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R ckridgeNews

THE

www.rockridge.org

VOL 37   •   NO. 9   •   ISSUE  NO. 401   •   OCTOBER 8, 2022                 CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

Term-limited, Mayor Schaaf Plans To
Continue a Life of Public Service
Community Celebrates
Frog Park’s 20th Year
At Creek-to-Bay Day
by Theresa Nelson
Fby Judith Doner Berne
riends of the Rockridge-Temescal
Greenbelt (FROG) sends a hearty
thank you to everyone who showed
up to clean the park and celebrate its
20th anniversary on Saturday, the
17th of September.
Beautiful weather encouraged
dozens of community members —
adults and children — to come out to
groom and tidy the park. Volunteers
picked up trash, swept the walkways,
trimmed ivy and large branches
hanging over the play structures, and
cleared redwood needles and other
debris from the pond so the winter
rains would not block the drains.
FROG is grateful for this continued
community support to augment the
maintenance of our park. Creek-
to-Bay Day is our neighborhood’s
Frog Park, see page 4
Grab Your
Kids and
Costume
for the
Halloween
Parade
This stunning kitchen will be featured on the 2022 Kitchen Tour.
Photo credit: Chris Woodcock
Mayor Schaaf encourages Rockridge to fight for appropriate development.
(Photo by Judy Berne)
“I
know I will spend the rest of
my life in public service.” No,
Mayor Libby Schaaf isn’t saying what’s
next once her two terms as Oakland’s
top elected official are up on January
2, 2023. “I want to take six months to
do some processing of the incredible
lessons I’ve learned. Oakland deserves
a 1,000-percent mayor ‘til then.”
As she did seven years ago during
her first year in office, Schaaf sat for
our Rockridge News interview at a
corner table at the Rockridge Café.
“The idea of neighborhood news is at
the core of democracy,” she said.
An Oakland native, Schaaf deplores
the city’s current upsurge in violent
crime. Before the pandemic, “We did
create sustained periods of fewer kill-
ings and shootings.”
Rockridge District Association
(RDA) and the Rockridge Com-
munity Planning Council (RCPC)
invite the community to celebrate
Halloween on College Avenue
from 11am to 2pm, on Sunday,
October 30.
(See page 3 for more details)
Mayor Schaaf, see page 8


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page 2
OCTOBER 2022

What’s on the Ballot This November?

Compiled by Anna L. Marks
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.
Watch October 3rd’s
Oakland Mayor
CANDIDATE Forum
(hosted by LWV)
at https://www.lwvoakland.org.
Election season is underway, and
this November, Oakland residents
will elect a new mayor. While
Rockridgers won’t be voting for
Councilmember or school board
directors, all voters will be invited to
approve ten local ballot measures —
four introduced by our own District
1 representative, Dan Kalb. The
following is a synopsis of the ballot
measures that are up for consider-
ation. The Rockridge News takes no
positions for or against any of these
measures.
To verify your voter status, or
get a complete list of voting and
drop box locations, visit
www.oaklandca.gov/resources/
voter-information-day.
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
For complete ballot
descriptions, the reasons to
support or oppose each measure,
and links to two-minute videos,
visit the LWV website at
www.lwvoakland.org; or visit
www.lwvoakland.org/decide-nov22.
RCPC Board of Directors, 2022-23
Casey Farmer.......................................................Chair
Robin McDonnell..................................... Vice-Chair
Aly Bonde...................................................... Secretary
Ken Rich........................................................Treasurer
Measure H, Parcel Tax Extension
This School District measure seeks
to extend the parcel tax supporting
the College and Career Readiness
Act for 14 years through June 2037.
The parcel tax pays for programs
that “link learning” between school
and career, including internships and
innovative academy programs. Since
the existing measure began in 2015,
the graduation rate for black students
increased by 17.5 percent.
Measure Q: Affordable Housing
Authorizations [Companion to
Measure U]
This ballot measure would authorize
the development, construction,
acquisition, or development of an
additional 13,000 low-income units of 
“social housing” projects in Oakland.
Social housing is defined as “hous-
ing units that would accommodate
extremely low-income, very low-in-
come, and low-income residents (per
State and Federal standards).”
Mark Aaronson, Andrew Charman, Ben Friedman,
Annette Floystrup, Kirk Peterson, Ashley Pandya,
Ronnie Spitzer, Zac Unger
Additional information about
California’s ballot measures will
be mailed to all registered voters
early this month.
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.
Measure R: Gender Neutral Lan-
guage in the Charter
This measure would amend the City
Charter to avoid gender stereotyp-
ing by replacing gender-specific
language with gender-neutral or
gender-inclusive language, and,
in particular, would require City
officers and staff to use gender neu-
tral pronouns to support the City’s
commitment to inclusivity and
representation.
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.
Ballot Measures, see page 14
Mail payment to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Avenue,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, CA, 94609
Display Advertising Deadline for NOVEMBER:
October 20, 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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OCTOBER 2022

The Rockridge
Halloween Parade
Returns this Month
by Jody Colley, Rockridge District
Association
The time-honored tradition of
“trick-or-treating” along College
Avenue will be kicked off with kids’
activities at the Rockridge Library
parking lot (5366 College Avenue) on
Sunday, October 30th.
During the event, organized by
the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC), our neighborhood
librarians will lead story time for the
kids along with music and crafts from
11am to 2pm. At the same time, the
courtyard at College Avenue Presbyte-
rian Church, at 5366 College Avenue,
will feature a Halloween dance party
with DJ Groovesome.
Throughout the day, College Avenue
merchants from Alcatraz to Broadway
will pass out candy while offering
Halloween-themed menus, pop-ups,
sales, costume contests, and fun
activities for all ages.
For the full schedule and list of
participating merchants, visit
www.RockridgeDistrict.com. n
Join the Halloween fun at the
East Bay Depot for
Creative Reuse
(Telegraph and 29th Street)
Sunday, October 29, noon to 4:30pm
Create small hanging ghosts in our new
ReStudio, for free. Come in costume and
get 10 percent off any store purchase.

— Dogs of Rockridge —
This is Willie. He’s a
17-month-old Bernese
mountain dog, and is
very gentle, smart, and
friendly. His owner Deb,
a Rockridge resident
for 79 years, says Willie
likes his evening walks up
the avenue to visit with
people eating outside.
Does your pup live in Rockridge? If so, send a photo of your four-legged friend
with a little commentary to: editor@rockridge.org.


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page 4
OCTOBER 2022

Rockridge Artists at East
Bay Open Studios
The Annual East Bay Open Studios
continues a 40-year tradition next
month, November 5-6 and November
12-13, from 11am to 5pm. These free,
self-guided tours of art studios include
several Rockridge artists. Neighbors
are encouraged to visit them to learn
more about what inspires their passion
and creativity.
Marsha Balian: Mixed Media
 “The risks of failure are perhaps no
different than any other pursuit, even with
the benefit of instruction. But stubbornness
trumps failure and I try until something
works, at least to my own satisfaction.”
5495 Kales Ave.
Price range: $50 – $500
http://www.marshabalian.com/
Open Nov. 5 & 6
Frog Park co-chairs
Will Sheldon and Alison Drury.
Rockridge parent Katie Taylor and
her son, Toby Taylor Bielak, with
Councilmember Treva Reid.
Frog Park, from front page
valuable contribution to International
Coastal Cleanup Day, a global event
(https://oceanconservancy.org/
trash-free-seas/international-coast-
al-cleanup/icc/).
Katie McCann: Mixed Media
“My need to obsessively cut sometimes
outweighs the composition of the piece,
so I am often left with piles of abandoned
cuttings — lost bones, moths, fungi,
feathers, coral, shells and butterfly wings.
Eventually these too find a place to reside.”
5495 Kales Ave.
Price range: $50 – $500
https://www.beetleblossom.com/
Open Nov. 5 & 6
This cleanup was particularly spe-
cial because it also marked the 20th
anniversary of the park’s creation
(the celebration was delayed a year
due to Covid). In October 2001, more
than 1,300 volunteers came together
over ten days for the “Big Build,” to
construct the Big Frog and Little Frog
wooden play structures — the central
elements of this community park.
Since then, new paths, new swings
and play equipment, lily pad seating
tables at Big Frog, and renovated
basketball courts have been added.
Community volunteers led these
efforts, working closely with City,
County, and State officials for permits,
funding, and collaborative workdays.
Mayor Libby Schaaf joined the
cleanup and presented a Mayoral
Proclamation to FROG leaders in
acknowledgement of the two-decade
anniversary. Former FROG Chairs
Steve Costa and Jennifer Cooper
attended the cleanup and the cere-
monies, along with other volunteers
who were part of the Big Build.
Councilmember Dan Kalb and Coun-
cilmember Treva Reid attended the
event, as did Acting Parks Services
Manager Clinton Pugh, longtime Frog
Park maintenance manager, and Parks
Supervisor Henry Zavala who handles
Kids enjoyed decorating wood frogs
at the celebration.
frontline projects.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary,
FROG unveiled a new video about
how Frog Park came to be, and the
work of volunteers to build and main-
tain it. It was written and directed by
Rockridge neighbor and film student
Lily Shannon-Sutter, who herself
grew up going to the park. You can
see this inspiring video on the Frog
Park website: https://www.frogpark.
org/2022/09/09/frog-park-community-
built-video/.
Sally Weare: Painting / Drawing
“I am trying to stay tuned to the inside
of my head in the midst of the roar on
the outside.”
6449 Harwood Ave.
Price range: $500 – $5,000; Wheelchair
accessible; https://sallyweare.com/
Open Nov. 5 & 6; Nov. 12 & 13
Thanks to another community
volunteer, Frog Park also now has
an official Wikipedia page: https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_Park_
(Rockridge-Temescal_Greenbelt.
Trina Anderson: Painting, Printmaking
“While I like working with oil paint,
using acrylic allows me to be more free
in exploring compositions, thoughts and
feelings, sizes and colors. It is faster drying
so I can push ideas while they are fresh in
my mind. In my paintings, I explore human
built structures/design and the stories that
they hold; what exists and what is hidden;
the patterns found within. I paint the
feeling/emotion of the history there.”
5240 Shafter Avenue
Price range: $25 – $1,200
Wheelchair accessible
Open Nov. 5 & 6; Nov. 12 & 13  n
FROG is grateful to Bakesale Betty
and Ain’t Normal Café for their
continued support and donated
refreshments for the clean-up crew.
We also greatly appreciate the volun-
teers who managed the frog-themed
crafts and games for children during
the celebration.
If you’re interested in getting more
involved in FROG projects that keep
the creek flowing year-round, please
contact chair@frogpark.org. n


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page 5
OCTOBER 2022

their specific mandate, they could
not support the project as currently
proposed. Stay tuned to see whether
the Planning Commission and City
Council value the production of 510
units of housing on the site more than
the retention of historic buildings, and
whether they believe the developer’s
current compromise proposal strikes
the right balance. n
RCPC Land Use Update
    — by Ken Rich, Chair
As usual, the Rockridge Community
Council’s Land Use Committee
is tracking the key proposed new
development projects making their
way through the approval process.
The only such project that had official
activity this month was the proposed
housing development project at the
California College of the Arts (CCA)
site. The project’s design guidelines
were considered on September 12 by
the City’s Landmarks Preservation
Advisory Board (LPAB).
The LPAB is required to weigh in
because the Oakland CCA campus is
designated as a City of Oakland “Area
of Primary Importance” (API). The
term API refers to the highest of three
historical and architectural ratings
used by the City for a district (in con-
trast to a single building).
Members of the Board indicated
discomfort with the project’s proposal
to remove most (not all) of the exist-
ing historic buildings on the CCA
campus to make room for 510 units
of new housing. The proposal retains
the Treadwell Estate, Macky Hall
and the Carriage Hall, in addition
to the historic wall along Broadway,
while demolishing the other existing
buildings. According to the Project’s
developer, Emerald Fund, the LPAB
will meet again on October 10 to con-
tinue its discussion of the project.
The LPAB is an advisory body;
actual approval authority for the
project is vested in the Planning
Commission and City Council. In
their comments at the hearing, LPAB
Board members pointed out that they
are charged with the single purpose
of advising on protection of historic
resources, while the Planning Com-
mission and City Council are charged
with balancing the whole range of
important goals for the City, when
deciding to approve or disapprove a
project such as this.
While no firm decision was made,
and the item was continued, the
majority of the LPAB members made
it clear in their comments that given
Land Use Committee Meeting
Rockridge Community Planning
Council’s LUC Meeting will be held:
Wednesday, October 26, 2022,
at 7:30pm, via Zoom.
The meeting is open to the public.
Use Zoom link: bit.ly/3c0r6X0
or email: landuse@rockridge.org.


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page 6
OCTOBER 2022
Claremont Middle
School Auction Is
Happening

Rock-N-Hunt
Draws Hundreds of
Participants
by Jody Colley, Rockridge District
Association
by Sharon Flor, Claremont PTA
Auction Chair; and Carol Treadwell,
Auction Volunteer
Last month, the Rockridge District
Association held its second annual
Rock-N-Hunt — an-all ages scavenger
hunt in the commercial district along
College Avenue. Held during the
September Rock-N-Stroll event, the
hunt challenged people from around
the Bay Area to come to Rockridge to
solve a hundred clues during an eight-
hour time period.
Clues ranged from easy to difficult
and consisted of objects to find,
riddles to solve, and Rockridge trivia
to answer. Every correctly solved clue
Claremont Middle School’s annual
auction is taking place online
from October 10 through 20, and we’d
like to welcome the entire Rockridge
community to join in the bidding.
Available prizes include products,
food, gifts, and services provided by
neighborhood businesses and by our
partners all over the Bay. Have a look
at what’s available and register to bid
online at https://www.claremontms.org/
pta/auction/.
Harmony (above) and her team
took first prize at Rock-N-Hunt.
was an automatic entry in a raffle for
three prize packages. Congratulations
to this year’s top winner, Harmony
and her team (see photo above), who
took home $400 in gift cards to spend
at Rockridge businesses. n
Claremont Middle School has been a
part of Rockridge since 1913 and serves
hundreds of students from all over
Oakland. Many of our young scholars
live in the neighborhood and many
more travel to Claremont from other
parts of town. Approximately 42 per-
cent of our student body is categorized
as socioeconomically disadvantaged,
and Claremont is one of the most
diverse schools in the city.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has
widened economic disparities across all
communities, Oakland included. Cla-
remont teachers and staff have worked
tirelessly to maintain the high level of
academic and social/emotional support
that is vital for middle school students,
and that helps elevate our whole city.
Your participation as an auction bidder
will advance these efforts.
When you bid on an item, you are
helping the PTA support our students
with funding for athletics, music, art,
library, technology/media, and restor-
ative justice. The PTA also provides
funds that supplement Claremont’s
educational departments so that teach-
ers may improve the class experience
without dipping into their own wallets.
Additionally, the PTA funds communi-
ty-building field trips and celebrations.
We invite all Rockridge neighbors
to be a part of Claremont by joining
us in bidding at our online auction on
October 10 through 20. n


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OCTOBER 2022

Oakland Tech Launches
Phase 2 of Student Center
LOOK Around
Washingtonia robusta
by Kirk Peterson
Authors Book Signings
at Market Hall
by Shelly Cox, Oakland Tech PTSA
Saturday, Oct. 22, 1pm–3pm
Rose Levy Beranbaum
with her newest book, The Cookie Bible
Book Signing, Conversations, Tastings
Palm trees: you like them or you
don’t. Birds love them. Among the
oldest trees in Rockridge is a very tall
Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan
palm, c.1875) on the CCA campus,
where there is also a Canary Island
date palm (Phoenix canariensis,
with “feather” fronds). These two
species are the most common in
the Bay Area, but we also see wine,
king, queen, shaving bush, windmill
palms, and others.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 12pm–2pm
Vicky Bennison 
Pasta Grannies Comfort Cooking: Traditional
Recipes from Italy’s Best Home Cooks
Book Signing, Conversations, Tastings
Saturday, Dec. 3, 12:30pm–2pm
Tanya Holland 
Tanya Holland’s California Soul
Book Signing, Conversations, Tastings
Aspecial thank you goes out to all
the volunteers and donors that
helped complete Phase 1 of the Oak-
land Tech Student Center and Staff
Lounge. Creating these two spaces has
elevated the experience for students
and faculty, which is so very welcome
after the last few years of disruption.
We are now starting our work on
Student Center Phase 2, which includes
finishing a functional little library;
adding new lounge furniture and small
group seating, new signage (including
a donor wall) and a new projection
system; and adding art and design
elements, all of which will combine to
give the Student Center its personality.
We are not there yet, so if you want
to sponsor or donate, visit https://www.
ousd.org/Page/21888. For volunteer
opportunities, contact Shelly Cox at
oaklandshellycox@icloud.com. n
Kirk Peterson
If you think palm trees are too
“LA,” consider expanding that to
include Cairo, Buenos Aires, Bangkok,
or Lagos. Most of us have ancestors
from places with palm trees, which is
most of the world. They were main-
stays of California’s Victorian parks
and estate gardens, and were later
featured in Mid-Century design —
and we keep planting them.
The species that like it here in
Oakland are drought-tolerant, low
maintenance, and easily transplanted.
Rows of mature fan palms on 9th
Avenue here or Alameda’s Gold Coast
are landmarks. Solo or grouped palms
also look good mingled with conifers
and broad-leafed trees. Five grow in
my garden. n


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OCTOBER 2022

that every Oakland child graduates
high school having the expectations,
resources, and skills to complete
college and be successful in his or
her chosen career. In 2018, Oakland
voters approved a Schaaf-promoted
special parcel tax on single-family
homes (Proposal AA) to help fund it.
“I personally raised $50 million for
Oakland Promise from hundreds of
donors, big and small,” Schaaf said,
with pride. “It has been a labor of love
for me to leave a legacy that every
Oakland child is supported from birth
until they walk across that stage.”
She’s aware of Rockridge’s imme-
diate concerns: the need to balance
market-rate and affordable housing;
the scale of the planned develpment
at the California College of the Arts
location; and the desire for housing
rather than the proposed Home Depot
at Rockridge’s southern end.
“The intersection of 51st and Broad-
way is one of the major intersections
in the city,” Schaaf said in our 2015
interview. “Now,” she added, “the
neighbors shouldn’t underestimate
their power. Rockridge has always
done that (used that power) well.”
“I’ve seen Rockridge transition from
NIMBY to YIMBY,” Schaaf said. “I’m
excited that the neighbors are calling
for new housing. They used to think
that ‘we can’t densify without losing
community character.’”
“will have the humility to continue
them.” These include:
Fixing the roads: Founding Oak-
land’s first Department of Transpor-
tation and initiating a bond program
(Measure KK, passed in 2016) to
ensure a continued funding source
to improve our roads. Although the
work is well underway, including
major street paving within Rockridge,
“I’m not sure Oakland will feel the
full impact for a few years,” she said.
Establishing Partnerships: Tack-
ling homelessness, reducing violence,
and implementing police reform.
Much of this was done through
Oakland Thrives, a leadership
council that brings together city,
county, school district, philanthropic
and business leaders who work to
advance well-being and equity for
Oakland children, families, and
communities.
Creating Oakland Undivided:
Establishing the initiative that distrib-
uted more than 35,000 laptops and
created 17,000 hotspots for Oakland
students over the past two years, pro-
pelled by a $10 million donation from
Twitter founder and former CEO
Jack Dorsey. Its mission is to ensure
every Oakland public school student
has a computer, Internet connection,
and culturally competent technology
support in their home.
Launching Oakland Promise: First
begun as a mayoral project and now
a full-fledged nonprofit with the goal
Mayor Schaaf, from front page
Earlier this year, “We did get the
Oakland Police Department (OPD)
in compliance with the court-ordered
reforms.” If the OPD stays in com-
pliance through next April, it could
regain its independence after 20 years
of federal oversight.
Schaaf is dismayed by the level of
trash and increased dumping, and “our
elders sleeping on our sidewalks. We
are being recognized for our efforts to
house the homeless, but I still see what
I see and feel what I feel. It’s just not
enough.”
Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom
threatened to withhold State money
from the City for not doing its part to
alleviate conditions in the Wood Street
encampment, despite it is primarily
located on Caltrans property. Caltrans
is now in the process of clearing it. And
the City’s own audit, released after our
interview, cites serious deficiencies in
Oakland’s response to its homelessness
crisis.
“The key to ending homelessness,
poverty and violence is ending systemic
racism,” Schaaf said. “It will continue if
we don’t remove the barriers.”
Despite this backdrop, she’s upbeat
about the longer-term projects she’s set
in motion and hopes the next mayor
Mayor Schaaf, see next page


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OCTOBER 2022

ambassador, its “Hustler in Chief”
going after private funding and philan-
thropy, and working for changes in the
law at the State and national level.
The mayor is also the CEO, she said,
overseeing 5,000 employees and a
$1.7 billion budget. And the mayor is
Oakland’s “Chief Belonging Officer,”
who needs to instill a sense in every
resident that “their dreams matter.”
Above all, “The mayor must make
hard, time-pressured decisions and
have a moral compass guided by their
deeply-rooted love for our town.”
“The job is exhausting,” Schaaf
acknowledges. Still, “I think my
Mayor Schaaf, from previous page
Wearing a jacket from FIT over a
top from Lesley Evers, Schaaf knows
College Avenue well. She has her hair
done at Right Angle and shops at
Evers’ boutique for its youthful styles
and FIT for business attire “with a
kick.” She posted a recent photo of
herself in a FIT leather jacket along-
side rapper Too $hort (Todd Shaw),
an Oakland native “who has some
exciting things planned for the Town.
When you’re the mayor of Oakland,”
she said, “you want the outfits for
when you need to be a bad-ass mayor.”
“More people deserve to live in this fantastic community.
Share your awesomeness, Rockridge.”
husband (Sal Fahey, a particle physi-
cist) is skeptical that I can stay home
for any extended length of time. He
always knew when he married me that
Oakland was part of the deal.”
Their two children, who chose
Bishop O’Dowd for high school after
attending OUSD elementary and
middle schools, may have somewhat
prepared her for the time when
“Mayor” won’t precede her name.
According to Schaaf: “Even the mayor
can be reduced to a parental irritant in
the eyes of a teenager.”
Questions or suggestion? Please email
judyberne@att.net. n
During her mayoral stint, it became
easier to convert single-family homes
into duplexes and to create accessory
dwelling units (ADUs) — smaller,
independent residential units located
on the same lot as a single-family
home. “More people deserve to live in
this fantastic community. Share your
awesomeness, Rockridge.”
As many already know, Schaaf has
endorsed District 6 City Councilman
Loren Taylor to become her successor.
The mayor’s job, she said, requires
someone with “experience in city
government and the real world.” She
views the job of mayor as Oakland’s


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OCTOBER 2022

Letters to the Editor
that we can’t, if we want to offer
every child a well-resourced and
well-maintained school site.
To quote a recently departed school
board member, Shanti Gonzales,
“Twenty years ago, OUSD served about
52,000 students. This year we have
about 35,000 students. In California,
school funding is based on enrollment.
Yet we have a higher number of schools
today than we had 20 years ago. If
we had fewer sites, our maintenance
dollars and bond dollars would go a lot
further and our schools would be in
better condition.”
Unfortunately, school closures are a
necessary evil. Evil because they rob
communities of beloved neighborhood
schools, but necessary because well-re-
sourced and well-maintained schools
should serve ALL children. This is
why I believe OUSD owes all families
impacted by school closures access to
transportation services to minimize
the impact such closures will have on
working parents.
Having attended many school board
meetings during the pandemic, I have
nothing but respect for the school
board members that are doing their
best to represent families. We are
especially fortunate in Rockridge to
be represented by Sam Davis, a parent,
and former educator. For a window
into the incredible opposition the
School Board faces in making any pos-
itive changes, I encourage your readers
to attend a school board meeting.
It’s Demographics, Not
Gentrification
YOUR LOCAL
REFILL SHOP
Dear Editor: I’m writing in response
to Beverly Burch’s Letter to the Editor
about School Closures (May 2022).
While I share her concerns, I want to
address some key drivers of closures,
as well as the penalty all families are
paying for half-empty schools.
While gentrification is a factor,
families fleeing OUSD for better
schools, whether charter or private,
is another. As OUSD has seen enroll-
ment fall, charter schools have gained
ground. Charter school enrollment
rose by 1,200 since 2014/15 to 12,163
according to OUSD’s website.
Another trend that cannot be
blamed on gentrification is the
phenomenon of families opting out
of OUSD. As a family with children
in Chabot Elementary, we lost count
of how many classmates left for
private schools, or Lamorinda public
schools that were quicker to reopen
during the pandemic. And while I
sympathize with Ms. Burch’s very
valid concerns about under-resourcing
black and brown communities, the
continued maintenance of so many
schools steals precious and ultimately
finite resources from those very same
communities. San Jose, a similar-sized
school district to Oakland, has 40
schools. Oakland has double that
amount. So how can we afford to run
double the number of school sites,
with around the same number of
students, when State funding is linked
to enrollment? The answer of course is
[ B U L K ]  [ Z E R O - W A S T E ]
ReUpRefills.org
6025 COLLEGE AVE. OAKLAND
Maryann Kongovi
Harwood Avenue  n


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page 11
OCTOBER 2022

Letters to the Editor
Verizon Rooftop Cell
Antennas Will Block Views
condominium filed an appeal of the
decision. The grounds were that the
commission misapplied the intent
and violated the direct language of
the Telecommunications Ordinance.
Other key points are the inaccurate
reasoning for alternate site selection
and incomplete/inaccurate application
information, including the building’s
ownership.
To learn more about this project,
visit Planning Commission meet-
ings or project links, visit https://
Dear Editor: In June 2022, the Oak-
land Planning Commission approved
a permit to allow Verizon Wireless to
place six cell antennas on a Rockridge
apartment building (5319 Broadway
Terrace) that will block the views of
an adjacent penthouse condominium.
These shrouded cell antennas, once
installed, will mar the panoramic
view of Bay Area bridges.
The Planning Commission said the right to maintain
existing views was not applicable with this permit.
Verizon Wireless argued that home-
owners are not entitled to their views,
and the Planning Commission said
the right to maintain existing views
was not applicable with this permit.
Yet it is these stellar bay views, the
vibrant shopping, and top-notch
restaurants that support Rockridge
home prices. Additionally, the 1996
Telecommunications Act, and Federal
courts, have ruled that adverse aes-
thetic impacts are a valid legal ground
for authorities to deny applications for
wireless facilities.
However, the owners of the
www.oaklandca.gov/meeting/
planning-commission-meeting-6;
or contact Councilmember Dan
Kalb at DKalb@oaklandca.gov with
the subject line “Appeal of Project
PLN20080” immediately as the appeal
will be scheduled soon and heard by
the City Council.
Alexis Schroeder
Founding Member of Californians
for Safe Technology  n
The views expressed in the
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily
reflect the views of RCPC.

VOLUNTEER TODAY
The news must get through,
and The Rockridge News
is looking for a volunteer
to take over the
College Avenue route.
Thanks to Kathleen Winzeler
for her service as
Block Captain and
delivering The
Rockridge News
to businesses
along College
Avenue.
Winzeler has to give
up her route, but it should be
easy to fill as it offers the oppor-
tunity to window shop while you
walk the route. Please let us know
if you will be able to sign up to be
Block Captain for the route below.
Route CAv1: Businesses and
apartments along College Avenue,
from Claremont Avenue to BART.
Block Captains deliver news-
letters door-to-door. The bundles
are delivered to their front porch
the first weekend of each month
(except August).
To volunteer, call (510) 547-
3855, or send an email to Susan at
smontauk@gmail. n


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page 12
OCTOBER 2022

An Activist Among Us
by Carol Kasparek
at UCLA. “They
were awful …
are there copies
existing? I hope
not.” Cinematic
quality aside,
Ewing did learn to
collaborate with
few resources.
Sorority mem-
bership at UCLA
involved a bit of
political opening.
“We were against
the war, smoked
marijuana, and
wore beads.”
Her job
throughout school
was at Disney-
land. Moving up
through the retail
venues in Fantasy Land shaped the
next several years of her professional
life. “Only thing I saw with art was
teaching art, and I wasn’t going
to do that.” Ewing found her design
experience helped
with merchan-
dising, product
selection, and
opening locations.
She went on to
consult with other
theme parks, even-
tually representing
various manufac-
turers while based
in Las Vegas.
Ewing can-
vassed in Nevada
to promote the
passage of the
ERA. Threats
to her during
that process, an
unsafe domestic
situation, and the
growing sense
that she needed to come out as gay led
her to accept a friend’s invitation to
visit Northern California. Later, at a
women’s music festival, she fell in love
with Rebecca Le Pere, the woman who
would be her partner for almost 20
years. They bought a home in Rock-
ridge, just as the HIV/AIDS crisis (then
referred to as gay-related-immune-de-
ficiency, or GRID) was becoming a
pivotal part of life in the Bay Area.
As they heard more about AIDS,
Ewing and her partner realized they
didn’t know anyone with the disease.
“Whose fault is that?” asked Le Pere.
With the government “turning a blind
eye, we need to stop waiting for an
invitation and show up” Show up,
they did.
Civil disobedience training at the
Pacific Center led them to Washington
D.C. for a march through the city to
the steps of the Supreme Court. On the
cross-country flight, they discovered
a party in the back of the plane. The
staff of the Names Project for the AIDS
Quilt had so much fun on their way to
being arrested in the capital that this
group and their project remain a cause
for Ewing to this day.
Ewing “kept showing up for things.”
Volunteering for the Names Project,
she helped with data entry, because
By the time you’ve ordered your
ricotta pancakes at the Rockridge
Café this month, you’ve probably
noticed the new art exhibit on the wall
by your table. Instead of landscapes
and landmarks, encircling the café are
a series of cartoons. A cast of char-
acters is commenting, cajoling, and
fantasizing above you.
The more you look, the more likely
you are to be drawn into the vignettes
of these strange times, queer life, and
intimate challenges. Leslie Ewing has
chronicled her decades of political
activism in her cartoons — always
with a swing into her life surrounding
that activism.
Her Orange County upbringing
was followed by art design studies
at Occidental College and UCLA.
Ewing explored her desire to give life
to her drawings with a series of short
films with the only anime professor
Ewing’s cartoons will be on
display at the Rockridge Café
through October 25th.
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
Ewing, see next page


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page 13
OCTOBER 2022

became director of the Lyon Martin
Clinic, offering health care to women,
transmen, and transwomen. Twenty
years after attending civil disobedi-
ence training at the Pacific Center,
Ewing became the Executive Director
for the Bay Area institution. Since
retiring in 2019, she has served on the
Board that oversees the AIDS Quilt
and AIDS Memorial Grove.
Cartooning was a constant after she
moved to Rockridge. Ewing’s cartoons
touch upon sexuality, gender, race,
social justice, and the quirks of being
human in all these dimensions. Her
work has appeared on Names Project
literature and in local publications,
including the SF Bay Times, The Sen-
tinel, and Lesbian News.
Ewing kept artistically capturing
moments even through Le Pere’s
illness and death, and then her own
cancer diagnosis and successful
treatment several years later. At
gatherings throughout the country,
Ewing has been approached often by
young women who have revealed how
her cartoons have helped them get
through dark times. She now uses her
home for installations — a venture
into visions of her own history.
Ewing’s most recent accolade came
through Le Pere. A former associate
of her partner was friendly with “the
Sainting Sister” of the Sisters of Per-
petual Indulgence. After a Memorial
Grove ceremony last year, Ewing was
led up a nearby hill for her induction
into the order as Saint Activista Car-
toonicus Lesbatron (litany available
upon request).
What sayeth our local luminary?
“Just keep saying yes until you have a
reason to say no. Get in a position to
make decisions. Play the long game,
have some humility, and help free up
others to think clearly. You don’t have
to buy everything you like or keep it
because it follows you home.” n
Ewing, from previous page
“I don’t like sewing.” As part of her
data entry tasks, she read notes about
those who had died and wrote thank
you notes to contributors. Friends
would gather around the quilt panels,
using the activity as an opportu-
nity for reconciliation. Some “were
dragged” into the gathering; all were
moved by the mementos and remem-
brance. Panels for the quilt grew from
2,500 to 55,000 today.
For seven years, Ewing helped the
quilt travel to D.C. for display on the
Mall, but she realized that a massive
statement needed to be made beyond
that display. Attendance at marches
had dwindled; several states were pass-
ing anti-gay legislation. These were
“really dark times.” She began working
to “build consensus among gay rights
leaders.” Two-and-a-half years of
collaboration and persistence led to
the 1993 March on Washington with
an attendance of 800,000. “The proud-
est thing I’ll ever do,” she reflected.
Retail and activism led to nonprofit
leadership for Ewing. She became the
buyer for Under One Roof, a gift shop
that raised money for AIDS organi-
zations. Through that network, she
Buying ?  Selling?
Let me help you!
Anne D. Brandon
Realtor
510.682.6644 | 510.339.9290
Anne.Brandon@corcorangl.com
Yay! Rock-N-Stroll
Is Here to Stay
AnneDBrandon.com
Lic# 01877719
© 2020 Corcoran Global Living. All rights reserved.
Each franchise is independently owned and operated.
by Jody Colley, RDA
For over a year now, the second Sat-
urday live music series has
rocked and rolled our Rockridge
neighborhood with bands sprin-
kled along College Avenue — from
Broadway to Alcatraz. The event is
a program of the Rockridge District
Association (RDA), a nonprofit that
serves to bolster commercial activity
for Rockridge’s predominantly inde-
pendently owned businesses.
Due to tremendous community
response, the RDA board voted to
fund the series for another year, which
means Rock-N-Stroll is here to stay.
Bands may pop into local shops for
short sets should rain appear on any
particular day of the series. n
Artist and activist Brooke Levin
displayed her artwork at last
month’s Rock-N-Stroll.
Don’t miss the next Rock-N-Stroll
Saturday, October 8th
Featuring Las Brujas, Calle Ocho, Sej Miles,
Aiden Alexa, Parts & Labor, among others.
For more info, visit
www.RockridgeDistrict.com.


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page 14
OCTOBER 2022

NCPC Meeting
The Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council
meets on the 2nd Thursday of
even numbered months.
The next Zoom meeting
will be held on:
October 13, 2022, at 7pm,
(pending further notice)
For Zoom link, visit:
https://rockridgencpc.com
To suggest meeting topics,
send an email to:
chair@rockridgencpc.com.

and newly constructed residential
rental units within the first ten years,
and by prohibiting most no-fault
terminations of residential tenancies
during the school year where a school-
child or an onsite employee of a school,
community college, or childcare facil-
ity resides in the rental unit.
Ballot Measures, from page 2
Measure S: Non-Citizen Voting
This ballot measure would amend the
City Charter to allow the City Council
to authorize non-citizens, who are the
parents, or legal guardians, or certain
caregivers of qualified minors, to
vote for the OUSD directors. if they
are otherwise eligible under State
and local law. This would potentially
enable all such individuals to influence
the direction of school board policies.
A nearly identical law in San Francisco
was ruled unconstitutional.
Measure T: Progressive
Business Tax
This measure would amend the City’s
business tax by adopting a progressive
rate structure in place of the current
system, which imposes a flat tax on
gross receipts (varying by type of
business).
Measure W: Campaign Reform
This measure would make changes
to the financing of City and school
board elections in Oakland. Every
eligible adult resident would receive
four $25 vouchers, which the resident
may assign to their chosen candidates
in City and school board elections.
Candidates who receive the vouchers
must limit total spending and provide
regular reports. The measure is meant
to help level the election playing field.
Costs include startup and administra-
tive expenses, and at least $4 million
during each two-year budget cycle
for the vouchers, subject to increase
for inflation.
Measure X: Government Reform
Charter Amendments
This measure would revise the City
Charter to address a number of
governance issues ranging from the
setting of salaries for public officials to
procedural rules for the City Council.
Councilmembers could no longer serve
more than three consecutive terms.
Measure U: Housing & Infrastruc-
ture Bond
This bond measure would authorize
$850 million in general obligation
bonds for a variety of projects includ-
ing street paving, upgrading or
purchasing facilities, and the acqui-
sition, rehabilitation, or construction
of housing. The measure continues to
fund the work begun under Measure
KK in 2016, but increases the per-
centage allotted for housing. This will
renew an existing tax at the same level.
Measure V: Just Cause
Amendment
This measure would amend the Just
Cause Ordinance chiefly by extending
eviction protections to mobile homes
Measure Y: Oakland Zoo
This measure would establish a
20-year parcel tax to support Oakland
Zoo operations, staffing, mainte-
nance, and capital improvements.
The parcel tax would raise about $12
million annually. n


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page 15
OCTOBER 2022

List your 36-word message here for only $22 (phone number counts as
one word). Make check payable to RCPC, and write “Rockridge News
Classifieds” in the memo line.
Classifieds
The deadline for November’s issue is Oct. 20, 2022 (available Nov. 5).
Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave., PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609-20131.
RN
For more details, email Susan Montauk at smontauk@gmail.com.

Handyman Service:
House Repairs & Remodeling
Dry rot, kitchen and bath tile refurbishing
or installation, window installation,
plumbing, fence, deck & handrail repair,
electrical wiring/fixtures, outlets, and
much more. Call Juan 510/692-6399 or
email jbahena.info@gmail.com.

Smart Home Done Right!
Immersive home theater, lighting,
shades, HVAC, locks, cameras & more
in one simple world. Easy retrofit into
existing homes. Rockridge-based, decades
of experience, we make the experience
fun! Ben Stiegler 510/823-0850; www.
performingartsaudio.biz.
        Shop
Rockridge

Electrical Remodels and Repairs
Did you get ideas from the Kitchen
Tour? I can do the wiring. I’ve been doing
electrical work in Oakland and Berkeley
for over 35 years. Sutorik & Company;
www.sutorikandco.com. Lic #397149.
510/655-3677.
Handyman for Hire
Multifaceted and well experienced.
Hauling and towing available. No job
too small. Reasonably priced. Lee Self;
707/223-1298-call and text.
Reward Based Dog Training
Does your adolescent pup need help
with basic obedience, leash manners
or impulse control? We offer private
training customized to help your dog
succeed! Please call 510/646-9657 or
visit dogsquaddogtraining.com for more
information and to get started.
law office of
dave karlinsky
Bambino Thrift Shop Needs You!
Bambino (@5290 College Ave) is
currently hiring a p/t assistant manager.
The ideal candidate should have a
flexible schedule. If interested: Please
text or call: 925-207-8303 or email
bambinothriftshop@yahoo.com.
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

• Dispute resolution

• Special needs trusts
Garden Maintenance, Cleanups
& Design
Experienced team of two dedicated to
the art of gardening. We specialize in
garden maintenance, cleanups and custom
garden designs. To contact us, please email
yourgreengardeners@gmail.com. Check
us out at www.yourgreengardeners.com.
Please contact me during regular business hours to
      schedule an appointment.
HARDWOOD FLOORS
Install, sand/refinish, repair, re-coat existing
floor. Large jobs or small. Twenty-plus
years in Piedmont Ave/Rockridge. Bruce
Williams Woodfloors. Please call or text
Bruce at 510/652-8121 or text 510/652-
8121; www.blwfloors.com. CA Lic #
913727.
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Now offering a Halloween special! Tired
of the masks? I’ve got the mask for you!
Rejuvenate and refresh with a custom facial
designed for your unique facial needs. Call
for an appointment, 510/594-1552.


THE

COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE