By Rodika Tollefson

KPBJ contributor

Bainbridge Island is a popular destination any time of the year, but the last Sunday of each February the island sees a particular swarm of activity. Thousands of bicyclists ride around the island for Chilly Hilly, a Cascade Bicycle Club event that kicks off the bicycling season. read more »

When patients come to see Dr. Kate D’Archangel at her Kingston office, they typically spend an entire hour with her. The naturopathic doctor not only talks with them about the concerns that brought them in, but tries to get a complete picture of what’s happening with them physically, mentally and emotionally.

“I look at the whole person, not just at the symptoms, to figure out a treatment plan,” she said. “I talk to patients a lot and ask a lot of questions to get the full range.” read more »

From Gig Harbor to Bainbridge Island, downtowns appear to prove that the economic recovery is giving small businesses their due. If commercial real estate activity seems sporadic in most cities, it’s because the number of building vacancies is smaller — in contrast to several years ago. read more »

 When Igvar “Iggy” Daga and Sean Matteson needed money last fall to grow their business, Iggy’s Foods, they knew a bank couldn’t help them. As word of mouth about Iggy’s fermented foods made the products more popular, the Bainbridge Island startup had been growing — but not enough to become bankable. read more »

When Asani Development was looking to create the concept for a new residential development on Bainbridge Island several years ago — in the midst of a slow real estate market — the development team knew they would have to come up with something unique. As they were exploring ideas for sustainable living including energy efficiency, Washington state adopted a new program to incentivize use of solar energy.

“Solar incentives were adopted (by the state) so it made economic sense. We decided it would be a very interesting challenge,” said Marja Preston, president of Asani and the lead of the team that developed what is known as the Grow Community.

The goal was to make the entire neighborhood a net-zero energy community and follow the principles of the One Planet Living program.
There were multiple challenges but one in particular was a question of economics. “For solar, there was only one manufacturer in the state and it was expensive,” said Kelly Samson, one of the original Asani developers of Grow. read more »

In one of Port Gamble’s most notable historic buildings, there are two walk-in vaults built in the 19th century for the office of the timber company that owned the thriving town.

Those vaults, as heavy and sturdy as banks of that era would have had, once sat behind an imposing counter with bars across the front, in the office where mill workers would come to collect their wages in silver in the early years before the company paid in script. The vaults are being repurposed and soon will be used to store wine bottles and beer kegs in a new bar at the Port Gamble General Store & Café.

When proprietors Kim Campbell — who previously owned a flower shop across the street — and Eric Kleiva bought a small deli and ice cream shop four years ago and expanded it into the store and café, they didn’t anticipate needing another expansion of their restaurant operation, which will occupy the whole first floor of the building when their remodeling project is complete. read more »

Ben Olsen has been around airports almost as long as the former military hangar where he works.

“I started out working for Gross Aviation down at the old South Tacoma airport when I was 13,” recalled Olsen, who recently turned 60. “I was one of the guys who rode his bicycle to the airport every day after school and on weekends and sat on the lot and watched airplanes.”

His aviation career started when the business owner’s wife noticed him hanging around and offered him $10 to sweep out their hangar.

But now the veteran airplane mechanic who runs his business, Associated Aviation, at Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor is engulfed in turbulence over his leased hangar read more »

MorMor is no more, but the Poulsbo couple who ran the successful bistro and wine bar for a decade are excited about what they’ll serve up next — bacon and eggs, among other less fancy fare.

Laura and John Nesby invited the community to the swan song for MorMor Bistro on Dec. 29, and they planned to be back early the next morning to start pulling up carpet for the remodeling project that will transform their Front Street establishment into The Green Light Diner.

All the years of culinary school and working at upscale West Coast restaurants to learn about fine cuisine and expensive wines read more »

Laura Kneib found a forgotten family keepsake last year, something that had been packed away with her late mother’s belongings for a long time. It wasn’t heirloom jewelry or vintage clothing or an old photo album.

It was two bars of soap, wrapped in wax paper.

It has sentimental value because it’s soap that Kneib and her mother made themselves, maybe 40 years ago or more, when their family lived in rural West Virginia and owned a general store that she describes as “an old-fashioned mercantile.”

Today, Kneib is a fledgling entrepreneur whose handmade soaps are fragrant, artistic creations, but they have something in common with the plain white squares of homemade soap from her youth. read more »