11NLUC.A Everything you need to know about the islands 6C Arts & \f{f i^ra. SB At Large 5A Citysfcfe- -raft Classifieds 9C Commentary 1C Crossword 9C A smash hit Big weekend Environment 10B Police Beat 2A Pirate Playhouse's Several events Recreation 3C Scuba Scoop 4A season opener help kick off Weather Watch 4A called a 'laugh-athon' holiday season 4A 05OC65S3 1 01 SUN 1 10/11/93 SANIBEL 2401 LIBRARY WAY ,..<ce 1961 Still first on Sanibel and Captiva VOL. 31, NO. 47 TUESDAY, NOV. 24, 1992 THREE SECTIONS, 44 PAGES 50 CENTS City tightening Coming attraction boating laws By Frances Adams This colorful crea- Islander staff writer tion by Autumn De- Through stricter boating regulations, Sanibel is attempt- Frank of Englewood, ing give greater weight to preservational rights rather than Fla., is just a sam- ple of the works that recreational rights. will be featured at With more and more people claiming the right of enjoy- the annual Barrier ing its unique environment, Sanibel is claiming it must Island Group for the first protect the right of preserving what is here -- preser- Arts Fair to be held vation of peace, safety, health, property and natural envi- this Friday and Sat- ronment, of wildlife, marine life and plant life. urday, Nov. 27 and The City Council at its Nov. 17 meeting reviewed a 28, at the Sanibel proposed ordinance that would, among other things, des- Community Center. ignate a great number of idle- and slow-speed zones. The creation of these special zones brought up an equally great Goncesa ~-the requirement that the zones be posted with navigational warnings. This requirement could, Vice Mayor Wally Kain said, create a "ring of signs" around thr island. He likened the sight of so many signs to th< "an asparagus field." Proposed idle-speed zones include any area which ha been duly designated as a manatee sanctuary area, any Ecology or snobbery? canal or canal entrance, and within 300 feet of a beach area where swimmers are present, the Sanibel boat ramp ar Views on proposed Sanibel fish netting restrictions differ the fishing pier. Proposed slow-speed (through-the-water speed less than 8 By Steve Ruediger nets, shrimp trawl nets, dipnets, landing nets and scien- mph) zones include manatee sanctuary areas so posted, any Islander staff writer tific research nets. interior water body other than a canal, within 300 feet of Sanibel officials and residents went before the Florida This proposal was developed by the city of Sanibel and any mangrove area or bird rookery, within the city bound- Marine Fisheries Commission representatives Wednesday, is supported by the J.N. "Ding" Darling Refuge and by a aries at Blind Pass Bridge to 1/4 mile offshore from Nov. 18, to present their plan for a conservation zone to variety of conservation groups. Most of the refuge would Wulfert Point (including Sunset Bay and Dinkins Bayou^ restrict net fishing in some Sanibel waters. be within the zone. and within 1/4 mile offshore of nearly all of Sanibe Commercial fisherman were also at the hearing. They Tim Gardner, speaking for the Sanibel-Captiva Audubon bayous, creeks, bays, lakes and the J.N. "Ding" Darli said it looked to them like an example of rich people who Society, said that according to state figures there has been National Wildlife Refuge. do not want to look out their windows and see fishermen. a recent drastic decline in the survival of spawning mullet. City Attorney Bob Pritt told the council to "get use< They questioned whether mullet fisheries were on the de- He said fisherman have been seen ramming the mangroves the idea" of posting signs in all the areas, because cline and said that if they were, it could be from the chem- to drive fish out and hitting the trees with baseball bats. you're going to have speed zones, then you're goiis ical runoff from the lawns and golf courses of the wealthy He said many of them ignore speed limits in posted mana- have to post them." people of Sanibel. tee protection zones. Among other topics before the commission was a pro- Please see NETTING, page 14A Please see BOATING, page posal to close the south side of the Caloosahatchee River near Shell Point Village to fishing during mullet roe sea- son. The north side is already closed. Hearing the testimony at the Wednesday night meeting : -•• '•• : " ' I at Bishop Verot High School were Dr. Thomas Fraser, chairman of the commission; two staff members; and Maj. Jerry Thomas, who is in charge of the Florida Ma- rine Patrol in this area. A report and recommendations will be prepared for the It's a big job full commission, which will probably not hear them until With the passing of February, 1993. After the full commission adopts a posi- the gavel, former tion, if that position involves changing the state rules, it Mayor Mike Miracle, will go before the Florida governor and cabinet. right, made it per- More time was spent Wednesday on the Sanibel request fectly clear to new than on any other single item. Sanibel Mayor Mark The proposal itself was presented by Rob Loghlin, the "Bird" Westall what city of Sanibel Conservation Officer. The proposal is that a big job he is un- a conservation zone be established which would run from dertaking. Woodring Point along the mangrove fringe of the bay side of Sanibel to the western end of the island. At that point it would extend out to include the Wulfert Keys. It would Photo by FRAN ADAMS then go down the center of Blind Pass and would include Clam Bayou. Within that zone, all residential and commercial finfish netting would be prohibited, with the exception of cast- < All the following information was taken directly The television cable company was notified Nov. 21 by CM from Sanibel Police Department reports. police about a cable down on the West Gulf Drive bike POLICE path. CC A Fort Myers resident apparently didn't notice Sanibel UJ Q while out boating early Monday morning, Nov. 23. Po- BEAT There was loud music at 8:11 a.m., Nov. 21, on South lice found him and his boat 90 feet up on the beach near Yachtsman Drive. Police showed up and the music was 1 the Sanibel Lighthouse at 2:27 a.m. The man said he had turned down. gotten lost and had been going about 50 mph when his 0 29-foot-long boat hit the beach. The man planned to get a Police responded to a 1 a.m. noise complaint on Egret Robert J. Majewski of Princeton, Mass., was charged crane and a trailer to recover his boat from the beach. Circle Nov. 22 and a man turned his radio down. Nov. 21 with going 63 mph on the Sanibel Causeway. CM A boy left his bicycle near a Sanibel school bus stop on Police drove a Sanibel woman home Saturday, Nov. 21, Sgt. Michael Murray and Officer Brent Cada participated 8 Thursday, Nov. 19, and then forgot it. When he went to after her ear stalled at Periwinkle Way and Lindgren Friday, Nov. 20, in a Law Enforcement Against Drunk get it Sunday it was gone. Boulevard. Drivers spot check of drivers in North Fort Myers. Several DUI arrests were made. A window on the car of a Virginia visitor was broken by A Summerland Key resident lost his wallet Nov. 21 on a falling coconut at Castaway's Resort Sunday, Nov. 22. Sanibel. Police on Nov. 20 helped a Fort Myers motorist who I was out of gas on Sanibel-Captiva Road. There was a noise complaint Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. about A Captiva woman expressed concern Nov. 21 for her the unloading of a scjd truck at Wulfert. The workman said husband who was attempting to bicycle home from the he was unaware of the Sunday noise ordinance. mainland and who was overdue. He eventually made it. Please see BEAT, page 15A <SanibE.LDi.Land Ecumenical Cot a Rolex Owners ADD DIAMOND ELEGANCE Retail Nursery Center LIMOUSINE Thanksgiving Eve TO YOUR WATCH Your Sanibel TASTE for Custom Diamond Dills $55040 Just past Ding Darling CiVclShTriks Service Custom Diamond Bads MMJW Connection Change tour Dial Color $U5J>0 on Sanibel Captiva Road Special Rolen overhaul* <£ cleaning nonnally J2504350 (across from Sanibel Elementary) AIRPORT PICKUP 7:30 pm, Wednesday, November 25 Nmv Omit $149. ALL WORK GUARANTEED SUMMMER HOURS WE SERVICE ALL Sanibel United Church of Christ Dial TUES-FRI10-4 FLORIDA AIRPORTS! 2050 Periwinkle Way SAT 9-12 Music: Mr. Val Parker.Preaching: The Rev. Wm Dodd 395-0300 We hope you will join with us in giving thanks to God Hart of the Island Plui 472-1370 •472- for this nation and her people. Code 306 1620 Periwinkle Way Sinlhd III. R 33937 472-1454 PLAY AND WIN! E A D|D L L| o R| N|S o1 1 lo o| 1 R |o |H|E N u 1 IOI o| z Tj IRIOIT E IOIOI O z L c [H HVIE B A w E NEAR BEACH SURFSIDE 12 1 IOI o o E 3/2 ground level home has deep lot This three bedroom/two bath gulf |I|G _Rj E A with 44 Sabal Palms. View of lake. Den front condo has it all. Top floor, HL or 3rd bedroom. Room for a pool. cathedral ceilings, pool, tennis and a o | o| I O Excellent value at $207,500. Call fabulous view. Call Mary Jane _Fj W T |D D Sherry Vartdal.