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Yet More Men Come Forward To Accuse John Travolta Of Sexual Assault

By Jen Heger – Radar Assistant Managing Editor

When it rains it pours.

Two more men have come forward with accusations that embattled actor, John Travolta, sexually assaulted them at high end hotels, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

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The two new accusers, from Seattle and Miami, now make a total of seven men who have accused the married actor of various unwanted sexual advances.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported five other men, including three masseurs, have alleged that the Pulp Fiction star groped them and solicited them for sex.

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Travolta’s famed attorney, Marty Singer has vehemently denied all of the allegations to date.

The two latest accusers consist of a masseur at the posh Eden Roc Resort in Miami and a former hotel employee at the Westin Hotel in Seattle, according to the New York Daily News.

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Jeff, the Miami based masseur, alleges in an interview with the New York Daily News that during a massage in Miami in 2000, “[Travolta] was putting his hands where he wanted me to work and kind of grinding on the table. At one point he actually pulled my hand between his legs up to his scrotum. I started working on his other leg and it all started back up again. He started putting his butt up in the air. I was just trying to do whatever I could to distract him but he started getting aggressive and grabbed my hand again.”

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As the massage came to an end, Jeff alleges that Travolta started masturbating and claims the actor told him, “It’s okay, you can do it. No one’s going to know ”

The Seattle based former hotel worker alleges that following a Qantas event in 2000, Travolta cornered him as he was cleaning up a guest room. “He came up right behind me and grabbed my a–.,” the former catering staffer, 48, claimed to the New York Daily News. “I turned around and saw that his penis was out of his pants.”

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Two of the masseurs who have already filed lawsuits against Travolta, which were subsequently dismissed by their former attorney, Okorie Okorocha, have since retained powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred.

“We are now representing John Doe #2,” Allred announced after the second man followed in the footsteps of the first and hired the famed civil rights lawyer. “We believe that the lawsuit should be filed in another court and, therefore, the lawsuit that was on file was dismissed without prejudice. We will be conferring with our client regarding what will happen next in this case,” Allred told RadarOnline.com.

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Travolta has been married to actress Kelly Preston since 1991. The couple’s oldest child, Jett, died in 2009. The couple have two other children, daughter, Ella Bleu, and their toddler son, Benjamin, born in 2010.

Singer, previously told RadarOnline.com, “As a result of the published lies about my client we expect some ‘John Does’ to come out of the woodwork and assert false claims.”

Third Masseur Comes Forward Claiming John Travolta Sexually Assaulted Him

Gloria Allred Brands John Does’ Former Attorney’s Claims ‘False Outrageous Defamatory’

Second John Travolta Sex Accuser Fires Lawyer And Hires Gloria Allred After Radar Publishes Damaging Email

Article source: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/05/john-travolta-sex-scandal-more-accusers-seattle-miami

Proposed arena a job killer, say Port of Seattle leaders

Port of Seattle commissioners finished up a glossy and ambitious plan earlier this year to expand operations and bring 100,000 new blue-collar jobs to Seattle by 2036. They made a video and bullet-pointed fliers, and headed out to seek support from city and county officials.

But instead, they felt blindsided by the mayor and King County executive’s proposal for a basketball and hockey arena they say threatens everything in their plan.

They forecast a doomsday scenario for Sodo if the 18,000-seat arena is built: It snowballs into hotels, restaurants and shopping. Traffic congestion slows freight, so shipping companies start using other ports, erasing thousands of middle-class jobs and a $3 billion industry.

“Placing the arena in the proposed site is more than symbolic,” said Port Commissioner Bill Bryant. “It is part of a bigger decision about what sort of city we want to have and whether we are going to embrace family-wage and industrial jobs in South Seattle.”

That reaction has drawn a few eye rolls at City Hall, where the City Council is considering whether to support what Mayor Mike McGinn has called a self-funding sports and entertainment venue.

“I think there’s a certain amount of weariness in having the issue brought up again and again so that there’s not the kind of fresh, ‘aha’ moment, but rather, ‘Oh, we’ve heard these complaints before,’ ” said City Councilmember Nick Licata.

The arena would be financed with up to $200 million in city and county bonds, plus at least a $290 million private investment from a team led by San Francisco hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen.

The mayor says the NBA and the Port can thrive next door to each other in Sodo, and the Port Commission says the mayor doesn’t understand what’s at stake.

The dispute gets to the heart of a debate Seattle has all the time: Can the city have both the shiny trappings of a so-called “world-class city” and the long-standing maritime industry on which Seattle was built?

Busier Port envisioned

The Port’s Century Agenda calls for major expansion of the Port’s capacity over the next 25 years, increasing by a third the number of containers that pass through. Since there’s no room for the Port to expand geographically, that means more trucks, more rail cars, more operating hours on nights and weekends.

When the Port spoke up early on about traffic concerns, McGinn arranged to have Hansen fund a $50,000 traffic study. Seaport Managing Director Linda Styrk promptly wrote another letter expressing concerns about the study.

“Of course, any one sector will push hard to prioritize the needs of their sector, and we’re working hard to balance them” with jobs in other sectors, such as tourism, McGinn said in an interview.

But to those who work in the city’s maritime industry, the arena would be another step toward its demise.

“It’s sort of a death by 1,000 cuts,” said Jordan Royer, vice president of external affairs for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. “You keep encroaching, and then they’ll want to build hotels, they’ll want to build condos. … Then people will start to complain about the Port because there’s lights on, it’s noisy, there’s trucks, there’s trains, and they’ll want the Port to go away.”

Encroachment a choice

Port Commission President Gael Tarleton said she was particularly concerned that Hansen told The Seattle Times editorial board he considered encroachment on Sodo’s industrial land inevitable.

“It’s not inevitable unless that is the choice that we make,” she said. City and county leaders are blinded by Hansen’s offer to pay for $290 million of the $490 million arena, she said. “They’re not looking down the road and around the corner. They see it as an immediate opportunity, and it’s not a long-term vision.”

Bryant says the arena should not be built without improving freight mobility through Sodo.

“If you want to put the arena there, you’re going to have hundreds of millions (of dollars) of transportation mitigation to make it work,” he said.

Traffic mitigation could become too expensive to make the site workable, Bryant said.

McGinn, on the other hand, says the Port is tying all of its problems to an arena that will not encroach on industrial land. It’s inside the city’s designated stadium district.

The arena, he said, would create less traffic than the Port itself might create by adding 100,000 jobs. Much of the arena traffic would be in the area while much of the Port is closed, he said.

“We shouldn’t look to the arena to solve all the problems that the Port has,” he said. “That’s not what we ask of any other development.”

McGinn defended his own commitment to the city’s maritime industrial jobs. His jobs plan includes community-college courses for industrial and maritime jobs, and the city spends millions on improvements to bridges and overpasses the Port needs for freight traffic, he said.

Tarleton acknowledged Port officials have made similar arguments before. They fought McGinn on his effort to stop the Highway 99 tunnel from being built, and opposed a “road diet” he put in place on Nickerson Street.

On Tuesday, the full commission will discuss another letter its members will all sign that they hope will explain their concerns in terms of jobs and their vision for the city.

“What’s Sodo all about?” Tarleton asked. “It’s really the soul of a working-class city.”

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @EmilyHeffter.

Article source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2018240446_portarena19m.html?syndication=rss

King Tut's treasures return to Seattle beginning May 24

It was dawn when Jerry Hume and the rest of the USS Milwaukee crew pulled into port off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, that day in 1976. He remembers first the tangerine glow of the sky, the wind whipping sand around his head and, next, the smell of sulfur and a ring of rusting hulks along the shore.

While the crew remained below deck, priceless artifacts from King Tutankhamun’s tomb were shuffled into the belly of the ship, which would take them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (That Met-organized show traveled to seven U.S. cities, including Seattle, attracting more than 8 million visitors.)

Hume knew something of King Tut, the boy pharaoh. But it was not until pulling into port in Alexandria that the enormity of that moment struck him. Before being enlisted to transport Egypt’s treasured relics stateside, Hume’s vessel had been a replenishment oiler, carrying arms, fuel and other cargo.

“When we found out (about the mission), I went to the ship’s library and I pulled out encyclopedias and articles on all the different countries around the Mediterranean,” he recalls, dressed in the royal-blue uniform of his Navy days. “One of them was Egypt.”

The exhibition of King Tut’s life and times marked the beginning of diplomatic relations with Egypt, which had been aligned with the then-Soviet Union.

“I remember standing outside,” said the retired naval chief and Seattle resident, “thinking, ‘My God, this is history.’ “

On Thursday that history returns when the mystique of Tut again lands in Seattle, the last stop on the North American tour of “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharoahs.” The exhibition at the Pacific Science Center contains more than 100 items — about half from Tut’s tomb, the rest from other ancient sites — spanning 2,000 years and 30 dynasties of Egyptian pharaohic reign. About 80,000 tickets have been sold already for the Seattle exhibit.

Items in “Tutankhamun” include golden sandals that were found on Tutankhamun’s body, a coffinette that likely held his stomach after he was mummified and an elaborate gold-and-feldspar collar that was worn by a princess. What did not come along on this tour is the famed gold death mask that most people associate with the boy king and that captured the public’s fascination in the 1970s. The mask has been deemed too fragile to travel.

“There’s something so romantic and mysterious and fascinating about ancient Egypt,” said Crystal Clarity, Science Center marketing director. “It’s not often that we get to be this close to something so old.”

Tut’s first tour of the city in 1978 drew crowds of 1.3 million. To accommodate the crush, Seattle Art Museum — the exhibit’s host — stationed the show in the Seattle Center Flag Pavilion. It was a remarkable feat for a museum staff that had never orchestrated a show of that scale.

“I still hear stories from people who remember these objects so vividly,” said David Silverman, who was a curator for that exhibit. “It was such a monumental exhibit. People lined up for days, with sleeping bags, trying to get in.”

Tut’s success at SAM grew membership by nearly 15,000 from 1976 to ’78. Though the exhibit only spanned four months, the show’s popularity in part encouraged SAM to expand beyond its home in Volunteer Park. King Tut had become a global phenomenon, made popular by fashion trends, Steve Martin’s “Saturday Night Live” skit and the story of a boy king.

“The core magic of Tut hasn’t changed,” said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO of the Pacific Science Center. “But the tools of science are taking us to places we’ve never been before in terms of new discoveries.”

Seidl promises the new show will not only be larger in scope than the 1978 exhibit but will offer a more comprehensive narrative. Technological advances have filled in history’s gaps, providing insight into Tut’s cause of death, his family history and the events surrounding his reign.

Tutankhamun was born in 1341 BC and ascended the throne some nine years later. He died in his late teens, and scientists have debated for decades the essentials of his life: who his parents were, what he looked like and what might have caused his death.

A portion of the exhibit space has been dedicated to the story of Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922.

The 15,000-square-foot exhibition is accompanied by more than $13 million in renovation projects at the Pacific Science Center, including the installment of an elevator, a glass-covered walkway and heightened security for the treasured artifacts.

After anemic attendance at the 2008-09 “Lucy” exhibit about an ancient human ancestor, the Science Center has high expectations for Tut. Seidl said he will not release projected attendance numbers, but if previous cities are any indication, the exhibition would be a blockbuster. An economic-impact report from Philadelphia, a previous stop for another version of the exhibition, estimated that the show had generated $100 million for the city.

“That’s big,” said Seidl. “I can tell you that of public events, this will rank way up there … It will be good for hotels, for restaurants, for regional publicity. And we know from other regions that lots of people come from out of market.”

Lars Pedersen, general manager of Hotel Andra on Fourth Avenue, said his was among 12 hotels creating tourism deals around the exhibition. The “Treasures of Tut” package includes two VIP tickets to the show, locally made pyramid chocolates, postcards and a commemorative bottle of wine.

“For downtown Seattle hotels, this is the biggest thing to happen in over five years,” said Clarity.

After the exhibit closes in January 2013, the artifacts will return to Egypt, where they are expected to remain on permanent display in Cairo. Revenue from the tour has gone toward funding that national project.

“I’d want to thank the Egyptian people for this time to admire something so special to them,” said Hume, who has yet to see the artifacts in a museum. He plans on taking his wife and two daughters to the show when it opens next week. “It’s like a piece of jewelry that you loaned to my family for a while to appreciate, but that belongs to a great-grandmother. Now you want it back. Well, that piece of jewelry made a lot of people happy. It created a commonality, a bond with the Egyptians. And I think that’s wonderful.”

Celina Kareiva: 206-384-8904 or ckareiva@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published May 17, 2012, was corrected May 18, 2012. In a previous version of this story, Pacific Science Center marketing director Crystal Clarity was incorrectly quoted.

Article source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2018223491_tutpreview20.html?syndication=rss

Las Vegas Is #1 Destination For Memorial Day 2012

NORWALK, Conn., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Las Vegas’s North Strip area is the top destination for travelers over Memorial Day 2012, according priceline.com’s (PCLN) annual survey of the Top 50 destinations for the holiday that traditionally kicks off the summer travel season. In second place on this year’s list is Chicago’s tony North Michigan Avenue.

Priceline.com has been publishing its annual Memorial Day list for a decade, making it one of the longest running prognosticators of travel trends. The list is based on actual hotel room booking requests made by priceline.com Name Your Own Price® hotel service customers for the upcoming holiday period. Because the survey is based on booking requests, and not on consumer preference polls or votes, priceline.com believes its annual survey is one of the more accurate predictors of holiday travel trends.

The 2012 Top 50 destinations highlight leisure travelers’ budget sensitivities going into the summer season. “Average summer airfares are the highest we’ve seen in a decade,” said priceline.com’s in-house Travel Ekspert Brian Ek. “So it’s not surprising to see travelers opting for the more affordable destinations where average summer airfares are down versus last year. For example, the average Las Vegas summer airfare is down 3.3%, while Chicago is down 4.4%, New York’s JFK is down 3.4%, and San Francisco is down 3.4%.”

International travel for Memorial Day 2012 was down compared to last year, with Paris being the only overseas destination to make the list. Ironically, after experiencing a travel boost following last year’s Royal Wedding, and with the Olympics coming up in July, London failed to crack this year’s top 50.

Ek reminded Memorial Day air travelers to be especially mindful of airline baggage fees. “Baggage fees this year can be as much as $100 each way,” he said. “When comparing airlines, always factor in your baggage and calculate the total price for the fare plus bags. Know your airline’s baggage restrictions and pack as lightly as possible.”

With less than two weeks to go before Memorial Day, there’s still plenty of time to get a deal on an airline ticket, hotel room, vacation package, rental car or even a cruise by visiting http://www.priceline.com. For special travel bargains, visit PriceBreakers http://www.priceline.com/pricebreakers, priceline.com’s last-minute deals service, which is updated daily. Travelers who choose priceline.com’s Name Your Own Price® option can save up to 60% on hotels, 40% on airline tickets and 40% on rental cars compared to published fares and rates.

Last-minute travelers can also get their hotel rooms and rental cars through priceline.com’s Hotel Rental Car Negotiator®, which recently won an award for Best Mobile App. The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch version of app, which is free, can be downloaded from iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/priceline-hotel-car-negotiator/id336381998?mt=8uo=4. iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Android app (hotel only) can be downloaded for free from the Android market https://market.android.com/details?id=com.priceline.android.negotiator.

The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorial Day 2012

#1        Las Vegas, North Strip Area
#2        Chicago, North Michigan Avenue/River North Area
#3        New York City, Midtown West
#4        San Diego, Downtown Harbor Island
#5        Las Vegas, South Strip Vicinity
#6        San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf
#7        New Orleans, French Quarter
#8        Chicago, Millennium Park, Loop Grand Park Area
#9        New York City, Times Square/Theater District
#10      New York City, Upper East Side
#11      Seattle, Downtown/Pike Place
#12      Boston, Waterfront/Convention Center
#13      Las Vegas, Fremont Street Vicinity
#14      St. Louis, Downtown
#15      Indianapolis, Downtown
#16      Atlantic City
#17      Austin, Downtown
#18      Niagara Falls, Ontario side
#19      Niagara Falls, New York side
#20      Los Angeles, Santa Monica/Marina Del Rey
#21      Portland, Downtown
#22      Charleston, Downtown
#23      Palm Springs
#24      New York City, Midtown East
#25      San Antonio, Riverwalk Area
#26      Miami, Downtown
#27      Providence, Downtown
#28      Seattle, Seattle Center/Space Needle
#29      Key West
#30      Paris, Champs Elysees/Arc De Triomphe
#31      Chicago, Greater Chicago Area
#32      Las Vegas, Near West Strip
#33      Boston, Copley Square/Back Bay
#34      Reno
#35      Montreal, Downtown/City Center
#36      Savannah, Historic Savannah Riverfront
#37      San Francisco, Union Square East
#38      Las Vegas, Boulder Strip
#39      Hilton Head Island
#40      Virginia Beach
#41      San Diego, Coastal Area
#42      Boston, Boston Common/Theater District
#43      Washington, DC, White House/Downtown
#44      Boston, Harbor Front/Aquarium
#45      Washington, DC, Convention Center/Capitol Hill Area
#46      New York City, Central Park South
#47      Monterey
#48      Orange County, Disneyland/Anaheim North
#49      Nashville, Downtown/Vanderbilt/Metrocenter
#50      Ottawa

About The Priceline Group
The Priceline Group (PCLN) is a leader in global online hotel reservations, with over 235,000 participating hotels worldwide. The Group is composed of four primary brands – Booking.com, priceline.com, Agoda.com and Rentalcars.com – and several ancillary brands. The Priceline Group provides online travel services in over 175 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa.

Booking.com is the number one online hotel reservation service in the world, offering over 205,000 hotels (as of May 9, 2012), and is available in 41 languages. More recent hotel counts are available on the Booking.com website. Priceline.com gives leisure travelers multiple ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to getting compelling published prices, travelers can take advantage of priceline.com’s famous Name Your Own Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available. Agoda.com is an Asia-based online hotel reservation service that is available in 37 languages. Rentalcars.com is a multinational car hire service, offering its reservation services in over 4,000 locations. Customer support is provided in 38 languages.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/las-vegas-1-destination-memorial-200100787.html

VIP Hotel Packages On Sale Now for King Tut Seattle Exhibit

Tourists traveling to Seattle for Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs will be treated to exclusive “mummy” spa wraps, sip on Private Reserve King Tut wine, sample exotic honey and pamper themselves with rich delights fit for a king and queen. These exclusive opportunities are being offered by the 12 official Seattle hotel partners for the King Tut Seattle exhibit, on display at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center May 24, 2012-January 6, 2013. To showcase the VIP packages and other Seattle offerings coinciding with the exhibition, Pacific Science Center and Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau have co-launched http://www.kingtutseattle.com.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) May 09, 2012

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs invites guests to step into one of history’s most treasured stories and features more than 100 objects from King Tut’s tomb and ancient sites representing some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history. This final tour of King Tut treasures features more than twice the number of artifacts than the King Tut exhibit that visited Seattle in the late 70’s. The objects will be displayed in a dramatic, themed setting, making this final tour of King Tut’s treasures an experience to be remembered forever.

The King Tut Seattle Exhibit features the largest image of King Tut ever unearthed – a 10-foot statue of the Pharaoh, authentic objects from King Tut’s tomb including jewelry, furniture and ceremonial items, as well as the boy king’s golden sandals – created specifically for the afterlife and covering his feet when his mummified remains were discovered in 1922 by British explorer Howard Carter.

The King Tut VIP hotel packages, which are on sale now, vary and offer a number of benefits including VIP tickets, special pricing, spa packages, themed food and wine experiences and transportation to the exhibition. King Tut hotel packages may be viewed at King Tut Seattle Exhibit Hotels.

About Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs is organized by National Geographic and Arts Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is a proud cultural partner. American Airlines is the official airline of the exhibition. Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is the sponsor of the King Tut Seattle exhibit.

On the web at http://kingtut.org/.

Wendy Malloy
Pacific Science Center, Seattle
(206) 443-2879
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/vip-hotel-packages-sale-now-king-tut-seattle-100218667.html

Seattle's Escala Condo Building Set Steamy Scenes for "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Whether it’s scintillating or offensive may be a matter of personal opinion, but few can deny the incredible buzz surrounding the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Posted online by British author E.L. James as a piece of “Twilight” fan fiction, the trilogy of books were picked up by a small publisher out of Australia in 2011. In March 2012, Vintage Books of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group bid a seven-figure sum to gain rights to the manuscript. Even more recently Universal Pictures paid $5 million for filming rights.

Both banned and embraced and parodied (here’s Ellen DeGeneres “reading” from the text) for its graphic sexual content, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” like the “Twilight” series, is putting Washington state on the map again. But instead of small-town Forks, where “Twilight” is set, “Fifty Shades …” is set in downtown Seattle in the luxury condominium building Escala. It’s in this high-rise penthouse where the submissive-domination sexual relationship between billionaire Christian Grey and naïve college student Anastasia Steele takes place.

While author James did take some creative liberties with her fiction — you can’t land a helicopter on the penthouse roof like it was done in the book, says Escala’s Director of Sales Erik Mehr — he agrees that the Escala is still the best pick for a billionaire character like Grey.

“If you were going to pick something opulent,” Mehr said, “This would be the building.”

Situated in the downtown Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, the Escala is unlike many of the other luxury condo buildings. It’s all about size, and how well-appointed the place is.

Amenities include a private spa, a gym with yoga studio, private dining room, full catering kitchen and dining area with room for 140, theater room, dog run: Escala is a little more like a five-star hotel than a condo building.

That makes sense, says Mehr. The hotel concierge staff is run by a company that provides services to high-end hotels like the Salish Lodge and Four Seasons.

Needless to say, it’s a condo building with everything a billionaire bachelor would want, and a place that many “Fifty Shades” fans are aching to learn about. Mehr said that about a year ago, his team began to get phone calls from people who wanted to know “the layouts of the penthouse and the details of the condos.” Clearly, something was up. When the Escala held open houses, visitors included “Fifty Shades … ” fans who wandered about, checking on the amenities and basic floor models.

But with 70 percent of the units sold, the building is now only available for tours by appointment. And those who want to see one of the 5,200-square-foot, fully customizable and private penthouses are required to be pre-qualified.

While base models in the Escala started around $400,000, a penthouse runs between $4 to $6 million. Only one has been purchased, and although San Francisco Giants’ star pitcher and Seattle native Tim Lincecum lives in the building, he bought the “sub-penthouse” layout for about $1.5 million instead.

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zillow/2012/05/15/seattles-escala-condo-building-set-steamy-scenes-for-fifty-shades-of-grey/?feed=rss_home

On the move: Brandenburg named hospital president at Seattle Children's

Lisa Brandenburg was named hospital president at Seattle Children’s, where she has served for the past five years as chief administrative officer.

Brandenburg will become one of three presidents at Children’s, joining James Hendricks of Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Douglas Picha of Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Banking: Trevor Delaney joined Regal Financial Bank in Seattle as vice president and relationship manager for its medical/dental-practice banking group. Edward MacMillan joined Union Bank’s Private Bank team as a private banker based in Bellevue and Everett markets, and Diane Haag joined Union Bank’s Consumer Lending group as a mortgage consultant based in Kirkland. Kirsten Kauffman was named branch manager at the University District office of Washington Federal, Seattle. Bruce Tretzen joined HomeStreet Bank in Bellevue as vice president and business banker.

Commercial real estate: Jim Allison was named a principal at Urbis Partners, Seattle.

Health care: Heidi Krannitz was appointed director of risk management at Evergreen Healthcare, Kirkland.

Horse racing: Sophia Mangalee was hired as director of marketing at Emerald Downs, Auburn.

Hotels: Dan Gilmore was appointed executive chef at the Sorrento Hotel, Seattle.

Insurance: Colin Elder was promoted to senior vice president, mortgage loans; Lydia Flora senior vice president, retirement division and David Fry senior vice president, benefits division, at Symetra Life Insurance, Bellevue.

Law: Danielle Granatt joined Veris Law Group, Seattle. Hickory Gateless joined Pacifica Law Group, Seattle.

Public Relations: Brooke Shepard was named executive creative director at Weber Shandwick, Seattle.

Real Estate investment services: Joel Deis was named sales manager of the Seattle office of Marcus Millichap, Seattle.

Services: Teah Achman was named chief operating officer of Annie’s Nannies, Seattle.

To be included in the On the Move column, email business@seattletimes.com; send the information by fax, 206-382-8879; or mail, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Photos will not be returned.

Article source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018090557_move07.html?syndication=rss

Art event could boost Toledo economy

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When the 1,000-plus glass artisans and fans flock into Toledo for the annual Glass Art Society conference in June, they’ll bring with them a significant economic boost.

Officials with the Seattle-based nonprofit association have told local officials that they expect the five-day conference to pump an estimated $1.5 million into the local economy.

“You’re looking at the local hotels who are benefiting, a lot of these people are going to be on their own for meals, so local restaurants are going to benefit as well, not to mention Toledo is going to benefit, as people are going to see this is where the glass art movement started 50 years ago,” said Sherri Hudson, convention services manager at Destination Toledo, Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The Glass Art Society chose Toledo in large part because the glass art movement was born here. It has grown up all over.

“I think one of the things a lot of people in our community don’t realize is this is a pretty major movement in the country and throughout the world, and basically it was launched right here in town at the museum in 1962,” said Jack Schmidt of the Schmidt Messenger Gallery and Studio downtown.

Two years ago, a contingent from the Glass Art Society visited Toledo as they considered the city for the 2012 conference.

“They were very impressed with all the different galleries and things that were here,” said Ms. Hudson, who led the tour.

“They were really surprised to see all there was to do here, and of course our art museum is world-class,” she said.

The conference is expected to draw about 1,200 people from all over the world, most of whom will be staying downtown.

Blocks of rooms set aside at the Park Inn and Grand Plaza are spoken for, and other hotels are picking up the overflow, officials said.

“They’re going to be milling around this town and spending their money,” Mr. Schmidt said.

“I think that kind of speaks for itself. It’s like when you have the Weak Signals [radio-controlled models] or anybody else; they’re stepping up the revenue for restaurants and other venues.”

The Glass Art Society held last year’s convention in its hometown of Seattle.

Kauilani Robinson, a spokesman for Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the conference drew about 1,200 people to the city and had an estimated economic impact of $2.7 million.

In addition to restaurants and other service business, local artists and gallery owners are optimistic that all the aficionados will put some out-of-town money into their pockets.

“We anticipate selling work that we make,” Mr. Schmidt said. “There are going to be several exhibits going on simultaneously,” including the arts commission’s annual Hot Glass Gallery Exhibition fund-raiser at the Edison building.

“That’s something we do every year. We might bring in some outside buyers for that exhibition.”

Those who promote Toledo also say there’s potential to lure other affiliated meetings or conferences.

“Whenever you have an event like this, you always have the opportunity to bring in something else.”

Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at: tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134.

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Article source: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/05/13/Conference-expected-to-boost-Toledo-economy.html

Red Lion Hotels' Harry G. Sladich Named to Destination & Travel Foundation Board of Trustees

SPOKANE, Wash., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Red Lion Hotels Corporation (RLH) announced today that Harry G. Sladich, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Distribution, has been named to the 2012-2015 Destination Travel Foundation Board of Trustees, making this his second national tourism board designation. Sladich was named last year as a U.S. Travel Association At-Large Director.

“We believe it is important that you have a voice at the table to represent the DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) and travel industries,” says Jim Duda, Executive Director of the Destination Travel Foundation. “Board members are asked to guide and provide input to the strategic direction of the Destination Travel Foundation.”

Sladich and six other newly named trustees from across the country will be ratified by the board at the Destination Marketing Association International Annual Convention in Seattle, Wash., in July. The 2012-2015 Destination Travel Foundation Board of Trustees term runs August 1, 2012-August 1, 2015.

In his role with the Destination Travel Foundation, Sladich will contribute expertise as one of the deliberators of industry issues, including reviewing trends and issues and identifying strategies and tools for the industry to meet those trends and issues.

“Both of these boards demonstrate the recognition Harry has earned in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries,” says Jon E. Eliassen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Red Lion Hotels Corporation. “It is important for Red Lion Hotels to be considered a thought leader and to have a voice in this industry.”

About Red Lion Hotels Corporation:
Red Lion Hotels Corporation is a hospitality and leisure company primarily engaged in the ownership, operation and franchising of midscale hotels under its Red Lion® brand. As of March 31, 2012, the RLH hotel network was comprised of 48 hotels located in nine states and one Canadian province, with 9,010 rooms and 452,387 square feet of meeting space. The company also owns and operates an entertainment and event ticket distribution business. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.redlion.com.

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Contact: Pam Scott
Red Lion Hotels Corporation
509-777-6393 (d)
509-570-4610 (c)
Pam.Scott@redlion.com
www.RedLion.com

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/red-lion-hotels-harry-g-130000716.html

Taxi drivers want change, threaten strike

SEATTLE — Fed up taxi drivers want some current policies to change.

“If it gets to the point where nothing is being done and we really don’t have any other option, we will strike,” said taxi driver Paul Singh.

Singh said for-hire vehicles, like town cars, are breaking city of Seattle rules and undercutting his business.

“They’re not suppose to be parked at hotels, but they’re parked at the hotels,” said Singh.

Taxis are the only vehicles legally allowed to cruise Seattle streets looking for cab fares. In March, taxi inspectors found lots of for-hire vehicles breaking the rules. In an undercover sting, 63 violations were discovered, and more than $6,000 worth of fines were issued.

Singh said despite city efforts, rule breakers are a big issue. He is also concerned about the rising fees he has to pay in order to operate a cab. He said that is why he is turning to Leonard Smith with Teamsters Local 117 for help

“They start each week out owing 600 to 700 dollars,” said Smith. “They are at the last straw. There’s no patience anymore.”

Taxi drivers are independent contractors, so they would notjoin a union. However, Teamsters Local 117 is working with some drivers who want to form the Western Washington Taxi Cab Operator Association.

“We don’t want to hurt service. We want to give service to people and make the system better,” said Singh.

Singh said the problem is drivers are not making enough money, and that is why they are looking at all options right now.

On May 24, taxi drivers are scheduled to gather at Local 117 to discuss forming an association.

Article source: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Taxi-drivers-want-change-threaten-strike-151080355.html