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.Af The Olympia Standard

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 R…

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 …

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 Natu…

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.…

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 …

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 O…

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 imp…

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 th…

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…

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 hi…

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, …

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 bac…

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…

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. Download this episode Mor…

Download the episode 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 b…

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 l…

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 a…

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 …

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. Download this episode…

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…

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 disappea…

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 Puge…

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. Download this episode (Note: this photo was…

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. Download this episode…

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 p…

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 ge…

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 Outs…

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. Download this episode…

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 …

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. Y…

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 fo…

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 Jud…

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 cul…

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 ha…

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 universi…

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 schoo…

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…

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 so…

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 de…

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 o…

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 h…

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 hou…

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,…

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 m…

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…

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 suppo…

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! …

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 wh…

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 ta…