Heart Former Bassist Steve Fossen Featured In Seattle Times Supplement

 Seattle band Heart rocked the music scene in the mid 70s.  Original bassist and co founder of the group, Steve Fossen is featured in the Sunday Supplement of the Seattle Times, Pacific NW.

I was able to get my Dreamboat Annie album cover autographed by Fossen (pictured below) when he was with a different band in the mid 80s.  My roommates were having an afterhours party in which he attended.  

The band continued through the many decades, earning its way to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

Bird Signs For One More Season

 Sue Bird, whom I would like to think of as Seattle's answer to Tom Brady, has signed for one more year with the Storm.  

This coming season with be Bird's 21st, although she has missed two seasons due to injury.  During her career, the Storm have on 4 WNBA titles.  

She has also won 5 Gold Medals playing for the US Woman's Olympic Basketball team.  

Stan Barer Dies

 We lost Stan Monday night.  He was 82.   He had been fighting cancer for well over a decade, seemingly winning every battle.  The last couple years were very tough as he lost his wife, Alta to cancer in 2019 and son, Aaron in 2020.

Stan was my cousin, my grandfather and his father were brothers.  Stan was brother to Burl and Jan.  We all grew up in Walla Walla.  Stan attended Green Park School and graduated from Walla Walla High School (Wa-Hi).

Stan left Walla Walla to go to the University of Washington.  After finishing law school, he joined the staff of Senator Warren Magnuson.  After playing a big part in writing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he would go on to become the senator's administrative assistant.  

Over lunch many years ago, Stan told me how he felt there was underlying discrimination growing up as he felt that many clubs had not picked him for membership because of his Jewish faith.  That apparently galvanized his commitment to civil rights. 

Stan became a Washington insider.  He was in the "kitchen cabinet" of several presidents.  He played a part in an historic trade deal with China.  He was written up in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin as an "expert on export".

Stan would go on to practice law in Seattle for several years in a huge firm known as Garvey, Shubert, And Barer.  He would also became part of the ownership group of Saltchuk Resources, which ran several local shipping companies including Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Foss 

With his wife, Alta, Stan became an active donor in the arts community, as well as many charity causes.  His donation to the University Of Washington allowed more students from around the world to attend. 

Stan also served on the University Of Washington Board Of Regents.  

Just last September, it was announced that Stan had won the Gates Volunteer Service Award.  

It seems silly, but one of my favorite memories of Stan was when we were going out for dinner with his mom, my Aunt Dorothy.  Stan and Alta had come to meet my then fiance, now my wife.  Stan and I were sitting on the couch dipping crackers into chopped liver at my aunt's apartment. On a more serious note, he was a rock of comfort in the deaths of both of my parents.  

A private service will be held this week with Stan's immediate family.  A celebration of life for Stan's large circle of family and friends will be announced at a later date

Stan will really be missed.

Seattle Icon Ivar Featured On Puget Sound Media

 Puget Sound Media historian Steven L. Smith does a great in-depth feature on Seattle Restaurateur Ivar Haglund in a recent post on the broadcasting blog.  For Seattle transplants like me, he is known for crazy commercials with fish puns, seafood restaurants, and owning what was once Seattle's tallest building, the Smith Tower (above).  But Smith (no relation to Smith Tower, that I'm aware of) reveals that Ivar plays a much bigger part in Seattle's history.  

You can read more about Ivar and reminisce about a much more simple Seattle by clicking here. 

Fearless Diary Of A Badass Reporter--Julie Blacklow Reported And Made History

With my longtime interest in TV broadcasting, I couldn't wait to read this book on Julie Blacklow, one of the best known TV journalists in the Seattle area.I found out that we have a few things in common, like me, she was mesmerized by both the Kennedy family and the Beatles.
Growing up in the D.C. area, Blacklow  went to the US Capitol, where President John F. Kennedy lay in state.  She also attended the Beatles first US concert. She was in the crowd at the  March On Washington.
Blacklow's book, Fearless Diary Of A Badass Reporter, reads like a personal letter personally engaging the reader.  It begins with her childhood and her love of attention, along with her desire to right certain wrongs. She continues through her college days and how she wound up in Seattle broadcasting at KING 5 TV as one of the first female TV reporters in the country.  She would later move to KIRO 7 TV and Entertainment Tonight.
Blacklow's resume is like a Seattle history lesson.  She has reported on the area's most notorious and horrific crimes like the Bundy murders. She also used her out of the box methods to interview Watergate figures John Ehlichman and former President Richard Nixon.
Blacklow also interviewed John F. Kennedy, Jr, Paul McCartney, and Oprah Winfrey.
Blacklow finishes the book talking about her retirement from TV and her second career of running a local horse ranch, where she is today.
Fearless Diary Of A Badass Reporter is available on Amazon.

Friend's Father Dee Molenaar Celebrated On Seattle Times Front Page

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday morning to see a front page article about Dee Molenaar, one of the area's premier mountain climbers.  Molenaar passed away last month at 101. 

Mr Molenaar's son, Pete was in my dorm in at WSU and we have been friends ever since. 

In an era when this area in the shadow of Mt Rainier was famous for it's hikers, kayakers, and mountain climbers, Mr Molenaar stood out.

 From the article, it seems Mr Molenaar did not seek fame, but climbed for the sheer love of it.  He was also an accomplished author and artist.

 He also led an expedition up Mt Kennedy in Canada with Senator Robert Kennedy to honor the late President John F. Kennedy.

I never met Mr. Molenaar, but from the article, it seems like he was much like his son, modest, but committed to social justice.  

To read the great article  click here.

Iconic Weathercaster Pool Will Retire

KOMO 4 TV Seattle meteorologist Steve Pool, a veteran in the market and a regional icon is retiring.
His last weather forecast will Tuesday, November 26th. 
With a smooth delivery and an uncanny ability to connect with his audience, Pool, one of the nation's first African-American weathercasters, has won 8 Emmy Awards and has filled in more than 70 times on ABC's Good Morning America.

The Beatles Play Seattle

Seattle historian Felix Banel has this great recount of the Beatles first concert in Seattle in 1964.  Click hereI don't know if the band itself played any subsequent dates here, but I was fortunate enough to see Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney in separate area concerts.

Cousin Alta Will Be Missed

Alta Barer died on Wednesday, May 8th. She married  my cousin Stan  in the early 70s.  She was a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines for more than 20 years.

Stan and Alta's contributions to the Seattle area are indeed legend.  If attending a music event or a play, it's no surprise to see Stan and Alta Barer on the list of donors.   In 1996, Stan and Alta put on a political fund raising event featuring Hilary Clinton. In 2008, they made a contribution to the University Of Washington Law School to help make it possible for students in under developed countries to attend that institution.

Alta's contributions to the community are well stated in this beautiful article by Patti Payne in the Puget Sound Business Journal, click here, but this, above all, is a deeply personal loss.  Alta and Stan were often present at family gatherings.  As a teenager, I was struck by her beauty and poise.

In this picture, Stan and Alta,  and grandson Aaron, Jr. pose with President Obama.  A memorial service for Alta J. Barer  will be announced at a later date.  Contributions may be made to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Resource Center.

Seattle's Rachel Belle Returns From Attending James Beard Awards As Nominee

Seattle radio personality Rachel Belle and her producer, Andy Mason have just returned from New York where they attended the James Beard Awards,  which are given to people in the Food and Restaurant field .  Belle and Mason were nominated for the podcast Your Last Meal, a feature available on the KIRO website and I-Tunes.  On the podcast, Rachel talks to various celebrities about what they would want for a last meal.
Sadly, Belle and Mason didn't win the award, but considering there were a handful of nominees out of probably thousands of  podcasts,  they can hold their heads high, having rubbed shoulders with the best in their field and knowing that there is always next year.
Rachel's radio feature, "Ring My Bell" is heard weekdays at 6:30 pm on KIRO 97.3 in Seattle.

NHL Said To Be Coming To Seattle

With the approval of a remodel of Key Arena, news sources are reporting that Pro Hockey could be on it's way to Seattle.  Social media has been talking at possible names which have ranged from standard to ridiculous.

Former Wasington Congressman John Miller

John Miller, a former Seattle city councilman and a member of Congress has died.  He was 79.  Miller was a moderate Republican in the mold of former Washington governor Dan Evans.  He served in Congress from 1984 to 1993, he served my district from 1991 to 1993, a time when I lived in Kirkland.
Miller was instrumental in the rehabilitation of the Pike Place Market, building housing for the poor and the P-Patch garden program when he was city councilman.   Miller was living in California at the time of his death.

Tim Burgess Is Seattle's Mayor

Tim Burgess, who did not run for reelection for Seattle City Council is now Mayor of Seattle.  Burgess will give up his seat on the council to serve.  Burgess will serve until a new mayor is picked in the fall elections. 

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.

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.

Knox Saga Seems To Finally Be Finished

The murder conviction of Seattle's Amanda Knox has been overturned by Italy's highest court.  Knox an exchange student was convicted in the death of Meredith Kercher. After serving four years in an Italian prison, her sentence was overturned and she was freed.  Soon, after returning to Seattle, her acquittal was overturned.  Knox faced extradition to Italy, had her conviction not been overturned.  While we probably will never know the exact facts of the murder, we can be happy that this matter has been settled.

Mary Ann Shows Up On New Day

 I had planned to go to the  Dawn Wells book signing at Black Rapid in Seattle, Wells of course played the iconic Mary Ann on the TV classic Gilligan's Island. However, just like the stranded crew, bad weather was predicted and the thought of navigating Seattle streets at night on a windy rainy evening in terrible traffic just did not sound worth it. Wells did make an appearance on KING 5's New Day, so I watched this clip and posted it here.

Dining At The Needle

Deb and I celebrated our 19th anniversary last night with dinner at Sky City, the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle.  Although the Needle is well over 50 years old, it retains it shows little signs of age. 
The seating area of the restaurant rotates a making a full 360 degree rotation every 47 minutes. 
The original name of the restaurant was "The Eye Of The Needle" It was known for having prices as high as it's 500 foot altitude.  Today, the prices are about equal to any fine restaurant in the area.
The views from the restaurant were stunning.    When we finished, we walked up to the observation deck.  It was crowded with tourists from all over the world.   There was a mini-museum there with historical pictures and artifacts.  There is a gift shop at the base. 
We had our rehearsal dinner at the skyline dining area (the new addition to the needle at 100 feet, built in 1982) in 1995 and we had been to the observation deck many times.  It was however Deb's first time to the Restaurant and my first time since going there with a couple buddies in 1978.  We thank Deb's Grandma for giving us a gift card for Sky City.

Seattle Makes History With 15 Dollar An Hour Minimum Wage

The lead story on the 6:00 CBS radio news report was the Seattle City Council's 9-0 passing of the 15 dollar an hour minimum wage.  KIRO reporter Brandi Kruse had her report played nationally.  How this will play out is a big mystery.  I'd like to think that a high minimum wage will give workers more disposable income, increasing buying power to create more jobs.  
Businesses, however are talking about lay-offs, higher prices, or relocation.  Right now, there seems to be so much contention between pro and con, I think that perhaps the two sides should maybe find a meeting point to make this work. 

Sears To Close Sodo Location

It has been announced that Sears will pull out of it's Sodo (South Downtown) location this year.  Radio reports said that it was the oldest continuous operating store in existence, however, I was unable to find anything to back that up.  The historic building is located at 76 S Lander Street and has been a visible but quiet landmark of the area once named for being south of the dome.  The building also houses the world headquarters for Starbuck's, which moved to the location in 1997 and put it's logo on the tower. 
Once the nations top retailer, Sears has struggled in recent years and has lost market share to online retailers and brick and mortar competitors like Target and Costco.