FRIDAY, August 9, 2013 n Vol. 122, No. 31 n www.portorchardindependent.com n 50¢
Inside
A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries
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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).
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TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
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SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
Editor
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
An investigation is under way by the Port Orchard Police Department into an apparent suicide by a 29-year-old male inmate in the Kitsap County Jail. Deputy Scott Wilson, Kitsap County Sheriff ’s Office spokesman, said the coroner’s office reported that Steven Tyler Ellis, 29, of Belfair was pronounced dead at 3:05 p.m., Saturday, Aug.
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
Editor
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Staff Writer
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
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
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
cy personnel. Wilson said the inmate was transported to Harrison Medical Center’s emergency room in Bremerton, where life-saving efforts continued. Wilson said because the incident occurred while the man was in the custody of the sheriff ’s office, the investigation is being conduced by an outside agency per standard operating procedure.
County District Court. He was arrested by Port Orchard police on July 29 and booked into jail on a charge of second-degree assault with bail set at $100,000. He was being held in jail on a pre-trial status. After Ellis was found, emergency first aid was administered to the inmate by jail medical personnel and corrections officers until they were relieved by South Kitsap Fire and Rescue emergen-
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
The stage has been set for the Port Orchard council at-large and West Sound Utility District commissioner’s race. Each race had three candidates and the top two finishers face each other in the Nov. 5 general election. The Kitsap County Auditor’s Office Election Division reported more than 22,000 ballots were cast in the Aug. 6 primary. According to unofficial results posted on the county website, incumbent Councilman Jerry Childs easily outdistanced his closest opponent — by receiving more than 58 percent of the votes. Childs got 969 votes compared to newcomer Eric Gonnason, who finished second with 434 or 26 percent of the See election, A30
Elizabeth Brown, along with help from volunteer Kimberly Towne, serves a hot dog to a young girl during Tuesday’s National Night Out event at Port Orchard Marina Park. The event drew several hundred people and Brown’s husband, Ken (far right), cooked up more than 400 hot dogs.
State reports 23 percent voter turnout in county
Police investigating jail inmate’s apparent suicide
A South Kitsap Fire and Rescue battalion chief said fire crews contained a a slow-burning fire Tuesday, between the end of Overaa Road SE and Colvos Passage. Battalion Cheif Jon Gudmundsen said the fire, which was discovered about 7 p.m. Sunday, was an “underground fire” which burned between 2-3 acres of a heavily wooded area south of Sedgwick Road in South Kitsap. “It’s slow moving and we got the upper hand,” said Gudmundsen, as crews had containment by Tuesday afternoon.” The fire was about 1,000 feet from the end of Overaa Road SE and no homes were threatened. Gudmundsen said the fire has been burning for a long time. “The speculation is that the fire has been burning underground for more than a month, working its way around into the root systems,” he said. He said the fire was complex because of the size and the topography of the terrain. Local residents notified SKFR Sunday night after they smelled smoke in the area late last week, Gudmundsen said. Fire crews arrived at the scene and began cutting trails to reach the blaze. “We spent about an hour trying to pinpoint the fire once we arrived in the area,” Gudmundsen said. “We spent several hours before we were able to get out about 2 a.m. early Monday morning.” He said the area contains a different type of vegetation compared to Eastern Washington. “It’s really wet here,” said
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business. By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Staff Writer
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-
Editor
SOUTH KITSAP’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION SINCE 1890
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
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
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.
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Firefighters get upper hand Tuesday on South Kitsap fire
3, by attending staff at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. Wilson reported Ellis was found around 6:50 p.m. in a shower in the inmate’s housing unit by sheriff ’s corrections officers Aug. 2. Police Chief Geoffrey Marti said Ellis apparently hung himself inside the jail facility. According to charging papers, Ellis was charged with seconddegree assault on July 30 in Kitsap
See fire, A30
Port Orchard
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Fire crews battle rare forest fire
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
Stage set for Nov. 5 general election celebrating national night out
City’s first female sergeant A3
INSIDE Three men charged in series of South Kitsap thefts A4 FEATURE Spirit of Life Lutheran Church celebrating 20 years A10 SPORTS Chancellor: Biannual conversation set to resume A26