THREE DAYS A WEEK POST COMMENTS AT CAPE-CORAL-DAILY-BREEZE.COM District CAPE CORAL champs Cape American 9- year-old All-Stars rip South Fort Myers BREEZE — SPORTS EARLY-WEEK EDITION WEATHER: Isolated Storms • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Wednesday: Scattered Storms — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 50, No. 68 Tuesday, June 7, 2011 50 cents Ordinance allowing dogs at restaurants OK’d By DREW WINCHESTER restaurants will be able to allow Leetz, who co-sponsored the ordi- Councilmember Kevin “As soon as you put that dog [email protected] the animals outside. The new nance. McGrail, who co-sponsored the on a leash and take it off your Dog owners will now be able ordinance only pertains to those Some restaurants in the city ordinance with Chulakes-Leetz, property you are responsible,” he to take their pooch pals out for a establishments that want to take were already allowing dogs on said people who aren’t in favor of said. bite, so to speak, now that the part, and is in no way mandatory their patios, but the city had failed the move will not be paying any Councilmember Erick Kuehn Cape Coral City Council has throughout the city. to implement the legislation of their tax dollars to support it questioned who would be respon- approved an ordinance that “The freedom of choice is locally. since the participating restaurants sible, insurance wise, if a dog bit allows restaurant owners the what this is all about. It’s our The law already exists at the are financially responsible. someone. option of allowing canines on responsibility to give our restau- state level, but it requires each He said it’s up the animals’ But the general consensus their outdoor dining areas. rants a choice,” said municipality to implement the owners to take responsibility in For a fee of $75, participating Councilmember Chris Chulakes- ordinance themselves. public. See DOGS, page 6A Hail the graduates King stands by decision to buy tickets for spouses for banquet City manager says group showing at event was important for economic development By DREW WINCHESTER it was important to make a lasting [email protected] impression on Thurgood during Spending $180 on three din- his tour of the city last month. ners for three spouses will go a “The military expects families long way to make sure Cape to present themselves at these Coral is at the forefront of Army kinds of functions, that was the Reserve Deputy Chief Maj. Gen. purpose,” King said. Keith Thurgood’s mind, City The controversy surrounding Manager Gary King said. last month’s Reserve Officer And presenting the city as a Association banquet continued to family oriented destination could swirl during the Cape Coral City help to ensure that the U.S. Army Council meeting Monday, as the Reserve Center will be located, public and union officials looked MICHAEL PISTELLA and built, in the city’s burgeoning for answers for what they felt was Mariner High graduate Gretchen Rodriguez Diaz shows her happiness at the end of Veterans Investment Zone. a violation of city policy. the Tritons’ graduation ceremony at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers. More King said the land purchase photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com. has yet to be “consummated,” and See BANQUET, page 6A Mariner graduates 296 seniors Firefighter’s union By DREW WINCHESTER and say goodbye to friends and strengths was the ability to per- [email protected] teachers. severe. censures councilman Hundreds of people packed “This was the fastest four “As kids we don’t want to into Harborside Event Center years of my life but I remember grow up and now we’re here By DREW WINCHESTER He only claims to be an expert Saturday afternoon to watch the every minute of it,” said Class fully grown, we’ve experienced [email protected] in the paramedics field, he said. 2011 class of the Mariner President Derick Adams. all of the ups and downs that life The Cape Coral Professional He said they were likely fear- Tritons receive their diplomas Carolina Lerma, who gradu- entails,” she added. Firefighter’s Union voted to cen- ful of a council member having and finish their high school ated summa cum laude, said that Lee County School Board sure Councilmember Chris knowledge of current firefighting careers. she’s had a case of the dreaded Member Don Armstrong, a Chulakes-Leetz, who they say has practices. Two hundred and ninety-six senior-itis since receiving her Mariner High grad, said the continually attacked the union “It’s a total fabrication based seniors are now moving onto the first college acceptance letter nearly 300 graduating seniors leadership and grossly overstated on their fear … they never asked next phase in their lives, and the and as her fellow seniors now will keep their high school his credentials as a firefighter. what my background is,” graduation ceremony was an set off on different paths, she Union President Mark Muerth Chulakes-Leetz added. opportunity to reflect, celebrate added that one of their greatest See MARINER, page 6A said Monday that Chulakes- Muerth and the leadership Leetz’s background was vetted by plans on taking the censure to the union leadership and no evi- their annual meeting in dence of his being a professional Jacksonville. The purpose, First seniors graduate from Oasis firefighter was found. Muerth said, was to make certain “He’s never been a firefighter, their position on Chulakes-Leetz By DREW WINCHESTER and Councilmember Bill Deile said they wanted to keep their that’s a complete fabrication,” is known statewide. [email protected] all bore witness to the historical children in the system beyond Muerth said. “It will let others know he Twenty-seven seniors repre- event. middle school. Chulakes-Leetz said he never doesn’t speak for firefighters,” he sented the first graduating class “Our school system has been The 27 seniors will be the claimed to be an expert in the said. of Oasis High School Sunday, a true oasis for the community, first of many graduating classes field, and the designation was Meurth read the censure making history when they living up to its namesake,” said to come, of course, but those given to him by Muerth and the accepted their diplomas during a Dr. Lee Bush, Charter School who walked the stage on Sunday union leadership. See CENSURE, page 6A ceremony at Tarpon Point. System administrator. will be remembered as the first Family and friends, charter Oasis High School opened in graduates of the city’s burgeon- school system faculty and city 2009, after parents of the city- dignitaries Mayor John Sullivan operated charter system students See OASIS, page 6A Participants sought for Miss Cape Coral Beauty Pageant Oasis High School’s first By MEGHAN McCOY something positive for the Cape graduating class [email protected] and thought this would be very wait to receive The Wedding Professionals of good,” she said. their diplomas Southwest Florida is seeking indi- The contestants need to be 17- at Sunday’s com- viduals who want to participate in 22 years old, a resident of Cape mencement at the Miss Cape Coral Beauty Coral, a high school senior or col- Tarpon Point. Pageant in August at the Palmetto lege freshman, have a cumulative Pine Country Club. grade point average of 3.0 or higher and have a verified spon- DREW WINCHESTER Mitzie Barnes, president of the Wedding Professionals of sor. The application must be sub- Southwest Florida, said the Cape mitted by June 21. The first 20 Coral chamber stopped holding eligible applicants will be accept- the pageant in Cape Coral, so the ed. group is going to hold it from Applications can be found now on. “I thought we needed to do See PAGEANT, page 6A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Cape police chief to Bonsai Society to meet Annie’s Mailbox ..11A Horoscopes......11A speak at SWCCNA meeting June 18 at SPALC building Cape Life ..........7A Obituaries ..........6A The Southwest Cape Coral Neighbor- Bonsai enthusiasts are invited to attend CASH 3: hood Association will meet Wednesday, the monthly meeting of the Bonsai Society Community ........8A Police Blotter ....6A 4-1-0 / 8-9-9 June 8, at 7 p.m., in the cafeteria at Oasis of Southwest Florida Inc. on Saturday, PLAY 4: Charter Elementary School. June 18. The program will feature Ernie Classifieds........1-4B Sports ........12-13A 9-6-1-8 / 7-4-5-2 Comics ..............9A Tides ..................2A The guest speaker for the meeting will Fernandez demonstrating the art of creating Fantasy 5 be newly appointed Cape Coral Police Jin and Shari on Junipers. Members are Crossword..........9A TV Listings ......10A 4-7-15-21-24 Lotto Chief Jay Murphy. invited to bring any juniper they would like Dr. Donohue ......11A Weather ............2A 5-8-16-18-21-51 Oasis Charter Elementary School is to see have a jin or shari. x 3 located at 3415 Oasis Boulevard in Cape The public is invited to attend the Editorial ..........4-5A Web Poll ............5A Florida Powerball Coral. meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. and will be 17-19-39-41-58 For additional information about the held at the Support Personnel Association PB 21 x 5 Wednesday meeting or the Southwest Cape of Lee County Building at 6281 Metro Neighborhood Association, visit the Plantation Road, Fort Myers. There is no group’s site on the web at charge for attending and parking is free. 7 48445 46010 1 www.swccna.com, or call 239-945-0078.