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CAPE CORAL BREEZE Cape Coral’s Community Newspaper Since 1961
Vol. 61, No. 78
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
50 Cents
Local state of emergency, curfew end in Cape City provides recovery update By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com
The city of Cape Coral’s local state of emergency and curfew ended Tuesday, nearly two weeks removed from the most catastrophic storm in the city's history. Cape officials gathered Tuesday afternoon to provide updates on recovery efforts from high-end Category 4 Hurricane Ian. One of the most pressing issues for residents since the aftermath of the storm has been restoring power to homes and businesses. Lee County Electric Cooperative CEO Denise Vidal shared the latest on what the utility is doing and has done to get
the lights back on. “Specific to Cape Coral, we're down to a couple-hundred outages I'm very happy to report,” Vidal said. “And it continues to decrease as we get through today's work.” Roughly 1,200 crews are still working along Cape Coral streets, and LCEC said several hundred customers who needed to reconnect after damage was sustained have been able to do so after repairs. Vidal called Hurricane Ian an “unprecedented” event and shared her gratitude to other companies that have lent a hand such as Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light. She said the residents and workers in Southwest Florida have been “resilient.” “We've all joined together to help this community rebuild,” Vidal said. “And you
see the efforts on every corner. Everyone's contributions go a long way in recovery. “We will continue to restore power to every customer in our beautiful Southwest Florida community.” LCEC has temporarily suspended late fees and disconnections for non-payment “so customers can focus on their families and homes after the disastrous Hurricane Ian.” City Manager Rob Hernandez said Cape Coral has suspended the intake of any new permits that are not hurricane-related for “at least” 30 days." “This will allow us to focus primarily on those permits that are necessary to allow our residents and businesses to get back on their feet. All emergency permits, of
course, take precedence over any other permits,” Hernandez said, adding the department also is focusing on permits in the system prior to the state of emergency. Cape Coral Community Development Director Vincent Cautero, said “several hundred” permits were processed on Tuesday -- the first day City Hall has been open since the storm. He said the majority of the permits coming through the system are for “minor” damages in electrical and roofing areas for $20,000 or less. Cautero said the city has predicted, and is now starting to see, permits already in the system for new homes or remodels
See CAPE, page 4
District’s goal is to open schools Oct. 17
AT A GLANCE
By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers.com
Inside today’s Breeze The Calusa Sportsman Foundation makes big donation to Valerie’s House “Forever Home” project. — INSIDE
NEWS OF NOTE Sanibel Causeway temporary repairs now complete Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that temporary repairs to the Sanibel Causeway are complete and will allow a onetime convoy of power restoration equipment, supplies and crews to access Sanibel Island and continue restoration efforts. Once crews are on the island, the Florida Department of Transportation will resume repairs to restore access to the island for residents, which is expected to be complete by the end of this month. The temporary repairs to the bridge will allow over 200 bucket trucks, 150 line and pickup trucks towing 50 trailers and 2 tractor trailers to move onto the island, along with additional first responders to cross the bridge and aid in recovery efforts while final road repairs are underway. This includes crews from across the state, Lee County Electric Cooperative, Florida Power and Light and members of the Florida Electric Cooperative Association. Last week, at DeSantis’ direction, barges began to deploy to move equipment and supplies to Sanibel to restore power and ensure wraparound services like running water are available as quickly as possible. Barges continue to move daily to transport equipment, personnel and supplies to support recovery operations.
Shell Factory, nature park battered by Ian By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers.com
For a person who saw her business resemble a war zone last week, Pam Cronin felt like a very blessed woman. The Shell Factory & Nature Park, which Cronin owns, was hit very hard by Hurricane Ian, and as of Thursday still had no electricity or any of its attractions even close to being open. The famed Shell Factory sign now reads “SHE” and has made national news as the rest of the letters are long gone, the gift shop saw some flooding and roof damage, the restaurant had approximately $30,000 in food go bad when the power went out early and the refrigerators and freezers couldn’t hold in the cold, and the nature park … well … it was totally trashed. The good news was that all the animals made it through the storm (unlike Irma when 11 animals died) and Players Circle Theater and the Fun Park sustained no damage and the Shell Factory is looking to get back in business sooner rather than later. Cronin said they have been working hard to get things back to normal, which begins with the iconic sign. “The sign has been there since 1960 but it’s been destroyed. We have the “SHE” left, which
CHUCK BALLARO
The iconic Shell Factory sign, above, was badly damaged by Hurricane Ian. Two carousel ponies, top, rode out the storm in place. The horses are still usable, as is the carousel, though it had to be dismantled. is funny. We got a lot of damage like everyone else and have a lot of water inside the building so we’re pulling all the carpet out and mitigate the problems we have with the water,” Cronin
See SHELL FACTORY, page 4
Lee County Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier announced Friday during an afternoon press conference that the district’s goal is to return to an educational environment on Monday, Oct. 17. “Unfortunately I have to report that schools will remain closed. Certified inspectors have evaluated our buildings and special centers,” he said. “The majority of our schools are considered what is called a low needs environment. Meaning they need very little more in order to open.” The reason the schools will remain closed this upcoming week is the district still has significant and disproportional challenges to overcome as not all the district's buildings were impacted in the same manner by the storm. There are at least eight schools that do not have power. “Some schools, most schools, do not have suitable drinking water. Most of our schools remain on a boil water notice. We still have safety and debris issues, which will impact the safe pick up and delivery of our students both to and from our schools,” Bernier said. “We have to reopen in a way that is safe for our students and staff and sensitive to their needs, while being effective enough to be able to provide teaching and learning that we expect.” There are schools that remain in the high needs category with some significant damage, with some needing time for repairs and some needing longer to rebuild. The list of schools not ready to open include Fort Myers Beach Elementary, Hector Cafferata Elementary School, Heights Elementary School, Pine Island Elementary School, Skyline Elementary School, Caloosa Middle School, Cypress Lake Middle School, Diplomat Middle School, Gulf Middle School, Lexington Middle School, Mariner Middle School, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, Trafalgar Middle School, The Sanibel School, North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, North Fort Myers High School, Fort Myers Tech Center and Success Academy. Bernier said they have plans in place for the schools that are not able to reopen to ensure they have educational environments for those children. He said they will do their very best to keep those communities of learning, those students, teachers and principals together in the process. “There could be the possibility of double sessions based upon the buildings that we have ready to go,” Bernier said. As of Friday the calendar has not been revised to show the days students have missed
See DISTRICT, page 4
Miami Dolphins pitch in to help at North High By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers.com
When ZaQuandre White’s mother’s North Fort Myers home was damaged during Hurricane Ian and much of his hometown was in a state of tatters, he called for some backup. That backup came in the form of his teammates from the Miami Dolphins, who, on their off day, along with the athletes from North Fort Myers High School, helped spread some good fortune to thousands of people. The Lee County School District partnered NDEX with the Miami Dolphins Tuesday to distribute Legal Notices . . . . 5-6 hurricane recovery supplies, food, water and necessities at North Fort Myers High. Local Tides . . . . . . . 3 other Countless cars formed a line almost all the Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 3 way to Pondella Road on April Lane, waiting hours for the chance to get some much-needed Weather . . . . . . . . . . 2 food and water, meet a Miami Dolphin or two and even get a hot meal that many haven’t had since the storm. White, who is a running back for the Dolphins, was also a star running back and bas7 48445 46010 1 ketball player at North, graduating in 2017. He
I
Frances Lawrence takes a selfie with Miami Dolphins running back ZaQuandre White during a hurricane supplies event Tuesday at North Fort Myers High. CHUCK BALLARO still has many friends and family here in Southwest Florida, and after Ian did its damage, he sprang into action, returning home whenever
he could on his days off to help. “This is where I’m from. I’m glad my teammates came out to help me and the whole Dolphin organization,” White said. “It feels great to give back. A lot of people have nothing right now, so it’s an opportunity to help out.” Dolphins teammate Raheem Mostert said that although he went to high school on the other coast, he felt obligated to come to the aid of his teammate. “I’ve been through these experiences, growing up in hurricane season. I remember as a boy, trees being knocked over and not having the right supplies,” Mostert said. “Being able to ask for help is very important for the community. It's important to stick together at a time like this.” The Dolphins, who arrived by bus from Miami, reached out to the school district shortly after the hurricane to show support for the North Fort Myers community. “They asked what they would be eating and what they should bring and we were already
See MIAMI DOLPHINS, page 4