← HomeAll issuesApril 2018Issue 2018_04 · 16 ppShowing matches for “Trader Joe's”‹ PrevNext ›Download PDF
‹Page 2 / 16›
Extracted text · highlighting “Trader Joe's”
” =P re = & al =>
———— a ee a e
2S. ~*e ~S 1 et ee sre Fe -€ gk > hee Ar —
PEP SEG Oey ER ne Rape A AT See A a AE EE
rr. * : = 7 ~- eo ~*~ a ~~
www.rockridge.org
NCWS —
April Town Hall Two-Fer: Board Elections
and City Transportation Projects
he April RCPC Town Hall Meeting
doubles as RCPC’s annual meeting and
election of Board of Directors members. This
year, five candidates are running for six seats on
the Board. Candidates’ photos and statements
are on page 3. At the meeting, candidates will
recap their statements and briefly discuss
their interest and goals in Board service,
RCPC
Town Hall
Meeting
Thursday,
April 19, 7-9 p.m.
Rockridge Branch
Library Upstairs
Meeting Room
the Oakland Department of Transportation
(OakDOT), on the Rockridge transportation
projects funded by the City of Oakland’s
settlement of its lawsuit over the Caldecott
Improvement Project. Among the projects to
be discussed: an update on the Broadway lane
diet; improvements to the Shafter/College/
Keith and Miles/College intersections; and
followed by questions from the audience. _ establishing bicycle lanes on College Avenue.
he othertopic forthe Town Hallisanupdate See Topic Update story below.
by Wlad Wlassousky, Deputy Directorof And: See you at the polls.
Procedures, RCPC Election 2018: During the April RCPC Town Hall and annual meeting, Rockridge residents may vote for
eS: board candidates . At least 25 residents must cast a ballot at the meeting to establish a quorum. If the quorum is met, residents
“able to attend the Town Hall may vote Saturday April 21, 10 a.m. - I p.m., at the entrance to the Rockridge Branch Library,
Voter Eligibility: Persons age !8 and over who live within RCPC boundaries are eligible to vote. Verification for all voting will be
by driver’s license or DMV ID card showing an address within RCPC boundaries as depicted on the RCPC website: rockridge.org.
a
Topic Update: Caldecott Settlement Agreement Projects
Oakland safer. Oakland staff and their
consultants will provide an update on the
status of these projects at RCPC’s Town
Hall, Thursday, April 19, beginning at
paid for were pathway improvements
alongside Broadway between Golden Gate
Way and Lake Temescal and new bicycle
lanes on Broadway between Golden Gate
by Victoria Eisen, project consultant
n $8 million settlement agreement with
Caltrans following community concerns
about the environmental documentation of
the Caldecott Tunnel’s Fourth Bore project
is delivering transportation improvements
that make walking and biking in North
7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library.
Completed Projects
The first projects the settlement agreement
Way and the Kay Overcrossing, near the
eastbound SR 24 on-ramp. They were
> Caldecott Projects’ Progress, page 13
RCPC Land Use Committee
Update: April 2018
The Land Use Committee met March 28,
with a quorum present. There were two
items on the agenda:
Student Intern
RCPC has taken on a student intern to
gather data on the current residential and
esidential composition of development
College Avenue. The hope is to have
the data compiled and analyzed by June to
serve as a basis for evaluating the potential for
different development scenarios for the area.
SB 827 (Wiener/Skinner)
The committee discussed the status
The April Land Use Committee meeting may
need to be rescheduled. Please check the rockridge.
org website on April 20 to determine if/when there
will be an April meeting and, if so, the agenda.
of this bill, which, in its current form,
would upzone most of Lower Rockridge
and Temescal to between 5 and 8 stories
maximum height (7 to 10 stories with
maximum state density bonus). While the
committee was unanimous that there was
a need for more housing, and in particular
housing affordable to all income groups,
in the Bay Area, Oakland, and Rockridge,
there was also a consensus that SB 827,
in its current form, would be detrimental
rather than helpful in addressing Rockridge’s
housing needs and protecting community
interests. Committee members felt that
the bill, in its current form, was overly
simplistic and heavy-handed in its approach.
The committee voted to engage in further
on-line discussion to formulate a nuanced
recommendation to the RCPC Board on
what kind of position to take on the bill.
Réckridge News
a a eee
April 7, 2018
2.
oe
“a . = . q - 6a &
. - ¥ i < . on a me
, ons <P at
Pye ~~ a
en Claremont__ =
‘Near Telegraph
Pos
+
ee
Authors Scramble to Add
Amendments to SB 827 to Address
Impacts Identified by its Critics
by Stuart Flashman, Chair, RCPC
he February Rockridge News featured
an article on Senators Scott Wiener’s
(D-San Francisco) and Nancy Skinner's
(D-Oakland-Berkeley) bill, which would
mandate residential upzoning near transit
stations and major transit line stops statewide.
Faced with significant opposition to their bill,
they have added a series of amendments. (The
bill’s amended language as of March 1, 2018,
can be found at: https://bit.ly/2pNtF2l.) The
amendments attempt to placate at least some
of the bill’s opponents, which include many
tenant and minority advocacy groups. Those
Sor oe
Pay
=“
-s .
-—-
ee 1
.
ey a.
>
J .
. ~
on Senators Wiener and
Skinner’s New Housing Upzone Bill
ms
) — nt
, : "dp ~
et we .
e 4
Kd i
opponents have said the bill would increase
tenant displacement and gentrification in
“transit-rich” areas like Rockridge and
West Oakland. (See, for example, this
recent article: https://bit.ly/2GqfWd1.)
While the bill is still at an early stage
of the legislative process (pending in its
first committee) — Senate Housing &
Transportation), it has already become one
of the most high-profile and polarizing
bills of this legislative session, with front-
page coverage in the New York Times
and other news media. Supporters include
California YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard,
which has gotten major support from the
Bay Area’s high-tech industry), the Silicon
Valley Leadership Group, and the Bay Area
» SB 827, page 12
— J
o—
The March Town Hall : Bikeshare, Parking Permits, More
he March Town Hall audience heard
a report on the Rockridge BART
bikeshare station location, and new
enforcement plans for Rockridge’s many
Residential Permit Parking areas, among
other topics. Keith Schuerholz, newly
moved to the Oakland Department of
Transportation (OakDOT), covered a
number of topics, chief among them a new
enforcement push in the City’s residential
permit parking areas. New tools, he said,
will bring more effective enforcement.
Find the full report at rockridge.org.
« = 2 »
x. we - a, mm»
a ae Bm,
o a >. a ABS
“8 Sos
wa L
EXPERT
-- SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
1 r
GARDEN $5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only ®& Present with incoming order
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
Garden Cleaners
601-1188
Mon — Fri 7-7 °* Sat 8-6
—————
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
(2 at Manila | 597-5017
Library program details/hours: Calendar, page 15
Rockridge News
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 ang
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 ang
ntation of neighborhood interests.
represe
Rockridge News Production
Don Kinkead....-.--co-eeereeerere: Editor
Jo Ellis.....--seesessssseseesrernsnsssens Asst. Editor
Judith Doner Berne........... Eyes on Rockridge
JO Ellis ......sseecccssveeseesnnsesensonees Advertising &
Community Calendar
Susan Montauk........--er-eere Business Manager
Don Kimkead.......------e-ereers Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2017-18
Stuart Flashman ........-0+-+-+-- Chair
Leonora SOA-...ccreecsserereevenees Vice-Chair
Jesse Ortega ...-.-cv--rn-ervererm Secretary
Ronnie SpitZer....-..0------r+ Treasurer
Alden Conner, Eduardo Gutentag, M C Haug,
Don Kinkead, Andrew Masalin,
Laura Schlichtmann, Courtney Welch
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.o
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 May issue is:
= May 4, 2018.
™@ Submission deadline: April 19. a
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. -~"
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or emall
joellisi@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right
to refuse any display or classified ad that it dee™
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page !4)
= .
— “Akela m ee eS Bee LS tk es oe RS el ee
April 7, 2018
Rdckridge News
ee” ee a 8 ae =
@ Elect
Ashley Cruz
Boyd Avenue
Nave been a Rock-
ridge resident for
Over 5 years. | remem-
ber the first issue of :
The Rockridge News A}: ae
, received, and how {7% ie
it made me feel included in a community.
| still wait for its arrival and know it will
Connect me to local stories, happenings,
and updates.
| am a landscape architect with a back-
ground in sustainable and ecological plan-
ning, community engagement and complete
Streets design, and feel | will be able to help
make positive change in our neighborhood.
| became interested in being a board
member when M C Haug encouraged me,
Stating | would be an asset. BART’s removal
In January of the iconic and structurally
intriguing Red Ironbark Eucalyptus trees
g Keith Avenue helped me realize |
eS to share my knowledge, time and pas-
siOn for outdoor spaces and to help effect
the change of these public spaces, where
community members connect to transit,
to culture and to each other.
The Rockridge
News Is
Calling on You
a] ee Jones is looking for a volunteer to
replace him on his Claremont Avenue
newsletter route. He can keep on delivering
for a month or two, so we hope someone
will step forward before he has to step
down as Block Captain. Tim’s is the first
of two Claremont routes that we have
available for new volunteers. We hope
you will contact us to pick up the mantle.
- a " a
i
Route 22B: odd numbers along
Claremont between Forest and the freeway
ramp to highway 24. Drops a stack of 25 at
‘Helloakland coffee shop.
Route 16D: Both sides 5200 Claremont,
including apartment at 5248, and 5400
Claremont Ave, west side only from
con to Cavour. |
Call 510/547-3855 or email Susan at
smontauk@gmail.com to volunteer. The
newsletter is published the first weekend
of each month except August.
ion 2018: RCPC Board Candidates
M C Haug
Kales Avenue
Incumbent
have served one
term on the RCPC
Board. | see my role
as representing the older neighbors in our
community. (I am, without a doubt, the
oldest member of the Board.) We moved
to Kales Avenue in 1976. Forty years and
three children later, | still feel lucky to
live here.
| have been employed as a city planner
and elementary school teacher and retired
as a special education teacher with the
Oakland Unified School District. | have been
continually involved in Kales Avenue block
activities and also serve on the California
Revels Board. Several other volunteer
activities claim my spare time.
| enjoy the interactive nuts-and-bolts
activities of RCPC (Halloween parade
and Town Hall sessions), and appreciate
the work that RCPC does to keep our
district livable and enjoyable. | would like
to continue to support that effort with
the perspective of a long-time resident
and Rockridge devotee.
Leonora Sea
Miles Avenue P
Incumbent
Sis | was appointed
to the RCPC Board
in July 2015, I’ve had
the opportunity to see
how well a committed
local board can support a community. I’m
running for re-election to continue to be
part of the organization that works so hard
for the residents of Rockridge.
| was born in Oakland, grew up in the
neighborhood, and live in the home my
family has owned for 99 years. Rockridge
has changed since my childhood here, and
the changes were very evident when |
moved back in 2004 after 26 years away.
But at the same time, much was and is
the same. As a board member, I’ve been
challenged and enthused to be part of
efforts, like RCPC’s work with the Nautilus
group on the 5110 Telegraph project, to
both guide and accept the positive aspects
of change, while trying to preserve what
is special about the neighborhood.
Sally Smyth |-
Hermann Street |
| at up in Pittsburgh, | ©
Pennsylvania, but over |...
the past 10 years the | “aa
Bay Area has become [ag
my home. I’ve lived in
Rockridge for three years, and became a
Rockridge homeowner last spring. | want
to help lead the Rockridge community
in planning for the future — including
transportation, schools, amenities and
services — a future that includes the
addition of more housing units. Many of my
local friends and colleagues are considering
leaving because of housing costs. | want
our Rockridge community to be a part
of helping to make Oakland and the Bay
Area accessible and inclusive for longtime
residents and newcomers. Inclusive growth
would benefit new residents and would
make room for current residents lucky
enough to call this place home. | hope my
professional qualifications will be helpful. |
have spent a decade working for nonprofits
and in government on organizational
effectiveness, food and agriculture policy,
workforce development, and community
development finance.
Courtney Welch
Colby Street "
Incumbent
am Courtney
Welch, a proud
Oakland native,
mother, housing and
community advocate,
and Rockridge
resident. | have been involved with civic
and community engagement since my
youth, joining the Oakland Library’s Youth
Leadership Council as a teenager, and that
early experience cultivated my desire to
be an informed active citizen. | am involved
with a number of local organizations that
allow me to be a voice for the betterment
of the community as we navigate through
challenges and tough choices. As a recent
appointee to the RCPC, | would like the
opportunity to serve a full term to use
my experiences to initiate practical and
beneficial progress in Rockridge while
maintaining the community’s unique appeal
and family friendly values that make it an
urban oasis.
4.
7 oT ee TP) ee ere err el Ce eee ee” 4
Réckridge News
Claremont MS Gets Its Science On
he Claremont Middle School community
showed its love of science, technology,
math, and more on Wednesday evening,
March 14, at the school’s annual STEAM
(Science, Technology, Engineering,
Art, and Math) and Pi Day Celebration.
Popular activities included calculating
the people who made the event a success:
our amazing science teaching team at Cla-
remont; volunteers from Salesforce; and
many parent volunteers. Special thanks to
parent Ethan Andelman who was the lead
PTA volunteer for the event.
Go Knights!
the math constant pi... and earning
the chance to throw a whipped
cream pie at Principal Jonathan
Mayer, as well as student-led science
stations such as pulling out DNA from
Strawberries, experimenting with
dry ice, and an egg drop challenge.
The event also included the second
annual pi contest, where students
recited as many digits of pi as they
could remember. Congratulations to
seventh grader Max Andelman, who
came in first place with 209 digits.
Second place went to eighth grader
Josie Goodson with 191 digits, and
third place to sixth grader Noah
Tadmor with 186 digits. Wow!
The Claremont PTA guesstimates
that over 400 people attended the
event, including current Claremont
students and their families as well
incoming students and other members
of the community.
A huge thank you to Fournee
Bakery, Village Market, and Whole
Foods Berkeley for donating delicious
pies for the participants. And thanks to
Zymergen and Tinkering Labs for donat-
ing equipment and demonstrations for the
science stations. Lastly, many thanks to all
Darin J. Worm
BROKER
510.504.4960
djworm@centurioninsurance.net
Centurion Insurance Agency
Commercial + Personal + Life + Health
An Independent Insurance Brokerage
providing cost effective, comprehensive
Insurance products and services
since 1947,
www.centurioninsurance.net
Claremont Principal Jonathan Mayer
shows his love of science (by being hit
by pies!) at Claremont’s annual Science
Night, held March 14, /CLaremont SCHOOL
Rockridge
Optometry
Larry Sarver, OD
Scott Yokoi, OD
Cindy Sakai, OD
Jasmine Junge, OD
5321 College Ave., Oakland
(510)655-3797
rockridgeoptometry.com
Scenic Street-
> of Oakland
Scenic Streets of
Oakland Needs
ders & Diggers
- :
" r*
:
ute
“You can help promote beauty}
and achieve satisfaction,
Contact Lee Patterson: lee
scenicstreetsoakland@gmail.com
PHOTO/LEE PATTERSON
by Lee Patterson
his year may be drier than normal,
but last year’s rain, plus what we've
got, is still fueling plenty of growth in the
neighborhood public spaces. Scenic Str !
of Oakland needs your help in keel
a few key spots looking good. If you ar
interested in a couple of hours of good
gardening exercise each month for the
benefit of your community, please contact
Tk 6 me le Oe ES Be
» Get in The Weeds, page |3
of our new
Downtown Oakland office
/—~_
aa}
a
di
} ’
7h.
zy
V8 SOawes «|
9,
a
af
Noa oe TRATS,
hy
PATA THA grea.)
Tick
nm
ig
F
EcaE
=
~_
-
—— —
‘?
way
4 r 4 f
i
en pr pn hm:
yy,
i
Shr wr
e.
he
\
Cee, Ca ee
—_ -_
5 5 i iebbriad we 6 Od 8 A
. ; ~ \i WA
= ade
IS
\
oi
yet
esa
is
|
Mid-November 20 | 7 (*
Celebrating our SOth year and “
_ Opening a new location! ~~
grubbco.com
-?*? @ Baeer Write 247
Oa eo rere 8 ee EE eR See TOL 0447/7 Beemer er Bet 6 eee ae i Ths BE 8. Ds BS i i eee
= : . -
Pe" @* @ sefet et De “ .
a ee een eee Oe Ge eee ee eee Fee ee Be i ee a ee Se Bee BO ek Be ees a
ae 4 » 5 - oe = e _ 7 “ Do ° eran CW *... Fj . Se - e
as arg te Pe ee Oe ane ete IN Ce ee ee
Rédckridge News
~F
April 7, 2018
with Carol Behr, Chair, FROG Park
> miss it: Earth Day, Sunday
April 22. March storms have helped
Us catch up on winter rainfall totals, but
have also promoted masses of weeds,
downed eucalyptus bark, and wildly
growing ivy and Texas laurel, creating
plenty to do to tidy up before summer.
Earth Day is our annual celebration of
community care for the park and greenbelt.
The DMV Neighbors Association and
the FROG Committee are jointly sponsoring
the 2018 Earth Day cleanup, from 9 a.m. to
noon. Sign in at either of two locations:
= To work on the creek, greenbelt, and
“Little Frog” (the tot park at Redondo
and Clarke), sign in at the table at
Cavour and Redondo.
= To work on the pond, play areas,
butterfly garden, and path, sign in at the
table near the big play structure at “Big
Frog” (Hardy Circle).
Come rake redwood duff out of the pond,
sweep the greenbelt path, trim ivy, turn over
Zommunity Memorial
Al Keshishian,
Levant Rug Shop
he community is invited to attend a
memorial service for Al Keshishian,
late owner of the Levant Rug Shop
on College Avenue, to be held Saturday,
April 14, at 2 p.m. by Oakland Durant
Rockridge Lodge No 188 at the Rockridge
Masonic Temple, 5449 College Avenue,
2nd floor. Refreshments will follow.
COMPLETE TREE CARE
Proudly serving Rockridge since 1965!
(510) 562-4000
TREE;SCULP TURE
www.treesculpture.com
Fully Insured | Certified Arborists | Lic #655977
rth Day: Time to TI
éprith Sea, DMV Neighbors,
the fibar (the soft material under the play
structures at Big and Little Frog), prune
overgrown shrubs and trees, weed the creek
bed. cut back willow roots, and pick up trash.
Once again, special thanks go to Fremont
Bank, a park sponsor, that will host a table
at Big Frog and provide capable volunteers.
If your company or employer supports vol-
unteering, recommend the Greenbelt and
park as an Earth Day project. There’s plenty
to do, and you and your co-workers will be
by Leonora Sea, DMV Neighbors
hen Jeanine Harmon of Park Day
School and Lynn Gitomer from the
FROG Committee connected, a perfect
match emerged. Jeanine is Director of
Community Outreach and Service Learning
at Park Day, and she was seeking a service
learning project for the sixth graders. Lynn
had tasks at Frog Park and the Greenbelt
appropriate for eleven- to twelve-year-olds.
Out of this connection came Park Day
School’s stewardship of Frog Park, within
walking distance of the school and already
familiar to many of the sixth graders.
Service learning is a well-established
method of education, combining classroom
learning and hands-on community
service. Jeanine’s goal is to introduce
Park Day School students to Rockridge
activists and organizers—ordinary people
doing extraordinary things to help the
neighborhood. Before each volunteer day,
a different guest speaker discusses their
involvement with the park, past and present.
Two of the original founders, Rockridge
residents Theresa- Nelson and Jennifer
Cooper, have shared their history of the
start of FROG and the building of the play
structure.
The “service” part of service learning
SH ORTRUN NIESAR
Pies 510.326.2161
Realtor® | CalBRE #01161032
dy Up the Park and Greenbelt for Summer
most welcome.
Remember: cleanup starts at 9 a.m. Tools
and gloves will be provided, or bring your
own, marked well as yours. Many tasks are
kid-friendly. Parents or guardians must sign
for volunteers under 18. Snacks, coffee, and
drinks for volunteers will be at the tables,
and water will be available. As always,
remember your sunscreen. For more infor-
mation, contact LeonoraSea@comcast.net
or info@frogpark.org.
Park Day School: Education Through Service
centers on work days. The student volunteers
have picked up trash (noticing less trash
in the winter months when park usage is
lower); collected fallen eucalyptus bark;
observing how it peels off the trees in long
strips; and raked leaves (noticing the winter
drop-off in fallen leaves). In February,
they began preparations for the relocated
butterfly garden, to be planted in the
area cleared by the tree that fell last year.
FROG plans for April, in addition to the
community-wide Earth Day event, include
further work by the Park Day volunteers
on the butterfly garden planting area: soil
preparation, deciding which pollinator-
attracting natives to plant, and perhaps by
making a garden plan. Special thanks are
due Jackie Salas, horticulture supervisor at
Children’s Fairyland, who provided a trove
of information on choosing, planting, and
maintaining the appropriate species for the
particular environment of the park.
Next time you walk along the path
between Clifton and Hardy Circle, notice
how well-maintained it is. Keep an eye on the
area around the bench, where next year you
may see monarch butterflies, swallowtails,
painted ladies, and fat, busy native bees.
Thank you, Park Day School sixth
graders. You Rule!
EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE
ortrun.niesar@sothebysrealty.com
baysir.com
‘= Local with Global Reach.
* Specializing in the East Bay.
Discreet and Professional.
Bay | Sotheby's
| INTERNATIONAL REALTY
a
Pow See + £58 6 BOE Y C215 2.24657 Seb RA 8 VR 2 ee ~ 29Rs «4 ee
6.
———e
Sa eae Be CRT SSeS 6 eS a 2 Oe aa eet Frs~ -
Rockridge News
April 7, 2018
oy 14 JonsRock=nid ee -
Neighbors inspire music lover to create house concert series
by Judith Doner Berne
ould Anne Emerick be hosting
house concerts if it were not for the
fact that she lives on a block in Rockridge
that boasts several talented musicians?
She thinks not.
Emerick, whose Wisteria Ways house
concerts are usually listed in The Rockridge
News Community Calendar, has been
opening her home for indoor and outdoor
concerts since 2006.
“Taking a riff off the phrase that ‘It takes
a village to raise a child’ (she has two adult
children so she knows), so too, it takes a
community to start a house concert series,”
she both told me and writes on her Wisteria
Ways website.
She credits musician neighbors David
Morris, Brendan Doyle and Maxine Gerber
with giving her the impetus to start the concert
series as well as logistical help from Daniel
Steinberg, now of Santa Cruz, who leads a
World Harmony Chorus and has his own
house concert series.
There she was, she said, taking time off
from being a scientist to raise two young
children, when down-the-block musician
couple Doyle and Gerber held some house
concerts. “I felt I had died and gone to heaven
to be able to attend a concert, any concert,
let alone on my very own block,” she said. “I
didn’t realize at the time that it had planted
a seed.”
But the seed had to be watered and
nourished, and that took time — five
years in fact — from idea to conception.
“Pivotal was my musician neighbor David
Morris,” Emerick said, “who, in the spirit
of community service, offered to have his
baroque classical group play here on the
condition that it would be a fundraiser.”
Martin Coyle 510-655-8717 Mike Tracy
5221 James Ave. Oakland Ca. 94618
www.coylehomeremodel.com
When that was successful, Wisteria Ways
(named for a wisteria plant Emerick planted
in her backyard in 1976) fully bloomed. “I
do roots-based music: traditional, folk, non-
amplified, acoustic.”
Billing it as a private, Northern California
House Concert series, Emerick has room to
host indoor and outdoor concerts in her 1915
Craftsman home “with the largest backyard
(75 by 150 feet) on the block.”
“T’ve had 110 people here,” she tells me,
as we stand on her back deck, where she has
installed overhead netting to shield musicians
from the sun. She encourages attendees to
bring picnics, blankets and/or lawn chairs
and to wear a hat and sunscreen.
For indoor concerts, the house holds 50 or
more, and she encourages stair-sitting where
the acoustics are particularly good, aided by
ample wood built-ins and hardwood floors
that “nicely amplify voices and instruments.”
“This is not a business,” she emphasizes.
Suggested donations of $15-20 per person go
directly to the musicians. “It costs me money. I
provide drinks and treats. It’s a very expensive
hobby. It’s all to foster the musical arts.”
Although she believes she is now the
only home concert host in Rockridge, “I’ve
nurtured other house concert-givers in the
area. You can never have too much music.”
Emerick, who retired a year ago as
a microbiologist working on the joining
together of DNA molecules, received her BA
in biology from Oberlin College (attracted by
1331 GRAND AVENUE
t 510 652 2912]
piedmont dental
DOr. Jill} A Martenson, DDS
i
its music and science programs) and a PhD
in bacteriology from Cal Berkeley.
“Music has been an active part of my
life since the second grade when | became
obsessed with playing a toy claring I
managed to wear out the keys so that it Could
only play one tune: “Good Night Ladies’
Emerick said. She played flute throughoy
college and has sung in a local chorus, but a
this point, “I mostly just have an appreciation
for music.”
“By hosting house concerts,” neighbo,
Gerber said, “Anne is providing an opportunity
for the musicians and the audience to
experience a musical performance ina small,
intimate setting. Often there is no sound
system, so everyone gets to enjoy the acoustic
sounds of the instruments and voices.
“Many extraordinarily talented musicians
aren’t well-known enough to be booked
into a large venue, and that can deprive
the community of hearing a lot of fantastic
music,” said Gerber, who along with hush{it\
Doyle, plays guitar and banjo and has livea iu
Rockridge for 40 years. “So house concerts
are a real gift to the community.”
From past experience, Gerber knows how
much work it takes to put on house concerts.
“I’m so grateful that she’s willing to take on
the effort to bring wonderful music to our
community.”
“T think Anne has hosted nearly a hundred
musical events,” reports next-door neighbor
> Wisteria Ways, page 7
BY DESIGN
NEW PATIENT EXAM
> 5350 VALUE!
lIEDMONT -c
210 652 077-7
piedmontdentalbydesign.com
eE~eE~ Dee o”™ — es So a eS Se OS ee ee Se
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
:
|
:
|
:
|
|
|
:
|
:
|
|
|
}
|
|
|
April 7, 2018
isteria Ways
m page 6
Morris, a professional cellist and early
music specialist. “House concert series like
Anne’s are an incredible gift to performers
and audiences alike,” he wrote in an email.
“Having even one series like this in our midst
is a real plus for the neighborhood.
“Speaking as a performer,” he detailed,
“T can tell you that being asked to play on an
established series is a special treat. And most
listeners will tell you that there is a special
delight in hearing and seeing performers up
Close... all those aspects of performance
which make it so human and interesting and
nuanced, right there in front of you.
“We musicians spend so much time
working on our programs, practicing,
teaching (or doing whatever we do to keep
food on the table and a roof over our heads)
that having someone else ASK us to play, take
care of publicity and provide us with a venue,
audience and some kind of compensation 1s
beyond lovely.
Like parenting,” Morris said, “it can be
oe full-time job which will never be
m
pensated to the degree that it should be.
“Anne runs her series as a labor of love and
because it delights her.”
“Playing at Wisteria Ways feels like
stepping back in time to when chamber
music — music in people’s houses and small
halls — was the main way people experienced
music,” said Diana Rowan, a harpist who
has performed at Emerick’s home numerous
times with various groups.
“All my colleagues love playing at Anne’s
I aol Hanis!
——
RéckridgeNews
PM DODD pve tinh NORGE Se STATS Tae Sa ea nS TT Oe sal
f
——————
because she’s a pleasure to work with and
a wonderful person,” Rowan said. “She's
hugely enthusiastic, easygoing and generous.
Everything she brings in at the door she
gives to the musicians, and we appreciate her
support so much. She publicizes beautifully
and makes all her guests feel welcome.
“The Bay Area music scene would not
be the same without Anne,” Rowan said.
“She’s a community and arts web-weaver
110 people attending concerts in her
| Rockridge backyard.
srr all iter ound."
*
: 4
.
P'
4 ~~
y -
‘
-
«>
7 Oe
“ * —<
ee
_
rt
“ :
si : : ee ;
,
DANIEL STEA
510-867-4094
| Anne Emerick has had as many as Mees. |
ia heey yaat
LS
who has made a real impact on our area's
artistic legacy.”
Upcoming concert dates:
June 16— Janam,
Sept. 1— The Jellyman’s Daughter,
Nov. 3—- NUVO Chamber Quartet.
For more information, contact info@
wisteriaways.org or visit wisteriaways.
If you have comments or suggestions for future
columns, email judyberne @att.net.
£ ‘
‘*
~~ oh 4 “wee
‘eboealby Amato, AIA 510.420.0210
is DP AmatoArchitecture. com
iz)
\
eo ee ee ee ee eee eee
Se EE FC Oe OE eB Oe eee
ASSN RTE NEEL BOLTS a TNT Cd LA OI, BE RR ERR Ee CONE oR NLL DS, PALES SE
Beato. PAA CANT as iat
- NDE OE SEE, Te Oe ae aaa
8.
New SaferRockridge Patrols Provide 24/7 Response
by Paul Liu, Rockridge Patrols
4 ese Rockridge is excited to announce
that we have a new patrol provider,
Intervention Group, Inc. (IGI), a locally-
owned and operated business serving many
other Oakland neighborhoods as well as
numerous high-end clients including players
on the Golden State Warriors and rock stars.
IGI uses highly visible, Intervention
Group-detailed black patrol vehicles staffed
by unarmed officers with experience in
neighborhood patrolling. The focus of the
patrols continues to be to create a visible
security presence that deters crime in the
neighborhood. Previous analysis found
that the introduction of patrols decreased
robberies and burglaries by 30 percent. In
addition, IGI offers a number of significant
wee, 8 APS :
mK eh. Mea, %e ,
Man Bod oe
ar — . ot ee aca oe v} af
« , > » a 3
7 : ~> ' enon! ats
. de «4 " te
oe
a
> ‘4 ‘ ;
ae
Las > aie
» = , ae '
, a
“¢ ee
ho + oe
“~ 4 of ae ;
Se Fae * ~
—— eee eee = ee oe a we — wt Br A)" -
oe >’ 3 a
~~ =v “_
le
<a “we ¢ ¥ -
; “ 4 a. A
ney Pal
- — J
—_ —~— aa ree 7
—_ .
ha ge oi Fee ;
~ — — rola > vt » ’
; we ee
a 2 te ener ws
it AOD PE J
3 } x,
2 2
_ _«
@
ee ae
~~
py Coe eA
— + ™ Wes, © airs
- MV»
: rad ; a ‘4 + ve ‘ .
. ~ ; ———_ ae. i
. . aA ne
—at are - 4 ¢ * a , P, ad '
2 eh i => : —- 5 ie ‘7
ee Fees . ee an ee, Vy“ .
? * <> — + ’
Od Py ek P -*
7 7 od "
aia_a,_-—
REAL ESTATE
1114 KEELER AVENUE
BERKELEY
Spacious and gracious Midcentury
gem. Meticulously maintained and
Polished. 5br/3ba with family room.
Perfect for big, extended family.
Can also be used as 3/2 Upstairs, with
Q 2/1 separate in-law downstairs.
Open plan, Crisp finishes, easy
indoor/ outdoor flow.
Ruth Goldstone
B--% 510.418.7191
i Se eastbayprop@gmail.com
RW oprE# 01300164
For more details on
this listing, or if you're
Ininking of
selling or buying, contact Ruth.
‘Se ee
IS FY WLM FIs PTR CIE RO ea aE ps
Rdéckridge News
April 7, 2018
eget a
————7
service enhancements.
First, IGI patrol response can be reached
24/7 via their dispatch service at 877/272-
8765. Response is available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, regardless of scheduled patrol
hours. As before, this service is available to
anyone (contributor or not) within the patrol
area (see map), but it is available thanks to
the generous support of community members
and several commercial sponsors. We can
always use your new and continued support.
See SaferRockridge.org. 24/7 IGI patrol
response is available for urgent matters or
emergencies, but, in emergencies, call the
Oakland Police Department first.
Second, we continue to have scheduled
patrol hours, which for March were Monday-
Friday, 3 to 10 p.m. Please subscribe to our
Safer Rockridge Security Patrol Area
newsletter at SaferRockridge.org/subscribe
to get the latest scheduled patrol hours
is Safer Rockridge, Page |4
Experience * Knowledge * Performance
Oakland and Real Estate nuggets
" Oakland has a new $6k-$12k owner move in tenant relocation fee ordinance
" Second installment of property taxes are due before the 10th!
Free Arts Now education event at Oakland Museum 4/7
* Free open house for event rentals at Chabot Science Center 4/9
For sale this month: a )
>9589 Lawton Ave - gorgeous +/- 3,000 sqft of living space, home plus accessory building, 3 blocks to BART
>2912 Benvenue brown Shingle home plus two legal detached income units 1 block from College Ave.
Happy National Humor Month!
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 .
LAW OFFICE OF
PACIFIC
ONION
INTERNATIONAL
April 7, 2018 RdckridgeNews Q.
ocal Artist Mauricio Bustos shares the opinion of many
Rockridge residents that the vacant lot at the intersec-
tion of Claremont and College avenues is a shameful waste
of a community asset. The difference is he could do some-
thing about it. The result was a compelling display of moving
lights and changing colors one evening in March. At right
is Busto’s list of questions and answers about the project.
GVAMNIY ‘G/OLOHd
ockridge Artist Brings Life and Light to Enigmatic Corner
Questions and Answers: Mauricio Bustos
What was the purpose of this project?
That space has been empty for a bunch of years and there hasn’t been
anything done with it. A lot of people in the community were talking about
trying to use it for something more interesting like a park or just a public
space where people could display things. We tried to get in touch with the
owners and they said that they weren't interested in doing anything like that
and so we put the piece up there.
How do you feel about the project?
It got a lot of people to come out and actually come into the space and
experience it. There was a lot of positive reaction and trying to figure out
ways for us to use the space more effectively.
Did it all go as planned?
Yes, the only problem was getting the pizza on time.
What inspired you to make this installation?
| don’t know; it’s one of those things that just popped into my head. | had
the idea one day about trying to represent things using things like wind and
color to represent an interesting natural phenomenon.
Do you plan on doing any projects like this in the future?
There are other things that I’m working on right now professionally but
something like this might come up in my head again.
What did you learn from this project?
That you can’t do things like this alone. You need a lot of people to help
you with it, especially when you look up at something so big. The other
thing is your instinct about how a project is going to be reacted to by the
community. Usually it’s bright and there’s a lot of interest in getting things to
be more public and some beautiful things in, and it was really represented by
how much of the community came out to talk to us.
Would you change anything if you were to redo this?
| think it would have been interesting to have another set of 5 poles out
there to just fill up the space a little bit more. | think that’s the main thing.
What do you think people thought about this project?
| think it made them think differently about the space. There was a lot of
confusion about what was happening at the beginning, which | actually liked
to see because they saw something come together and weren't really sure
about what was happening, but in the end they understood.
Did you enjoy this project?
With anything big like this there are trials and tribulations, and it’s not
a free experience. There is a lot of money involved and a lot of time and a
lot of effort, but in the end it always gets to me and |’m very proud of this.
vay
re ¥
PACIFIC
= UNION
MOTLEY TEAM INTERNATIONAL
REALTORS®
Competition Drives Price in March
Closing date BR BA Address Original price List price DOM Selling price
3/02/2018 3 2.5 6232 Rockwell St $1,495,000 $1,495,000 13 $2,250,000
3/07/2018 3 2 5715 Oak Grove Ave $1,295,000 $1,295,000 14 $1,670,000
JASON KALDIS 3/13/2018 3 3.5 5112 Miles Avenue $1,398,000 $1,398,000 15 $1,740,000
+ 3/16/2018 2 1.5 5125 Manila Ave $899,000 $899,000 14 $1,390,000
ARCHITECT 3/20/2018 3 1 38461StSt $1,150,000 $1,150,000 53 $1,600,000
INCORPORATED 3/27/2018 5 3.5 6209 Colby St $1,985,000 $1,985,000 13 $2,584,335
3 2 489 McAuley St $1,049,000 $1,049,000 13 $1,415,000
510.549.3584 3/27/2018
Homes sold in March closed 36% over the asking price on average.
WWW.JKALDISARCHITECT.COM Specializing in Rockridge | 510.459.4338 | MotleyTeam.com
Want the highest possible price? Call us and we will show you how we will get it!
rr; FF. 9 © a ee eee Swe or ee Oe —=@ Ov
se gg NS "en ee
BART ALREADY TOO CROWDED TO
HANDLE INFLUX OF New RESIDENTS
Epiror:
I appreciate the good intentions of
Senators Wiener and Skinner, and the
letter writers who support their efforts
to eliminate zoning restrictions in transit
areas, but it appears that neither the Senators
nor the letter writers who support the bill
are regular commuters on BART. As any
BART passenger would tell them, BART is
full. There are no seats on any trains from
Rockridge from the earliest train at 4:50
a.m. through at least 9:50 a.m., and there
often is no room at all on the trains leaving
Embarcadero for Rockridge during commute
hours. If the hundreds, or thousands, of
new residents were to move in and start
using public transportation, the system
would collapse. We need to expand public
transportation first, and think about adding
housing in transit areas after that.
— David Goodwin
Epitor NeGLEcTED HELPFUL
AANSWERS FOR New REsIDENT
Epitor:
[ enjoyed neighborhood newcomer Ben
Friedman’s piece about the vacant lot at
College and Claremont. (The Rockridge
oe TE rea a
igre ay
é
Unsigned or anonymous letters will not
be published. 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.
News, March 2018 issue.) He is an engaging
writer with a lovely literary style. However,
I was surprised you did not append an
Editor’s Note answering the questions he
posed about that parcel of land. As I’m sure
many, if not most, of your readers know, for
decades that was the site of a Shell station.
Gas stations are disappearing from areas
such as ours as property owners turn to more
lucrative uses. In the case of that station,
the owner demolished it and proposed a
three-story building for the site, another of
those ubiquitous “two floors of apartments
above ground level retail” developments.
But with the retail market cratering, and
for other unexplained reasons, the project
has not gone forward. Many of us would
love to see a park or playground there, as
Friedman proposes, but there may well be
expensive underground toxic remediation
required, since old gas stations often leave
environmental trouble behind. I believe
the owner is still the Montrose Investment
Company. Friedman could easily confirm
this with a simple visit to the county
assessor’s office, or perhaps even by calling
them. The online tax records show it has
an assessed value of about $253,000. I’m
disappointed that you allowed Friedman
to speculate in print about the “mystery”
Fo! FREM MONT BAN K
Area built Bay Area focused.
Visit us at College & Claremont Avenues.
6300 College Avenue, Suite 160
(510) 851-7741
2) Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC | NMLS #478471 | PR-0976-0218
- ——— ———_— ee See eS-—S—c( (i
April 7, 2018
2 Bbckricge News ee
Letters to the Editor
he Rockridge News welcomes
posted letters and emails to the
editor. Your name, address, phone
number, email address and city/
neighborhood must be included in
either for verification. Only your
name will appear with your letter.
parcel, even ruminating about whether jt’,
owned by the city, without clarifyin
well- documented history. Oh, and welch)
to the neighborhood, Ben!
— Doug Sovern
WHaT IS THE STATUS OF THE VACANT
Lot AT CLAREMONT AND COLLEGE?
EDITOR:
I am sure you are getting lots of emails
about this, so 1 hope we aren't piling on too
much. But, lots folks we talk to are wondering
about plans for the lot at Claremont and
College avenues.
It is wonderful to have it open, and
everyone we talk to seems to agree it should
be turned into a little park, especially since
we may be seeing more development, per the
current plans by legislators.
Could you please update us on the status
of the lot and the extent to which we can
affect the decisions about its future?
If the issue is the fact that someone owns it
and wants to develop it, perhaps we can create
a bond or parcel tax to buy and develop it?
— Anthony Sperber
RCPC CuHair STUART FLASH
RESPONDS TO THE IDEA OF max
THE CoLLEGE/CLAREMONT PARCEL
INTO A PARK
The property in question, located at the
“point” of the College and Claremont
avenues intersection, is private property.
It can only become a public park in one of
three ways: 1) The owner decides to donate
it to a public agency (e.g., the City); 2) The
City purchases the property, either through
negotiation or eminent domain proceedings,
for a negotiated or court-determined price
based on the property’s fair market value;
3) Citizens in the area pool their resources
to purchase the property and dedicate it as
a public park.
There are about 5,000 residences in
» To Make a Park, page |!
CYDNEY ORTZOW
Interior © Exterior
Lead-Certified Painters 0
For a free estimate
call Cydney
910*°652*4034
April 7, 2018
o——2?.:oe ™—™ Wea
Rdckridge News
Fee Cee 6 @ Oe Maes Petr’ «~ ~OSee *GLe aS ore? se eee =~"; a
11.
o Make a Park
om page 10
Rockridge. If each residence put up $1,000,
that would total $5 million. That might be
enough to purchase the property, but getting
all 5,000 residences to put up $1,000 each
is a tall order. The letter writer is welcome
to investigate whether such a plan might be
feasible.
The property's status, as RCPC
understands it, is that the property's owners
(there are actually two parcels) have come
to agreement about a joint venture project,
although apparently no formal application
has been filed with the City. [Note that
contamination from the former gas tanks
on the property was remediated after the gas
station was demolished. |
— Stuart Flashman, Chair,
RCPC Land Use Committee
Wid” Vw Ww
ar Car Ca
COMING IN APRIL!
ee 4+ Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms
Jarvis Architects Craftsman on
AUBURN AVENUE!
All the luxuries of the Rockridge lifestyle
in one beautiful Brown Shingle!
The Rockridge Realtor
with A Designer’s Eye #019196!
o=)10.919.8997 - maxi@redoakrealty.com
RED
OAK
REALTY
Local Masons Host Ninth Annual
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Pancakes and Sausages Benefit Claremont Middle School
() a Saturday morning late in Febru-
ary, members of the Oakland Durant
Rockridge Masonic Lodge #188 generously
hosted their ninth community pancake
breakfast to support Claremont Middle
School. This annual event, co-sponsored by
the Claremont Dads Club, brings commu-
nity members together to share a hot meal
and raise funds for the Claremont PTA.
As in years past, the Masons demon-
strated their commitment to the Rockridge
community by serving up a delicious break-
fast spread at their historic Masonic Hall on
College Avenue. =&
during the breakfast. The grand prize was a
slick new Momentum bicycle from Hank &
Frank’s bike shop on College Avenue.
Special thanks must go to Ed Steven-
son and all the Rockridge Masonic Lodge
members who have dedicated so much of
their own time and resources to support the
students at our neighborhood public middle
school. This year the event raised more than
$4,000 for the PTA, which funds a broad
range of educational and extra-curricular
initiatives at the school.
Were you unable to attend? Never mind:
° r roa . tee 7
°
SSSR it :
; ‘es
The event also
featured fin-
ger-poppin’ live
music by the
Claremont Jazz
Band, directed
by Claremont
music teacher Ari
Brown, along with
numerous raffle
prizes awarded
The 10th Annual Cla-
remont Middle School
Pancake Breakfast is
tentatively scheduled for
Saturday, February 23,
fe The Claremont
7a Middle School Jazz
~) | Band performed live
¥}| sets during the pan-
cake breakfast at the
ie] Rockridge Masonic
_
= Hall. /Morris DYE
3rd Floor
Market Hall
Reckridge Dental.
rockdent.com
510.653.6677
Ste. 312
Bruce D. Fong, D.D.S.
Filippo Cangini, D.D.S, M.S.
Advanced Preventive, Restorative, Periodontal Gum Care, and Dental Implants.
FISHMAN
Reverse
=
Cell 510-981-9799
510-528-2255
Financial Group
Incorporated
David Herrenbruck
david@fishmanfinancial.net
Mortgages
Re-Fi
Pre-Approval
NMLS# 1384117
Oi ke
od
~~ —-s © > wo + Se = = ~~» Ba
12.
SB 827
from page 2
Council. The opposition is headed up by the
League of California Cities and includes
local neighborhood groups, especially in
the Los Angeles area.
Wiener and Skinner have responded by
adding amendments to clarify some of the
bill’s provisions and to add some protection
for current tenants in rent-controlled units.
Also added are provisions intended to help
tenants displaced by projects under the bill,
including potentially providing them with
“comparable units” in the new projects.
However, under California’s Costa-Hawkins
Rental Housing Act, those units could not
be subject to rent control.
It remains to be seen whether the
proposed changes will satisfy the bill’s
opponents, and if not, what additional ®
fe
DN AKAD PART ERS
BUYING?
SELLING?
LET ME HELP YOU
<5
ws
ANNE D. BRANDON, REALTOR
BRE# 01877719 | 510.682.6644
ANNE@THEHIGHLANDPARTNERS.COM
LUXURY
COLLINS ROOFING |
Family Owned & Operated
(510) 444-2220
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work « Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
‘~~,
¥
Questions About
Wills, Trusts,
and Probate?
Chr
yle M. Johnston
Estate Attorney
5315 College Ave.
Oakland, CA 94618
510.527.1880
Rdckridge News
Claremont MS
Students Walk for
Gun Safety
long with students across the nation,
Claremont Middle Schoolers walked
out of class on Wednesday, March 14 and
observed 17 minutes of silence in honor
of those killed at Stoneman Douglas High
School in Florida. CMS administration and
teachers endorsed the walkout and spent
time during classes to talk about issues and
concerns students might have. Students held
handmade signs and the crowd elicited many
supportive honks along College Avenue.
PHOoTO/JHUNEHL FORTALEZA,
6TH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER
ST Ri a a ae, oT se ae Se” eras ee *
April 7, 2018
—
changes might be added. One risk is that a bill
can get so loaded down with amendments that
it becomes too complicated and gets shelved
by a committee along the way.
Certainly this bill remains one for
residents of Rockridge and other transit-rich
==4 REALTY
im™ ADVOCATES
neighborhoods and communities to watch
and comment on. Those are the localities
where the bill’s impacts — both positive
and negative — will be focused.
Follow the bill on the Legislature’s
website: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/
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 deliy-
ery of top-notch service, highest market prices, and as
a bonus: the lowest commissions!
Brett Weinstein, Broker
brett@realtyadvocates.com 510-428-0757
HIGHEST SALES PRICES + LOWEST COMMISSIONS
CollegePrep
A private high school for grades 9-12
College Prep is a home for ideas, discovery, and engagement—intellectual pursuits
that our students treasure. Led by exceptional and caring teachers, mentors, and coaches
our students grow into their best selves.
The College Preparatory School 6100 Broadway Oakland,CA94618 51 0.652.4364
college-prep.org
April 7, 2018
RéckridgeNews
13.
aldecott
rojects’ Progress
from page |
completed in 2016.
Next were walking improvements and
a new two-way “cycle-track,” a separate
bikeway on the south-east side of Broadway
between Keith and Brookside Avenues. The
settlement agreement also funded pedestrian-
scale lighting on Telegraph Avenue and 52nd
Street, which was installed in 2013.
Projects Underway
The City is in the final stages of
completing a major resurfacing and ped/bike
safety project on Broadway between Keith
Avenue and Broadway Terrace. The project
reconfigures Broadway from two lanes per
direction to one with new bicycle lanes, and
multiple pedestrian improvements. These
In Rockridge since 1997
Yes we do offer:
Pet
Insurance
@
Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050
=e >
Hhrahan
ES INSURANCE SERVICES, INC
CA License 0D34069
www.strahaninsurance.com
include Oakland’s first pedestrian-activated
traffic signal (also known as a HAWK or
hybrid signal) at Lawton; a flashing beacon at
Taft; and corner bulb-outs and median refuge
islands at multiple locations throughout the
corridor — project features paid for with
Caldecott funds.
The final design of a reconfigured
intersection of Tunnel Road/Hiller Drive/
SR 13 southbound on-ramp is complete
and awaiting an encroachment permit from
Caltrans. This project will move the bike
lane from the left of the freeway on-ramp
approach to the right, so bicyclists will cross
traffic at the signalized intersection, rather
than having to cross the on-ramp approach
as they do now. It will also extend the
sidewalk from the Berkeley city border up to
this intersection and will modify the traffic
signal to accommodate people walking and
biking. Adjacent to this project, designs are
also complete for a new sidewalk and bicycle
lanes from the Tunnel/Hiller/13 intersection
to the end of Caldecott Lane at Parkwoods
Condominiums. This project is also awaiting
a Caltrans encroachment permit.
The last effort being pursued at this
time is the Rockridge Safe Routes to Transit
project, jointly funded with regional funds
and money from the Caldecott Tunnel
Settlement Agreement. This project will
resurface the roadway; add bicycle lanes to
uphill segments of College Avenue between
Broadway and Alcatraz; and corner bulb-
outs to shorten pedestrian crossing distances.
The design for this project is complete; it
does not require any encroachment permits
and is expected to go out to bid in the next
two months.
,
< 2 4
¢ al a we a v» * a) Sat" »
_ - . ‘Lor 4
BROADWAY PET HOSPITAL
ly : + . | U
¢ . "TAF bts “~
: Ae 4 es ot Sos AP On in
> Pant »« _s. A as re A oe c ms Wee
Remaining Projects on Caldecott
$8 Million List
Work on other projects that could be
funded through the Caldecott Settlement
Agreement are awaiting construction bids
for the projects catalogued above. At that
point, the City will know how much of the
$8 million remains. This information is
expected by December 2018.
The April 19 presentation will be
posted at www.fourthbore.org. For more
information, contact the City’s outreach
consultant, Victoria Eisen, at victoria@
eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220.
Get in The Weeds
from page 4
Lee Patterson at lee.scenicstreetsoakland@
gmail.com. A team usually works on the
Claremont Avenue/Highway 24 on- and
off-ramps, collecting trash, weeding,
pruning and planting, on Wednesday
mornings. Other workers focus on our
two dozen street trees around Claremont
and Vicente Way on their own schedules.
They work alone or in teams, as they wish.
Note: After years of being provided a good
home by RCPC, we are now sponsored by the
Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation. We
are excited about the possibilities that affords
for sharpening our efforts at recruiting help and
building relationships. If getting dirty outside
isn’t your cup of tea, we could also use help on
the digital side of our efforts, including outreach
and website maintenance. If you are interested,
we look forward to meeting you.
Morning wake-up Cails
Social network modeling
Curling up with a good book
Gardening together
Making lots of biscuits
Local caregivers who want
to help make great memories.
ee |
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK® 5
810.653.0212
” hes
. / ’
"+ <i? a ’
1 = «%
x.
fon ?
~ ." - x
_ m Od
~ ‘
+ «1
~~.
oS... me A
14.
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 9461/1.
The newsletter’s May issue deadline
is April 19. The May issue will be out on
May 5. For information: Email Susan Montauk
via smontauk@gmail.com
Tax Stress? Penelope’s
Aesthetics Professional
Skin Care Salon:
offering a full deluxe stress reduction facial
with massage and eyebrow wax for $69.
Gift certificates available. Located 2 blocks
from College Ave. Call for an appointment.
910/594-1552 www.penelopecalef.com
Your RockripGE SPECIALISTs—
JupitH Grass & SHEILA
SABINE— THE Gruss Company
Now may be the right time for a move. Your
home says a lot about you and we are here to
listen. Call 510/326-5055 or email SSabine@
Grubbco.com
Safer Rockridge
from page 8
Also, since community feedback has often
indicated a desire for random hours, IGI
is providing random patrols interspersed
around the clock.
Lastly, for contributors we now offer
home-alarm response. After completing a
form (see SaferRockridge.org), IGI can be
listed as the first point of contact for home-
alarm response, saving false alarm fees
charged by OPD and potentially providing
quicker response in the case of a real
issue. Contributors will continue to receive
vacation watch and safety escort services
during scheduled patrol hours as well.
Funding for the Safer Rockridge patrols
depends entirely on the generosity of the
community. In a typical month, Safer
Rockridge’s funding draws from around
300 individual donations (with most at the
suggested amount of $30/month) and several
commercial sponsors. Safer Rockridge
accepts both recurring and one-time
donations. For info on how to send checks
or to provide feedback, visit Saferrockridge.
org, or e-mail saferrockridge@gmail.com.
Réckridge News
Gardening Cleanups and
Maintenance
Experienced team of 2, dedicated to the care
and maintenance of plants and trees. Garden
design and restoration, pruning and vegetable
garden installation, affordable rates. Yelp: Chris
Rausch Gardening. Chris @ 510/655-0157.
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.
Kirk E Peterson Architects
College Avenue firm with experience in
everything from new homes, kitchen and bath
remodels and additional units. We create design
that is compatible with the existing character
of your home. Website: www.kpaarch.com
T: 510/547-0275
Charming Two bedroom
home in lower Rockridge
Close to.BART, shopping and more . $2900
first/last/security. Call Melissa 415/527-7647
melissabparker@gmail.com
CCA Diversity
Studies Presents
Free Programs
Epes College of the Arts, CCA,
invites the community to an exhibition
and two weeks of free public programs
on its Oakland campus beginning
April 9 and running through April 20.
Alongside an exhibition by over 20
of its faculty members, there will be a
lecture by Emory Douglas (who served
from 1967-1980 as the minister of culture
for the Black Panthers); performance by
Funk scholar and radio host Rickey
Vincent; poetry tours of the exhibition by
San Francisco poet laureates Kim Shuck
and Devorah Major; and a showcase of
musical performances and lectures the
night of Friday April 13 featuring vocalist,
songwriter, and producer Jennifer Johns
and Oakland-based rapper and activist
Vreni Michelini-Castillo (aka Chhoti Maa).
Lectures, Live Music,
and Poetry Tours
On View at the Oliver Art Center,
CCA Oakland Campus
April 9-20, 2018
"
Free and Open to the Public.
April 7, 2018
es
ee
LIFELONG DANCE with a
oanna Harris ,
, class for lively older women. Basic Mode
floor, barre work: Improvisation: Chore.
ane Tuesdays, 9:30-1)| AM. Shawl-Anderson
Dance, 2704 Alcatraz Ave. 510/654-5921 or
510/205-6065.
Retired English Teacher
Seeking Housing
in exchange for in-home care, etc. Local pro.
fessional and personal references. Services
include personal care, cooking, house cleaning,
shopping, errands, gardening, pet care, paper
work. Marian, 510/228-8248.
Estate Sale, April 6, 7, 8
8am-4pm @ 644! Colby Street (between
Alcatraz/Woolsey). Oriental rugs, textiles,
furniture, frames, art, electrical appliances,
lamps, baskets, fabric, lace, clothes, books,
jewelry, screens, tools and plants. Cash only,
510/228-8248.
Taste of Temescal
Is Back!
he tastiest fundraiser for local public
schools is coming again on |
i.
April 24, 6-8:30 p.m. Buy a $40 tichyy
for each member of your family here
and set them loose to roam Temescal,
eating gourmet goodies from restaurants
including: Asmara, Aunt Mary's, Burma
Superstar, Cafe Colucci, Curbside
Creamery, Dofia Tomas, EZ Taqueria,
Red Sea Restaurant, Roses Taproom, Cro
Cafe, Barcote, Hawking Bird, Mariposa
Bakery, Mountain Mikes, Preserved Goods.
Proceeds benefit Claremont Middle
School, Oakland Tech, and Emerson
Elementary, Sankofa, and La Clinica de
la Raza. Come enjoy fun and delicious good
times for a good cause.
Calendar
from page 15
° AARP FREE Tax Filing: for those with
middie-and-low incomes. Thursdays,
through April 12. Make appointment now.
° Hummers Delight: the lifestyle of the world’s
smallest birds: Naturalist Leanne Grossman.
Thurs, April 26, 10:30am. Free, but RSVP.
Seniors age 554 join for $12 annual dues for
discounts and benefits. More info at 597-509
Temescal Farmers’ Market
Open Sundays
April 7, 2018
Réckridge News
15.
Email Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis!@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210
EBs or mail to: Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland.
District 1 Councilman Dan Kalb
To arrange 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
¢ Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes
(for all ages); Saturdays, 10:30am.
© 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.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
¢ Saturday Crafternoon: 4/14, 3:30-4:30pm.
Bookmaking and poetry.Register in
advance for Free Workshop to make
a 90-Second Newbery Film: Sat, 4/21,
10am-4pm. Learn to condense a novel into
a brief retelling, act it out, and make a film.
Ages 8 to 14. Contact Erica at esiskind@
klandlibrary.org or 597-5017.
ws to Read with BARK: Children ages
5 to 9 read aloud to Natasha, a certified
therapy dog who loves listening to stories.
Increase reading confidence, skill, and
enjoyment. 2nd Wednesday of each month
(4/11 and 5/9.) Sign up at the Children’s
Reference Desk.
¢ Poetry Month Activity: Get supplies at the
Children’s Desk to make Blackout Poetry
or use the Poem Monster. Tuesdays, 4/17
& 4/24 3:30-7:30pm.
¢ Kamishibai Stories: Celebrate Asian &
Pacific Islander Heritage Month & Bicycle
Month: Saturdays, 5/5, 5/19, 5/26 at
10:30am, and Tuesdays, 5/8 & 5/22 at
6:30pm. Enjoy Kamishibai stories on a
Japanese-style paper-theater on the back
of a bicycle, while you nibble on Japanese
treats. All ages welcome.
FOR TEENS
¢ Learn SCRATCH at Ready, Set, Connect!
Tuesdays 4 - 6pm. Drop in and create a
program with help from our intern. One-on-
one or small groups. No sign-up necessary.
e Study Room Hours: Do your homework at
the library. A high school tutor is available
for homework questions. Tues & Thurs, 4 -
5pm; Wed: 3 - 4:30 pm (during school days).
¢ Blackout Poetry Program to celebrate
National Poetry Month. Use a sharpie to
black out unwanted words from a book page
& create a poem. All supplies provided,
pril 11, 2pm.
¢ Smash Tournament: Calling all levels of
Wii U Smash Brawl players. Rockridge
Branch tournament on April 18 at 3pm.
* Free Comic Book Day: Sat, May 5, all
day. Stop by and pick out a special one-
611. Deadline is the next to the last Tuesday of the month.
Compiled by Jo Ellis
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
day-only comic.
* 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. Every Tues, Thurs, and
Fri 3:30 to Spm; Wed 1:30 to 5pm (during
school days).
FOR ADULTS
* Ready, Set, Connect! Oneon Onecomputer
help. Tuesdays 4-6 pmand Saturdays 11am
to 1pm. Call 597-5017 for appt.
* eBook Help: Work one-on-one with
a librarian to download eBooks; great
collection of digital resources. Fridays, 2
-3:30pm. Make appt. online or call 597-5017.
* Writers Support/Critique Group: All
welcome. Bring 15 copies of up to 5 pgs.
(double-spaced, MS margins) of any
prose for on-site reading/discussion, or
come empty-handed. 3rd Sat.,1 to 5pm;
wheelchair-accessible. Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com. Call to confirm.
* Lawyer 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.
* Knitting Meet-Up: 3rd Saturday, 3pm.
Bring your project to inspire or get advice.
Beginners: learn to knit and crochet. Alllevels.
¢ Vegetable Gardening Basics: Sat, 4/7,
11am. Workshop for new and beginning
gardeners for successful gardening in
Oakland and the Bay Area. Taught by an
Alameda County Master Gardener.
¢ Book Reading/discussion: Steve Zoino:
The Future of Democracy: Lessons from
the Past and Present to Guide Us on Our
Path Forward.
¢ Free Spring Plant Swap: Share your
garden extras and take home new plants
for your yard. Saturday, 4/28, 12:30 - 2pm.
¢ Improving Your Soil Quality: Great
gardens start with great soil. Learn how
to determine your type of soil and how to
improve it. Taught by an Alameda County
Master Gardener. Sat, 4/28, 2:00 pm.
Art Exhibit, upstairs gallery
APRIL: Judith Mortensen: series of oil
paintings featuring clothed figures in landscape.
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed, Thurs & Sat: 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri, 12.to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sun and Mon.
Book Signing and Conversation
with Jacques Pépin
Meet Jacques, get your books signed. Tasting
stations offer samples of recipes cooked from
Jacques’ new books: Poulets & Légumes:
My Favorite Chicken & Vegetable Recipes
and A Grandfather's Lessons. Thurs, Apr.
19, 1:30 to 3:30pm. Free and open to the
public: Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College
Ave (across from Rockridge BART).
East Bay Booksellers Book/Poetry
Readings FREE and open to the public.
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with
us on Sat, 4/28, from 10am to 9pm.
« Sun, 4/8, 3 pm. Poetry Flash with Lara
Gularte and Mary Mackey.
e Wed, 4/11, 6:30pm. Freud’s Bar (talks
by local Bay Area psychoanalysts/
psychologists, aimed at students ages
16-25, while enjoying drinks and snacks).
More on this winter's theme of Tickling the
Unconscious. Meeting topic is: “‘Why Are
We Laughing?!’: Jokes, the Freudian
Unconscious, and Political Humor;”
presented by Diana Fuery, LCSW, PhD.
e Fri, 4/13, 7pm. Celebration of ZYZZYVA's
Spring 2018 Issue. Readings by contributors
Maddy Rakulinecz, William Brewer,
Dawna Kemper, and Michael Zaken.
Emceed by Managing Editor Oscar Villalon.
e Tues, 4/17, 7pm. William T. Vollmann:
No Immediate Danger: Volume One of
Carbon Ideologies.
¢ Sun, 4/22, 3 pm. Steve Almond: Bad
Stories: What the Hell Just Happened to
Our Country?, in conversation with Matthew
Zapruder.
¢ Tues, 4/24, 7pm. Christopher Zeischegg
(aka Danny Wylde): Body to Job.
e Wed, 5/2, 7pm. Native American
Perspectives, with Greg Sarris; How a
Mountain Was Made, and Robert McNally:
The Modoc War.
¢ Sun, 5/6, 3pm. Poetry Flash with Lynne
Knight and Beth Spencer.
¢ Tues, 5/8, 7pm. Jamel Brinkley: A Lucky
Man.
East Bay Booksellers, 5433 College Ave.
More info abt. the authors, books and other
events: 653-9965 or info@ebbooksellers.com.
Children’s Support League’s 30th
anniversary Heart of the Home Tour
The tour of five beautiful homes in Piedmont
and Oakland raises funds to support a
variety of non-profit agencies that benefit
all disadvantaged children in Alameda and
Contra Costa counties. April 27 and 28. Go
to childrenssupportleaque.org for more info
and to purchase tickets.
Square Dance in North Oakland
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling
by Jordan Ruyle. ist Fridays, 8 - 10pm.
All levels welcome; all dances taught on the
spot. Come alone or bring friends. $5-10
sliding scale donation. The Niebyl-Proctor
Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Info:
squirrellystringband.com.
North Oakland Senior Center
5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Mon. -
Fri., 9am to 4:30pm. Programs include:
Arts/crafts; health counseling; dancing and
exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s support groups, computer
classes & more.
> Calendar, page 14
SD SS. LSSa aa —_ —
a aS DE Ee
»* ew we ee” “ae ire
16.
te. 2 Oe eo? FT
RAP Dre ae Ps Ce OE PRED A | OP O'SO'K“
COMING SOON
ROCKRIDGE
Manila Ave
2+ B/1+B
A real legal detached office
On Colby Park
2 B/1B
Perfect Bungalow
Peralta School Catch Basin
COMING SOON
DOWNTOWNE
TEMESCAL
Clarke St.
2B / 1B Condo
Detached Music studio Or?
Temescal is at your feet
Rockridge News
Mortgage solutions tailored to
you and your family.
Local. Knowledge. Integrity
Scott Murray
Loan Advisor
925 743 3612
smurray@rpm-mtg.com
www. rpm-mtg.com/smurray
x 3240 Stone Valley Road West
ae Alamo, CA 94507
by the sDever arty nent c Bi uSInes Os ersight under
the Residential Mortpage Lending Act
| 6041] Equal Housing Opportunity
College Avenue
Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue | 94618
(510) 658-3665 | www.capcoakland.org
Rif ey safe|open| real LE
April 7, 2018
a SPE eet
a
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
SPOT t wr
owe I Re
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
: =:
~I know Rockridge”
LAWTON
Cc. Ron Kriss, Broker
_ Lawton Associates
“~ i - -
: ea direct 510-612-2547
rl
a a
ASSOCIATES
RonKriss@JPS.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
130+ Successful Sales
in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com
REAL ESTATE
BROKERAGE
Award Winning Contractor
Kitchen & Bathrooms
Foundations & Additions ADU projects
_
CoMNI
és
PAINTING & WATERPROOFING Ine.
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed.
Frank Silver: 415-722-9805
Hoping? Find it in Rockridge!
License to Root
License #754966
COMPETENCE
in Action
(510) 465-3000
www. pipespy.com
(510) 654-3339
Playing? Start in Rockridge!
fiat)
CLAUDIA MILLS
ClaudiaMillsRealEstate.com
Top Producer with Local Expertise
510,350 6419 | cmills@mcguire. com
Find it in Rockridge!
COMING SOON
Ze i) BY CLAUDIA
a na
9845 Ayala Avenue, Oakland
Built in.1912 this elegant home features
formal spaces including a grand
Staircase and updated kitchen with a
sunny Nook leading out to a beautifully
landscaped garden and so much more.
2,240 sq. ft. | 4 bedrooms | 1.5 baths
Great location near shopping and BART
9845Ayala.com
ro MILLS
—_ ~—?