, , , . SAW IP"' 7?c r;»- t< ! '' "-i Hi E: L ••» -» '+ •Ji»"' %*> -' • Vtj t' Week of August 29 • September 4,2002 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 29, NUMBER 34, 20 PAGES 75 CENTS si THE NEWS City adds $1,000 to Crimestoppers fund State represen- tative candidate The City of Sanibel is contributing an addi- the same crowbar. The perpetrators then "none of the artwork was disturbed or harmed. visits islands tional $1,000 to Crimestoppers in an effort to attempted to pry open the rear door at Sanibel And nothing was broken except my back door solve five burglaries that occureed on Friday, Goldsmith, but were unable to gain entry. The and the cash register, which they threw on the August 23, 2002, according to a statement Brown Bag, behind the Forever Green Shops floor. They took the money and and nothing issued by City Manager Judie Zimomra and in Periwinkle Place, was the next target; here, else — for that I'm extremely happy. They did Cohesiveness, big draw Acting Sanibel Police Chief Bill Tomlinson. they were successful and went inside before knock some stuff over in the back room when for candidate McQuagge Shortly after midnight Friday morning, two continuing on to The End Result where, again, they broke in. I'd just moved a bunch of stuff unidentified individuals forcibly entered Ace the rear door was pried open. While in the in front of the door that day, not realizing I was Hardware through front door by prying it open businesses, the perpetrators ransacked the creating a booby-trap!" with a blue crowbar. Next, Seaweed Gallery on stores and stole several hundred dollars in One of the suspects appears to be a male the other side of the complex was entered cash. -See page 2 through the rear door, apparently by means of "At least," commented Linda Boltrek, See REWARD page12 Nochartge in causeway A nation hours remembers and grieves By Erik Burriss Sept. 11 memorials Staff Writer Loweimg the number ot times —See page 2 the C dusew J^ diiiv. budge opens IMJVU cause moii. problems than it tiucb and cannot even bjs,consid- effed for anothdt 3SSBI n Iduss^ i. *. IWftftiiitii? Guard official told the Traffic Committee last week. The committee met with federal Island gardening and county officials Aug. 22 to discuss possible changes to the Frangipani leaf rust Causeway that could help with Sanibel's early evening traffic —See page 7 woes during the high season. One possibility raised by the committee was reducing the num- Renny Severance photo ber of times the drawbridge opens LilyTomlin as Ernestine connects at Arts for ACT Auction which raised over $300,000 on the sales to once an hour between 3 p.m. of art donated by the artists. Several island artists participated, including Ikki Matsumoto and and 6 p.m. during the season. Robert Rauschenberg. "The biggest problem we seem to have on Sanibel is the traffic Assult on the exiting the island in the evening-," committee member Wayne language Auxiliary patrols: one response to Sept 11 Ponader said. Ponader estimated that each By Dawn deBoer —See page 8 CJ 9-11 report time the drawbridge opens, by the Managing Editor • A special report on the effects and other time the bridge is back down and responses to 9-11 on-island, in the county, around traffic is flowing again, traffic is Sept. 11 's terrorism attacks have put a record the state, appears in this week's Islander. delayed by 10-18 minutes. number of Southwest Floridians from Bradenton to Barry Dragon, chief of bridge Fort Myers and Naples on special alert and duty as operations for the Coast Guard's Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary State Troopers. supervision of a member of the Florida Highway Seventh District, was unenthusias- Calendar of days The five-man unit in Fort Myers/Naples recently Patrol. Meeting the same standards as FHPTroopers, tic about reducing the number of added 30 new volunteers with the Venice unit the FHP Auxiliary volunteers work with the Florida times the bridge opens. first unit in the state to be re-established in 20 years. Highway Patrol on street and highway patrols, at What's hapnenign, around Auxiliary Troopers are citizen volunteers empow- vehicle and license security checkpoints, in hurri- See CAUSEWAY the islands these days? ered to bear arms and arrest violators when under the cane and wildfire emergencies. page10 —See page 8 Clam Bayou still needs one more approval By Erik Burriss is authorization from and coordination 1. * Staff Writer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The DEP looked at and approved the • OBITUARIES page 3 Federal approval is the last hurdle to proposed site of the cut Monday, Rob be cleared before the city can lower Loflin, the city's natural resources direc- • TIDES .page 4 Clam Bayou's water level in an attempt tor, said. • POLICE BLOTTER .... page 4 to save neighboring mangroves, but However, just when Fish and Wildlife • OP-ED PAGE .page 5 when that will come is still up in the air. will come and take a look at the project's According to the terms of a permit impact on endangered species and wet- « LOOKING BACK... ..page 6 issued by the Florida Environmental lands is unclear. « ENVIRONMENT ........page 7 Protection Department on Aug. 19, the "We're looking at it and will make the city must comply with Florida Fish and « DATELINE ..page 8 determination as soon as we can," said Wildlife Commission conditions in order e TV LISTINGS .page 12 for the work to be done during sea turtle Sec BAYOU « CLASSIFIEDS. ... page 16 nesting season. One of those conditions page 11 2 • Week of August 29-Sept.4, 2002 • ISLAND REPORTER COUNTY CFING SAN-CAP SANIBEL & State • Dawn deBoer Island • City News n Community remembers H Commission approves Salute to safety forces rookery island committee The City of Sanibel, the Sanibel The Board of Lee County Commis- School and the Sanibel-Captiva sioners gave the go-ahead last week Islands Chamber of Commerce join to for establishment of a 10-member provide an opportunity for the commu- Rookery Island Special Committee to nity to convene to commemorate 9-11 make recommendations on the man- as well as to salute the Island's Safety agement of negative impacts to bird Forces. nesting islands. The community program will be The group will study the impact of held 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at boat traffic close to rookery islands. the City Recreation Center, 3840 There will be one committee member Sanibel-Captiva Road. from each of the following stakeholder The patriotic program features groups — power boater, paddler, Sanibel School students, who will read marine industry, angler, ecotour opera- selected essays and poems. City tor, conservationist, aquatic preserves, Council will present U.S. Savings cities of Sanibel and Bomta Springs, Bond awards to students who write the and Town of Fort Myers Beach. Dawn deBoer photo winning essays and poems. For more information, contact Steve Candidate Mike McQuagge debates education issues before San-Cap parents. The program also will recognize the Boutelle, 479-8128. men and women who serve the u 'Cohesiveness' big draw state. The concerns here on the island are Sanibel community as police officers, II Sept. 11 memorial for candidate McQuagge the same concerns I have in my district. firefighters and wildlife law enforce- We need a new attitude," he said, for the ment and support staff. goes countywide sake of education, with By Dawn deBoer Managing Editor Florida 42nd in the coun- Lee County, along with its cities, try in student spending fire, police and emergency agencies is [J Volunteers celebrated State representative and 49th in graduation holding a joint anniversary commemo- rate. "The money we are 'Ding' luncheon packed ration of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist candidate for District 73, Mike McQuagge, tried out spending is not working. attacks on America that will feature Our system is not work- music of the Southwest Florida his sea legs on a sunset By Amy Fleming cruise last week with San- ing. We need a way to Symphony Chorus. restructure the funding Staff Writer The ceremony will be held noon Cap residents who want to see him walk the talk he's currently going to schools, Sept. 11 on the steps of the Old because it's not going to It was a red letter day for the J. N. County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street, been giving since March 'Ding' Darling Wildlife Refuge last in a race to beat out get done the way we're downtown Fort Myers. The master of Attending children out doing it now." Friday when it was honored with the ceremonies will be County incumbent Bruce Kyle. for the ride Bruce and Tammie U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Commissioner Doug St. Cerny. The islands are outside Trahant of Sanibel nodded Environmental Leadership Award. The The ceremony will include a presen- McQuagge's voting district, which award was instituted this year to rec- encompasses Leigh Acres and South Fort their heads in agreement, but said, tation and retirement of the colors and "You've got a long road to hoe." ognize agencies and individuals who 21-gun salute with remarks by local Myers, but the stirring issues of educa- Getting more insurance companies to have been instrumental in implement- representatives of government, law tion and affordable health care are not — the state is a route to more affordable ing the 'Greening the Government enforcement and the fire/emergency the two main concerns of Floridians this Through Leadership in Environmental rescue community.