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Halcyon
Neighborhood Association E-News 2/8/11
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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. Change in time for Monthly Tai Chi Practice in the Park;
February date is Sunday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m. (with optional training at 9:30 a.m.)
2. Crime Watch Updates: Three Daytime Burglaries on
Emerson; Suspicious Panhandler on Prince & Woolsey; Concerns about Graffiti
and Loud Gatherings Outside Church at Telegraph/Prince
3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 2/16 & 3/2, 8:15-9 a.m.
4. Useful Emergency Preparedness Link: Video on Continuous
Chest Compression CPR (a Simpler Alternative to Standard CPR)
5. HNA Dates for Remainder of 2011 up at http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org/#Calendar!
6. Upcoming Adeline/Shattuck Issues on ZAB Agenda for
Thursday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
7. Free Mulch Available from the City of Berkeley, February
through October
8. Message from Councilmember
Worthington on Parking Enforcement Near Alta Bates & Other Parking Matters
9. Link to Article on Massage
Parlor Prostitution on Woolsey Street
10. Link to Current Free CERT/Disaster
Preparedness Trainings from City
11. Tips to Prevent Car Break-ins
12. Mark Your Calendars: Big Work
Party in Park and Surrounding Neighborhood, Sat., March 5, 9:30 a.m. –
2:30 p.m.
EditorÕs Introductory Note:
Please note that due to new constraints on length from
VerticalResponse, the company that generously enables us to send out messages
to a large list free of charge, from now on I will only be sending the cover
note and the Contents list for each new E-News or E-Update via email. Such
messages will serve to let you know that a new E-News is up online at HNAÕs
website at http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org/.
So please visit the halcyonneighborhood.org website for the information
associated with the Contents list above!
Many thanks to the dozens of
neighbors who attended the post-holiday progressive potluck in January. You are part of what keeps our
Halcyon neighborhood growing as a real community! Thanks as well to everyone
who made a donation; we raised over $500 ($300 of that came from one very
generous couple!), which will help us keep duplicating flyers for the
neighborhood as well as make additions to our disaster supply cache. If you werenÕt
able to make it on January 23, you can still send or drop off a check made out
to HNA (if you need your contribution to be tax-deductible, make it out to our
nonprofit sponsor BPFP, earmarked Halcyon) to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044
Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705. Your contribution will help us make a big
step forward in our neighborhood preparedness in 2011.
Hope youÕre all enjoying the early taste of spring!
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1.
1. Change in time for Monthly Tai Chi
Practice in the Park; February date is Sunday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m. (with optional
training at 9:30 a.m.)
Free monthly Tai Chi Chih Practice (fourth Sundays at 10
a.m. except alternate dates in February & April)
Sunday, February 13, 10-11 a.m. is the next (with optional
training at 9:30 a.m.)
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 February 13 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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2. Crime Watch Updates: Three Daytime
Burglaries on Emerson; Suspicious Panhandler on Prince & Woolsey; Concerns
about Graffiti and Loud Gatherings Outside Church at Telegraph/Prince
EditorÕs note: Thanks to the Wheeler Street neighbor who both passed on
this news and took the initiative to post a flyer with this information on
Wheeler and Emerson Streets!
NEIGHBORHOOD ALERT: On Tuesday 1/25/11 there were three burglaries on Emerson Street
between Wheeler
and Shattuck. In addition to forced entry and theft, the
intruders vandalized indoor property (i.e., smashed TV and wall). The intruders were spotted around 3-4 p.m. by several witnesses,
who described them as three very young African-American teenage boys, well
dressed, carrying backpacks. If you have further information about these
burglaries, please contact either the police nonemergency number at 981-5900
or, for crimes in progress, call 911 from your landline or 581-5911 from your
cell. [EditorÕs note: Also please be sure to share details with the
neighborhood at halcyon92@gmail.com,
so they can be reported in the next E-News!]
EditorÕs note: A Woolsey Street neighbor reported the following incidents with
an overly aggressive panhandler.
Ō[This concerns] someone I have
found to be acting a little strangely in the neighborhood for the past several
months. I have lived on Woolsey Street for about 2 1/2 years, and about 6
months ago a man started showing up and acting strangely. He has approached
twice at night, once while [I was] walking alone from the UC campus, the other
while [I was] walking my dog, and now today [2/7] at dusk while I was walking
down Telegraph. Each time was either on Prince or Woolsey, and he always has a
(seemingly bogus) story about his car being towed and him needing change. When
I have told him I had no change, each time he became somewhat frustrated and
asked me to go home and look for some. He even claimed he had family in a home
on Prince and Deakin, which IÕm pretty sure isn't
true. I don't think I am someone who gets paranoid, but this person has made me
very nervous. I only wanted to tell [neighbors] in case he does this, or
anything worse, to anyone else. His description: African American male about
45-55 years, approx 6 ft, short hair, wears thin-rimmed glasses, clean cut, and
always starts asking questions in a polite and friendly way. I believe he wears
a greenish windbreaker type jacket.Ķ
EditorÕs note: A Prince Street neighbor submitted this report on 1/23
regarding the area around the church at Telegraph and Prince (and Southside
Lofts on the other side of Telegraph).
ŌSome neighborhood notes on things
I have been noticing lately and thought maybe you could pass along the info to
the neighborhood: There have been a few homeless people hanging out on the
Church steps lately at night. They also seem to be sleeping on the church steps
this past week (the church on the corner of Prince and Telegraph). I have heard
them making loud noise and yelling; they have been just hanging around the
neighborhood at night the past week or so. They also had some kind of a fire
going there last night (maybe it was a few large candles); they have been
yelling quite a bit and seem to be very busy at night. Yesterday a bunch of
graffiti appeared on the South Side Lofts dumpster fence; it seems to match the
graffiti that also appeared yesterday on the bench/bus stop in front of the
Church on the corner of Prince and Telegraph where they sleep. Last week, a
neighbor and I on Prince Street, below Telegraph, saw a man casing the
neighborhood in the late afternoon, he was walking up
and down peopleÕs driveways eventually walking quickly towards Wheeler. The
neighbor I was walking with, spoke to a beat officer, but it was already too
late, because the guy had taken off too quickly to be spotted. I have also seen several
young guys walking to and from the Halcyon Commons park
late at night this past couple of weeks; they seem to be coming from the park
and walking towards Telegraph and making noise on their way etc. Overall it
seems there has just been an increase in these types of things lately, seeing
more graffiti, homeless, and odd foot traffic in the neighborhood. Especially
now that UC Berkeley is back in session, maybe there has just been more
activity in general around town. So I wanted to send you a note, hoping you can
just send some information out to the Halcyon neighborhood about these things
that we need to pay attention to in order to keep our neighborhood clean/safe/quiet,
etc.Ķ
EditorÕs note: HNAÕs neighborhood watch is in transition given Dawn
TrygstadÕs RubinÕs retirement as HNAÕs Neighborhood Watch coordinator (Dawn
remains active in crime watch as she works to expand community policing along
the Berkeley/Oakland Shattuck corridor). Please get involved if you want our
ongoing Neighborhood Watch to stay strong! Email halcyon92@gmail.com if youÕd like to join
our Yahoo listserv focused on neighborhood watch and night-time
safety walks (you must include your
full address and phone number to receive an invitation so we can be sure that
all participants are trusted neighbors). Also, be sure to report any and all
suspicious behavior. If you feel uncomfortable or get a bad gut feeling, call! And note that Halcyon Commons closes at 10 p.m.; anyone in the park
after that hour can be asked to move by the police. As we were told long ago by Sergeant Cliff Romig, the
philosophy of the Berkeley Police Department is ŌYour level of tolerance will
dictate our level of enforcement.Ķ If something is making you uncomfortable,
itÕs up to you to be the squeaky wheel that makes the calls that then get the
attention of our beat officers and results in more frequent patrols.
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3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 2/16 & 3/2, 8:15-9 a.m.
EditorÕs note: Marketing Team Leader Jim Hallock at Whole Foods Market
sent the following notice about three follow-up meetings planned Ōto directly
address noise levels, to brainstorm, and to keep interested neighbors apprised
of our noise abatement action plan and any other issues that ariseĶ (one
of the meetings has already taken place). Neighbors interested in tracking
noise abatement issues are especially encouraged to attend, though those with
other issues are also welcome. This is also a chance to meet new Store Team
Leader Melody Mestemacher, who will be overseeing a store remodel that will be
taking place later in the year (details to come)! Thanks 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 8:15 a.m. - 9 a.m. on Wednesday 2/16 and 3/2.
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. Useful Emergency Preparedness Link: Video
on Continuous Chest Compression CPR (a Simpler Alternative to Standard CPR)
EditorÕs note: IÕm repeating this link because this is such useful and
potentially life-saving information, and much
easier to perform than standard CPR.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcbgpiKyUbs&feature=player_embedded
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5. HNA Dates for Remainder of 2011 up at http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org/#Calendar!
EditorÕs note: Your participation is what keeps our neighborhood safer,
better cared for, and more convivial, so please plan on jotting the dates of
interest on your calendar now. Making our shared neighborhood a priority in
your planning will directly help improve your quality of life here! The link is
http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org/#Calendar
and we will update the list when there are changes. Thanks to Bruce Wicinas for
helping get the calendar up as well as for work on the website as a whole.
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6. Upcoming Adeline/Shattuck Issues on ZAB
Agenda for Thursday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
EditorÕs note: The following item is from Fulton Street neighbor Lisa
BullwinkelÕs FRNA list. Check out the City of BerkeleyÕs website at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/zoning/
for more information.
ŌThere are 3 issues at the Zoning
Adjustments Board (ZAB) on Thursday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, 2134
MLK that relate to our neighborhood. If you can go, great!
1. To allow retail sales of beer
and wine for off-site consumption at WalgreenÕs.
2. To install an ATM inside the
liquor store at 3027 Adeline.
3. To establish a music and dance
studio with artist residency and office at 3023 Shattuck.
If they all go through we can get
enough money to get drunk and dance and play music all night!Ķ
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7. Free Mulch Available from the City of
Berkeley, February through October
EditorÕs note: Councilmember Max AndersonÕs office passed on the following information. (Remember that the yard waste we send off in our green bins comes back to the City in the form of compost!)
Free compost!
City of BerkeleyÕs Parks Recreation & Waterfront, Marina Division & Public Works
Berkeley residents only
Location: Berkeley Marina (Marina Blvd. across from the Doubletree Hotel
*(please note the new location)
Time & date: The last Saturday of each month
February through October 2011
(except for July, which will be on the 3rd Saturday due to the Kite festival)
*(please note the new day)
2/26, 3/26 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/23, 8/27, 9/24, 10/29 Weather permitting!
Time: Starting at 8:00 a.m. and lasting until the compost is gone
Pick-ups may load no higher than the lip of their bed & must tarp their loads.
Self-serve: Please bring your shovels, containers and safety gear
First come, first served.
For more information or rain cancellations, call the Berkeley Marina office at (510) 981-6740.
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8. Message from
Councilmember Worthington on Parking Enforcement Near Alta Bates & Other
Parking Matters
Dear Halcyon
folks:
The City
of Berkeley is working on a pilot project around Alta Bates Hospital to improve
consistency of parking enforcement, by addressing the practice whereby some
people wipe the chalk marks off their tires and park all day while working,
irrespective of the posted parking time limits. Implementation of the LPR
project will probably begin approximately around the end of March. To prepare
for this, additional Info Technology needs for data storage and analysis are
being addressed, including a new server and additional software, which are
currently in the works.
On the
Way (someday)
I am
firmly committed to getting the City to allow online purchases of Parking permits. This may involve a February City Council
item depending on the City Manager response. For many years IÕve initiated
proposals to expand information and services available online, because it makes
the City more accessible and usually also saves us money. This is one more
obvious step that we need to take.
We have
been asked to look at other parking changes so we are currently putting info
together. We are researching the costs, benefits, and operational issues
involved in considering increasing the number of one-day passes as well as
allowing exchanges of unused permits. Will update you in a few weeks when we
get those estimates.
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. Link to Article
on Massage Parlor Prostitution on Woolsey Street
http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_17086806?nclick_check=1
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10. Link to Current
Free CERT/Disaster Preparedness Trainings from City
EditorÕs note: These informative free trainings
fill early, so check out the list for February/March now and sign up. The more
of us who are trained, the better weÕll be able to respond to a big earthquake.
http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=57314
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11. Tips to Prevent
Car Break-ins
EditorÕs note: These tips are from the BPD Area 1 Coordinator. Given that
we have periodic waves of car break-ins in our neighborhood, weÕd be wise to
follow these sensible precautions to reduce the chances that our neighborhood
will be a repeat target (thieves return to streets where theyÕve been
successful in the past). And donÕt forget to call the police when you notice
anyone casing cars, night or day.
ŌAlthough it may sound sensible [to
avoid leaving valuables in your car], many people continue to leave valuable
items inside their parked vehicles. Items most commonly stolen include GPS
units, MP3 players, cellular phones, backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, laptop
bags, wallets, and purses. If you must leave valuables inside your car, place
the items out of sight before you
park your car. If a crook is ÔcasingÕ an area for persons parking and sees you
pack/hide your valuables under your seat or inside your trunk, it will clue
them in that you have something to hide and that they should target your
vehicle.Ķ
Leave no signs of your valuables.
Although they may not be the
actual valuable item, leaving charging cradles from MP3 players or loose change
in the car may also attract a crookÕs attention.
Try to park in busy, well-lit areas.
Auto burglars prefer breaking into
cars where they will not be observed or attract notice. Rather than parking in
areas where there is little or no one around, try to park in areas where there
is lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Secure your vehicle.
Always make sure you lock your
vehicle — even if you think you will only be away for a few minutes. Every week, community members report
thefts from their vehicles to the Berkeley Police Department where they did not
have their doors locked or they left a window open. Crooks can be as slippery
as water — and they too follow the path of least resistance. A crook
would much rather burglarize an unlocked vehicle than have to figure out a way
to break into one.
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12. Mark Your
Calendars: Big Work Party in Park and Surrounding Neighborhood, Sat., March 5,
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
EditorÕs note: 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. We also hope to do litter pickup and graffiti removal in
the larger neighbor, but only if a
neighbor (or two or three) steps forward to lead out a student crew (or crews)
for an hour (or two or three). Please email halcyon92@gmail.com
if youÕre able to take a crew out into the larger neighborhood. If you can help
weed or mulch, just show up at Halcyon Commons. Coffee courtesy of Mokka Caf and
refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market will keep us well fueled!
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