HNA E-News: Safety Walk Tonight, 9:30; Town Hall meeting Saturday; Thank-Yous; 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. HNA Thank Yous!

2. Town Hall Meeting with Councilmember Max Anderson, Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

3. Night-time Safety "Dog" Walk, Tonight, Friday, Nov. 2, 9:30 (meet at Halcyon Commons)

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

5. Scam Alert: Scam Preys on Elderly as Bad Guys Pose as Water Repairmen

* 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:

Thanks to everyone who helped make last weekend such a success both in terms of our big work party Saturday and our neighborhood watch meeting Sunday (see item 1 for more thank yous). With thirty student volunteers and twenty neighborhood volunteers, we got a tremendous amount accomplished in Halcyon Commons park and the surrounding neighborhood, including doing lots of graffiti removal and trash pickup, and getting a start on the address painting on curbs in front of people's houses, which we'll be continuing over the coming months and year until it's all done! We also planted fifty-two new plants in the park, funded as part of the grant we received from the UC Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund.

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

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1. HNA Thank Yous!

HNA wishes to thank the following folks for helping make Saturday's work party and neighborhood watch meeting successful:

* The UC students and their Willard Middle School mentees for their tremendous help as volunteers with the Berkeley Project on Saturday.

* Grotius Hugo and Anne Songdej, the volunteer coordinators for Halcyon from Cal's Berkeley Project.

* Shallon Allen of the City of Berkeley for help in coordinating supplies for the work party.

* Bob Maron of the Parks Dept. (and his staff) for help with logistics.

* Whole Foods Market for the delicious breakfast and lunch refreshments.

*  Mokka (cafe at Telegraph and Dowling) for the great coffee.

* Chochmat HaLev for photocopying flyers and providing our meeting space Sunday.

* Nancy Carleton for coordinating with the Berkeley Project for the work party.

* John Steere for arranging food and coffee donations.

* Dawn Rubin, John Steere, Nancy Carleton, and Jessica Hamburger for helping coordinate volunteers at the work party.

* All the neighbors who helped distribute flyers.

* All the neighbors who helped with weeding, mulching, and planting.

* Those who loaned wheelbarrows and shovels.

* Neighbors Kirby Kincaid and Susan Hunter for helping Nancy Carleton with the final trimming in the park after the rest of the work party had ended.

* The UC Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund grant, which made possible the purchase of in-fill plants as part of our Halcyon Commons Rejuvenation Project.

* Dawn Rubin for organizing and chairing the Neighborhood Watch meeting.

* Sgt. Mary Kusmiss for the great presentation at the Neighborhood Watch meeting, and Officer Fields for his convincing performance as a mugger to help us refine our suspect identification skills.

* Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Max Anderson for attending the meeting.

* Everyone who helped with setup and cleanup at Sunday's meeting.

* Everyone who came out on a Sunday evening at dinnertime to attend a meeting that overlapped with the final game of the World Series!

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2. Town Hall Meeting with Councilmember Max Anderson, Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

Councilmember Max Anderson's office sent the following invitation:

Town Hall Meeting with Councilmember Max Anderson

Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

South Berkeley Senior Center (2939 Ellis Street at Ashby)

Light Refreshments/Child Care Available

Please join Councilmember Anderson for a community discussion. Topics will include:

* Public Safety

* Youth Services

* Health

* Education

* Opportunities in the Community

* Community Concerns and Issues

PaneL:

Chief Doug Hambleton, BPD

Angela Gallegos-Castillo, Asst. to the City Manager

David Manson, Depty. Dir. to Sen Don Perata

Vicky Breckwich-Vasquez, HHS, Public Health

Karen Hemphill, BUSD Board Member

Brief Presentations by:

Alis Simmons & Demetria Huntsman of Youth Uprising

Sally Hindman of YaYa California.

We invite you to share your thoughts with us.

For questions or additional information, call or email Deobrah McIntyre, 981-7130 dmcintyre@ci.berkeley.ca.us

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3. Night-time Safety "Dog" Walk, Tonight, Friday, Nov. 2, 9:30 (meet at Halcyon Commons)

We'll be walking tonight with a focus on helping those attending Chochmat HaLev services get safely on their way.

Meet promptly at 9:30 p.m. at the picnic table in Halcyon Commons park (Halcyon at Prince) if you'd like to join us. (Dogs optional.)

If you'd like to join the listserve for scheduling impromptu safety walks (day or night), please email <halcyon92@gmail.com> with your name, address, and phone number (as well as email).

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4. 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> so we can see if we have a critical mass to make it safe.

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5. Scam Alert: Scam Preys on Elderly as Bad Guys Pose as Water Repairmen

Berkeley Police Department

Scam Preys On Elderly: Bad Guys Pose as Water Repairmen

Berkeley, California (Thursday, November 1, 2007) - City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) Property Crimes Detectives are warning the community after a disturbing crime trend has been making its way to the city. These crimes, dozens of cases that have plagued the South Bay, Peninsula and San Francisco since October 2006, involve a scam that leads to burglary. A group of male suspects, ordinarily two or three, pose as water repairmen seeking out an elderly homeowner and tell him/her that their home's water lines have been contaminated. The suspects then inform the resident that the lines must be flushed, repaired or inspected.

Once the resident allows the men into the home, one of the suspects preoccupies the resident by feigning some task while the other or others steals cash, jewelry and valuables. The victims typically describe the suspects as:

* Latino/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Italian or Portuguese males
* Ranging in age from 20-40 years old.

* Wearing hard hats, safety vests to appear "official"

BPD would like to remind community members of the following crime prevention measures:

* Be alert/aware of activity around your home & neighborhood.

* Do not allow anyone in your home that you do not know, have not hired or screened.

* Call BPD to report any suspicious people or activity, in particular anyone that matches the general description or MO noted above.

* If you have an older neighbor or neighbors, get to know them and please give attention to any unusual activity in or around their home(s).

* Program the local direct 911 - emergency number into your cell phone: In Berkeley - dial (510) 981-5911

For additional resources, visit the BPD website www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police. If you notice any suspicious individual(s) or activity, please contact BPD's non-emergency line at (510) 981-5900. For crimes in progress, dial 911 or (510) 981-5911 from your cell phone.

Sgt. Kusmiss S-6
Public Information Officer (PIO)

(510) 981-5881

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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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