Halcyon Neighborhood Association Home; Berkeley, CA

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 6/2/10

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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. Halcyon Garden Potluck Party, This SUNDAY, June 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

2. Neighborhood Disaster Prep Follow-up Meeting, Monday, June 28, 7-8:30 p.m.

3. Two Small Steps toward Greater Personal Disaster Preparedness

4. Crime Watch Update: Car Break-ins on Prince Street

5. Free Monthly Tai Chi Practice in the Park, Sunday, June 27, 11 a.m.

6. Berkeley World Music Festival, This Saturday, June 5, Noon to 9 p.m., on Telegraph Avenue

7. Buckle Up Enforcement Increasing: BPD Press Release

8. For Parents with Small Children: Link to Article on the Ten Biggest Choking Hazards

9. BORP Fitness Center Update: Satellite Classes Plus Facebook Page

10. 2000 Block of Prince Annual Block Party, Saturday, June 12, Noon to 5 p.m.

Editor’s Introductory Note:

Many thanks to the thirty-nine neighbors who turned out for our Halcyon Neighborhood disaster preparedness drill on one of the most beautiful afternoons of the spring, when there were plenty of other temptations. Extra special thanks to HNA’s Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Trygstad Rubin and members of HNA’s Disaster Preparedness Committee for organizing a very successful drill. We plan to continue to improve our level of neighborhood disaster preparedness (see items 2 and 3), and hope everyone receiving this will help us keep moving step-by-step toward that goal! And remember that one of the important ingredients of the neighborhood aspect of disaster preparedness is getting to know your neighbors, including those who live a block or two away. A great opportunity for this will be Sunday’s community potluck (see item 1). We hope to see you there!

Happy voting next Tuesday, June 8 (if you haven’t already mailed in your ballot)!

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

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1. Halcyon Garden Potluck Party, This SUNDAY, June 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Halcyon Garden Potluck Party

Sunday (NOT Saturday!), June 6, 5:30–7:30 p.m., 2329 Webster (near Whole Foods)

Come appreciate the spirit of our community, share neighborhood news and delicious food, and enjoy the company of your neighbors in John & Michelle’s English Garden backyard.

Potluck suggestions: Appetizer: T–Z * Main Dish: A–H * Salad: I–N * Dessert: O–S

(If not obvious, kindly attach a label with ingredients for your dish to alert those with vegetarian and other diets. If so inspired, it's really helpful if you can also bring a beverage to share. Children welcome!)

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2. Neighborhood Disaster Prep Follow-up Meeting, Monday, June 28, 7-8:30 p.m.

Neighborhood Disaster Prep Follow-up Meeting

Monday, June 28, 7-8:30 p.m. on Wheeler Street

Thanks to everyone who attended the May 23rd disaster preparedness drill! Whether or not you were able to make it, you can help us take the next steps in increasing our level of neighborhood preparedness based on what we learned from the drill. Come to the next HNA Disaster Preparedness Committee meeting at HNA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Trygstad Rubin’s house on Wheeler Street. You’ll receive the exact address when you email familyrubin@comcast.net to rsvp. Another way to participate in ongoing neighborhood disaster preparedness efforts is to get on our disaster preparedness committee listserv: Email halcyon92@gmail.comto be included.

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3. Two Small Steps toward Greater Personal Disaster Preparedness

Members of the Disaster Preparedness Committee put together a handout for the disaster preparedness drill entitled “12 Easy Steps to Increase Your Disaster Preparedness.” A one-page version of this handout is included on the back of the HNA event flyer currently being distributed door to door. In order to keep reminding everyone of these steps, each HNA E-News will include a reminder of one or two of these simple steps. Here are two really easy ones to get your started! Everyone receiving this E-News could easily take these two steps TODAY!

* Shoes: Put shoes under/near your bed (do this one TODAY!)

* Register with the City: Register with the City of Berkeley’s Emergency Notification System. Easy to do online at http://www.alertregistration.com/berkeley/

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4. Crime Watch Update: Car Break-ins on Prince Street

A Prince Street neighbor submitted the following report:

“My car, which was parked in front of my home [in the 2300 block of Prince], was broken into sometime between Sunday, May 31^st, at 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday, June 1^st, at 10:00 a.m. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that the thieves found nothing worth taking. Shows you how smart they are at selecting cars! It cost me $149 to repair the window. When I made a police report, I was told that four other cars had been broken into in this area during the same time period.”

Editor’s note: If every car break-in in our neighborhood resulted in nothing of value to take, we’d become less of a target. Unfortunately, too many of us do leave valuables in our cars, often in plain view. Car break-ins tend to come in waves, so a bit of extra vigilance could help break the current cycle: Don’t leave valuables visible in your car, call the police nonemergency number if you notice anyone suspicious appearing to case cars or homes (see our new http://www.HalcyonNeighborhood.org website for the list of useful phone numbers), and please report all crimes, large or small, to both the police and to the E-News (at halcyon92@gmail.com). Over the years, we’ve noticed an upswing in crime in the early summer, so let’s do our best to curtail it!

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5. Free Monthly Tai Chi Practice in the Park, Sunday, June 27, 11 a.m.

Free monthly Tai Chi Chih Practice

Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

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

http://www.judithschwartz.com/

[Editor’s 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.]

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6. Berkeley World Music Festival, This Saturday, June 5, Noon to 9 p.m., on Telegraph Avenue

The following announcement was on the Le Conte Neighborhood Association’s listserv:

“Le Conte Neighborhood Association has decided to help support this major local music festival. Please plan to stroll on Telegraph between noon and 9 p.m. THIS Saturday. For information on specific performers, you can go to http://www.berkeleyworldmusic.org, or call 510-684-8910. There are also links to previous performances in order for you to get a taste of what's available.”

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7. Buckle Up Enforcement Increasing: BPD Press Release

Buckle Up Day or Night: California Seat Belt Ticket increases to $142

Berkeley Police Department (BPD) officers will be looking for unbelted drivers and passengers as part of the statewide 2010 Click It or Ticket mobilization through June 6. This year, fines and fees across California have increased from $132 to $142 for first-time adult seat belt violations. For children under 16, the fine is now $445 for a first-time offense. “Keeping buckled up at all times is the simplest and most effective way to protect you and your family when you’re on the road.” said Chief Michael K. Meehan, “Our officers will be looking out for motorists who are not buckling up, and taking enforcement action.”

“Ultimately, this is about educating the public and keeping our community’s drivers and passengers safe,” he said, “Traffic safety is a priority with the Berkeley Police Department, and we hope that the awareness caused by Click it or Ticket will help save lives and reduce injuries in Berkeley.”

The Click It or Ticket campaign relies on heavy enforcement and public education as a means to save lives and reduce injuries on California’s roadways. In spite of a seat belt usage rate of over 95% statewide, there are still hundreds of thousands of motorists who fail to use their seatbelt, or insure their passengers are using their seat belts. Motorists ejected from vehicles in crashes or roll-overs are up to 35 times more likely to die than restrained occupants. More than 150 local law enforcement agencies statewide and the California Highway Patrol are participating in this year’s Click It or Ticket Mobilization.

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8. For Parents with Small Children: Link to Article on the Ten Biggest Choking Hazards

Editor’s note: While the study cited in this New York Times article is from 2008, the information is still potentially life-saving:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/25bchoke.html?emc=eta1

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9. BORP Fitness Center Update: Satellite Classes Plus Facebook Page

Editor’s note: The following announcement was received from BORP’s Fitness Director (BORP will be opening soon in the new Ed Roberts Campus):

BORP Fitness Center update: We are now offering satellite classes locally while waiting for construction to be done. Here's a link to the fitness center info on our satellite classes. Scroll down this page a bit and look for “Satellite Classes” in red. http://www.borp.org/programs/Fitness_Program.php

We now have a BORP Fitness Center Facebook page! If you are a FB user please visit, leave a post, say hello, and click on the thumbs up “like’ button. I am posting weekly fitness tips, info on instructors, and various fitness tidbits. http://www.facebook.com/pages/BORP-Fitness-Center/344041898100?v=wall

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10. 2000 Block of Prince Annual Block Party, Saturday, June 12, Noon to 5 p.m.

A Block Party is being organized by the 2000 Block of Prince Street neighbors (and our newest HNA Steering Committee member Tony Hill), Saturday, June 12, noon to 5 p.m., featuring BBQ, an art show, ice cream, snow cones, salsa lessons, music, a treasure hunt, and more. Contact Tony Hill for information, 548-2306 or thill94703@gmail.com.

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Dates set as of March 2010 (verify a couple weeks before event by checking HNA E-News):

HNA’s Halcyon Commons Disaster Prep Supply Cache contains items intended to benefit the entire neighborhood in the event of disaster (primarily first aid, search & rescue, and communications supplies plus items for command center setup in Halcyon Commons). You can help us have what we need on hand in two ways: (1) Make a financial contribution for purchasing additional supplies to HNA (not tax deductible) or to Berkeley Partners for Parks, earmarked Halcyon (BPFP
is our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, so a check through them is tax deductible); mail or drop off your check to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705. (2) Contribute any of the following items in-kind (supplies MUST be new or in EXCELLENT condition):

Police Emergency Number:
911 (from landline);
981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number to reach Berkeley emergency from a cell)
Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Link to beat maps and a list of beat officers:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/0b15b20282

In the Halcyon neighborhood: west of Fulton is Beat 10; east of Fulton is Beat 9.

Link to crime stats, Berkeley:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/42f61d76dd

Link to police bulletins:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/d1559b4b0f

Nonemergency Call Center for Public Services: Dial 311 (you will be
directed to the appropriate department) to report problems with street
lights (get the tag number off the pole), blocked storm drains, tree
branches down, etc.

Public Works Customer Service: 981-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti,
sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

To comment to the City Council, use following email addresses:
“City Clerk” clerk@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Mayor Tom Bates” Mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Linda Maio” LMaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Darryl Moore” DMoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Max Anderson” MAnderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Jesse Arreguin” JArreguin@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Laurie Capitelli” LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Susan Wengraf” SWengraf@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Kriss Worthington” KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Gordon Wozniak” GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130
MAnderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us
West side of Wheeler Street to the west (except for Woolsey between
Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170
KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
East side of Wheeler to the east (includes block of Woolsey from
Wheeler to Shattuck)

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:
Zoning Adjustments Board zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us
(It’s best if at all possible to submit your comments 10 days prior to meeting for inclusion in the advance packet to board members, but late submissions will be distributed the evening of the meeting.)

HNA is a community group dedicated to stewardship of the Halcyon Neighborhood in South Berkeley (bounded by Telegraph, Ashby, Adeline, and Woolsey). We encourage positive, proactive, partnership-oriented approaches to improving the well-being of our neighborhood, with an emphasis on the following goals:
* Community building (such as regular potlucks, special events in the park, mutual support among neighbors, and multiblock yard sales);
* Ongoing care of Halcyon Commons (a park conceived of and created by the neighbors who founded HNA) under the nonprofit umbrella provided by Berkeley Partners for Parks and in partnership with the City of Berkeley;
* Continued greening and care of the neighborhood (planting trees, cleaning litter off streets, graffiti removal, and helping maintain public landscaped features);
* Strengthening neighborhood watch (crime watch, community safety walks, emergency preparedness, and disaster supply cache);
* Networking with the larger Berkeley community (nearby neighborhood groups, neighborhood businesses, City staff, and elected officials);
* Sharing information and empowering residents to become proactive in addressing neighborhood needs and in expressing individual viewpoints regarding civic affairs (spreading news through meetings, flyers, and the HNA E-News, and providing contact information).
To fulfill these goals, HNA provides a sanctuary from partisan politics so that neighbors with diverse viewpoints feel welcome to participate. Thus, HNA only takes stands on larger issues when there is near-unanimity among neighbors. By focusing on immediate local concerns, we find we can have a greater impact and get better results from the time we invest. Guided by these principles, HNA invites neighbors who are willing to work together in a spirit of partnership to participate at whatever level makes sense for them. Opportunities for serving on our volunteer Steering Committee and project-oriented committees are available to neighbors who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work together in a nonpartisan spirit. Neighbors are invited to step forward into leadership positions defined by the work they do in accordance with HNA’s primary goals and guiding principles.

The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News: The HNA E-News forwards items of general interest to neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area of south Berkeley (HNA’s borders), including announcements about community-building potlucks, greening projects, crime watch, disaster preparedness, and work parties in Halcyon Commons park. If you’re receiving this email, you probably either signed up at a neighborhood event or a neighbor forwarded it to you. Please note that to prevent spam, HNA does not share your email address with third parties. If you wish to be removed from this list, please contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton/Halcyon Neighborhood Association at halcyon92@gmail.com. Feel free to pass the HNA E-News on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

To submit items for the newsletter: Email brief, unformatted content or links (no graphics or attachments please!) to HNA E-News Editor Nancy Carleton at halcyon92@gmail.com. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors (births, new jobs, announcements about home businesses or creative projects) are especially welcome. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the endeavor, the E-News does not include “letters to the editor” or “commentary,” but will gladly include links to such items written by neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area and published elsewhere (the
Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion). Also, please note that the E-News is typically published the second week of each month; submit your item early if it relates to a future event, and there’s a greater chance it will be included.

HNA Halcyon Safety Walk & Neighborhood Watch Listserv: For those interested in getting breaking crime-watch news, discussing ways to make our neighborhood safer, and perhaps participating in night-time and daytime safety “dog” walks (dogs not required!) to build community and serve as eyes on the street, please contact halcyon92@gmail.com indicating your interest in this listserv, and you’ll receive an invitation to join. For everyone’s safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.

HNA Disaster Preparedness Listserv: If you’re interested in helping out with neighborhood disaster preparedness, please contact halcyon92@gmail.com indicating your interest, and you’ll receive an invitation to join. For everyone’s safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.

HNA Steering Committee Listserv: If you’re interested in serving on HNA’s Steering Committee in alignment with HNA’s Guiding Principles, email halcyon92@gmail.com to indicate your interest. The Steering Committee conducts most of its business via listserv (with one or two in-person meetings annually); members agree to assist with at least one or two HNA events during the course of the year and to answer Yahoo group polls to aid in planning.

Halcyon Neighborhood Association Facebook Group: Our HNA Facebook group (http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/36acb93edf/gid=292160762499) gives neighbors fresh opportunities to network, build community, and share ideas about issues of mutual concern. Open to immediate neighbors, friends from nearby neighborhoods, and former neighbors who want to stay in touch.

HNA Blog: If you would like to view previous newsletters online (and comment via a blog format, though this is a low activity blog), please visit http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/8af94d44a8.

* Ongoing, fourth Sundays (except April)	11 a.m. - noon	Free Tai Chi Chih practice in Halcyon Commons Park, facilitated by neighbor Judith Schwartz (rain cancels)
* Saturday in March 13, 2010	9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	Work Party in Halcyon Commons & Surrounding Neighborhood with Cal students from Berkeley Project, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon Court at Prince Street)
* Saturday, April 24, 2010	10-11 a.m.	Tai Chi Chih Practice in the Park with Judith Schwartz on World Tai Chi and QiGong Day, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Saturday, May 8, 2010	9:30-12:30	Work Party in Halcyon Commons & surrounding neighborhood, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Sunday, May 23, 2010	3-5 p.m.	Disaster Prep Drill, Halcyon Commons park across from disaster prep cache
* Sunday, June 6, 2010	5:30-7:30 p.m.	Summer Community Potluck, location TBD
* Saturday, July 10, 2010	9:30-12:30 a.m.	Work Party in Halcyon Commons & surrounding neighborhood, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Tuesday, August 3, 2010	6:00 -8:30pm see detail	National Night Out Against Crime (potluck 6-7:30; safety walk, 7:30-8:30), Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Weekday afternoon in late August (date TBD)	1:30-4:30 p.m.	Weeding in Halcyon Commons & Graffiti Removal in Surrounding Neighborhood with student volunteers from UC School of Public Health, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Sunday, October 3, 2010	4:30-6:30 p.m.	Big Celebration & Potluck in park with live music, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Weekday night in October	(date/time TBD)	SNCPC Annual Meeting , Oakland Senior Center
* Sunday, October 31, 2010	time TBD	Costume parade around park for kids, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Saturday, Nov 6, 2010	9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.	Big Mulching Work Party & Graffiti Removal in surrounding neighborhood with Cal students from Berkeley Project, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)
* Sunday, December 5, 2010	4-5:30 p.m.	HNA Steering Committee meeting to set dates for 2011, 2329 Webster
* Sunday, January 23, 2011	5:30-8:45 p.m.	Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

Halcyon Neighborhood Association • Berkeley, CA
Halcyon Neighborhood Association