I have been searching for a solution for 2 questions for a while now and haven't really found anything useful thus far.

On the following Website
http://www.stonegateinc.com/

(1) They have setup the menu items so that when a menu item is chosen not only does it update the center column page but it also updates the large blue bar below the top menu with a new image. It also supresses the second lvl menu from appearing.

I feel like there is probably a way to accomplish this in WP with Atahualpa but I have not found the right combination of things to try.

(2) What would be the best way to approach adding a couple of menu options at the very top above header image / logo that would interact with the other 2 menus so that they are all in sync?

I have a pretty through knowledge of CSS and Wordpress and Atahualpa to a point - but this isn't something I have tried to do before. I probably don't need detailed directions but just to be pointed in the right direction on what combination of options/css/plugins I might use to accomplish these tasks.

Does anyone have any ideas in what direction I should head to figure this out?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Nick B

There are a couple ways to do part one, I'd probably use a widget area
1) install the plugin 'Widget Logic Visual'
2) add a new widget area at the end of the 'Configure Header Area' options, call it 'page message'
3) add one text widget for each page with the text you want to show on that page
4) at the bottom of each text widget - in the visual widget logic area - select the page each widget should show on.
all done but the styling. You could look at something like 'Dynamic header' and put the text in an image or you could code a div for each set of text in the 'Configure Header Area' option and using CSS only display the correct one for the page.

What would be the best way to approach adding a couple of menu options at the very top above header image / logo that would interact with the other 2 menus so that they are all in sync?

I not quite sure what you mean, what other two menu's? I see a sidebar menu - for it, you could do the same thing at the header text. Make a bunch of custom WP menus, one copy of the 'Custom Menu' widget for each page and use widget logic to control what page it should show on.

Also the sidebar menu is redundant. Why not just leave it off?

i agree. redundant. but iam not the one making that decision