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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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 ✮ VOL. 124, NO. 4 ✮ WWW.PORTORCHARDINDEPENDENT.COM ✮ 50¢
Council approves contracts to update city’s Comp Plan By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Editor
SEE ZABINSKI, A27
SEE MEDAL, A28
South Kitsap’s Source for News & Information Since 1890
SPORTS: SKHS softball team gets new coach; wrestlers, swimmers to state A15
CHARLOTTE GARRIDO
South Kitsap military veteran was presented a medal from another county for his service during World War II. Calvin Pearsol, 90, who lives in the Burley area, was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal during a private ceremony Feb. 14
at his home with family members. Jack Cowan, honorary consul of France, presented the medal. In November, Pauline Carmona, consule general for France in San Francisco, sent a letter to Pearsol congratulating him for his nomination as a “chevalier of the Legion of Honor.” The decree was signed by
Noteable Gallery fills a need for art space A8
TIM MATTHES
A
Editor
BRUCE DANIELSON
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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).
JEANETTE DALTON
Dannie Oliveaux / Staff Photo
Jack Cowan, left, honorary consul of France. pins the French Legion of Honor Medal on Calvin Pearsol during a private ceremony on Feb. 14.
Local man receives French Legion of Honor Medal
Harrison Medical Center, Regence reach agreement A3 Kilmer: Business is our ‘Marshawn Lynch’ A4
SEE UPSETS, PAGE A2
4DIPPM EJTUSJDU MPPLT UP CBMBODF JUT CPPLT
▼ Custodians won’t be replaced, $1.72 million will be taken from reserve fund.
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 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
SEE COUNCIL, A25
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 Port Orchard City Council unanimously approved three contracts — totaling more than $280,000 — for updates to the 2016 Comprehensive Plan during the Feb. 10 regular meeting. Councilman John Clauson was absent from the meeting. The council approved $128,000 to BHC Consultants, LLC, for the 2015 general sewer plan update, $92,000 to Transportation Solution Inc. (TSI) for the 2015 transportation element update and $60,000 to Pac Engineering, Inc. for the 2015 water system plan update. Councilman Jerry Childs asked staff about how much it will cost to update the 2016 Comprehensive Plan. Public Works Mark Dorsey noted these are elements that go into the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Development Director Nick Bond said the water system plan update is a stand-alone document required by the state Department of Health. “You have water planning in your Comprehensive Plan,” Bond said. “A fraction that is being done under the contract is purely system planning and other portions are part of the Comprehensive Plan update process.” “Is most of it part of the comp plan,” Childs said. “It’s hard to say where the line is,” Bonds said. Bond said the challenge is the city’s annexations. “The city’s boundaries have changed so much that we have to plan for areas we previously didn’t plan for,” Bond said. “In order to complete our Comprehensive Plan, we have to have a water system plan that goes out into all of the areas that we have annexed and where we are planning for future growth that we weren’t previously planning for.” Bond noted that old documents needed to be updated. Dorsey said the Growth Management Act (GMA) required cities to have system plans to provide service. He said the city didn’t have any plans when he arrived in 2008. “We were able to get plans developed and adopted, but they were not financial constrained,” Dorsey said. He said the state requires cities to have a water plan, sewer plan, storm water plan and transportation plan that are financial constrained. “We knew that 2015 was going to be a bitter pill to swal-
“My new job will involve about 40-50 percent foreign travel, interfacing with manufacturing companies, foreign trade counterparts and diplomats,” he said. “Also, I want to spend more time with my wife and help raise our two teenage daughters.” Zabinskis said it’s been a busy time at the port and the commitment has been substantial. He represented the port on the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC), Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), Puget Sound
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-
Port of Bremerton Commissioner Roger Zabinski announced in a press release that he would not seek re-election when his term ends in December. “I will finish my term; however I think it is only fair that I let you know of my plans so that others may consider filing and running for the position,” Zabinski stated in the news release. Candidates can file for election in May. “With a background in economics and science, it has been very rewarding for me to participate in
community economic development at the port,” said Zabinski, who also is the board of commissioner president, and previously served on boards in Idaho, New York City and on the Central Kitsap Community Council in Silverdale. Zabinski Zabinski stated that he had accepted a new position which will make it impossible for him to contribute the time necessary to do a quality job as commissioner.
Staff Writer
Neighbor denies pellet gun shooting
Editor
Both sides report feeling harassed in rift over home business.
By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
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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
Zabinski will not seek second term at Port