Halcyon Neighborhood Association • Berkeley, CA | |
Halcyon Neighborhood Association |
Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood AssociationÕs Facebook group!
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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 9/1/15
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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. Neighborhood Watch
Community Meeting, Weds., Oct. 7, 7-8:30 p.m.
2. Crime Watch Update
3. Halcyon Participation in Earthquake
Exercise, Sat., Oct. 17, 9-11 a.m.
4. City of Berkeley Emergency Preparedness
News
5. Whole Foods Market
News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Oct. 30, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
6. Keeping Trees
Alive During the Drought!
EditorÕs Introductory Note
Another great Ice Cream Social for National Night Out Against Crime last month! Thank you to Tory Finn for organizing, with an assist from Michelle Thelen-Steere, who coordinated setup, and to the setup team and cleanup crew. And a very big thank-you to our homemade ice cream makers, Bruce and Joanna, as well as to Whole Foods Market, for donating an incredibly generous spread of frozen supplements plus cake and appetizers. Councilmember Lori Droste stopped by, as did various city officials and police officers.
The Multi-Block Yard Sale in August was also a big success, with 29 households participating. Thanks to HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter for a great organizing effort!
While September is a calm month in terms of neighborhood events, October will be another big month, so mark your calendars now, and take care.
—Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-News Editor, halcyon92@gmail.com
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1. Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Weds., Oct. 7, 7-8:30 p.m.
Neighborhood Watch
Community Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 7,
7-8:30 p.m.
Chochmat HaLev Social
Hall (Prince west of Fulton)
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 in our neighborhood; our city councilmembers are invited, and there will also be a brief segment on disaster preparedness. Please join us for this important meeting. The meeting will start and end on time.
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2. Crime Watch Update
EditorÕs note: Our HNA Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=292160762499 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!
Thanks to HNA Steering Committee member Mikel Delgado for assembling this list of crimes (from http://www.crimemapping.com/) in and near our neighborhood (Mikel is now including a broader territory, including incidents outside the boundaries of our neighborhood, in her reports, so take that into account when comparing this with prior reports; indeed, some of these crimes took place just outside HNA boundaries). Thank you, Mikel!
Recent crimes in the neighborhood (and a bit beyond)
7/13 car stolen Shattuck & Prince
7/15 car stolen Shattuck & Woolsey
7/16 vehicle break-in Telegraph & Ashby
7/16 vehicle break-in Woolsey & Deakin
7/21 misc. theft Telegraph & Ashby
7/22 felony theft Emerson & Shattuck
7/25 misc. theft Telegraph & Prince
7/29 misc. theft Deakin & Webster
7/29 misc. theft Prince & Shattuck
7/30 misc. theft Shattuck & Ashby
7/31 vehicle break-in Telegraph & Ashby
7/31 burglary Shattuck & Woolsey
8/2 felony theft Emerson & Shattuck
8/2 car stolen Russell and Telegraph
8/3 residential burglary Prince & Wheeler
8/5 residential burglary Emerson & Wheeler
8/8 robbery with firearm (4:30 p.m.) Woolsey & Telegraph
8/9 misc. theft Essex & Shattuck
8/11 car stolen Telegraph & Dowling
8/20 misc theft Ashby & Shattuck
8/25 robbery Telegraph & Ashby (1:30 a.m.)
Also note a rash of stolen cars on Alcatraz (7/17, 7/20, 7/22, 7/27), a robbery with a firearm on Alcatraz near Dana on 7/14 (11 p.m.), a robbery on Oregon near Shattuck on 7/30 (1 p.m.), and a robbery near BART on Woolsey & Ellis on 8/20 (1 a.m.)
A Prince Street neighbor reported on the theft of packages from Prince near Fulton:
ÒJust a heads-up to watch out for deliveries or ask to make sure someone is available to sign for them -- we had two packages stolen from our porch this weekend. Looking through our security footage to see if we can find the culprit.Ó
ÒHi all -- here is [a video of] the person who stole packages from our porch on Prince on Sunday at 3:11 p.m. They took 3 packages and will be sorely disappointed that they got Ninja Turtle birthday presents and an elbow brace.Ó
EditorÕs note: A video of the thief can be found at http://www.egannetworks.com/incidents/20150816/theif.mp4
ÒOne more: Unfortunately we learned that it was multiple packages and different people. A woman stole a box delivered on Friday. She was with someone driving a silver Jeep. The man on Sunday was in a white 4-door industrial style van. This was another birthday present for my son.Ó
EditorÕs note: A video of the thief can be found at http://www.egannetworks.com/incidents/20150814/theif+jeep.mp4
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3. Halcyon Participation in
Earthquake Exercise, Sat., Oct. 17, 9-11 a.m.
EditorÕs note: HNAÕs Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Susan Snyder,
submitted the following announcement about HNAÕs participation in the citywide
disaster preparedness exercise on Saturday, October 17. Please lend a hand! For
a small investment of time, youÕll be making a big contribution to our level of
neighborhood preparedness.
Mark your calendars to join HNA neighbors for the Berkeley
citywide emergency preparedness exercise! This yearÕs date is Saturday, October
17, 9-11 a.m. WeÕll have training stations and simulations. Volunteers are
always appreciated to help make our community safer! Contact Susan Snyder (susan@un-scripted.com) for more
information.
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4. City of Berkeley Emergency
Preparedness News
October 2015 is Berkeley Emergency Preparedness Month. You can take simple and affordable steps the whole month, in less than 10 minutes, or for less than $10, to make yourself, your family, and our Berkeley community safer in case of earthquakes, wildfires, and other emergencies.
How can you participate in BerkeleyÕs Emergency Prep Month? WeÕll help you launch your CERT month of preparedness activities, events, and your neighborhoodÕs emergency exercise in October. Whether youÕre an individual, a family, a whole neighborhood, business, school, or community organization, come to our September 9meeting to get help on getting the most out of OctoberÕs month of preparedness activities.
Agenda for the September Meeting:
1. On October 10, the American Red Cross is partnering with Berkeley CERT to install free smoke alarms in the Heart to Heart neighborhood. WeÕll be recruiting and training volunteer installers and home fire safety educators.
2. With specific guides for simple and affordable activities for anyone -- from seniors to renters, pet owners to neighborhoods, singles to families, Berkeley Emergency Preparedness Month Activity Guides & Group Leader Resources are available to help you join in preparedness fun. CERT volunteers will be available to help explain each of the guides and answer your questions.
3. Be part of this citywide effort!
Help get the word out for Preparedness Month. We have lots of posters and flyers to help you get the word out to everyone in your network or if you can sign up to help volunteer to market to a list of businesses and organizations, we can only do it with your help.
Volunteers NEEDED
9/12 thru 9/13 Urban Shield: Volunteer role players are needed for EMS Branch Urban Shield emergency response exercises. Volunteers are needed for 12-hour periods. All volunteers contribute to helping our first responders prepare for acts of mass violence with the goal of decreasing loss of life. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-urban-shield-ems-branch-tickets-16010035447
9/19 Getting Ready Together: This community meeting will prepare neighborhood, business, community, and faith leaders for the Berkeley Citywide Emergency Exercise. Volunteers will help support logistics of the event including set-up, sign-in table staffing, ushering, cleanup. Volunteers needed anytime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on September 19 at West Berkeley Bowl (920 Heinz Ave.). Email Shawn at pelecon@aol.com to sign up to help.
10/10 Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign: On October 10, the American Red Cross will partner with Berkeley Fire Department and Heart 2 Heart to install smoke alarms in Berkeley homes in a South Berkeley neighborhood. More details to come. Email Khin Chin at kchin@cityofberkeley.info to sign up to help.
10/17 Citywide Exercise Debriefing: After the Citywide Emergency Exercise on 10/17, a debrief session will be an opportunity to thank community participants for their efforts in getting themselves, their families and the neighborhoods more prepared for emergencies. The event is sponsored by the City of Berkeley but is volunteer run. Volunteers will help support logistics of the event including set-up, sign-in table staffing, ushering, cleanup. Volunteers needed anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, on October 17 at West Berkeley Bowl (920 Heinz Ave.). Email Shawn at pelecon@aol.com to sign up to help.
10/28 Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Patient Surge Exercise: Alta Bates Campus need volunteers to participate as patients. Having live persons simulate casualties helps us evaluate our capabilities to manage a large influx of patients during disasters. Volunteer patients will experience mass casualty triage and help provide comment as to the patient experience during disasters. The only thing required is a positive attitude. 2450 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, Wednesday, October 28th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To volunteer, contact Rick Luna – Safety Department – (510) 869-6734 orLunaR1@SutterHealth.org
10/4 or 10/18 or 11/1 – Berkeley Fire Department: The
Fire Department is organizing a full scale BART drill which will simulate an
emergency in the Berkeley BART tunnel system. This drill will involve a
multi-patient component that will test firefighterÕs ability to triage, treat
and transport a large number of patients from the incident. The Fire Department
is seeking volunteers to act as patients for this exercise. Volunteers
must be available on the day of the exercise from 0400 (a.m.) to 0730 (a.m.). Click here
for details and Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XbkH0HdwhuCvcpbAsFffFhj7jpDfH4SSDKzyGmKlmwo/viewform
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5. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Oct. 30,
8:15-8:45 a.m.
EditorÕs note: News from Whole Foods Market.
Whole Foods Market is proud to support the Halcyon
Neighborhood Association and has been a part of the Berkeley community for over
25 years. Ruby Beaupre is their new Marketing and Community Relations Team Leader; she
is very active with supporting the HNA community events with food donations at
the various events and work parties held in the neighborhood. If youÕd like to
be added to the neighbor notification list that Ruby Beaupre will be
maintaining for the neighborhood-WFM meetings (and to notify neighbors when
work is being done at the store), please email her at ruby.beaupre@wholefoods.com.
Next Drop-in Progress Meeting, Friday, October 30, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Whole Foods Market (check in at Customer Service)
This meeting will include information on November and December holiday logistics.
These 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.
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 youÕd like to have a word with us.
Melody.Mestemacher@wholefoods.com
Carlisle.Crumley@wholefoods.com
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6. Keeping Trees Alive During the Drought!
EditorÕs note: A neighbor posted on the Le Conte chat about the importance of keeping our trees watered during the drought.
ÒThis year, the drought is claiming the lives of trees. I have seen the pistaches looking very poorly. If you have a street tree in front of your home, please water! A slow drip over several hours is best; a slow drip allows the water to sink in and reach the tree roots. Trees are long-term investments. It has taken the crepe myrtles on Fulton 11 years to reach 15 feet in height.Ó
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*For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2014
Dates set as
of January 2014 (verify
before event by checking recent HNA E-News)
Sunday,
January 26, 2014 |
5:30-8:45
p.m. |
Post-Holiday
Progressive Potluck (four courses at four households:
see E-News for addresses). |
Weds.,
Feb. 19, 2014 |
7:00-8:30
p.m. |
Neighborhood
Watch Community meeting (Crime Watch focus with brief
Disaster Prep segment), Chochmat HaLev (Prince at
Fulton) |
Saturday,
March 15, 2014 |
8:45a.m.
-2:30 p.m. |
Work Party
in Halcyon Commons & Surrounding Neighborhood with
Cal students from Berkeley Project, Halcyon Commons
(Halcyon at Prince). |
Saturday,
May 31, 2014 |
9:30 a.m.
- |
Work Party
in Halcyon Commons & surrounding neighborhood,
Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince). |
Thurs.,
June 5, 2014 |
7:30-8:30
p.m. |
HNA
Steering Committee Meeting to track progress &
plan for second half of 2014, Webster Street (email halcyon92@gmail.com for
address). |
Sunday,
June 29 |
5:00-7:00
p.m. |
Big
Celebration & Potluck in park with live music,
Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince); Appetizer Platter
& Cake courtesy of Whole Foods Market. |
Thursday,
July 31, 2014 |
4:00-6:30
p.m. |
Mini Work
Party in Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince). |
Tuesday,
August 5, 2014 |
6:30- |
National
Night Out Against Crime: Ice Cream Social in the Park! |
Saturday,
October 18, 2014 |
9:00-11:30
a.m. |
Citywide
Disaster Prep event, Emphasis on Children & Pets |
Friday,
October 31, 2014 |
5:45-6:30
p.m. |
Costume
Parade around Park for Kids, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon
at Prince). |
Saturday,
late Oct./early Nov. XX, 2014 (date TBD) |
9:00 a.m.- |
Big
Mulching Work Party & Graffiti Removal in
surrounding neighborhood with Cal students from
Berkeley Project, Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince). |
Sunday,
December 7, 2014 |
5:30 - |
HNA
Steering Committee Meeting to set dates for 2015,
Wheeler Street (email halcyon92@gmail.com for
address). |
Sunday,
January 25, 2015 |
5:30 - |
Post-Holiday
Progressive Potluck (four courses at four households:
see E-News for addresses TBD). |
*HNA’s Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List
HNA’s Halcyon Commons Disaster Prep Supply Cache contains items
intended to benefit the entire neighborhood in the event of
disaster (primarily first aid, search & rescue, and
communications supplies plus items for command center setup in
Halcyon Commons). You can help us have what we need on hand in two
ways: (1) Make a financial contribution for purchasing additional
supplies to HNA (not tax deductible) or to Berkeley Partners for
Parks, earmarked Halcyon (BPFP
is our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, so a check through them is tax
deductible); mail or drop off your check to HNA Treasurer Susan
Hunter, 3044 Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705. (2) Contribute any
of the following items in-kind (supplies MUST be new or in
EXCELLENT condition):
Police Emergency Number:
911 (from landline);
981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number to reach Berkeley
emergency from a cell)
Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900
Link to beat maps and a list of beat officers:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/0b15b20282
In the Halcyon neighborhood: west of Fulton is Beat 10; east of Fulton is Beat 9.
Link to crime stats, Berkeley:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/42f61d76dd
Link to police bulletins:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/d1559b4b0f
Other City of Berkeley Departments:
City Manager’s Office: Jim Hynes jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us 981-2493
Nonemergency Call Center for Public Services:
Dial 311 (you will be
directed to the appropriate department) to report problems with
street
lights (get the tag number off the pole), blocked storm drains,
tree
branches down, etc.
Public Works Customer Service: 981-6620
(streets, sidewalks, graffiti,
sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)
Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry)/Parks: 981-6660
Written Communication with City Council
To comment to the City Council, use following email addresses:
“City Clerk” clerk@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Mayor Tom Bates” Mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Linda Maio” LMaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Darryl Moore” DMoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Max Anderson” MAnderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Jesse Arreguin” JArreguin@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Laurie Capitelli” LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Susan Wengraf” SWengraf@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Kriss Worthington” KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us,
“Councilmember Gordon Wozniak” GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Representatives for Our Neighborhood
Councilmember Max Anderson (District 3) 981-7130
MAnderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us
West side of Wheeler Street to the west (except for Woolsey
between
Wheeler and Shattuck)
Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170
KWorthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
East side of Wheeler to the east (includes block of Woolsey from
Wheeler to Shattuck)
Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100 Mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Zoning Adjustments Board
To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on
their calendar, email:
Zoning Adjustments Board zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us
(It’s best if at all possible to submit your comments 10 days
prior to meeting for inclusion in the advance packet to board
members, but late submissions will be distributed the evening of
the meeting.)
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.
The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News: The HNA E-News forwards items of general interest to neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area of south Berkeley (HNA’s borders), including announcements about community-building potlucks, greening projects, crime watch, disaster preparedness, and work parties in Halcyon Commons park. If you’re receiving this email, you probably either signed up at a neighborhood event or a neighbor forwarded it to you. Please note that to prevent spam, HNA does not share your email address with third parties. If you wish to be removed from this list, please contact HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton/Halcyon Neighborhood Association at halcyon92@gmail.com. Feel free to pass the HNA E-News on to other neighbors you think might be interested.
To submit items for the newsletter: Email brief, unformatted
content or links (no graphics or attachments please!) to HNA
E-News Editor Nancy Carleton at halcyon92@gmail.com. Crime-watch
reports and news about neighbors (births, new jobs, announcements
about home businesses or creative projects) are especially
welcome. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the
endeavor, the E-News does not include “letters to the editor” or
“commentary,” but will gladly include links to such items written
by neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area and
published elsewhere (the
Berkeley Daily Planet has a large section devoted to opinion).
Also, please note that the E-News is typically published the
second week of each month; submit your item early if it relates to
a future event, and there’s a greater chance it will be included.
HNA Halcyon Safety Walk & Neighborhood Watch Listserv: For those interested in getting breaking crime-watch news, discussing ways to make our neighborhood safer, and perhaps participating in night-time and daytime safety “dog” walks (dogs not required!) to build community and serve as eyes on the street, please contact halcyon92@gmail.com indicating your interest in this listserv, and you’ll receive an invitation to join. For everyone’s safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.
HNA Disaster Preparedness Listserv: If you’re interested in helping out with neighborhood disaster preparedness, please contact halcyon92@gmail.com indicating your interest, and you’ll receive an invitation to join. For everyone’s safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.
HNA Steering Committee Listserv: If you’re interested in serving on HNA’s Steering Committee in alignment with HNA’s Guiding Principles, email halcyon92@gmail.com to indicate your interest. The Steering Committee conducts most of its business via listserv (with one or two in-person meetings annually); members agree to assist with at least one or two HNA events during the course of the year and to answer Yahoo group polls to aid in planning.
Halcyon Neighborhood Association Facebook Group: Our HNA Facebook group (http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/36acb93edf/gid=292160762499) gives neighbors fresh opportunities to network, build community, and share ideas about issues of mutual concern. Open to immediate neighbors, friends from nearby neighborhoods, and former neighbors who want to stay in touch.
HNA Blog: If you would like to view previous newsletters online (and comment via a blog format, though this is a low activity blog), please visit http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BerkeleyPartnersforP/602147a249/9a00c7ec5d/8af94d44a8.
HNA is an adopt-a-park affiliate with the nonprofit Berkeley Partners for Parks (BPFP). Thanks to VerticalResponse for the donation of email services for sending the HNA E-News!