Week OF MAY 3, 2023
VOLUME 61, NUMBER 24
School district: Half cent sales tax funds seats By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
The voter-approved half cent sales tax for schools for the School District of Lee County has provided more than 3,700 new student seats, a 3 percentplus increase. According to a presentation to the school board on April 25 by the Independent Sales Surtax Oversight Committee, the tax has funded 3,782 new student seats. In addition, the money has helped fund seven major projects. The committee is made up of 15 members and two alternate members — all residents of Lee County and approved by the board. Projects include three new schools: Gateway High School, Lehigh Acres Middle School and Amanecer See SCHOOL DISTRICT, page 18
IslanderInsIde
Task force details prescribed burn plan, offers tips By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
T
he Sanibel Prescribed Fire Task Force recently outlined its plan for this year's prescribed burn operations on the island, which will consist of two areas in total if the conditions are
right. At an informational meeting on April 27 at the J.N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel, representatives from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sanibel and Fire Rescue District, and city of Sanibel's Natural Resources Department gave See TASk FORCe, page 11 For the 2023 spring-summer season, the Sanibel Prescribed Fire Task Force is planning prescribed burns for Legion Curve and the Botanical Site on Sanibel. SANIBEL PRESCRIBED FIRE TASK FORCE
alsOInsIdetOday
Sanibel library board fills vacancy with appointment Guest Commentary........................4 By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
The Sanibel Public Library District's board filled an open commissioner seat at its meeting. On April 27, the district's Board of Commissioners appointed Laura Gales to former Commissioner Barbara Ruben's seat by a majority vote. Ruben resigned because she recently moved off island.
Gales was one of six applicants to submit the paperwork for the appointment. The other candidates included Matthew Gaudreau, Shelley Greggs, Susan Hutler, Jude Sincoskie, and Susan Wener. The board voted by ballot, with each commissioner selecting their top pick for the vacancy. Gales received five out of the six votes, according to the administrative
staff. “I feel very grateful and honored to be chosen,” she said. Gales shared that she has a love of learning and desire to preserve the library as a place to learn. “I feel really strongly about the importance of a library within a community, and our community has suffered so much this year,” she said, See LIBRARY BOARD, page 18
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