Review Bainbridge Island

7pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014 | Vol. 114, No. 26 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢

Activists plan boycott against shopping center Group pledges to avoid patronizing businesses for at least seven years BY CECILIA GARZA Bainbridge Island Review

Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review

Alexandra Jackson, executive director for CANTER (The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses), stands with Sylvia, the first horse adopted by the newly formed regional branch of the national organization, near the main gate at Cottingham Farm.

Bainbridge Island: A new home for old champions BY LUCIANO MARANO Bainbridge Island Review

Inside the large barn it is shady and cool, the occasional whinny drifts out from the line of stalls along the left side wall. At the echoing sound of footsteps approaching, there will appear the heads of several curious horses peeking

out to investigate the visitor. Among these friendly and inquisitive horses at Cottingham Farm, located off of Sportsman Club Road, there is a 4-year-old white-and-silver thoroughbred named Sylvia whose coat sparkles in the warm light streaming into her stall – when she hasn’t been leaning on the newly painted brown fence, that is.

Until late last week Sylvia was a professional race horse and, although her friendly and casual demeanor may make it hard to believe, she suffered a traumatic accident last year that effectively ended her career. Though the physical damage had TURN TO HOME | A14

Opponents to the proposed shopping center on High School Road are now pledging to boycott the recently approved development. Activists are currently circulating a pledge to avoid patronizing stores or businesses in the retail center for at least seven years after it is constructed. The commitment to stage a boycott came after several citizens met last week to discuss their next steps following the city’s decision to approve the controversial development. “We can just say, ‘Well, we lost,’ but what we really want to figure out is how do we go on,” said Charles Schmid. Visconsi, an Ohio-based

developer, is moving forward with plans to build a nearly 62,000-square-foot shopping center on High School Road directly across from the Ace Hardware store. The proposal includes space for retail, restaurants, professional services and health care facilities. The proposal was strongly opposed by residents of the nearby Stonecrest neighborhood and others across Bainbridge, who said the commercial development would bring increased traffic and other problems to the High School Road-Highway 305 area. Opponents also said the new businesses were not needed and would compete with existing businesses on the island. The project, however, was given the green light by city planning staff, who said the proposal fit with zoning and city regulations. Though it was later TURN TO BOYCOTT | A14

Bainbridge youths ‘Make Some Noise’ about pediatric cancer Island teens raise $75,000 for research BY LUCIANO MARANO Bainbridge Island Review

Several Bainbridge Island teenagers made a statement recently that could have saved doctors and pharmaceutical representatives the world over a lot of lab time: Friendship cures cancer. With greater support and interest from an entire concerned community, they proved, a cure is a lot closer than you might think. Bainbridge High School students Tally Black-Brown, 16, Ben LaRoche, 17, and Maxsena Butler, 16 – three volunteer junior board members of the Northwest chap-

ter of national pediatric cancer research foundation Make Some Noise – led an initiative to raise awareness and funding for promising cure research being done in Seattle by hosting a fundraiser student art auction earlier this month at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. They set out to raise $35,000, the approximate cost of sending one child through the treatment. They raised $75,000. The student art auction, which was attended by more than 100 patrons, was the brainchild of Black-Brown, himself a childhood cancer survivor and accomplished amateur photographer. With the abundance of great young artists and performers on Bainbridge,

and the availability of BIMA as an ideal venue, he said he knew that there was no reason to wait to get more involved in the pursuit of a cure. The event was staffed by additional Make Some Noise junior board members and other local student volunteers. The entertainment for the event included performances by 2012 BHS graduate and cellist Taylor Rae Jensen, as well as other guitarists, dancers and improv comedy groups including Good Hue, Bainbridge Dance Friends and Not Applicable. Artwork was donated by a number of student artists in a variety TURN TO NOISE | A28

Photo courtesy of Jack Sutherland

Good Hue, an island musical act comprised of Dan Weisner, Nels Challinor and Charlie Hoffman, perform at the recent Make Some Noise student art auction fundraiser at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. Organized primarily by several volunteer Bainbridge High School junior board members, the event raised $75,000 for pediatric cancer research.