Late Actor Adam West Will Be Honored In His Hometown

September 19th will be designated "Adam West Day" in Walla Walla.  The honor comes weeks after the passing of West, a native of the town.  Jonathan Grant (below in Batman costume appearing before the WW City Council) spearheaded the move.  Grant, the Front office manager of the Whitman Hotel (above) says he met West several times on visits to Walla Walla. Grant also credited Adam Lore for his help in getting the project underway.
  Grant is planning to screen the original Batman movie starring West on that day.  Proceeds will support Camp Rainbow, a free camp in Idaho for children suffering from cancer and blood disorders that West supported.  There is still talk of an Adam West statue to be located somewhere in town. Thank you to the UB in Walla Walla for reference!

Smyly No Go For 2017

ESPN reports sidelined Mariner pitcher Drew Smyly will undergo Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of this season.

Seattle Times Writer Stone Tells Of New Niehaus Book

A book is out on legendary Mariner broadcaster, Dave Niehaus, according to Seattle Times Sports columnist Larry Stone. The name of the book is "My Oh My: The Dave Niehaus Story".
Stone said the book was written by Seattle based musician, Billy Mac, a fan who journeyed to the press box in the team's early days, wishing to meet the broadcaster.  Mac had proposed the idea of a book to the late announcer, who nixed the idea thinking that no one would be interested.  After the Niehaus passing, Mac took on the project with the blessing of the Niehaus family.  You can order a copy of the book by clicking here.

Walla Walla Institution Will Close

News sources have announced that Walla Walla General Hospital will stop operating on July 24th.  The hospital, run by Adventist Health, has been on South Second Street since 1975, after moving from Bonsella Street near Whitman College. 
There had been a plan to transfer services to Providence St Mary, the city's other hospital, but unexpected regulatory changes would have potentially caused delays and prohibited the move. 
Providence St Mary Medical Center will be the town's only hospital. It was formerly St Mary's Hospital and was my birthplace.

Installed Just In Time

Temperatures in the Seattle area spiked into the high 90s this weekend.  We were lucky. We had just installed air conditioning last Monday.  Bellevue based PMG made the installation.

Relief From The Heat

With temperatures in the high 90s, Dasher enjoyed a swim in Lake Washington at the leash free zone at Luther Burbank park in Mercer Island.

Seattle Park Honors Jimi Hendrix

Seattle native Jimi Hendrix helped usher Rock into the psychedelic age and area residents are very proud of his legacy. Now, Seattle has a park named in his honor.  Jimi Hendrix Park, located next to the Northwest African American Museum in the Central District, opened this month. 
Perhaps, by design, the opening came on the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festively where Hendrix famously set his guitar on fire.  This summer also marks the 50th anniversary of another counter-culture event,  The Summer Of Love. 
Visitors can find the Hendrix Park at 2400 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144.  I plan to visit soon.

Mariners Sweep Tigers For Winning Record

Robinson Cano hit two home runs, one a grand slam and Andrew Moore pitched brilliantly in his Major League debut as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers 9-6. It was Seattle's first sweep of the Tigers in a four game series since 1998.  The Mariners are now above .500 for the first time this season.  The team starts a weekend home series against the division leading Houston Astros tonight.

The Sheriff

King County Sheriff John Urquhart addressed the 5th District Democrats in Issaquah last night. It was my first meeting in months.  Urquhart received the sole endorsement of the 5th.

Move To Honor Adam West In Walla Walla

Adam West could join Marcus Whitman as a statue in Walla Walla.    There is a petition online to place a statue in the hometown of West, whose birth name is Bill Anderson.  A statue of the late actor, who in recent years has become something of a cult hero, could significantly boost tourism for the town.  West died on June 9th after a short bout with Leukemia.

Ethan Graduates

Woodinville High School class of 2017

Congrats Ethan

Congratulations to my nephew, Ethan Wagner.  He will graduate from Woodinville High School today.

Name Change In The Works For Mariner Stadium

The Seattle Mariners have announced that Safeco Insurance is not seeking to renew it's naming rights to the stadium in the Sodo District. The M's are already in the process of  a seeking a new client. Some suggestions for a new name from fans include Boeing Field and Starbucks Grounds (get it, grounds).   The now, not so new stadium has been Safeco Field from before the very first pitch was thrown in 1999.

Amazon Buys Whole Foods

Seattle based Amazon has purchased Whole Foods, a chain of grocery stores out of Austin Texas.  The Whole Foods chain will continue to run as a separate unit.

Adam West From Decades Ago

Walla Walla Historian Joe Drazan paid tribute to the late Adam West with this picture from the early '50s of then Bill Anderson (West's real name) and his wife visiting Whitman College, his alma mater.  West, of course, was a native of Walla Walla and there is talk of a movement to get a statue built in his honor.
You can find memorable Walla Walla pictures at the Bygone Walla Walla blog.

Reunited ‘Northern Exposure’ Stars Look Back Fondly At Their Quirky Show...

The cast of Northern Exposure, a '90s TV Hit recently reunited.  The show is shot in nearby Roslyn, Washington.  Cynthia Geary (bottom right) still lives in the Seattle area. 

St George Episcopal Chuch

The Labyrinth at St George Episcopal
Church greets you as you embark on the Lake Wilderness Trail in Maple Valley. Dasher and I usually park in the church lot on Witte Rd before waking to the park and the Lake.

Walla Walla And The World Mourn West

This weekend, the world stopped to mourn a Walla Walla guy.  Like the iconic character he played, Adam West had an alter ego, a true identity, if you will.  When Bill Anderson landed in Hollywood, there was a well known singer that also had that name,  according to his dad, Otto Anderson.  In the early 70s, I accompanied my parents to a Little Theatre cast party at the senior Mr. Anderson's house and he was more than happy to explain the name change.  Mr. Anderson said Adam took the "West" from his own middle name. 
As I was growing up in Walla Walla, West was well loved.  He was a seemingly isolated town's connection to Hollywood.  I have heard that he visited his home town often.   As I have said, the only time that I met him in person was at a cocktail party in San Diego.
 You can probably say that he was the most famous person to hail from Walla Walla.  Drew Bledsoe, is the other famous Walla Wallan. Bledsoe achieved national fame as quarterback for the Walla Walla High School Blue Devils and the WSU Cougars.  As a first draft choice in the NFL in 1993. he enjoyed a stellar career with the New England Patriots.
After the Batman series,  West would suffer from typecasting, being denied roles because viewers would only see him as Batman.  However, West found a way to make a comeback leveraging his fame playing the character, along with America's appetite for nostalgia.  He was also able to use social networking to his advantage. 
West did a voiceover for himself in The Simpson's and did a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory.  He eventually was casted as the voice for Mayor Adam West in the Family Guy cartoon series.
Adam West's passing started a love fest on Twitter, Facebook, and traditional media.
 Probably, very few of his fans knew he was from Walla Walla.  Probably even fewer knew his real name was William West Anderson, but West touched  the heart of his hometown where he will be remembered forever as Bill Anderson, a Walla Wallan

Adam West, known for playing the 'caped crusader' has died

Caped Crusader Walla Walla Native Adam West Dies

Adam West, one of  the most famous natives of my hometown of Walla Walla, has died.  West, was born William West Anderson in Walla Walla. His portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman on ABC TV in the mid 60s became a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
The somewhat comical portrayal of Batman would differ from later movies of the super hero which were darker in nature.
Batman was a must-watch for me as a child. It was unique in that it was done in two parts.  At the end of the first episode, Batman and Robin (his youthful ward) would be caught in a dangerous situation and the next night he would somehow escape and solve the crime
I met West briefly at a cocktail party in San Diego.  My brother was attending Comic-Com and my dad and I went along for the ride.   West recognized my dad in the hotel lobby from his Walla Walla High School days and invited him to a reception.  West introduced himself to me as both Adam West and Bill Anderson.  Not knowing what to say, I asked him how he and Robin were able to get on a pole in suits and arrive  on the bottom in costume, I knew it was a film splice. 
West worked in Walla Walla radio and was a graduate of Whitman College.  His family says he died after a short bout of leukemia.  He was 88.

Seattle Institution To Close

FX McRory's, the unique restaurant across from Century Link Stadium, is closing it's doors to relocate to a smaller location.  Located near Seattle's professional baseball and football stadiums and of course, originally the Kingdome, it was a popular stop for sports fans. FX McRory's had been in that location for 40 years.

Seattle Radio Show Goes National

The Men's Room, a talk show on 99.9 KISW, is now syndicated.  Westwood One and Entercom have combined to take the show to Portland, New Orleans, Boston and several other stations. 
The show is said to have started with friends arguing in a bar over tater tots. 
The show features talk on contempory topics.  It is said to be "no holds barred, no topic-off limits conversation, laughter, and annecdotes."   The Men's Room features Miles Montgomery, Steve "The Thrill" Hill, and Thee Ted Smith.  The producers are Mike Hawk and Robin Fox.
The popularity of the show has launched a brand of beer, Men's Room Red is a popular local brand, also available are Men's Room Gold, and Men's Room Black.  Profits from beer sales go to veteran's causes.

Oak View Group Selected In Key Remodel

The Oak View Group has been tapped by Mayor Ed Murray to redevelop the Key in an effort to get the two major winter sports in the area.  The group, let by Tim Lieweke and Irving Azoff, was introduced at a news conference.  The leaders announced a partnership with two perspective NHLowners, most likely a deciding factor in getting the nod.  Of course, the long range goal, would be to bring back the NBA. The previous mayor Mike McGinn, partnered with Chris Hanson, in attempting to build a basketball arena in Sodo that would also house Ice Hockey. 
The irony to this is that McGinn is again running for mayor, a position he lost 4 years ago.  Murray is not seeking a second term.
The Key Arena is located on the grounds of the Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair. It was the home of the Seattle Super Sonics before the team moved to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder. 

Deb's Recipe A Winner In Hop Jack's Contest

Congrats to my wife for getting her Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese creation on the Hop Jack's  summer menu.   Deb won a gift certificate and her name will be on the menu with the recipe she created by writing on a paper napkin while we were waiting for dinner. She then entered the contest to have a recipe on the summer menu.
Hop Jack's is a chain of restaurants with locations primarily in Washington.  The Maple Valley Hop Jack's is located at 26420 Maple Valley Black Diamond Rd SE in the Maple Valley Town Square.

Roger Moore Intro

Roger Moore, known to most of us as James Bond, passed away last month. The British actor also starred in The Saint and Maverick, TV shows from yesteryear.  Burl Barer has written about both TV shows, so it's no coincidence that Moore recorded this intro to Burl's internet radio show, True Crime Uncensored.

Seattle's Big Wheel

Filmed over Memorial Day Weekend.

ESPN Sacks Clayton

Hall of Fame NFL reporter John Clayton has announced that his association with ESPN has been discontinued. The network had announced several weeks ago that it was making deep staff cuts.  Clayton is a resident of the Seattle area and has a Saturday morning radio on 710 ESPN  Sources have said his show will continue to be on that station.   Before KIRO AM became a sports station, Clayton's show could be heard on Sportsradio KJR.
Clayton had at one time been a beat reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune, often appearing to offer his expertise as a guest on Sportsradio KJR.  He is a native of Pittsburgh.