Or RtCOftO VotyME 32 Ny'toBEF? "35: 20 PAGES 75 CENTS Waterspouts visit City considers Nave property the island By GARY PHILLIPS negotiation to see whether the price city and has limited any commer- [email protected] is within the bound of possibility." cial development along by the These barrier islands were treated to a display of Denham said purchasing the lagoon. It was interesting when we waterspouts on Monday for much of the morning. A The City of Sanibel is exploring property would give the city the looked into that via our code. It waterspout is basically a tornado over water that draws the possibility of purchasing one of ultimate power in what is developed could have been developed into a the moisture up in a whirling column. the island's most prime pieces of there in the future and would pre- used car lot or marina, all kinds of property. In their special meeting vent unwanted commercial enter- things," Brown said. "All of a sud- Tuesday, the city council voted to prises from setting up shop. den, it starts to make a lot of sense authorize City Attorney Ken Cuylcr "From a defense position, it to investigate these." to pay a $10,000 refundable deposit would insure that any undesirable Brown said grant money was to the Nave family and their real developer, such as a Walgreen's for obtained to help with the Pond estate brokers. Island Realty Group, example, it would prevent them Apple Park purchase and the same to take the property off She market from developing the site in a way could quite likely be done for the until October 4. In the interim. which would be unsuitable for the Nave parcel as well. He said the Cuylcr and his staff will work to Sanibel way," he said. "It's impor- property could be the location for a negotiate a price and to seek fund- tant lor us as a city to have a really City Center. ing options lor the purchase. The good feeling about development '"The rcstricling thing in the past item was placed on the meeting's there. That would be critical." for not having a City Center was the agenda at the request of Vice-mayor Dcnham said the choices for uses fact that we didn't have the proper- Mick Dcnham. for the land if purchased by the city ty." he said. "It could be the time, if "1 would like to discuss the pos- would be limited only by the coun- we can get this property at a rea- sibility of a land acquisition which, cil's collective imagination. sonable price and get grant money in my opinion, is the opportunity of to help fund it, we could look at this Traci Hameetman, a STEP Student at the 'Ding' Darling "Suffice it to say that should we a lifetime." Denhair said, "'That is acquire the property, whatever is concept of a City Center." Refuge took this photograph from the refuge parking for the city to acquire the Nave tot on Monday at 7:30 am. developed there, the city would Councilman Jim Jennings said property." have full architectural and land the council needs to remember In many cases they arc not as dangerous or destructive Denham said the 10-acre parcel development control whal and how another large project they are con- as land-based tornadoes, since there, is less property to adjacent to the city offices has been much could go into that area and sidering, the building of a new rec damage and frequently they are not as strong. on the market for approximately how it would fit with the existing center, but added that there would Nonetheless, they should be treated with respect and cau- one year at a listed price of Si5 mil- infrastructure," he said. be no harm in having the city attor- tion. lion. Councilman Steve Brown, sup- ney enter discussions with the South Florida is widely regarded as the waterspout "I would like to ask the approval ported the idea and praised Denham Naves and their representatives. capital of the world. While they are found in other warm of the council for Ken Cuyier to for his initiative. He said the idea Carol Pappas and Linda Jambeck climates and even high in some mountains, the Florida enter into some negotiations with reminded him of another successful of Island Realty Group attended Keys seem especially well-suited to the point that tour the sellers to see of there is a price land purchase by the city. Tuesday's meeting. The council boats have been organized to view them. where the city would be in a posi- "This is exactly how we started Waterspouts have sometimes been blamed for myste- tion to acquire the property," he with Pond Apple Park, which has See NAVE rious disappearances reported in the Bermuda Triangle. said. "This is nothing more than a been a wonderful purchase for the page 7 By RENNY SEVERANCE er together and dress up. ranging from effort to up the ante, she offered to rseverance© iomiai to unusual. The hall was filled include one of her designer dresses by breezenews papere.corri with elegant cocktail dresses, as well Cavalli. She got the final bid up to y.s a number of women wearing elabo- SI 1,000 for the shoes arid the dress. '(>. that a biu? Then sit -low-pi" rate hats, and ul least one brig hi. rilwr As she "-larted into the next work of Lri'jjjhing cheerfully. Sharon Stone unse! wi;». Men whe; usuaiK wear suits an. she was interrupted by an oiler took a;ruroj right away a., emcee «>f the and tics tended to dre>s a little more from the back of the room to buy the Arts ibi ACT and ion Salurday nighi ai casually, while thoio who don't wear dress she was wearing for S5.000. the Ifarhcrsidc fi\cn( Center in down- ties every day. dressed up. Stone rose to the occasion and imme- U)wn Fort Myers.'! his wa:; a repute of In short, it is a chance lor 'he c-tire tiialeh' offered to go home barefoot her resiiarkably valuable per-orr;a'xc cpiniiiunily - busmen, art-,, .v-iiiios ami v- rapped in a tablecloth if she a few year1- ago when she goi the com- and imwc - to come togciha u>r an could get the bidding going. The munity 'excited abt'ut supporting the evening of fim and good v\ork--. crowd lesponded weii and the dress organization. Her auctioneering skill-, Sharon Stone, dressed :n an eleiiaui went for SI0.000. At the same time have evcii improved since then as she yellow dross, got right into the spirit of Stone took a telephone call from a took control of the crowd righl away, l!-ii!•)<?»• ai :.hf. outset. Marly m the pio- friend o! hers in California who donat- announcing. "I have two children - I ccodings she was asked lo auction the ed another 510,000. As a result, she cc*tt get tougii!" pair of hcieweled high heel shoes she managed to raise S31,000 in about 10 The hail was filled to capacity as was wearing, minutes. It was still early in the Lee County turned out in force to sup- ''But these arc my favorite shoes." evening, but she managed to get the port Abuse Counseling and Treatment. <hc said. crowd excited and the process going Inc. wilh what has become a regular She agreed however, and ottering lo well. And at the end the evening she annual event and major fundraiser for autograph them, she started the bid- left the hall wrapped in a tablecloth as Photo by Renny Severance ihe organization. The community has ding at $6,500. Then in a spontaneous promised. Sharon Stone auctioned more than just art as she come to welcome the occasion to gath- wowed Southwest Florida at the Annual Arts for ACT Auction in downtown Fort Myers Saturday night. LETTERS CENTER Tilt Last year, this auction was yet another of Hurricane » LmtKs page 6 City needs room Council New programs Charley's victims, delaying the event and reducing the for storage considers letters for young and amount raised by some $175,000 from the year before. But • CROSSWORD page 6 as the evening wore on, this year's goal of $600,000 City Ilall is getting to transponder old appeared possibly attainable as the voice auction raised e VOX POI'IJLI page 7 more than half that amount froro the sale of approximately crowded and they ruu'c holders Rec Center offering to look for solutions. 70 items. L programs for kids and » CM . \!)AK page iO City Council d-.-^atcs The balance of the goal is cxpccicd to be raised from the reactions io ioi! coaches. silent auction of 57 more works of art and donated gift items • TV I M i\(.S page 13 changes lo be raffled. The art and the raffle stems were on display in the lobby of Harborsidc before the auction. • 1'FKMir- page 14 Raffle items included such, things as a 50 inch plasma Sec page 2 -- See pay: 3 - See page 20 • O. \wnms page 28 TV from Bill Smith Appliances & Electronics valued at 2 • Week of August 25 - 31, 2005 • ISLAND REPORTER City Hall running out of space By GARY PHILLIPS that cannot be changed and cannot be misplaced," he [email protected] said. "The records have text and images for quick and easy research and printing. Up to 16,000 pages can be Sanibel's city offices are running out of storage space.