Hayes Valley Celebrates Block Captains, Commemorates 21st Chernobyl Anniversary

A small but dedicated core group of Hayes Valley NERTs continue to meet monthly and develop neighborhood outreach for the Block Captains and neighbors who can’t always attend our meetings. The April meeting happened to fall on the 21st Anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster and we took the opportunity to commemorate the victims with a reading of their documented experiences and a cake decorated to symbolize their story.

Too few evacuation buses too late, too little information about what was happening, and forced abandonment of pets and personal resources were just some of the hardships facing the citizens of Pripyat. Similar were circumstances during Hurricane Katrina, some twenty years later. Victims and survivors of both events continue to face health, home and other challenges years after the event and should be kept in our thoughts.

Left to right: Susan O'Connell, Paul Olsen, Elyse Stewart, Richard Johnson, Awardee John Lowell, NERT Prgram Director Lt. Erica Arteseros, Bruce Auld and Awardee Kathy Ober. Photo: Jamie Lopez

The April meeting was also our Annual Block Captain review, and two neighborhood NERTs were acknowledged for their outstanding efforts over the past year. Kathy Ober, now the new Co-Coordinator for adjacent Duboce Park group, was awarded the Certificate of Excellence for her steadfast guidance and support of outreach and education over the past year. NERT John Lowell was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for accomplishing all of the requested tasks in his area as a Block Captain. Both awards were signed by Chief Hayes-White and our hero, Lt. Erica Arteseros. All were grateful for Lt. Arteseros taking the time out of her incredibly busy schedule to award the certificates to Kathy and John. Thank you Lt. Arteseros, Kathy Ober and John Lowell for all your hard work and for giving us all an example to follow!

Hayes Valley NERT also wants to take this opportunity to thank the HVNA for the continuing support of its Board and membership and for donating the cost of meeting facilities. Many thanks!

Upcoming Hayes Valley Neighborhood classes:

Castro/Duboce Triangle: Begins May 17, Thursday Evenings 6:30 pm-9:30 pm; May 17, 24, 31, June 7 and 14. CPMC Davies Campus Auditorium, North Tower Building.

Western Addition/Hayes Valley: West Bay Conference Center Sponsors: Begins July 18, Wednesday Evenings, 6 pm-9 pm; July 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, and 22. 1290 Fillmore St. @ Eddy.