After a ‘good’ 27 years Page A10
New life on Bay Street
Not a second to spare
Coffee and fitness
Wolves take 1st Page A8
A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
Page A2
Port Orchard
FRIDAY, May 18, 2012 n Vol. 121, No. 20 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
Historical bell lands at South Colby Elementary
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Finding a home for the cast-iron black bell that rests on a wooden base just outside of the main office at South Colby Elementary School was an easy decision. But getting it there, as Russell Neyman likes to explain, was anything but simple. Neyman, who is chairman of The Yukon Harbor Historical Society, said his three-member group of locals has “done a good job of digging up the history of a town that no longer exists.” But even he was skeptical when John and Sandy O’Donnell offered to donate the bell in 2009 that was at their Southworth residence. It took a couple of years to assuage those concerns. J.B. Hall, the historical society’s vice chairman, confirmed through C.S. Bell Company, which
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District 8, he said. The last two state troopers shot on-duty were from District 8, with Trooper Scott Johnson shot in February 2010 in Long Beach in Pacific County, he said. After these shootings, it’s impossible to take any traffic stop or other trooper business lightly. “Officer safety is always on the forefront of my mind,” Johnson said. Gina Miller, Radulescu’s longtime girlfriend, was
remains in business, that they manufactured the bell. Because of the company’s detailed records, Neyman said, “We’re pretty sure the bell was made in 1883 or 1884.” Neyman said that is consistent with the opening of the Colby School in 1885, which he said “was no bigger than a one-car garage.” Eventually, Hall said students and teachers were moved to a larger building in 1909 on Garfield Avenue. He said he is about “90 percent” sure the object, which is a No. 3 Farm Bell that weighs about 70 pounds and is approximately 18 inches in diameter, moved to the new school. When the school closed in 1948, Neyman said the bell ”went into oblivion.” Before the O’Donnells came across the bell, Neyman was told it hung from a wisteria tree for at least 50 years. “They told me it was rusting away,” he said. Hall took responsibility for cleaning the bell. “It was green and rusty,” Neyman said. “The ringing arm has been broken
▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
The private event was held Tuesday to recognize National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Dozens of state, county and local law enforcement agents attended Tuesday’s ceremony. Washington State Patrol Captain Bob Johnson, Radulescu’s District 8 Commander in Bremerton, stood not far from the memorial stone with his head held high. The nearly three months since Radulescu was killed have been difficult for both him and the troopers of
By CHARLIE BERMANT
The Kitsap County Law Enforcement Memorial in Bremerton had six names etched on the memorial’s stone face for years. Earlier this month, a seventh name was carved into the stone. The memory of slain Washington State Trooper Tony Radulescu weighed heavy on the minds of attendees Tuesday afternoon at the annual Kitsap County Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony at the
Miller-Woodlawn Memorial Park in Bremerton. There, a granite stone carrying the names of area law enforcement agents killed in the line of duty was re-dedicated to include Radulescu’s name. Radulescu was shot and killed Feb. 28 by Joshua Blake, 28, during a traffic stop on State Route 16 in South Kitsap. Radulescu was born in Romania in 1967 and moved to Kitsap County after serving in the Gulf War. He was a 16-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol.
Staff Writer
Reporter
Senior Reporter
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
Slain trooper’s name joins the list of other law enforcement agents who died in the line of duty
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Brett Cihon/staff photo
Gina Miller, Tony Radulescu’s longtime girlfriend, sets a flower at the foot of the Kitsap County Law Enforcement Memorial in Bremerton Tuesday. Radulescu’s name was added to the memorial recognizing local law enforcement agents killed in the line of duty.
Radulescu remembered at memorial ceremony By Brett Cihon
The Yukon Harbor Historical Society recently donated it
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
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
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
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
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-
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
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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
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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.
Local CEO retires
See Historical Bell, A7
Inside this edition Financial policy document................................................ A3 South Kitsap kindergarten..................................................A4 Opinion.................................................................................A6 Fluoride survey shows..........................................................A7 Sports.....................................................................................A8 Sidney Beacon.....................................................................A11 Legals ..................................................................................A15
See Radulescu, A10
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890