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INDEPENDENT PORT ORCHARD
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011 ■ Vol. 120, No. 27 ■ www.portorchardindependent.com ■ 50¢
Bigger increase likely for water rates
PORT ORCHARD MAYOR’S RACE
Waiting game far from over
City can’t put off expensive fix for poor water quality in parts of town
Lead for Matthes shrinks to 2 votes, making a recount almost certain
By TIM KELLY Editor
By TIM KELLY
However the City Council decides to pay for a $1 million remedy for water quality problems in certain parts of town, water rates that were going up anyway will be higher than anticipated. That unsettling news came out of Tuesday night’s study session, when the council discussed the options of depleting a reserve account to pay for fixing problems with Well 9 or going with a revenue bond to do so. “Either way we’re going to have to ask the ratepayers to pay more,” Councilman John Clauson said. There was no disagreement about the urgent need to correct the problem that has left some city residents with brown, unpalatable water coming out of their faucets intermittently for about a year. The problem is caused by hydrogen sulfide and manganese, and fixing it SEE WATER RATES, A3
Editor
On Election Night, one vote separated them. More than a week later, after nearly all ballots have been counted, the margin is two votes — a lead of 1,434-1,432 for Tim Matthes over Lary Coppola in the Port Orchard mayor’s race.
Vote-counters in the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office scrutinize ballots Tuesday afternoon. Tim Kelly/Staff photo
MMA cage fights expected to pack ’em in Staff writer
Opinion Robert Meadows Thinking Allowed Scene & Heard Sports Calendar Obituaries Business
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SEE MAYOR’S RACE, A3
Skating rink a venue with big ambitions By BRETT CIHON
Index
That’s the tally released Wednesday by the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office. The election will be certified Nov. 29, and a recount is certain to follow. A recount done by machine is required if the two candidates’ vote totals are within one-half of 1 percent, which would be a difference of about 15 votes or less. After the preliminary totals the night of the Nov. 8 election showed Matthes with a 913-912 edge, subsequent updates saw his lead increase to as much as 13 votes before the gap closed tighter this week. Coppola, the incumbent seeking a second four-year term, said the prolonged waiting to know the election’s outcome is tough. “It is hard,” he said. “I’m just being very philosophical about it. I belive everything happens for a reason.
The charm of Chimes & Lights, or the visceral thrill of cage fights. Both will draw crowds in Port Orchard on Dec. 3. Across town from the annual holiday festival on the waterfront that Saturday night, there could be more than 1,000 people getting their kicks from a completely different kind of event. Sk8town is hosting Liberation, a
night of mixed martial arts bouts featuring 32 fighters who will try to punch, kick and grapple their way to victory inside the cage that will be erected in the center of the skating rink. SEE SKATING RINK, A13
Promoter C.J. Halliburton talks about the MMA event that will be staged Dec. 3 at Sk8land. Brett Cihon/Staff photo
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