The Olympia Standard

Latest Episodes:

#140: Justin Stang Exit Interview Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

Not that we expect Justin Stang to exit civic life, but Daniel sat down with him following the election to reflect on how it went for him and the future of Olympia.

#139: The Last 2025 Election Episode Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

This is the last election 2025 episode! We are joined in the first segment by Danielle Westbrook, long time friend of the podcast and political consultant. In the second segment, the 2025 election crew comes together one more time with Rob Richards.

#138: Did I-5 Kill Downtown Tumwater (the definitive debate) Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

Whether Interstate 5 “killed downtown Tumwater” will never actually be answered, mostly because we don’t have a time machine and we can’t really settle on what “kill” or “downtown” means in this context. But the premise is one of the most widely accepted historical facts of our area. I take the counter-narrative position that downtown Tumwater was killed by a road, but it wasn’t I-5. In this episode, I take a walk with David Scherer Water to discuss the historical conflict and what it tells us about cities, growth and potential.

Here is also some background reading:

Why the Myth of Tumwater and Interstate 5 Matters

David Scherer Water: The Highway that Shaped (and buried) Olympia

David Scherer Water: Tumwater Strikes Back

#137: Ballot 2025 Roundup Oct 25, 2025

Show notes

Emmett is joined by Erika Lari and Daniel Garcia to make a complete rundown of your Olympia ballot for this election. Erika and Daniel dissect the interviews we’ve been running for the last several weeks to help you make your decisions this fall.

#136: Berendt vs. Geiger (Position #7) Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

Daniel Garcia returns to interview Paul Berendt and Caleb Geiger for Position #7 on the Olympia City Council.

#135: Workers’ Bill of Rights (Prop 1) Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Mayor Dontae Payne and Caleb Geiger debate the pros and cons of the Workers’ Bill of Rights (Prop 1), which will be on your ballot this week! This discussion was hosted by Daniel Garcia, who runs the Heal Olympia project.

#134: Vanderpool v. Stang (Position 6) Oct 11, 2025

Show notes

Daniel Garcia from the Heal Olympia project is back on the podcast, this time sitting down with Robert Vanderpool and Justin Stang, who are competing for the Position 6 seat on the Olympia City Council.

#133: Olympia City Council Position #4 (Gilman, no Carlson) Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

This episode was supposed to feature Daniel Garcia from Heal Oly sitting down with two city council candidates for a conversation. But at the last minute, we had to cancel. We offered the candidates a chance to record their responses on their own, but only Clark Gilman was able to get his in. We’ll be back next Saturday with a full recorded conversation between two candidates running for another city council seat.

Fortunately, you can get a direct compare and contrast with Clark and Wendy over at this episode of Lean in Olympia that just dropped!

#132: Renee Fullerton and Rhyan Smith (Olympia School Board) Sep 27, 2025

Show notes

Erika Lari from OSD4All again takes the wheel to talk with Renee Fullerton and Rhyan Smith, who are facing off for the position in District 3 on the Olympia School Board.

#131: Gil Lamont and Emily Leddige (School Board) Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

Erika Lari from OSD4All rejoins the podcast to talk with Gil Lamont and Emily Leddige, who are facing off for the position in District 5 on the Olympia School Board.

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