WEEK OF JULY 7, 2011 Parade Sanibet's Independence MB Day Parade - Page 2 SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 49, NUMBER 26 VISIT US ONLINE AT CAPTIVASANlBEL.COM 750 First black bear sighting reported at refuge By JEFF LYSIAK wasn't a bobcat. jlysic' "He called over to me. 'Tara, I think When Tara Wertz, lead biologist at you ought to look at this!1" Wertz the J.N "'Ding" Darling National recalled. Wildlife Refuge, arrived at her desk What the motion-activated, infrared On June 27 at 5:30 a.m., last Thursday morning, she had no idea camera captured — at 5:34 a.m. on a motion-activated that her day was about to take an June 27 - was two images of a young camera installed at the unusual turn. - Florida black bear, approximately a Bailey Tract captured "One o( our interns, Joe Stack, year and a half old and weighing this image of a Florida retrieves all of the memory chips from between 40 and 60 pounds. This bear black bear. the remote cameras we have installed was photographed at the Bailey Tract, a across the refuge, which we check 100-acre freshwater satellite parcel of CONTRIBUTED every week," said Wertz. "Usually the refuge. we're looking for bobcats." But what Stack discovered definitely See BEAR, page 6 Sanibel School earns an 'A' grade for 13th straight year By JEFF LYSIAK jiysiak@breezeriewspci pers.com It was announced last week that for the third straight year, the Lee County School Breakdown of test scores at Distinct achieved an "A" grade for its dis- trictwide achievement by earning 537 points. The Sanibel School (2010-11] An "A" grade is awarded for 525 points. And for the 13th consecutive year, The Percent meeting Sanibel School earned an "A" grade, gamer- high standards: ing 692 points. The kindergarten through m Reading - 97 eighth grade facility reported 97 percent of • Math - 95 its students met the high standard in reading, • Writing 93 95 percent met the high standard for math, • Science - 86 93 percent met the high standard in writing and 86 percent met the high standard in sci- Source: Florida Dept. of Education ence. JEFF LYSIAK See SANIBEL SCHOOL, page 7 Steve Greenstein, executive director of CROW, delivered an informa- tive presentation on how animals arrive, are cared for and released from the wildlife hospital. Drowned man found in Greenstein shares 'behind waters near causeway the scenes' look at CROW By VALU FINNEY officially pronounced dead at 11:47 a.m. [email protected] Schweers' roommate, Larry "Cowboy" By JEFF LYSIAK way to the Sanibel animal care center, The state medical examiner's office Ray Copeland, 40,_ approached deputies jiysiak@breezenev/spapers.corn but to the dedicated staff and volunteers has ruled drowning as the cause of death while they investigated the incident and More than 4,000 animals are treated who have helped the facility continue of a man whose body was found Monday said the man may be his roommate. at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of to grow since it first began in 1968. morning floating face down in the waters Copeland said Schweers frequently Wildlife (CROW) each year, but many "For the past tliree years, and soon off of Punta Rassa, adjacent to the Sanibel went there to fish and enjoy the view. He people don't realize what extraordinary it's gonna be four, we are seeing more Causeway. last saw Schweers about 6 p.m. on July 3 efforts are being dedicated to the sick, than 4,000 patients every year," said Philip Bradley Schweers, 45, of the injured or orphaned animals who come Greenstein, speaking in fr.ont of 11000 block of Blue Warbler Drive in See CAUSEWAY, page 10 to the facility. approximately a dozen guests at the Fort Myers, was found by a boater just Healing Winds Visitor Education after 11 a.m. on July 4. Delivering a program entitled "Why v Animals Come To CROW," executive Center last Thursday morning. "lt s all Two Florida Fish & Wildlife director Steve Greenstein spoke not about getting our patients back out Conservation Commission officers there in the wild. It's all about release." retrieved Schweers' body from about 100 only about the many mammals, birds, 0Z1 retiles and critters whc/have made their yards from the dock, according to a Lee an See CROW, page 9 County Sheriffs Office report. He was EQ8M Editorial 4 Letters to the Editor .5 Business News .........11 Word on the Island 4 Police Beat .6 Preserving Paradise .....13 41 I Shells, mermaids and patriots abound at Sanibel's Independence Day Parade ByJEFFLYSIAK ing to the patriotic revelers, catching [email protected] tossed candies and goods from the parade For more than an hour on Monday participants and engaging in a friendly morning, Periwinkle Way — between buttle of squirt guns and water-filled bal- Tarpon Bay Road and Casa Ybel Road - loons. was filled with a bounty of red, white and On these pages, you'll find some of our L blue adorned .marchers, floats and vehicles favorite images from Sanibel's annual decorated in celebration of America's Independence Day Parade, from the first H 23 5th birthday. flag-bearing color guards to the final Thousands of islanders and visitors squadron of fire trucks, lights ablaze and lined both sides of the thoroughfare, wav- sirens blaring. Enjoy! ALL PHOTOS BY JEFF LYSIAK The local color guard led the parade lineup. o o "3 S Representing the Children's Education Center of the Islands, young Jade Davis drove a miniature pink convertible, followed closely by her mother, Lavonna. The Sanibel Historical Museum & Village horse-drawn wagon, ridden by museum president Alex Werner and friends. Captain America rode atop of the trucks. Angel, from Lily & Co. Jewelers. Seaside Dining Taste of the Islands "People's Choice Award" Winner Seven Continuous Years Lunch & Dinner 472-8138 .-* :-,,i 8 634 N Yachtsman Drive ati&is IK required «Also Available- for Private CSuwers -riing.iUwi Saaibel, Marina vvww.saniibefmarioa.com ,'.'.'6^>! N. Yuchtxmun Dr. * &mih'd islmwl . ','•'. IS n H c B The parade's co-marshal's were Ann Arnoff and Anne Joffe. Members of the Sanibel Bicycle Club. ft N Bank of the Islands. ft p o Staff and volunteers from the J.N. "Ding" Darling | NWR. Francis Bailey rode in this vintage Army Jeep. Bailey- Matthews Shell a Museum. n>9S X3 O Richard Johnson of Bailey's General Store drove The John Naumann & Associates float featured his family's famous Ford Model-T. mermaids, pirates and King Neptune. (/A/i/tf 0 Summer Camp Experience Kids and Register Now!!! staffers Riding • Horsemanship Skills from the Care & Grooming Techniques Sanibel Recreation Canoeing • Fishing • Swimming Center. Trail Rides • Nature Walks Mini Horse Show & Cookout Lazy S-n-K Ranch Sanibel Sea School. mmer Horse Camp Monday - Friday Hail or FulliDay Sessions f • • 239.567.1514 For Details New Riders Welcome! 1 www.horseboardingswf!orida.com i m The Timbers vehicle urged folks to "Save a cow, Volunteers from START (Solutions To Avoid Red,- eat more seafood." Tide). '• •? $ # <l 01 i island 8 OPINIONS Report your news to CAPTIVASANIBEL.COM t 1-5 Word on the Island What do you like to do to beat the summer heat? Merle Kjonaas Eileen Kjonaas Vinnie Correa Reed Shank . Andrea Burns Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Naples Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio "We came down here from "I like to go to the beach. You "When it gets too hot, I stay "Jump in the pool." "Take a dip in the ocean." Iowa. The temperature up there can usually get a nice breeze inside the house." is about the same as down there." • here." island REPORTER Editorial (USPS 813580 2340 Periwinkle Way Sanibel, FL 33957 Be hospitable to our bear visitor Pbow, (239) 472-1587 Fax: <239) 472-8398 1. captWasanibel.com When news broke late last roamed throughout the habitat land in order to sur- we can urge our readers to do week that Sanibel had con- Sunshine State. Biologists are vive. is be hospitable. Publisher firmed the first official Fiorida not exactly sure how many The refuge's mere, 2,600 And by "hospitable," we Jack Glarrow black bear sighting in the his- black bears are currently living acres hardly approaches that mean leave the bear alone. jglamiw@bree!enewspapers,com tory of the J.N "Ding" Darling in Fiorida, but estimates are figure. Although the bear's only Advertising Sales Leaders National Wildlife Refuge, that less than 1,500 black Tara Wertz, lead biofagist known location has been well Victor Brust islanders rejoiced at the unex- bears remain. at the J.N "Ding" Darling established, we would hope [email protected] pected discovery. So when the approximately National Wildlife Refuge, that folks will resist the temp- Executive Editor However, even the most fer- year and a half old bear wan- believes that the young bear tation to go looking for the Jeff Lysiak may have wandered over to bear. Not only would an jlysiak@breezenewspapersxom vent protectors of wildlife — dered onto the Bailey Tract many of whom who live here property on the morning of Sanibel from another area. She attempt to find this cub be a Advertising Sales suspects -the animal may have dangerous endeavor, the sub- Debi Robison ck;im to be — must have June 27, the animal had [email protected] reacted with a bit of skepticism already beaten the odds. Black come through Cape Coral, species has been deemed Victor Brust to this news... and rightfully bear populations have dwin- arriving on the island by swim- "threatened" under the so.