LaBelle Homes Sales Up

LABELLE, FL. -- In the first week of June there were 11 real estate
properties sold in the LaBelle area at an average price of $181,273.
Included in the recorded sales were: $185,000 on 3rd Ave, $38,000 on
4th Ave, $273,000 on Acorn Cir, $172,000 on Albany Rd (Port
LaBelle), $193,000 on Beaver Cir (Port LaBelle), $179,000 on
Berwick Cir (Port LaBelle), $155,000 on Clipper Cir (Country Village
in Port LaBelle), $190,000 on County Road 78, $154,000 on Schooner Dr
(Port LaBelle), $280,000 on Springview Cir (Laurel Oaks in Port
LaBelle), $175,000 on N Edgewater Cir (Port LaBelle.)

Moore Haven River Rally Benefits Main Street

MOORE HAVEN, FLORIDA -- As bikers rode down Avenue J in Moore Haven
Saturday, June 3, Main Street Moore Haven program manager Tracy
Whirls stood in the center of the street, taking photos. The former
newspaper editor is also Glades County's economic development
director. Given only six weeks to help organize and promote the
second annual River Rally, sponsored by the City of Moore Haven to
benefit Main Street Moore Haven, Inc. , the event drew participants
from West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral and Orlando
as well as communities around Lake Okeechobee.

Moore Haven Vice Mayor and Harley enthusiast Dave McGee urges bikers
from around Lake Okeechobee and beyond to enjoy the ride over to
Moore Haven on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. "We in Moore
Haven welcome everyone to our small but peaceful town by the
Caloosahatchee River," Vice Mayor McGee said. "You'll find that Moore
Haven is a real down to earth town with a lot to offer. We have one
of the most beautiful areas around the lake, scenic parks, and of
course, the historic Lone Cypress tree, on the bank of the
Caloosahatchee River, where the city was founded in 1915."

The riverside park was the perfect venue for the rally. Residents and
visitors alike lined the sidewalk across the street from the
Riverwalk to watch games, including the "Road Kill game," "Bite the
Dog," and others. Harley Davidson of Ft. Myers donated game prizes,
while vendors, including E&L Leather Goods of Ft. Myers, Crafty
Creations and JK Design of Moore Haven, and Ole Rips of Arcadia,
donated door prizes. Everglades Realty Moore Haven broker Jeff Davis
donated the grand door prize, a $100 bill, initially won by Glades
County Commissioner Russell Echols who donated it back.

-Photo and story courtesy of Tracy Whirls

Tax Dollars Go To Citrus Growers

LABELLE, FLORIDA -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services
Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today expressed his appreciation to
President George W. Bush and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary
Mike Johanns for the release of $100 million to citrus growers and
citrus nurseries impacted by citrus canker. Secretary Johanns
announced the compensation yesterday as well as an interim rule that
will now allow nursery owners who had citrus trees destroyed during
the eradication effort to be eligible for funds.

"This significant influx of money goes a long way toward assisting
Florida growers and nurseries who have suffered greatly from the
impact of canker as well as two unprecedented hurricane seasons,"
Bronson said. "On behalf of our citrus industry, I appreciate the
President, his administration and USDA for providing this vital
assistance to this very important industry."

The Citrus Canker Eradication Program resulted in the destruction of
more than 10.5 million commercial citrus trees in groves and 4.3
million trees in nurseries that were infected with or exposed to the
bacterial disease. Bronson is also advising the President and USDA
that he is meeting his commitment to homeowners who lost citrus trees
as a result of the eradication program and have been awaiting
compensation. Governor Jeb Bush recently signed a budget in which
lawmakers provided $3.6 million for residential compensation. When
the new budget year goes into effect on July 1, the Department will
begin the final phase of mailing payments to homeowners and expects
to finish up the program by the end of September.

"Just as citrus growers and nurseries have waited patiently for
payments, so have homeowners," Bronson said. "I am very grateful for
their sacrifice, and while the eradication program has ended, I can
assure residents that our ability to remove canker-infected and
-exposed citrus trees from this state helped to protect homeowners
and the industry for years."

Immokalee Coach Unapologetic

IMMOKALEE, Fl. -- Immokalee High School principal and soccer coach,
said he doesn't need to apologize to anyone for having a 30-year old
Haitian attending his school and being the soccer team's best player
and team captain. Manny Touron said he shouldn't apologize because he
didn't know Blandel Jean was that old. He apparently didn't know
that student athlete Josh Jean-Mary was 23-years old, and student
athlete Sinel Ulysse was 20 years old either. Both were fingered
later in the investigation by the Florida High School Athletic
Association. After discovery, Mr. Jean left the school a week before
he was scheduled to "graduate." He left Haiti in 2003 aned worked as
a convenience store clerk in Immokalee. He said in order to enroll at
Immokalee High his mother sent him a birth certificate from Haiti and
changed the birthdate. He is five foot, five inches tall and weighs
125 pounds so it was not hard to fake his age he said.

The Florida High School Athletic Association Wednesday has barred
Immokalee from football playoffs next season and the soccer team is
barred for two seasons, and the school has to hand back two district
soccer title trophy and one district football title trophy. The
school has 10 days to appeal, but most likely the embarrassment of
the situation will bar that effort. The school faces and
multi-thousand dollar fine and investigation costs as well.

The FHSAA said principal Touron was made aware of the overage
students last October but didn't report the problem until May 2006.
The group also says Touron didn't initiate an investigation into
other overage students even after finding out about the first one discovered.

56-year old Manny Touron, in his second year as principal of
Immokalee High after a half dozen years at Immokalee Middle School,
and five years at Lake Trafford Elementary. Of Cuban heritage, he was
raised in New York City' Brooklyn and played soccer in college. He
has been married for 22 years and has a 30-year old son from a prior marriage.

Big Lake Bank Sold After Cited For Non-Compliance By Feds

Comptroller of the Currency Cited Bank in "Troubled Condition"

LABELLE, FL. (June 7, 2006) -- Now under new ownership as of this week, Big Lake National Bank has been taken over by Seacoast National Bank, a chain of primarily Florida east coast banks based in Stuart. Customers of the former Big Lake National Bank could see a flurry of activity inside the modest building in LaBelle as new supervisors were handling much of the business of the bank while apparently training employees and answering numerous questions from customers.

The Federal banking regulators, the Comptroller of the Currency, cited  Big Lake National Bank last October and came to a formal agreement with the directors of the bank that after the bank  was found using unsafe and unsound banking practices in the bank's consumer compliance program, and under the federal Bank Secrecy Act program. Examiners also cited violations of five sections of the United States Code that the bank violated.

The bank was ordered under an agreement made between the bank and the Comptroller on October 19 to form a "compliance committee" to among other things, enact policies and procedures for monitoring and reporting larger transactions, and gather information about customers whose transactions pose a greater than normal risk for compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, including controls to ensure all large transactions are identified and reported. The bank was ordered to also require than any existing customer banking relationships that might be detrimental to the reputation of the bank, be closed.

The bank was ordered to come into compliance with all consumer protection laws and regulations and to prepare a manual covering how bank personnel were to perform their duties under the consumer laws. all within 90 days.

The directors were given 90 days in which to comply with the 14-page agreement. Big Lake Bank directors signing the agreement were John Abney, Sr., John B. Boy, Jr., Robert Coker, Mary Beth Cooper, H. Gilbert Culbreth, Jr., Curtis S. Fry, Joe Mullins, Bobby Tucker, and Edwin Walpole III. Joe Mullins now remains as a regional president with Seacoast National Bank.