Port Orchard
FRIDAY, May 3, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 17 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
Inside
A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
Inserts: Fred Meyer, RiteAid, Office Depot, Best Buy, Staples, Wal-Mart, Valassis
Printed with recycled paper and environmentally friendly soybean oil-based ink.
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
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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).
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
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 Staff Writer
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
A letter send out April 12 to all South Kitsap School District staff by Interim Superintendent Bev Cheney, tells of the potential budget situation for 2013-14 school year. During the School Board’s public meeting April 24, the financial challenges facing the district mentioned in
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
Editor
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-
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
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
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By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Staff Writer
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
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
See city, A31
See board, A31
City Council voted 5-1 to allow the City to petition the Lodging Tax Committee for up to $3,000 to assist in funding its portion of the foot ferry service this summer. Council approved the motion at its April 23 meeting. Port Orchard, along with the Port and City of Bremerton, have combined to allocate more than $21,000 for summer service for the ferries every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and some festivals and holidays from May 24
state funded, and impact of sequestration on federal funds and the local economy. In Cheney’s letter, she wrote the district would eliminate 26 previously state-funded Read certified positions teachers’ that have been locally funded, but would not reactions meet the goal of reduconline ing the budget by $2.5 million. She said new superintendent Michelle Reid revised the District Office organizational structure in
the letter were highlighted. The district reported the upcoming budget needs to be reduced about $2.5 million. During a presentation, the district reported a $634,000 ending fund balance shortfall going into the 2012-13 school year. The district also reported it lost between 80 and 100 students for a nearly $500,000 shortfall and decreased the district’s reserve from 3 to 2.5 percent to cover the $1.1 million revenue shortfall. For 2013-14, the district is facing a projected 2.5-percent decline in enrollment, exhaustion of local funds to sustain programs and positions previously
District says about $2.5 million needed cut from budget
Editor
to Sept. 2. The City of Bremerton agreed to late night Friday and Saturday service, Sunday service from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. is preserved for its Sunday Farmer’s Market. The proposal includes three more hours on Friday (9 p.m. to midnight) and four additional hours on Saturday (8 p.m. to midnight). Sunday service would be expanded to 11 hours on May 26 for Harbor Festival, June 30 for Fathoms o’Fun Festival and Sept. 1 for Taste of Port Orchard. By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
School Board outlines district’s financial challenges for 2013-14
Girl in serious condition at area hospital
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 SOUTH KITSAP’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION SINCE 1890
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
City seeking lodging tax money to fund foot ferry service School Board President Keith Garton explains some of the challenges facing the South Kitsap School District during the upcoming budget year at an April 24 public meeting at the high school.
See GIRL, A31
A South Kitsap girl, hit by a truck on April 28, was listed in serious condition Wednesday, said a hospital spokesperson. Marce Edwards, media relations manager for MultiCare Health System, provided The Independent an update on 7-year-old Alexis M. Hererra’s condition via email. According to Deputy Scott Wilson, spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation con-
tinues on the accident that happened around 4:20 p.m. near the intersection of Elder Avenue SW and SW View Drive. Wilson said a 30-yearold man was driving a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup southbound on Elder Avenue SW when he collided with the girl riding her bicycle westbound through the intersection at SW View Drive. Deputies reported the girl was pulled under the truck and dragged a short distance
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
Editor
Catching up with Jason Hammel A32
SPORTS Wolves finally topple Lions in soccer A34 INSIDE Librarian honored by state group for service A5 INSIDE Wishbone Day focuses on ‘brittle bones’ A4