Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Utilities info session draws hundreds

Cost is biggest concern at city meeting for property owners in North 1 West expansion area

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

com

Property owners looking for more information on the North 1 West utility expansion project and its related costs turned out by the score Wednesday

They queued up early with the line going down the stairway around the corner and down a first-floor hallway at City Hall before the town-hall style session opened at 5 p m

Attendees were promised information on what the plan will entail its timetable how to abandon an existing well and septic system and an opportunity to speak with staff in oneon-one, 10-minute Q&A sessions about the cost the primary concern of those who turned out

AOW

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

Page 15A

I almost had a heart attack when I saw the bill because we have an empty lot next to us, so we knew it would be higher, but this is double or triple what we were expecting By the time we re done, we re going to be paying $80,000 once you add the permit fee, abandon the septic and connection

It s a hard pill to swallow

Property owners in North 1 West the first part of the city of Cape Coral s two-phase North 1 expansion area, face a minimum assessment of $33 000-plus for a standard 10 000-square-foot residential lot

Many attendees said they’re afraid that the UEP cost, coupled with hurricane and insurance costs, may make their home unafford-

homeowner Jennifer Sperry

able Councilmember Tom Hayden, who was there to provide additional information, said he understands the situation

“We know that people are concerned about the cost they’re as high as they’ve ever been, but it s important that we continue to move through with the UEP project and bring

honors

Garden Club of Cape Coral to present outdoor show & sale

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Been searching for that perfect addition to your garden exotic plant or handcrafted art to complete your outdoor decor?

This Saturday, horticulturists can find an abundance of greenery to fawn over and even take home as The Garden Club of Cape Coral presents March in the Park ” their annual plant and garden art sale

This is the 15th edition of the club’s biggest fundraising event of the year which draws vendors from all across Southwest Florida, and is set to be one of the biggest ever “March in the Park is really a major event for us, it’s the largest fundraiser we put on ” said club coPresident Ann Block “We’re hoping for good weather and admission is free

This year s edition of March in the Park will feature more than 50 vendors the greatest number in the fundraiser’s history with more than 1 500 selections This sale will be held from 9 a m to 3 p m at Jaycee Park and is to feature plants of all kinds, trees, shrubs, ground cover, native plants, and miniatures, to name a few Garden art will include glass reflections, stepping stones, metal works, fish faces and various planters “Thrifty treasures” will also be available from garden club members The incredible networking ability of the garden club allows for so many different selections to be available at March in the Park

See MARCH in the PARK, page 15A March in the Park will be held from 9 a m to 3 p m at Jaycee Park FILE PHOTO

If You Go:

What: March in the Park

When: Saturday, March 11, from 9 a m to 3 p m

Where: Jaycee Park, 4125 Southeast 20th Place Cape Coral More information: For more information, visit www gardenclubofcapecoral com

utilities to this location ” Hayden said “It’s vitally important for the environment and for new development

At it stands, the cost of the water, sewer and irrigation lines will cost the owner of a 10 000-square-foot lot $33 367 if they prepay their assessment

That’s before calling a plumber to install the lines to the home and abandoning the septic system, which will add several thousand more

That also is contingent on paying the bill in full by Oct 1 which the majority feared they will not be able to do

Those at the other end of the payment

See UTILITIES, page 7A

District eyes Cafferata replacement

School board to vote on new K-8 campus

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The Lee County School Board is ready to vote on the proposed Hector

A Cafferata Jr K-8 school

In response Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said this week district staff will move to bring the plan to replace the hurricane-damaged campus forward “I continue to think this is one of the best ideas ” Board member Chris Patricca said of items that have come forward during her time on the board I support and would vote yes for this Board members all agree a single phase K-8 build approach would make the most sense as the new school would take 25 months to build at an estimated cost of $103 5 million This approach would utilize a prototype developed for a K-8 South Zone school and steel that is in the district’s current inventory It replaces the elementary seats lost and supplies us with a number of middle school seats in demand, Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wagner said “It’s taking a tragic situation

See CAMPUS, page 11A

Weekend Irish fest set

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

The German American Social C l u b o f C a p e C o r a l r e c e n t l y brought back its weekend festivities after Hurricane Ian and this time around, they ll pay homage to the Irish culture and St Patrick

The GASC s second of four B i e r g a r t e n f e s t s t a k e s p l a c e t h i s weekend where St Patrick’s Day is to be celebrated for two days

On Saturday and Sunday, the Bavarian Gardens will take on a slightly different look with Irish beer being served as well as traditional Irish plates such as corned beef shepherd s pie bangers and fish and chips

GASC President Steven Bauer said the club is excited to welcome

See FEST, page 15A

Vegan Street Fest set for Sunday

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A

looking to open the

of the community when it comes to

great

6A

If You Go:

What: Cape Coral Vegan Street Fest

When: Sunday, March 12, from 9 a m to 4 p m

Where: 915 Southeast 14th Place between Viscaya Parkway and Southeast 10th Street in the industrial park

CCPD office receives Lifesaving Award for water rescue

Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore has recognized the efforts of an officer whose quick action saved a man from a possible drowning

Officer Brice Bearman accepted the Lifesaving Award

The CCPD provided details of the officer s actions:

On Jan 19, at approximately 11 a m , the department received a call that a man was struggling to stay above water in a canal in the 500 block of Southwest 8th Place Bearman responded and found a man holding onto a boat but struggling

Officer Bearman saw the older man struggling in the canal and jumped in to rescue him ” a release announcing the commendation states “Officer Bearman pulled the older man and his boat to the canal bank where LCEMS attended to the male The male was treated on scene and was able to go home

The man told officers he went to the front of his boat to untangle a line and when his foot got caught he fell into the water

“He said he tried to reach the canal bank but couldn’t He stated he inflated his life vest and held onto the boat He stated he still couldn t get to the canal bank, was exhausted, and started yelling for help He said a neighbor must have heard him and called 911 The male was very appreciative that Officer Bearman jumped in and rescued him the release states

Officer Bearman entered the canal without hesitation and represented our agency with honor, bravery, and professionalism,” the release states

Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore presents Officer Brice Bearman with a departmental Lifesaving Award for his quick actions that prevented a possible drowning

CAPE CORAL POLICE DEPARTMENT

Scholarship applications being accepted for Rotary Park’s Eco Adventure Nature Camp

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Applications are now being accepted for the Adam Strongin Camp Scholarship, providing children with the opportunity to participate in Rotary Park’s Eco Adventure Nature Camp

It came about because Adam Strongin was one of our camp children who passed away, Senior Recreation Specialist Honey Phillips said He went to nature camp here After he passed away we decided to put together a scholarship program for camp kids ”

The family donated money towards the scholarship, which goes to the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, which has an account through the Community Foundation

The first scholarship was provided in 2014 To be considered a child must be 7 to 12 years old and return the form properly no later than March 31 The application can be mailed to Rotary Park Environmental Center, 5505 Rose Garden Road, Cape Coral FL, 33914, emailed to rotaryparkinfo@capecoral gov, or dropped off in person

“There is an application that they can pick up here at the park Some of the schools in Lee County are providing them Phillips said There is a little essay the kids fill out (about) why they want to learn about nature and why it is important to them

A committee will read the essays and decide

Ten children will receive a scholarship for one week of camp Winners will be notified by April 10

We try to notify them quickly because our camp fills up really fast, Phillips said

There is room for 30 children each week

This year there are seven weeks of camp all with different themes for 7 to 12 year olds Themes include creepy crawlers super science week fossil fun mammal mania reptile week, survival week and shark week The camps are held from 8 a m to 5 p m at the Rotary Park Environmental Center

Some of the activities will include guest speakers fort building hiking on the nature trails catching fish in the pond as well as a lot of outdoor time and organized sports on the fields

Phillips said Fridays are water days with water games outdoors, as well as a movie the kiddos watch on the ceiling with popcorn provided

“Adam really loved nature camp He was an outdoorsy kind of kid It s a good way to remember him and hopefully give other kids a chance to partake in learning about nature, she said To get them outside, dirty and send them home tired ”

OPINIONS

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

Member Florida Press Association

‘ ... you ain’t seen nothing yet’

Count us among those who have nothing but kudos to Gov Ron DeSantis for his efforts for Southwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian

He was not only here he was here often

He put both money and effort into the repair of critical infrastructure like the Matlacha bridge and the Sanibel Causeway to get us on the road to recovery much quicker than anyone expected In miracle time, in fact: Two days for the bridge leading to Pine Island, just over two weeks for the thrice-breached causeway leading to Sanibel and Captiva

He not only jabbed the feds on FEMA’s temporary housing rules but rallied state efforts to get temporary housing for those whose homes were damaged or destroyed

But count us also among those who have done more than an eye roll or two over some of his more, shall we say, political initiatives as he wades into presidential currents as fraught with below-the-surface debris as the post-storm waters off Fort Myers Beach

It’s hard to be a beacon high on the cliffs of the current political divide but like his efforts in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States he’s giving it his all as his State of the State address on Tuesday attests

Opening with a term from his military background a lieutenant commander in U S Navy, Gov DeSantis served as in the Judge Advocate General s Corps as a prosecutor and deployed to Iraq with special operations duty he gave Floridians the Bottom Line Up Front

The BLUF:

“Florida is number one and working together we will ensure that Florida remains the number one state in these United States Florida is the fastest growing state in the nation

We rank number one for net in-migration

We rank number one in the nation for new business formations

We are number one in economic growth among large states

“Florida has more people employed today than before the pandemic Our unemployment rate is one of the lowest on record and it is significantly lower than the national average

And of course as many of you know in this room the last two years we ve seen the largest budget surpluses in the history of the state of Florida

And we do that with having the lowest per capita state tax and lowest per capita state debt burdens amongst all large states

“We rank number one in the nation in tourism and we just experienced yet another record-breaking year for visitors to the Sunshine State

We are number one in law enforcement recruitment and support Florida s crime rate stands at a 50-year low

We rank number one in the nation for education freedom

We rank number one in the nation for parental involvement in education

“We rank number one in fourth grade reading and math amongst all large states

“And we have the number one public higher education system in the country

We are number one among large states for the quality of our roads

And Florida has the top three cruise ports in the entire world We rank number one for space-related development, manufacturing, and flight

The bluster:

“And maybe most famously we rank number one for protections of our citizens against the biomedical security state from prohibiting jab or job mandates to banning vaccine passports to ensuring hospital visitation rights Gov DeSantis said

We defied the experts, we buck the elites, we ignored the chatter, we did it our way, the Florida way And the result is that we are the number one destination for our fellow Americans who are looking for a better life ”

And the heart of the address the introduction of real people from around Florida to put a face on state programs goals and initiatives including tougher penalties for drug dealers especially for those who target children; enforcement of immigration laws; and support for law enforcement including a bail system conducive to public safety and constitutional carry:

Stephen Soloway, a Pine Island business owner who brought supplies in to his neighbors by boat immediately after Ian He called the reopening of the bridge “a Godsend ”

Julie Wappes a fourth grade teacher at the Sanibel School who lost everything in her home and in her classroom and is now happy the school has now re-opened

Lee Countian Barbara Morgan, whose storm-damaged home was unliveable She could not get a FEMA trailer but received one through the state program created to help people like her live on their property while they repair their homes Cape Coral Police Department Officer Mercedes Phillips, who received a $5 000 signing bonus to join the agency one of many such incentives awarded throughout the state to help departments hire the additional officers they need Tax breaks ($2 billion in cuts); boosts to education including workforce training and programs for teachers, nurses and law enforcement; environmental stewardship including water quality initiatives; crime (tough on and getting tougher) and issues along the political precipice school choice, parents rights and the nexus of “political indoctrination;” illegal immigration; vax mandates and “permanent protection from medical authoritarianism;” medical treatment for transgender minors summed up with “our children are not guinea pigs for science experimentation and we cannot allow people to make money off mutilating them

Love him, like him, or dub his Free Florida policies as freedum, Gov DeSantis will unapologetically tell you where he stands His State of the State close:

“So we find ourselves in Florida on the front lines in the battle for freedom

“Together we have made Florida the nation’s most desired destination and we have produced historic results

But now s not the time to rest on our laurels

We have the opportunity and indeed the responsibility to swing for the fences so that we can ensure Florida remains number one

Don t worry about the chattering class

“Ignore all the background noise

“Keep the compass set to true north

“We will stand strong

We will hold the line

We won t back down

And I can promise you this, you ain t seen nothing yet

Thank you all God bless you

S e l l e r s m u s t d i s c l o s e p e n d i n g a s s e s s m e n t s

Last Monday the residents of Cape Coral who reside in the area which has been labeled as North 1 West received a present in their mailboxes The present was for all intents and purposes a bill for approximately $33,000 for a single-family home on a typically-sized plot of land to be paid no later than Sept 30 2023 to avoid any additional costs * An extension on payment until July 31 2024 would cost almost $3 000 more for the same single-family home If the homeowner is not able to pay the bill in full by then he/she/they would need to choose the 20 25 or 30 year amortized payment options These cost approximately $3 700$4 300 per year or approximately $300$350 per month Looking at the lifetime of the payments, this means the homeowner can expect to pay approximately $86,000$111,000 over the course of the assessment payments

Robson D C Powers

Guest Commentary

The author has been informed that residents of this area were sent a notice sometime in 2021-2022 informing them that these assessments were coming, but not providing any amount And to be fair, the assessments have not yet been fully passed there is a City Council Meeting scheduled for 4:30 p m on March 22 at the City of Cape Coral Council Chambers to put the matter to a vote At this meeting the residents of North 1 West will have an opportunity to provide their input on the matter and ultimately it will be determined whether the assessments will pass at this time However if the assessments do pass there is one particular cohort of North 1 West residents who are likely to be most caught off guard: the new homebuyers

In Florida a seller is required to disclose “any facts or conditions they know about that materially affect the value of the property If the seller fails to do so the buyer may have a

claim against the seller for failure to disclose

Under certain circumstances the real estate agent who offered the property may also be liable Thus, it is important for a new homebuyer to review if their Seller s Disclosure Form disclosed the existence of the pending assessment If not the buyer may have a claim against the seller

If a seller fully disclosed the contemplated assessment to the purchaser of their home they were well within their rights to sell The problem however is that some sellers neglected to inform buyers that there was an assessment coming to the area and that they had received notice that work would be beginning in North 1 West imminently

This has left many purchasers holding the bag on a $33,000-plus tax assessment that they were completely unprepared for, or at the very least, had no idea was already scheduled to commence in 2023 Add to that the devastation of Hurricane Ian, and there are now many new homeowners whose dream has turned into a nightmare

If you received a notice regarding the upcoming assessments for the utilities expansion project (UEP) and have questions or concerns, you should seek counsel as soon as possible to discuss whether the assessment was properly disclosed or not

* This figure is based on the bill of a single homeowner provided to the authors and is only a representative sample Bill amounts will vary based upon property size and other characteristics Numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole figures for ease of demonstration

Robson D C Powers Esq is a Litigation Partner with Burandt Adamski Feichthaler & Sanchez PLLC

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Many thanks to the city of Cape Coral

To the editor: Down Syndrome Supported Living, Inc (DSSL) would like to express its gratitude to the city of Cape Coral for a Community Development Block Grant The CDBG allowed for the replacing two outdated air conditioning units and a new roof The timing of the roof could not have been more perfect as Hurricane Ian did significant damage The CDBG Grant is also providing funds to purchase new stoves and refrigerators for each side of the duplex A special thanks to the dedicated staff in the Department of Development Services for providing the services and programs that enhance community value

The ongoing success of DSSL relies on donations from private citizens, public grants and charitable organizations like the Cape Royal Community Foundation, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis and the Cape Coral Community Foundation

Tax deductible donations can be made payable to:

Down Syndrome Supported Living Inc (DSSL Inc)

PO Box 150448 Cape Coral, FL 33903

St James Place is at 1407/1409 Academy Blvd , Cape Coral 33990

For more information please contact Marilyn Alexsy

Treasurer of DSSL at 239 997 0350

Pete Alexsy President, Down Syndrome Supported Living Suppor t the ‘Ban the Jab’ Resolution’

To the editor:

Re: the 2/24/23 article “Lee Republican Party Executive Committee passes ‘Ban the Jab’ Resolution ”

People may not be aware but because Covid-19 so-called vaccines are Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) drugs, informed consent is required from the recipient However, pharmaceutical companies and governmental agencies have withheld full information on them for over two years In fact we have been lied to repeatedly by Flip Flop Fauci on down about safety and effectiveness, so true informed consent cannot be given

In addition, per the FDA website, recipients have the option to accept or refuse the vaccine ” Therefore EUA drugs cannot be mandated Despite this it was Mandate Away! for the military airlines healthcare workers jobs schools travel and, in some states, to merely enter a business

People are pressured even without mandates, such as athletes who are threatened to submit or be benched, with disastrous consequences as many are collapsing and dying Others including young children are dying suddenly from heart attacks Banned shots=No mandates

As for banning them taking away choice: A choice for what? They do not prevent infection or transmission All risk No benefit No thanks

There are also valid concerns about spike proteins

The Florida Surgeon General has found a 4 400% increase in VAERS reports of life-threatening conditions in Florida since these drugs were introduced He also recommended against giving them to males aged 18-39 due to the increased risk of cardiac-related death

Meanwhile the CDC continues its finger-in-the-wind method of choosing guidelines while thousands flock to Florida for freedom

Let s hope the Lee County Republican Party Executive Committee s resolution meets with success in expanding that freedom Kudos to them for their bold effort to protect Florida residents from further harm

Winnie Harrison Cape Coral

‘Ban the Jab’ insanity

To the editor:

I read your article with disbelief regarding the Lee Republican Party Executive Committee passing a “Ban the Jab” resolution asking the Florida legislature to ban the COVID vaccine and the Attorney General s Office to confiscate all doses within the state

The resolution cites Pfizer s clinical data revealing 1223 deaths It doesn’t mention that the data came from post-surveillance data that counted deaths from all causes in a certain time period not necessarily deaths caused by having received the vaccine The resolution fails to cite that to date, the COVID virus has caused 1,117,856 deaths in the U S , and 6,859,093 deaths worldwide It also fails to mention that CDC data shows that the risk of having to be placed on a ventilator or dying was reduced by 90% in hospitalized patients who were vaccinated against COVID People who do not want to take the vaccine demand My body, my choice Does that not also apply to people who want to take the vaccine?

How ironic it is that to his credit former President Trump who is championed by right wing Republican anti-VAXers expended the resources to develop the vaccine against this virus that was killing more Americans than World War I, World War II, Vietnam, 9/11, and Iraq/Afghanistan combined, and took the vaccine himself I was a registered Republican for decades However when the Republican Party failed to condemn the vicious attack on our Capitol Police officers and the Capitol itself on Jan 6 2021, I changed my political party affiliation to Independent The Republican party s embracement of its embarrassing and

dangerous MTG and similar members, retribution against people and companies that dare express a different opinion with political leaders, and now this local “BTJ resolution, reinforces to me that I made the right decision The Republican Party has lost sight that our government is a democracy not an autocracy and that our country and state are strong because we have a melting pot of diverse people Inclusion maintains our strength Exclusion weakens us

The opposition to the “BTJ” resolution expressed by the SWFL Young Republicans Club encourages me that there is hope for the Republican Party in the future They expressed their opposition at the risk of being labeled RINOs For the sake of the future of the Republican Party, for the future of our state, and for the future of our county, Republican leaders need to be brave enough to stop the madness within the party Barton Hershfield, M D Cape Coral

Gov. DeSantis’ policies regressive, har mful to Floridians

To the editor:

I am writing today to express my concern about the antiprogressive policies of Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida While some may view him as a rising star in the Republican Party his policies have been regressive and harmful to the people of Florida

One of the most concerning policies implemented by DeSantis has been his attacks on voting rights In 2019, he signed a bill that required felons to pay fines and fees before being allowed to vote effectively suppressing the voices of many low-income individuals and people of color Additionally he has pushed for restrictive voting laws that would make it more difficult for Floridians to vote, such as limiting mail-in voting and reducing early voting hours DeSantis has also been criticized for his stance on climate change which has been called into question as he has rejected scientific evidence and cut funding for environmental protection programs This is particularly concerning given the fact that Florida is one of the states most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and more frequent natural disasters

Furthermore DeSantis has signed bills that restrict access to reproductive health care such as requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions and has implemented policies that harm the LGBTQ+ community, such as signing a bill that prevents transgender athletes from participating in sports that align with their gender identity Overall Gov Ron DeSantis’ anti-progressive policies are concerning and harmful to the people of Florida It is crucial that we hold our elected officials accountable for their actions and advocate for policies that promote equality and progress for all

Dave Kenney Cape Coral

Penalties for fentanyl crimes should be as dire as the drug’s impact

To the editor: Our government has closed its eyes on how to control the fentanyl drug problem Every day we are losing our youth to this drug It’s even being made here in the U S I feel one way to control the rising use of this drug is to take the profit away from the dealers by heavy fines, prison sentences, property seized, etc

It’s time to make fentanyl punishments harsher to possess deal manufacture smuggle into our country Prosecute at the federal level This would free up the lower courts from the burden of fentanyl cases Long prison sentences, no deals, just hard time Cause a death because of a sale, life sentence

Contract your local congressional representative and senator to sponsor a bill to attack fentanyl

Gary Bongers Cape Craol

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

By VALARIE HARRING vharring@breezenewspapers com

A Cape Coral City Council member accused of failing to meet the residency requirements to seek and hold office has responded saying Hurricane Ian forced a temporary relocation

Councilmember Patty Cummings responded to Mayor John Gunter who on Monday sent the District 4 representative a letter stating that the city was notified of a complaint filed with the Governor s Office alleging that she currently does not reside in her district as required by the city's charter

As the charter vests council with the authority to judge the qualifications of its members and to determine grounds for forfeiture of office Gunter asked Cummings to respond to the city elected board within seven days including an explanation if an issue does exist Cummings said the only issue is the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian

As you all are aware, many of us in Cape Coral have been affected by the recent hurricane that swept through our community and I am no exception, Cummings said in a written response to Council Tuesday “I am currently a part-time resident in District 4 with the full intent to be living in District 4 full-time by March 22 2023

“I relocated from my full-time residence due to hurricane damage and I have been actively looking for a fulltime residence since then Unfortunately, it s been difficult due to the housing shortage

At one point, I was presented with an opportunity on a home but had to decline due to severe mold growth throughout the house To further articulate my family has recently experienced a problem with mold which hospitalized one of them Thus it was highly important we find a home that was clean and safe

I am still a part-time resident in District 4 with a driver s license and voter s registration card that displays my District 4 address Additionally, I receive my mail at this same address

She provided an address she said will become her "fulltime permanent address" by March 22

“This will fulfill my residency requirements as a fulltime District 4 Councilmember ” she wrote in the response

also copied to the city attorney, city clerk and interim city manager

The complaint which also alleges Cummings was not a resident of District 4 when she submitted paperwork to qualify to appear on the municipal ballot in 2022 was received by Matt Caldwell, state committeeman for the Republican Party of Florida

Caldwell, a state representative from 2010-2018 and the Lee County property appraiser said Friday he forwarded the letter based on the seriousness of the allegation and the supporting documentation received

He said he was obligated to pass it on

This is a fundamental question regarding the electoral process and anytime anyone brings up a situation like this it needs to be investigated, Caldwell said when reached by phone “One way or another it needs to be resolved ”

He said he received the complaint written by a Cape resident and forwarded without a name about two weeks ago

I took the information to the Governors' Office when I was in Tallahassee a couple of weeks ago working on some tax proposals, Caldwell said

He did not contact Cummings

It's the kind of thing that when you receive that type of allegation you are not the one to investigate it ” Caldwell said “Obviously we are a society where everyone is innocent until proven guilty but I do have a duty to forward that type of information when it's provided to me

I took it and passed it along to the Governor's Office I suspect at this time they are investigating it, he added

He did not keep a copy of the letter but provided a general overview of the allegation which is that Cummings was not a resident of the district at the time of election and that she still is not a resident of District 4

The complaining parties had conducted their own investigation and provided "several pieces of information" to back up their complaint Caldwell said

They had investigated and done their own research as

collaboration for their conclusion and it was credible information, he said

Since being notified of the complaint Cummings has said there has been no abridgment of city residency requirements pertaining to her qualification to run or serve

“Everything I'm doing is legal ” she said when reached by phone last Friday I have a part-time residence in District 4 and I ll be full time in less than six weeks And we had a hurricane that wiped out the other house

She updated on Tuesday morning the time it would take to move, providing the March 22 date to the city

“People need to understand we just had a hurricane ” she said “This is why it's frustrating to me; we still have people displaced ”

She said her response to the mayor would constitute her statement on the allegations

According to documents attached to Gunter s letter requesting a response, Cummings drivers license and voters registration card both bear the address of a residence in District 4 which Cummings has said is her residence of record albeit part-time post-Ian Gunter also attached Cummings' Statement of Candidate form and other paperwork she had filed with the City Clerk's Office to qualify to run for the District 4 seat; city legal opinions related to the charter residency requirement and situations that could result in forfeiture of office dating back to 2002 and 2013; and information obtained from the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office regarding a change in her voter's registration shortly before the 2022 candidate qualifying period

According to the dateline Cummings who previously ran in District 7 updated her address from one in District 7 to one in District 4 on May 9 2022

On May 10 2022 you filed a Statement of Candidate to be a candidate in the 2022 Election for a Council member in the district 4 race and Qualified on June 14, 2023, Gunter wrote

The District 4 address, on Palm Tree Boulevard, is the address Cummings said she has maintained as a part-time address since Hurricane Ian hit on Sept 28

The Governor's Office had not responded by deadline to email and phone requests for comment on the status of the complaint

Mayor asks council member to respond to accusation she is not living in her district Elks donates wheelchairs to VA hospital

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

The Veterans Administration doesn t just rely on funding from the federal government It relies on volunteers and donations from organizations and private citizens to help lighten the burden

When the Elks Lodge 2596 of Cape Coral learned that the VA Hospital in Cape Coral needed wheelchairs, the fraternal organization got to work

On Friday the Elks presented the hospital with 12 w h e e l c h a i r s f o r u s e f o r patients arriving and leaving the hospital

John Nugent a member of the lodge said he called the hospital to ask if there w a s a n y t h i n g i t n e e d e d

Cape cuts ribbon at Del Prado Linear Park playground

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

The ribbon-cutting at the Del Prado Linear Park was set to start at 10 a m but that didn’t stop families from giving the new playground a test drive a little bit early

The city of Cape Coral is putting its $60 million GO Bond for city parks to use by renovating old parks and building new ones Friday, the city celebrated the completion of improvements on the city’s only linear park by cutting the ribbon on the park that runs along Del Prado Boulevard north of Pine Island Road

The event was at the newest addition to the park, the playground and the basketball court on the east side of Del Prado, at Northeast 16th Place and Northeast 12th Terrace Members of Cape Coral City Council city staff and Special Pops came to witness the event

Mayor John Gunter said the event was a kickoff to many other milestones for city parks this spring

This is just another example of our commitment to the community to make sure we provide the best amenities we can to our residents ” Gunter said “In the next six weeks we’ll have three more ribbon-cuttings for other parks and two groundbreakings

Among the happiest was Councilmember Jessica Cosden, who lives just blocks away from the park and can now bring her children to enjoy it after months of little voices asking when the park would open

I m excited for the people in the area and myself because we re so close we can walk here There were kids in the park already when I got here and it filled my heart with joy that people are already enjoying it,”

Cosden said

In 2018 Cape Coral voters approved a $60 million expansion of the city s parks and recreation amenities

They approved a 15-year General Obligation Bond to fund significant parks and recreation improvements throughout the city

Improvement at Del Prado Linear Park include a shaded playground featuring accessible swing seats and traditional swings a moon rock climbing component and a cozy cocoon spinning apparatus

It also contains a fenced basketball court, accessible and traditional parking, public restrooms and improved landscaping and lighting

This new site is a trailhead for Del Prado Linear Park which hosts a nearly four-mile paved and lighted path, and includes eight fitness stations, a loop around Lake Zurich and a rain garden

“It s great for people who live here all year so they can enjoy the park in the evening When the sun is beating down in the summer sometimes it makes it hard to exercise said city spokesperson Melissa Mickey When you can do it in the evening, it makes it that much easier and safer

After the ribbon-cutting members of the City Council the mayor and members of Special Pops went to the basketball court to shoot some hoops with balls that the city gave out to those who attended, with the autographs of the City Council members

The playground filled quickly with families with small children not old enough to attend school

Bill Braney watched his grandchildren play on the artificially surfaced playground and said that he loved it I m glad to see they re taking care of the children in the neighborhood We ve been keeping an eye on it, waiting for it to open ” Braney said “They had an issue with the tarp after the hurricane and we’re happy it’s open now ”

Above, members of the Cape Coral City Council and city staff cut the ribbon on the upgraded Del Prado Linear Park on Friday CHUCK BALLARO

The hospital volunteer representative said they needed wheelchairs the type that can be pushed

It seems the chairs were d i s a p p e a r i n g a n d t h e r e weren t enough chairs for everyone to go into the hospital

“What we did was buy

When you come into a medical environment, the wheelchairs are on an as needed basis Many of our veterans are not as mobile as they want to be They need wheelchairs when going from their vehicle to the clinic The wheelchairs become critical to that ”

Eliud “Pico” Torres, a volunteer at the VA since 2016

1 0 w h e e l c h a i r s L a t e r someone bought two more for a total of 12, Nugent said “So, their veteran members can wheel themselves from their vehicle to the hospital for their appointment in comfort ”

The Elks got their shipment of chairs in just a few days, continuing their longtime partnership with the VA Nugent said the Elks got a grant from the hospital a couple years ago for homeless veterans for more than $4 000

At Christmas the Elks gave more than $3 000 in presents and have given donations of $500 for dinners for veterans of the war in Afghanistan and multiple donations to the veterans hospital

The VA isn’t the only organization they help The Elks also made a $5 000 donation to the Cape Coral Caring Center

That money went to help those primarily in the community to help pay for utility bills, said Elk Rich Kampf

Our main goal is to invest in the local community One goal is to give back to local veterans and the other is caring about families with kids who are ill ”

Elks Lodge 2596 has done so much for veterans it earned an award for Elks volunteering on behalf of veterans for the whole state of Florida

Eliud Pico Torres has been with the VA since 2016 and said it has been nothing but a pleasant experience

“It gives me such an incredible pleasure to work as a volunteer Then you see who s willing to give up their time for our veterans, Torres said It s not just money, but also time

As for the wheelchairs, Torres said they could not have come at a better time since they are so needed

“When you come into a medical environment the wheelchairs are on an as needed basis Many of our veterans are not as mobile as they want to be, Torres said They need wheelchairs when going from their vehicle to the clinic The wheelchairs become critical to that ”

Councilmember Patty Cummings

com

District provides update on career paths for younger students

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The Career & Technical Education program for the School District of Lee County continues to expand and reach students in elementary school

Adult & Career Education Director Rita Davis said in a presentation to the Lee County School Board their main focus is to begin at the elementary level to get students excited about careers which is done through their Excellent Career Exploration Lab or EXCEL bus

“It contains hands-on learning career kiosks and virtual reality ” she said

During the 2022-2023 school year 1 236 fifth grade students at 10 schools were exposed to the EXCEL bus There are nine more schools scheduled to attend

The students are divided with half taking a basic career aptitude survey to see what their interests are, while the others go onto the bus and immerse themselves in various careers, such as a nurse in an emergency room

Our dentist station is sponsored by Portofino Dental Our healthcare station is Lee Health, law enforcement by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, construction by Lee BIA and My Shower Doors has manufacturing kiosks, Davis said

The Career & Technical Education enrollment for sixth through 12th grade for the 2021-2022 school year was 37 399 which was not as high as 2019-2020 school year of 37 656 students but higher than 2020-2021 of 33 122 students

“It is very important to make sure programs are having impacts with our students

We have been expanding enrollment in sixth through 12th in Career & Technical Education Davis said

The digital tool certificates earned for sixth through eighth grade was 1,169 for 2021-2022, compared to 1,510 for 20192020 As of Jan 31, the digital tool certificates earned this year were 592 in such areas as word processing, introduction to gaming and good cyber citizens

The digital tool certificates are intended to

Technical Colleges

In addition to providing young students with career options the School District of Lee County provides programs at technical colleges

Cape Coral Technical College offers 16 programs in nursing/healthcare technology culinary arts and hospitality barbering and cosmetology business and veterinary assisting

Students leave with no debt We do not give loans, Cape Coral Technical College Director Charlie Pease said Programs range from $3,000 to $7,000 We help them make sure they cover their program with zero debt

Fort Myers Technical College has 24 programs in healthcare, construction, transportation, manufacturing, hospitality and human services

The technical colleges have to keep data for completion placement and licensures

During the 2021-2022 year 91 were placed in their field upon completing their program at Cape Coral Technical College while 87 percent were placed in their field at Fort Myers Technical College

Fort Myers Technical College Director John Roszell said they hold career fairs at the college inviting a particular industry for the students Healthcare students only talk to healthcare employees The same thing for construction It really worked out well It s a better opportunity to get out there, he said

get middle school students excited about what could be available to them in high school It takes them from their fifth grade initial exploration to taking courses and earning the digital tool certificates

The ninth through 12th grade industry certifications earned was 2,099 for 20212022 compared to 3,052 for the 2019-2020 school year There are more than 50 CTE programs for high school

The board was also given an update about the Public Service Academy by Senior Director Todd Everly The academy is the only FDLE certified basic recruit law enforcement academy in Lee Collier

Charlotte Hendry and Glades Counties and the only full-time basic recruit fire service and EMT academy in Southwest Florida

The Criminal Justice Academy is the fifth largest out of 42 academies in Florida

It also serves 24 local law enforcement agencies in Southwest Florida The fire and EMT academy services 28 fire departments in Southwest Florida

The programs offered include law enforcement (LEO), correctional officer (CO), crossover, CO to LEO, firefighter, emergency medical technician and equivalency of training (EOT)

Everly said EOTs are officers coming from somewhere else in the United States

“There was a huge draw from officers leaving the big east of governments maybe not supporting law enforcement and coming to Florida We got into the business because demand was so high here ” he said

Everly said they have 280 law enforcement officers 240 correctional officers 48 firefighters and 90 EMTs a year

The academy has a 98 percent placement rate

If we lose people in the beginning they were not ready, or have a full understanding of what that commitment is, Everly said

“Seven years ago we strategically partnered with Career Source of Southwest Florida for guiding and implementing new programs ” Davis said “We want a skilled teacher in the classroom a school that is going to support it and a workforce that needs students trained in that specific area CTE is no longer an elective We are actually more required in a wonderful way to have students complete two, three, four courses to get most in-depth knowledge

There is a new course offering, marketing essentials, which has 4,006 students enrolled There is an online course requirement, which may lead to a certification for entrepreneurship and business

The skills associated with that certification are transferable to many industries, Davis said

The high demand programs include veterinary assisting pharmacy tech and carpentry The district also had its first masonry I National Center for Construction Education & Research certified high school student Davis said industry certifications can enhance a student’s life

Based on 2020 numbers the student earned $27 30 an hour for base employment with certification compared to $14 26 for entry level for the same job

There is a difference in earning power with certifications, Davis said Adult education was also highlighted, as the district offers GED, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Lifelong Learning and UpSkill Village courses for adults

There are eight in-person sites and one online option for GEDs that provide both morning and evening classes In 2021-2022 there were 193 graduates For spring 2023 there are 313 students enrolled

There are 1 464 students enrolled in the spring 2023 ESOL class Lifelong Learners offers 17 classes for 250 students The UpSkill Village was made possible through a $750 000 Lee County Economic Development Office grant and offers eight micro-credentials in essential skills

Davis said digital badges are given which enhances resumes

There is also Individualized Education & Training, which is concurrent learning for GED and ESOL students, as well as Family Literacy at Tice Elementary to help parents of pre-K students become proficient in English Davis said they also have business sponsored ESOL classes through a Goodwill Industries partnership to help employees become proficient in English

Utilities: City provides information on North 1 West UEP & costs

From page 1A

spectrum taking the longest financing option available are looking at a payout of six figures including interest at 6 5 percent over 30 years plus those connection and septic abandonment fees

Hayden said the city will seek grants and perhaps lower future interest rates to bring down the cost a little

That won’t help them much now some residents said

Jennifer Sperry said that although the open house was well run she’s “walking away with the same bill and same results

I almost had a heart attack when I saw the bill because we have an empty lot next to us, so we knew it would be higher, but this is double or triple what we were expecting, Sperry said “By the time we’re done we’re going to be paying $80 000 once you add the permit fee abandon the septic and connection It’s a hard pill to swallow ”

Polly Turmelle and her husband believe this is not the time to start another UEP after one of the worst hurricanes to hit the area

“The costs are so high and after the hurricane people haven’t recovered and they’re still paying these expenses It’s going to cost us all this money and we may have to put the house up for sale Turmelle said We can t pay it in full unless we take out a loan This is going to double our tax bill

The UEP will provide the area with all city utilities potable water, sewer, and irrigation water New roads and stormwater improvements will be built as part of the project The city has already extended utilities to nearly all of Cape Coral south of Pine Island Road and is currently working its way north

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

$13,330 for sewer and $6,041 for irrigation

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

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

The estimated Capacity Facility Expansion Charge is $7 273 $1 196 for water $3 650 for sewer and $2 427 for irrigation for a total tally of $35 931

As proposed property owners will have the option to pay annually over 20 25 or 30 years, with the first bill coming in November 2024 as an additional levy on the property tax bill

Over 20 years, property owners would pay $4 365 per year equal to $363 75 per

month At 25 years property owners would pay $3,991 annually, about $332 58 per month Someone who chooses the default 30year option would pay $3 740 annually nearly $311 per month with the total payout estimated at $112 200 over the term of the loan

Information including a map and comprehensive 40-page packet may be found at www capecoral gov/uep/north 1 php

The final public hearing for the Final Assessment Resolution has been set for March 22 in the Council Chambers at City Hall 1015 Cultural Park Blvd

The meeting which will include public input will begin at 4:30 p m and is open to the public

The design for the other portion of the project, North 1 East, is about 70 percent complete Assessments have not yet been set but are expected to be noticed to property owners early next year

School board gives first nod to Guardian Program

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The Lee County School Board will begin the conversations for policy and procedures to implement a Guardian Program

The very first swatting call we got was at South Fort Myers High School, Board member Chris Patricca said this week, fighting tears, adding that word was being spread that 21 were dead with an active shooter on the campus “At the same time my son sent me a text that 21 were dead and an active shooter was on campus It was absolutely terrifying I sit here as a parent that has been in your shoes ”

She said since then there have been more swatting incidents and other incidents on campus I am not as afraid as before I have been conditioned The kids are conditioned, too I am not hearing fear from them They are annoyed this is happening again ” Patricca said “Every time I have seen the reaction and response from law enforcement I have been incredibly impressed

She said it would be the Sheriff s Office that would train guardians armed civilians in the schools

“I have a lot of confidence in our sheriff and ability to train people for this role, Patricca said I have gone through an evolution in my thinking in the Guardian Program I was initially against it We have the support of the sheriff now Our chiefs of police will get behind it depending on what is in our policy

She said she is going to listen to law enforcement and if there is a sense that schools will be safer with guardians how can she say no to that?

Fear should not drive my decision making I am a parent, too I am not just making the decision without knowing what it is like to have kids in our schools ” Patricca said “I don’t know yet that I fully support this because the policy has not come before the board Right now we are directing the superintendent to write those policies We are put-

ting it on the table ”

A resolution approved states that the school board desires to implement a Guardian Program to serve as a force multiplier for additional security and safety The school board directs the superintendent to work closely with Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and the other local law enforcement agencies in devising and implementing the Guardian Program

The resolution further states that the purpose of the program is to “prevent and abate an active assailant on school premise ” It is a volunteer position to be a guardian, and candidates must be a full-time employee of the district in good standing

That candidate would undergo training by the Sheriff's Office including 12 hours of certified nationally-recognized diversity training and 132 hours of comprehensive firearm safety and proficiency training for a total of 144 hours A psychological evaluation and a drug test are also requirements There would be ongoing training weapon inspection and firearm qualifications on a minimum annual basis

There were many community members who spoke against the resolution during Tuesday night’s public comment

Although Dr Maryann Wilbur thanked the board for taking the safety of children seriously, she was very concerned about the resolution

“There is very little to no data that such a guardian would actually be prepared to stop an assailant ” she said adding that the chances of an unintentional firearm death of a child is expeditionally higher than the armed assailant being taken down We even know so much about this that I can predict what can happen ”

Board member Chris Patricca

Wilbur’s example included a janitor hanging up his holster in the bathroom while using the facility, then being called away to clean up vomit in the cafeteria and forgetting about the gun

“A child just like my first grade boy curious and smart and capable can easily unsnap the holster, pull the safety, point it at a friend and think he is kidding and shoot his friend Statistically that is what is going to happen if you pass this resolution The death of a child is on the hands of the people of this room ” she said

Others spoke with similar concerns, which included teachers of the district who said allowing more guns on a campus does not make them feel safer but rather unsafe

Andrew White another speaker shared that he was a student representative during Columbine I rise today to speak out about this resolution If we are at the point of throwing more guns at the situation you are absolutely escalating this ” he said “You are saying to the teachers please be human shields Accept the responsibility that you have to shoot a child in your care More guns does not equal better control Body armor, coordination and skills and our law enforcement struggle with this matter Bring more law enforcement in don’t destroy the faith and trust they have in students Don t put targets on their backs

There were also a few in favor of the Guardian Program such as Robert Daniels who shared that if students are properly told and educated about guns they are not going to accidentally shoot someone

This can be done safely, Daniels said After public comment, each board member shared their thoughts and concerns with some not feeling completely comfortable

I was not going to support this Then I was going to support it It is a resolution It is not a policy ” Board member Cathleen Morgan said “I am not happy that it has come to this That we are even talking about putting people in our schools with guns I think that is all wrong I think the focus is wrong I think the focus needs to be on all the preventative strategies in respect to staff training student training hardening and having appropriate software in schools I have not liked this program since the very beginning I am very uncomfortable with moving forward with this resolution ”

The community should be part of the conversation about the Guardian Program officials agreed We have to make sure we are listening to what our constituents have to say and what our community has to say ” Board member Debbie Jordan said

Board member Jada Langford-Fleming told those in attendance that they listen during public comment She said whether they agree, or disagree to share their comments and email them with any concerns

Board member Melisa Giovannelli said she does not think they can put a price on safety and keeping students safe She agreed that more conversations have to be had with the community, as safety is paramount

Others fully supported the program as it provides another layer of protection

My other job is a father of three young children in this district It s a constant fear to keep my kids safe and everyone else s kids safe I fully support the Guardian Program, Board member Sam Fisher said

Chairman Armor Persons also fully supports the program

He said not having a force multiplier to backup the sheriff is similar to not having a defibrillator when someone has a heart attack

“Minutes count A lot of kids can be hurt very quickly They might be able to contain the shooter until the reinforcements arrive and that could be huge, Persons said I am in support of this program

Flexibility entices students for Lee Virtual School

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The new principal of Lee Virtual School said the vision of the online school is expansive because the possibilities are limitless to enhance the offerings

I would like to partner with every school more to provide virtual learning labs for students there, Lee Virtual School Principal Jennifer McMillan Barnes said “I would like to align with CTE and provide more CTE courses that maybe other schools could not offer that the virtual platform would allow

In addition, she would like to retain Lee County students, which would help with FTE funding

“During the pandemic we lost quite a few people McMillan Barnes said

The vision also includes adding the University of Cambridge classes, as well as increasing acceleration options Other goals

include returning Lee Virtual School to an A school grade, as well as making the school a premier virtual school in the State of Florida

These goals were part of a presentation given to the Lee County School Board during its Tuesday meeting

We are a unique learning style school

Every student is different Every kid is different and they all have unique ways of learning

It is a great way for kids that have unique styles to be flexible ” she said

Lee Virtual School is a franchise of Florida Virtual School, as they use their programs and curriculum “Our students get to participate in every event that Lee County has That is a big difference They are within our county (and get) to participate in events, sports and clubs at brick-and-mortar schools, she said

Lee Virtual School, as of February 2023, has 873 students Of those students 178 are

elementary school students, 248 are middle school students and 378 are high school students In addition 804 are full-time students and 69 are part-time There are 38 teachers among other personnel, including a literacy coach, school counselors and school social workers Teachers, who work from home, are available for students and parents from 8 a m to 8 p m by phone texts phone calls and email

Among the enrollment there are 140 exceptional student education students, 77 non-gifted and 63 gifted There are also 56 full-time English Language Learners students and 20 part-time students

McMillan Barnes said families choose Lee Virtual School because of its structured flexibility

The flexibility comes in doing course work around your life and whatever your child is involved in ” she said “We have stu-

dents who are on sports teams that travel the world, in different types of competitions They want to stay connected to their county and their schools however they want flexibility to do their work at night or on the weekend, depending on what their schedule offers

Lee Virtual School offers both full-time and part-time options

Those who participate in part-time also attend a brick-and-mortar Lee County school seek accelerated learning, have an opportunity to take additional electives, or an opportunity to graduate early

The full-time students follow the district’s instructional calendar participate in extracurricular activities and dual enrollment and earn a high school diploma McMillan Barnes said students have very See VIRTUAL SCHOOL, page 11A

"I have a lot of confidence in our sheriff and ability to train people for this role I have gone through an evolution in my thinking in the Guardian Program I was initially against it We have the support of the sheriff now Our chiefs of police will get behind it depending on what is in our policy "

Virtual School: Lee County students have online options

own time

From page 10A

specific assignments that are due for every course every single week

“The word is pace ” she said “They must be able to follow multi-directions (It is a) reading and writing based curriculum ”

We create a plan to help that family get back on track ”

Students have to stay focused despite distractions For elementary students they have four core courses, which include language arts, math, science and social studies, which includes about three to four assignments per course due weekly

McMillan Barnes said Parents must act as a learning guide Secondary (level) parents' main role is to monitor on a daily basis of completing assignments”

“We do operate on semesters rather than quarters ” she said “Teachers create pace charts of the curriculum so students have it very structured for them week by week

McMillan Barnes said pace is what matters the most, rather than grades, as grades do not occur until the end

“You can’t catch up once you are behind It’s a slow deliberate method because you have to do a little more every single week

Sixth through 12th grade students have a minimum of six courses and two to three assignments per course due weekly

I have kids that have taken online courses I had no idea that parents had a role I am being completely serious I have no role in their online courses at all and they have all done great ” Board member Chris Patricca said adding that they have to do a better job of advertising parental involvement

Parents have to make sure that time is sacred for their child s time to learn,

The learning model is asynchronous, which has students doing their work on their

Campus: K-8 school proposed to replace hurricane damaged facility

From page 1A

The new site is 3 5 miles away from the existing site at Northwest

additional $10 to $15 million as material cost and labor costs would increase The duration would add approximately six months, as well as increased safety and security issues on an occupied campus

The existing campus, 360 Santa Barbara Blvd N sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ian as the school had torrential rains inside the building for 12 to 14 hours due to severe roof damage

“The damage far exceeded the 50 percent rule where we should start to consider replacing the building ” Wagner said

There are weekly live lessons through Zoom with teachers to go deeper into the standards In addition students have to create an agenda for themselves have biweekly discussion based assessments and log into class every day and making the best of it moving forward It replaces the capacity lost but meets longterm needs of the district

The students were moved to portables on the Cape Coral Technical College campus

It was very important that we kept the community of learners together Those students are in a portable campus adjacent to the site he said Wagner said within three days of sending

an email to the Florida Department of Education they received approval to demolish the old building which will cost $3 million He said FDOE officials said they would expedite the process if they considered demolishing the building

“The recommendation is to hold that piece of land for future district use It’s a valuable piece of property that could be used for the district, Wagner said

Snook season’s officially open; some fishing tips

Ira s, Union, Armed, White, Black and Sword spine are names of just six of the 13 species of snook known to swim in Atlantic and Pacific waters with the Black snook growing the largest like the 59-pound 8-ounce Costa Rican giant holding the current world record There certainly could be more species discovered in the future as Ira’s snook was first documented in Brazil as recently as 2019

In Southwest Florida, we deal with four species with the Common snook the largest of the group A 44 3pounder from Fort Myers holds the current Florida State Record slot

Most old salts know that snook are born male with some becoming females at 18-22 inches The Common snook has a high dorsal fin that s divided The Sword spine is our smallest snook, but has the largest scales

As the name implies, the Fat snook is short and stout and our Tarpon snook is the only snook with 7 anal fin rays while the rest of the group only has 6

That s all good and fine, you say, but I like eating snook and harvesting has been closed for years trying to help snook rebound from the big freeze back in 2010 Well you must not have heard Gas up the boat and clean the grill because as of March 1, running to May 1 a snook measuring not less than 28 to not more than 33 inches can be the guest of honor at your next bar-b-que It's one per angler per day and remember that in addition to your regular saltwater license, you ll need to purchase a snook permit In the past I enjoyed a snook dinner once or twice a year but nowadays not everyone agrees with this opening and would like to see even more population growth before harvesting is allowed Visions of 2010 s dead snook-choked canals the surface so thick with the dead and dying you could almost walk across them, still haunts many locals Even though there is no legal commercial harvest allowed and even at one per day, recreational anglers will still harvest large numbers of one of Florida’s most popular inshore gamefish species during this short season Hopefully fisheries biologists have made the right call in opening this harvest considering hurricane related water contamination still an unknown long-term factor plus ongoing red tide events both occurring as the fish start making their way to local beaches for their summer spawn

During this transition to the Gulf it s now your job to figure out the best spots to intercept them for sport or food Locals and guides all have their time-tested hot spots but for the new angler it can be confusing simply because it all looks good!

Where do I start?

Firstly if you’ve grown up throwing top-waters, swimming plugs and spinnerbaits for largemouth bass, you’re already ahead of the game as the same basic lure choices, equipment, techniques and shallow cover presentations also catch Florida snook

Location is your challenge As mentioned, snook are moving to the Gulf so along the way look for likely snook-holding cover like docks piers seawalls, bridges, anything to break the current flow so they can hide behind it conserving energy while waiting to dart out and grab prey being swept along by a strong tidal flow If there’s enough water some mangrove shorelines all oyster bars and especially island points should get attention

Tip: Fish for snook during stronger tidal flow days Consult your tide chart for this information

Tip: The typical walk-the-dog topwater retrieve works well but as the water warms, try a medium fast, erratic and splashy panic retrieve every 4th or 5th cast

Each year giants are caught by patient anglers simply fishing half a ladyfish or mullet head on the bottom The live bait trophy hunter will be using a 12-inch live mullet with heavy rod line and leader

Capt George Tunison is a Cape

him at 239-282-9434

‘Still hungry’

With another state title secured, Mariner High’s Minto and Brady stay ‘focused’ and look forward to nationals

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Reaching the pinnacle of any sport is difficult especially an individual one but two local high school wrestlers have been mainstays atop their weight classes in Florida since they arrived on the scene Mariner High School's Chris Minto and Max Brady both captured FHSAA 2A State Championships last week in Kissimmee For Minto a senior the title is his third straight Brady a sophomore is now two-for-two when it comes to collecting championships as the best in his weight class in the state

Of completing the three-peat, Minto said, I feel relieved, but I'm still hungry At the end of the month, we have nationals, so I'm trying to prepare for that But overall I feel great ”

Brady said “It feels good knowing what I accomplished but it s just a stepping stone because I expected it

Minto finished the season with a remarkable 54-1 record in the 160-pound weight class while Brady went 53-1 in the 126pound division Both will test their mettle in Virginia Beach at the National Championships at the end of the month

For Minto, wrestling is in his blood His older brother Christian won three state championships at Mariner and another older brother also competed in the sport

I think I just kind of fell in love with the sports based off of (my brothers) success, and made my own goals

He said what makes him successful is:

“Coaches family teammates ”

Brady who arrived at Mariner as a freshman after his family moved to Cape Coral from Iowa, entered the sport in the first grade when a childhood friend invited him to a practice of sorts for youngsters who might want to get into the sport Funny enough his friend never even showed up

But I did, and I liked it, so I kept going, Brady said

Minto said while he wishes he could have been four-time state champion he knows Brady will carry the torch moving forward

That s his job now

Minto said

It s a task Brady takes seriously

It's a priority, pretty much, Brady said “It's a must I have to do it It's just being focused and getting the job done Once it's done I can be happy for a few days but then it s college time

Minto is ready to compete at the collegiate Division 1 level with goals to win a national title, with his future announcement coming soon

First a driven Minto and Brady will have to see how they stack up against the best the country has to offer

“After states we went back to training the

Wednesday SOFTBALL

Mariner 6, Barron Collier 6, tie: The game was called in the middle of the seventh inning Mariner (2-3-1) carried a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth when the Cougars rallied to knot the score The Tritons Katie Campbell was 1-for-2 knocking in two runs and scoring one Calleigh Buzard was 3-for-3, scoring twice, while Cheyenne Waddell Taylor Cotoni and Brooke Parramore had an RBI each

BOYS TENNIS

Oasis 6, LaBelle 1: Eric Feichthaler, John Vezzola Tyler Feichthaler and Kevin Kass won their respective singles and doubles matches

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Canterbury 3, Bishop Verot 2: A battle of 3-0 teams went in favor of Canterbury

Tuesday

BASEBALL

Ida Baker 2, Cape Coral 1: Keegan Pitstick struck out 10 batters in 4 2/3 innings and Janiel Peguero-Rodriguez struck out four more in 2 1/3 innings as Ida Baker (5-2) won despite being held to three hits and two unearned runs by Cape s pitching duo of Will Drury and Andrew Kolasinski Kolasinki struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings The Seahawks fell to (1-8) North Fort Myers 8, Mariner 3: Matthew Blasena was 2-for-4 with a double, driving in two runs and scoring two for the Red Knights (4-2) Thomas Eisiminger,

day after ” Minto said “I'm definitely hungry to get a national title I have butterflies about it Brady said, I want to win (a national title) really bad I feel if I don t win, it kind of takes away from winning a state title I feel that I have to show out to prove that I'm the best not just in the state but on a national level I'm more excited than nervous ” Mariner wrestling coach Clay French said Minto and Brady are exemplary student-athletes that have shown just what hard work and dedication can result in I m very proud of them They work hard every day and set high goals for themselves and hold themselves accountable, French said “They're both really talented and tough definitely tough ” As for what sets them apart from the average high school wrestler French said

Gary Kamphouse and Dominic Rendon each added an RBI For the Tritons (0-5) Landon Johnston and Sam Guth went 2-for-4 and scored a run each Kelan Jamison had an RBI, Canterbury 4, Bishop Verot 3: Canterbury remained unbeaten on the season (6-0) edging Bishop Verot (3-5) in the second round of the Private 8 Conference tournament Jason was 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Bishop Verot Grayson Carpenter went 2-for-4 scored a run and added an RBI

SOFTBALL

Ida Baker 13, Cape Coral 0 (4 innings):

The Bulldogs Oliviah Sylwestrak struck out nine Seahawks (2-4) in four hitless innings Julianna Nieves was 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored Alyssa Auger was 2-for-3 scoring three runs and driving in two Kaiden Nealeigh and Averiew Taylor added two RBI each for Baker (3-2) North Fort Myers 6, Mariner 0: Azlyn Gomes tripled and drove in three runs for the Red Knights (4-0) Kendall Wylie pitched a one-hit shutout striking out 12 Mariner slipped to 2-3 Bishop SW Florida Christian 0 (3 innings): Lilly Layne was 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBI in the Vikings' (2-2) win Verot totaled 10 hits nine walks and nine stolen bases Pitcher Payton Breadmore struck out seven batters while allowing one walk and no hits Port Charlotte 6, Oasis 4: A three-run

Registration opens for Walk, Wiggle, Wag & 5K Run to benefit Cape Coral Animal Shelter

“They have each other to work with That's huge When practices are tough they don't let the other one slide or get off easy They hold each other accountable and it goes a long way When it comes to nationals and what French expects out of his top guys, he said, “I expect them to wrestle hard and wrestle fast Hopefully win a lot of matches and things fall in their favor I'm looking forward to seeing them be challenged a bit more push themselves and persevere through some tough situations Either way, it s back to the drawing board, back to work We ll look at it, reflect, make adjustments and move forward That's the name of the game, to keep getting better ”

Connect with Associate Sports Editor on Twitter: @haddad cj

rally in the seventh inning wasn't enough as the Sharks took their first loss (3-1) Charlee Turney, Audrey Doan and Alaina Shugars had RBI for Oasis

GIRLS LACROSSE

Estero 12, Cape Coral 9: The Seahawks (5-1) had their season-opening win streak snapped

BOYS LACROSSE Bishop Verot 12, Canterbury 11: Trey Toscano scored five goals and assisted on two others to lead the Vikings (6-1) Aiden Feeney scored twice with three assists and Josh Comisar had a goal and two helpers BOYS TENNIS

Mariner 6, East Lee County 1: Kieran Kirkimilis led the Tritons with a 6-0 6-0 singles win and an 8-4 doubles victory with partner Christian Zapata Karl Schott, Noah Riascos, Damien Gleason and Robert Preston won their singles matches Estero 4 North Fort Myers 3: The Red Knights (1-5) won two singles matches and one in doubles

GIRLS TENNIS

Estero 4, North Fort Myers 3

Singles: Alexis Neumann (NFM) d Meaghan Lay 6-1 6-4 Gia Salas Grethelle (E) d Mikayla Mann 6-2 6-1 Kate Mackie (E) d Hannah Holmes 6-1, 6-4 Mana Lakes (NFM) d Sofia Passos 6-7, 5-7 (10-8) Emily McDowell (E) d Olivia Myers 6-1 6-0 Doubles : Lay/Grethelle (E) d Neumann/Mann 8-3 Holmes/Delaney Souppa (NFM) d Catherine Uceta/Sydney Ramsey 9-7

M ariner 6, East Lee County 1: Morgan Everly, Sophia Vianest Lily DiMurro Cynthia Pere z and Emma Tuescher gave the Tritons (3-4) a sweep of the singles matches Reese Vinson and Cara Everly won at second doubles

Capt George Tunison

FHSAA 2A State Champions Max Brady, left, and Chris Minto PROVIDED

Cape Coral Breeze

Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

Sponsored by:

Vegan Street Fest: Organizers say inaugural event is for everyone

From page

“ P e o p l e c a n b u y a n d s a m p l e w h a t e v e r t h e y d l i k e L a a p e r s a i d S o m a n y p e op l e t h i n g t h a t e a t i n g v e g g i e s i s b o r i n g , a n d i t d e f i n i t e l y i s n t T h i s i s a n o p p o r t un i t y t o e d u c a t e ”

Cooking demonstrations will be done b y : T r i s h R e y n a e r t S m i t h L i f e s t y l e

Medicine Educator, Collier & Lee County

School System; Heather Parker, Wellness

Coordinator Lee Public Education Centre; K a t h y R e y n a e r t R a n d a l l C H I P / P I V I O

Area Developer for State of Florida; Chef

Sam Wood Cafe YOU Head Chef; and Mark Blust, Restaurateur, Fort Myers

E d u c a t i o n a l s p e a k e r s w i l l g i v e t a l k s t h r o u g h o u t t h e e v e n t h i g h l i g h t i n g a s p ec i f i c c a t e g o r y o f e x p e r t i s e S p e a k e r s a n d t h e i r t o p i c s i n c l u d e : D r S a l L a c a g n i n aF o o d a s M e d i c i n e ; D r G a b i A v i l e sE x e r c i s e a s M e d i c i n e ; D r C h r i s t i n e S c h i e r o z e k - A c u p u n c t u r e : W h a t i s i t & i t s n o t p a i n f u l ! ; a n d D r R e b e c a A c o s t a

F u n c t i o n a l M e d i c i n e B l o o d A n a l y s i s a n d G e n e t i c I t s a b o u t e d u c a t i o n i t s a b o u t s h o w -

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deejay, animal friendly and environmentally friendly vendors, and a kid’s zone

i n g b y e x a m p l e a n d e n c o u r a g i n g i n d i v i du a l s t o f o l l o w a s t r o n g e r p l a n t - b a s e d d i e t ” L a a p e r s a i d O r g a n i z e r s d o n t w a n t t h e d a y t o j u s t b e f o r t h o s e t h a t a l r e a d y f o l l o w a v e g a n d i e t , b u t f o r t h o s e w h o m a y n o t k n o w e x a c t l y t h e i m p a c t i t c a n m a k e “ T h e f e s t i v a l i s n o t o n l y f o r v e g a n s o r v e g e t a r i a n s i t ’ s f o r a n y o n e ” L a a p e r s a i d W e l l h a v e t h r e e s t a g e s ; o n e w i t h l i v e , a n d t h e o t h e r s f o r s p e a k e r s a n d d e m o n s t r a t o r s T h e r e w i l l b e y o g a d e m o n s t r a t i o n s p a l a t e s d e m o n s t r a t i o n s

a n d o f c o u r s e o n e s t a g e f o r c o o k i n g ” T h o s e w h o f r e q u e n t t h e g r o c e r y s t o r e m a y h a v e n o t i c e d t h a t v e g a n o p t i o n s a r e m o r e a b u n d a n t t h a n e v e r b e f o r e W h i l e t r a d i t i o n a l v e g g i e s h a v e f o r e v e r o c c up i e d t h e p r o d u c e s e c t i o n s , m e a t a l t e r n at i v e s h a v e i n v a d e d t h e f r o z e n s e c t i o n “ V e g e t a b l e s h a v e a l w a y s b e e n a v a i la b l e b u t y e s t h i n g s l i k e t h e B e y o n d B u r g e r , a n d t o h a v e a l t e r n a t i v e s l i k e t h a t , a r e d e f i n i t e l y m o r e a v a i l a b l e i n s t o r e s c o m p a r e d t o y e a r s p a s t T h e r e s d e f i n i t el y a m o v e m e n t t o w a r d s s u p p o r t i n g t h o s e

This year’s edition of will feature more than 50 vendors the greatest number in the fundraiser’s history with more than 1,500 selections

The sale will be held from 9 a m to 3 p m at Jaycee Park and will feature plants of all kinds, trees, shrubs, ground cover, native plants, and miniatures, to name a few Garden art will include glass reflections, stepping stones, metal works, fish faces, and various planters

“Thrifty treasures” will also be available from garden club members

b e r s t h a t a r e v e r y w e l l - v e r s e d ” B l o c k s a i d T h e G a r d e n C l u b o f C a p e C o r a l i s a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d a l l p r o c e e d s g o t o c l u b o b j e c t i v e s w h i c h i n c l u d e : t h e M a r t y W a r d M e r i t A w a r d s i n h o r t i c u lt u r e f o r l o c a l h i g h s c h o o l s e n i o r s c i v i c

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patrons once again as their first Biergarten e v e n t s i n c e H u r r i c a n e I a n a f e w w e e ke n d s b a c k w a s a s u c c e s s T h e f i r s t o n e e x c e e d e d o u r e x p e c t at i o n s , B a u e r s a i d W e h a d s u c h a g r e a t r e s p o n s e f r o m t h e c o m m u n i t y W e h a d p l a n n e d l o n g - r a n g e t o m a k e u p f o r n o t b e i n g a b l e t o h a v e O k t o b e r f e s t “ W e w a n t e d t o c e l e b r a t e S t P a t r i c k ’ s D a y t h e w e e k e n d b e f o r e b e c a u s e i t l a n d s o n a F r i d a y , a n d d i d n t w a n t t o c e l e b r a t e i t a f t e r t h e a c t u a l d a y S t P a t r i c k s D a y i s n o t j u s t r e l e v a n t t o o n l y t h e I r i s h B e c a u s e o f f a i t h o t h e r c e l e b r a t e t h e d a y T h e I r i s h a n d G e r m a n c u l t u r e s a r e v e r y p a r a l l e l T h e f i r s t l a d y o f t h e G A S C , B a u e r s w i f e K e r r y - A n n , h a s d e e p I r i s h r o o t s a n d w i l l b e h e l p i n g p r e p a r e t r a d i t i o n a l

b e a u t i f i c a t i o n H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y P r o j e c t s l o c a l m i d d l e a n d h i g h s c h o o l g a r d e n p r o j e c t s a n d t o p r o m o t e c i v i c a w a r e n e s s o f e n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d c o n s e rv a t i o n c o n c e r n s T h e G a r d e n C l u b a l s o m a i n t a i n s t h e C a p e C o r a l B u t t e r f l y G a r d e n R o s e G a r d e n a t t h e M u s e u m o f

The St Patrick’s Day Biergarten Fest runs on Saturday from noon to 8 p m , and on Sunday from noon to 7 p m Admission is $5 at the gate and parking is free Offerings will include Irish drinks such as Guinness, Harp, Smithwick's, and Strongbow Cider and, of course, some German selections in both the food and beer categories will be available Traditional corned beef and cabbage will be served as a sit-down meal in the Von Steuben Hall starting at 2 p m on Saturday and 1 p m on Sunday

a u t h e n t i c I r i s h f o o d s T h e V o n S t e u b e n H a l l w i l l s e r v e u p a s i t - d o w n c o r n e d b e e f a n d c a b b a g e m e a l s t a r t i n g a t 2 p m o n S a t u r d a y a n d 1 p m o n S u n d a y B a u e r s a i d t h e r e w i l l b e I r i s h d r i n k s s u c h a s G u i n n e s s H a r p S m i t h w i c k s a n d S t r o n g b o w C i d e r A n d o f c o u r s e , s o m e G e r m a n s e l e c t i o n s i n b o t h t h e f o o d a n d b e e r c a t e g o r i e s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e

B o t h I r i s h a n d G e r m a n m u s i c w i l l b e p l a y e d o v e r t h e t w o d a y s W e w a n t p e o p l e t o a t t e n d t o k n o w t h e y ’ r e a t a n a u t h e n t i c I r i s h e v e n t b u t w e a l s o w a n t t h e m t o k n o w t h e y ’ r e o n G e r m a n - A m e r i c a n g r o u n d s B a u e r s a i d T h e b l e n d i n g w o r k s g r e a t f o r u s b e c a u s e w e r e a b l e t o p r o d u c e m o r e m e n u i t e m s a n d s u p p l y m o r e p e o p l e W e

H i s t o r y a n d B l u e S t a r M e m o r i a l a t E c o P a r k I t s b e e n a m i s s i o n o f o u r s t o g i v e b a c k t o t h e c o m m u n i t y , B l o c k s a i d I t w a s a g o a l o f o u r f o u n d e r M a r t y W a r d W e a l s o h a v e a m e m b e r t h a t p a s s e d a w a y w h o s e f a m i l y g a v e u s f u n d i n g t o s e t u p a s c h o l a r s h i p i n t h e i r n a m e a s w e l l I t s a l s o a b o u t p a s s i n g a l o n g t h e g i f t o f t h e g r e e n t h u m b t o a y o u n g e r g e n e r at i o n “ T h e i n f o r m a t i o n i s s o k e y ” B l o c k s a i d W e h a v e s o m a n y m e m b e r s t h a t d i d n o t g r o w u p h e r e , s o w e l o v e t o s h a r e h o r t i c u l t u r e i n f o r m a t i o n , a n d i t s r e a l l y i m p o r t a n t ” J a y c e e P a r k i s a t 4 1 2 5 S o u t h e a s t 2 0 t h P l a c e F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n v i s i t w w w g a r d e n c l u b o f c a p e c o r a l c o m

w i t h a p l a n t - b a s e d d i e t I t h i n k a b i g p a r t o f t h e e d u c a t i o n i s t o s h o w p e o p l e h o w t o u s e t h i n g s c r ea t i v e l y Y o u c a n m a k e t h e m o s t b e a u t i f u l c h e e s e - l i k e s a u c e u s i n g c a s h e w n u t s I t ’ s m o r e a b o u t u s i n g w h a t w e ’ v e a l w a y s h a d c r e a t i v e l y A n d i t ’ s f u n ” L a a p e r s a i d t h e e v e n t s g o a l i s a l s o h e l p i n g p e o p l e u n d e r s t a n d h o w a p l a n tb a s e d l i f e s t y l e c a n i m p a c t a n i m a l s a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t “ W e ’ r e n o t t r y i n g t o c o n v e r t p e o p l e o v e r n i g h t b u t w e ’ r e t r y i n g t o e d u c a t e ” s h e s a i d N o t o n l y i s i t g o o d f o r y o u r h e a l t h , b u t t h e r e s l e s s a n i m a l s s u f f e r i n g , a n d e a t i n g p l a n t s i s a h u g e b e n e f i t t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t ” T h e e v e n t i s a n i m a l - f r i e n d l y a n d p a r k i n g i s f r e e F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n L i f e s t y l e S o l u t i o n s H e a l t h y P l a n e t , v i s i t w w w L i f e s t y l e S o l u t i o n s H e a l t h y P l a n e t o r g I t ’ s g o i n g t o r e a l l y b e a b i g p l a n t e v e n t , B l o c k s a i d W e l l h a v e s p e c i a l it y p l a n t s o n e s y o u c a n t f i n d a n yw h e r e e l s e t h a t w i l l b e o f i n t e r e s t t o a l l h o r t i c u l t u r i s t s W e ’ l l h a v e a t a b l e o f ‘ u n u s u a l ’ e x o t i c p l a n t s a n d d i s h g a r d e n s w h i c h w e r e e x c i t e d a b o u t M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s w i l l b e o n s i t e t o h a v e t h e i r b r a i n s p i c k e d , a n d m a n y o f t h e v e n d o r s a r e e x t r e m e l y k n o w l e d g e a b l e a b o u t t h e p l a n t s t h e y s e l l a n d o f t e n a r e g r o w e r s t h e m s e l v e s A f r e e k i d s ’ b o o t h w i t h a f a c e p a i n t e r w i l l h a v e a c t i v i t i e s a n d t a k e - h o m e p r o j e c t s f o r a l l a g e s F o o d t r u c k s , l i v e e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d o p p o r t u n it y d r a w i n g s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h o u t t h e d a y A d m i s s i o n a n d p a r k i n g a r e f r e e “ W e h a v e M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s w h o c a n a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s , a s w e l l a s o u r m e m -

w a n t t o p u t a l i t t l e b i t o f G e r m a n i n t o i t b u t p r e d o m i n a n t l y I r i s h T h e r e w i l l b e s o m e t h i n g f o r e v e r y b o d y ” T h e S t P a t r i c k s D a y B i e r g a r t e n F e s t r u n s o n S a t u r d a y f r o m n o o n t o 8 p m , a n d o n S u n d a y f r o m n o o n t o 7 p m A d m i s s i o n i s $ 5 a t t h e g a t e a n d p a r k i n g i s f r e e T h e G A S C w i l l h o s t a n o t h e r B i e r g a r t e n f e s t o n M a r c h 2 5 - 2 6 , w i t h t h e f i n a l e v e n t b e f o r e t h e s u m m e r b r e a k s e t f o r t h e w e e k e n d o f A p r i l 1 5 - 1 6 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 I s l a n d R o a d o p e n s i t s d o o r s t o m e m b e r s a n d t h e p u b l i c f o r d i n n e r a n d d a n c i n g e v e r y F r i d a y n i g h t a t 5 : 3 0 V i s i t w w w g a s c - c a p e c o r a l c o m f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Classifieds

Page 10B

com

CAPE CORAL BREEZE

LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

‘Coloring the Earth’

17th Annual Children’s Environmental Art Contest under way

About the Florida Scrub-Jay

For the birds

By SHERIE BLEILER news@breezenewspapers

com

I h a v e b e e n r e t h i n k i n g m y g a r d e n s A f t e r I a n stripped our holly tree of all its red fall berries I was worried our mockingbirds wouldn’t find anything to eat As they sat on the wires above me I started throwing blueberries on the driveway They flew down and ate them! It became a daily routine for a while Meanwhile, as my plants recovered I found them eating red berries off my Rouge plants I was really glad to see they were again finding food in our yards

G r a d u a l l y , I d e c i d e d my yard had to be more than neat and pretty It had to function for all the creatures left alive after the hurricane It had to provide an oasis for ourselves in harmony with nature

So what plants would help our ecosystem repopulate itself – and yet grow easily?

I certainly hoped to find some plants that grow in our sandy, shelly soils, without needing much water or fertilizer Of course, I know I have to water regularly the first year while the roots get settled But I have been on the lookout for plants that can accept the dry season yet not drown in the rainy season These are some that I’ve found ■ Rouge plant - a small bush to about 2-3 feet with small pink flowers for pollinators and red berries for birds The berries start many new plants also but they are easy to remove where unwanted Because they’re naturally short I just trim occasionally to keep them full at the bottom

■ Mrs Schiller's Delight viburnum - a native plant, cultivated to stay small, just 3 feet Of course, the plants from the nursery are much smaller than this Small plants adapt better than ones in bigger pots so I have left room around it so it can grow to its full size I

See FOR THE BIRDS, page 8B

All children in Lee County ages 5 through 12 are invit-

Organized by Friends of the Cape Coral Library and The Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library the theme for 2023 is Save the Florida scrub-jay and ways to protect Florida s only endemic bird from habitat loss and other main threats Winners will be selected from four age categories: 5-6 7-8 9-10 and 11-12 There will be five awards for each age group with certificates for 1st 2nd and 3rd place as well as for two honorable mentions Awarded artwork will be exhibited at the library until June 29 and displayed on www capefriends org under Art Gallery tab A wildlife expert will be the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony to be held at 6 p m Wednesday May 10 at the Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library

Contest Rules and Deadline

■ Open to all children ages 5 through 12 Submit one entry only

■ Entries should be on a flat medium to heavy-weight art paper size 8 5 inches x 11 inches Watercolor crayons pencils, color markers and/or any other preferred material may be used Please do not fold artwork

■ Write clearly on the back of the entry the following information: name age school grade level and teacher’s name (if applicable) phone number and email address Entries with incomplete information won t be considered

■ Visit this website to learn more about ways residents can help Save the Florida Scrub-Jay! https://bit ly/FLScrubJay

■ Artwork will be viewed and voted on by recognized local artists a wildlife specialist and a representative of The News-Press Entries will be judged based on originality and quality of art Winners will be notified by phone the first week of May, 2023

■ Neither the Library nor the FOCCL are responsible for lost or damaged artwork All entries will be returned by directly contacting Art Contest Chair Alessia Leathers at alessialeathers@yahoo com

■ Deadline: To participate in the contest all artwork must be received by noon Saturday, April 29 The Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library will have a designated box in the children’s area to receive entries Questions? Contact Alessia Leathers at alessialeathers@yahoo com

This is what Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tells us about the Florida scrub-jay:

■ The Florida scrub-jay is the only species of bird that is endemic to Florida That is this bird can only be found in the Sunshine state

■ Their diet consists mainly of insects, frogs, toads, lizards, mice, bird eggs and acorns

■ Unlike blue jays this species does not have black markings or a crest Scrub-jays have blue wings head and tail and gray back and underparts and a whitish forehead and neck

■ Scrub-jays are non-migratory, breed from March to June, and typically defend the same nesting territory year after year

■ They inhabit scrubby flatwoods mainly ancient sandy ridges that run down the middle of the state old sand dunes along the coasts and sandy deposits along rivers in the interior of the state Scrub-jays do best in areas that contain large quantities of oak shrubs

Ways to Save the Florida Scrub-Jay

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the scrub-jay population has declined 90% in the past century mainly due to habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation from development and agriculture It is federally listed as a threatened species and protected by the U S Migratory Bird Treaty Act Here are some ways everyone can help them:

Plant and protect scrub patches on your property Maintain a maximum height of 10 feet for vegetation, if you live on or near a scrub-jay habitat

Protect them from family pets especially cats Pet cats that live outdoors are a major threat

Do not feed them since the food they get on their own is the right kind of food, especially for their growing young Join the Jay Watch an Audubon’s community statewide program that trains and supports volunteers to conduct scientific surveys that measure annual nesting success and the total number of Florida scrub-jays at more than 40 sites around Florida For more information on how to become a volunteer, contact fl audubon org/jaywatch

For additional information please contact Alessia L e a t h e r s A r t C o n t e s t C h a i r m a n a t a l e s s i a l e a t h e r s @ yahoo com

Lee County launches Ian Progress Report

Lee County has launched the Ian Progress Report, a data-driven site dedicated to updating the community on the fiscal needs progress and opportunities with state and federal partners as Lee County moves forward after the hurricane

The report is available at ianprogress leegov com and provides easy access to the following:

■ A snapshot of initial damage assessment

■

■

See IAN PROGRESS REPORT, page 7B

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

PHOTO PROVIDED

Simpson stopper blooms

SCHEA St. Patrick’s Day Trolley Event March 17

Caldwell to speak at Cape Coral MOAA Chapter meeting

Oasis Charter Schools receive ITEEA award

The city of Cape Coral Oasis Charter Schools continue to collect major national awards for their academic accomplishments and highly effective charter school system

Recently, Oasis Elementary North and Oasis Middle School were two, out of 19 s c h o o l s i n t h e U S t o b e n a m e d a n

“ITEEA STEM School of Excellence” by t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e c h n o l o g y a n d E n -

gineering Educators Association

I T E E A r e c o g n i z e s s c h o o l s f o r t h e i r commitment to providing students with a robust integrative STEM education program This is the second year in a row Oasis Middle has made the prestigious list STEM is an essential learning component for all four of the city of Cape Coral Oasis Charter Schools with students in grades K-12 participating The municipal charter schools’ awards

A

Global Accreditation for demonstrating o u t s t a n d i n g l e a d e r s h i p i n i n n o v a t i o n Oasis was the only K-12 municipal charter system in Florida to earn the honor, and only one of 38 schools world-wide to be chosen COGNIA also awarded Oasis with the c o v e t e d S c h o o l S y s t e m o f D

n 2022 Oasis is one of 20 Florida schools to land on the international list Oasis Charter Schools is the only K-12 charter school system in Cape Coral that offers a STEMcentered curriculum at each grade level

Under the leadership of Superintendent Jacquelin Collins, Oasis Charter Schools consistently receives an A rating from the Florida Department of Education based on student performance The high school has a graduation rate of 98 percent

EDUCATION NOTES

Gibson among finalists for SIU’s 2023 Ricker tZiebold Trust Award

CARBONDALE, Ill Six graduating s e n i o r s i n S o u t h e r n I l l i n o i s U n i v e r s i t y Carbondale’s School of Art and Design program are preparing to compete for the university s most prestigious art prize

the Rickert-Ziebold Trust Award T h e f i n a l i s t s w e r e a n n o u n c e d o n Thursday March 2 and come from a variety of disciplines, including metalsmithing, art education and painting Among the finalists is Arthur Gibson (blacksmithing) of Cape Coral

See EDUCATION NOTES, page 9B

REAL ESTATE

T HE BREE ZE 4

The impact of higher interest rates on the Cape’s home sales

11 4% drop in second quarter sales from 2021 to 2022

Eric P Feichthaler Real Estate Law

D e ar Mr Fe i c hthal e r: I o w n a l o t i n C a p e C o r a l a n d p l a c e d a s i g n o u t s i d e F o r S a l e B y O w n e r I r e c e i v e d a t e x t f r o m s o m e o n e o f f e r i n g $ 5 0 0 0 0 T h e y w r o t e t h e y h a v e n o b a n k a c c o u n t a n d h a v e b e e n s a v i n g u p c a s h f o r m a n y y e a r s a n d w i s h t o g i v e m e t h e m o n e y i n $ 1 0 0 b i l l s T h e y s a i d t h e y w i l l p r ep a r e t h e d e e d t r a n s f e r r i n g t h e p r o p e r t y , a n d d o n t w a n t t i t l e i n s u r a n c e T h e i r i n s t r u c t i o n s a r e f o r m e t o t a k e t h e d e e d t o b e w i t n e s s e d a n d n o t a r i z e d t h e n t h e y w i l l c o m e o v e r t o d e l i v e r t h e c a s h D o y o u s e e a n y i s s u e s w i t h t h i s ? Kelly M D e ar Ke l l y : W e l l t h i s i s a n i n t e re s t i n g q u e s t i o n ! A c a s h b u y e r w i t h $ 5 0 0 0 0 t h a t d o e s n t w a n t t i t l e i n s u r a n c e o r a n y o t h e r p r o t e c t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o t h e p u r c h a s e F r o m y o u r p e r s p e c t i v e a s s e l l e r t h e r e i s o n e g o a l – r e c e i v e d t h e b a rg a i n e d - f o r a m o u n t I f t h e e n d r e s u l t i s a b u y e r h a n d i n g y o u a b a g f u l l o f c a s h t h e r e i s n o p r o b l e m f r o m a r e a l e s t a t e s a l e s p e r s p e c t i v e H o w e v e r , s u c h a n o f f e r i s h i g h l y u n u s u a l N o b a n k a c c o u n t ? A n d t h e y d o n ’ t w a n t t i t l e i n s u r a n c e ? H o w d o t h e y k n o w y o u o w n t h e p r o p e r t y w i t h n o m o r t g a g e s , l i e n s o r j u d g m e n t s ? I t i s o n e o f t h o s e s i t u a t i o n s t h a t s o u n d s “ t o o g o o d t o b e t r u e ” a n d i n d i c a t e s t h e r e c o u l d b e s o m e t h i n g n e f a r i o u s h a p p e n i n g h e r e T h e f a c t t h e y w a n t t o m a k e t h e t r a n s f e r o f d o c u m e n t s a n d c a s h a t y o u r h o m e i s o f m a j o r c o n c e r n t o m e I f y o u w e n t f o r w a r d w i t h t h i s t r a n s a c t i o n , I w o u l d r e c o mm e n d y o u d o s o a t a p r o f e s s i o n a l o f f i c e , b a n k o r o t h e r s p a c e y o u f e e l c o m f o r t a b l e I w o u l d n ’ t l e t a n y o n e i n y o u r h o m e t h a t y o u d o n ’ t k n o w I a l s o w o u l d n ’ t k e e p a l a r g e a m o u n t o f c a s h i n y o u r h o m e w h e n a s t r a n g e r k n o w s i t i s p r e s e n t t h e r e Y o u m a y b e a w a r e t h a t a n y c a s h t r a n s a c t i o n i n a t r a d e o r b u s i n e s s m u s t b e r e p o r t e d t o t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f T r e a s u r y t h r o u g h F o r m 8 3 0 0 U n l e s s y o u a r e i n t h e b u s i n e s s o f s e l l i n g p r o p e r t y y o u l i k e l y w o u l d n o t b e c o n s i d e r e d t o b e i n b u s i n e s s a n d w o u l d n o t n e e d t o f i l e t h e f o r m H o w e v e r , w h e n y o u g o t o d e p o s i t t h e s e f u n d s i n y o u r b a n k , t h e y w i l l b e r e q u i r e d t o r e p o r t t h e d e p o s i t v i a F o r m 8 3 0 0 T h e n i f f e d e r a l a g e n t s a s k y o u w h y y o u m a d e s u c h a l a r g e c a s h d e p o s i t y o u w o u l d t e l l t h e m y o u s o l d t h e p r o p e r t y t o p e o p l e y o u m e t b y t e x t A l t h o u g h y o u p e r s o n a l l y m a y n o t b e i n t r o u b l e , y o u m a y b e u n w i t t i n g l y p a r t i ci p a t i n g i n m o n e y l a u n d e r i n g , w h i c h l i k e l y i s n o t o n y o u r b u c k e t l i s t A l s o y o u w i l l s t i l l n e e d t o r e p o r t t h e s a l e t o t h e I R S a n d r e p o r t a n y p r o f i t s o n y o u r i n c o m e t a x r e t u r n I n c o n c l u s i o n , t h e r e a r e p l e n t y o f b u y e r s o u t t h e r e w i l l i n g t o p a y f o r v a c a n t l o t s , w h i c h c o n t i n u e t o h a v e s t r o n g p r i c e s u p p o r t A l t h o u g h y o u r p l a n m a y w o r k , t h e p o t e n t i a l d a n g e r f o r m e w o u l d o u t w e i g h t h e b e ne f i t o f t h i s u n u s u a l l y “ s i m p l e ” t r a n s a c t i o n I w o u l d h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d s e e k i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l g u i d a n c e

See TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?, page 5B

It all started innocently enough one year ago this month when the Jerome Powell-led Federal Reserve increased the Federal Funds Rate by a meager 25 basis points at its March 2022 Federal Open Market Committee meeting At that time, the so-called transitory inflation that had reared its ugly head in 2021 was raging out of control and the rising costs of just about everything was wreaking havoc with family budgets

With interest rates still abnormally low as the Fed launched its new war on inflation last March, the Cape Coral real estate market was still booming with a record number of closed sales in the first quarter of last year In fact in 2022 we set the alltime high for closed sales on single-family homes in the Cape for any month of March with 684 sales being finalized that month Then very subtly there were “only” 614 closed sales in the month of April 2022 which was 16 9% below the all-time single monthly high in closed sales ever recorded in Cape Coral of 739 sales in April 2021

Bob and Geri Quinn Homing In

Even as the number of sales slowed a bit the median sales price in our overall home market surged higher to a new all-time monthly high of $470 000 in April of last year By the time the Fed moved rates another 50 basis points higher at its May 2022 meeting, we were pointing out the shift we were seeing in buyer attitudes as the bidding wars for homes had eased and potential buyers suddenly became comfortable making below list price offers

It turns out that the 2022 peak in closed home sales in the Cape occurred in March, while median sales prices hit their peak in April of last year To illustrate how the slowdown in home sales last year was correlated with the Fed s dramatic shift away from the loose monetary policies of abnormally low interest rates towards a much tighter monetary policy of higher interest rates in the first three months of 2022 the total number of closed single-family home sales in Cape Coral was running 10 7 percent above the previous record number of sales that was set in the first quarter of 2021 At that time it appeared we were on our way to another record year in 2022 But by the time the Fed jacked up interest rates by another three quarters of 1% in mid-June, the headwinds of wildly high inflation and rapidly rising home prices and mortgage rates created huge affordability issues in the housing market These headwinds eliminated a lot of buyers from pursuing their dream of buying a home and unlike the housing market boom and crash that occurred some 15 years ago, this time common sense prevailed as many buyers threw in the towel and refused to chase prices any higher while mortgage lenders slammed the door shut on borderline borrowers

By the end of June the boom in our real estate market during the first quarter had wound down as the total number of homes sold in the Cape in the first six months of 2022 was now running 1 9% below the number of sales posted over the first six months of 2021 This decline in sales in the first half of last year came about from the

As the Fed continued to jack up interest rates last year our third quarter sales declined by 23 3% versus the third quarter of 2021 and following the one-two punch of sharply rising interest rates and the damage from Hurricane Ian, the Cape s closed home sales numb e r s i n t h e f o u r t h q u a r t e r o f 2 0 2 2 plunged by 49 6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021

By late April and through the summer months of last year, many of the sellers coming onto our market with new listings were basing their initial asking prices on the market peaks that had already passed them by Part of the problem that sellers were having in establishing an accurate listing price based on the changing market dynamics and values beginning back in the second quarter of last year was because the online “Zestimate” types of pricing tools were still reflecting record high pricing models To that end, many sellers started having to reduce their list prices and adjust their expectations in order to attract a buyer as the realization began to sink in that our market had “flipped” from a raging sellers market to a somewhat slower paced buyers market almost overnight

Fortunately, even though our market dynamics have shifted dramatically over the past year, we are still seeing a seasonal uptick in activity this winter, and homes that are p r i c e d p r o p e r l y t o t h e m a r k e t a r e a t t r a c t i n g b u y e r s

However the window of opportunity for many sellers could close sooner than expected due to the growing likelihood that interest rates will continue moving higher for longer In fact, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac, a week ago mortgage rates increased to 6 65% on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage marking the fourth straight week of rising rates This is the longest streak of weekly rate increases since last September and 6 65% is the highest mortgage rate since rates hit their most recent peak above 7% back on Nov 10

Along these lines, the Mortgage Bankers Association said that mortgage loan applications declined last week as concerns about the economy and continued high levels of inflation combined with the higher loan rates have caused some potential buyers to put their home purchasing plans on hold again

Locally, as of Tuesday, March 7, there were a total of 1 380 active single-family homes listed for sale in the Cape through the Multiple Listing Service at prices ranging from $240 000 to $4 25 million This was up 2 3% from the 1,349 listings two weeks ago and about 219% more than the 433 active listings a year ago on March 8, 2022 A year ago the median list price came in at $595,000 and as of this past Tuesday the median list price was at $534 950 The median list price is up 4 9% from two months ago on Jan 3 when it was at $509 873 However to provide some context, the more important pricing benchmark of median sales prices for single-family homes in the Cape looks like it will be around $419,999 in February, based on the pre-

See IMPACT, page 5B

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

New upscale, climatecontrolled storage facility coming to Nor th For t Myers

MK Architecture has been awarded the contract for the architectural and engineering services for a new 118,000square-foot upscale, air-conditioned, three-story storage facility on New Post Road in North Fort Myers developed by PACKN-IT-N Storage Inc

The full-service storage facility will house indoor storage units ranging from 3 feet x 6 feet to 15 feet x 30 feet including first floor collector-car garage spaces

The civil engineer will be Boral Engineering and Design of Estero Florida

The project is anticipated to be under construction in the fourth quarter of 2023 M K A r c h i t e c t u r e w a s a w a r d e d t h e 2 0 2 1 a n d 2022 Architectural Firm of the Year by the Lee BIA M K A r c h i t e c t u r e s p e c i a lizes in commercial, medical multi-family and hosp i t a l i t y a r c h i t e c t u r e w i t h o f f i c e s i n F o r t M y e r s N a p l e s , a n d L e x i n g t o n , Kentucky Y o u c a n c o n t a c t M K

A r c h i t e c t u r e b y c a l l i n g 239 482 2121 or check out the company’s website at www MK-ARCH com

Market Trends real estate summit to be held March 14

Local real estate

March 14, from 4-7:30

m , at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater 1375 Monroe St in Fort Myers

A thousand attendees are expected to attend the nearly sold-out event, which will feature the region s leading voices in real estate Market Trends will explore the latest data, research and fact-based analysis and how they will impact the big picture for homeowners homebuyers real estate professionals and the region as a whole in 2023

The theme of Market Trends 2023 is The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be, which according to event speakers, couldn t be clearer after seeing what has occurred in Southwest Florida during the last 24 months With rising interest rates industry shifts and the impacts of Hurricane Ian traditional industry norms are being thrown out and experts are opening their minds to entirely new concepts of who the buyers are and how that will continue to change the real estate and development market

Randy Thibaut founder of LSI Companies and CEO of Sage Communities will address land new home sales and development Denny Grimes president of Denny Grimes & Team at Keller Williams Realty will address residential real estate Justin Thibaut, CCIM, president and CEO of LSI Companies, will address commercial real estate GulfShore Mustang Club donates

$8,463 to Lee BIA Builders Care

Lee BIA Builders Care, the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association has received a

See REAL ESTATE BRIEFS, page 5B

Cash deal for lot may be too good to be true

Impact: Higher interest rates and home sales across Cape Coral

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

d o m i n i u m s s h o r t s a l e s o r f o r e c l o s u r e s T h e d a t a a n d s t a t i s t i c s a r e b e l i e v e d t o b e r e l i a b l e , h o w e v e r , t h e y c o u l d b e u p d a t e d a n d r e v i s e d p e r i o d i c a l l y , a n d a r e s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e w i t h o u t n o t i c e T h e Q u i n n s a r e a h u s b a n d a n d w i f e r e a l e s t a t e t e a m w i t h t h e R E / M A X R e a l t y T e a m o f f i c e i n C a p e C o r a l T h e y h a v e l i v e d i n C a p e C o r a l f o r o v e r 4 3 y e a r s G e r i h a s b e e n a f u l l members share knowledge and appreciation of Mustangs through various activities including helping the community along the way The mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency cons truction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners and their families, who cannot obtain repairs t h r o u g h t r a d i t i o n a l m e a n s L e e B I A Builders Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization under the charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association Lee BIA Builders Care is headquartered at 6835 International Center Blvd #4 in F o r t M y e r s D o n a t i o n s c a n b e m a d e online at www LeeBuildersCare org More information is available by calling 239-938-0056 and by following Builders Care at www Facebook com/ LeeBuildersCare

page 4B p r i o r t o g o i n g f o r w a r d s o y o u r e x a c t s i tu a t i o n c a n b e a n a l y z e d Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral 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 he returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008 and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, Cape Coral Museum of History and Cape Coral 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 S u p r e m e C o u r t C e r t i f i e d C i r c u i t C i v i l M e d i a t o r H e c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e r i c @ c a p e c o r a l a t t o r n e y c o m o r 2 3 9542-4733 This article is general in nature and not i n t e n d e d a s l e g a l a d v i c e t o a n y o n e I n d i v i d u a l s s h o u l d s e e k l e g a l c o u n s e l before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations Too good to be true?: Cash deal From page 4B Check us out online. Visit www.capecoralbreeze.com

Ian Progress Report: Lee County launches data-driven website

United Way Volunteer Fair

Saturday at Bell Tower Shops

The United Way of Lee Hendry and

Join the United Way as officials promote year-round volunteer opportunities in Southwest Florida and afford the public a chance to interact face-to-face with a variety of local agencies and explore opportunities that fit their interests

Over 20 local agencies will have tables at the Volunteer Fair so visitors can explore what type of activity each agency has to offer to volunteers There is no charge for the event A few examples of potential volu n t e e r p o s i

Hurricane Ian recovery serving meals food pantries special events tutoring/mentoring, animal socialization, pet therapy, elder support and

For the birds: Wildflowers, plants

From page 1B

put in a few periwinkle flowers to hold the place for now It is covered in white flowers in the spring and has berries in summer

It grows in a round shape, so I only plan on trimming it once yearly

■ Marlberry - A tall column-shaped bush 8-15 feet high I planted this as a screen between me and the weekly rental next door (Why do we allow these?) The bush asks for little - sandy, well drained soil with a little topsoil Besides giving me a break from seeing the tourists next door it will be dense enough to be a refuge to

birds Pollinators will enjoy the off-and-on white flowers, and birds will enjoy the berries

■ Simpson stopper - One plant is not enough screen for the neighbors! I also added this favorite of mine, a small tree which keeps its leaves from top to bottom I always make people smell the delicious flowers in spring It has red berries around Christmas It grows slowly but the peeling bark after a few years is very attractive It is another native, so, of course, it is undemanding

Adding some Florida wildflowers and grasses around these bushes adds color for us and seeds for birds After flowers have b l o o m e d , m a n y b i r d s e a t their seeds including sparr o w s w a r b l e r s c a r d i n a l s doves and mockingbirds I will be adding coneflowers tickseed (coreopsis), blank e t f l o w e r ( g a i l l a r d i a ) a n d tropical sage (salvia)

T h e r e a r e m a n y m o r e Florida adapted plants available If your nursery does not have these plants, ask t h e m t o c a r r y t h e m O r s e a r c h f o r y o u r n e a r e s t n a t i v e n u r s e r y s e l l i n g plants that grow in Florida

Sherie Bleiler is a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral and library butterfly garden chairperson

Resources: h t t p : / / f n p s b l o g b l o g s p o t c o m / 2 0 1 1 / 0 1 / p l a n tfor-all-reasons html h t t p s : / / w w w r e g i o n a l conservation org/beta/nfyn/ plantlist asp https://www flawildflowers org/attracting-birds/

From page 3B

The exhibition is from April 17-22 in the SIU Surplus Gallery 432 S Washington St Carbondale Winners will be announced at 3:30 p m April 17 with a reception and awards presentation from 6 to 8 p m April 21 also in the Surplus Gallery F o r a

m a t i o n , c o n t a c t S u n K i m a t sunkim@siu edu or the Surplus Gallery at 618-453-7548 or sgallery@siu edu

Murphy graduates from UMN Crookston CROOKSTON Minn - The Office of the Registrar at t h

Obituaries

EDUCATION NOTES

Students completed their degree requirements during the fall semester 2022 Fall session graduates include Madeline Murphy of Cape Coral who graduated with distinction with a bachelor of science in information technology management