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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 4/4/11

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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 Editor’s introductory comments express her personal viewpoint.

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Contents

1. World Tai Chi/Qigong Day Practice in the Park, Saturday, 4/30, 10-11 a.m.

2. Yellow Emperor Acupuncture Clinic Offering Qi Gong Class, Tuesdays, 7:15-8:15 p.m.

3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 4/13 & 4/27, 8:30–9 a.m.

4. Remodel Plans at Whole Foods Market (August 2011–June 2012)

5. Email halcyon92@gmail to get on Our Disaster Preparedness and Crime Watch Listservs!

6. Update on the Pilot Berkeley Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (BNCPC) and Working Session, Tuesday, April 19

7. Film on Audrey Goodfriend Showing at La Peña, Wednesday, April 13, 7–10 p.m.

8. Ed Roberts Campus Opening Party, Sat., April 9, 1–4 p.m.

9. The Passing of a Halcyon Cat: RIP Zorro

10. Volunteers Needed: Someone to Photocopy Flyers; Flyer Distributors

11. Fitness Classes at Ed Roberts Campus: More Sign-Ups Needed!

12. Neighbor’s “12 Easy Steps to Increase Your Disaster Preparedness” on Facebook

13. From FEMA: “A Guide for Pulling Together a Disaster Preparedness Kit on a Tight Budget”

14. April Earth Month Events Sponsored by Whole Foods Market

15. Claremont Branch Library Temporary Closure

16. Link to Contribute to Toby Eagle’s Sons’ College Fund

Editor’s Introductory Note:

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. Note that although I didn’t receive any crime-watch reports in the past month, I did see broken car glass on Halcyon Court, so be aware that car break-ins are still happening, and please write in with your reports so we can keep one another informed.

Happy Spring!

—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com

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1. World Tai Chi & Qigong Day Practice in the Park, Saturday, 4/30, 10-11 a.m.

Instead of the regular Tai Chi Chih practice on fourth Sundays, this month we’ll be holding our free monthly Tai Chi Chih practice on Saturday, April 30, at 10 a.m., joining a wave of Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners and healers around the world. With the help of local schools, groups, and associations in 65 nations, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day organizes a global healing wave of mass Tai Chi and Qigong exhibitions in hundreds of cities in 65 nations spanning six continents on the last Saturday of April. Prince Street neighbor Judith Schwartz will once again be facilitating at Halcyon Commons, and she invites those who want to practice Tai Chi Chih, as well as others who wish to practice Qigong, yoga, etc., to join us in the park to be part of this worldwide wave of healing energy and chi.

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Sat. 4/30, 10–11 a.m.

Note: Rain cancels.

Halcyon Commons (Halcyon Court at Prince Street)

Refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Green tea courtesy of Mokka Café (Telegraph at Dowling).

Facilitated by Prince Street neighbor Judith Schwartz, 510-843-2062

[Editor’s Note: Judith also offers ongoing classes to teach the Tai Chi forms in her Prince Street gardens; you can contact her for more information.]

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2. Yellow Emperor Acupuncture Clinic Offering Qi Gong Class, Tuesdays, 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Editor’s note: Our neighborhood’s own sliding-scale community acupuncture clinic, Yellow Emperor, on Shattuck just south of La Peña, is offering a drop-in class on Qi Gong basics.

What: Qi Gong for Health

When: Tuesdays, 7:15–8:15 p.m.

Where: Yellow Emperor Community Acupuncture Clinic, 3111 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

Details: Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese healing art. The term Qi Gong means to exercise with emphasis on the breathing. This class offers a series of easy-to-learn exercises that integrate a variety of movements with deep, full breaths. Practicing of Qi Gong provides an immediate boost of circulation, which can reduce stress and fatigue and bring about greater mental acuity. Regular practice of Qi Gong can have long-term benefits, such as regulating metabolism and strengthening the immune system.

Cost: $10 per class on a drop-in basis

Website: http://the-yellow-emperor.com/?p=328

Phone: 510-227-4028

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3. Upcoming Drop-In Progress Meetings at Whole Foods Market, Weds., 4/13 & 4/27, 8:30–9 a.m.

Editor’s 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 during May “to directly address noise levels, to brainstorm, and to keep interested neighbors apprised of our noise abatement action plan and any other issues that arise.” Neighbors interested in tracking noise abatement and parking 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 (see also item 4 for an overview). 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

Note that Mel has 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 can’t 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 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

Jim.Hallock@wholefoods.com

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4. Remodel Plans at Whole Foods Market (August 2011–June 2012)

Editor’s note: Here is an overview of the remodel plans for the interior of Whole Foods Market scheduled to being in August. If you want further details, see item 3 for information on attending one of the bimonthly progress meetings set up to facilitate communication with neighbors.

Dear Neighbors:

Our local store in Berkeley is planning a facelift for the interior of the store, starting in August 2011. The project is slated for completion in June of 2012. The most exciting visual difference will see our Prepared Foods and Produce departments switch locations in the store, and the addition of an in-store eating area. Here are a few of the changes planned:

· Upgraded Prepared Foods department, with a much wider variety of options, including 16 hot bar options daily and 5 premium hot items daily. Expanded selections like roast beef, lamb stew, additional seafood options, a broader vegetarian selection and rice in steamers on the hot bar.

· 30-person indoor seating at 3 large community tables

· Expanded coffee bar with a register to pay for coffee bar purchases

· Fully refurbished restrooms

· Streamlined checkout process with additional elbow room for customers at the registers

· Consolidated bread and bakery area

· Consolidated dairy aisle – milk and eggs in the same area!

There are no plans for exterior building or landscaping changes at this point. Most work is scheduled for during business hours, but if there is an impact on the neighborhood for evening work we will send out alerts in advance. We will also have remodel information channels set up through email, website, Facebook and phone recordings. Our neighbors will also be invited to in-person information sessions to review the blueprints with our store management.

We know there will be an impact on our customers, and we ask in advance to bear with any inconveniences the project might cause. But we look forward to a bright, shiny and more efficient store layout for the summer of 2012!

Jim Hallock
Marketing Team Leader

Whole Foods Market Berkeley

3000 Telegraph Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94705

510.649.1333 ext. 261

Jim.Hallock@wholefoods.com

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5. Email halcyon92@gmail to get on Our Disaster Preparedness and Crime Watch Listservs!

Editor’s note: Your participation is what keeps our neighborhood safer and better prepared to prevent crime and to get ready for a big earthquake. News reports of earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand and their aftermath are sobering for those of us who also live near active faults. HNA needs additional participation on the disaster preparedness listserv (planning our early summer neighborhood drill plus discussing ways to upgrade our neighborhood disaster supply cache so it will better serve us in the event of a large earthquake on the Hayward Fault). Your participation is also needed on the crime-watch listserv (originally started to plan night-time safety “dog” walks but now broadened to allow us to share breaking crime-watch news plus discuss other ways to improve neighborhood safety); by joining this listserv, you can receive breaking crime-watch reports more quickly. 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 we’re talking to when it comes to neighborhood watch — i.e., this isn’t 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. Update on the Pilot Berkeley Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (BNCPC) and Working Session, Tuesday, April 19

Editor’s note: HNA’s former Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Trygstad Rubin, has been working hard to set this pilot project in motion. This is a chance to move give our neighborhood watch program a big boost, so please consider getting involved! Here’s Dawn’s report.

Volunteer Working Session

Tuesday, April 19, 7–8 p.m.

(Contact Dawn for location; contact information below.)

A team of people has been working diligently to plan for a test pilot project in Berkeley of the very successful data-driven community policing model used just across the border in Oakland police beat 11; it is a model based on nationally accepted best practices. For the past two years Halcyon Neighborhood has participated as the “unofficial sector 8” in the Shattuck Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (SNCPC). The SNCPC was started in 1994 as a joint effort of neighbors along the Shattuck corridor in both Berkeley and Oakland to reduce the most serious crime (frequent gunshots, violence against people, drug dealing). In the first few years, all crime (both violent and property) was reduced in Oakland police beat 11 by about 50% and continues to be about 30% lower than the surrounding Oakland beats; it is safer to live/work near Shattuck in North Oakland than near College Ave. The idea of the pilot is to try the model used by Oakland’s SNCPC here in Berkeley, to see if it would also work here, and if so what adjustments might be needed. At this point, the Berkeley Safe Neighborhood Committee (BSNC) will be sponsoring the pilot project. We have participation from several neighborhood groups, approval from the police department, and buy-in from City Manager’s office.  District 7 Councilmember Kriss Worthington has stepped forward as a big supporter, and our next step is to earn the support of other City Councilmembers. The pilot project will cover Berkeley police beats 9 & 10, which includes the Halcyon neighborhood and others nearby. Look for announcements of a community kick-off meeting in early May. For questions, more information, or, better yet, to get involved, please contact Dawn Trygstad Rubin, familyrubin@comcast.net, 510-843-3793, and plan to come to the Volunteer Working Session on April 19, 7–8 pm.

Thanks!

Dawn

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7. Film on Audrey Goodfriend Showing at La Peña, Wednesday, April 13, 7–10 p.m.

Editor’s note: Neighbor Nora Goodfriend-Koven has a family member in the news, with a premiere of a film documentary on Audrey Goodfriend coming up at our neighborhood’s own La Peña Cultural Center.

What: AUDREY (80 mins.) Light refreshments provided.

When: Wednesday, April 13, 7–10 p.m.

Where: La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

Cost: $15 to $25 Donation at the door (all proceeds from this event will go to Walden Center and School)

In this video documentary, Coleman and Shelly Romalis track Audrey Goodfriend, 90 years old in 2010, from her early years in the secular Yiddish Sholem Aleichem coop houses in the Bronx, New York, to the progressive oasis of Berkeley, California. The film tells of one woman’s lifelong experiences as an internationally oriented anarchist, and her struggles with the complex relationship between deeply held political values and personal feelings. As a founder of Walden Center and School in Berkeley, she was able to realize one of her life dreams about making an impact in this world. In this intimate portrait, Audrey, along with her family and friends, reflects on love, religion, education, and radicalism.

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8. Ed Roberts Campus Opening Party, Sat., April 9, 1–4 p.m.

Editor’s note: Halcyon neighbor Caleb Dardick, who worked on the project as a consultant, sent the following announcement.

Dear Neighbors:

I am so pleased to invite you to the Grand Opening of the Ed Roberts Campus (ERC)! As many of you know, I have been involved with the ERC since Ed died in 1995. This opening is especially sweet for me personally as I have organized the premier exhibition of my father’s, Sam Dardick’s, drawings as part of the opening. I hope to see you there on April 9th for the long-awaited opening of the ERC.

Best,

Caleb

Ed Roberts Campus Opening Party

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Ribbon-cutting 1:00 p.m.

Open House and Refreshments 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

At the ERC – 3075 Adeline, Berkeley, California

(at the Ashby BART Station)

http://www.edrobertscampus.org

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9. The Passing of a Halcyon Cat: RIP Zorro

Editor’s note: HNA Co-Chair John Steere and his wife Michelle sent the following announcement (along with some memories I shared with them).

Our 13-year-old tabby, Zorro, the mascot and feline ambassador of the Halcyon, left his beloved neighborhood yesterday. He had been ambling about since 1998, escorting scores of neighbors home and staying with them — sometimes for weeks at a time. He was the familiar to our neighbors even more that to us . . . and kept up his ramblin’-man ways almost until the end . . . but came home at last in mid-March to retire. He died quietly on the front porch. See Nancy’s story about him below.

“As I told you when I was there, I well remember the day of the photo shoot with Cinnabar, Kriss, and Zorro [in 2002]. Zorro, of course, was fearless where dogs were concerned, and Cinnabar was always respectful of cats, so it mostly worked very smoothly (what other cat would accept going into a neighbor's home to have his photo taken with another household's dog?). The hardest part of getting the photo was encouraging Cinnabar to get close enough to Zorro so they’d both be in the photo with Kriss; I’d trained him not to frighten cats, so he wanted to sit several feet away. But it all worked out with Kriss in between, and I got several shots. . . . Zorro’s fame spread far and wide, as he well deserved, with the campaign piece reaching many thousands of households.

“The other anecdote concerning Zorro and dogs has to do with him and Ginger. Ginger was a very predatory dog in her youth, loving to chase cats and squirrels. The talks I’d given to Cinnabar (“That's a kitty spirit; that’s a squirrel spirit; that’s a raccoon spirit — be gentle with them”), which had led him to be very gentle with other animals, didn’t impress Ginger in the least. Her drive was pure instinct. So I’d really have to hold her back whenever we passed a cat. One day, as we were setting out on our walk along Halcyon, we came across Zorro. Unlike other cats, who quickly picked up on Ginger’s vibe and bolted, Zorro stood his ground. His very posture seemed to say, ‘You seem to be mistaking me for prey, but I’m a predator just like you!’ His posture so conveyed the message of predator rather than prey that Ginger stopped in her tracks, and she always gave Zorro respect from that point onward.”

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10. Volunteers Needed: Someone to Photocopy Flyers; Flyer Distributors

Editor’s note: Here are two simple ways to help the neighborhood. Please email halcyon92@gmail.com if you’re willing to help.

Photocopy volunteer needed: From time to time, longtime volunteers need to move on to other endeavors, or even move out of the neighborhood altogether. We need to find a replacement volunteer or two to take on the task of photocopying our neighborhood flyers four or five times a year (or a couple of people to share the responsibility). What would be ideal would be someone whose home business or place of employment would be willing to donate the photocopying (around 860 double-sided copies; HNA will supply the paper), but we have some funds available for reimbursing you if the only way to get it done is via a photocopy store. The job also includes dividing the copies into a couple of dozen packets (which then go to an existing volunteer, who drops them off to flyer distributors.

Flyer distributors and alternates: We could use a few more regular flyer distributors (task is to cover a stretch within the larger neighborhood around five times a year — typically takes a half hour or less), plus some alternates (alternates fill in occasionally when one of our regular distributors is out of town when the flyer comes out).

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11. Fitness Classes at Ed Roberts Campus: More Sign-Ups Needed!

Editor’s note: Wouldn’t it be great if there were wonderful health and fitness classes available within easy walking distance? Turns out there are, at the new Ed Roberts Campus. A Prince Street neighbor submitted the following appeal for more sign-ups for classes so they’ll keep offering them!

“We began taking a wonderful Pilates class at the new Ed Roberts Center in February. Apparently this new Fitness Center, which is open to everyone, has not been publicized enough to attract sign-ups.  While we would love to see the Monday Pilates at 12:30 continue, there are many great classes that our neighbors might wish to know about — all inexpensive, some free. There is a schedule at the center and the website is http://www.borp.org. Phone: 510-849-4663 x 1319.  It seems that if signups don’t happen, the fitness classes will slowly fade away.”

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12. Neighbor’s “12 Easy Steps to Increase Your Disaster Preparedness” on Facebook

Editor’s note: HNA Steering Committee member Susan Snyder posted the flyer she created for last year’s disaster preparedness drill on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/notes/susan-snyder/12-easy-steps-to-increase-your-disaster-preparedness/10150442950650570. (And if you’re on Facebook but haven’t yet joined the HNA Facebook group, please send a request to join to http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499

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13. From FEMA: “A Guide for Pulling Together a Disaster Preparedness Kit on a Tight Budget”

Editor’s note: A member of the Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Neighborhood Network shared the following information and link.

FEMA asks: How do you stay prepared on a budget? The economic downturn has made staying prepared more difficult in recent years. Fortunately, many Americans have found creative and inexpensive ways to be ready in case of an emergency. FEMA asks, what steps have you taken to stay prepared on a budget?

We are looking for items and their uses, tips, stories, and good practices. What items do you keep in your home, car, or workspace that help you stay prepared? Have you been involved in a disaster and found a particular yet inexpensive item especially useful? Are there inexpensive ways that help you fulfill the Ready.gov recommendations (http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html) for a preparedness kit?

To help you get started thinking of ideas, we have provided an example guide at

http://www.citizencorps.gov/downloads/pdf/Disaster%20Kit%20on%20a%20Dime.pdf for preparing on a budget from the Seattle Red Cross, the Everett Office of Emergency Management, and ReadyCorps. Before April 30, 2011, please send your suggestions to citizencorps@40dhs.gov and put “Preparing on a Budget” in the subject line. We look forward to reading your ideas and examples!

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14. April Earth Month Events Sponsored by Whole Foods Market

Editor’s note: The following list was forwarded to us by Jim Hallock at Whole Foods Market. The first of the month’s Earth-oriented events took place this past Saturday at the e-Cycling event for electronics. As Jim reports it, “We collected about 24 pallets, or 12,000 lbs. of computers, monitors, TVs and gadgets. Our thanks to the community for recycling in this responsible way.” What a great event!

Earth Month 2011 Activities at Whole Foods Market Berkeley

For us, every day is Earth Day. But once a year we take special note of Earth Day on April 22
and turn it into Earth Month. Please join us at one or all of these Earth Month activities!

April 5    Movie Sponsorship: Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Meet writer/director Joe Cross at the store between 11a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 5, and then come to the Elmwood Theater that evening at 7 p.m. for a showing of how Joe became a new man through his juice diet.

April 9    Movie Sponsorship: Queen of the Sun: What the Bees are Telling Us

With the current Colony Collapse Disorder affecting honeybees, we are facing a state of emergency. Stars Michael Pollan and Vandana Shiva, at the Elmwood Theater Friday, April 9 at 7 p.m.

April 16  Berkeley’s Bay Festival, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Join us for hands-on environmental education and science exhibits, boat rides, great food and music, and help clean up Berkeley’s Shorebird Park and Marina. A full day of fun on the Bay!

April 21  Earth Day Spring Cleaning Fair, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Are you staying green while you clean? Did you know one area that contains the nation’s most polluted air is inside the home, due to household cleaners? If you’re looking for something strong enough to do the job but safe enough for your home, stop by our Spring Cleaning Fair and talk to our knowledgeable vendors and experts about cleaning your home safely.

April 22  Earth Day!

Free seedlings to the first 500 customers who spend $25 or more. Free re-useable shopping bags to the first 1000 customers who bring in their plastic bags to recycle. Visit our recycling table and learn what’s compostable and which plastics you can recycle in Berkeley. Remember to do your part to protect our planet!

April 23  Earth Day Festival at Berkeley’s Civic Center, 12 noon – 5 p.m.

Join us for a day of celebration of Earth Day with music, dance, theater, Farmer’s Market and sustainable living exhibits.

Remember — every day is Earth Day!

Jim Hallock

Marketing Team Leader

Whole Foods Market Berkeley

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15. Claremont Branch Library Temporary Closure

Editor’s note: From the City of Berkeley.

Claremont Branch Library Temporary Closure for Renovations and New Construction:

Beginning Monday, April 4, 2011, the Claremont Branch will be closed for approximately 9 to 12 months.  Library BranchVan service will begin on Monday, April 11 on Garber Street at College Avenue, adjacent to St. John’s Presbyterian Church. Check out the Library’s Branch Construction Projects webpage or pick up a Claremont Branch Temporary Closure Guide for more service information during the temporary closure that includes the BranchVan and children’s storytime schedules. This is a momentous occasion for the Berkeley Public Library and all of us in the City of Berkeley. We extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone for their support of Measure FF and, since that time, participation in the design process which has brought us to this milestone. The Library will continue to post project information and updates on its website at http://wwww.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/branchimprovements and hopes to see you at the Claremont Branch Library grand re-opening slated for early 2012.  We look forward to bringing you a current code compliant, seismically safe, fully accessible green building with more public space, a new picture book alcove, a new teen room, and more seats, computers, and electrical outlets.

For more information call 510-981.6195.

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16. Link to Contribute to Toby Eagle’s Sons’ College Fund

Editor’s note: Last month, we learned the sad news that Ann Strong’s son, Toby Eagle, who grew up in our neighborhood, was shot to death at his home in central Berkeley (see http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/03/10/family-wonders-why-toby-eagle-was-slain/#comments). A college fund for Toby’s sons, Tobias, 10, and Julian, 7, has been set up by one of Ann Strong’s co-workers. Visit http://www.tobiasandjulian.blogspot.com/ if you’d like to contribute.

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