Sanibel Island Reporter/Islander

Island officials: Storm preparation means evacuation

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

With hurricane season approaching, island officials are advising the community to be prepared and to have a plan to evacuate because it only takes one storm as learned from Hurricane Ian in 2022

Hurricane season is recognized as June 1 through Nov 30

Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project, which has been predicting the season's Atlantic basin hurricane activity for 41 years, is forecasting 23 named storms for 2024 According to its April 4 predication three more will be released from June through August 11 of the storms will become hurricanes and five are expected to become “major” hurricanes, or a Category 3 or higher

“We anticipate that the 2024 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be extremely active Current El Niño conditions are likely to transition to La Niña conditions this summer/fall, leading to hurricane-favorable wind shear conditions,” the forecast states “Sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Atlantic are currently at record warm levels and are anticipated to remain well above average for the upcoming hurricane season A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic provides a more conducive dynamic and thermodynamic environment for hurricane formation and intensification ”

The forecast is of “above-normal confidence” for an early outlook

“We anticipate a well above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the

See STORM PREPARATION, page 19

Fire board OKs new fees for services and district policies

By TIFFANY REPECKI

trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District's commission approved an update to the fire prevention fee schedule and new district policies during its recent meet-

ongoing training

On May 8, the commissioners voted unanimously 3-0 on

schedule for prevention services effective May 8, which consists of fire plans reviews and fire inspection fees

Barbot explained that

damage, staff are antic-

emergency permits will be submitted for tear-

approved a 50% reduction in its permit fees to offer some relief, but the district has not

Barbot continued that the proposed change would apply to the fee for new and existing building construction It would reduce it to 1/4 of 1% or a $100 minimum versus a $200 minimum

Also at the meeting, the commission voted 3-0 to approve new policies related to: Ground Ladder Testing, Reporting for Duty, Overtime, Conduct and Behavior,

Administrative Employees and Vacation Leave for Admin Employees

Also during the meeting, Deputy Fire

Council hear s of stor m funds, police building

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Sanibel City Council received a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding update and a

Department design at its recent meeting On May 7, staff reported that the Planning Department submitted the following grant applications to Lee County f

Resiliency Planning Program:

∫ Sanibel Plan Update for $250,000: To develop a plan to review all elements of the Sanibel Plan and present an updated plan to the council The Sanibel Plan was last revised in 2013

∫ Sanibel Transportation Master Plan for $200,000: A comprehensive master plan will be developed to include the evaluation of roads for climate related risks, parking and transportation alternatives, and traffic management to improve level of service along roadways (mitigate congestion)

Fire Chief Kevin Barbot

Lee County MPO to hold public hearing

i l l a l s o i n c l u d e t h e

r e v i e w a n d a p p r o v a l o f t h e u p d a t e d

F e d e r a l a n d S t a t e P r i o r i t y L i s t . T h e f i n a l i t e m i n c l u d e s T r a n s p o r t a t i o n

I m p r o v e m e n t P r o g r a m a m e n d m e n t s t o

r e m o v e t w o C a p e C o r a l b r i d g e p r o j e c t s t h a t a r e n o l o n g e r d e f i c i e n t a n d t h e r e f o r e

a r e n o t e l i g i b l e f o r f e d e r a l b r i d g e f u n d i n g .

T h e M P O b o a r d w i l l a l s o c o n s i d e r t h e

f o l l o w i n g : u p d a t e d S h a r e d - U s e N o n -

m o t o r i z e d ( S U N ) T r a i l P r i o r i t y L i s t ; a n d

L e e a n d C o l l i e r a n d L e e a n d C h a r l o t t e -

P u n t a G o r d a T r a n s p o r t a t i o n R e g i o n a l

I n c e n t i v e P r o g r a m ( T R I P ) P r i o r i t i e s A

r e v i e w o f t h e d r a f t f i v e - y e a r

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n I m p r o v e m e n t P r o g r a m

t h a t i n c l u d e s f e d e r a l - a n d s t a t e - f u n d e d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n p r o j e c t s i n L e e w i l l a l s o b e p r o v i d e d

F o r t h e a g e n d a o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w l e e m p o c o m

H a r d c o p i e s o f t h e d o c u m e n t s a r e

a v a i l a b l e b y c o n t a c t i n g t h e M P O o f f i c e s

Sanibel police officer honored for life-saving efforts

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

An island police officer and others were recently recognized by the Lee County Bar Association

The LCBA hosted its 2024 Law Week Awards and Luncheon on May 3 at the Riverside Community Center in Fort Myers, where it honored the Officer of the Year from local law enforcement agencies It celebrates Law Week as an extension of Law Day – recognized on May 1 – and the activities include the awards luncheon

Officer Kyle Eckert received the top r e c o g n i t i o n f o r t h e S a n i b e l P o l i c e Department

The other award recipients were Lee

County Sheriff’s Office Lt Paul Nader, Cape Coral Police Department Officer

Jarrett Bridges and Fort Myers Police Department Sgt Scott Newbury

In addition, the LCBA recognized East Lee County High School teacher Kyle McBride as the Dr. James A. Adams Teacher of the Year for Law Related Education, and it honored city o f F o r t M y e r s C o u n c i l m a n J o h n n y Streets Jr with the Liberty Bell Award

At its May 7 meeting, the Sanibel City Council recognized Eckert through a proclamation The city reported that he was awarded Officer of the Year “for his service and heroism in the line of duty ”

“For his gallant efforts to revive and provide for the safety of one of our resi-

dents,” Mayor Richard Johnson said “We're all very proud of you, sir ” C o u n c i l m e m b e r J o h n H e n s h a w briefly shared that the call involved his wife, Jane

“Some of you may not know,” he said before having to pause, then giving E c k e r t a h

n g o n “April 3 at 1:20 in the morning, Kyle saved my wife's life ” SPD Police Chief William Dalton praised Eckert as being “very dedicated and truly professional ”

“This award is really just an example of the kind of effort and care Kyle puts in every day,” he said “He’s one of our best young officers and I can’t tell you how glad I am to have him ”

Interactive guide to open island businesses

The SanCap Chamber of Commerce has a list available of businesses back in operation on Wander: Maps & Navigation The GPS-enabled interactive map also pinpoints beach accesses that have opened, bike parking areas and the user's relative location Points of interest can be filtered by seven categories Users can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play They can also access the map online at tinyurl com/sancapwandermap

SANIBEL POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Lee County Bar Association named Officer Kyle Eckert as the Officer of the Year for the Sanibel Police Department as its 2024 Law Week Awards and Luncheon on May 3 in Fort Myers

SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

OPINIONS

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question

Did you attend the annual Islands night on April 17 at the Hammond Stadium?

∫ Yes, 0%

∫ No, 100%

Current Web Poll Question

Florida's six-week abortion ban went into effect on May 1 Do you support the new law? ∫ Yes

County/South Seas debacle: Now what?

To the editor:

The efforts of Lee County and South Seas to push through a radical post-Hurricane Ian expansion of the iconic Captiva resort are rapidly coming apart at the seams A public records release has revealed that in 2021 the new owners even before closing on the sale learned from county planners that the resort’s density and building heights couldn’t be increased However, that didn’t stop them from having dozens of private meetings with a slew of county officials where they advocated for increases anyway

The county obliged with an abrupt aboutface, becoming strong supporters of dramatic density and height increases at South Seas and eventually signing them into law in late 2023 Throughout the process, the county never revealed to the public that it was bound by a legal settlement with the Captiva Civic Association, freezing the resort’s density in perpetuity The CCA is now in circuit court enforcing the settlement

There are numerous other obstacles for the county and South Seas, such as the state Division of Administrative Hearings reviewing the whole shebang, apparent Sunshine Law violations, unaddressed environmental, open space, utility and traffic issues and even some clumsy fibbing to the public that the legislation was initiated by the county, not the resort Whatever happens, we know one thing for sure: South Seas will have to be rebuilt to its prior density and height limits The pumped-up application it placed with the county is toast Time to start over.

With the county/South Seas gambit now facing its doom, the question becomes: What is the best outcome here? How should the resort be rebuilt? And how should the county be made to answer for its actions? Let’s start with the rebuild

∫ Hotel: The 107-room Harbourside Hotel was needlessly demolished As photos and eyewitness accounts attest, it was no more damaged than all the South Seas condo and timeshare buildings that have been repaired and reopened The hotel should be rebuilt to the same height, footprint, total square footage and number of units

∫ Employee housing: The county planning document that governs resort development (ADD2002-00098) states categorically: “Employee housing will be provided ” Yet in 2015, the county without any mention of this requirement approved the replacement of all 140 employee housing units with condos Having quietly violated ADD2002-00098, the approval then falsely assures that the governing document’s terms “remain in full force and effect ” Based on this prior approval, the resort’s current redevelopment application also ignores ADD2002-00098, proposing to replace the

Letters to the Editor

now-demolished employee housing units with multi-bedroom condos

If ADD2002-00098 is anything more than a mere tissue, the 140 employee apartments should be rebuilt They were purposely allowed to dilapidate over the years to speed their demolition and “redistribution” (planner/developer euphemism) into condos The pre-Ian resort was served mainly by hardworking Caribbean immigrants, who are now displaced and on a resort’s wage couldn’t find affordable housing within an hour’s drive of South Seas Both at the resort and in the community, everyone benefits from on-site employees, who not only remove hundreds of daily road trips between the resort and mainland, they provide a crucial reservoir of experienced, trained personnel ready to respond to any calamity that might arise, day or night. They proved their worthiness many times over the years

∫ New condos: The 25 unused density credits can be developed into condos somewhere on the resort, but not in front of South Seas Club, as the new owners rudely propose SSC owners should not have their Gulf views reduced to staring at a parking lot and the backside of a condo complex that stole their unobstructed vistas There is plenty of Gulf-facing room on the old playfield south of the ninth hole of the golf course, or at the south end of the resort.

∫ Golf course: The golf course should be rebuilt as it was The new owners hastily destroyed a classic gem, designed by Chip Powell, a renowned Florida golf architect, based on an earlier iteration by famed PGA golfer Jerry Heard The challenging nine-hole par-3 track totaled almost 1,400 yards, with five holes over 170 yards There was also an enormous practice green and surround that stretched a hundred yards in length The resort has replaced what was once a golf destination with a ridiculous 12-hole pitch-and-putt crammed into a space occupied by less than half of the old course

∫ Resort amenities: Other pre-existing resort elements should be rebuilt The tennis center, in recent years a fairly lonely area, today would buzz with pickleball activity The reception center was a gorgeous architectural entree into the resort’s fantasy world And at the north end, tradition should be served by rebuilding the historic King’s Crown, with tables overlooking a moonlit Pine Island Sound and photos on the walls documenting the decades of romance and pleasure

In sum, the original developers of South Seas in most ways got it right the first time The “best and highest use,” as Realtors like to say, is a 21st century resort that respects and builds on a rich legacy But for some reason, the county and South Seas’ new owners are blind to this vision

The Protect Captiva coalition has gathered something like a half-million dollars from about seven hundred donors, contributions dedicated to compelling the county to follow the law Protect Captiva and its donors, who are spend-

ing their own hard-earned money forcing government officials to simply obey their oaths of office, should be reimbursed by government for every last penny And when this ugly business is finally put to rest, they should be given a hearty thanks from everyone who loves Captiva, for a difficult job very well done

Lastly, the state attorney for the 20th Circuit Court should convene a grand jury to investigate the entire affair Much that has transpired here deserves the kind of legal scrutiny that only a thorough grand jury can provide If state authority doesn’t reverse-engineer the particulars including the how, the why, the who we can expect this sort of escapade to be attempted, again and again

Don Bacon Montara, California

Reflections on trip to Israel and the war

To the editor:

Greatly upset by the Oct 7 atrocity and the events that followed, I decided to act Organizations have been sending volunteers to work in Israel for decades I signed up with an organization (Sar-el) that has been providing volunteers to military bases since the 1980s From Sunday afternoon until Thursday afternoon, we lived and worked on military bases. Our group consisted of Jews and Christians, old and young, men and women, from around the world People came from France, Germany, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Columbia, Brazil, Hong Kong and all parts of the United States We slept in barracks or tents, one for men and one for women (husbands with the men and their wives with the women) and ate with the soldiers While the soldiers were younger than us, like us they were male and female, Jews and non-Jews, and a mixed multitude of national origins. We met soldiers who came from the United States, Scotland, Australia, Brazil, Columbia and Russia to mention some, in addition to those born in Israel We saw soldiers with tattoos and piercings, as well as wearing skull caps, fringe, having side curls, and some who wrapped tefillin for prayers before starting work in the morning, plus Druze, Bedouins and Arabs, all one group A fact expected in a pluralistic welcoming society and not compatible with widespread accusation that Israel is an “apartheid” state All the meals were kosher. This was accomplished by eating dairy for breakfast and supper in dining areas near where we slept, with lunch being a meat meal in a dining area near where we worked The first two weeks my group, and there were a number of groups going different places, worked on an assembly line packing boxes of food, about 7,000 a day Each box provided one meal for four soldiers All the boxes were “kosher for Passover ” This meant no bread was allowed in the building where we did the packing They

See LETTERS, page 7

c 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

Protect Captiva reports on ongoing legal efforts

e a m e n d m e n t s p a s s e d l a s t y e a r b y

t h e c o u n t y a r e i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e L e e

P l a n a n d w i l l r e q u e s t a f o r m a l h e a r i n g

b e f o r e t h e F l o r i d a D i v i s i o n o f

A d m i n i s t r a t i v e H e a r i n g s o n t h e i s s u e

“ W i t h y e s t e r d a y ' s p r e l i m i n a r y d e c i -

s i o n b y t h e F l o r i d a D e p a r t m e n t o f

C o m m e r c e , t h e C a p t i v a C i v i c

A s s o c i a t i o n a n d t h e P r o t e c t C a p t i v a

c o a l i t i o n h a v e n o w m e t t h e t w o p r e c o n -

d i t i o n s r e q u i r e d t o r e q u e s t a h e a r i n g

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

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

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

w i l l n o w o c c u r , ” i t s a i d . “ T h e r e a s o n i n g

e m p l o y e d b y t h e D O C a f t e r i t s o n e - h o u r i n f o r m a l h e a r i n g i s u n l i k e l y t o h o l d u p

t o s c r u t i n y i n a n a d m i n i s t r a t i v e h e a ri n g ”

P r o t e c t C a p t i v a e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e

a d m i n i s t r a t i v e l a w j u d g e w i l l s w e a r w i t -

n e s s e s , t a k e t e s t i m o n y u n d e r o a t h , i s s u e

s u b p o e n a s a n d e f f e c t d i s c o v e r y a t t h e

r e q u e s t o f a n y p a r t y T h e p a r t i e s i n t h e

h e a r i n g c a n i n c l u d e t h e C C A , a n y i n t e r -

v e n o r , t h e s t a t e l a n d p l a n n i n g a g e n c y

a n d t h e c o u n t y . A s f o r t h e d e p a r t m e n t , t h e c o a l i t i o n

r e p o r t e d t h a t i t r e c o g n i z e d t h a t t h e

d e v e l o p m e n t s t a n d a r d s i n t h e c o u n t y ' s

2 0 0 2 A d m i n i s t r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n i d e n t i f y t h e m a x i m u m d e n s i t y o f S o u t h

S e a s a s 9 1 2 r e s i d e n t i a l u n i t s 3 0 4

a c r e s a t t h r e e u n i t s p e r a c r e a n d f i v e

a c r e s o f c o m m e r c i a l d e v e l o p m e n t a n d t h a t t h e n e w o r d i n a n c e e x e m p t s t h e

r e s o r t f r o m t h e d e n s i t y l i m i t a t i o n o f t h r e e u n i t s p e r a c r e f o r C a p t i v a h o t e l s

Part of the Lee County Library System, the Captiva Memorial Library is offering the following free programming:

Children programs

∫ Today, May 15: Cute Pompom Caterpillar Craft

(daily during operating hours)

Let's spring into some wiggly fun and make a pompom caterpillar

∫ May 17: Cute Pompom Caterpillar Craft

(daily during operating hours)

Let's spring into some wiggly fun and make a pompom caterpillar.

The library is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and 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

offering the following free virtual programming:

Adult programs

∫ May 21: Online Author Event with Rebecca F Kuang from 7 to 8 p m

Join Rebecca F. Kuang (R.F. Kuang) as she chats about her New York Times b

Y

c e ” “Yellowface” grapples with questions of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media Registration is required

Download books, stream video and o

brary net

The Captiva Memorial Library is at 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva.

By TIFFANY REPECKI

trepecki@breezenewspapers com

A bond referendum Special Election will be held on May 21 for registered voters on Captiva

On Election Day, the polling site will be located at Precinct 116 at the Sanibel

Captiva Road, Sanibel The polling location will be open from 7 a m to 7 p m

There will be no early voting for the election

Vote-by-Mail ballots must be received on May 21 Election Day before 7 p m

To hand deliver a mail ballot, drop it off at one of the following Lee County

Monday through Friday from 8:30

and on May 21 until 7 p

Lee County Elections Center, at 13180 S Cleveland Ave , Fort Myers ∫ Main Office at the Melvin Morgan

LEE COUNTY

Community dives into bayside adaptation project

∫ I n s t a l l e d s w a l e s t o m a n a g e s u r f a c e w a t e r r u n o f f :

∫ I n s t a l l e d s u m p p u m p s : 1

∫ P l a n t e d f l o o d - r e s i s t a n t v e g e t a t i o n : 2

l i v e p o l l C E P D c o n s u l t a n t A P T I M a n d i t s t e a m h o s t e d t h e v i r t u a l m e e t i n g o n M a y 9 t o d i s c u s s t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e

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

g a t h e r c o m m u n i t y i n p u t a n d s u g g e s t i o n s

T h e t e a m r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e r e w a s o v e r 7 f e e t o f

w a t e r f o r s e v e r a l h o u r s i n H u r r i c a n e I a n , r e s u l t i n g i n

s u b m e r g e d d o c k s , d a m a g e s a n d p o w e r o u t a g e s ,

a c c o r d i n g t o 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 C u r r e n t l y , a b o u t 3 5 % o f t h e b a y s i d e i s

a r m o r e d w i t h s e a w a l l s a n d 5 0 % h a s m a n g r o v e s

I n t h e f i r s t p o l l q u e s t i o n , a t t e n d e e s r e p o r t e d o n t h e

f l o o d i m p a c t s t o t h e m a n d t h e i r p r o p e r t y :

∫ S t a n d i n g w a t e r i n y o u r b a c k y a r d : 4

∫ D a m a g e t o y o u r h o u s e : 4

∫ D a m a g e t o y o u r d o c k : 3

∫ P o w e r o u t a g e : 3

∫ E v a c u a t i o n : 2

∫ F l o o d e d r o a d s o r i m p a s s a b l e d r i v e w a y s : 5

∫ F i n a n c i a l l o s s e s : 4

∫ E r o s i o n o f l a n d o r l a n d s c a p i n g : 4

∫ N o n e o f t h e a b o v e : 1

∫ O t h e r : 0

A t t e n d e e s r e p o r t e d w h a t m e a s u r e s t h e y h a v e t a k e n

t o p r o t e c t t h e i r p r o p e r t y f r o m f l o o d r i s k s :

∫ I n s t a l l e d a s e a w a l l : 2

∫ R a i s e d t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f m y h o u s e : 1

Protect Captiva

∫ T h e d e p a r t m e n t a c c e p t e d t h e c o u n -

t y ' s c l a i m t h a t t h e 9 1 2 u n i t s d o n o t i n c l u d e h o t e l r o o m s , d e s p i t e c o u n t y f o r -

m a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s s t a t i n g o t h e r w i s e

T h e A d m i n i s t r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n d

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

d o c u m e n t s e s t a b l i s h t h a t t h e 9 1 2 u n i t s i n c l u d e b o t h r e s i d e n t i a l a n d h o t e l u n i t s ∫ T h e d e p a r t m e n t d i d n o t q u e s t i o n

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

C a p t i v a C o d e p r o v i d e s t h a t “ n o b u i l d i n g o r d e v e l o p m e n t p e r m i t s w i l l b e i s s u e d

f o r d e v e l o p m e n t o n C a p t i v a I s l a n d a t a

d e n s i t y g r e a t e r t h a n t h e f o l l o w i n g :

T h r e e u n i t s p e r a c r e f o r m o t e l s o r

h o t e l s ”

∫ T h e d e p a r t m e n t s t a t e d t h a t t h e

A d m i n i s t r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s n o t

c l e a r i f h o t e l o r m o t e l u n i t s w e r e i n t e n d -

From page

told us it was always “kosher for Passover” so there was no need to have repeated ritual cleanings. The boxes had fruit, vegetables, dessert and protein

The main protein was tuna packed in oil We learned that the soldiers opened the tuna can and used paper to soak up the oil They then lit the oily paper to generate a hot meal The boxes also had three garbage bags no Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) littering, even in time of war

∫ E n h a n c e d v e g e t a t i o n b u f f e

v o i

∫ R e s i d e n t a n d s t a k e h o l d e r i n v o l v e m e n t : D i

z e p

e r t i e s ; e s t a b l i s h b u y - i n ; a n d o n g o i n g g r o u n d - t r u t h i n g a n d d i r e c t i o n

e d t o b e i n c l u d e d i n t h e 9 1 2 - u n i t c a p

B u t , i t d o e s m a k e i t c l e a r t h a t t h e 1 0 7

h o t e l u n i t s a t S o u t h S e a s w e r e a l w a y s i n c l u d e d i n t h e 9 1 2 - u n i t c a p S o u t h

S e a s ' n e w o w n e r s n o t e i n t h e i r c u r r e n t r e z o n i n g a p p l i c a t i o n t h a t t h e e x i s t i n g

9 1 2 - u n i t c a p i n c l u d e s h o t e l u n i t s ∫ T h e d e p a r t m e n t s t a t e d t h a t t h e r e i s

n o e v i d e n c e t o s u g g e s t t h e i n c r e a s e t o

t h e h e i g h t s t a n d a r d p r o v i d e d b y t h e n e w

o r d i n a n c e w o u l d r e s u l t i n a n a d d i t i o n a l

h a b i t a b l e f l o o r o r m o r e u n i t s a t S o u t h

S e a s T h e r e s o r t ' s r e z o n i n g a p p l i c a t i o n p r o p o s e s a d d i t i o n a l h a b i t a b l e s t o r i e s a n d a 2 8 6 % i n c r e a s e i n u n i t s o n t h e 1 2 0 a c r e s o w n e d b y T i m b e r s a n d i t s p a r t n e r s a n i n c r e a s e f r o m 2 4 7 t o 7 0 7 u n i t s “ T h e C C A b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e D O C , i n i t s w r i t t e n d e c i s i o n , d i d i t s b e s t t o c o nf i r m o u r s t a n d i n g t o p r o c e e d t o a n

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

c o d e / p l a n c o n s i s t e n c y i s s u e , ” t h e c o a l i -

The days were long, starting with breakfast at 6:30 a m , a bus ride to the warehouse on the base where we worked, then lunch, work and the ride back After supper we would have an educational meeting talking about Israel, the IDF or learning about each other, ending around 9 p m Assembly line work is either boring or hectic During the boring times we were able to talk with the soldiers working next to us, at least the ones who spoke English Most were new recruits and

∫ I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f n a t i v e v e g e t a t i v e o r m a ng r o v e s : 5

∫ C o n s t r u c t v e g e t a t e d s w a l e s a l o n g p r o p e r t y b o u n d a r i e s o r d r i v e w a y s : 4

∫ N e a r s h o r e a r t i f i c i a l r e e f i n s t a l l a t i o n : 5

∫ S e a w a l l a n d l i v i n g s h o r e l i n e d e s i g n s t a n d a r d s w i t h i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t c o d e : 6

∫ L a n d s c a p i n g g u i d e l i n e s f o r n a t u r e e s t u a r i n e a n d

d u n e s p e c i e s : 4

∫ P o l i c i e s i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e c o u n t y t h a t m a n -

d a t e t h e i n c o r p o r a t i o n o f s p e c i f i c r e d e v e l o p m e n t d e s i g n s t a n d a r d s : 3

∫ M i n i m u m s h o r e l i n e e l e v a t i o n p o l i c y f o r b a y f r o n t p r o p e r t i e s : 7

∫ I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a r e s i l i e n t d u n e s t r a t e g y : 5

∫ I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a m a n g r o v e a d a p t a t i o n p l a n : 6 ∫ T i d a l g a t e s a n d v a l v e i n s t a l l a t i o n : 4

∫ R o a d w a y d r a i n a g e i m p r o v e m e n t s : 6

∫ O t h e r : 2

T h e s e c o n d m e e t i n g w i l l b e h e l d v i r t u a l l y o n J u n e

2 7 f r o m 1 t o 2 : 3 0 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 t h e C E P D a t h t t p s : / / w w w m y c e p d c o m / b a y s i d e - a d a p t a t i o n

∫ P r i o r i t i z e p r o j e c t s : F o c u s o n n a t u r e - b a s e d a n d h y b r i d s o l u t i o n s ; v i s u a l s a n d d e s i g n s ; a d a p t s h o r e l i n e t o c o m p l e m e n t i s l a n d w i d e f l o o d m i t i g a t i o n ; a n d f u n di n g a p p l i c a t i o n F o r t h e f i n a l q u e s t i o n , a t t e n d e e s r e p o r t e d w h a t t y p e s o f a d a p t a t i o n s t r a t e g i e s t h e y t h o u g h t w o u l d b e m o s t e f f e c t i v e a n d m o s t a c c e p t e d b y p r o p e r t y o w n e r s t o a d d r e s s f l o o d i n g i s s u e s o n t h e b a y s i d e : ∫ N e a r s h o r e b r e a k w a t e r i n s t a l l a t i o n : 6

t i o n s a i d “ W e f u l l y e x p e c t t h a t i n a r e a l

t r i a l b e f o r e a n a c t u a l a d m i n i s t r a t i v e l a w

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

t h e c o d e a m e n d m e n t s t h a t i n c r e a s e

b u i l d i n g h e i g h t s a n d d e n s i t y o n S o u t h

S e a s a n d C a p t i v a a r e i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h

t h e L e e P l a n ”

P r o t e c t C a p t i v a p r o v i d e d t h e f o l l o w -

i n g a d d i t i o n a l u p d a t e s :

∫ I t h a s f i l e d a c o m p l a i n t i n F l o r i d a ' s

C i r c u i t C o u r t s e e k i n g t o e n f o r c e t h e

9 1 2 - u n i t d e n s i t y l i m i t o n S o u t h S e a s , w h i c h t h e c o u n t y m u s t a n s w e r b y M a y

2 4

∫ T h e l e g a l t e a m a c q u i r e d a d o c u -

m e n t , “ S o u t h S e a s P l a n t a t i o n D u e

D i l i g e n c e Q u e s t i o n s w i t h D C D

R e s p o n s e s J u l y 2 0 2 1 ” T h e q u e s t i o n s

f r o m t h e n e w o w n e r s b e f o r e t h e i r p u r -

c h a s e o f S o u t h S e a s a n d t h e r e s p o n s e s

f r o m t h e c o u n t y ' s D e p a r t m e n t o f

C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t c o n f i r m t h a t

c o u n t y s t a f f u n d e r s t o o d t h a t t h e m a x i -

m u m a l l o w a b l e u n i t s w a s 9 1 2 u n i t s ( i n c l u d i n g h o t e l u n i t s ) a n d t h a t t h e n e w o w n e r s w e r e a d v i s e d o f t h e 9 1 2d w e l l i n g u n i t c a p p r i o r t o t h e i r p u r c h a s e ∫ O n A p r i l 2 5 , t h e c o u n t y ' s Z o n i n g S e c t i o n a g a i n r e j e c t e d S o u t h S e a s ' r e v i s e d p l a n a p p l i c a t i o n d a t e d M a r c h 2 5 f o r r e a s o n s n o t u n l i k e i t s e a r l i e r r e j e ct i o n o f t h e f i r s t a p p l i c a t i o n I n i t s l e t t e r , t h e Z o n i n g S e c t i o n a g a i n s t a t e d t h a t t h e a p p l i c a t i o n d i d n o t p r o v i d e e n o u g h i n f o r m a t i o n f o r t h e a p p l i c a t i o n t o b e s u ff i c i e n t a n d t h a t n o p u b l i c h e a r i n g c a n b e s c h e d u l e d u n t i l a c o m p l e

about half female All were friendly, interested in learning about us and thankful we came to help. All were looking forward to their future in a peaceful Israel None were angry or fearful None seemed upset by the media portrayals that had bothered me

My third week was spent cleaning, sorting and organizing uniforms, tents and other equipment recently back from the front After telling a soldier who we met at dinner why we were there and what we were doing,

she thanked us for coming and especially because we were doing the work they were “usually given as punishment.” We all laughed

The third week, since we were closer to the front, our evening meetings were often with Gaza veterans That was the biggest lesson Unlike the violent, hate filled Hamas fighters and worldwide pro-Palestinian demonstrators seen on TV, the soldiers I met

BUSINESS

Business Notes

Trust Company to offer seminar

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company will offer “Domicile Day” a seminar on Florida residency, domicile status and estate planning on May 16 at 11 a m at its offices at 2450 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, and 13525 Bell Tower Drive, Fort Myers

It will include a presentation and Q&A period led by staff and local estate planning attorney Jennifer Hammond, of Green, Shoenfeld & Kyle

Seating is limited, and reservations are required.

The seminars are designed for people with $2 million and higher in investable assets

To make a reservation, contact Frances Steger at 239-472-8300 or festeger@sancaptrustco com

COASTAL VISTA DESIGN

Coastal Vista Design receives awards

Sanibel-based Coastal Vista Design was recogn

Architects' 2024 Florida Awards Gala on April 12 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando

It received the inaugural Firm of the Year Award, which recognizes a firm that has produced bodies of distinguished work influencing the professional practice of landscape architecture

In addition, the company received a Professional “Award of Merit” in the commercial category for landscape design of the Uline Collier Corporate Campus The awards are awarded based on quality of design and execution; relationship to design context; environmental sensitivity and sustainability; relevant impact to the profession, public, and/or environment, and resilience strategies; and design value to the client, community, and to other designers

The awards gala was attended by Coastal Vista Design founder Leigh Gevelinger, landscape designers Alain Carrazana and Rose Gilson, and construction site manager Gabe Smith

Island nominees among award finalists

SWFL Inc recently announced the finalists for its 2024 INCredible Awards.

The awards are an annual celebration of exceptional leaders and organizations that drive economic and community growth in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties

H

F

&

Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge are nominees. The award recognizes a nonprofit organization that is seen as a leader in the nonprofit sector

For the Small Business of the Year, MacIntosh Books + Paper is a nominee The award recognizes a local business that excels in its market and gives back to and serves as a leader in the community

For the SWFL Citizen of the Year, CHR Executive Director Nicole Decker-McHale is a nominee The award honors an individual who has demonstrated an See BUSINESS NOTES, page 10

Chamber hails Island Therapy new location with ribbon-cutting

The Island Therapy Center has been seeing patients since Hurricane Ian in their homes and at a partner location in Fort Myers but it recently celebrated its official return to Sanibel at a new location with a SanCap Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting It held its soft opening on April 15

Six feet of storm surge destroyed the original therapy center on Periwinkle Place, which opened in 2009 After working on clean up and volunteering in the community, staff was able to relocate to 16880 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers, where they also will continue to operate

“Despite the effort and cost, we wanted to restore wellness and therapy services to the islands,” founder, Sanibel resident and physical therapist Rachel Tritaik said “We have brand-new equipment with new ideas and

tools to help our patients and clients, for physical therapy, massage therapy and personal training services We are known for our commitment to exceptional patient care and continue to provide true one-on-one individualized therapy services in a boutique clinic setting with the same therapist each visit for the entire visit ”

“The return of therapeutic and medical-related services right on-island has been identified as a major step toward making our islands once again safe and desirable for residents and visitors alike,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said “We are so fortunate to celebrate Rachel’s victory over obstacles for her full return Congratulations to the entire team ”

The Island Therapy Center is at 695 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel

Historical village changes to summer hours

The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village reported that its summer schedule is in effect from now through July 31 Hours of operation are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a m to 1 p m On Aug 1, the village will close for the off-season It will reopen for season on Oct 15 For more information, visit https://sanibelmuseum org/ The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is at 950 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The SanCap Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting for the Island Therapy Center on Sanibel

The SanCap Chamber of Commerce made the Lighthouse Cafe's reopening on Sanibel a joyous occasion with a ribbon-cutting on April 30.

SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Chamber joins Lighthouse Cafe for ribbon-cutting

The SanCap Chamber of Commerce's ribbon-cutting at the Lighthouse Cafe on April 30 celebrated the revival of a Sanibel tradition, its move to a new location on the island and a family legacy of passing opportunities on to others Since 1968, it had operated at 362 Periwinkle Way, but Hurricane Ian damage precipitated the restaurant's move to the former home of Sanibel Fresh

“I wanted to return to my previous space, but couldn’t put together a deal to do it,” owner-operator Dan Billheimer said “I was steered to the current space because it was the only place that was available for a rebuild at the time And once I really looked at it, the benefits were tremendous ”

The benefits include a newer building, more square footage, more parking, a compliant landlord and fresh systems that he could integrate from the ground level Billheimer said the menu will remain the same for now, but the new infrastructure will allow expansion as the crew gets its feet under it

From page 8

outstanding commitment to the betterment of Southwest Florida

For the Innovation Award, the DDWS and HM Restaurant Group parent company of Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille are nominees The award celebrates a small business that creates unique and forward-thinking solutions Innovate practices range from designing original products, to developing new processes and technologies

The other categories include the INCredible Award and Veteran-Owned Business of the Year

The awards ceremony will take place on May 29 from 11:30 a m to 1:30 p m at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o r t

https://www swflinc com/2024-incredible-awards-

SCA elects officers, board members

The Sanibel Community Association held its Annual Meeting on April 24 at The Community House on Sanibel

“Mike purchased the cafe in 1987 and operated it for 33 years,” Billheimer said “He developed the business and made it what it was until Ian He was fortunate enough to be financed by the previous owner, Fred Powell, and was given a chance to establish himself without any backing Mike did the same for me, as he wanted to give me a chance to own a business on Sanibel that I would have otherwise not have had It’s a great story of enabling willing, professional people who wouldn’t have had this opportunity any other way.”

He thanks the local bank, real estate agents, contractors, tradesmen and even competing restaurateurs at The Sanibel Cafe and Over Easy Cafe for their support Restaurant fans from Sanibel to international visitors donated time, expertise, money and lighthouse pictures

Business Notes

The newly elected officers include: Roger Grogman as president; Don McDonald as vice president; John Raho as treasurer; and Lynne Butkiewicz as secretary.

The new members to the board of directors include Fred Bondurant, Dick Bourdow, Sarah Jacobson, Melissa Lehman, Nancy McDole, Mark Reiner, Josh Stewart, Valerie Tutor, and Kirk Whalen

Pfeifer Realty

Group welcomes new advisor

Maranda Holley has joined the team as a real estate advisor

With a passion for help-

goals, she is a dedicated licensed real estate agent with five years of experi-

Maranda Holley

“It’s pretty amazing to step back and really see the synergy it takes to achieve a comeback like this. I was more touched and overwhelmed than I have words for,” Billheimer said “Just a tremendous lesson in what a community can do when it pulls together I just need to be worthy of this honor ”

And about those lighthouse pictures: the Lighthouse Cafe has always decorated its walls with images of light towers from around the world That will not change More than 300 lighthouse pictures grace the new restaurant’s walls, with more being donated every day

“I feel like we’ve turned a corner today with the restoration of Lighthouse Cafe to our lives,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said. “People from all over the world equate the iconic cafe and its reputation for best breakfast with Sanibel dining, commerce and tradition Welcome back ”

The Lighthouse Cafe is at 1020 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

ence in the industry

Growing up in Kentucky, Holley was immersed in the world of real estate, with her parents working as appraisers Her journey led her to the University of Kentucky, where she met her now-fiancé

After countless summers spent soaking in the charms of Southwest Florida, they knew this is where they wanted to establish roots

Rec center adds to Hall of Sponsors

Custom Goods Unlimited, Lee Health and the Sanibel Captiva Business Women's Association have joined the Sanibel Recreation Center's Hall of Sponsors

Proceeds from the sponsor signs financially assist eligible island parents, guardians and workers so youths can attend the after-school program, Fun Days, holiday camp, summer day camp and other city-operated programs

A printout of all the sponsors can also be obtained at the center's reception counter

c a p t i v a s a n i b e l . c o m W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a y 1 5 , 2 0 2 4 ■ P a g e 1 2

PRESERVING PARADISE

REFUGE/DDWS

Member organizations of Southwest Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area at the 2024 Invasive Freshwater Fish Roundup.

provides highlights of monthly biology activities

J N “ D i n g ” D a r l i n g N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e R e f u g e

b i o l o g i c a l s c i e n c e t e c h n i c i a n A v e r y R e n s h a w

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

a c t i v i t i e s f o r t h e m o n t h o f A p r i l

R e f u g e u r b a n c o m m u n i t y e n g a g e m e n t f e l l o w

L e o C a b r e r a a n d s h e v o l u n t e e r e d a t t h e 2 0 2 4

I n v a s i v e F r e s h w a t e r F i s h R o u n d u p , h o s t e d b y t h e

S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a C o o p e r a t i v e I n v a s i v e S p e c i e s

M a n a g e m e n t A r e a ( S W F L C I S M A ) a r e g i o n a l

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

N e a r l y 1 2 0 a d u l t a n d j u n i o r a n g l e r s c a u g h t a n d t u r n e d i n 4 , 8 5 0 i n v a s i v e f r e s h w a t e r f i s h , w e i g h i n g

i n a t a b o u t 2 , 3 7 3 p o u n d s , f r o m C o l l i e r , L e e ,

C h a r l o t t e , H e n d r y a n d G l a d e s c o u n t i e s w a t e r w a y s

SCCF: Invasive freshwater fish are back

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that before Hurricane Ian, the lakes and marshes of Sanibel were filled with fish. The native sunfish and bass were there, but in the last 20 years they had become outnumbered by non-native invasive Mayan cichlids and blue tilapia

“At nearly any freshwater spot on Sanibel you could observe large nests along the shorelines made by tilapia and the smaller holes cleared by the cichlids,” research a

,

thought you saw a sunfish, you were actually looking at a cichlid ”

Mayan cichlids and tilapia out-compete the native fish because they:

∫ Can exist in low-oxygen conditions

∫ Will eat almost anything

∫ Protect their young by holding them in their mouths until they get old enough to fend for themselves

∫ Begin spawning when they are 3 months old

∫ Are aggressive (and easy to catch)

“If you came to Sanibel within a few days of Ian’s surge event, you noticed the mud covering everything and lots of dead fish,” Thompson said “It was truly stunning the number of dead tilapia and cichlids that paved the island’s roads and yards ”

Since Sanibel’s lakes contain so much food, including algae and phytoplankton, the fish could sustain “bloom” levels The sudden replacement of fresh water with salt water during the hurricane's surge event killed most of the island’s freshwater fish

The SCCF reported that since Ian, the waterbodies have contained estuarine fish, mosquitofish and killifish Lakes and marshes that contain large volumes of water may take years to become fresh water again However,

many shallow ponds and the Sanibel Slough are now barely fresh enough to support the non-native Mayan cichlid, which can also tolerate slightly salty water

“Fish watchers around the island have been wondering when we would see them return knowing that Mayan cichlids would be the first,” he said. “Now that they are here, the only thing that will limit their range is how salty the lakes are ”

Recently, Thompson and his cast-netting son pulled in living proof that Mayan cichlids have returned to the Sanibel Slough In addition, a blue tilapia was also found in the Slough near Casa Ybel Road

The SCCF noted that the Sanibel Slough is currently about 7-9 practical salinity units (PSU) Fresh water is 02 PSU and Gulf water is 30-36 PSU Some of the biggest lakes on Sanibel are still 25-36 PSU, but where there are low salinity pools, Mayan cichlids will find a way to get there.

I s l a n d R e p o r t e r

A n g l e r s c a u g h t 1 2 d i f f e r e n t i n v a s i v e f r e s h w a t e r

f i s h s p e c i e s , i n c l u d i n g M a y a n c i c h l i d , t i l a p i a ( N i l e , b l u e , b l a c k c h i n a n d s p o t t e d ) , o s c a r , A f r i c a n j e w -

e l f i s h , s a i l f i n c a t f i s h ( p l e c o s ) a n d b r o w n h o p l o c a tf i s h M o r e t h a n 1 5 0 s p e c i e s o f n o n n a t i v e a n d / o r

i n v a s i v e f i s h s p e c i e s h a v e b e e n d o c u m e n t e d i n

F l o r i d a

N o n n a t i v e a n d i n v a s i v e s p e c i e s

N o n n a t i v e s p e c i e s d o n o t o c c u r n a t u r a l l y i n a

s p e c i f i e d a r e a ; h o w e v e r , t h e i r p r e s e n c e i n t h a t a r e a

d o e s n o t c a u s e s i g n i f i c a n t i s s u e s o r h a r m t o n a t i v e

s p e c i e s o r h a b i t a t s T h e S W F L C I S M A d e f i n e s i n v a s i v e s p e c i e s a s “ a s p e c i e s t h a t ( a ) i s n o n n a t i v e

t o a s p e c i f i e d g e o g r a p h i c a r e a , ( b ) w a s i n t r o d u c e d b y h u m a n s ( i n t e n t i o n a l l y o r u n i n t e n t i o n a l l y ) , a n d ( c ) d o e s o r c a n c a u s e e n v i r o n m e n t a l o r e c o n o m i c h a r m o r h a r m t o h u m a n s ” I n v a s i v e s p e c i e s m a y o u t c o m p e t e n a t i v e s p e c i e s f o r r e s o u r c e s , i n t r o d u c e d i s e a s e , a l t e r e c o s y s t e m

c o m p o s i t i o n a n d / o r r e d u c e b i o d i v e r s i t y I n v a s i v e

s p e c i e s a r e o f t e n i n t r o d u c e d v i a i l l e g a l r e l e a s e o f p e t s ; e s c a p e d i n d i v i d u a l s f r o m h o m e s , z o o s a n d a q u a r i u m s ; t r a n s p o r t a t i o n o n c l o t h i n g / v e h i c l e s ; a n d i n t e n t i o n a l i n t r o d u c t i o n l i k e l a n d s c a p i n g T o p r e v e n t t h e s p r e a d o f n o n n a t i v e a n d i n v a s i v e s p e c i e s , t h e S W F L C I S M A r e c o m m e n d s :

∫ D o n o t r e l e a s e p e t s / b a i t i n t o t h e w i l d

∫ D o n o t t r a n s p o r t f i r e w o o d , v e g e t a t i o n o r w i l d l i f e

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

∫ R e p o r t s i g h t i n g s o f i n v a s i v e s p e c i e s u s i n g t h e

I v e G o t 1 a p p

∫ P

∫ V o l u n t e e r w i t h l o c a l c o n s e r v a t i o n o r g

Instructions for adopted mangrove babies

C

snowbirds who have returned their mangrove seedlings Those who have not returned their plantings can drop them off at the Sanibel-

Sanibel. Full-time residents are free to wait until Coastal Watch's next Adoption Day in the fall For more information, contact kmcneal@sccf org Coastal Watch is part of the SCCF family

COASTAL WATCH

Volunteers sought for planting

Coastal Watch is signing up volunteers to help plant at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's Gulf Ridge Preserve on May 16 and 21 from 8 a m to noon Help is needed to plant the historical marsh before the rainy season and revive the vital salt marsh habitat For more information or to sign up, visit https://sccf org/getinvolved/volunteer-opportunities/

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

in Israel were not angry They did not hate Palestinians, if anything they were upset at having their lives interrupted by people wanting to kill them They were confident they could win and anxious to be able to return to their individual pursuit of happiness. They did not appear impacted by the media portrayal that upset me They appreciated our traveling to help them Their attitude lifted my spirits and their stories confirmed their lack of malice

One of the soldiers told us about entering a Gaza refugee camp He came across an old woman and described her as being “like my grandmother ” His team treated her like they would want to have their grandmother treated, giving her food, water, medical attention and taking her to safety How different from the Hamas attackers who did not see “grandmothers,” only non-humans to be kidnapped or brutally butchered Another soldier told of finding a lost 6-year-old girl wandering the deserted streets in the war zone Beside questions of how she was left unattended in a war zone, after the bomb sniffing dog checked her (a sad commentary that she could have been unattended for the purpose of performing a suicide bombing), they placed her in the hands of social workers Later it was discovered she was carrying the cell phone detonator that had been used the day before to set off the bomb that started a Hamas ambush where one Israeli soldier died

During one of our sessions, upset by surveys showing over 70% of Palestinians supported the Oct 7 rapes, murders and kidnappings, one of the German Christians in my group spoke up He expressed his view that just as ordinary Germans who voted for and

supported the Nazis needed to be held accountable, the Gazans who voted for and support the actions of Hamas should be held accountable. By this reasoning the civilians were not innocent but complicit He wondered why Israeli soldiers were not bombing first to limit their own risk Rather than agreeing with the questioner or shrugging his shoulders to imply, “It doesn’t make sense to me either but we do what the higher ups tell us,” the soldier replied, “That is not who we (the Israeli army and people) are ” He then gave this example of restraint

Following a battle, his group was told that an ambulance was coming to collect the enemy dead and they should not fire on them. When the ambulance arrived, his team watched as Hamas fighters climbed out and planted bombs while the ambulance crew removed the bodies One can imagine the frustration of watching the enemy planting bombs and being ordered to hold your fire because they were part of a humanitarian mission But as the soldier said, “That is who we are ”

The only worry expressed by any of the soldiers was that the United States would not let them destroy Hamas That U S politics would lead to Hamas fighters surviving in Gaza only to regroup and, as they promise, attack again They are concerned the United States will not take Hamas at its word, i e that they will regroup to repeat Oct 7 as is shouted on U S college campuses 10,000 times more The concern among Israeli soldiers is that the United States and others do not acknowledge that until destroyed, Hamas operatives will kill anyone working for peaceful coexistence with Israel This was confirmed when Hamas fired rockets at U.S. soldiers trying to build a pier to deliver aid and again at the crossing

which provided aid for the people of Gaza There can be no peace for Israel with Hamas or other Islamist group controlling Gaza or the West Bank calling for the destruction of Israel (i e a Free Palestine)

Unfortunately, the compassion for the suffering caused by war has led to more suffering Protests are empowering Hamas, enabling them to resist freeing the hostages and surrendering to end the war The pressure on Israel gives hope to Hamas that by holding out their goal of surviving to destroy Israel remains alive The humanitarian concerns driving marches for peace have been manipulated by adding the chant to “Free Palestine.” It is unlikely the majority of college students know that a “Free Palestine” means a land free of those who do not adhere to Islamist theology, i e an Islamist theocracy The protesting college students do not seem to know that the “Free Palestine” chant does not refer to the West Bank or Gaza but all of Israel (and probably Jordan and Egypt), i e land not currently under an Islamic theocracy The protesters do not seem to realize they are chanting for the replacement of a nation (Israel) where citizenship is not related to gender, race, religion or national origin by a theocracy (like Iran or Afghanistan) which would end LGBTQ+ rights, subjugate women, and oppress or murder anyone (Muslim, Christian, Jew, et cetera) who disagrees with being subjected to the Islamist version of Sharia law To the Islamists manipulating the protest mobs, the Hamas rapes, infanticide, beheadings and kidnappings did not go far enough So, they added chants of “Hitler had it Right,” “Gas the Jews” and “worldwide intifada,” i.e. kill all the Jews around the world Chants then echoed by the mob

and now college professors who also march in their support

That brings me to how I ended up volunteering in Israel. In the face of pro-Hamas murderer protests, I attended a multi-denominational community Hanukkah menorah lighting in support of Israel One of the people I met spoke of traveling to Israel as a volunteer He asked why I did not go too

Over the next few weeks, I became increasingly upset by the anti-Semitic rhetoric People were protesting against Israel to end the suffering in Gaza while ignoring the Israelis displaced from northern Israel whose homes are being bombed to rubble by Hezbollah. The protesters ignored that it was Hamas, not Israel, that broke the cease fire in place on Oct 6 It is Hamas that refuses to release the hostages or even allow the humanitarian act of letting the American Red Cross see them Hamas continues to launch rockets at civilian targets in Israel Hamas operates from inside schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes making those buildings military targets Ignored are the reports of Hamas fighters threatening and shooting at civilians who try to leave combat areas while at the same time stealing the humanitarian aid for themselves or stealing and selling it to the people the protesters believe their chants help It is Hamas causing the suffering and they are the ones that need to be appealed to, not Israel Yet, around the world there is little condemnation of the Hamas rapists compared to multiple calls for Israel to protect the Palestinians

Equally upsetting is to have people make a moral equivalence between the death of children intentionally burned alive and the

See LETTERS, page 22

Isl and lIvIng

SPD releases weekly blotter

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

Other enforcement actions

∫ On April 30, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for excessive speed The driver was subsequently issued a warning for speeding and a notice to appear for driving with a suspended license The vehicle was removed from the scene by a licensed driver

∫ On May 2, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for having an obscured tag The driver was subsequently issued a notice to appear for never having a driver’s license issued The vehicle was removed from the scene by a licensed driver

∫ On May 6, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle whose tag was listed as stolen Upon further investigation, the driver was issued a notice to appear for tag attached not assigned and the license plate was seized Arrangements were made to remove the vehicle from the scene

Enforcement operations statistics

From April 30 to May 6:

∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 7

∫ 911 non-emergency calls: 18

∫ Traffic crashes: 2

∫ Radar details: 51

∫ Traffic stops: 27

Citations issued: 10

Written warnings issued: 1

Verbal warnings issued: 16

∫ Residential area checks: 439

∫ Business area checks: 224

∫ Total area checks: 1,021

∫ Reported burglaries: 0

∫ Reported thefts: 1

∫ Total CAD calls: 1,259

May 2024 to date:

∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 7

∫ Non-emergency calls: 16

∫ Traffic crashes: 0

∫ Radar details: 44

∫ Traffic stops: 22

Citations issued: 9

Written warnings issued: 1

Verbal warnings issued: 14

∫ Residential area checks: 399

∫ Business area checks: 196

∫ Total area checks: 875

∫ Reported burglaries: 0

∫ Reported thefts: 1

∫ Total CAD calls: 1,078

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 experi-

See BLOTTER, page 15

Sanibel library offers range of programs and topics

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

W

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 May 21 at 7 p.m. with New York Times bestseller Rebecca F Kuang, author of “Yellowface ” She will chat about her bestselling novel

In addition to “Yellowface,” Kuang (R F Kuang) is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and “Babel: An Arcane History ” A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese studies from Cambridge and an MSc in contemporary Chinese studies from Oxford Kuang is currently pursuing a PhD in East Asian languages and literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Chinese literature and Asian American literature.

A question-and-answer session with the author will follow T o r e g

https://libraryc org/sanlib/upcoming

Crafternoon with Ms Shannon will take place today, May 15, from 3 to 4:30 p m Ages 4 and up and their caregiver can join staffer Shannon Gafgen to make a work of art A variety of craft supplies will be available, along with examples of craft options to complete

On May 17, Family Storytime for ages 5 and under and their caregiver will be held from 10:30 to 11 a m with Gafgen. Sing, read, question and move around during the stories, followed by early literacy centers of play

The Sanibel Public Library will host a virtual author talk on May 21 with Rebecca F. Kuang.

to flex minds, motor skills and creativity The program will include an art/craft center

Strengthen & Stretch with Ms Robin will take place on May 18 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 May 18, a Saturday Crafterday will be held from 11 a.m. to noon with professional artist and coloring book creator Melissa Gindling Participants will create a sea turtle craft that they can take home

Crafternoon with Ms Shannon will take place on May 22 from 3 to 4:30 p m Ages 4 and up and their caregiver can join Gafgen to make a work of art A variety of craft supplies will be available, along with examples of

See LIBRARY, page 15

F.I.S.H. to offer emergency preparedness, CPR training

In partnership with the American R e d C r o s s , F I S H o f S a n

Captiva will offer an Emergency

event on May 20 from noon to 1:30 p m at The Community House on Sanibel

The curriculum is designed to help people understand, prepare for and respond appropriately to emergency and disaster occurrences, such as home fires and hurricanes

“It's so important to know what to do in the event of an emergency or disaster, and we're thankful that the

American Red Cross will be educat-

Martinez said The American Red Cross will dis-

measures to take to prevent emergencies and to ensure the safety of individuals and property in the event of such occurrences

Caregiver training will be facilitated by Ethan Ticehurst, with the American Red Cross He will intro-

caregivers during disasters, with an emphasis on hurricanes

A hands-on CPR training will be provided by Kim Berghs, with the American Red Cross

Additionally, F I S H will distribu

Resource Packet

Lunch and beverages will be provided

Registration is required by contacting Martinez at manuela@fishofsancap org

The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Enrollment open at CECI

The Children’s Education Center of the Islands reported that enrollment is open for children ages 2-5 for the 2024-25 school year, which will began on Aug 12 It offers hands-on experiential learning, eco-friendly activities and outdoor exploration, dedicated highly-qualified teachers, small class sizes for personalized attention and a supportive community-focused atmosphere The CECI accepts the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Voucher, and scholarship opportunities are available To schedule a tour, contact Executive Director Michelle Keltner at cecidirector@gmail com or 239-472-4538 For more information, visit www childrenseducationcenter com It is at 350 Casa Ybel Road, Sanibel

American Legion

are also available For more information, call 239-579-0130 or visit American

MIKE STYER PHOTOGRAPHY

From page 14

craft options to complete.

For the most up-to-date information, visit the calendar at https://sanlib org/ In addition, the library is getting a new roof The parking garage and other areas may be blocked off for safety and, at times, there may be loud construction noise Visitors are advised to use caution The major project is predicted to b e c o m p l e t e d w i t h i n t h r e e t o f o u r weeks Officials thanked the public for its understanding during the work

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 a n d T u e s d

y s , W e d n

a y s , Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a m to 5 p m

For more information, call 239-4722483 or visit https://sanlib org/

The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.

Blotter

From page 14

ence additional delays as traffic flows are adjusted for efficiency

P

T

Recreation Center and are valid from the date of purchase through Nov 30 The 2023 permits have expired and are no longer valid

The city of Sanibel's 2021 and 2022 Hurricane Re-entry Passes are still valid If you have one, you do not need to re-

apply for a new pass

Ramp:

∫ Parking and boat launching fee is $40 per day

∫

weekends and holidays is with AC/BC permit only

∫ Commercial use is prohibited

∫ Fines for violations at the boat ramp are $500.

Solicitation is not allowed on Sanibel

Please share any photos of solicitation hang tags to police@mysanibel com or use Tip411

Repor ting suspicious activity

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

∫ Text the keyword SANIBEL then your tip to 847411

Family Storytime will take place on May 17 from 10:30 to 11 a m at the Sanibel Public Library

PUBLIC LIBRARY

https://www tip411 com/tips/new?alert g roup id=22450

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

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

https://www facebook com/SanibelPolice

SANIBEL

SPORTS

REFUGE/DDWS

The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Free Summer Programs schedule will include mindfulness programs.

DDWS reports on refuge programming and more

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge provided the following updates for the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel:

∫ The refuge will offer Free Summer Programs from June 1 through July 31

∫ P h o t o g r a p h e r - a r t i s t N i k i B u t c h e r ' s “Daydreaming” exhibition kickoff has been postponed until the late fall or early 2025

∫ Wellness in Nature is scheduled for January

Rec center to hold ribbon-cutting for ballfields

The Sanibel Recreation Center will host a grand reopening for the ballfields on May 23 from 4 to 6 p m at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel The community is invited to join the festivities, which will include a ribbon-cutting and games, such as whiffleball, kickball and more Refreshments will be provided

DDWS partners with VCB for interactive webcam

In partnership with the Lee County Visitors & Convention Bureau, the “Ding” Darling Wildlife SocietyFriends of the Refuge recently launched on the homepage of its website a new and improved live webcam for the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Thanks to donations from the Gardner families, the DDWS is able to maintain a live webcam mounted on the Wildlife Drive Observation Tower at the refuge on Sanibel Thanks to the VCB, viewers can control what view they see from the webpage. The steps to controlling the webcam feed are as follows:

∫ Click the arrow on the webcam video, then click on the three lines at top right and select “Live Feed ”

∫ Next, hover over the icons at bottom right and click on “Control ” The camera widget will let you know how long you must wait until it is your turn to change the control setting

∫ When your turn comes up, you will see an eye icon at the top right Click on it for a list of eight views to choose from

“We are so thankful for the Gardner families for supporting our video camera and the VCB for working with us to provide such an amazing tool for our website users,” DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman said “We have many avid refuge and birding fans who tell us they check the webcam every day and sometimes throughout each day ”

To access the cam, visit dingdarlingsociety org or dingdarlingsociety org/livewebcam

Viewers can also access the cam from the VCB website at visitfortmyers com/webcams#sanibel-island and from the SanCap Chamber of Commerce page at sanibelcaptiva org/sanibel-island-webcams/

REFUGE/DDWS

The new Live Refuge Webcam includes online tools for customizing views from the Wildlife Drive Observation Tower at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.

REFUGE/DDWS

National Wildlife Refuge continued

cleanup efforts in April as staff and volunteers hit the mangroves in kayaks to remove hooks, lures and

deadly monofilament fishing line

Since it restarted its monofilament

removal mission in March, teams have collected about 1,540 feet of line, 46 lures, 12 bobbers and 53 hooks The refuge reminded the public to fish responsibly by properly discarding of fishing gear and

limbs Wildlife can become entangled in the line and ingest lures and

hooks to fatal results The April team members included: Ranger Yvette Carrasco, Dan Hopta, Lisa K

y Moss, Ranger Tucker Phillips, biological science technician Avery Renshaw, intern Sarah Riedlin and Karen Turner

Residents, businesses reminded to obtain storm re-entry passes

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Sanibel and Captiva will use new 2024 hurricane passes for the upcoming storm season

The city of Sanibel's 2021 and 2022 passes will no longer be valid

Property owners, residents and businesses need to apply for the Hurricane Reentry Pass Program in case an evacuation is ordered The intent of the passes is to maximize security, while providing authorized persons the quickest possible access to their properties.

For residents, a limit of one pass is issued per address

For businesses, a limit of one to two passes is issued per address

Any older hurricane passes can be discarded

Sanibel and Captiva are broken down into a number of re-entry zones

The zones are numbered from the re-entry access point the Sanibel Causeway then from Sanibel through to Captiva Typically, a couple of zones are worked on at a time during the re-entry clearing process. A second situation is an all-zone re-entry, which is when all zones are cleared at the same time

To re-enter the islands, those with passes may also need to provide a photo ID at the toll booth

Those without passes will be required to provide a valid photo ID with an island address, like a driver's license P O Boxes will not be accepted and ownership of island property, such as a utility bill

Acquiring a pass requires a short application and specific documentation

For more information, visit mysanibel com and click on the “I Want To” drop-down tab

Similar to the pictured hangtags, the city of Sanibel will issue new 2024 hurricane passes for the upcoming season The 2021 and 2022 passes will no longer be valid for Sanibel and Captiva

CITY OF SANIBEL

Storm reimbursements continue to roll in for school district

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The School District of Lee County is not currently in a deficit due to Hurricane Ian damage, a welcome update

Imperium Consulting Director Joseph Mascali said currently the district is temporarily in a surplus of $30 4 million, a significant increase from the last board update of a deficit of $5 million

“Those proceeds are going to be expended in respect to ongoing work in relation to the recovery,” he said

The estimated total loss caused by Ian remains at $227 million for the school district

To date, the district has received $5 2 million from the National Florida Insurance Program; $75 million for property insurance the policy limit; $116 9 million from FEMA public assistance; $13 million from the State Public Assistance Cost Share program; $1 2 million from Lee County for the shelter claim reimbursement; and $17 5 million for Legislature capital appropriation

The estimated non-eligible district losses is $48 4 million.

Storm

preparation

Caribbean,” the forecast states. “Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season Thorough preparations should be made every season, regardless of predicted activity ”

With Sanibel and Captiva still recovering from Ian, local officials reported that being ready to evacuate should always be the plan, especially as they are barrier islands with low-lying ground and wetlands

“It's important to prepare because it could save your life,” Sanibel Police Department Police Chief William Dalton said “If the right conditions exist, we'll have island-wide storm surge, like we did with Ian If we do

The presentation highlighted the progress the district has made with FEMA

Mascali said of the 178 submitted scopes of work for permanent work, 173 have been approved

The district has also submitted cost summaries financial asks to FEMA for a total of $5 4 million

“We are almost halfway through the totality of projects that need to be submitted to FEMA We are forecasted to complete it by early July All of the balls are in FEMA’s court and we are working with responding to any questions we receive,” he said

Business Services Executive Director Susan Malay said FEMA has to make the commitment to replace and repair Hector A Cafferata Jr Elementary School before the district can move forward with demolition

“FEMA needs to put into writing that the facility should be replaced Until then, they have the option to come back to look at it, or ask questions,” she said

Malay said rather than risk not having those questions answered, the shell of the building will remain in place She adding hopefully that decision will come soon, so they can

From page 1

have a major storm and we do issue an evacuation order, we need folks to evacuate ”

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District and Captiva Island Fire Control District echoed that

“For many years, the hurricanes kind of skirted our area,” Sanibel Fire Chief Kevin Barbot said, pointing to the years between Ian and Charley in 2004 “We can't take these storms lightly ”

“There's always the advice and the warnings from the professionals Unfortunately, too many times people do not listen,” Captiva Fire Chief Jeff Pawul said “It only takes one, as we all learned ”

On the subject of Ian, island officials

shared a few lessons learned.

review, consult again and get ready to demolish the original Hector campus

The presentation also highlighted other funding opportunities to make the school district more resilient during any future events through two funding sources Those include the 404-Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Through Lee County, the district was awarded $500,000 to retain an expert to perform vulnerability assessments of its infrastructure

The 404-Hazard Mitigation Grant Program request is for storm shutters for the school buildings and upgrading shingle tiled roofs to metal slopped roofs.

“The targeted funding amount is $22 million We are working through the application process,” Mascali said

The district also has received approval to apply for sponsorship from the county for phase 3 capital infrastructure

This would be to harden existing shelters and add shelters to the district’s portfolio

“The available funds are fairly significant Potentially tens of millions of dollars,” he said

“I think, in the past, a lot of folks really didn't believe that storm surge would ever really happen One of the biggest things that we learned is storm surge is real, it can happen,” Dalton said, noting that two lives on Sanibel were lost to those waters and they were lucky not to have more.

“The 'cone of uncertainty' and not getting fixated on the storm's track It can shift at any time Charley and Ian did exactly that,” Barbot said, adding that the intensity of a storm, like its wind speed and category, can also change quickly

“One of the lessons I think we're still learning is how long it takes after a storm to

get back,” Pawul said, noting that people think damages will be repaired quickly and full normalcy returned “But here we are going on a year and half, two years later ”

As for preparing for hurricane season, now is the time to create a plan, including when you will evacuate, where you will go and what you will take. Share your plan with family or friends

“We're on barrier islands It's going to take us a little bit longer to get off island Plan to evacuate early,” Barbot said “Have a few days' supply of food and water, so you're not depending on anyone else ”

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

∫ Sanibel Broadband Feasibility Study for $252,000: To determine the feasibility of underground and aerial installation

o f i n f r a s t r u c t u r

s

d high-speed symmetrical internet network connectivity to end users (households, businesses, et cetera) within the city limits

Staff reported that on April 16, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners awarded all three applications to the city in the amount of $702,000

On a related note, the council was presented at the meeting with a resolution to authorize staff to submit grant applications for the CDBG-DR Public Facilities and Critical Infrastructure Program for city projects and subgrantee projects

F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, BIG ARTS and the Island Water Association Subgrantees required a partner municipality

Staff explained that 16 project applications would be submitted for a total of $154 4 million

A motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously 5-0.

A l s o d u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g , A D G

Architecture Principal Clarisa Parodi gave a presentation on the 90% design for the new police building that will be constructed where the recycling center is located

The proposed design is three stories a two-story building over parking

ADG and construction manager Target Builders were picked in 2022 before Hurricane Ian

Staff noted that at the time the design contract was approved, the construction was estimated at $8 million Due to the delays caused by Ian and the increase in

b u i l d i n g m a t e r i a l s a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n expenses related to the storm, ADG and Target Builders now estimate the project at $12 23 million

F o

y

Manager Dana Souza addressed the cost increase and funding approach The city has secured a $1 million state appropriation, and it will seek CDBG-DR funds

“This is not just our police station, it will serve as the unified command center should we ever experience another emergency of any type, whether it's a natural or manmade emergency,” he said If unable to secure the funds, staff will seek other funding sources

“Our task next is to secure the funds and we'll work hard at doing that over the next few months,” Souza said

Police Chief William Dalton reported that the design fits the SPD's needs

“It adds quite a bit to our operations,” he said, pointing to the briefing room, men and women locker rooms, gym facil-

CITY OF SANIBEL

The Sanibel City Council recognized Sanibel Police Department senior dispatcher Virjinia Centeno as the Employee of the Second Quarter at its meeting on May 7

ity, training room, additional space and more “I can't really anticipate what the exact needs are going to be 20 or 30 years down the road, but I do feel this building will serve the needs of the community for probably 50 more years ”

A motion to approve the 90% design passed in a 5-0 vote

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

In other news

∫ The council voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance amending the Code related to housing standards and policies for the Below Market Rate Housing program

∫ The council unanimously appointed Kate Sergeant to the Sanibel Planning Commission to fill the reminder of now

C i t y C o

term from May 7 through Jan 12, 2026

∫ The council voted 5-0 on a resolution approving a loan agreement between t h e c i t y a n d F

r i d a D i v

n o f Emergency Management in the amount of $28 million for Ian recovery projects eligible for reimbursement through the pub-

During its meeting on May 7, the Sanibel City Council presented the Employee Service Awards for the first and second quarters of the year

During its meeting on May 7, the Sanibel City

declared May 19-25 as National Public Works

through proclamation

lic assistance process with FEMA It is a zero percent loan

∫ The council voted 5-0 on a resolution approving a grant agreement between t h e c i t y a n d F l o r i d a D e p a r t m e n t o f Transportation in the amount of $1 million to repair and repave certain sections of the Shared Use Path system

∫ The council voted 5-0 on a resolution approving a budget amendment to appropriate $164,465 in funding for a t r a f f i c f l o w i n t e r s e c t i o n s t u d y a t P e r i w i n k l e W a y / L i n d g r e n Boulevard/Causeway Boulevard

∫ The council voted 5-0 on a resolution approving a budget amendment to appropriate funding for dredging of the Shell Harbor and Sanibel Isles entrance canal It also voted 5-0 to award a threeyear contract to Bayside Dredging to provide dredging services in the amount of $237,500

∫ The council voted 5-0 to approve a p

services in the amount of $348,860 for Ian related paved road repairs The funds

Sanibel City Council declared May as National Cities, Towns, and Villages Month through proclamation at its meeting on May 7 See COUNCIL, page 22

Department of Environmental Protection grant

Assistance project funding ∫ The council voted 5-0 to approve a proposal from Johnson Engineering for the Post Hurricane Ian Surface Water Management Master Plan for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $381,024 The

The Sanibel City Council declared May 6 as Sergeant Anthony Neri Day through proclamation at its meeting on May 7

Council

Week

The

Fire board

From page 1

Chief John DiMaria reported that staff has started training at the Strauss Theater BIG ARTS gave the district permission to use it before it is demolished in early June The first round of training entailed rope rescues Next up will be search and rescue and fire operations

In other news

∫ Barbot provided an update on the dis-

trict's $2 1 million state appropriations request He reported that the district is about “99% there” on receiving the funding as only the governor can veto the ask now.

“I think we're sitting pretty good on that,” Barbot said

∫ Barbot reported that with the city of

The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District recently conducted rope rescue training at the Strauss Theater on Sanibel. BIG ARTS gave the district permission to use the building before it is demolished in June

SANIBEL FIRE AND RESCUE DISTRICT

(CDBG-DR) funding will be submitted to Lee County The funds would be used to raise Station 171 on Palm Ridge Road above the floodplain elevation.

“Will it happen? I don't know,” he said “But we're going to try real hard to get it ”

∫ Barbot reported that the district is hoping to get a fee reduction from the Island Water Association for water hook up at the new Station 172 on Sanibel-

Captiva Road It will be brought before its board

“We're talking about a few thousand dollars,” he said.

∫ An official groundbreaking for the new station is scheduled for June 7 at 10 a m

∫ The district has responded to 508 calls this year, versus about 316 for the same period last year

death of children who die in the explosion of a munitions dump after Hamas prevented them from leaving the combat zone It is wrong to compare Israeli civilians specifically targeted after months of planning with those who are warned and given an opportunity to leave, and later die when a Hamas command center or sniper post is destroyed When contemplating hostage exchange, it is also wrong to equate a person arrested, convicted and in jail after an unprovoked stabbing attack or for throwing stones at women and children as equivalent to someone kidnapped from their home If the proPalestinian protesters want to end the war and suffering their chants should simply be for Hamas to release the hostages Sadly, college students who believe they are calling for compassion do not call for Hamas to let the Red Cross see the hostages and do not

Council

From page 20

∫ The council voted 5-0 to approve an agreement with Johnson Engineering for engineering design and permitting of the Sanibel Slough Stormwater Capacity and Water Quality Improvement Project in the eastern most portion (Beach Road to Elinor Way) of the slough in the amount of $212,049 The funding is provided by the Florida DEP

∫ The council voted 5-0 to approve a proposal from Tetra Tech for professional engineering services in the amount of $499,840 for Ian related wastewater lift station rehabilitation The funding will come from a Florida DEP grant

∫ The council decided against funding

see their own hypocrisy

All these things in the news created a concern in me that those in Israel would feel isolated. I decided to go and show them they were not alone It turns out, I was not alone Most of the Sar-el people I spoke with felt the same They were upset by the media, politicians and misinformed but well-meaning protesters Perhaps years of redefining terms like “occupier,” “apartheid state” and “open air prison” allowed for easy manipulation of college students by Islamists who hate all Jews and are guiding the protests and chants However, years ago universities should have countered the anti-Israel propaganda with the truth. Professors should have been wise enough to read the Oslo Accords By that 1990s agreement, Palestinians agreed to give Israel control of the majority of the West Bank It is not “occupied land ” The agreement called for the cessation of

a fireworks display for the Fourth of July based upon staff recommendations and concerns from the Sanibel fire district about the conditions and dry vegetation

∫ The council held the first reading for an ordinance related to the sunsetting of

Construction Industry Regulation Board

The second reading is set for June 4

Chorale performed an arrangement from its set at the New York Invitational Music Festival on April 1 at Carnegie Hall in New York The council also presented the youths with the city's commemorative coin, which is given as recognition of spe-

attacks on Jews as a “trust building” measure, after which more of the West Bank would be given to the Palestinians unfortunately the Palestinian authority continues to fund attacks on Jews so no trust emerged They should have pointed out that there have been no Israelis in Gaza for a decade, so also not “occupied ” Because there are checkpoints to prevent rockets, used to attack Israeli citizens from entering Gaza, does not make it an “open air prison” any more than taking off your shoes to fly or stopping at customs when driving from Canada to the United States makes the U S an “open air prison ” Because those educating our young did not point out these absurdities, Hamas is not confronted and we see the suffering of war prolonged

There is a path to peace The model to bring peace should mimic World War II Starting with the unconditional surrender of

cial achievement

∫ The council recognized SPD senior

Employee of the Second Quarter

∫ The council recognized the following employees for their service: wastewater plant operator John Juzkiw for 20 years and SPD Sgt Kenneth Sutton for 20 years during the first quarter; and SPD Officer Kyle Eckert for five years, Deputy City Clerk Anna Hicks for five years, lead d

years, tradesworker Franklin Rocha for five years and SPD Lt Jonathan Smith for 20 years during the second quarter

∫ The council recognized May 5-11

Germany and Japan, soldiers started helping the civilians by providing food and water Then a multinational occupation to prevent violence stayed in place and helped rebuild while a democratic civilian government was established This is a solution that starts with the unconditional surrender of Hamas It will require politicians and world leaders to commit to the decades needed to re-educate those indoctrinated in the Islamist hatred of Jews, but it can be done For the sake of peace, the sooner Hamas is gone and the process begins, the better for everyone Meanwhile, I believe, we should do what we can to help the Israeli soldiers complete their mission to destroy Hamas in Gaza and end the daily threat of rocket, knife or car attacks by Hamas indoctrinated martyrs so all children in the area can grow up free of fear

The council declared May 6

The council declared May

Michael Raab Sanibel

Advice column to islander readers

Once a year I devote a column to the millions of letters that pour into the Sanibel-Captiva Islander asking me for advice (well, maybe three or four) I’m flattered that readers reach o u t t o m e i n t h e i r moments of anguish, concern and naï veté They seem to take the position that I’m worldly wise and can help them solve their problems.

This is a responsibility I take very seriously I’ve chosen some representative reader inquiries for this column and hope that my words of advice will provide solace, peace and resolution

Reader: Art, I paid $2 million for my house on

S a n i b e l a n d t o d a y i t ’ s only worth $1,990,000. I’m beside myself with rage and helplessness I’m thinking of selling but I would lose $10,000 That $10,000 would pay for a dinner at Timbers with 1,000 of my closest friends What should I do?

Advice: H a v e y o u t h o u g h t a b o u t e a r m a r k i n g $10,000 from your personal Swiss account which holds all of your laundered money and buy pork futures? In four months, that $10,000 would be worth a lot of bacon With the profits you make you can foreclose on your house, sell it to your mother-in-law, buy it back for $500,000 and declare a bank holiday. This transaction would be so complex that not even an IRS agent who studied at the Beirut School of Finance could find fault with it In fact, chances are that he would invite you to join the IRS staff

Reader: My wife ran away with one of the Sanibel golf pros She left a letter on the dresser that said she had to make this move because as much as she loved me she loved her golf game better She asked me to take care of the kids, give them a college education and take out the garbage when necessary My wife and I have been married twenty years and her timing couldn’t have been worse. She left me just as I was planning to take up with my tennis pro Is there a solution to this mess?

Advice: There certainly is You’ve got to find her golf pro and introduce him to your tennis pro If the two of them hit it off then you could study hard to get a golf pro’s license and reconcile with your wife by giving her the best of both worlds You could combine the passions of marriage and golf and live happily ever after

Reader: My daughter wears tattoos as well as body rings In every other way she’s a normal, well adjusted young lady except for the fact that she doesn’t want to work, go to school or accept responsibility She’s only interested in her Barbie Doll, her posters of Harry Potter and her vampire movie DVDs She never asked for parental approval to get the tattoos and body rings which leads me to believe that somehow I’ve failed miserably as a parent

Advice: Don’t be so hard on yourself We live in crazy times and children are often difficult to raise and control What I suggest you do is ground your daughter for a year, lock her in her room and invite her to share with you the cause of her rebellion Find out what issues she has with her parents and tell her how much you adore her tattoos especially the one of Aaron Judge hitting a home run Try to reason with her and point out that body rings may cause severe acne which is the scourge of young girls everywhere

Besides, your daughter is only four years old and has lots of time to outgrow her childhood silliness

Reader: I’ve just moved to Sanibel and would like to hear your recommendations on how I can get my social life started

See ADVICE, page 25

TCH’s Summer Salutations event to offer up food, drinks and fun

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Community House will kick off a new summer series of events for island residents and visitors

Summer Salutations will be held on May 16 from 3 to 5 p m at TCH on Sanibel Free and open to the community, the events will feature food, drinks and fun

“We did something similar last year called Lobby Libations It seemed to be real-

Operations Kyle Wilson said, adding that visitors also stopped by.

She explained that they went with “salutations” this summer as it means to greet or welcome others

“This will be an opportunity to greet and meet neighbors, friends and visitors,” Wilson said “So just to check in on each other and a chance to share stories ” T

Vibrations ”

“There'll be music,” she said

There will also be a postcard writing station, which will be available at each of the monthly events

“We have a specialty postcard that was designed by Melissa Gindling at The Island Octopus. It's brightly colored and features the lighthouse, sunset, a roseate spoonbill,” Wilson said “They can write postcards to, say, friends, neighbors, family ”

“A chance to send those good vibrations out into the world and let people know we're still here,” she added

TCH will mail out the postcards for those who choose to participate

“There'll be light food fare and beverages,” Wilson said

The offerings will include water and soda, along with beer and wine

TCH will provide the food for the first event.

Island residents and visitors are invited to swing by and enjoy the camaraderie

“It allows them a chance to stop in and say hello,” she said “We are the gathering spot ”

IF YOU GO

What Summer Salutations

When May 16 from 3 to 5 p m

Where The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Details Free and open to the public

“It might be an opportunity also to see the compete restoration,” Wilson added, noting that there is tape in the Founders Room marking the waterline from Hurricane Ian, which will be memorialized later

For more information, visit www sanibelcommunityhouse net

People can also contact Wilson at 239-293-9448 or operations@sanibelcommunityhouse net

The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Art Stevens Shell Shocked

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE

Saint Michael to host family gathering

S

Episcopal Church will host its next Messy Church on May 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.

Sunday of each month, it is a free event

Advice

From page 24

Advice: The first thing I’d recommend is that you stage a fake fainting spell in the soup aisle of Jerry's Foods. Pretend that you’re having a severe anxiety attack and begin to shout such obscenities as “my wife doesn’t understand me,” or “get that alligator out of my shopping cart ” You’ll begin to attract immediate attention and will bring out the social consciousness of other shoppers They will immediately tend to you to see if you need help As they approach begin to take down names and phone numbers Two weeks later you will be ready to have your first dinner party and invite all the good Samaritans

for families Attendees can take part in

along with activities, games and a community meal. For more information, visit https://www saintmichaels-sanibel org/

who leaned over you at Jerry's to help remove the spittle from your face There’s no need to thank me for this useful advice. That’s how my own social life on Sanibel got started

I’ll take more readers’ questions at a later date Please send them to me at the Islander in plain brown envelopes And don’t forget to put postage stamps on the envelopes I’m tired of having to pay for you

Art Stevens is a long-time columnist for the Sanibel-Captiva Islander His tongue-incheek humor is always offered with a smile.

ISL AND HOME islander

Bottle palm is salt-tolerant, perfect for islands

Aptly named for its uniquely shaped trunk, the bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) is a relatively small but beautiful accent palm for any tropical garden T

overall (10-foot maximum height), the palm adds a striking statement to your landscape with i

n d s , swollen trunk and reddish-colored crown shaft and leaf stems The bottle palm also makes for a great container palm due to its slow growth habit

Often seen in a single trunk, bottle palms are also available in eye-catching multi-trunk specimens Contrary to popular belief, the swollen trunk of this mini palm is not for water storage and although it can be moderately drought tolerant after it gets established, irrigation is required for optimal results At the same time, the palm does not like an overly wet area and prefers to be planted in soil where the soil drains well, like our island environment Generally speaking, freezing temperatures or frost for a few hours will not usually kill a bottle palm, but may burn the tips of the fronds

Naturally found on Round Island off the northern coast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, the bottle palm is highly salt tolerant, making it ideal for coastal plantings While habitat destruction may destroy the last remaining palms in the wild, the survival of the species is assured due to its planting as a specimen plant throughout the tropics and subtropics In the United States, only southern Florida and Hawaii provide ideal locations to grow the unique palm tree Luckily for us here on Sanibel, we are fortunate enough to fall in the perfect environment to enjoy the beautiful bottle palm

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

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

Zonta holds annual donation event

The Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva

Collection Day on April 20 at the Sanibel Recreation Center on Sanibel Items were collected for Dress for

with which the club has a service relationship Zontians were on hand in the parking lot to unload the donations,

household articles, and sewing supplies and fabric A table was also set up in the center's lobby, and boxes were left so the donations could continue throughout the week The club thanked all who contributed

Locustberr y attracts native bees

By SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Locustberry (Byrsonima lucida) is an evergreen large shrub or small tree that can grow upwards of 15 feet and wild So be sure to give this one room to grow you’ll be glad that you did! It blooms in late winter or early spring The flowers come in clusters and change color from white to pink to orangey red as they mature The flowers develop and age separately giving each cluster a range of colors It is said that this one will put your neighbor's flowering exotics to shame Locustberry will grow well in sandy soils and is very drought tolerant once it is established It has few pests and is disease-resistant It does attract native bees and is a nectar plant for the Florida duskywing butterfly The locustberry's home is the Miami pine rocklands and it is listed as threatened due to habitat loss

F.I.S.H. to hold distribution event

In partnership with the United

F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva contin-

Hurricane Ian Point of Distribution (POD) program The next event will take place on May 17 from 9 to 11 a m at the Walk-In Center, at 2430 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel The pro-

Decal program results in donation

gram is available to Sanibel and Captiva residents and workers; recipients must show proof of residency or employment Bring a vehicle large enough for the items and some extra hands to lift them For more information, contact Disaster Administrative Director Manuela Martinez at 239472-4775 or manuela@fishofsancap org

Bank of the Islands recently made a d

Islands program. Winner Taylor Maze was spotted with the program's decal on his vehicle, winning him the chance to

chose to donate $500 to

of Sanibel-Captiva The bank has donated $139,600 to date through the program

All islanders are invited to visit the bank’s branches to pick up a decal and l

Islands program

Sanibel Captiva

PHOTO PROVIDED

Bottle palm

ZONTA CLUB OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA

Manning, Paula Friedman, Karen Pati and Erica Steiner at the 7th annual Community Collection Day on April 20 on Sanibel.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION Locustberry

BANK OF THE ISLANDS

From left, Bank of the Islands Vice President David Lowden, winner Taylor Maze, Emery Lowden and Maria Espinoza of F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, bank Vice President Richard Shera and head teller Heather Harrison.

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

By CHEF LORETTA PAGANINI

This rich creamy chocolate hazelnut torte makes a delicious dessert for any special occasion I make it often because it is a favorite dessert among my family and friends I remember the first time that I tasted it It was made by a famous Cleveland caterer at my cooking school After that first bite, I had to make it, with a few additions to make it my own Enjoy it with your family!

Serves 16 (Chef tip: Do not over whip your egg whites or they will not incorporate with the rest of the ingredients )

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup Kalua coffee liquor

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup fined chopped hazelnuts

Loretta Paganini

Preheat oven to 350°F Butter two 8-by-2-inch pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper Set aside

Melt butter and stir in cocoa powder until fully combine Allow butter to cool slightly, then whisk in eggs yolks, coffee liquor and extract Whip egg whites and sugar until soft peaks form

CROW Calendar

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

∫ Today, May 1 5

Program of the Week at 11 a.m.

The presentation will be the presenter's choice

∫ Thursday, May 1 6

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 a b o u t

“Wildlife Conservation ”

∫ Friday, May 1 7

Program of the Week at 11 a m

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

∫ Monday, May 2 0

Program of the Week at 11 a.m.

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

∫ Tuesday, May 2 1

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about “One Health ”

∫ Wednesday, May 2 2

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The presentation will be about “Road Ecology.”

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

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 239-4723644 ext. 229 or reservations@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

When debate crosses over into racism, hatred

O n M a y 8 , B a t Y a m

T e m p l e o f t h e I s l a n d s r e c e i v e d a n o t h e r b o m b t h r e a t T h e l a n g u a g e i n t h e e m a i l w a s s i m i l a r t o a b o m b t h r e a t r e c e i v e d i n D e c e m b e r O v e r a d o z e n o t h e r s y n a g o g u e s i n F l o r i d a r e c e i v e d t h i s s a m e e m a i l r e s u l t i n g i n p o l i c e r e s p o n s e s a l l o v e r t h e s t a t e w a s t i n g t h e p r e c i o u s t i m e a n d r e s o u r c e s o f l a w e n f o r c e m e n t

T h e s e t h r e a t s a f f e c t n o t o n l y t h e J e w i s h c o m m u n it y b u t o u r s p i r i t u a l p a r tn e r s , s u c h a s t h e S a n i b e l

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer Faces

C o n g r e g a t i o n a l U n i t e d C h u r c h o f C h r i s t , w h o s e s t a f f h a d t o b e e v a c u a t e d d u r i n g a p o l i c e s w e e p o f o u r c o m p l e x W e a r e g r a t e f u l f o r t h e a l l y s h i p o f t h e

on Faith

R e v M a r k B o y e a a n d t h e m e m b e r s h i p

o f t h e S C U C C , a s w e l l a s t h e q u i c k

r e s p o n s e s f r o m t h e S a n i b e l P o l i c e

D e p a r t m e n t , D e p u t y P o l i c e C h i e f

Sift together flour and baking powder, then stir in wet ingredients and egg whites into dry until incorporated Fold in hazelnuts

Scoop batter into cake pans and spread evenly Bake until a toothpick placed in the center of the pan comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes.

Chocolate frosting:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks), room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt chocolate over a double boiler Cool chocolate and whip it with butter Slowly add powder sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy Frost the cake and serve it with chocolate fudge sauce

Chocolate fudge sauce: (makes about 2 cups)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sweet coffee liquor

When ready to serve, make chocolate sauce by melting butter and cream together in a small sauce pan Pour hot cream over chocolate pieces in a bowl Add liquor and stir until smooth and chocolate pieces have all melted

Island Worship

(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

Services will return for season in November Videos of services from the past season can be found on the chapel's website and Facebook page

∫ 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 are 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 10 a m in the Sanctuary Services will be recorded and posted on the SCC's YouTube channel

∫ 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.

A n t h o n y T h o m p s o n , M a y o r R i c h a r d J o h n s o n a n d C i t y M a n a g e r D a n a S o u z a F e w i n o u r l i f e t i m e s h a v e w i t n e s s e d t h e r e c e n t u p w e l l i n g o f a n t i s e m i t i s m h e r e i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o n s u c h a s c a l e T h e A n t i D e f a m a t i o n L e a g u e r e c e n t l y r e p

e d t o 3 , 6 9 7 i n 2 0 2 2 , a n d a c c o r d i n g t o a b r o a de r d e f i n i t i o n , i t r e c o r d e d 8 , 8 7 3 i n c i d e n t s T h e n u m b e r o f a s s a u l t s i n c r e a s e d f r o m 1 1 1 i n 2 0 2 2 t o 1 6 1 i n 2 0 2 3 a n d a c t s o f v a n d a l i s m r o s e f r o m 1 , 2 8 8 t o 2 , 1 0 6

S i m i l a r p e r c e n t a g e s o f i n c r e a s e h a v e b e e n d o c u m e n t e d i n E u r o p e , a s w e l l T h i s i n c r e a s e i n a n t i s e m i t i c i n c i d e n t s p r e c e d e d t h e h e i n o u s a t t a c k b y H a m a s u p o n I s r a e l o n O c t 7 w h e n 1 , 1 6 3 p e op l e w e r e b r u t a l l y m u r d e r e d a n d 2 4 0

∫ 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 5 p m Sunday Mass at 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 9:30 a m , with a coffee hour to follow; service is available via livestream and the link on the website.

t a k e n a s h o s t a g e s I t p r e c e d e d I s r a e l ’ s r e s p o n s e w i t h a n i n v a s i o n o f G a z a a n d t h e d e a t h s o f t e n s o f t h o u s a n d s T h e r a t i o o f c o m b a t a n t s t o c i v i l i a n s k i l l e d m a y n e v e r b e k n o w n s i n c e H a m a s d o e s n o t d i f f e r e n t i a t e b e t w e e n t h e s e t w o .

O n c o l l e g e c a m p u s e s w e ' v e w i tn e s s e d a l m o s t d a i l y o v e r t h e l a s t s i x w e e k s c h a n t s c a l l i n g f o r t h e e l i m i n a t i o n o f I s r a e l , a s o v e r e i g n n a t i o n , a n d “ D e a t h

t o t h e Z i o n i s t s a n d J e w s ” A t C o l u m b i a

U n i v e r s i t y p r o t e s t o r s w e r e r e c o r d e d

c h a n t i n g ; “ J e w s , J e w s G o b a c k t o P o l a n d ” A g r o u p o f n e a r b y d e m o n s t r at o r s o f f - c a m p u s c h a n t e d , “ W e s a y j u st i c e , y o u s a y h o w

d e r

∫ Bat Yam Temple of the Islands 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Cheeburger Cheeburger, 1975 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Cielo, 1244 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, 1473 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

RC Otter's Island Eats, 11506 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva

islandBEAT islander

Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen, 1200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

The Santiva Islanders will present the following:

Cardio & Strength

Santiva Islanders Calendar

Social Mahjong

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength today, May 15, 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 May 16 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 978-239-4612

Social Bridge

Social Bridge will be held on May 16 from noon to 2:30 p m in the library at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Cost is $5 For more information, contact Bryant Korn at bryantekorn@gmail com

The Community House Calendar

The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, will present the following:

Shellcrafters

The Shellcrafters will meet on May 20 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 $5-10 Items will be available for sale All sales benefit the operations of TCH

Shell Critter Kits are available for purchase in a variety of different options. Cost is $5 per kit with all of the supplies included, except for glue Order them in-person at TCH or call 239-472-2155

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

For more information, visit www sanibelcommun i t y h o u s e n e t o r c o n t a c t 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 - 2 1 5 5 o r office@sanibelcommunityhouse.net.

Social Mahjong will be held on May 16 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 information, contact Beth Funderburg at bfundy4648@gmail com

Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation will be held on May 17 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 May 17 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

Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation will be held on May 20 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 May 20 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

Happy Hour

Happy Hour will be held on May 20 from 4 to 6 p m at Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen, at 1200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Enjoy happy hour drink and appetizer specials Attendees will order and pay individually

Cardio & Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio & Strength on May 22 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

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

landers@gmail com

Debate

From page 27

a l s i n v o l v e d

∫ R e j e c t r h e t o r i c o r i m a g e s t h a t c o u l d r e m i n d p e o p l e o f c l a s s i c a n t i s e m i t i c s t e r e o t y p e s

∫ R e j e c t s p e a k i n g a b o u t “ t h e J e w s ” a s i f t h e y a r e t h e s a m e a s t h e I s r a e l i g o v e r n m e n t a n d a v o i d d e s c r i b i n g J e w s a s “ t h e Z i o n i s t s ”

∫ D o n o t e x p e c t J e w i s h p e o p l e t o h a v e a v i e w o n t h e c o n f l i c t o r a s k t h e m t o j u s t i f y o r c o n d e m n I s r a e l ’ s a c t i o n s ∫ D o n o t p e r m i t y o u r c r i t i c i s m t o b e c o m e c e ns o r s h i p C r i t i c s o f I s r a e l a n d s u p p o r t e r s o f I s r a e l n e e d t o t a l k a n d l i s t e n t o o n e a n o t h e r . I t i s n e c e s s a r y f o r u s t o b e a b l e t o d e b a t e a n d r a i s e o u r v o i c e s a b o u t v i t a l i s s u e s T h a t i s w h a t f r e e s p e e c h a s e n s h r i n e d i n t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n i s a l l a b o u t B u t w h e n t h e d e b a t e c r o s s e s o v e r i n t o e x p r e s s i o n s o f r a c i s m a n d h a t r e d t h a t b e c o m e s a t h r e a t t o d e m o c r a c y R a b b i S u n n y S c h n i t z e r i s w i t h t h e B a t Y a m T e m p l e o f t h e I s l a n d s

The Mucky Duck, 11546 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva Traders, 1551 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

‘No Team Like Our Dames’

(Dedicated to the Dunes Dames Tennis Team; chorus of husbands, tennis widowers and significant others)

We got sunlight, beach and shells, And a golf course near the sea, We got oranges and mangoes

You can pick right off the tee, There’s no volleyball, no ping-pong Or other dandy games, The best thing we got: We got Dunes Dames!

They don’t sit around at home, Or return things to the mall, They are taking tennis clinics In how to pound the ball, They are learning how to serve And hit their forehands well, What don’t they do?

Well, we won’t tell

We thought they had no one left to dress up for and flirt with, But now they’ve got a team to wear a matching top and skirt with

There is no team like our Dames

Nothing like our girls, There is no team you can name

That is anything like our Dames!

They’re relentless when they play

As we watch in shock and awe, They’re so busy breaking service, They might even break a law When they taste a victory

Like Little Red Riding-hood, How do they feel? They feel damn good!

Lots of things in life are beautiful, but misters, there is no particular thing more rewarding than victory in any way, shape or form over their sisters

There is no team like our Dames, Nothing like our girls, There is no team you can name That is anything like our Dames!

No team else can play the same No team in the world, That can wield their racket frames With the artistry of our Dames.

There is absolutely no team that can wave frames like our Dames

We’re not saying that their tennis Is completely free of flaws, There are times when they are broken And don’t deserve applause, It’s a waste of time to worry Just because they missed a shot, Get ready to cheer, when they get hot!

There is no team you can name That is anything like our Dames

There are no wives like our Dames, With the vibes of our Dames, No others fight like our Dames With the might of our Dames, No team acts like our Dames, Or attracts like our Dames There is nothing wrong with anyone here That can't be cured by having them cheer Our winning, womanly, champion, feminine Dames!

Joe Pacheco Poetic License

REFUGE/DDWS

Refuge provides outreach update

J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge representatives set up an informational table at the 31st annual Sam Bailey's Islands Night on April 17 at H

Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge was a sponsor for the parade and game hosted by the S a n C a p C

Outreach Team also recently had a presence at the DYS Marina post-hurricane reopening event on Fort Myers Beach Additional outreach occasions included

Juneteenth Celebration set for June 15 at Roberto Clemente Park in Fort Myers when the Roving Ranger will appear at one of its first community-hosted events

THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA TRUST COMPANY

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company team with Trailways Camp founders Sharon and Jerry Miller Trust company ser ves as sponsor

Company was a lead sponsor for the Trailways Camp's 9th Annual “I AM

April 13 at Citygate Ministries in Fort Myers It also hosted a table of campers and their caregivers The e v e n t b

campers to celebrate their birthdays and enjoy games, awards, music and dancing

THE SANCTUARY GOLF CLUB FOUNDATION

The Sanctuary Golf Club Foundation recently awarded a $30,000 grant to The Sanibel School to assist its STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics program

Foundation awards grant funding

Through recent fundraising efforts,

The Sanctuary Golf Club Foundation

r a i s e d g r a n t f u n d s f o r T h e S a n i b e l School and Children's Education Center of the Islands on Sanibel The school received $30,000 to assist its STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics program The CECI received $150,000 to support of

its rebuilding initiatives, including permanent playground structures, as well as scholarship funds for families in need Since its inception in 2019, the foundation has granted more than $1 million toward community efforts and over $800,000 toward education on the islands

Monthly exhibit at TCH

During the month of May, SanibelCaptiva Art League members will exhibit their work at The Community House, at

pieces include oils, acrylics and watercol-

ors in a variety of sizes The public can view the work from 9 a m to 1 p m Monday to Friday The artwork is available for sale For more information, visit www sancapart org

Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels finished off the school year last week at Oak Hammock Middle School in the

graders about the pH scale and how it correlates to ocean acidification The team simulated ocean acidification on a seashell soaked in vinegar versus tap water Summer camp scheduling will begin on June 10 and carry through to July 26 to five different locations

Winners of chili competition announced

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 123 hosted its first annual Chili Cook-Off Competition on April 27 at American Legion Post 123 on Sanibel The winners of the competition were DJ Heidtman, of Lost Creek BBQ Catering, for the Judge's Choice Award and Dave Adams for the People's Choice Award Other contestants included Barbara Lee Brodeur, Bob Booth, Dave Queisser and Colleen Seeger The panel of celebrity judges was made up of Mike Billheimer, Jimmy Jensen, Danny Morgan, Rachel Pierce and Marty Stokes The proceeds from the event will support the Special Olympics

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY UNIT 123

From left, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 123 President Heather Silbar, People's Choice Award winner Dave Adams and Judge's Choice Award winner DJ Heidtman

Medals were awarded to the Judge's Choice and People's Choice winners

From left, judges Marty Stokes, Rachel Pierce, Jimmy Jensen, Danny Morgan and Mike Billheimer