Veterans Day Buzz...Part 2

On Space Race 2012 announcement day, Buzz was “on” and in his element.Television was out at the Needle shortly after 5:00 am.The story got moving overnight and we were getting calls from all over the country throughout the morning.When Buzz arrived, there was quite a stir.We needed stantions to contain the crowds. Buzz wanted to do one-on-one interviews, if possible.He likes to focus on the questions…something many of our spokespeople don’t take enough time doing.

His remarks were interesting and exciting. It’s clear he knows how to gauge an audience.You can see that from the sound bite that most of the media picked up. "It's fitting that this structure, the symbol for the 1962 World's Fair, was put together by private individuals," he said, adding that it's appropriate for the Space Needle to sponsor the contest "because Seattle is the home of Boeing, the number one airplane maker in the world." And, believe me, that got a response from the crowd.

The interviews went smoothly, although a couple of times he caught my eye and mouthed the word “Enough”. We gathered the broadcast media together and I called on them one at a time so each got at least one question answered. There were a couple of questions about the end of the Space Shuttle program where Buzz’s politics were showing. He made it clear that our current administration could be doing a lot more with space exploration but “their focus doesn’t seem to be in the right place.”

He was gracious, engaging and energizing. He travelled with his assistant, her new baby and husband, and the current love of his life, Michelle Sucillon. Michelle was a hoot to be around and she certainly has caught Buzz’s eye. She and I had a lot to talk about because she was a long-time event marketer for Borders, Warner Bros. and CBS. She met Buzz at a signing for his book “Magnificent Desolation” in an LA Borders in 2009. There is much more to that story but you can read it in the Daily News. This is not “Inside Edition”. Michelle did, however, grab the camera from my hand and shoot a photo of Buzz and me as we left the Needle. I’m glad I have it.

What a terrific time it was to be with such an iconic explorer.  He really did boldly go “where no man had gone before.”  Every time I get fed up with our politicians and the bureaucracy, things like the Space Program and the Space Race bubble up in my mind and I think how incredibly innovative and creative we have been in this country.  We can definitely be world-shakers.  At 81, Buzz Aldrin is a home-grown American with talent, drive, imagination and inspiration.  Being around him makes you feel more alive.  We talked a lot about my military father and an army up-bringing.  “It was important,” he said.  Veterans can relate.

Serving your country is an honor.  For the 25 million veterans in this country, today is a day to thank them.  Buzz Aldrin stands tall in the ranks of veterans out there.  Spending time with him was impressive.  Getting “Buzzed” is a good thing.  In fact, it may be one of the best things that could happen to any of us.  Here’s a salute to all the veterans out there.  This day belongs to you.

Veterans Day Buzz...Part 1

Veterans Day is something like Columbus Day. If you work for the government, go to school or are, like me, actually a veteran, it’s something you observe and maybe get the day off. For everyone else it’s pretty much business as usual. A friend reminded me that it started out as Armistice Day marking the end of World War I when the Germans signed the Armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This time we can add the eleventh year and I hope it’s lucky.

Recognition for veterans is reason enough for a holiday and I always try to give it some thought. Today, I’m thinking about a special veteran who I was very fortunate to meet recently. He flew combat missions in Korea as a fighter pilot and was decorated for his valor. However, he received a higher calling…a much higher calling…in fact, I can’t think of anyone who has been called higher than Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon for our country.

The 21 hours that he and his colleague, Neil Armstrong, spent on the lunar surface in 1969 were a life-changer. And Buzz is quick to point out that since Neil was first out of the Eagle Lander, he shot most of the pictures. So those images that are indelible in our minds, including the American Flag standing out proudly on the landscape are pictures of Buzz Aldrin.

Colonel Aldrin (I only heard him called that one time. He officially changed his name to Buzz some time ago) was here in Seattle to help the Space Needle launch its Space Race 2012 program marking its 50^th Anniversary by sending an average person into space. (We received over one billion media impressions all over the world.) Buzz’s presence caused quite a stir during the two days he was here and I was fortunate to be asked to do some “blocking and tackling” for him when he was besieged by the media.

He was recognized everywhere. When we walked down the street to find a good location for the Associated Press to shoot a photo, “Ride the Ducks” came rolling by with the passengers chanting “Go Buzz Go”. It made him smile and the driver should have received a good tip for recognizing him from a moving vehicle.

When I found out we were having dinner in the Sky City restaurant at the Needle, I set one clear objective. The only menu item left from the World’s Fair is a dessert now called the “Lunar Orbiter”. I simply had to see a person who walked on the moon encounter the steaming ice cream delight. When it was delivered, Buzz’s eyes opened wide and a great grin spread across his face. He loved it and the photo I quickly snapped captures it pretty well.

His dinner conversation was mind-boggling. He’s got a remarkable resume (check it out atwww.buzzaldrin.com ) and his non-stop dialogue flew over the heads of most space enthusiasts and even some astronautical engineers. Being a watch nut, I tried to get him talking about the huge timepiece on his wrist but he was into the intricacies of chronometers and mechanisms so quickly my eyes were whirling around in my head. I finally changed the subject to “Dancing with the Stars”. He said he did it for the “fighter pilots out there.” He had some fun but was glad when it was over.

SEE PART 2...TOO MUCH NEWS TO FIT!!

It's Magic...

As usual, the State of Washington was in dire financial straits.  And so they were taking it out on the education system.  In fact, the School of Communications at the University of Washington was on the chopping block.  UW came to the professional community and asked a group of us to help put together a year-long certificate program to fill the need…and pay for itself.

We were just entering the 1990’s and the tech revolution was nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.  A program was fashioned to fill the gap after undergrad and to help those wanting to make a career of communications be on the cutting edge of the business.

It was then that I was first invited to teach.  My previous experience did not really apply since I had taught recruits in the army how to fire a 105 mm howitzer cannon without losing a body part and I hadn’t thought about teaching in college until the opportunity presented itself.  I liked the idea that we could take a practical view in our classes.  A teacher friend said “Just talk about what you’re doing every day and how you do it.”  So I did.

That’s where we get to point of this essay.  It’s been twenty years since we started that program and the front page of today’s newspaper immediately brought back those memories.  I had followed Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s career since he played in the Big Ten for Michigan State.  The day that he announced he had the HIV virus was a tremendous shock to the sporting world.

I came to class that evening prepared to stick to the syllabus but the students just wouldn’t stop talking about it.  Magic’s news conference took a lot of courage.  We knew relatively little about this disease that was only beginning to ravage the world.  It seemed to be a death sentence at the time.  We just knew that we would have to watch him wither away.

Thank goodness that didn’t happen.  Magic is healthy and very much alive twenty years later.  But on that day, the students wanted to know how he could make such a public announcement of his condition.  What would this do to his career?  Would other players even want to be on the court with him?  Would it change the game of basketball?

The practical nature of our classes was embodied in that discussion.  Communicating with the public through the traditional media was still our primary focus.  CNN was a decade old.  Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition were still in their infancy.  But cable television was leading the charge.  Think how the social media would have responded to that announcement, if made today.  In a much more jaded way, I’m sure.

I think Magic did the right thing…for the right reasons.  I said that back then and the students came to the same conclusion.  We used Magic as a case study in communicating for the next two weeks.  It came down to telling the truth and telling it immediately.  In the last couple of years, the number of public figures who have NOT followed that approach is astounding.  You’d think we would learn.  Here’s to a long life for Magic Johnson.  He’s been a role model for all of us.

Remember

To our parents and grandparents who survived the Great Depression of the 1930’s, December 7, 1941 was indelible in their minds.  It was not a holiday.  It was not a celebration.  It marked the first act of  foreign aggression on our soil in over 125 years.  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor scared them.  They didn’t know what would happen next.  They looked for answers but couldn’t find them.

Sixty years later, on September 11, 2001, we experienced another act of aggression. In many respects, it was more devastating than the December 7 attack.  Our war with Japan was over in 5 years.  The Japanese are now our allies. Last weekend, we marked 10 years since the attacks and there is no clear end in sight for us since what is now indelibly known as 9/11.

The attacks on the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon and another unknown target in DC were not military actions by a foreign country.  The targets were innocent civilians and our way of life by a faction of a terrorist group that really had no home.  There was no country to call our enemy.  This was a different kind of war than we had ever faced.   And at the end of one of greatest business booms in our history, it helped send us into a downward spiral that continues to pick up speed today.

9/11 has changed our government, our military and our own lives.  Nothing is the same as it was.  The ten years just passed have seen our country question its place as a world power.  We’ve been fighting a war (wars) on different turf with different weapons and a very different kind of military.  Unlike the war against Japan with its battleships and tanks, our special forces and clandestine efforts lead by the Navy Seals and the Army’s Delta Force have become the most effective means of fighting a war where the enemy is so elusive.

Man, all of that makes it sound like we’re headed down a pretty rough patch of road. Well, we are and someone said to me the other day that one person, one vote, may be our only way out of this mess.

The 9/11 attacks galvanized our country, but only for a very short time.  Since then we have become more factionalized than almost any time in our history.  Congress and the White House and the courts are all fighting amongst themselves…and the media, especially the NEW media, is fueling the fire, along with a weird group of presidential contenders, who, at best, have a very disparate view of our world and America's place in it.

The War in the Pacific made us closer.  It created jobs.  It strengthened our economy.  It was a war we knew we could win.  Today, we’re fighting two wars.  Neither of which really have much, if anything, to do with the 9/11 attacks.  We’ve spent over 3 trillion (with a T)dollars on wars and security since those attacks.  Yes, we’re safer when we get on an airplane today.  The new tower, the Freedom Tower, going up near the site of the World Trade Towers attacks is being built to withstand the impact of a 747 aircraft.  There is some comfort in that but this is a big country, with hundreds if not thousands of targets for the faceless terrorists out there, who are nearly impossible to identify. How safe can we really be from this kind of an enemy?

When 9/11 happened, I spent the next 48 hours helping the Space Needle, an icon of the success of the Pacific Northwest, do something it had barely even considered doing in the past…prepare for a possible terrorist attack.  Just think about what our daily routine has become since that day.  We drive, ride, work and play, wishing we had eyes in the back of our heads.

Oh, how our world has changed.  Oh, how we have changed.  My father, who was drafted into the army after December 7, was still alive when 9/11 occurred.  He was a career soldier.  He said to me after the attacks, “From now on, we’ll have to keep looking over our shoulders.  But we just have to deal with it.  We’ll find a way to live our lives.  We have to.”  Ten years later, our world is smaller and our future is more uncertain than ever. Let’s hope we can make a better future from what we’ve learned in the past. Boy, do I miss the 1950’s!

In the presence of greatness..

Arlo White is the “Voice of the Seattle Sounders FC” and a native of Leicester, England.  He walked up to the microphone in the Rainier Tower Club at a dinner recently and said, “What an exciting week it is for soccer in Seattle.  See, I can say the word!”  It’s hard for Brits to say soccer because they’ve called the game “football” for hundreds of years.  Here we call it soccer because we were already playing our game of football when the round ball showed up.  The rest of the world, except for a few English speaking countries like Australia and some parts of Ireland, calls it football.

There’s more to that story and I could go on but I’m writing this because, earlier this summer, we did indeed experience “an exciting week” of soccer in Seattle.  Manchester United, the darlings of the English Premier League, came to the US for a series of “friendly” matches (read “exhibition”) from coast to coast.  Billed as the world’s largest and most successful sports franchise, United spent more time in Seattle during their US tour than any other city and that’s testament to our own Seattle Sounders, who have the best fan base in this country’s professional sport of Major League Soccer. (Another quick inside note: Americans tend to call the English team ManU but they don’t.  It’s United or the Reds.) 

We were asked to give some help to United’s global sponsor Aon, a leading risk management services firm based in Chicago, as they put together the events surrounding the tour.  In addition to an exciting evening of friend- and fund-raising for the Initiative for Global Development, started by Bill Ruckelshaus and Bill Gates, Sr. (among others) to help stop poverty in the world through economic development, I thought it would be interesting to bring Aon and United together with another great, world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly.  Dale loves soccer and his son Jackson keeps him right on the edge of his seat for every Sounders match.

When I proposed the gathering to Dale, he thought it would be fun to bring the team and its coaches to his boathouse and hot shop and give them an inside look at the making of glass art.  It wasn’t easy to get the schedules in synch but it finally came together.  And quite an evening it was.

The best picture of the evening remains only in my mind because I couldn’t get to my iPhone fast enough.  When the team arrived at the boathouse, they were met by Billy O’Neill, the Director of Chihuly Studio and a former soccer coach.  As Billy turned to lead the team through the double doors into the hot shop, he had a look of determination on his face that said, even for just a moment, “I’m leading this team into the stadium in Manchester and we’re the best in the world.”  Ah, fantasy!! Isn’t it great. Sorry I missed the pic, Billy.

It was  interesting to watch the team settle into the rhythm of glass blowing.  These are athletes of the highest order.  One of them told me the main reason they like to come to the US is because they can be themselves in public and have some fun.  Few people, if any, recognize them.  With 350 million fans around the world, they’re mobbed almost anywhere else they go.  But here, you literally need a program to know the players.

United is very proud of its 19 wins of the English Premier League trophy, which can be considered the Super Bowl of soccer.  And they take the trophy everywhere they go.  The trophy itself has two security guards and they have to buy a seat for the trophy when flying.  The case goes in the cargo hold but the trophy flies in the cabin between the two.

After the team entered the boathouse, the trophy made its way in.  Once unpacked and placed on a sturdy pedestal in front of the hot shop furnaces, EVERYONE wanted to have their photo taken with the trophy. Dale and wife Leslie and son Jackson were the last in line.  Once their photos were taken, Dale motioned for everyone to gather round.

“I’ve been trying to decide what would be the best way to show you all the art of glass blowing.  I think I’ve got it now.  What would you think if we made a Premier League Trophy out of glass?”  he asked.  A few heads nodded in bewilderment.  “I think we can make this trophy in glass to take home with you.  What color should it be?”  “RED!” (the team color) was the resounding response in unison and so it began.  As dinner and the evening went on, the trophy began to take shape.  “The handles are the hard part,” Dale said.  “They’re so long.”

It wasn’t finished that evening, mainly because extra care had to be taken when making the crown.  But before the team left Seattle, it was presented to them with great pride.  And, in response, the team announced that they had already begun to expand the trophy case at the stadium in Manchester so that both trophies could be displayed side-by-side for the world to see.  Dale was very happy.

The US tour was great for United and for Aon, who entertained clients and prospects at every stop.  The match with the Sounders (Manchester won 7 to nil) was just as it was explained to me at dinner the night before by one of the United’s.  “Sir Alex (Ferguson, the manager) wants to concentrate on defense during the first half.  He has some players he will try at different positions.   In the second half, he will put the best offensive players in for ten minutes or so because they need to get a workout,” he said. 

I love the Sounders and I’m proud of them but this match was played at a whole different level of competition.  During the first half when United was playing its defense, we hardly got close to their goal.  And in the second half, when they were playing offense, United scored 5 of their 7 goals during that ten minutes with their best offense.  On at least two occasions, there were two United players standing in front of our goal kicking the ball back and forth with no opposition, as if to say “you take it.”  “ no, you take it.”   “no, you…”  and then they scored.  One of my former DDB colleagues, who is a die-hard Sounders fan, texted me during the match to say, "Ouch! This is painful."

Manchester United could have been the 1929  New York Yankees.   When you’re in the presence of greatness, you can feel it.  Here is a sports franchise that took its current form in 1902 and has grown and prospered with time.  As our Sounders say, it is “the world’s game”.  And the young men from Manchester United represent it well.  They are focused.  They present themselves well. They are professional. They are courteous and well-spoken.  There is a lot to be said for civility…in sport and in life.

Last weekend, the news hit that United had beaten rival Arsenal from London, 8-2, in a Premier League match-up.  That’s a crushing defeat in English soccer terms.  “You feel humiliated when you concede 8 goals,” said the Arsenal manager.  First time they’ve given up that many in 115 years.  The New York Times soccer blogger said, “Sunday’s one-sided result at Old Trafford in the English Premier League was pretty well summed up by my son:  ‘If ManU (see what I mean about Americans and the name) can do this to Arsenal, what are they going to do to the rest of the (Premier League)?’ “  Wow, these guys are something else!

It was a very special experience spending time with Manchester United’s team.  Aon is feeling the strength and benefit of its global sponsorship all around the world.  Sport plays an important role in bringing our world together and so does art.  When two greats come together, the result can be magic.  Dale Chihuly has been a mentor and teacher to many and Manchester United’s players are the highest caliber role models for youth today.  What an “exciting week” it was in Seattle AND we got our photo with the Premier League Trophy!

What's a great restaurant?

We all have our favorite restaurants.  And they come in all flavors…steakhouses, fishhouses, continental, ethnic, even fast food (tell me you don’t have a preference on the McDonald’s menu!).  And then there is New York, where the list of restaurants looks like a phone book and if you can eat it , they serve, somewhere there.

A career filled with world travel affords one the opportunity to experiment with food.  And it gives you a taste for what you like and what you don’t, whether you’re a gourmet, a carnivore, vegetarian or just an eater.  My friends in the restaurant business have always said that a great restaurant has three main qualities…food, atmosphere and service.  Good restaurants hit two of those three but great restaurants make the grand-slam.

 My list of good and great restaurants is quite long, quite eclectic and quite spread out…all over the world, in fact.  Dan’s Restaurant on Sydney Street in London was a qualifier.  The Noon Gun Café on the hill above Cape Town is a winner.  In Beijing, Da Dong Roast Duck is a hit from the minute you walk in the door and see all those ducks just hanging there.  And in Houston, Good Company Barbeque makes my mouth water just thinking about the line and how hungry you are by the time you get to order.

Last week, I read that George Lang, the owner of Café des Artistes, passed away.  Although his restaurant went away almost two years ago, it has left a huge void in my culinary palette.   A client recommended Café des Artistes many years ago and, after my first visit there with Jane, we were hooked.  It had it all.  And George was always there to make you feel even better.

 Café des Artistes was an all-purpose establishment that made the New York madness outside disappear in a flash.  It worked before and after the theater.  It worked for holidays.  We had a magnificent Thanksgiving dinner there.  You could drop in on the weekend for a sandwich or have the special of the day and experiment with something like beef cheeks that would melt in your mouth.  Or you could take your best client there and find Julia Child at “her” table just inside the door, laughing that distinctive laugh while entertaining her friends. (I let Jane identify the soap stars who would walk over from the ABC studios for lunch, although I did recognize Regis and Kelly.)

George made you feel as though you were family.  Everyone we ever referred there, came back happy. He would order for you, if you couldn’t decide.  And, if you didn’t like that, he would bring something else.  “Let’s try a little of all these desserts from the cart,” he once said. And we did.  OOOFFF!  But excellent.

 I distinctly remember the Thursday that we didn’t call first and headed straight to the restaurant from our hotel.  When we found the doors locked, the man at the reception desk in the building said, “Sadly, they had to close.”   We’d lost a sanctuary in the big city, a place that was warm like home.  We were forced to continue our search for the next great restaurant.  It’s out there.  We’ll find it.  But there’s one thing about great restaurants.  Each one stands alone.  They’re one of a kind.  The owner, the chef, the wait staff, the menu, Howard Chandler Christy’s pastel murals of naked beauties prancing through romantic landscapes on the wall, all make dining more than just a meal.  You feel like it’s part of your life.  I can taste mom’s eye-of-round with cheese potatoes right now.  Let’s eat.

Bagley Wright, a towering icon

On the wall, next to my desk, is a laminated copy of the Seattle Times Northwest section front page with the headline "Seattle's Towering Icon".  The large color photo in the feature story shows the Space Needle rising into an azure blue sky.  In front of the structure,  looking up into the heavens is Bagley Wright.  He was one of the original investors in the Space Needle and one of Seattle's most influential leaders during the 50 years that have passed since the Needle was built for the World's Fair.

When we were planning the kickoff of the Space Needle's 50 Anniversary Celebration this spring, I had the good fortune to have several long talks with Bagley Wright. He was a treasure trove of information and very gracious to the others who were involved at the inception. He was insistent that all of the great Seattle families who played a role were invited and recognized at the celebration. He didn't hesitate to say he would be there for the special event and was, in fact, the first to commit. Interestlingly, after that, on four different occasions, I received copies of this photo of his wife Jinny from when the Space Needle project began, with notes saying he thought we "would get a kick out of this picture." Obviously, he deeply loved his wife AND this photo. 

The photo was front and center in a position of prominence at our kickoff and Bagley smiled when he saw it. It was a glorious warm spring day and Bagley was basking in the light of a very proud moment for his family, his friends and his city.  The light has dimmed today as we learn that Bagley passed away of a heart attack overnight.  He was a great man...a consummate businessman, community leader and mentor to many.  He and Jinny are in our thoughts and hearts.  And as I look at the photo on my wall, it's clear to me that the headline is describing both of the images in the picture...the Space Needle that has become the indelible symbol for our city and Bagley Wright, the towering icon who made his mark on our community forever.  We miss him dearly.

Gloria's Trail

“Just close your eyes…listen to the wind blowing through the pines…smell the clean fresh air…feel the warmth of the sun on your face…and then hear the mountains saying ‘Thank you…Gloria.’”  Those were the words of Rick Johnson from the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) when about 150 of us gathered at the Osberg’s picturesque cabin on Newman Creek, near Ketchum, Idaho, recently to honor Gloria Moore Osberg for her notable contribution to the enjoyment of and the access to the mountains of southern Idaho by thousands of hikers.

In a virtually unprecedented act, the National Forest Service joined with the Idaho Conservation League and the Wood River Land Trust to name a trail after Gloria.  Not just any trail, mind you, but a 10.5 mile trail along a mountain ridge that offers spectacular 360 degree views of all the surrounding mountain ranges almost every step of the way.  It’s a beautiful trail that needs some “TLC” and the idea of naming it after such a great conservationist brought these three organizations together to make it happen.

Gloria is the author of two famous guides that are on the bookshelves of thousands of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts throughout the Pacific Northwest.  “Day Hiking near Sun Valley” came first and eventually it was joined by “Easy Hikes around Sun Valley”.  Gloria and some friends formed a hiking group in the 1970’s and it spawned the idea for the books.

These are guides that Gloria and her husband John (there is always a man behind a good woman) have painstakingly updated year after year.  Recently, Gloria gave the copyright for the “Day Hiking” guide to the ICL and insisted they keep all the proceeds to benefit wilderness conservation. She has done the same with her second book, “Easy Hikes”, making Gloria not only a motivational force for potential hikers, but also a philanthropist for the conservation cause.

A couple of months ago, John told us this special event was going to happen over the July 4^th weekend and it immediately became a must for us to attend.  John and Gloria have become very close friends over the past twenty years or so and the small dinner club of the four of us meet quite regularly for Chinese food and lively conversation.  John and I have known each other for over 30 years and we share a lot of the same views on life and the world situation.

Like my wife Jane, Gloria has her very distinct opinions on just about any subject.  And she doesn’t mince words.  When we first had dinner in Newport, Rhode Island, where I was working on an around the world sailing race that John had a boat in,  I remember clearly that Gloria took me to task on the subject sof politics and world affairs without reservation.  Not that we disagreed, it was just that she wanted me to understand how solid her point of view was.

Her work on the guide books for almost twenty five years has been stellar.  Gloria is meticulous in her details; thoughtful in her descriptions and passionate about the subject of the mountains.  She keeps the most complete and descriptive journals I’ve ever seen of the all the hikes and trips that she has taken.  Jane and I have accompanied them on some of Gloria’s scouting trips, taking measurements, altimeter readings and exploring trailhead parking lots.  No leaf is left unturned. 

Gloria has worked so closely with the Forest Service over the years that they have, on occasion, asked her to change, alter or even omit some hikes that have become too popular as a result of her guidebooks. Sometimes the forests and mountains just need a rest. Gloria knows that and she and the NFS have a very complementary relationship.

Gloria and John are enjoying life at their cabin in the mountains and their home in suburban Seattle.  They are a wonderfully warm and gentle couple.  The Trail Naming event felt just like them.  It was a perfect summer afternoon in the mountains…blue sky, hot sun. cool shade.  Family and friends came from all corners.  The food was great and the pies were homemade ( I have a soft spot for pie), although, in truth, they were made by a close friend and I missed Gloria’s own sumptuous berry pies.  Sitting on the front deck of their cabin with a piece of pie and a cold beverage and looking at the spectacular mountain view is definitely very close to heaven. I can’t do it often enough.

Wonderful things were said that day by the ICL, the Wood River Land Trust that has been a passion for Gloria and John and by the Forest Service.  All were welcome and much deserved.  But it was Gloria’s grandson, who got my vote.  He was asked by Gloria to deliver her remarks and he nailed it.  He spoke her words, precisely, from memory and when he said, “This is such a special and precious honor for me (Gloria Osberg),” even the chipmunk running through woods stopped and listened.  Gloria’s proud smile dimmed the sun.

Some people are passionate.  Some are committed. Others are compassionate and opinionated.  Gloria Osberg is all those things.  The naming of the Osberg Ridgeline Trail is bigger than the Sawtooth Mountains.  It’s bigger than Idaho.  It’s a testament to one person's vision and perseverance and the impact one person can have on the world.  I am proud to have hiked and sailed and skied and travelled and eaten Marion berry pie with Gloria.  She is a wonder of this world.

Chihuly Garden Exhibition is official...at last!

Today’s is the day we’ve been waiting for. It’s been so hard to hold back the hurrahs but we’ve learned not to take anything for granted in Seattle’s process of public approvals. The Mayor has signed the lease and the Master Use Permit is approved. NOW we can begin to build the world’s most comprehensive exhibition of the magnificent glass art of Dale Chihuly. In spite of the open government process unique to Seattle and those who heard about it and thought they deserved the use of the space more, the Chihuly Garden Exhibition will open in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our city’s coming out at the 1962’s world’s Fair.

This approval has been the longest 90-day process imaginable. We had the idea and began planning in late 2008. Throughout 2009, we met with Seattle Center, planned amongst ourselves and developed a timeline that would give us some breathing room to be open well in advance of the World’s Fair 50th anniversary in April 2012. In February 2010, we ran our design through the City’s design commission and then in March, we announced to the media the intention to place an exhibition of world renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s work on the south site of the Fun Forest amusement park next to the Space Needle. The idea was a great one from the beginning. It seemed like a slam dunk…a no-brainer. We made the salient benefits clear from the very beginning:

• There would be no cost whatsoever to the city of Seattle
• This would be a world-class exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s art that, by independent analysis, would bring 400,000 new visitors a year to view it.
• Over the life of a five-year lease with three possible extensions, the city could realize $24 million from tax and lease payments
• And over 400 family wage jobs would be generated throughout the construction period and beyond

After public meetings, more analysis, strong community outreach and extensive meetings with the City Council and the Mayor’s Office, we added:

• a $2 million dollar children’s play area in the north Fun Forest site,
• expanded opportunity for other artists to be displayed around the Seattle Center grounds,
• a major arts program for the schools that includes bus transportation to and from Seattle Center
• and assembled a group of deserving art-related community groups as partners that would benefit from the project.

Now some 16-months since first approaching the Design Commission, there is simply no way to count the endless hours that have been spent to get us to this point. It’s been like an expedition. When things are this intense and often stressful and the conditions are constantly changing, even the team starts to fray a bit around the edges. But the best always come out on top. Many, many people have played important roles in this process. The family of Howard S. Wright, who built and became the owner of the Space Needle, have joined with Dale Chihuly and his studio to bring an attraction of major magnitude to our city and its heart at Seattle Center.

There is a book in the happenings around this project over the past many months but I’m too happy to write it now. Even with the on-line nay-sayers, the foes of glass art, the biased vitriolic media, those who thought their ideas for the use of the space were the only answer, those who used the process to get their own way on the coat-tails of this project and those, including the mayor, who, now after throwing roadblock after roadblock in front of us, claim it as their own, we have achieved our objective and we’re proud and happy with the outcome. We’ve started something that will make our city, region and, in some respects, the world a more vibrant, exciting place. Whew!

All things Royal...

The buzz in London was getting louder when the date for the Royal Wedding was announced. We were there visiting friends for some pre-Olympic reconnaissance. “Official” souvenirs were being very tightly controlled. After asking in every place imaginable, we found the only item that was immediately available in a small Windsor shop across from the castle. It was a post card of the Royal Couple’s engagement photo, which you can see below. We mailed a couple back for the postmarks and brought a stack home for our friends. This was the beginning of the Royal Wedding adventure.

It was really my mother who was enamored by all things Royal. She watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren in the movie or William’s grandmother, if you’re not keeping track.) Next it was Grace Kelly’s rise to royalty through marriage and then Sarah Ferguson (you can’t just say Fergie anymore) and, of course, Diana. Mom followed the royal exploits through pre-Hello/People magazines in the 50’s and 60’s. And then when television turned from black-and-white to color, she never missed a report or special about European royalty.

Some of my mother’s devotion must have rubbed off on me because it wasn’t too hard for Jane to talk me into seeing THE wedding somehow. We started by hoping to be in London with our friends there but that just didn’t work out. Once we scrapped that idea then we started looking for a way to bring it close to home. Finally, I decided we could celebrate Jane’s birthday (She blocks out the whole month of April) and the Royal Wedding at the place where I shook hands with both the Queen and Prince Philip. They were in Victoria, BC, on my birthday (not “for” but “on”) during the Queen’s Jubilee. We were staying at the Empress and when they arrived for tea, we were right next to the entrance and they both “touched” the crowd, including me. I snapped these two pictures just after my encounter.

“Rise and Shine with the Royals” at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria was the idea of Theresa Dickinson, head of Food & Beverage there. She’s from Cambridge, England, and she told me that when she first voiced the thought, there was a somewhat quizzical look from management. But they did it anyway and what a success it was. The event sold out quickly and was even expanded to accommodate as many “wedding crashers” as possible. They came from coast-to-coast in Canada and many from the US as well. It quickly became THE place to see the wedding in all of North America.

Festivities in the famous Empress Tea Room were scheduled to begin at 2am but the crowd began to gather at 1:30. The invitation encouraged you to wear your pj’s and Empress Bath Robe, which many did, but there were quite a number of women dressed to the nine’s for the wedding, including very elegant hats and “fascinators”. I had never heard of a “fascinator” until Kate Middleton was photographed wearing one. My British friend referred to it as a “bit of fluff” in the hair and that’s a pretty apt description.

Men were definitely in the minority. In fact, I’ve never been in a room filled with so many women in their pj’s and bath robes and probably never will be again. The few of us sprinkled in amongst the hundreds of women offered a wide disparity in our reactions to the wedding. Many found it an ideal opportunity to catch one of those great “opera naps” (sit up straight and don’t drool) after enjoying breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, it was excellent. A full English breakfast including great bangers, bacon, kippers, baked beans, fried bread and pastries with eggs cooked to order was a hit with everyone. And as an added benefit, we got to eat on the Queen’s china, which had only been used once before at her Jubilee celebration.

In my opinion, the wedding was a 10. It could not have been better. I was texting with our English friends throughout and the tears came at about the same times…the wedding vows, the hymn written specially for the ceremony sung by the children’s choir and when they played the UK National Anthem “God Save the Queen”, we all stood up and sang just like we were there in the Abbey. (I noticed that the Queen wasn’t singing, but then I guess that makes sense, when you think about it. Who, me?)

Unless we could have stepped outside and watched the carriage go by, it could have not been a more perfect event. I thought for sure they would have some professional photographers there but Jane didn’t take any chances. She almost filled a 2GB photo card with pictures OF THE TELEVISION SCREEN! Unbelievable! She even got “the kiss”, although it was the second one. It came at 5:38am according to the camera and everyone was very happy. As the party broke up (we all got late checkouts from the hotel), Jane and I stopped for a quick photo with the Royal Couple. The man who took it for us had just purchased his official ceremonial, post-marked Royal Wedding stamps, so that required one more queue to stand in but I think my mother would have been quite pleased to have the souvenir.

I was tweeting throughout the ceremony but my last one said how I felt about the evening. “ Sealed with a kiss…ok, two. Well orchestrated. Well performed. Well done. A happy moment in our troubled world. Thank you, Wills and Kate.” Just two days later, things took another turn with the demise of the demonic man who started our troubles in the new century. But I hope the Royal Wedding will stand on its own in history as a time when we all came together to celebrate happiness, tradition and life. As my British friend said afterward, “One thing is for sure. We know how to put on a big event.” Amen to that. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

The best cup of tea...

The tea is black and very strong. Gombu always brought it in a tinfoil ball. Each time we met over the past 30 years or so, he would bring me a “ball of tea”. He liked the big Hershey chocolate bars that I gave him and we both enjoyed exchanging these small gifts.

Sherpa Nawang Gombu, the first person to climb Mt. Everest twice, died over the weekend and, yet another of the people who have had great influence on my life is gone. We met through our long-time friend, famed mountaineer Lou Whittaker. Lou and Gombu had a newly established relationship with JanSport backpacks and I was the corporate liaison from Cummins Engine Company that owned the budding backpack company when we first met on Mt. Rainier.

Gombu’s English was not that good then and, frankly, not much better when we were together last on the Mountain a year or so ago. But communicating was never a problem. His big broad smile told you very quickly that things were fine and, if he scowled, you knew something was wrong. Even better, he would make it right very quickly and there would be that smile again.

Rainier Mountaineering guide service relished Gombu’s summer visits. He came as often as he could and would stay as long as time and weather would allow. He was the guide’s guide…an energizer bunny of sorts…who never ran out of stamina or oxygen. I still smile at the film of Gombu’s ascent of Mt. Everest with Lou’s brother, Jim. The first thing he does when they get on top is light up a cigarette…not PC, for sure, but definitely a testament to his fortitude.

Fortunately, I got to travel with him and Lou in the Himalayas. Those mountains were his home, like the Cascades and Olympics are for us. He loved it there and was in his element. He was a major player in opening the trekking and climbing routes that are now flourishing in the Himalayas. Sir Edmund Hillary gave great praise to Gombu and his family for their efforts at mountain conservation when we were working on the 50th Anniversary of Hillary’s climb of Everest.

During the 1980’s and 90’s, I put together an annual event called the Mountain Summit. It was hosted on Mt. Rainier, at Snowbird and Sundance and Tokyo too. All the top mountaineers of the day from Reinhold Messner to Tim McCartney Snape and Ed Viesturs came together to talk about access issues in the mountains of the world. With the possible exception of Rick Ridgeway, Gombu was the most diminutive guy there. But his presence was big and when he talked, everyone listened. In one of the sessions, we got into a discussion about taking care of the mountains for future generations. Gombu spoke up, after a little prodding, and said, “If you love the mountains, they will love you.” That pretty much said it all.  The rest of the discussion was just rhetoric.

Nawang Gombu was a great man and a great friend. His legend and his memory will live on. His obituary says he was 79 but he had the heart of a teenager. News reports are calling him a "Tiger of the Snow", which may be true but I think it would embarrass him a bit. What is for certain is that he was a leader among his people, the Sherpa, and a highly respected ambassador of the mountains he loved. I miss him already as I sip his tea, which I will now use quite sparingly, and think of our quiet times together high in the snow. I know he’s still climbing.

Encore

Today is the day after Martin Luther King was assassinated.  Last year, I posted my recollections of that day for the first time in this blog.  My memories have not changed.  They may even be a little more vivid.  I'm re-posting that piece.  It hasn't changed in the past year but I may have...and so may you. Read it, if you like.  Martin Luther King made me look at our world differently.  Out of those troubled times, he made me stronger. He made our country stronger.

http://extremedanmc.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-5the-day-after.html