KPTZ”s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro welcomed Tara McCauley, executive director of the Jefferson County Historical Society and we talked about their new exhibit which opened this past weekend. The museum is located in historic Port Townsend City hall and is open Thursday thru Sunday from 11am till 4pm. There is a theme for the current exhibit and that is ‘home’. Tara is full of interesting stories, so listen in!
Our focus this month will be on South Jefferson County and the communities of Brinnon and Quilcene – and what our youth and young families are up to there. The Quilcene community is located at the head of Quilcene Bay, an arm of the seawater-filled glacial valley of Hood Canal. Brinnon sits south of Quilcene, on the west side of Hood Canal, on the eastern edge of the Olympic National Forest, and near the mouth of the Duckabush River. Our guest today is Anji Scalf, Youth and Family Empowerment Coordinator for 4-H with Washington State University Jefferson Extension – College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources. Having been a rural youth and navigating many of the challenges modern kids are facing, youth and South County are a big part of her life.
(Reprise airdate: April 8, 2026) Please join Nature Now host Debaran Kelso as we welcome our special guest Peter Harrison. Peter is a world renown seabird expert, artist, and conservationist, and this week we will be speaking about writing and illustrating his beautiful new book Seabirds: The New Identification Guide. We end with exploring the world of the albatrosses, in anticipation of his upcoming public lecture sponsored by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center on March 30, 2025. This is Part 1 of a two-part program.
(Airdate: April 7, 2026) We’ve been visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang, 42 kilometers southeast of Turfan. On the way back to town we also visited the Astana Tombs, just north of the city. This ancient cemetery served as the burial site for both the elite and commoners from the Gaochang region between the 5th and 10th centuries. The extreme aridity of the area has kept the bodies buried there is a remarkable state of preservation….
(Airdate: April 7, 2026) Booklovers’ host Cris Wilson talks to Seattle author Kay Smith-Blum about her latest novel. Tangles is a historical fiction thriller about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation during the Cold War, blending a love story with a mystery surrounding government secrecy and its devastating health and environmental impacts. The novel follows a young scientist, Luke Hinson, as he investigates the harmful effects of nuclear production, uncovering a trail that connects to the disappearance of his former neighbor, Mary, and exploring themes of courage, loss, and the human cost of the nuclear age.
(Airdate: April 6, 2026) Teri Nomura and and Debra Ayers announce the AAUW Home and Kitchen Tour on April 25 and Brian Cullin and Aubrey Rollins invite us to the Blessing of the Fleet, to be held at the Quilcene Marina, also on April 25.
(Airdate: April 6, 2026 – Jefferson County Poor Farm) When housing and care for the poor was required.
The first Monday of the month means it’s time for the monthly Public Health Report from Dr. Allison Berry. Listen and learn the latest.
For years, Bernie Arthur, retired maritime tradesman, has had the vision of creating a memorial for those of our maritime community lost at sea. In August 2025, as he had done for decades, beloved fisherman Joel Kawahara set out from his hometown of Quilcene for the fishing grounds. After a few weeks, Joel’’s commercial fishing troller Karolee was found adrift without Joel aboard. In his passing, Joel Kowahara has become the renewed catalyst for Bernie’s vision to come true. Thanks to the Port of Port Townsend, Kiwanis, the Port Townsend Foundry, and community donations from you, the memorial’s completion date will be around August of this year and ready for our 2026 Wooden Boat Festival.The sight of the memorial will be at the entrance to the Point Hudson jetty boardwalk. Today, we’ll reprise our 2025 radio special about Bernie Arthur’s dream, and in Joel’s honor, the April 2022 Boatyard interview we did with Kowahara along side his Karolee. You’ll find a donation button at Port of Port Townsend’s website.
(Airdate: April 3, 2026) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette welcome Jessica Lowe, Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Team Director. The CAC, a collaborative effort between the county and Jefferson YMCA. is dedicated to ‘Trauma focused’ care of children who have suffered abuse. The CAC is located at the former home of KPTZ at Mountain View Commons. Learn more here: https://www.olympicpeninsulaymca.org/child-advocacy
