Overtures

Thirty years ago in Seattle Weekly.

Seattle Weekly devoted much of its 28th issue (Oct. 6, 1976) to part two of editor Patrick Douglas’ investigation of the murky finances of the local company that brought the Ocean Shores development to the Washington coast, but there was still room in the paper for much more. The opening concert of young German conductor Rainer Miedel’s tragically short tenure as music director of the Seattle Symphony was reviewed. (Miedel died of cancer after only a few seasons with the orchestra.) Starbucks founder Gordon Bowker joined photographer Frank Denman in a canoe for a photo essay depicting the Duwamish Waterway from sea level, while under his nom de cuisine, Lars Henry Ringseth, he ventured beyond the barrios of Bellevue to discover a hamburger heaven in laid-back Issaquah: Original Ellen’s. And Alan Furst wrote admiringly of John Thompson—a one-time left-handed second baseman from South Bend who became the Seahawks’ general manager and moved the team into genuine big-league status in its very first season.

rdowney@seattleweekly.com