Sanibel Island Reporter/Islander

Ci ty council appr oves final budget, mil ls

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Sanibel City Council adopted the final millage rate and budget for fiscal year 2023-24 during its second and final budget hearing last week

On Sept 27, it voted unanimously 5-0 to approve an operating rate of 2 500 mills, which exceeds the rolled-back rate of 1 7333 by 44 2%, but it is lower than the maximum rate set earlier of 2.9598.

Included within the millage rate resolution, the council approved the voted d e b t s e r v i c e m i l l a g e r a t e s , i n c l u d i n g 0 0624 mills for the tentative sewer and 0 1305 mills for the tentative recreation center

The council also voted 5-0 to approve a final budget of $182,278,937 for the new year

The Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office certified that the gross taxable value for operating and budgeting purposes not exempt from taxation within the city of Sanibel as $4,217,281,792

See COUNCIL, page 21

Refuge opens annual

photo contest for high schoolers

The 11th annual “Ding” Darling-Theodore Cross High School Photography Contest has kicked off with a deadline of Jan 15 It invites high school students in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties to compete for prizes that include a Canon digital SLR camera package, oneyear subscription to Adobe photography software and an annual pass to the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel

Cross, who lived part-time on Sanibel, marched with Dr Martin Luther King Jr ; advised the Johnson and Nixon administrations on anti-poverty programs; wrote the influential book “Black Capitalism,” among others; played a prominent role in See REFUGE PHOTO CONTEST, page 21

Chase Qurollo, of Cape Coral High School, won first place in last year's contest with “Nature's Bandit.”

CROW breaks ground on outdoor rehabilitation enclosures

O n S e p t 2 6 , t h e C l i n i c f o r t h e

Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel held a groundbreaking ceremony for six, new outdoor enclosures They will replace the ones completely lost during Hurricane Ian CROW returned to its Sanibel campus in March, resuming regular hours in the poststorm renovated hospital space However, it is unable to operate at full capacity due to the rehabilitation enclosures Once the new structures are completed, pelicans, shorebirds, songbirds and large raptors will again be able to recover at the campus before being released to the wild

See CROW, page 22

CLINIC FOR THE REHABILITATION OF WILDLIFE

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 26 for its new outdoor enclosures for patients, which will replace the ones lost in Hurricane Ian.

alsOInsIdetOday

Guest Commentary........................4

Web Poll.........................................4

Captiva Current 6-7

B u s i n e s s 8

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

Island Living................................14

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Classifieds 31

CHASE QUROLLO

Pendergrass: Intent is to foster annexation cooperation

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

C o n c e r n e d a b o u t e f f o r t s t h a t h a v e popped up in Cape Coral and Fort Myers, L e e C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r C e c i l P e n d e r g r a s s s a i d a p r o p o s e d c h a r t e r amendment in front of the Lee County Charter Review Commission that would give the county more authority over annexations is meant to “help the county and the cities work together for better planning for the future ”

He said he is concerned about annexations in other parts of the county, which allowed developments that overwhelmed the local infrastructure in places like Fort Myers where housing permits were approved off Daniels Parkway to areas where the county is unable to provide water, transportation or other utilities

Pendergrass also referred to the annexation proposals by the city of Cape Coral involving unincorporated areas of Matlacha near Pine Island, which have been opposed by residents, and which he said would negatively impact f u n d i n g f o r t h e M a t l a c h a / P i n e I s l a n d F i r e C o n t r o l District

“I’m not trying to stop it,” Pendergrass said “I’m trying to see if there is something we can do collectively to have more dialogue and conversation.”

“As a policymaker and as a citizen of this county, we

should be able to plan for the future to make sure we have the infrastructure and utilities in place as we grow as a community,” he added “I totally support the development of businesses and the residential, but there is a right place for it and a right time So sometimes I think we should have a better venue. I am just trying to create some type of venue so we can sit down and discuss that when there is an issue ”

The Cape, Fort Myers, Sanibel and Estero city councils have all voiced opposition to the amendment

“I want to create a venue, not to deny the annexation, but to provide for longterm planning,” Pendergrass said “We don’t have any communication with cities when this happen ”

Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson said the council opposes the charter amendment and expressed concern for the amendment infringing on the city’s home rule

“Property owners seeking voluntary annexation would be subject to an unnecessary expense related to county bureaucracy,” he said

Johnson referred to the state Legislature’s efforts to restrict the power of local governments over zoning as relatable to the proposed county charter amendment

“Home rule is under attack at every single (state) legislative session,” he said “Not just for the municipalities,

HAB research reveals phytoplankton shifts

Researchers from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab and the University of Florida recently completed the second year of a three-year study, funded by the U S Environmental Protection Agency and U S Army Corps of Engineers, to monitor and model harmful algal bloom (HAB) events in the Caloosahatchee

The SCCF reported that results show phytoplankton shifts and correlations with dissolved organic nitrogen

“Our sampling showed that dominant types of phytoplankton differ in freshwater versus the more marine parts of the system,” Marine Lab Director Dr Eric Milbrandt said “The freshwater sites were

See HAB, page 7

but the county as well ”

Johnson said annexation decisions should be left to the local municipalities

“I totally respect the cities’ home rule,” Pendergrass said “Before a property is annexed into the city, it is the county’s home rule So there is two sides to every story there ”

Sanibel City Attorney John Agnew said the county could enter into interlocal agreements with municipalities instead of a charter amendment

“It isn’t to infringe upon other municipal rights, it isn’t to infringe upon individual rights,” he said “Interlocal agreements is a simple way to address it ”

Speaking after the review commission meeting on Sept 12 at which representatives from the cities were present, Pendergrass said he disagreed with interlocal agreements being the appropriate solution

“I wouldn’t support that,” he said

Pendergrass said he did not think interlocal agreements with the municipalities, property owners and county would work He would like to establish a process that the Lee County Commission would hold to review annexation applications

“I want to have a conversation between the county, the city and an approval process,” Pendergrass said

He added that county commissioners currently “have no seat at the table ”

The Lee County Charter Review Commission is scheduled to meet again on Oct 10

Cecil Pendergrass

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

(

One year since Hurricane Ian hit

Hurricane Ian, a near Category 5 monster of wind, waves and catastrophic storm surge, roared ashore at Cayo Costa a year ago on Sept 28, 2022, destroying much of Fort Myers Beach and heavily damaging Sanibel, Captiva, Matlacha and parts of Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Fort Myers

Winds were marked at 155 mph with gusts up to 161

Storm surge of 16 feet inundated Fort

M y e r s B e a c h , S a n i b e l a n d C a p t i v a a n d breached the Sanibel Causeway in multiple places and the bridge to Matlacha

Lee County took 14-1/2 inches of rainfall in the hours after Ian's 3:05 p m landfall and the storm's lingering presence

There were 161 deaths, 149 of them in Florida with 72 in Lee County, including 16 on Fort Myers Beach

More than 5,000 homes and 284 busi-

Ian was the fourth-strongest landfalling h

l o r i d a h i s t o r y , t h e f i f t h strongest in the U S

It is the third most costly behind Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2017 Damage estimates exceed $112 billion to homes and businesses; $297 3 million to Lee County properties and facilities; $300 million to public school campuses.

One year later, all but two of the School District of Lee County's schools are reopened

One year later, our parks and beaches are almost fully accessible

One year later, the nearly 12 5 million

square yards of debris strewn along roadways, piles of construction wreckage and mountains of destroyed vegetation is gone

But one year later, too many of us h o m e o w n e r s , b u s i n e s s e s a n d g o v e r n m e n t entities alike wait to be made whole as insurance payments and settlements drag and disaster funds continue to trickle in We'll not complain too much about government response, at least at the state level

G o v . R o n D e S a n t i s w a s h e r e w h e n Southwest Florida needed him and emergency funds and efforts for things like the repairs to the Sanibel Causeway and the Matlacha Bridge made a huge difference

See ONE YEAR, page 10

Strength, diversity of county’s economy

I n c M a g a z i n e r e c e n t l y released its 2023 Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States This year, a whopping 16 businesses based in Lee County made the prestigious list

Dissecting the list generates some interesting analysis

As an economy historically driven by tourism, there was quite an impressive and growi n g d i v e r s i t y o f i n d u s t r i e s a m o n g t h e 1 6 L e e C o u n t y h o n o r e e s : c o n s t r u c t i o n ( 4 ) , business products and services

( 2 ) , f i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s ( 2 ) , l o g i s t i c s a n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n

2 ) , c o n s u m e r s e r v i c e s ( 1 ) , consumer products (1), energy

New legislation for veterans needed

To the editor:

At any VFW Post in the nation, we are extremely proud and protective of our members Since they have done so much to serve our country, we feel it is only fair we find a way to serve them now and thank them for their service We want to be able to help Florida disabled veterans and have found a way to do so with no cost I bet all of you would be willing to do the same. Well, the

Experts (AIME) is asking exactly that of Florida lawmakers

D Smith

(1), health services (1), manufacturing (1) and software (1)

T h e r e a l s o w a s g r o w i n g geographic diversity, showing the 16 top-performing compan i e s d o n ' t j u s t s t i c k t o t h e region's industrial core: Fort Myers (9), Cape Coral (3), Bonita Springs (2), Estero (1) and North Fort Myers (1) What does this all mean?

S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a h a s emerged as a larger force in F l o r i d a ' s e c o n o m y A c r o s s L e e , C o l l i e r a n d C h a r l o t t e c o u n t i e s , 2 4 l o c a l l y o w n e d companies made the Inc 5000 list That puts us well ahead of the Gainesville-Ocala region ( 1 0 ) , P a n h a n d l e ( 1 1 ) a n d S a r a s o t a - B r a d e n t o n r e g i o n

Letter to the Editor

Disabled veterans with a 100% disability rating are exempt from real estate property tax in all of our Florida counties As a matter of fact, since July any real estate taxes which were paid by the veteran after closing on a home are fully refundable But, Florida still needs to improve this important legislation because our disabled veterans are still being hurt by the taxes

Right now, many veterans have to often wait months after closing to apply for that exemption The big problem here is that during the loan process, they're not considered exempt so the taxes they don't have to pay are still considered a debt, reducing the price of a

(13) What's truly impressive is Southwest Florida has just one fewer company listed than the Jacksonville-St. Augustine metropolitan region, which has a much larger population

We shouldn't envision Southwest Florida b e i n g t h e n e x t M i a m i - F o r t L a u d e r d a l e , T a m p a - S t P e t e r s b u r g o r O r l a n d oKissimmee, and really, that's a good thing Leading that next group of mid-sized regions is exactly where we want to be

The Inc 5000 rankings use a three-year period to measure revenue growth To qualify, companies needed at least $2 million in sales last year. The Lee County companies on the list reported three-year growth rates from 74% to 1,253%

“It's extremely difficult just to earn a spot on the Inc 5000 list, but even harder to stay on it because you need to sustain elevated

See ECONOMY, page 10

home they are qualified to purchase This could possibly push them out of a market which is already high enough They may even have to settle on buying a house they could actually afford because the debt ratio is skewed by a tax bill which is not theirs

With thousands of dollars collected from disabled veterans for prorated escrows, the money is held from their savings until the exemption comes through and the refund is on its way This is not only unfair, at times it can be a hardship for the veteran and his or her family since the money is actually for a debt which isn't theirs and takes time to get refunded

See LETTER, page 10

We want your opinion

Holly

Guest Commentary

Fi re commissi on OK s fi nal mi ll age rate , budg et

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Captiva Island Fire Control District's commission recently adopted the final millage rate and budget for fiscal year 2023-24 at its second and final budget hearing

On Sept 27, the commissioners voted unanimously 3-0 to approve an operating rate of 2 0850 mills, which is 34 17% above the rolled-back rate of 1 5540, but

lower than the earlier 2.2200 not-toexceed Fire Chief Jeff Pawul noted that the 2 0850 is only a 5 47% increase over the prior year's budget

He previously explained that if it had not been for the hundreds of millions of d o l l a r s i n p r o p e r t y v a l u e l o s s f r o m Hurricane Ian and the state's calculation method, the rolled-back would have been

2 0693

The commission also voted 3-0 to approve a final budget of $4,880,887 for the new year

The Lee County Property Appraiser's Office certified that the gross taxable value for operating purposes not exempt from taxation within Lee County to the district as $1,715,045,280

Based on the final approved budget, the total sources of funds for the district will break down as $1,422,074 for the begin-

Captiva library, county system providing programs

The Captiva Memorial Library, at 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva, is offering the following free programming:

Teen programs

∫ Oct 9: Magic Color Etched Bookmark Craft (daily during operating hours; while supplies last)

Make a handmade magic color etched bookmark to keep your place in all the books you read

∫ Oct 11: Magic Color Etched Bookmark Craft (daily during operating hours; while supplies last)

Make a handmade magic color etched bookmark to keep your place in all the books you read

Children programs

∫ Today, Oct 4: Pom Pom Owl Craft (daily during operating hours; while supplies last)

Make a fun fall-themed Pom Pom Owl

∫ Oct 6: Pom Pom Owl Craft (daily during operating hours; while supplies last)

Make a fun fall-themed Pom Pom Owl

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, contact 239-533-4890

The Lee County Library System, which includes the Captiva library, is offering the following free virtual programming:

Adult programs

∫ Oct 5: Courthouse Research from 10 a m to noon

Knowledge of how to conduct research using court house records is vital to genealogical research success Advance registration is required

For more information or to register, visit leelibrary librarymarket com

Download books, stream video and other online content at www leelibrary net

ning reserves fund balance and $3,458,813 for revenues ad valorem taxes, intergovernmental, charges for services and miscellaneous Expenditures will total $3,595,634 and consist of: $2,696,599 for personal services, $476,905 for operating expenses, $62,500 for capital outlay and $359,630 for debt service Balancing the budget as far as total sources and uses of funds will be an ending reserves balance of $1,285,253

Island coalition continues to fight county changes

By STAFF REPORT trepecki@breezenewspapers com

The Captiva Community Panel recently provided an update on the legal efforts of the Captiva Civic Association's Land Use Committee in response to the Land D e v e l o p m e n t C o d e a n d L e e C o u n t y Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendments approved last month by the Lee County Commission

The committee's members are made up of representatives from the panel, CCA, Presidents Council of Associations which represents a coalition of 12 homeowner and condo associations at South Seas Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge

According to the committee, the coun-

Captiva Public Meetings

T h e f o l l o w i n g p u b l i c meetings/hearings are scheduled:

∫ O c t 9 : C a p t i v a E r o s i o n Prevention District meeting at 1 p m via Zoom For more information or the agenda, visit mycepd com

∫ Oct 10: Captiva Community Panel meeting at 9 a m via Zoom For more information or the agenda, visit captivacommunitypanel.com.

∫ Oct 10: Captiva Island Fire Control District meeting at 4 p m at the fire station, at 14981 Captiva Drive, Captiva For more information or the agenda, visit captivafire com

ty transmitted its proposed amendments including changes to the Captiva chapter in the Lee Plan to the various state agencies on Sept 7 for their comments, as required by state Statute The agencies will have until Oct 6 to send any comments back to the county

“While the state agencies cannot reject outright the county's amendments, their c o m m e n t s c a n i n d u c e t h e c o u n t y t o remove or modify the amendments, and they could affect the results of future litigation,” it reported

The law firm hired by the committee, which is representing the position of the “Protect Captiva” coalition, has submitted the community's concerns to the agencies reviewing the amendments

From page 6

“(Which) would perversely allow an increase in hotel rooms and additional floors of buildable living space on a barrier island within the Coastal High Hazard Area just one year after that island was devastated by Hurricane Ian,” the committee reported

It added that the memo advises the agencies that the county failed to accurately describe the amendments in its report to the state by failing to mention that the Plan changes were made to facilitate changes in the LDC to permit higher buildings and more hotel rooms than currently allowed

The memo also advises the agencies that the amendments constitute an “upplanning” of development on Captiva,

which is not supported by the data and a n a l y s i s r e q u i r e d b y t h e C o m m u n i t y Planning Act

“ T h e c o u n t y f a i l e d t o a n a l y z e t h e amendments' effects on the island's infrastructure, its roads, its hurricane evacuation routes, its water resources, its septic systems, its sewer project or its environmental resources,” the committee reported “The county also failed to recognize that granting special benefits to a single property owner on South Seas constitutes i n a p p r o p r i a t e s p o t - p l a n n i n g a n d r a i s e s serious constitutional issues of equal protection ”

It continued that the memo to the agencies also makes clear that the changes have little to do with resiliency and will

only make Captiva less resilient and less safe when facing future hurricanes

“The memo concludes by asking the state agencies to agree that these amendm e n t s a r e a c o m p l e t e l y u n a c c e p t a b l e response to the devastation wrought last year by Hurricane Ian and to so advise the county,” the committee reported Once the county receives feedback from the agencies, it will decide how to proceed The committee reported that if the county chooses to move forward and adopt the amendments without change, the community coalition will evaluate and continue to pursue the best legal options to “protect Captiva ”

School district, county release Hurricane Ian videos

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

With the passing of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian impacting Southwest Florida, the School District of Lee County and the Lee Board Commission recently produced videos to share its impact.

“Every student and every employee was affected by the hurricane, so we felt it important to mark the anniversary by telling the story of how we all came together in a time of need to support one another,” school district spokesperson Rob Spicker said “We look back as a reminder of what was happening before and after the storm, but more importantly we demonstrate the efforts of so many people to make sure our students, staff and community were able to recover ”

The video debuted on the district's Facebook page and YouTube channel on Sept 27 Both channels can be found through its website at leeschools.net.

The 25-minute video highlights the story of a teacher,

From page 2

dominated by cyanobacteria and chlorophytes, while the marine sites around the Sanibel Causeway were mostly dinofla-

whose home was badly damaged by the storm, unable to find a temporary place to live

“The principal of another school heard her plea for help and offered her a solution It’s really touching how much these acts of kindness made so much more possible,” he said “We have come a long way in the last year, but we still have a ways to go We are grateful for the way our community responded for our students and staff and for the way our students and staff responded for each other. “

Lee County also decided to publish a video series for the anniversary of Ian, with the first shared on Sept 21 o n i t s Y o u T u b e c h a n n e l a t youtube com/c/LeeCountyFLBOCC It produced five more videos that were posted from Sept 23-28

“Over the last 12 months, Lee County staff, residents and our partners have worked tirelessly before, during and since the storm to rebuild our community,” commission Chairman Brian Hamman said in a prepared state-

gellates ” Sampling also indicated a new species o f f r e s h w a t e r d i n o f l a g e l l a t e S a m p l e s

m e n t “ I n r e c o g n i t i o n o f H u r r i c a n e I a n ’ s o n e - y e a r anniversary, Lee County is publishing a series of videos on its social media channels to honor our community’s response to this tragedy ”

The series is to honor the community’s response to the tragedy Ian left behind through a variety of videos featuring employees exemplifying the spirit that has fueled a vast array of progress, as well as what is still to be completed

“Featuring a variety of county employees and departments, the videos exemplify the spirit that has fueled so much progress, while emphasizing that there is still much to do,” he said “By working together we will build our county back to be even more resilient ”

The little more than two-minute videos begin with a message “Hurricane Ian impacted every corner of Lee County This series is intended to tell Lee County government’s story from the onset of the storm through the first year of recovery ”

Lee schools target reading proficiency

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The School District of Lee County is redefining its processes and changing curriculum to help students read by the third grade

The school board listened to a presentation regarding academic initiatives d u r i n g i t s S e p t 1 9 m e e t i n g , w h i c h included the third grade reading goal, as well as algebra support

Reading proficiency by third grade has long been a state and district goal

“The reason all the other goals have failed is because we have had leadership t u r n o v e r . A n y t r a n s i t i o n a l c h a n g e requires a minimal of three years to see t h e f u l l i m p a c t , ” B o a r d M e m b e r

Cathleen Morgan said “If we are going to have transformational changes in this district If we are going to move the needle, this board has to acknowledge its responsibility to ensure that the leadership that has made effectively the promise to you is here to see it through If they are not, it’s not their problem, it’s our problem and we have failed the kids

from the middle estuary by the Cape Coral Bridge were dominated by diatoms

“The nearly two-year sampling effort also revealed that productivity within the system was linked to watershed flows during the summer months,” he said Dissolved organic nitrogen correlated with productivity within the system, while inorganic nutrients were used up during the warm summer months

and not the leadership I am so gratified to see the level of leadership we have brought into this district

“We have a real opportunity to step into the real world as a large school district in our laps It is here and it is on us to see that it happens They will be able to do the job if we create the conditions for them to be successful,” she added

The presentation as included “high school cohort talking” and principal supervisor professional development

“We needed to refine our processes and reestablish clear expectations for t e a c h i n g a n d l e a r n i n g , ” A c a d e m i c S e r v i c e s D e p u t y S u p e r i n t e n d e n t D r Jennifer Cupid-McCoy said “What’s different? We narrowed our focus to teaching the benchmarks at appropriate rigor, clear expectations around instruction to our school leaders and monitor those expectations for fidelity of expectations ”

Read the full article for free by visiti n g i t o n l i n e a t w w w c a p t i v a s a n i b e l com

The SCCF noted that Hurricane Ian brought an unusually large amount of terrestrial runoff into the system, raising n u t r i e n t c o n c e n t r a t i o n s f o r s e v e r a l months The HABs occurring during that time were a freshwater blue-green algae bloom in July and a red tide bloom in the Gulf of Mexico from October 2022 to March. Analyses of the bloom events are ongoing

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

A new species of dinoflagellate found in freshwater was discovered in the samples.

BUSINESS

Two interns join refuge’s WoW team

The J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel welcomed two new interns last month to assist with its Wildlife on Wheels mobile classroom program for the 2023-24 school year

Ashley McGovern and Frank Tumminello will work with Urban Education Leader Melissa Maher teaching Title I students on visits to the Tice community and Lehigh Acres area in the School District of Lee County

A native of Johnston, Iowa, and recent graduate f r o m C e n t r a l M e t h o d i s t U n i v e r s i t y i n F a y e t t e , Missouri, McGovern majored in marine biology with minors in environmental science and criminal justice She last worked with Wallace Elementary School students in Johnston one-on-one as a substitute associate for students with disabilities or in need of special accommodations.

“I am most looking forward to working with local students and getting them excited about science,” McGovern said “I am really enjoying getting to know all the people who work and volunteer at the refuge and the society ”

She enjoys spending time at the beach and exploring Southwest Florida's parks and other attractions

F r o m C a p e C o r a l , T u m m i n e l l o g r e w u p o n S a n i b e l H e g r a d u a t e d f r o m F l o r i d a G u l f C o a s t University with a degree in biology and environmental studies and previously interned with FGCU’s Wings of Hope program.

“The refuge is just as I remember it as a kid growing up here on Sanibel,” Tumminello said “I am excited to be a part of something that was a significant part of my childhood and to introduce kids and adults to the WoW's cool learning tools

In his spare time, he likes to read, draw and animation, and play video games

“We welcome Ashley's and Frank's energy and enthusiasm,” Maher said “WoW has become one of the refuge's most robust teaching tools, and it takes the input of our interns to keep the curriculum and student interaction relevant and fresh.”

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge provides housing, living stipends and other benefits for six to eight interns each year Since Hurricane Ian destroyed onsite intern housing, the DDWS has procured temporary housing on and off island until replacement accommodations are built

For more information about the internship program, call DDWS Associate Director Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-789-8991

SANCAP CHAMBER

Biodegradable confetti, champagne, food and a SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting on Sept 22 celebrated the Sanibel Island Beach Resort's reopening on Sanibel

Chamber celebrates first complete Sanibel resort reopening

The SanCap Chamber marked a major milestone in recovery efforts on Sanibel with a ribbon-cutting on Sept 22 at the Sanibel Island Beach Resort It is the first, large coastal resort to open all of its guest rooms a total of 98

All rooms, the lobby and restaurant were destroyed by Hurricane Ian nearly a year earlier and required entire gutting, rebuilding, furnishing and new air-conditioning Although the restaurant was unable to open by the ribboncutting, the pool tiki bar was nearly finished, and the resort has placed a brand-new food truck on the premises It serves light food, including breakfast, until BRGR Kitchen & Bar opens in the restaurant space, anticipated by Christmas, Ocean Properties Hotels & Resorts Vice President of Operations Andy Berger said “What a joyful occasion to be able to offer island visitors more coastal accommodations,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said “We anticipate it will be a game-changer as we pivot from rebuilding to recovery mode ”

Based in Delray Beach, Ocean Properties Hotel & Resorts owns and operates the Sanibel resort and about 100 hotels in the United States and Canada Berger estimated that they bought the property as a Holiday Inn about seven years ago, then renamed it once the franchise ran out With the reopening, it was rebranded Sanibel Island Beach Resort as part of its new Ocean Breeze Inns collection of hotels

“The good thing is we're based in Florida with a large amount of hotels and lots of internal building or renovating going on We have a good team that was able to get over there with the ability to work quickly,” he said “It's obviously devastating what happened over there, and the quicker they can get more businesses open, the quicker they can bring life back to the island ”

Chamber and city officials attended the ribbon-cutting and celebrated with champagne, cake and a tour of the rooms

The Sanibel Island Beach Resort is at 1231 Middle Gulf Drive, Sanibel

Pickleball comeback cause for chamber ribbon-cutting

Following the debut of its resurfaced original 12 courts in August and the addition of four new courts earlier last month, the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa celebrated a SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting on Sep 28 for its pickleball facilities

First opened in 2017 across the road from the resort, the original pickleball stadium, with seating and clinics, became an immediate hit with residents and visitors Sundial added Plexicushion surfacing to the courts and built the four new ones on the resort's Gulfside as part of postHurricane Ian restoration.

“We’re proud to be one of the larges t pickleball facilities in the s t a t e , ” G e n e r a l M a n a g e r B e c k y Miller said “The courts are open to the public with annual and monthly memberships, day passes, and lessons available ”

The resort was able to have a soft opening in December after repairing damage from Ian, which tore up fencing, gates, nets, landscaping and court

surfacing and deposited heaps of sand and debris on the courts, including an upside-down Range Rover

REFUGE/DDWS

Ashley McGovern and Frank Tumminello will serve as interns for the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels for the 2023-24 school year

SANCAP CHAMBER

The Sundial Beach Resort & Spa on Sanibel celebrated the return of its pickleball amenity with a SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting on Sept. 28.

e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r 4 ,

3 c a p t i v a s a n i b e l . c o m I s l a n d R e p o r t e r

Pickleball

,

W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r

One year From page 4

On Thursday, Sept 28, 2023, the governor announced the awarding of $338 million in hurricane recovery program monies, including $51 million each to the city of Cape Coral and the school district

One year later, though, the federal government and yes, the state, need to do m o r e , e s p e c i a l l y i n m a k i n g i n s u r a n c e affordable and available

The Florida Legislature has begun the process Legislation has addressed insurers' costs by prohibiting assignment of benefits to third parties, allowing for m a n d a t o r y a r b i t r a t i o n , a n d a d d r e s s i n g “bad faith” claims and how attorney fees are awarded

For those of us who pay the premiums, insurance companies are now required to respond more quickly and face higher fines for failing to do so. We, though, also must respond more quickly, filing claims within one year, instead of two

At the heart of the issue is how to address catastrophic claims, those FEMA classifies as disasters There are 10 on the

Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club to meet

The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club will meet on Oct 8 at 2 p m in the Pelican Room at the Sanibel Recreation Center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum curator and Science Director Dr Jos H Leal will present on the more common groups of “boring b i v a l v e s ” H e w i l l d i s c u s s a n d i l l u s t r a t e t h e approaches that they use to try to bore into materials like rock, shells, wood, peat, corals and more Prior to the meeting, a silent auction will be held at 1:30 p m in the Osprey Room The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://sanibelshellclub com

Dr José H Leal BAILEY-MATTHEWS NATIONAL SHELL MUSEUM

current list, including Hurricane Idalia, but also wildfires, flooding and a variety of severe storms

Years ago, the federal government recognized that floods were a natural disaster of such scope that it partnered with a network of insurance companies, now standing at 50, to better assure affordable coverage

We recognize that in the last year or so, modifications have been made that have negatively affected flood insurance rates locally We still contend that needs to be fixed

But discussions on extraordinary catastrophic events, such a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, or a wildfire of thousands of a c r e s , m a y w a r r a n t c o v e r a g e s e p a r a t e from a simple homeowners policy and spread over policy holders nationwide.

And one more thing, one year later We f a i l t o u n d e r s t a n d w h y C o n g r e s s h a s failed to consider legislation to designate Ian as a qualified disaster, which would give Southwest Florida additional and

deserved relief

This must be done now

“Our pickleball members were very supportive and appreciative of our quick work to get some of the courts playable within two m o n t h s o f t h e h u r r i c a n e , making our facility one of t h e v e r y f i r s t t h i n g s t o reopen on the island postI a n , ” s h e s a i d “ S e e i n g p r o g r e s s i n a c t i o n w a s a reminder of the community’s resilience and dedication t o r e s t o r i n g o u r b e l o v e d island. Opening the courts brought back a semblance of normalcy to post-Ian island life ”

“The Sundial pickleball courts complex became a feather in the island’s hat from the beginning,” chamb e r P r e s i d e n t a n d C h i e f Executive Officer John Lai said “It began drawing the

As Mary Feichthaler, a Cape Coralbased CPA, will explain in an upcoming guest column in the Islander-Reporter, the Oct 15 extended deadline to file personal income tax returns is nearly upon us, and the ability “to maximize loss deductions without claiming other itemized deductions” would benefit those who took the heaviest hits We invite you to read her column when it prints on Oct 11

We invite you to read, as well, two other efforts concerning Ian

The first, a special edition “Hurricane Ian One Year Later,” may be found inside t h e S e p t 2 7 i s s u e o f t h e I s l a n d e rReporter At 56 pages and encompassing three separate sections, it provides a bit of a look back but focuses on recovery

a m o n g t h e c o m m u n i t i e s t h e B r e e z e

Newspapers is proud to serve

We thank those who took the time to speak with our reporters, to contribute stories or photographs, or to advertise their

From page 8

pickleball crowd just as the s p o r t w a s g a i n i n g s t e a m We are so happy to once a g a i n c o u n t t h i s a m o n g Sanibel’s top attractions ”

Since opening, the pickleball complex has hosted pro exhibitions, events with Pickleball Magazine, camps and tournaments It is often recognized for “best pickleball” throughout Southwest Florida Last year, Tennis Resorts Online ranked the courts No. 2 in the nation.

“We’re excited for the return of all our annual tournaments, including Dink for Pink in October, which supports cancer needs in our community ” Miller said T h e S u n d i a l B e a c h Resort & Spa is at 1451 Middle Gulf Drive, Sanibel

own efforts and recoveries

We have, indeed, come a long way and much more quickly than any of us would have thought as we stood among the damage to our homes, our businesses and our communities and weighed the impacts on our lives

The second is “Ian,” a 128-page hardc o v e r b o o k p r o d u c e d b y t h e B r e e z e Newspapers It features stories, first-person accounts and more than 100 photog r a p h s , m o s t o f t h e m c r o w d - s o u r c e d , which truly makes the book a grassroots effort

We thank everyone for their contributions

“Ian” is your story, one year later

Copies of the book are available for purchase at www captivasanibel com by clicking on “Store” in the upper righthand corner, as well as at the Breeze Newspapers, at 2510 Del Prado Blvd , Cape Coral

Island Reporter editorial

growth over a longer period,” MY Shower D o o r P r e s i d e n t a n d f o u n d e r B i l l

Daubmann said in announcing his company's inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list for the seventh time Another Daubmann family enterprise, D3 Glass, also earned a spot for the first time

Joining Daubmann on the Inc 5000 l i s t w a s M a r k S t e v e n s , p r e s i d e n t o f Stevens Construction, and Ryan Carter, president of Scotlynn USA. The three all work in different industries consumer products/manufacturing for Daubmann, c o n s t r u c t i o n f o r S t e v e n s a n d l o g i s t i c s / t r a n s p o r t a t i o n f o r C a r t e r A l l three leaders are among the community's strongest advocates for our local economy Each is a valued investor of the Horizon Foundation, a nonprofit that rais-

From page 4

The AIME State Advocacy Captain Laura Ray, who is also the owner of the Liberty Mortgage Lending Group in Lee County, stated that more than $14 6 billion in VA home loan purchases occurred

es private-sector money to support efforts o f t h e L e e C o u n t y E c o n o m i c Development Office and Horizon Council to improve the area's business climate. Their support helps inspire growth and ensures that Lee County can recruit the right companies to the area while still maintaining and improving the region's standard of living

“Investing in the Horizon Foundation is an investment into the future of Lee C o u n t y , ” S t e v e n s s a i d “ B u i l d i n g a stronger economy takes time and effort, and economic development extends far beyond just attracting new businesses to the area. You must provide a support network that allows existing businesses to g r o w a n d t h r i v e , a n d t h a t ' s w h a t t h e Horizon Foundation has done for Stevens

Construction and hundreds of other local businesses ”

Stevens Construction was founded in 2003, expanding from a single office in Fort Myers to include full-scale operations in Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota

Founded in 2010, Scotlynn USA's network now expands across North America, growing from its initial 1,000-square-foot office to a new 60,000-square-foot headquarters that opened two years ago.

“The Horizon Foundation is an important piece to our public-private puzzle here in Lee County,” Carter said “Our support, along with that of other stakeholders, is our way of helping to ensure a bright and promising future for our community ”

MY Shower Door was founded in 2003 and opened its ninth showroom last

Letter

their respective states Now, it's Florida’s turn!

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

year, the company's first on Florida's east coast The Daubmann family started D3 Glass in 2012 to fabricate, temper and laminate glass for its sister company.

“As a family-owned company, we started local and started small,” Daubmann said “Every entrepreneur looks toward the future, and the Horizon Foundation provides businesses with resources and a network to achieve their goals ”

Holly D Smith is president of the Horizon Foundation It is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization that provides a funding vehicle for businesses to invest in Lee County's long-term economic development and vitality For more information, visit HorizonCouncilFoundation com or call 239-533-6800

a p p r a i s e r w h o i s a l s o a n e l e c t e d o f f i c i a l k n o w t h i s i s i m p o r t a n t Y o u ’ l l b e g l a d y o u d i d !

Pat Whitehall

VFW Post 4174 Lehigh Acres

PRESERVING PARADISE

Refuge provides highlights of monthly biology activities

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

SCCF: 114 sea turtle nests washed out from Idalia

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 reported on Sept 27 that the sea turtle team had concluded its efforts to recover missing sea turtle nests following Hurricane Idalia in August

A total of 114 nests were washed away by the storm, while 52 nests were found

“We needed to determine whether these nests were completely washed out by the storm, washed over and buried under accreted sand or if the nest marking

See TURTLE NESTS, page 18

The 2023 nesting season for colonial wading and waterbirds offered a reassuring and much-needed example of hope and resiliency after the destruction of Hurricane Ian one year ago While the Refuge Complex mangrove rookery islands suffered major defoliation and tree mortality, the birds still showed up and had a busy nesting season this year.

The Refuge Complex staff and our partners with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection did not see a reduction in nesting effort in the Charlotte Harbor compared to recent years Southwest Florida ecosystems

have evolved while experiencing natural disturbances like wildfires and hurricanes; consequently, they have come to be incredibly resilient to these events

Fall shorebird migration ramping up on islands

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported on Sept 26 that the fall migration is here, which means the public will see lots of new shorebirds on Sanibel and Captiva's beaches

Some of them may look a little different than others, like the ruddy turnstone a species that breeds in the Arctic One can tell that a ruddy turnstone is a juvenile by the sleek scaly pattern of its feathers

“The fact that a juvenile is here on Sanibel indicates a successful departure from its birthplace,” shorebird technician Aaron White said “This

b i r d , a l o n g w i t h m a n y o t h e r m i g r a t o r y s h o r ebirds, may remain on the i s l a n d s f o r t h e w i n t e r before spring migration, while others are just stopping here to rest and reenergize before continuing farther south to winter elsewhere ”

Ruddy turnstones are named for their behavior

o f “ t u r n i n g s t o n e s ” t o find prey items or in

S a n i b e l a n d C a p t i v a ' s case turning shells

Other migratory shorebird species that can be spotted on the islands this time of year include red knots, semipalmated plovers, dunlins and blackbellied plovers

The SCCF reported that the public

can help safeguard the sensitive birds by leashing pets and keeping one's d i s t a n c e t o a v o i d f l u s h i n g t h e m away. The winter is an important time for migratory shorebirds and seabirds to feed their young and gain energy for the next breeding season

Lake Okeechobee vegetation too low, SCCF reports

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that the rise in Lake Okeechobee levels has slowed down in the past few months, putting it closer to the top of the ecological envelope, which is the range that provides ecological benefits to the lake’s ecosystem Major blue-green algae blooms have ended on the lake

However, the lake has been too high for too long, compromising the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and the ecosystem as a whole As of Sept 27, SAV in the lake was at an all-time low of 2,500 acres based on p r e l i m i n a r y d a t a f r o m t h e S o u t h Florida Water Management District

since it peaked in 2009 at more than 50,000 acres

T h e S C C F r e p o r t e d t h a t t h i s year’s coverage is far below the restoration goals of 40,000 acres of SAV that provides adequate habitat for fish and wildlife, stabilizes sediments and helps remove phosphorous from the water

“The lake will need several years o f m a n a g e m e n t a t l o w e r l e v e l s between 12 to 15 feet in order to recover the SAV community and provide maximum habitat for wading birds,” Research & Policy Associate Leah Reidenbach said

While the increase in lake levels

h a s b e e n r e d u c e d , f l o w t o t h e C a l o o s a h a t c h e e E s t u a r y h a s b e e n increasing in recent weeks, primarily caused by rainfall and runoff in the watershed As of Sept 27, the 14day average flow at the WP Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79) was 2,755 cubic feet per second (cfs) and had been in the damaging flow envelope (greater then 2,600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for three days

“With rainfall predicted in the region for the next few days, higher flows from the watershed are to be expected and may have a negative effect on water quality and clarity,” she said

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

A juvenile red know Young birds can be told apart by their scaled plumage

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION A juvenile rubby turnstone.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Using a Trimble GPS to located a nest

e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r 4 ,

c a p t i v a s a n i b e l . c o m I s l a n d R e p o r t e r

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 Sept 21, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle for failure to stop at a stop sign The driver was subsequently issued a notice to appear for never having a driver's license issued

Enforcement operations statistics

From Sept 19-25:

∫ Alarm calls (business and residential): 9

∫ 911 non-emergency calls: 13

∫ Traffic crashes: 0

∫ Radar details: 40 ∫

Sanibel library offers range of programs, topics

The Sanibel Public

L i b r a r y p r o v i d e s a v a r i e t y o f p r o g r a mm i n g f o r a d u l t s a n d children

With support from t h e S a n i b e l P u b l i c L i b r a r y F o u n d a t i o n , t h e l i b r a r y h a s l a u n c h e d a s e r i e s o f virtual author talks to i n c l u d e b e s t s e l l i n g a u t h o r s a n d t h o u g h t leaders The next one will take place on Oct 1 0 a t 4 p m w i t h guidebook author and TV host Rick Steves

T h r o u g h a n e n t e rt a i n i n g , i n f o r m a t i o npacked slideshow lecture, he will share the l a t e s t i n s m a r t

European travel Participants will learn the secrets of safe, smart, inexpensive travel low on stress and high on fun They will learn how to travel smoothly and affordably by planning an efficient itinerary, eating and sleeping well, avoiding crowds, packing smartly and more

Steves is a public television host and best-selling guidebook author He is also the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe

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

T o r e g i s t e r f o r t h e a u t h o r t a l k , v i s i t https://libraryc org/sanlib/upcoming

panying adults

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

The library is hosting “In the Wake of the Flood: Community Photos of Hurricane Ian and Its Aftermath,” an exhibit curated by the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum It features photos of Ian's aftermath taken by island residents and others living in Southwest Florida Photographs from the exhibition will be digitized and added to the library's digital archive at sanlib org/digitalarchive

An online version of the exhibit is available at https://www shellmuseum org/ian-photo

calls: 58

∫ Traffic crashes: 3

∫ Radar details: 193

∫ Traffic stops: 100 Citations issued: 34

Written warnings issued: 9 Verbal warnings issued: 61

∫ Field interviews: 1

∫ Residential area checks: 1,833

∫ Business area checks: 763

∫ Total area checks: 3,990

∫ Reported burglaries: 1

∫ Reported thefts: 4

∫ Total CAD calls: 4,831

Impor tant reminders

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

Updated information on the Sanibel Boat Ramp:

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

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

∫ Commercial use of the boat ramp is prohibited.

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

Solicitation is not allowed on Sanibel Please share a n y p h o t o s o f s o l i c i t a t i o n h a n g t a g s t o 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

See BLOTTER, page 18

For help setting up or logging into webinars, contact notices@sanlib org or 239-472-2483

Additionally, the library has scheduled upcoming programs Family Storytime for ages 5 and under will be held today, Oct 4, and Oct 11 at 10:30 a m with Megan Willis Literacy is a family bonding experience with stories read aloud, followed by early literacy centers of play to flex minds, develop motor skills and increase creativity. The program will include an art/craft center.

On Oct 5, a Study Session will take place from 4 to 7:30 p m Come to the library after school for study hall Snacks will be provided and attendees will receive volunteer hours for participating

Youth programs are designed for children and accom-

From now through Oct 21, the Sanibel-Captiva Art League has a juried exhibit on display “Food for Thought” features 18 artworks from 12 members in mediums such as oil, textile and watercolor.

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 T h u r s d a y s f r o m 9 a m t o 8 p m a n d T u e s d a y s , Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a m to 5 p m

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

The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

The Sanibel School

The Sanibel School, at 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, reported the following:

Students of the Month announced

The Students of the Month for September are: Oliver Gaudreau in kindergarten; Finnigan Krassenstein in first grade; Emerson Stallings in second grade; Greyson Petrocy in third grade; Gabriella McNeilus in fourth

grade; Delaney Jack in fifth grade; Alexandra Flynt in sixth grade; Mariia Zacharievich in seventh grade; and Joshua Schwartz in eighth grade. The selected students exemplify positive character traits in and out of the classroom

For more information, call 239-472-1617 or visit sbl leeschools net

American Legion

reported that the Tiki Hut will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11

and will offer

Sanibel Public Meetings

DMITRI KASTERINE

The Sanibel Public Library will host a virtual author talk on Oct 10 with Rick Steves

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W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r

c a p t i v a s a n i b e l c o m 4 , 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 1 6 P a g e 1 7

■ W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r 4 , 2 0 2 3 c a p t i v a s a n i b e l c o m I s l a n d R e p o r t e r

Turtle nests

From page 12

materials including wooden stakes and flagging tape simply washed out and the eggs were still present,” sea turtle biologist Jack Brzoza said “Using a highly accurate Trimble GPS, the exact prestorm location of each nest was identified so the true presence or absence of the nest could be confirmed ”

“ O u r t e a m a n d v o l u n t e e r s d e s e r v e immense credit for all the incredible and laborious efforts it takes to recover that many nests,” he added

As of Sept 27, there were 16 nests still i n c u b a t i n g o n S a n i b e l a n d C a p t i v a ' s b e a c h e s a n d 2 7 , 8 3 1 h a t c h l i n g s h a d e m e r g e d o v e r t h e s e a s o n T h e S C C F reported that despite having a record total

number of loggerhead nests this year, hatch success rates have been lower than average

Sea turtle nesting season officially runs through the end of October, and residents should continue following turtle-friendly practices such as turning off beach-front lights after dark, filling in holes, leveling sandcastles and removing trash, furniture and debris from the beach

A buried sea turtle nest the day after Hurricane Idalia

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Blotter

847411.

From page 14

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

∫ Use the free “Sanibel PD” app for

your Android or iOS device.

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

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

REFUGE/DDWS

G a t e w a y E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l ' s N a t i o n a l Honor Society will present a Nature Puppet Show on Oct 21 in The Roost during the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Art in the Wild

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 on Sanibel:

∫ A Federal Duck Stamp Exhibit will be on display from Oct 10-29

∫ A Holiday Shopping Night is scheduled for Nov 29

∫ An inaugural Ice Cream Social is planned for Dec 13

∫ Photo-artist Niki Butcher will mount an exhibition of her work from Dec 21 to Feb 25

∫ The refuge will offer Free Winter Programs on Jan 8 through March 30

∫ Novelist Barbara Kingsolver will speak at a special ticketed gathering on Jan 11

∫ The Winter Lecture Series will return from Jan 18 through March 21

∫ Wellness in Nature @ “Ding” will take place at the refuge and beyond on Jan 18-21

∫ A free Estate Planning Seminar will be held on Jan 30

∫ The Go Wild for “Ding” Into the Night fundraiser is slated for Feb 7

∫ Carl Hiaasen will present at a ticketed program on Feb 29

∫ Sounds of the Sand will take place on March 23-24 at Bell Tower in Fort Myers

∫ The refuge will host a unique Solar Eclipse Viewing on April 8

∫ The “Ding” Darling Day Conservation Carnival will be held on April 20 at Lakes Park in Fort Myers

∫ The 12th annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament will take place on May 10

Rec center provides update on facility, programs

The Sanibel Recreation Center reported on the following new and upcoming activities

The American Red Cross Blended Shallow Water Lifeguard Training will be offered on Oct 6 from 3 to 6 p m and Oct 7-8 from 8 a m to 5 p m The requirements for the three-day course include:

∫ 300-yard continuous swim using front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both

∫ Two minutes of treading water with hands in armpits without stopping.

∫ Within one minute and 40 seconds swim 20 yards, retrieve a brick at 7 feet to 10 feet deep and then swim 20 yards back to the starting point while both hands are on the brick and face is above water Exit the pool without using ladder or stairs

Participants must complete the online course before the first day and bring their completion print out to class Instructions on how to access the material will be emailed one week prior to the course’s start

The cost is $220 for member and $275 for non-members

A T h r i f t & S i f t w i l l t a k e p l a c e o n O c t . 6 . P a r t i c i p a n t s w i l l “ t h r i f t a n d s i f t ” t h e i r w a y t h r o u g h l o c a l s e c o n d h a n d s h o p s i n F o r t M y e r s , w i t h a s e l f - p a y l u n c h a l o n g t h e w a y ; l u n c h s t o p t o b e d e t e r m i n e d T r a n s p o r t a t i o n w i l l b e p r o v i d e d v i a c i t y v a n , d e p a r t i n g f r o m t h e c e n t e r a t 9 : 3 0 a m a n d r e t u r n i n g b y 4 : 3 0 p m C o s t i s $ 6 f o r m e m b e r s a n d $ 8 f o r n o n - m e m b e r s P r e p a i d r e g i s t r a t i o n i s r e q u i r e d A r t i s t S h e r r y D i a z w i l l h o s t a W a t e r c o l o r P a i n t i n g C l a s s o n O c t 9 f r o m 1 0 a m t o n o o n E x p l o r e t h e c l a s s i c p a i n t i n g s t y l e w i t h a n e x p e r i e n c e d p r o f e s s i o na l A l l s u p p l i e s i n c l u d e d R e g i s t r a t i o n i s r e q u i r e d L e e H e a l t h w i l l o f f e r c o m p l i m e n t a r y b o d y c o m p os i t i o n s c r e e n i n g s o n O c t 1 0 B o d y c o m p o s i t i o n t e s ti n g i s a m e t h o d o f d e s c r i b i n g w h a t t h e b o d y i s m a d e o f , i n c l u d i n g f a t , p r o t e i n , m i n e r a l s a n d b o d y w a t e r I t a l s o d e s c r i b e s w e i g h t m o r e a c c u r a t e l y f o r a n i n d i v i du a l t h a n B M I T o r e s e r v e a t i m e s l o t , c o n t a c t

San Cap Motor Club to hold monthly event

The Sap Cap Motor Club will host its first Cruise-inCars & Coffee of the season on Oct 8 from 9 to 11 a m at the Periwinkle Place Shops, at 2075 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. The event is open to the public; no pre-registration is required For more information, contact Scot Congress 239-472-4177 or scot@scongress com

CITY OF SANIBEL

The Sanibel Recreation Center launched a new fitness schedule on Oct. 2.

Ballfield restoration update

The state has awarded and executed the contract for the ballfield restoration project to JSM Services, which will handle the grading, clay, sod, irrigation and some of the fencing repair/replacement. It hopes to commence work in the next two to four weeks, with an estimated completion date of January The city has been working with its insurance carrier to have all the damaged concrete light poles removed, dugouts repaired, shade structures and bleachers replaced, and installation of a new ballfield lighting system The ballfield lighting contract was awarded to Musco, which plans to begin its work in January

The center is open on Mondays through Thursdays from 7 a m to 7 p m , Fridays from 7 a m to 5 p m and Saturdays from 8 a m to 5 p m A variety of memberships, passes and punch cards are available.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t https://www mysanibel com/government/recreation2

The Sanibel Recreation Center is at 3880 SanibelCaptiva Road, Sanibel

Survey respondents: Mangroves and dunes protected property

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 Foundation reported that as of Sept 27, nearly 250 coastal property residents in Southwest Florida said that mangroves or dunes protected their homes or businesses last year during Hurricane Ian from storm surge, debris, flooding and wind

The results are part of the SCCF's survey that sought to gather qualitative data about perceptions of these ecosystems and their role in storm protection The survey was created by SCCF's Pfeifer Fellow and University of Florida's Levin College of

L a w P r o f e s s o r E m e r i t u s T h o m a s T

Ankersen and SCCF Coastal Resilience Manager Dr Carrie Schuman

“It was interesting to see the high percentage of respondents who noted the 'deb r i s t r a p p i n g ' v a l u e o f m a n g r o v e s , ” Ankersen said “This is an under-appreciated ecosystem service in the broader literature on storm protection provided by mangroves ”

The survey closed on Sept 28 The complete results will be forthcoming later in the year

Refuge photo contest

President Barack Obama’s election; and created Birders United a birding website that ranked legislators according to their record of bird protection support

Late in life, Cross decided to indulge his love for birds and photography and traveled the world to collect stunning portraits and stories to chronicle his adventures He shot often at the J N “Ding” 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 o n Sanibel, and a number of the images in his book reflect his love for it Cross published “Waterbirds” in 2009 at age 85; he passed away shortly after that in 2010

“ T h e T h e o d o r e C r o s s F a m i l y Charitable Foundation has made possible this contest with a generous grant to the 'Ding' Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge,” DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller Gresham said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that they wanted their donation used in this way for a 11th year ”

“We are so happy to be supporting a

Council

From page 1

contest in my father’s name, a contest that will get our youth involved with nature by looking at it as my father so loved doing through a camera lens,” daughter Amanda Cross said

Digital image entries can be shot from any outdoor venue in Florida A writing component to the contest requires entrants g r a d e s 9 - 1 2 t o s u b m i t a 1 0 0 - w o r d description of the “moment” captured and how it reflects what nature and wildlife mean to the photographer

The entry rules and guidelines are as follows:

Entries and information must be submitted in digital format to ddhsphotocontest@gmail com Submit your full name, high school, grade and an original photograph that you took of nature and/or wildlife in the open outdoors. Include a title for the photograph and a written description (minimum 100 words) of the “moment” captured and how it reflects what nature and wildlife mean to you

Volunteers sought to collect propagules

Coastal Watch is looking for residents to collect free-floating red mangrove propagules They will be used in restoration plantings to help restore hurricane-damaged mangrove habitats in Southwest Florida The propagules can b e f o u n d w h i l e w a l k i n g t h e b e a c h , kayaking, paddle boarding or boating

along creeks and waterways For more information on how to participate, visit https://sccf org/what-we-do/water-quality/mangrove-restoration/propagule-collection/ Coastal Watch is part of the 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 Foundation family

From page 1

Additionally, the council voted 5-0 to commit the following from the General Fund's balance: $5 9 million for emergency reserves, $600,000 for operational support reserves and $500,000 for the under-collection of tax revenue reserves

Before the vote, staff noted that there are reserves in other funds

In opening the discussion, Deputy City M a n a g e r a n d F i n a n c e D i r e c t o r S t e v e Chaipel provided an updated presentation on the proposed budget based upon the rate of 2 500 mills He also reiterated the impact to the revenues due to the significant reduction in property values following Hurricane Ian

Chaipel noted that staff worked to iso-

late the storm expenses as best as possible in the budget so changes can be analyzed, adding that he anticipates providing regular updates during the year

“Certainly this budget will be amended throughout fiscal year 2024, and I would expect fairly significantly as we move through the recovery process,” he said

During the following discussion and prior to voting, all of the council praised City Manager Dana Souza, Chaipel and staff for delivering a balanced and workable budget given the property value loss

“I am comfortable with where we are tonight going forward into the next fiscal year,” Mayor Richard Johnson said “This is a historic budget This was a very diffi-

You and your entry must comply with the following requirements:

∫ Students attending schools in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte (Florida) counties in grades 9 through 12 may enter the contest

∫ Only digital images are accepted a n d m a y b e t a k e n w i t h a n y c a m e r a , including smartphones

∫ Images must be submitted in JPEG format and must have a size of at least 2000-by-1500 pixels or resolution of 2 megabytes

∫ The photograph must be taken of nature and/or wildlife in the open outdoors in the state of Florida, which may include parks, refuges, backyards, and other open spaces

∫ Panoramic photos are not allowed

∫ Filters, cropping, enhancements and boarders are permitted However, adding any elements not existing in the original scene will not be allowed Judges, at their discretion, will disqualify any photos that

appear to be manipulated beyond these guidelines

∫ Each participant may enter up to two photos but is eligible to win only one award

∫ Judging will be anonymous Please do not put your name or anything that will identify you on your photograph.

∫ There are three judges: a refuge staff p e r s o n , p r o f e s s i o n a l p h o t o g r a p h e r a n d resident of the five-county region

∫ Judging criteria: technical excellence (sharpness, lighting, composition, exposure); creativity; and explanation of photograph (minimum of 100 words)

∫ All photos will become the property of the DDWS Photos may be used by the society in any way with appropriate credit Find guidelines and prize information a t w w w d i n g d a r l i n g s o c i e t y o r g / a r t i c l e s /photo-contests

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t t h e DDWS at 239-292-0566

cult year But we will prevail ”

“We will continue to make the decisions that are in the best interest of our community,” he added

Vice Mayor Mike Miller called the budget an “excellent budget ”

“A budget that's balanced not just in terms of debts and credits, but balanced in terms of fulfilling a variety of our needs in responding to certain challenges,” he said, noting the large revenue losses

“This budget deals with those losses,” Miller said “And I think it's fiscally conservative ”

He added that the 2 500 rate was used after Hurricane Charley

Also during the hearing, the council

voted 5-0 to approve the following resolutions:

∫ Extending the authorization for the placement of temporary signs on commercial properties until Sept 30, 2024

∫ Extending the authorization for the construction or repairing of structures to occur between the hours of 7 a m to 7 p m Monday through Saturday through Sept 30, 2024

∫ Extending the authorization of outdoor displays of merchandise under certain conditions through Sept 30, 2024

∫ Waiving the temporary structure d e v e l o p m e n t p e r m i t f e e r e t r o a c t i v e l y from May 8 through Sept 30, 2024

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

COASTAL WATCH

CROW broke ground on the new structures in early September

“These cages are designed specifically for the type of patients that will be in them,” Rehabilitation Manager Breanna Frankel said “Every aspect of these cages will ensure safety and offer appropriate environmental enrichment to help our patients recover quickly From the perches to the substrate, we know what our patients need and how best to provide it to them.”

Prior to Ian, CROW housed 18 outdoor enclosures for patients, designed specifically for the over 200 native and migratory wildlife species that receive care and treatment each year Staff and volunteers worked diligently to repair and clean the enclosures that survived the storm However, post-hurricane only six enclosures are fully functional

“ C R O W s e e s o v e r 6 , 0 0 0 p a t i e n t s

annually,” Frankel said “The loss of one cage is significant, but the loss we sustained has been beyond anything we could have imagined ”

Liberty Aluminum is the general contractor for the project In the spring of 2 0 2 2 , i t f i n i s h e d f o u r e n c l o s u r e s f o r

C R O W t o r e p l a c e o n e s p r e v i o u s l y designed for ospreys, burrowing owls and squirrels, along with a small flight enclosure that has hosted numerous animals including growing owlets All four of the enclosures withstood the hurricane

“During design and construction, it seemed like we were really overdoing it But when we were able to return to the island the week after the storm to see those enclosures still standing literally brought tears to my eyes,” Executive Director Alison Charney Hussey said “I phoned Jim Lowndes, president of Liberty Aluminum,

to tell him they were still standing and worth every penny And that we were going to have some more work for him ”

Three of the new enclosures will have fully filtering outdoor pools for water birds The CROW rehabilitation team worked with Siesta Pebble Pools to make sure the birds' recovery will be enhanced by their time in the pools.

“A filtered pool will ensure clean water and help our birds to remain appropriately waterproofed for their return to the wild,” Frankel said

The six new enclosures will cost over $1 25 million CROW reported that those lost during Ian were not able to be covered by insurance, so a capital campaign is underway to fund the replacements

“Hurricane Ian gave us the opportunity to rebuild and future proof our campus w h e r e w e c a n , ” H u s s e y s a i d . “ T h e s e enclosures are a good start and allowing us to focus on the importance of rehabilitation for the wildlife we love Knowing they can withstand the wind and surge of a major hurricane gives us peace of mind for the future of our mission ”

To support the capital campaign, contact Hussey at ahussey@crowclinic org or 239-395-0031

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife is at 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.

CLINIC FOR THE REHABILITATION OF WILDLIFE

New season of programming for BIG ARTS aims to inspire

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

BIG ARTS recently unveiled the lineup for its new season, which offers something for everyone

Packed with internationally-recognized performing artists, unique films, rewarding workshops, stimulating lectures and beautiful gallery exhibits, the theme for 2023-24 is “Be Inspired ”

“It's all about being inspired by the arts,” Executive Director Lee Ellen Harder said. “We probably have the best season ever we have some fabulous performing artists, fabulous lectures and workshops ”

“All the wonderful things that we do here at BIG ARTS,” she added

Under its Community Artists programming, the BIG ARTS Concert Band and BIG ARTS Community Chorus will hold their seasonal performances, with the Gulf Coast Symphony also taking the stage

S o m e t h i n g n e w t h i s s e a s o n w i l l t a k e p l a c e i n December

“We're doing a monthlong holiday celebration with happenings,” Harder said.

It will kick off with an Open House, followed by shadow-dance company Silhouettes performing, a community concert with youths from The Sanibel School and a showing of “The Polar Express ”

She noted that BIG ARTS will also host free community gatherings

For Performing Arts, there are 14 shows set, such as classical artists like Jeremy Denk, GRAMMY-winning vocalist Judith Hill, dance company BODYTRAFFIC, bluegrass band Twisted Pine and more

“Our season opener is going to be a really big, fantastic show called 'The Greatest Piano Men,'” Harder said. “It's high energy and great music from the greatest pianists over the decades ”

In addition, BIG ARTS will host its Annual Benefit in March, featuring The Doo Wop Project

“It's choreographed, they dance,” she said “And incredible voices ”

Under its Lecture Series programming, BIG ARTS offers the FORUM and Talking Points

“The FORUM lecture series focuses on geo-political topics Talking Points is a different format,” Harder said,

adding that an open discussion takes place after “We encourage community dialogue ”

Eight FORUM speakers are scheduled, like David Wasserman on the roadmap to the 2024 election, Al F r a n k e n o n “ C a n W a s h i n g t o n W o r k A g a i n ? ” a n d Michael Steele on the current political landscape

“They're all fantastic,” she said “They're all really hot topics ”

Talking Points will feature three speakers, which i n c l u d e A v i L o e b o n “ E x t r a t e r r i t o r i a l L i f e , ” C r a i g Pittman on “The State You're In: Florida” and Dan Moldea on “Organized Crime in the 21st Century ”

For its Film Series, BIG ARTS will present a flick on Mondays from November to April

“We've got some great titles,” Harder said

Some of the featured films for the new season are “ L u n a n a : A Y a

painting, hand sculpting, life drawing and other styles of drawing, to basket weaving, glass fusing, writing and more

(

h u t a n ) , “ H a l l e l u j a h : L e o n a r d C o h e n , A J o u r n e y , A S o n g ” (United States) and “Writing with Fire” (India)

Following each screening, a moderator-led discussion is held for those who want to stay

“We are really working to bring in the directors, filmmakers of these movies,” she said, a d d i n g t h a t m a y m e a n v i a Zoom or in-person “That will just bring that much more to the discussion after ”

Under its Fine Arts program, B I G A R T S h a s s i x e x h i b i t s planned in the main Dunham Family Gallery, with additional exhibitions available for viewing in the Mezzanine Gallery and the West Gallery

“We have some wonderful e x h i b i t s c o m i n g i n , ” H a r d e r said

I t k i c k s o f f w i t h

“ I n v o l u t i o n , ” f e a t u r i n g p a i n tings by Dana Roes with poetry by Brandi George, followed by t h e S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a A r t League, metal sculptor Wendy Klemperer and others

“It's going to be fantastic,” she said

There will also be a guided field trip to The John and Mable R i n g l i n g M u s e u m o f A r t i n February.

For Workshops, there is a wide range of mediums and options to choose from, from

“We have a lot of wonderful workshops and new instructors this year,” Harder said

I n a d d i t i o n , B I G A R T S w i l l o f f e r T h e M a s t e r Workshop Series

“These are artists that we bring in from around the country,” she said “They are here once a year ”

The community is invited to check out the programming and take part

“The first-class entertainment and art education that we offer we want people to be able to experience that,” Harder said. “We all know what music and arts do for the soul ”

“Come and join us,” she added “Make new friends and see old friends ”

For more information, visit https://bigarts org/ or call the box office 239-395-0900

BIG ARTS is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

BIG ARTS Calendar

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

Workshop

W a t e r c o l o r F u n d a m e n t a l s S e r i e s w i t h S u n n y Krchmar on Oct 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 9 a m to noon at BIG ARTS Cost is $156 for donors and $195 for non-donors

Workshop

Zentangle Drawing with Donna Lee Cole on Oct 11 from 10 a m to 1 p m at BIG ARTS Cost is $39 for donors and $48 for non-donors

Registration is required by calling 239-3950900

For more information, visit www.bigarts.org.

Al Franken Avi Loeb

DANA ROES

“Involution” with Dana Roes and Brandi George will open the Fine Arts season for BIG ARTS

Seahorse Social to benefit island school

By STAFF REPORT trepecki@breezenewspapers com

Tickets are on sale for The Sanibel School Parent Teacher Association's upcoming fundraiser

The Seahorse Social Tropical Nights will take place on Oct 7 from 6 to 10 p m at The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center in Fort Myers With the proceeds to benefit the island school, it will feature live music, tropical-inspired food, an open bar, and live and silent auctions

P T A S e c r e t a r y A u d r e y S t e w a r t e x p l a i n e d t h a t Hurricane Ian and its aftermath have made it difficult for the PTA to reach out to island businesses because of the difficulties they are facing as they recover

“The island businesses are hurting and the community is not quite back together, but wow are they pulling through and we could not be more thankful to Doc Ford's and duPont Residential and Commercial for continuing to support us,” she said, explaining that a creative approach is needed to meet the school's needs and impact the students' educational experience

T h e f u n d r a i s e r w i l l f e a t u r e a d i n n e r b y J a m i e ' s Cuisine, and Point Ybel Brewing Co has donated its craft beer to be served, along with a hard seltzer cocktail exclusive for the event Wicked Dolphin rum will be available courtesy of Nanny's of Sanibel Steely Pan, a

one-man steel drum band and deejay, will keep attendees entertained

“It will be a wonderful evening of socializing and supporting our vital community school,” Stewart said Event chair and PTA Fundraising & Sponsorship

SCBWA presents sponsors

o m e n ' s A s s o c i a t i o n a n n o u n c e d t h a t B e a c h w a l k e r M a r k e t i n g & Communications and MHK Architecture w e r e t h e t o p s p o n s o r s f o r i t s 2 0 2 3 fundraiser Themed “The Golden Age of Hollywood,” the event took place on Sept

22 at Cielo on Sanibel It aimed to raise funds for the SCBWA scholarship opportunities Additional event sponsors included: Custom Goods Unlimited as a Golden Globe sponsor; and The Sanibel Captiva T r u s t C o m p a n y a n d S a n i b e l C a p t i v a Community Bank as Grammy sponsors

Shell Find

Junonias found on Sanibel

M a r c i a C h a u v e t , o f P i t t s b u r g h , Pennsylvania, recently found two junonias She found one shell on the morning of Sept 5 near the backside of the Sanibel Lighthouse on Sanibel Chauvet found another junonia on Dec 16 on the shore near the lighthouse She reported that her family moved to Sanibel full-time in 2020 and experienced Hurricane Ian She walks

to the lighthouse on most mornings at sunrise to welcome each new day and collect shells with their dog, Mikey Chauvet noted that she found the most recent one before flying back to her hometown “A great Sanibel send off,” she said To report a shell find, contact 239-472-1587 or trepecki@breezenewspapers com

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Chair Samantha Baker explained that the auctions will feature something for every interest Among the items up for grabs will be a Tarpon Lodge stay, a two-night stay at the 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, a fishing charter with Capt Whitney Jones, an adult painting party for six with artist Rachel Pierce, and a Point Ybel experience of creating one's own beer and label

“I just think it's very important, especially for the island community, to really support The Sanibel School,” she said “The children and families are part of the community, and it makes Sanibel such a special place ”

Stewart explained that the Sanibel school is a smaller public school and does not receive the same level of funding from the School District of Lee County that larger schools do The funds raised will help to support the school's music, art and physical education departments and create grants for teachers to use on student enrichment programs.

T i c k e t s a r e $ 1 5 0 a n d c a n b e p u r c h a s e d a t thesanibelschoolPTA com

The community is encouraged to reserve a ticket

For more information, visit thesanibelschoolPTA com or contact sanibelptaboard@gmail com

The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center is at 15570 Hagie Drive, Fort Myers

SCCF presents par ty par tners

T h e S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a C o n s e r v a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n r e c e n t l y a n n o u n c e d t h e

“Party Partners” for The Watch Party held on Sept 29 at its Sanibel headquarters The Point Ybel Brewing Company and Pacifico offered libations, while T i m b e r s R e s t a u r a n t & F i s h M a r k e t served up oysters on the half shell, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille made sliders and The Great White Grill had pizza Catering by Leslie Adams cooked up a

shrimp boil and The Shack on Sanibel spooned out custard dessert. 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa provided accommodations for the band, Congress Jewelers donated a mangrove necklace for a drawing and Whitney's Bait & T a c k l e h e l d a c a s t i n g c o m p e t i t i o n P r o c e e d s f r o m t h e e v e n t b e n e f i t t e d Coastal Watch For more information a n d t i c k e t s , v i s i t h t t p s : / / s c c f o r g / t h ewatch-party

ISL AND HOME islander

Our native sunflower loves the beach

Southern Florida is bringing the sun to you with this native bloomer, the dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis), which owns a bright flare of yellow and spreads like a wild fire But do not be alarmed; the flowering sprout of the sand dunes can be the perfect complement t o y o u r s e a s i d e l a n dscape

The dune sunflower is a powerhouse With a high tolerance for salty w i n d s a n d d r o u g h t , along with rapid growth a n d f l o w e r i n g y e a rround, what more could you ask for from a blooming beauty? Reaching 2-4 feet in height, with potential of crawling up to 8 feet wide, this plant's growth offers a wide variety of possibilities for landscape styling With that being said, the dune sunflower works well as groundcover, especially in butterfly gardens, as well as edging, large masses, and cascades upon walls or fences When rooted in the ground, the flowering shrub fancies sandy soil, similar to its native preference for the beach's salty sand dunes Also, direct sun is the ideal living condition for the coastal greenery

The beachy sunflower is a branch upon the daisy plant family tree (Asteraceae), with an abundance of small, bright yellow flowers with dark brown centers full of seeds and pollen The pollen feeds all kinds of insects, while the seeds feed the ground in order to self-multiply and germinate new sprouts Historically speaking, Native Americans took advantage of the flowers and seeds produced by the plant to create colored dyes of pale green and dark black for textiles, pottery and body paint How creative! Nowadays, the dune sunflower sticks to growing full and looking pretty, as it brightens up our island beachfronts, as well as our own backyards

The possibilities are endless with this easy-maintenance bloom for it is fast-growing, spreads easily, adapts well to the island life and adds a pop of color to your garden

In The Garden is a joint effort by all at the local g a r d e n c e n t e r , a t 3 8 8 9 S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a R o a d , Sanibel. For more information, contact 239-3955859 or visit www facebook com/rswalshinthegarden

Saint Michael hosting vir tual series

S a i n t M i c h a e l a n d A l l A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l Church is hosting a Zoom series, “I Wish I Knew,” presented by the Christian Formation Ministry “Providing Peace of Mind” will take place on Oct 10 at 6:30 p m The Rev William “Bill” Van Oss will share helpful tips on funeral planning and parish nurse Wendy Warner will talk about advance care planning There will be t i m e f o r q u e s t i o n s T o p a r t i c i p a t e , v i s i t https://us02web .zoom.us/j/83735185082; the Meeting ID is 837 3518 5082 Each session will be recorded and available on the church's website For more information, visit https://www saintmichaels-sanibel org/

Ar tists spotlight for refuge event

T h e 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 w i l l w e l c o m e a r t i s t s R a c h e l P i e r c e , J i m S p r a n k l e ,

A l e j a n d r a “ A l e x ” B u s t a m a n t e a n d L a c y M c C l a r y t o i t s

A r t i n t h e W i l d o n O c t 2 1 f r o m n o o n t o 4 p m i n t h e V i s i t o r & E d u c a t i o n C e n t e r A r e f u g e A r t i s t - i n -

R e s i d e n c e a l u m n u s , P i e r c e p a i n t s v i v i d i s l a n d s c e n e s o n c a n v a s , c l o t h i n g a n d j e w e l r y S h e w i l l l e a d a h a n d s - o n w o r k s h o p , “ P a i n t o n Q u e e n P a l m P o d s , ” a s a t a k e - h o m e p r o j e c t f o r r e g i s t e r e d p a r t i c i p a n t s M a j o r L e a g u e B a s e b a l l p l a y e r t u r n e d m a j o r - l e a g u e b i r d s c u l p t o r , S p r a n k l e c a r v e s i n t r i c a t e l i f e l i k e w o r k s f r o m h i s S a n i b e l h o m e s t u d i o H i s b i r d s c u l p t u r e s c a n b e v i e w e d t h r o u g ho u t t h e r e f u g e ' s c e n t e r S p r a n k l e w i l l d e m o n s t r a t e h i s c r a f t A n a t i v e o f P e r u , B u s t a m a n t e h a s w o r k e d i n t h e f i e l d o f a r t f o r m a n y y e a r s i n S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a C u r r e n t l y , s h e o p e r a t e s h e r o w n b r a n d i n g a n d a r t m u r a l b u s i n e s s A S a n i b e l a r t i s t , M c C l a r y i s b e s t k n o w n f o r h e r w h i m s i c a l , i s l a n d - i n s p i r e d p a i n t i n g s a n d r e c l a i m e d w o o d e n b o h o a r t p i e c e s B u s t a m a n t e a n d M c C l a r y w i l l d e m o n s t r a t e t h e i r p a i n t i n g t e c h n i q u e s

Sanibel Captiva

PHOTO PROVIDED

Dune sunflower

Jim Sprankle

REFUGE/DDWS

Rachel Pierce

LACY MCCLARY

Alejandra “Alex” Bustamante

By CHEF LORETTA PAGANINI

Recipe of the Week: Potato-Zucchini Fritters

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Enjoy this summer favorite! This year my garden is overflowing with an overabundance of zucchini So I'm always looking for ways to use them in the kitchen and this recipe is just what my family was looking for It was given to me by Chef Michael Roberts, one of Donald Trump Los Angeles restaurant chefs when he came on my television show Easy to prepare and incredibly fast, these vegetable fritters make a perfect appetizer or a delicious snack Makes 16-20 pieces (Chef tip: Shred your potatoes at the last minute when you are ready to make the recipe or they will turn black, and if you rinse them you will remove the starch that is needed to bond them together )

4 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1 pound potatoes, all-purpose

1 pound zucchini

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

CROW Calendar

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

∫ Today, Oct. 4

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The program will cover a variety of topics related to wildlife and patient care at CROW

∫ Thursday, Oct. 5

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The program will cover a variety of topics related to wildlife and patient care at CROW

∫ Friday, Oct. 6

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The program will cover a variety of topics related to wildlife and patient care at CROW

∫ Wednesday, Oct. 1 1

Program of the Week at 11 a m

The program will cover a variety of topics related to wildlife and patient care at CROW

Admission to the center is currently free Admittance includes the above daily p r e s e n t a t i o n s , a n d n o r e s e r v a t i o n s a r e required to attend

In addition, CROW offers a Wildlife W a l k H o s p i t a l T o u r o n W e d n e s d a y s through Fridays after the daily presentation 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 2394 7 2 - 3 6 4 4 e x t 2 2 9 o r 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

Response to suffering, tragedy matters

In early August, several members of our spiritual c o m m u n i t y c o m p l e t e d a weeks long exploration of the Book of Job I'm not sure they've recovered yet. Or me

To say that the Book of Job is challenging is like s a y i n g t h e p a s t s u m m e r h e r e w a s “ w a r m . ” T h e book presents a constant and lingering set of quest i o n s , q u a n d a r i e s a n d curiosities in regard to its central theme of the nature of suffering, God's role in i t , a n d G o d ' s a n d o u r response to it It is, as one commentator puts it, perhaps the most familiar and, at the same time, least understood book in the Bible.

Faces on Faith

For example, the book has given rise to the popular expression “the patience of Job ” Not exactly Throughout the narrative, Job is anything but patient He constantly argues with and rails at the three friends who at first come to comfort him but then quickly, as we can so often fall into, turn to blaming Job for his suffering

And Job also continually argues with and rails at God

Then, of course there's G o d D e s p i t e J o b ' s c o nstant pleas and demands for God to explain why he has lost everything and his life turned to ashes, when God does finally show up at the end of the book, God offers nothing in the way of anything resembling a specific “this is the why of your suffering” answer

But as understandably unsatisfying as that is to so many who have read and studied and tried to make sense of this story over the centuries, perhaps that is one of the most vital things the book may be suggesting to us. Perhaps one of the ways we might see this portrayal of God in a helpful though probably not completely helpful manner is that what matters more than “Why?” to God when it comes to suffering and tragedy is the response, the “What now?”

That certainly was in clear evidence a year ago in the aftermath of Hurricane

1/4 cup clarified butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sour cream

Fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Melt butter in a small saucepan Cook onion and celery to sweat Sprinkle flour on top of vegetables and continue cooking, stirring constantly Slowly add the milk and cook When it thickens, remove from heat Transfer to a mixing bowl

Shred potatoes and zucchini over a lint-free towel Squeeze them dry and add them into the same mixing bowl as the milk mixture Stir vegetables into the milk mixture Add eggs, stir, and season with salt and pepper

Mix clarified butter and olive oil in a skillet and heat Add fritter mixture to the skillet with a 2-ounce ladle, forming round patties Cook five minutes on each side or until lightly browned Remove to a paper towel-lined pan to drain Repeat cooking process until all of the batter is used.

Island Worship

∫ Bat Yam Temple of the Islands

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

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

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

∫ Captiva Chapel by the Sea

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

Rev 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

www chavuratshalomofsouthwestflorida org

Classes and discussion on Thursday at 11 a m via Zoom Torah Talk on the third Thursday of each month at 11 a m via Zoom Friday Shabbat service at 7:30 p m via Zoom Len Minsky Current Events discussion on Saturday at 11 a m via Zoom An informal “schmooze” session on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p m via Zoom 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 SCC Sanctuary Services will be recorded and posted on the SCC's YouTube channel on Monday

∫ Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ

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

Senior Minister Rev Dr Mark Boyea

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

∫ St. Isabel Catholic Church

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

Father Edward Martin

Friday Mass at 9 a m Weekend Masses on Saturday at 4 p m and Sunday at 10 a m

∫ St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

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

Rev William “Bill” Van Oss

Saturday service at 5 p m with a social to follow Sunday service at 9:30 a m with a coffee hour to follow Services take place at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's at the church; enter off of Dunlop Road.

Ian Of course, the “Why?” matters It matters how buildings are constructed It matters how land is developed. It matters how we treat and care for or don't care for God's creation That matters and matters greatly going forward But first and foremost, the “What now?” mattered What mattered most was saving people; offering them shelter and food and water; helping them clear and clean up; giving them comfort and support And over and over again, that's what we saw people do Over and over again, that's what you did

That was what mattered most at that time, and still matters most in this continued time of suffering and struggle for so many It was what Job's friends did for a brief time before they turned to blame and condemnation And in the end, while God

does not provide a specific answer to the “Why?” of Job's suffering, God does call his friends to task for making blame and condemnation of Job their priority over offering him shelter, food and water; helping him to clear and clean up; giving him comfort and support

The Book of Job then suggests, among many other things, that we are called to be the “What now?” people of a “What now?” God As we were during Ian and its aftermath As we have been in the year since As we will continue to be

The Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea is senior minister at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ

Loretta Paganini

Dr Mark Boyea

islandBEAT islander

‘Where Was I On October 3, 1951?’ Poetic License

In the belly of the beast, 0200 Boylan Hall, the Social Lounge of Brooklyn College, the only New York Giant fan surrounded by more than a hundred Brooklyn Dodger fans cutting their classes to watch the most important game in history, the third playoff game between the Giants and Dodgers having arrived there just after the sixth inning from my Classical Civilization class and Professor Costas’ lecture on Aristotle’s Poetics during which I had argued that a modern example of hubri was Dodger manager Chuck Dressen singing, “Roll Out the Barrel “The Giants is Dead” after his team swept the Giants in a doubleheader on August 8;

the crowd standing in front of the tiny TV set parting like the Red Sea to let the token Giant fan stand up front, the better to taunt me and watch me suffer when Sal the Barber Maglie tired in the top of the eighth and the Dodgers scored three to go ahead four to one, the Social Lounge a-roar in unison like a Greek chorus and the outlook no longer brilliant for the Manhattan Nine that day, Newcombe still throwing strikes, the Giants’ miracle spurt to the pennant fizzling before my eyes, everyone taking turns backslapping me in mock consolation except for two twerps wearing Ivy League sweaters standing on the side and smirking just like Yankee fans at Giant-Dodger games, and the game going into the bottom of the ninth the tension between catharsis, escape from the humiliation of blowing a thirteen and a half game lead in late August

and the awareness that three colossal outs still stood in the way causing a nervous hopeful silence to fall upon the Dodger fans, the only sounds the TV announcer and myself, yelling “Peripeteia Giants, peripeteia, turn it around one more time;”

then Dark and Mueller letting drive singles to the consternation of all and the much admired Lockman

tearing the cover off the ball and then the dust lifting and the announcer being heard, “Alvin’s in, Whitey’s safe on second, And Don’s a hugging third ”

“Take Newcombe out, take him out now!” everyone shouting at the top of their lungs as if they were at the game and the Dodger manager walking out to make the change and suddenly I recognized it all, anagnorisis, just like in Greek drama, Bobby Thomson coming up to bat, and who would Dressen pick to pitch to him?

hamartia, Dressen’s tragic flaw, his error in judgement, would now take over,

“Bring in Branca!” I remember shouting, “Bring in Branca!” as if Dressen could hear me, “No, no, not Branca” the Dodger fans beseeching, knowing that it would be the worst move to make since Thomson had already hit three home runs off him, the last one two days before in the first playoff game and yet knowing, like Greek audiences advising Oedipus, that Dressen would bring him in; the first pitch a strike and then the TV announcer shouting “Oh!” a shot of the stands emptying, and the fans pouring out on the field, Stanky wrestling Durocher to the ground, I must have jumped up and down twenty times, yelling, “Incredible! I can’t believe it! The greatest!” till becoming hoarse and remembering where I was, I turned around to gloat in triumph

and there was no one there Where were you on October 5 , 1 9 5 1 ?

Telling Professor Costas and the class, Aristotle was right: If not at first in the long run hubris and a high inside fastball will do you in

Sanibel Captiva

The Community House Calendar

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

Shellcrafters

The Shellcrafters will meet on Oct 9 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 The Community House

T C H i s s e e k i n g v o l u n t e e r s a n d sponsors for its Fall Festival Party on Oct 28 from 5 to 7 p m For more

i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t E x e c u t i v e Director Teresa Riska-Hall at teres a @ s a n i b e l c o m m u n i t y h o u s e n e t o r 239-472-2155

TCH is accepting art vendors for the 87th Sanibel Historical Annual S h e l l F e s t i v a l o n M a r c h 7 - 9

Reservations are available for 8-foot tables for $150 and include all three days

T C H o f f i c e h o u r s a r e M o n d a y through Friday from 9 a m to 1 p m F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w s a n i b e l c o m m u n i t y h o u s e n e t o r c o n t a c t 2

o r office@sanibelcommunityhouse net

The Santiva Islanders Calendar

The Santiva Islanders will present the following:

Leisure Lunch

A Leisure Lunch will be held today, Oct 4, at noon at Cielo, at 1244 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Coffee Bistro

Coffee Bistro will be held on Oct 5 from 10 a m to 2:30 p m at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Coffee and other beverages will be served Volunteers will be available to answer questions, register new members, offer signups for activities and more Enter off of Dunlop Road

Cardio and Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio and Strength on Oct 5 from 10:30 to 11:30 a m at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 P e r i w i n k l e W a y , S a n i b e l . I t w i l l involve light to moderate aerobics, strength and balance exercises, and stretching Bring water and a towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $40 per month for members or $10 per class and $80 per month for non-members Enter off of Dunlop Road

October Bir thdays

Cupcake Celebration

An October Birthdays Cupcake Celebration will be held on Oct 5 from noon to 12:30 p m at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's at Saint Michael

and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Come celebrate October birthdays Birthday cupcakes and candles will be provided. Enter off of Dunlop Road

Fun and Games

Fun and Games will be held on Oct 5 from 12:30 to 2:30 p m at The Gathering Place @ St. Michael's at S a i n t M i c h a e l a n d A l l A n g e l s Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Options will include cards, board games, puzzles, Bridge, Mahjong and more For more informat i o n a b o u t B r i d g e , c o n t a c t B r y a n t Korn at bryantekorn@gmail com For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t M a h j o n g , c o n t a c t R o b i n C h r i s t i a n a t f w r o b i n 0 1 @ a t t n e t E n t e r o f f o f Dunlop Road

Stretch and Tone

Mahnaz Bassir will host Stretch and Tone on Oct 5 from 1 to 2 p m at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's a t S a i n t M i c h a e l a n d A l l A n g e l s Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel It will involve toning e x e r c i s e s , b a l a n c e m o v e m e n t s a n d total body stretches Bring water and a towel; the exercises are done standing or sitting in chairs, so no mat is needed Cost per class is $5 for members and $10 for non-members Enter off of Dunlop Road

Happy Hour at MudBugs

Happy Hour at MudBugs will be held on Oct 9 from 4 to 6 p m at M u d B u g s C a j u n K i t c h e n , a t 1 4 7 3

See THE SANTIVA ISLANDERS CALENDAR, page 29

to 9:30 p m

ROWLAND AND DANI LIGHTNER

Shell Find

Junonia found on Captiva

Ali Baron, of Chapel Hill, N o r t h C a r o l i n a , f o u n d a junonia on June 30 in the midafternoon on Turner Beach on Captiva She was snorkeling when she saw the juvenile shell “I was so excited and surprised to find it!” Baron said Her family loves Sanibel and she and her mother try to visit at least once a year She reported that they came down for a week because they wanted to support the islands after Hurricane Ian. “We enjoyed eating at local restaurants and went shelling on many beaches on Sanibel and Captiva,” Baron added “The recovery thus far is amazing and the island still has so much beauty, and we love seeing all the wildlife, especially manatees and roseate spoonbills ” To report a shell find, contact 2 3 9 - 4 7 2 - 1 5 8 7 o r t r e p e c k i @breezenewspapers.com.

The Santiva Islanders Calendar

From page 28

Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Enjoy happy h o u r d r i n k a n d a p p e t i z e r s p e c i a l s Participants will order and pay individually For more information, contact event host Robin Christian at 817-975-7166

Coffee Bistro

Coffee Bistro will be held on Oct 10 f r o m 1 0 a m t o 2 : 3 0 p m a t T h e Gathering Place @ St Michael's at Saint M i c h a e l a n d A l l A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4 P e r i w i n k l e W a y , Sanibel Coffee and other beverages will be served Volunteers will be available to answer questions, register new members, offer signups for activities and more Enter off of Dunlop Road

Cardio and Strength

Mahnaz Bassir will host Cardio and Strength on Oct 10 from 10:30 to 11:30 a m a t T h e G a t h e r i n g P l a c e @ S t Michael's at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, at 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel It will involve light to moderate aerobics, strength and balance exercises, and stretching Bring water and a

towel; no mat is required Light weights may be brought Cost is $5 per class and $40 per month for members or $10 per class and $80 per month for non-members Enter off of Dunlop Road

Page Tur ners

The Page Turners will meet on Oct 10 from 1 to 2 p m at The Gathering Place @ St Michael's at Saint Michael and All A n g e l s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , a t 2 3 0 4 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, and via Zoom

The book for discussion will be “The C o v e n a n t o f W a t e r ” b y A b r a h a m Verghese For questions or to receive the Z o o m l o g i n , c o n t a c t santivaislanders@gmail com Enter off of Dunlop Road

The Santiva Islanders serve all adult islanders and visitors, regardless of age The cost is $20 for an annual membership The Island Seniors raise funding to help defray the cost of the program activities.

For more information, visit https://sant i v a i s l a n d e r s o r g / o r c o n t a c t s a n t i v a i slanders@gmail com

PHOTO PROVIDED

W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , O c t o b e r 4 ,

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

Shell Find

Junonia found on Sanibel

Robin Reed, of Danville, Kentucky, found a junonia on Sept 18 near the Algiers Beach access on Sanibel She reported that she has been vacationing on Sanibel for 25 years Her father-in-law introduced her to shelling and told her about the famous rare junonia. “I have been looking for one every since,” Reed added To report a shell find, contact 239-472-1587 or trepecki@breezenewspapers com

PHOTO PROVIDED

Rotary Happenings Refuge, DDWS share events and programs

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

A n n - M a r i e W i l d m a n s h a r e d t h e m a n y n e w a n d e x c i ti n g e v e n t s a n d p r o g r a m s h a p p e n i n g

T h e r e f u g e ' s u p d a t e d m i s s i o n o f “ w o r k i n g w i t h o t he r s t o c o n s e r v e , p r o t e c t a n d e n h a n c e f i s h , w i l d l i f e , p l a n t s a n d t h e i r h a b i t a t s f o r t h e c o n t i n u i n g b e n e f i t o f t h e A m e r i c a n p e o p l e ” i s q u i t e a c c u r a t e I t i s p a r t n e r i n g w i t h o t h e r s t o o f f e r s o m e o f t h e b e s t p r o g r a m m i n g A r t i n t h e W i l d w i l l c e l e b r a t e N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e R e f u g e W e e k a n d t h e b i r t h d a y o f n a m e s a k e J a y N o r w o o d “ D i n g ” D a r l i n g , a n d i t s L e c t u r e S e r i e s a d d r e s s e s t o p i c s s u c h a s s u r v i v i n g h u r r i c a n e s a n d m i c r o p l a s t i c s i n w a t e r I t s W i l d l i f e o f W h e e l s m o b i l e c l a s s r o o m v i s i t s s c h o o l s , l i b r a r i e s , c o n s e r v a t i o n - m i n de d e v e n t s , a n d e c o n o m i c a l l y c h a l l e n g e d a n d m i n o r i t y c o m m u n i t i e s t o t e a c h a b o u t w a t e r q u a l i t y , t h e e c o s y st e m , w i l d l i f e a n d o t h e r t o p i c s T h e r e f u g e ' s N a t u r e W e l l n e s s p r o g r a m o f f e r s w e l ln e s s o f t h e m i n d a n d m e n t a l h e a l t h w i t h T h e S e l fG u i d e d M i n d f u l n e s s T r a i l , m e d i t a t i o n , M i n d f u l M o n d a y s a n d r e f u g e y o g a , a m o n g s t o t h e r o p p o r t u n it i e s I t a l s o o f f e r s c h o l a r s h i p s a n d i n t e r n s h i p s f o r s t ud e n t s i n t e r e s t e d i n e n v i r o n m e n t a l s t u d i e s B e s u r e t o v i s i t t h e r e f u g e i n p e r s o n O r v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w f w s g o v / r e f u g e / j n - d i n g - d a r l i n g o r h t t p s : / / w w w . d i n g d a r l i n g s o c i e t y . o r g / t o s e e a l l o f t h e p r o g r a m s a n d e v e n t s o f f e r e d

PHOTO PROVIDED

J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, right, was one speaker at the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club's recent meeting.

The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club meets on Fridays at 7:30 at The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel For more information, visit sanibelrotary org or www facebook com/sancaprotary