FRIDAY, January 25, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 3 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
Inside A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
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A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries
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Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
TIM MATTHES
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
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▼ 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).
BRUCE DANIELSON
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
See POLICE, A30
Two Port Orchard residents remain in Kitsap County Jail after they tried to flee police during a police pursuit that resulted in a two-car collision that sent a 64 year-old South Kitsap man to the hospital. According to Deputy Scott Wilson, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office public
JEANETTE DALTON
Editor
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
4DIPPM EJTUSJDU MPPLT UP CBMBODF JUT CPPLT Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
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By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
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
Dannie Oliveaux/staff photo
Council OKs keeping police substation open
Heagy was charged with delivery of methamphetamine, identity theft, theft and possession of stolen property. Her bail was set at $50,000. Wilson said around 11:24 a.m., an officer on patrol in the vicinity of SE Carl Pickel Drive and SE Lund Avenue, spotted a maroon 2010 Honda CRV, driven by Royster, bearing stolen
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
information officer, Bobby Lee Royster, Jr., 44, and Lydia Adele Heagy, 34, were arrested Jan. 18 after being involved in a police chase that day. Royster was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and stolen property, attempting to elude a pursuing police, theft, escape from community custody and driving with a suspended license. His bail was set at $107,000.
See COUNCIL, A30
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. By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Staff Writer
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-
See SKSD, A31
Declining enrollment could result in more than a $400,000 budget shortfall for the South Kitsap School District. Sandy Rotella, the district’s chief financial operations officer, said there were 9,577 students enrolled in December. But the state uses full-time equivalent students (FTE) to calculate how much funding a school district will receive. For example,
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
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.
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
Senior Reporter
Police pursuit results in collision, two arrests
During budget talks, the Port Orchard City Council decided to close down a police substation at McCormick Woods. But comments from several citizens during the Tuesday, Jan. 22 meeting drove the Council to reconsider their original decision and keep the substation open with a current lease agreement for space at McCormick Woods Golf Course. The substation opened in June 2010. Under the lease agreement, the city pays the golf course $1,800 a year or $150 per month to rent
Port Orchard
SOUTH KITSAP’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION SINCE 1890
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
the space. Mayor Tim Matthes said he received several emails concerning the substation. Joseph Torrisi, a McCormick Woods Homeowners Association board member, said the substation improves the presence of the police department on the west side of the city. “The substation gives our police a centralized location which enables them to respond quickly,” Torrisi said. Torrisi said he understands budget cuts by the city, but the benefit of keeping the substation far
Editor
a kindergartner is viewed as onehalf FTE. SKSD, which retains Greene Gasaway Architects of Federal Way to project future attendance, projected the district would have 9,328 FTE students in 2012-13, which is a decrease of 79 from the previous school year. Through December, Rotella said SKSD had 9,288 FTE and “we’re losing about 10 kids a month.” Based on that number, Rotella projects the district could have 80 fewer FTE than projected. She said the state provides each district $5,116 per student, which would result in a $409,280 loss. Greene Gasaway Architects
District could lose more than $400,000 based on figures
Natalie Horton, 10, serves up some of her mother’s chili during the First Christian Church’s fifth annual Chili and Soup Cookoff on Jan. 18. All the proceeds from the event, which hosted about 25 entries, goes towards the church’s summer mission trip to Mexico to build houses. By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
CHURCH CHILI COOK-OFF
Enrollment deline will result in SKSD funding shortfall
Page A28 Page A8
Bellarmine Prep outlasts Wolves in OT
Restaurant finding niche in downtown
SPORTS BUSINESS TALK