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Port Orchard Public Market Inside Kitsap Week
A New Beginni ng For an Old Lan dmark.
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
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Board wants Congress to reauthorize ESEA SKSD board of directors following action by WSSDA
tion.” Lemke said by not reauthorizing ESEA, there are more consequences that will happen to school districts across the U.S. “It will put a lot of school districts in a bad position,” he said. Lemke said WSSDA is contacting other states to become part of this resolution.
TIM MATTHES
BRUCE DANIELSON
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
Check updates online
n SKHS baseball team in WCD playoffs today n Narrows League track meet Saturday in Shelton n SKHS fastpitch team in Narrow League tourney
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
SEE BOARD, A12
PO police investigating second SKHS bomb threat %&$*4*0/
JEANETTE DALTON
Dannie Oliveaux/Staff Photo
Two members of the Fathoms o’ Fun Festival royal court, Ambassador Jennifer Le Pregnall, left, and Queen Devenn Miller, help pass out gift bags during the Ladies Night Out event on May 9 in downtown Port Orchard.
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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).
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
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SEE POVERTY, A11
Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
The number of young people in Kitsap County who report that they have seriously considered attempting suicide is increasing. The number of adult drug-related deaths in the county is going up. And the number of resident living in poverty is rising. But the number of youth who are using alcohol has dropped. Property crimes are down and the number of firearm deaths in Kitsap County has dropped slightly. Those are just some of the findings in the 2014 Kitsap County Public Health District's Core Public Health Indicators report that was released Tuesday to the Kitsap Public Health Board. The annual report looks at data from a number of local, state and federal sources and is used by the health district to target what services are needed and where funding should be spent. County Epidemiologist Siri Kushner walked the board through the data, noting that many of the health indicators are inter-related. “When you see employment rates lower, and education rates lower, then that's when behavior risks increase,” she said. The numbers released this week are compared to data from all previous years that data were collected in each individual category. According to health district officials, the indicators focus on who are we, how healthy are we, how healthy are our lifestyles and behaviors, and how safe are our surroundings. Questions are asked in the following categories: education, employment, economic well-being, health care access,general health, emotional well-being, dental health, communicable diseases, chronic diseases, weight management, physical activity and nutrition, tobacco use, substance use, natural environment (such as air quality), built
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For the Independent
accountability provisions as reasons enough to demand changes to the law. School Board President Chris Lemke said he received a copy of the resolution from the WSSDA and presented to Superintendent Michelle Reid. “I thought we should consider this as a board,” said Lemke. The president of WSSDA is asking school districts to adopt the resolu-
LADIES NIGHT OUT IN DOWNTOWN
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 LESLIE KELLY
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
County residents relatively healthy, but more live in poverty
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
The South Kitsap School District board voted unanimously to support a resolution to urge Congress
than a dozen years, is both flawed and outdated. “The recent denial of a waiver to ‘No Child Left Behind’ is the most recent and visible of the problems. The overriding issue is failure to update the law has created a national roadblock to high-quality K-12 education,” stated WSSDA. The resolution cites unwarranted mandates, costly and ineffective punitive sanctions, and inaccurate
Staff Writer
Editor
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
to show leadership and reauthorize the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 during its May 7 meeting. The Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) board of directors approved the original resolution on May 1. WSSDA reported the resolution was prompted by growing recognition that the act, which has not been amended or reauthorized in more 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-
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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.
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A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries
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INSIDE SKSD set to INSIDE Council SPORTS Wolves bolster Advanced approves new zoning, secure berth at Placement offering A3 LTAC members A4 regionals A21
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
Investigation continues into a May 9 bomb threat — the second in a one-week period — at South Kitsap High School, according to Port Orchard Police Chief Geoffrey Marti. Marti said CenCom received a call about 7:40 p.m. about a bomb threat at the school. “We do have some leads at this point we are working on,” Marti said. “We’re going to be able to find out who is responsible this time. He said the bomb threat was similar to the May 2 incident, but the call came in while most of the students were inside the school. “We were advised that students were inside the school and the caller made threats regarding the outside of the school,” said Marti. “At that point in time, they decided to use a ‘modified lockdown.’ ” He said during a modified lockdown, the school keeps students inside and screen SEE POLICE, A11