WEEK OF APRIL 10, 2024
VOLUME62, NUMBER 21
Council picks leaders and seats new member By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
Island tradition to feature baseball and camaraderie Bank of the Islands is the presenting homerun sponsor for this year's event. From left, bank Vice President David Lowden with the SanCap Chamber of Commerce's Aaron Walton, President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai, and Jade Nakonetschny.
By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
ree tickets to the 31st annual Sam Bailey's Islands Night are available throughout the community. The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels will play the Jupiter Hammerheads on April 17 at 7:05 p.m. at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. Gates will open at 6 p.m., with the pre-game parade at 6:10 p.m. “It honors the late Sam Bailey, a former athlete and island pioneer who started the tradition,” John Lai, president and chief executive officer of the SanCap Chamber of Commerce, which now organizes the event, said. Bailey, whose descendents own and operate the Bailey's General Store on Sanibel and The Island Store on Captiva, wanted to get the whole island together
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The Sanibel City Council selected the mayor and vice mayor for the year at its recent meeting, as well as bid an early farewell to an interim appointee on the dais and swore in a new council member. On April 2, Councilmember Holly Smith nomMayor inated Richard Johnson to retain his position. No other nominations were put forward and he was elected unanRichard Johnson imously 5-0. Johnson thanked his fellow council members. “It has been both a pleasure and an honor to provide a leadership role in this team of leaders for this past year, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue it See COUNCIL, page 2
IslanderInsIde
SANCAP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
See ISLANDS NIGHT, page 10
Family Day at BIG ARTS to feature live performances, more By STAFF REPORT
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
BIG ARTS will host a community event this weekend featuring a circus show and more. Family Day will take place on April 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. on the grounds of the Sanibel campus. Free and open to the public, there will be live performances, youth workshops, make-and-take art and more. “Our free gatherings are a wonderful way for BIG ARTS to play a meaningful role in the community,” Executive Director Lee Ellen Harder shared. “They
are a great opportunity for us to introduce residents and guests to the BIG ARTS facility and everything our organization offers.” The Great Dubois will kick off the day with a performance in the Christensen Performance Hall. “The Great Dubois is a fast-paced,
high-energy circus show for all ages, showcasing incredible feats of juggling, hula hoops, unicycle, aerial, circus stunts, contortion, magic and audience interaction, all wrapped up in a blanket of comedy,” she reported. “Simply put, it is the most unique two-person circus show you will ever see.” The award-winning combination of Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy have five generations of circus performing between them, and they have wowed crowds at shows at theaters, universities, See FAMILY DAY, page 2
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