HNA News: Night-time Safety "Dog" Walk Tonight 11/22, 10 p.m.; Nov. 30 Disaster Prep Drill, etc.

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

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1. Nighttime Neighborhood-Safety "Dog" Walk Tonight, Weds., Nov. 22, 10 p.m.

2. Citywide Disaster Preparedness Exercise, Thurs. Nov. 30, 9:15-11:30 a.m.: Neighborhood Volunteers Needed

3. Reminder: Please Keep Sidewalks Clear on Trash Pickup Days

4. Links to Articles on Downtown Hotel Plans

5. HNA Dates for the New Year: Progressive Post-Holiday Potluck Sun. Jan. 21; Neighborhood Watch Meeting Sun. Feb. 4th

6. Muggings in North Oakland Not Far from our Neighborhood (and Some Valuable Safety Tips)

At last Sunday's potluck, we gathered to bid fond farewell to Judy, Joel, and Sandy as they prepare to move to New Zealand in early December. Kate Dillon, the UC student who was our Berkeley Project contact, stopped by and we were able to thank her once again for the students' phenomenal help. John and Michelle created a warm and welcoming setting, and we set a couple of dates for the new year (see item 5, and mark your calendars now).

Thanks to neighbor Pamela Dameron for continuing to host the nighttime neighborhood safety "dog" walks (see item 1). There will be a quick one tonight to set the tone for neighborhood safety over the holiday weekend. Feel free to show up and join your neighbors, with or without a dog!

Also, if anyone is available Thursday morning November 30 (see item 2), Susan and I could use company as we participate in the citywide test of our disaster preparedness communication system. (We have now received the supplies as well as the shed for the disaster preparedness supply cache our neighborhood won, but we'll definitely be needing help to get it fully set up and operational, including adding shelving, doing a test run with the generator, etc., so please watch the E-Newsletter and pitch in when you're able.)

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

-Nancy Carleton, HNA Co-Chair and E-Newsletter Editor

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1. Nighttime Neighborhood-Safety "Dog" Walk Tonight, Weds., Nov. 22, 10 p.m.

Pamela Dameron, who has been organizing the regular (and irregular) nighttime "dog" walks to improve neighborhood safety, reports:

"It's been a  while since our last organized walk. A listserve has been set up to ease communication, but we are still working out the kinks. Until I get all the kinks worked out, I'll do things the old-fashioned way. For those interested in a 'dog' walk:  We will meet on Wednesday, November 22, at 10 p.m. in Halcyon Commons Park (Halcyon at Prince Street).  We will walk for about 15 to 20 minutes through the neighborhood. I hope see you all there!"

For more information, to get the schedule for future walks, or to ask to be included on the listserve announcing the nighttime neighborhood safety walks, contact Pamela Dameron <usasleigh@sbcglobal.net>. (Remember: No dog required to participate!)

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2. Citywide Disaster Preparedness Exercise, Thurs. Nov. 30, 9:15-11:30 a.m.: Neighborhood Volunteers Needed

On November 30, the City of Berkeley will be holding a Disaster Preparedness Exercise, which will include quite a few of the neighborhoods with Disaster Supply Caches. This will be a chance to practice using the walkie-talkies that came with our cache. Nancy Carleton and Susan Hunter (hosts of the cache shed) would appreciate a couple of neighbors to volunteer to be present on Halcyon Court that morning to keep them company during the test. While it would be ideal to have some folks who have had some level of Disaster Preparedness training, you can participate even if you don't yet have the training. Please reply to Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com> if you're free that morning and want to come. You'll get a chance to see the contents of the cache and get a sense of how communication will take place in the event of a disaster.

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3. Reminder: Please Keep Sidewalks Clear on Trash Pickup Days

HNA Co-Chair (and E-Newsletter editor) Nancy Carleton sent the following email to City Manager Phil Kamlarz yesterday (he replied promptly that he would pass on the requested reminder to staff -- thanks, Phil!):

"Recently I've noticed that the refuse pickup workers for both black trash containers and green yard debris containers have been getting sloppier about returning the containers to the edge of the curb to avoid blocking the sidewalks post-pickup.

This morning when I left on my dog walk, I saw that neighbors had neatly left their containers curbside as usual. When I returned half an hour later, empty trash and yard debris containers were blocking the sidewalk in several places (I've attached four photos in illustration, all taken on Halcyon Court this morning).

As a friend of Fred Lupke -- who, as you know, was an incredible activist for full accessibility for people with disabilities as well as a tireless advocate for our parks, libraries, and schools -- I feel compelled to speak up and remind all concerned that blocked sidewalks can endanger lives! Fred himself was tragically killed by a car when he diverted the path of his wheelchair into the street to avoid a sidewalk that was difficult to negotiate.

I would very much appreciate it if City management could once again remind City staff of the importance of following the protocol of returning containers curbside so that our sidewalks remain accessible to all.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!"

Note to Neighbors: You can help by placing your containers curbside in preparation for trash pickup and putting them away promptly once they've been emptied. And if you notice something blocking sidewalk accessibility, please move it to keep the passageway clear. We have many neighbors with disabilities who need all of us to be mindful about keeping our public sidewalks accessible. -NC

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4. Links to Articles on Downtown Hotel Plans

A Prince Street neighbor passes on this link to the following article describing plans for a nineteen-story hotel in downtown Berkeley:

"Downtown Hotel Plan Awaits City Approval"

http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=22350

Editor's Note: This story has also received extensive coverage in the Berkeley Daily Planet, including:

"Downtown Hotel Plans Call for 19 Stories"

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=11-17-06&storyID=25631

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5. HNA Dates for the New Year: Progressive Post-Holiday Potluck Sun. Jan. 21; Neighborhood Watch Meeting Sun. Feb. 4

Details still to come, but mark your calendars now for the following:

Fabulous Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck

(we progress to three or four households for the various courses; this is one of our most popular events of the year!)

Sunday, January 21, 2007, 6-9 p.m.

[Hosts still needed for some  of the courses; please contact Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com> if you'd be willing to open your home to your neighbors for one of the  courses (which take about 40-45 minutes each).]

Neighborhood Watch Meeting (focusing on Crime and Disaster Preparedness)

Sunday, February 4, 2007 (exact time to be determined, either late afternoon or early evening)

Location TBA

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6. Muggings in North Oakland Not Far from our Neighborhood (and Some Valuable Safety Tips)

A nearby North Oakland resident passes on the following notice received from one of his neighbors:

"A few people I know have been mugged nearby recently, and I wanted to pass along incident descriptions and a few safety tips to our neighbors.

In one incident, two women were mugged around Telegraph and 57th.  On their way home from dinner (between 8 and 9 p.m.), they were followed for about a block on 57th St. by one man. Just before Telegraph, three other men jumped out of the bushes and started chasing them. One woman threw her purse down, and they both ran into Telegraph.  Cars stopped and started honking, and they attackers ran the other direction. In a second incident, a women who lives at 58th and Telegraph was attacked as she was opening the door to her house (around 9:30 p.m.). One man grabbed her from behind and another took her keys and opened the house.  They stole her earrings (off her ears), her purse, and her landline phone. Besides being shaken up and the loss of some property, no one was hurt in either incident.

The victims and police believe that the muggers are young, unemployed men who live near Telegraph and Shattuck between 56th and 60th.  They have been targeting anyone vulnerable, especially non-Black females who are alone or in small groups.

I also want to pass along a few tips from the police that my friend emailed around:

First, if you feel like you're being followed, you probably are. Trust your instincts and cross the road or go somewhere where there are lights and/or people. If you're carrying something, throw it in the opposite direction you're running. Criminals will have to make a choice whether to get you or your stuff. Call 911 from a landline, since it is easier for the police to track landline calls. If you're not near a landline and have only a cell, find the cell phone emergency no. for your city and program it into your phone. Today. For Oakland, the emergency number for cell phones is 510-777-3211 [for Berkeley it's 510- 981-5911]. Also, program in an emergency contact number so that if you are hurt, rescuers will have a better chance of knowing who to call. Of course you should also follow safety tips such as don't walk alone at night, walk in a bigger group, etc, but we may often find ourselves in an imperfect situation, in which case we must have our wits about us.

Please pass this notice around to the other tenants, especially the other women.

Thanks and please do stay safe and aware."

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The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter:  The HNA E-Newsletter forwards occasional crime watch notices as well as announcements about events of interest to neighbors in the Ashby/Telegraph/Woolsey/Adeline area of south Berkeley, including community-building potlucks, greening projects, disaster preparedness meetings, and work parties in Halcyon Commons Park. If you're receiving this email, either you signed up at a neighborhood event or a neighbor may have forwarded it to you. Please note that to prevent spam, HNA always uses bcc and does not share your email address with third parties. If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply to HNA Co-Chair Nancy Carleton/Halcyon Neighborhood Association <ngc2@mindspring.com>. Please feel free to pass the HNA E-Newsletter on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

HNA Listserve:  If you would like to receive messages (and participate in discussions) on the HNA Listserve, please reply to Halcyon Neighborhood Association <ngc2@mindspring.com> indicating your interest, and you will receive an invitation to join.

HNA Blog:  If you would like to view previous newsletters online (and comment via a blog format), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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