Group Health receives research awards Page A4
SPORTS
Memorable year for South Kitsap sports Page A8
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Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
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
Port Orchard
FRIDAY, January 4, 2013 n Vol. 121, No. 52 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
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-
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
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In March, U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks announced his retirement after 36 years in office. The 71-year-old congressman from Bremerton served 18 consecutive terms for Washington’s 6th District, beginning in 1977. Dicks is a graduate of the University of Washington Law School and served as a staff member for Sen. Warren G. Magnuson beginning in 1968. His congressional career has included developing federal assistance for forest workers in timber communities, increasing environmental protection for Puget Sound estuaries and commitment to
See TOP 10, A7
See CIVILLA, A2
3. County voters favors same-sex marriage, marijuana measures
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
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Kitsap County voters, along with the rest of the state, approved two controversial measures concerning same-sex marriage and legalization of marijuana. More than 54 percent of county voters approved Referendum Measure 74, that would allow samesex marriages, while more than 55 percent passed Initiative 502 to allow the recreation use of marijuana. With more than 52 percent, county voters also approved Initiative 1240 that would allow the creation of charter schools in the state. Locally, incumbent District 2 County Commissioner Charlotte Garrido defeated chal-
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
2. U.S. Congressman retires
TIM MATTHES
Washington State Patrol Troop Tony Radulescu was shot and killed Feb. 28, during a traffic stop on state Route 16 near Gorst. Radulescu stopped a 1999 green Ford F350 pickup that Josh Blake was driving on state Route 16 near Gorst around 1 a.m. When he did not respond to radio calls after reporting his traffic stop to dispatchFile Photo ers, a Kitsap County sheriff’s Trooper Tony Padulescu was deputy went to shot and killed during a traffic stop. the scene and found Radulescu lying wounded next to his patrol car. He was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, where he died of his wounds. Blake, a 28-year-old ex-convict, shot himself in the head later that day inside a trailer on a rural South Kitsap property as a SWAT team closed
BRUCE DANIELSON
1. Trooper shot, killed
maintaining a U.S. Navy base in Kitsap County. Dicks, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, has often used his tenure and sway to bring federal funds to Washington, Sen. File Photo Patty Murray said in After 36 years, Dicks a statement. retired from Congress. In the Nov. 6 general election, Democrat Derek Kilmer defeated Republican Bill Driscoll to claim Dicks’ Congressional District 6 seat . JEANETTE DALTON
Looking back at 2012, the year was marred by tragedies, the election and changes within the school district. Here are a list of last year‚ Top 10 stories in the Independent:
in on him. He was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital, but was pronounced dead that afternoon. Five other people were also convicted in connection with the shooting. Jessi Leigh Foster, the 32-year-old ex-girlfriend of Blake, pleaded guilty to rendering criminal assistance and was sentenced to six months in the Kitsap County jail. Foster made phone calls and sent text messages trying to help Blake escape after he shot Radulescu. Megan Mollet, 19, the witness in the killing of Radulescu, was sentenced to 12 months in Kitsap County Jail. She was handed out the maximum concurrent sentence for rendering criminal assistance in the first degree and lying to police. Corinne Nelson, 26, pleaded guilty to rendering criminal assistance in a deal with Kitsap County prosecutors. She was sentence to 14 months in jail. Steven Michael Banks, 43, was charged with rendering criminal assistance and sentenced to a year in jail. Andrew Bartlett, 31, was acquitted by the Kitsap County Superior Court jury of rendering criminal assistance, but was convicted of making a false statement to police and was sentenced to six months in jail.
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
Editor
By Staff
Kitsap PUD Commissioners, John Armstrong and Lloyd Berg, have appointed Jim Civilla of Port Orchard to fill a vacancy on the three person, elected commission created by the resignation of long time commissioner Lee Caldwell. Civilla will serve during the remainder of the term of Position No. 2, which ends in January 2015. Election for the position is in November 2014, however, Civilla will have to stand for election in November of 2013 to finish the term. Jim Civilla, a CPA, has worked in the private sector for thirty-five years, and is part owner of Westbay Auto Parts. “With 170 employees and twelve stores throughout the Olympic Peninsula, I understand what it takes to run a business, including the budgets,” the new commissioner shared with his fellow policy makers. Civilla’s previous community involvement includes: president of the South Kitasp Rotary, South Kitsap School District Citizen’s Budget Committee, chairman of the South Kitsap Fire and Rescue Citizen’s Budget Committee and the agency’s Task Force evaluating fire district consolidation. He was chairman of the successful South Kitsap School Levy Campaign, and past member of the Kitsap Regional Library advisory committee. Presently, Civilla serves as vice-chair and member of the Harrison Medical Center board of trustees. Present PUD commission president John Armstrong said that he and commissioner Berg believe,“Civilla is the best choice of all applicants due to his community involvement, his pledge to ask the tough questions, his commitment to wise use of our natural resources and public funds, and his keen interest in the PUD’s telecommunication network. We were
Death of veteran state trooper top story of the year
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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
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
of
Civilla fills vacancy on PUD board
▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
2012
TOP 10 STORIES
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
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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.
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