Sanibel Boat Ramp Reopens for Public
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The islands' newspaper of record Rene Miville gets ready to head the ball. Week of Oct. 7- 13,2004 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 31, NUMBER 41 24 PAGES 75 CENTS Sanibel boat ramp reopens for public By KEVIN DUFFY Staff Writer Sanibei's public boat ramp re-opened for the first time in over a month and a half last week, denuded of most of its vegetation but appealing nonetheless. Closed since Hurricane Charley buzzed Sanibel on Aug. 13, the facility — which includes 98 parking spaces — served as a staging area for clean-up crews in the days following the atmospheric event. Boaters were officially cleared to return beginning Oct. 1, To some, the launch point that abuts Causeway Boulevard is their preferred place in the county to take to .7 : '& the waters of the Caloosahatchee River, and the Gulf of Mexico. They won't go anywhere else, said Wally Thomas, 35, who lives in Fort Myers. The owner of a 19-ft. Actioncraft, Thomas said the Sanibel boat ramp is his launch-point of choice because of convenience. "I've lived here all my life and this is by far the easi- est one to use," he said. "A crowd here is nothing like Punta Rassa." Naples resident Chuck Jenks, 22, agreed with his boat- ing buddy while helping hitch Thomas' craft to a trailer. "It's a lot nicer because me crowds aren't bad," Jenks said. "There were probably 50 trucks at Punta Rassa today." City Manager Judie Zimomra said that many boaters finally-were able to take to the water after dealing with hurricane concerns for several weeks. "It Was a weekend where a lot of people were able to get on the water for* the first time," she said. Last October, between 20-25 vehicles used the ramp during weekend peak hours of 12-2 p.m., Zimomra said. Thomas said he had to launch from Matlacha in the days following Hurricane Charley's visit to the area. An Photo by Kevin Duffy increase in tolls at the Sanibel Causeway, slated to take Naples resident Chuck Jenks tends to friend Waily Thomas' Actioncraft after a day on the water Friday at SanibeS's effect Nov. 1, may change things, he said. public boat ramp. The facility opened to boaters Oct. 1 for the first time since Hurricane Charley struck Aug. 13. Boaters should exercise caution when launching due to the possibility of navigation channels having shifted following Hurricane Charley, following the parking lots beaches," she said. due to the storms which have plagued Southwest Florida at Turner Beach, Blind Pass, and Tarpon Bay. Those Zimomra also said that the city is currently seeking a and the entire state in recent weeks, Chief of Police Bill account for 123 public parking spaces in addition to the 25-year lease renewal at Bowman's Beach in order to Tomlinson said. They should also be wary of submerged boat ramp. Other parks and beaches will follow as quick- pursue grant funding through the state. Sanibei's inter- debris as a result of'the storms. ly as possible, Zimomra said. local agreement with the county to manage the park The ramp is the fourth public access area to re-open "This past weekend we saw the highest usage of the expires next year, she said. City Charter amendments to appear on March ballot Councilmember suggests By KEVIN DUFFY for voter consideration. Staff Writer Walsh said permitting Sanibel residents the opportu- possible RICO violations nity to decide the matters by vote will ensure that the Proposed amendments to the Sanibel City Charter basic tenets of the Sanibel Plan — among which is that By KEVIN DUFFY are intended to allow island residents to have more of the natural aspects of the island be preserved — cannot Staff Writer a voice in shaping* the future of their community, those be changed by a 3-2 vote of future councils. involved with the process said. "They provide that only the citizens can make basic An elected city official said Tuesday that county officials The proposals, which were brought forth by changes in the way we live," he said. "Then we'llbe may have broken federal law in pursuing their desire to Councilman Dick Walsh in the form of resolutions, certain of retaining what we have, subject to the will of replace the Sanibel Causeway drawbridge. were passed by council during the public hearing of the people." Councilwoman Judy Workman suggested that, while Sept. 21. Walsh said the most critical amendments are the they may not have intentionally set out to do so, county The charter amendments — five in all — pertain to ones pertaining to building height limitations, density, staff may have violated terms of the RICO Act, a broad, developable density, building heights, vegetation and' developable area. The proposals grew from con- sweeping law enacted in 1970 as a way for the government removal, service terms for planning commission mem- cern among some citizens about changes to the charter to go after organized crime. bers, and allowable changes to Causeway Boulevard, "There is something going on behind-the-scenes that the Periwinkle Way, Palm Ridge Road, and Sanibel- See CHARTER county doesn't want us to know about," she said in response Captiva Road. All five will appear on the March ballot page 3 to resident's comments regarding the city's lawsuit against the county, as well as that brought forth by a citizen's group, Save Our Bay, Inc. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act is now seldom used to combat criminal organizations • LETTERS .-. page d Replanting the Ding Darling such as the Mafia, according to Jeff Grell, an attorney who ilt's sticker maintains an informational Web site on the subject, • POUCEBEAT ..' page 8 Islands - Part SI -Days are here Renewal time www.ricoact.com. However, RICO began to be utilized by again attorneys in the early 1980s to bring civil claims by anyone • PERMITS & DEEDS page 13 injured in their business or home through a RICO violation. The stakes were high, with prevailing parties receiving • DATELINE page 10 Sanibel looks ahead to The annual celebration of The city is ready to :renew parking stickers. awards three times in excess of their damages, including • TV LISTINGS page 14 the next step in hurricane aiove of nature and a recovery. Sanibel pioneer. Get ail the details. reimbursement of legal costs and attorney's fees. A lawyer must first prove that a criminal act has been committed, • OBITUARIES page 18 even in civil matters, before a judgement is awarded. • CLASSIFIEDS page 20 page 22 — Seepage 15 — See page 2 Z Q Week ©f Oct. 7 - t3;,2Q04 • ISLAND REPORTER -signings Pi f 111 J -Mr- '• •. " By CHELLE KOSTER WALTON From page 1 Coastal fishing and Jay Norwood "Ding'" Darling Workman pointedly said that she wasn't accusing any- will be the topics of two separate author presentations one of consciously committing-criminal acts, but that the at J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge during actions of county officials might constitute violations of the Ninth Annual Ding Darling Days, Oct. 10-16, 2004. RICO. - Dr. Aaron J. Adams, author of Fisherman's Coast: An Fourth Edition "Yes I'm suggesting a RICO action," she clarified. "I'm Angler's Guide to Marine Warm-Water Gamefish and not calling the owners of the bridge criminals, but there is Their Habitats, will talk and sign books in the "Ding" of the a possibility of criminal activity." Darling Education Center beginning at 1 p.m. on -winning Workman explained afterward that she was, among Tuesday, Oct. 12. Adams, a fishing instructor and marine other things, referring to a clause in the contract between researcher for Mote Marine Laboratory's Charlotte the county and Jacobs Civil to replace span Bof the cause- Harbor Field Station, shares his knowledge about sea way. The agreement, which she termed a "sweetheart grass, mangroves, salt marshes, oyster bars, shorelines, deal" for the county, allows for the purchase of additional beaches, sand flats, and coral reefs in the Caribbean, the materials without having to put the work out for bid, Carolinas, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Atlantic Workman said. coast. The "supplemental" agreement pertaining to span B, she said, allows the county to purchase additional rnateri- als'at any time, with no corresponding language detailing how the county proposes to reduce project costs. "It appears that the county is not acting in the best inter- Fisherman's ests of the toll payers," she said. "This would generate profits for the county with no benefit to the toll payers." Workman also asked why the county waited eight Coast The Life of months to lock in prices for concrete and steel for the pro- ject. County officials say that both the city and SOB suits "have driven up project costs. Jay Norwood Darling Lee Department of Transportation Deputy Director Paul Wingard, when reached for comment, said he "didn't David L Lendt have any idea" how anyone could suggest that the county had violated federal law. • Wingard said that Jacobs Civil was hired to oversee the project as construction manager through the RFP process, per state statutes. The contract is to construct all three spans of the Sanibel Causeway, he-said, plus the replace- On Family Fun Day, Saturday, Oct. 16, David L. ment of the Sanibel toll pTaza iswell as the toll plaza of Lendt will speak about and sign his definitive autobiog- the Cape Coral Bridge. raphy, Ding: The Life of Jay Norwood Darling, begin- "Does it allow us to build a new bridge in North Fort ning at 2:15 p.m.