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Many Merchants Have Been on College for Decades

Many merchants will also feature special sale prices for this event.

Many merchants participated by putting their wares on the sidewalk or by giving away products.

Long Time on the Avenue for Many Merchants More Years of Merchants’ Service: Part 3 Following is the third in our series of businesses in business on College Avenue at least 25 years. There are more to come. If your business has been on the Avenue (or adjacent to it) that long, ema...

By Carl Schmitz

Long Time on the Avenue for Many Merchants Years of Service by Merchants: Part 2 Following is the second in our series of businesses that have been in business on College Avenue at least 25 years. There are more still to come. If your business has been on the Avenue (or adjacent to...

There are many more non-permitted than permitted cars with permits. This is typical. While some of these cars move within two hours, I assure you that many, if not most, do not move during the day. Many are even parked for several days. When the 2-hour parking sys...

Mayer, the PTA and the many people who made the expansion of Chabot Elementary School happen so efficiently. To the Caldecott Tunnel Watchdogs. To all those marvelous FROG Park volunteers, particularly Theresa Nelson, who has been involved with the FROG Park project from its i...

By Carl Schmitz

...s especially meaning- ful this year as we celebrate our 35th year serving the Rockridge community,” Ver Brugge owner Michael Balliet says. In addi- tion to its selection of high-quality meats ➧➧Art on the Avenue, page 8 Years of Service by Many Merchants by Kevin Faughnan, RCPC boardmember Recent discussion about businesses on College Avenue highlighted an important aspect of its merchants: their longevity. Many in business today located here long before the avenue became as popular as it ...

Many Neighbors today are angry because they are not able to park in front of or, in many cases, not even near their own homes. Merchants are concerned because their employees and customers have to walk several blocks across risky intersections to get to ...

There are many ways to engage children (and adults) with libraries. Pictured at left is part of a children’s petting zoo recently hosted by Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL). For adults, FORL had prize drawings for gift cards and a gift basket donated by Col...

By Stuart Flashman

...rary; FORL) and maintaining FROG Park (the FROG Park Committee – a part of RCPC), and RCPC has also taken on individual neighborhood improvement projects such as the Rockridge BART Plaza, putting on the Halloween Parade with College Avenue merchants, and assisting Scenic Streets with relandscaping Rockridge freeway ramps. So you can see RCPC works in many different ways to keep Rockridge a place we can be proud to call home, and to make it an even better place to live. But, this doesn’t ha...

Tunnel Mitigation Money to Fund Many Rockridge Projects: Please Comment! Rockridge residents are invited to a public meeting to discuss a proposed list of trans- portation projects along Highway 24 west of Caltrans’ Caldecott Tunnel Project. The city of Oakland received an $8 million s...

By Theresa Nelson

The late 1990s and early part of this decade saw an explosion of new stores and businesses in Rockridge. This is the second in a series of three articles about the extraordinary diversity of merchants in the Rockridge neighborhood. All of the stores listed in this article have opened on College Avenue since 1989, and many are celebrat- ing their five-year anniversaries. Next month, the final article in this series will showcase the most long...

By Jennifer Edmister

...er Edmister, RCPC boardmember The rain on Friday morning, February 22, couldn’t dampen the enthu- siasm of the more than 100 eighth graders from Clare- mont Middle School who poured onto College Avenue in small groups, ready to visit local merchants who had opened their businesses to the students. Escorted by parents and community volunteers, including two good-spirited Oakland police officers, most of the kids were happy enough to be excused from their morn- ing classes. Many, however, to...

By Jennifer Edmister

options, approached the Col- lege Avenue merchants with candor and courtesy that was returned in kind. Touching lightly on the concepts of overhead, inventory, and of course, profit, many small business owners explained that their shops were their livelihood, not just their hobbies. Alison, co-...

For many years, PANIL fought the expansion of Kaiser Hospital into their residential areas. As Kaiser grew, it ex- panded from Broadway to Howe Street and Piedmont Avenue. Kaiser’s move to Emeryville willleave several large build- ings empty, and take away a...

As many of you know, the RASP was proposed in 1987 in response to pressures for growth and change in Rockridge. During 1988, RCPC sponsored a series ofCommunity Forums and opinion surveys to identify the concerns and desires of residents and merchants. Sinc...

Many residents and merchants have contributed much-needed financial sup- port for pamphlets, mailing costs, and for the ubiquitous Measure L signs. If you'd like a yard or window sign or would like to be part of this effort in any of the ways mentioned a...

For many years, I have been actively involved in the local schools and com- munity, and have worked towards re- taining the qualities of Rockridge that have made it a good place to live. Some of the areas of my concern are: com- mercial development which ser...

Many of our concerns are with short-term issues, such as alerting au- thorities to parking space abuse, or speed- ing through residential areas — in gen- eral, assisting merchants and residents with their day—to—day problems. If we can’t provide an answe...

Many thanks to the more than fifty College Avenue area merchants who provided contributions and help with the auction.

After more than eight months and nearly as many levels of public review, RCPC’s request for $8,500 for Community Devel- opment Block Grant funds has reached the last step in the ap- proval process. Staff will bring the request and the proposed contract before the City Council at its regular meeti...

Especially during the past five years, many residents and merchants have questioned the adequacy of the R-35 and C-31 controls for Rockridge. They are finding current zoning laws inadequate to address pressing problems such as traffic congestion, parking shortage, noise and litter. Current co...

...dicated for buses. The channels would cut off most intersecting side streets, causing cars to search for unobstructed crossings. Oakland’s plans also call for adding bicycle lanes along Telegraph, eliminating many on-street parking spaces. Many merchants in the three cities believe the loss of parking The Rockridge News, founded in 1986 by Don Kinkead, is published monthly in Oakland and is sponsored by

...et Hall Foods Pavé Fine Jewelry Rockridge Furniture & Design Serrahna SOBU Strahan Insurance Services, Inc. The Golden Squirrel Tootsies Rockridge hether looking to deck your halls or jingle your bells, Rockridge is the place to be with so many merchants gearing up for a festive, something-for-everyone 2017 holiday season. Fifteen Rockridge brick & mortar businesses are participating in Plaid Friday Weekend November 24 – 26 in association with Oakland Grown, Townsquared, East Bay Express a...

By Judith Doner Berne

...s walking both sides of College a couple of times a day, assessing and somewhat reveling in what is right and detecting and doing his best to fix what is wrong. “I do a visual inspection of the street,” Jackson says. “I try to meet with as many merchants as I can. I remove graffiti, pick up litter, look for anything amiss. “I’m charged with looking physically at what’s going on. I do whatever needs to be done, That includes interfacing with the UPS and Fed Ex guys.” On this day, it means t...

By Joan Martin

Shop Locally!” As an added bonus, on this night only, many merchants will be offering special discounts. Also, mark your calendar: RDA’s big “Out and About” street festival is set for Sunday, September 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. See you on the Avenue! Chabot and Peralta Elementary schools are among four Oakland ...

borhood and business community for help. In the past, many merchants felt that they were not included

laws to minimize merchant involvement and maximize these corporate, so-called community at large and other non-merchants seats, and did so, clearly with the purpose of proceeding with their single-purpose agenda of forming a CBD. Please be certain: The College Avenue Property Owners do not want a CBD, and resoundingly voted it down. How many times must a large nu...

to open. It’s a good thing, because, as Oakland is experiencing extreme budget dif- ficulties, College Avenue is still a leading source of revenue, as it has been for the past many decades. It is the little engine that could. All of which begs the question, why has the Rockridge District Association (RDA) chosen this time to pursue a path that would take control of the College Avenue business district out of the hands of local...

inception in 2021, and has introduced other talented musicians to the event. Rock-N-Stroll is pet-friendly and many of the merchants will welcome their furry guests with water bowls, treats, and pup menus. A pet adoption will be available for those looking to add to their families. There will be no street closures for Rock-N-Stroll — every available space on the ...

Rockridge Rock- N-Stroll Presents “Art Bizarre” The Re-Up Refill Shop, whose mis- sion is to reduce waste, will host Angela Phan with her vintage cloth- ing line. Over the years, Rockridge merchants have supported many local artists. Many hair salons, for instance, display art made by their clients. Vero for Hair (6052 College Ave) hosts artwork on their walls and profiles each artist on their website. Vanessa Farmer of elizabeth H (5431 C...

By Tony Bolton

local merchants; stroll, sample food, drink and street music. Consider spending some time in one of our wonderful restaurants; many will have in-house music as well as specials for your enjoyment. Be on the lookout for the many special offers during your after...

than 50 people. We continued to meet on a monthly basis for several years; committee regulars included many residents and merchants from the neighborhood, including Theresa Nelson, instrumental in founding Frog Park; Sarah Wilson and Peter Wilson, of Market Hall; Jan Christensen Heller of Christensen Heller Gallery; Glen Jarvis, local architect and RCPC b...

By Joan Martin

...nd shops make it a great commercial and retail area nestled in a beautiful residential neighborhood; warm evenings make it easy to get out of the house to stroll and shop on College Avenue. On Friday evening, May 14, 5 to 9 p.m., Rockridge merchants will host the first ever “Rockridge JAZZ and WINE Stroll” on Col- lege Avenue, sponsored by the Rockridge District Association (RDA). Come on your own, bring your pet, bring your family, or bring your friends. Shop, stroll, dine, and visit as y...

Town Hall and Annual Elections: Thursday, April 21, 7 to 9 p.m. at CAPC* What do you want College Avenue to look like in 10 years? Rockridge today is one of the most successful of Oakland’s many business districts, the result of a vision, planning and hard work by the community over many years. That work brought the Avenue from its days of shuttered retail buildings and vacant lots left in the wake of BART and Highway 24 construction to tod...

Wine’s website, revealing how a love of wines can span many backgrounds. Whether it’s wines from California or Catalonia you are after, Paul Marcus carries it or will work hard to get it, but they do like to try everything themselves first before they buy it. The store also hosts special evenings at local re...

By College Prep

education and diversity training, among many other things. The community is invited to both the online auction and the live event. (See box for auction address.) The online auction, which features more than 300 items available only online, runs from February 18 to February 25. Among the many i...

website in February for the link to our on-line auction and bid on the many fabulous offerings from our local merchants. Chabot relies on the generosity of its school and local communities to make the auction a success. There are many ways to contribute: time and effort; actual donations; and, of course, enthusiastic biddin...

By Valerie Thompson

the opportunity for great shopping and dining experiences. Come support your local merchants as you stroll from 5 to 8 p.m. with a little wine, samplings of food and entertaining street music. Spend some time in one of our wonderful restaurants; many will have in-house music as well as offering specials to patrons. And now for the who,...

...us precedent. At this point, it appears RCPC’s position has been vindicated, and new retail tenants are rumored to be planned for both tenancies. Elsewhere on College Avenue, the reces- sion has led to closure of a number of College Avenue merchants, but new merchants are coming in to fill many of these vacancies. In short, College Avenue appears to be weathering the economy without the major ■ ■Long-term Development Policy in Rockridge Finally, with the recession perhaps turn- ing the cor...

College Avenue Tug-of-War NCPC Election Results: by Annette R. Floystrup, RCPC board member Chris Jackson, Chairman 4 Many College Avenue merchants were surprised to learn that the board of directors of the Rockridge District Asso- ciation (RDA) reactivated the attempt to dissolve the existing Business Improve- ment District (BID), an entity controlled by merchants, and...

...sultant, Marco Li Mandri, and his firm, New City America. Of the remaining year. An additional $80,000 is budgeted for maintenance personnel, supplies and equipment. The projected CBD assessment income could mean a doubling of fees to most merchants, because commercial leases have pass-through clauses. This means assessments on land owners will be passed through to their merchant tenants, something that might well be problematic for many in today’s economic climate. Currently, merchants pa...

that I have walked 509 miles this year and many walks were in the Rockridge area. As a follow-up, if someone is looking for a way to get out and walk, they should consider walking next year in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. It takes place in San Francisco and participants walk 60 mi...

By Jennifer Edmister

n a move that may come as a surprise to many small business owners on Col- lege Avenue, the board of directors of the Rockridge District Association (RDA) – the entity that uses annual assessments paid by merchants for joint projects such as marketing and beautification – is seeking to transfe...

markets, park extensions, or bicycle routes, a change on one street will affect others blocks away, and changes on major streets such as Claremont will have an impact for many blocks in all directions. Just as people are concerned about the impact of the proposed fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, so development on the much-closer Claremont Avenue is definitely within the RCPC’s purview and is a concern for the many res...

By Mike Taylor

...reak the record again in Spring. n a picture-perfect Hallowe’en after- noon, several hundred goblins, wizards, princesses, and other costumed holiday trick or treaters paraded along College Avenue on October 31, enjoying goodies from local merchants. The annual event, co-sponsored by RCPC and the Rockridge District Association (RDA), was organized with the help of many by Doug Farrow of Jucy’s. From Hudson Bay Caffe and Chic at the south end of College up to Vero and Agatha Rainford Boutiq...

This year’s parade had adorable and fabulous costumes aplenty, creating many oohs and aahs among merchants and parents alike. Most enjoyable were the wonderful treats generously donated by College Avenue merchants.

By Theresa Nelson

Thank you, thank you, thank you! More than 300 young children enjoyed the fourth annual Rockridge Halloween Parade and treats from our College Av- enue merchants on Sunday, October 29. The children’s costumes were even bet- ter than last year, and many parents Came in costume, too. Most enjoyable were the wonderful treats which were generously donated by over 50 College Avenue merchants.

...venue), and a local artist and pop-up vendor at La Esqui- nita (5400 College Avene), to name a few neighborhood participants. New this year, there will be a Rock- ridge Fair hosted at College Avenue Presbyterian Church that will show- case many of the merchants you don’t

By Jody Colley

...ur list (for specific gift ideas, see front page article). Rockridge is also a food lover’s paradise with an abundance of local restaurants, cafes, and specialty food stores. This holiday season, consider gifting delectable treats from the many restaurants in our area. It’s a fantastic way to support local chefs and savor the flavors of Rockridge. If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts, Rockridge has you covered. Keep an eye out for pop-up events happening in the district duri...

By Lily Martins

up for the Auction? Do you have access to a vacation home or Airbnb that could be donated for a weekend getaway? Many local merchants have already contributed as it’s a great way to promote your business while sup- porting local public schools. Are you a business owner who can donate a special item or service? Visit chabotelementary.org/pta/ auction_gala/ or email ...

Pocket Guides. Found at shops all along College Avenue, the Pocket Guide introduces people to the many shops and offerings in the neighbor- hood. A digital edition can be found at RockridgeDistrict.com. The small business community relies on the support of residents in order to succeed, to hire and develop employees, and to serve Rockridge by providi...

...he people who have less. They pay a little bit more, but they’re all together, and that works, and it should work here. n Sunday, October 30, kids of all ages enjoyed Halloween activities including storytime, a dance party, and treats from many participating merchants along Col- lege Avenue. Each costume contest winner received $100 gift cards to the merchant of their choice. “I’m confident that we can produce a better vision for housing on this site by working together as a community…” St...

By Terry Smith

Monarchs love milkweed. Plant it in your garden and help the butterflies thrive. BART and conveniently located on the AC Transit 51B line, so it is expected that many will reach the site by public transit. However, the site includes a large off-street parking area which will continue to be available to merchants in the ground floor retail spaces. The site, situated on 2.98 acres of land, is comprised of multiple ...

By Jody Colley

...the “Rock” In Rockridge by Jody Colley, Rockridge District Association Ecial offers from over 30 businesses. On August 14, the streets remained open, sidewalk sales, pop-up vendors, and musicians lined College Avenue from Cole Coffee to Germany’s Best automotive. Local bands delivered a wide genre of sounds, including reggae, DJ, rock, classical, soul, and jazz. Some merchants spun records and hosted sidewalk dance parties. In a change from often-congested festival-style stages, the disper...

Spring Cleaning & Greening Frog Park BART Housing, from previous page These solutions are aimed at BART riders, however, and do not address the current use of the parking lot for neighborhood shopping on College Avenue. Many shoppers use the BART lot, especially during evenings and weekends, to visit local merchants and restaurants. Creative alternatives will be needed if the College Avenue business district is to remain vibrant and accessible. In response to questions ...

surveys filled out by hundreds of residents, merchants, and homeowners. Many of them spent long hours to support the integrity of our local zoning. May 1993 Nov 1994 Nov 1989 “I believe Rockridge’s secret ingredient is the extraordinary number of people who care enough about our community to become...

O Many local merchants have already contributed, as it’s a great way to promote your business to the Chabot community. Are you a business owner who can donate a special item or service? Would you like to see your company’s name highlighted as an official s...

whole neighborhoods — 500 homes and 22 business for the highway alone, according to an East Bay Times report — as both projects knifed through the once-prosperous business district. The tone of the neighborhood turned sour and merchants left for better locations, leaving many storefronts empty and boarded up. My vision is a quality school system that serves all children. The schools in Rockridge are great schools, some of the highest-ranked and most in-de­ mand in the city. No...

olunteers have been the heart and soul of The Rockridge News home-delivery service, and it’s really remarkable how so many have volun­ teered for over the years to bring you our local neighborhood news. to volunteer to be the Block Captain for one of these routes? Maybe one of them is on your block? • Route 22C2: 500 block of Forest Street and 500 block of Martin Street...

Claremont Press (1960s) and Oak­ land Telegraph (1950s). These papers were published when the Temescal Merchants Associ­ ation, and, at its height, promoted their businesses. They ran ads for local busi­ nesses, but also included articles about the neighborhood’s past. The collection also contains documents relating to such landmarks as G&G Hardware, the ...

more than 400 items, including jewelry, gift certificates from local merchants and restaurants, . tickets to sporting events, and lots of great activities for the family, Again, everyone is welcome to participate and bid on the many items available. The more bidders, the better. The Gala Event

feature over 400 items, including jewelry, gift certificates from local merchants and restaurants, tickets to sporting events, and lots of great activities for the family. Everyone is welcome to participate and bid on the many great items available: The more bidders, the better.

@E already received generous donations from many Rockridge merchants — including merchandise and sponsorships —as well as Claremont families, staff,

By Leonora Sea

...’s Earth Day creek cleanup (this is my fifth year). My first answer: because it’s fun. Neighbors catch up with one another while raking and weeding; volunteers from outside Rockridge discover a welcoming community and a special park; local merchants loyally participate with donations to keep the crew fed and caffeinated; DMV Neighbors members participate as site captains and wrap-up crew. I also love doing it because I get to write articles like this to share my enthusiasm for the Rockridg...

many local individuals, keeping our park in great condition. The Oakland Parks and Recreation Department looked after the grounds, pruning trees and providing bins for green waste disposal. All the work and effort was rewarded by local merchants, includi...

By Chris Jackson

by necessity. Over the past years many limbs have come crashing down causing damage, fortunately only to vehicles. This is partly due to budget cuts in Oakland’s tree trimming and maintenance department. The department has been restricted to emergency service only on a city-wide basis du...

... believes the real draw is their lifetime free service which covers just about everything except flats and broken or worn-out parts. Spring appears to be here, so get on that bike, with a helmet please, and ride on down and check them out. Merchants from page 4 (see website for name history) and you have the current Market Hall food empire. The kitchen that supports both the Bakery and the Pasta Shop is located upstairs. Wilson is a landlord, tenant, and business owner; she owns the buildi...

...$20 advance/$25 at the door Tickets are available online at www.cla- remontms.schoolauction.net/auction2014, or visit the Claremont table at Out & About on October 12. For ques- tions or to make a donation, contact auction@claremontms.org. Many thanks to our generous Rockridge merchants who have already lent their support by donating merchandise and gift certificates. You can also support our school by participating in Claremont’s Online Auc- tion, October 11 through 20. Visit www. claremo...

By Dori Maynard

...r some minor repairs. The bowl was then stolen. The family was heartbroken. Together with Talisman owner Kingsley Moore, they offered a $1,000 reward. For months there was no word about the bowl. One day in April, a homeless man, friend of many local merchants, found the bowl in the bushes at the church near Talisman Antiques. He turned it over to Kingsley, who gave him the reward. As soon as he received the reward, the finder went straight to another merchant to donate a large portion of ...

...the shop – folks stopping in to say hello, checking to see if the news was true: The ancient burl wood bowl, in the same family for eight generations, had been returned. Word spread quickly through the neighborhood, and as Kingsley worked, many people rooted for him. Locals, merchants, close friends, even those who pass his door daily with just a nod and a smile, poked their heads into the shop to watch the progress and bring moral support. In the end, Kingsley’s efforts to put things righ...

...to reduce crime in our neighborhood and throughout Oakland. Likelihood of Profiling The concerns of racial profiling are unfounded. VMA Security Group is an African-American-owned, Oakland-based firm that has been retained by the Rockridge merchants’ association and many Oakland businesses. Over 95 percent of VMA’s employees are Oakland residents, the great majority of African-American or Latino background, and the company has stated that they do not and will not racially profile. Analyzin...

...espite Budget Challenges Valentine Take a Valentine’s Day Evening stroll along College Avenue with your friends and neighbors. by Jennifer James Alper, Friends of the Rockridge Library board member Oakland’s Public Library system has faced many challenges recently, but our Rockridge branch remains a bustling and vital part of our community. We owe thanks to our outstanding library staff, who have worked hard and managed to do more with less. Branch and FORL News ‘Pancake Tuesday’ Fun at Co...

...nd securely on our web site, www. ScenicStreets.org On behalf of the neighborhood volunteers at Scenic Streets, thank you again for making the gateway to our community a bit brighter and safer. — Peter Lund, founder and volunteer Rockridge Merchants Stepped Up to Support Claremont School On October 27, the Claremont Middle School PTA held its annual fundraising auction at Uptown Body and Fender. That night, 128 members of the community showed up to bid on items offered by over 160 donors, ...

...e Victorian residence containing a corner grocery on the ground floor, and the adjacent lot with another Victorian home and the remnants of the Art Stone business that had manufactured ornamental concrete bird baths, statues and fountains. Many houses in the neighborhood still have these concrete ornaments in their backyards, including my own. The city agreed to purchase the two lots using its Merchants Off-Street Parking Fund, and to donate a portion of the site to build a permanent Rockr...

...demos and interactive dance performances, Kinetic Arts Center (circus arts) and Soja Martial Arts and Drumming Crew. Find comfort and beauty in the Wellness Area sponsored by Pharmaca, or shop local craft artists and retail booths by local merchants including See Jane Run, Crossroads Trading Company, Trader Joe’s, Namaste Yoga, Vero’s, Curves and Tootsie’s. Many candidates running for City Council District 1 and City Attorney will be present to meet folks and hear their concerns. The Livin...

...s blessing to the project. The carpenter is also a friend of Manente’s, and posed for the preliminary sketches. “I was a billboard painter for 20 years, and I have painted murals in San Francisco and Oakland over the years,” Manente said, “many in West Oakland, some for San Francisco merchants, and some on Fisherman’s Wharf.” — Don Kinkead /Don Kinkead Painter Michael Manente and his son John painted “The Carpenter” on the blank back wall of a downtown office building. John Manente recorde...

store and putting them in separate store- fronts at the street level, where they would have to compete directly with other College Avenue merchants. This would result in a smaller Safeway store more conducive to College Avenue. Other comments suggested adding a residential component. Many speakers urged Safeway to reduce its store from the proposed 51,000 square feet to something in the ra...

...e this mix. Check out this month’s recipe below. If you want to make any of these spice- blends yourself, the Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green is a great resource for recipes. In addition to the Pasta Shop, on- line sources for many spice blends include World Spice Merchants, www.worldspice. com, and Penzeys Spices, www.penzeys. com. In New York, the best spice market is Kalustyans, www.kalustyans.com. Rock ridge Cornucopia Cornucopia Barry A. Kaufman Spice Blends Iwas recently...