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Port Orchard
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
FRIDAY, July 5, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 26 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
TIM MATTHES
BRUCE DANIELSON
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
The City Council adopted a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that does not include widening part of Tremont Street, Bay Street pathway and improvements to the Anderson Hill/Old Clifton Road intersection. The TIP covers projects from 2014 to 2019. Each year, cities must submit their TIP according to Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. At the June 25 meeting, Public Works Director Mark Dorsey said the City created a two-tier system for the TIP. He said Tier 1 projects will be submitted to the WSDOT and Tier 2 items are on an in-house list. The TIP’s Tier 1 projects include the widening of a more than one-half mile section of Tremont Street from State
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▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
Council OKs 6-year TIP; corridor on ‘wish list’
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
A new era has begun in the South Kitsap School District. On Monday, Dr. Michelle Reid was sworn in as superintendent — taking over from Bev Cheney, who was appointed to fill in for the 2012-13 school year as interim superintendent. She served as SKSD superintendent f r o m 2001 to Reid 2008. Reid was approved as superintendent on Feb. 20. Before coming to South Kitsap, Reid was assistant superintendent of the 3,600-student Port Angeles School District. The 53-yearold Reid worked in the district for 28 years in various teaching and administrative roles. Reid was a finalist for the SKSD interim superintendent position last fall and in March 2012 for superintendent of the Olympia School District. She was invited to
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
Editor
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
reapply for the SKSD position when the superintendent search began last fall. For the past several months, Reid and Cheney have worked close during the transition. During that time, Reid was a target of some teachers after Cheney announced that SKSD sent out RIF (Reduction In Force) notices to more than 60 employees. Many teachers questioned the new superintendent’s salary while the district was laying off teachers. But Reid said her major goal is to do “the right thing” for the students in the district. “If I stay focused on the initiatives that are already in place in supporting the ‘Whole Child’ and working hard to make sure every child has that ‘mountain top’ experience before they leave our district,” she said. “Then I think people will realize I am the right person for the job. I think I’m going to let my works speak for themselves.” Last Friday, the state Legislature approved an operating budget, but SKSD officials don’t know how much of the $1-billion increase in secondary education funding will be allocated to the district. Most of the state funding is targeted for specific programs. As the allocations are
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
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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
Superintendent ready for tough challenges facing school district
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Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
Reid takes over reigns at SKSD 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
Printed with recycled paper and environmentally friendly soybean oil-based ink.
BUSINESS Dance INSIDE Fathoms o’ INSIDE Pony Up Rescue dedicated to studio owners pass Fun Festival, parade rehoming horses A5 torch to students A8 is a success A26
See tip, A11
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
Fathoms o’Fun Festival Princess Alysa Josephsen kisses the winner of the frog jumping contest held Saturday in the Kitsap Bank parking lot.
Voting begins for Best of SK Readers’ Choice Who has the best hamburger in SK? Who is the best nail salon, fitness club, realtor, massage therapist and so on? You decide by voting in this year’s Best of SK contest. Voting for the 2013 Best of South Kitsap readers’ choice awards begins today. The annual contest, now in its sixth year, has become a favorite of locals and businesses alike in South Kitsap as an opportunity to celebrate a variety of South Kitsap’s best services, food, entertainment and people as voted on by readers of the Port Orchard Independent and PortOrchardIndependent.com. Best of SK is sponsored the Port Orchard Independent, Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce and Shop SK First. This year there are 54 different categories for readers to vote in. Voting can be done by filling out the ballot that appears in today’s Independent (see page 28), or online by visiting www.portorchardindependent. com and clicking on the Best of SK link. Ballots must be at 50% complete to be counted. Voting will continue through July 31. Results of this year’s Best of SK contest will be announced live on Sept. 19 during the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Showcase event at the Port Orchard Pavilion. Results will also be announced in a special publication that will appear in the Sept. 20 edition of the Port Orchard Independent. Join the fun and tell us who your favorites are by voting in the 2013 Best of South Kitsap Reader Choice Awards.
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
Police will make more arrests in park vandalism By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
One teen was arrested and more arrests are expected this week in connection with the vandalism at the Veterans’ Memorial Wall and Port Orchard Marina Park last month. Police Chief Geoffrey Marti said a teen male was arrested and booked into juvenile hall. Marti said he was charged with second-degree malicious mischief. “Our investigators are still trying to determine the level of involvement of the five teen suspects,” Marti said. “The See POLICE, A11