Sophia Soltes

For many, graduating the 8th grade is little more than a box to check on the way to high school. Students at Woodward Middle School, however, mark the milestone in a more memorable way. For more than 65 years, 8th graders completing their middle school careers have gathered to celebrate their achievements at the 8th Grade Banquet—an event that has evolved over time from a modest spaghetti dinner to an all-out extravaganza.

Terry Birch frequently shares photos on Facebook of the wildlife who find his yard, near Fletcher Bay simply irresistible. He luckily snapped this black bear last July.

‍If you want authentic street tacos—like the ones they make in Mexico City—you have three choices: fly to Mexico City, take the 90-minute trip to Kent or visit Bainbridge Tacos. 

‍If you want authentic street tacos—like the ones they make in Mexico City—you have three choices: fly to Mexico City, take the 90-minute trip to Kent or visit Bainbridge Tacos. 

In 2019, Proper Fish opened on Bainbridge Island to large crowds and even larger acclaim—its fish and chips were once named the best in the city by the Seattle Times. Fans heaped praise on menu favorites, such as fish tacos and lobster rolls. And Proper Fish collected numerous Best of Bainbridge awards.

Each fall, Bainbridge is treated to the magical autumnal leaves of the island’s stunning Japanese maples.

Helpline House: Serving One in 10 Islanders Each Year. Helpline House is constructing a building that should serve its island clients for at least 50 years. Demolition of the old building, at 282 Knechtel Way NE, began in the spring, and if all goes according to plan, the new facility will open at that same location in May 2026, said Maria Metzler, executive director of the nonprofit agency.

Find your passion, then devote yourself to it, advises Greg Nance, state representative for the 23rd District. In a time of divisiveness, it’s more important than ever to keep trying, said Nance, an islander who turns 37 in September.

If there's one thing in this world we can all agree on, it's that there really isn't a wrong time to eat ice cream.

Island Couple Transmutes Urban Architecture into Abstract Art

Elders Group is a vital (and Friendly) resource for Bainbridge's LGBTQIA+ community.

Bainbridge Island’s Harry Anderson, earlier this year became the first person in recorded history to both fly and sail solo to all seven continents.

PAWS Celebrates a Half Century

Sunrise Home Becomes a Collector’s Canvas. Anne Reusché, a philanthropic communications consultant, said she first “discovered” Bainbridge in 2015 while working for Bloedel Reserve on an early campaign. Over the next five years, she and husband David Marzahl, an executive coach, returned frequently, in every season, to be certain that the island resonated as deeply as it had initially, when Reusché had returned home to Evanston, Illinois, declaring, “I know where we’re gonna live.” 

Feeling satiated by abundance and preparing for another winter to settle in.

Orchestra Offshoot Strikes the Right Chord for Four Islanders

Celebrating Old (and Finding New) Ways to Deliver Local Food

Author explores trauma, emotion and the music within

Girl Scout revives area pocket park

Local author’s book selected for BI Reads

If Civil War veteran and staunch teetotaler Ambrose Grow were alive today, he’d likely be outraged that his former homestead on Bainbridge Island now houses a popular pub, the Harbour Public House.

This stunning shot was snapped while aboard the sailing vessel TRUE operated by Sail Bainbridge while its hardy crew set out for the steep walls of Princess Louisa Inlet.

In 2019, Proper Fish opened on Bainbridge Island to large crowds and even larger acclaim—its fish and chips were once named the best in the city by the Seattle Times. Fans heaped praise on menu favorites, such as fish tacos and lobster rolls. And Proper Fish collected numerous Best of Bainbridge awards.

today, bread lovers can buy Stanek’s variety of artisan breads at her farm stand at Lovgreen off North Madison. Loaves that make regular appearances at the stand and at local farmers markets include classic, oatmeal, seeded classic, cranberry walnut, rugbrød, organic wheat and special limited loaves such as triple chocolate cranberry.

Café Hitchcock fills the bill with an all-day dining philosophy and a pedigree from award-winning local chef Brendan McGill. The café extends McGill’s farm-to-table philosophy, growing much of the restaurant’s food on Bainbridge Island or sourcing it nearby.

On Bainbridge, summer isn’t marked by dates—it’s marked by the courage, laughter, and shared memories made jumping off the docks.

In addition to the home’s major design details—including towering steel windows that open to the outdoors, white oak floors, Brazilian granite countertops and the spa-like bathrooms—the details within the home are also personal to Decker.

Fieldstone has one wing with a mix of assisted and independent living as well as a separate, secure wing for memory care. Early this spring, there were 21 assisted living and 15 independent living residences at Fieldstone.

Islander makes title and registration easy (as possible)

If there's one thing in this world we can all agree on, it's that there really isn't a wrong time to eat ice cream.

We dream of the easy, warm, long days of the summer season and here they are again.

Mumbach is a video game designer and co-founder of The Wandering Band, an independent game studio. In Airborne Kingdom, the studio’s premiere release, players take their flying city with them as they travel the world seeking resources to restore it to its former grandeur.

The lady is Islander Dawn Ream and her book house serves as a free library similar to those dotting the island’s neighborhoods

Bainbridge Prepares helps islanders navigate "The Age of Chaos"

The Stan Pocock Rowing Center, completed in 2024, finally put an end to BIR’s tennis court era. Named for the legendary coach and boatbuilder—and literally built around one of his historic shells—the facility houses storage, exercise, office, kitchen and shower areas. A large, glass-lined multipurpose room, available for both BIR and community use, overlooks Eagle Harbor.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, West Sound CoderDojo is a free, open-source and inclusive learning environment where participants aged 7 to 17, known as Ninjas, learn about coding, leadership, peer collaboration and computational thinking.

With a young family, and in search of some stability, the Perras found they were getting burned out by the social media grind. The company they had built grew from content management to content creation. Not only were they running social media accounts for businesses in real estate and hospitality, but they had also started to shoot the photos and videos themselves, learning the craft as they went along.

Whether it's a kitchen or an entire home, a renovation is a major project. Coppertop Showroom emerges as a resource for design & materials.

His canine companion Whitney, meanwhile, has become a viral TikTok sensation. Whitney, a search and rescue bloodhound , is primarily used to find missing persons.

Every summer, after several days of accepting donations, then cleaning, testing and pricing the haul, Rotarians take over the campus of Woodward Middle School and set up a 30-some department sale in classrooms, tents, parking lots and on the athletic field, an enormous effort aided by more than 2,000 community volunteers.