INDEX- What's Goir)g On Around The Islands Arts & Leisure At Larae $A Calendar 4R Classifieds 10C Citvside 15A Commentary 6A Police Beat 2A three events Tournament Portrait 19A Recreation iop help kick off starts men's Remember When 4A Sanibel Festival softbafl slate 10B 1961-1990 Still first on Sanibel 1 and Captiva VOL. 29, NO. 11 TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1990 THREE SECTIONS, 64 PAGES 50 CENTS Council reviews bridge ordinance By Frances Adams Islander staff writer The City Council held the first of two hearings of the initiative ordinance proposed by the Save Our Bridge group. Nearly 1,600 islanders signed the initiative petition and many filled MacKenzie Hall March 6 to hear how Sanibel's five councilmen viewed the ordinance. By hearing's end, the opinions were as gridlocked as Sanibel's in-season traffic: not one councilman had expressed support of the ordinance which allows for only a high-rise replacement of the lift span and not one member of the audience had expressed support of building a new, high-rise, shore-to-shore span. f**&i&ii*rv*>. City Attorney Bob Pritt led the discussion of the legal aspects of the ordinance, first by clarifying the structure of an election, should the council choose to reject the ordinance and the matter be put to the voters. Pritt said an election would cost about $3,000 and, due partially to Sanibel Community Center's schedule, would be held on a Tuesday, probably in mid-May. He said council's rejection of the ordinance should be done on the same date as a resolution is prepared establishing the date and time of the election. Photo by PETE SLOSSON Public comments up front were objections in genC!STto Whose hare? the fact that the council's mind is made up, that the so- A 4-foot-tall stuffed mouse is in custody at the SPD this week. The not-so-criminal hare called "facts" are open to interpretation and opinions are was found Thursday beside the road at Dixie Beach Boulevard and Albatross Road last the reigning factor. week. The btg mouse, who put up very little fight when he was handcuffed and placed in the Councilman Francis Bailey said that, while he knows back of the patrol car for transport to the SPD, is described as grey and white, wearing a it's the law, it doesn't make sense to him that the dark red shirt and hat. ' ordinance can't go through the normal path of review and change. He said there's no chance to determine if there's any fault with it, for "what is made by human hands has got to have fault with it." Wulfert negotiations update: Mayor Jerry Muench said he hoped people realized what they were signing and what it said and "what you want us Environmental reports disagree; to do with a piece of property we don't own." After reading the first general section which explains the basic reference terms, the text of the ordinance [hereafter in open meetings requested italics] was read, beginning with Section 2. Policy. Subject to and consistent with the Sanibel By Trances Adams Planning Commissioner Louise Johnson expressed her Islander staff writer Comprehensive Land Use Plan, it shall be the policy of concern that the meetings are not held in the sunshine. the City with respect to any future replacement of the "If na news is good news, I have good news this She said she realized that the public's presence might morning," announced Vice Mayor Mike Miracle March 6, causeway or its bridges to minimize the extent of such make the meetings awkward and difficult, but since other replacement, to preserve the causeway islands, to when asked for a status report on the Wulfert negotiations. advisory committees (wildlife, vegetation) where no Miracle, a member of the city's negotiating team to iron minimize the expenditure of public funds, to minimize, any official decisions are made are open to the public, it would increase in causeway lolls, to provide reasonable safety out the differences in the proposal to develop The be wise for the city to hold the meetings in the public in ordinary use and for evacuation, and to permit any Sanctuary at Wulfert Point, the largest residential eye. development ever developed on Sanibel, said the such replacement only when it is necessary. negotiating teams still haven't resolved the problem Please see WULFERT, page 10A Please see ORDINANCE, page 11A between the conflicting environmental reports submitted by the city's and BTS Associates/E.L. Limited Partnership's environmentalists. He said the teams are hopeful that the environmentalists will come to an Plethora of water warnings issued agreement by their March 8 meeting, if not, "we'll just Sanibel police in the last few days have issued have to go from there." On Saturday, a resident at 4648 Buck Key Road and numerous warnings of violations of watering the Dunes Country Club were issued watering "That's it?" asked Mayor Jerry Muench. restrictions. Miracle had indeed concluded his summation of the violation warnings. Among those receiving warnings on Sunday were Watering is legal from 4 to 8 in the morning, with progress of the negotiations, which have been ongoing for Sunset South, Kings Crown (for watering the middle two months. even numbered homes and businesses allowed to of West Gulf Drive), Naumann-Rhonehouse (for water on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Odd Public comment on the subject, however, was not as watering out to the middle of Palm Ridge Road), short nor as sweet and ^idtiotxenter on the issuesr ofthe^ numbered homes and businesses can water on -Sanib"ei~~Arms WesT^amada"'Inn, Sundial an Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. negotiations. It was a heated exchange of whether or not Periwinkle Place. the negotiations should be open to the public. All the following information was taken directly might be on Sanibel, police got on his trail and found that from Sanibel Police Department reports POLICE '• Hfe, was on an airplane back north. They called Chicago police on the phone and Christopher Meany was arrested A car reported stolen by a Sanibel man Thursday was BEAT as he stepped from the airplane at O'Hare airport. found by police about 100 feet away from where the man said it was last seen. The man admitted to police he may Preston Woodring Jr. lost his wallet last Tuesday while just have been unsure about where he had parked it. bicycling on Sanibel. ' A yellow Hobic Cat washed ashore near Gulfside City A Sanibel woman called police Wednesday to find out Police received a complaint last" Tuesday concerning Park Thursday. Police called the U.S. Coast Guard, which what to do about a 7-foot-long alligator that was eating a people throwing rocks at an alligator in a lake behind the told them a Hobie Cat had been lost by its owner when it turtle in her back yard. Police checked the alligator and Sanibel Cafe. The rock throwers were not around when had capsized. found that it was not aggressive. They advised the woman police arrived. The alligator was resting on the opposite to ignore it but to call the police again if it became bank. , Two 20-year-olds standing in front of a Periwinkle Way aggressive. store trying to get an adult to buy them beer Sunday were Police Sunday notified the Sanibel Public Works told the law by Sanibel police and left. Department thai water was flowing out from a toilet in Police found a keg of beer Wednesday at 1:15 a.m. at the ladies rest room at the Sanibel Lighthouse. the Tarpon Bay Beach Access. David Haders of Cleveland was charged early Friday A Palm Street resident had her screen porch damaged by morning with driving on a suspended license and with The owner of a Periwinkle Way business reported to a male dog Sunday. She was keeping her female dog, who going 55 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone on the police Tuesday that her wallet was missing from her is in heat, on the porch. The owner of the male dog was Sanibel Causeway Road. purse. The purse had been in the back office of the contacted by police and agreed to pay for damages. business. Maria Osier of Yucca Court on Sanibel was ordered to Police received a complaint Sunday of a man yelli on appear in court by Sanibel Police Thursday after her large Sanibel police helped Illinois authorities catch their the beach. The man explained to police that h is German shepherd dog was reported roaming the man last Tuesday. Notified by Wilmette, 111., police that a yelling because he had broken up with his girlfriend. neighborhood near her home in violation of the leash law. man they wanted on charges of cashing worthless checks Please see BEAT, page 21A The dog, which police described as aggressive, had been impounded the week before on the same charge. Two attempts by police last Thursday to catch the dog were unsuccessful. Three students charged with possession By Steve Ruediger bottle of Absolut vodka. Cooper also noticed a marijuana Police discussed noise complaints with the manager of Islander staff writer pipe in the ashtray of their nearby car. Fast Eddies Restaurant last Thursday. Richard Dimmler, Sanibel Police Thursday arrested three college students He arrested the three Wooster College students and, in whose home is behind the restaurant, has been on possession of marijuana and other charges. searching their car, found three bags of marijuana, a complaining about the noise which results from leaving The three men were sitting around a cooler in the cannister containing marijuana roaches and a sunglass case the door to the kitchen open and having an intercom parking lot at the Tarpon Bay Beach Access parking lot containing a substance which was later determined to be speaker in the back.