Small Towns: Unscripted

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re sharing a conversation that is both historical and practical, focused on how the Lake Chelan Valley has evolved—and the people and community effort that helped shape that change. This episode is broken into two segments. In the first segment, I sit down with Richard Uhlhorn, a longtime Manson resident and trusted voice in local media. Richard has spent decade...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to welcome Angela Collins, the Unit Director of the Lake Chelan Valley Boys & Girls Club—and someone whose heart, experience, and sense of calling are already making a meaningful impact across our community. Angela was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Western Washington on the south end of Whidbey Island. Her journey into education and leader...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Pat Kelly, a lifelong steward of one of Chelan’s most enduring hometown businesses—Kelly’s Hardware—and a living link between generations of community, service, and small‑town resilience. Pat represents the second generation of the Kelly family to lead the store, carrying forward a legacy that began when his father, Wayne Kelly, purchased...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Brett La Mar, a man whose life story is deeply rooted in the Chelan Valley and shaped by family, resilience, and service.  Brett was born in Everett, Washington, and raised in Manson, growing up and attending Manson School from K-12. Like many small-town kids, those early years helped form a lifelong connection to community, work ethic, a...

Brooke Isaak’s roots run deep in the Lake Chelan Valley. Born and raised in this tight-knit community, Brooke set ambitious goals early—earning a finance degree from Pacific Lutheran University before taking a bold leap across the country to work as a financial analyst on Wall Street. Her career path reflects both courage and creativity. After New York, she launched her own candle manufacturing co...

Mary and Dave Weldy’s story begins long before The Culinary Apple became a landmark in downtown Chelan. Originally from Western Washington, they spent years building careers in the gift and trucking industries before deciding they wanted a different pace of life — something rooted in community, creativity, and the values they grew up with. That desire led them to Chelan in the early 1990s, where t...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to sit down with someone who embodies exactly what this show is about—people who show up, lean in, and make a lasting impact on the Lake Chelan Valley. Rod Brooks was born and raised in Lake Stevens, Washington, back when it was still a one-stoplight small town—long before the growth that reshaped it into what it is today. His family's story is r...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to share the story of a woman whose life reflects resilience, gratitude, deep roots, and the heart of the American Dream. Maribel Cruz — the Executive Director of the Community Center in Chelan — was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in the Puget Sound area, where she graduated from Kamiak High School in Mukilteo. Later, she earned her degree in Busi...

Kyle Plew’s story is woven deeply into the fabric of the Lake Chelan Valley. He first moved to Chelan in second grade before his family relocated to Boise, Idaho, where he completed middle and high school. After graduation, Kyle headed to Southern California to attend Biola University, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He married his high school sweetheart, Darlene, and the two beg...

🎙 Small Towns Unscripted – Episode Featuring Chris Cruz This week, we sit down inside Valley Barber Shop with its owner, Chris Cruz — a man whose story is about far more than cutting hair. Chris has created a space built on community, friendship, and faith, where people come not just for a haircut, but to feel seen and connected. Chris and his wife, Maribel, moved to Manson in June of 2022. Shortl...

Welcome Doug and Kelly Allen to Small Towns Unscripted. In this heartfelt episode, Doug and Kelly invite us into their lives — a story of deep roots, resilience, and redemption. Doug shares his Washington heritage, from grandparents who grew up in the state to his mother, born in Mount Vernon, who later settled in Poulsbo, where Doug was born. His father worked as a PUD lineman for Puget Power bef...

This week we sit down with David Rogge, a man whose life reflects compassion, integrity, and genuine care for others. Raised as a Navy brat traveling coast to coast before graduating from La Conner High School, David earned football scholarships to Everett Community College and Central Washington University, where he studied Allied Health Sciences. He came to Chelan in the winter of 1979–80 as the...

In this special episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we journey deep into one of the most remote and captivating corners of Washington State — Stehekin, nestled at the headwaters of Lake Chelan. Among the apple trees of the historic Buckner Orchard, now part of the National Park Service, we sit down with two remarkable women whose lives reflect the true heart and heritage of this valley: Peggy Court...

Today, we dive into the incredible hometown journeys of Amy Mack and Jason Olcott—two Chelan Goats whose paths started in very different places but eventually intertwined in the most unexpected ways. Jason grew up in South Seattle before life’s twists brought his family to Lake Chelan, where he traded city life for Friday night lights, farm science classes, and the small-town community that would...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re joined by Joe Heinlen, owner of Lake Chelan Adventures and one of the valley’s most trusted fishing guides. Joe moved to Chelan in 1996 from the small town of Toutle, Washington—where he experienced the eruption of Mount St. Helens. After 17 years with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, he retired in 2009, but his passion for fishing led him into...

Grant and Anita Nesvacil are the kind of people who make a community stronger just by being part of it. This January, they’ll celebrate an incredible 60 years of marriage. Together they raised two sons, Troy and Travis, but their home has always been open to many more — nieces, nephews, friends, and kids who simply needed a safe place to land. Grant, known affectionately by his grandkids as “Grump...

Welcome Susan Beatrice Huntington Baker — better known as Sue Baker — to this week’s episode of Small Towns: Unscripted. Sue is a woman full of life, hard-working, gritty, and endlessly devoted to her community. Her family’s roots run deep in Washington, beginning as pioneers in the Walla Walla Valley before her parents moved to Chelan in 1952. Settling on Gibson Street, they quickly fell in love...

Our guest today on Small Towns Unscripted is someone whose life has been shaped by athletics, perseverance, and community. A standout athlete in both high school and college, he carried the lessons of discipline, determination, and competitiveness well beyond the playing field. Please welcome Darren Talley. As a football coach, he went on to change lives and create bonds with players that remain s...

On this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we had the privilege of sitting down with five remarkable voices from the heart of the Lake Chelan Valley—Hershel and Karen Joyner, Sharon Conklin-Starr, Janey Lee McLellan, and Roberta Elgin Lloyd. Each one a keeper of memories, traditions, and stories that remind us what makes this valley such a special place. Hershel, a proud Chelan Goat from the Class...

 Bryan and Shannon Peebles are an incredibly inspiring couple, whose love story began as teenagers when they first met at a high school Knowledge Bowl. Bryan grew up in Chelan, and Shannon was a proud Cashmere Bulldog—but no matter where life took them, Lake Chelan always called them home. Their journey has spanned agriculture, teaching, and corporate management, yet the pull to raise a family and...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Chelan native and lifelong public servant, Sean Duke. Born and raised in the Lake Chelan Valley, Sean grew up surrounded by the beauty of the outdoors—spending weekends hunting and fishing with his dad and brother, working summers on the lake and at the waterslides, and forming friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Sean’s life of servi...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to share the story of a woman whose quiet presence along a two-lane road has become one of the most heartwarming traditions in the Chelan Valley. If you’ve ever driven Highway 150 between Chelan and Manson, chances are you’ve seen her: smiling, waving, and picking up litter — a living landmark of positivity and care. For more than 25 years, Susan Fish...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we welcome Sharon Podlich, a woman whose life has taken remarkable turns through tragedy, tenacity, and true partnership. From small-town Vermont to Central Washington’s orchard country—and eventually the shores of Mexico—Sharon’s journey is both deeply American and entirely her own. Born in 1955 in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised in Woodstock and Isla...

Part 2 of Jerry Isenhart's life story is a testament to vision, determination, and genuine community spirit. Born and raised near Wenatchee, Washington, Jerry's childhood unfolded on a 200-acre family farm at the foot of Castle Rock, a place rich with memories of swimming pools, animals, and family music sessions. Music was central to the Isenhart household, where Jerry, an accomplished...

Jerry Isenhart's life story is a testament to vision, determination, and genuine community spirit. Born and raised near Wenatchee, Washington, Jerry's childhood unfolded on a 200-acre family farm at the foot of Castle Rock, a place rich with memories of swimming pools, animals, and family music sessions. Music was central to the Isenhart household, where Jerry, an accomplished pianist, d...