Seattle Radio Personality Gary Lockwood

The Seattle radio world is mourning the passing of Gary Lockwood, once one of Seattle most popular DJs.  Lockwood is most known for his work on KJR when it was the area's number hit music station.

Although most of Lockwood's work was done before I moved here to the area, and I was usually listening to other stations, when I arrived. I know his signature bit was Police Blotter, which you can hear on You Tube.

Walla Walla's Whitehouse Crawford Restaurant Closes

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that Whitehouse-Crawford, one of the city's signature eating establishments has been forced to go out of business, because of lost revenue due to the COVID 19.
The restaurant was opened in May of 2000, and grew along with the Walla Walla's explosion as a winery destination, another thing that may be in peril. 

The restaurant was located in an old planing mill that had been destined for demolition.  Last fall, Deb and I along with some friends and my brother and sister in law, were able to eat their for the first time.

Perhaps, local residents who wished Walla Walla would return to the so-called pre-winery days, will get their wish. 

Seahawks Sign Coug Gordon

Cougar fans around the state and beyond will be happy to know that the Seattle Seahawks have signed quarterback Anthony Gordon.  Gordon, in his first season in a starting role for the Cougs, led the nation in passing yards per game in Coach Mike Leach's high octane offense.
Gordon's name was not called in last week's NFL draft.
Gordon may not see much action behind the durable Russell Wilson, but backup quarterbacks can acquire knowledge and skill that can put them in good positions to be offensive coordinators and head coaches, not to mention that Gordon could be a decent fill in should anything happen to Wilson.

Price Is Right Announcer Recovering After 3 Heart Attacks

George Gray the studio announcer for The Price Is Right has undergone a quadruple bypass after suffering 3 heart attacks. 

Gray has been announcer for the game show since 2011, using well known catch phrases like "come on down" and "a brand new car".

Ironically, Gray's wife jokingly credits the  Corona Virus for saving his life, as he had planned to be on a trip to Thailand to celebrate their anniversary and would have been on the plane when the first heart attack happened.

Seahawks Pick Linebacker Brooks

The Seattle Seahawks made Jordyn Brooks its first round pick in the NFL Draft. Brooks is a linebacker from Texas Tech.    This is the first time since 2011 that the 'Hawks did not trade up or down in the draft. 

Corona Fears Cause Maple Valley Days Cancellation

The online publication, Voice Of The Valley reports that the Corona Virus has forced the cancellation of Maple Valley Days.   This year would have been the 70th anniversary of the yearly community celebration which has taken place in the first weekend of June. 

Maple Valley Days is set up at the Lake Wilderness Park, starting on Friday.  A parade takes place on Saturday down Witte Road. Then on Sunday, the festival wraps up.  

Mets PA Announcer Does Walk Up Audio Clips

Amid the bad news we have been getting in the last weeks, there are some heartwarming stories.  Colin Cosell is stadium announcer for the New York Mets.  Since MLB, like all other sports is in hiatus, Cosell has been making walk up clips for various fans.
If you have been to a Major League Baseball game, you will hear each batter introduced with a clip of a certain song.  Cosell is in the process of making clips for fans who contact him on twitter using #callmeupcolin.  
Many of the clips that Colin has done have been for health care workers who work countless hours risking their lives to combat the Corona Virus crisis.
Colin is the grandson of the late Howard Cosell, a sports broadcasting trail blazer and probably the best sports announcer of all time.  Colin has been on social media for the better part of a decade, connecting with fans of  Howard.  I have told Colin what an inspiration  Mr. Cosell has been for me.
In the last few years, Colin has been working with family members  and fans to get Howard into the NFL Hall Of Fame.

Chalk Art In The Neighborhood

"Tough times never last but tough people do" Our neighbors pass the time at home, by writing messages in chalk on the street.

Food Truck Visits Belmont Woods

A food truck visited the Belmont Woods subdivision by the playground yesterday evening.  

We had already eaten.

Puget Sound Media Blog Talks About O'Day Family Involvement.

While much has been written about Pat O'Day on Seattle media blogs, very little is written about the involvement of his family in many of his ventures.  When I worked at KYYX, Pat's sons Garry and Jeff were integral in the operation of the station.  Garry as producer and Jeff with commercial production.  Pat's wife was involved with radio sales.

In a post by Steven L. Smith in the Puget Sound Media blog, there is an audio clip of an ongoing bit that Pat did with son, Garry in the mid 1960s.  Garry was 7 or so at the time and would call in as Garry Finster, a smart aleck, problem child. Pat would quiz Garry on his day and they would come up with hilarious stuff.  

Smith's article also covers Garry bringing Monkee Micky Dolenz to his Jr High School to pose and meet with students. The picture above shows Micky with Garry to his right. Also, Pat's oldest son, Jerry took another Monkee, Davy Jones to Newport High.
To see the article and listen to the craziness, click here.

A little Fun

I saw this near Issaquah High School on way home.  Sometimes, you just have to make the best of a situation.

Sign Of The Times

I saw this sign while walking the dog through Crossroads Park in Bellevue.

West Coast Governors Form Alliance

The Cascadian Advocate blog  about the governors of Washington, Oregon, and California forming an alliance to fight the Corona Virus and open the economy at the earliest time that will allow a healthy return.
 Governors Jay Inslee of Washington, Kate Brown of Oregon, and Gavin Newsom of California, all three Democrats are calling it the Western States Pact.
You find details here.

Modern Family Ends Its Run (No Spoilers)

The groundbreaking sitcom, Modern Family, ended it's 11 year run last week with a special on the making of the show and a final episode that lived up to the run of the series.

Not your "Ozzie and Harriet" type comedy, the show featured Ed O'Neil, who gained fame as husband Al Bundy in Married With Children, as a Jay Pritchett, a wealthy business man who marries a Columbian woman (Gloria) about the same age as his daughter.  His wife has a son whom Jay embraces, sometimes causing jealousy with his own children, son Mitch, a gay man in a committed relationship, who adopts a daughter and eventually marries his partner, and daughter Claire, a more traditional family with two daughters and a son.  Claire's husband, Phil, is something of a goof ball with a big heart.  

I was amazed at how well the actors grew into their characters over the years.  Both Claire and Phil's children, as well as Gloria's son, went from childhood into adolescence and on to young adulthood, staying into their character.  It's almost like the cast was a second family to one another.  

The show won 22 Emmy Awards.  

Modern Family was a viewing tradition for us every week 

Brandi Carlile Pays Tribute To John Prine: "Hello In There"

Thank you to my brother, posting this video on my Facebook page.  As a guest on The Late Show on CBS, Brandi Carlile pays tribute to  John Prine, who has recently passed away losing his fight with the corona virus.

Tavaris Jackson Killed In Car Crash

Sad news for the Seattle Seahawks and fans as reports say  former quarterback Tavaris Jackson has died in car accident. He was 36.  

Jackson was starting quarterback for the Seahawks in 2011.  After the team acquired Matt Flynn and drafted Russell Wilson, Jackson was traded to Buffalo.  

Jackson returned to the Seahawks in 2013 as a back up to Wilson.  He briefly played in the Seahawks Super Bowl win in 2014.

At the time of his death, Jackson was the quarterback coach at Tennessee State. 

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

Steve Largent Lighting the Seattle Dragons Cauldron of Fire.

The Seattle Dragons started the first home game by tapping Seahawk Hall Of Famer Steve Largent to light the Cauldron Of Fire.

XFL Stops

ESPN reports the XFL, which included the Seattle Dragons will suspend operations.  Unlike other upstart football leagues, the XFL seemed to get some traction, successfully promoting itself as a less expensive alternative to the NFL.   The league also started it's season right after the Super Bowl when football appetites were high.
We had season tickets to the Dragons but were only able to go to one game.  We gave away our tickets to the second home game as we were out of town.
The season was cancelled after 5 games because of the outbreak of the Corona Virus.  At the time, it was thought that the league would be able to meet for a second season.
Whether the league would have made it without the outbreak may never be known.

Walking In The Moonlight

Amazing Moon from last night.

Bernie Sanders Drops Out

Senator Bernie Sanders, who in two presidential campaigns, has inspired a huge following and has brought excitement to the political scene, is dropping out of the 2020 presidential campaign.  Sanders, whose Democratic Socialism, as he termed it, inspired many who have been skeptical of politics.  It was, however, a style not embraced by most party leaders, many afraid the label would be associated with Communism. 

In 2016, Sanders, easily identified by his first name, stayed in the race, even when it was clear that Hilary Clinton would be the nominee.  Many Democrats blame Sanders for Clinton's loss to Donald Trump while many others think that the Vermont senator would have done much better in the general election. 

Sanders is the last to drop out of  what was once a huge Democratic field.  This clears the way for former Vice President Joe Biden. 

Passover Begins

Walla Walla Radio History Group Started On Facebook

People tired of wall to wall Covid 19 news can new turn to Walla Walla radio history.  With a surplus of radio stories and anecdotes on this blog, most involving my home town, I got this crazy idea over the weekend of incorporating it into a Facebook group.   

I named the group Old Walla Walla Radio History Remembered.  I started with about half a dozen posts from this blog and a couple of others, and hope to grow it over time.  There are presently just under 30 members.
Even if your not from Walla Walla, it's a great look at small town radio, kind of a time capsule of life as we remember.

Pictured above, Arch LeRoux, the legendary founder of K-Hit Radio. 

Jaynie Dillon Back On The Air

Jaynie Dillon, like me a Walla Walla native, will be back in radio after a 2 decade retirement.  Jaynie, a Facebook friend who was one of Seattle's first female radio voices, will remain in the Seattle-Tacoma area and do her show from home. 

Jaynie will soon be heard on Boss Country Radio out of Amarillo, Texas.  

Denny Heck To Run For Lieutenant Governor

With the vacancy created by Cyrus Habib not running for a 2nd term, US Representative Denny Heck, a Democrat, has filed paperwork to run for Lieutenant Governor for the State Of Washington.
Heck, who announced he was leaving the House because of the political climate .
The current Lieutenant Governor is leaving politics to enter the Jesuits.

Tweet Gets Leach In Trouble

Will Mike Leach coach a down of Mississippi State football? His position may not be in jeopardy, but a twitter post that Leach has since deleted and apologized for, depicting a quarte tined quarantined  woman knitting a noose  seems to have gotten him in big trouble.
You may remember that another very successful Washington State Coach Mike Price, left to go to Alabama, a legendary college football program.  A golf outing that turned into a strip club visit and sky high room service charges lost him the position before he could even start.
Mike Leach and Mike Price have been probably two of the most successful coaches in the Cougar program and yet, have found out that what happens in Pullman, may be best, kept in Pullman.  
But let's not forget,  Dennis Erickson left WSU and enjoyed a very successful run at Miami.

Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine

In honor of Bill Withers, who passed away yesterday.

Long Time Reporter Joel Connelly Retiring

The Cascadia Advocate reports veteran Seattle P-I political reporter Joel Connelly will pack up his  pen and pad and retire on June 30 of this year.
Connelly is the last on the staff who worked for the P-I when it put out a daily print edition.  The paper went online only 11 years ago and the rest of the staff from that time have retired or left for other projects.
Connelly has been with the P-I since 1973 when he covered the reelection campaign of Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman.
We wish him well.

Ron And Don Campaign For Masks

Former KIRO afternoon hosts Ron and Don have continued their service to the community.  On their podcast, now heard three times a week, the pair have been encouraging listeners to sew masks for health care workers.
They have also given instructions for distribution of these valuable masks to area clinics and hospitals.
It has now been over a year since the pair found out they had lost their jobs with the FM station, but with the podcast, they continue to motivate, inspire, and comfort the community. Especially during times of crisis.