Auburn Drive-In Fun Place To Watch A Movie

Every summer, we try to spend a weekend evening at the Valley 6 in Auburn.  Drive-ins were a part of American culture in the 60s, but went out of favor with the advent of home video players. 
It is fun to watch a movie under the stars.  You can bring your own food and your dog.  Many people park their trucks or SUVs backwards and bring sleeping bags, assuring their confort.  Talking during the movies is little problem as long as your car friends don't mind.
Deb and I usually try to pick a B-type movie as watching people and having a picnic is almost as much fun as the movie.There are 6 screeens, usually showing two pictures a night.  Last weekend, we saw "The Watch", a silly comedy with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. 
The Auburn Valley 6 is located at 401 49th St NE Auburn, WA 98002.

Proposed Arena Clears First Hurdle

The King County Council, in a 6-3 vote, has approved a binding "memorandum of understanding" to a proposal by Bay area financier Chris Hansen to build an indoor facility in the event that an NBA team be available to move in.   The proposal will now go to the Seattle City Council which will undoubtedly be a much harder sell. The Seattle PI reports that the City Council would like more taxpayer protection as well as request that Hansen's group relinquish some of their profits to help build more roads to ease congestion around the area.

Review--Ken Levine's Latest Book

Part time Seattle Mariner announcer and full time TV writer Ken Levine has a new book out.  The Me Generaton By Me is a fun loving autobiography of growing up in the 60s.  Levine, who grew up as the son of a radio advertising sales in the San Fernando valley, presence a much different view of the decade of the 60s than the stereotype seen in movies like "Forest Gump" and "The Doors".  The whole decade was not all about hippies, psychedelics, and dropping out. 
Levine presents his unique view as an outsider (he was not really about joining cliques in school) of events like the meteoric rise of The Beatles, The Batman TV show, being a contestant on The Dating Game (which he was) and his experiences working in an LA record store and his visit to the set of Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In.  Levine's  writing style that helped make shows like Frasier, Mash, and Cheers popular, make this book a very entertaining read.   The book in either paperback or Kindle is available on Amazon.

Celebrating Summer

One of my favorite summer songs Summer Breeze by Seals And Crofts, this video was filmed by a fan of the song in Penticton, BC.

Sayonara, Ichiro

Ichiro Suzuki, arguably Baseball's first Japanese superstar, has been traded from the Seattle Mariners, where he began his American baseball career, to the New York Yankees.  Ichiro, one of very few sports figures to go by his first name only, was signed by the M's whose fans were reeling from the departure of Alex Rodriguez in 2001.  Now he will be A-Rod's teammate. 
Icharo, was already a Japanese baseball star when he came to the M's, but fairly unknown in this country.  In his first year the M's won a whopping 116 games, until today, Ichiro was the last Mariner from that team to still be on the club.
It had become clear in recent years that his skills were diminishing and with his contract running out, Ichiro's future had become a hot topic in Seattle sports conversation.

Same Store Different Look!

Here is a sneak peek of The UPS Store 4156 at Crossroads in Bellevue.  We regret that we had to close yesterday and Friday, but we confident that you will love our new look.  Reopening is planned for tomorrow around noon.  The UPS Store in Crossroads is at 15600 NE 8th B-1, Bellevue, WA 98008

The Great Wheel

This weekend, we celebrated my birthday, which was actually on Thursday, by going on the Seattle Great Wheel.  That's the new ferris wheel on the Waterfront.  I took the picture above.  Earlier in the evening, we enjoyed dinner at The Spaghetti Factory.

In Memory--Today We Are All Coloradans

5th LD Democrats Endorse Three Candidates For 1st

The 5th District Democrats have voted to endorse Darcy Burner, Suzan Del Bene, and Laura Ruderman in a sign of unity and to send a message that either of these candidates reflect the values of the district. Democrat Steve Hobbs, who had not actively appeared at any meetings of the 5th was not considered.
Ruderman, amid controversy of a negative ad campaign financed by a PAC which was formed by her mother, was present at the meeting as was Del Bene.  Although, Burner did not attend, her partisans seemed to be in full force.  Burner's husband Mike attended, although he did not speak in her favor.
A sole endorsement for Del Bene did not receive the required votes, however the next motion which did pass included her with the two other candidates.

Longtime Walla Walla Prison Warden Dies

If I mention I'm from Walla Walla anywhere else in the state or beyond, they most likely would bring up the state prison.  The image that Walla Walla has had is a big prison with a few houses all around. 
Of course that would be totally inaccurate, but the Penn was the biggest and sometimes only news maker in town growing up.  Superintendent Bobby Rhay ran the prison from 1957 to 1977.  He was the youngest prison warden in the nation when he got the job.  He was the man in charge as the prison was experimenting with various reforms in the 60s and 70s.  He seemed to weather the storm with grace.  In his early years, he was also a gifted athlete and a war hero.  Bobby Rhay passed away last month at 91 

Ethan On The Mound

My nephew, Ethan Wagner prepares to pitch to this batter in the Northwest Regional Baseball Tournament  in Enumclaw. Ethan's Woodinville team had two big victories yesterday, but finished in the quarterfinals today.  We were happy to host the Wagners, as Enumclaw is just a short drive from Maple Valley.  We wound up today eating lunch at the new Brewhaus in Maple Valley, Hop Jacks.

The UPS Store In Crossroads Will Have New Look

It started this week, The UPS Store in Bellevue's Crossroads neighborhood is undergoing an extensive remodel.  You never seem to to realize how organized things are until they get disorganized.  The store is planning to stay open during all or most of the remodel although customers may have to put up with the noise of hammers and drills as well as a little, oh let's say a lot of sawdust.
The remodel will last for two weeks and I know customers will be pleased with the end result.

Illness Claims Issaquah Leader

Barers Of Maple Valley is sad to learn of the passing of former Issaquah City Council member Maureen McCarry.  McCarry was suffering from ALS and had resigned from the council last year.  The Issaquah Press credits her work in bringing a branch of Swedish Hospital to Issaquah and preserving land in the Squak Mountain for wildlife habitat and trail access, an area now known as McCarry Woods.
She is on the right in the above picture.

Northwest League Baseball--The Walla Walla Islanders

Walla Walla would get Minor League Baseball in 1969, the same year Major League Baseball first came to the Seattle (The Pilots).  At first, the Walla Walla Bears were affiliated with Philadelphia. When that tie ended, Walla Walla began an unusual affiliation with a Pacific Coast League team, The Hawaii Islanders.  The season before, Hawaii had the Bend Rainbows in the Northwest League. In the picture above, actor Kurt Russell, who at the time was appearing in Disney films, was trying to make a second career as a baseball player.  Tom Trebelhorn, would later have success as a manager in the "bigs".  Team Owner, Verne Russell (no relation to Kurt) is also pictured on the left in a tie.  The team played at Borleske Stadium.  It was a great place to spend a summer evening. 
The next season,  the team would begin a long affiliation with the San Diego Padres.

My Nephew On The Hill

My nephew, Ethan, who pitches in the Woodinville Pony League, recently had this picture published in the local paper. You can read the story here.

Happy 4th Of July

Pat O'Day does a 4th Of July fireworks show as only he can.