PORT ORCHARD
INDEPENDENT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014 ✮ VOL. 123, NO. 39 ✮ WWW.PORTORCHARDINDEPENDENT.COM ✮ 50¢
Q&A with D26 Senate hopefuls A5
Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
Author Daniel James Brown signs a copy of “The Boys in the Boat” for Sherry Barnhart. More than 100 people attended Brown’s presentation Friday afternoon at the Port Orchard Public Library.
Inside
A Section Editorial Robert Meadows Scene & Heard Sports Legal Notices Mary Colborn Obituaries A4 A4 A5 A6 A7 A7 A8
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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).
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Staff Writer
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-
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
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
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 LAWSUIT, A21
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
RE-ELECT JAN ANGEL TO THE STATE SENATE
TIM MATTHES
BRUCE DANIELSON
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
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A2
ometimes the most compelling stories derive from unexpected circumstances. Redmond-based author Daniel James Brown, who visited the Port Orchard Library on Friday, said that was the catalyst behind his latest book, “The Boys in the Boat.” Brown said his neighbor, Judy Willman, approached him during a homeowners’ association meeting and said her father, Joe Rantz, was reading one of his books. Brown 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 By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
With the Nov. 4 general election edging closer, District 26 State Rep. Larry Seaquist and his wife, Carla, filed a libel lawsuit earlier this week against Republican candidate Michelle Caldier. In the lawsuit, which was filed Oct. 20 in Kitsap County Superior Court, Seaquist stated a television ad and Internet website supported by Caldier, makes him look “lecherous” taking photos of Caldier. Caldier said it was harassment. It all stems from an Aug. 29 incident after Caldier the two candidates Seaquist left an interview in downtown Bremerton. Four days later, Caldier posted on her Facebook page that Seaquist was taking pictures of her as she got into her car. “Wow ... I felt like I was being stalked,” Caldier wrote on her Facebook page. He said that the posting “was not true.” Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor) claims after the two candidates went to their cars parked on Fifth Street, he sat down in his vehicle and was looking at his phone catching up with my emails, then he noticed that Caldier got into a white convertible. He said he was taking photos of Caldier’s car because it was a hard-top convertible that folds into the trunk. Caldier said she filed a report with the Bremerton Police Department on Sept. 5. The campaign of the District 26 state representative Position 2 seat has been heated at times after Seaquist edged Caldier by two points in the August primary.
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
Seaquist files libel lawsuit against opponent before Nov. 4 election
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
Editor
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Mudslinging gets underway in House race
Paid for by Jan Angel for State Senate, 5184 Granada Pl. SE, Port Orchard, Wa. 98367 (R) • www.janangel.com
JEANETTE DALTON
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
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Brown discusses his book on UW’s gold-medal team
▼ Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
SEE AUTHOR, A24
Murphy new Chamber director A14
‘The Boys in the Boat’ author visits Port Orchard
Errors derail upsetminded Wolves A12
agreed to meet with Rantz, who was in hospice at Willman’s house and near the end of his life. Brown said they discussed Rantz’s experience growing up during the Great Depression and rowing for a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. At several points during their conversation, Brown said, Rantz began to cry. That emotion, which Brown said is uncharacteristic of that generation, led him to believe there was a great story to share. “I asked Joe if I could write a book about his life,” he said. “He shook his head. But he
Senior Reporter
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Chris Chancellor / Staff Photo
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.
★ HOMECOMING GAME SOUTH KITSAP HS vs. STADIUM HS • 7 p.m. Tonight ★