Bremerton Patriot, October 30, 2015

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PATRIOT BREMERTON

2015 BEST OF BREMERTON INSIDE: Reader’s choice for best pizza, day spa, barista and more

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015 | Vol. 18, No. 34 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢

IN THIS EDITION

BREMERTON FRUIT SHOW

Kennedy to file lawsuit over prayer BY MICHELLE BEAHM MBEAHM@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM

BREMERTON — Assistant football coach Joe Kennedy and his legal representatives with Liberty Institute announced Oct. 26 their intention to file a lawsuit against the Bremerton School District for “denying his (Kennedy’s) request for religious accommodation.” “I’m just standing up for the right as an American to be able to exercise my right,” Kennedy said. “That’s all it is.” A letter sent Oct. 23 from Aaron Leavell, superintendent of the Bremerton School District, was referenced in Kennedy’s press release. In that letter, Leavell said, “The district does not prohibit prayer or other religious exercise by employees while on the job. However … such exercise must not interfere with the performance of job responsibilities

NEWS Satanists plan invocation at football game

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NEWS Six new orca calves headed to Puget Sound

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SEE LAWSUIT, A8

Candidates: economic development is key

EXCLUSIVE: Women in Business 2015

INSIDE

and must not lead to a perception of district endorsement of religion.” Leavell references a letter sent Sept. 17 to Kennedy, in which district policy is spelled out: “school staff may not indirectly encourage students to engage in religious activity (or discourage them from doing so), or even engage in action that is likely to be perceived as endorsing (or opposing) religion or religious activity.” Leavell further stated out in his Oct. 23 letter that assistant coaches have work-related responsibilities not only before and during games, but also immediately following games. Leavell wrote that the coaches are “expected to remain with the team until the last student has left the event,” which Leavell said Kennedy has done in the past, and therefore is aware of

BY CHRIS TUCKER

Chris Tucker / staff photo

TOP: More than 200 fruit samples surround Susan Anderson of Silverdale, left, and John Landua as they volunteer at the Peninsula Fruit Club’s Fall Fruit Show on Saturday, Oct. 24. The event was well-attended and was at the West Side Improvement Club building, 4109 W. E St., in Bremerton. Volunteers sliced off bits of apples, grapes and other fruit for visitors to taste. Anderson said she wasn’t a fruit expert, but she was comfortable offering samples. “I can do that. If they (visitors) want to know about (fruit tree) diseases, I can’t say anything. I just point them to the experts,” Anderson said. The Peninsula Fruit Club is a chapter of the Western Cascade Fruit Society. The Peninsula Fruit Club will have a spring grafting show 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 5, 2016. At the grafting show, attendees may learn how to graft fruit trees and buy apple and pear rootstock. The Peninsula Fruit Club meets second Thursdays at 7 p.m. (except in December) at the Sheridan

CTUCKER@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM

Park Community Center at 680 Lebo Boulevard in Bremerton and can be reached via email at peninsulafruitclub@ gmail.com. RIGHT: Apples from Gig Harbor grower Steve Butler sit atop a table at the fruit show.

BREMERTON — Port of Bremerton district 1 commissioner candidates Cary Bozeman and John Poppe faced off in a friendly debate at the Norm Dicks Government Center Oct. 13. One of the two men will be elected to replace outgoing commissioner Roger Zabinski. The port has a $10.5 million budget and has 27 employees. The League of Women Voters of Kitsap sponsored the debate. Several questions were posed to the candidates. Bozeman is the former mayor of Bremerton and Bellevue and said he was proud of his efforts that led to the construction of the Norm Dicks Government Center and other projects. As for the port, “I think the

Bozeman

Poppe

main priority of the port is economic development,” Bozeman said. “It’s job creation. That’s why ports were created.” Bozeman was CEO of the Port of Bremerton for two years, from 2009-2011, but was forced to leave early due to a medical problem. He said he regretted not having a better chance to attract growing King County businesses such as Amazon or Microsoft to the Port of Bremerton. Bozeman said Kitsap offered SEE PORT, A11

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