Largest Circulation On The Islands VOL 8, NO. 36 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS, FLORIDA MARCH 9, 2001 MARCH: SUNRISE/SUNSET: 9 06:43 18:34 10 06:42 18:34 11 06:41 18:35 12 06:40 18:35 13 06:39 18:36 14 06:38 18:36 15 06:37 18:37 Sexton Family Creates Sand Art by Brian Johnson he Sexton family is back on Sanibel making sand art Staying at Sanibel TArms West, the members go down to the beach in front of the hotel to construct their sculptures of sand and water. The group — 25 strong - consists of the eight siblings of Jim and Yvonne Sexton as well as their spouses and grandchildren All hail from Minnesota, except Jim and Maureen Sexton, who now live in Dallas, Texas. For the third year running the family has made a splash on the island Beach walkers stop and stare at the amazing large-scale art works that they fashion using only their bare hands The first year they made a giant mermaid, last year they created a dragon continued on page 10 During the 1999 search 180 applicants two terms. McDonald was elected four Search Is On were screened, and "Ed was my number CCA To Have years ago after Tom Loomis nominated one choice him from the floor. For New Sanibel "I thought Ed was doing a fine job" until First Day-Long Two years ago, nominees weie also the police situation (referring to a restruc- added from the floor by petitions, which City Manager turing of detectives and the controversial Election have to be signed by 10 CCA rnembeis by Camille Kucaba way it took place) "It should never have by Barbara Unstrom with voting pnwleges. Previous elections blown up the way it did," Brown contin- have been done by secret ballot at the br the second time in three years the ued or the first time ever, the Captiva CCA's March general membership meeting City of Sanibel is faced with the chal- He said the way Sealover was treated Civic Association (CCA) will be hold- With so many candidates this year, Flenge of finding a new city manager. was "completely uncalled for This is a sad Fing a day-long election to accommo- however, the board opted to open the Edward L Sealover, city manager since situation, and it's not good for Sanibel," date more members than ever as well as community center to voting members start- August of 1999, resigned March 2 in a let- Brown added more candidates running for the board ing at 11 a m. on Tuesday, March 27, and ter to members of the City Council. Sealover told the Council he appreciat- "This is unprecedented to have 10 peo- to keep the polls open until the start of the According to the letter, his final work day ed the opportunity to serve Sanibel and ple running for five seats," said CCA general membership meeting at 7 p.m will be April 2. Sealover said he has thanked the group for its support, but cited Executive Director Paul Garvey A special committee will count the bal- accepted a position as county administrator the "organizational culture" as causing At a general membership meeting on lots during the regular business part of the for Wise County in southern Virginia "frustrations Some find change unaccept- Tuesday, February 27, the CCA's nominat- meeting, after which the winners will be Sealover replaced Gary Price, who left able," he said. When the opportunity came ing committee slate of five candidates for announced. McDonald believes the extra in January of 1999 after spending 14 up in Virginia, "I had to take it." five seats was joined unexpectedly by peti- interest in board membership is a healthy years as Sanibel's city manager Price now Theiss said what Sealover has done will tions for five other candidates. sign. serves as city manager in Bonita Springs. "smooth the way for the next person" who The nominating committee's list includ- "It's the first time the CCA has done bal- After Price's departure, Bob Pntt, then gets the job, indicating the City is not look- ed incumbent board members Stella lots all day long — we're doing that in city attorney, took over as interim manager ing for a different approach Farwell and John Miller as well as nomi- response to the enhanced interest in the until Sealover came on board. "City managers are professionals. They nees Phyllis Gibson, Hal Miller and community," he said. "I encourage all vot- The Council agreed to tap the resources come in, evaluate a situation and then Vanessa "Queenie" Viglione. Nominees ing members of the CCA to participate " offered by a group called the Range Riders, make changes It's not an easy job," she from petition include: Sharon Brace, Peter The CCA is also planning a meeting for an association of retired city managers that said "We thank Ed for the good job he's Koury, Dave Watts, Paul McCarthy and new members on Friday, March 16 at provides assistance free of charge Mayor done, for showing us what needs to be Lou Rossi noon at the community center. Nola Theiss plans to ask Howard Tipton of fixed." At a CCA board of governors meeting "We're pleased to be having a new the Range Riders to help the City look for Council member Judy Workman sug- this Tuesday, the board opted to put member orientation meeting and encour- a qualified interim replacement until a per- gested the City look inward for an interim together a committee to deal with the age all new members to come and find out manent city manager can be found Tipton manager "We have staff people quite unprecedented activity. more about their organization " said is scheduled to be invited to the March 20 capable of handling the position," she said "We set up a committee today to devise McDonald. the most orderly and integral process to Council meeting. But other Council members felt it was ^M\moretl?an 60° members, the "We're going to need more than God's more important to "get an outside view" accomplish our mission," said Zeke CCA is bigger than ever. The board of guidance to get us through" another since an inside person often can't see McDonald, outgoing president of the governors has 11 t^ search, said Council member Steve Brown. continued on page 4 board. CCA board members are limited to •* J»>1* "ft" a* jiff ^a*S* J-^-K*^ * * * »* »* Punta Rassa 3 by Jean Dowries "Ding" Darting Wildlife Society Connection > Bart Cuderman IKKI by Brian Johnson Speakful Of Wasteful Land Tenantry art Cuderman enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War, but he didn't 1OO YEARS FROM J Bspend much time at sea. The surgeon vie "WONT U was assigned to a Marine battalion in the HAVE AMY 1 heart of the Asian jungle In the middle of AT ALL- the conflict, oppressed by tropical heat, he vowed he would never live in a hot climate But many years later, Cuderman moved from the frigid northern region of Duluth, Minnesota with his wife Peggy and two sons to the world of palm trees and sunny skies of Southwest Florida Peggy is an anesthetist in Naples; the boys, Peter and Nick, attend schools in Fort Myers. "1 do enjoy it," said Cuderman, who has lived in Fort Myers for the past seven years "There's no ice and snow In Vietnam there was no way to escape the heat. But here you can escape it all year round if you want This vintage photo shows Jake Summerlin's house before its gradual collapse began, but to " , . after it was no longer occupied. Note fishing boat in foreground and nets spread to dry. Cuderman grew up on a farm in Minnesota, the son of immigrants from Bart Cuderman Yugoslavia He attended a one-room coun- unta Rassa, Sanibel Causeway's anchor to the mainland, is presently dedicated to try scnooschool iIt was a peacefupeciusmli timumec imn ua luxury resort living: high rise hotels and condos, a marina and a tennis facility. But peaceful part of the country. The desire to become a doctor was with him from the Pit has not always been so beginning As a small boy, on a visit to the family physician to get a shot, he thought: A long and rich history stands behind the site at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee "One day I'm going to be the one giving the shot'" River which boasts almost continuous occupancy for many centuries. The native He took an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and then entered the University Americans who greeted Juan Ponce de Leon's expedition in 1513 were the Calusa of Minnesota Medical School. He applied himself unstintingly to his work and won the They reigned throughout Southwest Florida; the ancient Calusa town of Muspa probably had been at Punta Rassa. surgical award for his class at graduation. He was fascinated by surgery and made an extensive study of the held Historian Betty Anholt describes the tribe's living as easy since food was plentiful". During the Vietnam War he spent one year with the Marines on Asian soil There Accordingly their energies went into trading with other tribes and developing skills as was no safe retreat for medical personnel and he was exposed to almost as many dan- divers, canal builder and fishermen "They stored [live] fish and turtles in pens and weirs and allowed the tides to work for them Their engineering and artistic skills are only gers as the soldiers The enemy fire was particularly nerve-wracking during the periods beginning to be discerned and appreciated," Anholt concludes of down-time; when operating he could at least focus his mind on repairing wounds.