Safety 1865 results

From the “whatever happened to …” file: Two collision cases

It’s easy in the news business to just let stories drop after the initial report – tougher to remember to follow up, and then to find the followup information. But we do our best to keep checking back, and in that spirit, wanted to let you know what happened in a few notable collision cases — these can be the toughest to follow up on, since a major collision may require weeks or months for the Seattle Police Traffic Collision Investigation Squad to investigate and then for prosecutors to review before a citation or charge is filed. Here’s what happened in two cases — months old, but both cases eventually resulted in Municipal Court-handled citations that haven’t been reported before:

crashscene.jpg

That photo is from last September 4th, when a 15-year-old girl was hit by an SUV while crossing 35th at Juneau in High Point (map). She was out of the hospital within two days, but the investigation and review took months; finally, Municipal Court online records show, the SUV’s 40-year-old driver was cited for passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.

Just a few weeks after the 35th/Juneau incident, we interviewed the motorcycle rider who survived being hit by a minivan in Westwood earlier in the year:

motorcyclecrash.jpg

Karen Derby told us the story of her recovery in the months following the June 15, 2008, crash at 30th/Trenton (her story here; original crash report here). Municipal Court online records now show that, also after a long investigation, the 19-year-old driver was cited for running a stop sign.

We are still checking on a few other past cases, including the deadly crash at California/Dawson last fall that killed 92-year-old Rosemary MacCorkindale and, much more recently, two Junction collisions, including the one March 9 in which a pickup driver hit 13 other vehicles, and we’ll let you know when there’s something to report regarding the aftermath of those.

Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, day 1: The media tour

Video, photos, and text by Christopher Boffoli
WSB photojournalist

WSDOT maintenance crews closed the Alaskan Way Viaduct for 12 hours today for its semi-annual inspection and repairs, and are scheduled to do it again 6 am-6 pm tomorrow.

And as West Seattle drivers no doubt cursed the increased congestion as they navigated alternate routes off the peninsula, a select group of lucky people donned hard hats and reflective vests for walking tours of the 56-year-old structure. Transportation Department organizers said that the weekend’s public tours were open to anyone who signed up, though they filled up quickly. Hundreds of people were scheduled to tour the Viaduct this weekend and many more were put on waiting lists.

In addition to the public walking tours, a media tour was organized for first thing this morning, and WSB went along for a closer look at what’s being done this weekend – not just the inspection, but also some work related to the Viaduct’s proposed replacement.
Read More

Delridge-area problem properties: A call for “quick demolition”

We reported Thursday about a stirring of hope that some high-level city attention may finally be given to a problem that’s been plaguing the Delridge area in its redevelopment throes: Even as some of Delridge’s old homes make way for new construction – particularly townhouses – some houses sit abandoned for years, and become magnets for trouble — like the one above, which sits prominently over the northbound Delridge approach to The Bridge. While, as we reported last night, the city says it was cleared and “secured” a few weeks ago, the proprietor of nearby Skylark Club and Cafe (WSB sponsor) pointed out in a new e-mail discussion (including city councilmember Sally Clark, who promised to come tour the area) that it was also reportedly “secured” last year, too (after a small fire we reported here, attributed to transients). And North Delridge Neighborhood Council co-chair Mike Dady says he would like to see this lead to changes that can help areas beyond Delridge, too:

My hope is that we will see Council Member Clark and Diane Sugimura follow through and visit Delridge within the next couple weeks. But my greater hope is that we don’t just have a band-aid or quick-fix put on wound that is affecting not just Delridge, but many other parts of the city. These are properties that are in the hands of absentee property owners, speculators or developers who allow them to sit vacant, completely unattended or monitored, and looking like, well…..looking like a pile of you-know-what and attracting problems that are in some cases beyond the imagination.

It seems to me that the City Council and the Mayor’s Office needs to revise the Seattle Municipal Code to allow quick demolition and removal of problem prone structures as it is nearly impossible to keep trespassers out of vacant building, even if it is boarded up with plywood, lumber and lag bolts. Allowing houses without water service turned on and functional plumbing to become de facto shelters for transient or homeless people is not an acceptable solution to that very separate and difficult issue.

To allow these dilapidated properties to remain as is, for many, many years in some cases, creates a public safety problem, wastes citizen energy and is a drain on DPD, SPD, SFD and KC Public Health budgets and staff time.

Sincerely,
Mike Dady
North Delridge Neighborhood Council Co-Chair

It’s not just the vacant houses that he’s concerned about, but also the occupied ones that are literally trashed outdoors – like this junk pile spotted recently behind a multiplex in the 4800 block of Delridge (map):

The discussed city-involved tour of Delridge hasn’t been scheduled yet, to our knowledge, but we will continue to follow up. You can also bet this will be on the next NDNC agenda – the council meets the first Wednesday of each month, so that’s 6:30 pm April 1st, Delridge Library.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: A date for the tour is now set for early April, according to Mike Dady, and at least one citywide media outlet may be along, after reading about it here.

Delridge District Council: Problem properties – finally some help?

That house is at the far north end of Delridge, across the busy, bridge-approaching street from Skylark Club and Cafe (WSB sponsor). When someone broke into Skylark last month, all eyes turned there. Technically, the house is vacant. In reality, it hasn’t been — it’s been used by squatters and partyers, and Skylark proprietor Jessie Summa-Kusiak says it’s been a sore spot for that area for quite some time. It’s part of a problem that North Delridge Neighborhood Council co-chair Mike Dady brought to last night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, out of abject frustration. After trying for a long time to get something done, he says, the city needs to take stronger action about properties like this one – and tonight, there may be some progress – read on:Read More

Street notes: Highland Park crash; Alki work; Viaduct reminder

March 19, 2009 3:50 pm
|    Comments Off on Street notes: Highland Park crash; Alki work; Viaduct reminder
 |   Highland Park | Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

We reported this in the WSB Twitter stream when it happened but just got a bit more info now: Two children were slightly hurt when their school bus was involved in a crash on westbound Highland Park Way just east of West Marginal Way (map) at midday today – the bus and a minivan both had front-end damage; still checking on circumstances of the crash. Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen says the kids did NOT have to go to the hospital. Meantime, at Alki Point, the first week of work on the sidewalk-extension project now has an alert sign up at 63rd/Alki (by Cactus), noting the westbound road is for “local access only.”

The actual work is beginning at the Beach Drive/Alki Avenue end, with survey work for starters:

And of course, the biggest traffic alert of all – remember, the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to be closed 6 am-6 pm both Saturday and Sunday this weekend for its half-yearly inspection, and the Battery Street Tunnel is to be closed around the clock from Friday night till Monday morning. (Plus, if you see this before Thursday evening and plan to drive through Sodo/Pioneer Square, remember the huge crowd expected for the Seattle Sounders‘ debut rally/march/game.)

Also happening tonight: Parks Board in West Seattle, and more

March 12, 2009 11:26 am
|    Comments Off on Also happening tonight: Parks Board in West Seattle, and more
 |   High Point | Safety | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle parks | West Seattle schools | Westwood

In addition to the Conner project Design Review meeting, lots of notable events tonight. They’re all on the Events calendar — where you’ll find the full list — but here’s an extra shoutout for a few more:

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: The map/info link will be in the sidebar at right till the event’s over tonight, but if you missed it: 6-9 pm tonight, 40 venues all over West Seattle, and many offer treats and special deals for Art Walk-night visitors and shoppers. Artists highlighted here; printable venue map here.

PARKS BOARD IN WEST SEATTLE: The regular twice-monthly meeting of the Seattle Parks Board (whose chair and co-chair are both West Seattleites) is coming here tonight: West Seattle Golf Course clubhouse, 7 pm. The agenda includes two items of WS-specific interest — the city’s Golf Master Plan and the Seacrest dock renovations for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi (which starts its season April 5). Briefing papers are all linked from the Parks Board page.

SNAP AT WEST SEATTLE LIBRARY: Find out how to make sure your family and neighborhood are ready for anything. Seattle Neighbors Actively Prepare has a free how-to at West Seattle Library (Admiral) at 6:30 tonight.

GENEALOGY AT SOUTHWEST LIBRARY: A genealogy librarian is coming to Southwest Library at 5:30 tonight to show you how to use the Internet to find out more about your family history. It’s free but you have to call to register; number, and more info, all here.

HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY MEETING: 6 pm at Elizabeth House, 3201 SW Graham. The theme: “Doing more with less impact on the environment,” according to HPNA president Andrew Mead‘s meeting announcement on the HPNA site.

CHIEF SEALTH HIGH SCHOOL MULTICULTURAL NIGHT: Food, performances, silent auction, and more, all presented by the CSHS PTSA, 6 pm.

Junction crime update, including latest on Steve Bushaw murder

(2/1/09 photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
An update on the unsolved murder of Steve Bushaw was part of what the Junction Neighborhood Organization heard during tonight’s lightly attended meeting – the many who have voiced concern about recent Junction crime, but didn’t attend the meeting, missed a chance for candid Q/A with the #2 boss from the Southwest Precinct, Lt. Steve Paulsen. One big question came from JuNO president Erica Karlovits: What if anything could he say about the Bushaw case, 5 1/2 weeks after the 26-year-old was shot and killed on Super Bowl night? Lt. Paulsen said, “This was not a random attack … homicide detectives have a lot of good leads and it’s progressing. Sometimes these take a lot of time, even if you know who a suspect is, to develop probable cause …” And he reiterated that there’s no evidence it was random: “Every indication is that these people knew each other.” The absence of stranger-on-stranger violence was a theme in his general discussion, and the Q/A, about Junction-area crime. Car prowls continue to be the top problem, but he said they were down in February – just under 90, compared to just under 130 in January, and the March rate is even lower so far, with just two reported to police in the past few weeks. He mentioned a couple of recent arrests may have played a part in getting the worst offenders off the street.

He also was asked about trouble with “night establishments” and drunk driving, especially given what happened last night:

(Monday evening photo by Mark Ammann)
Lt. Paulsen reiterated that DUI is suspected in last night’s crash, in which the 35-year-old driver of that pickup hit 13 other cars (mostly parked) along the east side of California SW in the heart of The Junction’s business district (previous WSB coverage here). It was also mentioned that a suspected drunk driver hit a pole on that same side of California just north of Oregon several hours later (911 logs confirm a motor-vehicle accident call at that location at 1:52 am today). More of tonight’s discussion about Junction crime, just ahead:Read More

Alki Point sidewalk project update: Work will start this month

March 5, 2009 10:16 pm
|    Comments Off on Alki Point sidewalk project update: Work will start this month
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from February 13 sidewalk-project site tour)
Three weeks after touring the Alki Point sidewalk-completion/traffic-calming project zone with Alki Community Council leaders and other neighbors (WSB coverage here), SDOT project manager Sandra “Sam” Woods met with the contractor today to discuss the schedule, and here’s the verdict: The contractor Construct Co. has decided that the Alki project will be the first one it tackles from the package of projects in the same bid (which also include the Snake Hill work in Delridge). No exact date yet, but Woods says it will be “this month,” and they will likely be back out in the neighborhood shortly with another round of notices. She also notes that no-parking signs will go up at least three days before the equipment starts arriving, and she says it’s likely – though not certain yet – the contractor will start work on the Beach Drive end of the project. (To see the full set of plans, go here.)

Welcoming a new WSB sponsor: Southwest District Council

Whenever a new sponsor joins WSB, we publish a special welcome with information the sponsor wants to share. This time around, we’re welcoming the Southwest District Council, with a special emphasis on one of its work priorities — emergency preparedness. The SWDC’s next meeting is this Wednesday night, so it’s a good time to share more information about it. First, an explanation: The Southwest District is one of 13 neighborhood districts in the city, created by City Ordinance in 1988. (The rest of West Seattle is in the Delridge Neighborhoods District.) Each district has a district council made up of representatives from neighborhood/community councils, business groups, a variety of other community-based organizations, non-profit human-service organizations, or arts/cultural groups. District Councils advise the city on services, initiatives, and programs, such as the Neighborhood Street Fund/Cumulative Reserve Fund and Neighborhood Matching Fund Large Projects applications, and provides a forum to inform, discuss, and encourage civic engagement and community-building. The Southwest District Council meets 9 or 10 times a year on the first Wednesday, at 7 pm – usually January, February, March, April, May, June, July (when needed), September, October, and November – at the President’s Board Room at South Seattle Community College on Puget Ridge (map). The District Council is staffed by the Southwest Neighborhood District Coordinator, Stan Lock with the city Department of Neighborhoods. Read on to find out about SWDC participants – and how the emergency-preparedness push (with a new website) can make a difference for your family:Read More

West Seattle traffic alert: Seaview sinkhole at 48th and Graham

Thanks to Nick for e-mailing to share the news that this sinkhole has opened in the middle of the Seaview straightaway section of 48th SW, at Graham (map). As you can see, it’s been blocked off, but this is right smack in the middle of a 2-lane, 2-way arterial, so best to be forewarned to slow down if you use that road.

Update: Prosecutor canceling West Seattle appearance tonight

February 26, 2009 4:41 pm
|    Comments Off on Update: Prosecutor canceling West Seattle appearance tonight
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | White Center

Just got an update from Dan Donohoe at the office of King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg: He says Satterberg has a family emergency and has to cancel his planned appearance at tonight’s South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting, but will reschedule. (However, the law/justice reps who are usually on hand at the meeting do include a prosecutor’s-office rep.) Everything else planned for the meeting, including updates on local crime trends and nuisance spots, is on as usual, 6 pm, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW.

Longer or shorter hours at your favorite park? Changes proposed

As mentioned briefly toward the end of our report on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi year-round Seacrest dock briefing coming up at this Thursday’s city Parks Board meeting, the board is to be briefed about another notable item: A proposal to change operating hours at many of the city’s parks. Right now, 4 am-11:30 pm is the “standard” for most city parks, but as the briefing paper (see it here) notes, “several dozen exceptions” have been made over the years, and that’s led to some confusion, among the other problems listed in the document’s explanation of why park hours are now under review:

The purpose of this review is to consider 1) standardizing park operating hours so there is less opportunity for confusion about what the operating hours are, 2) alleviating actual and perceived safety issues – alcohol use, graffiti, and noise, 3) demonstrating Parks intention to be good neighbors by limiting negative impacts on our park neighbors, and 4) providing Seattle Police an additional tool for resolving issues in parks. Parks has an ongoing interest in being good neighbors and alleviating late night problems in our parks. Operating hours is one tool available to us and Seattle Police to address issues of noise, graffiti, and alcohol use.

The proposal suggests these hours:

Regional* (Alki and Lincoln Park included) – 4 am –11:30 pm year round
Neighborhood / Pocket – One hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset
Downtown – One hour before sunrise –10:00 pm year round**
Parks with Indoor Facilities (Pools, community centers, ELC’s) – Parking lot hours would coincide with facility operation hours or surrounding park hours, whichever is later.
Boat ramps, Boulevards – Open 24 hours a day
Lighted Athletic Complexes – Governed by lighting / scheduling protocols

To compare the proposed hours with current park-hours exceptions, take a look at the briefing paper, starting on page 5. Among the potential changes under the proposal, Alki, as a “regional park,” would have earlier and later hours in summertime, moving to 4 am-11:30 pm year-round; right now, that’s when it’s open Oct. 2-April 14th, with the hours 6 am-11 pm the rest of the year. According to the briefing paper, public meetings will be scheduled around the city in March and April to talk about the proposed changes; then a public hearing is expected before the Parks Board on May 14th, and a vote on May 28th.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Car-prowl confession, and much more

We’ve just gone through the last week’s worth of West Seattle police reports from the Southwest Precinct, so we can bring you summaries of notable incidents. We start with the arrest of a teenager who confessed to car prowling (described by local police recently as the most serious current crime trend): Early Friday morning, police answered a call about two suspicious males leaving a driveway at 32nd and 97th. When they got close to the area, they saw two people take off running as soon as the patrol car was within sight; the two, ages 18 and 14, were stopped behind Roxbury Lanes/Casino. As an officer patted down the older suspect for weapons, he felt various items which the suspect said was change he’d taken out of a gray SUV a few blocks away. A wallet also turned up, and the suspect said that had been taken from a vehicle. After being placed under arrest, the 18-year-old told police he had gone into five vehicles in all, but said that the 14-year-old had not gone into any of them. The 18-year-old was booked into the King County Jail for theft. (The jail register says he got out 36 hours later, with bail having been set at $475; it also lists a two-day jail stay for the same suspect less than two weeks earlier, for investigation of car prowl.) Ahead – car prowls that did NOT result in arrests (so far), a purse-snatch attempt in Morgan Junction, a 50 mph drunk-driving suspect in a 30 zone, a fence-jumping shoplifting suspect who needed medical attention, and much more:Read More

Burnout backlog: Thousands of street lights await repair

If a street light’s burned out on your block, go ahead and report it, but don’t expect it to get fixed fast. We’ve just learned there’s a big backlog of burned-out lights: 3,500 of Seattle City Light‘s street lights are awaiting repair. We got the tip from a White Center resident (City Light’s territory stretches south of the city limits) who said he’d called to report a burned-out light in his area and was told it could be six weeks. City Light’s Mike Eagan confirms that’s true: “There are many more trouble streetlights reported this time of year and the current estimated turn-around time for repair is 32 working days.” He says SCL replaces 21,000 street lights every year (that’s a fourth of the city’s 84,000 lights). The long wait time is a big change from what Eagan reported at local meetings we covered last year (including this one in July), when he said it was down to a matter of days. But he also tells WSB that one particularly dark stretch of West Seattle street that had been the source of many complaints — Delridge near Trenton — now has the lights back on. To report a burned-out light, use this online form or call 206-684-7056.

Fighting crime: King County prosecutor in West Seattle this week

Also from the “coming up” file – The man whose office is in charge of what happens to criminals after they’re arrested is scheduled to be in West Seattle this Thursday, at the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg‘s last major public appearance in the West Seattle/White Center vicinity was four months ago, at the “Public Safety in Peril” town-hall meeting (WSB coverage here) that he, Sheriff Sue Rahr, and others held to discuss then-looming budget cuts. So what’s happened since then, and how is it affecting the task of keeping criminals off the street since they’re caught? You can find out firsthand on Thursday night at St. James Place, 9421 18th SW (map); the meeting starts at 6 pm with free dinner, as always, and continues till 8 pm – Seattle Police and King County Sheriff’s Office reps are always on hand to update crime trends in the south WS/WC area too.

West Seattle Crime Prevention Council: 911 explained, and more

From tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting at the Southwest Precinct: As previewed earlier, the leader of SPD’s 911 center was the marquee guest, and the two-dozen-plus turnout was bigger than usual. What he had to say, coming up – but first, a few West Seattle crime notes: Overall, Lt. Steve Paulsen said, car prowls and burglaries jumped back up in January after a relatively quiet December, perhaps weather-related: 147 car prowls, more than 50 burglaries. But he also noted that police have no control over what happens after they’ve made an arrest, recapping the 14 burglary arrests made in the last couple months of the year – with 13 of those suspects back on the streets now. Meantime, the precinct is taking a new community-policing-focused tack with burglaries, having detectives call or visit all burglary victims who file reports, to follow up and to introduce themselves. One more crime note: Lt. Paulsen says last month’s stabbing incident near Riverview Playfield (covered here) was not random; some concerned neighbors were in attendance hoping to find out more about that. (And if you’re wondering, no new information about the unsolved shooting death of Steve Bushaw in The Junction on February 1st.) Now, on to the 911 explanation:Read More

Happening today/tonight: From 911 to WWII to taxes, and more

Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

911: When to call it, and when not to? Not as easy an answer as you might think. The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council has been pursuing concerns about citizen confusion and dispatcher response, and has the Seattle Police 911 boss as a special guest at tonight’s meeting. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (map), and as always, you’ll also get the chance to learn about the latest West Seattle crime concerns and trends, as well as asking police any questions you have about what’s going on where you live.

WWII: The Rosie the Riveters of West Seattle are presenting a program about their lives during World War II at 2 pm today, cafe dining room at Providence Mount St. Vincent.

ANTIQUE SHOPPING: The folks at the Discovery Shop in The Junction (4535 California SW), which raises money for the American Cancer Society, are having their “yearly antique event,” open 10 am-4:30 pm daily except Sundays.

TAX HELP: Trained volunteers will be at the High Point Library branch, 5-7 pm tonight, to help you prepare a personal tax return. More info here.

YMCA West Seattle pool closed till Tuesday

Just in from Josh Sutton of the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor):

We had a glass break over the corner of our pool deck (light fixture), and have closed the pool & Hot Area for a thorough cleaning. At this point, we plan to reopen on Tuesday morning (2/17), as we will take all of Monday to be sure we’ve gotten it safe again. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Look for further updates (here on WSB), our website (www.westseattleymca.org), or call us at 206-935-6000.

I am sorry to say that since it is President’s Day, the Southwest Community Center pool is also closed.

We’ll let you know tomorrow if they’re still on track to reopen Tuesday.

Alki Point sidewalk project tour: Work may start next month

In an icy wind, with seagulls and crows chasing an eagle overhead, we toured the Alki Point sidewalk project zone this morning with SDOT’s Sandra “Sam” Woods (foreground with documents) and Eric Sill, Alki Community Council leaders, and neighbors. Its goal: To finish the pedestrian connection on the north/west side of Alki, from the park’s western end at 65th SW to where open waterfront begins again at the Beach Drive turn. Much of the money for this work is coming from the Neighborhood Street Fund. It’s been a controversial project – some upset neighbors even threatened a lawsuit at one point. The plan detailed during today’s tour goes to great lengths – and widths – to avoid taking away the long-used perpendicular parking spaces outside waterfront homes (the major source of controversy) as seen here:

Along most of the currently sidewalkless area, the new sidewalk will be built out in what currently is part of the street, which as a result will be dramatically narrowed (it’s not an arterial anyway), while the parking spaces will remain on the other side of the new sidewalk. Technically, some of those spaces will be “public parking, but it will feel private,” Woods explains. Read on for more details from today’s tour:Read More

City goes public with Seattle’s “bicycle plan progress report”

sharrowsaturday.jpg

Just back from Alki Point, where we toured the upcoming sidewalk-completion project zone with SDOT workers, neighbors, and Alki Community Council leaders. Working on that story right now – many more details since the update we published last weekend — but wanted to share something that landed in the inbox while we were out, the city’s announcement of its Bicycle Master Plan Progress Report – read on for the summary (which takes note of “sharrows” like the one above, which have appeared on many stretches of West Seattle roadway in the past year or so) and link:Read More

West Seattle Crime Watch: Heroic neighbor; car-prowl spree …

Just finished reviewing several days worth of Seattle Police reports from Southwest Precinct cases, as provided for media review (with certain details excised before the copies are made public, such as exact addresses). One of the cases that stood out, a heroic neighbor who helped catch burglars: At 7 pm last Tuesday, in the 5000 block of California, a man heard a loud noise, and saw two people entering his neighbor’s house. He called the neighbor, who was in a workshop on the alley; the neighbor went into the house and confronted three people, holding them at bay with a crowbar till police arrived. Officers arrested two women and a man. It appeared they had gotten in by kicking in a door. Read on for summaries of other police reports, including one night last week in which “car prowlers” were VERY busy in West Seattle, two bizarre burglaries involving water, a reader report of a break-in this week, and moreRead More

Pigeon Point Council: Greenbelt cleanup; snowstorm ratings …

February 9, 2009 10:56 pm
|    Comments Off on Pigeon Point Council: Greenbelt cleanup; snowstorm ratings …
 |   Environment | Pigeon Point | Safety | West Seattle news

(from left, Chief Sealth students DJ, Holly, Sara)
Tonight’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting included an appearance by student reps of a project we’ve heard about at several meetings in the past few weeks: Chief Sealth High School students working with Cooper Elementary students to document and clean up the nearby section of the West Duwamish Greenbelt. This meeting, of course, had special significance, since Cooper is where the PP group meets. The students are looking for people who can help them compile neighborhood history, too. Another agenda item: Debbie Goetz from the city’s neighborhood-preparedness team led some post-mortem discussion of the December snow (even as some February flakes are falling). She asked attendees to rate the snowstorm on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being “extreme inconvenience” – most gave it a 7 or 8, and many voiced concerns about the bus troubles that happened throughout the storm; Debbie reiterated what’s been said at recent city meetings — Metro’s being brought into planning for future weather problems. She also passed out flyers for the next SNAP (Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare) session in West Seattle, 6:30 pm March 12 at the Admiral Library branch.

Two more items discussed: Pete Spalding voiced concern about maintenance and vandalism (including tagging) on Pigeon Point-area staircases. Neighbors agreed to assess the staircases and contact the city for repair materials; maintenance trouble spots include railings that are in bad shape. Plus, the future Delridge Produce Co-Op came up (as reported here last week), with lots of enthusiastic discussion, and questions about whether parking strips can be used for edible gardens and fruit trees. (The next meeting for everybody interested in the Co-Op, by the way, is this Thursday, 6:30 pm, Delridge Library.)

When to call 911, and when not to? Find out firsthand

It’s been discussed here before: Southwest Precinct police leadership advises “call 911 if you see something/someone suspicious,” and we’ve reported that here, multiple times; then on occasion someone who does call, reports back that they were told that wasn’t an emergency and they shouldn’t have called 911. The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council has been pursuing such concerns with 911 system managers, and Lt. Greg Schmidt, who runs the SPD 911 center, will be the guest at the next WSCPC meeting a week from Tuesday, to explain how it works, to answer questions, to listen to concerns. The reason we’re telling you now is not just so you can mark your calendar, but also because, if you have a specific question they can get to him in advance, particularly about a specific case in which you called 911 and didn’t get the response you expected, they’d like to hear from you by next Thursday – e-mail the WSCPC’s staff liaison from Seattle Neighborhood Group (which by the way is NOT a city agency), Jennifer Duong, at jennifer@sngi.org. The council’s meeting also, as always, will include crime reports and neighborhood “hot spot” concerns; it’ll be at 7 pm February 17 at the SW Precinct meeting room.