Extracted text

www.rockridge.org
THE
R ckridgeNews

VOL 37  •  NO. 10  •  ISSUE  NO. 402  •  NOVEMBER 5, 2022                   CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

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

Kitchen Tour:
A Smokin’ Success
by Robin McDonnell, Chair 2022
Rockridge Kitchen Tour
(Photo by Anna L. Marks)

(Photo by Anna L. Marks)

Local Residents Rally to Say “Yes to
Housing, No Home Depot”

by Anna L. Marks
D

ozens of concerned, sign-carrying residents gathered together on a recent
cool Friday afternoon to call for new housing to be built on the empty lot
at Pleasant Valley and Broadway. The site has sat vacant since 2016 when
Safeway relocated next door, taking the place of the CVS drugstore. A plan was
drawn up for a new, mixed-use space (retail, office, restaurants), but ultimately
abandoned due to a weakening retail sector. The owner of the 4.6-acre lot has
since expressed interest in a car dealership, fast-food drive-ins, or big-box retail,
but not housing. Home Depot has filed a pre-application for the site, but neigh-
bors don’t like that idea. Here is what some of them had to say:

Maryann Amado shows tour
attendees options for new kitchens
at her home on Rockridge Blvd.
There’s no better way to express it:
the 2022 Rockridge Kitchen
Tour was indisputably a rousing
success, and a good time was had by
all. This year’s tour had many of the
qualities of a large and successful
community party — a celebration of
kitchens, kitchen designs, and our
Rockridge neighborhood.
Kitchen Tour, see page 6
Thanksgiving
Tradition Continues
at College Avenue
Presbyterian Church

to address our housing crisis, and this
is the community in Rockridge, on
the edge of Piedmont Avenue, stand-
ing up and answering that call.
We think this is a great site for
housing for a number of reasons. It
brings more people to the neighbor-
hood, which brings more shoppers
to our local businesses, and brings
safety to the streets. And, we know
that we’re in a housing crisis and we
need to build more units. We’ve come
to this spot because we want to show
and highlight that this is really a huge
Casey Farmer: We’re here tonight
to make a statement — we don’t want
Home Depot on this site, we want to see
housing. This is a coalition of a number
of community organizations and of
nearly 4,000 people who have signed an
online petition asking for this.
The City said that Home Depot is
not a permitted use under the existing
zoning, but Home Depot is still pursu-
ing its proposal. We recently conducted
two surveys asking community mem-
bers what they want to see here, and
the response was overwhelmingly in
support for housing. The State is calling
on communities to build more housing

Rally, see next page
— See page 11 for details


THE
page 2
NOVEMBER 2022

designs for the expanded shopping
center. I felt that I was able to put
some specific technical knowledge
into it. I was also the author of the
alternative, mixed-use housing plan
that was studied as part of the EIR for
this shopping site. What I really want
to ask the City of Oakland, because
they’ve been opposing housing on
this site ever since that time, is why
they don’t want it? They could just say
“no,” and not accept Home Depot’s
application. Just end it, and let’s
talk to the landlord. Let’s get a good
project done. The design that I did
that was studied as part of the EIR
was termed the most environmentally
feasible, but it was rejected because
it didn’t produce 330,000 square feet
of retail. You just have to look over
here to know that 330,000 square feet
Rally, from front page
eyesore and a lot that’s been vacant for
a long time, but it’s also a huge canvas
of opportunity.
Gail Cooper: I represent the
Piedmont Avenue Neighborhood
Improvement League (PANIL) and we
think it’s critical to have more hous-
ing in our neighborhood, particularly
affordable housing. And secondly, we
think that Home Depot is the worst
possible use for the site. Our neigh-
borhood is known for its walkability
and access to public transit and bikes.
Home Depot, by definition, is the
most car and truck-centric business
you can imagine. A vehicle-centric
use is antithetical to urban planning
principles. You don’t carry appliances
and soil in your arms or on your bike.
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
“Let’s talk to the landlord. Let’s get a good project done.”
Mark Aaronson, Louisa Bukiet, Andrew Charman,
Ben Friedman, Annette Floystrup, Star Lightner,
Kirk Peterson, Ronnie Spitzer, Zac Unger
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
We’re also very concerned about
pedestrian and cyclist safety. As it is
now, we can barely cross the street
here, and we’re talking about an
incredible increase in traffic. Home
Depot is open seven days a week. And
their pre-application says potentially
24 hours a day, which means an
incredible onslaught of traffic and
noise in what is a residential neigh-
borhood. And there would also be a
lot of light pollution shining into the
adjacent buildings due to lights in the
parking lot.
Larry Mayers: I am a Rockridge
resident. I live a couple of blocks from
this site and I’ve been involved in
action on this site for 12 years now
as an architect, starting with the first
of retail would never happen. And so
we’re here to make sure that we can
try and get some housing instead.
Dan Kalb, City Council, Dist. 1:
I think we’re all in agreement here;
not just housing, we need affordable
housing. The City responded to Home
Depot’s pre-application (see Land Use
Update on page 5), pointing out that
this is not a typically approved use for
this site. We all agree that we need a
strong, attractive, retail/housing com-
bination for this wonderful, beautiful
site that’s been vacant too long.
There’s no current application, so
there’s no project to approve. If they
go forward with an application, the
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
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All letters must be limited to 350 words and are
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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.
Rally, see next page
Mail payment to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Avenue,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, CA, 94609
Display Advertising Deadline for DECEMBER:
November 17, 2022
Advertising rates are $28/column inch. Six-month
pre-pay rate available. For display ads, call Jo Ellis
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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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page 3
NOVEMBER 2022

Rally, from previous page
City will have to go through a process.
I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere,
but they can go through the process if
they want. That might delay things.
I met with the planning director
and the Mayor’s planning represen-
tative to strategize on this. After
Home Depot realizes it’s not going
to happen, there’s some work that’s
going to be underway. Some of it is
kind of quiet work, some of it will not
be so quiet, and the challenge is just
getting the people who own this prop-
erty and shake them loose. Clearly, a
quiet effort behind the scenes has not
achieved what we want.
Kirk Peterson: I’m an architect.
I’m co-founder of Upper Broadway
Advocates (UBA) and we’re happy to
be working with PANIL and RCPC, of
which I’m also a board member.
Home Depot is a terrible choice. It’s
going to be an arterial blockage in our
neighborhood. We need something
that’s going to connect things. We
have the perfect format — small-scale
retail, mixed residential use, maybe
even office, and housing. We’re all
very interested in affordable housing.
There’s plenty of unaffordable housing
around here. And, from an urban
planning standpoint, this is a major
intersection, and who wants the butt of
a big ugly building right on this inter-
section? It’s just insulting to a city that
really has fine architecture and fine
architects. We could do better.
Nico Nagle, Oakland Housing
Coalition: I’m excited to be here today
with this coalition supporting all these
community actors because I find that
some of us can often be on opposing
sides of things, but the one thing we
can all agree on is that the best use
for that site is housing. It’s our moral
obligation to build housing at this time
when we are so housing short, not
just in this city, not just in this neigh-
borhood, but statewide. There’s also a
huge prize to be had for fulfilling our
obligation to the State of California’s
Housing Element. That also means
more transportation dollars, that
means more prizes financially for the
City of Oakland, and that means more

(Photo by Anna L. Marks)

RCPC Chair and rally organizer Casey Farmer was flanked by news media,
KTVU, ABC, The Chronicle, and KQED all picked up the story.

didn’t have to be that way.
Myrna Walton: I’m with UBA, and
a Rockridge resident. It’s great that
so many people turned out to sup-
port housing, but not only housing,
affordable housing. A lot of folks here
emphasized that it’s got to be more
affordable than what’s available. We
don’t need any more luxury housing.
And it could be 80 to 110 percent of
AMI (Average Median Income) or
less. We want people, like a nurse, to
be able to afford it.
capability to serve Oaklanders. We
need to take advantage of these sites
when we have them, and this is that
moment.
Leonora Sea: I’m a fourth-genera-
tion Rockridgean, and I think Home
Depot was the worst possible use for
this site. We need homes for people.
This is a great spot for it, and I would
love to see an affordable component,
but I’d basically just like to see some-
thing built so people can live here.
And I mean the “missing middle”
— housing for teachers, firefighters,
police… all the people who are now
living an hour commute away and
can’t afford to live in Oakland should
be able to live in the community
where they work, especially public
servants. Let’s get something built
here — I’m really tired of looking at
that lot.
Melinda de Jesús: I’m associate
professor of Critical Ethnic Studies
at California College of the Arts
(CCA), and I’m a homeowner in lower
Rockridge. It’d be great to have like
a kid’s center, an art center, anything
but a Home Depot… but we need
housing. We need to be able to house
middle-class folks and working-class
folks here in Oakland. We need low-
and middle-income housing. We don’t
need 510 high-end units. I work for
CCA. We are so disappointed by what
they want to put up there right now. It
Rally, see next page


THE
page 4
NOVEMBER 2022

by the standards of Oakland, means
somewhere in the range of $50,000
to $100,000 a year for a household. I
think market-rate housing right now is
unaffordable, and that’s what, unfortu-
nately, is mostly being built these days.
Star Lightner: I grew up in Rock-
ridge and I bought a house here just
over 20 years ago, so most of my life
has been spent in Rockridge. And the
Rockridge today is not the Rockridge
I grew up in — all the gentrification
and ridiculously priced housing. So
I’m really happy to be on the RCPC
Board to help with the agenda of
encouraging and creating more hous-
ing in Rockridge, especially affordable
Halloween fun!
O
Rally, from previous page
What they’re proposing at CCA, two
teachers couldn’t afford it. If you have
to earn $157,000 a year for a family
of four to get into the CCA housing,
that’s not affordable, and that’s at 110
percent. We would like to see it much
lower than that. We would also like to
see the concept of “social equity” like
they have in Europe, where half the
development is market-rate and half is
below, and the people who have more
support the people who have less. They
pay a little bit more, but they’re all
together, and that works, and it should
work here.
n Sunday, October 30, kids of
all ages enjoyed Halloween
activities including storytime, a
dance party, and treats from many
participating merchants along Col-
lege Avenue. Each costume contest
winner received $100 gift cards to
the merchant of their choice.
“I’m confident that we can produce a better vision for
housing on this site by working together as a community…”
Stuart Flashman: I’m a land use
and environmental attorney and live
in the Rockridge area; been living here
for 30 years. I used to be the Land Use
Committee Chair for RCPC. I lost
that position this year, but I’m still
very interested in the issues of what
happens here in Rockridge. I’m very
much opposed to Home Depot coming
in, and I’m glad to hear that the City
has decided that’s not a compatible use.
I think this would be an ideal site for
some relatively high-density housing,
but what Oakland needs is affordable
housing. It’s got to be at least affordable
to people of moderate income, which,
housing — housing that people who
work in Rockridge can afford, less
than market-rate, something that’s
truly affordable for people who are
teachers, policemen, firefighters,
baristas, anybody who works in
Rockridge, not just people who are
telecommuting to their tech jobs.
Alex Schafran: I live down the
road near Mosswood Park. I work on
housing issues professionally, but I’m
very excited to be here in my personal
capacity to help promote a commu-
nity vision for a lot more housing on
this site — a lot of different kinds of
housing for a lot of different kinds
of people, and a large amount of it
affordable to all of the people who are
living here.
I’d like the housing to be green and
beautiful, and I’m confident that we
can produce a better vision for hous-
ing on this site by working together as
a community and really drive devel-
opment for the first time. And it’s not
just this site; it’s the CCA site next
door. This is one of the wealthiest and
most segregated parts of a wealthy
and segregated city. It’s absolutely
essential that this project becomes a
beacon of affordability where people
from all across the city, all across the
state, and all across the world, can feel
like they can come and make their
home in the city of Oakland. n
“Best Show”
was won by Natasha Weinstein,
Elvis, and Sophia Weinstein, 
Disco Queen
“Best Costume”
was won by Sushi Kids
Felix and Basil
Best Dog (not pictured) was
won by “Pirate Lex” who, selected
Planterday for his $100 gift card.


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page 5
NOVEMBER 2022

— Dogs of Rockridge —
RCPC Land Use Update
    — by Ken Rich, Chair
O
This is Tucker, a two-year-old
Australian Shepherd, surveying
her front yard. She is friendly,
smart, and prone to showering
anyone with kisses. Tucker likes
walking through the Rockridge
neighborhood meeting other
people and dogs, and sniffing
for any dropped food along
College Avenue. You will see
her out and about with her
dads, Gary and Ross.
ctober saw some important activ-
ity regarding the Home Depot
proposal at the Ridge, and all was
good news for us. First, on October
11, the City of Oakland Planning and
Building Department issued a “Clo-
sure Letter” for Home Depot’s recent
pre-application to locate a store at the
Ridge site. The letter finds that the
proposed Home Depot is not permit-
ted at this site under the CC-2 zoning
because it would sell building materi-
als, which is not a permitted activity
under this zoning designation.
The letter pointed out that the big-
box type proposal was inconsistent
with a number of other City guidelines
and requirements around pedestrian
safety and good design. The letter also
stated: “residential is consistent with
the CC-2 Zoning at this time and staff
would like the applicant to consider
housing for this site.”
So what happens next? First, we
hope but cannot yet be sure that this
spells the end of the Home Depot
proposal. Members of the RCPC Board
will be reaching out to Home Depot’s
representatives as well as to TRC, the
developer who holds the Ridge site
ground lease, to ask that question. In
theory, they could appeal Planning’s
ruling, or go to the City Council and
ask for a zoning change, but both of
those seem like an uphill battle for
Home Depot.
Does your pup live in Rockridge? If so, send a photo of your four-legged friend
with a little commentary to: editor@rockridge.org.
Remember that RCPC and our
neighboring groups have been saying
“no to Home Depot and yes to hous-
ing” at the Ridge, and while we may
be close to achieving the “no” part of
that demand, we don’t have the “yes”
to housing in hand yet. There has
been a lot of interest from Rockridge
residents as well as members of sur-
rounding neighborhoods to engage
in a community planning process
to create our ideal vision for what
should happen at the Ridge site and
possibly look beyond that site to the
CCA site and the adjacent areas along
Broadway. There are still questions to
answer regarding affordable housing,
traffic, height, design, etc., and we
have an opportunity to talk to the
owner of the site and TRC, to decide
on the next steps.
Stay tuned to the Rockridge News
and attend our meetings to help
create our vision for the Ridge site. n
Land Use Committee Meeting
Rockridge Community Planning
Council’s LUC Meeting will be held:
Wednesday, January 26, 2023,
at 7:30pm, via Zoom.
(there are no meetings in Nov. or Dec.)
Use Zoom link: bit.ly/3c0r6X0
or email: landuse@rockridge.org.
GET YOURSELF
a Home
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Call the Claudia Mills Real Estate Team
510.350.6419 | Claudia@cmret.com | www.ClaudiaMillsRealEstateTeam.com


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page 6
NOVEMBER 2022

RCPC extends a sincere “Thank You” to the following
supporters for their generous donations:
Kitchen Tour, from front page
After a brisk overcast morning, the
tour was favored by lovely weather,
with several guests choosing to walk
or bike the entire route. At several
houses, tour sponsors, architects, and
contractors took advantage of the
gorgeous day to set up information
tables in the gardens, on the decks, or
on the patios, which contributed to
the celebratory atmosphere.
More than 350 guests toured nine
outstanding kitchens, plus the entire
first floor of the Historic Morse
House. This year’s tour showcased
diverse styles and floor plans, all
superbly meeting the needs of the
owners. At most houses, architects,
contractors, designers, and crafts-
people were on hand to talk about
the joys and challenges encountered.
Several homeowners stayed home
for a portion of the tour and shared
their perspectives on their remodeling
experiences. For many attendees,
these conversations were one of the
tour highlights.
Many thanks are due to everyone
who made the 2022 Rockridge
Kitchen Tour a resounding success.
Thank you to the homeowners,
including Brandon and Alicia Levey,
Susan and Brian Parker, Joyce Wu
and Will DeVries, Alex and Maryann
Amado, Jen Miley and Mark Hejin-
ian, John Bliss and Kim Thompson,
Joyce and Jim Huntington, Kathy
Drake, and Kendall Riding, and
Architects & Designers
Amato Architecture
Carlene Anderson
Cass Morris Color & Design
Cilessa Design
Jarvis Architects
Laura Martin Bovard Interiors
Manual Labor
Sogno Design Group
Lawton Associates
Main Sponser & Platinum
Media Sponsor
General Contractors
Axelson Builders Inc.
FMS Projects
MAC Built
Stea Realty Group
Platinum Program Sponsor
Realty
Claudia Mills Real Estate
Dana Cohen
Tina Chen
Maxi Lilley
Perry Riani
Fremont Bank
Oak Sponsor
Jewish Community
Center of the East Bay
Oak Sponsor
Cabinetry
Distinctive Cabinetry
Daniel Stea, who made our beautiful
full-color brochure possible. Thank
you to our sponsors, Fremont Bank
and Jewish Community Center of the
East Bay, for their generous contribu-
tions to RCPC.
Valerie Knight deserves special
mention for her delightful graphic
design on posters, banners, and bro-
chure cover, and the beautiful layout
of the brochure itself. The brochure
includes inspiring descriptions of each
kitchen along with photographs, and
for those, we thank Jo Giessler and
Carol Kasparak.
Thanks also to Ronnie Spitzer,
who gave me helpful pointers on
handling publicity. Thank you to
Elizabeth McLeod and Eileen Ward
for recruiting, scheduling, and man-
aging the Docents. Thank you Susan
Parker for helping to manage the
brochure’s advertising, and Kristin
Wilson for taking over as Webmas-
ter. Finally, a great big thank you to
Leonora Sea who stepped in to work
with the sponsors and whose assis-
tance and advice were particularly
invaluable.
The Day of Tour registration went
smoothly thanks to RCPC Board
chair, Casey Farmer, Treasurer Ken
Rich, current members of the RCPC
Board, and many friends of RCPC
who staffed the booth, sold tickets,
and directed guests to the houses.
And a final big shout-out to all our
Rockridge neighbors who enjoyed the
day and made it possible for the RCPC
to continue its programs and plans
that support our local community. n
Paul Munson who all generously
opened their homes and kitchens to
our guests, patiently answered many
questions, and made themselves avail-
able for the many preliminary house
visits. Without them, there would
have been no tour.
Thank you to the three dozen
docents, who made time for training
sessions, recruited friends to join the
docent crew, informed guests about
each of the kitchens, and ushered
tour-goers smoothly and graciously
throughout the homes.
Thank you to the architects,
contractors, design consultants, and
craftspeople who gave up a Sunday
afternoon to meet guests and talk
about the remodels. We’d like to
thank our main Platinum sponsor,
Ron Kriss, who arranged for the
outstanding banners and posters.
Thank you to our Platinum sponsor,


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page 7
NOVEMBER 2022

Rockridge Community Planning Council Makes
Two New Appointments
T

he Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) has appointed two
new directors to fill the remaining terms left vacant by Stu Flashman and
Ashley Pandya, who both recently resigned. Flashman was RCPC Chair from
2008 to 2012, and again from 2016 to 2018. He also served as long-time Chair
of the Land Use Committee (see his letter published on page 4 of our Sept. 2022
issue). Ashley Pandya was elected to the board in 2021. She served as Assistant
Secretary and as the board’s first Communications Chair. She stepped down
when she and her family moved outside the boundaries. RCPC thanks both of
them for their service.

Louisa Bukiet has lived in Rockridge since 2016
and is excited to help shape the future of our neigh-
borhood and city by causing trouble on the RCPC
board. Professionally, Louisa works on building
our urban future through better public spaces and
expanding access to housing, and wants to hold her
own neighborhood to those same standards. She
believes in the power of communities to support
each other and lives in an intentional community
of two houses, four units, eight adults, five children,
and a dog.

Star Lightner has lived on 61st St. in lower Rock-
ridge for 22 years. She grew up on Birch Court,
and considers Rockridge her home. She worked
as a lawyer, practicing environmental law, but
now has a nontraditional job as Senior Editor of,
and a contributor to, a California real estate law
treatise where she oversees other authors as well
as the entire publication processs. She also writes
a bi-monthly newsletter summarizing recent real
estate cases for its subscribers.
“I’ve wanted to be involved for years because
Rockridge is such a part of me, and such a unique place, but also because it’s
been changing so much from what it was when I was growing up here. After
selling my vacation rental management company recently, I finally have the
time for more involvement. I walk my talk and believe we can (and have an
obligation to) live our principles. I’m an environmentalist but also a housing
advocate. I’m a landlord who supports rent control and just-cause eviction
ordinances. We’re privileged to live here in Rockridge and need to do a better
job of sharing it.” n


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page 8
NOVEMBER 2022

This Place Called
Rockridge
by Kirk Peterson
What is this place called Rock-
ridge? It’s a habitat, a district,
a neighborhood, our home or place of
business, and a place to visit. While
navigating practical matters and daily
routines, our minds also contain our
concepts of Rockridge; it is home and
a place of memory, potential, and
imagination.
What does it feel like to be here now
and what could it become? RCPC’s
logo (see art at top right) tells a part
of the story — it evokes our array of
Craftsman houses. The Rockridge
of the future will be different, but
how different, and for what purpose?
These are questions worth asking.
The ideal climate as well as the
geology and geography have been
very consistent for thousands of years.
The first peoples coexisted with the
indigenous flora and fauna, but by the
early 20th century, the oak-studded
savanna and riparian zones were
largely destroyed, and the first people
and animals had been pushed out by
Western “development.” The built
environment now includes buildings
and structures, gardens, streets,
streetlights, and unseen infrastruc-
tures like utilities and drainage.
Put together, these form the leafy
streets of dwellings and eclectic blocks
of small commercial buildings we
enjoy. The “active ingredient” of an
urban place is us — the people who
use and inhabit the space and the
activities that occur within. This
changes over time; and as people
and businesses come and go, a larger
demographic drift occurs.
Rockridge has a harmonious
ensemble of varied forms, a “unity
in diversity,” if you will. Craftsman,
Edwardian, Tudor, Spanish, Italian,
and Prairie School designs, inspired
by both vernacular and high-style
sources, go well together. Will
new buildings be look-at-me alien
structures? At present, there are few
dramatic disparities of scale, and most
structures in our local building storck
This Place, see next page


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page 9
NOVEMBER 2022

in a particular neighborhood is
currently hard to determine, though
public policy, laws, banks, and the
kind of structures, pre-existing or
newly built, all figure in. Example:
requiring onsite (in Rockridge) afford-
able housing for new projects will
accommodate a broader spectrum of
Oaklanders, while market-rate hous-
ing will help maintain the status quo.
Santa Barbara is an excellent
example of very clear development
planning. There is only one option:
designing in a Spanish Mediterranean
style, fitted to the scale of the project.
The result is beautiful. The Adams
Point area is an example of the densi-
fication of single-family homes. In the
inter-war period, traditional-looking
and often graceful, multi-family build-
ings of various sizes joined the houses.
Which way will we go? Let’s talk. n
This will involve new and bigger
buildings, and it could include
extensive destruction of the historic
fabric of our neighborhood. We can
anticipate a combination of small
local efforts (like homeowners
building ADUs) and outside forces
(developers building bigger buildings
and their banks). How can Rockridge
grow into the future without losing
character-defining features? In the
post-WWII period, many historic
homes were destroyed, and poorly
made motel-style stucco “dingbat”
apartments mushroomed. Will future
residents experience the look and feel
of Rockridge that we enjoy now?
How can we shape change for the
best? Will we allow “the market” or
profit to be the main determinant of
Rockridge’s future? Which groups
or individuals will live, or can live,
This Place, from previous page
fall into aesthetically related families
— what art historians call “seriation”
of a body of work.
Unifying elements are a palette of
materials including wood shingles,
wood siding, stucco, brick, tile assem-
bled with a handcrafted look, and
often in combination. Wood windows,
many with multiple panes of glass, are
ubiquitous. Rich detailing is common:
porches, window trim, and tile and
stucco ornaments and moldings,
broad eaves and brackets, marble
vestibules, and mosaic floors on store-
fronts. There is nothing monumental,
and little that is slick or minimalist.
There is an overall general richness
and “fine grain” to forms and surfaces
that are a pleasure to see as we walk
through Rockridge. The feeling is
comfortable and welcoming.
Change is coming. There will be
more of us here, and there’s room.
Blessing Bags Ministry —
How YOU Can Help
by Linda Davis & Sharon Nelson
Agroup from the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church has been
giving out new underclothes two
times a month to those who are
unhoused and/or living on the edge.
The intent is to empower such folks
to feel more confident and resilient as
they try to find work, go about life,
and seek to interact with others.
Specific donation requests include:
• New men’s t-shirts (all sizes except
small). Large and extra-large are the
most requested sizes
• New men’s underwear (all sizes except
small; knit boxers are nice)
• New Athletic crew socks (thick)
• $10 Trader Joe’s gift cards or cash
Please donate socks and underwear
made with the highest cotton content
(available at Target and Costco). All
neighbors are welcome to attend on
the 2nd Friday and last Friday of each
month when we pass out the bags.
See www.capcoakland.org for info. n


THE
page 10
NOVEMBER 2022

YOUR LOCAL
REFILL SHOP
[ B U L K ]  [ Z E R O - W A S T E ]
ReUpRefills.org
6025 COLLEGE AVE. OAKLAND

Jewish Community
Campus Looks for
Neighborhood Input
Possibilities for Community
Services and Use of Space:
· Preschool, afterschool for K-5
students, summer camp, teen center
by Melissa Chapman
· Adult education, social services, and
activities for older adults
The Jewish Community Center
(JCC) East Bay is very excited to
be a part of the Rockridge commu-
nity. Thank you for including us in
the spectacular Rockridge Kitchen
Tour last month. We hope it is the
first of many local happenings we can
support and participate in together.
We have been working closely with
RCPC so we can be as thoughtful and
intentional as possible about incorpo-
rating community feedback. We want
to work with you, our neighbors, and
hear more from you directly.
We have posted a brief survey
online (see boxed item) for Rockridge
residents to learn more about what
excites you, what concerns you, and
· Health and wellness center
· Maker’s space and gallery space
· Café with indoor and outdoor space
· Arts and culture events and holiday
celebrations
· Outdoor play and recreation spaces
· Flexible co-working, meeting, and
event spaces
To share your thoughts, take the survey at
www.jcceastbay.org/communitycampus.
everything in between. We also plan
to host a Town Hall, jointly with
RCPC, in late January. It will be open
to all Rockridge residents to share
preliminary ideas and timelines. n

Be Part of Donor Wall at Oakland Tech Student Center

Oakland Tech invites you or your
business to become a permanent
fixture at the New Oakland Tech
Student Center. By donating online
(https://www.ousd.org/Page/21888)
you will be added to the donor wall
at the entrance of the Student Center,
a multipurpose space created to
improve the experience of all our
students and faculty. To help put the
finishing touches on this important
new space with your donation, contact
Shelly Cox at (510) 206-3989, or email
oaklandshellycox@icloud.com. n

Rockridge District Association Announcements

Rock-N-Stroll Continues on
College Avenue
Holiday Shopping in Rockridge
— Buy Local on Black Friday
and Small Business Sunday
O
Rn Saturday, November 12, Rock-
N-Stroll returns with over a
dozen live music shows dotting the
sidewalks along College Avenue
between Broadway and Alcatraz.
Performers include singer/songwriters
Aiden Moore, Asher Stern, Peter
Martin, El Grato Dice, and Frances
Ancheta, along with other local bands
and DJs. The Rockridge merchants
invite you to stroll the Avenue and
enjoy sales, tastings, popup vendors,
and free activities for all ages. For
info, visit RockridgeDistrict.com.
ockridge shops and restaurants are
offering big sales, free tastings,
festive menus, and live music during
the Black Friday and Small Business
Saturday weekend, November 25-27.
Bring the whole family for a truly
enjoyable shopping experience. If
you’re looking for convenience or
inspiration, see the holiday shopping
guides available at RockridgeDistrict.
com, including a wide variety of gift
cards from local stores — and suport
your Rockridge merchants. n


THE

page 11
NOVEMBER 2022

Community Thanksgiving Day Meal Tradition
Continues at College Avenue Presbyterian Church
by Tina Faulkner & Rev. Monte McClain
F

serving, and cleaning up — all done
in a spirit of joy and giving while
paying attention to safety. n
or more than 40 years, the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church has
been hosting a fun, neighborhood-
empowered annual Thanksgiving Day
Community Meal. In 2020, because of
Covid, we adapted our annual com-
munity meal to a “to-go” format.
This year, while that concern has
lessened, the flu is projected to return
with a vengeance. As a result, we’re
once again committing to a pick-up
service as the best way to care for
those who come to eat as well as for
those who come to serve.
We’ll be providing a “to-go” meal on
Thanksgiving Day, from 11am-noon,
from our campus at 5951 College
Avenue. This has always been a joint
project with diverse members of our
Rockridge Community including con-
gregation members, local merchants,
and residents, and we invite our neigh-
bors to help out with various tasks.
This is an opportunity for us to
gather as a community and respond
to the needs of those struggling with
hunger, solitude, and joblessness.
We’re planning to serve 200 meals
— free for anyone that comes to our
church. Donations of money and food
are gratefully accepted and needed.
It’s these donations from local people
that allow the event to take place. We
expect the cost for 200 hearty turkey
dinners with all the fixin’s to be
approximately $2,000.
Neighbors are also encouraged to
volunteer their time. We need help
in our effort to prepare this holiday
meal. We’ll be looking for help cook-
ing from home, preparing the site,
Volunteer Information:
To learn how you can help, sign up for a
volunteer slot, or make a safe and secure
electronic donation, visit the Thanksgiving
Meal page on the church website at:
www.capcoakland.org/thanksgiving-meal.
You can also contact the church office
by email at capcoakland@gmail.com,
 or by calling (510) 658-3665.

Author Book Signing
at Market Hall
Saturday, Dec. 3, 12:30pm–2pm
Tanya Holland’s Tanya Holland’s California Soul
Book Signing, Conversations, Tastings


THE
page 12
NOVEMBER 2022

Taking an Inside Look at the City’s Crime
Reporting Process
by Karen Ivy, NCPC Secretary
Talso seemed low: 60 in beat 12Y and
22 in beat 13X. When I downloaded
the February data, on March 5, I
found that the rest of the January data
had magically appeared: 12Y now had
90 reports in January and 13X had 36.
So I re-published January.
This delayed reporting continued
for the rest of 2022. I’ve failed to find
someone in the City who would dis-
cuss this. I’ve gotten a couple of vague
responses to the effect that there are
lot of reports, in different formats,
coming in from different departments
at different times, and it just takes a
long time to get the data, but it’ll all
be there after 90 days. I hope to talk
to someone who can explain what
changed in a system whose output had
been reasonably stable for the previ-
ous six years.
Recently my husband, Jim Ringland
(a retired statistician and contributor
to this article), offered to do some
analysis based on the full database
of Oakland crime back to 2005,
which the City made available for
public download in June 2021 (as
of mid-September, it had 1,046,646
records). We’ve now compared the
original downloaded reports from
2021 and 2022 with the full download.
As you can see in the chart above,
he Greater Rockridge Neighbor-
hood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC) was officially established in
April 2002 to respond to the newly
reorganized Community Policing
Program of the Oakland Police
Department. It supports police beats
12Y (everything below Broadway
down to Telegraph) and 13X (in the
hills above Broadway, up to High-
way 13) and operates under its own
by-laws.
As NCPC secretary, I’ve been
collecting and publishing local crime
statistics since 2014. I download
the entire 90-day file (https://data.
oaklandca.gov/Public-Safety/Crime-
Watch-Maps-Past-90-Days/ym6k-rx7a)
on the fifth of every month, and sort
out the data for our two beats for
the previous month. This is public
information; anyone can access it. I
keep spreadsheets of all the numbers I
publish, and, based on calculated aver-
ages and minimum/maximum values,
I have a good feel for what a month’s
reporting looks like.
In January 2022, I downloaded a
report that didn’t look right. The last
week of the month showed only four
crimes reported in 12Y in 11 days
between 1/19/22 and 1/30/22. The
total number of crimes in January
the lower, light gray “river” shows
the totals collected the way I’ve been
doing it in the past, downloaded from
the “CrimeWatch-Maps-Past-90-Days
Database” near the beginning of the
month. The upper, dark gray “river”
shows what we found after going back
to the current full database where we
can see what’s currently listed for past
months. So the stacked lines give the
best view of current monthly crime
totals in the two beats.
The City certainly should not
be basing policy decisions on first
month’s data.  Better to wait a
month. For instance, most February
crime reports that weren’t in the
March database download were
present in April’s report. Reports on
“crimes against the person” are least
likely to be delayed, reflecting OPD
priorities. “Property” and “quali-
ty-of-life” crime reports see relatively
more delays, and those delays are
about the same in both beats.
Normally, 12Y has more crime
than 13X, with 12Y having a higher
proportion of auto-related property
crimes and 13X a higher the propor-
tion of non-auto property crimes. And
we still don’t know if the apparent
general rise in total crime since
mid-2021 is real or a result of data
processing changes.
Moving forward, I will always look
back in the stats at least one month
earlier and publish each month twice
to the NCPC website — once with the
first month’s data, and again with a
second report marked “revised.” We
will also do a larger review, at longer
intervals, to check whether the delay
times are getting worse.
Email Karen at karenivy@
mindspring.com. To view the
most recent statistics, see https://
rockridgencpc.com. n


THE

page 13
NOVEMBER 2022

Female Scout Troop
Empowers Future
Community Leaders
by Cindy Murphy, Scoutmaster,
Troop 305G
Rockridge resident Kayla Fukatsu-
Ishida is a spunky and driven
12-year-old at Claremont Middle
School. She is also on her way to
becoming one of the youngest female
Eagle Scouts in the country. Her
journey first started with Girl Scouts,
but when the Boy Scouts of America
(now Scouts BSA) broke down gender
barriers and allowed girls to join in
2019, Kayla was all in.
“I originally joined Scouting to be
with my friends. I enjoy the leadership
experience and all the camping and
adventures.”
Her Cub Scout pack, Pack 296,
was led by Oakland native, Jesuscita
Fishel, who inspired Kayla to keep
pushing herself to be a leader and to
be ambitious on her scouting journey.
While Cub Scouts (where Kayla
first started) is co-ed, the next level of
scouting requires separate girl troops
and boy troops. So Kayla helped
found a girl troop, Troop 305G, as a
“sister troop” to the boys’ Troop 305,
which now has seven girls. The troop
is open to new members, for anyone
interested.
The troops are focused on lead-
ership development, community
service, and outdoor adventure.
Weekly meetings focus on learning
and meeting requirements to help the
girls navigate through the Scouts BSA
ranked system as they strive for the
prestigious Eagle Scout award.
The girls’ and boys’ troops go on
adventures together, experiencing
things like campouts, zip-lining, fish-
ing, backpacking, sleeping on a real
submarine, and even tackling a giant

The troop created their own Vision Statement: We aim to gain life experience
preparing us for future challenges, to be involved in the community, and to
become adventurous and powerful female citizens and leaders.

ropes course in the treetops in Tahoe.
“The most challenging for me has
been rank advancement because I
want to get Eagle rank by the time I’m
14. It’s also challenging to lead people
that are older than me,” said Kayla,
who at 12 years old is the Senior
Patrol Leader of the girls, some of
whom are 16 years old. “The most fun
adventure has been whitewater rafting
because who doesn’t like white water
rafting,“ Kayla shared.
For girls and boys who are
interested in Leadership Development,
Community Involvement, and High-
Adventure, please consider joining
Kayla and her scout-mates. Scouts BSA
is for young people ages 11 to 17.  To
contact Girls Troop 305G, email cindy.
gatiss.murphy@gmail.com. To contact
Boys Troop 305, email dougmayne@
comcast.net. n

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:
December 8, 2022, at 7pm,
(pending further notice)
For Zoom link, visit:
https://rockridgencpc.com
To suggest meeting topics,
send an email to:
chair@rockridgencpc.com.


THE
page 14
NOVEMBER 2022

“Tat the Street” — Shafter Avenue Artists Use
Paint to Encourage Dialogue and Collaboration
by Carol Kasparek

When the Dobbs v. Jackson deci-
sion came down on June 24
of this year, people took to the streets.
Neighbors on Shafter wanted to take
action, so they took to their street.
People who had gathered for decades
on numerous occasions decided to use
the pavement in their midst to send a
message, and an invitation.
The 5200 block of Shafter has a
tradition of block parties — bringing
residents together to enjoy each other
and support community improve-
ments. Setting up recycling programs,
frustration and rage and channel that
energy into events that foster dialogue
and engagement,” said Skye Winfrey.
Winfrey and Zinke proposed that
the neighbors collaborate to help folks
beyond the block with an activity
or event. Skye felt that encouraging
women to “step playfully into leader-
ship” could build a force that would
grow and bring in more diverse
participants — and a core group
began to meet. Within three weeks,
the website WomenInAction.net was
created to publicize events. Anyone
a uterine theme in bright purple and
white paint (non-toxic and water-solu-
ble, of course).
“One of the best days” on the block,
they all agreed. “Very creative, bub-
bling energy,” remarked Gardinier,
appreciative of each other and the
creatives on the block, “Everyone came
out.” Getting down on the pavement
on that hot day was more draining
than they expected, so neighbors
brought lemonade and salad, or pulled
up chairs to call out encouragement to
the artists. Children joined, helping the
adults and creating their own logos.
The group sees their event as an
encouragement to get to know each
other and to create opportunities to
listen to each other. “Nothing is going
to change unless we’re talking to each
other,” said Biel. People are influenced
by what they believe about their neigh-
bors. Do they truly know each other?
The group hopes that the collaboration
and images prompt people to talk
about the issues. “We want to make it
normal, visible, to discuss control of
our bodies,“ said Zinke.
People on this block have always
taken care of each other. Now, the
neighbors are watching out for some
of the most basic rights for women
and men. They want everyone to
know that they can take action for
what is important to them. This very
connected group hopes people discover
that action can be “fun, inclusive, an
opportunity for dialogue.” All are
invited to walk the block and be part of
the action. n
“The zeitgeist was out there; we could see
what we all were feeling.”
safety training, and tree planting
proved to be excellent ways to support
national issues. Sharon Zinke saw the
feeling in her women’s group intensify,
wondering how to preserve the control
of their bodies beyond the relative
safety of California laws.
“The zeitgeist was out there; we could
see what we all were feeling,” Julie
Franklin observed. “We wanted to
respond to the tremendous amount of
interested can add an event to the
website. Moderators follow up with
contributors to ensure information
is complete and accurate. According
to Skye, “We want events to be fun,
enlivening …allowing you to start
where you are.” Michael Zinke helped
fashion the logo that expressed what
they wanted to convey; September 3 a
national “day of action,” was the day
they decided to launch the site.
Back on Shafter, decisions were to
be made on what they would do for
their own event on that day. Franklin
was inspired by BLM public displays
on asphalt and began working with
Zinke, and fellow artist Sara Biel, to
create something in which everyone
could participate. Hence, “Tat the
Street” was born.
Biel locked on the image of the
Statue of Liberty. Not totally trusting
her freehand, she ordered a stencil.
Laurie Gardinier grabbed a phrase
from a friend in the Midwest, “Reg-
ulate Dick, Not Jane.” Great for the
kids! Julie re-interpreted a beautiful
logo with a woman’s torso, and the
crossed oars widely displayed over
the words, “Roe, Roe, Roe.” Several
people contributed to variations on
BUYING?
SELLING?
LET ME HELP YOU!
Anne D. Brandon, Realtor
510.682.6644 | 510.339.9290
Anne.Brandon@Corcorangl.com
Lic# 01877719 | AnneDBrandon.com


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page 15
NOVEMBER 2022

Classifieds
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. The deadline for December’s issue is Nov. 17, 2022
(available Dec. 3). Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave., PO Box 22504, Oakland,
94609-20131. For details, email Susan Montauk at smontauk@gmail.com.
Handyman for Hire
Multifaceted and well experienced.
Hauling and towing available. No job
too small. Reasonably priced. Lee Self.
707/223-1298-call and text.
RN
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.
Penelope’s Aesthetics 
C + A.G.E. A professional treatment
counteracting the negative effects of glycation
on premature skin aging. Combining vitamin
C with Ume extract provides an oxidizing,
hydrating facial, providing luminosity and
firmness. 20% off. Call today! 510/594-1552.
Penelopecalef.com.
Rockridge Artist Maryly Snow
Hosts Open Studios
with Stocking stuffers (local honey,
potholders, and greeting cards) along
with fine art in her West Oakland Studio.
Nov. 5- 6, Nov. 12-13, 11am-5pm. 3016
Filbert St #14 at 30th Street. Welcome!
snowstudios.com.
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. n
Holiday Season at Bambino
Decorate your home for Thanksgiving,
Chanukkah or Christmas while supporting
Children’s Hospital, Oakland, with your
purchases. November 6-December 23,
Tues, Thurs, Fri, 11am-3pm; Sat. & Sun,
noon-4pm; 5290 College Avenue. 510/658-
7473. Bambinothriftshop.org.
Plan for 2023 Now! Free
Home Evaluation w/Licensed
Neighborhood Realtor!
Market Value, Tax-Related Issues, Estate
Planning, Selling/Buying. Eve Levine 347-
526 1383; eve@vanguardproperties.
com  DRE#02133046. Each in-home visit this
month we donate $100 to Friends of OPL.
law office of
dave karlinsky
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.
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.
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! www.performingartsaudio.biz  Ben
Stiegler, 510/823-0850.
HARDWOOD FLOORS
Install, sand/refinish, repair, re-coat
existing. Large jobs or small. Twenty-plus
years in Piedmont Ave/Rockridge. Bruce
Williams Woodfloors. Please call or text
Bruce at 510/652-8121. CA Lic # 913727;
www.blwfloors.com.


COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE
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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