Extracted text · highlighting “Erica Siskind”

R  ckridgeNews

THE

www.rockridge.org

VOL 36  •  NO. 9  •  ISSUE  NO. 379   •   OCTOBER 2, 2020                  CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC)  •  4900 Shattuck Ave., PO Box 22504, Oakland  94609

City to Purchase CCA Student Dorm for
Affordable Housing
— By Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use Committee Chair
With the receipt of a $10 million
grant from the State of Califor-
nia’s newly launched Homekey
program, the City of Oakland is
now primed to move ahead with the
purchase of the former Clifton Hall
dormitory from the California College
of Arts (CCA) which is moving its
campus to San Francisco. Located at
the corner of Clifton and Broadway,
the building received an architectural
award in 2005, the year it was built.
Initially, the dormitory building
was part of a housing redevelopment
package for the entire CCA Oakland
campus, including a 19-story

RCPC Election Fills
Board Positions
Rockridge residents cast their
ballots in the Annual Meeting/
Election for positions on its board
of directors in September, the
meeting had been rescheduled from
April 2020 due to the pandemic.
Candidate statements appeared in
The Rockridge News and online at
rockridge.org. Candidates better
defined their goals and answered
audience questions in a moderated
Zoom Candidates’ Forum.
Voting was conducted during the
September 24 meeting in the BART
parking lot at Shafter/Forest and
continued on September 26 in the
Rockridge Library parking lot.

Clifton Dorm will focus on
transitional housing for families
and housing for extremely
low-income elderly.
Clifton Hall Dorm, see page 4
RCPC Election, see page 3

Park District Looks Deeply into Temescal’s Troubled Waters

— By Skip Fogarty
Lake Temescal is a crown jewel
among our East Bay Regional
Parks. One of the system’s three
original parks, which opened in 1936,
Temescal provides recreational oppor-
tunities rarely found in an urban
setting.
Generations have sunned them-
selves on the beach, learned to swim,
trained as lifeguards, and fished
for trout in Temescal’s shimmering
waters. But the lake, technically a res-
ervoir, has fallen on hard times.
Blooms of blue-green algae, called
cyanobacteria, have become a peren-
nial event, forcing frequent closures
of the beach area and swimming
activities, and the Park District is now
studying the feasibility of a compre-
hensive restoration effort.
The lake was first formed when

This 19th-century painting shows Temescal Park in its pristine state.
After the park was christened in 1936, the Works Progress Administration
erected a stone beach house on the left bank. When the painting was made,
the artist and his family were camping in a white tent seen in the background.

Lake Temescal, see page 14

J.H.E. Partington, Lake Temescal, 1890. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Oakland Museum of California. 
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Logan.


THE
page 2
OCTOBER 2020

Stay Tuned for the Community Grants Program
— By Robin McDonnell, RCPC Board Member

R
The Rockridge News was founded March 1986
by Don Kinkead, and is published monthly (except
August).  It 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.
spent within a year of grant award.
Additionally, they must supplement
the grant with a funding match of at
least 20 percent.
Interested? Reach out to neighbors
and share your ideas — build pride
in our community by working
together on a project. Some examples
might include programs to clean up
litter; murals; or community gardens.
The RCPC will provide more infor-
mation in the November issue of The
Rockridge News and at the November
Town Hall. Stay tuned. n
CPC is preparing to solicit proj-
ects for the competitive
Community Grants Program
(renamed the Kevin Faughnan
Memorial Grants Fund in March
2017). This program allows any resi-
dent of Rockridge the opportunity to
propose a beautification project for
the local neighborhood.
Participants are encouraged to
partner with community-based orga-
nizations, neighborhood groups, or
business groups. Projects can receive
up to $750, all of which must be
Rockridge News Production
Anna L. Marks ........................ Editor & Layout Artist
Jo Ellis...................................................Assistant Editor
Judith Doner Berne.......................Eyes on Rockridge
Susan Montauk................................Business Manager
RCPC Board of Directors, 2020-21
Leonora Sea..........................................................Chair
Robin McDonnell..................................... Vice-Chair
Casey Farmer......................................... Co-Secretary
Michelle Boyd........................................ Co-Secretary
Ronnie Spitzer...............................................Treasurer
David Garcia, Stuart Flashman, Annette Floystrup,
Matt Levy, Eric Lombardo, Andrew Masalin, Kirk
Peterson
Election 2020: District 1 City Council
& School Board Candidate Forum
— By Casey Farmer, RCPC Co-Secretary
Don’t miss your chance to hear from local candidates in the upcoming
City Council and School Board races. Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC) will be co-hosting this forum along with The
League of Women Voters of Oakland, and the Piedmont Avenue Neigh-
borhood Improvement League (PANIL) on Thursday, October 8, from
6pm to 8:10pm.
The meeting will give voters a chance to learn more
about each of the candidates before casting their vote,
and will provide candidates an opportunity to present
their views and answer questions on important issues.
The forum will be online so attendees can enjoy the
discussion from the comfort of their own homes.
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Contacting The Rockridge News
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News? Have questions
about newsletter distribution? Want to volunteer
to be a Rockridge News block captain? Want to
write a letter to the Editor?
Articles and letters submitted for publication
should be emailed to the editor. All submissions
are limited to 600 words max, and must include
the author’s name, phone number, email address,
and city or neighborhood of residence.
KALB
All submissions are subject to editing for clarity
and brevity. To submit content, or for reprints of
an article, contact: editor@rockridge.org.
This event is nonpartisan, free, and open to the public.
6-7 pm – Oakland City Council
Candidates:
Dan Kalb*
Tri M. Ngo
Stephanie J. Dominguez Walton
(*Incumbent)
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send your
check for $20, payable to RCPC with “Rockridge
News” noted on the memo line.
Mail payment to:
RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave.,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609
NGO
7:10 - 8:10 pm – Oakland School Board
Candidates:
Austin B. Dannhaus
Benjamin “Sam” Davis
Stacy Thomas
Display Advertising
Deadline for November issue: October 22, 2020
Advertising rates are $28/column inch. Six-month
pre-pay rate available. For display ads, call Jo Ellis
at 510-653-3210 (after noon), or email joellis1@
hotmail.com. Email Susan Montauk at smontauk@
gmail.com for information regarding classified ads.
WALTON
To register for the Zoom Forum, visit https://bit.ly/32Pw558.
Questions may be submitted in advance to lwvocandidateforums@gmail.com
or during the forum via the private chat box.
The Rockridge News reserves the right to refuse any
article, display ad, or classified ad.
For more nonpartisan and objective information on local races in the 2020
general election, go to votersedge.org.
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.


THE

page 3
OCTOBER 2020

RCPC Election Fills Board Positions (continued from front page)

Casey Farmer
Leonora Sea
Kirk Peterson
Robin McDonnell
David Garcia
Annette Floystrup

Peterson 165; Annette Floystrup
165; David Garcia 162; Casey
Farmer 156; Jennifer McElrath 151;
Ken Rich 150; Barbara Dunne 143;
Brian Chadwick 115; Diana Mitch-
ell-Chavez 108; Michael Rosen 62;
Brett Moyer 56.
Sea was appointed to the RCPC
board in 2015, first elected in 2016,
and has served as Chair since 2018.
McDonnell, Garcia and Farmer, who
have been serving as appointees on
the board (2019-20), will be taking
seats for the first time as elected
directors. Floystrup was a member
of the board from 1985 to 1992, and
again from 2006 to 2012. Peterson is
joining the board for the first time.
Congratulations to the new and
returning board members! n
Social distancing and cleanliness pro-
tocols ensured a safe voting experience.
Six candidates were elected to
two-year board terms, four of them
incumbents and one a former board
member. In all, 343 ballots were cast
for 13 candidates in this contested
election. Two ballots were disquali-
fied for over-voting and seven ballots
were provisional.
The final tallies were: Leonora Sea
258; Robin McDonnell 173; Kirk
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.


THE
page 4
OCTOBER 2020

College Avenue to Be Repaved
Clifton Hall Dorm, from front page
market-rate tower. The option to
include the dormitory expired once
the development team downsized the
project, and the building was put on
the market as a separate sale.
Councilmember Dan Kalb had
pushed to have the dormitory used as
affordable housing. He succeeded in
persuading the City to put forward
a serious offer for its purchase — an
offer that CCA accepted. In addition
to the Homekey grant, funding for the
purchase and reuse of the building
will include money from the City’s
own affordable housing funds.
The Homekey grant program,
part of a $900 million program as
part of Governor Newsom’s recently
enacted budget, provides funding for
innovative publicly owned, affordable
housing projects. The purchase price
is $13 million — expensive, but still
below the building’s appraised value.
The building will need minor work
to convert it to its new use, and is
expected to open early next year.
The 45,000 square foot building will
include a total of 63 units. The first
floor will be devoted to transitional
housing, including supportive services,
for 12 previously homeless families.
The two upper floors will be used
as permanent housing for extremely
low-income elderly individuals or
couples in what had been dormitory
rooms. It is expected that there will be
shared bathroom facilities for those
rooms — as was the case when it was
student housing.There likely will also
be shared dining facilities.
The ground floor will hold offices
for Family Front Door, which serves
as the hub for the Coordinated Entry
System for homeless families in
northern Alameda County. The City
is currently in the process of contract-
ing with an experienced manager of
affordable housing to provide day-to-
day management of the permanent
housing, which will also include
appropriate services.
Councilmember Kalb said he was
thrilled at the City’s being able to
provide the much-needed housing,
which should help reduce Oakland’s
vulnerable homeless population. n
Tlanes. In parallel, various sidewalk
and signal improvements will be
made, including installing count-
down lights and extending sidewalk
areas with bulb-outs.
OakDOT received some neighbor-
hood feedback in support of delaying
the project or performing some work
at night, but determined that neither
was compatible with the available
project funding. According to Sean
Maher, OakDOT’s transportation
manager, grinding will take place
during the daytime, with no block
being impacted for more than two
days. Additionally, City contrac-
tors will help local restaurants to
disassemble, store, and reassemble
parklets, at the City’s expense. n
he City’s transportation depart-
ment, OakDOT, will begin
resurfacing College Avenue
this October, also delivering on
long-overdue pedestrian and bicycle
saftey improvements. The process
could take a month or longer.
For the portion south of the BART
station, the current surface has to be
ground down by several inches and
the debris hauled away. Then a new
asphalt surface will be laid down and
packed firm by a steamroller. The
portion north of the BART station
will also be repaved, but the process
will be less intensive because that
section is in better shape.
The final step will be to paint the
lane markings, including bicycle
Calling the Bay Area home for over 55 years.
Visit us at College & Claremont Avenues.
6300 College Avenue, Suite 160
(510) 851-7741
Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC | NMLS #478471 | DEP-1435-0220
www.fremontbank.com


THE

page 5
OCTOBER 2020

F

Rockridge is Open for Business

College Avenue’s
Halloween Parade Has
Been Canceled

rom offering expanded hours and remote services, to indoor shopping by
appointment and touchless in-store pickup, these Rockridge establish-
ments want you to know that they are open for business. Call ahead to find
out how you can support these local enterprises. More info can be found by
visting the Rockridge District Association at: www.rockridgedistrict.com.

Atomic Garden
Blick Art Materials
Bella Vita
C2020 Optometry
Claremont Rug
Cole Hardware
East Bay Booksellers
Eddie’s Drive-In Liquors
FUTURE Vanity
Garden Cleaners
Happy Trails Home
Moderne Eye Optometry
My Emergency Guy
Rockridge Dental
Rockridge Furniture and Design
Rockridge Royal Cleaners
Shoes on Solano
Stauder Automotive Service
Sunshine Laundromat
Ver Brugge Foods
Rockridge is blessed with an assortment of delectable menus from various
cultures and cuisines. Be sure to check out these local restaurants that are
open for take out, delivery, and/or outdoor seating.
Millennium
Momo Ramen
Noodle Theory
Oliveto Restaurant
Paul Marcus Wines
Philz Coffee
Ramen Shop
RareTea
Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop
Rikyu Japanese Restaurant
Rockridge Cafe
Smitten Ice Cream
Soi 4
Southie’s
The Burrito Shop
The Chocolate Dragon
The Golden Squirrel
Wood Tavern
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
A Coté
A16
Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers
Becky’s Chinese Restaurant
Beer Baron
Belotti Ristorante
Cactus Taqueria
Cole Coffee
Crepvine
Enoteca-Molinari
Filipo’s
Holy Basil Pho
Hudson Bay Cafe
Jules Thin Crust
Khana Peena
Kitchen Story
Marica
Marin Sun Farms
Market Hall Bakery/Foods/Produce
Sad Goodbyes.

The COVID-19
pandemic has
raised concerns about
exposing children and
their families to the
virus, and the Center
for Disease Control
has recommended
against any trick-or-treat activities
this Halloween. As a result, the RCPC
board has voted to cancel its partici-
pation in the annual College Avenue
Halloween Parade.
Instead, RCPC will be planning and
announcing a substitute online event.
Families are invited to submit photos
of their kids in costume for possible
publication in the November issue of
The Rockridge News (send photos to
editor@rockridge.org). n

When times are hard, change is inevitable.
Rockridge residents are sad to see these businesses close their doors:

1951 Coffee (Berkeley location is still open)
BICA Coffeehouse
Katrina Rozelle
La Boulangerie
Namaste Yoga
Porque No? (moved to downtown)
Rite-Way Shoe Repair (moved to Piedmont Ave.)
Warm Things


THE
page 6
OCTOBER 2020

Happy Trails Lead to College Avenue
Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council —
Youth Alive!
— By Karen Ivy, Greater NCPC
Secretary
O
— By Jorja Siemons
Atarot card deck,
Rosie the Riveter
Band-Aids, and match-
ing salt and pepper
shakers — these are the
nifty, vintage-inspired
goods that can be found
at Happy Trails Home,
Rockridge’s newest gift
shop. While it only
opened at 5854 College
Avenue a few months
ago, the store’s presence
in the Bay Area can be
traced back to the late
90s.
“Happy Trails started
as an American junk
shop,” says founder and owner
Gretchen McMann, who opened
the store’s original location in San
Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district
in April 1994. Embracing her pas-
sion for going to garage sales and
scavenging city streets, McMann
curates Happy Trails to be an edgy,
pop-culture mecca rooted in Amer-
ican nostalgia. With floor-to-ceiling
assortments of original pieces such
as vintage furniture and advertising
signs, Happy Trails became a local
destination. McMann went on to
open three more locations of the
store, gathering more and more trac-
tion as her business became popular.
n October 8, at 7pm, the Greater
Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC) will hold
its bi-monthly community meeting.
Due to the pandemic, the meeting
will be held virtually, using Zoom.
The Oakland Police Community
Resource Officers (CROs) will present
their usual report on area crime over
the last 60 days. Community members
may present public safety issues of
particular concern. The meeting will
include a presentation from Youth
Alive!, an Oakland-based nonprofit
that runs violence prevention, inter-
vention and healing programs.
Youth Alive! programs are partially
supported by the Measure Z property
tax fund and, with the current dis-
cussions within the city on alternate
approaches to public safety, it will be
good to hear from people who are run-
ning currently successful programs. n
Gretchen McMann opened her original store
in Haight-Asbury. Gretchen lives in Alameda
with her partner Julie and their 5 children.
Nevertheless, everything changed
in 2009 when the economy fell hard.
“I decided I would go into Corpo-
rate America, so I closed the stores
and was recruited by Hot Topic,”
McMann says. The new job meant a
big move to Los Angeles, something
that made her and her family greatly
miss the Bay Area.
Finally returning back home to
Alameda in 2011, McMann spent the
next eight years working locally in
the product development side of the
home décor industry, a path that has
led her right back to her entrepre-
neurial start.
Join the NCPC
zoom Conversation
To join the conversation, use
this Zoom meeting link:
https://zoom.us/j/93579456644
Happy Trails, see next page
The NCPC sends the
Zoom link to
Rockridge Neighborhood
Watch Network
and RockridgeNCPC,
both on groups.io
If you are not in either of
these groups and want to be
on the list for future meetings,
send your email address to
secretary@rockridgencpc.com


THE

page 7
OCTOBER 2020

change. With strict shelter-in-
place policies preventing a normal
opening, McMann looked to selling
goods online. “I had to hustle to
get the website together,” McMann
says about the pressure she felt to
establish a digital presence. “Luckily,
I have three daughters who know
social media.”
Despite the unique challenges of
Happy Trails Home’s debut, McMann
is determined and confident as a
small business owner. When asked to
advise other women who seek entre-
preneurship, McMann emphasizes
the importance of following one’s
passions and remaining authentic.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you
can’t do it,” she urges. n
Gretchen’s three daughters, Emeline (pictured above), Harlee and Chloe,
all work at the shop when they are home from college.
Happy Trails, from previous page
ican pop culture anymore,” she says.
Happy Trails Home still embraces
tattoo culture and bohemian lifestyle,
fixtures of the original store, but over-
all embraces a more modern, natural
aesthetic. Within the home decor
collections, McMann pulls inspiration
from outdoor, rustic living. “I grew
up in Bakersfield, California so I have
that cowboy, cowgirl, western blood in
me,” McMann says.
When McMann signed the lease
for the storefront back in February,
she was completely unaware of how
the world would soon drastically
“All I wanted was to get back to my
roots,” McMann says. This new drive
motivated her to reconsider her role
in the corporate world. McMann’s
final decision to open Happy Trails
Home came out of a realization that
she was ready for an enduring effort.
“This is what I want to do for the rest
of my life,” she says.
The new College Avenue store may
be a “reincarnation” of its predecessor,
but it also functions as the more
“grown-up” version in McMann’s eyes.
“The store is not based on pure Amer-


THE
page 8
OCTOBER 2020

Artist, Activist, and Organizer Brooke Levin
Gets it Done

— By Judith Doner Berne
“I
the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) board of directors,
serving as chair from 1990-91.
During her first year as a policy
advisor to Mayor Harris, the 1991
Oakland Hills Firestorm hit, devastat-
ing the community. “I was the mayor’s
point person on the
firestorm,” Levin
said. “I worked
with the Oak-
land-Berkeley task
force to create a lot of
protocols.” She created the One-Stop
Disaster Center, now a national model
for FEMA. And, as she fielded phone
calls, “I listened to so many people
vent, vent, vent. They were emotion-
ally spent.”
One night she had a dream. “I just
had this vision to try and create a
healing opportunity.” That became
the Firestorm Memorial Tile Wall
covering three walls outside the Rock-
ridge BART station composed of 2,000
hand-painted tiles honoring those who
fought, and those who were lost.
As an artist, “she realized that an
art project would help the children
and their parents,” said Rockridge
resident and local historian Annalee
Allen, who administered the proj-
ect. “It was Brooke who made it all
happen. Whatever she’s involved in
’m sorry there’s so much informa-
tion,” Brooke Levin apologized, as
I was descending her porch steps.
We had been chatting on her front
porch, masked and distanced, for two
hours. Still, I only know — and can
relate to you — the bare bones of what
Levin has done and is
still doing to serve
Rockridge and the
city of Oakland.
After growing up
in numerous cities in
the United States and abroad, Levin
put down roots and raised her two
sons, Leland and Zeal, now adults,
in her vintage Craftsman house on a
lively Rockridge street where she has
lived for 34 years.
“The way I got involved in the
neighborhood was seeing all these
poles along the street” that were
poised to hold street sweeping sig-
nage, Levin said. “I found out they
had been put up without any process,
any community input. So I raised
hell.”
After that, “I stirred up and got
involved with City directors. I got
engaged with the public works and
worked on the 1991 mayoral cam-
paign for Elihu Harris,” she said.
“He offered me a job.” During the
preceding years, she was a member of
Brooke Levin has served under
five mayors.
she gives 1,000 percent.”
Levin went on to serve under five
mayors. Working her way up the city
ladder, in 2014, she became director
of the Public Works Agency with a
staff of 750, an operating budget of
$199 million, and a capital budget of
$40 million. Here’s how she got there:
Named Oakland’s first environ-
mental service manager (1994-2004),
Levin gathered the City’s environ-
mental programs under one roof.
She’s particularly proud of starting
one of the nation’s first curbside
green-waste recycling programs.
“We started with a little yellow bin,”
Levin recalled, forerunner to the
large green bin most of us lug to the
curb each week. And she instituted
the Oakland “Creek to Bay Day,”
when volunteers clean up our water-
ways — and which celebrated its 25th
anniversary this year.
As assistant director of public
works (2004-2013), Levin’s
responsibilities included the envi-
ronmental services department she
had created, the newly reorganized
510.843.6400
5830 Clover Dr.
3 bed / 2 bath / 1,590 SF
Call for details!
Brooke Levin, see next page


THE

page 9
OCTOBER 2020

Brooke Levin, from previous page
parks and trees division with over
400 employees, as well as the 304
Oakland-owned buildings. “That
included everything from city hall to
restrooms at the lake,” she said. We
can also thank her for creating the
one-stop Public Works Call Center
to easily report problems such as
graffiti, potholes, illegal dumping or
non-working traffic lights via 311 or
the SeeClickFix website.
Public works, she says, is also
responsible for the oversight and
cleanup of public events from the
planned Warriors’ Parades to the
unplanned Occupy Oakland and
Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
“When there’s a protest somewhere
in the city, we wanted everything
normal by first thing in the morning.
It was a constant thing.” President
Barack Obama’s 2012 visit to Oakland
“was the most complicated,” Levin
said. “The Secret Service required
1,700 barricades set up in a particular
pattern. We had to rent them. Cities
have to pay for a President’s visit and
there was a lot of overtime.”
Levin retired in 2017 “because I
could. You are 24/7 dealing with
budgets, dealing with crisis.” But
she continues to work to improve
Oakland. She and Rockridge resident
John Bliss co-chaired the recent Mea-
sure Q campaign that successfully
raised funds for parks and recreation,
homeless services, and water projects
and will continue to monitor how
it’s used. “John and I are in it for the
long haul. We have to make sure the
spending is aligned with the intent of
the measure.”
And she is working with three
different city council candidates to
explain the budget process. “There’s
a lot less budget discretion than you
would think.” Levin also serves on the
City Civil Service Board, the League
of Women Voters’ Action Council,
and on a broader basis, the Voter Par-
ticipation Center, a nation-wide effort
to increase voter registration among
young people, people of color and
unmarried women.
A founding artist of Oakland’s
Autumn Lights Festival, her own work
“My bells are about healing,”
says Brooke Levin.
includes creating strings of energy
bells. “I did a COVID series that
featured turquoise, which is a healing
stone and an evil eye for protection.”
A Yoga enthusiast, she practices “at
least four times a week” and bemoans
the permanent closure of Namaste on
College Avenue. Until the COVID-19
groundings, “I did a lot of traveling. I
was on a plane once to twice a month.
Now I’m grateful that I have this front
porch and can go around the block
and see people I know.”
“Everybody is Brooke’s neighbor,”
said Barbara Anderson, who preceded
her as chair of the RCPC board, and
who accompanies her through the
streets and hillsides of Rockridge on
their “Corona Walks.”
“Brooke notices any changes, she
picks up trash, she‘ll talk with any-
body who will help us to be better.
She’s a connector. She cares about
Rockridge. Her heart is just so great.”
To comment or suggest topics
for future columns, please email
judyberne@att.net. n


THE
page 10
OCTOBER 2020

Attention Rockridge Residents: Oakland Library
is Open for Pickup

— By Erica Siskind, Rockridge Branch Children’s Librarian
L
355 63rd Street | Lower Rockridge
SOLD OFF MARKET
Erica Siskind does a song about sea creatures during storytime.
Sidewalk Service is now happening
at most branches of the Oakland
Public Library, with expanded hours
and locations. Daily, around the City
of Oakland, hundreds of people are
picking up books placed on hold.
The library offers wifi hotspots for
online checkout, along with mobile
printing service available at every
location, as well.
Some library sites have a grab-
&-go option — items on display
that you can point to and check out
immediately. At the moment, this
is variable and it depends on the
weather, staffing, and the physical
layouts of the space. Please be patient
as more efficient and effective ways
of making library materials available
are developed.
To reserve physical library books or
find out more about online options,
reach an OPL reference librarian by
email at: eanswers@oaklandlibrary.
or; by calling (510) 238-3134. Unfor-
tunately, libraries are otherwise closed
to the public until further notice.
Another option is to virtually visit
the Friends of the Oakland Public
Library bookstore (https://fopsl.org).
For a variety of reasons, the Friends
Bookstore is not currently accepting
book donations.
For Children
The children’s librarians at all the
Oakland Public Libraries are disap-
pointed that there are no in-person
storytimes, and do not know when
those will start up again; but mean-
while, librarians have been posting
online storytime videos for children
for the past few months. The entire
playlist can be found at www.you-
tube.com/oaklandpubliclibrary.
Follow the Oakland Public Library
on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram
to see new videos for children as they
are posted.
For more information, instructions,
and FAQs about visiting the Library’s
Sidewalk Service locations, go to www.
oaklandlibrary.org/sidewalkservice. n
Spacious, light-filled 1915 Craftsman. Formal
living and dining rooms, three large bedrooms
and two full bathrooms. Located on a beautiful,
tree-lined street just off College Avenue.
Anne D. Brandon
510.682.6644
Fran Donohue
510.316.5848
#01813692
# 01877719
North Oakland Locations:
Rockridge Branch
5366 College Avenue, 94618
(entrance behind building)
Monday-Saturday, 10am-3pm
Temescal Branch
5205 Telegraph Avenue, 94609
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-1pm


THE

page 11
OCTOBER 2020

Do You Remember?
Five Million Americans
Cannot.
— By Barbara Cullinane
November Election:
No Neighborhood
Polling Places
aunt, journalist, volunteer, and friend.
Before her death, she remembered
none of these, including her husband
and her daughters. She looked at us
without recognition.
My fellow walkers and I choose
to make meaning from our losses.
After raising more than $28,000 as an
individual walker, this 20th year I am
reaching out to invite the Rockridge
community to join me in raising
money and awareness.
We’ll gather on November 7 at the
Rockridge BART station, and walk
along College Avenue. To donate or
to sign up to be a walker, visit https://
www.alz.org/ and help put an end to
Alzheimer’s.
For more details about joining the
Rockridge walkers, contact Barbara
at bb75c87@gmail.com. n
In the upcoming general election,
instead of neighborhood polling
places, there will be 100 Vote Cen-
ters and 66 ballot drop boxes in all
of Alameda County. Any voter in
the County can go to any of the Vote
Centers or to the Registrar of Voters’
Office at 1225 Fallon St., Oakland, to
return a ballot or get help with voting.
The Vote Centers will have accessi-
ble voting equipment; offer language
assistance; and handle late-voter reg-
istration. Vote Centers will be open
9am to 5pm, Saturday, October 31 to
November 2, and from 7am to 8pm
on Election Day. Return your ballot
early, at least one week before Election
Day, so your votes will be included in
the Registrar of Voters’ first reported
election results at 8pm on Tuesday,
November 3. Find Vote Centers and
Ballot Drop Box locations at https://
www.acvote.org/community/partner-
ships 30 days before the election.
See LWVOakland.org for info. n
Do you remember the faces of
those you love, your milestones,
and everyday joys? Five million
Americans cannot. They are living
with Alzheimer’s disease or related
dementia. You know them as family
members and friends. You have
seen their neurological losses affect
memory, thinking, behavior, and the
ability to function independently.
On Saturday, November 7, you can
make a difference and do something
to help create a world without Alzhei-
mer’s. Donate and/or join friends and
neighbors walking in Rockridge as part
of “the world’s largest event to raise
awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s.”
The Alzheimer’s Association, “the
leading voluntary health organization
in Alzheimer’s care, support, and
research,” sponsors fundraising walks
in more than 600 communities. In this
pandemic year, supporters are encour-
aged to walk where they live, observing
recommended safety protocols.
As a Rockridge resident, I will also
be participating. I began walking 19
years ago to honor the memory of my
mother Louise Heflin Bergsten and
my father “Bergie,” Mom’s devoted
caregiver for 18 years.
Louise was beloved as a mother, a
daughter, sister, wife, grandmother,
Safer Rockridge “Meet
and Greet”
Safer Rockridge will host a “Meet
and Greet” for the public on Thurs-
day October 22, in an open area in
Temescal Park, at 6pm. This will be
a great opportunity to meet the Safer
Rockridge team, including the patrol
service manager, and share your feed-
back and thoughts with them.
The meeting will be held outside
following social distancing protocols.
Hand sanitizers and refreshments
will be available. The group will
assemble on the grassy area located
just through the parking lot on the
Broadway side along Highway 24.
Free parking is available once you
enter the park. Walk along the path-
way that leads into the park from the
lot, past the restrooms, and you will
see the group gathering on the left. n
CollegePrep
A private high school in Oakland
Tucked into a glen in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, College Prep’s
informal and welcoming campus provides an educational home for a lively and
talented community of students in grades 9-12. Guided by inspiring teachers
and mentors, they create a vibrant community that is rooted in shared values of
kindness, respect, and a willingness to learn from the perspectives of others.
We invite you to visit us and experience College Prep first-hand.
6100 Broadway
Oakland CA 94618 510 652 4364 college-prep org


THE
page 12
OCTOBER 2020

A Love Story on
Lawton
If you had money, you moved out to
the suburbs or up to the Hills.”
Claudia’s family origins include at
least five northern European coun-
tries; one branch traces back to 1621,
coming to America in the ship that
came right after the Mayflower. Her
dad was a truck driver for a welding
supply company; mom did childcare
at home and took in ironing for
extra cash.
Dennis’s mom did the same. Before
marriage, she had been a beautician,
then a garment worker. For 28 years,
his dad upholstered sleeping cars
for the Pullman Company. He then
worked as a custodian at UC Berke-
ley until retirement.
It was the kind of neighborhood
where a cook in a local restaurant
could raise four kids and buy a home,
or even two. Many neighbors worked
for the Italian-owned Oakland
Scavengers, now known as Waste
Management Company.
When employees retired, they
passed down the job and sold their
ownership shares to their first-born
son. The modest houses, mostly
Craftsman bungalows, sold for about
$30,000 each back in the ’70s. Neigh-
bors sat out on their stoops, especially
on summer evenings, while the kids
played in the street. Some adult or
other was always shouting at kids to
stop hitting cars with errant baseballs.
She and Dennis had been friends
for more than 38 years, but in 1994,
“all that changed,” and after a
15-month courtship, they married in
1995 on the Berkeley campus, both in
tee shirts and jeans, though her tennis
shoes sported lace and pearls.
— By Myrna Walton
They met in kindergarten at Emer-
son Elementary in 1955. He was
a skinny kid; she charmed with blond
ringlets. They both lived on Lawton
Avenue, down the street from the
school. As friends, they progressed
together through Emerson, Claremont
Junior High, and Oakland Tech. She
attended Laney College for one year,
he earned a B.S. at Cal State Hayward
(now Cal State East Bay). He never left
Lawton Avenue. She was gone for just
two years. Now they are celebrating
their 25th anniversary, together, still
on Lawton Avenue.
In their life stories, Claudia March
and Dennis Moscrop personify the
Rockridge that was, and the Rock-
ridge that is now. It’s the history of a
working-class neighborhood around
1900, where his Italian-immigrant
grandfather and a friend started a
contracting business. They built three
houses on Lawton, where Dennis has
lived all his life (except for six months
spent in the Marine Reserves).
“Grandpa and his partner, Mr.
Cardoni, used to meet the trains that
came in bringing women from Italy
who were looking for husbands. There,
they met and eventually married sis-
ters. Aunts and uncles, grandparents,
cousins all lived on the same street.
In those days, the neighborhood was
called the Boondocks as opposed
to the Hills. It was mostly a low-
er-to-middle income neighborhood.
Claudia and Dennis have been
friends since attending Emerson
Elementary School in 1955. They
live in Rockridge in the house
where Dennis grew up, which was
built by Dennis’s grandfather.
Lawton Avenue remained a sociable
street where groups of neighbors
enjoyed regular potlucks. The man
next door set up glasses and a bottle
of wine in the early evening and
invited neighbors walking by to join
in. Claudia would often stop by after
work and chat for a while. “You know
how it is when you get home after
work, you just want some recovery
time and Dennis used to complain
that I had just spent an hour recover-
ing with the neighbors.”
Thereafter, a lot of young tech
workers moved in, often remaining
until their kids entered school. Then
they would either move or send kids
to private school. That seems to have
changed, particularly as schools like
Oakland Tech and Claremont are now
schools of choice. “We just gasp at the
prices for homes and rental apart-
ments in Rockridge. We couldn’t have
afforded to buy here. We never had
that kind of money.”
They both still love the neighbor-
hood for the same reasons — it’s still
walkable, beautiful, and human-
scale, but the commercial areas have
changed a great deal. “There used to
be a Woolworth’s five and dime on
College, bowling alleys, appliance
repair shops. “No one repairs anything
A Love Story, see next page


THE

page 13
OCTOBER 2020

Dennis retired after
36 years as a custodian
at UC Berkeley; Claudia
after 32 years doing
medical transcription
at Providence Hospital.
Unlike many retirees,
they plan to age in
place. “We are close to
our doctors, hospitals,
fire stations, shopping,
restaurants. We might
have to install a chair
lift to get up to our front
door, but that’s OK.”
To accommodate
visiting friends and
relatives, they are
converting their garage
into a tiny house of 330
square feet. “Maybe
someday we will need
a caregiver. The guest
house will have air con-
ditioning, something
we would never have
considered. So if we have more hot
days, we can sleep there.”
“The only thing that might drive
us away is if we no longer felt safe
here,” Dennis says. Years ago, no one
ever locked their doors, even when
they weren’t home; but the increase
in petty crime, house and car break-
ins, and porch piracy of mail and
packages, has been disquieting. A
gardener who was working across
the street recently had his leaf blower
stolen right in front of him.
It has been a wonderful journey
A Love Story, from previous page
now; they just buy a new one,” says
Dennis. They remember a roller rink,
and many mom-and-pop grocery
stores — she can name five within a
few blocks. “All gone after Safeway
came,” said Dennis. Some pharmacies
had soda fountains. There was a Pee
Wee golf course on Telegraph.
Both now look to the future.
How will Rockridge change? They
appreciate the need to build more
housing. Claudia doesn’t have a prob-
lem with four-plexes, as long as the
architecture is in keeping with other
houses. The existing ones fit in fine.
Residents have always cared about
the look of our neighborhood. If you
were painting your house you might
consult neighbors as to the color,
“because they had to look at it. We
even took a vote once.” One neighbor
volunteered to plant another neigh-
bor’s bare parking strip to beautify
the street.
Parking is a problem. It bothers
Claudia that people have multiple cars
but don’t use their garages or drive-
ways. Dennis says “It’s popular now
to talk about building homes with
little or no parking so people will have
fewer cars. We don’t see that happen-
ing without major improvements in
public transit. We used to have a reli-
able streetcar network here. You could
go downtown to shop or work in
minutes.” “At our age, we’re not going
to bike,” adds Claudia, “and I don’t
like Lyft or Uber because they just
add more congestion. If new housing
is built without adequate parking,
there will be big problems, even right
next to BART.”
They would like housing to be
built on the CCA campus and next
to the shopping center on Broad-
way. Though pleased that CCA is
no longer proposing a tower, they
want more of the units to be truly
affordable to working and lower mid-
dle-class people. “There are plenty of
folks who work nearby and it’s good
for everyone if people can live near
where they work.” They favor the
proposal to house un-housed seniors
and families at the former CCA
dormitory on Broadway.
Claudia and Dennis are pictured above
in their second grade class.
together for these confirmed Rock-
ridge residents — from kindergarten
to their 25th anniversary this past
May. As a result of the shelter-in-
place mandate, they had to forgo
an anniversary party, but take-out
from Wood Tavern made for a lovely
dinner at home.
Even with all the changes and
challenges over the years, especially
these days, they can’t think of any-
where else they’d rather live. “Where
would we move that’s better than
Rockridge?” n
Earthquake
Insurance
Simplified
For Renters, Homeowners, and Small Businesses
STRAHAN INSURANCE
SERVICES INC

Susan Bernosky
510-450-9050
susan@strahaninsurance.com
5940 College Ave., Ste A
Oakland, CA 94618
CA License # 0D34069

Jumpstart is a surplus lines insurance broker working in full compliance with applicable
insurance regulations. The insurance described here is effected with certain
Underwriters at Lloyd's, London. Licensed Surplus Line Insurance Broker CA #0K67793
yourjumpstart.com/strahan


THE
page 14
OCTOBER 2020

Lake Temescal, from front page
Anthony Chabot dammed Temescal
Creek in the 1860s to provide drink-
ing water to Oakland settlers who
previously relied on water drawn
through wells.
In the beginning, water captured
behind the dam was up to 80 feet
deep. But over the years, the 2,000-
acre watershed around the lake
has deposited a steady stream of
sediment into the lake, leaving the
deepest point measuring only 14 feet.
“It’s natural for reservoirs to fill
with silt,” explains the District’s
Environmental Services Manager
Becky Tuden. “But human factors
have accelerated the process. If we
continue on this path the lake would
completely fill in, the same way
alpine meadows are formed.”
Significant soil disruption and run-
off is attributed to the mid-century
construction of nearby highways.
Residential development of the steep
slopes around the lake is another
contributor to erosion. Additionally,
the lake is frequently polluted by
sewage leaks from the city’s aging
infrastructure.
Sediment and pollutants flow in
from two local tributaries. Caldecott
and Temescal creeks deliver hun-
dreds of cubic yards of eroded soils
each year, along with algae-encour-
aging nutrients like phosphorous and
nitrogen. Finally, the diminished lake
depth means the water is warmer,
further encouraging the algae.
Several strategies have been
employed to improve water quality,
and capturing some of the sediment
flowing in from the creeks with reten-
tion ponds has been the long-standing
approach to slow the silting process.
In response to recent blooms,
the District has infused the lake
with liquid alum that coagulates
suspended particles so they drop to
the lake bottom. This is an expensive
treatment that only improves water
quality in the short run.
This year, the District installed
three high-tech filters on the lake’s
edge. Tuden calls these machines
“nano-bubblers.” They draw water
out of the lake and scrub out nitro-
gen. Then oxygen is injected and
water is returned to the lake. It’s an
experimental process, and the Dis-
trict monitors the results carefully.
installation of wetland features at the
mouths of both creeks to better filter
the incoming flows.”
Geotechnical engineers and lake
ecologists have established a goal
of restoring the lake to a depth of
30 or 35 feet to allow more natural
mixing and oxygenation, and greatly
reduce occurrences of algal blooms.
Removal of accumulated mud would
take four or five months, along with
a constant stream of trucks to haul
away dredged material. Consultants
estimate that dredging and other
prescribed engineering will stabilize
the lake’s water condition for another
50 or 60 years. It will be an expensive
undertaking. Rosario explains that
environmental impact studies and
government permitting might take a
couple of years. When the project is
deemed “shovel-ready,” fundraising
efforts will begin in earnest.
Such a comprehensive restoration
is not unprecedented for the Park
District. “We’re working on a similar
project at Jewel Lake in Tilden Park
and we’re day-lighting a culverted
creek at the old McCosker Ranch adja-
cent to the Sibley Preserve,” explains
Rosario. “We’ve relied on many
sources to help fund these projects
— local, State and Federal. Also, Prop-
osition 68 (approved by voters in 2018)
allocated $4 billion in bond funds for
improvements like this,” Rosario says.
Additionally, the Parks Foundation
will pursue private grants and mount a
public fundraising campaign.
“Unfortunately, wildfires and
COVID closures have commanded
our attention and resources this past
year,” says Rosario. “But I’m optimis-
tic about restoring this beautiful and
historic recreational destination for
future generations.”
Dredging is the Solution
“Ultimately, the solution will be
dredging the lake to remove the
accumulated silt,” says District Board
Member Dee Rosario, who represents
Oakland-area parks. “The plan we’re
considering also includes improve-
ments to the retention ponds and
For more about East Bay Regional
Parks, visit www.ebparks.org. n


THE

page 15
OCTOBER 2020

RNClassifieds

Claremont Auction Live Online Oct. 20-29

Claremont Middle School’s annual auction fundraiser is taking place
online only from October 20-29, and the entire community is invited
to log in and bid on the items up for auction — products, services, food,
beverages, gifts and more. If you’re local (to Oakland), after the event
we will deliver any items that you win. Live now!

List your 36-word message here for
only $22 (phone number counts as one
word). Make check payable to RCPC,
and write “Rockridge News Classified
Ad” in the memo line.
Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave.,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609-20131.
The deadline for the November issue is
October 22 – available on November 6,
2020. For more information, email Susan
Montauk at smontauk@gmail.com.
Garden Care, Clean-up,
Maintenance & Design
Experienced team of two dedicated to the art
of gardening. Garden restoration, pruning,
veggie bed installation at affordable
rates. Call Chris: 510/655-0157 or email
yourgreengardeners@gmail.com. Check us
out at www.yourgreengardeners.com.
Handyman for Hire
Multifaceted and well experienced.
Hauling and towing available. No job
too small. Reasonably priced. Lee Self.
707/223-1298-call and text.
Electrical Remodels & Repairs
Remodeling your kitchen? I can help you
light it. I’ve been doing electrical work in
Oakland and Berkeley for over 35 years.
Sutorik & Company, www.sutorikandco.
com Lic #397149. 510/655-3677.
Wonderful Home for Rent in
Lower Rockridge  
$300 off first month rent, $2899F/ $2899L.
2- bedroom /1 bath. 6110 Hillegass Ave.
Contact Melissa Parker at 408/685-3550
or 415/527-7647; melissabparker@gmail.
com.
Wonderful Home in Lower
Rockridge
$300 off first month rent, $2399
F/$2399 L. 1-bedroom/1 bath. 436
61St Street Oakland, 94609. Contact
Melissa Parker at 408/685-3550 or
415/5277647. Melissabparker@gmail.com.
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. n

Purchase raffle tickets to win an Instant Wine Cellar!
https://www.claremontms.org/pta/auction/
Experience * Knowledge * Performance
Just sold:
742Cragmont.com 4+ Bed 3 Bath Updated Tudor w/inlaw and gorgeous panoramic views $2M
581 Valle Vista 4+ Bed 3 Bath totally remodeled Traditional w/inlaw, beautiful yard $1,705,000
New listing:
6162Dover.com 1+BD ‘home-style’ condo, shared outdoor deck near BART asking $619,000
Coming soon:
2 bedroom 2 bath Rockridge condo w/balcony, gas fireplace, open kitchen/dining/living space
2 parcels in Lower Rockridge, 4 residential units/1 commercial unit plus bonus lot
1 bedroom 1 bath Elmwood condo steps down College Ave to shops/restaurants
Awareness Month > Breast Cancer, Emotional Wellness, Adopt a Dog, Financial Plans, Italian & German-American Heritage
Vote early!!
Perry Riani, Senior Associate
2016 Realtor of the Year
1900 Mountain Blvd Oakland, CA 94611
1625 Shattuck Ave Berkeley, CA 94709
C: 510.813.3799  Perry.Riani@Compass.com
License # 01402540


COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE

THE
725 65th St. | North Oakland
$995,000 | 725-65th.com
www.ClaudiaMillsRealEstateTeam.com
Claudia Mills
510.350.6419
c.mills@ggsir.com
Lic.#01881682
Each Franchise Is Independently Owned And Operated.

SOLD ROCKRIDGE
CARLTON - $1,525,000
3 Bed /2 Bath
MARKET UPDATE
Average Sales Price

2019
2020 YTD
 $1,792,000
$1,804,000
Up .6%
Sales Volume

2019
2020 YTD
 1 Sale Every
1 Sale Every

3 Days
3 Days
Unchanged
Call Me!
*Data from Multiple Listing Source 2019-2020
STAY HOME
STAY SAFE
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
(c) 510-612-2547
RonKriss@JPS.net
DRE# 00784235
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
160+ Successful Sales in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com