Driwer in Fatal Island Accident Acquitted Charming and Old Isn't
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Contract awarded Shell Museum construction to begin 4A io/U'q3 Since 1961 Still first on Sanibei and q<p7 3 Captiva islands VOL. 32, NO. 33 TUESDAY, AUGUST 17,1S 3 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES 50 CENTS Driwer in fatal island accident acquitted By Frances Adams Islander staff writer Carolyn Lamar Pickett of Sanibei was acquitted Aug. 11 on charges that she failed to yield right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk, after an accident on Jan. 14 which killed a man in front of the Sanibei Community Center. Rhode Island resident retired Admiral John Remey Wadleigh, 77, was killed in the accident, and his wife, Rae, was severely injured. They were crossing Periwinkle Way after attending an Audubon Society presentation at the Sanibei Community Center. Judge Radford Sturgis made his ruling of not guilty after hearing testimony from witnesses Alice Kyllo and Sanibei Police Sgt. William Tomlinson, and from Pickett and her attorney. Sturgis said there was reasonable doubt, because the witnesses and the driver presented three com- pletely different versions and there simply wasn't enough evidence to convict her. Sturgis received a telephone call after the trial from Photo by Kathleen Biase another witness, islander Dr. Faye Granberry, who informed him that there had been other local witnesses, Beachin' it herself and two other police officers, and wondered why none of them had been subpoenaed. Granberry also told Little 2-year-old Meghan Rose tries to talk her mother, Mary Jane Rose, into playing some "sand games" with her. Sturgis what she had seen the night of the accident. The two Island vacationers are from New Jersey, and they spent this day on the beach near the Sanibei Lighthouse. "Her testimony would have made a difference," Sturgis told The Islander after hearing Granberry's version. "It's Commission turns back White Heron House nomination regretable, but there's not a lot I can do now, [Picket's] been tried and found not guilty." Sturgis indicated he was upset by the situation and said Charming and old isn't historic he was having his clerk look into why the other witnesses By Frances Adams inating resolution is a list of the five criteria, verbatim from had not been subpoenaed. He said he wanted to make sure Islander staff writer the code. The Historic Preservation Committee found that something like this doesn't happen again. Everyone seems to agree that Sally Butz Stringfellow's the White Heron House met all five criteria, but failed to The clerk of the court in Lee County said she had sub- house on Clam Bayou Lane is "charming," but the Sanibei specify how it arrived at that conclusion. According to the poenaed "everyone on the list" that was given to her by the Planning Commission did not agree with the Sanibei code, three of the five criteria must be met in order for a state's attorney. Historic Preservation Committee's recent finding that what site to be nominated. At press time, the state's attorney's office was unable to is known as the White Heron House is historic and should Stringfellow, on the other hand, took it upon herself to say exactly what had been sent to the clerk of the courts at be placed on the City Register of Historic Landmarks. refute any claims the city might make via the nomination. Lee County. More accurately, the Historic Preservation Committee She went through each of the five criteria at the Aug. 10 The paperwork the clerk receives comes from the state. hasn't provided a shred of documented evidence to back Planning Commission meeting and was very specific as to The information the state has includes the complete police up its oral claim that the home is historic, representative of why the house did not meet any but possibly one of them. report from the city of Sanibei. what remains of the farming community that once thrived Her testimony was very convincing. All but one of the Sanibei Police Chief Richard Plager also is looking into at Wulfert Point. commissioners present voted to recommend to the City the paper trail. According to regulations spelled out in the Land Council that the house not be placed on the Historic The complete set of documents pertaining to the case Development Code, the committee must provide specific Register. information in the resolution it passed nominating it to the Please see ACQUITTAL, page 6A Historic Register. That wasn't done. All that is in the nom- Please see HISTORIC, page 10A DOT: 'careless' boater halts causeway traffic Traffic on the Sanibei Causeway came to He didn't make it. deputies and Sanibei Police Department Arts & Leisure 5B a virtual standstill around 3 p.m. on Friday, When the bridge tender atop the span saw officers arrived on the scene in an attempt Business 8B Aug. 13, when the mast of a sailboat got the sailboat headed on toward the bridge, he to control the traffic. Commentary 1C stuck under the bascule span. quickly tried to raise the drawbridge but According to witnesses and the SPD, cars Crossword 6C In a release issued shortly after the inci- could not get it open in time. According to backed up for miles on the causeway and dent, Lee County Department of Crawford, the bridge was raised only about onto the island, and back along Summerlin Permits & Deeds 3C Transportation Director George Crawford five inches when the boat hit it and became Road. Police Beat 2A said the bridge tender told the captain of the wedged underneath. The accident occurred at about 3 p.m. Scuba Scoop 4A sailboat by radio not to try and make it And, with the sailboat stuck below, the and it took approximately one hour for the Recreation 1B under the causeway bridge. The bridge only bridge tender could not raise the drawbridge boat to be freed, the bridge lowered and the Weather Watch 4A opens every 15 minutes and apparently the or lower it to let the backed-up automobile traffic tie-up cleared. boater in question either could not stop or traffic pass. No permanent damage was done to the What's Playing 4B did not want to wait, or he thought he could The U.S. Coast Guard was called in to try bridge according to the DOT and reports make it under the span. to free the boat, and Lee County Sheriff's indicate the boater was not cited. 2A THE ISLANDER Tuesday. August 17.1993 Tuesday. August 17.1993 THE ISLANDER 3A Ail the following information was taken directly from Sanibel Police Department reports. A man called SPD Aug. 10 to report persons taking POLICE crabs from the water behind Castaway's Resort. The offi- ROOSEVELT CHANNEL On Tuesday, Aug. 10, a woman reported there were cer located a woman who said she didn't think she was hundreds of rabid raccoons roaming the area of Castaways doing anything wrong. She threw four crabs back in the Lane at Blind Pass, three of which, she said, were gnawing BEAT water. • Incredible 3 Yr. Old Estate, 5 Bdrms, Gorgeous on her bicycle. The officer could not locate any raccoons. • Suspended Staircase, Gourmet kitchen, Boat & Dock The police were advised that a maintenance staff mem- Mark Edgar Hanrahan of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was -» '. i Brian Richard Rostock of Plantation was charged ber was following a suspicious person around the property • Sunken Family Room, Lavish Master Retreat Thursday, Aug. 12, with racing on the highway and with charged Wednesday, Aug. 11, with violation of right-of- Casa Ybel Resort after dark on Aug. 10. The suspicious • Only $2,250,000 Furn. Including 3/2 Guest Home! driving 70 mph on Sanibel-Captiva Road. way after he ran a stop sign at the intersection of Lindgren man turned out to be a guest of the resort who was looking Boulevard and East Gulf Drive. VIP REALTY GROUP • For a Private Tour Call JIM HALL 472-3322 for his children. Michael Joseph Keough III of Cape Coral was charged Aug. 12 with driving with an expired tag after being Robert Terry Fields of Sanibel was charged Aug. 11 On Aug. 10 a man reported a chair, a microwave oven, stopped on Causeway Road. with violation of right of way. a child's motorized tricycle and a telephone had been HOMES LOTS & C stolen from from his former residence while he was mov- Amy Lee DeRitter of Cape Coral was charged Aug. 12 Jule Dennis Smith of Captiva was charged Aug. 11 with ing to a new residence. • Ground Level 2 Bdrm./2 Bath Home • 2 BR/2 BA w/Family Room • Acre Plus Homesite (Estate Size) with driving with a suspended driver's license and an having no valid driver's license and improper passing on • Direct Access, Wide Deep Water Canal • Newly Carpeted • Will Handle Dream Home, Tennis Ct. & Pool expired license tag. Sanibel-Captiva Road. • Oversized Great Room/Eat-in Kitchen • Shell Harbor Canal - Easy Access • Deeded Beach Access/Private Subdivision A man reported that his backpack was stolen on Aug. • Offered for $429,000 Unfurnished • Caged, Heated Pool • Priced to Sell at $160,000 10. He had left it on top of the pay phone in Jerry's shop- • Call JIM HALL 472-3322 CalfSUE ROSICA472-9 • Call MIKE MCMURRAY 936-4112 A woman on Captiva reported Aug. 12 that juveniles On Aug. 11 a man requested the police keep an eye on ping center, and when he returned a half-hour later it was were jumping off the Blind Pass Bridge on the Captiva the traffic in the construction area at Periwinkle Way and • 100 x 150 lot on East End of Sanibel Island! gone.