City Council meeting date change
Mercer Island City Council’s regular meeting of April 6 has been moved to one week earlier on March 30, due to the school district spring break.
The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 9611 S.E. 36th St.
Gateway art hit by car to be restored
After a car crash destroyed gateway art in the sculpture garden in January, city staff started working with insurance companies on its replacement.
A driver having a diabetic episode failed to use his brakes coming from the I-90 off-ramp at 77th Avenue S.E., going through the intersection, hitting part of the low concrete wall that holds the “Mercer Island” sign and flattening two of the metal abstract sculptures of people.
Damages to the Island sign were estimated to be about $3,000. The cost of the gateway project, installed in 1999, was $85,583. The cost of the art, including the metal people, was $20,000.
“The claim is still at insurance so we don’t yet know the amount we will receive to make the repairs. We do have a couple of companies lined up so once the claim is complete we can move forward this spring,” said recreation superintendent Diane Mortenson.
The man’s car landed in the sculpture gallery after also colliding with the three-piece steel sculpture called “Gnome Group 3” by John Geise, valued at $9,000. The man was unhurt, and no one else was injured.
The outdoor sculpture gallery is maintained by the Arts Council. It features works that are for sale, and commissions benefit the city’s public art program.
Busy car prowler arrested in Seattle
Mercer Island Police Department Detectives Sergeant Jeff Magnan, Joe Morris and Mike Seifert helped in the arrest of a car prowler known to be targeting Luther Burbank Park. They had been tracking the suspect, 31-year-old Jacob Benjamin Larsen, for several months.
Larsen had become one of the most wanted men in the Seattle area. At the Mercer Island Park and Ride alone, Larsen had done 15 smash-and-grabs in 90 days.
Undercover officers from the Mercer Island and Bellevue Police Departments arrested Larsen on March 10 at a laundromat near the South Seattle QFC, where he would often buy gift cards with stolen credit or debit cards.
Larsen, a “prolific career criminal” according to police, is wanted in multiple jurisdictions on many charges.
Volunteers needed
The thrift shop needs community members to come help. The shop is looking for volunteers who enjoy interacting with the community and giving back. Volunteers receive a store discount if they volunteer 12 or more hours each month. Three hour shifts are now available. Interested? Call the Thrift Shop and ask for Logan Ens at 206-275-7766.
