Episode 36: Tricia Smith and Elizabeth Ferrier of Mountain View Community Center Debi sits down with Tricia Smith and Elizabeth Ferrier from Mountain View Community Center in Edgewood, WA. Tricia is the Executive Director and Elizabeth is the Senior Programs Manager.

Tricia and Elizabeth discuss all the wonderful free services offered by their Community Center to improve the quality of life for all ages, including senior activities and the Seeds of Change community meal program. Working with seniors and children has given them both wonderful stories to tell, some of which they share.

To learn more about Mountain View Community Center:

https://www.mtviewcommunitycenter.org/

To learn about their free Study Buddies tutoring program for children:

https://www.mtviewcommunitycenter.org/study-buddies-tutoring-program

To learn about the Seeds of Change meal program:

https://www.mtviewcommunitycenter.org/community-dinner

Episode 35: Dulce Cafe and Chicanos Mexican Food Truck owner Yonilda "Yoni" Morales

Debi chats with Yonilda "Yoni" Morales of Dulce Cafe and Chicanos Mexican Food Truck.

Yoni shares her experience opening her first coffee shop, Dulce Cafe, in downtown Puyallup in May of 2025. She brings a Mexican flare to traditional Pacific Northwest coffee, crafting exciting fusion drinks as well as offering novel takes on Mexican sweets. Her family runs a long-standing Mexican food truck just down the street and she discusses juggling two small businesses.

Learn more about Dulce Cafe:

https://www.dulcecafewa.com/

Episode 34: Puyallup Daffodil Princess Kennedy Boyd

Debi sits down with Kennedy Boyd, one of Puyallup's very own Daffodil Princesses.

Kennedy shares her academic aspirations of becoming an OB-GYN, the people who most inspire her, and the quest to become a Daffodil Princess, where winning the title is only the beginning.

Learn more about the Daffodil Festival and becoming a princess here:

https://thedaffodilfestival.org/so-you-want-to-be-a-princess-everything-you-need-to-know-about-daffodil-selection/

Episode 33: Christine Seymour and Laura Ross of The Ethel Gathering Group

Debi chats with Christine Seymour and Laura Ross of The Ethel Gathering Group.

The Ethel promotes social connections and organizes activities to help senior women combat loneliness and isolation. The Ethel Gathering Group of Puget Sound covers the west side of Washington from the Canadian border to the Oregon Border. Christine and Laura plan events and offer outreach to new members of The Ethel and infuse their efforts with the experience and hope they have from overcoming hardships in their own lives.

To learn more about The Ethel Gathering Group of Puget Sound:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ethelgatheringpugetsoundwa/

To learn more about The Ethel project itself:

https://www.aarpethel.com/gathering-groups

Episode 32: Robin Bradford, Collection Development Librarian at Pierce County Library System

Debi sits down with Robin Bradford, Collection Development Librarian from Pierce County Library System.

Robin selects and purchases adult fiction titles for all the branches of Pierce County Library System. She shares her love of reading and some of the experiences that led her to a librarian career. If you have wondered what goes into the selection of books in a large library system, Robin is the one to ask.

To learn more about Pierce County Library System:

https://mypcls.org/

Episode 31: Elizabeth Lamber, Program Director of Dreams Work at Farm 12 Debi has a heartfelt discussion with the Program Director of Dreams Work at Farm 12, Elizabeth Lambert. Elizabeth shares poignant stories of being lifted up by others during hard times in her early life. She now pays that forward by helping women learn job and life skills, find childcare, and access mental health resources via the Step By Step and Dreams Work programs at Farm 12 in Puyallup, WA. Farm 12 offers farm-to-table food while providing work opportunities and training to those in need. To learn more about Dreams Work and the Step By Step Program:

https://www.stepbystepfamily.org/

To find out about Farm 12, their menu, and their mission:

https://www.farm12.org/

Episode 30: Superhero Librarian and Author Nancy Pearl

Debi chats with superhero librarian and author Nancy Pearl, the only librarian to have her own action figure.

Nancy's storied life as a Seattle librarian and writer includes publishing multiple books, a stint as a professor at the University of Washington, talk shows on PBS and NPR, and being named 2011 Librarian of the Year. She reminisces with Debi about running book clubs, her childhood library influences, humorous encounters at work, and her top titles to read today.

To learn more about the life of the fascinating Nancy Pearl:

https://www.knkx.org/people/nancy-pearl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pearl

https://www.nationalbook.org/people/nancy-pearl/

To read about Nancy's action figure:

https://mcphee.com/pages/history-of-the-librarian-action-figure

To see all the books Nancy has written or collaborated on:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/67412.Nancy_Pearl

Episode 29: Travel Q&A - Part Three of a Special Series on Traveling the World and Close to Home

Debi presents the third and final episode in her summer travel series. She and her travel librarian guest, Paul, answer questions submitted by library patrons during the library's Summer of Travel event.

Debi and Paul dish about the best places to travel locally and abroad, give tips on how to save money on the road, and answer intriguing trivia about animals and places of the world, plus a whole lot more.

Puyallup Public Library offers travel resources of all types. Visit our website to learn more:

http://www.puyalluplibrary.org