REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
Friday, February 20, 2015 | Vol. 90, No. 8 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢
INSIDE: Twentysomething: A&E, A7
Island schools see outbreak of whooping cough
Lovin’ never goes out of style
Number of reported Kitsap cases climbs to 104 BY SERAINE PAGE
Bainbridge Island Review
Seraine Page | Bainbridge Island Review
Barbara Hansen laughs as her husband Reid Hansen works his way out of his coat during the senior center fashion show.
Fabulous fashion show rekindles romance BY SERAINE PAGE
“It’s fun to see the couples together seriously in love.”
Bainbridge Island Review
If there’s one thing romantics can’t get enough of, it’s authentic love stories. Just one day before Valentine’s Day, tender stories of romance were shared during a fashion show at the Bainbridge Island Senior Center appropriately titled “Love is in the Air.” Longtime Bainbridge couples were paired off as fashion models, and with each new set of models walking the runway came narrated stories that made even young hearts beat faster. Models of all ages twirled around in clothing straight from the thrift shop’s racks at the senior center and the Bargain Boutique. Like the tickle of a warm summer wind, the fine details of desire and romance whirled in the air, intertwining with the collective sighs of a captive audience. “Love is in the Air” took in its audience the way Rhett Butler whisked Scarlett O’Hara into his manly arms. Many were swept away; some eyes in the sell-out
Marcia Walker Fashion show audience member
Seraine Page | Bainbridge Island Review
Fashion show participants clown around before heading down the runway during the senior center’s annual fashion show. crowd went misty. “I like the way it is done,” said Marcia Walker, an audience member. “It’s fun to see the couples together seriously in love.” An appreciative crowd came out for the fundraiser. And for the first time ever, the annual senior center fashion show sold out before the event. Dorie Nelson celebrated her first time participating in a fash-
ion show on the same day as her 87th birthday. “It’s exciting,” said Nelson, who is a regular at the thrift shop. “I thought this was a great way to celebrate my birthday. “It’s nice they’re all ages,” the birthday girl said of her fellow models. “And it’s nice to know seniors can have fun.” Audience members enjoyed cheesecake and coffee while
socializing as the fashion show participants got ready for their debut. As models sashayed down the center of the room, emcee Mark Ancell shared the details of embarrassing first dates, weddings on graduation days and blind dates at businesses that no longer exist. Ancell, manager of Bargain Boutique, shared what the ladies wrote about how they fell in love. The second half was dedicated to the men’s side of the story. Some couples showed off dance moves. Others paused for a sweet kiss or a lingering hug — much to the audience’s delight. One gentleman got a bit cheeky when he grabbed his wife’s bottom during their turn on the catwalk. The shocking move came after the story of TURN TO ROMANCE | A9
If you are sick, stay home. That’s the advice and plea of the Kitsap County Health District and Bainbridge Island School District in hopes of keeping the current pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak from spreading. Health district officials said the majority of pertussis cases in the county have been on Bainbridge Island, with the rest in North Kitsap. Officials said the number of cases are expected to grow. As of Wednesday, 104 cases of whooping cough had been reported to the health district. That includes data reported since June 2014. A letter has been sent home with Bainbridge students about the spread of pertussis, and noted that “the majority of pertussis cases to date have been reported in school-aged children, mostly in the Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap school districts.” Galen Crawford Goff, spokeswoman for the Bainbridge Island School District, said the school district and health district are working closely together to get the word out. While a cough is a symptom of pertussis, it doesn’t always mean a child has it, Goff noted. “Children can experience a cough for a number of reasons. We have students with coughs that have tested negative for pertussis,” she said. “School nurses are sending children suspected of having pertussis home with a letter from the KPHD to give to their health care provider,” Goff added. “The letter will help the KPHD monitor the outcome of each provider visit. If the provider prescribes antibiotics, parents are to keep the student at home for the full course of treatment (five full days of treatment).” According to current Washington State Department of Health standards, students must have the Tdap immunization, starting in kindergarten. Whooping cough is spread very easily through coughing and sneezing. Infected persons will notice cold-like symptoms that develops into a bad cough. Some violent coughing spells may TURN TO WHOOPING | A9