Crematorium hearing set

PORT ORCHARD — The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners put the hearing on the proposed crematorium in Bremerton’s Navy Yard City neighborhood on hold until March 14 despite urgings from Kent and Tess Kass to proceed with the hearing.

“For people to give their best presentation, each side needs and deserves to have their best foot forward,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen. “In the interest in fairness and justice, it needs to be continued until March 14.”

The attorney representing the Kasses was not at the hearing, while attorneys representing the neighborhood association, the Bremerton school district and city of Bremerton were in attendance.

Ron Templeton, the attorney representing the neighborhood association, originally filed for a continuance of Monday’s scheduled hearing because of a scheduling conflict in Superior Court.

However, Templeton said he was notified late last week that the scheduled trial had been put on standby and apologized for the inconvenience created by the scheduling.

“Our attorney’s not here because we were under the impression that Templeton wasn’t going to be here,” Kent Kass said. “I think we’re ready to go forward with the hearing without counsel.”

The delays in the land-use decision process have made life difficult for the family’s business operations, he said.

“We’re small business people trying to operate a business that’s local and is legal in this area because of the zoning,” he said.

The media has made the Kass Funeral Home out to be a Wal-Mart-sized entity, when in fact, it has only two employees: he and his wife, Kent said.

“Terrence McCarthy made the right decision and if anyone has a disagreement, let them speak today and let’s put this to bed today,” Tess said. “We hope the Board of Commissioners will side with us.”

After taking a five-minute recess to discuss the issue of the continuance, the Commissioners unanimously decided to continue the hearing.

“I want to hear your attorney’s best shot, because I feel it would be in your best interest,” said Commissioner Jan Angel, in voting to grant the continuance.

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