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Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com Day three Little League CAPE CORAL county tourney continues DAILY BREEZE — SPORTS WEATHER: Partly Cloudy • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Wednesday: Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 92 Tuesday, April 21, 2009 50 cents Man to serve life for home invasion shooting death Andrew Marcus told Lee Circuit Judge Mark Steinbeck Attorneys plan to appeal conviction during Morales’ sentencing hearing Monday, citing the use By CONNOR HOLMES der, two counts of attempted cutors. Two others were shot, of firearms to kill Gomez and [email protected] second-degree murder with a and another man was beaten injure two others. One of five defendants in the firearm and aggravated battery with a tire iron. Steinbeck sentenced Anibal 2005 home invasion shooting with a deadly weapon by a Lee Fort Myers police testified Morales to serve three manda- Morales death of Jose Gomez was sen- County jury in early February. they later found the murder tory life sentences and 15 years tenced to life in prison Monday Morales fatally shot Gomez weapon in Morales’ car during in prison consecutively for the afternoon in a Lee County through the heart during a rob- a traffic stop. charges of which he has been courtroom. bery at 18060 Nalle Road, “We believe this case calls convicted. Anibal Morales, 22, was North Fort Myers, in November for the maximum sentence ... ” convicted of first-degree mur- 2005, according to state prose- Assistant State Attorney See SENTENCE, page 6A Expert speaker City manager calls take-home vehicle audit report wrong Refuses to go into detail By GRAY ROHRER [email protected] “The finding that the city Cape Coral City Manager is paying insurance on Terry Stewart denied one of the more cars than it owns is more glaring contentions of the inaccurate.” city’s take-home vehicle audit report Monday, saying the city — City Manager is not paying insurance on Terry Stewart more vehicles than it owns. “The finding that the city is listing of insured vehicles. This paying insurance on more cars listing included 920 on road than it owns is inaccurate,” he vehicles. Subsequently, we said after Monday’s city coun- requested from each depart- cil meeting. ment confirmation of the vehi- But the audit report states cles in their possession and that, “We also examined the See REPORT, page 6A Art, music teachers MICHAEL PISTELLA Author Roland Smith spoke to students at Gulf Middle on Monday. All the students at expected at meeting the school spent the last few weeks reading his book, “Elephant Run.” Best-selling author visits school Effort to save programs By MCKENZIE CASSIDY [email protected] To go “It takes twice as long to do research Nearly 50 fine arts and Smith discusses music teachers gathered last What than write the book. Everything you Lee County need to know is down the hall in your week in Fort Myers to mobilize School Board meeting library.” a campaign to convince the Lee writing process County School Board not to cut When Today, April 21, at 6 p.m. — Roland Smith, the arts. national best-selling author But the question today is Where for Gulf students whether those teachers in jeop- Lee Education Center, ardy of losing their jobs will 2855 Colonial Blvd., related anecdotes. Fort Myers By MCKENZIE CASSIDY attend tonight’s board meeting. “When I write a book, I write about what is If the district budget short- Information [email protected] important to me,” he said. Gulf Middle School was visited for the sec- fall is more than $50 million, For an agenda or other Smith has worked at the zoo in Portland, the board has discussed a plan information, visit: ond time by a national best-selling author Ore., assisted in cleaning Prince William Monday when Roland Smith made an appear- to cut art and music teachers www.leeschools.net Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill and from 43 elementary schools. ance and discussed his writing process. helped rescue the nearly extinct red wolf. Many Last week the Florida House Music and arts teachers He gave presentations to each grade level at of these experiences were later incorporated and Senate passed budgets leav- recently hired music advocate the school and signed more than 800 copies of into his books, he said. ing education funding relatively John Benham to help deliver his books. It took Smith 10 years and four drafts to fin- the same as last year — $6,860 their message to the school The school chose Smith’s 2009 “Elephant ish “Elephant Run.” He explained that ele- per student — so it is unlikely board. He will attempt to point Run” for its “one school, one book program.” phants are his favorite animal and, as a result, the district will have to reduce out the educational and finan- The story follows a character named Nick he has been an advocate against ivory poach- as many positions as expected. cial implications of eliminating Freestone who decides to move from London ing. Superintendent James art teachers and programs. to Burma during World War II. It earned the Near the end of the presentation he encour- Browder said Friday that the Benham’s advice to Lee 2009 ALA Best Books for Young Adults. aged students who are interested in writing to district will most likely be deal- County teachers is to organize During the student presentations Smith start now and to utilize the library as their described his life through a series of book- ing with a more manageable and become involved in the shortfall of $25 million. See AUTHOR, page 6A See MEETING, page 6A City council to keep financial advisory committee “The difference between last year and Taking applications for 2 vacant seats this year is that we’ve started looking at it ourselves much earlier. I think we By GRAY ROHRER when chairman Michael Foye in a memo to council members can work together in a more integrated [email protected] resigned over frustration with last week. The future of Cape Coral’s city spending. Combined with Peppers pointed to the com- way earlier on rather than waiting until Financial Advisory Committee committee member Gloria mittee only being allotted 45 later.” was cemented Monday, as city Baron’s absence due to her minutes to present its findings council members decided to move to Florida’s East Coast, it on the budget to council as one — Mayor Jim Burch keep the board with its full was down two members head- reason for disbandment. The complement of seven members. ing into a tough budget process. minutiae of the budget and the Committee member Cheryl committee’s recommendations “The devil is in the details,” assured her that the committee The committee’s existence Peppers told council members. would have more dialogue with was questioned in recent weeks Peppers went so far as to sug- take more time to present, she gest the committee be dissolved argued. But Mayor Jim Burch See COMMITTEE, page 6A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Southwest Neighborhood Passport fair scheduled Annie’s Mailbox......14A Nation ................8A A passport fair will be held from noon-3 Florida Association plans meeting p.m. Saturday at Page Field Post Office, Cape Life ..........7A Obituaries ..........2A The Southwest Cape Coral 2655 N. Airport Road, Fort Myers. Neighborhood Association will meet at 7 Classifieds ............1-6B Police Blotter ....2A Lottery It will offer passport photos, processing of CASH 3: p.m. Wednesday at Oasis Charter new passport applications and passport Comics ............10A Sports ........11-13A 5-7-4 / 6-2-3 Elementary School, 3415 Oasis Blvd. renewals. No appointments will be taken; Crossword........10A State ..................5A PLAY 4: The guest speaker is Code Compliance applicants will be served on a first-come, 8-8-4-8 / 0-9-4-6 Division Manager Frank Cassidy. Dr. Donohue......14A Today in History......9A first-served basis. Fantasy 5 The topic, “Current Challenges Facing Everyone, including newborn infants, is Editorial..............4A TV Listings..............9A 14-27-28-32-36 Code Enforcement,” will include foreclo- Lotto required to obtain a passport in their own sures, new ordinances to address foreclo- name. For children under 16, the consent of Horoscopes......14A Weather ............2A 28-32-37-45-49-52 sures, proactive programs to more effective- Florida Powerball both parents/guardians is required. 7-15-28-43-44 ly address and deter blight, code enforce- Those needing to renew a passport will be PB 20 x 3 ment liens, and a look into the future for serviced only if they purchase new photos and code enforcement and the community. use the Express Mail service with tracking to For information, contact Joe Cervoni at mail the renewal to the Department of State. 7 48445 46010 1 [email protected]. For information, call 277-3352. Page 2A Tuesday, April 21, 2009 cape-coral-daily-breeze.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE OBITUARIES In 1946, he started a medical Community Association Institute, 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Katherine good time with family and friends. Edward John McElroy acoustics company in Rhode Island, South Gulf Coast Chapter. Drexel Catholic Church, followed After she Edward John McElroy, of Cape which he expanded throughout New He was a life member of the by a Mass of Christian burial at 11 retired from Ma Coral, died Thursday, April 16, England. He helped develop the first Disabled American Veterans, the a.m. Internment with military hon- Bell, where she 2009, surround- wearable all-in-one hearing aid in Eighth Air Force Historical Society ors will be at a later date in Arlington worked for many ed by his loving the 1950s and served on several and the 385th Bombardment Group Cemetery in Washington, D.C.