Sprague Avenue Entranceway Groundbreaking - 12/3

You're invited to the Sprague Avenue Entranceway Groundbreaking ceremony.

    Where: S. Sprague (little Sprague) and S. 23rd Street!
    When: Monday, December 3rd at 9:30am

The Central Neighborhood Council in partnership with local neighbors and the City of Tacoma has been working hard for the last two years to ensure Sprague Avenue Entranceway is a place we can be proud of and call a true gateway to our city!

Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Council members Ryan Mello and Lauren Walker will be on hand to help break ground on this important project.

In addition, there is a construction open house the same evening hosted by the City. 

   Where: People's Community Center, 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
   When: Monday, December 3rd at 6pm

It will provide an opportunity for neighbors to meet the construction team. An overview of the project and the construction schedule will be provided as well as a question and answer session.

Light Up The Night Before Funds Run Out

The CIty of Tacoma recently announced that due to ongoing budget issues, they would be scaling back the amount and frequency of maintance they would be preforming.  I do not know if this includes repairing burnt out street lights, but if you have a burnt out street light in your area, I would not wait to request it be repaired.  To report a burnt out streetlight, call 253 591-5287 and follow the automatated directions.

No News Is Good News

It has been awhile since we last sent out a message from the blog.  No, we have not been away or neglecting neighborhood news, but to be honest, the neighborhood has been pretty quiet.  Quick,knock on wood...  There were a couple car prowls that occurred in the same week, but no major rashes of burglaries or car prowls.

There was a major incident just outside of our area Halloween night involving six teens robbing trick or treaters.  We are waiting to get more details, but the last robbery was on the other side of Sprague and S. 15th.  Tacoma Police arrested all six and recovered the gun they were using.  In the end, this sounds gang related (my opinion).  There have been reports of tagging and gang activity in the area of S. 15th and Sprague.  Here is the story  http://www.king5.com/home/Six-arrested-for-Halloween-robbery-spree-176757011.html

As we approach the holiday season, keep a watchful eye out for suspicious activity.  Remember to not leave packages on your porch unattended.  Have packages delivered to work or arrange for a neighbor to receive it.  Mail theft increases during the holidays as well.  If you do not have a locking mail box, you may want to ask Santa to get you one before Christmas this year.  And finally, remember to always secure your home and set your alarm system when you leave.  Home burglaries increase during the holidays as well, so don't get complacent.  Stay vigilant and safe.  

What To Do About People Living In A Vehicle

Recently a neighbor asked for help regarding someone living in a vehicle parked in front of their house.  Turns out, a neirby rental property had allowed a friend to park on their property until one day the landlord told them that their guest could not park on the property any longer.  Now, the vehicle is parking on the street and moving from time to time around the neighborhood.  After doing some research and talking with the City of Tacoma, here are the facts and things to consider.

Countless number of Americans have been affected by the stagnant economy.  Many have lost their home and jobs as well.  I cannot imagine being at a place that circumstances left me no choice but to live out of a vehicle.  This is not a lifestyle I would wish for anyone.  Mu heart breaks and goes out to folks in these situations.  Nevertheless, in the City of Tacoma, it is illegal to live in a vehicle (automobile, trailer, camper, or motorhome) for an extended period of time.  City of Tacoma does allow residing in a vehicle such as a motorhome for up to (7 days) with the proper permit issued by the city.

Enforcement is another issue.  The advice given by the city is to first call Tacoma Police (non emergency) 253 798-4721.  Give a good description of the vehicle, subject(s), and license plate number, and location.  There is no guarantee that police will be dispatched.  After contacting police, follow up by sending our TPD Community Liaison Officer an email requesting him to look into the matter as well.  Our current CLO is Officer Darren Skaanes dskaanes@cityoftacoma.org .  I would request that he contact you to confirm he has received, and will follow up on your request.  If you do not hear back from him, you may need to email again and be persistent.  Though it is illegal, this is a very low prioity item for police.

In closing, it is great that some cities such as Puyallup offer safe parking areas for homeless with proper toileting and wash facilities, but at this time Tacoma does not.  Please contact us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or need help with another neighborhood issue.      

Neighborhood Yard Sale - Saturday 8/25

Shop the 2012 Friends of South 12th Street Neighborhood Yard Sale this Saturday!

Find great bargains at 12 participating homes in our neighborhood.

Participating yard sales:

• ­ 3009 S 10th St (C, K, X, L)
• ­ 2608 S 13th St (H, M, W)
• ­ 2906 S 13th St (H, F, S)
• ­ 2726 S 14th St (H, F)
• ­ 2910 S 14th St (H, F)
• ­ 621 S Fife St (H, C, E)
• ­ 809 S Warner St (O, E, S)
• ­ 843 S Anderson St (K, H, F)
• ­ 864 S Prospect St
• ­ 1028 S State St (X, H, F)
• 1012 S Oakes St (H, F, K)
• ­ 1424 S Oakes St (H, T)

H = Household items       F = Furniture            C = Clothing                W = Washer and Dryer

O = Office supplies          K = Kids items         E = Entertainment       M = BMW Motorcycle

T = Tools                         X = Collectibles        L = Lemonade             S = Soda / Hot dogs

*Each sale location sets its own start and end times between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Thanks for helping us celebrate the National Night Out!

Thank you to everyone who turned out for the National Night Out event! We had a great time meeting old and new neighbors.

Home Burglary

Home burglary today 8/7/12 between the hours of 9 - 3pm in the 1300 block of South Pine.  Suspects gained entry by kicking in small basement door.  Small electronics were taken.

Join us on Tuesday 8/7 for the National Night Out!

The National Night Out is this Tuesday and you're invited to join us for a neighborhood celebration!

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 7
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Epworth LeSourd Church at 710 S Anderson

Every year on the first Tuesday in August, neighbors across America gather to take a stand against crime and promote neighborhood unity. Enjoy an evening of food and fun family activities.

• Get to know your neighbors.
• Enjoy delicious BBQ hamburgers and gardenburgers.
• Bring your favorite potluck salad, side dish or dessert to share.

We hope to see you there!

Update on Trafton Street Shooting

We have reached out to our Tacoma Police CLO to get more inofmrtion about the burglary and shooting in the 1000 block of S. Trafton early Sunday morning.  We will share any new ifo we get.  If you live in the area and have any info, please email us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gamil.com and we will pass it along.

We have not been had an increase in number of home burglaries in our area for a while, in fact it has been pretty quite oerall.  The time of day (4:30am) also is not a normal period that home burglaries are committed.   It is my opinion this was not a random break in.  However, residents should always be on the lookout for suspicious activty.

Join A Block Watch

Friends of South 12th Street is helping to organize our neighborhood and increase the number of Block Watch  groups in the area.  Statistics show that there is reduction of crime in areas that have an organized and active Block Watch program.  We have created a new page on our blog devoted to this effort.  On the new "Block Watch Program" page, we have divided our service area into Block Watch groups.  Below the map is a list of neighborhoods that have a Block Watch programs and the Block Captain's contact information.  "It is my dream to have an organized block watch program on all of the blocks in the Friends of South 12th Street area", says Tim Robertson of Friends of South 12th Street.

We need your help to make this happen.  First, if your neighborhood has an active block watch program, please email us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com so we may update the block watch listings. 

Second, if your block does not have a block watch program, please consider being the captain of your block.  Being  a block captain requires little to no time on your part.  Simply let your neighbors know about the block watch and encourage them to connect with Friends of South 12th Street.  As new folks move into your area, introduce yourself and welcome to the neighborhood.  Invite them to join the block watch and connect with Friends of South 12th Street.  If there are issues or crime in your area, you would report it to Friends of South 12th Street, just as you have done in the past.  Please consider becoming the Block Watch Captain for your block by emailing us at friendsofsouth12thsteet@gmail.com . 

Burglary And Shooting -1000 block S. Trafton

Report from - TNT Lights and Sirens

A 19-year-old Tacoma man was shot early this morning as he tried to chase about three masked men who broke into his home, said police spokesman Mark Fulghum.

Police were called about 4:24 a.m. this morning to the home in the 1000 block of South Trafton Street, Fulghum said.

The man was home with his family, in his room, when the suspects kicked in the front door. The victim ran out and chased the suspects to the common entryway of the two-unit building, at which point one of the suspects shot him near the hip, Fulghum said.

The victim was taken to the hospital for the non-life-threatening injury, Fulghum said.

All the suspects, who were dressed in black, fled, and the investigation is ongoing, Fulghum said.

INITIAL POST: A 19-year-old man was shot early this morning by people breaking into his home, KIRO-TV reports.

Tacoma police received a call about the shooting at 4:24 a.m. in the 1000 block of Trafton Street, according to KIRO.

Police told KIRO that two or three masked intruders broke into the home by kicking in the door. At least one had a gun, and all were dressed in black.

The victim was shot outside the house and his father chased the suspects with a baseball bat, the victim’s  uncle told KIRO.

Relatives told KIRO that seven people were home during the incident, and that the victim is okay.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2012/07/29/tacoma-man-shot-by-suspects-breaking-into-his-home/#storylink=cpy

Get Ready to Shop the Neighborhood Yard Sale - 8/25

Good news - We just made the 10 participant cut-off for this year's neighborhood yard sale. Get ready to shop, shop, shop on Aug. 25!

We'll have more details soon including a list of all the sale locations and the types of deals you can expect to find.

Male Prowler Description

Here is a description of the male prowler subject in the S. 10th and Pine area.

Male
6 feet tall
Thin build
Medium skin tone Africian American
White baseball hat 
Late teens, early 20's

Possible Attempted Home Burglary Report

Reported from our Facebook page

I live on South 10th and Pine and last night caught an African American male wearing a baseball cap and baseball jersey attempting to open our gate and step into our yard around 9:30p.m. I had gotten up to shut our dining room windows and caught him by surprise. He immediately took off. He appears to be matching the description of some earlier interactions neighbors have had with this individual and suspicious activity that was posted about a week ago. I wanted to make everyone aware he is still roaming the neighborhood.


THIS IS THE 2ND REPORT RECEIVED ABOUT A SUSPICOUS BLACK MALE PROWLING CARS AND HOMES IN THE AREA   THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY BURGLARIES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, BUT SEVERAL CAR PROWLSS BETWEEN 6TH AND S. 8TH.

NEIGHBORS SHOULD BE ON THE WATCH FOR SUSPICOUS ACTIVITY / BALCK MALE CASING CARS AND HOMES (IN THE ALLEY)/  KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE SUSPECT AND CALL 911.  

Only one week left to sign-up for the neighborhood yard sale

There's only one week left to sign up for this year's neighborhood yard sale. The yard sale is scheduled for Saturday Aug. 25.

Friday, July 27 is the deadline to be sure your sale is included in all advertising. We need at least 10 participating homes to make this event happen. To sign-up, just contact Holly at 253-389-6876 or hstewart@friendsofsouth12thstreet.com.

Neighbor Confronts Suspicious Male

Report from Scott

Tonight around 8pm my wife and two of my children were on the front lawn waiting for me to come out and do some painting on the house. We live on the 800 block of South Anderson. A black male, early twenties wearing  a black jacket with white sleeves and a baseball cap with white, black and red on it, was passing by (in the street, not sidewalk) walking towards 8th from the corner of 9th slowly looking at the houses around my family as well as our house. He stared at my wife and continued to walk, stopping by my neighbors truck, texting on phone, then turned around and walked toward our van stopping by the drivers window and texting again. He then turned the corner of 9th and my wife called for me. After describing him and what he was doing I decided to go in our back yard to see if he was coming down the alley. Our alley neighbors who live on South Pine were out and saw me looking out our back yard. The man came down the alley as we went about our business pretending not to be staring him down. He kept looking back to see if we were watching, which we were. He stopped behind the house two doors down from me and was texting, looking into the back yard. When he noticed I was giving him a steady look we locked eyes. I told him not to be surprised if everyone is watching him, that we are a tight knit neighborhood and always watch out for people we don't know. He told me he was waiting for his friend at that house. I said "oh, ok. you are friends with them?" and he said he was. I went back to my front yard and told my wife. Then I decided to go back to the alley to chat with my Pine St. neighbors about this. They were already looking down the alley at him as he was walking further toward 8th. I then went out front again and told my wife I was going to knock on the door of the home he said he was waiting for a friend to come from. They didn't know him and were not waiting for anyone. So now I knew he was lying to me. 

We are all aware of strangers when they come through. This one was obviously casing our homes. I don't thing he'll come back but we are ready if he does. Keep in mind that burglars know during this hot weather that we leave windows and doors open to cool off and they may be bold enough to slip in while you are in your yard or stepping out for a bit. Never be afraid to question someone you know doesn't live on your street or behind you if they are lurking around your home. They will either lie or get defensive if they are up to no good. If they are legit, then they most likely will be somewhat cordial and tell you who they are visiting.

Great job keeping a watchful eye out and being aware of what visitors are doing in your neighborhood Scott.  I like that you know your neighbors and were not hesitant to check with them to confirm his story.  There continues to be numerous car prowls each week from 6th Ave to S. 8th, largely in part to the business district.  Remember to call 911 or the non emergency dispatch  number 253 978-4722 anytime you observe suspicious activity.  Great job!!!

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME STATUS SYSTEM INTRODUCED

Being aware of crime and issues occurring in our neighborhood is the first step to crime prevention. By knowing the current types of crime occurring, taking steps to reduce your risk of being a victim, and watching out for your neighbors will result in a reduction of crime in our area.

 To help residents easily identify the levels and crime threats in our neighborhood, we have developed an easy to understand green, yellow, red status signal.  When you visit the Friends of South 12th Street blog, you will immediately see the current "Neighborhood Crime Status" in the right hand margin.  Anytime the crime status light changes, email subscribers will immediately receive a notice of the change and reasons for the change.  Remember to first report suspicious activity to 911 and then send Friends of South 12th Street an email at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com with the details so that we may pass it along to the neighborhood.  Please feel free to post your feedback and comments about this new system on the blog.   

Green Light Status indicates that the overall occurrence of crime in our neighborhood is low. This is a great time to breathe a sigh of relief, but do not let your crime fighting guard down. Continue to keep an watchful eye out and immediately report suspicious activity to 911.

Yellow Light Status indicates a moderate level of crime is occurring in our neighborhood. Residents should be alert and mindful of unfamiliar vehicles and visitors in the area. Continue to keep an watchful eye out and immediately report suspicious activity to 911.

Red Light Status indicates that there is a high level of crime, or that the type of crimes occurring in our neighborhood poses a significant risk. Residents should be extremely alert and very aware of unfamiliar vehicles, sounds, and visitors in the area. Residents are strongly urged to immediately report any suspicious activity to 911. Remember to also report any crime related information to Friends of South 12th Street at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com so that we can share that information with the neighborhood.

Possible Car Prowl Report

From our Facebook Page

Just wanted to make everyone aware, night before last someone tried to enter my dodge durango. Happened around 10:30pm we live on 8th and anderson. My remote alarm went off to let me know. I went out and checked on it nothing looked out of sorts till i was headed back to the house and a tall black male around 20-25 wearing white t-shirt and dark pants stepped out of the shadows and headed down in the direction of sixth ave. Just wanted to make you aware.

Fireworks are prohibited in Tacoma

News release from City of Tacoma

Fireworks are prohibited in Tacoma

All fireworks are illegal within the Tacoma city limits. Violators of the fireworks law are subject to a fine and the confiscation of their fireworks.

Most fireworks violations are class 2 civil infractions and can result in a $257 fine; citizens using fireworks are still subject to arrest for other charges (i.e. arson, reckless burning, and assault). Fireworks are only permissible within city limits when a permit has been issued for a sanctioned public event.

Citizen’s can report fireworks violations from June 29 – July 4 by calling (253) 798-4722.  If the fireworks violation appears to put people or property in immediate danger, call 911. The Tacoma Police Department will have special enforcement patrols and regular patrols to respond to fireworks related calls. 

For more information about fireworks safety, burn prevention and local Fourth of July events, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=5777 or call the Tacoma Fire Prevention and Preparedness Bureau at (253) 591-5740.

Sign up now for the 5th Annual Neighborhood Yard Sale

The 5th Annual Neighborhood Yard Sale is Saturday, August 25. 

If you're planning a yard sale, this is a great opportunity to maximize your sales. Sign up now to join in.

How it works: The Friends of South 12th Street will take care of advertising to draw in the crowds, including maps to direct buyers to all sale locations, so you can focus on making money.

On the day of the sale, just set your new or used items out for sale in your yard and let the shoppers come to you. Set your own start and end times. This event is rain or shine.

A $10 donation from each participating sale will help cover the cost of advertising and materials, including on-line and newspaper ads, street signs, and flyers directing buyers to all of the sale locations in our neighborhood.

July 27 is the deadline to be sure your location is included in all advertising. Sign up by contacting Holly at 253-389-6876 or hstewart@friendsofsouth12thstreet.com.

Gas Theft

Neighborhood Report

A neighbor in the 1300 block of South Junette reported that last night, 6/20/12 a white male was caught on surveillance camera siphoning gas from his truck.

If you see someone walking the neighborhood with a gas can, be suspicious and watch them.  Call 911 if you feel they are up to no good.  Give dispatch a good clothing and suspect description and direction of travel.

If you have had this happen to you recently, please let us know so we can determine if this is an isolated incident or is a more wide spread issue.

Homeowner Shoots Burglar

Tacoma police said a homeowner shot a would-be burglar in the face with a shotgun this evening when he tried to break into a home through a window. The shooting occurred just before 6 p.m. at the corner of S. 14th and S. Madison streets. “The homeowner fired a shot and hit the suspect in the face,” police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. Officers used a K-9 team to search the home and make sure nobody else was inside. Police initially reported that there was a second suspect but they now believe the injured man was the only person trying to break into the house. The would-be burglar was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma. He is expected to survive. The homeowner has not been arrested.

What Is Up With All Of The Boarded Up Houses?

Written By - Tim Robertson

A neighbor emailed a question to us the other day.  She was inquiring about the reason that homes in the area have been boarded up, and one home in particular that has been boarded up for over 2 years?  After doing some research and help from our friends at the city, here is the answer.

3111 South 14th Street - Boarded up in 2010
3102 South 15th Street - Boarded up June 2012
1002 and 1004 South State Street - Boarded up April 2012
1031 South State - no info

At each of these properties, the issue for them being boarded up is the same, they had multiple building code violations and the city deemed them "unsafe for occupancy".

If a property is deemed "unsafe to occupy", the city has a process they follow to address the code violations with the property owner.
1. Written notice of code violations is given to the property owner.  The owner has 18 days to respond to the city with a corrective plan.
2. If the owner does not make contact with the city to correct the issues within that 18 days, the city issues a fine and gives the owner an additional 30 days to respond.  if the owner fails to respond, the city can issue up to nine additional notices and fines.  This process can take a minimum of 11 months.
3. Once the city has assessed a total of ten notices, they can make a request to the county to certify the property deserted and condemned.  Once the county gives the certificates the house condemned, the house can be demolished and property sold.

Throughout this process, the city is making every effort to communicate with the property owner to make a plan and correct the building violations.  Because this is a legal issue, it takes a long time for the city to work through the process.  In the meantime, the property sits boarded up and is a blight to the neighborhood.  Unfortunately, there is little that the neighborhood can do to help speed the process along.  Thanks for the good question.

   

Volunteers Needed for 6/23 Neighborhood Cleanup

To make the neighborhood cleanup event a success, we need a few helping hands.

How can you help?
- Greet community participants.
- Direct traffic.
- Unload vehicles.
- Help clean up trash along S 12th Street.

It’s easy! Just sign up for a morning and/or afternoon shift.
- Morning (9:45 a.m. – 12noon)
- Afternoon (11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Then on Saturday, June 23, check-in at the Franklin Elementary School parking lot (1402 S Lawrence St). We’ll provide gloves, safety vests, water and snacks. To volunteer, please contact Holly Stewart at 253-389-6876 or hstewart@friendsofsouth12thstreet.com.

Tacoma Police Arrest Home Burglary Suspect

Police have arrested 1 suspect at N. 13th and Cedar in connection to recent home burglaries.  Police are looking for a 2nd suspect on a black Suzuki motorcycle.

Upcoming Leadership Team Meeting

The next Friends of South 12th Street Leadership Team Meeting will be Monday, June 11th beginning at 6:00pm.

Agenda items include:

• Planning for upcoming neighborhood events
• National Night Out planning

Leadership Team is open to all Friends of South 12th Street members. Leadership Team provides guidance and direction for our neighborhood group. If you would like more information about Leadership Team or would like to attend, please email us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com for additional information.

Suspicious Activity Report

We received this email report from a neighbor.

--- REPORT ---

On Melrose, just off of 15th st. between Oakes and Fife or Prospect, There is a lot of strange activity going on at odd hours. People coming to one of two houses for 5 minutes after midnight. The houses are the 2nd and 3rd ones in on left hand side if you're coming from 15th and turning onto Oakes. One house usually has a gray durango in front and the other has a white suburban in front. Both houses have had police there quite a few times durning the day.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you live in this area and observe suspicious activity, remember to report it to 911.  Email us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com so we can post it for others to be aware of and look out for.

You can also contact our Tacoma Police CLO to report suspicious activity to.  CLO officers are assigned to specific neighborhood areas and are more aware of the "hot spots" and problems.  Continue to contact 911 immediately, but you can follow up your phone call with an email to our CLO.

Officer Daren Skaanes
dskaanes@cityoftacoma.org
(253) 594-7961

Great News For The Neighborhood

Here is some infomration we received recently about sources of crime in our area being addressed by Tacoma Police.

----------------

2 Residences that were a hub of illegal activity (property crimes) in the 1000 block of  South  State St was boarded up Thursday, May 24th.  Numerous individuals had  been staying there, some of whom have a history of prowling vehicles and fraud crimes.

-----------------------

CLO'S are working with The Tacoma Housing Authority to evict a tenant from a residence in the 3000 block of South  13th St.  This tenant has been disobeying the housing agreement and inviting shady characters into her residence since 2008.  This house has been reported to our CLO regarding suspicious activity and possible drug dealing.

---------------------------

1700 block of South Oaks,  A suspect was re-arrested for residential burglary. The individual was recently released from jail, and was re-arrested and is a suspect in several North Tacoma Burglaries.

It's time to clean up our neighborhood!

Neighborhood Cleanup

Saturday, June 23

10 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Franklin Elementary School parking lot

1402 S Lawrence

We care about how our neighborhood looks and we want everyone to help make it look even better. The City of Tacoma and the Friends of South 12th are bringing the dumpsters back to our neighborhood for the annual cleanup event. This is your chance to get rid of ALL the unwanted junk on your property for FREE! 

This event is open to all residents in a single family home or duplex between S 6th St and S 15th St between Sprague and Union.

Goodwill will be on site to collect gently used items.

To request reasonable accommodation, for example help unloading because of a disability, please contact Holly at 253-389-6876.

Neighborhood Drug House Shut Down

NEWS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

The drug dealers at 1002/04 S State were evicted Monday and the house was boarded up today. Go Tacoma PD!

Citizens Neighborhood Street Improvement Task Force

Citizens Neighborhood Street Improvement Task Force meets Tuesday

You are invited to attend the first meeting of the Citizens Neighborhood Street Improvement Task Force on Tuesday, May 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. This task force is charged with creating project criteria for basic street maintenance, pothole repair and citizen safety; developing a project list that is balanced citywide to make sure all neighborhoods receive local street and safety improvements; and to recommend strategies to ensure accountability, transparency, and oversight of street maintenance funds. The task force is scheduled to provide findings and recommendations to the City Council by June 26, 2012.

Contact: Karrie Spitzer, Community Relations, karrie.spitzer@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5790

Help us pick a date for this year's neighborhood yard sale

Are you planning a yard sale this summer? Interested in being part of this year’s neighborhood yard sale? Help us pick the date by selecting the best options for you. 

You'll find a poll to cast your vote on the left-side column of the blog page and on our facebook page. 

Date options:

• Saturday, July 14
• Saturday, July 21
• Saturday, August 25

What is the neighborhood yard sale?

The Friends of South 12th Street will take care of advertising to draw in the crowds, including maps to direct buyers to all sale locations in our neighborhood, so you can focus on making money. On the day of the sale, just set your new or used items out for sale in your front yard and let the shoppers come to you. A $10 donation from each participating sale will help cover the cost of advertising and materials, including on-line and newspapers ads, street signs, and maps to direct buyers to all of the sale locations in our neighborhood.

Upcoming Leasership Team Meeting

The next Friends of South 12th Street Leadership Team Meeting will be Monday, May 14th beginning at 6:00pm.

Agenda items include:

• Planning for upcoming neighborhood events
• Develop our Neighborhood Crime Prevention Action Plan  (from our last neighborhood meeting)
• Blog feedback and improvement ideas

Leadership Team is open to all Friends of South 12th Street members.  Leadership Team provides guidance and direction for our neighborhood group.  If you would like more information about Leadership Team or would like to attend, please email us at friendsofsouth12thstreet@gmail.com for additional information.

Tacoma Gang Assessment Survey

Tacoma City Council recently commissioned a comprehensive study of gang activity in Tacoma. The Gang Assessment Survey data is now available to the public in its entirety. http://www.exit133.com/6769/tacoma-gang-assessment,http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?cid=15920

Garage Break In - Report

From our Facebook Page

Another day, another burglary. This time a brute force attack on the garage door. (We had disabled the auto opener and used the physical lock.) Lost the cheap TV we got to replace the one they took last time. Nothing else taken. 2600 block of Melrose

Posting Comments

Written By: Tim Robertson

One of the new features of the Friends of South 12th Street blog is the ability to post comments to articles.  I like this feature because it allows neighbors to carry on a neighborhood conversation.  To make posting comments as easy as possible, and open to everyone, we have not required that you have a Google account or register.  Currently, readers are able to post comments as "Anonymous".  We would ask that when posting comments as "Anonymous" that you would give your first name, either at the beginning or end of your comment.  It is always nice to know "who you are chatting with.  If this does not work, we may need to look at removing the "Anonymous" feature.  Thank you for your help and keep the conversation going!!!

Welcome To The New Friends Of South 12th Sreet Neighborhood Blog

Welcome to the new Friends of South 12th Street's Neighborhood Blog.  This new communication format is designed to better engage residents by replacing the emails you currently receive with regular blog posts.  Neighbors are then able to add comments and feedback to each post, thus encouraging a neighborhood conversation about upcoming events, crime, and helpful tips and information.

To stay connected and receive email messages instantly letting you know a new post has been added.  To sign up, simply enter in your email address into the box below "Follow
Us By Email" and click the submit button.  Finish the subscription page, and you will be signed up.  It is as easy as that.

Over the next days and weeks, we will be moving information and resources from the website, to our blog, so check back frequently for new content and features.  Remember to share your comments and feedback in the Comments box under each post.