Largest Circulation On The Islands VOL 8, NO. 46 SANIBEL 8c CAPTIVA ISLANDS, FLORIDA MAY 18,2001 MAY: SUNRISE/SUNSET: IS 06:40 20:09 19 06:40 20:09 20 06:39 20:10 21 06:39 20:10 22 06:39 20:11 23 06:38 20:11 24 06:38 20:12 within the City of Sanibel jurisdiction and Public Meetings today consists of over 6,300 acres of mangrove estuary. Almost 800,000 peo- Scheduled for ple visit the refuge each year. There are vv several endangered or threatened species Ding" Darling that fall under the protection of the "Ding" Darling Refuge ... the west Indian Refuge Expansion manatee, the indigo snake, bald eagle, by Jim George American alligator, American crocodile, wood stork, Peregrine falcon and the. ublic meetings to solicit input for the Atlantic loggerhead turtle. With the new proposed expansion of the bound- boundary the complex will be spread over Paries for the J.N. "Ding" Darling most of Pine Island Sound and will also National Wildlife Refuge are scheduled include the outlying areas of the other during the month of May. Refuge four refuges. Manager Lou Hinds announced the Susan Trokey, realty specialist/plan- expansion recently saying that the ner for J. N. "Ding" Darling Refuge change had been in the planning stages released the following schedule for the for four years. Hinds said administrative public meetings: boundaries will be created which will May 22, at Fishers of Men Lutheran include most of Pine Island Sound and Church, Pine Island, registration 6:30 extend from the northern tip of Cayo p.m.; meeting 7 p.m. Costa to a southern boundary of Bunche May 23, at the Visitor Center, J.N. fic in the process, also reduced the DOT Beach and the Sanibel Causeway. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Coast Guard argument that a high span was neces- Although J.N. "Ding" Darling Refuge is Island, registration 9 a.m.; meeting 9:30 sary. The Coast Guard agreed to the test the best known, the U.S. Fish and a.m. Drawbridge period with the concurrence of the DOT. Wildlife Service currently has four other May 23, at the Ramada Inn & Amtel The bridge went back to its 15-minute refuges in the area. They are Pine Island Marina Hotel, downtown Fort Myers, Evaluation schedule as of May 1. Extending the Refuge (16 small islands in northern Pine registration 6:30 p.m.; meeting 7 p.m. openings to a half hour rather than 15 Island Sound), Matlacha Refuge (a series Hinds referred to the meetings as Completed minutes could have a significant affect on of islands in Matlacha Pass), Island Bay "scoping meetings" indicating that the by Jim George easing traffic flow on and off the island. Refuge (several small islands in Charlotte meetings could result in boundary Barry Dragon, chief of the bridge Harbor) and the Caloosahatchee Refuge changes as a result of public comment.. he Coast Guard completed a three- operating section for the Coast Guard (several small islands in the Hinds said there would be a two-week month evaluation of the Sanibel said a decision may be made in two. Caloosahatchee River). Although each of period for public comment after the hear- TCauseway drawbridge openings at weeks whether to revise the schedule the five will continue to be a separate ings and those comments will be included the end of April and now has the findings permanently to the half hour opening. refuge, they will all be brought under one in an Environmental Assessment. A draft under review. The evaluation resulted Dragon is out of the office for 10 days umbrella which will be known as the J.N. of the assessment will be released and an from a request by Captivan Mike Cohen and couldn't be reached for comment. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Complex. Most of additional public hearing will be held for who at the time the request was made A similar evaluation was attempted the existing "Ding" Darling Refuge lies continued on page 6 was a member of the Sanibel Causeway about three years ago but was never Study Group. According to Cohen he completed due to objections by boaters a paradise to enjoy the amenities more. made the request as a private citizen and from Cape Coral, Cohen said. He added Pinocchio In the near future, we'll be working more not as a member of the Study Group. He that the DOT would "catch hell from Tickets Available For island Workers closely with major island employers on was concerned that Lee County boaters in Cape Coral if the schedule, was ids Conspiracy, through a grant areas like promotion, transportation and Department of Transportation (DOT) was changed." from the Sanibel/Captiva expansion of services." trying to justify replacement of the draw- A review of the traffic passing over the Community Foundation, is offering Pinocchio by Brian Way follows the bridge with a high span bridge because of bridge would indicate that bridge open- K impulsive puppet's magical journey as he the number of times the drawbridge had ings do indeed affect the flow of traffic free tickets to families of island workers who qualify. Pinocchio will be presented faces many challenges on his way to to be raised to allow boat traffic through. leaving the island in peak season. In May 26, 11 a.m. at BIG ARTS and low- becoming a boy. It's no lie: laughs, adven- The drawbridge has a schedule of rais- 1999, 6.626 million cars passed over the income families with children who work ture and magic await Pinocchio as he ing every 15 minutes on demand from bridge going on and off the island. In or live on Sanibel or Captiva island are learns about life arid the true meaning of the hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During 2000 the figure was 6.7 million cars. encouraged to contact Theatre friends. BIG ARTS is located at 900 the night hours from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m. The figures represent two crossings for Conspiracy at 936-3239 about Dunlop Road near City Hall on Sanibel. the bridge raises on demand with five each car, the car coming on the island the program. For information and tickets, call 936- minutes notice. The evaluation during the and going off. Approximately 3.5 million '"This is our third production at BIG 3239. For tickets on the BIG ARTS per- peak traffic months of February, March cars use the Causeway each year. When ARTS and we're pleased to address a formance only, call 395-0900. Tickets and April changed the schedule to every the bridge opens several times during need for quality, affordable entertainment are $5 with group rates available, no half hour on demand between the hours peak hours in season, stopped traffic that everyone can enjoy," says Bill Taylor, strings attached. of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. This simply means often extends from the drawbridge back artistic director of Theatre Conspiracy. Kids Conspiracy is the children's the- that if a boat is present the bridge will to the island all the way up Periwinkle "We're happy to team up with the ater division of Theatre Conspiracy Inc., a raise on the hour and half hour. If a boat Way. Extending the interval on openings Sanibel/Captiva Community Foundation 501(c)3 non-profit theater company and is not present the bridge remains closed. would alleviate some of the traffic back- by encouraging those who keep this area the resident theater company of the Cohen argued that reducing the number up. Foulds Theatre .# of times the bridge opened, delaying traf- continued on page 6 SH Volunteers Still Bringing "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Connection Lunch To Sanibel Stuart Cooper o Residents Remember —— Z by Brian Johnson uring World War II Stuart Cooper spent a couple of to o J: 'er for Meals On Dmonths on a transport o ; after she and ship steaming through the : u'jnfer home Pacific. He never saw enemy aci in the paper Left to right: Abe Lemer, Jane Wagner, Jeanerte Burke, Tom Bucher Left to right: Val Pool, Joan Wigglesworth, Ed Schuller, Kathy fire, but he has more than one riends In and Val Pool Campbell and Elinor Dunham vivid memory from that time. In be.r,~£c H iianed uc for Wagner. "We have some wonderful an incident which would prefig- "FISH Me This winter, Wagner got a call every enjoyed visiting. At one time Anders her- ure his career as a doctor, he res- clients/' weekday morning at 8 a.m. from the dri- self delivered FISH Meals. "She is one who The program offers a hot meal each cued a fellow caught high up on vers. Then she put in a call to Bailey's at has entered old age joyfully," said the ship during a storm. day (Monday through Friday) to the resi- around 10 a.m. to make the order. As she Wagner. "I remember one time when I dents and visitors of Sanibel Island. came to know the tastes and preferences "I climbed up a ladder on the brought her a meal while she was in the outside of the mast to help a Volunteer drivers go to Bailey's just before of the clients, she tried to order the meals kitchen making Guava Jelly and she said, noon to pick up the food, which comes they would like best. She said the people young man down from the 'I'm doing all these things my Mama crow's nest who had broken his out steaming from under the glass cases in working behind the counter at Bailey's taught me to do because you brought me the deli section.