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December 8, 2011 Belvedere E-Notifications

City of Belvedere Launches "Nextdoor" Nextdoor Enables Residents to Communicate Online in a Private Secure Environment designed to Build Stronger, More Connected Communities... The City is now using Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com), the first private social network for neighborhoods, to foster neighbor-to-neighbor and city-wide communication. Starting now, Belvedere residents can use Nextdoor to create private websites for their neighborhoods where they can get to know their neighbors, ask questions, and exchange local advice and recommendations. Topics of discussion on Nextdoor are as varied as local events, school activities, plumber and babysitter recommendations, disaster preparedness, recent crime activity, upcoming garage sales or even lost pets.  Our primary focus will be disseminating information for emergency preparedness and neighborhood watch - but you can use it for just about any connection you want to make. "Belvedere is a very unique community that communicates well at every level. Communication is one of the many tools that takes an average community and makes it stronger", said City Manager, George Rodericks. "Nextdoor is an excellent tool that will help elevate our communication even more creating a stronger, safer, and more connected community." Nextdoor was specifically designed to make neighbors feel comfortable sharing information with one another to help build stronger communities and building stronger communities is a huge priority for Belvedere. All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood. Information shared on Nextdoor is password- protected and cannot be accessed by those outside the neighborhood or found on Google or other search engines. In addition, Nextdoor never shares personal information with any third parties. Unlike an email listserv or other online group, neighbor posts are organized and archived for future reference. As I always like to say, especially when it comes to disaster preparedness and response, " a good neighbor is better than a far away friend," Laurie Gordon, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Belvedere.  Making the connection with your neighbors before a disaster and making plans to help each other out when needed is crucial. Nextdoor is a great way to do this. Those interested in joining their neighborhood's Nextdoor website can visit www.nextdoor.com and enter their address.  There is a verification process before you can get started, but once you're in - you're IN! Annual Town Meeting Meeting Set for January 23, 2012 The Annual Town Meeting is set for January 23, 2012 at 7 pm.  Mark you calendars!  In addition to the Citizen of the Year and Citizen Emeritus Awards, there will be a State of the City presentation by the Mayor and City Manager.  Of keen interest by then will be the Land Use Recommendations from the Planning Commission to the City Council on changes to development standards applicable to properties in the FEMA Flood Zone. Also scheduled prior to the Town Hall Meeting will be an unveiling of the new Electric Vehicle Charging Stations set to be installed in November/December. Sincerely, George Rodericks City Manager

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Traffic on Tiburon Boulevard Rotary - Spaghettistock!		St. Stephen's Christmas Concert
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View the Archives		Bella Belvedere Newsletter
Traffic On Tiburon Boulevard Community Action to Reduce Traffic - CART The City of Belvedere and Town of Tiburon have launched an effort, nicknamed “CART”, the purpose for which is the identification and implementation of strategies to address long-time traffic concerns on Tiburon Boulevard. Tiburon Vice Mayor Jim Fraser and outgoing Mayor Jeff Slavitz, as well as Belvedere Mayor Jerry Butler and Vice Mayor Sandy Donnell, are at the helm of the CART, which is an acronym for Community Action to Reduce Traffic - a lofty goal. Also at the table are staff representatives from each agency, Reed Union and St. Hilary’s school representatives, PTA and Safe Routes to School representatives and more – all dedicated to the task of addressing the unique issues facing a “one-road” limitation on the Peninsula. As we all know, school traffic is certainly a major contributor to the problem; but there are other contributors as well that can be identified and educated – commuters and tradespeople entering and exiting the peninsula during peak hours. One of the first tasks of the CART team is to conduct a survey of parents to determine how their children are currently getting to and from school. The hope is to identify and reduce impediments to walking, biking, carpooling, and bus ridership. Addressing school traffic may alleviate some of the congestion; educating other drivers to adjust, when possible, their travel times or modes can also improve things along the route. There are a variety of potential solutions being evaluated by CART, and the team welcomes your input and ideas as well. The team will evaluate the feasibility of each as it considers the entire situation. So stay tuned, be prepared with your feedback and watch for news and press on the topic. If you a parent – please be sure to complete the survey you receive early next year. If you are a commuter or tradesperson – consider alternate drive times or alternate modes (carpooling) to get on and off the peninsula. You’ll help relieve congestion and get where you are going more quickly. Soon, the Belvedere and Tiburon websites will have links to feedback emails – lend us your thoughts as we attempt to move toward solutions.
Spaghettistock - a Far Out Fundraiser St. Stephen's Church, 3 Bayview, Belvedere Friday, December 9 from 6 pm to 10 pm The Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere invites members of the community to get on board for Spaghettistock, a celebration of peace, love and spaghetti with a 1960s theme, on Friday, December 9, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at St. Stephen’s Church, 3 Bayview Avenue, Belvedere. Tickets are $25 per person and include an open bar for the first hour, a delicious spaghetti dinner with a choice of three sauces and a contest for the best ’60s costume. The evening’s festivities will also include a live auction with the opportunity for attendees to bid on a trip to New Zealand, a silent auction with items ranging from a fabulous Indian cooking class and dinner to premium wines and holiday gifts, a 50/50 raffle (in which the winner gets half of the proceeds from raffle sales, and the club gets the other half) and a dessert auction. Proceeds will go to help fund the club’s local, national and international projects. Among its accomplishments are peace poles at Reed School and Tiburon Town Hall, the Hilarita community garden, Bel Aire School’s project to send a village-size solar cooker to Liberia, teacher of the year awards and support for Rotaplast’s mission to perform cleft-palate surgery on needy children around the world. For tickets, please contact Laurie at 435-7386 or gotready@gmail.com. Back to Top
Joyful Sounds of Christmas St. Stephen's Church, 3 Bayview, Belvedere Sunday, December 11 at 4 pm St. Stephen's Choir with String Orchestra presents "Joyful Sounds of Christmas" featuring Part 1 of Handel's Messiah and favorite Christmas standards.  Reserved seating is $45 for adults and $30 for children.  General admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children. To order tickets, visit www.ststephenschurch.org and select the Christmas Concert. Back to Top

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