Our Town

(Airdate: March 18, 2025) Maryanne interviews David Michael, Port Townsend’s own Celtic harpist. Many of us first heard David play when he was performing on either the Bainbridge Ferry or the Port Townsend ferry. Turns out friendly captains welcomed the performances. But a few were not friendly at all. David is one of those musicians who lives to play. He first found Celtic harps at a Renaissance Fair in California. He became obsessed with the instrument and taught himself. Of course, by that point he already was a singer song writer and guitarist. Like many artists or musicians there were times where he needed a “day job” to supplement his music earnings. But the gentle music of the harp is his dream.

(Airdate: February 18, 2025) Maryanne interviews Diane McDade, President of Jefferson County Aquatic Coalition (JAC), the citizens group behind the drive for a new pool in Jefferson County. The committee is about 20-years-old and so far no new pool. But changes could be coming relatively soon. The installation of a new sewer system in the Hadlock/Chimacum area should help break the log jam. Diane has been into political action since she was a kid. Her parents were politically active and she watched and learned. She worked on many significant political campaigns, including Patty Murray’s election to the US Senate. Diane also enjoyed a career at Microsoft when not totally immersed in politics. Since moving to PT she’s also become fascinated by the history of North Beach. Expect a book on North Beach tracing (among other things) the story of the Chinese farmers who were ultimately forced out of the region.

(Airdate: February 4, 2025) Maryanne interviews Teren MacLeod, owner of Heron Hill Equine, a non-profit that basically matches people with horses for therapy. Teren’s fascination with horses began when she was only 3 years old. But it took her a couple of years to convince her parents to get her a pony. She had careers in music management and real estate before returning to her love of horses. Teren and her husband were living on the East Coast when they first visited the Pacific Northwest. That was a magical connection and shortly thereafter they moved to PT. Their 11-acre property is close to the Larry Scott trail. They offer a variety of equine classes and experiences. For more detail go to www.heronhillequine.org.

(Airdate: January 21, 2025) Maryanne interviews Maggie Emery, a hometown girl just back for winter break from her very first semester at Smith College in Massachusetts. She was only four years old when her parents – a doctor and computer consultant – moved to Port Townsend. Think of it: the kids she met in preschool were the same kids she knew all the way through high school. Small circle indeed! Now she’s facing a much bigger world. And much smarter kids. In a small high school such as Port Townsend, it’s not overwhelmingly difficult to get good grades. She topped it off with being in ballet, on the robotics team, student government and even building a kayak as part of her Maritime studies program. Needless to say, she is now finding PT rather small. Can she handle the increased competition of a university?

(Airdate: January 7, 2025) Maryanne interviews Greg Barron, the owner of Moving Earth LLC, a company that does much of the dirty work around town. They repair and replace failing water lines and sewer systems. As Greg notes they “bury their best work.” The initial infrastructure in PT dates back to the 1800s. We don’t like to think about it, but there are a lot of failing pipes in our charming little town. Moving Earth has a fleet of trucks, including huge excavators. Greg and his team do projects for the city, county and even for individual homeowners. They also do landscaping jobs, so at least some of some of their work is visible. In his off time Greg’s an avid gardener so he’s particularly fond of creating new gardens and landscaping jobs. But the bread and butter of this company ls excavating.

(Airdate: December 10, 2024) Maryanne interviews Craig Dotson, the owner of Bonita’s 4-legged friends pet store. Craig was a foster child in California but ultimately the siren call of Port Townsend lured him here. Actually, his wife had spent summers here as a child. He had some experience with pet stores so it was natural for him to end up at Bonita’s. After her death he purchased the shop and hasn’t looked back. There are now Bonita’s stores in both PT and Sequim. He’s regularly expanding his wares. He’s a big proponent of the mantra “no corn, wheat or soy” in your pet food. So all the pet food they sell is made without corn, wheat, or soy.

(Airdate: November 26, 2024) Maryanne interviews Josh Thompson, a successful young PT entrepreneur. His company – Josh’s Window Cleaning – is growing briskly. Bookings are up 20% from a year ago. He started at the proverbial bottom when he was in high school. Josh worked for a window and gutter company for about seven years before deciding to strike out on his own. They don’t exactly teach you how to run a company in high school. So he turned to mentors to help him with business licenses, accounting and invoicing –  all the behind the scenes organizational stuff. Now he’s about to turn 30-years-old and is a married homeowner. Hard work and gumption can pay off!

(Airdate: November 12, 2024) Maryanne interviews Robert Wittenberg, the Community Risk Manager for the East Jefferson Fire Department. Robert’s role is to help stop fires even before they start. Businesses are all governed by codes to make sure they are trained to handle emergencies such as fire. There are mandatory inspections annually or every two years. Of course, if there are complaints – such as complaints about cleanliness and potential fire hazards in a restaurant – inspections can happen at any time. There’s also a push to educate the general public about what they need to do to prevent and perhaps stop a small home fire. Robert’s key role is to teach. The lessons are wide-ranging – from teaching CPR to 8th Graders to how to administer Narcan, which can help reverse drug overdose, and how to stop major bleeding. More info at www.ejfr.org.

(Airdate: October 29, 2024) Maryanne interviews Sara Ybarra Lopez and Mark Stevenson, the artists who helped save Port Townsend’s iconic Haller Fountain. As unbelievable as it may seem, our iconic fountain was actually originally ordered out of a plumbing catalog. Dozens – perhaps hundreds – of identical statues were sold across the country. Over the decades the fountains all suffered from damages, whether from weather, playful climbing, or even vandalism. Few remain. PT’s statue was literally in pieces when concerned citizens decided to do something about it. The artists were commissioned to recreate it. Recasting the statue in bronze was no simple matter. Sara even wrote a book about it – Galatea: The Heart of Port Townsend. More about their work is at website: carapacearts.net.

(Airdate: October 15, 2024) Maryanne interviews Nathan Barnett, the creative force behind the upcoming “return of the Haunted Bordello.” The Halloween adjacent event is on October 25 and 26. It riffs on PT’s scandalous and blood-soaked history of bordellos and sailors. Nathan describes it as “a titillating tour of a time that never was.” Part burlesque and part horror show — participants start off at a villainous “spookeasy” called “The Billy Club” (aka Bridget’s Loft). The actors skimpy costumes are R rated — not X rated. Pre-covid there was a version of The Haunted Bordello at the Old Consulate Inn, which is owned by Nathan and wife Cindy. He’s also the mastermind of PT’s Steampunk Festival, For more info go to hauntedbordello.com.