HTv»in The island's newspaper of record V"\ '_ ' -' { ' [2 Bunnies! Page 20 Week of July 10-16,2003 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 30, NUMBER 28, 20 PAGES 75 CENTS DOH lifts advisory Island had a By Kate Thompson Island serves enough Staff writer watermelon, hot dogs, Less than five days after issuing warn- ings, the Florida Department of Health chips and drinks to feed announced it's safe again to swim at Sanibel Lighthouse Park Beach. an army While pink warning signs were posted June 26, further testing was done June 30. Donna T. Schuman The results weren't available last week Staff writer before the paper came out but by the time it was out, the information was on the Sanibel's first Community street, it was outdated and the signs now Independence Day Picnic proved to be have been taken down. both a successful and fun-filled event for the 2,500 residents who attended. Tests completed July 1 indicate that The picnic, which immediately fol- the level of enterococcus bacterial at lowed the Independence Day parade, Sanibel Lighthouse Park Beach has was held at the Sanibel Community returned to compliance with the Association. The day's events , which Environmental Protection Agency's rec- were organized by Sanibel's Department ommended standard. of Recreation, included foot races and The Environmental Engineering foul shooting contests as well as a mar- Department of the Lee County Health tial arts demonstration by Paco Dolz and Department posted warnings June 26 at dancers from BIG Arts. Lighthouse Park Beach, to let people know that the water quality did not meet "If there was one word to describe the EPA criteria for enterococcus bacteria. event, it would be 'great,'" said Ted Top: The line at the This means water contact may pose an Tyson, a member of the Sanibel Fourth Community increased risk of disease, particularly for of July Parade Committee. "It was great Independence Day susceptible individuals. to see everybody: the kids had a good Picnic for a few of the time and the music was excellent."" 2/128 hot dogs Enterococcus bactena nomnilly mluh- By the end of the day, more than served. i and -ant- • '2,i28*ftor dogs, 2,974 beverages, 2,000 Amy Fleming photo mals. The presence of an elevated con- bags of chips and 40 watermelons had centration, however, is an indicator of been consumed. The food was served by Right: CROW opera- pollution, which may come from volunteers from The Lions Club, the tions manager Anita stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, or Rotary Club, and the Community Pinder, right, dressed sewage. Enterococcus bacteria concentra- Church. Big Arts provided the picnickers as a pelican, assists tion has been correlated with swimming- with frozen treats. Jerry's Foods and board member Sheryl associated gastroenteritis illness (diarrhea Bailey's provided the food. Bottled Lesch with her bur- and abdominal pain). water was donated by Billy's Rentals. rowing owl costume "In this case, we know we had quite a "People really seemed to enjoy the in preparation for significant rainfall early in the week," food, drink, and all the games," Tyson Friday's parade. said Gary Maier, director of the said. Environmental Engineering Department. As for next years picnic, Tyson said, Erik Burriss photo "The stormwater runoff did affect all the "We're gonna make it bigger and better. beaches with higher concentrations than The picnic had a great start this year. It's normal in all Lee County." a great thing to follow the parade." Maier said only the Lighthouse Park Beach on Sanibel, however, actually vio- lated the standard. A gastroenteritis illness rate between two and four percent is possible with an elevated enterococcus concentration. This means that two to four swimmers per 100 Two Island Reporter staffers might get a gastroenteritis illness. When Our Town: the enterococcus concentration meets win Press Association awards EPA's recommended criteria, the gas- By the numbers troenteritis illness rate is expected to be A pair of Island Reporter staff egory in the under-7,000 circula- less than two percent and is considered members brought home awards tion division. Former staff writer acceptable. from the Florida Press and current managing editor Erik For more information, view the web- Association's 2002 Better Weekly Burriss won second place in the site at www.doh.state.fl.us and select Newspaper Contest last week. Staff environmental/conservation report- Beach Water Quality from the pull down writer Mike Hannan's column ing category for the series of arti- menu or contact the Lee County Health "There are some things I just don't cles he wrote about the efforts to Department at 939-4245. understand: Golf won second save the mangroves on Clam place in the humorous column cat- Bayou. .'•nilCft IN THE NEWS « ENVIRONMENT page 20 County news The more things Market news • LOOKING BACK page 8 Change Commissioners schedule Options for selling your • OPINION page 5 hearings on property No major changes multi-million dollar • BUSINESS Paee9 taxes, LeeWay tolls planned for a pair of home and what has hap- *• 6 island institutions oper- pened with property val- ues over the last year Sanibei U.S. Florida • DATELINE ; page 8 — See page 2 ating under new owner- ship. • TV LISTINGS page 13 _ See page 9 — Seepage 10 Source: U^.ttnsu', Surf an » CLASSIFIEDS .....page 17 2 • Week of July 10-16, 2003 • ISLAND REPORTER ISLAND REPORTER • Week of July 10-16, 2003 • 3 CITY • COUNTY • STATE money for ten low-income elderly Zonta hands out female volunteers to go Franklin Park $17k in grants Elementary and North Fort Myers Calusa social structure The Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva is Academy of the Arts. Volunteers will Regional planners don't distributing of over $17,000 to 16 differ- tutor at risk students. Funds are a ent area organizations benefiting women cash match. allowed for much treasure and children. Zonta's big fundraiser is • Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers: want to look like east coast "A Peek at the Unique" tour of select $1,100. Purchase computer and Last week, Part II of the Islands' histo- did not change from generation to genera- Sanibel homes. The proceeds of this printer to coordinate elderly services: ry focused on the Calusa as settlers, tion. The Calusa society was largely By Kate Thompson square feet of office space, 15,000 square annual event help the organization con- home maintenance, shopping, etc. sailors, and fighters. This week's install- closed to other cultures with the exception Staff writer feet of recreational and marina related tinue their support women and chil- • Lehigh Acres Literacy Council: $500 ment focuses on the Calusa social system. of slaves. Except for females, however, development. Located at the intersection dren's causes in Lee County. This ser- for tutoring English as Second the Calusa didn't keep slaves for very Recognizing that southwest Florida is of County Road 951 and Immokalee vice fulfills one of the five objectives of Language students, primarily young By Michael Hannan long. If they couldn't ransom them, they going to be a "very popular place" for Road, the development is on a site that Zonta International: to improve the Hispanic Women. Staff writer killed them. Of the more than 200 Spanish growth, members of the Southwest Florida Rock has been mining for the past legal, political, economic, educational, • Partners for Breast Cancer Care: prisoners the Calusa took, only about 25 Florida Regional Planning Council are 28 years. Florida Rock will continue to health and professional status of $2,640. Breast biopsy for four low- As with many native tribes, the Calusa were returned alive. considering ways to review new projects mine while development occurs. women. Recipients of the 2003 Grant income, non-insured women never evolved beyond fishers-hunters- As is often the case, religion and art are and tackle the issue of affordable housing. One of the issues for DRIs is whether program are: • Planned Parenthood: $2,000. For gathers; however, their rich food supply intertwined, and the Calusa were no They're also concerned about the taxes there's sufficient affordable housing in the support of Lee County Outreach freed them from the intensive and time- exception. Archeologists have unearthed which are paid by the area to the federal consuming hunt for sustenance and area as well as higher priced housing such • Abuse & Counseling Treatment Educator an elaborate assortment of carved, paint- government compared to the financial Center (ACT): $1,000 to purchase a allowed them the leisure necessary. to ed, and worked objects that they believe as the development. Developments in • Project Prom: $250 Dry cleaning support that's returned. Collier County often have relied on projector develop a complex social system. The were religious in purpose. Plaques, "We got shafted in 1991 and it hasn't costs for used prom dresses which Calusa society was made up of nobility, amulets, masks — usually human, deer, affordable housing in Lee County, noted • Big Brothers/Big Sisters - Making It will go to Immokalee High School changed," said Lee County Commissioner Albion. On Purpose: $2,800 for program dolmans (shamans), commoners, and and turtle - another indication of their • Sanibel Community Association: slaves, all within a centralized govern- John Albion. "It's our money that is not He said some counties' policies have expenses - monthly meetings, back- Central American roots — totems, and $250. Donation to their campaign for ment. Unlike other American Indian coming back." had the impact of dumping higher public ground screenings, training and other objects dedicated to their deities theater. For use of theater for Peek at tribes, particularly the Plains Indians, The one thing that all appear to agree costs — such as for affordable housing, intake, off-set costs for transitioning were made of shell, bone, wood, and later, the Unique.