(First airdate: December 3, 2019) HERDING CATS ON MULTIPLE STAGES. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Kelly Doran, Centrum’s Technical Director. Kelly’s work is largely behind the scenes. But she’s the one who carefully knits together all the elements of a show –  lighting, sound, staging, and a million other details. It’s a constant blur: she orchestrates jazz, classical, blues, fiddle tunes and all of the other events that make Centrum a key cultural magnet on the Olympic Peninsula. Centrum’s season is mainly in the summer. So this winter Kelly took on the challenge of directing Port Townsend High School’s rendition of the classic play Our Town. Sound  familiar? Both the play and this show are called Our Town and both feature small American towns. The similarities end there but strong characters dominate both.

(First airdate: November 19, 2019) CHEF TALKS TASTY TURKEY. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Daniel Knudson, well known regional chef & Retail Manager for Key City Fish. Daniel came to Port Townsend in the 1970s and somehow never left. Over the years he transitioned from being a card shark to a restaurateur and chef. Today he talks turkey – outlining the way to make your Thanksgiving a succulent feast. Put that bird in brine in a five gallon bucket and stuff butter between the skin and meat. Oh, don’t forget about spatchcocking the bird (splitting it open). Then there’s guidelines for three kinds of stuffing and the perfect gravy. Daniel even spills on how to create fluffy crust for your pies.

MARGE ROSEN: NEW LEADER OF THE ICONIC PT BAND. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Marge Rosen, the new conductor of the Port Townsend Summer Band. Her parents wouldn’t let her play drums as a kid, so the trumpet became her favorite. She also plays a variety of other instruments. As a former Navy band member, Marge loves marches and patriotic music. That’s convenient for her new position because the PT band is all about marches and patriotic music. Marge also hopes to add some music that might attract a younger generation. The band’s next performance is on Nov. 11 – Veteran’s Day – down at the American Legion on Water Street.

(First airdate: October 22, 2019) ROBBIE ROBERTS: THAILAND TEMPTS PT TEENS. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Jim “Robbie” Roberts, head of the Expedition Club, which has sent over 300 local teens to Thailand for the past 16 years. Roberts was a fixture at Port Townsend high school for decades. He taught and, as Coach Roberts, supervised the athletic department though decades of wins and losses.. His crowning inspiration was to take teens to Thailand – to open their eyes to another culture and way of living. For most, it changes their lives profoundly.

(First airdate: October 8, 2019) IAN JABLONSKI: GUARDIAN OF THE WATER WORKS. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Ian Jablonski, Water Resources Manager of the City of Port Townsend. Climate change is making us all think more about the earth’s resources. Even though we live in the so-called “Emerald State” we are not immune to water shortages. The summer of 2015 brought us every close to real problems. Ian and his team are responsible for making sure that the water that’s piped to us from the Big & Little Quilcine Rivers is pure and safe for drinking. Water-borne pathogens have killed in other parts of the country. He explains the elaborate system for making our water safe.

(First airdate: September 24, 2019) TERRY SNIDER: NOT A BLOODY VAMPIRE. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Terry Snider, lab tech at Jefferson Healthcare. Terry is part of the bustling lab where two technicians run tests on over 100 individuals every day. She’s on the front line for screening for all sorts of diseases. Over the years she’s developed strategies to coping with everything from squalling toddlers to overly macho teenage boys. Yes, there is the occasional faint at the sight of blood, but it’s rare. Her childhood struggles with asthma sparked her interest in the medical field.

(First airdate: September 10, 2019) PIPER DUNLOP: NOT SO SCARY NEEDLES. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Piper Dunlap, acupuncturist. Piper once thought he’d become a doctor but ended up spending years as a captain of tall ships, research vessels and almost every other kind of sea-worthy ship. But the sailing life left him with crippling lower back pain. An almost chance encounter with an acupuncturist showed him a side of medicine he had never considered. So he went back to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Chinese Medicine. Piper believes the divides between Western medicine and other genres, such as Chinese medicine, are blurring. More Western doctors are beginning to recognize the benefits of practices such as acupuncture. He explains why.

(First airdate: August 27, 2019) Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Cameron Roberts, a local boy who came back from the big city to take over the local institution, Dogs A Foot. Cameron and his Thailand-born wife have ambitious plans for the culinary scene here. They want to keep Dogs A Foot pretty much the way it was when Cameron was growing up. But they want to add a few family-friendly ventures to the prime corner on Water Street. Shaved ice? Ping pong? They are also freshening up Manresa Castle, serving Asian fusion food and elaborate cocktails in the classic bar and restaurant there. The Castle is once again a happening place with comedy shows, burlesque and even (upcoming) paranormal events.

(First airdate: August 13, 2019) WAYNE CHIMENTI: CREATING SAILORS & SUCCESS STORIES. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Wayne Chimenti, director of the Community Boat Project and former skipper of the Adventuress. For years Wayne has been instrumental in helping to rescue troubled teens through maritime training. He calls that course “beautiful chaos”.  But now he’s onto a new program called “Shelter From the Storm”. It’s designed to teach practical construction skills to young adults (18 to 25) who haven’t found their footing. Among other projects, they are building tiny homes. Most of them are what Wayne gently calls “housing insecure”, so being able to essentially build shelter is a huge step towards a productive and financially secure future.

(First airdate: July 30, 2019) Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Steve Heigel, the owner of PT Paddlesports. Steve rents everything from kayaks to standup paddle boards from his location near the Marine Science Center at Fort Worden. The thrills of being out on the water include regular sightings of eagles, otters and sometimes even dolphins. He’s a stickler for safety and all of his clients must wear safety gear. Steve watches the weather and tides like a hawk and makes sure everyone’s enjoying the full maritime experience. When he’s not running tours and supervising trips, Steve’s racing kayaks. Steve and his wife, Amy, successfully completed the recent Race to Alaska…well, they completed the 70/48. That race is from Tacoma to Port Townsend. Participants must row or paddle 70 miles in under 48 hours.