Neighbors, join Halcyon Neighborhood Association’s Facebook group!

 

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-News 10/1/15

 

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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 Editor’s 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, 9-10:30 a.m.

4. City of Berkeley Emergency Preparedness News

5. HNA’s Big Berkeley Project Work Party in the Park, Sat., Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

6. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Oct. 30, 8:15-8:45 a.m.

7. Halcyon Halloween: 7th Annual Kids’ Costume Parade Around the Park, Sat., Oct. 31, 6:00 p.m.

8. Free Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off, Sun. Oct. 11

 

 

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1. Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Weds., Oct. 7, 7-8:30 p.m.

 

Editor’s note: See item 2 for some real-life reasons to attend this important meeting, including a link to a Berkeleyside article noting that some serious crimes are up this year in the City of Berkeley.

 

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 (up in 2015 after years in decline) and what we can do to help prevent crime in our neighborhood; 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. 

 

Editor’s note: The meeting is in the social hall, not in the sanctuary, so look for the buildings set in from the street to the west on Prince from the main corner entry at Fulton.

 

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2. Crime Watch Update

 

Editor’s 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!

 

From Berkeleyside: “Serious Berkeley Crime Skyrockets in the First Half of 2015:

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2015/09/10/mid-year-crime-report-berkeley-robberies-up-53/

 

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)

8/27 Misc theft Telegraph & Ashby, Telegraph & Prince

8/31 Robbery Telegraph & Russell (10:45 p.m.)

9/5 Vehicle break-in Shattuck & Emerson

9/5Vehicle stolen Ashby & Deakin

9/5 Burglary Shattuck & Woolsey 

9/7 Misc. Theft Telegraph & Prince

9/8 Burglary Prince & Deakin

9/11 Burglary Telegraph & Ashby

9/11 Brandishing a weapon Alta Bates

9/12 Vehicle stolen Alta Bates

9/13 Burglary Ashby & Wheeler

9/14 Robbery Shattuck & Woolsey (10:40 p.m.)

Also two cars stolen nearby at Telegraph & Alcatraz (9/5, 9/15)

 

A neighbor commented to our HNA Facebook group:
“I’ve seen a lot of broken car window glass around Prince and Halcyon lately -- please report break-ins so we get more patrols!”

 

Editor’s note: Yes, that’s what it takes (plus be mindful not to leave anything visible through your car windows; the simplest item can make a break-in seem worthwhile to those who do such things).

 

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3. Halcyon Participation in Earthquake Exercise, Sat., Oct. 17, 9-10:30 a.m.

 

Editor’s note: HNA’s Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Susan Snyder, submitted the following announcement about HNA’s participation in the citywide disaster preparedness exercise on Saturday, October 17. Please come on out! For a small investment of time, you’ll be making a big contribution to our level of neighborhood preparedness.

 

Halcyon neighborhood’s participation in

Berkeley’s Citywide Emergency Preparedness Exercise!

Saturday, October 17, 9–10:30 a.m.

Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

 

* NEW Training Stations: Basic Injury Care, Techniques for Staying Calm (with Charles of the Yellow Emperor Community Acupuncture Clinic), Disaster Food Prep and Preparedness Q&A

 

* FREE “A Little Prep” disaster supply bag to the first 50 adult or teen neighbors attending!

 

* Fresh coffee courtesy of Mokka (café at Telegraph and Dowling)

 

* Delicious refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market

 

Arrive at the park anytime from 9 to 10 a.m. for HNA’s part of the exercise; in half an hour you can visit the Training Stations and be done by 10:30. No prior experience required! Getting our neighbors prepared is one of the best preparedness steps we can take. Contact HNA Disaster Preparedness Coordinator Susan Snyder at susan@un-scripted.com to volunteer at the exercise, to be added to the Disaster Prep Yahoo group, or if you have any questions. TODAY: Activity Guides with steps you can take on your own are available online at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/prepare/

 

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4. City of Berkeley Emergency Preparedness News

 

Editor’s note: From the City of Berkeley’s Office of Emergency Services.

 

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.

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EVENTS FOR HOUSEHOLDS, NEIGHBORHOODS

 

Every Step Toward Preparedness Helps

Berkeley, California

 

Get involved this October in number of activities to prepare yourself, your household, and your neighborhood for emergencies, a critical step in a region threatened by wildfires and earthquakes.

 

Each week in October has a preparedness theme with activities that can be performed to increase readiness for a disaster. These themes include emergency notifications and communications, fire safety, home earthquake readiness, and creative food options after disasters.

 

The need for preparation has been emphasized in recent months with wildfires ravaging parts of California and even a modest earthquake striking near the Berkeley-Oakland border. The disaster preparation events include the Berkeley's Citywide Exercise on Saturday, October 17th, an opportunity for the community to practice disaster skills together. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., households and neighborhood groups will take action in their own homes and communities [Editor’s note: See item 3 for details on our Halcyon neighborhood part of the exercise from 9 to 10:30 a.m. that day.]. Each neighborhood and household can choose its own preparedness activities to fit their situation. Community members can find ideas for how to be involved and sign up for the exercise at the Preparedness Month website. Some activities are as short as 20 minutes. Any amount of time spent preparing is valuable.

 

Activity Guides provide step-by-step instructions on topics that include: storing food and water; improving home safety for renters and homeowners; preparedness for children and pets; and setting up an emergency communications system. Several of these guides will be available in Spanish as well as English. In addition to the website, community members can pick up printed preparedness materials with information for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as children's activity books in both Spanish and English at locations around Berkeley.

 

Berkeley Emergency Preparedness Month is a partnership between the City's Office of Emergency Services and members of the City's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, volunteers who have been trained with basic emergency skills to lessen the effects of a disaster and help sustain themselves until assistance can arrive. To get more guidance on your disaster plan, home safety, keeping your pets safe or other disaster preparedness information, visit:www.cityofberkeley.info/getready/

 

Printed disaster preparedness materials will be available during October at:

Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia

North Berkeley Senior Center,1901 Hearst

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis

City's Animal Shelter, 1 Bolivar Drive

 

The CERT program trains community members in organized response and equips these community leaders with basic skills to help themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods during and after a disaster. To learn more about CERT visit: www.cityofberkeley.info/cert

 

Volunteers NEEDED

 

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, clean-up. Volunteers needed anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, on October 17 at the 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 needs 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 or LunaR1@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 firefighter’s 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. HNA’s Big Berkeley Project Work Party in the Park, Saturday, Sat., Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

 

BIG Work Party in Halcyon Commons & Surrounds

Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (moderate 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 Cal’s 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 don’t). Let’s get our precious common space ready for the winter months!

 

Note: If there’s a public area in the larger neighborhood where you’d 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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6. Whole Foods Market News: Next Drop-in Progress Meeting Fri., Oct. 30, 8:15-8:45 a.m.

 

Editor’s note: News from Whole Foods Market.

 

Whole Foods Market is proud to support Halcyon Neighborhood Association and has been a part of the Berkeley community for over 25 years. Ruby Beaupre is our new Marketing and Community Relations Team Leader; she’s very active in supporting the HNA community events with food donations at the various events and work parties held in the neighborhood. If you’d like to be added to the neighbor notification list that Ruby Beaupre maintains 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 you’d like to have a word with us.

Melody.Mestemacher@wholefoods.com

Carlisle.Crumley@wholefoods.com

Ross.Burgstead@wholefoods.com

Jack.Douglas@wholefoods.com

 

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7. Halcyon Halloween: 7th Annual Kids’ Costume Parade Around the Park, Sat., Oct. 31, 6:00 p.m.

 

Editor’s note: Let’s 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 Snyder’s 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 don’t 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, Saturday, October 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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8. Free Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off, Sun. Oct. 11

 

Editor’s note: A great opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous waste.

 

http://cityofberkeley.info/City_Manager/Press_Releases/2015/2015-09-08_Free_Household_Hazardous_Waste_Drop-Off_on_Oct__11.aspx

 

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