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I j island -3HTC7 REPORTER Week of Jan. 11-17,2001 SANIBEL &CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 28, NUMBER 2, 28 PAGES 75 CENTS IFlliKWJ® Trolling for trout Detective staff Charter fishing captam Tim Bryant gives advice toi cold water fishing and says that withwatei tempeiatutes dioppmg to I he mid-50s, the tiout will hit haul. —See page 4 trimmed to one By Pete Bishop While Schulte Staff writer .said "I'm not overjoyed at the Ospreys electrocuted The Sanibel Police Department reas- recent changes signed two of the city's detectives to other and it's frustrat- Seveial ospreys have been duties Jan. 1, leaving only one full-time ing," he also said iccently killed by local detective to handle all of the island's "I welcome the powci lines, but Lee County felony cases. opportunity to be Elecli IC Coop has a plan in One detective, Kuit Schulte, has been at The Sanibel place to help alleviate the reassigned to patrol duty three days pet- School more . problem. week. Schulte has also been working one That's a good —See page 5 day each week as a DARE and school thing." Schulte Environews resource officer at The Sanibel School, A second de- and will now continue those duties two tective, John Slater, will concentrate on his The Lee County Extension days per week. responsibilities in the property and evi- Service has expanded to Schulte, who has been on the force for dence room at the department, and also include maune education 12 years and a detective about six years, work on environmental enforcement, and research. Capt. Bob said he was informed about the change according to Sanibel Police Chief Lew Wasno will oversee the the week before Christmas Phillips expansion and the sei vice's Michael Patella "I was told (hat I am now assigned to Slater declined to comment on the research piojects Former Detective Kurt Schulte will now be patiol," he said "1 was )ust told that at the —Sec page 5 spending three days a week on patrol and two lust ol the yen, turn in yom vehicle and with the DARE program at Sanibel School. report to patiol duties in unitoim." page 12 Permits & deeds —See page 6 New commissioners sworn in By Pete Bishop same city council meeting. The other commis- The 'full7 Monty Staff writer sioners are Dick Downes and John J. Peg Webster scans the Web Veenschoten. for sites devoted to comedic The Sanibel City Planning Commission con- According to Downes, who has served on the 'Idles' Monty Python and ducted its first meeting of the new year Jan. 8 board for about 8 years, the current make-up of finds one site that makes the and, in their first order of business, elected the commission continues the trend toward "a others 'Palm' comparison. Commissioner Phyllis Bogen as the board's more sophisticated or 'professional' commis- —See page 7 new chairman. The commission also elected sion" since he has been a commissioner. Jack Samler as the new vice chairman, and wel- "We've had quite a turnover in recent comed two new members to the board, John years," said Downes. "I think we've had good Dillon and Linda Robison. commissioners and I've been pleased with how After the commission unanimously elected Dillon Robison the planning commission functions, but I think Gardening Bogen, Sanibel Planning Director Bruce and was elected unanimously. there have been changes in approach." Ron "Greenthumb" Sympson Rogers handed the official gavel to the new Dillon and Robison attended their first According to Downes, "as a group the com- talks about how his gaiden chairman and Bogen conducted the vice chair- meeting Tuesday after being appointed by the mission has matured. This present commission icsponded to the lecent cold man election. Samler, like Bogen, was the only city council Dec. 19. Bogen and Samler were and the more recent commissions have all real- spell. The cold killed his commissioner nominated for his new position reappointed to three-year terms during the ized the impoitance of the code." coleus, but with some patience his impaUens should leturn to their noimal state Few show concern —See page 15 Shell seekers Island visitors show off their over local economy junoma finds. By Katie Theriot Miller Jensen said he's not worried in Staff writer the least, but said he feels it is still —See page 24 too early to tell what kind of season The recent warnings by the islands will have. In general, he President-elect George W. Bush said it seems that people are staying about a possible economic slump for shorter vacations which sug- wwm have put unpleasant thoughts m the gests threatening storms on the minds Americans. And for Sanibel horizon for the economy of the • Environmental News . page 5 islands. and Captiva, with tourism as the Michael Pistella • Business & Technology page 7 No. 1 industry, those concerns may Douglas Rucker, resort manager Javier Saldona, a cook with La Vigna restaurant, puts a be even greater for some. of South Seas Resort, made similar pizza in the wood-burning stove. • Emergency blotter . .page 8 Dave Jensen of Jensen's Twin predictions. He said his resort had Palm in Captiva jokes that "if no high expectations for the Christmas ing a curious trend beginning, he business groups are being booked • Opinion .. page 9 season, and although the actual rev- one reads the newspapers or watch- said. Because the times in demand on shorter notice than ever. Rucker • Looking Back page 10 es the news, we'll see no effects." enue numbers did not quite meet their goals, they still had a very are becoming more and more com- speculated that this is because And so far, fears of a downturn- pressed, personal vacations and • Dateline ,.page 16 mg economy have not affected the strong Christmas and are still expe- businesses are trying to rise to the riencing growth. what the hotel calls social visits are page 20 Jensens' business. In fact, they are • TV listings reporting higher sales this year South Seas Resort looks great being booked further in advance. t> See Tourism 1 Classifieds page 25 than last. for advance bookings and is notic- However, conventions and page 2 2 • Week of Jan. 11-17, 2001 • ISLAND REPORTER i-.i Island News everything was business as usual. TOURISM Barry Baker, general From page 1 manager at LaVigna is not quite as optimistic. He said that the rumors of econom- occasion of keeping up and that the American work season for South Seas. ic hardship have his cus- with today's fast-paced ethic has changed a bit. Paul Gaeta of Sanibel tomers a little concerned. technological growth. People are not willing Steakhouse predicted that Companies are reacting to lose their personal time the forecast of economic He even said that some to things happening in their or time with family, he slowdown will have no- are talking about pulling industry. They want to intro- said, and they are realizing effect on the islands' their money out of stocks duce new products or meth- the health threats of high tourism economy because and reinvesting in securities. ods to their team, thereby blood pressure and stress. this area attracts large Baker said that it is enabling them to introduce a People realize they need numbers of people who are going to be hard to see the product, method, or service a vacation, so the budget fairly affluent. more quickly than their shortcomings will more He said a 10 to 20 per- effects right now because competition. than likely affect other cent slowdown in the late January traditionally This illustrates, although areas of their life, Rucker growth of their earnings brings big spenders, but the forecast is for a slow in said. will not affect them. He that down the road, when economic growth, industri- South Seas Resort is agreed with Rucker that the affluent snowbirds al growth is still on the rise. still seeing growth in out- these people will be less return to their newly The islands' economy is, of-pocket spending, sig- likely to give up their thawed homes, the island by and large, more depen- naling that tourists ate' vacations, and the loss will dent on the people who coming to the area with manifest itself every- economy will be hit hard. come for social visits, and more money to spend. where, if there even is a He predicted continued perhaps some have won- Rucker's clientele is not loss. growth to the end of sea- dered whether the money talking about pulling their Gaeta compared this son, but said he believes disappearing from people's money out of the stock scare to the economic slow- increased interest rates are net worth will affect their market, and really don't down in 1992 that won vacation budgets. seem to be very concerned Clinton the presidency. He giving everyone a false Rucker said no. He about the rumors of eco- said that besides talk, sense of security, and that Michael Pistclla emphasized that these are nomic slowdown. Rucker Sanibel was not affected the islands will feel the The Rothchilds and Thais of Chicago and no longer the "fast '80s," looks forward to a strong and that within six months, effects come summertime. New York dine at Sanibel Steakhouse. to get more police out in the streets, and last week, however, and, "you will see a Police disclose plans this is one area where more police are def- difference now that we're fully staffed." initely needed." to control island traffic Councilmember Judy Workman added, fic moving at the intersections of Casa Brown issues call "I would like us to instruct the police to do By Pete Bishop Ybel and Periwinkle Way and Lindgren Staff writer and Periwinkle.