Move to Tacoma Podcast

An Interview with the Reporters Behind “The Walk Home” Podcast on KNKX 88.5 FM

This week on the MoveToTacoma Podcast we interview reporters Mayowa Aina & Kari Plog from KNKX 88.5 FM NPR. They talk their podcast “The Walk Home” which investigates the killing of Manny Ellis by Tacoma Police. Both reporters grew up in Pierce County and describe what drew them to create the podcast, the challenges of reporting on the community you live in, and the complexities of the justice system in a small city like Tacoma.

The 2020 police killing of Manuel ‘Manny’ Ellis, a Black man in Tacoma, brought a reckoning to Washington State and has set up what promises to be one of the highest-profile trials in Pacific Northwest history.

On Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m., KNKX and Tacoma Arts Live present a free event in conjunction with The Walk Home podcast. The Walk Home is a co-production of KNKX and The Seattle Times. KNKX’s South Sound reporter Kari Plog, Special Projects reporters/producers Mayowa Aina and Will James, The Seattle Times Senior Investigative Reporter Patrick Malone, and musician Marcel E.C. Augustin will go behind the scenes of the podcast, adding new details and insights to Manuel Ellis’ story and previewing the final episodes. The event includes an audience Q&A. KNKX will record and videotape the event. Registration is required. Tickets are required for this free event. Walk-ups are welcome if space is available.

Get Tickets Here

From KNKX:

About Manuel Ellis

The post An Interview with the Reporters Behind “The Walk Home” Podcast on KNKX 88.5 FM appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

We sat down with former Metro Parks Commissioner, Author, Channel 253 Founder, and KNKX Public Radio Director of Audience Engagement Erik Hanberg to talk about what our options are for news in Tacoma. Here were his recommendations.

The News Tribune – This is the main newspaper in Tacoma. While not what it once was (what paper is?) it is still the paper giving the most coverage of local news, politics, and community in Tacoma. We discuss some of its past, present, and future. We also discussed the changes over time with the editorial page. We also discuss how challenging it is to retain great journalists (many are being lost to PR and national media for less stress and more money).

Weekly Volcano – Part of Northwest Military.com (or as Erik calls it, The Ranger!)

Tacoma Weekly – Embroiled in some scandals but still around and still covering stories.

Grit City Magazine – Independent local media. A blog and quarterly magazine with a great instagram.

Puget Sound Business Journal – The main source for business news in the region.

South Sound Magazine – A local Magazine covering lifestyle in the South Sound Area including Tacoma.

KNKX 88.5 FM – NPR Station. Used to be KPLU, now located in Downtown Tacoma with reporters covering Tacoma and beyond. Their focus is on Vancouver Washington to Vancouver BC. KNKX also has Jazz and Blues in addition to NPR news.

KUOW 94.9 FM – NPR Station focussed on Seattle news but with some regional coverage.

Channel253 – A network of podcasts about Tacoma hosted by locals. There are a bunch of shows including The Nerd Farmer Podcast with Nate Bowling,. For Tacoma politics check out Citizen Tacoma hosted by Erik. Interchangeable White Ladies discusses issues of race, teaching, whiteness, and more. Crossing Division is a local talk show focussed on the issues that divide us in Tacoma hosted by Evelyn Lopez. We Art Tacoma is a podcast focussed on the arts community in Tacoma. What Say U? is a podcast featuring Melannie Denise Cunningham and her sister Audrey Cunningham discuss race and a wbole lot more. Flounders B Team Podcast covers soccer in the region. Taco Man Podcast is built on a local pun and explores Tacos all over Tacoma combined with interviews with locals. For the record, the Move to Tacoma Podcast is also on the Channel253 network!

The post The Tacoma Media Landscape with Erik Hanberg appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

Buying a house in Tacoma has never been more challenging for buyers, especially buyers buying under $650,000. Marguerite invited Sharon Chambers Gordon onto the podcast to talk about what buyers can do to increase their chances of finding and winning a good house.

Sharon moved to Tacoma over 16 years ago. She’s lived in Gig Harbor, University Place, and now Fircrest. She also started a nonprofit called Raising Girls which provides hygiene products to girls in Western Washington.

After a career at Puget Sound University she now works as a realtor representing buyers and sellers in Tacoma and beyond. She shares some of the advice that she gives to her buyer clients about buying in Tacoma’s frenzied real estate market. Sharon also shares some of her tricks for winning a multiple offer.

The post How to Buy a Home in Tacoma Right Now with Sharon Chambers Gordon appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

Rob Huff is almost finished running every street in Tacoma. Yes, even the really steep ones. What has he learned about the City of Destiny on his runs? Rob shares what he’s learned about streets, sidewalks, and folks living on the street. Rob is the Director of Advocacy and Communications for the Metropolitan Development Council. He brings unique insight into the issues our city is facing, and how we can work together to help find housing for all Tacomans.

This is the second conversation we’ve had with Rob on the topic of Homelessness in Tacoma. The first was back in 2016, and the situation in the city has only worsened. Join us for a conversation about what individuals can do to help neighbors experiencing homelessness and to advance humane policies that are effective going forward.

The post Running Every Street in Tacoma with Rob Huff appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

In this episode of the Move to Tacoma podcast, Marguerite Martin interviews Local History Librarian Anna Trammell. Anne is a librarian at the Tacoma Public Library’s Northwest Room. The Northwest Room features archives of Tacoma’s local history, genealogy, and special collections, and this treasure trove of information is constantly evolving. 

Marguerite and Anne dive into a wide range of topics in this interview, including: 

– What Anna loves about living in Tacoma’s South End (she originally moved to Tacoma from Illinois just 3 years ago) 

– The history of the physical location of the Northwest Room (it’s housed in the original Carnegie library that was built in 1903) 

– What exactly you might expect to find in the Northwest Room (including its unique collections, meaning they have the only copy in the world. This might include rare books, maps, architectural drawings, etc. 

– How they go above determining what to archive about present day history (this is not just about looking at the past—this is also about creating documentation about what is happening today so people 50 years from now can look back)

– How the Northwest Room determines what is included, and how they are partnering with communities to avoid gaps in coverage 

– You can search for your address and see if there are any digitized images of your home, references to your property in newspapers, etc. 

– What connections we can make between local current events and the past, including the similarities and differences between the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1917 flu pandemic. 

– What the strangest thing Anna has ever found in the Northwest Room is 

… and sooooo much more! 

If you’ve ever looked at the Northwest Room’s online collections, you’ve only explored the tip of the iceberg! There is so much more to see in person, and Anna is happy to help you. You can reach out here: [email protected]

The post Illuminating Tacoma’s History in the Northwest Room with Anna Trammell appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

In this episode of the Move to Tacoma podcast, Marguerite and Jasmyn share a vulnerable conversation about their ever-evolving friendship, and how race and real estate have played a role in that. 

Jasmyn and Marguerite touch on topics like: 

– Having uncomfortable conversations in their friendship (it’s because of this that their friendship has strengthened over time, but it hasn’t always been easy)

– Their different experiences growing up in Pierce County (including the the significance about where each of them lived and how race played a role) 

– How they initially met and what it has been like to grow their friendship with intention (there were many tough conversations and philosophical differences along the way) 

– Why don’t more white people have Black friends? (Are we still segregated?) As a white person, can you be intentional about diversifying your circle? (And how do you actually do this?) 

– American Leadership Forum and how it impacted Marguerite and Jasmyn (and started so many deep, rich conversations between them) 

… and so much more.

The post Talking Race, Real Estate, and Friendship with Jasmyn Jefferson appeared first on Move to Tacoma.

CROSSOVER EPISODE on Tacoma’s Housing Crisis.

Description From Nate Bowling of Nerd Farmer Podcast:

Although I have been talking about housing issues, literally for years, I am really just now getting my head around the extent to which existing homeowners and their advocacy are the cause and cure of what ails us. In a rising housing market, increases in supply threaten the equity of existing homeowners. Because capitalism is stupid, for too many families home equity is their main source of familial wealth. Consequently homeowners are often the most vociferous opponents of creating new housing, particularly low-income housing, in their communities. Weird, huh?

Into this conversation walks erstwhile realtor Marguerite Martin, creator of Move to Tacoma. Marguerite has taken a step away from from selling homes. She now works as a matchmaker, helping first-time homebuyers and folks moving to the region find agents. If you are a homeowner, like me, who has built a bunch of equity post-crash, this is an episode for you, with a call-to-action.

This conversation is a continuation of recent episodes with Jasmyn Jefferson (#107), from Windermere about advice for millennial homebuyers and our conversation with Rebecca Parson (#113), spokesperson for Tacoma Housing Now.

The post Nate Bowling Crossover Episode: How Homeowners in Rising Housing Markets Can Fight Displacement appeared first on Move to Tacoma.