SOU
both women t County Court straining orde Shelia Cron straining ord after returnin Aug. 17 and di Printed with recycled paper and environmentally friendly soybean oil-based ink.
INDEPENDENT PORT ORCHARD
HALLOWEEN!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 ✮ VOL. 126, NO. 35 ✮ KITSAPDAILYNEWS.COM ✮ 50¢
Four family members perish in house fire Flames sweep through South Kitsap home; victims include toddlers By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
PORT ORCHARD — Four family members, including two toddlers, perished as their two-level home on the 3800 block of SE Castlewood Drive in South Kitsap was destroyed by a fast-moving fire early Saturday morning, Oct. 14. Fire units from South Kitsap Fire and Rescue responded at 3:48 a.m. to the deadly blaze and quickly extinguished the flames. When units arrived, a second alarm response was quickly initiated and units from Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue and Bremerton Fire Department arrived to assist.
A neighbor to the home, Doug Rinehart of South Kitsap, shot video of the fire (above) as it destroyed the home. It wasn’t until investigators were able to safely enter the structurally weakened house that the bodies of four family members were discovered, he said. A private restoration service contractor responded to assess the structural integrity of the house and stabilize it so investigators could enter. Deputy Scott Wilson, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, confirmed two small children — a FIRE, SEE A3
Grieving father: ‘I heard my son’s last breaths’
Don Simpson’s son Merle and his daughter (both pictured here) lost their lives in a house fire Oct. 14.
By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
SOUTH KITSAP — A grieving Don Simpson of South Kitsap — father, husband and grandfather — was trying to make sense of Saturday morning, Oct. 14. Awakened by his frantic son Merle, the elder Simpson told reporter Ryan Takeo of KING-TV News that he jumped out of bed, yelled at his wife to get out of the house, and sped to find a pathway out of their burning home on SE Castlewood Drive. He told Takeo: “I went to find a path, see if the fire was blocking our exit and I went down the stairs. The
OCT 2017
Photo courtesy of Doug Rinehart
The house fire on SE Castlewood Drive was fully involved when neighbor Doug Rinehart captured this image.
Martha Riley photo post on Facebook
smoke was heavy. Looked upstairs, yelled at my son. I said, ‘Come on.’ He said, ‘I can’t. I can’t.’ ” Assuming his wife of 40 years, Vili, was close behind him, Simpson said he left the house, hoping to catch the grandchildren that had been sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with their father. But no one ever came out alive.
“This is just my assumption that my wife — since I didn’t see her — she was overcome by smoke,” Simpson recounted to the reporter. “Since I heard no crying of the babies, that they were overcome by smoke, and then I heard my son’s last breaths.” SIMPSONS, SEE A3
DRIVEFOR A
20 arrested in area internet sex sting By MICHELLE BEAHM Kitsap News Group
BREMERTON — Twenty people were arrested this week in a law enforcement sting targeting suspects who use the internet to connect with minors for sexual purposes. Among those arrested: the vice president of the Bremerton High School PTA. Boyd Lee Carter, 41, is being held in Kitsap County Jail on $150,000 bail. He is charged with second-degree attempted rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, according to the Kitsap County Jail Roster. His next appearance in Superior Court is 9 a.m. Oct. 20.
All others were similarly charged and have court dates scheduled. According to the jail roster, two had posted bail, all others were in custody in the county jail. The multi-day operation, conducted by law enforcement, county prosecutors and victim advocate specialists, is the latest operation of Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, an affiliate of Internet Crimes Against Children. The ongoing operation, dubbed “Net Nanny,” started in August 2015 in Kitsap County and has since included operations all STING, SEE A2
Just Off Highway 3 Using The West Hills Blvd. / Loxie Eagans Exit
For every vehicle purchased in October, Haselwood Auto Group will donate $25 to One person per entry for all contests. Need not be present to win. No purchaseResearch necessary. Participants must be 18 years Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center of age with a valid ID and/or Washington State driver’s license. ODDS OF WINNING is based on the number of entrants. Drawings to be held: 9/9/2016. Winning individuals will be contacted on 9/9/2016 Winning individuals must reply to the in Seattle, Washington. Haselwood Auto Group Marketing Department at 360-473-1350 by 10/9/2016 to schedule a date for the vacation.
Winner’s vacation must be completed by 11/9/2017. Vacation total comes to a value of $1,000 in total. No cash values will be awarded in lieu of trip or other prizes. Shelling Out Savings” offer will be applied to vehicles purchased from any dealership in the West Hills Auto Plex. All vehicle prices plus tax and license. A negotiable documentary service fee in the amount of up made to $150 at maybe to the sale price West or capitalized cost. Limit one 12 pack of Pepsito product *Offer applies towards vehicle purchases and service repair orders any added dealership in the Hills Auto Plex. Contribu Contributions tions Fredper customer/household. See dealer for complete details of all offers. Employees of the West Hills Auto Plex and their family Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are tax deductible to the extent allocated by federal tax law. TAX 23-7156701. Offer expi expires res 11/1/2017. members are ineligible to participate. Event sponsored by the WestID# Hills Auto Plex, 950 West Hills Blvd., Bremerton, WA, 98312.
Friday, October 20, 2017 - Port Orchard Independent
KitsapDailyNews.com
Page A3
FAMILY LIVES LOST IN SOUTH KITSAP HOUSE FIRE FIRE CONTINUED FROM A1
2-year-old girl, Madison Ann Simpson, and Collin Daniel Simpson, a 1-year-old boy — and the children’s father Merle Eugene Simpson III, 38, were discovered later in the afternoon in an upstairs bedroom by a team of sheriff’s detectives, fire marshal investigators and members from the county coroner’s office. The team also found a fourth person, the body of 63-year-old Vili Gallejo Simpson, who was the deceased man’s mother and the children’s grandmother, in an upstairs bedroom. Wilson said that Don Simpson, the children’s grandfather and Merle’s father, managed to escape from the burning inferno and attempted to put out the fire with a garden hose. He was transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton for treatment. Simpson works in South Kitsap School District’s maintenance and grounds department. Amy Miller, communication and public information officer for SKSD, said district administrators and counseling staff visited the facilities
SIMPSONS CONTINUED FROM A1
Merle and the children, 2-year-old Madison and 1-year-old Collin, were weekend visitors to the Simpson’s
STING CONTINUED FROM A2
its inception in 2015: — Washington State Patrol Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. — Southeast Region Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. — U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. — Federal Bureau of Investigation. — Naval Criminal
department where Simpson works “to talk about the tragedy.” She added “other support will be needed moving forward,” but nothing has been discussed yet. A Kitsap County Coroner team was assisted by SKFR firefighters, fire marshal’s investigators and sheriff’s personnel to remove the victims from the gutted house. The coroner expects to determine the cause of their deaths and how they died, the sheriff’s spokesman said. The fire marshal’s office, assisted by sheriff’s deputies, has begun an investigation of the origin and cause of the fatality fire. Wilson of the sheriff’s office didn’t indicate when the investigation findings are expected. “The investigation,” Wilson said, “is in its early stages.” Meanwhile, friends and neighbors sought donations to pay for funeral expenses for the Simpson family. Miller said SKSD also offered support to the GoFundMe account by sharing the link. The $10,000 goal was reached Oct. 17 with 185 contributors donating to the account. — Michelle Beahm contributed to this report.
Fire leaves behind neighborhood grief, fear By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
SOUTH KITSAP — The horrific South Kitsap fire that claimed four members of the Simpson family in their SE Castlewood Drive home in the early morning hours of Oct. 14 also shook the neighbors who surround the now-charred house. Along the outside of a white picket fence that borders the Simpson’s front yard, helium-filled balloons with simple handwritten messages of love float aimlessly at waist level. Bouquets of yellow flowers and candles, with melted wax overflowing their containers, are propped against the little fence. Just above the fence is a yellow fire department ribbon with bold letters that spell “do not cross line,” separating the house’s property line from the sidewalk. Investigators from the Kitsap County fire marshal’s office are continuing their work inside to determine why — and how — the modest two-story home caught fire, destroying its contents and the lives of those inside, including father, husband and
home and had shared an upstairs bedroom. The children’s mother, Victoria Coen, who was separated from their father Merle, told KING-TV News that she was a proud mom. “Collin and Madison were
my whole world. I lived for them,” she said while sitting next to her father-in-law for the television interview. “I just don’t want people to forget them because they were all beautiful and good people.”
Investigative Service. — Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. — West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team (WestNET). — Bremerton Police Department. — Kitsap 911. — Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. — Washington State Attorney General Office. — U.S. Attorney General Office. — Washington State Patrol
Human Trafficking Task Force East and West. — Washington State Patrol High-Tech Crime Unit. — Washington State Patrol Criminal Investigation Division. For more information about Net Nanny and the WSP Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, go to www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/mectf. htm. — Michelle Beahm is online editor for Kitsap News Group.
Bob Smith | Independent
An impromptu memorial outside the Simpson home has been created by neighbors who are grieving over the family’s tragedy. grandfather Donald Simpson, who survived, and his wife Vili, who didn’t. Toddlers Madison Simpson, 2, and Collin Simpson, 1, and their father Merle also lost their lives in the blaze. A neighbor across the street from the burned-out home, who declined to be identified, was grim-faced as she looked at the destruction. “It was horrible,” the neighbor said. “I had to keep the kids home from school today because they are so traumatized by it. We moved the kids into our bedroom last night because they were afraid.” Her husband was the first neighbor to lend assistance to family patriarch Don Simpson, who had rushed outside and sprayed the flames with water from his garden hose. The neighbor also brought over his hose in a futile attempt to fight the fire. “My husband brought over a ladder for Don to use, but by then, it was too late.” The Simpson family was remembered by neighbors as being as sweet and kind as the fast-moving fire was savage and relentless. The neighbor’s son said he remembered playing in the Simpson’s backyard just the
other day. The boy’s mother recounted wife, mother and grandmother Vili, who enjoyed sharing her love of cooking by bringing over homemade delicacies from the South Pacific. “That was her thing. She just loved cooking.” Adding heartbreak to the tragedy, the fire took away two toddler grandchildren from surviving grandfather Don and their mother, Victoria Coen, who was not at the home that night. The children’s lives lost in the fire was a particularly cruel blow. Their neighbor across the street reminded before returning to her own home: “They loved those grandkids. They were their life.”
‘It was raging’ Neighbor Doug Rinehart and his wife Kathie were roused from their sleep early Sunday morning by a commotion from their two pugs, who were stretched out on top of the bed. “They were doing the little ‘woof’ thing,” Rinehart said. “My wife said, ‘Max! Quiet!’ “ When she opened her eyes, she saw that the bedroom was lit orange. “She said ‘Wake up, Doug! There’s something
Donate A Boat or Car Today!
“2-Night Free Vacation!”
800 - 700 - BOAT (2628)
w w w.boatangel.com
sponsored by boat angel outreach centers
STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Cookie’s Crew will Take Care of You!
going on.’ I looked out and the house across the way was fully engulfed.” He timed his reaction at 3:55 a.m. Rinehart said Kathie walked into the kitchen, which faced in the direction of the fire. The area “must have been 120 degrees in there, and we’re 100 feet from the house. The heat radiated over here and raised the temperature in the kitchen a ton.” Ignoring the blistering heat, Rinehart walked out on his deck and shot a video clip and snapped some photos of the burning house, which is behind the Simpson’s at an angle. “Because there was no wind, the flames shot straight up (instead of drifting to homes next door). It did get the outer part of the chimney next door. It got kind of charred and caught one of the trees on fire.” While Rinehart said he had never met Simpson or his family, he knew Don was a barbecue enthusiast and must have had a couple of propane tanks on the property. “We all have natural gas here, but there was no explosion.” It was one fortunate occurrence in an otherwise tragic morning.
Cookie’s Pet Corner & Wash Mon-Fri 10-7 • Sat 10-6 • Sun 12-5
1010 Bethel Ave • (360) 519-3100 TEETH CLEANING (NON-ANESTHESIA) Fo For s Monday, November 13th 10am-3:00pm Catsr g o D Provided by Pet Dental Company, Inc. • $16000 www.K9dentalService.com Call for your appointment today!
Senior Dog Lodge Rescue & Sanctuary Saturday, November 11th 12pm-2pm Friday, October 20th 4pm-6pm
Donate ~ Foster ~ Rescue
SOU
both women t County Court straining orde Shelia Cron straining ord after returnin Aug. 17 and di
PORT ORCHARD
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 ✮ VOL. 126, NO. 8 ✮ KITSAPDAILYNEWS.COM ✮ 50¢
Mayor seeking new owners for Samadpour properties But investor is silent about his future plans By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
PORT ORCHARD — Is Mansour Samadpour, the Seattle microbiologist, investor and entrepreneur whose Abadan Holdings LLC property
management company owns a significant chunk of Bay Street’s buildings, about ready to divest his downtown Port Orchard real estate holdings? Samadpour, who was unavailable to comment, isn’t talking, but Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu said he has a plan in the works to find a local investment group ready to buy the downtown properties owned by the millionaire investor. Putaansuu declined to share whether a local business and development investment group has been identified, and if so, whether it been
able to negotiate with Samadpour. But the mayor did state that a new ownership group needs to include developers to realize downtown’s full potential. “I’ve met with Mansour a handful of times,” Putaansuu said. “He’s not a developer. I believe the solution is in creating a local investment group that will just buy him out.” The mayor said he spoke to the investor last fall as the city was developing its budget, but found Samadpour was uninterested in developing his downtown properties.
“He’s told me, face to face, that he has no interest” in working with the city on a master development plan, Putaansuu said. “(His properties are) just investment holdings for him. He’s not going to develop them.” During the last decade, according to a news report in the Independent in October 2007, the investor purchased six downtown buildings for about $3.7 million and acquired 1.37 acres of prime downtown real estate — 27 percent of the 5.02 acres of commercial land abutting Bay Street.
Waterfront to include new ‘pocket parks’
public, and for the summer farmers market, car shows and other public events. A compelling feature in the first concept design — an arbor trellis structure with swinging benches — will be included in the new design. “The council and I really liked it,” Putaansuu said, “plus we really like the openness of the concept. We added some sculptural interpretive signing to these first concepts.” The new pocket park will replace roughly 60 parking slots now used for commuter parking. “I think this
PORT ORCHARD — A fleeing suspect in a Nissan Maxima, law enforcement vehicles in pursuit and rainy lunch-hour road conditions in Kitsap County combined to create a perfect storm for a high-speed chase April 5 that began in Belfair, onto SR 16 and within Port Orchard city limits. But before the pursuit caused an accident, endangering the lives of road travelers and pedestrians, law-enforcement personnel from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and Port Orchard Police Department called off their chase at 12:42 p.m. as the suspect’s Nissan, dodging traffic at a speed of about 70 mph, was about to enter the congested Lund and Jackson avenue intersection. The chase began after a report of a man in a black Nissan Maxima brandishing a handgun, then squeezing
PARKS, SEE A2
CHASE, SEE A2
Russell Design Source concept
FAMILY YMCA WILL RECEIVE A
20
$
DONATION
IN THE MONTH OF APRIL,
IN THE MONTH OF APRIL,
YM FAMILY
HASELWOOD
SERVICE REPAIR
“We have a great kayak launch point and a sandy beach there,” he said, “as well as some interpretive signs. I think this is a great little pocket park.” Funding from the state Legislature — $309,000 — for the Rockwell park is pending in the House budget, he said, and passage, followed by the governor’s signature, would follow. The Waterfront Park has been designed to create more seating and lawn terracing for the gazebo and its summer concert goers. It will include a pervious paved plaza to provide green open space for the
FOR EVERY
The Waterfront Park concept includes a trellis structure with benches on swings, as shown in this illustration of a similar design.
OD O W L E CA HAS *See dealer for details.
SAMADPOUR, SEE A2
By BOB SMITH
SS ILY PA M A F L ANNUA
TO THE
Most residents are familiar with his ownership of the building that housed the former Myhre’s restaurant,
Kitsap News Group
VEHICLE PURCHASED
Kitsap News Group
PORT ORCHARD — Pocket parks — those slivers of green serenity sandwiched between the hustle and bustle parcels of urban life — have become trendy additions to city landscapes throughout the U.S. Port Orchard is no different. It boasts its own micro-parks, the most recent being the Mary Ann Huntington Children’s Park that’s tucked next to Marina Park on the city’s waterfront. Two new pocket parks are being designed for the city by architect Emily Russell of Russell Design Source that will soon provide small doses of greenery in two locations. Russell presented preliminary design concepts to the City Council during its March 21 work study session at City Hall. Labeled the Mosquito Fleet Park Concept, two
Without an investor who is also willing to develop those properties, an effort by the city to create a master development plan for downtown would simply be a waste of money, Putaansuu said.
With the law in pursuit, suspect speeds through South Kitsap
FOR EVERY
By BOB SMITH
pocket parks under design will sit on the waterfront — Waterfront Park will be placed near the gazebo, and the other, Rockwell Park, will front Bay Street and sit in between the Marlee Apartments and the Comfort Inn motel. Both pocket parks will abut the completed pedestrian pathway connecting the downtown waterfront with the Annapolis pier for pedestrians and bicyclists when all project phases are finished over the next few years. After the presentation, council members and the mayor debated the initial concepts and opted for the parks to emphasize open space and seating that’s optimized to view the water and mountain vistas. Newly modified design concepts were given to Rob Putaansuu, Port Orchard mayor, earlier this week. Putaansuu said terraced grass seating at Rockwell Park would be conducive for family picnics or for visitors to sit and gaze out at Sinclair Inlet. The site also would include some public parking as well as beach access for visitors.
T
City is awaiting funding from state
EONWTINEARN
Printed with recycled paper and environmentally friendly soybean oil-based ink.
INDEPENDENT
INSIDE:
HASELWOOD FAMILY YMCA WILL RECEIVE A
5
$
DONATION
FROM THE HASELWOOD AUTO GROUP*
Page A2
KitsapDailyNews.com
PARKS CONTINUED FROM A1
is a much better public use of the waterfront than it is storing cars on it,” the mayor said. Putaansuu said existing and future park and ride lots can be better utilized by commuters. He expects that when fast ferry sailings begin out of Southworth, the waterborne route served by a larger-capacity boat will prove to be more suited for South Kitsap commuters heading into Seattle. The mayor said he hopes to have construction begin on Rockwell Park next year after the funding award is received. The second park, he hopes, will reach the construction phase in the next two years. “I’m hoping to see these built in the next three to five years. I think this is realistic,” Putaansuu said. A final cost estimate won’t be completed until funding amounts are determined in the next 60 days, he added. In
CELEBRATE
TAX FREEDOM DAY.
to earn enough to pay your 2007 income taxes.
Don’t forget to make Federal income tax-free municipal bonds your 2016 IRA Tax-deferred traditional IRA contributions Investments that pay qualified dividends, contribution. which are taxed at a maximum of 15%
If you want to help make your personal Tax Freedom Day come earlier in 2008, consider:
1
2
1 2
May be subject to state, local or the alternative minimum tax. Expires Dec. 31, 2008. Dividends can be increased, decreased or totally eliminated at any point ® Schelley Dyess without notice. Jay Seaton, AAMS
Financial Advisor 2299 Bethel Ave
Financial Advisor 600 Kitsap St
Call or visitSuite your local financial advisor today Suite about 102 102 ways to help come Orchard, Portmake Orchard,your Tax Freedom Day Port WA 98366 98366 earlier thisWA year.
Pamela S Piper360-876-7538
Ron Rada
360-876-3835
2299 Bethel 4275 SE Mile Hill Drive David St Martin Suite 102 Suite A Port Orchard, WA 98366 Port Orchard, WA 98366 Advisor Financial 360‐871‐9707 4275 SE Mile Hill Drive360‐876‐3724
Suite A Port Orchard, Jay Seaton WA 98366 600 Kitsap Street Suite 102 360-871-9707 Port Orchard, WA 98366 360‐876‐7538
www.edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
CONTINUED FROM A1
which was gutted by fire in 2011. Abadan Holdings LLC purchased the structure for $425,000 in 2014. The holding company was engaged in a number of publicized battles with Bay Street businesses that lease space in his buildings about leasing terms. The Port Orchard Pavilion closed its doors after its owners couldn’t come to terms with Abadan Holdings LLC over a new lease.
Investor, not a developer
Mayor Rob Putaansuu points out features from a design concept developed for two proposed waterfront pocket parks.
“The deputy was trying to gain on the Maxima — which was hauling — with his Ford CONTINUED FROM A1 Crown Vic (patrol car),” off at least one shot at a Belfair Wilson said. “He had traffic gas station near SR 3. Mason between him and the suspect’s County Sheriff’s Office depvehicle, and traffic wasn’t uties were called to the scene immediately pulling over.” and witnessed the driver susMinutes later, the deputy in pect heading west on SR 3. A pursuit watched as the suspect truck driver who followed the exited toward Sedgwick Road. Nissan was able to feed a disAt 12:39 p.m., the Nissan patch operator updated reports and its lone occupant turned as he followed closely behind. east onto Sedgwick against Kitsap County sheriff’s dep- a red light. A Kitsap County uties posted throughout South sheriff’s office shift supervisor, Kitsap picked up the chase who had been waiting at the as the suspect sped to the overpass in his unmarked Mullenix-SR 16 interchange, Ford Police Interceptor, actiaccording to Scott Wilson, the vated his lights and siren, then sheriff’s office spokesman. joined the chase. He was able Wilson said one of the to identify the suspect vehicle’s Kitsap County deputies in license plate and report it over position at the area came the radio, Wilson said. more and Uncle Sam less. acrossPay theyourself speeding Nissan The suspect weaved back as it got off the highway, then and forth over a double yellow Did you know that prior to April 30, 2007, most Americans beganwere heading northbound line before turning onto Geiger actually working for Uncle Sam? It’s true. According to on SRthe 16.Tax Foundation, it took on average Road. On that “tight little almost four months
SAMADPOUR
the meantime, Putaansuu has begun giving presentations about the concepts to the hodge-podge of parcel owners at Waterfront Park. “We control the parking area,” he said, pointing to a layout of the park location, “but it’s the Port of Bremerton that leases it with the Department of Natural Resources, so I’ve got to get some consensus from the Port, too. “It’s a very complex group of parcels with different owners, but (the pocket parks) make sense for us and for them.”
CHASE
Friday, April 14, 2017 - Port Orchard Independent
www.edwardjones.com
Bob Smith | Independent
road up there,” Wilson said the suspect nonetheless accelerated past 40 mph, failing to obey the four-way stop sign at Blueberry and Ramsay roads, and then pushed his vehicle’s speed past 50. Braking heavily for a moment before heading north on Bethel Avenue, the suspect picked up additional velocity along the busy lunchtime traffic corridor. As he passed the Bethel Saloon, the suspect began passing vehicles as he attempted to elude pursuing deputies. By that time, Wilson said, Port Orchard police officers joined the effort. Seconds later, the suspect reached the congested Bethel-Lund intersection “at a high rate of speed” and turned east onto Lund without stopping for a red traffic signal. That’s when the law enforcement officers decided to call off the pursuit. “We tried to take position and engage in efforts to stop the vehicle by using techniques we have, but we were unable to continue. By that time, the Nissan was traveling up to 70 miles per hour and we didn’t want to engage him at that speed, in rainy weather and with traffic stacked up.”
Wilson said the Nissan’s high rate of speed and the suspect’s reckless driving made continuing the pursuit near South Kitsap Regional Park and the Jackson-Lund intersection especially perilous for nearby motorists and pedestrians. When the pursuit ended at 12:42 p.m., the suspect and his Nissan were last seen traveling eastbound on Lund toward Jackson. All told, the pursuit lasted 2 minutes, 23 seconds over a distance of 2.1 miles. Ninety minutes later, investigating officers from Kitsap County got a phone call from a resident in the 3900 block of Tennis Court who reported that a Nissan Maxima had been left unoccupied in his driveway. “So whoever was driving the car dumped it there,” Wilson said. Mason County’s detectives are investigating circumstances surrounding the handgun brandishment and firing, as well as whether the Nissan had been stolen. Wilson said he had information that the suspect’s vehicle had been sold on March 4. The individual who allegedly purchased it “gave an alibi story,” he added.
Cookie’s Pet Corner & Wash Mon-Fri 10-7 • Sat 10-6 • Sun 12-5 1010 Bethel Ave • (360) 519-3100 Saturday, April 15th 11am-2pm
Donate ~ Foster ~ Rescue
Member SIPC
TEETH CLEANING (NON-ANESTHESIA) Fo For s Monday, April 17th 10am-4pm Catsr g $ 00 Do Provided by Pet Dental Company, Inc. • 160
www.K9dentalService.com Call for your appointment today!
Senior Dog Lodge Rescue & Sanctuary Saturday, May 13th 12pm-2pm
Samadpour’s tepid interest in development, Putaansuu said, spurred his desire to find a local ownership group wanting to buy out the investor’s interests — should he be willing to sell them. Without an investor who is also prepared to develop those properties, an effort by the city to create a master development plan for downtown would simply be a waste of money, Putaansuu said. “We need to master plan our downtown,” the mayor said. “We need to have all of our environmental approvals and a blueprint for downtown (lined up). To get there, it would take about a $200,000 investment (by the city). “I couldn’t go in good faith to the City Council and ask for that money to create a plan that’s just going to sit on a shelf. It’s just not a good use of our tax dollars.” By identifying a local investment group, however, Putaansuu said an essential piece of the development puzzle would be in place to start the process creating a master plan for downtown. Putaansuu said that a master development plan would need to reflect current marketplace demand. And in today’s market, he said demand for retail space is outpaced by the need for housing. “A developer is going to have an idea of what the demand is in the marketplace. We all know that a component of it is going to be housing. A developer is going to understand how much retail — what kind and where — is needed.” Such a plan would reach well beyond the small, twoblock section of downtown from Harrison to Frederick streets many define as the city’s economic heart. “Downtown is from Port Orchard Boulevard to Annapolis to the roundabout on Bethel,” he said. “I think it’s probably important to have groundfloor retail in that Harrison to Frederick area, but Westbay Center, for example, is a
prime opportunity with the Pedestrian Pathway and a pocket park there.” The mayor envisions Westbay Center as a prime location not only for retail space but ground-floor residential walk-up units that would open to the park. But the process of finding a development group ready to invest in downtown properties and develop them, have it engage with the city to create a master plan, and then have various partners begin the actual work of redevelopment, involves lots of moving parts, the mayor conceded. The City Council and the mayor also will need to revise building regulations, zoning requirements, residential density and restrictions on multi-family housing and mixed-use development. “I think our regulations are really restrictive,” Putaansuu said. “We need to really listen to the marketplace and let it dictate the size of dwelling units, whether there would be ground-floor retail or not. “Our regulations for Westbay Center dictate that the bottom of that great big building has to be groundfloor retail.”
Market forces decide Instead, he said, the marketplace needs to dictate how much retail space is needed. “Business will take care of itself and our storefronts will fill out when there are enough customers and demand for retail,” he said. The effort would be guided by a master development plan, a public process that would include a buy-in from Port Orchard citizens, he added. Putaansuu said he has the support of the City Council in pushing for downtown development. “I think they are excited about getting the right thing going downtown,” he said. “We’ve talked about taking up the zoning and density (issues) downtown, but it’s a chicken or the egg thing. We’ve got so many priorities right now and are putting energy to the things that are going to bear fruit. “Until we change the ownership situation down there, the only thing I can do now is to pressure the current owner to clean things up and keep his buildings appealing from the exterior.” Putting a local ownership group in place is going to take time, he said. “(A new ownership group is) going to need some time to take control of the properties, get them leased up and then go through the (development) process with the city.”
Friday, November 17, 2017 - Port Orchard Independent
KitsapDailyNews.com
REGIONAL NEWS
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Don’t turn a blind eye to Alzheimer’s disease There is a public health crisis on our doorstep. Now is the time to get serious about Alzheimer’s disease and its devastating effects on our loved ones. Ignoring the public health consequences of the disease will not solve this grave problem. As my husband’s personality, physicality, passions and dreams faded away, my heart ached. Sadly, he passed away in January from this untreatable disease. Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with the disease. The emotional and financial burden on families and the massive drain borne by Medicare and Medicaid is overwhelming. Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the U.S. — the
nation spends $259 billion a year. Congress has a chance to pass the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256), endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association. The new bill would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective interventions such as early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. Join me in asking Rep. Derek Kilmer and Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray to fight for the five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s by co-sponsoring the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act.
Madeleine Fraley Port Orchard
Washington State Legislature photo
A slight change to the party ranks next session in the Washington State Legislature will make a big difference to its legislative agenda.
CORNFIELD CONTINUED FROM A4
the sale of bonds for the capital budget. That means Democrats will need a few Republicans to vote to approve the bonds. It won’t be easy to find them. The GOP-led coalition has held power in the Senate for five years because they lock arms in unity when they need to most. When they do, Inslee and Democrats cry foul and accuse them of obstruction. Right now, Republicans are demanding a solution on Hirst before they’ll provide the votes for a capital budget bond bill. Which brings us to the dilemma facing Democrats all agog with Manka Dhingra’s election-night performance. A few Democratic lawmakers from the deep-blue enclaves of Puget Sound want to move swiftly to use their power to force the issue and test the GOP resolve.
There are a few cautious souls in their ranks as well. If enough Republican lawmakers don’t budge on the bond bill it will foil the effort to pass a capital budget. Democrats would blame the GOP but couldn’t escape criticism either. With small Democratic majorities now — two seats in the House and one in the Senate — it may be too risky a maneuver. Next year all the seats in the House and most in the Senate — including the same one in the 45th — are on the ballot. A misstep in December could benefit Republicans next November. And many Democrats are feeling too good right now to want that to happen. Jerry Cornfield is a political reporter and columnist of “Petri Dish,” an analysis of state and regional politics. He can be reached at jcornfield@herald net.com.
Page A5
Patty Lent concedes, contemplates future when mayoral term ends Campaign centered on economic issues By BOB SMITH
Kitsap News Group
BREMERTON — The day after the general election was a typically busy one for Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent. Nov. 8 began with a series of meetings away from her office, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Kitsap Community Resources at the Early Learning Center’s West Hills STEM Academy. Next came her presence at a regularly scheduled Bremerton City Council meeting. After it ended at 8:30 p.m., Lent finally had time to return a phone call from Kitsap News Group to report she had conceded the race for mayor to city councilman Greg Wheeler. “I want to congratulate Greg,” Lent said during a phone interview. “I wanted to wait until we had that second count today, and when his lead was extended, I felt it was appropriate to congratulate him and let him know it will be a smooth transition. “I told him if there is anything he wanted me to work on or turn over to him, to let me know.” Lent said she will use the remaining five weeks in office to get her office ready for her successor. She noted the lengthy list of organizations of which she’s a member. “I’m not certain the new mayor wants to continue any of that, but I want to at least have my notebooks and paperwork in place so that it’s easy for him to pick up.” Lent said she takes comfort in knowing city staff will continue to work to get homeless people off the streets and into a shelter, and will help the city’s veterans. Lent, 73, lost her bid for a third term as mayor to Wheeler, a 57-year-old Puget Sound Naval Shipyard retiree and Navy veteran, by a 55.1 percent to 44.8 percent margin. In updated results released Nov. 10 by the Kitsap
County Elections Division, Wheeler tallied 3,416 votes, Lent 2,779. Lent said her opponent had a built-in advantage during the campaign that he effectively used: “When you don’t have a job, you can devote every day to knocking on doors,” Lent said. She also shared one regret: “I also feel that it became a partisan race — a mayor of a city is not partisan. I felt badly throughout the debates and the campaign that it did become partisan, and that sometimes takes away from the person who’s going to be at the helm.”
Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent joins supporters at a primary election celebration in August.
File photo
Bremerton City Council member Greg Wheeler knocked on thousands of doors throughout the city during his campaign.
Wheeler: a different kind of campaign The mayor-elect said he knew at the outset that to win, he’d need to run a different kind of campaign. “We were running against a lot of the political establishment, and we knew it would be an uphill fight,” Wheeler said. “Our victory means that the people who live in Bremerton want a change from the status quo.” Wheeler said creating a vibrant economy with affordable housing, as well as preserving access to a community hospital, resonated with voters. “We are going to create a city government that values innovation and efficiency, and a fiscally responsible and transparent government of the people,” he said.
A difficult defeat Lent, a former Kitsap County commissioner who was first elected as mayor in 2009, said her electoral loss stings. “My regret is that I had some very specific things that we were going to do to enhance the city,” Lent said Nov. 9. “As much as I love Bremerton, it’s always hard to let go.” She equated the separation to a teenager heading off to college — packing up and leaving an empty bedroom. “That’s kind of how I feel inside, that I’m walking away from something that I absolutely love,” Lent said. “My heart is in everything that I’ve done and the deci-
Wheeler campaign website photo
sions I’ve made. But I’m so proud of having served. As I look around at the people in place, [with] the things that have transpired, it’s pretty exciting to see where the city of Bremerton is today.” The energetic two-term mayor said she’ll continue serving as a member of the Bremerton Lions, of which she’s been a member since 1995. “I’m also a lifelong member of the Navy League,” she said. “That has a place in my heart that will never go away.” Lent said she would also like to retain her position on the boards of Kitsap Mental Health and the Kitsap Community Foundation. “I feel like I still have a lot of energy and compassion for the things that come out of those different committees,” she said. “All of them make a tremendous difference in the community.” But first, Lent said it’s time for a rest and a walk on the beach. Lent and her husband Doug plan to take
a Thanksgiving-week vacation trip to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico for “a little beach time, sunshine and lots of walks.” When she returns, Lent said family, including her eight grandchildren and “two greats,” will take center stage in her life. And if there are additional spare minutes in her day, she’ll fit in some home remodeling projects. Then it’s back to work. “I think I’ll take a look at where I might fit best to continue being creative in the city of Bremerton.” Bob Smith is regional editor with the Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at rsmith@ soundpublishing.com.
FACTOID: The mayor of Bremerton is elected to a four-year term and is the full-time, salaried chief executive officer of the city. The mayor is paid $107,004 a year, according to the 2017 city budget.