I. : islands celebrate see page 2 Week of July 4-10, 2002 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 29, NUMBER 26, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS -~ *\ to © Sni!-<!';ip 11 n.; works. Sy Dawn deSoer the notice was hand delivered June 20 had "no comment" to make about the Port iViver;: River rest, lEditoi- to the agencies' businesses offices. notice issued or city employees found all ilik Fourth of July. During and after the inspection, the in the parking lots of the agencies, - 16 The city's attorney broke silence ° A consent final agencies given 24-hour notice got no "1 can't say anything different than I --•See page 2 judgment filed Monday, two weeks after the city man- satisfaction from the city in answer to said before," Wyckoff said Monday May last year in ager sent notice to three island rental why the request for records 12 months after the city showed up at agency Rally Circuit Court agencies of audit and inspection by after a consent final judgment granted offices with requests for records. "All I brought 14 rental code enforcement on June 21. amnesty rental agencies facing alleged can say is that at this particular con- > Vil!'"_. agencies to terms "We're trying to do our job to en- violations of city housing codes. juncture, I have no comment." force the ordinances and pursue the Code enforcement and Planning Get a jump on the rest. with the city of July last year, 14 on-tsland agencies Sanibel regarding city's right," said City Attorney Doug Department Director Bruce Rogers, Wyckoff, stepping away from the who conducted the inspection, directed —See page 19 alleged housing See LAW violations. city's stance of "no comment" since all questions to the city attorney, who page 19 School cited with 95 codi to Mote Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission discovers dolphin troubled by By Erik Burriss shark bites. Staff writer —Sec page 4 Ranging from missing wall clocks to ;\ had IOOI, school dis- i id inspector fouiul almost 100 code violation;, dining a Sepluu- immediate dangers to health bt safety and all are scheduled to be repaired by early 2005. Many will Saving our islands be taken care of during the for our tomorrows. school's upcoming renovation. "If something is a big deal, we get to it right away," , district spokesman John Dattolla said. The cost to fix the problems PAGE range from nothing — for missing • 3 • documentation on bomb and fire drills — to $30,000 to repair one of the roofs. The total bill is esti- mated at $201,573. More than While 40-mile- three-quarters of the items will Let freedom ring an-hour winds cost under $ 1,000 to fix. brought the tents Many of the deficiencies, espe- From days past to today. down late Friday cially in the resttooms, are related afternoon, they to handicap accessibility, which —See page 5 were back on the the district's inspectors looked at beach Saturday for a memorial volley- ; . See CITED. ball tournament. •• ; : ' • •••'•' : page-, 12 Sanibel Island; A city'of volunteers, a circle of friends' —See page 9 By Mike Hannan Turkey, Russia, India and other countries that time. Staff writer have had the ill-fortune to suffer earthquakes, City government — except for elected offi- typhoons, radiation leaks, poisonous gas leaks cials — is usually not an occasion for volun- Americans are noted for volunteering their and any number of serious disasters. teerism, but Sanibelis not typical. There afe' time, money and blood, more than any other On Sanibel, its residents have done much eight official city, Shared Vision committees nation in the world. Americans invented the the same for a sanctuary island. This is not an with approximately 120 members. These com- e PERMITS&DEEUS page 3 Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps. We are exhaustive study, but a sampling of island ser- mittees don't include the quasi-committees like e OBITUARIES page 4 typically the first country to come to the aid of vice clubs and nonprofits in understanding how disaster victims in places like Nicaragua, Sanibel citizens react to the giving of their See VOLUNTEERS » TIDES page 4 •••.'.' • • : page 15 • OP-ED PAGE .page 5 , • LOOKING BACK page 6 •» ENVIRONMENT page 7 • BUSINESS page 8 o HEALTH PAGC page 8 « DATELINE page .9 » TV LISTINGS page 12 :? » CLASSIFIEDS page 17 2 • Week of July 4-10 2002 • ISLAND REPORTER City • Karen Nelson & State • Dawn deBoer !! Islands celebrate ! 60th anniversary . Fourth of July events Historical marker lands at At 9:30 a.m., at the comer of Buckingham Army Airfield Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle On July 5, the Lee County Board of Way, the islands' parade kicks off County Commissioners and Lee County July 4 with more than 70 entries. Mosquito Control District conducts a Parade marshals are Col. (Ret.) 60th anniversary celebration at a cere- Bob Janes, U.S. Army; Lt. Col. (Ret.) mony of the activation of the Ted Tyson, Air Force; Major (Ret.) Buckingham Army Air Field. Chuck York, Marine Corps; Capt. The facility, currently headquarters (Ret.) Edward Meyers, U.S. Navy; for the Lee County Mosquito Control Sanibel Fire Chief Rich Dickerson District, is at 15191 Homestead Road in and retired Sanibel Police Chief Lew Lehigh Acres. The ceremony begins at Phillips. 11 a.m. The Shriners' Rolling Thunder, a Master of ceremonies, former Florida group of retired military men riding legislator and county commissioner 30 motorcycles, start the parade with Frank Mann, will be joined by officials a roar as they lead the way down from the Experimental Aircraft Periwinkle. Association, Florida Warbirds, Squadron _J The ripple effect Amy Fleming photo 24 and Lee County veterans, some of Independence nibbles Stella Farwell and her painted firetruck whom served at the base during its three Patriotic art hits the road years of existence from 1942 to 1945. The Sanibel Community House of "Patriotism Project." Not only did it By Amy Fleming provide car owners with a new look, it The ceremony concludes with the serves up free lemonade to parade unveiling of a new historical marker for participants and spectators as early as Staff writer raised money for a variety of charities. "It all started after Sept. 11," Farwell placement on the grounds. 9:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., Rich Calabrese From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can and the SCA Galley cooks up burgers Consider it a mobile art exhibition. If said. "I wanted some way of displaying you've spent any time at all on either my feelings of patriotism." So she got to view photographs and memorabilia from and hot dogs with sodas and chips to this 1940s base with World War II vehi- boot, until 2 p.m. Stop by before and Captiva or Sanibel, you must have seen work removing the yellow ribbons and the be-ribbonned and spangled brigade stars from her own vehicle and replaced cles and airplanes on hand for public after the 23rd Sanibel-Captiva viewing. Optimist Club Road Rally which of automobiles sporting their snazzy it with a red, white, and blue design. takes off at noon, July 4, in front of decals. Or if (heaven forbid) you need From there, the project mushroomed as The ceremony is open to the public the J. Howard Wood Theatre. the services of the Captiva Fire District, residents and visitors from all over the and area citizens are encouraged to Registration's from 11 a.m. to noon. expect a pumper like you've never seen country wanted to have thier cars attend the festivities. before. Sanibel-Iona Boy Scout Troop 140 decalled as well. makes hot dogs and sodas available Captiva resident Stella Farwell, the "I didn't feel right taking money, so I for a donation at Jerry's Shopping designing mind behind all those eye- New area code Center. The troop is raising money catching vehicles, recently completed 20 See PATRIOTIC • Lee and Collier counties for a camping trip to Minnesota, and cars and two Captiva fire engines as part page 14 Jerry's Supermarket is donating the hot dogs, buns and sodas. S Public hearing, and trauma services is sched- November referendum. Lee The Lee. Memorial Health Sights by night uled 5 p.m., July 9, in the Memorial Health System's System is seeking a cost- Fireworks light up the night sky July 9' Lee County Commission Board of Directors voted in effective way to protect and with the city of Sanibel's display at chambers. Commissioners favor of a sales tax to help improve the community's A hearing for comment on, are to vote for placement of sustain Lee County's emer- emergency network. • dusk off Bailey Beach with best this-issue on Hie ballot for a gency and trauma services. viewing from the bay or the public funding emergency • * Causeway. On Captiva, South Seas Resort provides a display, and Fort Myers Beach explodes with one of its own at dusk. STATE OF AFFAIRS'* Exploding'firewoiicg cause B9i City of Fort Myers hosts a Fourth ; • Danger explodes group of friends playing with fireworks. fire burning as hot as 1,800 degrees irre- of July Riverfest with bands in Fireworks, bottle rockets, Roman can- sistible to touch. Medical reports nation- Centennial Park downtown and dles and sparklers account for the majori- wide indicate injuries continue to occur across the river in North Fort Myers. More than 8,500 fireworks-related injuries occur with more than 2,000 eye ty of injuries. For children under the age because people don't know how danger- Fireworks on the Caloosahatchee off ous fireworks can be.