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.

Guess Whose Coming To Dinner

This picture was taken by a neighbor.  The bears of Woodinville have dropped by my wife's sister and her family's house to feast on some watermelon and goodies.

President Kennedy's family reflects on his 100th birthday

Caroline Kennedy released this video on what would have been the 100th birthday of President John F. Kennedy.  I was in Kindergarten when Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.  He was vision of the country and the unfulfilled promises were an inspiration to me.

Seattle Radio History

I picked this book up over the weekend. Covering Seattle radio history, it should be great reading.  It is written by John F Schneider and is part of the Images of America book series.

Memorial Day

A Herd Of Elk

We were mesmororized by this herd of Elk that we saw on our way to our friend's house in North Bend.

Southern Rock Pioneer Greg Allman Dies

Greg Allman, whose music with the Allman Brothers Band was heard on both Top 40 am and progressive FM stations and whose Southern Rock sound influenced bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, has died. 
Allman was the keyboard player and lead singer with the band.  He received tabloid attention in the mid 70s for his marriage to pop icon Cher.  A short lived marriage that produced one child. 
Allman lost two members including brother Duane Allman and bassist Barry Oakley in separate motorcycle accidents. 
Greg Allman was 69.

From Last Weekend

The estate wineries south of Walla Walla are framed by the beautiful Blue Mountains.

The 12s Mourn Seahawks Great Kennedy

Hall of Fame Seahawk defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy has died.  Kennedy was found in his Orlando home.  His death is still under investigation.
In 1990 he was the third player taken in the NFL draft. He was known for being extremely quick in spite of being over 300 pounds.
 In 1992, he was named defensive player of the year in spite of the fact  that the Hawks were only 2 and 14. He was selected to 8 Pro Bowls.  Kennedy, known as "Tez" to the fans, played his entire 11 year professional career with the Seahawks.

Popular British Actor Roger Moore Passes

Roger Moore, who played James Bond through most of the 1970s, has passed away at 89.  Although the movie character was originally played by Sean Connery, Moore's persona was pretty much how I perceived the James Bond character. After all, the first few Bond movies that I saw, starred Moore in the lead role.
 The suave British actor also played Simon Templar in the TV version of The Saint which was viewed both in America and in England.  He also played the part of Beau Maverick in American TV series, Maverick.    He did the intro to Burl Barer's True Crime Uncensored, of course Burl has written of both Maverick and The Saint.
Moore was knighted  by the Queen in 2003. 

Oxarc

Oxarc bought our family business in Walla Walla in 2000. My brother still works for them. It makes me proud when I see the name on the fire extinguishers at the Best Western in Walla Walla where we stayed. 

Marts To seek House Seat

Democrat Tola Marts has announced that he will seek the nomination for Washington's 8th Congressional District.  The position has been held by former King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, a Republican, since 2005. 
Marts has served on the Issaquah city council since 2009.  He is currently the council president. If he faces Reichert, he would be the first Democrat opposing him that has held public office.

Steve And Dawn's Pet Care Business

Steve and Dawn's pet behavior and training business is up and running.

Funny Sign At El Corazon

Sign is actually friendly and welcoming and funny.  El Corazan is on South Palouse in Walla Walla.

Still Around Back Home

Located across the street from the Best Western where we stay,  Greiner's Radiator is one of the businesses that I remember from my childhood that is still around.

Traffic Reporter Taylor Post Hits 30K

No More Tracy Traffic On KING 5 Dec 13, 2016, 91 comments	30070
Meeghan Black Leaving KING 5 Nov 24, 2013, 9 comments	10505
Vancouver Canucks Going To NHL Finals May 25, 2011	8621
Peter Frampton Will Play Spring Gig In Walla Walla... Nov 21, 2011, 1 comment	6419

Not the happiest of news.  But after 6 months, the post of Tracy Taylor's departure from KING 5 has amassed over 30,000 hits.  It jumped over the 4 years old Meeghan Black story in only a few weeks. 

This was a few weeks before Tracy's birthday which is on Christmas, so most  people  had thought she was only on vacation.  What's interesting is that this is only a local story.  It speaks well of Tracy's popularity.  She has since worked on air on special assignment project and traffic report fill in on KIRO 7 TV.

Iconic Seattle Rocker Dies

Chris Cornell of the 1990s grunge band Soundgarden has died.  Cornell was 52.  The death is being investigated as a possible suicide.

Reid Scott on acting as "CBS This Morning" host on "Veep"

Reid Scott plays Dan Egan on the Veep.  Formerly an aide to the Veep/President, Dan is finding out his new position as the morning anchor on CBS This Morning isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Sirius XM Launching Beatles Channel

Sirius XM subscribers can now have The Beatles 24 hours a day on it's channel 18,  Beatle music has been heard on the 60s and 70s channels, however, now fans of the Fab Four have a station dedicated to the iconic band's music.

Congats T-Birds!

Congratulations to the Seattle Thunderbirds for winning their first Western Hockey League title!

Taylor To Fill In On 97.3 Radio

Tracy  Taylor, who has been reporting traffic on KIRO 7, will fill in on KIRO's news partner and former sister station KIRO FM.  The station's regular afternoon traffic reporter will fill in during the mornings, while Tracy will do traffic on Ron And Don's afternoon drive program.  Candy Harper, the usual afternoon reporter will fill in for Chris Sullivan in the mornings, while Taylor will be filling in for Candy.  Taylor will continue her morning reports on KIRO 7.  Many remember Tracy doing traffic on the radio at Sports Radio KJR.

Happy Mother's Day

Our Garden Is In Full Bloom.

Jenny Durkan To Seek Seattle Mayor Position

Jenny Durkan, a former US Attorney during the Obama administration, has announced her plans to seek the open Seattle Mayor position.   Durkan, although relatively unknown outside of politics, is the daughter of the late Martin J Durkan, a former state lawmaker who as a senator chaired the Senate Ways and Means committee for almost a decade. 
Although this will be her first run for public office, Durkan has worked for former Governors Mike Lowry and Chris Gregoire.  As an attorney, she has represented Paul Allen in a cable TV case.  She has also been involved in local police reform.  According to the Seattle Times, she assisted US Attorney General Eric Holder to help shape the Obama policy on cybercrime and terrorism. 
If elected, Durkan would become Seattle's first female mayor since Bertha Landes was elected in the 1920s.

Reichert For FBI??

Rumors are swirling that Washington's 8th District Congressman Dave Reichert, could be appointed FBI Director. 
Reichert was King County"s first elected sherriff after being appointed to the position by Ron Sims. As an investigator with the King County Police, he was on the task force to capture the Green River Killer.

Donald Trump and Megan Mullally sing "Green Acres" (2006)

Ok, he's not a great singer, but this was a much different Donald Trump than what we see these days.  It seems like he once had a playful sense of humor.

J Michael Kenyon, Sportscaster, Newspaperman, Seattle Character

J Michael Kenyon, whose radio call in talk show may have paved the way for Sportsradio KJR has died.  Kenyon, who began his career as a beat writer with the Seattle PI under his real name Mike Glover, was one of the great local characters along with people like restaurateur Ivar Haglund and fellow newspaper writer Emmett Watson.  He was also a wrestling promotor and historian.    He was known for telling rollicking stories and becoming bigger than the subject of the story that he covered.  A colleague compared him to Hunter S. Thompson, the legendary reporter whose misadventures got in the way of the stories he covered.

Mayor Ed Murray Expected To End Bid

News sources are predicting that Seattle Mayor Ed Murray will soon announce that he will not seek a second term as Seattle mayor.  Murray bid reelection bid seemed to be pretty smooth until he was hit with a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct in the 1980s. 
A few new candidates have surfaced including ex mayor Mike McGinn and State Senator Bob Hasegawa.

The Brandon Roy Mystery

Last week, a scary report came out that Brandon Roy, one of the area's most popular sports figures, had been shot in a melee near a relative's house in Los Angeles.  Then denials came from members of the Nathan Hale basketball team that he coaches.  No word from Roy himself. 
The silence and confusion has lead to all sorts of speculation including thought that Roy could be involved in something not good.
Roy starred at Garfield High and the U-W, then went on to play for Portland Trail Blazers.  Since June of last year, he has coached the local Nathan Hale High School basketball team, leading them to a 29-0 season.

Horsemanship On The Trail

Saturday, on the pipeline trail by Belmont Woods in Maple Valley, I snapped this picture of a couple women on horseback. I had not seen horses on that trail in years.

Bearded Dave Letterman Inducts Pearl Jam Into Hall Of Fame

I love watching the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony on HBO.  It is interesting how every presenter manages to include 4 letter words into their speeches, even a rapper band that thanked God  for it's success. 
This year, another great Northwest band was inducted, Pearl Jam.  Within recent memory, Nirvana and Heart received the honor.  I was quite taken aback at Dave Letterman's beard.  I just didn't think someone that age could grow one that thick.  Originally, Neil Young was going to present the band, but backed out.  I think that is good because Letterman made for a better story.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Bellevue's Skateboarding Policeman

Went too fast for a great picture but Officer Craig Hanaumi is Bellevue's skateboarding cop. Officer Craig uses skateboarding to connect with local teens. Here he is at the Crossroads Park behind our store.

Bygone Walla Walla Blog Covers Memorable Event

Even as a 7 old in 1964, meeting the governor was Washington was a thrill.  That year, Governor Al Rosellini visited Walla Walla to campaign for reelection.  I remember my parents bringing me to the event that probably kindled my love of politics.  Joe Drazen published pictures from the event in his Bygone Walla Walla blog.  Sadly the Democratic Rosellini would later lose to his Republican opponent Dan Evans in the general election that year.

Cory Kahaney Performs Stand-Up

Here is the comedian that we saw Sunday 

Legendary Washington Liberal Mike Lowry

Mike Lowry, former Washington Congressman and Governor, known for speaking his mind with arm waving speeches, died on May Day from complications from a stroke.
  Lowry was elected to represent Washington's 7th district in 1978, returning what would become Washington's most Liberal district back to the Democrats.  Jack Cunningham, a Republican, had been elected to the seat in a special election after Brock Adams had been appointed to be Secretary Of Transportation in the Carter Administration. 
Lowry ran for the US Senate twice, losing to both former Governor Dan Evans and Slade Gorton.  Lowry spoke of his Eastern Washington roots.  He was born in St John, Washington and graduated from Endicott High School.  He was a graduate of Washington State University.  Still, his Liberal views made it difficult for him to run statewide.
He was elected Governor of Washington in 1992 when Bill Clinton became president. His term was marred by sexual harassment charges and he did not seek a second term.  He would later run unsuccessfully for Lands Commissioner.
Before his election to Congress, Lowry had served on the King County Council.

Cory Kahaney Entertains Seattle Audience

Comedienne Cory Kahaney entertained a crowd at Temple De Hirsch Sinai last night..  It was part of the New York Deli Night fundraiser.  Kahaney, who does modern type jokes, along with Jewish humor has competed on America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing as well as performed on Craig Ferguson and Stephen Colbert.