Kingston • Eglon • Hansville • Indianola • Little Boston • Port Gamble
COMMUNITY NEWS KingstonCommunityNews.com
Vol. 31 No. 3 • March
2014
Four-time champion PTA asks sheriff to investigate alleged theft Member reimbursed group $9,000; financial records are in disarray
Kingston’s Bobby Reece III hugs his brother, Jorden, after winning the 2A 170-pound state wrestling championship Feb. 22 in the Tacoma Dome. Reece is the 12th prep wrestler in state history to win four state wrestling titles. See story and photos on page 10. Kipp Robertson / Staff photo
First purchase of Pope land complete County now owns Port Gamble ‘shoreline block’ By RICHARD WALKER
Staff Writer
PORT GAMBLE — Kitsap County residents are now the owners of 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline on Port Gamble Bay. Pope Resources President David Nunes and Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder signed the ownership transfer documents
Feb. 12, finalizing the first acquisition of Pope’s North Kitsap acreage by the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project. The purchase price was $4.6 million and was funded by several sources: the National Coastal Wetlands Program, the state Department of Ecology, the state Wildlife and Recreation Program, the state Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and private donors — and even an 11thhour crowdsource appeal. Next: Sandra Staples-Bortner, chairperson of the Kitsap Forest & Bay Coalition, said the purchase
of a portion of the 366-acre Park Expansion Block was expected to close by the end of February. Purchase of a portion of the 664-acre Divide Block should close by fall: 180 acres from Pope Resources and 40 acres from an adjacent landowner, with another 51 acres acquired from another landowner next year. Staples-Bortner said the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe committed funds for acquisition of a portion of the Port Gamble Upland Block, which is 3,316 acres. The funds were paid to the Tribe by the Navy to offset the impacts on See Purchase, Page 9
inside ‘Yes’ vote for NKSD operations Levy — Page 3
to see where the PTA was financially, according to the sheriff’s report. Black said the member told her “there may be a problem with the financial reports.” The member later resigned and reimbursed the PTA $9,000, Black said, according to the sheriff’s report. The PTA board found the books in such disarray, there’s no realistic way of knowing where it stood financially, Wilson said the department was By KIPP ROBERTSON told. Wilson said the PTA has and RICHARD WALKER been in contact with its regionStaff Report al director and with a forensic KINGSTON — Gordon investigator. Elementary PTA board memThe request for a sheriff’s bers have given the Kitsap department investigation folCounty Sheriff’s Department lows approximately a month of financial records, text messages investigation by the PTA board, and other information related to including a financial review by a possible theft of PTA funds. a PTA panel that was overseen An investigator will study the by the state PTA’s information to deterregional director. mine if the disarray CenCom call INSIDE in financial records records show that a show evidence of n Gordon PTA Gordon Elementary criminal intent or president resigns. PTA officer called careless bookkeep911 on Jan. 15 to ask — Page 9 ing, sheriff’s spokesfor advice on how n Editorial — man Deputy Scott to report an alleged Wilson said. Page 4 theft of PTA funds. Gordon PTA board The PTA officer members went to told 911 another the sheriff’s office in Silverdale member stole PTA funds. The on Feb. 13 after 10 a.m. to PTA officer said the member meet with a sheriff’s deputy. confessed to stealing the money The reporting party was Ryan and the PTA executive board Black, Gordon PTA’s vice presi- allowed the member to pay the dent. Also present were Marta money back, according to the Michalski, president; Tanya call record. Guest, treasurer; and Lindsey “[Reporting party] not happy Still, secretary. with PTA board’s decision,” the Black told the deputy she call report states. asked a then-member of the A panel of PTA members PTA board for financial reports in January, because she wanted See PTA, Page 9
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