Contact: Pete Winton

(941) 335-2777

LEE TV NEWSWRAP STORIES FOR JANUARY 2000

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 7, 2000) – For the benefit of news editors and reporters who may want to do follow-up, in-depth or update stories, Lee TV is featuring the following items in its January “Newswrap” broadcasts on cable access:

Local-Option Sales Tax Vote – In December, the Board of Lee County Commissioners voted to place a one-cent, local-option sales tax referendum on the March 14 Presidential Primary Ballot. The five-year tax would raise $310 million for roads, parks, libraries, juvenile justice and public safety facilities and be split between the county and cities as follows: Lee County ($206m), Cape Coral ($56m), Fort Myers ($27.5m), Bonita Springs ($14m), Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel ($3.5m each).

Flood-Prone Homes Being Purchased – Lee County has begun a program to purchase or elevate flood-prone homes in the county with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds. This Flood Relief Mitigation Plan is the result of a yearlong study to remove or protect properties that suffer repetitive flooding. The first 12 homes have been identified – seven of which are in Bonita Springs. Three of the initial 12 homes have been purchased; two others will be elevated; and the rest are waiting on additional funding.

Matanzas Pass Boardwalk Opens – A 1/3-mile boardwalk through the 56-acre Matanzas Pass Preserve on Fort Myers Beach has been completed. Portions of the park have been impassable during high tides and wet times of the year due to standing water. The $503,000 boardwalk is about 30 inches off the ground and ties into the existing trail system.

North Fort Myers Shuffleboard Courts Completed – Lee County officially opened a 24-court shuffleboard facility at North Fort Myers Community Park in December. The $350,000 project was a partnership between Lee County, the School District and the Lee County Shuffleboard Club. The School District paid for $130,000 of the project as part of an agreement that allowed it to house temporary classrooms at the park. The facility will serve more than 3,000 “shufflers” in Lee County and host 14 district and state tournaments each year.

Airport Sets Passenger Record – Passenger and airfreight numbers at Southwest Florida International Airport are on track to set a new record when 1999 year-end totals are compiled. Through November, nearly 4.5 million passengers had passed through the gates, a 5.5 percent increase over 1998. The airport also handled more than 26 million pounds of airfreight through November, a 3.2 percent increase over the prior year.

Note: Newswrap can be seen on your cable access station immediately following Tuesday morning commission meetings and at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays; and following Lee County School Board meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month. To learn more about these stories, call Keith Smith (335-2665) or Pete Winton (335-2777).