The Snohomish Storytellers are back for Season 4—and now… with VIDEO! 🎥 Yep, you can watch us in action or keep enjoying us the traditional way in your earbuds. To kick things off, we welcome Washington State Senator John Lovick to the studio. Senator Lovick shares stories from his time as a State Trooper right here in Snohomish County, how those experiences shaped his path to representing the 44th Legislative District, and why local partnerships matter. We also talk about how HDSA works with government at all levels to keep our historic downtown thriving—and how YOU play a vital role in advocacy that brings real support to our community. Whether you’re listening, watching, or both—thanks for joining us on this next chapter of Snohomish Storytellers!

In this powerful episode of At-Homish: Creating Spaces Where We Belong, Wally Webster shares his remarkable journey from Jim Crow Alabama to founding The Access Project - a youth violence prevention program in South Snohomish County.After deaths in 2022, Wally gathered community leaders and created a three-part intervention system that reaches at-risk teens through sports, music, and art. Learn how his organization partners with Edmonds and Everett School Districts to support expelled students and break the school-to-prison pipeline.Get Involved: The Access Project needs tutors, mental health professionals, and community partners. Find more information at https://www.theaccessprojectwa.org/

If you’ve ever sat down to create content and ended up overwhelmed, blank-screened, or spiraling through Canva with no direction—this episode is your reset button. Toni walks you through her exact process for creating a post from scratch, live on the podcast. From choosing a topic using Amazon book reviews to outlining a repeatable mind map, to pulling it all together in Canva with her signature visuals, this is a behind-the-scenes look at how strategic content actually gets made.You’ll learn how to source ideas your audience already cares about, map your content to a framework that builds trust, and use batching to save serious time. Toni also shares her go-to tools for captions, headline generation, and hashtag curation. Whether you're building one post or eight, this episode is a content creator's blueprint.

What does it mean to truly belong somewhere? Host Wil sits down with Nick Shekeryk and Richard Porter, tourism marketing specialists for Snohomish County, to explore how we create spaces where everyone feels at home - from the bustling streets of Everett to the quiet charm of Darrington.This honest conversation dives deep into the real challenges of belonging: strategic avoidance, navigating spaces where you might not feel welcome, and the power of authentic human connection across our diverse 2,000-square-mile county. These "creative unicorns" within government share how they're working to showcase the real stories behind our communities - not just the flashy tourism shots, but the genuine experiences that make people feel they belong.You'll discover:How to approach unfamiliar spaces with curiosity instead of fearWhy authentic storytelling creates deeper community connections than perfect marketingThe importance of getting out of your silo and building real relationshipsHow representation in media actually impacts who feels welcomeWhy being human first breaks down barriers faster than anything elseWhether you're a community leader, someone new to the area, or just passionate about creating inclusive spaces, this conversation offers practical insights on building bridges across differences. Plus, you'll get some fantastic local restaurant recommendations and the stories behind our favorite walk-up songs.Connect with the guests: Follow the Snohomish County Placemakers Podcast and Seattle North Country on social media.

Mac is back! Fan favorite Mac Bates returns to help us close out Season 3 and share his newly published book, First Street Stories. First joining us in January 2023 as our first guest of the new year during Season 1, Mac now returns as the final guest of Season 3. In this episode, he brings more charming tales of growing up in downtown Snohomish in the 1950s and ’60s—this time enriched with historic stories of the town’s earlier days, drawn from his collaboration with local historian Taylor Russell. ⁠ You can find First Street Stories on Amazon—or just track Mac down around town and grab a copy from the man himself.