THREE DAYS A WEEK POST COMMENTS AT CAPE-CORAL-DAILY-BREEZE.COM CAPE CORAL Teeing off Local golf squads compete in North of the River Tournament BREEZE — SPORTS MID-WEEK EDITION WEATHER: Isolated Rain • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Friday: Partly Cloudy — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 50, No. 123 Thursday, October 13, 2011 50 cents Italian American Club to celebrate 45th anniversary By MEGHAN McCOY new officers and new ideas. ing over on Oct. 15. Francioni Italian American Club office is [email protected] “Yes, I did enjoy myself,” she said they normally have the open until 9 p.m. Wednesday To go The Cape Coral Italian said about her time as the presi- installation in the middle of April, night and until 1 p.m. Thursday Who: Cape Coral Italian American Club is celebrating its dent of the club. “I will still be a but decided to change it this year. afternoon. American Club 45th anniversary Friday with an participating member in any way Mayor John Sullivan will The club is located at 4725 installation of new officers, a din- that I can help.” install the officers for the Italian Vincennes Blvd. For information, What: 45th anniversary ner and a dance, which is open to During her time as the presi- American Club Friday night. call 239-542-6515. celebration the public to attend. dent, Francioni collected the most Tickets are $22 for members The dinner menu, which is When: Friday, Oct. 14, Patricia Francioni, the current in monetary donations for Our and $25 for nonmembers. included in the tickets price, con- 5-10 p.m. president of seven years and Heart of Gold, along with bring- Individuals must purchase sists of a Caesar salad, stuffed Where: 4725 Vincennes ing new music to the club. their tickets in advance for the trustee for two years, decided to Blvd. retire this year to make room for The new officers will be tak- optional black tie event. The See ANNIVERSARY, page 6A Public safety unions, city still deadlocked By TIFFANY REPECKI 40 or 32 furlough hours each [email protected] year, based on their years of serv- Filing The impasse between the city ice. and the local public safety unions The proposal would have historical appears to stand as the city shot saved nearly $807,000, an esti- down the unions’ proposals mated $348,513 from the pen- material Tuesday during talks. sion contribution increase, and The city’s labor negotiators $458,265 from the furloughs — a figure comparable to a 2 percent Cape Coral Historical met with the Cape Coral Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 33 for an salary cut, according to union Museum archivist Alice afternoon bargaining session, leaders. Hunt files away some after first meeting with the Cape The fire union proposal shot material Wednesday after- Coral Professional Firefighters down Tuesday involved $1.165 noon. The museum is at Union Local 2424 in the morn- million in savings — 7.6 percent 544 Cultural Park Blvd. It ing. of payroll, according to union is open to the public During the sessions, the city leaders. Members would have put Wednesdays, Thursdays, rejected the unions’ newest pro- 10 percent toward pension, up 3 and Sundays, from 1 to 4 posals. percent from a 7 percent contri- “It doesn’t work for the city,” bution. p.m. September through In addition to the $1.165 mil- June. For more informa- John Hament, the city’s labor attorney, told the police union, lion, the city would have report- tion, call the museum at calling their proposal “very seri- edly saved an additional 772-7037 or visit capeco- ously flawed.” $260,000 as three positions ralhistoricalmuseum.org. Union members would have became vacant, plus an extra $1.2 increased their pension contribu- million in savings if pay increases MICHAEL PISTELLA tion 3 percent in the plan, up from remained frozen in the next two the current 7 percent. Members would also have agreed to take on See DEADLOCKED, page 6A Feichthaler offers to act as mediator for city, unions By DREW WINCHESTER formal response via its counsel, [email protected] John Hamment. Former Mayor Eric Feich- “I’d love to be able to sit City Clerk’s Office creating thaler has reached out to both down and work this out through the city and union leadership, mediation, but the city is no offering his services as a medi- interested,” Muerth said. archive of city’s history ator to help bring some resolu- Feichthaler said he “is not tion to what has been a very friends” with any of the By DREW WINCHESTER archive, which is available of the old city hall, taken in contentious, and public, negoti- involved parties and as a certi- [email protected] online. 1980, shows the building sur- ation process. fied mediator is sworn to impar- The Cape Coral City Clerk’s “I thought it would be a good rounded by nothing, with Feichthaler sent an email to tiality. Office is working to compile pho- idea to start gathering this infor- Nicholas Parkway and Country City Manager Gary King and He said the city was in a dif- tos and documents from the city’s mation and what we found was Club Boulevard leading to Local 2424 President Mark ferent situation between 2005- brief but interesting history, an that a lot of citizens had informa- nowhere but city hall. Muerth Tuesday making the 2007, when it had to compete ongoing project officials hope tion they hadn’t shared with any- Where the new city hall and offer, but so far he has not heard to keep firefighters. will provide a database for resi- one,” van Deutekom said. post office now stand are but back from either party. Feichthaler acknowledged dents to learn about the Cape. Featuring a combination of vacant land in the picture. Feichthaler said he would the unions would have to recog- The project started over a year photos, articles from The Breeze Van Deutekom said it is offer his services for free. nize the current economic situa- ago and City Clerk Rebecca van and the News-Press and literature important to have information “It’s frustrating to see what’s tion but feels the the fire union Deutekom said it’s a normal touting the newly founded available for people to see how happened,” he said. has done just that. function of the clerk’s office to “Waterfront Wonderland,” the far the city has come in a short City officials did not offer He thinks both sides would act as historians for the city. clerk’s website offers the chance period of time. comment on the matter, but like to know it won’t head to So far, much of the informa- to peruse the archives at a leisure- With so much happening right Muerth said the firefighter’s impasse and instead can reach tion the office has gathered has ly pace. now in the city, she said it is also union has always been open to an agreement. come from residents, who’ve A photo collection of the important to remind people of mediation. “Everyone would like to either donated or allowed the Cape’s two official city halls are some of the positives of living in Muerth said the city “closed have a little more certainty clerk’s office to scan their docu- available on the site. the door” on mediation with a moving forward,” Feichthaler. ments and photos to create the For example, one aerial photo See HISTORY, page 14A Lee School District adjusts weapons language By MEGHAN McCOY weapon, as defined in the Code of during the meeting Tuesday first National Demonstration High School at Harborside at 7 [email protected] Conduct for Students, on a school regarding the AVID, School in the state of Florida and p.m. on May 19 and Cape Coral Verbiage has been changed to campus or other school district Advancement Via Individual the second in the nation for the High School at Harborside at 7 a Lee County School District pol- facility, at any school sponsored Determination, program that AVID program. p.m. on May 20. icy regarding campus disorders event, or in a school district vehi- began in the district in 2007 at In other business, the school Board member Jeanne Dozier and trespassing, which touches cle, is prohibited unless author- Lehigh Senior High School. The board approved the proposed high thanked everyone who put time upon firearms. ized by the superintendent.” program is now offered at 16 school graduation schedule for into the graduation schedule The new wording states: Board Attorney Keith Martin schools in the Lee County School the 2011-2012 school year. That Tuesday night. She said she “Employees are prohibited from said the statute adopted by the District to help students reach schedule for Cape Coral schools appreciates the fact that duplicate carrying firearms and ammuni- legislature prohibits the school their potential and attend college is as follows, Ida Baker High schools received different times tion during and in the course of district from having a rule after graduation. School at Germain Arena at 10 on the same day, so the board performing official duties, unless addressing firearms, so verbiage Lehigh Senior High School a.m. on May 19; Island Coast could attend their school gradua- authorized by the superintendent. had to be changed to the policy. and Lehigh Middle School are High School at the Civic Center at The possession of any other A presentation was also given working towards becoming the 2:30 p.m. on May 19; Mariner See DISTRICT, page 6A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE AREA NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Mann to present ‘State Cape Police looking for Do Annie’s Mailbox ....9A Horoscopes........9A of the County’ at meeting The Right Thing nominees Frank Mann, chairman of the Lee The Cape Coral Police Department is Business.............8A Obituaries ..........2A CASH 3: County Board of Commissioners, will pres- looking for nominees for its Do The Right Classifieds........1-3B Police Blotter ....3A 7-8-5 / 2-2-3 ent the “State of the County” during the Thing program now that school is back in Comics ............10A Sports ........12-13A PLAY 4: Tuesday, Oct.