Bret Harte is a beautiful, walkable residential neighborhood along the southern border of San Rafael in Marin County. The earliest homes date from the late 1930s. The neighborhood is tucked into the hillside with ample green space, tree-lined streets, and a secret trail. It features Bret Harte Park—the neighborhood's social center—and a diversity of families that call Bret Harte home.
News
Saturday, May 30th, 3:00–5:00 PM
Join in a great opportunity to foster community building! Check out the creative talents of Bret Harte artists. Refer to the Bret Harte Community Art Stroll Map (below) to guide you to the participating artists throughout the hood. Each will display their art in front of their home or driveway and appropriate physical distancing will be observed. Please carry/wear masks.
Whether you are in for the stroll or want to display your art… Come out and have some fun on the Bret hARTe Community Art Stroll!
Be sure to also visit the Kona Ice truck at the corner of Redding Way & Du Bois St!
San Rafael Vice Mayor Kate Colin put together a great neighbor-to-neighbor toolkit that neighborhoods throughout San Rafael are using to help connect neighbors who need help with those that can provide. This project works through the power of personal connections—volunteer "Street Angels" proactively reach out and see if any of our neighbors are in need, and then connect them with others who would like to volunteer.
Needs can include help getting groceries, or other home or yard chores. The toolkit also includes local resources to share and local phone numbers. Essentially, it formalizes much of the work that we already do in our neighborhood and helps us make sure we get through this crisis by helping one another. It is a powerful tool that we can continue to use for future needs.
We're currently recruiting Street Angels, who are responsible to reach out to 5–10 neighbors and connect with them via a phone call, email, or (non-contact) personal note. We ask that you don’t knock on doors during this COVID time, but instead tape a note or flier to mailboxes. We are putting together a flier for use.
If you're interested in becoming a Street Angel, contact Molly Blauvelt at tomollytoo@gmail.com.
| Neighbor to Neighbor Toolkit |
Is your yard overflowing (even a little) with the season's harvest, and you'd rather not let it fall? Share your oranges, lemons, and more with the neighborhood by taking advantage of the free Bret Harte Bounty Neighborhood Sharing and Sustainability Program!
Some of our Bret Harte neighbors grow an excess of beautiful fruits and vegetables, which they graciously share. And some of our Bret Harte neighbors are elderly or in need. Let’s bring them together! Bret Harte Bounty is a community program to help our neighbors while preventing food waste (ranked third on Project Drawdown’s list of most important solutions to climate change) by delivering shared neighborhood produce to our senior and in-need neighbors. The Bret Harte Bounty program helps pick this excess fruit and delivers to the homes of the elderly and in need in Bret Harte.
For information or to reserve a harvest, contact Nigel Faulkner at nigelf@comcast.net or 415-298-2485; Chris Brown at brownisturninggreen@gmail.com or 628-240-4361; or David & Sarah Leipsic at davidleipsic@sbcglobal.net or 415-577 2794.
The BHCA invited everyone to share their at-home family photos with us so we can post them here. Even though we were practicing social distancing, it didn't mean we weren't social!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2020 BHCA Membership Drive. We came very close to our goal, with 35 new and renewing members. Your dues will help us continue to offer free events and programming to the neighborhood, and implement neighborhood-wide projects like park improvements, disaster-preparedness training, community art, and more.
A huge thank you to: Maria Baccigaluppi, Marianne Bulchis, Garrett Burdick, Cynthia Burgess, Jeffrey Chan, Alyssa Conklin-Moore, Nikki Contini, Jessica Deming, Coya Elliott (who caught up on eight years of back dues!), Billie and Gary Forer, William Gale, Irma Gray, Kevin and CJ Healy, John and Mariko Heenan, Michelle Holmes, Jenny Keane, Kyndra Kennedy, Mark Lubamersky, Tina Lundh, Donna McKee, Carolee Mech, Leigh Miller, Eve Nelson, Ben Parsons, Elise Peck, Ellen and Craig Peterson, Leslie Piper, Stephanie Prescott, Emma Rapp, Catherine Clark Sayles, Morgan Schauffler, Kris Stewart, Miriam and Jim Swanson, Kris and Valerie Trenouth, and Kathleen Walsh.
Greetings, neighbors, here are some art ideas and suggestions for your fun and pleasure, for all ages: kids and adults! Posted March 28, 2020
The City of San Rafael is in the process of updating its General Plan, a state-mandated document that articulates the city’s vision for its future, along with policies to help it achieve that vision. The current update to the General Plan 2020 is an effort to incorporate the projects, priorities, and challenges that have emerged since the current Plan was adopted in 2004. Thank you to neighbors who took the survey and provided valuable responses.
Upcoming Events
Join friends and neighbors at Bret Harte Park for an ice cream social to celebrate National Night Out. Guest speakers invited.
Don’t miss the bret harte-wide annual sale, with dozens of participants in the neighborhood and in the park. clothing, jewelry, housewares, collectibles, small furniture, electronics, kids clothes and toys, books, bikes, antiques, glassware, flatware, plants, vintage collectibles, musical gear, gardening equipment, eclectica, and more! Garage Sale 8:00 AM-2:00 PM, Picnic 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM.
Join your neighbors in getting ready for trick-or-treating. Pumpkins generously donated by Trader Joe’s. Please bring your own carving tools.
Come dressed in costume before trick-or-treating through the neighborhood. Pizza provided by BHCA
A furry, rascally rabbit has been spotted hiding Easter eggs at the Bret Harte Park. Bring your little ones (and a basket) and help collect all the eggs. Coffee and snacks provided.
Annual Activities
Social Events
The BHCA sponsors neighborhood social events that bring residents together, as well as support the needs of Bret Harte residents. Events are organized and run by neighborhood volunteers and most events are held in Bret Harte Park. These include:
Easter in the Park. The Easter Bunny stops by for an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter, with treats provided by the BHCA.
Neighborhood Garage Sale. Held the Sunday after Labor Day, the annual Sale features dozens of participants around the neighborhood and in the park.
Non-Labor Day Picnic. Our biggest neighborhood event, held after the Neighborhood Garage Sale. This barbecue and potluck (with music in the park performed by local neighborhood residents) marks our annual membership drive and helps bring our community together.
Neighborhood Pumpkin Carving. Traditionally held the weekend before Halloween, children and their parents are invited to the park to pick out a pumpkin (generously donated by Trader Joe’s), carve it, and display their finished jack-o’-lanterns.
Pre–Trick-or-Treat Pizza Party. Before neighborhood kids head into the neighborhood for trick-or-treating, they gather in the park to show off their costumes and eat pizza.
National Night Out. Coordinated with the national celebration in early August, residents are invited to join friends and neighbors at Bret Harte Park to celebrate National Night Out. Guest speakers invited from City of San Rafael police and fire departments.
Services
The BHCA engages in a number of activities by and for residents, including:
Bret Harte Bounty: A Neighborhood Sharing and Sustainability Program. Some of our Bret Harte neighbors grow an excess of beautiful fruits and vegetables, which they graciously share. And some of our Bret Harte neighbors are elderly or in need. Let’s bring them together. Bret Harte Bounty is a community program to help our neighbors while preventing food waste (ranked third on Project Drawdown’s list of most important solutions to climate change) by delivering shared neighborhood produce to our senior and in-need neighbors. The Bret Harte Bounty program helps pick this excess fruit and delivers to the homes of the elderly and in need in Bret Harte. For information, contact Nigel Faulkner at nigelf@comcast.net or 415-298-2485; Chris Brown at brownisturninggreen@gmail.com or 628-240-4361; or David & Sarah Leipsic at davidleipsic@sbcglobal.net or 415-577 2794.
About the BHCA
The Bret Harte Community Association, in existence for over 50 years, is a neighborhood organization that supports approximately 500 residences, with the purpose of bringing the community together.
The BHCA is funded by neighborhood and community donations. A $25/year per- household donation is suggested. However, all activities are available to all neighborhood residents regardless of member status. The many accomplishments of the BHCA are achieved solely through volunteer efforts. To stay up to date on what's happening in and around the neighborhood, subscribe to the BHCA Email List.