The full newsletter (with a bit of formatting) is online at http://www.halcyonneighborhood.org
Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood AssociationÕs Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499!
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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 1/6/14
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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 EditorÕs introductory comments express her personal viewpoint.
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Contents
1. HNA
Annual Fundraising Appeal!!!
2. Post-Holiday
Progressive Potluck, Sunday, January 26, 2014
3. Crime-Watch Updates
& Links
4. Save the Date: Neighborhood
Watch Community Meeting, Weds., Feb. 19, 2014, 7-8:30 p.m.
5. Whole Foods Market
News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting on January 8, 8-8:30 a.m.
6. Neighbor
Sponsoring CSA Drop-Off Location in Neighborhood
7. Council
Redistricting and Referendum Links
8. Rebuilding
Together Provides Free Home Repairs to Low-Income Neighbors
EditorÕs Introductory Note:
Welcome to new subscribers to the HNA E-News, which comes out monthly (with occasional reminders going out before major events). My hope is that the news shared here will empower us all to create a friendlier, safer neighborhood where we look out for one another. As most of you know, our part of Berkeley experienced a scary wave of armed robberies in the first half of December. Please see item 3 for an update. Getting to know one another remains an important strategy for improving neighborhood safety, and itÕs also fun and satisfying on multiple levels. From its inception, HNA has included plenty of community-building opportunities for socializing with neighbors, and one of our most popular events, our annual post-holiday progressive potluck, is coming up soon (see item 2). I hope to see many of you there! Finally, I hope this edition of the E-News will remind you why itÕs important to support the work we do with a financial contribution, so see item 1 for a friendly reminder if you havenÕt yet had a chance to contribute. What weÕre able to accomplish depends on your ongoing participation and support! Please pitch in!
HereÕs to a great 2014 in Halcyon neighborhood!
ŃNancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. HNA Annual Fundraising Appeal!!!
HNA doesnÕt 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: for flyer production; for supplies for events in
the park, such as disaster preparedness drills and work parties; for in-fill
and replacement plants for Halcyon Commons and nearby landscaped features; and
for other miscellaneous costs. By yearÕs end our coffers are depleted. In
addition, each year we raise funds to enable us to supplement and enhance the
supplies in our neighborhood disaster preparedness supply shed (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).
There are three ways you can
respond to this appeal:
(1) Make a financial contribution
directly to HNA (not tax-deductible, but allows us maximum flexibility), by
writing a check to ŅHNAÓ and mail or drop it off to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter,
3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705;
(2) Make a tax-deductible
financial contribution with check made out to ŅBerkeley Partners for ParksÓ
(BPFP, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor), earmarked Halcyon Commons, and mail or
drop off to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705;
or
(3) Make a direct donation of any
of the items listed in our Disaster Supply Cache Wish List found on our HNA website. Contact halcyon92@gmail.com to arrange to drop
them off.
No contribution is too small (or
too large!). Our neighborhood associationÕs 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!
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2. Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, Sunday, January 26, 2014
EditorÕs note: HNA Potluck organizer and Steering Committee member Tory Finn sent the following announcement (full information to follow by E-Reminder). We hope to see many neighbors for all or part of this fun annual event! A flyer reminding you of all the addresses will be going out later this month.
Post-Holiday
Progressive Potluck
Sunday, January 26,
2014, 5:30-8:45 p.m.
One of the most popular Halcyon events of the year! Join your neighbors as we progress from house to house for a fabulous multi-course dinner; attend one course or all four.
First Course: Appetizers, 5:30Š6:15 p.m.
2124 Prince St. (between Wheeler and Shattuck)
Second Course: Salads, 6:20Š6:55 p.m.
TBA (awaiting for confirmation from hosts)
Third Course: Main Dishes, 7:00Š7:45 p.m.
3044 Halcyon (between Prince and Webster)
Fourth Course: Desserts, 7:50Š8:45 p.m.
2329 Webster Street (two doors west of Whole Foods)
Potluck suggestions: NEEDS UPDATE!
A-E: Appetizer * F-K: Salad *L-S: Main Dish * T-Z: Dessert
Please bring a festive dish for 10-12, and, if possible, a beverage to share as well (it really helps if enough folks bring beverages too). Children welcome. If not obvious, kindly attach a label with ingredients for your dish to alert those with vegetarian and other diets. Bring the item assigned for your letter to the designated household, or substitute another suggestion if you wonÕt be attending the course for your letter.
* In addition, if you havenÕt already donated this year, PLEASE bring along a check or cash contribution to HNA of whatever size (no amount is too small or large Ń see item 1; your contribution will help us upgrade our neighborhood disaster supply cache, maintain Halcyon Commons, and continue to duplicate flyers in 2014)!
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3. Crime-Watch Updates & Links
EditorÕs note: Our HNA Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499 often shares breaking crime reports in between E-News editions (your home and email addresses are required to participate so we can be sure the group is kept safe for neighbors, and we require this information prior to accepting your request). Remember, we rely on neighbors to fill in the details of crimes in our neighborhood, so, in addition to filing a Police report (which can now be done online through the City of Berkeley website for some kinds of crimes: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/onlinereport/), please email halcyon92@gmail.com to pass the word on to your neighbors, or share it on our Facebook page, so we can all stay aware and vigilant!
HNA Steering Committee member Mikel Delgado submitted the following summary of recent crimes in or near the neighborhood. Thank you, Mikel!
12/4 Robberies Prince and Fulton, Prince and Wheeler, Telegraph & 66th (previously reported)
12/5 Burglary, Deakin and Wheeler
12/5 Vehicle stolen, 66th near Shattuck
12/6 Commercial Burglary, Ashby and Shattuck
12/7 Assault, Telegraph and 66th
12/7 Commercial burglary, Ashby and Telegraph
12/9 Robberies Telegraph and 66th, Woolsey and Tremont, 66th
near Shattuck (and Alcatraz and Shattuck)
12/14 Robbery, Telegraph and Russell (4:30 PM)
12/15 Vehicle stolen, Prince and Shattuck
12/15 Strong-arm robbery, Shattuck and 65th (7 PM)
12/16 Larceny theft, Telegraph and Woolsey
12/18 Burglary, Prince and Tremont
12/18 Theft, Telegraph near Prince
12/22 Vehicle break-in, Prince and Tremont
12/23 Burglary, Essex near Shattuck
12/28 Assault, Ashby and Shattuck
12/30 Vehicle break-in, Shattuck and Essex
Neighborhood Response
to December Wave of Armed Robberies
EditorÕs note: In response to the wave of robberies in South Berkeley/North Oakland in the first half of December (reported on in the special edition of the E-News that went out December 12 as well as on our Facebook page), HNA took action in a few key ways. We contacted the councilmembers representing our neighborhood (Kriss Worthington and Max Anderson) and asked them to be in touch with the City Manager to ensure that our neighborhood and the BPD were receiving adequate resources to address the wave. HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton coordinated with Bateman Crime Watch Captain Marcy McGaugh and then with neighborhood leaders from Bateman, Willard, and Le Conte neighborhood associations to discuss possible joint neighborhood responses and to plan a flyer that would alert neighbors about what was happening. Marcy prepared a flyer draft, and Nancy updated it and printed out copies for Halcyon; cumulatively, the four neighborhood groups posted hundreds of copies (a special thank-you to our Halcyon volunteers, who posted over 150 flyers in a short timeframe!). Flyers about crimes potentially help in at least three ways: (1) They inform neighbors who arenÕt part of our listservs and Facebook group and who may not receive the E-News of whatÕs been happening and the need to be vigilant; (2) They inform the many people who pass through our neighborhood every day on their way to BART, Ed Roberts, WFM, Alta Bates, SRF, Chochmat HaLev, La Pe–a, etc., who make this a particularly target-rich zone; and (3) They sometimes have a deterrent value, when criminals realize that an area is on the alert, making us less attractive prey/victims. In addition to our flyer-posting efforts, HNA Steering Committee members Billy Cauley, Mikel Delgado, and Rob Lyons attended a joint meeting with Bateman, Willard, and Le Conte Neighborhood Association representatives to strategize about how to best respond to the crime wave; a meeting with the Chief of Police is being planned as a follow-up. In addition, the HNA Steering Committee has scheduled a Neighborhood Watch meeting for February 19 (see item 4); please plan to attend if you possibly can; while the wave of robberies quieted down shortly after our flyers went up (and after at least one arrest was made by the Oakland Police Department), itÕs important that we remain proactive about neighborhood safety as the new year unfolds.
Tips
from the BPD re Avoiding Robberies
EditorÕs note: A reminder of the Berkeley Police Department tips in relation to robberies.
We are forwarding an important statement from the Berkeley Police Department on recent robberies:
[In the first half of December] there has been a series of robberies in North Oakland and South Berkeley. The suspects have primarily hit in Oakland, but have also been responsible for several robberies in Berkeley. The suspects are carjacking or stealing cars in Oakland then committing several robberies in quick succession. The suspects are 2-3 black males in their 20's, approximately 6' tall. The robberies have all been committed via handgun and have primarily targeted lone pedestrians. The robberies have occurred at all times of the day and night.
Capturing these suspects is the Berkeley Police DepartmentÕs top priority. We are partnering with the BART Police Department to in a joint robbery suppression detail in the area these robberies have been occurring. We are sharing information on the series with the Oakland Police Department. BPD Investigators are following up on all available leads.
We would ask residents to keep some important crime-prevention tips in mind:
1. When possible do not walk alone
2. Remain observant of your surroundings
3. If you feel something is suspicious, trust your instincts; turn around and retrace your path to a public space with other people, call the police, or take another route
4. Do not have your cell phone or other electronic device visible or in use
5. If you are a victim of robbery, do not resist. Be a good witness. We are very interested in any capabilities to track your phone or device.
- Be alert to your surroundings and people around you.
- DonÕt talk on cell phones or listen to other devices when alone, as they significantly limit awareness.
- DonÕt have your cell phones or other electronic devices visible and out while walking.
- Be aware of locations and situations, which make you more vulnerable to crime, such as alleys, doorways, parking lots and stairwells.
- Call BPD to report suspicious persons or activity [981-5900 for nonemergencies, 911 for emergencies from your landline, program 981-5911 for emergencies from your cellphone]
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4. Save the Date: Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Weds., Feb. 19,
2014, 7-8:30 p.m.
EditorÕs note: In the wake of the robberies in South Berkeley/North Oakland in the first half of December, the HNA Steering Committee scheduled a neighborhood watch meeting in February. Members of the Berkeley Police Department will be present to update us on current crime trends and what we can do to help prevent crime; there will also be a brief segment on disaster preparedness. Please save the date for this important meeting. The location will most likely be at Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton).
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5. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting on January 8,
8-8:30 a.m.
EditorÕs note: News from Whole Foods Market. If youÕd like to be added to the neighbor notification list that Lizzie Brimhall maintains for the neighborhood-WFM meetings (and to notify neighbors when work is being done at the store), please email her at lizzie.brimhall@wholefoods.com.
Happy New Year, neighbors!
Just a friendly reminder that our upcoming Halcyon Neighborhood Community
meeting [for neighbors to discuss issues with Whole Foods Market] is happening
here at the store on Wednesday January 8th at 8 a.m. Feel free to come by if
youÕve got any concerns, comments, or announcements to make so that I can
include them in the notes for the rest of the neighbors. As always, IÕm
available by email if thereÕs anything youÕd like to add to the agenda for the
meeting, even if youÕre unable to attend.
This upcoming Tuesday January 7th there will be some hydro-flushing happening
around our compost area. We do this every six months and there is minimal noise
involved. However, we have asked that the hydro-flushing not start until after
8am. This deep-cleaning of the compost area helps keep smells to a minimum and
is a great deterrent for vermin and bacteria growth. If thereÕs any disturbance
to you before 8am, please donÕt hesitate to call us at once so that we can
address the issue.
Thanks so much for your continued communication and input!
I am looking forward to 2014 and all the new things that it will bring!
Take care,
Lizzie Robillard Brimhall, Marketing Team Leader, Whole Foods Market
510-649-1333, ext. 260, lizzie.brimhall@wholefoods.com
Next Drop-in Progress Meeting, Wednesday, January 8, 8-8:30 a.m.
Whole Foods Market (check in at Customer Service)
ŅThese meetings are held at the Community Table
at the front of the store, 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, tea, and snacks. 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.Ó
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. If itÕs between 7: 30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Melody, Carlisle, Curt, OR Donna will be in the store, so always feel free to swing by, too, if youÕd like to have a word with us. Call the store during business hours (8am-10pm) at 649-1333 and ask for a Shift Manager:
Melody.Mestemacher@wholefoods.com
Donna.Hitchens@wholefoods.com
Curt.Sundin@wholefoods.com
Carlisle.Crumley@wholefoods.com
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6. Neighbor Sponsoring CSA Drop-Off Location in Neighborhood
EditorÕs note: Wheeler Street neighbor (and HNA Potluck Coordinator) Tory Finn submitted the following announcement.
Hi Neighbors,
I have been a subscriber to a great CSA for over five years. Other than being a
great small company, Eat With the Seasons is great for two reasons: you get to
order your produce each week, not take what you get, and they have a wide
variety to choose from; and my house on Wheeler is a drop off point. I thought
some of you might want to know about it; drop off days are Thursdays.
Website: http://eatwiththeseasons.com/
Tory
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7. Council Redistricting and Referendum Links
EditorÕs note: Redistricting on the City Council level changes the district lines for the Halcyon neighborhood and means some of us may end up with new councilmembers representing us. The measure City Council recently passed would result in the eastern side of our neighborhood being removed from District 7 (currently represented by Councilmember Worthington); some parts of the neighborhood would remain in District 3 (currently represented by Councilmember Max Anderson), and some parts would be added to either District 3 or District 8 (currently represented by Councilmember Gordon Wozniak). None of our neighborhood would remain in District 7 (which is being designated a student-supermajority district). Currently thereÕs a referendum signature-gathering campaign underway to overturn the CouncilÕs decision. While this is the kind of issue where thereÕs a range of views among neighbors (and thus not one HNA will be taking a position on), neighbors may wish to learn more since it will definitely affect our neighborhood (and which councilmembers will represent us moving forward).
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/01/03/tight-deadline-to-get-redistricting-referendum-on-ballot/
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/12/18/berkeley-redistricting-map-splits-council-community/
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/12/04/berkeley-redistricting-map-approved-referendum-idea-looms/
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/09/12/berkeley-council-may-consider-2-campus-district-maps/
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8. Rebuilding Together Provides Free Home Repairs to Low-Income
Neighbors
EditorÕs note: If you or anyone you know could benefit from this service, please help spread the word!
Greetings,
My name is Paul Nolan; IÕm a Berkeley resident and program coordinator for Rebuilding Together East Bay-North. Our non-profit organization provides free home repairs for low-income elderly and disabled home owners. Please check out our website rtebn.org.
We are doing community outreach to find people who could benefit from our program. I am hoping your eyes and ears would help us identify neighbors in need.
If you have any questions, Please contact me at 644.8979 or paul@rtebn.org. Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Paul Nolan
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