Tour Guide Budke Looks at Sanibel and Captiva with Her Island Eyes By JERI MAGG
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
In 1980, Philadelphia native Renee Budke and her husband Bill moved to Cape Coral ready to begin the next phase of their lives. The home they bought on a canal afforded them a breathtaking view of the river. Bill was delighted to be able to take his boat from behind the house and buzz straight out to the Caloosahatchee.
Renee and Bill only realized their dream for a short time before Renee’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
“My mother was a concert pianist, and the last thing she could do was play Mozart, she didn’t even know me. It’s a terrible disease,” she states.
Not too long after her mother’s death, her beloved husband was diagnosed with the same disease. “He was so smart, and he knew what was happening.”
Renee and Bill met and fell in love right before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Though Bill was in law school, the day after the attack, he enlisted in the Navy and then married Renee. Bill, who was in the thick of the war, received the Silver Star for bravery in combat. After the war, Bill returned to law school and Renee raised three children.
During Bill’s illness, Renee had the support of her family and friends while coping with the cards she’d been dealt. She cared for him at home until a few weeks before his death when she placed him in Shell Point Village.
A New Direction
In 1991, after Bill died, she was looking for a new direction. She loved the outdoors and wanted to get out into the world. That’s when Renee noticed an ad in the paper for Paul McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva. Paul had partnered with the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and was running informative nature tours on his boat, the Lady Chadwick, and he needed tour guides. Renee signed up for the training session.
“I was part of the second class, and we learned everything. Paul didn’t want some kind of a spiel, but wanted us to be able to talk about what we saw, birds, dolphins, and trees, whatever. SCCF did a wonderful job training us.”
She would bring in samples of plants and shells and talk about them during her excursions. That made the trip much more interesting for everyone. Renee loved it, and remained a tour guide for the next 15 years, doing a couple of tours a week. She considered it a privilege to work with SCCF and Paul. “It was what my soul needed.”
Renee felt like part of a family. “In the beginning I’d do the early morning tour, and we’d make kind of a breakfast with coffee and donuts. But that got to be too much.” The tours lasted for two hours, some going to Cabbage Key and others to Useppa. She enjoyed talking to the visitors about the islands and the waterways. “The folks would laugh and clap when the dolphins jumped up. The more they clapped, the more the dolphins jumped. Everybody was happy.”
Renee made many friends on her tours, people from the Midwest, Japan, Europe and South America. “Some of them came back each year specifically to tour with me, I felt honored to be able to do this.”
She counts herself lucky to have met Kristi Anders, the education director of SCCF, when she first started out, and often raves about Paul McCarthy and all that he’s accomplished.
“He fell in love with Captiva, gave up his law practice, and then started buying boats,” she chuckles, “He can’t sit still very long.”
It's a Small World
Renee tells a story about the first time she heard Kristi speak aboard the Lady Chadwick. “Kristi has a very distinctive voice, and I recognized it.” After Kristi finished her talk, Renee asked her where she was from. It turned out, Philadelphia, where Kristi conducted tours of the Liberty Bell. Apparently Renee and Bill had been on one of her tours!
At the end of each of her tours, as the Lady Chadwick ties up to the dock, Renee reminds everyone on board to look at the islands with their “island eyes.” This expression Renee gleaned from one of her favorite books, Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s Gifts from the Sea. Lindbergh used the different types of shells on the beaches to reference certain feelings or phases in her life. So Renee wanted visitors to look at the beauty of the islands using the shells as their “island eyes.”
Now in her nineties, Renee is living at Shell Point Village. “It’s a wonderful place. They took such good care of my husband and mother, that I said when I was ready for a retirement home, this is where I want to be.”
Renee seems quite content to be among her favorite belongings in her private room and enjoys talking about the islands, and her days as a guide on the Lady Chadwick. She still feels like part of that family because, even today, the Captains that she worked with on the Lady Chadwick come by to see her at Shell Point.
“I loved being a volunteer and meeting all those wonderful people while doing the excursions. I enjoyed it so much, I would have been willing to pay them!”
What a wonderful lady and a true inspiration. It’s too bad we all didn’t have the chance to take a tour with Renee Budke. Think of how much more we’d know about Sanibel and Captiva!
Santiva Chronicle - July 2014
Despite
the intervention of Hurricane Charley on Aug. 13, 2004, Jeri and Karl
Magg of Sanibel made it to their daughter's wedding in Denver. Front
from left, grandsons Kevin, Zachary and Kyle. Back, son-in-law John,
daughter Carolyn, bride Kathy, groom Scott, and Jeri and Karl Magg.
Photo courtesy Jeri and Karl Magg
Longtime Sanibel resident Jeri Magg and her husband Karl
evacuated as Hurricane Charley approached on Aug. 13, 2004, and spent
five days off island. Here is her story.
Evacuation: SANIBEL COUPLE SPENDS FIVE LONG DAYS OFF ISLAND
Despite the intervention of Hurricane Charley on Aug. 13, 2004, Jeri and Karl Magg of Sanibel made it to their daughter's wedding in Denver. Front from left, grandsons Kevin, Zachary and Kyle. Back, son-in-law John, daughter Carolyn, bride Kathy, groom Scott, and Jeri and Karl Magg. Photo courtesy Jeri and Karl Magg EDITOR'SNOTE: Longtime Sanibel resident Jeri Magg and her husband Karlevacuated as Hurricane Charley approached on Aug. 13, 2004, and spentfive days off island. Here is her story.
Grayskies loomed overhead as I packed for our drive to Denver; ourdaughter’s wedding only a month away. It was Wednesday, Aug. 11,2004. For the last few days, the media had been squawking aboutHurricane Charley. Having ridden out a number of storms over thepast 24 years on the island, my husband Karl and I were skeptical ofthe hype.SuddenlyKarl appeared in the doorway. “Our neighbors are evacuating,” he grumbled. “It’s the news media making a big deal out of nothing,”I answered returning to my suitcase. “I’d better secure the lineson the boat,” he stated, disappearing down the stairs.Afew minutes later, I flipped on The Weather Channel. The dreaded“cone of uncertainty” now included Sanibel and Captiva Islands.Forecasters predicted a 15-foot surge when the storm hit on Friday.The City of Sanibel was urging residents to evacuate before noonFriday. Fifteen-foot surge on an island six-foot above sealevel—yikes. I went looking for Karl. “Where are we going witha little dog at this late date?” he asked. Scouring the internet,I found a room at the Best Western on Daniels Road that allowed pets.NeitherKarl nor I slept much that night as we carted photo albums, treasuredrugs and other objects to the second floor. Anydoubts evaporated Thursday morning after two Sanibel police officersknocked at our door and urged us to leave. After stuffing clothes,two freezer chests and grocery bags into our two cars, we pulled awaypraying our house would survive. Ourhotel was in complete chaos. Refugees, accompanied by animals of allkinds, arrived carrying bags filled with their worldly possessions.No sandman came to help us sleep that night. Frantic calls from ourdaughters in Colorado reiterated news reports of the completedestruction of Sanibel. Friday the 13thOnthe morning of Friday the 13th,Charley was 155 miles south of Ft. Myers. The fierce winds and rainwere causing traffic jams all over Ft. Myers. By 9 a.m. emergencypersonnel had evacuated Sanibel and Captiva. Three hours later, manyof the hotels’ roof shingles were plummeting into the parking lotand the eye of Charley was 70 miles from Sanibel. By1 p.m., Charley was a Cat 3, 125 miles-an-hour, and 59 miles fromSanibel. An hour later the Sanibel Causeway closed, and the now Cat4 storm was expected to come ashore on Sanibel in minutes. Thescreeching winds were so deafening our dog jumped into the bathtub tohide and folks across the hall dragged mattresses in front of the windows for protection.Fortunatelyfor Sanibel, the storm jogged north and by 3:00 was stalled west ofCaptiva. The last report we saw showed a three-foot storm surgecrashing into the lobbies of hotels on Ft. Myers Beach. Then thelights went out. A portable radio and trusty flashlight became our best friends.Afew hours later, storm subsiding, we joined others escaping thesuffocating heat of their rooms in the hotel’s parking lot. It wasspooky sitting in the total dark, not a light to be seen for miles.Karl called a friend on Sanibel who said every Australian pine treeon Periwinkle was down, making the roads impassable.Granolabars, but no ice. OnSaturday, Karl went in search of food. A nearby Publix, with almostempty shelves, had a few boxes of granola bars. He scoffed them up.When informed that I didn’t like granola bars, he quipped, “You’renot hungry enough yet!”Lookingfor another place with windows that opened, Karl remembered that thenew owner of our recently sold condo on Kelley Road had invited us touse it in an emergency. We obtained the key and moved from the hotel.Family and friends called with more bad news.Sanibelwas devastated. Downed trees and power lines, damaged roofs and boatsprecariously perched on seawalls, littered the landscape. Islandrestaurants were giving away food.Thoughable to open windows and eat gronola bars and hard-boiled eggs, weneeded ice. And what about our daughter's wedding? When would weleave?TheCity of Sanibel had set up shop at the Holiday Inn in Ft. Myers.Hundreds of residents flocked to the site to learn that no one wouldbe allowed on the island until emergency personnel assessed thedamage. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was sending recovery teamsto help. Friendsin Estero, with electricity, invited us to stay. In hopes thatSanibel would be open soon. We declined but accepted a dinnerinvitation and spent most of the evening watching the devastatingreports, our imaginations going wild. We also learned that Publix wasdistributing bags of ice.Drivinghome on US 41, we noticed a Publix truck. We followed until it pulledinto a parking lot—finally some ice! A different island. OnMonday, friends from New York offered their Punta Rassa condo; airconditioning included. That night we slept soundly for the firsttime in days.OnTuesday morning, we trotted back to the Holiday Inn. Emergencyworkers had placed a big X on buildings deemed unsafe. The mayor readthe list to the attentive crowd. Our house wasn’t on the list but arental condo on Donax Street was! No one had been able to get onCaptiva. Becausethe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had brought front-end loaders,back hoes and chain saws to help clear downed power lines and the110-foot Australian Pines from the the roads, the island wouldreopen on Wednesday morning to residents and property owners. No oneknew when electricity would be restored. Thenext morning, we were one of the first to cross the old draw bridge.Stopped by a soldier, rifle in hand, who checked our ID, we proceededonto a different island. Downed trees, roofing tiles and power poleswere piled up along the side of the road. The presence of militaryjeeps was chilling. A TV news truck followed as we turned onto ourstreet.Partof the asphalt roof of the condo across the canal was plopped in themiddle of our yard. Our home seemed intact, no windows broken or rooftiles in the driveway. The pool’s broken screen enclosure layacross the seawall and the gas grill stood upside down in the yard.Our boat had broken its stern line and the bow was resting on theseawall.Ourcondo on Donax didn’t fare as well. Air conditioners hung off theroof, debris was everywhere. Owners were throwing furniture,carpeting and bedding over the stairwells into the parking lot. Wespent the unbearably hot next few days cleaning up before leaving forthe wedding. Karl and a friend needed an ax to break up the asphaltroof in our yard. Periwinkle Way was unrecognizable and piles offurniture and debris were already accumulating along East and MiddleGulf Drives. HurricaneCharley debris on Middle Gulf Drive. Thewedding goes on Ourdaughter’s wedding was a success, but a friend called to say thatgrass was growing on the walls of our condo. He was able to get atruck and move whatever furniture hadn’t been ruined into ourgarage.Uponreturning to the island in the middle of September, we ventured atrip to our condo at South Seas Plantation, also completelywater-logged. Twenty-foot-high piles of furniture lined San/Cap Road.Both condos were out of commission for the next season and ultimatelyneeded to be refurbished. Telephone calls to workmen and insurancecompanies were part of our everyday. Theeconomy of both islands went south quickly, many businesses closing.It was a tough time, but we all stuck it out, helped each other andsurvived, painfully aware of how dependent we are on ice, electricityand our neighbors. Let’s hope we don’t see another Charley in ourlifetime! JeriMagg, author of Historic Sanibel and Captiva Islands - Tales ofParadise, has been freelance writing for over 30 years with publishedarticles in local, regional and national magazines and newspapers.This former New Yorker relocated to Sanibel in 1980 with her husbandKarl and daughters Carolyn and Kathy. Jeri "gave up her day job"as an adoption's counselor with the state of Florida to write fulltime in 1993.Adocent at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village for 15 years,Jeri has entertained and informed residents and visitors alike withhistorical stories at local libraries, retirement communities andlast year conducted a special Sanibel Trolley tour for museum docentsin training. Oneof the founding members of the Gulf Coast Writer's Association, sheis currently completing a fiction manuscript "Death byDeception," and then plans to start work on a follow-up historybook about "the women behind the history of Sanibel and Captiva.
FT. MYERS MAGAZINE - JAN-FEB 2014
A
PERFORMING ARTS HALL LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WHILE REMEMBERING THE PAST
Colorful sunsets of orange and blue
coupled with the peaceful sound of water slapping against sand have always
attracted artists to Sanibel and Captiva islands. In 1979, a likeminded group
spearheaded by Pete Smith, Polly Matzamoto, George Campbell and Martin
Grassgreen formed the Barrier Island Group for the Arts (BIG ARTS). Until 1987,
with no formal building, the group held concerts on the beach, classes at the
Sanibel Community House or used local galleries to display members’ works. As
their reputation grew, residents and tourist flocked to the different events. It was obvious to all that BIG ARTS needed
their own home.
In 1987, after the City of Sanibel agreed
to provide land, Smith and Grassgreen were able to convince builder Scott
Naumann to donate one of the original Colony Resort duplexes slated for
demolition. Backed by a cadre of dedicated islanders, the group raised the
$75,000 necessary to move the building to its present site on Dunlop Road. Gifting
the building back to the City and renaming it “the Founders Gallery” BIG ARTS
began their first season of concerts, classes, and discussion groups and juried
art shows. The larger events were held on an outside deck.
Community response was so
overwhelming, that in 1990 fund raising efforts began for an addition. This
need became even more apparent during a Christmas cold snap that year when
Carrie Lund Productions was forced to cancel four shows and 85-year-old Carnegie
Hall pianist Art Hodes had to perform on the outside deck in frigid conditions.
Lavern and Bill Phillips, members of
the group since 1985, were responsible for raising the money needed to build
this new wing, named the Phillips Gallery in their honor. Bill, a retired CEO,
became treasurer and Lavern, the consummate volunteer, known for her fund
raising abilities, led the organization as President.
Under Lavern’s tutelage, this new
150 seat gallery housed a myriad of different programs. Locals could enjoy watching a ballet, listen
to a jazz concert or learn how to paint with water colors. BIG ARTS, run mostly
by volunteers, became so successful that less than five years later another
expansion was necessary.
In 1996, following the plans of architect Joe
St. Cyr, Harvey Schein and others were able to generate the $750,000 needed for
the West Wing Expansion, later named Schein Hall. With its auditorium, classrooms and art
studios, the hall is now the center of the group’s activities. Phillips Gallery
is still noted for its wonderful local art displays and juried art shows.
As BIG ARTS celebrates its 35th
Anniversary, now President Don Rice believes the organization once again needs.
“In order to fulfill our cultural commitment to the community, we need to
expand our educational facilities,” states Rice. However, at their present
location on Dunlop, sandwiched between the Sanibel Historical Museum and
Village and Sanibel City Hall, there is no room. Realizing this a few years
ago, the BIG ARTS board started brainstorming for a solution. It quickly became
evident that updating Schein Hall would be too costly given the changes in the
city’s building codes. But then another idea was floated by the newly elected
president.
One night, while Don was a volunteer
server pouring wine at a Kiwanis function on Sanibel, he was paired with City
Manager Judy Simomra. “Sanibel’s still a small town, and we got to talking,” laughs
Rice. He learned about a master plan for
a Civic Core Campus encompassing BIG ARTS, Sanibel Historical Museum and
Village, town hall, Sanibel Community House and the Herb Strauss Theater.
Zimomra wondered if a larger site farther down Dunlop could be used to complete
the concept while fulfilling BIG ARTS’ needs.
That idea started the ball rolling
and before long special workshops were set up for all interested parties. A
proposed master plan was drawn up and presented to the City Council on November
5th. “So far,” states Rice,
“the idea has been welcomed by the community.”
After the first of the year, the
City will host a series of public meetings.
Once approved and properly permitted, their new campus, built on city
land adjacent to the recycling plant, will include a theater/arts building and additional
rooms and classrooms for their Life Long Learning Center. If these initial plans move forward, the
present BIG ARTS complex will be torn down and turned into green space. The
current building housing the Herb Strauss Theater may also be scheduled for
demolition and be replaced with a Black Box Theater within the new complex. The Civic Core will be a
public/private partnership with BIG ARTS mounting a capital campaign so as not
to incur any debt. When will all this happen? Rice expects that once the design
is completed and the project approved, the lights should be lit for events in
the new performance hall within 36 months
Don Rice is typical of the hundreds
of volunteers who have made BIG ARTS special during the past 35 years. As a
former business executive, Rice worked with many non-profit organizations and
was a member of many boards and environmental groups. In 2004, he and his wife Joyce
retired to Sanibel. Not one to be idle long, Rice joined the BIG ARTS family as
a volunteer. “I flipped hamburgers at fund raisers and parked cars,” he jokes.
Then he was asked to join the board and this part year became President. “I’m
just the seventh president in the 35- year history of the organization,” he further
states.
According to Rice, things changed
dramatically for BIG ARTS when it acquired the Herb Strauss Theater in 2010-11.
The professionals and volunteers at Herb Straus blended perfectly with BIG
ARTS, which before this acquisition was run almost exclusively by volunteers
and a staff of four or five. Now the staff numbers sixteen. “There’s no way we
could run all our programs today without our staff,” Rice concedes. But it’s
the volunteers who come up with most of the ideas. Former President Chuck
Bonzer, for example, initiated the very successful Winter Academy seminars,
digital projection for live streaming and launch of the Community Players.
Rice is very excited about this new
BIG ARTS campus set within an integrated civic core idea. A strong supporter of
the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, Rice enjoyed the programs at BIG
ARTS, but had never been involved with a performing arts center before joining
the board. “I found the whole idea intriguing as well as a way to broaden
myself,” says Rice.
Don Rice’s enthusiasm for everything
BIG ARTS has made him a favorite guest for island service organizations and
other groups. He likes to remind residents of the important part a complex like
BIG ARTS plays in the life of the community. Its ability to educate and
stimulate residents and visitors is critical to the vitality of Sanibel and
Captiva. Luckily BIG ARTS has such an passionate supporter at its helm.
Sanibel Island Sun - May 4, 2013
Docent and Tour Guide, Jeri Magg
Historical Village’s Summer Docents Are Ready -- by Emilie Alfino
The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is open through August 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, staffed by hardy volunteers who brave the heat to serve the museum’s visitors. “We go from more than 100 docents and volunteers in season to about 15 in the summer,” said museum manager Emilie Alfino. “Everyone has to work smarter, and we all work together to make sure the museum has the personnel it needs to tend to our guests.” The museum will be suspending its docent-led tours on May 10 but audio tours are always available. Each building has at least one audio recitation, controlled by the visitor, with information about that building and its history. Some buildings have more than one. The audio tours are very popular and also assist the docents when handling large numbers of visitors with little staff – a more common occurrence in the summer. “I’ve been pleased to discover that we’re not just a winter resort – as soon as the snowbirds head north, a new crew arrives, mostly from Florida’s east coast,” said Karl Rodman, a board member and year-round docent. “They’re after all the good things we offer here, but particularly the cool off-shore breezes. So it’s nice to welcome this new group of visitors.” “One of the nice things about being a docent in the summer is that it’s often more relaxed and you get to talk to people more,” said Alfino. “Depending on their level of interest, you can really get into the history of the island. Our docents are great at that.” Docents Gayle Pence, Karl Rodman, Jeri Magg and Debbie Staley are ready to take on the challenge.
January 18, 2013 - PR Article
IT'S PARADISE....BECAUSE IT'S THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE
Fay Carney and Maddy Mayor will portray tourists discovering the wonders of Sanibel for the first time in a skit written by Jeri Magg for the February 5, 2013 fundraising event for the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village. Nanette Laurion directed and Anni Wellauer and Gayle Pence, produced the play.
SANIBEL ISLAND SUN - December 7, 2012
The Muench Family - "An Island Treasure"
THE MUENCH FAMILY
By Jeri Magg – member Sanibel Historical Museum and Village
fundraiser committeeThis article is part of the
continuing series of “island treasures” foreshadowing the Sanibel Historical
Village and Museum’s “fund” raiser on February 5, 2013.
The Early Years—Building a park:
In the
early fall of 1963, Al and Betty Muench, accompanied by their two younger
children, Missy and Mark, pulled their tiny trailer from New York to Florida
hoping to find a beach campsite in Lee
County.
Though a
spot was available on Ft. Myers Beach, the family had heard about the beautiful
barrier island across the bridge. The only park on Sanibel at that time was
located where Loggerhead Cay condominiums currently stand. Disappointed that
park was “adults only,” the foursome settled on Ft. Myers Beach.
While
driving home via I-95, ten-year-old Missy asked her father a question that
would change the family’s life. “Dad, why don’t you buy land on Sanibel and
build a park so children can stay there?” Though both parents chuckled at their
daughter’s innocent question, the idea took root. The following spring Al
revisited Sanibel, contacted Priscilla Murphy and bought sixteen acres on
Periwinkle Way a with beach access.
Eighteen-year-old
Jerry Muench and his older brother Steve followed that June to help build
sites. “We did all the hand clearing ourselves with an old Jeep and one tractor,”
chuckles Jerry remembering the experience. There was only a narrow dirt road
winding through the property, and Al was insistent that as many trees and
natural vegetation as possible be preserved.
Johnson
Engineering designed the campsite but Al, Jerry and Steve put in power lines
and sewers one street at a time. The Periwinkle Trailer Park was the first
sewer plant on the island and Jerry attended school to learn how to run it.
At the
end of that summer Steve returned to college and Jerry stayed to help prepare
more sites and run the park. “I was the only eighteen-year-old on the island,”
states Jerry.
When
Periwinkle Trailer Park opened there were fifty campsites and travelers happily
paid $3.50 for a night’s stay. Jerry and
his father continued maintenance duties while Betty and Missy worked in the
office.
In 1965
Jerry joined the Navy. After being
discharged in 1969, he and new wife June, headed to Sanibel to help run what
was now a growing business.
At first
the majority of their profits went into improvements. In order to build up some
of the sites, they dug a pond. Undecided how to use this new water hole, they
bought a couple of ducks to display and fenced it in. In 1972 brother Dick and
his wife Emily moved to the island with their young son David. Dick was a
qualified plumber and was welcomed as another pair of hands.
Dick
became interested in the birds and added more ducks, swans and Roseate Spoonbills.
Residents and islanders, intrigued by all the feathered additions, were drawn
to the pond. Dick, whose fascination with birds spread to exotics – especially
parrots of all kinds, decided to build a couple of cages by the pond. Now more
park residents and islanders came to watch the birds. One of the residents,
Libby Baird, asked to be allowed to handle and play with the birds. Today that
fondness and love for these feathered beauties has grown into a daily bird show
attended by children and adults alike.
In 1974,
when the gas crisis was at its peak, many of the park’s residents wished to
leave their mobile homes on site for the summer. This changed the make-up of
the park. To accommodate these folks, the owners leased ten acres east of the
park from Francis and Sam Bailey and added permanent RV and mobile sites.
Al and
Betty sold the park’s twenty-six acres to their five children in 1978 with Dick
and Jerry as the managing partners. The brothers continued to clear land for
more sites while preserving the family atmosphere and island tropical ambiance.
Around the same time their competition on the beach decided to sell. The family
was not interested in obtaining this land; it would have been too much.
“Besides,” laughs Jerry, “the owner didn’t like us since many of her former renters
were now at our park.” An investor group bought the parcel and built Loggerhead
Cay.
The next generation:
The
parcel of land and house adjoining the park was owned by Clarence Rutland, who
had arrived on Sanibel with his parents in 1896. In the heat of summer, while
Jerry was clearing the original sites, Clarence would invite the teenager in
for a glass of water. “We’d sit in his
living room and talk about all the jobs he’d work to survive on the island
–lighthouse keeper, fishermen and farmer. He was a great storyteller.”
In 1981
Clarence died. The house and five-acre parcel, now owned by his niece Snookie
Williams, was for sale. The Muench family made an offer based on a contingency that
the property could be rezoned as a trailer site. Snookie wanted no contingencies.
They bought the property anyway.
Their next hurdle was a zoning change.
Dick and
Jerry appeared at a Sanibel City Council meeting a few months later. The room
was packed. Everyone had an opinion. After hours of heated discussions, the
five-member panel voted; two for and two against. Francis Bailey was still
deliberating. Finally an exhausted observer shouted “Francis vote yes so we can
all go home!” He did and the Periwinkle Trailer Park added 49 more sites.
The
family offered the Rutland House to the Historical Preservation Committee, headed
by Elinore Dormer. They were able to raise enough money to move the house to the
Sanibel Historical Village and Museum on Dunlop where it served as the first
building for the museum.
Over the
years, the Muench family has become integral to the island’s community. After
the City of Sanibel was incorporated, Al served as temporary city manager and
was a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Dick started the Sanibel Little League and was
active in that organization for more than 30 years.
Jerry, a
volunteer fireman, ran for City Council in 1982 and was part of the Planning
Committee for four years. As a candidate again in 1986 for Council, he was
elected and served eight years. Asked to run again, Jerry questioned his wife,
June. “Should I run again for the council?” She rapidly replied, “With what
other wife?”
In 1986
the family bought the land leased from the Bailey’s making their total acreage
31.
Today the Periwinkle Trailer Park boasts sites for 80 mobile homes, 166
small park models and 80 RVs.
That
same year Betty and Al celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at
the park. Coincidentally it was the 25th year of the park’s
existence. Today, the park is constantly upgrading.
That family
atmosphere has gone full circle. Some of the children of those first residents are
now coming to the island with their children. Over the years, the park has
remained unique. With no paved roads, except by the entrance, the dirt roads
and lush vegetation and family-friendly atmosphere still continue to draw
vacationers to the park. Says Jerry Muench about the park—yesterday and
today—“We want every renter and owner to be able to step out of his unit and
feel the sand under his feet so he knows he’s on a barrier island and the beach
is just a short walk away.”
Owners
and renters continue to be good friends and share their love for Sanibel by
volunteering.
Dick’s
son David is now the manager. Chuckles Jerry, “A couple of years ago I told
Dick…I’m done. No more hot summers in Florida, we’re going to North Carolina.”
So they looked for a younger member to take over. David fit the bill and has
been doing an excellent job.
Sadly,
the two younger siblings, Mark and Missy died too young, but all of Dick and
Jerry’s children live in the area. Older brother Steve lives in Ft. Myers. Al Muench died a few years ago but Betty
currently lives at Shell Point Village.
Their
family now boasts 18 grandchildren. It looks as if there will be Muenches
involved at the Periwinkle Trailer Park and on Sanibel for many years to come. Lucky
Sanibel!
FT. MYERS MAGAZINE September - October 2012
SEE SHELLS ON SANIBEL by JERI MAGG
PERRY
MASON, aka Raymond Burr, could quickly uncover ample clues to discover
the “who done it” behind the success of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
(BMSM). Burr, a shell collector and chairman of the museum’s initial
fundraiser in the early 1990s, was immensely important in promoting this
venue so that in 1996 someone of the educational caliber and enthusiasm
of Dr. Jose Leal would apply for the position of director.
Upon
closer scrutiny, Burr’s Perry Mason would have even less trouble
detecting the plethora of evidence that pointed to success for Leal in
whatever path he chose. Now a renowned conchologist, Leal first became
enthralled as a young boy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “I was fascinated
by the colors and shapes of shells. When you discover your first one,
you’re hooked. You never know what you might find next.”
This
early interest morphed into a career. With a B.S. in Marine Biology and
an M.S. in Invertebrate Zoology from the Federal University of Rio de
Janeiro, Leal went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries
from the University of Miami. However, job opportunities were rare, and
he became a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s
National Museum of Natural History. “Even though you have a doctorate,
the competition in the field is immense, so I went to the Smithsonian,”
he continues. Then he learned that the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on
Sanibel was looking for a director.
The
idea for BMSM began in 1984 with a $10,000 bequest from a local shell
collector, followed by the establishment in 1986 of a Shell Research
Museum. Two years later a membership campaign was launched. In 1990,
pioneer residents Francis, Sam, and John Bailey deeded to BMSM eight
acres of land in the wetlands on San-Cap Road. Their only wish was that
the museum honor the memory of their parents, Frank P. Bailey and Anne
Meade Matthews. The name was then changed to The Bailey-Matthews Shell
Museum, and actor Raymond Burr was invited to serve as chairman of the
fundraising committee.
After
the groundbreaking ceremony in 1992, the building was opened to the
public three years later. Because Dr. R. Tucker Abbott, the first
director had been ill for some time, a replacement was needed. Leal
applied and was hired. “I couldn’t believe I was offered such a
wonderful position on one of the best shell islands in the world,” Leal
muses. Unfortunately, Abbott died only days before the museum opened.
The museum has become Jose Leal’s life’s project.
Under
Leal’s leadership the BMSM exhibits have showcased amazing shell
collections that educate both children and adults. “I want to encourage
people to visit. Once here, they find the educational programs and
exhibits are not boring and tell their friends about the experience.”
The Sea Life Summer Camp 2012 highlights the fun aspect of the museum
with children’s programs such as Sea-life Adventure and Live Mollusks on
Parade. Even fundraisers like the 3rd Annual Oyster Eating Contest and
Under the Sea 2012 entertain and teach.
Leal
must be doing something right. This year more than 50,000 visitors
enjoyed the exhibits. Earlier this year, the Fergusons, members of the
U.S. Air Force, received free entrance as part of the museum's
participation in the Blue Star Museums program for military families.
Their daughters spent hours in the Great Hall of Shells identifying
different specimens on a scavenger hunt, an interactive activity that
provides educational information about the shells and mollusks (the
animal that makes the shell). Each completed hunt resulted in a prize at
the end of the visit.
To
promote more visitors, there will be two new exhibits opening this
September. One is a refurbishment of the memorial to Raymond Burr, while
the other centers on Deep-Sea Mollusks.
Currently,
the “Raymond Burr Memorial Display,” which allows visitors to buy
personalized bricks for $150, is on the ground-floor lobby. It will be
moved to the Great Hall and expanded to include more shells from Mr.
Burr’s collection, along with memorabilia donated by his partner, Robert
Benevides…such as the hat and cane Burr wore in the Perry Mason series.
The memorial garden honors Burr who, prior to his death in 1993, spent
many hours on Sanibel as benefactor and fund-raiser for the museum.
Born
May 17, 1917, in British Columbia, Burr moved to California at age
five. His acting career included radio appearances, 66 films and more
than 150 television shows. His leading role as “Perry Mason” became a
Saturday evening favorite reaching 30 million viewers. The South Seas
islands were magnets for Burr, who in 1965 purchased Naitamba Island in
Fiji. There, he and Benevides collected shells as a relaxing hobby.
The
new ‘Deep-Sea Mollusks Display’ will exhibit shells living in extreme
deep-water environments, such as hot vents (underwater volcanoes) and
natural gas seeps. Designed by Chase Studios, the exhibit was sponsored
by Dr. James Hartman and his wife Molly, along with proceeds from the
2011 Oyster Eating Contest.
Things
continue to be updated and improved under Leal’s direction. Recently
the museum received grant money for an additional staff member – a
Collections’ Manager, who will work cataloguing acquisitions. This past
February, John Suau, who has extensive experience in the museum field in
the United States and Europe, was hired as Public Relations and
Marketing Manager. The museum staff is also planning a new audio tour
project that will enhance the main exhibits through the use of the
latest digital technologies. Along with a new logo and updated website,
BMSM is planning to expand their visitors’ overall experience.
Leal
has received many awards during his 16-year leadership at the museum.
The latest is his election as President of Conchologists of America, the
largest organization of shell enthusiasts in the world. This award is
just another clue for Burr’s alter ego Perry Mason in his quest to
uncover the mystery of how a young boy, inspired by shells on the
beaches of Rio de Janiero, turned this love into a career.
The
answer to the “Who done it” at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is Dr.
Jose Leal. His passion for shells has turned the museum into a
one-of-a-kind venue where education and fun go hand-in-hand! •
from the September-October 2012 issue
