THREE DAYS A WEEK POST COMMENTS AT CAPE-CORAL-DAILY-BREEZE.COM CAPE CORAL Batter up! Miracle believe in a good start to the season BREEZE —SPORTS MID-WEEK EDITION WEATHER: Mostly Sunny • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Friday: Mostly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 50, No. 42 Thursday, April 7, 2011 50 cents Committee culls superintendent applicant list Choices not final; school board, consultants, to also propose ‘short list’ preferences By MEGHAN McCOY Those candidates include the school board itself, the other by ■ Kamela Patton is the assistant County School District. Other [email protected] Kamela Patton with 28 votes, Dr. the executive director of the Florida superintendent of Miami-Dade experience includes nonpublic The Superintendent Search Constance Jones with 21 votes, School Board Association, which is County. Other experience includes school approval branch accredita- Citizens Committee named its top Nancy Graham with 17 votes, Joe a consultant to the process differentiated accountability tion specialist, education policy recommended applicants for the Burke with 16 votes, Dennis These lists, each of which is administrative director, region director, director of leadership Lee County School District super- Thompson with 10 votes, Leon expected to have at least five administrative director, instruction- development vice president, direc- intendent position Wednesday Hobbs with nine votes and Steven names, may overlap or be wholly al support director, curriculum tor of school programs vice presi- night. Cobb and Barbara McGann with different. director, principal, assistant princi- dent and principal. Eight names were culled from seven votes each. The candidate bio information pal, lead teacher and teacher. ■ Nancy Graham is the princi- among 36 votes. Two other short lists will be for the citizen committee selections ■ Dr. Constance Jones is the developed independently, one by includes: chief academic officer for the Lee See SUPERINTENDENT, 6A New name, familiar faces P&Z approves zoning changes Action brings sites into conformity with new land use previously OK’d By DREW WINCHESTER changes for two tracts of land [email protected] along south Chiquita and Santa With the land use changes Barbara Boulevards, totaling initiated last year now in place, just over 100 acres, on the city is setting about the Wednesday. business of tweaking the zoning Zoning changes within those requirements within those areas will go from single family areas, hoping it attracts com- residential and residential to mercial and professional devel- commercial and marketplace opment. designations. The Planning and Zoning “This will bring the property board heard and approved See ZONING, page 6A District looks to eliminate positions, tap reserve MICHAEL PISTELLA Sunny Mugg’s owners Marcia and Ron York are revamping their Cape Coral restau- rant at 1306 Del Prado Blvd. funds to balance budget By MEGHAN McCOY Three budget scenarios were [email protected] presented for next year: A best ‘Sunny Mugg’s introduces new The Lee County School Board case scenario, which projects a will eliminate 23 positions and $26 million shortfall and the use use $16 million in reserve funds of $6.5 million in reserves; a real- next year if a $37 million short- istic case scenario, which projects dining concept in Cape Coral fall materializes as projected, a $37 million shortfall and the officials decided at a workshop use of $16 million in reserves; and a worst case scenario, which Mimosas also will be served with breakfast for held Tuesday afternoon. By MEGHAN McCOY Budget Director Dr. Ami projects a $52 million reduction [email protected] those who are interested. and the use of $20 million in “You’re supposed to smile when you come in,” Desamours told the board that A new dining concept has been introduced to although they are weathering the reserves. the Cape Coral area after a family owned fran- York said about Sunny Mugg’s. “It’s a fun atmos- The board opted to use the phere.” worst economic downturn in chise wanted to turn a failing restaurant into a suc- recent history, Lee County not realistic scenario for its projec- cessful one by adding new features and menu York said since Lee County is an economical- tions. Desamours said this is ly challenged area, she feels if Sunny Mugg’s suc- alone as other school districts, items. and municipalities across the state probably where the district will The first Denny’s Restaurant in Lee County ceeds here it will anywhere else in the United end up for the next fiscal year. States. and nation, are experiencing the appeared 20 years ago on Daniels Parkway after same kind of budgetary issues. Interim Superintendent Dr. the York family, Marcia, Ron and sons Marc and Once the Yorks decided to depart from the Larry Tihen said the district has Denny’s brand in Cape Coral, they wanted to This year, district officials Lance purchased the franchise. Later, the family went to every principal meeting been preparing for this type of developed the Denny’s Classic Diner to provide make sure they kept the store open after they scenario for the past two to three changed the restaurant’s name and began the to have discussions with entire affordable prices for individuals on Gladiolus groups so personnel could hear years because they knew it would Drive near Summerlin Road in Fort Myers. Cape remodeling process. be coming. Improvements are still being made during directly from the budget office as Coral also had a Denny’s built on Del Prado to what to expect next year, she The tentative plan includes Boulevard more than 22 years ago. operating hours. York said due to some of the ren- adding full-time art and music ovations, the restaurant will close towards the end said. Marcia York said since their franchise ran out Tuesday’s workshop, mean- back into the elementary level more than two years ago, they wanted to create of summer for a day or two when the volume of and planning time at the second- people subsides. while, addressed school budget their own concept out of the Denny’s brand to projections over the next three ary level at $6.5 million. It also address today’s market in Cape Coral. Sunny “We wanted to keep the store open during the includes inflationary costs of $6 transition time because we wanted to keep our years. Desamours said she Mugg’s was created to be a mixture of a restaurant believes the budget will be in million, reduction of 2.5 percent and bar and grill for the Cape Coral community employees employed,” York said, adding they are of retirement contributions of $8 an extension of the family. reduction mode for the next two that serves beer, wines and a few light alcoholic before FY14 will produce a more million to the district and an Ed drinks like bloody Mary’s and screwdrivers. See CONCEPT, page 6A optimistic budget in which the See BUDGET, page 6A school district will break even. Free water safety program set for April 16 at HealthPark By MEGHAN McCOY “They are still trying to get to know tial pools, which is the sixth highest in the [email protected] their surroundings,” he said. “Getting to nation for the number of pools per resident. To go A free water safety program will be held know their surroundings without having “Keep your eyes on the kids,” at HealthPark Medical Center on April 16 preventable measures around them can get Daneshmand said. “We want zero drown- What: Free Water Safety Program from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to bring aware- them into trouble.” ings in Florida. That is what our goal is Who: The Children’s Hospital ness to the various safety tips that can be Lee County has been ranked third for because it is preventable.” of Southwest Florida’s Kohl’s Center applied to help prevent drowning. the last few years for having the most He said quite a number of near drown- for Safety Program The most common pool drowning age drownings in the United States for children ings result in a disability. When: 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. April 16 for children is between 1-4 years old. Dr. who are within this age group. “Some do very well and some other Where: HealthPark Medical Center, Alex Daneshmand, pediatric intensive care “We are trying to change our ranking,” ones have disabilities that they have to live 9981 S. HealthPark Drive, Fort Myers doctor said drowning is the highest in that he said. “We have a great Children’s the rest of their life with,” Daneshmand Information: call Kohl’s Center for age bracket because that is when children Hospital here in Lee County and we want said. Safety Program at (239) 343-5224 become very curious and are interested in to get the message out that drowning is Elizabeth Plumley, pediatric intensive or visit www.leememorial.org/preven- bodies of water, along with learning how to preventable.” care unit nurse, said although pool fences tion/kohls.asap As of 2006, there were 62,481 residen- walk. See SAFETY, page 6A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE AREA AROUND THE AREA WHAT’S INSIDE Rain Barrel Workshop Dance Alliance Join organizers in a Florida Yards and Annie’s Mailbox ....9A Horoscopes........9A Neighborhoods Rain Barrel Workshop to hold Spring Concert Dance Alliance, the resident dance com- Classifieds.............1-7B Obituaries..........2A and learn how Rain Barrels can collect CASH 3: water from your roof. Only a 1/4-inch of pany of the Lee County Alliance for the 0-5-3 / 1-3-0 Comics.............10A Police Blotter......6A rain on a typical roof will create over 600 Arts, will hold its upcoming concert, PLAY 4: “Filling the Void,” on April 8, and 9, at 8 Crossword........10A Sports.........12-13A 9-4-8-2 / 5-8-6-5 gallons of water! The 55-gallon recycled barrels will be transformed into a Rain p.m., in the Alliance’s Foulds Theater.