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Farm Kitchen is phasing out its popular First Saturday breakfasts

Farm Kitchen’s First Saturday Breakfast is a monthly tradition for many North Kitsap residents. This spring, that tradition will come to a close.

Farm Kitchen announced this week it will discontinue its popular monthly breakfasts after May.

Co-owner Anne Thatcher said Farm Kitchen’s other ventures are blossoming and they no longer have the energy and resources to keep the breakfasts going.

“It’s just time to close that chapter in our business,” Thatcher said.

Thatcher and co-owner Hollis Fay began offering breakfasts at the Port Gamble Road farmyard 17 years ago. These days the event draws as many as 400 guests each month.

“The hard part is how very much we’ll miss seeing all our regulars on a regular basis,” Thatcher said. “That’s the sad thing to us.”

The final two breakfasts will be held from 8 a.m. to noon, April 2 and May 7. No reservations needed.

Breakfast regulars can still find Farm Kitchen fare at coffee shops and cafés in the area (there’s a listing here). The farm also rents out a commercial kitchen, and hosts weddings and other events.

Thatcher said its possible Farm Kitchen will offer occasional breakfasts in the future. You can check the the business’s page on Facebook for updates.

Read our feature on the Farm Kitchen breakfasts here. Photos by Meegan Reid / Kitsap Sun.

Point Casino hotel groundbreaking set for Sept. 10

Tad Sooter

Work on a new Point Casino Hotel officially gets underway next week.

Noo-Kayet Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony from 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 10, according to a news release. The 94-room hotel is expected to open a year from now.

PGST Chairman Jeromy Sullivan and other tribal and project leaders will speak about the hotel, what it means to the tribe and local economy, and how the traditional art installations throughout the property will create a cultural connections between the tribe and guests.

The event is free to the public and will include a blessing of the land and project before construction begins the next day.

“The Point Hotel has been a vision for the tribe for some time now,” Noo-Kayet Development Corp. CEO Chris Placentia said. “A lot of attention has been paid to ensure that we’re creating a high quality, comfortable customer experience that’s also reflective and respectful of the Tribe’s culture.”

Kitsap Tours seeking new owners

Tad Sooter

The owners of sightseeing company Kitsap Tours have set their sights on retirement.

Founders Jean and Jim Boyle plan to step away after their tour season ends in November. They hope to sell the company before then.

“I’d like to see someone take the business and do a lot more with it, rather than shutting the doors and selling the bus,” Jean said. “There are so many more opportunities.”

Kitsap Tours picks up passengers from the Bainbridge Island ferry and shuttles them to popular West Sound destinations. A video monitor in the bus plays interpretive footage along the way.

The company’s three main tour packages include a visit to Bloedel Reserve, an excursion around Bainbridge Island, and a foray from the island into Poulsbo, Port Gamble and Suquamish.Trips to the Olympic Peninsula and local farms are offered periodically. The business operates four days a week.

Jean sees potential for a new owner to expand Kitsap Tours with more vehicles (it currently has one bus) and a broader offering of tours and shuttle services. She said the company grown steadily since launching in 2010 and drew more than 1,000 tourists to Kitsap last year. It’s well reviewed on sites like TripAdvisor.

The Boyles are looking forward to spending more time in their garden, but they’ll also miss life as tour guides.

“It’s just fun,” Jean said. “It’s a fun business.”

Read our 2010 story on the launch of Kitsap Tours here. For more on the sale of Kitsap Tours, click here.

Pope Resources CEO leaving for Rayonier

Tad Sooter

blog.pope David Nunes, president and CEO of timber company Pope Resources, is leaving the company to join Rayonier Inc.

Nunes plans to depart Pope at the end of the month, according to a Monday news release. He led Pope for 12 years.

The Pope board of directors has already begun a search for Nunes’ replacement. Longtime CFO Thomas Ringo will serve as interim CEO.

“We are tremendously appreciative of the job Dave has done in his 12 years as CEO of the Partnership,” lead director Douglas Norberg said in the release. “We wish him the best as he embarks on his new responsibilities at Rayonier.

Pope Resources is based in Poulsbo. It owns the town of Port Gamble and large swaths of forestland in North Kitsap. Pope and its subsidiaries, Olympic Resource Management and Olympic Property Group, own or manage a total of 204,000 acres of timberland and development property in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Florida-based Rayonier owns or manages 2.6 million acres of timberland and produces wood fiber products.

Bookstore, psychic medium open in Port Gamble

Tad Sooter

Port Gamble added two new businesses in the last few weeks.

No. 7 Books and psychic medium Ankhasha Amenti each celebrated grand openings Wednesday, according to a Port Gamble news release. Both are right at home in a town that’s recently earned a reputation for supernatural happenings as well as its rich history.

No. 7 Books

The new, used and rare bookstore is the second location opened by owners Danya Simkus and Rik Scott. The store opened in House No. 7, which was built in 1863.

Spanning six rooms, the store carries hard-to-find books on wide-ranging topics. Staff picks and antiques are displayed in the entrance. The kitchen is stocked with cookbooks and gardening manuals. A special “Houdini” room houses titles on everything from religion to the supernatural.

A fourth room has a weighty collection of political science texts, memoirs and biographies. Lighter fare is found in a fifth room full of paperbacks. The sixth room is a writers room, where aspiring authors can practice their craft.

For more information on store hours, classes and events, call No. 7 Books at 360-881-0489.

Ankhasha Amenti, psychic medium Continue reading →