1:53 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from Scott Thomsen at City Light. He says the outage is affecting 2,061 homes/businesses. They’re not sure about the cause but he says dispatchers got a report of “balloons in the wires” somewhere in the area – and if that’s the problem, he says, it should be a quick fix (p.s., Scott adds, please DON’T release balloons, especially the mylar ones, they’re bad news for power lines); if that’s not the cause, it may not be so quick. The boundaries SCL lists – which are never precise, so this does NOT mean everyone in this area is powerless, nor does it mean no one is without power outside the “boundaries” – are Brandon SW on the north, SW 106th on the south, 21st SW in the west, 10th SW in the east. In comments here, and via the WSB Facebook page, we’re also hearing that part of West Marginal Way South – which is part of South Park – is affected too.

2:18 PM UPDATE: Thanks for all the updates. Some in Highland Park report their power’s back on. Haven’t heard from other areas yet.

4:21 PM UPDATE: No formal followup info from SCL yet but more people have reported getting their power back. The “system status” map is back too and indicates one lingering trouble spot, in Puget Ridge.

If you’ve headed eastbound on the high-rise West Seattle Bridge in the past hour-plus, you probably drove right by the Pigeon Point Spring Clean volunteers, hard at work in the little 22nd SW street-end park that’s something of a well-kept secret (“hidden jewel” is how Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding describes it). It’s an annual tradition and they’ll be at it till about noon.

There was a bit of business for the group to handle, before they got down to serious revelry: The recent rash of burglaries, which has hit Pigeon Point hard, as well as several other parts of West Seattle. The group was briefed by Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. (second-in-command) Pierre Davis, who didn’t have news of any new arrests, but did answer questions, and provided a general update.

“It’s typically very, very quiet” in Pigeon Point, as longtime community activist Pete Spalding noted. But not lately.

“Not to scare anybody” regarding the burglaries, Lt. Davis said, but “it’s happening region-wide” – from Snohomish County to South King County. He said a lot of the same people are responsible for break-ins in multiple jurisdictions. “What we’re seeing right now … is a lot of youth” involved in the current burglaries. “We’re tracking anywhere from 10 to 19 burglaries a week” in this area. He advised keeping lights on, bushes trimmed back, and other measures to help make sure anyone who might try

“We were able to get a carload of a few different individuals in this area who were out doing their thing … but witness identification was a problem,” he lamented (as reported here last week). However, that yielded “fantastic intelligence,” he said, that they hope will lead down the road to getting burglars off the street.

One resident asked about a specific car, “a white Lexus.” Yes, said Lt. Davis, that’s one of the vehicles reported tied to some of these, but they need a victim to be able to pinpoint that kind of sighting. Another resident voiced the reminder that you can call 911 if you see a suspicious vehicle. “Are these all stolen cars?” another person asked. Lt. Davis said “Nine times out of ten, it’s their (own) vehicle.”

Over the course of a two-week period, Spalding (who chairs the Precinct Advisory Council) noted, Pigeon Point reported six burglaries. Most recently, Lt. Davis said, it was eclipsed by a sector in western West Seattle, which had more than half the burglaries reported in West Seattle over the most recent week they’ve tracked.

Another question: Are those suspected in these burglaries people with criminal records? Yes and no, said Lt. Davis.

Do alarm systems help? he was asked. Answer: Yes. “It’s a strong deterrent,” particularly if it’s an audible alarm, said the lieutenant. What about dogs? A barking dog, yes – “anything that makes noise is a deterrent.”

Meantime, police are out actively hoping to catch burglars in the act – with plainclothes and Anti-Crime Team officers part of the effort as well as patrol officers, according to Lt. Davis.

That was the end of his briefing; he said he was headed back down to the demonstration scene by the port, to check in on “some spirited individuals.” And the Pigeon Point’ers got back to the potluck.

Thanks to everybody who shared tips about police activity in Sunrise Heights in the past hour or so, near 35th/Webster. Police were chasing suspects in at least one burglary – and that general area, as reported here previously, has been a target lately; we don’t know if it was this same suspect, but there was a scanner report a while ago about a break-in attempt at 36th/Myrtle, not far away. At least one person has been arrested/detained. We’ll add details as soon as we get them.

And from Pigeon Point – pilfered packages and mail were found at noontime today, some with addresses from some distance away:

This lunch hour, my husband discovered a pile of opened mail and packages stashed behind a fire hydrant on the 4000 block of 22nd Ave SW. All the mail was given to our neighborhood mail carrier. I glanced at the mail as I was bagging it up and saw addresses more than a mile away, opened and empty Amazon delivery box, a bunch of Christmas cards…so sad. My husband may have seen the thieves stashing the mail the night before but didn’t think anything of it at the time so did not note the license plate number. The car may be a neighbors but it was a gray Chrysler New Yorker 80s or 90s style.

The person who e-mailed us said she tried to report it to police but they wouldn’t take a report because she was not the victim. So if you think your mail’s been stolen, be sure to file a report.

The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council e-mail list has been abuzz about that coyote, photographed last Tuesday afternoon “on Genesee and 20th Ave SW (map), heading toward the headwaters of Puget Creek in the greenbelt adjacent to Pathfinder K-8,” according to Joni. We requested the photo after reading her account of the coyote trying to get into the chicken enclosure at her home, which is near the school. Joni says somebody tried to shoo the coyote away but it “didn’t even blink … and stuck around long enough” to be photographed. She has since raised the fence on the chicken enclosure, and reminded neighbors on the list, “Please don’t leave food out for animals, and keep your pets safe!” She also shared the link that we include in most coyote reports – “living with coyotes” info from the state – including what to do when you see one.

The Grouchos are back. They’re tougher to see than during their previous appearances on the north-facing slope alongside the eastbound West Seattle Bridge (our photo is from 2007) – but, as Patt posted on the WSB Facebook wall today, they’re back. Until last year, they seemed to appear magically each spring. This year, it turns out, they actually reappeared a few weeks ago, according to West Seattle writer Mark Bourne, who had chronicled them in the past; we contacted him this afternoon to mention the new sighting, and he pointed out he’d already written about it (with new photos showing they’ve multiplied!). Who puts them there? Still a mystery.

The famous Pigeon Point community signpost along SW Andover has held a tribute to longtime community advocate Vivian McLean – painted by Jim Sander – since shortly after news of her death started circulating a week and a half ago. When we published our first report about Ms. McLean’s passing at age 90, memorial plans hadn’t been finalized yet, but according to Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council chair Brita Long and the Seattle Times (WSB partner) obituary published today, they have: A celebration of Ms. McLean’s life is set for 2:30 pm next Saturday, April 9th, at Delridge Community Center.

Just four months after a well-attended community celebration in honor of her 90th birthday, legendary Delridge community activist Vivian McLean has died. That’s according to Brita Long, new chair of the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, who announced it to PP neighbors a short time ago and gave us permission to report it here. She says Ms. McLean’s family is asking for privacy right now, and will announce memorial details when arrangements are finalized. Ms. McLean’s legacies are many; we mentioned a few in our report on last November’s celebration, including her role as a co-founder of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. And Vivian McLean Place at 5423 Delridge Way SW, which includes housing as well as the Delridge Library, was named in her honor.

Late Sunday night or early Monday morning, March 13th or 14th, a 2003 white Subaru Outback, Washington license plate ACE 4203, was stolen from a driveway near 21st & Charlestown on Pigeon Point.

Seen it? Let police know.

(City graphic of Station 36 site; purple area is right-of-way to be “vacated” for the project)
By Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council was briefed last night about the upcoming work at Fire Station 36 alongside the West Seattle Bridge, one month after a city team visited the North Delridge Neighborhood Council to present a similar update.

Concerns about noise levels from both the planned construction/seismic retrofitting and the new on-site 72-hour-capacity generator were addressed: David Kunselman, Fire Facilities Levy Program Manager, said that construction will follow Seattle’s noise codes as per the zoning, and some weekend work will likely be allowed, but: “Most of the work will be internal, so it should be pretty quiet.”

Guarantees about noise abatement for the generator come from city codes requiring an acoustical “shroud” or screen built around it, certified by an acoustical consultant. “The decibel level will probably be no louder than traffic.” Battalion Chief Fletcher explained, “with the exception of when they’re exercised or ‘verified,’ they’re not run often. I’ve been told they’re run once a month, 15-20 minutes.”

One attendee called out “Make it tsunami-proof!”

(Here’s the city’s fact sheet for the project.)

Other notes:

*Enthusiastically describing the role of chair as “a nitroglycerin ride into the unknown,” co-chair Jim Sander raised the issue of electing new leadership for the group after the year-long service by Theresa Hoy and himself. After discussion of the responsibilities and typical time required, Brita Long volunteered, and was welcomed as the new chairperson for the PPNC.

*Realtor Kelsey Diller spoke about a “green-built” 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home currently under construction on 23rd Ave SW, near the new Genesee staircase. She says the house has received a 3-star energy efficiency rating. Details on the cost benefits of ownership (“several thousand annually” was mentioned) will be discussed at the open house when construction is complete – around 4 to 6 weeks from now.

*New business items for the PPNC included an update on the Genesee stairs having been poured – while handrails aren’t installed yet, the barricades to the stairs have been removed, with improved drainage now going down both sides of the stairs. (Rumors of the city’s further work on the stairs between 21st and 22nd this summer have yet to be verified.)

*Pigeon Point’s yearly Spring Clean event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30th. (Neighbor Paula B. mentioned recently noticing in some paperwork that the first spring cleaning for the area was organized back in 1982!) The little staircase on “the split” mid-block on 21st Ave SW has been damaged and will likely be included in the Spring Clean unless SDOT responds to fix it in the interim.

*Overall, “It’s been pretty quiet”; nothing major on “problem” houses, although some persistent car repairs on the street have been noticed near Andover. One area resident wants to make her large yard available for shared gardening (she’d prefer it be used for food rather than flowers). One neighbor inquired about a Block Watch on her specific block and was informed that, since Benjamin Kinlow has just retired (without being replaced as crime-prevention coordinator), she should contact the Community Police Team at the Southwest Precinct for direction, and to check with the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network.

*Looking ahead, attendees were urged to think about what new projects should be worked on, as those inspire residents to get involved.

*Continued costs of hosting the pigeonpoint.org website was discussed, as locals usually get PPNC news via e-mail and their Google Group, while printed newsletters are distributed by hand, leveraging neighbors meeting in person and getting involved. Regardless of a final decision down the road, the website’s archived content – including old photos and past radio-tower issues – is an asset the group plans on saving.

If you live in, or travel through, northeast West Seattle’s Pigeon Point neighborhood this weekend, you’ll see that sign – another creation by PP Neighborhood Council co-chair Jim Sander, whose signs have told neighborhood stories before – from a traffic detour to a fight against vandalism. The face is that of Vivian McLean, legendary neighborhood advocate/activist (whose 90th birthday was feted last month [WSB coverage here]). According to Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who shared the photo, Vivian is always the hostess of the neighborhood’s holiday party, but had to skip this year because she is recovering from an injury, so Jim created a sign that holds a get-well wish as well as a party invite.

First, the traffic – coupled with parking. Now that school is in session again, those who live or drive by Pathfinder K-8 (where PPNC meets) are reminded just how many more students attend there than when the campus held Cooper Elementary (this is its second year as Pathfinder). A special event at the campus last month was accompanied by a huge parking crunch around the area, but when Pathfinder held its open house recently, things were OK. That, neighbors noted, was because of a couple of factors – including increased communication between neighbors and the school, but also, practical action, including opening the school’s back lot for overflow parking. Nonetheless, traffic and parking remain an ongoing concern, with a perception that school-bus use is not maximized, but instead many students arrive and depart in private vehicles. One suggestion that gained traction toward meeting’s end: Make a map to distribute to Pathfinder parents, showing some of the traffic bottlenecks, and also pointing out areas where parking can be a problem.

Now, the trees. PPNC heard from Brennon Staley of the city Department of Planning and Development regarding the proposed changes to the city’s tree regulations. The comment period for the proposals runs through the end of this month. The city’s proposals are summarized here, and viewable in detail by going here. One major part of the proposal would be to repeal “interim tree regulations” requiring permits for tree-cutting on private property; this FAQ document explains why the city thinks repealing that would lead to more tree preservation than keeping it. The general discussion at PPNC ran toward agreeing that the city should tread lightly with words like “regulation” and “permits,” and would likely get further through outreach and education. Once the comment period ends October 31st, it’ll be up to Mayor McGinn to propose changes that would start down the road to a formal vote next year.

Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council’s next meeting will be a holiday potluck; you can keep up with PPNC online at pigeonpoint.org.

With dozens of students running alongside, that’s Pathfinder K-8 P-E teacher Lou Cutler scoring a strong finish to his annual birthday run this mornin – one lap around the school playfield for each year of his life, raising money for Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is the seventh time Lou’s done this, but a few things were different this year – for one, it’s the first time around the field at Pathfinder’s new Pigeon Point campus; for two, he tacked on an extra lap – 59th birthday, 60 laps. We’ll check later on the fundraising total; you can donate online here.