The Voice of East Bay Living

Carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns is a popular Halloween tradition that originated hundreds of years ago in Ireland. Back then however jack-o'-lanterns were made out of turnips or potatoes. It wasn't until Irish immigrants arrived in America and discovered the pumpkin that a new Halloween ritual was born. Contact Glass Sabine ssabine@grubbco.com

The Rosa Parks Elementary School, named after Rosa Parks the mother of the civil rights movement, is located in the heart of Berkeley. The principal, Paco Furland, was our guest speaker at this week's Berkeley rotary meeting.  Berkeley was one of the first school districts in the 70's to desegregate and a lot of effort has been made to equalize the demographics of their schools. Principal Furland believes that the public schools are grooming the future citizens of America. Every morning all 450 students and teachers from diverse backgrounds gather together and read a pledge which has to do with the importance of this planet and maintaining its freedom.   "To this day I believe we are here on the planet to live grow up and do what we can do to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom." -Rosa Parks 

Just a short skip and a jump over the ocean is Hawaii. I recent recently visited the vibrant city of Honolulu located on the island of Owahu. 20% of the population is Caucasian and the majority of the population are native Hawaiians as well as Asians from all over the world. It is a melting pot of cultures.  There are over 100  beaches that surround Honolulu, more than almost any other city in the world.The combination of natural beauty and diverse cultures make it a really terrific city.  The soft Island winds and the gentle tropical climate will give you the relaxation you have been craving. T he word Mahalo is used frequently by  the Hawaiians which means thank you  and I respect you.

Each year the Berkeley Rotary club donates dictionaries to every third grade greater in the entire public school system of Berkeley. Members of the club volunteer time to organize the dictionaries and hand-deliver them to each school with a special ceremony. Contact Glass Sabine ssabine@grubbco.com

This is just a jewel boutique in the  heart of Rockridge across the street from the Rockridge Library.   It is an eclectic mix of antiques, small furniture items and decorative pieces. The owner, Ron Morgan, is a famous floral designer whose keen eye for design and style has made him quite famous.  He teaches floral design workshops at his store which are well worth attending.  www.lootantiques.com Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

This private and charming neighborhood has several private parks and regular gatherings. Many of the owners have lived in the neighborhood for many years and appreciate the peaceful and beautiful environment.

Are you ready for the new facial recognition App? The company, Hoyos labs (Hoyoslabs.com) has come out with a free app for smart phones. After downloading the app, take a picture of your face and it allows the user to sign in to what will eventually be all password protected websites without a password. Just facial recognition technology. It will eventually be used for all ATM machines and all transactions where a credit card is needed. Technology is making day to day transactions safer!

The flower and the B  at Market Hall across from BART. The stand showcases great fresh flowers in Market Hall and represents a lovely message. The "B" in the flower and the B stands for: B happy B loving B caring B giving B surprised Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

High atop the hills of Tilden Park sits a serene sanctuary known as the Rotary Peace Grove. This section of the park was donated to Berkeley Rotary in 1955 when they began planting redwood trees. Each year, a different tree is dedicated to a leader in world peace and bronze plaques are displayed with the honorees' names at the base of each tree. The members of the Rotary club prune and  clean up regularly to help preserve the magic and the beauty. The hike to the grove makes a wonderful outing for the entire family. Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

What's happening with our San Francisco neighbors? The San Francisco market continues with very strong levels of sales for properties over $2 million. The rate of increase is staying much stronger than expected, with a 27.8% yearly increase in median single family home prices during the second quarter of 2014. Nationwide, ultra-luxury prices continue to soar. In the top ten category, the most expensive listing was a mansion in Bel Air Canyon which sold for $125 million dollars .... and at #10 was the Crespi Estate in Dallas which sold for $88 million dollars. On the international luxury market, a recent sale of a London townhouse for $200 million dollars got some attention and movie star Catherine Deneuve's French chateau which sold for nearly $6 million was a popular item. Locally or Globally, the real estate market is marching on an upward trend and this makes all of us happy. Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com