KTEL Lee Michaels 1971

 

A blast from the past, Lee Michaels doing the Coffee Break show on KTEL in the early 70s.  Rockin' Cochran can be heard doing a commercial at around 8 minutes.  You can also hear local favorites like Dave Dirks and Bevan Roth.

Last Dance At Century Link For Cougs

I went to Century Link field last night to watch the Washington State Cougars drop a heartbreaker to Rutgers 41-38. It is the last time that the Cougs will play a scheduled game in Seattle, at least for a while.

2014 WSU Football Season Gets Underway

Cougars face Rutgers at Century Link Field tonight.

KXLY 50 Starlit Stairway Show

In one of the best marketing campaigns of the Inland Northwest, viewers from our generation can still remember the phone number of the Boyle Fuel Company.  Starlit Stairway, an amateur talent show, ran for 20 years on Spokane TVm first KXLY channel 4 and then KHQ-6. The show went off the air in 1973. Here is the story of how the Boyle Fuel Company jingle came about.

Groz and Gas Interview Pat O'Day

The beginning clip is a good snapshot of 1960s era Rock  and Roll radio.

Walla Walla Trivia Posts Mentioned In That Town's Paper

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin feature editor Annie Charnley Eveland has recently mentioned this blog in a couple of separate features. 
First was the Denney's Hi Spot commercial (above), one of my memories from childhood.  It was a local classic and had been hoping that someone had it on tape.  Enter Wa-Hi graduate Hank Unck, who worked at KTEL during the early 1970s and was able to e-mail it to me. 
The next was Eddie Feigner (pronounced Faynor).  Eddie was a legendary fast-pitch softball pitcher, who traveled the world with his 4 man team known as the King And His Court.  Eddie was inducted into the Washington State Sports Hall Of Fame, along with some other better known sports figures in a ceremony before a Mariners game that my wife and I attended earlier this month.

Revelations at Loon Lake

I sure miss my Uncle Dave,  my was my Grandfather Barer's brother and one of the sons from B. Barer and Sons.  My dad and him were business partners for 18 years.  This was taken from their vacation spot at Loon Lake by Burl (Dave's son), who has lately begun to post some old family videos.

In this clip, Dave is being interviewed by grandson Lee Goldberg.

Maple Valley Farmer's Market

Check out the Maple Valley Farmer's Market  every Saturday from 9am until 2pm until October 4th.  You market takes place on the ground of Rock Creek Elementary School 25700 Maple Valley Black Diamond Road  Maple Valley, WA 98038.  I stopped by this morning and bought some fresh berries and flowers for my wife.

Dave and Dora Barer's 50th Wedding Anniversary Video

Cousin Stan Barer is the host  in this trip down memory lane,  My Grandfather Barer's brother David and his wife celebrated 50 years together.  Uncle Dave, passed away a few weeks later.  To the right of Stan, you can see my Grandmother Barer.

Don Pardo--The Voice

When workers had their Monday morning water cooler discussions about SNL, chances are, they didn't talk about Don Pardo.  You may not have heard of Don Pardo, but you probably heard him.  He was the voice of Saturday Night Live for nearly 40 years.  Because of Pardo, you knew the players, knew the guest host, and the music act.  Don Pardo had a 70 year career at NBC, being the studio announcer for The Price Is Right, Jackpot, and Jeopardy.
Don Pardo died this week at 96. 

Kurt Russell Speaks About Baseball Career

Kurt Russell brought a little bit of Hollywood to Walla Walla when he played for the town's Northwest League team in the early 1970s. In this piece, he talks about his more famous stint with the Portland Mavericks. This echoes the earlier piece that I posted from the Seattle Times.

Stan Barer's Bar Mitzvah

From Burl's "youtube" page, this video features both sets of my grandparents, My Uncle Dave and Aunt Dorothy (Stan and Burl's parents) my Mom and Dad  before they were a couple, my Uncle Phil and Uncle Arny, Cousins Burl, Stan, and Jan and many old family friends who are no longer with us.  Filmed in 1952 at the old Walla Walla shul on Rose and Tucannon Streets, it was torn down in the early 1970s for an Elks Lodge.  The shul was moved to it's present site on Alder and Roosevelt.

Mike Steps Up To Ice Bucket Challenge

I was challenged by the Wagner family to take the ice bucket challenge.  It is a drive that has become viral on facebook.  You will also see newscasters and other public figures doing it on TV and what not. While it is definitely trending, perhaps tiresome, it is indeed a worthy cause.  ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease can hit people in the prime of their life.  It snuffed out the career and eventually the life of Baseball great Lou Gehrig.  What means the most is that at least one of the people that I challenged, stepped up to to also do it.

Hank Simon's Last Show On KALE

Raised in Walla Walla, Hank Simon's last show on KALE in the Tri-Cities. 

Essie Hicks--Running For State House

Last weekend, I volunteered to work in the Democratic Booth at Mt Si Days. Essie Hicks was there, campaigning to represent the 5 Legislative District in the State House Of Representatives.  The seat is currently held by Republican Jay Rodne.  The 5 District is comprised of Southeastern King County.  Main towns are Issaquah, Maple Valley, North Bend, and Carnation.

No Cure For Seahawk Fever

Yes we are the champions!  King 5 did this report on a couple of rampant Seahawks fans on it's morning news.   The team did not let us down.  The Hawks defeated San Diego 41-14.

Dana Parnello Appointed To Maple Valley City Council

The newest face on the Maple Valley City Council is actually a familiar face.  Dana Parnello was recently appointed to the Council to take the place of Victoria Laise Jonas.  Parnello was also appointed to the council in 2010 when charter member Laure Iddings resigned.  He did not run to retain his seat.
Parnello had served on the Maple Valley Planning Commission from 2007 to 2010.
Parnello was appointed to the council by a 6-1 vote, with Linda Johnson being the dissenting vote.
He will be sworn in on August 25th.

Walla Walla Native Eddie Feigner Inducted

There was a ceremony before last Sunday's Mariner game.  Several well known athletes were being inducted into the State Of Washington Sports Hall Of Fame and one not as well known.  Walla Walla native Eddie Feigner, who passed away several years ago, joined Chip Hanauer, Alvin David, Keith Jackson, Detlef Shrempf, and Jack Thompson as inductees.  Feigner was represented by his son, Eddie Feigner, Jr.
Feigner was a pitcher and "The King" for a barnstorming team known as "the King and His Court",  a fast-pitch softball team.  In an exhibition one time, Feigner struck out Willlie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, and Harmon Killebrew, consecutively.  For more on Feigner, click here

Ken Levine's Unique Tribute To Robin Williams

When a celebrity passes on, bloggers and blog readers will often go to TV writer Ken Levine's well written By Ken Levine   In this touching piece, Ken eulogizes Robin William the way he feels Robin would want it.  click here

Rest In Peace Robin Williams

Actor's death in Bay Area ruled a suicide. It is clearly not the first time an entertainer has chosen to end his or her life. However, we generally think of someone on the back side of a career or an addict.  While Williams, had battles with drugs and alcohol, I think his death points to more underlying causes. While Williams, at this point of his career, was not a "red hot" talent.  He was a looming presence on the Hollywood scene.
Perhaps, this tragedy can lead to something positive, perhaps it can raise awareness of Depression and how to manage it.  But one thing we can do is stand up and applaud Mr. Williams for entertaining and making those around him happy, something that he, perhaps was not.

An Afternoon At Safeco

Fernando Rodney takes the mound in the top of the 9th with the Mariners leading 4-1.  It was not a smooth inning for Rodney,the M's all-star closer, who gave up a run and hit a batter with a pitch to load the bases, but he was able to hang on and strike the last batter out to preserve a victory over the Chicago White Sox.
We were at the game, yesterday.

Lou Piniella Joins The Mariner Hall Of Fame

I captured this from the TV during Lou Piniella's induction into the Seattle Mariner Hall Of Fame.

Lou Piniella To Be Inducted

No doubt, one of the top 5 figures in  Mariner history, Lou Piniella will be inducted into the team's Hall Of Fame tonight.  Lou Piniella managed the M's during 7 of their 11 seasons above .500 (more wins than losses) and all 4 play off appearences.  When Lou is introduced, you may hear what sounds like booing, they are really yelling LOU!  I met Lou at the 2013 Hutch awards.

Old Walla Walla Radio Remembered--Part 5

Denney's Hi Spot was a lunch bar on Main Street near Palouse in Walla Walla.  It was known for frequently heard radio commercials featuring owner Joe Denney.  Denney's songs were simple yet conveyed the message of  who, what, and where.   Thank you to former KTEL air personality Lee (Hank Unck) Michaels for digging this up!

Seattle Radio Greats Meet

Thank you to Jason Remington for this picture.  It is so appropriate that this picture was taken in front of the Seattle skyline.  These men dominated the Seattle airwaves in the 60s and 70s.  A group of past and present Seattle air talent gathered at Salty's last Monday to reminisce about old times and plan for a Northwest Hall Of Radio History.  Burl Barer is 3rd from left in back and Pat O'Day is in green shirt on the right.

Seattle Pilots--Part 2

The Pilots launched in 1969, the same season that Walla Walla Bears would be it's town's Northwest League entry.  When the Pilots and  the other American League entry, the Kansas City Royals had the expansion draft, I was excited because I had baseball cards for most of the players, after all these years I realize that there was a reason for that.  Most baseball cards are for mediocre and average players.
The Pilots did have a few player who were from the defending champion Detroit Tigers.  I think that the Tigers made these players available so they didn't have to give them pay raises.  Wayne Comer and Ray Oyler were the Tigers contribution.
I listened to the Pilots on KUJ in Walla Walla, the same station to carry Northwest League games.  They were on NBC's game of the week once, that I can recall. 
Diego Segui pitched for the Pilots and also for the Seattle Mariners. His son, David, also played for the M's.
The Pilots have a web site with bits and pieces of the teams history.  You can find it here

The Pilots--Seattle's Forgotten Major League Team

The Seattle Pilots may be Seattle's forgotten team, but when the Mariner management was struggling to get a new stadium built, the memory of the Pilots was put into play.It was clear that if the Mariners were to move, it would be the second MLB team to leave.  Seattle would never have it's own big league baseball team again.  In addition, the Pilots were only here one year. With the Mariners continued failures, up to the 1995, many held the belief that it is impossible for Major League baseball to succeed here. 
With the move of the Seattle Super Sonics, both Major League teams that Seattle hosted in the 1960s have left town and assumed new names and identities.  If the Sonics had Clay Bennett, the Pilots had Bud Selig, who like Bennett, wanted a Major team in his home town.  Today, Selig is commissioner of Major League Baseball, although he won't get many cheers in this area.  At least not many more than former NBA commissioner David Stern.  Stern was Bennett's ally in the Sonics departure.
I found this video on the history of the Pilots.  You can click here to see it.

The Blues Are Back!

They fly by quicker than you can aim a camera, but we were able to enjoy the Blue Angels as they returned to Seafair.  After a year off because of sequester, they returned along with with many other acrobatic flying groups.  Once again, we were able to watch at our friend's viewing party at their house in Mercer Island.  The picture above was the best shot I got of the Blues.

Welcome Back, Beast Mode!

Seahawk Marshawn Lynch has ended his hold out.