Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

* To ’ Ad Inserts selected Z p

Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair opens

99th edition of annual event runs until March 5 on grounds of Lee Civic Center

By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers com

The Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair has been entertaining people for nearly a century with great rides talented performers all kinds of livestock and delicious (if not necessarily nutritious) food

The 99th edition of the fair opened Thursday and continues until March 5 at the Lee Civic Center which has served as the venue since 1979 after the event spent nearly 60 years at Terry Park

After two years of COVID and on the heels of one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit Southwest Florida, Fair Board President Mike Peak said they are ready to go Last year’s fair drew more than 100 000 people

and they hope that trend continues

“We don’t have any fears about the economy We think people will be willing to pay for entertainment We don’t scale back much we think people still want to enjoy themselves, Peak said Peak added that Hurricane Ian didn t do much damage to the grounds or to the building so there shouldn t be much they can t do

“We feel very blessed to have the fair without having sustained much damage to make it so we couldn t do it, Peak said We re hoping for good weather throughout the 11 days ” A l t h o u g h t h e f a i r i s a d v e r t i s e d a s

of the fair run a little deeper

Boulevard served as a precursor to the fair, featuring a Seminole Indian tribe that performed its tribal dances The carnival ended in 1917 when the United States entered World War I

Two years later the first Lee County Fair was held at Terry Park, a former cow pasture located just a couple of miles east of downtown Fort Myers on Palm Beach Boulevard The Lee County Commissioners allocated $250 to staff for the first fair In 1924 the name was changed to the Southwest Florida Fair which it has been named ever since, making just one move in all those years One of the bread-and-butter attractions at the fair is the livestock The kids at 4-H will put up the animals they have raised for months Pigs rabbits chickens beef and more will be judged and eventually auctioned off

“The number of entrants has been about

See LEE COUNTY FAIR, page 15A

Lee Republican Party Executive Committee passes ‘Ban the Jab’ Resolution

Asks Florida Legislature to ban the COVID vaccine

By VALARIE HARRING vharring@breezenewspapers com

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

‘YAPPY

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Fun with four-legged friends

Monthly Yappy Hours begin tonight at Fathoms Restaurant & Bar at Cape Harbour in Cape Coral

The events which will be held the last Friday of each month, will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p m at Fathoms

The “Yappy Hours” will benefit the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida and feature live music, prizes, 50/50 drawings and more Each event will be themed starting with “Mardi Gras today Page 7A

Editorial 4A

A

a

C o

F

W

The day offers educational programs live animal exhibits, food, access to the butterfly house and bus tours to nearby owl burrows Parks and Recreation will host a FUN-Mobile at the festival, offering free activities for children Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under We have burrowing owl buses animals from Adam s Animal Encounters, speakers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Calusa Waterkeepers face painting and owl pellet dissection in the Children's Corner music and auction items to explore ” said Event Coordinator Michiale Schneider There is something for everyone!

See BURROWING OWL FESTIVAL, page 11A

long-time tradition in the Cape paying homage and educating the public on Cape Coral’s official city bird takes place this weekend The 21st Annual Burrowing Owl Festival Wildlife & Environmental Expo, put on by the CapeIF YOU GO:

What: 21st Annual Burrowing Owl Festival Wildlife & Environmental Expo

When: Saturday, Feb 25, from 10 a m to 4 p m

Where: Rotary Park, 5505 Rose Garden Rd Cape Coral

Bringing back the gemutlichkeit

The Lee County Republican Party Executive Committee passed a B a n t h e J a b r e s o l u t i o n Tuesday night, asking the Florida Legislature to ban the COVID v a c c i n e a n d t h e A t t o r n e y General's Office to confiscate all doses within the state T h e r e s o l u t i o n p a s s e d b y a voice vote of the attending committee membership as presented after discussion split largely into two camps: whether banning the injections would be an infringement of individual choice and the prevailing view that a lack of informed consent is not consent

T h e r e s o l u t i o n r e c e i v e d t h e required two-thirds majority for passage

The resolution, to now be sent to Gov Ron DeSantis and the State Legislature as a formal position of the LeeGOP states that s t r o n g a n d c r e d i b l e e v i d e n c e exists that injections are biological and technological weapons and cites various sources to substantiate its position that “government agencies media and tech c o m p a n i e s , a n d o t h e r c o r p o r ations, have committed enormous fraud by claiming Covid injections are safe and effective ” Such “continued experimentat i o n o n h u m a n s a n d d e n i a l o f informed consent are violations of the Nuremberg Code and therefore constitute crimes against humanity ” the resolution states calling upon “Governor DeSantis and the state legislature to prohibit the s a l e a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n o f C o v i d injections and all mRNA injections in the state of Florida and for the state Attorney General to immediately seize all Covid injections and mRNA injections in the state of Florida and have a forensic analysis conducted

A m o n g t h o s e o p p o s e d w e r e members of the executive committ e e o f t h e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a Young Republicans Club

German American Social Club to hold first of four Biergartenfests this weekend

While the extravaganza that is Oktoberfest had to be cancelled due t o H u r r i c a

Estate Law 4B

14-15A

Poll 4A

Recap 6A

n e I a n t h e G e r m a n American Social Club of Cape Coral is doing its best to bring back that feeling of gemutlichkeit -- a German word that conveys the feeling warmth friendliness and good cheer S t a r t i n g t h i s w e e k e n d , t h e

GASC will provide a series of weekend events at their Biergarten and hall, looking to let out some pent-up sprit of not being able to put on one of the largest events in

This particular event for this weekend is looking to be a make-up for the lost Oktoberfest as much as possible ”

Southwest Florida

“We've got a lot of stored-up energy because we were going to work non-stop for two weeks in October but instead we got different plans ” said GASC President Steve Bauer This particular event for this weekend is looking to be a make-up for the lost Oktoberfest as much as possible ”

T h i s c o m i n g S a t u r d a y a n d Sunday, the entire community is

invited to join the Biergartenfest festivities in the Bavarian Gardens where the club is planning to make up for lost time Sensational and traditional aromas will fill the air with food options ranging from brats schnitzel sandwiches potato pancakes, and Apfelstrudel, while sit-down dinners with a choice of Sauerbraten or Schnitzel will be served in the Von Steuben Hall (get t h e r e e a r l i e r i n t h e d a y ) T h e

G a r d e n s w i l l f e a t u r e t r a d i t i o n a l

G e r m a n m u s i c w i t h t h e M a n n i

D a u m T r i o a n d H a f e n k a p e l l e while on Saturday night Deb & the Dynamics will bring the house down until 10 p m

“We've got some German bands and German music all day long on Sunday Bauer said It s a bigger footprint from any Biergartenfest from previous winters

Moving into March Southwest Florida can continue the party at the St Patrick s Biergartenfest on

See BIERGARTENFEST, page

11A

10th annual South Cape Mardi Gras Trolley event Saturday

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

Downtown Cape Coral will be partying as they do in the “Big Easy” this weekend as the 10th annual South Cape Mardi Gras Trolley Event takes to the entertainment district

Hosted by the South Cape Hospitality and Entertainment Association, the festive trolley event takes place this Saturday from 7 to 11 p m , where attendees can traverse 10 different Cape hotspots to enjoy themed drink and

appetizer samples

Our Mardi Gras Trolley Event continues the celebration of Mardi Gras of course, said SCHEA spokesperson

Shannon Quinn “We’ll have bead and mask giveaways trivia and more all centered around this annual Louisiana holiday The participating locations also theme their drink and appetizer samples around the holiday Tickets include a wristband to board the trolleys, a passport to all sampling locations drink and appetizer samples eligibility to win prizes for answering trolley trivia and access to the official photo booth contest at the South Cape Hub Crawlers who get their passport stamped at each venue will be entered into the grand prize giveaway sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the photo booth contest winner will receive four tickets to the St Patrick’s Day trolley event on March 17

Attendees are encouraged to dress up for the occasion and SCHEA enjoys seeing how imaginative people can get We love when our attendees dress up, Quinn said “We expect to see jester hats masks beads and so much more ” Participating locations and their samples include:

■ BackStreets Sports Bar - Wicked Island & Dirty Bird Slider

■ BIG8 BBQ - French Quarter Shot & Pork Sliders

■ Cruiser’s Lounge - Hurricane & Jambalaya

■ The Dive - Voodoo Mary & Crawfish

■ Dixie Roadhouse - Voodoo Juice & Gardetto s Snack

Mix

■ Fish Tale Grill - Pink Lemonade 75 & Jalapeno

Cheddar Corn Poppers

■ Monkey Bar Steak & Seafood - Hand Grenade & Andouille Sausage

■ Rack em Spirits & Times - King s Cake Punch & Cajun Sausage Bites

■ Rusty s Bar & Grill - Passion Fruit Hurricane & Popcorn Shrimp w/Creole Remoulade

■ Tiki Bar - TBD

Quinn said participants can expect lots of entertainment, including live music, dancing, and a fun evening no matter who you choose to attend with

It s a great night for everyone filled with drink and appetizer samples trivia photo booth and more ” Quinn said “Whether you’re in a group of friends or on a

State expedites approval for tearing down Hector A. Cafferata Elementary

Meetings scheduled in March to discuss future plans for Cape school

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers

“Hector,

com

The state of Florida has expedited approval for tearing down Hector A Cafferata Jr Elementary School The school on Santa Barbara Boulevard in Cape Coral was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian Hector, where it stood, is no longer viable and needs to be removed ” Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said at a School Board meeting this week

There will be a board briefing regarding the school Tuesday, March 7, with a briefing and final proposal for a f i n a l d e c i s i o n t e n t a t i v e l y s c h e d u l e d f o r M a r c h 2 8

Between those dates Bernier said a town hall with the Hector A Cafferata community will be held so parents students and staff are aware of what the plans are for a permanent facility, and relocating the displaced students from the backyard of the Cape Coral Technical College campus on Santa Barbara Boulevard

In addition he shared that the district had a meeting scheduled with FEMA representatives on Thursday Bernier said FEMA is going through reorganization work currently as some individuals responsible for the state of Florida are no longer working for FEMA

“A few members of our team from the FEMA side have turned over as well ” he said adding that the district is reorienting with the new team members

As part of that, walk-throughs at Diplomat Middle School and Lexington Middle School are being held, so they can see and assess the damage

“It does take a physical walk through before FEMA begins the process of signing off on them ” Bernier said

The presentation also highlighted the work that is being done for schools impacted by Hurricane Ian Bernier said they are looking at a lot of roofs as they get closer to April

“I will remind you that we are going to seal envelopes We are going to start with roofs and make sure walls and windows are completed to prevent any additional water intrusion Roofing is our top priority Bernier said

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

RAYMOND M ECKENRODE

Publisher

VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor CHRIS STRINE, Editor

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

Phone 239-574-1110 – Fax 239-574-5693

This is what a return to normalcy feels like

Southwest Florida may have a good ways to go to reach pre-Ian normalcy but we, as a community, are certainly bouncing back strong in the face of continued adversity

Today s Breeze highlights a plethora of popular returning events as well as a handful of fundraisers to help what collectively ails us here in the Cape

The big event of course is the Lee County Fair now returning for its 99th edition despite much hurricane damage to the Lee County Civic Center and its grounds off Bayshore Road

The fair opened Thursday with its sneak peek and continues though to March 5 with all the usual attractions rides midway exhibits competitions and of course guiltypleasure fair fare

If you’re up for opening night tonight’s activities kick off with free admission from 4 to 6 p m and free rides from 5 to 6 p m Friday night also features the first Moonlight Madness from 8 p m to 1 a m where $30 gets you on all the rides This Saturday and Sunday will offer $40 ride bands with a paid admission

Looking for options here in the Cape? There’s multiple events this weekend and next:

■ Cape Coral’s version of a home-town hoot-enanny the 21st Annual Burrowing Owl Festival Wildlife and Environmental Expo, takes place from 10 a m to 4 p m this Saturday at Rotary Park

The event celebrating the city s official bird will include various environmental and wildlife organizations with educational exhibits live animals presentations and speakers; burrowing owl informative exhibits; tours of the park’s butterfly house; flora and fauna tours; and special owl and photography bus tours There will be artists, photographers and craft vendors with items for sale Attendees will also enjoy music, food and business vendors, and arts and crafts for the kids

A $5 entry donation for those 12 and older is requested

■ The 10th annual South Cape Mardi Gras Trolley Event also rolls on Saturday

Hosted by the South Cape Hospitality and Entertainment Association, the food-and-drink sampling event will run from 7 to 11 p m , allowing attendees to hit 10 different Cape hotspots to enjoy Big Easy-themed drink and appetizer samples

■ While the state’s largest Oktoberfest was cancelled here due to Hurricane Ian the German American Social Club of Cape Coral will bring back the gemutlichkeit a feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer

Starting this weekend, the GASC will hold its first of four Biergartenfests featuring entertainment and food options on the grounds and sit-down dinners in the Von Steuben Hall

Tickets to this weekend-long fest are $5 and parking is free

Hours are Saturday from noon until 11 p m and Sunday from noon until 8 p m

■ “Yappy Hour ” a combination social event and fundraiser, will take place this Friday and the last Friday of every month in the foreseeable future from 5:30 to 7:30 p m at Fathoms The public is invited to bring well-mannered, leashed pups and meet friends and neighbors enjoy raffle prizes and a 50/50 raffle and have a good time to support the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida

And one more for next weekend:

■ PRIDE of Cape Coral will hosts its fifth annual celebration on March 4 and 5 on Southeast 47th Terrace in the South Cape PRIDE Cape Coral is organized as a family-friendly and free outdoor event celebrating the lesbian gay bisexual transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Cape Coral and across Southwest Florida ”

March 4 activities will run from 3 to 10 p m and will include a free parade with live entertainment featuring local and national performers, food and drinks, carnival games, and a tutu drag race competition An official after-party will begin at 10 p m at Cruisers Lounge on Southeast 47th Terrace

March 5 will offer a ticketed Drag Brunch on Southeast 10th Place with seatings at 10 a m and 1 p m at Cape restaurants and a drag show

Let us highlight a couple of fundraisers as well:

■ The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife will wrap up its annual online auction at 11:59 p m this Sunday, right on the tail feathers of its Burrowing Owl Festival More than 200 items are up for bid including some biggies a $10 000 gift certificate toward a custom-built boat a beach vacation in Costa Rica and a NASCAR Driving Experience that could put you behind the wheel for laps on the Super Speedway

There s lots of other items, too everything from restaurant gift certificates to tours of all kinds and some plush hotel stays, including nights at the Westin Cape Coral and the Don Caesar in St Petersburg

Visit the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife website ccfriendsofwildlife org Look for the auction link biddingforgood on the home page or go directly to biddingforgood com/CCFW

■ Meanwhile, from March 2 -29, the hard-hit Cape Coral Art League will host a month-long silent auction to aid in its recovery Items are available for viewing in the gallery and bids may be made Monday through Friday from 11 a m to 4 p m For more information or to make a donation call 239772-5657 or visit www capecoralartleague org

Fun And some fundraising

This is what the return to normalcy in the Cape feels like

It does feel good Breeze editorial

Parents take note: District has changed its elementary school assignment plan

3 - 2 4 S t u d e n t E n r o l l m e n t P l a n T h e n e w p l a n r e p r e s e n t s a s i g n i f i c a n t c h a n g e f r o m p r e v i o u s p l a n s b u i l t o n a p r i m a r y z o n e a n d s u b z o n e m o d e l W h y ? T h e p r e v i o u s p l a n h a s b e c o m e u n w i e l d y a n d i n e f f i c i e n t I t w a s i m p l em e n t e d i n 2 0 0 5 w h e n t h e D i s t r i c t h a d 6 8 , 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s T o d a y , w e e n r o l l n e a r l y

Cathleen O Daniel Morgan Guest

1 0 0 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s a n d c o n t i n u e t o g r o w T h e 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 S t u d e n t E n r o l l m e n t P l a n a n d f u t u r e e n r o l l m e n t p l a n s w i l l b e b a s e d o n a p r o x i m i t y z o n e m o d e l i n t e n d e d t o r e d u c e t h e s i z e o f a t t e n d a n c e z o n e s a n d d e c r e a s e t h e n u m b e r a n d l e n g t h o f b u s r o u t e s T h e n e w P r o x i m i t y P l a n w i l l b e u s e d f o r e n r o l l m e n t o f A L L e l e m e n t a r y s t u d e n t s I n t h e n e w a t t e n d a n c e z o n e s f a m i l i e s w i l l b e a b l e t o c h o o s e f r o m b e t w e e n t h r e e t o s i x e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l s , w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f t h e B a r r i e r I s l a n d s Y o u c a n v i e w a m a p o f t h e p r o x i mi t y z o n e s a n d u s e t h e i n t e r a c t i v e t o o l t o s e a r c h b y a d d r e s s o n t h e S c h o o l D i s t r i c t ’ s w e b s i t e W h o i s a f f e c t e d ?

Commentary

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i f e l i g i b l e A l l m i d d l e a n d h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t s a r e u n a f f e c t e d b y t h e n e w p r o x i m i t y p l a n i n 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 T h e y c o n t i n u e t o b e e n r o l l e d a c c o r d i n g t o t h e t h r e e p r i m a r y z o n e s a n d s u b z o n e m o d e l H o w w i l l s t u d e n t s b e e n r o l l e d ? F a m i l i e s p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e P r o x i m i t y P l a n ( i n c o m i n g k i n d e r g a r t e n s t u d e n t s , e l e m e n t a r y s t u d e n t s n e w t o t h e D i s t r i c t a n d t h o s e e n r o l l e d i n s c h o o l s o u t s i d e t h e i r n e w z o n e ) m u s t r a n k t h e s c h o o l s w i t h i n t h e n e w P r o x i m i t y P l a n a t t e n d a n c e z o n e s i n t h e i r F O C U S P a r e n t P o r t a l F a m i l i e s d e s i r i n g t o r e m a i n i n t h e i r c u r r e n t s c h o o l w h e n t h a t s c h o o l i s o u ts i d e t h e n e w P r o x i m i t y P l a n m a p m u s t a f f i r m t h e y a r e w a i v i n g t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i n t h e i r F O C U S P a r e n t P o r t a l W h e n t h e n u m b e r o f a p p l i c a n t s f o r a s c h o o l e x c e e d s t h e n u m b e r o f a v a i l a b l e s e a t s , a l o t t e r y p r o c e s s w i l l b e u s e d I n t h e e n r o l l m e n t l o t t e r y , s i b l i n g p r e f e r e n c e w i l l b e h o n o r e d W h e n w i l l e n r o l l m e n t b e c o m p l e t e d ? O p e n e n r o l l m e n t f o r e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l s b e g a n F e b

■ A l l i n c o m i n g k i n d e r g a r t e n s t u d e n t s a r e r e q u i r e d t o e n r o l l i n a s c h o o l i n t h e i r p r o x i m i t y z o n e T r a n s p o r t a t i o n i s p r o v i d e d i f t h e y l i v e m o r e t h a n t w o m i l e s f r o m t h e s c h o o l I n c o m i n g k i n d e r g a r t n e r s m a y s e l e c t a n o u t - o f - z o n e s c h o o l i f a n o l d e r s i b l i n g i s a l r e a d y e n r o l l e d b u t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n w i l l n o t b e p r o v i de d ■ S t u d e n t s n e w t h e d i s t r i c t w i l l b e a s s i g n e d a n e l em e n t a r y s c h o o l a c c o r d i n g t o t h e p r o x i m i t y z o n e i n w h i c h t h e y r e s i d e ■ R i s i n g s t u d e n t s ( g r a d e s o n e t h r o u g h f i v e ) w h o l i v e o u t s i d e t h e i r n e w a t t e n d a n c e z o n e w i l l b e g i v e n t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o e n r o l l i n a n e w s c h o o l w i t h i n t h e i r n e w z o n e ; i f e l i g i b l e , b u s t r a n s p i r a t i o n w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e i r n e w s c h o o l R i s i n g s t u d e n t s l i v i n g o u t s i d e t h e i r n e w a t t e n d a n c e z o n e a n d w i s h i n g t o c o n t i n u e t o a t t e n d t h e i r c u r r e n t s c h o o l m a y d o s o b u t t h e y m u s t p r o v i d e t h e i r o w n t r a n s p o r t a t i o n W h o i s n o t a f f e c t e d ? R i s i n g K - 5 e l e m e n t a r y s t u d e n t s w h o r e s i d e i n s i d e t h e i r n e w a t t e n d a n c e z o n e a n d w a n t t o s t a y i n t h e i r c u rr e n t s c h o o l a r e u n a f f e c t e d a n d w i l l c o n t i n u e t o r e c e i v e

1 3 a n d c o n t i n u e s t o M a r c h 1 0 F a m i l i e s w h o d o n o t m a k e a n e n r o l l m e n t d e c i s i o n b y t h e e n d o f t h e e n r o l lm e n t p e r i o d w i l l b e e n t e r e d a u t o m a t i c a l l y i n t h e n e w P r o x i m i t y L o t t e r y f o r a s c h o o l i n t h e i r a t t e n d a n c e z o n e F a m i l i e s w i l l r e c e i v e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e i r s c h o o l a s s i g n m e n t i n l a t e M a r c h o r e a r l y A p r i l H o w a n d w h e r e c a n f a m i l i e s g e t a d d i t i o n a l i n f o rm a t i o n ? E v e r y f a m i l y w i t h c h i l d r e n e n r o l l e d i n a K - 5 e l em e n t a r y s c h o o l w i l l r e c e i v e m e s s a g e s f r o m t h e D i s t r i c t a n d f r o m t h e i r c h i l d ’ s c u r r e n t s c h o o l F o r g e n e r a l i n f o rm a t i o n a b o u t E l e m e n t a r y S t u d e n t E n r o l l m e n t , p l e a s e g o t o h t t p s : / / w w w l e e s c h o o l s n e t / o u r d i s t r i c t / d e p a r tm e n t s / a c a d e m i c s e r v i c e s / s t u d e n t e n r o l l m e n t / e l e m e nt a r y o p e n e n r o l l m e n t Y o u m a y v i e w t h e J a n 2 0 2 0 2 3 B o a r d W o r k s h o p a t w h i c h t h e S u p e r i n t e n d e n t p r e v i e w e d t h e P r o x i m i t y P l a n , t h e J a n 2 4 B o a r d B r i e f i n g u p d a t e a n d t h e F e b 7 P u b l i c C o m m e n t a n d S c h o o l B o a r d a p p r o v a l a t w w w Y o u T u b e c o m / L e e S c h o o l s T V C a t h l e e n O ' D a n i e l M o r g a n r e p r e s e n t s D i s t r i c t 7 o n t h e L e e C o u n t y S c h o o l B o a r d D i s t r i c t 7 i s a n a tl a r g e d i s t r i c t m e a n i n g t h e s e a t i s d e t e r m i n e d b y v o t e s t h r o u g h o u t L e e C o u n t y

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Public involvement in water quality, canal cleanup process, to be applauded

To the editor: Bravo on the recent article about inshore water quality It goes well with the canal clean up article Certainly the public needs to get involved in both Like the story says politicians love an apathetic public Cape Coral Breeze is doing their part I m just visiting while my stepson is beginning his life with stage 4 cancer at GCMC

The striping of canal banks to remove minor tree branches and other debris is no doubt motivated by unabated greed and disregard for the natural environment Let alone driving up the cost per ton of unnatural debris removal A crew called the police on some citizens who were trying to protect burrowing owls I would have stood my ground

We need activism now on these matters

David Karr

Wisconsin resident and frequent Florida visitor

We are not your piggy bank

To the editor: I would like to congratulate the folks that live in North 1 and the residents hooked up to the utilities system in Cape Coral for winning the prize I would like to express my admiration for the skill the council city manager and the Utilities and Public Works directors have demonstrated in the implementation of the North 1 Utilities Expansion Project

The residents can officially be considered economic cannon fodder Our citizens owe the city council a debt of gratitude for creating an economic liability of historic proportions For this we should be extremely grateful

Some 5,400 of the lots in North 1 are unimproved? If 80% are off water the potential deficit is $150 million depending on how many will not pay $35 000 up front I find it hard to believe that anyone will pay more than fair value In the past lot values in assessment areas have tanked If the city bonds the deficit for 20 years at 6 5% the shortfall explodes to $396 million That would equate to $1,900 per person or $7,600 for a family of four for someone else s assessments based on the current population of 205 000 One thing for sure the tooth fairy will not be picking up the tab to cover this fiasco

I don t believe most people will pay $35,000 up front for an empty off-water lot that doesn t have enough value to justify the expense Making payments for 20 or 30 years totaling $90 000 to $124 000 with interest isn’t feasible for a 2 or 3 parcel building site Unimproved off-water lots in Port Charlotte and Lehigh are offered at around $20 000 on Zillow That s less than our assessment, so why would someone want to buy here?

How will the city make up for the lost tax revenue on defaulted lots? Why is the city extracting money from Transportation Storm Water and Fiber Optic Utilities to supplement the utilities project? That s $35 million of taxpayer funds coming from outside the assessment area and paid by the general public The residents in other expansion areas paid their utilities without outside funding I remember the saying “I paid mine now you pay yours ” That evolves to “I paid mine and now the city is forcing me to pay yours Remember SW-4 SW5, SW-6/7 and North 2 are still making payments on their own assessments Why is everyone subject to paying for North 1? Where is all the money going? Lots of questions and not any answers The big question is should the city be allowed to continue mishandling the utilities? It s time that we consider a cooperative like Bonita Springs Utilities or a private entity to deliver sewer, water and irrigation Over the decades the city

has demonstrated it is incompetent when it comes to delivering utilities in a reasonable, cost-effective manner We need a referendum in the next election to separate the utilities from the city It is imperative that city be stopped from using the utilities to empty our bank accounts What is North 3 going to cost 50K 60K or 75K? There is no end in sight and never has been

John Sullivan former mayor Cape Coral Suppor t the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife online auction

To the editor:

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is having an online auction to augment our goal to protect and preserve our wildlife in the Cape

The vast majority of the money goes to buy lots with our wild animals and birds on them to preserve their habitats

Please help us out bid your best and beat your bidding opponents Our top auction item this year is a $10 000 gift certificate to virtually build your own boat!

This custom builder will build your vessel to your specifications He concentrates on building the platform and foundation for you to your specifications Tailor your boat to an awesome fishing machine or a lazy man s dream with hammocks and beds to nap on right on deck Sail into your dreams as the sun sets

Another top bid item is a home to rent in Costa Rica within a beach town Look out over the ocean in this threebedroom home that can sleep eight The winning bidders last year were delighted with the home and the location These two units are last on our auction list (page 8)

One more thing is the NASCAR Driving Experience which I participated in and had a blast of speed in with my favorite driver, Joey Lagano, going around the track at 175 or miles plus per hour It was a rush I will never forget If you’re driving you may even top this as you do your 10 laps around a Super Speedway

These things and more may the found on the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife website, ccfriendsofwildlife org Look for the auction link biddingforgood on the home page or go directly to biddingforgood com/CCFW

You will find more than 200 things on which to bid everything from gift certificates to art and jewelry to dining to tickets trips and unique experiences

A f o o d i e ? T h i n k A n n i e s R e s t a u r a n t , M e r r i c k Seafood/Fish Tales, Point 57 Kitchen and Cocktails, The Veranda, Cantina Laredo, Blue Point Oyster Bar and Grill Fathoms Roco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar The Melting Pot and more

Experiences? How about a purple martin butterfly garden, birding, burrowing owl, kayaking, manatee, dolphin watching or paddling tour? There are museum and attraction visits as well as one to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, which a local journalist toured last year and was very impressed with all she and her family learned

Looking for luxury? Check out the stays at the Westin Cape Coral and the Don Caesar in St Pete

Sports? Up for grabs is a Vinnie Testaverde autographed jersey and a Yankee Legends Super Mystery Box

This is just a small sample of what is on the auction list with many items under bid

The auction ends at 11:59 p m on Sunday Feb 26

Please support our wildlife with your generous bids

I speak for all the

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

Ilczyszyn appointed interim city manager

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Mike Ilczyszyn has worked for the city of Cape Coral for more than 20 years and lived in the Cape nearly his entire life

Friday, Ilczyszyn, who has served most recently the Public Works director, was unanimously appointed by the Cape Coral City Council to become the interim city manager replacing former city manager Rob Hernandez whose contract was terminated without cause Wednesday

During a special meeting called to fill the post Mayor John Gunter told City Council that he believed Ilczyszyn was the best person in the short term

His experience and proven leadership over the last 20 years will ensure our city will not have a gap in leadership, and will continue to move our city forward positively, Gunter said after the meeting “I am confident in his ability to lead our organization while continuing the serve the needs of our community ”

Others expressed similar confidence Councilmember Patty Cummings praised his efficiency as well as his ability to get on problems quickly

He has brought projects forward that were on time and under budget that saved the city millions ” Cummings said “He is always on every problem After Ian whenever we asked for something he had a team out there instantly ”

Gunter considered two other candidates Finance Director Mark Mason and Assistant City Manager Connie Barron, both of whom he considered to also be terrific choices

Councilmember Tom Hayden suggested Mason as did Council-member Jessica Cosden

However, Councilmember Bill Steinke said with the new budget process beginning moving Mason would be the city's loss

“Mason is a financial genius His focus on that is of utmost importance I don t want him distracted, Steinke said before approving Ilczyszyn

Hayden said while all three candidates were qualified, Ilczyszyn is the kind of person to keep the city moving forward after the storm

“With the help of the department heads and the team that will work with him, we can continue to do that We have a lot of pressing concerns right now, so it will be important for our pathway to continue in a positive way, Hayden said Ilczyszyn was promoted from assistant Public Works director to Public Works director effective May 28 2022 and received a raise from $135,948 80 to $162,780

Lee County OKs replacement of Cape Coral Bridge

Big Carlos Pass Bridge, Sanibel Causeway projects also approved

Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers com

The 60-year-old Cape Coral Bridge will be replaced with a new six-lane, near $219 million rebuild

The Lee County Commission formalized its earlier consensus Tuesday to construct two totally new spans, each featuring three traffic lanes as well as bike and breakdown lanes rather than rebuild only the westbound lanes and widen the parallel eastbound lanes The rejected option would come in at an estimated $20 million less but the expanded span would have had a much shorter traffic life – 35 years as compared the new bridge s 75

The design changes for the Cape Coral Bridge are to replace both the eastbound and westbound spans gaining an additional 40-plus years of useful life at the presentday value of $20 million ” county officials said in a release announcing the vote “Commission-ers reached consensus on that plan at a Feb 6 workshop ”

Initial plans were for the cheaper option however the latest Florida Department of Transportation design requirements would have significantly increased the cost of widening the eastbound lanes, officials said Construction is slated to begin in 2027 The Cape Coral Bridge will remain open and the current four-lane configuration will be maintained throughout construction Tuesday’s vote was one of three commission votes approving bridge construction Commissioners also voted to award a construction contract to replace the Big Carlos Pass Bridge, as well as to approve resiliency measures and recreational amenities for the Sanibel Causeway

The Big Carlos Pass Bridge connects the south end of Fort Myers Beach to Lover’s Key on Estero Boulevard

The $90 8 million construction contract with Superior Construction Co Southeast LLC includes a new fixed span bridge with a 60-foot navigation clearance over Big Carlos Pass and a fishing pier It also will include pedestrian/bicycle-friendly features, officials said

The new bridge will be constructed on the Gulf side

of the existing bridge Motorists will continue to have access to the old bridge throughout construction

The new structure will include one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Estero Boulevard and a 10-foot shared use path along the south side of Estero Boulevard The project also includes installation of new infrastructure for Lee County Utilities and Bonita Springs Utilities

Construction is expected to begin in late spring The construction contract also includes creation of an offshore artificial reef using the old bridge

Plans for the Sanibel Causeway began in February 2022 when the Lee Board of County Commissioners directed staff to design additional improvements to the recreational area amenities along the spoil islands

Those amenities were to include a bike lane turn lanes designated parking areas and recreational improvements

After Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the causeway in September 2022, FDOT completed temporary repairs and then hired a contractor to make permanent repairs

The FDOT team has recommended numerous resiliency measures as a part of the design including sheet pile walls rip rap gabion baskets and landscaping improvements to help stabilize the roadway and Causeway Islands ” county officials said

At their Feb 6 workshop commissioners reached consensus to incorporate the resiliency measures along with the previously approved recreational amenities into the FDOT project The cost of the improvements to the Sanibel Causeway as a part of FDOT s proposed permanent repairs is $285 3 million of which Federal Highway Administration would fund $239 3 million and Lee County would be responsible for $46 1 million Lee County is responsible for the $5 6 million needed for recreational amenities

An aerial view of the Cape Coral Bridge SHUTTERSTOCK

CRA grants PRIDE Cape Coral $5,000

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

com

With little discussion, the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday awarded a special event sponsorship grant for the fifth annual PRIDE Cape Coral event to be held March 4 and 5

The CRA will provide $5,000, the maximum allowed Of that $4 300 will go toward support for the closure of Southeast 47th Terrace and $700 for portable restrooms According to the event application paperwork, Cape Coral Parks & Recreation will provide $3 900 in funding of support sponsorship

The CRA board gave its approval in minutes, saying such events bring positive attention to the city The was some comment as to the entertainment asking the representatives of PRIDE Cape Coral, to keep it classy, not

trashy ”

PRIDE Cape Coral is a two-day weekend street event of education and celebration

Saturday’s free event from 3-10 p m attracts thousands of people organizers said

The event includes a parade, live entertainment, street performers food trucks and a tutu drag race competition with an after-party following the event at Cruiser’s Lounge at 1517 S E 47th Terrace

On Sunday, there will be a drag brunch on Southeast 10th Place from 10 a m to 1 p m

The event is all ages and promises to be family friendly For ticket information for the brunch event or more information about PRIDE Cape Coral please visit http://www pridecapecoral com or follow @pridecapecoral on Facebook and Instagram

He was earning a base salary in that position of $173 118 40 prior to council s action

Ilczyszyn will earn $220,000 per year as interim city manager He is expected to stay at least through budget season, when council will determine whether to make him permanent city manager or hire someone else through a headhunting firm Ilczyszyn is a Mariner High School graduate with a bachelor s degree in environmental studies and a master s degree in public administration from Florida Gulf Coast University He also is a U S Navy veteran

Ilczyszyn began with the city in 2002 as a water treatment plant operator at the South Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant He was promoted to business manager within the Public Works Department before moving into the city manager s office as the business manager in 2011

In 2014 Ilczyszyn was named interim assistant city manager a position which became permanent in March 2015 where he remained until December 2017

He was placed on leave while the city looked into a pair of alleged personal incidents, one involving another city employee, and subsequently was demoted to senior Public Works manager in 2018 for “actions or conduct detrimental to the interest of the city ”

Ilczyszyn worked his way back to become Public Works director

Mayor, Cape council members, address former city manager's allegations

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Mayor John Gunter and members of the Cape Coral City Council on Friday addressed allegations made by former city manager Rob Hernandez denying his claims of a series of civil rights violations concerning minority and LGBT employees

Following a special meeting to name an interim city manager Gunter gave a prepared statement denying the allegations made by Hernandez saying it was the act of a disgruntled employee who had been given a vote of noconfidence by council

“Recently former city manager Roberto Hernandez released a demand letter with very serious allegations made against Cape Coral City Council members, Gunter said in his prepared statement “The accusations made against me are categorically false and his statements are retaliatory due to the Cape Coral city council s decision on Feb 1 not to renew his contract ”

Gunter noted the allegations were only made against the council members who voted in favor of not renewing his contract, and that his conduct from the decision not to renew his contract until his termination was “sometimes less than professional, making his employees uncomfortable

Council voted unanimously to hire an investigator to look into allegations made against any city council members and the conduct of Hernandez Councilmember Bill Steinke recommended Ray Robison of the Robison Group out of Naples

In my opinion, the results of this investigation will determine that it is clearly a disgruntled employee making false accusations to benefit a monetary reason due to the council’s decision ” Gunter said

Gunter apologized to the employees and council members who were mentioned in the letter sent to the city by the Bonita Springs based law firm Yormak Employment & Disability Law on Hernandez s behalf, and said he looks forward to the truth being presented and that the accusations would be deemed unfounded He did not take questions afterward

As this is pending litigation, nobody delved into any real detail

Other council members also gave prepared statements

S t e i n k e s e n t a l e t t e r t o C i t y A t t o r n e y D o l o r e s

Menendez expressing his objections to the allegations

He was the deciding vote in the decision to not renew Hernandez s contract

“I consider his commentary regarding our interactions twisted to serve his purpose his inferences categorically inaccurate and misleading and feel they are defamatory character assassinations and quite frankly – repulsive ” Steinke said in his letter

Councilmember Patty Cummings who also voted to not renew Hernandez contract, made a statement saying she was advised by legal counsel to withhold comment

“I would like to categorically deny the insinuations of racism and discrimination as they might pertain to me in Mr Hernandez s letter on February 15, 2023 I will vigorously defend myself by all legal means available The accusations by Robert Hernandez are false Cummings said C o u n c i l T o m H a y d e n w h o v o t e d t o r e n e w Hernandez’s contract took a more neutral approach

We ll wait for the facts to present themselves on what happened It s important for us to hire an investigative firm to go forward with this ” Hayden said “We know the allegations that were made and we need to get to the truth

Hernandez sent the city a damages and settlement letter Tuesday asking for $550 000 a neutral job reference and a public apology for what he says were professionally disparaging remarks made by Gunter, Cummings and Councilmember Dan Sheppard concerning his employment

Council received the letter alleging council had voted Feb 1 to not renew Hernandez's three-year employment contract as retaliation for his opposing what he saw as u n l a w f u l e m p l o y m e n t p r a c t i c e s t h a t d i s c r i m i n a t

Mike Ilczyszyn

Council discusses city manager search

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Interim City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn

will at least serve until the end of budget season or maybe a little while longer

T h a t i s w h a t t h e C a p e C o r a l C i t y Council concluded during its Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday at City Hall a non-voting meeting where staff and council discusses issues to reach a consensus on what the governing body wants to do City Council did not appear to be in any hurry to find a permanent city manager following the firing of Rob Hernandez on Feb 15

We know that a national search is about a four-month process If we go through with this, staff will have to tell us about cost and when we should have the

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

Dog owners can bring their four-legged friends to a Cape hot spot the last Friday of every month to enjoy some good times and prizes, all for a charitable cause Yappy Hour takes place the last Friday of each month for the foreseeable future from 5:30 to 7:30 p m at Fathoms Restaurant & Bar at Cape Harbour to benefit the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida Community members are encouraged to bring their well-mannered, leashed K-9 to meet friends, enjoy raffle prizes (including 50/50) and enjoy a good evening at a great scenic spot Each event will be themed starting with Mardi Gras today

Volunteer member and event coordinator

Eileen Snider remembered attending local “Yappy Hours"” in the past and approached Fathoms to consider the event They graciously agreed

We ve got some great prizes donated and live music, Snider said We'll also have some items for sale at our tent ” GRRSWF is an all-volunteer 501(c)3

conversation,” Mayor John Gunter said Councilmember Jessica Cosden suggested they wait until after hiatus in July to start the search or maybe have the firm they choose to start looking for candidates

I also think we should wait until after hiatus to decide if we’re even going to do the search ” Cosden said “I don’t want to do it if we all have the same opinion on the current city manager We need to give him time City officials do not want to go through what they did during the last city manager change with John Szerlag passing the baton to Rob Hernandez midway through the budget cycle

They would like Ilczyszyn, who was appointed interim manager on Feb 17 from his position as public works director to run the show through this cycle and wait

non-profit dog rescue organization based in Southwest Florida dedicated to finding exceptional homes for exceptional golden retrievers and golden mixes that are homeless, abandoned in shelters or surrendered by their owners into their forever homes

GRRSWFL's mission statement is to work to raise awareness of the plight of the golden retriever breed specifically through community education as well as the benefits of adopting a rescue animal in need They also support and promote responsible spay and neutering as well as programs that are designed to prevent animal abuse, neglect and cruelty

Snider said it can be cruel to see what these pups go through with certain types of breeders and the conditions they have to endure GRRSWFL takes these dogs in, gives them medical treatment grooming and helps find homes

“Sometimes it takes time for these dogs to become reacclimated after what they ve been through, Snider said Some of them have never even touched grass "

They also take in dogs from elderly individuals people that have to relocate or own-

until, at the very earliest, the end of summer hiatus or even until the cycle ends (as Keith Long suggested) to start the search so it won t be a distraction

This could result in a city manager not being hired until the beginning of 2024 It could also make council reconsider its search for a new city attorney in the immediate future

Ultimately, the council decided to wait until the beginning of September to start the process That could seat a new city manager by the end of the year In other business one of the things the Hernandez instituted was to hold COW meetings in the mornings Councilmember Dan Sheppard suggested moving those meetings back to 4:30 p m

T h i s p r o d u c e d m i x e d r e s u l t s Councilmember Patty Cummings liked the

ers that don't realize all it takes to care for an animal and surrender Volunteers can also foster the K-9 until a proper home is found

Oftentimes members bring their pups for outreach purposes to locations such as Valerie's House, Special Pops, SWFL Military Museum and Family Initiative

Snider adopted her first golden from GRRSWFL Molly years back and provided love until the pup's passing at the age of 15 She is now on her second adopted golden

Gulf Coast Harmonizers to present 31st Annual Spring Show

idea because it would allow her to spend more time with the business she owns even if it meant some late nights as COW meetings tend to drag on Ilczyszyn said staff has adjusted to the new schedule, but would accommodate if council wished to move the COW meetings back C o s d e n s a i d t h

was easier

m meetings and that no matter what, there would be issues Gunter said 9 a m meetings made more sense from an organizational standpoint and because its more consistent Gunter also asked to hold a shade meeting on Wednesday, March 1, at 3 p m , to discuss security measures at City Hall

Improvements being made at dangerous Cape intersection

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

One intersection in the city that has been the scene of a number of serious accidents in the past few years is now receiving some attention

And one resident has said he has had enough and is glad the city and county are finally taking action

Over the past week reports indicated five accidents have occurred at the intersection of Burnt Store Road and Tropicana Parkway bringing the total to 18 on the year and coming close to the 25 crashes that occurred in all of 2022

Brian Freeman, who has worked as a court-recognized traffic expert sent video to all loca media outlets of one of those accidents in which a truck flipped an sat on its roof

In January we saw the accident rate jump up where we have had 18 accidents already this year ” said Freeman

Freeman said he has observed a lot of people running the stop signs in the median on each side and getting T-boned

You get one vehicle that goes through and the next vehicle drafts and follows through The other day that very thing caused a cooler truck to get knocked over and HAZMAT had to come in for a chemical spill, Freeman said

On Wednesday the Lee County DOT announced improvements to that intersection in the northwest Cape as part of the ongoing Burnt Store widening project

In a statement Lee County DOT indicated it has monitored the situation at the intersection and the current configuration and will conduct improvements in two

steps to make for a safer intersection

Beginning Thursday, the DOT began u s i

between the north and south lanes on Burnt Store Road This will eliminate all left turns at the intersection

Lee DOT said closing the lanes will also make for a safer work zone during the second phase of improvements which would design and implement alterations to the intersection before the widening project is completed in the spring

When work is completed north and southbound traffic and resume making left turns

“They are going to install left turn lanes onto Tropicana East and westbound but no c r o s s t r a f f i c W e r e p r e t t y h a p p y , Freeman said “The city and county were running back and forth because one is a

county road, the other a city road, and saying that is wasn t theirs

As DOT crews started to make the changes Thursday to make Tropicana into o n e l a n e , p e r m i t t i n g o n l y r i g h t t u r n s , Freeman said police started to hand out scores of citations for traffic offenses

They had a bunch of cars for traffic control and they started running the stop signs with the cops there I was shocked by the number of tickets, Freeman said It s a zoo up there and hopefully this helps

Citizens have made it clear there are too many dangerous intersections in the city Residents have complained about intersection on Del Prado North and Averill and De Navarre the latter of which is getting a traffic signal in the near future

Calls to the Cape Coral Police Dept were not returned

Cape Coral Art League holding month-long silent auction

Proceeds to help center recover from Hurricane Ian

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

Community members can bid on original art works supplies and even classes all in support of a local non-profit and its recovery from Hurricane Ian

Throughout March from the 2nd to the 29th the Cape Coral Art League will host a month-long silent auction with the winners being disclosed on the final day at 4 p m

The Cape Coral Art League was chartered in 1965 as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 and 501(a)2 charity organization that promotes the advancement of art throughout Southwest Florida CCAL offers yearround classes for adults youth and chil-

dren; eight major art exhibits each year in its gallery; other art shows, including an annual art fair; and workshops with worldrenowned artists We lost quite a bit during the hurric a n e ” s a i d C C A L P r e s i d e n t C a r m e n Sprague

CCAL s building at Cultural Park sustained heavy roof damage, water leaks into some of the showrooms and they lost their outdoor space and kiln to make pottery that was crated by a past member “That all blew away ” Sprague said “Everything outside we used is gone We have shingles that we have to replace, and seal another part of our roof We lost most of our florals and plants outside as well as

our trees ”

Sprague said she s thankful and feels lucky the building itself withstood as well as it did The league’s insurance does not cover wind and water, which is why they hope this silent auction will help with repair costs

CCAL is getting contributions from its members and are looking for artwork donations supplies or any other materials pertaining to the art realm Sprague said she is hoping for 40 pieces in total to auction CCAL is comprised of professional practicing artists who are experienced teachers, and offers a diverse curriculum reflective of the changing society and then celebrates that diversity through exhibition It is a center for art education where

children and adults can learn and develop their artistic skills All students are welcome, from the complete novice to the professional

We re all about Cape Coral, Sprague said We ve been here since the 60s You’re helping other people find a safe and fun community not only for just adults and seniors We teach children on Sundays as well We really really try to be a part of the community we live in ”

The Cape Coral Art League is at 516 Cultural Park Blvd Bids can be made Monday through Friday from 11 a m to 4 p m For more information or to make a donation call 239-772-5657 or visit www capecoralartleague org

Ban the Jab: Lee Republican Party Executive Committee resolution

From page 1A

Basically our issue on it was we felt is was an overreach by the government ” said Olivia Erfman-Tenzel, president of the Southwest Florida Young Republicans

Proponents kept mentioning they had a moral obligation to ban the vaccine in the state of Florida because, in their view, people in Florida weren't smart enough to take the vaccine or not she said adding that position sets a course few may want to follow “You end up going down this rabbit hole she said If we start banning everything that harms people, that affects their health then we should ban other things such as smoking cigarettes or alcohol ”

The Cape Coral Republican Club does not take positions on resolutions under c o n s i d e r a t i o n b y t h e L e e R e p u b l i c a n Executive Committee, said Andrew Sund, the club's president who had served as the REC's treasurer until new leadership was

elected in December H e h a s a s t r o n g p e r s o n a l o p i n i o n though, and spoke in opposition of the Ban the Jab Resolution Tuesday night

He summed up that position when reached by phone Wednesday I b e l i e v e t h a t t h e r e s o l u t i o n t h a t passed is antithetical to everything we believe as Republicans Sund said We can't say we believe in personal freedom and letting people make individual choices and then take away their ability to make those choices It s no different than the people mandating the vaccine Both are equally bad ”

The Breeze reached out to all members of the Lee County Legislative Delegation via email Wednesday morning as to their reaction to the resolution now to be sent their way

Responses have not yet been received

The resolution as approved states:

Ban the Jab Resolution:

Whereas strong and credible evidence

exists that Covid 19 and Covid 19 injections are biological and technological weapons, 1

Whereas Pfizer’s clinical data revealed 1 2 2 3 d e a t h s 4 2 0 0 0 a d v e r s e c a s e s 158,000 adverse incidents, and approximately 1,000 side effects, 2 W h e r e a s a n e n o r m o u s n u m b e r o f humans have died and or have been permanently disabled, 3

Whereas strong and credible evidence exists that Covid mRNA shots alter human DNA, 4

Whereas government agencies media and tech companies and other corporations have committed enormous fraud by claiming Covid injections are safe and effective 5

Whereas a statewide grand jury is investigating Covid vaccine crimes, 6

Whereas continued experimentation on humans and denial of informed consent are violations of the Nuremberg Code and t h e r e f o r e c o n s t i t u t e c r i m e s a g a i n s t

humanity 7

Be it Further Resolved:

On behalf of the preservation of the human race the Lee County Republican Party calls upon Governor DeSantis and the state legislature to prohibit the sale and distribution of Covid injections and all mRNA injections in the state of Florida and for the state Attorney General to immediately seize all Covid injections and mRNA injections in the state of Florida and have a forensic analysis conducted 8

The resolution then attaches footnoted links to “Small Sample of Supporting Data” for each numbered paragraph

It was accepted for vote Tuesday after first receiving the required 2/3 majority from the six-member REC leadership

Editor's note: This is an evolving story C o m m e n t s f r o m m e m b e r s o f t h e L e e Legislative Delegation will be added when and if received

Southwest Florida Reading Festival returns next month

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers

com

Book lovers of all ages are invited to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival next month for a day packed full of authors, activities food trucks and a free book for attendees

The 24th annual festival will take place at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St , Fort Myers from 10 a m to 4 p m Saturday March 4 A 30 minute guitar performance to welcome the crowd will kick off at 10 a m with Jane Rosenbohm at Adult Stage A

Lee County Library System Manager of Programming & Community Outreach

Melissa Baker said they have 22 authors, some of which are repeat authors as they were virtual authors a few years ago

Those authors for adults include Kendra Elliot; Joseph Finder; Kristan Higgins; Gregg Hurwitz; Alka Joshi; Melinda Leigh; Sarah MacLean; Annette Chavez Macias; Vanessa Riley; Deb Rogers and Jennifer L Schiff

The teen authors include Kalynn Bayron; Meg Medina; Nina Moreno; Rebecca Ross and Ruta Sepetys The lineup for kids includes Alexandra Alessandri; Alda P Dobbs; John Patrick Green; Terri Libenson; Medina; Heidi E Y Stemple and Lauren Wolk

There is so much for everybody I am super proud of our author committee, Baker said We have all the ages covered We have a good mix ”

Although the website www read fest org has a plethora of information about the authors and event, Baker encourages festival goers to download the app Southwest Florida Reading Festival as it showcases the schedule of the author allowing individuals to plan their day The app allows individuals to filter the schedule by ages and themes It's a good and easy way to engage and not miss anything,” she said Author presentations are going on all day long in various tents on the grounds

Each author has two signings Baker

said adding that there will be a book signing after each author s tent presentation

Preview the schedule ahead of time That s the best advice to give people Plan ahead and don't miss your favorite ”

As with year's past every child and teen will receive a free book Baker said they are collecting extra donated books for adults, which is something new this year Adults will receive a free book while supplies last

The Adult Stage A will be livestreamed again this year as well as being available on YouTube later Baker said the hybrid model worked well last year and is ideal for those who are not able to attend the event

Baker said something new that she is very excited about is their new cute eyecatching outreach truck which will be on the grounds during the festival

We are so excited to have another vehicle in our fleet to increase outreach to the community,” she said “It is a project I have been dreaming up since a bookmobile conference in 2019 It took a year and a half to produce this thing because it is custom

The truck includes side panels that pop up with bookshelves and monitors It also has a big storage compartment on the inside that will hold more books

“That will be placed on Richmond Street ” she said “It is right in the middle of the festival where the festival splits ”

There are also craft zones, festival merchandise and a little reader zone inside the library

“There is a little place indoors for kids to play ” Baker said

Jason's Deli Brookes Nugget Wagon Forever Grounded Coffee, Pelican s SnoBalls, Simply Greek by Wynnberry and viva La Taco will also be onsight

“You can basically enjoy being there and roam around to find something to eat ” Baker said

The inside of the library looks a little different, as the flooring had to be removed from flooding caused by Hurricane Ian She said it is a rough concrete floor now but everything has been opened and functioning

Burrowing Owl Festival: Annual city event Saturday at Rotary Park

From page 1A

Festival highlights will include environmental and wildlife organizations with e d u c a t i o n a l e x h i b i t s a n d l i v e a n i m a l s , informative burrowing owl exhibits, presentations by environmental and wildlife speakers live Florida animal presentations tours of the park's butterfly house flora and fauna tours of the park and owl and pho-

Bird watching tour

Ride in an air-conditioned bus with expert birder/photographers Tammy and Dave McQuade and Eary Warren The tour is offered by Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife in conjunction with the 21st Annual Burrowing Owl Festival – Wildlife & Environmental Exposition Saturday Feb 25 at Rotary Park in Cape Coral

tography bus tours in Cape Coral It takes more than 200 volunteers to make this event possible Schneider said We survey attendees each year and the number one reason for attending the festival is to learn about and see burrowing owls As we know they are a threatened species in the state of Florida and were heavily impacted and displaced during Hurricane Ian, as they re the only owl in the world to live underground The Cape Coral community is very protective o f t h e s e l i t t l e o n e s a n d r e a l i z e s t h e i r uniqueness is a huge draw in bringing tourists -- and their dollars -- to Cape Coral ”

The McQuades were high school sweethearts, have been married for 36 years, and are big year birders They have observed over 700 species of birds in the U S in each of the last four years Dave now holds the distinction of being number 1 on eBird, having the most species ever photographed in the US: 877

In addition the couple administers the SW Florida Bird Alert Group on Facebook and Dave is on the board of the American Birding Association They love to share about their birding experiences and help other birders Florida native and Cape Coral resident Eary Warren has a great passion for the outdoors His love of wildlife started at a young age and has stayed with him throughout his life He enjoys sharing his knowledge of Florida flora and fauna with everyone he meets In 2019 Warren and his wife Jennifer set the Florida state “Big Year” record for most bird species seen in one year They accomplished this feat while working full-time with two children Warren also holds the Lee County Big Day record He is an administrator of SW Florida Bird Alert on Facebook He can often be found with his binoculars and camera in one of Lee County’s many great parks

The Cape is home to the largest known population of the Florida burrowing owl, which is now a threatened species These pint-sized birds burrow underground where they nest from early February through midJuly The constant development in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country is impacting the habitats of these friendly birds

“Aside from the fact that they're a threatened species they indirectly generate significant revenue for the city by attracting tourists and photographers, Schneider said As a nature photographer, these are among my most favorite subjects to photograph ”

An FWC survey showed wildlife viewing is the second most popular outdoor recreation activity in Florida" -- even more than golfing and fishing Only beach-going ranked higher CCFW and its members do their best to preserve the habitats of these creatures and want to continue to see people visit and come to Florida to enjoy wildlife

“Education is the first step to protecting and preserving all wildlife especially our beloved burrowing owls ” Schneider said

If we don t protect our wildlife and find a way to coexist in harmony, we run the risk of losing the very reason people flock to Southwest Florida We have a responsibility to protect and preserve the environment to which we humans have been entrusted ”

Rotary Park is at 5505 Rose Garden Road

For more information on CCFW, visit www ccfriendsofwildlife org

Biergartenfest: GASC looking to bounce back from loss of Oktoberfest

From page 1A

March 11-12 which will feature Guinness, corned beef, shepherd s pie, bangers, fish & chips as well as alternating Irish and G e r m a n m u s i c i a n s a n d a n o t h e r

Biergartenfest on March 25-26 The final event before the summer break is set for the weekend of April 15-16

While this weekend's event won't have all the traditional vendors and be a fullblown Oktoberfest it's a welcome sight to see the club be able to present entertainment on the beautiful grounds again We ve been working hard We re not 100%, but we're close enough, Bauer said We've still got some things we have to upgrade and replace but we are fully

operational Tickets to this weekend's event are $5 and parking is free Hours are Saturday from noon until 11 p m and Sunday from noon until 8 p m

T h e c l u b , a t 2 1 0 1 S o u t h w e s t P i n e Island Road, opens its doors to members and the public for dinner and dancing every Friday night at 5:30 Visit www gasccapecoral com for more information

Looking for fishing fun? Meet Mr. Ugly

The timing is perfect Relatives and friends are down escaping the harsh northern winter looking to warm up, hopefully go for a nice boat ride and maybe try some fishing Today’s crew is a mixed bag of seasoned citizens and 8 to 12-year-olds with just a little freshwater experience between them, but the 12-year-old made sure to tell me more than once about catching a

12-inch walleye

Time to meet Mr Ugly

Load the crew and head to your favorite bridge and tie up Just bring a couple of snooksized outfits some sinkers and hooks, and some live or fresh crabs to fish on bottom Lower down the baits and tell them they re fishing for baitfish for this afternoon s big fish hunt

It usually doesn’t take too long before a rod starts to bend and the screaming starts as that 45-pound snag starts moving taking that 65pound wide-eyed walleye angler with it This is the magic time for picture taking capturing never-to-be-forgotten action shots at the same time knowing you ve probably just created a lifelong angler One of my favorite scrapbook shots is of three young kids all on one heavily-bent-down-to-the-handle rod with Mr Ugly down below trying to pull them out of the boat

Yes, it s black drum time here in Southwest Florida and it s low tech and easy bottom fishing for sometimes huge fish Half a crab is the hot ticket fished on bottom around big structure like bridge pilings

It usually doesn t take long for that scent to disperse, drawing the fish from quite a distance of course, depending on tide movement Have patience but after 30 minutes with no action relocate They’re down there but not on each and every piling Five pilings down you might find the mother lode While fishing for your drum, have someone else fish for tasty sheepshead as well as they are both at their peak right now and frequent the same structure Crabs, clam and oyster meat are top bait picks for deep work and carrying a pack of GULP Shrimp or crab is a good back up choice if you happen upon a school feeding very shallow on an oyster bar with their backs exposed

Toss an unweighted GULP crab on a circle hook into the mix and hold on

A drum is a fun fish that grows large and powerful but without question is just plain ugly compared to its other croaker cousins, seatrout and redfish Take an unsuspecting relative or friend drum fishing while they’re here for a good laugh and lasting memories They just might beat the Florida state record of 96 pounds

By the way, lots of people don t think of black drum as table fare and also think they’re always full of worms Actually they are quite tasty but avoid eating large drum as they often carry spaghetti worms There s a 14 to 24-inch size limit

While seatrout fishing has been quite good over healthy grass flat areas in north Matlacha Pass we’ve also been enjoying some great lite tackle bluefish action around inshore oyster bars I can see the purist crowd turning up their noses but a 6-pound bluefish on a light spinning or fly outfit is a blast Super aggressive loves fast-moving topwater plugs in shallow water, lightning fast runs, jumps high and if given the chance will gladly take a bite out of you with its razor sharp teeth

Pompano have been in the news and these powerful little and oh so tasty fish are prowling the passes and bars looking for that shrimp-tipped jig hopped along the bottom all the way back to the boat

The offshore fleet continues to enjoy the favorable weather hitting close to home structures or burning fuel to catch the usual variety of hungry bottom fish in the 100-plus-foot depths despite red tide issues

Capt George Tunison is

Welter earns three gold medals in pickleball at Lee Senior Games

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Local competitors some being familiar faces, took home gold at the recent Lee County Senior Games in the pickleball

realm

The fastest-growing sport in the country saw fierce competition in various age brackets at the Estero Recreation Center last weekend

A top-ranked pickleball player who calls Cape Coral home Mike Welter took home three gold medals in his age bracket in singles doubles and mixed doubles

I ve participated in the Lee County Senior Games since 2010, Welter said I never thought I would win three golds, but I knew I had great partners and I love to compete so I came home from the weekend exhausted but feeling really proud ”

Last year, Welter was honored as a H u m a n a G a m e C h a n g e r a t t h e 2 0 2 2 National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, an award given to athletes who exemplify healthy aging and provide encouragement motivation and inspiration for all seniors to start living healthy lifestyles

Welter also earned the 2017 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year and suffered his stroke prior to the 2018 Florida Senior Games He has battled his way back and is competing regularly in the local state and national games

Along with a singles title, Welter won men's doubles with part-time Fort Myers resident George Basista and mixed doubles with part-time Cape Coral resident Barb Castillo Welter and Basista previously qualified in December to represent Florida in the National Senior Games this July in Pittsburgh

“The competition in the 70-74 age category was extremely tough ” Welter said All good players I like doubles more than singles, and I never want to let my partner down Both my partners were experienced players and we had really good chemistry ”

Castillo called it an “honor” to play with Welter and loved being his partner throughout the tournament

It was the first time playing with him in a tournament, Castillo said For me, it was an honor to play with him because he's such a great athlete and a super-talented pickleball player It was a thrill To win that final -- I was so excited, because it was a long and hard-fought match

The pair met at Joe Stonis Park and hit it off playing pretty well together They couldn't have foreseen how playing at the park would translate into a great tournament pair

It was a lot of fun for me playing together ” Castillo said who has a pretty stellar pickleball record herself winning tournaments at senior games in Ohio and

Mike Welter of Cape Coral and Barb Castillo, a part-time Cape resident, took home the mixeddoubles gold medal in the 70-74 age bracket at the Florida Senior Games this past weekend in Estero On the cover, Welter shows off his three medals with Schecyl Santiago Pickleball Senior Games Tournament Director for Lee County

PHOTOS PROVIDED

h a s a l s o q u a l i f i e d f o r n a t i o n a l s i n Pittsburgh

These connections happen through the love of the game Castillo, a former tennis player, sustained injuries and eventually turned to pickleball “I stuck with it found a lot of new friends and started to have fun she said That s what keeps me going It s fun Pickleball can be played by all ages and w a l k s o f l i f e , a n d W e l t e r s a i d b e i n g immersed in the pickleball community has provided him with connections and friendships he d otherwise have missed out on All while playing a fun and active sport

With this sport growing so fast in popularity I am so pumped to finally see the p i c k l e b a l l c o u r t s b e i n g b u i l t a t L a k e Kennedy ” he added

Voting begins for Breeze Athlete of the Month for February

Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers com

V o t i n g f o r t h e C a p e C o r a l B r e e z e

Athlete of the Month for February is now open

There were a number of top performances from student-athletes in The Breeze coverage area to start the new year and now it’s up to readers to decide who will earn top honors for the month

Nominees for February include:

■ Atavious Weaver senior North Fort Myers Red Knights: Weaver became the first player in school history to score 1 000 points in his career Earlier in the season, Weaver also earned the title of the first 1,000-rebound player in North s history

■ Quentin Wimbush senior North Fort Myers Red Knights: Wimbush set a longtime North record for points scored in a sin-

Wednesday

GIRLS SOCCER

FHSAA Finals

Class 5A

Friday

At Spec Martin Stadium, DeLand Mariner vs American Heritage, 1 p m BASEBALL

Early Bird Tournament At Terry Park, Fort Myers Island Coast 6, Fort Myers 0: Jayven Torres drove in two Gators (1-1) runs and Emilio Gonzalez Mason Blackburn Jordi Guerrero and Anthony Pimintel had an RBI e a c h G o n z a l e z d o u b l e d t w i c e K e v i n Martinez pitched 5 2/3 innings of two-hit, eight-strikeout ball for the win Ida Baker 1, Cape Coral 0: Brendon Donnelly drove in the game's only run scoring Riley Byrd for the Bulldogs (1-1) Keegan Pitstick pitched five hitless innings with eight strikeouts Cape (0-2) pitcher Alexander Kolasinki gave up two hits and fanned seven in seven innings but was done in by six Seahawks errors North Fort Myers 7, South Fort Myers

1: Matthew Blasena was 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Red Knights (2-0) Dominic Rendon and Gianni Lorenzo also drove in runs On the mound Logan Divet held South to one unearned run over five innings Harison Kabel struck out six batters in his two hitless innings of relief

Walk, Wiggle, Wag

gle game in a win over Riverdale dropping 45 to eclipse the record set by Deion Sanders (41) Later in the week, he also reached the 1,000-point benchmark for his high school career in just three years!

■ Taylor Miranda junior Cape Coral Seahawks: Miranda took home the girls wrestling Lee County Athletic Conference Championship at 120 pounds

■ Robert Albert, senior, Cape Coral Seahawks: Albert earned the Lee County Athletic Conference Championship in boys wrestling in the 113-pound weight class ■ R y l e i g h A c o s t a , j u n i o r , M a r i n e r Tritons: The University of Florida commit netted a hat trick adding two assists in the opening round of the state tournament and scored two more in Mariner’s second-round

2-0 win over Naples

■ Isabella Hull, freshman, North Fort

GIRLS LACROSSE Bishop Verot 18 Cypress Lake 0: Avery Comisar scored six times to propel the Vikings to victory Piper Kelleher had four goals, while Ava Byrd and Daphne O Hara had hat tricks Carley Gannon earned the shutout in net

BOYS TENNIS Charlotte 6, Ida Baker 1

Singles: Mason Whitesides (C) d Todd Bennie 6-4 5-1 Noah Jennings (C) d Daniel Vargas 6-3, 6-3 Jacob Chupka (C) d Chase Breneman 6-3, 6-3 Charlotte #4 singles d Colton Scott 6-0 6-0 Charlotte #5 singles d Johnny Vu 6-1 6-2 Doubles: Bennie/Vargas (IB) d Whitesides/Jennings

7-6 (7-4) Charlotte #2 doubles d Ida Baker #2 doubles 8-5

Tuesday BOYS BASKETBALL

Region 5A-3

Semifinals Barron Collier 57, Mariner 55: The Tritons came up just short against the topseeded Cougars to end their season at 1910 Barron Collier (23-5) will be the home team for the Region 5A-3 final S t P e t e r s b u r g 7 3 , B r a d e n t o n Southeast 60: The second-seeded Green Devils (22-6) will make the trip down to Naples to take on Barron Collier Friday's championship

Myers Red Knights: Hull took home a FHSAA 1A-11 District Championship in wrestling in the 105-pound division

■ K a s s i d y E m e r i c k , s e n i o r , M a r i n e r

T r i t o n s : E m e r i c k w o n t h e 1 1 0 - p o u n d

Olympic Weightlifting event in the FHSAA Class 2A State Championships lifting 285 total pounds Emerick added a third place in traditional lifting for good measure

■ Eddie Nolan, junior, Bishop Verot Vikings: Nolan was tops in the 220-pound weight class bringing home a District 1A12 wrestling title Athlete of the Month nominees are comprised of the Breeze s staff-selected Athletes of the Week for that respective month

To vote visit www capecoralbreeze com and click the Athlete of the Month Vote Now icon along the right-hand side Voting is open until March 2 at noon

St Petersburg at Barron Collier, 7 p m

BASEBALL

Early Bird Tournament

At Terry Park Fort Myers

North Fort Myers 10, Fort Myers 7: Garry Kamphouse and Blake Busbee drove in two runs each to lead the Red Knights (10) Matthew Blasena was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Rontrez Johnson was 2-for-4 and scored twice Gateway 12, Cape Coral 5: Collin Thess had two RBI for the Seahawks Wyatt Drury and Lucas Habash drove in a run each

Riverdale 5, Ida Baker 2: Caden Byrd had an RBI for the Bulldogs South Fort Myers 9, Island Coast 4: The defending state baseball champions took it on the chin in the season opener as South scored eight times in the fifth and sixth innings Five of those runs were unearned Emilio Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored for Island Coast and pitched three scoreless innings as the Gators' starter Mason Blackburn had an RBI

Elsewhere Charlotte 8, Mariner 1: Romero Gist drove in the Tritons' run Kelan Jameson had Mariner's only hit SW Florida Christian 12, Oasis 2:

&

5K Run to benefit Cape Coral Animal Shelter April 15

to register please visit CapeCoralAnimalShelter com

Capt George Tunison

Spring Training is back and Lee County s Traffic Operations Center reminds motorists to be prepared for increased traffic near the stadiums at game time, especially when the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox take to their respective fields at the same time on the same day

The proximity of the stadiums may result in increased traffic congestion

This year DOT advises motorists to avoid the Daniels Parkway corridor on the afternoon of two specific dates:

■ Sunday, March 5 ‒ The Boston Red Sox host the Miami Marlins at JetBlue Stadium and the Minnesota Twins host the Detroit Tigers at Hammond Stadium Both games start at 1:05 p m Peak traffic is

From page 18A

Kavanaugh Brady had a double and a run scored for Oasis, while Jacob Fowler went 1-for-3 with an RBI

SOFTBALL

Bonita Springs 10, Cape Coral 0: Liberte Schatzman pitched a two-hit shutout and drove in three runs for the Bull Sharks (1-0)

Ida Baker 14, Naples 4 (5 innings): Julie Nieves was 3-for-3 with two doubles driving in four runs and scoring three Kaiden Nealieigh Hannah McGlade and Averie Taylor had two RBI each Charlotte 6, Mariner 5: Katie Campbell hit a threerun homer for the Tritons Cheyenne Waddell was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and Taylor Cotoni had a Mariner RBI

Oasis 15, Dunbar 0 (3 innings): A nine-run first inning got the Sharks off to a roaring start

GIRLS TENNIS

Fort Myers 7, Island Coast 0

Singles: Maddie Welsh (FM) d Yadira Escutia 6-0 61 Alex Bocanegra (FM) d Sydney Rust 6-0 6-0 Isabella

anticipated between the hours of 11:30 a m and 1 p m and then again between 3:45 and 4:30 p m

■ Friday March 17

PREP REPORT

Rose (FM) d Fernanda Medina Martinez 6-0 6-0 Fort Myers by forfeit Fort Myers by forfeit Fort Myers by forf e i t D o u b l e s : R i c h e l l e B r i t o / L i l y F a b r i n i ( F M 0 d

Escutia/Rust 8-0 Fort Myers by forfeit Bonita Springs 5, Mariner 2

Singles: Morgan Everly (M) d Michelle Montfaur 4-6

3-5 retired Payton Miles (BS) 4-6 6-0 10-2 Cassidy Cranor (BS) d Cynthia Perez 6-2 6-0 Emily Chesnut (BS) d Emma Tuescher 6-3, 6-0 Cara Everly (M) d Isabella Venegas 6-2, 6-1 Doubles: Montufar/Cranor ( B S ) E v e r l y / V i a n e s t 8 - 4 M i l e s / C h e s n u t ( B S ) d Perez/Tuescher 8-1 BOYS TENNIS

Gulf Coast 5, Bishop Verot 2: Gulf Coast won four of five singles matches Cape Coral 7, North Fort Myers 0 Singles: Ty Lendino (CC) d Samuel Melendez-Yepes

7-5 6-4; Franklin Lewandowski (CC) d Braydn Metzget

6-4, 6-3 Marco Guba (CC) d Jacob Romano 7-5, 6-1 Homer Gesenheus (CC) d Cole Warlow 6-2, 6-4 Eduardo Figueroa (CC) d Kenneth Solis 4-6, 6-1, 10-5 D o

Romano/Warlow 8-3

Estero 4, Ida Baker 3: Estero won with its depth taking the 3-4-5 singles and No 2 doubles Bonita Springs 5, Mariner 2

Singles: Veereshwar Gupta (BS) d Karl Schott 6-0, 60 Jonah Grainger (BS) d Kieran Kirkimilis 7-5 6-1 Noah Riascos (M) d Mason Burks 6-1 6-1 Jacobi Weinberg (BS) d Robert Preston 6-0 6-0 Nicholas Koeth (BS) d Damien Glason 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 12-10 Doubles: S c h o t t / K i r k i m i l i s ( M ) d G u p t a / G r a i n g e r 8 - 5 Weinberg/Books (BS) d Gleason/Jason Berenguer 8-0

GIRLS LACROSSE

Cape Coral 20, Immokalee 1: Mackenzie Scully and AJ Cudnik scored five goals each for the Seahawks (4-0), Ella Bernard had four and Emmy Pardo three Savannah Hickson had two saves Cape has outscored its opponents 53-4 in its first four games

BOYS LACROSSE

Bishop Verot 19, Immokalee 1: Trey Toscano had five goals and four assists to lead the Vikings (3-0), and Braydon Tooley scored five more with a pair of assists Aiden Feeney had two goals and four assists

CAPE CORAL BREEZE

LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

Page 13B

capecoralbreeze com

Classifieds Page 1B

Febr uar y 24, 202 3

Starting a butterfly garden

(Editor’s note: The following column was published previously in The Breeze )

By CATHY DUNN news@breezenewspapers com

I Heart Mac & Cheese opens in Cape

By KATIE EGAN news@breezenewspapers

com

Mac and cheese lovers (and everyone else who loves cheesy goodness) in Cape Coral are rejoicing

The new fast-casual concept restaurant, I Heart Mac & Cheese, is now open

Located at 2209 Santa Barbara Blvd the eatery not only specializes in creative made-to-order mac and cheese dishes but it’s also known for its grilled cheese sandwiches If you’re health conscious there are options including quinoa, tatar tots, broccoli and cauliflower bowls, a completely vegan menu and gluten-free pasta

The South Florida-based I Heart Mac & Cheese is rapidly expanding across the United States with locations all over the country The menu features 10 different proteins, 11 vegetables and nine kinds of cheese Sesame ginger mango habanera buffalo barbecue and pesto are just a few of the dressings and sauces available to top off the dish

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

Who isn t absolutely enchanted with butterflies? I can t think of more welcome visitors to my gardens than the many varieties of butterflies that are present here in Southwest Florida – and the best news is that these beautiful creatures are year-round inhabitants of our subtropical paradise! Because they are present throughout the year, we don t have to wait for the fleeting late spring/summer season to enjoy butterflies here as I did when I lived in more northern climates I f y o u e n j o y s e e i n g butterflies flitting about beginning a butterfly gard e n i s s i m p l e a n d j u s t requires some basic planning Your butterfly garden can range from pots or patio containers to a large a r e a i n y o u r y a r d ; t h e s a m e b a s i c p r i n c i p l e s apply to every butterfly habitat The most critical factor in designing your butterfly garden is to recognize that butterfly species have different requirements that change throughout their life cycle Your goal is to provide plants that will attract butterflies encourage them to linger and enable them to start a family! You only need four basic components to create a successful butterfly garden:

1 Adult Nectar Sources entice and nourish adult butterflies Since butterflies are attracted to a wide variety of brightly colored blossoms your garden will be both beautiful and welcoming to butterflies Some of my favorite nectar sources include Penta, Lantana, Jatropha, Salvia and Porterweed If you have room in your landscape native shrubs such as Firebush and Golden Thryallis bloom virtually year-round in Southwest Florida are highly attractive to butterflies and are a bright and easily maintained addition to your garden Many varieties of nectar source plants are readily available in local garden centers

2 Larval Host Plants attract female butterflies who lay their eggs on the plants which also provide food for butterfly larvae (caterpillars) Host plants are specific to individual butterfly species; three of the more common h o s t p l a n t s i n S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a a r e v a r i e t i e s o f Milkweed (Asclepias) which supports Monarch and Q u e e n b u t t e r f l i e s ; C o r k y S t e m m e d P a s s i o n V i n e

(Passiflora suberosa) for Julia Zebra Longwing and Gulf

Fritillary butterflies; and Bahama Cassia (Senna mexic a n a c h a p m a n i i ) f o r O r a n g e B a r r e d S u l p h u r a n d Cloudless Sulphur butterflies Once butterflies are

See BUTTERFLY GARDEN page 12B

The Cape Coral location will feature dishes like baked chicken parmesan, a buffalo blue mac and cheese and lobster and white truffle mac Side dishes include cheesy broccoli and tomato soup, and for dessert, guests can choose from mini chocolate chip cookies, brownies, marshmallow treats and cheesecake bites

T h i s i s o w n e r s G a r y S h v e t s a n d M e g a n K r a u s eOrrison’s first venture together and they’re excited to bring something new to the Cape Cape Coral needs something fun and exciting, especially with all of the new people coming in, Shvets said

When guests visit I Heart Mac & Cheese, they can expect a similar concept to what they d find at Chipotle

“You come in and order a grilled cheese sandwich or a bowl ” Shvets said “Our original signature dishes are already created and mastered to perfection ”

During a soft open earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday a fan-favorite was the Best of Both Worlds a baked mac and cheese sandwich with slow-cooking short rib, white cheddar cheese, American cheese and yellow cheddar cheese finished with barbecue sauce Guests can also build their own mac and cheese bowls and create their own grilled cheese sandwiches

“The menu appeals to every kind of guest from kids to vegans to vegetarians ” Shvets said

Another popular menu item is the Short Rib Philly Mac

PHOTO PROVIDED

One of the made-to-order mac and cheese sandwiches available at I Heart Mac & Cheese

To Go:

What: I Heart Mac & Cheese – Cape Coral

Where: 2209 Santa Barbara Blvd

When: 11 a m to 10 p m Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a m to 11 p m Friday and Saturday

Information: 239-257-1987 and https://iheartmacandcheese com/

& Cheese with slow-cooked short ribs mushrooms muenster cheese and red onions

The short rib is amazing, Krause-Orrison said It just melts in your mouth

Few things can bring people together and lift their spirits more than the combination of melted cheese, mouthwatering sauces pasta and grilled cheese

I Heart Mac & Cheese is as much about great food as it is about fostering an inviting atmosphere

“We just want to be part of the neighborhood ” Shvets said We do live here and we re huge supporters of the community That s the biggest thing

Cape Coral Charity Car Show & Model Airplane Display Saturday at Mariner High

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

One of the area s largest charity car shows is set for Saturday at Mariner High School

The seventh annual Cape Coral Charity Car Show & Model Airplane Display will take place from 9 a m to 3 p m on Feb 25

The event, sponsored by Cape Coral First United Methodist Church, is expected to be packed with 300 dif-

ferent makes models and styles with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Cape Coral Caring Center

The day-of-show entry fee is $20; parking is $5 for spectators Last year, the show raised more than $48,000 for the local food pantry and has raised close to $300 000 since its inception

See CHARITY CAR SHOW, page 11B

North High student earns AICE Top in Country award

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A North Fort Myers High School stud e n t h a s e a r n e d a 2 0 2 2 C a m b r i d g e

A d v a n c e d I n t e r n a t i o n a l C e r t i f i c a t e o f Education Top in Country award on his geography assessment

I am very excited It was very much a surprise to me I was not expecting it, North Fort Myers High sophomore Landon McCarthy, 16, a Cape Coral resident, said Estero High School senior Jack Calder received the Top in Country Award for the AICE Psychology Assessment

“It is a great pleasure to honor students and teachers at the School District of Lee

C o u n t y f o r t h e i r e x c e p t i o n a l w o r k i n

C a m b r i d g e c o u r s e s a n d e x a m i n a t i o n s

M a r k C a v o n e , C a m b r i d g e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Regional Director, North America, said in a prepared statement These results are a testament to the impressive talent of students and teachers in Lee County and it is a delight to celebrate their success ”

These students earned the highest standard mark in the nation in an individual s u b j e c t S t u d e n t s , w h o a r e i n t h e Cambridge program, take AICE classes to help them prepare for exams to earn coll e g e c r e d i t a s w e l l a s t h e p o t e n t i a l Cambridge diploma The diploma is given to students who have passed a Global Perspective and Research exam and seven Cambridge exams in three different subject areas McCarthy said although the test was not too difficult he had some insecurities of

how well he would do on the test But the study group he formed with his friends and watching videos his geography teacher provided him helped him answer the wide range of questions from his human geography and physical geography classes

He said his first semester focused on human geography, while the second semester focused on physical geography

"I really enjoy the human geography aspect of it Physical geography focuses on topography and landscapes and human geography is how countries are set up politically," he said

As a sophomore, he is involved in the theater program where he does the technical aspect such as line design and microphones assistant stage managing and being a part of the run crew

"I work at a theater outside of school and do lighting design there," McCarthy said

The sophomore also paints with some of his artworks hanging at the theater in Cape Coral and is a member of a few clubs

Right now, he hopes to study forensic pathology after high school

"I am extremely proud This was some a c c o m p l i s h m e n t I t w a s u n b e l i e v a b l e "

Lori McCarthy said of her son s hard work

He took the test as a freshman To do as well as he did is unheard of "

She explained that being smart comes natural for her son

"It is nice when you put effort into something and it pays off It s not all the time academically you get that kind of pat

on the back I am super super happy for him, Lori said

As a parent, she said she could not be happier with a high school than with North Fort Myers High School She said it is an amazing school fabulous staff with a great deal of support that always goes back to the kids

"I praise North Fort Myers High School

My kids have always been extremely good in school hard working and dedicated It's nice to have that combination of academics and the arts At North you are able to really put yourself out there," she said "North Fort Myers promotes such a good climate "

She recommends the AICE program as she really likes the skill of writing that is required with the program

It taps into another part of academics because it is out of England," she said

The district is also celebrating 184 students who received Cambridge Scholar Awards for their exceptional performance on the June 2022 exam series

I n o r d e r t o r e c e i v e t h e C a m b r i d g e Scholar Awards with Distinction, a student must receive at least three A grades or higher on the assessments For those who receive Cambridge Scholar Awards with Merit, the student must receive at least

three B grades The Cambridge Scholar Awards is given to students who receive at least three C grades Estero High School

■ 5 Cambridge Scholar Awards with Distinction

■ 20 Cambridge Scholar Awards with Merit

■ 40 Cambridge Scholar Awards Gateway High School

■ 2 Cambridge Scholar Awards with Merit

■ 5 Cambridge Scholar Awards Island Coast High School

■ 1 Cambridge Scholar Award Lehigh Senior High School

■ 1 Cambridge Scholar Award with Distinction

■ 11 Cambridge Scholar Awards with Merit

■ 25 Cambridge Scholar Awards North

EDUCATION NOTES

March programs, activities scheduled at Northwest Regional Library

Next month’s roster of activities at Northwest Regional Library offers topics for all ages The following activities are free to the public:

Adult Programs

Knit and Stitch

10 a m , Wednesday, March 1

A casual self-guided group of knitters and crocheters that join together to share projects ideas and techniques Participants are encouraged to bring their own projects and tools Basic materials and supplies are available for newcomers

English Café 10:30 a m , Thursdays, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Free informal, conversation sessions for adult ESOL/ESL students

Random Acts of Art for Adults 1 p m , Thursday, March 2

Learn a new art technique or discover an old favorite at this pop-up art class for adults The project will not be announced until you arrive and seating will be limited to the supplies on hand Registration is required

Tech Tuesdays: Ancestry com Edition 2 p m , Tuesday, March 7

I n t e r e s t e d i n g e n e a l o g y b u t u n s u r e where to begin? Join us for a fun and informative session where staff will share tips and tricks for running searches that will help you uncover the story of your f a m i l y o n A n c e s t r y c o m R e g i s t r a t i o n required

Books & Bagels

10:30 a m , Wednesday, March 8

Do you enjoy robust engaging book discussions? Join us and share your latest reading recommendations Bagels and coffee will be served Coloring Club 2 p m , Saturday, March 11

Join us for a relaxing afternoon of coloring and making new friends Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own coloring books should you wish

Artsy Adult Craft: Paper Making Project 1 p m , Saturday, March 18

Recycling at its best This month we will be learning the basics of re-making scrap paper into something new This project can get a bit messy so wear appropriate attire Registration is required

History of Rock n' Roll from 1960 to the 1980s

6 p m , Tuesday, March 21

Join Dr Clay Motley from Florida Gulf Coast University as he discusses some of Rock n' Roll's most influential decades Dr Motley is an expert on the history and culture of the U S South particularly through the lens of its popular music such as blues country and Rock n Roll

Tea Time Talks

6 p m , Tuesday, March 28

Do you enjoy robust engaging book discussions? Join us and share your latest reading recommendations Tea and cookies will be served

Children’s Programs

Kids Read Down Fines

4:30-5:30 p m , Wednesdays, March 1, 8 11 a m to noon, Saturday, March 18

Children and teens can earn a $2 credit on overdue fines for every 15 minutes they read in the designated area for a total of $8 in one session Please bring your library card

Ants in Your Pants Dance Party

10:30 a m , Thursday, March 9

Shake your sillies out at the library Get ready to twist and shout at this special dance party We’ll boogie down to pop hits and favorite preschool tunes For ages 25

Coloring Club

2 p m , Saturday, March 11

Join us for a relaxing afternoon of coloring and making new friends Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own coloring books should you wish

Kindness Club

4:30 p m , Tuesday, March 14

Join us at the library to create kindness in our community Kids can participate in fun activities designed to encourage kindness and help make the world a better place For ages 5-11 Registration begins Feb 14 Your registration is guaranteed only until the start of the program

Family Storytime

10 a m , Saturday, March 18

For children through age 5 and caregivers Families with young children enjoy a variety of stories, songs, rhymes and movement

Birthday Club

6:15 p m , Tuesday, March 21

Is it your child's birthday month? Come celebrate it with us at our monthly birthday bash All supplies and light refreshments provided For ages 1 - 5 Registration for the birthday child is required and is guaranteed only until the start of the program LEGO Club

2 p m , Saturday, March 25

Join us for a short story and Lego building activities Lego bricks provided for use during this program

Baby Rhyme Time

10:30 a m , Monday, March 27

For babies up to 18 months Babies and caregivers wiggle and giggle in a supportive environment Space is limited Arrive early and visit the children s desk to check in First-come, first-served

Books and Blankets

6:15 p m , Tuesday, March 28

Join us with your blankies and pajamas for this nighttime edition of storytime

Your whole family is invited to this enjoyable all-ages storytime that encourages the development of pre-reading skills through

See MARCH PROGRAMS,

Make sure wording in contract protects your interests

January home sales down, but seasonal pending sales up

t

,

t o l d o u r l e n d e r t o b e r e a d y t o c l o s e o n c e t h e C O w a s i s s u e d T h e C e r t i f i c a t e o f O c c u p a n c y w a s i s s u e d o n F e b 3 b u t w e d i d n ’ t k n o w u n t i l t h e 1 0 t h T h e b u i l d e r s a i d w e h a d t o c l o s e b y t h e 1 3 t h o r w e w o u l d l o s e o u r d e p o s i t a n d n o t b e a b l e t o b u y t h e h o m e O u r l e n d e r c o u l d n o t c o m p l e t e t h e i r a p p r a i s a l i n t i m e , s o w e c o u l d n t c l o s e o n t h e 1 3 t h N o w , t h e b u i l d e r w i l l n o t a n s w e r o u r c a l l s o r e m a i l s a n d w e s t i l l w a n t t o b u y i t W h a t c a n w e d o ? John and Dorothy R John and Dorothy, T h i s i s a s i t u a t i o n I a m h e a r i n g m o r e a n d m o r e F i r s t b u i l d e r s a r e h a v i n g c h a l l e n g e s f i n i s h i n g h o m e s w h e n e x p e c t e d d u e t o l a c k o f l a b o r a n d m a t e r i a l s I n t h e m e a n t i m e p r i c e s h a v e s o a r e d o v e r t h e p a s t y e a r , w h i c h h a s l e d s o m e s e l l e r s t o a t t e m p t t o g e t o u t o f c o n t r a c t s s o t h e y c a n s e l l f o r a h i g h e r p r i c e T h i s b r i n g s m e t o t h e n u m b e r o n e p r i o r i t y f o r a n y o n e s i g n i n g a c o n t r a c t - - a r e y o u p r ot e c t e d f r o m s o m e t h i n g l i k e t h i s ? A l t h o u g h t h e s t a nd a r d c o n t r a c t p r o v i d e s f o r s o m e p r o t e c t i o n s i f f i n a n c i n g d o e s n t c o m e t h r o u g h , t h e y a r e v e r y s p e c i f i c , a n d d e s i g n e d t o a l l o w t h e b u y e r t o e x i t t h e c o n t r a c t n o t t o e x t e n d t h e t i m e T h e r e a r e d i f f e r e n t c o n t r a c t s u s e d s o t h e r e m a y b e a d d i t i o n a l i t e m s t h a t c a n a s s i s t i n t h i s s i t u at i o n G e n e r a l l y , t h o u g h , w i t h o u t b e t t e r w o r d i n g o n t h e c l o s i n g d a t e , t h e c o n t r a c t l i k e l y d i d r e q u i r e y o u t o c l o s e b y t h e 1 3 t h M o r e p r o t e c t i v e w o r d i n g w o u l d h a v e s t a t e d t h a t t h e t i m e “ s t a r t e d t i c k i n g ” w h e n y o u w e r e a c t u a l l y p r o v i d e d n o t i c e o f t h e c e r t i f i c a t e o f o c c u p a n c y a n d w o u l d a l s o h a v e g i v e n m o r e t h a n 1 0 d a y s B a n k s , l i k e m a n y s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r s , a r e o v e rw h e l m e d a n d u n d e r s t a f f e d W e a l w a y s w a n t t o e n s u r e t h e c o n t r a c t d o e s n ’ t c r e a t e a n u n n e c e s s a r y h a r d s h i p T h e c l a u s e y o u h a d i n t h i s c o n t r a c t w a s n o t d e s i g n e d t o p r o t e c t y o u r i n t e r e s t s K e e p i n m i n d , e v e r y s i t u a t i o n i s u n i q u e , a n d y o u m a y h a v e r i g h t s p u r s u a n t t o t h e c o n t r a c t t h a t c o u l d a l l o w y o u t o e n f o r c e i t , o r a t l e a s t o b t a i n y o u r d e p o s i t b a c k I n t h e m e a n t i m e i f t h e y a s k y o u t o s i g n a c a n c e l l a t i o n a n d r e l e a s e I w o u l d r e c o m m e n d y o u s e e k l e g a l c o u n s e l t o d e t e r m i n e y o u r s p e c i f i c l e g a l r i g h t s b e f o r e d o i n g s o

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in C a p e 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 U n i v e r s i t y i n W a s h i n g t o n D C h e 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 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 239-5424733 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

The number of closed single-family home sales in Cape Coral during January were down sharply while the number of currently active listings were substantially higher than a year ago as home prices continued to come under downward pressure However, pending home sales have increased sharply from the beginning of this year creating a nice “seasonal pop ” while remaining well below last year’s f r e n z i e d p a c e a s o u r m a r k e t h a s slumped back to pre-COVID sales levels

We continue to see a lot of Internet activity in the form of home searches from potential out-of-town buyers with some telling us they are patiently watching for now and hoping for prices to go lower before they get serious about buying a home E a r l i e r t h i s w e e k t h e N a t i o n a l Association of Realtors announced that nationwide the real estate market suffered a record 12th straight monthly decline in existing home sales with January posting a record 36 9 percent plunge in sales versus January 2022 On a seasonally adjusted annual rate the number of total existing home sales which includes single-family homes townhomes condos and co-ops is at its weakest level since October 2010 However, the January median sales price edged 1 3 percent higher from January 2022, to $359,000 While this marked a record 131 consecutive months of year-over-year price gains the NAR noted it was the smallest annual gain in prices since January 2012 indicating price gains are decelerating This came on the heels of last week s stubbornly high and sticky inflation numbers which caused interest rates to spike higher as it became clear the Federal Reserve will likely be forced to move interest rates higher for longer in its war on inflation

of the market, at $350,000 and below The median price for pending sales, with half above and half below this price is currently at $405 000

In the overall Cape Coral single-family home market, there were 320 closed home sales in January, which was 33 9 percent lower than the 484 closed sales in January 2022 and 8 percent below the 348 closed sales in December The median sales price in the Cape s overall

2022

$399 995 in December

Bob and Geri Quinn Homing

As of Tuesday Feb 21 there were 1 349 active listings in the Multiple Listing Service for Cape Coral singlefamily homes at prices ranging from $255,000 to $4 275 million This was up from 1 321 listings a week ago and above the 1 330 listings at the beginning of this year on Jan 3 More notable is the fact that the number of active single-family home listings through a Realtor in the Cape has more than tripled from the 424 listings a year ago on Feb 22, 2022, when list prices ranged from $238,500 to $5 995 million

The current median list price is up a bit to $519 000 from $509 873 on Jan 3 of this year but down 13 1 percent from $597,450 one year ago There are currently 177 homes listed for $1 million and above, up from 151 listings on Jan 3, and well above the 83 such listings a year ago We currently have 143 single-family homes in the Cape listed at $350 000 and under making up 10 6 percent of the homes for sale on the market with 22 of these homes priced under $300,000 This compares to a year ago when there were only 26 homes, or 6 1 percent of the 424 active listings, priced at $350,000 and under, with only five homes listed below $300 000

Shifting over to pending home sales as of Feb 21 there were 803 single-family homes in the Cape under contract with buyers at prices ranging from $215,000 to $3 29 million This is up from 765 pending home sales one week ago and it is a 53 8 percent increase from 522 pending sales back on Jan 3 Pending sales are down 21 7 percent from a year ago on Feb 22 2022 when there were 1,025 homes in the Cape under contract with buyers We currently have 38 pending sales at $1 million and above, to go along with 232 pending sales, or 29 percent

In

The monthly supply of unsold homes in the overall Cape home market came in at 7 months in January, which was up from both the 4 months of supply in January 2022 and the 6 months of supply in December

Indirect gulf access canal homes

In the Cape Coral single-family indirect gulf access canal home segment (meaning canal homes with bridges in the canal system), there were 21 closed home sales in January This was 55 3 percent lower than the 47 closed sales in January 2022 and 4 5 percent less than the 22 closed sales in December The median sales price in this segment was $775,000 in January, which was 3 3 percent higher than the $750,000 posted in January 2022, and it was 4 7 percent above the $740,000 in December The monthly supply of unsold homes in this segment was 11 months in January compared to the 4 months of supply in January 2022 and 9 months in December

Direct sailboat access canal homes

In the Cape Coral single-family direct sailboat access canal home segment (meaning canal homes with no bridges in the canal system to get out to open water), there were 37 closed home sales in January This was 30 2 percent lower than the 53 closed sales in January 2022 but 27 6 percent above the 29 sales in December The median sales price in this segment was $670,000 in January, which was 16 3 percent below the $800,000 posted in January 2022, but 0 8 percent higher than the $665,000 in December Keep in mind that these sales price numbers are likely skewed lower than normal due to the distressed sales of storm damaged homes creating some price distortions The monthly supply of unsold homes in this segment came in at 6 months in January, compared to the 3 months of supply recorded in January 2022 and the 7 months of supply in December

Freshwater canal and lake homes

In the Cape Coral single-family freshwater canal and lake home segment which consists of landlocked canals and lakes with no access to the river or to the Gulf of Mexico by boat, there were 31 closed home sales in January This was 43 6 percent lower than the 55 closed sales in January 2022 and down 13 9 percent from the 36 closed sales in December The median sales price in this segment was $470 000 in January or 2 5 percent below the $482,000 posted in January 2022, and 11 percent lower than the $528,200 in December The monthly supply of unsold homes in this segment came in at 7 months in January compared to 3 months of supply in January 2022 and 6 months of supply in December

See JANUARY, page 5B

Raso Realty to hold grand reopening, kick off 50th Anniversary Celebration

Raso Realty is built on loyalty, commitment and responding to the needs of its clients and community That s why this family-owned business – the longest real estate agency in the city - was determined to reopen after i t s b u i l d i n g s u f f e r e d s i g n i f i c a n t d a m a g e b e c a u s e o f Hurricane Ian last year

Beginning at 4 p m on Tuesday, Feb 28, and after months of remodeling and renovation, Raso Realty and community leaders will celebrate its grand re-opening There will be a ribbon-cutting and tour of the recently finished building at its location 4812 Cape Coral St in downtown Cape Coral And it s more than just a grand r e o p e n i n g T h e b u s i n e s s will also kick off its 50th

A n n i v e r s a r y C e l e b r a t i o n Raso Realty first opened in C a p e C o r a l o n J u n e 1 0 , 1973, bringing to life the vision of the founders, Joe and Grace Raso Billed as a 3-4-1 event

(the remodel/tour ribbon cutting anniversary celebration)

Raso Realty and its long history and service to the community will be honored by several speakers, including Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter There will be light refreshments Photos and items from iconic moments in the city’s history also will be displayed Other speakers

Eric P Feichthaler Real Estate Law

Real Estate Investment Society announces new officers, board members

The Real Estate Investment Society announces the election of officers and the Board of Governors to lead the organization during 2023: President Lori Moore of Roetzel & Andress; Vice President Justin Thibaut CCIM of LSI Companies; Treasurer Josh Philpott AICP of Stantec; and Secretary Kristine Smale of Zonda

The Board of Governors includes Richard Akin of Henderson Franklin Starnes & Holt, P A ; Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell; Art Castellanos of Castellanos+Tramonte Architects; Janet Davis CCIM of Midland 1031; Phil Fischler CCIM of Fischler Property Company; Zannon Garza of DeAngelis Diamond; and Ryan Shute, PE, of Morris-Depew Associates The immediate past president Kent Poli of Busey Bank also joins the Board

The Real Estate Investment Society is an independent

organization dedicated to assisting members in the effective utilization of real estate through networking education public service and a common voice on pertinent issues The membership represents a broad spectrum of real estate, environmental, financial, legal, design, construction, marketing and management companies

Front row, from left, Treasurer Josh Philpott, Secretary Kristine Smale, President Lori Moore and Scholarship Chair Bev Larson; and back row, from left, Governors Art Castellanos, Matt Caldwell, Phil Fischler, Janet Davis, Ryan Shute, Zannon Garza and Richard Akin Vice President Justin Thibaut and 2022 President Kent Poli are not pictured PHOTO PROVIDED

REIS luncheon meetings convene at 11:30 a m on the second Tuesday of each month at Pelican Preserve in Fort Myers to network and discuss current civic and business issues affecting the commercial real estate and development industry Information on membership and meeting programs is available at www reis-swfl org

January: Home sales down during month, but pending sales are up

RE/MAX Realty Team

From page 4B

Dry lot homes

In the Cape Coral single-family dry lot (non-canal) home segment there were 229 closed home sales in January which was 29 5 percent lower than the 325 closed sales in January 2022, and 12 6 percent below the 262 closed sales in December The median sales price in this segment was $357 990 in January or 3 5 percent above the $346 000 posted in January 2022 but down 5 2 percent from $377 495 in December The monthly supply of unsold homes in this segment came in at 7 months in January, compared to the 4 months of supply in January 2022, and the 5 months of unsold supply in December

The sales data for this article was obtained from the Florida Realtors Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County, Fla , as of Feb 19, 2023, unless otherwise noted It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral single-family homes and does not include condominiums 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

Raso Realty: 50th

From page 4B

will include Raso Reality owner and broker Dennis Hackworth

Throughout our history, Raso Realty has been a labor of love not only for real estate but for the Cape Coral community and Southwest Florida, said Hackworth This was certainly a labor of love to reopen but this agency and this family were determined to bring back everything thing this business means to us and the area ”

About Raso Realty

When Joe Raso moved his family to Cape Coral in 1960 his dream was to open a family-run real estate agency He succeeded on June 10 1973 opening Raso Realty on Cape Coral Street There were only about 400 people in the city then, but over time Raso Realty grew into one of the region s top full-service, independent real estate agencies, helping buyers and sellers locate the finest properties and negotiate the best deals in Southwest Florida

Council since 2006 and a board member since 2019, previously serving on Page 7B CAPE CORAL BREE ZE w w w capecoral breeze com Februar y 24 2023

J u n i o r A c h i e v e m e n t o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a h a s announced JoAnn Curtin Elardo, co-founder and president of Wicked Dolphin Distillery; Thomas M Moran AIF chairman CEO and CIO of Moran Wealth Management; and Mark Stevens president of Stevens Construction as the 2023 laureates to be inducted into the JA Business Hall Of Fame Tuesday, April 18, at 5:30 p m , at the RitzCarlton, Golf Resort, in Naples

This event honors influential visionary leaders and organizations that have made a significant impact and elevated the educational landscape for local youth regarding financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness in Southwest Florida

includes the new Baker Theatre and Education Center, and the funding of the Moran Main Stage He and his

Builders Care Page Healthcare Inc and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Stevens has been recognized as an Earn to Learn Mentor of Impact, Gulfshore Business 40 Under

E l a r d o ’ s i n f l u e n c e h a s t o u c h e d lives across the globe From Warsaw Poland, where she opened an awardwinning sporting goods retail shop and distribution center that expanded into several countries to building schools and a medical clinic in the Congo Elardo has also continuously had a positive impact on Southwest Florida since moving to Cape Coral in 2008

In addition to helping to open the Cape Coral Animal Shelter and several other philanthropic endeavors, Elardo is the partner of an international distribution company owns a commercial real estate investment company and is on the board of Gulf Coast Business Bank Elardo has earned several awards and accolades and is best known locally as the founder of Wicked Dolphin Distillery which has also won several awards for its handcrafted spirits With more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Moran leads an independent Registered Investment Advisory firm with a comprehensive team of more than 35 professionals Passionate about children’s charities and the arts he spent 12 years on the board of Youth Haven, while his support of Gulfshore Playhouse

ways

Cape Coral Social Club dinner dance March 4

Elardo Mark Stevens Thomas M Moran The Cape Coral Social Club will be holding a dinner dance Saturday, March 4, from 5:30-9:30 p m at the German American Social Club, 2101 S W Pine Island Road in Cape Coral The dance is open to the public Music will be provided by Richie C There is a menu choice of one corn beef and cabbage or sauteed lemon and pepper chicken breast in a white mushroom sauce or vegetarian shepherds pie All will be served with potato salad rolls and butter honey glazed carrots steamed red bliss potatoes with soft drinks chocolate cake and decaf coffee A cash only bar will be available -- no BYOB! Reservations and payment are required by Tuesday, Feb 28 The cost is $30 members/$35 guests add $1 per person if using PayPal or credit card Payments will be taken at the general meeting at Farmer Joe’s on Pine Island Road or Family Hardware on Southeast 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, on web at www capecoralsocialclub org or by contacting Judy at 239-699-0123 or Kathy at 239-257-1803 Indicate entrée choice and table seating preference; singles’ table available No refunds for cancellations Checks preferred For questions email CCSCreservations@gmail com

Art contest: Winners of 34th Keep Lee County Beautiful competition

Keep Lee County Beautiful will host an award reception Monday, April 3, from 57 p m at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Caretaker’s House at which time the artwork will be exhibited, and the winners will receive their awards

The reusable tote bags will be released in the fall and can be had for a $5 donation each and will be available through participating Lee County Schools who retain all proceeds collected with the funds being used to support on campus environmental projects

The “Leave the Scene Clean” project is

made possible through corporate sponsorships Sponsors for the 2023 art contest include Lee County Solid Waste Covanta E n e r g y , C o c a - C o l a B e v e r a g e s F l o r i d a , Greenfield Marketing & Media, Ron Jon s Surf Shop and Waste Pro Sponsorship spaces are still available

Please call Tisha at 239-334-3488 or email Tisha@ klcb org for more details on how to become a sponsor KLCB is a private non-profit organization dedicated to educational litter prevention programs and responsible solid waste management Proceeds from the sale of the environmental reusable tote bags benefit KLCB programs and participating schools

For more information about KLCB educational programs call 239-334-3488

The four overall First Place Winners and their schools are:

Grade K-3 – Sofia Garcia – Veterans Park Academy for the Arts

Grade 4-6 – Dianna Davis – Oasis

Middle School

Grade 7-9 – Mia De La Cruz Matos –Caloosa Middle School

Grade 10-12 –

March programs: Activities, classes at Northwest Regional Library

From page 3B

the requestor Requests should be made at least five business days in advance

From page 2B

Roger Williams University in Bristol, R I Full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a GPA of 3 4 or higher are placed on the Dean's List that semester

Among those honored are Cape Coral residents Brynn MacWilliams and Kyle Setzer

Roger Williams University offers 50 majors and graduate and professional programs across eight schools of study including Rhode Island's only law school with campuses on the coast of Bristol and in the heart of Providence R I For more information visit https://www rwu edu/ Spherion seeking applications for four

th annual Sandy

Mazur leadership scholarship

Spherion Staffing and Recruiting has announced that its S a n d y M a z u r F l o r i d a E x c e l l e n c e i n L e a d e r s h i p Scholarship is accepting applications now through April 30

Founded in honor of former President Sandy Mazur who served an 18-year tenure at Spherion the scholarship honors her significant contributions to the company and will award at least $2,500 to a select group of winners

The purpose of the scholarship is to support aspiring students of all ages seeking higher education who demonstrate the qualities that Mazur embodied Her unwavering passion to make a difference in the lives of others served as an example to the teams at hundreds of local Spherion offices nationwide, including Fort Myers, and continues to inspire them to fund this scholarship program

This year’s application is open to anyone seeking secondary education including college technical school or skilled training programs To qualify applicants must hold a GPA of 2 5 or above, be pursuing a continuing education program, and must reside in a county with a Spherion

EDUCATION NOTES

office Applicants financial need will also be considered

and Michael Chalmers

County Foundation, which disburses grants for charitable organizations

The application asks entrants to share examples of their community service involvement and how they “pay it forward ” With names and locations removed the Scholarship Selection Committee will review applications and select the winner(s) based on merit

For more information or for interested applicants, the Sandy Mazur Scholarship application is available online at www spherion com/scholarship

To donate to the Sandy Mazur Scholarship please select “Sandy Mazur/Spherion Excellence in Leadership Scholarship from the drop down menu richlandcountyfoundation org/donate Florida Gulf Coast University adds to communication team

Katie Cribbs, a news leader and public relations practitioner in Southwest Florida since 2003, is now Florida

Gulf Coast University s assistant director, media and public relations In the new role Cribbs will expand FGCU’s efforts to create a media-friendly campus She will seek out newsworthy stories and cultivate experts who are readily available to discuss various topics Cribbs will also proactively work with the media to keep FGCU involved in the conversations that matter to the community

Cribbs most recently served as public relations specialist for Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties

After earning her degree from Muhlenberg College, Cribbs started her television career in her native Ohio She subsequently moved to Southwest Florida and worked for WINK-TV where she held several positions including overseeing the investigative and special projects team

For more information, contact Cribbs at 239-7454602 or kcribbs@fgcu edu

Charity car show: Fundraising event to be held at Mariner High

From page 1B

Event organizer Phil Deems said they expect this year’s exposition to be the largest car show ever held in the Cape with an expected 3,000 attendees

The great thing about this show is it's a family show, Deems said It s not just about cars We have a salute to first responders and military and veterans We also have a very nice Seahawk model airplane display and a stock car coming in to fire up its engine every once in a while It s a little something for everyone Deems said their fundraising goal is $75 000 with the need this year being greater due to Hurricane Ian

It only takes a few generous people to make a difference, he said

The show includes a Tribute to the Military at noon including color guard pledge and live music; a deejay playing ’50s and 60s music, food; 50/50 drawings; and great door prizes There will be many additional vendors, plus information booths for the charity and church sponsor Judging will be done by co-sponsors with over 30 trophies being presented

The event is rain or shine, and pets are not permitted

For safety reasons vehicle participants are asked to stay until 3 p m Deems also noted the Cape Coral Caring Center, which serves more than 12,000 people in need in the community and provides more than 143 tons of food to the less fortunate can turn a $1 donation into $8 worth of food making donations even more impactful We re helping the community, Deems said “A lot of people no longer have a table to sit down at because of the hurricane The shelves at the Caring Center need to be stocked to help people including those that have lost jobs or have other things going on in their life

Just a few months back the Cape Coral Caring Center helped 600 families receive Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; 300 children receive toys from Santa; and 300 children were given school supplies in a backpack They provide special food for older folks with special dietary restrictions linked to disability and illness The Cape Coral Caring Center also helps people build resumes for job searches and provides free bus passes so they can get to interviews The center s Executive Director, Julie Ferguson, said donations have been more critical following Ian

“The Cape Coral Caring Center is so grateful to be the beneficiary of the charity car show, now more than ever, Ferguson said We are seeing people daily that have many needs due to the hurricane With the proceeds we will continue to be able to make sure our community has food and other necessities We have seen many new people that have lost so much due to Ian and

Cape Coral Art League shows and events for March and April

The Cape Coral Art League has scheduled the following shows and events for the months of March and April For details, please phone the Art League at 239-7725657 or capecoralartleague org

All of the activities or events will be held at the Art League at 516 Cultural Park Blvd Cape Coral

in March and April, from

Butterfly garden: Attracting some beautiful visitors to your yard

From page 1B

established in your garden, you will see damaged leaves or even fully defoliated plants Don t worry – the caterpillars won t destroy your garden just these host plants and the plant will recover and support new caterpillars

Area garden centers are usually stocked with these host plants, but there are periods where milkweed can be hard to find due to high demand from butterfly gardeners; fortunately most varieties of milkweed readi-

ly self-seed and produce new plants

3 Shelter from temperature extremes, wind storms/rain and predators is provided by plants or trees with different heights and growth habits Host plants will also provide shelter, and many Florida native plants are well suited for this purpose

4 Water is a critical element for your butterfly garden; while nectar supplies butterflies with necessary moisture a large plant saucer filled with water and lined with rocks can supply access to water for your butterfly visitors

The University of Florida has extensive resources for gardeners who are interested in butterflies; this link will take you to the home page for butterfly gardens and provide you with all the information you will need to establish a butterfly garden: h t t p s : / / s f y l i f a s u f l e d u / l a w n - a n d - g a rden/florida-butterfly-garden/ With an understanding of the four basic components of butterfly gardening you’re now ready to get started on establishing a space in your landscape for these beautiful visitors You probably have nectar sources

already in place in your garden which will attract adult butterflies; adding host plants to feed the larvae will ensure that you continue to have new generations of colorful butterflies Establishing a sanctuary for butterflies doesn t require a lot of work or expense – but the return on your investment will provide a beautiful addition to your landscape!

Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and Garden Club of Cape Coral member