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Pacific Northwest Rangers Thrilled About New Million Dollar Contribution to Washington’s National Park Fund

Washington's National Park Fund

Funds to Support Critical Technologies to Improve Safety of Park Rangers; and Infrastructure for Hundreds of Volunteers

Seattle, WA — April 4, 2018— Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF), the official philanthropic partner for Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, today announced that a private contributor has donated $1 million to the organization. The generous donation is an estate gift from a Washington national parks lover, Bette Wallace, to ensure the long-term livelihood of these beautiful places. The gift, given via the Elizabeth Ruth Wallace Living Trust, is being split evenly between the three national parks that WNPF supports. It has rangers across the state thrilled because U.S. national parks typically operate on tight budgets and Washington’s national parks are no different.

Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park plan to combine their funds for, among other things, the purchase and establishment of a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system that allows dispatch operators to better monitor rangers working in the wilderness. Park employees currently carry Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and with the new CAD system, dispatch operators will be able to see the whereabouts of all park employees on one display. This greatly improves employee safety and response times within the park during regular and emergency operations. Mount Rainier National Park, for example, has more than 275 full-time and part-time employees (not counting volunteers).

North Cascades National Park will use the new funding to, among other things, support much-needed infrastructure improvements for the hundreds of volunteers who serve the park through the visitor center, youth and education programs, campground hosting, search and rescue, maintenance, and science inventory and monitoring.

“This funding comes at a pivotal time for Washington’s three largest national parks,” said Sarah Creachbaum, superintendent at Olympic National Park. “Our country’s national parks have experienced many financial challenges in recent years and there is a significant maintenance backlog. This wonderful donation via WNPF enables us to invest in much-needed safety technology that can quite literally save lives in Washington for years to come.”

As most outdoorspeople know, this past year has been especially challenging for national parks as federal funding has decreased. WNPF augments federal funding enabling important programs in the 1,660,000 acres of national parks in Washington State to take place. This gift is the largest in the organization’s history.

Washington’s National Park Fund has awarded nearly $4 million to Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks over the past few years. Funds fill critical gaps in science and research, volunteerism and stewardship, trail maintenance, improving visitors’ experiences, search and rescue, and youth and family programs. Funded projects are carefully and thoughtfully selected by park leadership then shared with Washington’s National Park Fund.

“We are so grateful for the lovely and exceptionally generous gift from the Elizabeth Ruth Wallace Living Trust,” said Laurie Ward, executive director of WNPF. “We wish Bette was still here so the park rangers and I could personally show her all of the significant park infrastructure enabled by her major gift. Not only will it provide immediate vital support to Washington’s national parks, it ushers in a new level giving for WNPF. With so much passion for Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, we foresee that this will be the first of many gifts at this level.”

More About Bette Wallace
Bette Wallace lived a life full of adventure. She traveled the world, skied, played golf, and in her last years had a special relationship with the squirrels outside her back door. She was born in 1924, grew up in Washington State and was a 1942 graduate of Edmonds High School. Between 1942 and 1949, she worked as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army in Seattle, Alaska and Tokyo. Shortly after her return, she met Bryan Walker Wallace, also a Washington native, whom she married in 1950 in San Francisco. They lived most of their married lives in Mountain View, CA, but she always considered Washington her home and visited often. With most of her family living in Washington, she knew it was special place and that many of her family enjoyed the state’s National Parks.

“On behalf of her trust it was our family’s honor to make this donation on her behalf to the Washington’s National Park Fund knowing it will be used for many projects including a combination of saving lives and supporting volunteer infrastructure in the parks,” said Cheri Ryan, Bette Wallace’s niece and trustee of her estate.

About Washington’s National Park Fund
Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, which span more than 1.6 million acres of the Evergreen state. Annually, WNPF allocates monies to more than 75 otherwise unfunded projects with the goal of deepening the public’s love for, understanding of, and experiences in Washington’s National Parks. Get involved at www.wnpf.org

Live Theatre Entertainment The Lineup of Shows

Seattle boasts a wide variety of theatre. If you are in the mood for live theatre entertainment the lineup of shows is truly something to look forward to. Whether you are looking for a date night out in the city, something kid friendly, humorous, or more meaningful these shows are looking lively, nostalgic, and entertaining.

Dirty Dancing, Toyota Theatre Kennewick
A beloved cult classic is coming to the live stage. Including hit favorite like ‘I Had the Time of My Life’ and ‘Hungry Eyes’ this throwback is a production that is sure to please. It delivers everything the audiences can hope for – lots of sexy dancing and rock ‘n’ roll. Starring Aaron Patrick Craven as Patrick Swayze and with Kaleigh Courts as Baby, come dance the night away with this great cast.

Kiss Me, Kate, 5th Avenue Theatre
Kiss Me Kate! The Golden Age classic and popular Cole Porter musical celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2018. The show will be directed by Alan Paul with the book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. A meta-musical that takes place within a play, features music and lyrics including Too Darn Hot, Brush Up Your Shakespeare and Another Op’nin, Another Show. A show full of laughs, humor, and love, this is a play you won’t want to miss and will make a great night out in the city.

Aida, Seattle Opera
In ancient Egypt, in the capital city, Memphis, an Ethiopian princess, Aida, is held prisoner in Egypt, and she lies about her identity. Now, she is a slave of Amneris, the Egyptian King’s daughter. An Egyptian General, Radames, is secretly in love with Aida, and she with him. For a dramatic night at the opera, this night is sure to fit the bill.

Love Never Dies, Paramount Theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber presents this new touring version of his blockbuster musical Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Reuniting the masked ghoul from the original with his one true love Christine. Love Never Dies is a worthy follow-up to one of the most popular musicals of all time.

Taylor Mac, Moore Theatre
New York City institution Taylor Mac, the daring and innovating drag and performance artist, director, producer, writer and musician, is quite simply a human force of nature. Recipient of the 2017 MacArthur Genius Grant, Mac is touring a condensed version of his Pulitzer Prize-nominated A 24 Decade History of Popular Music, a 24-hour concert that debuted in his native city in 2016.

Shakespeare in Love, Cornish Playhouse
Young Will Shakespeare is in dire need of inspiration. His next play is up against a deadline, and the only thing he’s figured out is the title: Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. Then he meets Viola, a smart and beautiful woman who desperately wants to perform on the stage even though it’s forbidden. Will is smitten and gets inspired to write the greatest love story the world has known.

James and the Giant Peach, Cornish Playhouse
A classic Book to children and parents, come enjoy the creative an imaginative night with James and the Giant Peach. When James is sent by his devious aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a giant peach which falls off the tree and into the ocean, launching him on a journey. As the peach is transported across the waves, he must create community with the other residents on board — a group of human-sized insects with bright personalities.

Shen Yun Performing Arts, McCaw Theatre
For an exciting and colorful night, Shen Yun presents an evening of dance and music. A performance by this company is a true representation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled from the five millennia of Chinese civilization.

The Lamp is the Moon, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Meet Shawn, a bright young girl with a head full of science and imagination, which makes naptimes particularly difficult. Today it’s her friend, Lamp, that despite having no cord and no bulb, triggers a wide-awake adventure when it reveals its greatest dream is to learn to fly and become the moon. Launch into a voyage fit for mission control as Shawn and her lamp, with the guidance of the audience, escape another naptime and blast into space.

Time’s Up and #MeToo Accusations

Allegations Times Up & MeToo Movement

News headlines nowadays are covered with stories surrounding #MeToo and Time’s Up. Hollywood is experiencing a cultural shift as individuals are coming forward about their experience with sexual assault. For years, many of these stories have been silenced and kept under wrap. As stories of Hollywood elite abusing their power becomes public knowledge, people are forming their own opinions about those accused. While a movement like this is critical to fixing a power indifference within a corrupt industry, it is essential to understand the facts and history around the different accusations being made. With each person that is accused, there are varying circumstances at play, and in the current cultural climate, when someone is charged, people wrap them up with others that have been accused.

Woody-Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is one of the many names that has brought up in the movement. In contrast to other’s accused, the accusation against him is unique. His adopted daughter Dylan O’ Sullivan Farrow has brought a family situation back to the public limelight. Dylan Farrow asked why Allen was spared in the wake of the Time’s Up movement, claiming Allen abused her as a 7-year old in their family Connecticut home. Her brother Ronan Farrow is a journalist who brought down Hollywood Producer Harvey Weinstein. When Dylan began to speak out, she was listened to after asking why people were excusing her father. With the rise of the movement, multiple actors and actresses apologized for working with him, donated their salaries from his movies to charity, and said that they would not work with him in the future. In the wake of multiple allegations of top Hollywood producers turning out to be something where numerous parties could claim the same assault, Woody was lumped in with these powerhouse names. In the era of Time’s Up, is it fair to assume all accused as guilty? Allen’s case was an isolated accusation that happened decades ago, and a 14-month long, thorough investigation found Allen not guilty.

As mentioned, not another claim against Allen has been made since Dylan has resurfaced this case. This differs significantly from the allegations that have been made against other high-profile Hollywood producers. In fact, considering the length of Allen’s career and the time of the movement, now would be the ideal time to come forward and expose him, yet, no one has. In fact, the opposite has occurred. His adoptive son Moses Farrow wrote a 5,000-word account of life growing up, giving many details of the day of alleged abuse, and denying that his father abused Dylan Farrow. While that content has received some attention, it is an essential piece of this story that has been going on for decades. Moses begins by saying, “I’m a very private person and not at all interested in public attention. But, given the incredibly inaccurate and misleading attacks on my father, Woody Allen, I feel that I can no longer stay silent as he continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit.” The account explains Mia Farrow’s family history, the abuse that took place in the home growing up, and a very personal story of his experience as a child, a young adult, and an actual adult navigating unhealthy family dynamics. It’s a raw and telling account of many of the hidden layers of information that the public has not been privy to. There is both family tension and public tension at play in this situation. As critics were ready to judge Allen as guilty, Moses was not willing to stand by any longer and watch his father get taken down when Moses had unheard information to share, but one must ask if Moses’s account came too late, because actors and actresses had already taken the necessary steps to disavow Allen. One must wonder if people had the opportunity to hear the story from multiple perspectives.

Allen is towards the end of an incredible cinematic career. It’s a shame that his name has been wrapped up in all this when he was proved not guilty many years ago. Dylan had a response to her brother saying on Twitter, “My brother is a troubled person, “I’m so sorry he’s doing this.” This family is divided on a severe issue, and it’s been a point of contention over the years. This is not the first time that Dylan Farrow has spoken out, and Moses has discounted her accounts. However, this is the first time that Moses has given a full account of what life was like growing up and how Mia used her children to bring down her ex-lover, Woody Allen. In the wake of his movement, you are criticized for having a differing opinion or not being on the side of the victim. For example, actress Blake Lively was slammed for working with Woody Allen in the middle of the resurfaced accusations. If you are guilty by association, that’s not a great place to be. Many Hollywood elite are picking sides and supporting the victim. While you can still be a supporter of the movement and believe that women should be treated with respect within the workplace, not all cases are black and white. And the Farrow Family is one of these cases. To lump Allen in the same category as repeat offenders is not what the movement is about. Allegations are not facts. And Allen is being treated as guilty even though he was found not guilty.

It’s important to be discerning and listen carefully as people come forward with their stories, for many of these wounds are deeply painful. However, not all cases are black and white, as is the case made against Woody Allen. While Dylan Farrow actively shares her truth, for many years the case verdict held as the investigation team found him not guilty. However, considering the recent movement people have become more vocal about protecting the victim, and disowning anyone accused, for it is safer to have an opinion than to stay silent because those who are silent on the matter are called out on their silence as complacent. As many people have stated, it’s entirely possible that Dylan truly believes this happened to her, while it still might not be the actual case. False memories are a real thing, and through the account that Moses gives about their mother drilling and coaching Dylan, it may very be that Dylan recalls an event that might have never happened. But, we will never honestly know for sure.

As with all movements, there is a certain level of criticism that comes with navigating new and unexplored territory. Many complaints and critiques surrounding Time’s Up stem from the foundation being created in the bubble that is Hollywood within a circle that is predominately white and wealthy. So where does #MeToo come in? Activist Tarana Burke started #MeToo after an encounter she had with a 13-year-old girl who shared her experiences as someone who experienced sexual abuse by her mother’s boyfriend, according to the New York Times. Burke also founded the non-profit Just Be, Inc., a program that supports victims of sexual misconduct, specifically focusing on young girls of color. While there is much overlap between Time’s Up and #MeToo they are two separate things. Time’s Up organization was started by a group of over 300 women within Hollywood. Wit A-list stars including Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman and high profile producers like Shonda Rhimes and Oprah.

Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
There have been several other men who have found themselves up close and personal within the movement including stars like Aziz Ansari, who was brought up in the #MeToo conversation after a date he thought was going fine, didn’t end up going well for the young woman he was with. In an open letter on Babe, the anonymous young women described it as the worst night of her life. Ansari responded saying that he had no intention of making the night uncomfortable, and from his accounts, it was a consensual night through and through. The letter circulated on the internet and many people were surprised over the event, as Ansari has been known to be an avid supporter of women’s rights and have a progressive pool of thought. Many of his stand-up gigs poke fun at the current dating culture and the less pleasant side of the experience. Ansari made a public statement in response to the letter, saying that by all accounts he believed the night was consensual. Ansari said, “I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue.”

In an interview with Bill Maher, Ronan Farrow, whose investigative journalism brought down sexual offenders, was asked if he finds it problematic that Ansari’s name will get wrapped up with the likes of those who were also accused. Ronan Farrow said, “our culture has actually been pretty good, on the whole, about self-regulating.” He then turned to the example of Ansari: “I don’t think anyone saw that and said, ‘Oh, he’s Harvey Weinstein. This is a multiple rapist.” What’s interesting is that Ronan Farrow says this about Ansari, but the same thing can’t be said for Allen, who happens to be Ronan’s (supposedly) father. Unlike Woody Allen, fans seem to be a bit more forgiving towards Ansari. Ansari was met with an excited crowd when he recently appeared at a Comedy Cellar, doing what he does best, standup comedy. This is a sign that people are receptive and still willing to support his career. He has received support from Parks and Recs co-stars and Amy Schumer in the wake of the incident. In the climate of sexual assault, one must wonder if the lines are ever blurry in these situations. Of course, with top Hollywood producers where people come out in large numbers of accused sexual assault, there is little gray area; there was a clear abuse of power, and someone was taken advantage of in a vulnerable state. However, with cases like Ansari, things become a little more unclear. The work that is happening to surround this topic is essential to changing how women are treated and respected. While it looks like Aziz Ansari may recover from his isolated incident, Allen might not recover from his. Accusations are accusations, and sometimes the truth is not a clear-cut as one would hope it to be. People are looking for justice and, and who gets it is not always clear.

*Visitor Submitted Article.

Plan Your Seattle Wedding: A Starting Guide

Summer Weddings In Seattle

Summer is just around the corner, which brings us to—wedding season. Brides and grooms, your mothers, fathers, family, and friends, will all be racing around to help make your big day perfect, so make sure to point them in the right direction with the help of local shops, venues, florists, salons, and more. Whether you’re looking for a traditional white wedding, or taking a modern twist on the big day with your forever honey, rest assured that you will find everything you need for your special day in the city of Seattle.

Dresses and Tuxedos
Looking elegant and sharp on you wedding day is a must. When looking for your dress or tuxedo, be sure to research samples or pieces from specific shops before going in, to make sure they fit your niche.
Lovely Bride Seattle: This indie bridal shop and boutique offers a selection for not-so-over-the-top brides to be. With simple twists on traditional and modern styles, Lovely will supply all the needs for unique brides, bridesmaids, and mother(s) of the bride(s). Too busy putting last minute wedding plans together?—shop online for your easiest convenience!

La Bella Elaine’s: For over 35 years, La Bella Elaine’s has been helping brides find everything they need for their wedding day—from bridal dresses, bridesmaid dresses, jewelry, and accessories. They have the largest collection of bridal necessities in the city, so if you’re a girl who likes options, they have a pick for you.

BHLDN- Seattle: Located in Seattle’s downtown shopping center, BHLDN supplies bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, mother(s) of the bride(s) dresses, accessories, and even décor. This bridal shops grandiose location, makes way for a fun-filled day of bridal shopping, and seeing Pike’s Place Market.

KUHLMAN- Seattle: Bespoke Tailoring offer custom made tuxedos for both men AND women. Hand crafted from Italian wool, the process takes about eight weeks while your pieces are crafted in the Seattle shop. For a unique bride or groom, a custom outfit may be your pick.

The Tuxedo Club: Since 1988, The Tuxedo Club has been styling groom and groomsmen parties with premier tuxedos and formal wear. Come get your wedding parties exclusive tuxedo needs satisfied in Lower Queen Anne, Seattle.

The Black Tux: With THE BLK TUX, your tuxedo is guaranteed to fit using their perfect fit algorithms, the first time. Their use of 100 percent merino-wool, sourced straight from Italy, will have you looking dapper.

Salon Services
Whether the wedding party wants an on-site makeup and hair artist, or wants to make a trip to the salon prior to your wedding, fear not, Seattle’s got you covered.

Sorrida Salon: Providing onsite services, Sorrida’s leaves every bridal party feeling gorgeous and stress-free while getting ready for their big day. From bridal, bridesmaid, mother, and flower girl packages, to a la carte hair and makeup services, they have got you covered.

Blossom & Beauty: Another onsite bridal beauty service, provides magnificent hair and makeup for the big day. Packages and a la carte services provided with trial run at a location convenient for your busy schedule.

Hair by Joey: This private men’s grooming salon provides a relaxing one on one services (the only salon in Seattle whom provides this) for grooms to be. To look extra sharp on your big day, get groomed by Joey.

Sugar Plum: Whether you’re preparing for your honeymoon or wanting to feel extra smooth for your wedding day, hairless skin is moments away. Sugar plum sugaring services offer facial, body, bikini, and manzilian hair removal for every gender, sexuality, and body type. So as long as you’re a human looking for smooth skin, Sugar Plum will have you well on your way.

Venues
Depending on the needs of your guests, season of your wedding, or size of your wedding, you’ll need to be sure your venue attends all of your demands.

The Rainier Club: This mansion located in the downtown business district of Seattle, makes way for an event full of elegance. With gold leafed ceilings, and a Pacific Northwest feel, this venue can cater to both intimate weddings, and parties of up to 500 guests. If Seattle’s inconsistent weather worries you, The Rainier Club offers a weather-worry-free, year-round, indoor venue.

Columbia Winery: Located right outside of Seattle in Woodinville, WA, this lush, beautiful venue offers both indoor and outdoor amenities. Sitting up to 250 guests, or 300 standing, this is a great location for those with larger amounts of family and friends. Complementary fine wine will be provided alongside meals—even ask about our wine educators to make your big day extra special.

Seattle Bride: Celebrate alongside the beautifully renovated cabana and 1895 Robinswood House. Spacious patios and sunken garden leave way for a beautiful, floral, nature-esque wedding day—perfect for a warm summer day. Intimate and large weddings welcome, maximum 225 guests. Intimate ceremonies of 60 guests or less may be celebrated in the Robinswood House apace with a romantic fireplace surrounded by friends and family.

Florists
Fleurt Weddings: Based in Seattle, Fleurt vows to offer “creative floral design, crafting romantic floral art for modern, stylish couples.” Portfolio collections range from Summer Elegance, Secret Garden, Urban Chic, Springtime Romance, Industrial Charm, and Bohemian Blush.

Fab Floral: Creating customized wedding floral designs, owner Laurie Henderson listens to each client to make sure their floral arrangements will be perfect for the couples’ big day. She puts her own unique twists on floral décor, including floral jewelry.

Ravenna Bloom: Ravenna’s specializes in bouquets, ceremony, reception, and cake flowers. Utilizing exquisite traditional flowers to make classy centerpieces, bouquets, and more, these superb floral masterpieces will leave your guests in awe.

Whether you’re a bride, groom, part of the wedding party, family member, or helpful friend, these local resources will aid you in planning an impeccable wedding day.

Bill Gates Biography: Business Man and Philanthropist

Bill Gates Biography

Early Life
Businessman Bill Gates life wasn’t always as lavish and eccentric as it is today. Growing up, his father was a senior lawyer and his mother an executive for a large-scale bank. While the family was fairly affluent, the Gates children were raised to work hard for what they wanted and stay humble. He was born on October 28th, 1955, grew up in Seattle, Washington with his two sister, Libby and Kristianne, and parents. Gates was known to be curious and intelligent child. He was enrolled in Lakeside School, a private prep school and excelled at many subjects including, math, science, and even drama. It was in school where Gates had his first encounter with a computer. He introduced himself to programming, making a tic-tac-toe game as his first coding success. After learning how much he enjoyed working with computers, he spent time on Computer Center Corporation’s computers to learn coding like Machine Code, Lisp, and Fortran. Bill was accepted to Harvard in 1973, intending to study computer science and mathematics. Realizing his true passion was programming, he left Harvard without completing his degree to found his own company with friend, Paul Allen.

Microsoft Corporation
Gates and business partner, Paul Allen, founded Microsoft in 1976, now the world’s largest software company. He initially made a deal with Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) to work on a new operating system for their microcomputers. Gates was a jack of all trades in the early days of his business, from working on every line of coding, to packing and shipping off orders. Microsoft’s first big break occurred in 1980, when IBM came to them for assistance to an operating system. After many setbacks and troubles between IBM representatives and Gates, they reached a final consensus to use 86-DOS as an operating system, partnering with Seattle Computer Products (SCP) as the exclusive licensing agent. Microsoft traded the system to IBM for $50,000. As the popularity of this particular type of system arose, many hardware companies began to clone IBM’s system. Even though IBM was the name on the software, everyone knew Microsoft was the reason it all happened. Media began to call Gates “the man behind the machine.” Gates became the president and board chairman of Microsoft as the company moved to Washington State in 1981. Microsoft came out with version one of Windows in 1990—a technological breakthrough, as software replaced text interfaces with graphic interfaces. Windows 95 was released in 1995, becoming the backbone for all upcoming releases of Windows. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was the dominant web browser among computer user, usually because it came pre-installed. The area of search engines has not been an area of success for Microsoft. Their engine, MSN live search (now Bing!), was and continues to be inevitably swallowed by Google. Microsoft’s inability to make a successful search engine can never trump their successes made with their software.

Microsoft’s very first product was an interpreter for programming languages called Altair BASIC that ran on a machine by MITS Computer Corporation called the Altair 8800 computer kit.

Before he founded Microsoft, Gates worked for nearly two years at Traf-O-Data, a small company that made traffic counters based on an Intel 4004 processor.

The experience gave him insight into hardware manufacturing and venture capital that helped with his later success.

Bill Gates Philanthropic Pursuit
In 2000, Bill and wife, Melinda Gates, established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Seattle, Washington. Bill slowly weaned his hours at Microsoft to focus on the foundation in 2008. The foundation is resourced through donations and grants—the Warren Buffet donation in 2006 of $1.5 billion being one of the major grants. Bill and Melinda use funding toward infectious disease control, STD control, Reproductive health care, Family planning, agricultural development, global health, global growth and opportunity, and global policy and advocacy, to name a few. Bill and Melinda’s foundation holds $38 billion in assets, making it one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Bill and Melinda’s foundation works to aid developing countries health to give them a chance to end their struggles with hunger and poverty. Their foundation engages on a global level, rather than regional—working in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Bill Gates Personal & Home Life
Bill resides in Medina, Washington with his wife Melinda (the two were married in 1994), son Rory (18), and daughter Phoebe (16). They live in their modern designed mansion overlooking Lake Washington. Their house, nicknamed Xanadu 2.0, is an earth-sheltered house—meaning it was architecturally structured to have walls against the earth to retain heat and maintain indoor air temperature. The Gates’ home is estimated to be worth $170,449,927.

UPDATE: Bill and Melinda are officially divorced. It was finalized early August 2021.

Bill Gates House

Giving Away His Fortune

The son of a successful lawyer, Gates went on to establish one of the world’s leading technology companies, Microsoft. Although he has given away billions over his lifetime, philanthropy is about more than money for Gates.

As he once said in an interview with Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, my father was a very giving person—I didn’t get that from him directly because he died when I was young—but I got it from my mother…

There are many people who have achieved significant wealth who are not giving back in any significant way. That bothers me more than anything.

Conclusion

Since founding Microsoft in 1975, Bill Gates has helped revolutionize personal computing and fundamentally changed how people around the world use information.

In 2006, he launched The Giving Pledge with fellow billionaires Warren Buffett and Melinda French-Buffett, an initiative aimed at getting wealthy individuals to give half their fortunes away before they die.

In 2009, he announced that he would be transitioning from day-to-day operations at Microsoft so that he could devote more time to his charitable work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The couple recently divorced in 2021.

Best of Spring in Seattle

Spring Flowers in Seattle - What to do?

The Seattle area welcomes spring with open arms every year. After months of rain and dark cloudy days, Spring gives locals the hope and reminder that the sun will returning to the Pacific Northwest. Spring is always a bit fickle in the Seattle area, but locals make the most of those sporadic breaks. The Seattle area is one of the most beautiful places in the world during the spring and summer and offers a variety of festivals, performances, and experiences that bring people in from out of town and locals look forward to.

University of Washington Cherry Blossoms
While the UW campus looks like Hogwarts, the Cherry Blossoms add an extra magical element to the campus. Lovely pink blossoms surround the campus quad during the Spring. If you want to find parking and get the quad kind of to yourself go early in the morning. During the day the quad will be packed with students, tourists and people exploring the UW campus. If you get to experience these lovely blossoms, you’ll be back the following year. They are quick to bloom and quick to fall, so don’t miss your window of opportunity.

Tulip Festival
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a spring event not to be missed. It’s so popular it has been known to create traffic jams on I-5 during the peak season and for good reason. If you plan ahead and set aside a day during the week the experience will be just that much more enjoyable thanks to the lack of crowds. The Tulips will start blooming in April, so prepare yourself. And prepare yourself for the Instagram photos of brilliantly bright flowers appearing in your feed. If you are in the area, or have never been, its an experience not to be missed. This is a great location for taking scenic pictures or memorable family pictures.

Sasquatch Music Festival
Sasquatch Music Festival will again take place at the award-winning Gorge Amphitheatre on Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, 2018. This year features: Bon Iver, The National, Modest Mouse, David Byrne, TylerThe Creator, Ray Lamontagne, Anderson. Paak & The Free Nationals, Spoon, Grizzly Bear, Explosions In The Sky, Neko Case, and more! This is a well-attended local favorite. Get your tickets sooner rather than later.

Whale Watching
Going whale watching is something everyone should do at least once if you live in Seattle. One route to increase your success of spotting some sea life is to go with Clipper Vacations. They offer the only whale watching trip departing from Seattle and their day trip options San Juans area a favorite. See orca, minke and humpback whales as well as Dall’s porpoise, seals, otters and bald eagle. The best time of the year for whale watching starts in spring, so don’t miss out!

Go to the Mountains
Spring is time for exploring mountains in the Seattle area. It’s not unlikely that spring skiing is still available for mountain lovers through the late months of spring. With warmer temperatures and sunshine, hit the mountains to get in a few more runs before the snow melts for the summer. Snoqualmie and Crystal Mountain are the top two locations for Seattleites to explore. Some favorite hikes include Mailbox Peak and Rattlesnake Ridge.

Daffodil Festival
Pierce County celebrates the fluffy yellow flowers, who have had their own festival in the area since 1934. The highlight of the event is its grand parade, where the festival’s royal court (made up of 23 “princesses” from Pierce County high schools) sail down the street on Daffodil-covered floats taking place in several different cities across the south Puget sound.

Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival
In appreciation of the 1,000 cherry trees gifted to Seattle by Prime Minister Takeo Miki 40 years ago, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is a celebration of Japanese culture. It’s the oldest in the Seattle Center Festal series.

The 5th Avenue Theatre
Great entertainment awaits musical lovers this Spring at the 5th Avenue Theatre.
Kiss Me, Kate run from April 6–29. The 5th is producing the Cole Porter classic as part of the city-wide Seattle Celebrates Shakespeare festival, with opulent sets and costumes from the critically acclaimed production by the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. For an evening of fun, laughs, and comedy, Kiss Me Kate is a classic musical theatre production.

Hunchback of Notre Dame runs June 1–24. This musical, while it has all of the goods from the Disney movie, is not an adaptation of the Disney film. It stays truer to the book and is darker than the Disney film. This will be directed by Glenn Casale, who directed Little Mermaid.

Pike Place Market
With dozens of covered stalls, restaurants, bars, and galleries, any time of year can be a good time to visit Pike Place Market. Blooming flowers and blue skies mean that the Market is at its loveliest during the warmer sunny days of spring and summer. Walk down to the waterfront and ride the Ferris wheel for some stunning views of the water, Mt. Rainer, and the city. Stop by the original Starbucks, pick up a bag of freshly made donuts, or just enjoy the buzz of the market with street performers, vendors, tourist fresh off a cruise, or locals coming down to pick up ingredients for a fresh dinner. The market is a Seattle highlight and and very memorable to visit when the weather warms up.

This is just a sliver of what is happening in the spring in Seattle. However, these are some classic favorites from locals and visitors. If you are looking for a productive way to spend the upcoming sunny days, this list will get you on the right track or hopefully act as inspiration to investigate other upcoming events.

Jeff Bezos Biography: Amazon CEO and Billionaire

Jeff Bezos Biography

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon has had an amazing career. From a young age he displayed potential to reach great heights. With a lot of hard work, being surrounded by the right people, risk, and a little bit of serendipity, the Amazon Empire has changed the way the world works.

Early Life and Career
Jeff Bezos was born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was born to his mother, Jacklyn Gise Jorgensen, and his biological father, Ted Jorgensen. The Jorgensen’s were married less than a year, and when Bezos was 4 years old his mother re-married, to Cuban immigrant Mike Bezos. “The reality, as far as I’m concerned, is that my Dad is my natural father. The only time I ever think about it, genuinely, is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form,” Jeff told Wired in 1999.

As a child, Jeff Bezos showed an early interest in how things work, turning his parents’ garage into a laboratory and rigging electrical contraptions around his house, specifically to keep his siblings out of his room. He moved to Miami with his family as a teenager, where he developed a love for computers and graduated valedictorian of his high school. It was during high school that he started his first business, the Dream Institute, an educational summer camp for fourth, fifth and sixth graders.

After high school, Bezos attended Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering. After graduation, he found work at several firms on Wall Street, including Fitel, Bankers Trust and the investment firm D.E. Shaw.

While his career at Wall Street was extremely lucrative, Bezos chose to make a bold move into the budding world of e-commerce. He quit his job in 1994, moved to Seattle with wife and believed in the potential of the internet, therefor opening an online bookstore. Little did Bezos know that this move and start-up would eventually turn into a new way of life and change the way people obtain goods and consume entertainment. Upon reflection Bezos said: “When I’m 80, am I going to regret leaving Wall Street? No. Will I regret missing the beginning of the Internet? Yes.” We would have regretted it too.

Launching Amazon.com
Amazing began humbly in Bezos garage where, along with a few employees, he began developing software. They soon expanded operations into a two-bedroom house, equipped with three Sun Microstations, and eventually developed a test site. After inviting 300 friends to beta test the site, Bezos opened Amazon.com. Named after the meandering South American River.

The initial success of the company was swift. With no press promotion, Amazon.com sold books across the United States and in 45 foreign countries within 30 days. In two months, sales reached $20,000 a week, growing faster than Bezos and his start-up team had envisioned. Amazon.com went public in 1997.

Bezos continued to diversify Amazon’s offerings with the sale of CDs and videos in 1998, and later clothes, electronics, toys and more through major retail partnerships. While many dot.coms of the early ’90s went bust, Amazon flourished with yearly sales that jumped from $510,000 in 1995 to over $17 billion in 2011. This model continues as Bezos continues to diversify what Amazon can offer consumers.

In 2006, Amazon.com launched its video on demand service; initially known as Amazon Unbox on TiVo, it was eventually re-branded as Amazon Instant Video. In 2007, the company released the Kindle, a handheld digital book reader that allowed users to buy, download, read and store their book selections. That same year, Bezos announced his investment in Blue Origin, a Seattle-based aerospace company that develops technologies to offer space travel to paying customers.

Buying ‘The Washington Post’
Bezos made a purchase in 2013 that turned heads. On August 5, 2013, he purchased The Washington Post for $250 million. The deal marked the end of the four-generation reign over The Post Co. by the Graham family, which included Donald E. Graham, the company’s chairman and chief executive, and his niece, Post publisher Katharine Weymouth.

“The Post could have survived under the company’s ownership and been profitable for the foreseeable future,” Graham stated, in an effort to explain the transaction. “But we wanted to do more than survive. I’m not saying this guarantees success, but it gives us a much greater chance of success.”

Amazon Prime & Amazon Studios
Bezos scored another victory with the development of original content through Amazon Studios. After premiering several new programs in 2013, Amazon hit it big in 2014 with the critically acclaimed Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. In 2015, the company produced and released Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq as its first original feature film.
Wealth

In July 2017, Bezos briefly surpassed Microsoft founder Bill Gates to become the richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg, before dropping back to No. 2. The Amazon chief then reclaimed the top spot in October, and in January 2018, Bloomberg pegged his net worth at $105.1 billion, making Bezos the richest person in history. Two months later, that figure was up to $127 billion, equal to the combined wealth of 2.3 million average Americans. Bezos is also owning hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the United States.

Healthcare Venture
On January 30, 2018, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase delivered a joint press release in which they announced plans to pool their resources to form a new healthcare company for their U.S. employees. According to the release, the company will be “free from profit-making incentives and constraints” as it tries to find ways to cut costs and boost satisfaction for patients, with an initial focus on technology solutions. “The healthcare system is complex, and we enter into this challenge open-eyed about the degree of difficulty,” said Bezos. “Hard as it might be, reducing healthcare’s burden on the economy while improving outcomes for employees and their families would be worth the effort.”

Personality and Leadership
Bezos is known for his double-personality that turns him from a kind person into a rough executive inducing fear and respect in his employees. Bezos has been said to be extremely critical and there if you received an e-mail with a question mark, it is a ticking time bomb to fix whatever the problem is and report back to him. Jeff Bezos seems to have no problem running the company while still personally reading feedback from customers. “We research each of them because they tell us something about our processes. It’s an audit that is done for us by our customers. We treat them as precious sources of information,” senior Amazon vice president Jeff Wilke explains. When there is a real issue, the consequences can be harsh on the employees responsible for the issue.
Personal Life

Bezos is married to his wife MacKenzie Bezos. They meet in New York while Bezos was working at Wall Street. She has been along for the Amazon ride from the very beginning. They have four children, three sons and one daughter adopted from China.

Washington State Says No! To Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency Washington State

July 23rd 2017, in the name of “protecting consumers”, Washington State became one of the largest states to put a stop to the digital currency marketplace aka Cryptocurrency. The bill (SB 5031) establishing the regulations, was passed by the state legislature in April 2017.

Most of you probably don’t know this issue (don’t own Cryptocurrency) and that is why we’re bringing this to the people’s attention. That state has placed such high regulations on them that many of the exchanges that are used to buy Cryptocurrency won’t be participating in Washington State. If you try to sign-up, you’ll be denied service for this reason. The state punished these exchanges with so many rules they simply can’t participate and that means you won’t be able to either. These include making them agree to third-party security audits of their systems, and post surety bonds of between $10,000 and $550,000, which work as security deposits in the event customers deserve compensation from an exchange.

The reality this is just a measure to keep digital currency away from the easily traceable payment options (ie credit cards, cash in checking accounts). The state wants to make sure they are keeping tabs of all your money and if that means kicking in the teeth and bullying any new or innovated ideas – they will do just that to get their way.

After the bill passed, the exchanges started to leave Washington State and they told their customers they will need to kick sand and take their business elsewhere. These include: Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Kraken, and Poloniex.

On Reddit, people have accused the state of having a “cryptohating legislature” and being “a very sorry state for any forward-thinking, technology enthusiast individual to reside in.”.

Sponsors of this bill included Senator Jan Angel (R) and Senator Mark Mullet (D). Recently, Senator Jan Angel sponsored Angel bill raising awareness of heating-oil tank insurance. I didn’t read to much into it as the surface of it seems like a waste of time and energy. In short, it’s an “awareness” bill… that raises awareness of an insurance program for residential heating-oil tanks. According to them, “The bill helps make residential homebuyers aware of the Washington Pollution Liability Insurance Agency’s Residential Heating Oil Insurance Program, which provides insurance coverage at no cost to owners of active heating-oil tanks. The program provides up to $60,000 of insurance coverage for cleaning up contamination caused by a leak from a heating oil tank.” They lost me when they said it was an “awareness” bill to raise awareness about an issue. Are we really creating “awareness” laws now to let residents just know about information? How about we stick to just making real laws that are enforceable instead of wasting money on marketing campaigns disguised as laws which this appears to be. This combined with the cryptocurrentcy ban and you’re about two strikes out sitting at home.

As for Senator Mark Mullet, he sponsored and passed legislation for increasing health care cost transparency. He must of failed with that goal because Washington State is living on the cash hog when it comes to pharmacy drugs, hospitals, fees, and the tax revenue they get from those items. They are not going to change a thing and still think obamacare is “affordable”. Heath care cost and transparency is one if not the biggest scams in the state. Hospitals are ripping people off so transparency obviously isn’t in place either.

There wasn’t much news about slapping down Cryptocurrency. I first investigated this due to Microsoft partnering with the Ripple Cryptocurrency. Ripple unlike Bitcoin offers faster processing and has a business model behind it. They leverage customer information to make a profit. I wanted to invest as well and downloaded one of the exchanges only to be denied when I entered my Washington State address. Ripple was priced at .29 at that time and now it’s over a dollar.

Thanks for keeping the people down Washington State.

The Playful Moxy Seattle Downtown Opens

Moxy Hotel Seattle

THE PLAYFUL MOXY SEATTLE DOWNTOWN OPENS, TURNING THE TRADITIONAL HOTEL EXPERIENCE UPSIDE DOWN
In Collaboration With Stonebridge Properties, Marriott International Brings First Moxy Hotel to the West Coast

SEATTLE, Wash. — February 21, 2018 — With a West Coast debut that’s as provocative and bold as its name, Moxy Seattle Downtown’s opening today represents a disruptive shift in the future of the city’s hotel industry. Located at 1016 Republican Street, in the heart of downtown Seattle’s hottest neighborhood, South Lake Union, the property welcomes Fun Hunters with a spirited hotel experience unlike any other.

“At Moxy, we believe in the transformative power of play, and we’re excited to bring this vibrant concept to downtown Seattle as we invite our guests to come play with us,” said Vicki Poulos, Senior Global Brand Director, Moxy Hotels.

Colorado-based Stonebridge Companies is the developer and property manager behind this latest addition to Marriott International’s experiential brand that debuted in 2014 with the opening of Moxy Milan. Boasting 146 rooms spread over eight floors with flexible event space in the lobby, the opening of Moxy Seattle brings to the city a fun and stylish hotel for both locals and visitors alike.

Jerry Stotler is the Captain at the helm of Moxy Seattle Downtown, the brand’s twist on the general manager position. “At Moxy Seattle Downtown, we are focused on providing our guests with more than a place to crash,” said Stotler. “Moxy doesn’t take life too seriously and is a perfect spot for both visitors to the city and locals to hang out, meet new friends and have some fun!”

Designed by Ankrom Moison Architects, The Society and Deacon Construction, the ‘always-on’ vibe is brought to life by a diverse mix of daily, weekly and monthly activities, such as weekly trivia game nights for spontaneous locals and travelers alike, including “Celebrity” Trivia Night, a spirited Q&A hosted by the best “celebrity” Drag Queens in town. Moxy’s vibrant lobby is built for 24/7 socializing, including a 24-hour self-service grab-and-go bar counter and open plug-and-meet business areas complete with writable walls and 56-inch projection-ready televisions. Moxy Seattle Downtown is home to the city’s first hotel with a “teeter totter” in its lobby entrance, as well as a high-octane pink punching bag located in the 24-hour fitness center. From mobile check-in and keyless entry access, to furiously fast Wi-Fi and under bed motion sensor lighting, guests can expect a tech-forward experience from start to finish.

“We are proud to be part of this exciting collaboration with Marriott International, delivering our trademark Distinguished Hospitality™ experience to guests and locals through the innovative and playful design lens of Moxy,” said Navin Dimond, CEO and founder of Stonebridge Companies.

Moxy is a fun, experiential brand that combines stylish design and approachable service at an affordable price that’s easy to digest. The Moxy experience begins as guests check-in at the bar, instead of a traditional front desk, where they are greeted with a complimentary ‘Got Moxy’ cocktail along with their room key. The cozy bedrooms, ranging from 195 to 205 square-feet at Moxy Seattle Downtown, feature a new open storage concept via the brand’s signature peg wall for hanging clothes and jackets instead of a closet, giving guests ultimate flexibility. Bedrooms include a king size bed, 55-inch wall-hung flat-screen TVs, bathrooms with double rain showers, and more.

This is the 23rd Moxy Hotel to open globally and the sixth Moxy Hotel in the United States. In 2018 Moxy Hotels is expected to open in Chicago, Washington DC, Memphis, Atlanta, Munich, and more.

For additional information visit www.moxyhotels.com or http://moxyseattle.com/our-hotel/.

– T.F.G

Milestones on our Journey – 50th Anniversary of North Cascades National Park

Lake Crescent MT Rainier

Milestones on our Journey
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of North Cascades National Park
and 25th Anniversary of Washington’s National Park Fund

Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) will hold its annual Spring Dinner & Auction on April 7, 2018 at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. Titled Milestones on our Journey, the event will raise funds for Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, as well as celebrate the 50th Anniversary of North Cascades and 25th Anniversary of WNPF. Last year’s event raised a record-breaking $300,000, with $100,000 designated for restoration of historic structures in the parks. This year’s ‘Fund-A-Need’ will focus on Youth & Family projects, including:

The Mount Rainier Education Rangers chaperone student groups coming to the park, mostly during the spring when Paradise is buried in snow. A short drive for 47 school districts serving approximately 300,000 students, Mount Rainier can be seen from schools and neighborhoods, but is out of reach for many undeserved communities. Field trips allow students to directly experience Mount Rainier and use its environment as an outdoor science classroom and living laboratory. For the parks to thrive and survive into the future, we must ensure that our youth understand and appreciate the importance of places like national parks, especially as we become more urbanized, electronically connected, and fewer children spend time in nature.

Whether from a nearby town or inner-city Seattle, many of these kids have never been to the park much less spent time in a snowy environment. While it is often sunny and warm at sea level, it can be blizzarding in April on ‘the Mountain’! The kids are led out on a snowshoe walk with chaperones and learn to safely negotiate snow trails (and have some fun in the process!). In 2017, nine different school districts (Tacoma, South Thurston, Franklin Pierce, Eatonville, Mossyrock, Bremerton, Federal Way, Cloverpark, White Pass) and over 1700 kids participated in field trips to the park.

The Endangered Species Trailer at North Cascades educates visitors, students, and the public about some of the 37 species of animals believed or known to occur in Washington State that are on the Threatened and Endangered Species List. The cargo trailer is equipped with photos, and the inside has mounted mammal and bird species along with examples of furs and feathers, and replica tracks, skulls, and scat. The trailer is also taken to schools, utilized at visitor centers and campgrounds for hands-on learning, and operated at special events and festivals to engage with new and diverse audiences. A similar bear trailer was used last summer and in 4 months had nearly 10,000 visitors!

This visual draw for park visitors enables staff to discuss the challenges, concerns, and goals of species restoration, especially with regard to large mammals such as the grizzly bear and gray wolf. The real and replica pieces familiarize visitors with the animals and provide an avenue for discussion. The trailer can also be loaned and used at other National Park Service units in Washington State such as Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks. Many people visit national parks specifically to see the animals they’ve read about or seen on television. Seeing these magnificent creatures in the wild is an amazing opportunity.

Adventures in Your Big Backyard at Olympic National Park partners with the Boys & Girls Club to introduce summer camp kids to the full diversity of ecosystems — ocean, mountains, rivers and rain forests – all contained at the park. They spend their days canoeing on Lake Crescent, swimming at Sol Duc Hot Springs, rafting the Elwha River, and hiking the Pacific Coast. The kids take away transformative experiences, and move on to become the next generation to serve as stewards of our beloved lands.

From Molly Sullivan, 2017 Northwest Youth Corps intern: “One of the most incredible parts of this summer was watching the kids’ personal transformation as they became more comfortable in the outdoors. The first few hikes were a challenge for several kids who frequently asked when it would be time to get back on the bus. These same participants were almost unrecognizable at the end of the summer. At our last outing to Ruby Beach, they were so engaged in tidepool exploration that no one wanted to leave! On our walk back to the buses, we passed several backpackers and one of the girls (who hadn’t been so sure about hiking a few weeks earlier) asked me what they were doing. When I told her they were going to camp on the beach, she turned to her younger cousin and said ‘When we’re older, we’re going to come back and do that too.’”

As our nation’s national parks face a $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog, friends’ groups like WNPF are critical in meeting the needs of our nation’s special places — beyond that of federal funding for operating expenses. A special event among many, the Spring Dinner & Auction features a plethora of rangers (in uniform, of course!), as well unique packages to bid on that are created specially by park staff for this event. A favorite from last year was a “Snorkel Survey of the Elwha River” with Olympic park scientists!

About Washington’s National Parks Fund
Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, which span more than 1.6 million acres of the Evergreen state. Annually, WNPF allocates monies to otherwise unfunded projects with the goal of deepening the public’s love for, understanding of, and experiences in Washington’s National Parks. Get involved at www.wnpf.org.

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