Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

North 1 UEP assessment to be most costly ever

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

Property owners in the pending phase of the city of Cape Coral s Utility Expansion program will face the highest assessment and fee tally yet but will be given multiple options to pay over time

The North 1 West UEP project will cost the city nearly a quarter-billion dollars ($249 6 million), which will be funded by bonds and paid by property owners

Owners of standard-size residential parcels are facing possible assessments and fees of $33 367 to $35 931 depending whether and when they pre-pay Connection costs and the cost of filling any existing septic system is not included

For those who don’t pay upfront the cost of the North 1 West UEP including interest

could run into the six-figure range Officials, who previously weighed waiting but decided against even higher costs later conceded the burden on those who will need to pay over time

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Alocal non-profit dedicated to enriching resources for Cape residents is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this weekend

This Saturday starting at 9:30 a m the Friends of the Cape Coral Library will host a special event in honor of their 50th anniversary with refreshments historical presentation, remarks by past presidents and local dignitaries A guided tour of the library will follow with focus on the organization s contributions over five decades

“November of 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of Little Across - Friends of the Cape Coral Library ” said the Friends Publicity and Art Gallery Chairperson, as well as past President, Monica Rahman So many dedicated members and enthusiastic volunteers have made our organization a success over the years and the library has benefited from our efforts

T i c k e t s a r e o n s a l e f o r t h e S o u t h C a p e H o s p i t a l i t y a n d E n t e r t a i n m e n t A s s o c i a t i o n s B e s t S o u t h C a p e M a r t i n i C o m p e t i t i o n P a r t i c i p a n t s c a n e n j o y a o n e - o f - a - k i n d m a r t i n i a s w e l l a s a n a p p e t i z e r s a mp l e a n d t h e n d e c i d e w h i c h S o u t h C a p e s p o t c o m e s u p w i t h t h e m o s t u n i q u e a n d p a l a t e - p l e a s i n g d r i n k a n d d i s h I t ’ s S C H E A ’ s b e s ta t t e n d e d t r o l l e y e v e n t a n d u s u a l l y a s e l l - o u t

Enjoy an interesting pictorial screen presentation about the story of our organization that is closely intertwined with the history of the library and the city itself Learn how funds we’ve raised have enhanced the library experience over the years and into the present ”

Organized years ago and headed by first president Betsy Zeiss, the group started their journey as Little Acorns Zeiss was one of the founders of the library and later became well-known for her book “The Other Side of the River ” written in the mid-1980s about the history of Cape Coral

The first library in Cape Coral opened 10 years before the incorporation of the Friends and was a bootstrap operation founded when the town s population was only 1 100

“A group of women handled everything needed to get started with the help of their husbands who built the shelves, Rahman said They raised funds, sought volunteers, and canvassed for book donations

The library opened in a small shop located in Cape

The city estimates that for those who choose to pay in full between March 2023 through Sept 30 2023 the assessments for a 10 000-square-foot lot in North 1 West will be $26 617 $7 246 for water $13 330 for sewer and $6,041 for irrigation

The estimated Capacity Facility Expansion Charge is $6,750 $1,106 for water $3 390 for sewer and $2 254 for irrigation bring the total tally to $33 367

For those who choose to pay in full between Oct 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024, the assessments for a 10,000-square-foot lot in North 1 West will be $28,658 $7,802 for water $14 352 for sewer and $6 504 for irrigation

The estimated Capacity Facility Expansion Charge is $7,273 $1,196 for

Coral s first shopping plaza, and as the city grew and the number of library patrons increased the library location changed several times as larger and still larger facilities became necessary

On July 31, 1987 the Cape Coral Library moved into a brand-new building at 921 Southwest 39th Terrace, where it stands today As part of a library expansion project the then-Little Acorns donated more than $80 000 to provide furniture for a quiet reading area an outdoor patio and space for an art gallery

The Friends raise funds for supporting programs and purchasing materials for the library that are not covered by the Lee County budget Over the span of 50 years the Friends are proud to say they have contributed more than $500 000 to the Cape Coral Library

And we hope to a part of this wonderful library s history for many years to come, Rahman said Recent enhancements over the last dozen years to the Cape Coral Library made possible by the Friends include: children's section interactive play walls shaded seating in the Butterfly Garden, meeting and conference room tables, children s sections modular furni-

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

On Sept 28 Fort Myers resident Barbara Morgan s home was flooded with six feet of water by Hurricane Ian Forced out by the resulting damage she stayed with family as she awaited her next steps

On Thursday she was hugging Gov Ron DeSantis at a press conference publicizing the distribution of the state trailer and more aid for school employees

M o r g a n s a i d t h e F e d e r a l Emergency Management Agency p r o v i d e d h e r $ 2 , 5 0 0 f o r t h r e e months of rent to find shelter after the devastating storm but said there was no home in the area available for less than $2 500 for one month Morgan can stay in the new state trailer for six months She embraced DeSantis with a hug and said “thank you to the

DeSantis announces more aid Showcase of Homes opens today

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Looking for the perfect home tailored to your wants and needs or hoping to find the right builder to make upgrades?

Future and current Southwest Florida homeowners can get a firsthand look at some of the area s most talented builders over the next three weekends as part of an annual event

The Cape Coral Construction Industry Association s 2023 Builders Showcase of Homes starts today, as 13 of the Cape s best creators and designers display 14 different models for prospective buyers or just anyone to tour over three weekends

It s a tour of the most soughtafter models in the ever-growing city of Cape Coral ” said CCCIA Executive Director Lynn Boldissar

See AID, page 15A See SHOWCASE, page 11A

Cape cheer squad heading to global competition

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

While it hasn t been an easy road for the Cape Coral Youth Hurricanes cheer squad that didn't stop them from taking home a national title and being the first in the area to punch their ticket to global competition

The group of 32 girls competing in Pop Warner Youth Varsity Cheer (ages 14-16) took first place at regionals and followed up with a National Championship in Level 3 Large this past December, posting the second-highest score of the day out of 127 teams across all levels and categories

Now they set their sights on the Youth Cheer & Dance Alliance

Globals at the end of February in Atlantic City NJ

Head coach Beth Morrish and her staff have coached primarily the same group of girls since they were 5 years old and are in their ninth season together Morrish who has competed in the same uniforms as her cheer-

leaders said this season was unlike any other with Hurricane Ian making its way through Southwest Florida Their field was wrecked and, of course, everyone was dealing with situations at their own homes

“This was a very sweet championship for us many many ways ”

Morrish said

This season was already set to be challenging for the Hurricanes as they made the jump from JV to Varsity and also the jump from Level 2 to Level 3 A rainy August and September saw their outdoor practice times cut and then Ian hit

“We lost a month ” Morrish said Our field was completely destroyed as were many things in the community When that happened, we didn t even know if we were going to be able to continue our season ”

Morrish said what was most impressive about her girls was the resolve and the willingness to band together and help out the community

Mayor John Gunter, using the impact on a property owner who will need to finance and pay annually on their tax bill, said a resident in a $300 000 home may pay more for their share of the UEP than they pay in city taxes

going to assess $3,700 a year on these households It’s going to be catastrophic for some people ”

Mayor John Gunter

The public hearing for the Initial Assessment Resolution is set for Feb 3, with a homeowner informational meeting to happen on March 8 at 6 p m at City Hall

“These girls want each other to succeed, They want to see the community grow and get better Seeing them out there shows me that this is more than cheer in the sport After the storm, they’re serving the community with smiles on their faces, no matter what was going on with them at home They want to make sure their neighbor was OK These are things they ll be able to take with them for the rest of their lives

Beth Morrish, head coach, Cape Coral Youth Hurricanes cheer squad

KidsFest set for Saturday at Cape Coral High School

By MEGHAN BRADBURY

“We

The event will be held from 9 a m to 3 p m Saturday, Jan 21, at Cape Coral High School, 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd The event features free admission and free hot dogs water and chips for kids 12 and younger Canned food donations are encouraged and there is a $2 per vehicle parking donation

The $2 donations will benefit both the Boy Scouts and Cape Fear a nonprofit that provides a volleyball team for girls in Cape Coral

The event will feature the Kiwanis Club’s regular obstacle courses, bounce houses and activities for the children In addition, Silva said they are bringing back their performances, all children performance teams from the city

“We are excited to have them back ” she said

KidsFest also will feature vendors which are either nonprofits or health educational related For instance, she said dental offices come to showcase how to properly brush your teeth In addition, Lee Health will bring its bus, which has a hand washing station

“After they wash their hands it shows the germs that still remain on their hands ” Silva said It’s followed by teaching the kids how to properly wash their hands with soap

KidsFest also attracts vendors that provide education about nutrition which includes the Golisano Children’s Hospital bus She said the children’s health information is great for children and their parents

The event will also include tug of war, pie smashing contest and hula hoop competitions and prizes

South

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The South Cape’s premiere pub crawl returns for its 17th installment next weekend, featuring creative concoctions and good eats at various downtown establishments

Locals can enjoy a one-of-a-kind martini, as well as an appetizer sample next Saturday night all part of the South

Cape Coral High School, 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd More information: For more information, visit capecoralkiwanis org/kidsfest

KidsFest is an event where parents and children can both interact and learn together

That's really our goal for the event, Silva said about offering something for the children to come out and do, while interacting with their parents

Carol Culliton of the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation is the main sponsor of the event Silva said she has been partnering with Kiwanis for more than a decade

For more information, visit capecoralkiwanis org/kidsfest/

Cape Hospitality and Entertainment Association s Best South Cape Martini Competition It s up to the public to decide which South Cape spot comes up with the most unique and palate-pleasing drink and dish

“This is actually our largest trolley event ” said SCHEA spokesperson Shannon Quinn “We love putting together all of our events, however, the turnout for this really keeps the buzz going around town We also get to see locations participate that normally do not, such as Fish Tale Grill

Trolley will run from 7 to 11 p m Tickets include unlimited trolley rides a passport to all sampling locations martini and appetizer samples a voting ballot and access to win prizes at the official photo booth Attendees who get their passport stamped at each venue will be entered to win a gift basket chock-full of martini-making goodies

news@breezenewspapers com For the first time since COVID, the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral will host their first event, KidsFest, a day of fun for children and parents to enjoy at Cape Coral High School

Silva said about KidsFest

Surge in post-storm roofing repairs causing delays in inspection process

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

With damage from Hurricane Ian seeing countless homes in Cape Coral needing repairs many are experiencing long waits for inspections

Inspection delays, of course, while frustrating, are to be expected to an extent, as the city as of last week was actively processing and reviewing roughly 4,600 permits

Since Ian city officials said they have seen “unprecedented” permitting activity with thousands in need of repairs The city said since the storm they have received approximately 21 693 permit applications and have issued more than 22 000

There have been few delays with the permitting aspect of recovery, as the vast majority of permits being issued immediately through the city's push-button permit via their Self-Service portal The city also waived permitting fees related to storm damage (until Jan 16)

These “push-button” permits which include roof repairs emergency electrical work garage door replacements plumbing re-piping shutters and awnings among others constitute over 50% of all permits applications received by the city after Hurricane Ian, said Cape Coral Special Projects Coordinator Matt Grambow, adding that, Contractors who apply for these push-button permits are able to immediately print their permits and begin work

While permits are being churned out inspections times have taken a hit with the high volume of requests

Local roofing company Lloyd Roofing told The Breeze that inspection times in the Cape are running 30 days out

So, how does the process work and where are the biggest hang-ups? Before a contractor can repair or replace a roof, they need a permit from the municipal or county government, and it s normal for that to take a couple days or even weeks Once the permit is issued a roofing crew can tear off the damaged roof and install roof decking and “underlayment ” Underlayment is essentially a layer of waterproof protection between the plywood roof deck and shingles (it kind of looks like a white/light paper)

The city then must inspect and approve underlayment before the contractor can continue laying shingles or tiles This is where the delay is happening, the roofer said It used to take 5 days or so days to get an inspection Now it’s taking up to and in some cases more than a month According to manufacturer warranties the underlayment cannot be exposed to the elements (rain sun wind) for more than 30 days or it must be torn off and redone This is why so many homes in Cape Coral seem to be covered in that white paper, but work appears to have stopped – they re waiting on inspections

After the underlayment inspection crews can install shingles then request a final inspection from the city Reducing inspection wait times has become the primary issue being addressed by city staff, especially considering the surge of demand for roofing work after Hurricane Ian, Grambow said While the city has some discretion in the type of work necessary for approving certain types of permits under the Florida Building Code and Florida law inspections must be completed by certified Florida Building Inspectors or passed through an engineer’s letter ”

Prior to Hurricane Ian, the city had offered next-day inspections for over 5 years, according to city officials The city estimates that the widespread roofing damage caused by Hurricane Ian will require over 50,000 roofing inspections To address this surge in demand, the city officials say they have hired two additional building inspectors contracted with four different third-party building inspections agencies conducted inspections on weekends and on holidays and transferred staff from other city departments to assist with inspection scheduling and documentation

The city continues to reach out to additional thirdparty inspection providers to assist in this initiative, Grambow said “The city is averaging over 600 building inspections per day with the city completing over 700 inspections most days ”

Lloyd Roofing told The Breeze shortly after Ian hit the inspection delay time began to mount It went from five days, to two weeks and now to 30 days

If a permit is approved and work begins, but required inspections cannot be done in the necessary window of time conflicts arise

While the company understands the immense demand it can be difficult to schedule projects in advance, and homes are having open roofs for up to two weeks Which is a problem, said Lloyd Roofing Division Manager Rast Bryant

He used an example that with a the recent cold front schedules were pushed back and some types of products could not be installed

If I had those projects already scheduled in being proactive, now I have to move them again and homeowners have a roof that's open for three to four weeks to be inspected ” Bryant said

Another issue lies in that many insurance companies do not provide homeowners with a check until they receive all permits and certifications from inspectors This is leaving homeowners on the hook to pay contractors while they wait for all of the paperwork

The real problem here lies with the consumer not being able to get compensation for their work, Bryant

said If an inspection window is dwindling there is another option to get inspections done; via a private company Contractors do not need to have the city complete their inspections They can hire a private provider to complete inspections or submit an engineer’s letter to complete an inspection

Though there is currently a multi-week delay in scheduling a city inspection for certain types of inspections, including roofing inspections, any contractor can use either of these options to complete a roofing dry-in 90-pound or final roofing inspection ” Grambow said

The city is currently paying for several third-party inspection providers to supplement the city s own inspectors, officials said The cost of these private inspection providers varies by agency, and can be based on the number of inspections completed or the number of hours allocated to completing inspections

“The city has allocated several hundred thousand dollars to the private inspector provider initiative after Hurricane Ian, and has also submitted mutual aid and resource requests to the State of Florida for building inspector services ” Grambow said

Inspections are typically included in the base permit fee but there may be a re-inspection fee if a specific inspection does not pass

The roofing company said they have had to go private (outside of the city) on multiple occasions to meet timelines which is an additional expense of $300-$500 depending on the company The city does offer permit fee discounts for using a private provider but that discount only applies if permit fees are being charged, city officials said Many of these permit fees have been waived by the city as previously stated

Bryant said he'd like to see alternative options that other municipalities offer when things get backed up such as being able to send photos of work done as part of the permit packet to get the ball rolling on some things

City officials said they are not rolling over inspections even with the surge in inspection demand

“The permitting portal provides contractors with a 'next available date' for a given inspection based on the number of requested inspections and the availability of inspectors, Grambow said City inspectors are completing between 23 and 30 inspections per day, even though the industry standard is 15 to 18 ”

City officials said all permits applied for since Nov 14 have permit processing and inspection information online at www capecoal gov/energov by searching the address or permit number

Donalds reflects on run for House Speaker

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

“For me personally it was pretty surreal to be nominated ” Donalds said

With the ascension of the Republicans to the majority of the House and the stepping down of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was the presumed Speaker in waiting He even moved his office into the Speaker’s office before being elected to the speakership

Record crowd turns out for Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

There was a record turnout over the weekend in Cape Coral for one of the county's largest events each year

The 2023 Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace saw more than 150,000 attendees over two days, taking in and taking home some of the most creative works from artists near and far

The 38th installation of the free event put on each year by the Rotary Club of Cape Coral saw Cape Coral Parkway transformed into a vendor city and an arts paradise for two days, with selections for every eye More than 250 exhibitors with the creative touch showed off their style and chatted with attendees about their process and the meaning behind their works

The Cape Coral Art Festival & Marketplace ended as a success, said festival Co-Chair Christina Redman We attribute that success to the thousands of hours spent by dedicated Rotary members to make the event a success ”

Preliminary attendance estimates put together by the festival is that 150 000 people turned out which surpasses the previous record of 120,000 set in January 2020

So, what makes the festival such a unique and can'tmiss opportunity?

“Attendees commented that the diversity and quality of the art presented for sale by the artists and crafters was exceptional this year ” Redman said “Many artists also commented on how smoothly the show was run They really appreciated that the Rotarians were all friendly and extremely helpful to them Many artists also commented that their sales at our festival were better than they had been in a long time Many told us that they will be back if we accept them which is the biggest compliment of all Both a panel and individual judges were tasked with choosing the best-of-the-best in a multitude of categories

Winners included:

■ Best in Show: Jim Zhang from Peachtree Corners Georgia

■ Jewelry: Art Silver Studios; Juan Lee from Rowland Heights, California

■ Mixed Media 2D and 3D: Mike Spiller from Tuscaloosa Alabama

■ Ceramics: Lora Thomas from Sarasota Florida

■ Drawing and Pastels: Mia s Custom Art; Mia Geudtner from Cape Coral

■ Fiber: The Unbroken Circle, Deborah Bradley from Erie, Colorado

■ Glass: Barron Glass Design; Heidi Barron from Ada Michigan

■ Leather: KT Leather Designs; Karen Taber from Wyoming, Michigan

■ Metal: Matthews Art Studio; Mark Matthews from Ocala Florida

■ Painting: Leon F Ruiz from Naples Florida

■ Photography: Craig Dietrich Photography; Craig Dietrich from Easley, South Carolina

■ Sculpture: The Gift Promise; Don McCullough from Kissimmee, Florida

■ Wood: I&AAGroup; Inna Aleksandrovich from Fort Lee New Jersey

While the in-person aspect of the festival has passed organizers have continued to keep their online component created during COVID The online marketplace launched Jan 2 and runs through Jan 31 Any artist or crafter accepted to the street festival has been provided with an online booth for the event’s virtual festival The virtual component gives patrons the opportunity to preview works and to shop until the end of January For more information and to view the virtual marketplace, visit www capecoralfestival com

Yet there were loud rumblings that right-wing members of the Republican Party Freedom Caucus did not want him to lead the chamber It would take McCarthy 15 ballots over the course of a week to win the election for House Speaker

After voting for McCarthy on the first two ballots, Donalds switched to Jim Jordan before being nominated by Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) for House Speaker on the fourth ballot Donalds would give his support back to McCarthy on the 12th ballot two days later

Reflecting this past week on the high scale drama, Donalds said he was “happy to help my colleagues so we could finally get back to work ”

Donalds said an agreement was finally brokered that ended the standoff over McCarthy

We sat at the table and negotiated out some critical things to make everybody comfortable ” he said

“We had a situation where we were kind of deadlocked Members came up to me about my willingness (to run for Speaker) It was about trying to find ways to make things work, Donalds said

Donalds said the critical piece of the agreement was restoring the ability of a single member to initiate a vote to remove the House Speaker Donalds criticized Pelosi for removing that lever of power for legislators Donalds said that action “put more power in the hands of the Speaker ”

Congress was not a representative republic ” he said Another outcome of the agreement will be more teeth on the committees to investigate the government going after free speech ” Donalds said

“We want to make sure we are doing the people’s job to hold government accountable he said We are going to work hard and show the people they did the right thing to choose Republicans to lead the House, he said

D o n a l d s r a n u n s u c c e s s f u l l y i n N o v e m b e r f o r

Conference Chair against sitting chair Elise Stefanik (RNew York), for the third-highest ranking position in the House Republican Party Donalds was recently appointed to the finance committee where he expects to work on banking regulations and access to capital legislation

Going forward Donalds said voters can expect to see Republicans in the House tackle immigration, economic issues and investigations into President Joe Biden

Representatives was in a state of paralysis, the Congress unable to function without a Speaker of the House Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Naples) who represents Fort Myers Beach most of Lee County and Collier County, was part of it all, running for the speakership for two days before pulling out

Some of the artworks on display at the festival in South Cape PHOTO PROVIDED

Shelter favorite still looking for fur-ever home

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Despite facing many challenges through her life as a canine, one local pup is hoping to find her forever home after being at a local shelter for two years

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has been looking for the perfect match for “Roseanne ” a senior pit bull around 8 years old who was rescued from an abusive situation in Miami While finding that fit has come with some bumps, employees of CCAS are determined to find Roseanne what she deserves: a loving home all her own

This Saturday CCAS will host a celebration in honor of Roseanne in hopes to spread awareness for dogs facing similar situations

First and foremost, the staff and volunteers here at CCAS just love Roseanne, so we wanted to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the day she arrived here from a life of abuse and neglect in Miami ” said CCAS Executive Director Liz McCauley

We also hope to raise awareness that shelters like ours always have the best interest of the animal and the adopter in mind as we try to find forever homes for our residents There has been interest from potential adopters over the past two years but none were the right fit for Roseanne or for their family and lifestyle ”

Roseanne arrived at CCAS in January of 2021 after being saved from a horrible situation as a breeder dog outside Miami She was heartworm positive and had suffered the fate breeder dogs face Although she lived with other dogs in her past life it became very clear that she now prefers to spend her time with people rather than other animals McCauley said Roseanne has pretty much every strike against her as far as a shelter dog goes She despises other dogs and cats, she s a pit bull, she s a senior she doesn’t like little kids and but not all people ” McCauley said “She had a foster home for a while where she loved the mom and older kid but didn’t like the dad In some meets she likes one person, but not all of them We like to say she s very picky with whom she chooses to love!

McCauley said the perfect match for Roseanne would be someone that truly understands her quirks and is willing to manage those quirks the rest of her life An ideal situation would be a home that s quiet without a lot of visitors, other dogs, or kids

She can t be off leash in an open area or be the kind of dog that goes everywhere with you However if you are a homebody and want a faithful companion who loves her toys the yard hanging out keeping you company (and she chooses to like you), she could be your best friend, McCauley said She is a love bug who gives kisses to anyone who will let her Those of us whom she has cho-

sen to love can do almost anything with her our favorite thing is dressing her up ”

Throughout her time at CCAS Roseanne was married to a fake dog named Bones in 2021 where she adorned the most beautiful wedding gown She had a special gingerbread sweater for Christmas She has a “Queen Bee” outfit and for her second anniversary she will shine in a sequined gown that says “Happy New Year ”

And then there is her toy collection -- specifically lobsters She just loves them, McCauley said, adding, The laundry volunteers make sure they get washed and returned to her She often resides in the executive director’s office because we are usually full and she has perfect house manners ”

CCAS opened in March of 2020 and since then they have saved the lives of more than 3,000 abandoned, neglected and abused animals The affordable care veterinary clinic open to the public has treated thousands of ani-

mals, some of whom had never seen a vet before McCauley said she sees stories similar to Roseanne’s far too often

“Not a day goes by we aren’t asked to take dogs and cats from similar circumstances throughout the state, she said It s heartbreaking, but thankfully we are here to help whenever and however we can We are not even open for two years yet and we have saved over 3,200 animals Imagine if we weren’t there to help ”

Those who would like to wish Roseanne a happy anniversary can do so at CCAS on Jan 21 at 11a m The shelter is accepting monetary donations to assist in the cost of caring for Roseanne for two years CCAS is supported solely by private donations and grants and does not receive money from the city state or national organizations Every dollar donated supports lifesaving efforts each and every day CCAS is at 325 Southwest 2nd Ave For more information, visit www capecoralanimalshelter com

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

South Cape: Attendees will pick the best-of-the-best martinis, appetizers

From page 2A

since guests vote best martini and best appetizer It s a fun and competitive night for participating locations as well ”

There’s also bragging rights at stake

“It is always exciting to see the concoctions that each business comes up with, Quinn said Some get real creative with their pairings! And, who doesn t love a little competition? The winner receives a large banner for display at their restaurant or bar so you get to keep that winning momentum up year-round Guests can check in from 6 to 7:30 p m under the entry awning of the Dolphin Key

Resort (1502 Miramar St ) and at Big John s Plaza Late check-in will take place until 10 p m at Dolphin Key This event is 21-plus Valid ID at check-in will be required

Tickets are $30 with designated driver tickets at $25 Tickets are available only on Eventbrite Designated driver tickets include everything the normal ticket does other than the drink sample which can be

replaced with a non-alcoholic beverage Day-of tickets are $35, if available Tickets and more information can be f o u n d a t www SouthCapeEntertainment com C o n

s

p o r t e r o n Twitter: @haddad cj

Roseanne a happy anniversary on her “save” date can do so at Cape Coral Animal Shelter on Saturday at 11 a m PHOTOS PROVIDED

Roseanne is a senior pittie who’s a ‘love-bug’ but she’s picky about her people and needs to be an ‘only’

Reclaimed under-river water main between Fort Myers & Cape Coral on schedule

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Water

Transmission Main is rolling along nicely and should be completed on time and under budget

That is what Utilities Director Jeff Pearson told the Cape Coral City Council on Wednesday during a workshop

The Caloosahatchee Connect project which is estimated to cost $19 7 million with $12 4 million paid for in grants, is expected to be completed by February of next year and Cape Coral has gotten a good jump on the city component

The overland construction from Horton Park to Everest Parkway began last March and is almost completed, with about 250 feet of pipe left to install

The purchase order for the subaqueous section was issued last June with construction on that part originally set to begin sometime next month with Amici Construction conducting the underwater drill

However, due to delays in materials, Pearson said that section would not begin

until mid- to late-March When that part begins, Pearson expects to do a formal groundbreaking for that Pearson said that the Fort Myers portion of the project is going to be entirely upland He added that he won’t know how far Fort Myers has progressed until he meets with their officials next week

This is a partnership project It would be good to have that information and see where they are because we need that for this to be 100 complete ” Mayor John Gunter said

In other business: ■ C ouncil heard from Economic Development Director Sharon Woodberry about the conceptual façade program which

is being created as an incentive to encourage property owners and businesses to improve their exterior appearance of their buildings and storefronts and to improve property values of targeted areas

The program would provide financial incentives such as matching grants or a forgivable loan, as well as design assistance

The program would provide 50 percent reimbursement up to $50 000 and $5 000 in design assistance The loan would convert to a grant after five years as long as the recipient holds onto the property and does not refinance or incur a code enforcement lien

Gunter said he liked the plan, remembering when he lived up north how it helped transform and revitalize the area

“Starting in the CRA area would be an excellent first phase I would like if a substantial improvement is being done it should be mandatory they improve the outside, Gunter said

City Manager Rob Hernandez said the CRA would fund any façade project in the district if money is available

He also said the city needs to feel the program out to see if it will be a benefit and how it would work best

“We are using a hybrid approach where we have an architect on retainer so if a business can’t utilize an architect on their own they can use ours Hernandez said We don t know if any of the architectural firms have the capacity to handle this project

Councilmember Dan Sheppard liked the plan but didn’t want it to get abused

“There are new businesses that declined and got very trashy and that s our fault for not staying on top of it, Sheppard said That s our city and that s our image

An ordinance on the plan which would be in two phases for South Cape and the major corridors after will be drafted and brought to council at a later date

UEP: City to hold information meeting at 6 p.m. on March 8 at City Hall

From page 1A

water $3 650 for sewer and $2 427 for irrigation for a total tally of $35,931

As proposed, property owners will have the option to pay annually over 20, 25 or 30 years with the first bill coming in November 2024 This is a first as before there was only a 20-year repayment option

Over 20 years, homeowners would pay $4,365 per year ($363 75 per month) and $3,991 over 25 years, or $332 58 per month) Someone who chooses to pay over the default 30 years at $3 740 per year (nearly $311 per month) would pay $112 200 over the term of the loan

By way of comparison, in 2013, South 6&7 cost $16,758 per EP and CFEC, and North 2 cost $19 382 per resident

The interest rate is estimated at 6 5%

The city also has a hardship program

There are approximately 7,300 properties in North 1, which will be divided into West and East Service Areas

Compared to the South 6&7 UEP nearly a decade ago this project is expected to cost nearly double that North 1 will be broken into two parts, east

and west with Del Prado Boulevard serving as the border North 1 West will be worked on first and is expected to cost about $249 6 million

Much of the cost ($175 1 million will be utilities construction with $11 million going toward facility construction and $28 million for storm drains roads and fiber optics a total of $214 1 million

The rest will go toward construction contingency ($11 3 million, engineering ($12 million) and design survey and administration ($12 2 million)

A good chunk of the funding ($116 3 million) will come from a line extension assessment (SF), while another $100 8 million will be funded through a Capital Facility Expansion Charge (CFEC)

Transportation ($16 2 million) Stormwater ($11 8 million) and Utility Fees ($4 5 million) will provide the remaining funding

The city is seeking grants to possibly bring the costs down to property owners The project received a $1 3 million grant from the South Florida Water Management District Cooperative Funding Program, for irrigation

distribution mains There is potential to receive additional funds on the next grant cycle officials said

The city will use the same methodology as it did with the Southwest 6&7 and North 2 UEPs The line extension will be based on the Equivalent Parcel (EP) method (1 EP = 10 000 square feet) This means those with oversize lots will pay more The capital fee is based on the Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) method

To put the cost in context the city adjusted for inflation

According to the city at today’s dollars North 1 West will be the third most expensive UEP for residents Southwest 4 in 2006 cost residents $35,136 in 2023 dollars ($20,428 in 2006) and Southwest 5 in 2007 $34 175 ($20 440 when built)

Southwest 6&7 was the least expensive at $23,396 today, $16,758 in 2013 North 2 was next at $24,223 in today s dollars, $19,382 in 2017

The public hearing for the Initial Assessment Resolution is set from Feb 3 with a homeowner informational meeting to happen on March 8 at 6 p m at City Hall

The public hearing for the Final Assessment Resolutions and Assessment Rolls and the resolutions to approve the construction and engineering and inspection contracts will be on March 22, with the notice to proceed expected in April

Councilmember Tom Hayden said he didn’t want to wait until March 8 to inform residents about what they re about to face

I just want us to be fully prepared for what we will face over the next several months ” Hayden said

Mayor John Gunter liked the idea of the 30-year assessment as it would help make it more affordable, though not enough for some, and that the city should tell residents in North 1 West what s coming ASAP

“We know the number We know it’s coming We know we will be inundated with phone calls We need to get this information out, send them a notice about the meeting, Gunter said There are people on a fixed income We re going to assess $3,700 a year on these households It’s going to be catastrophic for some people ”

Mason added affected property owners will receive a packet as soon as council

The Fort Myers Reclaimed

The Caloosahatchee Connect project, which is estimated to cost

$19 7 million, with $12 4 million paid for in grants, is expected to be completed by February of next year and Cape Coral has gotten a good jump on things The overland construction from Horton Park to Everest Parkway began last March and is almost completed, with about 250 feet of pipe left to install

Showcase: Three-weekend event to highlight builder models in the Cape

From page 1A

Model homes will be open to the public this weekend next weekend as well as the weekend of Feb 3

Touring hours are 10 a m to 5 p m on Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p m on Sundays All of the home models are located in Cape Coral varying in location from northwest to southwest

Those who visit locations in the showcase will find there s something for all walks of life and budget to explore The event also helps connect potential buyers with builders who can work together in the future to design exactly what you may be looking for Model homes on display range from $400,000 well into the millions

Whether you’re looking for your final home looking to see what’s out there or wondering what’s being offered the Showcase of Homes is a great weekend out for any who has the chance to experience it It s a great opportunity to talk with the model home’s sales staff on-hand to be able to answer any detailed questions you have ” Boldissar said It will give you a wide range for budget options and different design styles/features you can see all in one day

The CCCIA s Builders Showcase of Homes awards presentation took place at Palmetto Pine County Club Thursday night to recognize those who stood out among the rest Awards in eight categories (differentiated by price range) were given for best pool design best landscape best outdoor living best exterior design best interior design best kitchen, best bath, best livability and best overall in that price range

There were also top overall awards for best overall interior design best overall landscape design best overall pool design best overall home technology and best overall home, all regardless of price

Best overall pool design went to Custom Pools By Design and Windward Construction for “The Makai ”

Best overall interior design went to

Tracee Michelle Creates and Windward Construction for “The Makai ”

Best overall landscape design went to RDL Landscape and Windward Construction for The Makai

Best overall home technology went to SWFL Dream Homes for “Casa Dei Sogni Grande ”

Best overall home was Windward Construction for The Makai Category 4 (the first category) saw Coral Isle Builders sweep the category, including best overall for “The Iris ”

In Category 5 D R Horton swept with “The Delray ” Category 6 saw Poseidon Homes named best kitchen and best livability with The Janus while Tracey Homes swept the remaining honors including best overall with “Harbours Edge ”

In Category 7 SPO Construction swept all honors with Costa

In Category 9, it was Arnold Roberts Signature Homes taking all honors with The Savannah Grand ”

In Category 10 Sposen Signature Homes took home wins for best exterior design best pool design, best outdoor living, and best bath with Spica Signature, while DMI Homes rounded out the honors, including best overall for “The Punta Gorda Isles ” Category 11 saw Pinnacle Building Solutions earn best landscape design and best livability for Blacktip, while SWFL Dream Homes took honors for the remaining categories, including best overall, with “Casa Dei Sogni Grande ”

Windward Construction took home all honors in Category 14 with The Makai

For more information on the CCCIA and The Builders Showcase of Homes, including a (Google-friendly) map and detailed imaging of each model home visit www cccia org

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

Friends: Cape Coral Library volunteer group celebrates 50th anniversary

From page 1A

ture, upgrades to the A/V system in both the meeting room and story time rooms, automated material handling equipment and exterior drop-off and check-in kiosks

Exhibitions in the spacious art gallery at the Cape Coral Library are sponsored by the Friends and are designed to afford local artists the opportunity to share their work in this public forum without fees or commissions Visitors of all ages benefit from this varied visual cultural experience

Exhibitions change approximately six times per year

Another resource provided by the Friends is the Butterfly Garden Just beyond the circulation desk in-between the adult and children’s section of the library patrons can relax and enjoy a bit of nature The paved patio features bench seats and trellis covered in flowering vines to arrant butterflies The garden is

maintained with the help of the Garden Club and is open during library operating hours

As library advocates, their members speak out in support of local state and national libraries

A few examples of how the Friends support library activities on an ongoing basis include:

■ Sponsoring the Annual Coloring the Earth” Children’s Environmental Art Contest

■ Handling the library’s spacious Art Gallery and arranging for local artists to display their work

■ Funding supplies, refreshments, prizes, paid performers and instructors for children s programs

■ Serving as a sponsor for the annual SW Florida Reading Festival

■ Paying fees for speakers and performers for adult programs

■ Providing refreshments for monthly

English Cafe for adult ESOL/ESL students

■ Paying for the library s Butterfly Garden supplies

■ Funding the Book Page monthly magazine

Rahman said the Friend s goals Are the enhancement of the library experience through the support of special projects and programs and acting as advocates for libraries ”

All officers and committee participants serve the organization on a volunteer basis without compensation As of January 2023, the Friends have approximately 270 members and is considered to be one of the most successful and is the longest lasting of the Friends groups within the Lee County Library System FOCCL raises money primarily by selling used books, through membership dues, and from any donations Over

the past 22 years the Friends have raised

more than $350,000 selling used books

General Membership Meetings, which are free and open to the public are held at the Cape Coral Library on a Saturday morning during the months of January March May July, September and November Dates can vary; please be sure to check the Friends calendar Meetings start at 9:30 a m and include coffee and snacks then a business meeting followed by an interesting and informative presentation

Socialize with members, hear about upcoming events, and find out how you can help us make this important community resource our library even better ” Rahman said For more information visit www capefriends org

Pleasant weather ahead for fishing and boating

Looks like pleasant fishing and boating weather ahead with low 80s predicted for the next several days Longtime residents might remember a different weather pattern back in 1977 when it snowed on Jan 19 This record cold snap caused an estimated $350 million crop loss across the state

Even with this nice warming trend upon us the water is cool and so are the fish so using a fast retrieve or lures that require medium to fast retrieves won t help you connect with chilly fish Think slow presentation baits like plastic shrimp or suspending twitch baits like MirrOdine s Fly anglers also can do well using lightweight flies that can be worked slowly through the water column

Winter’s cool water also means much clearer water so think lighter lines, longer fluorocarbon leaders and get rid of snaps and swivels that wise old fish easily see

With a warming trend simple inshore wind drifting slowly across a dark flat occasionally correcting your course or slowing the drift with the electric motor is a good plan Drag a couple of shrimp under floats along or have one crew member cast and slowly pop the float back in while others cast and slow retrieve fake shrimp live or dead shrimp on jig heads paddle tail grubs or flies If you find a wad of fish power pole down stake out or spike anchor, so you don t drift out of range, but then keep quiet in the boat as you cast so as to not move the fish away Heavy footsteps on a hollow hull are magnified and become quite loud underwater, definitely scaring away noise sensitive fish like seatrout

With so many near-shore reefs plus inshore bridges piers and dock structures to choose from finding some tasty winter sheepshead shouldn t be that difficult Ask around or consult local tackle shops and guides as to where they are being caught or simply put in your time and hunt Not all sheepies require vertical presentations big docks and bridges to host them as anglers are often surprised by double

digit flats specimens on mangrove island points and of course oyster bars My biggest inshore sheepie surprise of nearly 11 pounds was taken in Matlacha Pass on a mangrove point using a gold redfish spoon

Sheepshead tackle can be as simple as a chunk of shrimp on a jig head, to a whole variety of weighted rigs with You Tube as a great resource to explore to figure out what rig you might want to employ Whichever you choose the use of strong, ultra-sharp, thin wire hooks will definitely help get a hook in the gums of these delicious fish that all come factory equipped with human-like teeth

Top baits for sheepshead include shrimp fiddler crabs and oyster bits Cover hooks and jigs with small bits of bait not big pieces Careful line watchers do best with this these tricky biting fish and if you re new to the game be prepared to lose bait to these champion bait stealers before you get the hang of hooking one

Sheepshead are smart lineshy, hard-fighting, seemingly armor-clad fish, and best of all good on the plate Eight fish daily limit per angler with a 12inch minimum length to harvest

The world record is a jumbo 1982 caught Cajun fish of 21 pounds 4 ounces caught on a shrimp while the long-standing Florida record is 15 2 pounds taken in 1981

Although our local inshore waters at times offers world class fishing for a variety of fish large and small don’t neglect the nearshore reefs Florida has approximately 3 800 artificial reefs in state and federal waters with many close to our coast and easily accessible by small boats

From Boca Grande Reef, Edison, Belton Johnson, Sanibel, Causeway Reef there are many choices to explore Check MyFWC for reef location maps and GPS numbers

Watch out for manatees!

Capt George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide You an contact him at 239282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol com

SP ORTS

PREP REPORT

Wednesday Girls Soccer

Cape Coral 9, East Lee County 1: Cameron Fallacara scored five Seahawks goals, adding an assist, as Cape (11-5) rolled past the Jaguars (4-81) Mikala Allen had two goals and made three assists Angelina Toro had a goal and an assist Abby Mourning scored Kaysie Taylor made two assists and Olivia Toro had one assist for the Seahawks

Ida Baker 8, Dunbar 0: The Bulldogs raised their record to 4-10 leaving Dunbar winless (0-10)

Boys Soccer

North Fort Myers 3, Cypress Lake 1: North (2-11-2) closed out the regular season with a victory

E a s t L e e C o u n t y 3 , C a p e C o r a l 2 : T h e Seahawks slipped to 7-7-4, while the Jaguars evened their record at 5-5

Girls Basketball

Oasis 38, Imagine School North Port 29: B r y n n S t a m b a u g h s c o r e d 1 5 p o i n t s M a c i Stambaugh 12 and Emma Osinski 9 as the Sharks improved to 6-10 on the season

Tuesday

Girls Basketball

Cape Coral 52, Riverdale 23: Cape led 28-7 at halftime as the Seahawks (11-7) made it four wins in a row Bishop Verot 49, SW Florida Christian 11: In the Private 8 Conference tournament, Cameron O'Halloran scored 13 points and Desirae Wallace 10 as the Vikings (11-8) coasted past Southwest Florida Christian Island Coast 61, North Fort Myers 25: The Gators improved to 4-10 Lehigh 43, Mariner 37: Lehigh (14-3) picked up a road win at Mariner (3-7) Marco Island Academy 51, Oasis 46: Brynn Stambaugh poured in 24 points for the Sharks (510), who also got 12 points from Emma Osinski

Boys Basketball

Seacrest Country Day 71, Bishop Verot 56: E t h a n T i p t o n s c o r e d 2 1 p o i n t s a n d C o n n o r Patterson 10 for the Vikings (2-15)

Cypress Lake 55, Ida Baker 51: Cypress Lake (10-2) dropped the Bulldogs to 1-12

Cape Coral 70, Riverdale 33: Isaiah Newsom ripped the nets for 33 points adding six steals and four assists as the Seahawks (11-7) beat Riverdale Austin Arringdale-Klein had 10 points and seven rebounds

Oasis 99, Marco Island Academy 74: The Sharks (5-7) lit up the scoreboard versus MIA, with senior Kavanaugh Brady scoring a career-best 28 points Senior Nick Brown scored 24 points and Jaxon McArdle-Sykes added 19

Palmetto Ridge 53, North Fort Myers 47: Palmetto Ridge (13-1) held off the Red Knights (512)

Mariner 63, Lehigh 56: The Tritons (13-8) dropped the Lightning to 11-9

Girls Soccer

Cape Coral 3, Charlotte 0: Angelina Toro scored twice, Cameron Fallacara had a goal and an assist, and Kaysie Taylor and Mikala Allen contributed assists for the Seahawks (10-5-0)

Ga t ew a y 2 , I s la n d C o a s t 0 : I s l a n d C o a s t slipped to 2-11 with a loss to 8-3-4 Gateway

Oasis 4, Cypress Lake 1: Angelina AcevedoMontalvo made six saves as the Sharks (10-4-1) defeated the Panthers Jaclynn Mars had two goals and an assist and Samantha Chitu a goal and an assist to pace the Oasis attack Ashley Lynn also scored for the Sharks and MacKenzie Canney and Neveah Rogers each made an assist

Bishop Verot 5, Community School of Naples 0: Five Vikings players scored Lila Dinkel had a goal and three assists Chloe Brown a goal and an assist and Alyvia Mueller Jilliam Haataja and Bella Garibay also scored Lily Murnane made seven saves for the shutout win

Boys Soccer

Cape Coral 2, Charlotte 0: The Seahawks (7-63) blanked the Tarpons Gateway 2, Island Coast 0: Gateway (8-3-4) handed the Gators their 11th loss (2-11)

Bishop Verot 8 SW Florida Christian 0: The Vikings moved up to 6-4-6 with the victory Island Coast 1, Gateway 1 (tie): Rahiem Buckley scored for the Gators (2-9-2) as Island Coast held Gateway (9-3-2) to a draw

Meyer returns to manage Mighty Mussels in 2023

The Minnesota Twins have announced that reigning Florida State League Manager of the Year Brian Meyer is returning to lead the Mighty Mussels in 2023

In his first two seasons, the Cleveland native led Fort Myers to a 129-113 record and the 2022 FSL West First Half Championship He also contributed to the development of over 30 Twins prospects who earned promotions to High-A Cedar Rapids Meyer joined the Twins as a minor league hitting coach in 2020 after 13 years in the college ranks

During the pandemic Meyer worked remotely with several of the organization’s top offensive prospects using video to improve players from afar

As a player, Meyer was a three-year starter at second base for Otterbein College (D-3) from 20002003 He earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s from Otterbein in 2005 and 2009 respectively

The 40-year-old began his coaching career at Otterbein in 2007, spending three years as the

team’s hitting coach and recruiting coordinator

After helping his alma mater reach the Division III NCAA Tournament, Meyer ascended to the Division I level as an assistant coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio Meyer helped the Raiders win back-to-back Horizon League titles and coached in the 2011 NCAA Tournament

Meyer moved to New Orleans in 2012 spending five years as the director of operations for Tulane University Once again, Meyer found himself in the NCAA Tournament After transitioning the Green Wave from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference the Green Wave reached backto-back NCAA Tournaments in 2015 and 2016 going a combined 76-46

In 2017, Meyer returned to the Midwest From 2017-2019, he served as an assistant coach at Butler University in Indianapolis before being hired by the Twins In his collegiate coaching career Meyer has tutored 42 All-Conference selections 17 MLB draft picks and three All-Americans

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Capt George Tunison

Cheer: First time a Cape squad has qualified for global competition

Their first thought once we were able to all connect when service came back and I made sure they were all all right was ‘What can we do? We want to help the community Morrish said

They went out and participated in food drives, passed out supplies at a local church, and eventually, they were able to clean up their field

“We all got out there and once the city cleared us we wasted little time and made every minute completely worth it at practice to make up for lost time, Morrish said The sport of cheerleading isn’t all pom poms and synchronized shouts these girls put on full aerial and acrobatic stunts that take a high level of skill and athleticism Practices includes lots of cardio and core strength workouts to build and maintain their condition With field conditions less than ideal extra money was raised to purchase cheer mats for the squad to be able to safely compete

There s just been so many more hurdles and obstacles this year more than any other year not even including the hurricane ” Morrish said Morrish said the way the girls continued to improve and get better despite difficult circumstances has been amazing to watch A lesson from an old judge Morrish learned years back was that just because you’re successful and winning at a certain level doesn’t mean you should move up

You should not be going up a level in skills unless you are perfecting your execution,” Morrish said “I really pushed that to my girls When you’re executing skills on the highest scoring range that’s when it’s time ”

The team has always competed at Level 2 but Morrish challenged her group and they answered They finished just shy of a National Championship last year by the slimmest of margins but Morrish could see they were ready for a bigger challenge

This year, they became the first-ever Level 3 cheer squad to take the field at Storm Football Complex

“We had a huge weight on our shoulders to see if we could pull of these harder skills ” Morrish said “These skills are now above our heads They re not braced, they re more freestanding We re throwing backflips in the air This is a very, very difficult skill level to measure on ”

Being the group’s first go on not just the Varsity level but moving up a class in terms of skills (4 being the highest), the team showed they were more than capable of being successful

“We wanted to really represent Cape Youth in the best way possible and prove we were ready Morrish said

Another bump in the road came when competition season ramped up The Hurricanes would usually compete in the Peace River Cheer Off for the first round but that event was cancelled due to the venue Hertz Arena being used as a hurricane shelter

Thankfully they allowed us to advance to the regional division but that local competition gets the jitters and the shakes out ” Morrish said “That really hindered us We walked into regionals completely blind We didn't know if we were giving them a routine to satisfy the judges

The Hurricanes showed zero signs of rust

as they crushed it at the competition and advanced to nationals

It was eye-opening It s like they had performed this routine for years, Morrish said

Once at nationals, they not only would be taking on the best-of-the-best on a higher level but would have to dethrone a three-time champ if they wanted to claim the top spot

We knew that was going to be one amongst the many big competitors we were going against And we just focused on ourselves ” Morrish said “The girls really wanted to have fun with this routine They were able to perform it effortlessly and it was radiant They put on a show and it was like you forgot you were watching a cheer performance because everyone was jumping and dancing If you don’t know anything about cheerleading or have never been to a cheer competition it would have definitely gained new fans It was one of my proudest moments for sure

When all was said and done the Hurricanes stormed the competition and hoisted a National Championship

The cherry on top? They recorded the highest score in their session of 32 teams with a 92 87 -- more than 10 points higher than the squad they were most worried about After leaving the area and at the hotel they found out they finished with the second overall score ( 7 away from No 1) of the day among 127 teams

With that score came an automatic bid to the YCADA Globals “No one from the city of Cape Coral has

attended Globals before ” Morrish said “It’s just out of this world there’s a possibly I’m now taking these girls to Atlantic City in February to compete at globals We were over the moon

The squad got a warm welcome at Storm Field upon their return as members of the Cape Youth Football Association (CYFA) celebrated their historic achievement

We want to make sure our community knows these things are happening, it s not all bad ” Morrish “We want people to know these girls are working really hard for this next step We feel we need to represent Cape Coral and all of the cheer and sports teams here

The trip does come with costs, especially for 32 girls and seven coaches The Hurricanes are working to raise money to help offset travel costs to take the championship team to the YCADA Globals Competition and show the world what they have to offer as representatives of our Southwest Florida area They have a goal of $30 000 and Morrish said they are roughly halfway there We re into uncharted territory now, but we re out there every Monday and Wednesday working hard and practicing so we can hopefully get to Globals and prove what we’ve got ” Morrish said she ll be plugging home the fundamentals and making sure every movement and stunt is polished to perfection She said she wants the team to get back to their roots

“I want them to go into the competition and practices with the mindset that we can be better, Morrish said We re going to keep pushing

With the sport aspect to the side, Morrish said it’s heartwarming to see the bond these girls have created with one another and how important it was to them to be part of the rebuilding process and overall success of the community

These girls want each other to succeed, Morrish said “They want to see the community grow and get better Seeing them out there shows me that this is more than cheer in the sport After the storm, they re serving the community with smiles on their faces, no matter what was going on with them at home They want to make sure their neighbor was OK These are things they’ll be able to take with them for the rest of their lives

For those interested in supporting the team, donations will be tax deductible Documents or receipts needed for tax returns can be made available upon request Check can be made payable to CYFA A monetary donation of $500 or more, will allow for placement of your company or family name on the back of the Commemorative Travel Team Shirts

To make a donation contact Morrish via email at beth capeyouth@gmail com

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program offers four award levels

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

When students enter the ninth grade they learn about the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program which includes some new additions including volunteer or work hours to meet requirements School Counseling and Mental Health D i r e c t o r L o r i B r o o k s s a i d t h e B r i g h t Futures Scholarship is a lottery-funded scholarship for high school graduates for high academic achievements

To qualify a student must be a Florida resident and a U S citizen, or eligible noncitizen; complete the Florida Financial Aid Application during their senior year; earn a standard Florida high school diploma from a Florida public high school; not have been found guilty to a felony charge; accepted by and enrolled as a degree, or certificate, seeking student at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution within five years of high school graduation and enroll in at least six non-remedial semester hours per term

There are four award levels under the Bright Futures Scholarship, which includes Florida Academic Scholars Award at 100 percent tuition; Florida Medallion Scholars Award at 75 percent of tuition at a fouryear university or 100 percent tuition at a two-year college; Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars is determined annually per credit hour and Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars is also determined annually per credit hour

FAS and FMS both require 16 high school course credits, which breaks down

whole team the whole staff "

“Everybody’s been just so wonderful ” Morgan said There were a couple glitches with the trailer but after making a call they were fixed within a couple hours she added Desantis said the state has delivered more than 140 trailers so far and FEMA has delivered approximately another 80 DeSantis said he believes another couple thousand people could use trailers and said the state has ordered more than 2 400

“We're not satisfied with where we are now We want to do more DeSantis said DeSantis said he has instructed Florida D i v i s i o n o f E m e r g e n c y M a n a g e m e n t Director Kevin Guthrie to work with local governments and cut through “red tape” to get more trailers delivered

to four English credits with three including substantial writing; four mathematics at or above the Algebra 1 level; three natural science credits with two must have substantial laboratory; three social science credits and two world language credits For FAS students must have a high school weighted Bright Futures GPA of 3 5 and 3 0 for FMS

In addition the FAS looks at both ACT and SAT For 2022-23 graduates must earn a 29 on ACT and 1330 on SAT for FAS and 29 for 2023-2024 graduates for ACT and 1340 on SAT

FMS has a 25 for ACT for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 graduates and 1210 for SAT for both graduating classes as well Brooks said this year students can submit 100 paid work hours in place of the 100 volunteer service hours It must be one or the other and cannot be combined service hours or volunteer hours

The GPA scores are from the best attempts of the 16 courses, as some students take additional math, or science courses

“They take the best performance measures from each semester and recalculate that among the 16 to obtain the appropriate GPA, she said, adding that they will also super score multiple attempts on ACT and SAT scores

The award requirements for GSC is earning a minimum of five postsecondary credit hours through CAPE industry certifications and completing 30 service hours

G S V a w a r d r e q u i r e m e n t s i n c l u d e achieving a required weighted minimum

3 0 grade point average in the non-elective high school course; take at least three full credits in a single career and technical education program; achieve the minimum 3 5 unweighted GPA in the career education courses; achieve the required minimum s c o r e o n S A T , A C T , o r t h e F l o r i d a Postsecondary Education Readiness TEST exams and complete 30 service hours

T e a c h i n g a n d L e a r n i n g D i r e c t o r Candace Allevato said the merit-based program requires students to apply and work their way through the program She said counselors and college and career specialists are key to the process of sharing information about the Bright Futures scholarship program

Allevato said there are also curriculum expansion opportunities, advanced diploma opportunities through earning AICE or IB diplomas which waive the SAT and ACT scores as long as the student meets the volunteer hours

We can now say all 15 high schools have an advanced diploma pathway,” she said

S t u d e n t s a r e a l s o g i v e n e x p a n d e d national assessment options through taking the ACT and SAT test on the district s campuses

The district also hosts a Financial Aid Night which is in partnership with the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools The night focuses on guiding the student and parents through the documentation needed to ensure they complete the application process

Every year training is also provided to

One of the reasons for the delay in the delivery of trailers has been a FEMA rule which prevents the agency from funding trailers in special high hazard area floodplains or waterways such as in Fort Myers Beach The agency recently announced they would be making exceptions to the rule

DeSantis said the state delayed putting trailers on Fort Myers Beach because it would put the state's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program at risk

Aid for school employees On Thursday, DeSantis also presented an oversized check to school employees from the region representing an additional $1 million to aid school employees in the region impacted by Hurricane Ian

Those funds were raised by private donations to the Florida Disaster Fund and will go to support organizations in Lee County, Collier County, Hardee County, DeSoto County and Saratoga County

The funds can be used for food gas home repairs and other items

DeSantis said more than $63 million h a s b e e n r a i s e d t h r o u g h t h e F l o r i d a

Disaster Fund The fund previously allocated $2 million for school employees in October

DeSantis also announced Thursday that he has directed the Department of Children and Families to utilize $13 8 million in grant funding to support and expand mental health resources for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian That includes on-site counseling and mental health support for

ensure the counselors and career specialist to make sure they know the requirements

New this year the district implemented the National Development Program which takes a look at 10th grade students and allows them to work with highly certified teachers on their PSAT scores Allevato said they started with mathematics and how to build their scores on both SAT and ACT

We will be expanding this spring, she said, adding that they will be opening it to other grade levels

A n o t h e r s u p p o r t c o m e s t h r o u g h Naviance which is a one-stop shop for students and families on such things as how to qualify and move forward with scholarships and colleges

A c c o u n t a b i l i t y , R e s e a r c h & Assessment Director Dr Matthew Kaye said among 15 high schools for the 2022 s c h o o l d i s t r i c t s e n i o r s 1 4 6 p e r c e n t achieved one of the four award levels of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Just under 10 percent received the 100 percent scholars recognition program

Brooks said as students enter ninth grade they start advising and students are coached with the end in mind That comes in the form of classroom meetings and counselors going into scheduled classr o o m s a n d s h a r i n g i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t Bright Futures

If you meet the criteria you are funding y o u r w a y t h r o u g h c o l l e g e , s h e s a i d Junior and senior year we tend to turn up the heat a lot more in individual conversations ”

survivors DeSantis said the agency has provided more than 120 000 meals to Florida families impacted by Hurricane Ian D e S a n t i s a l s o a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e F l o r i d a D i v i s i o n o f E

million in public assistance funding to communities impacted by Hurricane Ian DeSantis said the state has qualified for $100 million in federal hazard mitigation program funding Guthrie urged those who have not yet done so to apply for the state s housing

fl gov/unite

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Cape Coral Youth Hurricanes cheer squad took home the Pop Warner Level 3 Large National Championship in December and have earned a bid to the YCADA Globals this February This is the first time a Cape Coral cheer squad has advanced to global competition The team needs to raise about $30,000 for travel and related expens-

beth capeyouth@gmail com

Dealing with cold damage

By CARTHY DUNN news@breezenewspapers com

The last several months have been very discouraging for me as a gardener Ian ravaged my landscape, and I spent 2 1/2 months removing debris, propping up fallen trees and shrubs, carefully pruning and shaping my plants applying a layer of mulch and sustaining them with food and water I was rewarded for my efforts with fresh foliage new blooms and a garden plan that was rejuvenated by the removal of excess plants that no longer fit my landscape design

Then the long, windy, cloudy cold spell struck at Christmas and I felt that my efforts had taken a huge step backwards All that tender new growth was burned by the lower t e m p e r a t u r e s a n d w i n d and all of this happened in just the first few days of winter! Regrettably, we ve had another stretch of very cool nights just this past week We can certainly expect another cold snap over the next 2 months and the thought of further setbacks has me anxiously monitoring the long-range weather forecasts

Even though we don t usually confront the freezing temperatures that north and central Florida can experience, many tropical plants suffer "chilling injury" at temperatures below 50°F

How can you recognize cold-damaged plants? Cold can affect either an entire plant such as annuals like begonias or impatiens that appear to collapse, or just the

CAPE

LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

Pool Scouts Cape Coral helps community recover from Ian

By KATIE EGAN news@breezenewspapers com

Before Pool Scouts Cape Coral even opened, it was helping the community recover from Hurricane Ian Company co-owners Kristie Larsh and Kate Richard were all set to open on Nov 1 when the hurricane hit on Sept 28

Larsh and Richard immediately knew they wanted to help The storm hit on a Thursday and by Saturday, they were out helping the community rebuild

They worked with Pool Scouts of Fort Myers (since the Cape Coral office wasn’t officially open yet) to ensure customers were able to receive service as quickly as possible Larsh and Richard went to every customer's home to check in, and assist with removing debris that had gotten into their pools during the hurricane

“It was our first experience with a hurricane so go big or go home ” Richard said “We were amazed by the sense of community and how everyone came together and wanted to be a part of that

They dedicated their time to bring their clients' home pool investments back to life by increasing the chlorine level higher than normal and decreasing the PH lower than normal to combat debris and large amounts of rain Richard and Larsh moved to Cape Coral from Canada about a year ago

What they loved about Pool Scouts is its high commitment to customer service which “really aligns with our standards and what we’re looking to provide to the people of Cape Coral Richard said Neither of them had been to Cape Coral before

Another family member looking at Cape Coral for a different job prospect led us to this area ” Richard said “Speaking with Pool Scouts they had territories down here and it seemed like a perfect fit for our families ”

The business combines Larsh s managerial expertise and Richard s previous business ownership experience and it seemed like a win-win

Pool Scouts is based in Virginia Beach The premier pool service franchise is focused on delivering a quality consistent brand experience while providing pool cleaning, maintenance and minor repair services at residential properties Technicians are trained in testing, monitoring, treating and servicing pools and can provide ongoing service and help at the beginning and end of the summer season

Pool Scouts of Cape Coral serves Cape Coral Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Venice and Port Charlotte

We look at the job not just as a job, but as a way to serve others, Richard said After the hurricane they wanted to do whatever they could to help their community get back up and running as quickly as possible and have a sense of normalcy

“Being able to provide that really gave us a great sense of pride too ” Larsh said “Being able to get in the pool and cool off was a big help in giving people something to relax and give them some peace For additional information about Pool Scouts Cape Coral and the services it provides, please call 239-8933921

FILE PHOTO

Pool Scouts Cape Coral began helping people recover from Hurricane Ian even before the business officially opened in the community Pool Scouts of Cape Coral serves Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Venice and Port Charlotte

Students win awards at 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta

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Performing

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Florida

Florida

At

Naples Performing Arts Center presented Disney's Moana JR to actor Daniel J Yearwood director Lotte Wakeham and K e n n y S h e p a r d p r o f e s s o r M u s i c a l Theatre and Dance Departments and Ball S t a t e a n d A n d e r s o n U n i v e r s i t y a n d C h o r e o g r a p h e r f o r T h e C h i

Museum's Lilly Theatre/Indianapolis

Dahl's “James and the Giant Peach JR ” to actor Brion Watson; Nina Meehan Bay Area Children s Theatre founding CEO; and Peter Avery, director of theater for the

About The 2023 JTF Atlanta Called a “rousing celebration of theatre by the New York Times the Junior Theater Festival applauds and empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe

The 2023 JTF Atlanta was a weekend of singing dancing acting and learning There were 125 groups from 28 states as well as Washington D C Canada and Australia, participating in the festival G r o u p s e n j o y e d a N e w W o r k s

Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior musicals presented by JTF groups and other mainstage p e r f o r m a n c e s f e a t u r i n g p o w e r h o u s e Broadway guests and took part in workshops

EDUCATION NOTES

Headlee, Pace named to President's List at Souther n New

Hampshire University

MANCHESTER, NH -- Southern New Hampshire University congratulates the following students on being named to the Fall 2022 President's List The fall terms run from September to December

■ Curtis Headlee of Cape Coral ■ Taylor Pace of Cape Coral Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3 700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President's List Fulltime status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer Southern New Hampshire University is a private nonprofit institution with a 90year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults Now serving more than 170,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers approximately 200 accredited undergraduate graduate and certificate programs available online and on its 300acre campus in Manchester N H L e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e u n i v e r s i t y a t www snhu edu

Earl named to Iowa State's fall 2022 Dean’s List

AMES, Iowa – More than 10,200 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the fall semester 2022 Dean s List Students named to the Dean s List must have earned a grade point average of at least 3 50 on a 4 00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work

I n c l u d e d o n t h e l i s t w a s S a m u e l Christopher Earl from Cape Coral who is majoring in civil engineering F o r a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t https://www iastate edu/

Bewighouse named to SNHU Dean's List

M A N C H E S T E R N H - - K e n n e t h

Bewighouse of Cape Coral has been named to Southern New Hampshire University s Fall 2022 Dean s List The fall terms run from September to December Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3 500 to 3 699 for the reporting term are named to the Dean s List Full-time

Students representing Gypsy Playhouse in Cape Coral Florida Repertory Theatre

Arts Center in Naples and The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral won awards and earned other recognition at the 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta The weekend dedicated to rewarding and celebrating excellent student-driven musical theater programs was held Jan 13-15 at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta

The Naples Performing Arts Center won a Freddie G Excellence in Ensemble W

Freddie G Outstanding Individual Performance award

The Belle Theatre won a Freddie G Excellence in Music award

Florida Repertory Theatre Education in Fort Myers and Gypsy Playhouse in Cape Coral did not win awards but they did receive praise and other recognition

Repertory Theatre Education's students Hannah Cruz Violet Salcido and E m

student Robert Gosling; Naples Performing

Center's students Suzanna Lawson and Grace Layne Ryan and The Belle

Magas and River Reed made it to the callback for a yet to be announced special video project which will promote musicals in schools

Repertory Theatre Education's students Hannah Cruz and Danae Teblum; Gypsy Playhouse s students Sophia Brook and Lia Jaquez; Naples Performing Arts

Aiden Johnson; and The Belle Theatre's students Katae Boswell and River Reed were named Junior Theater Festival AllStars, a select group of outstanding performers

the festival each group performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior musical for adjudicators

Disney's Newsies JR to actor Krystina

Publications Steven G Kennedy and music director and vocal coach Tali Allen who is director for Education at MUNY

Gypsy Playhouse presented Disney s and Cameron Mackintosh s Mary Poppins JR to actor Katy Geraghty, Michael J Bobbitt, playwright and executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Bradford Theatre Teacher/Director Holly Stanfield

New York City Department of Education

AVERY BRUNKUS PHOTO

The Belle Theatre team performed “James and the Giant Peach JR” at the 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta

AVERY BRUNKUS PHOTO

The Gypsy Playhouse team performed “Mary Poppins JR ” at the 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta

Cape USA Dance chapter to host Spring Tea Dance Sunday

tickets are $10 for members and $12 for guests Walk-ins are welcome

To RSVP or for additional information, please call chapter president Carol Davis at 239-565-7947

RELIGION NOTES

Zion Lutheran Church announces 2023

Winter Concer t Series

Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers has announced its 2023 Winter Concert Series The Friday night concerts are free of charge -- love offerings will be accepted to support the musical groups performing Opening the series will be a performance by Danny Funderburk on Jan 27 Soul'd Out will perform Feb 10, followed by the Ditchfield Family Singers Feb 24

March 10

at the church, located at 7401

Road open at 6 p m with the concerts beginning at 7 p m in the main church sanctuary

Denny Bowers at 239-887-8585

Judy McLane to per for m at St. Columbkille

Catholic Parish Feb. 12

Broadway star Judy McLane will perform in concert Sunday, Feb 12, at 7 p m , in Iona Hall at St Columbkille Catholic Parish 12171 Iona Road Fort Myers

An award-winning actress and vocalist McLane broke records as the longest running lead in Mamma Mia! history on Broadway! She ll be singing Broadway classics (including "Mamma Mia!") as well as many of her favorite songs

McLane will be accompanied by Lee Van Asten on piano/vocals and special g

Sanders

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Tickets are $30 and can be purchased in advance at the St Columbkille Parish Office and at the door

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church at 239-489-3973

Christopher Alan Homes par tners with Community Cooperative to suppor

Lee County Homeless Coalition to host Homeless Service Day and Veterans

For the second year the Coalition has partnered with the Lee County Clerk of Courts and the Lee County Tax Collector offering Traffic Court for Veterans and people experiencing homelessness to provide an opportunity to receive assistance with their unpaid court fines Attendees must register by Thursday, Jan 26, at https://trafficcourt2023 eventbrite com to participate A valid government-issued ID is required, such as a DD214, VA card, birth certificate or driver’s license

“A Stand Down is a military term used to describe a brief respite from combat where they could access a variety of services ” shared Therese Everly executive director Our hope is to help homeless individuals get what they need by providing these services in a one-stop setting

several agencies and civic organizations committed to supporting the needs and services of the homeless There are over 20 agencies registered to attend this year

The Lee County Homeless Coalition is a non-profit organization comprised of community and faith-based service providers, local businesses, people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, and other advocates committed to ending homelessness The Coalition’s mission is to advocate educate and promote awareness of issues and obstacles facing homeless individuals in Lee County through community collaboration planning and implementing solutions

critical information on the scope of homelessness in our community

status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer Southern New Hampshire University is a private nonprofit institution with a 90-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults Now serving more than 170,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers approximately 200 accredited undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, available online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester N H For additional information about SNHU please visit www snhu edu

Omicron Delta Kappa celebrates new members

L E X I N G T O N V A - -

National Leadership Honor Society, welcomed 1,085 new initiates from 45 universities during November 2022 Students initiated into the society must be sophomores, juniors seniors or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars and embrace the ODK ideals Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invit-

At no charge, the effort to provide these one-stop services in one day is a collaborative endeavor which includes

EDUCATION NOTES

ed to join each year Selected to the society were Leah Lavoie of Cape Coral - Adelphi University and Trevin Stevens of Cape CoralUniversity of Richmond

O m i c r o n D e l t a K a p p a S o c i e t y w a s f o u n d e d i n Lexington, Va, on December 3, 1914 A group of 15 students and faculty members established the society to recognize and encourage leadership at the collegiate level The founders established the ODK Idea-the concept that individuals representing all phases of collegiate life should collaborate with faculty and others to support the campus and community ODK's mission is to honor and develop leaders; encourage collaboration among students faculty staff and alumni; and promote ODK's leadership values of collaboration inclusivity integrity scholarship and service on college and university campuses throughout North America

The society's headquarters are in Lexington, Va

Hodges University announces grand opening of dental hygiene clinic

Hodges University is answering a workforce and community need with the opening of its Dental Hygiene Clinic The grand opening is open to the public and will be held at

To learn more about how you can help join the fight against homelessness, contact Therese Everly at 239-3226600 For more information on the Lee County Homeless Coalition, visit www leehomeless org

noon Monday, Jan 30 The clinic is located within Building U on the Hodges University campus 4501 Colonial Blvd Fort Myers

Patients will receive oral health screenings preventative dental cleanings and, if needed, digital X-rays Dental cleaning prices start at $30 for children up to age 16, and $40 for adults X-Rays range from $15 to $40 Future services will include periodontal scaling/root planning fluoride treatments and tooth sealants

Starting in February, the Hodges University Dental Hygiene Clinic will be open on Mondays from 1:30-5:30 p m ; and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a m to 12:30 p m Appointments can be made by calling (239) 938-7787 For questions or more information you can email the clinic: hudental@hodges edu Hodges University welcomed its first class of dental hygiene students into the program in August This program is the first and only entry level bachelor s degree dental hygiene program in the state of Florida Dental hygienists with a bachelor’s degree can provide expert dental hygiene care to patients and also become instructors for dental hygiene programs at the associate degree level Additional career options range from dental sales and research to consulting and wellness coaching For more call 239-938-7744 or visit Hodges edu

Cold damage: Protecting your plants, and helping them recover

more susceptible parts of a plant such as fruits flowers and roots Plants can also desiccate or dry out; you might notice brown leaf margins or leaf tip burn or in severe cases totally yellow or brown leaves This desiccation is usually caused by dry winds associated with cold fronts that move

into our area from the north causing water loss from leaves that cannot be replaced by a cold root system This damage is not always immediately apparent; after the December cold spell I thought my plants had escaped damage until about a week later when leaves suddenly yellowed and dropped Fortunately there are some practical steps that you can take to protect your plants P o t t e d p l a n t s s h o u l d b e m o v e d e i t h e r i n d o o r s o r onto your enclosed lanai or porch I bring tender plants into my lanai and close the storm shutters; this keeps the temperature above 50 degrees, and also protects the plants from the drying winds Plants that can’t be moved should be covered with landscape cloth which c a n b e f o u n d l o c a l l y o r ordered online The covers must extend to the ground to trap radiant heat and should be anchored with bricks or rocks I used sheets to cover p l a n t s i n D e c e m b e r , a n d while they were helpful, the landscape cloth is significantly lighter and does a much better job DO NOT

use plastic to cover your plants as the plastic will actually transmit cold air to your plants!

A thorough watering before a cold spell is beneficial to plants because it actually helps retain heat in the soil and provides a ready source of moisture to help desiccated plants once the temperature rises Based on what you have heard about farmers protecting their crops with irrigation prior to a cold spell you may be tempted to run your irrigation system; this is not recommended since residential irrigation systems are not configured to supply water in quantities sufficient to maintain a film of water on the leaves as commercial systems do

What should you do if your landscape has suffered cold damage? First don’t despair; with patience and care most of your plants will recover Check the soil around your plants for moisture; once the sun is out and the temperatures are climbing, water can help warm the soil and provide the necessary moisture that even injured plants require

You may be tempted to fertilize your plants to assist them in their recovery however if you apply fertilizer too early and we have another cold spell, the tender new leaves will be the first to be damaged It is better to wait until March when the danger of cold weather has probably passed before you add fertilizer to your garden

Cold-damaged plants should not be pruned immediately; while the dead foliage is not attractive it will help protect the rest of the plant from further damage In March, you can check the viability of the plant by scraping the bark with your fingernail; a green layer under the bark indicates that the plant is healthy and you should prune to that point on the branch

Any annuals that have collapsed should be removed from the garden immediately as they will not revive and could promote viral or bacterial growth in their decaying material

I believe that gardening is always a leap of faith buoyed by confidence that our knowledge and experience will result in a beautiful green oasis But Mother Nature sometimes has other plans, and we need to be prepared to respond to her whims!

It is sometimes difficult not to become discouraged when our gardens are affected by cold weather but with good preparation and care after the cold weather our gardens will soon be thriving in our subtropical climate

Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral Visit us at www gardenclubofcapecoral com