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THE

VOL 40 • NO. 3 • ISSUE NO. 428 • MARCH 8, 2025 CIRCULATION: 6,700 RESIDENCES; 200 BUSINESSES

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

Rockridge Community Vision Plan Has
Officially Launched: Time to get involved!
by Kristen Belt, RCPC Co-Secretary and Casey Farmer, RCPC Chair

Rockridge Artist Beautifies
Frog Park Mural
Photo: Anna Marks
Oful. Participants overwhelmingly
supported the creation of a plan for
Rockridge — one that could serve as
a roadmap for improving our commu-
nity for the next 20 years and beyond.
n February 10, RCPC launched
the Community Vision Plan
(CVP) at a Town Hall meeting
attended by nearly 100 community
members. We received a lot of positive
feedback, helpful clarifying questions,
and excellent ideas to ensure our
process is inclusive and thought-
Why Create a Community Vision Plan?
The idea for the CVP emerged from
conversations at Land Use Committee
meetings over the past couple of years.
There are two reasons why the RCPC
board thinks this is ideal timing to
develop a Community Vision Plan:
1) We haven’t done one since 1990.
This plan was highly influential as
it instigated treasured Rockridge
amenities, including the library and
Frog Park. 2) The City of Oakland
recently developed its Housing Ele-
ment (zoning changes and identifying
housing opportunity sites). It will
soon begin its General Plan Amend-
ment planning process, which will
focus on land use, circulation (mobil-
ity), housing, environmental justice,
conservation, open space, noise, and
safety.
Rockridge resident and artist
Caroline Stern recently restored
the mural she had previously painted
at the Frog Park bathroom facility in
2017. The enhancement was paid for
with proceeds from the Rockridge
Community Planning Council’s
Kitchen Tour fundraiser.
Stern would like to thank the
following for making this project
possible: RCPC and Friends of Frog
Park for supporting Art in Rockridge;
RCPC for supporting the restoration
of public art; Theresa Nelson and
the Frog Park Committee for their
work to get a grant to fund it; the
late Kevin Faughnan and the RCPC
grant named in his honor for his
inclusive vision to support artists
and encourage women in leadership
in Rockridge; Chris Jackson of the
Rockridge District Association (RDA)
for his support; and all the children of
Rockridge — they are the future.
Stern has operated the DecoArt
Oakland Artworks studio on
Claremont Avenue for more than
30 years. Follow her on Instagram
@decorartoakland. n
CVP, see next page
SAVE THE DATE
RCPC
Rockridge Community Planning
Council Board Election
Two Opportunities to Vote
at the Rockridge Library:
Thursday, April 24 from 7-9pm
OR
Saturday, April 26, from 1-4pm
In order to vote, please bring proof
of residency within RCPC
boundaries. For questions, email
Elections@rockridge.org.
For boundary map, see www.Rockridge.org.

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page 2
MARCH 2025

neighborhood?” will help identify
shared values to shape specific goals
for the plan. Rockridge is fortunate
to have neighbors who are experts in
fun, hands-on community engage-
ment. We have asked James Rojas and
John Kamp of Place It to facilitate
three pop-up events to support the
process (see details below).
Following the pop-up events,
RCPC will host a series of meetings
to listen, share information, and
strategize together in community. We
will also determine ways for online
participatation to ensure broad and
inclusive access to this community
conversation. Over the summer, the
RCPC Board and Steering Committee
will collect and organize aditional
feedback, and present a draft in late
summer. Finally, we will celebrate the
plan at a large event in October.
CVP, from front page
RCPC will be able to share our
neighborhood’s feedback through our
final CVP plan with the City this fall.
The update of Oakland’s General Plan
is expected to be adopted next year
The Rockridge News was founded in March 1986
by Don Kinkead and is published monthly
(except August). It‘s 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.
What Are the Goals of the CVP?
• To bring the community together to
create a shared vision for the long-
range future of Rockridge
• Identify opportunities to improve
the vitality of College Avenue,
mobility of all kinds (pedestrians,
strollers, bicycles, cars, and transit),
and green/open spaces.
• Identify solutions to improve the
neighborhood’s sustainability, resil-
ience, and safety.
• Identify corollary benefits, chal-
lenges and opportunities from
increasing housing access.
• Create a vision for housing and
community development in Rock-
ridge to help guide collaboration
with the City, public agencies, the
development community, and the
Rockridge District Association.
Rockridge News Production
Anna L. Marks .........................Editor & Layout Artist
Jo Ellis........................ Assistant Editor & Ad Manager
Susan Montauk......Business & Distribution Manager
Judith Doner Berne......... Senior Contributing Writer
RCPC Board of Directors, 2025
Casey Farmer.......................................................Chair
Ken Rich..................................................... Vice-Chair
Kim Suczynski-Smith................................... Secretary
Louisa Bukiet.................................................Treasurer
Get Involved: Attend An Event or Pop-Up
Mark Aaronson, Muhammad Alameldin, Kristen
Belt, Eli Kaplan, Star Lightner, Tom Lollini,
Zack Walton
RCPC is excited by the energy that
was brought to the first meeting, and
we appreciate our neighbors’ thought-
ful comments. We encourage the
community to get involved.
Join a Steering Committee: We rec-
ognize that many in our community
have skills that could contribute to
the CVP, or interest in participating
more deeply in the process. Stop by
our booth for a hands-on activity to
share your ideas at one of our pop-ups
— spend as little as five minutes, or
as long as you’d like. There are three
opportunities to engage — please
bring neighbors, youth, and children.
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Contacting the Rockidge News
Are there topics you’d like to see covered in the
Rockridge News? Have questions about newsletter
distribution? Want to volunteer to be a Rockridge
News distributor? We’d love to hear from you.
What Will the Process Look Like?
At the launch meeting, there was
significant interest in beginning
the process by exploring residents'
emotional connections to the neigh-
borhood before diving into strategies.
Beginning with questions like
“What is essential to Rockridge?,”
and “How do you connect to your
Want to write a Letter to the Editor? Letters are
limited to 450 words and are published at the
editor's discretion in the order received. Send
letters to: editor@rockridge.org. Please include your
name, email, and street of residence. Deadline
is the 11th of each month for the upcoming
newsletter.
All submissions accepted for publication are
subject to editing for clarity and brevity. The
Rockridge News reserves the right to refuse any
articles, letters, or advertisements.
Community Engagement Pop-Ups
• Tuesday, March 11, 6-8pm at the
Rockridge Library
• Saturday, March 15, 11-1pm at the
Safeway Plaza (College/63rd)
• Sunday, March 16, 9-noon at the DMV
Farmer’s Market
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send your
check for $22, payable to RCPC with “Rockridge
News” noted on the memo line.
Mail payment to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Avenue,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, CA, 94609
Advertising Deadline for APRIL 2025:
MARCH 20, 2025
Advertising rates are $28/column inch ($32 for
color). Six-month pre-pay discounts available.
For display ads, call Jo Ellis at 510-653-3210, or
email joellis1@hotmail.com.
Classifieds: Email Susan at smontauk@gmail.com.
Community Meeting #2:
• Thursday, March 20, 7pm, at
Claremont Middle School. Enter on
Miles Avenue. Zachary’s pizza provided.
To RSVP, scan QR code on front page.
Mention this ad for:
15% Off dinner for two or more
20% Off lunch for two or more
To download and share our flyer
with your neighborhood email list, see
Rockridge.org. Email chair@rockridge.
org to get involved. n
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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MARCH 2025

RCPC Expands Membership Eligibility to New
Rockridge News Distribution Boundaries
by Casey Farmer, RCPC Chair
S
• Upper Rockridge: Acacia Avenue
(6300-6346); Buena Vista Avenue
(5611-5921); Buena Vista Place; and
part of Contra Costa Road, Contra
Costa Road; Contra Costa Place;
Romany Road (5950-6095); and a
new portion of Golden Gate Avenue
(5000-5560). The new block captains
are Skip Fogarty, Rhita Williams and
Silvia Hughes.
Thank you, new Block Captains for
your valuable contributions.
For a map with organization and
newsletter distribution boundaries,
see https://rockridge.org/boundaries. n

The Wardrobe Project Hosts
Flea Market at Rockridge BART
Photo: Muhammad Alameldin
ince 1986, the Rockridge News has
been distributed throughout the
neighborhood by more than 150 com-
munity volunteers. All persons, age 18
or older, whose primary residence is
within RCPC boundaries, are eligible
to vote in RCPC elections and to run
for a seat on the board.
RCPC protocols allow for expansion
of boundaries, with board approval, in
contiguous areas of the neighborhood
where residents request inclusion
and where volunteers are available to
deliver the Rockridge News.
The board has voted to increase dis-
tribution and expand its boundaries
to include the following areas:
• Telegraph/North Street: The
homes on the even-numbered side of
Telegraph between 58th Street and
the Berkeley border, and the North
Street cul-de-sac were not previously
included in our boundaries. They
have now been incorporated. Anna
Formicola is the new block captain.
• Broadway Area: The Clifton
Apartments (225 Clifton Street); CCA
(5212 Broadway); The Ridge shop-
ping area (5100 Broadway); and four
additional addresses on Broadway
Terrace at Carlton Street. Karl Larsen
has taken over as block captain from
Lynn Delaney.
After
selling
vintage cloth-
ing at various
flea markets
around
town, busines-
sowners Talia
and Jon-Jon
(see photo)
opened The
Wardrobe Project in October, 2022,
at 5461 College Avenue. Both of them
had previously worked in the fashion
industry and wanted to contribute
to the community-driven, circular,
fashion economy.
This past November, they took
over the BART station parking lot to
celebrate the neighborhood with a
curated selection of recycled clothing,
jewelry, and art. The event happens
sporadically, for now, and the next
Vintage and Makers Market will take
place on Saturday, March 15. There is
no fee for admission, and parking in
the BART lot is free.
The store is open daily from 11:30am
to 6pm. Find them on Instagram @
thewardrobeproject. n
Rockridge Community Planning
Council — Bylaws Update:
At the Town Hall on February 10,
residents voted on an amendment
to the bylaws in case of any tie vote
in an RCPC Board election. Due
to the amount of work that goes
into an election for an all-volunteer
board — the board recommended
a coin toss or drawing lots instead
of a runoff election.
A quorum of residents approved
this amendment by a wide margin
(83 percent).
MULTI-FAMILY COMPOUND
in the Heart of Rockridge | 443 62nd St.
Just Listed!
DRE # 01221457
510.843.6400

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page 4
MARCH 2025

Intersections: Land Use, Transportation,
Open Space, and the Art of Public Placemaking
by Tom Lollini, FAIA, RCPC Land Use Committee Chair

The traffic engineers were in charge,
but who would ever ask a plumber
to design their home? Recent efforts
to look more broadly at mobility,
considering transit riders, bicyclists,
and pedestrians, including those
with physical challenges, focused on
cost-efficient interventions like curb
cuts, broad paint stripes to define
crosswalks and bike lanes, or other
graphics and plastic bollards. Par-
klets, installed during the pandemic,
add some depth and interest to the
pedestrian experience. However, these
principal streets give limited attention
to the safety and potential for social
interaction of pedestrians.
These streets are 80-120 feet wide,
yet, after deducting room for curb
cuts, light poles, signal equipment,
mailboxes, trash cans, benches, street
trees, and outdoor displays, the clear
walking path is 3-4 feet on either
side. That is less than 5 percent of
the public right-of-way reserved for
people to walk, making it difficult to
pass by a baby carriage, dog walker,
or window browser. Additionally,
crossing these streets too often means
stepping out from behind parked
cars where aggressive drivers swing
around corners, or walking around
cars that sit in the crosswalk trying to
find a gap in the cross traffic.
In a vibrant neighborhood, conges-
tion is a good thing, as Jane Jacobs,
author of The Death and Life of Great
American Cities preached, but New
York City sidewalks are 10 to 15 feet
wide! William H. Whyte’s 1980 book,
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces,
studied how people interacted along
the city sidewalks, in particular at
corners, or standing between trees
and stairways, and in pocket parks.
He went on to create Project for
Public Spaces, an organization that to
this day works with communities to
improve street life through strategic
interventions. They created a traffic
calming manual in 2008.
To my point, we must look at
how we can use the existing “spaces
between the buildings” to do more
“placemaking” for our growing
As the City of Oakland embarks
upon the General Plan Update,
Phase 2 (GPU2), RCPC has com-
menced its Community Vision Plan
process with a kickoff meeting on
February 10. The GPU2 process will
focus on citywide housing, transpor-
tation, and open space systems that
overlay one another, as law requires.
However, RCPC can look holistically
at the opportunities to integrate these
systems, employing placemaking as a
principal driver.
Placemaking is a collaborative
process that involves planning and
managing public spaces to improve
a community. It aims to create more
vibrant places to improve people’s
health and well-being.
The General Plan’s Housing
Element has created the capacity
to increase the population of our
neighborhood by 15-25 percent. The
potential benefits of higher-density
housing include improved economic
and social diversity, stronger demand
for restaurants, shops, pharmacies,
medical or other professional services,
and, importantly, public spaces that
support a vibrant, engaged, and con-
nected neighborhood.
Fifty years ago, I studied in
Copenhagen under Jan Gehl, a young
professor who had recently penned a
simple but transformative book titled
Life Between the Buildings. His theo-
ries that well-designed public spaces
engage, delight, and strengthen com-
munities as part of their daily lives
shaped my career. More importantly,
they transformed Copenhagen into
one of the most enviably livable cities
in the world, and a model followed on
every continent.
The circulation framework that
defines our neighborhood was shaped
by the Key Route electric streetcar
system. The local Key routes along
Telegraph and Claremont Avenues,
Alcatraz, 51st Street, Broadway,
Broadway Terrace, and College
Avenue were abandoned in the 1940s.
Over time, each street was widened to
accommodate increasing traffic, bus
stops, street-side parking, left turn
lanes, and signalized intersections.
Reasons to Consider
Roundabouts
(Federal Transportation Administration)
Safety & Efficiency Benefits
• 30-50% increased intersection
capacity
• 90-100% reduction in traffic
fatalities
• 76% reduction in injury crashes
• 30-40% reduction in pedestrian
crashes
• Reduction in severity of crashes
• 75% fewer points of conflict than
four-way intersections
Environmental Benefits
• Lower CO2 emissions
• Reduced fuel consumption
• Reduced noise pollution
Financial Benefits
• Lower installation costs
• Lower operating costs
• Longer life cycle (25 years vs.
10 years)
Land Use Committee
Meeting
RCPC
Aesthetic Benefits –
Fewer turn lanes allow for:
• Wider sidewalks
• More street trees
• Landscaped medians
• Fewer signals, less signage
• Iconic community identity
In Lieu of the March Land Use
Committee Meeting, RCPC invites
everyone to participate in the
Community Vision Plan
March 20, 7pm
at Claremont Middle School
(see front page article for details)
Intersections, see next page

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page 5
MARCH 2025

roundabouts with significantly
shorter crossing distances, safe spaces
in landscaped medians that could
replace left turn lanes, and places for
pedestrians to gather and comfortably
engage as they encounter one another.
Intersections, from previous page
community, which has the city’s
lowest open space ratio per capita.
In addition to my suggestions about
the BART Station Area in last
month’s Rockridge News, I have two
suggestions for the community’s con-
sideration.
Creating Bulb-Outs at Key
Intersections:
Rethinking Our Gateways:
Rockridge has several of the most
congested intersections in the city.
Our southern gateway from Broadway
at 51st to College Avenue and Broad-
way Terrace has four unsynchronized
signaled intersections, eight points
of vehicle entry, eight bus stops with
thousands of passenger trips per year,
and thousands of pedestrian trips
during the school year. There are also
eight susceptible development sites
nearby with potential for more than a
thousand new homes that will add to
the current congestion.
Primary crossing
points of our busy
arterials and the
many complex inter-
sections along College
Avenue would benefit
from “bulb-outs,” as
they provide:
• Shorter crossing
distances, lowering
pedestrian risk for the
young, elderly and
disabled.
• Safety for pedestri-
ans waiting to cross
as they look down the
street so they can see
and be seen by pass-
ing vehicles, and are
not hidden by parked
vehicles.
• Wider emergency
vehicle turning radiuses and curbside
parking, typically not allowed within
15 feet of a corner or intersection.
• Increased space at corners where
most pedestrian interactions take
place, also making room for street
furniture, art, or plantings.
Let’s make our streets safer and
greener, and create space for the social
interactions of a dynamic, diverse and
connected neighborhood. n
The Claremont-College intersection
includes entry and exit points for
62nd and Florio Streets. Presently,
pedestrians must navigate, at their
own risk, more than sixteen direc-
tions from which vehicles could
approach. And there is limited side-
walk space to gather and wait for the
eight-way signals.
We should imagine these gateways
as a series of iconic, coordinated

A R C H I T E C T U R E
amatoarchitecture.com

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MARCH 2025

Special March Holiday
Menus at Market Hall
by Roberta Klugman
C
Good News in the Hood
It’s Never Too Late to Be
Called to the Bar
by Robin McDonnell
elebrate the upcoming spring hol-
idays with foods from Rockridge
Market Hall. St. Patrick’s Day Menu
is available Sunday, March 16, and
Monday, March 17, featuring Corned
Beef, Potatoes, Carrots & Cabbage,
Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Soda Bread, Kale
Salad with Apples & Cheddar, and
Irish Cream Pudding.
The Persian New Year Menu will be
offered for two weekends, starting on
Nowruz: March 20-23; March. 27-30.
The festive menu includes Kuku Sabzi,
Kufteh, Jujeh Kabab, Polow, Mast-o-
Khiar and Borani-e Bademjan.
Cactus Taqueria will be doing a
Crispy Taco Special: 2 crispy tacos
(choice of veggie or chicken), a side of
chips with Salsa Verde and Guajillo
Salsa, and a fountain soda for $11.95
In April, Passover and Easter
Menus will be available for online
pre-ordering on March 20. Expect
some traditional favorites as well as
some new additions.
Visit rockridgemarkethall.com. n
Photo: Robin McDonnell
Assemblyperson Buffy Weeks
recently administered the Attor-
ney’s Oath to Rockridge resident Paul
McDonnell (see photo above) who
recently passed the California State Bar
exam on his first try. Although he is
not the oldest person to pass the Bar,
as a septuagenarian, he is among the
oldest. McDonnell has been active in
RCPC activities and helps bundle and
distribute the Rockridge News.
After a career in municipal finance,
McDonnell decided to pursue his
long-held interest in law and enrolled
in Northwestern California University
School of Law in 2019. “The school
was online prior to the pandemic, so
it was well positioned to continue its
courses without a hiccup when Covid
hit,” McDonnell noted. When asked
how hard it was to return to school at
an advanced age, he responded that
it was difficult at first but found his
footing after the first year. One of the
most challenging aspects was his slow
typing speed.
Will we see him “hang out a shingle”
soon? Not likely. He is currently doing
volunteer work and will likely continue
that. He also enjoys his free time and
the ability to cycle with a group that
meets every Friday on Lower Broadway
Terrace. In talking about his motiva-
tion, he stated, “The law impacts so
many of our lives; if I can help a few
people navigate past their challenges,
that will be reward enough.” n
Oakland Restaurant Week: Mar. 20-30
Market Hall will offer a pizza
special: 1 slice (choice of a slice of the
day) + ½ pint of Kale Caesar + can of
soda; $10 for cheese or veggie slice;
and $12 for pepperoni or meat combo.

THE

page 7
MARCH 2025

Support Local Public
Schools: Join the 17th
Annual Ride for a Reason
by Cliff Rechtschaffen and Nora Dye
In 2009, four parents biked from Oak-
land Tech High School to the State
Capitol in Sacramento to support
public education. The ride began as a
protest against the deep budget cuts to
Oakland Unified School District and
other state public schools during the
Great Recession.
Parents, friends, students, and
teachers ride to demonstrate their
commitment — raising more than
$1.8 million over the past 16 years for
schools including Emerson Elemen-
tary, Oakland Tech, and Oakland
International High School. These
schools serve many students from eco-
nomically disadvantaged backgrounds
with limited fundraising capabilities
This year’s ride will take place on
Saturday, April 26. Riders can choose
from fully supported rides of distances
of 45, 68, or 109 miles (for the shorter
rides, cyclists take a bus from Oakland
Tech to the starting point).
Beneficiary schools use these funds
for books, sports and science equip-
ment, after-school programs, and
salaries for counselors, librarians, and
reading specialists.
To sign up or volunteer, please
visit https://www.r4rschools.org. For
questions, please email Nora Vargas-
Dye at R4RSchools1@gmail.com. n

Dogs of Rockridge
Charley just moved to the neighborhood
from LA with his family. He’s a loyal cuddly
10-year-old rescue pup. He’s a little shy
and protective of his pack but is handling
all the changes with dignity. He loves to
walk us around the new neighborhood and
explore all of the new tastes and smells.
He’s also loving to zoom around and play
fetch in our new yard.
Louis aka “Lou-Lou,” aka our “potato
baby,” is a 10-year-old mixed breed we
adopted in 2015 from Oakland Animal
Services. He is a sweet natured boy who
loves all manner of treats and daily walks
through his beloved Rockridge. When
we walk, you can almost hear the song
“Staying Alive” as he struts through the
neighborhood smelling all the smells.
Does your furry friend live in Rockridge? If so, send a photo of your four-legged companion
with a short commentary to: editor@rockridge.org.
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THE
page 8
MARCH 2025

Merrill Gardens
Boasts a Roster of
Literary Talents
by Judith Doner Berne
If you cried, “Author, Author” at
Merrill Gardens, a senior living
center in Rockridge, you’d be
applauding at least eight of their
residents. Five of them have a selec-
tion of their books categorized as
“written by residents” in the cozy,
home-like library where they —
three professors, an attorney, and a
diplomat — recently gathered in easy,
back-and-forth conversation.
Although they don’t usually meet as
a writer’s group, “We are all on very
friendly terms,” said Marcelline Kraf-
chick, Professor Emerita of English at
Cal State East Bay, where she taught
mythology, literature, film criticism,
and writing for 35 years. Before that,
she spent three years as Santa Clara
University’s first female professor.
“Three of my books came out of
courses I was teaching,” Krafchick
said. Her fourth and favorite, The
Romance of Elsewhere, subtitled A
Half-Century of Connecting By Sea,
By Air, By Rail, is a memoir of her
travels. “At some point, no matter
what career you have, you can be
Photo by Judy Berne
Bil Banks, Marcelline Krafchick, David Berliner, Ruth Feldman and
Dick Williams are among the senior residence’s “book people.”
hooked into saying something
important about what you are doing.
There is something that reaches out
and grabs you.” After retiring, she
moved first to Emeryville and then to
Merrill Gardens. “I’ve been enjoying
exploring the neighborhood.”
David Berliner, an educational psy-
chologist, co-authored the bestseller
The Manufactured Crisis, subtitled
Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on
America’s Public Schools. Several of
his more than 400 books, articles, and
chapters in the fields of educational
psychology, teacher education, and
educational policy are written with
other experts, including his wife,
Ursula Casanova, who is also a Mer-
rill Gardens resident.
The retired Arizona State University
professor and dean likes having a
writing partner. “I can chat, we can
have coffee and socialize before we feel
guilty, and then actually write some-
thing. I write on my own, but writing
can be lonely, and co-authors take that
loneliness away.” He advises aspiring
authors to, “Write notes when ideas
hit you and look at them when you sit
down to write — and to do that sitting
down you have to have time!”
After spending summers in Rock-
ridge, Berliner’s move from Arizona
was driven by the fact that daughter
Bethann Berliner and her family live
mere blocks away. Another reason, he
said, is, “The restaurants in Oakland
and the Bay area are a heck of a lot
better than in Phoenix — and in
summer it doesn’t reach 110 degrees
every day!”
In retirement, Ruth Tenzer Feld-
man and her late husband, Michael
Feldman, moved from Portland,
Oregon, to Rockridge to be close to
their son Keith Feldman, chair of
the ethnic studies department at UC
Berkeley, and his family.
Eyes on Rockridge, see next page

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page 9
MARCH 2025

stand more about Black culture.”
Richard L. (Dick) Williams, who
recently moved to Rockridge where
daughter Maria Cypher and her
family live, was a Quiz Kid (a radio
and TV series from the ’40 and ’50s)
who became a 30-year career diplo-
mat, opening the first United States
consulate in mainland China since
the 1940s. His memoir, At the Dawn
of the New China, recounts the experi-
ences — diplomatic and family-related
— when he, his Chinese wife, the late
Jane Khuo Williams, and their two
teenagers moved to Canton (Guang-
zhou) China (1979-81), as President
Jimmy Carter re-established diplo-
matic relations after 30 years.
“I kept a diary and other records
from day one,” Williams said. His
book covers “experiencing the com-
bination of establishing a new post in
exotic Communist China, in a prov-
ince that’s the ancestral home of most
American Chinese; my Chinese wife’s
reunion with family she hadn’t seen
in 30 years; my teenage mixed-race
daughter’s school experiences; and
official visits by Vice President Walter
Mondale, and others.”
As part of the conversation, Williams
recalled his adventures on the radio
program Quiz Kids. From ages 10 to
15, he and three others performed at
bond rallies to raise funds for World
War II. He was also on the Jack Benny
and Fred Allen radio shows and,
according to Wikipedia, “is regarded
by many as the best all-around kid the
Quiz Kids ever turned up.”
Eyes on Rockridge, from previous page
As a legislative attorney for the
Department of Education under four
presidents (Carter, Reagan, Bush,
Clinton), Ruth sent bills to Congress
and wrote documents on behalf of
the White House. “That’s where I
practiced writing from different
‘points of view.’” Then, after creating
ten non-fiction books for children and
young adults, “I really wanted to use
my own imagination.”
The result is a trilogy billed as
“speculative and historical fiction
with a time travel twist.” The Ninth
Day, the second in the series, entwines
Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement
with the aftermath of the First Cru-
sade in Paris. As a member of an
online writer’s group, she advises:
“Don’t fall in love with your writing.
Have other writers critique your book.
Be prepared to kill your babies.” She’s
currently working on a novel involv-
ing a community of trees and utility
poles in Rockridge, tentatively titled
The Tangle.
William M. (Bil) Banks didn’t
move far from his Rockridge house
to Merrill Gardens. The author of
Black Intellectuals, subtitled Race
and Responsibility in American Life,
Banks is Professor Emeritus at UC
Berkeley, where he was recruited to
the faculty in 1970 to chair its African
American studies program. Under
his leadership, it gained full status in
the College of Letters and Science. He
also served a two-year stint as Provost
of Undergraduate Affairs.
“I was a kid in the ’60s in the
South,” Banks said. “My father was an
academic. I was always interested in
the ideas behind activism.” A desire to
focus on the Black thinkers who have
helped shape American culture “came
from my experience.”
His book was reviewed and touted
in a range of journals and publica-
tions from The New York Times Book
Review to The London Observer,
but also by a fellow Merrill Gardens
writer. “I read Bil’s book,” Ruth Feld-
man said. “It was not just about the
activists. It was the philosophers and
thinkers that really helped me under-
Each one of these Rockridge
residents deserves an entire story, so
you may be reading more about one
or another in the months to come.
Meanwhile, if you have a Rockridge
story that needs telling, please email
judyberne@att.net. n

PRICING TREND
This chart measures the median sales
price for single family homes in Rockridge
over the past 6 years, and shows a distinct
peak during the Pandemic years of 2021–
2022, where we saw unforeseen demand,
especially for larger houses with home
offices and outdoor space, combined
with historically low interest rates. The
trend drops off as interest rates rose in the
2nd half of of 2022, and prices started to
decline as a result. Predictions are that we
will see a slight increase in prices in 2025.
Contact me if you would like to discuss!
MAXI LILLEY
510.919.8997
maxi@redoakrealty.com
The Rockridge Realtor®
with a Designer’s Eye
DRE #1919653

THE
page 10
MARCH 2025

former CCA Campus and Shops at
the Ridge are part of a former rock
quarry, along with the pond just east
of Shops at the Ridge. That quarry
site is bedrock. It’s extremely difficult
to excavate, so building basements or
underground parking is difficult at
best. Anchoring buildings to prevent
earthquake damage is also complex
and expensive.
2) the southwestern portion of
the Shops at the Ridge site has a
subsurface plume of PERC, a popular
but toxic (and likely carcinogenic)
dry-cleaning chemical. The plume
leaked from a dry cleaner at Rock-
ridge Shopping Center. Although
currently monitored by the Regional
Water Quality Control Board, the site
has yet to be fully cleared.
3) The CCA campus was sold to
a for-profit developer for redevelop-
ment. CCA used sale money to help
finance the expansion of its San Fran-
cisco campus. This adds to the cost of
redeveloping the site.
4) The Shops at the Ridge parcel is
owned by a Chinese-American family
corporation located in San Francisco.
The current buildings operate under a
long-term lease of the parcel that pro-
hibits residential buildings from being
built. The owner has been unwilling to
remove that term of the lease.
The former gas station site is
comprised of two parcels under
separate ownership, complicating
its redevelopment. It too, has a toxic
plume under the site — leakage from
an underground gasoline storage tank
includes not only gasoline (containing
benzene, toluene, and xylenes) but also
the toxic additive MTBE. While much
has been removed by site excavation,
residual amounts remain in the soil
and groundwater, so this site too has
yet to be cleared for residential use.
These complications help explain
why construction at these sites has
been problematic.
Stu Flashman
Ocean View Drive n
Letters to the Editor
Difficult Housing Sites
Dear Editor: RCPC has started
work on a “Rockridge Community
Plan.” A major goal is to build more
housing in Rockridge. Proposed sites
include the former California College
of Art campus, the large vacant lot at
the Rockridge Shopping Center (aka
“Shops at the Ridge”), and the lot
at the corner of College and Clare-
mont (formerly a gas station). RCPC
suggests that “NIMBY” attitudes
have stopped progress: If only more
people clamored for housing, it would
happen. Well, maybe, and maybe not.
Here are some relevant things that
many Rockridge residents may not
know about these sites: 1) both the
20%
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THE

page 11
MARCH 2025

Letters, continued
Community Engagement on CVP

of Rockridge

Dear Editor: It is good to see that
Rockridge is doing a new Community
Vision Plan. It has been 35 years since
development of the Rockridge Area
Plan, which (for budget reasons) was
required to focus on a limited number
of areas for development and improve-
ments. Rockridge has changed a lot in
35 years, so the timing is fortuitous.
In the months ahead, it will be
essential to ensure a broad scope for
this plan. While building new housing
and preserving existing housing are
important, a thriving community is
much more than buildings. A new
vision should be grounded in com-
munity values and how people live.
We have time to carefully consider
topics and hear from the community
before jumping into specific goals and
objectives.
Some of the topics in this broader list
should include improving pedestrian
and bike safety; supporting public and
private transportation and parking;
improving public safety; supporting
local small businesses, services,
restaurants, and wise future growth;
ensuring well-maintained parks and
recreational opportunities and open
space; supporting thriving schools,
preschools, and childcare; improving
adaptation to threats from fires and
earthquakes; updating crumbling
infrastructure, including 100-year-old
sewers and water mains, aging streets,
and power lines; encouraging intergen-
erational support and resources; and
fostering connections among those
who work, visit, and shop here.
Let’s take time to hear from the
breadth of the Rockridge community
with multiple meetings, online sur-
veys, polls, and other tools to gather
input. There is no urgent deadline.
It is important that no single group
pre-determine the outcome before the
community can be fully engaged. I
hope the RCPC Board will engage a
broad cross-section of the community
in this process and encourage a wide
field of topics for this vision plan.
Theresa Nelson
Shafter Avenue n
GRADES 8-12 OrindaAcademy.org

Photo: Bruce Goldberg
Khana Peena:
Malai Kofta
5401 College Avenue
favorite. Malai Kofta is a dish of
vegetable balls dipped in chickpea
batter and then fried and cooked in
a wonderful creamy, tomato-based
curry sauce. It’s hard to describe
how delicious this dish is — the
balls literally melt in your mouth
and the sauce is so tasty it takes
willpower not to drink it straight
from the bowl.
I love ordering this with naan
(onion is my favorite) so I can soak
up every bit of the wonderful sauce.
And while date night is a bit of an
opportunity to splurge, I appreciate
that I can order Malai Kofta as a
dinner, which includes rice, grilled
vegetables, and choice of naan for
$22. I hope you’ll try it. n
My husband and I began the
tradition of enjoying Thurs-
day evenings as “date night” when
our children got old enough to
spend an evening at home alone.
One of our favorite destinations is
Khana Peena. We love the warm
welcome from the owner, Chaten,
and his wife, Anjali, the smell of
wonderful Indian spices in the air,
the opportunity for a drink from the
bar, and the cozy interior on a cold
night or the outside heated patio.
As a vegetarian, I love that there
are a lot of options to choose
from, but Malai Kofta is my recent
— by Jana Good
7:1 Faculty-Student Ratio | Max Class Size of 13
DARE to be DIFFERENT
DARE to be DIFFERENT

THE
page 12
MARCH 2025

Music Trio at the
Rockridge Library,
On April 5
You’ve seen them over the years
in front of Safeway, busking for
the Alameda County Food Bank. Now
the Rockridge Trio is taking it inside
— offering up a selection of music by
great composers like Johann Sebas-
tian Bach, Josef Haydn (and a few
surprises) at the Rockridge Library on
Saturday, April 5, at 2pm. Mark your
calendars for a trip back in time —
performed by flutist Danny Beagle, a
50-year Kales Avenue resident, flutist
Steve Shapiro, longtime leader of the
San Francisco Community Music
Center, and cellist Hans Kolbe. n

Photo by Lisa Ruben

This past fall, Danny Beagle and Steve Shapiro went busking to get out the vote.

Support Oakland
Tech’s Online Auction
by Leslie Ayers
Oakland Tech's annual auction
fundraiser runs now through
March 12, online. You can join the
fun and bid on hundreds of items
donated by generous Tech families
and businesses in Rockridge and
throughout the greater Oakland.
Winning bidders will get an email
with a Rockridge pickup location and
time window to retrieve your item/s.
Visit the online auction website at
https://bit.ly/techauction25. n
Greater Rockridge Neighborhood
Crime Prevention Council
The Greater Rockridge NCPC
meets on the 2nd Thursday of even-
numbered months.
The next meeting will be held on:
April 10, at 7pm
at the Rockridge Library Conference Room,
and on Zoom.
For details and Zoom link, visit
www.rockridgencpc.com
Sign up
for RCPC
Notifications.

THE

page 13
MARCH 2025

Easy Home Fixes for
Aging in Place or
Thriving After Surgery
by Susie Wyshak
Tyour lighting. Along with Improved
safety, bright lights can enhance your
mood. FEIT makes bulbs you can set
to different light warmth with a simple
switch on the bulb. Plug-in motion
lights are cheap and prevent stumbles
in the dark. Solar path lights are a
cinch to install.
Check your house number visibility.
Is your house findable at night and
in the rain by emergency responders?
Follow the lead of many Rockridge
remodels and choose larger, contrast-
ing numbers rather than subtle ones.
Anchor rugs down. Area rugs can
lead to deadly falls — secure area rugs
to the floor with nonslip mats or dou-
ble-sided tape. Tape can also keep the
edges from curling up.
Swap knobs for lever handles. There’s
a reason the Americans With Disabil-
ities Act (ADA) requires lever handles.
They’re awesome! Opening doors by
leaning on a lever is much easier than
having to grab and turn a knob.
consider widening doorways and level-
ing floors. Deal with steps early. How
many steps stand between you and the
sidewalk? If steps need repair, a con-
crete ramp might be a good substitute.
Let Services Fill the Gaps
Remember, helpful people and
innovative services surround us. For
example, Temescal Wash and Dry’s
“Wash and Fold” service helps people
who can’t handle laundry. They will
pick up laundry (via DoorDash), take
care of the wash, and deliver it back to
your home.
If you need medical equipment in a
hurry, look into ReCares. This orga-
nization accepts donations and passes
free equipment to new owners (https://
www.recares.org).
Susie Wyshak is a Compass
REALTOR® and Senior Real Estate
Specialist (DRE 02144226). n
he edge of a curb. A raised
sidewalk. A barbell at the gym.
A steep hike. What do these all have
in common? Whether you’re aging
or healing from a broken bone, these
challenges too often become obstacles
to living independently. The Wall
Street Journal reports that by 2030, the
U.S. population of 80 years and older
is expected to increase by more than
4 million to 18.8 million. Many Rock-
ridge homeowners wonder how they
can age in place.
Tackling Upper Rockridge-style
stair climbs is beyond the scope of this
article; however, for many, whether
you own or rent, small changes can
produce significant results.
Easy Wins to Future-Proof
Less Easy but Essential
Aging in place can be made easier
with some simple solutions. Swap a
shower head for a handheld or combo.
If you ever experienced trouble getting
into a tub or shower, being able to
wash with a detachable hose is a must.
Swapping out a shower head is remark-
ably easy, and many kits come with
white plumber tape to seal the threads.
Consider towel rod grab bars. You
can find stylish designs that give
peace of mind if you need it. Amp up
Tighten up railings. Are any railings
loose and at risk of falling with the
weight of a fall? When installing a new
railing, be sure it can support a chair
lift if the time comes.
Kitchen remodels, such as adding
drawers instead of lower cabinets
and more open shelves, are trendy
and accessible. Widen doorways. If
you needed a walker, knee scooter,
or low-profile wheelchair, could they
squeeze through? When remodeling,
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THE
page 14
MARCH 2025

Rockridge Library
Spring ’25: Meet the
Author Series
M
T

Grow your Gardening Skills at the Library
by Alona Rivord, Friends of the Rockridge Library

his spring, the Rockridge branch
of the Oakland Public Library is
offering a bountiful selection of free
gardening workshops. The Grow
with OPL program is a creative
way to expand the library’s mission
to “empower all people to explore,
connect, and grow,” explains Library
Assistant Ryan Lindsay.
Photo: Dutch Key
eet the Author Series begins with
Homeroom founder, Erin Wade,
discussing her book, The Mac &
Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better
Business by Thinking Outside the Box.
6:30pm
Hands-On Workshops
The Friends of the Rockridge
Library (FORL) is proud to sponsor
two upcoming hands-on workshops.
Yolanda Burrell of Pollinate Farm led
a mushroom cultivation workshop
sponsored by FORL in October.
Saturday, April 12, from 11am – noon,
Rockridge visitors join Chef Terry
Betts for Cooking with Spring Produce.
Chef Terry of the Kitchen on Fire
cooking school will teach participants
how to prepare and serve farmers
market produce in a variety of ways.
The instructors are all volunteers
with extensive training who can offer
research-based knowledge on home
gardening subjects.
“I anticipate the interest to grow
as we get into spring and folks start
thinking about their gardens,” said
Adult Services Librarian Anita
Bowen, who looks forward to the
session on Pollinators. “What’s not to
love about bees and butterflies”?
Tuesday, May 13, from 6-7pm,
Local herbalist Ma del Carmen
Cortez will lead Understanding and
Using Medicinal Teas. Participants
will prepare and share tea together
and take home their own tea blend.
The following events will be held at the
Rockridge Branch, from 2-3pm.
Master Gardener Series
The library is also welcoming the
UC Master Gardener Association
of Alameda County at a series of
six practical sessions on various
gardening topics. The events run one
Saturday per month through June.
March 15: Waterwise Gardening &
Irrigation Options
April 12: Container Gardening
May 17: Integrated Pest Management
June 14: Pollinators n

THE

page 15
MARCH 2025

Rockridge Library
MARCH 2025
For Children
Storytime: Thursdays and Saturdays; 10:30am.
Chess Club: Wednesdays at 4pm. All ages and
skill-levels welcome.
Read to a Dog: Thursdays at 4pm every week.
Tinker Tuesdays: Join us for various crafts for
children every Tuesday at 3:45pm. All ages wel-
come, children under 8 must bring a grown-up.
Origami for All: Every third Tuesday at 4pm;
2/18. All ages welcome.
For Teens, Ages 12 to 18
Teen Advisory Board: Second Wednesdays,
3/12; 4-5pm. Join the Rockridge Branch Library
Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and take an
active role in creating, planning, and imple-
menting programs and services you want to see
at your local library.
For Adults
Author Talk: Tuesday March 11, 6:30-7:30pm.
Laura McNeal will introduce her novel Swan’s
Nest, inspired by the true story of Elizabeth
Barrett, the most famous “poetess” of the
English-speaking world.
Rockridge Gardening Series: Water-Wise
Gardening: Saturday Mar. 15, 2-3pm. The U.C.
Master Gardener Program of Alameda County
will teach about the beauty and benefits of
plants specifically tailored to our climate (see
article on left).
Ask Your Area Home Experts: Every 2nd
Friday, noon-2pm. Get answers, tips, and
connections from a Senior Loan Advisor and a
Realtor, both Rockridge locals. Have questions
answered about home ownership, maintenance,
finance, investing, ADUs, downsizing, moving,
and more.
Rockridge Book Club: Every 2nd Saturday,
3:30-4:30pm. Please call 510-597-5017 for more
info and to get a copy of the book. March’s book
is How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by
Angie Cruz.
Needlework Circle: Every Thursday, 2-4pm.
Bring your yarn and fiber arts projects to Rock-
ridge Library. Build community, share your
passion, learn, have fun!
Artist’s Open Studio: Every 3rd Tuesday,
2-4:30pm. Work on your own art pieces at
Rockridge Library. Oil paints and other media
with strong odors not allowed.
1-on-1 Technology Help: Every Saturday,
10am-12pm. Come with your devices and tech-
nology questions and our volunteer tech guru
will help you get sorted. First come first served.
Digitize Your Family History: Saturday March
29, 1-3pm. Ron Chan will demonstrate digital
techniques as well as story telling ideas for
preserving your family history.
Library Hours:
Mon, Thurs, Sat 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to 8pm
Friday, noon to 5:30pm.
Holiday Closures:
Cesar Chavez Day – March 31
Please see the online calendar at
www.oaklandlibrary.org/events for events
throughout the city.

RN
Classifieds
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Many years’ experience in North Oakland and
Piedmont. Large or small jobs. Free estimates.
Rockridge references. Please call or text Flor
at 510-485-4735.
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. Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave.,
P.O. Box 22504, Oakland, 94609-20131.
Sliding-Scale Therapy:
The Psychotherapy Institute
Relationally-based therapy for individual adults
and couples, long or short term, in-person or
via telehealth. 510-548-2250 or https://tpi-
berkeley.org.
For more information, email Susan at
smontauk@gmail.com.
Deadline for the April 2025 issue is:
March 20, 2025 (available April 5).
Handyman Service —
House Repairs & Remodeling
Dry rot, kitchen and bath tile refurbishing
or installation, window installation, plumbing,
fencing, deck & handrail repair, electrical wir-
ing-fixtures, outlets. And much more. Call Juan
341/221-9200 or email 5826.jbv@gmail.com.
Garden Maintenance, Cleanups
& Design
Experienced team of two dedicated to the art
of gardening. We specialize in garden mainte-
nance, cleanups and custom garden designs. To
contact us, please email yourgreengardeners@
gmail.com. Check us out at www.yourgreen-
gardeners.com.
Penelope’s Aesthetics and Sheet
Masks!
Condition, hydrate and enrich with hyaluronic
acid and collagen infused sheet mask. Achieve
a supple, even-toned soft glowing face! Salon
treatment or home use for extended results.
510/594-1552.
Lunata Eyelid and Cosmetic Surgery
Dr. Kasra Eliasieh, MD, An inclusive and
age-positive medical practice. Light touch
procedures that optimize your eyes and facial
anatomy. Call 510/899-7466 to schedule a con-
sultation. Visit www.lunataeyes.com for
more info.
Modern Dog Training
Need help with leash manners, basic obedi-
ence, or problem behaviors? Private, in-home
training can help! Visit dogsquaddogtraining.
com, or call 510/646-9657 for information.
Electrical Remodels and Repairs
Planning a home remodel? I can help with your
electrical needs. I’ve been doing electrical work
in Oakland and Berkeley for over 35 years.
Sutorik & Company; www.sutorikandco.com;
Lic #397149; 510/655-3677.
Melissa Parker, Notary
Public Services, Wills and living Trusts, Refi-
nance Purchases, Reverse mortgages. 415/527-
7647; melissabparker@yahoo.com.
HARDWOOD FLOORS
Install, sand/refinish, repair, re-coat existing.
Large jobs or small. Twenty-plus years in Pied-
mont Ave/Rockridge. Bruce Williams Wood-
floors. Please call or text Bruce at 510/652-
8121. CA Lic # 913727; www.blwfloors.com.
JEWELRY REPAIRS
Formerly of High Strung and Blue Door Beads!
Marilee is now doing repairs as an independent
contractor. Please email her at mjwrepairs@
proton.me for all your jewelry repair needs! n
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:
• Estate planning

• Probate / trust administration

• Dispute resolution
• Special needs trusts
Please contact me during regular business hours to
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est. 1967

THE
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