The Olympia Standard

In this episode, I’m sharing a story from my blog about how neighboring cities shape each other and the surprising ways that history still affects us today. I dive into Lacey’s journey to cityhood, from its rivalry with Olympia in the 1960s over annexation and boundaries, to its push north in the 1980s to grow into undeveloped areas like Hawks Prairie. Along the way, I explore how city boundaries...

Olympia’s history is deeper and more connected to the larger American story than many people realize. From the city’s founding to its role in shaping regional and national events, Olympia carries with it legacies that are still being reckoned with today. In this episode, we sit down with Mayor Dontae Payne to talk about how Olympia’s past informs its present, and how the city is beginning to addre...

This week, we have the one segment we were able to get in at our live show last week! We welcomed FC Olympia (Ryan Perkins and Van Crisp) to talk about “Pro-Am” sports on the community scale, how it fits in Olympia and the future of community level clubs in our city. FC Olympia The Cooler Guild (Van’s podcast about Reign FC)

We welcomed Erika Lari from OSD4All and Rob Richards, political consultant, to walk through the results of the 2025 August Primary. While we talked a little bit about non-Olympia stuff, we focused our discussion on Olympia-centric races. Olympia Time: Five initial lessons from the August Primary Olympia Time: Digging Deeper Into the August Primary Results

In this episode of the Olympia Standard, we delve into the burgeoning movement to unionize Starbucks locations in Olympia. With two more Westside locations, Cooper Point and Black Lake B, recently voting to unionize, Olympia now has three unionized Starbucks stores, joining a national trend of over 600 organized locations. We welcome Pepper Sparkman to the show to discuss the significance of this...

Daniel Garcia is a planning commissioner and internet phenomenon (at least locally). He runs Heal Olympia, which is driving a vital conversation about the future of Olympia’s built environment. We sit down with him to talk about walking, parking, and the future of our city. Heal Olympia on Instagram Porcupine Media videos feature Lakefair vendors I referenced in the show (scroll down)

Host emeritus and city council-member Dani Madrone rejoins the podcast for a discussion about housing, parking, parking minimums and how we’re going to turn empty parking lots on the Westside into a thriving, walkable, community. Maybe someday.

This week we welcome back former Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby to talk about the new AHA Olympia Museum downtown and the future of Olympia’s history. Olympia Arts and History Alliance

In the Olympia School District primary ballot rundown episode last weekend we incorrectly described Renee Fullerton’s position on school vouchers. So, we’re running her entire answer the voucher question at the OSD4All Forum now so you have a chance to hear from her.

Note: In this episode, we incorrectly described Renee Fullerton’s position on school vouchers. So, we’re running her entire answer the voucher question at the OSD4All Forum now so you have a chance to hear from her. We are in your feeds early as we hand the mics over to the crew at OSD4All as they review the primary ballot for your 2025 Olympia School District board candidates. OSD4All...

This is not a regular episode of The Olympia Standard, this is a bonus episode! We’re sharing the audio from yesterday’s Olympia School Board candidate forum from OSD4All. We will be back in our feed in a few days with a more traditional ballot rundown episode, also featuring some folks from OSD4All. You can watch the YouTube video of the forum here . You can also see all of OSD4All&#8...

We take a hard look at the soft xenophobia embedded in the jokes of beloved Seattle columnist Emmett Watson and the eco-soundbites of Oregon Governor Tom McCall. What starts as tongue-in-cheek jabs at newcomers evolves into real political consequences, downzoning, exclusionary housing policy, and a regional identity shaped by who we keep out. We trace the cultural and historical roots of “Lesser S...

This episode explores the legacy of Judge George H. Boldt and the lasting impact of the 1974 Boldt Decision, which reaffirmed tribal fishing rights in Washington. Featuring a recording from Boldt’s daughter and grandson, the episode highlights the judge’s integrity, precision, and quiet courage, not just in issuing a landmark ruling, but in standing firm amid years of resistance from state and loc...

In this episode of The Olympia Standard, we dive into the debate over who and what deserves a statue on Washington’s capitol campus. As the state grapples with the future of its Marcus Whitman monument, we explore the deeper meanings behind public memorials, the myths they enshrine, and the process (or lack thereof) for removing them. From the racist legacy embedded in the Whitman statue to the fo...

In this episode of The Olympia Stanard, we reflect on how Arts Walk has quietly become the festival Lakefair was always meant to be, a celebration of place, people, and downtown Olympia. We explore the origins of Lakefair in 1957, its car-centric context, and how downtown’s evolution has made space for something more human-scaled. As Capitol Lake faces restoration, we ask what it means for L...

The most enduring local history myth is that Tumwater’s downtown was destroyed by Interstate 5. Also, thanks for listening. After a month or so of successful interviews, this will be the first of a few episodes where I largely read you something. I’ll be back in mid-July with more interviews!

Join us for our annual “Sine Die” episode as we sit down with Representative Lisa Parshley, a freshman legislator for the 22nd Legislative District and former Olympia City Council member, to discuss her whirlwind first legislative session. Rep. Parshley shares her insights on the transition from local to state government, the challenges and successes of passing four bills, and the inte...

In this episode, we break our own rules and leave the county. We talk to one of the voices behind the best local news podcast in the country to ask them their secrets. Aaron Van Tuyl joins us to talk about the Centralia News Dump and what makes local journalism work.

This week, we dive into the heart of Olympia politics with a special guest: Jim Cooper, who is retiring after 14 impactful years on the Olympia City Council. We chat about his proudest achievements, the evolution of the council, the ongoing debate around minimum wage and worker rights, and what Olympia’s voters should be asking candidates as the city faces critical decisions about growth, ho...

This week, I read an essay called “ Exile Ourselves ” I wrote last fall. It talks about how our current approach to housing and crime overlaps with our regional history.

Dirk Marler is a longtime advocate for unifying Washington’s fragmented court system. As a Yakima County District Court judge from 1988 to 2003, Marler experienced firsthand the confusion caused by the state’s patchwork of local courts. Later, as head of the court services division at the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts, he participated in a major early-2000s initiative...

On this episode, I read my blog post “ Don’t think of an Olympia ” from Olympia Time, revisiting one of my longest-running gripes: the use of “Olympia” as a lazy shorthand for state government. I explore why this rhetorical habit is more than just annoying, it shapes how people think about power, accountability, and democracy. Drawing on philosophy, civics, and the evolving natur...

In this episode of The Olympia Standard , we reflect on the life and impact of Gil Carbone. He was a key but often overlooked figure in Olympia’s history. Gil helped lead the transformation from a commission-style government to the council-manager system Olympia has today and served on the city council from 1982 to 1991, including two years as Mayor Pro Tem. We share a classic Gil story about his...

In this episode of The Olympia Standard, we dive into the city’s now-dormant effort to revise its Memorandum of Understanding with neighborhood associations and explore how representative those groups really are. We bring academic and personal insights into why public participation in local government remains so limited, from structural complexity and lack of access to the outsized influence of we...

I take a look back at a couple of blog posts I’ve written in the last couple of years about corporate home ownership in Thurston County and include some updates for this year. This is a pretty short episode where I read you back some prewritten material. If you’re really into this topic, I appeared on the Nerd Farmer podcast just less than a year ago talking about the same topic: https...