Meet Jack Burke

Jack, 87, of Hurstwood via Miles City, Montana, began flying at 16.

He started flying for Pan Am at 19, put his commercial aviation career on hold three times-to serve in World War II, Korea and Vietnam-and went on to become an elite "check pilot."

He has logged thousands of air miles, flown every type of aircraft, and passenger, imaginable (including the Beatles) and flown around the world more times than he can count.

Yet despite his lofty credentials, Jack is the friendliest, most down-to-earth guy you could ever hope to meet, and we are lucky that he "landed" here.

The Highline Times is busy doing Jack's life story and will bring our readers glimpses of his incredible saga from time to time. Like his friendship with Charles Lindbergh, Tex Rankin and many others.

Meet Al Moser

This long time Des Moines resident remembers well the Old Spanish Castle and Banfield's Halfway House at the intersection of Highway 99 and the Kent-Des Moines Road.

He is now 70 and wears a pleasant smile on his face. He should. He is married to Sandi who was secretary to Ed Command of Highline College fame for ten years.

I know her well because I was a board member during Ed's regime.

Al worked for 38 years as an inspector at Pacific Car building Kenworth trucks on East Marginal in Seattle. I told him Elsbeth once worked there in the cafeteria before she arrived at the famous Epicure in White Center and five years later became Mrs. Robinson.

He remembered the maple dance floor at the Castle and says some of it is now in Des Moines but out of condition for a fox trot or the samba.

The owner of a car repair shop in Des Moines (across from B and E Meats) made a deal with the castle owners when they were tearing down the popular dance hall and ended up with some of that marvelous maple.

They used a lot of it for the garage floor.

Of course, it worked but that famous floor, slippery for dancers would make bandleader Gordon Greene cry, if he still lived.

Al met Sandi when she was making burgers as youngster at Dolly's on Highway 99 across from Shiner's Boats.

He and a buddy went in for a cheeseburger and when Al saw the gorgeous waitress he fell head over heels in love with her. They have been married for 44 years and he still likes hamburgers

They have two sons, one at Boeing and one at Kenworth.