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Skeelos

It’s a small terra cotta dog, a curio really, barely 6 inches high, sitting on its haunches, head tilted back and cocked to the side, one ear pointing up and the other sideways, the front legs … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis | 3/31/21

Early Days of the Key Peninsula

When George Vancouver explored Washington’s inland waterways in May of 1792, he quickly came under the spell of “the serenity of the climate, the innumerable pleasing landscapes, and the … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 2/24/21

All About Eva

“Run, Eva!” I tell her in an excited voice once we’re safely inside the gate and I’ve taken off her leash. “Eva, run!” And off she goes, zero to warp speed in … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis | 1/27/21

The Magic of Dry Dock

It’s not as though Herron Island is isolated from the rest of the world. After all, our ferry, the 11-car red-and-white M/V Charlie Wells, plies the three-quarters of a mile between the island … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis | 10/29/20

No, We’re Still Here. For Now.

It’s late summer, early fall. Temperatures went from the near-unthinkable 100-degree mark for a few weeks down to the 50s in the evening. It feels like a blast furnace when you walk out into … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 10/1/20

McMicken Island marine state park is a favorite destination for area boaters.

The Story of McMicken Island

McMicken Island, a few hundred feet from Harstine Island to the west of the Key Peninsula, is a favorite destination for area boaters and kayakers. One of about 40 marine state parks in Washington, … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 10/1/20

The Everlasting U.S. Census

In the 1880 census Charles Pack, the first settler on Herron Island, was recorded as living on Ketron Island. Ketron is a small island on the opposite side of the Sound, across from Steilacoom. … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 7/30/20

Daniel Defoe and the Great Plague of 1665

“A Journal of the Plague Year,” Daniel Defoe’s short book about the 1665 outbreak in London of what is believed to have been bubonic plague, is never a comforting read; it is even less so in these times of a global pandemic. more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 5/29/20

Language in the Time of Plague

“Stay safe,” the cashier at the checkout said as I was putting my groceries back in the cart and getting ready to head out. more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 5/1/20

Pacific Region Archives in Seattle to Close

The community of Northwest archivists, historians, genealogists and writers as well as many ordinary citizens were shocked at … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 3/27/20

Desperate Measures

I was in my junior year in high school in Greece. A shy, awkward teenager, I preferred to remain quiet in class. Even though my Greek forebears had … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 3/27/20

The Night Key Center Burned

Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 1970, a fire of unprecedented proportions burned through several businesses in Key Center, leaving only ashes and charred rubble in its wake. more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 2/1/20

Hungry Birds

It’s early December. Fall is winding down and winter is waiting in the wings, chomping at the bit. Exhausted, the garden is lying low and catching its … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 1/2/20

Charley Pack, Herron Island Pioneer

An 1889 map showing Charles E. Pack (misspelled as Peck) as the owner of a portion of Herron Island. From Plummer's Complete Atlas of the County of Pierce, Wash. … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 12/6/19

Fiber Arts Show Featured Artist — Cecilia Blomberg

A weaver’s weaver, the accomplished artist will display her work during the Farm … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 10/1/19

Soundscapes

First to break the morning stillness is the drumming and wik-wik-wik of a flicker, muffled somewhat by a thick clump of alder and cedars. A band-tailed pigeon … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis | 8/1/19

Vaughn Library Hall Restoration Underway

KPHS board members Bart Wolfe, Judy Mills and Paul Michaels have been leading the restoration of the historic Vaughn Library Hall. Photo: Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 7/1/19

Fair Delano on the Sound: The Story of the Delano Beach Resort

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News The Delano Hotel ca. 1900. Collection of Laurie W. Austin The beach at Delano Bay south of Penrose Point State Park extends in a graceful curve for nearly a mile. … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 5/1/19