Every week we mail to every home and business on Sanibel and Captiva, subscribers throughout the United States, and .. Monica Seles Sarasota, FL EXCLUSIVE "Ding" Darling Cartoon page 3 Courtesy of J N "Ding" Darling Foundation VOL. 6, NO. 49 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS, FLORIDA JUNE 41999 JUNE SUNRISE/SUNSET: 4 06:36 20:17 5 06:36 20:17 6 06:35 20:18 7 06:35 20:18 8 06:35 20:19 9 06:35 20:19 10 06:35 20:19 Native Sons Leading Chamber ith two native sons elected as its leaders, the Sanibel-Captiva WIslands Chamber of Commerce is keeping the island tradi- tion of community spirit alive and thriv- ing At its May 25 meeting, the Chamber's 16-member board of direc- tors elected Mike Billheimer, owner of the Lighthouse Cafe, as president, and Sam Bailey, of the legendary Bailey's Supermarket, as vice president. "We have such a cohesive group of spirited individuals on the board, I feel really good about it," says Mike Billheimer, who was born on Sanibe! 41 years ago A true island native of an earlier generation, Bailey, whose store is cele- brating its 100th anniversary this year, became a member of the Chamber about the same time that Billheimer was born. "Our business has been a member of the Chamber ever since it was possi- ble to be a member," says Bailey, adding that the small-town atmosphere Left to Right: Barbara Hickey, BIG Arts painting instructor Lois Ferguson, Katie Mason and Anne Walter capture a Sanibel still defines the islands. "We're still a landmark on canvas small community and that's why the The Harbor House: Anne Walter Reminisces Chamber is more of a personal opera- By Priscilla Friedersdorf tion than a commercial operation — it's all about communicating with each other." 4 4 Tknow everything in life needs to pith helmet and was quite a character. Case's son, Dave, is a fisherman; they Also elected at the May 25 board I change, but I will probably cry They lived in the tent with, of course, used to catch their own fish for the ILwhe! n it is torn down," said no air conditioning and no mosquito restaurant back then. The Case family Anne Walter in an interview this week control. In the '50's he also built a sold the restaurant to the Horstmeiers She was remembering the 18 years bomb shelter on the property that is and Don Case became a Sanibel she and her husband, Bill, have spent still there. He put in some wonderful policeman. We bought the restaurant We're still a as the owners of the Harbor House trees including the Key Lime tree; we from the Horstmeiers in 1981. small community Restaurant, the oldest restaurant on made our Key Lime Meringue pie from "When we bought the restaurant, Sanibel and Captiva. the fruit and this became a signature neither one of us had ever worked in a meeting, were Gilda Suarez as secre- The Harbor House is being sold and dessert for the Harbor House. When it restaurant before. We had vacationed tary and new board member Tony Lapi the outdated structure will be demol- was Jack's Place it was like a little here and we loved it, we had eaten at as treasurer. Suarez, vice president of ished sometime in the next few weeks. drive-in, they had stools in front of the the Harbor House in 1979 and had a Executive Title Insurance, has been on Walters said, "I had hoped they could windows outside and sold sandwiches, wonderful dinner. One cold winter; in Sanibel for more than 15 years. Lapi, preserve it but the old building is con- soft drinks and beer to the ferry pas- January, in Wisconsin, we saw an ad in the general manager who turned crete and brick, not like the wooden sengers. Mrs. Cole told me that their a local Sanibel newspaper that the 'Tween Waters Inn into a fullscale buildings they were able to move." 'catch of the day' back then was their Harbor House was on the market. Our resort, has been on the islands The main part of the structure, on a stew of whatever they had caught, like four children were in college, Bill since 1975. little more than an acre and a half, was possum or coon, and one of their cus- thought this would be a wonderful In looking forward to serving as built in 1948 by Jack Cole, who with tomers was the game warden who thing to do, to live and work on president, Billheimer is excited to get his wife, Gert, and their family, lived in loved this stew, he would never ask Sanibel; I thought it was a little crazy more businesses to join the Chamber a tent on the property while construct- what was in it; he would just say, 'I'll but we came down and he convinced and enjoy the benefits. The Chamber's ing the restaurant, which he named, have some of your stew.'" me it was a good thing to do. We had membership currently includes more 'Jack's Place.' Walters describes him, The Cole family sold to the a manager, Gabriel Flores, that we than 500 area businesses. To find out "He looked a little bit like Ernest Stanleys, who in turn sold to Don and have to attribute our success to how to join, call 472-1080 # Hemingway, he had a beard, wore a Jeanette Case. Walters said, "The Continued on page 9 Page 3 Page 2 Island Sun - June 4, 1999 Island Sun - June 4, 1999 the Council to carry on its work ate City expenses, find office space. Sanibel Sanibel's first City Resolution (74-1) Although they were all important appointed Jean W. Culpepper as perhaps the resolution creating the \\ Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Connection Historical Village Temporary Clerk of the Council to greatest impact on Sanibel's future 'keep a journal of Council proceedings sought proposals from professional And Museum and perform other clerical duties as firms to provide a comprehensive land WHAT DOES MERE MAN he year is 1974 directed" at a salary of $4 per hour use plan By April '75 the City had In early November Sanibel voters Culpepper cites the period she hired the Philadelphia firm of Wallace, KNOW ABOUT THE PERILS OF chose to steer their own course served as "the worst two months of my McHarg, Roberts and Todd T 1 A HON-STOP FLIGHT? via incorporation. Early December they life " It was hectic at best. She started Culpepper describes her own work selected five of their number to serve before her actual appointment working routine as attendance at weekly on the first City Council and "home with MacKenzie who dictated all the Council meetings all day and typing all rule ' became a reality. Then what? resolutions in advance of the first offi- night at home. Although the meetings The five elected officials met cial meeting She typed them up at were taped she had to transcribe quick- December 11 to agiee on procedures home, then they were revised, and so ly in order to identify speakers while and set an agenda for their first official on. fresh in her mind meeting December 16, at which time Interestingly her signature as Asked if she had sought this job, she they were sworn in and actually put the Temporary City Clerk, along with answered with a disclaimer Duane wheels of state into motion. those of Council members, appears on White contacted her to take the tempo- In a flurry of activity they elected a Resolution 74-1 providing for her own rary post having worked with her on Mayor (Porter Goss), vice-mayor employment. projects at Community Church. (Vernon MacKenzie) and by lot set Other resolutions approved that day Looking back on her brief career in terms of two and four years. At that authorized the mayor to interview can- city government, Culpepper obviously Jean Culpepper, Sanibel's first employ- moment there was no staff to imple- didates for the post of Temporary City enjoys the memories. "I'm a bona fide ee, held the post of Temporary Clerk of ment decisions of the Council. 'historic' person," she quips citing a the Council for which she was paid the Photo by Al Milliken, volunteer alJ N "Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Manager; appoint a Temporary City hourly rate of $4. At the meeting one week earlier Attorney in the person of Frank B. letter of thanks from Mayor Goss dated This is the third in a series of articles about the exhibits in the new MacKenzie has been instructed to pre- February 18, 1975, after a permanent "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Education Center. Watson, Jr.; borrow money in the Jean W Culpepper was a 19-year pare a series of resolutions enabling amount of $50,000 to cover immedi- clerk had replaced her. Goss's letter reads in part "No letter Sanibel resident who now lives in Fort Myers She has accepted an invitation Connections Exhibit I write could adequately express the to take part in the City's 25th birthday by Brian Johnson thanks your community owes you for commemoration next December.^ helping at a time when help was need- ature is interdependent The plants depend on the sun and the rain The Bath & Kitchen ed" And "the first-rate quality of your animals depend on the plants. Take one link out of the chain of nature and Gourmet Foods work sets a high standard....and I hope Sanibel Historical Village Nthe entire system may be put in jeopardy.