Moving Forward #32

Dear Friends,
 
We gathered for wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services this past weekend. As I proclaimed the Gospel of the birth of Jesus in candlelight and looked out at the many faces lit with the glow of the candles I had a deep sense of Emmanuel; God with us. God is with us, in this time and in all times. 
 
As the island prepares for the reopening of the causeway next Monday, I wanted to pass along information from the City Council about what to expect. That is listed below. In terms of the church property; all the buildings are boarded up as the floors in some of them need to be repaired before it is safe to enter. The Memorial Garden was one of the first things we inspected on our first trip by boat to the island after the hurricane and continues to be a priority in the restoration process. In the past few weeks work has been done on the Memorial Garden to remove debris, clear a way to access it from the bike path and clean the grounds. Thanks to Chuck Sterrett for coordinating this effort. As the final resting place of many, I know it is a meaningful place for their family and friends and we have made every effort to make it accessible, but know that visiting it is at your own risk, as the ground is uneven and there is work still to be done. It is accessible by the bike path only. The porch area by the red doors is still unstable until the bells can be removed from the porch roof. Please do not go near the porch area by the red doors.
 
Information on the Sanibel Causeway – The Sanibel City Council made the decision to end the requirement for reentry passes on January 2, 2023. The Police checkpoint that has been in place since the causeway reopened to traffic will be deactivated early that morning. However, the City’s curfew will remain in effect between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am daily and the Police checkpoint will be in place during the curfew hours.
 
The City of Sanibel asks that non-residents respect and understand the fact that Sanibel is still actively working to recover from Hurricane Ian. While the requirement for reentry passes will no longer be necessary on January 2, 2023, they are discouraging visitors at this time and look forward to welcoming back visitors later in our recovery.
 
Please note the following:

• Beaches and beach parks, including the Sanibel Lighthouse, remain closed – Sanibel is not open to beach visitors and the Mayoral Proclamation, extending Sanibel’s State of Emergency, prohibits non-residents from being on the beach.
• Fishing Pier and Boat Ramp are closed.
• The City’s shared use path (bike path) still has stacked debris waiting for pickup in many places. Nails from debris, that could cause flat tires may exist on the bike path and the City is discouraging people from using it.
• Debris collection from individual lots and the City’s rights-of-way is still ongoing. Trucks collecting debris will interrupt traffic flow at times and may cause travel delays.
• Most businesses are closed.
• There is nothing to see or do – yet.
• Residents/contractors with reentry passes should continue displaying their reentry passes at all times on their vehicle’s dashboard to assist Police.
• During the hours the curfew is in place, vehicles with the following credentials will be allowed through the island checkpoint:
• Sanibel and Captiva residents with a resident reentry pass and a valid driver’s license. The name on the driver’s license must match the name of the person that the reentry pass was issued to.
• People driving on Sanibel Island between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am should expect to be stopped by Police patrols to verify residency or resort guest status. All persons leaving the island after 9 pm should expect to be stopped by Police at the causeway checkpoint.

Peace, 
Bill+

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