Normandy Park Police announced Tuesday (Aug. 24) that up to seven large metal signs have been stolen from a construction site located at 199th and 1st Ave South.

According to police, the thefts took place between Aug. 6th and Aug. 10th.

Police say that these thefts are expensive and time-consuming for not only the construction crew, but also for the City of Normandy Park.

Local metal scrap yards were put on notice about the theft, and there is no word yet on suspects.

The Normandy Park Police Department is looking for anyone who has information about these thefts – if you know anything about this, you are encouraged to call 206-248-7600 and ask to speak to an Officer.

Wednesday morning (Aug. 18) between 10am – 11am or so, if you saw a motorcade drive in to the Burien/Normandy Park area, be aware that no, it wasn’t the President (he left yesterday) – it was “Chief For A Day,” a law enforcement event that celebrates the lives of children with chronic illnesses.

The motorcade was bringing kids from Qwest Field to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, where they will be treated to a swearing-in ceremony, lunch with recruits, then participate in outside presentations made by law enforcement agencies including K-9 units, mounted patrol, SWAT, rifle units, a police helicopter and more.

The event will last until 3pm.

Here’s more info from the “Chief For A Day” website:

In partnership with local law enforcement agencies and hospitals, Chief For a Day is about celebrating the lives of children who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness. It is a celebration of life for all.

This year, selected children will be transported by police motorcade to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission where they will be honored as “Chief For a Day.”

Public Safety Agencies, Hospitals, and an army of Volunteers make this day special by donating their time and talents to this worthy cause. Whether you are making a monetary donation or simply attending the celebration we welcome you to join us!

The City of Normandy Park released this announcement Monday about a recent surge in suspicious, unlicensed door-to-door solicitors, and asks that anyone seeing any activity call them at 206-248-7600:

Every spring and summer Normandy Park seems to be a target for mass organized solicitation. The last invasion started July 16th when 40 young, usually college aged, solicitors were dropped off in the City of Normandy Park. These people will go door to door selling magazine subscriptions or just ask for donations from whoever may open the door. In some cases they will use your neighbors name, saying your neighbor Fred told me to stop by, or in one case a young woman actually said she was a neighbor.

We have had recent incidents where solicitors have become very rude and threatening to some Normandy Park residents. Officers have responded to numerous calls as a result of these incidents and have identified many of these solicitors and stopped them. It is important to know that most of these out of state solicitors do not have proper identification and it is difficult to positively identify them. Some of these people are well meaning young adults but many come from unknown backgrounds and are not the kind of people we need wondering around our community knocking on doors and checking out your property.

The City of Normandy Park has an ordinance NP 4.04.010 that prohibits soliciting without a license.  It is appropriate to call the Police when such a person shows up on your door step trying to sell anything to you. You may dial 911 or our office line 206-248-7600 to report door to door solicitors.

The First Annual Normandy Park Hoop Fest, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, will be held on Saturday, July 31st at Normandy Park Towne Center.

The event is sponsored by the City of Normandy Park Police Department with generous support from Normandy Park Athletic, Desert Sun, Wayne’s Service Center, Archery Bistro (NPB Advertiser), QFC, Allied Waste and Puget Sound Energy.

The tournament will include up to 16 teams with trophies awarded to 1st and 2nd place teams.

In addition to locals slam dunking over each other, there will also be food and a beer garden.

Registration for Normandy Park Hoop Fest can be completed online at: www.normandyparkwa.gov. To download the registration form, click here (PDF file).

Normandy Park Hoop Fest will serve as the kick-off event for “National Night Out,” which is Tuesday, August 3rd.

For more information contact Mary at (206) 248-8256.

Here are the rules:

1. Each team must register at least three players on or before the date of the tournament. Maximum roster size is four players per team. No additions, deletions and/or changes may be made after a team’s first game has started.
2. Teams using players not officially registered or using falsified information on rosters will be automatically disqualified from the event. Team captains are responsible and will be held accountable for all information.
3. The format of the tournament will be determined once all teams have entered. The tournament director reserves the right to change the format based on external events (i.e., inclement weather).
4. The court monitor will be the official timekeeper/scorekeeper and will be responsible for mediating all disputes. He/she has the right to overturn a call on the court if there is a justified reason to do so. The court monitor’s interpretation of the rules is final. In the event the court monitor cannot solve a dispute, a coin flip will be made to determine the outcome of the dispute.
5. Physically or verbally threatening or abusing a court monitor is cause for immediate disqualification.
6. Players and/or teams may be removed from the game at the discretion of the court monitor for abusive behavior, flagrant fouls or rough play. Unruly fans may also be removed from the area.
7. Teams must be at their court at the scheduled time. A five?minute forfeit time will be strictly enforced.
8. Each team must start and finish the game with at least two players.
9. A coin flip at the start of the game will determine first possession.
10. Successful shots taken from inside the 3?point line will be worth 1 point, while baskets made from outside the line are worth 2 points. Both feet must be clearly behind the line (when the shot is attempted) for the shot to count as two points.
11. All games are played to 21 points (win by 1) or 20 minutes (running clock), whichever comes first. The tournament director reserves the right to change the number of points and/or time limit due to external events.
12. If the game is tied after the 20 minutes have elapsed, then the game will be completed with a sudden death playoff. A coin flip will determine possession.
13. Player substitutions will be permitted on any deadball situation.
14. The player who is fouled is responsible for calling the foul. The foul must be called immediately in a clear and loud manner and all action must stop. If the player is fouled while shooting and makes the basket, the basket counts (the foul is ignored) and the opposing team takes possession. Otherwise, the team that was fouled retains possession and the ball is checked in as usual.
15. If a defensive player calls a foul on himself, the offensive team may continue to play even if the defense stops. If the offensive team chooses to stop play when a defensive player calls a foul, then action stops and the ball is checked in as usual.
16. On the 6th team foul, the player fouled will be awarded the option of shooting a free throw or retaining the possession of the ball, checking it in as usual. If the player elects to shoot a free throw, all other players must stand at least three feet behind the shooter. Regardless if the free throw is made or not, the opposing team takes possession.
17. If the court monitor rules that a foul was flagrant or meant to cause harm, the player fouled will shoot one free throw and that team will keep possession of the ball. The player called with a flagrant foul will get one warning. Any further flagrant fouls will result in immediate ejection from the game.
18. Any player(s) involved in fighting or continued misconduct will be disqualified from the tournament and will not be allowed to participate in future tournaments.
19. An unwritten 30?second shot clock is in effect at all times and may be enforced by the court monitor at his/her discretion. Once the court monitor has announced that the shot clock is in effect, each team has 30 seconds to get a shot off. The shot must make contact with the rim of the basket for the shot clock to be restarted. A defensive foul also resets the shot clock.
20. There is an imaginary 3?second lane near/under the basket. There is no camping in this lane. “Camping” violations are at the discretion of the court monitor. The court monitor will give a warning. Subsequent infractions will result in loss of possession.
21. Jump balls always go to the defense. They do not go to the team that yells “first”.
22. If a ball goes out of bounds and players and the court monitor cannot decide who gets possession of the ball, then a coin flip will decide possession.
23. The top of the backboard is out of bounds. The sides and bottom of the backboard are in bounds.
24. Shots that hit nothing (i.e., airballs) which are rebounded by the shooter without anybody else touching the ball is considered traveling and results in a turnover.
25. Timeouts – one 30?second timeout per team per game is permitted.
26. The court monitor has the right to make a ruling on any issues that are not covered within these rules.

In the state of Washington, bicycle injuries are the second leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations for children ages 5-14. The majority of bicycle deaths involving children in Washington occur to those not wearing a bicycle helmet, which led Safe Kids South King County to create a Safe Rider campaign in order to reduce unintentional injury to children participating in wheeled sports.

The Safe Rider campaign seeks to reward children who are observed wearing their helmets in South King County by partnering with McDonald’s and local police and fire departments. Children observed wearing their helmets by on-duty uniformed personnel will receive a “Safe Rider Citation”, which can be redeemed for a free vanilla reduced fat ice cream cone from a participating South King County McDonald’s.

This is the first year Safe Kids South King County and McDonald’s have partnered for the Safe Rider campaign. The campaign began in May with Safe Kids and McDonald’s supplying over 6,000 “Safe Rider Citation” coupons to participating police and fire departments in the South King County region.

Participating departments include:

• Normandy Park Police Department
• Burien Police Department
• SeaTac Police Department
• Auburn Police Department
• Maple Valley Police Department
• Renton Police Department
• North Highline Fire Department
• Valley Regional Fire Department
• Tukwila Fire Department
• King County Fire District 44

Participating police and fire officials will be awarding “Safe Rider Citations” throughout the year to raise awareness about the importance of helmet safety in preventing unintentional injury to children.

About Safe Kids South King County:
Safe Kids Worldwide is the first and only international nonprofit organization dedicated solely to eliminating preventable childhood injury. Safe Kids South King County is 1 of 310 Safe Kids coalitions in the country that promote changes in attitudes, behaviors, laws, and the environment to prevent accidental injury to children. On a national level, Safe Kids has distributed more than 2.5 million bike helmets, 250,000 smoke alarms, and checked more than 740,000 car seats. In the United States, Safe Kids has contributed to a 45 percent reduction in the child fatality rate from accidental injury – saving an estimated 38,000 children’s lives.

The Normandy Park Police Department is inviting all residents to join their neighbors in fighting local crime during the 27th annual “National Night Out” on Tuesday, Aug. 3rd.

Here are the details, including info how you can join in:

WHAT: “National Night Out” in Normandy Park.

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 3rd from 6pm – 10pm.

WHERE: Your neighborhood – see below for details on how to join in.

INFO: From the city’s newsletter:

GET THE WORD OUT – join your neighbors & “give crime and drugs a going away party”!

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Mark your calendars and celebrate the 27th annual National Night Out against crime and drugs.  NNO, sponsored by the Normandy Park Police Department, will involve over 10,000 communities from all 50 states, US territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. 

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and to provide an opportunity to promote and celebrate  police-community partnerships in crime prevention efforts. 

From 6:00 to 10:00 pm, residents in neighborhoods throughout Normandy Park and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors. Many neighborhoods throughout Normandy Park will be hosting a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, ice cream socials, potlucks and games.

2010 Registration
We encourage every neighborhood to get out and participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime”.

Register your party early and enjoy a visit from K-9 Rocky, the Police Department, or the Fire Department!

Return registration form by July 30 to:

Normandy Park Police Department
801 SW 174th Street
Normandy Park, WA 98166

For more information, including registration forms, click here.

Twenty-three area police departments in King County (including Normandy Park) will “inundate” area roads, highways, and interstates with extra police patrols targeting speeding drivers beginning this Friday (July 16) and continuing through Aug. 1 as part of the statewide “Slow down or pay up” campaign.

The campaign’s goal is to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes in Washington by the year 2030.

“Speeding may seem like a quick and effective shortcut, but in fact it is a leading cause of traffic deaths and injuries in King County and Washington State,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Speed-related crashes harm individuals, families, and communities, and many people hurt in these crashes suffer life altering trauma and never recover fully.”

The emphasis patrols over the next month are a key component of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan: Target Zero. The vision of Target Zero is zero deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes in Washington by the year 2030. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission funds the extra patrols.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, from 2006 – 2008, speeding drivers killed 140 people in King County crashes, an average of four deaths a month. These speeding-involved crashes accounted for 44% of traffic deaths in King County for that period.

The following police agencies in King County will conduct “Slow down or pay up” patrols:

1. Auburn
2. Bellevue
3. Black Diamond
4. Burien
5. Des Moines
6. Federal Way
7. Issaquah
8. Kent
9. Kirkland
10. Maple Valley
11. Mercer Island
12. Newcastle
13. Normandy Park
14. North Bend
15. Pacific
16. Redmond
17. Renton
18. Sammamish
19. SeaTac
20. Seattle
21. Snoqualmie
22. Tukwila
23. Washington State Patrol District 2

“Enforcing traffic laws saves lives,” said Lieutenant Nick Almquist, Redmond Police Department, Traffic Unit. “From north to south and east to west, police departments are working together to enforce speed limits and make King County roads safer.”

“Driving is a complex skill, demanding your complete attention,” said Cesi Velez, South King County Target Zero Manager, Kent Police Department. “Slow down and watch for sudden stops when traffic is heavy or the road has limited sight distance. Avoid tailgating by leaving a car’s length between you and the car in front of you for every 10mph you’re traveling. Road conditions and weather may also require a driver to slow down.”

Public Health- Seattle & King County chairs and staffs the King County Target Zero Task Force (previously known as the King County Traffic Safety Coalition). Members include representatives from a variety of King County law enforcement agencies, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, alcohol and drug prevention organizations, traffic engineers, non-profit organizations, and others. The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission provides funding for the coalition and other King County traffic safety activities.

The Washington State Patrol is reporting that a Normandy Park woman is lucky to be alive today (Wed., June 2) after her windshield was struck by a tire while she was driving on Interstate 5 in Tukwila.

According to WSP, the woman was northbound in her 2002 Honda Accord in the right lane near the Duwamish curves when a southbound truck lost its left front tire while traveling freeway speeds. The tire came across the median and impacted the Honda’s windshield on the driver’s side. The woman calmly pulled to the right shoulder and waited for help to arrive. Fortunately the driver only suffered minor injuries from shattered glass.

The cause of the tire failure is under investigation.

WSP also wants to remind drivers to check their vehicle equipment often to ensure all safety standards are met.

May is National Law Enforcement Memorial Month, and to commemorate it, a Local Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 13th at 9:30am.

A brief flag ceremony and presentation involving the reading of the names of fallen officers from 2009 will take place in the Rose Garden at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, which is located at 19010 1st Ave South in Burien.

Everyone is invited to join all the classes from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy as they assemble for the ceremony and remember those who have gone before them.

Advertiser Normandy Park Senior Living is sponsoring a Spaghetti Fundraiser for the Lakewood Police Officers’ Families this Saturday, Dec. 12th from 6pm – 7:30pm at their campus at 16625 1st Ave South in Normandy Park.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Lakewood Police Officers’ Families

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 12th from 6pm – 7:30pm

WHERE: Normandy Park Senior Living, located at 16625 1st Ave South in Normandy Park.

COST: Minimum donation of $10.00 per person

INFO: From a press release:

Normandy Park Senior Living with the assistance of several other agencies including Harlow’s Bus Sales, Starbucks Coffee, Food Service of America, Sam’s Club, Fast Signs and others, will be hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Lakewood Police Department’s officers.

All proceeds will go the Lakewood Police Independent Guild (LPIG).

“We tried to think of something that we could do to give our residents, staff and the local community the opportunity to express their support for the families of the three men and one woman that died in this painful and senseless tragedy,” said Executive Director, Pauline Smith. “We have the utmost respect and appreciation for the men and women who protect and help us every day and this is just a small way to thank them and show our support.”

The fundraising dinner will be held Saturday, December 12th from 6pm-7:30pm at Normandy Park Senior Living located at 16625 1st Ave S, Normandy Park, WA 98148.

We are requesting a minimum donation of $10 per person.

There will be entertainment and raffle tickets available for some terrific prizes that will be drawn on Monday, December 14, 2009.

For additional information on how to donate if you cannot attend, please contact Pauline Smith or Kim Parks at 206-241-0821, or via email: psmith@artegan.com.