i ; , von Liebig p. 11 Week of Aug. 15-21,2002 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 29, NUMBER 32, 20 PAGES 75 CENTS Naumann buy-out island shocker Woods' doors By Dawn deBoer 'More services' page 3 Captiva, its founder and operator John officially shut Managing Editor Naumann issued a news release Tuesday, stat- ing, "It was time to take the company to the By Dawn deBoer Anyone calling the longtime island office of mann & Associates" — by a change in its next level." In the release, Naumann stated the Managing Editor John Naumann & Associates Real Estate Com- name. Only three Caldwell Banker offices merger meant greater exposure to potential pany heard it first last Friday. carry the 'Preview International' designation in buyers through the Caldwell Banker Inter- The J. Howard Wood The merger of the 27-year-old company the state of Florida. Sales associates and staff national referral network, a diverse network of Theatre's last meeting with Caldwell Banker Residential Real Estate were told of the merger at a meeting that morn- "connections" with national print, television of the board went down Inc. was surprisingly announced by the office ing. New business cards waited on their desks and electronic media venues. Monday with discour- receptionist, who introduced callers to the new for their return. The decision equated to more services, said aging words for some offices and owners — "Caldwell Banker After building the island real estate compa- Naumann, now district manager for the new of final closure of an Previews International, formerly John Nau- ny into one of the top three on Sanibel and company's Sanibel-Captiva market. equity theater on-island. The building reverts back lo the Sanibel Community Associa- Florida tourism leads fiie nation in recovery tion after a 60-day de- Reactions Lawsuit fault of payment, re- ported the president of mixed on on the the theatre's board, Janna Stone, who met city parks Wednesday with bank Verizon officials and associa- By Erik Burriss By Erik Burriss tion reps to set in order Staff Writer priorities of separation Staff Writer and departure. The public's reaction to Approval foi a pro- In a brief statement proposals for parks on posed celluUu towei hing- given Wednesday after Periwinkle Way was es upon whelhei oi not a the meeting. Stone said mixed — all foi one, but i.i\y um den\ it e\\ the both the bank and adamantly oppo cu u> the liszlu lo Amend Us /onms LI i" ali'n' lii.ill o\ci OlIlLM City Councils LJ>USI backwards to assist, Those attending ini- judicial healing on & but community support day's Park and Recreation request by Verizon Wire- and interest in a pro- Committee meetings felt Jess Personal Communica- fessional theatre com- improvements to an exist- tions, LP, for a tower at the pany was not enough ing park on the north side Wulfert Road Wastewater to sustain the idea. of Periwinkle would be Treatment plant reconven- Stone agreed to a something they could sup- ed Aug. 7 after a four- one-on-one interview port, but generally said month pause. The hearing with San-Cap newspa- 1 acquiring land between was continued April 16 to pers executive editor, the Sanibel Community Skip Stowers photo allow the two sides to get Renny Severance, later Association and Casa their evidence in order. this week to run as a Mariposa for a new park Gov. Jeb and Mrs. Bush attend their first Governor's Conference on Tourism. Austin White, an attor- special report in next is a bad idea. Both are in ney representing property week's Island Reporter the parks master plan ap- owners in the Sanctuary, and Islander. proved Aug. 6 by City On the rebound, and looking good argued the city barred it- Council. self from allowing com- Chairman Armand Ball By Dawn deBoer mercial uses at the site. A said the plan deals with Managing Editor 1990 amendment to a concepts and that the city 1982 settlement of a law- is unlikely to end up with It was a good year for the Gov- suit between the city and the owners of what would Roaming reporter everything in the plan in ernor's Conference on Tourism. The the exact location the plan governor showed up. become the Sanctuary Should short-term rentals calls for. Neither proposal His first showing in his three years specifically prohibited be permitted in residential discussed Friday is in any in office, Gov. Jeb Bush came before commercial development neighborhoods on-island? way final, he said. the conference's largest number of in exchange for reduced Proposals for the un- attendees in its 35 years under the arm housing density. —See page 2 named park, where pic- of the Florida Commission on Tourism, "This is clearly a com- nickers lunch and contrac- which the governor chairs. mercial use and is prohib- City briefs tors unload equipment, The state's all-out moves to counter- ited by the settlement —See page 4 include covered tables, attack the dual effects of Sept. 11 and a agreement," White said. pavilion, nature trail, an Gov, Jeb Bush meets up with the "softening economy" brought Bush A nation's health state's younger political minds keep- See LAWSUIT See PARKS ing an eye out on keeping "fun" •in" See FLORIDA —See page 5 page 15 vacationing Florida. page 18 page 6 Island gardening —See page 8 Tourists save woman from near drowning By Amy Fleming Pavichevich of Fort Myers aided the hus- Staff Writer band, who was struggling for shore while David Zebulske, also of Pennsylvania, • OBITUARIES page 3 A Lake Worth woman and her husband swam approximately 100 yards offshore • POLICE BLOTTER page 3 were saved from drowning last Thursday to help the woman. • PERMITS&DEEDS page 3 by fellow beach visitors. Zebulske found her unconscious and • TIDES page 4 Bhavna Upadhyay and her husband, floating face down in the water. Although • OP-ED PAGE page 5 Satch, were caught in the strong currents he has no training as a lifeguard or in • ENVIRONMENT page 8 coursing round the east end of the Sanibel water rescue, Zebulske was able to hold • DATELINE page 9 Lighthouse when two vacationing Penn- her head above the water and keep her • THE ARTS page 10 sylvania men and three men from Fort afloat for eight minutes until Dave and • COMMUNITY page 10 Myers heard their cries for help around James Schutt of Fort Myers arrived in Michael Ptstella photo • BUSINESS page 11 noon. See SAVE David Zebulske and Neal Eckert are credited with sav- • TV LISTINGS page 12 Pennsylvanian Neal Eckert and Jason page 18 ing the life of a woman who near drowned last week- • CLASSIFIEDS page 16 end off the Sanibel Fishing Pier. <fh •*•: - . A * I * J. .. 1 2 • Week of August 15-21, 2002 • ISLAND REPORTER Island • City & State • Dawn deBoer USR, county talk dollars Negotitions begin for design of a new causeway The Board of Lee County Commissioners this week authorized contract negotiations for engineering design services in the reconstruction and replacement of the Sanibel Causeway fixed bridges. Negotiations begin with URS Corporation, the No.l ranked firm. The design is for bridges no wider than 40 feet wide with 12-foot-wide traffic lanes and 8-foot breakdown lanes for use by pedestrians and bicyclists. The design also calls for trestle sections slightly raised to avoid the splash zone under the bridge. The design is projected Amy Fleming photo to take several years with construction anticipated to begin in 2006. Dancing at The Bean • Added Ten Mile Canal to the coun- ty's integrated system of trails, green- k£ The Bean bash ways, blueways, corridors, parks, pre- Michael Pistella photo serves and waterways. The action makes the proposed Ten Mile Canal linear park By Amy Fleming eligible for state and federal grants for Staff Writer Summer's somewhat (teacher) • Feels good; we're ready for them acquisitions and construction. The coun- over for back-to-schoolers ty has earmarked $1 million for the pro- The Sanibel Community Church (DARE officer) ject in its five-year construction budget. • Great: the kids are excited to see their and The Bean joined together last By Mike Hannan • Agreed to send a letter to the South Friday to get the school year off to a Staff Writer friends (teacher) Florida Water Management District good start. The church's Praise and • Too sleepy to respond requesting a water "reservation" for the Worship band struck up the tunes, The question is, how does it feel • Seen — Two new students, one a first Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. A got toes tapping and feet dancing, to be back? day kindergartener, his sister a fourth water reservation is an agreement pro- followed by skits from The God grader. Grandfather was there with a vided by state law to allocate a certain Squad and a muppet show. • Gag symbol camcorder when the rest of the family amount of water to an area and takes "We just wanted to bless the com- • Good and bad precedence over other water-use permits. munity," said Pastor Daryl Donovan. arrived • Great — I have a nice, sane life; I get • Daddy you forgot my school supplies. This would ensure adequate water flow For Jen Kelley's children, it was in the dry season to protect estuaries and back to home schooling. Kelley to work here with kids and computers. I Let's go back and get them. No maybe coach Little League and my parents live prevent saltwater intrusion into the teaches 5 year olds in her Sanibel they are here (reluctant to go home).