For the past four years, Sterling Financial Corporation has operated with two primary subsidiaries — Sterling Savings Bank, with a branch on Bainbridge Island, and Golf Savings Bank. Effective Aug. 1, Golf Savings Bank merged with Sterling Savings Bank. Customers now have access to over 170 bank locations throughout the Northwest, in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. read more »

The women of Kitsap County and the surrounding Olympic Peninsula will finally have one location for all diagnostic breast imaging services. Advanced Medical Imaging (AMI) announced that its Silverdale Women’s Diagnostic Center will offer every breast diagnostic exam for women.

Highly skilled radiologists and health care professionals will be able to promptly serve women who have breast conditions that require further evaluation. After a mammogram, if further study or biopsy is required to confirm something suspicious, the studies can be completed now all in one location. read more »

Cyndi Wilson and Mary Burson have opened CyndaMar Real Estate and Associates on the waterfront of downtown Gig Harbor. Together the pair has a combined 20 years of experience in Pierce, Kitsap and Mason Counties, specializing in residential, condo, investment and land sales.

CyndaMar’s agents are familiar with the local communities and have a proven track record of customer satisfaction.

CyndaMar is located at 8811 N Harborview Dr., Suite B, in Gig Harbor and can be reached at www.CyndaMar.com or call (253) 857-5588.

The origins of the pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) are largely unknown, although it is generally accepted that the modern form of the pasty originated in Cornwall England. Tradition claims that the pasty was originally made as lunch for Cornish tin miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat. The story goes that, covered in dirt from head to foot (including some arsenic often found with tin), they could hold the pasty by the folded crust and eat the rest without touching it, discarding the dirty portion (which was supposed to appease the spirits in the mines who might otherwise lead miners into danger). read more »

The newly formed non-profit, the Alliance of Women Owned Businesses (AWOB) is now accepting memberships. “The organization seeks to provide opportunities and resources to meet the real need for education, support and mentoring for women owners,” said Julie Taperro, president of West Sound Workforce and the original organizer of the emerging group. “We are forming to help women take their business to the next level. We are not a networking group per se, but we know good networking will happen.” read more »

Peninsula Cancer Center and The Doctors Clinic recently teamed up to form Peninsula Prostate Institute, to fill a void in coordinated prostate cancer care for patients on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas. The cornerstone of the Institute is to ensure that patients receive the highest level of care through a multidisciplinary team approach without traveling to Seattle to get it. Peninsula Prostate Institute offers top-level physicians, the most advanced treatment technologies, community education and research protocols. read more »

John and Marleen Madding, a husband and wife team, are changing the way Kitsap County eats, one meal at a time. Blenders offers Kitsap County a healthy alternative to the traditional fast food.

Blenders employs 13-20 Kitsap County young adults at its three locations, Silverdale, Bremerton and Port Orchard and purchases its produce as local as possible, supporting local businesses, Cuisine Med, Mirracole Morsels, CB’s Nuts and more. Blenders is a host site for Full Circle Farm, an organic 400 acre farm in Carnation. read more »

Amelia Carroll of Port Orchard has announced the opening of her professional practice in general psychotherapy.

Carroll is a licensed mental health counselor and is also certified in Thanatology: the study of dying, death, and bereavement. Her practice has a special emphasis on grief counseling and supporting those who are going through a loss and life transition.

As an interfaith minister, Carroll creates celebrations, rituals and blessings including funerals and weddings created to honor individuals’ wishes during important life passages. read more »

• McWilliams Road Safeway, East Bremerton
• Bucklin Hill Road Safeway, Silverdale
• Callow Avenue Safeway, West Bremerton

Riders can load their ORCA cards with E-purse, Kitsap Transit monthly bus passes, PugetPasses or Washington State Ferries monthly passes at Add Value locations. Other Kitsap County Add Value locations include the Kingston IGA, Bainbridge Island Safeway and Kitsap Transit’s Bremerton Customer Service Office. read more »