成人X站

成人X站 Radio listeners heard the good news first聽almost three weeks ago, and now the Bon March茅 star at 4th Avenue and Pine Street downtown is indeed back, and just a few days away from lighting up for its 63rd year.

The big green and red switch will be flipped Friday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m. as part of 聽and holiday carousel at Westlake Park. I might be making up that part about the switch being green and red.

And, I will freely acknowledge that I have very little objectivity when it comes to this story. I was deeply touched back in September when 成人X站 Radio listeners reached out and asked me to try and figure out what was going on with the star. That was the weekend when that the downtown Macy鈥檚 was going to close in early 2020, and that the star was damaged beyond repair and would not be back this year.

Those 成人X站 listeners wanted to know if the star could be repaired in time to be displayed this year, or if it could at least find a new home on another building or at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI).

The next few weeks were a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

I felt a bit like trying get a straight answer out of the Macy鈥檚 offices in Chicago about the condition and even the whereabouts of the star. But then, it was so great to hear from people like Anthony Evans, an old Lake Washington High School classmate whose office looks down on the roof of the old Bon March茅, and who shared photos he鈥檇 taken during the recent construction of penthouse.

This was followed by a low point, when it looked as if the star had already been taken to the dump. But then came word from an anonymous source — a “loyal 成人X站 listener鈥� — who had access to the roof and who shared pictures聽of identifiable pieces of the old star atop the building. Then came my favorite moment, when my friend and colleague Casey McNerthney at 成人X站 TV dispatched Chopper 7 to shoot surveillance video聽of the roof.

Earlier this week, I went downtown to tie up a few loose ends around the return of the star. First, I stopped in at the Downtown Seattle Association 鈥� who, in the spirit of full disclosure, I鈥檝e done some history-related work for over the years 鈥� and I spoke with Senior Manager of Media Relations and Issues Management James Sido.

鈥淲hen it was floated out there that the star may not be coming back, I think that the hope that I had was that it could somehow be saved,鈥� Sido said, recalling when the news broke in late September.

鈥淎nd what is I think kind of reaffirming about what happened behind the scenes … is that you had companies pulling together for something that’s important to the community,鈥� he continued. 鈥淎nd they understood that they were making an investment in this place, making an investment in downtown, making an investment in tradition for the holidays.鈥�

As reported from Nov. 24 reported, building tenant Amazon and the building鈥檚 new owner Starwood each ponied up $250,000 to repair the old star for this year and to build a new one 鈥� using as much of the old star as possible 鈥� for display next year and into the foreseeable future.

What the Times鈥� story 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 say is that both of those companies ponied up because an anonymous local person understood the value of the star and made the 鈥渁sk鈥� of the two companies, and then orchestrated the steps necessary to ensure the resurrection of the old star.

This person, who I met with and with whom I had a long conversation, has no desire to get any credit. I also believe this individual would鈥檝e brought the star back with or without the multiple stories we did on 成人X站 Radio and MyNorthwest, and .

While I was downtown, I also went to 4th and Pine, where the unlit star has been in place since last week. It was there that I met with Wendy James, who started that Facebook page a month or so ago.

It was Wendy鈥檚 late father Bob James聽who designed the star back in the 1950s. She says her dad was a humble guy, but because she and her siblings loved the stuff he did as a designer for the old Bon March茅 department store, they weren鈥檛 shy about telling people.

鈥淚 think he was really proud of it,鈥� James said. 鈥淏ut we were the ones down here going, 鈥楳y dad did that, my dad did that!鈥欌��

And James is, naturally, thrilled that the star is back.

鈥淏eing born in Seattle, growing up in Seattle and having this be such a great tradition, and then now, saving it,鈥� said James, 鈥淚鈥檓 proud. I鈥檓 happy.鈥�

Did the Facebook page or all the 成人X站 Radio and MyNorthwest stories help?

鈥淚 don’t know how much I had to do with it. I don’t know how much you had to do with it, but it sure didn’t hurt,鈥� Wendy James said, chuckling.

Back at the DSA offices, does James Sido believe it鈥檚 possible to measure or somehow calculate the value of having the star back?

鈥淚 don’t know that I have a cold answer or a cold response about what the star means,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think a lot of it is emotional. I guess maybe the cold analytical part would be you’re getting more foot traffic in downtown, but I think you’re getting that foot traffic anyway.鈥�

But, Sido says, the Bon March茅 star clearly has value.

鈥淚 really think that that this star does captivate people,鈥� Sido said. 鈥淚 think when you walk down Fourth Avenue and you look up and you see the sky lit up with this huge star, you pause for a minute.鈥�

One more significant change coming to the building after Macy鈥檚 leaves is a return to its roots. A source says that the old department store 鈥� housing offices and ground-floor retail 鈥� will be re-branded as the 鈥淏on March茅 building,鈥� and that all traces of Macy鈥檚 name will be removed. Macy鈥檚 was combined with the name in 2003 for the awkward 鈥淏on-Macy鈥檚鈥�; the 鈥淏on鈥� part was ditched completely in 2004.

Along with the Macy鈥檚 name and the store itself, one more thing is leaving downtown: The display-window holiday model train layout. It was also originally designed by Bob James back in the late 1940s, and has been a mainstay of street-level holiday d茅cor in Seattle ever since.

Macy鈥檚 spokesperson Andrea Schwartz said by email on Monday that the trains and the layout will be saved, and will be displayed next holiday season at the Southcenter Macy鈥檚.

If and when that Southcenter Macy鈥檚 location closes, I have it on good authority that an anonymous local history museum is standing by and ready to take possession.

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