2012 Membership Awards

An island resident for 13 years, Jim has been active in Rotary and the Chamber and has served on the boards of Bainbridge Performing Arts, Housing Resources Board, Health Housing and Human Services Council and the Bainbridge Community Foundation.

Most recently, Jim has been the public face of the Waypoint project -- transforming the tiny, overgrown Unocal Superfund site at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305 into a beautiful, welcoming gateway for visitors and residents arriving by ferry.

Jim helped organize community input meetings of more than 50 people as well as rustling up a hundred more volunteers donating time and materials to the project. He also helped lead the fundraising efforts, starting with the Rotary Club itself, the project's first donor, with a gift of $80,000.

"His leadership skills are best exemplified through his generosity of time, his knowledge, his passion for everything he does, and his incredibly positive attitude."

Chartered in 1947, the Bainbridge Rotary Club has been providing volunteer time, monetary grants, resources, and leadership to the Bainbridge community for more than 65 years.

The annual Auction & Rummage sale, supported by more than 800 community volunteers, supplies funds that are channeled to dozens of local nonprofit organizations and community projects.

The club has initiated local projects and initiatives in a number of areas including education, emergency preparedness, job training for homeless youth, world peace, and conflict resolution. This past year the Club donated $80,000 in start-up funds to The Waypoint project. Club members also support Rotary International projects all over the world.

Adem Solak is an expert in the field of oriental carpet repair, cleaning and valuation. He and his wife Birgul moved their business to Bainbridge in 1999. During the past fourteen years they have volunteered much to the community in the form of goods, services, money and time.

Adem has donated oriental rugs and textiles to a number of private school auctions. He has donated free rug cleaning for the Bargain Boutique and local churches. He's an annual volunteer for the Rotary Auction and donates carpets to that as well.

A member of the Bainbridge Chamber and the Downtown Association, Shirvan Rug Gallery participates in the monthly Art Walks and once a year hosts a Chamber After Hours with a delicious Turkish barbecue.

"If we want to make a great change in our community, it is all of our responsibility to grab hands together and work as a team" -- Adem Solak

Paper Products, Etc. has been a foundation of the Bainbridge business community for more than 36 years. Joanna Arndt has owned the company for the past 6 years. Her husband Terry joined the firm when the couple married in 2011.

The recession and Winslow Way reconstruction took a toll on the business, which has now recovered, but even during challenging times, Paper Products has continued to donate time, products and services to the community: local sporting events, auctions, fund raisers and more. Probably the biggest contribution has been to local schools during the Back To School season when the store donated 5% of all sales.

Paper Products encourages islanders to shop local, and they walk the talk themselves, searching for regional and USA made products to offer their customers. All the design and contract work for the store's recent remodel was completed by Bainbridge Island business and 80% of the supplies were purchased on Bainbridge or in Kitsap County.

"There is a difference between being a local business and a community business. A local business sells goods and services to a local community. A community business, in part, is owned by the community. It gives back to the families, businesses, school, community groups and others that go out of their way to support that business. Paper Products, Etc. is proud to be a Community Business." -- Terry Arndt

T&C has been an anchor business in downtown Winslow since it opened its doors in 1957. When the Japanese-American Nakata family joined forces with the Croatian-American Loverich family to create what would become an island institution, they brought with them the concept of "kaizen" or continuous improvement.

From Wikipedia: "Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work ... and teaches people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes. In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: The idea is to nurture the company's human resources... People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen, from the CEO down to janitorial staff, as well as external stakeholders when applicable."

Like asking their customers what features they want to see in the new remodel of the store. Like giving preference to local suppliers. Like leading the way in sustainable business practices.

T&C has always been quietly generous to the community, helping community groups in a number of ways. They even forego an entire day of revenue so that the community can celebrate the Grand Old Fourth of July in their parking lot.

"We are committed to giving back to -- and sharing with -- our communities. We strive to be good neighbors by supporting and partnering with local organizations." -- Town and Country Markets website

Grow Community has achieved the endorsement by BioRegional as a One Planet development, which goes far beyond LEED as a measure of real sustainability. The Grow homes are built to enable zero carbon energy and offer electric car sharing plus 8 other action plans supporting sustainable principles. Grow is the showing the way to live as a community in harmony with the earth.

Asani has solicited and continues to solicit input from the wider community as the project develops.

The Community Garden program at Grow has provided numerous opportunities for interaction with the wider community. The next phase of construction at Grow Community will involve a community center and office space for community sustainability non-profits. It is Asani's intent that the project becomes a resource for learning about sustainable lifestyles, not only for our island community, but regionally, nationally and internationally.

By sponsoring Chamber and other local events such as Winslow in White, Asani has engaged with positive community-building activities in the community. They also support regional non-profits that work to preserve farmland and sustainable development. Also, Grow has sponsored fund-raising efforts to support Ecotrust Uganda, helping small landowners to plant and preserve forest.

Akio Suyematsu, the last Japanese American farmer on Bainbridge Island, passed away peacefully at the age of 90. His work ethic and perseverance along with the finest berries, trees and pumpkins have made him a local legend. His farm is the longest operating farm on Bainbridge and has survived against all odds including the family's internment during WWII.

In 2001, Akio sold part of his beloved farmland to the City of Bainbridge Island, not to develop as most others have, but with the right for him to farm it for the rest of his life and with the expectation it be kept in perpetuity as working farmland.

At 90 years of age, Akio could still be found out weeding his pumpkins, tending his rows of raspberries, and maintaining his reputation of having the most immaculate fields ever.

Akio Suyematsu passed away peacefully on July 31, 2012 at the Kline Galland nursing home surrounded by family and supported by friends and colleagues.

During his lifetime, Akio mentored successive generations of master and junior farmers who will carry on his legacy on his land. Each year over a thousand students, visitors and interns come to visit, study and train at the historically recognized Suyematsu Farm. Akio's raspberries are served in the school lunch program at his alma mater and featured as a "Bite of Bainbridge" attraction. Today, the Suyematsu Farm is considered a valuable community asset. Out of Akio's experience of exclusion, his farm has become one of the most diverse and inclusive places on Bainbridge Island.