Sa Nc] 3 SECTIONS, 44 PAGES REP 90 Forever in Their Debt Hurricane Thor Rips Through South Florida by Mark S

MAY 23, 1997 VOLUME 24 NUMBER 28 sa nc] 3 SECTIONS, 44 PAGES REP 90 Forever in their debt Hurricane Thor rips through South Florida By Mark S. Krzos News Editor Hurricane Thor hammered South Florida early Tuesday morning, leaving thousands homeless and millions without power. It was one of the fiercest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States during a mock hurricane exercise conducted by Emergency Management officials throughout the state Monday morning. Lee County Emergency Management officials conducted the annual exercise that will, hopefully, give them a better idea on how to plan, coordinate and respond to a threatening hurricane before and after it •please see page 9A Council refuses Manning support Tie vote forces continuance Peg Hofschneider stands alongside the DC3 in Nadzab, New Guinea. As one of the women in By Mark S. Krzos the Army Nurse Corps in W WII, she explained, "We had to fly low, under 10,000 feet because News Editor there was no pressure in the planes, and we had to get out of there before two in the after- Lee County Commissioner John Manning was noon because we would get socked in from the build up of heat and humidity in the area." Hofschneider today stands outside on the dock behind her Captiva cottage named "Bedside looking for a show of support from Sanibel City Manor," a play on words from her husband Leo's medical career and her nursing career. Council members Tuesday when they were asked to nominate him to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. Instead, Manning was blasted by the council for his lack of service to the island. Peg Hofschneider still serving "My problem is that there has never been a Manning sighting on the island as far as I know of," Sanibel City Council member George Madison said. her fellow man and woman! "I don't know of anything Manning has done for By Gwenda Hiett-Clements evacuation mission in New Guinea. Sanibel. Every time we've asked him for something, Staff Writer "We weren't worried. We were young; anything the answer has always been 'no.' So I won't support Peg Hofschneider, part of the first Army Nurse goes," she noted. his cause now." Corps air-evacuation unit in World War II, has never Hofschneide-r is featured in the book G.I. Much of Sanibel's ire came after the city voted avoided being in the middle of the action or serving Nightingales: the Army Nurse Corps in World War II. unanimously to support the appointment of City whenever called. In the book, author Barbara Brooks Tomblin noted, •please see page 3A Hofschneider was stationed in the South Pacific "The vast distances of the Pacific and the primitive Theater in 1943 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army conditions of many of the combat zones made Nurse Corps attached to the 5th Air Force. She was prompt evacuation of wounded all but impossible Family desires to one of 25 women in the first air-evacuation unit pro- until the Army Air Force began medical air-evacua- viding medical care to wounded soldiers being trans- •please see page 8A ferred from the front lines. She flew the very first improve 'Papa's' Long-time islander remembers image on Sanibel By Mark S. Krzos News Editoj- life in war-torn England WWII The Ernest Hemingway Festival coming to Sanibel July 18 through July 20 will be nothing like the one By Mark S. Krzos became an armament officer," found out we didn't know any- in Key West, Hilary Hemingway said at a May 16 News Editor Ranzoni said from the back patio thing," Ranzoni said. press conference outside the Sanibel-Captiva Islander Frank Ranzoni said his of his Sanibel home. "Since I fin- For the first three to four Chamber of Commerce. tour of duty during WWII made ished in the top ten percent of my months he realized that the mili- "Our dream is to make this a family event," him a man and that his experi- class I was sent to maintain a tary had failed to properly prepare Hemingway said explaining the reasoning for coming ences during the war were not as bomb site." him and others for war, "The-fi-r-st to Sanibel is to remove the element that tarnished the bad as some veterans. Ranzoni's main duties involved three months was hell on wheels image of the great literary figure, Ernest Hemingway. Ranzoni was what GFs called a inspecting bombs and ammunition trying to do anything. It was such "Sloppy Joe's saw the look-alike contest as a way ground pounder—one who made at an army base in England. "I hard work in the beginning, mak- to make money and the Hemingway Days grew out of sure bombs used during the war was called up Dec. 17, 1941 and I ing sure everything was working that," Hilary Hemingway said. "There's a lot of anger hit their sites and effectively wasn't miserable at all. Training properly, I don't think I slept more and hurt in that town." destroyed the target. wasn't so bad, but when we •please see page 7A "I went to armament school and arrived in England, we all quickly •please see page 2A 2A Q MAY 23, 1997 • ISLAND REPORTER Islanders take fighting mosquitoes personally By Gwenda Hiett-Clements StaffWriter "Trouble of it is, we shouldn't of killed off the mosquitoes," said Clarence O. Rutland in a newspaper interview in the late 70s. What's Rutland the who died at age 92 in buzz? January 1982, came to Sanibel Island in 1895 with the original farm- ing and fishing pioneer families. In his later years he was so familiar to islanders and visitors that people called him "Uncle Clarence." When he was growing up, he enjoyed a quiet, isolat- Hanging on the wall at the Sanibel Historical Museum is a ed lifestyle living off" the bounty of the mosquito swisher made of shred- land, but mosquitoes thrived on the ded palm fronds which people island along with the abundant fish and used to brush the pests away Today's personal mosquito fighting equipment includes repellents wildlife. before entering the house. and anti-itch creams displayed by Mary Kolody, pharmacist at The "You could just swing a bucket Corner Pharmacy in Bailey's General Store. around in the yard and get a gallon of walls outside and inside the museum. A photograph titled "Grandfather's DEET, they all work the same People 'em," he said In the interview Rutland just need to be sure they aren't spend- lamented that now the mosquitoes are Survival Kit" by Charles McCullough has in it an old fashioned spray gun to ing their money on things that don't under control, people swarm to the work. For example, bug zappers don't island. bomb mosquitoes and when the pests got loo bad, a little something to "keep work on mosquitoes because they are He preferred the mosquitoes attracted to blood." But efforts by Lee County Mosquito your spirits up," a bottle of bourbon. Also in the old Bailey's General Store Bill Opp, director of Lee County Control did bring Sanibel's salt marsh Mosquito Control said, "We always mosquito population under control and there is a variety of hand-held canister sprayers. recommend that people who are going now most islanders and vacationers to be working outdoors wear light col- Today instead of screens around prefer to avoid the "pesky little crit- ored clothing and spray the repellents their beds, people just screen in their ters" at all costs. into their hands and then rub them on entire backyards — pool and all — and In Rutland's days people armed their necks and face." arm themselves with over-the-counter themselves with swishers (hand held And the general recommendation brushes made from palm fronds), net- repellents and bite treatments. Mary Kolody, who just took the from all "mosquito experts" was to ting around their beds, and a good pair avoid being outside during prime feed- of running legs. position as head pharmacist at The Corner Pharmacy in Bailey's General ing times — one hour prior to sunrise Jody Brown of the Sanibel Historic and one hour before sunset. Village and Museum points out that Store, said, "There are a variety of mosquito repellents (Off, Cutter, and Kolody said, "If someone comes to much "mosquito paraphernalia" can be the pharmacy with swelling and itching found at the village. Mosquito swishers even one called Florida Swamp) that all Mosquito netting canopies were work well." from bites, we recommend antihis- common in the early 1900s. made of shredded palm fronds which tamine gels like After Bite or Benedryl. Truls Jensen, research entomologist people used to brush the pests away It all works fairly well. If someone and Burn. If inflammation persists or from the University of California said, before entering the house hang on needs something stronger, we have Bug there are other problems we always "As long as the repellent contains recommend that they see their doctor." PAPA'S INTEGRITY •from page 1A Weather High Low Rain According to the Hemingway family, the festival May 15 90 65 held annually in Key West became more associated May 16 87 72 with drinking and partying than the celebration of his May 17 87 70 works. May 18 85 72 The decision to move the festival from Key West May 19 92 71 to Sanibel was up to the family and after touring May 20 92 73 Sanibel, Hilary Hemingway said Sanibel is more like May 21 94 72 the Key West Ernest Hemingway knew and that if he Rainfall for May so far is 4.8 inches compared with 3.8 inches for the entire month last year were alive today, he probably would have chosen Note: rainfall levels are recorded from the Sanibel as his place to write.

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