Thanks to Rob for the photos from the ex-Genesee Hill School campus, where Seattle Public Schools has just fenced off building access – as they had told us two weeks ago that they planned to do in the “near future.”

District spokesperson Tom Redman had told WSB that they planned to fence off the buildings because of increasing crime – graffiti, other vandalism, break-ins – but that garden or field use wouldn’t be affected. Rob says that with the fencing, “The buildings are still accessible from the west side (51st) and the park is only accessible from the south end (Genesee Hill).”

Last month, the district had fenced off field access from SW Genesee, citing vandalism concerns.

What would make our neighborhood a great place to live in 2020?

The GSNC is embarking on a neighborhood Vision 2020 planning process, and we want YOUR input and involvement! Please come to our next meeting and share your ideas with us:
• What do you like about our neighborhood now?
• What short- and long-term changes would you like to see?*

Thursday, April 26, 2012
6:30-7 p.m. Social Time (refreshments will be served)
7-8:30 p.m. Meeting (with lots of time for input and perhaps a speaker or two)
Howell Auditorium, West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Avenue SW

* Some areas to think about:
Social events, parks, communication, traffic improvements, beautification projects, education and support, crime prevention, emergency preparedness, gardening, policy, shared interests/resources, volunteer opportunities

For more information (including a map), please visit our website at www.genesee-schmitz.org. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send your name and email address to gsncouncil@gmail.com

The vacant former Genesee Hill Elementary is being besieged by vandals, says Seattle Public Schools, so now they’re going to put up even more fencing. Four weeks ago, we reported on a new locked gate along SW Genesee, which was mostly aimed at vandals, according to the district, but now it seems that’s not enough. Tom Redman from the SPS Capital Projects and Planning department tells WSB the district is “going to fence off the Genesee Hill building with temporary fencing in the near future. There has been increasing vandalism and graffiti plus another break-in last week. Crews will fence off the building, but it will not affect the garden use or the field use (use of the field as a dog park is still not allowed).” Right now, it doesn’t seem likely the Genesee Hill building will ever reopen; in the district’s BEX IV levy planning, it’s mostly under discussion as a future site for an elementary to replace Schmitz Park.

Happened at 2:30 (Wednesday), 46th & Genesee, dog barked and possibly chased off the crooks but the packages are gone. UPS showed up at 2:35, FedEx at 2:45, crook stole the packages at around 3. From what I understand the crooks are following the trucks; I recommend that you send packages to your work or have them held at FedEx or UPS.

Even if you are not expecting any deliveries yourself – if you see someone suspicious in the vicinity of a delivery truck (or anywhere else!) don’t hesitate to call 911 – someone’s tip might just catch serial thieves with a trunkload of other people’s holiday presents.

PUMPKIN SALE: Saturday, 10 am till 2 pm (or till the pumpkins are all gone, if sooner), the Lincoln Park P-Patch is selling the pumpkins just harvested there last weekend, with proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. Details in this WSB Forums announcement.

PUMPKIN CARVING DEMONSTRATION: Need some jack-o-lantern skills? Just in:

The Genesee Schmitz Neighborhood Council is hosting professional pumpkin carver Pam Leno from 1 to 4 pm at Ercolini Park (48th & Alaska) this Sunday (rain or shine!).

There will be demonstrations for decorating your pumpkin this year! We ask everyone to bring your own pumpkin and tools to decorate with. Markers will be provided for the smaller children. The GSNC will be providing free cider and hot coffee.

The attempted burglary happened near 52nd Place and Andover (map):

The two perpetrators rang the bell repeatedly and then began knocking. With no answer, they probably thought no one was home. They broke a downstairs window and then a relative showed up and gave chase. The police were called but were too late to catch them.

Here is the description:
2 black men estimated between 17- 20 years old.
One tall and skinny with braids.
Getaway car parked around the corner
Maroon Tahoe with a black hood (not roof), about 10 years old.

(Photos courtesy Janet and Bryan Jones)
On Saturday, dozens of new Seattle Pacific University students converged on West Seattle and White Center worksites as part of SPU’s City Quest day of community service – an annual tradition on the Saturday before classes begin. Hundreds more worked elsewhere in the metro area. The volunteers in these photos were among 23 who pitched in to help on the campus of closed Genesee Hill Elementary, which the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council has worked hard to keep from becoming rundown. Today, they had help!

Bryan Jones says the volunteers were treated to Husky Deli ice cream as a reward for their labor:

Other local City Quest volunteer sites included Lincoln Park, the West Duwamish Greenbelt (with Nature Consortium), and Hicks Lake in White Center.

My partner and I live in the 4400 block of 50th Ave SW. After midnight on Friday night, we woke up after hearing a noise from the street. We didn’t know what it was, as our first thoughts were, a sprinkler trying to go off or something involving our cat. My partner opened the front door and turned on the porch lights but didn’t see anything odd.

10 minutes later, that same noise again happened, and I quickly moved the drapes to get a better look. I did see shadows running South on 50th Ave but didn’t see any faces. I walked down to our cars and noticed that both had rocks thrown in our windows. (my partner’s back window and my front driver’s side). His car was in our driveway and my car was along the street, directly in front of our home.

I came back to the house and called 911. Within a few minutes of the call, the Seattle Police department arrived. Officer N. Nguyen and his partner were the first to arrive. We then noticed that all 4 tires of each vehicle had been slashed. When one of the officers found the rock in my partner’s car, it was surrounded by a typed hate note. It read as follows…

God Hates F*gs!
Get the f**k out of our neighborhood.
The bible says God forbids men committing indecent act with other men.
Pack up your sh*t and get you gay sh*t out.
- KKK

Upon notice of this note, both the Sergeant and Lieutenant were notified and arrived on the scene. Another police officer arrived to take pictures and gather the evidence of the rocks and note. One of the police officers told us that they take these crimes “very seriously” and we were thankful for their presence that evening.

We’re checking to see if police have any leads. If you have tips – call 911.

7 PM UPDATE: Chris (who sent the report and says we can use his first name) says, “After speaking with my neighbors, one was outside around midnight last night. He did witness 2 while males walking up the alley behind our house. He did ask both if they were all right and they responded that everything was fine. He thought it was odd that people were walking the alley that late at night. He didn’t get a good look at their face as the alley doesn’t have much lighting. First was described as around 5’10′ish with a stocky, muscular build. The other was around 5’7″ with a chubby build. Both were wearing black.” Also note, we have corrected the block number from Chris’s original report, after comparing with the police-call map and checking with him.

(Photo courtesy Genesee Hill School Garden)
On this back-to-school week, neighbors of a closed West Seattle school are getting ready for the second-to-last garden-cleanup day of the year – and inviting you to join in. The Genesee Hill School Garden volunteers and Genesee Schmitz Neighborhood Council have been working hard along the northwest section of the shuttered school’s grounds. By late August, toward the end of their first growing season, the garden was alive with plants including sunflowers, corn, and tomatoes – and the Genesee Hill gardeners donated close to 100 pounds of produce to the food bank in August alone! As reported here previously, their project got off the ground – and into the ground! – with the help of a city Neighborhood Matching Fund grant, but volunteer labor makes all the difference, and they’re hoping for help this Saturday (September 10th) and two weeks later (September 24th). Both of those days, they’re asking for volunteers to meet them at the front of the school along SW Genesee (map) at 9 am – the tasks will include tending and weeding the beds, and taking steps to discourage invasives.

From Leah tonight, via Facebook:

… we had an attempted burglary at our house today, between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. (4700 block of) 50th Ave SW (due West of the Junction). The burglars pulled off two window screens, tried the windows (locked), then managed to pry open our south (utility) door and set off our house alarm. Due to a laundry basket conveniently in the way which impeded their progress, they appear to have left then, leaving the door ajar about 6″. We were notified by Brinks of the break-in.

We called the police when we got home, they came out and took fingerprints. Our south door does have a Brinks sticker but apparently that didn’t matter to them. The police let us know that 2 residences were broken into due south of the Junction yesterday and there appears to be a burglar roaming and targeting our neighborhood (Genesee/Seaview).

So, keep your doors/windows locked as needed and use your alarm if you have one.

Another burglary report, also involving screen removal:

There was a burglary in our neighborhood on the 6000 block of 36th Ave. SW. It
occurred sometime after midnight on the 26th. SPD says they may have done it during the daylight hours if no one answers the door. They appeared to have removed many screens around the home prior to just breaking out a window right by the front door. No one was home at the time. SPD said they like to take small items of value that can be carried away in a daypack. The mailman noticed the damage and reported it.

And tonight, Rob reported this car theft from early today:

Our green 1996 Subaru Legacy was taken from right in front of our home during the early morning hours of Tuesday the 30th. The license plate number is 308-TPG and is missing the passenger side mirror. We live in the Gatewood area off of Thistle Ave SW. My wife and I had just celebrated our 1st anniversary together and we awoke to find our car taken by scumbags. Just wanted to add our misfortune to the long list of crime happening in the West Seattle we love.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Another burglary report just in:

My neighbor’s home was burglarized on Monday afternoon. (between noon and 2pm) in the 5000 block of Erskine Way SW. The intruder tried to pry open a couple of rear windows, then kicked in the back door, dug around the house a bit, and stole jewelry and a laptop computer. Police were called for a report and fingerprints taken.

That photo from Genesee Hill would be lovely without words – another beautiful West Seattle view on a perfect summer day. But Lolo, who shared the picture, explains the reason it’s worth a smile:

A while back our bench disappeared. This morning a bench appeared at the overlook, magically. Not sure this is hugely newsworthy, but I think it’s an example of anonymous giving that should be recognized.

First, from Jen in Genesee:

I live near the corner of 46th and Dakota. My husband and I just arrived home from dinner [Friday night] to find a suspicious person standing in front of our house. The individual had completely concealed his or her face with a bandana and large coke-bottle glasses. They appeared to be carrying a bag of some sort with a sign stating “Stop Stalking” (or something to that effect). As soon as we pulled into the driveway they began to wander off, in an unsteady gait, south on 46th and then turned east up Genesee hill.Not sure if they were up to no good, but certainly a strange encounter.

And from DM in Highland Park:

This seems like the fastest way to compare notes with my general neighborhood (Holden/15th Ave SW/ Highland Park). We do have a block watch, but I was curious if anyone in our general neighborhood vicinity has had this particular experience:

My neighbor called me at 5:15 am (Friday) morning. She asked if anyone had banged on my door at 5am. Evidently, someone “banged” on her door at 5am. Because she was still half asleep when she heard the banging, she thought it might be me, or any number of semi-reasonable scenarios that could go through your head at that time of the morning. She opened her front door to find a six foot-plus man standing there, that she didn’t know. He asked her if she had a cell phone he could use, claiming that he needed to call 911 because he’d run out of gas and he didn’t want his car to be towed. She was shocked to see this guy standing there. She woke up fully, told him “no” and closed the door. She was very shaken and called me 15 minutes later. We were on the phone for a while. I suggested she call the non-emergency number (I was half asleep as well) since half an hour had passed since it’d happened. I assured her the police would want to know.

When I spoke with her this evening she said that she DID try to call the non-emergency number for the police early this morning after we spoke, but she said it was nothing but recorded messages. Since then we have agreed to ALWAYS call 911 when something troubling has happened, no matter how much time has passed or how asleep we are, and we will never open the door if we don’t know who’s banging on it. May seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes there are those moments where you simply react before you think.

ANYWAY, I felt I should mention this troubling experience to the broader area of my neighborhood.