Friends Surprise BOMV Writer

I was finishing golf with a couple of family members last Sunday when my wife asked if we could meet them at Lake Sammamish Park.  It hadn't even entered my mind that my birthday was coming up Tuesday. When I arrived, I saw baloons and banners, my wife had planned another surprise party.  Although the weather was less than ideal, it was a fun time.

CNN Comes To Visit

Once again the media was present at The UPS Store in Crossroads.  CNN came to film one of our customers who is active in The Pink Daisy Project, a Breast Cancer support group. The show is called CNN Heroes, I am unsure when it airs, but was part of a "day in the life" concept. More details later.

Mariners Honor 2001 Team

Thanks to our friends, Louie and Hera, we were able to go to Safeco where the Mariners honored the 2001 team that had won 116 games.  It was a moving ceremony anchored by Rich Rizzs. Lou Piniella, the Manager that year was also there and addressed the crowd. Like a serial TV show, the Mariner left unfinished business as they did not get to the World Series.  They did tie a record set by the Chicago Cubs, perhaps there is a jinx to winning 116th as the Cubs are also known for hard luck.  Incidentally, the only member of that team still playing for the M's is Icharo.

It's Election Season

It's an off-year election, meaning that the town of Maple Valley is marked with signs of people running for positions that you may not have known even existed.  This was taken at the entrance to Belmont Woods.  The "For Rent" sign is only a coincidence.

Woodinville Little Leaguers Win Again

My nephew Ethan prepares to take the mound as he was able to contribute to a 4-3 extra innings victory for the Woodinville 11-12 year old Little League All Stars.  So far, I have been able to watch 3 games and all of them have been exciting victories.

My Wife On KIRO TV's Better Northwest

Deb tells an excited Penny LeGate about the contest that we are running at The UPS Store in Bellevue's Crossroads area. The contest continues through early August.  This segment aired on July 7th on the KIRO-TV morning show "Better Northwest"

Little River Band Entertains At Snoqualmie Casino

Reflecting one of it's most popular hits, the weather was a cloudy "cool change" from the heat that we have experienced most of this week as we watched The Little River Band perform at Snoqualmie Casino.  The Venue's proximity to the Cascades made things a little more on the windy and cool side, however,  there was no rain and the band's stellar music and ability to interact with the crowd made it an entertaining evening.

Maple Valley Makes Top 10 List

Family Circle Magazine has chosen Maple Valley, Washington as one of the top ten towns to raise a family. The reasons given were excellent schools, affordable housing and convenient access to health care. It was also mentioned that the local Rotary raises 100 thousand dollars each year for local charities. 

Having lived in Maple Valley for over 10 years, I think that it's best attributes also include being close to Seattle while maintaining a small town atmosphere, it's proximity to Lake Wilderness, and the stunning views of Mount Rainier.

Maple Valley Market Is Back

The Maple Valley Farmer's Market will be open every Saturday through September from 9am until 1pm.  It takes place on the grounds of the Rock Creek Elementary School, 25700 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Road (Highway 169), not far from our house.

To Our Canadian Readers

Happy Canada Day.  And thanks for making this blog's numbers soar during the Stanley Cup Finals!

Seattle Storms The White House

The 2010 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm visited the White House yesterday to receive the congratulations of President Obama.  The President in this picture, is flanked by Sue Bird and Swin Cash.

Dinner In North Bend.

Last Sunday, Deb and I had dinner with our friends Marjie and Rick in North Bend.  They live right on the banks of the Snoqualmie River by Mount Si.  They barbecued burgers and we enjoyed the fun atmosphere.  It was one of the rare clear warm nights that we have had this summer.

Penny LeGate Visits The UPS Store In Crossroads

Veteran TV reporter Penny LeGate was welcomed at The UPS Store at Crossroads yesterday, to film a segment for the KIRO 7 TV magazine Better Northwest. 
LeGate arrived at the store yesterday about 9:45am, a few minutes after her crew started setting up the "studio" which consisted of a banner made at our store hanging from a counter and the mailboxes.  After introducing herself to our staff, she showed pictures of her dog and posed for a picture (second from top) that I requested.  She interviewed Deb for about an hour from which a 4 minute segment will be taken.  Our dog, Rusty (top) will be included.  They also took a cameo shot of me that may or may not be included.  Our nephews may also appear.  When the crew wrapped up, LeGate took a little time to visit the nearby craft store "Michaels", then returned to say good bye to everyone. 
The segment (which also talks about the "Summer Fun Getaway" contest running now at Seattle area stores) is scheduled to be shown Thursday, July 7th between 9 and 10 am on channel 7.

Hope He Brought His Wife

Or visa versa.  I was surprised to see this car while going to hit balls at the Druids Glen Golfcourse in nearby Black Diamond.

The UPS Store In Crossroads Will Be On TV

KIRO TV's Penny LeGate will be at The UPS Store 4156, Crossroads on Tuesday June 28th from 10-11:30 am to film a segment for the morning program Better Northwest.  The segment will be aired on Thursday July 7th from 10-11 on KIRO TV, channel 7 in the Seattle area.

Issaquah Auto show

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Even a casual car fan like me can have a great time  at "Fenders On Front Street"in Issaquah.  I invited my dad to join me at the car show yesterday, which was Father's Day.  After a nice breakfast at 12th Street Cafe, we drove a few blocks in my Dad's '88 Mercedes (lower picture)  to the show.  Front Steet (Issaquah's Main Drag) was closed off from Gilman to Sunset as the festival featured automobiles from every decade of the 20th century and beyond. I was most impressed with the Deloreans (top picture). Even though it is estimated that only6600 of that model remain, there were about 10 of them in a row. Presented by the PacifcNorthwest DeLorean Club, which was listed as the largest of it's kind.

Happy Father's Day

5th District Democrats Endorse In Races

The Democrats of Washington's 5th Legislative District endorsed in four local races. The lack of partisan contests as well as lack of opposition made the process quicker. In the race for Port Commissioner Position 2, incumbent Gael Tarleton (above) was endorsed. The 5th also endorsed Sammamish resident, Dean Willard for Position 5 on the Commission. Josh Schaer, the only Issaquah City Councilmen drawing an opponent, also received endorsement as well as Lloyd Hara, who is running unopposed to retain his job as County Assessor. The 5th district also endorsed "no" votes on Initiatives 1119, 1122, and 1125.

Record Hits In A Day For Barers Of Maple Valley

As of this writing, I've had 576 hits today, a record for this blog. Half way through the month I've had almost three times as many hits as I average in a whole month. The genesis to this activity was an article that I wrote about the Vancouver Canucks going to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now it should be time to strap on a parachute. The Canucks lost game seven to the Boston Bruins tonight. The hits should drop dramatically.

King 5's Tracy Taylor Joins Blogosphere

I like to keep you informed of new and exciting blogs. KING TV traffic reporter, Tracy Taylor has started one called "The Random Acts Of T Squared" Tracy became well known as the morning traffic reporter on KJR-AM. She moved to KING-5 TV at the beginning of last year. She is unique among area broadcasting personalities in her ability to interact with viewers. Her facebook fan page is rapidly approaching 2000 "likes". You can read Tracy's blog by clicking here.

Mavericks Beat The Heat

The Dallas Mavericks defy all the experts and beat the Miami Heat 105-95, taking the NBA finals 4 games to 2.

Willard Running For Port Commision

Sammamish resident Dean Willard, a technology consultant and former Vice President at T-Mobile, is seeking Position 5 on the Seattle Port Commission. Willard, who last year campaigned as a Democrat to Represent the 5th District in the State House Representatives, will run against incumbent Bill Bryant and Will Knedlick in this August's primary for the non-partisan (at least in name) position.

Around The Town

This fountain outside the Lake Wilderness Lodge is a great place to gather one's thoughts after walking the trail.

Maple Valley Days Starting To Take Shape

Maple Valley Days will commence this weekend at beautiful Lake Wilderness Park. The rides where already to go when I dropped by after walking the Wilderness Trail this evening.

The festivities begin Friday, June 10th at 3:00 and wind down Sunday June 12th at 6pm. You can get more information at the Maple Valley Days Webpage

Colin Powell Inspirational In Seattle Appearence

Today, Deb and I were able to endure the lousy traffic to attend Get Motivated Seminar at Key Arena. We were lucky enough to get a premier on street parking spot. We only had enough time to attend the morning session, so after a late start we got to see only two speakers. Fortunately, one of them was General Colin Powell. Powell, of course, was the very first African American Secretary Of State. He served under the Bush administration, and while our politics may differ, General Powell may be the one politician to transcend party lines.
Powell talked about adjustments he needed to make, going from have his own jet and being called upon by worldwide leaders to just being retired. He spoke of the new media and how he wondered why his grandson didn't return his e-mails. He discovered that today's youth do not e-mail but communicate through text and twitter. Powell refused to go on facebook and was enraged to find that an imposter set up a phony page for him. He decided that it may not be as bad when his grandson told him that he had 35,000 followers.
Powell paid homage to the late Seattle School Superintendent John Stanford, also a general and spoke of the need to improve our nation's public education.
He also went through the steps of building a successful team, mostly by respecting your followers. He also emphasized the need of setting goals.
Some of the other speakers to appear at the Key were Laura Bush, Dan Rather, and Joe Montana.

Thank You!

A big THANK YOU to Belmont Woods, and the Greater Maple Valley area for making our garage sale a smashing success!

Ken Levine Featured On KIRO Blog

You may not have heard of Ken Levine ,but chances are, he has entertained you. Ken Levine, who temporarily replaced Rick Rizzs in the early 90's as Dave Niehaus' broadcast partner in the Mariner's booth, is back as one of the rotating group of former announcers brought back to partner with Rizzs.
With a distinct voice and a flair for for description, baseball is the moonlight gig for Levine, who also is one of televisions foremost comedy writers. Levine has written for "Cheers", "Frasier", "MASH," and many more. Levine is featured on KIRO's My Northwest blog.

Levine also has a blog of his own. He is known for sharing behind the scenes stories on some of America's most loved TV shows.

Statue Planned To Honor Seattle Music Icons

A statue is in the works to honor Seattle musician Jimi Hendix and radio personality, music promotor Pat O'Day. According to the "Hendrix & O’Day Music Matters Monument Project 2012" the statue honors the day in 1968 when the pair apeared at Seattle's Garfield High to speak at a school assembly. The statue is being prepaired by O'Day's son, Jerry, a known local artist. I hope to have more details on the project as they become available.

Laura Ruderman Announces Congressional Bid

Former Democratic State Legislator Laura Ruderman has announced plans to seek the seat in the US House Of Representatives currently held by fellow Democrat Jay Inslee. Inslee is expected to run for Governor of Washington. Ruderman served the 45th District in the State House of Representatives from 1999-2005, but left to run unsuccessfully for Secretary Of State.

Maple Valley Native Hits 30

Happy 30th birthday to Maple Valley area native Brandi Carlile.

Mariner Win Highlight Of Fun Afternoon

Deb and I spent a sunny afternoon at Safeco Field with our nephews, Ethan and Connor watching the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3

Before we arrived at the game, we all made a prediction of what the final score would be and Deb hit it on the nose. The tickets that we had were incredible as we were right on top of the action. I would encourage everyone to get out to see the team this year. It looks like things are moving in the right direction as the team tries to rebuild into a contender.

Community Wide Garage Sale In Maple Valley

The Maple Valley subdivision of Belmont Woods will be having a community wide Garage Sale this coming weekend, June 3rd and 4th from 9am to 3pm. Belmont Woods is in North Maple Valley, second left from the Chevron Station as you come in from Renton and points North.

This Blog Turns 6

Barers Of Maple Valley turns 6 today! You can find my first ever post by clicking here

WSU Makes Desirable Campus List

If you surf the Internet, you can see that "lists"are a popular drawing card. The Huffington Post has named my Alma matter Washington State University the number 12 college to "visit even if your not a student". It is right after Yale and arch rival University Of Washington. The report says "Most campus buildings are red brick and can be characterized as utilitarian, a fitting style for the land-grant university work ethic and standards of fiduciary prudence. Washington State University is located in Pullman, a dynamic center of higher education, research, and culture nestled among the beautiful rolling hills of southeastern Washington" Some of the other beautiful college campuses in our state, that are not on the list would be Western Washington University, The Evergreen State University, and Whitman College.

Vancouver Canucks Going To NHL Finals

The Vancouver Canucks, adopted home hockey team by many in the Pacific Northwest, has advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canuck's edged the San Jose Sharks in double OT last night to earn the teams 3rd attempt to play for the Cup, named after Lord Stanley, to whom the cities largest park is also named. The Canucks have never won the Cup and their last trip to the finals was 17 years ago.

The Original B. Barer And Sons

From the Whitman College Archives. This is the business from which B. Barer And Sons would evolve. Thank you to Jeff Reynolds for finding this picture.

Mariners Win Behind Pineda Shutout

Rookie Sensation Michael Pineda pitched 7 innings of 2 hit ball as the Seattle Mariners shut out the San Diego Padres 4-0. It was the 4th win in a row for the improving Mariners. Mariner Mike Wilson had 2 RBIs.
It looks like the Mariner rebuilding effort is showing some progress.

The KUJ Wake Up Song

The KUJ wake up song, when Charles Luce, Jr wrote KUJ owner Verne Russell to tell him about his Mom enjoying the KUJ sign-off, Russell sent a tape of the sign-off along with the "Wake-up Song" which was played every morning at the time when KUJ started it's broadcast day.

The Lost KUJ Sign-Off Lost No Longer

Thank you to Charles Luce, Jr for finding this. From the 1960s through the '70s Legendary Walla Walla area broadcaster Verne Russell signed his pioneer radio station off with this audio.

KUJ carried the broadcasting of, at one time, The Seattle Pilots and the Walla Walla Minor League team, which Russell eventually purchased. It also had CBS network news and programming along with local Djs playing easy listening music. The sign-off would occur at 10:00 or whenever a game that was broadcasted, would conclude.

Good Bye To Leonard Donin

Word has been received that retired Portland retailer Leonard Donin has passed away. Donin was the oldest living athlete to have played on a University Of Oregon team, a former basketball and baseball star, he would have been the first Oregon letterman to live to be 100. To us, he was known as the father of my Aunt Carol, who married my Dad's brother Arny. Although I have known Mr. Donin for 40 years, I did not know until recently of his impressive athletic achievements. As a matter of fact, I did not know that he was an athlete at all. He was a very soft spoken, humble man. As soft spoken as he was, he was also very engaging and it was easy to converse with him. Mr. Donin would have been 100 tomorrow and a party had been planned to honor him.

Spring Has Sprung In Maple Valley

Spring has been alternating with Winter hear in the area. I took this picture from our front yard last weekend.

1968 Game of the Century

I had just starting following sports when I watched this game on TV one Saturday night. When UCLA played Houston in what was at that time, the futuristic "Astrodome" now an outmoded concept. I did not realize it was the first college basketball game to be broadcast nationally. The game was on an independent network called TVS.
The Houston Cougars upset the UCLA Bruins 71-69. The Bruins would come back in the post-season and wallop Houston 101-69.

More Wenatchee--The Applewood Grill

Saturday night after the meeting, we went out to look for a neat place to catch some dinner. We thought that the Applewood Grill, located by the Convention Center, near a sky bridge that leads to a park, would be a great choice, we were not disappointed. In a town with many unique restaurants, we found that the Applewood had a vibrant menu of wood fired pizzas, chicken dishes, and micro beers making it a perfect place to unwind. I had the barbecue chicken pizza and Deb had the Buffalo chicken pizza and both were delicious. The Applewood Grill is located at 29 Columbia in Wenatchee.

State Dems Meet In Wenatchee

Politics can be fun, Deb and I headed East last weekend so I could attend the Washington Democrats State Committee meeting in lovely Wenatchee. Wenatchee is locatated just East of the Cascade Mountains, although small, has a lot of charm and character (bottom picture is Bob's Classic, a diner across from our hotel). It is located at the Confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers with a population of about 30,00o.

We arrived Friday evening at the Coast Hotel, a little late to enjoy much of the hospitality suites, we went to Roasters at the top of Hotel, I had never heard of a small town having a night club on the top floor.

Wenatchee is in the middle of it's annual Apple Blossom Festival, while I went to the meetings on Saturday, Deb went to a parade and poked around town.

Before every State Democratic meeting, there is a luncheon, this time it was a Trivia Luncheon. Each table was a team. At my table was Jennifer Sutton, Aaron Belenky, Rob Dolin, Steve Zemke, Dan Lambert and Barbara Gellar. Every table of given sheets of questions and whoever could answer the most would win prize for each member. Our table, which included two 5th District Democrats, took first prize. Not bad! We each got a bottle of wine for our victory. Hopefully, I didn't leave anyone out.

The State Committee meeting concluded once again, with Aziem Underwood singing his "Salt Off The Fries". Amidst happy hand clappin' members, relieved that another meeting could have a little silliness.

May Day Is "Pay Day" For Bin Laden

A US airstrike claims the life of Osama Bin Laden on May 1st 2011.