Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood Association’s Facebook group!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News December 2017

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Contents

1. HNA Planning Meeting for 2018: Sunday, 12/3/17, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

2. HNA’s Annual Fundraising Appeal!

3. HNA CERT: Disaster Preparedness Update

4. HNA Volunteer Needs for 2018

5. Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle Launch!

6. Ode to Rick Purcell and the Lost Hippies: RIP

7. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Meeting Fri., 1/19/18, 8:15-9:00 a.m.

8. Halcyon Neighborhood Association’s Guiding Principles

Editor’s Introductory Note:

Thanks to everyone who helped with or attended any of our various neighborhood events in 2017, from crime watch to disaster preparedness, from social potlucks and picnics to work parties in the park and surrounding neighborhood to our inaugural events for Halcyon Thrive, our newest project (see item 5). As we get ready for 2018, we hope to keep on nourishing community and neighborly relationships in Halcyon neighborhood. We welcome your participation.

Wishing you all happy holidays and end-of-the-year celebrations!

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

* * * * * * * * * * * *

1. HNA Planning Meeting for 2018: Sunday, 12/3/17, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Each year, the HNA Steering Committee meets in December to map out rough dates for neighborhood activities for the following year, including work parties to maintain Halcyon Commons, disaster preparedness drills, crime-watch meetings, and social events, such as our popular neighborhood potlucks, celebrations in the park, Halloween parade (languishing until someone new steps forward), and more. Given our great information infrastructure and willing volunteers, it doesn’t require much time on your part to make a big difference as a lead convener (or co-lead) for an event or activity. So much is possible in our neighborhood, but we depend on new neighbors getting involved to help keep us moving forward. The HNA Steering Committee uses a Yahoo listserv group for most of its planning to spare us from too many meetings in our already commitment-full lives (we’ll likely have just three Steering Committee meetings in all of 2018). We would very much welcome your participation!

Please email halcyon92@gmail.com if you want more information. All neighbors willing to work in the spirit of HNA’s Guiding Principles (see item 8 below) are welcome to join the Steering Committee. We’re very much open to new projects, so if you have an aspect of the neighborhood you’d like to see addressed, please step up! And we especially need your help if you have an interest in crime watch (two Steering Committee members who were point people in this area have retired or relocated recently) or kid-friendly activities (most of our current Steering Committee members don’t have children at home, so we need you to help us tune in). For a modest investment of time, you can make a big difference right here where you live.

HNA Planning Meeting for 2018

Sunday, December 3, 2017, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Meeting will take place at a home in the neighborhood. Email halcyon92@gmail.com for details.

This meeting is open to Steering Committee members plus interested members of our Crime Watch and Disaster Preparedness groups, and others who are willing to work together in the spirit of HNA’s Guiding Principles (again, see item 8).

* * * * * * * * * * * *

2. HNA’s Annual Fundraising Appeal

Editor’s note: Your contributions are crucial to realizing HNA’s 2018 priorities! Please give generously.

HNA doesn’t have a formal membership structure or require annual dues because we wanted to keep participation as broad as possible. At the same time, we incur various expenses during the course of a year, including:

* Flyer production

* Supplies for disaster preparedness drills and other special events in park

* Supplies for work parties

* In-fill and replacement plants for Halcyon Commons and nearby landscaped features

* Graffiti removal peripherals

And in 2018 we have some special, one-time projects that require financial support:

* Small projects in Halcyon Commons in the aftermath of HNA’s 25th anniversary in 2017 (including refurbishing the mural on the backside of our bulletin board, new boulders for the park and nearby landscaped features, plus adding some paver stones at common crossways into the park).

We also use the funds we raise to enable us to supplement and enhance the supplies in our neighborhood disaster preparedness supply sheds (these items are intended to benefit the entire neighborhood in the event of disaster and include first aid, search & rescue, and communications tools plus items for command center setup in Halcyon Commons park; they are not intended to substitute for individual household preparedness, but they will help us save lives and minimize disruption after a large earthquake).

We’re asking neighbors who appreciate all that HNA does to improve and beautify our neighborhood, to keep us safer (on both crime-watch and disaster-prep levels), and to facilitate communication and help create a more convivial place to live to give generously this year, and do your part.

(1) Make a financial contribution directly to HNA (not tax-deductible, but allows us maximum flexibility) by writing a check made out to “HNA” and mailing or dropping it off in an envelope to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705.

(2) Give to HNA online! Go to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=QSESRB6FZAX3C to make your contribution. (Again, contributions to HNA aren’t tax-deductible but allow us maximum flexibility.) PayPal keeps a fee of approximately 3 percent.

(3) Make a tax-deductible financial contribution by writing a check made out to “Berkeley Partners for Parks” (BPFP, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, which charges a 7 percent overhead fee), earmarked Halcyon, and mailing or dropping it off in an envelope to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705.

No contribution is too small (or too large!). If you’d like to receive a copy of our year-end financial report, you can request it by writing halcyon92@gmail.com. Our neighborhood association’s health and vitality depend on your ongoing support! And in the event of a big earthquake, some of our lives may very well depend upon it. Please pitch in!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

3. HNA CERT: Disaster Preparedness Update

Editor’s note: Bill Swartz, co-coordinator for the HNA CERT group, submitted the following report.

HNA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is thrilled to offer a Mental Health First Aid class in the neighborhood. The class features a five-step action plan to support someone suffering signs and symptoms of a mental illness or experiencing an emotional crisis. For more details about class content, please see the HNA CERT blog.

The class will run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 10, with thirty minutes for a brown bag lunch; drinks and some snacks will be provided. 

The number of participants is capped, and right now there is only one spot available. However, we will also open a waiting list if necessary. Contact hnacert@gmail.com to reserve your place.

In case you missed it, the HNA CERT blog also includes an account of the very successful Light Search and Rescue, Part 2, held in the neighborhood in late October. 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

4. HNA Volunteer Needs for 2018

Editor’s note: While there will be event-specific volunteer needs that will be announced during the course of the year, below is a list of some of the ongoing needs where we could use some fresh help in 2018.

If you can help with any of these volunteer needs in the neighborhood during 2018, please email halcyon92@gmail.com:

* Photocopy our neighborhood flyer (let us know if you’re willing to do this once, twice, or three times a year) and divide into packets for approximately twenty flyer distributors.

* Serve as backup to drop flyer packets off to distributors (sometime our primary volunteer has to be out of town); this is ideally done via bicycle and takes about an hour.

* Distribute flyers to a regular stretch in the neighborhood three to four times a year (each stretch takes about half an hour, and alternates are available if you’re out of town).

* Serve as an alternate to drop flyers along when a regular distributor is out of town (each stretch takes about half an hour).

* Compile crime stats for the neighborhood every month or two (Mikel Delgado, an outgoing Steering Committee member, has moved to Sacramento and is unable to continue this valuable project, which she so generously worked on for many years).

* Host or co-host a low-key but fun Halloween parade for kids around the park on October 31. Since Susan Snyder moved out of the neighborhood, this seven-year tradition in the neighborhood has gone into hibernation. It would be nice to revive it!

* Join the HNA CERT group and help take our neighborhood disaster preparedness to the next level.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

5. Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle Launch!

Editor’s note: If you’re interested in joining Halcyon Thrive, which includes an invitation to join our Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle at Lotsa Helping Hands, email HalcyonThrive@gmail.com with your address, phone, and email, and we’ll add you to our Halcyon Thrive Google group, a place where any member can suggest shared activities, either on a one-time basis, or as an ongoing project (or spoke of our Halcyon Thrive wheel). Current spokes include an active “Conversations” program with gatherings in various neighbors’ living rooms sharing areas of interest and expertise, an Art in Community monthly gathering, and the Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle, launched this month. All activities are opt-in (no obligation), and a digest option from the Google group means you can keep emails to no more than one a day. Email HalcyonThrive@gmail.com to join or to learn more. We welcome Halcyon neighbors of all ages to join us! Following is the initial description of our Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle. Special thanks to Chochmat HaLev for providing meeting space free of charge to Halcyon Thrive!

Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle

(Subject to adjustments as we see what works and what doesn’t)

Purpose: Enabling Halcyon Thrive neighbors to ask for and offer support to one another by listing needs and signing up to meet them, drawing on the generosity and community spirit of participants.

Examples: Changing a light bulb or getting something down from a high shelf, simple errands or rides to local appointments, taking notes at medical appointments, company walking around the block (during rehab or as part of ongoing wellness program), shopping, dropping off meals, helping with one-time or time-limited task(s). Emphasis is on simple, local ways neighbors can support one another.

Membership Requirements:

* Member of both Halcyon Thrive Google Group and Lotsa Helping Hands Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle page (or have a buddy sponsoring you if you don’t have Internet access).

* Name, address, phone, and email on file; must be within Halcyon neighborhood borders (Telegraph to Adeline, Ashby to Woolsey, in South Berkeley) or just a block or two outside (only with special permission from the organizers).

* Known to an existing Caring Circle member or vetted and welcomed by a designated Caring Circle committee member.

How It Works:

* Caring Circle member emails HalcyonThriveCaringCircle@gmail.com giving brief description of their need(s) (including date, time, details, contact info).

* Caring Circle coordinator posts need(s) to the Lotsa Helping Hands calendar and sends out an announcement to the larger community asking for volunteer(s) to sign up to meet need(s) listed.

* Members listing needs are responsible for checking back with the Lotsa Helping Hands site to see if anyone has signed up to meet them, and volunteer members who sign up to meet needs are responsible for communicating directly with recipients as necessary.

General Principles:

* Participants post needs with as much advance notice as possible. At our launch, at least three days in advance is recommended.

* This is a pilot project; there’s no guarantee of every need being met.

* Participants are free to choose the kind of assistance they’re willing to provide; everything is offered on an opt-in, voluntary basis, free of charge.

* Participants agree to do only what they’re physically capable of doing; it’s each person’s responsibility to know and respect their own limits.

* No fee is allowed for labor; if a task involves an expense (i.e., shopping, gasoline costs), reimbursement will take place at time of service/delivery unless otherwise arranged.

* Participants agree to maintain respectful boundaries and protect the confidentiality of other participants; personal and financial integrity are key requirements.

* Participants agree that if plans change on either the giving or receiving end, they will communicate these changes as soon as possible and avoid leaving anyone in the lurch.

* Participants agree that they’re participating in the Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle at their own risk; Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle members and HNA/Halcyon Thrive will not be held liable for any injury or loss that might ensue.

Caveats: The Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle is NOT intended to offer emergency care, nor can it meet ongoing attendant or live-in care needs, end-of-life hospice needs, or needed care for major or catastrophic illnesses, though it may be able to supplement these. It isn’t intended to substitute for professional medical or counseling services, nor can it replace daily home care when that is needed. It does not provide 24-hour service, nor do volunteers help with medication or hands-on personal care (there are City of Berkeley services that can help with such needs on an emergency basis). When a member requires more support than the Halcyon Thrive Caring Circle can provide, they are encouraged to set up an individual page at a helping site (such as Lotsa Helping Hands) including other people in their support system.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

6. Ode to Rick Purcell and the Lost Hippies: RIP

Editor’s note: The following notice was received from a neighbor.

Richard (Rick) Purcell, born January 8, 1950, collapsed and died suddenly November 9, 2017. He was doing what he loved, playing a weekly happy hour set at the Starry Plough Pub with his band the Lost Hippies.

As an Army brat in Argentina, Rick cut his teeth as a performer playing bass with teenage heart-throb band Los Machismos (“the Little Studs”). Throughout his life Rick wrote clever, catchy songs and always had a band. He played left-handed bass with local bands Natural Grit and the Natives. In the early 1980s he played keyboard and fronted the first of several groups, which would change names and players but always maintain a core group of friends, playing for fun and eventually finding a residence at the Starry Plough.

Rick went to college at UC Riverside. On a crew with the East Bay Municipal Utility District, he had suffered a mild heart attack while working a jackhammer. He retired not long afterward, and downsized from keyboard to mandolin.

He had met and married Andrea Rebeck, and settled in Pt. Richmond, and they later bought a house and moved to Oakland. They'd been divorced for several years when Andrea died suddenly in February of 2016 in her hometown of Akron, Ohio. They had two sons, Andrew and Christopher, both currently in their twenties. He’s also survived by his closest friend and life partner, Roxanne Schwaner.

Editor’s note: And neighbor Pat Phillips of Prince Street added the following:

Ode to Rick and the Lost Hippies

Every Thursday we would find our man

Playing with friends who loved to jam

Down at the Starry Plough with glee

Under the pseudonym of Lost Hippies.

The Lost Hippies took us on a weekly trip

As Guiness, Harpes, and Cider we sipped

We went back down the lane of rock and roll

As we crept out of our 21st-century holes.

Did you have a favorite as you heard them sing?

I think they all touched our hearts with a ring

A ring that took us to another time and place

And helped us through our days with grace.

Rick's faithfulness to us each week with his songs

And a playlist that we looked forward to all week long

A friendly smile and a deep voice went together

To welcome us warmly no matter the weather.

Thank you, Rick, you’re in our hearts

And from there you will never part.

Thanks, too, to the Starry Plough

That there the Lost Hippies’ songs were wowed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

7. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Meeting Fri., 1/19/18, 8:15-9:00 a.m.

Editor’s note: News from Whole Foods Market, courtesy of Store Team Leader Hayden Richards.

Next Drop-in Progress Meeting, Friday, January 19, 2018, 8:15-9:00 a.m.

Focus on Holiday Schedule and Logistics

Whole Foods Market (check in at Customer Service)

These meetings are held at the Community Table at the front of the store or outside, and the purpose is to share our plans for ongoing changes in the store, street litter control, and progress on any of the ongoing issues we discuss with HNA reps and nearby neighbors. The Store Team Leader is usually present, and anyone is welcome to join us. Of course there will be complimentary coffee or tea. Our goal is to follow up immediately on any issues that we hear about, and to hear how the store can be a better neighbor. As always, if there are ever any urgent issues, please call the store at 510-649-1333 and ask for the shift manager on duty. We have new shift leaders being trained, so please send an email to the group below so we can follow up appropriately. Always feel free to swing by too, if you’d like to have a word with us.

hayden.richards@wholefoods.com

nc.brk.contacts@wholefoods.com

chris.mcclung@wholefoods.com

regina.maclaurine@wholefoods.com

bridget.sundin@wholefoods.com

* * * * * * * * * * * *

8. Halcyon Neighborhood Association’s Guiding Principles

Editor’s note: Given our upcoming Planning Meeting for 2018 (see item 1), this is another good time to highlight HNA’s Guiding Principles (which can always be found on our website).

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-News, 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.

* * * * * * * * * * * *