PATRIOT BREMERTON
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FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015 | Vol. 18, No. 17 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
IN THIS EDITION
Walking for a cure
DISPLAY IT PROUDLY!
Councilman has his game face on Mike Sullivan diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer BY LESLIE KELLY LKELLY@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
NEWS A great day on the water for everyone
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OPINION Kitsap Transit: Listen up; plan better
Cancer survivors clad in purple shirts make the first lap of the Relay For Life in Bremerton.
EDUCATION Local students graduate from academy
BREMERTON—The y started walking about noon Saturday, June 27. As the heat crested 90 degrees, they kept kept walking. When the moon peaked, they were walking. And as the sun crept over Sinclair Inlet, they were still out there, wearing out the soles of their shoes. For almost 24 hours, about 200 people from 30 teams
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Peter O’Cain / staff photo
BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
walked the track at Bremerton High School during the 2015 Relay For Life at Bremerton High School to benefit cancer research. This is the 30th anniversary of the relay and the 20th time it’s been done in Bremerton-Central Kitsap. Originally, over 350 people from over 40 teams signed up. “It was extremely hot, which I think deterred a lot of people,” said Robert Hanlon, community manager for the Bremerton-Central Kitsap
relay. The relay is personal to Hanlon. He’s had melanoma twice–first in 2004 and again in 2012. He also lost his mother, brother-in-law and best friend to cancer. Cancer survivors in purple shirts led the first of hundreds of laps. The survivors ranged from Vietnam veteran to a boy who’d never lived in a world without Facebook. SEE RELAY FOR LIFE, A13
Facing a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Bremerton City Councilman Mike Sullivan is far from giving up. “There’s a clock running,” he said. “We just don’t know how big that clock is.” Sullivan, 65, who spoke by phone from his home on Tuesday, said he’s undergoing chemotherapy and plans to be back at work “as soon I begin to react favorably to the chemo.” “I’m not much good at this sitting around stuff,” he said. “I’ve got to be working.” Sullivan said during the past few months, he had been having pain in his chest and difficulty breathing. He sought medical attention and underwent a series of medical examinations. “Tests, tests, tests and more tests,” he said. “But nothing was apparent.” He ended up at Urgent Care recently and was sent to a thorastic surgeon who said he needed surgery for what they thought to be a Pulmonary
Mike Sullivan infarction. “My doctor said if you were my son I’d tell you to have surgery right away,” Sullivan said. “I told him, ‘OK Dad, when’s surgery?’” It was set for the following Monday and that is when he learned he had Stage 4 cancer in his pancreas, at the base of his spine and in his lungs. He then underwent a PET scan to determine the primary location of the cancer. He is having chemotherapy every other week. “The prognosis is not good,” Sullivan said. “This has taught SEE SULLIVAN, A13
Gay community celebrates SCOTUS decision BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
SPORTS Kickin’ it on the golf course
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BREMERTON—The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide June 26 in a landmark 5-4 decision. The Kitsap Pride Network released a statement saying it’s “thrilled” with the decision. “Many in our organization and community have worked tirelessly for equality,” the release said. “We still have work to do to live up to the
promise that all of us are created equal.” Kitsap Pride celebrated at Honor Bar near Evergreen Park. The first glass of Pride Punch was on the house. “Today it is no longer a same-sex marriage but simple marriage,” said Michael Goodnow, president of Kitsap Pride Network. Ashleigh Barraza was ecstatic when she learned of the Supreme Court’s decision. “We’re finally equal and that’s freaking awesome,” Bar-
raza said About two and a half years ago, her wife Liz, a corpsman in the Navy, had the choice of being stationed in Japan or Bremerton. If Liz chose Japan, Barraza wouldn’t be able to come with, so they came to Bremerton. It worked out well for them. Not only was same-sex marriage legal in Washington, but adoption equality was too. About a year ago they started SEE LEGALIZATION, A13
Peter O’Cain / staff photo
Honor Bar in Bremerton hosted a celebration June 26.
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