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Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com Tight match CAPE CORAL Mariner prevails over North Fort Myers DAILY BREEZE — SPORTS WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Saturday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 65 Friday, March 20, 2009 50 cents Code oversight could have city on hook for millions “In February 2008 I wrote an e-mail to (city) council Builders shoulder curb, gutter costs telling them I went in and looked at the law. Nobody responded back.” By GRAY ROHRER was not, and is not, in the city’s reg- builders to pay for the installation of [email protected] ulations governing the designated sidewalks, curbs and gutters, only — Joe Mazurkiewicz, former mayor of Cape Coral Since 2003, Cape Coral has land use along the road. pertains to land uses designated as and president of BJM Consulting required builders along Pine Island The majority of land that lines “commercial,” “professional,” Road to pay for sidewalks, curbs Pine Island Road is zoned as “corri- “downtown” and “marketplace-res- and gutters as part of the develop- dor,” with some areas designated as idential.” said the costs incurred by builders is aware of the situation in January ment. “village.” Joe Mazurkiewicz, former staggering. 2008, when he petitioned the city There is only one problem — Section 3.17.1 of the city’s mayor of Cape Coral and president “It’s definitely in the millions of council to pay Manclar Builders language requiring developers to Land Use and Development of BJM Consulting, which repre- dollars,” he said. more than $16,000 for additional pay for sidewalks, curbs and gutters Regulations, which calls on sents several clients along the road, Mazurkiewicz first became See CITY, page 8A More Coral Lakes residents mull suit for foreign drywall Legal strategies covered By GRAY ROHRER “If there is a just action [email protected] First, Coral Lakes homeowners to be had in this world, saw their home values drop dramat- this is a just action.” ically. — David Durkee, Then they saw many of their partner with Coral Gables neighbors, underwater on their law firm Roberts & Durkee, mortgages, walk away from their which filed the lawsuit homes. That led to two special assessments that totaled $900 to make up for shortfalls in the dues China. paid to the homeowner’s associa- About 80 residents of the north tion. Cape Coral neighborhood gathered Now, many neighborhood resi- in the community clubhouse MICHAEL PISTELLA dents must deal with allegedly Thursday to hear from lawyers defective drywall imported from See DRYWALL, page 8A Looking to the future For Barton Insurance and Financial Services’ owner Rich Barton, Thursday was bit- tersweet. Bitter in that he saw his business’ former building torn down by South Cape High’s Math Florida Bobcat, and sweet in that the space will soon serve as needed additional park- ing. Timberline Builders is constructing the landscaped parking lot. The old building, adjacent to the current location at 447 Cape Coral Parkway E., was built in 1976 and Team seeking funds served as the main office from 1988 to 2001. The agency also has an office at 1091 N.E. Pine Island Road. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com. to cover travel costs Annual Drug House Odyssey set State competition nears By MCKENZIE CASSIDY test and was one of the top stu- Takes place next To go [email protected] dents across the state out of 903 What The Cape Coral High Math others. Lee County Drug House Odyssey Team is sending students to the Ramey is also the first Lee week over 3 days When state mathematics competition County student to finish first in Student tours from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. next month in Orlando and is three regional calculus competi- tions. By MCKENZIE CASSIDY Tuesday-Thursday, March 24-26, asking for donations to mitigate and tours for the general public travel costs. “He is just phenomenal this [email protected] from 6-9 p.m.Wednesday, March 25 year,” said James Propert, math The Drug House Odyssey, a program that teaches On Valentine’s Day, the Where Cape High team finished eighth coach and teacher at Cape High. children about the consequences of using drugs and “He is one of the top kids in the alcohol, will revisit Cape Coral next week. Cape Christian Fellowship, out of 111 schools in the 2110 Chiquita Blvd. S. regional competition. state of Florida.” In the odyssey, children and their parents take a 50- Propert explained that minute interactive tour of the grounds at Cape Information Math team member Kyle Visit: www.drugfreeswfl.org Ramey has not only been the Ramey will graduate this year Christian Fellowship. The tour follows a group of and is going to attend the hypothetical high school students as they party, go to star of Lee County, his perform- ance has surpassed other University of Florida. He is ten- the emergency room, the morgue and a courtroom. ing a visceral perspective to the event. tatively considering a major in Keral Kronseder-Vogt, executive director of the “It will be tremendously motivating and so real. It schools in the region. He had a Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest is a chilling event and parents might like to take their perfect score on the calculus See MATH, page 8A Florida, said there are 260 volunteers and 35 partici- kids through this in the evening,” said Kronseder- pating organizations. Vogt. Law enforcement officers and medical profession- The odyssey for students will run from 9 a.m.-1 als — from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Cape p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. There will only be one night Coral Police Department, Fort Myers Police for the public — from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday. Department, Medical Examiner’s Office and more — Kronseder-Vogt said every slot is full and the coalition volunteer to portray themselves in the odyssey, bring- See ODYSSEY, page 8A Crist puts freeze on spending TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Gov. cies as soon as possible on releasing be no holdback from trust funds that Charlie Crist on Thursday put a 15 remaining funds, citing a need for make up the bulk of the budget percent hold on general revenue “an abundance of caution.” including such spending as school spending for the last quarter of the The governor’s office did not put and highway construction. budget year in case Florida’s finan- a dollar figure on the holdback, but it The holdback is further evidence cial swoon worsens. could amount to more than $700 of the state’s dire financial condi- His budget director, Jerry million based on previously released tion, said state Sen. Dan Gelber, D- McDaniel, sent a memo to state revenue estimates. Miami Beach. agencies saying they would get only General revenues — largely “We’re in a total state of dys- 85 percent of their appropriations sales tax receipts — make up about function,” Gelber said. “We are PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE BREEZE when money is released at the start a third of the current $65.5 billion almost a business that is unable to of the fourth quarter, which runs annual budget, but pay for the day- make cash flow and doesn’t have to The Cape Coral High School Math Team is preparing to from April through June. McDaniel to-day operations of schools, prisons plan to get out of it. And we can’t send 16 students to the state competition in Orlando. They added his office will inform agen- and other state services. There will See CRIST, page 8A are accepting donations to offset travel costs. ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Sounds of Jazz & Blues set IRS office open Saturday Annie’s Mailbox ....5A Horoscopes........5A The 20th Annual Sounds of Jazz & Blues Many Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Florida will be held March 28 at Jaycee Park, 4215 Assistance Centers will be open on Super Business ................7A NASCAR..........16A S.E. 20th Place. Saturday, March 21, to help taxpayers who Cape Fare..........6B Nation ................6A Lottery Event features national recording artist need free tax return preparation, tax questions CASH 3: Wayman Tisdale and New Orleans blues answered or a payment plan arranged.The IRS Classifieds ..........1-5B Police Blotter ....2A 6-2-3 / 5-9-1 band “The Leeves.” Gates open at 3 p.m. and office open Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. is Comics ............12A Sports ........13-15A PLAY 4: the concert begins at 5 p.m. located at 2891 Center Pointe Drive in Fort 0-5-6-9 / 9-8-0-9 Free parking is available off of Del Prado Myers. For details, call (954) 423-7640. Crossword........12A State ..................3A Fantasy 5 8-9-26-29-34 Boulevard along Southeast 15th Avenue, Dr. Donohue ......5A TV Listings......9-11A between Southeast 44th Street and Southeast Lotto DUI checkpoint planned Editorial..............4A Weather ............2A 8-14-22-26-33-51 46th Street. Free shuttle service will provide transportation to and from the park. A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for Florida Powerball this weekend, beginning today. It will take 16-26-29-41-45 Tickets are $20, or $25 at the gate. Buy PB 1 x 2 tickets at SunTrust banks, Rainbow Records, place in an undisclosed location in Lee County Brent’s Music and Sound, and City Hall. as the sheriff’s office continues its commit- For tickets and information, call 573- ment to removing impaired drivers from road- 7 48445 46010 1 3125 or visit: www.capeconcerts.com.