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.”
Contributed Photo/Courtesy of
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
“(Frank Kitamoto was) a humble, gracious soul with (a) hearty,
infectious laugh and a 1,000 watt smile that would light up the
darkest room,” says Clarence Moriwaki, president of the Bainbridge
Japanese American Exclusion Memorial.
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.
Ethan Fowler/Special to the
Kitsap Sun
Jim Walkowski, right, talks about former Government Way housing
resident Tony Watson, a U.S. Navy underwater diver who was on the
1985 hijacked TWA airplane of Flight 847, during the March 20
Government Way decommissioning ceremony. From left, Bainbridge
Mayor Anne Blair, Kathryn Keve, Jon Quitslund, Greg Lotakis, Karen
Vargas and Fred Scheffler listen to Walkowski.
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.
Ethan Fowler/Special to the
Kitsap Sun
Members of Bremerton High School’s Navy JROTC unit present American
Legion Post 172 Commander Fred Scheffler with an American flag that
once was previously used on the USS Alabama submarine at Bangor to
conclude the Government Way decommissioning ceremony.Ethan Fowler/Special to the
Kitsap Sun
Brandon Keller of PHC Construction, right, goes over the designs
for new 5-acre second phase of the Grow Community with real estate
agent Keith Hauschulz after Thursday’s Government Way
decommissioning ceremony.
