Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood AssociationÕs Facebook group!
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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 10/1/14
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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. Disaster Preparedness Exercise at Halcyon
Commons, Sat., Oct. 18, 9-11 a.m.: Please Come!
2. Halcyon Halloween: Sixth Annual
KidsÕ Costume Parade Around the Park, Fri. 10/31, 6:00 p.m.
3. HNAÕs Big Berkeley Project
Work Party in the Park, Saturday, Sat. 11/8, 9:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
4. Crime-Watch Updates
5. Whole Foods Market
News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Nov. 14, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
6. East Bay Community
Solar Project: Bulk Rate Deadline October 31
7. District 8
Candidate Websites
EditorÕs Introductory Note
Thanks to all four
candidates for City Council in District 8 (see item 7) who attended a
candidatesÕ night sponsored by HNA and Bateman Neighborhood Association last
month. Special thanks to HNA Co-Chair John Steere and BNA President Lucy
Smallsreed for facilitating the event. Though only a part of our neighborhood
is included in the new district lines for the Nov. 4 election (the east side of
Deakin and east), there are local issues on the ballot that affect everyone in
our neighborhood, so please vote by November 4 and make your voices heard!
The subject of disaster preparedness remains on many of our minds in the aftermath of the Napa quake, and HNAÕs Disaster Preparedness Coordinator Susan Snyder and her volunteer crew are doing their best to make sure our neighborhood is better prepared. But they canÕt do it alone! Your presence at the disaster preparedness exercise on Saturday, October 18, is the missing ingredient (see item 1). Please show up; it really does make a difference.
Happy start of fall and happy voting!
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. Disaster Preparedness
Exercise at Halcyon Commons,
Sat., Oct. 18, 9-11 a.m.: Please Come!
EditorÕs note: HNAÕs Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Susan Snyder, submitted the following announcement about HNAÕs participation in the citywide disaster preparedness exercise on Sat. Oct. 18. Please show up! For a small investment of time, youÕll be making a big contribution to our level of neighborhood preparedness.
Hello Neighbors,
I hope youÕll be able to join together for this yearÕs Disaster Preparedness Exercise. ItÕs on October 18th with set up @ 8:30 a.m., then the exercise 9-11. Currently the plan calls for training stations including emergency cards to fill out for people and pets and medical triage. Delicious coffee (thank you, Mokka!) and treats (thank you, Whole Foods!) AND ÒA little prepÓ gift bags from HNA available to the first 50 participants (teens and older).
Even if you canÕt make it to our park for the neighborhood part of the exercise, you can still participate. Berkeley CERT volunteers have developed activity guides with a wonderful array of things to do -- taking from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. You can find them online here: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/prepare/, which is also the place to register. Consider registering as a pledge to do something to increase your emergency preparedness on that day.
VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED TO MAKE HNAÕs EXERCISE FANTASTIC! I need a couple of volunteers during the exercise itself and for the breakdown (11-11:30). Contact me and weÕll find a job that suits your skills and interests.
THANK YOU!
Susan Snyder
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2. Halcyon Halloween: Sixth
Annual KidsÕ Costume Parade Around the Park, Fri. 10/31, 6:00 p.m.
EditorÕs note: LetÕs keep moving toward a kid-friendly Halcyon Halloween! Bring your kids to the annual Halloween Parade around the park prior to trick-or-treating (or come provide an audience). See Wheeler Street neighbor Susan SnyderÕs announcement below about the parade. We encourage neighbors to put out some pumpkins and answer the door on Halloween! (Or leave lights out if you donÕt want to participate; although ordinarily we ask that neighbors leave their porch lights on for neighborhood-watch purposes, Halloween is the exception.)
Halloween Parade
at Halcyon Commons, 10/31, 6 p.m.!
Join together with all the neighborhoods ghosts, goblins, witches,
dinosaurs, dogs, and heroes to start off Halloween with our annual parade
around Halcyon Commons! We'll start to gather at 6:00 p.m., with the
parade beginning by 6:15 p.m. Come and join the parade and then
trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Kid-at-heart neighbors
welcome to come cheer the kids on. Questions? Contact Susan at susan@un-scripted.com.
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3. HNAÕs
Big Berkeley Project Work Party in the Park, Saturday, Sat. 11/8,
9:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
BIG Work Party in
Halcyon Commons & Surrounds
Saturday, Nov. 8,
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (rain or shine!)
Meet at Halcyon
Commons (Halcyon Court at Prince Street)
Delicious
refreshments (& water) courtesy of Whole Foods Market
Fresh coffee
courtesy of Mokka Cafe (Telegraph at Dowling)
Chat with neighbors & UC student volunteers from CalÕs 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 donÕt). LetÕs get our precious common space ready for the winter months!
Note: If thereÕs a public area in the larger neighborhood where youÕd 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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4. 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 plus phone 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!
From Prince Street neighbor Mikel Delgado (thanks, Mikel!), a list of some recent crimes in our neighborhood and just beyond:
7/21 robbery Adeline & Woolsey
7/23 felony sexual assault Ashby & Colby
7/28 residential burglary Woolsey & Tremont
7/31 car break-in Telegraph & Woolsey
8/2 vehicle stolen Prince & Telegraph
8/3 residential burglary Woolsey & Deakin
8/4 robbery Ashby at Colby
8/5 residential burglary Ashby & Newbury
8/9 weapons Ashby & Adeline
9/2 residential burglary Shattuck & Essex
Reported to our HNA Facebook group on September 24:
Ò[O]ur neighbor [on Woolsey near Wheeler] . . . had her house ransacked and [burglarized]. [The neighbor] was not home at the time. Sounds like they went through the back door as there was damage to the back door frame. We donÕt have any other info than this, if we hear more, we'll let you know. But good for all of us to be aware and alert.Ó [Note: The neighbor who passed this on saw police cars in the area at around 7:30 p.m.]
Reported to our HNA Facebook group on September 21:
ÒFYI [at the large apartment building on Webster where construction has been taking place], we have had several odd things take place this week . . . someone has been sleeping in 3rd floor laundry room. Then someone broke open the coin boxes on the machines . . . then we found out someone was also using the elevator as a sleeping room also. Taking elevator in between floors and turning off. Also a bike on 2nd floor was stolen, and the thieves attempted to steal another, but only got parts. Then on Weds. a.m. a tenant was putting compost in the large bin, and surprised a sleeping homeless man behind the bin. As you all know, we have been under construction for months . . . the place is a big mess. If you see anything suspicious please let [the apartment manager know].Ó EditorÕs note: Even more important, please let Berkeley Police Department know.
Reported to our HNA Facebook group on September 10:
ÒI live [in the 2100 block of] Prince Street and I wanted to make everyone aware that someone tried to pry open our front door last night sometime between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. [September 9th, 2014]. Our front porch light was on, so this was a fairly daring attempt at a break-in. We have notified the non-emergency branch of the Berkeley Police Dept and we are fixing the damage to our front door.Ó
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5. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Nov. 14,
8:15-8:45 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.
Next Drop-in Progress Meeting, FRIDAY, Nov. 14, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Whole Foods Market (check in at Customer Service)
EditorÕs note: The November meeting will give neighbors a chance to discuss the storeÕs plans to minimize noise during the holiday season.
ÒThese 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 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.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, or Ross will be in the store, so always feel free to swing by too, if youÕd like to have a word with us. Or call the store during business hours (8 a.m.-10 p.m.) at 649-1333 and ask for a Shift Manager:
Melody.Mestemacher@wholefoods.com
Carlisle.Crumley@wholefoods.com
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6. East Bay Community Solar Project: Bulk Rate Deadline October 31
EditorÕs note: The following announcement was received from the East Bay Community Solar Project (EBCSP).
Get the Best Deal on Solar with Ease by Taking Advantage of Community Support. Sign up for the Nonprofit East Bay Community Solar Project!
Has going solar been on your to-do list, but not gotten crossed off because you think it will be a hassle? Move it to the top and cross it off with ease with community support offered by nonprofit East Bay Community Solar Project!
With EBCSP you can take advantage of the due diligence of others in the community who are going solar, to make sure you get the best deal with the least hassle. We have assembled a committee of such people to review bids from five different contractors and pick one to provide installations to participants at a bulk, discounted rate. This means not only will it be easier to get it done responsibly, but you will also get a discount on top that is often worth several thousand dollars -- a discount that would not be available to you as an individual customer.
The deadline for sign ups is October 31. Visit the website to learn more and sign up for a no-commitment proposal at: http://ebcsolarproject.com/
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7. District 8 Candidate Websites
EditorÕs note: HNA doesnÕt make endorsements in Council races, but we encourage neighbors to become informed and to vote. Berkeley City Council races are now ranked-choice elections (avoiding the need for a runoff), so youÕll be able to vote for your top three choices. Below, in random order (order scrambled since last time), IÕve listed the links to the websites of the four candidates running in District 8 (the current councilmember for District 8, Gordon Wozniak, is retiring).
Mike Alvarez Cohen:
Lori Droste:
George Beier:
Jacquelyn McCormick:
http://www.mccormick4council.com/
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