Port Orchard Independent, April 06, 2012

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Opens shop Page A2

Wolves defeat Olympia

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Charity event

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Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.

Port Orchard

FRIDAY, april 6, 2012 n Vol. 121, No. 14 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢

Matthes’ campaign promises A Bremerton native who has lived in Port Orchard for more than 40 years, Matthes said he first encouraged two other individuals, including Port Orchard Planning Commission member Gil Michael, to run for mayor. But the former chair of the Kitsap County Board of Equalization and the city’s Planning Commission decided to file for himself about a month before the deadline. One of the tenants of Matthes’ campaign was transparency and public input to the city’s government. Matthes said he hoped to bring Bremerton-Kitsap Access Television in to city council chambers to broadcast live council meetings. But he said the council didn’t seem too excited to pay the $12,000 a year to bring BKAT to the chambers, especially since the meetings are already broadcast over the web a day later.

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Sitting behind his desk in the big corner office, Tim Matthes frowns. In front of him lays a packet from Allen Martin, Port Orchard’s treasurer, showing first quarter sales tax revenue down 4.1 percent. “A lot of my big plans have to shrink a bit right now,” Matthes said. “Realistically, I don’t have much money to work with.” Another packet shows the looming Bethel Corridor North annexation, which the first-term mayor said won’t bring in as much revenue early on as previously thought. Matthes, 65, said he had high hopes for big changes and downtown renovations when he took office on Jan. 1. Now, he views his best method for spurring growth and action in the city is to encourage business owners to invest. Rejuvenation on Bay Street and else-

where in the city has to come from people like Don Ryan, the owner of the One Ten Lounge, and Mansour Samadpour, a downtown property owner, Matthes said. Their plans for a Port Orchard Public Market are what will bring dollars into a city that is already struggling to meet it’s 2012 revenue projections. Matthes will try to help the pair by easing permit applications, sending letters to other businesses owners and trying to make sure the city council is on board when it comes to fast approval for businesses. Matthes acknowledged that his “cheerleading” wasn’t exactly a grand plan for Port Orchard. But that’s what he needs to do in the midst of budget struggles. “We are challenged right now,” he said. “I’m going to search out and help the small businesses. I’m looking for every conceivable Don Ryan I can find.”

though a Pew Research Center study puts the number at somewhere around 15 percent of teens receiving sexts, the issue is undeniable. Even in South Kitsap. “These kids, they can even text with their phone in their pockets,” Wheeler said. “They send things without looking.” The hour-long class provided information and safety tips for parents and students when using cellphones, the Internet and social media sites. Main said sexting can happen with children as young as 4th graders. “Kids are curious,” she said. “They have this technology right at their fingertips. They get carried away.” Sexting is illegal, Main said, and parents who are the legal owners of the cellphone could be criminally charged for what their child sends and receives. “Parents can face litigation,” she said. “Kids can be charged with child pornography if they have pictures on their phones.” The officers encouraged parents to keep an eye on what their child texts. Wheeler said asking to view a child’s phone at random intervals is a good way to know what a child is texting.

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Reporter

▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.

By Brett Cihon

By CHARLIE BERMANT

Matthes says he will encourage businesses, talks about campaign promises

Send a text message to a friend and he or she might send it to someone else. And someone else. And someone else. That’s exactly what officers Donna Main and Maureen Wheeler of the Port Orchard Police Department tried to emphasis to parents and teens at the Texting, Sexting and Cyberbulling class held March 28 at Cedar Heights Junior High School. Send a scandalous picture to a boyfriend or girlfriend, and it could rapidly spread around the school. “You need to assume people will forward the picture,” Wheeler said. “It spreads quickly. Would you go to a mall and take all of your clothes off and run around?” While Wheeler’s mall comparison drew laughs, she made it clear that sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, has become a big problem for teens and can lead to charges as drastic as child pornography. According to Wheeler, 50 percent of teens and tweens have sent or received a sext. And CHARLOTTE GARRIDO

BRUCE DANIELSON

Going forward

Reporter

TIM MATTHES

JEANETTE DALTON

Brett Cihon/staff photo

Port Orchard Mayor Tim Matthes at his desk in city hall. Matthes’ campaign plans now face a change.

By Brett Cihon

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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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

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

Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.

By CHRIS CHANCELLOR

Staff Writer

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

Class teaches parents and students the dangers of sexting

Jesse Beals/Staff Photo

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 purSEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2

Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting

By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN

Staff Writer

Independent

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

SOUTH KITSAP’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION SINCE 1890

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.

Inside

A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries

Inserts: Fred Meyer, RiteAid, Office Depot, Best Buy, Staples, Wal-Mart, Valassis

Printed with recycled paper and environmentally friendly soybean oil-based ink.

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SEE Sexting, PAGE A8

Inside this edition Opinion Robert Meadows Sports Gardener Joe

SEE Mathews, PAGE A8

South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890

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Obituaries Calendar Legals

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