INDEPENDENT FrIDAY, oCToBEr 31, 2014 ✮ VoL. 123, No. 40 ✮ WWW.PorTorCHArDINDEPENDENT.CoM ✮ 50¢
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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). TIM MATTHES
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
BRUCE DANIELSON
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A2
Editor
sEE DANCE, A25
JEANETTE DALTON
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
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 By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
Weather conditions postponed a prominent dance for the second time this year at South Kitsap High School. SKHS assistant principal Janis Maracic, who also serves the Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor, said the homecoming dance has been rescheduled for 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday.
“This only has happened three times in all my years of experience,” said Maracic, who came to SKHS in since 2010 after eight years in the Highline School District. “We tried our darnedest to make sure we didn’t have to postpone.” Maracic said the high school had “partial power” around 5 p.m. Saturday,
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
South Kitsap High School seniors, Brayden Maynard, left, and Shannon Laupola, were crowned as the senior king and queen of the 2014 SKHS homecoming court during halftime of the Oct. 24 football game between the Wolves and the Stadium Tigers.
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Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
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
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Senior Reporter
Photos by Anthony Asuelo
▼ Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Staff Writer
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
Even during a four-hour meeting, the Port Orchard City Council could not get around to discussing and taking action on every item on its Oct. 28 agenda. The meeting ended at 11 p.m. with more than 30 people in attendance — many there to offer testimony during the second public hearing on the ordinance to increase the storm water rates. The council voted 4-3 to increase storm water rates to $9.70 per month beginning Jan. 1, then to $14 on June 1, while the city reviews language in the city’s code and addresses other concerns by residents. Councilman Rob Putaansuu presented a motion that would increase the storm water rate to $9.70 per month effective Jan. 1 and Councilman John Clauson amended Putaansuu’s motion to increase the storm water rate from $9.70 to $14 on June 1 while the city resolves questions that were brought up before the council.
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 purEditor
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By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN
Staff Writer
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
By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
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Jesse Beals/Staff Photo
SKHS homecoming dance gets rescheduled due to power outage
Schoales on road to recovery A17
Republican candidate Michelle Caldier is seeking “immediate dismissal” of Democrat State Rep. Larry Seaquist’s libel lawsuit filed Oct. 20 in Kitsap County Superior Court. She calls the lawsuit “frivolous.” Caldier is opposing Seaquist for the Position 2 state representative’s seat in the 26th District. Caldier’s attorney, Ambika Kumar Doran of Davis Wright Tremaine, sent a letter Oct. 27 to Seaquist’s attorney, Anthony Otto, of Port Orchard. In the letter, Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor) was notified that his actions were in violation of the Washington Act
Chamber honors Man, Woman of the Year A3 City will increase storm water monthly fee to $9.70 effective Jan. 1
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
Council tackles several issues in 4-hour meeting
Kitsap Week INsIDE
Caldier seeks dismissal, restitution from lawsuit
HoMECoMING KING & QUEEN
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.
PORT ORCHARD