The annual Spring Cleanup is BACK! This year the 2008 Cleanup will be from Monday, April 21st through Saturday, April 26th between the hours of 8:00AM and 6:30PM at 100 Oyster Bay Ave N. Spring Cleanup is brought to you by the City of Bremerton's Public Works & Utilities department.  Early in the spring there is always one week that Bremerton residents can dispose of yard waste material for free!! If you are a City of Bremerton resident and want to participate you must adhere to the following guidelines Nothing larger than a pick-up truck load. Small trailer - OK Only yard waste materials (leaves, branches, brush and grass) The city reserves the right to reject any load.  If you have questions regarding this event, please call the Public Works & Utilities Operations Center at (360) 47... 03/31/2008

The 11th Annual RAGS (Rotary Annual Garage Sale) event is being held at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion and the Vanzee building at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds on April 19, 2008.  If you have never been to a RAGS event, put this on your calendar!  There are deals to be had, with everything from gently used clothes and building supplies and home decor to kitchenware to collectibles and art to furniture on sale for bargain prices!Five different Rotary Clubs from across Kitsap County sponsor and run the event, including the Bremerton Noon, East Bremerton, Silverdale Morning, Silverdale Noon and South Kitsap clubs.  The sale is for one day only, from 8 am to 2:30 pm.  A silent auction will also be held on that day.The clubs are currently seeking donations.  All donations are tax-deductible.  For m... 03/28/2008

        You know Green is the New... oh no that's for colors. This Green is for Eco-Friendly. Try and find a definition for "Green" and you will be searching pages and pages on Google. Country Home magazine just released in their April issue 2008 Best Green Cities in America.  Bremerton/Silverdale as they are listed together ranked in the top 25 at number 22 out of the total 379 cities in America.  Green is huge as we all look for ways to help shrink our "footprint" and treat the earth with respect and honor.  We are all trying to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE!  As individuals try to conquer this feat we are demanding the same from the companies we deal with and the place we live.  In its second annual Best Green Places Report the Country Homes magazine studied hundreds of cities on items ... 03/28/2008

The USS John C. Stennis spent the week at sea for sea trials after a long maintenance period at the Puget Sound Shipyard.  They are returning as we speak!My son and I are sitting at my mom and dad's beachfront home, watching Adam's Daddy's ship come in on this chilly, gray March morning. They just blew the whistle, and my mother told my son that the whistle means "Hello, Adam, from Daddy," and Adam is grinning from ear to ear.In about 10 minutes they should be pulling into their pier at Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton.This is the first of many trips the USS John C. Stennis will be making this year in preparation for their next major deployment.The USS John C. Stennis is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier homeported in Bremerton, WA.  The aircraft carrier was built at the Newp... 03/28/2008

Boaters in Kitsap County have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to moorage, especially when travelling away from home.  Guest moorage can be found at many marinas in Kitsap County, including the Port of Silverdale, Port of Bremerton, Port of Poulsbo, and Liberty Bay.  However, if you are looking for something quiet and off the beaten path, the Brownsville Marina in Bremerton is the place for you!The Port of Brownsville lies just southeast if Silverdale and north of Bremerton.  While picnicking at Brownsville, you can look out over the water at the west side of Bainbridge Island.  The views are very nice, making you feel miles away from home, even if you have just motored over up from Port Orchard.Brownsville Marina offers bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a deli a... 03/27/2008

Congratulations to Jo Soss for her winning Week Three post, Naval Base Kitsap |Online Relocation Pacakge | Week Three | Out and About | The Arts.  Your 500 points for winning Week 3 are in the Mail!John S. Murphy (Patrick AFB Area School Guide) and CynthiaTilghman (Educational Opportunities for Camp Lejeune Marine Families) were very close on her heels.  Thank you to everyone who participated in Week 3 - All of you had GREAT posts that will be helpful to families relocating to your areas.Many many thanks to the judges for Week Three - Adam Waldman, Richard Bolen and Lisa Heindel.   Our goal when this contest started was to encourage more content-rich posts targeted to military and civilian personnel relocating to a military installation near you.  We hope there will be several more in t... 03/26/2008

I posted a blog a few days ago here on ActiveRain and on my outside blog - BloggingBremerton.com  that has had my phone ringing with callers from all over the country. Extra, Extra read all about it | Bremerton's Waterfront Condos | The 400 to be sold Auction Style. I didn't see the news last night and totally forgot that there was to be a segment on the Bremerton Waterfront Condos until I received a call from a man in Georgia asking for more information. I asked him how he found the auction information and he said on the news last night. He then did a search and found my blog. I did a Google search and found the clip. I am really excited to have a new relocation client! Here is the video clip from NBC that aired last night. I have removed the embedded version of the NBC clip because it... 03/25/2008

  Now that we have some day trips under our belt, let's talk about some "mini-vacations" you can take on a long  weekend or plan to enjoy for several days in the Great State of Washington. It's God's Country, you know! I had that affirmed to me while filling up at a gas station in Southern California. This woman kept staring at me and finally came up to me and pointed to my license plate. She asked if I was from Washington, I said yes I was and no sooner did I say those words did she blurt out, "That's God's Country". Her plates were California plates - I can tell you she put a smile on my face and a tear to my eye! So explore, after all you're here on the Navy's dime!!    Tri-Cities | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland       The Heart of Washington Wine Country where you can sip, sample and... 03/25/2008

Whenever you PCS you should take advantage of what the area has to offer and make sure you "Take a Vacation on the Navy"!  Seeing different parts of the county is one of the many benefits of a military career.  I don't think I would have ever had the privilege of seeing all of the nation's monuments in Washington D.C, or seeing the spot where the real "Cheers" bar is located, or walked the Freedom Trail if not for the Navy and the PCS we did to Groton, CT back in 2003.  Nor would I have ever learned about the Mojave Desert first hand and climbed in Joshua Tree National Park if not for the Navy and a PCS to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twenty-nine Palms, CA.  I know I would never have watched the mountain race in Seward, AK on the 4th of July or watched a real sled dog race o... 03/24/2008

     Are you aware of the advanced marketing trends of the new technology age of Real Estate?  As a member of the Baby Boomer Generation (1943-1964) I have lived a life of change. We are after all the generation that started it all! Boomers are associated with expressing individual freedom, the civil rights movement, gay rights, handicapped rights, right to privacy and the important feminist cause of the 1970's.  I don't call that slacking and I don't call it out of the loop.  Those movements taught us how change was good, how it could improve our lives and how it would lead to great things.  If I was one year younger I could be considered a member of Generation X.  Generation X (1960-1979) is the most tech friendly of all the generations so far.  This generation has driven the majority... 03/24/2008

      The Art, Theater and Music scenes are alive and well in West Puget Sound. The area boasts the Bremerton Symphony at the Bremerton Performing Arts Center, the Admiral Theater with its classic and independent film series, Collective Visions an art gallery with a concert series, concerts in the park, concerts on the Boardwalk, The Bremerton Community Theatre, the list goes on and on and there is something for everyone whether you want to just observe or participate.  Here is the link to the City of Bremerton's Performing Arts web page so that you can familiarize yourself with all of the local performing arts attractions, events and organizations.   City of Bremerton Performing Arts   Bremerton Art District   Bremerton may be called a "Navy Town" by some with a connotation it might la... 03/21/2008

Congratulations to Jo Soss for her winning Week Two post, Fun, Fitness & Food on DECK!  Your 500 points for winning Week Two are in the mail!There were many other fine posts including Cynthia Tilghman's Camp Lejeune Spouse Support and Cindy Jones' Fort Belvoir Your Gateway to Fairfax County Virginia.   It's not too late to compete in the Military Relocation Contest, running through March 29.  There are still two more weekly awards of 500 points (not very many entries yet this week, so it might be your best chance for one of the weekly top prizes) and fabulous overall prizes up to 3,000 points.   In the end, contestants will all have valuable blogs full of information they can use in their business.  Everyone is a winner, when it comes to that!Note:  It's my intention to link all contest... 03/20/2008

Ever just search around the net for interesting facts about the places you have lived?  I always like reading the articles from Forbes or Money magazines of the "Top" whatever lists. I love to find out about the history of a city, from all types of perspectives.  I love to talk to those that have lived in an area there entire life. My neighbor has lived in her home since the early 50's and I am fascinated by the stories she tells and the people she knew. On one of my searches I found a little tid bit about "notable" people that lived here, were born here or for some reason have a connection to the City of Bremerton.        Mike Enzi, Senior U.S. Senator (R-WY) Jazz legend Quincy Jonesmoved to Bremerton at age 10. As a teenager, he first met up with Ray Charles after traveling to clubs i... 03/18/2008

 Bremerton Harborside District  The Bremerton Harborside District opened in August of 2004. I wasn't here for the Grand-Opening ceremony but I was still so very excited. The Harborside District is a combination of past and present Boardwalk projects.  Now being all tied together and called the Haborside District.  The Harborside District is one in which you can spend a couple hours to several hours.  There are things "to do" such as touring the USS Turner Joy or you can just sit on a bench and watch the sailboats or ferries glide by.  You can visit a "water-park" or browse thur a museum.  The Harborside District is my favorite spot in Bremerton and with the continued revitalization of the downtown hub and the Boardwalk expansion project it will be one to enjoy for many years.    <   USS... 03/18/2008

This morning I was up early and out the door to make sure I wasn't late for the St Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Bremerton WA.  This was the 18th Anniversary of the parade sponsored by the Bremerton Main Stream Association.  Being born on St. Patrick's Day I just have a thing about all the "hoopla" associated with this holiday.  I even drove downtown  a couple weeks ago to take a picture of a reader board with the info for my previous blog on the subject.Spending several years as a child in the Puyallup area I can remember arriving early to the Daffodil parade, then moving to Spokane in Junior High I remember going to see the Lilac Torchlight Parade and if you weren't  there early you couldn't get a seat to see. So I guess my past experience influenced my getting downtown about an ho... 03/15/2008

What would happen if you asked children to design their own playground?  What would that playground look like?  What would a child's imagination conjure up?To find out, spend some time at one of my favorite play areas in Kitsap County -- KitsapKids Playground at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds!The playground was designed based on input from children, and it includes a boat, castle towers, numerous slides, several swings for big kids and babies alike, and a tot area.  There are also covered picnic tables, surrounded by a great mural.My son and his friend Alex had a wonderful time playing on the equipment last week, climbing up the ladders, running along the raised pathways from one castle tower to another, then sliding down the slide at the other end.  It is a huge play structure, so it wa... 03/15/2008

You've just gotten back from three months at sea.  The sun is shining, it's nice and warm, and it's 4:00 Friday afternoon.  What are you going to do now?Rolling Hills Golf Course In Bremerton, WA, may just be the thing for you!  The 18 hole, regulation-length golf course is open to the public.  Built in 1972, the course is apptly named -- the fairways are long expanses of sogtly rolling hills of green grass and water features.The atmosphere at Rolling Hills is very laid back, perfect for a lazy afternoon of golf.  Dress is casual, of course.Rolling Hills includes a driving range, strategically placed next to Putters Restaurant and Lounge, where cold beer and hot fries are easy access.  The beverage cart careens through the course on a regular basis, offering more cold beer and chilled s... 03/14/2008

I promised this week to write an article about the different neighborhoods located around Naval Base Kitsap.  There are so many different places to live it is hard to pick just a few.  Here is just a partial list of the neighborhoods:   Blueberry Meadows   Bremerton Brownsville Camp Union Central Kitsap Central Valley Charleston Chico East Bremerton Fairgrounds Fairwood Ranch    Holly Huckle Ridge Illahee Kitsap Lake Lake Symington Madrona Point Manette Marine Drive Mosher Creek Navy Yard City Newberry Hill Oyster Bay   Phinney Bay Port Orchard Rocky Point Seabeck Sheridan Park Sherman Heights Silverdale South Kitsap Sunnyslope Tracyton West Bremerton West Hills             I have chosen four very diverse neighborhoods to inform you about.  Blueberry Meadows in East Bremerton, Manette j... 03/14/2008

Five different units, all new, gorgeous, charming and unique! Complex is designed to reflect the turn-of-century architecture common to Downtown Bremerton. Each floorplan is different. Each unit has two bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, and a gas fireplace.  Units also have one-car assigned garages as well as one assigned parking space.  Square footage ranges from 860 for the smallest unit to 1350 for the unit featuring two master bedrooms.  Prices are $174,900 to $207,500.Complex features beautiful courtyard for barbeques or tanning.  Very close to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, and easy commute to ferries and freeways.Units are available as individual homes or as multi-family.To see these fantastic new homes, call Linda at 206-842-1343, or email Camarot@comcast.net.  more photos available. 03/14/2008

  A sign of the times is the "Auction". When times are tough the tough find ways to move product. That is what I think is happening here. The high-end condo market is pretty slow right now in Bremerton so the owners of "The 400" are employing a new strategy. AUCTION ! If you are looking for a condo deal you will find one!One unit is reduced by 58%. Just this past week it was announced that the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority is switching real estate companies on the nearby Harborside Condominiums. A sign of the times again. I don't agree with that move. But then who am I? See the article at the KitsapSun for more information. Waterfront Condos to Be Put Up for Auction    If you have any questions about real estate in Bremerton Washington, contact Jo Soss with Skyline Prope... 03/13/2008