January 35,1980 Island Reporter 9 T ">V*> Frog Smith to go 'On the Road with folksy tales •v By Benee TwomMy ; FVog Smith concedes heinay jurt be the biggest storyteller in Southwest Florida^ "Know,of only.one fella who likes to spin A Very Special yarn like I do," the 82 - year-old folk historian said, "but he's shy, bigger than Gulf Front me and said if I tell on him, hell throw me intheriyer.^ : Smith takes pride in being able to answer a question with along folksy tale. Home Ask him where he got his- nickname and m hell tell you about the onee popular enter- and r the nighf'zhe caught enough legs - to: fill "a 125-pound barreL Frog Tuesday to feature him in an "On the Road" sequence, Frog serenaded him for an \./i,.\ .».*-; hour straight with a literary ballad on Kh /* ; •• Florida's past. (See story page 31-A) Frog Smith has so many tales to toll that when nobody is listening, he'll write them down or paint a picture about;them. He's known locally for the; articles on Florida folklore he has been writing for 26 years in the Fort Myers News-Press. He has published a number of books, among them "Frog Smith's Scrspbook," "The Ups One of the most luxurious, custom-built hbmes drtJSart Gulf of and Downs in a Cracker's Iafe" and "Life with a Lot of Sashaying Away Out Mexico; with over 4OOO square feet of iiVing area living Sideways." Frog even told his tales before an audience in Washington on the occasion ?tog Smith (lefti kept CharietKuralt m smiles with hi* colorful rendition of Florida history. Kv plans % continued on 21-A to do an'On the Road' storyyabout Smith. , Built around a two-story atrium, this unique horhe combines comfort and c?^ elegance with casual Island luxury. The handsome living room opens on- to an expansive porch which, in turn, overlooks the tropical atrium and the sparkling waters of the Gulf. exisiing routes using newer techniques of estimated cost is $81,000. ^:X.i-X\ ^ ?r February: 26 to discuss three, specific pro- road construction. V ^; " : r- ' , The bike path would be extended'down. jects. "- !•'"-'''•:'•?•• , ;;; With over ^3.7?million in; its pocket to While council is favorably inclined to con- Casa Ybel Road to Tarpon Bay, at an The February 26 workshop, slated to spendonroads^nd related items, the city is struct a bike path from Sanibel Elementary estimated cost; of $171,000. This would be start at 9:00 a.m., will focus on a proposed getting cloSer'tosdine major decisions on School to Blind Pass, at an estimated addi- continued up Tarpon Bay Road, connecting improvement in the Causeway where to use the money. " V, v^Ti • vtibnat cost of $238,000, action on this was with the existing path, at an additional cost Road/Periwinkle Way intersection; the oft- . Reflecting in ..part. what Councilman ;delayed until a decision is madeon resurfac-. of some $65,000. disputed Gulf Drive connector; and, the Porter Goss suggested might be a basic ing the Sanibel-Captiva Road. The Rabbit Road path, for which J.O. Casa Ybel/Periwinkle Way intersection. change in council philosophy toward Evans donated some money and an ease- - These projects, estimated to cost bet- greater stress oh; "alternate modes of The bike paths would be financed from ment, would -cost an estimated $67,500 ween $800,000 and $850,000, depending on transportation," the city administration causeway surplus funds, of which approx- . although Assistant City Manager Gary the design of the Causeway was authorized to proceed with design imately $920,000 were on hand as of Price conceded that this estimate might be Road/Periwinkle intersection, would be plans for ,bike paths that would cost an Etecember 3L "somewhat high." funded from the $2.5 million available from : the bond revenues in refinancing of the estimated $385,000. ; The bike paths for which the city will A list of road priorities agreed upon last At the same time, the council appears now prepare design plans include one from * November was again reviewed in detail on Sanibel Causeway. Those revenues, under less inclined to think in terms of large sums the Lighthouse end of the island to connect Tuesday by Sanibel City Council and the ci- terms of the bonding resolution, have to be for new roads and is turning toward less with the existing Periwinkle Way path at ty manager, at a workshop session, and costly choices of repairing and overlaying Lindgren Boulevard and Periwinkle." The another workshop was scheduled for . % continued on 20-A SCCF urges protection of sound Tree top By Susie Holly hasn't been done almost five ye&rs later," Three kjedrqonhs, three baths and a Zeiss pointed out. The islands stretching from Sanibel to The history behind aquatic preserves is a fantastic kitchen by Pbggehpohl of Tree surgeon looks as Cayo Costa are blessed with a particularly long one, dating back to the late 1960's ©errriahy complete the living floor. if he is~preparing to valuable piece of water known as the Pine when state officials began to recognize that nest in top of Island Sound-Aquatic Preserve. The area, the coastal zone of Florida was a valuable The master bedroom suite features Austrailian pine trfink. protected by state legislation, is important resource. twin dressing rooms and an elegant The diseased tree was not only for its environmental and The coastal zone encompasses some cut down this week at aesthetic value, but also because it produc- 10,000 square miles of state territory screened sundeck. Periwinkle Place shop- ed an estimated $20 million worth of com- (reaching three nautical miles into the ping center. mercial and sport fishing. ' Atlantic and nine nautical miles into the • "It is one fancy piece of water," says gulf.) Much of the area is valuable Shown by appointment bnly Ralph Zeiss who has been studying the shoreline, coastal marsh, mangroves, coral preserve for the Sanibel-Captiva Conserva- reefs and grass beds which are extremely Priced at $395,000 tion Foundation (SCCF). A marine biologist productive biologically, Zeiss said. The by training, former researcher in nuclear coastal zone attracts most of. the state's medicine and former general manager of centers of commerce, transportation and 'the'Island Water- Association, Zeiss industry, and 75 percent of Florida's presented a Tuesdays at the Center pro- population as well as some 30 million gram this week on the state's aquatic tourists", he added. "So it is subject to FLORIDA THOMAS H. BROWN, REALTOR ^preserves.- •(•'. •'"' j~. ••"'••\:'- •• .••• degradation by development." - SCCF contracted Zeiss late last year to . In 1970 the state created the Coastal study the state's Aquatic Preserve Act and Coordinating Council which did extensive 2410 Palm Ridge Road, P.O. Box 142 to help get some' rules' implemented for aerial mapping, inventory and analysis of management of the Pine Island Sound the coastal zone. The state legislature at AquaiicPireserve. Last month, SCCF peti- about that time passed a law setting aside' Sanibel Island, Florida 33957 m tioned the Florida Department of Natural several coastal water areas to be "main- REALTOR Resources (DNR) to adopt a management tained essentially in an natural or existing Phone (813) 472-4138 REALTOR 1 plan for the aquatic preserve as mandated I by the Aquatic Preserve Act oij.975. "It • continued on 19-A 9 Island Reporter February 1» i98O A2 February 1,1980 Island Reporter Cornplaintsntaybedo^^ restrictions certain months. He said that City At- have no control over what material is being undertake the task. Butler did warn, '•*•: , . By Don Whitehead ' , By Bradley Fray Water samples taken in the Southwest Florida area on burned at the fire or who is burning it." v Monday showed "quite low to negative counts of red tide torneyNeal Bowen saw no objection to however, that sueh police presence might • such ordinance amendments. .; - Butler added that for most persons discourage all beach parties, ^ which IN BRIEF A shellfish harvesting ban imposed in Lee County on organisms, and no fish kills have been reported from this The Sanibel City Council this week tackl- Murphyadded that restrictions on beaeh issued'permits there are no problems. "It presumably would run counter to the in- • December 18, following an outbreak of red tide, was lifted area in several weeks," Stewart said. ed the subject of bonfires on the beaches, U hearing some gulf-front condominium fires in Fort My®™ Beath, Lee County faris usually the few whose actions ruin it for tent of the council. ; in county waters as of sunrise Wednesday after meat Red tide organisms are part of the plankton community residents- complain that where there's general, and Captiva in particular, meant the majority," says Butler. It soon became clear that most eoun- samples taken Tuesday showed no signs of toxin. ' that there wasa potential fora greater pro- Faced with what they interpreted to be dbaen didn't want to impose excessive ' The ban still remains in effect, as of Wednesday, to the in the sea's food chain. For unknown reasons the organism smoke there is likely to be trouble. sometimes blooms and can turn the-water a rusty color. Council ended up deciding to ask the city blem on Sanibel., There were indications some criticism of the Sanibel Fire and restraints on "wholesome" fun on the Chiles aide on island north in Charlotte County and to the south in Collier Coun- that Sanibel was becoming known as "the Rescue Control District for laxness in issu- beaeh, even though they were concerned ty, as well as in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and the' Toxins released can cause fish kills, as occurred on Sanibel manager to come up with proposed changes : If you're having problems with federal southern portion of Sarasota counties, according to Vi beaches in December.