Space Shuttle Flag Flies Atop Space Needle in Seattle

The Museum of Flight and Convention and Visitors Bureaus from around the state joined together Wednesday to raise a flag on the roof of the Space Needle in Seattle in support of bringing a retiring US Space Shuttle to Washington state. In a news conference prior to the flag raising representatives from the Convention and Visitors Bureaus of Seattle, Seattle Southside, Bellingham, Kitsap Peninsula, Spokane Valley, Tacoma and Yakima Valley offered their support as to why a shuttle would boost education, tourism and the economy in the state.

"In addition to inspiring our youth and growing our future workforce, bringing a Space Shuttle to Washington state will offer a major boost to the state economy," said Tom Norwalk, president and CEO of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are proud to help promote this through our tourism bureaus statewide."

Retired astronaut and Wings Over Washington Executive Director Dr. Bonnie Dunbar raises the flag to the top of the Space Needle alongside Museum of Flight CEO Mike Hallman.

Television cameras from KCPQ, KING, KOMO and KIRO all attended the event. Photographers from the Seattle P.I. and the Associate Press captured the day.

KIRO7 News did a live broadcast of the event with reporter Alison Grande.

Dr. Dunbar also made an on-set appearance on KING 5 Morning News with Brad Goode prior to the flag raising to discuss the Museum of Flight teaming up with the tourism bureaus to promote the mission to bring a Space Shuttle to Seattle.

The Seattle P.I. wrote a story and published a photo gallery on their Aerospace Blog.

Enterprise Washington encourages voters to educate themselves before election day

In a recent two-day trip to Whatcom County, Erin McCallum, president of Enterprise Washington, voiced her organization's messages regarding the upcoming general elections in November.

McCallum made a stop at the Bellingham Herald and was a guest on The Joe Show on 790 KGMI-AM. McCallum encouraged voters to do their research about each candidate and learn their position on important issues.

McCallum emphasized candidates who demonstrate fiscal accountability and are willing to focus on the private sector in order to get our state's economy back on track.

To read The Bellingham Herald's full article click on their logo below.

Listen to the podcast interview from The Joe Show click on 790 KGMI-AM's link below.

Medic One Celebrates 50 Years of CPR

The Medic One Foundation and Seattle Rotary Club celebrated the 50th Anniversary of CPR on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at Seattle's Westin Hotel. Dr. Leonard Cobb, the co-founder of Medic One spoke at the event, along with Sue Nixon, a Seattle resident who had a heart attack in Feb. 2007 and was administered life-saving CPR by a bystander.

Seattle's Medic One is known for its survival rates of victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Much of this success can be attributed to Dr. Cobb's innovative idea to teach all citizens how to administer CPR when a paramedic or doctor is not around. Today, more than 800,000 Seattle residents have been trained in CPR.

In the top photo, Heather Fitzpatrick gets help performing CPR on a mannequin during the celebratory luncheon.

In the bottom photo, Dr. Cobb greets Sue Nixon.

Medic One Foundation announces graduation of paramedic class

The Medic One Foundation recently announced the graduation of Paramedic Training Class #36 from the Medic One Paramedic Training Program. The thirteen graduates from around the region completed more than 2,500 hours of rigorous training to become certified paramedics. The world-class paramedic training offered by the Medic One Foundation is one of the major factors in King County's 46 percent resuscitation rate for sudden cardiac arrest, one of the highest rates in the nation.


Paramedic Class # 36 is: Troy Blonski, King County Medic One; Tammy Ridgway, East Jefferson Fire & Rescue; Paul Ahrens, King County Medic One; Jon Woll, Seattle Fire Department; Greger Tuttle, East Jefferson Fire & Rescue; Laura Hickey, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue; Corey Mouer, Seattle Fire Department; Scott Skelton, Lynnwood Fire Department; Joel Musgrave, Stanwood/Camano Island Fire District #1; Gabe Webster, King County Medic One; Mike Catlin, King County Medic One; Joel Ihrie, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue; Brian Wallace, Seattle Fire Department.

A few local papers have recognized their newly certified paramedics.

The Stanwood/Camano News recognized Joel Musgrave of the Stanwood/Camano Island Fire District #1 in a story on September 7.

The Port Townsend Leader will feature East Jefferson Fire & Rescue's Tammy Ridgway and Gregger Tuttle in a story next week.

Museum of Flight deserves to showcase a space shuttle

The Seattle Times voiced its opinion about the possibility of a space shuttle coming to Seattle's Museum of Flight in an editorial published September 1.

The Seattle Times believes no other museum deserves a retiring NASA space shuttle as much as the Museum of Flight does. Aerospace has always been one of Seattle's defining features and housing a shuttle would immediately become part of our identity.

To read the full story, click here.

Museum of Flight KXLY 920AM Interview

Part 1 of Dr. Bonnie Dunbar and Mike Hallman's radio interview with Mike Fitzsimmons of KXLY 920 in Spokane.

Part 2 of the interview

KXLY 4 News in Spokane

Dr. Bonnie Dunbar spoke with Kris Crocker of KXLY 4 News in Spokane about the possibility of Seattle being awarded a retiring NASA space shuttle. The Museum of Flight has been gathering support from across the state to help bring the shuttle to Seattle, which would be a great educational tool, as well as a boost to the economy state-wide.