Extracted text · highlighting “Chris Jackson”

www.rockridge.org
THE
R ckridgeNews

VOL 38   •   NO. 5   •   ISSUE  NO. 408   •   MAY 6, 2023                        CIRCULATION: 5,800 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

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

Five Incumbents Return to Rockridge Community
Planning Council Board; One New Member Elected

RCPC: MAY TOWN HALL
Rooms for Rent?
How to Home Share
by Ben Friedman, RCPC Board Member and Election Officer
C
Louisa Bukiet, Star Lightner, Ken
Rich, and Zac Unger. Tom Lollini is
new to the board. Bios of this year’s
slate of RCPC members appear below.
The next election will occur in
the spring of 2024, at which time
all interested residents will again be
encouraged to run for the board.
ongratulations to the new and
returning board members
who were elected to fill two-year
terms in the 2023 uncontested RCPC
election (for information on RCPC’s
bylaws regarding uncontested elections, see
www.rockridge.org). Incumbents return-
ing to the board are Mark Aaronson,
by Casey Farmer, Chair, RCPC
Board of Directors
More and more homeowners have
begun renting empty rooms in
their homes to fellow community
members. In addition to providing
additional income, renting a room in
your home helps fill the need for more
affordable rental options in the area,
especially for essential workers who
don’t want long commutes. Others
welcome the companionship or the
ability to age in place — particularly
elders who may have lost a spouse due
to aging or illness.
On Monday, May 15, at 7:30pm,
the Rockridge Community Planning
Council (RCPC) will host a virtual
Town Hall about home-sharing
services and programs which support
homeowners seeking to rent out a
bedroom or ADU. This Town Hall is
part of a series on the topic of housing
(RCPC’s March Town Hall focused
on the economics of building housing
and the meeting was summarized in
last month’s Rockridge News).
Four panelists have been invited to
share their expertise and explain the
programs they operate, provide exam-
ples of successful home sharing, and
review the rights renters have when
renting a private room.
Jill Lindenbaum is the founder of
Roomily and an expert in home-
sharing programs. Roomily, featured
in a July 2022 Rockridge News article,
is unfortunately no longer operating.
However, Jill remains driven to
support home sharing as a means of

Mark Aaronson / Chabot Road
I moved to Rockridge in 1976 with my wife Marjorie
Gelb. We still live in the same house on Chabot Road
where we raised our two daughters — both now reside
in nearby Oakland neighborhoods with their husbands
and our four grandchildren. I spent much of my career
as an activist lawyer representing clients in civil rights,
anti-poverty, and environmental matters, and as a law
professor at U.C. Hastings, where I was the founding
director of the school’s in-house clinical educational pro-
gram. I was appointed to the RCPC Board in December
2021, and have been its chief liaison regarding the repurposing of the Dreyer’s
site by the East Bay Jewish Community Center. Working with neighbors most
immediately affected by this development, our objective is to ensure that
throughout the JCC’s planning, community concerns such as traffic impacts,
and a variety of needs from recreational to housing, are given serious attention.

Louisa Bukiet / Margarido Drive
I joined the RCPC board to help shape our neigh-
borhood’s future, and where I will continue to
build a vibrant and inclusive community. I moved
to Rockridge in late 2016 while pregnant with my
twins — the beautiful gardens everywhere, interest-
ing people who are our neighbors, and the engaged
hubbub of College Avenue and beyond have made
this a place where I’m excited to build community.
Professionally, I work on ways to create more hous-
ing opportunities for more people, especially those who have traditionally
been shut out of homeownership or have limited options available to them
due to disability or lack of financial resources. As Rockridge contemplates
a number of new housing developments, I’d like to continue adding my
knowledge to the land-use activities of the board, and work to ensure our
neighborhood’s resources and opportunities
are accessible to new residents.

May Town Hall, see page 5
RCPC Board Members, see page 2


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MAY 2023

RCPC Board Members continued from front page

Star Lightner / Colby
I grew up in Rockridge, and attended Chabot Elementary
and (back then) Claremont Jr. High School. I returned
and bought a house here after law school and met my
husband over the back fence! Our kids attended local
public schools where I spent years volunteering. I’m
pleased to now be on the RCPC board where I can give
back to the neighborhood I’ve lived in most of my life.
As an environmental lawyer, I once had a knee-jerk
opposition to development. However, I’m saddened to see how the racial and
economic diversity that once existed in Rockridge has eroded and believe we
need to be pragmatic about accommodating thoughtful growth in our commu-
nity. I also believe that most people in Rockridge are more aligned than not,
and I’m looking forward to continue serving on the RCPC board where I will
work to find common ground on housing and other important local issues.

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 & Distribution Manager
Judith Doner Berne.........................Senior Staff Writer

Tom Lollini / Broadway Terrace
I am an architect and urban planner with 30 years of
executive leadership experience in community and
university planning, design, and development, and an
extensive background in public advocacy for sustain-
able, affordable, and equitable community development.
I retired in 2018 to create Studiolollini, a strategic
planning practice that affords me time to volunteer.
I presently serve on the RCPC Land Use Committee.
My career focus has been to help make cities better
places for everyone and to create a more sustainable, socially responsible
approach to growth and development. My work inspired the transformation
of San Francisco’s Embarcadero, brought U.C. Berkeley and the City of Berkeley
together to co-create thousands of units of student housing, and led the devel-
opment of the world’s most sustainable and first Zero-Net Energy campus,
U.C. Merced. I have lived in Rockridge for 15 years. My wife, Franchesca
Garagorri, has lived here for 30. We have four children and six grandchildren.

RCPC Board of Directors, 2023-24
Casey Farmer.......................................................Chair
Robin McDonnell..................................... Vice-Chair
Aly Bonde...................................................... Secretary
Louisa Bukiet.................................................Treasurer
Mark Aaronson, Ben Friedman, Annette Floystrup,
Star Lightner, Tom Lollini, Kirk Peterson, Ken Rich,
Zac Unger
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Contacting The Rockridge News
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in the Rockridge News? Have questions
about newsletter distribution? Want to volunteer to
be a Rockridge News block captain? Want to write a
letter to the Editor? We’d love to hear from you.
All letters must be limited to 350 words and are
published at the discretion of the RCPC. 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.

Ken Rich / Manila
This will be my third year on the RCPC Board where
I have tried to focus on housing issues as well as neigh-
borhood retail. I am a city planning and real estate
development leader with 27 years of experience work-
ing on planning and development projects and policy
in San Francisco and around the Bay Area. I served as
Director of Development within the S.F. Mayor’s Office
of Economic and Workforce Development from 2010
to 2020. Projects approved under my direction focused
on low- and middle-income housing, waterfront revitalization, workforce devel-
opment, and the arts. I have a master’s
degree in City Planning from U.C. Berke-
ley as well as a bachelor’s degree from
UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from
Columbia University, both in History.
Outside of work, I enjoy mid-century
furniture and industrial design, early
20th-century art, classic science fiction,
foodie-oriented travel, and, of course,
exploring new cities and neighborhoods.

Land Use Committee Meeting
RCPC’s Land Use Committee
Meeting will be held:
Wednesday, May 24, 2023,
at 7:30pm, via Zoom.
The meeting is open to the public.
Use Zoom link: bit.ly/3c0r6X0
or email: landuse@rockridge.org.

The Rockridge News reserves the right to refuse any
articles, letters, display ads, or classified ads.
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send your
check for $20, payable to RCPC with “Rockridge
News” noted on the memo line.
Mail payment to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Avenue,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, CA, 94609
Display Ad Deadline for JUNE 2023:
MAY 18, 2023
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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RCPC Board Members continued from previous page

Zac Unger / Oak Grove
I’ve been a Rockridge resident since I was five years
old, and even ended up buying a house on the same
street I grew up on. I’ve been an Oakland firefighter
for 25 years, and I am the president of the firefighters’
union. My wife, Shona, and I have three kids who
have all made their way through Chabot, Claremont,
and Oakland Tech. We love living in a neighborhood
where we run into friends every time we step out the
front door.  My RCPC-ish interests include wildfire
mitigation and emergency preparedness, and trying to find creative solutions to
increase the affordable housing supply so that our kids, and their friends, can
afford to enjoy Rockridge as much as we have. n

Shop, Visit Local Businesses
While Delivering the
Rockridge News
by Susan Montauk
read the description below and let us
know if you’re available for her route.
CAv1: Businesses and apartments
along College Avenue from Claremont
Ave to BART. Stacks left at various
stores along the route.
The Rockridge News relies on more
than 100 neighborhood volun-
teers, ranging in age from four to 92,
to hand deliver this newsletter door-
to-door. Currently, the newsletter
needs one more volunteer to take over
the route of Leslie Osterweil. Please
Block Captains deliver newsletters
door-to-door. Bundles are delivered to
their front porches the first weekend
of each month (except August). To
volunteer, call (510) 547-3855 or email
Susan at smontauk@gmail.com. n
Foxtail Grasses —
It’s That Time Again
by Anna L. Marks
Sthey can burrow
deep and cause
a lot of pain and
distress. They can
even be inhaled,
and enter through
the nose.
If you notice
your pet showing any unusual symp-
toms including incessant licking or
problems with chewing or swallowing,
see your vet immediately. Children
should use caution too as they are also
susceptible to getting them in their
noses, on their clothing, or in their
shoes or socks, causing discomfort.
The best way to remove foxtails is to
dig out the root with a simple garden
tool. Mowing them and leaving the
clippings on the ground or sidewalk
is the worst way to remove them as
this also allows the seeds to spread
around. Put them into your regular
garbage in a plastic baggie where they
won’t be able to spread. n
pring marks the beginning of fox-
tail season. You know, those
little sticky weeds that pop up every-
where. Foxtails shed thousands of
seeds that can quickly spread around
the neighborhood, so it’s important
to completely remove them to prevent
them from returning. When you see
foxtails (see photo) in your yard or
while walking around the neighbor-
hood, please pull them out.
The grasses can cause serious prob-
lems including infection and organ
damage, or even result in hearing loss.
This can be a big problem, especially
for cats and dogs. The earlier in the
season they are removed, the less
damage they can do. Once the barbed
grasses get into their little feet or ears,


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page 4
MAY 2023

Employees at the Rockridge Trader Joe’s
Vote to Join Union
by Barbara Schultz
C

anonymous. “We are human beings
first, and so are the mates, and so is
the captain. I have nothing against
them,” she says, noting that Trader
Joe’s job titles follow a nautical theme.
“I’m trying to balance this job with
being a full-time student and I need
health benefits. That’s it.”
Another sentiment echoed by multi-
ple employees is how much they enjoy
their jobs — the cheerful good humor
that greets Trader Joe’s shoppers is
genuine. “We’re the ones at the front
of the store,” says Rosenthal. “We’re
the ones who create that fun and
exciting environment. I’m excited by
the idea of knowing I can continue
doing all that because I love my job
and my coworkers.”
It will likely take months before
all of the TJU members and their
attorneys can agree with Trader Joe’s
management (which declined to be
interviewed for this article) on a
mutually acceptable contract. Mean-
while, the organizing committee
plans to hold listening sessions where
all employees can voice their opinions
and make suggestions as to how the
union should proceed to represent
them. It’s important to the organizers
that every employee has a voice in
this process.
“As I’ve been finding throughout
this process, which is the whole point
of a union, you can get bravery, cour-
age, and strength from everyone else.
You don’t have to have it all within
yourself,” says Bernardo. n
structure, and generally more trans-
parency and clarity from management
on issues that affect workers.
“During the pandemic we had
plastic barriers at registers to separate
us from the customers, and one day
we came into the store and they
were gone,” says Rosenthal, who has
worked for Trader Joe’s for five years.
“There was no discussion about it.
That’s one example.”
“Many of our store’s policies are
not written in the employee hand-
book; they’re at the discretion of
management,” explains organizing
committee member Dominique
Bernardo, an 18-year Trader Joe’s
employee. “We’d like to see codifi-
cation of safety policies. As in any
city, we sometimes have to deal with
issues surrounding theft.
“We want de-escalation training
for managers so we don’t have to call
the cops every time there’s an issue
in the store involving someone with
mental illness. If we can protect our
benefits, feel safe at work, feel valued
like we matter as humans, that’s
going to go straight from us back to
the customers.”
Mattering “as humans” is on many
crew members’ wish lists, including
one employee who asked to remain
rew members of the Trader
Joe’s store on College Avenue
have been engaged in an effort to
unionize since last August, and late
last month they elected to join the
Trader Joe’s United (TJU) union that
was formed by workers in Hadley,
Mass., and Minneapolis, Minn.
Employees had the opportunity to
vote anonymously during sessions
held April 19 and 20. When the results
were tabulated, the workers had voted
73 to 53 to unionize, making our local
store the fourth in the country to join
— and the first in California.
“The next step is for us to talk to
our lawyers about getting bargaining
dates and join the broader Trader Joe’s
United group at the bargaining table,”
says organizing committee member
Nava Rosenthal. “We have been
talking with TJU all along, but now
the idea is for us to bargain for one
contract for the whole union.”
The workers at the College Avenue
store hope their effort will allow
them to bargain collectively for safer
working conditions, better and more
accessible health benefits for part-
time employees as well as those who
work full-time, a revised paid-leave


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page 5
MAY 2023

May Town Hall, from front page
both providing affordable housing
and supporting the changing needs of
homeowners.
Rachel Matthews is the Manager of
Home Match, a program of the senior
service provider Covia. Home Match
is a shared-housing program that
provides free, personalized services in
the Bay Area and beyond to help find
the right match for both renters and
homeowners.
The organization’s website notes that
some renters choose arrangements
in which they provide household
activities in exchange for lower costs
(referred to as “supportive house-
mates”). As one participant notes,
“The whole Home Match process
makes the living arrangement feel safe,
secure, and lasting.” Learn more at
covia.org/programs/home-match.
Kyra Mungia is the Co-Founder and
Chief Executive Officer of TRiOPlus
(Teachers Rooted in Oakland Plus).
The organization’s mission is to build a
coalition of public and private commu-
nity stakeholders working to ensure
teachers — especially Black, Latino,
and other teachers of color — can
afford to live in the cities where they
teach. “Our kids shouldn’t have to
pay the price for our broken housing
system. We believe a marketplace for
discounted housing can institution-
alize affordable housing not only for
educators but also other underpaid
public employees,” said Mungia.
Learn more at trioplus.org.
Oakland Housing Authority (OHA)
is the local administrator for the Fed-
eral rental housing program known as
Section 8, which subsidizes low income
tenants. This program pays rent direct-
ly to landlords. A director from OHA
will speak at the Town Hall.
Have questions for the panelists?
Send them to Chair@Rockridge.org.
To attend on
Zoom, RSVP at
Rockridge.org or
scan the QR code.
Spread the word
to those who may
benefit from the
conversation. n

Dogs of
Rockridge
This is Nico, a nine-year-old
Bedlington Terrier. Nico came
from a farm in Wales as a puppy
and still acts like one. He is a
high-energy yet easy-going dog,
and because he doesn’t shed, the
house is very clean as well. He
thinks College Avenue is Paris as
he gets treats galore from all the
vendors. His owner Phil says he is
the warmest, easiest dog to take
care of, and hopes he’ll be around
for another six or seven years.
Does your pup live in Rockridge? If so, send a photo of your four-legged friend with a short
commentary to: editor@rockridge.org.


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MAY 2023

Transit-Oriented Development at Rockridge
BART — the Conversation Begins
by Anna L. Marks

B
ART held an Open House last
month at the foot of the Rock-
ridge station to gather input and
help set objectives for developing a
transit-oriented housing project on
the site. The BART property consists
of two lots — one just across from
Market Hall on Shafter Avenue; the
second is located along Miles Avenue
(the rest of the site is owned by Cal-
trans and can’t be developed, see map
on facing page).
“This is the very beginning of the
community process. It’s probably
going to be years before there’s a
housing development here, but we
want to move relatively quickly
compared to other BART projects.
We’re looking to find a developer to
start that process by the end of this
year. Once we have a developer team
on board, there will be a lot more of a
process involving the community, the
City, BART, and the developers,” says
BART Director Rebecca Saltzman.
When Home Depot was intending
to move into the neighborhood, local
response was swift and negative (see
Rockridge News, November 2022).
At that time, neighbors made it clear
to the City that housing was the
preferred use for the lot at 51st and
Broadway as well as the site of the old
College of the Arts site at Broadway
and Clifton — both sites could add a
lot of housing to the area. However, at
this early stage, and with no design to
review, community response to hous-
ing at the station has been mixed.
The idea of new housing here is
promising — this would make room
for many more people to enjoy the
amenities Rockridge has to offer. It
would mean increased support of the
businesses along College Avenue,
and has the potential of increasing
social and economic diversity in
the neighborhood. Some neighbors,
BART Open House, see next page
The Decolonized Kitchen
with Maribel Garcia
Saturday, May 27, 2023
11am to 12pm
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue
Cultivating a Culture of Sharing
by Ryan Lindsay, Library Assistant, Rockridge Branch
The Decolonized Kitchen is a
gathering for anyone looking to
learn in a community about indig-
enous foodways, ethnobotany,
and cooking. Join Maribel Garcia
for a morning of connection and
reclamation and learn about our
native plant relatives — one recipe
at a time.
Maribel Garcia is a descendant
of the Purépecha people from
the state of Michoacán, Mexico.
As an educator, Garcia is deeply
focused on centering indigenous
knowledge and creating collective
learning spaces in which partici-
pants feel empowered as lifelong
learners. n
The Rockridge Branch Library is
one of 13 locations in the Oak-
land Public Library (OPL) system
that hosts a seed library. The branch
started this particular seed-lending
program in January of this year. The
little library is housed in an old-
school card catalog with each drawer
loosely organized by plant type —
vegetable, flower, grain, etc.
Anybody can come into the library
and help themselves to the selection,
whether they have a library card or
not. There is no need to check them
out, just grab what you need and go.
All that is asked in return is that any
leftover seeds be returned to the green
donation box that sits on top of the
card catalog… and please be sure to
label and date all donations.
The OPL recently received a grant
that is going towards the Resilient
Gardening program. The grant is
funding a variety of really cool gar-
dening-related seminars and events
at various Oakland Library locations
throughout Spring and Summer.
For information about the seed
program or related events, visit
oaklandlibrary.org/seed-lending. n


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MAY 2023

Photo/Anna L. Marks
to me because it’ll have to be built so
close to the freeway. Those of us who
lived through the ’89 earthquake and
remember part of the Bay Bridge fall-
ing down and the Cypress Structure
falling — having housing right next to
a freeway is unsafe,” says Nelson.
Speaking on behalf of the Rock-
ridge Community Planning Council,
the board’s Land Use Chair, Ken
Rich, addressed this concern. “This
will be an interesting process to
follow. Designing safe residential
buildings next to BART and the
freeway is perfectly possible, and more
difficult design challenges than this
are accomplished all the time, but
it will be complex. There are only a
few pieces of land owned by BART at
Rockridge which are sufficiently clear
of the freeway. Given the urgent need
for housing production in Oakland,
we should carefully follow this process
and see where it leads.”
Director Saltzman agrees that there
will be much to consider, especially
when doing construction at a busy,
active site, but remains positive. “The
BART team is familiar with doing
this. There have been a lot of success-
ful BART developments in Oakland
with sites that have a lot of housing
surrounding them. I think we’re ready
for the challenges.”
Saltzman emphasized that there
will be many more community meet-
ings and opportunities for input, in
person and online, and encourages
anyone with questions to email her at
Rebecca.Saltzman@bart.gov. n
BART Open House, from previous page
however, expressed concerns about
the impact of increased traffic on
local streets; the environmental
impact to the underground waterway
(Temescal Creek runs beneath the
station); the removal of redwood trees
at Shafter and Forest; the reduction
of available parking for BART riders,
shoppers and area diners; and the loss
of the skateboarding area.
Like many residents, Theresa
Nelson would like to see more hous-
ing in Rockridge but she has worries
about building under and near an
elevated freeway. “The idea of addi-
tional housing on College Avenue,
particularly above the many one-story
buildings, makes a lot of sense — two
stories, three stories, four stories
— and the Housing Element of the
General Plan calls for that. The BART
property development makes no sense


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MAY 2023

Starter Bakery — Where You’ll Find Legendary
Pastries, and Careers, in Rockridge
by Susie Wyshak

Photos/Susie Wyshak

Flaky, buttery pastries are made
fresh daily at Starter Bakery.
yogurt parfaits and sandwiches to
eat-in or take-away. There are also
some vegan items. Starter chose small-
batch coffees from Oakland’s RoastCo
for its coffee bar.

Owner Brian Wood wants to hire locally for his new College Avenue shop.

T
Store where he first debuted the
now-legendary pastry back in 2010.  
“So many locals had never heard of
us.” Wood says. “Many of them are
now regulars at the bakery. The neigh-
borhood has been so welcoming.” 
Breads and pastries are baked
throughout the day. Kouign Amann
fans may be intrigued to know the
Cardamom Pistachio Twist and Choc-
olate Babka are the new customer
favorites. Healthy options include

he Rockridge community took
Brian Wood by surprise. He
opened Starter Bakery’s first retail
location at 5804 College Avenue in
March, thinking most customers
would have previously experienced
his famous buttery and flaky Kouign
Amann pastry at the Temescal farm-
ers market, or a local cafe, or maybe
even at Oakland’s Pop Up General

Meet and Eat
The Rockridge location has a vibe
designed for conversation, coffee, and
connection. “We wanted to create a
refined and special experience for our
retail customers,” says Wood. High
ceilings allow air and light to pene-
trate deep into the space, balancing a
cozy, yet spacious, feeling.
Hints of an industrial feel combine
Starter Bakery, see next page
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page 9
MAY 2023

Forest Street Neighbor Finds a Need, and Fills It
by Anna L. Marks

Starter Bakery, from previous page
with a naturalistic environment
incorporating locally-crafted white
oak surfaces, hand-painted tile,
ceramics, glass, and lime wash paint.
The bakery represents perfectly what’s
called a “third space,” a welcoming
place other than the two places where
many of us spend most of our time:
work and home.
Joshua Redel was fed up with the
potholes on his street brought about
by the unceasing atmospheric rivers
that deluged the Bay Area this past
winter. Despite Forest Avenue being
included in the citywide paving plan
in the 2022 fiscal budget, the street
was badly in need of repair. Redel
decided to take matters into his own
hands and fill the holes himself.
“I got tired of slamming my tires
into the potholes, so I bought some
cones, some vests, some lights, five
50 lb. bags of cold patch asphalt, and
got to work near the intersection of
Shafter, making my way towards
Claremont.”
Frustrated at the expense of the
task, Redel posted to the Colby
neighborhood forum to ask for help.
“I’m probably going to need ten times
that much to get through the distance
between College and Claremont. At
$20 per bag, I don’t think I can afford
it alone.” Neighbors responded, and
he received enough funding for 36
bags. On his way to pick up the bags,
Redel found a city crew filling the
holes from Miles to College, and they
promised to fill Miles to Claremont by
the end of the week. He updated sup-
porters with the good news, saying,
“I’ll make sure they haven’t missed
anything and then I’ll give all of you
your money back.”
To view Oakland’s five-year paving
plan, visit https://www.oaklandca.gov/
projects/20225yp. n
A Life in Baking
Opening a brick-and-mortar bakery
was not always in the plan for Wood,
although it’s a natural evolution for
someone who cherishes community
connections. Before opening Starter
Bakery in 2010, the head baker and
CEO had been a restaurant pastry
chef, a chocolate production manager,
a baking instructor, a wholesale
bakery product developer, an author
of Advanced Bread and Pastry, and
an industry consultant. His wholesale
bakery began in Emeryville and
migrated to a large production facility
on Gilman Street.
Interested locals are welcome to
explore working at Starter Bakery.
Wood says, “We have people who live
in the neighborhood in the back-of-
house who had no experience who
want to expand their horizons. We
also have experienced employees,
some who studied Hospitality at
Laney, and other programs.” Full-time
employees qualify for Kaiser’s health-
care, largely funded by Starter.
What’s Next?

 
		

		
Expect earlier hours, and eventually
later hours for those wanting to grab
warm baguettes and desserts in the
late afternoon. Wood also anticipates
offering the space for meetings and
events; the newly painted wall makes
a perfect projection screen.
Tip: Ask about the loyalty program
when checking out, and visit them at
starterbakery.com for updates.
Starter Bakery is open Wed-Sun
from 7:30am-3pm at 5804 College Ave.,
and can also be found Sundays at the
Temescal Farmers Market.
Susie Wyshak is a “ foodie” real
estate agent who welcomes local food
and home questions. n
   
   
      ­€ ‚   
 ƒ „ …† 
 
 ‡ …ˆ  
 ‰  … ƒ „‚  †


THE
page 10
MAY 2023

Chabot Road Residents form Task Force to
Address Potential Impact of JCC Development
usage. They intend to use this data to
propose traffic mitigation strategies
that are data-driven and durable for
both the Center and the people who
will be impacted by it every day.
by James Crawford, Karen Lee, Leslie Moldow, Sheela Subramanian,
and Eric Newman
T
Housing
he Jewish Community Center of
the East Bay (JCC) is in planning
and preparation mode for an early
2025 construction kickoff at the soon-
to-be vacated Dreyer’s site on College
Avenue (scheduled for December
2024). As with any project of this size,
the forthcoming plans will generate
inevitable questions and concerns
from the local community.
As soon-to-be neighbors of this
center, Chabot Improvement Part-
nership (ChIP) created a task force
with members of the Rockridge Com-
munity Planning Council (RCPC)
to bring together a growing group of
involved citizens to collaborate with
the JCC in order to facilitate a critical
step in the process: listening to com-
munity voices and partnering for the
best outcomes, and to create an atmo-
sphere built on trust, transparency,
and durable solutions.
Community needs and requests
were largely ignored by Dreyer’s, and
more recently, Safeway. Leaning on
this experience, all parties have agreed
that genuine collaboration is neces-
sary for the project to be an enduring
success. Meetings have already been
in progress — members of the JCC’s
development team have been meeting
with the task force since last August,
and with RCPC for about year. 
During the February 7th RCPC/
JCC Joint Town Hall, the presenters
gave an overview of the project goals
and guiding values, showed updated
plans and renderings for the site, and
discussed ways in which the JCC has
worked (and will continue to work)
with Fehr and Peers on traffic and
parking mitigation concerns. After
the presentation, the program held a
Q&A covering several topics that need
ongoing consideration.
Oakland is facing a severe housing
crisis and every unit counts. At the
task force meetings, Mark Aaronson
and Ken Rich of the RCPC have
expressed the desire on the part of the
organization to include housing in
JCC’s plans. This debate began in the
1980s when Dreyer’s took over three
residential units on Chabot and Cla-
remont for commercial purposes (this
issue was covered in the Rockridge
News, April 1988). That debate con-
tinues today, and ChIP has asked that
these be returned to residential use.
Recently, Chapman stated that the
JCC intends to continue to use these
spaces for the community center.
Traffic
Several attendees expressed concerns
about the impact of additional traffic
in the neighborhood. The existing
plan that JCC presented includes a pre-
school and after-school programs for
220 students, up to 200 summer camp
students, and as many as 100 visitors
to the campus daily. In addition, there
will be those attending events held at
the space formerly occupied by Yoshi’s. 
Currently, the plans would provide
these groups access to the site through
the Chabot Road entrance — present-
ing a major concern for safety and

Based on current plans, the former Yoshi’s Club on Claremont
Avenue will continue to be used as an events space.

Special Events
traffic issues for Chabot Road neigh-
bors. The three nearby intersections
(College/Chabot, Chabot/Claremont,
and Claremont/College) are already
congested at current traffic counts,
and the additional traffic from the
schools and events, and employees at
the 20-plus nonprofits, will exacerbate
this growing challenge by potentially
adding thousands of cars through this
residential street each week.
To address these challenges, an
initial traffic study commissioned
by the JCC has been completed, and
Melissa Chapman, CEO of the East
Bay JCC, has begun the process to do
additional studies. She has expressed a
willingness to discuss ways to mitigate
the traffic and agreed to share the
results of the traffic study with the
task force. Since plans are still early
in the developmental stage, she feels it
is premature to release the data to the
public at this time.
ChiP asserts that the traffic study
is designed to establish a baseline of
traffic, but does not estimate future
The community center intends to
hold events and celebrations on a
regular basis. Based on current plans,
the former Yoshi’s Club on Claremont
Avenue will continue to be used as
an events space. The main entrance
will remain on Chabot Road, and
the staff parking will be accessed via
Claremont. At the meeting, several
community members expressed con-
cern about the plan’s impact on noise,
traffic, and parking, and asked if the
JCC would shift the main entrance
to Claremont Avenue. Chapman has
agreed to explore that possibility.
Ultimately, any changes to traffic
flow would need City approval.
The hope and intention of the task
force is to continue to collaborate
with the community and create a
project that everyone can embrace,
enjoy, and benefit from for years to
come.
Neighbors interested in being
involved with the task force, please
email chabotip@googlegroups.com. n


THE

page 11
MAY 2023

Frog Park Thanks You
— Our Neighbors
by Theresa Nelson
Café for their very generous donation
of pastries, bagels and schmear, and
coffee to keep our volunteers well-
fueled for a busy day. Special thanks
to volunteer teams from Boys Charity
Team, the Rockridge Masonic Lodge
(see photos below), and St. Theresa
Church, who helped so much.
And, finally, thanks to Rockridge
Market Hall, which supplied enor-
mous amounts of much-needed
cardboard to start the mulching
process for the pollinator garden. n
After a difficult winter of storms
and winds, Frog Park needed
a lot of cleanup, and thanks to almost
100 volunteers who turned out on
Earth Day, the 22nd of April, the park
is ready for summer fun.
Volunteers resealed the wood play
structures, helped prepare an area
for a pollinator garden in the fall,
cleared weeds from the creek, picked
up downed branches and bark, cleared
weeds and trimmed ivy, cleaned the
dog park, and more.
Enormous thanks to Bakesale Betty,
Boichik Bagels, and Ain’t Normal
SAVE THE DATE:
Creek-to-Bay Day: September 23
We’ll be planting the pollinator
garden and doing some overall park
clean-up and maintenance.

Special thanks to Chris Jackson of
the Rockridge District Association
for organizing a team to plant
grasses at the Rockridge
BART Station.
Photos/Anna L. Marks

Masonic Hall volunteers came out in force to help with the Earth Day cleanup at Frog Park.


THE
page 12
MAY 2023

Discover Art Where It Happens at East
Bay Open Studios

by Anna Marks
The annual East Bay Open Studios,
produced by Oakland Art
Murmur, has been a Bay Area tra-
dition for more than 40 years. The
free, self-guided tours offer a unique
opportunity to view and purchase
a wide variety of artwork directly
from artists in various neighborhood
settings around the bay. The fami-
ly-friendly event encompasses more
than 185 artists’ studios and exhibi-
tion spaces throughout 15 local cities,
daily from 11am to 5pm. Three local
artists are participating this year.
Originally from New Jersey, musi-
cian and artist Robert Temple of
Reclaimed Luminosity makes custom
lamps from salvaged items. “I love
exploring the combination of light,
form, and function. My lamps are
all one- or two-of-a-kind, featuring
unexpected forms that develop
organically as I work. They are made
using mostly recycled and up-cycled
materials.”
Temple’s work will be on display
May 20th and 21st, at 552 47th Street.
Studio One Arts Center will be
featuring several participating artists,
including two from the Temescal
community, Gail Robinson and
Caroline Stern. Robinson teaches
workshops in public schools, art
camps, and senior centers. She works
with collage and mixed media, using
materials from found objects, maga-
zines, and vintage photos.
Stern, who describes her work as
“messy, like life,” was inspired to
become an artist in pre-school where
she could paint freely on easels. “I
started working as a decorative artist
while attending the College of Arts.”
Be prepared to visit a small studio
where the artwork is all hers.
Both artists will have their work on
display May 20th and 21st at Studio
One, 365 45th Street.
Open Studios are being held May
13/14 and 20/21, from 11am-5pm daily,
visit https://eastbayopenstudios.com. n

Artist Caroline Stern calls this
painting “New Beginnings.”
Opening Celebration
& Exhibition
May 12th, from 6-9pm
Uptown Station, 1955 Broadway
View the work of more than
100 participating East Bay Open
Studios artists — mix and mingle
while you enjoy food and bev-
erages featuring Black Cultural
Zone’s Akoma Farmer’s Market
vendors, a custom cocktail from
Homebase Spirits, and music by
DJ Laron, aka “Freakpusher.” n


THE

page 13
MAY 2023

Rock-N-Stroll Returns
to the Avenue with
“Family Fest”
by Jody Colley, Rockridge District
Association
Tbass, and drums — playing original
tunes along with classic songs of
Elton, Stevie, and other favorites.
They will be performing at Yoshi’s in
June, but catch them here first! 
Other live music includes Nilo Ayele
Afro Brazilian Grooves (McNally’s
Irish Pub), East Bay Serenaders (Cole
Coffee), Five & Dime and Gony B.
(College Avenue Presbyterian Church),
Claiborne and Friends (Beer Baron
Whiskey Bar & Kitchen) and more.
All performances are outdoors. n
Photo/ Jack A. Millar
he Rockridge Rock-N-Stroll
returns to College Avenue on the
second Saturday of each month —
from May through October. Each
monthly Rock-N-Stroll includes a
theme, beginning with “Family Fest”
on Saturday, May 13, from noon to
4pm. The series is produced by the
Rockridge District Association and
offers live outdoor music as visitors
stroll the avenue from Broadway
to Alcatraz — enjoying sales, craft
stations, tastings, pop-up vendors, and
other fun activities.
Family Fest includes activities for
all ages and some specific for kids and
moms. Moms can celebrate Mother’s
Day weekend by tasting chocolates
and cheeses, picking out flower
bouquets, enjoying free waxing, and
much more. Younger strollers can
catch storytime at the library, free
balloons, arts and crafts, and planting
tables with pot decorating — to name
a few of the activities. 
Open Mind Music (5521 College
Avenue) will showcase two bands
composed of family members —
MeloDious, and Bumford & Son. 
The multi-talented Ted Silverman and
his chip-off-old-block son, Stu, make
up Bumford & Son. They play fun,
engaging bluegrass-based music with
a touch of Dylan and Dead. 
MeloDious, a terrific trio of siblings,
will rock the block with keyboard,
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Remaining Dates in 2023:
June 10: Taste of Rockridge
July 8: Art Bizarre
August 12: Pup Promenade
September 9: Scavenger Hunt
October 14: Fall Fest
The band MeloDious is comprised
of three siblings: Micaiah, Memphis
(pictured above) and Matthias Dempsey.
All events are free, all ages are welcome. 
Visit RockridgeDistrict.com for schedule.
Buying ?  Selling?
Let me help you!
Anne D. Brandon
Realtor
510.682.6644 | 510.339.9290
Anne.Brandon@corcoranicon.com
AnneDBrandon.com
Lic# 01877719
© 2022 Corcoran Icon Properties. All rights reserved.
Each franchise is independently owned and operated.


THE
page 14
MAY 2023

April Meeting of the
NCPC Reveals Need for
More Accountability
by Carol Kasparek
Rbetween the OIG and the Community
Police Review Agency (CPRA) as a
focus on policies and procedures for
the OIG while the CPRA investigates
specific incidents. With the goal of
establishing “constitutional policing,”
Morris said they hope to “disrupt
the culture to make the OPD more
accountable.” Gums offered that the
Office seeks “as much data as possible”
to make accurate and useful recom-
mendations for systemic change.
Attendees had questions about the
purpose of the OIG. One participant
commented “I don’t know what
independent oversight looks like, how
are you getting info out to the com-
munity? What’s the strategy?” Morris
and Gums noted a quarterly newslet-
ter on the city website, an upcoming
Safety and Oversight event, an FAQ
Fridays feature, and regular visits with
community groups such as the NCPC.
“We want partnerships. If you are
well-informed, public engagement will
be more effective,” said Morris.
Participants directed the discussion
to concerns about staffing, and the
increasing number of break-ins and
assaults. “Your new department
sounds great, but I think most of us
here want to know about progress
in getting officers on the streets and
reducing the crime in our neighbor-
hood,” declared one attendee. “Why
would you be an officer here if noth-
ing gets processed?” added another.
“Why are police officers the people
who respond to mental health issues?”
The Greater Rockridge
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council Meeting Notice:
The next meeting will be held
at the Rockridge Library:
Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 7pm,
 in the Rockridge Library’s upstairs
conference room. It will be a hybrid
meeting for those who want to
attend remotely.
ockridge residents gathered in
person at the library and online
for the April meeting of the Greater
Rockridge Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC). Atten-
dance was up from the last meeting
in February, with the majority of the
attendees showing up in person. The
agenda included two presentations
— one by representatives from the
newest city department, the Office of
the Inspector General (OIG), and a
second by Community Resource Offi-
cers (CROs) for Beats 12Y and 13X.
The CROs were unable to attend as
they were helping clear the homeless
encampment on Wood Street.
OIG Audit Manager, Shayleen
Morris, and Communications Direc-
tor, Kiana Gums, reported on the
mission of their department, formed
as part of the conclusion of the
20-year Negotiated Settlement Agree-
ment (NSA) agreed to by the Oakland
Police Department. Inspector General
Michelle N. Phillips is tasked with
reviewing programs and patterns
that are part of the 52 elements of the
NSA. Her office will then present data
and make recommendations to the
Police Commissioner.
Morris described the difference
For Zoom link, visit:
https://www.rockridgencpc.com/
To suggest meeting topics,
send an email to:
chair@rockridgencpc.com.
was also asked. NCPC Secretary
Karen Ivy noted her own study using
data from 2019 that showed Oakland,
when compared to San Francisco, had
about 20 percent fewer officers per
100,000 residents.
Morris responded that the OIG is
conducting a staffing study which will
be critical to making changes in the
OPD. Among several options under
consideration are moving officers
from administrative positions into the
community, integrating other depart-
ments into responses, and balancing
the desire of neighborhoods for more
or less police presence. Verifying
these options, needs, and concerns
will be part of the study. “Just hold us
accountable,” urged Morris. n

# of homes for sale this May are more than recent months, but well below prior peak season May levels. More Buyer
demand than Seller supply normally creates pressure for price increases, however, much of that is suppressed by
the fastest/biggest borrowing rate increase ever. 04/23 rates double that of 04/22. Contact me about how it can be a
good time to make a move from both a Buyer and Seller perspective.

Coming soon in Rockridge and Elmwood:
Both 4 Bed 2 Bath ~2200-2500 sqft homes, 1 block off College Ave, spacious rooms, level lots, Prices TBD
May is awareness month for: MOMS, Mental Health, BBQs, Bikes, Clean Air, Community Living, ALS,
Family, Inventions, Physical Fitness, SMILES, Walking, Tennis, Memorial Day Remembrance.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


THE

page 15
MAY 2023

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 June is May 18
(available May 6). Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave., PO Box 22504,
Oakland, 94609-20131. For info, email Susan at smontauk@gmail.com.
HIRING: BRAIN GAMES
INSTRUCTORS
For Seniors in the East Bay. Assisted
Living and Memory Care. $25-$50/hour. 
Visit:  www.californiagamegirls.com and
click yellow box “WE ARE HIRING”,
see upper right on homepage for details.
Email: cagamegirls@gmail.com.
RN
Electrical Remodels and Repairs
Electrifying your kitchen? I can help with
that. I’ve been doing electrical work in
Oakland and Berkeley for over 35 years.
Sutorik & Company. www.sutorikandco.
com. Lic #397149. 510/655-3677.
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.
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.
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.
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
Give Meaning to Words
Experienced calligrapher will design your
favorite poem, quote or song lyric; a family
tree which tells stories; words and images
which speak to the heart. Email Jane @
handart@sonic.net, www.artofhand.com.
Penelope’s Aesthetics
Spring flowers pop with color. Freshen
and have beautiful eyes pop with my
Mother’s Day special. Over 10% off Lash
and Brow tint. $40 for the month of May!
penelopecalef.com. Call today! 510/594-
1552.
DRE 01265873 | 01798658

Competition Drives Price in April
Closing date
BR
BA

Address                                Original price         List price
DOM
Selling price
4/4/2022
2
2

5405 Carlton St                    $885,000
        $885,000
11
$1,157,000
4/11/2022
3
2

6060 Harwood Ave              $1,195,000
        $1,195,000
12
$1,656,060
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.
4/11/2022
3
1.5
         6443 Hillegass                      $2,100,000
        $2,100,000
0
$2,100,000
4/18/2022
2
1

5950 Canning St                   $1,068,000
        $1,068,000
13
$1,068,000
4/18/2022
2
1

5245 Manila Ave                   $749,000
        $749,000
11
$1,066,000
Homes sold in April closed 17.5% over the asking price on average.
Specializing in Rockridge | 510.501.3764 | MotleyTeam.com
Want the highest possible price? Call us and we will show you how we will get it!
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01866771. All material presented herein is intended for
informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No
statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.
Shop
Rockridge
law office of
dave karlinsky
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
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COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE

THE
L A W T O N
A S S O C I A T E S
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
“I know Rockridge”

For Lease
2 Bed 2 Bath
House w/Garage
Fantastic Location
Heart of Rockridge
6960 Paso Robles Dr | Montclair
6960pasorobles.com
SALE PENDING! Located in one of
Oakland’s most popular neighborhoods, this
beautiful two-story Montclair home with
approximately 1,681 square feet of living space
combines mid-century architecture with many
modern updates and features wonderful indoor
and outdoor living spaces.
3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths | 1,681sf
Kevin Brown, Broker
Better Homes Realty, Rockridge
510.593.4780 | dre# 00644175