
The Rockridge News,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611
I

t has been a very busy couple of months, which is why I am only now discussing these
issues with you. We have very important work coming up around our facilities master
plan and overall educational needs in our city.

First, I want to hear directly from you to help understand the priorities for North Oak­
land families as I advocate for your students. I am looking for your input on the portfolio
of schools in North Oakland, and ask that you please provide your feedback and ideas
in the short survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/JZ2TDNH. Next, find more about our
incoming Superintendent, the budget, our great Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
employees, honors for our schools, work on

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.
➧➧Jody London: Schools, page 10
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only  Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
601-1188
Mon – Fri  7 – 7 • Sat  8 – 6
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
Newsletter Advertising/Deadline
Publication date of the July issue is:
  July 8, 2017.
  Submission deadline is June 22, 2017.
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Six-
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.)
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!


3.
June 3, 2017

T

It was also noted that while Oakland’s
current General Plan was approved in 1998,
not until 2014 was the citywide zoning
updated to reflect the direction given in the
General Plan. Consequently, some of the
changes made by that zoning update – for
example: the increased height and density
limits along Broadway and Telegraph
Avenue – are only now being reflected in the
large and taller buildings being constructed.
Some of the members, therefore, questioned
whether additional “upzoning” should even
be considered until the effect of the last set
of zoning changes, plus the liberalization
of rules for secondary units and off-street
he next Land Use Committee meeting will be
Wednesday, June 28, 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.
■
■Continued Discussion of
should be developed. (The PowerPoint
presentation from that Town Hall can be
downloaded from: http://bit.ly/2pZu2sL.)
Rockridge Housing Policy
The committee continued its discussion
of housing in Rockridge, aimed at developing
recommendations for an RCPC housing
policy statement for Rockridge. Much of
the discussion centered on what was needed
to “flesh out” the alternative scenarios
presented at the April RCPC Town Hall
meeting, and whether additional alternatives
Rather than develop additional scenarios,
the committee felt it would be more fruitful to
provide more detail to each of the scenarios,
and to give more information about what
each scenario would mean for Rockridge,
both in terms of how it would look and what
the pluses and minuses would be.
➧➧Land Use Committee, page 10

Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt Summer Cleanup Party, June 17
P

lease join your neighbors and friends
on Saturday, June 17 from 9 to 11 a.m.
for the 2017 Summer Cleanup, sponsored
by the DMV Neighbors Association. Once
again, the focus will be on the section of
the Greenbelt from the DMV parking lot
to Clifton Street. There’s plenty of trash
to pick up and the usual invasive plants to
pull out, such as nutsedge and Texas privet.
If logs are available, we will erect a barrier
to crossing the creek along a stretch where
bicycles and shopping carts have caused
erosion. Volunteers will be provided with
tools and gloves (or bring your own, well
marked as yours), snacks, and coffee. The
creek is currently turned off but should be
running by then, so plan to wear closed-
toed shoes that can get wet if you want to
work on weed and root removal in the creek
channel. Families are welcome and there are
plenty of kid-appropriate tasks. Meet at the
picnic table near the DMV parking lot to
sign in. To RSVP, or for more info, contact
leonorasea@yahoo.com. — Leonora Sea

Scenic Streets of Oakland Gardening Party, Saturday June 10
T

he bountiful winter rains have been
wonderful; we’re all pleased and so
are the weeds! Please help Scenic Streets of
Oakland clean up sidewalk plantings and the
Claremont Highway 24 ramps. A gardening
party is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. on
Saturday June 10. As well as getting to know
your neighbors, this Party will include a lot
of weeding, raking, and mulch spreading.
Caltrans via Scenic Streets. Please join us.
Scenic Streets will provide some gardening
tools but please bring any tools, especially
garden rakes and weeding tools, that you
like using. The work may not be pure fun,
but your effort is likely to be satisfying and
will definitely be appreciated.
In addition to enthusiasm, working on the
ramps requires that volunteers be 16 or
over, wear sturdy shoes with ankle support
or boots and long pants. Hardhats, goggles,
safety vests, and gloves will be supplied by
We will meet on Claremont Ave. near the
south end of the Dog Park. –Lee Patterson
Treasure in Temescal @ 353 50th
COMPLETE TREE CARE
Proudly serving Rockridge since 1965!
DANIEL STEA
BRE #01452156
(510) 562-4000
510.867.4094
www.treesculpture.com
Fully Insured | Cer5fied Arborists | Lic #655977


June 3, 2017
4.

Riders for Big Reasons: Fund Schools; Lobby Lawmakers

by Ride for a Reason Staff and
Organizer Paul Vetter
O
It all began nine years ago with a handful
of parents of children in public schools
dismayed by deep budget cuts to public
education during the recession. To protest
on behalf of their kids, four riders cranked
to Sacramento, bearing a petition for funds
for schools. Although the era of deep budget
cuts may be over, California remains well
below the national average in spending on
public schools, and ranks 41st among states
in per-pupil funding. Ride for a Reason raises
money for seven Oakland public schools,
and advocates with elected representatives
for better funding for all California schools.
n Saturday, May 20, more than 260
cyclists rode from the Oakland Technical
High School staging area to the Capitol in
Sacramento for the ninth annual Ride for a
Reason. The event is a community-building,
fundraising, political-action, endurance
athletic event mashup.
Ride organizer and Claremont/Oakland
Tech parent Paul Vetter says, “California
needs to get back to a position of leadership

➧➧Ride for a Reason, page 14
Hardy Dog Park Improvements Continue
A

s renovation plans move slower than
a turtle with a snail on its back, we
continue making improvements to Hardy
Dog Park. We have fixed the flooding
issues, built and installed new poop bag
dispensers, built and installed leash racks,
and solved the stinky trash problem.
■
■Please join us for build and clean-up
days, the first Saturday of every month,
9-10:30 a.m. Meet other dog owners and
join the community.
■
■We need two to three more people to
join our renovation committee. Committee
members will take responsibility for the
renovation, from managing fundraising to
working with contractors and Caltrans, to
finding a new 501(c)(3) umbrella organi­
zation. Come help make a difference in
the neighborhood.
How can you help?
■
■We need plastic newspaper bags. If
you have bags lying around, drop them
off in the large green shopping bag at the
Hudson entrance, or in the large black
mailbox at the Frog Park entrance.
Questions? Email HardyDogPark@yahoo.com.
Meanwhile, bring your dog(s) and catch up with
the changes.
■
■Do you have an old bench or old
patio chairs you want to get rid of? We’d
love to have you donate them to the park.

For Sale in June:
6101 Margarido @ Oceanview - Gorgeous Rockridge Traditional, 3+ Bed, 3 Bath plus Office/Library/Guest rm,
Rec rm, Grand Living rm w/ Fireplace & wall of French doors, verdant yard, Chabot Elementary School District.
On market summer solstice day 6/21. Call for pricing.

3116 Ellis C - Sweet “Cape Cod Style” cottage,  vaulted ceiling, updated kitchen, 1 bedroom, gated and quiet
yard, near Ashby BART.  Call for pricing.

875 27th St - Triplex w/ one 5 Bed 3 Bath & two 3 Bed 2 Bath units, over 3900 sqft, separately metered, over 5%
Cap rate/ROI. Call for pricing.

Happy Father’s Day!


5.
June 3, 2017

Spate of New Businesses Belie Fears for the Avenue’s Health

Wingman
5295 College Avenue
Co-Owner: Joelle Kim
GoldenBug Children’s Shoes
5509 College Avenue
Owner: Emily Goldenberg
Photo/Judith Doner Berne
Photos/Don Kinkead
As I walked home along College Avenue,
I saw five men, each carrying a white
bowl-shaped carton.
Open Mind Music
5517 College Avenue
Owner: Henry Wimmer
‘I
It turns out that the far south end of
College has traded Burgers for Bowls, as
Wingman opened last week in the long-time
home of Christopher’s, 5295 College Avenue.
GoldenBug Children’s Shoes, a new
College Avenue business that opened
at the end of February with the slogan
“nurturing soles,” occupies what has lately
become a niche market. “We specialize in
actually measuring the child’s feet when
we fit them for shoes,” says business owner
Emily Goldenberg. So many children’s
shoe stores have closed, she said, that many
parents now buy shoes online in multiple
pairs in a buy-try-return cycle. “Parents can
avoid the perils of this process and know that
pride myself on serving vinyl-heads
good slabs of wax of all sorts of music
from ABBA to Zappa,” says Open Mind
Music record store owner Henry Wimmer
(“Rhymes with swimmer.”). A long-time and
dedicated collector of vinyl records, Wimmer
has been in the music and record business in
San Francisco since 1994 when he opened his
first Open Mind Music store on Divisidero
Street. Following a long and winding road
since then, he moved the business to several
other music-centric areas of San Francisco
Co-owner Joelle Kim is behind the
counter of the new Asian-fusion restaurant,
which she says offers Korean and Japanese
dishes created by a chef who is trained in
French cuisine. The French influence, she
says, shows up primarily in their house-
made sauces.
The men, she told me, were from a local
law firm and have been there almost every
day for lunch. Some come back for tea in
mid-afternoon. While I was there, several
other customers came in, also from nearby
businesses. I, also, couldn’t resist a new
restaurant, especially one that is oh so close
to my house. So I took home their Korean
fried chicken wings in a sweet-sour sauce.
They came atop a simple cabbage salad
with a side of pickled radish. I could easily
become addicted.
➧➧GoldenBug Children’s Shoes, page 14
➧➧Open Mind Music, page 12
But my choices were many. Four appears
to be the magic number. With the wings
were offered your choice of four sauces;
four kinds of Bowls; four types of Ramen;
and four flavors of milkshakes. There is also
an assortment of side dishes ranging from
sweet potato and French potato fries to fried
dumplings to an Octopus hotdog, which she
told me is a hotdog with four (not eight) legs.
Member
www.buttrickprojects.com
➧➧Wingman, page 12


June 3, 2017
6.

Eyes on Rockridge
The Street Where He Lives
Inspires Local Shirt Designer
by Judith Doner Berne
Iborn Wells has a bachelor’s in sociology
from San Francisco State, a master’s in
political science from New York University’s
New School, an MBA from Golden Gate
University – plus a year at Oxford studying
modern British politics.
’m pretty sure Randy Wells won’t be
getting a button-down shirt for Father’s
Day – at least not from his wife Marianne
Peirce or his almost two-year-old son Quincy.
That’s because the Rockridge resident
designs men’s shirts out of his home on
Locksley Avenue. His all-cotton, American-
made men’s button-downs display touches
such as an orange label and trim – a reference
to the San Francisco’s Giants 2014 World
Series win.
“And here I am making clothes.”
That evolved because after graduate
school, Wells pursued a career path that was
more creative than academic. He became an
art director for youth apparel brand Ecko
Unlimited where he developed advertising
campaigns. He went on to work as a designer
creating the packaging for video game
publisher Electronic Arts. He is currently the
brand director for a national men’s retailer
headquartered in the Bay Area.
And to celebrate where he lives, he named
the company Rockridge Enterprises and his
first shirt design, The Locksley.
It will be Father’s Day Number 2 for
Rockridge Enterprises founder Randy
Wells and son Quincy.
“I liked naming it after the neighborhood
I live in,” the lanky, 38-year-old Wells told
me. “It feels very American and this is very
much an American-inspired shirt from the
1950-60s.”
“I always knew I wanted to build a
company. I wanted it to be a fashion company
because I love fashion. I knew I wanted it
based in Oakland,” Wells said. His dream is
to: “Ride my bike to work; be close enough
to home that my kids can come to the office;
and be a large contributor to the community.”
/Judith Doner Berne
Like so many of us, Peirce wanted to “live
in a place that was walkable.” She told me,
“I really didn’t know how great it was until
after I moved here.”
Wells actually owns the trademark for
Rockridge, which he was surprised to find
was available. “My concern is that a lot of
businesses use Rockridge in their names
and that’s fine, as long as they say what that
business is,” he told me. (So Rockridge Café,
Rockridge Cleaners and oh yes, Rockridge
News, you’re safe!)
Once he joined her, Wells discovered that
“I liked the story and history of Oakland.
I wanted to be a part of that wave (of new
businesses) that the city is attracting. As an
African American, there is a sense of self
awareness that your individual success will
inspire or motivate others to chase their
dream successfully. So there is pressure to
The truth is, he was living in San
Francisco and might never have landed in
Oakland had he and Peirce not found each
other. As a psychologist for the Piedmont
Unified School District, she was already
living in the Locksley Avenue house which
she had moved to in 2012.
I assumed that he had studied design. “Of
all the degrees I have, none are in design,” he
said, with a smile. In fact, the Los Angeles-
➧➧The Shirt on His Back, page 7
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

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


7.
June 3, 2017

The Shirt
on His Back
moved to Jack London Square.
After spending most of his life in Los
Angeles and New York, “One thing that is
really cool about this neighborhood is that
people know one another,” he said. “We shop
regularly at Market Hall and eat frequently
at Cactus, A16 and Wood Tavern. People at
Hudson Bay Cafe have known Quincy since
he was born.”
So far he has just the one model, which
comes in three solid colors and two plaids.
“I wanted to target entrepreneurs and tech
people. For the Bay Area, that uniform
is a button-down shirt.” He is currently
developing a light-weight sweatshirt made
of French Terry cotton. He’s calling it “The
Hudson” – after another Rockridge street. It
will be available in September in light grey
with navy and orange cuffs.
from page 6
succeed as an African American who has
his own company and who can serve as an
inspiration for local kids.”
“Fatherhood,” Wells said, “is awesome.
The most important thing I’ve learned is
patience and to be more present because the
time moves quickly.”
To that end, he donates 2 percent of his
company’s profits to classroom projects
requested by individual teachers in the
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
through DonorsChoose.org, a national non-
profit dedicated to education (See related
story below). “We fund a project per month,”
Wells said.
Wells makes it a point to manufacture and
source all of his clothing in the United States.
The button-downs are made in Brooklyn, the
sweatshirts in Emeryville. He wants both
the brand and the social good component to
reflect well on Rockridge.
So how will he celebrate his second
Father’s Day? “Quincy and I haven’t
established a Father’s Day ritual,” Wells
said, “but we do have tea at the Hudson Bay
Cafe every Saturday morning.” That’s where
Peirce meets up with them after her workout
at Sweat Oakland, across the street.
Wells’s home computer is where he comes
up with his designs, and his garage is the
distribution center. The Locksley shirt is
available through his Rockridge Enterprises
website and also at Asmbly Hall in San
Francisco and Oakland Supply Co., recently
“When you name your company after
a neighborhood that you live in,” Wells
told me, “you feel a sense of responsibility
to your neighbors and the community to
protect its integrity and reputation. When
it comes to building the brand and the
company I’m well aware that every decision
I make can potentially shape the perception
of how people view Rockridge. I take that
responsibility seriously.”
“Last year Quincy made me a card and
baked some brownies and cookies with his
mom as a Father’s Day gift. I imagine we will
do the same this year and go for a family bike
ride that day.”
To comment or to make suggestions for future
columns on your Rockridge neighbors and
neighborhoods, email judyberne@att.net.

Contributing to the Community…
F

ollowing are excerpts from notes Randy
Wells received from Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD) teachers as a
result of donations from his company,
Rockridge Enterprises. Some were accom­
panied by photographs of students using
the new equipment.
these two stations has allowed our class to
use materials in exploration of cause and
effect with independence….”
M r s . K i n s l ey, se co n d g r ad e ,
Fruitvale Elementary: “On behalf of my
kindergarteners, thank you so much. We
use the pocket chart stand throughout
the day; being able to roll it around…has
made it easier for my class to be more
independent….”
Mrs. Burke, Burbank Preschool Center:
“We are delighted with our new light table
and sensory table stations. The addition of
Mr. Chin, second grade, Chabot
Elementary: “Thanks to you, our classroom
library is going to get a huge boost in the
nonfiction section. I can’t wait to see the
faces of my students when I show them
the new books....”
Mrs. Morales, ninth grade, Skyline High
School: “With your donation, students
were able to complete a calorimetry lab
that is not easy and can be dangerous.
Thank you for looking out for students in
Oakland, California….”
Competition Drives Price in May

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

5/09/2017
3
3
6064 Ross St
$1,450,000
$1,450,000 13
$2,300,000

5/10/2017   3 2.5
5738 Clover Dr
$1,595,000
$1,995,000 16
$1,940,000

5/16/2017    4     3     5665 Keith Ave
$1,495,000
$1,650,000 33
$1,650,000

Homes sold in May closed 30% over the asking price on average.

(To fund individual projects requested
by OUSD teachers, go to www.Donor­
sChoose.org. The national non-profit,
which connects you to classrooms in need,
has received 11 consecutive four-star (top)
ratings from Charity Navigator.)


June 3, 2017
8.

Letters to the Editor
the area. These are some of the reasons
Rockridge is a sought-after area.
The Rockridge News welcomes
posted letters and emails to the
editor. Your name, address, phone
number, email address and city/neigh­
borhood must be included in either
for verification. Only your name will
appear with your letter. Letters may
be edited for clarity and brevity at the
editor’s discretion. Views expressed
in any letter are the writer’s own, and
may not necessarily be shared by the
editor or by RCPC.
None of this happened overnight. When
my husband and I bought our home here
38 years ago, it was an OK neighborhood,
but through the years our neighbors worked
hard to make it a great neighborhood. I know
former residents of Rockridge who sold
their homes to make space for BART and
moved to Berkeley/Walnut Creek/Piedmont/
Montclair. Now, they regret having done so.
They miss the “Community” and regularly
return to partake of all the wonderful things
that exist here in Rockridge. Well-kept
single family homes, quiet safe walkable
streets, proximity to public transportation
and locally owned cleaners, restaurants,
hardware stores and more, are the reasons
people live here and will pay for the area.
Editor’s Note: The following letter, written
May 5 and sent to Councilmember Dan
Kalb, was copied to The Rockridge News
for publication:
Dear Councilmember Kalb:
Re: Town Hall Meeting (Article in Rockridge
News, May 6, 2017), and a May 2017 Article
in the Oakland Magazine, Page 25: The Real
Cause of Gentrification.
I’ve just finished reading the above-listed
articles and have a few comments and
observations regarding them.
who have more disposable cash to spend and
who are willing to pay whatever they need
to in order to live and work in or around San
Francisco. This has sent families and those
hoping to someday start a family to Oakland.
Oakland is fortunate to be experiencing
this uptick in interest, and Rockridge, in
particular, is a neighborhood that has worked
hard and long to create a quiet, safe place for
families, older single people and yes, empty
nesters to live.
Gentrification is a word used by many
to describe what happens when a neglected
neighborhood is revitalized by people
seeking a safe, local home in which to begin
what they hope will be a long and happy
family life. I have nothing against highrises,
condos and renters – I was a renter when
I first moved here to the Bay Area from
Connecticut – but people who rent rarely have
a feeling of community for their living space
because that space is, for them, temporary.
And highrises, once built, often become
difficult to maintain, thereby changing
Rockridge has easy access to San
Francisco via BART, AC Transit or highway
(as well as points further east and west, north
and south via 580/680/highway 24 & 13),
small family-owned restaurants and shops
and larger businesses such as Trader Joe’s
and Safeway on either Claremont Avenue or
at the Rockridge Center, Frog Park (where
children and their nannies can play safely)
and tree-lined streets where small starter
homes exist side-by-side with homes that
have been renovated and or remodeled so
that families living here can stay and enjoy
1. Yes, there is a shortage of affordable
housing in Oakland, but that is the result of a
viable economy bringing people, young and
not so young, to the Bay Area. This is a good
thing and should be applauded.
2. Oakland, which for decades has had
to fight a reputation as “a dangerous and
undesirable place to live,” has, in recent
years, had a resurgence of interest from
potential residents because San Francisco has
developed the hell out of its neighborhoods
to accommodate young, dot.com renters
➧➧Share Housing Responsibility, page 12
SOLD!
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REPRESENTED THE BUYERS
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w w w . c o y l e h o m e r e m o d e l . c o m
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
designer’s
eye
MAXI LILLEY
 THE ROCKRIDGE REALTOR® WITH A


9.
June 3, 2017

Chabot Road News
Route Available
M
Our Block Enjoys The Rockridge
News and I Enjoy Delivering It
Editor:
More Letters to the Editor
Condo Tower Wrong
for Claremont Hotel Area
Editor:
I just prepared the May issue of The
Rockridge News for Saturday morning
delivery, and then read it cover-to-cover.
any thanks to Block Captain Dina
Weilhammer who is stepping down
from her Chabot Road Rockridge News
delivery route. We hope one of the readers
near this route will step up to take the
mantle from Dina and continue delivery of
our 30-year old newsletter without a break.
The Housing Committee of the RCPC
recently met about affordable housing
in Rockridge. “Save our Claremont” is
currently resisting developers (including
international corporations) who want to
build a luxury condominium tower adjacent
to the Claremont Hotel. The Bay Area needs
more housing but it should be affordable and
near transit. The proposed condominium
is neither. We don’t need a tall, intrusive
high-end condominium sited far from
BART and blocking views of the Claremont
Hotel, marring the historic “short cut”
path, and increasing auto traffic on Ashby
and Tunnel Road and adjoining arteries.
The Frog Park photos are really great!
The newsletter is a welcome monthly
newspaper on Taft Avenue, and I enjoy
delivering it, especially after having
delivered newspapers by bicycle when I
was in elementary and junior high school in
Burbank. My younger brother and I shared
three early morning routes for several years
back in the 1950s. I’m glad to keep my
“throwing arm” (left arm = throwing and
batting arm, and right hand is writing and
detail-oriented hand) in shape by “porching”
rolled-up copies of The Rockridge News 11
times a year, and the residents of our block
sure appreciate receiving it.
Route
Chabot Road beginning
across from the public
tennis courts at 6885.
Then deliver to 7037,
7045, 7101, 7117, 7211, to
4 houses on Marie Way
and back to Chabot to 5
houses past Marie Way
until dead end.
01B,D
➧➧Claremont Condo Tower is Wrong, page 12
Thanks from all of us on the block for the
continuing efforts that successfully produce
this wonderful newspaper.
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.
In Rockridge since 1997
— Gary Lippman and
Catherine Gray
Here’s to good Health
Yes we do offer:
Health
Insurance
Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050
CollegePrep
A private high school for grades 9-12
INSURANCE SERVICES,  INC
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Our approach to learning requires collaboration, patience,
and creativity—all within a kind and joyful community.
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Be inspired. Refine your thinking. Express yourself.

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


June 3, 2017
10.

Land Use
Committee
■
■Possible New Housing
occupied unit. The latter would apparently
require a minor variance.
Developments on College
Avenue
In addition, RCPC has been told that
the small bungalow on the lot just south
of McNally’s Irish Pub has changed hands
and may be replaced by a three-story
commercial/residential building. Both these
proposals, plus preliminary indications of a
three-story commercial/residential project
at the corner of College and Claremont
Avenues suggest that the housing shortage
may be sparking addition of new residential
projects on College Avenue, even without any
change in zoning.
The committee heard from local architect
Kirk Peterson about plans he is preparing for
a client for the redevelopment of 5353 College
Avenue and its adjoining surface parking.
His current plans call for either a three- or
four-story building, with retail on the first
floor and residential apartments above. The
fourth floor would depend on either inclusion
of guaranteed affordable units or moving the
current bungalow occupying the site to the
top of the building as a “penthouse” owner-
from page 3
parking could be determined and evaluated.
Nevertheless, the committee will continue
working on analyzing alternative scenarios
so that Rockridge residents can have the
benefit of the best available information
before weighing in on what kind of housing
future makes the most sense for Rockridge.
Jody London:
Schools
opportunity for ALL OUSD students.
of Dr. Johnson-Trammel, even stopping me
in stores to let me know how much they
respect and enjoying working with our next
Superintendent.
New Schools Superintendent
In case you have not heard, on May
12 the School Board announced Kyla
Johnson-Trammel as the finalist for next
Superintendent of the Oakland Unified
School District. Dr. Johnson-Trammel is
an Oakland native and career educator
who has worked in Oakland for 18 years.
from page 2
Rockridge
equity, and more. ​You may already receive
my newsletters. If you’re not already sub­
scribed, you can sign up at: www.ousd.org/
Page/467. Prior issues are posted online
at the same web address.
Optometry
There were 35 applicants for the job,
and the Board spent a lot of time reviewing
applications and interviewing people. We
Help Shape How OUSD Invests
in School Programs and Facilities
Your neighborhood 
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com
also relied
on a panel of
students and
a panel of
community
stakehold­
ers, including
teachers, principals, and central office staff,
to spend time with the finalists and offer
their observations.
This month, OUSD is launching the
Blueprint for Quality, a plan to help shape
Board decisions on school programs and
facilities investment for the next 5 years.
OUSD needs your input as we:
•	 Discuss the current state of our
students’ learning environments;
•	 Determine recommendations on
school reconfiguration and rehabilitation;
•	 Develop a plan for creating better
schools that provide equity, quality, and
The staff is very happy with the selection


11.
June 3, 2017

FROG Funded for Surfacing Project
I
’m pleased to announce that
the Mayor’s Commission
on Persons with Disabilities
(MCPD) has awarded our
Frog Park resurfacing project $85,800 for
Poured-in-Place (PIP) rubber surfacing for
our Swings and More+ project.
application for funding.
This grant addresses
PIP surfacing costs for
the new play equipment
area. However, if we want to do the entire
playground (our preference) beyond just the
new area, we will need additional funds.
We thank the MCPD for their decision
to adopt ADA staff’s recommendation to
fund the project. Christine Calabrese, ADA
Programs division manager, supported
FROG by regularly reviewing our evolving
plans and making recommendations for this
project, as she has done on earlier FROG
projects. We also thank our designer,
Adrienne Wong, who encouraged the
More project details are to come as
we continue to navigate city funding and
project costs.
YOGA + WELLNESS
N A M A S T E
— Carol Behr, FROG Chair
Donations are tax-deductible. FROG projects
include: new play features; repairs; gardening
and clean-up supplies; events; future art murals;
and more.
NEW TO NAMASTE
3 WEEKS           /$39
UNLIMITED YOGA
Limit one per person.
First visit only. Local residents only.
BERKELEY | GRAND LAKE | ROCKRIDGE
W W W. I L O V E N A M A S T E . C O M
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Market Hall
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510.653.6677
Interior • Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
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For a free estimate
call Cydney
510•652•4034
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Each office is independently owned and operated.
EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE
City of Oakland supports 2nd unit developments.
Thinking of a 2nd unit? Contact FMSProjects
to see how to best achieve this in 2017!
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Ofc: (510) 547-6111
Cell: (415) 722-9805
Email: fmsprojects@icloud.com
NAT-53556-1


June 3, 2017
12.

New East Bay Open Studios
T
Share Housing
Responsibility
he New East Bay Open Studios begins
Friday, June 2, and features over 200
participating artists.
Bay Area  directly with artists in the East Bay
and promote personal interaction between
participating artists and their audience.
from page 8
Pro Arts, the nonprofit art organization
that founded the East Bay Open Studios
and organized it for over four decades,
has handed the baton to award-winning,
internationally collected artist, Carolyn
Quan, who also produces successful open
studio events in Hawaii and Toronto. The
tradition continues.
Artists will open studios and exhibition
spaces to the public the weekends of June
10-11 and 17-18 in Oakland, Berkeley,
Emeryville, Kensington, and other East Bay
cities from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
the character and look of a neighborhood;
sometimes to a neighborhood’s detriment.
Low-income property is needed, and
I believe that a project such as the ones
built in Fruitvale and West Oakland should
be built around the MacArthur/Temescal
area. I understand that one such project
has been approved. I believe it will provide
less intrusion on the character of the
neighborhood and increase prosperity to its
already bustling and thriving restaurants
and shops.
One hundred percent of the art sales
benefit the artists directly. View artist
directories online. Guidebook pick-up
locations and more details will be listed on
EastBayOpenStudios.com.
The East Bay Open Studios connect art
collectors and art lovers in and around the
Wingman
The interior, while still simple, has been
redone. For Kim, who was a banker and did
interior design in her past, it is her second
restaurant. She briefly opened a tapas place
in the South Bay. This time around she is
teaming up with an experienced restaurant
group that owns 12 other ethnic restaurants.
“Our chicken is organic,” Kim says. “Our
meals are simple and healthy.”
I do not believe it is up to Rockridge
to solve, single-handedly, the problem of
low- and middle-income housing for the
Bay Area.
from page 5
They didn’t have them in the kitchen yet,
much to the disappointment of a young boy
there with his parents. He appeared to settle
for the dumplings.
— Diana Mitchell-Chavez
Claremont Condo
Tower is Wrong
They have a long list of Boba (bubble or
pearl) teas, caffeinated and non-caffeinated,
and sodas, beers and cocktails.
— Judith Doner Berne
from page 9
Open Mind Music
future date. In addition to his records business,
Wimmer streams a weekly radio broadcast
from sfcommunityradio.org Wednesdays from
noon to 5 p.m.                     — Don Kinkead
The 250-member increase sought for the
Claremont Club will further exacerbate
congestion. Hampered access during
medical emergencies, earthquake or fire
are of particular concern.
from page 5
such as Market Street and near Church and
Sanchez Streets.
Although busy building record bins and
hanging display copies of record covers on the
walls as he readies for his early June opening,
Wimmer has been out and about on College
Avenue often enough to be pleased with the
location and with the amount of foot traffic.
He notes that he is next door – actually in the
same building – to the Rockridge Improvement
Club (“They gave me a warm welcome to
the neighborhood.”) and plans to explore the
possibility of broadcasting from the club at a
Find updates about the review process
at saveourclaremont.org. Currently
the Landmarks Preservation Advisory
Board (LPAB) is reviewing a Historic
Resource Evaluation (HRE) submitted by
Signature Properties, the developer. The
LPAB approved landmark protections in
2002, but the partisan HRE undermines
these. We hope Rockridge residents will
acquaint themselves with this proposed
development. We are grateful for your
support. Attend the LPAB hearing June 12,
6 p.m. at Oakland City Hall, City Council
Chamber, 3rd floor. Find hearing info at
//www2.oaklandnet.com/government/o/
PBN/OurOrganization/PlanningZoning/o/
Commissions/index.htm.
Caitlin Crawford
Your Rockridge Neighbor
and Home Specialist
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
ccrawford@grubbco.com
510.339.0400/287
Direct: 510.289.7218
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
And, write a letter. Our website has
sample letters and addresses for messages:
saveourclaremont.org. Thank you.
— David Kessler &  Wendy Markel
references. All work Guaranteed
Cal BrE liC. # 01951131
(510) 654-3339
SaveOurClaremont.org


13.
June 3, 2017

Auto-Related
the statutory treatment of auto burglary was
unchanged by the law). Have these crimes
increased that much? The Rockridge NCPC
has maintained monthly crime statistics
since 2014, and they show less increase
than one might think. The chart below
shows auto-related crimes in police beats
12Y and 13X (both include Rockridge) from
January 2014 through April 2017.
related crime than 13X, which shows no
unusual increases after Prop. 47 passed.
September 2016 to October 2016 showed
a spike in auto theft, then trended steadily
downward to April 2017.
from page 1
sentencing guidelines. A review of criminal
history and risk assessment of the individuals
being re-sentenced was required to ensure
that they do not pose a risk to the public.
Subsequently, many attributed a seeming
rise in auto break-ins to the new law (though
These statistics, and other information,
are on the NCPC website at rockridgencpc.
com. See heading: “Recent Crime Sta­
tistics.” Note: Find Oakland police beat
descriptions at oaklandbeats.com.
12Y shows more fluctuation in auto-
from page 1
Tour Volunteers
Docent Volunteers
homeowners’ availability. Docents need
only attend one session. At the pre-tours,
docents visit three kitchens and hear from
the homeowner, architect, and perhaps
the contractor about the unique features
and clever problem-solving in design and
construction of each. The session will also
familiarize you with the house layout so
you’ll be able to guide the walk-through
traffic, educate our Tour guests about the
house you will be assigned to, and answer the
visitors’ questions on the day of Tour. “I just
would like to say that my Tour as a Docent
… could not have gone more smoothly. I felt
well-prepared to point out features of the
home/kitchen, and the guests were, without
exception, courteous and respectful.”
from page 1
scenes support for the Tour events; and
soliciting ads for the brochure. The reward
is a chance to get acquainted with wonderful
Rockridge homes, kitchens, and homeowners.
(We are also recruiting Tour docents. See the
article beginning page 1.)
among the best new experiences of being a
docent. “I have been a house tour docent
about five times in the past … and I was
never given the opportunity to tour any of
the homes before those tours – as we were
able to do this year (2015) on the Rockridge
Kitchen Tour.”
The Tour is a fun and rewarding experience
for guests and for volunteers. Contact Tour
co-chairs Ronnie Spitzer and Leonora Sea at
kitchentour@rockridge.org to sign up.
Pre-Tour training for the 2017 tour is
tentatively scheduled for the second and
third weekends of September, subject to the
On the day of the Tour, Sunday, September
24, docents will be assigned to one shift and
will have the balance of the day to visit the
other kitchens that they did not see in the pre-
Tour. “I was able to explore three other kitchens
that day and came away with a wealth of ideas
and inspiration. Thank you for all your work;
perhaps I can do this again next year.”
If you are interested in being a docent
on the 2017 Rockridge Kitchen Tour
on September 24, please contact Laura
Schlichtmann, Docent Coordinator, at
laura.schlichtmann@gmail.com
Let’s let one of the 2015 docents have the
last word: “I thought the Tour was super-well
organized in every way. It was a pleasure to
be involved.”


June 3, 2017
14.

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
Don’t Want to Speak with
a Bank?
Home Loans-Refinance-PreApproval. David
Herrenbruck – Rockridge Resident-Call
510/981-9799; david@fishmanfinancial.net
FISHMAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.,
NMLS#1384117 – CA BRE#01986477.
Compassionate Caregiver,
CFA Certified
Over 15 years of experience with dementia,
Parkinson’s and hospice clientele. Can
chauffeur to appointments, cook and do
light housekeeping. Excellent references.
Available Sun-Thurs days and some nights.
Call or text Sharon, 925/705-3249.
Your Personal Driver in my
Jaguar Sedan
Shopping, doctor appointments, airport,
errands. I’ll take you where you need to go
in my Jaguar. Courteous, reliable service.
Extra care for the elderly. 510/841-2891.
Cell 510/982-9757.
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
Art Show and Sale-Darril
Ann Tighe
Saturday, June 10, 10-5 pm in my home studio,
6441 Colby Street, bottom flat. Reasonable
prices. Visual artist for 30 years, MFA and
a show record. Visit www.darriltighe.com
510/599-6590.
Prepare Your Child for the
2017-18 School Year
Summer One-to-One Instruction. Grades
6-9. Reading Comprehension, Analyzing &
Evaluating, Writing Development. We teach
strategies that help your child apply the skills
to succeed. Nasira, 646/598.4698. www.
feastedu.com
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
July issue deadline is June 22. July issue
distribution begins July 8.
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Certified Organic Treatments
Paraben,Silicone, and artificial coloring free
facial treatments. On special now for $49.
Experience a complete European facial with
massage using eco-cert products. www.
penelopecalef.com Call for an appointment.
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
Ride for a Reason
The ride attracted cyclists of all abilities,
from speedy, spandex-clad gearheads to
first-time distance riders. “We think this
is a great event for people who have never
done an endurance event like this before,
and we have lots of training support for
people in that circumstance. Some of our
most dedicated riders each year are people
who have never ridden this far, and get
inspired,” says Vetter.
from page 4
in school funding. When I consider the
supplies students all over the state must do
without because school districts’ budgets
don’t stretch far enough, I feel motivated
to do something.”
GoldenBug
Children’s Shoes
The event raised more than $120,000,
divided equally among seven schools:
Emerson Elementary; Claremont, Edna
Brewer, Roosevelt, and Westlake Middle
Schools; Oakland International and
Oakland Technical High Schools. The
schools allocate the funds for library books,
art and music education, computers, science
equipment, projects for special education
classes, psychological counseling services,
or extra instruction hours for students
reading below grade level. Over the nine
years of Ride for a Reason, the event has
contributed almost $750,000 to schools.
Riders aged 4 to 80 banged out miles
from Oakland (or Vacaville for a shorter
version of the ride) to the Capitol. Cyclists
chewed through hundreds of sandwiches,
popsicles, and snacks to power through
the hours of riding, burning through about
900,000 calories. Ride organizers reported
no serious injuries beyond some skinned
knees and a bee sting.
from page 5
they are getting a good fit when their child’s
feet are accurately measured. They won’t have
to guess anymore.” Goldenberg and merchant
assistant Christi Walter use a child-sized
Brannock shoe sizer for their measurements.
GoldenBug grew out of Goldenberg’s
frustration that her children’s feet were not
being measured. “So few stores measure
feet anymore. My husband and I are small
business owners. We researched the situation
for two years, then jumped.” The couple’s other
business is Caffe 817 in Old Oakland, which
they have owned for six years.
Ride for a Reason organizers (who
include parents and staff members from
all of the schools involved) are planning
a bigger and celebratory 10th year ride in
2018, and could use more help. If you’re
into cycling, public education, political
advocacy, or philanthropy, you can help.
Contact Paul Vetter at p4vetter@gmail.
com and look at http://r4rschools.com if
you’d like to get involved. R4R depends on
its volunteers.
State Assemblymember Tony Thurmond
addressed riders and volunteers in the
morning, speaking about his initiatives to
change the way public education is funded,
and to encourage California to commit more
resources to education and fewer resources
to youth incarceration.
The family lives in the Glenview district.
Goldenberg says, “We are Oakland people with
Oakland kids.”
— Don Kinkead


15.
June 3, 2017

Rockridge Artists/East Bay Open
Studios
Saturdays and Sundays, June 10 and 11 and
June 17 and 18

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

Compiled by Jo Ellis

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

y
y Liz Maxwell: paintings prints and monotypes:
11am to 6pm. 5808 Chabot Road (not
wheelchair accessible). Light refreshments.
More info: 654-5741 or lizmaxwell@prodigy.net.
District 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
FOR CHILDREN
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. Info: 420-8775 or Writefox@aol.
com. Call to confirm.
y
y Maryly Snow: New work;11am to 6pm. Daily
inking and printing demos at 1pm. Studio
at 3016 Filbert St., #14 (2blks west of San
Pablo @30th St.). Info: 697-1944 or maryly@
snowstudios.com.
More info abt East Bay Open Studios 2017:
www.EastBayOpenStudios.com. Story, pge 12.
Wisteria Ways House Concert
Double Trios:
y
y Marty Nemko: Odd Man Out: Career coach
on KALW and KGO radio and with the San
Francisco Chronicle, will perform a one-man
autobiographical show that embeds life lessons
for all. Includes stories, songs, poems, piano
playing and coffee. Sat., 6/3, 10:30am.
y
y Bal du Kor (African): A fusion of traditional
y
y Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes
and original West African melodies
and rhythms with Michael Smolens,
ProfessorSlap (aka Ben Isaacs), and Daniel
Berkman. Sample tunes at https://www.
secondsightmusic.com/baldukorvideo.html.
(for all ages); Saturdays, 10:30am. NOTE:
on 6/24, instead of story time, Barnyard
Pals will bring farm animals.
y
y Lawyers in the Library: Free legal info and
referral. 1st Tues each month; 6pm-8pm.
Sign-up for lottery starting 5pm; lottery at 5:45
pm. Call day of program to confirm.
Gallery Exhibits
June: Oakland Art Association; Painters
July: Oakland Art Association; Photographers
Lobby Display Case.
June: Pride Month.
July: Summer Travel.
y
y Toddler Story Time: Songs, active rhymes
and stories (for 9 months to 2 years),
Thursdays, 10:30am, upstairs.
y
y Brisas do Brazil: original arrangements
of Bossa Nova and Samba with Mary
D’Orazi, Greg German and Michael
Smolens. Sample tunes at https://www.
secondsightmusic.com / BRISAS.html.
Sun, June 25, 3pm; house opens at 2:15pm.
Outside venue; wheelchair accessible. Bring
something to sit on (cushions, chairs, blankets);
also hat; sunscreen; picnic. Light refreshments
available. $15-20 donation (sliding scale); all
goes to musicians. Cash only at the door. 383 61st
Street. For reservations (highly recommended),
RSVP to info@WisteriaWays.org or 655-2771.
Call for Volunteers at Chabot Space
and Science Center
Do you love to create hands-on science
demonstrations and develop building experiences?
RSVP now for Volunteer Orientation Saturday,
June 24,10am to 2pm. Astronomy and science
come alive for children and families through new
and fun interactive experiences and hands-on
demonstrations. Design, build, and test your own
inventions with other Chabot volunteers and staff.
We ask volunteers to work 8 hours per month and
for at least one year. For more information and to
RSVP and register for orientation, visit http://www.
chabotspace.org/adult-volunteers.htm or email the
Volunteer Department volunteers@chabotspace.org
Temescal Farmers’ Market
Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally
grown fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs;
home-made bakery items; fresh cut flowers;
unique prepared foods, fresh locally caught fish,
handcrafts and more. Sample the goods; meet the
grower. Live music. Bring reusable bags. 5300
Claremont Ave. (off Telegraph) at DMV parking lot.
y
y 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.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Summer Volunteers wanted, ages 11 to 16
to help with the Summer Reading Program and
general library tasks. Contact Erica to reserve a
spot: 597-5017 or esiskind@oaklandlibrary.org.
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, July 4.
Diesel Book/Poetry Readings and
Events
FREE and open to the public.
y
y Summer Reading Program: June 10 (begin
sign-up) through August 5. Everyone to age
13 is invited to listen to others read aloud or
to read independently to win prizes.
y
y Sun, 6/4, 3pm. Courtney Maum: Touch.
y
y Tues. Evening Events at 7 pm:
y
y Wed, 6/7, 7pm. An evening of poetry with
y
y 6/13: Alphabet Rockers sing along.
Robert Hass: A Little Book on Form: An
Exploration into the Formal Imagination
of Poetry; Douglas Manuel: Testify; and
Charles Hood: Partially Excited States.
y
y 6/20: Cascada de Flores music & dance.
y
y 6/27: Red Panda Acrobats.
y
y 7/11: East Bay Symphony Instrument
“petting zoo.”
y
y Thurs, 6/8, 7pm. Jennifer Nansubuga
y
y Wed. Workshops : craft, science, &
M a k u m b i : K i n t u. I n c o nve r s at i o n
w i t h  D I E S E L  b o o k s e l l e r  A a r o n
Bady, who also wrote the introduction.
construction sessions at 3:30pm. Stop by
for a schedule of activities.
FOR TEENS
y
y Sun, 6/11, 3pm. Edward Guthmann: Wild
y
y Teen Summer Passport Program: 6/10 thru
Seed: Searching for My Brother Dan.
8/5. Explore Bay Area Hot Spots; connect
with players online by submitting reviews and
creating book lists; and receive prizes thru
the summer. Sign up at 597-5017 or www.
oaklandlibrary.org/summer.
y
y Tues, 6 /13, 7pm. Publication par ty
for local author Dr. Vanessa Grubbs:
Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers: A Kidney
Doctor’s Search for the Perfect Match.
y
y Thurs, 6/15, 7 pm. Lou Cove: Man of the
y
y Teen Advisory Board (ages 14-18): Help
Year: A Memoir. Joined in conversation by
the Man of the Year himself, Howie Gordon.
advise the library how to better serve teens;
get community service credit for school.
2nd Sat. each month, 1 to 2pm.
y
y Fri, 6/23, 6pm. Pajama Party Story Time for
Kids. Come in PJs; bring teddy bear; have
milk and cookies. Local author/ photographer
Elaine Miller Bond reads bedtime stories
from Running Wild and Living Wild.
y
y Teen ‘Scape Program: Play video & board
games; make crafts. Every Wed.: 2 – 4pm,
all summer.
y
y Get a henna tattoo to kick off your summer,
6/24 at 2pm.
FOR ADULTS
Summer Reading Program: 6/10 thru 8/5: Write
a mini review or complete three activities to enter
a raffle for great gift cards to local businesses.
Grand prize raffle is for an iPad Mini. Stop by
the library or play online: https://playadult2017.
oaklandlibrary.org/
y
y Sun, 6 /25, 3pm. Poetry Flash with
Andrena Z awinski : L andings and
Cathleen Calbert: The Afflicted Girls.
y
y Sun, 7/9, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Don
Bogen : An Algebra and Joseph Di
Prisco: Sight Lines from the Cheap Seats.
DIESEL, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave. More
info abt the authors, books and other events:
653-9965 or events@dieselbookstore.com.
y
y Writers Support/Critique Group: Bring 15


June 3, 2017
16.

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