There was another “Boom” in Seattle before the “Legion of.” It was the “Sonic Boom,” and I signed up for for a decade of fanaticism. I’d moved to Seattle in ’72 from small-town Illinois, where basketball was king, where winters were so harsh and bleak that the best option for entertainment was to be packed into frigid cinder-block gyms in the dead of January to watch sons of farmers play the game. I transferred my basketball fan punchcard to Seattle and started listening to Bob Blackburn on the radio, and daily scanned the sports pages for stories about the SuperSonics in all three newspapers. Yes. Three.

I was ecstatic when they began to win and make the playoffs, and I committed myself completely to the journey. In my saved box of Sonic history are newspaper clippings, a poem of mine that had been published (“Goodbye, Marvin; No Hard Feelings!”) and a front-page picture of myself and friends holding up a banner during the Denver playoff series (“We Got ‘em by the Nuggets!”).

I had absolutely no business spending my hard-earned money on season tickets, but I did it anyway, investing in them with my best friend, a school teacher who somehow managed to convince Sonic management that she was a professional photographer, so I would hang with her courtside pre-game, and be admitted to downtown building roofs open only to the press, perfect vantage points for the post-season parades. I still have the 8-by-10 black-and-white glossies from those.

I was employed in a highly seasonal industry at the time, and days off during busy times were verboten unless somebody in your immediate family died. I was a prototypical German Catholic uber-worker, but in spite of that, when the Sonic siren called out to me, I couldn’t resist. I marched into the general manager’s office and said, “Fire me if you have to, but I’m going to the parade.”

Later there were more connections to the team: My sister briefly dated Jack Sikma, and I helped P.I. sports reporter Blaine Johnson write a book about the Bill Russell years called “What’s Happenin'”.

Besides the newspaper clips, there’s a gold “World Champs” T-shirt, a hardbound NBA Sonics Yearbook and a vinyl LP featuring “exciting play-by-play highlights, interviews, Sonic songs and the post-season celebration!”… historical artifacts that I’ve faithfully retained, and like my memories, easy to access. Except for the “Sonic songs.” I don’t remember those at all.

So if you believe you’ll never get over the Super Bowl, think again. Consider my Sonics experience. Today I recall only the fun, the highs, the shared insanity, the car horns honking in the night, waiting in the rain for playoff tickets with other zealots, all the good stuff; and I remember absolutely nothing of the losses, none of the lows, the disappointments, not even the pain of losing the Sonics altogether.

And just think: The Seahawks have only begun.

You can reach Pat Detmer — who may fire up the phonograph to hear those Sonic songs — at patdetmer@aol.com.

Yes, it can sometimes be a bit time-consuming, which is why I was elated when I opened the PSBC website and saw a large button that said, “Donate online!” For a nanosecond I pondered how it might be accomplished — Via USB port? Would one need broadband? — and then I realized that they had yet to find a way to siphon my blood over the ethernet, but instead were seeking monetary donations.

The Sainted One gives plasma, and his blood type is such that it mixes with all other types, which means that his plasma is as coveted as Seahawks season tickets at the 50-yard line. When he’s due for a session we get a persistent but pleasant phone call a day from a volunteer until he books it. He gets his own TV and blanket while he donates.

Admittedly, I do get cookies and a choice of drinks when I’m done, so it’s not as if my needs are ignored. I always choose V8 because it makes me feel like I’m replenishing what I’ve lost. They have yet, however, to stock the little bottles of vodka that I keep requesting.

But something has begun to mess with my desire to donate. My iron levels are sometimes not high enough for giving. For a quarter of a century I’ve had the right stuff, and even though I’m not eating differently, and even though I love kale, spinach, seafood, a good steak and Almond Roca, my numbers have gone down. According to the folks at the PSBC, that’s not unusual, especially for women. And according to my doctor, my levels are not “low” by medical standards, so there’s nothing to treat.

So here’s where I take a moment to apologize to the white-coated PSBC technicians who prick my finger to get the blood drop for the iron test. I sit in the tiny room that feels eerily like a Catholic church confessional, and because I believe in mind over matter, I will chant in my head: “Be the iron. Be filled with lots of iron,” and then I’ll wait breathlessly for the result. And here’s why I apologize: Because when I don’t pass, I swear like an inebriated longshoreman in spite of all attempts to amicably shrug and say, “OK. Maybe next time.”

The Bloodmobile will probably be rolling around again in January. I am now taking a 65mg iron tablet a day. I’ll show them, those #!!?#?##!!!

You can reach Pat Detmer — who will give her signed book to anyone who donates at the Newcastle Y Bloodmobile for the first time in his or her life — at www.patdetmer.com.

The Seattle Seahawks officially open the 2014 regular season Sept. 4, and two local businesses are ready to celebrate in style.

Newcastle’s HomeStreet Bank and B & E Meats and Seafood are throwing a community tailgate party on gameday.

The fun kicks off at 11:30 a.m. and goes until 1:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at HomeStreet Bank, 6949 Coal Creek Parkway S.E. There will be free food, drinks and prizes, as B & E Meats and Seafood employees grill up their best creations.

The Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4.

Learn more here.

The event, in its seventh year, supports Strong’s TEAM-WORKS Foundation, an organization he founded with his wife Zoe to empower at-risk youths toward a better future.

TEAM-WORKS partners with entities in the Northwest to offer mentoring services for disadvantaged youths and their families in indigenous, minority and impoverished communities. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to encourage kids to develop strong minds, strong bodies and strong character.

A slew of local athletes and celebrities will hit the China Creek course for a day of golf benefitting the foundation. Local vendors dispersed throughout the course will also make sure all golfers stays hydrated and fed.

For those who don’t golf, an evening dinner includes appetizers, cocktails, and silent and live auctions. Learn more about the TEAM-WORKS Foundation and buy a ticket for the event at www.teamworksfoundation.org.

Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan will sign autographs from 7-8 p.m. May 28 at DJ’s Sportscards in the Renton Highlands.

Ryan will begin his seventh season with the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in 2014. Ryan has set many NFL punting records and his deep punts have been key in pinning opponents deep in their territory and contributing mightily to Seahawks victories.

Visitors can bring their own items for Ryan to sign, or purchase photos at the store.

Autographs are free, and only one per person, though patrons are encouraged to contribute a voluntary donation to Shepherd’s Crook. The nonprofit ministry finds adoptive homes for special needs children from across the world.

Store owner Don Joss and his wife found their daughter through the organization. Learn more about it at http://theshepherdscrook.org.

DJ’s Sportscards has been buying and selling sportscards in the Renton Highlands since 1988. Past autograph guests have included Russell Wilson, and Liberty High School graduate Tim Lincecum.

The store is at 1630 Duvall Ave. N.E., Renton.

Contributed
Hazen High School senior Errin Mekel is the newest member of the Seattle Seahawks dance team, the Sea Gals.

Hazen High School senior Errin Mekel was selected as a member of the Seattle Seahawks dance team, the Sea Gals, for the upcoming season. 

Mekel, who is also a member of the state-champion Hazen drill team, competed in a marathon of workshops, tryouts and auditions to be selected as a Sea Gal.

She used her athleticism, knowledge of choreography and passion to win over judges in the selection process. Out of the hundreds of women who tryout, only 24-32 are selected for the squad. See Mekel and the 2014-2015 squad on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sea.Gals.

That was the night the Seahawks game was delayed due to a freak windstorm, and to get to Qwest Field, it had to get across Eastern Washington — and Lake Roosevelt — first.

It was hot and still when we retired early, so I was pleased when a breeze blew through the open stateroom window until that breeze grew into something less appealing. Staggering out of our staterooms, we had to hold onto the walls to keep from hitting the deck. We turned on our phones and they began simultaneously ringing: High wind warning, the messages from the marina said. Batten down the hatches, because something wicked this way comes.

It was so bad, in fact, that we actually did a Sitcom Couch. In sitcoms, three or four people will end up sitting on a couch together because it’s the only way to frame a shot that captures everyone, but really, have you ever seen that happen in real life? Well, it happened that night. The four of us sat shoulder to shoulder, eyes wide, as the Good Ship Vacation was battered by wind and waves. We ended up sideways on the beach, and the next day it took us an hour to extricate ourselves.

Early March, same group, different place: the Anza Borrego Desert on a guided overnight trip. The tents were mesh so that you could watch the stars crawl across the sky. The mesh was not as nifty when the windstorm came out of nowhere, because it acted as a sieve. Only the very finest sand fell through the tent roofs and blanketed everyone and everything underneath it. It was a mighty wind, and another mighty wind (we had stopped for Mexican food before the trip, and it included refried beans) blew beside me.

When we emerged the next morning, I expected our guides to dismiss the storm and call us city slickers for our worry, but they were amazed and — almost literally — blown away. They ‘d slept outside, and their cots had been lifted into the air. It was wild and unexpected, and they’d never seen anything like it in their 30 combined years of guiding.

Then I wondered … is it us? Is it me? I thought of other vacations: In Albuquerque, gazing out the hotel window at a cloudless night sky as the outdoor furniture by the pool is picked up by the wind and pushed to one corner; Galena, watching tornado warnings on TV; dodging more tornados on a trip to Missouri and southern Illinois; at Westport, where the wind was so strong that we couldn’t see the beach for the sand whipping, knee-high, around our feet.

Am I a force of nature? Is the Sainted One? Whatever the reason, true to my sales and marketing consulting background I’ve decided to monetize this, so for a small fee, we will provide you with our vacation itineraries for 2014 and 2015 so that you can avoid blowing in the wind.

You can reach Pat Detmer — who will be blowing into a vacation spot to be named later — at patdetmer@aol.com.

By Christina Corrales-Toy
The Newcastle Jewelers team, celebrating its 20th anniversary along with the city, is a tight-knit group led by (from left) owners Wayne and Joan Underwood and staff member Sylvia Mauerman. Mingo the poodle serves as a trustworthy watchdog.

The new business cards still had the warmth of a fresh printing when husband and wife Wayne and Joan Underwood decided to open a jewelry store along Coal Creek Parkway in 1994.

The cards read “Highlands East Jewelers,” but the name was shortly scrapped when the city of Newcastle was incorporated. Thus, Newcastle Jewelers was born.

“It was a new city, and we thought we’d support them with this name,” Joan said.

Flash forward two decades, and both the store and the city are still going strong as the two entities celebrate their 20th anniversaries.

Not much has changed at the store since it opened its doors, except for the color of his now grey hair, Wayne quipped.

The family jewelers still live by the motto, “If you want it, we’ll do it,” led by Joan, a gemologist, and Wayne, a certified craftsman, buoyed by years of apprenticeship all done locally. They can repair or create almost anything.

They have added two members to the staff in Sylvia Mauerman, a Newcastle resident who has patronized the store since its inception, and Mingo, the small white poodle who doubles as the store watchdog.

Watch repair, charm bracelets, clocks, rings, gems and more, if you need it, Joan and Wayne have it at their store, and they do it all in house.

“As a consumer, you feel that your things are special to you and you want to make sure that there’s no problem,” Mauerman said. “You feel safe and secure when you leave them with Wayne and Joan.”

Newcastle Jewelers has a few famous clients in Seattle Seahawks players. It makes sense, Mauerman said, since the practice facility is just a few minutes from the store.

Wayne and Joan even did the weddings rings for Seahawks center Max Unger and his wife Leah.

“They’re just people like everybody else,” Joan said. “I don’t think they want to be treated differently, I don’t think they expect to be treated differently and I don’t expect to have to treat them differently.”

The store’s seen the gamut of style preferences in its 20 years, Joan said. One year, platinum would be big; another year, it would get supplanted by yellow gold.

“We try to stick with things that are more classic, that don’t run in and out, like the clocks we carry and pearls,” Joan said.

While Newcastle Jewelers hasn’t changed much, the same can’t be said of the community around it.

Wayne and Joan have seen their fair share of revolving neighbors in the Coal Creek Village plaza. They were once surrounded by a Hallmark store, a boutique, a Boston Market and a Blockbuster Video store.

The shop has literally grown up with the 20-year-old city, allowing Wayne and Joan to bear witness to some of its biggest events.

Joan, for example, vividly remembered the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.

“I remember the earthquake when it started. Wayne said, ‘Watch the vases,’ but luckily we didn’t have any damage here,” she said.

The Underwoods take pride in supporting the community, annually donating silent auction pieces to several schools, including Newport and Hazen. They also support local artists, displaying and selling their wares at the shop.

“I shop within 5 miles of here, because you need to support your community as well as take from it,” Wayne said.

Mauerman, a longtime resident and Newcastle Jewelers patron, said she has witnessed firsthand the Underwoods’ generosity. They have compassion for their customers and community, something you won’t likely see with chain-store jewelers.

“I really believe it’s an essential contribution to this business area,” she said.

For the Underwoods, they are just happy to be a part of Newcastle, supporting its residents’ jewelry needs as it has since the day the city was created.

“We’re just thankful that the community supports us,” Joan said. “It’s because of them that we’re still here.”

In an approximately 20-minute address, Buri talked about his love of Newcastle’s sense of community, and he updated citizens about improvements to Lake Boren Park, development of the Mutual Materials site and a potential new project to expand the May Creek Trail.

Buri, who assumed the mayor’s role in January, introduced himself before discussing city matters. He moved to Newcastle in 1998, he said, where he and his wife quickly fell in love with the city.

“Part of what I love about the city of Newcastle, which was alluded to earlier, is the sense of community, and part of that comes from the fact that it’s really a small town,” he said. “I don’t go to the store or any of the businesses without seeing someone I know.”

Buri then delved head first into talk about plans for improvements to Lake Boren Park. The park, which he described as the “crown jewel of Newcastle,” is a priority for the city, he said.

Residents got a first look at an initial vision for the park at the town hall meeting in October. Suggested upgrades included a larger, covered stage, a kid’s spray zone, widening and improving the beach area, shoreline boardwalks and the creation of a central meadow.

During the October meeting, the city used polling devices to get feedback on the project, and 77 percent of respondents said they agreed that improvements to Lake Boren Park would benefit the community.

The City Council recently authorized city staff to explore the purchase of properties at the south end of the lake that would help alleviate flooding concerns near lakeshore properties and essentially expand Lake Boren Park.

“We’re really at the beginning stages of getting your input on what you’d like to see happen there,” Buri said. “Whatever we do will involve a lot of public input.”

Buri also talked about a potential project to expand the May Creek Trail, including the installation of a suspension bridge.

One of the most exciting aspects of the project, City Manager Rob Wyman noted, was that the extension would allow Newcastle residents to walk directly to Seahawks practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

“Really, it would be an amazing enhancement, with a pedestrian bridge over a beautiful stretch of May Creek,” Buri said.

The project would include the bridge, trail extensions and a trailhead parking lot along Southeast May Creek Park Drive.

The city has submitted a state capital budget request through the office of state Rep. Tana Senn to fund the project.

“We’re pursuing it down in Olympia, and I think the prospects are good without promising it,” Buri said of the city’s chances to receive the funding.

It could be a particularly attractive project to state leaders, Buri said, because it would serve as a key link in the Mountains to Sound Greenway connection.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway is a connected landscape of natural lands and communities along Interstate 90 between Seattle and Central Washington. It features a regional trail network used by pedestrians and bicyclists.

If the city gets the $1.4 million it’s asking for from the state, it will obviously move forward with the project, Buri said. If it doesn’t, the project is something the city would still like to pursue in the future, when funding is available.

The visual of Skittles-munching running back Marshawn Lynch sitting on the hood of a Ride the Ducks amphibious vehicle brought a smile to fans’ faces.

File
Mikie Coffman, general manager of Ride the Ducks, stands near one of the business’ 17 duck tour vehicles. Coffman, formerly of Newcastle, was instrumental in helping to transport the Seahawks through Seattle during their celebratory Super Bowl parade.

The Seahawks employed Ride the Ducks, a service that provides fun, scenic tours of Seattle, to usher the players across the parade route. It’s a company that also happens to bear a Newcastle connection.

Until just six months ago, Ride the Ducks’ general manager Mikie Coffman called Newcastle home. She lived in Newcastle since 2006 and recently moved to downtown Seattle to be closer to work.

“My heart is still in Newcastle,” she said “I still have friends at the Starbucks.”

Ride the Ducks got the call from the Seahawks, expressing interest in using its vehicles for the parade Feb. 3, just a day after the Super Bowl. Coffman said she screamed with delight when she heard the news.

“It’s wild,” she said. “We were absolutely so excited, thrilled and honored.”

It sparked a whirlwind of controlled chaos around the office, said Brian Tracey, Ride the Ducks’ CEO and president, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’re just so honored to be part of one of the biggest celebrations in the history of Seattle,” he said.

It was big. An estimated 700,000 people lined the Seattle streets to welcome the Super Bowl champions home. The Issaquah and Renton school districts even allowed parade absences to be marked as excused.

The company worked with the city and the team around the clock to hammer out logistics for the parade. The plan changed more than seven times, Coffman estimated, but she said it was worth it to see it come to fruition.

“We’ve really become a part of Seattle,” she said. “You think Ducks, you think Seattle and we’re just so excited to be a part of this.”