Islanders 'Seas the Day7 at Parade
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27, N O . 2 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 12 6:43 • 8:25 13 6:44 • 8:24 14 6:44 • 8:24 15 6:45 • 8:24 16 6:45 • 8:24 17 6:46 • 8:23 18 6:46 • 8:23 Islanders 'Seas The Day7 At Parade Representatives for The Community House were all smiles as they walked the parade route nonprofits, service organizations and Best Nature Theme: RS Walsh families. This year’s grand marshal was Landscaping The color guard from American Legion Post 123 led the parade photos by Jeff Lysiak Captains for Clean Water. Best Salute to the U.S. Military: Color by Jeff Lysiak Way on Thursday morning to celebrate The 2019 parade winners are: Guard - American Legion Post 123 Best Float - Commercial: Floral Best Original Design: Island Taxi anibel’s 29th annual Independence America’s 243rd birthday. The color guard from American Legion Artistry Most Patriotic: Cub Scouts Pack & Boy Day Parade, this year themed Seas Best Float - Not-for-profit: Sanibel Sea Scouts Troop 1740 the Day, drew thousands of patriotic Post 123 led the way for more than 50 S entries that included military veterans, first School Best Music: Island Band.# spectators who lined up along Periwinkle responders, city officials, local businesses, Best Float - Family: Bissell Family More photos pages 24, 25 and 26 Update On Museum Construction Refuge Ranger Monica Scroggin checking out the progress on wildlife artist Ed Anderson’s painting created to promote the 2020 “Ding” Darling/Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament photo by Jeff Lysiak estimated that during his time on Sanibel, The exterior walls of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum will be replaced in the Artist's Farewell he created at least a dozen paintings along coming weeks while the entire facility remains under construction photo by Jeff Lysiak with more than 50 sketches and drawings. by Jeff Lysiak sponsored in part by the Department of Gift Is Tarpon However, what has the potential to losed since May 1 due to a State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the become his most popular painting - Florida Council of Arts and Culture, and Tournament Logo created to promote die 2020 “Ding” major renovation project that will transform the facility into a “living” the State of Florida, on April 22 when by Jeff Lysiak Darling/Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament construction crews from Benchmark - was started while sitting at the first floor attraction, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is nearing completion of General Contractors began removing uring his eight-week tenure as the bar at Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar & interior and exterior walls on the museum’s first Artist-In-Residence at the JN Grille. Phase I of the Your Museum Comes Alive construction plan. first floor. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife “I literally just started working on it,” In the following weeks, drop ceilings, DRefuge, wildlife artist Ed Anderson Work began on the $6 million project, continued on page 37 continued on page 2 2 | ISLAND SUN - JULY 12, 2019 From page 1 In the touch tank area, located in the C onstruction southeast comer of the building, there will be two interactive displays: one with concrete floors and the museum’s main warm water for local mollusk species and entrance staircase were removed from one with cool water for species found in the building while the parking lot area northern climates. was regraded and repaved with new “One of our two touch tanks will asphalt. All vegetation that had to be be cold water and display animals such removed during the renovation process as red abalone and gumboot chiton,” has been replaced and replanted with added Mensch. “The other touch tank 100 percent native trees, shrubs and will be warm water and feature the local ground covers. Gulf of Mexico mollusks that so many All of the work transformed the of our guests already know and love. museum into a construction zone, forcing This includes horse conchs, lightning the facility to temporarily close for whelk, fighting conchs, lettered olives, several months. giant Atlantic cockles, Atlantic calico “I’ve missed seeing people coming to scallops and much more. We have a few the museum every day,” said Facilities other tanks that I haven’t mentioned, Manager Lorin Buckner, who provided a but I don’t want to give away all of our progress report on the project along with The museum’s second floor area where two meeting rooms - which can be converted to a surprises just yet.” an update on plans for the museum’s single, larger space - will be located photo by Jeff Lysiak While it may be six more months until first floor aquarium area, scheduled to big and beautiful, but don’t get as large “Several of our tanks will feature the museum’s aquarium features will open in early 2020. “A few people have as the true giant clam,” said Marine animals that have very well-known shells, make their debut, anticipation for what wandered in to see what’s going on, and Biologist Rebecca Mensch, who has been to help solidify the concept that the shell the renovated attraction will bring to the I tell them all about the project.” working on plans for the new aquarium is a body part of an animal, instead of islands is at an all-time high. On July 3, Buckner looked on as facilities for the past three years. “This the common misconception that a shell “Once the new aquarium opens construction crews continued work on tank will also feature various species of is rock,” Mensch explained. early next year, it will accelerate the installing the new, 9.5-inch reinforced live coral and fishes to help illustrate the In the next room, two tanks will museum’s educational and research concrete slab that spans the museum’s important roles that mollusks play within be located in the center of the open work,” said Hipschman. “We are excited entire first floor. The rebar-reinforced their communities. All of the animals in space. One tank will contain a chamber about introducing more people to these floor will help support 11 live aquarium this tank will be captive-bred specimens, nautilus, while the other will be a pop-up amazing animals.” tanks - which range in size from 100 to so no coral reefs will be impacted by our tank, where children and adults can Visitors can check out www. 1,000 gallons - located on the museum’s display of the animals.” “crawl inside” and experience live fish shellmuseum.org/alive for construction ground level. Next, visitors will be directed towards and mollusks moving around them. progress and schedule updates. To learn “I keep on top of everything,” said the room to the right, where aquariums Three additional aquariums will more, call Executive Director Dorrie Buckner. “Art Schuller from Benchmark containing the giant Pacific octopus and contain marine life such as the queen Hipschman or Assistant Director Melanie updates me every week on what’s been flamboyant cuttlefish will be located. conch, tiger cowrie and junonias. Moraga at 395-2233.0 done, and what’s going to be done. It’s sort of informal, but I’m getting lots of information about each step of the process.” Last week, Executive Director Dorrie Hipschman expressed her delight with the progress on the aquarium area construction. “We are on schedule,” she said. “I don’t have a firm date for reopening to the public in a limited fashion this summer, but expect it will be mid to late July.” Walking in to the museum’s first floor through the area formerly containing the wide outdoor entry staircase, Buckner took a ride on an elevator to the second floor. Stepping out into a vast, empty space, the completely gutted second floor used to contain the admissions desk, gift shop, meeting rooms and staff offices. “This large open space is going to contain an atrium overlooking the glass entrance,” Buckner explained, pointing to where the museum’s gigantic glass walls will be located at the front of the building. “The second floor will also contain vaulted ceilings, which will allow us to bring in taller traveling exhibits. Plus we’ll have two meeting rooms with collapsible walls, which we can fold away to create one single larger space.” According to Buckner, plans for the museum’s first floor have been revised and updated. Rolling out the latest blueprints for the project, he pointed out how the new visitor experience will likely look once renovations are complete: Walking into the museum, visitors will be met with the admissions desk directly in front of them, with a staircase to the second floor to their left. Straight ahead, they will enter a room containing The Great Barrier Reef aquarium. “Our reef tank will focus on three species of giant clam, all of which are The first floor layout of the Bailey-Matfhews National Shell Museum image provided ISLAND SUN - JULY 12, 2019 | 3 That drive will now function as both an Historical Village entrance and exit access. Signage has been added at both places. Closing For For the month of July, the village will be open Tuesday through Saturday from Off-Season 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Full guided tours take place at 10:30 a.m. at no additional he Sanibel Historical Village will close for the off-season on July 31 and charge, depending on docent availability. reopen on October 15. Meanwhile, The village is located at 950 Dunlop Road Tit remains open during the BIG ARTS (next to BIG ARTS) and there is handicap construction project.