Passing through Ellensburg in pear season, one is compelled to stop at a fruit stand and be enraptured by the presence of firm, ripe, voluptuous pears. Pears can be red, green and yellow in color, and they grow in sizes from prune-sized seckels … read more

For local gardeners, fall is the time to clean out garden beds and get bulbs in the ground. The mild climate of West Sound makes it ideal for growing a wide range of spring-blooming bulbs, with crocuses, hellebores, cyclamen, daffodils, tulips and grape … read more

Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from “36 Bottles of Wine,” by Paul Zitarelli, recently released by Sasquatch Books. There you are, casually negotiating pizza toppings with your friends. Someone blithely mentions mushrooms. Heads nod around the room. Universal approval. Does a … read more

With thousands of color options, selecting a perfect shade for a painting project can seem like an overwhelming and almost impossible task. These are the top painting mistakes and how you can avoid them for a smooth paint selection process. Mistake 1: Assuming … read more

For many students, now is the time when their college lists have started to take shape. They’ve (hopefully) gotten ahead with their college essays, and now they’re sorting out one of the final pieces of the application puzzle: deadlines. After dedicating so much … read more

Kitsap residents can now recycle their used cooking oil for free at the South Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility in Olalla. This is the fourth cooking oil recycling station in the county. Why is it important to recycle used cooking oil? Cooking oil … read more

Editor’s note: This excerpt was adapted from “Cooking from Scratch: 120 Recipes from Colorful, Seasonal Food from PCC Markets,” recently released from Sasquatch Books. Used by permission. In the Pacific Northwest, when we experience several straight months of cool, overcast weather, it pays … read more

Kitsap County 4-H Clubs kick off their new year and a special partnership with the Kitsap Mall at a Welcome to 4-H! event from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Kitsap Mall, 10315 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale. Learn more about … read more

Depression in older adults is a serious concern. The National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in the elderly to be a major public-health problem. It is estimated that in the United States, 6 million persons aged 65 and older suffer from depression, … read more