INSIDE Retiring principal looking for new adventure A28
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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, June 14, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 23 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
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▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
By CHARLIE BERMANT
Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
TACOMA — As more than 580 South Kitsap High School seniors gathered behind a black curtain before Tuesday night’s graduation, some lamented that future students might not experience the same opportunities they had.
A 14-year-old girl’s statement about having sex with a Port Orchard man led to charges being filed in Kitsap County District Court. Jeremy Thomas Stevens, 29, was charged with firstdegree child rape on June 10, according to court documents. He was orginally charged with the crime on May 8. A warrant was issued for Stevens, who is employed as a long-haul interstate trucker. He was arrested and booked into the Kitsap County Jail TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Senior Reporter
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
on June 8. Bail was set at $100,000. Stevens’ next court appearance is June 25. The victim was interviewed by the Sexual Assault Unit of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office on April 23. She told investigators that a couple of weeks after she turned 11, Stevens raped her on multiple occasions, charging papers stated. Court records stated during a May 3 interview, a 14-year-old friend of the victim told investigators that she witnessed the two having sex. The victim told the friend that she was having sex with Steven since she was 11. The friend told investigators that Stevens asked her to join in once while the two girls stayed over at Stevens’ parent’s home. The girl said she refused Stevens’ request.
Council hears from citizens on changes By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
MIchelle Beahm/Staff Photo
South Kitsap High School senior Nick Beahm celebrates after he graduated Tuesday night at Tacoma Dome. More graduation photos on A29.
Future students may not experience same faculty as graduates By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Girl’s statement reveals man had sex with her multiple times
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
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 SENIORS, A30
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
TACOMA — “Seniors, class of 2013, let’s give it up!” So said Michael Brothers, a new graduate of South Kitsap High School (SKHS) in his welcoming speech at the commencement ceremony. Tuesday evening saw the Tacoma Dome bombarded with people as 595 SKHS graduates and their families, as well as 10 foreign exchange students flocked to the place for the ceremony, which started on time at 7 p.m. After the welcoming speech of Principal Jerry Holsten, Brothers took the stage to welcome his classmates and families to the ceremony. His was only one of two speeches given by students, though, and after two students performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” Delaney DiGiovanni gave her speech about the importance of commencement. “Every memory I have of this school is so important to me,” she told the crowd. Holsten had his say as well, and his speech spoke of the pride he had in the graduating class. “I encourage you, the class of 2013, to embrace all that you’ve accomplished,” he said. When the ceremony finished at almost 9 p.m., everyone in attendance
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
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
By MICHELLE BEAHM
Man charged with child rape
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
Seniors prepare for future 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-
SOUTH KITSAP’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION SINCE 1890
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.
SPORTS Calallero INSIDE Annual Salmon Bake & Book named SKHS’s top Sale is Sunday A5 female athlete A26
Those students referenced 68 positions — 61 teaching jobs — the school district’s Board of Directors announced it planned to cut to reduce its deficit during its May 8 meeting. Vince Bachteler, who plans to major in both business marketing and professional golf management at the University of Nebraska,
has been among the most vocal. “When I found out the teachers were cut, I was devastated,” he said. “A lot of my favorite teachers were cut. I knew that I was in a position where I could do something about it.” Bachteler organized a rally at the corner of Jackson and Lund avenues May 22 to
show support for educators losing their positions. He estimated 150 people participated in the event, which took two weeks to organize. Bachteler said he promoted the rally by contacting several media agencies and through word-of-mouth. At See students, A30
More than 30 people attended the first of two public hearings scheduled this month for citizens comments on changing the current form of government and city classification. Over the past few months, the City Council has been discussing changing the current mayor-council form of government to a council-city manager, along with changing the city’s status from a second-class city to a code city. During the June 11 meet-
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
ing, the Council heard from 13 people concerning the changes. Dick Davis said people should look at having city manager as an investment, not a cost. “Hiring a city manager is going to be more costly than what we experience,” Davis said. “What we need to hear is what are the attributes that a city manager brings to our city.” He said if a city manager can help create revenue without raising taxes, attract new businesses and help See COUNCIL, A30