News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 19

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2004 THE NEWS-PRESS HURRICANE CHARLEY Local State B3 Groups announce more federal disaster aid WHO TO CALL To register for federal assistance, call (800) 621-3362. The TTY number is (800) 462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairment. To get housing provided by FEMA, call (888) 472-1727. To contact the SBA directly, call (800) 359-2227. For crisis counseling assistance, call (866) 518-1825.

Dealing with disaster Get hurricane recovery information and more on the Florida Division of Emergency Management site COUNTY BREAKDOWNS Here's a breakdown of SBA loans in Southwest Florida. LEE COUNTY Home: 787 loans totaling $19.9 million Business: 241 loans totaling $9.3 million. Total: 1,028 loans totaling $29.2 million CHARLOTTE COUNTY Home: 1,826 loans totaling $72.1 million Business: 461 loans totaling $19.6 million Total: 2,287 loans totaling $91.7 million COLLIER COUNTY Home: 4 loans totaling $70,400 Business: 7 loans totaling $440,800 -Total: 11 loans totaling $511,200 BY JOAN D. LAGUARDIA Victims of Hurricane Charley, including those who already got federal aid or settled with insurance companies, still might be eligible for low-interest federal loans. Those loans could cover new hurricane shutters, seawalls and other items to permanently reduce or lessen damage from future hurricanes.

As opportunities for federal assistance continue, the amount paid out in Florida surpassed $1.7 billion and will undoubtedly reach $2 billioa Small Business Association and Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesmen in Orlando updated disaster recovery news Tuesday. They said federal aid to Florida's hurricane victims includes more than $700 million from FEMA to individual households. More than 1 million households registered for help. The Department of Children Families has provided $151 million, said Mike Stone, of the State Emergency Response Team. The SBA has approved 9,953 loans for $314.3 million to homeowners, renters and businesses, said Anthony Bauer, spokesman for the SBA.

It now will consider loan applications from property owners who want to install foundation bolts, tie-downs, framing anchors, sewage backflow valves or anything else used for damage mitigation, Bauer said. The current SBA interest rate is 3.187 percent. It is a fixed, simple interest rate. More than 697,000 Floridians have applied for SBA loans. Those who already have an SBA loan are automatically eligible to apply for a mitigation loan for up to 20 percent of the value of their existing repair loan, said Frank Adinolfe, SBA spokesman.

Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan to cover repairs are not eligible for a mitigation loan. Those who have never applied for FEMA aid or an SBA loan, still may do so through Dec. 11. Adinolfe urged anyone who has not already registered with FEMA and the SBA to do so. Even applicants with available credit and insurance could still qualify for an SBA loan, he said.

As insurers begin to settle claims, property owners might become eligible for an SBA loan for items insurance would not cover. Elaine and Joseph Molinaro, of Cape Coral, are an example. "We were referred to the SBA for a loan after FEMA refused us, and it was after the insurance," Elaine Molinaro said. "The SBA picked up the balance of the money that we didn't have. We were told we had good credit, and we did get the 3.187 percent I will also say the SBA was very prompt and very professional," she said.

Unlike FEMA the SBA may offer a loan to cover insurance deductibles. "We will be able to work with the case, looking at what exactly we can help with," Adinolfe said. DESOTO COUNTY Home: 285 loans totaling $10.8 million Business: 90 loans totaling $4.6 million Total: 375 loans totaling $15.4 million SOUTH FORT MYERS CHARLOTTE COUNTY Airport forced to evacuate 1 Residents sound off on 7,000 customers affected by electrical outage plan to beautify U.S. 41 Businesses concerned about new rules Proposed zoning district improvements it flights at the airport two because there was no power in the air traffic control tower and a third because the electronic jet bridge could not be detached from an aircraft until power was restored, Sanders said. Most of the airport has backup generators that keep emergency lights illuminated, Sanders said.

Some people reported smelling smoke before they evacuated. The burned-out compressor sat above the top-floor ceiling of the terminal, but no other smoke damage was reported to the terminal, Sanders said. related to a power outage that affected about 7,000 customers in Lehigh Acres and the greater Fort Myers area, according to Florida Power Light officials. The outage included parts of Lehigh Acres, the Daniels Parkway and Colonial corridors and Gateway. Some customers said they got some power back minutes after the outage.

FPL spokesman Tom Ziegler blamed the outage on a faulty switch in an area substation. FPL crews had power restored to all affected customers by 10:15 p.m. The outage also delayed three BY GRANT BOXLEITNER Southwest Florida International Airport's two terminals were evacuated for more than an hour late Tuesday evening because a power surge caused an air conditioner compressor to burn up and trigger the fire alarm, airport officials said. About 40 people were evacuated from the terminals from 8:50 to 9:55 p.m., airport spokeswoman Susan Sanders said. The surge at the airport was frSA8AS0TA comnri CHAIBLOflE C0UNfrW" Charlotte 1 12 MILES LEE COUNTY Early voting getting busier BY MARY WOZNIAK Residents stuffed the Charlotte County commissioners' chamber Tuesday to speak on the county's plan to make US.

41, stretching from Charlotte Harbor to the Sarasota County line, more pleasing to consumers' eyes and pocketbooks. The businesses and commercial properties on the nine-mile strip of road, considered the county's "Main Street," were battered by Hurricane Charley on Aug. 13. Seeing many businesses rebuilding and anticipating federal economic redevelopment aid dollars to help, county officials decided to firm up a plan, already jelling, to beautify US. 41, allow commercial properties to expand and regulate signage.

About 20 residents spoke at the hearing. Residents worried about having enough of a buffer between their homes and businesses, and whether their property values would go down with expanding businesses. Business owners worried about new regulations making signs smaller, forcing deliveries to be made at the rear of businesses, and where money to redevelop, their commercial properties would come from. It was clear that the relationship between some business owners on US. 41 and the residents who live in the homes or own lots immediately behind them needs improving.

Joanne Donaldson lives behind US. 41 in Port Charlotte and also owns a lot in the proposed improvement area She told commissioners that people throw drink containers, cups and cigarettes over a broken fence at the back of a day labor place abutting her property. "People break down my fence and urinate in my back yard," Donaldson said. She doesn't like the part of the US. 41 plan that will allow some businesses to increase their building's square footage by reducing the front yard setback to zero.

Some residents balked at the idea that the county at a later date may look at the second row of lots, immediately behind those facing U.S. 41, and the possibility of changing any that are residential to commercial. This raised fears among some at the public hearing that the county would be buying up land or resort to eminent domain. That's not the case, said Michael Konefal, county community development director. "We do not go out and buy property or condemn property.

We intend to regulate the use of property," he said. Stephanie Willey, owner of Play It Again Sports in Port Charlotte, questioned the proposed change in the sign regulations. Many business owners had their signs damaged or destroyed by Charley, she said. "The tourists are coming back. We need to have our signs up." Waiting for new regulations is just another delay, she said.

The regulations call for signs THE NEWS-PRESS to be reduced from a height of 30 feet to 15 feet, and from an area of 300 square feet to 150 square feet. Konefal said the sign ordinance will be voted on at the next public hearing on Nov. 9. Commissioner Adam Cummings noted that the rela- tionship between business owners and residents isn't acceptable, and neither is the current condition of businesses on US. 41.

"We have an unsatisfactory relationship and an unsatisfactory product up and down the US. 41 corridor," he said. Putting an incentive on the table like giving a business the ability to expand forward will make businesses more willing to beef up their buffers, and' hopefully improve the relation-" ship with residents, he said. And yes, there's a definite possibility the county will consider expanding commercial property one lot deeper on US. 41, Cummings said.

"Is it an expensive and painful process? Probably. Any kind of change usually is. We' need to come to a happy medi-; um to satisfy as many of you as possible," he said. HOW TO VOTE EARLY A qualified voter may vote early at the offices of the Supervisor of Elections until Monday. The hours will be from 8:30 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Photo identification is required at early voting sites. Fort Myers Office: Lee County Constitutional Complex, 2480 Thompson call 339-6300. Bonita Springs: Coconut Commerce Center, 24951 Old U.S.

4L Suite 10; call 949-1581. Cape Coral: Lee County Government Center, 1039 S.E. Ninth Place; call 458-7020. Waiting times to vote increase BY TANYA SOMAROO Lee County's early voting rush just keeps continuing. "It's progressively getting busier," said Melanie Reed, branch manager for the Cape Coral elections office.

Between Friday and Tuesday, 8,799 Lee County residents voted at three locations in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Bonita Springs. That is about 2,200 more people than voted during the first four days of early voting last week. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, 15,393 people had voted at all three locations. The wait was the longest at the Cape Coral office, which has only 12 electronic voting machines.

The polling places close at 5 p.m., but those who are in line before closing are allowed to vote, Reed said. The Cape Coral office started with six voting machines and received six more at the end of last week. That reduced the wait from 60 or 90 minutes to about 15 minutes. But wait times were approaching two hours again on Monday and Tuesday. Reed said many people received their sam- Day?" Giant wondered.

Elections officials said they expect Election Day to run more smoothly because such a large number of people are voting early. "We have 171 precincts in Lee County," Reed said. "This will probably alleviate it a little at all the precincts." Betty and Ray Esamann, of North Fort Myers, didn't mind waiting for two hours. The retired couple wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the electronic voting machines. "I thought it would be quicker than this," Betty Esamann said.

"Next time Tm going to get an absentee ballot," Ray Esamann said. But both agreed that early voting is a good idea. "It's good for the people who work. It makes it easier for them on Election Day," Betty Esamann said. pie ballots in the mail during the weekend and decided to use them.

Some voters were still unfamiliar with many of the amendments on the 19-page ballot and that slowed the process, Reed said. Residents show their voter registration card and identification when they arrive. Then they must wait for a voting machine to become available. The wait times caused frustration among some voters who hoped to get in and out, but most chose to wait. "Waiting two hours to vote is ridiculous.

They should have other places to vote," said Tracey Giant, 35, of Cape Coral as she left the Lee County Government Center in Cape CoraL Giant wanted to vote early because she will be opening a business in Gateway on Nov. 2. "If it's like this now, what's going to happen on Election reasonable doubt that Sipek negligently left his tiger in an unsafe situation which allowed it to escape, The Miami Herald reported. 1 Sipek, who played Tarzan in movies decades ago, lives with five other big cats in a compound about 10 miles west of West Palm Beach. The Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH Ex-Tarzan actor won't be charged for escaped tiger Prosecutors have decided not to charge a former Tarzan actor in the escape of a 600-pound tiger last July.

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