The islands' newspaper SORT ••pom TWJ! of record SANIBEL LIRRARV 770 DUNLG>~RD jf SAM IBBE! L FL 33957 M Three baby river otters to be "adopted" VJP at CROW. See page 19. P Week of July 8 - 14,2004 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 31, NUMBER 22 20 PAGES 75 CENTS Independence Day: a memorable celebration By Renny Severance T~l dogs and sodas. There were games and Executive Editor contests oJ" every description. There were just a whole lot of people having It was indeed an Independence Day to remember. a great time. Sanibel got a jump on the rest of Lee County by having Reactions to the event have been the celebration on Saturday. July 3 and all the planning consistently positive, praising the city and hard work paid off. f l * ^ k to makke thhe The parade went off on schedule and as is usually the event truly fun case, it seemed as if half the population was in the parade for everyone, while the other half watched. with or without Businesses, civic clubs, families —just about every- families. thing imaginable was there and bringing a flavor to the The universal event that made participants and observers alike feel joy praise has been and pride in their country and Its traditions, ft was accompanied by Americana at its best. expressions of Randy Wayne White, author of the Doc Ford myster- hope that they might be able to equal the feat \ear. ... -2 . J ies, and others as well, was ihe Grand Marshall of the parade riding magnificently in an elderly international Harvester Scout. He personified the appeal of this parade which ha*; been held for the past 14 years. This is not a high-tech eveni wu'j nuiiiicmeu iV-ats ihal take n;oi!u\s to prepare. Rather they are islanders' owa pickup trucks, vans, con- vertibles, bicycles, whatever that they decorate them- selves. They are clever, they are beautiful, they are plain, they are moving (in both ways) — they are the people of these islands enjoying the day and showing their nation- al pride. The parade was followed by a city-sponsored party a( the Sanibel Community Association. There were tree hot Hot wieners, hot winners & cold bananas Shell Harbour dredging requires construction at Sanibel boat ramp make SanibePs Community Picnic a hot time By Jenny Burnham The 2004 Independence Day Community Picnic Staff Writer proved to be a sea of red, white & blue fun as Sanibel residents consumed 3.500 hot dogs, 2,000 sodas, 1000 Crews from Stemic Marine Construction have built a servings of cotton candy, 500 snow cones and 1,000 temporary dock at the Sanibel Boat Ramp as part of their frozen bananas while participating in numerous games project to dredge the entrance to Shell Harbour. The from horseshoes to cow milking competitions. This landing space provides a place to load and offload equip- year's event marked the second consecutive year that the ment and dredged shell as the project progresses. town has gathered together at the Sanibel Community- The dock consists of twelve-inch concrete pilings Association and adjacent city-owned lands for a commu- arranged in a criss cross pattern, resting on flat concrete nity picnic following the independence Day Parade. slabs-on the sea floor, according to Butch Jones, co- The hot dog grills and service were operated by the owncr of Stemic. When the dredging barges return to the Sanibei-Captiva Lions Club, the Rotary Club oi" Sanibel- dock with the "dirty shell" from the harbor entrance, a Captiva Islands, the Sanibel Community Church and crane transfers the shci! from a barge to a dump truck for City of Sanibel employees. VoKinieers from Big Arts and disposal. the Sanihcl Community Association also assisted by The shell is a good quality material, according to the staffing the beverage service. In. addition to providing City of Sanibel Department of Public Works, and will staff during the event the City of Sanibel provided all the remain on Sanibel for use in re-grading roads. Photo by Jenny Burnham event set-up/tear down and traffic control. The project will remove approximately 1200 cubic The dredging seen from Span of the causeway is not yards of shell from the harbor entrance, according to part of the causeway reconstruction as many have The following donors contributed Jones, and is expected to be complete early this month. thought. It's actually part oi the Shell Harbour project. to the Community Picnic: The Sanibel - Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, 'Tween Waters Inn; Billy's Rentals; Bailey's General K Wwm$ HECYOUie •Mmm Store; Colonial Bank; Mike McMurray - VIP Realty INDE; Group; Barb Rich. South Seas Sanibel and Captiva « Ll.l ICRS page 6 Results for the Construction Chamber of Properties; Gilda Suarez. Executive Title Insurance; games industry joins in Vasanta.Senerat, CPA: Dick Muench, Periwinkle Park • POLK i Bi u ....page 7 Commerce news and Lazy Flamingo; Jerry Muench; Brian Murty; Damon Craig; Kiwanis Club of Sanibei-Captiva: Doc Ford's • DATKIlNt ....page 8 Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille; Sysco Food Systems; The • Gardening ....page 9 Independence Day saw a The building industry is The Chamber is launch- Dunes Golf and Tennis CLub; The Sanibel Shellcrafters; great community picnic climbing on the band- ing a new ad campaign Sanibel Historical Village and Museum; Thistle • PFK\KIS&DH:.DS... ...page 1 i with races and contests. wagon in creative ways. and slogan. Lodge/Casa Ybel Resort; Tarpon Bay Explorers; She Sell Sea Shells; South Florida Water Management District; • TV i rsii\GS ...page 13 Schnapper's Hots; and Dairy Queen. • OBIIL-\R> page 14 - - Sec page 3 — See page 12 — See page 5 • Cl.ASSlIIFDS ...page 17 See page 3 for more photos. 2 • Week of July 8 - 14, 2004 • ISLAND REPORTER . 1 Y ' .'..J.- •-'•"" .-1 -, V .-."' ; :r •••» 1547 Comfort That hoe Compares \EUROCOMFORT /r V- "-j>w .'*f-'»>>*i,-^, ^-— - • / Only to the Island N Sands. \" •:. ill- : •. i • i •• \ i \ .|- ,• ,. i I" ! s ! <••'<- ( i •::•; x. li.l I ' • '"1 • lus .;•[ \>\ \< I-. •. •• •i|-. •:}•>• i '••ill' is i ) • I ! i|('t ll i "• : -"'Nt i \U-'« 'I \\.,lk\ : .;. \; -rt'-i^ 'We Have Your Size.... We Cnn Fit You. We Do Sot Sacrifice Remit y & Stifle For Cow fort." ISLAND REPORTER • Week of July 8 - 14, 2004 U 3 Independence Day Game Results Essay contest winners Potato Sack Race Why I am Proud to be an American The more we learn, the more we know, the Bali on Spoon Race more we know the smarter we grow. The 1st Place Age I am proud to be an American because 1st Monica Mira, Patrick McKinney, smarter we grow the louder our voice Trey Callahan 6 it is a free country and because we can Michael Damico, Jade Capulo, when speaking our mind or making a Bailey Owens 7 think anything we want to think. And also, Mitch Massey, Matt Wener. Troy choice. I am proud to be an American! Kap Owens 10 we can do anything we want to do; except Thompson by Kim Greenplate (age 12) 2nd Place things that are against the law. Marcus Garcia 8 2ndAmy Condie, Nicholas Watterhouse. by Max Costa (age 6) Bethany Corke 12 Moriah Munk-Madscn. Courtney America is a beautiful place, so beauti- Callahan, Mark Sobel, Mariah Budd ful that many Americans lake it for grant- 3rd Place I am proud to be an American because ed. 1 did until I started watching the news; Mason Blackburn 6 3rd Meghan Hill, Christian Walterhouse. Josiah Scott, Abbie Mills, Kalsey America is a wonderful and beautiful I was shocked by the dillcma that other Samantha Jefferson 6 country and I feel very fortunate to live countries dealt with every day. MarkSobel 10 Jefferson. Brittany Kroop here. America gives us the chance to fol- On September .11. 2001 my world was low our dreams without religion, race or 30 Yard Dash Cow Milk-Off Champions forever changed. Two planes hit the the gender stopping us and a promise of free- World Trade Centers. Love ones of friends, 1st Place 12 and under Georgia Price dom. In other countries people do not have and friends of loved ones parishes. The Drew Mills 7 13-18 Brittany Bonnet the freedom 1 do or the chance to fulfill country mourned. The fall helped us real- David More 13 18 and over Lisa Friedman their dreams, and that is why I am proud to ize what we had and what we should. We be an American. got back up on our feet helping each other 2nd Place Shell Guessing Jar Haley Blackburn 7 by Laura Costa (age 10) heai our wounds. I am proud of my coun- Kap Owens 10 1st Maura Salyer try, proud to be an American. 2nd Martha Weiis by Taylor Nave (age 11) 3rd Place I am proud to be an American because Amy Codie 8 Linda G. Scott (tied) 3rd Terry Gray it is a free country where each individual Sponsored by Colonial Bank, the win- Nathan Walker 10 makes their own choice. We have options Ashley Tomlinson (tied) ners were each given a $50 U.S. Savings not available in most parts of the world. Bond. Seed Spitting Winners 4th Tracy Lehrer Brave people fought to give us these rights. See page 9 for the art contest winners. Jade Caputo 11 Beth'Rizzo (tied) We can decide our own future and our fate. Sara Rosenberg 13 George Walker Adult Div. Baseball Pitching Contest Female Winners Age MPH 3-Legged Race — 8 & under Carolyn Coyne 9 30 East End Deli and Nancy Black: 1 st Charity Scott & Melody Franco Megan Phillips 13 42 2nd Samantha & Sydnie Kelsey Lindsay Phillips 15 44 3rd Kathleen & Tabvitha Nave Jill German adult 41 Best Pies of Sanibel winners Male Winners 3-Legged Race — 9 to adult The East End Deli and Nancy Black, a meringue.