Washington's 5th District Legislative Caucus To Be Held In Issaquah

If you attended the Democratic 5th district Precinct caucuses in and have been chosen to be a delegate or an alternate, you will need to go to the 5th district Legislative Caucus this Saturday at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus at 24635 Issaquah Fall City Rd in Issaquah. The caucus will begin at 10:00 am. Only credentialed delegates may vote and are assured entrance. Unseated alternates and spectators will be admitted as seating allows.

Seattle Mariners Kick Baseball Season Off With Win

I guess "kick off" would be the wrong word but the Seattle Mariners started the 2008 campaign off with a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers. Pictured here are two Mariners who need no introduction. Top is Hall Of Famer Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Mariners and below of course Ichiro who came up with a couple of key hits.

House On Palouse Makes List Of Walla Walla Historical Sites

Thank you to my brother Steve, who found that house where we grew up is on a list of Walla Walla's historic places. My Dad sold the house in 2000 and moved up here to the Seattle area.

An old schoolmate of mine bought the house and remodeled it.

Celebrity Apprentice Named

In spite of my scathing review, I did watch the entire season of Celebrity Apprentice. An initial ratings hit, possibly due in part with the writer's strike earlier this year, it has been renewed by NBC for another season Tabloid journalist and America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, was picked over Country Music star Trace Adkins. Even though Piers won and deservedly so, Adkins won viewers hearts with his humble quiet demeanor. Piers on the other hand apeared to be a smirking caustic jerk, that should not take anything away from his charity which helped wounded veterans of Iraq War. Trace's charity involved helping children with food alergies. His 6 year old daughter, Brianna suffers from severe allergies to eggs, milk, and peanuts.

Donald Trump seemed to want to set up the confrontation as a good vs evil match. Carol Alt had a strong finish and felt badly slighted.

Rumours Swirl On Possible Bennett Departurne

It's no secret that Washington State's coach Tony Bennett, who helped take the Cougs from obscurity to a second straight NCAA apearence would be a hot coaching prospect. Now Fox Sports is reporting that Bennett has been offered the head coaching position at Indiana. Hopefully we can get more details in the coming days.

Cougs Wake Up From Dream Season

The clock struck midnight for the Washington State Cougars as they went down in defeat to the North Carolina Tar Heels 68-47. Allowing just 80 points in two match-ups, the Cougs themselves turned cold. Derek Low and Aron Baynes lead the Cougs scoring with just 14 points apiece.
Congrats to the Cougars for an excellent season!

Washington State Aims For Elite 8

The Washington State Cougars head to Charlotte, North Carolina this Thursday to take on the North Carolina Tar heels. This matches up the Cougs' defense, ranked second in the nation, against the Tar heels' number two ranked offense. This is the first basketball match up ever between the two teams. A victory would put the Cougs in the elite 8 for the first time ever.

We just returned from our yearly visit to the Palm Springs area. We spent time by the pool, saw both of our families, celebrated the birthdays of my nephews and also caught Palm Springs Follies. It was our second time to visiting the follies which features chorus girls ranging in age from the mid-fifties to 80s and the delighfully red-neck host Riff Markowitz. This year's featured performer is Melba Moore.

The Doors In 1967

The short forgotten summer of 1967 replacement show Malibu U, I think was very influential in my life. I remember seeing The Doors for the first time that August.

WSU Cougars Are In Sweet 16

The Washington State Cougars Men's Basketball team is still alive in the NCAA Tournament after a 20 point victory over the Notre Dame Irish. More later.

Boom--A Look At 1968

1968 was the beginning of the 60s that we know today. We remember it as the year

Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated,The Riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, sprinters John Carlos and Tommy Smith giving the "Black Power Salute" at the Olympics in Mexico City, the election of Richard Nixon, and finally, the Moon Orbit of Apollo 8.

Tom Brokaw somehow interviews and writes about the time, injecting his own experiences as well as interviewing many of the "players" on both sides of the fence.

I would enthusiastically recommend it.

Coach Tony Bennett Makes History At WSU

For the first time in School history , the WSU Cougars have made the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in consecutive seasons. The Cougs, lead by Coach Tony Bennett, are seeded 4th in the East Region and will play Winthrop in Denver this Thursday. This is Cougar's 6th overall apearance.

Tiger's Miracle

If you saw this on live TV, you would never forget it. Tiger Woods at the Masters a few years back.

Burl Barer On Internet Radio: New Show

While Burl Barer is still part of the Outlaw Radio crew. Burl talks here about his new internet radio endeavor

Cougs Shoot Down The Ducks

It's tournament time for Pac 10 Men's Basketball and the Washington State Cougars got their Ducks in a row. 3 in a row as a matter of fact, Washington State has beaten the Oregon Ducks three times this season boldly asserting which State rules the Northwest corner.
Derrick Low scored 18 points as the Cougs fought off a second half Oregon onslaught and defeated the Ducks 75-71. Taylor Rochestie scored 16 points, Kyle Weaver had 14 and Robbie Cowgill (Dunking above) had 12. Tajuan Porter had 20 points for the Ducks, 17 of those were in the second half. Mark Hairston also put in 20 in a losing effort.

Call Your Legislator!

The number you need to call to weigh-in on the Sonic's arena proposal is 1(800)562-6000. Time is running out!

Another Puget Sounder Gets Her 15 Minutes In Texas

Does anyone remember Lynsey Nordstrom? Of course you don't, she was the Seattle area girl, whose resemblence to Jessica Simpson earned her a ticket to the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game where she supposedly distracted Tony Romo (Romo dates Simpson).
Now a Tacoma area teen is in the news in a story that seems to be making it's way around the nation as the sleeping child in a Hilary Clinton ad. Casey Knowles and her family where watching Jon Stewart on TV when she saw the above ad and realized that she was in it. The ad which was to make Obama look weak ran in Texas and suggested Hilary's experience would make her better able to handle a crisis. The catch is that Casey is an Obama supporter. She has even contacted the Obama camp about making a counter ad. Talk about an ad backfiring.

Seahawks Sign Former Dallas Running Star

Julius Jones is now a Seattle Seahawk! Jones, whose career totals include 3486 yards and 16 touchdowns in Dallas, was unhappy playing second fiddle to Marion Barber in the Cowboy backfield. The Seahawks seem less confidant in Shaun Alexander's ability to bounce back from a series of injuries in the last couple seasons. The team can afford to carry both Alexander and Jones. It's just a matter of how Alexander reacts to the Seahawk's latest moves.

Thrillah In Pull-manila: Cougs Squeak By Dawgs

The Washington State Cougars' recent dominance of the Washington Huskies in Men's Basketball continued last night with a 76-73 victory in Pullman. It took two overtimes to put the Dawgs away in a nail biter that showed Washington is not as bad as it's record seems to indicate. The Cougs seemed flat at first but rallied to tie at the end of regular time. Kyle Weaver missed a shot that would have sealed a Cougar regulation time victory. Weaver was the game's leading scorer with 20 points.

It May Be Later Than You Think

Just a reminder that we are back to Daylight Savings Time starting today (Sunday March 9th). Your clocks should be turned ahead one hour.

Maple Valley--A Look Back

This article in the Seattle P-I awhile back provides a glimpse into the history of Maple Valley.

Maple Valley, once a woodsy lakeside resort for city dwellers fleeing urban life, has grown into a small city that completely encircles Lake Wilderness and two other lakes southeast of Seattle.
And though the wilderness is gone, the region’s lakes and woodlands continue to attract people pursuing recreational activities within a forest, from hunting and fishing to hiking and canoeing.
In fact, residents still can find a taste of the kind of life that shaped Maple Valley’s early history.
Lake Wilderness, the natural landmark at the center of the city, was once the site of one of King County’s larger lumber mills. In the late 1870s, the first settlers began developing what would later become Maple Valley.
By 1885, trains were hauling coal to neighboring Black Diamond, a city whose industrial awakening revolved around the “black diamond” – coal – and contributed to the growth of Maple Valley.

Coug Grad Makes Excellent Wine

Annette Bergevin, a Washington State University Communications graduate from a prominant Walla Walla family, has combined with Amber Lane to establish Bergevin Lane Winery there.

Seattle Storm Signs Superstar Sheryl Swoopes

If winning the WNBA championship in 2004 did not put the Seattle Storm on the local radar screen, maybe this will. The Storm have signed Sheryl Swoopes, formerly of the Houston Comets. Swoopes has been called the female Michael Jordan according to the Wikkipedia. She has won the WNBA MVP award 3 times and has three Olympic Gold Medals.

Nightmare On The Street Of Dreams

In any area where there is a tendency toward idealist thinking, there is always a group that takes an idea way too far, destroying property and putting lives in danger. The Earth Liberation Front is being blamed for fires at 4 houses at the 2007 Seattle Street Of Dreams in South Snohomish County.

Josh Brown Pulls A Hutch

Say it ain't so! The Seattle Seahawks have lost kicker Josh Brown to the NFC West Division rival St Louis Rams. The Rams offered Brown a reported 14 million dollars for 5 seasons, along with a 4 million dollar signing bonus. That would make Brown the highest paid kicker in league history. Brown had been one of the Rams biggest pests, in 1996 he kicked game winning field goals for the Hawks in two different games against the Rams. While kickers on NFL teams are thought to be interchangeable, Brown was not above making a touchdown saving tackle on kick-off returns.
Seahawk fans are comparing this to the loss of guard Steve "Hutch" Hutchinson, Hutch walked away from the Hawks to play for the Vikings. Although the Vikings have yet been in real Super Bowl contention since their acquisition, the loss clearly has been crippling to the 'Hawks.

Walla Walla's Wine Culture

Brother Steve takes a look at a classmate who has set up one of Walla Walla's many wineries.