Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood Association’s Facebook group!

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News October 2019

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Items appearing in the HNA E-News 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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Contents

1. Halcyon Thrive Kicks Off Autumn with a Social on Sun., 10/6

2. Halcyon CERT Team Organization Class, Sun., 10/20, 1-4 p.m.

3. HNA’s Big Berkeley Project Work Party in the Park, Sat., 10/26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Editor’s Introductory Note:

Many thanks to all who made our annual summer Ice Cream Social combined with a mini disaster preparedness drill a great success, with over one hundred neighbors participating. Special thanks to homemade ice cream maker Bruce Wicinas, volunteer organizer Chris Canelake (with assist from Lynn Richards), Bill Swartz for the Halcyon CERT group, and all the volunteers who helped spread the world and set up, manage food, and cleanup, etc. Tasty treats were also provided by Whole Foods Market, our longtime partner since 1992, as well as by the CBCB! Thanks, all!

See this newsletter for October opportunities to get involved in the neighborhood.

—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com

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1. Halcyon Thrive Kicks Off Autumn with a Social on Sun., 10/6

Editor’s note: Halcyon Thrive is a relatively new neighborhood initiative for those who wish to take the next step in mutual community support. Halcyon Thrive offers a “Conversations” program in people’s homes, where neighbors share knowledge and experience, as well as occasional social gatherings -- all of which help us get to know one another better. We’re also exploring ways to support one another when simple needs arise, which could include “aging in place,” or multigenerational support of other kinds. The group currently includes around 75 neighbors and will kick off its fall activities with a social gathering/deck party on Sunday afternoon, October 6. To receive an invitation to the October 6th social, join Halcyon Thrive by Thursday, October 3! If you’ve been thinking of joining and live in the neighborhood (Telegraph to Adeline, Ashby to Woolsey), this is a great time to join us, though you’re welcome at any time. To join Halcyon Thrive and the Halcyon Thrive Google group, where we plan and announce Thrive events, email your contact information, including email and phone, to halcyonthrive@gmail.com.

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2. Halcyon CERT Team Organization Class, Sun., 10/20, 1-4 p.m.

Editor’s note: Received from the Halcyon CERT group via Bill Swartz.

At any one time, there are 34 firefighters on duty in all of Berkeley. Imagine how overwhelmed 34 people, even with the best training and equipment, would be if all of Berkeley suffered the catastrophic damage that would follow a major disaster such as fire or earthquake. The Halcyon neighborhood couldn’t expect help for three days to a week, and maybe longer. And it isn’t just us; in virtually all recent natural disasters communities have waited days, weeks, sometimes more than a month, for first responders to arrive.

Halcyon Community Emergency Response Team exists as a group of neighbors organized to help neighbors while waiting for first responders. We are part of a national CERT program and receive support from the Berkeley Fire Department and Berkeley Office of Emergency Services. We believe in saving lives, meeting neighbors, and building community. 

Halcyon CERT is planning a major earthquake drill in January. If you’re interested in CERT, now is a great time to get involved, and if you have been in CERT and are thinking about getting active again, please come back; we need you!

We will be offering a free class on the basics of emergency management: how to organize available people and resources to do the greatest good at the lowest risk. The class features scenarios specific to Halcyon neighborhood. It will be fun, stimulating, eye-opening, and tremendously useful in the event of an actual disaster, not to mention for our drill in January.

* Class Title: CERT Team Organization

* When: Sunday 10/20 from 1:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m.

* Where: 2135 Prince Street (between Wheeler & Shattuck)

To register please click on this link: https://certorg10-20-19.eventbrite.com

If you’re already signed up for the class by email, great, you are good! You do not need the above link.

To help with HNA CERT: HNACERT@gmail.com * http://hnacert.wordpress.com

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3. HNA’s Big Berkeley Project Work Party in the Park, Sat., 10/26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

BIG Work Party in Halcyon Commons & Surrounds

Saturday, Oct. 26, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (moderate rain or shine!)

Meet at Halcyon Commons (Halcyon Court at Prince Street)

Delicious refreshments (plus coffee & water) courtesy of Whole Foods Market

Chat with neighbors & UC student volunteers from Cal’s Berkeley Project while we weed, mulch, pick up trash, and remove graffiti in the park and surrounding neighborhood. Please bring weeding and trimming tools (with labels) if you have them (extra tools will be available if you don’t). Let’s get our precious common space ready for the winter months!

Note: If there’s a public area in the larger neighborhood where you’d especially like to see trash picked up or graffiti removed, please consider volunteering for an hour to lead a student crew out to clean it up! We will have plenty of volunteer help, but we depend on neighbors to guide the process so we get as much done as possible.

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