The
A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
of
South Kitsap
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
▼
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
See A28 to vote for the Best of South Kitsap
FRIDAY, July 12, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 27 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
Colebank announces resignation from Council Colebank will move into new home outside city limits
6QTFUT UIF PSEFS PG UIF EBZ EVSJOH QSJNBSZ FMFDUJPO
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
Fathoms o’ Fun Festival Chair Shannon King looked at her watch around 7 p.m. on July 4. The reason King was watching her watch was because the firework shells used for the annual Grand Fireworks Show had not arrived. “At that time, there was a 90 percent chance the fireworks show was not going to happen,” King said. But with a little luck and quick work, more than 3,000 people lined up along the Port Orchard waterfront, along with others scattered throughout the uphill residential area, enjoyed another fireworks extravaganza. Phil Paquette, a FOF board member and pyrotechnics director, said in the past, there has never been a problem with getting the fireworks in time for the annual show. “There is a lot of work setting up the display,” Paquette said. “My supplier — Eagle Fireworks
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
%&$*4*0/
TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Annual events goes off with a little luck and quick action Editor
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
See colebank, A27
Fireworks show almost a ‘no-go’ By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
Fireworks explode over Sinclair Inlet during the annual July 4 event.
see things from the ‘10,000 foot level,’ as he often related, has served Port Orchard well in the recent economic downturn. ” Childs and Colebank worked together on the Economic Development and Tourism committee for the last six years promoting the town and encouraging and
▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
By CHARLIE BERMANT
Staff Writer
2015. Councilman Jerry Childs and Colebank joined the Council together in 2008. “We had the same purpose and many of the same philosophies,” Childs said. “We wanted efficient government, keeping taxes low, and pursuing growth through sensible targeted annexation. Those philosophies and Jim’s uncanny ability to 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
4DIPPM EJTUSJDU MPPLT UP CBMBODF JUT CPPLT
Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
▼
See body, A27
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Editor
The body recovered by Port Orchard police on Friday has been identified as a Central Kitsap man who was reported missing June 20. Deputy Scott Wilson, spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, said Wednesday the body was identified as Thomas Craig Vogt, 51, of East Bremerton. Vogt was last seen at his mother’s home. His truck was found Saturday morning at Pat Carey Vista Park on the shoreline of the Port Washington Narrows, a channel running through Bremerton that connects Dyes Inlet with Sinclair Inlet. Wilson said, according to the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office report, Vogt died from a single gunshot wound to the head. “We believe is was a suicide,” Wilson said. He said family members found Vogt’s truck on June 22 at Pat Carey Vista Park on the shoreline of the Port Washington Narrows, a channel running through Bremerton that connects Dyes Inlet with Sinclair Inlet. They also found a gun at the scene. Vogt’s body was recovered from
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
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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
KCSO reports body ID’d as missing man
be missed. He’s leaving quite a gap in the Council.” Colebank was elected to the City Council in January 2008. Colebank He was in his second term, which would have ended December
Staff Writer
Editor
Jim Colebank announced he was resigning from his City Council Position No. 1 seat, effective July 31.
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
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
Word of Colebank’s resignation hit social media as Councilman Fred Chang tweeted Tuesday night about Colebank’s anouncement after the July 9 Council meeting. Councilwoman Cindy Lucarelli said she was surprised by Colebank’s announcement. “Jim has been a stable member of the Council,” Lucarelli said. “He is a man with integrity and he’s going to 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-
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.
INSIDE New upgrades will help speed up election process A3 BUSINESS Baker brings taste of England to Port Orchard A8 SPORTS Kayaking available for all ages in Kitsap County A29
in Kent — has always been reliable in the past. We’ve always got a lot of ‘bang for our buck.’ ” Paquette, who began as the group’s pyrotechnics director in the late 1990s, said this year the supplier was late in delivering the shells. He said in the past, the shells would arrive the day before the fireworks show. “I would normally order them the afternoon of July 3 and stay with them overnight,” Paquette said. “Then my crew would show up and start working on the display while I took a power nap. Everything on our end is ready to go.” This year, Paquette said, there was miscommunication between he and the supplier. The delivery driver came from Olympia to deliver the explosive shells. “We didn’t get the shells until between 8:30 and 9 p.m.,” he said. “We had to scramble. When they showed up, we jumped into action.” Once the shells arrived at the dock, Paquette got in a boat for a 30-minute ride to the floating barge — rented from Thompson Pile Driving Co. Paquette said all the firework See fireworks, A27