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Halcyon
Neighborhood Association E-News 3/4/11
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Items appearing in the HNA E-News
are deemed to be of general interest to neighbors but do not necessarily
reflect the views of Halcyon Neighborhood Association (HNA), its Steering
Committee, or the Editor. The EditorÕs introductory comments express her
personal viewpoint.
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Contents
1. Big Work Party in Park and
Surrounding Neighborhood, Sat., 3/5, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
2. Tai Chi Practice in the Park, Sunday, 3/27, 10 a.m.
(with optional training at 9:30 a.m.)
3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 3/16 & 3/30, 8:30-9 a.m.
4. Do You Want Chair Massage to Continue at Whole Foods
Market?
5. Email halcyon92@gmail to get on Our Disaster
Preparedness and Crime Watch Listservs!
6. Ice Cream Social & Whole Planet Food Fair, Whole
Foods market, Sunday, 3/20
7. Crime Watch Updates: Attempted Break-in on Woolsey;
Possible Prowler on Essex; Graffiti Removal
8. Councilmember Kriss WorthingtonÕs
OfficeÕs March News
9. Kickoff to Construction at
Claremont Branch Library, Jazz & Art, Saturday, 3/19, 2-5 p.m.
10. Southside Planning Documents
Available
11. Free Services from Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Program
12. California Youth Energy
Services Offering Energy Retrofit Services This Summer
13. Links to Articles on Crime
Dropping in Berkeley in 2010
14. Curbside Recycling by Ecology
Center in Jeopardy
EditorÕs Introductory Note:
I hope some neighbors will come out and join the UC
Berkeley student volunteers from the Berkeley Project at this SaturdayÕs work
party to give a little TLC to the park and surrounding neighborhood (see item
1). ItÕs more fun when thereÕs a mix of students and neighbors, and we all get
to enjoy the delicious treats and coffee generously donated by Whole Foods
Market and Mokka Cafˇ. Please also consider the request for more neighbors to
join our crime-watch listserv and disaster-preparedness listserv (item 5). The well-being of our neighborhood depends on all of us!
As always, if you have crime-watch reports and/or positive
news or announcements to share with the neighborhood, email them to me at halcyon92@gmail.com before the first of
the next month.
Happy Spring!
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. Big Work Party
in Park and Surrounding Neighborhood, Sat., 3/5, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at
Prince)
Time Frame: Come anytime between 9:30 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m. Sat. 3/5 (even twenty minutes helps!)
Goals: Weed and mulch in the park and
nearby planted areas; remove graffiti & trash in larger neighborhood; enjoy
the company of neighbors and student volunteers
Fuel: Refreshments & lunch courtesy
of Whole Foods Market; fresh coffee courtesy of Mokka Cafˇ at Telegraph &
Dowling
Once
again weÕll enjoy the help of volunteers from the Berkeley Project as students
from UC help us weed in the park and spread mulch. If you can help, just show
up at Halcyon Commons. Bring your own weeding tools, or weÕll loan you some.
Children welcome!
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2. Tai Chi Practice in the Park, Sunday, 3/27,
10 a.m. (with optional training at 9:30 a.m.)
Free monthly Tai Chi Chih Practice
(fourth Sundays at 10 a.m., except
in April for World Tai Chi Day on Sat. April 30)
Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at
Prince)
Facilitated by Prince Street
neighbor Judith Schwartz, 510-843-2062
Optional free instruction in Tai Chi Chih basics at 9:30
a.m. before the practice!
Contact Judith if youÕre a
beginner whoÕd like to show up early to learn enough of the basics to practice
along with the group at 10 a.m. (Judith will only show up early to offer this
free instruction if some folks contact her in advance to say theyÕll be there,
so be sure to call if youÕre interested; see contact information above.)
EditorÕs note: Judith also offers ongoing classes to teach the Tai Chi
forms in her peaceful Prince Street gardens; you can contact her for more
information. Note that Judith sometimes has to change the date and/or time for
the free community practice given other commitments in her busy life, so please
check the HNA website at http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org/
to verify that monthÕs practice!
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3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 3/16 & 3/30, 8:30 - 9 a.m.
EditorÕs note: Marketing Team Leader Jim Hallock at Whole Foods Market let
us know that he and new Store Team Leader Melody Mestemacher will be continuing
drop-in progress meetings with neighbors Ņto directly address noise levels, to
brainstorm, and to keep interested neighbors apprised of our noise abatement
action plan and any other issues that arise.Ó Neighbors interested in tracking
noise abatement issues are especially encouraged to attend, though those with
other issues are also welcome. Preliminary information about the interior store
remodel planned to commence in August and to last 40 weeks will be available.
Thanks again to Mel and Jim for offering this additional outreach to the
neighborhood!
Progress Meetings
Mel [Melody Mestemacher,
new Store Team Leader] has asked me to set up a few bi-weekly follow-up
meetings for anyone who would like to attend. These meetings will be held at
the Community Table at the front of the store, and the purpose is to share our
plans for noise abatement, the store remodel project scheduled for later this
year, street litter control, and progress on any of the ongoing issues we
discuss [with HNA reps and nearby neighbors] quarterly. Mel and I will meet,
and anyone is welcome to join us. Of course there will be complimentary coffee,
tea, and snacks. Our goal is to follow up immediately on any issues that we
hear about, and to hear how the store can be a better neighbor. The upcoming meetings
are scheduled from 8:30 - 9 a.m. on Wednesday 3/16 and 3/30.
Noise
As an overview,
in our last meeting Mel asked that anyone who had noise complaints to please
call the store immediately, at 649-1333, and ask for the Shift Manager, so we
can identify and stop the noise. Shift Managers are available from around 7:30
a.m. to midnight. If the noise is before 7:30 a.m., please ask for the
Receiving Dock. If you canÕt reach anyone, please make a note of the time and
date, and call a Shift Manager after 7:30 a.m. You can also email Melody and me
so we can follow up.
Jim Hallock
Marketing Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Berkeley
3000 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
510.649.1333 ext. 261
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4. Do You Want Chair Massage to Continue at
Whole Foods Market?
EditorÕs note: Shoshana Frumkin, CNC, CMT, of On the Spot Massage, which
has employed eighteen people to staff various hours and provide chair massages
at the Telegraph Avenue Whole Foods Market for the past seven years, called to
our attention the recent hiatus in this service due to permitting issues with
the City of Berkeley. These are in the process of being resolved (including an
issue on next TuesdayÕs City Council agenda to clarify the relevant passages in
the Berkeley Municipal Code). In the meantime, if youÕd like to see this
service restored at the Telegraph Whole Foods Market, please read ShoshanaÕs
message and take action. Note that HNA as an organization hasnÕt yet taken a
position on this issue. According to our Guiding Principles, we only take
positions on land-use issues when thereÕs near-unanimity among neighbors. Let
us know if you have strong feelings one way or the other on this issue by
emailing halcyon92@gmail.com.
Dear Neighbors:
On the Spot Massage has been
serving chair massage to the Whole Foods Berkeley community for seven years. We
were shut down 2/15/2011 for not having a massage establishment permit, and we
are also sorting out some zoning issues, which the City Council is reviewing to
amend the ordinance for chair massage in retail stores as an accessory service
in public view to be exempt from needing a massage establishment permit as has
been accomplished in Oakland 2008 unanimously by the Oakland City Council.
Linda Maio, the Berkeley vice
mayor, has said she did not intend to have the ordinance impact our type of setup
and would like to see us in this sector of the massage industry flourish. If
you have been enjoying our service, please let the store know, as your voice as
a customer is gold.
Store Team Leader:
melody.mestemacher@wholefoods.com
Marketing Team Leader
To all of you whose lives we have
touched, we truly love taking care of your Kneads!
Cheers,
Shoshana Frumkin CNC, CMT
President / Founder
On the Spot Massage LLC
510-704-0359 ph
510-841-3404 fx
http://www.onthespotmassage.com
http://www.facebook.com/otsmassage
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5. Email halcyon92@gmail to get on Our
Disaster Preparedness and Crime Watch Listservs!
EditorÕs note: Your participation is what keeps our neighborhood safer and
better prepared for a big earthquake. If you missed extensive coverage of the
New Zealand quake, some of the links at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/26/950116/-Im-dying-Dad
will prove sobering. HNA needs additional participation on both the disaster
preparedness listserv (planning our next drill plus discussing ways to upgrade
our neighborhood disaster supply cache so it will better serve us in the event
of a Christchurch-level earthquake on the Hayward Fault) and the crime-watch
listserv (originally started to plan night-time safety ŅdogÓ walks but now
broadened to allow us to share breaking crime-watch news plus discuss other
ways to improve neighborhood safety). Email halcyon92@gmail.com
to request an invitation to join either or both of these Yahoo group listservs.
For all our safety, please be sure to include your full name, address, and
phone with your request (we need to know the neighbors weÕre talking to when it
comes to neighborhood watch — i.e., this isnÕt the place for anonymity).
Messages are kept on topic so your in-box will be treated gently. Please sign
up!
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6. Ice Cream Social & Whole Planet Food
Fair, Whole Foods Market, Sunday, 3/20
EditorÕs note: The following item is from Jim Hallock at Whole Foods
Market.
This month is special for us
because it is our time to raise funds to benefit womenÕs businesses in
developing countries, through our Whole Planet Foundation. Last year we raised
over $11,000, and we hope our customers and Team Members will contribute
generously again this year. ItÕs a great way to help alleviate poverty while
helping small business entrepreneurs establish their businesses through
microloans. Join us on the first day of Spring, March
20, for an Ice Cream Social — your $5 donation will go to our campaign.
And of course letÕs not forget to celebrate Mardi Gras
on Fat Tuesday, March 8, and St. PatrickÕs Day, March 17. Happy Spring!
Ice Cream Social & Whole Planet Food Fair
Sunday, March 20, 3 -6 p.m.,
Coconut, tofu,
low fat, or premium? WeÕll have all
kinds of ice cream to taste and try at our Ice Cream Social. WeÕll also scoop
up a sundae for you with your choice of toppings! In our outdoor cafˇ on the
first day of Spring, March 20, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Recommended $5 donation benefits the Whole Planet Foundation.
Jim Hallock
Marketing Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Berkeley
3000 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
510.649.1333 ext. 261
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7. Crime Watch Updates: Attempted Break-in on
Woolsey; Possible Prowler on Essex; Graffiti Removal
EditorÕs note: Please take note of the m.o. used in the attempted break-in described by a Woolsey Street neighbor below. Groups of teenagers have been involved in recent break-ins, and if you notice teenagers obviously casing the neighborhood, please call the police immediately (the nonemergency number is 981-5900 for suspicious behavior; 911 from a landline or 981-5911 from a cellphone for a crime in progress). Someone asked me how to know when to follow an uncomfortable feeling and call the police. Behavior is the key ingredient I follow: If someone is giving you an obviously phony story at your door or when you run into them on your property, itÕs quite possible that theyÕre casing the place. Please report it! Similarly, if you notice someone looking in the windows of your neighborÕs house or of cars parked on the street, report it! Remember that Halcyon Commons park closes at 10 p.m. So if you notice anyone hanging out there after that hour, you can also report that (though obviously if itÕs just a neighbor passing through the park with a dog, no need to report).
A Woolsey Street neighbor in the 2100 block between Shattuck and Wheeler reports:
ŅI caught some kids breaking into my house around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11. I was able to detain one of them and get his information, but I was home alone so I had to let him go in order to go inside and call the police. It turns out the police know this kid and his crew from past brushes with the law, and theyÕve been hitting houses in our neighborhood for the past several weeks. After the attempted break-in, I also made the connection to another strange visit. About a week before, my doorbell rang at around 3 in the afternoon. I walked up from the back of the house and saw a young kid looking through my windows. I asked what he wanted and he said, ŌOh, is Patrick here?Õ When I told him he had the wrong house, he walked off — down the street and around the corner. He didnÕt try any of my neighbors or even any other house on the block. The police agreed that he was probably casing the property. They said to be sure to tell you/HNA to look out for this sort of behavior. Please let everybody know. Also, all of the perpetrators are young. The kid who came to my door was 14 or 15 years old, and the kid I caught was a ŌstudentÕ at Berkeley High (although I went through his backpack when I was looking for ID, and I didnÕt see any books or school supplies). The kids were all African-American, between the ages of 14 and18. The only one I got a real close look at was the one I physically caught. He had close-cropped hair, a medium-dark complexion, and stood about 6' tall. He had an earring in his left ear (a small diamond stud), and was skinny — I would say around 140-150 pounds. He was also with a girl claiming to be his sister. She looked to be in the same age range. Both of them were wearing dark jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. He had on a black members-only-style jacket. She was wearing a pink zip-up hoodie. They both said they were students at Berkeley High, but as I mentioned before, I doubt they went to class very often. The police said being this age gives them a convenient excuse for carrying a backpack, which they are able to load with laptops, jewelry, etc. if/when they successfully break in. Anyway, BPD said this was the m.o. for most of the recent break-ins in the neighborhood. They said to alert them if anybody saw groups of teenagers roaming around during school hours or if anyone in this age/demographic comes snooping around or knocking on your door under obviously false pretenses, like they did to me. Also, if itÕs of any consequence, they were trying to break in by using a screwdriver to pry open a window at the back of my house. The window is at ground level, but they didnÕt seem to notice that it was vinyl, double-paned and blocked by interior security bars. Needless to say, I would not call them professionals. I would say this was a crime of opportunity — albeit a poorly identified one.Ó
An Essex Street neighbor reports:
ŅOn Essex Street Saturday, Feb. 12, I noticed that someone may have been on our back deck, as two decorative items hung on the wall were knocked down. ItÕs possible someone was climbing up there to try the upper windows — nothing taken.Ó
A neighbor reports:
ŅThe last edition of the HNA E-News mentioned graffiti on Telegraph. Usually I just patrol my block to remove graffiti, but I was inspired by this post to take a closer look at Telegraph. Yesterday evening I took my handy cans of spray paint (one brown, one silver) and painted over the graffiti on Telegraph between Prince and 66th Street (including the bench at the bus stop in front of the church at Prince). I encourage others to partake in this activity. When the weather clears I will go again, hopefully all the way to Ashby. I only spray on public property. There is a particularly large amount on the dumpster behind the Smokehouse, and I will speak to the manager about that.Ó [EditorÕs note: The work party on March 5 (see item 1) is a great opportunity to help with graffiti removal, and we have more colors of paint and authorization from the City, so we can match the background color whether on sidewalks, signs, or poles. Thanks to the anonymous neighbor who wrote this note and is being proactive about helping to keep graffiti under control!]
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8. Councilmember Kriss
WorthingtonÕs OfficeÕs March News
EditorÕs note: Councilmember Kriss WorthingtonÕs
office sent us the following news.
Dear Halcyon
folks:
Our
office has proposed these upcoming City Council items for Tuesday March 8, 2011
(hyperlinks below):
1. Creation of a BPD permanent
WALK THE BEAT officer position for Telegraph Avenue
2. Seeking grant funds to
install PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING on Telegraph
3. Establishing a City-wide
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION
4. Increasing public access to
campaign finance reports by requiring electronic submission
5. Starting Public Hearings at
a SET TIME
Priority
Project:
6. Rats have appeared in
larger quantities and more places this year. The City has required abatement
actions in multiple locations. If
you know of additional locations needing attention, please let us know.
7. COMING SOON: License Plate
Recognition PARKING ENFORCEMENT will be put in place soon in the Willard and
Bateman areas. [EditorÕs note: Inclusion of the eastern edge of Halcyon
neighborhood has been requested.] This trial program is intended to reduce the
number of parked cars with chalk marks wiped off so they can exceed the allowed
time limits.
8. Illegal Construction
Reported at 3016 Hillegass Avenue. . . .
9. On March 22 we will be
attempting to convince the City Council to modify the extreme decision allowing
100% of Warehouse and Wholesale space in West Berkeley to be converted to
Research and Development. This was adopted by a 5 to 4 vote last month, so we
just need to persuade one vote to change to get a more practical policy. Dozens
of West Berkeley businesses and residents testified overwhelmingly against such
an extreme change, so it is likely the whole issue will be put to a referendum
if common sense does not bring about a compromise.
10. Berkeley Food and Housing
Project needs TOILETRIES & COATS. Please bring
them to 2362 Bancroft Way, 2nd floor. Call Joanna Lavenberg, 809-8512 or Paul
Cwynar, 809-8515
1. WALK THE BEAT
2. PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING
3. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Council_7/Level_3_-_General/Establishing%20a%20Public%20Safety%20Commission.pdf
4. CAMPAIGN FINANCE
5. PUBLIC HEARINGS SET TIME http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Council_7/Level_3_-_General/Set%20time%20for%20Public%20Hearings.pdf
Kriss
Worthington
Councilmember
City of
Berkeley, District 7
2180
Milvia Street, 5th Floor
Berkeley,
CA 94704
(510)
981-7170 phone
(510)
981-7177 fax
kworthington@cityofberkeley.info
http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council7/
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9. Kickoff to
Construction at Claremont Branch Library, Jazz & Art, Saturday, 3/19, 2-5
p.m.
EditorÕs note: The City of Berkeley sent the following announcement.
YouÕre invited! Please join us in
celebrating the start of construction for the Claremont Branch Library. Listen
to music and make fabulous art!
Saturday, March 19th
2-5 p.m.
Claremont Branch Library
2940 Benvenue Avenue
Program begins at 3:00 p.m.
Music & Poetry with Jazz Art
at 3:30
Lisa di PrimaÕs Jazz, Art, With Violinist India Cooke
and Special Guest Musician
Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, go to http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org
or call 510-981-6195.
Sponsored by the Friends of the
Berkeley Public Library
Wheelchair accessible. Please
refrain from wearing scented products to public meetings. To request a sign
language interpreter, real-time captioning, materials in large print or
Braille, or other accommodations, call 510-981-6107 or 510-548-1240 (TDD) at
least three days before the program.
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10. Southside
Planning Documents Available
EditorÕs note: From the City of Berkeley:
The
Southside Plan and the Southside Design Guidelines are now available for
review. Copies are available for viewing at the Main Library, the South Branch
Library, and the Planning Counter at the Permit Service Center (2120 Milvia
Street). These documents are also available online: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=420
The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Southside Plan will be
released in the next two weeks. The Planning Commission will hold a public
hearing to take action on the Southside Plan and its associated documents on
Wednesday, April 6.
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11. Free Services from Childhood Lead
Poisoning Prevention Program
EditorÕs note: From the City of Berkeley:
Dear Halcyon Neighborhood
Association Members,
I would like to inform you of free services available to you
and your neighborhood association offered by the Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program.
If you are a property owner, you
pay an annual $10 property tax assessment fee; perhaps unbeknownst to you, this
payment is already woven into your other fees. ThatÕs why it is highly
encouraged that you take advantage of these services that your $10 assessment
fee covers. Such services include:
In-home consultation
Lead-safe home renovation classes
Garden soil lead sampling kit
Financial assistance
Property owner awareness events
ŅProtect Your Family From Lead in
Your HomeÓ pamphlets
We also educate community members
on how to prevent exposure to lead — whether in the home or in consumer
products — so that they can be empowered and informed to keep their
families safe. Our cityÕs public health mission is that every person in
Berkeley has the right to good health, and we want to help the Neighborhood be
lead-free.
For more info, please call Zandra
Lee at (510) 981-5356 or visit our website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=11244.
Sincerely,
Zandra Lee, MPH, CHES
Program Manager, Lead Poisoning
Prevention and Health Housing Berkeley Project
City of Berkeley, Division of
Public Health
1947 Center St., 2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-5356
fax (510) 981-5395
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12. California
Youth Energy Services Offering Energy Retrofit Services This Summer
EditorÕs note: HNA received the following
announcement. IÕve taken advantage of this free service in the past, and it was
very helpful.
ŅHi, my
name is Adriana Haro and I work for California Youth Energy Services. We are a nonprofit organization program
that hires and trains local youth ages 15-22 to perform Green House Calls,
which are free energy efficient retrofits on homes. We install energy
efficiency measures like CFLs, showerheads, aerators, and clotheslines, as well
as providing information on how to go green. This program will run in Berkeley
this summer. If any questions arise and/ or are interested in our services,
please feel free to contact me at (510) 665-1501 ext. 16. Thanks.Ó
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13. Links to
Articles on Crime Dropping in Berkeley in 2010
EditorÕs note: Crime was down
overall in 2010 in Berkeley — significantly. Here are links to articleÕs
on the Berkeley Police DepartmentÕs report. Worth keeping such
statistics in mind at election time, when candidates sometimes overreach to
find issues to run on. But also worth noting that it
would be unwise to get complacent. Among other tidbits, burglary and
aggravated assault were the two categories where there was a slight increase,
and burglaries and car break-ins continue to be reported in our neighborhood.
So letÕs keep our neighborhood watch strong! (See item 4 about joining the
crime-watch listserv.)
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/02/28/crime-in-berkeley-was-down-in-2010/
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_17512652
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentPrint.aspx?id=65552
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14. Curbside Recycling
by Ecology Center in Jeopardy
EditorÕs note: From the Ecology Center:
Dear Berkeley Residents and
Ecology Center Supporters,
The City of Berkeley is
considering terminating our curbside recycling program based on an incomplete
and inaccurate consultant report. We
urgently need your help to save this community-based program. Please attend the
Berkeley City Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 8th to voice your support for
the Ecology Center. The future of our organization is at stake.
Read more:
http://ecologycenter.org/terrain/blog/ecology-center-recycling-contract-in-danger/
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