Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

City manager’s contract will not be renewed

Hernandez asks for hearing following non-renewal vote by Cape Coral City Council

By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers com Cape Coral City Council put City Manager Rob Hernandez on notice Wednesday that his contract will not be renewed at its end date

In the special meeting called by Mayor John Gunter, the elected board voted 5-3 to not extend Hernandez s three-year contract past its Aug 11, 2023 rollover date

The contract requires six-month’s notice of nonrenewal by either party and no action by Council within the window would have automatically extended Hernandez’s contract by one year Hernandez who was not present at the meeting due to medical-related time off, has requested a hearing His request, made via email, states:

“Words cannot express the depth of my disappointment in learning of council decision to terminate my employment for performance reasons from an NBC2 reporter I think I deserved better than that As provided for in the City Charter, I am requesting a public hearing be scheduled in March to discuss this decision with me present Given my current medical condition I cannot prepare for a meeting before then ”

The City Attorney’s Office is evaluating the request officials said Voting against renewal was Gunter and council members Dan Sheppard, Keith Long, Patty Cummings and Bill Steinke Gunter, Sheppard, Long and Cummings cited areas of performance or problem-solving they

deemed problematic Steinke who cast the deciding vote but did not weigh in with arguments against renewal said what was shaping up as a 4-4 deadlock was in essence a no-confidence vote The effect of that was that Hernandez was not going to stay beyond his current contract term either way He then cast his vote for non-renewal at the end of a meeting that featured impassioned discussion by both those opposing and those supporting contract renewal Sheppard and Cummings were among the most critical saying the city manager had not been truthful to them at times with Sheppard presenting a list of what he called failures, including not keeping

See CONTRACT, page 7A

City Manager Rob Hernandez

Residents say Del Prado intersections still a concern

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

Popular weekly sports feature continues: The Cape Coral Breeze presents Athletes of the Week Page 15A

Drug House

Odyssey returns

A f t e r a t h r e e - y e a r h i at u s t h e C o a l i t i o n f o r a D r u g - F r e e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a a n d i t s m a n y c o mm u n i t y p a r t n e r s w i l l b r i n g b a c k o n e o f i t s k e y e v e n t s t o t h e L e e C i v i c C e n t e r “ D r u g H o u s e O d y s s e y ” a f i v e - s c e n e p l a y w i l l s t a g e T u e s d a y , W e d n e s d a y a n d T h u r s d a y , F e b 7 - 9 , w i t h L e e C o u n t y f i f t hg r a d e r s c o m i n g i n d u r i n g t h e m o r n i n g a n d a s p e c i a l f a m i l y n i g h t s e t f o r W e d n e s d a y a t 5 p m

CCFD, multiple agencies, fight large brush fire in north Cape

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

A

com

It almost felt like a war zone, because the sound of those transformers exploding rattled the heck out of our trailers, and we heard a few go off Trees were cracking and exploding It was crazy ”

Chuck Townsend, post-Ian volunteer staying on the grounds of the German-American Club

See FIRE, page 11A

com

Residents of the Entrada community as well as those who live on Gator Circle near Island Coast High School remain concerned regarding the traffic that comes through their area on North Del Prado, especially during morning and afternoon rush and on school days

While a signal is set to be installed at the Del Prado and De Navarra intersection the short-term solution may be creating more problems

A traffic light will be installed at the intersection of Del Prado and DeNavarra as part of the agreement with the developer of the Entrada subdivision which was created by ordinance in 2005

The ordinance included a provision stating that when the traffic signal at the intersection of De Navarra Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard was warranted that the Commercial

See TRAFFIC, page 7A

Youth Council promotes ‘Love

Locks’

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Future leaders of Cape Coral are working to leave their mark on the city and create a special interactive monument dedicated to love and mental health awareness

The Cape Coral Youth Council has plans to erect a Love Locks statue as part of their yearly project to benefit the community The students are raising funds to create the structure, shaped in the form of a heart, where padlocks are placed and keys disposed of The metal structure has been approved and will be placed at Cultural Park where it can be enjoyed for generations to come

The Youth Council selected the Love Locks project as the annual Youth Council project because we felt compelled to create something within the community that served an important purpose, said Youth Council Chair and North Fort Myers

See LOVE, page 15A

Mariner JROTC team takes top honors at State

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Letters to Editor 4A Puzzles 5B

See MARINER, Page 15A

Burrowing owl sees shadow, winter continues

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

There may not be many groundhogs here in Southwest Florida, but we are able to make due every Feb 2 We just use a bird instead of mammal

More than 150 people came to the Pelican Soccer Complex on Thursday to learn whether Cape Coral residents would enjoy an early spring at the fifth-annual Ground Owl Day celebration, presented by the Cape Coral

Friends of Wildlife

According to the owl or reasonable facsimile thereof Cape Coral will have to endure winter for another six weeks which for Florida is not such a bad thing

Ground Owl Day pays homage to the burrowing owl and, just like the groundhog in Punxsutawney, Penn , each year, residents look for guidance on what kind of weather to expect in the next six weeks

Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter read a proclamation

NBC2 Meteorologist Rob Dunns was the Master of Ceremonies and Pascha Donaldson and Cheryl Anderson of the CCFW spoke about the organization and all that it does, from holding the annual Burrowing Owl Fest to buying up parcels of property to provide habitat for owls, gopher tortoises and other animals

Gunter said this is an event he looks forward to every year as it brings attention to the needs of the animals in a city that is growing like Cape Coral

This is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and with that growth we need to find a common ground when it comes to our environment and growth ” Gunter said “We need to make sure we can recognize both and make sure they can parallel with policy and proper planning Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce president Donna Germain said wildlife plays an important role in tourism in the area so much that they even have a burrow at Bernie Braden Park where the chamber’s welcome center is

When people ask where can I see wildlife, we can point them to it and say right over there, Germain said You do a great job supporting our wildlife and we re happy to have the CCFW as a member ”

The city council recently passed an ordinance allocating the CCFW $100 000 so it can pay for the utility expansion on the land they own so the habitat that s there can stay Anderson, who is also president of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust which buys the land on which owls and tortoises can build their nests said the purchase of land has become very important these days when you consider the damage being done by bulldozers and other equipment

being used to clean out the canals

There are earthmovers that are cleaning debris from Hurricane Ian, but they re not doing it from the water They are bulldozing across lots then removing the vegetation where all the wildlife live ” Anderson said “What keeps the dirt there when it rains so it doesn’t go into the canal where it has to be dredged?

To learn more about the CCFW, visit www ccfriendsofwildlife org

CHUCK BALLARO

Above: The burrowing owl mascot lets NBC2 Meteorologist Rob Dunns and Mayor John Gunter know there will be six more weeks of winter at the fifth-annual Ground Owl Day celebration at the Pelican Soccer Complex on Thursday Below: Cheryl Anderson, CCFW board member and president of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, promotes building starter burrows for owls in people’s yards

OPINIONS

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

RAYMOND M ECKENRODE Publisher VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor

Editor

CHRIS STRINE,

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

Phone 239-574-1110 – Fax 239-574-5693

Member Florida Press Association

Die has been cast

Cape Coral City Council decided Wednesday that it will not renew the contract of the city s top administrator, Rob Hernandez

Instead City Manager Hernandez’s three-year contract will expire on its Aug 11 2023 end date and Council will embark on a search for a new city manager, the board determined

In response, Mr Hernandez, who had taken scheduled sick time and so was not present has notified the city that he requests a hearing on the decision

Mr Hernandez like most who hold this type of top-tier position and report to an elected board, had his supporters and his detractors, with those on each side listing their reasons for allowing the contract to rollover for another year, or not

In this case it was a pretty even split

Councilmember Dan Sheppard who came to the meeting prepared with a litany of reasons against renewal and

Councilmember Patty Cummings, were the most critical

Also weighing in against allowing the contract to roll over into another year were Councilmember Keith Long who said he had lost confidence in the current leadership and Mayor

John Gunter who was at best tepid about Mr Hernandez’s accomplishments

My belief is that the city manager has been average in his performance I m not looking for average I want exceptional, Mayor Gunter said “I’ve always tried to be exceptional I haven’t always succeeded but I’ve always tried When I see his record I see an average city manager Is that what you’re looking for? If you have an average leader, you have an average organization

Supporting the extension of Mr Hernandez s contract were council members Jessica Cosden Robert Welsh and Tom Hayden who was equally adamant in his support as were

Councilmembers Sheppard and Cummings in theirs against

Councilmember Bill Steinke, who did not weigh in with arguments against renewal, cast the deciding vote in what looked to be shaping up as a deadlock

That in essence was a no-confidence vote

Councilmember Steinke said and the effect was that Mr Hernandez would not opt to stay past his contract date anyway

He then voted for non-renewal, making the decision 5-3

It was the proper and courageous vote given the circumstances and we commend Mr Steinke for making it

A fissure so deeply fractured along the line of support and confidence in the person who runs the day-to-day operations of our city benefits no one

Not the elected board

Not Mr Hernandez

And certainly not the residents

We will not weigh in on Mr Hernandez’s decision to request a hearing we understand his desire to respond

We will not comment on council members respective comments on their individual working relationships with Mr Hernandez nor their comments on his job performance pro or con

We’ll not even weigh in on the fact that a meeting of this magnitude should have been held in Council Chambers not a conference room, and televised or, at minimum, livestreamed

Any such criticism or support is moot and for the reason succinctly cited by Mr Steinke the die has been cast and it is better for all of the parties we enumerated to move on

Here we do have some comment

The city s top administrator must be more than a competent administrator, more, even, than a competent leader and motivator

A city manager must must be a good fit, meshing not only with Council’s “vision ” but with the community as a whole That’s the residents property owners business owners the people who elect the council and change its makeup at the polls

Search firms do a good job of checking the boxes and bringing forth qualified candidates

We are certain Council will choose its search team wisely

Such HR vetting and the presentation of stellar resumes does not abrogate Council s role, however:

To hire a person whose track record on such things as philosophy of management; approach to budgeting and taxes; transparency and keeping the public informed and approach to meeting preparation and presentation are simpatico not only with the council majority du jour but the collective rest of us

That is the challenge

And a hard one, indeed

We thank Mr Hernandez for his service and wish him success as his career continues

We wish Council success on its next steps as well

This week’s poll question:

Do you agree with Cape Coral City Council’s decision to not extend City Manager Rob Hernandez’s contract?

∫ Y e s

∫ N o

∫ E i t h e r , w a y , I d l i k e t o s e e a h e a r i n g s o t h e c i t y m a n a g e r c a n r e s p o n d

I t d o e s n ’ t r e a l l y m a t t e r t o m e ; i t ’ s a C o u n c i l d e c is i o n

Previous poll question

Are you concerned about classified documents being found at President Biden’s & former VP Pence’s homes?

e s

e r y m u c h s o

a r l y t o t e l l

A robust training culture is an investment, not an expense

e s h o c k i n g c r i m i n a l a c t s c o m m i t t e d b y f o r m e r M e m p h i s P o l i c e O f f i c e r s w h i l e t h e y a t t e m p t e d t o t a k e T y r e N i c h o l s i n t o c u s t o d y e a r l i e r t h i s m o n t h ,

o n c e a g a i n h a s t h e n a t i o n r e e l i n g H o w c o u l d t h i s h a p p e n ? A g a i n ? ?

T h e n a t i o n h a s c a l l e d f o r c h a n g e a n d h i g h e r s t a n d a r d s A c o m m o n s t a t em e n t h a s b e e n m a d e f o r y e a r s n o w t h a t o u r n a t i o n ’ s l a w e n f o r c e m e n t n e e d s m o r e t r a i n i n g I c o u l d n o t a g r e e m o r e w i t h t h a t s e n t i m e n t T o p a r a p h r a s e A l b e r t E i n s t e i n , d o i n g t h e s a m e t h i n g o v e r a n d o v e r a n d e x p e c ti n g a d i f f e r e n t r e s u l t i s t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f i n s a n i t y T h e c y c l e h a s b e e n : e x p e r i e n c e a t r a g e d y d e m a n d m o r e p o l i c e t r a i n i n g r e c o i l a t t h e r e a l i t i e s o f w h a t a c o m m i tm e n t t o t r a i n i n g e n t a i l s , d o n o t h i n g a n d h o p e i t d o e s n t h a p p e n a g a i n , e x p r e s s o u t r a g e a n d s h o c k w h e n i t d o e s I n s a n i t y i n d e e d L a w E n f o r c e m e n t t r a i n i n g i s e x p e n s i v e P r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g r e q u i r e s p a y i n g f o r i n s t r u c t o r s o r h a v e f u l l - t i m e t r a i n e r s o n s t a f f , a l r e a d y s h o r t - s t a f f e d d e p a r t m e n t s a l l o w i n g o f f i c e r s t i m e o f f t h e s t r e e t s t o a t t e n d t r a i n i n g , a n d / o r p a y i n g o f f i c e r s t o t r a i n o n t h e i r o f f t i m e T h e r e i s a l s o t h e i s s u e o f h a v i n g p h y s i c a l s p a c e t o c o n d u c t r e a l i t y - b a s e d s c e n a r i o t r a i n i n g A s y o u c a n s e e t r a i n i n g i s c o s t l y a n d m a n y c i t i e s a c r o s s t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s h a v e n o t p u t t h e i r w o r d s a n d w i s h e s i n t o a c t i o n F o r t u n a t e l y t h e C i t y o f C a p e C o r a l i s n o t o n e o f t h o s e c i t i e s C a p e C o r a l v i e w s t r a i n i n g n o t a s a n e x p e n s e r a t h e r w e v i e w i t a s a n i n v e s t m e n t T h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t h a s l o n g i n v e s t e d i n a r o b u s t o r g a n i z a t i o n a l c u l t u r e o f t r a i n i n g T h i s i n v e s t m e n t b e g a n i n 1 9 8 9 w h e n t h e a g e n c y b e c a m e a c c r e d i t e d w i t h t h e C o m m i s s i o n o n A c c r e d i t a t i o n f o r L a w E n f o r c e m e n t A g e n c i e s ( C A L E A ) C A L E A i s t h e “ G o l d S t a n d a r d ” a n d s h o w s t h e c o m m i t m e n t t o e x c e l l e n c e s h a r e d b y t h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t , C i t y L e a d e r s , E l e c t e d O f f i c i a l s , a n d o u r c o m m u n i t y T h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t a l s o h a s a f u l l -

Cape’s new food truck ordinance bites the hand that feeds it

To the editor:

Cape Coral City Council recently passed a ordinance that forces independent food trucks to pack up and move on down the road And if they offer customers a place to sit or have shade while they eat it’s now forbidden

The new ordinance will go in effect in 90 days

The independent food trucks are welcome to become vendors at the proposed food court that s to operate, perhaps, in about 6 months

When does government pick and choose winners and losers in the marketplace? Isn’t that up to the consumer?

The ordinance passed 6-2 Councilwoman Patty Cummings in her dissenting opinion stated

If food trucks were state licensed, had consent from property owners, or lease commercial space, why are we telling them they have to move every night?

Councilwoman Jessica Cosden argued against the food trucks ordinance because of another Cape Coral ordinance that restricts commercial vehicles parking in residential driveways

Therefore food trucks would need storage facilities, which are very costly

Food trucks are small businesses, and this should be encouraged not obstructed by government

Food trucks offer a great service and convenience to the community I became emotional watching this ordinance pass Let s face it, Cape Coral loves its food trucks

These Ma and Pa small businesses survived a two year pandemic and most recently a Category 4 hurricane Along with our brave first responders who were also at the scene handing out free bottled water and food to all of us? None other than our local food trucks

At the end of the day, I can t help but wonder, with all the issues Cape Coral is facing What was the expedited need to go after the hand that feeds you?

Mechelle Poling Cape Coral

$100 Million Yacht Club plan

To the editor: At the winter retreat held by the City on Jan 26, the City Manager and his consultant presented plans to rebuild the entire Yacht Club area The five plans presented will most likely cost $100 million and take 5 – 10 years to complete All plans eliminated the tennis courts No plan called for building the Yacht Club facilities back to the way it was prior to the hurricane or with the planned Park GO bond enhancements

The city has no plans to reopen any amenities of the Yacht Club other than allowing by contract The Boathouse restaurant to open and the city providing some amount of parking The Boathouse plans to be ready to reopen by the end of February The Boathouse lease gives them exclusive rights to food and beverage sales through September 2033 for the entire Yacht Club area FEMA will only reimburse the city for replacement of facilities to its existing state prior to the hurricane This process will take a year to understand what FEMA would pay, then the city would have to come up with a finance plan to rebuild to their new plan The only idea so far is to finance the project by a revenue bond and charge for parking to cover the cost The city knows that asking for a tax increase for this would be a nonstarter due to the city s mismanagement of the Parks GO bonds that are costing 50% more and taking twice as long to complete The city has already spent $2 5M on design work for the Yacht Club No work has started on the Yacht Club after four years from the time of the Parks GO bond vote The city is good at blaming others or events, such as, the pandemic, inflation, permitting and now has the hurricane as an excuse

The history of the city to be able to manage a project of this size is dismal at best I would like to support a fresh concept at the Yacht Club but I have no confidence of the city to be able to get it done The best we can hope for is to rebuild the Yacht Club per the GO bond enhancement plan and replace the Ballroom & Rotino center pool and pier to what FEMA would approve paying for If they use this approach they may have a chance of getting it done in three years Hopefully they will choose a phased approach so we can get some of our amenities back sooner than later The city should refurbish the beach quickly so it can be used in conjunction with the Boathouse opening Also the tennis courts are the least damaged they could be reopened quickly and used while the city spends two years deciding what to do The new Racquet Center at Lake Kennedy will not be open for two years as well Lake Kennedy is anoth-

t i m e T r a i n i n g U n i t w h i c h h a s b e e n i n p l a c e f o r d e c a d e s T h e T r a i n i n g U n i t h a s c o n t i n u e d t o g r o w a s o u r d e p a r t m e n t i n c r e a s e s t h e n u m b e r o f o f f i c e r s t o k e e p p a c e w i t h o u r c o m m u n i t y ’ s u n p r e c e d e n te d g r o w t h I a m t h a n k f u l f o r o u r C i t y M a n a g e r M a y o r a n d C i t y C o u n c i l f o r s h a r i n g i n m y v i s i o n t o b o l s t e r o u r T r a i n i n g U n i t t h r o u g h t h e b u d g e t p r o c e s s O u r T r a i n i n g U n i t i s s e c o n d t o n o n e I n a d d i t i o n t o p r o v i d i n g c o n t i n u o u s t r a i n i n g t o o u r s t a f f t h e y a r e m e m b e r s o f n a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g o r g a n i z a t i o n s , a n d p r o v i d e c u tt i n g e d g e i n s t r u c t i o n a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y S e v e r a l y e a r s a g o , C C P D b e g a n p l a nn i n g f o r a s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t t r a i n i n g f a c i l i t y T h i s i s a m a j o r c o m p o n e n t i n o u r i n v e s tm e n t i n t r a i n i n g T h i s t r a i n i n g f a c i l i t y w a s e n v i s i o n e d b y m y p r e d e c e s s o r s a n d s u pp o r t e d b y p r e v i o u s c i t y a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s a n d C i t y C o u n c i l s F a s t f o r w a r d t o t h i s y e a r , a n d c o ns t r u c t i o n o n t h e t r a i n i n g f a c i l i t y i s s e t t o b e g i n I a m h o n o r e d t o s e e t h i s p r o j e c t c o m m e n c e a n d s o e n c o u r a g e d t h a t o u r c u r r e n t C i t y M a n a g e r M a y o r a n d C i t y C o u n c i l a r e c o m m i t t e d t o c o n t i n u i n g t h e i n v e s tm e n t i n o u r c u l t u r e o f t r a i n i n g M a n y f a c t o r s g o i n t o e n s u r i n g t h a t a p o l i c e d e p a r tm e n t i s s u c c e s s f u l P r o p e r r e c r u i t i n g r i g o r o u s b a c kg r o u n d i n v e s t i g a t i o n s a n d p s y c h o l o g i c a l t e s t i n g p r i o r t o h i r e s u p p o r t f r o m t h e c o m m u n i t y a n d l o c a l g o v e r nm e n t , c o m p e t e n t s u p e r v i s i o n , a n d c o n t i n u o u s t r a i n i n g a r e b u t a f e w o f t h e f a c t o r s T h e m e n a n d w o m e n ( s w o r n o f f i c e r s a s w e l l a s p r of e s s i o n a l s t a f f ) o f t h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t a r e c o m m i t t e d t o d e l i v e r i n g t o p - f l i g h t l a w e n f o r c e m e n t s e r v i c e s t o o u r c o m m u n i t y I c o u l d n o t b e p r o u d e r o f t h e m A s y o u r C h i e f o f P o l i c e , I a m c o m m i t t e d t o c o n t i n ui n g o u r i n v e s t m e n t i n t r a i n i n g a n d e n s u r i n g t h a t t h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t e x c e e d s o u r c o m m u n it y ’ s e x p e c t a t i o n s A n t h o n y S i z e m o r e i s t h e c h i e f o f p o l i c e f o r t h e C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t

er example of the city’s mismanagement of a project three years late and twice the price

When are the citizens of Cape Coral going to hold the city accountable for costs and schedules?

Tom Shadrach Cape Coral, District 1

Boil my oil

To the editor: From the fire station on Everest to the park, we are under a boil water notice for the third time in the last three months as I write this

In my closet I found an old erector set along the an unopened package of Lincoln Logs

I would be happy to donate these to be used as a training aid for those causing these accidents Davis Stafford Cape Coral

‘Police refor m’ tip of the criminal justice issue iceber g

To the editor: The grace and heroism of RowVaughn Wells, interrupting her grief over the murder of her son Tyre Nichols, to urge the people of Memphis to refrain from violence is the courage of patriotism; putting the community ahead of her own pain Memphis and other cities around the nation were inconvenienced by peaceful mourners in large measure due to decisive leadership of the Chief Davis in firing the five officers and their immediate arrests It turns out the insurrections that DeSantis failed to quell by draconian attempts at curtailing the First Amendment after the George Floyd murder could be addressed more successfully in a more American fashion Respecting the rights of others is the American way, including respecting their right to peacefully assemble and swift and effective redress of legitimate grievance

Congress will now revisit all the same police reform suggestions the failed to pass when Senator Booker and Tim Scott tried to scapegoat the unions and tippytoe around the word lynch to describe strangulation I hope that the Senate will put on their big boy panties this time and protect workers rights AND do something meaningful like a registry of complaints; frivolous and otherwise of police candidates The cities should continue to carry the burden of wrongful death lawsuits AND appropriate vetting of applicants before they take the job There will be complex questions about troublesome candidates The time to ask the questions is before the next body drops

What I would like to add to the discussion is the so-called black box “Ban-the-box” laws requiring employers to remove criminal-history questions from employment applications have been enacted in 33 states, but it isn t federal law Job discrimination by race has been addressed, but employers can still ask that question A yes answer could mean yeah I’ll steal from the till or yeah I met a racist cop once Florida should take this moment to address this legislation statewide

One of the perks of white privilege is being able to fill out a job application without undue scrutiny Job applications that ask Have you ever been arrested? should remove that question if we are sincere about fighting discrimination in policing At the risk of stating the obvious: there is a relationship between crime and capitalism

Police are often accused of being more intrusive toward Black men More frequent in investigating Black men; who are disproportionately likely to be on parole Black (young) men are disproportionately represented in the system Those are two perhaps not unrelated facts A Black young man is employable to the extent that he is not nor has he ever been in the system The terror of being arrested includes a lifetime of now legitimized discrimination for a Black youth I hope not to be mistaken for victim blaming in pointing out this obvious factual nexus The statistics are grim Men who are arrested lose their jobs men without jobs become pariah if they can’t get past the black box on the next job application Unemployed men are disproportionately arrested again and again Judges are disproportional is sentencing unemployed men Our prisons are full of men whose trajectory started with some minor infraction Just maybe if an honest man with a child to support faces complete economic ruination just for being arrested we should look at eliminating that stigma An honest man coming home from work is unwilling to be taken into custody, that should not escalate to a violent foot chase What if it were not a seminal life-threatening event? There should be less state-sponsored terror for Black men in this country including economic

Anthony Sizemore Guest Commentary

We e k ly B R E E Z E R e c ap

Cape Council begins talks on FY24 budget

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

General Fund toward disaster relief in areas affected by Ian and Nicole

com

The Cape Coral City Council winter retreat is the unofficial kickoff of the budget season which will culminate with the ratification of the 2024 budget for the city in September

On Friday, council heard from Finance Director Mark Mason on the budget process and with all that is happening in the city and elsewhere due to Hurricane Ian it was obviously the first inning of a nine-inning game Maybe even the first at-bat

Numerous things impacted this year's budget, especially inflation housing affordability and energy costs Mason said inflation seems to be cooling down and energy costs aren't quite as outrageous though they have risen again recently

Interest rate volatility, the cost of labor and increased operating costs are other impacts that influenced the 2023 budget and is expected to do so again

Another impact was the hurricane State Senate Bill 4A will appropriate more than $751 million from the

As is standard the three biggest questions council will face is at what level to set the three primary city tax rates ad valorem, public service tax and fire service assessment

Currently the property tax rate is 5 3694 mills or just shy of $5 37 per $1 000 of taxable assessed property valuation The tax on electric bills in the city is 7 percent

The fire assessment is 62 percent of the cost of operations

Mayor John Gunter said he would rather reduce the millage and taxes on all residents but there are so many unknowns that need to be answered

This is the starting point

The information we have needs more clarity and needs to be revisited, Gunter said I don t want to do anything prematurely

Councilmember Bill Steinke who works in the real estate business expressed concern over the inevitable drop in property values caused by the hurricane and the tax break homeowners are getting from the appraiser s

Hurricane Ian levels plans for Cape Coral Yacht Club

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

Coral City Council got a look Thursday at options for a completely re-imagined Yacht Club that would make the city-owned complex less like a park and more like a destination complete with a beach, retail and commercial opportunities and the feel of a resort

Its buildings are a total loss and cannot be repaired or rebuilt as previously constructed due to federal regulations for flood-zone structures The main ballroom building at the historic riverfront p a r k

$520,000 in repair The second building, the Tony Rotino Center, was appraised at $467,000; it needs $350,000 in repairs

Both buildings at the Driftwood Parkway park fall under FEMA's 50 percent rule which means the city can only repair a structure up to 50 percent of its value if it is in a flood zone Both buildings went well over the limit and, since the city can t raise the buildings to make them flood compliant they will have to come down council was told

Thursday

James Pankonin of Kimley-Horn which are the designers of the project said the vision of the Yacht Club was a return to its roots as Cape Coral s premier waterfront venue and that a resort-style atmosphere should be created that plays to its strengths like its views of the Caloosahatchee River historic ballroom and fountain a resort-style swimming pool waterfront restaurant, marina and beach Amenities that don t require a waterfront location, such as the tennis courts a point of contention during the original renovation talks could be relocated to other sites

Council pretty much now has a blank canvas with which to work, and Pankonin gave the elected board five rough concepts These included an improved marina and boating access, new and maybe multiple piers; better and expanded waterfront access; as many as three restaurants; the possibility for commercial or retail much more parking and a range of amenities that capitalize on riverfront location

As for a pool, many on council liked the idea of a resort-style design and rejected the possibility of the Olympic-sized pool something the city has said it

would like to see for nearly a year but not at this location where a resort pool would be more appropriate

Councilmember Bill Steinke said he wanted demolition work to start

We are not fixing these buildings so let s remove them To look at empty land is better than watching destruction and I don t want them to be a hazard, said Steinke who added he would like to see the project done in phases which is now possible since the entire park is being redone instead of its edges

Also, work can start immediately once the permits come in, now that the city can start on seawalls and that they are not keeping the buildings

As for cost and a timeline that is unknown

Originally the timeline was 24 months but if restaurants are added on a pier and if things go more vertical it could be longer

Mayor John Gunter said he was happy the outer footprint hasn t changed much, except for the pier the city lost due to the storm for which they will have to get a permit

But Gunter added he hopes insurance will pay for the damage done to the buildings

When you see the damage Ian did, and we have to adhere to the 50 percent rule like everybody else, those buildings will be replaced ” Gunter said “We will get some insurance reimbursement for those buildings It probably won t pay for a new building but it will mitigate the costs and with the blank slate we can move the components of the project

Hurricane Ian a near Category 5 storm with winds of up to 155 mph made landfall on Caya Costa on Sept 28 Its storm surge inundated Fort Myers Beach S a n i b e l C a p t i v a a n d c o m m u n i t i e s a l l a l o n g t h e Caloosahatchee and Gulf-access waterfront including Matlacha and Cape Coral's Gold Coast where homes near the Yacht Club complex the city's oldest and most iconic public complex took up to 6 feet of water

Receding waters left the area littered with boats of all sizes and homes with inches of muck and soaked possessions and drywall

James Pankonin of Kimley-Horn talks about the Cape Coral Yacht Club renovation during the City Council retreat Thursday at the Nicholas Street Annex Conference Room CHUCK BALLARO

office

“If we keep rolling back the millage because of property values we need to be careful in case values go down, Steinke said

The budget picture will get a little bit clearer once the summer retreat happens in June or July when the Tax Appraiser's Office releases its estimated and then final property valuations reports

Until then council gave city staff the direction to use the current rates for the three taxes as a starting point Council and staff will then adjust the figures accordingly after the council gets its questions answered Gunter said everyone needs to recognize the city was hit with a near Category 5 storm and that there will continue to be expenses there, even if the city will ultimately be reimbursed

Hurricane Irma was in 2017 and we re still waiting for reimbursement for that That is something you have to be aware of ” Gunter said “Also because of a few bills that passed there could be a reduction on ad valorem taxes We don t really know the magnitude

City Council retreat revisits old projects, introduces new

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

At the very beginning of the Cape Coral City Council w i n t e r r e t r e a t o n T h u r s d a y C i t y M a n a g e r R o b Hernandez gave a presentation on “13 Ways to Kill your Community, a book by Doug Griffiths he read while at a city managers convention

Besides the typical ones like lack of commercial not knowing your strengths and weaknesses shutting out the youth and seniors, the top one that stood out was water quality

“Communities that don’t have quality water are always failing and won’t be successful ” Hernandez said

People no longer demand it, they expect it

That, and numerous other topics, came up during a two-day retreat at the Nicholas Parkway Annex which served as a kickoff to the budget season As a retreat is a kind of in-depth workshop no votes were cast but lots of discussion was had on the more pressing city topics

As far as water quality went, Utilities Director Jeff Pearson warned that there needs to be enough water at buildout in 20 or so years but that it would be hard to get there without conservation efforts

The city s five water treatment plants will require expansions in the coming years with the North RO plant slated for that in four years

The system must be designed for the Super Bowl Halftime Flush, a worst-case scenario We need to do a better job educating residents on the importance of water and conservation ” Pearson said

Without conservation 136 million gallons of irrigation water will be needed daily With conservation, it would be an estimated 93 5 million gallons The city, using its twice a week watering system, is helping in that regard officials said

But where will the city get the rest of its water particularly drinking water? By 2040 the city will need more than 32 million gallons per day and 48 million by buildout The current permitted capacity is 30 million gallons per day Alternate ways include the Southwest Aggregate mine in Charlotte County which would cost $50 million to $80 million Aquifer Storage and Recovery wells would cost between $150 million and $320 million, while a desalination plant, a last resort, could cost up to a half-billion dollars

“Desalination requires a ton on energy and its own power plant Tampa Bay is seeing the problem right now, Pearson said

C i t y s t a f f r e c o m m e n d e d t h e c i t y p u r c h a s e t h e Southwest Aggregate property to provide future capital cost avoidance diversify the water supply and could provide a solution to three major water issues in the region

Council also discussed numerous projects and initiatives, some of which have been in the queue for years The old golf course acreage came back as the owners of the property again expressed interest in selling the property to the city before putting it up for general sale

While the cost estimate in 2017 was $13 million it could now cost up to $80 million for costs of improvement, officials said The city could use reserves to pay for it (which would drop them to 1 75 months of total operation costs well below 2 5 month policy) issue debt of $1 1 million for 20 years or a combination of both

Councilmember Jessica Cosden was supportive at first but said she wasn t anymore Councilmember Bill Steinke said they need to make the best use of the property

“We’re doing this for beautification and things to do with families We have to be willing to pay the price for what we want to do ” Steinke said “This place was a draw 50 years ago and it can be again

The city also talked about privatizing the city-owned golf course, Coral Oaks, and other years-old plans such as D&D Boat Ramp and the Bimini Basin Mooring Field and what such projects could look like

The elected board discussed the legislative priorities for the upcoming 2023 state legislative session, first and foremost legislation that will provide funding to local municipalities impacted by Hurricane Ian

The city also wants state support for more affordable housing its proposed involuntary annexation proposal environmental sustainability and to protect home rule authority by leaving such decisions as regulations for short-term rentals and home-based businesses to local governments, not state authority

The proposed Legislative Agenda is on council's regular meeting agenda which will begin at 4:30 p m today at City Hall 1015 Cultural Park Blvd

FEMA 2.0 meeting provides info on flood insurance

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

com

Representatives of FEMA had lots of information for residents of Cape Coral this week

The agency came to the Kiwanis Club at 360 Santa Barbara Blvd on Tuesday for an informational meeting regarding FEMA 2 0 and its revamped flood insurance program

The idea was to clear up any confusion about the new flood maps, which were drawn up in November, and what the zones mean for you and what it will cost

Donna Germain president of the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral said the meeting was to provide an opportunity to give residents more information about the Risk Rating 2 0 which has residents confused and concerned about whether they will be able to afford flood insurance

There were significant changes to the flood maps and zones, so we re hoping that

having someone here who understands it and can explain it will help, Germain said Hopefully, he can shed some light on some of the concerns the residents have ”

FEMA Hazard Mitigation and Crew Lead

Jeffery Parker explained that the idea is to have more equity, where individuals would no longer have to pay more than their share in flood insurance premiums based on the value of their home

His presentation stated that roughly twothirds of policyholders with older homes would see their rates go down

What local residents have seen is a different picture

Only 20 percent of Florida homeowners are predicted to see a total rate decrease while 76 percent are expected to see an increase of up to $240 per year, and 4 percent seeing increases of $240 or more per year

The new methodology would use FEMAsourced data and other-sourced data rating variables such as distance from flooding

source occupancy type of construction elevation, prior claims, and much more, chance of the 100-year flood in an area and fees and surcharges

The meeting took the full two hours and could have taken much longer as the meeting produced two questions for every answer

Attendees had a chance to look at the flood map in the area of the meeting and what the new data meant Some of the areas away from the canals in tan colored had a much lesser chance of the big flood than those on or near the canals

Germain said the city is still going through the challenges after Hurricane Ian and that FEMA 2 0 has created another layer of concern over what they can do to their homes

I ve heard from businesses and residents they have seen an increase in premiums As we get further into the process, we will see how it s really impacted us It may take another year to see the true impact ” Germain said

Those who saw huge spikes in their flood premiums are capped to an only 18 percent increase annually State and federal legislators attempted to get that increase cut in half but that went nowhere

Parker said he wasn’t too disappointed by a lower-than-expected turnout as those who came who pass what they learned on to others Also, the meeting was shown live and recorded for use on the Chamber’s Facebook Page

“The audience is far greater than it appeared in this room Meetings were attended by hundreds of people, but it was archived and seen by many more, Parker said I think people understand there are no flood zones and that there is now a risk of low medium and high They know the way you build a home or how a home was built can affect the likelihood of a flood or the cost of flood insurance

For more information on the new FEMA Risk Rating 2 0 go to www FEMA gov

Traffic: Residents plead for help with ‘chaos’ on busy Cape roadway

From page 1A

Center at Entrada and Entrada would construct said traffic signal and that the city would not participate in funding for those improvements

Those types of inclusions in contracts are common for those developments, said Melissa Mickey, city spokesperson

Now, the signal is warranted and the Entrada Community Association has approved the design for a traffic signal However while the group has a contractor to construct the traffic signal it does not have the full funding (around $120 000) to contract for the work due to holdouts on pay-

ments and has asked the city for help move the project forward as it pursues collections

The organization would reimburse the city within two years from the agreement and post a bond

Over the last two city council meetings, especially at the Jan 11 meeting, residents nearby have lodged their complaints about the speeding on Del Prado, how the intersections on de Navarra and Averill have become more dangerous and how the need to make a U-turn going into Entrada on Del Prado has further backed up traffic Residents have also sent in e-comments about the issue and even signed petitions about the issue

“The De Navarra traffic solution has caused significant congestion at the Village of Entrada Entrance on Del Prado The residents are very concerned about the dangerous traffic flow Please consider that numerous elementary, middle and high school buses use this entrance as a bus stop on Del Prado, said Mary Anna Chevalier in an e-mail I would encourage all of you to take a drive over to that area at 6:50 a m on a school day to see the chaos for yourselves

Please don’t think that this issue is resolved while we wait for the signal People are going to die wrote Sara Wood Mickey said in an e-mail that city staff has been working closely with the parties that are

required to fund and install the signal

“We anticipate the signal at this intersection to be operational in the next 12-18 months provided funding is secured ” Mickey said There are no plans to install a traffic light at Del Prado and Averrill that I m aware of, Mickey said

In the meantime, the city s Public Works department has implemented a split left diversion meaning no left turns from De Navarra Parkway onto Del Prado North and no throughway across Del Prado North on De Navarra Parkway

This will remain in place until a signal is installed

Contract: City manager criticized, supported, by divided Cape council

From page 1A

Council properly informed

Sheppard said he felt particularly misled about how the city communicated with residents after Hurricane Ian and that resources he asked about including electronic signage was not effectively utilized

When information is held back, I can t do my job How can we succeed if we are being lied to and given improper information?

Sheppard asked

Long who made the motion for nonrenewal said he did not have confidence in the current path that there are issues he believes Hernandez did not properly address

Gunter took a similar track, saying he wants performance that hits the exceptional bar and, while he agrees Hernandez inherited some of the problems for which he was being criticized he still is accountable for how he handled them as well as new challenges that arose during his tenure

“My belief is that the city manager has been average in his performance I m not

looking for average I want exceptional ”

Gunter said “I’ve always tried to be exceptional I haven t always succeeded but I ve always tried When I see his record, I see an average city manager Is that what you re looking for? If you have an average leader, you have an average organization

The extension of Hernandez’s contract also had support on the board with council members Jessica Cosden Robert Welsh and Tom Hayden speaking in favor

Hayden who was passionate in his argument to extend, said Hernandez did well with the city s EnerGov permitting system after the rough start and that information after Hurricane Ian did get to residents

Steinke who along with Cummings was elected in November said he had not been on Council long enough to evaluate Hernandez’s performance

He pointed out though that Council had done so about two months ago and found Hernandez s performance, overall, slightly above average He also pointed out that

Council had subsequently approved a 6 5 percent salary increase

Haden was sharply critical of the vote

The city is now going to have to find a new city manager at the same time it is looking to hire in the wake of the announced retirement of the city attorney, he said, adding that the council action is more post-election churn in the perennial quest for “better ”

“The history of this city is littered with this A new council comes in and thinks there s a better city manager so they go after that person, then the next council comes and the cycle repeats, Hayden said It frustrates me that this man has done nothing to lose his job He knows he won t be here If he doesn t have the confidence of half the council why should any candidate want to work in a place like that?”

Hernandez took over as the city’s top administrator on Aug 12 2020

He came to the city from Fort Lauderdale where he served as deputy city manager from April 2019 until he was hired by the city

from a field of five finalists replacing former city manager John Szerlag who retired after serving as the Cape s city manager for eight years Hernandez s resume includes tenure as city manager in Savannah, Georgia from 2016-2019, service as deputy county administrator for Broward County deputy county manager for Fulton County Georgia and assistant to the county administrator for Broward County

He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Public Administration degree from Florida International University He is an International City Management Association credentialed manager and a Florida City/County Management Association member

Hernandez declined comment

The City Manager is not commenting at this time, an email from the city s Communications s Office states

FHP urges: ‘Stay at the Scene’ of a traffic crash

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Accidents on the roads are no stranger to Florida residents and local law enforcement is reminding drivers to do the right thing if they should find themselves in an incident

February is Hit-and-Run Awareness

Month in Florida, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol are leading the state s Stay at the Scene campaign to help prevent crashes, reduce fatalities and injuries, and bring justice to families impacted by these crimes

Officials said while data shows a positive improvement from such circumstances from last year yearly hit-and-run totals in Florida underscore a disturbing trend

In 2022, the total number of hit-and-run crashes across the state decreased by 5% compared to 2021 according to officials In that same comparison fatalities from hit-andruns were down by 13%, and serious bodily injuries from hit-and-runs were down 15%

Though over the past five years, there were 515 957 hit-and-run crashes that resulted in 1 251 fatalities

On average that is 103 191 hit-and-run crashes resulting in 250 deaths per year in Florida The state recorded a total of 104,895 hit-and-run crashes and 266 fatalities last year

“Florida has been experiencing far too

“Florida has been experiencing far too many hit-and-run tragedies for far too long, and this needs to change Drivers who flee the scene of a crash are law breakers and displaying disregard towards other people’s lives and property Fleeing the scene of a crash will cause severe, lifelong penalties, and law enforcement including our State Troopers will track down those offenders to make sure they are held accountable under the law

many hit-and-run tragedies for far too long, and this needs to change, stated FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner in a release “Drivers who flee the scene of a crash are law breakers and displaying disregard towards other people s lives and property Fleeing the scene of a crash will cause severe, lifelong penalties, and law enforcement – including our State Troopers – will track down those offenders to make sure they are held accountable under the law ”

Hit-and-run crashes primarily occur at night, or during dimly lit time periods, accounting for 80% of all such crashes Stats show 84% of hit-and-runs in low-light conditions involve a fatality

In 2022 144 fatalities were pedestrians and 50 were bicyclists, totaling 73% of hitand-run fatalities last year While overall hitand-run fatalities decreased compared to 2021 the percentage of bicyclists and pedes-

FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner

trians who died in hit-and-run crashes rose by 3%, officials stated Under Florida law a driver must stop immediately at the scene of a crash on public or private property that results in property damage, injury, or death:

■ If the crash involves property damage, leaving the scene is classified as a seconddegree misdemeanor with penalties up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine

■ Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a second- or third-degree felony and a driver, when convicted, will have their driver license revoked for at least three years and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and incur a $5 000 fine

■ Drivers who leave the scene of a crash with a fatality face a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of four years in prison, and they could be sentenced up to 30 years and incur a $10 000 fine

“Leaving the scene of a traffic crash is a crime even when you are scared You must stop immediately at the scene of a crash which results in property damage, injury, or death, stated Florida Highway Patrol

Director Colonel Gene S Spaulding “If you happen to witness a hit-and-run crash I urge you to dial *FHP (*347) or contact your local law enforcement to report what you witnessed Together, we can make a difference in solving hit-and-run crashes

Even if an individual is involved in a crash pertaining to property damage they must stay at the scene and attempt to locate or contact the property owner If they cannot locate the property owner, the driver responsible for the crash should leave contact and insurance information in an identifiable location officials said In the case of property damage only the driver and crash victim once contact has been made between them can self-file a crash report with FLHSMV, and then do not need law enforcement to file a crash report Officials said even a small tip can help solve a hit-and-run case If you have information on a hit-and-run crash, you can report it by calling *FHP (*347) or report it anonymously to Florida Crime Stoppers by calling **TIPS (**8477) or through the Florida Crime Stoppers smartphone phone app available free in the Apple and Google Play stores

School district increases benefits for employees

By MEGHAN BRADBURY

news@breezenewspapers com

School district employees will have more money in their paycheck thanks to the Lee County school board paying the employee s base plan entire cost, while adding an additional $4,000 for dependent care Insurance and Benefits Management Director Bonnie McFarland said in a presentation dated on July 25 2022 the bottom line showed that the district had the lowest total premium for insurance out of governmental insurances as well as the lowest employer contribution and the highest employee cost for insurance Changes have begun, she said, adding that the board contribution has increased

That increase went from $8,104 80 to $9 213 60 plus $4 000 80 for dependent subsidy equaling $13 214 40 for those who have dependent coverage McFarland said that more than $13,000 goes towards the entire coverage on an annual basis

According to a press release, employees pay just $26 a month for a higher plan That increases to $41 21 when adding children to a plan a month for the base plan, or $83 76 a month for a higher plan

We are making significant progress in the realm where other employees are,"

McFarland said Bernier said the board did a fabulous job in not only raising the amount of money for employer contributions, but took care of additional costs associated with medical inflation " C o m p e n s a t i o n p a c k a g e i t d o e s n ' t always come in a straight raise This is a legitimate money in a person s pocket they can utilize" he said With the new employer contribution the School District of Lee County surpasses Broward County with employee only and family funding at $8,919 60 The district comes closer to Polk County with employee only and family funding at $9 288; Collier County with an employee only and family funding at $9 681 and Orange County with employee only and family funding at $9,288 60 A l t h o u g h H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y a n d Pinellas County have lower employee only funding at $7 934 28 and $7 862 their f a m i l y f u n d i n g i s $ 1 8 6 4 3 2 0 f o r Hillsborough and $23 176 for Pinellas

As far as other Lee governmental entities, the School District of Lee County still

lags behind The City of Cape Coral has a $11 806 32 employee only funding and $13,823 40 for family funding; Florida Gulf Coast University has a $9,161 98 for employee only funding and $20,252 40 for family funding; Lee Government has $13 908 for employee only funding and $21 960 for family funding and the Lee County s Sheriff Office has $10,064 04

McFarland said open enrollment for 2023 ends on Feb 10 She said only 25 percent of the district s employees have completed their selections

"We need to get that number a little higher " McFarland said She said through PeopleSoft employees have the option to purchase different insurances, which will be calculated on the fly to show how much they would spend out of pocket based on a selected plan "You can do that as often as you would l i k e i n t h e o p e n e n r o l l m e n t p e r i o d " McFarland said

The district is entering the Invitation to Negotiate for the 2024 open enrollment

for medical dental vision and disability

short-term and long-term insurance; group legal plan and employee assistance program McFarland said when they go to the market there will be a request to match current plan designs; proposed enhancements to current plan designs and to propose alternative plan designs There will also be a m e d i c a l i n s u r a n c e r e q u e s t f o r s e l finsured, fully-insured, prescription carvein and carve-out options

The carve-in and carve-out plans provide an option to mix and match a medical plan with a prescription plan McFarland said they can take those two and make a plan for the district

The Invitation to Negotiate process will ultimately end with open enrollment 2024 She said the options will be brought before the board to vote upon in September or October this year

"This is sort of a promise made and a p r o m i s e k e p t " S u p e r i n t e n d e n t D r

Christopher Bernier said "This is a complicated issue, the market in which we shop our insurance Board member Chris Patricca said the district has difficulty in how they shop their insurance because the market is so limited due to the structure of Lee Health

It does make it tremendously difficult to get real competition in Lee County because of the structure of Lee Health," she said

Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier

Fire: Multiple agencies respond as dry vegetation fuels woodlands blaze

From page 1A

Thursday afternoon were threatened nor expected to be

“If that risk increases we will rapidly get our crews back out and protect people s homes and properties from this fire, Lamb said We want to continue to monitor this We anticipate some wind and weather will increase here over the next few days and so we’re going to apply all of the needed resources that we can protect resident’s homes " Lamb reminded residents that we are in dry season, and that all debris should be at least 30 feet from your home to prevent it becoming a hazardous situation in case of a fire event “We knew this was going to be a bad brush fire season based off of the number of trees that were damaged and broken from Hurricane Ian, Lamb said We need to make sure we provide a buffer area that gives firefighters a defensible space ” Chuck Townsend and his crew working locally after Hurricane Ian to help feed those in need are currently set up at the German American Social Club He said they saw the plume of smoke coming back from working in Fort Myers going over the bridge, and were hoping it wasn t one of their campers

When they arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon the smoke presence in the area was heavy but they were a ways away from where they could see actual flames

Things changed when they got back from a meal in the late evening

“When we came back from dinner it totally grew in size at least in our area ” Townsend said “It was directly behind the property ”

Later on that night and into the morning, the sounds from the blaze were enough to keep them up, and watching “It almost felt like a war zone because the sound of those transformers exploding rattled the heck out of our

trailers, and we heard a few go off, Townsend said Trees were cracking and exploding It was crazy Townsend said he drove as closely as he safely could to make contact with CCFD and Forestry personnel wondering if they were safe where they were

“They said we would probably be OK there was just so much ash and ember everywhere, I was on edge,

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYALTY EVENTS & PHOTOBOOTHS; WWW ROYALTYDJS COM

photo of a large brush fire behind the German American Social Club

Wednesday Boys soccer District 5A-11

Wednesday's championship Mariner 3, cape coral 0

District 3A-8

Thursday's championship

Oasis at Bishop Verot

Girls BAskeTBAll District 3A-12

Friday s championship

First Baptist Academy at Bishop Verot

District 6A-11

Wednesday s semifinals Fort Myers 67, cape coral 31:

The Seahawks dropped to 13-9 with their loss in the district semis charlotte 62, ida Baker 14: Baker ends up 13-7 for the season

Friday's championship Fort Myers at Charlotte

District 5A-11

Wednesday's semifinals Mariner 52, island coast 13: The Tritons (6-10) will face top seed Port Charlotte for the district title Island Coast's season ends at 5-14 Port charlotte 59, Dunbar 6

Friday's championship Mariner at Port Charlotte

Boys BAskeTBAll

Regular season seacrest country Day 83, ida Baker 70: Seacrest is 11-12

District 6A-11

All games 7 p m

Tuesday, Feb 7 Ida Baker at North Fort Myers

Wednesday Feb 8

IB/NFM winner at Charlotte Fort Myers at Cape Coral

Friday, Feb 10 Semifinal winners

District 5A-11

All games 7 p m

Tuesday Feb 7 Dunbar at Island Coast

Wednesday Feb 8

D/IC winner at Port Charlotte Cypress Lake at Mariner

Wednesday Feb 10

Semifinal winners

District 3A-12

All games 7 p m

Tuesday Feb 7

Oasis at Canterbury

Bishop Verot at Community School of Naples

Wednesday Feb 8

C/O winner at Gateway Charter

CSN/BV winner at First Baptist Academy

Wednesday Feb 10

Semifinal winners

Tuesday Girls soccer District 5A-11

Tuesday's championship North Fort Myers 2, Mariner 2 (NFM 4-2 so)

Boys soccer District 5A-11

Wednesday's championship

Cape Coral at Mariner 7 p m

District 3A-8

Tuesday's semifinals

Bishop Verot 4, cardinal Mooney

0: The Vikings (7-5-6) will be the host team for the district final after blanking

Cardinal Mooney

oasis 3, st Petersburg catholic 1:

Down 1-0 at the break the Sharks (124-1) found the back of the net three times in the second half to reach the district title game Mario Acosta scored twice to give the Sharks their first lead and Tyler Kerr added an insurance goal and two assists

Thursday's championship

Oasis at Bishop Verot 7 p m

Girls BAskeTBAll

District 3A-12

Wednesday's semifinals

Bishop Verot 53, canterbury 35:

Josee Fry and Cameron O Halloran scored 18 points each to lead the Vikings (15-9) into the district final

F i r s t B a p t i s t A c a d e m y 4 3 , Gateway charter 36

District 6A-11

At higher seeds all games 7 p m

ida Baker 55, North Fort Myers

14: The Bulldogs (13-6) advance to take on top-seeded Charlotte

District 5A-11

At higher seeds, all games 7 p m

Dunbar 32 Cypress Lake 30

Boys BAskeTBAll Regular season

oasis 56, island coast 50: The Sharks (9-7) go into the postseason on a five-game winning streak Jaxon

McArdle-Sykes scored 16 points and Nick Brown 14, while Kavanaugh Brady pulled down 26 rebounds The Gators are 10-13

CA PE CORA L BREEZE SPORTS

Mariner boys soccer team captures sixth straight district championship

Tritons down Seahawks, 3-0, to earn another title

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

For an astonishing sixth consecutive year the Mariner High School boys soccer team is district champion

The Tritons (10-7-5) turned in a dominating 3-0 win over rival Cape Coral (10-8-

4) Wednesday night to hoist the FHSAA 5A District 11 championship Mariner long-time head coach Martin Cardenas is no stranger to district championships or a winning culture as the Tritons have made the playoffs, or better, in the majority of his decades at the helm

It doesn't take anything from the next one It keeps getting better and better ” Cardenas said of the club's success “It's a great group of guys and they love being out here And it shows The Tritons scored their first of the night in the 6th minute when senior Gabe Chica led senior Marcel Tovar up the middle of the field with a great ball and Tovar made his run Chica's pass originated behind midfield as Tovar stayed on-side and was off to the races The senior made no mistake as he approached the Seahawks keeper and put it past him to get the ball rolling early

My type of play is high-speed, Tovar said Coach has been telling me to just wait for the right one And I saw the ball coming through and I knew I had to use my speed and get it through the net It was an amazing feeling I knew it would bring our team up in the moment ” M a r i n e r t a c k e d o n i t s s e c o n d g o a l moments after the first half water break With the Tritons attacking from less than 20 yards out, a shot off the boot of Tovar was stopped by a sprawling Erwin Quintanilla, t h o u g h t h e r e b o u n d s a t r i g h t o n t h e d o o r s t o p M a r i n e r j u n i o r L u c a s T a r r a

dashed towards the net as it was a race between he and Quintanilla for the loose ball Tarra beat his man and tapped the ball past the goal line to put Mariner up 2-0

The third and final goal arrived in minute

5 3 , w h e n s o p h o m o r e J u s t i n C o r b a l a n ' s throw-in found junior Frank Garcia streaking along the right side of the penalty area F e e l i n g p r e s s u r e f r o m C a p e d e f e n d e r s Garcia sent a high and lofting centering pass t o t h e f a r - l e f t c o r n e r , w h e r e M a x i m o Gorosito fought through his man to get a leg on the ball and flicked it past the keeper

When the final whistle sounded the sixpeat was reality Cardenas said he s proud of the way his team performed and it s been improving all year A tough schedule may not produce the most polished regular season record but the play on the field has still been of quality and that's all that matters when the postseason rolls around A lot of our ties, a lot of our losses, was just us missing opportunities, Cardenas said “Really I think we got out-played once this year Today they were focused The chances we created we capitalized on That s all we ask of these guys If we get a couple goals, I think our defense can hold most teams down Cardenas said over the course of the season he's played with different formations to get guys ready for whatever circumstances

they may face As for their identity -- it's tough to say exactly what that is

“We've actually asked that questions of our guys ” Cardenas said “I think they're still growing I think our identity is our youth The younger kids are pushing the older guys, especially in practice They come in and work hard Our fitness level -you're not going to see guys cramping in our games They have grit and just keep going ”

So, what s the key to success moving forward in hopes to make an appearance in yet another regional final?

“It's the same thing we've been preaching all year -- we want to be better than we were yesterday ” Cardenas said “If we play well today, let s hope the next game we play even better We have a tough region with some Naples teams -- but we can give them a game and make it interesting for sure ”

Mariner has earned an automatic bid into the state tournament with a district championship Cape still has a chance to make the tournament based on FHSAA seedings, that will come out this week

Connect with Associate Sports Editor on Twitter: @haddad cj

North again edges Mariner in penalty kicks to claim girls soccer district crown

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

When the referee blew his whistle to signify extra time was over, and the score knotted 2-2, there was a bit of deja vu between the North Fort Myers and Mariner girls soccer teams Tuesday night at Moody Field at North High

Both talented clubs and familiar foes would again head to penalty shots to decide the district champion

Just as North (12-2-3) had done one year ago the Red Knights came out victorious

4-2 in PKs to hoist the FHSAA 5A District

11 crown I've been a part of a lot of wins, and this one is special,” said North head coach Nick Erickson “Not because (of our opponent) it's because of what's happened previously

No one thought we were going to win this game I thought for the most part tonight we did a good job of executing I thought that we were on the front-foot the majority of the game against them I thought they had their moments where they stepped up All credit goes to the girls, they changed the season While last year's district championship saw a 0-0 score before penalties, there were goals to be had in this one and quickly Just 30 seconds into the match Mariner (14-4-

1) senior Gloria Quintanilla stopped a cleaning attempt in opponent territory and settled the ball near the left sideline The senior then found junior Ryleigh Acosta, who dribbled to her right just outside of the penalty area and lofted a shot over keeper Aliyah Morgan's head and into the net North found the equalizer in the 33rd minute when freshman Hannah Busenbark dribbled by defenders up the middle of the field worked slightly to her right and shot back across her body sneaking the ball into the bottom left corner of the net

The score remained 1-1 at the half and stayed that way until the 63rd minute when North took its first lead of the match A Red Knights' attack resulted in possession deep in Mariner territory and a 50/50 ball sputtered from a group to the boot of sophomore Carolina Jenkins Jenkins took her time, picked her spot and lofted a beauty of a shot o v e r t h e o u t s t r e t c h e d a r m s o f L a t a y a Simmons and into the back of the net

“It's awesome ” Erickson said of the way his team, especially the younger talent, stepped up on the big stage It's exactly

w h a t w e e x p e c t t h e m t o d o j u s t l i k e (Mariner) expects their young players to step up, and they do as well Both of these schools are really fortunate for the level of player that we have -- and it's always next girl up ” Just 3 minutes after North pulled ahead a penalty was called on the Red Knights in the box as Tritons freshman Carly Paz had her arm and shoulder tugged while dribbling towards the net Up stepped senior captain Sarah Paddock who took a brilliantly calm penalty slotting it in the top right corner of the net to tie things up Chances were to be had by both sides in the remaining 35 minutes between the end of regulation and extra time, but none found the back of the next Off to penalties for the second year in a row the clubs went Both Morgan and Simmons came up with big saves in the first round to keep the s h o o t o u t s c o r e l e s s , a n d i n t h e s e c o n d ,

Morgan once again denied Mariner

“Going into PKs I was extremely confident in my teammates and that I was going to get the job done Morgan said We play this team so many times, we know their style and who they are I did what I had to do and was praying my teammates would back me up and they did ”

North converted each of its chances in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, capped by senior Alexa Lara's winner, to earn the victory

“It's always a game ” said Mariner head coach Jami Hagy on playing North “And it's who shows up Unfortunately it's PKs again this year I knew the energy would be high and we came into it knowing that it's always game-to-game with North, no matter the previous outcomes We knew it was going to be tough It comes down to one or two mistakes

O f t h e b a t t l e s b e t w e e n N o r t h a n d Mariner, Erickson said, These kids have known each other since they were 8, 9, 10 years old There's just allegiance to the school It's just different It's no joke I would put this rivalry against any rivalry in this county, regardless of sport It s a lot of fun for both teams and coaches

Earlier this year Mariner defeated North 4-0 and the Red Knights followed that up with a 5-0 loss to North Port Since then they have gone 7-0 Erickson said the team used that as a turning point in the season and switched their mentality

He said the team's success comes from “Putting their egos to the side and understanding that everybody in this room can play soccer Hence the kids we had on that field tonight that are playing huge minutes for the very first time We didn't put our best foot forward the first time we did not play well Ever since then we had a little talk and they decided to change the season -these kids With an automatic bid into the state tournament for North, Mariner also has a great chance to continue its season just as they did last year based on ranking Despite losing the districts a season ago to North the Tritons then went on a run, including a d e f e a t o f N o r t h , t o w i n t h e 5 A S t a t e Championship

“It's a mindset You have to show up every game ” Hagy said of being a defending state champ We ve gotten everyone s best all year We have to show up and do our best because they're coming at us FHSAA brackets will come out this week

Connect with Associate Sports Editor on Twitter: @haddad cj

Kerr Athlete of the Month for January

com The votes are in for the Cape Coral Breeze s

of the Month, and the winner is

s Tyler Kerr The sophomore netted four goals in a 6-0 win over Island Coast during his nomination week to help the Sharks' boys soccer team set a schoolrecord for single-season wins with 11 (now at 12) “I felt excited on the pitch to know that I

helped the team break a school record ” Kerr said As we are heading into the last of the regular season, we just need to take each game one at a time and keep working hard every day so we are ready for districts Voting for February's Athlete of the Month will open toward the end of the month Stay up to date on www capecoralbreeze com Oasis High’s Tyler Kerr

CJ HADDAD

The North Fort Myers High girls soccer team celebrates its district championship Tuesday night

The Mariner High boys soccer team raises its sixth straight district championship trophy CJ HADDAD

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze

Athletes Week of the

Sponsored by:

Love Locks: Cape Coral Youth Council raising funds for community project

From page 1A

High School senior, Allison Bernau "The Love Locks Project when completed will stand as an important reminder of mental health awareness compassion empathy love, and simply positivity within our community " Youth Council member and chair of the Love Locks Project Robbie Reamer said the idea was adopted from the previous Youth Council group and they continued it to keep momentum going

"It would be a lovely addition to our community," Reamer, an Oasis senior, said "Recently we have begun committing to beautifying our city through park modifications that both youth and general citizens can appreciate Love Locks is an interactive sculpture where the art piece will invite park goers from the community (or anyone) to attach their locks to the sculpture as a representation of their commitment to their loved ones Reamer said the keys to locks placed on the heart will be dropped in an adjacent slot

box where it will provide a lasting mark of endearment in Cape Coral The slot box also works to eliminate any possibility of metal pollution into the local environment

The locks will be linked impermanently but serve as a beacon to be revisited and reattached at any time," he added

Citizens will be encouraged to add their own lock to the statue to signify a committed or locked promise to the community and be loving in their own ways

"No matter where you come from or who you are this mural will stand to signify the opportunity to make a difference " Bernau said "Anyone can place a lock and anyone can make a significant change in our community, which is what makes the Love Locks Project so significant to the Youth Council "

Though this project was initially discussed as a mental health initiative the Youth Council hope some alternative implications shine through -- and the Love Locks project has already grown to be so much more than just that

"Any member of the community can remember their commitment to a loved one

or themselves, as part of this project," Bernau said "I hope that for years to come this project is remembered because it inspired members of our community to become better versions of themselves, through the pillars of the project, kindness, compassion, empathy, love, and positivity

"I hope that for years to come the project will be a symbol of love and kindness for the City of Cape Coral to appreciate and continue to raise awareness for, Bernau said

The Youth Council's goals for this project are:

■ To increase park appearances and interaction while inciting continual future visits

■ Beautify park grounds with the artwork

■ Raise awareness of Cape Coral s intense park zest and ever-growing improvements

■ Inevitably Cape Coral will find that its heart-shaped sculpture is filled with lovely locks from everyone in the community

■ This project will set the stage for more recreational plans to be developed and carried out that enhance our growing city

Naturally there are expenses that come

with a project of this size, and the Youth Council are hoping for local donations to make the project a reality They have a goal of raising $10 000 to get Love Locks upand-running The Youth Council, under the direction of Connie Gingrich, as set up a GoFundMe to raise money to make the project a reality and can be found on the site by searching "Cape Coral Youth Council's Love Locks Project The Cape Coral Youth Council was established in February 2017 It is made up of 14 members: one Junior and one Senior from each of the six Cape Coral High Schools as well as one at-large member under the supervision of Councilmember Tom Hayden The fully established board advises the Cape Coral City Council, making recommendations on certain topics representing the younger population of Cape Coral in city government and advocating for city-wide issues alongside their peers The goal and purpose of the City of Cape Coral s Youth Council are to propose and implement ideas and activities for the enrichment of Cape Coral’s Youth

Mariner: Teamwork, leadership skills, community service stressed

From page 1A

Major Bryan Williams and his wife coach Marybeth Williams

Our after school, co-curricular teams, such as Marksmanship, reinforce our top classroom priority teach, coach and mentoring America's premier character education curriculum to young people ” M a j o r W i l l i a m s s a i d T r o p h i e s a n d awards are the result of our cadets learning the most important lessons teamwork, s a c r i f i c e , c o m m i t m e n t a n d d e d i c a t i o n result in a pathway to achieving your goals ” Cadets at Mariner are taught skills that translate to student development, such as c o n c e n t r a t i o n , s e l f - c o n t r o l , t e a m w o r k , focus and discipline “Which results in improved study habits test taking skills behavior and etiquette and attendance ”

Major Williams said Marksmanship can also serve as a pathway to higher education Scholarships are offered at 32 universities as well as by the Civilian Marksmanship Program

“Marksmanship has taught me that sacrifice and commitment is required to succeed and achieve excellence at a high level, said Cadet Tyler Dennard

At the National Championships the cadets were treated to a 90-minute Q&A with five Olympic medalists and the reigning World Champion While the seminar included discussion about Marksmanship techniques, the conversation was mostly centered on mental preparation and psychology The Olympic athletes helped young cadets understand the importance of concentration, discipline and commitment to achieve excellence in their lives

The reigning world champion made a key point to the Cadets that “results do not determine your self-worth ”

That was one of the biggest takeaways

Coach Williams and I took from our time at t h e N a t i o n a l C h a m p i o n s h i p s , M a j o r Williams said “While our team certainly had set result-oriented goals the tremendous life lessons we gained could not be measured JROTC emphasizes community service as evidenced by the JROTC mission statement “to motivate young people to be better citizens ” Major Williams said Cadets at each of the Lee County High schools volunteer thousands of hours of community service each year, and perform

The Mariner High School JROTC Marksmanship team won the 2023 Florida State Air Rifle Championship at Island Coast earning top honors out of more than 200 high schools in Florida with marksmanship programs They also placed 8th in the Army Youth Air Rifle National Championship at Fort Benning, Georgia

color guards assist veteran organizations help Habitat for Humanity serve at soup kitchens and food pantries, and this year, made a significant impact helping the community in the wake of hurricane Ian

“I’ve learned how much I really love serving my community and helping others by volunteering with JROTC said Cadet Trent Olsen After Hurricane Ian, many of the cadet leaders collaborated with the instructors to get involved in the community We helped out neighbors we did boat rescue and resupply missions to Pine Island and helped clean up our campus when it was safe It was so rewarding

Some cadets self-organized and went door to door in their neighborhoods asking how they could help while others volunt e e r e d w i t h i n s t r u c t o r s t o s u p p o r t Samaritan s Purse and also volunteered t h e i r w e e k e n d s t o h e l p c l e a n u p t h e Mariner campus, as did other schools across the county Before returning to school more than 50 Mariner JROTC

cadets had participated in a dozen organized relief events

Cadets at Mariner continue to have a heart for the community following Ian The student leadership decided to focus their annual service-learning project on food insecurity and Lee County

Many of us had friends who were disp l a c e d a f t e r t h e s t o r m , s a i d J R O T C Brigade Commander Col Tenille Perez “Some of them are really struggling so it j u s t m a k e s s e n s e t o k e e p f o c u s i n g JROTC’s community service on the immediate needs right here in our backyard as Major (Williams) says Cadets also learn about diversity in JROTC and recently Mariner Leadership Academy continued a tradition of inclusion activities with special need students during a two-day Triton-a-thon event Cadets integrated with their special need peers with activities such as a bounce house obstacle course outdoor bowling Hula Hoops and a giant Jenga

Marksmanship is one of many JROTC co-curricular after school activities All programs are designed to reinforce and apply leadership and character lessons l e a r n e d i n t h e c l a s s r o o m L e a d e r s h i p Academy is a 4-year elective program with lessons about leadership ethics etiquette health and nutrition civics financial planning, and preparation for life after high school Mariner Leadership Academy’s deck of instructors is stacked with teacher accol a d e s i n c l u d i n g : 2 0 1 6 G o l d e n A p p l e recipient First Sergeant (retired) Steve Jaramillo, 2021 Golden Apple recipient Major (retired) Bryan Williams, and 2022 A r m y J R O T C I n s t r u c t o r o f t h e Y e a r Sergeant Major (retired) Kim Williams

“We pride ourselves in being worldclass teachers with a focus on student engagement, Major Williams said C o n n e c t w i t h t h i s r e p o r t e r o n Twitter: @haddad cj

PHOTO PROVIDED

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

CAPE CORAL BREEZE LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

Febr uar y 3, 202 3 Page 13B

Welcome to the IMAG Backyard Nature Exhibit

By DEBORAH HAGGETT news@breezenewspapers

STEMtastic Day of Discovery Feb. 11 at Caloosa Sound Convention Center

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Students and their families are invited to attend the STEMtastic Day of Discovery, which will feature more than 125 exhibits all surrounding science technology engineering and math

com

Many of our Breeze articles attempt to describe and educate the public on the nine principles of Florida Friendly Landscaping The IMAG History and Science Center advances this goal with its demonstration garden titled, Backyard Nature, an interactive and experiential exhibit for museum guests to discover how their landscape footprint impacts the larger Florida environment, according to Matthew Johnson executive director of IMAG

The annual STEM Convention now in its 1 year, will take place from 10

Convention Center, 1275 Monroe St There will also be food available for purchase

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

L o n g - t i m e r e s i d e n t s may remember this museu m w h i c h o p e n e d i n 1995 and was formerly k n o w n a s t h e I m a g i n a r i u m S c i e n c e Center located at 2000 C r a n f o r d A v e i n F o r t M y e r s I n 2 0 1 7 , t h e I m a g i n a r i u m m e r g e d w i t h t h e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a Museum of History becoming the IMAG History and Science Center designed to engage and inspire children and families through hands-on experiences

According to Johnson, History tells us the whos, whens and whys, while science explains the hows, giving the 100 000 annual visitors a much more holistic story of Southwest Florida

Recently Johnson contacted David Outerbridge executive director of the University of Florida/Lee County Extension Program, to assist the IMAG team in a collaborative venture to renovate the 2014 Backyard Nature exhibit Upon learning about the “new science a n d e d u c a t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s a r o u n d F l o r i d a F r i e n d l y Landscaping we realized that a more extensive overhaul would provide the best exhibit and educational experience, Johnson said Outerbridge enlisted two Lee County Master Gardener Volunteers, Susan Noble and Janice Bargmann who in turn managed four teams of Master Gardener Volunteers to undertake a complete renovation Fifty volunteers worked diligently to transform the outdoor exhibit

According to Noble and Bargmann, the Master Gardener teams accomplished many of their goals They began by evaluating the landscape removing invasive and diseased plants and pruning trees to allow more sunlight into the garden Native plants were incorporated into the refurbished garden beds Identification signs were added containing both common and botanical names These signs include QR codes which provide a

See NATURE EXHIBIT page 9B

Foundation for Lee County Public Schools President and CEO Marshall Bower said when they first started the convention it was just the foundation and the School District of Lee County A few years into the convention he w approached by the Edison Festival of Lights and asked if they too could participate

It made perfect sense, Bower said, adding that Thomas Edison was all about technology, science, math and engineering

The event typically attracts thousands of people with one year exceeding 3 000 visitors

“Anybody that has a child or interested in the future should attend, Bower said The highlight of the day is shining the spotlight on STEM courses available in the district and higher education

With an abundance of careers in the STEM field the convention will highlight a pathway to a good career It is really hard to think of a job now and in the future that does not include science, technology, engineering and math, he said “We invite all of the schools and the district and b iness partners to come in The only request that e have asked to participate is to highlight something with science, technology, engineering and math in a hands-on kind of way We invite all of the students in the area whether they are district students or not It gives them the opportunity to check everything out ” Bower said Students will receive a passport and as they o to someone in each STEM field science, nology engineering and math Once signed off it will be placed in a bin for a drawing which will be held every hour to 90 minutes

In previous years, some of the exhibits include robots, flying technology and snakes

It really runs the gamut It s only limited by the imagination for the students teachers and businesses who come and participate ” Bower said “It is a wonderful event for families to come to I am usually told thank you for having this and it gives us an idea about talking to them about their future We want everyone to come out

Drug House Odyssey returning to Lee Civic Center

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

After a three-year hiatus, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida and its many community partners will bring back one of its key events to the Lee Civic Center

T h e D r u g h o u s e O d y s s e y w i l l h a p p e n T u e s d a y Wednesday and Thursday, Feb 7-9, with Lee County fifth-graders coming in during the morning and a special family night on Wednesday at 5 p m

“Drughouse Odyssey” is a five-scene play that depicts teenagers making the wrong decisions about drugs and alcohol and the consequences of those decisions

Deborah Comella, director of the Coalition, said after having the 2021-22 events cancelled by COVID, it's great to be back

“This program has taken place in Southwest Florida for the past 28 years except for the two COVID years It's unique because it used all the actual first responders, Comella said The only actors are the high school kids Partners taking part are the United Way, Lee County S h e r i f f ' s O f f i

Florida Highway Patrol Lee County EMTs Lee Health Bayshore Fire Department and the State Attorney's Office

Also giving a huge hand is the Lee County School District, which provides the teenagers the opportunity to take part and the hundreds of fifth-graders countywide

who will witness this event

The play takes viewers to a party where teenagers get drunk, a sobriety test with a local police officer and a day in court where the accused is sentenced for his/her actions

That person may be the lucky one The final two scenes depict a car accident where someone is critically injured and finally the hospital scene where that person dies

There have been some changes over the years, with the hospital scene being added several years ago

However, the basic idea has remained the same Comella said

“For kids it's not only a realistic experience but also provides a one-on-one with our community heroes ” Comella said We re now at the point where we have second and third-generation kids who have gone through it

Comella said she hopes the experience will result in discussion about drugs in the classroom and at home for Family Night

What do you do at a party and someone offers you a joint or you feel like you re in danger? Commella said

About 1,000 kids attend the fifth-grade field trip version of the event, while another 300 come for Family Night

Comella warns that the program is not recommended for children under age 8 as the scenes may be too intense for them Parental discretion is advised

For more information, go to www drugfreeswfl org

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

A hearing examiner has recommended approval, with conditions, of a requested rezoning that would allow a car lot at the site of the old Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce office in Matlacha

Lee County Chief Hearing Examiner

Donna Marie Collins issued her recommendation following a Jan 12 public hearing on a proposal to rezone the 1 4 acres at 3640 SW Pine Island Road from an agricultural (AG-2) to commercial planned development (CPD) district The request would allow use of the existing 1 250square-foot structure for sales and administrative offices to support vehicle sales and rentals with plans to increase the building to 2 000 square feet

Collins found that the proposed CPD zoning will not harm environmentally critical/sensitive areas or natural resources and that requested deviations from the Land

Development Code meet the criteria for approval

She also listed recommended conditions for that approval

The County must administer the zoning process so proposed land uses minimize adverse impacts on adjacent property and protect County's water resources ” the r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s u m m a r y s t a t e s

“Conditions must be plausibly related to the project s anticipated impacts, and pertinent to mitigating impacts to public health, safety and welfare The CPD will be subject to conditions of approval designed to address impacts reasonable by anticipated from development

To that end,

Goodwill to sponsor job fair and resource day

Hurricane Ian hit more than four months ago but many Southwest Florida residents are still dealing with the aftermath trying to put their homes, their businesses and their lives back together To help the communit y i n t h e i r r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s G o o d w i l l Industries of Southwest Florida is sponsoring a Career Fair and Resource Day at the New Hope Church located at 431 Nicholas Parkway, E , Cape Coral, Saturday, Feb 4, from 10 a m to 1 p m

Sixteen companies will be represented and will be doing on-site interviews for i m m e d i a t e h i r e p o s i t i o n s v o c a t i o n a l schools offering short-term career training into high-demand industries and several n o n - p r o f i t s w i l l b e t h e r e t o p r o v i d e resources to attendees

G o o d w i l l I n d u s t r i e s o f S o u t h w e s t Florida is committed to serving people w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s b y o f f e r i n g l i f e - c h a n g i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o achieve independence

F o r i n f o r m a t i o n o n w h o G o o d w i l l SWFL positively impacts the community visit www Goodwillswfl org

Santos named Busey Bank’s 2022

Volunteer of the Year

Busey Bank recently announced Jay Santos, assistant vice president - private client associate, as its 2022 Volunteer of the Year Living the Busey Promise in his community Santos completed over 276 hours of service in 2022

Santos s extensive involvement in his F l o r i d a c o m m u n i t y i n c l u d e s v o l u n t e e r service and various leadership roles within several organizations including the United Way of Lee Hendry and Glades Counties the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral the city of Cape Coral and the Lee County

C o a l i t i o n f o r a D r u g - F r e e S o u t h w e s t Florida, to name a few

By serving on committees mentoring

BUSINESS BRIEFS

youth and acting as an advocate and ally for underrepresented populations, Santos has consistently proven his dedication to service by exemplifying what it means to be an agent of change both at Busey and in his community He inspires those around him by continuously devoting his time talent and passion to the organizations he is involved with

Specifically, Santos has made a tremendous impact with the United Way of Lee Hendry and Glades Counties where he has served as a ReadingPals mentor at Villas Elementary in Fort Myers, FL, since 2019 ReadingPals is a statewide early literacy initiative with a one-on-one approach that provides mentors for students who may need extra help

As the Volunteer of the Year Santos will receive $1,000 to present to an organization of his choosing

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t B u s e y Bank please visit busey com

Priority Marketing hires Collins as digital marketing coordinator

N a t e C o l l i n s h a s j o i n e d P r i o r i t y Marketing as a digital marketing coordinator to help clients achieve their goals t h r o u g h e f f e c t i v e c a m p a i g n s , s t r a t e g y

implementation and evaluation

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REAL ESTATE

Rescuing a real estate transaction

Mr Feichthaler: I signed a contract (standard as-is contract) to sell my home back in November The contract noted that I was in the process of replacing the roof due to the hurricane and that closing would occur 14 days after completion

The roof was completed last week

During the roof replacement, we had a big rain that caused some water to get in and stained the ceiling in one of our rooms The next day the roofing contractor fixed this and it has held all water both before and since the shingles went on Now, the buyer is saying they don t want to proceed until there is proof the roof is fixed, damage mitigated in the attic (if any?) and the entire room painted Am I required to do this? What if I refuse? I am very worried this will not close next week and I need the money for my new house which is closing a few days later

Brian S

Dear Brian:

The hurricane should have been the end of the damage, but it was more like the beginning for several of my clients As time goes on particularly when repairs are delayed due to contractor a n d i n s p e c t i o n d e l a y s , additional damage can occur Your situation is c o m m o n a n d t h e r e should be no reason for this transaction to fail T h e b u y e r h a s a n expectation of purchasing the house in the same condition as it was when the contract was signed

Eric P Feichthaler

Real Estate Law

As noted, you referenced the new roof in the contract, so that will be of no surprise to the buyer If you have not already explain the situation to the buyer that some water did enter during the re-roof If your roofer or an inspector can confirm no permanent damage in the attic, this should be sufficient to give the buyer comfort in the roof going forward

As for the ceiling I understand why the buyer may be upset However this minor issue may not provide a legal basis to cancel the contract While always cognizant of the law, I always counsel clients to proceed in a practical manner You need to close next week, and this ceiling issue may jeopardize that A lawsuit to enforce your rights is likely not what you want even if you are “right ”

You likely can get a painter to come in quickly to paint the room In the alternative, you can offer a credit at closing, allowing your buyer to choose the painter and paint they wish at a later time Given your time constraints the credit option would be most beneficial to you under the circumstances If you do proceed to offer a credit or paint it prior to closing, you will want to

See RESCUING A TRANSACTION, page 5B

T HE BREE ZE 4

FEBRUARY

Cape’s condo sales decline in 2022, prices up but softening

The main takeaways from the year-end condo market data in Cape Coral is that the number of closed sales declined in 2022 while there was a large increase in the number of active condo listings and a decline in pending sales We are in what could be considered a return to preCOVID sales levels in a market normalization that feels a bit more like a sales recession following the post-COVID shutdown market boom For their part, median sales prices have shown signs of softening, while remaining above their 2021 levels

As of Tuesday Jan 31 there were 194 condominiums listed for sale through a Realtor in the Multiple Listing Service in C a p e C o r a l a t p r i c e s r a n g i n g f r o m $175,000 to $1 9 million This is an increase of 13 5 percent from 171 listings on Jan 5 of this year while the median list price for condos remained the same at $320,000 Looking back one year ago, on Feb 1, 2022, there were only 33 condos listed for sale in the Cape through the MLS with list prices ranging from $160,000 to $995 000 and the median list price was $309 900 There has also been a big market shift with the number of pending condo sales as one year ago there were 90 condos in the Cape under contract with buyers at prices ranging from $109,000 to $1 085 million versus only 68 currently pending condo sales ranging in price from $159,900 to $2 195 million

On a positive note current pending sales are up by 25 9 percent from 54 on Jan 5 of this year Two years ago on Jan 31, 2021, there were 149 condos listed for sale in the Cape, with 125 pending sales in the pipeline Moving into the year-end 2022 numbers in the overall Cape condo market, there were 44 closed sales in the month of December, which was 22 8 percent lower than the 57 condos sold in December 2021 and down from 72 sales in December 2020 However the December closed sales were up 22 2 percent from the 36 sales in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022, there were 113 closed condo sales, which was down 31 9 percent compared to the 166 sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 21 percent below the 143 sales in the third quarter of 2022 For the year there were a total of 670 condos sold overall in the Cape during 2022, or 28 6 percent less than the 939 units sold for the year in all of 2021

The December median sales price was $272 450 in the overall Cape Coral condo market, which was 18 5 percent above the $229,900 posted in December 2021, but it was 11 7 percent lower than the $308 400 in November 2022

In the fourth quarter of 2022 the median sales price averaged $280,283 per month in the Cape s overall condo market, up 27 3 percent from the average of $220,217 per month in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 1 9 percent above the average of $275 000 in the third quarter of 2022 For the year the median sales price averaged $276 758 per month in our overall condo market during 2022, or 30 1 percent above the average of $212,796 per month for the year in all of 2021

Gulf access canal condos

In the Cape Coral gulf access canal condo segment which includes all saltwater canal condos there were 11 closed sales in the month of December This was 47 6 percent lower than the 21 condos sold in December 2021, and down from 45 sales in December 2020 However the December closed sales were up 37 5 percent from the 8 sales in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022

there were a total of 34 closed condo sales in this segment down 48 5 percent compared to the 66 sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 45 2 percent below the 62 sales in the third quarter of 2022 For the year, there were a total of 290 gulf access condos sold in the Cape during 2022 which was 32 1 percent less than the 427 units sold for the year in all of 2021

The December median sales price came in at $470,000 for the Cape s gulf access condo segment, which was 70 9 percent above the $275 000 posted in December 2021 and 33 4 percent higher than the $352 450 in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022, the median sales price averaged $374,150 per month in this segment, which was 41 3 percent higher than the average of $264 833 per month in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 7 5 p e r c e n t a b o v e t h e a v e r a g e o f

$347,917 per month in the third quarter of 2022 For the year, the median sales price for gulf access condos averaged $341,558 per month in 2022, which was up 35 3 percent versus the average of $252 383 per month for the year in all of 2021

Direct sailboat access canal condos

In the Cape Coral direct sailboat access canal condo segment, which is a subgroup of gulf access condos with no bridges in the canal system, there were 6 closed sales in the month of December This was 40 percent lower than the 10 condos sold in December 2021 and down from 32 sales in December 2020 However the December closed sales were up 100 percent from the 3 sales in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022, there were 17 closed condos sales in this segment, down 46 9 percent versus the 32 sales in both the fourth quarter of 2021, and in the third quarter of 2022

For the year there were a total of 175 direct sailboat access canal condos sold in the Cape during 2022 which was down 22 9 percent from the 227 condos sold for the year in all of 2021

The December median sales price came in at $542,450 for the Cape’s direct sailboat access condo segment which was 8 percent above the $502 500 posted in December 2021 and up 38 7 percent from $391 000 in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022 the median sales price averaged $419,983 per month in this segment, which was 2 9 percent lower than the average of $432,500 per month in the fourth quarter of 2021 but 8 8 percent above the average of $386 083 per month in the third quarter of 2022

For the year the median sales price in this segment averaged $380,638 per month in 2022, which was 11 6 percent higher than the average of $341,225 per month for the year in all of 2021

Dry lot condos

In the Cape Coral dry lot (non-canal) condo segment there were 24 closed sales in the month of December which was 17 2 percent lower than the 29 sales in December 2021, and up from 20 sales in December 2020 The December closed sales were also up 9 1 percent from the 22 sales in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022, there were 61 closed condo sales in this segment which was 29 1 percent below the 86 sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 7 6 percent lower than the 66 sales in the third quarter of 2022 For the year, there were a total of 313 dry lot condos sold in the Cape during 2022, which was down 23 3 percent versus the 408 sold for the year in all of 2021

Bob and Geri Quinn Homing In

Rescuing a transaction: Agreements can almost always be reached

From page 4B

obtain a signed addendum from the buyer which accepts the credit or painting and states there are no further contingencies to close Even when dealing with the most challenging parties, agreements can almost always be reached to complete a transaction I wish you the best in yours staying intact and closing on-time

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape C o r a l A f t e r c o m p l e t i n g l a w s c h o o l a t G e o r g e t o w n University in Washington, D C , he returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008 and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center Cape Coral Museum of History and Cape Coral

Condo sales: Decline

From page 4B

s dry lot condo segment, which was 10 8 percent above the $185,000 posted in December 2021, but 28 7 percent less than the $287,500 in November 2022 In the fourth quarter of 2022 the median sales price averaged $240 833 per month in this segment which was 33 3 percent higher than the average of $180 658 per month in the fourth quarter of 2021, and 3 9 percent above the average of $231,733 per month in the third quarter of 2022 For the year, the median sales price for dry lot condos in the Cape averaged $233 565 per month in 2022 which was 37 1 percent above the average of $170 410 per month for the year in all of 2021

The sales data for this article was obtained from the Florida Realtors Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County Fla as of Jan 30 2023 unless otherwise noted It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral condominiums townhouses and villas, and it does not include any singlefamily homes, short sales or foreclosures The data and statistics are believed to be reliable however they could be updated and revised periodically and are subject to change without notice The Quinns are a husband and wife real estate team with the RE/MAX Realty Team office in Cape Coral They have lived in Cape Coral for over 43 years Geri has been a full-time Realtor since 2005, and Bob joined Geri as a full-time Realtor in 2014 Their real estate practice is mainly focused on Cape Coral residential property and vacant lots

Kiwanis He has been married to his wife Mary for over 20 years, and they have four children together He earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability and is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator He can be reached

at eric@capecoralattorney com or 239-542-4733

This article is general in nature and not intended as legal advice to anyone Individuals should seek legal counsel before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations

Cape Library Art Gallery exhibits scheduled for February

On the library walls

The exhibit of cartoons by Doug MacGregor is titled “Enjoying the Humorous Side of SW Florida ” A native of Binghamton N Y and a graduate of Syracuse University MacGregor has lived in southwest Florida since 1988 He was the editorial cartoonist for The News-Press in Fort Myers from 1988 to 2011 and tackled local, state and national issues on the paper s editorial pages Currently, he is still enjoying his position as coordinator for the Arts in Healthcare program which brings art and music to patients and families within the Lee Health System He coordinates the Art by the disABLED program for Lee Health, working with local artists with special abilities to help showcase their work in all Lee Health Hospitals, area art shows and galleries MacGregor also visits schools libraries art centers and civic organizations sharing his love for drawing and lecturing on creativity and cartooning

He will present a Learn to Draw Cartoons workshop at the Cape Coral Library on Monday, Feb 20, at 6 p m (If interested in the workshop visit www leelibrary net/events for details and to register )

In the library gallery cases

Unique and beautiful fused glass creations by June F Bennett and Judy Van Inwegen will be on exhibit in the lighted display cases for the month of February

Bennett was first inspired by the stained glass windows of historic buildings in her native England Years later after moving to the U S and then retiring she found time to explore her earlier interest She learned both Tiffany and leaded styles of stained glass as well as design and restoration of both methods However once she was introduced to fused glass it soon became the focus for the future Bennett studied new techniques and designs with modern glass artists at Miami University; the Bullseye Glass Company in Portland, Oregon; and Warm Glass Studios in North Carolina An award-winning artist, her work can be

A glass bowl by Judy Van Inwegen

seen in exhibitions and juried shows in Southwest Florida

Bennett currently teaches Glass Fusing at the Cape Coral Art Center and is a member of the SWFL Fine Craft Guild Van Inwegen first became captivated by stained glass, also, until she discovered a skill and enthusiasm for working in fused glass As she describes her experience, she studied with “the best glass artists from Bullseye Glass Company at Miami University ” She also attended classes in Coldworking with Jonathon Schmuck glass artist and

See GALLERY EXHIBITS, page 9B

Changing exhibitions in the Cape Coral Library s expansive art gallery are sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library and are designed to afford local artists the opportunity to share their work in this public forum

The library is located at 921 S W 39th Terrace off of Mohawk Parkway, and the current exhibits will be open during regular business hours through Feb 27

A Doug MacGregor cartoon GRAPHIC PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild exhibit at Cape Coral Art Center

Fine Craft Expo this weekend

Southwest Florida Fine Craft Expo is an opportunity to experience 3-hour and 5-hour hands-on workshops in diverse media Experience learning about a new materials and techniques in a relaxed and friendly environment and take home a project you have made Instructors are members of the Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild, and are highly proficient artists in their media Workshops are offered in fused glass bead embroidery paper quilling copper

enameling, clay raku-metallic glaze, clay raku-white crackle glaze, stained glass, “cold connection”- metal constructed jewelry or paper hearts-mixed media on Saturday Feb 4 or glass mosaics on Sunday, Feb 5 Single workshops are $35 for instruction plus a $20 supply kit fee SWFL Fine Craft Expo location is at the recently refurbished Cape Coral Art Center 4533 Coronado Parkway in Cape Coral Examples of the projects can be seen at Cape Coral Art Center or online: facebook com/swffcg/events Register either by phone 239-5740802 or in person at Cape Coral Art Center

Episcopal Church Women to host Card Party and Luncheon

Church Women of Epiphany Episcopal Church to host Card Party and

event Lunch will be served at 11:30 a m

There will be prizes, hand-made crafts and jewelry on display and a yummy bake sale Tickets are $15 each and reservations are required by Feb 5 and there’s plenty of free parking Call Ruth McConnell (239574-4299) to obtain tickets

The church is located at 2507 Del Prado Blvd S Cape Coral FL 33904

Speaker Series continues at Cape Coral Museum of History

This month, the Cape Coral Museum of History Speaker Series continues with presentations on the history of both Pine Island and Sanibel and how both islands are recover-

ing after Hurricane Ian Next Tuesday, Feb 5, from 5-6:30 p m , Pine Island native Robert Ballard will present an “Early Pine Island

Gallery exhibit: Library displays for February

From page 6B

Florida

Exhibit: At the IMAG

From

link to an informational fact sheet

A demonstration mushroom garden a pollinator garden and a rain garden, including a rain barrel, were also installed to demonstrate some of the features of a Florida Friendly Landscape The irrigation system was evaluated and improved Additional shell paths with benches along them were created to offer visitors more access to walk and reflect in the garden The informational signs along the pathway were redesigned and updated with emphasis on the nine principles of FFL QR codes are again included for access to additional information about the landscaping principles

T h e B a c k y a r d N a t u r e exhibit is a living exhibit and, as such, will continue t o e v o l v e F u t u r e p l a n s include installing a fountain in the rain garden and a micro-irrigation system In a d d i t i o n , e v e n t s f e a t u r i n g the garden will be added to the IMAG calendar Look f o r t h e a r r i v a l o f g u e s t speakers “Ask the Expert” events and other educational experiences, such as student p r o g r a m s a n d s u m m e r camps This collaborative exper i e n c e d e m o n s t r a t e s t h e commitment of IMAG and L e e C o u n t y M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s t o t h e s h a r e d values of education service and life-long learning ” said Johnson “Working with the Master Gardeners has been inspiring to the entire IMAG staff Their knowledge and dedication to this project has been amazing ” A visit to the Backyard Nature exhibit helps answer many questions facing the Florida home gardener and offers a hands-on interactive experience to engage visitors of all ages For more i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t I M A G , please visit their web-site at https://theimag org D e b o r a h H a g g e t t i s a L e e C o u n t y M a s t e r Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral Visit us at w w w g a r d e n c l u b o f c a p e c oral com

Car lot: Plan

t h e y ’ r e a s k i n g f o r d e v i ations on every side of the property, Bareda said W e r e n o t a n t i - b u s in e s s , i t s j u s t t h e w r o n g b u s i n e s s t o p u t a t t h e entrance to Matlacha If you h a v e t o g r a n t s o m a n y waivers to be in business, i t s j u s t t h

She is a current member of the Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild and also attends classes at the Cape Coral Art Center For information about the exhibits contact Art Gallery Chairperson, Monica Rahman, by email to gallery@capefriends org or visit www capefriends org Follow Friends of the Cape Coral Library on Facebook

At left is a fused glass plate by artist June F Bennett Her works are being featured through the month of February at the Cape Coral Library The monthly exhibits are sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library

PHOTO PROVIDED

History from 1880s to 1970s "

Then on Tuesday Feb 21 Emilie Alfino the executive director of the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village will discuss the island historical facility from 5-6:30 p m

Both presentations will be held at the Cape Coral Museum of History at 544 Cultural Park Blvd Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP for the Speaker Series programs at https://capecoralmuseum org/events/ For additional information call 239-772-7037

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