By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

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“Our beloved Captiva Chapel by the Sea sustained significant damage,” officials reported “Although the chapel itself has not been usable, almost 1,000 of our dedicated worshippers have viewed the Sunday services online ”

The Rev Larry Marshall, who is leading the ministry for his fourth year, suggested at a recent board meeting that he return to the island in mid-January to resume the live services The board agreed

Due to ongoing repairs to the building, the services will be held in the chapel yard

“Chapel attendees will miss the charm and simplicity of the chapel, but there are ordinarily more outside worshippers than those who can occupy the 90 seats in the chapel pews,” officials reported he Captiva Chapel by the Sea will resume its in-person Sunday service on Jan 29 Marking its 74th season, the chapel typically holds its services from November through April Following Hurricane Ian's landfall in late September, it began posting services on its website and Facebook page in mid-November as remediation and recovery efforts took place at the chapel.All are welcome to attend the inter-denominational service, which will take place at 11 a m

As usual, the services will continue to be videotaped and posted online for viewers Officials have been sharing updates on the ongoing storm recovery efforts

On Jan 5, the flooring, pews, steeple and cemetery were being addressed A few days earlier, sand removal was to begin in order to accommodate folding chairs and walking wors h i p p e r s I n a d d i t i o n , a s t o r a g e c o n t a i n e r arrived to hold the pews, which had to be removed to repair the chapel's flooring

The fish on the tip of the steeple was found on the chapel's

Hurricane Ian reinforced goals that Timbers Resorts had already set to bring the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva to four- or five-star standards with a focus on the environment and a sense of place, Chief Executive Officer Greg Spencer told the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce during its business lunch on Jan 18 at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers

The storm hit exactly 364 days after the global resort management firm purchased the resort

“We plan to make South Seas the number one multi-generation resort in the U S That’s our goal,” Spencer, who grew up in Florida and visited Sanibel and Captiva often, said. “You’ll see it in everything we do a focus on Captiva That’s why people are coming here It’s the thrill of driving across the causeway It’s the beauty of Pine Island Sound ”

He told the chamber members, who met jointly with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association at the luncheon, that the immediate plans for the resort include stabilizing facilities, then reopening the hotel and main swimming pool by September

Long-term goals will bring reconceptualization of the resort’s food and beverage operations and golf course, plus the building of amenities-rich Captiva Club Rather than keeping all amenities congregated at the island’s northernmost end, the new site map will spread them throughout the 330acre property The resort is also setting up a foundation so owners and guests can contribute to the local environment

“I want to be able to be a funding source for sea turtles, restoring sea grass,” Spencer said. “If that starts happening, along with amenities, it will help everything on the resort It will help all of Captiva and the businesses on Sanibel ”

Timbers Resorts already demonstrated its commitment to the community last year bycommissioning a vulnerability assessment for all of Captiva to determine steps needed for future resiliency efforts and to facilitate grant monies After Ian, it turned land formerly occupied by decrepit employee housing into a landing pad and transported some of the first recovery equipment to the island

“We estimate we had eight-and-a-half feet of storm surge,” he said “We took a

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