Council Says No to GO Bond on Ballot
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THREE DAYS A WEEK POST COMMENTS AT CAPE-CORAL-DAILY-BREEZE.COM CAPE CORAL What’s inside Mayor’s Scholarship BREEZE booklet EARLY-WEEK EDITION WEATHER: Mosttly Sunny • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Wednesday: Chance of Storms — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 50, No. 53 Tuesday, May 3, 2011 50 cents Brandt: McClain may have violated city charter ments from last week and pointed Councilman accused of ‘meddling’ in process to get Cape fire vehicles repaired out he actually supported giving the city manager $100,000 to related to the matter. “There’s no political purpose to discover if a council member is By DREW WINCHESTER complete the necessary work. He Brandt said he had reached his for anything that been done by the in violation of the charter. [email protected] said he was in favor fixing the Councilmember Pete Brandt “limit” regarding McClain’s com- administration, we discovered a Deile said he doesn’t expect problem, but wanted accountabil- still feels Marty McClain ruined ments and that McClain was situation and we sought to solve the city attorney to offer an imme- ity and transparency moving for- the burgeoning relationship with “meddling” in the process of get- it,” Brandt said. “Nobody was on diate answer, but added it was ward. Lee County Fleet Maintenance ting the fire vehicles fixed. He a vendetta to find anybody out.” worth the investigation McClain still feels there’s last week and that he may have said McClain was pursuing a pri- Councilmember Bill Deile “He issued the challenge,” missing information amid the been in violation of the city’s vate vendetta and the matter was instructed the city attorney to find Deile said of McClain. charter by pursuing information one of safety, not politics. out what the process is by which McClain stood by his com- See McCLAIN, page 6A Working Residents react on her home to news of bin Michelle Wolcott works inside her new home Laden’s death Saturday, along with Habitat For By MEGHAN McCOY Humanity’s new [email protected] Tyler Araujo, who has a Women Build With the death of Osama bin son that was injured in group, renovating Laden nearly 10 years after 9/11, Afghanistan, said that the a formerly fore- many Cape Coral residents are al-Qaida leader “wasn’t closed northeast sharing their feelings, along with killed, he was taken care what they are doing to help sol- of.” Cape Coral house diers oversees and those who are purchased with returning home. the help of Habitat According to the Associated war is not going to end as soon as For Humanity. Press, Osama bin Laden was people think. Habitat CEO and killed by Navy Seals Monday “When you remove one person president Kitty during a raid at his compound in charge, there is always some- Green started the outside of Isalamabad, the capital one else there to take over,” he Women Build of Pakistan. He was later buried at said. Araujo’s son, Specialist group this year in sea, according to reports. After hearing about bin Laden, Michael Araujo, was injured Lee County, which Tyler Araujo, who has a son that while deployed in Afghanistan in consists of groups was injured in Afghanistan, said 2009. of female volun- that the al-Qaida leader “wasn’t After Michael graduated from teers from several killed, he was taken care of.” Mariner High School in 2008, he local businesses. “The military did what they attended boot camp at Fort Lowe’s provided needed to do,” he said. “They had Leonard Wood, Mo. In December Habitat with a to get the mastermind ... once 2008, he graduated from boot $5,000 store gift they get the mastermind they can camp and military police training and was immediately sent to Fort card and also led get the rest of the group.” Araujo said although bin an on-site “how- Laden is dead, he knows that the See BIN LADEN, page 6A to” clinic Saturday morning. Wolcott and her two sons plan to officially Council says no to move into their new home May 7 in time for Mothers’ Day. GO bond on ballot MICHAEL PISTELLA By DREW WINCHESTER property values and ad valorem [email protected] taxes. City Council voted against City budget administrator placing a general obligation bond Sheena Milliken said citizens on the November ballot Monday would have been able to calculate U.S. Army Reserve night, instead looking to other their own impact based on a mill- options to help pay down the age rate of 2.4633, but the true city’s short-term utility debt. millage would not be known until Some members of council said July 2012, and citizens would not deputy chief tours the city they would not vote for the refer- see the bond on their tax bills until endum themselves as citizens, later the same year. By TIFFANY REPECKI Saturday night at Tarpon Point group’s stop by the Iwo Jima while others said they there not Milliken said the bond would [email protected] Resort. Memorial statue at Eco Park. support for the GO bond in the reduce the utility debt by 12.5 Cape Coral political and busi- Prior to the night’s event, The itinerary involved a trip to community. percent and all property owners in ness leaders got the chance to Thurgood met with local leaders the memorial, a helicopter tour of Councilmember Derrick the city would be impacted by it, spotlight what the city has to offer and was given a tour of the city by the area for a more aerial view, a Donnell said the majority of peo- but that impact would vary. during a tour Saturday for the air, water and land. Vincent boat ride along one of the city’s ple he’s spoken with did not favor Councilmember Kevin U.S. Army Reserve deputy chief. Cummings, president-elect of the 400-plus miles of canals, and a the bond. McGrail, who sponsored the ordi- Maj. Gen. Keith L. Thurgood Reserve Officer’s Association, visit to the sites of the Veterans “The response I’ve gotten has nance, said council has come up was the keynote speaker at the said Thurgood asked for the Cape Administration Clinic, which is been negative … I don’t think it with no other options during its 2011 Spring Convention for the tour “to get a taste of the local fla- nearing completion, and planned would be a wise use of our time to time at Committee of the Whole Reserve Officer’s Association’s vor.” U.S. Army Reserve Center. put this on the ballot,” he said. meetings other than the GO bond. Department of Florida. The Cape “He has seemed to be very According to Thurgood, the Had it been approved to be Critical of the COW meetings, was chosen for the location of the pleased with what he’s seen,” placed on the November ballot, convention, which was held Cummings said during the See DEPUTY, page 6A the GO bond would been based on See GO BOND, page 6A Prescription Drug Take-Back Day takes drugs off the street By TIFFANY REPECKI abuse and theft. The Lee County “People are very satisfied that syringes and even tubes of inhala- going when they put it out in the [email protected] Sheriff’s Office and Fort Myers we’re offering this,” Officer tion solution. trash,” he said. Local law enforcement helped Police Department also partici- Jason Criazzo said. “A mix bag of everything,” Removing expired, unused residents properly dispose of their pated. He was manning the booth at Thompkins said. and unwanted medications from expired, unused and unwanted Cape police were set up at two the Wal-Mart, along with Officer According to Criazzo, the the home medicine cabinet can prescription drugs Saturday. sites — the Wal-Mart on Del Kelvin Thompkins. event provides the public was the prevent people from accidentally The Cape Coral Police Prado Boulevard, South and the As of about 1:30 p.m., the two opportunity to properly dispose of taking the wrong drug and reduce Department took part in the sec- Walgreens on Cape Coral had filled approximately four 45- the drugs rather than throwing the chance of over- or under-med- ond annual National Prescription Parkway, East — for four hours gallon trash bags with medica- them out in the trash or flushing icating. It can also keep the drugs Drug Take-Back Day, a national to collect prescription drugs tions collected from the public. them down the toilet, which could from falling into the wrong hands. effort aimed at ridding homes of dropped off by people. The serv- Some of the items dropped off enable the drugs to get into the Currently, more Americans are potentially dangerous medica- ice was free and anonymous no included over-the-counter med- local water supply or the soil. tions and helping to prevent pill questions were asked. ications, prescription drugs, “People don’t know where it’s See DRUGS, page 6A ATAGLANCE COMING EVENT NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Cape Coral Historical Artists reception tonight Annie’s Mailbox ..11A Horoscopes......11A Society meeting May 10 at Harbour View Gallery “Castles in the Sun,” featuring Bill Harbour View Gallery in Cape Coral Cape Life ..........7A Obituaries ..........2A CASH 3: Tremper, will be the program at the next will welcome “Reborn Glass” artists Vawn Community ........8A Police Blotter ....2A 3-9-1 / 3-0-9 Cape Coral Historical Society meeting and Mike Gray and photographer Larry Tuesday, May 10, at 2:30 p.m., at Cultural Garland as featured visiting artists at a pub- Classifieds........1-4B Sports ........12-13A PLAY 4: 2-6-0-6 / 3-0-9-3 Park Theater, 528 Cultural Park Blvd.