============================================================ DIGITAL DIGEST � http://www.bonitanews.com � January 1, 2005 ============================================================ Subscribe to the Bonita Daily News: http://web.bonitanews.com/circulation/ TRAGEDY IN ASIA: SOMBER MOOD NEARLY A WEEK AFTER DEADLY WAVES PHUKET, Thailand � A somber mood here after nearly a week of cleaning up the dead and picking up lives left little, and at the same time much to celebrate on New Year's Eve. Thailand's King Bhumibol called off New Year's celebrations out of respect for the dead, which included his own grandson, killed on Sunday by the tidal waves. TRAGEDY IN ASIA: AUTHORITIES ON LOOKOUT FOR 'TSUNAMI-RELIEF' SCAM ARTISTS Gut-wrenching images of crying, dirty children and naked, mangled corpses moves even the hardest heart to action. Residents in Southwest Florida want to help tsunami victims by sending clothing, toiletries, food and money. Maybe the cash comes in as $10 here, and $20 there, but eventually it adds up to thousands. And greedy scam artists who prey on people's good intentions may soon be cropping up to share in that wealth. Only it would go to themselves. TRAFFIC FATALITIES DECLINE BY 9 IN LEE DURING 2004 State troopers can't always explain why some years are deadlier than others on Florida's roads. Some things are just left up to chance and driver error. But Lt. Douglas Dodson said at least one thing is clear: drunken driving and seatbelt use remain one of the biggest factors in whether a traffic accident means a few scrapes and bruises or death. "If seatbelt use is up, fatalities are low," he said. "A lot of people survive horrific crashes because they wear their seatbelt." TWO MALLS RACE TO OPEN FOR BUSINESS After years of waiting, talking and speculating, two major projects broke ground in Lee County in 2004. Both should see the first of their anchors and stores open for business by fall. The Simon Group had the official ground breaking for Coconut Point Town Center on U.S 41 and Coconut Road in early 2004. Site work and work on the residential component of the development, Rapallo, have been ongoing for several months. ELECTION 2004: VOTE COUNT SMOOTHER, STILL SOME PROBLEMS America did a much better job of counting its votes this year. The nation's $2.2 billion investment in new voting machines and other election reforms reduced the number of ballots that failed to count in last month's presidential election, according to a Scripps Howard News Service study based on final or nearly complete election data provided by 43 states and the District of Columbia. Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.bonitanews.com PERSPECTIVE: EDITORIAL: NEW YEAR'S DAY -- WELCOME, 2005, AND ALL THAT A FRESH START BRINGS Surely, there is this at work when we celebrate the ending of one year and the beginning of another: the revitalizing sense that there are always new chances, opportunities for fresh starts. It's the promise of tomorrow, or more precisely of a new year, that helps inform our feeling of joy, even if we are simultaneously looking back with warmth on the year that has gone. If we are looking back with regret, the uplift may be all the stronger. See more of today�s Perspective stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/perspective BUSINESS: NAPLES-BASED COMPANY, CORAL HOSPITALITY, EVOLVES AGAIN The name on the door has changed. It reflects a new image that has come with more services and products. Coral Beach Hotels & Clubs is now Coral Hospitality. The Naples-based company has been in business for more than 16 years, but it continues to evolve. Recently, it began managing upscale condominiums and homeowner associations. That's on top of the five-star management services it provides to a handful of boutique hotels and golf and country clubs. See more of today�s Business stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/business NEAPOLITAN: AN INSPIRATION Before he saddles up on his bike for a six-mile ride, Harold Broudy wants to share a secret. Out of his pocket he pulls a tiny tea tin with smiling bears on the front. It seems an odd time to be sharing his Celestial Seasonings tea bags, but he shakes his head. No, no, no. It's what's hidden under the herbal tea bag that's important � his vitamins. He's proud as punch as he points out that he swallows 25 of these babies a day. And so does his beloved bride. See more of today�s Neapolitan stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan
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