HNA News: Fireworks Illegal, Crime Watch Reports, CERT Classes, Etc.

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

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In This Newsletter

1. Fourth of July Fireworks Notice (Fireworks Prohibited in Berkeley)

2. Crime Watch Report: Garbage Can Theft

3. Crime Watch Report:  Tire Slashing

4. Crime Watch Report: JVC Car Stereo Found on Deakin Street

5. Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) Summer Classes

6. Neighborhood Trees: Managing Fire Blight on Ornamental Pears

7. More on Kitchen Table Democracy

8. Transportation Needs in South/West Berkeley, Meeting July 20, 7 p.m.

9. Request from Black & White Liquors

Please note the first item about fireworks being prohibited in Berkeley. Judging by past years around the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve, there are plenty of folks in the neighborhood setting them off despite this! Given how hard they are on many dogs and cats in the neighborhood, as well as on people who've been through war zones, many of us would appreciate it if you kept them to a minimum in any case!

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

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1. Fourth of July Fireworks Notice (Fireworks Prohibited in Berkeley)

Dear Community Members:

 

The Fourth of July is upon us, and we wish everyone a safe and fun-filled day. Please note that all fireworks, including those labeled " safe and sane," are prohibited in the City of Berkeley.

 

Carol Lopes, Associate Management Analyst

City of Berkeley/Fire/OES
2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-5576
(510) 981-5579

www.cityofberkeley.info

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2. Crime Watch Report: Garbage Can Theft

A neighbor from Deakin Street reports:

"Someone has stolen our garbage can!  And after we washed the graffiti off!"

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3. Crime Watch Report:  Tire Slashing

A neighbor from Halcyon Court reports:

"My rear tire was slashed on Sunday night [June 25, 2006].  The car was parked in our off-street spot on Halcyon Court. I have driven these tires less than 100 miles :-(   Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else has reported tire slashings."

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4. Crime Watch Report: JVC Car Stereo Found on Deakin Street

A Deakin Street neighbor reports:

"I wanted to write that a JVC car stereo (model KS-F100), which looks like a radio and cassette player, along with speakers and an empty face plate box, showed up outside our building last night during recycling. I was thinking maybe someone's radio was recently stolen from their car.  I put it over by the side of the big trash can in front of 3024 Deakin St.  Wanted to pass info on just in case."

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5. Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) Summer Classes              

Disaster First Aid

Saturday, July 8, 9:00-12:00                   
997 Cedar Street

Basic Emergency Preparedness
Two sessions are being offered; please register for morning or afternoon.
Saturday, July 29, 10:00-12:00

Saturday, July 29, 1:30-3:30

997 Cedar Street       

Disaster Mental Health

Saturday, August 5, 9:00-12:00

997 Cedar Street                               

Light Search & Rescue
Saturday, August 12, 9:00-1:00

997 Cedar Street

Fire Suppression

Saturday, August 26, 9:00-12:00                                           

Berkeley Marina, 201 University Ave.                                   

Classes are open to everyone who lives or works in Berkeley.

Call Dory Ehrlich at 510-981-5506 for more information.

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6. Neighborhood Trees: Managing Fire Blight on Ornamental Pears

A neighbor from Webster Street writes:

"Another note on the trees. . . . Many of the trees that were planted in the neighborhood were ornamental pears, which are susceptible to a disease called "fire blight," which can look like water stress. Usually the leaves wither and turn brown or black in discrete patches throughout the tree crown.  Fire blight is VERY contagious, so a lot of the Webster/Deakin trees have suffered from it. Our pears had it for a couple of years, but we managed the disease, and now the trees are doing great. The best thing to do if your pear gets fire blight is to prune off the diseased branch well back from the blackened part. Soak your pruning shears in a weak bleach solution (say, 10%) for 60 seconds between cuts to prevent the spread of the disease to the rest of the tree. Wash the shears off thoroughly with soap when you're done, since the bleach can corrode them."

There are plenty of good sites describing fire blight in pears on the web, here's an example:

 http://extension.usu.edu/files/factsheets/Disease%20027%20UPDC%20Fire%20blight.PDF

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7. More on Kitchen Table Democracy

Kitchen Table Democracy is a website that offers a chance to vote on issues affecting Berkeley and coming before city government. For more information, see the following article.

Berkeley Daily Planet, June 13-15, 2006,  "Kitchen Table Democracy Cooks Up Civic Participation"

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=06-13-06&storyID=24378

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8. Transportation Needs in South/West Berkeley, Meeting July 20, 7 p.m.

What: Community Meeting: Help Identify Priority Transportation Needs In South/West Berkeley

Where: South Berkeley Senior Center at 2939 Ellis Street (at Ashby), Berkeley, CA. Ph. (510) 981-5170.

When: July 20, 2006 at 7 p.m.

Transit Access: Approximately 3 blocks from Ashby BART and close to AC Transit Lines.

Parking: No parking available on-site.

Special Need requests (e.g. access for the disabled): Please contact Ted Heyd, Design, Community, and Environment, Phone: (510) 647-1189 (extension 349).

General Questions: Please contact Ted Heyd, Design, Community, and Environment, Phone: (510) 647-1189 (extension 349).

Come help identify the transportation issues that are most important to you and develop solutions to improve transportation in your community.

South/West Berkeley has been selected as one of four areas in Alameda County to complete a Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP). The purpose of the overall CBTP program, which is sponsored by the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), is to work with communities to identify transportation system gaps at the local level, to establish a set of a locally-based solutions that will address those gaps, and to develop a CBTP document that provides a framework for implementing identified solutions. To share your input and ideas as part of this unique planning process, please attend an evening community meeting on July 20, 2006 at the Berkeley Transportation Commission meeting.

The meeting will consist of a brief overview of the CBTP program, an introduction to the south/west Berkeley study area, and an opportunity for public comment and discussion focused on transportation system gaps and potential solutions. Based on other CBTP community meeting, issues that may be discussed at the July 20 meeting include, but are not limited to, access to BART, schedules of AC Transit lines, and pedestrian safety. Transportation solutions that other communities have identified through the CBTP planning process include but are not limited to refined or improved fixed route bus service, vanpools, subsidized transit, installation of bicycle racks or lockers, and car-sharing.

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9. Request from Black & White Liquors

The following correspondence was received from Richard Warren, attorney for Sucha Banger, owner of Black & White Liquors:

Dear Neighbors of Black & White Liquors:

 

I am writing to you because I had your e-mail addresses from correspondence we exchanged in connection with the City's nuisance proceedings against Black & White Liquors.  Sucha Banger, owner and operator of Black & White Liquors, wants to ensure that he complies fully with the conditions now governing Black & White Liquors.

 

To do this he needs the help of the neighbors. Condition 9 requires that Black & White Liquors refuse to sell any product or provide service to persons who (1) loiters or drinks alcoholic beverages in the vicinity of Black & White Liquors, (2) creates loud noises in connection with his or her patronage of the store, (3) aggressively panhandles or harasses the public or passers-by, (4) litters on public or private property, (5) buys or attempts to buy alcoholic beverages while obviously intoxicated, (6) defecates or urinates on public or private property, or (7) commits any other disturbance.  As a practical matter, Mr. Banger and his employees can only control the bad actions that they observe. Many activities that bother the neighbors may occur without any awareness on the part of Mr. Banger or his employees.

 

Therefore, Mr. Banger asks you to get the word out to his neighbors to help him identify those persons who actions fall within the prohibited activities. If any of them is experiencing a problem with someone they believe is a patron of Black & White Liquors, we ask them to identify to Mr. Banger or his employees who that person is and then Mr. Banger can refuse that person service.

 

Many thanks for your assistance in getting word of this request to your members and to the neighbors of Black & White Liquors.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Rick Warren

 

Richard D. Warren

Attorney, Mediator and Arbitrator

929 Fresno Avenue

Berkeley, CA 94707-2304

Tel:   510.528.4423

Fax:  510.528.1123

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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, including community-building potlucks, greening projects, disaster preparedness meetings, and work parties in Halcyon Commons Park. 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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