The smoke alarm never sounded. One minute Cynthia Allen was working on her laptop; the next, smoke was rising into the room. A faulty light fixture in the basement below turned Allen’s quiet day of work into panic, loss and more than a … read more

To really understand a place, take a look at its past. Knowing what things were like a century or two ago gives us clues to how we got to where we are today. A trip to the Kitsap History Museum in downtown Bremerton … read more

Ah, Italy! Ancient ruins, century-old churches and basilicas, wonderful restaurants and markets, picture-book scenery, canals, rolling hills, vineyards as far as the eye can see, boutique wineries and friendly people. What’s not to like? Well, it all depends on when you go. If … read more

Winter brings long, dark days, and historically humans have found ways to chase away the darkness. The tradition of festooning homes with evergreen boughs, berries and cones dates back to pagan times. In Europe, pre-Germanic people gathered evergreens because they are sturdy, last … read more

A passion for gardening is often passed down from generation to generation, and for Dorene Fretwell, that is certainly true. Fretwell has been a certified Master Gardener since 2007 and has used her horticulture knowledge, creativity and intuition to create a beautiful woodland … read more

Walk into the small office of Harvey’s Butter Rum Batter in Bremerton and one of the first things you notice is a framed poster of the 1950s-era movie “Harvey,” starring Jimmy Stewart. If you’re unfamiliar with the tale, Harvey was an invisible rabbit … read more

Barely into winter, and the signs of the season are everywhere. The vibrant aspects of warmer times have left for sunnier climates. Anything left in the shadow of a sunless sky is rendered drab by the unending gloom of rain. Now that West … read more

After months of deliberation and dozens of drive-by trips, a young couple decided to follow their hearts. They stopped the car and fastened a note to the mailbox of the old farmhouse. “We’re looking for a place to raise a family,” the note … read more

Paulette Hoflin is a sculptor known for the uncommon material she chooses. This material can be less than an eighth of an inch in size, but when gathered en masse by multiple stitches of fine thread, the beads can take on the three-dimensional … read more