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THE ISLAND'S OF RECORD il't 19-- 25, 2005 SAN IB EL; & CAPTI VA, FLOR I DA VOLLJ M E 32 • N UMBER 2 1 City of Sanibel plans for 2005 hurricane season By GARY PHILLIPS [email protected] With the official start of the 2005 Hurricane Season less than two weeks away, the City of Sanibel is ready with-an updated hurricane plan they hope they won't need. Sanibel's 2004 Hurricane Plan has earned awards at the state and federal levels for pre-hurricane prepara- tion and for actions taken after Hurricane Charley with regards to resident's re-entry to the island and debris cleanup. City Manager Judie Zimomra said the city is not con- tent to rest on its laurels, but instead has been improving the plan for this hurricane season and gathering sugges- tions from the public. "We took a couple of months where we*asked people to send in suggestions they had from the last year," she said. "Obviously we had a lot of input. We've made some internal refinements to our hurricane plan." File photo Zimomra said there are four main focus points in this A prepared city government set up temporary operations in Fort Myers during Hurricane Charley iast year. year's plan; to educate the public and warn of the dan- gers of storm surge that often accompanies hurricanes, to urge citizens with special needs to preregister for City receives award for innovation evacuation assistance and a space at a special needs shel- ter, to inform the citizenry on the availability and safety The Florida City and County Management Association city's website and hourly updates of the hurricane hotline of storm shelters and what they should and should not (FCCMA) selected the City of Sanibel as this year's recipi- number during the 2004 hurricane season. take to the shelters and to advise residents and business ent of their Innovation in Communications and Technology Smith has been employed by the City of Sanibel since owners about changes in the re-entry program. 1998. He graduated from Towson State University in 1986 Award in the "under 20,000 population category." The Storm surge is water that is pushed onto land by a with a B.S. in Chemistry and has 17 years of information award \\u:> presented to the City on May 13, 2005 at the strong storm, causing massive damage and flooding. technology experience that started with molecular modeling FCCMA Annual Conierenee in Tampa. Sanibel was spared from storm surge during Hurricane and computational chemistry for a pharmaceutical venture Charley, but Zimomra warns against being complacent capital company in Baltimore, Md. , in future hurricanes. This year, he earned a GSEC certification from the "People think 'well, my house rode it through before, SANS Institute. Smith moved to Sanibel in 1994 and has a I'm riding it through again now'. That's a very danger- seven-year old son who attends the Sanibel School. ous proposition," she said. Claney, a Computer Support Specialist, has been Residents who have physical challenges or other spe- employed by the City of Sanibel since 2001. He has 10 cial needs should make arrangements for evacuation and years of information technology experience that started as shelter space before a storm is on the way, Zimomra an US Navy Operations Specialist. said. Claney has obtained an MCSE and is currently pursuing a Computer Science Degree through the University of See PLAN Florida and SANS certification. He moved to Lee County in page 4 2000. Bert Smith John "Mike" Claney 4 1 The Innovation in Communications and Technology Pelicans and cormorants get help going home Award is presented annually to a municipality which has demonstrated exceptional communication efforts with its By Birgie Vertesch citizenry. The City of Sanibel was nominated for this award Director of Development, CROW by Mr. Bruce St. Denis, Town Manager, Longboat Key, Fla. In submitting the nomination for this award, Longboat There are people and organizations in this area dedi- Key Town Manager St. Denis stated, "The Town of cated to the vital work of preserving natural habitats. The Longboat Key was so impressed with the City of Sanibel's Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) is working use of technology and their outstanding effort to communi- to help preserve the species that live within those habitats cate with their citizens that we immediately changed our through rescue, care, rehabilitation and education. This Standard Operating Procedures to incorporate these innova- held true when four of their patients were released back tions. During (Hurricanes) Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, special into the wild, where they belong. messages tailored specifically to expected conditions on The patients, two pelicans and two cormorants, came Longboat Key were placed on our website at least twice per to CROW for different reasons. Red tide affects every- day. The Town has • received more favorable comments one, but in particular the wildlife that spends a majority about this communication technique than anything else in of the time in the water. The two cormorants came in suf- my eight years working with the town." fering from toxicosis as a result of red tide syndrome. If Accepting the award on behalf of the City of Sanibel caught early and treated for the poisoning, patients can were city employees Bert Smith, MIS Director and John survive under the right circumstances. This was the case "Mike" Claney, Computer Support Specialist. Smith and for the cormorants, one of which was found wandering Claney were instrumental in the communications with Wildlife Drive in a daze at the J.N. "Ding" Darling Dr. Paul Andrews and Kendra Willett get ready to Sanibel citizens through continuous real-time updates of the National Wildlife Refuge. The other was found along the beaches of Sanibel. release four patients from CROW. Both pelicans were found on Sanibel, and both with fishing line/hook injuries. Pelican patient #365 was INDEX found by a guide with Tarpon Bay Explorers when he was taking a boat of tourists on an excursion of Tarpon • LETTERS page , 6 Indians go 8-0 City Council Local swimmers Bay. On their way back, the guide noticed something • DATELINE page 7 reviews plans return to teach glistening in the mangroves and upon further inspection • VOXPOPUU page 9 found the pelican hanging in the branches from fishing line, dying a slow, painful death. The guide worked to • SPORTS page 10 free the pelican and brought him to CROW for care. San-Cap Youth Baseball Council considers Two SWAT swimming • LOOKING BACK .... page 12 & Softball has a team alternate plans for the islanders return to the Rec Patient #365 survived, as did the others, and all were • TV LISTINGS page 13 ; with a perfect record on new center to be built. Center this summer. successfully released by a member of the CROW staff who • POLICE BEAT page 14 the season was assisted by Dr. Paul Andrews, President of the Sanibel- Captiva Audubon Society and Kendra Willett, a biologist ® OBITUARY page 15 with J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. • PERMITS page 16 — See page 10 — See page 5 - See page 19 See CROW • CLASSIFIEDS page 17 page 2 2 • Week of May 19-25, 2005 • ISLAND REPORTER 7th graders learn about life in Tarpon Bay The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation determine the water clarity using a Secchi disc. They Following the boat tour, the students received a tour (SCCF) teamed up with Tarpon Bay Explorers to take also took measurements of the salinity, dissolved oxygen of the REDstart facilities. Here they were able to view Sanibel School seventh graders out on the bay. Richard and temperature of the water using a hydroprobe. how people can positively benefit the life thatlives in the Finkel and Megan Tinsley from SCCF talked to the stu- Along with the scientific investigations, visual obser- estuary. REDstart is a marine aquaculture facility that dents about and allowed the students to observe back vations helped to bring the topics to the forefront. The receives juvenile fish and raises them to a larger, size. bay estuary ecology. The factors that affect the health importance of mangroves and sea grass was highlighted When released, the larger fish are more likely to survive. and quality of this estuary system, as a nursery ground as habitat and a food source for marine life, and as an REDstart is funded by South Florida Water Management for sport and commercial fish, were the topics of this island stabilizer. During a discussion on monofilament District. trip. line and rookery islands an unexpected visitor appeared Along with the educational aspects^ the 7th graders enjoyed their Friday outing. They even topped it off with ice cream on the decks at Tarpon Bay Explorers. CROW From page 1 "If possible, we like to release our patients in pairs and it worked out this time around," said CROW staff veterinarian, PJ Deitschel. Because two of the patients were found at Ding Darling and the other two on Sanibel, it was determined that the refuge would be the best pos- sible location for release. "It was clear these birds wanted out, and it was as if they knew they were going home," said Paul Andrews. "Conservation and preservation of our wildlife, in partic- ular birds, is what the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society is all about, and it was exciting to be a part of a release," said Andrews. "We are very lucky to have such a profes- sional wildlife hospital like CROW, caring for all of Lee County's wildlife." Established in 1968, CROW is one of the nation's The students were given the opportunity to observe to lead the discussion on human impact in the Bay - a leading wildlife rehabilitation hospitals for tropical arid conduct hands on research methods that help deter- dolphin swimming very close to the boat.

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