Five-year-old Kavi Ostrom announced one day to her mother, “These plants aren’t doing well because we haven’t put enough compost on them.” Maia Ostrom said, laughing, “I’m pretty sure that Kavi will be running the farm soon.” Maia Ostrom and her husband, Erik, … read more

Every West Sound birder has heard it. Someone claiming to have seen a blue jay. Yes, the individual saw a “blue jay,” but it was likely not a bona fide blue jay, a common species in the central and eastern United States and … read more

Buy American-built furniture and upholstery slipcovers to reduce your impact on global warming. Not the typical sales pitch if you’re in the market for a new sofa. However, a conversation with Bainbridge Island entrepreneur and designer Mary Terry can be very convincing. You’ll … read more

Retirement communities of today feature best-in-class contemporary architecture with open layouts, clean lines and modern finishes with all the amenities one could imagine. A common trend is taking cues from surrounding areas, whether it be beautiful, lush greenery or vast desert landscape, and … read more

Melanie Dressel was a banker and the CEO of Columbia Bank. She knew values. She knew the value of small towns like Colville, Washington, where she grew up; and the value of her husband, Bob, and their family. She knew the value of … read more

Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) is partnering with REI and Kitsap County Parks Department to connect people to the outdoors through a community stewardship event at Howe Farm Park in Port Orchard on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 28. Volunteers will work together … read more

Play is important for everyone, no matter their age — and when grandparents, parents and children play together, that’s where the real benefits of unstructured fun are discovered. “Play time with adults of different ages is not just a chance for families to … read more

The unmistakable, booming, Italian-accented, jovial voice of Michele “Mike” Simone leaves no doubt Il Lucano is Gig Harbor’s iconic Italian restaurant. Simone makes the rounds of tables, greeting customers, inquiring about the quality of food and thanking them for patronizing his business. “I … read more

A great many things have changed since 1969: the world, technology, the Kitsap Peninsula, Gig Harbor. But The Beach Basket, a mainstay iconic retail store in Gig Harbor, has remained. Since 1969, The Beach Basket and the Schmidtke family have toiled through all … read more