Q. How would you best describe your experience as mayor at this point in your term? A. Very positive. I jumped right in having studied the city and what it takes. I was ready to give it everything I had, but I need to eat and get sleep and I have put that on the back burner, which I realize I can’t anymore. Stressful is another good word. Each day is a 70-page chapter. I don’t have the luxury of looking back, just stay positive and look forward and be solution oriented. Q. Wh

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and it is very fitting that it is also Occupational Therapy (OT) Month because it is this allied health profession that has been instrumental in improving the function, independence and quality of life for folks with not only Parkinson’s disease (PD) but all neurologic disorders. Almost everyone knows an older person with Parkinson’s disease. According to the National Institute of Health, Parkinson’s affects more than 1 million people in

A beautiful waterfront and harbor such as Gig Harbor sends out a siren song that calls to the boater within, and next thing you know you are buying a boat. At least that is what happened to Gig Harbor Yacht Club Commodore Christine Neely and her husband David. The two owned a small ski boat when they were invited to attend a GHYC function in 2011. They found the club members so nice that they attended another event and then joined the club. After an afternoon on a club member

Getting a child comfortable in and around water should be at the top of every parent’s to-do list. According to the Center for Disease Control, there was an average of 3,536 drownings per year in the United States from 2005 to 2014; about 10 per day. One in five of those drownings were children under the age of 14. When someone begins to panic in the water, instincts take over and actually hurt your chances of survival. Your body works to keep your head above water creating a

Fifteen minutes doesn’t seem like a particularly long time. Most of us can have our coffee, eat our breakfast, brush our teeth and be out the door to work in about that time. For local filmmaker Kit Wilson, 15 minutes is the culmination of years of being inspired, a willingness to follow a childhood dream and a symbol of countless hours spent by many people to accomplish their goal; a short film. Wilson’s first film, “Trick Shop,” is just 15 minutes in length, but the journey

It has been two-and-a-half years since Susan Ricketts made her first visit as a volunteer to the Red Barn Youth Center in Gig Harbor. She remembers the teenage girl she encountered who was frustrated with her assignment to find pictures of food to out cut of a magazine. ​ “She had cut out pictures of Oreos and processed lunch meat,” Ricketts recalled. “She did not identify the bunches of bananas or fresh produce as food. It was clear that the only food this child had at home

Inspiration often comes at strange times, and those who are truly inspired can almost always pinpoint the exact moment that changed their lives forever. For longtime Gig Harbor resident and auto-shop owner Howard Mackert, that moment was when he heard that someone he reached out to help had ended up back in jail. “It broke my heart,” said Howard. “If only she had a dependable car she would be out and still improving her life.” ​ Howard’s story begins at a Friday morning rotar

Poverty exists in areas you would not expect: Whether you are in Gig Harbor or on Bainbridge Island, there are families who can’t make ends meet. This is what Bob Maynard and Barbara Bandoli want you to know about your communities. The pair was writing grants for the Eastside Baby Corner (EBC), an organization that since 1990 has been helping feed, clothe and keep safe children across King County, when they decided the greater Gig Harbor area could use a branch specific to th

For Hayley Nichols, school was her escape. It was the place where she could feel safe and where she knew she would receive nourishment of her body and soul. Now in her early 40s, Nichols said growing up in a family with four sisters and in an unstable environment, she was forced to find her own way at an early age. Her father had been injured and unable to work, her mom worked several jobs to try and make ends meet, and they also received public assistance. And there was alco

For many in and around Gig Harbor, there is more recreation done on water than on land. While plenty of locals enjoy a good walk, hike or bike ride, many also enjoy paddling their kayak or stand-up paddleboard, a good hard swim or a relaxing cruise around the bay with the wind as propulsion. Sailing can be as relaxing or as intense as you would like it to be, and volunteers from the Gig Harbor Yacht Club are helping introduce this way of life to the next generation. ​ Started

Photos courtesy of Harbor Montessori & Curious By Nature. Few things cause more parental angst than finding the right fit for their child’s first school experience. Preschool often begins as early as age 2 to 3, and pre-kindergarten programs are common for 4- and 5-year-olds. Parents want preschool to be fun, safe, enriching and meaningful; we want our beloved “littles” to be delighted, challenged, understood and inspired. With the uniquely tailored experiences available for

Many of us have hobbies. It can be collecting, antiquing, creating crafts or art. For others, it’s cooking, mixology, travel or outdoor activities like hiking, biking, fishing or skiing. Hobbies are something we enjoy during our downtime away from work as a way to relax and let our minds run away from the stresses of day-to-day life. We often discover these things through our parents, spouses or family friends, and often what begins as a simple hobby, becomes a major influenc

“Dogs are minor angels, and I don’t mean that facetiously. They love unconditionally, forgive immediately, are the truest of friends, willing to do anything that makes us happy.” – Jonathan Carroll When you look into the eyes of a golden retriever, what do you see? In those large and innocent brown eyes, I see hopefulness, playfulness, and of course love. But perhaps the particular eyes you see reflecting love back to you are different. They may belong to a pug, a spaniel or

Real estate has always been more than just a livelihood for the Morris family. Helping people buy and sell homes gave Tom Morris Sr. and his sons Tom and Dave the resources to give back to the community they love since Purdy Realty was established in its current location in 1956. The current incarnation of the business established by the family patriarch remains at the same location, 11515 Burnham Dr. in Gig Harbor. The faces inside may have changed over the decades and so ha

During the holiday season, one could say that daily miracles occur because of the giving spirit that abounds. Community members strive to reach out to those in need, strangers greet each other with smiles, family members renew relationships, and everyday life becomes a gentler version of itself. This yearly transformation that is witnessed in communities all across the country could be considered a miracle in and of itself. During the month of December, we celebrate holidays

Living alone in his studio apartment in Port Angeles, Don Edwards did not resemble the type of individual most people would normally associate as a test pilot for the latest innovation from the engineers at Boeing. Edwards had secluded himself in his one-bedroom apartment for 15 years, watching television after a stroke had left him paralyzed on one side. “It was an awful situation. He had very few friends and just sat there all day, every day alone,” said Dean Childs. “Lucki

As the Gig Harbor Film Festival gears up for an exciting ninth year, the organization is being overseen by new leadership as Jenny Wellman takes the helm as executive director. The 2016 festival is scheduled for October 20 through 23 and will feature another stellar lineup of independent films. Wellman has worked as a corporate tax analyst and in accounting roles for LCI International, Westin Hotels Corporation and VONS Corporation. She moved to Gig Harbor from Ohio six years

Just because the Gig Harbor chapter of Soroptimist International is one of the newest clubs in the organization—and one of the smallest—does not mean the members cannot think big when it comes to service projects to empower women in their own community. ​ Past President Nita Sutich said she was driving through town in deep discussion with Diana Chapman several years ago trying to think of how the small band of determined women could make an impact on the women and children in

Olympic swimmer and gold medalist, Amanda Beard, not only calls Gig Harbor home, she’s sharing her passion for water safety for children at her upcoming school, Beard Swim Co. ​ Beard made Olympic history as the youngest athlete competing at the 1996 summer games and winning one gold and two silver medals. She competed in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a total of seven Olympic medals. Since then, she’s been busy with business ventures, children and her memoir, “In

The future of the Peninsula Shopping Center has been the subject of considerable debate for some time now. Among the possibilities for the site is a phased redevelopment that would make it a “live-work” place with apartments and community spaces. Prior to April of 2015, Jon Rose, president of the Olympic Property Group (OPG), approached the owners of Gig Harbor's Peninsula Shopping Center (PSC) after learning the Milgard family, the current owners, was interested in the possi