Review Bainbridge Island
OFF THE DEEP END: Spartans face tough test from MI. A14
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013 | Vol. 113, No. 51 | www.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.com | 75¢
Sakai librarian wins national competition Kathy Meulen Ellison is one of 10 ‘I Love My Librarian’ awardees BY BRIAN KELLY
Bainbridge Island Review
Kathy Meulen Ellison of Sonoji Sakai Intermediate School has been named a winner of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/ New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. She is one of 10 librarians across the country to receive the prestigious honor. Ellison has Kathy Meulen Ellison been a librarian for 22 years, and has been at Sakai “We have a lot of for the past seven amazing librarians years. She said she was stunned on Bainbridge — to receive the period.” honor. Kathy Meulen Ellision “I’m just Sakai Librarian amazed. There are a lot of great librarians who got nominated, and it’s a real honor to be a part of that group,” Ellison said. “We have a lot of amazing librarians on Bainbridge Island — period,” she added. Ellison also said she was thankful for the Bainbridge Island community that supports the enriching things that she and other librarians try to do every day. “I think that the fact that I’m still a librarian on Bainbridge Island can be credited to the school district and the Bainbridge Schools Foundation trying to find a way to keep our program during the economic budget cuts that have been difficult to live through because of the loss of state funding,” she said. More than 1,100 library patrons nominated librarians in public school, college, community college and university libraries for this year’s awards. Ellison is the only winner from Washington state, and just 60 librarians have earned the honor since the I Love My Librarian Award was established in 2008. I Love My Librarian Awards will be presented the night of Tuesday, Dec. 17 at a ceremony and reception in New York City, hosted by The New York Times. Each winner also receives a $5,000 award. Ellison’s love of libraries started at a turn to librarian | A7
Bainbridge police nab suspect connected to car prowling spree Eyewitness, forensics and property link man to crimes BY CECILIA GARZA Bainbridge Island Review
Bainbridge Island Police arrested a 21-year-old transient Tuesday afternoon who is believed to be responsible for a recent rash of car break-ins across the island. Aaron Michaels Bylsma was arrested in connection to three car thefts, three residential burglaries and about 40 car prowls since Dec. 9. Late last week, Bainbridge Island Police Chief Matthew Hamner called on citizens to help law enforcement by keeping a look out for suspicious activity. “We’ve had a lot more crime in five days than we had in any other five-day period since I’ve been here,” Hamner said during an informal press conference. “I don’t want us to be easy targets, so we need to harden our target,” Hamner said. “Locking the doors, taking keys out of the vehicle, don’t leave valuables in the car at night, and just be very aware of your surroundings.” Four days later, Bylsma was identified as a suspect after an officer saw him “acting suspiciously” near an area where car thefts and prowls had occurred.
Brian Kelly | Bainbridge Island Review
Bainbridge Police Chief Matthew Hamner talks about a spree of recent car prowls during an informal press conference. Officers could not make an arrest at the time because he could not be immediately tied to a crime. However, just after he
was released, another car prowl was found nearby. According to Bainbridge police, Bylsma has been found connected to several incidents in the crime spree through found property, forensics and eyewitness identification. While his involvement has not yet been connected to the total reported incidents of vehicle prowls and burglaries, police said Wednesday they expect the number to increase as investigators continue to piece together evidence. “We are confident that we have our man, but that does not mean that people should let down their guard,” Hamner said. Since Dec. 9, Hamner explained, a Subaru Tribeca, Volvo XC90 and Porsche Cayenne were stolen, about 40 vehicles were found broken into overnight and burglaries occurred at two Wallace Way residences as well as Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church. Several of the car prowls involved unlocked car doors and spare keys stashed inside the vehicle. Car owners reported discovering their vehicles the following morning with paperwork and personal belongings scattered inside and outside their cars. One car owner reported more than $900 worth of hunting gear and tools were turn to spree | A7
Westside Pizza expanding to new location Move is latest in series of remodeling efforts at the Island Village Shopping Center BY LUCIANO MARANO Bainbridge Island Review
The shopping experience at Island Village is going to get a little more delicious early next year. That’s because the muchloved Bainbridge eatery Westside Pizza will be opening its new 2,700-square-foot location there Saturday, Feb. 1, in the space once occupied by Pizza Factory. “At Westside Pizza, we’re well-known for our deliveries to island residents at home or at sporting events like
baseball and soccer games,” said Tom Daniels, co-owner of Westside Pizza. “By expanding our presence to Island Village Shopping Center, we’re looking forward to creating a warm new environment where our families and other families, teams, locals and visitors alike can sit down and enjoy a delicious, affordable meal.” Sit down and enjoy? That’s right. In addition to a larger location and an expanded menu, the new space will allow Westside to offer full dine-in service and an outdoor seating area on the island for the first time ever. The new location will also feature several unique design elements, including historic photographs of Bainbridge
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review
Westside Pizza has announced plans for an expanded restaurant in the Island Village Shopping Center. Island. The relocation of Westside Pizza is only the latest in a series of remodeling efforts at the High School Road location by the Seattle-based commercial real estate firm Urban
Renaissance Group. The firm officially announced Friday, Dec. 20 that continued site improvements are planned, as well as the turn to pizza | A9