Early this last Saturday morning, the 21st of December, Officer Cooper Dyson died tragically while on duty. Cooper’s parents, Brad and Casey Dyson live on our street, 136th Ave E. Friends of their family are asking neighbors of the Dyson family to show support by replacing their porch light with a blue light. Blue is associated with the law enforcement profession. Lowe’s, Home Depot, and McLendon’s have donated blue bulbs and many neighbors were contacted today. If you weren’t reached, there are extra bulbs at the home of the Floods, 11722 136th Ave. E. Feel free to drop by, holiday or not. It is an important way for us to demonstrate support for a valued family of the neighborhood and community.
All posts by Kirk Hall
Notice about Missing or Stolen Mail
At the October 2019 Sunrise Terrace annual meeting neighbors expressed concern about their mail being stolen or not delivered. To know which pieces of your mail are delivered the United States Postal Service has a free feature called Informed Delivery. It is available in our zip codes and is working well for our neighbors who use it.
To sign up for Informed Delivery go to https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action You will create an account, verify your identity, and then start receiving daily notifications.
Here’s how it works:
“Informed Delivery is a free and optional notification service that gives residential consumers the ability to digitally preview their letter-sized mail pieces and manage their packages scheduled to arrive soon. Informed Delivery makes mail more convenient by allowing users to view what is coming to their mailbox whenever, wherever – even while traveling – on a computer, tablet or mobile device. To automate the sortation and delivery of mail, the United States Postal Service® (USPS) digitally images the front of letter-sized mail pieces that run through automation equipment. USPS is now using those images to provide digital notifications to users in advance of the delivery of physical mail. Informed Delivery benefits the entire household, ensuring that everyone has visibility into mail and package delivery each day.”
To avoid mail being stolen after it’s delivered get a sturdy locking mailbox. There are many options for locking mailboxes but if you aren’t sure what to get several neighbors have a brand called Fort Knox. More information is available at https://www.fortknoxmailbox.com/product-category/products/
Just as important, do not put mail out the night before. There have been cases in the dark early morning hours where mail has been removed from boxes in our neighborhood.
Proposed new road from Tehaleh subdivision to SR162
Luke Rambo has asked that I provide an update on the SR162Traffic.org meetings I sometimes attend. I was planning on doing this at the last Sunrise Terraces meeting but was unable to attend. —- Wayne Reibold
- I attend some of the periodic SR162Traffic.org meetings. They’re very eager to involve Sunrise Terraces residents in their activity. Currently I’m the only Sunrise Terraces resident that attends the meetings and I’m unable to attend all of them. Anyone interested in attending meetings please e-mail me your interest at WynsWrld98@yahoo.com and I’ll put you in touch with the SR162Traffic.org meeting coordinator. sr162traffic.org has a lot of information on their activity and also a link to their Facebook page where you can request to become a member and follow the activity.
- The attached map shows the activity on/around SR162 that SR162Traffic.org is involving themselves as oversight. A very notable thing on the map is a new FIVE LANE road being built from Tehaleh to intersect SR162 at 128th St E. It is expected to be open within 5 years. This road is of particular concern for many Sunrise Terraces residents due to it being so wide at five lanes and that it runs angled from south to north making it more visible to some Sunrise Terraces residents when looking towards Mt Rainier vs if the new road was running angled north to south. The County will be putting very tall silver street lights along the new road which will make the road especially visible to some Sunrise Terraces residents at night. SR162Traffic.org requested of the County that the street light poles be painted green or brown to blend but this was denied since it is a County standard for them to be silver and they can’t make an exception just for one project in the County.
- Tehaleh (see attachment) is planning on having 9,500 “residential units” (including apartments, duplexes and single family residences) at full build out. It’s believed currently there are over 1,000. What this will do to the already significant traffic on Military Road/122nd St E is alarming since it’s the likely artery to get from Tehaleh to Puyallup/South Hill. And of course the load it will add to the already overloaded SR162… Here is a link of importance: https://sr162traffic.org/Military-Road-2/
- One of the main things SR162Traffic.org is trying to accomplish is to make sure signals are placed at the intersection of SR162 and 128th St E vs a roundabout that is the current plan. The SR162Traffic.org proposal is two left turn lanes from southbound SR162 going onto the new road to Tehaleh to keep evening traffic moving. The decision for a roundabout at that intersection is deemed flawed due to not considering the unique nature of that intersection such as the large number of gravel trucks that travel up and down SR162 that will undoubtedly result in long delays at the roundabout since a gravel truck would require a lot of space to get through the roundabout as well as increased accidents of cars and gravel trucks interacting in a roundabout. SR162Traffic.org is pushing for proper modeling of this intersection which should show a roundabout is a very bad idea and that signals would be far safer and better move traffic. But there is a big push for roundabouts so it’s a challenging situation.
- As shown on the attached map the County may do a study to extend 128th St E up the hill as an access point to South Hill to take some traffic load off of Military Road/122nd St E. The County is also discussing widening Military Road to 3 lanes but only a short distance west of SR162 due to the “cliff” that exists that would be very expensive to deal with. It is expected none of these studies would happen until after the new Tehaleh road opens. The County states its top priority right now is the work they’re doing on Canyon Road extending it from where it ends at Pioneer Way East in Puyallup to 70th Avenue E in Fife.
- NOTE: You can click on the map above to enlarge it on your computer.
- The current plan is to put several roundabouts on SR162 including at the intersection of Military Road/122nd St E and 128th St E among others. SR162Traffic.org is against this plan and is pushing for signals.
- Regarding possible widening of SR162 between Orting and SR410 the only thing being discussed long-term is to add ONE lane. You’d think four or five lanes would be a good idea due to how much traffic already travels on SR162 but the reason even SR162Traffic.org isn’t pushing for that is they want to keep the area more rural with farms vs a large highway running through the area. There is talk of having an alternate corridor parallel to SR162 east of it to get people (especially from Tehaleh) up towards SR410/Sumner/Bonney Lake. The road being discussed is McCutcheon Road East/Riverside Road East. Many people including myself take the back roads in this area during rush hour to avoid some of the SR162 traffic between Military Road E/122nd St E and SR410.
- New Tehaleh Road Level 3 Reforestation (see attachment) to deal with removal of trees/foliage during excavation – this is something Tehaleh brought up as a probable “mitigation” they would have to do and that they seemed quite willing to do. Pierce County has not yet required it. That’s where we all might come in…to push the County to require it so Tehaleh can’t change their mind and do anything less. It needs to be in writing from the County to be sure we really get it.
Update on 11915 136th Ave E
If you have been reading this blog you know we wrote on October 16, 2019 about people not authorized to be living at 11915 136 Ave. E. At the annual neighborhood meeting in October the sheriff’s department reassured us that code enforcement has investigated and has a plan in place to mitigate the situation . On November 8th a “for sale” sign was placed at the property. When the realtor was contacted by one of our neighbors he said he is aware that he can’t show the house due to the unauthorized occupants.
Last week Code Enforcement deputies had to deal with an emergency which caused a delay. However the program coordinator reassured us on Tuesday, November 12, that resolution will still take place in November regardless of the “for sale” sign.
Continue to report emergencies by calling 911 and file reports with code enforcement (see directions in October 16 blog). Long range, keep in contact with your neighbors and keep the directory information up to date. If your neighbor’s vacant house suddenly appears occupied talk to the owner asap. If no one is suppose to be there report it and tell the owner to report it.
STACC Board
Celeste Hurst, Chairwoman
Julie Hrivnak, Secretary
Nancy Jo Williams, Treasurer
Kyle Sidor, ACC member
Luke Rambo, ACC member
Vacant House ? — Be Alert for Squatters!!!
As many of you know there is a problem on 136th Ave E. Squatters have moved into a home and there have been two serious Police interventions there in the last two months.
It appears that once Squatters have settled into a house for a while it is much more difficult to get them out than if the problem were addressed in the first day or two of their occupancy. For this reason, we are requesting residents of our Neighborhood to be especially vigilant about vacant houses on their street.
We would offer these suggestions:
1. If a real-estate sign goes up, make a note of the agent’s name and phone number. If someone moves into the house, call the realtor to make certain that it has been sold or rented. If the realtor says the property is supposed to be vacant, call 911 and report a possible burglary in progress.
2. If there was never a sign, call the owner to make certain that the new occupants are not Squatting. ( This is one of the reasons we need to keep the Neighborhood Directory up to date. ) If the owner says the property is supposed to be vacant, request he call 911.
3. If you can’t do either 1 or 2 above, then call and e-mail Kirk Hall (253) 840-0411, kahalljr@comcast.net . I will pass the message to one of the Architectural Control Committee members, and give them all the information you have (house address; when people living there showed up; how many people; what sex are the people; number of vehicles present; changes they have made to the property ( example: garage door removed/ broken; windows/doors broken ); whether you have already called the realtor or owner, and what kind of answer you received.
4. There is a lady named “Amanda” at the Sheriff’s Department. She is the Community Liaison Program Coordinator. Her number is 253-798-4814. She said to call her if we notice any further damage to the house or any criminal activity. If necessary she will pass the message along to the Community Liaison, Deputy Jeff Papen.
If someone calls in a crime they should take the Deputy’s name and phone number and request a follow up from him/her. That way they know an officer checked on the situation.
Note: Many of our neighbors do not read the post we put on the Blog. Sometimes it is because they do not get the Alert Notifications we send out when something new is posted, because they never asked to be on the Alert Notification List. This is a particularly important post. Please take time to ask your nearest neighbors if they get the Alerts and if they have read this post.
Branches Blocking Sidewalks & Street Lights
Sunrise Terrace Neighbors,
A concern has been raised regarding low hanging branches that force pedestrians to walk further out in the street and block illumination from the street lights. Please check your property sidelines for branches which may be hanging out in the street or sidewalk. Branches blocking the street lights just make it darker for everyone. Pierce county has trimmed some areas but other areas are the responsibility of the homeowners. Please help keep our Neighborhood safe to walk in and as well illuminated as possible.
Please Come! Neighborhood Meeting. Important Guest Speaker.
Sunrise Terrace Neighbors,
Please come to the annual neighborhood meeting this Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7pm, at Sunrise Baptist Church. We just got confirmation that a deputy from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office will be a guest speaker. He will update us on changes in the department and a new code enforcement program. He is familiar with our neighborhood issues. Bring your questions and concerns about safety. We will also get a brief update on sr162.org. Meet your neighbors, enjoy some cookies, and vote for new board members. We suggest a $5/household donation to the neighborhood fund.
—– Car Prowler —– New Tricks to Enter Your Car
A friend just let me know about a new trick thieves have to get into your car. You may remember a series of car break-ins in Seattle where several cars parked outside of condominiums were entered without damage, and the owners swore that they were locked when the owners went to bed.
The trick for entering a modern locked car depends on two things: (1) The car must be new enough that it only requires that the car key fob be present in the vicinity for the car to unlock and be started. (2) That the thief has a new device which captures the fob signal and amplifies it so that it appears to be in the vicinity of the car. The whole thing is explained in an article on the Edmunds.com web site: https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/technology/how-to-protect-your-car-from-keyless-entry-hacking.html
Dangerous Scam Repeats
Last night as I watched the news, the scam I reported on in this site on 29 May was reported again. (see below)
A well dressed man and woman in a nice white car with two children exchanged gold jewelry for “gas money” from a victim at a gas station. The “Gold Jewelry” turned out to be fake. This scam has being going on for at least a year.
If you are approached at a gas station, parking lot, park, etc. or flagged down on the street or highway, remember that the person who has approached you may be a career criminal. Follow the advice below.
Dangerous New SCAM
On the news tonight was a piece about a Dangerous New SCAM. People from California through Washington State have been robbed beside the highway because they gave in to their natural desire to help.
The victims have pulled over to help a (usually well dressed) family with car trouble. There are children in the car and the parents make a heartfelt plea for monetary assistance, often offering their jewelry as collateral. If you accept that Rolex and give them all the money in your wallet (say for the sake of argument you just cashed a check and have $300), you just got ripped off by about $280. The Rolex, along with all the other jewelry they have is fake.
A woman here in Washington stopped for a well dressed family driving a nice car. After hearing his plea she gave the man $20, but he followed her to her car and grabbed other cash she had there (cash which did not belong to her, and which she had to sell belongings to replace.
This vicious SCAM is spreading. In the future if you see a family stranded by the side of the road, with someone frantically trying to flag you down for help, DO NOT STOP. Instead get a description of the car (and license number if possible) and the people in it. Then call 911, giving the location of the vehicle and any other information you have. Tell the 911 operator you suspect criminal activity and you believe that these people have police scanners. Warn the 911 operator that if the call goes out over the air, the crooks will move.
If the people are innocent and are really in trouble, then you have provided better help than you could give. If they are crooks, then you have provided help to all the rest of us.
SAVE THE DATE — NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Tuesday, October 22, 7-8:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall at Sunrise Baptist Church for our annual neighborhood meeting.