Your Editor-in-Chief

Charles Marunde is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sequim and Port Angeles News Online.  While I don’t particularly enjoy writing about myself, our readers do often want to know who we are, so this is a brief self profile of my history.  As we grow with more correspondents, you will find their profiles worth reading.

I grew up in Tok, Alaska in what we called the “bush.”  My father homesteaded 30 acres, built a 900 square foot cabin, and that was home.  We had no electricity, just a Coleman lantern hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the large room consisting of the living room, dining room, and kitchen.  I was in charge of keeping the wood stove going during the long winters.  The girls never did like the outhouse, especially when it was minus 50 to 60 degrees farenheight.

I grew up hunting and fishing, driving snow machines, and climbing the mountains watching Dall Sheep near the Tok Glacier.  It was a great way to grow up.

I went to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and graduated with a B.A. in Economics, and subsequently went back for my teaching certificate.  After teaching high school business education for two years, I headed to Spokane where I graduated with a law degree from Gonzaga.  I practiced law for a couple of years and then became a JAG in the USAF, a lawyer and a captain.

That was during the Kuwait war and after serving four years, I went to work for Chuck Colson as the Area Director of Prison Fellowship Ministries for Nevada and Utah.  But my family and I missed life in Washington, and in 1994 we moved to Sequim where my boys finished growing up.

After practicing law for 20 years, I decided to retire (but not because I had too much money) and become a real estate broker. My law practice had focused on real estate all those years, so it was a natural move for me.

I’ve written newspaper and magazine articles for years, including Pacific Northwest Home Owner Magazine, and Ultimate Grappling Magazine.  Some of these articles will be published in this online newspaper with the permission of the magazines.  If you wonder how it is that I wrote for a mixed martial arts magazine, the answer is that my son, Bristol Marunde, is a professional fighter, and it was a good way to support my son, as well as have a lot of fun at the fights at ringside.

I’ve also written hundreds of articles, which are published on the Internet in various venues.  Most of my articles have a central database, and you’ll find that at SequimRealEstateNews.com.

I love photography, jogging, and the outdoors.  I also love reading and writing.  My first full book will be hitting the market in February of 2009. It is entitled, “Success and Eternity.”

I hope you’ll join us regularly here online to read local and national news, catch some great photography, and connect with our correspondents from Sequim and Port Angeles who will each be writing about their niche and passion.

You can always Email me with questions, comments, and news article submissions.  We hope our readers feel a sense of ownership of this news service, because many of our stories will be written by the residents of Sequim and Port Angeles.  You won’t just be reading the news, you will be the news, or perhaps you’ll have news about a local business or activity, or a human interest story about someone you know.  Please join us to read and to share stories and news tips.

 

Don’t forget about our online classified ad service, which is also designed for Sequim and Port Angeles residents and is also free.

Very truly yours,

Charles Marunde
(360) 775-5424