HNA News: IMPORTANT meeting Sunday 4/15, 4-6 & other reminders

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Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter*

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Items appearing in the HNA E-Newsletter 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 own personal viewpoint.

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Items in This E-Newsletter

1. Reminder: Big Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

2. Register for Childcare Coverage for Meeting on Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m.

3. Order Your Disaster Prep 55-Gallon Water Barrel by Friday, April 20

4. Sign Up Now to Participate in Huge Multi-Block Yard Sale, Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Editor's Introductory Note:

Yes! We're really serious about wanting a huge turnout this Sunday for our BIG Neighborhood Watch meeting. It's a great opportunity for many neighbors to get up to speed on the City's latest recommendations for personal disaster preparedness, as well as inaugurate our neighborhood disaster plan. Thanks to the neighbors who are making reminder calls so you don't forget to come!

There will be childcare at the event, and it's not too late to sign up in advance (see Item 2), but you must preregister if you want to bring your kids.

We will also be collecting order forms and checks for a 55-gallon water barrel (see Item 3) and to sign up for the Multi-Block Yard Sale June 9.

Hope to see you Sunday, and please keep  spreading the word!

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

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1. Big Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

HNA's BIG Neighborhood-Watch Community Meeting

focusing on Disaster Prep & Crime Watch

including SPECIAL presentation of City's Personal Disaster Preparedness Workshop

Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m., Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton)

Facilitated by Dawn Rubin, HNA's Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

* Note to those who wait until the last minute to file your taxes: Tax Day this year is Tuesday, April 17, due to April 15 falling on a Sunday and April 16 being Emancipation Day, a holiday in D.C.

HNA includes neighbors living in the area bordered by Ashby, Telegraph, Woolsey, and Adeline. Come learn how you can upgrade your personal disaster preparedness as well as participate in a neighborhood plan that will save lives in the event of the Big One. We have invited the Mayor's Office, our City Councilmembers, and Beat Officers, with the goal of strengthening our disaster preparedness and fine-tuning our Crime Watch for the warmer weather. Special bonus: The meeting will include a time-condensed version of the Office of Emergency Services' workshop on Personal Disaster Preparedness, which ordinarily requires pre-registration and travel to City premises.

Our agenda includes:

4:00 Call to Order, Review Agenda, and Introductions: Dawn Rubin, Facilitator (Please arrive promptly!)
            * John Steere re: Halcyon Neighborhood Association
            * Councilmember Kriss Worthington
            * Councilmember Max Anderson
            * Vicky Liu from the  Mayor's Office
            * Jim Hynes from the City Manager's Office
4:20    Nancy Carleton re: Emergency Supply Cache and Strengthening Neighborhood-Wide Disaster Prep Plans

            * Halcyon Emergency Plan Overview
            * Incident Command System Introduction
            * Need for volunteers to help further organize our neighborhood
            * Fundraising for additional supplies for cache (batteries, sheets, etc.)

4:30    Personal Disaster Preparedness Workshop: Five Critical Steps to Prepare for Emergency (firefighter presentation)
5:30    Crime Watch
           * Introduce Beat Officer(s) & Area Coordinator(s)
           * Recent Crime Overview
5:45    Q & A
5:55    Future Events & Next Steps (John Steere)

6:00    Adjourn & Clean-up (we will end promptly)              

See Item 2 to arrange for Childcare coverage during the meeting!

Bring check to pay for Disaster Prep 55-gallon Water Barrel (see Item 3) and/or to participate in Multi-Block Yard Sale June 9 (see Item 4)

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2. Register for Childcare Coverage for Meeting on Sunday, April 15, 4-6 p.m.

ATTENTION, FAMILIES:  We're hoping more parents will come to the neighborhood meeting on April 15 if kids can come too and have fun getting to know one another in an adjoining room.  We have a tentative plan to offer childcare at  $10/family for 2 hours. If we get at least 3 families interested, we will arrange with local teenagers to come work. We need to know ASAP.  Please email Dawn Trygstad Rubin at <familyrubin@comcast.net> to make a childcare reservation and/or if you have teenagers who are interested in offering childcare. Reservations will be REQUIRED - there will be no drop-in childcare because we need to know the number of kids in advance in order to hire enough babysitters. Volunteers to help coordinate this offering are welcome (contact Dawn).

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3. Order Your Disaster Prep 55-Gallon Water Barrel by Friday, April 20

The City of Berkeley recommends that households store at least 1 gallon of water per resident for a minimum of five days (i.e., a household of four would need to store at least 20 gallons). Many of us who witnessed the slow governmental response to the Katrina disaster feel it's prudent to store supplies for at least 7 to 10 days, since we are likely to be on our own that long, and the EBMUD water delivery system may well be compromised. And many of us have pets and house plants that will need water too. 55-gallon barrels that can easily be stored in a corner outside allow an easy way to store plenty of water for your household's needs in the event of disaster. They require simple annual maintenance for best results.

Neighbors Susan Hunter and Mark Foy have researched costs for 55-gallon blue plastic water barrels and manual pumps for disaster preparedness. If we place a group order for 40 or more, we will receive a substantial discount (approximately 36%). You'll be able to order your barrel at the April 15 Neighborhood Watch meeting or by dropping off or mailing a check by April 20. Moving forward with this project this spring requires an order of 40 or more barrels.

The $58.08 cost covers a 55-gallon water barrel (discounted to $31.95 from  $52.21 for orders over 40), a manual pump to allow access to the water (and to facilitate annual cleaning) ($12.00), and shipping costs ($14.95 per barrel) to a central location (Halcyon Court).

To Order (Orders needed by Friday, April 20):

Send your check or money order for $58.08 made out to Halcyon Neighborhood Association (or HNA), earmarked "water barrel" to:

Susan Hunter, Treasurer, HNA

3044-A Halcyon Court

Berkeley, CA 94705

(or drop through mail slot in front door at 3044 Halcyon across from Halcyon Commons Park)

Note: Checks will not be deposited until 40 orders have been received; if we don't get 40 orders, the cost of each barrel will go up, and we will have to reevaluate our plans. Please be sure to include your full address, email, and phone number with your order for follow-up.

Attention: LeConte, Bateman, WIllard, and Lorin Neighbors: We are happy to include orders from nearby neighborhood groups in our group order; however, if you live outside HNA's boundaries (Ashby, Telegraph, Woolsey, Adeline), you will need to arrange to pick up your barrel from Halcyon Court in a timely manner following delivery (date TBD).

Volunteers with Trucks Needed:  The water barrels will be delivered to Halcyon Court. We need a neighbor with a truck (or, even better, a few neighbors with trucks) to deliver the barrels to individual addresses. Some neighbors may also need help setting up their barrel.  To volunteer for both or either function, email Susan Hunter <suze208@earthlink.net>.

For More Information, contact:

Susan Hunter <suze208@earthlink.net> 517-0241

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4. Sign Up Now to Participate in Huge Multi-Block Yard Sale, Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

In years past, HNA sponsored several hugely successful multi-block yard sales. Several neighbors have said it's time to do it again! The date is set:

HNA Multi-Block Yard Sale

Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

(set up by 9 a.m. recommended; when multiblock yard sales are advertised, dealers come early)

* Sale will be advertised widely in locals newspapers and on the web, and we expect a huge turnout.

* Sign up now - $5 checks to HNA required to participate (goes toward ads and flyers). Mail your check (or drop off) to: HNA Treasurer Susan Hunter, 3044-A Halcyon Court, Berkeley, CA 94705. Or bring your check to HNA's Neighborhood Watch meeting April 15, 4-6 p.m. at Chochmat HaLev (Prince at Fulton).

* In addition to being a chance to clear out your closets and garages, this event is a fundraiser for the HNA Disaster Preparedness Fund; on the day of the event, HNA representatives will ask you to contribute 5-10% of your proceeds (or more, if you're feeling generous); all of these funds will go directly toward purchasing supplies for the Halcyon Disaster Supply Cache, which contains materials to support neighborhood-wide Disaster First Aid, Light Search & Rescue, and a Command Center in Halcyon Commons Park following a major disaster (if you wish your contribution to be tax-deductible, you can make your check payable to BPFP -  Berkeley Partners for Parks -  earmarked for Halcyon disaster prep).

* Volunteers are needed to help post flyers and to set up signs at major intersections on the day of the event. Volunteers will also be needed the evening of Friday, June 8 to make the big signs to post at major intersections. Please call or email Susan Hunter <suze208@earthlink.net> or 517-0241 if you're willing to help.

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The Halcyon Neighborhood Association E-Newsletter:  The HNA E-Newsletter forwards occasional crime-watch notices as well as 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, disaster preparedness meetings, 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 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>. Feel free to pass the HNA E-Newsletter on to other neighbors you think might be interested.

To submit items for the newsletter:   Email unformatted content or links (no graphics or attachments) to HNA E-Newsletter Editor Nancy Carleton <ngc2@mindspring.com>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors is especially welcome. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the endeavor, the E-Newsletter does not typically 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).

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. [The HNA Listserve is currently inactive but can be revived if enough neighbors show interest.]

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

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