The Olympia Standard

**#106: Sine Die with Sam Hunt** Apr 04, 2024

We are joined by Senator Sam Hunt to review the legislative session just past and talk about what Olympia got from Olympia. We also delve into his political history and the history of our community as we look back on his year’s of service.

**#105: Do we want to close Madison and McKenny schools?** Mar 08, 2024

We have been slow rolling through a very large discussion on school closures since last summer. We sit down with three different community members on how we got here, where we’ve been before and what we need to do now.

Guests: Maria Flores, Olympia School Board

Kelcy Schaffer, OSD4ALL

Russ Lehman, former Olympia School Board

OSD School Efficiency Review page

OSD4All Closure Forum

**#104: New City Council member Robert Vanderpool** Feb 16, 2024

Robert Vanderpool just started his job on the Olympia City Council. So, to get to know Olympia’s new policy-maker, we asked him some questions about himself, about where he’s coming from and what he’s been up to since joining the council. And about Baltimore and about why you shouldn’t like the Orioles.

The really cool Olympia City Council meeting where Robert was elected to council using Ranked Choice Voting

**#103: The Multifamily Tax Exemption and You** Jan 11, 2024

We conducted a couple of interviews about how the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) impacts the city in terms of growth, housing affordability and finances. We sat down with Darian Lightfoot from the city in the first segment to go over recent changes in Olympia’s MFTE. In our second segment, with talked to Robert Pantley and Angela Rozmyn from Natural and Built Environments to talk about their experiences statewide with the MFTE.

Natural and Built Environment: https://www.naturalandbuilt.com/

We discussed a specific kind of city landscape analysis that looks at city infrastructure costs and tax productivity. A good example in the Pacific Northwest is one conducted in Eugene, OR: https://www.urbanthree.com/case-study/eugene-or/

As a good, all-around, backgrounder on the MFTE, the state Department of Commerce is hard to beat: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/growth-management/growth-management-topics/planning-for-housing/multi-family-housing-property-tax-exemption-program/

**#102: Jess Tourtellotte-Palumbo (with Howard Rosenfeld)** Oct 03, 2023

Today we hear from Jess Tourtellotte-Palumbo, a candidate for Olympia School board. Interviewing Jess is Howard Rosenfeld, an old friend of the podcast who is stepping in this season to do at least one candidate interview. Jess and Howard talk about her background, the recent history of the school board and how we can find a path forward.

**#101: We’re Doing It Live!** Sep 15, 2023

We brought back host emeritus (and newly crowned friend of the podcast and I suppose city council member) Dani Madrone! We were also joined by Olympia city council member Dontae Payne! Jemmy was there and he got on mic! It was wild! And guess who else was there? So many of you!

Thanks so much for everyone who came out! And thank you, listener, for enjoying our show in a new segmented format, now with Trivia and a Tip of the Hat!

**#100: What is Olympia doing about homelessness?** Aug 23, 2023

In the primary part of this episode, we visit with Darian Lightfoot, who is leading the City of Olympia’s response to the homelessness crisis. She talks about the One Olympia plan, the city’s 2020 blueprint to respond to homelessness. We also get into housing preservation, renter protections and what we can do to open up housing capacity in every Olympia neighborhood. Before we get to Darian, though, I talk about Mayor Dick Abram and how we’ve been here before.

Actually, Olympia: What is the city even doing about homelessness?

**#99 Where are all the state offices going?** Jun 21, 2023

In the first half of this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Knutson (Office of Financial Management) and Maurice Perigo (Department of Enterprise Services) to talk about how state offices are contracting all around Olympia and our region. Second, we visit with official Friend of the Podcast Mike Reid to go over how these office contractions will impact Olympia going into the future.

Here is some additional reading:

The Washington Standard (hey nice name, where’d you find it?): State looks to dump leased real estate as remote work leaves offices empty

The Olympia Subreddit discussion on the above article

Senate State Government & Elections work session on post COVID-19 office space needs (March 2023)

**#98: Sine Die with a Housing Twist** May 29, 2023

Today we’re doing our traditional Sine Die (end of the legislative sesssion) episode, but with a Housing Twist. The Olympia Standard sits down with Representative Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) to talk about what Olympia got from the state legislature. But we specifically detour into the long-ish history of where the housing legislation that marked this year’s session came from.

Hint: it came from Olympia.

#97 Housing history in Olympia and setting the stage for the state legislature Mar 19, 2023

The state legislature is about to act on statewide zoning reform that would adopt much the same policy that we’ve been passing in Olympia for years now. To take a look at our own history, and to talk about how it impacts the debate in the legislature, we sat down with Janae Huber with Olympians for People Orientated Places.

I also read a version of two essays that I’ve written on Olympia housing history, and how it relates to zoning reform and racial justice.

**The Lacey Standard** Mar 08, 2023
This is a non-numbered, out of the ordinary episode of the Olympia Standard. Ken Balsley passed away last week, and I thought it would be okay to share a conversation I had with him on his podcast a few years back. Maybe a little dated, but I thought you might get a kick out of it. I often got a kick of of Ken, even though I often disagreed with him.

You can download the episode here.

Speaking of which, here are two posts I wrote last year where Ken and I severely disagreed, which I referenced in the episode.

We should be able to rename Priest Point Park if we feel like it. And Squaxin Park makes perfect sense.

In response to “In Defense of Priest Point Park”

**#96: Maria Flores, Talauna Reed and the Olympia School Board** Jan 06, 2023

The Olympia School Board filled a vacancy in November by choosing Talauna Reed, a vocal activist and candidate for mayor last year city council last year. In this episode, we chat with just recently former school board President Maria Flores and recently appointed Reed. We talk about the school district’s response coming out of the COVID pandemic, the pivot towards equity and the appointment process. We last spoke with Maria in 2019 in Episode #49.

You can download the episode here.

**#95 Olympia Strong and building an economically resilient city** Aug 06, 2022
As a community, we have been through a lot in the last three years economically. What path the city’s economic future will take will depend a lot on a new plan being developed by the city, Olympia Strong. We’re welcoming back Mike Reid and Amy Buckler, two verified friends of the podcast, to discuss the start up of Olympia Strong. You can refer back to two past episodes on the city’s economy with Mike (58 and 82). Amy previously appeared on an episode about Downtown.

You can lend your voice to Olympia Strong now by filling out the city’s survey here.

Download the episode here.

**#94 OlyWA Days of Change** Jun 24, 2022

Between 1960 and 1980, Olympia and Thurston County went through a massive change. From a sleepy timber town with a state capitol building, Olympia grew (and continues) to grow by leaps and bounds. Compared to neighboring counties, Olympia has evolved into something new. And, the elements of what that newness came from is discussed by Don Martin and Anna Schlecht. They talk about OlyWA days of Change, an online community and book project about the history of Olympia between 1960 and 1980.

Download the episode here.

**#93: Inspire (the) Olympia (Standard)** Apr 05, 2022

We have a small election coming up, so here is your small-ish episode about what people in Olympia will have to vote on. We talk to one of the people behind the Inspire Olympia campaign, Mayor Cheryl Selby (a certified “friend of the podcast) about the goals behind the proposition to raise more funding for arts in Olympia.

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More information at Inspire Olympia.

I also want to apologize for the quality of the audio on this episode. It by no means the fault of our producer, Jemmy Joe. Emmett depends on dumb internet tools and had some real trouble with connecting for this episode.

**#92: Update on right wing protests** Mar 02, 2022

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With a large right wing protest planned for the Capitol Campus this weekend (Saturday, March 5), it is a good time to check in with David Neiwert. David is the expert on far right militants in the Pacific Northwest. We talked to him in 2020, and this episode takes off where that one left off. He gives us an update on what has been going on with right wing militants and protest groups and what we can expect this weekend.

Episode 66: Who are the people with guns

David Neiwert at Daily Kos

David is an author of several books, but my favorite remains “Death on the Fourth of July.”

**#91: Facing Racism at Capital High School** Feb 18, 2022

Just over a month ago, a racial slur shouted at a River Ridge High School basketball player spread over social media, and then into the mainstream. This incident laid bare a series of similar incidents at Capital High School. We sat down with the organizers of a recent walk out to protest the official reaction to this and other incidents.

You can learn more by watching their 20-minute documentary on the aftermath of the racist abuse, or follow their Instagram for updates.

The student journalists at KOUGTV have also been doing a great job covering this story. Check out their archives for multiple interviews from students and administration.

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**#90: Special Bonus Election 2021 Episode: Wendy Carlson and Sarah DeStasio!** Oct 27, 2021

We decided that two elections episodes were better than one! We sat down with Wendy Carlson and Sarah DeStasio, who were involved in the Primary Election and had unique perspectives on the choices voters have in the General. Both also represent different lanes in how candidates are lining up. We referenced this post on how candidate contributions are shaping the election for city council.

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**#89: 2021 Election – “Be curious, not judgemental”** Oct 19, 2021
It’s been a while since The Olympia Standard has been on the air – but we’re back again in time to talk about your ballot for the 2021 general election! Emmett and Jemmy Joe walk through the ballot and share their questions and insights. Renata Rollins, who is serving her final few months on the City Council, offers her thoughts on how Olympia has changed and where the city is headed. Dani also has an announcement for our listeners.

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**#88: The 2021 Primary Election** Jul 19, 2021
With primary ballots reaching mailboxes, Emmett joined forces with the folks of Olympia Pop Rocks, Jemmy Joe and Guire McGuire, to walk through the voters’ guide. They looked at the overarching themes and political landscape for the races for city council, the port, and school district, as well as the Medic One levy.

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**#87: Legislative Update with Jessica Bateman** May 17, 2021
For this year’s legislative update, we pulled the newest member of our state delegation for the 22nd district, “Friend of the Podcast” Representative Jessica Bateman. We discussed statewide police reform, changes to protests and capitol campus security, and drug possession. We also asked about her personal accomplishments in her first year, as well as her approach to addressing the housing crisis.

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**#86: Black History in Thurston County** Apr 26, 2021
Dr. Thelma Jackson has been living in Thurston County for over 50 years, arriving here from the deep south where she lived through Jim Crow. She shared with us how she came to live in Thurston County, her experience of being a long time Black activist in the area, and her current project to capture the Black history of the region before it disappears.

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**#85: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland** Apr 05, 2021
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland is our new representative in Congress, along with the rest of the 10th district; from Shelton to Puyallup, and Tenino to part of Tacoma. We chatted with her about her transition to federal government during a time of crisis and turmoil, the rise of white supremacy, pandemic relief, housing and homelessness, and Puget Sound recovery.

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**#84: Give the State Heck** Mar 08, 2021
Denny Heck is no longer serving us as our representative in Congress, but he is serving every person in Washington as our Lieutenant Governor. We chatted with Denny about his transition in politics, threats to democracy, his new role in the Legislature, and the relationship between the state and the city.

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(Note: this photo was taken prior to Covid. But we never get to see Jemmy Joe that much, so here he is!)

**#83: A new member on the Olympia City Council** Feb 22, 2021
With one of the members of the Olympia City Council moving up to the Legislature, a new person was recently appointed to represent us. In this interview, Yến Huỳnh introduces herself to our listeners. She speaks about her interests in city government, what she brings to the team, and her interests in the community.

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**#82: Economic Crisis and Recovery** Feb 02, 2021
Right before the pandemic shut down our community, we spoke with Mike Reid, the Economic Development Director of Olympia, about how our local economy was faring (episode #58). Two weeks later, we were hurled into economic crisis. This episode is an update from Mike on how his job has changed, how local government has responded, and other ways the pandemic has impacted our economy.

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#81: Our 2021 Agenda Jan 12, 2021

What will 2021 bring on The Olympia Standard? This episode is what we hope to talk about the in the year to come. We’ll continue to bring racial justice conversations onto this podcast, but will also incorporate equity in how we talk about transportation policy, ongoing challenges with the pandemic, and other issues of local interest. We’re also gearing up for broader election coverage, and will be keeping tabs on not just Olympia, but also Lacey and Tumwater, as each city gears of up an interesting campaign season.

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To support the local journalists working to unionize at McClatchy here:
Email: customerservice@mcclatchy.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McClatchyCo/
Via twitter: @KLR_Editor @mcclatchy @tonywhunter

**#80: Building on racial justice in the New Year** Dec 29, 2020
As we leave behind 2020 and look forward to the new year, we spent some time reflecting on the racial justice movement that has swept the nation and Olympia. We spoke with Quinton Neal, the assistant director of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center at the South Puget Sound Community College, where he hosts the podcast called The Unheard Outsider. We talked about uncomfortable conversations, the work of anti-racism, and how to keep momentum moving forward.

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**#79: An update on local Democrats** Dec 15, 2020
Until the moment this podcast was posted, Victor Minjares has been serving as the chair of the Thurston County Democrats. We talked with him about the impact of national politics on local elections, thoughts on the future of the local Democratic party, and how to encourage more people of color to run for elected office.

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**#78: kwedigwsaltxw: Walk with Gratitude** Nov 23, 2020
One of the things that makes Olympia such a special place are the people who have lived here long before it was called Olympia. The Steh-Chass band of indigenous people of the Squaxin Island Tribe have stewarded this land since time immemorial, and still inhabit and steward this land today. We spoke with Chairman Kris Peters, of the Squaxin Island Tribe, to learn about his people, this place, and how we can honor and respect this relationship.

Here is some information provided by Chairman Peters about land acknowledgement.

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**#77: 2020 Election Recap** Nov 09, 2020
What were the results of the 2020 election cycle? Let’s walk back through the ballot and find out what happened. This episode was recorded the day before the presidency was declared for Biden and Harris (woohoo!), and the result of one county commission race is still unknown at the time of publishing.

In this episode, Emmett talks about his maps. You can find them here.

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**#76: The Ballot for the 2020 General Election** Oct 15, 2020
This year, ballots have already hit your mailbox, several days earlier than usual. If you haven’t yet received your ballot (or haven’t yet registered to vote), check in with the Thurston County Auditor. In this episode, we walk through the full ballot for voters in Olympia, from referendums to judges. Tune in to learn what and who you might vote for, and why it matters!

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**#75: Women of Color on your Local Ballot** Oct 10, 2020
In years past, we’ve done candidate interviews for each local race, with both candidates speaking side-by-side. For a few reasons, we’re taking a different tack this year. We only interviewed two candidates; the two women of color running in Thurston County races. Tune in to hear from Sharonda Amamilo, running for Thurston County Superior Court Judge, and Carolina Mejia, running for Thurston County Commissioner!

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**#74: An Indigenous View on Climate Change** Oct 01, 2020
Many communities are preparing for a changing climate. The Squaxin Island Tribe, whose land on which the city of Olympia is located, has been studying how rising seas will impact their traditional natural resources. We interviewed Candace Penn, the climate change ecologist for the tribe, about her research and planning efforts to preserve their culture. Following is a short interview with Mason Rolph, with Olympia Community Solar, to share an action we can take today to mitigate our impact on the climate.

You can find the Sea Level Rise Story Map for the Squaxin Island Tribe here.

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#73: A Future of Economic Justice Sep 14, 2020

What does economic justice look like? Megan Matthews, the Engagement Manager at the Department of Social and Health Services, has been engaging with the community to help develop Washington’s 10-year plan to reduce poverty and inequality. How is structural racism and historic trauma considered in this plan? How do we bring to the table those who have been most impacted by injustice? And what does this work mean for Olympia as we grapple with issues of racial justice?

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**#72: A look into Olympia high schools** Sep 03, 2020
On our last episode, we explored safety and justice in the Olympia school system from the perspective of a middle school teacher. We’re now looking at a different perspective from inside Olympia schools: a recent graduate and a school psychologist. Aneya Cornwall just graduated from Capital High school, and now attends a historically black university on the east coast. Quinn Middleton is works at Capital High, and in her roles serves as the advisor for the Black Student Union.

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**#71: Safety and Justice in Public Schools** Aug 24, 2020
Continuing the conversation on racial justice in Olympia, we turn to public schools. Courtney Jarmon, who teaches science at Washington Middle School, shared her experience as an educator in the Olympia School District. She spoke with us about the impacts of the pandemic, decentering whiteness in curriculum, the role all adults play in making schools safe for all students, and how we can bring more educators of color into our school system.

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**#70: A Public Defender Talks Justice** Aug 10, 2020
Protests from the Black Lives Matter movement have dramatically changed public discourse. Those who have been advocating for a new vision for safety and justice are now finding their ideas discussed in the mainstream. We’re dedicating the next few episodes to bringing forward voices of those advocating for change.

Larry Jefferson is the lead felony attorney at the Thurston County Public Defense Office. Through his work, he has been involved in the Opioid Response Task Force, and also helps lead the Diversity and Inclusion Section of the Thurston County Bar Association.

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**#69: Voting for Judge and Commissioner** Jul 25, 2020
The two races for local government on the primary ballot in Thurston County are for Superior Court Judge and County Commissioner. What should voters be thinking about when they decide who moves on to the general election? To gain some perspective, we talked to a judge, Chris Lanese, and a commissioner, Tye Menser. How do elected judges influence society? And what are the issues that will be decided by the Thurston County Commission? If you’re having trouble deciding between the candidates, listen to this episode!

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**#68: Your Primary Ballot** Jul 21, 2020
Our primary ballots have arrived in our mailboxes! Haven’t received yours yet? Contact the county auditor. In this episode, we go through the ballot with Jemmy Joe, our token uninformed voter, and answer his questions. We talk about party preferences, why we have so many gubernatorial candidates, and what voters should be thinking about when you decide who you’d like to elect to office. Next week, we’ll talk more in depth about the races for county commissioner and superior court judge.

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**#67: Talking Trash** Jul 13, 2020
Literally, on this episode we are talking trash! Steve Gilmore, with Republic Services, joined us to talk about what happens to our waste once we drop it in the bin. What happens to our trash, recycling, and organics when we throw it away? Where is “away”? How have changes in China impacted recycling in Olympia? What impacts have the pandemic had on our waste systems? And what does the future hold for our excess?

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**#66: Who are the people with guns?** Jun 29, 2020
Recently in Olympia, we’ve been experiencing an intimidating culture shock that have left many wondering: who are the people with guns? To answer this question, we interview David Neiwert, a journalist and author who has followed far right extremist movements in the Pacific Northwest for decades. We talked about who these groups are, why they are here, and what we can do as a community.

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**#65: A Landlord, A Tenant Lawyer, and Rental Housing** Jun 15, 2020
With 53% of our population living in rental housing, Olympia is a majority renter community. On top of that, there are far too few rental homes in our city, putting renters seeking housing at a disadvantage. Now throw in a pandemic, where renters who have lost their income are accumulating rent debt. To learn more about the landscape for rental housing, we talked to Whitney Bowerman, a small local landlord, and Carrie Graf, a tenant attorney at the Northwest Justice Project. What challenges do tenants have exercising their rights? How do landlords mitigate risk? And how can we look at rental housing through the lens of racial justice?

Request help from the NW Justice Project
File a COVID-19 Eviction Complaint with the AG
Dr. Kendi’s interview with the National Low Income Housing Coalition
And something for landlords too!

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**#64: How to Save Local Journalism** Jun 01, 2020
Local journalism is struggling to survive, including our own newspaper, The Olympian. This was true before the pandemic, and has intensified in the crisis. Yet communities rely on local reporting to stay abreast of issues, keep government accountable, and share the good news taking place with the people around them. To get some outside perspective, we interviewed Kristen Hare of the Poynter Institute and Tampa Bay Times, a journalist who covers journalism across the nation, to get some insight. How can we save local journalism in Olympia? Here are a few pointers from Poynter.

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**#63: Will James and the Outsiders Podcast** May 19, 2020
Before COVID-19, many in Olympia were engrossed in the Outsiders podcast. This production from KNKX and The Seattle Times delved into the issue of homelessness, using Olympia as a case study. We spoke with Will James, a reporter at KNKX and producer of Outsiders. Why Olympia? What has the response to the podcast been? What are some of the biggest misconceptions about homelessness? And how do we create a home for people who are hard to keep in housing? These questions and more in this episode!

Haven’t heard of Outsiders? You’re missing out! Check it out here.

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**#62: Legislative Update with Laurie Dolan** May 04, 2020
What did Olympia bring to the Legislature? And how will the state impact our lives in Olympia? Here is our annual update on the legislative session! This year we sat down with Representative Laurie Dolan to answer these questions, focusing on education, transportation, and reform for the formerly incarcerated. We also dove into the impacts of COVID-19 and the upcoming special session to address the crisis.

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**#61: The County takes on a Pandemic** Apr 18, 2020
Over a month into a declared state of emergency, Thurston County health officials are working hard to respond to COVID-19. We spoke with Schelli Slaughter, the director of Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, about the response. When did she first realize that this was going to be a major threat to people in our area? How are we supporting those without a home during a “stay at home” order? Are we seeing disproportionate impacts in our community? When will this all end?

For the most up-to-date information from Thurston County on COVID-19, this website is your resource.

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**#60: COVID-19 Hits Olympia** Mar 30, 2020
The past few weeks have turned life in Olympia on its head. In this episode, recorded remotely in our homes, we share some updates from our lives and our observations of the changes we have seen in the community and city government. We also talk about what issues we will be tracking as we move through this crisis. Stay home, stay healthy, Olympia! This will protect our community and essential workers who must venture out into the world.

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**#59: Cooperative Business and Housing** Mar 16, 2020
What makes Olympia uniquely situated to support cooperatives? Maybe it’s because we’re home to the Northwest Cooperative Development Center, which supports the development of cooperative businesses and housing. We interviewed John McNamara and Miles Nowlin to learn about cooperatives in our area, the unique benefits of the cooperative model, and what support is available for people to start their own enterprise or community.

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**#58: Economic Development** Mar 02, 2020
A few of the questions we received from our listeners for our 2020 agenda are about Olympia’s economy. We invited Mike Reid, the economic development director for Olympia, to talk about our economic profile, how our city could change over time, and those who are not yet being served by the economy. If you are curious where some of the numbers we talk about in this episode, check out the recent study on the economic ecosystem of Olympia.

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**#57: The 2020 Census** Feb 10, 2020
A new decade, a new census! Every ten years, the federal government completes a count of all the people living within the US borders. We interviewed Amy Hatch-Winecka and Sara Porter from the Thurston Regional Planning Council to learn about the on-the-ground efforts to count everyone in our area. These numbers make a difference in federal funding, political representation, community planning, and more. You can learn more about the region’s Complete Count Committee on the TRPC website.

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**#56: Opioid Response** Jan 27, 2020
In June 2018, the Opioid Response Task Force started to develop a plan to address the opioid crisis in the county. This plan was approved by the Thurston County Commissioners a year later. We sat down with Katie Strozyk, the opioid response coordinator, to learn about the goals and actions that are being implemented. Those who are interested in getting involved or learning more can check out the Opioid Response Task Force website.

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**#55: Our 2020 Agenda** Jan 13, 2020
What’s in the works for The Olympia Standard in the coming year? We asked our listeners to send us their ideas and questions on issues they’d like us to discuss. On this episode, we reviewed what was submitted and offered our thoughts on how we might approach them. We’re also exploring the idea of growing our team! Listen and see if this might be an opportunity that catches your interest.

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**#54: Exit Interview with Steve Hall** Dec 30, 2019
Steve Hall worked for the city of Olympia for over 30 years, recently retiring as our city manager. When someone leaves a position of employment, exit interviews are conducted so that the organization learn from the employee’s experience. This episode is our exit interview with Steve. We talked about the arc of Olympia’s history during his time in a leadership position, how our city has changed over that time (or not), and his feedback for the community he served for three decades.

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**#53: Homelessness in the City and County** Dec 16, 2019
This episode focuses on the response to the crisis of homelessness, both in the city and across the county. We interviewed Keylee Marineau, the county’s Homeless Prevention and Affordable Housing Coordinator, and Cary Retlin, the city’s Home Fund Manager. We talked about what we know (and don’t know) about people experiencing homelessness, the need for shelter beds and permanent supportive housing, and the county-wide plan to address this crisis.

Mentioned in this episode is a presentation by Ted Kelleher of the Department of Commerce, who identified the drivers of homelessness in Washington.

Thurston County Homeless Crisis Response Plan 2019-2024
Olympia’s Homeless Response

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**#52: Behavioral Health** Dec 02, 2019
Publicly funded behavioral health, including treatment for mental health and substance use, is rapidly evolving. We interviewed Mark Freedman and Joe Avalos of the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Organization to learn about these changes and how they will impact our community. We talked about the work of the BHO and the gaps in the system, new directives from the Legislature, and the expansion of privatization. We also discuss the investigative reporting of the Seattle Times into US Healthvest, who just opened a new facility in Lacey:
How private psychiatric hospitals keep voluntary patients from leaving

How a company’s push to expand psychiatric care brought peril

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**#51: Election Results and What Now?** Nov 17, 2019
We took a dive into the results of the election and what they mean for our community. Emmett plugged the precinct data onto maps for the port and mayoral races. Dani spoke about her experience as a candidate. We also discussed the future of the podcast, given the results of her race.

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**#50: Immigration and ICE** Oct 28, 2019
On issues of immigration, most people are paying attention to the southern US border. To highlight how these issues impact our own community, we interviewed Steffani Powell, a local immigration attorney, and Alejandra Hunt, who works with Steffani and is on the board of CIELO. We talked about immigration from the federal, state, and local perspective, and what is happening in our community to respond.

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**#49: Ballot Review and School Board** Oct 17, 2019
Your ballot is waiting in your mailbox today! In this episode, we review all the state and local measures you will vote on. We also interview Maria Flores, who is running for the only contested school board race. Her opponent declined to interview. Why should you care about schools if you don’t have a school-age child? Listen and learn.

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**#48: Port of Olympia Candidates** Oct 14, 2019
Dani has returned to the show as we continue our interview with candidates that will appear on the Olympia ballot. On this episode, we interview Joe Downing and Helen Wheatley, who are running for the Port of Olympia commission. We ask about the social, economic, and environmental issues associated with port politics, as well as a question about interpersonal skills.

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**#47: Mayor of Olympia** Sep 30, 2019
Abby Spegman joins us one more time to interview Nathaniel Jones and Cheryl Selby, candidates for mayor of Olympia. We add a few more questions to the mix, asking about the structure of city government and the role of the mayor, in addition to our questions on how the candidates will craft policy as an elected official. We explore how they think, how they function as a member of a team, and how they work in the community.

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**#46: City Council, Position 3** Sep 16, 2019
Abby Spegman joins us again as a guest host to interview Matt Goldenberg and Dani Madrone, candidates for position 3 on the Olympia City Council. Our questions for Olympia City Council candidates focus not on specific policy proposals, but rather how the candidates will craft policy as an elected official. We explore how they think, how they function as a member of a team, and how they work in the community.

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**#45: City Council, Position 2** Sep 02, 2019
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, Abby Spegman comes on the show as a guest host to interview Jessica Bateman, who is running for re-election for position 2 on the Olympia City Council. Phyllis Booth, who is also running for this position, did not respond to the invitation to participate. Our questions for Olympia City Council candidates focus not on specific policy proposals, but rather how the candidates will craft policy as an elected official. We explore how they think, how they function as a member of a team, and how they work in the community.

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**#44: The State of Emergency Healthcare** Aug 19, 2019
One of our listeners asked us to cover the state of emergency healthcare in Olympia. We have heard about emergency rooms that are beyond capacity and ambulances being diverted to hospitals in other cities. To learn more about the state of emergency services, we interviewed Michelle James, the chief nursing officer at Providence who also oversees the Community Care Center downtown, and Chris Thomas, the senior manager of communications at Providence. We talked about the landscape of emergency medicine in the area, the challenges we are coming up against, and what is happening (and needs to happen) to address growing needs.

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**#43: An Update on Criminal Justice** Aug 05, 2019
With the public discourse that arose from last year’s election of the Thurston County Prosecutor, our listeners have asked us to keep tabs on issues of criminal justice in our area. We interviewed the recently re-elected prosecutor, Jon Tunheim, as well as the Director of Public Defense, Patrick O’Connor, to track some of the ongoing issues that have been in need of reform. We talked about case flow management, diversion, opioid response, bail reform, and how people can track the progress of a changing system.

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**#42: Vaccines and Public Health in Olympia** Jul 22, 2019
With measles outbreaks occurring in several counties in Washington state this year, we wondered: what would happen if we had an outbreak in Olympia? How vulnerable are we? How do new state laws impact school-age families, and what more needs to be done to support public health? To answer these questions, we interviewed Jeanie Knight, division director for Disease Control and Prevention for Thurston County, and Dr. Rachel Wood, the public health officer for Thurston and Lewis Counties. Tune in to learn more about the local landscape for vaccine preventable illnesses.

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For more in depth look at the numbers behind the statistics for local schools, check out this blog post.

There are some upcoming clinics this August to help families be ready for the new school year under the new state requirements for the MMR vaccine. See this flyer for details!

**#41: City Government Structure** Jul 08, 2019
On this episode, we explored the structure of city government, the reason we have the system we have, and what a different system looks like in a neighboring city. Olympia has a council-manager system of government, with a city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city and a mayor that doesn’t have much more authority than the rest of city council. Tumwater has a mayor-council system, where the mayor has much more authority than the city council. We interviewed Holly Gadbaw, who served on the Olympia City Council for many years after it adopted the council-manager system, and Pete Kmet, the mayor of Tumwater.

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**#40: Port of Olympia Update** Jun 24, 2019
The Port of Olympia has new leadership and is undergoing a long-term visioning process. We spoke with Sam Gibboney, the new executive director, about the current status and future of the port. We talked about the nature of ports as local government institutions, what our local port does for the county, and what we can expect to see future. There is a critical seat up for election this year on the port commission, so we’d like our listeners to pay close attention to these issues!

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**#39: Legislative Update with Beth Doglio** May 30, 2019
Here is our annual legislative update! As we did last year, we sat down with Representative Beth Doglio to talk about what Olympia brought to the recent session, and how the outcomes of the session will impact people in Olympia. We dove into homelessness and housing, climate change and the environment, the new code of conduct around sexual harassment, vaccine exemptions, and more.

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**#38: The Future of Transportation** May 06, 2019
With all the talk about having a walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly city, what does it look like to get there? The city of Olympia is in the process of developing it’s very first Transportation Master Plan. To get a high level view of our local transportation system, the changing needs, and how we will be getting around in the future, we interviewed Thera Black. Thera is a former planner at the Thurston Regional Planning Council and now a local consultant on transportation systems.

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**#37: Downtown Olympia and City Government** Apr 15, 2019
To wrap up our series on downtown Olympia, we invited two city employees who focus on downtown planning. Amy Buckler is the downtown programs manager and Max DeJarnatt is working on parking policy. We talked about how the city incorporates various perspectives into their planning efforts, the balancing act of addressing different needs, the vision for downtown, and what work remains.

The city’s parking strategy will be adopted soon and can be found here.
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**#36: EGYHOP in Downtown Olympia** Apr 01, 2019
EGYHOP (Emma Goldman Youth and Homeless Outreach Project) has been around for over 20 years providing services to homeless people in downtown Olympia. As part of our series of perspectives on downtown, we interviewed Cassie as a volunteer with this organization. We talked about why they provide the services they offer, how downtown has changed over the years, and how we could respond to conflicting needs and interests.

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**#35: Thurston Conservation District Update and Election** Mar 18, 2019
Last year, the Olympia Standard broke the story on serious issues within the Thurston Conservation District (check out episode 10). Since then, two board members have been removed by the State Conservation Commission. We interviewed TJ Johnson to get an update on the situation and the future of the TCD. TJ is a candidate for the board in the current election. More details on how to vote in this unusual election process can be found here!

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**#34: Feeding the Hungry in Downtown** Mar 03, 2019
The main hub for the Thurston County Food Bank is located in an area downtown that has a high concentration of tents. We spoke with their executive director, Robert Coit, about his vision for providing food to anyone who needs it from a central location. We talk about how that area has changed over time, the experience of patrons and workers, and how the Food Bank is responding to changing needs.

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**#33: Concerns about Downtown** Feb 11, 2019
Continuing our series on perspectives of downtown Olympia, we interviewed Brianne. She loves to come downtown, but lately doesn’t feel that it is a safe and welcoming environment based on some of her personal experiences. She has been encouraging people to engage positively with the city for change.

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**#32: Downtown Business** Jan 28, 2019
This is the second episode on our series of perspectives on downtown Olympia. We interviewed two business owners, Jacob David of Nineveh Assyrian and Nathan Reilly of Three Magnets Brewing. They are both active in downtown business associations, PBIA and ODA. What do these acronyms mean?? And what is their experience owning a business downtown? Listen and learn!

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**#31: Living in Downtown Olympia** Jan 14, 2019
This episode is the first of a series about perspectives of downtown Olympia. We recorded an interview with two residents, Kento Azegami and David Scherer Water, to learn their story of downtown as a neighborhood and home. Why did they choose to live there? What is their experience? How do they see the future of downtown?

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**#30: Our 2019 Agenda** Dec 28, 2018
For our last episode of 2018, we solicited topics and questions that our listeners would like to hear about in the next year. We reviewed the most intriguing questions to help set our agenda for 2019.

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**#29: Timberland Regional Libraries** Dec 10, 2018
We interviewed Cheryl Heywood, director of Timberland Regional Libraries to talk about the past, present, and future of our library system. We discussed the value that the library brings to Olympia, the structure and funding of the five-county library system, and how the library will be moving forward with some tough decisions around budget shortfalls.

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**#28: City Budget 101** Nov 26, 2018
The city is close to finalizing their budget for 2019. We sat down with councilmember Jim Cooper, chair of the finance committee, to talk about the basics of the city budget, the process to put it together, and how people in the community can influence the priorities.

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**#27: 2018 Election Recap** Nov 12, 2018
What happened in the 2018 election? We reviewed all the items that were on the ballot for the city of Olympia. How did voters in our county fall on the statewide initiatives? And how did the candidates do in different parts of the county? Who got the most write-in votes against them??? Listen and learn!

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**#26: Ballot Review: 2018 General Election** Oct 29, 2018
This episode is a complete review of everything that appears on the 2018 general election ballot for voters in the city of Olympia. We talk about each initiative and race to offer various perspectives that we have heard. All our podcast episodes for the 2018 election can be found here.

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**#25: Thurston County Commissioner Race** Oct 15, 2018
We interviewed Thurston County Commissioner candidates Bud Blake and Tye Menser. Other than three-letter folksy nicknames… what do these candidates have in common? Where do they diverge in their approaches to the budget, the environment, homelessness, and the structure of county government? Find out when this episode drops on Monday!
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**#24: County Prosecutor Candidates** Oct 01, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we sat down with the candidates for Thurston County prosecutor, Jon Tunheim and Victor Minjares. We asked about caseflow management, diversion programs, and other aspects of how they would serve as prosecutor.
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**#23: County Auditor Candidates** Sep 17, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we interview the candidates for Thurston County Auditor, Mary Hall and Stuart Holmes. Learn more about the role of this office, what each candidate has to offer, and what type of food they would choose to eat for any meal of the day.

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**#22: Public Transit Tax** Sep 03, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, Olympia voters will see one local tax proposal on their ballot for the general election, a sales tax for public transit. We interviewed Clark Gilman, a City Council member and advocate for the initiative, and Eric Phillips of Intercity Transit.
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**#21: 2018 Primary Results** Aug 20, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we recorded an analysis of this year’s primary, what that means going into the general election, and what we will be doing to offer election season coverage for the next couple months. Also, The Olympia Standard started around this time last year with an episode on the primary election! Happy anniversary to us and all our listeners!
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Olympia Time blog post (referenced in the podcast)

**#20: Malika Lamont and the Opioid Epidemic** Aug 04, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we talk to Malika Lamont about the opioid crisis. Why are people becoming addicted and what impact does it have on their lives? What barriers exist for recovery? What is harm reduction? And how are local governments and service providers responding to the crisis? Tune in next week!
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**#19: Independent Candidates in Thurston County** Jul 23, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we talk about the rise of independent candidates in local elections. Our guests are Olympia City Councilmember Renata Rollins and Thurston County Commissioner John Hutchings, who approach independence from the major political parties in different ways. The big question: what do we ask independent candidates (and really, all candidates) to get a better sense of their politics?
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**#18: Congressman Denny Heck** Jul 09, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we interviewed Congressman Denny Heck. We talked about the nature of the 10th district, what people in Olympia can do when we see distressing policies from the federal government, and national issues that are of significance to our local community, including homelessness and housing.
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**#17: Andy Haub and Sea Level Rise** Jun 25, 2018
On this episode of The Olympia Standard, we talk about sea level rise in downtown Olympia with Andy Haub, Water Resources Director for the city. What’s up with the current planning process for sea level rise? What is the tipping point where we ditch downtown and move uphill? And why are new buildings going up before the plan is in place?
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**#16: Dr. Karen Johnson and the Black Alliance of Thurston County** Jun 11, 2018
We interview Dr. Karen Johnson about her work with the Black Alliance of Thurston County, how policing in Olympia has changed (and still needs to change), the De-escalate Washington initiative, and how the race for county prosecutor will impact these issues.
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**#15: Olympia Schools** May 28, 2018
The Olympia Standard interviewed Patrick Murphy, the new superintendent of the Olympia School District, and school board member Joellen Wilhelm. We discussed how McCleary has changed the way schools are funded across the state, and how that has put Olympia schools into a pinch. We also talked about population growth, social and emotional support for students, and how to teach children to engage in respectful discourse. Don’t have kids in the school system? We also talked about why you should still care!
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**#14: Meg Martin and Selena Kilmoyer on Homelessness** May 14, 2018
The Olympia Standard interviews Meg Martin and Selena Kilmoyer – Joyful Crone, about the state of homelessness in Olympia. We discussed how homelessness has evolved over the years, including the population, perceptions, and services.
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**#13: Kathy McCormick and the Missing Middle** Apr 29, 2018
We recorded our next episode with Kathy McCormick, retired planner turned housing activist. We talked about the history of growth management in our area, where we are lacking in achieving the goals of our comprehensive plan, and how the Missing Middle is an important piece of the housing puzzle.
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**#12: State Representative Beth Doglio on the 2017 Session** Apr 06, 2018
We interviewed Representative Beth Doglio on the recent legislative session. What happened at the state that will impact the people of Olympia? And what did Olympia bring to state politics? And, yes, we did ask her about the Public Records Act debacle.
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**#11: Ron Thomas and Downtown Development** Mar 20, 2018
We interviewed Ron Thomas of Thomas Architecture Studios. His firm is involved with most of the new development projects downtown, as well as others in the region. We asked him: what are his thoughts on sea level rise? How is “market rate” determined? What is the process to build a building in downtown? And, perhaps the biggest mystery, is Walker John a real person?? Also listener feedback.
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**#10: Thurston Conservation District** Feb 20, 2018
We interview Joel Hansen, associate board member for the Thurston Conservation District. In this episode, we learn about the little known election that is currently underway, along with some serious drama within the TCD. Teaser: it’s even worse than we thought!
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**#09: 2018 City Council Agenda** Feb 13, 2018
We interview Mayor Cheryl Selby and new city council member Renata Rollins about the agenda that Olympia’s city council has set up. It is a lively and enjoyable conversation!
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**#08: Housing, Housing, Housing!** Jan 23, 2018
In this episode of The Olympia Standard, we talk to friend-of-the-podcast Jessica Bateman and Janae Huber about housing issues in Olympia, particularly The Home Fund and The Missing Middle.
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**#07: The Olympian’s John Dodge and Hypothetical Histories** Jan 08, 2018
We interview retired reporter for The Olympian, John Dodge. We are given a history of the newspaper and reflections on its changes over his long career. Then we discuss hypothetical histories, “what ifs” about Olympia’s past.
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**#06: Two Party Episode** Dec 05, 2017
We interview three members of the Thurston County Democrats and talk about the last election, the state of the party, and some drop some local dirt. Okay, not really. Kinda? We also interviewed a listener of the podcast who organized a ballot party.
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#05: 2017 Election Results Nov 10, 2017

Our response and analysis for the 2017 election results here in Olympia. You can see all the results yourself at this website.

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#04: Prop 1, Olympia School Board Race, and Listener Feedback Oct 18, 2017

We discuss Prop 1, the Olympia School Board race and react to listener feedback. Plus we put forth the Ballot Party Challenge!

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#03: Port of Olympia Race Oct 06, 2017

We talk about what the Port of Olympia is, what it does and why it is a part of this election. We go through the candidates of each race for the 2017 election and discuss their merits.

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