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Civic Association fetes the community’s best

Story & Photography

by Chuck Ballaro

Every year, the North Fort Myers Civic Association pays tribute to people in the community who make a difference in people’s lives, often doing so without any fanfare or accolades After all, that’s not why they do it

The NFMCA once again handed out awards to those people at the recent fourth-annual Community Service Awards

And there was no better person to give the Tom Cronin Community Service Award to than the wife, who helped him run the Shell Factory and do tremendous work for those in the community

Pam Cronin was recognized for the tireless work she has done in the past few years, following the pandemic, then after Hurricane Ian

Cronin didn’t say much during the ceremony, allowing those who nominated her, such as John Gardner, who received the inaugural Cronin Award from Pam, and now was returning the favor.

“Tom Cronin was Mr. North Fort Myers. He exemplified what it was to be a community leader I know you don’t like the spotlight, and I won’t drive you crazy anymore,” Gardner said to the reluctant winner “Thank you and welcome to the club ”

Cronin said it was easier to give the award to John than to get one from him

“This isn’t false modesty I don’t feel I’ve been such a great contributor lately with COVID and Ian I honor all the residents in North Fort Myers and wish they could have all stood up with me and taken this award,” Cronin said “We came together after the storm and it was beautiful ”

The Diamond Award honoree, which goes to a woman who has made a difference, was Brandi Mikolak, whose lifetime of working for the welfare of pets, especially those owned by families in need or pets that need to be rescued, was recognized

The Ron Hoover Legends Award, given to someone who has devoted a lifetime to service to the community, was William Barnes, president of Ellsworth Heating & Cooling, whose company has done everything from sponsor shuffleboard leagues to giveaways of air conditioning units for the neediest and most deserving of people, of which he has donated dozens of over the past 20 years

The Community Service Award and the Ron Hoover Legends Award are shown during the fourthannual Community Service Awards on Monday at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center.

Shelly Porter accepts the Ron Hoover Legends Award on behalf of William Barnes from North Fort Myers Civic Association vice-president Christy-Lee Iwanow during the fourth-annual Community Service Awards on Monday at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center

Shelly Porter, accepting the award for Barnes, read a statement from him saying the award “is not a testament to my efforts, but a celebration of the collective spirit of this community ”

The Community Service Award went to the Interact Club at North Fort Myers High School, which made its imprint by providing toys to those in need, specifically the NFMCA for their Palmona Park Christmas Parade

“We’ve been doing this the last couple years and they just wanted to recognize us for our hard work We couldn’t do it without the Rotary Club,” said Katie Blackwell, Interact Club member “We were surprised we won, but so grateful.”

Community Service Medals, typically given to nominees for the major awards, includes Tommy and Katie Bohanon, William Miller, Lucy Garcia, Titan Construction and Cheri and Danny Miller

NFMCA President Toni Hill said this was another great event, since it's fun to recognize community members doing their best work

“We honored some really great people who really put themselves out there Everyone who was nominated and everyone who won really deserved them,” Hill said “Pam didn’t feel right about getting the award, but we made her She deserves it ”

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Brandi Mikolak accepts the Diamond Award during the fourth-annual Community Service Awards on Monday at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center. John Gardner speaks about Tom Cronin Award winner Pam Cronin during the fourthannual Community Service Awards on Monday at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center.

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Southwest Florida Ag Expo 8

The Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair, a tradition for generations, has been rebranded this year as the Southwest Florida Ag Expo to put the spotlight on area youth Fair favorites, including the midway and rides, will return but the focus will be on the event’s deep roots in Lee County’s agricultural community PHOTO COURTESY OF UF/IFAS

Habitat for Humanity ReStore reopens

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Cracker Day Rodeo celebrates heritage 13 16

Putting the “ag”

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ECHO exceeds fundraising goal.

community connection

NFMCA presents Community Service Awards

I hope the new year has been good to everyone so far

The North Fort Myers Civic Association Community Service Awards brought in the best of the best this year

Pam Cronin was honored as the Tom Cronin Person of the Year 2023 Pam loves our community she certainly isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and contribute She’s helped hundreds of our community causes and charities over the past 30 years Tom Cronin’s legacy at the Shell Factory has been a labor of love for Pam It was our pleasure to present the Tom Cronin person of the year award to Pam Cronin. Brandi Mikolak, owner of Our Hope Animal Clinics, was honored with the Diamond Award Brandi has been a big force in the fight against the feral cat population, stray and abandoned dogs and has helped countless families to be able to afford to take care of their animals Brandi can be found many evenings after hours making sure her pet guests are set for the night It was our pleasure to award Brandi the Woman of Distinction Award 2023

Community Ser vice Awards 2023.

• North Fort Myers High School Interact Club

• Sherry and Danny Miller of the Brethren Church

• William Miller from Nations Choice Church

• Clint Green, Titan Construction

• Tommy and Katie Bohanon

Last but not least!

The Ron Hoover Legends Award 2023 was presented to Will Barnes of Ellsworth HVAC.

Will has supported his community in every way

he can for so long that he should have received this award a long time ago Will proves daily what it takes to be the recipient of the Rob Hoover Legend Award

This is what a community is made of, where everyday heroes are everyday people.

These are just a few of the people that help make a neighborhood This is what Community Service medals are made for

The 2024 NFMCA Board of Directors

• Toni Hill,

• Christy Iwanow

• Allison Savage

• Bob Hill

• Danny Ballard

• Debra Ballard

• Kelly Young

• John Mooney

• Matthew Bonsall

Next up for us is Pickleball in April, new information updates on Facebook and our website www nfmcivic com

Our next meeting is March 12 at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center, on Recreation Way, beginning at 6:30 p m

Always working for the Betterment of North Fort Myers.

Toni Hill President NFMCA

Ag Expo to showcase Lee County’s youths the pulse

Lee County is excited to host the Southwest Florida Ag Expo, and ready to showcase the youth of Lee County who are committed to their livestock projects

The Ag Expo will open Feb. 29 and close on March 10 at the Lee County Civic Center Complex on Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers It celebrates the work and accomplishments of Southwest Florida youth active in 4-H, FFA, and Pee Wees of Southwest Florida and more while offering fun, food, rides for the entire community

More than 370 animals will be shown at the Ag Expo, including poultry, rabbits, cattle, horses and goats to name a few The youth exhibitors have been working all year to take care of their animals to get them ready to show This is a long project for these young exhibitors,

requiring many hours of their time, and we are proud of their dedication

I invite you to come support the youth exhibitors and see their animals during the Livestock Show You can spend time in the Steer Barn, Small Animal Barn, Show Ring, Horse Arena or Swine Barn It doesn’t get any more All American than this Some of my best memories are from events here

Another venue at the Ag Expo that showcases our young people is Creative Living This contest features 10 divisions for crafts, culinary and horticulture exhibits Participation is open to all ages of residents of Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties Stop by and see what they’ve created

Our vendor, Reithoffer Shows, knows how to make it fun Enjoy the live entertainment, games, rides and

the food you love It will be a great time for the whole family

We’ve even got you covered when it comes to parking, as the Board of County Commissioners has invested in improving your experience at the Lee County Civic Center Complex with a resurfacing project for the parking lot and perimeter Lee County has made a new website so you can load up on information before you head to the Ag Expo We also have a Facebook page dedicated to sharing all the offerings You can even buy tickets online ahead of time to avoid waiting in lines Don’t forget to take advantage of the online sales of the MEGAPASS in advance for $25 It includes gate admission and wristband for unlimited mechanical rides on one day of your choice (Sale ends Feb 29 ) We have some exciting promotional nights and

themes, including Moonlight Madness on each of the Ag Expo’s Saturday nights

Visit www swflagexpo com or visit Facebook for SWFL Ag Expo at www.facebook.com/swflagexpo today. Join me in congratulating our young people who will be showcased and come enjoy the Southwest Florida Ag Expo with your friends and family

Commissioner Mike Greenwell is chairman of the Lee Board of County Commissioners and the District 5 Commissioner.

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Experience Babcock: New rental opportunities

Story by Meghan Bradbury

Babcock Ranch now offers rental opportunities through both garden style apartments and three- to five-bedroom single-family homes

Tyler Kitson, senior vice president of Communities for Kitson & Partners, said they are offering two types of rental opportunities

“With high cost of purchasing homes with interest rates, this gives people the other option of not having to put down a down payment, but be able to jump into our community here and experience everything we have to offer – trail systems, parks, events, amenities and become engrained in the resident body and community members that are absolutely amazing,” Kitson said

On top of that, what they are seeing a lot of is the opportunity it gives people the experience of what Babcock has to offer before they decide to make the move "official" with buying a home

“It’s giving them the opportunity to come down and live, experience Babcock and get to know it and then make the decision of whether or not they want to be here – understanding a little more of where they would best fit in, which community and builder,” Kitson said “It’s a great opportunity on a

monetary level, experience level and decision level ”

Once people dip their toes into Babcock, they will see it is more than the amenities offered, he said

“The residents are what makes Babcock so great They are so embracing, so welcoming,” Kitson said “We feel confident the people who come down to rent will inevitably fall in love with this place and, hopefully, buy homes and live here forever and create a lifetime of memories ”

A total of 2,526 rentals – 1,548 for apartments –are tentatively planned for Babcock, numbers that could change

The Canopy, garden-style apartments, offers studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom options There are six floor plans ranging from 627 square feet, which start at $1,574 monthly, to 1,446 square feet starting at $2,772 The Canopy is pet-friendly without breed or weight restrictions, has a pet spa and bark park, resort style pool with sun deck and cabanas, outdoor entertainment deck, courtyards and firepits

There also is The Flatwoods at Babcock Ranch, a single-family rental neighborhood that offers homes ranging from three to five bedrooms from 1,461 square feet to 2,389 square feet homes with large fenced in backyards and a two-car garage

Currently the options range from a three bedroom, two bath for $2,708 to a five bedroom, 2.5 bath for $3,530 a month.

The community offers a playground, swimming

pool, walking trails, park, clubhouse, sports court, picnic areas and a dog park

Kitson said both are in the midst of leasing and, as more become available, they will be added to the leasing opportunities All have a minimum of a oneyear rental

Another phase has begun for Babcock, known as MidTown, which includes new neighborhoods, a 3.5 mile stretch of green space with six new parks and Village Green, a mix of commercial, office, apartments, dining, and retail space

There are eight new communities that includes a three-mile road north and south that runs along those communities and is interconnected to five different parks, all offering a different experience from a fishing pier park, explorers park and an all-exclusive park for special needs, Kitson said

“They are all interconnected with trails engaging with the preserves,” he said “All these great new park systems, trails, fields, and commercial, is just the beginning ”

All the parks are under construction

“We are continuously bringing in amenities, new commercial retail for our residents We are moving as quickly, and efficiently as we can,” he said

For more information, visit https://babcockranch com/our-homes/rentals/

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ECHO exceeds $100,000 for matching grant

ECHO, a North Fort Myers based nonprofit that provides "hope against hunger" worldwide, exceeded its fundraising goal of $100,000 for a matching grant and raised $248,467 dollars

"We are excited that we have reached our goal of $100,000 for the matching grant thanks to nearly 500 individual donors This accomplishment reflects the unwavering support of our community and their shared vision for a better future through sustainable agriculture," said ECHO CEO Dr Abram Bicksler "These funds will

allow us to lean into 2024 with more training and resourcing opportunities and make a lasting impact globally "

The campaign, launched in late November, aimed to secure new or increased funding that would be

matched by a generous donor, effectively doubling the impact of each

contribution

The success of this fundraising endeavor marks a significant milestone for ECHO and is a testament to the community's commitment to lasting impact, officials said

With the matching grant, ECHO will be able to expand its programs in North America and around the world, reaching even more communities in need

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Southwest Florida Ag Expo to showcase youth involvement

Story by Meghan Bradbury

The Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair, a tradition for generations, has been rebranded this year as the Southwest Florida Ag Expo to put the spotlight on area youth

It's an exciting change, said event spokesperson Miriam Dotson of the Visitor & Convention Bureau

Set for Feb 29, through March 10, the Ag Expo will feature 4-H, a program involves the youth, education and activities with 373 participants this year.

4-H has a long and rich history in Lee County.

A Cattle Club, the first 4-H club in Lee County was established on Pine Island in the 1920s

Lee County hired the first 4-H agent in 1972

Lee County Parks & Recreation Operations Manager Lisa Weaver said after speaking with members of the community after the county took over the fair operation their interest was apparent showcasing the youth and livestock portion while highlighting the agricultural community

The event is intended to spotlight the kids who are working really hard on their projects and showing off their animals, she said

“That is the whole real reason to showcase these kids, so they feel like the VIPs of the event,” Weaver said

“It is going to be a good show,” Weaver added “Many of them show multiple animals ”

Other fair favorites, including the midway, will be included as well

Reithoffer Shows Inc., which does numerous events in the state of Florida, is bringing in some rides that have not been showcased in the circuit yet, Weaver said, adding they have been a really good partner, and they are excited to bring something new to the community

There also will be skills exhibits featuring a variety of artisans

“There will be a midway with rides, creative liv-

ing events quilting, knitting and crafting,” Dotson said as they want to pay attention to the arts as well.

Live entertainment also will return

This year ' s lineup includes The Del Prados; One Man Band with Marc Dobson; Tadpole the Clown; Jurassic Kingdom Lockdown; the Moogician; Cowboy Camp with Les McDowell; Michael Felk’s Tinsmithing Show; Kids Foam Zone & Gameshow; Porkchop Revue; Pirate Man Down; Agricadabra Magic & Hypnosis Show and Roger Arahamson the Giant Bowl Turner and Reggie Delarm East Knoll Pottery.

Another new component of the expo is work to expand parking and overflow parking which, in the past, has been one of the biggest challenges

“We are working on providing additional over-

flow parking across the street on 31 We are really excited to be able to offer that All parking on both sides will be free, no parking charges,” Weaver said The expo will continue the mega passes, $25, which can be purchased until Feb 29

“That is your gate admission, as well as unlimited rides for one single day,” Weaver said

General gate admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 4 to 11 years old and free for children 3 and younger

Promotional nights will include:

• Opening Day, Thursday, Feb 29, gates open at 4 p m for $1 gate admission

• Sensory Friendly Day, Friday, March 1, gates open at 4 p.m. From 4-6 p.m. sensory friendly $0 gate admission and at 6 p m regular gate admission

• Moonlight Magic, Friday, March 1, and Friday, March 8, from 8 p m to midnight $30 admission, which includes ride wristband

• Community Night, Monday, March 4, gates open at 4 p m Free admission with three canned food items for Harry Chapin Food Bank, $5 gate admission, $25 ride wristband

• Senior Day, Wednesday, March 6, gates open at 4 p.m., regular admission, and $5 for 50 years old and older, $25 ride wristband

• Latin Day, Sunday, March 10, gates open at 11 a m , regular admission and $40 ride wristband

The expo will be held at the Lee County Civic Center Complex, 11831 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers

For more information visit swflagexpo com, or follow its Facebook page, SWFL Ag Expo

“We recommend people bookmark the website We will continue to add more information – entertainment lineup, pass information, tickets will all be available on the website,” Weaver said, adding to also check Facebook, as they will be pushing information out there as well

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PHOTO COURTESY OF UF/IFAS PHOTO COURTESY OF UF/IFAS

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County departments pivot to host

The Lee County Parks & Recreat on Department has assumed operations of the Lee County Civic Center and is organizing the Southwest Florida Ag Expo

“They tasked us to pick up the operation and run with it,” sa d Lee County Parks & Recreation Operations Manager Lisa Weaver “October of this past year was when the department assumed operation of the Lee Civ c Center complex We were directed to pick up the Ag Expo ”

The effort to rebrand the Southwest Flor da & Lee County Fair nto a “youth showcase” qu ckly became an all-hands-on deck county effort

In addition to the Lee County Parks & Recreation Department, Procurement Management, R sk Management County Attorney’s Off ce, Sports Development Human Resources Faci ities Construct on Management Information Technology Communications & Community Engagement, V sitor & Convention Bureau Public Safety, Animal Services and LeeTran are working together to put on the event, now officially ca led the Southwest F orida Ag Expo

Weaver said t was recognized by all evels of the organization, that the Lee Civic Center fac lity and site off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers s one that the community loves

“My 4-H leader has remained very involved in the 4-H clubs and kids at the fair in the past She was in charge of the steer barn ” she said

Now the Rice family lives on 10 acres n North Fort Myers which has given the k ds a great opportunity to get involved in 4-H

“We l ved in Cape Coral for a while and as our children got older, we decided we would like to be out away from the city and let them have more of a rural experience That is when they got involved in 4-H, when we moved to North Fort Myers ” she said

At one time, Mandy said she had four children in the program before her oldest graduated out of the 4-H program w th another one of her kids graduat ng this year

“It has been a fami y event for qu te some time My itt e one gets a itt e confused because he has been in it since he was born,” she said

John, 8 is involved in both Peewees of Southwest Florida and 4-H He will be showing his goat Fluffy for the Peewees of Southwest Florida as well as his chicken Brenda and rabb t Rex

He said he enjoys working with h s goats because of their horns and how they act John has three goats – Fluffy, Cookie and Sheep.

“I give them food, water and hay and I sometimes help my s ster clean my goat pen I walk them around their pen I have to practice a lot ” John said of getting them ready to show

As far as taking care of his rabbit and chickens John spends time giving them water and hay Extra time is spent with the ch ckens to ensure they have c ean water

“I do agility w th my rabbit and do the costume contest at the fair ” he said

Kam , her 15-year-old daughter, became involved in 4-H when she was 8 This year she is showing a steer, chicken and a goat during the Southwest Florida Ag Expo

“When we first started, my mom told us we cou d do pigs I really liked animals and I really like to talk a lot ” she said

Kam en oyed meeting the kids that enjoyed the same things, ived on farms, and grew up in an env ronment sim lar to hers

“It was very welcoming,” she said.

One of the first anima s Kami worked with

was a pig which unfortunately d d not make weight for the fair She was left w thout any backup animals to show

“So, I was ust at the fair ” she sa d “It wasn’t fun ”

The following year the Rice fam ly had a steer on the property which Kami showed durng the fa r.

Shadow the 400-pound steer she got in April, will be shown this year He needs to be at 1,000 pounds for the expo Shadow has to gain at east 2 pounds a day

Kami said she works with Shadow by feedng him mak ng sure he has water as steers drink a lot, and brushes him In addition she ties up Shadow, so he gets used to the tug on his breaking halter, so it s easier for her to walk him

“I brush him every day. He really ikes being brushed,” Kami sa d, which turns into Shadow iking her and enjoying their wa ks together As a backup she w ll also show a chicken and goat

“The goat I have is fat and happy, so he is OK,” Kami said of Cookie “I have shown him for four years He’s pretty good with me and s used to me They are a little eas er than market an mals Market animals you get at the beginning of the year and have to go through the whole process.”

She explained that goats can become s ck extreme y easi y, so she has to watch for signs to prevent the sickness from becoming harmful Some of those signs could be their eyelids turning l ght p nk or white, or they stop eating and drinking

Her chicken Pr ncess takes a little more attention to get ready for the expo. Kami feeds her and cleans the pen on a regular basis as chickens produce a lot of waste She also handles Pr ncess so she becomes used to being held and practices putting her in a cage

4-H for Kami has taught her a lot, especially s nce her club is outdoor based One of the top takeaways from being nvolved s responsibility

“When you have animals you have to be responsible because your parents aren t the ones taking care of the animals,” she said adding that she has to feed the animals and make sure they have water and are not l ving in f lth “You have to make sure they have the best life ”

In addition to taking care of the an mal, Kami is also in charge of keeping a records book, which is turned into 4-H

She has also stretched her wings to encompass the Executive Board, where she has been on the planning committee to promote and get informat on out about events

“They have to be selected and there is an appl cat on process ” Mandy said. “This year it

was a very compet t ve year to be placed on an executive board ”

In addition, Kami also participates in the Creative L ving portion of the event as well as horticulture

Mandy said she is excited that the annual fair has rebranded to the Southwest Florida Ag Expo this year.

“My children have shown in other livestock shows throughout the year including the state fair at one time I personally hope to see some more state fair type of agricu ture 4-H activities in the future being represented at the Ag Expo,” she said

Mandy said it’s such a great opportunity for the kids who are involved in 4-H and FAA that participate in the expo, but also provides an opportunity for the community to see and learn

A though there are many qualities the youths learn from being involved in 4-H, the top one for Mandy’s children has been confidence She said 4-H requires public speaking in front of their peers, which provides a great learning opportunity

Mandy encourages those who might be interested in 4-H to reach out and learn more as there are many different avenues to get involved in – animals horticulture and arts and crafts

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“It s an event that has nostalg a and brings the community together It’s a fun pro ect to get involved with,” she said.

When the county assumed operation of the site on Oct 1 the work began from replacing animal pens to running fiber cables to use W Fi and conduct business

In addition to rerunning the cables the parking lot resurfac ng was just approved to provide safer day-to-day operation

“Every day we are doing more on this property The major ty is completed or is in completion,” she said “Step one was what do we need to put back into the site to operate every sing e weekend to b g events ”

The pr mary focus became the livestock component as the 4H kids to take part in the Ag Expo have been working on their projects since last year.

“The goal was to provide as ittle of an interrupt on and make it a seamess transition ” Weaver said “Once that kind of got set up and handled we moved into a larger event ”

She said they purchased 160 swine and goat pens which are ut lized year-round Cages for poultry and rabb ts had to be purchased as well

“We had 319 birds,” Weaver said

Bleachers, tables and chairs were a so purchased for the grounds something else that wi l be used year-round

“Every weekend, but maybe Chr stmas weekend, since Oct 1 there has been an event on the property,” Weaver said “From an entire county perspective administration to commissioners it is such an asset to the community It was very important to assume operations and keep it here for the community long-term ”

The next component was to f gure out the rides and the concessionaires that have been there for years as part of the Southwest F orida & Lee County Fair as well as the Creative L ving component From there, the county moved into the event layout and marketing

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by Meghan Bradbury

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Kami Rice will show her steer, Shadow at the Southwest Florida Ag Expo this year./PHOTO PROVIDED

John Rice will show his goat, Fluffy, at the Southwest F orida Ag Expo this year /PHOTO PROVIDED

4 -H runs deep for one North Fort Myers family whose passion for the program has passed from generation to generation

Mandy Rice, a mom with kids now in the program said she was in 4-H in Punta Gorda as well as the Charlotte Senior FAA Club (Future Farmers of America) when she was younger She had a great teacher and 4-H leader, who gave her a good exper ence when she was younger

4-H: A passion passed from generation to generation

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