Volume 8, Issue 1 SHOP NEWS Spring, 2008 Download PDF Master Technician Eric Bjorklund and his Money-saving Tips for Keeping your Volvo on the Road and Out of the Shop With his stocky frame, muscular arms, and broad shoulders, ASECertified Master Technician Eric Bjorklund looks like a husky Viking from the old country. Although he hasn’t yet set foot on Scandinavian soil, he spends his day working on cars assembled in Gothenburg, Sweden’s Volvo capital, and knows enough of his forefathers’ language to recognize that his surname means beech grove. Hired by Bruce 16 years ago, he still enjoys working at the shop where he connects with his coworkers, feels valued for his technical skills, and appreciates the cool climate, one more conducive to car repair than that of his home town of Livermore, where temperatures reach 115 degrees in summer. Bjorklund started working as a mechanic at age 23 and has clocked up more than three decades in the trade. Still, by his own admission, he learns something new every day. “A car will humble you just when you think you know it all,” says the California native who was born in Chico in 1952, but moved to Livermore when his late father, a former physics professor at Chico State University, took a job at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Berkeley. Next time you are at the shop you may catch a partial glimpse of Bjorklund’s arched back under the hood of a Volvo Cross Country as he replaces a timing belt, or you may see him standing tall, under the elevated chassis of a 122, as he directs a petrolblue flame from a welding torch into the car’s underbelly to attach a muffler. Sometimes he’s on the road test driving a Volvo as part of a routine service. This task comprises 90% of his day and usually reveals minor mechanical issues that are easily fixed. Of course it’s the memory of the cars that fall into the remaining 10%, or surprise category, that give the mechanical sleuth a chuckle. He remembers working at a Volkswagen shop in the eighties in Marin when a customer spoke of the baffling “clunk” coming from the depths of his car whenever he turned a corner. He had all but given up solving the riddle that had stymied every other mechanic in town. But Bjorklund took the car for a run and traced the sound to the sealed gas tank. He opened it, pulled out the gas tank, and retrieved an empty, green, wine bottle. “This problem originated on the assembly line in Germany, for reasons “mysterious.” He also recalls the day a distressed couple brought their car in for inspection. While the driver, who was deaf, used facial gestures and sign language to communicate the jerks, bumps, and rattles he was experiencing while driving, his anguished girlfriend attempted to translate. As soon as Bjorklund drove off in the wobbly car, he realized that the entire axle was near breaking point, and the rear wheel was about to come off. The disk brake was the only thing holding it together. When it comes to solving problems, Bjorklund appreciates customer participation. Although he sometimes chortles benevolently when drivers imitate the strange moans and squeals coming from their cars, he finds the information useful. “I’m grateful, it gives me an idea of what’s going on,” says the mustached technician who takes his work seriously and is about to take the test which will extend his coveted ASEMaster Technician certification for another five years. It’s clear Eric likes a mechanical mystery but also wants to keep cars out of the more expensive, 10%, surprise category, which usually means a vehicle is in breakdown mode and costly. Here are his three tips for keeping your repair costs low: Bring your car in for a service after every 5,000 miles. This is well worth the investment because during the service your Volvo receives not only an oil change, lubrication, and fluid top up, but also an indepth inspection by a specialist with intimate knowledge of your particular car. The attention saves you money by nipping problems in the bud. Ensure your Volvo runs as safely and reliably as possible by acting on any preventative maintenance suggested by your technician. Stay Volvo smart by tuning in to your Volvo’s sounds, vibrations, and yes even smells, by responding to instrument panel warning lights displayed on your dash board, and by reporting anything unusual to Bruce. When Eric’s not at the shop making sure your Volvo soars when you get behind the wheel, you’ll find him at the radio control club flying his scaleddown model of a Russian, acrobatic airplane. A former coworker introduced him to this hobby, and six years later Eric bought a kit and assembled the 16pound craft with a sevenfoot wing span. When the wings are off, and stored in protective holders, the plane made of Balsa wood, plywood, and fiber glass, fits snugly in the trunk of his burgundy Volvo wagon. In his personal life Bjorklund is also flying high. Just one year ago he married his highschool sweetheart Karen Jackson who has degrees in SouthAmerican art history. They reconnected in Livermore when they were both caring for their ailing, elderly mothers, ended up remodeling a house jointly, and then decided to settle down. Together they enjoy getting away for peaceful weekends in Jenner or Gualala, and visiting museums. Just recently they took a trip to Los Angeles to visit the King Tutankhamen exhibit. As a caring father, he also makes time for his three grown children, and their Volvos. His 36yearold son Jeff, a biogeneticist who lives in San Carlos, drives an 850 Volvo turbo, his 23yearold daughter Amelia, who works with a peermentoring program for San Francisco’s Y.M.C.A., drives a 940 Volvo, and his 21yearold daughter Heather, who studies forensic accounting at Chico State University, drives a Volvo 240. When his offspring occasionally roll their wheels into the shop for repairs, the mechanic’s name is always “Dad,” the work is always a labor of love, and the cost of the repairs is always as flat as a Swedish pancake. With his stocky frame, muscular arms, and broad shoulders, ASECertified Master Technician Eric Bjorklund looks like a husky Viking from the old country. Although he hasn’t yet set foot on Scandinavian soil, he spends his day working on cars assembled in Gothenburg, Sweden’s Volvo capital, and knows enough of his forefathers’ language to recognize that his surname means beech grove. Hired by Bruce 16 years ago, he still enjoys working at the shop where he connects with his coworkers, feels valued for his technical skills, and appreciates the cool climate, one more conducive to car repair than that of his home town of Livermore, where temperatures reach 115 degrees in summer. Bjorklund started working as a mechanic at age 23 and has clocked up more than three decades in the trade. Still, by his own admission, he learns something new every day. “A car will humble you just when you think you know it all,” says the California native who was born in Chico in 1952, but moved to Livermore when his late father, a former physic’s professor at Chico State University, took a job at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Berkeley. Next time you are at the shop you may catch a partial glimpse of Bjorklund’s arched back under the hood of a Volvo Cross Country as he replaces a timing belt, or you may see him standing tall, under the elevated chassis of a 122, as he directs a petrolblue flame from a welding torch into the car’s underbelly to attach a muffler. Sometimes he’s on the road test driving a Volvo as part of a routine service. This task comprises 90% of his day and usually reveals minor mechanical issues that are easily fixed. Of course it’s the memory of the cars that fall into the remaining 10%, or surprise category, that give the mechanical sleuth a chuckle. He remembers working at a Volkswagen shop in the eighties in Marin when a customer spoke of the baffling “clunk” coming from the depths of his car whenever he turned a corner. He had all but given up solving the riddle that had stymied every other mechanic in town. But Bjorklund took the car for a run and traced the sound to the sealed gas tank. He opened it, pulled out the gas tank, and retrieved an empty, green, wine bottle. “This problem originated on the assembly line in Germany, for reasons “mysterious.” He also recalls the day a distressed couple brought their car in for inspection. While the driver, who was deaf, used facial gestures and sign language to communicate the jerks, bumps, and rattles he was experiencing while driving, his anguished girlfriend attempted to translate. As soon as Bjorklund drove off in the wobbly car, he realized that the entire axle was near breaking point, and the rear wheel was about to come off. The disk brake was the only thing holding it together. When it comes to solving problems, Bjorklund appreciates customer participation. Although he sometimes chortles benevolently when drivers imitate the strange moans and squeals coming from their cars, he finds the information useful. “I’m grateful, it gives me an idea of what’s going on,” says the mustached technician who takes his work seriously and is about to take the test which will extend his coveted ASEMaster Technician certification for another five years. It’s clear Eric likes a mechanical mystery but also wants to keep cars out of the more expensive, 10%, surprise category, which usually means a vehicle is in breakdown mode and costly. Featured Customer: Dorothy Manly A Woman on her Way with Volvo Dorothy Manly is as happy with the direction of her life as she is with the performance of her Volvo, the car that won her heart as a teenager and helped define who she is as a woman. She recalls the impression her brother’s tan, turtleback Volvo made on her with the same affection one might recall a first kiss. “It was my first intimate exposure to a Volvo. It was love at first sight. A great looking car that wasn’t trying to be anything it was not. It was reliable. It was what it was.” At the time, she was living with her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had just received her driver’s license and her first car, a modern, Americanmade Mustang. “My mother gave me the car when I turned 15. It just sat there waiting for me to turn 16.” Although driving this cuttingedge car was fashionable among peers, the Volvo’s handsome, retro, design resonated with her as she searched for autonomy and struggled with the limitations of a conservative upbringing. This encounter with the Volvo also coincided with Manly’s entering southern society in traditional fashion. “By the time I was presented as a debutante the world had begun to change, but that part of the country was still pretty conservative, and in North Carolina every town had its yearly debutante balls. For the girls, it was one summer of solid partying complimented by teas with great aunts, being in the right place at the right time, and posing for photographers.” During this season of formal gowns and china tea cups, the androgynouslooking turtleback represented for Manly the possibility of a detour from stereotypical feminine roles and outdated southern traditions. “For me the Volvo said I could do what I needed to do in my life, and I could honor my upbringing in whatever way I needed to.” By college age, Manly was an accomplished musician who had studied voice, cello, and piano for a decade. She contemplated channeling her focus towards a career in medicine like her father a physician. “I would have loved to have gone to medical school but my father assured me that if anyone found out how smart I was, no one would marry me. I had been accepted at Wellesley College, but he told me that was too far to go geographically. On his instance, she attended Hollins University in Roanoke Virginia and left home with her father’s admonitions about the dire consequences of participating in campus antiwar demonstrations. At Hollins she earned a B.A. in art history and continued her music studies. Instead of taking a Uturn back to North Carolina after graduation, Manly took another cultural detour and moved to Midway, Kentucky, a thoroughbred racehorse breeding town between Frankfort and Lexington. Here she worked as a secretary on a stud farm, where her duties involved handling paperwork confirming prearranged trysts between visiting mares and the stud. “There was only a wall between the stud’s stall and my office and I could hear him snorting, stomping, and pawing the wall throughout the day,” recalled Manly. To pay the rent and to put money aside for a Volvo, she got a second job as a farm laborer on a 1000acre farm. As she worked alongside the farm owner’s son digging fencepost holes, mowing hay, planting tobacco, and building stackedstone fences, they fell in love and married. In search of the perfect farm car, she bought a navy blue station wagon for $5,000, and dumped the Buick she had been driving and detested. “The Volvo was compact, chic in a solid way. It had comfortable leather seats and was extremely reliable—very important for living deep in the country. “It was there to do a job,” said Manly who could have been speaking about herself. That Volvo wagon was also ahead of its time mechanically. Once while driving back to Midway from Lexington in her new car, Manly heard an unfamiliar sound coming from under the hood and pulled into a gas station for help. Here she ended up giving the attendant a lesson in mechanics. When the mechanic proclaimed a carburetor problem before looking under the hood, she announced her car didn’t have one. He scoffed condescending ly and said, “Oh honey, everyone’s got a carburetor.” When he stuck his head under the hood, Manly leaned out the window and could see that he looked shocked. “You’re right, you don’t have a carburetor” he sputtered, gazing wideeyed at his first fuelinjected engine. While the navyblue Volvo earned its keep on the farm, Manly and the farmer’s son tied the knot and then decided to have a family. “The day before I gave birth to my first son, I was running over the dark green, grassy hills herding cattle,” recalls Manly. This new era ushered in a new creamcolored diesel Volvo which outlasted the marriage itself. With it they hauled the wood and bricks used to refurbish a 200yearold log cabin, complete with ash floor and walnut sills. “It had no running water or heat when I first moved in, and my parents thought I was out of my mind when they came to visit. My father observed sourly that he had no idea I was living in such abject poverty.” Switching gears as her marriage went downhill Manly pursued graduate work in Classical Greek and Latin language at the University of Chicago, which was 360 miles away. She commuted one way, spent the week in Chicago, and drove home on weekends. That faithful Volvo clocked up 275,000 miles before it died. After the first marriage ended, Manly met her second husband Donald “Max” Ziff through their mutual love of music. They soon moved to Berkeley and decided to rely on public transportation instead of buying a car. When the time was right in 2001, Manly purchased her third Volvo station wagon. The car she nicknamed “Blackie” led to Ackerman’s when Manly sought out an independent mechanic to service the car. “I was astonished when I took my car in to the shop. Bruce was ever so nice, and I had never had a better service experience. I’ve since learned that Bruce always finds a way to take care of a problem. Once I desperately needed a tow and AAA couldn’t help. I called Bruce in a panic, and he immediately found a towing company for me and let me leave my car with him until it was completely fixed. He went completely above and beyond the call of duty.” In addition to being impressed with Bruce’s customer service and his mechanics’ expertise, she likes Ackerman’s nosurprise policy when it comes to okaying work in advance. “If work needs to be done, Bruce always checks in with me. I have never walked in not knowing what I needed to pay, and on the rare occasion that something needed rechecking he was generous and gracious. There were no questions and no charges.” Nowadays, she appreciates the car’s reliability as she serves as an administrative assistant with the San Francisco Early Music Society where she arranges concerts, handles fundraising, works with the board, answers calls from the public, and supports members. In their free time she and her husband, who works at Google, are solo singers at an Anglican church in Palo Alto and also perform with a variety of choirs throughout the Bay Area. While she sings soprano, he sings bass, and they find harmony personally and vocally. Much as a melody weaves itself into consciousness, Manly wove music and the Volvo into her life. She doesn’t miss a beat when describing it in musical terms. If the car were a piece of music it would be a string quartet with shifting themes and moods revolving around a central theme. If it were an instrument, her Volvo would certainly be a cello, the fundamental sound in a string quartet. And if it were a singer, its voice would have the deep, rich, solid voice of a mezzo soprano. Liz O’Connell-Gates, writing and photography- lizocg@sbcglobal.net Special thanks to Pat Russell.

Volume 7, Issue 1 SHOP NEWS Spring, 2007 Download PDF Meet Shop Helper Ingrid Lobas and her Welsh Terrier Utka Ingrid Lobas’ political convictions are as clear as her steelblue eyes and as plain as the peace sign on her push-bike. Those who know her agree that she is as passionate about the idea of participatory democracy as she is about family, painting and drawing, her dog, Volvos, music, and doing a good job as Ackerman’s new shop helper. As a concerned mother and grandmother with a vested interest in the future she believes people cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to politics. “We are lucky enough to live in a democracy, but it’s not perfect so we must participate or politics will get us,” said the handsome fifty-five-year-old, born to a Lithuanian mother and an Estonian father at a German immigration camp near Hamburg in 1951. Her roll-up-one’s-sleeve attitude towards life and work make her an asset at Ackerman’s where she applies ample elbow grease to mopping floors, storing car parts, and even cleaning and staging the fish tank which she compares to painting a “still life.” One of her very favorite duties at the shop is giving customers a ride to BART or to their homes while their cars are being repaired. During this time, if the customer is in agreement, she keeps up with global events by tuning into Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!” on Berkeley’s KPFA radio station, or by listening to political discussions on Air America Radio. “This leads to interesting conversations,” said Lobas. At work she has not only made a positive difference for colleagues and customers by her “sweet demeanor” as Bruce put it, but by reducing the amount of water used to clean up the mechanics work area, recycling paper towels, and by sprucing up the rest room and lunch room with fresh flowers. She also eliminated paper cups, bowls, and plates in the lunch room and replaced them with cheery, reusable ones. Seated in that light-filled space where three blue, inflated mechanics gloves, annotated with the words “happy birthday,” are pinned to the wall in honor of Bruce’s recent birthday, it’s clear that although Lobas collaborates with mechanics Eric and Adam in cleanup jobs and car-part referencing systems, she sets herself apart by her artistic dress style. Instead of wearing overalls she is dressed trendily in kneelength leather boots, black-leggings layered with a short, black skirt, and a dark jacket trimmed at the collar with a coil of fake leopard fur. Understated embellishments include a simple abalone necklace and two rings on artistic hands which bear faint but stubborn oil stains under the nails. Seven months into the job Lobas confided that she is happily “shocked, and amazed” to find herself working at a car repair shop. For her it’s an unlikely change from her former occupation as a porcelain restorer, a craft she learned from her mother who worked in the business for seventeen years. Since she did that work from home, it has taken stamina and commitment to successfully adjust to the sometimes eight-to-six workweek. In many ways the change has been positive for her. “It’s a varied job and now I’m doing better than squeaking by. Bruce is a wonderful person to work for. I don’t have to scrimp, and I can fill the tank of my Volvo 240 instead of just getting a few dollars worth at a time.” Lobas has been passionate about Volvo’s safety features ever since her children were young. In addition to her current car, she has owned four or five Volvo 220s. In fact, her former car mechanic Russell Trivich, who used to own a Volvo shop and is a mutual friend of Bruce’s, is partly responsible for her landing her new job. As luck would have it, in August 2006, Trivich knew that Bruce needed a helper, and that Lobas, needed a job. Once Lobas and Bruce met and came to an agreement regarding her dog “Utka,” which means duck in Russian, she accepted the job. Nor surprisingly, when it comes to her dog, Lobas’ priorities are as straight in her mind as the blond hair on her head. She explained to Bruce that she could only work as shop helper if her brown, Welsh terrier, who resembles a miniature wooly mammoth, could come to work too. Bruce agreed and the human-canine pair set up shop in the open, back shed which by day houses her car, her two-wheeler bike, a giant golden peace sign, and the Welsh terrier with dread locks. Lobas even has her own music collection out back; an eclectic collection of music which includes Richard Thomas, Gillian Welch, and her all-time favorite: Canadian-born Leonard Cohen whose 1992 song “Democracy” has special meaning for he On her first day on the job, Utka, the “13-year-old dog with the heart of a puppy,” jumped into an old red-flyer wagon she discovered in the shed and claimed it as her own. For extra comfort Lobas lined the wagon with bubble wrap, decked that with a thick grey blanket, and then suspended a portion of it from two metal clasps so that the wall behind the dog was cushioned. A small electric heater turned in her direction on cold days ensures that even a dog’s life at Ackerman’s is good. The work day unfolds with predictable rhythm for dog and dog owner. In the morning Utka settles in the red-flyer wagon, Lobas makes coffee, fills the customers’ cookie jar with biscotti, and turns on the heaters when needed. If her owner forgets to take lunch Utka lets out a few friendly barks at around noon. Then like characters in a fairy tale the two prepare to go to the park. Lobas grabs her packed lunch, puts Utka in the wicker basket attached to her bike and cycles to Aquatic Park where she eats lunch and throws the ball to the creature that is her “little shadow,” at home, and her “invisible shadow,” at Ackerman’s. Utka knows that the last piece of lunch will be hers so when the timing is right she drops the ball and waits for her share to be thrown on the grass. In the same way that music has enriched Lobas’ life by opening up “ a whole new world, of emotion and feeling,” working at Ackerman’s has enriched her life by opening up yet another world of people and points of view she would not otherwise have encountered. by Liz O'Connell-Gates Featured Customer: Roberta Klugman Food and wine communicator Roberta Klugman appreciates machines, systems, and recipes that work well. That’s why she drives a Volvo, chooses Ackerman’s, and often reaches for the Joy of Cooking over one of the other 600 cookbooks stacked on shelves made by her contractor husband Don Link. Both dog lovers, the couple shares their North Oakland home with a rescued, two-and-a-half-year-old border collie whose satin-black coat has a silver-white weave at the chest and a tinge of fox-red around the jaw. After the pet adoption from the Marin Humane Society, they named the dog Fargo for Klugman’s birthplace in North Dakota. She believes strongly that dogs make us better people. “I would be lost without a dog. They teach us about loyalty and taking care. They define companionship, bring humor, and protect.” The silver-haired baby boomer loves the city of Oakland as much as her dog Fargo although she wishes it worked a little more like the Volvo. “It’s a can do people city, one of the most integrated in the United States.” When Klugman left her North Dakota home in 1970 to study literature and history at Oakland’s Mills College, she brought with her a sense of adventure, and lessons learned about the pleasures of table, food, and the communal meal from her mother Charlotte Klugman. Adventure took her to Montana in 1975, and while visiting friends she took a job pouring drinks at the Vigilante Steak House & Bar near Bozeman when the regular bar tender quit to go big-horn sheep hunting. During a three-year stay she earned a teaching credential at Carol College in Helena, taught at a boys’ ranch for troubled kids, and learned to stock a kitchen with preserved foods. “With all due respect to Alice Waters, you learn the importance of keeping a pantry of frozen fruit juice concentrates, and canned and frozen foods that are not local in Montana because it’s hard to exist pleasurably on root vegetables all winter.” Montana changed the way she shopped and cooked. She began to braise game, and her winters were filled with elk burgers and elk bourguignon. “That’s what I was famous for, along with Velveeta Fondue.” Word of her cooking spread, and one day a rancher stopped by and offered her a job as a relief cook for a 100 geologists. She accepted the offer and cranked out meal with the help of the Hobart commercial mixer which she compares favorably to the Volvo. “It’s the same concept, it works well, and keeps working.” She wishes she could rave about her beloved Macintosh computer in the same way. “I often say to it, why can’t you be more like my Volvo?” Done with her Montana adventure she headed to Minnesota where news of her, New-York-style cheese cakes with a short bread crust spread quickly. It was here that Klugman started paying closer attention to the type of work that gave her the most pleasure, and she began to identify her true calling as a culinary educator. When she made a U-turn back to the Bay Area in 1982 for graduate studies at Mills College she found herself taking a fork in the road that took her full tilt into the food business instead of academics. By following her bliss she found a path paved with kindred spirits like Chef Narsai David, and went on to successfully manage his food businesses in Kensington and San Francisco. At a pivotal time in Bay Area culinary development, Klugman made her own luck by running with every food-related opportunity that came her way with the same speed a chef rushes a soufflé to table. She worked for an international cheese and food specialty importer, became president of the San Francisco Professional Food Society, and executive director of the American Institute of Wine & Foods in San Francisco where chauffeuring visiting food dignities like Julia Child around in her Volvo was part of her job. Today, as a public relations specialist for food and wine businesses, she is like the invisible leavening agent that makes dough rise in that she makes good things happen behind the scenes for clients like Market Hall, the Pasta Shop, Chronicle Books, and Livermore Valley Wine. These companies and others benefit from her knack for organizing special events, making introductions, and getting the word out about culinary happenings. Klugman’s association with Ackerman’s began in October 1998 when she moved to Oakland from San Francisco, and her mechanic in the city referred her to Bruce. She is happy to recommend the shop and actively shows her loyalty by displaying Ackerman’s license plates on her car. When asked to list the ingredients that she sees going into Ackerman’s wholesome recipe for customer service, she puts accessibility to Bruce at the top. “I remember the day I turned a corner and heard an amazing rumble coming from the Volvo. I called him, he was there and said bring it in. I did, and he fixed the glitch with the air conditioning.” Next on her list is Bruce’s sensitivity. “He’s never dismissive and takes me seriously no matter how insignificant the problem may seem.” For her the copious, computerized record of her car’s checkups is also a plus. “I bet if I asked, his computer would have the whole history going back to the very first day I brought the car in.” Being loyal to Ackerman’s also dovetails with Klugman’s philosophy of supporting local, owneroperated businesses in Oakland and Berkeley where the economic and social health of the communities are linked. “I believe neighbors, and neighborhoods make up a city. It’s important to support them because although big business plays a huge roll in America’s economy, small business entrepreneurs form the foundation. Other appealing aspects of the Volvo shop include the possibility of donating 5% of her bill to organizations like the Chez Panisse Foundation. The shop’s pleasing appearance with potted plants outside and fresh orchids inside is also a plus. “It doesn’t look like a ratty auto mechanic shop. The pungent aroma of cooked beef, ribs, and homemade links wafts over Klugman’s rooftop from Flynt’s Bar-B-Q on Shattuck. Step inside her home and you get the impression that her mother’s advice about the importance of table, food, and the communal meal worked like a charm. Work-related photos of chefs like Marion Cunningham, Edna Lewis, and Julia Child hang in the dining room where an avocado-green table cloth decks the table, California and Italian olive oils fill the pantry, and lime-green lettuces thriving in the garden outside become the salad that accompanies the homemade pizza dinner she shares with her husband on Saturday nights. by Liz O'Connell-Gates

Let us Write a Check for your Favorite Cause Local nonprofits benefited this first quarter when Ackerman’s wrote checks totaling $2000 for a variety of causes. A portion of these monies supported Alvin Ailey Dance Camp, Berkeley High School Development Fund, Berkeley Zen Center, and the Traveling Jewish Theatre. These are just some of many causes customers asked Ackerman’s to cut checks for during the first four months of this year. Next time you have your car serviced at Ackerman’s ask Bruce to contribute 5% of your bill to your favorite cause. We take pleasure in supporting you. Bruce and Paul Head for Volvo Country The only surprise regarding the new car Bruce intends to buy for his partner Paul this summer, is how far they’ll both travel to pick it up. Here’s the beef! If all goes as planned, they’ll collect the car, eat a Swedish-meatball lunch, and experience a Volvo factory tour in Gothenburg, Sweden when they participate in Volvo’s Overseas Delivery Program in July 2007. There’s method to their madness though, after all they could shop closer to home. But the promise of cost savings, adventure, and a “vacation of a lifetime” in the Swedish kingdom enticed Bruce and Paul to experience Volvo’s tourist program first hand. As part of the deal, Volvo not only pays for roundtrip tickets to Europe, hotel accommodation in Gothenburg, but also takes care of shipping the car back to the U.S. after the vacation. Find out more about the program at www.volvocars.us

Spring 05, PDF Click here.

(See the bottom of the page for a list of PDFs of older Newsletters)

Click here for ShopNews Spring'03

Volume 4, Issue II               SHOP NEWS                February 2002

Berkeley Nursery School Wins
Ackerman's $500 Halloween Treat
by Liz O'Connell-Gates

Step One's Sue Britson accepts the donation from Bruce Ackerman

On a foggy Monday last October, the wet weather played tricks, but treats were in store for guests at Ackerman's second annual Pre-Halloween Open House. Bruce's sister, Maile Ackerman, was once again the creative force behind this family-oriented event. Highlights of the evening included a surprise visit from Berkeley's Mayor Shirley Dean, and the awarding of a $500 prize to the school with the greatest participation in the event.

The winner was Step One, the highly regarded Berkeley nursery school presently celebrating its 20th year anniversary. Its faculty, children and generous scholarship program reflect the school's commitment to diversity. "Step One's values include sharing, caring, and tolerance for each other as well as the environment," comments co-director Sue Britson, who sees children as "stewards of the planet."

As the owner of the first Certified Green auto shop in Berkeley, Bruce was happy to learn that his donation will help create an environmental education program.

On a crisp December morning Bruce drove to Step One Nursery School to present the check. He received a warm welcome from Britson followed by a brief tour of the school's garden. After graciously accepting the check, Britson expressed thanks for Ackerman's past support, and joked about establishing "Volvo Day" at Step One Nursery School. As the owner of the first Certified Green auto shop in Berkeley, Bruce was happy to learn that his donation will help create an environmental education program for preschoolers. Ackerman's $500 prize will be matched by $250 from a 1-to-2 matching grant that was recently awarded to Step One.

For Halloween 2002, Bruce plans to extend the length of this annual customer appreciation event from one day to a full week. Until then customers can enjoy the year-round treat of asking AckermanÍs to donate 5% of their bill to a favorite school, non-profit, or the Berkeley Public Education Foundation.

The Moriwaki-Louie Family,
Satisfied Ackerman's Customers

Perhaps it was only a matter of time before the Moriwaki-Louie family of El Cerrito came to Ackerman's. Besides the obvious connection--their 1998 V70 Volvo wagon--the family shares several interests with Bruce Ackerman. To top it off, one of family's Volvo drivers is named Bruce!

Kim Moriwaki recalls, "My husband, Bruce Louie, and I became Ackerman's customers when we placed the highest bid at a Step One Auction for a gift certificate for a Volvo tune up. Our daughter Alison was a preschool student there at the time. We had only heard good things about Ackerman's and thought it was a good local place to bring our car, instead of the dealer.


A Moriwaki-Louie family photo: Alison, Kim,
Craig, and Bruce was taken in Hawaii, one of the few places
their V70 wagon won't go!

Asked to identify something special about the shop, Kim responds, "Everything! Bruce Ackerman is courteous and thorough, and explains what needs to be done in a manner that I can understand and that my husband Bruce can appreciate. The shop and the waiting area appear clean and organized. And we can drop the car off and pick it up after hours."

Kim continues, "I am a Diabetes Educator and was pleased to see the shop's support for diabetes prevention, treatment and research. I was also pleasantly surprised to receive a "rebate" to Step One (and now Prospect Sierra) for a percentage of our bill."

The whole family enjoys the Volvo, albeit for different reasons. Kim explains, "I am glad to have a sturdy and dependable car now that my 16 year old is learning to drive. My son and my husband like that it is a sports wagon with fast 0 to 60 acceleration."

Every visit to Ackerman's stokes the family's enthusiasm for their car. Kim says, "When I drive away from Ackerman's after a scheduled service, I think 'what a great car this is!' I like how well Bruce and the staff keep our Volvo running."

Ackerman-Sponsored Team Places Tops In Diabetes Walk

I n mid-December, members of the Whisk Up a Cure for Diabetes team learned that their fund-raising efforts on behalf of the American Diabetes Association resulted in $4,000, making it the top fundraising team. Ackerman's played an important role in the team's successful participation in America's Walk for Diabetes, held at Jack London Square on October 6, 2001. Team member Bruce Ackerman not only came on board as the T-shirt sponsor and signed on as a Gold Whisk sponsor with a $100 donation, but also gave space in his Fall 2001 newsletter for team founder, Ackerman's customer Liz O'Connell-Gates, to showcase the team's supporters. Being a key player was Bruce Ackerman's way of recognizing his five-year-old niece Marnita, diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 1999. Shop helper Jose Fuentes also joined the team to pay homage to his late father, Sam Fuentes, who died from diabetes complications on October 6, 2000.

For the past three years, every Ackerman's customer has had the option of choosing a school or nonprofit organization to receive a check for 5% of your bill. In 2001, this program raised more than $6,500 for local organizations and independent and public schools. Some schools received as little as $7, while others received over $300. It all depends on the number of parents and friends who ask Bruce to put 5% of their bill directly back into the community. The schools and organizations customers chose to support last year are listed below. Those which recently received their first donation from the program are in bold.

•The Academy
•Albany Middle School
•Amelia Earhart Middle School
•American Indian Eduaction & Cultural Center
•Archway School
•Arrowsmith Academy
•
Ashkenaz
•Aurora School
•Berkeley Arts Magnet School
•Berkeley Hills Nursery School
•Berkeley Montessori
•Berkeley Public Education Foundation
•Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center
•Berkeley YMCA
•Berkeley Zen Center
•Berkwood Hedge School
•Beverly Hills Nursery School
•Black Pine Circle
•Boy Scouts of America
•Breast Cancer Fund
•Children's Community Center
•The Creative Playcenter
•Crowden School
•Emerson School
•French American School
•Grand Lake Montessori School
•Hawthorne Year-Round School
•John Muir PTA
•Laurel Elementary School
•LeConte Elementary School
•Longfellow School
•Madera School PTA
•Marin County Social Justice Center
•Marin Elementary School
•Montessori Family School
•Nia House School
•Novus School
•Oceanview School
•Paden Elementary School
•Park Day School
•Piedmont Education Foundation
•Piedmont Unified School District
•Prospect Sierra School
•Queen of Apostles School
•Rainforest Action
•Recovery Inc.
•Redwood Day School
•Rosa Parks Academy
•St. Mary's High School
•Saint Paschal Baylor School
•San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
•San Leandro Montessori
•Skytown Preschool
•Smiles Day School
•The Snugery
•Star Kind Nursery School
•Step One School
•Tehiyah Day School
•Valley View Elementary School
•Waldorf School
•Windrush School

If you have any questions about the program or want help promoting it at your school or organization, call Ackerman's at (510) 549-9330. Thanks!

Eric's new hobby is flying radio-controlled
model airplanes near his home in Livermore.
Although some members of his flying club race
their planes, and others build their own huge craft,
Eric says "I've got all I can handle as a sport flyer.";
His planes come ready-made, with a wingspan of
about five feet.

Congratulations, Eric!

This January marks Eric Bjorklund's ninth anniversary as one of Ackerman's two Master ASE-certified automotive technicians. "Nine years is very good." Bruce Ackerman says, "Before Eric and Adam [who's approaching the seven year mark in May], the longest anyone worked here was two years. I'm glad it's worked out so well."

A recent highlight in Eric's ongoing professional development was a workshop hosted by the Bay Area Green Business Program. "We learned about cleaning practices: what's safe and what's not," Eric reports. Participation in such workshops is part of Ackerman's commitment to environmentally sound business practices.

When he's not working on Volvos, Eric can often be found engaged in very different mechanical endeavor: flying radio-controlled model airplanes. "Adam got me into it about a year ago," he explains, "I built them when I was a kid, and I always wanted to fly them."

To learn more about the technicians who keep your Volvo safe and reliable, visit www.ackermanservicingvolvo.com and click on "Meet the Technicians" for profiles of both Eric and Adam.

Come to Ackerman's Second Annual Pre-Halloween Open House

All Ackerman's customers and their children are invited to attend the second annual Ackerman's pre-Halloween Open House on Monday October 29, 2000, from 6:30-8:00 pm. The party will be fun for all ages, featuring tasty treats, a witch and a haunted house, pumpkin painting, and more. For safety, the party will take place in our parking lot & waiting area. The shop floor will be closed. We encourage children to wear costumes, and grownups to bring Volvo-driving friends.

The Open House is designed as a fun customer appreciation event, as well as another chance to support local schools. Towards that end, we'll be running a special contest all day long the day of the event. Here's how it works: Ackerman's will donate $500 to the school that has the greatest number of Volvo owners who stop by the day of the Open House. The contest will run all day on Monday, October 29, from 8 am to 8 pm. Just stop by and give the name of the school where you're involved. At the end of the evening, we will tally the names and announce the winning school. We look forward to seeing you on Monday the 29th!

Walking Team Honors Marnita Ackerman
by Liz O'Connell-Gates
At Jack London Square on October 6, Bruce Ackerman once again joined Whisk Up a Cure for Diabetes, an East Bay walking team participating in America's Walk for Diabetes. Like many walkers, Bruce has a personal connection to the disease: his young niece Marnita was diagnosed with incurable Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes at age two. With the support of Bay Area restaurants and businesses the team highlighted the benefits of healthy diet and exercise to stave off and manage diabetes, and also raised $4,000 for research and prevention. The team received exposure in the East Bay when Andronico's supermarket showcased the team's message on its shopping bags for three weeks.

On the day of the walk, the 24-member team wore tall, sparkling white chef hats andcarried a creative assortment of whisks donated by concerned chefs like Michael Wild of Oakland's Bay Wolf restaurant and Annie Somerville of Greens restaurant in San Francisco.

Cork born Addis O'Connell, hand delivered a green-handled whisk. This piece was donated by Ireland's most famous chef, Darina Allen, owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry. On the day of the walk more than thirty whisks were displayed in "Cookie's Whiskcatcher," a six-foot tall sculpture, decorated with a 100-yard cascade of ribbon. Adapted from an idea by local artist Mary Curtis Ratcliff, the sculpture resembles a Native American Dream Catcher. For diabetics and their families the dream is a cure for the disease, which has been with us since at least 1550 B.C. and will take 180,000 lives in the United States this year.

In a special show of support for Marnita, Bruce agreed to be the team's official T-shirt sponsor. As he walked in an iris blue T-shirt designed by Berkeley illustrator Ann Arnold, his thoughts were with his niece who manages her diabetes with a careful balance of exercise, diet and insulin shots. At the tender age of four, the courageous Puerto Rican girl has faced more personal challenge than many adults do in a lifetime.

Coming to terms with their daughter's diabetes meant a complete life style change for Bruce's brother, James David Ackerman and sister-in-law, Elvia Melendes Ackerman, both professors at the University of Puerto Rico. While adapting to consuming medical and dietary challenges, the family is also engaged in a legal struggle with Elvia and James' employer. Their initial attempts to enroll Marnita in an on-site preschool were rebuffed by the University, which "didn't have a nurse, didn't want to get one, didn't want to be involved in her care and shunned any responsibility," Bruce recalled sadly. The family filed a successful Americans with Disabilities lawsuit, but the University continues to appeal the judge's order to accommodate Marnita.

Shop helper Jos? Fuentes had a similar reason for joining the team. The day of the walk coincided with the first anniversary of the passing of his father, Sam Fuentes, from diabetes complications. Bruce and Jos? walked most of the route together. "In addition to doing something good and helping out in a small way I enjoyed spending time with Jos? and listening to his jokes. Jos?'s laugh is infectious," said Bruce.

Overall, 450 walkers participated in the American Diabetes Sponsored event, which raised $50,000 for diabetes research.

The Whisk Up a Cure for Diabetes Walking Team thanks the following Sponsors and Supporters:

Gold Whisk Sponsors
Ackerman's Servicing Volvos, Inc.
Addis O'Connell
Andronico's
Ann Arnold, Illustrator
Cellucap Franklin
D.G.H. Outfitters Custom Screenprinting
East Bay Restaurant Supply
Elmwood Stationers
Epicurean Exchange
Garaj Mahal
Harlow & Ratner
Kinko's Emeryville
La Tortilla Factory
MPR Financial
Monterey Fish Market Inc.
Ruta's Indian Kitchen
School of Optometry, U.C. Berkeley
The Pasta Shop at Market Hall Foods

Silver Whisk Sponsors
Cooks Produce
Juan's Place
Lo Coco's Restaurant
Monterey Market
The Natural Grocery Company

Bronze Whisk Sponsors
Edward M. Matsuishi, D.D.S., Inc.
Filippo's Pastaria
Kensington Circus Pub
Office Depot

Whisk Catcher Contributors
Ballymaloe Cookery School
Bay Wolf Restaurant
Bette's Oceanview Diner
Bizou
Blakes on Telegraph
Brasserie Des Artistes
Coyote Caf?
Genki Japanese Restaurant
Greens Restaurant
Jimmy Beans
Jo Jo Country French Cooking
Lalime's
Lunch-N-Munch
Mary Curtis Ratcliff
Mi Tierra Foods
Nizza La Bella
Oliveto
Poppy Fabric
Poulet
Yoshi's

Thanks for Supporting Whisk Up a Cure For Diabetes 2001

Aarin Harris, Satisfied Ackerman's Customer

El Cerrito resident Aarin Harris has known Bruce Ackerman since the shop was just a gleam in Bruce's eye. In 1983, Bruce was a mechanic at the Volvo repair shop where Aarin was the bookkeeper. When he went out on his own, it was obvious to her that she would take her Volvo to him. "I felt safe dealing with someone I know and trust," she recalls. "A lot of women feel like they have a hard time getting honesty from a mechanic, but Bruce is honest and he tries to do the right thing."  

A New Member of the Team
Shop Helper José Fuentes (2nd from left), with Owner Bruce Ackerman, and ASE Master Certified Mechanics Eric Bjorklund and Adam Anderson. José started working full time at the shop in February, after Renaye Brown-Guilartes moved on. He says his job includes "a little bit of everything: customer service, computers, errands, cleaning cars, groundskeeping--everything except for mechanical work on the cars!"

Introducing José Fuentes

S hop Helper José Fuentes is more than a strong Ackerman's employee. He's an advocate for the shop and its values. An avid bicyclist, he does his part for the environment by biking to work from Emeryville, where he was born and raised in a "large and festive family." On the way, José functions as a two-wheeled Ackerman's advocate: "When I spot a decent-looking Volvo, I stick one of Bruce's business cards on it." He is also bilingual in English and Spanish, and has already had several opportunities to make Ackerman's excellent customer service accessible to Spanish-speaking customers. And although he doesn't currently own a car, he is a Volvo fan. His brother and sister both just bought new Volvos, and José is truly impressed by the safety features of the cars.

"I'm very pleased to have made this transition," José reports, "My last job as a tire aligner was back-breaking work. Bruce is very nice to work for. This is a small business, but it's very successful. We have a 700-person customer base, and I want to help grow that."

Asked about his short-term job goals, José says, "I plan to learn the lingo of car repair, and build my typing and computer skills, so that I can write up orders and pitch in when Bruce is out. My job is to help Bruce, Adam and Eric focus on what they do best."

Whisk Up a Cure:
Join America's Walk for Diabetes
by Liz O'Connell-Gates

You're invited to join Bruce Ackerman and the Whisk up a Cure for Diabetes 2001 team for America's Walk for Diabetes, which takes place at Oakland's Jack London Square on Saturday, October 6, 2001. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) expects to attract 700 participants for the six-mile walk and hopes to raise $100,000 for research, prevention, and eventual cure.

Our Whisk up a Cure team will focus on promoting diabetes awareness in local restaurants and showcasing the wonderful produce available to California chefs. A healthy, well-balanced diet is one of the keys to successful diabetes management.

Last year our team of twelve raised over $2,000 for diabetes research and gained recognition from the ADA as Most Creative Team of the Year! We want to do better this year. We plan to invite Bay Area restaurants to participate in this positive effort by donating whisks for our walkers and dollars for our cause. A Whisk from Every Restaurant and a Walker for Every Whisk is this year's catch phrase. Each whisk will bear a tag from the donating restaurant and will be included in an artistic collage at the end of the walk.

To draw attention to our message we will wear chefs' hats, and wave festooned whisks as we walk from Jack London Square to Lake Merritt, and back to the finish line via the Marina.

Registration forms will be available at Acker-man's in mid-June and we plan some optional warm-up walks and pre-walk gatherings before October 6th.

Contact Liz O'Connell-Gates (team captain) at locg@earthlink.net or 510/ 559-8848, or call Bruce Ackerman at 510/ 549-9330 for more details.

Liz O'Connell-Gates is a mother of two, a writer, and a public relations specialist. She also drives a Volvo and is a customer at Ackerman's.


The Pinderhughes Family,
Satisfied Ackerman's Customers

To Raquel and Howard Pinderhughes, Ackerman's is more than an auto repair business-it's a highlight of their West Berkeley community.

In 1991, the Pinderhughes family moved to a Victorian just a few blocks from Ackerman's and bought their first used Volvo. Howard recalls, "A friend recommended Bruce for a pre-purchase inspection. The folks did right by me. They're extremely trustworthy, and we've never gone anywhere else."

Two years ago, Raquel was driving down San Pablo Avenue when "my beautiful Volvo was hit by a big truck and destroyed-just 15 feet from Bruce's shop. I was in shock," she recalls. "I went to Bruce's first thing after the police report. He was very caring. He gave me chocolate biscotti, sat me down, and told me that the car wasn't important compared to my life. He said and did all the right things."

It's a good feeling to have a mechanic you can trust.
-Howard Pinderhughes

After the accident, the Pinderhughes once again turned to Bruce for advice on which used Volvo to buy. Howard comments, "It's a good feeling to have a mechanic you can trust. Bruce will even tell you what he would do if it was his car. It's as good as an automotive business can get."

Looking back on his ten years as an Ackerman's customer, Howard recalls, "You learn about people when things are hard, not when they're easy. And there have been a few tough spots, when they thought they had the problem isolated and they didn't. That happens, and what I appreciated was that they took full responsibility and got back in there and fixed the problem."

Servicing Volvos Serving the Community

For the past two years, every Ackerman's customer has had the option of choosing a school or nonprofit organization to receive a check for 5% of your bill. In the first four months of 2001, this program raised $1447 for local independent and public schools. The schools and organizations customers chose to support from January-April, 2001, are listed below. Those receiving their first donation from the program are bolded.

•Arrowsmith Academy
•ASAP
•Aurora School
•Berkeley Hills Nursery School
•Berkeley Montessori
•Berkeley Public Education Foundation
•Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center
•Berkwood Hedge School
•Black Pine Circle
•Crowden School
•French American School
•Grand Lake Montessori School
•Hawthorne Year-Round School
•John Muir PTA
•Laurel Elementary School
•Longfellow School
•Marin Elementary School
•Montessori Family School
•Paden Elementary School
•Park Day School
•Prospect Sierra School
•Redwood Day School
•Rosa Parks Academy
•Saint Paschal Baylor School
•Step One School
•Tehiyah Day School

If you have any questions about the program or want help promoting it at your school or organization, call Ackerman's at (510) 549-9330. Thanks!

"People don't think of
Volvos as racing machines

I get a kick out of being the underdog
and showing them what a Volvo can do."

Bruce and his P1800 on his way to winning the 2000 season championship at Laguna Seca.

top

Renaye Joins the Ackerman's Team

L ate in 1999, a multi-talented Berkeley resident named Renaye Brown-Guilartes was pondering the next step on her career path. "I had been looking for a job I could stick with, and I'm pretty picky!" she recalls. "I got to thinking: I live in Berkeley, I have Berkeley values, so why don't I work in Berkeley where I can take certain things for granted?" Shortly after Renaye came to that conclusion, she learned about the opening for a Shop Helper at Ackerman's. As those of you who've been to the shop recently know, the rest is history.

As the Shop Helper, Renaye is responsible for "a little bit of this, a little bit of that," including shuttling customers to BART, sending out thank you cards and reminder notes, and keeping the shop neat. She is learning to handle inventory, and also looks forward to developing her customer service skills "so Bruce can go on vacation and know that everything is covered." With BruceÕs support, she also plans to take classes in negotiation and facilitation skills. This is a long-standing interest for Renaye, who looks forward to using these skills with coworkers and customers.

Most of Renaye's work has been in the trades. She is a graduate of New College in San Francisco, where she majored in Anthropology, with an emphasis on social critical theory and many credits in ethnomusicology. She is very active in the local music scene, and her Latin rock band, Veronica Black, plays local venues such as La Pe-a and AshkenazÑwhen they're not at Paradise Lounge in San Francisco or LA clubs such as Alegria and Dreamtheatre.

Renaye is a long-time Berkeley resident, and her son graduated from Berkeley High. Although Renaye's not a Volvo owner, she drives the other classic Berkeley car: a '67 Volkswagen Bug. With the growing success of her band, she plans to upgrade to something more suitable for hauling band members and equipment. She appreciates Volvos--especially "the tight turning radius, for getting through those tight spots in Berkeley. Some Volvos even turn more tightly than my Beetle!"

A few months into her work as Shop Helper, Renaye is pleased to report "You're in really good hands with Ackerman's. Bruce has a high degree of integrity, and that's very important to me."

Liz O'Connell-Gates
Satisfied Ackerman's Customer

"It was different from how one imagines a car repair shop," Liz O'Connell-Gates recalls of her first visit to Ackerman's. "I was struck by the spa-like atmosphere." In the three years since that first visit, Liz has become more than a loyal customer; she has publicized Bruce's commitment to education at the Berkeley Public Schools, the East Bay Independent Schools, in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Berkeley Business Advocate, and in the Berkeley Voice.

In an effort to take Ackerman's support for education to the next level, she has written to dozens of local educational facilities to spread the word that Ackerman's customers can designate 5% of their repair bill to the school or organization of their choice. As a result, this program is growing rapidly: Ackerman's has donated $1016 to the schools in the first three months of 2000, compared with $2523 in all of 1999, the year the program was launched.

Liz' enthusiasm for this program stems in part from having a son at Step One Nursery School and a daughter at Black Pine Circle. She also appreciates Bruce's authentic commitment to education since he was led to support the schools by his customers. The Berkeley resident enjoys using her writing and marketing skills to raise money for the schools and has also contributed articles to Ackerman's Web site designed by Lauri Puchall of Hester Design in Berkeley.

Liz felt her efforts on behalf of Ackerman's paid off when Bruce was chosen as a Distinguished Business Partner of the Year by the Berkeley Public Education Foundation (BPEF) which lauds local business leaders who devise their own way to encourage commitment to the Berkeley Public Schools. "When I learned of Bruce's award I took great pleasure in sending out press releases to the local media. I then drove to BPEF's offices, loaded my Volvo with bundles of newsletters mentioning Bruce's award, and distributed them at my pediatrician's office, my son's preschool, and various cafés and grocery stores."

Liz' own history with the Volvo mirrors that of many Ackerman customers. She recalls, "shortly before the birth of our first child my husband and I drove our well used Datsun to a Volvo dealer in Pleasanton. The car was so wobbly we decided en route that we were not returning to Berkeley in the same vehicle." Sure enough, they returned in the same Volvo 240 that they happily drive today.

When other Volvo owners inquire about Ackerman's, Liz explains "You get great mechanics, professional service, and only good surprises. This might be an unexpectedly simple solution to an electrical problem, a Peet's coffee gift certificate, or a freshly washed car."

Asked to envision the ideal Ackerman's of the future, Liz muses, "more recognition for Bruce as someone strongly linked to the schools, more money for the schools through customer designations, more recognition for the BPEF, and for committed teachers. I also want to see Bruce profiled in local newspapers as an example of someone who is committed to making a difference in the schools and in the community."

Needless to say, Liz was looking forward to the BPEF luncheon on May 12th, where Ackerman's received his award. "Trina Ostrander at BPEF calls Bruce an example for the business community. I like bringing my car to someone like that," Liz concludes.

Keeping Your Volvo
Running Clean

You may not think it is a Volvo, but . . . .

When most people think about reducing a car's emissions, they think of what's coming out of the tailpipe. Yet "evaporative emissions" can actually be a huge problem for the environment. For example, a clean-running car might produce tailpipe emissions of .3 grams/mile. If that same car has a tiny hole somewhere in the fuel system (such as a .04" hole in the gas cap gasket), its hydrocarbon emissions could leap to 1.65 grams/mile. Evaporative emissions would not normally be detected by the driver, or by a regular tailpipe test. But at Ackerman's we keep an eye out for these kinds of problems. It's just one more reason to take care of preventative maintenance for the health of your Volvo, and the health of the environment we all share.

Racing Season is On!

Bruce Ackerman and his Volvo when he opened his
shop in the early '80s.

That huge picture of a Volvo race car behind the counter at Ackerman's isn't just there for decoration. As most customers know, it's a photo of Bruce Ackerman and his crew in a local race. This year's racing season began April 1. The last race, a double regional, took place June 4th at Laguna Seca. Want to know more about Volvo racing? Give Bruce a call: (510) 549-9330.

Lifelong Learning

The Automotive Service Excellence Blue Seal of Excellence is awarded to car repair facilities where at least 50% of the mechanics are ASE-certified. At Ackerman's 100% of the mechanics--both Adam and Eric--are Master ASE Certified. Master ASE Certification recognizes mechanics who have proven their exceptional skill in eight different areas. Mechanics are regularly re-tested, and Eric is currently preparing to renew his certification. Adam will go through the same process in 2001.

Customers Team up with Ackerman's
To Support Schools

Ackerman's latest effort to help local schools is now about a year old, and beginning to show meaningful results. Every Ackerman's customer has the option of choosing a school or nonprofit organization to receive a check for 5% of your bill. This program has raised over $3,600 since its inception and over $1000 in the first three months of 2000.

The schools and organizations customers have chosen so far are: •Arrowsmith Academy •Aurora School •Berkeley Public Education Foundation •Beacon School •Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center •Berkwood Hedge School •Black Pine Circle •ChildrenÕs Community Center •Columbus School/Rosa Parks Academy •Crowden School •French American School •Grizzly Peak Early Childhood Center •Marin Elementary School •Montessori Family School •Nia House School •Oakland Hebrew Day School •Park Day School •Prospect Sierra School •Redwood Day School •Saint Paschal Baylor School •Step One School •Tehiyah Day School •Waldorf School

If you have any questions about the program or want help promoting it at your school or organization, call Ackerman's at (510) 549-9330.

Ackerman's Honored on May 12, 2000

Ackerman's received a Distinguished Business Partner award at the Spring Luncheon of the Berkeley Public Education Foundation (BPEF) on Friday, May 12th. BPEF raises funds and awareness in support of the Berkeley public schools. Bruce Ackerman is a long-time BPEF Core Supporter.

The luncheon took place on Friday, May 12th at H's Lordships at the Berkeley Marina. Proceeds benefit the Berkeley Public Education Foundation. For more information, call BPEF at (510)644-6244. Elmwood Stationers is the other Distinguished Business Partner this year. Other honorees are Neil Smith, Principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, and Pedro Noguera, Professor of Education, UC Berkeley.

* * *

Newsletter Archives in PDF Format:

ShopNews Fall '98
ShopNews Spring '99
ShopNews Fall '99
ShopNews Spring '00
ShopNews Fall '00