Willard Neighborhood Association Newsletter June 5, 2007

This is the latest Willard Neighborhood Association Newsletter from WNA president Vincent Casalaina. To subscribe to the newsletter or get more information visit our Willard Neighborhood Association Newsletter and Online Resources page.

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Willard Neighborhood Association Newsletter June 5, 2007

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Items appearing in the WNA E-Newsletter are deemed to be of general interest to neighbors but do not necessarily reflect the views of Willard Neighborhood Association (WNA) or its Steering Committee

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Willard Neighborhood Association Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Move Out program,

Now that the spring semester has ended at the University of California, Berkeley, the University and
the city of Berkeley have implemented their program to help make sure students vacating their apartments,
and co-ops in our neighborhood properly dispose of furniture, mattresses and trash. The program
will continue for the next few weeks until the trash stops accumulating on the sidewalk.

hotline for local residents to report trash -- (510) 643-5309 -- good for at least another week.

2. Bus Rapid Transit slated for Telegraph Ave.
Draft Environment Impact Report repsonses due by July 3
AC Transit workshop June 14

We have less than 30 days to weigh in on this project. A project that is likely to have more
impact on our neighborhood than any othe single governmental action since the passage
of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance a generation ago.

3. Berkeley Going Green,

Six months after Berkeley voters overwhelmingly passed Measure G, a mandate
to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, the city is
laying out a long-term road map for residents, business and industry.

4. Recycle kitchen food waste coming soon

Add one more can to your weekly recycle routine. The City of Berkeley will begin picking up
kitchen food waste weekly later this year.

5. Support of Public Commons Initiative proposed by Mayor Bates

As the debate drags on in Council the Willard Neighborhood Association Steering
Committee believes the mayor's proposals hit the mark in almost every case. We need
your help to get the intitiative through Council.



Other Events/Items of Interest (located at end of email)

A. Solar Workshop, this Thursday, June 7, 7pm, Willard Middle School Auditorium, free
Program will discuss basics of solar power production as well as Federal, State and
installer rebate programs.

Included is a list of things you might bring to the meeting to make it more productive for you.

B. AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit Public Hearing, June 14, 6pm, North Berkeley Senior Center
Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report, public comments, free

C. Elmwood District Clean up, Sunday, June 24 10am-2pm
come work on gardening, graffiti cover up, general clean-up in support of our local shopping


Contact information of City of Berkeley and Willard NA (located at very end of email)


President's Introductory Note:

Keep the dates open for these two events Willard Neighborhood Association has planned for August. The first event is a National Night Out Ice Cream Social in Willard Park on August 7th. This is a great time to come out and meet neighbors and families, especially families, who live in Willard. The second event is our Welcome Party/Street Faire taking place on the last weekend of August -- Sunday August 26. This event focuses on meeting our new student neighbors and providing information about living in the neighborhood. We also have a BBQ and yard sale, so anything that you have that might help fill up a student apartment is perfect to bring and sell. We'll have a lot more information on these events in the near future.

If you'd like to help on either or both of these events, contact <ProBerk@aol.com> and I'll make sure you get in contact with the co-ordinators.


The public comment period on AC Transits Bus Rapid Transit project is nearing its end. Item 2 in the Newsletter goes into what we know now. Item B is theAC Transit Public Hearing which is our best chance to have our voices heard.

Still under development is the Public Commons Initiative that Mayor Bates has proposed. This initiative is designed to create a more civil social environment here in Berkeley and make the same Ordinances apply Citywide. The Public Commons Initiative will have another discussion at the Council next week and Item 5 in this newsletter goes into what you can do to speak out on this issue

Thanks -- Vincent Casalaina

Willard Neighborhood Association Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Move Out program

All the trash and detritus was not put into the dumpsters, but the amount of litter in our neighborhood over the past couple of weeks is significantly better than it was last year. The City and the University will be continuing to put out dumpsters over the next couple of weeks and the University trash hot line number (510-643-5309) will be good for at least one more week.

Here are the approximate Debris Box locations that were in our neighborhood
- not many of these locations will have dumpsters throughout the remaining Move Out period:
1. Corner of Parker/Regent (on Regent)
2. Derby between College/Benvenue
3. Benvenue: 2500 block, mid-block (large debris bin)
4. Hillegass: 2500 block (northern end)
5. Regent: 2500 block (southern end)
6. College: 2500 block (at top of Parker)
7. College: Between Garber and Stuart

The University and the City will be doing periodic sweeps to clean up trash that has not found its way to the dumpsters. In an effort to make the neighborhood cleaner, if we could all help transfer trash from the sidewalk to the dumpsters that are out there that would help.

The move-out campaign is funded jointly by UC Berkeley and the city with the goals of reducing waste, recycling what is re-usable, keeping Berkeley neighborhoods clean, and setting a precedent for future years. This has been a great first year. If you have suggestions on what might be made better next year, please write me and I'll pass the information along. <ProBerk@aol.com>


2. Bus Rapid Transit slated for Telegraph Ave.
less than 30 days to make our comments on Draft Environmental Impact Report

The DEIS/R evaluates four BRT alternatives for their effect on traffic and parking, environmental impacts, the cost to build and operate and for cost-effectiveness. AC Transit published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (DEIS/R) on the project May 4th and is hosting a series of public hearings in each city to provide information about the proposed project and allow the public to comment on the DEIS/R. To learn more about this, or provide comments on the DEIS go to http://www.actransit.org/news/articledetail.wu?articleid=42622c20

AC Transit's plan to put a new form of mass transit on Telegraph Ave. connecting downtown Oakland with downtown Berkeley has moved one more step closer to reality. The Draft Environmental Impact Report, a 500+ page document that outlines and discusses the expected environmental impacts of the project is out and we have until July 3 to make whatever comments we feel appropriate.

There are really three areas on which the Willard Neighborhood Association is working. The first is an analysis of the Draft EIR to find areas of the document that we feel have been omitted from analysis, or are not sufficient in their detail, scope or analysis. The second is to propose mitigations to problems that the Draft EIR indentifies and to propose possible means of testing the conclusions in the Draft EIR. The third area is to make our voices heard at the Public Hearings that will be held over the next few weeks.

We intend to have a special meeting of the Steering Committee within the next two to three weeks to go over the work of the Ad Hoc Sub Committee on BRT where we will finalize our comments on the Draft EIS/R. All Willard neighbors who would like to learn more about BRT and to help us make the decision about how we will present our views specifically to the Draft EIR, what mitigations that we will ask for if BRT is implemented and more generally how we will address the political process that will eventually determine whether BRT is implemented in its current form.

This meeting will be open to all Willard neighbors and if you'd like to be a part of that meeting, you can contact Vincent Casalaina <ProBerk@aol.com> and I'll make sure that you get the information on when the meeting will take place.


The first opportunity for Berkeley resident to comment on BRT took place last week at a joint session of the Planning and Transportation Commission.

Daily Planet report on joint session
by Richard Brenneman (edit for inclusion here)

Jim Cunradi, AC Transit's BRT project manager, came to Berkeley to speak to a combined meeting of the city's Transportation and Planning commissions and the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee. Thursday's session was a preliminary discussion designed to ready commissioners and citizens to register official comments as the project moved through the environmental review process.

Bus Rapid Transit is a less costly alternative to light rail and subway systems, and increasingly popular in cities around the world. But the system's typical reliance on dedicated lanes-meaning the loss of existing car lanes-and its potential to trigger legal thresholds aimed at stimulating high-density development seemed the biggest worries to many of the speakers who turned out to have their say. The only audience applause during the two-hour session came after public speakers slammed the agency's plans to establish a fast-moving bus service along a highly traveled East Bay corridor.

Three speakers from the Willard neighborhood opposed BRT as currently proposed. Sharon Hudson questioned the closing of the northern end of Telegraph Avenue to car traffic and said that "the more people know about (BRT), the less they like it."

Mark Lowe, a Hillegass Avenue resident, said he was concerned both because AC Transit had limited its direct contacts with individual households to those living within 300 feet of the proposed route, and because the project could have a "huge impact:" on his neighborhood as frustrated drivers sought other ways to travel in the popular Telegraph Avenue neighborhood.

Doug Buckwald began by twice asking for a show of hands, first of those who wanted to stop global warming and second, of those who took mass transit to the meeting. There were dramatically fewer the second time around, including those of many of the strongest BRT supporters. Buckwald noted the opposition of San Leandro's mayor to dedicated BRT land and asked why bus riders would support the expenditure of still more funds on the unpopular Van Hool buses that AC Transit has been purchasing, and which are depicted in the illustrations the agency provides of the proposed BRT line.

Supporters often endorsed the system citing the need to take prompt action to reduce global warming by cutting down on the car exhausts that comprise the largest share of America's greenhouse gas output. Other speakers questioned whether BRT would make a significant reduction in greenhouse gases.

Daily Cal report on joint session
By Amanda Ott (edit for inclusion here)

More than 50 Berkeley residents came to a special joint Transportation and Planning Commission meeting to voice their support and concerns for AC Transit's new public transportation service that may be coming to Berkeley -- Bus Rapid Transit .This new form of public transportation-which would connect Berkeley to Emeryville, Oakland, and San Leandro-includes bus-only lanes for faster travel, real-time arrival schedules and boarding platforms with shelters among other new features, said project manager Jim Cunradi.

Supporters, including Len Conly, co-chair of Friends of BRT, say the new system will increase ridership, which is better for the environment. "It's really an innovative transit system," Conly said. "(Bus Rapid Transit) is an attempt to change the image of bus transit so more people feel comfortable riding."

But some say the bus system will have many detrimental effects, including traffic congestion and overflow, increased development and difficulties for businesses losing roadways, without significant environmental benefits. "The alleged benefits to transit riders in all of this are almost trivial," said Berkeley resident Michael Katz. "AC Transit is viewing this as a marketing opportunity."

One of the biggest concerns is the influence on small neighborhoods surrounding Telegraph Avenue once its thoroughfare is diminished, said Vincent Casalaina, president of the Willard Neighborhood Association. "The traffic is going to have to find some other way of getting in and out of Berkeley," he said. "It's going to make the other streets in Berkeley worse."

Several residents also questioned the duplicity of offering the Bus Rapid Transit in addition to BART, especially since the project could cost as much as $400 million. But Conradi said the two services cater to separate demographics, and many of the government funds were specifically allocated for this project."This project is meant to serve shorter trips," he said. "It's not designed to fill the same need as BART, which is ... long trips."

Several residents said they were not opposed to more public transportation options, but kinks needed to be addressed before any impementation. "The neighborhood is very pro-transit, but the question is if (Bus Rapid Transit) is the best approach," Casalaina said.

Here's what AC Transit has to say about BRT

The project would build bus lanes and BRT stations on arterial streets in the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro. The intent of the project is to achieve the speed and reliability of rail using lower cost buses. The project would also include specially designed passenger boarding platforms, shelters, NextBus signs and bus priority at traffic signals. The new service would operate primarily on Telegraph Avenue, International Boulevard and East 14th Street.

BRT is a new approach to buses that combins the best features of rail with the flexibility and cost advantages of roadway-based transit. Modern bus and station technology combine with bus-exclusive lanes to provide high speed, high capacity transit. BRT is currently used in Australia, South America and Europe. New BRT lines have opened in Los Angeles, Boston, and Oregon, and systems are being planned or built in many other cities.

AC Transit has developed the East Bay BRT Project to improve public transportation service in a key transportation corridor that extends from Downtown Berkeley and the University of California at Berkeley at the northern end, through Downtown Oakland, to San Leandro at the southern end, primarily using Telegraph Avenue, International Boulevard and East 14th Street.

Currently, AC Transit transports 24,000 riders a day along the corridor with more growth expected in the future. The project is intended to reduce transit passenger travel time, improve safety and security, increase carrying capacity, lower operating costs per rider, and support local and regional goals to organize development along transit corridors.

The project would include the following features:

• Dedicated bus lanes along most of the alignment

• Transit signal priority and signal coordination

• BRT service operating every 3.6 - to 5.0-minutes during peak periods

• Stations spaced ? to ? mile apart

• Stations including shelters, boarding platforms, benches, security features, fare machines, real-time bus

arrival information, and other amenities

• Pre-paid ticketing

• Low-floor, multi-door, low-emission BRT vehicles

The Rapid Bus phase of the project will commence in June 2007.

Here's the url for AC Transit's "fact sheet": http://www.actransit.org/pdf/BRT_English_07.pdf

Rapid Bus -- commences service later this month

implement new #1 line (15 min headway in rush hour) and #1R line (12 min headway in rush hour) service on telegraph

drop 43 -- no service on Shattuck Avel from downtown Berkeley to 45ht St in Oakland

Construction of the full BRT project is scheduled for completion in 2011.

Funding Source
Voters approved Regional Measure 2 in Voters approved Regional Measure 2 in the March 2004 election. This measure raised bridge tolls by $1, and funded a number of projects. RM-2 includes $65 million for construction of the Bus Rapid Transit system. RM-2 also includes $3 million annually to operate the system. In addition, Alameda County Measure B, the ? percent sales tax, will raise $20 million for construction of the project. There is also about $4 million available from Federal and State sources.


There is currently one more City of Berkeley Public Hearing scheduled to deal with this project:

June 13 7:30 pm North Berkeley Senior Center

Discussion of the BRT Draft EIR is scheduled for the Planning Commission meeting.


There are currently 4 Public Hearings scheduled by AC Transit to take public comment on the Draft EIR.
only 1 will be in Berkeley

June 14 5:30pm North Berkeley Senior Center

There will be one public hearing sponsored by AC Transit that will take place in Berkeley at the North Berkeley Senior Center. There will be an open house to look at AC Transit's visual display of the BRT proposal and Draft EIR statistics starting at 5:30pm. The Public Hearing will begin at 7pm.


3. Berkeley going Green

IT WON'T BE EASY BEING GREEN
SF Chronicle May 24, 2007
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

In Berkeley's green future, there will be no incandescent lightbulbs, Wedgewood stoves or gas-powered water heaters. The only sounds will be the whir of bicycles and the purr of hybrid cars -- and possibly curses from residents being forced to upgrade all their kitchen appliances. Six months after Berkeley voters overwhelmingly passed Measure G, a mandate to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, the city is laying out a long-term road map for residents, business and industry. It includes everything from solar panels at the Pacific Steel foundry to composted table scraps.

While San Francisco, Oakland and other local governments in the Bay Area have approved policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Berkeley is the first to begin spelling out how people would be expected to reduce their carbon footprints.

Some measures will be popular and easy, like a car-share vehicle on every block and free bus passes. But others will be bitter pills, such as strict and costly requirements that homes have new high-efficiency appliances, solar-powered water heaters, insulation in the walls and other energy savers.
"It will challenge people, and it will be difficult," said Cisco DeVries, chief of staff to Mayor Tom Bates and one of those coordinating the city's greenhouse gas reduction efforts. "But if Berkeley's niche isn't leadership on this issue, then what is it? This is what we should be doing."
It won't be quick, and it won't be easy, especially in a city where even the most mundane zoning minutia can become mired in months of debate. Few of the proposals have been approved yet, and some might not be ready for decades.

Berkeley started with an estimate of all the emissions attributable to residents and businesses in the city. These include sources within the city limits, such as cars and trucks and natural gas consumption, and Berkeley's estimated share of those outside the city, such as electricity generation and solid waste sites.
The city generated, directly or indirectly, 696,498 tons of greenhouse gases in 2000, the benchmark the city will use to measure its 80 percent reduction. That figure has already dropped almost 9 percent, but that's due largely to greener energy practices by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

To reach an 80 percent reduction, sacrifices would have to be made in all quarters of the city.
Under the emissions crash diet, builders will use only recycled and green materials. Residents will be told exactly how many carbon units they're generating based on the cars they own, the distances they drive, the waste they generate and the energy they consume. Landlords will be required to provide free bus passes to tenants.

To help out, the city plans to create an assessment district to help residents buy solar panels for their homes -- an idea Berkeley officials think other cities will copy. The costs would be tacked on to property tax bills over the course of 30 years so homeowners won't be stung by the steep up-front price, which can reach thousands of dollars.

Berkeley's green blueprint calls on people to take small steps on a daily basis as well. Incentives and legislation will make common many activities only a few practice now -- walking to work, using cloth shopping bags, buying locally grown produce, shutting off appliances and reducing their use of nonrecyclable packaging.

Bates thinks it all will be an easy sell.
"I think people are looking for ways to lighten their footprint," he said. "People are willing to make these lifestyle changes, and the cumulative effort will add up. It's not rocket science. We can do this."
While virtually everyone in Berkeley agrees that reducing greenhouse gases is a worthy goal, not everyone agrees on the process. Former Mayor Shirley Dean questioned whether the city's enthusiasm has eclipsed its common sense.

"There's a funny quote about a man who jumped on his horse and rode off madly in all directions. That reminds me of the Berkeley city government," Dean said. "I think they need to prioritize and come up with some more immediate, practical measures."
Dean supports many of the ideas Bates has put forth, such as solar water heaters, but wonders how many of the ideas would be funded, especially when Berkeley residents already pay some of the highest taxes in the state. She also notes that the city's method of tabulating emissions seems "fuzzy."

The city is omitting Interstate 80, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from its calculations because those are controlled by state agencies that have their own, and in some cases tougher, greenhouse gas reduction plans, DeVries said.

The city also is counting emissions reductions that occur far outside city limits, such as reductions from PG&E plants and garbage dumps. But the accounting details are irrelevant, said Dan Kammen, a professor at UC Berkeley's Energy and Resource Group. "Berkeley is one of the first cities to do this, and I think they're entitled to some creative bookkeeping," he said.

He also doesn't think the city will suffer economically from these measures. Developers still will build in Berkeley, housing prices will remain among the highest in the Bay Area, and business will continue to operate. It is Berkeley, after all.

"There's still a huge cachet to be in Berkeley. I think we'll see that these plans will actually improve Berkeley's economy," he said. "And let's face it, a lot of cities will be doing the same thing in the future. If we don't, we're cooked."

LET THE SUNSHINE IN
To meet the voter mandate of reducing greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050, Berkeley officials propose:

Bus passes for apartment dwellers and eventually for everyone. Landlords would be allowed a small rent increase (equal to $7 per month in today's costs) to pay for tenants' passes; funding of passes for all residents has not been identified.

Increased incentives to install solar panels, especially for water heaters. Mandatory green building requirements, such as using recycled materials, even for small residential projects.

Strict energy efficiency requirements for all new buildings, resold homes and renovations requiring permits. Older appliances would be have to be replaced, insulation upgraded and added to walls, windows upgraded and garages equipped with outlets for electric cars.


4. Recycle kitchen food waste coming soon
Michael Kay, The Daily Californian, 4/25/2007

They're green, hold about five gallons of onion skins and turkey bones, and soon will be under the kitchen counter of every home in Berkeley. Pails for food scraps will be distributed to more than 21,000 households in Berkeley by late September, after the Berkeley City Council last night approved $186,240 in grants from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority to cover initial costs.

Berkeley is the 13th city in the county to join the program, which some observers say indicates the city is losing its status as a leader in environmental policy. "Berkeley is far behind the times," said Peter Holtzclaw, manager of solid waste and recycling for the city's Public Works Department. "Most cities have food scrap collection systems residentially."

The program will also add an estimated $500,000 in ongoing costs to the city's budget to switch collection of residential organic waste from a biweekly to a weekly schedule. The new costs could lead to a garbage fee hike, said Tracy Vesely, budget manager in the city manager's office. "More than likely we will need to increase rates, because it is an impact on rate payers," she said.

Food scraps account for 23.5 percent of waste for the average Alameda County household, the single largest individual category, and 12 percent of countywide waste, according to a 2000 report by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority.

After Oakland began a food scraps program in 2005, the amount of organics diverted from landfills increased an unexpected 30 percent, said Peter Slote, a recycling specialist with the environmental services division of the Oakland Public Works Agency. "In our business, you get a 5 percent increase and it's astonishing," he said. But because the program was bundled with a switch to weekly collection, a large public education campaign and new rules on putting out additional garden waste for pickup, it is impossible to quantify which aspects of the changes were most effective, he said.

The city of Berkeley, which is trying to divert 75 percent of city waste from landfill by 2010, will likely only raise its approximately 60 percent diversion rate between 1 and 4 percent with the program, Holtzclaw said. "Food scraps are not like the magic bullet," he said. "It's one part of the entire program."

Berkeley's program will also include educational brochures, a postcard mailing to residences and labels for the indoor pails, said Robin Plutchok, a program manager for the county authority, which is also known as StopWaste.org.

In 2001, Berkeley started a commercial food scraps program that has nearly 1,000 participating businesses, diverts 4,542 tons of food from landfill annually and is considered a "model program," Holtzclaw said. But residentially, two major obstacles can crop up: bugs and stink. A 2004 poll commissioned by the county authority found that 23 percent of non-participants objected because of odors, while 16 percent said "rodents/flies/bugs" were a deterrent.


5. Support of Public Commons Initiative proposed by Mayor Bates

At this time the City Council and the Mayor are still working on how to address this issue. Mayor Bates has proposed the Public Commons initiative. It, or some revised version of it, will go before Council next week. The Willard Neighborhood Association Steering Committee strongly support these provisions of the Initiative:

1. Restricting smoking in commercial zones;
2. Installing better directional signage to public restrooms;
3. Keeping restrooms open 24/7;
4. Developing prohibitions and increased fines for public urination and defecation;
5. Providing for strict enforcement of all existing laws affecting the quality of life in public spaces and parks and; and
6. Reducing warning provisions association with regulation prohibiting lying on the sidewalk
7. Prompt removal of dog feces

To read the specifics of the Public Commons Initiative as originally proposed you can go to the City's website:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/2007citycouncil/packet/052207/05-22a.htm
scroll down to Item #32C to read the .pdf file with the specifics of the Mayor's recommendations.

To have this initiative pass, we need Willard neighbors to individually voice your concern about these issues and send all City Council members and the Mayor an email telling them you want the Public Commons Initiative to be passed. The email address for all elected officials can be found at the bottom of the newsletter. You can also call them. The Mayor's phone number is 510-981-7100.

In addition, Kitchen Democracy is currently asking the question "Should the City implement the Mayor's proposal to address street behavior problems?"

Many of our local elected officials look at the comments posted on Kitchen Democracy and at the vote count. If you'd like to weigh in on this issue in a public forum, cast your vote and/or leave your comment at:

http://www.KitchenDemocracy.org/40

The WNA Steering Committee formed an Ad Hoc Sub Committee to focus on this issue and see it through. if you'd like to help with is issue, pease contact Dione Cota <dionecota@sbcglobal.net>


Other Events/Items of Interest

A. Solar Workshop, June 7, 7pm, Willard Middle School Auditorium, free
Program will discuss basics of solar power production as well as Federal, State and
installer rebate programs.

The Berkeley and Rockridge Collective Power Program

At the June 7th workshop SolarCity will provide an overall presentation which includes information about Solar Power production and then the Collective Power Program details as well. We will also have three Solar Consultants on hand to answer specific questions after the presentation.

Program Goals:

1) Convert Berkeley/Rockridge households and small businesses to solar power-
totaling a minimum of 250kW

2) Offset a minimum of 3.5 million pounds of carbon over the next 20-30 years using solar power

You can register for the event at:
http://www.solarcity.com/Default.aspx?tabid=219


there are a few things that would make the meeting more directly useful for you.

1) find out exactly how much electricity you used last year - in Kwatt hrs. you can either add up your electricity usage from your bills, or go to PGE's website and they have the last 12 months usage for your account on line. you'll need this to know how big a system you might want to install.

2) do a rough plot plan of your property / house which shows the ridgelines and any trees / buildings that cast shadows on your roof. you'll need this to give the engineering types from Solar City an idea of what space you have to work with.

3) this one is tougher -- take a look at the roof structure. you want to write down the size and spacing of the rafters. once you get more serious about wanting to install a system, you'll need this information so the engineers can figure out how much structural retrofitting will be needed.

4) you should take a good look at the roof itself. if its not in pristine shape (installed within the last 5 years), then you likely want to redo the roof as part of the installation. once the panels go on, its really tough to redo the roof when it starts to leak (most roofs are only good for 20 years max -- and the life of the solar panels is at least 25 years.).

with these 4 things in hand, you should be able to walk away at the end of the night with a good idea about what a system will cost to install, and hopefully the presentation will give you a good idea of the rebates (tax and other rebates) you could take advantage of.


B. AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit Public Hearing, June 14, 6pm,
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St.
Public Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report, public comments, free

AC Transit and the Federal Tranist Authority have released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Bus Rapid Transit in the East Bay. The project proposes to implement transit only lanes on Telegraph Ave. in order to increase the speed and on time rate of buses between Berkeley and downtown Oakland. The Draft EIR describes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed alternatives and a no action alternative.

This is the opportunity for Berkeley residents to voice their concerns about the Bus Rapid Transit system. You can speak for or against the project, or ask for specific mitigations to the expected negative impacts.

All comments must be received by July 3, 2007

C. Elmwood District Clean up, Sunday, June 24 10am-2pm
come work on gardening, graffiti cover up, general clean-up in support of our local shopping

**Save the Date** Elmwood Spring Clean-up Sunday, June 24, 10 am - 2 pm
Wear your gardening or painting clothes and bring your gloves! We will weed, plant flowers, paint graffiti, drink coffee, snack on pastries, and enjoy the neighborhood. Come for one hour or for all four. Meet at the Elmwood Theatre located at 2966 College Ave, near Ashby Avenue.

Sponsored by the Elmwood Steering Committee comprised of merchants and neighbors working to support each other. For more information, please contact Kelly Kirkpatrick at 510-981-7181 or kkirkpatrick@ci.berkeley.ca.us


* * * * * * * * * * * * 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 Willard neighborhood, North of Derby is Beat 7, South of Deby is Beat 9.

Area Coordinator -- Steve Burccham 981-5778


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): 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 Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170
All except Eastern edge of neighborhood

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak (District 8) 981-7180
Eastern edge of neighborhood

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 boardmembers, but late submissions will be distributed the evening of
the meeting)


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Willard Neighborhood Association Newsletter: The WNA Newsletter covers items of general interest to neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Dwight/College area of south Berkeley, including announcements about community-building events, greening projects and work parties around the neighborhood.

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, WNA always uses bcc and does not share your email address with third parties. Feel free to pass the WNA Newsletter on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

To submit items for the newsletter: Email content or links you'd like to see included in the Newsletter to Vincent Casalaina <ProBerk@aol.com>. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the endeavor, the Newsletter does not typically include "letters to the editor" or "commentary" type articles. The Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion.

WNA Yahoo Group: If you would like to receive messages (and participate in discussions) on the WNA Yahoo Group, please sign up on the website indicating your interest, and you will receive a confirmation of your membership.

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

WNA Neighborhood Links site: If you would like to see the agendas and background information that the Steering Committee gets each month, you can find it here at this site. Also here are archived copies of the Newsletter and some additional contact information.

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/berkeley/willard/

Willard Park Blog: If you would like to view and contribute to Mark Celsor's neighborhood blog go to his site.

http://www.willardpark.com/

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