MARCH 19, 1993 VOLUME 22 904 12b i 0L SUN 1 00/00/00 NUMBER 12 3 SECTIONS, 52 PAGES s anr :,ANIBEL LIBRARY 3957 I R SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA, FLORIDA Stormy weather Sanibel, Captlva spared yet again By MaryJeanne McAward Staff Writer What has been dubbed "the storm of the cen- tury" had its affect on Sanibel and Captiva yet overall, the islands have been blessed with lit- tle damage for the second time in just more than six months. Last August, Hurricane Andrew barely tweaked the barrier islands while the high winds of last weekend's storm caused little physical damage. Sanibel police and firefighters fielded plenty of calls last Friday night and all day Saturday, March 12 and 13, during the week- end of turbulent weather which has continued throughout the week. Last Friday dawned with a flood watch for the west coast of Florida; a line of severe thunderstorms moved through the area at 60 mph early Saturday morning. A windy Sun- Rest assured that sail boats and sunny days although with the way the weather has been this • please see page 4A will be seen again on the islands shortly, past week, one can't help but wonder. Resort blames storm damage on road elevation By Dawn Grodsky Blind Pass resort were some of the end's storm and the resort man- damage or face a law suit. Editor only structures on the islands to agement is blaming that destruc- "We would not have sustained Cottages at the Castaways at suffer damage during last week- tion on the new elevation of any damage if the road had re- Sanibel-Captiva Road. mained at it's original elevation," The Castaways, located in San- Byrne said. tiva, is owned by Rochester Re- Seven, gulfslde cottages took in sorts and, according to Castaways 12 inches of water beginning at general manager Michael Byrne, about 4 a.m. Saturday morning, corporate officials will ask the Byrne reported. The cottages are county to mitigate some of the • please see page 2A Police officer arrested A- for soliciting prostitute A By MaryJeanne McAward Wilson, 64, a Sanibel resident, Staff Writer was charged with one count of so- Sanibel Police Officer James liciting prostitution and one Richard Wilson was arrested by count of entering a structure for Fort Myers police early Thursday purposes of prostitution. He was morning in a reverse sting opera- released on his own recognizance. Beach cottages at the Castaways at Blind Pass suffered extensive damage tion which targeted customers of Wilson's name was omitted during the storm and had to be evacuated. This unit took on a foot of water. prostitutes. • please see page 2A Sanibel sends settlenient proposal to because she had only just received it and four of the five erosion dis- State money trict commissioners have not yet reviewed it. still pursued Sanibel's plan would add a to- By Scott H. Greenhut tal of 600,000 cubic yards of fill to Staff Writer the eroding northern tip of Sani- This week, the Sanibel City bel. \ Council sent the Captiva Erosion Meanwhile, both the citf Goun- Prevention District (CEPD) a set- cil and the CEPD have agreedto tlement proposal that could lead continue with their application to the implementation of the for $2 million in state and county long-debated Blind Pass Inlet funds. Management Plan. At Tuesday's council meeting, J CEPD administrator Alison CEPD chairman Stephen Cutler a Hagerup called Sanibel's action, asked the council not to continue & "The first step in a settlement oi with its proposal until this •—- . ,, , , . , , ., , , _,,. ,„ . , some sort." money is secured During the storm last weekend, the beach near Blind Pass experienced Hagerup would not discuss the Cutler pressed the council for unusually high tides. The Blind Pass Inlet Management Plan, when CEPD's reaction to the proposal • please see page 2 A adopted, will hopefully stop the beach from further eroding on both islands. Five, shipmates lost at sea charge. By Don Starr "Due to weather conditions at StaJfWriterThe search for survivors from a the time, 60 miles west of Blind 200-foot Honduran freighter Pass, was too far for us and air- which sank 60 miles west of craft were dispatched from Group Sanibel during the storm last St. Petersburg who coordinated Saturday night was suspended the search," LaPierre said. earlier this week, according to the In another storm-related inci- U.S. Coast Guard. dent, a crewman off the shrimp Four missing crewmen are pre- boat "VILCO 10," Larry Lee Home, sumed lost. The ship, was apparently lost when a wave "Fantastico," was too far offshore struck the boat and he was for the local Coast Guard rescue washed overboard. He too Is pre- station, according to Senior Chief sumed dead. Darren LaPierre, officer-in- A large tree was destroyed near the Mad Hatter restaurant in Santiva. I RESORT • from page 1A elevated three feet and guests were tiva Drive to 5.5 feet above mean awakened by the sound of water sea level, was begun last year and lapping against their beds, he is expected to be complete this said. spring. The project was under- Rochester Resorts plans to ele- taken to help ensure an evacua- vate the cottages 10 feet, a step the tion route for Captiva and north- company believes is necessary ern Sanibel residents. At its pre- only because the newly elevated vious elevation, officials feared road does not allow water to pass that during a hurricane, rising over it. Instead, the water be- waters would claim the only ve- comes trapped on the side of the hicular route off the islands. road near the cottages and, as Byrne estimated immediate happened last weekend, eventu- damage to be at least $2,000 per ally floods the units, Byrne ex- unit, or a total of $14,000. The plained. money was spent to repair the Rochester Resorts plans to ask floors and wiring. That estimate This worker makes repairs at the Castaways at Blind. Pass early this week. county officials to pay for the cot- does not include expected damage tages to be elevated the additional such as water damage to drywall, SETTLEMENT seven feet. If the county refuses, paneling and appliances. The • from page 1A Byrne said the company Is con- walls and appliances will have to sidering a law suit. be replaced in the future, Byrne urgency in the matter, as he be- Cutler that renourishment, "free" As of press time, Byrne said no said. lieved that If state lobbyists did or not, will not solve erosion one from the corporate office had Workers completed repairs to Iftiot begin to actively pursue these problems permanently, but that it contacted Lee County. the floors and wiring early this funds by today, the funds would be is just a temporary solution. The road elevation project is week and the units became habit;- ialloted elsewhere. The problem of beach erosion not complete and plans are to in- able again Wednesday. ? City council members agreed to that has affected both Sanibel stall culverts under the road. While all seven units were oc- •seek the money as long as it does and Captiva is rooted in a hurri- However, Byrne said he has seen cupied, Byrne noted that guests in mat affect the final outcome of the cane of 1921, according to the plans and believes these cul- five of the cottages were scheduled (inlet management plan. Council Hagerup. A hurricane of that year verts will do little if anything to to check out the next day. Guests members do not want to be forced separated what are now Captiva help the flow of water. The prob- from the other two units were ac- into a prematurely finalized plan and Upper Captiva. lem, he said, is the road has been commodated in rooms that were only to get the money and the dis- The Gulf currents which nor- raised too much. vacant because other travelers cussion between Cutler and mally erode sand from the beach The project, which will elevate scheduled to arrive could not, due Mayor Mark Westall grew quite and then replenish it in a contin- Sanibel-Captiva Road and Cap- to the storm. pleated at times. uing cycle no longer renourished | The question of liability re- Captiva because of the presence of ARREST |mains a matter of contention be- Redfish Pass. 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel. tween the council and the CEPD While Sanibel's sand is replen- • from page 1A He will appear in Lee Circuit? ^as well as the amount of sand to ished by sand from Captiva Is- from a list of other men arrested Court to answer these charges- be used in the next renourish- land, Captiva's beaches do not get during the sting and booked at the Monday, April 5. ment. replenished, Hagerup said. Lee County jail. That list was re- Sanibel Police Chief Richard Cutler argued that Sanibel and In 1988-1989, to stop massive leased to the media and jail Plager refused comment on Wil- Captiva have a rare opportunity erosion, Captiva extended a jetty records confirm Wilson was not son's arrest. to obtain most, if not all, the first built in 1972 by Lee County processed there. Angela Savko, media coordina- money needed to implement the and added fill to the Bind Pass However, the arrest record ob- tor for the Fort Myers Police De- plan, which would renourish Cap- area. tained from the Fort Myers Police partment, was unavailable for tiva's beach and protect the The city contends that the in- Department indicated Wilson comment.