Model Tested: 2014 Nissan Versa Note SV Engine: 1.6-liter DOHC I-4, 109-horsepower 107 lb-ft torque Transmission: CVT, front-wheel-drive EPA Ratings: 31-mpg city/ 40-mpg highway Base Price: $15,990 As Tested: $17,320 Performance: Comfort: Utility: WOW Factors: Whines: Bottom Line: The 2014 Nissan Versa Note subcompact is the company’s entry-level car, but it’s more than just an […]
Life
Posted inFood & Entertainment
In Search Of The Perfect Bite
It was time to revisit Brix 25. A fine-dining staple of the Gig Harbor community since it opened in 2004, the restaurant has changed hands three times in its short history. In 2008, after being named Restaurant of the Year by the Washington Wine Commission, it was purchased by husband-and-wife team Thad Lyman and Katie […]
Posted inHome, People & Places
Remodeler Wayne Keffer Follows His Dream
It’s possible to drive right past the office of WRK Construction, Inc., even with directions in hand. Owner Wayne Keffer operates out of a white, metal-sided barn across from the family home in the Central Valley area of Silverdale, and the single-lane, unmarked dirt road off a two-lane country road leading there is easy to […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Jeep Compass: The mini Grand Cherokee
By Bruce Caldwell The Jeep brand is one of the most iconic in the history of American automobiles. The parent company, Chrysler, has done everything possible to maximize the brand’s value. They have expanded beyond the marquee models Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee to offer the Compass and Patriot. These smaller, less-expensive models let budget-minded […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
2014 Buick LaCrosse
Model Tested: 2014 Buick LaCrosse Premium Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 304-horsepower 264 lb-ft torque Transmission: 6-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive EPA Ratings: 18-mpg city/ 28-mpg highway Base Price: $38,810 As Tested: $45,595 Performance: Comfort: Utility: WOW Factors: Whines: Bottom Line: The 2014 LaCrosse Premium is Buick’s flagship sedan and it exhibits all the upscale features expected of a […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Music To The Ears — The Piano Man
To the discriminating musician, the sound of a well-tuned piano is, well, music to the ears. And behind every well-tuned piano is a gifted tuner who uses part art and part skill to understand the instrument’s idiosyncrasies and make it sound its best. In Kitsap and Mason counties, that behind-the-scenes virtuoso is often Erren Barnhard, […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment, People & Places
Catching The Light
Jewelry designer Kristina “Tina” Bright has an easy smile, a vivacious personality and a talent for creating beautiful things: graceful, hand-tooled silver earrings; necklaces that sparkle and beg to be worn; bracelets adorned with a delightful, eclectic mix of crystal and beads. “I’ve had a passion for jewelry since I was a kid,” Bright says. […]
Posted inBehind The Wheel
An All-New Full-Size Flagship Sedan
At the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s (NWAPA) Run To The Sun event last summer, the participating manufacturers pitched their vehicles to the journalists present, with a brief Q&A after each presentation. When Kia came up, I asked if, considering the success of Hyundai’s full-size Genesis sedan (Hyundai owns a major stake in Kia), Kia didn’t […]
Posted inFeatured, Food & Entertainment
Feel-Good Café in West Bremerton
At one time everyone in America could walk down to the neighborhood café and enjoy a relaxing meal, or just a cup o’ joe. In West Bremerton, thanks to Heidi and Lowell Yoxsimer, you can do this again. Stepping into Hi-Lo’s 15th Street Café does feel a bit like stepping back in time to a […]