HNA News: Neighbor Sally Vaughn Passes Away; Potluck & Disaster Prep Comm. Mtg. This Sunday 3/25; 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 (HNA), its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

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Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Webster Street Neighbor Sally Vaughn Has Passed Away; Open House to Celebrate Her Life Saturday, March 24, 2-4 p.m.

2 HNA Community Potluck, This Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., 2125 Essex

3. Next Disaster Prep Committee Meeting, This Sunday, March 25, 5:00-5:55 p.m., 3049 Wheeler

4. Link to Article on Dumpster Plan as Students Vacate Apartments

5.  Watch Your I-Pod: City Alert on Personal Electronics

6.  Youth Spring Break Programs: Link

7. Old City Hall to be Dedicated as Maudelle Shirek Building, Today, Thursday, March 22, 4:30 p.m.

8. Berkeley PTA Council Presents Film Festival for Diversity, Starting This Friday

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

Sally Vaughn's passing this week (see item 1) reminded me once again of what a wonderful community we have here in this neighborhood. Like many of you, I will fondly recall the many times my path crossed Sally's when I was out walking my dogs. As a longtime positive presence in our neighborhood, Sally will be missed -- and remembered. Condolences to her family; may they find comfort in one another and in the support of their neighbors.

Many thanks to all who helped out with the big work party in Halcyon Commons Park last Saturday. We accomplished the goal of a thorough weeding and heavy mulching of the park and the three nearby landscaped barriers. The Cal student crew led by Grotius Hugo of the Berkeley Project was awesome. Whole Foods Market outdid itself in donating delicious pastries for the morning and two varieties of levash sandwiches for lunch. And excellent coffee from Mokka Cafe (3075 Telegraph at Dowling) energized those who arrived at the beginning. Thanks as well to Bob Maron of the City staff for arranging for high-quality mulch.

Hope to see many of you at the community potluck this Sunday evening (see item 2).

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

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1. Webster Street Neighbor Sally Vaughn Has Passed Away; Open House to Celebrate Her Life Saturday, March 24, 2-4 p.m.

The Vaughn family of Webster Street  sent the following announcement:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The Vaughn family is sad to report that our mother, Sally (Salty) Vaughn passed away Tuesday, March 20th, at 2:40 p.m. She died of kidney failure due to diabetes. All five of her children were in the house when she passed away, and Michael was at her bedside. She died peacefully in her sleep, in her own bed, in the house that she loved, in a neighborhood that brought her great joy. Sally lived on Webster Street since 1971. She loved and appreciated the people in the neighborhood and often commented on how fortunate she was to live among so many wonderful people. She especially enjoyed the children in the neighborhood. Immediately following her death, three of the boys who lived nearby came to her bedroom to pay their respects.

On behalf of our mother we would like to thank everyone in the neighborhood for the friendship and kindness you showed her over the years.

Sally will be laid to rest in an environmentally sensitive manner in keeping with her lifelong commitment to caring for the earth. Neighbors are invited to celebrate her life at 2318 Webster on Saturday, March 24th between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. Please feel free to drop by.

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2. HNA Community Potluck, This Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., 2125 Essex

What:   A chance to gather with neighbors over shared food

When:   Sunday, March 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where:   Edwin & Nora's house, 2125 Essex St. (between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Who:   Neighbors who live in the Ashby-Telegraph-Woolsey-Adeline quadrant are welcome, including children.

Agenda:  We'll share food and socialize for the first hour and a half, then spend an informal last half hour announcing upcoming neighborhood events and chatting about neighborhood news

Bring:  Please bring a potluck item to share. Potluck suggestions: Appetizer: G-K * Main Dish: S-Z * Salad: L-R * Dessert: A-F . If so inspired, it's really helpful if you can also bring a beverage to share.

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3. Next Disaster Prep Committee Meeting, This Sunday, March 25, 5:00-5:55 p.m., 3049 Wheeler

At our next committee meeting to discuss neighborhood disaster preparedness, we'll firm up plans for the Neighborhood Watch meeting on April 15, review a draft of a general neighborhood disaster preparedness plan, and continue working on plans to supplement our Disaster Supply Cache. Please consider joining us!

For more information about the Neighborhood Disaster Supply Cache or to sign up to participate on HNA's Disaster Preparedness Committee, contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com> or HNA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Rubin <FamilyRubin@comcast.net>.

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4. Link to Article on Dumpster Plan as Students Vacate Apartments

"UC to Clean Up After Its Students" (East Bay Daily News)

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/news/print.asp?id=20291

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5.  Watch Your I-Pod: City Alert on Personal Electronics

"Personal Electronics in Demand by Robbery Suspects" (City of Berkeley website)

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/news/print.asp?id=20294

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6.  Youth Spring Break Programs: Link

"Youth Spring Break Programs Begin! Skateboarding, Science & Arts, & Fun Camps"

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/news/print.asp?id=20293

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7. Old City Hall to be Dedicated as Maudelle Shirek Building, Today, Thursday, March 22, 4:30 p.m.

Dear community members:

We are pleased to invite you to a very special event: the dedication of the Maudelle Shirek Building.

Maudelle's influence on Berkeley and the world is immense. In her more than 60 years of activism, she has fought for seniors, civil rights, affordable housing and those with HIV/AIDS. Equally as powerful has been her effect on the hundreds of young people she encouraged to go into community service. Her influence will be felt for generations.

The City of Berkeley is proud to honor her with the renaming of the Old City Hall.

WHO:   Maudelle Shirek, community members and elected officials

WHAT:   Dedication of Maudelle Shirek Building
WHEN:   Thursday, March 22, 2007,4:30 p.m.
WHERE:  Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way

Please note that the time for the event is 4:30 and not 4:00, as went out in some previous emails. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

Mary Kay Clunies-Ross

Public Information Officer, City of Berkeley

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8. Berkeley PTA Council Presents Film Festival for Diversity, Starting This Friday

Dear LeConte Families:

You are invited to a film festival for diversity sponsored by the Berkeley PTA Council. The first film entitled "That's a Family" is being shown this
Friday at 6:30pm at Longfellow Middle School. After the movie there will be a discussion. Please note there is free dinner and childcare as well as a
raffle -- tomorrow' movie also has Spanish subtitles. Please see below for more information.

Hope to see you there!

 Berkeley PTA Council presents.

 "Friday Film Festival for Diversity 2007"

 with Spanish language subtitling offered

 March 23

 "That's a Family"

 This film for all ages explores the real world, full-range definitions of "family."

April 13

 "Crash"

Rated R, this film explores issues of race and culture from multiple perspectives.

April 27

 "Making Whiteness Visible"

 This documentary presents testimonies from white people on issues related to race.

 The Berkeley PTA Council is eager to participate in conversations about race & diversity in our schools & our community. It is our sincere hope that these films will build our collective vocabulary, inspire dialogue, and nurture understanding.

 ALL FREE including DINNER - DOOR PRIZES - FUN - CHILD CARE!!!

 All films will show at 6:30 p.m. in the Longfellow Middle School Auditorium

 1500 Derby Street (at Sacramento Avenue)

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* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

Dates set as of March 2007 (verify a few weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Sunday, March 25, 5-5:55 p.m., Disaster Preparedness Committee Meeting, 3049 Wheeler

Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, 2125 Essex

Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Monday, April 23, 7 p.m., presentation at Parks & Recreation Commission meeting re Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project, North Berkeley Senior Center

Sunday, May 6, 4:30-6 p.m., Supply Cache Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon Court and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 24, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Tuesday, August 7, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime, Potluck in Park 6-7:30 p.m., walk through larger neighborhood 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Disaster Supply Cache Fire Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Saturday, October 27, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, October 28, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (to be confirmed)

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5-8:30, Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

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* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police and Other City Departments:

Police Emergency Number:  911 (from landline) 981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number)

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Neighborhood Services Liaison Jim Hynes <jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us> 981-2493

Public Works Customer Service: 644-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti, sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry): 644-6566

Written Communication with City Council:

To comment to City Council, cut and paste the 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 Dona Spring <DSpring@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli <LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Betty Olds <BOlds@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Kriss Worthington <KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak <GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

Representatives for Our Neighborhood:

Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130

West side of Wheeler Street to west (except for Woolsey between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170

East side of Wheeler to east (includes block of Woolsey from Wheeler to Shattuck)

Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100

Zoning Adjustments Board:

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:

Zoning Adjustments Board <zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

(best 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)

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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>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. 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 (the Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).

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, though this is a relatively inactive blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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Reminder re Big Work Party in Halcyon Commons tomorrow, Sat. 3/17, Potluck 3/25, 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 (HNA), its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

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Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, This Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Please Pitch In!

2. Labyrinth Community Peace Walk, Sun., March 18, 3 p.m., Willard Middle School

3. Shattuck Corridor Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Meeting on Uptown Market, Monday, March 26, 7 p.m.

4. Councilmember Worthington's Council Item on "Making a More Manageable Move-Out"

5. Community Relations Director Irene Hegarty on UC's Efforts to Help with More Manageable Moveouts

6. Mayor's Office Announces Commission Openings for the Berkeley Housing Authority

7. HNA Community Potluck, Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., 2125 Essex

8. Berkeley Partners for Parks Workshop on Starting & Funding Community Projects, March 19, 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley Public Works Green Room

9. Halcyon Neighbor's Commentary in Berkeley Daily Planet on Term Limits for Commissioners

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

Tomorrow is our big work party in Halcyon Commons Park. If enough people show up, we'll also be able to send out crews to pick up trash in the larger neighborhood. As the saying goes: Many hands make light work! This is also a fun way to meet your neighbors. Please stop by, even if you can only stay for half an hour.

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

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1. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, This Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Please Pitch In!

Halcyon Commons Work Party with help from Cal Students with the Berkeley Project

Meet at Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon Court at Prince Street).

Refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market (Telegraph at Ashby)  and Mokka Café (3075 Telegraph).

Looks like we'll have nice weather! (Though we'll work in rain if we need to!)

Neighborhood volunteers are needed to weed & mulch alongside 15-20 Cal volunteers from the Berkeley Project. Please bring extra weeding tools if you have them (labeled with address) and wheelbarrows or recycle containers to help move mulch (we'll have extras if you don't).

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market for the donation of food and water, to Mokka Café for the donation of coffee, and to the Cal students of the Berkeley Project for volunteering their time to assist us! The more neighbors who show up, the more of the larger neighborhood we'll be able to cover with our cleanup!  We had a great time as neighbors working with student volunteers last November. Let's do it again!

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2. Labyrinth Community Peace Walk, Sun., March 18, 3 p.m., Willard Middle School

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m., Sun., March 18, Willard Middle School (Telegraph Ave. between Derby & Stuart, Berkeley). Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. Contact  info@eastbaylabyrinthproject.org, 526-7377.

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3. Shattuck Corridor Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Meeting on Uptown Market, Monday, March 26, 7 p.m.

A Wheeler Street neighbor forwarded the following notice from the North Oakland Voters Alliance listserve :

Neighborhood Meeting sponsored by the Shattuck Corridor Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) with the owner of Uptown Market - please come with your constructive ideas about how to address problems at the Market.

Where: North Oakland Senior Center, 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (MLK), enter from 58th Street between MLK and Dover Street. parking is available in the lot

When: Monday, March 26th, at 7 p.m.

Following continuing problems with Uptown Market, a meeting with the owner of the store, Toufike Hasan Abdo (not sure of the spelling) has been scheduled. He seems very concerned by the shooting a few weeks ago, among other problems, but claims he is unable to manage the constant loitering and readily apparent drug dealing that is going on in front of and next to the market. Please come to register your concerns and to make it clear to Mr. Abdo that we, as a neighborhood, want to see real change at that corner which will go a long way towards cleaning up problems along Shattuck Avenue. Please let your neighbors know about the meeting.

If you see problems at the Market or elsewhere in the neighborhood, please report them to the NCPC hotline -  655-6122 -  or at cpbeat11x@aol.com; 238-drug for drug problems, 777-3333 for OPD non-emergencies, 911 for emergencies. I hope to see you there.

Thanks,

Chris Vernon

Aileen and Dover

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4. Councilmember Worthington's Council Item on "Making a More Manageable Move-Out"

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7, which includes the part of our neighborhood from the east side of  Wheeler up to Telegraph) notified us of the following Council Item he is sponsoring on next Tuesday's Council Consent Calendar:

Making a More Manageable Move-Out

RECOMMENDATION:
That the Berkeley City Council authorize $5,000 - $10,000 as a City expenditure to encourage UC to create a trash and materials collection program to facilitate a cleaner move-out process for the end of the school year, in May 2007.

BACKGROUND:
In recent years, the City has encountered difficulties in managing waste and unwanted materials associated with the moving out process at the end of the school year.  For example, furniture, housewares and trash are often abandoned along sidewalks and street corners, prompting complaints from neighborhood residents.  Our office has in the past spent a large amount of time simply referring City staff to send out trucks, helping people directly to move items away, or requesting that landlords clean up their properties.  A better facilitated moving out process can reduce the burden on students, long-time residents, and City staff.

Ideally, this is a process that is best and most appropriately facilitated by the University during the end-of-the-semester rush.  Last year, the City paid the full cost of placing dumpsters around densely-populated student areas. Since realistically, we know that the University does not have a program in place, it is probably necessary for the City to contribute to this process to leverage UC to make these urgently needed improvements.  The clean up program could designate a drop off location where unwanted furniture and materials can be dropped off.  A central and accessible location would allow residents who are moving out to drop off or pick up used furniture and materials that would be otherwise thrown out.  This will minimize the amount of waste produced, allowing unwanted household items and furniture to be reused, as well as concentrate the unwanted items in a central pick up location.  Additionally, used computer and electronic equipment can also be collected and the City can work with the Alameda County Computer Resource Center to perform a one-day pick up/collection from the site.  The move-out program should also include targeted pick-ups, by identifying and performing general trash pick up in select residential areas.

It is important that the area covered include not only University-related housing units such as dormitories, cooperatives, fraternities, and sororities, but also residential areas with high concentrations of students.  The program should not last for just one day, but over the 7-10 day period when the vast majority of move-outs occur. 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: 
$5,000 - $10,000

CONTACT PERSON:

Councilmember Kriss Worthington

p. 510.981.7170
f.  510.981.7177

e. kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us

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5. Community Relations Director Irene Hegarty on UC's Efforts to Help with More Manageable Moveouts

Irene Hegary, U.C. Berkeley's Director of Community Relations, posted the following message on the LeConte listserve in response to Councilmember Worthington's posting on More Manageable Moveouts (see item 4):

Dear LeConte Neighbors:

I just wanted to give you a brief update on this issue: As part of the work of the Chancellor's Task Force on Student/Neighbor Relations, my office has been working on strategies to reduce the littering/dumping problem that has occurred during move-in and move-out. Ben Krupicka, one of our student interns, has met with Councilmembers Worthington & Wozniak, student leaders, UC and City staff, neighbors, and landlords to develop a comprehensive strategy, which we will roll out this spring. We are planning to produce doorhangers that will inform students of where and how to dispose of unwanted items at the end of the semester and hope to get them distributed throughout the housing areas near campus.

Councilmember Worthington's item is very timely and welcome. The campus has, in the past, paid for additional dumpsters to be placed in the student housing areas, in addition to those that the city provided.

Irene Hegarty
Director, Community Relations

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6. Mayor's Office Announces Commission Openings for the Berkeley Housing Authority

Mayor Tom Bates's Office forwarded the following posting soliciting applications for commissioners for the Berkeley Housing Authority:

 

Position description:

Mayor Tom Bates is seeking Berkeley residents to appoint to Berkeley's Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. The Mayor will appoint seven volunteer commissioners, including at least two tenants, to the Board. Appointments are finalized upon confirmation by the City Council. 

The Berkeley Housing Authority Board of Commissioners is the independent body responsible for carrying out the Housing Assistance Voucher (Section 8) and Public Housing Programs for low income Berkeley residents. Commissioners will determine how the Berkeley Housing Authority is staffed, oversee the budget, and provide oversight to ensure its programs are operated in accordance with federal guidelines.

Required qualifications:

* Live in Berkeley

*  Attend Board meetings which will be one or two evenings a month

* Serve an initial term of 1 - 4 years. Initial terms will vary among commissioner

* Demonstrated interest in providing housing to low-income residents

*  Commit to investing a significant amount of time reviewing and researching Board material

*  Solid written and communication skills

* Ability to work in a diverse environment

For more information about the Berkeley Housing Authority, please go to: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/housingauthority/

Application Process:
Applicants should send a cover letter describing their interest and a resume to:
Vicky Liu

Assistant to the Mayor

Office of Mayor Tom Bates

Phone: (510) 981-7100

vliu@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Application Deadline:
Applications are due by March 30, 2007. Late applications may be considered if position openings are still available.

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7. HNA Community Potluck, Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., 2125 Essex

What:   A chance to gather with neighbors over shared food

When:   Sunday, March 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where:   Edwin & Nora's house, 2125 Essex St. (between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Who:   Neighbors who live in the Ashby-Telegraph-Woolsey-Adeline quadrant are welcome, including children.

Agenda:  We'll share food and socialize for the first hour and a half, then spend an informal last half hour announcing upcoming neighborhood events and chatting about neighborhood news

Bring:  Please bring a potluck item to share. Potluck suggestions: Appetizer: G-K * Main Dish: S-Z * Salad: L-R * Dessert: A-F . If so inspired, it's really helpful if you can also bring a beverage to share.

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8. Berkeley Partners for Parks Workshop on Starting & Funding Community Projects, March 19, 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley Public Works Green Room

Got a dream for your community?

Come to BPFP's Starting & Funding Community Projects

7-8:30 p.m.   on March 19, 2007

Berkeley Public Works Green Room

1326 Allston (beside Strawberry Creek Park) Berkeley

Free and open to all.

If you have an idea for a great neighborhood or community project, a bit of green space, or a new recreation program, get ideas for making your dream come true at a Berkeley Partners for Parks meeting on Starting and Funding Community Projects, which will include a discussion with local grant-givers and experienced citizens’ groups. Find out about the UC Berkeley Community Partnership Grants (deadline April 30), the Northern California Grassroots Fund (deadline every quarter), and others - as well as forming partnerships, finding sponsorship, attracting volunteers, and working with agencies.

Berkeley Partners for Parks is fiscal sponsor for more than 25 citizen groups working on recreation, parks, and the environment. For more information, contact BPFP President (and HNA Co-Chair) John Steere <<jsteere@igc.org>. Or visit: http://www.bpfp.org

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9. Halcyon Neighbor's Commentary in Berkeley Daily Planet on Term Limits for Commissioners

Halcyon neighbor Nancy Carleton had a commentary published in today's Berkeley Daily Planet [Editor's Note: The commentary expresses her personal opinion and was not written in her role as Co-Chair of HNA.]

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=03-16-07&storyID=26577

More information and a variety of points of view can be found at:

"Council Passes New Rules on Commission Membership"

http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23869

"City Council Agrees to Commissioner Term Limits"

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=03-16-07&storyID=26563

and Letters to the Editor (first two letters)

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=03-16-07&storyID=26573

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* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

Dates set as of March 2007 (verify a few weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, March 25, 5-5:55 p.m., Disaster Preparedness Committee Meeting, 3049 Wheeler

Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, 2125 Essex

Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Monday, April 23, 7 p.m., presentation at Parks & Recreation Commission meeting re Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project, North Berkeley Senior Center

Sunday, May 6, 4:30-6 p.m., Supply Cache Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon Court and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 24, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Tuesday, August 7, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime, Potluck in Park 6-7:30 p.m., walk through larger neighborhood 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Disaster Supply Cache Fire Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Sunday, October 28, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (to be confirmed)

Late fall, date to be determined, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5-8:30, Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

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* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police and Other City Departments:

Police Emergency Number:  911 (from landline) 981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number)

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Neighborhood Services Liaison Jim Hynes <jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us> 981-2493

Public Works Customer Service: 644-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti, sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry): 644-6566

Written Communication with City Council:

To comment to City Council, cut and paste the 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 Dona Spring <DSpring@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli <LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Betty Olds <BOlds@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Kriss Worthington <KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak <GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

Representatives for Our Neighborhood:

Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130

West side of Wheeler Street to west (except for Woolsey between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170

East side of Wheeler to east (includes block of Woolsey from Wheeler to Shattuck)

Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100

Zoning Adjustments Board:

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:

Zoning Adjustments Board <zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

(best 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)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. 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 (the Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).

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, though this is a relatively inactive blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

* * * * * * * * * * * *

HNA News: South & West Berkeley Transportation Meeting, Thurs., Dog Found, LNA meeting Thursday, Work Party Saturday, 9-1

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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 (HNA), its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Meeting on South and West Berkeley Community-Based Transportation Plan, Thursday, March 15, 7:15 p.m., No. Berkeley Sr. Center

2.  Puppy Found on Tremont: Unneutered male, black with white on paws and face

3. LeConte Neighborhood Association Meeting, Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m., LeConte School

4. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Sat., March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

5. Labyrinth Community Peace Walk, Sun., March 18, 3 p.m., Willard Middle School

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

Here's another newsletter in short order due to recently received information on two important meetings happening this Thursday -- and also news of a lost puppy (now at the Berkeley Shelter) who only has until March 16 before he goes up for adoption.

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

* * * * * * * * * * * *

1. Meeting on South and West Berkeley Community-Based Transportation Plan, Thursday, March 15, 7:15 p.m., No. Berkeley Sr. Center

Councilmember Max Anderson's Office sent word of this upcoming meeting:

Transportation Commission Community Meeting on

South and West Berkeley Community-Based Transportation Plan

North Berkeley Senior Center, Multi-Purpose Room (1901 Hearst at MLK)

Thursday, March 15, 7:15 p.m.

Help us prioritize solutions for improving transportation in south and west Berkeley! Are you interested in safer ways to cross the street, more bus service, safer bus stops, better transportation for seniors? Your participation is encouraged at an upcoming Community Meeting at the City of Berkeley's Transportation Commission to review proposed solutions and implementation strategies that address the transportation needs identified by the south and west Berkeley community.

Your participation is critical to the success of the South and West Berkeley Community -Based Transportation Plan!

Agenda Contact:

Tamlyn Bright, Office of Transportation

981-7010

<tbright@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

* * * * * * * * * * * *

2.  Puppy Found on Tremont: Unneutered male, black with white on paws and face

A Tremont Street neighbor forwarded the following information about a puppy found without tags:

"Tremont Street kids found a puppy (probably 6 to 9 months old) on the Oakland side of Tremont on Thursday, March 8; the puppy was seen crossing Shattuck at 65th. Unneutered male, black with white on paws and face. long tail, large pointed ears. Possibly border collie/cattle dog face (maybe a McNab?). Short haired. No tags. The puppy has been taken to the Berkeley Shelter. If he is not claimed by March 16, he will be put up for adoption. Please spread the word to your neighbors."

* * * * *

3. LeConte Neighborhood Association Meeting, Thursday, March 15, 7:30-9 p.m., LeConte School

[Editor's Note: The southern reaches of LNA's traditional territory includes the area also covered by Halcyon Neighborhood Association, and our groups have a history of working together.]

LNA Meeting, March 15, 7:30-9 p.m.

LeConte School cafeteria, Russell St. entrance

Our Agenda will include:

A. "Gang tagging graffiti" at Reel Video. We will have a Berkeley Police Officer and the manager of Reel to discuss the implications of this recent situation. Also information on how to deal with local graffiti.

B. The appeal to the City Council concerning ZAB approval of the massive condos being planned for 2701 Shattuck/2100 Derby.

C. Support for residents near 2516 Ellsworth against an Administrator Use Permit allowing the increase of a 900 sq. ft. bungalow into a 3900 sq. ft., two-unit apartment building (with six bedrooms each!) The neighbors are concerned that this is a new form of overcrowded student housing.

D. Update on the "Save the Oaks"/No Building on the Hayward Fault project which passed its first 100 days recently.

E. Changes proposed for Telegraph Ave.

F. An appeal by the Phone Companies in regard to the Cell Phone Antennas at UC Storage.

G.. "Lowering" the traffic circle at Ward and Fulton.

Plus announcements and other neighborhood news.

TO ADD YOUR CONCERNS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Cheers, k

Karl Reeh,
President, LeConte Neighborhood Association

(510 843-2602)

To join LeConte Chat go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lecontechat/

* * * * * * * * * * * *

4. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Sat., March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Halcyon Commons Work Party with help from Cal Students with the Berkeley Project

Meet at Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon Court at Prince Street).

Refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market (Telegraph at Ashby)  and Mokka Café (3075 Telegraph).

We'll work in light or moderate rain if the weather so dictates!

Neighborhood volunteers are needed to weed & mulch alongside 15-20 Cal volunteers from the Berkeley Project. Please bring extra weeding tools if you have them (labeled with address) and wheelbarrows or recycle containers to help move mulch (we'll have extras if you don't).

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market for the donation of food and water, to Mokka Café for the donation of coffee, and to the Cal students of the Berkeley Project for volunteering their time to assist us! The more neighbors who show up, the more of the larger neighborhood we'll be able to cover with our cleanup!  We had a great time as neighbors working with student volunteers last November. Let's do it again!

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

5. Labyrinth Community Peace Walk, Sun., March 18, 3 p.m., Willard Middle School

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m., Sun., March 18, Willard Middle School (Telegraph Ave. between Derby & Stuart, Berkeley). Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. Contact  info@eastbaylabyrinthproject.org, 526-7377.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

Dates set as of March 2007 (verify a few weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, March 25, 5-5:55 p.m., Disaster Preparedness Committee Meeting, 3049 Wheeler

Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, 2125 Essex

Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Monday, April 23, 7 p.m., presentation at Parks & Recreation Commission meeting re Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project, North Berkeley Senior Center

Sunday, May 6, 4:30-6 p.m., Supply Cache Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon Court and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 24, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Tuesday, August 7, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime, Potluck in Park 6-7:30 p.m., walk through larger neighborhood 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Disaster Supply Cache Fire Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Sunday, October 28, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (to be confirmed)

Late fall, date to be determined, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5-8:30, Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

* * * * * * * * * * * *

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police and Other City Departments:

Police Emergency Number:  911 (from landline) 981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number)

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Neighborhood Services Liaison Jim Hynes <jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us> 981-2493

Public Works Customer Service: 644-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti, sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry): 644-6566

Written Communication with City Council:

To comment to City Council, cut and paste the 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 Dona Spring <DSpring@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli <LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Betty Olds <BOlds@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Kriss Worthington <KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak <GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

Representatives for Our Neighborhood:

Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130

West side of Wheeler Street to west (except for Woolsey between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170

East side of Wheeler to east (includes block of Woolsey from Wheeler to Shattuck)

Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100

Zoning Adjustments Board:

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:

Zoning Adjustments Board <zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

(best 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)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. 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 (the Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).

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, though this is a relatively inactive blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

* * * * * * * * * * * *

HNA News: Upcoming Neighborhood Events, Work Party, Disaster Prep, Potluck, Neighborhood Watch, etc.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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 (HNA), its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Sat., March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

2. Disaster Supply Cache Meeting Report and Neighborhood Disaster Plan in Brief

3. Berkeley Partners for Parks Workshop on Starting & Funding Community Projects, March 19, 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley Public Works Green Room

4. Halcyon Community Potluck, Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., 2125 Essex

5.  HNA's Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

6. Local Business Review: Mokka Café  (3075 Telgraph at Dowling)

7. Multi-Block Yard Sale in May or June, Anyone?

8. For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

9. City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

We're making good progress fleshing out our neighborhood's disaster preparedness plans (see item 2). Check future E-Newsletters and flyers to see how you can help out. Attending our big Neighborhood Watch meeting on April 15 is one solid step you can take (item 5). As you know, HNA keeps "talk" meetings to a minimum and focuses on action we can take in between. By attending an event just a couple of times a year, you can keep our neighborhood moving forward toward greater safety. And our work parties and potlucks (items 1, 4, and 8) help build community, which also makes for a safer, friendlier neighborhood.

In this newsletter, you'll find a review of a friendly, locally owned neighborhood business which has been supportive of HNA events (item 6). Supporting neighborhood businesses is another way to keep our community healthy and vibrant. If there's a local business you'd like to call your neighbors' attention to (including services you offer yourself), feel free to submit a review or announcement to me at <ngc2@mindspring.com>. And keep those crime watch reports, birth notices, and other news about our neighborhood coming this way!

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

* * * * * * * * * * * *

1. Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Sat., March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Halcyon Commons Work Party with help from Cal Students with the Berkeley Project

Meet at Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon Court at Prince Street).

Refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market (Telegraph at Ashby)  and Mokka Café (3075 Telegraph).

We'll work in light or moderate rain if the weather so dictates!

Neighborhood volunteers are needed to weed & mulch alongside 15-20 Cal volunteers from the Berkeley Project. Please bring extra weeding tools if you have them (labeled with address) and wheelbarrows or recycle containers to help move mulch (we'll have extras if you don't).

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market for the donation of food and water, to Mokka Café for the donation of coffee, and to the Cal students of the Berkeley Project for volunteering their time to assist us! The more neighbors who show up, the more of the larger neighborhood we'll be able to cover with our cleanup!  We had a great time as neighbors working with student volunteers last November. Let's do it again!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

2. Disaster Supply Cache Meeting Report and Neighborhood Disaster Plan in Brief

Halcyon Neighborhood Association won a Disaster Supply Cache from the City of Berkeley last November, containing items to help our neighborhood set up a command center in the event of disaster. To use it to the fullest, we need to supplement the supplies and get better organized. To this end, 13 neighbors met on March 4  and agreed to keep meeting as the HNA Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Some of the action items that came out of this meeting included:

* Getting a core group signed up to agree to set up a Neighborhood Command Center at Halcyon Commons Park using supplies from Disaster Supply Cache in the driveway at 3044-B Halcyon Court.

* Fleshing out a basic Halcyon Neighborhood Disaster Plan (draft will be posted on the flyer going out in April about the big Neighborhood Watch meeting April 15).

* Creating a list of supplies neighbors can donate to expand the effectiveness of the Disaster Supply Cache (batteries, hard hats, sheets, laptop computer, bullhorn, etc.; list to appear in future E-Newsletters).

* Having a donation box available at all HNA events to collect funds to go toward buying supplemental disaster supplies for the cache.

* Working on the agenda for the disaster preparedness part of the April 15 meeting (inviting the Office of Emergency Services to provide basic personal preparedness information at the meeting).

* Scheduling a Disaster Supply Cache Drill for Sunday, May 6, 4:30-6 p.m., driveway of 3044-B Halcyon Court.

* Scheduling a Disaster Supply Cache Fire Drill for Sunday, Sept. 30, 4:30-5:45, Halcyon Court (meet in Halcyon Commons Park).

Halcyon Neighborhood Disaster Plan, in Brief:

In the event of a big earthquake,

1. Safeguard your family and household [post a signal to indicate if your house is "clear"; color TBD].

2. Turn off your gas.

3. Report to Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon Court at Prince), where a Disaster Command Center will form teams for Light Search & Rescue, Disaster First Aid, Support, and Communications utilizing an Incident Command Structure.

[Details to follow in flyer going out the second week of April.]

Next Disaster Prep Committee Meeting, Sunday, March 25, 5:00-5:55 p.m., 3049 Wheeler (Dawn's house)

For more information about the Neighborhood Disaster Supply Cache or to sign up to participate on HNA's Disaster Preparedness Committee, contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com> or HNA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Rubin <FamilyRubin@comcast.net>.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

3. Berkeley Partners for Parks Workshop on Starting & Funding Community Projects, March 19, 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley Public Works Green Room

Got a dream for your community?

Come to BPFP's Starting & Funding Community Projects

7-8:30 p.m.   on March 19, 2007

Berkeley Public Works Green Room

1326 Allston (beside Strawberry Creek Park) Berkeley

Free and open to all.

If you have an idea for a great neighborhood or community project, a bit of green space, or a new recreation program, get ideas for making your dream come true at a Berkeley Partners for Parks meeting on Starting and Funding Community Projects, which will include a discussion with local grant-givers and experienced citizens’ groups. Find out about the UC Berkeley Community Partnership Grants (deadline April 30), the Northern California Grassroots Fund (deadline every quarter), and others - as well as forming partnerships, finding sponsorship, attracting volunteers, and working with agencies.

Berkeley Partners for Parks is fiscal sponsor for more than 25 citizen groups working on recreation, parks, and the environment. For more information, contact BPFP President (and HNA Co-Chair) John Steere <<jsteere@igc.org>. Or visit: http://www.bpfp.org

* * * * * * * * * * * *

4. Halcyon Community Potluck, Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m.
2125 Essex (between Wheeler & Shattuck)

At the home of Nora and Edwin on Essex. A chance to socialize and share neighborhood news. Please bring a potluck item to share. If so inspired, it's really helpful if you can also bring a beverage to share.

Potluck suggestions: Appetizer: G-K * Main Dish: S-Z * Salad: L-R * Dessert: A-F

* * * * * * * * * * * *

5.  HNA's Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

* Note to those who wait until the last minute to file your taxes: Tax Day this year falls on Tuesday, April 17, due to April 15 falling on a Sunday and April 16 being Emancipation Day, a holiday in D.C.

What:   Focus on upgrading household and neighborhood Disaster Preparedness and fine-tuning our Crime Watch efforts; handouts will be available

When:   Sunday, April 15, 4:00-6:00 p.m. (starts & ends promptly)

Where:   Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Who:   Neighbors who live in the Ashby-Telegraph-Woolsey-Adeline quadrant are welcome. We're inviting City Councilmembers, the Mayor's Office, the Office of Emergency Services, and our Beat Officers to provide information and attend.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

6. Local Business Review: Mokka Café  (3075 Telgraph at Dowling)

Halcyon Court neighbor (and HNA Treasurer) Susan Hunter submitted the following review of the recently opened Mokka café on Telegraph Avenue:

Mokka

3075 Telegraph Avenue (at Dowling)

510 848-8909

http://www.mokkacoffee.com (site under construction)

As a coffee lover and a past employee of Peet's coffee, I'm favorably impressed with the new café called Mokka on Telegraph Avenue. Owners Michael and Susan Iida have carefully studied what it takes to perfect espresso and drip coffee making. They did their research well, and followed a trend in Seattle, well known for "latte art," involving the careful roasting of beans and steaming of milk to make a balanced, perfect espresso beverage.  I was sold the first time I had my soy latte there. Their consistency has never faltered, unlike many cafés I've been to over the years. The head barista, Corina, worked in Seattle for five years before joining Mokka, and has since trained all of the Mokka baristas; all of the coffees are 100% organic fair trade.

Michael explained that the espresso technique they use is similar to that of Northern Italy, with a lighter roast and a steaming process that creates "microbubbles." I noticed I could use a spoon to scoop up the foam, much the way I could with a fine sauce. The drip style gives you a chance to sample any of their blends. The Ethiopian drip I had was exceptional. Mokka also offers a variety of  delicious, fresh panini.  The gelato is the best I have tasted, and as close to Florence as you can get.  Even during the busy hours when you might experience a short wait for your beverage, it's  well worth it to obtain an exciting beverage that gets your day underway. I feel happy just anticipating it!  Michael and Susan have also generously donated coffee for some of our neighborhood events.  I hope neighbors will support this worthy locally owned business.

-Susan Hunter

* * * * * * * * * * * *

7. Multi-Block Yard Sale in May or June, Anyone?

In years past, HNA held an annual multi-block yard sale. Because we advertised in various local media, these sales were always exceptionally well attended. The tradition has fallen by the wayside over the past few years, but Halcyon Court neighbor Susan Hunter would like to see if there's enough interest to revive it. The date for the sale would be late May or early June, after the rainy season is safely behind us. Participants would kick in $5-$10 apiece for the cost of the ads and flyers. Susan would need help posting flyers beforehand and getting larger signs up on major streets the day of the event. Please contact her at Susan Hunter <suze208@earthlink.net> if you'd be interested in participating. The event will be most successful if at least 20 households participate. This is a great way to clear out your closets and garage!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

8. For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

Dates set as of March 2007 (verify a few weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Volunteer Weeding, Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup, Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, March 25, 5-5:55 p.m., Disaster Preparedness Committee Meeting, 3049 Wheeler

Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, 2125 Essex

Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Monday, April 23, 7 p.m., presentation at Parks & Recreation Commission meeting re Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project, North Berkeley Senior Center

Sunday, May 6, 4:30-6 p.m., Supply Cache Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon Court and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, June 24, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Tuesday, August 7, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime, Potluck in Park 6-7:30 p.m., walk through larger neighborhood 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30, 4:30-5:55 p.m., Disaster Supply Cache Fire Drill, driveway of 3044-B Halcyon and Halcyon Commons Park

Sunday, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck, location TBD

Sunday, October 28, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (to be confirmed)

Late fall, date to be determined, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5-8:30, Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

* * * * * * * * * * * *

9. City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police and Other City Departments:

Police Emergency Number:  911 (from landline) 981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number)

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Neighborhood Services Liaison Jim Hynes <jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us> 981-2493

Public Works Customer Service: 644-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti, sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry): 644-6566

Written Communication with City Council:

To comment to City Council, cut and paste the 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 Dona Spring <DSpring@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli <LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Betty Olds <BOlds@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Kriss Worthington <KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak <GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

Representatives for Our Neighborhood:

Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130

West side of Wheeler Street to west (except for Woolsey between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170

East side of Wheeler to east (includes block of Woolsey from Wheeler to Shattuck)

Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100

Zoning Adjustments Board:

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:

Zoning Adjustments Board <zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

(best 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)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. 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 (the Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).

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, though this is a relatively inactive blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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HNA News: Disaster Supply Cache meeting Tomorrow Sunday 3/4, 4 p.m.; Home Invasion Robbery on Prince, 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 (HNA), its Steering Committee, or the Editor. The Editor's introductory comments express her own personal viewpoint.

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Items in This E-Newsletter

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

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

3. Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

4. Crime Watch Alert: Home Invasion Robbery on Prince between Shattuck and Tremont

5. Reminders about Other HNA Dates: Work Party 3/17 and Potluck 3/25

6. Berkeley School Volunteers: Drop Everything and Read Day Tuesday, March 13, 9:30 a.m.

7. Berkeley Fire Fighters Association Announces Council's Vote to End Rotating Fire Station Closures

8. Useful Links for Disaster Preparedness Tips

Editor's Introductory Note:

We're certainly receiving plenty of  vivid reminders about the importance of disaster preparedness! If you didn't feel the earlier earthquakes in Claremont Canyon, it's likely you felt Thursday evening's 4.2 with an epicenter in Lafayette. There are practical steps we can take as individuals and as a neighborhood to get prepared for a big quake, when we're likely to be on our own for up to a week. If you're interested in the neighborhood-wide dimensions of preparedness, please come to tomorrow's Disaster Supply Cache meeting (see item 1);  this cache provides a center around which we can build an effective neighborhood response in the face of disaster. At tomorrow's meeting, we'll also be planning the disaster preparedness dimensions of the April 15 Neighborhood Watch meeting (see item 3), which will cover crime watch as well as household disaster preparedness (this Sunday's meeting has a focus on neighborhood disaster readiness; if your interest is more narrowly focused on your household's preparedness, wait for the April 15 meeting, but start gathering your own preparedness supplies now).

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

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

Halcyon Neighborhood Association won a Disaster Supply Cache from the City of Berkeley last November, containing items to help our neighborhood set up a command center in the event of disaster. 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).

* We'll plan the disaster prep part of the agenda for the Sunday, April 15, neighborhood watch meeting (see item 3).

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

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2. 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 Supply Cache meeting on Sunday, March 4, HNA's Steering Committee will meet briefly to flesh out the calendar for the year (community-wide neighborhood watch meeting(s), work parties in the park, quarterly potlucks, National Night Out Against Crime, Steering Committee meetings, etc.) and to plan the Neighborhood Watch meeting scheduled for April 15 (see item 3). 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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3.  Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

* Note to those who wait until the last minute to file your taxes: Tax Day this year falls on Tuesday, April 17, due to April 15 falling on a Sunday and April 16 being Emancipation Day, a holiday in D.C.

What:   Focus on strengthening household and neighborhood Disaster Preparedness and Crime Watch

When:   Sunday, April 15, 4-4:30, arrive early to chat informally;  formal meeting, 4:30-6:00 p.m. (starts & ends promptly)

Where:   Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Who:   Neighbors who live in the Ashby-Telegraph-Woolsey-Adeline quadrant are welcome. We'll be inviting representatives from the city to present various parts of the program.

Agenda:  Details to come (to help plan the agenda, attend one or both of the meetings on March 4 (see items 1 & 2)

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4. Crime Watch Alert: Home Invasion Robbery on Prince between Shattuck and Tremont

A Prince Street neighbor reports:

re crime: we had a "home invasion" last week [in the 2000 block of Prince].  A small man came to the door and asked if "Mark lived here?" - and then pushed my wife in and threatened her with what appeared to be a gun in his jacket pocket.  We gave him money and he left.  Moral: Don't open your door to anyone who is in the least bit suspicious.

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5. Reminders about Other HNA Dates: Work Party 3/17 and Potluck 3/25

Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park

Volunteer Mulching & Neighborhood Cleanup with Help from Cal Students with the Berkeley Project

HNA Community Potluck, Sunday, March 25, 6-8 p.m.

Edwin & Nora's, 2125 Essex

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6. Berkeley School Volunteers: Drop Everything and Read Day Tuesday, March 13, 9:30 a.m.

The Berkeley Public Education Foundation is sending around the following announcement:

DEAR DAY is coming!
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007  9:30 am
Drop Everything And Read!

Please join us for a morning of reading in Berkeley's elementary and preschools! We recruit volunteers to go into all of our elementary and preschool classrooms to read to students (the event happens simultaneously at 9:30 a.m. across the district). Basically, volunteers agree to give about 1 hour to this one-time event. We would really appreciate your help in publicizing this event.

To sign up please contact:
BERKELEY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Berkeley School Volunteers
1835 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94703

Telephone: (510)644-8833

 bsv@berkeley.k12.ca.us

www.bpef-online.org/volunteers.html

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7. Berkeley Fire Fighters Association Announces Council's Vote to End Rotating Fire Station Closures

The Berkeley Fire Fighters Association forwarded the following announcement:

http://www.iafflocal1227.org/index.cfm?Section=1&PageNum=1

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8. Useful Links for Disaster Preparedness Tips

"Earthquake Drills Dos and Don'ts"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/earthquakes/archive/quakedrill.dtl

"Are You Prepared?"

http://www.72hours.org/

City's Office of Emergency Services page

(contains link to pdf of "Five Critical Steps to Take to Prepare for an Earthquake" and other useful information)

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us//fire/oes.html

"Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region"

 (32-page downloadable handbook from the USGS)

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2005/15/

Alpha Geek, a blogger posting at Daily Kos, put together a very thorough five-part series on disaster preparedness (much wider ranging than just preparedness for earthquake country); there are links for all five parts at the following:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/20/51253/3712

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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>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. 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 (the Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).

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, though this is a relatively inactive blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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