Unbeaten no more CAPE CORAL Cape High loses match to Fort Myers DAILY BREEZE — SPORTS WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Saturday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 53 Friday, March 6, 2009 50 cents Jury recommends life in prison for Fred Cooper “They’re the heirs to this pain. They’re the ones who Defense pleads for children’s sake want answers. They’re the ones who will have questions. If we kill him, there will be no answers, there will be no By STEVEN BEARDSLEY Cooper on March 16. recalled the lives of the victims, a resolution, there will be nothing.” Special to the Breeze Cooper, 30, convicted of killing young Gateway couple that doted on The state should spare the life of Steven and Michelle Andrews, both their 2-year-old child, and the trou- — Beatriz Taquechel, defense attorney for Fred Cooper convicted murderer Fred Cooper, a 28, showed little reaction to the bled childhood of the convicted, majority of Pinellas County jurors news, despite an emotional day that who grew up without his father and at times brought him to tears. got into trouble fast. stood before jurors and held their “They’re the heirs to this pain. recommended Thursday. pictures aloft, one in each hand. One They’re the ones who want Lee County Judge Thomas S. Jurors were asked to weigh the In the end, the argument for case for Cooper’s death with a pas- Cooper’s life was the lives of the was of the Andrewses’ 2-year-old answers,” Taquechel pleaded. Reese will likely follow that recom- son, the other was of Cooper’s 5- “They’re the ones who will have mendation when he sentences sionate plea for his life. children involved. They listened as family members His attorney, Beatriz Taquechel, year-old daughter. See TRIAL, page 5A Sheriff: Division head resigns after lying about threat Directed words at peer By VALLI FINNEY “Basically Dominick Special to the Breeze A Lee County Sheriff’s Office (Ferrante) lied to me captain resigned Wednesday after an about what he said to internal investigation showed the (Gary) Kamp. I don’t like officer threatened another captain’s lying.” job, telling him to “prepare for retal- iation.” — Sheriff Mike Scott Capt. Dominick Ferrante, who was the commander of the special the threat was used,” Scott said. investigations division, lied about Ferrante said the threat was not the threat of retaliation, Sheriff Mike made and the word was not used. Scott said Thursday afternoon dur- Ferrante’s polygraph showed ing a news conference. “deception,” Scott said. Kamp’s Ferrante and the other captain, showed “veracity” that he was Gary Kamp, took polygraph exami- telling the truth. nations Tuesday. Scott began an investigation in MICHAEL PISTELLA “Kamp said the word was used, See RESIGN, page 5A Octoberfest awareness Don Ostrowsky, right, Dave Schaefer and others take to the streets Thursday for a 13- Survey to question mile trek from Christ Lutheran Church on Del Prado Boulevard to the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers, the site of this year’s Octoberfest in March. Ostrowsky, a Cape Coral community leader and businessman, and his group walked to bring attention to the annual festival, which runs March 13-15 and benefits those in need including the Cape 1,200 homes on city Coral Caring Center and the Community Cooperative Ministries. Over the last four years, the event has raised more than $50,000. gov’t, quality of life Second Kobayashi Dojo to open Cost $9,600 to conduct By GRAY ROHRER To go [email protected] “You have to use it as a Original location The 2009 Citizen Survey will be tool. It’s important for What sent to 1,200 randomly selected year after year to have a Grand opening of second location households in Cape Coral next barometer.” Who month, and council members and around 23 years Kobayashi Dojo city staffers are eager to see the — Mayor Jim Burch By DREW WINCHESTER When results, even though some admit the [email protected] Saturday, March 7, from 12:30-3 p.m. recession may elicit more negative the National Research Center, the Bucking the current economic maelstrom, Bernard responses. group conducting the survey. Where Citizens taking the survey will be and Yuki Dougherty are embarking on an exciting 900 S.W. Pine Island Road, Unit 205 “I was asking, ‘Is this the proper chapter of teaching martial arts by opening a new loca- asked a myriad of questions related time to be doing this type of sur- to the city’s government and servic- tion of their Kobayashi Dojo. “We’re trying to get back to a foundation ... there’s too vey?’” Bertolini said. “You’re much The Doughertys began their journey 23 years ago, es, including the overall quality of more likely to get the anxiety and much violence in our society.” life in the Cape, the government’s when they opened the flagship Kobayashi Dojo on Relying on traditional Japanese culture in their frustration out there.” Vincennes Boulevard. responsiveness to citizens, trans- Yet she and other council mem- teachings, the Doughertys have touched the lives of portation, the quality of police and They credit Cape Coral as a community for making several generations of Cape children and their families. bers maintain that the survey is use- the first dojo a success. But they also focus on their fire service, parks and other ameni- ful to them. “Our dojo teaches very different things from other ties. skills as teachers and the message they try to share with martial arts studios. The way we teach is based on “You have to use it as a tool. It’s their students with helping to build their reputation Councilmember Dolores important for year after year to have Japanese traditions,” Yuki said. “We teach the cul- Bertolini initially questioned spend- over the previous 2 1/2 decades. tures, not just the kick and punch.” a barometer,” Mayor Jim Burch “One of the driving forces behind our success is ing $9,600 on the survey this year, said. The Doughertys were originally thinking of mov- but said there is no point in stopping we’re trying to instill traditional values and virtues in ing into the southwest Cape when the idea of expand- Responses to the survey in recent everyone that passes through our doors,” Bernard said. it now since $5,600 has already years have followed the Cape’s eco- been spent on a down payment to See OPENING, page 5A See SURVEY, page 5A Yearly census identifies 931 homeless in county having a disabling condition. only a sample of the full popu- Among the 931 were 75 fami- lation of homeless residents. Lee coalition completed in January lies with 79 children, repre- Through the use of the Lee senting a 115 percent increase County Homeless Management SPECIAL TO THE BREEZE homeless in the community. less as “an unaccompanied in the number of families over Information System, it is esti- [email protected] This year’s census was con- homeless individual with a dis- last year. Veterans made up 9.5 mated there are 3,000 home- The Lee County Homeless ducted Jan. 23. The count con- abling condition who has either percent of those surveyed. less individuals within the Coalition, with the help of sisted of sheltered and unshel- continuously been homeless for Due to the lack of fixed county. many volunteers, conducts a tered homeless individuals and a year or more or has had at addresses and the transient The Lee County Homeless census once a year to determine families. The census was able least four episodes of home- nature of the homeless popula- Coalition is an advocacy group the homeless count and to gath- to document 931 homeless lessness in the past three tion, it is difficult, if not impos- made up of community and er information that allows local people, of which 177 were con- years.” sible, to obtain a true count of faith-based service providers, service providers to target serv- sidered to be chronic homeless. Among the 931 people sur- the entire homeless population. local businesses, people who HUD defines chronic home- veyed, 59 percent reported ices to meet the needs of the Thus, the census will always be See HOMELESS, page 5A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Council for Progress to meet USS Indianapolis survivor Council for Progress will meet at 7:30 a.m. Annie’s Mailbox ....8A Horoscopes........8A today at GulfCoast Village on Santa Barbara to speak at Legacy Series The Uncommon Friends Foundation’s Business ................7A Nation ................6A Florida Boulevard. City and county officials will dis- Lottery cuss the UEP. Submit questions/comments Legacy Speakers Series continues at Cape Fare..........8B Police Blotter ....2A ahead of time. For details, call 282-2186. 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Royal Palm Classifieds ..........1-8B Sports ........13-15A CASH 3: Yacht Club, 2360 West First St., Fort 6-4-0 / 7-6-9 Myers. Comics ............12A State ..................3A PLAY 4: Former resident to share The speaker is Harlan Twible, a sur- 4-0-0-8 / 3-1-6-3 Crossword........12A TV Listings ......9-11A vivor of the sinking of the USS Fantasy 5 stories of city’s early days Indianapolis in 1945 during World War Dr. Donohue ......8A Weather ............2A 23-29-31-32-34 The Cape Coral Historical Society will Lotto II. Editorial..............4A meet at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cultural Park The cost is $25 for the VIP reception, 1-5-8-44-36-37 Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd.