'4- - \ / CDICU f li-J Crab fever „ page 12 Week of April .10-16, 2003 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 30, NUMBER 15, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS : TIE NEVtt Ribbons show Former editor launches SWA concerned by irrigation community horticulture quarterly Some homes using 100,000 gallons or more per month support —See page 2 By Kate Thompson Staff writer Sanibel residents and visitors are tying traditional yel- low ribbons. The Sanibel Fire Control District's building on Palm Ridge Road is sporting some new yellow ribbons; so are their trucks. Chocolate shop "It was because of Sept. 11 and how much all the troops and civilians showed support for fire departments, proposed for because we lost so many firefighters that day," said Chief Sanibel Square Rich Dickerson. "This is a way for us to show support back to our troops." Planning Commission to The ribbons were the idea of Mary Hickey, assistant make final decision in administrator at the Sanibel Fire Control District, who two weeks made the ribbons which now are in place. And at Shell Net in the Bailey's Center, customers are —See page 2 getting into the act with an upside down tree. photo by Saul Taffet Set RIBBONS Ron Sympson shows off his controlled jungle. page 2 By Amy Fleming writing talent. After penning gardening 1 1 . > > Staff writer columns for several newspapers, publish- ing a gardening guide was a natural next The crustacean Gardeners of all skill levels, lovers of step. spirits of the all that is green and growing, there is Ron Sympson's South Florida beacfi hnally a gardening quarterly written just Gardening Guide is written in the same lOl sOllill 1 liMijltlll .. lliJll SwiipMMl. .1 dov, n m eiutli si>k us his weekly column, Ghost crabs hmmt the soath Floridian birnsejf, is well known to with a focus on providing practical infor- strand the area for his weekly gardening column mation for the home gardener. The inau- appearing in several area newspapers' gural issue contains material on specific —See page 12 Now, readers can take full advantage of plants, with an emphasis on citrus trees Sympson's extensive knowledge through and coconuts, as well as how-to sections his new quarterly,Ron Sympson's South on gardening with native species. A sec- •vr: SUPPORT Florida Gardening Guide . tion on the area's many types of wood- OUR Sympson moved to Florida back in peckers includes Sympson's own account AMERICAN January of 1972, when he admittedly of the joys having a woodpecker family OPIUMS TROOPS "didn't know a palm from periwinkle." call his backyard home, as well as a bird- OVERSEAS His first home there, like so many places house 'do and don't' list for readers who Court costs in south Florida, sat on a largely barren would like to invite a woodpecker or two sandy lot. to share their garden. Bob Janes on county and "I started puttering around and then "I chose the subjects for the first issue state shares really got into it," he said. "I began attend- from questions most often asked by read- —See page 5 ing Broward Community College to sup- ers and garden clubs," he said. "One out plement my journalism degree with stud- of three questions are about citrus trees." ies in horticulture. Then, after 12 years of The layout is both well organized and working at newspapers, I bought a straw well illustrated, making the abundance of Phutu by Karen Ncfcun hat, quit the newspaper job and opened up information contained in the guide easily The Shell Net in Bailey's Center is decorating their a landscape design firm in Fort accessible. "Fact Sheets" provide a quick "upside down" Christmas tree with yellow ribbons. Lauderdale." reference source to go with the text, and Visitors are welcome to write their name, home state After selling the business in 1986, there is the always popular question and 01TBWE and a greeting on a yellow ribbon and then tie it to the Sympson relocated to Florida's west coast See GARDEN to combine his love of plants with his tree. The ribbons will be taken down at war's end and page 2 Look here for sent to the troops in Iraq. things to do —See page 10 Green light likely for most of [Our Jown:: Traffic Committee's proposals 'Ryp'the niiinhers Sps^l limit raise on Sasi-Oap I@ai3 off Levels of education mm,, €lti to eositlfiii® looking at a High school graduate U.S. B Some college • ENVIRONMENT'. pagel2 By Kate Thompson • LOOKING BACK page 19 Staff writer Florida D Associate degree • OPINION page 6 Speed limits won't rise on Sanibel-Captiva Road, despite a • Bachelor's degree recommendation by the city's Traffic Committee. Sanibel « BUSINESS ..page 11 A consensus of Sanibel City Council members agreed not to m Graduate/professional consider increasing the speed at the council's traffic workshop degree • DATELINE _. page 10 April 4. •0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0 • TV LISTINGS page 15 See COMMITTEE • CLASSIFIEDS.: page 20 2" •" Week of April 10-16, 2003 Q fSLAND'REPO'RTER ISLAND REPORTER • Week of April 10-16, 2003 • 3 Men's Open Justin Touchstone & Mitch Hodge RIBBONS Terry See & Andy Bonser SCCF Men's 4.0 Tom Rizzo & Steve Hauesin From page 1 . TENNIS Bob Vinson & Tony Fittipaldi Excessive water use for Roni Martorelli, manager of Shell Net, said the upside down tree is in honor of her TOURNEY Men's 3.5 Ted Watrous & Regis Bobitski GARDEN mother who had an upside down tree at her home when she was a child living in a tiny Barry Gordon & Jerry Nelson room. After learning of the story, Martorelli said she hung an upside down tree at Shell Men's 3.0 Tom Lagan & John Gworek irrigation concerns IWA FrOmPagei Net which is decorated for different seasons. Gary West & Paul Emilius This year, with the troops in Iraq, Martorelli said she decided to invite people to DIVISION Ladies' 4.0 Pam Monahan & Karla Arajuo answer section. Ron Sympson's South Florida Gardening Guide is the kind of publica- write messages on yellow ribbons and tie them to the tree. WINNERS AND Linda Fiancir & Cindy Hilliker By Kate Thompson tion serious gardeners will want to keep on hand as a useful reference. Even neophytes "When things are settled down over there, we are going to put them all in a box and Staff writer who can't grow ragweed will still find plenty of enjoyable reading, and just possibly send them over," she said. "We want to tell the troops we appreciate what they have FINALISTS Ladies' 3.5 Marjorie Pacheco & Jeanie Lindman enough encouragement to get them out in the yard to plant something. done for us." Nancy Lagan & Janet Gworek There may be water everywhere on and around Sanibel, but water for the city's And what does South Florida's horticultural answer man have growing in his own Mixed 4.0 Kerry Constantine & Tom Rizzo homes and businesses is in limited supply. And some homes, on both Captiva and garden? I Pam Monahan & Ken Monahan Sanibel, have been using what may be excessive amounts for irrigation. "Valencia oranges, ruby red grapefruit, a silver burton wood— my favorite native A Mixed 3.5 Lorraine Mazzuca & Sam Sadler Roger Blind, general manager for The Island Water Association, Inc., said over-con- tree— a gorgeous magenta bougainvillia, and a pond apple tree, which is a native of the 5 Bob Fisher & Nancy Tracy sumption is a relative term. A typical home which doesn't irrigate uses between 5,000 swamps." to 10,000 gallons of water each month. A typical home that does irrigate uses 25,000 Sympson said he planted the pond apple as kind of experiment, digging a deep hole COMMITTEE f e 1 to 30,000 gallons. which he flooded with water to emulate a natural swamp environment. But now some homes are consuming 100,000 to 200,000 gallons of water each "It worked beautifully. I've got a lot of things packed into a small area. There's a but- From page 1 Council's to do' and not to do month, mostly for large irrigation systems, Blind said. terfly section with milkweed and yellow lantana, and every year, I get tons of beautiful This isn't a house-size issue, he added — it's about the size of the irrigation system Monarchs." list complied at traffic workshop which depends on the number and type of sprinklers as well as the area being irrigat- There's plenty for the birds too, with cocoplums, sea grapes, and Surinam cherries. The only other view came from Councilwoman Judy Workman who noted that ed. "My yard is an evolving lab, I keep changing and adding things. I have a huge the committee's recommendation came because it woukl-increase compliance with At the City Council workshop Friday, • Find ways to manage special events "Home size has virtually nothing to do with it," Blind said. Australian tree fem, The Fern That Ate Chicago, with 10-foot tall fronds six feet long the law and raising the limits would not likely increase the speeds at which cars the 22 recommendations of the Traffic during peak season so they do not impact Blind recently sent a letter to City Manager Judie Zimomra and Lee County and three feet wide. It's grown so big arid so fast I've had to alter my walkway three travel. Committee were considered.