Happy Halloween

The Giants Win The World Series

The Giants have won the World Series for the third time in five years, quietly making them every bit the force that the Yankees were in the late 1990s. The KC Royals put up a great fight, taking the series to 7 games.  What is striking to me is how low in stature the World Series has become.  When I was younger, kids would bring transistor radios to school, classroom TVs were turned on, and it would transcend baseball.  Today, it barely gets mentioned on the sports radio station.  I would imagine it's different in the host cities.  I hope to find out one of these years.

Monster Mash

It's Halloween!

Vintage 1960s Rock And Roll

I found this picture featuring the late Paul Revere and Phil "Fang" Volk on Facebook.  They were part of the memorable Paul Revere And The Raiders.  Revere died of cancer earlier this month.

Happy Birthday, Dasher

Dasher is turning 3!

Keith Jackson's life and legacy - Washington State University

More on fellow WSU Alum Keith Jackson.  Thanks to KOMO reporter Eric Johnson, who is so good at these profiles.  Jackson is probably amongst the greatest sportscasters of all time.  He is a man I have always hoped to meet someday.

Paul Williams, Rainy Days & Mondays ~ LIVE

I thought it would be kind of fun to share this.

Winemaker's Death Shocks Region

The Washington wine making community is shocked at the sudden passing of Eric Dunham.  Dunham co-founded Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.  The winery is near the local airport and a must stop on any trip to Walla Walla.  It has one of the largest tasting rooms and gift shops in the area.  He founded the winery with his father Mike in the mid 1990s  Mike Dunham passed away in 2013.  Dunham was known for naming wine blends after his dogs.  The dogs are often seen on the grounds of the winery.
Since Dunham Cellars was founded, the landscape of the Walla Walla Valley has changed into a world renown wine producing region.  A tourism industry has arose and downtown is filled with new restaurants and tasting rooms.  It is without a doubt that Eric Dunham will be remembered as part of the area's history.

It Happened Again

Only a few months after a tragic school shooting last spring at SPU, another one has occurred in our area.  A Marysville Pichuck High School student shot 4 students, killing at least one.  Then killed himself..

Keith Jackson speaks at his building dedication ceremony

Arguably the best college football announcer of all time, Keith Jackson returned to Pullman this fall where he attended WSU where the Communications building was dedicated in his name.

Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee

Former Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee has died at 93.  Bradlee was probably the most famous editor in the country, having assigned young reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to cover and uncover a break-in at the Democratic headquarters at Washington's Watergate Hotel, in what would turn out to be a scandal that brought down the Nixon administration.  Richard Nixon became the first and so far the only president to resign his office.  Bradlee was portrayed by Jason Robards in the movie "All The President's Men", the role won an Oscar for Robards and help cement Bradlee into the nation's conscience.

World Series To Begin

The World Series begins tonight with the San Francisco Giants, the only survivor of 4 California teams to go to post season and the Kansas City Royals, a cinderella story that should give the Mariners hope.  Actually, I find it hard to believe that they're still playing baseball!

Sunday By The River

I couldn't resist snapping this picture of the Snoqualmie River from our friend's backyard in North Bend.  Temperatures were at a record breaking 70 plus degrees, making it pleasant to be outside.

Kerry Brock is inducted into the Murrow Hall of Achievement

A former Tri-Cities newscaster, a WSU graduate and a sister of my classmate Kathy Brock.  Kerry Brock gives a touching speech as she is honored at the Morrow Symposium.

Percy Harvin Trade Shocks Area

The Seattle Seahawks are now big news in this area outside the sports world, so fans and non-fans alike are in a state of shock at the news that Percy Harvin has been traded to the New York Jets.  I received the news on the Twitter feed on my phone while having coffee with my dad at Starbucks and spent a second wondering if it was a joke. 
Percy Harvin, although spending much of last season sidelined by injuries,  was probably the team's most exciting player, he will be remembered running back a kick-off for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, one of the most memorable moments in Seattle sports history.  It put an exclamation point on a great victory.  This year, while healthy, his numbers were less than exciting, but fans seemed to think a breakthrough was immanent. 
The Seahawks will receive a conditional draft choice from the Jets for Harvin.

Maple Valley Golf Course To Close

The Elk Run Golf Club, once, one of three Maple Valley Golf Courses, will soon be closing for good.  According to the Covington-Maple Valley Reporter, it is part of the "Donut Hole" land sale.  The Donut Hole entails a piece of land that is unincorporated within the city.  It has been a local controversy for over a decade as far as what to do with the land, most of which houses a county maintenance facility.  The area has been sold to private developers.  It includes 9 holes of Elk Run.   Golf course officials say that it would not be profitable to run the course simply as a nine hole facillity. 
Elk Run has always been my favorite place to play golf in town because of the beauty of the area and it's affordability.  It leaves the Lake Wilderness course as the only golf facility in town, although Druids Glenn and Maplewood courses are nearby.  Maple Valley's Taylor Creek Golf Course closed several years ago.

We Pack Collectables

We recently packed and shipped a baseball autographed by 1960s pitching legend Sandy Koufax at The UPS Store at 15600 NE  8th in Bellevue.

Paul Revere & the Raiders -The Smothers Brothers Show - 1967

In tribute to the late Paul Revere.

Severe Weather In Bellevue

After mild weather through most of the fall, a heavy rain downpour hit Bellevue.  The 15600 block of Northeast 8th Street where we work (Crossroads) was flooded.  If you look closely, a car was can be scene disabled by the deep water in the distance. 
The area also got the first tornado warning in 17 years  after a waterspout was sighted over Anderson Island.  A short thunder and lighting storm occurred in the evening.

Go Hawks

Fans around the Sound will be donning their Seahawk jerseys today for Blue Friday,  The Hawks take on the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at Century Link Field.

Where Are They Now (1985)?: "Brakeman Bill" McLain (Part Two)

It's kind of  chilling think of a nostalgic "where are they now" piece on Brakeman Bill, running in 1985, almost 30 years ago.  The Brakeman Bill  aired in the afternoon on KTNT channel 11 out of Tacoma.  The station no network affilliation, so it ran mostly reruns, syndicated shows, news, and sports.  It became available by cable in the Walla Walla area, where I grew up, in the late  60s. The station was what was known in the business as a "superstation", since it had no network affiliation, it would run on cable stations throughout the state. 

The Brakeman Bill Show ran in the afternoon, about the time children would come home from school, it featured Bill McLain as a railroad worker with the Puppet Crazy Donkey. As a grown-up, you wonder what a Brakeman would have to do with a donkey.  

My favorite show at the  time on channel 11 was the "Dennis The Menace" reruns.  The show had actually been cancelled years earlier.  Eventually, the station would be known as KSTW, while still remaining a superstation.  It showed the Tacoma Cubs, Puget Sound Loggers, and later on the Seattle Super Sonics and the Seattle Mariners.    We still have channel 11, hear in Maple Valley, but rarely watch it.

Front Street In Issaquah Before Salmon Days

Taken at 9:45, Sunday I was headed to the 5th district Democratic Booth at Issaquah Salmon Days, Front Street looked quiet and deserted in this shot, but within minutes, the streets would fill with thousands of people enjoying the area's last outdoor festival.  It was reported that a total over 150,000 people enjoyed the two day event, held annually in the first weekend of October.  It celebrates the return of the salmon to the local streams.

Rock Icon Paul Revere Dies

Paul Revere, the founder of 60s rock group Paul Revere and The Raiders has died, he was 76.  Sources say that Revere had been suffering from cancer although no official cause of death has been released.  The band, with Northwest roots, was formed in 1963.  They were often featured on Dick Clark programs, "American Bandstand" and "Where The Action Is". Although their music was aimed at the teenage set, their 1970 hit "Indian Reservation", had political implications.  Another one of the band's hits was "Kicks", an anti-drug song.
Revere, who had a name from American history, was the organist and main comedian.  Mark Lindsay was the band's lead singer and sex symbol until he left the group in the early 1970s. 

Radio Exec Kevin "O'Brien" Metheney Dead At 60

The Seatac Media Blog  reports the sad new of the passing of Kevin Methenyy.  Metheny used the name Kevin O'Brien when he was brought to Seattle by Pat O'Day as a teen age prodigy to work evenings at KJR.  He worked as a radio executive in Cleveland, Chicago, and other major markets, but was perhaps best known as the Program Director at WNBC who tried to reign in Howard Stern.  Metheny was loosely portrayed as a composite character  Kenny Rushton, whom Stern called Pig Vomit in on the air ridicule.  I e-mailed Metheny from an old KJR tribute site after watching the Stern movie and he sent this reply

Metheny, Kevin

Mar 28, 2003

To

• mdbarer@yahoo.com

It's a MOVIE.

Not a historical text.

Bears SOME resemblance to fact. But not too much.

(It only required 10 years or so of therapy!)

You related to my old friend Burl?

KM


Kevin Metheny,
Regional Vice President of Programming, NE Ohio,
Clear Channel Radio
Metheny was program director at KGO-KSFO at the time of his passing.

Double Down--Game Change 2012

 

Double Down is Mark Halperin And John Heliemann's look at the 2012 presidential election.  In 2012, the economy was in bad straights and Obama was campaigning on what seemed a dubious new health care plan that exhausted nearly all of his political capital.  Mitt Romney was the former governor of a very Liberal state, a man who seemed to present a fatherly image, he was successful in business  and was seen as the force behind the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.  Needless to say, this was not going to be an easy ride for the administration.
There really is not much risk of adding spoilers,  because all of you should know the final result, however, for a really good insight in to the race and the strategy and the pitfalls that befell both campaigns,Double Down is an excellent resource.  It offers analysis on  all the candidates as well as how bringing Obama's old rival Bill Clinton aboard at the last minute proved effected the direction of the race. 
I have read that HBO has bought the rights to do a movie or mini-series on the book. 

Coach Borleske Featured On Walla Walla Page

Joe Drazan's Bygone Walla Walla page today, included pictures of Legendary Whitman College football coach Raymond Vincent Borleske.  Walla Walla's athletic field is known as Borleske Stadium.  After coaching, Borleske managed the Marcus Whitman Hotel and was later elected mayor of Walla Walla.