As
we unfold the fourth issue of Times of the Islands, the old adage, "Time
flies when you1re having fun," comes to mind and prods us to ponder
our performance this first year playing the role of ambassadors of Southwest
Florida's barrier islands. From our premier issue - which heralded the
busy winter months - through the spring and summer issues - which entertained,
enlightened, and enriched everyone's lives through insightful, humorous,
and adventurous articles - we pledged to bring you the best that these
islands have to offer. We reassure you that this remains our primary
objective.
As we bid a temporary farewell to our readers who
left for their many different destinations during the summer and early
fall, and welcome the European sojourners that are lured to our shores
in pursuit of a piece of paradise, the upcoming pages are certain to
delight and keep you company on your swinging hammock, lake canoe, transatlantic
airplane, pool lounge, beach chair, or however you choose to spend these
languorous days.
This issue offers a special greeting to our overseas
visitors. As a born-European who has been partial to the beauties and
unique environment of Southwest Florida1s barrier islands for many years,
I want to be the first to welcome my fellow Europeans to our waters
and make them feel at home through the pages of this magazine. What
better way of acquainting or re-acquainting world travelers with our
area than by greeting them and providing a brief overview of the magazine's
contents through the familiar words of their native tongue? On the following
six pages, you will find an expanded table of contents in German, Spanish,
and French as a special courtesy to our foreign visitors.
When asked, "Why do you choose to live on a barrier
island like Sanibel?", every resident will promptly recite a litany
of reasons extolling its beauty and unique features - and the answers
will be as varied as the number of people asked. Perhaps, the one answer
in common would be, "Because of the respect with which the physical
and human landscapes have been treated over the years." But many
would be perplexed to discover that this hasn1t always been the prevailing
mentality. Our cover story, "The Once and Future Sanibel,"
beginning on page 40, takes us back to the days when the future plans
for Sanibel Island included high-rises, high-density development, and
a highway. Thankfully, a group of farsighted and sensible citizens stepped
in just in time to halt the mindless aspirations of a number of urban
planners.
Among those citizens was the first mayor of Sanibel,
now U.S. Congressman Porter Goss, whose elucidating conversation with
Times of the Islands is featured on page 46. We are certain that, at
the end of both articles, Sanibel residents and visitors alike will
breathe a deep sigh of relief and feel profoundly grateful to all those
whose sound efforts prevented one of the biggest acts of folly from
ever taking place.
The task of portraying, promoting, and bringing the
magnificence of the barrier islands into these pages might seem, at
first, an arduous one. After all, what the eyes behold all around us
can't quite be done justice once translated into printed matter. Looking
back at our first year, however, we at Times of the Islands feel strongly
otherwise. Through the many challenges of producing a high-profile magazine‹in
which intelligent articles and pages replete with memorable visual quality
set the tone‹we discovered how rewarding and how much fun it can
be. Your great support and enthusiastic response have been all we need
to keep us ever-committed to a job well done. A year after it all began,
we can confidently answer the question, "Are we having fun yet?"
with a resounding, "By all means, yes!" -Friedrich N. Jaeger
