Business

Vital Signs for Musings & Amusing

By Gabriel Cruden / February 27, 2026 /

It may seem inconceivable that a man could arrive home after work and be met with this question from his wife: “What did you see at the strip club today,…

Taste Budz Review: For the Love of God Brewing and Pizzeria

By Gabriel Cruden / January 30, 2026 /

Perhaps the best combination on the planet is pizza and beer. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, For the Love of God Brewing made the combo even…

CREATE – A Living Community Space for the Arts in Newport

By Gabriel Cruden / January 30, 2026 /

There are places in small towns that don’t announce themselves loudly. They don’t feel like institutions. They feel more like secrets passed hand to hand. The kind of place someone…

Taste Budz Review: Kindred Public House

By Gabriel Cruden / January 2, 2026 /

If you haven’t already heard, there’s a new kid on the block: Kindred Public House. It’s a sister restaurant to Cascadia Public House, and it does not disappoint.  What we…

Taste Budz Review: Zola

By Gabriel Cruden / December 5, 2025 /

  This time of year, it’s easy to feel cooped up. That’s why Zack and I have to do some happy hour hopping. We have been loving hanging out at…

Taste Budz Review: El Ranchito

By Gabriel Cruden / October 31, 2025 /

Zack and I were due for a lunch date, so we decided to stop in at El Ranchito in Chewelah. What we enjoyed: ~Sopa De Tortilla ~Carne Burrito Now that…

Getting By – Making Do

By Gabriel Cruden / October 31, 2025 /

People of my generation were born in the Depression years, were school kids during World War II, and lived through post-war shortages. After the war, we still had shortages of…

Smoke on the Water: The Steamboats of the Pend Oreille

By Gabriel Cruden / October 31, 2025 /

By Robin Milligan If you stepped onto the Newport wharf on a warm July afternoon in 1908, the town would hum with expectation. Men in stiff jackets adjusted their hats,…

Taste Budz Review: The Station, LLC

By Gabriel Cruden / October 3, 2025 /

The leaves are beginning to turn, making it a great time for scenic drives. If you find yourself near Newport on an adventure, be sure to swing by The Station…

Resilience in Every Grain: Christo’s Journey Through Life and Woodworking

By Gabriel Cruden / October 3, 2025 /

By Robin Milligan Christopher Stanke, known to friends as Christo, said he has always had a deep connection to woodworking. “I like to say that I have three loves: music,…