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Halcyon Neighborhood
Association E-News 12/2/11
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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
Planning Meeting for 2012: This Sunday, 12/ 4, 5-6:45 p.m.
2. HNA Year-End Fundraising
Appeal
3. Hosts Still Needed for Post-Holiday Progressive
Potluck, Sunday, January 29, 2012
4. Crime Watch Updates: Three
Units on Prince Burglarized; Casing on Halcyon Court; Car Break-in on Prince
5. Halcyon Neighborhood AssociationÕs Guiding
Principles
6. Disaster Preparedness for Pets: Notes on
Supplies to Have on Hand
7. Free Disaster Preparedness Fair, Thursday,
12/8, 7-9 p.m., South Berkeley Senior Center
8. Whole Foods News: Next Community Meeting, Weds., 12/14, 8:30 a.m., plus Announcements
9. Seismic Compliance Day of Action, Sat.,
12/3/, Noon to 2 p.m., Sproul Plaza
EditorÕs
Introductory Note:
In the wake of recent seismic activity on the Hayward Fault, seventeen
neighbors attended the November 9 disaster preparedness discussion organized
and hosted by neighbor Susan Snyder (thank you, Susan!), and several
initiatives were set in motion for the coming year. Watch the E-News for
information about upcoming mini-seminars, including one on disaster prep for
our companion animals, hopefully coming in early January. Also, a neighbor is
researching recommendations on automatic gas shutoff valves — news to
follow. If you missed the meeting and are interested in upping your level of
preparedness on personal and neighborhood levels, please contact halcyon92@gmail.com and ask to be part of
HNAÕs Yahoo listserv group devoted to disaster prep.
As the year comes to a close, please consider how we can all act
together to make this a stronger, healthier community and neighborhood. There
are many ways to pitch in, some of them outlined in this E-News. It would be
especially heartening to those of us who take an active role in our
neighborhood association if you could take the time to answer our year-end
fundraising appeal (see item 2).
Happy Holidays!
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. HNA
Planning Meeting for 2012: This Sunday, 12/4, 5-6:45 p.m.
EditorÕs
note: Each year, the HNA Steering Committee meets in
December to map out dates for neighborhood activities for the following year,
including work parties to maintain Halcyon Commons and nearby planted features
plus remove graffiti neighborhood-wide, disaster preparedness drills,
crime-watch meetings, and social events, such as our popular neighborhood
potlucks, celebrations in the park, Halloween parade, and more. So much is
possible, but we depend on new neighbors getting involved to help keep us keep
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 would very much welcome your involvement! Please
email halcyon92@gmail.com if you want
more information and are interested in participating. All neighbors willing to
work in the spirit of HNAÕs Guiding Principles (see item 5 below) are welcome
to join the Steering Committee. WeÕre very much open to new projects (for
example, a couple of neighbors came forward to organize play dates for
neighborhood children; another organized a neighborhood singalong, etc.). So if
you have an aspect of the neighborhood youÕd like to see addressed, please step
up! And if you have a special interest in crime watch or disaster preparedness,
we especially need your help. For a modest investment of time, you can make a
big difference right here where you live!
HNA Planning Meeting for 2012
Sunday, December 4,
5-6:45 p.m.
Will
take place at a home on Wheeler Street. 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 HNAÕs Guiding
Principles.
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2. HNA Year-End
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, including paper for flyers,
photocopying and ink cartridges, supplies for events in the park, and other
miscellaneous costs, and at the moment our coffers are depleted. In addition,
each year we raise funds to enable us to supplement 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 supplies plus items for command center
setup in Halcyon Commons park).
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), and mail or drop off your check to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter,
3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705; (2) Make a tax-deductible financial
contribution with check made out to Berkeley Partners for Parks (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 too. Please pitch in!
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3. Hosts Still Needed for Post-Holiday
Progressive Potluck, Sunday, January 29, 2012
EditorÕs note: HNA Potluck
organizer and Steering Committee member Tory Finn sent the following
announcement. (And please be sure to mark your calendars for this fun annual
event!)
Dear neighbors,
My name is Tory Finn, and I live on Wheeler Street. Our January
Post-Holiday ŌProgressive PotluckĶ is one of my favorite neighborhood
events. Unlike the rest of our quarterly potlucks, we move from house to house
for each course; itÕs a great way to meet our neighbors and enjoy the community
we so value in Halcyon.
If you havenÕt hosted before or if youÕve enjoyed hosting in the past,
please consider being a host for one course this coming January 29, 2012. WeÕve
had the chance to go to some houses many times, and it would be nice to
involve more people. We need a total of THREE or possibly FOUR hosts
(Appetizers, Salad, and Main Course need hosts; Dessert will be at John and
MichelleÕs house unless someone else would really like to do it). Hosts
usually provide paper plates, cups, napkins, etc., but other people can help
with those resources if needed.
Please contact me if you are interested in hosting one of the courses on
January 29 — even if youÕre not sure whether you can or if you want
more info. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all in 2012!
Tory Finn
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4. Crime Watch
Updates: Three Units on Prince Burglarized; Casing on Halcyon Court
EditorÕs note: As E-News
Editor I want to note that after a period of relative quiet, there seems to an
increase in the number of burglaries being reported, and the series of three
from the first of the two reports below is of particular concern the approach
seemed so methodical. If youÕre concerned about neighborhood crime and want to
get notices more quickly (and strategize about neighborhood safety), please
email halcyon92@gmail.com and ask to
join our HNA Yahoo listserv group focused on crime watch (and night-time safety
walks). In addition, news is often shared right after it happens on our HNA
Facebook group page (visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499
to request to join). For all our safety, please note that both venues require your full
name, address, and phone number to join. A Prince Street neighbor submitted the
following report.
ŌOur apartment got broken into [Monday, November
21] sometime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (we are on Prince St near Halcyon). It
looks like at least one of the other units on our property was broken into as
well. The thieves used the city compost collection bin, dragged it to our side
window (in view of the street) after trying to break into a more secure window
in the back, and climbed up on it to get to the window. They used some tool to
pry the window out of the wall completely. No fingerprints were left so they
may have been wearing gloves. They took computers, cameras, an iPod, and a
little bit of cash. They also rifled through our drawers and looked in all of
our closets. Just want people to know so they can keep their eyes open! And
also if anyone saw anything suspicious, please let the Police know. Our
neighbors had contractors working outside her building from 12-3 p.m. and didnÕt
see/hear anything. BPD was quick to respond when I got home. Update: Turns
out both our back neighbors also got broken into. The robbers were very careful
and did not make a huge mess going through stuff — it seems like they
took their time. They took some laptops and an ID/Social Security card from
back neighbors as well.Ķ
EditorÕs note: A
Halcyon Court neighbor reported the following.
ŌOn Saturday morning, November 6, I awoke to see three police cars parked
in front of my house on Halcyon Court. After I got dressed, I went out to talk
to an officer and asked him if there was reason for concern. He deadpanned,
ŌThereÕs always reason for concern in Berkeley,Ķ which didnÕt ease my worry.
When pressed, he said that one of my neighbors called about a man going towards
the back of the house who seemed to be casing the joint. Apparently, the police
were too late but they did check it out. IÕm reporting it now because of the
break-in on the same side of the street around October 5th and also to thank whoever the neighbor was who called the police. Seems like
we should all be particularly
alert right now.Ķ
EditorÕs note: A Prince
Street neighbor reported the following.
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5.
Halcyon Neighborhood AssociationÕs Guiding Principles
EditorÕs
note: Given our upcoming
Planning Meeting for 2012 (see item 1) and many new neighbors, this seems like
a good time to highlight HNAÕs 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 HNAÕs
primary goals and guiding principles.
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6. Disaster Preparedness for
Pets: Notes on Supplies to Have on Hand
EditorÕs note: As mentioned in the Introductory Notes, an
evening presentation on disaster preparedness for our companion animals is in
the works, likely to take place on an evening in January. If youÕd like to help
the two neighbors who are putting the evening together, please email halcyon92@gmail.com, and IÕll pass on
your contact information to the organizers. Meanwhile, here are a few tips from
notes that Halcyon neighbor Shael Barger took at a countywide disaster
preparedness workshop last month. Thank you, Shael!
Disaster Preparedness Supplies to Have on Hand for Animals
* 2-week supply of your animalÕs prescriptions
* Anti-inflammatory
* Keep list/copies of current animal vaccinations for dogs and cats – in case they need to be put in a shelter.
First aid kit should include:
* Sterile eye wash – available in any drugstore
* Headlamp so you can see what youÕre doing if you need to bandage, clean, etc.
* Samsplint – available online
* Bandage scissors
* Quikclot – order online – comes as both sponge and powder (do not buy the powder; it sticks in wound and is difficult to clean out)
* Vetericyn VF – spray-on antibacterial ointment – available online or pet stores
* Water purification drops
* Thick leather gloves (the kind you get at a hardware store)
Create a cache and put these supplies somewhere secure and waterproof.
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7. Free Disaster Preparedness Fair, Thursday 12/8, 7-9 p.m.,
South Berkeley Senior Center
EditorÕs note: The following announcement was received from
District 3 Councilmember Max AndersonÕs office (which covers the western edge
of Halcyon Neighborhood).
Please plan to attend: A Disaster Preparedness
Fair: FREE
Sponsored by the South Berkeley Neighbors Group and
Councilmember Max Anderson
Thursday, December 8, 2011, 7-9 p.m.
South Berkeley Senior Center, corner of Ellis & Ashby
* How to prepare for yourself & all
around you
*
How
to get further tips & training
*
What
to prepare (Go-Kits, Caches, etc.)
*
How
to make your family/household safe
All ages are welcome, families especially.
Any questions please contact:
Frank Guter frank.guter@gmail.com
Disaster Preparedness Workgroup Leader
Charlene Washington, Legislative Aide, District 3 Councilmember Max Anderson
2180 Milvia Street, 5th Floor , Berkeley,
CA 94704
Tel: 510.981.7130/Fax: 510.981.7133
cwashington@CityofBerkeley.info
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8. Whole Foods News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting, Weds.
12/14, 8:30 a.m., plus Announcements
EditorÕs note: HereÕs this monthÕs news received from Whole
Foods Community Relations Team Leader Jim Hallock. Thanks to Jim and Mel for
working promptly to alleviate neighborsÕ concerns about extra noise related to
holiday storage units. It makes a big difference to see that concerns are taken
seriously and addressed quickly.
Drop-In Progress Meeting
Wednesday, December
14, 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Whole Foods Market
(check in at Customer Service)
These meetings are held at the Community Table
at the front of the store, and the purpose is to share our plans for noise
abatement, the store remodel project [now scheduled for 2012], street litter
control, and progress on any of the ongoing issues we discuss [with HNA reps
and nearby neighbors]. Mel [Store Team Leader] and I will meet, 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.
December
Announcements
5% Day, Thursday, 12/8
On this day we will be donating 5% of our sales to the Alameda County
Community Food Bank. Simply shop on this day, and 5c of every dollar you spend
will be donated to help families in need. To really help out, please place a
non-perishable food item in the food donation barrel at our front door.
Santa Photo Op, Saturday, 12/17, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Bring the kids by for a free photo with Santa! YouÕll go home with your
own print, and you can download more afterward. WeÕll have holiday cookies and
treats, and a visit by a Berkeley Fire Department truck! Please bring a food
item to donate to SantaÕs food drive!
Hanukkah Dinner Tasting, Saturday, 12/10, 2-6 p.m.
Stop by between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, 12/10, and try our
prepared Hanukkah meal. WeÕll be serving samples of brisket, latkes, kugel,
chicken liver, and apple sauce.
Jim Hallock
Community Relations Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Berkeley
3000 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
F: 510-649-1474
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9. Seismic Compliance Day of
Action, Sat., 12/3/, Noon to 2 p.m., Sproul Plaza
Dear friends and allies,
The recent seismic activity in the East Bay have
been the latest events to highlight the importance of retrofitting Berkeley's
apartment buildings. Unfortunately, dozens of landlords of soft-story buildings
(buildings with unreinforced masonry and typically a garage underneath) are not
yet in compliance with the bare minimum of Berkeley's code, which requires them
to provide signage notifying their tenants that these buildings, until
retrofitted, may not be capable of withstanding a magnitude 6.7 earthquake.
Many of these buildings house students, senior citizens, and low-income
tenants, who would be among the most vulnerable should the unthinkable happen.
This Saturday, you are invited to take action and
let these tenants know that their landlord has not yet fulfilled his or her
obligation to notify them - much less begun steps to seismically retrofit their
buildings. We will be delivering letters to tenants' mailboxes or doorsteps,
letting them know of the landlord's obligation under existing law, and
providing helpful information, such as numbers to contact and what kind of
supplies tenants should have on hand in preparation for a natural disaster.
Join us at the steps of Sproul as we kick off the
event with a brief press conference and then hit the pavement!
Saturday, December 3, noon – 2 p.m.
Noon: Meet at steps of Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley
Campus
12:20 p.m.: Departure to buildings surrounding UC
Berkeley campus (if arriving late, please contact Igor at 510-295-8798 to find
out where to meet)
Please contact itregub@gmail.com for further
information. We hope you will join us for this important action. Disaster
preparedness and information cannot wait a moment longer!
Best,
Igor*
*This action is not
officially sanctioned by any public agency, including the Berkeley Rent Board
https://www.facebook.com/events/153972881369068/?notif_t=event_invite
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