Owner closes downtown eatry Page A4
SPORTS
SK girls gets ‘payback’ on Gig Harbor Page A8
A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
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, February 1, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 4 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
a skeleton design. It was zipped up to cover his face and he was carrying a knife, she reported. The female said she managed to get away by using force and ran to a nearby house and called 911. South Kitsap School District officials sent a letter home to parents after the incident was reported. The letter asked parents to remind students about the importance of “being cautious, recognizing indicators of potential threats, and having a ‘mental plan’ for how to respond if approached by a stranger.” Person who have any information about the incident, should contact the Sheriff ’s Office at 360-337-7101.
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Kitsap County Sheriff ’s Office detectives are continuing the investigation of an attempted abduction of a high school student Jan. 28 in the Manchester area, according to Deputy Scott Wilson, department spokesman. Wilson said the female student told investigators she was on her way to catch the morning bus near the intersection of California and E. Harrison about 6:45 a.m., when she was approached from behind and grabbed by the arm by a white male wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The student described the suspect as a six feet or taller and wearing a sweatshirt with
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▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
tion initiative and to address the substantial budget deficit that remains. The proposed plan is designed to allow for a more efficient organization and will be presented to commissioners during the work study session for their consideration. Comment at the meeting by both the public and Port employees on the plan proposal and ideas leading to more efficiency and profitability is encouraged. Comments on plan proposal and recommendations toward efficiency and profitability can be submitted to Board Clerk Ginger Waye at gingerw@portofbremerton. org, no later than 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8.
By CHARLIE BERMANT
BREMERTON — Port of Bremerton commissioners will hold a special work study session next week to discuss a portwide restructuring plan as proposed by Port staff. The meeting is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Bill Mahan Conference Room, Port Administration Offices, Bremerton National Airport Terminal Building, 8850 SW State Highway 3. Port staff has been meeting to research, discuss, and design a plan to restructure overall operations, manpower, and financials following Commission action to terminate the Bremerton Marina privatiza-
Editor
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
Port to discuss restructuring plan
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Photo courtesy of the Kitsap Public Health District
Port Orchard resident Jonathan McHenry, who appeared on ABC TV’s “Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition,” holds up a pair of jeans during the “Ready, Set, Go! 5210 Kitsap” on Jan. 29 at the Norm Dicks Government Center in Bremerton. McHenry spoke about his weight-loss success featured on the reality show.
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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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 CITY, A2
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
After about two hours of public hearing on the mental health tax initiative and the Transfer of Development Rights program, the Port Orchard City Council approved several contracts at the Jan. 22 meeting. The council approved a three-year contract with McCavick Graves for legal services — only with a slight change from the proposed contract. Under the contract, the law firm would bill the city an hourly rate of $170 for all legal services. City Attorney Gregory Jacoby said the contract provides for cost-of-living increase and the same level that the City’s department heads receive. “It they get no cost-of-living increase, neither do I,” Jacoby said. Jacoby said the contractual terms are identical to “what has been in place for almost 10 years.” But Councilman John Clauson said he would like to amend the wording of the contract pertaining to special project and other hourly rates. Clauson said under the contract that if city business and required expertise in a specified area of law and for which the mayor has given written permission to proceed.
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Editor
Staff Writer
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
KCSO investigating possible abduction of high school girl
McHENRY KICKs OFF RALLY
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
City OKs contracts for legal services, video
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 pur-
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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
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LOCAL NEWS
Suspect sought in Port Orchard robbery Staff report
A suspect in a late night armed robbery of a South Kitsap convenience store on Jan. 26, remains at large, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Scott Wilson, department spokesman, reported the incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. at the Port Orchard Gas Mart, at the intersection of SE Mile Hill Drive and Warner Avenue SE. Wilson said the male suspect entered the store and demanded the store clerk give him money from the cash register. The suspect displayed a black-colored handgun through the front pouch of his sweatshirt and left the store with an undetermined amount of money in a brown paper bag. After inspecting the area with a K-9 unit, deputies determined the suspect most likely left the location in a vehicle. Persons with any information about this robbery are asked to contact sheriff’s detectives at 360-337-7111, or Kitsap County Central Communications (911 dispatch) at 360-308-5400.
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