Our Town

(First airdate: September 25, 2018) ANITA SCHMUCKER: 100 KIDS & A BANKING CAREER. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Anita Schmucker, manager of the Port Hadlock Branch of First Security Bank. Anita switched from waitressing to banking and is excelling – she’s worked her way up the ladder to be branch manager. Along the way, Anita and her retired firefighter husband Andy have fostered around 100 kids. She’s passionate about children’s causes and works constantly to try to see that no kid slips between the cracks. She brings that same passion and enthusiasm to her bank. According to Anita, excellent customer service is the key to her career success.

(First airdate: September 11, 2018) CREATING A NICHE BY BOILING BAGELS. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Mike Garling, the owner of Metro Bagels. After visiting 22 states in their Honda, Mike and his wife discovered their dream home on the Olympic Peninsula. But jobs like the one he had back at the Chicago Board of Trade are scarce out here. So he created a business plan for a bagel business. The local investment group, LION, was duly impressed. He’s now paid back their loan and Metro Bagels has locations in both Port Hadlock and Port Townsend. Not everyone sits and grumbles about their dead-end job. Determination and hard work can pay off.

(First airdate: August 28, 2018) KIM RAFFERTY: FROM HIPPIE TO PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Kim Rafferty, a nurse with Jefferson County Public Health. Once upon a time Kim lived in the proverbial hippie commune in California. But reason prevailed. She ended up becoming a nurse. She’s run group homes for mentally challenged seniors and run clinics on Orcas Island. Today she’s the public health nurse who provides foot care to seniors and disabled all around the county.

(First airdate: August 14, 2018) ARIEL SPESER: TRYING TO SOLVE THE UNSOLVABLE. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Ariel Speser of the Northwest Justice Project. The non-profit law firm handles cases ranging from eviction or foreclosure, to domestic disputes or sexual assault. The common thread is that their clients cannot afford to pay the going rate for a lawyer. Ariel always knew she wanted to help those in need – particularly children. She wins more often than she loses. But each case is a unique challenge for her. She brings endless enthusiasm to her 90 hour work week and still finds time to be on the Port Townsend City Council.

(First airdate: July 31, 2018) RICHARD DAVIES: FIGHTING FOR THE UNDERDOG. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Richard Davies, head public defender for Jefferson County. Charged with murder? Caught robbing a bank? If you can’t afford to pay for a lawyer, the judge is likely to appoint Richard and his team at Jefferson Associates Council to defend you in a criminal case. After more than two decades fighting for the underdog, Richard’s still an idealist at heart. He’s a passionate believer in the American justice system.

(First airdate: July 17, 2018) SCOTT ROGERS: BOSS MAN AT ALDRICH’S & DOGS-A-FOOT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Scott Rogers, who owns two local icons – Aldrich’s and Dogs-A-Foot. Scott jumped around a few career paths, laying carpets, selling security systems and running restaurants. But when the bottom fell out of his life in the Great Recession, Scott somehow found both the love of his life (his now wife Robin) and a home in Port Townsend. Buying Dogs-A-Foot four years ago seemed like a natural fit for his entrepreneurial nature. Then Aldrich’s became available a little over a year ago. Scott is trying to take the venerable Port Townsend fixture back to its roots as a true community general store and gathering place.

(First airdate: July 3, 2018) POLLY ROGERS: THE GREAT GRANDMOM AT MOM’S LAUNDROMAT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Polly Rogers, a mainstay at Mom’s Laundromat for the past several decades. What better place to delve into the town’s dirty laundry than a laundromat? Panties in the wrong bag can lead to inescapable clues. Polly was just 19 when she married a mill worker here. She ended up living in the same house in the Four Corners area for the past 63 years. Mom’s features a wall of framed “lost socks” and Polly was once humorously awarded a gold-plated sock. She’s never quite found gold in a laundry bag, but there was a laptop, a 10-inch clock, and lots of other strange items. Still, Polly loves her job and comes in early and stays late just to share in the stories of the ever changing cast of characters from townies to tourists.

(First airdate: June 19, 2018) GARY KEISTER: BRINGING LIFE TO THE OLD ALCOHOL PLANT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Gary Keister, the new owner of the Old Alcohol Plant. Gary has a unique vision. Half of the property is now a charming Inn & Restaurant, with spectacular views of the Port Hadlock Marina and the coast beyond. It features galleries that celebrate local artists and hosts classes and lectures. The reincarnated Old Alcohol Plant is fast becoming a popular venue for weddings, parties and conferences. Then there’s the “other side.” Gary has a unique vision. Half of the property is the Bayside Tower, which houses community members in need of transitional housing. The ‘for profit’ side (the Inn & Restaurant) helps support the ‘non-profit’ side. It’s an innovative and compassionate way to help with our housing crisis.

(First airdate: June 5, 2018) BOB SNOW: FROM SPOOK TO COMPUTER GURU. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Bob Snow, former counter-intelligence agent. Bob was stationed in multiple countries around the world where he learned to “read” people and discover their weaknesses. He was a behind-the-scenes operative in places as different as the Amazon rain forest to the mountains of Germany. But here in Port Townsend, he has morphed into a Mac computer guru.

(First airdate: May 22, 2018) MILES VOKURKA: LEADING THE BOYS & GIRLS OF THE BAND. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Miles Vokurka, new Conductor of the Port Townsend Summer Band. Band members include teenagers and teenagers at heart who are drawn together by their love of music. The first concert of the season is Memorial Day (May 28) down at the Legion Hall on Water Street. Summer concerts in the gazebo at Chetzemoka Park are a long-standing tradition. Miles picks up the baton from retiring conductor Karl Bach. He promises to continue the tradition of rousing marches and will also add some newer touches ranging from Oklahoma to The Beatles.