Life on Orcas Island with Edee Kulper

An Interview with Christine Jennifer

A crisis consultant for 30 years, Christine is a communications advocate helping clients find their voice in navigating complex systems, communicating their priorities, and becoming more creative and effective advocates for themselves and/or their kids in systems like education, family court, special needs services, and long-term care planning. She has worked in executive management as well as start-ups, and her extensive background has ranged from freelance journalism, PR/marketing/branding, nonprofit work, fundraising, and disaster relief for the the Red Cross to having a garden design business and being the president of a large horticulture farming operation in California for 10 years. Christine has two adult children – a son currently getting his Masters in Divinity and a daughter who owns The Happy Cat with coworker and mentor Gina Minoia, which combines retail with rentable office space in the Airport Center.

An Interview with Tish Knapp

An hour of poetry every morning is the way Tish Knapp begins her day. She is a book author, former Orcas Island High School English teacher for 26 years, writing group host, and matriarch of a blended family with 7 children. Tish embodies individuality, a passion for life, a love of fellow man, and she radiates joy. Listen to KIXP and you'll hear Tish reciting poetry on the air!

An Interview with Mandy Randolph

She pioneered Wednesday in the Woods and Farm-to-Classroom during her 20+-year teaching stint at the public school, and has been a real estate agent for 13 years at T Williams Realty. Mandy was born and raised here and is one of the warmest, most helpful, resourceful human beings you'll ever meet. She's an absolute idea machine, and makes the most of every moment she has with each person, each situation, and each opportunity.

An Interview with George Merrill

Son of a printer in a Mormon family, stockbroker in his 20s, printbroker, self-taught CD-ROM maker, marketing consultant and owner of a design/advertising agency for 10 years, father of 8 children, oilfield worker, and owner of a custom woodworking business (frames, tables, furniture, etc.) called Old Goat Creative, George's experiences have run the gamut. The desire to sail around the world brought him to Orcas Island...

An Interview with Rolf Eriksen

Rolf Eriksen has a unique relationship with The Tower on Top of Mount Constitution, which is also the name of his book. He first visited the monument as a baby and then worked to repair it through the decades as the owner and general manager of Happy Acres Company for over 53 years. Rolf has bicycled up to the tower weekly for the past 25 years in order to assess wear and tear, document graffiti, and soak in its ethereal atmosphere at the highest point in the San Juan Islands. You can find Rolf and his book on summer Saturdays at the Farmers Market at the Village Green, along with honey, salve, and candles from his colony of 20,000-80,000 bees.

An Interview with Brian Leonard

Consulting with theme parks, museums, zoos, and aquariums, and managing creative development with architects, graphic designers, writers, composers, painters, sculptors, fabricators, and contractors takes Brian Leonard all over the world, from Washington, D.C.'s National Geographic Museum of Exploration to the largest aquarium in the world in Abu Dhabi. Brian also has a few fun inventions he dreamed up – the Stiffy (a rod holder stabilizer while fishing) and the Ferry Fate Ball sold in stores locally (think Magic 8 Ball but for drivers waiting in line for the ferry, wondering if and when they’ll be able to board the boat).

An Interview with Henry 'Oz

Meet The German Magician: "I lost my mother when I was ten. The world stopped making sense. At seventeen, I was living alone, figuring it out. I picked up my first deck of cards - not for the art of magic, but to connect with people. Magic gave me something I didn’t expect: FAITH. For the next 18 years, I worked in Germany's automotive industry - Volkswagen, Porsche, stability and structure. But the magic inside me never left. The older I got, the louder the question became: Is this it? The suffering I’d been through wasn’t random - it was preparation for something bigger. In 2021, I answered that call. Left Germany. Left the security. Came to America seeking freedom - and found it on a small island where I could meditate, breathe, and finally become who I was meant to be. Now I bring wonder to audiences across America - from intimate gatherings to theaters, from weddings to corporate stages." From www.henryoz.com

An Interview with Stephanie Rosenblatt

A Tai Chi practitioner for 54 years and an instructor for decades, Stephanie radiates joy and an ever-growing zest for life, and speaks of the depth of physical, spiritual, and emotional lessons she has learned over the years.

Another Interview with Karl Krüger

Advice from a local Inuit man to "make sure you talk with the ancestors" has shaped Karl's mindset and survival, and he is preparing for his third season paddling the Canadian Arctic's Northwest Passage. Karl is the founder of Krüger Creative, a nonprofit dedicated to wilderness exploration, personal growth, and environmental awareness. Through Krüger Expeditions, he offers day sails and multi-day sail-to-ski or sail-to-surf journeys out of Hoonah, Alaska, aboard SV ANIMUS, a 64-foot steel cutter, immersing guests in his world.

An Interview with Bruce Benton

Bruce Benton went from Peace Corps work in West Africa to the US Treasury Department’s Deputy-Director of the Office of Raw Materials and Oceans Policy to a career managing the World Bank’s efforts to defeat parasitic riverblindness in Africa. He has written a book of the same. Locally, Bruce continues to work hard to help the Island Rides program. A few years ago, he secured grant funding totaling $800,000 for electric vehicle infrastructure and transportation initiatives for the island - $400,000 for the EV Charger Project and $400,000 for the Green CarShare program sponsored by Island Rides, which received $200,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025. This man is passionate about helping and motivated to see it through!