(Airdate: July 9, 2024) Maryanne interviews Tara McCauley, Executive Director of the Jefferson County Historic Museum, in downtown Port Townsend. She grew up on Vashon Island and at first thought she’d be a teacher. But her love of museums led her to discover a way to combine teaching with museums. After a couple of stints at Seattle-area museums Tara arrived here in 2019. She was only recently promoted to Executive Director and has an ambitious program of “reimagining” the museum. There are major changes now happening as she reshapes the museum to “integrate art and history.” Our museum will never be the same. Still, the artifacts from the rough and rowdy days of sailors and “ladies of the night” are safely tucked away in archives.

(Airdate: June 25, 2024) Maryanne interviews Jim Lopez, President of the PT Senior Association. Jim’s a Vietnam vet who used the GI bill to help get him through college. Then came a long career in business & finance. Oddly enough for a town that’s perpetually short on employment opportunities, a job offer lured him to PT. And what better place to retire? Many people confuse the Community Center with the Senior Association. It’s the Association that oversees everything from bingo games to a pool room. Organizations including AA, AlAnon, Disabled Vets, Photography Club, Computer Club all meet at the Center. Senior lunches are offered five days a week. But everything’s currently suspended for a couple of weeks while the building undergoes some renovation. It will all be back in July (contractor permitting)

(Airdate: June 11, 2024) Maryanne interviews Kevin Mason, local legend and musician, who is most recently known for his headline-grabbing “Raccoon Lodge” on Clay Street. When the 150-year-old tree in his yard was torn apart by PT’s notorious winds, he decided to create something worthy of our arts community. It was almost razed by city officials until there was quite a community outcry. Kevin is now a fixture singing dance tunes at the Concerts on the Dock. He also croons “classic vintage cocktail music.” But his background is much more colorful. His mechanical bent first led him to jobs repairing equipment. That somehow turned into a career designing fantastic nightclubs. Y2K ignited his fascination with computers. So he became a web designer. His love of music took a backseat until after he relocated to PT. Now he’s singing again.

(Airdate: May 28, 2024) Maryanne interviews Kim Rafferty, chair of the IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disability Advisory Board). Public resources to handle such disabilities are extremely limited. For example, Jefferson County has only two adult family homes, each with the capacity of only eight residents. Kim has a son with intellectual disabilities. Her profession as a nurse helped guide her to find the best possible resources for him. Interestingly, identifying and beginning treatment before the age of three can be crucial for life-long development. Close to 40% of those who enter programs before the age of three end up catching up with their peers by the time first grade starts. Progress has been slow in creating programs for adults with disabilities. But some major companies – such as Safeway, Quimper Mercantile and QFC – have stepped up to the plate and now have job opportunities in place. Kim and her colleagues are looking to expand more resources & opportunities for those struggling.

(Airdate: May 14, 2024) Maryanne interviews Jefferson County Sheriff Joe Nole, the top law enforcement officer in Jefferson County. As a young man, his dream was to become a wildlife biologist. He was working for the Forest Service near Quilcene when he realized that a big part of that job was law enforcement — such as enforcing regulations that kept motorcycles out of the National Parks. Next stop was the Police Academy and he soon began a career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. He rose through the ranks and decided to run for Sheriff in 2018. Sheriff Nole is a big fan of newer programs that offer counseling and treatment in lieu of jail time. He would like to see more mental health professionals partnering with the police force.

(Airdate: April 30, 2024) Maryanne interviews Tracy Lemoine, who juggles careers as a massage therapist and an artist while raising an autistic child. As a single mother, it took her years to get the proper diagnosis for her child. Not all counselors or therapists are trained to recognize the symptoms in a young child. And, as Tracy points out, an early diagnosis can make quite a difference in terms of getting proper schooling and other help. Tracy moved here shortly before the big pandemic lockdown. That timing also contributed to slow connections both for her business and for her child. But now her massage business, Shining Star Massage, is up and running. She’s also showing her art dubbed “Heart N Soul Art” at Art Walk and a number of galleries.

(Airdate: April 16, 2024) Maryanne interviews restaurant owner Kris Nelson. Kris started working at a local burger joint when she was a 14-year-old at PT High School. After graduating  from UW with an economics degree she couldn’t find a passion that lured her to graduate school. But travel fascinated her. The Peace Corp seemed the only route until she figured out she could work part of the year and travel the rest. That worked for a while. But she wanted more. Sirens was a failing pub until she finessed enough loans to buy the joint. Over the years she has owned Sirens, Alchemy, the Fountain Cafe, the In-Between, the Old Whiskey Mill, and several restaurants. She also found time to be deputy mayor on city council, head of the Main Street Program, and many other civic bodies. Like almost everyone else, her business faltered during the pandemic. Kris spent every cent she had keeping it alive. But the pandemic wasn’t all bad for her – she got married on a romantic beach, zooming in friends & family.

(Airdate: April 2, 2024) Maryanne interviews Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Brandon Mack. Mack was appointed to the bench by the Governor after Judge Keith Harper retired early. He had been serving as Court Commissioner. Prior to that he spent almost a decade in various District Attorney offices around the state. Mack sees himself as a “change agent.” He talks with pride about helping to start an Indian Family Court, complete with tribal flags in the lobby. His passion is family law with a particular focus on the foster care system. He says that cases involving Native American families have a disproportionately high rate of children ending up in foster care. Judge Mack plans on running for a full four-year term in the next election.

(Airdate: February 20, 2024) Maryanne talks with Bob Wheeler, a leader in the team behind the new Hadlock Sewer System. Right now the entire Hadlock region exists totally on primitive septic tank systems. The new sewer system will be a game changer for the entire Olympic peninsula. Example: Habitat for Humanity owns 17 acres there. Current zoning restricts it to building three houses on that property. With new zoning thanks to a modern sewer system, those same 17 acres could handle up to 200 dwellings. This has major ramifications for housing supply on the peninsula. It should usher in more affordable housing featuring apartments, town homes and other multi-family units. Construction is now well underway and Wheeler estimates completion of PHASE #1of the sewer system by mid 2025.

(Airdate: February 6, 2024) Maryanne interviews David Faber, Port Townsend’s Mayor. David has just been re-elected to his second term as Mayor. He grew up in PT and earned a law degree. Back in 2014 he and a close friend opened a law office here. A year later he successfully ran for City Council. David is passionate about bringing certain changes to the town. The top three action items on his list sound insurmountable. Solving the affordable housing crisis tops the list. He vows to improve transportation — with an emphasis on fixing our failing roads. Then there’s restoring public confidence in the city government. As he notes, it will take decades of work to successfully correct decades of neglect. Government sometimes moves at a rather glacial pace!