Editor’s note: College search should be in high gear if your child is a senior. Since this can be quite overwhelming, WestSound Magazine asked Bhavin Parikh, CEO and founder of test-prep company Magoosh, five questions to help parents and students navigate this process. … read more

In 1908, Zenhichi Harui came to Bainbridge Island from Japan and started growing plants and flowers, selling them at a small farm stand. The business grew to include a general store, gas station and gardens that attracted visitors from far and wide. The … read more

A walk through Lisa and Glenn Eastep’s garden makes it clear that creative minds are at work here — from the clipped gables and rolled-edge roof of the cottage-style home they designed to the inviting, arched entry gate and the foliage colors that … read more

We are fortunate to have been in a strong building economy for the last year, and it appears that it will continue for some time. The downside for consumers is the availability of quality contractors and tradespeople. The economic downturn wreaked havoc on … read more

The arrival of an AARP invitation in the mail can be a trigger that sends a person off like the proverbial dog looking for its forever home. It may come as a shock —”What?! I’m nowhere near old enough for retirement!” — but … read more

Stepping into the foyer of Brian and Holly Jacobsen’s home and looking into the great room, one is struck by the amazing light flooding through the massive expanse of windows that face the water. White millwork and a well-chosen monochromatic color scheme of … read more

Betty Skinner has been volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club’s Bremerton Teen Center for about five years. She felt compelled to get involved with the organization due to the support and esteem-building it provides for youth. When the teen center was built … read more

To row single-handedly from Poulsbo to Seattle in a small rowboat requires propelling some 16 nautical miles through a major transportation waterway teeming with ferries, Alaska-bound cruise ships, container vessels and recreational boaters. It also demands navigation of the Ballard Locks, two gates … read more

Tanzanites blue as deep water. Opals encasing ethereal galaxies. Pearls with the sheen of a satin negligee, and diamonds that twinkle like the look in a lover’s eye. Yes, indeed. There’s something about jewels that lights up a happy place in the human … read more