Monday, March 27, 2000

By ALIYA SAPERSTEIN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

	More stories ... Photo galleries VR tour from the field Live shot of where the Dome used to be

More than 73 million people passed through the gates at the Kingdome.

But for every event, there were as many as 1,500 more.

They include ushers such as Jimmy Cole, Kirby Wong, Jane Taylor and Dick Ball, who was there since Day 1.

And groundskeepers such as Rod Hitchcock, Keith Burkman and Wilbur Loo.

And Maxine Smith, the smiling elevator operator. And Rod Williams, the shy tour guide.

And, of course, crowd favorite concessionaires Rick "The Peanut Man" Kaminski, and the Beer Man, simply known as "Bill."

They knew the Kingdome like no one else.

"I experienced the loud cheers in her belly, the cold winds whipping through her outer ramps during late nights, and her roof falling nearby us," Burkman said.

"But I also remember sitting late at night after games, and hearing how quiet she could be."

The workers collected autographs, smiles and hugs from the celebrities that passed through the building. They remember the day a bull got loose during a rodeo and roamed the 100 level, and the time water leaked from a 50,000-gallon pool during a Boy Scouts exhibition.

"It just tears my heart," said Smith, who misses seeing the outside roof lights winking at her in the dark. "It looks like it's frowning or something."

Some have saved pictures, parts of their uniforms or even an aisle sign.

For others, memories are the only memorabilia they need.

"We never missed a conversion in all those years," said Loo, the former head groundskeeper who made sure the field was ready for baseball and football games and everything in between.

"No event started late," he said. "We were a pretty good team."

Carol Keaton, the Dome's spokeswoman, still has a ring of 21 keys that opened every gate and door at the stadium.

"It wasn't a fancy place, but it was for all people, and the employees had a sense of pride about what we were doing," she said. "We went the extra mile."

The Dome had a full-time staff of 60 people. For games, the county added nearly 400 ushers, ticket handlers, security, parking attendants, janitors and so on.

The Mariners hired 40 more people, usually teenagers, to sell programs and pass out promotions. Another 25 "Diamond Girls" were paid to babysit the players' children or work as ball girls.

Ogden Entertainment Services had its own contingent of close to 1,000 concessionaires as well.

"We were like a family," Cole said.

After the Dome's last game Jan. 2, the county promised all of its Kingdome workers other jobs.

Loo is now a flagger for the Department of Transportation.

Keaton is just across the parking lot in the county's marketing division.

And Smith and Cole now work at the new exhibition center and Safeco Field.

But Ball, 64, decided it was time to retire.

"I blame the Mariners for tearing down the Dome - it's a sour point with me," said Ball, a former usher captain. "So I decided not to go over and work at Safeco.

"But I drove by the Dome the other day and it looks terrible," said Ball, his voice beginning to break. "I spent one-third of my life there."