HNA E-News: Prince Street Block Party This Saturday; New Book Club Sunday; Crime Watch; and other neighborhood news

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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. Block Party 2000 Block of Prince Street, This Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

2. New Halcyon Book Club Forming: First Meeting, Sunday, July 19, 4-5:30 p.m.

3. Work Party in the Park and Surrounding Neighborhood, Sunday, July 26, 9-11 a.m.

4. Free Monthly Tai Chi Chih Practice at Halcyon Commons Sunday, July 26, at 11 a.m.

5. Report from HNA's Neighborhood Watch Coordinator: Gang Violence, the North Oakland Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, and Links to Articles

6. Crime Watch Report: Major Burglary on Deakin Street

7. Update from Whole Foods Market

8. Emergency Preparedness: Link re Pandemic Flu Home Care

9. Prince Street Neighbor Nina Lyons in "A Sculptor's Perspective," Sat. July 18, 10-11 a.m.

* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2009

* Disaster Prep Supply Cache Wish List

* City of Berkeley: Useful Contact Information

* Halcyon Neighborhood Association's Guiding Principles

Editor's Introductory Note:

While there haven't been as many reports of crimes in our neighborhood as in some summers past, there was a serious burglary on Deakin Street in June (see item 6) that indicates some  casing of the neighborhood was taking place, and there are also some disturbing reports of an increase in gang activity on the periphery of our neighborhood (item 5). So stay alert, and please be proactive about calling the police if you notice anything suspicious. And don't forget my constant refrain that building community is one of the best ways at our disposal to make our neighborhood safer (in the case of the Deakin Street burglary, prompt action by neighbors at least kept the loss from being worse). So consider attending this Saturday's Prince Street Block Party (item 1),  joining the newly forming Halcyon Book Club Sunday (see item 2), and pitching in at the July 26 work party (item 3), both to have fun and to get to know your neighbors better.

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

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1. Block Party 2000 Block of Prince Street, This Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Prince Street neighbor Tony Hill submitted the following announcement:

2000-2100 Prince Street Block Party:

There'll be a block party on 2000 block of Prince this Saturday, July 18, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. No cars on street. Food, Bounce House, Fire Engine, games, Salsa lessons, etc. Everyone welcome. Information: Tony Hill 548-2306.

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2. New Halcyon Book Club Forming: First Meeting, This Sunday, July 19, 4-5:30 p.m.

Neighbor Laura West submitted the following announcement:

LET'S START A BOOK CLUB!

Michele (of Michele and John) and I got very excited about this idea at the last potluck. She and I will take monthly turns hosting a new Halcyon Book Club on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. We are unabashedly planning the reading list to be books that are appealing to us -- fun and interesting (as opposed to the relentlessly heavy); suggestions welcome!

Our first book will be Ruth Riechl's Comfort Me with Apples

Ruth is a food celebrity, and this book is part of her autobiographical series.  It takes place in the 1970s, when Ruth was living in a commune in Berkeley. She ends up as a part of the food revolution (with Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck, among others).  Since it's autobiographical, you also get a dose of her family life and love affairs.

WHEN: Sunday, July 19,  4:00-5:30 (book club)

                            5:30-6:00 help decide on future books, (bring some suggestions if you like)

WHAT: Read all (or as much as you like), and bring your copy if you want to share a favorite passage.

FOOD: Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served; contributions of more drinks or finger foods are welcome,but optional

WHERE: Laura's house, 2218  Russell St. (corner house, where Deakin ends, a block north of Ashby)

RSVP: Please, please, so we know how many chairs and food/drink to set up (see phone and email below)

HELP NEEDED: Setting or cleanig up

See ya!

Laura West <lauragortonwest@yahoo.com>

847-9320

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3. Work Party in the Park and Surrounding Neighborhood, Sunday, July 26, 9-11 a.m.

Meet at Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Delicious refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Fresh coffee courtesy of Mokka (cafe at Telegraph & Dowling)

 

Presuming we have enough volunteers, this work party will include:

* Weeding  in Halcyon Commons and some of the nearby landscaped islands.

* Picking up litter from streets in the larger neighborhood.

* Removing graffiti from as wide an area of our neighborhood as we can reach with available volunteers.

Many hands make light work: Please lend yours! Even half an hour helps. We have wonderful refreshments to fuel us, so come on out! Children welcome. Bring your own tools if you have them, or use ours if you don't. THANK YOU for helping give our park and our neighborhood some TLC! And if you've noticed graffiti in the public right-of-way in the larger neighborhood, let us know and we'll do our best to clean it up.

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4. Free Monthly Tai Chi Chih Practice at Halcyon Commons Sunday, July 26, at 11 a.m.

A neighbor submitted the following announcement:

"We're practicing Tai Chi Chih on the fourth Sunday each month at 11 a.m., including Sunday, July 26. This practice is free of charge and open to all who have some familiarity with the 20 Tai Chi Chih forms (19 movements and 1 stance). The intention we hold as we practice is sending chi and goodwill to the park, the neighborhood, our city, our country, and the world. Even if you don't yet know the forms or are in the process of learning them, you may enjoy stopping by and watching or joining in for the easier movements. Others are also welcome to come out to the park and engage in yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi Chuan, or whatever your favorite modality might be -- or simply sit in the park and enjoy the passing sights and sounds of summer. Facilitated by Prince Street neighbor Judith Schwartz, 510-843-2062; www.JudithSchwartz.com " [Editor's Note: Judith also offers ongoing classes to teach the Tai Chi forms in her Prince Street gardens; you can contact her for more information.]

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5. Report from HNA's Neighborhood Watch Coordinator: Gang Violence, the North Oakland Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, and Links to Articles

Dawn Trygstad Rubin, HNA's Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, submitted the following report

Hello Folks,

FYI - I am forwarding a report on the meeting I attended back in June about gang violence between rival gangs in South Berkeley, West Berkeley, and North Oakland from Don Link (chair of the NONCPC, North Oakland Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, whose meetings I have been attending all year). It talks about a few specific shootings and incidents related to a "gang war" in process, what to look for, and how to report it.

If you think you see something that may be related to this escalation of violence, a call should be made to Berkeley Police Department immediately saying you may have seen gang activity. Use your judgment about whether to call Emergency (911 from a land line, or 981-5911 from cell phones) or non-emergency (981-5900). The police specifically mentioned the following suspicious activities:

* hear shots

* see likely drug deals (people walk up, exchange items, leave in a short time)

* see groups of  >5 youth hanging out having arguments, maybe with person/people running away

* see cars speeding away

* see cars sitting running with no driver (especially if there are passengers)

If you ever want to attend a meeting of the NONCPC with me to see a well-working coordination of effort between citizens and police, let me know. They go from 7-9 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Also, in case you hadn't seen the news reports, below are links to some good news about arrests that have been happening as a result of excellent team work between Berkeley Police Department (BPD) and Oakland Police Department:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_12806134?source=most_viewed

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-07-09/article/33321?headline=Three-Arrests-in-South-Berkeley-North-Oakland-Gang-War

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-05-28/article/32976?headline=Police-Arrest-Third-Suspect-in-Homicide-Cases

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-05-21/article/32957?headline=Berkeley-Police-Identify-Homicide-Suspects

And some good news that crime in Berkeley is down overall (corresponding decrease in North Oakland) - and the article says that theft, burglaries, and robberies are often tied to gang activity.

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-06-11/article/33134?headline=Crime-in-Berkeley-Down-Slightly-in-the-First-Quarter

Hope you're all enjoying summer!

Dawn

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6. Crime Watch Report: Major Burglary on Deakin Street

A Deakin Street neighbor submitted the following report:

"Our house on Deakin St. south of Webster St. was burglarized on Wednesday June 17th sometime between 1:00 and 2:00 in the afternoon. Thankfully no one was home other than our large and loud dog, and no one was hurt. There are generally kids and adults going in and out of the house all day -- this was a very bold robbery done in broad daylight. Two African American men in their twenties were spotted by a neighbor, who called the police just after they emerged from the driveway carrying a stereo speaker. The police arrived within approximately five minutes. The burglars broke a window in the back of the house and entered that way, unlocking the back door from the inside. They must have made multiple trips in and out of the house and been there for a while, as they made off with all electronic equipment in the house (computers, t.v., modems, cables etc), jewelry and kitchen equipment. They emptied all of the dresser drawers in the house and rummaged through two closets. They had started to pile other things, which they intended to take before they were scared off by the neighbor. Another neighbor saw a suspicious looking green van parked next to the traffic barriers at Prince and Deakin, but didn't get a license number."

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7. Update from Whole Foods Market

Editor's Note: The following report (excerpted) was received from Whole Foods Market.

Hi Neighbors,

Here is my overview for July. There have been no reports of crime this last month. Hope to see you all soon- outside in this amazing weather!

 

 Whole Foods Market Berkeley

July Overview

 

Donations

• Bag Refund Donations
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers/ Buy Fresh Buy Local
• Monthly Donations
• July 1st- Niroga Institute
• July 7th- Roots of Change Conference
• July 25th- Hip Wah Summer Camp
• July 25th- St. John's Childcare
• July 26th- Halcyon Commons
• July- 27th- Cal Cooking Club
• Next 5% Day
• California Coastal Cleanup date TBD (Sept.)

 Featured events- See our calendar for our full listing!

Monday, July 13th- 2pm- Healthy Eating on a Budget Friday July 17th- 4pm- Meet the Experts- Staying Healthy with the Seasons- nutritionist Tanya Henderson

Ashby Flowers Lease Renewal Celebration

To celebrate the signing of Ashby Flower's new lease, we will be collectively throwing a party on Friday July 31st. Details to come.

Nick Heustis

Marketing and Community Relations Team Leader

Whole Foods Market / 3000 Telegraph Ave. Berkeley CA 94705

(510 )649-1333 ext 261

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8. Emergency Preparedness: Link re Pandemic Flu Home Care

Editor's Note: As some of you may be aware, estimates are that the "swine flu" will return in pandemic force this fall. It's worth giving some thought toward being prepared to deal with the consequences, including the possibility of school closures. The following link contains useful information to prepare for home care.

http://www.pandemichomecare.com/

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9. Prince Street Neighbor Nina Lyons in "A Sculptor's Perspective," Sat. July 18, 10-11 a.m.

Prince Street Neighbor Nina Lyons submitted the following invitation:

You are invited to

"A Sculptors Perspective, A Tour of the Bancroft Sculpture Exhibition"

on Saturday, July 18 at 10:00 am.

"See the show before it ends on July 25!"

What: Lecture

Host: Laura van Duren, with artist Nina Lyons

Start Time: Saturday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m.

End Time: Saturday, July 18 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: The Ruth Bancroft Garden www.ruthbancroftgarden.org

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* For Your Calendar: HNA Dates Scheduled for 2009

Dates set as of  July 2009 (verify a couple weeks before event by checking HNA E-News):

Sunday, July 26, 2009, 9-11 a.m., Work Party in Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince) and Surrounding Neighborhood

Tuesday, August 4, 6-8:30 p.m., National Night Out Against Crime (Potluck 6-7:30; Safety Walk, 7:30-8:30), Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince) and surrounding neighborhood

Saturday, August 15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. SNCPC Garage Sale at Bushrod Park, Shattuck side between 60th and 59th Streets (Neighborhood Rummage Sale to raise money for  Crime Prevention Council, with HNA's participation)

Sunday, September 13, 4-6 p.m., Neighborhood Celebration with Live Music and Potluck in Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince)

Saturday, October 10,  9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Big Work Party in Halcyon Commons (Halcyon at Prince) and surrounding neighborhood in coordination with Cal student volunteers from the Berkeley Project

Thursday, October 29, 7 p.m., SNCPC Annual Meeting (elect sector representatives to Crime Prevention Council), North Oakland Sr. Center, 58th St. and MLK Jr. Way (with HNA's participation)

Sunday, December 6, 4-5:30 p.m., HNA Steering Committee meeting to set dates for 2010, John Steere's house, 2329 Webster

Sunday, January 24, 2010, 5:00-8:45 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;  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 to reach Berkeley emergency from a cell)

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

Link to police bulletins:

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

Other City Departments:

City Manager's Office: 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 Jesse Arreguin <JArreguin@ci.berkeley.ca.us>,

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

Councilmember Susan Wengraf <SWengraf@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 at <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 please!) to HNA E-Newsletter Editor Nancy Carleton at <halcyon92@gmail.com>. Crime-watch reports and news about neighbors (births, new jobs, announcements about home businesses or creative projects) is especially welcome. Please note that due to the volunteer nature of the endeavor, the E-News 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). Also, please note that the E-News is published as items accumulate and as the editor's time permits rather than on a regular schedule; submit your item early if it relates to a future event, and there's a greater chance it will be included.

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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