HNA E-News: Post-Holiday Potluck This Sunday; Planning Meeting 2/8; Feedback for Whole Foods; 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 personal viewpoint.

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1. Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, This Sunday, January 11, 5:30-8:45 p.m.

2. Joint Steering Committee/Disaster Prep Committee Planning Meeting, Sunday, February 8,  2009, 4-5:30  p.m.

3. Feedback for Whole Foods: HNA Steering Comm. Members Meeting with Store Team Next Week

4. Prince Street Neighbor Judith Schwartz Offering T'ai Chi Chih Intensive Weekend of January 17-18

5. Crime Watch Alert: Mail Stolen on Prince Street

6. Prince Street Neighbor Nina Lyons to Present Her New Book, Thursday, January 15, 6-9 p.m.

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2009

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

Editor's Introductory Note:

Our post-holiday progressive potluck is one of our most popular neighborhood events. We hope you can join us this Sunday for one or all of the courses.

As always, please pass on news -- good and bad -- you'd like to share with neighbors.

Happy new year!

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

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1. Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, This Sunday, January 11, 5:30-8:45 p.m.

Join your neighbors as we progress from house to house for a fabulous multi-course dinner! Feel free to attend one course or all four!

"Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck"
Sunday, January 11, 2009, 5:30-8:45 p.m.

First Course: Appetizers, 5:30-6:15 p.m.
2141 Emerson Street (between Wheeler & Shattuck, south of Ashby)

Second Course: Salads, 6:20-6:55 p.m.
3009 Wheeler Street (just south of Ashby)

Third Course: Main Dishes, 7:00-7:45 p.m.
3041 Fulton Street (between Prince & Ashby)

Fourth Course: Desserts, 7:50-8:45 p.m.
2329 Webster Street (two doors west of Whole Foods)

Potluck suggestions:

G-L: Appetizer *  M-R: Salad *  S-Z: Main Dish *  A-F: Dessert

Please bring a festive dish to share, and, if so inspired, a beverage to share as well (it really helps if enough folks bring beverages too). Children welcome. If not obvious, kindly attach a label with ingredients for your dish to alert those with vegetarian and other diets. Bring the item assigned for your letter to the designated household, or substitute another suggestion if you won't be attending the course for your letter.

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2. Joint Steering Committee/Disaster Prep Committee Planning Meeting, Sunday, February 8,  2009, 4-5:30  p.m.

What: Joint Meeting of HNA Steering Committee and Disaster Prep Commitee

Where: 3044-B Halcyon Court (back unit)

Agenda: Set HNA events/dates for 2009

Please join us for a meeting focused on setting HNA dates for events in 2009 (including neighborhood/park cleanups, community potlucks, and a likely disaster prep drill). New participants welcome! The scope of what we'll be able to take on this year will depend on the number of neighbors willing to help organize an event or two during the course of the year. Putting on the events is relatively simple if we have enough folks to help, because we already have good information-spreading methods in place (between the E-News, our flyer distribution network, and the neighborhood bulletin board).  We need two or three point people per event to move forward with it; if we don't have enough folks, we'll have to cut back some.

Come if you're interested in helping set the date for an event or two focusing on neighborhood watch (crime watch and/or disaster prep, self-defense training), cleanups, community building (potlucks, music in park, tai chi in park, etc.), and/or other neighborhood projects. Contact <halcyon92@gmail.com> for more information.

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3. Feedback for Whole Foods: HNA Steering Comm. Members Meeting with Store Team Next Week

Over the years, HNA has enjoyed a collaborative relationship with Whole Foods Market, and we've appreciated the support Whole Foods has given to the creation of Halcyon Commons and to its ongoing maintenance through the generous donations of food/water for our work parties in the park, as well as the store's typical responsiveness when we've passed on neighborhood concerns. Periodically, some of HNA's Steering Committee members have met with Whole Foods to keep lines of communication open and to convey neighborhood concerns over issues such as parking, landscaping maintenance, crime watch, trash pickup, etc. Next week, some of us will be meeting with Whole Foods and a couple other neighbors who live close by. If you have concerns or kudos you'd like us to communicate to Whole Foods, email them to <halcyon92@gmail.com> by next Tuesday, January 13, and we'll pass them along (please indicate whether you want your contact information shared with Whole Foods; otherwise, your comments will be noted on a general list without your name attached).

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4. Prince Street Neighbor Judith Schwartz Offering T'ai Chi Chih Intensive Weekend of January 17-18

[Editor's Note: Prince Street neighbor Judith Schwartz will occasionally be offering T'ai Chi Chih trainings in the neighborhood, with the hope that by this spring we'll have enough folks who know the basic movements to hold free ongoing neighborhood practice in Halcyon Commons; see her notice at the end of the announcement about the April 25th kickoff for the park practice and keep the date free!]

T'ai Chi Chih Intensive

Learn all 19 movements and one stance of this simple, easy-to-learn Taiji/QiGong Practice.

T'ai Chi Chih helps reduce stress, boost the immune system, alleviate or prevent symptoms of arthritis, increase range of motion and balance, regulate blood pressure, create calm and serenity, and much more.

Join Judith for this weekend Intensive, January 17th and 18th from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday

Location: Prince Street near Shattuck and Wheeler Streets in Berkeley

Cost: $100.00; or $90.00 if registered before January 12th Start the New Year off with enhancing your internal Chi, your vital energy. A learning DVD may be purchased for $32.00 to assist in your continual practice.

To register contact:

Judith Schwartz, M.A.  510-843-2062

http://www.JudithSchwartz.com

On the last Saturday in April, April 25th, at 10 a.m, we will join thousands of people throughout the world, on World Tai Chi and QiGong Day. It will be the beginning of our free ongoing neighborhood practice. The location will be Halcyon Commons, between Prince St and Webster St, one block west of Telegraph Ave, near Whole Foods Market Place. Everyone is welcome.

http://www.WorldTaichiandQigongDay

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5. Crime Watch Alert: Mail Stolen on Prince Street

A Prince Street neighbor submitted the following report:

"Sometime toward the end of December, mail from Amazon.com was stolen from my porch; someone found the books at a bus stop at Dwight and San Pablo, wrote me, and I picked up the books. I was waiting for them, but assumed because of holiday mail, they'd come after the New Year. I'm considering purchasing a larger, locked mail box."

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6. Prince Street Neighbor Nina Lyons to Present Her New Book, Thursday, January 15, 6-9 p.m.

[Editor's Note: I received the following press release about our talented neighbor Nina Lyons.]

Event:  "Celebrate the Ceramic Arts of Berkeley"

Date:  Thursday, January l5, 2009, 6-9 p.m.

Place: LESLIE CERAMIC SUPPLY CO. INC., 1212 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94706

Critically acclaimed Bay Area artist Nina Lyons will present her new book The Poetry of Form along with the original short film Works in Progress.

Lyons has been one of the Bay Area's finest visual artists for nearly two decades with exhibitions at Northern California's finest galleries, including Sculpturesite Gallery in San Francisco and A New Leaf Gallery in Sonoma.  "The journey we travel with Nina Lyons' pieces must be seen and felt in person,"  as described by poet Wendy Jeanne Burch  (from The Poetry of Form)  The sculpture "Pose" will be featured at this event.  For more information about Nina Lyons please visit www.ninalyons.com

Stephen DeStaebler will be honored for his contribution to the ceramic arts locally and internationally.  Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus: An Eyewitness Anthology will be presented as well.

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* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2009

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

Sunday, January 11, 2009, 5:30-8:45 p.m., Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations (see E-News notice)

Sunday, February, 8, 2009, 4-5:30, Joint Steering Committee/Disaster Prep Committee meeting to plan dates/events for 2009, 3044-B Halcyon Court (back unit) (email <halcyon92@gmail.com> if you'd like to participate)

Saturday, April 25,  2009, 10 a.m., T'ai Chi Chih Practice in the Park with Juditth Schwartz on World Tai Chi and QiGong Day, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon Court at Prince Street); this will be the beginning of free ongoing neighborhood practice (days/times 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:  http://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 Jesse Arreguin <JArreguin@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

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

Councilmember Susan Wengraf <SWengraf@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 please!) 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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