HNA E-News: Work Party Sun. 6/1; Lighting Project; Local Honey; Crime Watch updates

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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. Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park, Sunday, June 1, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

2. Lighting Project:  Spot Lighting for Neighborhood Safety Available at a Discount

3. Water Rationing Approved by EBMUD Effective Immediately!

4. Prince Street Neighbor with Local Honey for Sale

5. Berkeley Police Launch Seat-Belt Enforcement Initiative

6.  Crime Watch Report: Basement Burglary on 2000 Block of Prince

7.  Crime Watch Report:  LeConte Burglary with Thief Heading toward Halcyon

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2008

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

Editor's Introductory Note:

Unfortunately, as the days get longer and spring settles in with warm weather and summer on the way, we typically see an upswing in crime. Although I haven't yet heard about as much as last year at this time, I'm starting to hear more than I've heard in a while. While no robberies have been reported to me directly, I have heard that there was one a week or two ago in the 2000 block of Prince (sorry, no further details). So please remind yourself of the basic safety tips: Stay alert and aware of your surroundings, not just at night but during daylight hours; walk with an air of purpose and with an eye out for approaching cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists; avoid appearing distracted with cellphone chat or iPod listening; don't leave valuables visible in your car; keep doors and gates locked and vulnerable windows secure; and, please, if you notice anything or anyone suspicious, trust your gut and  notify the dispatcher at the Police nonemergency number (see number at end of the E-News under Useful Contact Information) so they can send someone by to check it out (if you encounter a dispatcher who seems reluctant to take action, remind him/her that our area coordinator and beat officers have asked us to make reports and to be sure the Police are sent out to follow up).

Stay safe and cool!

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

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1. Work Party in Halcyon Commons Park, Sunday, June 1, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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

Refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Chat with your neighbors while we all help weed, trim, pick up trash, and remove graffiti. We may even have a few new plants to plant, and you can see the progress being made on installing new boulders and flagstone as part of the final phase of the Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project funded by the UC Chancellor's Community Partnership Grant (which HNA received in 2006, and which also funded the new metalwork gateway at the north end of the park). Please bring extra weeding and trimming tools if you have them (extra tools will be available if you don't). Taking good care of our park is crucial to keeping it a safe and inviting center of our neighborhood.  And Whole Foods Market always generously supplies us with tasty food to fuel us. Please lend a hand!

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2. Lighting Project:  Spot Lighting for Neighborhood Safety Available at a Discount

A LeConte Neighborhood Association block captain is stepping forward with a great opportunity to get group discounts on lighting to brighten dark corners of our respective neighborhoods:

Jill Finn, the Block Captain of  2100 Oregon has launched a project to help residents obtain motion sensitive lights for the front of their homes. She has gotten a quantity discount at $30 for a flexible two bulb unit plus an estimate for installation. Her goal is to have such lights installed throughout LeConte [including Halcyon south of Ahsby] with the result that the sidewalks and driveways will "light up" when people walk by. (The Police Department confirms that "Street Lights" are not intended to prevent dark spots on sidewalks, so our additions will make a difference. ) To get a pdf order form or more information please contact jcf2525@gmail.com.

The order form containing more information on the lighting project will also be disseminated on the flip side of the next HNA flyer going out at the end of May; keep an eye out!

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3. Water Rationing Approved by EBMUD Effective Immediately!

Just in case any of you haven't heard yet, the EBMUD Board voted to begin mandatory water cutbacks of 15% effective immediately (though penalty rates won't take effect until the summer). This link provides more information:

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-05-15/article/29993?headline=EBMUD-Declares-Water-Shortage

And our EBMUD Director Andy Katz sent along the following:

EBMUD Declares Water Shortage Emergency

 

At the EBMUD Board of Directors meeting today, the Board declared a water shortage emergency and adopted a drought management plan to ensure there is adequate water supply for future years.

 

Drought Management Plan - Responsive to Community Concerns

 

To ensure adequate storage for future years, EBMUD customers will need to conserve water use by 15%.  I had the opportunity to read a significant amount of comments, mostly from customers who are already conserving as much as they can, and from some households who use as little as 60 gallons per day.  In response to your concerns, we have taken into account families who are already conserving to show that EBMUD is rewarding customers who conserve water as much as possible every year, wet or dry.

 

There is a wide range of water use in the EBMUD service area -

-        The average household uses about 200 gallons per day.

-        The top 1% of residential water users consume over 1,000 gallons per day, about 5% of our water.

-        The lowest 18% of residential water users use less than 75 gallons per day, about 2-3% of our water.

 

The plan EBMUD adopted includes:

-        Temporary Use Restrictions on: decorative water features that don't recycle the water, washing vehicles without a hose shutoff nozzle, using water to wash sidewalks and patios, irrigating on consecutive days, and outdoor watering causing excessive runoff.

-        Public Outreach, Increased Customer Service, and Advertising

-        Increased EBMUD Leak Repairs

-        Temporary Drought Rates

o       10% temporary increase on water rates (not other charges), except for customers consuming less than 100 gallons per day; and

o       Drought Surcharge of $2 per 748 gallons (25 gallons/day) if customers do not conserve half the needed reduction.

§        Single-Family homes charged for water use above 90% of past consumption (last 3 years), except for customers consuming less than 100 gallons per day.

§        Multi-Family and commercial customers charged for water use above 94% of past consumption (last 3 years).

o       Exceptions for medical requirements, changes in ownership or occupancy, other factors, undue economic impacts, health and safety emergencies

o       Use $29 million of $43 million contingency and rate stabilization reserve.

o       No rate impacts for households consuming less than 100 gallons per day.

 

The Board will hold a final public hearing on the drought rates on July 8, 2008, and they will go into effect on August 1, 2008.

 

Water conservation is essential for getting through the water shortage.  You can find useful information about water conservation and rebates here: http://www.ebmud.com/conserving_&_recycling/residential/

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4. Prince Street Neighbor with Local Honey for Sale

Some of you are aware of the history of our local beehive located in a Prince Street backyard. Some years back, a swarm of bees settled on the bushes behind one of the benches at Halcyon Commons  (this is the reason a beehive and bees are featured so prominently on our new metalwork archway to Halcyon Commons). After some Internet research, HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton tracked down a beekeeper who agreed to come out and move the swarm if we could find someone willing to host the bees. Prince Street neighbor Bruce Wicinas stepped forward, and he and his family have hosted the bees ever since, which has turned into quite an avocation. On a number of occasions, he has donated honey toward fundraisers for HNA (and he'll probably do so again this summer).

Meanwhile, this spring the bees were very productive, and Bruce would like to offer some of the honey at a very reasonable price of $3.00 per  8-ounce jar. This is raw, local honey; many holistic practitioners tout the health benefits of honey from bees who feed on local flowers as curative for allergies, etc. Without making health claims on its behalf, one thing is certainly clear: It's very tasty honey, and it should be since the bees feed on the jasmine, wisteria, and other flowering plants in our neighborhood!

If you'd like to order or pick up a jar or two (or three), contact Bruce at <bwicinas@pacbell.net> or 848-1797 (evenings).

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5. Berkeley Police Launch Seat-Belt Enforcement Initiative

The Berkeley Police Department forwarded the following announcement:

Berkeley Police Department
2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

(510) 981-5900, TDD: (510) 981-5799, police@ci.berkeley.ca.us

BPD CRACKING DOWN ON BUCKLING UP

"Click It or Ticket" Goal to Boost Seat Belt Use
Berkeley, CA. (May 9, 2008) - The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) will be focusing enforcement on the state's safety belt/child restraint laws as part of California's 2008 Click It or Ticket program, taking place from May 12 through June 1. The program relies heavily on enforcement and public education as a means to help California achieve the highest seat belt use rate in the nation. California currently has the nation's fourth highest seat belt use rate at 94.6 percent. "We want to make sure that all drivers and passengers buckle up on every ride, day and night," said Officer Kevin Reece, BPD Motor Officer. "Our officers will be on the lookout for those who are not buckled up and for teens and children not riding properly restrained. We may be using undercover officers to spot violators and report those to nearby marked units. We will not be  accepting excuses or give warnings during the program period. It's Click It or Ticket."  California has a primary seat belt law which requires that every passenger in the car, including the driver, is required to wear a seat belt at all times. If stopped and found to be in violation, BPD will be issuing citations. Citations for seat belt violations range from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401 for children under age 16, depending on the county. "We're doing well with nearly 95 percent buckling up, fourth highest in the nation," said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "That's 1.5 million more people protected from death and injury by using seatbelts since the Click It or Ticket campaign started in 2005. But we can do better yet. I urge everyone to always buckle up." More than 280 law enforcement agencies statewide will be participating in this year's Click It or Ticket program. Additionally, BPD has been encouraged to conduct nighttime patrols in an effort to boost compliance at night. Funding for officer overtime to support California's Click It or Ticket campaign was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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6.  Crime Watch Report: Basement Burglary on 2000 Block of Prince

A Prince Street neighbor reports:

"Third burglary this year at our house on the 2000 block of Prince Street.  Two basement burglaries earlier in the year, followed by a break-in last week where they stole a Toshiba laptop computer and a black briefcase."

[Editor's Note: Please report any suspicious activity to the Berkeley Police, especially if you notice anyone who seems to be casing neighborhood homes. Our calls to the Police generate more drive-bys and show we're staying vigilant.]

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7.  Crime Watch Report:  LeConte Burglary with Thief Heading toward Halcyon

A LeConte neighbor reports:

A thief stole several bicycles, and perhaps other objects, from the southern part of LeConte on Monday May 5th.

He was spotted after 6:00 a.m. with two bicycles on the street, and taking another one out of a garage behind a gate on the 2300 block of Russell (east of Ellsworth).   When confronted by an early morning dog walker (thank you, alert dog walkers!), he claimed the bicycles were his, then rode off on one of them.

The police were called, the man was followed, and spotted twice soon after--at Howe and Ellsworth, and on Deakin, heading south from Ashby, but then disappeared, apparently headed south.

He had apparently stolen at least three bicycles (one later recovered) and was also seen at one point carrying two bags, which he then didn't have when seen again shortly thereafter. 

It's quite possible he's stashing stolen objects in yards, then returning to get them-if you're in one of these neighborhoods (southern part of Le Conte, especially along Howe, Russell, Ellsworth, or Ashby) or Halcyon or East Lorin (especially along Deakin), please check to see if unfamiliar objects have appeared in your front or side yards, and call the police to see if they've been reported stolen.

Description of thief:
- middle-aged (50s at least, both witnesses thought), male, African-American, slightly built (under 6 feet), clean-shaven, middle complexion, darker hair on top, gray-white hair on sides, hair on sides of head thicker and "more puffed out" than hair on top.  When seen, was wearing long blue pants (described as "bright" blue by one witness), sweatshirt, possibly gray, and light gray fleece vest or jacket.

Description of stolen and possibly stolen objects:

- grey Trek (sp?) bicycle

- orange "Marin" bicycle
- two bags or suitcases, one of them possibly with a paisley pattern on it

One object recovered--we don't know where it is from, but the police have it now:
- dark blue "Cannondale" bicycle (this was recovered from a lawn on Ellsworth, north of Oregon)

If you spot this man or any of these objects, please call the Berkeley police.  They have taken a report on the robbery, and have descriptions of him from two-eyewitnesses.   The police did respond and search the neighborhood, and several neighbors went out searching as well.   The observed theft, and later spottings happened between about six and seven.

If you find the Marin or Trek bicycles in particular, please also leave a message at (510) 848-8223--this is the house where one of them was stolen from.

Thank you!

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For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2008

Dates set as of  May 2008 (verify a couple weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Sunday, June 1, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Work Party, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, July 13, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Summer Community Potluck, 2329 Webster (in the garden, then indoors for some neighborhood history)

Saturday, July 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.,  Work Party, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Tuesday, August 5, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime (Potluck 6-7:30; Safety Walk, 7:30-8:30), Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince) and surrounding neighborhood

Saturday, September 20, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon, Work Party, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, September 28, 4-7 p.m., Party in the Park to Celebrate Completion of Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project (with potluck and live music), Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Late October/Early November, date to be announced by Cal's Berkeley Project, Big Work Party in Halcyon Commons and surrounding neighborhood, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Sunday, October 12, 4-5:30, Big Neighborhood Watch meeting, location TBD

Sunday, November 9, 6-8 p.m. Fall Community Potluck, location TBD

November/December, Sunday afternoon, 4-5:30 p.m., Planning meeting, 2009 dates, date TBD, location TBD

Sunday, January 11, 2009, 5:30-8:45 p.m., 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 (LOTS of these needed!), 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;  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 to reach Berkeley emergency from a cell)

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:  981-6620 (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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* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

HNA is a community group dedicated to stewardship of the Halcyon Neighborhood in South Berkeley (bounded by Telegraph, Ashby, Adeline, and Woolsey). We encourage positive, proactive, partnership-oriented approaches to improving the well-being of our neighborhood, with an emphasis on the following goals:

• Community building (such as regular potlucks, special events in the park, mutual support among neighbors, and multiblock yard sales);
• Ongoing care of Halcyon Commons (a park conceived of and created by the neighbors who founded HNA) under the nonprofit umbrella provided by Berkeley Partners for Parks and in partnership with the City of Berkeley;
• Continued greening and care of the neighborhood (planting trees, cleaning litter off streets, graffiti removal, and helping maintain public landscaped features);
• Strengthening neighborhood watch (crime watch, community safety walks, emergency preparedness, and disaster supply cache);
• Networking with the larger Berkeley community (nearby neighborhood groups, neighborhood businesses, City staff, and elected officials);
• Sharing information and empowering residents to become proactive in addressing neighborhood needs and in expressing individual viewpoints regarding civic affairs (spreading news through meetings, flyers, and the HNA E-Newsletter, and providing contact information).

        To fulfill these goals, HNA provides a sanctuary from partisan politics so that neighbors with diverse viewpoints feel welcome to participate. Thus, HNA only takes stands on larger issues when there is near-unanimity among neighbors. By focusing on immediate local concerns, we find we can have a greater impact and get better results from the time we invest.

       Guided by these principles, HNA invites neighbors who are willing to work together in a spirit of partnership to participate at whatever level makes sense for them. Opportunities for serving on our volunteer Steering Committee and project-oriented committees are available to neighbors who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work together in a nonpartisan spirit. Neighbors are invited to step forward into leadership positions defined by the work they do in accordance with HNA's primary goals and guiding principles.

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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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