Lynn Hall Memorial Park opens

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Lynn Hall Memorial Park reopened Saturday for the first time since Hurricane Ian. The Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation reopened the Fort Myers Beach park near Times Square, along with its beach parks at San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve and Bonita Beach Park

Lynn Hall Memorial Park has been frequently used by visitors over the past few months to sunbathe and swim despites its official closure

The parking lot and park facilities had been fenced off however there was a lack of signage around the beach

S

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Capt John “Jay” Gray is well known around Fort Myers Beach for running marathons into his 80s, decorating coconuts on his property for the holidays and holding St Patrick’s Day parties

On Sept 28, Gray lost both of his boats on his Fort Myers Beach property and countless personal effects to Hurricane Ian

Yet more than five months later, the 85-year-old U S Marine still gets emotional talking about the help he received in cleaning and rebuilding his home from volunteers a half a world away

A week after Hurricane Ian shook his home and brought 10 feet of water inside his Fort Myers Beach. property, Gray was more than a bit surprised to meet a group of volunteers from Israel who spent a week helping him clean up his property

They were with Israaid and Rubicon, Israeli humanitarian aid groups that specialize in disaster response

They helped find a box with his belongings that had washed away, finding some old photos and St Patrick’s Day decorations

“That’s probably the most unique thing that ever happened to me,” Gray said

“It just hit my heart,” Gray said

“The first thing we did was raise the American flag and the Marine flag,” he said “They worked from 7 a m to 5 p m at night They took my walls down ”

He recalled one of the volunteers “pulling the tacks out of the rugs going up the stairs.”

Gray has stayed in touch with the Israeli volunteers through emails They shared photos with him from Fort Myers Beach and back in Israel “They were like brothers,” he said

Losing his sailboat, motorboat and many of his belongings has taken a big toll on Gray “We got beat up,” he said “I’ve

See MARINE, page 12

Fort Myers Beach resident Jay Gray with Asaf Bandor, of Israaid. Bandor was part of a group of Israeli humanitarian aid volunteers who helped Gray clean his property and locate personal belongings that had washed away from Hurricane Ian such as this St. Patrick’s Day sign. photo provided

The timing of the reopening coincides with elevated alert levels of red tide being documented by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the area around Lynn Hall Memorial Park, Little Hickory Island and Barefoot Beach State Preserve in recent weeks Low levels of red tide were reported at nearby Bowditch Point Park on Fort Myers Beach The Town of Fort Myers Beach recently announced it would be using heavy equipment to remove dead fish that have been washing ashore in recent weeks.

“We are thrilled to announce the reopening of our beach park facilities after the devastation of Hurricane Ian It is heartening to hear from our residents and visitors how eager they are to once again enjoy these amenities, and we are grateful for their patience during the rebuilding process,” said Brian Hamman, Chairman of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners “I would also like to commend the county staff for their hard work and dedication in getting these facilities back up and running These efforts have helped to restore a sense of normalcy and community pride to our area ”

See LYNN HALL, page 12 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m 8 , 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 2

W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a r c h

Publisher Raymond M Eckenrode reckenrode@breezenewspapers com

Executive Editor Valarie Harring vharring@breezenewspapers com

Editor Nathan Mayberg nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

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Lyn McElhaney lmcelhaney@breezenewspapers com

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HB991: Bad for Florida, bad for America

Imagine a world in which newspapers have been bankrupted and shuttered

Imagine that Reddit, the Drudge Report and Red Pill are no more and that social media platforms forbid political discussion of any stripe

Imagine that while some t e l e v i s i o n a n d r a d i o n e w s show still exist, they only feature endless stories about cats and dogs, and fawning coverage of those in power

Imagine a world in which robust political discussion has been cowed into silence, and all government business takes place behind closed doors, and nobody can talk about what might have transpired in this darkness unless they want to end up broke, unemployed and homeless

Block Guest Commentary

This is not the backdrop of some new Netflix drama about a dystopian future in a galaxy, far, far away No This is a possible reality right here in Florida if lawmakers succeed in passing a bill that would lower the threshold for the rich and powerful to sue anybody who says something they don’t like.

H B 9 9 1 i s o f f i c i a l l y c a l l e d t h e Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses Bill But First Amendment activists like me who have read it call it the “Death to Public Discourse Bill ”

Key supporters of HB 991 want you to believe the legislation is about taming the excesses of the “liberal corporate” media by giving the “little guy” a chance to avenge “bad” coverage But the truth of this bill is all about making it easier for government officials and their rich and powerful allies to use

Poll

Previous Web

Results

What are you most concerned about in regards to rebuilding from Hurricane Ian?

In the wake of Ian, anti-drowning precautions especially needed

To the editor:

H u r r i c a n e I a n d e v a s t a t e d m o s t o f Southwest Florida As we are all rebuilding, f i n d i n g b u s i n e s s e s t h a t c a n r e p a i r o u r house/property is understandably hard

The Lee County government is asking homeowners, if you cannot find a business to replace your pool cage or fence in a timely manner, to put up a temporary fence around your pool or yard to prevent accidental drownings

Florida is one of three states with the most accidental drownings.

Current Web

Question

Should the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council approve a special exception permit for a 298-feet boardwalk over two lagoons, dunes and vegetation near the Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area?

∫ Yes

∫ No

∫ Unsure/no opinion the courts to punish those who criticize them

And despite the belief by s o m e c o n s e r v a t i v e s t h a t HB991 would only affect the New York Times, the Miami Herald and CNN if it were to become law, the reality is no information outlet would be s p a r e d t h e d e p r e d a t i o n s o f p u n i t i v e l a w s u i t s u n d e r i t s p r o v i s i o n s F o x , N e w s m a x , conservative talk radio stations will all feel the sting of this new law as public figures across the political spectrum look to exact their vengeance a g a i n s t i n c o n v e n i e n t n e w s c o v e r a g e a n d c o m m e n t a r y The fallout would just as likely crush Fox’s Tucker Carlson as it would the NYT’s Paul Krugman

More than that, this legislation would also subject bloggers, community groups, average users of social media in short everybody who wants their voices heard to the untold financial and emotional burdens of lawsuits

And the way HB991 is currently written, a story doesn’t have to be wrong and damaging to an official to land a reporter, blogger or housewife Facebooker in court It can merely cast the subject of the story in an unfavorable light

Gov Ron DeSantis called for a new defamation bill, saying he wanted to give the Average Joe a chance to clear their name when the press sullies it But the truth is that defamation and libel suits have never been the tools of ordinary people who often don’t have the means to go to court But these lawsuits have all too often been part of the repertoire of powerful figures seeking to bring their critics to heel