West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
(February 2, 2009, sign outside Talarico’s, near the shooting scene)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost two full years after 26-year-old Steve Bushaw was shot and killed in The Junction, four suspects are about to go on trial.
Monday is the official start of the trial for Bryce Huber, Brandon Chaney, Danny O’Neal Jr., and John Sylve, arrested in December 2009, charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. But murder trials are complicated proceedings, even more so in a case like this with multiple defendants, so jury selection won’t start for at least another week, and testimony isn’t expected before late January.
For this look ahead, in addition to revisiting the WSB archives and King County court records, we have checked in with Steve Bushaw’s family, as well as the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
In case you missed the official announcement on Friday afternoon – starting tomorrow morning, West Seattle-Downtown Seattle commuters on the King County Water Taxi will be riding the Rachel Marie again, now that it’s completed repairs and sea trials following last September’s crash. That means Pier 50 on the downtown side (the service had used Pier 55 while Argosy’s Sightseer was filling in). The schedule remains the same – it’s Monday-Friday, commute times only, during the winter, in this first-ever year of year-round operation.
If one of your New Year’s resolutions involves home remodeling … there’s a chance this week to find out more about how the process works, no cost, no obligation. Longtime WSB sponsor Ventana Construction is resuming its series of free workshops with information on remodeling (and custom building), 6 pm this Tuesday (January 11th). At right is a photo Ventana shared that shows one of their more unusual recent projects – a bathroom where the tile installation creates the appearance of a “pool” in the bamboo flooring, “spilling” down past the Vetrazzo countertop. Ventana also has a project in the January issue of Seattle Homes and Lifestyles magazine (page 72, headed “Green Living,” not online yet). If you’re interested in the Tuesday workshop, just call to RSVP – they’re at (206) 932-3009.
High Point seems to be a coyote hot spot these days. Sara sent news of the latest sighting less than an hour ago:
I was driving down 36th Ave SW (headed north) about 10 min ago and spotted what appeared to be a small coyote (heading south in the middle of the street) at Graham. Just checked the blog and didn’t see any other spottings. It was a tad scary, as 1) it was broad daylight and 2) we walk our dogs in that area frequently. Curious to see if anyone else spotted the lost coyote.
Wondering how to deal with coyotes – both when you see one, and in hopes you won’t? Here’s some advice.
On-and-off snow showers continue this afternoon in West Seattle – never seems to be everywhere at once, according to the notes, texts, and calls we’ve received, plus our observation – but the National Weather Service‘s “special weather statement” is still in effect, updated at 5 this morning with the ongoing possibility of snow showers this afternoon/evening (as we’re seeing), and then that potential “snow event” at midweek. Latest word from weather analyst Cliff Mass is this update titled: Chances Of Major Snowstorm Fading. The NWS has just updated its four-times-daily “forecast discussion,” casting its own blanket of doubt, including: “Much has changed in the runs over the past couple model cycles making a very large snow event much less likely.”
After gathering at Puerto Vallarta in The Junction at midmorning, volunteers are out again looking for any sign of what might have happened to 24-year-old Jeremy Peck. He’s the West Seattle man we first told you about on Thursday, last seen at the Admiral Pub early Christmas Eve morning, according to his family. John Peck, the uncle who raised Jeremy, talked about the plan:
Here’s Jeremy’s photo again:
He is 6’1″, about 177 pounds, light brown hair, brown eyes, and was wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a black waist-length coat over a gray hoodie-type sweatshirt when last seen. He goes by “JP.” If you have any information, you can contact police or contact John Peck directly, 206-923-0875 or 206-371-6451.
(LATEST TOPLINES, 4:32 PM: City Light’s system-status page and WSB commenters indicate just about everyone has their power back, after a 2,000+-home/business outage caused by a car smashing into a pole at 47th/Charlestown at 5:30 this morning.)
(7:06 am – replaced original cameraphone photo with video)
ORIGINAL 5:41 AM REPORT: Getting a few outage reports – not surprising since our power here in Upper Fauntleroy flickered twice a few minutes ago, and flickers in one place often portend an outage elsewhere. Via Facebook, Kate says “a transformer blew” near her home at 46th/Charlestown. And Jennifer says her power came back fast but she’s seeing folks out to the south of her area (which is 4800 block Fauntleroy). Plus, Lisa says power’s out around Jefferson Square. This is NOT on the Seattle City Light “system status” page yet. More to come.
5:49 AM UPDATE: New information – This is because of a crash. Power lines are down because of a car crash at Charlestown and 47th. Listening to scanner traffic now. “Two critical patients” according to scanner, and they are not yet out of the vehicle.
5:59 AM UPDATE: The two patients are now out of the vehicle and being taken to Harborview. “High-speed car vs telephone pole” crash with the victims described as a man and woman, both 25, according to the scanner.
6:16 AM UPDATE: We just got to the scene. It’s at the bottom of the mega-steep hill on Charlestown, west of 46th (here’s a map; the road is closed at the top). As for the power – most of the businesses and streetlights on the west side of The Junction between Edmunds and Oregon are out (with a few exceptions), plus the California/Alaska lights. Then the power’s back north of there. So, a spotty outage. City Light arrived at the scene here just ahead of us. The car is badly mangled – police say it “was” a Buick.
7:06 AM UPDATE: Came back to HQ to add video – the lighting at the scene is not optimal; we will go back once the sun’s up. No word on the victims’ conditions. Seattle City Light is working on the power lines at the scene; its “outage tracker” says more than 2,000 homes/businesses have lost power – our comments and e-mail/notes suggest it’s a hopscotch pattern, various spots from North Admiral south to Fairmount Springs. (You can see that on the outage tracker, too.)
7:31 AM UPDATE: City Light has finally published its own update, though it does not mention the crash, or the non-contingent nature of the outage zones. It does mention “additional momentary outages will be required as the problem is repaired.”
8:03 AM UPDATE: California/Alaska stoplight in The Junction is still out. And City Light now says some may not get their power back for “six to eight hours.” The crash scene will be closed a while, since the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad – which is called to major scenes – is at work there:
The pole hit by the car is still at a sharp angle. City Light says some may be without power for up to 6 to 8 more hours.
8:47 AM UPDATE: That’s the aforementioned pole. We’ve received calls, comments, and notes in the past 10 minutes or so indicating some have gotten their power back – The Junction, for example – while, as SCL warned, some have lost it (North Admiral). We saw SCL trucks in The Junction while passing through en route back from revisiting the scene, and a Facebook commenter reports seeing crews there too. We also have a report of a Comcast outage, though we don’t know whether it’s related.
11:40 AM UPDATE: Police have published an item about the crash on SPDBlotter, describing both victims as having “life-threatening injuries,” and saying their Buick sedan was heading westbound down the steep hill just before it hit the pole. About 100 homes/businesses are still without power, according to City Light’s “outage tracker“; their Power Lines site’s latest update says that’s needed while the pole – cut off at the base, per police – is replaced.
4:33 PM UPDATE: Looks like just about everyone’s back on, judging by both comments and the City Light system-status page. We were at 47th/Charlestown about an hour ago and watched crews in the final stages of replacing the pole taken out by this morning’s crash.
(Friday sunset photo by Mark Dale)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar as well as previous coverage:
SEARCH FOR JEREMY PECK: Anyone who can help with the search for the West Seattle resident who hasn’t been seen since early Christmas Eve morning is asked to join searchers meeting at Puerto Vallarta in The Junction at 10:30 am. Here’s our most recent update.
SPOKESPEOPLE WEST SEATTLE BIKE RIDE: As organizer Stu Hennessey puts it, “Spokespeople West Seattle will not concede the forgone conclusion that baby boomers will bankrupt Medicare. Baby boomers grew up on two wheels, and two wheels will keep them healthy and decrease their health-care costs.” Join the group for a 38-mile ride starting at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza at 11 am. Two levels of moderate pace.
‘AMAHL’ FINALE: Last show today at 3 pm for Twelfth Night Productions (WSB sponsor)’s 14th annual production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” by Gian Carlos Menotti at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, The Junction (44th/Alaska). Here’s what’s listed as “new this week” on market managers’ Ripe and Ready list:
Mead – Honey-based alcohol beverage– Delicious! – from Rockridge Orchards. Considered the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world (Bronze Age) made from fermented honey and water… limited quantities and it sells out quickly.
Cippollini Onions – organic from Pipitone Farms
Frozen Cherries – Sonata, Bing and Santa Rosa cherries). Tonnemaker Family Orchards
Frozen Roasted Peppers – Sweet and Hot varieties from River Farm
Dried Herbs – basil, oregano, rosemary, CATNIP!
And via Twitter, Hotcakes – a chocolatey creation – says they’re premiering at the market today.
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