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

THE

VOL 37  •  NO. 1  •  ISSUE  NO. 382   •   January 9, 2021                   CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

Meet Oakland’s Youth
Poet Laureate

New Season, New Goals for Soccer Coach

by Jorja Siemons
by Judith Doner Berne
Photo © Nikki Elisa Constantino
Photo © Kristen Murakoshi
Tracy Hamm is the Head Women’s
Soccer Coach at UC Davis.
Tracy Hamm first lived in Rock-
ridge from 2002 to 2006 while
attending U.C. Berkeley, where she
was a member of the women’s soccer
team, and returned to live in Rock-
ridge this past summer. Hamm has
led female soccer teams throughout
her career — from Santa Rosa Junior
College to San Francisco State (with
four consecutive winning seasons) to
her current position at U.C. Davis.
Greer says, ‘You can tell more
about the person I am from my
poetry than my art.’
You may already know of her.
Greer Nakadegawa-Lee, a junior
at Oakland Technical High School,
was named the 2020 Oakland Youth
Poet Laureate last spring. Greer excels
as an artist as well as a poet, and
is considering art school after high
school graduation.
Soccer Coach, see page 12
RCPC Board Elections Planned for April
A
In 2021, six seats are up for election,
each for a two-year term. Board
members are elected at-large, by the
entire community. Board membership
is an excellent way to gain a deep
understanding of our neighborhood
and our city. Much of the work of the
Board occurs in standing committees
and programs.
The Land Use Committee is at the
forefront, working on issues of devel-
opment, inclusion, and community
enhancement. The Transportation
Committee tackles traffic and transit,
as well as pedestrian and bicycle
safety improvements. The Parks Com-
mittee looks after our precious green
space: collaborating with the FROG
fter the unprecedented postpone-
ment of the 2020 Rockridge
Community Planning Council
(RCPC) Board of Directors election
from April to September, we look
forward to returning to a traditional
election calendar in 2021, holding
the Annual Meeting and election
on April 15, 2021. This is possible
because of work of last year’s Election
Officer, Ronnie Spitzer, who, with
the excellent assistance of board
members Matt Levy and Eric Lom-
bardo, developed the template for
accessible, pandemic-safe, outdoor
voting, on a large scale.
Now is the time to think about
whether you may be interested in run-
ning for a seat on the RCPC Board.
“I’ve been writing since I was in
elementary school,” the 16-year-
old said (she attended Peralta),
taking it up more seriously while at
Claremont Middle School. In both
places, she was inspired by the poets
she met through California Poets
in the Schools, the largest literary
artists-in-residence program in the
nation. And all through her classes in
Poet Laureate, see page 8
RCPC Elections, see next page


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JANUARY 2021

New Director Brings Community Organizing
Perspective to OUSD

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.
by Skip Fogarty
Not long after Election Day in
November, Sam Davis was
actively transitioning into his new post
as a director on the board of the Oak-
land Unified School District (OUSD).
Although he didn’t take the District
1 seat until early this month, Davis is
getting up to speed on the issues and
reaching out to school communities.
“We have many big challenges
before us. There’s no time to waste,”
Davis says. “I’m confident and
enthusiastic because I believe our
new board roster and our amazing
Rockridge News Production
Anna L. Marks ........................ Editor & Layout Artist
Jo Ellis...................................................Assistant Editor
Judith Doner Berne.......................Eyes on Rockridge
Susan Montauk................................Business Manager
Sam Davis with his wife, Yael Falicov
and their son, Rafael, in the portico
at Oakland Tech.
Superintendent, Dr. Kayla Johnson-
Trammel, are strongly positioned to
tackle these issues.”
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
New Director, see page 14
RCPC Elections, from front page
least one committee, and in planning
and organizing Town Halls and com-
munity events, including the biennial
Rockridge Kitchen Tour fundraiser.
For an individual Board member, the
typical time commitment is about
10 to 12 hours per month, varying
with circumstances. Candidates for
the Board must meet the criteria for
membership in RCPC: be 18 years of
age or older, with a principal residence
within RCPC boundaries.
For more information, contact
RCPC at election@rockridge.org.
Prosepective candidates must submit a
statement of intent to run no later than
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, by
email to chair@rockridge.org. n
Park Committee, and also working
on pocket-parks like Ayala and small
neighborhood parks like Colby Park.
Through the Kevin Faughnan Memo-
rial Grants Program, RCPC distributes
small grants to groups and individual
community members to carry out
projects for the improvement of their
immediate neighborhoods.
Membership on the RCPC Board
involves a significant commitment of
time and effort. Among the most basic
activities are board meetings (held
monthly), Town Hall meetings, and
committee meetings. All meetings are
currently held on Zoom. Board mem-
bers are expected to participate in at
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 submitted for consideration should be
emailed to the editor. All submissions are limited
to 600 words max (300 words for letters), and
must include the author’s name, email address, and
city or neighborhood of residence.
All submissions are subject to editing for clarity
and brevity. To submit content, or for reprints of
an article, contact: editor@rockridge.org.
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 Avenue,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609
Display Advertising
Deadline for February 2021 issue: January 21
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.
The Rockridge News reserves the right to refuse any
articles, display ads, or classified ads.
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.


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JANUARY 2021

Rockridge Community Planning Council — Land Use Committee
RCPC
The January Land Use Committee meeting will be held on Monday, January 25th
[note date change], at 7:30pm, via Zoom. Please check the RCPC Facebook
page the week before for details. The meeting is open to the public. Send an email to
landuse@rockridge.org or call (510) 652-5373 to receive a link/phone number to attend.

Five-Year Old Volunteer
Distributor Retires
by Susan Montauk

RCPC Land Use Committee Update —
January 2021

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use Committee Chair
The Land Use Committee held its
December 2020 meeting via Zoom,
with a quorum of members present.
pects for adding large-scale housing in
Rockridge, although minor additions
(e.g. duplex conversions) might work.
The committee considered incen-
tives to increase housing feasibility,
focusing on an extra-density bonus at
selected “opportunity sites.” Discus-
sion and clarification will continue.
Luum Robotic Eyelash Extensions
(5416 College Ave, former site of
Namaste Yoga Studio)
CCA Campus Redevelopment Project
Release of the Draft EIR for this large
project is expected in the near future,
followed by a 45-day public comment
period. In preparation, RCPC’s trans-
portation consultant has completed a
review of background information so
that he can “hit the ground running”
when the report is released.
False eyelashes have been around
for many years. More recently,
eyelash extensions have become a
“thing,” although their attachment
by hand is labor-intensive. Luum, a
tech start-up company, has developed
machines that automate installation.
Their office is planning to relocate
to College Avenue, and will include
a commercial set-up with two-thirds
of the site for personal services where
robots mechanically install the
extensions, and the rest for the com-
pany’s office space. The office space
requires a use permit.
The Land Use Committee, after
review, recommended strictly lim-
iting uses so the site would remain
consumer-oriented. As it turned
out, Oakland had already granted
the permit (apparently without
public notice) and included most
of what the Committee wanted to
recommend. Nevertheless, the lack of
public notice is disturbing.
Amory, age 5, will miss
distributing The Rockridge News
to his neighbors.
2021 Legislative Session —
New Land Use (Housing) Bills
M
The 2021 legislative session has
begun. As with last session, Senate
President Pro Tem Toni Atkins has
submitted a package of five prior-
ity housing bills (designated SB 5
through SB 10) she hopes to have
enacted, including three bills that
didn’t make it into the last session.
SB 1120 [Atkins], changing all sin-
gle-family zoning to allow up to four
units (eight with ADUs) is now SB 9;
SB 902 [Wiener], allowing rezoning
to ten units per lot without CEQA
review, is now SB 10; and SB 1385
[Caballero] allowing residential use
on some office/commercial areas, is
now SB 6. The package also includes
a housing bond act (SB 5) and a
placeholder bill by Nancy Skinner
(SB 8) addressing State density bonus
law. It promises to be another “hot”
legislative session for housing.
Questions or comments? Email
landuse@rockridge.org. n
any thanks to Melissa Nuñez and
her 5-year-old son Amory for
their stint as Block Captains for The
Rockridge News delivery route on
Cavour. Block Captains deliver news-
letters door-to-door. Melissa relates
that her son Amory loved his job and
hates to give it up, but the family is
moving to Santa Rosa. We wish them
well and appeal to the community,
perhaps one of their neighbors, to step
up and take on the job.
• Route 15A/Block Captain:
Delivers newsletters along both
sides of Cavour between Manila and
Miles.
The newsletter is published the
first weekend of each month (except
August) and your bundle will be deliv-
ered directly to your doorstep.
For more information, call (510) 547-
3855 or email Susan at smontauk@
gmail.com to volunteer. n
Rockridge Housing Study
The committee discussed the
recently released Rockridge Housing
Study Report, which dims the pros-


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JANUARY 2021

Llama Coloring
Contest for Kids
Clifton Street Regulars
Drummer Patrick Kitchin and the Clifton Street Regulars jazz combo rehearse
every Sunday from 11am to 1pm in front of Kitchin’s house “until it gets too cold
or wet,” much to the delight of neighbors and passersby.
Photo courtesy of Judy Berne
Sidewalk Service
Continues at the
Rockridge Branch
Library
Children’s librarians will continue
to post online story-time videos for
children, with multiple playlists to
choose from. Follow the Oakland
Public Library on Facebook, YouTube,
or Instagram to see new videos for
children as they are posted, as well as
content for teens and adults. https://
www.youtube.com/user/OaklandPub-
licLibrary/playlists
Winter Bingo has been delayed
slightly due to COVID, but prizes will
be given away at some point, so keep
doing the activities you find on the
Bingo Card (ask for it at the Sidewalk
Pickup), or online through Beanstack.
To reserve books or find out more
about online options, you can reach
an OPL reference librarian by email-
ing eanswers@oaklandlibrary.org, by
calling (510) 238-3134, or by using the
online “Book Me” form. The library
buildings will remain closed to the
public until further notice. n
I
Lt arrived before Christmas, and this
six-foot Llama remains standing tall
outside the Rockridge Café for kids
to decorate and enjoy while getting
free books to read. The artwork is
currently posted on the café windows
and prizes are being awarded to each
participant. n
ooking for that great read? Check
out your local library. Some
library sites have Grab-&-Go items on
display that you can simply take home
and return on the honor system. Some
sites have Book Bundles or DVD Bun-
dles — you point to them, and they
check them out to you.
BUYING?
SELLING?
LET ME HELP YOU
Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave.,
94618 (entrance behind building)
Monday-Saturday, 10am-3pm
ANNE D. BRANDON, REALTOR
35+ YEAR ROCKRIDGE RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER
DRE# 01877719 | 510.682.6644
ANNE@THEHIGHLANDPARTNERS.COM
Temescal Branch & Tool Lending
Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave., 94609
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-1pm
For more information, instructions,
and FAQs about Sidewalk Service
locations, go to www.oaklandlibrary.
org/sidewalkservice.
E
V
L
U
I
T
X
I
U
S
O
R
Y
P
T
B
S
R
U
A
R
N
T
D
S
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JANUARY 2021

Neighboring Redwoods Abound
by Ben Friedman
A Reminder To
Observe Protocols
When Recreating
Outdoors
by Eric Lombardo, RCPC Parks
Chair
Happy New Year, neighbors. This
winter is a hard one, as we are
all asked to follow the guidance of
our public health experts and limit
our activities. The latest stay-at-home
order issued for Alameda County in
December differs from the version
issued this past spring regarding out-
door recreation.
I have spoken to friends and
neighbors with questions about what
is compliant, and what we are being
asked to do by the County and State.
The current order may be lifted some-
time later this month, but regardless,
these are wise recommendations while
the pandemic continues to spread in
our community.
If you want to recreate on outdoor
trails, stay in the East Bay, where
we are lucky to have a regional park
system with dozens of open areas.
Parks with fire trails are wide enough
to easily distance yourself from
others. For example, Sibley Preserve’s
wide roads are a much better choice
than Huckleberry’s narrow paths.
Research ahead and use your common
sense. Consider where you can access
by walk, bike, or a short drive away.
Don’t forget other considerations
during the winter. Always check the
forecast, bring warm layers, a flash-
light, water, and tell someone where
you are going.
Remember, national parks and
wilderness areas will be here for
countless seasons to come after this
pandemic subsides. Now is the time
to stay local and healthy so you can
enjoy them with your loved ones in
the future. And, until then, happy
2021 — be safe, and embrace nearby
nature.
To check park status before you go,
visit www.ebparks.org/news/covid_19
_park_and_trail_updates.htm. n
Bob and Donna live on Eton
Avenue and have a spectacular
redwood in their front yard.
Irecall some particulars about Sequoia
sempervirens. Coast Redwoods are
the tallest trees on Earth. They can
live for 2,000 years and can grow to
the height of a 35-story building. The
holy and silent groves of old-growth
stands in protected areas across
coastal California represent only five
percent of the historic range, most lost
to logging.
n this most strange year, I’d like to
express gratitude for something
that makes Rockridge special: Our
Coast Redwoods. While we are in
close proximity to world-class groves
of these giants in the greater Bay
Area, we are also blessed with some
fantastic examples of Sequoia semper-
virens in our own neighborhood.
Before revealing my personal “Top
Three Rockridge Redwoods,” let’s
Rockridge Redwoods, see next page
ZϬϭϮϲϱϴϳϯͮϬϭϳϵϴϲϱϴ
Wishing You Happy Holidays & A Prosperous New Year
Closing date
BR
BA

Address                                Original price         List price
DOM
Selling price
11/3/2019
2
1

422 62Nd St                           $1,095,000
        $1,095,000
   4
$1,500,000
           11/3/2019
3
1

6553 Chabot Rd                     $1,279,000         $1,279,000
  11
 $1,350,000
           11/3/2019
3
3
         5328 Locksley Ave                 $1,495,000         $1,495,000
  10
$2,350,000
           11/6/2019
2
2

5290 Broadway Ter                 $599,000
           $599,000
  12
   $650,000
           11/6/2019
3
2
         5440 Manila Ave                   $1,249,000
        $1,249,000
   4
$1,500,000

11/9/2019
2
1

5373 Shafter Ave                     $948,000
           $948,000
  13
$1,151,000

11/12/2019
3
2

5830 Clover Dr                      $1,295,000
        $1,295,000
  14
$1,900,000

11/12/2019
4
2.5

446 65th St                            $1,595,000
        $1,595,000
  12
$2,050,000

11/13/2019
4
1.5

444 59th St                            $1,175,000
        $1,175,000
  14
$1,475,000
Homes sold in November closed 30% over the asking price on average.
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JANUARY 2021

RCPC
Rockridge Redwoods, from previous page
neighborhood and loved this majestic
tree and had a tight relationship with
the previous owners.
Here are three particularly majestic
trees, clustered in and around my
own neighborhood of Fairview Park,
that are worth visiting. Apologies in
advance to the great trees I neglected
to mention — especially those that
reside south of Rockridge BART.
RCPC Responds to
CCA Design Process
T
Claremont Avenue at Hillcrest
he article on the following
page represents the views
of its author and of Upper
Broadway Advocates, but not
necessarily those of the Rock-
ridge Community Planning
Council or its Board. RCPC
does, however, support the
dissemination of a wide range of
community views about this and
other development projects, and
encourages article submissions
that represent a range of views.
RCPC, under its bylaws,
represents the entire Rockridge
residential community.  The var-
ious public meetings that RCPC
has sponsored about the future
of the CCA site have shown that
there is currently no consensus
within the community about
what should happen on the CCA
site. Accordingly, the RCPC
Board has decided to wait for
issuance of the Draft Environ-
mental Impact Report (DEIR) on
the project, and gather further
responses from the Rockridge
community before taking a
position on this very significant
project. RCPC took a similar
approach with respect to other
major development projects in
recent years, including the two
Rockridge Safeway projects, the
RadUrban project at Telegraph
and 51st Street, and the “Baxter
on Broadway” project.
To help assure that the pro-
posed project for the CCA site
is properly assessed, RCPC has
submitted scoping questions,
including comments on possible
transportation impacts and proj-
ect alternatives, for consideration
by the City’s consultants who are
assembling the DEIR. The RCPC
Board has also voted to hire its
own transportation consultant
to evaluate the transportation
portion of the DEIR, once that
becomes available. n
Twin redwoods mark the entrance
to Hillcrest Avenue on the East side of
Claremont. They’re both spectacular,
but I’m partial to the northern indi-
vidual, which unconditionally erupts
out of the pavement. It has a rakish
tilt to its habit as well, lending great
attitude to the tree. Claremont Avenue
was established in 1859, tracing an
early telegraph line coming over the
hills from Martinez. Given the size of
the tree, it’s easy to imagine someone
planting the tree in the street’s infancy.
3120 Eton Avenue
My personal favorite stands in the
yard of Bob Deutsch and Donna
Terazawa. Their tree has an 8-foot
diameter, a 25-foot circumference,
and stands 145 feet tall. Bob, when
asked about it, says with a laugh and a
note of pride, “It’s a pretty impressive
tree. It’s unusually big, and so sturdy,”
says Donna.
A nearby, tucked-away plaque com-
memorates the life of Gabriel Catalfo
(1983-98), a teenager who lived in the
Ayala at Forest
What makes this tree special,
besides its massive form, is that
someone has rigged spotlights onto
the trunk — currently in Christmas
colors. At night, these lights illumi-
nate the tree’s base, and sheltered
under its canopy one gets the feeling
that woodland spirits could reside
there.
All these three trees can be visited
in an end-to-end walk of only one
mile. A suggestion would be to start
at Ayala, head to Eton, and finish at
Claremont. You’ll be a redwood cone’s
throw from Star Meats for a post-hike
sandwich — one of the best in the
whole Bay Area, in my opinion.
To discuss Rockridge’s silvicultural
history or share other exemplars of
our redwoods, please email Ben at
bfriedman86@gmail.com. n


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JANUARY 2021

What’s Next? CCA
Design Process Gets
Underway

— by Myrna Walton, UBA Steering
Committee Member
A
Architect Kirk Peterson’s conceptual drawings were presented at the meeting.

re you wondering what the mas-
sive reconstruction of the now
vacant CCA site on Broadway and
College might look like when it’s com-
pleted? Upper Broadway Advocates
(UBA) recently presented the devel-
opers with a slide show of suggested
architectural and design elements that
reflect the variety of architectural
styles in Rockridge and the Arts and
Crafts history of the site.
“We want to make sure the develop-
ers understand what we think most of
the community will find attractive, as
well as provide dense housing,” said
Jennifer McElrath, UBA Treasurer.
The development team at the meeting
included principals Marc Babsin,
Emerald Fund; John Clawson, Equity
Community Builders; and Strachan
Forgan, SCB Architects.
An “Arts and Crafts Village” is just
one of many possibilities, exhibiting
a variety of architectural styles and
interesting details. The artwork,
conceived by Kirk Peterson, a Rock-
ridge architect and member of UBA’s
Steering Committee, displays human-
scale buildings of varying heights,
seven stories or less, with a distinct
Rockridge flavor. UBA encourages the
inclusion of a “destination café” at the
park that would connect the project
and the community and encourage use
of open space. If the adjacent Ridge site
is ever developed, a beautiful pedes-
trian bridge could connect the two
properties.
According to Equity Community
Builders’ John Clawson, “We have
had a lot of internal conversations
about these issues — breaking down
the scale, articulating the base, the
relationship to the street…we are
chomping at the bit to take it to the
next stage so we don’t have to look
at those incredibly ugly block-line
diagrams that make it look like an
that far off.” A video of this meet-
ing is available at https://youtu.be/
tn-gGMsn0oI (Note: the slide show
begins at 7.35.)
ominous beast on Broadway.”
The development team is eager to
transform it into a beauty. However,
they need guidance from the City
concerning massing, height, density,
and choice of historic structures to be
preserved. Several planning commis-
sioners have requested that a 19-story
tower be once again considered as
a project alternative. That might be
included in the EIR as an alternative,
although doing so may delay the EIR’s
release date.
Given the lengthy review process,
the City Council might not make a
final decision on approving a project
until late 2022. Construction could
begin in 2023, with completion in
2025, assuming financing is avail-
able and the project “pencils out”
financially. That will depend on the
state of market rents and the cost of
construction — all unknowns at this
point, according to the developers.
Marc Babsin is “confident we will
get to a place where you are happy
and we are happy about how the
project looks and feels. We are not
What Can The Community Do Now?
“The CCA project has underlined
the importance of a neighborhood
plan that reflects community needs
and desires,” says Jennifer McElrath
of UBA. “Without it, any developer
can request a dramatic increase in the
height of a building, as happened in
the MacArthur BART project. In 2008,
it was approved at eight stories which
morphed into 24 several years later.”
As a first step, a small group of local
volunteers, led by McElrath and Diana
Mitchell-Chavez, are surveying several
typical Rockridge streets to illustrate
the variety of existing housing types
and development scenarios. In the
meantime, the development process
will continue to move forward.
To contribute to a community-
produced development plan, or share
photos of local architectural details,
contact UBAOakland@gmail.org. n


THE
page 8
JANUARY 2021

Poet Laureate, from front page
who had come before me and they
have a presence. It’s humbling.
“Being the Youth Poet Laureate
is like someone saying to me, ‘your
poetry can change the world’ and
then being given the opportunity to
prove that,” she said. In a normal
year, she would be representing
Oakland through live poetry, media,
and public appearances. But now
these are virtual events, such as the
December Friends of the Oakland
Public Library Holiday Mixer, at
which she generally reads some of
her work and takes questions.
“Greer has been my poetry student
since she was 13,” Sophia Dahlin
explained. Before Covid, she was part
of a small class Dahlin taught in the
basement of the Temescal Library.
“When I met Greer, I was aston-
ished at the beauty and mastery of her
poems. She has an ear for the line that
must be inborn. She can write with
great tenderness and great ferocity.
“Much of her poetry is overtly
political: pro-immigrant, anti-racist,
pro-environment, and fiercely femi-
nist. Her work has empathic wisdom
and gravitas unusual in a younger
writer, not that she in any way
disowns youth or childishness. Her
poetry is grounded in its honesty and
sense of responsibility to the world
around her, enlightened by its sense of
wonder and mutability.”
“Greer is a force in the Bay Area,”
said arts organizer Lauren Ito. “When
I think about the path ahead of her, all
I can say is she’s going places — far,
far beyond our corner of California.
We are lucky to get to enjoy her work
while she’s still here.
“What I love most about Greer’s
work is it forces us to reckon and
radically reimagine. She’s taking off
at lightning speed — and it’s an honor
and a joy to be a part of her journey.”
In terms of her art, Greer describes
herself as an illustrator. Her work is
done in pen and ink, then scanned
and colored digitally. “I’ve always
been interested in graphic novels and
comics. I like the fantasy influence.
I draw a lot of couples. I’m about to
start taking commissions” (which she
was published earlier this year by
Nomadic Press.
“I don’t rhyme,” she explained,
“although I admire people who can.”
Her style is free verse and her sub-
jects are immediate as evidenced in
excerpts from the following poem that
references the deaths of George Floyd
and Breonna Taylor, the pandemic,
and failed leadership:
the Oakland Unified School District,
“I’ve had really great teachers who are
passionate about what they do.”
“I write every day now,” she said.
“It’s mostly about my personal life
and I don’t share that.” What she
does share are poems that reference
current events, including the politi-
cal, social, and pandemic upheavals
that have changed our lives. Her first
book, titled A Heart Full of Hallways,
2020
We reach out to each other like
shipwreck survivors grasping for
lifeboats.
Hoping to find something solid in all
this crisis,
but with every touch you feel the
anxiety of contagion,
a million grasping hands,
a million voices joined together in
the same refrain,
I need you more than ever-
but you have to stay away.
NCPC MEETING
The Greater Rockridge
NCPC will not meet in
January. The next meeting
will be on Thursday,
February 11, at 7pm, and
will take place on Zoom.
The link will be
announced closer to the
meeting date. Visit https://
rockridgencpc.com for
more details.
And its final lines:
and it’s true
we cannot crowd close.
We cannot take each other’s hands,
but I swear we can still fight as one.
Until every single one of us has the
freedom to exist comfortably in our
own skin,
to live without fear,
to breathe.
Greer is the ninth person to be
chosen by the Oakland Public
Library to be its Youth Poet Laureate,
a position that is open to Oakland
writers aged 13 to 18 and comes with
a $5,000 college scholarship. “It was
kind of unexpected because I knew
Poet Laureate, see next page


THE

page 9
JANUARY 2021

Greer Nakadegawa-Lee doesn’t title her artwork.
Photo © Nakadegawa-Lee
Poet Laureate, from previous page
School District. “He went to school for
architecture so he can draw.”
Her brother Nathan is a saxophonist
enrolled in the New School’s jazz
program in New York City. Her twin
sister, Scarlet, is a multi-faceted artist
”who can paint, draw and animate
digitally, and has her own YouTube
channel for her animations. It’s diffi-
cult to describe what she does because
there’s so much to say.”
Whatever the future holds, Greer
hopes to combine art with writing.
“When quarantining is over, I could
start a poetry workshop for teens,”
she said. “I want to do something that
involves other people. It seems like the
right thing to do. When I think about
having a career that doesn’t use my
creative skills, it just makes me itch.”
To comment or suggest topics, please
email judyberne@att.net. n
plans to donate to the Native American
Rights Fund).
Enrolled in Oakland Tech’s
Fashion, Art and Design Academy,
distance learning has affected her
just as it has her fellow students. “For
me, it seems like less schoolwork.
Socially, it’s not great. I feel bad for
anyone who’s a senior.” She empa-
thizes with teachers since students
are not required to show their faces
on Zoom. “It’s hard to teach a class
to an empty screen.”
Greer comes from an arts-oriented
family. Her mom, Stephanie Lee,
a psychologist, “always drew with
me and my siblings when we were
younger and still does a lot of crafts,”
Greer said. Her dad, Tadashi Nakade-
gawa, is the Director of Facilities and
Construction for the Oakland Unified


THE
page 10
JANUARY 2021

The Dish On
Takeout Food in
Rockridge
not to eat, but simply for the satisfying
feel of breaking the brittle top of
melted sugar with the back of a spoon.
Don’t miss this dessert ($6 à la carte).
The home page for Marica’s website
says, “Please help us by ordering
directly. Delivery platforms take 20
to 40 percent from small businesses.”
It seems that many small restaurants
are stuck between using delivery com-
panies that add on service charges (in
addition to a delivery fee) and being
able to operate at all. I suggest you call
them with your order.
The online menu does not provide
the information that those on special
diets require. When you call, however,
they are quite helpful. They will make
the salmon gluten-free by replacing
the orzo with roasted potatoes, and
although the crème brûlée has dairy,
it is entirely gluten-free (rare for a
dessert…I had to settle for sorbet at
Thanksgiving).
Marica’s takeout came in a paper
bag, and the salmon and salad came
in cardboard boxes. The stew came
in a cardboard cup with a plastic lid.
The crème brûlée was in an alumi-
num (recyclable) solo pie plate with
plastic wrap over it. It is wonderful
that the stew container was not
Styrofoam, which can break down in
the environment and emit benzene,
a carcinogen. However, the paper
soup containers may have an interior
providing outstanding dining at 5301
College Avenue since 2000.
I miss the attention and will carry
on with the takeout. The Seafood
Stew ($26) is a standout. It is a rich
and somewhat creamy version of a
Bouillabaisse with plenty of fresh
seafood. They are now selling a pre-
pare-at-home version of this dish as
a “stew kit” which has revealed their
two power ingredients — butter and a
20-hour lobster/shrimp broth. Yummy.
If you are famished, the dish to
order is the Salmon ($27 prix fixe).
This meal includes a mixed green
salad, roasted organic sustainably
farmed Canadian salmon filet, tape-
nade, vegetable orzo, and a crème
brûlée. I have eaten many brûlées in
my time and, in my experience, this is
the finest. The custard is perfect and
goes wonderfully with the caramel-
ized sugar top and blueberries.
There is a very funny scene in
Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” where a
disappointed fashion designer orders a
tray of crèmes brûlées (24 of them) —
by Terre Beynart
(a.k.a. “The Green Celiac”)
The Green Celiac reviews Rockridge
eateries that offer takeout with a
focus on ease of ordering, clarity of
the menu for those on special diets,
and a critique of the sustainability
of takeout packaging.
Ahh…Marica. I have fond mem-
ories of romantic, candlelit
dinners at Marica where the service is
discreet and the food is perfect in this
wonderful, busy, noisy bistro. With
a good wine list, wonderful seafood,
and friendly, knowledgeable staff who
magically know when water glasses
need to be filled and wine glasses are
empty, who could ask for more? This
small family-run restaurant has been
The Dish, see next page


THE

page 11
JANUARY 2021

Rockridge is
Open for Business
Rockridge is blessed with restaurants
offering delectable menus from
various cuisines. Contact these local
restaurants when ordering takeout.
A Coté
A16
Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers
Becky’s Chinese Restaurant
Beer Baron
Belotti Ristorante
Cactus Taqueria
Cole Coffee
Crepevine
Enoteca Molinari
Filippo’s
Flavors of India
Great Wall Chinese
High Peaks Kitchen
Holy Basil Pho
Hudson Bay Cafe
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches
Khana Peena
Kitchen Story
La Farine
Marica
Millennium
Mitama
Momo Ramen
Noodle Theory
Oliveto Restaurant
Philz Coffee
Ramen Shop
RareTea
Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop
Rikyu Japanese Restaurant
Rockridge Cafe
Smitten Ice Cream
Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery
Southie
Sukho Thai
The Burrito Shop
The Chocolate Dragon
The Golden Squirrel
Uzen
Wood Tavern
Yimm
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
Cactus Taqueria’s Turkey Black Mole Tamales come wrapped
in banana leaves with mole, crema and salsa delivered in small
containers — and warm tortillas on the side.
The Dish, from previous page
crema. Also included was a 2-ounce
portion of medium salsa. The Chicken
Plato was excellent, and it gets green
points for being entirely delivered in
compostable or recyclable material.
The entire dish was in a box, with
the exception of the corn tortillas
that were wrapped in aluminum foil
(thank you, Cactus). The Cactus web-
site was helpful but lacked special diet
or price information.
If you are a cook and love mole
and have no abuela (granny) to teach
you how to make mole magic, try the
Oaktown Spice Shop’s mole blend.
It is easy to use and perfect for lazy
chefs like me.
coating of plastic which would make
the container neither compostable
nor recyclable. You can tell if it has
this by checking the inside, and, if it
is shiny, it is questionable, so put it in
the landfill.
What a great location for Cactus
Taqueria Oakland. I especially
love that the old Chimes sign is
still proudly displayed. Cactus pro-
vides solid and reasonably priced
Mexican food and promotes their
family-friendly atmosphere.
The online menu for Cactus is good
and predictable. I appreciate their
Bocaditos section where you can order
something small if you just want a
bite. You have to check their Daily
Specials page to see what else they are
serving — these take more time and
planning, and are always a treat. I am
looking forward to the Chicken Chile
Verde with Anaheim Chiles. Sadly,
they don’t have any labeling for those
of us on special diets but they are
always happy to ask the chef.
I ordered the Turkey Black Mole
Tamales wrapped in banana leaves
(two for $7.95; three for $9.95). We
also had the Chicken Plato with black
beans that includes rice and salad
($10.95) and also ordered some refried
beans ($2.25) on the side.
The tamales were tasty. They were
delivered with most of the mole in a
single 1-ounce portion container, and
also included a 1-ounce serving of
For more details on these reviews,
point your browser to thegreenceliac.
wordpress.com. n


THE
page 12
JANUARY 2021

Soccer Coach, from front page
is critically important for female
college athletes when they are “in the
most malleable stage in their lives,”
and this is even more important now.
Understanding how coaches bear
immense responsibility to help build
self-confidence, she regularly checks
in with her players about their mental
health, particularly while campus is
closed. She also learned that female
athletes stand out not only in their
ability to succeed, but also in their
desire to support each other. “Our
athletes are smart and caring,” Hamm
says, “I really try to take a very holistic
approach to the way that I coach.”
Hamm brings her valuable skill set
to the U.C. Davis team as one of only
two American women holding the
United European Football Association
“A” Coaching License — one of the
highest coaching certifications avail-
able for soccer. Nearly 50,000 coaches
possess the license, but a mere 1 per-
cent of them are women.
To obtain the license, Hamm spent
two years (2017-19) completing over
400 hours of training. She even trav-
eled to Wales for workshops where
she gained expertise in team man-
agement. Her pursuit of the license
was the subject of the 2019 documen-
tary “Coach,” which was selected to
show at the Fort Myers Film Festival
(https://www.coachthemovie.com/).
“It’s the best thing I have ever done
for myself from a professional and
personal standpoint,” she said about
the experience.
The training environment was
male-dominated and intimidating, but
Hamm said she would remind herself
that she knew just as much as her
male peers. “As women, we tend to not
afford ourselves opportunities because
we feel like we’re not experienced
enough or prepared enough,” she said.
“It’s okay to not know everything.”
Hamm often shares this sentiment
with her team as a way to teach the
importance of embracing challenges
because, as the future remains uncer-
tain during the pandemic, this will
continue to stay relevant. “The fear
of failing doesn’t allow you to even
start,” Hamm said, “The hardest part
is showing up.” n
When the Covid pandemic forced
U.C. Davis to close its doors and
subsequently cancel the women’s
soccer season, the team’s dedication
was sorely tested. Disappointed, but
not discouraged, Head Coach Tracy
Hamm proceeded to train the team
virtually. Gathering over Zoom,
they analyzed old college games and
discussed articles relating to soccer.
“We treated it as an academic class,”
she said.
“College can be an escape for a lot
of students,” she said. “Having to go
back into their home environment
wasn’t necessarily a positive for every-
body,” said Hamm.
As the pandemic dragged on,
Hamm seized the opportunity to
stress the importance of endurance to
her athletes. “I focus a lot on building
resilience, building perseverance, and
having a passion for what you are
doing,” Hamm said, adding that even
under normal circumstances, “college
soccer is not easy.”
Fortunately, the athletes were able
to resume in-person training this
past September, allowing Hamm to
prepare the team for the fall 2021
season. Though the team was initially
required to socially distance, eventu-
ally, and with access to U.C. Davis’s
Covid-testing resources, the team
engaged in full-contact training.
Hamm’s coaching experience has
taught her that personal development


THE

page 13
JANUARY 2021

Slow Streets Are
Fun Streets
Political Conservatives
Wanted for Living
Room Conversations
by Bill Kaufner
by Myrna Walton
If you consider yourself a political
conservative and would like to
connect with people of a different
persuasion, you are in high demand.
Rockridge resident Jean Rains is
hosting an online political discussion
group, and recently noted on Next-
door that she would like to connect
with more politically conservative
folks to keep her group balanced,
because “I have a lot of liberal friends
who would like to break out of their
silos.”
For her group, Rains uses a discus-
sion guide developed by Living Room
Conversations, an organization
co-founded by Berkeley resident Joan
Blades (who was also a co-founder
of MoveOn.org). The backbone of
a Living Room Conversation is a
model developed by dialogue experts
to facilitate connections between
people, despite their differences, and
to identify areas of common ground
and shared understanding.
The model helps “steer conversa-
tions away from debating, arguing or
trying to convince others that your
view is right, and instead, toward
sharing stories and values,” said
Rains. “The discussions are fun,
stimulating, and give you a chance
to connect with the humanity of
others.” They offer a platform for
connecting with others who have
different views on race, religion, age,
gender, politics, ethnicity — virtually
any topic of interest.
So, conservatives of Rockridge,
now is the time to make your pres-
ence known.
If you would like to start such a
conversation group using the discussion
guide, go to livingroomconversations.
org, or contact Jean at jeanmrains@
comcast.net. n
Oakland has 74 miles of Slow
Street Corridors and 15 Slow
Street Essential Places. These desig-
nated areas on specific neighborhood
streets limit access to local residents,
emergency vehicles, and service and
delivery vehicles. The City is encour-
aging drivers to avoid these streets
unless they are needed to reach their
final destination.
As stated on the City of Oakland
website, the Slow Streets Program
was launched in April 2020 as part
of Oakland’s Covid-19 response. It
is intended to support safe physical
activity and alleviate overcrowding
in parks and on trails by encouraging
outdoor use of local streets. Many
were placed on existing bicycle routes.
Recently, I cycled from The
Market Hall to Emeryville, all on
Happy New Year,
from The Rockridge News!

the designated “Slow Streets.” On the
way, I passed by walkers, runners,
baby strollers, and even a Zumba
class. I saw numerous colorful street
drawings, Black Lives Matter signs,
and basketball hoops in play. Few, if
any, cars went by while I negotiated
traffic circles and car barriers.
Good walking or cycling routes for
Rockridge residents include: Shafter
from the Market Hall to MacArthur
Boulevard; 42nd Street from Broad-
way to Adeline in Emeryville; Forest
going north of Claremont Ave; Ayala
from Forest and Howell; and Colby
from Claremont Avenue to Berkeley’s
Elmwood.
However you move, get out and use
these urban parkways for health and
sanity. n


THE
page 14
JANUARY 2021

As an example, Davis recounts when
his son started at Claremont Middle
School, incoming families were told
that the cafeteria would quickly be
restored following a 2015 fire. The
cafeteria has yet to be repaired. Davis
reports that recently allocated funds
from Measure Y mean the cafeteria
will be back soon. “It’s wonderful
New Director, from page 2
Anti-Violence Program bear the
imprint of OCO. Davis ended up
serving on the board for OCO, now
known as Faith in Action.
Davis’s wife, Yael Falicov, is also
deeply intertwined in the East Oak-
land community as development
director for Mujeres Unidas & Activas,
a women’s empowerment program
centered around political education
and leadership development.
Asked about the priorities for the
incoming school board, Davis listed
several key issues.
“Of course, re-opening our schools
is the top concern at this moment,”
Davis emphasizes. “It’s a complicated
set of issues and the obstacles are
many.” The process will include
negotiations with the teachers union;
compliance with City and State
government directives; facilities
upgrades; and social equity concerns.
“When New York City re-opened
their schools, there were big dispar-
ities in which families took the open
seats, and those who chose not to
attend,” he says. “We have to address
that in our planning.”
Restoring faith in the school board’s
financial management will be another
hurdle for Davis and his new col-
leagues. He explained that too often
funding that is allocated for specific
programs and facilities is diverted and
intended progress gets sidetracked.
“We need much more transparency
and accountability when it comes to
managing our money.”
A native of Queens, New York,
Davis has been in the education field
for two decades. He came west to
attend Cal as a math major, “but I
was always interested in education,”
he says. He started his career in adult
education before settling in Oakland
in 2003, where he got an assignment
at the Manzanita campus in the
Fruitvale district teaching English as a
second language.
“I fell in love with the Manzanita
community. Their innovative Even
Start program combined an adult
literacy course alongside a pre-school
program for their kids,” Davis
explains. But the budget for adult
education was severely cut during the
recession a few years later. So Davis
took on a new role at the school as a
family outreach coordinator.
On one campus, Manzanita offers
three instructional tracks: dual
immersion Spanish/English, English-
only, and bilingual. When their son
Rafael was ready for kindergarten,
Davis and his wife decided to enroll
him at Manzanita. The venerable
Oakland Community Organization
(OCO) was working with Manzanita
parents to fight budget cuts when
Davis arrived.
He describes OCO as “the classic
community-organizing model, built
upon congregations identifying what
their communities need and taking
action.” Initiatives like the small
school movement and the Cease Fire
“It’s wonderful to see families
support better, safer schools in
Oakland, and Measure Y is a big
step in that direction.”
to see families support better, safer
schools in Oakland, and Measure Y is
a big step in that direction. We need
to be sure the board uses that money
wisely and not wastefully.”
Personal engagement with school
communities is also high on Davis’s
to-do list. He envisions coalitions of
students, faculty, and parents address-
ing important issues, including
restorative justice practices, which will
be especially important in the wake of
the recent board decision to remove
the school district’s police force from
schools. Davis explains that most of
the existing school security staff will
be retrained to lead social equity and
sustainability initiatives.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I
believe this board is prepared to face
it head-on,” Davis says. “I see this as a
full-time job and a wonderful learn-
ing opportunity.”
His son Rafael is now a freshman at
Oakland Tech where, not surprisingly,
Davis serves on the PTA. “This year’s
been really hard on him because he’s
only been on campus a couple of
times,” Davis says. To somewhat com-
pensate, father and son volunteered
to distribute textbooks on campus,
and Davis organizes monthly Zoom
meetings for freshman families.
“We’re all looking forward to get-
ting our kids back in school. But we’re
going to be sure it’s safe.”
Contact our school board
representative at sam.davis@ousd.
org. To receive his newsletter, visit
www.samdavisforoaklandschools.org/
subscribe. n


THE

page 15
JANUARY 2021

RNClassifieds
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 February 2021 issue is January 21 – available
on February 6. For more information, email
Susan Montauk at smontauk@gmail.com.
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Thinking about an electric car? I can get
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Attention Tenants
@ The White House
This is your
30 Day Notice to Vacate.
k
We will not be renewing
 your 4 year lease.
Welcome
Joe & Kamala
Let us know
how we can help!
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
(c) 510-612-2547
RonKriss@JPS.net
DRE# 01417458
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
160+ Successful Sales in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com

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