Our Town

(Airdate: January 6, 2026) Maryanne interviews Sam Harper, construction boss for the new Hadlock Sewer System. It’s literally taken decades to get a sewer system underway in the tri-area (Hadlock, Chimacum & Irondale). As 2026 gets underway, the first couple of dozen businesses and residences are finally free from their septic systems. The waste water treatment plant was constructed first. But you need “waste” to run through the plant before you can even begin to hook people up. So the city of PT graciously provided truckloads of untreated waste. Sam (aka Samantha) explains that it’s sort of like starter for sourdough bread. She says fourth graders really get the concept of the big “farts” — gases being expelled in the process. The underlying economics of the peninsula will be changed dramatically with the new sewer system and the changes in zoning it will allow.

(Airdate: December 9, 2025) Maryanne interviews Bob Wheeler, president of the Friends of the PT Golf Park. The nonprofit group has just received a 20-year extension on its 2-year trial lease. They have recently upgraded the grounds and driving range. Newer types of golf – both disc golf and fling golf – are attracting the younger crowd ($5 or $3 after 5pm). A kids’ playground will be opening soon as will what’s usually called “putt-putt” miniature golf. The clubhouse and pro shop are busy. With the restaurant open, plans are afoot to make the downstairs into a community center with pool tables, darts, etc. Golf tournaments are scheduled. In addition, it will soon be a venue for weddings and other large parties. The group’s mission is to make the 58-acre site enticing to PT’s entire population, not just hard-core golfers. Walking paths are being added. But golf is important too! The high school golf teams all play for free at any time. Lessons are available to kids and adults. “There’s a lot of fun activities planned such as ‘Manhattan Mondays’ and weekend brunch,” says Bob. Website: ptgolfpark.org.

(Airdate: November 25, 2025) Maryanne interviews Aaran Stark, Chef at Jefferson Healthcare. After five years of being closed to the public the café is finally open again. It closed for the pandemic and then construction of the new wing delayed reopening the café. Back pre-pandemic, the café was a favorite lunch haunt for locals who actually had no official business at the hospital. They came for the food! Stark is an immensely creative chef who both trained and taught at the Cordon Bleu. Patients and staff always had food during those five years. A new kitchen was constructed at the Fairgrounds and six trucks a day rushed meals the 2.7 miles to the hospital. That’s creative cooking!

(Airdate: November 11, 2025) Maryanne interviews Carly Lech, Certified Canine Behaviorist at the PT Humane Society. Carly has essentially been obsessed with animals since she was a small child. Her parents supported her dreams. She attended a zoo program in high school. She did papers on exotics such as Mandrills & Binturongs. College was also animal focused. Now that she’s joined our Humane Society she is determined to bring the right kind of care to animals who arrive there. But she cautions that being in any shelter is incredibly stressful for any animal. She also shares with our listeners some key tips for handling your own dogs (& other animals).

(Airdate: October 28, 2025) Maryanne interviews Steve King, Port Townsend’s Public Works Director. Steve’s been grappling with our complex issues since he joined the city five years ago. An early accomplishment was getting the mill to pay for water usage, just like any other customer. Some of the pipes for our water system are over 100 years old. Steve’s team is racing the clock – trying to replace those pipes before they collapse. That’s just one issue facing the town. The lack of affordable housing and the sorry state of our streets are also major issues. Voters overwhelmingly passed a measure to raise taxes to help pay for street repairs. Results aren’t in yet but that money only began to flow in 2024. The lack of workforce housing  – aka affordable housing  – is also on everyone’s radar.

(Airdate: October 14, 2025) Maryanne interviews Ned Schumann, founder of Olympus.net. This show delves into some deeply personal issues surrounding the death of his wife, Kate, who suffered from dementia. Early in her downward spiral, Kate, Ned and daughter Carrie decided to go the path of VSED (that stands for Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking). Ned shares some of the issues involved and his heart-felt synopsis of what he feels the family did right and wrong. Hospice helped in the end. But he thinks one of the most important decisions was to inform and involve friends early in the process

(Airdate: September 30, 2025) Maryanne interviews Joshua Bingham, aka “The Large Man of PT.” Joshua is indeed a very large man physically. He also likes helping people. He was employed as a caretaker for mentally challenged clients for a few years. But he was always available to help people move furniture and other bulky items. At some point it occurred to him that he could find more satisfaction and make a better income specializing in moving. So he started a company called The Large Man of PT. It’s a huge success with our senior population. Ten months of the year he’s here serving people who badly need help moving and/or downsizing. Here’s the twist: for two months of the year he goes to Tibet where he works with village elders to build schools or orphanages. Years ago he discovered that a lot of money donated to orphanages in Tibet never made it to the needy – the cash lined the pockets of many officials instead. Joshua’s a man of action so he decided to somehow get 100% of his funds to the needy.

(Airdate: September 16, 2025) Maryanne interviews Daniel Ferland, music teacher & founder of YeaMusic, the popular summer music camps for kids. Daniel’s passion for music has now been passed on to Port Townsend & Chimacum students for close to two decades. Against all odds and under Daniel’s direction those bands tell a David + Goliath story — consistently winning awards in competition with much larger high schools. Last summer’s camps were almost cancelled due to the sweeping cuts in arts funding by the Trump administration. First Federal Bank and the Jefferson County Foundation stepped in with grants at the very last moment and saved the camps. But the group rather desperately needs your donations. Go to yeamusic.org to donate — by the way, YeaMusic is an acronym for “youth education in the arts.”

(Airdate: September 2, 2025) Maryanne interviews John Paul Davies. owner of Key City Foods. John Paul bounced around for years trying to find his niche. While he was still in college he worked in seafood shops and found an affinity there. When he first came to Port Townsend he worked for New Day Fisheries setting up a big seafood market in a tent in their parking lot. It was quite successful until the winter rain and mud hit. Somehow shopping for seafood isn’t quite that appealing in heavy rain. John Paul ultimately started his own seafood shop thanks in part to a loan from the proverbial “bank of dad.” Seafood morphed into also selling meat. Today Key City supplies seafood and meat to restaurants all over western Washington. The shop is also open to the public. It rings up brisk sales but the bulk of his business — and profits —comes from restaurants and resorts.

(Airdate: July 22, 2025)  Maryanne interviews Sonny Flores, KPTZ’s man of a million talents. Sonny’s been with the station for over a decade. He’s been a DJ, Producer, Editor, trainer of new talen, and the go-to resource for anything at the station. Sonny is one of six kids and joined the military at age 18. He rose to the rank of Captain at the California Dept. of Corrections and instituted many programs designed to help inmates flourish ‘on the outside.’ When he retired, he headed north to Washington, based on glowing reports from a colleague. KPTZ is not his only community affiliation. He’s been part of the Farmer’s Market, the Food Bank, and the PT Film Festival. Now he plans on working with troubled young people through the Olympic Angels. He’s been a true partner with Maryanne on KPTZ’s Our Town. (The door’s always open Sonny!)