The community is encouraged to wear either purple and gold or Hawaiian attire when they attend a public memorial service for Frank Kitamoto at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Woodward Middle School, Kitamoto’s sister Lilly Kodama said.

“We are telling people to wear purple and gold as Frank was an ardent U of W Husky fan or Hawaiian attire as this was his favorite vacation spot,” Kodama said.

After being hospitalized for six weeks, Kitamoto died at age 74 on March 15 at a Seattle hospital.

During World War II, Kitamoto was interred for three years with his family when he was just 2 years old. Kitamoto, who worked as dentist, was well known for traveling around the country informing people about the Japanese-American internment camps and his experiences.

“Besides his speaking presentations,” son Derek Kitamoto said, “…my fondest memories are of going to Sonics, Seahawks and Husky football games with my father. He was a big sports fan and longtime Husky football season ticket holder. I also cherished the few times I was able to go with him on his annual trips to Hawaii. The Hawaiian islands were his home away from home.”

A serial burglar unfazed by daylight hours or locked doors and who typically uses “smash-and-grab” techniques is believed to be roaming quiet neighborhoods across the island, Bainbridge Island Police Chief Matthew Hamner said Wednesday.

Guns, prescription drugs, jewelry and generally small, easily concealable items seem to be targeted by the burglar.

Remote areas far from the Winslow downtown area have been burglarized, particularly places near a cemetery and removed from nearby parking. These locations would offer the burglar with a place to stage a getaway vehicle.

Police believe the burglar could be casing areas in a vehicle and then returning on foot.

When residents spot suspicious people and vehicles in their neighborhood, they are encouraged to call 911. Unfamiliar people coming into their driveways or yards also warrant calls.

“Please don’t be hesitant to call 911 to report suspicious activity,” Hamner said. “My officers are here and ready to respond 24 hours a day. We would rather have a call turn out to be nothing than to have another one of our residents victimized.

“We need the community to be our extra sets of eyes and ears in order to catch this burglar,” Hamner added.

The following items were taken from Bainbridge police reports by reporter Ethan Fowler. For more blotter, visit bainbridgeislander.com and click on Bainbridge blog link on the right side of the screen.

March 24

Malicious mischief: A resident living on the 200 block of Madison Avenue reported finding six street signs damaged near Finch Road and Wyatt Way. When a police officer arrived, he found a stop sign that had its wooden post broken off at the base lying in a ditch. The officer propped the sign back up and notified the city’s Public Works department to respond immediately and replace the sign. The officer also found a “stop ahead” warning and a speed limit signs pulled out. He also found two sharp curve warning signs shoved sideways and a speed limit sign pulled out on Sportsman Club Road. No suspects were found in the area.

Driving with license suspended: A 21-year-old Centralia man, who was driving with three passengers, was stopped by police after they received a complaint about a suspicious vehicle driving down a long driveway in the Manzanita Road area. The vehicle was spotted at a grocery store on High School Road later by an officer. The driver had a driving while license suspended in the third degree violation and didn’t have proof of insurance. The driver and his similarly aged passengers – who were also from Centralia – said they were going down driveways “looking for the water.” The officer advised the group to stop trespassing down driveways. One of the passengers had a license issued from Kuwait and was allowed to drive the vehicle as all parties were released from the scene.

March 23

Warrant – misdemeanor: A 47-year-old woman was transported to the Kitsap County Jail for a $10,000 driving while intoxicated warrant. The woman, who was well-known to police, was spotted by an officer as she rode as a passenger in a car on the High School Road roundabout with her boyfriend. The boyfriend caught the eye of the officer because he was seen talking on a cellphone as he was driving, a violation of a state law.

March 22

Identity theft: A 67-year-old woman reported that someone had charged more than $700 on her debit card to a body building website that day. She had $500 in her account, so her account was now overdrawn by $200. Because the transactions were listed as pending, the woman was able to report the theft and cancel her card.

Criminal trespass: A woman called police after three young boys were seen fleeing on bicycles from a barn located on the 700 block of Tiffany Meadows. When police arrived, the barn’s front doors were open and an officer found a strong odor of marijuana in each room of the barn. Two park benches that are stored in the barn during the winter were surrounded by trash from candy wrappers, Girl Scout cookies, water bottles, bags of potato chips and energy drink cans. The boys were startled at about 2 p.m. by a woman neighbor, who was walking her large dog. The dog began barking and ran toward the barn. This caused the boys to dash out of the barn and jump on their BMX-style bicycles and head toward the ferry. The boys were described to be between 12 to 15 years old. The barn sustained no damage and nothing inside appeared to be taken. The husband of the woman who had called police later in the day purchased some locks for the barn and “No Trespassing” signs.

Driving under the influence: An 18-year-old man was arrested for driving under the influence-liquor after he was spotted slumped over his car’s steering wheel in front of a house on the 4000 block of Tolo Road. After regaining consciousness, the driver then drove to his residence, which was a few houses up the road. When police arrived at the driver’s home, the man’s mother answered the door. After talking to her son in another room, the teen came to the door and told officers that he had insomnia, which caused him to find it easier to sleep in a car. He also thought he fell asleep in his driveway, but when he awoke and found that he hadn’t he drove his car to his house. As the teen talked to police, an officer smelled a strong odor of alcoholic beverages on his breath. The driver denied consuming alcohol and refused multiple times to take Portable Breath Tests to determine whether he had alcohol in his system or not. Because of the man’s refusal and other objective symptoms of alcohol consumption – dry mouth, bloodshot eyes and the strong alcohol odor coming off of his breath – the teen was placed under arrest for DWI. The mother later started interfering in the investigation and told her son not to say anything as she was calling his attorney.

March 21

Identity theft: A 39-year-old woman reported to police that the Internal Revenue Service informed her that she may have been a victim of identity theft. An unknown person submitted a tax return using her Social Security number.

Tom Vargas said giving a proper closure to a subdivision that served as government housing was one of the best things about participating last Thursday in the decommissioning of a Bainbridge street formerly known as Government Way from 1957 to 2007.

Tom, and his wife Karen, lived on the street for 10 years starting in 1992. Tom donated an American flag that was used on the USS Alabama submarine at Bangor. The flag was used during Thursday’s ceremony to conclude the event.

Karen, along with Kathryn Keve and others, worked hard to collect the names of former residents, other stories and historical facts that were tied to the 16-house street. Karen retired from the Army.

Tom served on the USS Alabama with frequent Government Way visitor Brian Moss, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terroristic attacks while working at the Pentagon. The two friends enjoyed barbecuing together.

“It’s pretty cool,” Tom said after the decommissioning ceremony. “A lot of stuff gets closed and not a big deal is made and you come back a year later and it’s gone. This gives me closure because this was the majority of where I lived during my (military) career.”

Bainbridge Mayor Anne Blair said the ceremony was “nicely done all the way around.”

“Home is where our stories begin and this was a day of stories and it will continue to be,” Blair said.

Ross Smaaladen, a construction worker with PHC, thought the ceremony was “awesome” and appreciated learning some of the interesting history of the homes and residents. PHC employees are dismantling the 16 rambler style homes on the street to make way for the new 5-acre second phase of the Grow Community. The new development literally will be situated on what is now John Adams Lane and will feature 3 acres of open space that will be mixed with fields, orchards and light forest groves.

“We’re helping to build the next stage of history for the community and it’s great to be a part of it,” said Seppi Gorecki, another PHC construction worker.

Six of Bremerton High School’s Navy Junior ROTC members also participated in the decommissioning and conducted the flag-folding ceremony. Michael Shiflet was the cadet that presented the flag to American Legion Post 172 Commander Fred Scheffler at the event’s conclusion.

U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Clarence Jennings drove from Silverdale to also attend the ceremony.

“I’m honored they asked us to do this and that’s what we do – leadership in the community,” said Sr. Chief Anthony Jones of Bremerton High’s Navy JROTC.

Greg Lotakis, project manager for Asani Developments on the Grow Community project, said he was appreciative of everyone who made the street’s decommissioning event possible.

“Karen and Kathryn are amazing,” Lotakis said. “Community organizers never get enough credit and they said, ‘This is what we want to do.’ And we said, ‘Absolutely,’ and they got it done. It’s a nice close to it.”

Lotakis said trails and a community center will be included in the new Grow development, which will also acknowledge the history of street and its residents with signs.