AIRPORT INFO
Our lil ole airport (SWFIA) continues to have good news. There are several things reported:

• This past year – 2007 – was a notable year for them. They exceeded eight million passengers, which is a significant achievement for an airport. And we love it because many of them come to our island paradise.

• They have introduced an interactive route map on their web site to make your travel planning easier. They are the first airport in the Americas to do so. Not bad.

• The FAA presented them with the Airport Safety Mark of Distinction award. This award recognizes exemplary initiative in the area of airport safety.

Way to go SWFIA !

OUR PARADISE HAS A HEART
There is a group of islanders who formed the Good Neighbor Community Foundation several years ago. Its mission is to bring together those in need with those who care. We don’t usually think of Sanibel or Captiva as having people who need help. Most of their needs can’t be met without the help of charitable, concerned people. The Foundation fills that gap. It has more than $3.2 million in assets and has given out nearly $3 million in grants to non-profit organizations that support the islands and in scholarships to local students. Their current goal is to increase awareness among islanders and let them know that a donation to the Foundation will help make life better for their neighbors in need. If you would like more information about the Foundation go to www.floridacommunity.com.

SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA ARE GOING GREEN                
                                      
There is an organization called the Green Lodging Program that certifies and awards facilities that meet their criteria. They will certify a facility as a green building when it is shown that it has minimal negative effects on the environment through careful selection of materials, construction methods, energy use strategies and maintenance strategies. There are seven accommodations on Sanibel and Captiva who are working toward qualifying for certification by the program – Dunes, Sanibel Inn, Seaside Inn, Song of the Sea, South Seas, Sundial and Sunset Beach. Congratulations to them. I’ve always thought that we are pretty good at meeting our responsibilities toward the environment. But, I guess there’s always room for improvement.

THE LIONS HAVE ROARED
Helen Keller once challenged the Lions Clubs to become Knights of the Blind. They stepped up to the plate and established a number of programs. One of them is Recycle for Sight. It calls for collecting glasses that are cleaned, repaired, sorted by prescription and then sent to needy people in developing countries worldwide. Sanibel and Captiva are participants in this program with about ten drop off points with collection boxes. They ask you to forage in your dresser drawers, closets, glove compartments, car consoles or wherever there might be outdated glasses you don’t use any more then go to a collection box and put them in. For more information about the program send an email to alionbob@comcast.net.

A THANK YOU FROM SANIBEL SCHOOLS
There was recently a raffle conducted to benefit Sanibel schools. The Sanibel School Fund, (a non-profit organization) conducted the raffle and it was a great success. There were over 1,500 tickets sold by many of the island retailers. The fund thanks all those who participated in the car raffle. It was great fun and well worth while.

MEMBERS NEEDED
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) invites all islanders to join them during the 2008 membership drive and keep the SCCF mission alive and thriving. The memberships support the wildlife habitat management programs, environmental education outreach and the RECON water monitoring program. The Foundation is an important citizen of the islands and has done much to protect the special way of life we enjoy so much. Annual membership is $25 for individuals, $50 for families and $100 for businesses. There are, of course, incentives for joining which are over and above the great feeling you get for supporting such an important and worthwhile organization. You can go to www.sccf.org to join or get further information.

YOUR NEW SANIBEL CITY CENTER
The present city center is a 200 acre area bounded by Periwinkle Way, Dunlop Road, Palm Ridge Road and Tarpon Bay road. It’s a mish mash of different styles that some feel are not very attractive. It is proposed to redevelop this land, which is in need of major renovation. The city has begun to develop architectural and site planning standards to end up with a beautiful, integrated city center. The Committee of the Islands watchdog group applauded the work done so far calling it a “breath of fresh air.” We will keep you up to date on the progress of this.

No one can deliver more more than  David with his 33 years of Island experience