News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 7

News-Press Co DEATHS 4 TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 1985 ral epoirSs say Fires to remain a burning issue table Chart shows how far (in feet) from land's surface to public water supply in a monitoring well in Southeastern Lee County.5 li nig SAM 26.79 32.12 38.82 40.04 52.04 waiter By ROSLYN AVERILL News-Press Environmental Writer Preliminary reports show drinking water supplies for Lee and Collier counties have continued to drop despite mandatory water-use cutbacks imposed about two weeks ago. Lisa Smith, a spokeswoman for the South Florida Water Management District, said Monday that water use throughout the region has declined in recent weeks, but not enough to keep the water table from falling. Smith said geological data being gathered in the two-county area shows the water table is down throughout the region because of below-average rainfall in recent months, coupled with increased water usage by an influx of tourists and residents watering parched lawns. Water management officials refused to say at what level the water table would be threatened by irreparable contamination from salt water, or what level would be high enough to lift the mandatory watering rules. They said there is a possibility the rules will be stiffened at the April 11 meeting of the water district's governing board.

"We can't make it rain, so that (water-cutback plan) is the only recourse we have," Smith said. fall By MARK ANDERSEN News-Press Staff Writer There's no end in sight to one of Southwest Florida's busiest brush fire seasons, according to area fire officials. "Until we get a substantial amount of rain, we'll continue to have fires," said Hank Graham, district forester for the Florida Division of Forestry in Fort Myers. "And we don't expect any substantial rains until May." The 1985 brush fire season has been one of the most active in recent years, with 153 fires having charred 23,924 acres of grass and woodlands in Lee, Collier, and Hendry counties as of March 31, said Ed Jones, local forestry investigator. "We're way ahead of schedule," Jones said.

The three-county area normally averages 200 to 300 wildfires each year, he said. Last year, 358 fires scorched 9,148 acres in the three-county area, Jones said. In addition, 108 fires have burned 9,885 acres this year in Charlotte County, ranger Jimmy Davis said. "A combination of things have made this a very active fire season: a lack of rain, high winds and low humidity," Graham said. "Those three things in combination are the main reason it's been an active season." January's freezing temperatures that devastated area crops also have played a role, drying out underbrush and turning it into kindling, Graham said.

However, many of the fires are the result of arson, Jones said. He estimated 75 percent of the brush fires this year can be blamed on arson. Fires are usually classified in one of three categories accidental, natural (such as lightning), and fires that are intentionally set. According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, 389 brush fires in Florida during 1 984 were the result of arson. Authorities arrested 107 people in connection with those fires, records show.

Jones said making arrests on arson charges is not easy, however. "It's hard to track them (those who start fires) down," he said. Whether an arrest is made usually depends on tips from residents in the neighborhoods where fires start, Jones said. Many fires have been in sparsely populated areas, however. "We've been getting good tips and bad tips," Jones said.

Authorities have been able to make several arrests this year, but an exact number wasn't available. Forestry officials arrested Johnny Ray Louette, 20, of North Fort Myers March 28 on charges he willfully set four brush fires in North Fort Myers during February, Jones said. Louette was being held without bond Monday in the Lee County Jail on the third-degree felony charge, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. Officials say about 8 inches of rain is needed to extinguish the threat of brush fires and, until the region gets a good soaking, fires can be expected almost every day. See FIRES, page 3B Feb.

Oct. Feb. Oct. Feb. Mar.

Oct. Jan. Feb. Mar. 1980 1980 1981 1981 1984 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 Lowest ever since record-keeping began in 1976 Source: U.S.

Geological Survey 34.68 38.75 39.28 44.80 i 46.78 I alleviate the problem," shesaid. Meteorologist Andrew Stern of the National Weather Service in Miami said there is a 30 percent chance of rain in Fort Myers today and a 20 percent chance tonight as a mild cold front moves into the area. He said today's high temperature is expected to be near 80 degrees, and tonight's low should be in the middle to upper-50s. The mild cold front is expected to bring Wednesday's high temperature down to the mid-70s, Stern said. Addresses determine when resi dents can wash cars and water lawns.

People with odd-numbered addresses can water from 4 to 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Those with even-numbered addresses or post office boxes can water from 4 to 8 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Smith said the 2.06 inches of rain that fell on Fort Myers in March wasn't enough to recharge underground supplies.

"The rain gave us a little more time (before a severe water shortage occurs) but it didn't Cape Coral may not get state funds for sewage plant Instead, cities ranked ahead of Cape Coral may get more money than originally promised. Michael Yandel, a spokesman for the Bureau of Wastewater Management, said the change was in a regulation requiring that in some cases a sewage system had to be installed prior to 1972 to be eligible for money. Now cities that have had sewer systems since 1983 are eligible. As a result of the recent rule change, Yandel said, all cities ahead of Cape Coral on the priority list are being reevaluated to see if they should receive a larger grant. Last week, state officials reviewed the list of cities eligible for grants to see if some should be eliminated.

When cities are eliminated from the list, other cities, like See PLANT, page 3B By FRANK RINELLA Cape Coral Bureau Chief CAPE CORAL The city's chances of getting a $3 million state grant to help pay for expansion of the Everest Parkway Sewage Treatment Plant may be diminished, state officials said Monday. Last week, officials in the state Bureau of Wastewater Cape Coral stood a good chance of category that would have assured the full $3 million, the maximum allowed to of changes In the complex regulations eligibility and ranking of cities being Cape Coral may not move up the ladder. A I' Council approves Cape TV station Area lawmen reported Monday that more than 200 residents in the two-county area have been caught violating watering restrictions, and seven have been given citations carrying a $25 fine. A fine is being imposed on people caught violating the rules a second time, Lee County sheriff's Lt. John McDougall said.

Most of the violators, who were caught watering their lawns outside permitted hours, either hadn't heard about the new restrictions or were confused about what hours they could use water outdoors, lawmen said. Water management officials praised local residents, saying 200 violators out of some 350,000 people living in the region is a good indication the rules are being followed. "For the most part, people seem to want to comply," Smith said. "We wouldn't be enforcing mandatory restrictions unless we thought it absolutely necessary." The biggest complaint from residents, Smith said, has been that the hours for lawn watering and car washing are too early. She said officials selected the 4 to 8 a.m.

watering period because it is early enough to prevent too much evaporation from the sun, and is close enough to sunlight to prevent water from standing and causing lawn rot. lovsky alleged Tolisano used his position to speed up the process of the station receiving final approval by th city. "How did it get on our agenda?" Zaslovsky asked. However, Mayor Joe Mazurkie-wicz and City Manager Ellis Shapiro confirmed it was Shapiro who pushed the issue to the council. "I thought it was important enough to put it on the agenda," Shapiro said.

Zaslovsky at one point waiked out of the meeting, calling the station request a "crime." Later, Zaslovsky alleged that Tolisano used his board seat to gain favors for the project. "I definitely believe it. He used his office for personal gain, but I can't prove it," he said. Tolisano told Zaslovsky that he was trying to kill the plans for the station because of a personal vendetta. "There is no truth to any of it," he said.

Tolisano said Zaslovsky was personally attacking him because of past dealings with the councilman, but he wouldn't elaborate. "I don't care what anyone says, that was something personal," Watson said about Zaslovsky's conduct. Zaslovsky tried to have the request tabled until late April. Watson told the council that a delay that lengthy could kill any hope of building the station in Cape Coral. He said the Federal Communications Commission is requiring the station be operating by the first of the year.

Watson told the council that if he could not reach an agreement with the city, he would be forced to take his station to Fort Myers. He said $3 million in equipment and $1 million In programming would be lost if the station isn't operating on time. After the threats and name-calling ceased, Zaslovsky demanded an apology from Tolisano for the remark that the battle was "personal." He said if a public apology is not made, he would try to oust Tolisano from the commission. Tolisano collected his papers and left the council chambers without sayingaword. Management said moving up into a city of getting the any city applying.

But because that govern awarded grants, PTtT U.MM Mb-. fc-F :) By WILLIAM SABO News-Press Staff Writer CAPE CORAL The first television station to be located in Cape Coral was granted approval Monday by the Cape Coral City Council. The decision came only after bitter argument and accusations that a Planning and Zoning Commissioner exerted his influence to get the plan pushed to council, an allegation the commissioner denied. After returning to the council three times with updated improvements of the development, Planning and Zoning Commissioner Vincent Tolisano and station representative Thomas Watson were given the go-ahead to begin work. WFTX, channel 36, will be Cape Coral's first television station and will provide "family entertainment" to the area.

Watson said the station will run movies, financial programs and world, national and local news. The station is affiliated with a similar station in the Tampa area. The 2.25-acre parcel on which the station and its 100-foot-hlgh antenna will be built is located on Pine Island Boulevard just west of Nicholas Parkway. The land Is owned by Tolisano and the sale of the land to the station was contingent on the council approving the station, Watson said. Tolisano said he has no other affiliation with the station.

"This is someone patting someone else's back," Councilman Herman Zaslovsky argued. "This is favoritism, the worst case of favoritism I'veeverseen." Zaslovsky said a radio station recently was given a negative recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission after seeking similar city approval. He said Tolisano was one of the commission members who voted against the radiostation. Last week, the council ignored the recommendation and approved the AM station. Zaslovsky said the commission quickly approved the television station with few questions asked.

Zas Special to the News-PressTim Mueller H.D. ANDERSON OF CAPE CORAL BESIDE STATE ROAD 80 CROSS he suggests renaming road 'Robert Graham Highway' to get work speeded up Name SR 80 after Graham, man suggests By FRANK RINELLA Cape Coral Bureau Chief CAPE CORAL Maybe if they start calling State Road 80 the "Robert Graham Highway," the Florida governor would show more drive to get the dangerous road widened. That's the opinion of H.D. "Andy" Anderson of 4004-1 Viceroy Cape Coral, who travels State Road 80 about every two weeks when he goes to visit his granddaughter in Alva. The narrow highway stretch has claimed the lives of more than 50peoplesincel975.

"I get the full treatment every time I visit my granddaughter," Anderson said. "I've been fortunate and haven't been hit yet. But people have tailgated (me) and they try to run around me. You have to slam on the brakes to let them in front of you or they'll clip your bumper trying to get back in line." Anderson suggested his idea of renaming the road in a letter to a local newspaper, then sent a copy of the paper to Graham. "I did it to put a burr under his saddle to needle him," Anderson said Monday, adding he never expected to push the Idea.

A spokeswoman in Graham's press office said the governor would not have a comment until he has read Anderson's letter. "The governor and the state Department of Transportation are committed to improving that high- Letters to By KATHLEEN HALLORAN News-Press Staff Writer "Do you drive, governor?" "I'm scared." "Let's get busy no more fool-ingaround." Those are a few of the comments News-Press readers have for Gov. Bob Graham about State Road 80 in Lee County. A pile of mail soon will be delivered to Tallahassee, with many of the letters containing pleasforhelp. The News-Press editorial board launched a campaign last week to swamp Graham with mail on SR 80.

As of Monday afternoon, 2,659 coupons had come In, with more arriving in every day's mail. The weeklong crusade kicked off with a black-bordered editorial page of tombstones, each inscribed way Because cf the tragic fatality rate, it is important that the road Anderson called state officials' promises to make the highway four lanes in 1990 "the usual malarkey," and said the road should be widened now. William Gross, chairman of the Survivors of State Road 80 civic l. iW-M group, said he appreciates the suggestion and support from Cape Coral neighbors. But he said he doesn't know if Graham deserves the honor of having the road named afterhim.

Commissioner Bill Fussell, whose has the highway in his district, said, "If I thought renaming the road was the answer, I'd do it in Press Editorial Page Editor Homer Pyle. "Ten deaths in 1 1 days that's it, the last straw. We decided we've got to get something done about it," said Pyle, adding that editorial campaigns are an old tradition for American newspapers. The campaign is not over, News-Press Publisher Terry Hopkins said. "This has demonstrated a genuine concern about the problem.

But I think we've seen that it's going to take more than that to correct the problem, so we're looking for ways to extend our editorial campaign," shesaid. Collecting signatures In greater numbers and ensuring that legislators see the petitions as a direct reflection of voting power would be thegoal, Hopkins said. i w't-t i. a heartbeat." Fussell said he is as frustrated as anyone over roadblocks for widening the road, but said he expects action within the month now that the legislative session is getting under way. "I expect something out of them (legislators) and if we don't get it, people will send some different faces to Tallahassee," he said.

on SR 80 Many of the letters to Graham that accompanied coupons alluded to the politics of the situation, with frequent references to the cost of panther crossings. "Help us out. We are at least as important as panthers. We vote," wrote Greg Fretwell of Estero. "If any of these were relatives of yours you would have acted years ago to correct the dangers!" wrote Eileen Vilches of Cape Coral, referring to the names on the tombstones.

"It would seem to us if you can allocate funds for disaster that funds could be allocated for THIS DISASTER," wrote Forrest and Madaline Malmen of Cape Coral. One phrase was repeated over and over by letter-writers: "This road Is a disgrace to the state of Florida." Graham demand action with the name of a person who died on SR 80. Each day's editorial was accompanied by a coupon to clip and send to "S.O.S." (Stop Our Slaughter), care of the News-Press, Many subscribers not only clipped the coupons and mailed them in, but included long and sometimes personal letters to the governor. Most coupons carried at least two signatures, some with as many as nine names and addresses attached. The letters were filled with tones of righteous indignation, accounts of accidents and near-accidents on the highway, suggestions for Improvements until the road can be four-laned, and tales of relatives who had died on SR 80.

The impetus for the crusade was the recent spate of deaths on the highway, according to News- Inside Ex-House speaker may run for governor 6 Add to the growing list of would-be Florida governors the name of former House Speaker Ralph Haben. Haben, the popular speaker during the 1981-82 legislative sessions, says in an interview he is "actively considering" running for governor next year..