Sanibel Island Reporter/Islander

VOLUME 61, NUMBER 20

Lee Count y leads state in manatee deaths

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Lee County is off to a bad start with manatee deaths this year In the first two months of 2023, 29 manatee deaths were recorded for the county.

That figure far outpaces any other county in the state Citrus County and Hillsborough County each had 12 manatee deaths recorded by the Florida

Fish and Wildlife

C o n s e r v a t i o n

C o m m i s s i o n f o r t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f t h e year

The FWC recently posted a bulletin r e m i n d i n g b o a t e r s t o g o s l o w w h i l e enjoying the local waters and to be on the lookout for manatees, which are considered a threatened species

Many seasonal manatee zones in the

Community Egg Hunt to feature hunt, Easter bunny and more

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The islands community is invited out to a free weekend event to celebrate the Easter holiday

T h e c i t y o f S a n i b e l ' s R e c r e a t i o n

Department will host a “Community Egg Hunt” on April 8 from 9 to 11 a m at the p a v i l i o n a t T h e S a n i b e l S c h o o l o n

Sanibel Open to the public with no reg-

istration required, it will feature an egg hunt for ages 2-12, along with photos with the Easter Bunny and more

G a b b y C o o p e r A n g e l e s , p r o g r a m coordinator with the Sanibel Recreation C e n t e r a n d R e c r e a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t , explained that the Children's Education Center of the Islands on Sanibel typically holds an annual community event to mark the holiday, but is unable to this

year due to hurricane damages

“We have the resources and we wanted to collaborate,” she said

The egg hunt will start promptly at 9:30 a m There will be approximately 1,500 regular eggs for participating children to search for in the area that will be filled with prizes and possibly candy.

Curbside mail service returns on Sanibel post-storm

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Mail delivery resumed on Sanibel last week and residents need a mailbox up to receive theirs

Almost six months after Hurricane Ian stuck, delivery service returned on March 27

“Please get the mailboxes put up,” Sanibel Postmaster Tirzah Althouse said “They need to make sure that they have an approved mailbox set up where their previous mailbox was for curbside delivery.”

The U S Postal Service is not responsible for replacing the mailboxes on the

island

“They will then be able to get their mail every day and return to some type of normalcy,” she said

For those living in condos or some neighborhoods that use a centralized mail unit with keys, the homeowners' associat i o n s o r m a n a g e m e n t c o m p a n i e s a r e responsible for ensuring that residents are able to access their individual boxes If the unit is gone, they are also responsible for replacing it

If a mailbox is up and the address for delivery is one's home or business address on Sanibel, mail will be delivered to that

alsOInsIdetOday

address unless there is an active forward or change of address in the system

“ T h e y w i l l n e e d t o c a n c e l t h a t , ” Althouse said of any forward or change of address.

P e o p l e c a n d o s o o n l i n e a t www usps com or by visiting any post office

Mail may still be picked up at the temporary facility at 650 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel, for those who do not yet have a mailbox in place and are utilizing the physical address of a residence or business

Guest Commentary........................4 Web Poll.........................................4

Captiva Current..........................6-7

B u s i n e s s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Preserving Paradise.....................12

Island Living 14

S p o r t s 1 6

Classifieds 31

City issues notice of funding availability for grants

The city of Sanibel, in partnership

Availability for Community Developme Block Grants from the U S Department o Housing and Urban Development in anticipation of several funding opportunities that may become available over the next 12 months

P r i o r i t y p r o j e c t s u n d e r t h e f u n d i n g opportunity include:

∫ Acquiring and/or rehabilitating m family affordable rental housing

∫ Acquiring and/or rehabilitating single-family home for sale or rent to income eligible households

∫ Acquisition/construction/rehabilitation to facilities for persons with special needs such as: homeless or domestic violence shelters, transitional living, nursing homes, group homes for the disabled or children in foster care

The application submission deadline is April 21 at 5 p m

For more information and the application packet, visit https://files constantcontact com/97af97e6001/c63a28 94-249c-417c-a1af-efe030ee2e76 pdf

For questions, contact Deputy Planning Director Craig Chandler at 239-472-4136

March 15, the Lee County Board of County mmissioners learned that HUD had allocatd $1 1 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBGDR) funding directly to the county to assist w

Ian The disaster recovery funds can

repair, economic revitalization and -term planning damage from Hurricane Ian impacted so many people in Lee County and these funds are key to our long-term efforts to rebuild their lives,” commission Chairman Brian Hamman said at the time “We are grateful to HUD for allowing Lee County to administer these funds as our community comes together to build back stronger and better than ever.”

T h e c o u n t y r e p o r t e d t h a t p r i o r t o t h e r e l e a s e o f t h e f u n d s , i t i s r e q u i r e d t o d e v e l o p a C D B G - D R A c t i o n P l a n t o d e s c r i b e t h e u s e s , m a n a g e m e n t a n d o v e r s i g h t o f t h e s e f u n d s , a n d m u s t b e a p p r o v e d b y H U D I n s u pp o r t o f t h e e f f o r t , t h e c o u n t y ' s r e g i o n a l R e c o v e r y T a s k F o r c e , l e d b y C o m m i s s i o n e r a n d R T F C h a i r m a n K e v i n R u a n e , w i l l c o n t i n u e e n g a g i n g w i t h e a c h o f t h e h a r de s t - h i t c o m m u n i t i e s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t y t o h e a r d i r e c t l y

County launches progress report for hurricane

Lee County recently launched the Ian Progress Report, a data-driven site dedicated to updating the community on the fiscal needs, progress and opportunities with state and federal partners as the county moves forward after the hurricane.

The report is available at ianp r o g r e s s l e e g o v c o m a n d p r o v i d e s access to the following:

∫ A snapshot of initial damage assessment

∫ FEMA individual assistance

∫ Survivor housing

∫ Disaster recovery dollars

∫ Parks and beaches updates

∫ Public works projects

Hurricane Ian made landfall in

L e e C o u n t y o n S e p t 2 8 a s a Category 4 storm with a wind speed of 155 mph, the largest hurricane to make landfall in the county and the fifth largest storm in U S history

Initial damage assessments show Ian caused more than $7 3 billion in damage to residential and commercial structures It impacted every county beach, all county parks, every traffic signal and generated about 12 million cubic yards of debris, with 6

million of that collected roadside in unincorporated areas The storm left more than 130,000 in need of housing assistance

The information presented focuses on unincorporated Lee County, meaning the areas within the geographic boundary of Lee County that have not incorporated into municipalities The site primarily addresses the facilities, services and programs for areas other than the city of Fort Myers, city of Cape Coral, city of Bonita Springs, city of Sanibel, village of Estero or town of Fort Myers Beach Links to municipalities are provided from the site Data on the site will be updated monthly

Graduation schedule set for Lee

County high schools

The Class of 2023 will graduate in ceremonies on May 19, 20 and 21 at the Alico Arena, Suncoast Arena, H e r t z A r e n a a n d C a l o o s a S o u n d Convention Center The schedule is as follows:

May 19

Suncoast Arena at FSW, at 8 0 9 9 College Parkway, Fort Myers

∫ Gateway High School at 7 p m

May 20

Alico Arena at FGCU, at 1 2 1 8 1 FGCU Lake Parkway E , Fort Myers

∫ South Fort Myers High School at 10 a m

∫ East Lee County High School at 2:30 p m

∫ Riverdale High School at 7 p m

Suncoast Arena at FSW, at 8 0 9 9 College Parkway, Fort Myers

∫ Island Coast High School at 10 a m

∫ Cypress Lake High School at 2:30 p m

∫ Mariner High School at 7 p m

o und Co nv e nti o n

Center, at 1 3 7 5 Monroe St , Fort Myers

∫ Lee Virtual School at 10 a m

∫ Adult and Career Education at 2:30 p m

May 21

Alico Arena at FGCU, at 1 2 1 8 1 FGCU Lake Parkway E , Fort Myers

∫ Ida Baker High School at 2:30 p m

∫ Cape Coral High School at 7 p m

Suncoast Arena at FSW, at 8 0 9 9 College Parkway, Fort Myers

∫ Estero

f r o m c o m m u n i t y l e a d e r s a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b l i c a b o u t t h e i r r e m a i n i n g n e e d s a n d s e e k i n g i n p u t o n h o w t o b e s t u s e t h e f u n d i n g t o b r i n g L e e C o u n t y b a c k b e tt e r t h a n e v e r

“Hurricane Ian did catastrophic damage to our community, but our commitment to recovery has never wavered,” Ruane said “Leaders from both the public and private sector are already working to meet the needs of our neighbors working to rebuild lives and communities throughout Lee County ”

T h e c o u n t y e n c o u r a g e d c o m m u n i t i e s a n d r e s i d e n t s p r e p a r i n g f o r t h e f u n d s t o b e g i n t h e p l a n n i n g p r o c e s s , n o t i n g t h a t t h e y s h o u l d n o t a n t i c i p a t e a p p l y i n g f o r s o m e t i m e I n a d d i t i o n t o a p p r o v i n g t h e c o u n t y ' s

A c t i o n P l a n , H U D m u s t i s s u e g u i d a n c e v i a F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r n o t i c e d e t a i l i n g r u l e s a n d r e g u l a t i o n s f o r a d m i n i s t e r i n g t h e f u n d s T h e c o u n t y r e p o r t e d t h a t i t s

A c t i o n P l a n d e v e l o p m e n t a n d a s s o c i a t e d a p p r o v a l , a l o n g w i t h t h e g u i d a n c e i s s u a n c e b y H U D c o u l d t a k e s e v e r a l m o n t h s W h i l e t h e p r o c e s s w i l l t a k e t i m e , i t w i l l a l s o h e l p e n s u r e t h a t t h e f u n d i n g i s d i s t r i b u t e d i n a w a y t h a t e n a b l e s t h e c o u n t y t o r e p a i r a n d r e b u i l d i t s c o m m u n i t i e s m o r e r e s i l i e n t t o t h e f u t u r e h a z a r d s t h a t i t m a y f a c e

The county added that it will continue to distribute information as it becomes available

FEMA approves $14M for school district, LCSO

FEMA Public Assistance recently approved two grants to reimburse the School District of Lee County and Lee County Sheriff's Office for emergency costs responding to Hurricane Ian

The school district was approved for a grant of $10,069,446 After the Sept 28 storm, the district c o n d u c t e d e m e r g e n c y r e p a i r s , m o l d r e m e d i a t i o n , debris removal, water removal, safety inspections and installation of temporary generators

T h e L C S O w a s a p p r o v e d f o r a g r a n t o f $4,180,612 to reimburse costs of security for crowd, access and traffic control, barricades, search and rescue, roof stabilization, medical care, debris removal, distribution of supplies, lighting, sandbags, tarps, generators, fuel and other costs.

FEMA Public Assistance has obligated $32 8 million (federal share) for Lee County and a total of $106 million for all applicants within Lee County

F E M A ’ s P u b l i c A s s i s t a n c e p r o g r a m p r o v i d e s grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies

streamed and once available the links will be placed on the School District

Applicants work with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work FEMA obligates funding for p r o j e c t s t o t h e F l o r i d a D i v i s i o n o f E m e r g e n c y Management after final approval. Once a project is obligated, the FDEM works closely with applicants to complete the grant process and begin making payments The FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible

Web Poll

SCCF provides legislative update on Week 4

By SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

As we approach mid-session, this week will likely be the last week for subcommittee meetings virtually closing the door after that on bills that have not yet been heard or are not moving in committee

Water quality

SB 1258 Use of Phosphogypsum passed 9-0 through the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee last week

The bill authorizes demonstration projects and studies around the use of incorporating this by-product of phosphate mining into road bed construction According to the EPA, phosphogypsum can emit the radioactive gas, radon, and also contains other radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium and radium

The argument for using this by-product of the fertilizer industry is that it would provide a much needed aggregate for road bed materials and would be contained under asphalt in the road construction process While there were no legislators that opposed the bill outright, there were some that would like to see the study process completed before demonstration projects commenced Of particular

Guest Commentary

concern is any potential leachate that may occur once the layer of confining asphalt cracks or erodes from weatherization and wear

The identical House version, HB 1191, passed 14-0 in the House Infrastructure and Tourism Appropriation Subcommittee with similar comments. Both bills have one more committee stop before the bill reaches their respective House and Senate floors for a full vote

Growth management/land use

S B 5 4 0 L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t Comprehensive Plans also passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8-3 This is the very bad bill that adds the provision for prevailing party’s attorney’s fees to citizen’s challenges of local government comprehensive plans In addition to the previous reasons f o r o p p o s i n g t h e b i l l , s u c h a s i g n o r i n g already existing protections for avoiding f r i v o l o u s l a w s u i t s a n d f r e e z i n g c i t i z e n involvement in their local growth managem e n t p r o c e s s , b i l l s p o n s o r S e n N i c k DiCeglie added a bad amendment to elimi-

nate some elements of comprehensive plan review and to expedite the already limited state review process Testimony from 1000 Friends of Florida gave an example of the h a v o c t h e a m e n d m e n t w o u l d i m p o s e i n S o u t h F l o r i d a a n d o n s p e c i f i c a r e a s o f E v e r g l a d e s r e s t o r a t i o n i n p a r t i c u l a r T h e amendment and the bill still passed with promises to look at future improvements to the amendment

The similar House version, HB 359, is headed for the House floor after passing all of its committee stops Any amendments will have to be reconciled between the houses, but the bill will surely be a veto target if it passes

Visit the 2023 SCCF Legislative Tracker a t h t t p s : / / w w w s c c f o r g / o u r - w o r k / e n v i r o nmental-policy

Founded in 1967, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal e c o s y s t e m s F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www sccf org

Guest Commentary Sargassum will not impact regional shores

By ISABELLA McDONNELL

As Southwest Florida continues to endure the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and the effects o f r e d t i d e , a n o t h e r p o t e n t i a l i s s u e h a s entered the news cycle Reports of a large patch of Sargassum algae forming in the Atlantic create new worries It is similar to red tide in that it can cause negative health effects and dissuade tourism

The formation of large patches is a relatively new issue, observed and studied since 2011 Small islands of floating algae have been observed offshore for centuries, but have recently increased over a hundred-fold The unusually large blooms can now be monitored via satellite Currently, this year’s bloom is twice as wide as the United States

Last year, a record 22 million metric tons of Sargassum coated the Atlantic

As of now, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab scientists believe it is unlikely that the seaweed will affect the Southwest Florida coast. The east coast of Florida is very likely to be impacted due to the Gulf Stream acting as a conveyor belt, running right next to the coast The algae has already begun washing ashore in Key West,

and more is expected in the Keys before the end of the month

The Loop Current is far from Sanibel and Captiva It would take many days of a strong west wind for clumps to reach the islands Satellite images of the bloom can be found on the University of South Florida's Optical O c e a n o g r a p h y L a b o r a t o r y ' s w e b p a g e a t https://optics.marine.usf.edu/projects/SaWS. html

G a s b l a d d e r s , c a l l e d p n e u m a t o c y s t s , cause the algae to float on the surface Offshore, the algae provide important habitat for many animals including juvenile sea turtles Many creatures find temporary and permanent homes within the leaves It serves as a nursery for young species, a resting place for seabirds, and a lifelong habitat for a variety of fish species Nearshore, the algae can have a negative effect on coral reefs and seagrass beds by shading the seafloor from sunlight When the algae washes ashore, there are few solutions Beaches can be covered in 5-6 feet of rotting algae Using machinery to remove the algae can be fatal to sea turtle and shorebird nests and can worsen shoreline erosion

When the algae decomposes without oxygen, or anaerobically, this can lead to the release of hydrogen sulfide gas and you may smell rotten eggs Should you encounter the algae, walking through or touching the algae is not recommended

High levels of nitrate, phosphate, and a m m o n i u m a r e t i e d t o t h e g r o w t h o f Sargassum, red tide, and other harmful algae blooms Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found that nitrogen levels had gone up by 45% in the area where sargassum forms since the 1980s

Runoff from river basins is believed to be a major contributor to the blooms Even those far from the coast are urged to limit fertilizer use in order to stop these issues from continuing to worsen

Isabella McDonnell is a research assistant for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's Marine Laboratory Founded in 1967, the SCCF's mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal e c o s y s t e m s F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www sccf org

We want your opinion

Captiva crews extinguish fire on condo’s roof

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Captiva Island Fire Control District recently responded to a roof fire at a condo building

On March 24 at about 4:30 p m , the district received a call for a structure fire c a u s e d b y r o o f i n g a t S u n s e t C a p t i v a Bayside at 15123 Captiva Drive, Captiva. Fire Chief Jeff Pawul reported that fire c r e w s a r r i v e d o n s c e n e a n d o b s e r v e d

smoke coming from the front of the building, which is the west side

The company working on the roof was still on it when firefighters arrived

“They were trying to extinguish it with bottles of water when we got there,” he said

The fire crews gained access to the roof using a truck and ladder, then proceeded to put out the flames They also cut open a small section to verify that the fire did not

extend underneath into the interior. No injuries were reported

“It appears to have started when the roofers were using a torch on the roof,” Pawul said, adding that they were re-roofing the building and had probably heated up the wood facade a little too much

“It was in the area that they just finished doing,” he said “It was contained to that small section ”

The fire has been ruled accidental-unde-

CCA offering another series of weekly yoga sessions

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Captiva Civic Association is offering a second series of yoga classes for the community

Beginning last week, the CCA is hosting “Gentle Yoga” on Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. at the Captiva Civic Center Instructor Patricia Gennity will lead the sessions for members and non-members

Executive Director Emily Hess Ankerson explained that the CCA recently wrapped up a yoga series with another instructor and it was well received by the public, so it decided to offer another one

“We felt like people appreciated having somewhere to go to take a yoga class on Captiva right now,” she said, adding that there is currently no yoga studio open on island as a result of Hurricane Ian

The recent instructor was unavailable, and the CCA learned about Gennity from a member.

“She's been practicing yoga for 23 years and teaching for 12,” Ankerson said Gennity began teaching in 2011 at The Sanctuary Golf C l u b a n d t h e S a n i b e l R e c r e a t i o n C e n t e r o n S a n i b e l Incorporating all styles of yoga into her own, she has also held classes at the Captiva center

“She did teach at the CCA about eight years or so ago,” she said Describing gentle yoga as “meditation in motion,” Gennity

If you go

explained that participants will practice isolated movements to improve coordination and body awareness It offers the opportunity to improve one's balance through simple weight-shifting exercises, and participants will learn to feel their body's center of gravity and how it relates to their foundation through the poses The focus can be on slow and smooth movements in and

termined.

“They did delay in calling us by trying to extinguish it themselves,” Pawul said “Had it caught a larger section on fire or the fire spread further, it could have been a much more detrimental situation ”

“Even if you think you've extinguished your own fire, don't delay in calling us,” he added

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District responded and assisted

CCA taking RSVPs for Artist Talk program

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Reservations are open for an encore p r o g r a m w i t h t h e C a p t i v a C i v i c Association's exhibiting artist

The CCA will hold a second Artist Talk with photographer Rob Hoovis on April 11 at 5:30 p m at the Captiva Civic C e n t e r o n C a p t i v a I t s s o l e e x h i b i t planned for the spring season due to Hurricane Ian, “Island Love Stories” is a collection of about 20 photos by Hoovis t h a t c a p t u r e u n i q u e s u b j e c t s o n a n d around Sanibel and Captiva from before the storm The event is free and open to the community

E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r E m i l y H e s s Ankerson explained that the program will be similar to the first event on March 9 People may not have been able to attend because of another island event taking place

“And different people might be in town or available to come, so we thought we'd offer another one,” she added.

During the program, Hoovis will discuss his photography and the photos in “Island Love Stories ”

“He talks about the pieces that he has

County library system offers virtual programs

T h e L e e C o u n t y L i b r a r y S y s t e m , w h i c h i n c l u d e s t h e C a p t i v a M e m o r i a l Library, is offering the following free virtual programming:

Adult programs

∫ A p r i l 6 : T h e Q u a k e r s a r e O u r

Friends at 10 a m

Also known as the Society of Friends, the Quakers believe that individuals are created equal and that everyone can be c o n s i d e r e d a m i n i s t e r T h e i r p r a c t i c e s reflect these beliefs and provide a source o f i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e i r l i v e s

Participants will look at the features of the

faith and what is recorded and discuss where records may be found Advance registration required

For more information or to register, visit leelibrary librarymarket com

Questions can also be directed to 239479-INFO (4636)

Download books, stream video and o t h e r o n l i n e c o n t e n t a t www leelibrary net

The Captiva Memorial Library is currently closed due to Hurricane Ian

The Captiva library is at 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva

Captiva Public Meetings

The following public meetings/hearings are scheduled:

∫ April 11: Captiva Community Panel monthly meeting at 9 a m via Zoom For more information or the agenda, visit captivacommunitypanel com

CCA

From page 6

in the show He talks about how he got the shots,” Ankerson said, explaining that it could mean capturing a comet or shooting star or a rare shot of a hard-to-reach place.

“He talks about the adventure of getting the photograph and about what's unique about that photograph,” she added “And he talks about his other experiences ”

Following the program, there will be an opportunity for a meet-and-greet with Hoovis

“He's there to talk one-on-one with people,” Ankerson said Complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks will be provided.

Bank of the Islands is the sponsor for the CCA's art exhibitions for 2023

While the Artist Talk is free, reservations are required

“That can be done by calling us or going to our website,” she said

To RSVP, visit https://ccacaptiva org/ or call 239-472-2111

The community is invited to reserve their spot and take part

“It's an opportunity for people to meet him and hear more about the show,” Ankerson said “It's also just getting to meet a local artist, he's local to Fort Myers, so it's a way to support a local artist ”

Yoga

From page 6

out of a pose, working to improve flexibility, strength, or body awareness

All levels of yoga experience are welcome

“It's not going to be too strenuous,” Ankerson said “Accessible to anyone ”

The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members per class

Registration is requested so the CCA knows that it has enough participants to fill a session

“Walk-ins are welcome, but it's better for us to know in advance,” she said, explaining that those planning to drop in for a class should contact the CCA first to ensure the session is being held

∫ A p r i l 1 1 : C a p t i v a I s l a n d F i r e Control District meeting at 4 p m at the f i r e s t a t i o n , a t 1 4 9 8 1 C a p t i v a D r i v e , Captiva For more information or the agenda, visit captivafire com

If you go

What

Artist Talk with Rob Hoovis

When April 11 at 5:30 p m

Where Captiva Civic Center, 11550 Chapin Lane, Captiva Who Captiva Civic Association

Details

Free to the public, but RSVPs requested

The pieces in “Island Love Stories” are available for purchase, and people can also order prints from the exhibition To aid with the recovery on the islands, Hoovis is donating a portion of the sales

The exhibit will be on display now through April 28 For those unable to a t t e n d t h e e v e n t , t h e g a l l e r y i s o p e n Monday through Thursday from 10 a m to 1 p.m., unless otherwise posted or by appointment

For more information, visit the CCA w e b s i t e o r c o n t a c t

o r info@ccacaptiva org

The Captiva Civic Center is at 11550 Chapin Lane, Captiva

Participants must bring a yoga mat, as well as props to support the practice

G e n n i t y s u g g e s t e d t h a t p a r t i c i p a n t s bring two blocks and a strap

The community is encouraged to sign up and take part

“It's an opportunity to find some stress relief and take a break from whatever they’re working on,” Ankerson said “And for those who practice, it's an opportunity to get some yoga in while on Captiva ”

For more information or to register, v i s i t h t t p s : / / c c a c a p t i v a o r g / o r c o n t a c t 239-472-2111

The Captiva Civic Center at 11550 Chapin Lane, Captiva

Investing — history repeats itself

By S ALBERT D HANSER

If history is a predictor of the future, I have a lot to share Starting as a clerk on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1959, I have witnessed n u m e r o u s m a r k e t c y c l e s u p c l o s e . T h e bull and bear markets of the 1960s The devast a t i n g 1 9 7 2 - 7 4 b e a r

market The 1987 crash that took 22% off stock prices in a single day!

T h e t e c h n o l o g y m e l tdown of 2000-02 and t h e G r e a t F i n a n c i a l C r i s i s o f 2 0 0 8 - 0 9

W h i l e e a c h m a r k e t cycle may feel unique, they often shared similar paths and outcomes

As the current market cycle courses through our economy, this is a good time to share some pieces of wisdom acquired over the years that may help guide you and your family through these turbulent times

∫ Stocks will outperform bonds over the longterm.

Looking back more than 90 years, the stock market has endured wars, innumerable financial crises, and inflationary environments, among other events Yet almost 80% of those years ended with a positive return in the stock market And in those critical periods, stocks performed better than short-term bonds 70% of the time If you look at any 10-year period, stocks beat short-term bonds 85% of the time More importantly, over any 20-year period, stocks outperformed bonds 100% of the time If you have longterm financial goals and have patience, stocks will reward you

∫ The stock market is a leading indicator

Today, investors and economists predict we may face another recession in 2023 If so, the stock market’s 2022 decline already provided a clue. The stock market is forward-looking, and prices already reflect expectations of a 2023 recession Similarly, the stock market will often rally well before a recession ends and when the headlines remain negative Within one year after a recession, the market has averaged a 16% return and this is often before the recession has officially been declared Timing the market is tough during volatile economic periods If you wait until there is an “all-clear” signal, you will most certainly be left behind

∫ Bull markets follow bear markets.

We have experienced many wonderful bull markets and our fair share of bear markets over the past 70 years While we often focus on those times when a bull market ends, it would be good to remember that bear markets will end too This time is no different History shows that when bear markets end, stocks rebounded almost 13% within the first month and 43% within the first year We may not know exactly when the bear market will end, but we do know that patient investors who stick it out will be rewarded Don’t make a drastic change to your long-term gameplan based on short-term events, or you may miss the opportunity.

∫ Popular does not always mean profitable.

Back in the late 1960s, the trend was to own the f a s t e s t - g r o w i n g s t o c k s c a l l e d t h e “ N i f t y F i f t y ”

Within just a few years, however, their share prices had collapsed an average of 90%. We saw a similar

See HISTORY, page 10

Chamber ribbon-cuttings mark more openings on islands

On March 28, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce celebrated the partial reopening of the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village on Sanibel and the opening of the Captiva branch of John R Wood Christie's International Real Estate with ribbon-cutting ceremonies and fanfare

“Another banner day,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said “Having one of the islands' most important attractions make a comeback from some pretty serious destruction that's huge Likewise, 5 feet of water couldn't drown the spirit and

energy of John R Wood and we applaud its pluck ”

The John R Wood office had undergone renovation and was just about to open before Hurricane Ian hit in September Unphased by the setback, Suarez Estate Management & Construction started in again

“They have completely remediated and remodeled that office,” President and Chief Executive Officer Phil Wood said “Their work and dedication to the process even had them driving to Virginia to pick up doors for our office and bringing them back ”

See RIBBON-CUTTINGS, page 10

Albert D. Hanser

SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce celebrated the partial reopening of the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village on Sanibel on March 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of John R. Wood Christie's International Real Estate on Captiva on March 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

SanCap Group holds annual shareholders meeting

T h e S a n C a p G r o u p I n c , h o l d i n g c o m p a n y o f T h e S a n i b e l C a p t i v a T r u s t C o m p a n y a n d i t s d i v i s i o n s , h e l d i t s 2 2 n d A n n u a l S h a r e h o l d e r s M e e t i n g o n M a r c h 1 5 a t T h e C l u b a t R e n a i s s a n c e i n F o r t M y e r s f o r m o r e t h a n 8 0 g u e s t s F o u n d e r a n d C h a i r m a n S A l b e r t D H a n s e r o p e n e d t h e m e e t i n g b y a d d r e s s i n g t h e b u s i n e s s o f t h e c o m p an y o v e r t h e l a s t y e a r H e c o m m e n t e d o n i t s g r o w t h , n o w a t 5 7 e m p l o y e e s t h r o u g h o u t S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a , T a m p a B a y a n d N a p l e s , h i g h l i g h t i n g t h a t a l l o f f i c e s a r e e i t h e r e x p a n d i n g o r m o v i n g t o n e w s p a c e i n e v e r y m a r k e t . “ W e c o n t i n u e t o m a k e s t r a t e g i c h i r e s t o c a r e f o r o u r i n c r e a s i n g n u m b e r o f c l i e n t s , a n d w e d o t h i s c a r e f u l l y t o a s s u r e o u r c u l t u r e a n d t h e c o m p a n y s t a y s s t r o n g , ” H a n s e r s a i d , p o i n t i n g o u t h o w t h e c o m p a n y m o v e d i n t o F o r t M y e r s f o l l o w i n g H u r r i c a n e I a n a n d h o w t h e t e a m l o o k s f o r w a r d t o o c c u p y i n g b o t h o f i t s n e w o f f i c e s p a c e s i n F o r t M y e r s a n d o n S a n i b e l i n t h e c o mi n g m o n t h s “ W e b e l i e v e s t r o n g l y i n s u p p o r t i n g t h e c o m m u n i t i e s w e s e r v e , a n d o u r e m p l o y e e s a r e h e a v i l y e n g a g e d w i t h n o n p r o f i t s i n F o r t M y e r s , S a n i b e lC a p t i v a a n d t h r o u g h o u t o u r c o r p o r a t e f o o t p r i n t ” H e w e l c o m e d a n d t h a n k e d t h e b o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s , e a c h m a r k e t ’ s a d v i s o r y b o a r d , a n d t h e s h a r e h o l d e r s , w h i c h i n c l u d e s e m p l o y e e s S e v e r a l p r o m o t i o n s o c c u r r e d s i n c e t h e l a s t m e e t i n g i n c l u d i n g n e w l y a p p o i n t e d C h i e f F i n a n c i a l O f f i c e r B e t h W e i g e l , D i r e c t o r o f T r u s t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n A n n P a n k o w , T r u s t O f f i c e r K e l l y R i t r i e v i , a n d D i r e c t o r o f O p e r a t i o n s L a u r a F r o s t . C h i e f E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e r T e r e n c e M I g o d i s c u s s e d t h e c o m p a n y ’ s f i n a n c i a l r e s u l t s o v e r t h e l a s t y e a r , h i g h l i g h t i n g t h a t a r e c o r d - s e t t i n g a m o u n t o f n e w b u s in e s s w a s c o n d u c t e d H e a l s o a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e c o m -

Free webinar set on post-stor m real estate

A panel of real estate industry experts will conduct its second free webinar in a series designed to help Southwest Florida residents i m p a c t e d b y H u r r i c a n e Ian's destruction

“ A s k T h e E x p e r t s : N a v ig atin g P o s t- I an R eal Estate Challenges Part II” will take place on April 10 at 1 p m The panel will address real estate challenges resulting after the storm and provide strategies for navigating those complexities moving forward

The topics will include: current real estate market, Sanibel build back and FEMA 50% Rule, insurance considerations and requirements, lending considerations and

History

From

r e n d d u r i n g t h e t e c h - b u b b l e i n e a r l y 2000, when the best stocks to own (supposedly) had little to no profit, but limitl e s s g r o w t h p o t e n t i a l U n f o r t u n a t e l y , many of us know too well how that ended Now we are recovering from investors bidding up meme stocks, cryptocurrenc i e s , a n d s t a y - a t - h o m e e - c o m m e r c e

p a n y i s t h e s e c o n d l a r g e s t s t a t e - c h a r t e r e d t r u s t c o m p an y i n F l o r i d a f o r r e v e n u e a n d p r o f i t a b i l i t y , w i t h m o r e t h a n $ 3 6 b i l l i o n i n a s s e t s u n d e r m a n a g e m e n t “ W e a r e v e r y p r o f i t a b l e , b u t a s o c c u r r e d a c r o s s t h e i n d u s t r y , o u r p r o j e c t e d p r o f i t s w e r e l o w e r t h a n e x p e c te d p r i m a r i l y d u e t o m a r k e t d o w n t u r n , ” I g o s a i d . “ A s w e s t a y f o c u s e d o n o u r c o r e b u s i n e s s , w e a r e c o n f id e n t o f f u t u r e p r o f i t a b i l i t y a n d c o n t i n u e d g r o w t h ” H e o u t l i n e d t h e c o m p a n y ’ s g r o w t h s t r a t e g y f o r t h e n e x t f i v e y e a r s , s a y i n g i t i s r e a l i s t i c a n d a t t a i n a b l e b y s t a y i n g t r u e t o i t s c o r e t e n a n t s : k e e p t o t h e c u l t u r e ; m a n a g e e x p e n s e s ; r e t a i n , p r o m o t e a n d r e w a r d e m p l o ye e s ; d e e p e n t h e b r a n d i n e a c h m a r k e t ; d e v e l o p l e a d e rs h i p a n d m a i n t a i n a c l e a r s u c c e s s i o n p l a n ; a v o i d r i s k a n d s t a y i n c o m p l i a n c e ; k e e p c l i e n t s f i r s t ; a n d s t a y c o m m i t t e d t o e x c e l l e n t c l i e n t s e r v i c e C h i e f O p e r a t i n g O f f i c e r I a n B r e u s c h s p o k e o n c o mp a n y i n i t i a t i v e s g e n e r a t i n g c o n t i n u a l i m p r o v e m e n t s t o t e c h n o l o g y a n d m a t e r i a l s u s e d b y e m p l o y e e s a n d c l i e n t s , s t r e a m l i n i n g t h e e x p e r i e n c e a c r o s s i n v e s t m e n t

Business Note

r e q u i r e m e n t s , i n v e s t m e n t c o n s i d e r a t i o n s a n d 1 0 3 1

Exchanges, and appraisals and tax considerations

The panelists will include: Janet Davis, senior associate for Midland 1031; Marc Gizzi, state certified real estate appraiser and founder of Marc Anthony Gizzi Appraisal & Consulting; Chris Heidrick, principal and

stocks Once again, investors are learning the hard way that hopes and dreams are not reason enough to ignore shaky balance sheets and unprofitable businesses

Owning high-quality growth and dividend companies with stable cash flows, strong balance sheets, and net profitability will lead to a profitable investment portfolio

Ribbon-cuttings From page 8

e b r a t e d t h e r e o p e n i n g o f t h e c o m p a n y ' s S a n i b e l b r a n c h i n a t e m p o r a r y

R V o n F e b . 1 4 . U n t i l t h e

C a p t i v a o f f i c e w a s a b l e t o r e o p e n , a g e n t s w o r k e d o u t o f t h e F o r t M y e r s o f f i c e a n d k e p t c l i e n t s u p d a t e d t h r o u g h s o c i a l m e d i a S t o r m d a m a g e t o t h e 1 0

s t r u c t u r e s a t t h e S a n i b e l H i s t o r i c a l M u s e u m a n d V i l l a g e r a n g e d f r o m m i n i m a l t o p h y s ic a l l y s h i f t i n g t h e S c h o o l h o u s e f o r W h i t e C h i l d r e n o n i t s f o u nd a t i o n S h o r e H a v e n , M o r n i n g G l o r i e s , t h e C a r e t a k e r s ' C o t t a g e a n d B a i l e y G e n e r a l S t o r e h a v e r e o p e n e d f o r t h e p u b l i c , b u t t h e

v i l l a g e h a s n o t i m e l i n e f o r t h e

Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Chief Executive Officer Terence M Igo with founder and Chairman S Albert D Hanser THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA TRUST COMPANY

m a n a g e m e n t a n d e s t a t e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a s w e l l a s f i n a n c i a l p l a n n i n g H e a l s o p r o v i d e d a n o v e r v i e w o f i n v e s t m e n t a n a l y s i s a n d p e r f o r m a n c e , a n d t h e c u r r e n t m a r k e t o u t l o o k T h r e e s p e c i a l g u e s t s p e a k e r s a l s o p r e s e n t e d T h e f i r s t w e r e t w o r e c e n t s t r a t e g i c h i r e s , S e n i o r T r u s t O f f i c e r o f t h e N a p l e s o f f i c e B i l l i e A n n P o r t e r a n d T r u s t O f f i c e r i n t h e F o r t M y e r s o f f i c e J a s o n C h i k l a k i s B o t h h a v e m a n y y e a r s i n t h e i n d u s t r y c a r i n g f o r c l i e n t s T h e y e x p l a i n e d t h e r o l e o f t h e t r u s t o f f i c e r a n d h o w t h e n e w p o s i t i o n i s v i t a l t o a d d i n g e f f i c i e n c y b e t w e e n t e a m m e m b e r s a n d f l u i d c o m m u n i c a t i o n a n d e x e c u t i o n f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f t h e c l i e n t F i n a l l y , B o a r d M e m b e r J o h n B r a b s o n s p o k e o n w h a t i t t a k e s t o b e a s u c c e s s f u l c o m p a n y l o n g - t e r m , t h r o u g h m a i n t a i n i n g a n e m p l o y e e c u l t u r e o f p e r s o n a l o w n e r s h i p , p r i d e a n d d e d i c a t i o n t o t h e c l i e n t e x p e r ie n c e . H e o u t l i n e d a s a m p l i n g o f c o m p a n i e s t h a t a r e n o w h o u s e h o l d n a m e s t h a t b e g a n w i t h t h i s k i n d o f c u lt u r e , i n c l u d i n g T h e S a n i b e l C a p t i v a T r u s t C o m p a n y

owner of Heidrick & Company Insurance; organizer Eric Pfeifer, Broker and owner of the Pfeifer Realty Group; and David Wright, senior vice president of residential lending for Sanibel Captiva Community Bank

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o r t o r e g i s t e r , v i s i t bit ly/Ask The Experts Free Webinar

for you You do get what you pay for

History will repeat again, and the markets will rally as they have in the past; however, time frames are being compressed so it might happen even quicker But it will happen Those who have stayed the course with great American companies and did not try to time the market have prospered

r e p a i r o f t h e r e s t o f t h e h i s t o r i c b u i l d i n g s a s t h e d a m a g e a s s e s sm e n t c o n t i n u e s “ W e a r e p l e a s e d t o r e o p e n n o t j u s t f o r o u r s e l v e s , b u t a s a s i g n t o t h e c o m m u n i t y t h a t l i f e i s g o i n g t o g e t b a c k t o n o r m a l , a n d t h a t t h e m u s e u m w i l l l i v e o n a n d b e a c c e s s i b l e f o r e v e r yo n e , ” E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r E m i l i e

Those who tried to time the cycles almost always failed to reinvest in time That is the secret to achieving your unique individual long-term financial goals

S Albert D

Hanser is founder and chairman of The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company

A l f i n o s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t g e n e ro u s d o n a t i o n s h a v e m a d e t h e r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s p o s s i b l e “ T h e c o m m u n i t y h a s b e e n v e r y s u pp o r t i v e t o s h a r e i n t h e c e l e b r at i o n o f S a n i b e l ' s h i s t o r y ”

T h e c u r r e n t o p e r a t i n g h o u r s f o r t h e v i l l a g e a r e T u e s d a y s , W e d n e s d a y s , a n d T h u r s d a y s f r o m 1 0 a m t o 1 p m , w i t h

g u i d e d t o u r s a v a i l a b l e a t 1 0 : 3 0 a m T h e s u g g e s t e d d o n a t i o n i s $ 5 p e r p e r s o n f o r a d m i s s i o n T h e S a n i b e l H i s t o r i c a l M u s e u m a n d V i l l a g e i s a t 9 5 0 D u n l o p R o a d , S a n i b e l J o h n R W o o d C h r i s t i e ' s International Real Estate is at

1 1 4 9 9 A n d y R o s s e L a n e , Captiva

The

Janet Davis Marc Gizzi Chris Heidrick Eric Pfeifer David Wright

PRESERVING PARADISE

,

W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , A p r i l

CITY OF SANIBEL

City reports on post-storm tree removal program

T h e c i t y o f S a n i b e l r e p o r t e d t h a t o v e r t h e p a s t f e w w e e k s , t h e p u b l i c m a y h a v e n o t i c e d t h a t t r e e s a l o n g t h e s t r e e t s w i t h i n t h e c i t y ' s p u b l i c r i g h t s - o fw a y h a v e b e e n m a r k e d w i t h c o l o r e d s p r a y p a i n t T h e m a r k e d t r e e s h a v e b e e n i n s p e c t e d b y a c e r t if i e d a r b o r i s t w o r k i n g f o r t h e c i t y ' s d e b r i s c o n t r a c t o r a n d w i l l b e r e m o v e d a s p a r t o f t h e p o s t - h u r r i c a n e “ S a l t w a t e r K i l l T r e e S u r v e y a n d R e m e d i a t i o n P l a n ” T h e p l a n i s b e i n g i m p l e m e n t e d b y t h e c i t y ' s d e b r i s c o n t r a c t o r t o a d d r e s s i m p a c t s t h a t o c c u r r e d d u e t o s a l t w a t e r i n u n d a t i o n f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n T h e p r o g r a m i s m e a n t t o a d d r e s s t r e e s t h a t h a v e b e c o m e o r h a v e t h e p o t e n t i a l t o b e c o m e h a z a r d o u s w i t h i n t h e p u b l i c r i g h t s - o f - w a y T h e c i t y r e p o r t e d t h a t e a c h m a r k e d t r e e r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e p a i n t c o l o r h a s b e e n i d e n t i f i e d f o r r e m o v a l b a s e d o n t h e f o l l o w i n g c r i t e r i a :

∫ L o c a t e d w i t h i n a p u b l i c r i g h t - o f - w a y

∫ S h o w s d a m a g e a n d i m p a c t s f r o m s a l t w a t e r i n u n d a t i o n

∫ M u s t b e a t l e a s t 6 - i n c h e s d i a m e t e r a t b r e a s t h e i g h t

∫ P o s e s a h a z a r d t o p u b l i c i n f r a s t r u c t u r e

∫ U n l i k e l y t o r e c o v e r i n t h e n e x t f i v e y e a r s

T h e c i t y r e p o r t e d t h a t a f t e r t r e e s a r e m a r k e d o n a p a r t i c u l a r s t r e e t , w o r k c r e w s w i l l f o l l o w t h r o u g h i n t h e s u b s e q u e n t d a y s a n d c o n d u c t t h e r e m o v a l T r e e s w i l l b e f l u s h c u t t o t h e g r o u n d a n d h a u l e d a w a y R e m o v a l o f e l i g i b l e t r e e s i s a l r e a d y u n d e r w a y o n s e v e r a l o f t h e c i t y ’ ' s a r t e r i a l r o a d s , s u c h a s S a n i b e lC a p t i v a R o a d a n d P e r i w i n k l e W a y T h e N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s D e p a r t m e n t i s i n r e g u l a r c o n t a c t w i t h t h e d e b r i s c o n t r a c t o r t o f o l l o w - u p o n p o t e n t i a l w i l d l i f e c o n f l i c t s a s i t p e r t a i n s t o t h e p r og r a m T r e e s s u c h a s t h o s e t h a t h a v e n e s t i n g b i r d s o r o t h e r w i l d l i f e a r e i n s p e c t e d ; a n y t r e e t h a t h a s a c t i v e w i l d l i f e n e s t i n g w i l l b e l e f t i n p l a c e . T h e c i t y r e p o r t e d t h a t w h i l e m o s t o f t h e i d e n t if i e d t r e e s a r e d e a d , s o m e l i v e t r e e s m a y a l s o b e m a r k e d T h e p r e s e n c e o f l e a v e s o r n e w g r o w t h d o e s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y m e a n t h a t a t r e e c a n o v e r c o m e s i gn i f i c a n t d a m a g e a n d a c h i e v e l o n g - t e r m s u r v i v a l W h i l e t h e r e m o v a l o f t h e s e t r e e s m a y b e s t a r k , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t h a t s e v e r e l y i m p a c t e d t r e e s b e r e m o v e d f r o m t h e l a n d s c a p e t o b o l s t e r t h e s a f e t y o f t h e c o mm u n i t y f r o m t h e t h r e a t o f w i l d f i r e a n d f u t u r e i m p a c t s t o p u b l i c i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , s u c h a s p o w e r l i n e s , S h a r e d U s e P a t h a n d r o a d w a y s A d d i t i o n a l l y , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t h e c i t y c o n d u c t t h e w o r k w h i l e i t r e m a i n s i n a c t i v e r e c o v e r y o p e r a t i o n s a n d b o t h t h e l a b o r a n d r e s o u r c e s a r e a v a i l a b l e t o t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e p r o g r a m F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t J o e l C a o u e t t e a t t h e N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s D e p a r t m e n t a t 2 3 9 - 4 7 23 7 0 0 o r j o e l c a o u e t t e @ m y s a n i b e l c o m

FWC: Bat exclusions should occur before maternity season

While Florida’s 13 native and beneficial bat species typically roost in trees, caves or other natural spaces, they can also be attracted to human-made structures The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that recommends property owners check homes and other buildings for roosting bats before maternity season starts April 15 marks the start of bat maternity season and is the last day to legally exclude bats from your home or building. Bat maternity season, the time when bats give birth and raise their young, runs through Aug 14 During that time, it is illegal to block bats from their roosts If bats are excluded during maternity season, flightless young can be trapped inside the structure and die Now is the time to check your home for any entry points, ensure that no bats are present, and make any necessary repairs If bats are found, you should take steps to exclude them with a properly installed exclusion device before bat maternity season begins It is only legal to exclude bats from Aug 15 through April 15

Exclusion devices, which allow bats to safely exit a structure but block them from returning to roosts, are the only legal and most effective method to remove bats from your home or building It is illegal in Florida to kill or harm bats, so exclusion guidelines were developed to ensure bats are excluded safely and effectively from

FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

buildings outside of maternity season Bat exclusion is a multi-step process that begins by identifying all potential bat entry and exit points in a building. To legally exclude bats, exclusion devices must be installed on key exit points, left up for a minimum of four nights and the exclusion must be conducted when the overnight temperature is forecast to be 50ºF or above

See FWC, page 18

T h e S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a C o n s e r v a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n r e p o r t e d that the Lee County Commission will decide today, April 5, to approve or deny the Eden Oak zoning request by O n t a r i o - b a s e d d e v e l o p e r R o m a s Kartavicius to build 55 residential units and a 13 multi-slip docking facility on a 45-acre portion of the property

Eden Oak is located west of Shell Point Boulevard, near the toll booth of the Sanibel Causeway Adjacent to the mouth of the Caloosahatchee, the property is extremely environmentally sensitive, with 306 acres of

mangroves, wetlands, and scattered uplands, the SCCF reported The development footprint, as proposed, would require dredging and filling of mangroves and wetlands. In addition to providing storm protection to the current homeowners who live near its borders, the area is home to wild birds, biologically vulnerable terrapins, and endangered sawfish

The SCCF reported that county staff and the Hearing Examiner have recommended denial of the zoning request based on the inconsistency of multiple goals, objectives, and poli-

See

CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

J N “ D i n g ” D a r l i n g N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e R e f u g e b i o l o g i c a l s c i e n c e t e c h n i c i a n A v e r y R e n s h a w r e c e n t l y r e p o r t e d o n t h e S a n i b e l r e f u g e ' s f o l l o w i n g b i o l o g y a c t i v i t i e s f o r t h e m o n t h o f M a r c h H u r r i c a n e I a n d i s r u p t e d a l o t , b u t t h e b i o l o g y p r o g r a m h a s c o nt i n u e d d e s p i t e t h e c h a l l e n g e s O n e i n i t i a t i v e t h a t r e s t a r t e d i n J a n u a r y w a s m o n i t o r i n g o f t h e s t a t e - d e s i gn a t e d t h r e a t e n e d S a n i b e l I s l a n d r i c e r a t T h e o n l y p l a c e i n t h e w o r l d t h e a t - r i s k s p e c i e s l i v e s i s

See REFUGE, page 18

J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge biological science technician Avery Renshaw, left, works with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species recovery biologist Sandra Sneckenberger to deploy bucket camera traps in the freshwater marsh post-hurricane Photo SD cards are collected from trap cameras then reviewed to detect the presence of the Sanibel Island rice rat The Spartina grasses at the refuge show signs of salt stress, which is why they are so brown

TEDD DARNELL

County board to vote on proposed rezoning for Eden Oak property

Isl and lIvIng

SPD releases weekly blotter

As Sanibel continues to recover from Hurricane Ian, the Sanibel Police Department is committed to keeping the community safe and secure To support that effort, a weekly police blotter will be issued on Tuesday that will include real time information about law enforcement response to criminal activity

Arrests

∫ Marius Puiu, 54, of 2590 First St , Unit 212, Fort Myers, was charged on March 26 with DUI unlawful blood alcohol 0 15 or higher or with person under 18 in vehicle

Other enforcement actions

∫ On March 22, two separate traffic stops resulted in both drivers being issued a Notice To Appear (NTA) for not having a driver’s license

∫ On March 24, a driver was issued an NTA for going 66 mph in a 35 mph zone

∫ On March 25, two alligators displayed aggressive behavior toward a work crew attempting to remove debris from a canal The state trapper managed to remove both alligators, which were each approximately 8 feet in length

∫ On March 26, a traffic stop resulted in the driver being issued an NTA for not having a driver’s license

∫ Officers continue to respond to calls concerning illegal dumping

∫ Officers continue to issue warnings and citations for the dewatering of pools in violation of the city ordinance

Enforcement operations statistics

Week to date for March 21-27:

∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 4

∫ 911 non-emergency calls: 52

∫ Traffic crashes: 0

∫ Traffic stops: 73 Citations issued: 15 Written warnings issued: 25

∫ Field interviews: 1

∫ Residential area checks: 693

∫ Business area checks: 502

∫ Total area checks: 1,580

∫ Reported burglaries: 0

∫ Reported thefts: 3

∫ Total CAD calls: 1,902 March 2023 to date:

∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 20

∫ Non-emergency calls: 208

∫ Traffic crashes: 5

∫ Traffic stops: 186 Citations issued: 59

Written warnings issued: 42

∫ Field interviews: 3

∫ Residential area checks: 2,761

∫ Business area checks: 1,683

∫ Total area checks: 5,859

∫ Reported burglaries: 2

∫ Reported thefts: 6

∫ Total CAD calls: 7,196

Impor tant reminders

Updated information on the Sanibel Boat Ramp:

∫ The boat ramp is open to permit holders on weekdays, weekends and holidays

∫ The boat ramp is open to the public (non-permit holders) on weekdays that are not holidays for a $40

See BLOTTER, page 18

COMMUNITY HOUSING AND RESOURCES Chet Sadler, Jack Kozick, Michael Young, Bill Harkey, Sam Ankerson, Paul Hopkins and John Henshaw.

Community Housing and Resources recently thanked the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club for helping it clear dead brush and vegetative debris from a CHR property

Sanibel library offering programming

The Sanibel Public Library Foundation is offering some programs for adults and youths

On April 7, staffer Duane Shaffer will present “WWII 1945: Okinawa: Last Battle in the Pacific” at 10 a m via Zoom Thanks to a series of victories in 1944 and 1945, the Allied forces in the south and central Pacific were pushing the Japanese back to their home islands The dark days following the attack on Pearl Harbor were all but forgotten now that the end of the war was in sight The question was where would the last battle be fought? That place would be the island of Okinawa, where the Japanese defenders were more than willing to fight to the death Shaffer will provide a detailed look at the tactics and strategy of this WWII battle

For the most up-to-date information, visit the library's calendar at www sanlib org

The library’s eShelf and all online services are available 24/7 Library cardholders can stream or download eBooks, movies, music, newspapers, magazines and more For assistance with the services or a library card, contact notices@sanlib org

As the library continues to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, staff is working to update the library's records, including books checked out prior to the storm Patrons can help the library update their records by sharing the status of their borrowed items that are possibly lost At this time, there are no fines for late or lost items F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 - 2 4 8 3 o r notices@sanlib org

If you have photos taken during Ian or of post-storm damage or recovery in Southwest Florida, consider allowing the library to archive the images It is also looking for photos of the islands before the causeway, during the land boom of the early 1920s, and of notable locals Images, videos and stories can be emailed to sanibelpubliclibrary@gmail com

The Sanibel Public Library is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a m to 5 p m

For more information, call 239-472-2483 or visit www sanlib org

The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

Rec center to host complimentary screening

T h

e S a n i b

High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease and even blind-

ness in some cases The screenings are offered as a first step in determining if further examination by a health care professional is necessary For more information, call 239472-0302 or 239-395-1860

Sanibel Public Meetings

CHR thanks cleanup crew

FMB club’s fishing tourney to start at Sanibel Lighthouse

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Fort Myers Beach Woman's Club will hold its inaugural “Red Grouper Bash” fishing tournament on A p r i l 7 - 8 . I t w i l l b e g i n f o r a d u l t s a t t h e S a n i b e l Lighthouse, while the children's tourney on April 8 will be held at Moss Marina on Fort Myers Beach Board Member and incoming President Dawn Thomas said the proceeds from the tournament will benefit the club It headquarters on Sterling Avenue was destroyed by Hurricane Ian and the club has been weighing options for a rebuild

The tourney is being hosted by Alec Dilallo, of the Fort Myers-based Off Duty Lifestyle, and will include catered food, beer and liquor stations, raffles, and live music

The entry fee is $500 per boat for four people, with $150 for each additional person There is an additional charge of $300 per boat for those participating in the kingfish contest and an additional $100 per boat for those competing for Calcutta snapper

The tournament will begin on April 7, with a shotgun start out front of the lighthouse Check-in will start at 5 a m All teams must check in with starter boat, which will

be located at 34 Nortech with two pole flags out front of the lighthouse pier Once checked in, any further questions or concerns can be handled via Channel 69

On April 8, there will be a shotgun start beginning at 6:30 a m with boats required to be back to the dock no later than 3:30 p m All vessels will need to be in sight of a spotter that will be placed at Bowditch point The tourney will be restricted to a maximum depth of 120 feet No bent butt rods or electric reels will be allowed. Weigh-in will be measured off of the two largest grouper The grouper chose for weigh-in will be angler’s choice Anglers will be allowed to carry a personal scale to help decide which fish will be weighed

The tournament rules further include the following:

∫ All teams in the money will have fish gutted to confirm no alterations have been made to the fish

∫ A polygraph test will also be conducted for all teams in the money

∫ The tournament will be regulated abiding by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations, which require that red grouper caught must be at least 20 inches long

Recreation center registering youth for Fun Days

The Sanibel Recreation Center is accepting registrations for Fun Days on April 7 and 10 from 8 a m to 5:30 p m at the center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel

It will offer craft activities, games and swim time

Each child will need to bring a lunch, water, swimsuit, towel, goggles and sunscreen

The cost is $38 25 for members

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that the J N “Ding” Darling National W i l d l i f e R e f u g e ' s V i s i t o r & E d u c a t i o n C e n t e r a n d

Wildlife Drive reopened to the public on April 4 In addition, the DDWS provided the following updates:

∫ In concert with Earth Day, the “Ding” Darling Day

DOH-Lee lifts red tide alerts for islands, more

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County recently lifted health alerts issued from Jan. 23 through March 9 for the presence of red tide near Turner Beach on Captiva, Blind Pass Beach on Sanibel, Buck Key near Blind Pass, Bonita Beach Causeway (Dog Beach), Bonita Beach Park, Little Hickory Island Park, Bowman's Beach, Tarpon Bay Road Beach, Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel, and Dixie Beach on Sanibel

On March 24, the DOH-Lee reported that followup water samples taken by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission showed red tide was at low to background levels near the locations

The DOH-Lee noted that it is important the public continue to exercise caution and good judgement Those who experience respiratory or eye irritation should consider leaving the area or seeking relief in an air-conditioned space The latest sample results can be viewed on ProtectingFloridaTogether gov Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center Call 800-222-1222 to speak to a poison specialist immediately

Conservation Carnival will take place on April 22 at the Lakes Park in Fort Myers

∫ “Ding” Wellness Week will precede National Mental Health Awareness Week, May 3-10

∫ The annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament will take place on May 19 Registration is open As of March 30, there were two spots left The DDWS thanked the 2023 sponsors To become an event sponsor, contact Boehnen at aprilb@dingdarlingsociety org or 239-292-0566

Climate summit presentations available online

T h e C o a s t a l & H e a r t l a n d N a t i o n a l E s t u a r y

P a r t n e r s h i p r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n s f r o m i t s

2 0 2 3 S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a C l i m a t e S u m m i t , h e l d o n

M a r c h 1 5 - 1 6 , a r e n o w a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e f o r v i e w i n g

T h e t o p i c s i n c l u d e d : R e g i o n a l C l i m a t e S t r e s s o r s ; C l i m a t e a n d H u r r i c a n e I a n ; C l i m a t e a n d E c o n o m y & F o o d S u p p l y ; F e d e r a l R e s i l i e n c y E f f o r t s , w i t h k e y n o t e a d d r e s s b y U S D e p a r t m e n t o f I n t e r i o r A s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y S h a n n o n E s t e n o z ; S t a t e R e s i l i e n c y E f f o r t s , w i t h k e y n o t e a d d r e s s b y C h i e f R e s i l i e n c y O f f i c e r D r W e s l e y B r o o k s ; L o c a l R e s i l i e n c y E f f o r t s ; C o a s t a l W a t e r s R e s i l i e n c y ; F r e s h w a t e r s & W e t l a n d R e s i l i e n c y ; C u l t u r a l R e s o u r c e s R e s i l i e n c y ; a n d B u i l d i n g R e s i l i e n c y i n O u r R e g i o n T h e y c a n b e f o u n d a t h t t p s : / / w w w c h n e p o r g / 2 0 2 3 -

c l i m a t e - s u m m i t , a l o n g w i t h t h e a g e n d a , p r e s e n t e r b i o s ,

s u m m i t p r o c e e d i n g s a n d a C i t i z e n C l i m a t e A c t i o n

G u i d e , a n d o n C H N E P ' s Y o u T u b e c h a n n e l

FWC

From page 12

The FWC reported that bats are beneficial, both ecologically and economically. They serve critical functions worldwide due to their roles in insect pest control, and as pollinators and seed dispersers, plus their guano can be a valuable fertilizer Florida’s bats are insectivores and a single bat can eat hundreds of insects, including mosquitoes and other garden and agricultural pests, each night Florida’s native bat populations include threatened species, including the Florida bonneted bat Want to help

Eden Oak

From page 12 cies contained in the county's planning rules, including guidelines designed to protect the enhancement of wetlands, protection of wildlife, limitation of public expenditures within Coastal High Hazard Areas, and protection of life and property

Refuge

From page 12 t h e S p a r t i n a g r a s s i n t e r i o r , f r e s h w a t e r m a r s h w e t l a n d s a n d a d j a c e n t m a n g r o v e s o n S a n i b e l I t a l r e a d y h a d l o w p o p u l at i o n e s t i m a t e s b e f o r e t h e h u r r i c a n e S i n c e S a n i b e l w a s i n u n d a t e d b y o v e r 1 3 f e e t o f s t o r m s u r g e i n s o m e a r e a s a n d c o n t i n u e s t o h o l d h i g h s a l i n i t y w a t e r i n l a n d , t h e s p e c i e s h a s n o t b e e n d e t e c te d a t a l l S t a f f a r e c o n t i n u i n g m o n i t o ri n g e f f o r t s , u s i n g b u c k e t c a m e r a t r a p s , i n t h e h o p e o f f i n d i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e s m a l l m a m m a l s u r v i v e d W h i l e t h e n o n - n a t i v e , i n v a s i v e b l a c k r a t h a s g i v e n r a t s a b a d r e p u t a t i o n i n t h e e y e s o f t h e p u b l i c , t h e n a t i v e S a n i b e l I s l a n d r i c e r a t i s n o t t o b e f e a r e d T h e S a n i b e l s p e c i e s p r e f e r s t o s t a y h i d d e n a w a y i n t h e m a r s h e s a n d m a n g r o v e s , f a r f r o m p e o p l e a n d h o u s e s I t u s e s S p a r t i n a g r a s s c l u m p s i n f r e s h w a t e r

Blotter

From page 14 daily fee.

∫ There is no beach access at the Sanibel Boat Ramp at this time

∫ Commercial use of the boat ramp is prohibited

∫ Fines for violations at the boat ramp are $250 Roadside parking on Sanibel is not allowed except in the case of special events requiring a permit It is enforced and can result in a $150 fine

Interactive guide to open island businesses

T h e S a n i b e l & C a p t i v a I s l a n d s C h a m b e r o f Commerce has a list available of businesses back in operation after Hurricane Ian on Wander: Maps & Navigation The GPS-enabled interactive map also pinpoints beach accesses that have opened, bike park-

ing areas and the user's relative location Points of interest can be filtered by seven categories Users can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play They can also access the map online at tinyurl.com/sancapwandermap.

our bats? There are several ways that residents and visitors can support bat conservation:

∫ Preserve natural roost sites, including trees with cavities or peeling bark

∫ Leave dead fronds on palm trees to provide roosting spots for bats

∫ Install a bat house on your property

∫ Report unusual bat behavior, as well as sick or dead bats, at MyFWC com/BatMortality

The SCCF has been actively opposing the zoning request since 2016, and it will participate in today's hearing to enumerate the reasons why approving unwarranted entitlements in a Coastal High Hazard Area would be ill-advised The SCCF

w e t l a n d s f o r n e s t i n g a n d m o v e s b e t w e e n t h e g r a s s w e t l a n d s a n d m a ng r o v e s , e a t i n g s e e d s , i n s e c t s , a n d c r u st a c e a n s ; t h e y c o m p l e t e l y a v o i d d e v e lo p e d a r e a s . I t i s l i k e l y t h e p r e s e n c e o f a h e a l t h y p o p u l a t i o n i s a n i n d i c a t o r o f a h e a l t h y m a r s h s y s t e m A s t h e r e f u g e l e a r n s m o r e a b o u t t h e S a n i b e l I s l a n d r i c e r a t , i t c a n u s e c e r t a i n m e t r i c s , s u c h a s p o p u l a t i o n n u m b e r s a n d m o v e m e n t p a t t e r n s , t o g a u g e t h e o v e r a l l h e a l t h o f t h e i s l a n d ' s f r e s h w a t e r m a r s h e c o s y st e m s M a i n t a i n i n g h e a l t h y m a r s h e s t h r o u g h p r e s c r i b e d b u r n i n g , i n v a s i v e s p e c i e s r e m o v a l , a n d h y d r o l o g i c r e s t o r a t i o n p r o j e c t s w i l l n o t o n l y b e n e f i t t h e S a n i b e l r a t , b u t a l s o m a n y o t h e r i m p o r t a n t s p e c i e s , s u c h a s t h e r o s e a t e s p o o n b i l l , F l o r i d a b o x t u r t l e , a n d p e op l e

For more information about how to properly exclude bats as well as other tips to bat-proof your home, visit MyFWC com/Bats and click “Bats in Buildings ” If you have questions or need more assistance, contact your closest FWC Regional Office to speak with a wildlife assistance biologist Learn more about bats in Florida and w a y s y o u c a n h e l p t h e m t h r i v e b y v i s i t i n g MyFWC com/Bats

reported that counter to the lessons from Hurricane Ian, approval would put human life, current property, and wildlife in jeopardy The Zoning and Comprehensive Plan Hearing for the Lee County Board of

County Commissioners today will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Second Floor board chambers, at 2120 Main St , Fort Myers F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w s c c f o r g / o u r - w o r k / e n v i r o nmental-policy/eden-oak

Bucket camera trap photo taken before Hurricane Ian of a Sanibel Island rice rat

WES BOONE

Additional beach park facilities are open to the public For more information o n S a n i b e l b e a c h e s , v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w m y s a n i b e l c o m / g o v e r nm e n t / p u b l i c - w o r k s - d e p a r t m e n t / u s e f u llinks/parks-public-beaches

Dewatering of a pool or spa directly into a waterbody, into the city’s stormwater system or onto any third-party’s property without the third party’s consent is expressly prohibited

Solicitation is not allowed on Sanibel. Please share any photos of solicitation hang tags to police@mysanibel com or use Tip411

Repor ting suspicious activity

Anonymous tips regarding crimes or suspicious activity can be submitted via Tip411:

∫ Text the keyword SANIBEL then

your tip to 847411.

∫ W e b t i p s c a n b e s u b m i t t e d a t https://www tip411 com/tips/new?alert g roup id=22450

∫ Use the free “Sanibel PD” app for your Android or iOS device

The SPD's non-emergency line is 239472-3111

F i n d t h e S P D o n F a c e b o o k a t https://www facebook com/SanibelPolice

Egg hunt

Also, there will be “golden eggs” to locate that hold coupons for a chocolate bunny or local businesses

Outfitters, Island Pizza, MacIntosh Books and Paper, MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, The Shack of Sanibel, and Whitney's Bait and Tackle donated the coupons

“The golden eggs are the ones that have the exclusive coupons,” she said

Angeles noted that it also helps the participating businesses with their post-storm recovery

“It helps push foot traffic through their doors and gets the community to visit their online businesses,” she said Families will also have the opportunity to take holiday photos

“We'll have somebody dressed up as the Easter Bunny,” she said “So people can take pictures ”

Attendees can decorate holiday cookies with AIP Outfitters

“They will be Easter themed,” Angeles said “The rec center will supply bunny face painting for the

Manatee deaths

county go into effect beginning on April 1 The FWC recently approved the count y ' s y e a r - r o u n d m a n a t e e z o n e f o r t h e Roosevelt Channel, and signs will soon go up

Last year, there were 800 manatee deaths statewide recorded by the FWC Lee County had the second-most manatee deaths with 82, behind only the 346 mana t e e d e a t h s d o c u m e n t e d i n B r e v a r d County

Lee County is on pace to surpass last year’s figures Based on a lack of testing and necropsies by the FWC, most of the causes of death for manatees are never recorded

Leading causes for manatee deaths historically are boat strikes and starvation. The loss of seagrass in Florida waters due to pollution from a wide variety of sources has been a leading cause for their starvation figures Lee County was hit with a l a r g e r e d t i d e s p i k e i n J a n u a r y a n d

February

In 2021, there was a record 1,100 manatee deaths recorded in Florida The pace of their deaths could end up putting

If you go

kids,” she added

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District will bring its truck for families to tour, and crew members will help to hide all of the eggs, with the district to call the start of the hunt The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church will also provide activities to enjoy

“It's going to be arts and crafts,” Angeles said Located near Fort Myers within Lee County, Beyond The Pack Animal Rescue Team and Sanctuary will bring live animals for attendees to see, including bunnies and ferrets, and offer information

“They'll talk about bunny adoptions on Easter and educate about that,” she said Light snacks and refreshments will be available.

Along with the city, CECI and Sanibel fire district, additional sponsors and partners include The Sanibel School's Parent Teacher Association, IntuneHealth and Wellcare

The community is welcome to come on out

From page 1

What Community Egg Hunt

When

April 8 from 9 to 11 a m

Where

The Sanibel School, 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel Details

Free and open to the public

“Enjoy the free event with friends, family and neighbors, and they'll have the opportunity to support our local businesses by finding those golden eggs,” Angeles said “It'll be an all-around fun time ”For more information, contact the rec center at 239-472-0302 or 239-3951860

The Sanibel School is at 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.

spring begins, the FWC stated

Since manatees can be difficult to see since they largely stay just under the surface of the water, the FWC urges boat operators to go slow and to wear polarized glasses to look out below. A visible snout or large circles on the water are indicators that manatees are below the surface, the FWC stated

Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs and maps of manatee protection zones are available online at M y F W C c o m / M a n a t e e b y c l i c k i n g o n

“Data and Maps ” From April 1 through Nov 15, seasonal manatee zones require boaters to slow down in certain areas to prevent manatees from being injured or killed by motorboats or personal watercrafts

Lee County had the second-most manatee deaths in Florida last year and through the end of February had the most in the state this year

back the marine mammal back on the endangered species list Manatees were taken off in 2017 by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service after decades of being considered among the most endangered species Estimates on their current popula-

tion are believed to be about 5,000 for Florida

“Spring is a particularly important season for boaters to go slow and lookout below for manatees as the slow-moving mammals naturally disperse from their winter refuges, traveling to other parts of the state and beyond,” the FWC stated in its announcement Manatees need warm water to survive the winter and will travel in the spring from their winter refuges as water temperatures rise. They are more likely to be found in rivers, canals and nearshore waters as the

Mail service

“Boat strikes continue to be a major threat to Florida manatees FWC law enforcement officers are on patrol in state waters to inform boaters of the seasonal manatee speed zones and take appropriate enforcement actions Boaters are reminded to abide by the regulatory signs they s e e o n t h e w a t e r , ” t h e F W C s t a t e d “Manatees are a protected species and it is illegal to feed, harass or harm them ”

Physically handling a distressed or stranded manatee can cause additional harm to the animal Report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888404-FWCC (3922) so trained responders can assist

From page 1

“The people that no longer have a p h y s i c a l d w e l l i n g o r s t r u c t u r e o n t h e island, we are holding their mail right now,” she said “There aren't too many of them anymore ”

Due to space constraints at the temporary facility, those who do not have a d w e l l i n g o r s t r u c t u r e o n S a n i b e l a r e encouraged to forward their mail to a P O Box or the address where they are staying

“ T h e y s h o u l d n ' t r e a l l y c o n t i n u e t o come in here and pick up their mail,” Althouse said P O Boxes were still available at the temporary facility as of last week

“We have a few, but not too many,” she said Whether in a mailbox or at the temporary facility, uncollected mail will be returned after 10 days.

“If they're not picking up their mail after 10 days, we are going to have to return it to the sender,” Althouse said “Or

they can put their mail on hold We can hold mail for up to 30 days ”

People can visit online or any post office to place a hold on their mail

As for the Sanibel Post Office, there is no estimated reopening date as of yet to share

“The building is actively being worked on every single day,” she said, explaining that they have a great contractor and great project manager on it “The inside of the building is progressing at a rapid pace ”

Althouse also thanked the community for being wonderful during the recovery period

“My staff and I appreciate everybody's patience as we're transitioning to this next phase,” she said “We're very happy to back on the island again, seeing our customers and delivering their mail.”

F o r q u e s t i o n s , c o n t a c t A l t h o u s e a t tirzah j althouse@usps gov

FILE PHOTO

The Sanibel Shellcrafters spent the last few weeks salvaging and cleaning items that had survived Hurricane Ian in storage for the “Throwback to the 1900 Shell Show on the Porch” set for April 6-8 at The Community House. / THE COMMUNITY HOUSE

TCH to host throwback shell show

B y T I F FA N Y R E P E C K I t r e p e c k i @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m W i t h t h e A n n u a l S a n i b e l S h e l l F e s t i v a l c a n c e l e d t h i s y e a r d u e t o t h e i m p a c t o f H u r r i c a n e I a n , i s l a n d r e s i d e n t s a n d v i s i t o r s w i l l s t i l l h a v e a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o e n j o y s o m e s h e l l s t h r o u g h a s m a l l e r e v e n t T h e C o m m u n i t y H o u s e w i l l h o s t a “ T h r o w b a c k t o t h e 1 9 0 0 S h e l l S h o w o n t h e P o r c h ” o n A p r i l 6 - 8 f r o m 9 a m t o 1 p m F r e e a n d o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c , i t w i l l r e s e m b l e w h a t t h e S a n i b e l e v e n t s t a r t e d o u t a s , b e f o r e i t b e c a m e t h e l o n g e s t r u n n i n g a n d m o s t p r e s t i g i o u s c o m p e t i t i o n i n t h e c o u n t y t h a t i t i s t o d a y “ W e o b v i o u s l y c a n n o t h a v e h a v e t h e i n d o o r s h o w t h i s y e a r , ” E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r T e r e s a R i s k a - H a l l s a i d , r e f e r r i n g t o t h e s t o r m r e s t o r a t i o n w o r k t h a t i s o n g o i n g “ B u t i t ' s i m p o r t a n t t o c a r r y o n t h e t r a d i t i o n ” “ S o w e ' r e t r y i n g t o k e e p t h e t r a d i t i o n a l i v e , ” s h e a d d e d T h e r e w i l l b e s h e l l s a n d s h e l l i t e m s f o r p u r c h a s e t h a t w e r e s t o r e d a t t h e f a c i l i t y a n d s u r v i v e d t h e h u r r ic a n e , w h i c h t h e S a n i b e l S h e l l c r a f t e r s s p e n t t h e l a s t f e w w e e k s s a l v a g i n g a n d c l e a n i n g “ T h e r e ' s j e w e l e r y e a r r i n g s , b r a c e l e t s L i t t l e s h e l l c r i t t e r s , s m a l l m i n i a t u r e a r r a n g e m e n t s a n d a f e w l a r g e r o n e s , ” s h e s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t a b l e s w i l l b e s e t u p

f o r a t t e n d e e s t o b r o w s e “ I t ' s a l l f o r s a l e ” P r e v i o u s w i n n i n g e x h i b i t s i n t h e f e s t i v a l w i l l a l s o b e a v a i l a b l e f o r v i e w i n g “ P e o p l e w h o h a v e d i s p l a y e d b e f o r e w i t h f i r s t p l a c e a n d s e c o n d p l a c e , ” R i s k a - H a l l s a i d N o r t h C a p t i v a - b a s e d a r t i s t J o e l H a l b e r s t a d t h a s d o n a t e d s o m e o f h i s b i r d h o u s e s c u l p t u r e s , c a l l e d C r e a t u r e C o t t a g e s , t o b e s o l d a t t h e e v e n t S h e

e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e p i e c e s a r e b e a c h - y a n d m o s t o f t h e m i n c o r p o r a t e s h e l l s , d r i f t w o o d a n d n a t u r a l m a t e r i a l s f o u n d o n N o r t h C a p t i v a a n d C a p t i v a - S a n i b e l

“He wants to give back to Sanibel,” Riska-Hall said

I n a d d i t i o n , M a t l a c h a a r t i s t L e o m a L o v e g r o v e w i l l h a v e h e r “ S a n i b e l L i g h t h o u s e ” p i e c e s

“ S o s h e w i l l b e s e l l i n g t h o s e , ” s h e s a i d

W i t h a l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f t h e i r “ R e b u i l d ” T - s h i r t s r e m a i n i n g , T C H a n d t h e S a n i b e l C o m m u n i t y

A s s o c i a t i o n w i l l a l s o h a v e a b o o t h s e t u p f o r t h o s e w h o w o u l d s t i l l l i k e t o p u r c h a s e a s h i r t

P r o c e e d s f r o m t h e e v e n t w i l l s u p p o r t t h e o n g o i n g r e s t o r a t i o n e f f o r t s a t T C H

T h e c o m m u n i t y i s i n v i t e d t o s w i n g b y a n d t a k e p a r t “ C o m i n g o u t a n d s u p p o r t i n g T h e C o m m u n i t y H o u s e i s i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e i t ' s t h e h e a r t b e a t o f t h e c o m m u n i t y , ” R i s k a - H a l l s a i d “ W e ' r e t r y i n g t o g e t p e o p l e t o g a t h e r a n d h a v e c o n s e r v a t i o n s ”

“ T h e c o n v e r s a t i o n s a r e i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e a l o t o f p e o p l e a r e s t i l l h e a l i n g , ” s h e a d d e d .

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o r t i c k e t s , v i s i t w w w s a n i b e l -

c o m m u n i t y h o u s e c o m o r c a l l

ISL AND HOME islander

Arboricola

PHOTO PROVIDED

Arboricola is commonly used in Florida landscapes

Arboricola (Schefflera arboricola) or the dwarf umbrella tree has a green or variegated leaf that can be seen in many residential and commercial landscape gardens It is native to Taiwan and Hainan The arboricola’s leaf texture and variegated options provide an attractive feature when designing or p l a n n i n g y o u r l a n dscape. It is an attractive plant on its own but also complements other colorful and accent plants within the garden

The arboricola plant is one of the most commonly used plants in the Florida landscape As mentioned, they are available as a green leaf or variegated leaf, which has creamy-white to yellow edges on the leaf known as the arboricola Trinette If you prefer just a hint of a creamy-white yellow color, the arboricola Capella would be the ideal variety. And, of course, there is the all-green variety simply known as green arboricola Keep in mind that the green arboricola will grow faster and larger than the variegated species Arboricolas are great choice to use as a foundation hedge or clustered together in a grouping Whichever variety you prefer, or a combination of these varieties, the arboricola is easily maintained with occasional trimming, typically three times per year

The arboricola prefers well drained soils and is adaptable to grow in full sun or full shade They do, however, thrive best in part sun or part shade. Overall, the arboricola is a great choice to add to the plant palette in your garden The different varieties available, ease of maintenance and its attractive appeal ensure that it will continue to be one of the most desired choices among homeowners and landscape designers

In The Garden is a joint effort by all at the local g

, Sanibel For more information, contact 239-3955859 or visit www facebook com/rswalshinthegarden

Sanibel Captiva

annual food-rescue campaign taking donations

County’s

Lee County Solid Waste’s fifth annual “Donated not Wasted” food rescue campaign encourages seasonal residents and visitors to donate unopened pantry items before returning north

Join Solid Waste, the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Waste Pro, Lee County Library System, Sanibel Public Library and Lee County Parks & Recreation to help route food that might otherwise end up in the waste stream to the county's population of people in need Drop off unopened canned or dry goods from now through April 10 at open libraries or county recreation centers. Additional collection containers are at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Interpretive Center and Lee County Solid Waste’s Topaz Court Facility

The drop-off locations include:

Recreation centers

∫ Estero Recreation Center, at 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd , Estero

∫ North Fort Myers Recreation Center, at 2000 North Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers

∫ Veterans Park Recreation Center, at 55 Homestead Road S , Lehigh Acres

Librar y locations

∫ Bonita Springs Public Library, at 10560 Reynolds St , Bonita Springs

∫ Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library, at 921 S W 39th Terrace, Cape Coral

F.I.S.H. continues to assist neighbors

F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva reported that its food pantry is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a m to 3 p m It also thanked volunteers who recently helped to make the space easier to navigate with the installation of new shelving In addition, F I S H c o n t i n u

t h e Hurricane Ian Point of Distribution (POD) program on Fridays from 1 to 2 p m at 2430 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel The program is available to Sanibel-Captiva residents and workers on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last Items may include, but are not limited to, mattresses, bed frames, chairs, tables, accent furniture and more For more information about either program, contact Program Coordinator M a n u e l a M a r t i n e z a t 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 - 4 7 7

manuela@fishofsancap org

∫ Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library, at 3095 Blount St , Fort Myers

∫ East County Regional Library, at 881 Gunnery Road, Lehigh Acres

∫ Fort Myers Regional Library, at 2450 First St , Fort Myers

∫ Johann Fust Community Library, at 1040 W 10th St , Boca Grande

∫ North Fort Myers Public Library, at 2001 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers

∫ Northwest Regional Library, at 519 N. Chiquita Blvd N , Cape Coral

∫ Pine Island Public Library, at 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia

∫ Sanibel Public Library, at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

∫ South County Regional Library, at 21100 Three Oaks Parkway, Estero

Others

∫ Six Mile Cypress Slough Interpretive Center, at 7751 Penzance Blvd , Fort Myers

∫ Topaz Court Solid Waste Annex, at 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers

Since the program's inception, 25,385 pounds of food has been diverted from potential disposal and sent to Harry Chapin enough food to provide more than 21,000 meals to residents.

F I S H OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA

Recipe of the Week: Crab and Goat Cheese Strudel with Lavender Sauce

By CHEF LORETTA PAGANINI

Strudel is a classic dessert from Eastern Europe; thin dough is stretched out and filled, then rolled up and baked until crisp. It is everyone favorite, whether it is savory or sweet and in a variety of fillings This easy savory version uses phyllo dough instead of the time-consuming classic dough, and it is filled with crab meat, vegetables and goat cheese Serves eight (Chef tip: Defrost phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight before using it Keep the dough covered until ready to use )

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red and/or yellow pepper, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked through

1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

For strudel assembly:

8 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Lavender sauce:

1/2 shallot, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon lavender

2 cups dry white wine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubed

City committee to offer free guided plant walk

T h e c i t y o f S a n i b e l ' s V e g e t a t i o n C o m m i t t e e w i l l o f f e r a g u i d e d n a t i v e v e g e t a t i o n a n d l a n d s c a p i n g t o u r o n A p r i l 6 a t 9 a m o f t h e C i t y H a l l g r o u n d s , w h i c h i s p l a n t e d e x c l u s i v e l y w i t h n a t i v e p l a n t s Walk the grounds for ideas on planting native vegetation that requires no fertilizer See how to plant a garden that reseeds itself with very little maintenance, is good for the environment and will attract birds and butterflies V e g e t a t i o n C o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s w i l l p r o v i d e v a l u a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n o n

p r o p e r p l a n t i n g a n d c a r e o f n a t i v e v e g e t a t i o n T h e c i t y e n c o u r a g e s p l a n ti n g o f v e g e t a t i o n t h a t i s i n d i g e n o u s t o t h e a r e a a s i t r e q u i r e s v e r y l i t t l e m a i nt e n a n c e , n o f e r t i l i z e r a n d n o s u p p l em e n t a l i r r i g a t i o n R e g i s t r a t i o n i s n o t r e q u i r e d M e e t i n f r o n t o f t h e m a i n s t a i r c a s e a t t h e S a n i b e l C i t y H a l l , a t 8 0 0 D u n l o p R o a d , S a n i b e l F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t t h e N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s D e p a r t m e n t a t s a n d n r @ m y s a n i b e l c o m o r 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 -

3 7 0 0

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

For the sauce, place the shallots, lavender and the wine in a sauce pot and place over high heat Reduce to half the original quantity Lower the heat to a bare simmer and slowly whisk in the butter a piece at a time Season the sauce with white pepper and salt to taste Set aside over warm water Whisk the sauce before using it

For the filling, in a medium saute pan, heat olive oil Add shallots, carrots, and celery to the olive oil and saute for five minutes Add garlic and peppers and saute for two more minutes at medium heat Add the wine and let it evaporate Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat and place in a medium bowl Mix in goat cheese Add crab and chives Gently stir and set mixture aside to cool slightly before using it

In a small mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, herbs de Provence, and parmesan cheese. Make sure to have two pieces of parchment to help with rolling of the strudel.

For the strudel assembly, spread one sheet of phyllo dough on top of one of the parchment papers, brush with melted butter and sprinkle bread crumb mix on top Top first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and repeat so you will have four complete layers Place 1/2 cup of crab mixture onto one edge of the phyllo sheets Roll up jelly roll style, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet With a serrated knife cut into slices, brush with butter

For individual strudels, spread one sheet of phyllo dough on top of one of the parchment papers, brush with melted butter and sprinkle bread crumb mix on top Fold prepared phyllo in half brush with butter and fold it in half again brush with melted butter Place one tablespoon of crab mixture onto one edge of the phyllo sheets Roll up jelly roll style, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet Brush with butter Repeat until all phyllo dough is used.

Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown Serve hot with sauce

BIG ARTS Calendar

will present the following:

Workshop

Glass Fusing with Petra Kaiser today, April 5, from 10 a m to 1 p m at BIG ARTS Cost is $39 for donors and $48 for

non-donors

Pre-registration is required for workshops by contacting 239-395-0900 or info@bigarts org

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www bigarts org or call 239-395-0900

Loretta Paganini

c a p t i v a s a n i b e l . c o m 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 2 6

Supply

W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , A p r i l 5 ,

L a t e l y w e ’ v e a l l h e a r d a b o u t s u p p l y c h a i n i s s u e s A n d e v e n i f w e h a v e n ’ t e x p e r i e n c e d t h e m o u r s e l v e s , t h e y ’ r e a n o t h e r a f t e r m a t h o f H u r r i c a n e I a n ’ s l i n g e r i n g e f f e c t s W i t h s o m a n y c o n d o s a n d h o m e s t h a t n o w r e q u i r e s i g n i f i c a n t r e n o v a t i o n s , w e p r o b a b l y a l l k n o w f o l k s w h o h a v e b e e n w a i t i n g w e e k s f o r a n e w r o o f o r a p o o l c a g e

B u t w h e r e d o e s o u r s u p p l y r e a l l y c o m e f r o m ? Y e s , y o u ’ l l p r o b a b l y s a y

L o e w e ’ s o r H o m e D e p o t o r m a y b e e v e n o n e o f t h e m a n y B i l l S m i t h a p p l i a n c e s t o r e s B u t w h e n y o u t h i n k a b o u t i t , d o e s n ’ t o u r s u p p l y c o m e f r o m G o d ? I n G e n e s i s , e a c h o f u s w a s c r e a t e d c o mp l e t e a n d w h o l e , i n G o d ’ s i m a g e a n d l i k e n e s s , n e e d i n g n o t h i n g O k a y y o u s a y , b u t w h a t a b o u t t h e r o o f a n d t h e p o o l c a g e ? B i b l i c a l a c c o u n t s p r o v i d e p r o o f s t h a t p r a y e r c a n m a k e a p o w e r f u l , i m m e d i a t e d i f f e r e n c e C h r i s t J e s u s w a s t h e g r e a t p r o v i d e r p r od u c i n g t h e i t e m n e e d e d e v e n b e f o r e t h e n e e d w a s k n o w n A f a v o r i t e B i b l e s t o r y i l l u s t r a t e s t h i s p e r f e c tl y A f t e r t e a c h i n g a n d h e a l i n g a g r e a t m u l t i t u d e o n e d a y , J e s u s w a s c o m p a s s i o n a t e a n d c o n c e r n e d a b o u t h o w t h e y w o u l d a l l b e f e d . A s t h e s t o r y g o e s i n

Mary L. Miller Faces on Faith

M a t t h e w , “ A n d J e s u s w e n t f o r t h , a n d s a w a g r e a t m u l t i t u d e , a n d w a s m o v e d w i t h c o m p a s s i o n t o w a r d t h e m , a n d h e h e a l e d t h e i r s i c k . A n d w h e n i t w a s e v e n i n g , h i s d i s c i p l e s c a m e t o h i m , s a yi n g , T h i s i s a d e s e r t p l a c e , a n d t h e t i m e i s n o w p a s t ; s e n d t h e m u l t i t u d e a w a y , t h a t t h e y m a y g o i n t o t h e v i l l a g e s , a n d b u y t h e m s e l v e s v i c t u a l s B u t J e s u s s a i d u n t o t h e m , T h e y n e e d n o t d e p a r t ; g i v e y e t h e m t o e a t A n d t h e y s a y u n t o h i m , W e h a v e h e r e b u t f i v e l o a v e s , a n d t w o f i s he s H e s a i d , B r i n g t h e m h i t h e r t o m e A n d h e c o m m a n d e d t h e m u l t i t u d e t o s i t d o w n o n t h e g r a s s , a n d t o o k t h e f i v e l o a v e s , a n d t h e t w o f i s h e s , a n d l o o k i n g u p t o h e a v e n , h e b l e s s e d , a n d b r a k e , a n d g a v e t h e l o a v e s t o h i s d i s c i p l e s , a n d t h e d i s c i p l e s t o t h e m u l t i t u d e A n d t h e y d i d a l l e a t , a n d w e r e f i l l e d : a n d t h e y t o o k u p o f t h e f r a g m e n t s t h a t r e m a i n e d t w e l v e b a s k e t s f u l l A n d t h e y t h a t h a d e a t e n w e r e a b o u t f i v e t h o u s a n d m e n , b e s i d e w o m e n a n d c h i l d r e n ” ( M a t t h e w 1 4 : 1 4 – 2 1 ) T h i n k a b o u t t h e w o r d s i n M a t t h e w 6 , w h e r e J e s u s s a y s , “ L a y n o t u p f o r y o u r s e l v e s t r e a s u r e r s u p o n e a r t h , w h e r e m o t h a n d r u s t d o t h c o r r u p t , a n d w h e r e t h i e v e s b r e a k t h r o u g h a n d s t e a l : B u t l a y u p f o r y o u r s e l v e s

Are you concerned with a friend or family member's drinking? Let us help Call our 24-hour helpline at 941-564-5098 or visit www SouthFloridaAlAnon org Meetings are held every day in Lee County

t r e a s u r e s i n h e a v e n , w h e r e n e i t h e r m o t h n o r r u s t d o t h

c o r r u p t , a n d w h e r e t h i e v e s d o n o t b r e a k t h r o u g h n o r s t e a l : F o r w h e r e y o u r t r e a s u r e i s , t h e r e w i l l y o u r h e a r t b e a l s o . ” A n d h e g o e s o n t o s a y , “ B u t s e e k y e f i r s t t h e k i n g d o m o f G o d , a n d h i s r i g h t e o u s n e s s ; a n d a l l t h e s e t h i n g s s h a l l b e a d d e d u n t o y o u ” S o w h a t a r e t h e s e a d d e d t h i n g s ? A r e t h e y n e w r o o f s , o r t h o s e p o o l c a g e s , o r e v e n n e w f l o o r s a n d w a l l b o a r d ? N o t r e a l l y R a t h e r t h e y a r e t h e G o d g i v e n i n t e l l i g e n c e , c o u r a g e a n d s p i r i t u a l r e s i l i e n c e t h a t G o d g i v e s t o e a c h o f u s T h e s e a r e t h e n e e d e d t h i n g s t h a t e n a b l e u s t o f i n d p r a c t i c a l a n s w e r s t o c l a i m s o f l a c k a n d n e e d A s M a r y B a k e r E d d y , t h e d i s c o v e r e r o f C h r i s t i a n S c i e n c e , s a w t h a t s p i r i t u a l p r o m i s e , s h e s a i d , “ G o d g i v e s y o u H i s s p i r i t u a l i d e a s , a n d i n t u r n , t h e y g i v e y o u d a i l y s u p p l i e s . N e v e r a s k f o r t o - m o r r o w : i t i s e n o u g h t h a t d i v i n e L o v e i s a n e v e r - p r e s e n t h e l p ; a n d i f y o u w a i t , n e v e r d o u b t i n g , y o u w i l l h a v e a l l y o u n e e d e v e r y m o m e n t ” ( M i s c e l l a n e o u s W r i t i n g s 1 8 8 3 – 9 6 , M a r y B a k e r E d d y , p 3 0 7 : 1 – 5 )

T r u e s u b s t a n c e i s t h e s p i r i t u a l i d e a , t h e t h o u g h t s a n d s o l u t i o n s t h a t a l w a y s c o m e f r o m G o d , w h o i s s p i ri t i t s e l f A n d e a c h o n e o f u s , m a d e i n G o d ’ s i m a g e a n d l i k e n e s s , i s a b u n d a n t l y b l e s s e d w i t h t h e s u b s t a n c e o f s p i r i t t h a t m e e t s o u r e v e r y n e e d

M a r y L M i l l e r i s a f f i l i a t e d w i t h t h e S a n i b e l C h r i s t i a n S c i e n c e C h u r c h .

Island Worship

∫ Bat Yam Temple of the Islands

2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel (Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ), https://www.batyam.org/, https://www.facebook.com/batyamsanibel/

Rabbi Stephen Fuchs and Cantor Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

Sabbath service on Friday at 7 p m at the Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties, at 9701 Commerce Center Court, Fort Myers, and via Zoom For Zoom links, email batyamsanibel@gmail com

∫ Captiva Chapel by the Sea

11580 Chapin Lane, Captiva, 239-472-1646, https://www captivachapel com/, www facebook com/Captiva-Chapel-By-The-Sea

Rev Larry Marshall

In-person service on Sundays at 11 a m through April Services will be videotaped and posted on the chapel's website and Facebook page Services from the past season can also be found online

∫ Chavurat Shalom of Southwest Florida

www chavuratshalomofsouthwestflorida org

Lecture and discussion on Thursday at 11 a m via Zoom Torah Talk on the third Thursday of each month at 11 a m via Zoom Friday Shabbat service at 7:30 p m via Zoom Len Minsky Current Events discussion on Saturday at 11 a m via Zoom For Zoom links, email ChavuratShalom@gmail com

∫ Sanibel Christian Science Church

2950 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel, 239-810-1077

Due to the hurricane, it is not currently holding services

∫ Sanibel Community Church

1740 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 239-472-2684, https://sanibelchurch com/, https://www facebook com/sanibelchurch/

Pastor Jeramie Rinne

Sunday service at 10 a m in the SCC Sanctuary Sunday service at 4 p m at the Fort Myers Community Church, at 8440 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers Services will be recorded and posted on the SCC's YouTube channel on Monday

∫ Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ

2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 239-472-0497, https://www sanibelucc org/, https://www facebook com/sanibelucc/

Senior Minister Dr Mark Boyea

Sunday service at 10 a m at The Refuge Church, at 1901 Brantley Road, Fort Myers

∫ St. Isabel Catholic Church

3559 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, 239-472-2763, https://www saintisabel.org/, https://www.facebook.com/stisabelcatholicchurch/

Father Ed Martin

Due to the hurricane, it is not currently holding services

∫ St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 239-472-2173, https://www saintmichaelssanibel org/, https://www facebook com/saintmichaelssanibel/

Rev William “Bill” Van Oss

Service with optional healing prayers on Wednesday at 9 a m at the Peace Lutheran Church, at 15840 McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers Sunday service at 11:30 a m at the same location, followed by a coffee hour in Fellowship Hall

Report your news to THE ISLANDER: captivasanibel.com

Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Dolphin Cruise planned

Adventures in Paradise will offer its annual Easter Egg Hunt & Dolphin Cruise on April 9 from 9 to 10:30 a m and from 10 to 11:30 a.m., leaving from dock “G” at the Port Sanibel Marina, at 14341 Port Comfort Road, Fort Myers

Participants will hop on board and cruise the San Carlos Bay, usually catching a glimpse or two of dolphins along the way A knowledgable captain and naturalist will narrate the cruise Upon arriving at “Easter Island,” typically known as Picnic Island, participants will hunt for over 1,000 Easter eggs

Easter pails and bottled water will be provided.

Tickets are $69 per adult and $59 per child; reservations are required

For tickets or more information, call 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 - 8 4 4 3 o r v i s i t w w w a d v e n

Traders, 1551 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel PETER REDPATH 5:30 to 8:30 p m

DANNY MORGAN AND JOHN McLANE 5:30 to 8:30 p m DANNY MORGAN 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. PETER REDPATH 5:30 to 8:30 p m JOHN McLANE 5:30 to 8:30 p m DANNY MORGAN 5:30 to 8:30 p m

Cielo, 1244 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel SCOTT McDONALD 5 to 8:30 p m

SCOTT McDONALD 5 to 8:30 p m

SCOTT McDONALD 5 to 8:30 p m

SCOTT McDONALD 5 to 8:30 p m

SCOTT McDONALD 5 to 8:30 p m

‘Power of Light’ on display at BIG ARTS

BIG ARTS is hosting the Fort Myers Beach Art Association's “Power of Light” exhibit its spring juried and judged exhibition from now through April 21 in the Dunham Family Gallery on Sanibel

It reported the following winners for the juried show:

∫ Best in Show and first place: “Stillness Speaks” by Shah Hadjebi

∫ Second place: “My Cup Runneth Over” by Karen Meredith

∫ Third place: “Industrial Vibe” by Julie Nusbaum

∫ Awards of merit: “OMG Green Flash” by Kathy Taylor and “Roosters Farm Stand” by Helen Kinkin

∫ Honorable mentions: “View from the Sanibel Causeway” by Carol Dallas and “Unwavering” by Kathy Summer

∫ S p e c i a l a w a r d s L e e A c k e r t A w a r d f o r

Exceptional Use of Color: “Chat Shack” by Carol Baskin

∫ Judge's choice: “Jug Creek Marina” by John Rizza

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a m to 4 p m

For more information, visit https://bigarts.org/ or contact 239-395-0900

BIG ARTS is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

Florida Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that five judges gathered on March 29 at the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel to determine winners of the 2023 Florida Junior Duck Stamp contest The contest, which had its genesis on the island thanks to a local elementary school art teacher, saw 1,249 entries this year from over 12 schools and numerous home-schoolers across Florida The judges were Jaye Boswell the previously mentioned Sanibel educator artist Lacy McClary, volunteer Robin Kirk, volunteer and photographer Becky Clemens, and photographer David Meardon The Best of Show award went to Jenny Liu, of Port Orange

Lagniappes on display in refuge center

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife SocietyFriends of the Refuge reported that a lagniappe is a surprise bonus in Louisiana At the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, visitors will find two new visual bonuses in the Visitor & Education Center

Auditorium: A 30piece exhibition of Artist in Residence

Jacqui Roch's work, and a looping photographic PowerPoint looking back at the Sanibel refuge's journey toward postHurricane Ian recovery

The refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel

WoW planning summer schedule

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife SocietyFriends of the Refuge reported that the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels team is planning its summer camp schedule.

This year's there, “Micro-Mania,” is

Shell Find

partially funded by the DDWS' Dr David A Drachman Education Fund It will magnify the world of micro-organisms and teach about the dangerous impacts of microplastics on marine wildlife.

The public can experience the WoW

Junonia found on Captiva

Aspen Beutler, 13, of Rapid City, South Dakota, found a junonia on March 21 at the 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva She found the rare shell while vacationing with her family on the island Her mother, Teresa Beutler, reported that Aspen was “very excited ” The family chose Captiva for the shelling and it did not disappoint Beutler added, “Even with all the damage from Hurricane Ian, the beaches are a welcome change from the snowy midwestern climate that we left at home People are busy rebuilding, and you can tell it's going to be even better when they are done! Everyone we talked to was super friendly and our family thoroughly enjoyed the area ” PHOTOS PROVIDED

for free on April 22 to celebrate “Ding”

Darling Day and Earth Day at Lakes Park in Fort Myers

The WoW currently operates with a reduced team because of the hurricane's impact on staffing

To donate to support the upkeep and programming for the WoW efforts, visit https://interland3 donorperfect net/weblin k/WebLink aspx?name=E54182&id=12

BIG ARTS

BIG ARTS is hosting the Fort Myers Beach Art Association's “Power of Light” exhibition from now through April 21 in the Dunham Family Gallery on Sanibel.

JENNY LIU

REFUGE/DDWS

Lee County Parks & Recreation to offer Easter egg hunts

Five Lee County Parks & Recreation sites will offer opportunities for children to put their egg-hunting skills to the test in advance of Easter, which is April 9 The event dates and locations are as follows:

∫ April 8 on Pine Island

The Pine Island 6-8 Grade Golden Egg Hunt will begin on April 8 at 10 a m on the baseball fields at P h i l l i p s C o m m u n i t y P a r k , a t 5 6 7 5 S e s a m e D r i v e ,

Bokeelia Registration will begin at 9 a m The free event is for middle school-age children Participants will receive a candy bag and will have the chance to find golden eggs with special prizes

∫ April 8 in North Fort Myers

Spring Fest will be held on April 8 from 11 a m to 2 p m o n t h e f o o t b a l l f i e l d a t N o r t h F o r t M y e r s Community Park, at 2000 North Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers. Activities will include music, yard games, photo booth, bounce house and food trucks The

free event is co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Fort Myers For more information, call the North Fort Myers Recreation Center at 239-533-7200

∫ April 8 in Lehigh Acres

The Veterans Park Ultimate Egg Hunt will be held on April 8 from 10 a m to 1 p m at the park basketball pavilion, at 55 Homestead Road S , Lehigh Acres Activities will include egg hunt, games, music, food truck, photo booth and more Bring a camera and basket The cost is $5 per child The event is co-sponsored by the Lehigh Acres Rotary Club Advance registration is required by visiting www leeparks org/register or at the Veterans Park Recreation Center or by calling 239-3691521

∫ April 8 in Estero

The Estero EGGStravaganza will feature an adaptive egg hunt on April 8 beginning at 10 a.m. at Estero Recreation Center, at 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd ,

Estero It is an outdoor event, weather permitting The egg hunt and the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny will be for children ages 12 and under The cost is $5 per child Bring a camera and basket Preregistration is required at www.leeparks.org/register or by calling the center at 239-533-1470 For more information, call the center at 239-533-1470

∫ April 8 on Boca Grande

The Boca Grande Egg Hunt will be held on April 8 at 10 a m The free event is sponsored by The Friends of Boca Grande Community Center, at 131 First St , Boca Grande Activities will include an egg hunt for ages 11 and under, and a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny Bring a camera Individually wrapped soft candy donations are welcome For more information, call 239533-2921 or visit www leeparks org

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e e v e n t s , v i s i t www leeparks org

Edison, Ford estates to host sale and symposium

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will hold its annual “Grow Fort Myers” Plant Sale and Workshops, combined with the Orchid Symposium that was cancelled last fall, on April 7-8

April 7: Plant sale

Plant vendors will have plants available for sale from noon to 4 p.m.

The following vendors will have orchids and other plants available: Bello Tropicals, Florida Orchid House, Hang-a-Pot, Jim-N-I Orchids, Krull/Smith Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, Orchids Amore, Sierra Madre, SO Orchids, Sunland Orchids, and Tropiflora Plus, the Garden Shoppe will be open and stocked with a large selection of plants and trees, and wildflower seeds will also be available

There is no charge to attend the plant sale

or the Garden Shoppe area Tours or admission to the museum and lab or riverside of the property are not included

April 8: Workshops, plant sale

The plant sale will continue from 9 a m to 4 p m , along with workshops Attendees can also learn about the new wildflower garden. There is no charge to attend the sale; however, a ticket is required for the workshops The tickets are $20 for members or $25 for non-members Tours or admission to the museum and lab or riverside of the property are not included

The schedule for the workshops is as follows:

∫ “Growing Orchids as Houseplants” from 10 to 10:45 a m with orchid specialist Michael Spelta

∫ “Unraveling the Mysteries of Orchid

Potting” from 11 to 11:45 a m with Stan Grigiski, of the Southwest Florida Orchid Society

∫ “Wildflower Talk & Stroll” from noon to 1 p m with Debbie Hughes, horticulture director for the Edison and Ford Winter Estates

∫ “Introduction to Orchids” from 1 to 1:45 p.m. with Mickey Carnell, of Blue Pagoda Orchids

∫ “Growing Orchids from Seedlings” from 2 to 2:45 p m with Jim Davison, of Jim-N-I Orchids

∫ “Benign Neglect of Orchids” from 3 to 3:45 p m with Robert Riefer, of the University of Florida

Attendees can also enter to win a rare and endangered, native Vanilla dilloniana orchid The suggested donation for each raf-

fle ticket is $5 The winner will be drawn at the end of the event on April 8

“With the help of a grant from the Florida Wildflower Foundation, we started a wildflower garden behind the laboratory, where Thomas Edison once grew rows and rows of Goldenrod,” Hughes said “Visitors will be able to stroll through the wildflower garden and learn about the native plants.”

Food and beverage vendors will have refreshments available for purchase on April 8

Attendees are encouraged to bring a garden cart, as only a limited number will be available

For more information or tickets, visit EdisonFord org

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is at 2350 McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers