Review Bainbridge Island
HEAD OUT FOR ART: Studio Tour is this weekend on Bainbridge. A10
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013 | Vol. 113, No. 49 | www.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.com | 75¢
Investigation says youth pastors did not force religion on WMS students
The magic of Christmas
BY BRIAN KELLY
Bainbridge Island Review
The holidays officially began with the annual community tree lighting celebration at Madrone Lane in downtown Winslow on Saturday, Nov. 30. Above, Ian Edwards is not content to merely watch the annual community Christmas tree lighting but gets a hands-on feel for the holiday event. At right, Santa was not the only special guest to make an appearance at the annual community Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Congressman Derek Kilmer, a 6th District Democrat, also stopped by with his daughters to enjoy the festivities.
The Bainbridge Island School District will stop using volunteers during lunch periods at Woodward Middle School in response to community concerns over youth pastors who have been helping out at the school. District officials announced the impending change this week after the district released an investigation into allegations that youth pastors were using their volunteer time at Woodward Middle School to spread their religious views. Superintendent Faith Chapel said the investigation — which did not find evidence that youth pastors Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review
were using their volunteer positions at the school to share their religious beliefs with students — revealed “gaps” in the policies and procedures the school district uses to bring aboard volunteers. The Bainbridge Island School District launched a probe in early October amid concerns that volunteers at the middle school were sharing their religious beliefs with students and proselytizing during their lunchtime visits with children. The district hired Shawn Ann Flood, an attorney with the Tacoma law firm of Kampbell, Andrews & Arbenz, to look into the allegations. The investigation
turn to investigation | A17
McCulloch sworn in as new municipal court judge for island BY CECILIA GARZA Bainbridge Island Review
Surrounded by family, friends, county - and a semi-circle of judges from across the state — Sara L. McCulloch was sworn in at this week’s city council meeting as the new judge for Bainbridge Island Municipal Court. The swearing-in ceremony has been much anticipated. The Bainbridge Island City Council confirmed City Manager Doug Schulze’s nomination to appoint McCulloch at the Nov. 13 council meeting. There was not an empty seat in city hall’s council chambers Wednesday as King County’s Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Mark Larson and departing Judge Kathryn
Carruthers took the lectern to introduce McCulloch. McCulloch was one of four finalists for the position. She has worked in criminal law for the last 13 years in King County since earning her juris degree at Boston College Law School in 2000. She received her bachelor of arts degree in political science from Western Washington University in 1995. With her new role with the city of Bainbridge Island, McCulloch will be leaving the King County Prosecutor’s Office where she served as a senior deputy prosecuting attorney and senior specialist in sex offender registration related cases and issues. “I know how many great can-
didates there were,” said Larson during the swearing-in ceremony. “But I will tell you that my mentor, one of them, said that the best politics can always boil down to one thing: Do the right thing. Do the right thing, the rest will take care of itself. And even in a crowd full of great candidates, I’m telling you did the right thing,” Larson said. “You picked a tremendous candidate.” Twelve people applied for the judge’s post. City officials cited McCulloch’s long history of public service as a prosecutor, domestic violence advocate and volunteer and her experience handling thousands of criminal cases with the county turn to judge | A21
Cecilia Garza | Bainbridge Island Review
New Bainbridge Island Municipal Court Judge Sara L. McCulloch gets a hug from her daughter after taking the oath of office at Wednesday’s Bainbridge Island City Council meeting.