HNA E-News: Meeting on Solar/Undergrounding Tonight, 8/23, HNA Anniversary Celebration 9/30, etc.s

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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 personal viewpoint.

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1. Meeting for Neighbors Interested in Solar Power and Possibly Undergrounding Overhead Wires, Thursday, August 23, 7 p.m., 2005 Prince Street

2. Halcyon Community Potluck with Live Music at Halcyon Commons, Sunday, September 30, 5-7:30 p.m.

3. New Listserve Forming to Discuss Home Improvement Topics

4. Reminder of Bay Bridge Closure Over Labor Day Weekend

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

I know some of you are out of town or still in summer vacation mode, but if you're able to attend tonight's meeting on solar power and undergrounding of utilities (see item 1), it looks like a good one. I hope we'll get a full report afterwards so we can spread the information to those who aren't able to attend but may be interested.

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

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1. Meeting for Neighbors Interested in Solar Power and Possibly Undergrounding Overhead Wires, Thursday, August 23, 7 p.m., 2005 Prince Street

A Prince Street neighbor sent the following announcement and update:

UPDATE

Hello Neighbors,

Latest note on Thursday meeting: Councilmember Kriss Worthington will be coming to speak on the undergrounding situation.  Apparently this is good timing as the City Council will be choosing new streets to have their power, cable, and phone lines undergrounded,and it's time for our input.  This would be important to us as it enormously lowers the cost to the homeowner if the street is designated by the Council to receive part of the funds taken from your PG& E bill for undergrounding. You've currently been paying for undergrounding on main arteries and the Berkeley hills.

        We'll start out at 7 with a discussion of solar energy and its practicality and morality. It would help if you knew your yearly electricity bill in dollars and/or kilowatt hours. Kriss should arrive around 8 p.m. to join in in discussing undergrounding.

        One other topic I thought I would put up for discussion is the possibility of having a car share like the City car share but just for the neighborhood. This would make finding a car a lot easier if it is in your neighborhood.

        See you Thursday at 2005 Prince St. at 7 p.m.

Tony Hill 548-2306

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Neighbors,

We're calling a meeting on Thursday August 23 at 2005 Prince St at 7 p.m. to discuss information about solar power in our neighborhood and the possibility of undergrounding the overhead power, cable and phone wires on the telephone poles around the neighborhood. Anyone who wants to give or receive information on these two topics is welcome.  We've talked a little before about undergrounding but are looking for a neighborhood effort at getting this done and reducing prices if possible.  Bring all the knowledge you have about these topics.

Sincerely yours,

Tony Hill  548-2306

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2. Halcyon Community Potluck with Live Music at Halcyon Commons, Sunday, September 30, 5-7:30 p.m.

Halcyon Commons - Community Potluck with Live Music

Sunday, September 30, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

15th Anniversary of Halcyon Neighborhood Association and 100th Anniversary of Berkeley Parks, Halcyon Commons is at Halcyon Court at Prince St.

Come celebrate the life in and around the newest park in the City's park system (dedicated in 1996) - and the only one designed and built and maintained through the partnership of  the neighborhood around it. Bring food and drink to share with others (see suggested guide below). Lively musical offerings by Rodeo Victory, an acoustic folk band (confirmed), and Foreal Foreal, a Cajun-jazz fusion group (invited). Come share in the good vibes and vittles.

Please bring a dish to share (and also a beverage if you're able).

Appetizer:  U-Z * Salad: I-O * Main Dish: A-H * Dessert:  P-T

(If not obvious, kindly attach a label with ingredients for your dish to alert those with vegetarian and other diets.)

Volunteers needed to help set up before the event and clean up after. We also need someone willing to purchase and donate paper plates, cups, and napkins as well as plastic forks to replenish Halcyon Neighborhood Association's supplies so we're stocked for this event. Loan of additional lawn chairs also appreciated! Please see following contact information to volunteer.

Contact John Steere for more information or to volunteer: 510-849-1969 or <jsteere@igc.org>

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3. New Listserve Forming to Discuss Home Improvement Topics

A neighbor passed on this announcement of a new listserve of potential interest to neighbors focusing on home improvement:

An email listserve for discussing various home improvement topics with other homeowners in Berkeley is being created. The topics can include:

•     unknown treasures of local  resources
•     learning from other people's experiences
•     brainstorming for solving problems
•     suggestions for working with carpenters, plumbers, roofers, contractors, etc
•     approaches for working through the city maze on building issues

To subscribe, just email an empty note to:
     berkeley-hi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The mailing list has an optional digest mode where only one message is sent per day containing all the messages posted that  day.

Please feel free to forward this announcement to mailing lists, neighbors, friends, etc.

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4. Reminder of Bay Bridge Closure Over Labor Day Weekend

Assemblymember Loni Hancock's office sent out the following reminder:

Dear Friends:

 

As you begin making your plans for the Labor Day weekend, I would like to alert you to the closure that will be taking place on the Bay Bridge so that ongoing retrofitting can continue moving forward.

 

THE ENTIRE BAY BRIDGE WILL BE CLOSED OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND 2007 IN ORDER TO PERFORM IMPORTANT SEISMIC SAFETY WORK. The bridge will be closed beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 31 and will re-open at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 4.

 

PLEASE PLAN AHEAD:

•  Use public transit.
• Use alternate routes.
• Use alternate bridges:

                        Golden Gate Bridge

                        Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

                        San Mateo-Hayward Bridge

                        Dumbarton Bridge

• Allow extra time in your travel plans.

TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES:

 

BART will be running overnight service to select stations beginning at 1:00 am on Saturday through 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.  Regular BART service resumes at 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4th.  Please visit www.bart.gov for schedule information.

 

TRANSBAY BUS SERVICE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.

 

The Alameda-Oakland, Vallejo Baylink, and Golden Gate ferries will be running expanded service. Visit www.eastbayferry.com, www.baylinkferry.com

and www.goldengateferry.org for details.

 

If you would like additional information about planning your trip using public transit, please visit www.511.org or call 511.

 

STAY INFORMED:

For updated closure information or to sign up for eAlerts, please visit: www.baybridgeinfo.org

 

QUESTIONS?

 Please contact the YBI/TI Bay Bridge Public Information Office, 410 Avenue of the Palms, Building 1, San Francisco, CA 94130, (415) 597-5895.

 

Thank you for planning ahead for your holiday weekend travels.  I encourage you to share this information with your friends and family so that everyone will be prepared.

 

Sincerely,

 ASSEMBLYWOMAN LONI HANCOCK

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For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

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

Sunday, September 30,  5:00-7:30 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck with Live Music, 15th Anniversary of Halcyon Neighborhood Association and 100th Anniversary of Berkeley Parks, Halcyon Commons park (Halcyon Court at Prince St.)

Saturday, October 27, 9 a.m. on, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, October 28,  6:30-8:30 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (location and date/time to be confirmed)

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

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* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

HNA's Disaster Prep Supply Cache contains items intended to benefit the entire neighborhood in the event of disaster. You can help us have what we need on hand in two ways: (1) Make a tax-deductible financial contribution to Berkeley Partners for Parks (BPFP, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor), earmarked Halcyon Disaster Prep, which will go toward purchasing additional supplies, and mail or drop off to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705. (2) Contribute any of the following items in-kind (supplies MUST be new or in GOOD condition):

Duct Tape (this is a versatile supply that allows us to improvise with common household items in the event of a disaster: lots needed!); Batteries (AA, C, D), regular & rechargeable; Battery Recharger for AA, C, D; Quality Walkie-Talkies with 8-mile range, 22 channels (i.e., Motorola Talkabout T5500 two-way radios); Axes; Crow Bars, Hard Hats; Other Tools for Search & Rescue; Head Lamps; Heavy-duty Flashlights; Bullhorn; Laptop Computer with rechargeable power supply & USB port; Flashcard (for storing neighborhood database to transfer to laptop); Sheets (freshly laundered or new; good for first aid); Blankets; First Aid Supplies; Gas Siphon (for extracting gas from cars to run generator); 5-Gallon Drums for long-term gas storage; Work Gloves; Large Camping Tents (with all parts!); Coleman or similar Gas or Propane Stove; Shelving for Shed; Two-Foot Lengths of 2x4s and 4x4s (good for cribbing and creating fulcrums for removing heavy objects during search & rescue operations).

Contact HNA Co-Chair and Cache Coordinator Nancy Carleton at <halcyon92@gmail.com> or 644-0172 to contribute supplies.

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* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police

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

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Link to beat maps and a list of beat officers:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/department/beatinfo/beatlineup.html

In Halcyon neighborhood, west of Fulton is Beat 10, east of Fulton is Beat 9.

Link to crime stats:

Berkeley:  www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police

Link to police bulletins:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/crimestats/policebulletins.html

Other City Departments:

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/)/Parks: 981-6660

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 <halcyon92@gmail.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 <halcyon92@gmail.com>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors (births, new jobs, announcements re home businesses) 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 Halcyon Safety Walk Listserve: For those who'd like to participate in night-time and daytime safety "dog" walks (dogs not required) to build community and serve as eyes on the street, please reply  to Halcyon Neighborhood Association <halcyon92@gmail.com> indicating your interest, and you will receive an invitation to join. For everyone's safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.

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

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