?? FRONT LINE: Recent Episodes
Kris Loewen, Alex Bryan, and J
A recent article in Walla Walla's "Union-Bulletin" newspaper by reporter Annie Charnley Eveland described the formation of a recreational area just a few miles up the road from Walla Walla. Jim Martin, of Pendleton, Oregon and later of Walla Walla worked for the Umatilla National Forest Service in the 1950s and 60s, and was responsible for bringing about Jubilee Lake, a place that has become near and dear to the hearts of many dozens of Walla Walla families. The manmade lake lies nearly at 5000ft of elevation in the Blue Mountains and is about an hour and a half drive from Walla Walla.
In this episode, Alex, Kris, and Jenn discuss the Christian hope of heaven, the theme of creation, the concept of jubilee, and the experience of "roughing-it." In the episode, Kris reports back on his wonderful conversation with Karen Andrews, the daughter of Jim Martin who is now in his 80s and living in Walla Walla. Even though it's not technically in Walla Walla proper, your hosts decided it was a legitimate topic of our show because its creator has such close ties to the city -- and because so many Walla Wallans today continue to enjoy the site.
Guest host Becci Lubbers, Alex, and Kris recorded an on-site episode early last summer at one of Walla Walla's sweetest treasures. The Colville Street Patisserie is a French bakery and cafe in the heart of downtown and features some of the greatest handmade desserts that can be found for hours of driving in any direction. The three discuss the nature of memory, how scent is tied to it, and how individual taste develops and evolves for us as humans. They explore the concepts of greatness and rarity, exclusivity and scarcity. Finally, they talked about the important qualitative differences between quantity and quality.
On a week when Jenn Ogden was unavailable, we are grateful that Becci happily stepped in. Becci owns Shop Eleven in downtown Walla Walla, a small jewelry and gift shop that has developed quite a following from locals who love to purchase handmade treasures, most of which from Shop Eleven originate from the NorthWest. Thank you once again Becci!
We must also apologize for the errors that are obvious at the close of this episode. We are a small, volunteer, amateur operation and on this particular recording, our equipment encountered a problem unbeknownst to us. The final 5 minutes are still decipherable, but just barely. Our editors chose to put the material out as it is, because replicating the recording session to fix it is untenable now, 4 months later.
Alex, Jenn, and Kris discuss the summer fire season in the NorthWest. In Walla Walla, the air quality index during the last couple of weeks of August was very poor - where several days, students were kept inside from school and sensitive persons were at risk from the smoke.
The conversation dove into the topic of what things get our attention, the tyranny of the urgent over the important, grace, stewardship, and a whole lot more. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, please reach out to us with ideas for stories we should cover.
America's pastime is also Walla Walla's pastime. Sit down with Alex, Kris, and Jenn once more as they discuss the city-wide affection for America's game. The three talk about the Walla Walla Little League team that made it all the way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania in the summer of 2017 to compete in the Little League World Series as the representative team from the US NorthWest region. They also talk about what makes the sport of baseball so enchanting to Americans at large. What is it's lasting power? Why has it stuck around? What about the game is so compelling. The three share some great resources as well as touch base on the theme of completion. Thanks once again for joining us!
Season 2 kicks off with a conversation about craft, talent, skill, and the delectable delights found at 11 E. Main St. in Walla Walla at Bright's Candies. Alex, Kris, and Jenn continue their conversations about the many big ideas to be found in the quaint small town of Walla Walla. See more at our podcast home page: www.wallawallapodcast.com/extras
"Walla Walla is on the way to nowhere." You've heard it said before - perhaps of other towns and certainly here on the Walla Walla Podcast. Our little city is in some ways, a one-road town - at least in terms of its highway/interstate access. Serving Walla Walla proper and connecting it to the rest of the world, is just a standard two-lane country roadway. In the immediate future, Washington State will fund a major project involving this highway, 12. In this episode, the gang discusses the final phases of this significant building project; and through it, they talk about the themes of: quality of life, access to the world, imminent domain, wealth, gratitude, taxes, infrastructure, criticism, and long-term leadership.
Coffee Perk was one of Walla Walla’s first espresso cafes. All the way back in 1995, the owner of Konan Rock Products opened the shop and within a few years sold it to Kendra Bennet. Despite many challenges most small businesses face, Ms. Bennet has continued to own and operate this truly local joint with distinction now for 20 years. In the first on-site recording for the Walla Walla Podcast, Jenn, Kris, and Alex discuss the concept of 3rd spaces – physical locations that are neither private nor public, but that promote gathering, community, and dialogue. The three also explore the phenomenon of gentrification: the development of urban areas by investors and the hand-in-hand change in culture that accompanies it. Coffee Perk’s Facebook page can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/Coffee-Perk-102840866435689/ A recent article by the Union Bulletin profiled Kendra Bennett and her path to business ownership here: http://www.union-bulletin.com/local/business-bio-kendra-bennett-owns-and-operates-coffee-perk-in/article_20d8bd5a-f927-11e5-9a4d-d34a5057c969.html
In this conversation, Alex, Jenn, and Kris talk about a story told in a documentary filmed in Walla Walla called “Paper Tigers.” Director James Redford explores the disciplinary culture at Lincoln Alternative High School in Walla Walla, how staff shifted their orientation toward students, many of whom had dealt with significant childhood trauma. The film tells how Lincoln’s innovative “trauma sensitive approach” impacted individual students, and greatly improved educational outcomes for their school (more than tripling its graduation rate, for example). Kris, Jenn, and Alex talk about the importance of telling stories, the impact of confession, projection and judgment, as well as the importance of taking small actions even in the face of enormous challenges. Check out the film itself here: www.kpjrfilms.co/paper-tigers
Pioneer Park in Walla Walla is a 43 acre public gathering point for all citizens in the city. On the East side of downtown, the park houses some of the largest trees of their species in the entire country (4) and in the state of Washington (59). Originally purchased in 1897 by the City, it was designed in part by Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of landscape architecture and the designer of New York City’s Central Park. The Walla Walla Podcast team discuss the value and importance of public spaces, the social equalization that occurs through them, and the usefulness of being a part of a stratified community. They also discuss the themes of self-scarifice, living a simple life, and practicing the art of Sabbath. For more details and additional resources, visit www.wallawallapodcast.com/extras
This episode, the gang discusses a local aid organization known as “The Star Project.” Its mission is to work for and with parolees of the State Penitentiary located in Walla Walla, helping them obtain work, housing, and stable lives after release. Kris, Jenn, and guest host Don spend time talking about the importance of structure, punishment vs. rehabilitation, the mission and focus of the church in society, legalism, and the incredible value of grace in spirituality and real-life. Learn more about the work of the Star Project at www.thestarproject.us.
Alex, Jenn, and Kris share an informative conversation with the director of the BMAC (Blue Mountain Action Council) food bank. Jeff Mathias tells the crew about the mission of the operation, how it works, and what the process is for those in need of food. The gang discuss the themes of “deserving,” grace, and the American cultural threat of judgment when it comes to poverty. Often, when people get into challenging situations, the blame game keeps them from getting help either by their own choosing, or the shame game keeps those who have resources from sharing. Once more, the concept of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) comes up as a topic of conversation, in addition to the surprising theme of caste systems as they relate to deserving. This show touches on the topic of everyday grace, what that practically looks like in real life, and how resistant attitudes to this take place. Very often, we desire grace from other people and from God, yet do not want to share it.
In 1989, the Blue Mountain Mall shopping center opened its doors along Rose Street in Walla Walla. In a time of massive change in economies, the growth of globalization and consumerism, and the rise of commercial zones outside the traditional downtown shopping corridors of cities, the project to bring large destination stores fit right in. For people in town, the mall became somewhat of a gathering point and did indeed feature large department stores like Sears, Fred Meyer, and Shopko. But for a variety of reasons, in less than 20 years, it died, with only a shell of stores remaining. By 2012, the parent company had gone bankrupt and the facility fell into a long process of auctions, failed development, and (from the perspective of locals) broken promises. The mall has recently hit headlines for Walla Walla again with new predictions of development. Kris, Alex, and Jenn discuss commerce, the built environment, hope, and quite a few other things in between on this episode. To learn more about the history of the mall, we recommend the wikipedia entry on it. A photo blog by Joe Drazan portrays what the mall looked like just before it closed down for good (one of those photos is featured below): click here.
Jeff, Amy, Dylan, and Katelyn Dietrich began their small family farm in the summer of 2006. On the west side of the Walla Walla Valley out in the country, their fun work project has now grown to cover over 10 acres, specializing in rare or unusual heirloom vegetables. As you’ll hear on the show, a piece of the original motive for farming was the importance Amy and Jeff placed on work ethic for their kids. They wanted to teach their children how confidence is built by putting ones hands into the dirt and making something. After an encounter with a local restauranteur, Frog Hollow Farm now has built connections with other growers in the valley, many chefs, the farmers’ market, and even regional food-aid bodies. The conversation touches on the topics of food-deserts, food-banks, work ethic, trust, and the metaphor for seeds. Find out more about the Dietrich’s farm at: www.froghollowfarm.net. You can also learn more about Walla Walla’s seasonal Farmers Market, visit http://farmersmarket.downtownwallawalla.com.
Onions. Yes, onions. The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is not only a trademark, it’s an icon for the valley. Long before the wineries, long before the fancy restaurants, long before the tourists, and perhaps even before the Penitentiary, the sweet onion has been Walla Walla’s calling card to many other places in the country. In this episode, Kris and Jenn are joined by guest host Don Veverka. The three discuss the importance of the onion in cooking, and get a little philosophical about Shrek and his oniony personality. Thanks for tuning in!
A graduate of Walla Walla University was recently named captain as a part of Qatar Airways. Handel Wellington is a pilot now of Boeing 777 airplanes. Ever since his graduation, he has step by step advanced in his career until he now flies the largest planes on the planet. Kris, Jenn, and Alex discuss the mission of a college town like Walla Walla, the value of travel, and the nature of discovering one’s calling. The original articles about Mr. Wellington can be found here: http://www.union-bulletin.com/local_columnists/etcetera/walla-walla-university-graduate-now-captaining-a-boeing/article_c1a46364-c88a-11e6-8cda-5fcfadd11a32.html
The Walla Walla airport has been a fixture of the valley since the early 1920s. ALW, as it is known in airport nomenclature, has swerved as a shipping hub, a bomber base, a soldier training ground, and even a campground for woodland firefighters. In a small town like Walla Walla, ALW becomes a doorway to the world. In this episode, Alex, Kris, and Jenn discuss the value of travel, connecting with “the other”, and the quality of life small commutes bring. The three explore how unique and integral an aiport like ALW can be for small town life.
Over the summer of 2016, the city of Walla Walla struggled through options for working with a small but persistent homeless population in the city. An agreement was struck to create an emcampment space near the city golf course. Many problems and successes have ensued from this and the conversation about how best to help those in need continues in the city newspaper, among church members, and city officials. Alex, Kris, and Jenn discuss how communities might address homelessness in restorative and dignified ways.
In this episode, Alex, Kris, and Jenn discuss the longest continually running symphony west of the Mississippi River. Special guest Kraig Scott joins them to explore “why” we invest in music, the transcendence live performance can bring, and the joy of creating music with one’s neighbors. As always, the crew offers anecdotes, resources, and ideas for further conversation. Reach out to us at community.relations@wallawalla.edu or visit our website: wallawallapodcast.com.
The Klicker family’s first business was a hotel up in the Blue Mountains. When strawberries appeared to be a better income stream than guests, they trademarked the product which has boomed. Alex, Kris, and Jenn talk about business, the bottom line, responsibility, and outsourcing goodness.