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 collaboration with work colleagues and employees. And the value of giving back […]
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Posted inPeople & Places
A Visit to the Amazon Rainforest
Visiting the Amazon Rainforest is akin to being a teeny insect in the greatest biodiverse area on the planet. It’s humongous and you will never see it all — 2.1 million square miles. One-fifth of the freshwater flowing into the Earth’s oceans comes from the Amazon River. The Amazon has more than 40,000 different kinds […]
Posted inAt Home
5 Tips for Keeping Your Young Kids Safe
We all like to think of our homes as secure havens where our families can retreat from the world in peace and comfort. While most of us do everything we can to protect our children from harm, records show that in the United States, some 2,000 children 14 and younger succumb to preventable injuries in […]
Posted inGarden
An Outdoor Space to Savor and Share
When Kathy Hawkins moved to this region after 40 years in Fairbanks, Alaska, where winters got to 60 degrees below, she threw herself into gardening, undeterred by deer. With tremendous energy and commitment, Hawkins has involved herself in the many gardening resources the area has to offer. In the 15 years since she and her […]
Posted inHome
Adventurous Waterfront Remodel
In contemplating retirement, Kevin and Cheri McCorkle considered options: buy a recreational vehicle and hit the road, maybe tackle more exotic travel or simply remodel their home of 15 years. They chose the remodel. Little did they know that they were embarking on a two-and-a-half-year trip in every sense of the word. Retirement and relaxation […]
Posted inAround West Sound
Tips for Staying Safe Around the Water
Summer means that more children spend time in and around water areas such as pools, lakes and oceans. Like many parents, you worry about your children’s safety around water, no matter how old they are. According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children aged 1-4, and the third leading […]
Posted inCommunity News
Two Local Groups Partner to Preserve Scenic Shoreline and Forest
Great Peninsula Conservancy has partnered with Friends of Miller Bay to save 13 acres of critical forest and shoreline habitat on Miller Bay in north Kitsap County. The preserve connects conserved lands in the Grovers Creek Watershed. Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) — a land trust working in Kitsap, north Mason, and west Pierce counties — […]
Posted inGarden
It’s the Season to Tern, Tern, Tern
The summer months bring numerous visitors to West Sound’s shorelines. Some enjoy beach walks, while others prefer a picnic. Boats abound and kites fly high. The wintering waterfowl have long since departed and are raising their families in the sunny Arctic. Marine birds that winter in the South are here for the summer. Among the […]
Posted inPeople & Places
The Panama Canal — World’s Greatest Shortcut
You don’t need to be an engineer or construction worker or sea merchant to appreciate it. In fact, it’s just as fascinating for its historic, geologic and economic attributes. The Panama Canal is one of the ultimate modern-day structures of the world, and cruising through it is diverting for just about anyone. There are several […]