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BUSINESS Changes SPORTS Van Amen continue inside old captures another title South Kitsap Mall A9 at Shelton Invite A21
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
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The school district decided to dismiss school about 1:30 p.m. while officers were in the area. Marti contacted the U.S. Navy Region Northwest’s bomb squad, which brought in a pair of “bomb-sniffing” dogs to check inside and outside the school building. “Once the students were out of the vicinity, we were able to use the dogs,” Marti said. “We did an interior and exterior sweep of the building and found nothing.” Marti said the phone call was traced back to a Skype number, which is server-based and there can be multiple accesses to that number. He said it doesn’t appear the caller was local. Superintendent Michelle Reid reported that SKHS students and staff followed emergency procedures and the evacuation occurred in a calm and organized manner. “We take all threats seriously and will always do whatever it takes to keep our students and staff safe,” stated Reid on the district’s website. “The building has been carefully searched by law enforcement and will be monitored closely. “We are working with law enforcement in our decisionmaking process as we move forward. Parents and students will be notified of any changes. Safety is our top priority. We will take all precautions to keep all staff and students safe.” Automated calls were sent out from the district office. Students also took home letters about the incident. The bomb threat canceled practice for the boys and girls track team.
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▼ Matthes, Garrido advance in SK commissioner race; Dalton, Danielson in judicial contest.
SEE PARK, A10
By CHARLIE BERMANT
The second phase of the
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Editor
construction for the park department. Katron said the Parks Department should have the approved plans ready by the middle of August. “Once we have the plans approved, we can put the
Port Orchard Police Chief Geoffrey Marti said he was pleased with the response from his department, school district and students during a May 2 bomb threat at South Kitsap High School. Marti said the school district, students and police officers “responded well.” “I was pretty happy on how things went,” said Marti. “It helped us work on communication between the school system and police department, and to make sure we respond in a way that works with the other entities.” Marti said the response was “very orderly” and that most people would not have noticed there was anything different other than the school getting out a little bit early. South Kitsap High School received a phone call at 12:30 p.m. from a male who said there were some explosives and possible firearms at SKHS, the largest high school in the state with more than 2,200 students. Marti said the school’s resource officer contacted the police department about the bomb threat. “We took some proactive measures and put some people in the area, basically checking the peripheral grounds to make sure it would be safe for the students to exit the school,” Marti said. CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
BRUCE DANIELSON
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
package for the South Kitsap Regional Park. “We submitted the engineering plans in March,” said Katron. “It takes time for the Department of Development to approve and permit the plans.” Katron is responsible for planning, design and
Editor
TIM MATTHES
JEANETTE DALTON
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
T.J. “Tomahawk” Stukes of the Harlem Wizards goes past Ken Ewalt for a dunk during a basketball game fundraiser for the South Kitsap PTSA Council on May 6 in the South Kitsap High School Gymnasium. Ewalt is a Watch D.O.G. from Cedar Heights Junior High School.
South Kitsap Skate Park is under review by the Kitsap County Department of Development. Rick Katron, parks project coordinator, said the approximately 6,000-square-foot addition to the current skate park is part of an improvement
Marti pleased with how entities worked together By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
New phase for skate park under review Improvements coming to SK Regional Park
Calm response to bomb threat by police, SKSD
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 STORES, A10
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
In the near future, at least five stores could be selling recreational marijuana in South Kitsap — three or four of those stores could be in Port Orchard. On May 2, the state’s Liquor Control Board announced the results of marijuana retail store lotteries to the public. Out of the 40 lotteries applicants for at-large stores in Kitsap County, 25 have Port Orchard addresses. According to the Liquor Control Board, there is a quota of 10 for marijuana stores to be located in Kitsap County — two in Bremerton, one in Bainbridge Island and seven throughout the county. “It appears four of the top 15 are in the city,” said Port Orchard Development Director Nick Bond. Because there was so many applications, the Liquor Control Board had to hold multiple lotteries. Last week, the applicants were notified of their standing on each ranked-ordered list produced by 75 lotteries that were conducted by Washington State University and verified by independent auditor, according to the news release. The Liquor Control Board reported 1,174 applicants were included in the lottery and that 75 jurisdictions required a lottery while 47 jurisdictions did not require a lottery. The agency posted the business names and rankings from lotteries for 334 legal marijuana retail licenses for the state on its website. The
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Editor
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 DANNIE OLIVEAUX
SLAMSATIONAL!
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
Five stores could be selling recreational pot in South Kitsap 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
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INSIDE Parts of Kitsap County prone to landslides A3