Episode 92 of Podyallup is for Friday, September 11, 2026. The episode begins with a reflection on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks before returning to the show's usual local focus: transportation, schools, high school sports, value for value, and rodeo weekend at the Washington State Fair.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Twenty-five years after September 11, the host remembers being 14 years old, turning on SportsCenter to watch Mariners highlights, and then seeing the television switched to the news after a phone call from his aunt.

The day unfolded unevenly at school. Some classes continued almost normally, while English and history opened the divider between their rooms and treated the attacks as history happening in real time.

For people who lived through that day, the details remain vivid. For younger people, including the host's children, September 11 is now something encountered through books, documentaries, and the memories of people who were there.

The living bridge to history

The anniversary leads to a larger reflection on what one generation owes the next.

The host connects that idea to Indigenous civilizations in the Americas, where disease caused catastrophic population loss after European contact. When elders, children, and entire communities disappear in a short span of time, enormous amounts of cultural knowledge can disappear with them.

The lesson is that knowledge is not automatically preserved. Communities have to transmit their stories, practices, history, and experience deliberately.

That is one reason Podyallup stays focused on local life. National and international issues matter, but there is also value in preserving the stories of the place immediately around us.

A new toll road in the South Sound

An email from the Washington State Department of Transportation announces a new tolled expressway opening September 13.

The new State Route 167 connection links Interstate 5 with State Route 509 near the Port of Tacoma. It is intended to provide another route through the area, improve access to downtown Tacoma and Interstate 5, and give freight traffic a more direct route to the port.

Drivers with a Good To Go! account and pass will pay $1 for a standard two-axle vehicle. The road is tolled in both directions throughout the day, and carpools and motorcycles also pay to use it.

Larger vehicles pay more based on axle count. Three-axle vehicles pay $1.50, four axles cost $2, five axles cost $2.50, and six or more axles cost $3 with Good To Go! rates.

The host is skeptical of another toll but concedes that this one may be relatively fair. Drivers can avoid it, and for some trips the time and fuel savings may exceed the cost.

More information about tolling is available at mygoodtogo.com.

Gesa Credit Union and local school support

Puyallup School District is participating in Gesa Credit Union's affinity debit card program.

Members can choose debit cards branded for local schools, including Puyallup, Rogers, and Emerald Ridge. Everyday purchases made with those cards help generate contributions back to participating schools.

It is a small example of a community support mechanism that requires very little extra effort from people already using the credit union.

Phones, laptops, and the classroom

The episode returns to the district's updated electronic-device policy and the broader question of how much technology belongs in the classroom.

The host continues to support stronger limits on student phones and argues that schools should also reconsider universal laptop use.

He is not arguing against technology literacy. Students need to learn how to type, use software, navigate files, research effectively, and understand computers.

The question is whether that requires a device sitting in front of every student throughout the school day.

Bring back the computer lab?

One alternative is the old computer-lab model.

Students could use shared computers deliberately for typing, software, research, and technology instruction while spending more classroom time reading, writing by hand, discussing difficult texts, and learning to think without constant digital distraction.

Shared equipment could also reduce replacement costs and damage compared with issuing a relatively new laptop to every student.

Educational games such as Oregon Trail and Odell Lake are offered as examples of technology that taught both subject matter and basic computer skills without trying to occupy every minute of the school day.

Reading, writing, and critical thinking

The larger concern is critical thinking.

Students need repeated experience with complex texts, sustained reading, handwritten writing, conversation, argument, and ideas that have survived long enough to deserve serious attention.

Technology can support that work, but it should not replace the work itself. The host argues that classrooms may benefit from being a little less stimulating and a little more demanding.

Football around the SPSL

Fall sports continue across the South Puget Sound League.

Puyallup opened its football season with a 57-point performance against Rocky Mountain High School in Idaho. Emerald Ridge also opened with a win over Gig Harbor.

Rogers had a more difficult opener against Auburn Riverside and gets a chance to rebound as non-conference play continues.

Volleyball, soccer, and other fall sports

Volleyball is also underway, with early wins for Puyallup, Rogers, and Emerald Ridge.

Girls soccer, cross country, swimming and diving, golf, and boys tennis are also beginning their fall schedules.

Current schedules and standings are available at spsl.org.

Value for value

Podyallup is a value-for-value show. Listeners can support it by sharing an episode, sending local stories, contributing family history, suggesting events, or providing information that would improve a future episode.

Small recurring donations are especially useful because they provide a signal that the show is worth continuing.

To support the show financially, visit podyallup.com/donate.

To send a story, opinion, correction, or local tip, email andrew@podyallup.com.

Rodeo weekend at the Washington State Fair

Week two of the Washington State Fair is rodeo weekend.

Friday begins with the rodeo breakfast, followed by the 26th annual rodeo parade and cattle drive through downtown Puyallup.

The parade is non-motorized and includes real cattle moving down Meridian, marching bands, equestrian drill teams, horse-drawn entries, costumed characters, and other community groups.

Dancing in the Dirt and rodeo events

Dylan Marlow performs a Dancing in the Dirt concert Friday night.

Saturday includes the Boots, Barbecue & Bull Riding Party in the Expo Hall. The event features a barbecue buffet, a no-host bar, live country music, line-dancing instruction, western games, a mechanical bull, photo opportunities, raffles, and giveaways.

Rodeo performances continue through the weekend, including the PRCA Cinch Playoffs wildcard events and Sunday finals.

More information is available at thefair.com.

Closing

Episode 92 closes with thanks to everyone who listens, sends local information, and supports the show. New episodes of Podyallup release every Friday.