============================================================ DIGITAL DIGEST � http://www.naplesnews.com � December 27, 2004 ============================================================ Subscribe to the Naples Daily News: http://web.naplesnews.com/circulation/ SHOPPERS FLOOD STORES TO RETURN PRESENTS, ENJOY SALES Walking through the Coastland Center mall Sunday, one would think he�d goofed and showed up on Christmas Eve, when throngs of last-minute shoppers stormed counters, shelves and cashiers with gifts bought during last-minute decisions. But it was the day after Christmas. And, by many accounts, it was even busier than Christmas Eve. Merchants nationwide cut prices even deeper in hopes of reviving business after they tallied disappointing holiday sales during the week approaching Christmas Day. FORMER NEAPOLITAN SURVIVES SERIES OF THAI TSUMANIS A powerful earthquake Sunday near Sumatra, Indonesia, generated a series of tsumanis, or tidal waves, that pummeled the southwestern coast of Thailand. The death toll, which preliminary estimates put at 11, 350, along the southern coast of Asia � and as far west as Somalia, on the African coast, where nine people were reported lost � was certain to increase, as authorities sorted out a far-flung disaster caused by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake, strongest in 40 years and fourth-largest in a century. SHOPPERS RETURN TO STORES IN FULL FORCE AFTER CHRISTMAS Luxury stores were hailed as winners of the pre-holiday retail season, and in Lee County the trend showed no sign of stopping during the traditional day-after-Christmas shopping frenzy. The sales began at 6 a.m. on Sunday at Miromar Outlets in Estero, known for its critical mass of upscale brand outlets. Lines of cars backed up traffic on Corkscrew Road all day. PUSH FOR LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS CONTINUES Workers must pull down at least $13 an hour to afford a two-bedroom rental in Southwest Florida, a low-income housing advocacy group reported last week. Rent is considered affordable when it eats no more than 30 percent of a person�s income. The National Low Income Housing Coalition 2004 report shows a Collier County worker must make $16.10 per hour to cover the $837 going rent for a two-bedroom apartment, making it sixth among the least affordable of Florida�s 67 counties. Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.naplesnews.com IN PERSPECTIVE: BUSH FACES FIGHTS WITH GOP ON GUEST-WORKER BILL President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship. Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply. To get the guest-worker initiative through Congress, Bush will need to go against the wishes of many Republicans and forge bipartisan alliances. Read more commentary and get local editorials and today�s Letters to the Editor at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/perspective/ IN FLORIDA MARTINEZ SUCCEEDS GRAHAM IN YEAR DOMINATED BY GOP Seniority means a lot in the U.S. Capitol halls, where senators of either party can earn some clout with enough time served. While it seems logical that losing a three-term senator like Democrat Bob Graham could hurt Florida�s influence in Washington, the man who�s replacing him is not your average freshman. Republican Mel Martinez served on President Bush�s Cabinet and he�s friendly with leaders in the GOP-led Senate. Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/florida/ IN NEAPOLITAN: IN THE KNOW: A YEAR�S WORTH OF ANSWERS TO SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS Many thanks to the readers of this column who submitted hundreds of questions over the past year. Space and time constraints prevent all of the questions from appearing in the newspaper, but we try to print answers to the most interesting items. As the year draws to a close, here are some of the best questions of the past 12 months. My thanks to Lisa Fleming, who wrote the answers for the first six questions below. Lisa started this column two-and-a-half years ago, before turning it over to me in late June. Enjoy, and keep those questions coming! Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan/
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