James Graham is now walking the sidelines and sitting courtside as a sports writer for the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader.

Graham, a Port Townsend resident for one year, is a retired high school teacher who also had worked as a newspaper sports writer and photographer.

Graham was born in New York, graduated from high school in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and received his undergraduate degree from Suffolk University in Boston, and his graduate degree from San Francisco State University.

After working in the restaurant industry and the newspaper industry, he spent 25 years in public education; his last position was as a high school teacher in Foresthill, California, where he taught journalism, yearbook, photography, video production, current events and culinary arts.

After living here a year with his wife, Arlene, a graphic designer, the advertisement for a part-time sports writer at the Leader drew his interest.

“I used to write sports. I love sports. I’m a big baseball fan,” said Graham, who has been a high school baseball pitching coach. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the local coaches and the kids.”

Graham is taking on many of the sports department duties now done by Patrick J. Sullivan, Leader editor and sports editor.

To contact Graham, email

jamescgraham@mac.com