HNA E-News: East Lorin Safety Walk Tonight!; Disaster Prep Cache West of Shattuck?; Crime Watch; Mulch Available; 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 personal viewpoint.

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1. Monthly Safety Walk in East Lorin Neighborhood, Tuesday, Nov. 6  8:30 p.m., Nomad Cafe

2. Crime Watch: Prowler in Yard on Wheeler Street

3. Crime Watch Reports from Nearby Neighborhoods

4. Neighbors West of Shattuck & East of Adeline: Please Respond re Disaster Preparedness Shed Location

5. Good Quality Mulch Available on Halcyon Court

6. First Meeting of Elders Guild Community, Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.

7. Deakin Street Neighbor's Letter to the Editor in Recent SF Chronicle

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007/Early 2008

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

Editor's Introductory Note:

Just a reminder that there's a walk taking place tonight along the Berkeley/Oakland border (see item 1). I also hope that neighbors who live west of Shattuck and east of Adeline will pay special attention to item 4 and take the time to get back to me so we can keep improving the level of disaster preparedness in the larger neighborhood.

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

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1. Monthly Safety Walk in East Lorin Neighborhood, Tuesday, Nov. 6  8:30 p.m., Nomad Cafe

Halcyon neighbors may be interested in joining the East Lorin Neighborhood Association's monthly walking group (East Lorin's boundaries overlap with HNA's territory, and we've hooked up with them for several walks through our mutual border territory). They meet at Nomad Cafe at 8:30 (or arrive a few minutes early if they want to share tea/coffee) and walk for about half an hour or so from there. Contact Jeffrey Jensen  if you'd like to be added to the ELNA walk list:  <jeffreygjensen@yahoo.com>.

And if any of you would like to start out at Halcyon Commons at 8:00 p.m. and join up with the East Lorin folks at 8:30 p.m., please contact <halcyon92@gmail.com> by 7 p.m. so we can see if we have a critical mass to make it safe.

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2. Crime Watch: Prowler in Yard on Wheeler Street

A Wheeler Street neighbor reports:

"Saturday night ( Nov. 3), for the second time, someone entered our yard on Wheeler Street and opened two unlocked doors that lead to the crawl (hunker) space under our house. This happened several weeks ago, but we took no action. It seems likely that someone is looking for easy-to-steal items. In neither case was anything taken, likely because there really is nothing of value there. We will now buy locks. These incidents suggest pretty strongly that yards and even doors are being cased in this area. That fact that it happened several weeks back, nothing was taken, and then it happened again, is more disconcerting than a one-time occurrence."

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3. Crime Watch Reports from Nearby Neighborhoods

 

[Editor's Note:: The following reports come from outside Halcyon's immediate boundaries, but are close enough by that they bear our added vigilance so we can do our best to prevent similar activities here.]

 LeConte Neighborhood:  Burglary on 2300 block of Russell Street

Burglary on Russell (at Ellsworth), 11/4/2007 4:00 a. m.

"A house was burglarized 11/4 at about 4:00 am. Entry through their back door (which apparently was unlocked) into their kitchen. About $300 of cash taken from purse. Dogs went off, but residents did not realize it had been a burglar until the morning when they got up."

LeConte Neighborhood: Burglary on 2300 Block of Ward

"We are in the 2300 block of Ward St (corner of Ellsworth). We were burglarized 10/29 sometime between 8:15-11:15. The thief broke in through a rear sliding glass door and ripped out our home alarm sensor (which was not armed). Jewelry, camera, ipod, money were all taken. The police were here last night and dusted for prints, believing that our theft was in connection with other recent ones in the neighborhood. I'll let you know if they find anything. Also, they believe it was not a forced entry, but that the thief walked in the back door that was unlocked. Please alert the neighbors."

East Lorin Neighborhood: People Digging Through Trash for Paperwork

This was reported by someone in our neighborhood: "Forgot until putting out garbage just now that last week on Friday morning before collection I saw the male and female adults and a boy, approximate age 9 - 12, from a very large and newish white pickup truck removing papers from gray collection cans. They didn't seem to be taking newspapers. I hope you all do NOT put papers such as bank statements, credit card statements, or anything with account numbers or social security numbers in your gray cans."

Willard Neighborhood: Armed Robberies

Parker at Hillegass, BPD Case #0756455

On Monday, October 22, 2007, at 12:11 AM, BPD received a report of a robbery which had just taken place on Parker Street at Hillegass Avenue. A group of 8 males were walking westbound on Parker. Five of them, all Cal students, were approached by a Black male suspect who had been perched on a fire hydrant. The suspect displayed a fire arm and demanded their wallets and cell phones. Suspect #1 was joined by suspect #2 who was also armed with a gun. After complying with the demand, two of the victims were struck by the suspects. The suspects ordered the victims to run. BPD searched the area but was unable to locate the suspects. One of the victims was struck in the face with the butt of the gun and was transported to Alta Bates for treatment.

The suspects were described as follows:
#1 - Black male, 5'07" to 5'10" in height, 160 lbs, medium build, in his 30s, with a goatee, wearing a_dark hooded jacket with the hood pulled over his head and blue jeans._
#2 - Black male, 5'10"to 6'02" in height, in his mid-twenties, 180 lbs, wearing a dark hooded jacket with the hood pulled over his head and jeans.

Parker near Benvenue, BPD Case #07-579721

On Monday, October 29, 2007, at 7:37 PM, BPD received a report of a robbery which had just taken place on Parker Street near Benvenue Avenue.  A non-affiliated female was walking eastbound on the 2600 block of Parker when she saw two men walking on the opposite sidewalk.  The men crossed the street and approached the victim.  he first suspect pointed a gun at her, demanded her property and grabbed her purse and camera bag.  The second suspect also had a handgun and both suspects pointed there guns at her as they left the scene walking westbound towards Telegraph Avenue. 

BPD and UCPD searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.  The victim was not injured during the incident.

The suspects were described as follows:
#1 -Hispanic male, 20-25 years-of-age, 5'07" in height, 170 lbs, medium build, with dark hair, wearing a black knit cap and an oversized grey hooded sweater.
#2 - Black male, 20-25 years-of-age, 6'0" in height, 250 lbs, with a large build, black hair, wearing a black sweater and blue jeans.

If you have any information about either of these crimes, please contact:

Berkeley Police Department
(510) 981-5900 / 24 Hours (nonemergency)

As with any emergency situation, if you see suspicious activity, call 911 (cellphone emergency number:   510-981-5911)

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4. Neighbors West of Shattuck & East of Adeline: Please Respond re Disaster Preparedness Shed Location

A note from HNA Disaster Supply Cache Coordinator (and HNA Co-Chair) Nancy Carleton:

We have a good chance of obtaining an additional disaster supply cache for the part of our neighborhood west of Shattuck and east of Ashby (the area around the east side of the Ashby BART). This area overlaps with the East Lorin Neighborhood and includes an active disaster preparedness group right along the Berkeley-Oakland border. We have one possibility for locating such a cache (just outside the bounds of our neighborhood, in the Dover/Tremont area on the Berkeley side of the border), and I have met and spoken with  a few neighbors involved in the East Lorin Neighborhood group, who'd also like to see this happen. If someone who lives in this area (on Tremont, Woolsey, Prince, Emerson, or Essex west of Shattuck and east of Adeline) has a deep driveway or space in your yard that could serve as an alternate site, please let me know (something closer to BART would probably work better for actual mobilization in the event of a big quake). I also need to hear back from people who live in the general area (Berkeley border to Ashby, Shattuck to Adeline) who would like to be involved in strengthening disaster prep in your part of the neighborhood - at whatever level. It would be especially helpful to hear back from people who have already taken the City of Berkeley CERT trainings (one or more of the classes) or who would be willing to take some of these free classes in the future. Having this information will strengthen the chances of our obtaining the supply cache (similar to the one we already won for Halcyon Court). HNA would be mentoring the process of setting up this cache and coming up with a neighborhood disaster response plan (modeled on our existing plan) for the area on the west side of Shattuck. If enough folks are interested, I would like hold a meeting on this on a late afternoon on a Sunday to discuss further (either in November, or, more likely, early in the new year). I'd really like to see this happen as it will make us all safer, and residents west of Shattuck shouldn't have the the nearest disaster supply cache be as far away as Halcyon Court! Please respond to me at <halcyon92@gmail.com> if you'd like to see this happen!

Thanks,

Nancy Carleton <halcyon92@gmail.com>

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5. Good Quality Mulch Available on Halcyon Court

We have some good quality mulch left from our big annual mulching day. While about a third of the remaining pile is still needed for some nearby landscaped features, the rest is available to any neighbor who can make good use of it. It's a great way to reduce the need for quite as much weeding over the winter and spring, and also helps nourish the soil. Come help yourselves!

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6. First Meeting of Elders Guild Community, Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.

Shoshana, a neighbor who's involved in planning the meeting, forwarded the following invitation:

Dear Friend,

Please join us in creating the first Elders Guild Community. Our first meeting will be on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at St. John's Church, 2727 College Ave., close to our neighborhood.

Barry and Debora Barkan and I are beginning here and now to launch the Elders Guild as an international organization of communities of people on the multigenerational, interdependent path of becoming elders.

That huge group of us who will come to be known as the elder boomers have the potential to transform our role as we age and leave a shining legacy for the generations that will follow. We can bring wisdom, support and healing to one another and to the children of our children.

The Elders Guild combines community, activism, and deep lifelong learning in one organization. Our goal is for each of us to have connection, potency, and a meaningful role at a stage of life when we have been conditioned to expect only diminished strength, capacity, and escalating loss.

At a time when many of us are pondering what happens next, the Elders Guild is creating a bold new vision for the second half of our lives. Think of it as well-being insurance that will optimize our ability to age with grace, purpose, and self-determination. The earlier we begin and the more we invest of ourselves in the process, the greater the likelihood of vitality, continued regeneration, and dignity when our need is greatest. It is not too late for us to rescue our dreams and aspirations for a better world for those who will follow us. Collectively and individually, our best years can be ahead of us.

At the first meeting we will present a working draft of the Elders Guild Handbook and begin the process of building the infrastructure for the Elders movement. Please RSVP to Shoshana@LiveOakInstitute.org . For more information, please visit us on the web at http://LiveOakInstitute.Org/eldersguild1.html.

Here is a link to Barry's recent Tikkun article, "How Elders Can Rebalance The World" http://www.tikkun.org/magazine/tik0709/frontpage/elders/base_view

Shoshana Dembitz

(With thanks to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their support for the Elders Guild launch.)

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7. Deakin Street Neighbor's Letter to the Editor in Recent SF Chronicle

Deakin Street neighbor had a letter to the editor about solar power published in the San Francisco Chronicle this week (see third letter after link):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/05/EDDOT4S76.DTL

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For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2007/Early 2008

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

December 2,  4:00-5:30 p.m., HNA Steering Committee Meeting (email <halcyon92@gmail.com> for location)

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 5:00-8:30 p.m., 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):

Duct Tape (this is a versatile supply that allows us to improvise with common household items in the event of a disaster: lots needed!); Batteries (AA, C, D), regular & rechargeable; Battery Recharger for AA (LOTS of these needed!), 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; Two-Foot Lengths of 2x4s and 4x4s (good for cribbing and creating fulcrums for removing heavy objects during search & rescue operations).

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

Link to police bulletins:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/crimestats/policebulletins.html

Other City Departments:

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

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 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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* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

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-Newsletter, 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.

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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 Halcyon Safety Walk Listserve:  For those who'd like to participate in night-time and daytime safety "dog" walks (dogs not required) to build community and serve as eyes on the street, please reply  to Halcyon Neighborhood Association <halcyon92@gmail.com> indicating your interest, and you will receive an invitation to join. For everyone's safety, be sure to include your full name, address, email, and phone.

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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