HNA News: New Email for HNA (Update Spam Filters); Another Armed Robbery, Etc.

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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. Please Update Your Spam Filters: HNA E-News to Come from New Email Address

2. Crime Watch Report: Armed Robbery Deakin near Woolsey, Monday, June 25, 11:40 p.m.

3. Added Details Robbery on Woolsey in the Bateman Neighborhood a Week Ago; One of Two Suspects Apprehended

4. Neighbor News: Emerson Street Neighbor Offering Nanny, Babysitting, Dog Walking & Other Services

5. Halcyon Safety "Dog" Walks: Sign Up for the Yahoo Group/Listserve

6. Bus Rapid Transit on Telegraph: Comments on EIR Due by Tuesday, July 3

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Editor's Introductory Note:

Just a reminder to pass on information related to crime watch reports to the HNA E-News so I can disseminate it quickly to over 325 households in our immediate area (the information about the Deakin Street robbery is older than I'd like because I didn't receive full details until last night). If I'm out of town, I will do my best to arrange for backup monitoring of the new HNA email address listed below (see item 1). Neighbors are also encouraged to take the initiative to post information about robberies or other crimes around the neighborhood, so we can inform as many people as possible of the details, including suspect descriptions. From this point onward, please email your crime watch reports to Nancy Carleton <halcyon92@gmail.com>.

It's also important to balance the bad news with the good, and HNA offers many positive opportunities for community building, so please also pass on news you'd like to share with neighbors concerning births, new jobs, services you offer, etc. I will post them in an upcoming E-News. And by the way, our community potluck last Sunday was very enjoyable (thank you Jessica and David for sharing your yard and inviting the police, and special appreciation to Tory for organizing this and other potlucks). Over 40 people had a good time socializing and eating good food  in addition to getting a long opportunity to talk with Beat Coordinator Stephen Burcham and Beat Officer Bartalini as well as District 7 Councilmember Kriss Worthington. Thanks, all!

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

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1. Please Update Your Spam Filters: HNA E-News to Come from New Email Address

If you don't want to miss an edition of the HNA E-News, please update your spam filters to receive the E-News from the following address:

Halcyon Neighborhood Association <halcyon92@gmail.com>

(Note that 1992 is the year HNA was founded; we'll be celebrating our fifteenth anniversary this fall!)

The mindspring address will be discontinued the last week of July.

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2. Crime Watch Report: Armed Robbery Deakin near Woolsey, Monday, June 25, 11:40 p.m.

For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007

 

A robbery took place Monday, June 25, at 11:40 p.m. on the block of Deakin near Woolsey. The suspect is described as a tall, slender African American male  approximately 20 years old with short hair.

The following items were taken at gunpoint from a person in her car: black leather backpack-style purse, orange-striped lunch bag, and Trader Joe's bag with book related to nursing, blue wind breaker jacket, cell phone, etc., including passport and the usual i.d., cards as well as an RN license. If any miscellaneous peronal items are found, please contact the Berkeley police at 981-5900 (nonemergency number).

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3. Added Details Robbery on Woolsey in the Bateman Neighborhood a Week Ago; One of Two Suspects Apprehended

The following update on the armed robbery described a week ago was received from the Bateman neighborhood:

A Korean woman and her mother were robbed. This is the same incident originally described in an E-News article a week ago, but the initial report had the wrong time of day and cross street. Fortunately the police have one suspect in custody and perhaps he will lead them to the second.  Prompt action by the neighbors has helped the police catch one suspect and now that is one less person likely to commit crimes in our neighborhood.  It shows what can be done if we all stay vigilant and aware of what is going on around us.  My hat is off to those involved!

-Trevor Laws [president of Bateman Neighborhood Association]

This morning just before 11:00 a.m. we witnessed a mugging/robbery (possibly armed) on Woolsey a few feet east of

Benvenue. Two women were attacked by two young black men. We ran into a nearby house where we called 911 and told them what was going on. By the time the police arrived, two other witnesses had chased the muggers and managed to hold one of them. The other one got away. We gave  report to the police.

And the initial report HNA received of this incident (which had the time of day and cross street wrong):

Robbery, Saturday, June 23rd.

One of my neighbors on Prince was walking with her mom on Woolsey and Bateman [correction: Benvenue], was accosted by two men, one of whom was apprehended by the cops (the other one got away, but they'll probably be able to get the one in custody to flip).  They took the keys to her house, and she was locked out.  Ofc. Bartalini, who was at the [Bateman] meeting with us the other night, paid out of his pocket for new locks and new keys for her.  Meanwhile, though, her mother was knocked to the ground and suffered some kind of trauma to the head.

 

Ofc. told me that it happened on Woolsey [near the] same place as the last robbery. I don't know much else, but he also told me the perpetrator of the most recent robbery on Woolsey and Bateman (where another neighbor was held at gunpoint and approached from the rear) has been apprehended and is also in custody.

The only suspect description I have is a black adult male (i.e., over 18), nothing more precise than that in terms of age or complexion.  Tall, about 6'2", thin, short hair, wearing camouflage jacket.   That seems to be the daytime choice of apparel for armed robbery these days!!!  No mention of a car. I think if we're out walking during the day on Woolsey, at least for a while till things calm down, we should try to go in groups - more than two, as in this case there were two women who were assaulted.  Seems women are these guy's targets - couples at night, women during the day.

 

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4. Neighbor News: Emerson Street Neighbor Offering Nanny, Babysitting, Dog Walking & Other Services

Clay, a neighbor living on Emerson Street forwards the following announcement:

33 year-old female pre-nursing student available for nannying, babysitting, or dog-walking. Also open to domestic and household tasks such as housesitting, cleaning, organizing, shopping, odd jobs, and more. Excellent organizational, communication, and computer skills, and great with kids and pets. References available. Lives on Emerson St. Call Clay -- she's very handy! -- at 845-1785 or email pedalout@yahoo.com.

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5. Halcyon Safety "Dog" Walks: Sign Up for the Yahoo Group/Listserve

 

Now that we've started walking again, HNA Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Dawn Rubin is in the process of creating a Yahoo Group to allow us to communicate with one another easily so we can all share in the planning of  scheduled walks (which could take place during the midday as well as at night), as well as suggest spontaneous or impromptu walks and find out quickly if at least three or four people are available. This Yahoo Group is focused  on scheduling walks to keep our eyes on the neighborhood while we build community and get to know one another, so we'll all try to stick close to that theme so no one's in-box gets flooded with extraneous or off-topic emails (as with any Yahoo group, you can choose to receive the emails in the form of daily or weekly digests if that works best for you).  This will be a by-invitation group only; if you'd like to participate, please contact Dawn Rubin at  <familyrubin@comcast.net>, and be sure to provide your full name, your email, your address, and your phone number for verification purposes (for our safety, we all need to know who we're walking with).

Here's Dawn Rubin's description of the purposes of the Halcyon Walks, in case you missed it earlier: We've started the group "dog" walks around the neighborhood again over the past several weeks. We generally meet in the evening to walk, talk, and get to know one another, catch up on news, and see what's going on all over Halcyon neighborhood (from Telegraph to Adeline, and from Woolsey to Ashby). The walks build community and let everyone in our neighborhood know that we care about what goes on here. We'll greet everyone we see, going out of our way to say hello to people we don't yet know. With youth, we will be particularly aware of the fact that these are "our kids" and our future  -  it's up to us to look after them in a loving way to help them make wise choices. We follow some general guidelines for safety. Fewer than three people may not be safe, so we only start if there are at least three or four people who've committed.  Under no circumstances will we do anything that would endanger us or anyone else.  We always have a cell phone with us, in case something needs to be reported, and we notify the beat officer beforehand so the police know we're out there. People bring dogs if they have them (for fun, dog exercise, and safety), but NO DOG IS REQUIRED. Come join us!

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6. Bus Rapid Transit on Telegraph: Comments on EIR Due by Tuesday, July 3

Editor's Note: While Halcyon Neighborhood Association does not take positions on controversial issues except in rare instances where there is near unanimity among neighbors, we do encourage neighbors to inform themselves and take action where they feel strongly. Proposed changes to Telegraph Avenue could have a profound impact on our neighborhood whether for good or bad (see the Berkeley Daily Planet website at http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com and search BRT for commentaries pro and con). An Environmental Impact Report has been released, and there are just a few days left to submit comments:

AC Transit and the Federal Transit Authority have released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Bus Rapid Transit in the East Bay (http://www.actransit.org/news/articledetail.wu?articleid=42622c20&PHPSESSID=943e42ff8d0d244657dfa99b6571e9c1#online). The project proposes to implement transit-only lanes on Telegraph Ave. in order to increase the speed and on time rate of buses between Berkeley and downtown Oakland. The Draft EIR describes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed alternatives and a no action alternative.

This is the opportunity for South Berkeley residents to voice their opinions about the Bus Rapid Transit system. You can submit comments for or against the project,  or ask for specific mitigations to the expected negative impacts. All comments must be received by July 3, 2007

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Dates set as of June 2007 (verify a few weeks before event by checking HNA E-Newsletter):

Saturday, August 4, 9 a.m.-noon (note time change), Work Party in Halcyon Commons park (Halcyon Court at Prince St.)

Tuesday, August 7, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime, Potluck in Park 6-7:30 p.m., walk through larger neighborhood 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30, 6-8 p.m., Halcyon Community Potluck with Live Music, 15th Anniversary of Halcyon Neighborhood Association and 100th Anniversary of Berkeley Parks, Halcyon Commons park (Halcyon Court at Prince St.)

Saturday, October 27, Fall Mulching in Park with help from Cal volunteers of Berkeley Project

Sunday, October 28, 4-6 p.m., Big Neighborhood Watch Community Meeting, Chochmat HaLev (location to be confirmed)

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5-8:30, Post-Holiday Progressive Potluck, four locations TBD

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* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

HNA's Disaster Prep Supply Cache contains items intended to benefit the entire neighborhood in the event of disaster. You can help us have what we need on hand in two ways: (1) Make a tax-deductible financial contribution to Berkeley Partners for Parks (BPFP, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor), earmarked Halcyon Disaster Prep, which will go toward purchasing additional supplies, and mail or drop off 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 GOOD condition):

Batteries (AA, C, D), regular & rechargeable; Battery Recharger for AA, C, D; Quality Walkie-Talkies with 8-mile range, 22 channels (i.e., Motorola Talkabout T5500 two-way radios); Axes; Crow Bars, Hard Hats; Other Tools for Search & Rescue; Head Lamps; Heavy-duty Flashlights; Bullhorn; Laptop Computer with rechargeable power supply & USB port; Flashcard (for storing neighborhood database to transfer to laptop); Sheets (freshly laundered or new; good for first aid); Blankets; First Aid Supplies; Gas Siphon (for extracting gas from cars to run generator); 5-Gallon Drums for long-term gas storage; Work Gloves; Large Camping Tents (with all parts!); Coleman or similar Gas or Propane Stove; Shelving for Shed.

Contact HNA Co-Chair and Cache Coordinator Nancy Carleton at <halcyon92@gmail.com> or 644-0172 to contribute supplies.

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* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

Police

Police Emergency Number:  911 (from landline); 981-5911(from cell; preprogram with this number)

Police Nonemergency Number: 981-5900

Link to beat maps and a list of beat officers:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/department/beatinfo/beatlineup.html

In Halcyon neighborhood, west of Fulton is Beat 10, east of Fulton is Beat 9.

Link to crime stats:

Berkeley:  www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police

Other City Departments:

Neighborhood Services Liaison Jim Hynes <jhynes@ci.berkeley.ca.us> 981-2493

Public Works Customer Service: 644-6620 (streets, sidewalks, graffiti, sewers, litter, storm drains, street lights)

Tree Trimming/Planting (Forestry/)/Parks: 981-6660

Written Communication with City Council:

To comment to City Council, cut and paste the 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 Dona Spring <DSpring@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli <LCapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

Councilmember Betty Olds <BOlds@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

West side of Wheeler Street to west (except for Woolsey between Wheeler and Shattuck)

Councilmember Kriss Worthington (District 7) 981-7170

East side of Wheeler to east (includes block of Woolsey from Wheeler to Shattuck)

Mayor Tom Bates 981-7100

Zoning Adjustments Board:

To comment to the Zoning Adjustments Board regarding projects on their calendar, email:

Zoning Adjustments Board <zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us>

(best 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)

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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 <halcyon92@gmail.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 <halcyon92@gmail.com>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors (births, new jobs, announcements re home businesses) 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 <halcyon92@gmail.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 low-activity blog), please visit http://halcyoncourt.blogspot.com/

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