Sanibel Island Reporter/Islander

Island tradition to feature baseball and camaraderie

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Free tickets to the 31st annual Sam Bailey's Islands Night are available throughout the community

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels will play the Jupiter Hammerheads on April 17 at 7:05 p.m. at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers Gates will open at 6 p m , with the pre-game parade at 6:10 p m

“It honors the late Sam Bailey, a former athlete and island pioneer who started the tradition,” John Lai, president and chief executive officer of the SanCap C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e , w h i c h n o w organizes the event, said Bailey, whose descendents own and operate the Bailey's General Store on Sanibel and The Island Store on Captiva, wanted to get the whole island together

See ISLANDS NIGHT, page 10

Bank of the Islands is the presenting homerun sponsor for this year's event

From left, bank Vice President David Lowden with the SanCap Chamber of Commerce's Aaron Walton, President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai, and Jade Nakonetschny

SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Family Day at BIG ARTS to feature live performances, more

By STAFF REPORT

trepecki@breezenewspapers com

BIG ARTS will host a community event this weekend featuring a circus show and more

Family Day will take place on April 14 from 3 to 6 p m on the grounds of the Sanibel campus Free and open to the public, there will be live performances, youth workshops, make-and-take art and more

Council picks leaders and seats new member

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Sanibel City Council selected the mayor and vice mayor for the year at its recent meeting, as well as bid an early farewell to an interim appointee on the dais and swore in a new council member

O n A p r i l 2 , C o u n c i l m e m b e r

Holly Smith nomi n a t e d M a y o r Richard Johnson to retain his position

No other nominations were put

f o r w a r d a n d h e was elected unanimously 5-0

Johnson thanked his fellow council members

“It has been both a pleasure and an honor to provide a leadership role in this team of leaders for this past year, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue it

high-energy circus show for all ages, showcasing incredible feats of juggling, hula hoops, unicycle, aerial, circus stunts, contortion, magic and audience interaction, all wrapped up in a blanket of comedy,” she reported. “Simply put, it is the most unique two-person circus show you will ever see ”

The Great Dubois will kick off the day with a performance in the Christensen Performance Hall

“The Great Dubois is a fast-paced,

“Our free gatherings are a wonderful way for BIG ARTS to play a meaningful r o l e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y , ” E x e c u t i v e Director Lee Ellen Harder shared. “They are a great opportunity for us to introduce residents and guests to the BIG ARTS facility and everything our organization offers ”

The award-winning combination of Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy have five generations of circus performing between them, and they have wowed crowds at shows at theaters, universities,

County and municipal officials: FEMA delivers devastating blow to residents

By VALARIE HARRING and NATHAN MAYBERG vharring@breezenewspapers com

nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has yanked its 25% discount for f l o o d i n s u r a n c e f r o m m u c h o f L e e County Property owners in incorporated areas of the county, including Captiva, Cape Coral, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs and Estero holding a National Flood Insurance Program policy will collectively pay millions more to protect their homes and businesses as a result of a FEMA rating change set to go into effort Oct 1 The cities of Sanibel and Fort Myers are not affected

About 699,000 residents live in areas that will be impacted by the FEMA decision, county officials said “ W i t h o u t a n y p r i o r n o t i c e , F E M A verbally informed Lee County and some of its municipalities late Thursday that it was altering discounts on National Flood

I n s u r a n c e P r o g r a m ( N F I P ) p r e m i u m s that allow residents to save up to 25%, delivering a blow to the community as it continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Ian,” county officials said in release issued on March 29

“FEMA has provided no written notification or documentation outlining any specific details that would lead to this

s u d d e n r a t i n g change, which

w o u l d t a k e effect

Oct 1

T h e c o u n t y ’ s

d i l i g e n t w o r k

i n F E M A ’ s C o m m u n i t y Rating System has resulted in saving taxp a y e r s a c o ll e c t i v e $ 1 4 million to $17

m i l l i o n a n n u -

a l l y i n u n i n c o r p o r a t e d L e e C o u n t y alone When considering the cities within Lee County, the savings is in the tens of millions of dollars,” the county stated

“ E x t e n s i v e e f f o r t s p a r t i c u l a r l y after Hurricane Ian have been made to demonstrate to the federal government that the county and its city partners go above and beyond what’s required to meet and exceed FEMA and NFIP standards,” officials said

Local officials say residents will bear the direct and negative impact

“For the federal government to have made this decision without any prior discussions seems punitive,” Lee County B o a r d o f C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r s Chairman Mike Greenwell said in a prep a r e d s t a t e m e n t “ I a n w a s t h e t h i r d

c o s t l i e s t h u r r i c a n e t o h i t t h e U n i t e d States, and many of our residents are s t i l l r e e l i n g f i n a n c i a l l y f r o m i t s impacts ”

Fort Myers Beach, most of its homes and businesses destroyed when Ian overwashed the island on Sept 28, 2022, said its residents will again, be hard hit

“Without warning or communication, a rash decision like this will significantl y s t r a i n o u r r e s i d e n t s s t r u g g l i n g t o recover from Hurricane Ian,” Town of Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers in a prepared statement “The Town of Fort Myers Beach has always gone above and beyond to maintain our CRS rating and request FEMA suspend their decision ”

Cape Coral officials said on March 29 that they had yet to receive any notice or documentation outlining specific details from FEMA

Council

From page 1

again for the coming year,” he said “We've come a long way in the last 18 months We still have a ways to go, but I'm optimistic about where we are today and where we will be in the future over the next 12 months ”

Next up, Smith nominated Vice Mayor Mike Miller to also retain his position

No other nominations were put forward and he was elected 5-0

“I'm honored to serve with this council and for this community, so thank you,” Miller said

Also during the meeting, the council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution declaring Laura DeBruce as council memberelect As the only candidate to qualify for the city's Special Election in May, she was elected unopposed. The resolution also canceled the election and DeBruce was to be seated in June

H o w e v e r , C o u n c i l m e m b e r A r l e n e Dillon asked that the council consider seating DeBruce sooner

Dillon was selected by the council in February to take up the seat of former City Councilmember Dr Scott Crater, who had resigned It was an interim appointment to allow for the election to be held

Dillon explained that it has been an honor and a pleasure working with the council as an interim member, but she would like to see DeBruce sworn in at the

Family Day

“I am deeply troubled by the federal government’s unilateral decision regarding altering Cape Coral’s flood insurance rating,” Mayor John Gunter said in a prepared statement “The federal government must provide the support our community desperately needs to ensure they retain the discounts they currently receive on their national flood insurance premiums The timing of this decision after our community suffered a devastating Category 5 hurricane is just wrong. Make no mistake FEMA is the villain in this nightmare ”

The city has begun its efforts to get FEMA’s determination suspended as it jointly works with the county, other affected cities and Congressman Byron Donalds’ office, officials said

Read the full article for free online by visiting www captivasanibel com

meeting so she could get to work

“So that she can officially be the new city council member,” Dillon said

Before the close of the meeting, the council voted 5-0 on a resolution that terminated Dillon's interim term and commenced DeBruce's term. Next, DeBruce was sworn in by staff and seated at the dais

She will serve out the remainder of Crater's term through March

In other news

n The council held a public hearing on the Phase 4B Sewer Assessment and voted 4-0 to approve two resolutions related to the project, which includes certain properties in the Sanibel Gardens and i n t h e W i n t e r b o t h a m a r e a a n d o n Tamarind Road, Ferry Road and Middle Gulf Drive The first resolution determined the propriety and advisability of establishing and implementing the assessment district for the project, and the second resolution equalized and approved a special assessment for the district.

Smith recused herself from voting as she owns property in the project area

n The council voted 5-0 to express its intent to enter into a ground lease agreement or development agreement for a term not less than 30 years for developing mixed-use with affordable housing on

See COUNCIL, page 27

From page 1

cruise ships, fairs and festivals all over the world Featured in Hugh Jackman's hit movie, “The Greatest Showman,” they have amassed an impressive list of credits, i n c l u d i n g a p p e a r a n c e s i n t h e T o n y Award-winning “Pippin” on Broadway, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” the Britney Spears World Circus Tour and movie “Burlesque ”

Following the performance, there will be more entertainment and activities outside in the Malone Family Sculpture Garden beginning at 4:30 p m The event will feature a silt walker and magic show, along with juggling and hula hooping by members of Citrus Circus A youth artist instructor at BIG ARTS will provide a make-and-take, interactive art experience

for children to enjoy

Catering by Leslie Adams will serve up complimentary family-friendly food and desserts

A complimentary bar of beer, wine, soda, water and a specialty youth mocktail will also be offered

In addition, attendees can experience the two current exhibits, “Uprising” by Wendy Klemperer in the Dunham Family Gallery and “Gatha Poem Paintings” by Beth Schroeder in the Mezzanine Gallery

While the event is free, tickets are required to attend

For more information or tickets, visit bigarts org or call 239-395-0900

BIG ARTS is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.

Mike Greenwell

OPINIONS

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question

What do you think of the Presidential Preference Primary results for Florida?

∫ Expected it 60%

∫ Did not expect it 40%

Current Web Poll Question

Did you plan ahead to watch the total solar eclipse on April 8?

∫ Yes

∫ No, but I saw it

No

FEMA muddies recovery waters across county

The aftermath of Hurricane Ian keeps coming in waves throughout Lee County FEMA has now opened the floodgates to much higher insurance premiums for property owners hoping to protect their homes and businesses through what is predicted to be another active storm season

Citing “the large amount of unpermitted work, lack of documentation, and failure to properly monitor activity in special flood hazard areas, including substantial damage

c o m p l i a n c e , ” t h e F e d e r a l E m e r g e n c y Management Agency has “retrograded” its Community Rating System grade for unincorporated Lee including Captiva and four of its municipalities, including the city of Cape Coral and the town of Fort Myers Beach.

FEMA found that of Lee County’s 590 properties that incurred substantial damage; 25% had unpermitted work Of Cape Coral’s 238, 23% had unpermitted work; of Fort Myers Beach’s 105, 21% had unpermitted work, with Bonita Springs and Estero hitting 50% and 58%, respectively

Only the cities of Sanibel and Fort Myers were unaffected, retaining a grade of 5 and so a 25% discount on premiums

What does this mean?

It means that as if the billions of dollars in losses suffered in storm damage; the hundreds of millions still outstanding as insurance companies continue their dance of whether their wind policies or the fed’s flood policies have to ante up reimbursements; and skyrocketing homeowners premiums are not

Breaking 'insane' cycle: Constitutional right to clean water

By JOSEPH BONASIA

enough most Lee Countians are going to see a 25% hike in flood insurance costs if FEMA’s determination stands

L o c a l o f f i c i a l s , w h o c a l l e d o u t t h e agency’s methodology and processes last week, say it should not.

So do our federal and state representatives

Congressman Byron Donalds, joined by U S Rep Greg Steube and U S Sens Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, wrote a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell that urges a reversal of the recent decision.

Some background:

After months of working with the federal agency to satisfy the permitting issues raised, Lee County and municipal officials got the

Our 'Seashell Capital' is under siege

To the editor:

It was former Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah writing in the Breeze Newspapers about water releases from Lake Okeechobee and noting that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and e x p e c t i n g d i fferent results,” t h a t r e m i n d e d m e o f B i l l M u r r a y i n G r o u n d h o g Day. His character relives the same day over and over until he changes his ways “ V o t e r s repeatedly elect politicians that pay lip service

t o p r o t e c t i n g w a t e r q u a l i t y , ” M r J u d a h wrote, “while accepting campaign funding from local land statewide PACS … that in turn rely on substantial monetary support from Big Sugar ” Mr Judah, and many others, were saying the same thing in 2016 when I moved to Cape Coral

I ’ v e r e a d n e a r l y i d e n t i c a l s t a t e m e n t s countless times since 2016

When it comes to water quality in Florida, every day is Groundhog Day To break this “insane” cycle, Floridians need to pass the p r o p o s e d “ R i g h t t o C l e a n a n d H e a l t h y Waters” Constitutional Amendment

Here’s how this commonsense law would work: Because state agencies, such as the Department of Environmental Protection, cannot ignore the constitution and our fundamental rights, if they allow harm to Florida waters, they must have a compelling state interest for doing so something more important than clean water Even then, they must do all they reasonably can do to limit that harm to no more than what is necessary If they don’t, we can take them to court and the court can make sure they do

F o r e x a m p l e , b e c a u s e t h e y h a r m t h e Caloosahatchee and other Southwest Florida waters, we could sue the relevant state agencies to stop these massive water releases from Lake Okeechobee The agencies would have to show that these releases meet a compelling state interest This they can do, because protecting nearby communities from potentially disastrous flooding is clearly a compelling state interest However, these agencies would

In that same issue was an article about local officials opposing state legislation that restricts municipalities from regulating the use of fertilizer “Clean water is of utmost importance,” they said “Multiple forms of p o l l u t i o n , i n c l u d i n g a g r i c u l t u r a l r u n - o f f , sewage, and industrial waste harm our environment and economy In all cases, preventing pollution is the most cost-effective solution ”

See CLEAN WATER, page 16

F l o r i d a ’ s S a n i b e l i s k n o w n a s t h e “Seashell Capital of the World,” but this capital is under siege Although seashells are a renewable resource, as our beaches welcome millions of tourists each year, the seemingly innocent act of taking home a seashell souvenir can destroy the homes of marine animals and damage our vital coastline. As a college student who recently participated in a conservation research trip in the Gulf of Mexico, I recognize the dangers facing our beaches and the urgent need to protect our seashells Florida’s seashells are invaluable and must be better protected

A l t h o u g h t h e y m a y i n i t i a l l y s e e m insignificant, seashells have been an essential aspect of Florida culture for centuries The Calusa, once one of the largest tribes in t h e p e n i n s u l a , h i g h l y v a l u e d s e a s h e l l s A c c o r d i n g t o t h e F l o r i d a M u s e u m , t h e Calusa used a specific shell, the lightning whelk, for many purposes, like tools and food The lightning whelk was also sacred, with its unique characteristic of spiraling and opening leftward instead of rightward The clockwise direction was significant to many Native Americans as it symbolized the sun's direction and the life cycle We are losing a crucial piece of Florida’s culture and history through the loss of seashells

In the present day, seashells play a critical role in Florida’s ecosystem, and the effect of their population loss is already apparent A Smithsonian magazine article earlier this year described a new phenomenon of hermit

See LETTER, page 16

t t e r s m u s t b e s i g n e d a n d m u s t c o n t a i n a p h o n e n u m b e r f o r v e r i f ic a t i o n p u r p o s e s . L e t t e r s c o n s i d e r e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n m u s t r e l a t e t o s u b j e c t s o f p u b

Joseph Bonasia

Protect Captiva reports on ongoing legal efforts

A coalition seeking to maintain the longtime building height and density limitations on Captiva provided an update last week on its legal efforts

On April 4, Protect Captiva reiterated that the Captiva Civic Association has filed a petition for it under state Statutes c h a l l e n g i n g L e e C o u n t y ' s L a n d Development Code amendments as inconsistent with the governing of the Lee Plan The Florida Department of Commerce

scheduled an informal hearing on the petition for April 4 and it will issue a written decision sometime in May

“Depending upon that decision, either

party can request a hearing from the Division of Administrative Hearings and an administrative law judge The parties to the administrative hearing would be the CCA (Protect Captiva), the county, any i n t e r v e n o r a n d t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f C o m m e r c e , ” t h e c o a l i t i o n s a i d

“Eventually, the matter could reach the governor and members of his Cabinet for enforcement ” The group continued that in conjunc-

CCA to present additional, exclusive tasting event

Not part of its regular Perfectly Paired series that is held during season, the “S u mmer Win e P r ev iew ” event will take place on April 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p m at the Captiva Civic Center on Captiva

“Our regular series has been so popular, and we've sold out the last several events,” CCA Executive Director Emily Hess Ankerson said, adding that they saved a date for an extra tasting just in case.

“It seemed there was still definitely enough interest for one in mid-April,” she said

The series events feature four wines paired with four small plates

“This one is different because there'll be eight different wines to taste at stations, so people will get to try more wines,” Ankerson said, explaining that the selections will include whites, roses and reds

Calli Johnson, wine steward for Bailey's General Store on Sanibel and The Island Store on Captiva, will curate the wines based on the summertime theme and guide attendees through the tasting.

“The wines that she is selecting are nice lighter wines to consider for the summer months,” she said Chef Karl Hamme will craft light fare to go with the wines at each of the stations

“He's going to do platters of appetizer-type food with flavors that match the wines,” Ankerson said Music by a local musician will provide ambiance and background

Tickets are $65 for non-members; CCA members have been emailed a link to discounted tickets

The community is invited to secure a spot

“It's a great way to kind of have a last gathering for wine enthusiasts before the summer months,” she said “To maybe see some new wines they haven't had before and socialize in a fun environment ”

For tickets, visit https://ccacaptiva org/ or the Captiva Civic Association on Eventbrite

For more information, visit the CCA website or contact 239-472-2111 or info@ccacaptiva org

The Captiva Civic Center is at 11550 Chapin Lane, Captiva

tion with the hearing, the CCA's attorney on behalf of Protect Captiva filed a written presentation with reports from p l a n n i n g a n d e v a c u a t i o n e x p e r t s t h a t explain:

n The Lee Plan addresses specific conditions unique to Captiva; that enforce development standards that maintain the historic low-density residential development pattern of Captiva, that continue

See PROTECT CAPTIVA, page 7

Ferrari joins board at CIHS

The Captiva Island Historical Society welcomes Kathy Ferrari to its board of directors

Ferrari grew up in a small town in n o r t h e r n I l l i n o i s a n d b e g a n v i s i t i n g Captiva and Sanibel as a child in the 1970s. Her parents, who enjoyed fishing w h i c h d r e w them to the i s l a n d s , e v e n t u a l l y purchased a c o n d o a t Punta Rassa w h e r e s h e spent college b r e a k s a n d m a n y v a c ations.

F e r r a r i e a r n e d a b a c h e l o r ’ s d e g r e e i n communications from Boston College and worked in sports broadcasting as one of the first female reporters in the Boston market, before dedicating her energy to raising her three children with her husband in the Boston area

She and her husband bought a condo on Captiva in 2013. They now split their time between the island and Milton, Massachusetts, where Ferrari is a member of the Milton Historical Society She also volunteers at the Milton Animal Shelter Once her children were older, Ferrari

Part

Kathy Ferrari

Ferrari

From page 6

worked as a copy editor and staff reporter for the Milton Times newspaper for many years, as well as a freelance reporter for The Boston Globe

In 2019, she began working as a staff reporter for the Island Sun on Sanibel, writing news pieces, feature stories and columns, including “What’s Cap-pening,” which covered events on Captiva

With publication of the paper suspend-

ed due to damage from Hurricane Ian, Ferrari worked for a season as administrative and events assistant for the Captiva Civic Association

“We are extremely pleased Kathy will be bringing her personal appreciation and knowledge of island history to our hard working board, along with her professiona l c o m m u n i c a t i o n t a l e n t s , ” B o a r d

President Tom Libonate said

Captiva Library

cuss their favorite books Refreshments will be provided

Children programs

n April 15-17: Make a Bug Jar

(daily during operating hours)

Make your own bug jar to study and have fun with your creepy crawly friends

T h e l i b r a r y i s o p e n o n M o n d a y s through Fridays from 10 a m to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

For more information about a program or to register, call 239-533-4890

In addition, the library system is offering the following free virtual programming:

Adult programs

n A p r i l 1 1 : O n l i n e S p a n i s h

Conversation Club from 6 to 7 p m

Are you ready to take your Spanishspeaking skills to the next level? Improve your fluency by chatting with adults

Practice speaking Spanish with others on a variety of topics, including current e v e n t s a n d e v e r y d a y s i t u a t i o n s

Intermediate to advanced Spanish-speaking skills are recommended in order to get

From page 6

the most out of the session Registration is required before April 11 at 6 p m

n April 17: Online Author Event with Xochitl Gonzalez from 8 to 9 p m

Chat with award-winning and bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez about her newest novel, “Anita de Monte Laughs

Last ” Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both Anita and Raquel, it is a novel and conversation that you do not want to miss. Registration is required.

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 at 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva

Protect Captiva

existing land use patterns; that limit development to that which is in keeping with t h e h i s t o r i c d e v e l o p m e n t p a t t e r n o n Captiva, that maintain building heights that account for barrier island conditions; that prohibit the reduction of minimum lot s i z e s ; a n d t h a t p r o h i b i t a n y f u r t h e r exceedance of hurricane evacuation timeframes

n The historic development pattern and existing land use patterns on Captiva cannot be disputed, and have been in effect for 20 to 50 years: three units per acre for hotels and dwelling units on Captiva including South Seas; building heights on Sea Seas the lesser of 35 feet above grade or 42 feet above sea level; building heights on Captiva the lesser of 35 feet above grade or 42 feet above sea level or 28 feet above base flood elevation (whichever is least restrictive)

n T h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e L a n d

D e v e l o p m e n t C o d e a m e n d m e n t s a r e inconsistent with the Lee Plan on their face: they expressly exempt South Seas from current building heights and would permit buildings as high as 45 feet to 75 feet above base flood elevation; they expressly exempt South Seas from the limitation of three hotel units per acre and would allow an unlimited number of hotel rooms; and they increase building heights on the rest of Captiva from two to three stories above base flood elevation

n The potential development and the increase of evacuation times that could result from the Land Development Code amendments are unconscionable on a barrier island

From page 6

To view the full written presentation, i n c l u d i n g t h e H u r r i c a n e E v a c u a t i o n Analysis and Consistency of Lee County Ordinance 23-22, visit this article online f o r f r e e a t

http://www captivasanibel com/ Enforcement of mediation agreement

Protect Captiva reported that last week attorneys for the CCA filed for it a complaint in Circuit Court seeking to enforce a 2003 Mediation Settlement Agreement that prohibits Lee County from issuing building permits for units within South Seas that would exceed 912 units at any time

“Currently, there are 640 units on South Seas that are part of other associations; and Timbers was allocated only 247 units of the 912 (with 25 unbuilt units),” the coalition said “Timbers is now applying to the county for 707 hotel and condominium units, which would take the total number of units on South Seas to 1,347 units well over the 912 unit cap ”

To view the complaint, visit this article online for free at http://www captivasanibel com/

Response to insufficient application

Protect Captiva reiterated that the Plan Application from South Seas/Timbers requesting the 707 units was deemed insufficient by the county As of last week, Timbers had responded to the county and its response was under review The coalition will review its response and provide comments to the county

BUSINESS

Business Notes

SCBWA to hold monthly luncheon

The Sanibel Captiva B u s i n e s s W o m e n ' s Association will hold its m o n t h l y l u n c h e o n o n A p r i l 1 6 f r o m 1 1 : 3 0 a m to 1 p m at Cielo, a t 1 2 4 4 P e r i w i n k l e Way, Sanibel

T h e g u e s t s p e a k e r w i l l b e D r D a n i e l l e B a s o r a , t h e n e w e s t p h y s i c i a n a t L e e H e a l t h ' s S a n i b e l

Primary/Walk-In Care.

Dr. Danielle Basora

She will speak about health screenings in modern medicine and the changes in screenings and health guidelines over the past five years Basora's talk will mostly pertain to cardiovascular and breast health, but will also include genetics

Registration is required on Eventbrite

For more information, contact Taylor Osborne at taylor@irisprintdesigns com

F o r S C B W A u p d a t e s , v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w f a c e b o o k c o m / S a n C a p B W A o r o n Eventbrite

SCA to hold annual meeting

The Sanibel Community Association will hold its Annual Meeting on April 24 at 8:30 a m at The C o m m u n i t y H o u s e , a t 2 1 7 3 P e r i w i n k l e W a y , Sanibel

Learn the status of the SCA and TCH

SCA members should look for a ballot via email.

Reservations are encouraged by calling 239-4722155 or stopping by TCH

T o m a k e a d o n a t i o n t o t h e S C A , v i s i t www sanibelcommunityhouse net Trust Company hosts Rutgers professor

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company rounded out its 2024 Speaker Series on March 13 at the Tribby Arts Center at the Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers

R u t g e r s U n i v e r s i t y ' s B o a r d o f G o v e r n o r s

Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History Louis P Masur took a deep dive into how the early life of former President Abraham Lincoln prepared him to lead the United States through the four years of the Civil War

He applied lessons of Lincoln's leadership to the management of current conflicts and how individuals can become more effective leaders in the workplace and community

See BUSINESS BRIEFS, page 20

THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA TRUST COMPANY

From

T h e P o r t S a n i b e l Marina in Fort Myers celebrated rebuilt and new components with the SanCap Chamber

o f C o m m e r c e a n d friends on March 26

SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Chamber, Por t Sanibel Marina celebrate ribbon-cutting

A hub for all things boat- and watersports-related just off-island, the Port Sanibel Marina in Fort Myers officially celebrated its ongoing comeback with a SanCap Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting on March 26 at its new boat barn

The marina opened its docks and ramp to government agencies and their subcontractors immediately after Hurricane Ian, but it was unable to open to the public until January of 2023 By that point, the marina, which had been without power for months, was able to clean up the mess Ian left In the meantime, it provided dockage, services and full use of the marina starting the day after the storm It ran logistics; shuttled people, workers and supplies; and provided free fuel for emergency services providers

“Most of our docks were washed away, and the ship store and fuel dock were completely flooded,” General Manager JD Miner said “All the boats on ground level were floating away and obstructing roadways Wind and water damage prevented access to 135 boats in our first

San Cap Orchid Society to hold meeting

The Sanibel Captiva Orchid Society will meet on April 15 at 12:30 p m at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel The guest speaker will be Vanessa Long, of SunLand Orchids in Fort Myers. She will talk about “The World of Brassavola Orchids ” Long imports specimens from Brazil's southern section, and some will be available for purchase at the meeting An orchid sale and a plant raffle will also be held In addition, those with an “ill or hurricane damaged orchid” in need of diagnosis can bring the plants for the show-and-tell portion For more information, visit www.sancaporchid.org.

barn. Lighthouse Waterfront Cafe and our retail store both sustained water and wind damage and closed for a month or so after the storm ”

The marina complex has built back with more wind resistance, and the new boat barn opened in December for 145 boats up to 40 feet The marina currently has 99 wet slips and 135 dry slips, with the additional 145 dry slips still under construction The complex also offers boat and paddlecraft rentals, charters, and excursions

“Port Sanibel Marina was an invaluable partner in the earliest stages of hurricane recovery,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said “Rescue operations ran out of the marina and local, state and federal rescue, law enforcement, and wildlife agencies and power restoration companies used the facilities We thank them and wish them the best as they continue their own rebuilding ”

The Port Sanibel Marina is at 14341 Port Comfort Road, Fort Myers

Shell club to hold monthly meeting

The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club will meet on April 14 at 2 p.m. at the Sanibel Recreation Center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel The guest speaker will be Miami native Bob Pace on “Ligs of Loop Road ”

He will talk about the Florida Liguus and its neighbors, including showing various forms of Liguus fasciatus and discussing their habitat along Loop Road in the Big Cypress National Preserve Pace will also provide

photographic and actual samples of Liguus to view He has led trips to view Liguus and other tree snails in various South Florida locations, and he has created and displayed land snail exhibits in Florida shell shows Prior to the meeting, a silent auction will be held at 1:30 p m

The meeting is free and open to the public For more information, visit http://sanibelshellclub com

SANIBEL CAPTIVA ORCHID SOCIETY Mickey Carnell, of Blue Pagoda Orchids, sells orchids at last month's meeting.

left, Gail and Bill Bachman with Louis P. Masur.

'Extremely active' hurricane season predicted

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

While all was quiet on the Southwest Florida front when it came to the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane season, early indications from forecasters are scripting a different story for '24

Researchers at Colorado State University, one of the leading entities in hurricane season forecasts now in its 41st year are predicting an “extremely active” season in their initial 2024 estimate

The team points to record warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures as a primary factor for the high number this year

The CSU Tropical Weather and Climate team is predicting 23 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov 30 Of those, researchers forecast 11 to become hurricanes and five to reach major hurricane strength (Saffir/Simpson Category 3, 4 and 5) with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater

“Our analog seasons were all very active Atlantic hurricane seasons,” Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist in CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science and lead author of the report, wrote “This highlights the some-

what lower levels of uncertainty that exist with this outlook relative to our typical early April outlook ”

CSU experts state their outlook for the season is based on extremely warm Atlantic temperatures and high probability of La Nina conditions, or when temperatures in the Pacific are lower than long-term normals, causing implications across the Atlantic This is the highest prediction for hurricanes that CSU has ever issued with its April outlook, though the team stresses that the April outlook historically has the lowest level of skill of CSU’s operational seasonal hurricane forecasts, given the considerable changes that can occur in the atmosphere-ocean between April and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season from August to October

CSU predicts that hurricane activity in '24 will be about 170% of the average season from 1991-2020 By comparison, last year’s hurricane activity was about 120% of the average season.

The CSU team bases forecasts on a statistical model, as well as four models that use statistical information and model predictions of large-scale conditions from various domestic and international models CSU states these models use 25-40 years of historical hurricane seasons and evaluate conditions including: Atlantic sea surface

temperatures, sea level pressures, vertical wind shear levels (the change in wind direction and speed with height in the atmosphere), El Nino (warming of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific), and other factors

The CSU team will again issue forecast updates on June 11, July 9 and Aug. 6.

Weather experts and forecasters with AccuWeather are predicting a potentially “explosive” season on the horizon, also pointing to warm water temps They are also pointing to a swift change from El Nino to La Nina conditions

Experts said La Nina results in wind shear, or “less disruptive winds,” over the majority of the Atlantic basin

“It can be helpful to visualize a stack of pancakes,” AccuWeather lead hurricane forecaster Alex DaSilva explained in a report “When there is a high amount of wind shear, the top of a tropical system can be pushed and tilted away from its base, causing it to become lopsided. If a mature hurricane is in place, it may weaken but will not necessarily dissipate A tall, neat stack is what a tropical system wants to be, but wind shear can cause some pancakes to be displaced and the stack could fall over ”

Read the full article for free online by visiting www captivasanibel com

CHR aiming for 100 housing units within five years

While seeking to rebuild a key housing complex destroyed by Hurricane Ian, Community Housing & Resources recently announced plans to have at least 100 affordable housing units in its inventory within the next five years

Executive Director Nicole Decker-McHale reported that the storm wiped out 11 of CHR's 76 units Repairs to eight units are underway Meanwhile, CHR is pursuing $3 million in state funds through an appropriations request to rebuild the Riverview complex on Periwinkle Way, which was a total loss

“Ian was a blow to our progress, but not to our determination,” she said “CHR is committed to assuring a home for every person in Sanibel/Captiva.”

The new Riverview will consist of a two-story building with 10 one-bedroom units, plus eight en suite units built over parking It will be ADA accessible and comply with the new elevation requirements The eight en suites will be a creative way to support a key demographic: young, lower-income workers

“Each en suite provides a private bedroom and bath, with a common living space and kitchen for all,” DeckerMcHale said “With more young, entry-level workers moving here for jobs, this en suite option offers housing at an affordable rate, plus opportunities to socialize ”

She added that because of high housing costs, CHR is

Islands Night

From page 1

Rendering of the proposed new Riverview complex.

exploring new ways to provide affordable options, like with the en suite design

“We’re thinking outside the box when it comes to housing more efficiency, more reimagining,” DeckerMcHale said.

C a p t i v a b u s i n e s s e s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s . “ T h e y ' l l g e t t o s e e a l l o f t h e i r f a v o r i t e s e r v i c e g r o u p s , b u s i n e s s e s a n d n o n p r o f i t s , ” L a i s a i d

“ T h e y ' l l g o b y o n f l o a t s , a n d t h e y ' l l b e t o s s i n g o u t t r i n k e t s a n d c a n d y ”

CHR plans to have at least 100 units in place by 2029 25% more than it had prior to Ian “We’re energized by this goal and grateful for our many partners who continue alongside us in creating affordable housing for all,” she said.

n i g h t o f b a s e b a l l a n d i s l a n d f e l l o w s h i p . “ I s l a n d s N i g h t i s a t i m e t o b r i n g i s l a n d e r s t o g e t he r f o r f u n , p r o m o t i o n , c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t a n d

c a m a r a d e r i e i n c e l e b r a t i o n , ” L a i s a i d “ I t ' s a g r e a t

d w i t h h i s b r o t h e r , F r a n c i s , a n d t h e c h a m b e r I s l a n d b u s i n e s s e s w e r e e n c o u r a g e d t o h e l p s p o n s o r t h e g a m e f o r j u s t $ 1 0 0 a n d t o i n v i t e e v e r yo n e t o a t t e n d W i t h a s u c c e s s f u l r e s p o n s e , B a i l e y w a s a b l e t o c o l l e c t e n o u g h f u n d i n g t o r e n t o u t t h e s t a d i u m , p l u s g i v e b a c k t o t h e c o m m u n i t y I n 2 0 0 4 , t h e e v e n t w a s r e n a m e d S a m B a i l e y ' s I s l a n d s N i g h t i n h o n o r o f h i m . “ W h a t i t ' s t u r n e d i n t o f o r o u r c o m m u n i t y i s a w a y t o c o n v e n e a f t e r t h e s e a s o n , ” L a i s a i d “ T o g e t t h e b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y a n d t h e r e s i d e n t i a l c o m m u n i t y t o g e t h e r t o c e l e b r a t e t h e g r e a t s e a s o n t h a t j u s t p a s s e d , a n d i t ' s c e r t a i n l y t u r n e d i n t o e x a c t l y t h a t ” T h a n k s t o c o n t i n u e d s p o n s o r s h i p s e a c h y e a r b y i s l a n d b u s i n e s s e s , g a m e t i c k e t s a r e f r e e B a n k o f t h e I s l a n d s i s t h e p r e s e n t i n g h o m e r u n s p o n s o r t h i s y e a r “ I t i s c r u c i a l t o t h e o n g o i n g h e a l t h o f o u r c o mm u n i t y t h a t w e s u p p o r t t h e c h a m b e r ' s o u t r e a c h a c t i v i t i e s , ” b a n k V i c e P r e s i d e n t D a v i d L o w d e n s a i d T h e p r e g a m e p a r a d e w i l l s h o w c a s e S a n i b e l a n d

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

g a m e a n d t o b e w i t h y o u r i s l a n d n e i g h b o r s ”

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COMMUNITY HOUSING & RESOURCES

PRESERVING PARADISE

Refuge provides highlights of monthly biology activities

J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge biological science technician Avery Renshaw recently reported on the Sanibel refuge's biology activities for the month of March

She recently joined the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from local state preserves for wildlife-handling training, provided by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel The refuge works with these partners to conduct rookery birdnest monitoring surveys on state- and federally-owned

REFUGE/DDWS

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge biological science technician Avery Renshaw recently took part in wildlife-handling training at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel.

mangrove islands The data contributes to the annual South Florida Wading Bird Report Renshaw noted that thanks to the partnership she has developed with DEP staff from the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve, she learned about and was invited to the training with CROW The group toured CROW's facilities and learned safe wildlife-handling techniques to better prepare them for wildlife rescue efforts She reported that the training is important as they often encounter sick and injured birds during the Southwest Florida mangrove island rookery bird-nest monitoring surveys Renshaw noted that fishing line entanglements are especially common in the field At the end of each nesting season, DEP and refuge staff perform clean-up efforts on the rookery islands to remove the potentially dangerous debris and fishing line to protect the wading and water bird species that use them

SCCF welcomes back intern

Nadine Cobb recently joined the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's Wildlife & Habitat Management Department as its new wildlife biologist intern

With a Bachelor of Science in both environmental science and marine science from The University of Auckland (New Zealand) Waipapa Taumata Rau, her interest in wildlife research was solidified while working as an SCCF nighttime sea turtle tagging intern during the 2023 nesting season

Cobb is looking forward to learning as much as possible about wildlife telemetry, trapping as part of mark-recapture research, and monitoring populations of sensitive species

She has always had a love for the outdoors and wildlife, working previously as a park ranger in Moab, Utah

While not at work, Cobb enjoys hiking, camping, and herping looking for amphibians and reptiles with friends

Study shows need to reduce nutrient runoff from watershed

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that a new publication from its Marine Lab on nutrient sources and water management shows that Lake Okeechobee releases have a negative impact on downstream water quality, but water runoff from the local watershed has a greater negative effect

The recently published peer-reviewed article discusses increases in nutrient concentrations related to watershed runoff and regulatory releases.

“We analyzed nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary (CRE), a waterway that receives released water from Lake Okeechobee to understand whether there were relationships between Lake Okeechobee water releases and nutrient concentrations in the CRE,” lab Director Dr Eric Milbrandt said “We found that released water had a negative impact on downstream water quality, but that water runoff from the surrounding land area, or the watershed, had a greater negative effect ”

The lead author is from North Carolina State University, with other co-authors from the University of Florida and

University of South Florida The article was featured in the March issue of Water Resources Research

The SCCF reported that until projects are designed and built to send excess water south, the Caloosahatchee and St Lucie estuaries will continue to receive regulatory releases from the lake

The study demonstrates that after regulatory releases are reduced through the construction of additional reservoirs, the watershed for the Caloosahatchee will produce runoff that has a negative impact on estuarine water quality if steps are not taken to reduce it

“A number of strategies to reduce nutrient runoff are needed in Lee County and beyond,” Milbrandt said “These include preserving existing wetlands, creating filter marshes, reducing development and implementing best management practices on agricultural lands ”

To read the article, visit https://agupubs. onlinelibrary wiley com/doi/10 1029/2023WR035590?af=R

Community Connector position funded for 2024 at refuge

In its mission to reach underserved communities with the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's conservation message, the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge funds a Community Connector position in Fort Myers' Tice neighborhood through dedicated donations

For 2024, the Jenni & Kyle Family Foundation will support the position held by Maria Santiago, a cultural studies teacher at Tice Elementary School and Puerto Rican native who has developed working and personal relationships with the local churches, daycare and community centers, and businesses

The DDWS Jenni & Kyle Community Connector position results from a gift from the parents of siblings Jenni and Kyle, who each lived to be almost 4 The family made the gift this year to cover Santiago’s salary, as well as underwriting an internship that supports urban outreach

“In their short lives, Jenni and Kyle loved being in nature and the outdoors, embracing the beauty, smells and sounds of nature bright, curious and eager to learn and explore,” their parents said “We see Maria’s position as an important link to bringing the love and excitement of nature to the students and families of the greater Tice community ”

“The donors have been visiting Sanibel for decades, and they perpetuate the love Jenni and Kyle had for the island and refuge,” DDWS Senior Philanthropic Director Birgie Miller Gresham said

“They appreciate the refuge and the overall island commitment to conservation, seeing the importance of inspiring young generations from all walks of life to understand the importance of our wildlife and natural spaces,” Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, who leads the urban outreach initiative, said “They understand the value of Maria’s liaison with the refuge As a highly respected member of the Tice community and an outstanding educator, she has made all the

difference in our efforts in bringing the refuge to Tice in a way the community can relate to ”

Santiago has assisted the refuge in setting up gardening, nutrition, soccer and NASA camp field trip programs that have raised the attendance and scholastic levels of students The foundation's gift will help support some of those initiatives, in addition to this year’s Wildlife on Wheels education intern, Ashley McGovern, who will continue into next year in a senior role to help with curriculum development and teaching

“Tice is already a success story for 'Ding' Darling outreach,” she said “Our WoW mobile classroom spends many weeks at the schools, and DDWS generously underwrites a number of incentive programs that have included the donation of soccer balls, food, school supplies and bicycles The partnership with Maria, the WoW team, DDWS, donors, volunteers and other agencies have really made a difference ”

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Nadine Cobb

From right, J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland pins Maria Santiago with her new Community Connector name badge REFUGE/DDWS

Isl and lIvIng

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

Other enforcement actions

n On March 28, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for excessive speed The driver was subsequently issued a notice to appear for unlawful speed (65 mph in a 35 mph zone)

n On March 28, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for excessive speed The driver was subsequently issued a notice to appear for unlawful speed (66 mph in a 35 mph zone)

n On March 29, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for running a stop sign A baggie with a small amount of suspected marijuana was seized and turned into evidence for destruction

Enforcement operations statistics

From March 26 to April 1:

n Alarm calls (business and residential): 8

n 911 non-emergency calls: 20

n Traffic crashes: 4

n Radar details: 39

n Traffic stops: 40

Citations issued: 10

Written warnings issued: 0

Verbal warnings issued: 30

n Residential area checks: 415

n Business area checks: 146

n Total area checks: 827

n Reported burglaries: 0

n Reported thefts: 2

n Total CAD calls: 1,114

March 2024:

n Alarm calls (business and residential): 31

n Non-emergency calls: 89

n Traffic crashes: 14

n Radar details: 198

n Traffic stops: 199

Citations issued: 41

Written warnings issued: 1

Verbal warnings issued: 159

n Residential area checks: 2,059

n Business area checks: 767

n Total area checks: 4,180

n Reported burglaries: 1

n Reported thefts: 4

n Total CAD calls: 5,397

Impor tant reminders

Those attending the Sanibel Island Farmers Market on Sundays are reminded to park their vehicles in the designated lots Roadside parking is not allowed on Sanibel and is enforceable with a $150 fine.

When leaving Sanibel, motorists are encouraged to travel east on Periwinkle Way In order to minimize the number of vehicles driving through residential neighborhoods and increase traffic flow, priority is being given to vehicles eastbound on Periwinkle Motorists using Bailey Road southbound, Lindgren northbound and Periwinkle westbound may experience additional delays as traffic flows are adjusted for efficiency

The 2024 Annual Beach Parking Permits are available at the Sanibel Recreation Center and are valid from the date of purchase through Nov 30 The 2023 permits have expired and are no longer valid.

of programs and topics

The Sanibel Public Library provides a variety of programming for adults and children

With support from the Sanibel Public Library Foundation, the library has launched a series of virtual author talks to include bestselling authors and thought leaders The next one will take place on April 17 at 8 p m with award-winning and bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez She will talk about her new novel, “Anita de Monte Laughs Last ”

Gonzalez is the New York Times bestselling author of “Olga Dies Dreaming ” Named a Best of 2022 by The New York Times, TIME, Kirkus, Washington Post and NPR, it was the winner of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Fiction and The New York City Book Awards Gonzalez's new novel is a Reese’s Book Club Pick As a staff writer for The Atlantic, she was recognized as a 2023 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop

A question-and-answer session with the author will follow

To register for the author talk, visit https://libraryc org/sanlib/upcoming

Additionally, the library has the following programs scheduled:

Be a Librarian! will be held today, April 10, from 3:30 to 4:30 p m Celebrate National Library week with a “library” themed story and an opportunity for youths to learn how to work as a librarian, including checking out books to patrons, shelving and labeling new books, and other duties Suitable for ages 5-12

On April 12, Family Storytime for ages 5 and under and their caregiver will take place from 10:30 to 11 a m with staffer Shannon Gafgen Sing, read, question and move around during the stories, followed by early literacy centers of play to flex minds, motor skills and creativity The program will include an art/craft center.

Strengthen & Stretch with Ms Robin will be held on April 13 from 9:30 to 10 a m for ages 4-10 The class will combine energetic movements, playful stretches and calming breathwork Participants should wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle and towel

Also on April 13, a Saturday Crafterday will take place from 11 a m to noon with professional artist and coloring book creator Melissa Gindling Participants will create a watercolor octopus to take home

Borrow eBooks with Libby will be held on April 16 from 10 to 11 a m with staffer and tech expert Andrew DyenShapiro. Get started with the Libby app and enjoy ebooks, magazines and audiobooks all that is needed is a library card Open to ages 10 and older, learn how to start downloading today

Also on April 16, Experience Virtual Reality Painting

The Sanibel City Council is taking applications to fill a vacated seat on the Sanibel Planning Commission The partial term appointment will begin on May 7 and will expire on Jan 12, 2026

Responsibilities include:

n To review the Sanibel Charter Section 3 16 applicable to the commission and relevant Sanibel Code, visit https://library municode com/fl/sanibel/codes/code of o

in 3D will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p m Open to ages 10 and older, create an artistic creation in Google Paint HTC Vive VR experience is 10 minutes One user per session on a first come, first served basis

Bath Bombs & More Workshop will be held on April 17 from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Make bath bombs, shower fizzies or simple bath salts from all natural ingredients with Gafgen Open to ages 4 and older

For the most up-to-date information, visit the calendar at https://sanlib org/

Library cards are available to residents of Sanibel and Lee County at no charge Visitor library cards are available for a $10 annual fee

The Sanibel Public Library is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a m to 8 p m and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a m to 5 p m

For more information, call 239-472-2483 or visit https://sanlib.org/.

The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

rdinances?nodeId=PTICH ARTIIILE S3 16PLCO

n Attend commission meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 9 a m in the Christensen Performance Hall at BIG ARTS, at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel A n y r e s i d e n t w i s h i n g t o s e r v e m a y v i s i t https://mysanibel granicus com/boards/w/c13ae24878f5 1e92 to download the application After opening the hyperlink, click the green “Apply” button in the upper right corner Complete the application making sure all required boxes contain a response At the end of the process, click the green “submit” button, which will allow submission of your application to the city clerk

The deadline for submission is April 17 at 5 p m

The council will make the appointments at its May 7 meeting

For more information, contact the City Clerk's Office at 239-472-3700.

SPORTS

Rec center provides update on activities and events

The Sanibel Recreation Center reported on upcoming programs and activities

A Thrift & Sift will take place on April 11 at 9 a m Participants will “thrift and sift” their way through local secondhand shops in Fort Myers, with a self-pay lunch along the way Transportation will be provided via city van, departing from the center at 9:30 a m and returning by 4:30 p m Cost is $5 for members and $7 50 for non-members Prepaid registration is required.

A Youth Dodgeball Showcase will take place on Fridays from now through May 10 Tiny Tots are from 3:45 to 4:15 p m , grades K-1 are from 4:30 to 5:30 p m in Gym A, grades 2-3 are from 4:30 to 5:30 p m in Gym B and grades 4-8 are from 6 to 7 p m in Gym A The cost is $26 for members and $32 for non-members

New and current members can call 239-472-0345 or stop by the front desk f o r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h s e t t i n g u p t h e i r CivicRec account.

Ballfield, outdoor cour t update

The center reported that work continues on the outdoor courts with net installation and final surfacing work They are projected to reopen in mid-April

Even though the contractors continue to face weather delays, the new Musco

CITY OF SANIBEL

The outdoor courts are projected to reopen in mid-April, and the projected reopening date for the ballfield is early May

lighting system is installed and the grading and irrigation work is complete at the ballfield Fencing, sod and shade structure work will continue through April The projected reopening date is early May

T h e c e n t e r i s o p e n o n M o n d a y s through Thursdays from 7 a m to 7 p m , F r i d a y s f r o m 7 a m t o 5 p m a n d Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A variety of memberships, passes and punch cards are available

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 m y s a n i b e l c o m / sanibel-online

The Sanibel Recreation Center is at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel

SCCF, Audubon to host bird walk

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 a n d S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a Audubon Society will host a bird walk on April 11 from 8 a m to 12:30 p m at the Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve East, at 10130 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers. The preserve features forested trails with boardwalks and a 2.5-mile loop, called “White Trail,” that encircles salt marshes and has views of the Caloosahatchee River. Cost is $20 per person; transportation will be provided by the SCCF. For more information or to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/san-cap-audubonsccf-bird-walktickets-852657540657?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Blotter From page 14

The city of Sanibel's 2021 and 2022 Hurricane Reentry Passes are still valid If you have one, you do not need to re-apply for a new pass

Information on the Sanibel Boat Ramp:

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

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

Refuge’s visitor center reopens

The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Visitor & Education Center reopened on April 6 following a temporary closure to complete post-hurricane renovations. “We kept the center open to make it through winter season, but it was time to get it back to even better shape than pre-Ian. Come visit. It looks great!” Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland said. The center holds the Refuge Nature Store and hands-on displays, plus distributes information and advice about visiting the refuge Free to the public, it is open on Saturday through Thursday from 9 a m to 4 p m The refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel

Sawfish caught, released on Captiva

Michael Ziemba, of Illinois, accidentally hooked a smalltooth sawfish on March 28 while fishing from the beach on Captiva His mother, Michaelene Ziemba, reported that they estimated it to be about 12 feet, if not longer It took over a hour for Ziemba to reel in his line and when they saw its rostrum or saw and realized it was a sawfish, the fish cut the line and swam away She noted that they know the species is protected and contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the catch The FWC asks that the public report sawfish sightings and catches for its research on the species “It was the most amazing, beautiful, massive fish I have

n Commercial use of the boat ramp is prohibited

n Fines for violations at the boat ramp are $250

ever seen!” Michaelene Ziemba said “It was an amazing site!” She added that Ziemba lives for fishing and the family was on the island for their annual vacation To report a big catch, contact 239-472-1587 or trepecki@breezenewspapers com To report a sawfish sighting or catch, visit https://myfwc com/research/saltwater/fish/sa wfish/contact/.

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:

n T e x t t h e k e y w o r d S A N I B E L t h e n y o u r

t i p t

o 8 4 7

The SPD's non-emergency line is 239-472-3111 Find the SPD on Facebook at https://www facebook.com/SanibelPolice.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Sanibel crews respond to electrical hazard

On April 3 at about 3 p m , the Sanibel Fire and R e s c u e D i s t r i c t w a s d i spatched to an electrical haza r d U p o n a r r i v a l , c r e w s found an area of brush and a d e b r i s p i l e t h a t w a s e n c r o a c h i n g o n a m a i n t en a n c e s h e d T h e d i s t r i c t reported that they were able to get control of the fire and prevent any damage to the structure No injuries were reported and the fire was f u l l y e x t i n g u i s h e d T h e Sanibel Police Department a n d L e e C o u n t y E l e c t r i c Cooperative aided with mitigating the fire scene

SANIBEL FIRE AND RESCUE

DISTRICT

On April 3, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District was dispatched to an electrical hazard

Editorial

From page 4

word on March 28 that FEMA was going to “retrograde” the respective rating classifications downward, effectively yanking discounts entirely by awarding a grade of 10 the lowest possible which offers zip-zero-nada in credits, each of which is worth a 5% discount on premium amounts for National Flood Insurance Program policies

About 699,000 residents live in areas that will be impacted by the FEMA decision, county officials said, adding the 25% discount saves taxpayers a collective $14 million to $17 million annually in unincorporated Lee alone

In Cape Coral, there are 27,673 NFIP policies holders, representing $8 billion in coverage The 25% discount which has been awarded to the city since 1995 represents an annual savings of $7-$8 million

Given that FEMA made significant changes to local flood maps in 2022, p l a c i n g m a n y m o r e p r o p e r t i e s w i t h i n newly designated high-risk areas, the f i n a n c i a l b u r d e n o n p r o p e r t y o w n e r s throughout Lee County is going to be greater

Much greater

FEMA’s unilateral decision that its standards have not been met is set to take effect on Oct. 1.

But it won’t if Lee County and city officials prevail in their quest to either satisfy the agency or prove that they, in fact, have

Those officials called FEMA out last week, saying they have been working diligently with the agency to provide requested post-storm information and documentation requested for its Community Rating System audit

Those officials also cried foul as did the town of Fort Myers Beach, saying that FEMA which had sent letters in June of what could happen if local entities did not work closely to assure compliance not only did not provide notice it would effectively eliminate any discounts but actually notified local governments via phone calls with no documents to be immediately provided to substantiate the retrograde ratings

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted on April 2 to grant “any and all tools” needed by county staff to investigate and work to address the FEMA determination.

Cape Coral City Council and staff vowed on April 3 to “fight the fight,” saying they had the support of Donalds and state Rep Mike Giallombardo

We agree: Contesting FEMA’s decision is the right thing to do Especially since documentation provided shows a concerted effort by the county and city alike to comply with FEMA queries

Government processes and government math never cease to amaze us but this one does dumbfound us in light of the devastating damage the county endured and the compliance efforts taken Island Reporter editorial

Clean water

From page 4

also have to show that they have done all they can to limit the harm these releases cause

When a fundamental right is threatened, courts must practice strict scrutiny, which means they must look as deeply into that threat as possible

Upon scrutiny, the court would find that 32 water basins around the lake do not meet water quality standards, with basin pollution levels being 5 7 to 20 times higher than law allows. It would find that hundreds of farmers are not adhering to Best Management Practices and state agencies are not enforcing compliance It would find that most of the water in the storm water treatment areas is sugar industry water, not lake water Exceptionally high lake levels would have to stand up to scrutiny, too

What compelling state interest could justify these egregious levels of pollution, lack of enforcement, sugar water in treatment areas, high lake levels and the threat they pose to our health, environment and economy?

In the absence of a compelling state interest, the court could order agencies to correct these regulatory failures Agencies would comply because they do not have the discretion to ignore the constitution The result would be less water released and that water would be significantly cleaner and less harmful than it is now With each passing

Letter

From page 4

crabs utilizing trash instead of shells for their homes Although it may seem advantageous that hermit crabs are finding uses for abandoned plastics in the ocean, these new “homes” often do more harm than help Bottles and caps become death traps for hermit crabs A 2019 study found that almost half a million hermit crabs die this way yearly Hermit crabs are just one of many species negatively impacted by the decrease in seashells on beaches

The loss of seashells will continue to impact Florida’s economy, especially in terms of coastal erosion According to an a r t i c l e b y t h e F l o r i d a M u s e u m , o v e r 426 6 miles of Floridian shorelines are critically eroded. In other words, coastal erosion threatens any natural or artificial structures on these shores alongside any money spent constructing or protecting these structures And the threats of coastal erosion only continue to grow For example, in Tampa, over $160,000,000 worth of real estate is at risk of coastal erosion by 2050 Although the loss of seashells is not the leading cause of erosion, their loss

year it would grow increasingly so

Some people unnecessarily worry that this amendment will lead to a proliferation of lawsuits That hasn’t happened in states that have had similar amendments for decades

Others believe that taxpayer funded reservoirs, the “holy grail” of Everglades restoration, will solve our water problems Mr Judah, and many other experts, disagree, noting the reservoirs aren’t big enough to do the job

We should, of course, try to vote for the right people into office and to pressure elected officials to do the right thing But these efforts have too often proven ineffective We need the additional protections that a constitutional right to clean and healthy waters can provide

Efforts to qualify this amendment for the 2024 ballot came up short last year, so voters must sign the new petition to qualify the amendment for the 2026 ballot Lee County voters who signed last time will soon be receiving new petitions in the mail. All other registered voters can go to FloridaRightToCleanWater org and print out, sign and mail the petition

Joseph Bonasia is operations and comm u n i c a t i o n s d i r e c t o r f o r F l o r i d a R i g h t T o C l e a n W a t e r o r g F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t FloridaRightToCleanWater org

contributes to this expensive problem

Seashells have made significant cultural, ecological and geological contributions, and their loss is detrimental to Florida in many ways. For those reasons and more, Florida’s seashells must be better protected But how? An easy step we all can do is to stop taking seashells from the beach We can also advocate for more robust seashell protections Some national parks in Florida, like Biscayne National Park and Canaveral National Seashore, place limitations on seashell collecting, a n d t h e F l o r i d a F i s h a n d W i l d l i f e Conservation Commission protects most live shells Florida legislators should consider enacting laws similar to those of many Caribbean and European nations, which prohibit individuals from taking more than a certain number of seashells from a beach As the U S National Park Service cautions: take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints And leave seashells for the future of Florida

Suzel Portal

Apollo Beach

Applications open for artists scholarship

D e d i c a t e d A r t i s t s o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a i s accepting applications for its annual $1,000 scholars h i p a w a r d E l i g i b i l i t y requirements include that the applicant be: a graduating senior of a public or private high school or a college student currently enrolled in a visual arts program; a Lee County resident pursuing a major in any visual arts field; and a legal

resident of the United States. The scholarship will be paid directly to the art school

o r c o l l e g e A p p l i c a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g r e f e r e n c e s a n d photographic samples of art work, must be submitted by April 15

T o a p p l y , v i s i t

D A S F a r t i s t s c o m o r leeschools net

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 jmacl6771@aol.com.

Business Briefs

Masur is a cultural historian and author taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study of American culture His essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and Slate Residency, estate planning program held

Suncoast Prosperity Advisors Senior Vice President Robin Cook and David M. Platt, of SanCap Law, hosted a presentation, “Benefits of Florida Residency and

PROSPERITY

Estate Planning,” on March 22 at The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Platt described the steps needed to solidify a Florida domicile and Floridaspecific estate document nuances residents should be aware of Information

From page 8

about planning for the potential 2026 federal estate tax exemption limit changes, along with the pros and cons of the new Florida Community Property Trust, were covered Also stressed was the importance of titling assets properly to avoid probate and to experience a continuum of financial needs should one become incapacitated

Suncoast Prosperity Advisors is a division of Suncoast Equity Management

SCCF staffer honored with award

T h e C a l u s a W a t e r k e e p e r ' s a n n u a l meeting, “Our Water, Our Future, Ours to Protect” was held on March 24 at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral

The featured guest speaker was awardwinning conservationist and fishing guide Capt Benny Blanco, who spoke on the state of the water and the fight to protect and restore it

D u r i n g t h e e v e n t , t h e C a l u s a Waterkeeper presented its annual champions for clean water awards to individuals who have worked tirelessly in the fight for clean water

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 P o l i c y A s s o c i a t e H o l l y Schwartz received the Friend of Calusa Waterkeeper of the Year Award for the roles that she plays for Southwest Florida advocacy and vigilance of local policymaking and public notices Schwartz was the first to sound the alarm on the proposal to change the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary

Additional recognitions went to Mary Kay Kralapp and Dan Carney with the Volunteer of the Year Award and Mike Hannon with the Advocate of the Year Award

SUNCOAST

ADVISORS

David M. Platt and Robin Cook.

CALUSA WATERKEEPER

Calusa Waterkeeper Captain Codty Pierce and Board President Chuck with Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Policy Associate Holly Schwartz

The white badge of courage

I was leaving a Sanibel restaurant the other day with a white bandage on my face As I passed a nearby table another gentleman had a similar bandage on his face He saw me and I saw him

He said: “Basal or squamous?”

I said: “Basal And you?”

He said: “Squamous Mohs or excision?”

I said: “Mohs. And I assume that since it’s on your face you did Mohs as well?”

At that very moment, a couple was entering the r e s t a u r a n t T h e m a l e also had a white bandage on his face He saw that the two of us also had white bandages on our faces and chuckled

He said: “Harris?”

W e a l m o s t s a i d i n unison: “Yes ”

H e s a i d : “ I t h i n k e v e r y o n e g o e s t h e r e T h e g o o d n e w s i s they’re so highly trained that they can spot a nono on your face a mile away ”

I said: “The three of us are classic examples of Mohs surgery survival You can tell by o u r w h i t e b a d g e s o f courage.”

Art Stevens

Shell Shocked

The three of us had some more chuckles and went our separate ways But we weren’t chuckling initially when we went for our routine dermatological checkups and Doc Harris noticed the tiniest growth on the surface of our faces At first, we thought we were still experiencing childhood pimples that came and went like the wind

Our parents would wash our faces with soap and water to melt away those pimples And indeed, they would go away, until the next one Never in a million years did our parents grab us by the pimple and whisk us off to dermatologists. I don’t think my parents even knew what a dermatologist was

But then came those days in the sun when I was in my twenties It was vital to have a good sun tan Girls would like the way you looked A tan evoked success and self-confidence, not a bad thing in those days

And a healthy tan could even lead to good jobs, promotions and pay raises A tan meant high selfesteem And then the years passed The pimples still came But they didn’t go away Soap and water didn’t do the trick

That’s when we really learned what a dermatologist does. You’re compelled to take all your clothes off and submit to his professional scrutiny And you learn that your dermatologist knows more about your body than your wife or significant other

He looks for things that you may not even know you have But if it’s on your face and you don’t notice it, rest assured that Doc Derma will And that’s when you learn what Mohs surgery is It’s a surgical technique that removes all the cancer cells under a facial blemish but minimizes scarring afterwards

See

Annual Seahorse Festival to feature activities and more for community

By TIFFANY REPECKI

trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The islands will have the opportunity to take part in an annual event set for this weekend.

The Sanibel School Parent Teacher Association will host the Seahorse Festival on April 13 from 11 a m to 3 p m at the pavilion at The Sanibel School on Sanibel Free and open to the community, it will feat u r e a c t i v i t i e s f o r t h e entire family, such as inflatables, games with prizes, crafts, food and more

“Most years, it is one of our fundraising events that is open to the community,” festival Chair S a m a n t h a B r i t t s a i d , explaining that the funds are typically raised through sponsorships and silent auction items

However, the PTA chose to make this year's event free-of-charge based on funding levels

“Instead, it's just a free open-to-the-community event for families and children,” she said

The festival will offer an array of inflatables

“We try to have a toddler bounce house to make it safe for the little ones, and then we also have a traditional bounce house with slide,” Britt said “We're also having an extra large slide It's really tall ”

“And we're going to have a rock wall climb and a cash grab inflatable,” she added, noting that the cash grab inflatable will not be for actual money, but instead for coupons that can be redeemed for prizes

There will be a couple of games with prizes

“Some games will require tickets kind of for crowd control,” Britt said

For example, the popular punch cup game offers a grand prize of a bicycle

“There is a candy prize game There's also going to be like the old-fashioned goldfish game,” she said, noting that there will not be real goldfish to take home, but instead different levels of prizes to win

The Children's Education of the Islands will provide hands-on crafts for attendees to make, while the SanibelCaptiva Conservation Foundation will have two tables set up for families to paint shells

“There will also be a photo booth,” Britt said “There's face painting There is a character artist ”

The PTA will also leave half of the pavilion open for those who want to play basketball

Kona Ice, Red Roc Cravings and The Dawg Pound will have their food trucks available

“We will have our PTA table for people to be able to sign up, but also to be able to purchase our PTA gear basically The Sanibel School gear,” she said “Hats, vehicle magnets, water bottles, shirts.”

While the event is free, RSVPs are requested

“We always appreciate the RSVPs because we do offer free water bottles,” Britt said

The islands are encouraged to come out and enjoy the day

“It's a lot of fun The kids have a great time, and parents enjoy themselves, as well,” she said “It's an opportunity to connect with other families and members of the community and support the school ”

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o r t o R S V P , v i s i t http://evite me/n3aa2fz21d

Part of the School District of Lee County, The Sanibel School is a K-8 public school Families do not have to live or work on the islands to attend For more information, visit https://sbl leeschools net/

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

page

- 5 0 9 8 o r

v i s i t w w w S o u t h F l o r i d a A l - A n o n o r g M e e t i n g s a r e h e l d e v e r y d a y i n

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company was a quartz sponsor for the 22nd Annual Nichols Cup tournaments and auction gala on Feb 16-19 at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers It featured a pro-am golf tourney and tennis and pickleball tourneys, neighborhood funraiser, gala and auctions The proceeds benefit the

Foundation: Children's

Treatment,

Charities, Diocese of Venice and Pace Center for Girls, Lee

From left, Howard Palen, Rob Bemiss, five-time PGA Tour winner Jerry Heard, The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Sanibel-Captiva Office President Jeff Muddell and Bill Harkey

‘An April Fool for Poetry’

An April Fool was I for poetry,

For jests and tricks and play with irony, Fooling the Muse with rhyme tomfoolery

Every verse footloose and fancy free

Until a world too wise and wide for me

Turned my fool’s errand into odyssey

To roam as far as my mind’s eye could see Horizons glowing with discovery

No fool am I now for poetry, For mindless myth and made-up history, The “cruelest month” now kind as kind can be, And poetry’s no longer a fool for me

Shell Shocked

Mohs surgery is both invasive as well as cosmetic The idea is to remove one thin layer of tissue at a time and biopsy it immediately If the cancer cells are all removed with the very first layer of tissue you get bandaged up with the white badge of courage and can go home On the other hand, if the cancer cells are still there with the removal of a layer of tissue you need to hang around and have another layer removed And another and another until there’s an all clear

It’s a little like Russian roulette How many bullets of tissue can you dodge? When you’re done the famous white facial pressure bandage is applied to cover the wound And you get to commiserate with other white badge of courage honorees as you come across them in restaurants or other public places

Joe Pacheco

Poetic License

From page 23

And the conversation is like prison language Instead of “What are you in for?” the question is “Basal or squamous?” “First layer or third?” “Too much sun in your twenties?” “Why wasn’t sun screen invented by then?”

And you go your merry way hoping that when you recover the scar is indeed unrecognizable And you continue that nervous passage from bedroom to bathroom mirror to explore your face fully You’re hoping that you won’t detect any more signs of potential skin cancer But you know that if you do the white badge of courage awaits you.

Art Stevens is a long-time columnist for the Sanibel-Captiva Islander His tonguein-cheek humor is always offered with a smile

Alphabet cone found on Nor th Captiva

Craig Rickey, of Lake Winnebago, Missouri, found an alphabet cone on March 7 on the south side of Airstrip Beach on North Captiva Jenny Rickey reported that her husband was fishing and shelling when he found the shell his first alphabet cone It was Rickey's first time vacationing on the island with his wife To report a shell find, contact 239-4721587 or trepecki@breezenewspapers com

PHOTOS PROVIDED

By CHEF LORETTA PAGANINI

O n e o f A m e r i c a ' s favorite salads, the Caesar salad is a delicious blend of flavors I like to serve it with Italian pickled white anchovies and fresh focaccia croutons Serves eight (Chef tip: For best results, r e m o v e t h e t o u g h w h i t e stem and outer leaves from the romaine lettuce, wash under cold water and dry well )

2 heads romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried and broken into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shaved

8 crostini

Cacio e Pepe Dressing:

4 anchovy fillets (may be soaked in milk to reduce saltiness)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large egg yolks, soft boiled for five minutes in water

1/2 lemon, juice only

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oil blend

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 / 2 t e a s p o o n f r e s h l y ground black pepper

Prepare the dressing by p r o c e s s i n g t o g e t h e r t h e anchovies, egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and garlic

With the machine running, slowly drizzle the olive oil Remove from the processor and season to taste with salt a n d p e p p e r S t i r i n

P a r m e s a n c h e e s e a n d reserve

Place romaine in a salad bowl and toss with prepared dressing Top each salad with cheese, white anchovies and a crostini and serve immediately

Crostini: (makes about 20 pieces)

1 French baguette, sliced on a bias

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Salt and pepper, as desired

Pre-heat oven to 400°F or pre-heat grill to medium

Brush each slice of baguette with olive oil on both sides Season lightly with salt and pepper Bake or grill crostini until golden brown and crispy Serve with Caesar salad

Kelsie Balon Peck, of Plymouth, Minnesota, found a Scotch bonnet on the morning of March 29 near the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa on Sanibel Julie Balon reported that she and her daughter were walking the beach when Peck spotted it on the shore among other shells

To report a shell find, contact 239-472-1587 or trepecki @breezenewspapers com

Loretta Paganini

Restoring the child in each of us

By RABBI SUNNY SCHNITZER

This is the season of holiness

In most years, Easter and the Jewish Festival of Passover fall within a few days of each other This year a leap year in the Hebrew calendar that is not the case This anomaly highlights this year that while on the surface the reasons for these religious observances may seem to have little in common, in reality there a r e m a n y s i m i l a r ities But to see them, o n e h a s t o l o o k closely

B o t h h o l i d a y s have rituals and cust o m s s u r r o u n d i n g eggs Both have rituals and customs surr o u n d i n g b r e a d I n the juxtaposition, a secret of these holidays is revealed.

Eucharist is displayed in plain sight on the altar

On Passover, a piece of unleavened bread Matzah is hidden and the children are sent off to find it

In both cases, the deep lesson is that it is the child-self in each of us allows us to draw closer to our renewal, redemption and our liberation

Faces on Faith

Eggs, the symbol of rebirth and springtime, are in plain sight on the Passover seder table They have a prominent place on the seder plate The word seder means “order” and is the collective name of the rituals of the seder meal

On Easter, the eggs are hidden and the children are sent off to find them On Easter, many Christian denominations take communion, where the bread of the

“And a little child shall lead them ” Isaiah 11:6

Children are born free. Free of constriction Free of conventions

As we grow into adulthood, we enslave that inner child and bury it deep inside of us Our burdens and cares rob us of the sheer joy and optimism of youth We cease to believe in what we cannot see or touch Yet we yearn for what has been lost

Both the story of Easter and t h e s t o r y o f P a s s o v e r c e n t e r around liberators who bring with t h e m t h e p r o m i s e o f f r e e d o m from bondage, both physical and spiritual, if we will but listen to the story with the wonder and open minds of children. If we remove cynicism and doubt, restore hope and joy, and take into our hearts the call of our traditions, we can experience what it means to be truly free We can be redeemed

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 Sunny Schnitzer

Sabbath service on Friday at 7 p m 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. Dr. Doug Dortch

In-person service on Sunday 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

P O Box 722, Sanibel, www chavuratshalomofsouthwestflorida org

Shabbat service on Friday at 7:30 p m Torah Talk on Tuesday at 7:30 p m There is also speakers, discussions and informal “schmoozes ” For Zoom links, email ChavuratShalom@gmail com

∫ Sanibel Community Church

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

Sunday service at 8:30 and 10:30 a m in the Sanctuary 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 Rev Dr Mark Boyea

Sunday service at 10 a m in Fellowship Hall

∫ Saint Isabel Catholic Church

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

Father Edward Martin

Friday Mass at 9 a.m. Saturday Vigil Mass at 4 p.m. Sunday Mass at 8:30 and 10 a.m.

∫ Saint 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

Saturday service at 5 p m in the Sanctuary, with a social to follow Sunday service at 8 and 10:30 a m , with a coffee hour to follow each

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer is with the Bat Yam Temple of the Islands.

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

Council

From page 2

three city-owned parcels at 2401 and 2431 Library Way and on Periwinkle Way and to direct staff to begin discus-

s i o n s w i t h C o m m u n i t y H o u s i n g & Resources to develop the lease or development agreement

n The council voted 5-0 to approve a proposal from Kimley-Horn in the amount of $164,465 for an intersection evalua-

t i o n a n d s t u d y f o r i n t e r s e c t i o n s o n Periwinkle Way, Lindgren Boulevard and Causeway Boulevard.

n The council conducted its annual performance evaluation for City Manager

Dana Souza

A d m i n i s t r a t i v e S e r v i c e s D i r e c t o r Crystal Mansell reported that his last review resulted in an 8% increase to about $219,240, which reflected the same raise for general employees They received a 5% increase for 2024, and Souza previously said he does not want a bigger raise than what staff gets

She provided the following salaries of area city managers for comparison:

Cape Coral: $285,000

Naples: $283,500

Fort Myers: About $256,330

Marco Island: About $210,081

Bonita Springs: $205,000

The council voted 5-0 to approve an 8 % i n c r e a s e a n d s a l a r y o f a b o u t $236,779 for Souza

n The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution for a $1 million grant between the city and Florida Department of Law Enforcement to construct an elevated and storm resilient Sanibel Police Department building

n The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution for a $750,000 grant between

t h e c i

Transportation for the design of a resilient bridge to replace the East Periwinkle Bridge

n The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution on milestone inspections that updates the Land Development Code and amends the buildings and building regulations to create a new mandatory inspection of aging condominium and cooperative b u i l d i n g s t h a t a d d r e s s e s i n s p e c t i o n , reporting, repairs, enforcement and penalties

n The council held the first reading for an ordinance that would amend the Code related to housing standards and policies for the Below Market Rate Housing program The second reading is set for May 7

n Building Director Craig Mole' gave a presentation on the city's new Flood Plain Management Software, which will launch online in mid-April

n The Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club and Captiva Civic Association Foundation p r e s e n t e d s p o n s o r s h i p c h e c k s i n t h e amount of $12,000 and $3,000, respect i v e l y , t o s u p p o r t t h e R e c r e a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t ' s S u m m e r C a m p Programming

n The council recognized April 10 as Gopher Tortoise Day through a proclamation

n The council recognized through a p r o c l a m a t i o n t h e S a n i b e l P o l i c e Department's dispatchers and National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

n The council recognized through a proclamation the 50th anniversary of the C h i l d r e n ' s E d u c a t i o n C e n t e r o f t h e Islands

ISL AND HOME islander

Firebush is blaze of color

Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a wonderfully cooperative and colorful native to brighten your garden.

Gardeners love firebush because it produces flowers consistently year-round in our South Florida area Its bright red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, including the zebra longwing and Gulf fritillary butterflies, and birds love the berries With its airy appearance and shape, it makes a good anchor planting in any butterfly or wildlife garden

The plant's mature size will depend on where it is grown In our area, it might reach as much as 15 feet tall However, in most situations homeowners maintain them at the 5-foot to 8-foot level The shrub makes a good mid-level planting f o r i t s p r e t t y f o l i a g e a n d c o l o r f u l b l o o m s

Firebush is a no-fail plant; it is heat and drought tolerant once established, can grow in a range of soils, is somewhat salt t o l e r a n t a n d h a s n o serious insect or dise a s e p r o b l e m s T h e plant prefers partial sun to full sun conditions

There is a dwarf cultivar (Hamelia patens v a r “ c o m p a c t a ” ) , which is a shorter plant a n d p r o d u c e s l i g h t e r orange flowers with a little bit of yellow and smaller leaves The cultivar is not a native, but does have similar attributes that make it a hardy plant for our area It can be maintained at approximately 3-4 feet in height

If you are looking for a carefree pretty shrub to lend year-round color and texture to your garden, give firebush a try.

In The Garden is a joint effort by all at the local garden center, at 3889 Sanibel-Captiva 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 2 3 9 - 3 9 5 - 5 8 5 9 o r v i s i t www facebook com/rswalshinthegarden All

Tips for conserving water with lawns, gardens

By FLORIDA GOVERNMENTAL UTILITY AUTHORITY

We've all heard the expression, “The grass is always greener on the other side ” As spring gives way to what seems like an obsession with keeping our landscaping as green as our neighbor’s, many of us take that expression literally

Since April is both National Garden Month and National Lawn Care Month, it’s a great time to both celebrate the many benefits of gardening and a healthy lawn and consider a few cost-saving tips to keep our water bills in check

J u s t l i k e b l o o d t o a human being or oil to an e n g i n e , w a t e r i s t h e lifeblood of a healthy garden or landscape It’s the pathway for nutrients to flow from the soil to your plants and lawn and is a critical factor in photosynthesis which generates oxygen

Since irrigation is a major contributor to water use, the Florida Governmental Utility Authority offers the following tips to help you conserve water, support the environment and save money, all while ensuring that your lawn and gardens flourish and bring you years of joy

n Timing is (almost) everything Run your irrigation system during the early morning or evening hours, when less water is lost due to evaporation given the

cooler temperatures

n Hunt down those sneaky leaks

Look for water running on sidewalks or over curbs after the irrigation system is off, which could indicate that a valve is leaking or not fully closing Check for pooling of water while the system is on, which could mean a broken or cracked underground pipe

n Be frugal with your fertilizer Consider reducing the use of fertilizers, which encourage rapid growth requiring higher water consumption More frequent application of fertilizer in small doses may be a better approach

n Get with the program If your sprinkler system is automated, program your timer to water in two or three shorter cycles rather than a single, long cycle This allows the water to better soak into the ground between the cycles

n It just makes sense Consider installing or checking rain sensors which shut down the irrigation system in the event of rainfall If you don’t have sensors and want to spare the expense, simply manually turn off your system when it rains … but don’t forget to turn it back on.

n Bust those water blockers Make sure tall grass, gutter downspouts, ground covers or shrubs aren’t blocking or deflecting the spray from your sprinklers Even grass as short as three inches can deflect spray from ground level or short pop-up sprinkler heads, resulting in uneven and wasteful watering

n The final word In all cases, always comply with local watering restrictions

F.I.S.H. seeks cleaning supplies

F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva is asking for donations of cleaning supplies during the month of April It reported that the items are popular at the food pantry and it often cannot keep up with the demand Donations of unopened, unexpired household products, like disinfectant wipes, all-purpose sprays, gloves, laundry detergent pods, dish soap, sponges, floor cleaner, paper towels, toilet paper and more, can be dropped off at F I S H , at 2422 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

County launches housing development programs

O n A p r i l 2 , t h e L e e C o u n t y B o a r d o f C o u n t y Commissioners voted to launch Affordable Housing Development New Construction Programs with the publication of the notice of funding availability for up to $200 million from Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds

The county's C D B G - D R A c t i o n P l a n includes afforda b l e h o u s i n g a n d d e v e l o pm e n t p r o g r a m s t h a t p r o v i d e g r a n t f u n d i n g for the developm e n t a n d preservation of affordable housing units

The notice process will make up to $150 million available for new construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of new multi-family units and up to $50 million available for new construction of single-family units The minimum funding award for new construction development is $4 million and the maximum is $20 million

Eligible applicants for the notice are private non-profit or for-profit housing developers, units of local government and public housing authorities Applications must be submitted online by June 26

The funds are part of the $1 1 billion in CDBG-DR funds allocated to the county by the U S Department of

H

Under the funding, 51% or more of new multi-family housing units must be occupied by income-eligible households and 100% of all newly constructed singlefamily housing units must be sold to income-eligible households

Multi-family development has a per unit subsidy cap of $250,000 and requires a 30-year affordability and restrictive use period Single-family development has a per unit subsidy cap of $300,000 and requires a 20-year affordability period.

Additional funding for the development of new units may be awarded to future projects, released through another notice at a later date or reallocated to address other urgent needs

The application portal for the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program for individuals remains open The two programs for which individuals can apply are:

n The Housing Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Elevation program may assist income-eligible property owners to repair, replace and/or elevate property that suffered hurricane damage.

n The Home Purchase Assistance may assist incomeeligible home buyers to purchase a qualifying primary residence outside of the flood zone in Lee County

To view the full list of eligibility requirements and needed documents, visit www leeflcares com

For questions, contact leecares@leegov com or 239382-5453

PHOTO PROVIDED Firebush.

The Santiva Islanders will present the following:

Cardio & Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength today, April 10, from 10 to 11 a m in the Parish Hall at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Bring water and a towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $60 per month for members or $10 per class and $120 per month for non-members

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club will be held on April 11 from 8 to 9 a m at Jerry's Cafe, at 1700 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Attendees will order and pay individually For more information, contact Dan Hopta at 978239-4612

Social Bridge

Social Bridge will be held on April 11 from noon to 2:30 p m in the library at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4 P e r i w i n k l e W a y , Sanibel Cost is $5 For more information, c o n t a c t B r y a n t K o r n a t

Santiva Islanders Calendar

bryantekorn@gmail com

Social Mahjong

Social Mahjong will be held on April 11 from noon to 2:30 p m in the music room at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Cost is $5 For more inform a t i o n , c o n t a c t B e t h F u n d e r b u r g a t bfundy4648@gmail com

Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation will be held on April 12 from 9:30 to 11:30 a m in the library at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Volunteers will be available to answer questions, register new members, sign up for activities and more.

Cardio & Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength on April 12 from 10 to 11 a m in the Parish Hall at Saint Michael and All A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4

Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Bring water and a towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $60 per month for members or $10 per class and $120 per month for non-members.

Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation will be held on April 15 from 9:30 to 11:30 a m in the library at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Volunteers will be available to answer questions, register new members, sign up for activities and more

Cardio & Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength on April 15 from 10 to 11 a m in the Parish Hall at Saint Michael and All A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4

Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Bring water and a towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $60 per month for members or $10 per class and $120 per month for non-members

Happy Hour at MudBugs

Happy Hour at MudBugs will be held on April 15 from 4 to 6 p m at MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, at 1473 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Enjoy happy hour drink and appetizer specials Attendees will order and pay individually

The Community House Calendar

Leisure Lunch

A Leisure Lunch will be held on April 16 from noon to 1 p m at Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, at 2500 Island Inn Road, Sanibel Attendees will order and pay individually

For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Deborah Butler at deborahpbutler@comcast net

Cardio & Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength on April 17 from 10 to 11 a m in the Parish Hall at Saint Michael and All A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Bring water and a towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $60 per month for members or $10 per class and $120 per month for non-members

The Santiva Islanders serve all adult islanders and visitors, regardless of age

The cost is $25 for an annual membership The Island Seniors raise funding to help defray the cost of the program activities

For more information, visit https://santivaislanders org/ or contact santivaislanders@gmail com

T h e C o m m u n i t y H o u s e , a t 2 1 7 3

Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, will present the following:

Painting with Friends

Painting with Friends will be held today, April 10, from 12:30 to 3:30 p m

Bring you own supplies Cost is a $10 donation at the door For more information, contact Jane Hudson at janehudsonpainter@yahoo com

Line Dancing

Valorie Wolf will teach Line Dancing on April 12 from 1 to 2 p m Cost is $8 at the door

Shellcrafters

The Shellcrafters will meet on April 15 from 10 a m to 1 p m in the lobby A shell crafting class will take place at 10 a m ; it is free and supplies range from $510 Items will be available for sale

sales benefit the operations of TCH Painting with Friends Painting with Friends will be held on April 17 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Bring you own supplies Cost is a $10 donation at the door For more information, contact J a n e H u d s o n a t janehudsonpainter@yahoo com

Shell Critter Kits are available for pur-

All

chase in a variety of different options

Cost is $5 per kit with all of the supplies included, except for glue Order them inperson at TCH or call 239-472-2155

TCH office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a m to 1 p m

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t

CHR to hold Celebrity Bartending Night, April Extravaganza

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Community Housing & Resources has a fundraiser and community event planned for the month

CHR's Celebrity Bartending Night will take place on April 13 from 3:30 to 6 p m at Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen, at 1200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Nonprofit officials will serve as the celebrity bartenders

They will include Captiva Civic Association Executive D ir ecto r Emily H es s A n k er s o n , B ailey - M atth ew s National Shell Museum & Aquarium Executive Director Sam Ankerson, CHR Executive Director Nicole DeckerMcHale, F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva Executive Director Maria Espinoza, BIG ARTS Executive Director Lee Ellen

Harder, “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge Board President Bill Harkey, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife Executive Director Alison Charney Hussey and SanCap Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai

Refuge's WoW teaches adaptation, more

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that from now through April 18, the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels educators are teaching students at Lehigh Elementary in Lehigh Acres Recently, fifth-graders learned about the structural adaptations of a smalltooth sawfish by looking at its unusual rostrum It provides protection from predators but most importantly aids in feeding, containing tiny sense organs that allow the sawfish to detect food under the sand and teeth for cutting up its food First-graders learned about the basic needs of plants and animals, including food They learned humans can have an impact on animals' diets and to keep wildlife safe by never throwing plastics on the ground where animals might mistake them for food

PHOTOS BY REFUGE/DDWS

Far right, Fifth-graders at Lehigh Elementary learn about the smalltooth sawfish's rostrum.

At right, Lehigh Elementary first-graders discover how they can help keep wildlife safe

A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to CHR to support it and affordable housing

In addition, CHR will host an April Extravaganza on April 14 from 2 to 5 p m at The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel The community is welcome to celebrate a fantastic season.

Food and dessert will be available courtesy of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, along with a cash bar for beer, wine and sangria The Chicago Heat will provide live music Performers of classic rock, doowop and blues, it features Grammy Award-winning and seven-time Hall of Fame inductee Jim Freeman, an original member of The Five Satins, known for “In the Still of the Night ”

2-for-1 Diner's Delight books to go on sale

The Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club announced that the 2024 Diner's Delight coupon books will go on sale on April 15

Valid from May through December, it contains two-for-one coupons for a variety of island eateries The participating venues include Cielo, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, Gramma Dot's, Jerry's F o o d s , M u d B u g s C a j u n K i t c h e n , R C Otter’s Island Eats, Rosalita's Cantina, Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory, Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar, The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, The Green Flash, The Sanibel Cafe, The Shack of Sanibel,

The Shipyard, Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market and Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen

The books are available for a $40 contrib u t i o n T h e y c a n b e o b t a i n e d f r o m Kiwanis members and at Bank of the Islands, Periwinkle Park front office, S a n C a p P a k - N - S h i p , S a n i b e l C a p t i v a C o m m u n i t y B a n k a n d t h e S a n i b e l Farmers Market, among other retail outlets around the islands The proceeds from the fundraiser support the club's scholarship program for local students, along with its education and recreation grants that benefit island youth

Sanibel FlyFishers call fundraiser a success

CROW Calendar

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife's Visitor Education Center, at 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, will present the following:

∫ Today, April 1 0

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about “A Day in the Life at CROW ”

∫ Thursday, April 11

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about “Birds of Prey ”

∫ Friday, April 12

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about “If You Care, Leave it There ”

∫ Monday, April 15

Program of the Week at 11 a m

See CROW CALENDAR, page 32

The Sanibel FlyFishers hosted an online raffle from March 4-21 that culminated in the annual Fly Fishing F i l m F e s t i v a l i t s 2 0 2 4 S p r i n g F u n d r a i s e r o n March 21 at Ron Dao’s Pizzeria and Sports Bar in Fort M y e r s T h e c l u b r e p o r t e d t h a t i t r e a c h e d i t s f u n d r a i s i n g g o a l with the support of t h e c o m m u n i t y T h e p r o c e e d s raised will help local organizations and activities in support of the club's mission to promote fly fishing and community-based conservation through fishing activities, education, advocacy, community outreach and local philanthropy It also extended a heartfelt thank you to all of the donors, event attendees and raffle ticket purchasers for their generous support and contributions

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA KIWANIS CLUB

PHOTOS/SANIBEL FLYFISHERS

S a n i b e lC a p t i v a I s l a n d e r c a p t i v a s a n i b e l . c o m W e e k

Bank of the Islands ser ving as sponsor

Bank of the Islands is the presenting sponsor for the Captiva Civic Association's 2023-24 Art Show Series

BANK OF THE ISLANDS

From left, Bank of the Islands Vice President Richard Shera, Captiva Civic Association Executive Director Emily A n k e r s o n , b a n k c o n c i e r g e K e l s e y H a m i l t o n a n d Vi c e P r e s i d e n t D a v i d Lowden.

BIG ARTS Calendar

BIG ARTS, at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, will present the following:

Workshop

Fluid Art with Tammy DeCaro will be held today, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p m Cost is $39 for donors and $48 for non-donors

Workshop

White is a Color with Helen Burkett will be held on April 11-12 from 9 a m to 3 p m Cost is $332 for donors and $415 for non-donors

Film Series

“The Taste of Things” (2023) will be shown on April 15 at 7 p m Tickets are $12.

Workshop W i n e & P a i n t M i x e r w i t h S i s s i Janku will be held on April 16 from 4 to 6 p m Cost is $48 for donors and $60 for non-donors

Workshop

Zentangle ZIA with Donna Lee Cole will be held on April 17 from 10 a m to 1 p m Cost is $39 for donors and $48 for non-donors.

Registration is required for workshops by calling 239-395-0900

For more information or tickets, visit www bigarts org

CROW Calendar

From page 31

T h e p r e s e n t a t i o n w i l l b e a b o u t “Invasives.”

∫ Tuesday, April 16

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about CROW Speaker Series at 4 p.m.

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 A d u l t E d u c a t i o n D i r e c t o r

J e n n y E v a n s w i l l p r e s e n t “ I n v a s i v e

Plants” in-person and via Zoom Cost is $ 1 0 T o r e g i s t e r , v i s i t

http://www crowclinic org/

∫ Wednesday, April 17

Program of the Week at 11 a m

T h e p r e s e n t a t i o n w i l l b e t h e

p r e s e n t e r ' s c h o i c e

Admission is $12 for ages 13 and older, $7 for ages 4-12 and free for ages 3 and under

In addition, CROW offers a Wildlife Walk Hospital Tour on Mondays through F r i d a y s a f t e r t h e d a i l y p r e s e n t a t i o n Limited to 12 people; participants must be age 10 or older The cost is $25 per person; advanced registration and payment is required To register, contact 239-4723 6 4 4 e x t 2 2 9 o r r e s e r v a t i o n s @crowclinic org

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t

http://www.crowclinic.org/ or call 239472-3644

Museum gala most successful in histor y

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium hosted its annual benefit gala, “A Night at the Museum,” on March 16 at the Sanibel facility Presented by The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company, it was its most successful fundraiser ever as over $560,000 was raised in sponsorships, live auction sales and paddle raise donations The funds will support the final stages of post-hurricane rebuilding and also major improvements, including a redesign and expansion of the exhibits in the Great Hall of Shells The evening started with cocktails in the Living Gallery of Aquariums and concluded with dinner in the hall, illuminated by a wash of blue light projected across the 30-foot ceiling. Danny Morgan and Amy Sbarra provided live music The museum thanked the community and event sponsors for their support

At right, Richard Johnson

Far right middle, Sherry and Doug Gentry

Bottom right, Jo Anne Orndorff.

PHOTOS/BAILEY-MATTHEWS NATIONAL SHELL MUSEUM & AQUARIUM

Above, Scot and Melissa Congress.

Top right, Jeff and Stephanie Muddell with Sally and S. Albert D. Hanser.

Below left, Calli Johnson, Brian Holaway, Leigh Gevelinger and Sam Ankerson