Behind the Music Scene – October 2026

I’M PART OF a very loose coalition of people who take daily walks in Jacksonville. You might have seen me; I’m the guy with the big headphones. Until recently, the best part of any walk was running into Belita Palu-ay, the “coolest person in town,” per my wife and the unofficial Mayor of Jacksonville, per anyone who paid attention for the past five years..

One day recently on my walk I passed Belita’s “space,” the historic Milo Caton House on Third Street, and saw… moving trucks.

I’d known it was coming. After a run that included being named Jacksonville Citizen of the Year in 2024, stints as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Associate Editor of the Jacksonville Review and the celebrated Third Thursdays on Third series, Belita is moving onto new challenges in Washington State. She burned bright, she burned quick and, as the Boy Scouts might say, she “left this world a little better than (she) found it.”

This world, of course, being Jacksonville.

Belita moved to Jacksonville in 2021. She arrived with a vision. “She made a decision early on to contribute,” recalls her friend, local business owner Matt Katzenson. “She’s an incredibly visionary who gets things done.”

Part of that vision was Belita Space, her multi-disciplinary plan for the Caton House. Purchased as a true “fixer-upper,” Belita transformed it into a combination home, short-term rental space and massage studio, plus an unofficial gallery to display the ceramics she sold at festivals and at Fry Family Farm and Pennington Farms. During summer, Belita Space became home to Third Thursdays, a monthly fundraising event showcasing local musicians and local restaurants, designed to do well while also doing good.

“She came up with (the Third Thursday on Third) series because she wanted to give back to the community,” says Realtor Sandy Brown, who helped sponsor the series. “She found local non-profits that didn’t have a major funding source and wanted to raise money to help them out. She made it look so easy.”

With the Chamber she was an innovator and unifier, working with local businesses, says Matt Katzenson, to “understand their needs and put things into action.” Per Sandy Brown, Belita “modernized” the Chamber with a new website, new marketing ideas and purposeful work to improve “relationships between the Chamber and the city.”

For awhile it seemed Belita was everywhere but the most impressive part of Belita isn’t her energy; it’s the warmth of the woman herself. Says Jacksonville resident Kylee Otto, “Belita makes you feel like the most important person in her life. The first time I met her I felt like we’d been friends forever.”

“She’s passionate about community engagement and the arts, “Jacksonville Mayor Donna Bowen said while naming Belita the 2024 Jacksonville Citizen of the Year, “deeply grateful for meaningful connections and has a profound sense of community.”

Speaking for that community, I know we’ll all miss you, Belita. Our loss is Washington State’s gain.

Featured image: Belita Palu-ay with Trevor. Photo by Martina Patella