Dawn dcBoer photo Week of May 30-June 5, 2002 SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, FLORIDA VOLUME 29, NUMBER 21, 20 PAGES 75 CENTS wmm Wafer quality 'State of Our Schools an issue tNSJDE By Charlie Loucks Superintendent for Lee County school system is comparable to run- County seeks $250,000 Observer Staff Writer Schools' Dr. John Sanders reveled ning a business. State lauds PAGE early on in the support given educa- "Whether school district leaders grant to study surface .9. water problems and come FCAT scores An annual address on the state of tion by the Lee County community. appreciate it or not, we ail run a busi- up with solutions Florida's schools came before the "I'm not sure I've worked in a ness. Our major mission is to edu- Comparing Florida public eye last week after its origi- stats in 2001, 2002 location, and believe me I've been cate our young students, but we can't —See page 2 nally scheduled hearing was can- around, where the leaders of the do that without a supporting organi- for reading and math. celled in the aftermath of terrorist business sect were so committed to attacks on the United States last public education." See SCHOOLS Older Americans September. Sanders said the operation of a page 17 honored NPR's Vernon Peeples leaves his broadcasting Bsland dream for Bailey's Center rejuvenated Ocean forecasting post for the day for an Business island gig. —See page 3 NWS eyes on the tropical By Erik Burriss Staff writer J.N. "Ding" Darling's PAGE .4 . deputy refuge manager A closed gas station on heads off for new life ill Periwinkle Way may soon Ten fhoLisand Islands. be replaced by a jewelry By Dawn deBoer store, and a restaurant Editor down the roail may soon be ;ible to double the mnn- W'hiU: .InIK \ ivuivks Uio IKT iil peopli.1 win) (..'ini ••,\\\\\ <M' l\u.' i\\\;w\\\'.: W.is'ui dJUUCl Illll'i n ;ili»; :,L';\NOII, ,L U'.W pressure,, system feeding lay "on both matters, •heavy rainfall and huiiif- Impaired waters the Planning Commission jng thunderstorms in the Judge upholds impaired will vote June 11 on whet- Northwest Caribbean Sea waters ruling. her or not to approve a between Jamaica and the development permit for Cayman Islands pulled the alert button of the —See page 8 Friday's Fine Jewelry and Dawn deBoer photo a conditional-use permit Bailey's Center made accessible for island sailors and sailing students. National Weather Service for Trader's Store and Cafe. a week in advance. Friday's owner, Gene NWS satellite data and Reboer, wants to tear down surface observations indi- the old Mobil station and City takes optimistic look at the future cated the system had Our greatest car wash next to Huxter's become better organized, and put up a new building and computer models sup- heroes By Erik Burriss with 27 percent of respondents to a ported the likelihood of to move his business from Staff writer survey seeing an immediate or future its current place in Jerry's further development in The official Memorial need for a non-motorized boating Central and Eastern Cuba, Day is today. Plaza. Although the city's park and recre- facility. "What I'm trying to do the Bahamas and South ation master plan has yet to be adopt- "There seems to be somewhat of a Florida. —See page 5 is acquire my own place," ed, ideas for implementing it are com- groundswell of interest," Keith Reboer said. ing fast and furious. Memorial Weekend's Cruickshank said. alert sounded for the However, Huxter's owner Nine days after the Park and James Frizzell said he is An avid sailor, Cruickshank has Northwest Caribbean Sea, Recreation Committee presented a been talking to community members the Bahamas and Florida. interested in the property conceptual plan for changes to Road- and would like to buy it to find out what sort of facility would State and federal offi- side Park on Periwinkle Way, the com- be needed. On May 23 he presented cials urge Floridians to Island arts and keep it a gas station mittee heard what it would take to cre- and car wash. his concept to the Park and Recreation stock up on disaster sup- A 5-star summer in store ate a sailing center at Bailey's Beach. Committee. Although the commis- plies before the season's for summer theatergoers. Both are listed in the proposed master See CENTER official start on Saturday. plan as things the city should pursue, Forecasters predict this Summer concert See BUSINESS page 20 year more active than usual. Russian Christian group, page 17 Spasenie," in from Brest, Belarus. —See page 12 County monitors Upper Cap overwash for effect on system By Dawn deBoer a study has been taken by the county, Editor which is still formulating the scope of the problem. Initial steps include Blind Pass • POLICE BEAT page 3 A small portion of Upper Captiva determining any residential and state rates new is currently under the surveying eye interest before evaluating the options • TIDES page 4 experts of the county for its need of some to move forward with such a study. • OP-ED FACES page 5 tender-loving care. A receding shore- A systematic monitoring of the A Louisiana dredging system 8 ENVIRONMENT page 8 line found on state-owned lands bor- coast line has shown this narrow strip dering the island's south end is rais- to overwash in the past. gets a closer look • EDUCATION -page 9 ing questions that could initiate a "The island could get overtopped for potentiality •THE ARTS page 12 small-scale study of erosion in that or cut in half or three pieces, as the of opening up area. case was, but that's not necessarily the pass for good. • DATELINE page 13 Steve Boutelle with Lee County's • TV LISTINGS page ,14 Department of Natural Resources See COUNTY • CLASSIHLDS page 18 said no formal action to commission page 4 Michael Pistdla photo 2 • Week of May 30-June 5, 2002 • ISLAND REPORTER SAMBEL COUNTY Island • Dawn deBoer & State • Dawn deBoer $10.2 million returned Water quality an issue islanders received their fair County seeks $250,000 grant share from LCEC Lee County Government is hoping to Sanibel Island residents are obtain $250,000 from the U.S. receiving their share of Lee County Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Electric Cooperative's (LCEC) $10.2 to do an in-depth study of surface water million equity distribution. problems and solutions in Lee County. Customers are receiving 30 percent The county met with EPA representa- of LCEC's 2001 net margins. tives last week and was encouraged to This marks LCEC's 16th consecu- apply for the funding. tive year of returning equity to cus- As envisioned, the money would be tomers and 20th consecutive year used over several years to monitor the without a base rate increase. Over the water quality of local stormwater man- years, LCEC has returned more than agement systems and their effectiveness $85 million in equity to customers. and efficiency in removing certain pol- A customer's equity account is lutants such as nutrients (nitrogen, phos- based on the amount of electricity phorous), metals (lead, zinc), and a host they purchase annually, as well as the of other contaminates. number of years they have been an The local data would be used to LCEC customer. The average distrib- determine if systems designed to current ution for 2002 is approximately $25, standards are adequate in treating and amounts ranged from a few pen- stormwater runoff and, if necessary, find nies for new residential customers to better ways of managing and cleansing more than $108,000 for large power stormwater. The water quality monitor- consumers, such as commercial ing would be done at local detention and users. Checks are mailed to accounts retention ponds associated with road receiving more than $10. Customers and development projects. receiving $10 or less will receive a "This would help us establish a set of credit on their electric bill. local data," said Roland Ottolini, the Also in 2002, LCEC's Board of county's director of Natural Resources Trustees approved a special equity Management. "Currently, much of the distribution for accounts that became criteria for our permits are based on inactive before 1993. Those inactive national averages that may or may not accounts will be closed, and account be applicable to Southwest Florida."- holders will receive 100 percent of Over the last year the county, in con- junction with private interests, has been See LCEC page 15 See WATER A memorial sunset at Sunset Beach off Redfish Pass. Dawn deBoer photo page 15 S On the agenda Southwest Florida Coalition for nerships and collaborations are Hurricane Preparedness Weapons of Terror work- the Homeless, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 necessary to deal with the com- seminar with WINK-TV s chief shop sponsored by FGCU p.m. Friday at Howard Hall, plex, issues that result in people meteorologist, Dave Roberts, International Center for Justice Communities Uniting Room 111, Florida Gulf Coast becoming homeless," said exec- noon to 1 p.m. Monday, June 3, and Forensic Studies, 9 a.m. to to End Homelessness University. utive director Gary Lounsberry. at FGCU, Academic Building 5 p.m. .Tuesday, June 4, Reed annual workshop spotisored by "It is m, Room 116. Info: 590-1916 Hall Room 249. lftfo: 590-1916 L&S c CAFE COKAL equipment during last Saturday's special collection. Citizens made use of the Electronics Recycling ; - Hazardous waste collection 1 342 residents participated to dispose of their hazardous Program to recycle more than 80 computers, 50 televi- not a total waste materials and non-working or outdated electronics.