Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com Taking a CAPE CORAL swing Cape American Dodgers pick DAILY BREEZE up win —SPORTS WEATHER: Partly cloudy • Tonight: partly cloudy • Tuesday: Partly sunny— 2A Vol. 48, No. 61 Monday, March 16, 2009 50 cents Canal Clean-up draws 150 to annual event at Yacht Club By DREW WINCHESTER the Cape’s Environmental canals. [email protected] Resource Division, said the Carol Chruniak set out across Cape Coral might just be a effort is aimed at not only the Caloosahatchee from the little cleaner following the 2nd cleaning up the canals, but also Yacht Club, picking up such annual Canal Clean-up. providing a unified front in the disparate items as a football, a About 150 people turned out community when it comes to lit- chair and boat motor. bright and early Sunday morn- ter. Chruniak participated in last ing at the Yacht Club to lend a “We get calls from people all year’s clean-up, and thought hand in tidying up local water year long who are picking up this year the waterways were in ways. Beginning at 8 a.m., par- trash by themselves. It’s easy to much better shape. ticipants took to their boats, feel alone,” Cressman said. “It was much cleaner this kayaks, and their own two feet, “Also, we’re trying make peo- year than last,” she said. scouring all sides of the Cape ple more aware of the things “People are starting to get the for trash. they’re doing. Often, a lot of lit- idea.” Organizer Kim Cressman ter is unintentional.” Cressman admitted that 150 estimated the group would pull Clean-up participants were people picking up trash might upwards of 3,000 pounds of reporting items such as air con- not make a big difference in the DREW WINCHESTER trash out of the canals. ditioning units, televisions and Volunteers offload items collected from Cape canals as Cressman, an employees of engines floating in the Cape’s See CANALS, page 3A part of Sunday’s annual clean-up effort. Strawberry festival Octoberfest in March has record attendance By ANDREA GALABINSKI service with hundreds enjoying [email protected] the music throughout the service. Christ Lutheran Church's 6th "It was our largest service under Annual Octoberfest in March the tent in six years," Ostrowsky brought thousands out to enjoy said. authentic German food, music and Deacon Tom Hafer, Youth and fun over the weekend at the Shell Family Minister, led the service. Factory & Nature Park. In fact, it "We are 210 volunteers strong. was record attendance, said The monies that are raised are a organizer Don Ostrowsky. direct response to the love we "We couldn't be more excited have for the community first." about the attendance and the In his closing prayer, he talked potential it gave us for fund rais- about the beautiful weather, food ing for the community," he said. and music and how the funds will Proceeds go to area organizations help those in need. "What a way to that provide food for those in spend three days. Let's do more of need, including soup kitchens and these." Meals On Wheels. "Over the last Grant Kozera and Jeff Winard five years $50,000 has been played accordions for the service, raised," he added. "Everyone has with singer Lori Solberg and been having a great time." Doug Krueger on banjo. On Sunday, the event was Music throughout the weekend kicked off with a Polka Worship See CHURCH, page 3A Cape hosts Special Populations Games Day on Saturday By DREW WINCHESTER budgetary constraints. Wolfe made it a point to say YUNET JOMOLCA [email protected] The scene was one of cele- that Special Populations really Shelby Hotchison, 8, gets her face painted with a strawberry at the Strawberry bration, of wild hope, of good reaches out to the community Festival on Saturday. times and fun competition. throughout the year, looking for The 26th Annual Games sponsorship help for their varied Day, an event that focuses on events, and that the city council, sports and activities for those along with many city divisions, with developmental disabilities, have been very supportive of the Strawberry Fest offers was a resounding success on Special Populations’ efforts. Saturday, with more than 120 “Everybody throughout the participants taking part in the city has been wonderful ... we day’s action. couldn’t do it without them,” Held at the Special Wolfe said. “At the same time free fun at annual event Populations Center at Sun we do everything we can do to Splash, adult and child athletes get sponsorships. Its really a alike tried their hands at tennis, collaborative effort.” By DREW WINCHESTER “fierce”, which made this year’s tive. A breakfast of pancakes, This year’s sponsor was weather that much more enjoy- fresh strawberries, sausage and an obstacle course, a bicycle [email protected] race and some impromptu danc- Angela Davis, who works for Celebrating its fourteenth year, able. coffee was sold for $3, while Merrill Lynch. Returning for her “This is one of the best days bundles of the delicious berries ing. the Diplomat Wesleyan Church’s “This shows the community third year, Davis has a deep con- Strawberry Festival brought peo- we’ve had,” he said. “Last year were being sold for only nection to the event. Her daugh- they had to constantly retie the $2.50. All of the berries were what a wonderful program we ple out into the warm sunshine to have under the Parks and ter, Chloe, is special-needs enjoy the free event. tents. It was real windy.” grown locally, on a farm in child. With the weather squared Arcadia. Recreation Department,” said The weather was a big depar- Laurie Wolfe, of the Special “I made a commitment to ture from last year, when the festi- away, church volunteers went Still, even with the low them. As long as they need me about the business of creating a prices local ties, church offi- Populations Center. “Games val was mired with strong winds, Day is for recreation, fun, health and as long as I’m able I’ll be cool temperatures and overcast warm, family-friendly atmos- cials were considering lower- here,” she said. “These kids phere with food, games and of ing the cost of the strawberries and fitness.” skies. Like a lot of city programs, don’t know about the economy Church Pastor Rick Stephens course, strawberries. before noon because they were not Everything was cost-effec- selling very quickly. the Special Populations Center said last year’s conditions were See GAMES, page 3A See FESTIVAL, page 3A might be facing some cuts do to Police arrest, charge Cape Coral man with attempted murder A Cape Coral man was charged him in the assault on in her bedroom doorway. She Hearing the screams, the sec- his back and hitting him repeat- charged with attempted murder, two, 21-year-old female occu- said the man approached her ond woman came to the door- edly but her attempts had no armed burglary and felony bat- pants at a residence in the south- bedside and covered her face way and found her roommate results. She then ran back into tery by strangulation after west Cape Sunday morning. with a pillow in an attempt to lying on the floor with the man, her room, grabbed her cell police say he broke into a home The two women called police suffocate her. She began strug- later identified as Furgeson, phone and the knife, and fled to and attempted to smother a at 5:44 a.m. and said they had gling and realized that he also holding a pillow over her face. the neighbor’s home to call woman with a pillow before been attacked in their home. had a knife. The woman wrest- The man then attacked the police. beating a second woman who One of the women told inves- ed the knife from the man and second woman, punching her in As she ran from the home, heard the early-morning attack. tigators that after hitting the he dragged her to the floor and the face. The two of them began she saw the man jump into a sil- Cape Coral police arrested snooze button on her alarm at beat her in the head and face as fighting in the dining room. ver Chevy pickup and drive Leroy Christopher Furgeson, 5:30 a.m., she heard a noise and she screamed for help, officials The first woman attempted to away. The second woman also 25, of 1733 Emerald Cove, and saw a large, black male standing said in a prepared statement. stop the assailant by jumping on See , ARREST, page 3A ATAGLANCE FLORIDA AROUND THE AREA NEWS OF NOTE LOTTERY WHAT’S INSIDE Sun Splash opens March 21 Sounds of Jazz and Blues Cash 3: Annie’s Mailbox........8A Nation/World......6A Sun Splash Family Waterpark will open The 20th Annual Sounds of Jazz & Blues 4-6-7/ 5-2-2 for the 2009 season on March 21, the first will be held March 28 at Jaycee Park, 4215 Cape Life............7A Obituaries..........3A Play 4: day of spring. And for the first time in park S.E. 20th Place. It will feature national Classifieds.............1-6B Police Blotter......2A 9-9-5-9 / 4-7-5-9 history, Sun Splash is offering special recording artist Wayman Tisdale and New “Early Bird” pricing for season passes. Orleans Blues Band “The Leeves.” Gates Comics.............10A Sports..........11-13A Fantasy 5: "Early Bird” season passes, which will open at 3 p.m.