The Year in Review

The plan to close puts the college's accreditation status at risk, along with the potential for students to transfer credits.

Loser: Public school students

Florida public schools, scoring an average of 499 in both math and verbal sections of the SAT, still lagged slightly behind the national average SAT numbers. Col-lier scores were higher than state averages in each section, but slipped a few points this year, to 505 in verbal and 512 in math. Fewer students in Collier took the college admission test. In Lee County, more students took the test and scores rose, but they are still lower than the state and national averages, with 490 in math and 489 in verbal.

Transportation

Losers: Sanibel and Captiva commuters

Sanibel Causeway users and taxpayers will bear the brunt of the cost to replace the three causeway bridges, with a price tag that nearly doubled from the original $55 million price tag as a result of two lawsuits and skyrocketing cement costs. To pay for the $105 million project, commissioners increased tolls from $3 to $6, and prices jumped from 50 cents to $3 per trip for those in the discount program, which includes most commuters who work on the islands. The increases were another blow to island businesses already knocked down by Hurricane Charley.

People

Winner: Porter Goss

The former U.S. Congressman from Sanibel was confirmed as the new director of Central Intelligence, a position that heads up the CIA and a dozen or so additional agencies. Although he was prepared to retire several years ago, Goss was persuaded to stay on in the wake of 9/11.

Winner: John DeBoer

The Naples retiree won a dispute with Wachovia Securities, netting almost $2.66 million. He filed a complaint with the National Association of Securities Dealers, arguing that he received poor investment advice from adviser George Walker. Arbitra-tors agreed and ordered the company to pay DeBoer an amount that ranks among the highest securities arbitration awards given.

Hurricane charley and its followers left no industry untouched in Southwest Florida. Tourism, agriculture, construction, retail-pretty much every business felt some impact, directly or indirectly, and a lot of jobs were gone with the winds. Even so, some actually made business gains in the storms' wake-even if exhaustion, overwork and unhappy customers sometimes left them feeling less than ecstatic about their economic windfall.

Winners: Cleanup and repair companies

For roofers, carpenters, pool-cage builders, tree services, trash haulers and other companies in the repair and redevelopment businesses, the storms produced more work than they could keep up with. People who lost agriculture jobs lined up to join roofing crews. Others built siding on their trucks to make some FEMA money removing hurricane debris. And pickups hauling trailers cruised neighborhoods collecting aluminum to sell.

Winners: Inland hotels

On the other hand, says D.T. Minich, executive director of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, "We've had record-breaking weeks at the inland properties," he says. "They've been full with evacuees or FEMA crews or insurance adjusters at a time that's typically the slowest time of the year for them."

Winner: Real estate investors

The storms temporarily quashed a thriving real estate environment. Plans to buy homes or expand businesses faltered as the storms came and went. Some reconsidered moves and many were delayed in getting insurance. But in Charlotte County, offers to buy damaged property started pouring in from all over the country, and a lot of homeowners were all too happy to oblige.

Winners: Redevelopers

Some are turning a bad situation into an opportunity. South Seas Resort and Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa, two of Lee County's biggest, are taking a long time to reopen, but they aren't just rebuilding, they are improving, says Minich.

Perhaps this year's hurricanes will provide the same impetus for Charlotte, DeSoto and other ailing counties that Hurricane Donna gave Collier in 1960, adds Morton.

"In a very perverse way, the genesis of Naples [came from] the money and assistance the city received to rebuild itself," he says.

Losers: Citrus and ornamentals growers

Unripe citrus crops, palm trees and other ornamentals fell victim to the winds. Those losses, on top of the trade issues and other hardships already pressuring farmers, could accelerate the rate of agricultural lands being sold for development.

Losers: Coastal hotels

The storms decimated resorts, attractions and beaches and tourism itself, especially on Sanibel and Captiva-Lee County's tourism central. Fort Myers Beach's hotels recovered relatively quickly. But on Sanibel and especially Captiva, some properties weren't expected to completely reopen until 2005.

Losers: Small businesses

Those with few reserves suffered most, no matter the industry, says Tammie Nemecek, executive director of the Economic Development Council of Collier County. In the hardest-hit areas, they lost buildings, inventories and records. The Florida Bridge Loan program, Small Business Administra-tion loans and other state and federal loans helped some get back on their feet. But owners must find ways to repay the loans as they rebuild their revenue streams.

Loser: New-home builders

New construction stumbled as the hurricanes halted real estate transactions and shifted the focus to rebuilding. Cape Coral and Lee County temporarily froze new-building permits, and shortages of building materials compounded the problems. But building was expected to regain its record pace. In Cape Coral, only a month after Charley, the city received permit applications for 407 new homes, compared with 330 the previous year.

Losers: Collier taxpayers

The loss of new construction could even raise Collier County taxes. "Property values may hold steady, if they don't decline. That's going to put major pressure on local city, county governments to generate appropriate tax revenues without having to raise millage rates," says Edward Morton, chairman of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and CEO of NCH Healthcare System.

Kevin Adell and partner Pedro Prado's plans to launch Cubano One, the country's first English-language television station targeting a Cuban audience, were sidelined when Adell filed personal bankruptcy. Adell was ordered to pay $6.4 million to a builder in Michigan, then paid cash for a $2.8 million home in Aqualane Shores in Naples. A judge in October rejected Adell's Chapter 11 bank-

ruptcy protection case. His family owns Adell Broadcasting Corp., and he is president of Satellite Television Network Inc. and a Detroit-based religious television channel.

The lengthy Stadium Naples case finally wrapped up early this year.

Charges against developer Paul Hardy were dropped. Former Collier County commissioner John Norris, whose health was failing in January, struck a last-minute deal to serve house arrest. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges: one charge of racketeering conspiracy and one charge of unlawful compensation.

That isn't the end of the players' court action, though. Among the events this year:

. Robert Hardy filed bankruptcy this year, only to have a judge order an investigation of his finances in August.

. William Rasmussen filed a libel suit against the Naples Daily News and three employees in April, charging them with repeatedly publishing false reports about his involvement with Stadium Naples.

Racketeering charges against him were dropped in 2002, and he eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.

. The federal receiver for investors who lost some $21 million to swindler David Mobley sued Quarles & Brady law firm and former partner Leo Salvatori, who was Mobley's lawyer.

Ben Marlin as Collier School District superintendent:

After a rocky period with Dan White at the school district's helm, the Collier school board in May 2003 hired Ben Marlin, whose plans to get the school system back on track were heralded. In August 2004, Marlin unexpectedly resigned, citing problems with critics and board member Linda Abbott. Longtime district employee Ray Baker, chief operating officer, was named to replace Marlin, backed by strong support from the business community.

Ben Hill Griffin III as chairman of Alico, Inc.:

A long legal battle among the heirs of citrus giant Ben Hill Griffin Jr. was settled in 2004, with son Ben Hill Griffin III relinquishing control of the agribusiness company. Griffin III retained a number of company assets, including the family's citrus packinghouse in Frostproof and Lake Wales Country Club, but stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer. Stepping in, along with a new board, was new chairman John Alexander. Bernie Lester was later named CEO.

Caribbean Gardens: Fans of the Caribbean Gardens, the Zoo in Naples, stepped forward to save the longtime landmark after it became known that the property owners were considering developing or selling it. Park PAC, a political action committee, pushed for a November referendum asking Collier voters to approve a tax to buy 150 acres, including the property occupied by the gardens. The measure passed.

Babcock Ranch: Fearing that the owners of this 91,000-acre ranch would sell off property for development, Lee and Charlotte county officials teamed up with environmental advocates, state and federal agency officials to try to buy the land and preserve it.

Pineland Marina: After Hurricane Charley smashed Pineland Marina and the many boats there, Lee County is again considering buying the Pine Island facility. Not only would it provide a public boat ramp-an increasingly rare commodity-it might ease the way for outer islands, including North Captiva, Useppa, and Cabbage Key, to get rid of their construction debris from the storm. The debris could be barged there, then hauled off.