The Sun /Sunday, April 6,2014 FROM PAGE ONE www.sunnewspapers.net C OurTown Page 7 Relative: Infant died of SIDS By LORRAINE SCHNEEBERGER NORTH PORT EDITOR A woman identifying herself as the grandmother of the 2-week-old infant found dead at a North Port home Friday said the boy died from sudden infant death syndrome. In response to neighbors who worried that a dog inside the home in the 3600 block of Lullaby Road in the Jockey Club neighborhood might have been involved in the baby's death, Sally Susino- Murawski of Port Charlotte wrote on the North Port Sun's Facebook page, "My grandson died from SIDS. His parents loved this child with every ounce of their beings and would never hurt that baby. Get your facts straight ... and let them grieve in peace." Reached by phone Saturday, Susino-Murawski said she had no further comment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SIDS, also known as crib death, is the leading cause of death among infants age 1-12 months, claiming the lives of about 2,500 babies annually in the United States. The CDC defines a SIDS death as that of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy and a clinical history review. Most SIDS deaths are associat- ed with sleep. According to North Port Assistant Police Chief Tony Sirianni, police responded to the Lullaby home around 1:16 p.m. Friday at the request of North Port Fire Rescue, which was first called to the scene. Sirianni said late Friday that investigators have to wait for a medical examiner's report be- fore determining if charges will be filed. That process could take several weeks, he said. "I can't give anything else," Sirianni said in an email. "Most likely on Monday I'll be able to provide an update." Contacted Saturday, Sirianni wrote in an email, "I still can- not comment on this case until we hear from the (medical examiner). As for the concerns surrounding the family's dog, if there are rumors surrounding its involvement, know that they did not initiate or origi- nate from NPPD." North Port Fire Marshal Michael Frantz said the call originally came in as an "unresponsive and uncon- scious person," but emergency crews did not know it was an infant until they arrived on scene. Frantz said an ambulance and firetruck were dispatched to the home, and Fire Rescue contacted police once they saw the age of the child. Neighbor Amanda Parks said the baby's family kept pit bulls, Rottweilers and two dachs- hunds in the house. One of the dogs had a litter of puppies, which may have been a pit bull mix, she said. Amanda and her father, Ricky Parks, estimated the family had between 10 and 15 dogs. Ricky, who was home when police began to arrive, said Animal Services took the dogs away. On Saturday, the crime scene tape that had ringed the house the day before was down. A knock at the door of the home went unanswered. Susino-Murawski wrote on her Facebook page Saturday: "On the wings of angels, please carry our beloved through the clouds to the heavens. We are honored to have been graced by your presence and will carry you in our hearts forever. You will be missed my love." On March 14 she had posted a photo of herself holding a baby wrapped in a blanket and wearing a gray cotton hat. "I am one proud grandma," she wrote. "He's gonna be spoiled." Jacqueline Buckley wrote on the Sun's Facebook page that the infant, named Duane, "was a beautiful boy and was loved by so many." Email: lorraines@sun-herald.com PEDAL FROM PAGE 1 loops back pretty view, no cars." In addition to enjoying the scenery, Martin races to raise awareness of cancer, as well as pro- moting fitness in general, but especially to young people. Good health also was on the minds of the Punta Gorda Fire Department. Lt. Jim Klages and fire medic Kaitlin McCausland used the bicycle event as an op- portunity to unveil their new medic bikes, which carry a variety of basic and advanced life-sup- port equipment, such as a defibrillator, IV supply, cardiac medications, oxygen bottle and radio to call for immediate assistance. The pair of mountain bikes, priced at $900 apiece, made their official debut at last weekend's Punta Gorda air show. They will be used in similar festival- type settings, as well as for EMTs patrolling downtown. "We can respond to pretty much any medical emergency. It allows us to get in and out of crowds faster," Klages said. "Overall, it's just better customer service." The medic bike program is just the latest example of how Punta Gorda is serious about becoming a bicycle- friendly community. Jeffrey Kuhns, a Team Punta Gorda board member, said the city's penchant for cycling, the Pathways trail system and events like Pedal and Play are what makes it unique. "I think it's great that we live in a community where you can bike to work, bike to downtown," he said. "It's definitely something that sets us apart from other communities." Email: groberts@sun-herald.com Payton Pickell, 12, of Port Charlotte receives a well-earned rubdown from massage therapist Stacey Blackmon following completion of his 10-mile ride at Saturday's Pedal and Play in Paradise event. RACE FROM PAGE 1 not a call to arms or a statement saying you should go buy or own a gun," he added. "The owners and sponsors just want people to be aware of their rights, as they are afforded to them by the U.S. Constitution. People should consider the consequences of ques- tioning or taking away these rights." Not only is the 2nd Amendment a patriotic reminder it is a cham- pion in its own right. Built in 2000, it was orig- inally named the Zipp Express. The 36-foot-long Catamaran, powered by a pair of 500-horsepower Mercruiser engines, is a four-time world champion. From 2000 to 2002, she has won a PHOTO PROVIDED Terri and Joe Vaughn purchased the 2nd Amendment in 2013 and are gearing up for the 2014 season by entering the Englewood races, one of the few local boats to be in the competition. multitude of races in world champion Neil the Production 3 class, Wobbe is our throttle where speed is limited to man. He knows the 2nd 95 mph. Amendment inside and "We have a two-man out." team," Vaughn said. The 2nd Amendment "Cy Mugford is our was mothballed at the driver, and four-time end of the 2002 season and returned to service in 2011. Vaughn said he was very excited that a hometown boy had a boat entered in the race. He feels that the money generated during the three-day event will definitely help the local economy. "On average, a Super Boat International Race brings in between $10 to $12 million," he said. "It is the NASCAR of speedboat racing. The Sarasota race alone draws about 100,000 people." The 2nd Amendment is currently being prepped for the up- coming race on Sunday, Vaughn said. On Saturday, the day before the event, they will be performing their tests and going through the paces to ready her for the next day's compe- tition. He feels his boat has a good chance to win in its class. Owning and racing a speedboat is a very ex- pensive proposition, ac- cording to Vaughn. Many rely on sponsorships and selling merchandise to raise funds for the racing season. Although the winnings may be only 10 percent, Vaughn and his wife will donate a portion of that to a local veteran's charity. "We do it for the love of the sport and the positive impact it brings to the community," he said. For more information, visit http:/ /superboat. com. FROM PAGE 1 And, he wrote, the club will not partake in next year's Wine & Jazz Fest "because our police department felt it a good decision to pull over vendors as they exited the park." Wright told the Sun last week there haven't been any events since the Wine & Jazz Fest that St. Andrews would have taken part in, but he said the future is up in the air. "Our relationship with St. Andrews has been a good one, and we hope it will continue that way," Wright said. "But this has certainly put a bump in the road." Wright said St. Andrews has been instrumental in hosting networking breakfasts and luncheons. "We have also collabo- rated on projects to help raise funds for nonprof- its, such as Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary," Wright said. St. Andrews has been a member of the chamber since its inception in 2004, and had been a member of the cham- ber's predecessor, the Punta Gorda Business Alliance. But in the personal letter to Wright, Priester wrote, "I question the importance for St. Andrews South's involve- ment in these Punta Gorda Chamber events," and the DUI arrest "concerns me." According to a police report, the volunteer - James Garand, 49, of Punta Gorda pulled his SUV out in front of a PGPD officer, who ini- tiated the stop. Garand smelled of alcohol, failed field sobriety tests and wouldn't provide a breath sample at the jail, the officer noted in his report. After reading Priester's thoughts about the arrest and the potential consequences, Punta Gorda Police Chief Albert "Butch" Arenal sent an email to Wright showing his support for the chamber. Arenal didn't want to comment further than his email, but he shared the email with the Sun. "I usually get it from both sides," he wrote. "Either we, the police, are too connected to our Can't Afford New Dentures? Call Us Now it DR. SUSAN R. 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Islam, MD Board Certified Obstetrics & Gynecology 941.625.5855 HARBOR PROFESSIONAL CENTER S 3400 Tarniamrni Trail, Suite #102, Port Charlotte IF YOU GO What: Inaugural Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix Where: Punta Gorda, Englewood Beach Friday: Festival site open at Englewood Beach at 9 a.m.; Boat Parade in downtown Punta Gorda, 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday: Festival site open 9 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., meet and greet drivers; noon-5 p.m., boat launching and testing; noon-3:30 p.m., entertainment Englewood Beach Stage; 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Bikini and Beef Cake Contest- Englewood Beach Stage Sunday, April 13: Noon, start of first race, Englewood Beach; 2 p.m., start of second race; 5 p.m., awards presentation Parking: The boat race itself is billed as a no-parking event for spectators. Eleven off-site parking lots are available with access to and from the festival site via shuttle bus. Locations of the lots appear on the official Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix website, www.chsbgp. com. Tickets: www.chsbgp.com Information: http://superboat.com WaxceZIC(Ice ,^ zet %0Z/ozmett 4 <- <%^