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Halcyon Neighborhood
Association E-News 2/1/12
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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 for Pets, February
8, 7-8:30 p.m. (rsvp by 2/5!)
2. HNA Annual Fundraising Appeal (You Know
You Meant to: One More Chance!)
3. Satellite Disaster Prep Class on Radio
Communications in Our Neighborhood, Mon. 2/13, 7-8:30 p.m.
4. Crime Watch Updates: Reward Offered in
Emerson Homicide Case; Catalytic Converter Thefts
5. Volunteers Needed: Neighborhood Flyer
Distribution 4x a Year; Crime Watch, Disaster Prep, Neighborhood Work Parties, Community-Building
& Family-Friendly Teams
6. World Happy Day Event on Webster, Sat.
2/11, 4-8 p.m.
7. Longtime Neighbor Seeking Housing for
Herself & Daughter Willing to Trade Elder Assistance or Other Tasks
8. Website Resource for Neighborhood Adults
50 and Over
9. Whole Foods News: Next Drop-in Progress
Meeting, Weds. 3/7, 8:30 a.m.
10. 3-1-1: The Place to Call for City Services
EditorÕs
Introductory Note:
Thank you to the hosts at four households who welcomed neighbors into
their homes for our fabulous post-holiday progressive potluck last Sunday
— Lynn, Leslie & Carla, Sarah & Rich, and John & Michelle! This
was certainly our biggest turnout ever; IÕm estimating at least 150 neighbors
attended at least one of the four courses (though never that many at any one
house)! In light of the recent homicide on Emerson Street, it was a great
opportunity for people to pull together in a positive way. And we appreciated
the sensitivity and presence of two representatives of the Berkeley Police
Department at the first course, Lieutenant Randolph Files and Officer J. Singh,
both of whom were available to answer neighborsÕ questions while respecting the
social nature of the evening.
Reflecting on the homicide, I recognize that while we canÕt necessarily
prevent bad things from ever happening in our neighborhood, we have a great
capacity to pull together and bring about healing and greater safety in the
aftermath. Within days, three different community members offered their
services free of charge to those most immediately affected, including Megan
Gould from the Yellow Emperor Community Acupuncture Clinic; a Wheeler Street neighbor
who offers acupressure and other healing modalities; and a Webster Street neighbor
who offers hypnotherapy. All of these were announced through the HNA Facebook
group; if youÕre on Facebook but havenÕt yet signed up for our neighborhood
page, youÕre missing out! (Request to join at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499;
this group is for neighbors and known friends nearby only so youÕll be asked
for address, phone number, and email if we donÕt already have them). We also have a community meeting with a
neighborhood-watch focus on our 2012 calendar in March; thereÕs a chance it may
be moved up to February given recent events, and one neighbor is looking into
scheduling an Interfaith Service of some kind. If either of these are scheduled
in between regular editions, IÕll be putting out an E-News Update to let you
know. And if youÕre interested in participating in a Crime Watch Committee
currently being assembled to help plan the neighborhood watch meeting, please
email halcyon92@gmail.com and IÕll
pass your information on to the conveners.
HereÕs to a healthy, safe, connected community! Please find a way to
get involved in 2012.
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. Disaster Preparedness for
Pets, February 8, 7-8:30 p.m. (rsvp by 2/5!)
EditorÕs note: Neighbors Shael Barger and Mikel Delgado
(both on the Disaster Preparedness Committee and HNA Steering Committee
members) have agreed to host a disaster prep module on disaster preparedness
for our companion animals. I know many of you love your cats, dogs, and other
animal friends as much as I do mine, and you want to make sure youÕll be
prepared in case the big one strikes. Please reply asap to the email listed if
youÕd like to attend this informative evening that will help you get and stay
motivated.
Disaster Preparedness for Your Pets
Wednesday, February 8, 7-8:30 p.m. in our
neighborhood (rsvp required by 2/5!)
The primary focus of the prep will be on information sharing; most of
the discussion will focus on cats and dogs. Shael and Mikel have requested that
if you have exotic companion animals or birds that you contact your
veterinarian for instructions, etc., for disaster preparedness care for your
animal species that you can share with the group at the time of the
meeting.
Location in our
neighborhood TBA to those who rsvp by Sunday, February 5 (this will allow time
to find a larger location if necessary depending on interest)
Email for more info
or to rsvp: HNADisasterPrep@gmail.com
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2. HNA Annual Fundraising
Appeal (You Know You Meant to: One More Chance!)
EditorÕs note: Thank you to the couple dozen neighbors who
responded to our fundraising appeal by sending in checks or dropping off cash
at the potluck last Sunday. But there are hundreds on this list, so I know
there are even more of you out there who meant to do it, but havenÕt gotten to
it yet. HereÕs one more chance. If you value our neighborhood efforts, please
contribute today!
HNA doesnÕt have a
formal membership structure or require annual dues because we wanted to keep
participation as broad as possible. Our current focus is raising 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; they do not replace the personal household preparedness items you need to
store for yourself).
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. Satellite Disaster Prep
Class on Radio Communications in Our Neighborhood, Mon. 2/13, 7-8:30 p.m.
EditorÕs note: The following note is from Wheeler Street neighbor Susan Snyder,
whoÕs been working hard not just to increase our disaster preparedness in the
Halcyon neighborhood but to help the City of Berkeley do more outreach
citywide, especially to neighborhoods that are currently underrepresented in
the CityÕs cache network. Because of SusanÕs participation, our neighborhood is
receiving the great opportunity described below. Thank you, Susan!
Hello, Neighbors!
Our neighborhood has been chosen for the first
pilot class of the CERT Neighborhood Training program! The
registration for Neighborhood CERT classes are through the neighborhoods, and
the classes will all be taught by city CERT volunteers. Our hope is that
more folks will get the training if they only need to commit an hour or so and can
do it close to home.
The class is Radio Communication, and we need to
have 15 neighbors sign up in advance for it to go.
The class will be on Monday February 13th, 7 p.m.
(approx. an hour, but as itÕs the first time itÕs being done, IÕd say plan an
hour and a half). Location TBA (in the neighborhood).
WeÕll have extra equipment (i.e. radios) from
the Fire Department (as well as those from our neighborhood supply cache), and
it will be hands-on practice. These skills (using the hand radios efficiently
and effectively) are especially crucial for our large neighborhood. Also, the
citywide drill on May 19th will be focused on communication and the more of us
who have basic training, the more effective our drill can be (and of course,
the better prepared in case of actual emergency).
Register by Thursday, Feb 9th (earlier
appreciated) by sending an email to me (Susan) at hnaprepared@gmail.com
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4. Crime Watch Updates: Reward
Offered in Emerson Homicide Case; Catalytic Converter Thefts
Press Release: Reward
Offered For Information About City of Berkeley's First Homicide of 2012
From Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, Berkeley Police Information
Officer
Monday January 30, 2012 - 05:05:00 PM
The City of Berkeley is offering a $15,000 reward, and Bay
Area Crime Stoppers (BACS) is offering an additional $2,000 reward, for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects
responsible for the City of BerkeleyÕs first homicide of 2012. On Thursday,
January 26, 2012, at about 6:50 p.m., the City of Berkeley Police Department
(BPD) got a flurry of calls from community members reporting gunshots in the
area of Shattuck and Ashby Avenues, Shattuck and Emerson and around Essex
Streets. Officers found Kenneth Allen Warren, 35, of Hercules, who had
sustained gunshots wounds and was on Emerson Street east of Shattuck Avenue.
City of Berkeley Fire Department (BFD) Paramedics transported Warren to a local
HospitalÕs Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead by physicians there.
BPD Homicide detectives and a complement of other BPD
personnel began the investigation immediately, and have been working throughout
the weekend. The crime is being investigated as a homicide. Thus far, BPD has
not made any arrests or confirmed a possible motive in the case. BPD does not
believe that this was a random shooting.
BPD is urging anyone who may know anything about this
homicide to call the BPD Homicide detail at (510)
981-5741 or the 24 hour BPD non emergency number of (510)
981-5900. If a community member wishes to remain anonymous, he/she
is encouraged to call the Bay Area Crimes Stoppers (BACS) at (800)-222-TIPS
(8477). Any information may be critical to solving this crime. Sometimes the
smallest or seemingly insignificant detail can be the key to arresting the
suspect or suspects in any crime
Recent crimes in the Halcyon neighborhood:
1/6 home burglary wheeler between Prince and
Woolsey
1/9 robbery at Woolsey and Adeline
1/9 and 1/10 home burglaries near 66th and Irwin
(a little outside the neighborhood but very close to Woolsey)
1/14 Theft Woolsey & Wheeler
1/14 Robbery Prince & Fulton
1/21 Residential burglary - Emerson &
Tremont
EditorÕs note: A
Wheeler Street neighbor reports about a catalytic converter theft in late
January. I have also seen several reports on the Le Conte chat about catalytic
converter thefts just north of Ashby (i.e., very nearby!), so this does indeed
seem to be part of a series.
EditorÕs note: A
neighbor on the Le Conte chat (just north of Ashby from our neighborhood) noted:
Theft of catalytic converters continues. Two were
taken from near Ward and Fulton in mid-December, as well as the one reported on
Le Conte chat from near Parker and Ellsworth sometime in mid-January. All
of these were from trucks. The converter is on the exhaust pipe, so the
thief has to be down on the ground under the car. Trucks are easier
because theyÕre higher off the ground. Usually the converter is bolted
on. If it has been welded on, the thief has a harder time, and will
probably use a cutting torch that will throw a lot of sparks, or some other
kind of cutter that will throw some sparks. Replacement runs around
$300. Please keep an eye out for this kind of activity. Your
neighbors will appreciate you.Ó
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5. Volunteers Needed:
Neighborhood Flyer Distribution 4x a Year; Crime Watch, Disaster Prep,
Neighborhood Work Parties, Community-Building & Family-Friendly Teams
Flyer Distributors Needed: HNAÕs Flyer Distribution Coordinator, Jay
Migliaccio, let me know that a few more flyer distributors are needed to fill
in gaps. Our Halcyon flyers come out quarterly, and we have a team of a couple
of dozen neighbors who help with the distribution so that no one person is
unduly burdened. Each stretch of a block or two takes 35 minutes or less, and
is somewhere within easy walking distance in the Halcyon neighborhood (between
Telegraph and Tremont, and Ashby and Woolsey). This is an easy volunteer task
that really helps us maintain communication in the neighborhood and allows us
to reach out to new neighbors (we live in a high turnover area with many
tenants, and we want everyone to have a chance to find out about the ways we
create a safer, friendlier neighborhood) and to those who donÕt have easy
access to the Internet, as well as to remind all of us of HNAÕs bigger events
and disaster preparedness plans. Please email halcyon92@gmail.com if youÕd be willing
to become a regular flyer distributor four times a year or if youÕre willing to
serve as an occasional alternate (Jay recruits alternates to fill in when
regulars are out of town or otherwise unable to help with a particular flyer).
Many thanks!
Team Members Needed for Our Crime Watch Team,
Disaster Prep Team, Neighborhood Work Parties Team, Community Building Team
& Family-Friendly Team: We
welcome neighbors to join our HNA Steering Committee and participate in one or
more of these areas to improve and strength our neighborhood. As we approach
HNAÕs twentieth anniversary later this year, itÕs a great time for new
participation and involvement. Please email halcyon92@gmail.com
if youÕd like to find out more about how you could get involved. We need you!
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6. World
Happy Day Event on Webster, Sat. 2/11, 4-8 p.m.
EditorÕs
note: HNA Co-Chair John
Steere and his wife Michelle passed on the following invitation.
Dear Neighbors:
We would like to take this opportunity to invite you all to come to our
home on Saturday, February 11 @ 5-9 p.m. to participate in the
internationally celebrated ÒWorld Happy Day.Ó [rsvp
required by 2/6]
We will be featuring a free showing of the famed documentary filmmaker Roko BelikÕs most recent opus, ÒHappyÓ (see
information below), a Mocktail Happy Hour, a potluck diner to be
provided by all, and an interactive exercise for all to take part in — a highly effective
way to increase oneÕs H.Q. (Happiness Quotient) called
Laughter Yoga, pioneered by Dr.
Katan Madaria, M.D. and his wife.
Since 1995, Dr. Madaria has trained thousands of teachers in this
joyful practice of facilitating playful techniques in varied-sized groups,
which are designed to stimulate authentic laughter. As the neuroscientists
in the movie ÒHappyÓ concur, regular communal laughter causes
significant biochemical health improvements, which are tangible and measurable
on all levels of being (i.e., physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually).
Currently, there are Laughter Clubs in over 80 countries. In India,
where it originated, there can be anywhere from 10 to 200 people at any
given club meeting. However, there need not be more than a
handful of folks for the techniques to increase positive neurotransmitter
activity for endorphins, seratoni, dopamine, and norepinephrine, to name a few,
which increase the bodyÕs innate healing potentialities.
We are confident that you will have the time of your life and hope that
you will take the time to come and prove-out that old adage, that Òlaughter is
the best medicine.Ó
When: Saturday,
February 11, 2012, 5-9 p.m.
Where: ÒHappyHaven,Ó 2329 Webster St.,
Berkeley (near Telegraph & Ashby Aves.)
Program: 5-6:30 p.m. Socializing with a
ÒMocktail Happy HourÓ* and Potluck Dinner.
Please bring an entree/side dish/finger food and your favorite
bubbly or plain juice to add to the mocktail mix that will make everyone happy.
(Whole Foods is a 60-second walk from our home.)
* Please
bring only your inner spirits to the table.
6:45-8:00 Showing of the ÒHappyÓ movie
8:15-8:45 Laughter Yoga Participatory Demonstration by John and Michelle
8:45-9 Q&A/ Laughter Club Sign-Ups for
Future Meetings
Note: Because of
limited space, please rsvp by no later than February 6th to ensure that there
will be room for you. For more information contact: Michelle: 510-649-0991
or email michelle@igc.org or John: 510-849-1969 or email: jsteere@igc.org
Happily hoping to see you at the ÒHappyHaven,Ó
Michelle & John
Thelen Steere
Roko Belic, director of the Academy Award nominated
ÒGenghis BluesÓ now brings us ÒHappy,Ó a
film that sets out to explore the meaning of happiness; by taking us to
14 countries, from the bayous
of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to
the villages of Okinawa. Belic
interviews happiness experts from neuroscientists exploring the biochemistry
of happiness to a rickshaw driver in the streets of Kolkata, India.
The movie reveals remarkable truths about the nature and cultivation of
happiness. ÒHappyÓ leads us toward a deeper understanding of how we can
pursue more fulfilling, healthier and happier lives.
After watching the ÒHappyÓ Movie, John and Michelle Thelen
Steere, Certified Laughter Yoga Instructors, will lead a laughter
session. Laughter Yoga is a unique practice combining playful laughter
exercises that simulate and stimulate laughter with yogic breathing.
Unlike a sense of humor, which is an acquired subjective response to
personal life perspectives, laughter is a universal innate ability. Anyone can
choose to laugh anytime, anywhere, and for no particular reason. The
great news is that the body doesnÕt know the difference between
ÒrealÓ laughter and simulated laughter, so you receive all the health and
mood-lifting benefits either way!
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7. Longtime Neighbor Seeking
Housing for Herself & Daughter Willing to Trade Elder Assistance or Other
Tasks
EditorÕs Note: Longtime Halcyon neighbor
(20-plus years), our former Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Trygstad
(formerly Rubin) needs to find a new living situation due to changed life
circumstances. She and her daughter Mariah would love to find a way to stay in
the neighborhood or somewhere nearby, and weÕd love it if they could. If you
know of anyone in the area who might find her offer appealing, please contact
her.
Dear Neighbors:
My main inspiration is to find an elder who would like to
continue living at a home large enough to include my daughter and me, but who
may need some help to do so. IÕm thinking that in exchange for 2 bedrooms (13-year-old
Mariah half-time and me full-time), I would offer 10-15 hours/week of assistance.
Mariah and I both enjoy the company of elders; we appreciate and honor their
wisdom and are compassionate with the challenges they face. My nature is to be
a caretaker throughout life. Although it is my job to be somewhat biased, I can
also say that Mariah is one of the most charming, gentle, intelligent, warm,
and empathetic young ladies I have ever met.
The form(s) of exchange will depend on the needs and
desires of the elder. Possibilities that I can imagine include: ensuring they
take medications and eat properly every day, acupressure sessions, shopping
for and cooking healthy food, gardening, light cleaning, driving
them to appointments and on errands, preparing for an emergency such as an
earthquake, helping them find additional needed resources, and also keeping
them company. If they have other needs/wants we could certainly discuss almost
anything. I have quite a bit of anatomy and physiology knowledge from my
acupressure training and from being part of a medical family (my dad is a
doctor and my mom a nurse), although I do not have ÒmedicalÓ training and am
not qualified to work as a medical aide, nor do I seek that kind of
work.
My schedule is that I have Mariah every Thursday, Friday
and Saturday plus alternate Wednesdays. My regular office hours are Sunday and
Monday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but I can and do take breaks during the day. A
few weeks in advance I have total flexibility to schedule in an hour or two of
whatever assistance someone may need during those times plus before and after.
I also teach a class Tuesday evenings. During the day Tuesday through Friday I
do acupressure out-calls to homes and businesses, but again these can be
scheduled around another personÕs needs.
Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Dawn Trygstad (formerly Rubin)
Healing Facilitator
Certified Acupressure Massage Practitioner
Ren Shen, Reflexology, Tui Na, Reiki
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8. Website Resource for
Neighborhood Adults 50 and Over
EditorÕs
note: While I donÕt often include
items from outside our immediate neighborhood, this one from a relatively new
nonprofit includes many possible areas of interest nearby. It was submitted by
Anne Ferguson of Bay Area Older Adults. And many of the topics covered could
actually be of interest to neighbors of any age.
Explore the treasures of your local community with a free,
easy-to-use website: Did you know that surfing
the Internet can be good for your health? Scientific studies have shown
that being able to easily find important information on the Internet about
news, health, travel, and hobbies offers a sense of freedom and empowerment that
promotes psychological well-being. Combine this with the fact that regular
mental and physical activity can reduce your risk of developing chronic
diseases, reduce medication usage, and lower incidence of disability. This
means that pursuing activities like volunteering, yoga, gardening, walking, and
attending art and dance classes can improve your quality of life. This is
why we built an easy-to-use website www.bayareaolderadults.org that offers information about outdoors, fitness, social, and
cultural activities for active adults age 50 and over in the San Francisco Bay
Area. The website is a wonderful
resource for fun and healthy adventures right in your own community. It
has over 1500 activities covering the rich cultural and natural
diversity here in the Bay Area, including the oldest Japanese garden in the
Western hemisphere, and the science museums that are home to high-powered
telescopes enabling views of planets and stars.
So what is so special about this website? All
of the information about each activity is carefully collected by hand and has
all the details you need to venture out with confidence. Here is an
example of information about the Hakone Garden. Try clicking on ÒGET FULL REVIEWÓ at the bottom of the
page.
We invite you to join our community.
Membership is FREE, easy, and gives you access to member only discounts on
products and services as well as a monthly newsletter that lists fun and
healthy group events so you can explore new places in your community and meet
new friends with similar interests.
We hope you try www.bayareaolderadults.org. We designed it to make it easier and more fun for you to
be physically and mentally active. Enjoy it!
Sincerely,
Anne Ferguson, PhD,
President
Bay Area Older
Adults, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization
aferguson@bayareaolderadults.org
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9. Whole Foods News: Next
Drop-in Progress Meeting, Weds. 3/7, 8:30 a.m.
EditorÕs note: HereÕs this monthÕs news received from Whole
Foods Community Relations Team Leader Jim Hallock.
Drop-In Progress Meeting (first Wednesday of
each month)
Wednesday, March 7,
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 [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.
Jim Hallock
Community Relations Team Leader
Whole Foods Market Berkeley
3000 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
F: 510-649-1474
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10. 3-1-1: The Place to Call
for City Services
EditorÕs note: I picked up this item from Le Conte
Neighborhood Association President Karl ReehÕs post on Le Conte chat. ItÕs a
good reminder that you only need to remember one simple number to call if you
have issues related to City services or infrastructure.
A number you should remember and use often is 3-1-1
This is the
Customer Service number for the City of Berkeley. Anytime you want information or
service, this is the number to call: 3-1-1
Missed garbage pickup, broken
streetlight, sidewalk repair, tree branch down, etc. ItÕs easy to use and
remember, and usually the services are fast.
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