West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(First two photos by Noah Shampain)
The aerial views are a highlight from a neighborhood party last weekend. Pete Spalding tells us Pigeon Point neighbors gathered on the field by Pathfinder K-8 in spots representing where they live on the neighborhood street grid.
At ground level, some more conventional views of the party:
The “Start of Summer” get-together included music.
Pete says, “There were well over 100 neighbors that came out to celebrate our little slice of paradise in the city.”.
(WSB photo)
With primary-election ballots going out in two weeks, we’re continuing our series of conversations checking in with the City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) candidates. Tonight: Brendan Kolding, one of two challengers hoping to keep Councilmember Lisa Herbold from serving a second term. Your WSB co-publishers sat down with him for a wide-ranging conversation last week, which you can watch below, unedited:
If you can’t or don’t want to watch/listen, text toplines are below – but note that they do not represent a full transcript, nor are they direct quotes except where signified by quotation marks, just (in some cases very) brief summaries:
From the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Welcome Sign Committee is seeking proposals for landscaping of the Welcome sign site. The following rendering is an idea coordinated by the Sign Committee.
We are open to additional suggestions and configurations. We encourage any firms/individuals that are able to successfully compete in this RFP to submit your bid, renderings and the requested information for the Committee consideration no later than Friday, August 2, 2019 by close of business (5 PM).
Here’s the full RFP document (PDF).
(King County aerial photo – temporary Water Taxi dock at left, almost-complete new one at right)
It’s been almost two years since a short break in West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi service so it could move to an interim downtown terminal during construction of the permanent new one. Now, it’s time for another break to move “back,” as announced today:
From Monday, July 22 through Sunday, July 28 for all scheduled sailings, King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Fast Ferry service will be temporarily suspended while staff make final preparations needed to shift service from the temporary terminal at Pier 52 to the new passenger only terminal at Pier 50. Service is anticipated to resume Monday, July 29.
You can read more about the transition here.
Thanks to David Hutchinson (above) and Jim Borrow (below) for sending photos of the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), a US Navy destroyer commissioned last year.
The ship is homeported in Everett.
(June 2018 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
11:04 AM: Some asked about an arrest Monday afternoon at the Morgan Junction Starbucks. Seattle Police have just announced that the person they took into custody is a suspect in last year’s murder on Alki Avenue SW near Anchor Park:
Seattle Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for the June 2nd, 2018 homicide on Alki Beach of stabbing victim Jonathan Pecina, age 28. Officers arrested the suspect in West Seattle.
Homicide detectives recently received DNA evidence from the WSP Crime Lab linking the suspect to an item left at the crime scene. This week, detectives coordinated with officers of the Southwest Precinct bicycle unit and the Southwest Precinct Anti-Crime Team in an attempt to locate and apprehend the suspect.
On Monday afternoon July 1st at about 4 pm, the suspect was located by those Southwest Precinct officers at a coffee shop at California Avenue SW and Fauntleroy Way SW. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Detectives interviewed the suspect and then booked him into King County Jail for investigation of murder. This remains an active and on-going investigation.
You’ll recall that SPD announced the DNA breakthrough back in January.
ADDED 1:27 PM: We asked SPD a followup question about how they found the suspect; Det. Mark Jamieson says the suspect “was known to frequent West Seattle. Officer spotted him at the coffee shop and came up with a quick plan to arrest him safely.” He is scheduled to appear before a judge this afternoon, and we’ll add any more information that emerges.
ADDED 4:16 PM: Though the suspect is not yet charged in this case, he has a high-profile West Seattle-related conviction on his record, so we are identifying him: Nickolas J. Osborne In March of last year, he set an SPD car on fire while Southwest Precinct officers were taking him to jail after arresting him for harassing Lincoln Park/Lowman Beach visitors. He pleaded guilty to malicious mischief in that case. Since then, records show, he also has served time for threatening people with a knife at a gym in Redmond – two incidents that happened just days after the West Seattle murder. Probable cause was found this afternoon to hold Osborne in lieu of $500,000 bail. We are reading the newest documents and will add any additional new details.
ADDED 4:54 PM: The probable-cause narrative begins by recounting the night of the murder, including “There were many 911 callers who reported seeing or hearing two Hispanic males and a white male yelling at each other on the inland sidewalk in front of the condominiums. One eyewitness heard the white male yell at the Hispanic male that that he hated people with saggy pants.” The three started fighting and it all ended with Jonathan Pecina being fatally stabbed. The other man with him was interviewed by police days later. He is reported to have told them:
They were confronted by a white male walking in the opposite direction. (The witness) would primarily refer to the man as a “Trump Supporter.” When asked what “Trump Supporter” meant, he claimed this person was racist against “Mexicans”. There was no further explanation of his use of the term “Trump supporter”. (The witness) said that the guy started saying “racial sh-t” including “I hate Mexicans”. Torres said they were going to walk off but “the guy kept saying sh-t”. The guy pulled out a knife. Jonathan took off his belt to use in self-defense. (The witness) said he was not wearing a belt (and) denied ever hitting the suspect. He said it all happened very fast but suddenly Pecina was stabbed.
While DNA from a knife sheath found at the scene did not bring up a match last year, this year it did, to Osborne. And, the probable-cause narrative continues, “Database research has revealed that Nickolas Osborne has been the subject of racially charged violent crimes and incidents before and since the murder of Jonathan Pecina.” They include the two we mention above; in the Lincoln Park/Lowman Beach harassment that preceded the poilce-car-torching arrest, Osborne is reported to have been saying he wanted to kill Mexicans and Black people (using a slur for the latter). In the Redmond case days after the Alki stabbing, police note, Osborne “used a knife to threaten a Hispanic male at a gym while muttering about the Illuminati, FBI, and MS-13.”
The document also says he was involved in two Alki incidents this year, a “disturbance” in March in which he was reported to be yelling racist and misogynist slurs both before and after police took him into custody, and one a little more than a week ago in which he allegedly had been pursuing “a Hispanic man” with a knife and was shot with a BB gun, later telling police “he was shot at by ‘border jumpers’ and ‘f—ing Mexicans’.”
3 updates, from The Triangle to Alki:
(Rendering courtesy Legacy Partners)
4722 FAUNTLEROY: The former West Seattle Produce (etc.) site is finally starting construction, announces Legacy Partners, which says it’s calling the project Legacy at Fauntleroy Apartments. From the news release:
The two-building community, located at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW (seven stories) and 4721 38th Ave SW (four stories), will feature a 306-unit mix of one- and two-bedroom residences, as well as studios and live-work units. USAA Real Estate is providing equity financing for the development, with additional funding from PNC Bank.
Designed by Seattle-based Encore Architects, Legacy at Fauntleroy will have 261 parking spaces and 10,000 square feet of retail space, in addition to a state-of-the-art gym, media room, rooftop deck, and residential WiFi cafe.
The news release also touts the “peaceful coastal culture of West Seattle.” You might recall that this is the second redevelopment plan for the site; the first one, for a single-story standalone CVS drugstore, was cancelled three years ago.
(WSB photo added, taken Tuesday afternoon)
Demolition at the site began this morning.
1250 ALKI: A key approval is in for the revised proposal for this site, 40 residential units with 76 offstreet parking spaces – the Shoreline Substantial Development approval. That triggers a two-week appeal period, deadline July 15th; the official notices explain how.
5917 CALIFORNIA: The formal application is in for the 9-unit, 4-offstreet-parking-space plan on the former Charmann Apartments site. July 15 is also the deadline for comments on this – the official notice (linked on this page) explains how.
Our area’s seabirds – and the people who track them – could use your help. This year’s Puget Sound Seabird Survey includes five West Seattle locations and Seattle Audubon is now recruiting volunteers to be part of it. The announcement:
Are seabirds in the southern Salish Sea increasing or decreasing in numbers? Which species are changing their range? Help us find out. The Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) is a community science project managed by Seattle Audubon that trains volunteer birdwatchers to gather valuable data on wintering seabird populations across our region.
You can contribute to this vital seabird science by joining the 13th season of this exciting project. We are now recruiting enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. Training on survey methodology will be provided on September 18th in Lincoln Park and at other locations throughout Puget Sound after that date until the first week of October. Volunteers should ideally be able to identify Puget Sound’s seabird species and be available on the first Saturday of each month, October through April. But, if determining between Barrow’s and Common Goldeneye is a challenge, we’ll team you up with more knowledgeable surveyors. To help us determine each volunteer’s seabird identification skills, take our quick, fun Seabird ID Quiz.
Learn more, including training dates, at www.seabirdsurvey.org and email Toby Ross, Senior Science Manager tobyr@seattleaudubon.org, if you would like more information, or to take part.
(Barred Owl, photographed in Fauntleroy Park in June by Mark Wangerin)
Two days until the 4th of July! Here’s what’s ahead for the rest of your Tuesday:
LOW-LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Explore the shore with expert advice from Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists, 9:30 am through 12:45 pm this time, at Constellation and Lincoln Parks. (Today’s lowest tide is -3.0 feet at 11:14 am)
TODDLER STORY TIME: 10:30 am at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)
FREE SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS/TEENS: Today’s locations include High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), noon-1 pm lunch and 3-3:30 pm snack; EC Hughes Playground (2805 SW Holden), noon-1:30 pm lunch and 3-4 pm snack; Highland Park Playground (1100 SW Cloverdale), noon-1:30 pm lunch and 3-4 pm snack.
TAKE ACTION FOR WILDLIFE: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, with a “special animal guest” – part of the Summer of Learning program. (2306 42nd SW)
OPEN MIC NIGHT: Sing it, say it, play it. 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! Just two days until the 4th of July.
STADIUM ZONE TONIGHT: Mariners play at home at 7:10 pm, vs. the Cardinals. That means a late night for West Seattle Water Taxi runs.
7:53 AM: Heading outbound on an errand this morning, we can report that the eastbound bridge is moving well, NB I-5 is sluggish.
4:16 AM: Seattle Fire is at a commercial building in the 4000 block of SW Alaska.
(Photo by Seth Gray)
4:19 AM: SFD says it’s a small attic fire at the Jiffy Lube. Radio traffic indicates it’s under control.
(WSB photo)
4:29 AM: Our crew has just arrived. Meantime, via radio. firefighters are saying “a lot of smoke and a little fire” remains.
4:34 AM: Firefighters tell us at the scene that no one was in the building when this started and no one’s been hurt. The cause is under investigation.
4:45 AM: SFD is now starting to dismiss some of the units. We’ll be checking on the business’s status later in the morning.
11:12 AM: We checked with SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley about the cause. Her reply: “The fire at the Jiffy Lube automotive oil change store was ruled undetermined; estimated loss is $125,000. The store was unoccupied at the time of the incident. The fire originated in the mezzanine storage room above the business office.”
The family of Al Finch is sharing this remembrance with the community:
Alfred (Al) Walter Finch
1933-2019Alfred Walter Finch, affectionately known as “Al,” was surrounded by his loving family as he passed peacefully on June 11, 2019.
The first born of three children to Alfred and Ann Finch of Seattle, Al began entrepreneurship at a young age: clerking with his mother in their West Seattle market, managing a paper route, and buying and selling refurbished automobiles.
Al graduated from West Seattle High School and continued his education at the University of Washington, where he earned a BS in mechanical engineering. In addition to his studies, Al rowed Husky crew and joined the United States Air Force ROTC. Following graduation, Al proudly served in the Air Force while stationed in Oklahoma, Texas, and Ohio, serving as a Second Lieutenant piloting the KC 97 for the Strategic Air Command and retiring as a Captain.
Al was a devoted husband and happily married to Elisabeth for 60 years. As residents of Mercer Island from 1969 until present, they worked and raised their two children, Libby and Stephanie. Al, a Seattle businessman and real estate investor, owned and managed Emerald City Door for 17 years. Al continued his passion for flying: as a member of NW Seaplane Pilots Association, actively flying in the Pacific NW and Canada, and commuting between Seattle and their second home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Al’s happiest times were spent with Elisabeth and friends: traveling, fishing, skiing, boating, playing bridge, and golfing as members of the Overlake Golf and Country Club in Medina, Washington and the Boulders Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
He is survived by his beloved wife Elisabeth, his loving daughters, Libby (Steve) Miller and Stephanie St Mary, sisters Diane (Jim) Creighton and Geraldine Finch, and grandchildren Maggie, Charlie, Will, and Lizzie. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to StolenYouth www.stolenyouth.org.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
The primary election is getting closer, and your ballot will be mailed in two and a half weeks. In case you haven’t yet made up your mind in the top-of-the-ticket race, City Council District 1, we are presenting video interviews with each of the three candidates over the next three days. We start with incumbent Councilmember Lisa Herbold. The forums and Q&A’s we’ve covered so far have all focused on the same handful of issues, so we sought to hit some other topics:
If you can’t or don’t want to watch/listen, text toplines are below – but note that they do not represent a full transcript, nor are they direct quotes except where signified by quotation marks, just (in some cases very) brief summaries:
Most of the Seattle Housing Authority‘s budget comes from government funding, which means it’s your money, so even if you don’t live at an SHA property or have any other direct relationship with the agency, they’re looking for your opinion on how it should be spent. SHA asked us to let you know about its 2020 Budget Survey, open to all. Its questions are wide-ranging, including this one:
Please tell us where you think SHA should focus investments in creating more affordable housing. You may select more than one option.
-Focus on affordable housing for very-low-income households below 50% Area Median Income.
(Examples: 1 person household earning less than $38,750; 2 person household earning less than $44,300; 4 person household earning less than $55,350.)-Focus on affordable workforce housing for low-income households between 60% and 80% Area Median Income.
(Examples: 1 person household earning between $46,500 and $62,000; 2 person household earning between $53,160 and $70,880; 4 person household earning between $66,420 and $88,560.)-Donate funds to non-profits to provide more affordable housing with intensive services for homeless households.
The survey is linked here, in English as well as in Amharic, Chinese (traditional/Cantonese), Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese. SHA is sending it to all of its residents and voucher holders but stresses “the general public’s input is welcome too.” It’s open for two more weeks (through July 15th).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As we often say, thanks for the tip!
A reader asked us what’s happening with 2701 California SW, after seeing what looked like kegs. Our research led us to a brewery-and-more plan in city files, and we subsequently connected with Nick Berger, a West Seattleite who, along with partner Phil Cammarano, plans to open The Good Society Brewery and Public House later this year.
They are both longtime West Seattleites. Before we get to the basics of what they’re going to do and when, Nick explained the mission (which in turn explains the name): “We want to marry good beer with good deeds.”
Elaborating, he continues: “We are a local neighborhood brewery that strives to put community at the center of its identity by incorporating the funding of local causes, both social and environmental, into its basic operating model by serving trend-setting beer and fostering an environment where all the community is welcome.”
(WSB photo, West Seattle Golf Course as seen from SW Genesee)
This year, the 4th of July has an added attraction in West Seattle – a golf championship! Here’s the announcement we received:
The 85th Seattle Amateur Championship, one of the Northwest’s top amateur tournaments, will be played July 2-4 at Seattle’s three municipal golf courses. More than 80 players, representing clubs from across the state and 18 colleges and universities will contend in the unique three-day three-course event hosted by Seattle Parks and Premier Golf.
The first round will begin at Jackson Park on July 2nd, followed by a second round July 3rd at Jefferson Park. (For first and second round tee times and more tournament information see the Seattle Amateur website).
After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 54 players and ties who will advance to the final day of play on July 4th at West Seattle Golf Course. Pairings will be regrouped for the final day. Tee times will begin between 7:30 am and 9:00 am. Spectators are encouraged to attend.
The Seattle Amateur Championship is open to all golfers, male and female, with a USGA handicap index of 4.9 or less. Seven past Seattle Amateur champions are competing this year including former Mariners pitcher Erik Hanson, former University of Washington golfer Erik Olson, and longtime West Seattle Golf Club member Larry Daniels. The tournament prize fund of $6,030 will be awarded to the top 30 players.
The main entrance to the golf course is on the south side of the parking lot shared with West Seattle Stadium, off the east side of 35th SW just south of Avalon Way.
(Pileated Woodpecker, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)
Happy July! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SOUND STEPS WALK: Join the weekly walk in Lincoln Park. Meet at 10 am at the center of the north parking lot. More info in our calendar listing. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
LOW-LOW TIDE: 10:32 am, -2.2 feet, and it’ll be even lower as the week goes on.
HAM JAM: 6 pm on first Mondays at the Senior Center/Sisson Building:
New Hams, learn how to participate in the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club Monday night radio nets. Bring your handheld transceiver.
Future Hams, bring your questions and learn about the club, the hobby, how to get licensed, and ways to serve your community.
More here. (4217 SW Oregon)
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS: New location for this summer’s four-concert series presented by the Seattle Chamber Music Society – 7:30 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus – first a live mini-recital, then the speakers switch to the live broadcast of tonight’s Summer Festival concert from Benaroya Hall. Free. (6000 16th SW)
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA: $2/player, 8 pm at Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! First day of July, first week that school’s out for everyone.
The cloud formation over the Olympics made June’s final sunset one to remember. Thanks for the photos! Above, from Terry; below, from Kanit:
And from Marc:
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