MARCH 25, 1999 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 12 40 PAGES SORTER Violent ON THE EDGE robbers arrested Police say frio are ? 'dinner-set' burglars JBy Gwenda Hiett-Clements News Editor Sanibel police apprehended two oi three armed rob- bers who broke into a home on Pine Tree Dnve and assaulted two lesidcnts Sunday evening IVlaiJi 21, while a thud man was anesled by the Lee County P. Martinez E. Nava Jonathan Reeum I Special to the Reporter Sheriff's Office A Jeep Cherokee driven by Justin Johnson Johnson was able to climb out of the Tuesday. Detectives believe the men are part of a "dinner- of Fort Myers literally runs over the Cherokee but not before spending some har- set" burglary ring that has been plaguing the island and Chevrolet Beretta driven by David Ashworth rowing minutes teetering over the guardrail. t> See Robbers, page 5 on the Sanibel Causeway Monday evening. For more details, please see page 2. Ball citizen of year Forum draws big crowd By Gwenda Hiett-Clements — three degrees in col- News Editor lege, titles throughout Council election, causeway vote on ballot his life as director ... next Tuesday's special election. Armand Ball joined the ranks of select executive director, • Captiva election/page 13 Sponsored by the Committee of the Sanibel residents singled out by Committee CEO, and positions in organizations of secre- By Gwenda Hiett-Clements Islands and the Condominium Associations of the Islands as an "outstanding citizen of Sanibel Island, the forum gave registered the year." tary ... president, chair- News Editor man ... — you know he Armand Ball voters an opportunity to meet and question Ball's selection was announced Bob Laswell and Bill Hillebrandt, both of Thursday, March 18, at COTI's annual is a man of leadership. A standing-room-only crowd gathered at Tuesday night's Town Meeting to meet whom are running for the seat vacated in meeting at the Sanibel Community House. Sometimes as a board we can deliberate too much, but this decision was made unani- Sanibel City Council candidates and to January by George Madison. In announcing Ball's selection, outgoing learn about issues relating to the Sanibel After an hour with the candidates, a COTI president Jack Thomas said, "When Causeway referendum in preparation for you take a look at what this person has done > See Citizen, page 11 [> See Forum, page 3 SEA HORSING AROUND Playhouse to be renamed for benefactor By Jill Goodman Staff Writer The financial worries of the Pirate Playhouse over the past 18 months are4a thing of the past thanks to a $400,000 dona- tion from Barbara Wood that will rename the-playhouse the J. Howard Wood Theater in honor of her late husband. At the annual meeting Sunday, former Island Theater Wing board member Nanelle Wehmann announced the donation and its specifics. In view of the "significant long- ABOVE: Clown Bobbie Pepitone attracts * Jtof rtttmto term gift," Wehmann said the playhouse during the foot race prior to Sunday's Sea Horse Festival. board unanimously agreed that the theater AT RIGHT- Dylan Slocura, 2, gets a kick out of the giant should bear Wood's name. blow-upr/lideywith dad Jeff. For story and more photos of the annual event, please see page 28. Photos I Michael Pistella $> See Playhouse, page 5 2 • MARCH 25,1999 • ISLAND REPORTER No revelations expected from traffic survey By Dawn Grodsky Editor Seasonal traffic heading off island ground to an even F more resounding halt Monday, thanks to a traffic survey F conducted from 2:15-6:45 p.m. An accident on the cause- way at 5:30 p.m. didn't help matters and traffic was backed up for an estimated six miles. The one-day traffic survey was headed by Glen Ahlert, the Barrier Islands Traffic Survey project manager for the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO hired con- sultant Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. to conduct the survey and Cella & Associates, Inc..to accept written comments. Sanibel City Engineer Gates Castle said Cella & Jonathan Reeves I Special to the Eeporter Associates' participation was a coincidence and had nothing An unidentified person involved in the to do with the fact that the engineering firm is conducting Monday causeway crash is airlifted to the Sanibel Causeway workshops and will head the Project, hospital from Beachview Golf Course. Development & Environmental phase of causeway replace- ment. Castle said he doesn't expect any dramatic results from Car lands on top of another the survey. It wasn't just seasonal traffic or a simultaneous traffic "The main thing is just the data that we'll get from this survey Monday that had cars backed up for about six miles study to tell us where people are coming from and why for over an hour on Sanibel around 6 p.m. they're on the island.... I'm not really looking for any dra- Justin Johnson, 19, of Fort Myers teetered in his Jeep matic recommendations that we change anything we're Cherokee on the guardrail of the causeway bridge closest to doing ... just information that may confirm or change some the island after his brakes failed and he ran over the top pas- of the information we had gotten before. Are they local, senger side of a Chevrolet Beretta driven by David from out of state, are they here to visit the shops, 'Ding' Ashworth, 21. Ashworth had stopped suddenly because of Darling, go to the beaches? That kind of information." traffic backup. Surveyors were stationed on Periwinkle Way near Donax Johnson had just left a job interview at South Seas Street and on Middle Gulf Drive near the Sundial Beach & Plantation on Captiva and was on his way home to wait for Tennis Resort, stopping drivers heading off island. a call to see if he got the job. Meristar spokeswoman Sharon Ahlert noted that on Periwinkle, there was nowhere to Arnold didn't have information Tuesday whether Johnson pull over drivers so the interviewers were in the roadway. "It Michael Pistella got the job. shouldn't be too much of a problem because it's jammed up A passenger in the Beretta, Nealy Debow, 18, who works anyway at that hour," he said. Workers stop cars on Middle Gulf Drive at South Seas, is friends with Johnson. She and Ashworth, Mayor Bob Janes, Sanibel's liaison to the MPO, said, Monday for a voluntary traffic survey. who live on Captiva, were on their way to visit her parents. "I'm hoping they're not clogging traffic any further to get to do was to get some more data on the traffic problems and One of the people involved in the accident was airlifted the job done." travel behavior contributing to congestion on the islands," to the hospital, according to Mary Hickey of the Sanibel Janes added he couldn't see any real solutions for the he said. "So they approached the MPO about undertaking a Fire Control District, but specifics weren't available at press seasonal traffic jams either. survey for them." time, "Obviously double decking or four- or six-laning The survey was voluntary and people were asked where Periwinkle is not in the cards. There is very little we can do, they were headed and why; where they were from and if vis- — Gwenda Hiett-Clements just wait," he said. iting, where they were staying, for how long and what kind Janes said he doesn't think traffic is any worse than usual of accommodations they were using. If people were on busi- this season and noted it will all be over after Easter. ness, surveyors asked where the company was based. "The last couple of weeks are always hectic, people's Truckers were asked what they were hauling. nerves are frayed. ... This is just one of the things we have "We're not collecting any opinions (about the traffic sit- eat her to put up with, living in paradise." uation)," Ahlert said. High Low Rain Acting City Manager Bob Pritt said this type of traffic However, drivers were given a comment card to fill out March \1 70 52 survey must be conducted when there's traffic. and send to Cella & Associates. March 18 79 61 "That's when you have to do it in order to find out how Ahlert was unsure how many cars were being surveyed March 19 79 65 bad traffic is. You don't need to do traffic surveys of this but said the number had to have statistical merit and would March 20 80 63 nature when traffic is easy flowing. It doesn't give a good be a large enough, depending on the total volume of cars, March 21 •" 78 63 picture of what the traffic problems are," he said. "The determined by traffic surveys taken prior to Monday. March 22 80 64 Barrier Island Traffic Survey was approved by the city Ahlert said the surveyor will be responsible for coding March 23 76 64 council and even funded partially by the city." and analyzing the data to look for patterns in travel behav- Pritt added it's been years since an origin/destination ior. He expects a final report to be complete in May or June traffic study was conducted. with a presentation scheduled before the city council then. Rainfall for March is 1.01 inches so far. In addition to Sanibel, traffic surveys are being conduct- "The full database will be provided.... It will allow us to Note: Rainfall levels are recorded from the ed on Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach. test various kinds of ideas for mitigating congestion," he morning of the day given to the following mom- Ahlert said the survey is a jointly sponsored project by said.