Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com Fore! Local high CAPE CORAL schools tee off in tri-match DAILY BREEZE — SPORTS WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Partly Cloudy • Thursday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 222 Wednesday, September 23, 2009 50 cents CRA ends trolley service in downtown Cape “Downtown is going to grow, and I think we learned what Run only during special events we needed to (from the trolly trial). We’ll shelf it to keep it warm for when we might need to reactivate it.” By DREW WINCHESTER decided to keep them running during time at a cost of roughly $123,000. [email protected] special events like last weekend’s Board member Scott Hertz said — Rich Greer, CRA board member The days of regular trolly service International Beer Festival. that without clear-cut goals, it is in the Cape Coral Community A point of contention among the impossible to understand what the Redevelopment Agency’s district board was how best to judge the trol- trolly did or did not accomplish. nation within the CRA’s boundaries. Vice chairman Don Heisler are over. ley’s success. A lack of hard numbers prompt- “It’s too premature, I don’t think thought that the trolley’s trial run CRA board members voted During the trial run, the trolly ran ed Hertz to add that trolly funds there’s a destination here yet,” he was conducted at the wrong time of Tuesday to discontinue trolly use on Fridays and Saturdays only, cart- could be spent better elsewhere, said. “We need vibrancy and desti- the year. following a five-month trial run, but ing 7,289 passengers during that especially without a clear-cut desti- nations in order to move people.” See TROLLEY, page 3A Rejoicing Commissioners OK contract for county manager Interim takes up role with $170,000 salary By MEGHAN McCOY “She has provided [email protected] A five-year contract for new tremendous leadership Lee County Manager Karen since April. She is truly a Hawes was unanimously county manager of the approved Tuesday by county staff she works with and commissioners. we are proud you are Lee County Attorney David willing to accept the Owen said one issue that was position.” dropped from the agreement was the matter of needing a — Commissioner supermajority vote to terminate Ray Judah the county manager. MICHAEL PISTELLA “Now any action taken by Hawes assumes the post pre- the board will be a simple viously held by Don Stilwell, The Rev. Dr. H Timothy Halverson talks about the process of getting the new Faith majority of the board,” he said. Center building built during its official dedication Tuesday at Faith Presbyterian See JOB, page 8A Church. The church is located at 4544 Coronado Parkway. For more information, call 542-2858 or visit: www.faithcapecoral.org. Group to provide Faith Presbyterian opens new financial help for building with a ribbon-cutting Everyone in attendance then continued startup businesses inside sitting at various tables, which were set Process to build up for dinner. “We could not have had this dinner at our old facility, we had to build this for our grow- Potential owner must began years ago ing community,” said the Rev. Dr. H Tim Halverson, a senior pastor. By MEGHAN McCOY He said there are so many people involved in so many ways, along with a great deal of set up in CRA district [email protected] Faith Presbyterian Church held a ribbon- people to thank for making the Faith Center possible. By DREW WINCHESTER cutting and dedication ceremony Tuesday for “If we’re going to incen- the new Faith Center building for more than “Several years ago we asked you to make an [email protected] The Cape Coral Community tivize a business, we 400 people. investment in the future and this facility, and Redevelopment Agency is hoping want someone to come “It is great to have a building up that we can you stood up and made this happen,” a business assistance program will downtown not to fill a use,” said Dave Barton, building committee Halverson said to the congregation. lure new businesses to the south. space, but to enhance chairman. He said the Faith Center means “the future,” Pledging $60,000 in rental what we have.” He added that opening the center means a lot which allows Faith Presbyterian Church to assistance, it is looking for poten- of success, especially after beginning the “meet the needs for a growing community.” tial owners who would be interest- — Helen Ramey, process of building it six years ago. Phase two of Faith Presbyterian Church, or ed in setting up their business CRA marketing director Before Barton cut the ribbon to enter the Building Faith to Living Faith, will encompass within the CRA district. new Faith Center, the congregation read a the sanctuary expansion and the completion of It is looking for businesses that speech in unison, dedicating the building to site work and covered walkway. The program offers to cover up will put “feet on the street,” “God’s work here in Cape Coral.” Church officials hope to start the next phase to one-third of the business’ in the near future. according to a CRA document. See BUSINESS, page 8A School board approves SRO funds for city “Of course, I believe children’s safety and security in Plan to reimburse Cape $433,950 schools is of utmost importance, but I am asking you take this off of consent and bidding it out for private By MCKENZIE CASSIDY The Cape Coral City Council aside and the program was reautho- security.” [email protected] debated whether to eliminate the rized Aug. 19. Tuesday night marked the final SRO program last month after coun- During Tuesday’s meeting, — Brian Mayberry of Whitestone Group, stage of authorizing the Student cil members found that the city man- school board members approved the a national security agency. Resource Officer program when the ager’s preliminary budget did not set local agreement for a total price of Lee County School Board approved aside funds for the program. $1.1 million. Out of these funds the a local agreement with the Cape One proposal through the city school board will reimburse the city spend $643,770 on the SRO pro- The DARE program was Coral Police Department and Lee council was to have three officers $433,950 or approximately gram. According to the school dis- removed from an SRO’s responsi- County Sheriff’s Office. rotate among six public schools in $35,000 per officer. trict’s motion, there will be 11 offi- bilities and duties, while the school Cape Coral, but that idea was cast The city of Cape Coral will cers in city middle and high schools. See SRO, page 3A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE College Night 2009 set Temporary road closure Annie’s Mailbox......14A Nation ................8A College Night 2009, hosted by the Lee Gleason Parkway will be temporarily Fla. Lottery County School District and the city of Fort closed through Oct. 2 to westbound motorists Cape Life ..........7A Obituaries ..........2A Myers, will be held from 7-9 p.m. today at traveling from Santa Barbara Boulevard. CASH 3: Classifieds ............1-4B Police Blotter ....2A 4-5-9 / 3-8-7 Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Eastbound access on Gleason will remain St., Fort Myers. open at Santa Barbara. The temporary closure Comics ............10A Sports ........11-13A PLAY 4: 1-0-0-9 / 5-2-3-8 College Night will feature approxi- is necessary as crews widen the west side of Crossword........10A State ..................6A Fantasy 5 mately 100 representatives from different Santa Barbara from Southwest 31st Terrace Dr. Donohue......14A Today in History......9A 6-9-17-25-27 colleges, universities, art and culinary through Gleason. Advance warning signs, 6-22-32-44 MB 8 institutes, as well as military academies. electronic message boards and barricades will Editorial..............4A TV Listings..............9A Lotto The representatives will display informa- be used to direct motorists traveling through Horoscopes......14A Weather ............2A 7-15-17-29-35-45 tion pertaining to their institutions and the area. The posted speed limit is 35 mph Florida Powerball answer any questions students or their while traveling through the work zone. 5-24-25-30-49 PB 23 x 3 families may have. Motorists are urged to use caution and to seek The event is free and open to the pub- alternative routes when possible. Weather and lic. However, the event is targeted toward unforeseen circumstances could affect the 11th- and 12th-grade students. schedule. For information, call 707-9050 or 7 48445 46010 1 For information, call 337-8132. visit: www.capecoraltransportation.com. Page 2A Wednesday, September 23, 2009 cape-coral-daily-breeze.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE OBITUARIES exactly one day after World War II Bell and William H. Bell, all of Beatrice, Elmer Briggs and his wife 2009, in Fort Myers. Nellie Rose Briggs began, she and her oldest sister, Jesup, Ga.; five great-grandchildren; Thelma, Robert Riley William Services will be held at 2 p.m. Nellie Rose Briggs (nee: Vallie, moved to Bridgeton, N.J., stepson, Barry Briggs of Vineland, Matyger and Donald Bland; and sis- Saturday. Greene), 87, of after being recruited to work at the N.J., and stepdaughter, Patti Lee ter-in-law, Mildred Weber and her Arrangements by Fuller Cape Jesup, Ga., and Owens-Illinois Glass Company. Ryan of Napa, Calif., along with husband Luther. Coral Funeral Home-Cremation formerly of Cape For the next 53 years, she their children and grandchildren; sis- Funeral services were held Sept.