Small Towns: Unscripted

Episode 82 of Small Towns Unscripted features one of our most fascinating and meaningful conversations yet as Nicole and I sit down with Kellen Jones, a 37 year old Manson native, father of two daughters, self published author, and counseling student at Grand Canyon University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Counseling. Kellen is the great grandson of Bill Evans, one of the most respected and we...

This week on Small Towns Unscripted, Russ McClellan and Nicole Turner welcome Erik Cooper, owner and winemaker of Vibe Cellars, one of the most talked-about boutique wineries in downtown Manson, Washington, just minutes from Lake Chelan. If you've searched for Vibe Cellars, Lake Chelan wineries, wine tasting in Manson, or the best wineries to visit in Chelan wine country, this episode tells t...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. I'm Russ McClellan. One of the things I enjoy most about this podcast is the opportunity to sit down with people whose life experiences provide a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing our communities. Today's guest is Thomas Tupling. Born in Chelan and raised in Mansfield as part of a multi generational farming family, Thoma...

On this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, Russ McClellan and Nicole Turner sit down with a true pillar of the Manson and Lake Chelan Valley community — Doug England. Doug graduated from Manson High School in 1965 and has spent a lifetime helping shape the future of agriculture, local government, and the community he calls home. From serving 45 years as Manager of Manson Growers to serving three t...

Norm Manly has spent a lifetime serving others—first on the water, then in the community. Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Norm's love for the maritime industry began as a young boy riding tugboats with his father, Harry Manly, a tugboat captain. After graduating from Wilson High School in 1961, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a Quartermaster aboard a minesweeper during the early ye...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. I’m Russ McClellan, alongside Nicole Turner, and today’s conversation may be one of the most important we’ve had yet because the apple industry truly is the heart and soul of our valley. Today we sit down with Jared England, President of Manson Growers and a fifth-generation member of a family whose roots in the Lake Chelan Valley date back to the late 1800s...

From East Coast roots to the vineyards of the Lake Chelan Valley, Don and Judy Phelps have lived a life shaped by hard work, reinvention, family, science, and a willingness to adapt through changing times. Don grew up in rural New Hampshire in a large family of ten children, with 24 years separating the oldest and youngest siblings. His parents carried the mindset and work ethic forged during the...

Marty Morris’ story is deeply tied to the history and transformation of Manson and the Lake Chelan Valley. Born in Chelan in 1949, Marty came from humble beginnings rooted in the old “fruit tramp” era of the American West. His father, a fur trapper from Nebraska, and his mother from South Dakota traveled the country following seasonal agricultural work before eventually settling in the Chelan Vall...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’ve got Will Poppie. Will’s story starts in Montana and Pullman, Washington. His dad was a civil engineer, his mom a veterinarian and cattle rancher—so from the beginning, he was raised around both precision and grit. After his parents divorced, he split time between Pullman and Arizona before eventually landing in East Wenatchee. And this is where things really...

On this episode of Small Towns: Unscripted - Russ and Nicole are sitting down today with someone whose story really captures what it means to grow up in a small town, live through real life, and turn those experiences into something that helps other people. For those of you tuning in on Small Towns Unscripted, hosted by Russ McClellan and Nicole Turner with KW Frontline Real Estate, where we conne...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today’s episode is one of those conversations that really captures what this show is all about… community, connection, and the people who quietly shape the soul of a small town. Today, Nicole and I are sitting down with Sarah Noelle Hart, co owner of VonHart Goods in downtown Manson. A place that has become so much more than a bakery or a deli. It is a gathe...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re sitting down with Mark Olsen—a guy whose story is about discipline, self-awareness, and pushing limits. Mark grew up in Kirkland, graduating from Lake Washington High School back when the area still had farms, horses, and a little more space to roam. From early on, he was wired to compete—becoming a KingCo Champion wrestler and co-captain of both the football...

Kathleen Elizabeth Woods Hawley was born on February 9, 1945, in Deaconess Hospital, but her story—really—belongs to Entiat. She was raised in a time when North Central Washington was still closely connected to its pioneer roots—and for Kathleen, that history wasn’t something distant… it was her family’s lived experience. Her lineage traces back to some of the earliest settlers in the Entiat Valle...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with David “Hot Rod” Rodriguez. David’s story starts at just three years old, when he rode with his mom in a Volkswagen Bug from Los Angeles to Chelan… eventually landing in a small log cabin in Winthrop with no running water. What might’ve felt like hardship to some turned into adventure for David—but it also speaks to the grit and sacrifice of a singl...

Al Brooks brings a powerful story of grit, service, and deep-rooted connection to the Chelan Valley. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, and raised in Lake Stevens, Al comes from a hardworking family with ties to early infrastructure and industry in Washington—including helping establish transportation routes from Quincy to Wenatchee and over Stevens Pass, as well as logging operations near Mount Ve...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted, where we sit down with the people whose lives and stories help shape the communities we call home. Today’s guest is someone whose story is woven deeply into the history of Manson and the Lake Chelan Valley. Arnold Baker comes from a family whose roots in this valley go back nearly a century. His grandparents arrived in Manson in 1929, just after the lake had...

Kelly Mullins’ story is one of resilience, reinvention, and the enduring power of love for family. Born in 1957, Kelly spent her earliest years in Manson before her family moved to Boron, California, where her dad worked at the Borax plant and her mom worked for a dentist. Life there was adventurous — motorcycles, dune buggies, and even a household that once included thirteen turtles. When Kelly w...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today I’m joined by someone many of you know and trust — a steady, wise, and deeply resilient voice in North Central Washington — Sharon Crockett with PrimeLending. Sharon lives in Entiat, has an office in Wenatchee, works on the west side of the mountains, and serves clients across the country. She’s licensed in all fifty states and backed by an incredible...

Our guest today is someone many of you in the Lake Chelan Valley know — not because he demands attention, but because he earns respect. Kevin Medved is steady. He’s dependable. He’s consistent. He’s disciplined. He sees the world through common sense and a strong value system. He lives his life and treats others the way he would want to be treated. Kevin grew up in Republic, Washington, and right...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. One of the things I love most about this show is uncovering the stories behind the people we see every day — at church, on job sites, at the gym, at a winery, or just walking through town. We often know what people do… but we don’t always know what shaped them. Today’s guests are Stephen and Megan Johnson — and their story stretches far beyond the Chelan Val...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today’s guest is Dwight Keegan. Dwight spent more than 43 years as a Washington State Park Ranger, much of that time right here at Lake Chelan, and his story gives a rare, real look into how our State Parks — and the people who ran them — have evolved over time. One of the things that really stood out to us in this conversation is the history of the Parks De...

This weeks episode of Small Towns Unscripted we are honored to have Mark Lippincott be our guest.  Some people live in a place… and some people are woven into it. Today’s guest is one of those people. Mark Lippincott was raised right here in the Lake Chelan Valley, back when childhood meant crawling across the underside of the old bridge on a single wood plank, paying fifty cents to watch a movie...

Today’s episode is about coming home—the pull of small towns, the values they instill, and the people who shape us long before we realize it. Our guest is Ryan Sargent, originally from Bothell, Washington, and a Chelan High School graduate, Class of 2010. Like many people raised in a small town, Ryan left after high school to figure life out, only to discover that the place he came from was always...

Bill Swayne was raised on Bainbridge Island at a time when it truly felt like a small town—close-knit, grounded, and deeply connected. That upbringing sparked a curiosity for the world beyond the island, leading Bill down an unconventional early path. He became a cook in Hawaii, then took a job aboard a yacht bound for Tahiti, embracing adventure long before it became a buzzword. While in Tahiti,...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to welcome Jeff Conwell—a longtime broadcaster, advertising professional, and community leader whose career began in the Seattle radio market under the on-air name Jeff “Chase.” Like many radio personalities of that era, the name fit the format, and Jeff quickly became part of the region’s broadcast and advertising scene, building deep experience in p...