SAMIBEL PUBLIC J S?( -P^D { 00^ *tS6 T! »J (-0(1 O'/O PORT Week of June 28-July 4, 2001 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 28, NUMBER 26, 24 PAGES 75 CENTS Sanibel man City attorney raise No agreement on causeway Sanibel City Attorney Doug Wyckotf gets a nuse fiom arrested at city council and is also up County, city may face foi the Cape Coral attoi ney ]oh. conflict resolution process Miami Airport By Pete Bishop —See page 3 Allegedly Miked three Staff writer New committee The Lee County Commission's in investment scam decision Tuesday to forego an The Sanibel City Council By Pete Bishop interlocal agieement giving (he authorizes the foimation of Staff writer city of Sanibel veto power over a new Recreation any future plans to place four-lane Committee. The group will A Sanibel tes- roadways on rebuilt Sanibel inteiprct the needs and ident apprehend- Causeway bridges pushed the pos- dcsnes of the community ed at Miami sibility of a conflict resolution regaiding lecreation. Intel national process between the commission Airport last week and the Sanibel City Council to Michael Pistella —See page 3 is suspected of the forehont. The Lee County Commission decided to forego an interlocal bilking three "It's on the July 3 agenda and agreement giving Sanibel veto power over any plans to place island residents I'm going to leally push hard foi four-lane roadways on rebuilt Sanibel Causeway bridges. out of thousands ot dollais in a it," said Councilmembei Steve was an inlerlocal agreement," said work, we have good grounds for dot-com investment scam. Blown. "I've been dealing with Muyoi NoIaTheiss. "At this point conflict resolution. We acted m Paulus Verwer, 38, was this tot 2 1/2 yeais on council and I still hope we can woik it out with good Idith At the last minute [the ai rested June 20 on two counts Oil rig protest they just keep changing the uiles." both an oidinuncc and an inter- t> See Causeway t> See Arrest, page 6 "Up until this morning theie local agieement. If that doesn't A makeshift oil ng was page 4 towed statewide lecently in piotest of the Bush admims- tiation's move to auction six million acies oi seabed ofl the coast of Noithwest Florida. The oil ng is now This is the fifth drowning since side of the Sanibel Causeway. Wildlife Conservation Commis- scene until early morning, headed to Washington, D.C. 1990 jrom swimming or fishing Shortly before 6 p.m., a com- sion. Early in the search, Williams, around the causeway bridges or panion, Jamie Williams, in As rescue boats and the Sanibel unsure of the distance from shore —See page 5 island passes where rip tides or Sanibel visiting from up north, Police JetSki Patrol sped back and when she last saw her boyfriend in undertows flow. reported last seeing her boyfriend forth from shore to gulf, FWCC the water, could only say, "I don't floating on his back just south of Officer Pablo Milian reported res- swim. It all looks different now. By Dawn deBoer the causeway drawbridge. cue officers followed the outgoing The storm started coming in. Time Staff writer "I could see his sandals sticking tide, "riding back and forth from went by quick. I saw him floating Hot air, Re/Max up in the water," said Williams, the causeway shore to the light- on his back, then I didn't. He The Re/Max hot-air balloon The first day of summer ended who waited south side of the first house, trying to estimate where floats around. He's a good swim- was grounded last Thursday last Thursday with the first tide- causeway island beach during the the tide might have taken him." mer. He's like a fish." because of weather, but they related drowning in Lee County course of the evening's search by A Sanibel Fire & Rescue report Williams also told police he were still able to shoot flames this year after 47-year-old Rick the U.S. Coast Guard, Lee County stated the search continued until into the air during the annual Herman waded out at low tide for Sheriff's Department, Sanibel Fire darkness at about 9 p.m. when res- t> See Drowning Islands Night parade. an early evening swim on the gulf- & Rescue and Florida Fish & cue teams were called off the page 18 —See page 7 J. Peg on Chamber GOT ONE J. Peg Webster gives the New rash of car San-Cap Chamber of Commerce Web site a four- mouse click rating. break-ins hits island — See page 7 By Anne Bellew him, he told her that he had just Staff writer gone back to the beach at 1:15 p.m. after putting a new parking The rash of car break-ins at receipt on his dash. On his way beach parking lots continues. back the only thing he had noticed Island Gardening There were three last week and, so different was a light brown van Thomas far (Wednesday) this week, there with a dark brown stripe down the Gardening guru Ron Rizzo Jr., 4, have been six more. side occupied by two white males Sympson writes about some holds a foul Kelly Gruber, of Marietta, Ga., about 25 to 30 yeais old.The van of his horticultural ball he got at parked at the Blind Pass parking was parked in the third parking experiments. Islands Night lot around 11 a.m. on June 20. space on the north side of the lot. —See page 15 last When she returned to her vehicle Missing from his car were numer- Thursday at at 12:30 p.m., the right rear win- ous tapes and CDs of South Hammond dow was broken out and her purse .American music, women's cloth- Stadium. was gone. After cancelling her ing worth about $80 and a pair of credit cards, she reported the inci- women's prescription sunglasses. Photo /Michael Pistella dent to SPD. Cummins di&coveied a second • Obits and Memorials page 4 Officer Terri Cummins diove car with its passenger window # through the Trost/Tarpon Bay broken out 10 feet north of the •Enviionmental News page 5 parking lot about 1:30 p.m. on Proano parking spot and four cais June 20 and saw a blue Honda east of where the van had been • Business & Technology page 7 Civic with the back passenger seen. When she located the owner window broken out. After Det. and brought her back to the car, • Opinion . page 9 Kurt Schulte arrived she obtained Flagstaff resident Keith M. the legistration from the glove box Todhunter found her $100 back- "Dateline page 11 and went to the beach to find the ownet, Jos6 Proano from Coial $> See Break-ins •TV listings page 16 Springs, Fid. When she located page 6 • Ll.is .ltit-cls page 20 2 • Week of June 28-July 4, 2001 • ISLAND REPORTER JO ^ ft.'* lUW Out WAVE CAPTIVA FLOWERS & - &. PLUMBING FINE GIFTS IMC. & 3345 West Gulf Drive ISLAND Sanihel' Sanibel, Fl 33957 STORE 472-1541 11500 Andy Rosse 1-8O0-824-O476 Land 472-2374 MEL HERS ISLAND EASURE TITLE CO. SERVICES gales Reoatals OPEPl July 4th 2244-A Periwinkle Wayi 2353 Pe4w^nK|e Way ^. 472-2311 472-5050 Sanibe^FL 33957 2400 Palm Ridge Road 472-3688 Sanibel, FL 33957 THOMAS islands Attorney at law Tarpon Bay Road & Periwinkle Way & C.P.A. Periwinkle Way Sanibel, FL 33< Sanibel, FL 33957 2340 Periwinkle Way J-2 195-O44O 472-1516 Rentals Sr-s* TAXI Only Taxi on the island Periwinkle Way 472-4160 www.vip-vacation rentals.com 1-888-527-78O6 Toll-Free I ISLAND REPORTER • Week of June 28-July 4, 2001 • 3 City Attorney receives over $25,000 raise give the attorney a point," however, noting that Wyckoff's Councilmember Steve Brown Wycoff in running more competitive litigation abilities save the city money motioned to give Wyckoff a $120,000 salary. because it does not have to hire outside salary package, but withdrew the motion for Cape position Noting that counsel as often as other cities. when it became clear it would not pass. Wyckoff has been Mayor NolaTheiss disagreed, however. Brown then motioned for the $105,000 By Pete Bishop asked to apply for "When we interviewed last time we Staff writer work in other cities had a lot of good applicants, offering package, which passed 4-1 with Theiss at higher salaries, $80,000," said Theiss. "I'm being the voting against. The Sanibel City Council decided June Ackley pointed out devil's advocate, but $80,000 to $93,000 An advertisement for the Cape Coral 20 to give City Attorney Doug Wyckoff a that losing Wyckoff or $105,000, that's a pretty big jump." job lists a salary between $90,000 and raise, but the city is in danger of losing its would be expensive. Councilmembers Marty Harrity and $120,000. Noting Cape Coral's better attorney anyway because Wyckoff has Wyckoff At $105,000, Dick Walsh both indicated they supported retirement plan and much lower cost of applied for the open city attorney position Wyckoff would still a raise for the attorney, but Walsh said he living, Wyckoff said he would have to in Cape Coral. be paid in the lower 25th percentile of worried too large a raise would cause consider an offer if it comes. The council bumped Wyckoff s salary, general counsels, Ackley said, but if the problems with the city's pay structure.