Arnold’s Home Furnishings in Bremerton has made a remarkable turnaround after a fire started by arsonists destroyed the store more than two years ago. The business reclaimed part of the old building that remained after the fire and despite a smaller footprint, the year-old space is as vibrant as ever. Customers are welcomed by the familiar “rooms” that replicate the design of a home, as well as some new areas such as an expanded mattress showroom.

This rebirth from the ashes, however, would not have happened had it not been for two longtime employees, Kathy Christensen and Steve Ford. When owner Betty Arnold decided she would not reopen after the fire, Christensen and Ford jumped in to buy the company’s assets and rebuild. read more »

Barbara Eddy has had a passion for horses for many years, and about three decades ago found a way to follow that passion. She moved from Seattle to Bainbridge Island after buying land to turn it into a farm. Through the years, her passion has evolved into Barnabee Farm, where she now boards 17 horses with the help of five employees. The facility also has a trainer who offers riding lessons, and outside experts occasionally come to offer workshops.

Eddy said she’s always been environmentally conscious about the stream that runs through the property. Salmon come upstream every few years to spawn. She has made sure horses have no access to the stream, and has also installed a storm-water settlement pond and a bioswale. read more »

Those familiar with Bremerton’s Charleston District may have noticed some changes in recent months. The area, dubbed the gateway to downtown, has been spruced up and beautified. Gone is some of the graffiti and old paint; parking lots have been lit up; and new events have been welcoming neighbors and community members.

“We’re rejuvenated. We’ve got a lot of energy and have 100% participation from businesses and in the past four months achieved more than we have in eight years,” said Sally Glivar, owner of Great American Furniture located on 6th Street and president of the Charleston Business Association. read more »

Northcoast Yachts, a builder of custom yachts, has announced that it will relocate its operations from the Port of Tacoma to Port Orchard. Owner Steve Yadvish made the announcement at a press conference at Yachtfish Marine in Port Orchard, which he also owns. He has another Yachtfish boatyard on Lake Union in Seattle.

Yadfish purchased the assets of Northcoast in 2003, and reopened the company. “Everything was in place: the yard, the molds, the reputation, and even the workforce,” he stated. “I knew we could build beautiful yachts there — the equivalent of a Rolls Royce on the water.” read more »

David George has tried various exercise programs over the years but for the past month or so, his new routine has improved his everyday living with COPD. The 68-year-old Bremerton resident has been developing new breathing techniques and building up his stamina, and has already noticed a difference when he’s outdoors fishing or performing daily tasks.

“My everyday life is better and it’s easier for me to walk and to breathe,” he said.

George has been coming in three times a week to the newly open Haselwood Family YMCA in Silverdale, working up his endurance on a bicycle and other machines under the guidance of clinical coach Aaron Norton. And while he blends in with all the other Y members trying to get in some exercise, George is actually a Phase-3 cardiopulmonary rehabilitation patient at Harrison Medical Center. read more »

Site preparation for a new construction project can be a major expense, especially when there is a lot of grading involved. Traditionally, engineers have to use a little intuition to figure out how to move dirt around a site in order to minimize dirt “import.” Property owners would get a site designed, then send it out for bids — while likely already making loan payments — and if the cost estimates turn out too high, they may send the project back to the drawing board.

Silverdale engineering and planning company MAP Ltd. has found a way around that process that can optimize the site design long before a project goes out for permitting and bidding. read more »

To the visitors and locals looking to “get away,” Clearwater Casino Resort is a place where they can escape from the world for a few hours or days. To Kitsap County, it is part of the economic base — Port Madison Enterprises, which operates the casino and hotel as the business arm of the Suquamish Tribe, is the county’s third-largest private employer, behind only Harrison Medical Center and Walmart (based on 2010 numbers from the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance). But to the Suquamish Tribe, Clearwater is not only a way to be sustainable, it is also one of the avenues that help provide programs for tribe members.

“The goal is to make a profit but also to help provide for the needs of the tribe and create jobs — as well as diversify,” said Port Madison Enterprises CEO Russell Steele. read more »

When Rice Fergus Miller Architecture and Planning moved into its new headquarters at the beginning of June, one of Bremerton’s long-abandoned buildings came back to life, housing one of Kitsap’s fastest-growing businesses. The building, which in its former life was a Sears auto center, was built to LEED Platinum standards (the highest possible) and once certified, will become the first Platinum commercial building on the Olympic Peninsula.

The architectural firm is not new to the idea of repurposing old buildings — it had previously transformed a vacant Good Guys retail box into a medical building and headquarters for The Doctors Clinic, an efficiently functioning space that features innovative design. Neither is the company new at designing a super-green building: read more »

Hundreds of real estate brokers have left the business in the past three years as the business became tougher and tougher. But many local Realtors not only held tight for this ride, they’ve done it several times before.

We spoke with a few local veterans who have been in the industry for three decades or longer and asked them why they still like their jobs.

Georg Syvertsen, managing broker with Coldwell Banker McKenzie on Bainbridge Island, started out in sales when he was young. He stumbled into real estate after getting tired of bouncing from one location to another around the country following a corporate career. read more »