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R ckridgeNews

THE

www.rockridge.org

VOL 37   •   NO. 7   •   ISSUE  NO. 399   •   JULY 2, 2022                        CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

RCPC Brings In New Board; New Directions;
New Land Use Chair

Alameda County
Shares Report on
Homelessness at
Greater NCPC’s
June Meeting
by Annette Floystrup
April’s Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC) Board
Election brought a new majority to the
board and a change to the Land Use
Committee (LUC) Chair position.
In May 2022, Stu Flashman, who
has served as LUC Chair since 2007,
was succeeded by Ken Rich, RCPC
Treasurer. Rich has served on the LUC
since May 2021, when he was elected
to the RCPC Board.
Stu
Flashman
by Anna L. Marks
What is Alameda County doing
to address homelessness?
The Greater Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council’s (NCPC)
June meeting addressed this topic and
provided details on how the county’s
services are currently being imple-
mented and what the plan is moving
forward. Although the meeting was
only lightly attended, the information
was useful, enlightening, and worth
sharing with Rockridge News readers.
Colleen Budenholzer and Lucy
Kasdin spoke to the group as repre-
sentatives from the Alameda County
Health Care Services Agency. They
revealed the findings from a recent
report, the 2022 Point-in-Time Count,
delayed by over a year due to Covid,
based on a one-day count of homeless
and unsheltered residents conducted
earlier this year.
While the 2022 data confirmed that
the homeless population increased
over 20 percent in three years, it did
so at a much slower rate than during
the previous report when the increase
was around 40 percent. Kasdin, Direc-
tor of Alameda County Health Care
for the Homeless, noted that while
this is no time for celebrating, it does
speak to how well the interventions
have been working.
“Oakland, of course, has the high-
est concentration of homelessness
Stu Flashman: Outgoing Chair
Stu Flashman was first appointed to
the RCPC Board in 2007 to serve on its
“merchant seat.” He was subsequently
appointed by the board to the LUC,
and named committee chair the fol-
lowing year — a position he has held
since then. He was elected to six sepa-
rate two-year terms, serving as RCPC
Board Chair for five of these years.
Flashman is one of America’s top
environmental lawyers and has been
named a Northern California “Super-
lawyer” since 2011. During his 15 years
Ken Rich
on the LUC, he has guided Rockridge
to several notably successful results
on major land use issues affecting the
Hwy 24 corridor.
Land Use Chair, see page 10
Home Providers: Meet Home Seekers
by Carol Kasparek and Gary Fine
Our Bay Area has many distinc-
tions. Unfortunately, exorbitantly
high rents are included among them.
This reality has wide ramifications
that did not go unnoticed by local
resident Jill Lindenbaum. She became
aware of one big effect of rising
housing costs when her son’s school
couldn’t replace his science teacher
because none of the top candidates
wanted to take on the rental market
in the East Bay, much less the home
prices. Lindenbaum’s partner at the
time, Siggy Rubinson, was experi-
encing a similar situation at her son’s
school.
Both women were aware of pro-
grams in England that focus on
seniors with extra rooms to rent out.
This well-known practice had become
part of its public health program. The
arrangement allows seniors to stay in
Home Sharing, see page 12
NCPC Meeting, see page 4


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JULY 2022

RCPC August Town Hall: Oakland Housing Element

T
SAVE THE DATE
he Housing Element is part of
Oakland’s General Plan that serves
as a blueprint for housing the City’s
residents, at all economic levels includ-
ing low income and households. At the
Town Hall, City of Oakland planning
staff will share updates on the plan
and solicit feedback from the public.
Under State law, every city and
county in California must adopt a
Housing Element or plan, as part of
its General Plan. An updated Element
allows the City to access critical local,
state and federal funds.
The Housing Element presents an
inventory of sites suitable for resi-
dential development in Oakland; an
Thursday, August 18th
7:30-9pm, at the Rockridge Library
(Attendees will also be able to join by Zoom)
RSVP: chair@rockridge.org
assessment of financial and program-
matic resources; and an analyses of
constraints, both governmental and
non-governmental, to housing pro-
duction in Oakland. These data and
systematic analyses provide the basis
for policies and actions to meet Oak-
land’s housing needs for the future.
Visit the City of Oakland’s website
at: https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/
read-the-housing-element. n

The Rockridge News was founded in 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.
Rockridge News Production
Anna L. Marks ........................ Editor & Layout Artist
Jo Ellis........................Assistant Editor & Ad Manager
Susan Montauk................................Business Manager
Judith Doner Berne.......................Senior Staff Writer
RCPC Board of Directors, 2022-23
Casey Farmer.......................................................Chair
Robin McDonnell..................................... Vice-Chair
Aly Bonde...................................................... Secretary
Ken Rich........................................................Treasurer
Mark Aaronson, Andrew Charman, Stuart Flash-
man, Ben Friedman, Annette Floystrup, Kirk
Peterson, Ashley Pandya, Ronnie Spitzer, Zac Unger
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? We’d love to hear from you.
All letters must be limited to 350 words and are
published at the discretion of the Editor. Send
them to: editor@rockridge.org. Please be sure
to include your name, email address, and city and
street of residence. All submissions accepted
for publication are subject to editing for clarity
and brevity.
The Rockridge News reserves the right to refuse any
articles, letters, display ads, or classified ads.
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, CA, 94609
Display Advertising Deadline for SEPTEMBER:
August 18, 2022
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.
Views expressed in published articles 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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JULY 2022

Rock-N-Stroll Returns to College Avenue
with Art, Music, and Food on July 9th
RCPC Vendor Fair —
ADUs & Brews
by Jody Colley, Rockridge District Association Marketing Manager
by Casey Farmer, RCPC Chair
You asked — we’re answering.
Earlier this year, The Rockridge
Community Planning Council
(RCPC) held a town hall meeting on
Zoom to hear from residents about
what priorities they’d like to see
the RCPC address. Several of the
attendees expressed interest in build-
ing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
but did not know where to start. As
a result, we’ve decided to bring some
ADU experts to the neighborhood —
and RCPC will be hosting an ADU
Vendor Fair on Sunday, July 24,
from 3:30pm-5:30pm, at The Golden
Squirrel, 5940 College Avenue.
What is an ADU?

Calle Ocho will be performing Cuban son, danzon, bolero and jazz at the
BART plaza, July 9, from 2pm to 5pm. Visit rockridgedistrict.com for details.

Accessory Dwelling Units are
self-contained residential units on
the same property as a single-family
home or multifamily building. ADUs
must have a kitchen (or efficiency
unit), bathroom, a place to sleep, and
a separate entrance from the main
property. You can use an ADU to
house friends or family, or lease to
a rent-paying tenant. Single-family
ADUs can take different forms, such
as a first floor or basement that has
been converted to an additional living
unit; a freestanding backyard cottage;
or a converted garage.
State law makes it easy to build an
ADU that is:
• 800 square feet or less
• 16 feet in height or less
• Set back from side and rear property
   lines by 4 feet
• Other waived local regulations
The City of Oakland has
many resources including free
pre-approved plans, an ADU cost
calculator, and a planning guide. See
oaklandca.gov/topics/accessory-dwell-
ing-units-adus-secondary-units.
Note: To view the previous RCPC
meeting on ADUs (Zoom meeting,
March 2021) visit the RCPC YouTube
channel, or visit: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=NKKTaH1gkPI). n
Rock-N-Stroll resumes for the third
time this season on Saturday,
July 9, from 11am-6pm. Enjoy free
outdoor live music, big sales, popup
vendors, kids’ crafts, art shows, and
fun activities for the whole family up
and down College Avenue — from
Broadway to Alcatraz.
Featured musicians include Kelly
Keys, Calle Ocho (see photo above),
Gaby Castro, Arden Alexa, Blue Alley
Cats, and Timothy Shestak. Stop by to
listen, say hello to your neighbors, and
enjoy the shops, fine dining, savory
sweets, and delicious drinks available
in Oakland’s Rockridge District.
See rockridgedistrict.com for details. n
SCHEDULE: JULY 9TH
Oakland Art Gallery  12pm-6pm: Friends with Benefits
Right Angle
 11:30am-2pm: Fleeting Trance
Open Mind Music
 Live Music
BART
 11am-1:30pm: Kelly Keys
2pm-5pm: Calle Ocho
5pm to 7pm: Gaby Castro
Mignonne Décor
 11am-1:45pm: Jason Movirch
2:30pm-5pm: Arden Alexa
Arbor Preschool
 1pm-4pm: Dan do Mandolin
Beer Baron
 3pm-6pm: Live Music
CAPC Courtyard
 11am-2pm: Blue Alley Cats
2:30pm-5:30pm: El Grato Dice
VITA
 2pm-5pm: Timothy Shestak
Cole Coffee
 DJ
At Holy Names, students thrive. In our
supportive and academically-challenging
environment, Holy Names students develop
strong voices, deep compassion, and the
skills and confidence they need to have a powerful impact
on the world.  We are proud to be the most diverse all-girls
school in the Bay Area, and our diversity includes the full
socio-economic spectrum, race and a multitude of cultures
that reflect our local community.
Holy Names High School
4660 Harbord Drive, Oakland, CA 94618
hnhsoakland.org


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JULY 2022

based upon the need and density of
the area being served.
“I know there are a number of
individuals with more significant
behavioral health challenges who are
on the streets around the Rockridge
area. A number of them that we are
working closely with have behavioral
health issues. Progress is slow and our
services are voluntary, so it is a process
of engagement over time. This is really
challenging us to make sure we are
working with you all (in Rockridge)
to make sure that our outreach is
engaging with individuals, especially
dinated Entry Program Director with
Alameda County’s Office of Homeless
Care and Coordination, and a collab-
orative partner and lead on strategic
planning for the agency. The Home
Together 2026 Community Plan was
released this May and serves as a
“roadmap” for the next five years whose
goals include preventing homelessness
for those most at risk; resolving issues
quickly; connecting people with safety
net resources; increasing the availability
of housing; and improving communica-
tion and outreach.
“It’s really about bridging access
to resources —
matching people to
the resources that
they need — and
prioritizing people to
the resources that we
don’t have enough of.
This is really about
getting creative,
having conversations
with individuals,
getting to know them, developing
rapport, understanding what they want,
understanding what resources they
have, and what community resources
they may need to be connected to,” said
Budenholzer.
Budenholzer also shared that two-
thirds of the homeless population
resolve their situation without long-
term intervention with the assistance
of bridge funding. This can include
funding for security deposits, or pro-
viding tangible assistance like home
furnishings that aid in offsetting
moving expenses. These needs are
determined after the assessment pro-
cess, but, she emphasized, there is not
enough affordable housing to meet the
growing need. “In the pipeline, there
are over 1,900 affordable housing units
with 876 specifically set aside for people
experiencing homelessness or exiting
homelessness,” said Budenholzer.
How do folks access these services?
Start by calling 2-1-1 where you will
have a “warm transfer” to a housing
resource center. The centers also have
drop-in hours and phone numbers.
Alameda County Health Care for the
Homeless can be reached at (510) 891-
8950; achch@acgov.org. n
NCPC Meeting, from front page
anywhere within our county,” said
Kasdin. Approximately 7,000 individ-
uals are homeless on any given night;
about 3,300 are in Oakland (about
47 percent of the total for Alameda
County).
“When we think about homelessness,
we think about large encampments,
large concentrations. We think about
tents. In Rockridge, you think about
individuals maybe at the BART station
or bus stops, except, what we have
actually seen, and this is generally true
across the county with
a few exceptions, is that
there actually has been a
decrease in the number
of tents and increasing
numbers of individuals
living in cars and RVs,”
said Kasdin.
Kasdin also discussed
her agency’s role in
providing direct health
care for the homeless population via
“street teams” that go directly into
encampments and other locations to
provide services, like dental, optom-
etry, mental health counseling, and
even drug addiction and overdose
prevention.
“We have spent a lot of time over the
last two years working on the ground
responding to Covid,” said Kasdin.
There are currently 14 teams serving
the county; the size of the team is
in settings that, historically, we haven’t
provided as robust outreach services,”
explained Kasdin.
Regarding the sheltered population,
Oakland has the most shelters in the
county where there has been a large
increase in need. Initiatives like Proj-
ect Roomkey and Project Homekey
have had a positive impact in reducing
the number of unhoused individuals.
A good local example is the opening
of Clifton Hall (see Rockridge News,
February 2021). Project Roomkey has
served 2,574 people; of those, 2,068
people have exited the system and
more than 1,400 individuals transi-
tioned to permanent housing.
Colleen Budenholzer is the Coor-
Land Use Committee
Meeting Notice
RCPC Land Use Committee
meeting will be held on
Wednesday, July 27, 2022,
at 7:30pm, via Zoom.
The meeting is open to the public.
To attend, check rockridge.org
for Zoom link, or
email: landuse@rockridge.org.


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JULY 2022

also proposed to continue supporting
nearly 20 full-time equivalent staff
positions within Public Works and
OakDOT. Over the past several years,
the City of Oakland has combined
these SB 1 funds with local vot-
er-approved taxes for transportation
infrastructure like Measure B/BB
and Measure KK to tackle decades of
deferred maintenance of local roads
while prioritizing locations based on
equity indices such as priority neigh-
borhoods and traffic safety.
City Council Corner
Oakland City Council
Meeting: Updates
Relevant to Rockridge
by Aly Bonde, RCPC Board Member
Street Maintenance
On June 7, the City Council
approved a resolution necessary to
request almost $10 million from the
State of California to fund local road
maintenance during FY 2022-2023.
These state dollars are part of the SB
1 Road Repair and Accountability Act
(commonly referred to as the “Gas
Tax”) signed by former Governor
Brown in 2017 to raise vehicle regis-
tration fees and charge an additional
12¢ per gallon of gasoline for trans-
portation infrastructure and repairs.
The City of Oakland has successfully
obtained the full amount requested
from the State for the past five years
when the funds have been available.
SB 1 funds in Oakland are proposed
to be used similarly to past years —
funding ongoing road maintenance
requests such as repair of potholes.
Members of the public can submit
road maintenance requests via
OAK311 and the free SeeClickFix
mobile app.
The $10 million in State funding is
Potential City Council Term Limits
Councilmember Loren Taylor
proposed a ballot measure at the City
Council’s Rules Committee meeting
on June 9 that would, if approved
by the voters in the November 8,
2022 election, limit members of
the Oakland City Council to three
consecutive four-year terms in office.
Councilmember Dan Kalb stated
during the Rules Committee meeting
that he is working on a similar ballot
measure.
The City Council would need to
finalize and pass any ballot measures
by its final meeting in July in order
for them to appear on the November
ballot. The Rules Committee chose
not to schedule Councilmember
Taylor’s measure for a vote until it
could also schedule Councilmember
Kalb’s measure. n
NCPC Meeting
The Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council
will hold its next
virtual Zoom meeting on:
Buying ?  Selling?
Let me help you!
August 11, 2022, at 7pm,
(pending further notice)
For Zoom link, visit:
https://rockridgencpc.com
Anne D. Brandon
Realtor
510.682.6644 | 510.339.9290
To suggest meeting topics,
send an email to:
chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Anne.Brandon@corcorangl.com
AnneDBrandon.com
Lic# 01877719
© 2020 Corcoran Global Living. All rights reserved.
Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

A Celebration of
Rockridge News
Volunteers
SAVE THE DATE
The Rockridge Community Planning
Council thinks it’s high time to thank
our Rockridge News volunteers.
We are planning a picnic for:
Sunday, August 21, noon to 4pm.
Invitations, with an RSVP for the event,
will be sent out toward the end of July
to those who are currently delivering,
bundling and hosting the newsletter
(and, hopefully to those who have
retired in recent years).
We are missing email addresses for
a few individuals, so please contact
Susan at smontauk@gmail.com or
(510) 547-3855 if you notice that your
contact email is not printed on your
July cover sheet.
Musicians Wanted!
Help RCPC recognize
the 140+ volunteers who
support The Rockridge
News by performing
at their outdoor
celebration. 
Event to be held on
Sunday, August 21,
from noon to 4pm.
Email chair@rockridge.
org for more detailed
information.
Taft Avenue Route Available for
Rockridge News Delivery
Thanks to Gary Lipmann for his many
years of service as Rockridge News
Block Captain for his block of Taft
Avenue. He is ready to retire and needs
someone in his neighborhood to take
over his route beginning in September.
Please let us know if you will be able to
sign up for the route below:
Route 11B: From 5546 Taft along both
sides to 5669 Broadway.
Block Captains deliver newsletters
door-to-door. Their bundles are
delivered to their front porch the
first weekend of each month (except
August). Call (510) 547-3855 or email
Susan at smontauk@gmail.com.


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JULY 2022

LOOK AROUND
Eucalyptus globulus
Rockridge Kitchen Tour: Volunteer Request
by Robin McDonnell, Kitchen Tour Co-Chair
by Kirk Peterson
The RCPC Rockridge Kitchen Tour is coming
October 2nd, and the committee is looking
for volunteers with specific areas of expertise.
Interested? Please email us at
kitchentour@rockridge.org.
Eucalyptus globulus, the Tasmanian
blue gum, naturalized (went wild)
in California in the 19th century.
Besides majestic individual trees,
one can see them lining roads, in
agricultural windrows, and in small
clusters and dense forests in much of
low-elevation California.
Eucalyptus g. was planted widely in
the Oakland hills in anticipation of
commercial logging that never hap-
pened. Over time, the trees grew and
reseeded themselves, generally at the
expense of native flora.
Publicity: Ideally, we’d like to find
a volunteer with experience in writing
press releases and who has contacts
at local media outlets. This should
take no more than two to three hours
per week, for about five weeks total.
Starting mid-July, we reach out to
publications with long-lead calendars
and submission dates, and most of
the media outreach will be completed
by the end of August. There is plenty
of collateral material from previous
tours, and much of  this information
can be adapted for this year’s tour. n
Docents: These are the volunteers
who make the tour the enjoyable expe-
rience that it is. Docents at each house
guide guests to the kitchen, answer
questions, give directions to other
houses, and keep everything running
smoothly. Docents get to tour several
of the houses during orientation ahead
of the October 2nd date as well as on
the event day, and are allowed free
entry to the other houses on the tour
when not on their scheduled shift.
Mark your calendars for:
Sunday, October 2, 2022
• Tickets Go On Sale July 15th •
The biennial Rockridge Kitchen Tour is back again after a short hiatus.
Advance ticket sales begin on July 15th
and are available by visiting: rockridgekitchentour.org.
Sales end at midnight, September 30th.
Advanced tickets are $47, plus service fee.
Day of the tour tickets are $55.
Kirk Peterson
The trunks shed big shaggy ribbons
of bark revealing creamy newer bark.
The sharply fragrant evergreen leaves
fall all year, and whole branches can
drop at any time. The flowers are well
loved by our urban bees. Eucalyp-
tuses are highly flammable and can
“explode” in flame in a wildfire, hence
their removal in Claremont Canyon
and above UC.
The heritage Eucalyptus globulus
on the former College of the Arts
site are among the largest trees in
Rockridge, and remain visible from a
long stretch of College Avenue. The
developers of the proposed housing
project plan to cut down these trees
and many others. Another possible
loss to the “there” we have and cher-
ish here in Rockridge. n


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JULY 2022

RCPC & NCPC Want You to Organize Your Block for National Night Out
by Casey Farmer, Chair, Rockridge Community Planning Council

National Night Out (NNO) is the
annual reminder to neighbors
here in Oakland and across the
country to host block parties on the
evening of Tuesday, August 2nd. It’s
always held on the first Tuesday in
August, from 6-8pm; however, indi-
vidual blocks can pick any day that
works for their neighborhood.
The Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC) and the
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC) have teamed up to
encourage more Rockridgers to host
NNO block parties for the purposes of
community building and enhancing
public safety.
neighborhood will be gifted with a
free box of tasty treats from a College
Avenue merchant to add to your pot-
luck spread.
Want to participate? Please email
chair@Rockridge.org with the blocks
you’ll be helping coordinate, and be
sure to also register your party with
the City’s NNO Program online at:
oaklandca.gov/topics/national-night-
out-2022. For those who want to
receive activities for kids and a gift
for hosts, they must register their
party by July 22.
Email Chair@Rockridge.org to
receive a small gift of gratitude for
building community on your block. n
Why Host a Party?
• Get acquainted or reacquainted
with your neighbors, even for just an
hour or two.
• Strengthen our entire neighbor-
hood’s resilience. Building trust with
those in close proximity and having
each other’s contact information really
helps in an emergency.
• Use this as an opportunity to give a
warm welcome to any new neighbors
on the block.
• Provide activities for kids by
inviting librarians to hold a mini
story time, or invite first responders
to swing by. City of Oakland staff,
Oakland Fire Department, Police
Department personnel, and elected
officials will be available.
• Get to know your City and County
elected officials by inviting Coun-
cilmember Dan Kalb or Supervisor
Keith Carson to attend your block
party.
• Receive your goodie boxes. In
addition to treats, all boxes will
include flyers for coordinators to pass
out to party attendees that contain
upcoming event information hosted
by RCPC and NCPC — including a
mayoral candidate’s forum, a town
hall on the City’s Housing Element/
General Plan, NCPC meetings, and
information about these two import-
ant local community organizations.
Twenty-five parties throughout the

block party Organizing Tips
• Save the date — share party details
now to ensure folks block off the date.
Use your neighborhood’s listserv or
drop off postcards to homes in your
target radius.
• Potlucks offer an opportunity
to learn something new about
your neighbors. From my personal
experience as host on Hermann/Ayala
Streets, Martha makes a delightful
sangria, Joaquin is a remarkable baker,
and Robert learned how to make
delicious dumplings while living in
China after college.
• Name tags are a great tip to learn
and remember names.


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JULY 2022

Mail Carrier Puts Her Stamp on Local Deliveries

by Judith Doner Berne
Trailing United States Postal Ser-
vice carrier Megan Wilson as
she delivered the mail on Lawton
Avenue between Clifton and 51st
streets brought to mind the theme
song from the Cheers television sit-
com, “Where Everyone Knows Your
Name.” In a bit of a turnabout, it’s
Wilson who knows everyone’s name,
plus the names of their pets, on the
approximately 15 miles of streets she
covers each day. And many know her
name as well.
“I try and remember people’s
names,” said Wilson, a five-year
carrier who started on her lower
Rockridge route in January 2021.
“If you plan on staying on a route, it
makes things better.”
Wilson, who has two rescue cats she
found on a prior route, feels the same
way about her customers’ dogs and
cats. “I’m a firm believer that you’ve
got to get to know them. I don’t want
to confront an aggressive animal. If
you don’t like animals, you shouldn’t
be a mail carrier.”
She announces “Post Office” or
“Mail,’’ or knocks loudly as she
makes deliveries unless a customer
has asked her not to. That happened
early on, she said, when the mom
of a sleeping baby yelled at her. But
the next day, Wilson found a note of
apology on the door. “I completely
understand,” Wilson said. “There
are a few houses where I don’t do it
because they have a kid.”
Rockridge resident Diana Pasquali
and her dog Mia immediately
responded to Wilson’s mail call.
“It’s so nice that she lets us know, so
packages don’t get taken,” Pasquali
said. “And she always leaves our dog
something too.”
Wilson has a special relationship
with the cats and dogs along her route.
She often leaves them something
special atop the mailbox, “so every
member of the house gets some mail.
They’re my customers too.” Around
Easter, she planted plastic eggs filled
with candies along her route where
kids (and adults) might discover them.
Her mail cart is adorned with a
small Ukrainian flag and an air horn
that she deploys in protest when
she sees someone speeding along
Rockridge streets or blowing through
a stop sign. “We aren’t allowed to
display anything political because
it violates the Hatch Act.” (Its main
provision prohibits civil service
employees in the executive branch
of the federal government, except
the President and Vice President,
from engaging in some forms of
political activity.)
As the cart started to roll down the
sidewalk while Wilson was on some-
one’s doorstep, she acknowledged that
it wasn’t in the best shape. It needs
parts that she hasn’t been able to find,
she said, although a man on Avon
Street re-aligned her front wheels.
“She harkens back to a different era,”
he said, asking not to be identified by
name. “There is no milkman, and the
rollover of postal workers is endless.”
But Wilson, he said, “is super friendly
and congenial and many of the people
know her on the route. She gives
something special to the animals, as
opposed to bear spray.”
Wilson created an email address
that is headed “mailladymegan” and a
special phone number for her custom-
ers that differs from her cell number.
“It costs $20 a month. I give it to them
freely,” she said. “The customers really
appreciate it.”
It certainly was useful to Lawton
resident Jerry Sontag. “We had a reg-
istered piece of mail that we weren’t
at home to sign for,” he said. But
Wilson left a personal note with her
cell phone number, so he could let her
know when they would be at home.
“She hand-delivered it.”
“She’s friendly and concerned
about her work,” said Avon Street
resident Jimmy Pedersen. After
selling his house and moving into an
apartment down the block, his mail
hasn’t always followed. But Wilson
has tried to alleviate that. “I depend
on her,” Pedersen said.
“We first met Megan thanks to
our fur babies, Milo (kitty) and
Gladys (doggy),” said Boyd Avenue
residents JoEllen Depakakibo and
Robin Quinn. “She is like a Disney
character where animals turn their
heads and start following her. Milo
jumps out of hiding to follow her on
her route.
Mail Carrier, see next page


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page 9
JULY 2022

“I’m very people and
animal-oriented,”
said Postal Service carrier
Megan Wilson.
Photo/Judy Berne
lived on Lawton since 1978. “She acts
like she’s part of the neighborhood.
A.J., my dog, loves her too.” But Sale is
worried about losing Wilson, as other
easier routes become available. “Every
single mail carrier has said the same
thing about this route — it’s too large.”
Wilson is still distressed by a shoot-
out she could hear but didn’t witness
while delivering mail in another
neighborhood. “I’m so thankful I
have this route. The people have been
fantastic.” Her fiancé, whom she met
online, subsequently became a mail
carrier too. “But I don’t think he loves
his job as much as I do. I do think I’m
a bit of a ‘one of a kind.’”
To comment on this column or
suggest future topics, please email
judyberne@att.net. n
Mail Carrier, from previous page
“Her kindness is magnetic to all
beings,” Quinn and Depakakibo
said. “We hear stories directly from
neighbors who received well wishes
cards from her during their struggles.
You can truly see Megan’s passion
and dedication to what she does. She
goes above and beyond in her role
as a Postal Service worker, genuinely
connecting with people on an individ-
ual level. She is an inspiration and it
brings our family joy when we see her
around the neighborhood.”
Nancy Sale also was impressed
when Wilson posted her contact
numbers on the Nextdoor list serve.
“Every once in a while, we get a really
good mail carrier,” said Sale, who has


THE
page 10
JULY 2022

reduced shadowing and parking
impacts, and included 15 percent
affordable units.
Flashman helped defend College
Avenue retail zoning, and, under his
leadership, RCPC insisted on reserving
new 4-story construction on the avenue
for projects that included permanently
affordable housing; agreed to allow
conversion of part of the former Lucky
Store to Pharmaca; helped convince the
City to allow Cole Hardware to open;
and prevented ground floor office
space use in the Dreyer’s building
where Crossroads clothing store is now.
Over the last three years, the LUC
has focused on preparing a Rockridge
Housing Study to inform a commu-
nity discussion on housing policy.
While the study is nearly complete,
with the change in board and com-
mittee leadership there could be a
change of course.
Prior to passing the California Bar
in 1990, Flashman had a career as a
scientist, holding a Ph.D. in Biochem-
istry & Molecular Biology. He was
an Assistant Professor of Genetics
at North Carolina State University,
in Raleigh. In California, he was an
instructor at U.C Berkeley Extension,
and Consultant in Biotechnology.
Before moving to Rockridge,
Flashman served as a Planning Com-
missioner and City Councilman in
Emeryville. He was also elected to the
Board of East Bay MUD, representing
Ward 3. He was founder and co-chair
of the Emeryville Shoreline Com-
mittee, and has served on the boards
of the Association of California
Water Agencies and Citizens for the
Eastshore State Park, as well as the
Executive and Legal Committees of
the Sierra Club, SF Bay Chapter.
Land Use Chair, from front page
In 2005, Flashman helped form
an alliance of neighborhood groups
from Oakland and Berkeley, includ-
ing RCPC, the North Hills Phoenix
Coalition, the Parkwoods Community
Association, and the East Bay Bicycle
Coalition as the Fourth Bore Coalition
in opposition to the Caldecott Tunnel
4th Bore Project when Caltrans
refused to address impacts along the
Hwy 24 corridor.
Flashman, with Rockridge resident
Antonio Rossman as co-counsel, sued
Caltrans, arguing that Caltrans had
violated the California Environment
Quality Act (CEQA) by not offering
adequate measures to mitigate the
environmental impacts of the project,
and had failed to offer any boost for
transportation options along the cor-
ridor such as public transit and riding
bicycles to and from BART.
The suit settled in 2009, with RCPC
receiving $3 million to mitigate
impacts on Rockridge schools —
Chabot Elementary and Claremont
Middle School. Both schools used the
money for advanced indoor air quality
and sound mitigation, and Claremont
revamped its playing field to include
advanced groundwater handling.
Along with community leaders from
Oakland and Berkeley, Flashman led
successful negotiations with Safeway
(now an Albertson subsidiary) over
redevelopment of its College Avenue
store to address the project’s commu-
nity impact. The settlement for the
College Avenue store (mediated by
former District 1 Councilwoman Jane
Brunner) produced the current highly
successful store design, including plac-
ing Safeway on the ground floor with a
College Avenue entry and establishing
the plaza seating area. The new design
also included space for the small shops
at College and Claremont.
While Safeway agreed to provide
$400,000 to address community
impacts, RCPC is still trying to access
those funds in the face of Safeway/
Albertson’s opposition.
He was instrumental in negotiating
agreements for the mixed-use of the
Logan/Whole Foods project that
Ken Rich: Incoming Chair
Rich has spent 20 years in real estate
development and city planning, steer-
ing complex projects and plans through
San Francisco’s extremely challenging
approval process. He served as Director
of Development for SF Mayors Ed
Lee and London Breed, from 2010 to
2020, where he led the real estate team
within the Mayor’s Office of Economic
Land Use Chair, see next page


THE

page 11
JULY 2022

RCPC By-Laws Governing the Land Use Committee
Land Use Chair, from previous page
and Workforce Development.
Projects approved under Rich’s
direction focused on low- and
middle-income housing, waterfront
revitalization, workforce development,
and the arts. In total, these projects
encompassed more than 20,000 new
residential units, 6 million square feet
of commercial space, and 40 acres of
new open space for the City.
Before working as Director of Devel-
opment, Rich worked for more than 10
years on land use planning at the San
Francisco Planning Department, where
among other projects, he led the City’s
initiative to adopt the Eastern Neigh-
borhoods Plan that rezoned a large
portion of southeastern San Francisco
in order to encourage more housing
while protecting industrial businesses.
In 2020, Rich began his consulting
practice, Kenneth J. Rich Consulting,
(kjr-consulting.com) dedicated to
significant development projects and
policy. Clients have included: the San
Francisco Wholesale Produce Market;
Land Use Committee meetings are open to the public, and Rockridge
residents are encouraged to attend LUC meetings to learn about land-
use policy. You do not need to be a member to attend and comment.
According to the RCPC By-Laws, the committe functions include:
1. To review and analyze zoning applications and current development
proposals affecting properties within (or, in the case of major development
projects, close to) the membership boundaries of the corporation;
2. To review pending or projected changes in zoning, or in the Oakland
General Plan, which might affect the community and residents of Rockridge;
3. To report its findings and recommendations on the above matters, including
proposed positions, correspondence, public statements and actions, to the
Board of Directors, in order that the Board may determine the organization’s
strategy and take action.
City of Oakland; City of Berkeley; Bay
Area Rapid Transit District (BART);
Kaiser Permanente; and the Union
Square Alliance. Currently, Rich is
consulting with BART on the North
Berkeley and Ashby station develop-
ments (as a result of his consulting
relationship, he will recuse himself
from any votes regarding the Rock-
ridge station), as well as the Oakland
A’s Waterfront Ballpark District and
Howard Terminal projects.
After an earlier stint living in Rock-
ridge from 1995 to 2002, Rich returned
in 2019 to Manila Avenue and to a
neighborhood that embodies so many
attributes of the kind of places he has
dedicated his career to creating.
Outside of work, Rich enjoys
mid-century furniture and industrial
design, early 20th-century art, classic
science fiction, foodie-oriented travel,
and, of course, exploring new cities and
neighborhoods. n
Ken Rich: New Chair of the Land Use Committee
I have big shoes to fill in taking on
the leadership of the RCPC Land
Use Committee from Stu Flashman.
I intend to continue Stu’s good
work chairing the committee —
my emphasis will be on making it
a place for interested community
members to discuss, debate and
learn about land use and city
planning issues affecting our neigh-
borhood and the City as a whole.
These discussions will help inform
the positions that the RCPC Board
takes on key policy questions.
It looks to me that the coming
years may be more active ones for
Rockridge from the perspective of
new development in our community.
While I think we will see compar-
atively little development activity
along Rockridge’s beautiful residen-
tial streets, there looks to be more
happening with some of the larger
pieces of land in our neighborhood.
From the JCC proposal at the
Dreyer’s site, to the proposed resi-
dential development at the CCA site,
the recent Home Depot proposal at
Broadway and Pleasant Valley, and
BART starting to turn its attention
to potential development at Rock-
ridge Station, we will have a lot to
talk about and process.
How shall we respond to these
opportunities as a community?
Should we be working on some
sort of “plan” for development
of these and possibly other sites?
Where do we stand on the age-old
debate around “affordable” versus
“market-rate” housing?  We will be
grappling with these and other ques-
tions at the Land Use Committee.
The Land Use Committee meets on
the 4th Wednesday of every month at
7:30, on Zoom for now. Please check
rockridge.org for Zoom link and
meeting agendas. n


THE
page 12
JULY 2022

Home Sharing, from front page
their homes — with the added ben-
efits of social contact, extra income,
and feeling they were contributing to
their community. Lindenbaum and
Rubinson began formulating a plan to
create a similar program here in Oak-
land and launched Homesharing — a
program to connect room owners and
room seekers.
Could home sharing alleviate the
housing crisis in Oakland? Recent
studies indicate the answer is “yes.”
Demographic changes to households
(kids going off to school, deceased
spouses) have resulted in approx-
imately 50,000 unused rooms in

Jill Lindenbaum (left) with Elyse Dukatz (right), a retired OUSD teacher who
was able to find a current OUSD teacher as a housemate through Roomily.

private residences, many occupied
by seniors, and some of these rooms
would meet the needs of the educators
and other civil servants struggling to
find a place to live. Roomily incorpo-
rated in 2019 to build that bridge.
Roomily “creates a framework
which allows the opportunity to
address all important factors” in a
potential match. Setting expectations
is critical. To create harmonious
matches, spelling out what both
parties expect of each other “requires
maturity and honesty, with 99 percent
of the work done on the front end,”
according to Lindenbaum.
Roomily focuses primarily on plac-
ing educators, college students, and
community workers because these
constituencies benefit most from
membership in the community and
the below-market rent the service
offers through the placement process.
Roomily assists with rent negotiation,
as well as possible barter arrangements
where the renter commits to support-
ing the homeowner with regular tasks.
Assessments, training, and background
checks are used to make all parties
comfortable with the potential match.
Home Sharing, see next page


THE

page 13
JULY 2022

arrangement has been “very success-
ful.” Victoria is pleased to be “helping
with the problem of real estate” in
the Bay Area. “This idea needs to be
promoted and used,” she says.
Roomily has long-term plans for the
process, according to Lindenbaum.
“Our goal is to see if Silvernest and
related services are scalable.” The
website and training video “Sharing
Housing 101” provide extensive
information on the needs and oppor-
tunities, as well as details on the
match process.
Roomily serves Alameda and Santa
Clara counties (more home providers
are available in San Jose than in Oak-
land). Roomily will be hosting online
events to continue to meet the needs
for housing in the community.
More information can be found at
https://www.goroomily.com/. n
platform Silvernest to handle both the
data and the process for connecting
space owners and space seekers. They
want to “understand how people
could use an online platform to help
themselves.”
Victoria Hurd used Roomily to
connect with her current lodger.
When her husband died, she realized
she was “better off not living alone”
Home Sharing, from previous page
Lindenbaum and Rubinson created
a pilot with the Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD) to assist in
hiring educators. Quick responses
from the community allowed the
organization to make 14 matches,
which allowed for an equal number of
positions to be filled in the OUSD.

To create harmonious matches, spelling out what both
parties expect of each other requires maturity and honesty.

in her two-bedroom condo. Roomily
provided candidates for the available
room and supported her as she
screened the candidates and made
arrangements with the person she
chose. The resulting two-plus year
In 2020, Roomily received a two-
year grant from the Chan Zuckerberg
Initiative — just in time for the
pandemic lockdown. They used the
time to refine their program design
and make changes to respond to those
unexpected conditions. As restrictions
lifted, they were ready to continue
their outreach and education.
Housing advocacy is new for
Lindenbaum. Her background is in
PR, marketing, and writing, having
worked for Google and other tech
firms. She has worked with the Pied-
mont Racial Equity Campaign and
the East Bay Housing Organization.
She collaborates with researcher and
author Annamarie Pluhar to identify
the needs of seniors and barriers to
home sharing.
Lindenbaum is partnering with the


THE
page 14
JULY 2022

Belly Opens Second
Location in Rockridge
by Anna L. Marks
A
“laid back café” offering a fusion
of Asian and Mexican fare
has moved into the space vacated
by The Hideaway at 5634 College
Avenue. This is the second location
owner Alice Woo has opened in
Oakland — her original location in
Uptown was established in 2014.
The venue offers an array of salads,
specialty burritos, and inspired tacos
including a Pork Belly Burrito ($17;
$6.50 for the taco) and Steak and
Egg Taco ($6.75) that comes with
marinated steak and fries topped with
a fried egg, chipotle aioli, and garlic
aioli. All burritos can be ordered as
Photo/Clara Rice Photography
Belly’s Steak and Egg Taco (also served in a bowl) comes with marinated
steak and fries topped with a fried egg, chipotle aioli, and garlic aioli.
up in San Diego and loves tacos and
burritos. A crowd favorite, and also
one of mine, is the Shrimp + Avocado
Taco. It’s crunchy tempura shrimp
with the freshness of pico, a little
tang from the lime cilantro crema,
and comes with a sesame slaw — a
refreshing and light taco,” said Woo.
“We love serving good food made
from scratch — we are excited to
bring something new to the neigh-
borhood. We love this area and the
community with the abundance of
amazing shops and we wanted to be a
part of it. Come on in for a delicious
meal with good vibes.”
During this “soft opening,” the
restaurant is open for breakfast and
lunch, Wednesday through Monday,
from 11am to 3pm (closed Tuesdays). n
a bowl which comes with multigrain
rice and other tasty options.
“Alan my husband created the entire
menu from what he believes are great
combinations of flavors. He grew


THE

page 15
JULY 2022

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Competition Drives Price in June
Closing date
BR
BA

Address                                Original price         List price
DOM
Selling price
6/3/2022
2
2

457 Mcauley St                       $1,325,000         $1,325,000
  1
$1,900,000
6/8/2022
3
2

6438 Regent St                        $1,895,000         $1,895,000
14
$2,690,000
YOUR LOCAL
REFILL SHOP
6/13/2022
4
2
         457 59th Street                       $1,499,000            $998,000
33
$1,220,000
6/13/2022
2
2

460 58th St                                 $799,000            $799,000
13
$1,206,460
6/22/2022
4
2

6015 Hillegass Ave                 $1,375,000         $1,375,000
13
$2,000,000
[ B U L K ]  [ Z E R O - W A S T E ]
Homes sold in June closed 31% over the asking price on average.
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6025 COLLEGE AVE. OAKLAND
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THE
COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE
2843 Forest Ave | Elmwood
$3,495,000 Rare Spanish Mediterranean
home newly constructed in 2014, located on
a beautiful tree-lined street in a wonderful
Berkeley neighborhood.
4+ Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths | 2,762 SF
This home features many custom
upgrades, no expense was spared.
Kevin Brown, Broker
Better Homes Realty, Rockridge
510.593.4780 | dre# 00644175
Just Listed  • 451 62nd St, Rockridge
4 bed | 3 bath | 2,665 sq ft of living space
510.350.6419 | Claudia@cmret.com | www.ClaudiaMillsRealEstateTeam.com