Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

‘Coastal’ design for Yacht Club center gets nod

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council has agreed to go coastal for the design of the planned community center to replace the Yacht Club ballroom

The majority of the elected board opted for a “coastal vernacular feel” during their workshop on Wednesday

There were three design options on the table: The preferred option one with its Key West vibe; option two, intended to evoke the

design of the current historic structure; and option three, a more modern look that received no support Mayor John Gunter and Councilmembers Dan Sheppard, Keith Long, Tom Hayden and

Richard Carr opted for option one

Those who preferred design two a lodge-type look featuring wood or wood-type accents included Councilmembers Bill Steinke and Jessica Cosden

Councilmember Robert Welsh said he did not see a lot of differences between designs one and two and, although he liked the look of two, he could go with either

The footprint, meanwhile, has been expanded to 47,000 square feet over two stories

John Bryant, of Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors, said as they worked on the floorplan of the new Community

See YACHT CLUB, page 9

Design review set for Jaycee Park

Public invited

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers com

The community will have the opportunity to view the in-the-works design of Jaycee Park as efforts have hit the 30%-to-completion benchmark

The Jaycee Park 30% Design Review will be open to the public from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at the Public Works Operations Center, 815 Nicholas Parkway E No reservations are required to attend

“The great thing about this is everything up until now has only been kind of conceptual by names of components Now, in this design revision things all start being done to scale and so there is much more perspective of where things will be and how large they will be, or how small they will be,” Councilmember Bill Steinke said “Everything relative to another starts to make more sense of how the whole park will lay out I think that is the greatest thing ”

Steinke said the designer starts considering such things as how they get water to the bathrooms, sewer away from the bathrooms and electrical to needed places He said that may result with some circumstances that they thought something could go here but had to

See

Cape Coral Animal Shelter looks to expand

Asks Council for help with city fees, additional land site, for self-funded building they hope to build

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

An expansion of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter may be in the near future with help from the city regarding fees and use of an adjacent 3 acres

“Our new building will cost about $8 million,” Cape Coral Animal Shelter President JoAnn Elardo said, adding they are not asking the city to fund the building “We are asking your help with capital expansion fees This is a one-time ask for this and the return will be great for the city We think we have been a good investment for the city and want to make sure we meet the needs for a growing city.”

Councilmember Dan Sheppard said at Wednesday’s City Council workshop that he would support the request, as the organization adds great value to the community, a service for all families in the city to use

“It’s a worthwhile investment I will be supporting this,” he said Elardo said with Cape Coral growing fast, and for the nonprofit shelter to keep up with the expanding community, an expansion is needed They plan to convert the existing 8,400-

square-foot building into a low-cost veterinary clinic and build a 19,000-square-foot two-story building

“We have adopted and saved over 4,500 dogs and cats; 68% are from Cape Coral,” Elardo said

In addition, the veterinary clinic has had 6,685 clients, 80% of whom are Cape residents The clinic helps individuals afford care for their pets, with the Heart Fund helping and treating those with no funds

Other accomplishments of the shelter include issuing a few hundred pet carriers for free to individuals during Hurricane Ian, so they could bring their pets to shelters, or use them to save their pets when water began rising

“The shelter has helped our city in many ways that kind of amazed us,” Elardo said “We saved over 100 dogs and cats from taking a ride over the bridge to the Lee County Animal Shelter ”

There has also been assistance in getting lost animals back to their owners

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter takes a $2 million budget to run every year, which includes such areas as employees, vets, and medical assistance

Assistant City Manager Connie Barron said staff from the Cape Coral Animal Shelter approached city staff a few months ago to get them involved in their desire to expand the facility, which is located on land owned by the city near Sun Splash Family Waterpark and leased to the shelter

In February 2017, Council approved an agreement with the Cape Coral Animal Shelter Corporation which planned to build a no-kill shelter and adoption facility on property owned by the city, which was vacant and not used at the time

Barron said Council approved a 99-year lease at $1 per year

In December of 2017, Council approved a resolution agreeing to pay the construction-related fees associated with building the first building, which then equated to $71,374 06

Now, with the two-story expansion, construction related fees equal $64,747 38

“They have a very interesting, very large expansion,” Barron said of the two-story structure

The shelter expanded services in 2020 when they identified a need in the community not just for the no-kill facility, but also for low-cost veterinary services

“Residents were bringing their animals there to be in residence and taking them to be euthanized because they could not afford the cost of care for their animal,” Barron said

The 19,797-square-foot building would be an expansion on their leased 4 2-acre site, with almost 17,000 square feet on the first floor and 3,000 on the second floor, she said

Barron said the expansion would be on the current footprint of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter and would include adding 48 parking spots for a total of 93 spaces

The new building would house all shelter operations, including kennels, cat rooms, adoption areas, offices, laundry, storage, and a multi-purpose room

Elardo said the offices would be located upstairs with the downstairs mostly used for adoptions It’s a “very community functional center” with a large space developed for school classes and training, she added

The current building is going to be reconfigured to expand the low-cost veterinary clinic and the current kennels will be used for dog intake and quarantine only, Barron said

In addition, the shelter is asking for the adjacent city parcel to the east of the building, about a third of an acre, to use for training and a play area for animals

“The current appraisal 4 2 acres is about $595,000 with an additional one third acre to the east add about $50,000,” Barron said for $645,000

The majority of the City Council thanked the Cape Coral Animal Shelter for what they are doing, as it is a much-needed service for the citizens They also showed support in the construction-related fees

“I can’t thank your organization enough to bring what you brought to the city and residents,” Councilmember Bill Steinke said “I am a firm supporter of the effort ”

Although Mayor John Gunter said Cape Coral Animal Shelter provides a great service for the community, he brought up a concern, a slippery slope, of the 769 other tax-exempt nonprofits working in the city asking for monetary contributions

“We used to have a program many years ago where we gave monies to nonprofits

That policy disbanded and we no longer do that,” Gunter said, adding that he has a fear that if they open the door 769 nonprofit organizations could come forward and ask for the same type of contribution

“My concern is if we go down this pass we may get this request ”

Many of the council members thanked him for the discussion but did not share the same concerns

Councilmember Jessica Cosden said the city did the construction-related fees in 2017 and haven’t had other requests

“I have been involved as a donor, adopted, fostered I think this is a very unique case and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the nonprofits,” she said

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has a major fund raiser coming up

It will host its Walk, Wiggle, Wag & Run from 8 a m to 1 p m Saturday, March 23 The fun walk, or 5K timed run, will take place around the shelter, 325 S W 2nd Ave The event will also include music, food trucks, vendors, a marketplace, pet costume/talent contest and giveaways

For more information may be found at capecoralanimalshelter com/event/walk-wiggle-wag-run-2/

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

Free Bird

Call us old or call us old school but the ZZ Top/Lynyrd Skynyrd show at Hertz Arena rocked the house Saturday night

The bill opened with Black Stone Cherry and closed with an encore performance of “Free Bird” to rousing applause and a guest appearance by Lee County’s own rock-star politician Sheriff Carmine Marceno who took the stage behind Skynyrd’s bassist to help hold a billowing American flag

It was quite the night for fans of traditional Southern fried rock and the nouveau celebrification of public officials alike as Sheriff Marceno was available for photo opts in the lobby pre-show and for photos and handshakes with those passing by the up-front seating as well as in the stands between bands

His entourage, including a contingent of uniformed staffers, was impressive enough to hold its own with that of the headliners

The side show, though, was kind of like a shot of Skynyrd’s Hell House whiskey brand building, sure, but overpriced way overpriced for what you’re paying for

Not that we actually know how much personal appearances such as these deemed “outreach” cost as efforts to obtain numbers failed as the LCSO apparently doesn’t track them

The Breeze asked under what budgetary line are public appearances for Sheriff Marceno, such as this one with accompanying members of the department, are funded, and whether such public appearance are tabulated

The response: It’s part of operations

“Sheriff Marceno and his staff receive a salary which is part of the LCSO budget Attendance to events throughout the county are at the discretion of the Sheriff,” the agency responded

“Members that provide community outreach services at events do so within their respective work schedules ”

The cost of the accompanying video and camera crews to publicize his appearance at such events?

“The Public Information Office is tasked with obtaining media (video and photos) and putting them on social media to highlight the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s efforts to engage with the community ”

Ummm, OK

Perhaps one of the bands or all three are huge fans and Sheriff Marceno got a personal invite

Maybe those accompanying staffers were all in for a paid-for show and an extra detail accompanying the popular as he made his rounds

See EDITORIAL, page 8

Agree? Disagree? Weigh in! Letters, guest opinions, comments welcome

The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that opinions. These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opinions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper Opposing views are welcome. Letters to the editor or guest columns may be e-mailed to vharring@breezenewspapers com All letters and guest opinions must be signed and must include a phone number for verification purposes. Readers are also invited to comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: capecoralbreeze.com.

Empowering people, enriching communities: Education’s impact in Southwest Florida

In Southwest Florida, education is more than just learning; it’s the key to unlocking boundless potential As Ralph Waldo Emerson is believed to have once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us ” Education empowers i n d i v i d u a l s t o t a p i n t o t h e i r i n n e r strengths, cultivating innovation and critical thinking It paves the way for a brighter future and unites us in our shared pursuit of knowledge and growth

S e e m i n g l y g u i d e d b y E m e r s o n ’ s words, the Lee County School Board's strong commitment to education clearly reflects their belief in this important idea In November 2018 voters approved an additional half-cent sales tax dedicated to enhancing educational infrastructure As of June 2023, a remarkable sum of $440,860,386 had been collected, 20% of which came from tourism, underscoring the community’s ongoing support for education This investment has had a profound impact on all schools in the district, with three new schools opening, five major school renovations completed, and the creation of 4,500 new stu-

Michael R Davis

Guest Commentary

dent seats By 2025, it is projected that 56,000 student stations will have been newly constructed or renovated Furthermore, in a significant boost to digital learning, 73,000 Chromebooks have been distributed to students, ensuring that technology is an integral part of their educational journey

Similarly, the Heights Foundation, established in 2000, is a cornerstone in Harlem Heights, creating self-sufficiency in students through diverse programs Alongside education and wellness, its MOSAIC (Musical Opportunities Supporting the Arts In our Community) program nurtures nearly 50 children with free instrumental instruction, promoting both artistic skills and personal growth The foundation's literacy and charact e r d e v e l o p m e n t i n i t i a t i v e s a r e p i v o t a l , emphasizing not just academic success but also nurturing integrity and resilience in young minds

“MOSAIC and our literacy initiatives offered by The Heights Center work harmoniously to enhance educational outcomes and promote personal growth, character and resilience,” said Melissa Barlow,

See GUEST COMMENTARY, page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Blanket condemnation of conser vatives is neither productive nor fair

To the editor:

This is a Response to “Teach our children well,” an open letter to the Lee County School Board by Madelon Stewart and published in the Cape Coral Breeze on Feb 29

I firmly believe that everyone has the right to an opinion. I must take a stand when that opinion is injurious to this reader, my family and, I believe, to society in general

I will quote sections of the letter and offer rebuttals

The writer addresses all residents of Lee County, but the strength of her invectives is aimed squarely at citizens of more conservative persuasion

She uses the example of Nex Benedict, a “non-binary” student who, per her description, was the victim of “hate, rage, and the urge to punish someone different than oneself ” The investigation is ongoing, so no specifics on the cause of death are available As typical of liberal mindset, (vis a vis George Floyd), jumping to conclusions about a “hate” crime is totally in keeping with liberal moral standards and societal justice Both the USA Today and the Local News stated that initial findings confirmed Nex did not die from trauma, but died the next day Nex’s sad story is a distortion meant to gain sympathy But, let’s not let facts get in the way when a good yarn about conservative hate can be spun

To quote further, “The idea, I guess, is that if we pretend that people aren’t different, in a myriad of wonderful and confounding ways, maybe we can subside back into our comfortable, smug, self-righteous bubble and just hope they will go away ” I’m not clear what is meant by this This is projection and it is again a method that liberals use to infer what they are actually thinking on citizens that they wish to control It’s a weak argument and one that no longer creates guilt in the target audience

“Where does the hate and rage toward ‘the other’ come from?” the letter asks There are free-floating references to “hate and rage” but where are specific examples in the Lee County School District of such malfeasance? When I last checked, the district has extensive, reasonable, wellthought measures to prevent rage, bigotry, racism, and bullying What specific examples support the letter’s contorted worldview?

The letter blames “indoctrination at home, social media, sermons at Christian and other houses of worship” as the source of this widespread hatred in society No specific examples, again, of these sources of hate are provided of a

worship service that has advocated hatred Why impugn the reputation of religious individuals if you don’t know them or understand their worship?

To quote: “We have heard ‘self-professed Christians’ at school board meetings yelling that homosexuality is an abomination How terribly cruel and how terribly false ” This reflects judgement of other people’s religious beliefs founded on the Bible as well as the Jewish Torah and the Koran of Islam

Please, if you write a letter for the edification of your fellow citizens, use some thought in advance, and produce ideas which are helpful and mutually beneficial, not condemnatory You will not win converts to your cause if you paint the majority of the conservative population of Lee County as haters, bigots, homophobes, racists, and imbeciles That just doesn’t work

We each have a responsibility to advocate for the basic human decency we strive to achieve To do otherwise and society’s bedrock will crumble

Dr. Edward F. Drass, M.D. Cape Coral

Loan ‘for giveness’ can foster poor degree choices, burden taxpayers

To the editor:

I would like to support Mr Lou Walker’s assertion (“‘Call student loan ‘forgiveness’ what it is: Vote buying by the Democrats’ published March 1) that loan forgiveness is the Democrats’ way of glomming votes from a naive student public Obtaining a loan for a college degree is a personal decision and should be weighed very carefully before signing on the dotted line. The loanee should say to him or herself will a degree in ‘Popular Culture and the Media’ or ‘Trends in Contemporary American Puppetry’ (These are actual courses offered at some colleges) allow me to obtain employment at the end of my academic training? Will I be making an income commensurate with paying back the loans? The student’s thinking should not be ‘Well I don’t have to worry about repayment, the Democrats will forgive my loan ’”

I went to law school and borrowed heavily to obtain a Juris Doctorate Degree I studied hard and was admitted to practice law in two states My law practice allowed me to pay back every cent I had borrowed

Working and studying hard towards a recognized legit-

See LETTERS, page 6

From page 4

imate degree is an honorable goal in life Forging ahead with borrowed funds, to obtain a degree where there is little to no chance of obtaining substantive employment, is truly a burden on the rest of society if they have to pay for your selfishness.

Steven A Salz Cape Coral

Vote Republican

To the editor:

Among the letters from your left-wing readers, the recent socialist/progressive blather from Dennis Raube takes the prize as the most nonsensical letter of the week

The letter manages to incorporate more negative comments about our country than most who preach this junk

One can easily list all the disasters brought on by the current administration and, in particular, by the criminalin- chief, Joe Biden He is obviously on the take from the Chinese among others

That should earn him an impeachment at the least

Yet the letter gives us nothing but criticisms of Republicans in general and Pres Trump in particular

However, please notice the letter does not provide one good reason for voting for Democrats, probably because there is no such reason

Vote for Republicans!

Biden is the risk to democracy

To the editor:

Neil Miller Cape Coral

Last night President Biden was able to last for hours calling out all the errors of the Republicans ways that he could remember and making jabs from the past to show how sharp he really was We all sat in awe and marveled how he could describe things to us with such accuracy and thought

President Biden said that democracy was in jeopardy and we needed him to lead How does that work when our President went to be interviewed for crimes about the top secret documents on his garage floor that had been there at least six, maybe seven, years

Obviously, he was guilty of violations of top secret documents There is no way to lie out of the fact that documents were found It was no longer obvious or any doubt that Biden had committed the crimes

So what does Biden do to get out of going to jail? He acts like he is old and lacks enough memory to remember so no jury would convict him

How does democracy survive when the individual leading our country lies about his memory so that he gets out of crime? And than spouts off to the rest of the world that democracy in America is at risk because he has someone running against him? Isn’t democracy already damaged

LETTERS

because of his tricks to deny justice to take place? Is our President the model for all people to see how he duped the prosecutor and the American people?

How can anyone believe a person who obviously at the highest level has obviously committed perjury and now claims he was exonerated by the prosecutor ?

This is what damages democracy at its very core

Leo Amos Matlacha

Florida needs a real sur geon general

To the editor:

Dr Joseph Ladapo as Florida’s Surgeon General inflicts malpractice on the citizens of Florida.

Anti-vaccination, anti-mask positions he espouses are dangerous and threaten the public health and safety Many Florida elders and disabled died unvaccinated and unnecessarily; now we could have a measles outbreak

According to The Cleveland Clinic, “Due to a successful vaccination program, measles in the U S was virtually eliminated by 2000 ” The CDC reports there were nearly 120 cases in the U S in 2022 We’ve had 10 cases recently We must stop its spread in Florida

Currently, Dr Ladapo’s positions rise to a level of malpractice: Not urging vaccinations and telling parents it is their choice whether to send their unvaccinated children to school.

Measles is highly contagious, requires 21 days of isolation in the unvaccinated after exposure, and can cause severe complications that includes blindness, encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage), severe diarrhea and related dehydration, ear infection, severe breathing problems including pneumonia, and even death (WHO, 2024)

The main job of a surgeon general is to protect and promote the health of all residents and visitors in the state through organized state and community efforts

A surgeon general who fails to urge vaccination for measles and who called for the halt of COVID vaccines and who doesn’t believe in mask protection against airborne exposures is simply unfit for the job

Write to the Governor Write to your state senator and representative to insist that this incompetent physician be removed from office

Cindy Perouty Fort Myers

Rob the poor, give to the rich

To the editor:

Tax loopholes for the rich are entitlements

Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits Republicans under the Johnson House Leadership are calling for cuts in Social Security and Medicare by raising the eligibility age and reducing benefits

The Republicans want to attach the cost of a commission to study these cuts to the 2024 budget Seventy per-

cent of voters have rejected this idea!

The cost of tax cuts should be factored into Congress’s consideration of the budget deficit

In 2017, Trump tax cuts slashed the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%

Since then, most profitable corporations paid less than 21% due to loopholes 342 companies paid just an average of 14% with T-Mobile, Dish, Netflix, GM, AT&T, Bank of America, Citigroup, FedEx, Molson Coors and Nike paid less than 5% Twenty-three profitable companies paid no federal tax in the last 5 years and one hundred and nine corporations paid no federal tax in at least one of the years

Republicans want to extend the Trump tax cuts after their scheduled end in 2025 This plan would cost $4 trillion over a decade Trump wants to cut even more taxes if reelected

Biden has called for preserving the 2017 tax cuts only for those who make less than $400,000 per year

Losing the revenue part of the budget equation and focusing only on spending is the Republican way of increasing the income of the rich (Republican donors) and decreasing the income of the rest of us

Vote for Democrats!

Dennis Raube Fort Myers

Biden’s apparent cognitive decline a danger to America

To the editor:

It is very scary to know that the President of the United States is cognitively declining at a rapid pace President Biden is living in another world He states he is talking to world leaders who are dead, and he confused the names of the presidents of Egypt and Mexico He angered President Macron of France for calling him President Mitterrand and recently he called Prime Minister Orban of Hungary a dictator causing the Hungarian embassy to file an objection with the State Department

President Biden stumbles when he is at a podium, shakes hands with invisible people and cannot even follow simple directions Our country, the most powerful country in the world, is now the laughingstock of the world

The President’s cognitive declines, being very embarrassing, are also very dangerous The President has control of the nuclear weapons codes Only a cognitively stable person should have control of these codes President Biden has the power to wage a nuclear attack

President Trump is very cognitively alert and stable He has taken a cognitive test and has passed it with flying colors When he was president, he had good relations with most foreign leaders, and he kept us out of wars We need him back in the White House to restore respect back to the Office of the President and keep us safe President Trump, make America respected and safe again

Arthur E Amidano Cape Coral

Guest Commentary: Education’s impact on an individual, on communities, far-reaching

From page 4

director of arts and community programs at The Heights Center. “The music program cultivates discipline and creativity, while literacy initiatives provide essential academic skills Together, they create a holistic approach to education, fostering a supportive community environment that empowers families to develop both artistically and academically, contributing to their overall well-being ”

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), born in 1991, stands tall as a testament to our commitment to knowledge Under visionary leadership, FGCU has transformed our educational landscape, currently enriching over 14,000 minds and fueling economic growth But it's not just about classrooms; it's about research and sustainability, paving the way for a brighter future.

Dr Amir B Ferreira Neto, an assistant professor of Economics at FGCU and director of the Regional Economic Research Institute, reflects on the university's broader impact: “FGCU contributes to Southwest Florida in tangible and intangible ways On the one hand, it supports our local economy by bringing students, faculty and staff to the region, by its daily operations and capital projects, and by providing qualified workers to local businesses On the other hand, FGCU teaches, educates, and empowers our future leaders, for a sustainable, resilient and diverse Southwest Florida ”

And then there’s Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW), adding more colors to the educational canvas. With an assortment of associate and bachelor's programs,

FSW is not just an academic powerhouse; it’s a cultural hub, graced by the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall But the variety doesn’t end there Institutions like N o v a S o u t h e a s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y , K e i s e r U n i v e r s i t y , Rasmussen College and Southern Technical College add to Lee County’s educational options They offer specialized programs, catering to the diverse needs of Lee County’s growing and diverse workforce

Learning doesn’t come with an age limit here In Southwest Florida, it’s a lifelong journey The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FGCU (FGCU OLLI) and the Renaissance Academy at FSW are gateways to endless knowledge Non-credit courses, inspiring lectures and engaging workshops create an intellectually vibrant space for our seniors to keep learning

Education is a door, a window, and a bridge It opens doors of opportunity, widens horizons, and empowers individuals to create lasting impacts Let’s celebrate this force that shapes our community Whether through advocacy, volunteering, or financial contributions, every effort counts in promoting this important gift Remember, in Southwest Florida, the gift of education belongs to everyone In this corner of paradise, every single soul is worthy of the gift of education

Worthington Realty, Inc He

home since 2003

Avid rider hoping to win specialized tandem bicycle

Saying success would be ‘ a huge blessing,’ Cape family hoping for on-line votes in Great Bike

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The family of a Cape Coral child is hoping to garner enough votes in a national competition to acquire a muchneeded specialized bicycle for her use

Danielle Siegman, mother of 11-year-old Mallory, who has autism, is hoping her daughter’s entry into the “Great Bike Giveaway” garners an expensive tandem bicycle for her and her child to ride

Mallory, a fifth grader at Gulf Elementary, loves to be active, and can often be found at school using its specialized tricycle during her adaptive physical education period She rides up to 18 laps per session, Siegman said Siegman discovered the competition on social media, which grants bikes via free online voting and raffle drawings to children across the country who need a specialized bike Participants have the chance to win a bike best suited for their use

“We figured let’s give it a shot,” Siegman said “She’s just always been super-active Her favorite things are jumping on the trampoline and riding that bike at school She just loves it It took a little bit for her to figure out how to ride it, but once she got the hang of it, now she wants to just ride, ride, ride I thought, ‘What a great thing for her to be able to do at home to get some energy out ’ We’re always thinking of what we can have her doing for movement ”

Siegman said movement has always been a calming activity for Mallory since she was a child She also enjoys swimming and going to the park Being able to add a yearround activity such as bicycling is the perfect way to help her remain active and healthy, all while having fun

“It’d be really nice for her to get some of that energy out, because she has so much energy,” Siegman said “The more activity she does during the day, the better she sleeps at night -- and that's always a good thing because she has trouble sleeping ”

Siegman said even more pressing is that she was recent-

Like

ly found to be borderline pre-diabetic, so exercising and eating healthy is more important now than ever

“She loves being active, that’s not the problem, it's just

Giveaway

finding things for her to do,” Siegman said

Siegman said since there is a risk of elopement, a tandem bike is exactly what they need so that she could ride along with Mallory The model they are in contention for is the ET2611 Tandem by Freedom Concepts, which retails for nearly $10,000 according to the Great Bike Giveaway

“The fact that this bike would let me be right there with her is key,” Siegman said “So if she does decide to get off the bike, I’m right there to be able to help her so that she doesn't get hurt. I can steer it myself in the back and disable her steering It would be a really good fit for us ”

The Siegmans also have two other children, ages 12 and 9, with autism, making planning activities a challenge at times The bicycle is something the whole family could possibly use

“Trying to do activities with all three of our children can sometimes be very difficult,” Siegman said “We could all use it Dad could take them on the bike ”

Mallory has her own page on the Great Bike Giveaway where members of the public can vote for her Whoever receives the most votes in their bike category will get an adaptive bike, and those that receive 50 votes or more will automatically be entered into a drawing for the bike they selected while registering It is free to vote, with the competition ending on March 20 at noon

Donations also are accepted with money going towards a bike for that child

“It would be a huge blessing if we were able to win it,” Siegman said “I don’t know that even fundraising for it would be an option If we were able to win, it would just be amazing for our family ”

The Great Bike Giveaway is presented by “Friendship Circle of Michigan,” a non-profit that provides programs and support to families of individuals with special needs For more information, visit www.friendshipciricle.org.

To vote for Mallory, visit www greatbikegiveaway com/malloryjoy

many 11-year-olds, Mallory Siegman loves bike riding. Her family is hoping she can garner enough on-line votes to win a specially designed bike of her very own.

Editorial: Staff time always has a cost

From page 4

But that’s not the point

Certainly the bands and the sheriff can do as they wish with their time and their money

However, the reality is that staff time always comes with a cost Salaried staffers do not work unlimited hours and, for salaried and exempt employees alike, worked hours are compensated hours

Peripheral duties entail a reallocation of time from core responsibilities to nonessential tasks, i e those that, if not assigned and performed, would not fundamentally affect the job or services provided

As any CEO knows, in the private sector anyway, operational funds are finite you prioritize essential duties and services in descending order knowing that allocating a few more bucks for something further down the list comes from funds that could be spent elsewhere

In the case of the LCSO, we’re talking major money because Lee County officials and the public agree with Sheriff Marceno’s No 1 priority which is theirs as well: To keep you, our community, safe

A look at Lee County’s $1 7 billion budget by function shows public safety as the largest single component, comprising 21 3% with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office allocated just over half of that plus another 21 6% of the public safety share for detention and corrections

No arguments here

We, too, believe that public safety in all of its forms from fire rescue and control to boots on the street for crime prevention and crime control is paramount

But let us circle back We are, indeed, old school, traditional fiscal conservatives dinosaurs, we know when it comes to

public expenditures

To us that means allocating money down to the penny for services with a direct benefit to those who pay the bills, the taxpayers

To us, that means realizing that every dollar comes out of the same pot and the same pocket, in this case Lee County revenues and taxpayer wallets

To us, that means “outreach” efforts and money may be better allocated to more deputies on the streets in high-crime communities and more money to the agency’s seven community outreach centers or even left in the county’s big pot for other agencies whose efforts also serve as crime prevention such as, say, Human Services which gets a 1 8% slice of Lee County’s revenues, according to the County Budget by Function pie chart

We will concede, though, that the personal appearances, the in-house pseudonews interviews and the plethora of selfpromotion videos do work

Sheriff Marceno has built a public relations department, excuse us, communications department, that gives the Governor’s Office a run for our money in terms of personal promotion

Consider: According to a Florida Politics news report about an “internal leaked poll” published in December, “Sheriff Marceno outperforms Trump by 13-points ” in Lee County where he also is popular with voters who are Democrats

As of press time, he has no official challenger as he seeks his second term

Our guess?

Our sad prediction?

This bird you’ll never change

Breeze editorial

Yacht Club: Larger footprint; reconfigured interior, design options selected as plans move forward

From page 1

Center, they wanted to maintain that experience of coming into the entrance foyer and seeing the multipurpose hall He said there is an experience and significance to the Cape Coral community to have that large multipurpose hall

Each of the three options provide a general feel and vibe, he said, adding the actual design will evolve over the course of the months ahead

The first design provides a feel similar to the park building they are doing at Lake Kennedy Center

Bryant said the look and feel of the building has a Key West style with a deep overhang, articulation, and ornamental design

The second option stemmed from the existing Yacht Club building He said they have a lot of design materials with which to work as the existing space is 10,000 square feet compared to the planned 40,000- to 50,000-square-foot Community Center

“This option likely will use more of a stone based, mid-century feel with some exposed heavy timber There is an opportunity to further develop this option to have even more of the existing Yacht Club feel,” Bryant said

There is probably not much of a cost difference between the first and second design options, he said

“Either one can be designed within a similar construction cost,” he said, adding the second option could be a little more expensive

James Pankonin, with Kimley-Horn and Associates, said one of the areas that came up during previous discussions was the area on the first floor of the Community Center

They discussed the opportunity to program that portion of the building to have more

functional space

The revised Community Center floor plan now includes a total of 47,000 square feet, with the majority being on the first floor for 27,250 square feet and the remainder, 19,750, spread out on the second floor The prior square footage was 37,000 square feet –

20,000 square feet on the first floor, and 17,000 square feet on the second

The revised first-floor plan includes additional meeting space, storage and a small loading and receiving area on the side of the building There is also more functional space on the pool deck and water

Pankonin said the restroom, located on the pool deck, has a combined building for the beach area as well The split level provides control access from the pool deck side with the beach restroom users needing a card to get

into the pool deck

With the combined plumbing and infrastructure, the structure grew in size The pool deck level restroom also includes showers and changing facilities, which the beach entry side restroom does not

Another change includes the pump building, with a corner including a lifeguard area big enough to allow a lifeguard table, or a small lifeguard administration office This building, he said, is another control access to the pool area

The second floor is largely the same in terms of use The ballroom has been shifted out and there is a large open area looking over the multipurpose room on the second floor

Pankonin said on April 2 there will be a public meeting regarding the design, with a follow-up on May 7 They are working on a

3D model of the site with the anticipation of presenting some of the views at the April 2 meeting

City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said they will begin working with Kimley-Horne on putting those renderings together to be brought out to the community to let them know what is decided for the park He said when they send it to the design team after the community sees the vision for the plan, they can work the design to move it to the next steps to get the construction management team to begin managing it

They will then come back to Council during a workshop to make an amendment to the contract for design elements for the structure

The amendment is due to the new ballroom, Community Center, pool pump house, lifeguard stations and restrooms It will come to Council right before its next hiatus, or when they return from hiatus

It was brought up during public comment that the historic building of the Yacht Club should not be torn down and that it was not severely damaged by the hurricane

Ilczyszyn said through extensive records request they found that there was a designation that the Yacht Club park, in its entirety, was designated as a historic area by the historical board.

“The structure itself is not, and was not,” he said

As far as Hurricane Ian damage, Ilczyszyn said all the glass was broken, and there was ballroom roof damage and the electric circuit breakers that fed the ballroom were destroyed

The ballroom building, built by the city’s founders, received designation by the state as an historic building last year

According to the city’s insurance claim, hurricane-related damage to the ballroom building itself was estimated at $25,000.

The selected concept design

0

,

M a r c h 1

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Music & Arts Fusion Walk set for Saturday

B y C J H A D D A D

c j h a d d a d @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m

A Cape Coral event that welcomes a combination of music and arts to the downtown area takes place this Saturday night for the final hoorah of the ’23-’24 season

The city’s Coral Parks and Recreation Department presents the Cape Coral Music & Arts Fusion Walk on March 16, from 5 to 9 p m along Southeast 47th Terrace

The city invites the community to enjoy a familyfriendly showcase of local musician and artists, going down between Vincennes Boulevard and Southeast 15th Avenue

“We encourage residents to get out and attend the last Music and Arts Walk of the season to support Cape C o r a l ’ s l o c a l a r t i s t s a n d m u s i c i a n s , ” s a i d c i t y spokesperson Kaitlyn Mullen “An exciting addition to this week’s event includes green, glowing furniture to c e l e b r a t e t h e u p c o m i n g S t P a t r i c k ’ s D a y h o l i d a y Attendees will be able to sit down and relax while they enjoy entertainment ”

Artists, designers, and makers with high-quality, handmade, original work are invited to participate in Cape Coral Music and Arts Fusion Walk Acceptable categories are candles, clay, digital, glass, jewelry, leather, living plants, mixed media, paintings, photography, soaps/lotions, and woodwork

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from attendees who enjoy the opportunity to support local businesses and musicians,” Mullen added “This free, familyfriendly atmosphere ensures there’s something exciting for all ages to enjoy Some local restaurants hire acts to perform during these events to add to the ambiance, and they’ve also reported an increase in customers

“One of the things that makes this event unique is that the sights and sounds change as you walk down the street Performers are spaced out, so you slowly transi-

city spokesperson Kaitlyn Mullen

tion from one style of music to another ” Entertainment this time around includes acts like the Naples Juggler, a juggling, unicycling comedian; viol i n i s t J o n a t h a n L a w r e n c e ; a n d m u s i c i a n G a r y Greenstein, playing trumpet and guitar Restaurants along the event area will also have music featured in their outdoor spaces

The last event in February showcased 30 art vendors, which was twice as many featured during the first event. Patrons can also expect to find some businesses on and near Southeast 47th Terrace, offering food, drinks, and entertainment

For more information, visit capecoral gov and find Music & Arts Fusion Walk under the special events tab via the Parks and Recreation Department

Mullen confirmed a new slate of Fusion Walk events is being prepared for the 2024-2025 season

What:

Music & Arts Fusion Walk

When:

Saturday, March 16, From 5 to 9 p m

Where:

S E 47th Terrace between Vincennes Blvd and S E 15th Place

Details:

Event will feature pop-up shops by local artists that showcase everything from handmade jewelry to paintings This is a family-friendly event!

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Petition drive continues as residents work to ‘Save Jaycee Park’

PAC needs 21,000-plus ballots to get referendum on the ballot; just over 5,000 collected by volunteers thus far

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The Cape Coral Preservation PAC, although mighty with volunteers, still has many more signatures to collect before April 24 to have their Save Jaycee Park initiative appear on the upcoming election ballot

According to their website, Cape Coral Preservation PAC is sponsoring the initiative to put Jaycee Park on the ballot, which would force the Cape Coral City Council to “maintain the current character of the park as a natural green space and neighborhood park ”

“We have a long way to go, but things are going well,” said Clare Dooley, a member of the Cape Coral Preservation PAC “People are very excited when we ask them to sign the petition, when we ask them to save the park ”

There are more than 5,000 signatures collected, quite a few shy of the more than 21,000 signatures needed.

They need to receive the signatures of 15% of the city’s registered voters as of the last election

“I just want to say I really appreciate all of our volunteers; they are doing great work This initiative process is intentionally very difficult, but we are trying our best to meet the signature requirement and we still have plenty of time to get it done So, we just would like everybody who cares about the park to help us out,” she said

The bipartisan group is about halfway through the 90 days to collect the required signatures “We are way behind, but we are definitely

making up ground We are really ramping up right now We have more volunteers than we did at the beginning Volunteers are putting in more hours,” Dooley said.

She said they are still in need of more volunteers to help the cause

“Anyone who would like to help us save the park from commercialization, they can sign up at www ccppac com,” Dooley said

The volunteers are out every day collecting signatures at such places as the library, Jaycee Park, the post office, DMV and recently, Farmer Joe’s

“Farmer Joe’s has graciously allowed us to collect petitions there and we have done really well there,” Dooley said “Almost everyone we ask will sign the petition Most people agree with us that it is a great park, and they don’t want to see it destroyed ”

In addition, she said they are trying to hit every major public event by having volunteers with clipboards in hand

“The message is Jaycee Park is a beautiful natural green space that people from all over the city love It’s one of the few places you can go, enjoy nature, have a picnic by the river and just enjoy the natural beauty of the park There are lots of places in the city where there are food trucks, bars, and restaurants. We don’t need more of that if it means destroying the tranquility of Jaycee Park,” Dooley said

Design Review: Plans for Jaycee Park coming together; city sets informational open house

From page 1

be moved 500 feet there

“It’s more of a functional design at this point,” Steinke said, adding it is “relative to where the new trees will be planted, the sitting areas It’s much more refined as far as where things will be relative to other things It’s to scale ”

He said residents will see a couple slight location changes since listening to citizens’ thoughts about such things as how close a parking area was to one of the condominiums

“One of the concerns was traffic getting in and out of the park It clearly illustrates one to three different entrances and exits to the park, which certainly allows for cars to get in and out more quickly and into parking spaces more quickly It spreads the ingress and egress,” Steinke said “I think it’s great progress ”

Steinke said there was an effort to wait until they got to 60% design, but the Friends of Jaycee Park wanted 30% as promised He said he was certainly an advocate of following through with what they committed to in showing the 30% design.

The open house style event will give residents an opportunity to view the design, speak with subject matter experts, as well as provide their feedback for the proposed design

The updated design elements include a revised parking lot, ADA boardwalk accessibility, more shade trees and shaded seating options

The 30% design was highlighted at Cape Coral City Council’s Feb 28 workshop of quarterly capital improvement reports The design includes docks, bandshell, restrooms, pavilions, playgrounds, shade sail seating areas, splash pad, beach volleyball courts, piazza, and a memorial garden

“I think it’s great progress It was at our last meeting when they did the CIP, so the public has had the opportunity to see it, but just not up close and personal like on the 26th,” Steinke

said “Everyone is going to get the sense that there is still going to be a lot of wide-open space, green space plenty of opportunity to walk and enjoy the outdoor environment The area is not going to be overcrowded with buildings and obstructions ”

He said if you consider that Jaycee Park is about 11 acres, the number of square feet would be about 479,000 A 30- by 40-foot building is about 1,200 square feet, he said

“Imagine what that 1,2000-square-foot building would

W i t h c i t i z e n i n p u t c a l l i n g f o r m o r e s h a d e , t h e c i t y o f C a p e of Cape Coral r e v i s e d i t s o r i g i n a l d e s i g n f o r J a y c e e P a r k t o i n c l u d e more trees.

look like,” he said, which would have a footprint of about a locker on the total square footage of the park

That is the perspective that the plan will hopefully bring to the community just how relatively small things will lay out over a very large piece of property, Steinke said, which will still maintain the green space so desired

“That will still maintain the green space so desired,” Steinke said

Jaycee Park is at 4215 S E 20th Place at the end of

CRA OKs hiring of a contract project manager

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers

com

T h e S o u t h C a p e C o m m u n i t y Redevelopment Agency will contract with a project manager to complete smaller projects that need attention

Cape Coral City Council, which also acts as the CRA governing board approved the contract Wednesday C R A E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r M i c h a e l Ilczyszyn, who also is Cape Coral’s city manager, said there are a number of proj-

As approved, the contract is with People Link, LLC, which piggybacks the University of North Florida on behalf of itself and the GovMVMT Government Purchasing Cooperative The contract is not to exceed $150,000

ects in the last two years that the previous CRA board had budgeted and authorized The intention was that the city’s Public Works Division would execute the projects Hurricane Ian, though, changed that as post-storm efforts absorbed all the capacity

of Public Works

Ilczyszyn said the intent is to use a contract that would “piggyback” an existing state contract Staff would then assign the projects to the contract manager who would take them

through permitting, contracting, oversight, invoicing and inspecting

“Once those roles are completed, (we w o u l d ) r e l e a s e t h e c o n t r a c t a n d t h e employee will remain with the company we work with,” Ilczyszyn said

As approved, the contract is with People L i n k , L L C , w h i c h p i g g y b a c k s t h e University of North Florida on behalf of itself and the GovMVMT Government Purchasing Cooperative The contract is not to exceed $150,000

PHOTO PROVIDED

The riverfront view at Jaycee Park at the end of Beach Parkway

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REAL ESTATE

Options for owner to sell home to current tenants

Dear Mr Feichthaler:

I have a rental home in Cape Coral and have some very nice tenants They would like to purchase the home, but they do not have the credit to obtain a conventional mortgage Is there a way for me to sell them the house while protecting my investment?

Dear Gail:

Gail D

Eric P Feichthaler

Real Estate Law

Many of my clients have the good fortune of having great tenants And, like you, some hope to help those tenants on the path to ownership The first way to consider is to act as the bank, and provide seller financing to them With this method, you will sell them the house, transfer the property to them and hold a mortgage as a lien against the property I recommend my clients only proceed with seller financing where the buyers can put down at least 30% of the purchase price This is important to protect you from a potential declining market, as well as the costs that you would want to recoup through a mortgage foreclosure

In your case, it appears that your buyers will find it difficult to make that kind of a down payment You could consider entering into a new lease with an option to buy at the end of a specific period In the lease, you can provide that a certain amount of the monthly payment apply to the eventual purchase You can also require the buyers to make a payment for the right to have the option to purchase at a price-certain at a specific time This will give your tenants more certainty as to their ability to buy the house, even in an increasing price environment The negative to this is for you, since you will be committing to sell at the specific price in the future, not knowing what the future holds for price appreciation.

Another positive to providing seller financing is their ability to claim homestead tax savings and protection if they buy, but this will not be available if you hold as a rental

Think carefully about the benefits and potential pitfalls of going forward with a lease-option or seller-financing I hope you are able to make an agreement that works for you and your tenants

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral After completing law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., he returned to Cape Coral to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 20052008, and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, and Cape Coral Kiwanis He has been married to his wife, Mary, for 22 years, and they have four children He

See OPTIONS, page 17

Rising inventory and high interest rates pressuring sellers

We continue to see reports in the financial media stating that a lack of inventory is the primary problem for a housing market struggling with lower sales These reports also cite problems with high mortgage interest rates, and they usually throw in something about the higher costs for insurance impacting certain parts of the country

Although many of these economists and market experts are still predicting relief in the form of much lower interest rates sometime this year, some are beginning to acknowledge that mortgage rates may remain closer to the current higher levels, which are considered “more normal” by historical standards Basically, some experts are beginning to believe that the “era of free money” in the form of record low interest rates is over and homebuyers will need to step-up to adjust to the new normal of higher interest rates The other side of this equation, which we have been seeing in our local market, is that our high and rapidly growing inventory of homes listed for sale combined with the end of the low interest rate “free money era,” is forcing many home sellers to lower their prices in the hopes of attracting a buyer

Bob and Geri Quinn Homing In

To be sure, there are “pockets” around the country where a low inventory of homes is continuing to support localized real estate markets For instance, we were in Connecticut recently and there are some popular towns there that have virtually no homes on the market So when a home pops up for sale on the MLS, we were told it often sells in a matter of days for above the list price

At the same time, we are constantly coming across articles from around the country reporting about slow sales and lower prices For example, E B Solomont wrote an article in the March 1 edition of the Wall Street Journal about a Beverly Hills, Calif , mansion that recently sold for $30 2 million after sitting on the market for three years This home reportedly ended up selling for 24% below its initial list price of $39 9 million

Along this same line, as we pointed out in last week’s column, the highest-priced home listed for sale in the Cape joined a long list of sellers who have lowered their asking price at least one time in their effort to attract an offer from a buyer In this case, they reduced their price by 8 4% from $11 9 million to $10 9 million after spending 145 days on the market unsold Only time will tell if this $1 million price reduction will do the trick, or if they will need to make additional price cuts to get this new construction riverfront home sold

This fits the narrative of our market that we have been pointing out now for months, which is that the number one

leading daily market statistic in our Multiple Listing Service continues to be the number of price reductions being made by homeowners trying to sell their home

In a market snapshot we took this past Tuesday, the market statistics in the MLS showed that in the previous 24-hour period there had been 72 price decreases on single-family home listings in the Cape, along with 45 new listings coming onto the market, 29 new pending sales and 22 closed sales In addition, 11 homes came back onto the market, nine listings were extended, and there were 12 price increases Simply put, price reductions have been the dominant market statistic as the inventory of homes sitting on the market unsold has soared

To be clear, homes are still being sold in Cape Coral and in Southwest Florida, and as we pointed out last week, the number of closed home sales recorded in Cape Coral this past February actually made it the third best month of February ever in the history of the city. But it left a lot of sellers completely frustrated as roughly 86% of the people in Cape Coral who have their homes listed for sale in the MLS failed to find a buyer last month

According to a recent Bloomberg article written by Michael Sasso in mid-February, this problem is not just in Cape Coral Sasso noted that, “homeowners from Sarasota south to Naples are having a tougher time selling their properties, and the buildup in inventory has caused home prices (in SW Florida) to fall at some of the fastest rates in the nation ” The article discussed that the high costs for insurance, among other things, is causing Southwest Florida coastal communities to lose some of their decades long, hot market, “boomtown swagger ”

One of the other “hidden” issues that is impacting the average local homeowner trying to sell their older existing home is the quietly fierce competition from the new home construction segment of our market When we factor in the fact that some 40% of the current number of pending home sales in Cape Coral are for new construction homes, it means that the activity in our existing home segment, composed of “older” homes, is being squeezed even tighter

In one of the endless number of daily emails we receive from various new home builders from throughout Southwest Florida, one spec home from The National Golf and Country Club at Ave Maria in Naples, built by a national builder, caught our eye This brand new 2,395-square-foot “Estate Home” was first offered by the builder for $773,922 back on

See PRESSURING SELLERS, page 17

Ben Allen Band to headline March 24 BBQ, Bands & Brew to benefit Lee BIA Builders Care

Lee BIA Builders Care’s popular BBQ, Bands & Brew fundraising event is returning on Sunday, March 24, at Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers

During the 13th annual event, Southwest Florida’s top pit masters will compete for the title of “Best BBQ in Town,” accompanied by a lineup of live performances including headliner Ben Allen Band, numerous vendors and fun-filled activities for all ages, including a lively cornhole tournament and a children’s play area with facepainting, games and more

Big Smoke BBQ, which was named “Best BBQ in Town” at the last BBQ, Bands & Brew event, is returning in 2024 to defend its 2023 title

Proceeds from the event support Builders Care’s mission to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through

traditional means To date, Lee BIA Builders Care has helped more than 500 Lee County households and provided over $5 million in emergency construction services and materials at no cost to families and local homeowners in need Since its inception, the event has raised over $784,000 in support of Lee BIA Builders Care

All Star Equipment Rentals & Sales is returning as presenting sponsor for BBQ, Bands & Brew Additional sponsorship opportunities range from $525 to $7,500 and include a variety of benefits

The 2024 BBQ, Bands & Brew will be held from 11 a m t o 6 p m o n M a r c h 2 4 a t C a l o o s a S o u n d Amphitheater, 2101 Edwards Drive in Fort Myers Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the gate for adults and free for children 12 and under To purchase tickets and learn more about remaining sponsorship opportunities, visit LeeBuildersCare com/BBQ or call 239-938-0056

ULI Southwest Florida unveils Vision Awards event and calls for nominations

The Urban Land Institute Southwest Florida has announced the first annual Vision Awards event, recognizing the top leaders and best projects in the local region – those that exemplify ULI’s commitment to responsibility in land use and development

These honorees are the people and projects setting the standards for the industry, improving communities, and guiding the future

Set to take place Wednesday, May 15, at Miromar Lakes Golf & Beach Club from 11:30 a m – 1 p m , the ULI Southwest Florida Vision Awards will bring together industry leaders to honor visionary endeavors that have positively impacted the region

At the luncheon, the ULI Southwest Florida District Council will honor Barron Collier Companies as the 2024 Corporate Legacy Award, recognizing their consistent dedication to excellence, innovation, and community engagement

Nominations are now open for the ULI Southwest Florida Vision Awards, welcoming submissions from individuals, organizations and teams who have contributed to advancing responsible land use and development practices

Categories for nominations include Project of the Year and Young Leader of the Year, with a submission deadline of Friday, March 29.

Table sponsorships are available starting at $500-$1,000 while individual tickets can be purchased ranging from $60-85

For more information about the ULI Southwest Florida Vision Awards, including nomination criteria and submission guidelines, please visit swflorida uli org/visionawards or contact SWFlorida@uli org

Individual tickets and table sponsorships are available

Christopher Alan Homes promotes Gilkey to director of sales and marketing

Christopher Alan Homes has promoted Carlos Gilkey to director of sales and marketing In his new role, Gilkey is responsible for leading and strategizing sales and marketing initiatives to drive revenue and support home sales

Gilkey first joined Christopher Alan Homes as a sales representative in 2018 He has a decade of experience in the construction and homebuilding industries. Gilkey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Headquartered in Southwest Florida, Christopher Alan Homes is a preferred single-family builder in Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town; West Port; Burnt Store Village and Deep Creek The builder-owned company also builds on individual homesites in Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee counties in Southwest Florida and Palm Bay on Florida’s East Central Space Coast

Christopher Alan Homes is the only local homebuilder among Southwest Florida’s top five builders for single-family residential permitted units, a ranking it held for the second consecutive year in 2022 For more information about Christopher Alan Homes visit christopheralanhomes com or call 855-44MYCAH

Seagate Development Group appoints Evans as chief operating officer

Seagate Development Group has appointed Dale Evans as its chief operating officer, a new role added to the company’s expanding executive leadership team As COO, Evans will serve in a pivotal role, leading Seagate’s operations to support all team members and enhance the overall client experience

With more than 30 years of cross-sector experience in the technology manufacturing,

pharmaceutical wholesale, retail and government industries, Evans has excelled in strategy development and process optimization

Prior to joining Seagate, he owned a consulting company He has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a technical degree in computer technology

Launched in 2015 and based in Southwest Florida, Seagate Development Group is a vertically integrated real estate company focused on delivering excellence and concierge-level service Seagate’s integrated divisions offer an array of services encompassing land acquisition, entitlements, design, permitting, site development, construction, interior design, sales, leasing, asset and property management and disposition

Seagate Development Group’s divisions include Seagate Residential, a luxury homebuilder; Seagate Commercial, a commercial development and construction company; and Seagate Asset & Property Management, which specializes in leasing, tenant management and facility and financial services Theory Design, a Seagate company, is an award-winning luxury interior design firm Earth Tech Enterprises, also a Seagate company, is a provider of land development, mining operations, water management and marine services

For more information, visit seagatedevelopmentgroup com

Pressuring sellers: Increasing inventory and rising interest rates

From page 16

June 3, 2023, and as of Dec 3, 2023, it was priced at $688,922 The price on this home was just reduced again to $670,922 and the builder is offering to contribute 2% or $13,418 towards a buyer's closing costs, along with throwing in a free social membership So in less than a year, the price on this spec home was reduced by $103,000 or 13 3% This home is part of what is likely a massive amount of “ghost inventory” in that it is not listed in the MLS, but it is being marketed directly by the builder to the public and to Realtors via email without showing up anywhere in the market statistics for active listings, inventory, or price reductions Our guess is that there are a lot of “ghost homes” out there

As of Tuesday, March 12, the number of active Cape Coral single-family home listings in the MLS jumped to 2,840 from 2,775 a

week ago List prices ranged from $249,900 to $10 9 million, with the median list price continuing to hover in a tight range at $499,900 The number of active listings on the market has doubled from 1,418 homes one year ago on March 14, 2023, when the median list price in our weekly market survey was $525,000 Currently, there are 1,154 active listings in the Cape priced at $450,000 and under, which equals 40 6% of our current market, including 50 homes priced for less than $300,000

At the other end of the price spectrum, we currently have 359 homes listed at $1 million and above One year ago, there were 516 listings at $450,000 and under, including 19 homes priced under $300,000 with 182 homes listed at $1 million and above A total of 883 of the current 2,840 active listings are new construction homes built in 2023 and 2024

On Tuesday, March 12, there were 824

homes in Cape Coral that were under contract with a buyer as a pending sale, up slightly from 819 pending sales last week Current pending sales prices are ranging from $179,900 to $2.8 million, with a median pending sales price of $419,000 One year ago on March 14, 2023, there were 872 pending sales in the pipeline ranging in price from $250,000 to $3 9 million, and the median pending sales price was $414,500 A total of 491 of the 824 currently pending sales are priced at $450,000 and under, including 37 homes priced below $300,000 to go with the 56 homes under contract at $1 million and above Of the current 824 pending sales, 331 of them are for new construction homes Back on March 14, 2023, a total of 538 of the 872 pending sales in the Cape were priced at $450,000 and under, including 34 homes priced below $300,000 with a total of 52 homes priced at $1 million and above

The sales data for this article was o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e F l o r i d a R e a l t o r s Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County, Fla , as of March 12, 2024, unless otherwise noted It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral single-family homes, and does not include condominiums, short sales or foreclosures The data and statistics are believed to be reliable, however, they could be updated and revised periodically, and are subject to change without notice The Quinn’s are a husband and wife real estate team with the RE/MAX Realty Team office in Cape Coral They have lived in Cape Coral for over 44 years Geri has been a full-time Realtor since 2005, and Bob joined Geri as a full-time Realtor in 2014. Their real estate practice is mainly focused on Cape Coral residential property and vacant lots

Options: Owner exploring how to sell her home to current tenants

From page 16

earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar, and primarily practices in real estate law and

wills and trusts He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability, and is a Supreme

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

80,000-plus attend inaugural Ag Expo

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

More than 80,000 people attended the Southwest Florida Ag Expo this year, with Lee County officials heralding the inaugural event as a success

Those attendees included front-gate scanned tickets, as well as daily livestock participant attendees

“We are extremely pleased with the attendance and feedback received for the inaugural Southwest Florida Ag Expo,” Lee County Parks & Recreation Strategic Operations Manager Lisa Weaver said “We are excited about the success of this event and are beginning the

Makena Webb battles Faith Mayano during the National Judo Championship at Ida Baker High School on Saturday CHUCK BALLARO

process to identify future improvements for the community’s experience at the Ag Expo ”

The largest attendance day was Saturday, March 9

“This was a great day for our livestock exhibitors as it was the market animal auction day,” she said.

This year’s event had a strong focus on the youth, which resulted in 193 exhibitors for creative living and 335 exhibitors for livestock with a total of 957 animal exhibits

The animal entry breakdown included 275 poultry, 176 horse performances, 17 beef breeding, 45 goats,140 rabbits, 104 swine, 37 steer and 136 horse speed

As with any major event, Weaver said there is always

National judo competition comes to Cape

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Competitors of all ages converged on Southwest Florida this past weekend for a day of hand-to-hand combat, grappling and taking their opponents down

Ida Baker High School was the site for the National Judo Championships on Saturday, where martial artists competed for points, medals and for the chance to compete internationally

The event was sponsored by Kodokan Judo of Cape Coral and sanctioned by the United States Judo Association John Paccione, event organizer, and Kodokan owner, said the USJA is a grassroots organization that develops the future judo stars who could one day compete in world championships and the Olympics USA Judo is the group that handles the Olympic-level athletes

“We have people here from all over the country, from New York, Georgia, Florida and even California,” Paccione said “These people have a chance to compete outside the country, which is beneficial because you can't become the best just by competing in the United States The more students we take outside of this country, the more we can develop their skills ”

Paccione said judo is one of the biggest spectator sports in the world, trailing only behind soccer in popularity However, in the United States, it's a niche sport that you might see during the Olympics and even then, only if an American has a chance to medal

“If you go to Asia or Europe, it's tremendous and the athletes are incredibly trained The U S has only produced one gold medallist, Kayla Harrison, who did it twice,” Paccione said “In some nations, the government pays to train these athletes and puts them in special schools Here, it's limited ”

David Brogan, president of the USJA, said after the

pandemic it was hard for the local clubs to find a place to compete

“To have us back off the ground and having a national event here is exciting for the future of judo,” Brogan said, who owns a judo studio in Pennsylvania “We're growing these kids to become Olympic-level athletes ”

More than 100 competitors from about 20 schools nationwide came for the event, with ages ranging from 5 years old to 55

Walter Miller, head sensei for the University of Florida Judo Club, brought several athletes from Gainesville and said people get into judo to develop and become better people

“College-aged kids grow and change so much it's perfect for them I can see how it can develop people,” Miller said

Another coach, Rodney Ferguson, competed in the Olympics in judo in 2024 and in mixed martial arts He is now a coach at a club in Tampa He said the experience was the thrill of a lifetime, but very nerve wracking

“It's an honor to compete for your country It was surreal having my parents watch me at opening ceremonies and then watch me compete,” Ferguson said “I teach these kids resilience and grit The way the youth are today, they need to understand that suffering is necessary ”

One of his pupils, Makena Webb, 13, who fought numerous times with mixed results, said she started selfdefense in an afterschool program after being pushed around by her brother's friends at a birthday party where she was the only girl

“I started in karate, but went into judo because it's more hands-on while karate is more technique I like taking people to the ground and grappling,” said Webb, whose father is also a coach

room for operational adjustments moving forward

“We are currently soliciting feedback from our stakeholders, community partners, participants, and vendors to see how we can make next year even better,” she said “Lee County government is proud to put on this memorable event for the community; every county department played a role in making this event a major success We greatly appreciate the support of the county commissioners ”

Next year’s Southwest Florida Ag Expo is scheduled for Feb 27, through March 9, 2025

Man sentenced to life in prison for shooting and wounding

CCPD officer

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A man was sentenced to life in prison for attempted first degree murder of a Cape Coral law enforcement officer that took place in 2011

Yousel Rivera, 33, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon in Lee County for shooting and injuring Cape Coral Police Officer David Wagoner during an early-morning traffic stop on April 16, 2011.

He was charged with one count of attempted firstdegree murder on a law enforcement officer while possessing a firearm

“Today’s life sentence means the defendant, who was capable of such evil actions, will never again be free," said State Attorney Amira Fox in a release "I hope Cape Coral Police Officer Wagoner and his family can find some peace in knowing that justice has been served, a continuation of the amazing actions of Officer Wagoner the night of the crime Though shot, his focus was to stop the defendant, returning fire. He also managed the energy to call dispatch to alert his law enforcement family about the threat, giving a full description of the suspect His focus and actions, after just being wounded, were the first steps to getting this criminal identified and in custody, so he could not hurt anyone else These are the actions of a hero We will never know, thankfully, how many lives Officer Wagoner may have saved that night, while also fighting to save his own "

According to information from the SAO, during the traffic stop on Santa Barbara Boulevard, Wagoner approached the passenger side and asked for identification Rivera pulled out a gun and fired three shots at Wagoner at point-blank range Two bullets struck the officer’s bullet-proof vest and a third penetrated his stomach, causing Wagoner to fall backwards

Rivera, as seen on police dashcam video, was still aiming at Wagoner as he fell.

The SAO states that Rivera then climbed over his girlfriend, who had been driving, and started to speed off, as Wagoner returned fire Wagoner’s details given to dispatch via his police radio helped other officers stop the threat Other CCPD officers quickly arrived on scene, performing life-saving measures, helping to save Wagoner’s life

Following the shooting, Rivera crashed the car into a home and then ran

The Cape Coral Police Department, along with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Myers Police Department, found Rivera, naked, hiding in a trash can nearby He had taken off his clothes and hidden them, the report states The clothing was recovered as evidence, as was the firearm used in the shooting

“Let this case be a reminder I absolutely will not tolerate any attacks on our law enforcement; such crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law This case is yet another reminder of the tremendous sacrifices that law enforcement and their families make for all of us daily,” Fox said

EDUCATION

EDUCATION BRIEFS

Fuhr selected to University of Minnesota Twin Cities Dean's List

MINNEAPOLIS / ST PAUL, Minn - The following students have been named to the 2023 fall semester Dean's List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities:

n Tori Fuhr, from Cape Coral, senior, College of Liberal Arts

To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3 66 grade point average

The flagship of the University of Minnesota System, the Twin Cities campus is Minnesota’s only land-grant university and a prestigious public research university Founded in 1851 near Saint Anthony Falls on the banks of the Mississippi River, the university is one of five in the nation with an engineering school, medical school, law school, veterinary medicine school and agricultural school all on one campus

For additional information, please visit https://twincities umn edu/

Westbrook graduates from Emporia State University

EMPORIA, Kan. -- Jonathan David Westbrook of Cape Coral was one of nearly 500 students who graduated from Emporia State University in December 2023

Westbrook graduated with a master of library science with a concentration in leadership and administration

For additional information, visit https://www emporia edu

Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship now available; application deadline June 3

Busey Bank is offering financial support toward continuing education endeavors to applicants of all ages and educational backgrounds through its Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship

Through the Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship Fund, $25,000 in scholarships will be awarded annually Available across the Busey footprint, funds will be disbursed through 10 scholarships of $2,500 each

In Florida, applicants must reside in Lee or Sarasota Counties

There are three Busey Bank locations in Lee Countyone in Cape Coral at 2524 Del Prado Blvd , S , and two in Fort Myers at 7980 Summerlin Lakes Drive, #101, and 5246 Red Cedar Drive

Online applications are available at busey com/scholarship. The application deadline is June 3 and selected recipients will be notified by July 8

Applicants will be required to meet specific eligibility requirements Complete details on the Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship’s eligibility criteria and application process can be found at busey com/scholarship

Alliance for the Ar ts Spring Break Ar ts Retreat Camp next week

The Alliance for the Arts is hosting its popular Spring Break Arts Retreat Camp during Lee County’s spring break week March 18-22 Registration is currently open, and is limited to 30 participants per day. The arts camp is open to any student ages 7-11 years

Adults are able to register students for single days or the full week Prices for Spring Break Arts Retreat Camp start at $250 for Alliance members, with a daily rate of $60 Non-member weekly price starts at $300, and $70 per day Discounts for siblings are available

Regular camp hours are 9 a m to 4 p m Before and after-care are available 8-9 a m and 4-5 p m for an extra $10 per child Registration is open now at ArtInLee org

Individuals aged 15 and up who are interested in volunteer hours can visit artinlee org for more information and to apply.

The Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit community visual and performing arts center located at 10091 McGregor Blvd , just south of Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers For more information, please call 239-9392787, visit www ArtInLee org, or find the alliance on Facebook, Meetup and Instagram

North Fort Myers High Class of 1974 to hold 50th reunion in April

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers.com

A 50th class reunion has been scheduled for next month for the North Fort Myers High School 1974 graduating class

Martha (Lolly) Crotty said the reunion committee began planning about 18 months ago and has reached out to classmates through email and text messages After hearing from about 60 people, they created a Facebook page –North Fort Myers Class of 1974 Reunion, to see if they could find more of their classmates

The reunion activities will include a tour of North Fort Myers High School at 5000 Orange Grove Blvd at 2:30 p.m., Friday, April 26, and a meet-and-greet from 4-7 p.m. the same day at Brooke’s Restaurant at 4450 Hancock Bridge Parkway in North Fort Myers A dinner will conclude the reunion activities from 6-10 p m , Saturday, April 27, at Ter-tini’s, 1901 Crystal Drive, Fort Myers Graduates of 1974 who would like to attend the reunion or asked to reach out either by phone call or text

message to Karen (Curtis) Huston at 239-443-0493, or Crotty at 239-851-4515

The cut-off to RSVP is April 1

Crotty said the tour of the high school has been scheduled because it has been rebuilt since they attended the school

“The only thing that was there when we were there is the gymnasium,” she said “What’s more amazing is when we started there it was a seventh through 12th school –North Fort Myers Junior and Senior High. When we were in eighth grade, they were transitioning over to middle school – eighth through twelfth and then ninth through twelfth”

Crotty said they were the bottom class for three years in a row

“So many of us either went to J Collin English Elementary, or Tropic Isles,” she said

Since their last reunion they have had dinner once a month for those people who still live locally It usually attracts 10 to 12 people, Crotty said

IMAG History & Science Center announces STEMsational Summer Camps

Program runs from June 3 to Aug. 9

The IMAG History & Science Center announces its STEMsational Summer Camps, spanning 10 weeks from June 3 through Aug 9, at the IMAG in Fort Myers and STEMLab in Estero. IMAG Camps bring inspiration to life for campers with science, technology, engineering, math and art

Each themed week of Camp IMAG camp promises to be sensational for campers with unique programs and activities including museum explorations, interactive science shows and experiments, live animal encounters, touch tank-times, 3D movies, and more

This summer, Camp IMAG is offering themed camps that include Junior Keepers Camp, for animal and pet lovers, where campers learn about and care for the wonderful world of mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles and invertebrates who call IMAG their home; Video Game Camp where campers “level up” in creating, computing and competing in awesome games; Space Camp where campers blast off rockets, shoot for the moon and learn about astronomy; and, a big favorite with kids, STEM Career Camp, where campers learn about exciting careers, create science experiments, become mathmagicians and encounter engineering and technology challenges

In addition, other themed Camp IMAG camps include Robotics Camp, where campers create circuits, construct robots and program machines to mimic and act like humanoids; Art & Nature Camp, where campers create artistic masterpieces using nature as their palettes and canvases; Forensics Camp, where “CSI campers” investigate a who-dun-it mystery while learning fingerprinting, handwriting analysis, code-cracking, and more; and, of course, Mad Science Camp, where campers get lunatically crazy for an insane week of upside-down science

And finally, other themed Camp IMAG camps include the Time Traveler’s Camp, where campers journey back in time to experience the cultures and histories of different people, places and events; Storyteller’s Camp, where campers get creative with imagining, writing, drawing and acting out their unique stories; and the popular Movie Maker’s Camp, where campers call for lights, cameras and action as they produce their own stop-motion movies and premiere them at the Camp IMAG Friday Film Festival

When school is out, camp is in Camp IMAG camps

are inspiring, fun and educational for your child with hands-on activities, explorations, events, and fun

For more information and to register for camp, please visit theIMAG org

The IMAG History & Science Center is at 2000 Cranford Ave , Fort Myers For more information, call 239-243-0043 or visit https://theimag org/ STEMLab is at 10801 Corkscrew Road, Suite 192, Estero Call 239-319-5820 for additional information or visit https://theimag org/stemlab/

PHOTO PROVIDED Campers watch a STEM-tastic experiment duri

Foote’s watercolors and Johnston’s fused glass on display at Cape Coral Library through May 2

The walls of the large Art Gallery in the Cape Coral Library, located at 921 S W 39th Terrace, feature 36 watercolors by artist Kay Foote that will be on exhibit through May 2

Foote grew up in Davenport, Iowa, where her grade school teacher fostered an interest in art by encouraging her to look for the variety of hues and shades in nature, pointing out that even a blade of grass contains many color variations

“It is because of my early education that I've been inspired to paint watercolors depicting the colorful world surrounding me,” Foote said “My desire is to paint pictures that uplift people's spirits and bring joy to their lives ”

Foote continued to take as many art

courses as possible including her years at Ottawa University in Kansas After marriage, she took private art lessons in a variety of media while living in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania until family and work responsibilities occupied most of her time Later, Foote eagerly returned to artistic pursuits by taking classes and workshops from both local and nationally known watercolorists and volunteering at an art gallery in Tullahoma, Tennessee, where she began exhibiting and teaching watercolor classes to adults

She also started the Kid’s Art Club on Saturday mornings, grateful for the opportunity to cultivate a love for artistic endeavors in others as her childhood teachers had done for her Since moving to Cape

Coral in 2018, Foote became involved with Harbour View Gallery, where she is currently a managing member and the featured artist director

The three lighted display cases at the Cape Coral Library are filled with unique fused glass created by Lois Johnston Born in Westchester, N Y , Johnston studied art at the Propersi School of Art in Greenwich, Connecticut, and various universities in

New York While working in the corporate community, she continued her training with artists specializing in painting, weaving, stained glass and then fused glass after moving to Florida

Johnston said she feels that her extensive travels here in the U S and to many other countries have inspired much of her

PHOTO PROVIDED

“Boca Grande Charm,” a watercolor by Kay Foote

Lois Johnston’s fused glass creation “Ladies Night Out.” Her creations are on display in the lighted display cases at the Cape Coral Public Library

Keep Lee County Beautiful award winners announced

Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc recently held its second annual Environmental S t e w a r d s h i p A w a r d s B r e a k f a s t a t t h e R i v e r s i d e C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r i n F o r t Myers. The packed event included community members and businesses celebrating their efforts to make a positive impact on the environment

T h e m i s s i o n o f K e e p L e e C o u n t y Beautiful is to inspire, educate and engage the Lee County community in improving, beautifying and protecting our environment The year, 2023, began like no other with a high demand of cleanups in Lee County’s recovery phase from Hurricane I a n K e e p L e e C o u n t y B e a u t i f u l h e l d events across the county removing 85,769 pounds of trash and debris from the environment and 145 trees planted to help reestablish the lost tree canopy Keep Lee County Beautiful held 179 community cleanups, worked with 3,173 volunteers who dedicated 9,538 50 hours They also had 30 outreach events educating 6,050

individuals

The awards breakfast recognized the following groups, individuals and businesses for their environmental stewardship and action which helped make the work of KLCB possible

The 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award Winners are:

n Outstanding Adoption Group – Julie Yellig

n Community Partner - Nancy Macphee

f r o m t h e L e e C o u n t y V i s i t o r s & Convention Bureau

n Youth Engagement Partner – Susie H a s s e t t f r o m t h e L e e C o u n t y S c h o o l District

n O u t s t a n d i n g S i t e C a p t a i n – F o r t

Myers Beach Community Foundation

n Business Partner – Beach Talk Radio

n Marine Debris Improvement – Mike Hammond from the Great Calusa Blueway

n Community Champion – Jacki Liszak from the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce

n Volunteer of the Year – Allen and Chery Day

The 2023 Environmental Stewardship Finalists are:

n Outstanding Adoption Group - The Chouinard Family, Phil Houican

n Community Partner - Cape Coral C o d e E n f o r c e m e n t , T u n a s k i n A q u a t i c Apparel

n Youth Engagement Partner – Florida Gulf Coast University, Lee County N W

Regional Library

n Outstanding Site Captain - Dave Fox, Harry Phillips

n Business Partner - Waste Pro, College Hunks Hauling Junk

n Marine Debris Improvement - Salty Sam’s Marina, Sarah Burnsed

n Community Champion - Crowther Roofing, Lee County Sheriff’s Office

n Volunteer of the Year - Tami Lupe, Lee Ehrlich

About Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc.

Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc , established in 1989, is the county’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization This local nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for

2024 Great American Cleanup set for March 30

The Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, aka “Trash Bash,” annually engages more than 500,000 volunteers and participants

Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. is the local organizer and has been hosting the event for over 25 years The event encourages residents and visitors to make a difference in their neighborhoods and communities

The 2024 Great American Cleanup

will take place on Saturday, March 30, at multiple locations across Lee County Volunteers will be cleaning waterways, shorelines, roadways, and parks in the largest one-day event to help protect the environment

Last year the Great American Cleanup removed over 14,000 pounds of litter and debris from the environment KLCB believes that together, we can make a bigger impact than ever before The Great

American Cleanup is open to volunteers of all ages and any individual, family, school, group, place of worship, business or government entity can coordinate or participate. Visit https://www signupgenius com/ go/805094aaaaa2ca4f49-2023#/ to register for the cleanup and for the details, or call 239-334-3488 for additional information

Keep Lee County Beautiful extends its

gratitude to all the volunteers who have contributed their time Marking its 35th anniversary, KLCB has been an integral part of the Southwest Florida community, striving to enhance the beauty of living, working and recreational spaces Visit www klcb org or call 239-3343488 to find out how to get involved and support KLCB and its efforts

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Calusa Waterkeeper to host annual meeting and awards luncheon, ‘Our Water. Our Future. Ours to Protect.’

Environmental group to meet at The Westin Cape Coral March 24

Calusa Waterkeeper, a prominent environmental advocacy organization committed to preserving and protecting the water resources of the Caloosahatchee River and its watershed, has announce its annual meeting and awards luncheon “Our Water, Our Future, Ours to Protect ”

The event will take place at The Westin C a p e C o r a l R e s o r t a t M a r i n a V i l l a g e Sunday, March 24, from 2-5 p m

This significant gathering will bring together community leaders, environmentalists and supporters to celebrate the organization's achievements over the past year and discuss upcoming initiatives to safe-

guard the region's vital waterways

The luncheon will feature Fox4 meteorologist Andrew Shipley as master of ceremonies and guest speaker Capt Benny Blanco who will discuss the current state of o u r r e g i o n ’ s w a t e r w a y s a l o n g w i t h Waterkeeper Codty Pierce Blanco is the owner and host of Guiding Flow TV, an award-winning conservationist and tournament-winning fishing guide

Guests will enjoy engaging presentations, silent and live auctions, and the presentation of prestigious awards to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional dedication to water conser-

vation and environmental stewardship

Sponsorships and tickets are now available Calusa Waterkeeper invites individuals, businesses and organizations to take part in the clean water movement General admission tickets include lunch, wine, beer, auction, keynote speaker and awards ceremony

VIP ticket holders can attend a private pre-event meet and greet with Blanco and Pierce The exclusive VIP event starts promptly at 1 p m and includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks

Proceeds from the event will support Calusa Waterkeeper’s science-based pro-

grams and initiatives that help protect and r e s

Grande to Bonita Beach

Calusa Waterkeeper’s ongoing projects throughout the year include Vertical Oyster Gardens, Ranger Training, Water Quality Testing, and Air Quality Monitoring which f o c u s s p e c i f i c a l l y o n w a t e r q u a l i t y ’ s impact on human health, ecosystems, and aquatic life

For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities and ticket sales, please visit betterunite com/cwkourwater or contact info@calusawaterkeeper org or 239-899-1440

Cape Coral Computer Club to meet via Zoom Wednesday

The Cape Coral Computer Club meets over Zoom the first and third Wednesday of each month, with the next meeting being from 2-4 p m , March 20 The meeting topics will be the latest on AIArtificial Intelligence and Windows 11 --

follow up topics from 12/20/23 There will be time for questions and answers

All skill levels are welcome to attend

For more information, visit the club’s website at https://www capecoralcomputer club/ Use the “CONTACT US” feature

to register for a complimentary Zoom link

If you have any questions or need help with Zoom, call 321-430-5959

Club Zoom meetings are recorded If you become a member and miss a meeting you have the opportunity to watch the

presentation at a later date The Zoom format works well because you don't have to be in Florida to participate in and enjoy all of the benefits the club has to offer See the website for additional information

Display: Artist creations featured at the Cape Coral Public Library

From page 20

work With experience as a commissioned artist known for her portraits, botanicals and stained glass, Johnston has conducted classes in a multitude of art mediums

She’s taught glass fusing classes at AAE Glass, Cape Coral Art League, Fort Myers Art League and Arts of the Inland in LaBelle She has been teaching fused glass at the Cape Coral Arts Center for 20 years and teaches group as well as private art and

craft classes. Changing exhibits in the Cape Library’s gallery are sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library and are designed to afford local artists and artisans the opportunity to share their work in this public

forum. For information contact Monica

www capefriends org Follow “Friends of the Cape Coral Library” on Facebook

CHRIS STRINE

Bougainvillea blossoms.

Container gardening with bougainvillea

By JANETTA FOX news@breezenewspapers com

Bougainvillea are lovely plants They come in a variety of vivid bract colors and bloom on and off throughout the year in Southwest Florida They can grow quite tall as vines or maintained as shrubs

The dwarf variety, Bougainvillea glabra “Helen Johnson,” can be easily maintained at 3 feet by cutting the stems of spent blooms several inches after each bloom cycle Another dwarf variety to consider is B Sunvillea, which has a compact appearance and grows 1-3 feet

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

The bracts appearing when the plant is in bloom are oftentimes mistaken for the actual flowers However, when you peak inside the bracts, or modified leaves, there you will discover a cluster of three white flowers perching atop slender stalks

When planting a bougainvillea in a container, proper drainage is a must Make certain the container bottom has sufficient holes and avoid adding stones before planting in the mistaken belief that they will allow water to drain more freely Rather, add some porous screen over the drainage holes before adding your soil To lessen the load in larger containers, you could choose lightweight items as filler, followed by a piece of screen before adding the mix When selecting potting soil, keep away from soils that include materials such as peat moss that might hinder drainage Using regular potting soil or equal parts of sand and loamy soil is just fine

Place your container in an area that enjoys full sun, that is, a minimum of six hours of sunlight each day, and you will be on your way!

Did you know? Bougainvillea have very sensitive roots; therefore, avoid disturbing the root system during planting Your first thought might be to turn the nursery container over and tap the edge to remove the plant Not the best idea. Instead, cut the store container away from the plant in such a way that the bougainvillea root system remains intact

Avoid over-watering! Excess water weakens the plant and serves as an invitation not only to root rot but also to a variety of insects such as aphids and spider mites Bougainvillea are very drought tolerant Rather than providing frequent, light drenches of water, wait until the soil dries out and then water the plant deeply

You can fertilize the plant using a specially made bougainvillea mix (6-8-10) or other fertilizer that not

See BOUGAINVILLEA, page 42

ARC’s annual ‘Purses for Pooches’ to be held April 27

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Are you looking for a lovely new or gently used purse?

A popular fundraiser offers an opportunity browse for a bargain and help a good cause at the same time

The Animal Refuge Center will hold its ninth-annual Purses for Pooches event from noon to 3 p m , Saturday, April 27, at the Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers

Purses for Pooches is always a fun-filled event, featuring a fabulous lunch and dessert, silent auction and then a live auction of new and gently used designer purses

This is a great opportunity to get a brand name designer bag at a fraction of the cost of buying one from the store, ARC Board President Rob Spicker said, adding the event offers a special ambiance

“This is designed to be a ladies event so it has a different feel from the Starlight Auction or Casino Night Ladies bring groups of friends, have fun at their tables looking at the purses, playing with ARC’s residents and bidding on purses that help support the shelter,” Spicker said

“We target our fundraisers to different audiences at different times so we can capture whatever your interest may be,” he added “If you have a group of friends who want to look at purses and maybe take one home, this is the event for you ”

ARC solicits donations from volunteers, board members, friends, supporters and some second-hand stores

Individual tickets are $45

Organizers urge those planning to attend to get tickets early as this popular event is already close to sold out

There also are tremendous sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and high-dollar donors for one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the no-kill shelter

The Cat’s Meow sponsorship is available for $250 and comes with two tickets and your logo displayed on the table The Canine Couture Sponsorship is $500, and

includes four tickets plus your logo on the table

The Puparazzi sponsorship is $750 and comes with six tickets, a table near the runway and your logo on the table $1,500 Catwalk sponsors will have their logo by the front entrance, by the runway, on their table and have their name announced during the runway show The sponsorship also comes with eight tickets and a table next to the runway

Spicker said the sponsorships also are going well and those interested should reach out

Last year, Purses for Pooches raised a record $21,190

ARC’s next big fundraiser, Casino Night, will be on Saturday, May 18, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point

All proceeds benefit ARC in its efforts to provide shelter and medical care to needy cats and dogs until they find their forever homes It costs ARC nearly $1 million per year to keep it fully operational, all of which is made through donations and grants.

A R C i s a 5 0 1 © ( 3 ) n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d

Southwest Florida’s largest no-kill shelter, providing interim shelter and medical care to homeless, injured or abandoned animals It places approximately 300 dogs and cats per year into responsible, loving homes through direct and indirect adoptions

Fiddlesticks Country Club is as 15391 Cannongate Drive in Fort Myers

For additional information, please visit http://animalrefugecenter com

Pioneer Club of Lee County celebrating 75th anniversary, to host Pioneer Picnic on April 27

The Pioneer Club of Lee County is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1949 by R A Henderson Jr The Pioneer Club was formed to honor those living persons who had been residents of old Lee County for 50 or more years The initial meeting was held in 1950 at the Lions Park on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers

The Pioneer Picnic is a social organization comprised of many of the old families of Lee County who get together annually to catch up on one another’s lives and to have lunch together The Pioneer Picnic traditionally is held the last Saturday in April of each year

This year’s annual picnic will take place on Saturday, April 27, at the Lee County Civic Center – Tinsley Pavilion, which is located off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers

Registration and visiting begin at 10 a m , lunch will be served at noon followed by presentations and a raffle at 1 p m

The Classes of 1974 from Bishop Verot High School, C y p r e s s L a k e s H i g h S c h o o l , E v a n g e l i c a l C h r i s t i a n School, Fort Myers High School, North Fort Myers High School and Riverdale High School will be recognized at the picnic as celebrating their 50th class reunions Also recognized at the picnic will be the eldest pioneer man and woman born in Lee County; the couple married the longest (both spouses need to be in attendance); the pio-

neer who traveled the longest distance to the picnic; and the eldest person in attendance

Approximately 1,500 invitations are mailed out for the picnic of which two-thirds are sent to residents and the remainder to those people who live out of the area There are normally 600-700 people in attendance

Barbecue chicken or pork, baked beans, coleslaw, rolls, chocolate chip cookies and iced tea or lemonade is available to the members for $10 per plate thanks to the generosity of our Sponsors.

The eligibility requirement for membership is based on that person living in Lee County for at least 50 years, which do not have to be consecutive Please email pioneerleecounty@gmail com to receive registration information or you may register the day of the picnic There are no membership dues

Through the generosity of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, free admission on that weekend is given to the members of the Pioneer Club by presenting their membership card to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates (general admission) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 26-28

An invitation has also been extended to the members of the Pioneer Club to visit The IMAG History & S c i e n c e C

S h e l l

Factory/Nature Park (general admission) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 26-28

Cape law firm files class action lawsuit against airline

trip,” Berke said

A Cape Coral law firm is spearheading a class action lawsuit against United Airlines and The Boeing Company on behalf of passengers seeking damages for a flight cancellation

Berke Law Firm has filed the suit on b e h a l f o f A l e x a n d e r E a t o n a n d a n unknow n-at-this -time number of other passengers whose flight to Sun Valley, Idaho was cancelled due to a safety oversight

Bill Berke, the leading attorney at Berke Law Firm, told The Breeze that E a t o n b o o k e d a f l i g h t w i t h U n i t e d Airlines out of RSW, and was told everything was scheduled to go according to plan Berke said the plane scheduled to depart RSW was the same model Boeing, a 737-9 Max, where an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a door blowing out, leading to an emergency landing

“(Eaton) was wondering if (the flight) would be canceled or delayed, if that p l a n e w a s g r o u n d e d b y t h e ( F e d e r a l Aviation Administration), but he got no emails notifying him that the flight was going to be delayed or canceled,” Berke said “We want more transparency and better communication from the airlines ”

The day before his scheduled flight, he contacted American Express, which Eaton booked the trip through, and confirmation on the flight was given He e v e n t u a l l y f o u n d o u t l a s t m i n u t e t h e flight was canceled

“He was unable to rebook and lost his

On Jan 6, Boeing released the following statement in regard to its 737-9 Max aircrafts: “Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane In addition, a Boeing technical team is supporting the NTSB’s investigation into the Jan 5 accident We will remain in close contact with our regulator and customers ”

A n i n v e s t i g a t i o n b y t h e N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y B o a r d f o u n d a neglect of safety protocols by Boeing, as four bolts essential for securing the door plug were missing

According to the law firm, the class a c t i o n l a w s u i t a i m s t o h o l d U n i t e d A i r l i n e s a n d T h e B o e i n g C o m p a n y a c c o u n t a b l e f o r t h e i r a c t i o n s a n d “ t o secure fair compensation for all passengers affected by the flight cancellation ”

Berke stated: “Our client, Alexander Eaton, along with countless other passengers, have suffered undue travel disruption, stress, opportunity loss, inconvenience, and damages, due to this egregious oversight by United Airlines and The B o e i n g C o m p a n y T h r o u g h t h i s c l a s s action lawsuit, we seek not only to recover damages for those affected but also to ensure such negligence is never repeated in the aviation industry ”

East of Chicago Pizza now has three locations in Cape

Owners work to ‘blanket’ the community with ‘pizza done right’

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A Midwest chain serving up various styles of pizza, subs, wings and more has firmly settled in Cape Coral East of Chicago Pizza now has three different locations throughout the Cape, with the first spot opening in 2023, a second in June of '23 and most recently, a South Cape location welcoming patrons this past January Partners Barry Goettenmoeller and Ted Horstman have brought East of Chicago Pizza to spots along Santa Barbara Boulevard, off of Pine Island Road and now off of Southeast 47th Terrace The Ohio natives both have ties to the national franchise, including a close relationship with its founder

Goettenmoeller said the idea to bring a slice of home and “pizza done right” to the Cape has been rolling in the dough for a decade

“We kind of said if it ever happened -- East of Chicago has never been in Florida -- it'll be us,” Goettenmoeller said “We set out about 2 1/2,/3 years ago to set out and do

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Tickets still available for Catch the Vision at Cape Christian Fellowship

Tickets are still available for this year’s Catch the Vision event, to be held Monday, March 18, at Cape Christian Fellowship The event is designed to spotlight the development projects and community initiatives unfolding within the city of Cape Coral

It will also offer the public the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the key players in the city's future development

The event starts at 5 p m with a 75-minute trade show and followed by an 75-minute presentation at 6:15 p m ,

The cost to attend is $20 A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cape Coral Caring Center, underlining the event’s commitment to community welfare.

This year’s event boasts a lineup of distinguished speakers, each a key player in Cape Coral’s future development landscape: Peter Bytarian, Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village (7 Islands); Robert Knight, Lake Shadroe Resort and Marina; Dario Peretti, Parisio at North Cape; Commissioner Kevin Ruane, Cape Coral Bridge; Frank Nader, Victory Park; Liz McCauley, Cape Coral Animal Shelter; Gaston Lulinski, Shops of Del Mar and Shops of Del Sol; and Bill Johnson, Horizon Council T

789458831617?aff=Website

Ribbon-cutting April 17 for Discover Kitchen & Bath

A ribbon-cutting will be held Wednesday, April 17, at 3 p m , for the newly remodeled showroom at Discover Kitchen & Bath, and to introduce its lead principal designer Tracey Outlaw

Outlaw has 20 years of design and remodeling experience along with project management, specializing in kitchen and bath

The original business, Discover Interiors, was opened in 2019 by Sherri Franzoi with a simple mission of becoming a Southwest Florida premier window covering source Despite setbacks brought on by the COVID pandemic in 2020 and then Hurricane Ian in 2022, the business has survived, and thrived, according to Franzoi and her sister Sherri

https://discoverinteriors com

this, and we found some space and decided to do three of them ”

Goettenmoeller, being a real estate broker, wanted to “blanket” the Cape, choosing three sections of the city to serve

“It's been great,” Goettenmoeller said of how business has been in the short time of operation "The response from the community has been amazing Clearly, Ted and I are pizza lovers, but it's more than that We've been in this community for more than 20 years, and we're both heavily involved in the community and want to give back "

As many Floridian transplants have experienced, finding a pizza pie up to standard is not always the easiest task in the Sunshine State, though things are getting better

East of Chicago offers six different crust styles (pan, thin, crispy, square, loaded crust and “Authentic Chicago Style”), with fresh ingredients daily. They even offer a cauliflower crust to help meet an individual's dietary restrictions

“Finding good pizza down here has been a challenge

over the years,” Goettenmoeller said “We have a great product, and our consistency is awesome If you haven't heard of East of Chicago Pizza, you will soon ”

What is really the key though, Goettenmoeller said, is the water

“The water in South Florida is a challenge,” he said

Let’s Waffle opens with German documentary TV show

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

When people think of waffles, they think of something for breakfast or maybe a late night snack

Nadin Feix, the owner of the new Let’s Waffle at 1031 Santa Barbara Blvd , in Cape Coral, is trying to change that perception.

Feix opened her new eatery Saturday and to say it was a big celebration would be an understatement as not only did her business neighbors attend, but also a German TV crew that has been following her the past two-plus years for a documentary they have done

Germany for a new beginning, which Feix did in the summer of 2022

The crew has followed her as she navigated her way through this new landscape, getting advice along the way from German and American friends Feix said she wanted to do something as her husband had a job captaining a touring boat

“They tell the story of people leaving the country, the problems you face and how you’re going to be successful,” Feix said “Do you have enough savings and do you have to go back? We are all here on visas and people in Germany are really interested in this ”

Feix said she always wanted to have her own coffee shop or small eatery, even though she worked in the hotel business for more than 20 years and another small business

When she came to America, she wanted to give her childhood dream a chance once she got settled here

Well, a few weeks after arriving in the U S , Hurricane Ian postponed those plans, and it wasn’t until last March when she decided to pull the trigger on her idea

“I always wanted something unique In Germany we like waffles They like waffles here, too, but Americans eat waffles differently,” Feix said “I thought it was time to introduce America to a more European way ”

They created a logo with her teenage daughter Julika’s face featured on it (she attends Ida Baker High School) and opened to great fanfare on Saturday

Waffles are not just a breakfast treat in Europe They can be made in many interesting ways The featured waffles all contain the word “love” in them, as her waffles are shaped like a heart (five of them, actually)

CHUCK BALLARO

Nadin Feix, the owner of the new Let’s Waffle at 1031 Santa Barbara Blvd , makes a waffle during the grand opening

CHUCK BALLARO

Jasmin Colon, left, and Nadin Feix, the owner of the new Let’s Waffle in Cape Coral.

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Early voting in Presidential Primary wraps up this weekend

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

This weekend marks the final days members of the Republican Party in Lee County can cast their ballots early in the Presidential Preference Primary Election, as the voting period began last Saturday

Each day from 10 a m to 6 p m through March 16, registered Republican voters in Lee County can vote at 12 different sites for who they’d like to see represent their party ahead of the March 19 date

Florida’s Presidential Preference Primary is a closed primary election that allows voters to vote for the candidate they want to see represent their party in the November presiden-

tial election

As of Thursday afternoon, just under 44,000 ballots had been cast -- amounting to 19

53% of the registered Republican voters in Lee County The Lee County Elections office told The Breeze that in the 2020 PPP, which was for both Republicans and Democrats, the Republican turnout was 63,000

“The selection of the Republican nominee for Florida occurs through this election,” said Lee County Supervisor of Elections, Tommy Doyle “No candidates have officially withdrawn from the ballot in Florida, and all votes count as usual I encourage eligible voters who have not yet cast their vote to take advantage of Early Voting through Saturday,

March 16, or to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, March 19 ”

This year, only voters registered with the Republican Party will be eligible to vote in the March 19 election

The Florida Democratic Party nominated Joseph R Biden, Jr , as its sole candidate, and no other contests are on the ballot Therefore, voters registered with the Democratic Party, a minor political party, or no party affiliation will not have a ballot in this election.

Requests for a vote-by-mail ballot can be made for all elections through 2024 Doyle said he recommends requesting a ballot as an insurance policy

Florida law requires voters to provide picture and signature identification when voting

in person Picture identification may not be expired

Early Voting sites for the PPP include:

■ Cape Coral Elections Office: 1039 SE 9th Ave , Cape Coral

■ Cape Coral Lee County Library: 921

SW 39th Terrace, Cape Coral

■ Northwest Regional Library: 519 Chiquita Blvd N , Cape Coral

■ North Fort Myers Recreation Center: 2000 N. Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers

■ Lee County Elections Center: 13180

S Cleveland Ave , Fort Myers

For more information, visit lee vote

w w w . c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e . c o m C a p e C o r a l B r e e z e

Flood said

Fest: Multi-day event offers hand-on look at global hunger relief charity’s efforts

Farm Day runs from 9 a m to 3 p m and guests can tour a tropical rainforest demonstration or learn about alternative energies as they are demonstrated in the appropriate technology area.

There will be many food items for people to sample so you won’t go hungry, and kids can taste, touch, and experience their way around the world as they learn about world hunger and ways they can make an impact

As always, there will be numerous demonstrations, workshops and on-stage cooking shows as well as lots of fun things to do including taking part in or learning about Giant Jenga, Sugar Cane Crushing, Grind-yourown Peanut Butter Sample, Innovative Water Pumps, Moringa, Mushrooms, Spinning Wool, Urban Garden, T r o p i c a l L o w l a n d s , M o n s o o n C l i m a t e , S e m i - A r i d Garden, Rainforest, Community Gardening and PeriUrban Spaces

There will be a silent auction, food trucks, balloon animals and face painting, as well

After taking Sunday and Monday off, the festival will continues March 19-22

Tuesday is the first day to enjoy the offered daily tropical tasting lunch from the community garden at noon for $25

Wednesday will introduce attendees to edible landscape design, plant propagation and the miracle of

moringa

Thursday will kick off with a tropical fruit walking tour, followed by hands-on grafting, an ECHO favorite and seed saving techniques for gardeners

Friday will feature an edible class on food and healing and experience beekeeping, which was added last year and had become a huge hit

“Last year was the first time we did it and I attended We got to be so much closer to the bees and interact w i t h t h e m l i k e I n e v e r t h o u g h t p o s s i b l e , ” F l o o d said “One lady wrote to me and said she was keepi n g b e e s a n d w o u l d n ’ t have if she didn’t take the seminar ” F a r m D a y t i c k e t s a r e

IF YOU GO:

What:

ECHO’s 26th Food & Farm Fest

When:

March 16-22, from 9 a m to 3 p m

Where:

ECHO Farm, 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers

More information:

For a complete schedule and availability as some of the more popular offering at nearly fill visit echonet org

$8, children 5 & under free

Fees to attend the various classes vary echonet org For a complete schedule and availability as some of t h e m o r e p o p u l a r o f f e r i n g a t n e a r l y f i l l v i s i t echonet org

The 57-acre ECHO Farm is at 17391 Durrance Road

With reports of fish already rolling in both Boca Grande and Captiva passes, it’s time to get your tarpon gear ready for the main body of migrating fish now making their way up from the Keys past the 10,000 Islands, past Fort Myers beach, eventually intercepted by our local tarpon fleet fishing off Sanibel Island Most of these fish are on their way to the annual tarpon party in Boca Grande and can be caught along the coastline while others split off and filter up into Pine Island Sound and also into the Caloosahatchee

T h e r e ’ s a g o o d chance that the fish that have been seen in the p a s s e s r e c e n t l y a r e n ’ t early arriving migrating fish but resident fish out o f t h e P e a c e , M y a k k a a n d C a l o o s a h a t c h e e rivers looking to fatten u p e a r l y , b u t n o o n e knows for sure and the fish aren’t talking

If waiting for tarpon action to heat up here in Southwest Florida is just too much to bear, you’re having trouble sleeping and irritable, then pack up your gear, hook up the boat and get down to the epicenter of early spring tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys March gets the bite going in the Keys and its only slowed by still passing cold fronts and often windy conditions By April it’s usually on fire from Key Largo to Key West

Bahia Honda, Islamorada, the 7 Mile Bridge, Big Pine Key, Marathon and, of course, Key West, are some of the better known areas each year drawing anglers from around the world to this amazing fishery My favorite spot to pursue big fish in skinny waters is located 220 miles south of Cape Coral in beautiful Islamorada, where well known marinas like Bud and Mary’s host some of the best flats and offshore guides in the country This is also home to some of the biggest bonefish on the planet Make sure to buy a bucket of fish at the marina to hand feed the huge tarpon pets always hanging out at the dock waiting for tourists to feed them

Thirty-five miles south of Islamorada is another

3-man team completes Okeechobee Waterway Crossing for Clean Water

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

On Sunday, March 10, Jake Portwood, Packet Casey and Blake Carmichael completed a dream to paddleboard for the good of the Okeechobee Waterway that’s been in the making for the past 15 years

A c c o r d i n g t o P o r t w o o d , t h i s a d v e n t u r e - - t h e Okeechobee Waterway Crossing for Clean Water -- began with a starting point in Stuart, Florida, that ended in Fort Myers

“We would start every day at sunrise and we would paddle for around 10 hours a day, taking short breaks to switch out our hydration packs and eat some food and stretch our legs a bit and then we’d continue The main goal for this adventure was to raise awareness and fundraise for Captains for Clean Water,” Portwood said

He also said someone asked the three paddlers once they hit the beach how it felt to be finished The answer to that question, he admitted, is that this is not the finish line Fundraising for the non-profit Captains for Clean Water was made easier by their Go Fund Me page as well as having gained sponsors who were willing to get involved, not only on a financial level but also by supplying gear that would be beneficial to the trip

Portwood has been paddleboarding for quite some time, as he said, he did his first race in 2008 His usual competitive races are 5 to 10 miles, he said, which differs vastly from this experience, he explained, describing it as an "ultra-endurance, marathon silo event "

“We had a support boat with us the whole time, and they carried all our hydration, nutrition and everything we needed to make sure we were safe,” Portwood said

He maintains that when you accept a mental challenge, such as this trip was for the three of them, having a good reason for doing it makes it more meaningful, if not altogether possible

“Our ‘why’ was Captains for Clean Water and trying to clean up our waterways The residents around here locally are directly affected by the discharges It’s not natural it’s dirty, nasty, chemical filled, fresh water getting dumped into our aquatic saltwater estuaries, which are very harmful and unhealthy to humans and marine life We’ve been hearing about it for over 20 years now and it’s nice, as a Florida native, to finally step up and do something about it

"A lot of people want to take a back seat and say this is something that can’t be fixed, but, there is a solution in the works, it’s just being stalled out year after year," he continued "We need to stand up and fight this at a political

e e recently completed the Okeechobee Waterway Crossing for Clean Water -- a journey from Stuart, Florida, to Fort Myers.

level, which is what Captains for Clean Water is doing A critical part of this process of change is for citizens to make their voices heard, and this first stand-up paddle across the state of Florida was our way of getting loud

Thank you for hearing us, and for making our voices echo across the state Let’s keep going,” Portwood said

Portwood said the three could not have done this without sponsors, most of which are Florida companies who donated to show their commitment to the environment in their home state: Shaka Kai, Adventure Sports USA, Scuba 4 Good, BLU3 and Flying Fish

The trip also offered special thanks to its support crew -- Dad, Doug and Logan

Those who wish to contribute to the cause can visit https://gofund.me/37c6fa37

(For more photos of this trip, or by this artist, visit https://logangrahamphoto com/ or Instagram page https://www instagram com/logangrahamphoto?igsh=M Xh5ZWtoaGVtY2Z3dg%3D%3D&utm source=qr)

PREP REPORT

Wednesday Baseball

Oasis 14, Seacrest Country Day 2 (5 innings): Aiden Bonagura, Charles Sipe, Brandon Bova-Cipolla and Noah Pinney drove in two runs each for the Sharks (4-3)

Softball

Seacrest Country Day 21, Oasis 8 (6 innings):

Maddie Simison drove in two runs for the Sharks (1-7), while Madison Hartsgrove and Jetta Fisher had an RBI each Audrey Doan scored three runs

Beach Volleyball

Mariner 5, Cape Coral 0: The Tritons are 2-4

Tuesday Baseball

North Fort Myers 12, Cape Coral 2 (5 innings):

Jakob Wagner hit two home runs on a 3-for-3 night, scoring four times and collecting four RBI Matthew Blasena tripled for two RBI, scoring twice as well, as the Red Knights improved to 3-5

Riverdale 5, Ida Baker 1: Charles Ferguson drove in Baker's (6-3) run

Island Coast 16, South Fort Myers 4 (5 innings):

Ryan Mueller tripled in three runs for the Gators (5-4) Austin Schoolcraft, Jacob Fowler and Mason Blackburned had two RBI each

ECS 7, Mariner 4: Ryan Kotarski had two RBI for the Tritons (2-7)

Softball

North Fort Myers 5, Estero 2: Mia Lane homered and doubled, driving in three Red Knights (8-0) runs Azlynn Gomes tripled with an RBI and Liliana Hertzog also knocked in a run Kaliyah Williams struck out 10 Wildcats

Oasis 5, Nuemann 3: Jetta Fisher was 2-for-4 with a double, driving in three Sharks (1-6) runs

Bishop Verot 6, LaBelle 4: Jaylen Riley drove in two runs for the Vikings (5-1), and both Gianni Torres and Melanie Moreno hit solo home runs

Riverdale 9, Ida Baker 6: Julie Nieves doubled and tripled, driving in three Bulldogs runs Makayla Nieves had three hits, including a triple, and two RBI The Bulldogs slipped to 4-4

Island Coast 17, South Fort Myers 2 (3 innings): Taylor Sheene had a home run and six RBI to lead the Gators (12-4) She had two hits and scored three times See

PHOTO BY LOGAN GRAHAM, LOCALE FILMS

Tarpon: Silver kings have begun annual migration to local waters

From page 41

The early spring Keys tarpon fishing is so good that many charter operators offer guaranteed trips If you don’t hook a tarpon, you get a free return trip, which you can even transfer to a third party With many charter operations right at the fishing spots or close by, it’s easier to just leave the boat at home and drive down, park, get on board and you’re fishing within minutes of leaving the dock There

From page 41

Sheene allowed one earned run in three innings pitched Island Coast stole 10 bases, with Brianna Nietzke's three steals leading the way.

Flag Football

Riverdale 28, North Fort Myers 14: The 5-0 Raiders dropped the Red Knights to 1-1

Ida Baker 12, Island Coast 0: Liliana

are several good Keys charter and guide operations found on the internet One that I c a n r e c o m m e n d i s T a r p o n T r i p s –fish@tarpontrips com - 800-241-1975

T h i s s e r v i c e f i s h e s t h e B a h i a H o n d a Bridge day and night and located over the deepest channel in the Keys, which is a springtime tarpon super-highway (266 miles south of Cape Coral)

Live mullet, crabs and pinfish are the t o p l i v e b a i t s f i s h e d i n c h a n n e l s a n d around bridges while lure anglers depend

on jigs and long eel-like lures like Hogys Push poled skiffs prowl close by flats with anxious fly and spin anglers and their guides both scanning the waters for pods of big tarpon

For the more adventurous, lure anglers should bring along a selection of large sized Bomber Long A lures and Rapala’s with upgraded single hooks and beefed up split rings to fish around the many bridges at night With heavy currents ripping through bridge pilings and an army of tar-

PREP REPORT

Porcelli was 10-of-15 passing for 110 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs won their fourth game in a row Taula Raugh had five receptions for 43 yards, including a 5-yard TD catch. Jenna Lopez had three catches for 20 yards, one an 8yard touchdown Evyette Osme rushed for 70 yards and made an interception Liviia Mena also had an interception, and Reagan Zumar had two sacks The defense posted its third shutout of the season

Beach Volleyball

Charlotte 5, Mariner 0: The Tritons are 1-4

Boys Tennis

Mariner 5, Gateway 2

Singles: Jaydon Banos (G) d Karl Schott 7-5, 6-3 Kieran Kurkimilis (M) d Dominic Richard 6-1, 6-0. Fabio Ronda Vigoa (M) d Huy Nguyen 6-2, 6-1

pon eating big sharks living there, make sure you go with an experienced captain and whatever you do don’t fall out of the boat

With access to bridges, channels, flats, the Gulf and Atlantic, the Keys are a true fishing paradise.

Capt George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol com

Damien Gleason (M) d Isar Parent 6-0, 6-

1 Emanuel Barrios (M) d Bryce Vasquez 6-1, 2-6, 10-5 Doubles: Banos/Gonzalez ( G ) d G l e a s o n / P r e s t o n 8 - 5 J a s o n B e r e n g u e r / C a r l o s G o n z a l e z ( M ) d . Nguyen/Parent 8-2

Girls Lacrosse

Fort Myers 10, Cape Coral 3: The Gators are 5-4

East of Chicago Pizza: In Cape

From page 33

“So we've put a lot into our water filtration to get that right

“And what I would say is the quality of our ingredients is what separates us And the process Again, part of that is the water filtration to make the right dough You have to have the right stuff It all starts with water And we cut all of our fresh vegetables daily We make dough every morning We also have an extensive menu of oven baked wings and subs ”

If you're not in the mood to build-yourown pie or delve into a specialty pizza, East of Chicago has you covered They offer no-crusts pizza bowls, six different salad options, a myriad of submarine sandwich choices, unique appetizer-style bites and eight different wing styles from plain to hot

The new-to-Florida venture has already

been involved in community events such as the city's Bike Night, with plans to be a vendor at various events moving forward

The partners are also excited to bring the franchise to a fast-growing city like Cape Coral

“Ted and I, and our families, have been here for so many years We call the Cape home,” Goettenmoeller said “We've been involved in the community and charitable events over the years, and we hope to continue that We're especially excited about our South Cape location ”

The East of Chicago Pizza locations at 1306 Santa Barbara Blvd , Suite 7, and 1260 N E 8th St , Suite 8, are for delivery and carry-out. The newest location in the South Cape at 4706 S E 9th Place is equipped with indoor seating

For more information, a full menu and to even place an order, visit www eastofchicago com

Let’s Waffle: Grand opening held

From page 33

She has sweet and savory waffles, with the latter meant as more of a traditional meal There’s avocado, Hawaiian with ham and pineapple, pork, chicken and Italian, all of which are in the $18 range

“I had people eating the savory waffles and they were full afterward. They are m e a n t a s a f u l l m e a l , ” F e i x s a i d “Everything is fresh and homemade and people can watch us making it ”

The sweet waffles feature strawberry,

bananas and other fruit, as well as Kid’s Love with lots of candy and Julika’s Love, created by her daughter

You can also create your own waffle, starting at $11.50 with your choice of topp i n g s , e v e r y t h i n g f r o m m a p l e s y r u p , cheese and meat to soft-serve ice cream

Let’s Waffle is open Monday through Saturday, from 11 a m to 8 p m

For additional information about the new Cape Coral business, please go to www letswaffleflorida com or call 239898-1041

Bougainvillea: Container plants

From page 31

only contains nitrogen for green growth, phosphorous for healthy blooms and potassium for overall plant health but, also 5% iron and other micro-nutrients designed to promote healthy root development Follow label instructions as to timing and application amount A little goes a long way; therefore, avoid over-fertilizing in the mistaken belief that more will be better for the plant

Always wear gloves when tending to your plants; otherwise, you can easily become victim to the thorns that grace their stems Also, the sap of the stems can prove to be quite the irritant if you get any on your hands.

Many bougainvillea need a good pruning periodically to control shape and size as they grow Use sharp, disinfected pruning shears and make cuts above new leaf nodes Best time in Southwest Florida: late winter/early spring You can also trim your plants after each bloom cycle to promote flowering, and any time throughout the year to remove criss-cross or crowded branches and dead or diseased wood Make sure to discard cuttings responsibly

Happy gardening!

Janetta Fox is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral Visit us at www gardenclubofcapecoral com

Cape Coral Breeze

Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Announcements

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