(April 20, 2021) LOCAL GIRL AMID THE ROSES & DEER. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Katy Buckham, manager of Secret Gardens Nursery in Port Townsend. Katy’s a third generation Port Townsend girl. She put in a brief stint in Seattle, getting the big city itch out of her system. But she returned to the gentle pace of Jefferson County. She was a cook and barista at many local hot spots, including the late lamented Sweet Laurette’s (where she met her husband). But in the end her passion for the earth won. She found her niche at Secret Gardens, caring for living plants and administering advice to local gardeners. The pandemic created a lot of novice gardeners. But Katy says the number one question from both novice and veteran gardeners is the same: what can I do about the deer eating my garden?

(Airdate: April 6, 2021) DANIEL EVANS: BOSS SAYS SUMMER RACES ARE ON! Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Daniel Evans, Race Boss for the Northwest Maritime Center. It looks like our beloved R2AK (Race to Alaska) is cancelled again due to the pandemic. But here’s the good news: two other summer races look like they are happening! The Seventy/48, the human-powered race between Tacoma and Port Townsend, will start on June 4. That’s 70 miles in 48 hours. And there’s a new race too. The Washington/360 will cover 360 miles of all Washington state waters in an engine-less race. Right now its unclear how much on-shore partying will happen around the races. But the Maritime Center has an elaborate online system where you can track the boats (and Stand-up Paddle boards) in real time, 24/7.

(Airdate: March 23, 2021) CONSIDER THE KIDS. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Sandra Gessner-Crabtree who is steering the Port Townsend School District through the treacherous pandemic. As Superintendent, Sandy has walked a tightrope — listening to the pleas from parents and students while simultaneously trying to follow state and CDC guidelines. The stress has been tremendous. It remains to be seen whether a year of “distanced” learning has hurt our kids. Some seem to be sailing through it, while others are floundering. At this point in time we are poised to open more doors. Sports are beginning with condensed seasons. Teachers are being vaccinated. What does the 2021-2022 academic year look like?

(Airdate: March 8, 2021) FUNERALS IN THE TIME OF COVID. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Lee McKinstry who has joined owner Real Robles at the Kosec Funeral Home in Port Townsend. McKinstry thought she might become a marine biologist. But after a stint in the Peace Corps she realized she really wanted to help people. She was fascinated by cultural rituals around death. It’s not a career for everyone, but she found her niche helping families through the grieving process. Today there is a renewed interest in the old-fashioned concept of “preplanning” your own funeral or cremation. After decisions are made, Kosec opens a trust account. The fact that it’s paid for relieves some of the strain on survivors. Kosec can arrange traditional burials with church or graveside services, working with religious leaders of all types. Cremation is also extremely popular in the Pacific Northwest. Given our maritime heritage, there’s a lot of interest in scattering ashes at sea. Among the many options are biodegradable containers, designed to do little or no harm to the environment.

(First airdate: February 23, 2021) HANS FREDERICKSON: REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINTS. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Hans Fredrickson, owner of Frederickson Electric. After taking over the business from his father, Hans saw new opportunities for the company. Frederickson still does a healthy business with new construction, repairs, and remodels. But recent years have seen tremendous growth in installing solar arrays, new heat pumps, and charging stations for electric cars. Despite our gloomy winters, our long sunny summer days make solar power economically attractive to homeowners and developers. Heat pumps can also drastically cut power consumption. Stanford-educated Hans is an ardent environmentalist. He wants to help his customers reduce their carbon footprints to keep the Pacific Northwest as pristine as possible.

(First airdate: February 9, 2021) CAROLYN SALMON: A VISION FOR SENIORS TO SHARE. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Carolyn Salmon, president of the owners association at Quimper Village. This senior co-housing development speaks to the emerging consensus among many seniors that assisted living isn’t for them. But they realize they might also need some assistance. It’s a network of friends purchasing townhouses in a new development. They intend to take care of each other as much as they can. Currently, communal dinners and the like are on hold due to COVID-19. So far the COVID-free group has kept to outdoor activities. But they are anxious to return to group events. Quimper Village is perhaps an idealized view of small town interconnectedness. But the group seems determined to make it work.

(First airdate: January 26, 2021) SARA PENHALLEGON: ANIMAL RESCUE ANGEL. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Sara Penhallegon, founder & director of Center Valley Animal Rescue. Sara’s passion for saving animals began early: she became a vegetarian at the age of nine. Today the non-profit organization sits on about 30 acres of sprawling hills in center valley. It houses kittens & puppies, cats & dogs, rabbits & gerbils. All sorts of livestock live in one of several barns. A wildlife center houses eagles, cougars, coyotes, whatever. When a herd of starving buffalo was seized by the state, they became residents of Center Valley. Most animals are either released back into the wild or adopted. But there are exceptions. A baby bison was born onsite to a starving mother who couldn’t care for him. Sara & her team stepped in to raise him. Now he’s a permanent resident…a rather large & clumsy “pet.” Then there was the cougar who checked herself into one of the pens one night. There’s always excitement at Center Valley Animal Rescue.

(First airdate: January 12, 2021) CHERISH CRONMILLER: LEADING THE CHARGE FOR OLYCAP. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Cherish Cronmiller, Executive Director of OlyCAP, the Olympic Peninsula’s umbrella community action organization. Homeless shelters, food banks, energy assistance programs, housing programs, Head Start, Meals on Wheels – these are just some of the programs run by OlyCAP. Soaring unemployment rates and rising forclosures on businesses and homes have put Jefferson County in a precarious situation. Our food banks illustrate the situation. The need is desperate. There are 40-50% more families here now relying on food banks. Schools were helping to feed hungry kids. But the schools are closed. Community action groups are trying to fill the gap. Cronmiller is in the thick of the battle to keep families afloat.

(First airdate: December 29, 2020) PLANNING PT’S PRESENT & FUTURE. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Lance Bailey, the Development Services Director for the city of Port Townsend. His department issues permits for all projects – large and small. Remodeling your kitchen? Building a large apartment building? Talk to Lance and his team. Contrary to popular wisdom, there are at least two apartment buildings about to be green-lighted. Housing accessibility is a huge problem around here. The COVID-19 crisis has heightened the problem – house prices are skyrocketing. People from the big cities and even “climate refugees” (people fleeing the massive wildfires) are desperate to move to small picture-perfect places like this. But we have to get broadband to the end of the road. Planning our future is almost impossible.

(First airdate: December 15, 2020) DR. MOLLY PARKER: FAMILY CAREGIVER. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Dr. Molly Parker, family medicine specialist at Jefferson Healthcare. After a childhood on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Dr. Parker decided that she wanted her family to experience that same community closeness. Besides, she loves the variety of family medicine. She can be “catching babies” one day and diagnosing a nasty rash (or something much worse) the next. Of course, there’s also the pandemic to contend with! Dr. Parker talks about COVID-19 planning from behind the front lines. She’s also involved in a variety of medical initiatives. She helps train nurses to gather forensic evidence in sexual assault cases. As Director of Population Medicine, she’s attempting to change the reality that right now Jefferson County is a child care “desert.”