A 040909 Breeze Thursday
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Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com Inside today’s SER VING CAPE C ORA L, PINE ISLAND & N. FT. MYERS Breeze APE ORAL RR eal C C l E s MARKETER state Your complete Cape Coral, Lee County 5 Be edroo Acce om Sa real estate guide ess Ho ailboa N om at OR m t TH E e DI e TI ! AP ON ! RI ! L 23, 2 2009 COVER AILY REEZE PRESENTED B D B See Page Y WONDERLAND REA 9 LTY WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Clear • Saturday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 95 Friday, April 24, 2009 50 cents Home prices down, sales up in metro area for March Florida association releases its report “The buyers are going after the foreclosures.” — Paula Hellenbrand, president of the By GRAY ROHRER area fell to $88,500, the lowest of Foreclosures are again the main Cape Coral Association of Realtors [email protected] all the 20 Florida metro areas con- culprit for decreased home prices, A report released Thursday by tained in the report. The number but they are also the reason home the Florida Association of Realtors reflects a 9 percent decrease from sales are increasing. California-based company that gath- Hellenbrand said the sales activi- told a familiar story for the local February and a 58 percent drop “The buyers are going after the ers foreclosure data, the Cape Coral- ty is greater in Cape Coral than in housing market — home prices are from March 2008. foreclosures,” said Paula Fort Myers metro area had the Fort Myers because there was a down, but sales are up, way up. Home sales nearly tripled from Hellenbrand, president of the Cape nation’s third-highest rate of foreclo- heftier concentration of new homes The March median sales price last year, with 1,464 single-family Coral Association of Realtors. sures in the first quarter, with one in constructed in the Cape during the for existing single-family homes in homes sold compared to 501 in According to a report released every 26 homes receiving a foreclo- peak of the housing market. the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro March 2008. earlier this week from Realty Trac, a sure filing. See HOMES, page 8A Certified to save lives Bokeelia nursery owner remembered for generous heart Services set for Saturday By CONNOR HOLMES “My mom’s dream was to [email protected] Robert Dean Murray’s life may have her own tropical have ended near a Cape Coral canal fruit nursery. My father Wednesday, but the spirit by which and mother are both kind he lived remains a thriving memory and generous to people in the minds of family, friends and in need.” the community of Bokeelia, where he was known as a giving and self- — Lianne Murray, daughter less individual. of Robert Dean Murray Murray, 71, and his wife, Vivian, had been married 51 years. said, are well-known for the suc- The couple settled in Bokeelia in cessful tropical fruit business on 1972 when they opened Treehouse Harbor Boulevard and their charity Nursery, according to their daugh- to the less fortunate. ter, Lianne Murray. “My mom’s dream was to have Robert and Vivian Murray, she See GENEROUS, page 8A Mid-Cape Racquet CONNOR HOLMES Primary diver Ryan Connor and safety diver Jason Polar of the Cape Coral Fire planning fund-raiser Department enact a mock rescue from a submerged vehicle Thursday. Cape Coral firefighters and others for longtime member suit up for training in water rescue Proceeds to help family By CONNOR HOLMES pay for medical expenses [email protected] The baby firefighter Ryan Connor pulled from a By DREW WINCHESTER submerged vehicle in Crystal Lake in northwest Cape [email protected] To go Coral Thursday afternoon was not real. He was one of the original members. What The vehicle the child car seat sat in was a construc- Tennis fund-raiser for tion of PVC pipes. He was there when Mid-Cape Chuck Williams and family But the water rescue training session left Connor Racquet and Health Club was a and 11 other firefighters stationed throughout the city fledgling business, when it was not When prepared to save real lives. a health club, just a place where Saturday, May 2, The Cape Coral Fire Department’s Dive Rescue tennis enthusiasts gathered to battle from 9 a.m.-noon Team, with core dive technicians stationed out of Fire across the nets. Where Station 2 on Nicholas Parkway, responded to 93 Now, Chuck Williams is fight- Mid-Cape Tennis water-related incidents in 2008, according to statistics ing for his life, and the owners of and Racquet Club, from the Cape Coral Fire Rescue and Emergency Mid-Cape Racquet and Health 1300 Ceitus Terrace Management Services Marine Committee. want to give back to one of their Information Of those calls, 26 were cars submerged in canals oldest and dearest customers. Call 573-3210 and 24 were drownings or near drownings. “He’s been a friend to many The fire department responded to 79 water-related people here. You remember that ing a fund-raiser, a calls in 2007. Safety diver Jason Polar and line tender when he’s one of the first people in “Chuckapalooza,” to help the door,” said Bob Lynch, owner In one scenario during Thursday’s training, Connor Mike Sandoval bring to shore a fake baby Williams and his family while was the primary diver searching the mock vehicle, of the Cape Coral club. “He’s been in a car seat, rescued by primary diver Williams battles stage four brain while Jason Polar served as a safety diver and Mike coming here on a regular basis cancer. Ryan Connor during a mock rescue from since the beginning.” The family found itself in a See RESCUE, page 8A a submerged vehicle Thursday. Lynch and the club are throw- See MEDICAL, page 8A Golf tourney to benefit Cape High Model UN team 16 of the 22 students received awards. Shirakawa said the event To go Students competed at Washington, D.C. hosted 1,000 students from across the country. What By MCKENZIE CASSIDY ences across the United States. gans and other raffle and team Friends of the Seahawks Before traveling to Washington, [email protected] Fund-raising events such as the golf prizes. Spring Scramble 2009 D.C., the team competed at the The Model United Nations Club tournament May 3 at Palmetto Pines Kylee Shirakawa, newly elected When at Cape Coral High School is host- Country Club help to offset traveling president of Cape High’s Model UN Southwest Florida Model United Sunday, May 3, ing a golf tournament in May to costs. team, said the team has performed Nations conference at Florida Gulf from noon-6 p.m. Coast University. Two students raise money so the club can travel Individual players can participate well in national competitions. Where across the United States for compe- in the spring scramble for $80 and a “This year we’ve competed in earned college scholarships — one winning a 120-hour scholarship to Palmetto Pines Country titions. team can sign up for $300. five conferences,” she said. Club, 1940 S.W. Ninth Court Twenty-two students in the club Players can also face off for the In March, the team competed in FGCU and the other a $1,500 to any Closest to the Pin Award and A the Washington (D.C.) Area Model school. Information spend the school year studying inter- Call 574-6766 national issues and attending confer- Luck and Skills challenge, mulli- United Nations conference where See STUDENTS, page 8A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE City manager is keynote DUI checkpoint scheduled Annie’s Mailbox ..10A Nation ................9A A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled Florida speaker at civic meeting for this weekend, beginning today. Business ................7A Obituary ............2A The Cape Coral Civic Association will The operation will take place in an undis- meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Cape Coral Classifieds ..........1-6B Police Blotter ....2A Lottery closed location in Lee County as the sher- CASH 3: Yacht Club. iff’s office continues its commitment to get- Comics ............14A Sports ........15-17A 6-1-4 / 4-0-7 City Manager Terry Stewart is the keynote ting impaired drivers off roadways, and in Crossword........14A State ..................5A PLAY 4: speaker. He will talk about a variety of issues support of education efforts such as the 5-2-1-3 / 7-8-2-3 including the proposed public service taxes Dr. Donohue ....10A Today in History ..6A national “Drunk Driving. Over the limit. Fantasy 5 and proposed fire assessment options that Under Arrest” campaign. Editorial..............4A TV Listings....11-13A 14-28-29-33-36 have been suggested to city council as a Lotto Checkpoint emphasis is placed on means of meeting the budget shortfall. removing impaired drivers from roadways, Horoscopes........6A Weather ............2A 6-9-18-36-46-53 There will be an opportunity for the audi- Florida Powerball reducing the likelihood impaired drivers will 15-22-30-37-48 ence to ask Stewart questions if time permits. operate vehicles on roadways, heightening PB 12 x 2 Civic meetings are provided free of charge awareness and educating the public on the to the public. Refreshments are served after dangers of drunk driving. the meeting. Checkpoints are part of ongoing efforts 7 48445 46010 1 For information, call 945 4658. to curb traffic fatalities, injuries and crashes. Page 2A Friday, April 24, 2009 cape-coral-daily-breeze.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE POLICE BLOTTER (The police blotter contains innocent until proven guilty in a with reckless driving, drive I Charlene Mae Florida, 47, N.W.