HNA News: Disaster Prep/Steering Comm. date CHANGED to 3/4; City Council to hear BAPAC Proposals Tuesday 1/30; etc.

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

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Items appearing in the HNA E-Newsletter are deemed to be of general interest to neighbors but do not necessarily reflect the views of Halcyon Neighborhood Association, its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

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1. City Council to Hear Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition (BAPAC) Proposals Tues. Jan. 30

2. Disaster Preparedness Supply Cache Meeting, Sunday, March 4, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

3. HNA Steering Committee Meeting, Sunday, March 4, 5:20-6:00 p.m.

4. Neighborhood Alert: Webster Street Apartments Canvassed for Donations to Questionable School Groups

Thanks to everyone who helped make HNA's Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck last weekend such a success. The food and company were wonderful! And welcome to neighbors who have joined the E-Newsletter list recently. Special thanks to hosts Tory Finn, Bruce Wicinas & Noriko, Susan Hunter & Candice, and John and Michelle Thelen-Steere -  as well as to everyone who helped distribute flyers and the fifty-plus folks who attended at least one of the courses and brought delicious food to share.

Special note to those who attended the potluck and took a flyer about the meetings originally scheduled for February 4. I can't quite believe we once again made the mistake of scheduling something on Superbowl Sunday, which seems to be one of those secular holidays it's best not to intrude upon! Both meetings (see items 2 and 3 below) have been rescheduled to Sunday, March 4. Please update your calendars! A revised flyer will be forthcoming.

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

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1. City Council to Hear Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition (BAPAC) Proposals Tues., Jan. 30

HNA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Rubin has been involved with the Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition (BAPAC) and sends the following request:

"We need as many people as possible to go to the City Council meeting this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. (Old City Hall on Milvia across from Civic Center Park). We don't need people to speak, but we do need warm bodies so that the Council can see that lots of voters want reasonable alcohol regulation for the health and safety of everyone in Berkeley. If you only go to one meeting all year, in my opinion this should be it!

The City Council will be discussing the proposals that BAPAC has been working on for almost five years. The idea is to enact legislation to allow the City to be proactive in preventing alcohol problems, while still allowing reasonable alcohol sales and use. Currently, the only ways to deal with problem alcohol outlets are police actions and the nuisance procedure through the Zoning Adjustment Board.  While these tools have been better than nothing, using them takes about two years plus hundreds of hours of community volunteer time and is very costly in staff time. Because of the cost and time, it is only feasible to use the nuisance procedure in the most egregious cases. There is no tool in existence now for the City to deal with issues before they become major public health hazards - most of the liquor outlets are "grandfathered" in and the City can't do anything.

Two BAPAC items are on the City Council agenda: The City Manager's Recommendations and the Community Health Commission's:

Item 25: BAPAC Proposals Concerning Additional Alcohol Regulations
(From: City Manager)

Item 26: BAPAC Proposals Concerning Additional Alcohol Regulations

(From: Community Health Commission)

For details:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/2007citycouncil/packet/013007/01-30a.htm

Feel free to contact me with questions and/or to RSVP that you will be going to the meeting:  Dawn Trygstad Rubin <familyrubin@comcast.net> or 510-843-6306."

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2. Disaster Preparedness Supply Cache Meeting, Sunday, March 4, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Our neighborhood won a Disaster Supply Cache from the City of Berkeley in November, but to use it to the fullest, we need to supplement the supplies and get better organized. Please join us for a brief meeting that can help us take the next step to get our neighborhood ready for the BIG ONE!

Sunday, March 4, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

3044-B Halcyon Court (back unit at end of driveway to south of house where supply cache is located)

This meeting is open to anyone in the territory covered by HNA (bounded by Ashby, Telegraph, Woolsey, and Adeline) who is interested in helping the neighborhood become better organized in the face of an earthquake or other major disaster. While folks who have taken the City's emergency classes are encouraged to attend, you do not have to have received prior training - just be willing to pitch in!

* We'll review what's in the Disaster Supply Cache (located at the end of the driveway at 3044 Halcyon, where we're meeting), and discuss the best ways to get the cache fully operational (i.e., obtaining batteries and gas for the generator; scheduling drill; identifying additional useful supplies).

*  We'll discuss an outline of a bare-bones emergency response plan for the larger neighborhood and consider ways to flesh it out. This will include information on how to organize an effective Incident Command System (a flexible and expandable organizational structure that will enable us to respond with maximum efficiency in the event of a disaster).

For more information, contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com>.

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3. HNA Steering Committee Meeting, Sunday, March 4, 5:20-6:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 4, 5:20-6:00 p.m.

3044-B Halcyon Court (back unit at end of driveway to south of house)

Immediately following the Disaster Prep meeting on Sunday, March 4, HNA's Steering Committee will meet briefly to set the calendar for the coming year (community-wide neighborhood watch meeting(s), work parties in the park, quarterly potlucks, National Night Out Against Crime, Steering Committee meetings, etc.). If you're interested in joining the Steering Committee (prime ingredient: willingness to work some, not just talk! - meetings are infrequent, with other business conducted by email in between meetings), please contact HNA Co-Chairs Nancy Carleton (644-0172) or John Steere (849-1969), or email<ngc2@mindspring.com>.

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4. Neighborhood Alert: Webster Street Apartments Canvassed for Donations to Questionable School Groups

A Webster Street neighbor reports:

"Our building has been canvassed twice within the past month or so by some young people with clipboards and forms in duplicate, who claim to be taking part in the "Stay in School Program" at various schools (one claimed Berkeley High, and the other's school was unknown or nonexistent). I've grilled the two young men I spoke with and asked them for information that can be left with me so that I can make a decision. They say that they can't leave any information, but if I give a donation, the form will have an 800 number on it that I can call. They claim to be under a deadline and trying to make a quota of donations. I told one of them that I've worked in the schools for over ten years and I've never heard of their program."

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The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter:  The HNA E-Newsletter forwards occasional crime watch notices as well as 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, disaster preparedness meetings, 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 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>. Feel free to pass the HNA E-Newsletter on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

To submit items for the newsletter:   Email unformatted content or links (no graphics or attachments) to HNA E-Newsletter Editor Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com>. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the endeavor, the E-Newsletter does not typically 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.

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. [The HNA Listserve is currently inactive but can be revived if enough neighbors show interest.]

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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