Red tide Breakfast options Fantasy baseball || page 11 page 26 .'.J" JANUARY 21, 1999 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 4 island 40 PAGES Nude beach Vice mayor's opponents pack city hall website revealed ByPattiePace Reaction/page 5 Staff Writer Editor's note/page 6 It started with a meeting of eight con- cerned women several weeks ago and grew By Dawn Grodsky into an aggressive telephone campaign Editor designed to pack Sanibel City Council chambers with islanders opposed to the Colincilmember Andrew Reding is island's unofficial nude beach. defending his right to privacy after his The plan worked. personal'Internet website address was Michael Pistella When a roomful of citizens stood in anonymously sent to news media and A standing-room-only crowd fills MacKenzie Hall as force against what was described as esca- politicians in Fort Myers. Merrill Taylor addresses the Sanibel City Council lating, aggressive sexual behavior at Silver Reding said the website, which does Tuesday about her concerns of nudists at Bowman's Key and "Bowman's Beach, the city council not contain his name or mention Beach. Sanibel Vice Mayor Andrew Reding has been listened. So did the police chief, who A. Reding Sanibel Island but includes partially under fire since his personal website, which contains O See Website, page 4 partially nude photos of himself, was made public. D> See Nude, page 8 lsKind (.ommunuv " llillelnamll saui As lo specilically why he\s tunning, he said he bcljeyes he's qualified to do By Puttie Pace the-\vork and was asked byseveial res- Staff Writer idents. The first official contender for George Madison's vacate "I have had a lot of experience working with teams and organizations ed seat on the Sanibel City Council announced his candi- and groups of people. I have experi- dacy Monday. Bill Hillebrandt, newly appointed planning ence.in finding common ground, find- commissioner, 14-year resident and former president of the ing ways for people to work together Sanibel/Captiva Conservation Foundation, has made his and people think .that's an attribute. I formal bid to replace Madison, who resigned in a letter to Hillebrandt feel very strongly about the reason why the press following the Jan. 4 council meeting with two Sanibel is Sanibel...." years remaining on his unexpired four-year term. "And it's the job of citizens to once in a while step for- Hillebrandt announced his candidacy and named Bob ward and take on a position of leadership," Hillebrandt Wigley as his campaign chair in a press release hand deliv- said. ered Monday morning. He added that he supports the city's priorities — the Michael Pistella "When I was appointed to the planning commission last sewer system, the causeway — "but sometimes it's not so Bert Porreca, 100, gets a balloon from year, I expected to serve there for at least two years. much what we're working on but how we work on it that Bonnie Mahlbacher and Mallory Barde of However, the recent vacancy on the city council has the Montessori school. Please, see page 19. caused me to rethink how I can best serve our special E> See Council, page 9 Native frees, plants Chamber searches for saved from bulldozer new executive director ByPattiePace By Pattie Pace Staff Writer Staff Writer The spirit of cooperation and environmental preserva- The Santbel/Captiva Islands Chamber oi Commerce tion helped save more than 200 palm trees along with an Search Committee has placed an ad thus week for a new array of small, native plants from behind the Island Water executive director to head the organization. Association. Following a contentious special election in November, "They look like a bunch of cigars right now, but we the newly seated board of directors levicwed Executive were told they will get fronds on top," said Carol Director David Besse's contract and told him that, as writ- Gpldwasser, director of the Lee County Toll Facilities. ten, it wouldn't be renewed About 100 trees were transplanted on the causeway Besse has chosen not to stay on in the position islands and near the toll booths, as well as 63 "at.the." "I have in writing told Victor Mayeron that I won't Donax Sewer Plant, 14 at the Sanibel/Captiva reapply. The chamber staff knows about it," he said, Conservation Foundation, more than 10 at the J.N. adding that he currently has no official plans for the future. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge and an Undeter- Mayeron said that board treasurer Jeiry Stern, who is mined number on private property, according to fed also an attorney, is working on rewriting (he contract Browning of Browning's Nursery and Landscaping. By notifying Besse of its intent, Mayeron said the boaid "It's a win/win situation for everybody. There's proba- has met its contractual obligations to Besse bly going to be a 96 to 98 percent salvage rate from the •TWA site," said Browning, whose Im'mokalee-based com- Campaign promise gone awry pany specializes in transplanting sabal palms. Browning Aftei tunning on a pledge to amend the chambci chaiter Brothers Palms,' Inc., the nursery's sister company, also to iesluct membership to on-island businesses, ihe new provides more than 400 salvaged sabal palms a week to boaid was unable to garnei enough votes Ui achieve its area nurseries from Marco Island up to Sarasota. Michael Pistella goal. The sun sets over new palm trees trans- Accoidmg to long-lime board IVKMUIHM f noser Arp, 10 t> See Trees, page 3 planted to the Sanibel Causeway. votes were needed and the count was 9-5 with one absten- tion and one board member absent. Z.d. JANUABY 2.1...1999. Q , ISLANDS PQBTER. You're e a t h e r City notes reading the official High Low Rain a longer interval. Jan.13 82 59 Tower ordinance The second public hearing was contin- newspaper of Jan.14 80 59 ued until 10 a.m. Feb. 2. Jan. 15 78 59 moves forward the islands. Jan. 16 82 59 86 63 The Sanibel City Council agreed to Jan.17 move forward toward adopting the Co-op complies Jan. 18 78 60 The city council unanimously agreed 80 60 Planning Department's draft resolution Jan, 19 designed to bring the city in compliance that Lee County Electric Cooperative's BOAT with the 1996 Federal Telecommunications proposal for replacing overhead transmis- Act. Council members instructed Planning sion lines and upgrading its existing power RIDES Rain fall for January 1.1 inches so far. station by doubling its size is in compliance Director Bruce Rogers to amend the plan to Cabbage Key, Cayo Costa Note: Rainfall levels are recorded from the with the Sanibel Plan. making it necessary for each applicant to and North Captiva morning of the day given to the following morn- undergo a public hearing for each tower it Engineering representatives convinced ing. proposes building. councilmembers that an underground trans- Source: Sanibel/Captiva Islands mission line would not be practical or eco- 472-5800 Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Rogers will add language explaining that all towers 150 feet tall or nomically feasible. higher must be lit by an alternating or Jensen's EVIarina blinking red light, with the off cycle being — Pattie Pace Gaptiva Island Guaranteed Access To Comprehensive UfecareNow! One Tear Money Back Guarantee! 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We got the palms lor free'and Browning relocated them at a reasonable cosl. They saved the city about half of what it would normally cost," Derowitsch said. Sixty-three trees fron • * -.'itaW Browning said thai because he didn't have to buy the the old Island Wate r ;%."!i trees, he- was able to offer them to the county and trans- Association plant them -for about $60 per tree.