INSIDE Primary election nears, ballots due Aug. 5 A3
SPORTS Mac McCarty commits to Wazzu baseball team A26
INSIDE Accountant joints South Kitsap SD leadership trust A5
INDEPENDENT PORT ORCHARD
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 ✮ VOL. 123, NO. 27 ✮ WWW.PORTORCHARDINDEPENDENT.COM ✮ 50¢
Drowning victim’s body recovered Kayakers find body in remote part of Ohanapecosh River By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
Recovery crews successfully retrieved the body of a Port Orchard boy who fell in the Ohanapecosh River on July 4, according to the The (Centralia) Chronicle.
The boy’s body was recovered on July 28 in a remote part of the river. Josh Osborn, 17, was last seen July 4 close to the Cedar Grove Campground near the Mount Rainier National Park entrance off state Route 123. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported that he fell in the river while taking pictures with his friends, and was swept down in waters that were described as swift and cold. Osborn’s body was located by kayakers who were navigating the river on July 27 and it was found downstream
from where he fell in, according to Chief Deputy Stacy Brown, spokesperson for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Their discovery came after weeks of searching and the Lewis County coroners has not officially released his name. Crews from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Packwood Search and Rescue and Olympic Mountain Rescue went to the area Monday to retrieve SEE OSBORN, A28
Chamber executive director resigns By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
Courtesy Photo
The body of Josh Osborn was recovered on July 28.
MUSTANGS ROLL INTO DOWNTOWN A couple examines one of the more than 200 Ford Mustangs than were parked along the Port Orchard waterfront for the annual Mustangs on the Waterfront car show on July 27. There were Mustangs from 1964 to 2014 on displayed for the event sponsored by the Kitsap Mustang Club. Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
Reid reflects on her first year as SKSD head SKSD superintendent inherited some challenges By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Senior Reporter
By nature, South Kitsap School District’s Michelle Reid is a forwardthinker. In her first year as superintendent she has unveiled plans to expand all-
day kindergarten, increase Advance Placement course offerings, develop a Spanish Immersion program at Burley-Glenwood Elementary School and introduce International Baccalaureate within the district. But Reid also inherited some challenges, including a contentious negotiation with the South Kitsap Education Association that put the start of the 2013-14 school year in jeopardy and a dwindling reserve fund. The former was resolved when 96 percent of SKEA members voted
in favor of a three-year contract just before school started in September. Reid complemented all of the stakeholders after the agreement for their “dedication and commitment.” “I think what I learned is the strength of this district is the people,” she said. “There are incredible people here.” Another significant issue for Reid, who was started on July 1, 2013, after working various roles since 1985 in the Port Angeles School District, was SKSD’s fund balance, which dwin-
dled to about $4.9 million in 201213. That led Reid to consult with Debra Aungst, a former Puyallup School District administrator, to perform a review of SKSD’s finances last August. Aungst’s report stated that the district’s “current financial condition clearly calls for immediate attention.” She was referring to a specific category state education officials use to measure each district’s
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
SEE REID, A28
Christine Daniel resigned her position as executive director of the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, according to a July 29 statement by Lance Fong, Chamber president. “The Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce has accepted the resignation of Christine Daniel as our executive director,” stated Fong. “We are grateful for the many valuable contributions that she has made during the past year and we wish her well in all of her future endeavors.” Fong said the Chamber board will begin its search for a replacement executive director immediately. According to unnamed sources, Daniel reported that she resigned because of health reasons last week. Danielfrom didMilford, not respond Cody Wright Utah, got a to an email request by the Saddle Bronc Riding competition Wed Independent. Daniel officially took over the position on June 19, 2013, from Coreen Haydock who resigned to go work in the A Section public sector. Editorial Before joining A4 the Robert Meadows Chamber, Daniel workedA413 Scene A5 years &forHeard both profit and nonSports A6 profit organizations in Kitsap Legal Notices A7 and Mason counties. MaryDaniel Colborn A7 was raised in Kitsap Obituaries A8 County and graduated from Inserts: Fred Meyer, Olympic College. SheRiteAid, earned Office Depot, Best Buy, Staples, her bachelor’s degree in eduWal-Mart, Valassis cation and natural resources management at andSheldon Printed with recycled paper environmentally friendly soybean oil-basedin ink.Sitka. Jackson College
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