Old Walla Walla Radio Remembered Part 13

Thank you to Hank Unck, who as Lee Michaels, worked at KTEL in the early 70s.  When the station shut down it's downtown office, to move to the transmitter site, he bought the old equipment and found this in the mixer board.

My Sister

We had just started home from a barbecue in North Bend when Deb's cell phone rang.  It was my Mother-in-law, though it was almost midnight, I was not surprised, my wife's family often keeps late hours.  I heard on the blue tooth speaker that I was to call my Dad's wife.  I thought uh oh, my something happened to my dad.  But that was not the case, it was that my sister had been killed in a car accident--Holy Cow!
I called my dad, of course thinking about what he had been going through.  My sis, also named Debra, but for decades, using the name Terri, was a constant worry for him.  For the last few decades, we had rarely seen her. She had been living in Nashville, a place that she seemed taken to.
When we were little, we were twin terrors,  there was Debbie and Me and we were inseparable.  She was 2 years younger, we both loved playing with the kids on Leonard Street and in the basement of Grandmother Barers house, where there was a bar, a big radio, and a piano.  I remember my famous "Debbie did it" meaning any trouble I was about to get into was "her" fault.  It became such a catch phrase my family would often repeat it.   As we became teenagers, we seemed to share a love for Rock music,radio, and the hippie culture along with everything else that embodied the 1960s, yet we grew further apart often at odds with each other. 
When Debbie got out of high school in 2 years, rather than 3 years.  She headed to the University  Of Washington.  She would never live in Walla Walla again.  She did visit once in a while. She left school and worked for the phone company, a job that gave her good benefits.  This allowed her to do some travel.  She would later get her real estate license. She had begun to use the name Teri, which she may have picked up when working at the U-Dub radio station.
A friend who knew her in Nashville told my dad that she had made a good life for herself in Nashville.  A look at her Facebook page shows an interest in Nascar, something that I would never in a million years think she would have an interest in.  She also worked to save the Nashville Fairgrounds.  She was constantly at Nashville City Council meetings.  She had numerous Facebook friends, not one associated with Walla Walla, nor the family.
We are happy that she was able to find a place to be happy.  A Graveside service will be held Tuesday, July 30th, 10am at the Mountain View Cemetery in Walla Walla.

Reading With Rover

Deb and Dasher appear at 13 seconds into this video.  They are long time volunteers in the "Reading With Rover" program.

Brandi Carlile "Downpour" At: Guitar Center

Maple Valley's Brandi Carlile performs this beautiful song.

Edgar Martinez Named M's Hitting Coach

Edgar Martinez, one of Seattle's most beloved pro athletes has taken the position as Mariner hitting coach.  Howard Johnson who previously had the position, has been reassigned.  Martinez is considered by many to be the best right handed hitter of his generation.   ESPN says the M's have the worst batting average in the majors.  The one certainty is that more changes are on the way.

Happy Father's Day

WSU President Elson Floyd

Cougars worldwide are mourning the passing of University president Elson Floyd.  Floyd has recently taken a leave of absence from the school, after learning that he had cancer. he recently led efforts for WSU to establish a medical school. The school's first African-American president, Floyd was 59.

US Open Golf Down The Road From Maple Valley

This year's US Open taking place at Chambers Bay, only 33 miles from Maple Valley.  Tough conditions on the course have taken it's toll.  Jason Day, collapsed on the final hole. probably a victim of long walks and lack of shade.   The US Open is the second major golf tournament of the year.  It concludes on Father's Day.  Perhaps on that account that it is appropriate that it is played in the state of Washington, where Father's Day traces it's beginnings.

Happy Birtday To My Wife!

The Donald Tosses His Hat In

After many years of talking about a presidential run, Donald Trump has made it official.  Trump's reality show, The Apprentice, made a catch phrase out of the line, "your fired".   He is well know for flashing his opulence and for self adulation.   Trump has been married three times and has many children. 

My Crossfire Pal

Working retail in Bellevue, I've met some pretty well known people.  In the late 1990s, Michael Kinsley took a job of editor at Slate, an online magazine launched by Microsoft.  Kinsley was known as the liberal voice on CNN's Crossfire.  He would debate either Robert Novak or Pat Buchanan, both hardcore conservatives. 
During his tenure at Slate, Kinsley began to rent a mailbox at The UPS Store I was working.  He was a real nice guy, never a prima donna.  He would often ask about what was going on in my life.  While he was totally Liberal on TV, when I talked politics with him and said something Liberal, he would play "devil's advocate" , probably wanting me to take a balanced approached at looking at issues.  When the holidays approached, he gave both me and my father-in-law (the owner) bottles of wine.
Of course, that was a very important time in his life.  It was then that he became engaged to Patty Stonecipher, a leader of the Gates Foundation.  He also revealed that he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

New High School To Be Built In Maple Valley

The local weekly Voice Of The Valley reports the June 5th groundbreaking of the new Tahoma High School.  It will be located in the donut hole area area in the South end of Maple Valley.  This will be the second move for the school.  The original built in 1926 now houses the middle school. 

Maple Valley Days

Maple Valley Days, the yearly local festival, takes place this weekend at Lake Wilderness Park.  There is a parade Saturday morning on Witte Road.  There will be music, rides, and booths all weekend.

Gangsterland By Tod Goldberg

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Available on Amazon or your favorite book store, Gangsterland is a rather tongue-in-cheek book about a Chicago hit man named Sal Cupertine.  After a botched job, he becomes the target of the Mafia and the FBI.  He is forced to fake his own death and go into hiding.  He undergoes plastic surgery and ends up posing as and basically becoming a Las Vegas rabbi.  Now if you were hiding from the mob, and  authorities, Las Vegas does not seem like it would be the best choice.  He may have better luck posing as a rabbi in Spokane or Portland.  However our author, who obviously, did his homework as far both plot and character development, knew that Vegas was needed to provide the best and most interesting storyline.  After reading books and studying Talmud, Sal Cupertine emerges as Rabbi David Cohen, so much so that he is referred to as David throughout the rest of the story. 
Of course, like with any book written by Lee or Tod Goldberg, you get their unique observational humor.

Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft #1 Hit(1972)

One of the cool things about summer is posting videos like this..

American Pharoh Makes History

American Pharoh became the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 this weekend, winning the Belmont Stakes.  Many other horses have won the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, but only 11 horses in history have won all three races.

Ringo Starr Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

He is the man who put the "beat" into the Beatles.  He is the oldest Beatle, the last to join the group, the only Beatle to use a stage name (his real name is Richard Starkey) and the last to be inducted as an individual artist into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. 
Ringo Starr has often been the most criticized of The Beatles, many critics think of him as the least talented. but Paul McCartney disputed any such thing in his induction speech.  According to Paul, the three other Beatles never had to look behind to see what the drummer was going to do. 
Watching the HBO special on the Rock Hall, Ringo at 74, still looks trim and young and packs that intangible that made the Beatles what they were.  After Ringo's acceptance speech, he joined other musicians including McCartney in jamming to a number of songs he did, including Beatle songs, "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Boys", and "With A Little Help From My Friends".
This year's Hall Of Fame class also includes Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lou Reed, Bill Withers, Green Day, and Joan Jett.

Mark Trumbo Joins The M's

In what could be turning out to be the most disappointing season in Mariner history, the team has traded for power hitter Mark Trumbo.  Trumbo had been with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The teams is hoping that Trumbo can bring more runners home.  Trumbo is also a former Angel. 

1968 Don Drysdale Los Angeles Dodgers Vitalis Commerical

Back in 1968, Don Drysdale set a record for shut out innings, in part thanks to a controversial call after he beaned a San Francisco Giant.  The Giants skipper Herman Franks was furious and was thrown out of the game.  The incident was lampooned in this Vitalis commercial featuring Drysdale and Franks.

Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler Divine Intervention Live @ Key Aren...

I was able to find this cut from last Monday's Bette Midler concert.

Bette Midler Dazzles Seattle

We spent a very entertaining evening with Bette Midler, now a three time Grammy winner.  At the Key Arena, Midler sang a generation's worth of music,  told jokes blue enough to make a sailor blush and shared her unique views on pop culture and the rise of social media. The two hour show, included several costume changes.  She was backed up by a quartet of  girl back up singers and a full orchestra.