COMMENTARY: ARTS • LEISURE: EVERY WEEK: Guest columnists Make a date 1B Classifieds 26C see the Islands Musician vyants Island map 20A quite differently 6A Island festival 7B Visitors guide 20A 1961-1986 Still first after 25 years VOL. 26, NO. 11 TUESDAY. MARCH 17,1387 THREE SECTIONS, 80 PAGES 50 CENTS f I 5 Wild about wildlife National Wildlife Week got off to a fine start Sunday ners and this week's festivities, see page 1B. Seated, Maughan, Ryan Pettus, Alexis Savage, Lisa Wood and with the presentation of awards to these Sanibel left to right: Jeff Burns, Kristen Grav, Jeff Vollmer, Gret- LaKasha Gallacher. Photo by Ricki Kosakow Cooper. Elementary School students for their essays and chen Cook, Samantha Kennedy, Alison Harmer and posters about wildlife. For more about the contest win- Kerry Vellake. Back row, left to right: Matt Pinney, Allan tlf^QllS^^ ^ ;55^ Capt. Ray Rhodes As the water New Matsumoto gallery Arts-Leisure 2B accepts new post heats up, so does is a natural effort Births 8A in Missouri snook fishing for husband and wife Bridge . 21B. Cityside 16A Rhodes is second only to retiring This week Capt. Mike Fuery tells Ikki and Polly Matsumoto Island anglers how to go about lan- celebrated the opening of their Library report 6C Chief John Butler in tenure at the Sanibel Police Department. ding these prized fish and what new Island gallery surrounded by Obituaries 8A gear they need to do it. many friends and supporters at a 4A 3A Police beat 10C grand opening party last Weather 2A Friday. 2B 4- The ISLANDER Tuesday, March 17,1987 3A dsfauktv 'Hometown boy' accepts new post in Missouri Tuesday Capt. Ray Rhodes is second only to retiring chief 2A March 17,1987 Island Shorts in tenure at the Sanibel Police Department By BARBARA BRUNDAGE State historian quells visions of pirates Islander staff writer . \ WEATHER The "hometown boy" many Islanders expected WATCH fueled by unusual catch off Redfish Pass would be Sanibel's next chief of police is seeking new horizons instead. inches, it was simply too long. By SCOTT MARTELL Capt. Ray Rhodes, a 12-year veteran of the Sanibel "Most swords are in the 39- to Visitors and resident alike can look forward Islander staff writer Police Department, has resigned effective April 15 to 42-inch range in the blade," he ex- to sunny skies with highs near 80 through Fri- accept the position as director of public safety for the plained. "But the Europeans did day this week. Lows are expected in the upper Visions of dashing pirates and city of Gladstone, Mo. He will be responsible for the go through a period when it was 50s to lower 60s, and there is no ram in the Spanish Conquistadors certainly administration of the fire, police, emergency medical fashionable to have very long forecast. have been in the dreams of the services, animal control and emergency preparedness swords — so it was certainly possi- Last week's weather according to records Brigham family lately. operations of Gladstone, a suburb of Kansas City with ble," he added. kept by the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Com- And it's not because the visitors a population of 25,000. merce was as follows: to South Seas Plantation recently Levi's laboratory crew has Rhodes begins his new duties April 13. March 27 will read the pirate image-laced recently cleaned off several ge- be his last day on the job at the SPD. HIGH LOW RAIN travelogue about this area recent- nuine swords. Most are one of four Now 37, he moved to the Island with his parents, Monday, March 9 76 62 .03 ly published in Islands magazine types — a boardsword, a cutlass, a Eula and Glenn Rhodes, when he was 1 % years old. He Tuesday, March 10 74 59 .00 by local author (and Islander col- gentlemen's small sword and a was the first patrolman hired for the newly organized Wednesday, March 11 74 52 .00 umnist) Chelle Koster Walton. rapier. Many were found in a fleet SPD in May 1975. Thursday, March 12 72 55 .00 Instead, while fishing off Red- of ships which sank off Fort Pierce In a March 12 memo to Police Chief John Butler, Friday, March 13 70 47 .00 fish Pass, young Michael in 1715. Others were found on the Rhodes noted that it was "with great sorrow and mix- Saturday, March 14 74 49 .00 Brigham, 6, pulled up what looked Atocha. ed emotions that I leave the Sanibel Police Depart- Sunday, March 15 76 55 .00 like a long, curved pirate's sword. Some swords that sink with ment." He added, "If I may ever be of assistance to Encrusted with barnacles as if it ships completely disintegrate in you, the police department, the city of Sanibel or any This week on Sanibel and Captiva should be had been buried in the deep for the salty water. But before they more like mid-March last year, when highs were of its citizens, please do not hesitate to call on me." centuries, "It looked like it could do, they will be encrusted with Rhodes told The Islander he looked forward to the a few degrees warmer and the lows weren't once have chopped heads off" — Michael Brigham barnacles. When the metal has quite as low: challenge of his new job, which he views as definite ad- or so thought Michael's father, Despite all the historical data rusted away, the barnacles will vancement in his law enforcement career. He sees in Mary and Ray Rhodes with Andrea and Little Ray. Photo by Rlckl Kosakow Cooper. HIGH LOW RAIN David Brigham. telling us that Spaniards and hold the form of the sword, just his new assignment an opportunity for educational ad- Monday, March 10,1986 73 53 .46 All last week the family waited pirates did visit and even live in like a mold, Levi explained. vancement, too. grade at Cypress Lake Junior-Senior High School, now years in Lee County schools. Tuesday, March 11,1986 79 67 .00 for the verdict from Jim Levi, a Southwest Florida, no large ship- "Southwest Florida is a new With two universities in nearby Kansas City, he said Cypress Lake Middle School (the Sanibel students To supplement his salary as a teacher Rhodes Wednesday, March 12,1986 80 67 .00 historical conservator with the wreck has ever been found here, area. Not much has been found he hopes to complete his master's degree in either rode the ferry to the mainland where they were picked operated a lawn service businesss on Sanibel in part- Thursday, March 13,1986 80 69 .00 Florida Bureau of Archaeological Levi reports. there," Levi said. human resource management or public administtra- by a school bus for the rest of the trip). nership with Dick Noon, now director of the city's Friday, March 14,1986 80 67 .70 Research. "That would have been the first So, for the Brigham family, the tion. He already has 15 hours credit toward an advanc- In 1968 he was in the first graduating class at Parks and Recreation Department. Saturday, March 15,1986 78 77 .00 "Sorry — it's definitely not a sword from Southwest Florida dreams of Spaniards and pirates ed degree. Cypress Lake High School. Rhodes had always had an interest criir inology and Sunday, March 16,1986 74 65 1.58 sword," Levi reported Friday, ad- that I know of," he said about might have been falsely ignited. Rhodes' schooling began in 1956 when he entered Armed with bachelor of arts degrees in education law enforcement. He gave up teaching when he was of- ding that it was likely part of some Michael Brigham's find. But the dreams weren't necessari- first grade at the old Sanibel Elementary School (now and in social and behavioral sciences from the Univer- While Islanders welcome spring weather, construction strapping. He guess- Levi has been a historical con- ly false — according to historians, the Pirate Playhouse). In 1962 he started seventh sity of South Florida in Tampa, he taught for several Please see RHODES, next page lots o* other people around the country and in ed it to be post-1900, probably servator for 16 years. He was sooner or later real artifacts from Canada still are bundling up in winter wraps. dated around the World War II somewhat skeptical about the that era will be found in Southwest Here is a sampling of highs and lows recorded era. Brigham find being a sword. At 51 Florida. last weekend: LOW HIGH Kiwanis projects will benefit from community support Albany, N.Y. 41 TAXES 19 The Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club expresses its ap- SANIBEL ISLAND Atlantic City, N.J. 49 30 Explorers. • Business and Personal Tax Return Bismarck, N.D. 33 preciation to the community for its support of the an- Winners of the raffle prizes were: Bulova watch, Preparation 29 nual spaghetti dinner fund-raising event Feb. 28. Boston, Mass. 37 31 Joan Boyer; paper sculpture, Julie Kingsley; afghan, • Forms Available for All States Cincinnati, Ohio 63 34 All of the proceeds from this dinner, as well as from Marie Hitchcock; poster, Christine Louwers; Bailer all Kiwanis fund-raising events, are used to support Dallas, Texas 68 48 painting, Joan Kain; printing at Big Red Q, Lloyd BOOKSHOP THOMAS R. LOU WERS, M.S.I Los Angeles, Calif. 65 52 Island activities. Among the projects that receive Kyllo; savings bond, Jack Kearns; Ritzy's gift cer- regular assistance from the club are the Sanibel Milwaukee, Wis.