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)

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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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