Our Town

(Airdate: May 2, 2023) Maryanne interviews Jamie Maciejewski, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity in Jefferson County. Jamie found her calling early. During her college years at UW she was already involved in non-profit organizations that helped runaway teens who had drifted to prostitution. She’s been running Habitat here since 2007 and has overseen an era of growth and outreach. Affordable housing is crucial for the region. Perhaps the most intriguing project on the horizon is the plans for the 17-acre parcel owned by Habitat in Hadlock. With the new Hadlock sewer line, up to 200 homes could ultimately be built there. It will likely be a mix of apartments, condos and even some single-family homes. This pioneering concept will be “permanently affordable” due to the fact Habitat will still own the land under the units and only lease to the owners. This workforce housing will be available to families with annual incomes under $110,000. As Jamie notes, people who work here — teachers, nurses, police, etc. – will be able afford to live here.

(Airdate: April 18, 2023) Maryanne interviews Sophie Nordstrom, Superior Court Administrator for Jefferson County. As a young woman Sophie raised kids and had a series of jobs in the service industry. But about the time she turned 40 she made a decision to do something more meaningful with her career. First, she decided to go to school to become a legal secretary. After earning a degree, she landed a job with the county clerk’s office here in Jefferson County. She loved it and flourished under the pressure. When the job of Superior Court Administrator opened up, she threw her hat into the ring. She’s never looked back. You could say all the business in our courthouse passes under her eagle eye.

(Airdate: April 4, 2023) Maryanne interviews Ben Thomas, winemaker for the Port Townsend Winery and a member of Port Townsend’s City Council. Ben was born in LaPush and spent much of his childhood in Port Townsend. Thanks to the fact that his mom — Trudy Davis — owns Eaglemont Winery, he learned the wine trade the old fashioned way — from the bottom up. Ben’s always been an avid student of the political scene. He helped found PT’s alternative newspaper “Vigilance” in the wake of massive Seattle protests in 1999. The newspaper didn’t exactly turn out to be a profitable venture. Now he’s tackling political issues from the inside. As a city council member he’s front and center on all city-related problems and issues. Right now he’s working on solutions for ‘affordable housing’ and vows to somehow do something about our deteriorating streets.

(Airdate: March 21, 2023) Maryanne interviews Sara Penhallegon, the brains and heart behind Center Valley Animal Rescue. Literally thousands of animals – both wild and domestic – have been rescued by Sara and her team. When that confused coyote somehow wandered into the hospital, it was Sara who rushed in to tranquilize and ultimately stitch her up. There’s also that bison who was born to a starving mom. The newborn bison was hand-fed largely by Sara. Not surprisingly, he now thinks Sara is his ‘mom’. That means when he gets lonely, he sometimes breaks out of his quarters and heads for mom’s living room where he was nurtured back to health. He now weighs upwards of 700 pounds and is still a growing boy! Sara’s stories are amazing. But she needs donations to her non-profit to continue her mission.

(Airdate: February 21, 2023) Maryanne interviews Heidi Haney, owner of The Tipsy Gypsy, a mobile bar service. Heidi was a party girl & model in her 20s. But then she fell in love with a cowboy in Dallas. She ended up managing restaurants such as the Olive Garden in Texas. But her mother was in Sequim and she missed the Pacific Northwest. After stints running other businesses on the Peninsula, she decided she wanted to be her own boss. A class at the EDC prompted her to write a business plan. The Tipsy Gypsy, a mobile bar service, was born and licensed in 2018. Heidi and her crew now handle events for the Maritime Center, Raincoast Farms, and other major organizations. In addition, the Tipsy Gypsy is hugely popular for weddings, retirement parties and other milestone events. Business is booming. Post-Covid (maybe), it’s party time!

(Airdate: February 7, 2023) Maryanne interviews Lisa Zelinsi, founder & CEO of Pharm-Made, a fledgling company that makes plant-based health and beauty products. Lisa tries to create products that are sustainable, organic and uses plants from our local forests and farms. Her background as a pharmacist helps shape her formulas. But she creates products to fill real-world needs & problems – her grandmother’s dry, cracked heels inspired her to make an ointment called “Saturate.” Her mother-in-law’s arthritis resulted in her creation of “Joint Salvation.” Her products are featured in some local shops & spas. They are also online at pharm-made.com.

(Airdate: January 24, 2023) Maryanne McNellis interviews Catherine Collins, Executive Director of the non-profit foundation Sound Experience which owns and operates the beautiful classic schooner The Adventuress. The 133-foot ship was built way back in 1913 as a pleasure craft. But she spent decades as a working vessel before being designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1988. It took millions to restore her to her original glory. The Adventuress is now dedicated to environmental education in the Puget Sound. Covid shut down operations for a while. But Catherine and her team predict that the 2023 season will open as scheduled. Hundreds more kids will experience life at sea aboard The Adventuress.

(Airdate: January 10, 2023) Maryanne interviews Dr. Joseph Meyerson, plastic surgeon & hand surgeon at Jefferson Healthcare. He initially wanted to become a veterinarian but med school & brain surgery seemed much more appealing. Then he discovered the infinite variety of the field of plastic surgery. It meant over 12 years of medical training & taking on a huge load of student debt. Dr. Meyerson doesn’t do strictly “cosmetic” surgeries. But he does repair faces that are damaged by fire or cancer. He does “reconstructions” literally from head to toe. He calls it “getting people back on the spectrum of normalcy.” His work inspires gratitude from patients and their families.

(Airdate: December 13, 2022) Maryanne interviews Nancy Erley, a remarkable sailor who has circumnavigated the globe twice. She grew up in the Midwest, but Girl Scout membership ignited the dream of becoming a sailor. Her main passion at the University of Washington was the sailing team, although she did study enough to graduate. One adventure led to another until sailing around the world became an achievable dream. Each round-the-world sail took five years. The all-female team had amazing and occasionally terrifying adventures. There was the night near the top of Australia when the sea was alive with poisonous snakes. No one slept that night! Nancy remains quite active in the boating community here and regularly speaks at industry events. She also teaches many classes, specializing in teaching female students.

(Airdate: November 29, 2022) Maryanne interviews Mike & Heather Harbin, owners of barbecue joint Mo-Chilli. Although Heather’s a local girl, the two met in the Washington DC area at a training course to become insurance agents. They ultimately moved to Texas, Mike’s home base. They had successful careers in insurance, but Mike had barbecue on his mind. His passion for just the right recipe soon had him competing in barbecue cook-offs. That led to selling the stuff from their driveway. They decided to move back to Port Townsend for family reasons. It’s a leap, but they decided they could make a living selling barbecue here. Their custom-built food truck was made to exact barbecue specs. Before they opened full time on Sims Way in March 2022, they captured many fans by moving the truck from event to event. Not too many entrepreneurs opened businesses during the Covid era. But their gamble seems to be paying off!