HNA News: Disaster Prep Comm 2/5; Transit Village Update; etc.

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

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In This Newsletter

1. Disaster Prep Subcommittee Meeting, Sunday, Feb. 5, 4-6 p.m.

2. Ashby BART Transit Village Update

3. B&W Liquors Update

4. Free Emergency Preparedness Classes in February

5. 2006 Dates for Neighborhood Events

6. Play Date List for Neighborhood Kids

Many thanks to the hosts and folks who distributed flyers - as well as all who attended -  for making our annual Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck a big success. We had a great turnout at the three stops on our culinary tour  -  and lots of fun.  In this newsletter, you'll see there are many more ways for everyone to participate over the coming year. As always, please email me at <ngc2@mindspring.com> if you have announcements or crime alerts you'd like me to pass on.

-Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-Newsletter Editor

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1. Disaster Prep Subcommittee Meeting, Sunday, Feb. 5, 4-6 p.m.

Dawn Rubin's Basement Office, 3049 Wheeler (go to right of house to back door to enter)

If you're interested in playing a leading or organizing role in strengthening our neighborhood's disaster preparedness (and following up on some of the good ideas generated at the neighborhood-wide meeting last October) either as a block captain or in some other role, please join the Disaster Prep Subcommittee meeting this coming Sunday.

Discussion will include:

* Practical next steps to move our neighborhood toward greater preparedness

* Water drum project (bulk order of 55-gallon drums)

* Organizing an effective block-by-block structure, including identifying block captains for all blocks

* Sharing information about Oakland's program and available resources through the City of Berkeley

* Brainstorming

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2. Ashby BART Transit Village Update

The following summary is from HNA Crime Watch & Disaster Prep Coordinator Dawn Rubin with some minor additions from HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton:

Next Tuesday, 2/7, Councilmember Max Anderson has put forward a second resolution on the City Council agenda  affirming the CalTrans grant application for the Ashby BART station and clarifying it in response to concerns raised in the community. Please see the recent Berkeley Daily Planet article ("Anderson Seeks to Allay Ashby BART Anxieties") for more information:  http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=01-31-06&storyID=23319

This article refers to a community meeting on the project being planned by Councilmember Anderson on February 11th. The HNA E-Newsletter will forward details about this meeting as they become available.

Neighbors have varying opinions and strong feelings about the plans for developing the Ashby BART site. Hundreds of South Berkeley residents turned out for the Transit Village Forum held on January 17, most in opposition to the project. See the Berkeley Daily Planet article "Neighbors Oppose Ashby BART Project" for an account of the forum:  http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=01-20-06&storyID=23234

Based on feedback from various neighbors, we're aware that:

        * Some neighbors support the grant application and feel that development of the parking lot at the Ashby BART station could bring long-term benefits to our community.

        * Some neighbors support some development, but are concerned about the content of the grant application and the process used to develop and submit it.
  * Some neighbors are opposed to any development at Ashby BART because they feel this neighborhood is already too dense.

        * Some neighbors don't know what to think yet, because they haven't had time to study the issue.

        * Some neighbors want the current CalTrans grant application to be  withdrawn as a sort of community a "time-out" because:
              * it includes homes up to 1/4 mile away in area described for development,
              * grant proponents claimed they had strong support in their application, yet never reached out to any local neighborhood groups of residents,
           * the South Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation named in the application to  manage grant funds is an unknown entity to most people,

                * they want full consideration of the possible risks of this grant application in light of recent California Transit Village legislation and Supreme Court rulings re eminent domain.

        * Some neighbors want time to develop community-driven process to develop consensus about what the best long-term use of that space would be.

        * Some feel that submitting a grant application with so much community opposition now risks both the chances of current approval and future approval of any subsequent application for this money which is given out by CalTrans in an annual grant process.

A coalition of people, groups, and organizations are staging a rally to request that the current CalTrans grant application be withdrawn. This rally will take place on the City Hall steps before the meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, City Hall Steps at 6:15 p.m.  They also plan to have a series of speakers at the City Council meeting, which starts a few minutes after 7:00 p.m.

If you are interested in attending the Council meeting to express your point of view, whatever it may be, please note that speakers are selected by lottery for the public comment portion of each City Council meeting (which is usually no more than half an hour total, with ten cards drawn) .  Everyone, no matter what their opinion on this issue, can submit a speaker card; their time, if their card is selected, may then be ceded to other designated speakers if so desired.

For more information:

* Contact Mayor Tom Bates, mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us, 981-7100

* Contact Councilmember Max Anderson, manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us, 981-7130

* See www.nabart.com (CalTrans grant application, history of Ashby BART, etc.)

DISCLAIMER NOTE: Halcyon Neighborhood Association does NOT have an official position on this issue. This newsletter strives to keep neighbors apprised of various events and issues affecting our neighborhood so that everyone can participate.  HNA exists to help coordinate community-building activities, including park maintenance and neighborhood cleanup, neighborhood crime watch, emergency preparedness, tree planting, community potlucks, kids' play dates, and other activities that help neighbors participate in and enjoy our community.  We strive to include all neighbors and encourage them to build positive relationships -  regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, economic status, or political persuasion.

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3. B&W Liquors Update

Here's a report from HNA Crime Watch/Disaster Prep Coordinator Dawn Rubin, who was tracking this issue for HNA:

Most of you know that the ZAB held their follow-up meeting on B&W last Thursday. The majority agreed with the owner, Mr. Sucha Banger, to drop the nuisance proceedings if he would "voluntarily" apply for a use permit with conditions (and thus apparently nullify his grandfathered rights).  I wish the ZAB had imposed much more stringent conditions than they did, especially a much earlier closing time; in my opinion, it certainly would have been justified based on past performance and the nuisance laws and public testimony. Still, I think we got as much as we could, given the reticence of many nearby neighbors to voice their complaints in public and the approach taken by Greg Daniel, the Berkeley Code Enforcement Officer and the fact that Mr. Banger's attorney was more competent than others who have worked with Berkeley liquor stores in the past.  I'm hopeful, but not yet convinced, that the standard zoning process could possibly make it easier that the nuisance process to add stricter conditions and/or shut down B&W if problems continue.  Bottom line,  we can declare victory - and remain vigilant.   Mr. Banger, the owner of B&W, is now on notice that he MUST clean up his business. It is my understanding that Mr. Banger agreed to:

* closing at 11 p.m. weeknights and midnight weekends instead of 2 a.m. every day,

*  install security cameras and additional lighting (DONE),

* not  sell fortified liquor or singles any more,

* use clear plastic branded bags,

* clean up trash in the area regularly,

* participate in crime watch and meet with neighbors at least once every two months,

* be subject to reviews at 6 and 12 months.

NOTE: The whole process  is STILL not final until the zoning use permit is complete and approved by the ZAB , hopefully at their next meeting.

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4. Free Emergency Preparedness Classes in February

Berkeley's Office of Emergency Services (OES) offers free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) to anyone who lives or works in Berkeley.  Here's the class schedule for January and February 2006. More than 1,000 Berkeley residents have taken emergency preparedness classes since Hurricane Katrina. We want to keep up the momentum. 
 

*           Saturday, February 4, 9-12 - Disaster Mental Health (997 Cedar Street)
*           Saturday, February 11, 9-12 - Disaster First Aid (997 Cedar Street)
*           Saturday, February 25, 10-12 - Neighborhood Organizing (997 Cedar Street)
 

Call 510-981-5605 or 510-981-5506 to register, or for information. You may also register on-line at  <http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html> www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html.

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5. 2006 Dates for Neighborhood Events

For those of you who like to get dates on your calendar well in advance:

Sunday, Feb. 5, 4-6 p.m., Disaster Prep. Subcommittee

        ( location 3049 Wheeler)

Sat., Mar. 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party, Halcyon Commons Park
(Halcyon at Prince; refreshments served)
Sun., Apr. 16, 5-6:30 p.m., HNA Steering Committee

        (email for details)

Spring Community Potluck (date & location to be announced)
Sat., May 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party, Halcyon Commons Park
Sun., June 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party, Halcyon Commons Park
Sun., July 9, 2-6 p.m., GALA 10th Anniversary Celebration of Halcyon Commons
     (If you'd like to help plan this gala celebration, please contact HNA Co-Chair John Steere at 849-1969.)
Tues., Aug. 1, early evening, National Night Out Against Crime
  (Potluck in park; visits from Police & Fire Departments)       

Continue to watch for the HNA E-Newsletter for more details on these upcoming events, or contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton at <ngc2@mindspring.com> or 644-0172 for details.

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6. Play Date List for Neighborhood Kids

At our fabulous Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, Dawn Rubin circulated a sign-up sheet for neighborhood kids interested in coordinating play dates.

If your child would like to participate, please email your child's name, age, address, phone, and your email contact information to Dawn Rubin <familyrubin@comcast.net> to be added to the list.

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The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter:  The HNA E-Newsletter forwards occasional crime watch notices as well as announcements about events of interest to neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area of south Berkeley. If you're receiving this email, either you signed up at a neighborhood event or a neighbor may have forwarded it to you. Please note that to prevent spam, HNA always uses bcc and does not share your email address with third parties. If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply to HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton/Halcyon Neighborhood Association <ngc2@mindspring.com>. Please feel free to pass the HNA E-Newsletter on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

HNA Listserve:  If you would like to receive messages (and participate in discussions) on the HNA Listserve, please reply to Halcyon Neighborhood Association <ngc2@mindspring.com> indicating your interest, and you will receive an invitation to join.

HNA Blog:  If you would like to view previous newsletters online (and comment via a blog format), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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