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Sing Out! is a joyous, soulful gathering
Neighbor’s quick response keeps fire from spreading
Wolves return with win after missing 2 games
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Seattle and even out of state. The two-part event includes a singing workshop in the afternoon and a performance by the workshop attendees and the Total Experience Gospel Choir in the evening. You decide how much to participate — if you wish to sing out, or simply let the songs wash over you. Either way, organizers say the event will be a memorable one. The event began when Bainbridge
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See SING OUT, Page 2
A section of the Bainbridge Island Review | Bremerton Patriot | Central Kitsap Reporter | North Kitsap Herald | Port Orchard Independent
PORT ORCHARD
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012 ■ Vol. 121, No. 4 ■ www.portorchardindependent.com ■ 50¢
By BRETT CIHON Staff Writer
Staff writer
SEE LEAK, A8
SEE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, A4
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
the library. A new roof was scheduled to be installed last year. The city, which owns the building operated by Kitsap Regional Library, allocated 120,000 from a Real Estate Excise Tax for the purchase of a new roof. City engineers hoped the money would be enough to buy a pitched roof. But when the project went out to bid last spring,
The Legislature has enough votes to pass a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages in Washington. But instead of feeling excited, local couple James Harris and Tim Waibel are bracing for a fight. “We know this is going to referendum,” said Waibel, 46. “It’s progress, but this is certainly not the end of anything.” Same-sex marriage legislation appeared to have enough votes to make it through the House and Senate after Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, became the 25th senator to announce her support Monday. Once passed, the bill would mean gay couples could have marriages legally recognized by the state beginning in June. But under state law, opponents of the bill have 90 days after the end of
Wastebaskets are placed to collect water dripping from the ceiling of the Port Orchard Library. Water from snow melting on top of the building’s flat roof leaked through in several places. melt, creating a pool of water on the library’s flat roof. A perfect storm for an old roof prone to leaks. “It’s an old, cruddy flat roof,” Dorsey said. “It (the library) needed a new roof last year.” When Wilson called him Saturday morning with the news of the problems, Dorsey sent public works employees over to the library to clear as much snow off the roof as possible, he said, helping to ease leaking into
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TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Same-sex marriage bill seems assured of passage, but issue may go on ballot By BRETT CIHON
Courtesy photo
The leaks damaged a large area of carpet and a few stack of books, but luckily missed most of the library’s stocks. The computer equipment was also spared. “We were lucky,” she said. “It’s so fortunate that the leaks missed the servers.” The city’s public work’s director Mark Dorsey said the excessive leaks were caused when frozen drains couldn’t clear adequately clear snow-
Before weddings, state vote expected
▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
By CHARLIE BERMANT
Staff Writer
Expectations were turned on their head in two Kitsap County political contests during Tuesday night’s primary election, as the perceived front-runners came in third and were disqualified in their respective races. Republican Tim Matthes drew the most votes in the South Kitsap commissioner’s race, followed by Democrat Charlotte Garrido. Monty Mahan, who was the first to declare for the seat and earned the endorsement of local mayors, came in third (See related story, page A3).
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
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Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
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By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Staff Writer
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and pension rates along with inflation as issues. In addition to the money saved on custodians, Patton said the district will dip into its reserve fund for $1.72 million. She said that’s not all bad because the district saved more than it anticipated in its last fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31. Patton said they also will save through not filling other vacant positions in the district, and through cutting expenses on supplies. The board unanimously adopted the budget. Patton warned in previous meetings that the “hard decisions” likely won’t end
Opinion Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Thinking Allowed Letters Obituaries
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
activities she reported as stemming from Keehn’s attempts to operate a business out of her home. Weaver said following an April 11 hearing with the city’s Hearing Examiner, certain conditions were placed on Keehn’s permit to mitigate Cronan’s concerns before she would be allowed to operate her business. “(Keehn) has addressed all but one of those conditions, with the last being the letter from the (Kitsap County) Health Department,” Weaver said, explaining that Keehn’s current sewer facilities are
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
Index
The South Kitsap School District is a little closer to closing its $2.9 million deficit for the upcoming school year. Terri Patton, assistant superintendent for business and support services, said at Wednesday’s school board meeting that the district won’t replace five full-time custodians who left the district after the last school year. She said that will save the district $250,000. Patton said the deficit stems from unforeseen circumstances when the district presented its last levy to voters in 2004. She cited escalating teacher salaries
chasing it last spring. City Development Director James Weaver confirmed that Keehn received a conditional-use permit to operate a onechair hair salon out of her home, which he described as “pretty innocuous” and something that doesn’t typically reach “the level of intensive use,” as far as impacts on the neighborhood are concerned. However, since November of 2007, Cronan has filed multiple complaints with the city regarding traffic, noise and other
Flooding wasn’t a huge problem during the recent snowmelt. Wasn’t a huge problem, that is, except in a couple of normally dry spots. Both the Port Orchard and the Manchester Libraries closed last week after water soaked carpets, dripped down walls, and created a backlog of books to return. And in the case of the downtown library, issues that could have been “We had averted with a seven trash much-needed buckets new roof. The Port down and Orchard Library put plastic was closed for all over the three days during last week’s winter reading storm, then had area.” to remain closed Saturday after — Kathleen Wilson, library frozen drains branch manager were overcome with snowmelt and water leaked through the library’s dilapidated roof. Branch manager Kathleen Wilson said when she arrived at the library on Saturday morning, she was astounded at the amount of water coming through the ceiling. “There were multiple leaks in the reading area, and the back area where we keep the servers,” she said. “We had seven trash buckets down and put plastic all over the reading area.”
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
Library springs a leak after storm
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Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
12 events and will be in attendance again this year. “When I moved away to Arizona for a while, I made sure to come back for Sing Out!” In its 13th year, the toe-tapping, hand-clapping, soulful gathering draws people from across Kitsap,
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
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By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Staff Writer
AINBRIDGE ISLAND — An old proverb says, “Those who wish to sing always find a song.”
And there will be plenty of songs to discover this Saturday at the annual Sing Out! event on Bainbridge Island. “It’s probably the most joyous day of the year on Bainbridge,” said Dian O’Brien, who has attended all
shot in three of her home’s windows. Cronan, who lives on the 200 block of Flower Meadows Street in Port Orchard, said she believed the attack was part of an ongoing dispute with Keehn, whom she alleges has been running a hair salon out of her home without a business license and in defiance of a city “stop-work” order. Keehn, 30, said she filed for permission from the city of Port Orchard to operate a hair salon out of her home on the 2300 block of Flower Avenue soon after pur-
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Tensions between two Port Orchard neighbors that erupted after one attempted to open a home business last year led both women to head down to the Kitsap County Courthouse Monday and file restraining orders against each other. Shelia Cronan, 49, said she filed a restraining order against Amber Keehn after returning home from a camping trip Aug. 17 and discovering pellets had been
Event takes participants from workshop to community choir in four hours
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INDEPENDENT
Pat Wright and the Total Experience Gospel Choir return to Bainbridge Island for Sing Out! 2012, on Jan. 28 at Bainbridge High School. Kathryn Keve / Contributed
BY ERIN JENNINGS Kitsap Week
Cody Wright from Milford, Utah, got a mouth full of mud and a zero score after falling off Strawberry Delight in the Saddle Bronc Riding competition Wednesday night at the Kitsap County Stampede. The fair runs through Sunday.
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‘THE FOURTH WALL’ AT THE JEWEL BOX
A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries
Making a
‘The Fourth Wall,’ a satire, opens this weekend at the Jewel Box Theatre.
POULSBO — “The Fourth Wall” is a tongue-in-cheek satire of art and American politics during the era of the George W. Bush administration, set in the suburban upstate New York home of an upper-middle-class couple. At its center is the tale of a frazzled suburban woman who rebels against the complacency of her friends, marriage, government — even her living room furniture. The Jewel Box Theatre presents A.R. Gurney’s satirical comedy Jan. 27 through Feb. 11 — Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The theater is located at 225 Iverson St. in downtown Poulsbo. The show is directed by Island Theatre cofounder Steve Stolee, directing for the first time at Jewel Box. Tickets are $16 adults; $14 seniors, students and military. Tickets are available online at brownpapertickets.com (Search: Poulsbo); via e-mail at jewelboxtickets@gmail.com; or by phone at (360) 697-3183. An opening weekend special of $9.99 is available for tickets purchased online for the Jan. 27-29 performances. Season presenting sponsor is Liberty Bay Bank. Info: www.jewelboxpoulsbo.org.
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Making up snow days will lengthen school year By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Staff writer
South Kitsap School District will have its schedule extended by four days to make up the school days canceled during last week’s snowstorm. Superintendent Dave LaRose told
the Independent on Monday that SKSD does not “have days built into the calendar that could be substituted for snow days.” That means the last day of school for SKSD will be June 21. LaRose said extra days off used to be in the district’s calendar, but they
primarily were used for “professional development” for educators. But he said those days no longer are viable because of funding cuts. He said that adding extra days into the calendar for snow make-ups also would extend the year, which would negate the benefits.
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SKSD athletic director Ed Santos said last week marked the first time in his 29 years in the district that schools were closed for an entire week that was not designated for a break. The Martin Luther King holiday was SEE SNOW DAYS, A4