Mariners Make Dodgers Blue

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the best record in baseball, but they were not able to get a single hit off the Seattle Mariners tonight.  Kevin Millwod (pictured above) pitched 6 innings of no hit ball before leaving the game due to an injury, 5 additional pitchers continued the "no no".  The Mariners winning and only run in  the 7th when Kyle Seager drove in Ichiro with a line shot that the Dodger Shortstop was unable to handle.  It was the 3rd no-hitter in Mariner history as well as the 10th combined no-hitter in baseball history.
Although the Mariners are having a disapointing year so far.  They have fared better while playing the better teams.  Last week the Mariners defeated the AL West leading Texas Rangers in a 21 to 8 laugher.

State Convention Part II

On Sunday, members of the State Central Committee picked "at large" delegates to the National Convention.With over 200 people vying for just 41 positions, many of the candidates used gimmicks, like the gentleman above who dressed like Uncle Sam.  This session took about 6 plus hours, but fulfilled the dreams of people like the 5th Districts Jennifer Sutton and Erin Cheuvront.  Other delegates chosen were Karen Russell, the daughter of NBA legend Bill Russell and Griffyn Clay, the nephew of Senator Maria Cantwell.  The Democratic National Convention will take place in Charlotte North Carolina in early September.   President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are the presumed nominees.

Washington State Democratic Convention

The Washington State Democratic Convention resumed today at the Convention Center in Downtown Seattle.  
An emotional resolution calling for a halt in U.S. funding of Israel was defeated.  Although the resolution, which was presented at the end of the long arduous day drew passions of two often opposing groups, the cool headed presentation of Dan Lambert of the platform committee, prevented what could been a very damaging battle for the party.  Lambert said in his argument against the resolution that language was crafted in this year's platform that addressed both side's grievances.
Pictured above, Senator Maria Cantwell and myself, Miss Washington 2010 Jacquie Brown singing the National Anthem (middle), and King County Executive Dow Constantine giving the opening greeting to the delegates (below).

Quest To Build Seattle Downtown Arena In Full Swing

The movement to build a winter sports arena in the attempt to lure NBA basketball and the National Hockey league to Seattle now has a website.    You can click here to find the site, which give the argument in favor of Arena Construction, as well as links to supporting facebook and twitter pages and e-mails of city and county government officials.  Back in February, it was reported that Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has been in negotiations with San Francisco financier Chris Hanson to build a privately funded arena in the Sodo district near where both the Seahawks and Mariners play. 

It's Been 7 Years

On May 29th, 2005, Barers Of Maple Valley was launched. In honor of my 7th "Blogaversary, here is my very first blog post.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

An introduction

Hello--when I told my wife that I was interested in having a blog, she said "what are you going to say in it?" My dog Rusty, in his own Rusty way said that in no way does he want me to make cute Dog stories, so I decided that maybe on this page we can cover topics that are timely and that would draw interest whether it is Entertainment, Politics, Sports (which in my opinion is to sacred to be considered entertainment) and whatever anyone is talking about.
I'm brand new to this so fasten your seatbelts and we will begin!

 

Back to the present. Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed this blog in the last 7 years.

Barers Of Maple Valley Salutes Our Fallen Soldiers

Shout Out To The Maple Valley Post

While this blog will often report of goings on in Maple Valley, it is not dedicated solely to news about the community, fortunately, there is at least one blog that is.  Maple Valley Post does an excellent job at keeping readers up on goings on in South King County's fast growing city.  It also makes a great reference for my posts that pertain to the area.  You can read Maple Valley Post by clicking here.

Fred Meyer In Maple Valley Now Open

Fred Meyer, a popular chain of department stores founded in the Northwest, will open here in Maple Valley today.   The store will anchor the new Maple Valley Towne Square development at Four Corners.  The building of the projected started after the Maple Valley City Council in 2009 voted to allow "Big Box" retailers under certain conditions.
Other retail coming to the Town Square include Burger King, Desert Sun, Chase Bank, and Sprint.

Cheryl Pflug Leaving Senate

 Republican Senator Cheryl Pflug from Maple Valley, who has represented the 5th district in the state legislature for almost as long as I have resided here, is moth-balling her campaign signs and leaving her position to take a job on the State Growth Management Board.  Pflug began her legislative career in 1998, when she replaced Phil Dyer in the Washington House Of Representatives.  She may have lost support amongst many in her own party when she became one of only 4 Republican senators to support marriage equality.
Pflug was appointed to her new position by Democratic Governor Cristine Gregoire.  It could open up an opportunity for the 5th to get it's first Democratic Representative since  Senator Kathleen Drew was defeated in 1996.  Issaquah City Council Mark Mullet has launched a strong campaign in what was to be an attempt to defeat incumbent Pflug.  Snoqualmie businessman Brad Toft is the lone Republican running for the Senate in the 5th.

Washington's 8th CD Caucus

Delegates to Washington's 8th Congressional District Democratic Caucus met last weekend at Issaquah High School.  Upon parking our cars, a constant POP POP could be heard, oddly enough the Issaquah Sportsmen's Club ( a rifle range) is around the corner from the high school.
Delegates to the National Convention is Charlotte  were picked although my entry (above) fell short.  It was a great experience though and I will try again in the future.  Democratic candidate for Secretary Of State Kathleen Drew stopped by from Olympia (center), Drew represented the 5 in the state senate in the mid 90s.  Karen Porterfield, making her first run for office, spoke to us (bottom) and was nominated unanimously to challenge Republican Dave Reichert to represent the 8th district in the House Of Representatives.  Thanks go to Konrad Roeder for the top and bottom pictures.

The Jimi Hendrix Memorial

An easy drive from Maple Valley, The Jimi Hendrix Memorial pays a moving tribute to the Seattle  raised  rock legend.  The Memorial, located at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton, is the grave site of Jimi and members of his family.  Greenwood Memorial Gardens shares the same exit off I-405 as Maple Valley.

Dasher At Lake Wilderness

We walked down the Lake Wilderness Trail yesterday giving Dasher a good run

Barers Of Maple Valley Going For The Big Dance

That's right, "it's go big or go home" this weekend as I conclude my quest to be a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.  Delegates from across Washington's 8th Congressional District will convene at Issaquah High School at 1:00 Sunday and pick delegates to the National.  The delegates to the Congressional Caucus were picked at legislative caucuses, which were made up of delegates picked at the precinct caucus's.  Are you following me?  In a nutshell, the selected delegates will travel to Charlotte to nominate Barak Obama for president and Joe Biden for Vice President.  It will be quite an adventure if I can just get enough votes. By the way, your welcome to "like" my "Mike Barer For National Delegate" facebook page, just click here.

Enjoying The Artwalk

First Friday of every month from May until September, nearby Issaquah hosts the "Art Walk" where the city's many galleries open their doors.  There is also musical entertainment in one of the area's most picturesque cities.  My brother Steve and his wife, Dawn where up from Walla Walla and we enjoyed checking out after a dinner at Shanghai Garden on Front Street in Issaquah's downtown.

Cougar Sports Move To 710 ESPN

Seattle area Cougar Football and Men's Basketball fans have been angry for the past few years.   WSU Sports have been heard on local radio stations like 770 and 1090, neither station known for it's sport's coverage. This coming season, Cougar Sports are moving to 710 ESPN, the former KIRO news radio.  This means the Cougar Broadcasts will go head to head with Husky Broadcasts on 950 KJR, Seattle other sports station.  It should be more radio coverage for WSU athletics.
Veteran Broadcaster, Bob Robertson will continue to do play by play on the football broadcasts, but former Coach Jim Walden was removed by Athletic Director Bill Moos.  Walden will be replaced by Bud Nemeck (the basketball play by play announcer) and Shawn McWashington, who was a stand out running back on the 1997 Cougar Rose Bowl team.

Ryan Leaf Book Compelling

596 Switch refers to a play that the Ryan Leaf had planned to run as the last play of the 1998 Rose Bowl.  Of course, the Washington State Cougars, who were in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 60 plus years, faced one of the most controversial endings in college football.
Ryan Leaf is one of the most polarizing figures in all of sports.  Most remember him for his tempermental outburst in the San Diego Chargers' locker room.  They also remember his uncerimonious retirement from the Seattle Seahawks.   A few months ago, however, the word was out that Leaf had, shall we say, turned over a new leaf, showing maturity and humility in public apearences.  This book would bear that out, as Leaf, writes rather critically about his childish behaviour in certain situations. 
The best thing about this book is the player's eye view of the Coug's 1997-98 magical season, where the team, often considered the joke of the Pac 10 rolled over opponents and went to it's first Rose Bowl in decades.  Leaf suceeds in bringing the drama and joy of the season to life.
Of course, sadly, it seems that Leaf has fallen back into his bad patterns, but for readers who live and die with Cougar Football, I highly recomend this book.

Mullet Kicks Off Senate Campaign

So either Issaquah Councilman Mark Mullet's campaign for State Senate in the Washington's  5th Legislative District is off to a great start or Issaquah Highlands residents wanted free pizza.  A packed house gathered at Issaquah's Blakely Hall to meet Mullet, who is challenging Republican Cheryl Pflug for the position.  Mullet says that he is a fiscal Conservative and a social Liberal making him a good fit for the 5th  As the owner of two local franchise's, Ben And Jerry's and Zeke's Pizza, he has a good understanding of what it takes to run a small business.
The 5th district has been represented solely by Republicans since Democratic Senator Katherine Drew was defeated in 1996 by Dino Rossi.  Rossi at the time became the rising star in his party.  No doubt, if Mullet can defeat Senator Pflug, he would be a candidate to watch in the Democratic Party.

Maple Valley Has Visitor

Tuesday, we awoke to the sound of a helicopter  circling in the sky.  Usually in this area, that means a horrible accident or a loose fugitive.  In this case, a bear was seen by a King County Sheriff's deputy on the main highway, not far from my house.  According to the news report, the bear went back into the woods.  There was sighting a few days later.  I joke about it being "tourist season" for bears, but some would argue that we are in the Bear's living room.

He's A Growing Dog!

This picture was a huge hit on Facebook with over 70 "likes". 

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

In memory of the passing of Levon Helm, the lead singer of The Band, here is my favorite song by the group, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.  Helm, successfully recreates the sadness of being on the losing side of the Civil War.

Space Needle Turns 50 Today!

Seattle's defining landmark, The Space Needle opened on April 21, 1962.

Big Dance Party In Heaven

He didn't sing, he didn't dance, he wasn't funny but for generations, Dick Clark was the king of the teen scene.  Every town had it's local DJs, but Clark was seen nationwide, with a smooth voice and a look similar to the young men on the show. Young teens would show off the dances of the day. It is no surprise that he was called "The world's oldest teenager".Growing up, I watched American Bandstand, which Clark hosted and The Lloyd Thaxton Show. Both were teen dance shows with local high school students dancing to records and a couple of live acts on each episode.    Thaxton looked fatherly, but loved to clown around with the music.  Clark, was youthful, took himself and the show seriously, both shows were able to catch youthful exuberance I have often written  of a Saturday afternoon when I heard the song "Happy Together" for the first time and the song stuck in my head for good.
  Dick Clark was resilient. He lasted for decades, and through numerous fads, always seemingly in touch.  In addition to American Bandstand, he produced game shows, created the American Music Awards, and hosted the best known televised New Year's Eve show of all time.

So Long, Dick Clark

TV Icon Dick Clark died today, more later.

Gino's Bistro Opens At 4 Corners

Maple Valley residents no longer have to leave the city limits for dining elegance and out of towners now have a reason to dine in Maple Valley.  Gino's Bistro is now open (as of last month) at the 4 Corners, the Maple Valley business area where two state highways cross.  We visited last Saturday for the first time.  Frosted windows separate Gino's from the fast paced strip mall scene outside.  We did not have to wait long to be seated and our food server immediately introduced herself, she was friendly and helpful with suggestions on food selection as well as wines.  The atmosphere is Italian with Sinatra tunes and the like playing in the background.
Gino's offers Italian Cuisine, as well as steak and seafood.  We had the "Gino", the restaurant's signature pizza dish.   Gino's in Maple Valley is located at 23917 Southeast Kent Kangley Road. The original location remains in Federal Way.

Mike Cameron Joins Team Then Retires

It may be impossible to replace a legend, but Mike Cameron sure made  it easier.  The Centerfielder who came from the Cincinnatti Reds to the Mariners in a trade that for Griffey, has retired as a Seattle Mariner.   Cameron played for seven different teams in his career, including the Mariners, but Seattle seems to where his heart was.  He made some incredible catches and also hit 4 homers in a single game.  This was just "what the doctor ordered" for Mariner fans who have had little to cheer about since the 2001 116 game winning campaign.  Cameron was a part of that team. Griffey would come back and also retire as a Mariner, but while Griffey seemed to be an eternal sulker many times, Cameron always seemed to play the game with a smile.

Go Mariners

Dasher wore a Mariner bandana to celebrate Mariner's Home opener.

Maple Valley Democratic Precinct Caucuses Planned

The first step toward chosing delegates for the Democratic National Convention will commence in Washington this coming Sunday, April 15th.    Maple Valley Democrats will gather at Tahoma Junior High at 25600 Summit SE Landsburg Rd in Ravensdale for Precinct Caucuses.  5th District Precinct Caucuses will also take place day in Issaquah, Snoqualmie, and Carnation, with locations here.  The Caucuses will begin at 1:00 pm, but it would be wise to arrive early to sign in.  Any voter in the designated area who will be of voting age at the time of the 2012 general election is eligible to participate.  Voter registration forms will be available.  For more information, see the 5th District Democrats website.

Congratulations To Adam West!

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that Pop Culture Icon Adam West will get a star today on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.  West, who brought the comic book character Batman to life from 1966-1968 on ABC TV, is a native of Walla Walla and would be on any list for most famous figures to hail from there.  He graduated from Lakeside High here in the Seattle area, then graduated from Whitman College.  The Wikipedia reports that West's star will be at 6764 Hollywood Blvd.

Cougar Fans Saddened By Leaf Trevails

Once upon a time, the idea of the Washington State Cougars playing in the Rose Bowl was thought to be a fairy tale, then came Ryan Leaf.  In 1997, the junior quarterback from Montana, showed presense in the pocket, a strong arm, and a cocky attitude.  He lead his team to the Pac 10 championship for the first time in over 30 years.   He was considered a can't miss pro prospect, then the bubble burst.
The San Diego Chargers, gave up the house to have drafting rights to Leaf.  He hit a snag in his rookie season and made ESPN highlight reels with a nasty exchange with reporters. His struggles culminated with his arrest a couple of years ago for burglary.
Recently though, reports came out about a new Ryan Leaf, who was working to fight against his addictions. He survived a brain tumor and wrote a book, the world seemed ready to forgive Ryan and visa versa. But a couple of days ago, the Leaf saga took a turn for the worst, as he was once again arrested for burglary, has Ryan Leaf fooled us again, or is this just another bump on the road to his recovery.  Leaf was arrested again today for burglary in attempt to steal prescription drugs.  Prosecutors had already moved to revoke his probation.

Radio Voices From The Past

They got Seattle rolling in the mornings.  Bobby Ryan and Gary Ryan comprised the "morning drive" team of Ryan and Ryan on KYYX-FM and KXA-AM in the early 80s.   They were not related.

Keith Olbermann--Fired Again!

TV writer Ken Levine reports on his blog that mercurial Liberal commentator Keith Olbermann has been fired from his latest network, Current TV.   Olbermann had been at the network that was co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore for less than a year after losing the job that brought him the most fame, hosting countdown at MSNBC.  Previously a sportscaster, Olbermann had also worked for ESPN and Fox Sportsnet.

Mr Ed's Reopens After Community Outpour

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that landmark Walla Walla Restaurant, Mr. Ed's, has reopened, a few weeks after ceasing operations due to lower crowds and high food costs.  The restaurant on East Isaacs had at one time been an A &W Root Beer Drive In, but had become independent in the early 70s, after the root beer giant started marketing in local grocery stores.
Now one of Walla Walla's oldest restaurants, the announcement of Mr. Ed's closing was met with expressions of sadness on social media sites.  Co-owner Dan Givens, a Walla Walla High School classmate of mine, says that the reopening was made possible by shortening the hours of operation and reworking the menu.

Hitting The Slopes

My buddy Rick and I spent yesterday afternoon skiing at The Summit at Snoqualmie. It was a beautiful sunny day, and people were sitting outdoors at the lodge where a  local band provided live music.  It was my first time skiing in about 10 years, but still loads of fun. 

Happy Birthday, Connor!

Happy 8th birthday to my nephew, Connor!

Manning Now A Horse Of A Different Color

Peyton Manning went from being a Colt to a Bronco this week.  After days of being one of the most sought after free agents in NFL history, Manning has decided to play for previous quarterback legend John Elway, now Denver's GM. 
Manning follows fellow Colt Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, and Joe Montana as quarterback greats who finished with different teams than where they carved their legend.

Happy 13th Birthday Ethan!

My oldest nephew is now a teenager!

Dancing With TBT

Last night we attended "Dancing With The TBT Stars, a benefit for the Temple B'Nai Torah youth education program.  5 couples including the ones in the above video competed in the temple's version of ABC's popular "Dancing With The Stars" program.There was also a silent auction as well as a live auction, in addition, there was a raffle for a Nordstroms gift certificate.   In the end, everyone left with smiles on their faces and much lighter wallets.

Seahawks Sign Quarterback Matt Flynn

It seems familiar, a back up Green Bay quarterback is coming to town to lead the Seahawks. In 2001, Mike Holmgren brought a then unknown understudy to Bret Favre named Matt Hasselbeck to towns.  Now it has been reported that Packer Aaron Rogers' back up Matt Flynn has just been signed to be the Seahawks new starting quarterback.  Flynn was a seventh round draft pick in 2008 from LSU.

Janis Joplin--Me And Bobby McGee

"Feeling good was good enough for me"  that line points out that being happy is what life is really about.

Winter Not Over Yet

Seattle area is hit with a mid-March snowfall.

Dasher Keeps His Dad Informed

Every morning, Dasher will walk down the driveway and bring the Seattle Times to me.  Except on Sunday's when the paper weighs a ton.  Not bad for a 4 month old!

Good Bye, Jim Nelly, Sr

With a reputation of being a somewhat "loose cannon", Jim Nelly bought Walla Walla radio station KUJ in the mid 70s and local radio was never the same.  Changing the station from Middle Of The Road to 24 Hour Hit Radio, the station (the oldest and most powerful in the city) spoke constantly of it's high ratings and big contests. It was the dawn of the disco era and KUJ was able to capitalize on it.  Movies like Saturday Night Fever were rendering constant hits. Nelly gave catchy, sometimes rather silly radio names to his DJs like Mason Dixon and Wee Willie Winkle.  The theory is that in personality radio, "Dr Love" is easier to remember that "Steve Brown".  A few years later, KHIT, a local rival, launched a Hit Radio FM station known as XT97, Walla Walla suddenly had 2 commercial Rock stations.
 He also acquired the Walla Walla Padres, the city's Northwest League baseball franchise. Nelly had his wife, Patricia (Peppermint Patty) run the baseball team, adding beer sales, as well as a wide variety of stunts, loudly promoted on the station.  Although, Nelly was considered quite a flamboyant presence in a small quiet town, he reportedly sold KUJ in the early 80s at a value that was many times higher than when he bought it.   Nelly died last week.

Can Seahawks Land Superstar Quarterback

When was the last time the Seattle Seahawks landed a big time free agent?  Reports are out that the Seattle Seahawks have entered the Peyton Manning Sweepstakes.  Manning, who lead the Colts to 2 Super Bowls and one victory is an alumni of Tennessee where my wife went to College was just released .  The future Hall Of Famer would, if healthy, add swagger if not a Super Bowl to the 'Hawks, but there are other teams gunning for him and he may not be warm to the idea of playing on the West Coast. 

Marshawn Lynch Will Remain A Seahawk

Marshawn Lynch has just signed a four year $31 Million dollar contract with the Seattle Seahawks.  Lynch, who came to the 'Hawks in a trade with Buffalo in 2010, had a slow start last season but a strong finish netted the running back over 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Lynch's 60 plus yard touchdown in the play-offs against New Orleans will be remembered as one of the most electrifying moments in Seattle sports history.

Norm Dicks Will Leave Congress

He may be the last titan of Washington politics, Norm Dick, who has represented Washington's 6th Congressional District (Bremerton) since 1976 has announce that he will not seek reelection.  Dicks is the Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations committee.  In 1994. when Republicans swept into power in the house, the only Democrats left standing that year were Jim McDermott, who represented Seattle and Norm Dicks, who was well regarded by both parties. The Democrats later won back several of the lost seats. He has been credited with the clean up of Puget Sound and bolstering defense spending in our state. He has been hailed as a friend to Boeing and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Before his election to Congress,  Dicks served on the staff of Legendary Senator Warren Magnuson.  He was a football star for the Washington Huskies, playing on the Rose Bowl team in 1960.

50 Years Ago, Wilt Did This...

On May 2nd, 1962, Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game, no other player had done that before or since.  Seattle Times Sports columnist, Steve Kelley, a native Pennsylvanian, wrote this piece on the big game. Click here.

King Kong Kartoon!

This will bring memories of my childhood and yes, I know that's the wrong way to spell cartoon!