Gig Harbor Community Member

As fire season approaches, Gig Harbor mom says “Enough!”

Jun 14, 2023

We all know it’s coming: fire season. All year long, Gig Harbor-ites look forward to the summer months, when we can be outside and relish the beauty of living in the PNW. When summer arrives, I find myself sighing with relief: finally, my children can play outside! But it has come to be an unofficial

Wellness Wednesday: Alzheimer’s awareness and brain health

Jun 14, 2023

Alzheimer’s Disease is a sickness that we are all too familiar with. While factors play a role in contributing to one’s risk, there is no definite cause as to who will develop the disease as they age. As June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness Month, we feel it is important to educate our community

Forest bathing at Crescent Valley Lavender Farm

Jun 12, 2023

“Shinrin-yoku” is a Japanese term that translates to “forest bath.” It is the practice of spending time in the forest to absorb nature. Steeping your senses in natural surroundings encourages relaxation and stress relief. You can experience elevated forest bathing at Crescent Valley Lavender Farm in Gig Harbor, with its immense rolling hill of purple

The Brown lady who rang a doorbell in Gig Harbor

May 31, 2023

My name is Thelma Brown.  My husband and I are retired educators from Los Angeles and moved to Gig Harbor seven years ago. We have developed many wonderful friendships and have become very involved in several community activities. We bought a home in the Bellesara development where we had wonderful neighbors, but in October 2022

Letter to the editor: Keep cats inside during this noisy season

May 25, 2023

Many cats are reported lost here in Gig Harbor. Organizations advocating for animals do not advise allowing cats to roam outside. Cats are at the mercy of coyotes, raccoons, and dogs, as well as poisoned mice and cars. Unfortunately, studies have shown that cats are responsible for the diminishing numbers of songbirds. Some may use

Guest editorial: YMCA helps foster open and honest dialogue

May 23, 2023

The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties Bridge of Hope initiative sponsored two community dialogues on the topic of “Exploring the Complexity of Homelessness in the Gig Harbor Key Peninsula Community.” The Bridge of Hope‘s purpose is to “gather people within Pierce and Kitsap Counties who desire to increase civility, understanding, hope, and trust by

In the Margins: Bruce the boat whisperer keeps history afloat

May 17, 2023

Ask those who have owned an old wooden boat, and it’s likely they will tell you a story involving family lore, lessons learned, and a few blissful moments on the water. In the 1920s and ’30s, when the Skansie brothers were building commercial fishing boats in Gig Harbor, another pair of boatbuilding siblings — the

Wellness Wednesday: Mental Health Awareness Month

May 10, 2023

The Wellness Wednesday column is written by Scot Fleshman, an advanced registered nurse practitioner and board-certified family nurse practitioner. Fleshman and his wife, Jessica Hopkins, own Gig Harbor Primary Care. Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. for 73 years, and the need for awareness has only grown since then. Throughout the month of May,

Guest editorial: Midday Rotary delivers $4,000 worth of goods to Food Backpacks 4 Kids

May 01, 2023

Gig Harbor Midday Rotary initiated a project to provide extra food for Food Backpacks 4 Kids, a local food bank that provides essential food items for families with food insecurity on the Key Peninsula. The project’s objective was to mitigate food insecurity in the region, particularly during the months of March and April, which are

Guest column: Can you be your own general contractor?

Apr 26, 2023

Recently, when discussing budgeting for a residential addition and renovation project, I casually mentioned that general contractor profit and overhead is around 20 percent. My client asked the obvious follow-up: “If we are the general contractors, and do some of the work ourselves, can we save 20 percent?” Unfortunately, the math is not that simple.