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SPORTS SK athletes, teams head to district, state competition A22
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
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014 N VOL. 123, NO. 17 N WWW.PORTORCHARDINDEPENDENT.COM N 50¢
Memorial Day event set at Sunset Lane
Festivals fill downtown this weekend
bragging rights for their wing recipes, according to Christine Daniel, chamber executive director. Judges will sample, deliberate and announce “Whose Wings Reign Supreme!” for first, second and third place in two categories — amateurs (home cooks and grillers) and commercial (restaurants, caterers and other commercial kitchens). The judging competitions will start at 11 a.m. and the sale of the wings to the SEE FESTIVALS, A7
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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).
Contestants try to mimic the seagull’s cry and bribe the birds with tortillas, French fries, bread and the judges with candy cookies and sometimes even money, to win various coveted prizes. Awards will be presented after the contest. Competitors for the seventh annual Seagull Wings Cook-off will prepare their entries from 10-11 a.m. The cook-off will feature hundreds of “seagull” wings created, grilled and served up by both amateur and commercial contestants hoping to win
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
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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 SCHOOL, PAGE A2
Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
Downtown Port Orchard will be packed as a handful of events will kickoff the summer event schedule this weekend.
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Editor
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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
Closures announced All federal, state, county, city and school district offices will be closed May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. Offices and schools will reopen on May 27. All county recycling and garbage facilities will be closed Monday. All banks and financial institutions will also be closed for Memorial Day. The Independent will be closed on Monday. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The 26th annual Seagull Calling Festival, in conjunction with the Kitsap Harbor Festival, is May 24 at Marina Park. Registration for the Seagull Calling Contest, sponsored by the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, will start at 9 a.m. and the contest will begin at 10 a.m. There is no cost to participate in the contest. Contestants young and old, as individuals or in groups, and some in costumes, will take turns on the beach “calling the seagulls.” Staff Writer
Pirate Rendezvous Craft and Vendor Show, Seagull Splat run also scheduled
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
The annual Memorial Day ceremony at Sunset Lane Memorial Park is set for 11 a.m. May 26. Guest speaker will be Lt. Commander Daniel Meyer of the NJROTC at South Kitsap High School. NJROTC cadets will raise the flag to full staff at noon. The event is sponsored by the American Legion Post 30 and Fred Needham VFW Post 2669. Sunset Lane Memorial Park is located at 1000 Bethel Ave. A Memorial Day service and wreath laying ceremony is set for 10 a.m. May 26, on the fantail of the historic ship, USS Turner Joy. Lt. Col Stephen Keane, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Security Battalion Bangor, will be the keynote speaker. Guests are encouraged to arrive early because seating is limited. The ship is located near the Bremerton Ferry Terminal at the north end of the marina. Parking is available at the nearby convention center or throughout downtown. Coffee and donuts will be provided in the ship’s mess after the ceremony.
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 Candidates set INSIDE Grant helps for August primary, injured city workers fall election A4 get back to work A5
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Seventy-seven former drill team members from South Kitsap High School marched in the annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Bremerton on May 17.
Former drill team members gather for first reunion
Former teammates, advisors reconnect at May 17 event By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
T
Editor
here were lots of hugs and reminiscing about days gone by, along with photographs and memorabilia from five decades of a high school drill teams. More than 100 former drill team members from
Police arrest two students in bomb threats
South Kitsap High School, from 1951-98, gathered for the group’s first reunion at the McCormick Woods Golf Course on May 17. Event coordinator Joy McFate Lee said she was thrilled with the results the gathering. “Everyone that was participating in the events were ready to participate and have a good time,” said Lee. “They met people they didn’t know and reached to people they knew in high school. There was a lot of connections made between different years. I don’t think people just stayed with their friends.” Lee said it was a very positive event. By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
Working on leads gathered by officers, Port Orchard police made two arrests in connection with three suspicious bomb threats at the South Kitsap High School during a twoweek period.
“I was thrilled with it. It turned out like how I wanted to be,” Lee said. “To bring people back together and remember a special time in their lives and reflect on how some of those experiences played out through our lives.” Former drill team members also participated in a “drill down” where a former member called out parade commands. Kim Beamer Hardin, a captain from the 1975 drill team, reminded the group how to perform some of the steps.
Police arrested two male students — a 15- and 16-year-old — both of whom attend South Kitsap High school, according to Police Chief Geoffrey Marti. Marti said the 15-year-old suspect was arrested about 3 p.m. May 15 and the 16-year-old was arrested at 10 a.m. May 16. Both suspects were
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SEE REUNION, A21
arrested at the high school. He said the arrests came through cooperative efforts by the detectives and a school resource officer working diligently on the case. “From day one when we got the first threat, we have devoted a lot of SEE ARRESTS, A21