============================================================ DIGITAL DIGEST � http://www.bonitanews.com � December 30, 2004 ============================================================ Subscribe to the Bonita Daily News: http://web.bonitanews.com/circulation/ TRAGEDY IN ASIA: DARK SMELL OF DEATH PLAGUES COASTLINE STREETS PHUKET, Thailand � You know the zones of death by the smell. It is a grim, jaw-clenching stench that makes you sad but glad that you are not the poor soul in that white body bag with the black zipper being carried from a basement grocery store to the bed of a pickup three days after a tsunami trapped you there. TRAGEDY IN ASIA: EXPERTS SAY TSUNAMIS COULD EVEN HIT HERE It can't happen here. It could happen here. It shouldn't happen here. Planet Earth continues to amaze scientists, especially when a natural catastrophe slams a previously protected land mass. While Indonesia is one of the global hot spots for earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, documented as an important link in the Pacific Rim's infamous Ring of Fire, Thailand and India's Indian Ocean coast are not. They were caught off-guard. BONITA TO ADDRESS STATE'S CONCERNS WITH RONTO PROJECT Granting a developer's wish for a land-use change in east Bonita Springs would jettison or weaken several environmental controls placed on the 1,299-acre property, state planners say. Local officials disagree, saying nothing has changed but the proposed density. The provisions remain intact as part of a separate agreement with the developer, they argue. SKATEBOARD COMPETITION SHOWS HOW FAR SPORT HAS COME To project the right balance of ennui and angst, the teenage boys swore, blared heavy metal music and, for good measure, spat on the pavement. A handful of parents stood nearby and approved. There was a time � was it five, 10 years ago? � when street skateboarding and similar extreme sports were scorned by parents as the stuff of outlaws. No more. Now embraced by national television coverage and video games, the sports have long since entered the mainstream. PET THERAPY PROGRAM NEEDS MORE 2-LEGGED, 4-LEGGED PARTICIPANTS A cold, wet nose and slinky, smooth tail often are just what the doctor ordered. But there don't seem to be enough to go around lately, and the Humane Society of Lee County is asking for more. Not more relinquished pets, but more animals and their owners to pair up as roving therapy teams at Lee County nursing homes, assisted-living communities and hospitals. Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.bonitanews.com PERSPECTIVE: EDITORIAL: HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS -- A WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR FOR BASKETBALL AFICIONADOS This is a good time of year and a good place to be if you are a basketball fan. The sport is being showcased in Southwest Florida this week. In the spirit of full disclosure, the Daily News is playing a role. The newspaper is a key sponsor of two high school tournaments. See more of today�s Perspective stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/perspective BUSINESS: VERIZON PLANS TO SPEND MORE ON SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SERVICE Wrapping up a $220 million investment in 2004, Verizon Wireless says it plans to make a similar investment in Florida next year, with a large chunk being deposited in Southwest Florida. A large portion of the money will be used to improve technology in the five-county area, one of the company's fastest-growing markets in Florida. See more of today�s Business stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/business NEAPOLITAN: REVIEW: KING OF POMP "To horse! To horse!" is not the only theme in photographer Henry Dallal's exhibition, "Pageanty & Performance," at the Naples Museum of Art. As a handsome addition to "The Grand Tour in Miniature - British Royalty," Dallal has filled the Phil's two west galleries with celebrations of royal pomp as well as a stirring tribute to British soldiers, in the field and at play. To do this he includes many of his best Cibachrome photographs from some 23,000 slides he has taken. See more of today�s Neapolitan stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan
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