Kirkland Reporter, December 16, 2011

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KIRKLAND .com

REPORTER

NEWSLINE: 425.822.9166

520 TOLLS | Long-awaited 520 bridge tolls set to begin Dec. 29 [12]

Home makeover | Local businesses and FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011 neighbors help rebuild couple’s home [9]

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Fall ball | Local high school teams prepare for winter tournaments with final in-league games [11]

Council OKs purchase of Rail Corridor BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

T

he Kirkland City Council held a special meeting Monday to discuss many end-of-year issues, but the biggest decision could have an impact on the city for decades.

In a unanimous vote, council members authorized the purchase of the Eastside Rail Corridor from the Port of Seattle. The 5.5 mile segment of the rail line goes through the heart of three major Kirkland business districts and was formerly owned by Burlington North-

ern Santa Fe (BNSF). “This is a very, very big moment,” said Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, following the vote. The council authorized the purchase, which was negotiated by the city and the Port of Seattle for $5 million. The corridor could

be redeveloped for multiple uses, including a bike and pedestrian trail. But the issue of how to ultimately pay for the project was of great concern during a study session prior to the vote. “Do you want a trail for [ more RAIL page 8 ]

A pedestrian walks along a portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor in Kirkland. Some hope to develop the corridor into a trail. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter

Chamber’s Bill Vadino to step down

BY CARRIE WOOD

BY CARRIE WOOD

cwood@kirklandreporter.com

cwood@kirklandreporter.com

A 19-year-old soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a person of interest in the murder of a Juanita woman. Scarlett Paxton, 19, was found stabbed to death Nov. 30. by her boyfriend at the Hidden Firs apartments behind the Juanita Albertson’s. Joe Kubistek, spokesman for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, said the soldier was booked into the Regional Correctional Facility on base on Nov. 30 for going absent without leave. “He had gone AWOL several times and he was considered a flight risk,” said Kubistek, adding that Kirkland police notified base personnel that the soldier was Scarlett Paxton a person of interest in the slaying the same day he was booked into custody. Authorities have not identified the soldier yet as he has not been charged, but Kubistek said he has been in the Army over a year and he once missed a mandatory unit movement.

Bill Vadino, the executive director of the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, announced Dec. 9 he will leave his position at the end of the year to become the “show director” for the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance in Tacoma. The annual Concours event that has drawn thousands of car enthusiasts to Carillon Point’s waterfront over the past nine years moved to Tacoma in Bill Vadino September. The all-volunteer Concours board agreed to legally transfer ownership to the non-profit LeMay– America’s Car Museum in Tacoma. Vadino served seven years with the Chamber and three years with the Kirkland Downtown Association, which merged with the Chamber in October 2010. “While in Kirkland I have had four important tasks, the Chamber, KDA, [ more CHAMBER page 2 ]

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Soldier is person of interest in Kirkland woman’s death

Kirkland resident Bradley Nakatani was killed by a Redmond man on Dec. 8 near the Kirkland/Redmond city limits. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter

Second cyclist killed this year in Kirkland Redmond man charged with vehicular homicide BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

A Redmond man was charged with vehicular homicide and reckless driving on Monday for striking and killing a Kirkland bicyclist. Nathan Jeremie Godwin, 26, struck Bradley Nakatani, 36, with his SUV while the Kirkland man was riding a bicycle in the early morning

of Dec. 8 at the intersection of 132nd Avenue Northeast and Northeast 124th Street in Kirkland near the Redmond city limits. Godwin was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He posted a $500,000 bail and was released from jail after his first court appearance on Friday. If convicted, Godwin

faces between 36-48 months in prison. Godwin, a convicted felon, has an extensive driving record, including more than a dozen traffic violations for speeding, disobeying road signals, failure to stop at signals and reckless endangerment. “This is a very busy hub,” said Kirkland Police spokesman Lt. Mike Murray on Dec. 8. “The debris field was so big we couldn’t just shut

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down a lane or two.” Godwin admitted to police he was speeding at approximately 60 mph in the 35 mph zone when he drove through the intersection, according to police records. The Medical Examiner’s Office said Natakani had a skull fracture, among other injuries. The busy intersection was [ more BIKE page 3 ]

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