Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Cape commits to sports field maintenance

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

Conditions of playing fields in Cape Coral have come under scrutiny in recent years but over the last 10 months vast improvements have been made to give youth in the area a proper surface

At Cape Coral Sports Complex which is home to a myriad of soccer teams large areas of bare spots and dust have morphed into grass more suitable for play While challenges still remain on keeping things this way, especially with the amount of use it gets the city's Parks and Recreation Department is honing in on how to keep things green

The city s new Director of Parks and R e c r e a t i o n , J o e P e t r e l l a , a r r i v e d l a s t December and is working to keep condi-

“I heard they had some issues last year in regards to being able to keep up with the turf management -- there were some bare spots Obviously there were some issues, and that can come from a lot of different things; usage, watering, whatever it might be We re really working on being more progressive, and working with the groups to really convey to them they have to be helping us move through this process of field improvements We can’t do this alone, we have to have teamwork with our community groups, as well as the city Joe Petrella new director of Parks and Recreation

tions trending in a positive direction with efforts already put in by existing employees “I heard they had some issues last year in regards to being able to keep up with the turf management -- there were some bare spots, Petrella said Obviously there

were some issues, and that can come from a lot of different things; usage, watering, whatever it might be We’re really working on being more progressive and working with the groups to really convey to them they have to be helping us move through this process of field improvements We

can’t do this alone we have to have teamwork with our community groups as well as the city City Parks Maintenance Supervisor Dan Flannelly said crews have been putting down TifTuf Bermuda a more wear-tolerant grass in some areas as well as using a new composted topsoil that helps suppress bugs and weeds, as well as helps retain moisture

“ T h a t ’ s b e e n h e l p i n g o u t a l o t ”

Flannelly said

Crews are out slicing aerating fertilizing top dressing and more Flannelly, along with Steve Henry, a volunteer at the soccer fields at Cape Coral Sports Complex who lines the fields day in and day out have also been ‘plugging” the

See MAINTENANCE, page 15A

Inspection paperwork drawing criticism

of the Week Page 15A

EHL Fragile X Foundation rolls

6th annual event into Cape Coral

By EMMA RODRIGUEZ

IF YOU GO:

What:

EHL Fragile X Foundation’s Touch A Truck

When: Saturday, April 1, from 9 a m to 3 p m

Where: Lafayette Street Cape Coral

with the foundation expecting 6,500 attendees this year

The TAT event is a fundraiser for EHL Fragile X Foundation Proceeds from sponsorships and vendor fees will benefit related organizations, including Fragile X National, Special Populations Cape Coral, and Best Buddies

The foundation was created by Fran and Steve Marsino grandparents of a boy Ethan with Fragile X syndrome The EHL letters in the title are Ethan s initials

by honking the horns and seeing how everything works

About 50 vehicles are slated to show up Among them will be a Southern Wheel monster truck a Cape Coral police vehicle an Ajax Paving asphalt roller and dump truck the ABC Pest fire truck a Cape Coral Water Reclamation crane and pump, a Cape Coral Fire Department fire engine with a ladder, and a Lee County Electric Cooperative bucket truck

Forty-six local businesses will also be in attendance selling food drinks and other items The event will be opened with local singer Katy Sumrow singing the National Anthem, and a local Girl Scout troop will present the colors Last year’s attendance saw around 5 000 people

The disorder is caused by a mutation of the X chromosome making one unable to produce a protein called FMR1 which aids brain and muscle development Symptoms include delays in talking anxiety and hyperactivity

We first saw this event up in Clearwater when Ethan was maybe 3 years old, Steve said The event was called Touch a Truck and there were about 10 or 15 different trucks there He loved it especially the buses ” Steve added that the horn-free hour is important for accessibility and having each child s different sensory needs met

“Our grandson really likes the monster trucks We tried to take him to a monster truck thing but the noise was just too intense for him and he prefers just to look

See TOUCH A TRUCK, page 10A

L L A R O n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e c i t y o f C a p e C o r a l ’ s f i n a l p a p e r w o r k f o r r o o f r e p l a c e m e n t s i s d r a w i n g c r i t i c i s m w i t h s o m e s a y i n g i n s p e c t i o n t i c k e t s a r e c a u s i n g p r o b l e m s f o r h o m e o w ne r s a n d r o o f e r s a l i k e T h e e x p e c t a t i o n i s t h a t p e r m i t d o c u m e n t s l o o k p r o f e s s i o n a l b e e a s y t o r e a d a n d u n d e r s t a n d , w i t h t h e n a m e o f t h e i n s p e c t o r l e g i b l e s o t h e y c a n e a s i l y b e e n t e r e d i n t o t h e c i t y ’ s E n e r G o v s y s t e m I n s t e a d s o m e p a p e r w o r k i s b e i n g h a n d w r i t t e n o n p a p e r w i t h a p e r m i t n u m b e r A n d m o s t l y , t h e y a r e n o t i n t h e E n e r G o v s y s t e m y e t T h e r e s u l t i n s o m e c a s e s i s t h a t t h e i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n y t h a t i s s u p p o s e d t o b e p a y i n g f o r t h e r o o f , m a y n o t d o s o o r e v e n c a nc e l a p o l i c y i f t h e t i c k e t i s w r i t t e n s o p o o r l y o r n o t e n t e r e d i n t o t h e s y s t e m o r n o t s u b m i t t e d o r f i n a li z e d b y t h e c o n t r a c t o r b e c a u s e t h e r e s n o p r o o f a c c o r d i n g t o J o h n G a r d n e r , o f L e e C o u n t y I n s u r a n c e T h i s h a s b e e n a n i s s u e i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f H u r r i c a n e I a n w i t h c o u n t l e s s h o m e o w n e r s g e t t i n g t h e i r r o o f s r e p a i r e d o n l y t o b e t o l d b y i n s u r a n c e t h e p o l i c y h a s b e e n c a n c e l l e d b e c a u s e o f t h e a r c h a i c w a y t h e c i t y d o e s i t s p e rm i t s w h i c h a r e n o t i n t h e s y s t e m a n d t h e c o n t r a c t o r h a s n o t f i n a li z e d t h i n g s , G a r d n e r s a i d , a d d i n g C a p e C o r a l s w a y o f h a n d l i n g p e r m i t s a p p e a r s t o d a t e b a c k t o t h e 1 9 7 0 s w i t h o u t i n c l u s i o n i n t h e i r E n e r G o v c o m p u t e r s y s t e m w i t h n o p u b l i c r e c o r d I t i s l i t e r a l l y a p i e c e o f p a p e r t h a t t h e y s c r i b b l e a n a d d r e s s o n i t w i t h t h e h o m e o w n e r s n a m e w i t h a p r e p r i n t e d l a b e l o n i t w i t h a p e r m i t n u m b e r ” G a r d n e r s a i d G a r d n e r s a i d E n e r G o v t h e s y s t e m t h e c i t y p u t i n f o r p e r m i tt i n g l a s t y e a r , w a s n o t b e i n g u s e d f o r I a n c l a i m s A l l I a n p e r m i t s b e g i n w i t h t h e p e r m i t n u m b e r I A N f o l l o w e d b y t h e y e a r a n d a f i v e - d i g i t n u m b e r T h e b e s t p a r t ; t h e y w i l l n o t f a x o r e - m a i l a n y t h i n g t o a n y o n e

See PAPERWORK, page 7A

Vietnam veterans honored at ceremony marking milestone date

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers

com

It was 50 years ago on March 29 that the last U S combat troops departed from Vietnam as the United State Military Assistance Command was disestablished So it was fitting that local Vietnam veterans gathered at Eco Park on Wednesday

Fort Fest set for Saturday at Alliance for the Arts

Country music concert to feature national rising talent

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 C o u n t r y m u s i c l o v e r s a c r o s s S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a a r e i n f o r a t r e a t t h i s S a t u r d a y a s t h e s e c o n d a n n u a l F o r t F e s t t a k e s p l a c e a t A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s

T h e o n e - d a y c o u n t y m u s i c f e s t i v a l i s p u t o n b y F o r t L i f e a b r a n d e s t a b l i s h e d b y M a t t H e a t i n g t o s h i n e a p o s i t i v e l i g h t o n l i v i n g i n F o r t M y e r s F o r t F e s t w a s c r e a t e d w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n t o b e c o m e a d e s t i n a t i o n f o r f a n s o f t h e g e n r e o f m u s i c , b r i n g i n g t o u r i s m d o l l a r s i n t o t h e l o c a l e c o n o m y T h i s y e a r ’ s l i n e u p w i l l b e s h o w c a s e t h r e e o f c o u n t r y m u s i c ’ s b i g g e s t u p - a n d - c o m i n g a r t i s t s ; H a y d e n C o f f m a n C o d y C o z z G r a m m y - n o m i n a t e d D r e w P a r k e r a n d T h e V o i c e c o n t e s t a n t K a y l e y B i s h o p I t h i n k i t s g o i n g t o b e a r e a l l y g r e a t d a y w i t h a l o t o f g r e a t m u s i c , g r e a t f o o d , i n a c e n t r a l l y - l o c a t e d a r e a , H e a t i n g s a i d “ P l u s i t ’ s h e l p i n g a g o o d c a u s e ” T h e F o r t F e s t t e a m h a s p a r t n e r e d w i t h t h e l o c a l n o np r o f i t O l d F l o r i d a D r e a m T e a m F o u n d a t i o n a n d a l l o f t h e p r o c e e d s f r o m a l c o h o l d i s t r i b u t i o n w i l l b e d o n a t e d t o h o m e l e s s a n d f o s t e r t e e n s i n L e e C o u n t y F o r t F e s t 2 0 2 3 p r o f i t s w i l l g o t o C o l l a b o r a t o r y s R e b u i l d S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a ” a s s i s t i n g i n d i v i d u a l f a m i l i e s i n L e e C o u n t y w h o s t i l l n e e d H u r r i c a n e I a n a s s i s t a n c e T h e f e s t i v a l s t a r t s a t 3 p m a n d r u n s u n t i l 1 0 F o o d t r u c k s a n d c o n c e s s i o n s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e d u r i n g t h e e v e n t T i c k e t s a r e $ 2 0 f o r g e n e r a l a d m i s s i o n a n d $ 1 0 0 f o r V I P ( l i m i t e d a v a i l a b i l i t y ) w h i c h i n c l u d e s a c c e s s t o V I P b e v e r a g e s V I P m e m b e r s a r e a a n d p r i v a t e i n d o o r r e s t r o o m f a c i l i t i e s D r e w P a r k e r r e c e n t l y l a n d e d h i s f i r s t G r a m m y n o mi n a t i o n f o r B e s t C o u n t r y S o n g , w r i t i n g L u k e C o m b s D o i n T h i s N o w a s o l o a r t i s t , P a r k e r s W h i l e Y o u r e G o n e s i n g l e h i t N o 1 o n S i r i u s X M s T h e H i g h w a y a n d l e d t o h i s d e b u t a t t h e l e g e n d a r y G r a n d O l e O p r y a C M A A w a r d s n o m i n a t i o n a n d a B M I A w a r d H a y d e n C o f f m a n h a s m a d e a s p l a s h i n t h e c o u n t r y m u s i c r e a l m a t j u s t 2 4 y e a r s o l d I n 2 0 2 1 , H a y d e n s h o t u p t o N o 4 o n t h e i T u n e s c h a r t s a s a n i n d e p e n d e n t a r t i s t S i n c e t h e O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2 r e l e a s e o f h i s s i n g l e “ W h e r e ’ s T h e W h i s k e y ” a n d r e c e n t c o l l a b o r a t i o n s H a y d e n h a s a m a s s e d m o r e t h a n 4 0 m i l l i o n t o t a l s t r e a m s t o d a t e , a n d h i s Y o u T u b e v i d e o s h a v e t o p p e d 1 0 m i ll i o n t o t a l v i e w s K a y l e y B i s h o p m a d e i t a l l t h e w a y t o t h e b a t t l e r o u n d s i n N B C ’ s “ T h e V o i c e ” T h e F o r t M y e r s H i g h S c h o o l g r a d u a t e d e s c r i b e s h e r m u s i c a s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f D o l l y P a r t o n , A r e t h a F r a n k l i n , a n d B o b S e g e r S i n c e h e r t i m e o n t h e s h o w , B i s h o p h a s r e l e a s e d s e v e r a l a l b u m s a n d i s w o r k i n g o n a n e w r e l e a s e w i t h G r a m m yn o m i n a t e d p r o d u c e r E r i c T o r r e H e a t i n g h o p e s t h i s y e a r ’ s l i n e u p h a s s o m e t h i n g f o r e v e r y o n e ’ s t a s t e I h o p e t h e y l o v e t h e l i n e u p , H e a t i n g s a i d o f t h i s y e a r s a r t i s t s C o u n t r y m u s i c i s p o p u l a r d o w n h e r e I t s h o u l d b e a g r e a t t i m e D r e w P a r k e r i s v e r y w e l l k n o w n i n N a s h v i l l e a n d w a s u p f o r a G r a m m y f o r S o n g o f t h e Y e a r t h i s y e a r H a y d e n w a s h e r e l a s t y e a r H e ’ s g o t a h u g e f o l l o w i n g a n d i s a l o c a l c r o w d f a v o r i t e C o d y C o z z i s i n N a s h v i l l e a n d j u s t c o - w r o t e a h i t t h i s y e a r K a y l e y , o f c o u r s e , i s f r o m F o r t M y e r s , a n d w e r e r e a l l y e x c i t e d a b o u t h a v i n g h e r h o m e c o m i n g t r i p I t h i n k i t s a g o o d v a r i e t y o f d i f f e r e n t s t y l e s o f c o u n t r y m u s i c ” F o r t F e s t h a s b e e n i n t h e w o r k s i n H e a t i n g ’ s m i n d f o r s o m e t i m e a n d h e s h a p p y t o s e e w h e r e t h e e v e n t i s a t i n j u s t i t s s e c o n d y e a r a n d h o p e s t o c o n t i n u e t h e t r ad i t i o n f o r m a n y m o r e “ I h a d t h e i d e a i n m y h e a d f o r a f e w y e a r s ” H e a t i n g s a i d “ I l o v e t h e F o r t M y e r s / C a p e C o r a l a r e a I ’ v e b e e n h e r e a b o u t 2 5 y e a r s a n d i t ’ s m y f a v o r i t e c i t y i n t h e w o r l d I a l w a y s p l a n n e d t o d o s o m e t h i n g c o m m u n i t y -

If You Go:

What: Fort Fest

When: Saturday, April 1

Where:

d r i v e n S o m e t h i n g f o r p e o p l e i n o u r c o m m u n i t y t o r e a ll y e n j o y ; a g o o d f u n t i m e w i t h a f a m i l y a t m o s p h e r e w i t h a l o t o f e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d b a n g f o r t h e b u c k W e h o p e i t c o n t i n u e s t o g r o w s o w e c a n g i v e a n d r a i s e m o n e y t o p e o p l e i n n e e d r i g h t h e r e i n t h e F o r t M y e r s / C a p e C o r a l a r e a ” H e h o p e s t h e f e s t i v a l c a n a l s o s e r v e a s a r e p r i e v e f r o m s t r e s s m a n y a r e s t i l l d e a l i n g w i t h a f t e r H u r r i c a n e I a n C o m e o u t a n d f o r g e t a b o u t y o u r i n s u r a n c e c l a i m o r w h e n y o u r r o o f e r w i l l b e t h e r e o r w h e n y o u r n e w p o o l s c r e e n i s g o i n g u p o r w h e n y o u c a n g o b a c k t o y o u r h o u s e o r c o n d o ” H e a t i n g s a i d “ O n e t h i n g I l o v e a b o u t F o r t M y e r s i s t h e s e n s e o f c o m m u n i t y h e r e E v e r y o n e l o o k s o u t f o r e a c h o t h e r a n d p r o u d o f o u r c o m m u n i t y h e r e I t s a n i c e f u n n i g h t o u t t o e n j o y s o m e g r e a t m u s i c T o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t F o r t F e s t o r t o p u r c h a s e t i c k e t s v i s i t w w w f o r t - l i f e c o m

A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s i s a t 1 0 0 9 1 M c G r e g o r B l v d i n F o r t M y e r s

C o n n e c t w i t h t h i s r e p o r t e r o n T w i t t e r : @ h a dd a d c j

OPINIONS

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

RAYMOND M ECKENRODE Publisher VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor

Editor

CHRIS STRINE,

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

Phone 239-574-1110 – Fax 239-574-5693

Member Florida Press Association

Your tax dollars at play in Cape Coral

March has been a hat-trick month for Cape residents whose idea of paradise includes lots of recreational opportunities

Two ribbon-cuttings and a major groundbreaking put your tax dollars into play for a trio of parks projects either finishing or just getting started as part of what has grown to be a $73 million parks master plan

The first: the March 3 ribbon-cutting for the Del Prado Linear Park expansion The $1 4 million project added a shaded playground, a basketball court, restrooms and parking to the park already anchored by a 10-foot wide sidewalk that runs four miles from Pine Island Road to Kismet Parkway on both sides of the road

The benefit? It s been immediate and very visible for those of us who drive the extension:

Young children bounding about in the playground

Teens shooting hoops

Ample traffic of various sorts along the paved pathway

cyclists rollerbladers and strollers with canine companions on into the evening, thanks to new lighting

Originally part of a road widening improvement project, the resident-embraced upgrade is one of 17 such projects throughout the city thanks to Cape Coral taxpayers voting to dig a little deeper to expand the city’s park system

Residents who appreciate the amenities that public parks provide also got a glimpse this month at a major upgrade still to come

The city broke ground last Friday for its now under way Lake Kennedy Racquet Center at the existing park campus off Santa Barbara Boulevard

The $10 7 million expansion will include 32 new pickleball courts making the center large enough to accommodate major tournaments 12 tennis courts, concessions a pro shop and restrooms

The city originally planned to do the expansion in two phases add 16 pickleball and six tennis courts in the first phase, then another 16 pickleball courts sometime later Officials discovered that bidding the project all at once could get the city all 32 pickleball courts at once along with another six tennis courts to boot for $2 million more than the $8 7 million budgeted for the first phase alone

City officials grabbed the deal showing good fiscal foresight Kudos to city council and staff for a choice well made

The third March milestone is today’s ribbon-cutting for Gator Trails Park set for 10 a m at 3612 Garden Blvd

The park which got $2 1 million in upgrades now will offer a shady walking loop; playground; multi-purpose open space; picnic shelters; basketball, pickleball, and tennis courts; and restrooms

Other projects are in varying stages from already completed to under way from ready to go to bid to still in permitting

In addition to the 17 upgrades to existing parks, the master plan calls for seven new neighborhood parks, three new community parks and a $5 7 million environmental park

For those questioning these expenditures “when the city has other infrastructure needs ” let us re-emphasize this is a resident-approved initiative with voter-approved funding

Cape residents approved the parks master plan in 2018 when they voted in favor of a $60 million general obligation bond to be paid back over 15 years with an increase in property taxes on average $55 50 more per year

This money cannot be diverted to other types of projects

Like most major initiatives there have been some bumps along the way COVID delayed the expected startup, the rising cost of materials and labor affected the budget and there were some citizen concerns due to surprise changes to at least three of the parks including a highly controversial and much-more costly revamp to the Yacht Club complex now a necessity rather than a desire due to Hurricane Ian

But if overall public comment and public demand is any indication, Cape residents are getting the promised bang for their buck

And then some

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department says it well on its web page:

Regardless of a person s age, parks are one of the few places where it all comes together a sense of community an appreciation of history and place respect for nature and good health Cape Coral’s parks are where lifetime friendships are formed where the gap between generations is bridged, and where people discover what they have in common How do you grow a hometown with a sense of community while conserving green spaces and waterways for generations to come? It Starts in Parks!”

Here in the Cape it does indeed

After surviving eight previous governors, open government in Florida is endangered by DeSantis

The best laws are only as good as the motives of those who are supposed to uphold them Florida’s once-proud “Government in the Sunshine ” having survived under eight previous governors is now endangered by Gov Ron DeSantis

He’s the first Florida governor to claim an “executive privilege” exists to allow him to withhold public records a pretext nowhere found in Florida’s Constitution which says every governmental record is subject to public disclosure unless the Legislature has created a specific exemption for it

There are 1 159 exceptions and counting to the open meeting and open records laws according to the Florida First Amendment Foundation None recognizes an executive privilege

Martin Dyckman Guest Commentary

A Tallahassee Circuit judge named Angela Dempsey who may soon be on the short list for a Supreme Court appointment from DeSantis created executive privilege for him An attorney who had filed suit to demand that DeSantis turn over documents warned Dempsey that to rule for DeSantis “would render Florida’s Public Records Acts meaningless and impotent ”

She did it anyway ruling on Dec 20 to allow the governor to use executive privilege in that Tallahassee court case

Dempsey’s decision is being appealed If it’s sustained DeSantis could maintain that all government agencies under his control have the same privilege which would elevate a disaster for government transparency in Florida into a catastrophe

The governor’s office also routinely slow-walks freedom of information requests, holding them for “review for months at a time, and has created a highly contentious relationship with the capital press

Further, DeSantis signed legislation shielding university presidential searches from public view The law calls for three finalists to be identified in the process, but that requirement has been gamed when universities name only one finalist, effectively quashing public debate over the decision That s how Ben Sasse, a Republican senator from Nebraska, became president of the University of Florida

DeSantis has virtually nullified public access to the elected state Cabinet, whose meetings are supposed to be an open window into much of the government, simply by rarely calling any meetings at all

Now, there s pending legislation to exempt any of the travel records maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is responsible for his security, that would reveal where he s been traveling and shed light on whether he is reimbursing the state for using his official jet to sell his new book and pursue the presidency

Those new laws (SB 1616, HB 1495) would be retroactive, deep-sixing all pending requests They would apply also to the records of the governor s family, the Cabinet, legislative leaders, the chief justice and people traveling with them

When the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times asked FDLE last year for several weeks worth of DeSantis s travel records, the newspapers said the agency released a few heavily redacted ones and withheld others with the excuse that there was a backlog of requests

The legislators fronting for DeSantis say the bills would help protect the governor, those traveling with him and the agents who guard them That doesn t explain why historical data should also be exempt

(Disclosure: The Florida Center for Governmental Accountability is in litigation with DeSantis over records dealing with his use of state funds to fly migrants from Texas to Martha s Vineyard )

To appreciate how radically reactionary DeSantis is let s look back at Florida s open government history

Gov Collins championed public access to government

Gov LeRoy Collins Florida s first great reformer urged the 1955 Legislature to pass an open meetings law for all state or local policy-making boards He had been fighting with the Board of Control which ran the universities over its secret meetings

The people Collins told the Legislature “have yielded to us no right to decide what is good for them to know or for what it is bad for them to know ”

The Legislature initially didn’t agree but one legislator who had heard Collins say that J Emory “Red” Cross of Gainesville tried session after session to ban secret meetings

Each bill was dead on arrival in the rural-dominated Legislature

Cross’s “Government in the Sunshine” bill finally passed in 1967 It was the first session after the U S Supreme Court ordered the Legislature reapportioned to represent people not pine trees taking away inordinate power from the more rural areas of the state

The same session also updated and significantly strengthened Florida’s open public records law Chapter 119 of the statutes which dates back to 1909

Three future governors Reubin Askew Bob Graham and Lawton Chiles were legislators in the 1967 session So was Robert Shevin a Miami senator who became attorney general and a fierce advocate of liberally interpreting government transparency laws He and the courts gave expansive interpretations to both the Sunshine and public records laws

Claude R Kirk Jr the first Republican governor in Florida

since Reconstruction was a showman who enjoyed vetoing Democratic bills But he didn’t veto those Lawton Chiles was governor when the Legislature adopted a constitutional amendment ensuring public access to records and meetings As a U S senator Chiles used Florida’s open government laws as a model for national legislation that Congress enacted in 1976 But after his election to governor in 1991 some of the reporters had quarrels with him over documents he didn’t want released

Chiles was governor when the Legislature adopted a constitutional amendment forever guaranteeing public access to meetings and records It came in response to a Florida Supreme Court decision that appeared to exclude agencies established in the Constitution like the governor and Cabinet from such access

Then-Attorney General Bob Butterworth strongly pushed for the amendment which voters approved by a record 87 percent in the 1992 election

Ten years later the public ratified another amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in each House to create or renew an exemption from the public record or open meetings laws

That majority was 77 percent

Those referenda proved that open government is enormously popular with the people It is as helpful to individual citizens as to the media

From Kirk to DeSantis governors of both parties generally understood that self-evident truth and complied with the Sunshine laws albeit with occasional lapses and frayed relations with the Tallahassee press corps

Askew, who served as governor from 1971 to 1979, appropriated the word Sunshine for his 1976 initiative amending the Constitution to include a strict ethics code for public officials that requires them to disclose their personal finances The people passed it with 78 9 percent of their votes Graham, who served two terms as governor beginning in 1979, and Gov Bob Martinez, his successor, were respected by the media for their commitment to open government Republican Jeb Bush, elected in 1999, and his staff occasionally had contentious relations with the media On taking office, he refused to reveal his calendar and insisted on meeting in private with legislative leaders But he did not stiff public records requests like DeSantis is doing, and he showed respect to the Sunshine laws Bush s successor, Charlie Crist, had extolled government sunshine as attorney general On his first day in the governor s office, Crist publicly signed an executive order creating an Office of Open Government

Crist s successor, Rick Scott, had become a millionaire running a private hospital company He was unaccustomed to public disclosures, didn t take easily to Florida s, and cracked the door to the ugliness we see today from DeSantis

Steve Bousquet, a Times capital bureau chief during Scott s regime, says Scott and his agencies routinely footdragged Chapter 119 requests He flew on his own airplane, having sold the state s, leaving no official record trail of his travels, and opted out of a national Flight Aware program, making it impossible to track the private aircraft

But unlike DeSantis, Scott did not try to weaken the laws

Mike DeForest, an Orlando television investigative reporter, discovered in February that DeSantis s office has been reviewing and delaying Chapter 119 requests sent to agencies under the governor s command, including the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health, and the FDLE

More than 280 batches of records were sent to the governor s office in 2021 wrote DeForest with dozens returned to the agencies more than two months later and a few kept for nine months or more This appears to be in complete contradiction to the Public Records Act which demands government agencies turn over public records in a reasonable amount of time and makes unjustified delays unlawful

The executive privilege decree Dempsey signed which was essentially drafted by DeSantis’s lawyers is the greatest threat to open government in Florida since the 1992 amendment engraved Sunshine into the Constitution

In that case an anonymous petitioner identified only as J Doe sought documents pertaining to a secret committee of “six or seven pretty big legal conservative heavyweights” that DeSantis said helps him vet candidates for appointments to the Supreme Court

Other sources have revealed that one member of the shadow committee is Leonard Leo the Federalist Society guru who effectively controls federal judicial appointments under Republican administrations Doe sued for relevant documents that weren’t forthcoming Asserting executive privilege the governor’s lawyers argued that executive privilege is “rooted in the separation of powers ” They also claimed that “the privilege is not for the executive but for the benefit of the public to ‘protect the effectiveness of the overall governmental system at stake ’”

It is as LeRoy Collins objected 68 years ago Government is once again telling the public what is good or not good for them to know

Martin Dyckman prepared this commentary for The Florida Center for Government Accountability a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to helping enforce open government laws

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Breeze editorial

CCFW’s vision: Living har moniously with wildlife into Cape Coral’s future

To the editor: Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife attended Gloria Tate’s Catch the Vision but our vision did not hit the newspapers

Our vision for CCFW is simply to save all the wildlife in Cape Coral for our children and grandchildren, all of our residents to enjoy as well as the hundreds of tourists to come to observe our burrowing owls each year

Our vision is to see that we will still have thousands of gopher tortoises, burrowing owls and other wildlife into the 22nd Century beginning 2100

To date we have bought nearly 60 parcels with gopher tortoises and burrowing owls on them Our goal is to buy 150 parcels for wildlife in the Cape Our vision is to see 3 000 owls or more in the Cape forever Our further vision is to build homes for the owls with artificial burrows as we term them starter burrows for peoples yards

Go to CCFRIENDSOFWILDLIFE org for starter burrow information and other information And call 239-980-2593 if you'd like to have a starter burrow in your yard This will aid our mission immensely of over 3,000 owls into the next century

As I said our mission is simple but on going Please join our club for another vision is obtaining over 1 000 members Again go to our web page to join and see further information on our club

Thank you Ms Gloria Tate to let us attend your great Vision expo

Carl Veaux Cape Coral

Candidate racism, bigotr y, should make voters recoil

To the editor: There has actually been a rise in anti-semitic hate speech

and violence lately The Anti Defamation League arrives at a huge increase last year of Anti-Semitism citing 3 697 acts Some of their incidents made their grade because the ADL conflates legitimate complaints of Israel for their political and physical attacks on Palestinians But the rock under which hatred abides has allowed Anti-Semitism to crawl out into the public view It is a trope best left in the dustbin of history

Sadly the concern of rising hate mongering is real Last year has been more than Kanye frothing at the mouth of the internet Our own city police are investigating as a hate-crime the attack on our local Chabad this month This should be a concern of all of us and I wish our police godspeed in finding this criminal Normalizing evil is a mistake

When a former government official screeds complaint of the New York district attorney as Soros financed, calling the DA an animal, we should all recoil This hate speech should be below the dignity of any candidate for public office, even those anticipating indictment George Soros is the Hungarian immigrant who survived the holocaust in Europe and now lives in the U S In this latest tweet-feast of self pity connecting Soros name to the Afro-American DA is supposed to be a dog whistle for the anti-Semitic (Soros was born Jewish, but was hidden by a local Catholic family from Nazi extermination )

My friends we are better than this We should and can take the time to speak out against all hatred sowing against our fellow citizens Has our collective discourse become so bizarre that we really need to say out loud that someone is not an animal because he is Black? Really? My mother had a general rule of thumb with her voting If a candidate race baited during his campaign she would vote for the other one Even if she had initially wanted to vote for the hater Using such language would disqualify him from her vote

There will be many others running in the Republican primary If you are a registered member of the Grand Old Party Feel free to follow mom’s protocol and pass along my horror with your vote in the primary Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

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

Students receive scholarships from Red Sox, Foundation

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

For the eighth consecutive year local high school students were bestowed scholarships by one of the Major League Baseball teams that calls Lee County home each spring

On Sunday 16 students looking to further their educational journey were honored and presented with $5 000 scholarships by the Boston Red Sox and Red Sox Foundation Before the game, each recipient walked onto the field at JetBlue Park to meet Sox manager Alex Cora, received a personalized bat and got a rousing applause from the crowd on hand

“This is what it's all about ” said General Manager Florida Operations and JetBlue Park at Fenway South, Shawn Smith Getting a chance to honor education, as well as veterans are big cornerstones of what we believe in fundamentally as an organization and certainly what I believe in as a person There s no greater thing than to serve Education is the ultimate tool to break down a lot of challenging things in our world, whether it has to do with things economically or socially or politically Education is important To see so many young people that care about their education -- not only the winners, but the finalists and the people that applied -- that they cared that much about their opportunities and their future to be a part of this the honor is all ours ”

Once again this year all Lee County charter and ALS schools were included, with one $5,000 scholarship also being awarded to a student from this category for a total of 16 scholarships worth $80 000

The scholarships are for academically talented students who have shown a commitment to community service and are pursuing a two- or four-year degree at any college or university

The students plan to attend universities ranging from the University of Florida University of Central Florida Florida Gulf Coast University, Harvard, Georgia Tech, Rice and more, and will major in subjects such as computer science business aerospace engineering nursing biology communications and other fields

Scholarship funds are raised annually from proceeds of the Red Sox annual Swings for the Sox Golf Tournament

To date the Swings for the Sox has raised more than $497 000 for local charities and specifically $437,175 for the scholarship program Due to Hurricane Ian, this year s tournament was cancelled Cape Coral High School student Jennifer GongoraC a r u n c h o i s d e c i d i n g b e t w e e n U F a n d V a n d e r b i l t University where she hopes to study biomedical engineering and eventually earn her masters She said when

her sister was younger she dealt with frequent illnesses that required many trips to the hospital Often times, answers could not be provided as to what was going on

“They used to tell us ‘I don't know what's wrong’ a lot

And now that I'm older and reflect back on the effect it had on me, I feel for other families that are told I don t know, Gongora-Caruncho said I want to find answers for people ”

She said a possible road she'd like to go down is into the field of genetics to help those that want children and are unable, to do so Mariner High School's Berk Aydogmus is shooting for the stars next year heading to UCF to study aerospace engineering I always wanted to be an astronaut, so might as well pursue that and hopefully it works out ” Aydogmus said “I want to be up in space ”

He said the scholarship will assist in helping him further his educational path, as he hopes to earn a masters and possibly even a Ph D

Ella Daudbasic of Ida Baker High School has plans to attend FSU next year to study nursing something she says comes from her mother working in healthcare all her life

She always came home and told me stories, and it just sparked a joy in me, so ever since then I've been pushing to pursue something in the medical field ” Daudbasic said

Better late than never as they say as Daudbasic applied for the scholarship on the last day, a decision she's quite happy she made

Breaking ground for Breaking ground for the racquet center the racquet center

New city facility at Lake Kennedy to feature tennis and pickleball courts

By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers com

Perhaps a couple years from now you’ll click on the CBS Sports Network or some other cable outlet and see a major pickleball tournament in Cape Coral with players from around the world playing for top money

On Friday, the city moved forward with its plans to get a piece of what cities such as Naples and Punta Gorda are getting, holding the groundbreaking for its new Lake Kennedy Racquet Center right next door to Sun Splash at 400 Santa Barbara Blvd

For pickleballers like Julie Scott it was a day of triumph as they will soon no longer have to go into another town to play sometimes on makeshift courts

We ve been planning these courts for a few years now and it s finally come to fruition and we re getting it started, said Scott, who is an ambassador for U S A pickleball “It will be fun being able to sleep in my own bed (when playing in tournaments) ”

City dignitaries came to the third groundbreaking in 24 hours City Council members Tom Hayden and Robert Welsh spoke as did Trent Swartz, of Charles Parry Partners, who will construct the facility, spoke

Hayden called it an exciting day for the city as this gives the Cape many recreational opportunities

“This could mean a lot for our economy To finally see it come to fruition after several years is great for the community and adds another jewel to what we already have with our parks system, Hayden said

The facility will have 32 pickleball courts, making it large enough to hold major tournaments with 1,000 players or more as well as 12 tennis courts making for a great place to hold high school matches or senior leagues

Originally the plan was for Charles Perry Partners the contractor to build the facility in two phases with 16 pickleball and six tennis courts in the first phase, with 16 more pickleball courts to be added later The base cost for Phase 1 was around $8 7 million

However, when it was discovered that the city could add another 16 pickleball courts and six more tennis

courts, with lighting and covered seating for only $2 million more the city jumped at the opportunity to construct both phases with Council voting unanimously on Jan 11 to build the entire project at once

The facility also will feature concessions restrooms and a pro shop

This with the hotels and other amenities coming in is going to be huge for the area Scott said as pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country and it's no longer associated with just older individuals anymore

It s very social Unlike tennis where there are more people playing sets You play to 11 in pickleball you get off and come back on with three different people, Scott said The games are short, you meet everybody, it s exercise and a lot of fun

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

The approved 15-year general obligation bond will fund major parks and recreation improvements throughout the city, including this project

BY CJ HADDAD

When I eventually found the scholarship I immediately applied, she said My dad is disabled, my mom works overtime, I have two jobs because I'm trying to save up for college " Daudbasic said "Everything I can do to lessen tuition and housing I'm trying to do ” North Fort Myers students Makayla Ashley is going to FGCU next year with plans to study elementary education, which she said could possibly change, but wants to work in the world of education

“I've always had a great connection to school I really like the environment ” Ashley said “We need teachers and I want to be a part of that impact and I want to help change the school system to where all kids have more opportunities to learn and have a mentor to be there to guide them

Tawny De La Fe Cruz of Island Coast has plans to attend UF to study aerospace engineering

I ve always liked engineering and physics, so I thought that would be the best combination of both of them ” he said

De La Fe Cruz said his dream job would to work with NASA with satellites and in the telecommunications realm He added the scholarship money is a major step in the right direction when it comes to moving forward

“It's going to help pay for housing mainly as I'll be moving to Gainesville next year ” De La Fe Cruz said

The Red Sox Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

Registration begins for next Lifelong Learning sessions

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

New classes are being offered this session for Lifelong Learning Adult & Career Education which includes family classes

The next session will begin on April 3 with classes on Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday at four sites throughout the county

Adult & Career Education Lifelong Learning Teacher on Assignment Marliss Brockington said the classes are from 6-8 p m and are six-week sessions The classes are $53 a class, with the exception of Smokin' Hot BBQ, which is $120 to cover class expenses

These are the most affordable classes you are going to find People are so surprised at how cheap they are, she said “We are excited it is growing since bringing it back since COVID ”

The classes at Cape Coral High School, 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd , are either offered on Tuesday or Thursday night

A new class offered is a family floral sculpture painting class on Tuesday This class offers a different kind of art form where students will shape flowers paint them and create a beautiful piece of art

We are offering three family classes this session, she said “An adult can bring a child with them ”

Another class offered at Cape High on Tuesday is Microsoft Office Basics, which is a beginner class for Word Excel and PowerPoint

Intermediate Spanish will also be offered on Tuesdays, as the beginner Spanish class was offered at the last session She said students wanted to move up to a more advanced level

A beginner Spanish class will be offered Thursday night as well as an introductory American sign language course and a United States Citizenship Test Prep course

The Lee County Public Education Center 2855 Colonial Blvd is offering a number of courses including a few new classes, crochet for beginners, a family class and conversational Haitian Creole both on Wednesday

In addition, Brockington said students asked for a family ukulele class, as they wanted to bring their children, which has been added to the schedule on Monday There is also an ukulele for adults class offered on Wednesday

Other Monday classes include beginner conversational Spanish intermediate conversational Spanish Micro-soft Office basics and U S Citizenship Civics Test Prep course

Wednesday classes include beginner conversational Spanish conversational English conversational Haitian Creole and Smokin' Hot BBQ which is classroom-based Brockington said the instructor smokes the food and brings it in for the class to taste With the class only consisting of two hours, the instructor will teach techniques in class This class is $120 to cover the food the instructor brings to the classroom

The last location, Cypress Lake High School, 6750 Panther Lane offers Let’s Get Fit on both Tuesday and Thursday Brockington said the art class will start back up in the fall at this location

Registration is open until the day of the class and can be done at www leeschools net/llc

CHUCK BALLARO

Above, Cape Coral Communications Specialist Lauren Kurkimilis, right, shows residents the plans for the Lake Kennedy Racquet Center on Friday Top, members of the Cape Coral City Council and others break ground on the Racquet Center Friday

On Sunday, 16 local high school students looking to further their education were honored and presented with $5,000 scholarships by the Boston Red Sox and Red Sox Foundation

Cape council members visit Washington, D.C.

B y C H U C K B A L L A R O n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h r e e m e m b e r s o f t h e C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l m a d e a v i s i t t o t h e n a t i o n s c a p i t a l i n W a s h i n g t o n , D C t h i s w e e k t o t h a n k S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a ’ s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s i n C o n g r e s s f o r t h e w o r k t h e y h a v e d o n e o n t h e r e g i o n ’ s b e h a l f a n d t o a s k f o r m o r e h e l p i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f H u r r i c a n e I a n W h i l e t a k i n g t h e t r i p t o t h e N a t i o n a l L e a g u e o f C i t i e s C o n g r e s s i o n a l C i t y C o n f e r e n c e , C o u n c i l m e m b e r s J e s s i c a C o s d e n R o b e r t W e l s h a n d T o m H a y d e n w e n t t o t h e C a p i t o l M o n d a y t o s p e a k w i t h U S R e p B y r o n D o n a l d s a n d w i t h U S S e n s R i c k S c o t t a n d M a r c o R u b i o t o d e l i v e r t h a n k s a n d w h a t t h e y w o u l d l i k e t o s e e t o h e l p e a c h o t h e r s a g e n d a T h e c o u n c i l m e m b e r s d i d n o t g e t t o m e e t w i t h t h e s e n a t o r s b u t d i d v i s i t w i t h t h e i r s t a f f T h e y d i d m e e t w i t h D o n a l d s b e f o r e r e t u r n i n g h o m e W e d n e s d a y m o r n i n g H a y d e n s a i d t h a t w a s t h e p o i n t T h e k e y t h i n g w a s t o m e e t w i t h t h e s t a f f s o f o u r t w o s e n a t o r s a n d h a v e a b o u t 2 0 m i n u t e s w i t h B y r o n D o n a l d s t o t a l k a b o u t i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s l i k e t h e F E M A t r a i l e r s a n d w h y w e c a n ’ t h a v e t h e m i n t h e c o a s t a l h i g h h a z a r d a r e a s ” H a y d e n s a i d “ W e t a l k e d a b o u t H U D m o n e y a n d w h e n w e m i g h t s e e a n s w e r s o n a f o r m u l a , j u s t g i v e t h e m o u r l e g i s l a t i v e t a l k i n g p o i n t s W e l s h s a i d t h e N a t i o n a l L e a g u e o f C i t i e s c o n f e r e n c e g a v e t h e m t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m e e t w i t h o f f i c i a l s f r o m o t h e r c i t i e s l a r g e a n d s m a l l t o s e e w h a t t h e y ’ r e d o i n g a n d d i s c u s s a r e a s o f m u t u a l i n t e r e s t W e c a n l o b b y t o g e t h e r w i t h o u r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a n d f o r m a c o m m o n g o a l O u r v o i c e s a r e s t r o n g e r t o g e t h e r , W e l s h s a i d T h e c o n f e r e n c e d i s c u s s e d A m e r i c a n R e s c u e P l a n m o n e y a n d h o w i t ’ s b e i n g s p e n t o n s e w e r s a n d t h e n e w m e d i c a t i o n f o r f e n t a n y l o v e r d o s e s W e l s h s a i d t h e c i t y i s a h e a d o f t h e c u r v e o n b o t h t h o s e a r e a s A s f o r t h e l o b b y i n g , t h e C a p e c o n t i n g e n t a l s o t h a n k e d t h e s t a f f s f o r t h e s e p t i c - t o - s e w e r c o n v e r s i o n m o n e y f o r t h e C a l o o s a h a t c h e e C o n n e c t f u n d i n g w h i l e

Y o u w a n t p r o o f y o u r p e r m i t w a s p u l l e d a n d i n s p e c t e d a n d f i n a l e d , y o u h a v e t o g o d o w n t h e r e a n d p a y t h e m f o r a p h o t oc o p y o f t h e p i e c e o f p a p e r ” N o t a l l b r o k e r s h a v e h a d t h i s p r o b l e m R e i d M c D a n i e l o f M c D a n i e l I n s u r a n c e S o l u t i o n s , s a i d t h i s h a s n o t b e e n a n i s s u e b e c a u s e h i s c o m p a n y i s m u l t i - s t a t e a n d h a s a c c e s s t o n a t i o n a l i n s u r a n c e p r o v i d e r s m a n y l o c a l c o m p an i e s d o n t A c c o r d i n g t o c i t y s p o k e s p e r s o n K a i t l y n M u l l e n , a n y o n e w i t h a H u r r i c a n e I a n p a p e r p e r m i t c a n r e q u e s t p e r m i t s t at u s i n f o r m a t i o n d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e P e r m i t t i n g S e r v i c e s D i v i s i o n M a n y o f t h e s e p e o p l e a r e u p n o r t h b e c a u s e t h e i r h o u s e s h e r e a r e u n i n h a b i ta b l e a n d n o b o d y c a n p h y s i c a l l y g e t t h e p e r m i t f o r t h e m M o n d a y t h r o u g h T h u r s d a y T h e i n s p e c t i o n f o r m i s a o n e - p a g e p r e p r i n t e d f o r m w i t h h a n d - w r i t t e n i n f o rm a t i o n o n i t s u c h a s t h e a d d r e s s a n d t h e t y p e o f i n s p e c t i o n G a r d n e r s a i d t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t h a t i d e n t i f i e s a n y t h i n g “ W e o b t a i n e d t w o p e r m i t s b o t h h a d a

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k e e p i n g t h e t a l k i n g p o i n t s f o r t h e c i t y i n t h e i r m i n d s H a y d e n s a i d h e h a d o n e m a i n t h o u g h t w h e n d e c i d i n g t o a t t e n d “ T h e y t o l d u s t o r e a c h o u t t o t h e m w i t h o u r c o n c e r n s I w e n t b e c a u s e o f w h a t h a p p e n e d t o u s i n S e p t e m b e r a n d r e s o u r c e s t h a t w i l l b e m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o u s f o r h u rr i c a n e r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s , H a y d e n s a i d W e l s h h a d t h e s a m e i d e a H e s a i d h e w a s h o p i n g t o g e t g r a n t m o n e y f o r a f u t u r e C a p e C o r a l U t i l i t i e s E x t e n s i o n P r o j e c t p h a s e s s i n c e N o r t h 1 W e s t i s u n d e r w a y H e a l s o w a n t s t h e c i t y t o g e t i t s f a i r s h a r e o f t h e $ 1 b i l l i o n i n I a n r e l i e f m o n e y t h e c o u n t y i s g o i n g t o r e c e i v e , u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t c i t i e s l i k e S a n i b e l a n d F o r t M y e r s B e a c h w e r e p u l v e r i z e d i n t h e s t o r m “ W e ’ d l i k e t o g e t a g r a n t p a s s e d t h r o u g h w h i c h w e c a n p a s s t o t h e r e s i d e n t s W e a l s o a s k e d S e n S c o t t ’ s s t a f f i f t h e y c o u l d g e t w i t h H U D a n d d e f i n e w h a t w e c a n s p e n d t h e m o n e y o n , W e l s h s a i d T h e b l o c k g r a n t i s k i n d o f v a g u e a n d w e w a n t t o m a k e s u r e w e c a n f i g h t f o r o u r f a i r s h a r e a s t h e l a r g e s t m u n i c i p a l i t y i n L e e C o u n t y ” I f i t c a m e d o w n t o p u t t i n g t o g e t h e r a p a c k a g e p r op o s a l , W e l s h s a i d h e w a n t e d t o c r e a t e t h e b e s t o n e t o h e l p c a p t u r e t h a t f u n d i n g “ I f e e l t h e m o n e y i s t h e r e b u t i f y o u d o n ’ t p u t i t i n a p a c k a g e w i t h a b o w o n t o p y o u ’ r e n o t g o i n g t o g e t i t W e w a n t s o m e d i r e c t i o n o n w h a t w i l l w o r k f r o m a f e de r a l l e v e l W e l s h s a i d I f e e l C a p e C o r a l d o e s n t a l w a y s g e t i t s f a i r s h a r e w h e n i t c o m e s t o t a x d o l l a r s I w i l l a l w a y s f i g h t f o r C a p e C o r a l t o g e t i t s f a i r s h a r e C o s d e n s a i d s h e b e l i e v e s t h e i r m e s s a g e w a s h e a r d “ I t w a s a v e r y p r o d u c t i v e t r i p ” s h e s a i d “ W e t a l k e d w i t h o u r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a b o u t i s s u e s i m p o r t a n t t o C a p e C o r a l , l i k e s e p t i c - t o - s e w e r c o n v e r s i o n f u n d i n g , F E M A r e i m b u r s e m e n t , a n d a s s i s t a n c e f o r H u r r i c a n e I a n v i ct i m s I l e f t f e e l i n g l i k e w e w e r e t r u l y h e a r d A s a n e l e c te d o f f i c i a l m y s e l f I k n o w h o w i m p a c t f u l f a c e - t o - f a c e m e e t i n g s c a n b e ”

t e m b e c a u s e t h e y a r e n t i n t h e s y s t e m I c a n p u l l i t w h e n t h e y r e p l a c e t h e a i r c o nd i t i o n e r b u t t h i s i s c o s t i n g p e o p l e t h e i r i n s u r a n c e ” G a r d n e r s a i d “ T h e y c a n ’ t g e t a n e w p o l i c y a n d p r o v e t h e r e p a i r s h a v e b e e n m a d e T h e d i s c o u n t f o r a n e w r o o f i s t r e m e nd o u s b u t n o u n d e r w r i t e r w i l l t a k e t h e h a n d w r i t t e n i n s p e c t i o n t i c k e t t h a t a n y o n e c a n w r i t e a n d c a n ’ t p r o v e i t ’ s a s a d e q u a t e a s t h e i r s , h e c o n t e n d s M u l l e n s a i d c i t y s t a f f h a s b e e n p r ov i d i n g t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n t o i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n i e s c o n t r a c t o r s a n d h o m e o w n e r s u p o n r e q u e s t M u l l e n s a i d t h e i n f o r m at i o n w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e i n t h e E n e r G o v s y s t e m i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e L y n n B o l d i s s a r , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e C C C I A , s a i d i t i s u p t o t h e c o n t r a c t o r w o r k i n g o n t h e r o o f t o p u l l t h e p e r m i t a n d s u b m i t i t t o t h e i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n y n o t t h e h o m e o w n e r W h e n t h e p e r m i t i s c o m p l e t e , t h e r o o f e r i s n o t i f i e d H o w e v e r , w i t h t h e p a p e r p e r m i t y o u h a v e t o g o t o C i t y H a l l t o g e t t h e f i n a l i z a t i o n f o r i t ” B o l d i s s a r s a i d

B o l d i s s a r s a i d t h e p a p e r p e r m i t s h a v e b e e n a n i s s u e b e c a u s e o f t h e b a c k l o g , w h i c h m a y i n t u r n c r e a t e p r o b l e m s w i t h c o n t r a c t o r s a n d i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n i e s g e tt i n g t h e f i n a l i n s p e c t i o n T h e c i t y h a s i s s u e d o v e r 4 3 , 0 0 0 p e rm i t s s i n c e H u r r i c a n e I a n , w i t h n e a r l y 5 0 0 0 i s s u e d u n d e r t h e c i t y ’ s t e m p o r a r y p a p e r p e r m i t p r o c e s s a f t e r I a n ’ s l a n d f a l l M u l l e n s a i d T h e r e w e r e a l o t o f n e w r o o f e r s w h o s h o w e d u p i n t h e a r e a t h e d a y a f t e r t h e s t o r m a n d t h e y w e r e f i l l i n g t h e s t u f f o u t a n d n o w y o u h a v e a s t o c k p i l e o f 9 0 0 0 r o o f s a n d o n l y s o m u c h s t a f f t o g e t t h e m p r o c e s s e d ” B o l d i s s a r s a i d “ O n c e t h e y g e t i n t o t h e s y s t e m , i t w i l l s o l v e a l o t o f p r o b l e m s C i t y C o u n c i l m e m b e r P a t t y C u m m i n g s w a s c o n f i d e n t t h e c i t y i s w o r k i n g t o m a k e t h i n g s g o m o r e s m o o t h l y E v e r y d a y t h i n g s a r e g e t t i n g j u s t a l i t t l e b i t b e t t e r W e w i l l h a v e a l l t h e p e rm i t s i n a n d e v e r y t h i n g i s g o i n g t o b e f i n e v e r y s o o n , C u m m i n g s s a i d

PHOTO PROVIDED

Cape Coral City Council members Tom Hayden, Robert Welsh and Jessica Coden made a trip to Washington D C this week taking part in a National League of Cities conference

SWFL Veterans Expo set for April 3 at FGCU

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Southwest Florida entities have put together a one-stop-shop event for local veterans seeking job opportunities, resources, and benefits SWFL Inc’s Veteran Business Council CareerSource Southwest Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University will host the second annual SWFL Veterans Expo on Monday, April 3, from 9 a m to 1 p m in the Cohen Center Ballroom on the campus of FGCU

The free expo is the VBC’s premiere event that gathers all the resources veterans and their families need in one place

Our goal with this event is to reach and assist all the veterans we can in our community, and to bring the veterans together to be able to network and see there are other veterans in our area that are possibly going through the same thing said Chair the SWFL Inc VBC and District Representative for Congressman Byron Donalds, Stephanie Neurock “We have the opportunities and resources available to assist them at the expo ”

This hiring and holistic experiences event is specifically tailored towards the needs of post 9/11 veterans, however veterans from every era are welcome to attend to explore programs services and career opportunities

“Our goal with this event is to reach and assist all the veterans we can in our community, and to bring the veterans together to be able to network and see there are other veterans in our area that are possibly going through the same thing We have the opportunities and resources available to assist them at the expo ”

The event is also open to all FGCU students

More than 20 employers will be on hand including Amazon Military Arthrex SunSeekers Resort Florida Department of Corrections, Lee County Government, Lee Health, NeoGenomics, USPS, United Rentals RT Moore Marriott and First Nation Group Veteran services will include Congressman Byron Donalds office, CareerSource Southwest Florida, Concerned Veterans For America, Lee County Veteran Services Florida Department of Veterans Affairs Lee Health VA Health Care Center APEX Accelerator SWFL Inc VA- Suicide Prevention, Veteran Court-Lee County, and Wounded Veteran Relief Fund Programs and experiences will include Home Base FGCU Veterans Florida

Entrepreneurship Program FGCU Career Services FGCU Complete Freedom Waters Fish With A Hero, MOAA, and Veterans Florida

Stephanie Neurock, spoksperson

“It’s pretty unique because we’re going to have veteran-owned small businesses at the expo that are local ” said Neurock who is an Army veteran We also are going to have the top producing agencies in our area the big dogs that are doing well and have great opportunities for veterans We’ve also given quite a few veteran-owned businesses a free table so that they can get that exposure and possibly hire other veterans We have government entities and nonprofits All of it is going to be geared towards veterans Last year we didn’t really have national programs This year we do ” In 2022 the expo had more than 60 tables of employers, resources, government entities, benefits and programs with more than 350 in attendance This year, it will feature out ofstate-programs attending like the Pat Tillman Foundation which just flipped the coin at the Super Bowl It s all about bringing those resources to our local veterans, Neurock said

With a large veteran population in Southwest Florida, events such as the expo are an invaluable resource for those looking for direct information from the source and inperson opportunities

Neurock said it’s extremely important to spread the word on what s out there for military members when their service has concluded

“A lot of veterans don’t feel like they want to go out and get the help or that they deserve it ” Neurock said “That’s something that’s really prominent in the veteran community I didn t go to the VA until probably a decade after I got out I thought I don t need that Somebody else will need it more over me ’ It was really hard for me to get the help This will allow veterans to see these programs are here for them If we don t utilize them, they re going to be phased out

To receive a parking permit, attendees are encouraged to register for this free event by visiting www Eventbrite com and search SWFL Veterans Expo

For more information on SWFL Inc VBC, visit www swflinc com/veterans-business-council

The Cohen Ballroom on the campus of FGCU is at 10501 FGCU Blvd South Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

Plans to replace Ian-damaged Cafferata with new K-8 campus move forward

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers

com

The Lee County School Board gave a nod of approval

Tuesday to move forward with the new K-8 Hector A Cafferata Jr Elementary School

The district plans to build the new K-8 school on vacant property at 214 N W 20th Ave in Cape Coral

Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said during Tuesday night's meeting that the school board gave him authority to begin to establish the construction process for Hector A Cafferata Jr Elementary School He can now direct staff to develop the design phase one and construction phase two portions of the project

During Tuesday night s meeting, the board also conducted its Lee County School Board Leasing Corporation

meeting, which gave approval to tear down the old elementary school, which was damaged by Hurricane Ian

"The property being leveled will be a signal to the community we are taking it down in one place and building it back in another " Bernier said

Hector A Cafferata students currently are attending school in portable classrooms at a temporary campus

Touch A Truck: Cape event for kids to include a horn-free hour

From page 1A

at the trucks We tell the people that have kids that struggle with the noises that they can come early watch the trucks as they roll in and have them go to the trucks during the horn-free hour

To share information about Fragile X syndrome the foundation has a booth at the event Steve shared that a lot of visitors want

to volunteer for the foundation after learning more about the disorder They also encourage people with family members who have intellectual disabilities to have them tested for Fragile X Previous Cape Coral TAT attendee Melody Suain has nothing but positive things to say about the event She brought her son Justin 11 and her niece McKenna 7

The kids talked with some firefighters, someone from the SWAT team and a gentleman who brought a race car last year They learned about being a police officer being a firefighter and lots of other jobs Suain said They loved to be able to climb on all of the big trucks, and had a blast even just honking the horns ” Suain added that EHL Fragile X

Foundation was very thoughtful to have the honk-free hour at the beginning in for those with sensory needs and is proof of their dedication to putting on a great event

Absolutely do it It s a fun day out she said The people are great and the vendors are great It s a great, family day out for not a lot of money and we can’t wait to do it again on Saturday the 1st ”

Veterans: 50th anniversary of American troops exiting Vietnam marked

From page 1A

respect which was something many did not receive when they returned home all those years ago We want to make sure that those who did not come home or who are on that wall are not forgotten The Vietnam Veterans Wall (at Eco Park) has 81 names on it but they aren’t just names They are individuals who all had stories and something to go along with that name, said Stuart Berman, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy from 1963-67 “We have pictures and bios of all of them that

we donated to the Brotherhood of Heroes

The ceremony was also important because these veterans are aging fast and there aren t nearly as many as there used to be We re all at that age in our 70s and 80s

We’re dropping like crazy It’s a thank you that we never got before The VFW wouldn’t even let us in ” said Richard Plesak U S Marine Corps from 1965-69 and president of the VVA chapter They called us baby killers I never saw a baby killed It was the hype people got into

We went because we were supposed to go

Charles Reed who served in the Marines from 1971-75 said it was an honor to honor those 81 people on memorial wall moved from Fort Myers to the veterans area at the Cape Coral park

“Those who are on that wall are the real heroes Everyone who served during that time history shows we were not welcomed home Today, it s very different, Reed said Arlene Pulner of the DAR read a proclamation from Gov Ron DeSantis commemorating the day and Beti Bastian handed out

certificates and commemoration pins to those veterans in attendance with one Robert Payne dedicating his award to Air Force Sgt John O Neil Rucker the last American to die in the war

Larry Ager ended the event by asking his fellow veterans “who they are ”

“We’re pushing 300 000 people in this town These young people don’t have a clue what it cost, Ager said Maybe a few ladies do, but the rest of us don t This country is free and exists and we need to tell a few if you can today ”

Lee school board reps weigh in on ‘school choice’ legislation

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Lee County School Board reps are weighing the pros and the potential impacts of House Bill 1, state legislation that expands school choice options to all students while eliminating current enrollment caps and financial eligibility restrictions

The funding follows students legislation, which provides for universal school vouchers was signed by Gov Ron DeSantis this week Nearly every student in the state whether currently attending public private or home schooled will be eligible to apply for a voucher

From an individual, parent perspective, Lee County School Board member Sam Fisher said he is thankful for what the governor and state legislature has done with HB 1

Choice is very important Me as a parent, I understand how important it is to make educational decisions for my kids, Fisher said “I can say individually that we have a really great school district here I continue to believe that many families will continue to choose the Lee County School District

He said there are choices within the district from public, to charter schools, private or homeschool which provides more power for parents to choose what best suites their children

School board member Debbie Jordan also said she understands the premise She does, though, have some concerns about the impact on public school districts’ already strained budgets

I understand that they want parents to have rights I believe parents always have rights, Jordan said As a parent and as a grandparent I have never lost my rights Your rights are always there ”

Jordan’s concern lies in protecting public schools and being financially sound so as to provide the best education for students

The school board traveled to Tallahassee to hear what transpired with HB 1 The questions asked regarding money where it will come from and what happens if there is a shortfall in the district s budget was never really answered as the presenter felt like there was not going to be an issue, she said

“The districts are going to have to figure it

“Choice is very important Me as a parent, I understand how important it is to make educational decisions for my kids I can say individually that we have a really great school district here I continue to believe that many families will continue to choose the Lee County School District ”

Lee County School Board member Sam Fisher

out I don t know how you would guestimate that, Jordan said

She pointed out that the district already has a choice system in place

“We are a choice district ” she said “That is something you already have as a parent to decide what is best for your child

DeSantis signed HB1 in Miami on March 27, hailing the legislation he says puts parents in control of their child’s education

“Florida is No 1 when it comes to education freedom and education choice and today s bill signing represents the largest expansion of education choice in the history of these United States,” the governor said “When you combine private scholarships charter schools and district choice programs Florida already has 1 3 million students attending a school of their choosing These programs have been instrumental in elevating student achievement over the past 20 years ”

“This legislation is a transformational opportunity to make it clear that the money follows the child, and parents have a right to guide their child s education as they see fit, said state Sen Corey Simon, R-District 3

“We recognize that parents are a child’s first and best teachers A street address or level of income should never replace the vital and irreplaceable role of a parent to decide what academic experience best fits the needs of their child This bill is about access and opportunity for all students and every family in our state I am thankful and blessed that my mother worked so hard and made many sacrifices to make certain I had the opportunity to attend a good school Not all students are so lucky, but that changes today, and it changes because here in the free state of Florida with the visionary leadership of Gov DeSantis we are going to stop funding sys-

tems and start funding students

According to an analysis by the Florida Policy Institute and the Education Law Center this school year more that $1 3 billion public school dollars were diverted to private schools under current programs HB1 projects an annual program cost in excess of $4 billion in funds that would have gone to public school districts throughout the state

In regards to current programs the bill eliminates a number of things such as the existing financial eligibility restrictions enabling students who are eligible to enroll in K-12 through school choice options

Complications lie with the per student allotment following a student via a voucher that can be used to pay for or partially pay for their alternative education of choice

For example, if the child currently attends a public school, the public school allotment could become a voucher that could be used to attend a private school

Jordan questioned what happens budgetwise if a student is already in a private schoo with no allocation to follow them

That money now will be coming out of the district ” she said “There are certain quarters that they pay out If your child is going to a private school and then tomorrow you decide you want them back at the public school, that money does not come back to us

We are responsible for educating and everything they need without having those funds ”

Jordan also talked about the “$8 000 coupon ” which would apply to tuition to an alternative school which a parent might already be paying

If I am in a private school, any private school if the student is worth $8 000 that is their amount per student That money would be an $8 000 coupon Why would people not

take that coupon and put that towards the fee of the school and pay the difference? she asked

She asked how accountability was going to be had if all these vouchers given are “following students

Is it going to be the same for private, homeschool, charter schools, as they are in the education of public schools?” Jordan asked

How are we going to figure out the budget? Jordan continued They (district staff) are trying to figure out what the effects are going to be

HB 1 will continue to prioritize awards to students with lower household incomes those that do not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty level and will incorporate a second priority to award scholarships to students who live in households with incomes between 185 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level ”

The annual scholarship will also increase for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities from 1 to 3 percent

An online option will be developed so parents can choose among education options

HB1 eliminates the current enrollment cap, as well as the exception to the maximum number of students participating in FES-EO There will be a cap of 20 000 new scholarships for 2023-2024 for students who are not full-time enrolled in public private or are not Home Education Program students There is a cap of 40,000 new scholarships every year thereafter

The bill had a few good additions according to Jordan

One will help the teaching profession by allowing general education requirements to be waived for teachers with three years in the classroom with effective or highly effective ratings for three consecutive years

There is also an expansion of the length of temporary teaching certificates from three to five years, which is something the district has been fighting for with their legislative priorities for years Jordan said that is huge as the requirements will be waived for classroom teaching allowing teachers to stay in the classroom and teach

It’s time to get your tarpon gear ready to go

With a warm winter and warm water the tarpon are definitely on the way north with some already here mixing with our resident fish Now is definitely the time to get your boat and gear in order for the type of tarpon fishing you enjoy be it dead baiting on the bottom with catfish shad mackerel or ladyfish; to throwing soft plastic swimbaits like DOA Baitbusters; hard plugs with single hooks or my favorite Hogy soft plastic eels

So you ve caught more than your fair share of tarpon over the years on conventional tackle and each year you make a promise to yourself to finally get a nice fish on that fly rod that’s been sitting in the corner for years collecting dust or, you don t even own a fly outfit

If you haven t yet been already bitten by the fly rod virus then let’s start with the basics For serious fish of say 80 pounds to way over a 100 the 12-weight rod is considered standard fare If you re ready to make the commitment and do some shopping, the first order of business is to stop take a breath and do your research

You ll quickly find that the high end equipment carries a really high end price which stops a lot of folks before they start Most anglers can’t afford to buy $900 rods and $600 one-piece machined reels plus the $120 fly line to load it with This isn t the way to start anyway, afterall, you might not like fly fishing Even better first take some fly fishing lessons from a friend or take a course that requires no equipment like the popular 2-hour total beginners course I ve offered for years

If you decide you might like fly fishing then start by buying a relatively inexpensive combo kit offered by local retailers or the big stores like Bass Pro Shops or Cabela s Right now Bass Pro is selling its 12-weight Gold Cup Combo for just under $400 Save even more and shop online for some spectacular deals on high end rods and reels A 12-weight is a good all-around rod for large tarpon as well as the tons of sharks that visit each year, which in shallow water are definitely one of my favorite gamefish especially on a fly rod

While you re warming up for spring tarpon, take a few days and run offshore to do battle with permit some pushing the over 40-pound mark This permit bonanza has been happening for several weeks now but won t last forever Small crabs are top baits for these beautiful chrome fish and yes like pompano are also great on the plate Permit are definitely one of the world’s hardest fish to fool on the clear flats of the Keys or some exotic distant location, especially with a fly rod, but deep-water permit don’t require the same degree of stealth

Back inshore trout redfish small to medium sharks, pompano and snook are all on the move and feeding Now s the time to bag a jumbo snook with dead baits on the bottom mixed with patience or try a live mullet or ladyfish under a float around big structure

Snapper are everywhere, including the feisty 1-inch one I caught from my seawall this morning on a Rapala X-Rap minnow Going offshore on calm days puts you in big snapper territory with fish over 6 pounds, available along with lane snapper and red grouper Always keep an eye peeled and a rod ready for cobia or king fish when travelling offshore this time of year

For a really fun morning or evening, hit the Cape's freshwater canals with a 6 to 8-weight rod; a floating weight forward line; and a handful of bass bugs and poppers to slowly work the lily pads, blow downs and docks you ll encounter Cast weedless bugs into heavy cover and hang on

George Tunison

Red Sox lose Spring Training finale, head back to Boston for season opener

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The Boston Red Sox wrapped up their 12th Spring Training at JetBlue Park Tuesday afternoon, dropping a 7-5 contest to the Atlanta Braves

The game marked the final bout before the club headed to Boston in preparation to open the season versus the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park

With nearly every roster move having been made (one of the final coming hours after the final pitch as the Sox with Jarren Duran optioned to Triple-A) the truck was parked outside the clubhouse to signify it was time to head back up north

“Excited ” said manager Alex Cora when asked his thoughts on getting ready to start the regular season Spring Training this year was a lot different than the last two, as far as the travel and all that It was a lot longer in a sense and obviously guys playing in the (World Baseball Classic) We're in a good spot offensively We're a good team We're not perfect We're not great But we can win ballgames and that's the most important thing Looking forward to getting to Fenway Newcomer and WBC standout Masataka

Yoshida made his presence known in the bottom half of the first taking a Charlie Morton fastball and depositing it over the 420-foot marker in center for a two-run homer his first of the spring Yoshida, who signed a 5year, $90 million deal with Boston this offseason, made the All-WBC team representing the champions in Japan He hit 409 and led the tournament with 13 RBI

“This is a real honor to play with the Boston Red Sox, because this is a really traditional team, and a lot of times being World Series champions ” Yoshida said through translator Keiichiro Wakabayashi The only thing I m focusing on is to play hard every day and contribute to the team winning ” Of Yoshida's prowess at the plate Cora said I think obviously he s still learning Scouting report is going to come into play He studies (Hitting coach Peter Fatse) and the group have done an amazing job giving him direction before atbats and before games He's a smart individual He understands One of the things I notice from the tournament and some at-bats here, even the handful he had before he left, with men in scoring position he knows what he wants to do He hits the ball in the air he hits it the other way -- he cashes in on those situations, and that s great

A first-round pick in the 2018 Draft, Triston Casas, launched a solo shot to leadoff the second to put the Sox up 3-1 The Florida native will break camp with the club after appearing in 27 games last year at the Big League level Casas finished the spring hitting 333 with 10 RBI and four home runs

Kutter Crawford got the pitching start for Boston and he'll be Cora's fourth man in the rotation behind Opening Day starter Corey Kluber Chris Sale and Tanner Houck Veteran Nick Pivetta rounds out the group

Crawford went 4 innings on Tuesday,

allowing five earned runs on seven hits, striking out five and giving up one homer

Over four starts and five total appearances this spring the 26-year-old Okeechobee native pitched to a 4 15 ERA striking out 19 over 17 1/3 frames The fastball was down, he got hit hard down there and he threw a lot of strikes ” Cora said of Crawford The pitch mix is obviously going to be better when the season starts He threw a few good cutters in the end He has a good arsenal good mix ”

The Braves plated three runs in the third one in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a lead they wouldn t relinquish

In the eighth, catcher Connor Wong, who won the backup spot in camp behind Reese McGuire launched his own solo shot to center a good sign for a player who missed a lot of camp with a hamstring strain he suffered in early March

We're comfortable with him He's moving well, Cora said What he brings to the equation behind the plate is great but we know he can do that He can hit for power I talked to both (McGuire and Wong) and I'm like, Don t try to be somebody that you re not ' Just do what you have to do offensively and take care of your job defensively If we do that we're gonna be in a good spot ”

Connect with Associate Sports Editor CJ Haddad on Twitter: @haddad cja

Voting begins for Breeze’s March Athlete of the Month

Voting for the Cape Coral Breeze Athlete of the Month for March is now open

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

Nominees for March include:

■ Jorge Acosta Herrera senior Island Coast Gators: Acosta Herrera finished first in the javelin at the Loretta Purish Invitational, posting a mark of 47 08 meters

■ Abagail Brannan freshman Cape Coral Seahawks: Brannan put together a 4-for-4 performance with a triple in a 19-0 win over Dunbar, where she collected 5 RBI and scored 4 runs

■ Chris Minto, senior, Mariner Tritons: The senior climbed the mountain again earning his third consecutive FHSAA State Championship Minto was tops in the 2A 160-pound weight class, and finished the year with a 54-1 record

■ Maximus Brady, sophomore, Mariner

Wednesday BASEBALL

Bishop Verot 4, San Bernandino (CA)

Aquinas 1: Aidan Knaak went the distance for the Vikings (10-5) allowing a run on four hits while striking out nine Matthew Turner and Jason Bello were each 2-for-4 with an RBI Fidel Alviar and Timothy Lawson had RBI, and Owen Rardin went 2for-3 and scored a run

SOFTBALL

North Fort Myers 4, Old Forge (PA) 0:

Kaliyah Williams pitched a three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts, and also doubled in two runs to lead the Red Knights (9-1)

Desirae Devine was 2-for-3 driving in a run and scoring a run Azlynn Gomes drove in North s other run

Bishop Verot 3, Lakewood Ranch 2: Victoria Ash allowed two unearned runs on five hits to earn the win for the Vikings (11-

2) Lillie Layne was 2-for-3 driving in a run

GIRLS TENNIS Cape Coral 6, Mariner 1

Singles : Vaneza Tamayo (CC) d Morgan Everly 6-1, 6-

3 Sofia Lamping (CC) d Lily DiMurro 6-1, 6-2 Elise

Meyers (CC) d Sophia Vianest 6-3 6-0 Emma Tuescher

(M) d Isabella Tamayo 5-5 retired Janelle Bombino

( CC ) d R e e s e V i n s o n 8 - 2 Do ub le s : V Ta m a yo / Lamping (CC) d DiMurro/Everly 8-1 Bombino/Meyers

(CC) d Tuescher/Vinson 8-2

BOYS TENNIS Cape Coral 5, Mariner 2

Franklin Lewandowski (CC)

Singles : Ty Lendino (CC) d Karl Schott 6-0 6-0

Tritons: Brady took home his second consecutive FHSAA State Championship in Kissimmee this year in the 126-pound division The 2A champion finished the season with a record of 53-1

■ Kaiden Crossdale, senior, Ida Baker Bulldogs: The senor took top honors at the 63rd Edison Relays in Fort Myers in the high jump clearing the bar at 6-feet 4-inches

■ Kendall Wylie senior North Fort Myers Red Knights: The senior got it done both at the plate and in the circle last week for the Red Knights going 4-for-9 with a home run and 3 RBI over three North wins She also went 3-0 as a pitcher tossing 18 total innings allowing 2 earned runs and striking out 24

■ Layton Breckenridge, senior, Ida Baker Bulldogs: The senior took home a Lee County Athletic Conference Championship in Olympic weightlifting in the 219-pound division, with a total lift of 440 pounds He also finished second in traditional, lifting 570 pounds

PREP REPORT

Tuesday BASEBALL

Oasis 12, Oasis 2: Noah Pinney doubled and drove in four runs for the Sharks (4-3) Gabe Gair went 3-for-3 with a double and Alex Garay hit two doubles and drove in a run on a 2-for-2 night Kavanaugh Brady went 2-for-2, scoring two runs and driving in one North Fort Myers 10, Cypress Lake 0 (6 innings): Matthew Blasena was 2-for-3 for the Red Knights (8-6), doubling to drive in three runs Teammate Jakob Wagner doub l e d h a d t w o R B I a n d s c o r e d t w i c e Harrison Kabel held Cypress Lake to three hits and no runs over six innings, striking out nine batters Mariner 8, Ida Baker 1: DJ Dwire allowed one unearned in five innings for the win Mariner (2-10) was led offensively by Landon Johnston, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI Luis Cruz Kaden Oxnam and Sam Guth drove in a run each Caden Byrd drove in a run for Ida Baker (6-9) Island Coast 21, Cape Coral 0 (4 innings): Three Gators (11-2) pitchers held t h e S e a h a w k s ( 2 - 1 1 ) h i t l e s s o v e r f o u r innings At the plate, Island Coast s Kevin Martinez was 3-for-4 with two doubles, driving in three runs and scoring four Jake Mueller (3-for-3) had four RBI and two runs scored Mason Blackburn and Jayven Torres added two RBI each

SOFTBALL

North Fort Myers 1, Cypress Lake 0: Kendall Wylie struck out 16 batters, holding the Panthers scoreless on two hits over seven innings Kaliyah Williams knocked in Mia Lane to give the Red Knights (8-1) the

Lee County Tax Collector’s Race To Give 5K set for Sunday at Lakes Park

■ Melanie Moreno, sophomore, Bishop Verot Vikings: Moreno help propel the Vikings to a 4-0 Orange Bowl Tournament record with her bat driving in 11 runs and smashing two homers throughout the tournament

■ Madison Sanchez, sophomore, Cape Coral Seahawks: Sanchez finished first in the Open 1600 meters at the Guy Thomas Memorial Classic at Dunbar High School with a time of 6:49:67

■ Kevin Martinez, senior, Island Coast Gators: The senior hurled 8 innings of onerun ball striking out nine in a 2-1 9-inning win for the Gators over Sebring He then went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in a win over Charlotte Athlete of the Month nominees are comprised of the Breeze’s staff-selected Athletes of the Week for that respective month

To vote please visit www capecoralbreeze com and click the Athlete of the Month Vote Now icon along the right-hand side Voting is open until April 6 at noon

only run they would need Mariner 4, Ida Baker 1: Mia Standard doubled and drove in three runs for the Tritons (4-6) Cheyenne Waddell had an RBI and also pitched seven innings for the win Waddell allowed one run on five hits while striking out five Makayla Nieves homered for the Bulldogs (7-4) I s l a n d C o a s t 9 , C a p e C o r a l 6 : Adrianna Curry and Rylynn Gaddis had two RBI each to lead the Gators (3-7) Calihan Varner scored three runs Abigail Brannan had an RBI for the Seahawks (2-9) and Jessica Ratliff and Isabel Watts had two hits each Bishop Verot 7, Barron Collier 2: The Vikings scored all seven runs in the last two innings Camryn Feast doubled and drove in three runs and Melanie Moreno doubled in two more McKenna Robbins (2-for-4) scored twice

BOYS TENNIS

Mariner 5, Lehigh 2

Singles: Joshua Lopez (L) d Karl Schott 6-1 6-2 Damien Gleason (M) d James Lacey 6-1, 6-4 Rober t P r e s t o n ( M ) by d e fa u l t C h r i s t i a n Z a p a t a ( M ) by default Jason Berenguer (M) by default Doubles: L a c e y / Lo p e z ( L ) d G l e a s o n / P r e s t o n 8 - 5

Zapata/Berenguer (M) by default

GIRLS TENNIS

North Fort Myers 3, Island Coast 1

Singles: Alexis Neumann (NFM) d Yadira Escutia 6-0 6-0 Hannah Holmes (NFM) d Sydney Rust 6-0 6-0 Delaney Souppa (NFM) d Fernanda Medina Mar tinez

6-0, 6-2 Doubles: Escutia/Rust (IC) d Holmes/Isabella

Souto 8-7 (10-8)

BEACH

Late Monday

VOLLEYBALL

Bishop Verot 4, Port Charlotte 1: The Vikings raised their record to 9-2

Capt George Tunison

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Sponsored by:

School safety takes priority at joint workshop

B y C H U C K B A L L A R O n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e s c h o o l s h o o t i n g i n N a s h v i l l e M o n d a y t h a t k i l l e d s i x p e o p l e , i n c l u d i n g t h r e e c h i l d r e n h a s b r o u g h t s c h o o l s a f e t y b a c k t o t h e f o r e f r o n t o f p e o p l e ’ s m i n d s A n d i f y o u ’ r e a s t u d e n t t h e t h o u g h t o f g o i n g t o s c h o o l b r i n g s a c e r t a i n a m o u n t o f a n x i e t y T h a t i s w h a t t h e C a p e C o r a l Y o u t h C o u n c i l t o l d c i t y o f f i c i a l s d u r i n g a j o i n t w o r k s h o p w i t h t h e C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l W e d n e s d a y a t C i t y H a l l M a n y o f t h e m e m b e r s o f t h e Y o u t h C o u n c i l h a v e b e e n i n v o l v e d i n a l o c kd o w n a n d i t ’ s b e e n a t o p i c o f c o n c e r n a l l y e a r a t t h e i r m e e t i n g s C i t y C o u n c i l m e m b e r T o m H a y d e n w h o s e r v e s a s t h e y o u t h c o u n c i l l i a i s o n h a d t h e y o u t h s s p e a k w i t h P o l i c e C h i e f A n t h o n y S i z e m o r e a n d D a v i d N e w l a n , t h e c i t y ’ s f o r m e r p o l i c e c h i e f w h o n o w s e r v e s a s e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f s e c u r i t y a n d e m e r g e n c y m a n a g e m e n t f o r t h e L e e C o u n t y S c h o o l s y s t e m S i z e m o r e s a i d h e w a s s p e a k i n g n o t o n l y w i t h t h e y o u t h c o u n c i l b u t w i t h t h e 2 0 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s t h e c o u n c i l r e p r e s e n t s a n d o t h e r s w h o h a v e c o n c e r n s e v e r y m o r n i n g w h e n t h e y g o t o s c h o o l I h e a r y o u , a n d I m l i s t e n i n g t o y o u

“I think safety should be prioritized in our schools It’s not uncommon for us to be put under lockdowns at school and it s not really a safe place anymore It’s always in the back of your head what you should do ”

Alexa Ancheta,

Oasis High School, member of the Cape Coral Youth Council

A s a r e s i d e n t a s a f a t h e r o f a c h i l d w h o a t t e n d s a s c h o o l i n t h i s d i s t r i c t a n d a s a p o l i c e c h i e f , w h o h a s t h e u n i q u e r e s p o ns i b i l i t y o f y o u r s a f e t y i n s c h o o l a n d o u t , I f e e l y o u , S i z e m o r e s a i d Y o u r e n o t s h o u t i n g i n t o t h e d a r k n e s s o r w o r r y i n g a l o n e ” T h e C a p e C o r a l Y o u t h C o u n c i l i s c o m p o s e d o f 1 4 s t u d e n t s w h o r e s i d e i n t h e c i t y o f C a p e C o r a l T h e p a n e l m e e t s t h e s e c o n d a n d f o u r t h F r i d a y o f e a c h m o n t h a t 3 p m i n C o u n c i l C h a m b e r s d i s c u s s i n g t o p i c s i m p o r t a n t t o t h e y o u t h a n d m a k e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s t o t h e C i t y C o u n c i l O l i v i a A r e v a l o , w h o a t t e n d s N o r t h F o r t M y e r s H i g h S c h o o l , s a i d t h a t w h i l e i t ’ s i m p o r t a n t t o c r e a t e a b a l a n c e b e t w e e n s e c u r i t y a n d a l l o w i n g t h e k i d s t o h a v e f u n a t s c h o o l i t s i m p o r t a n t t h e s t u d e n t s a n d t e a c h e r d o i n - s c h o o l t r a i ni n g w i t h t e a c h e r s a n d s t u d e n t s , a n d u s e d

a n i n c i d e n t a t h e r s c h o o l a s a n e x a m p l e “ I h a d t o h i d e i n t h e k i t c h e n w i t h e v e r y o n e i n t h e l u n c h r o o m W e s h o u l d d o t h e s e d r i l l s a l l t h e t i m e i n d i f f e r e n t s i t u a t i o n s W e r e d o i n g t h e m a t a c o nv e n i e n t t i m e ” s a i d A r e v a l o s a i d w h o w a s s o f r i g h t e n e d b y t h e i n c i d e n t s h e j u m p e d t h e g a t e o f t h e s c h o o l a n d r a n t o s o m e o n e s h o u s e I t h i n k I s t i l l f e e l t h a t a n x i e t y n o w , b u t i t s s o m e t h i n g I m r e a l l y p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t ” A r e v a l o s a i d t e a r f u l l y “ I w a s d o i n g m y f i g h t o r f l i g h t t o c l i m b a f e n c e I ’ m v e r y e m o t i o n a l b u t i t ’ s s c a r r i n g g o i n g t h r o u g h s o m e t h i n g t h a t w a s n t e v e n r e a l , b u t I t h o u g h t i t w a s S i z e m o r e s a i d s h e w a s t h e b e s t r e p r es e n t a t i o n o f h o w p e o p l e a r e f e e l i n g a n d t h e n b r o u g h t N e w l a n u p N e w l a n s a i d t h e s y s t e m i s a l w a y s b r i e f e d o n w h a t h a p p e n e d , h e a r s f r o m a l l s i d e s w h a t h a p p e n e d a n d w o r k s t o

Maintenance: Heavy use of ball fields makes upkeep a challenge

From page 1A

City officials said the biggest reason conditions deteriorate on fields comes down to pure usage At Cape Coral Sports Complex the outfield of the softball fields look pristine as they usually do That s because a trio of players on a large outfield area pales in comparison to a soccer game where more than 20 kids are running around kicking at the ground at all times

“(The fields) are on the same watering schedules Flannelly said A lot of that is just wear Our fields are over-used Petrella added, Yeah, they are I think it’s a balance of making sure that when we do use the fields how do we rotate them so we don’t get to that point? Again we have a lot of needs in the community They want to play sports; they want to get out there and be active Parks tries their best to maintain them but when we have groups that come out sometimes and they get a little bit of extra use it gets a little bit choppy ”

With Cape Coral constantly topping the fastest growing cities in America lists, Petrella reiterated the need for harmony between the city and local athletics and residents to provide the best possible environment for play

As we build new parks, we can start rotating play a little bit more, he said We want to get a better idea of how they re using the fields and monitor that and hopef u l l y e d u c a t e n o n - s c h e d u l e d u s e r s s o they re not going to those same spots

Rotating fields and not playing in the same area for an over-extended amount of time is something Petrella believes in paramount to keeping field conditions the best they can be He has plans to sit down with l o c a l y o u t h s p o r t o r g a n i z e r s t o w o r k

like to implement in the Cape

“We want a plan where we can meet maintenance needs while they can get their user-needs, Petrella said That s a huge part of it Fields will need rest and recovery times so that root growth can occur which will also require a collaborative effort Petrella and Flannelly said preventing dormancy is a tricky yet key function of having suitable grass

Every time the temperature drops, (the grass) is trying to go dormant and we try to keep it growing by watering and fertilizing and cutting Flannelly said

Currently, the city s watering schedule is every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 30 to 45 minutes per zone Flannelly said fertilizing aerating and slicing occur on a quarterly basis or every three months

Topdressing is put down as-needed

Petrella said the city s watering line for the fields is connected to a pond system, and said they have to watch that water level and balance There are also times where the pump goes down which just happened a few weeks back As a result, some of the grass on the fields last week started to turn a yellowish color

Flannelly said the city is in the process of moving the pump to a new location with dual-water capability

All in all, major improvements have been made and focus from leadership has shifted in the right direction over the last 10 months

“From what I saw to what we’ve gotten to without help from volunteers and the hard work from staff, it s tough to do, Petrella said

As a relatively new director in a city rapidly welcoming new families many of which skew younger Petrella said at the top of his list is growing and improving existing facilities around the city He also wants to be out and about in the community seeing first-hand what needs to be done at city facilities

“We’ve got to really get our acreage up a little bit I really think in relation to how many residents we have ” he said “I think we re a little low on our average at this point, but (the city) has taken steps forward, which is always a great thing

“Unless we find that balance of use we’re going to still have (field condition) issues You can build as many parks as you want, but if you overplay and overplay, you'll have the same issue The other big thing is also making sure we have enough staffing to maintain to a level of the standard that the city sets That’s another goal is what is the standard we want to be at? Do we want to be an A, B, or C facility?

A vital piece of the puzzle is also city staff working in conjunction with each other as timing is everything with lawn maintenance

That s building those teams And I think that s huge, Petrella said Recently (the department) started building those teams started working better together communicating with each other If we have a grounds maintenance crew out that sees something going on, they ll take the initiative to reach out to our irrigators and say, Hey, we have an issue over here, instead of having to wait for the irrigators to go around As a department we need to build those teams to make sure they’re working as a crew and a unit Flannelly added, We re working on reinventing our culture It used to be very lockstep ”

For example Flannelly said before a groundskeeper couldn t talk to a crew coordinator or irrigation, you d have to go from supervisor to supervisor “We re trying to make it more fluid so the information gets out as soon as possible ” Flannelly said Petrella said And that s the culture I want to build here, is empowering our ground-level staff and people that are actually doing the labor and hard work who know better Empowering them to make

decisions and actually bring these things up as opposed to it coming from the topdown ”

i m p r o v e e v e r y t i m e a n d a s k w h a t t h e y c o u l d h a v e d o n e b e t t e r o r e v e n w h a t w e n t w r o n g H a y d e n s a i d h e t h o u g h t t h e m e e t i n g w h i c h a l s o d e l v e d i n t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t , h u r r i c a n e r e c o v e r y a n d t h e c i t y s v i s i o n , w e n t v e r y w e l l a n d t h e t e e n s w e r e v e r y w e l l p r e p a r e d “ I r e a l l y w a n t t h e s e k i d s ’ v o i c e s t o b e h e a r d a n d g i v e t h e m a n o p p o r t u n i t y i n a p u b l i c m e e t i n g s e t t i n g t o s h a r e t h e i r c o nc e r n s a n d v i e w s o n w h a t s h a p p e n i n g i n C a p e C o r a l , H a y d e n s a i d S c h o o l s a f et y w a s t h e i m p a c t f u l p a r t o f t h e m e e t i n g T h e y h a v e t o g o t o s c h o o l w i t h a h e i g h te n e d s e n s e o f w o r r y a b o u t w h a t m i g h t h a p p e n A l e x a A n c h e t a , f r o m O a s i s H i g h S c h o o l a n d a m e m b e r o f t h e Y o u t h C o u n c i l s a i d t h e m e e t i n g w a s i n s i g h t f u l r e g a r d i n g w h a t t h e c i t y i s d o i n g a b o u t t h e i m p o r t a n t s u b j e c t s a n d w h a t t h e y c a n d o t o h e l p S h e a l s o a d m i t t e d t h e s c h o o l s a f e t y s i t u a t i o n h a s k e p t h e r a w a k e a t n i g h t “ I t h i n k s a f e t y s h o u l d b e p r i o r i t i z e d i n o u r s c h o o l s I t ’ s n o t u n c o m m o n f o r u s t o b e p u t u n d e r l o c k d o w n s a t s c h o o l a n d i t s n o t r e a l l y a s a f e p l a c e a n y m o r e , A n c h e t a s a i d I t s a l w a y s i n t h e b a c k o f y o u r h e a d w h a t y o u s h o u l d d o ” fields on a regular basis This act helps put chunks of healthy grass in spots that are fading out or have already turned to dirt patches

Henry said he s extremely pleased to see the reinvigorated interest from the city s parks and recreation department when it comes to providing the best for the hundreds of youths that play on the fields each season I believe it s starting to come around, he said I don t think we re completely happy with where we re at, but the plans we have I think it will help us a lot ”

The largest concern from Henry and other league heads is that they don t want a temporary bandage, they want organized plans to keep progression moving forward, and they're there to help

“We're working on it We’re getting there ” Henry said

Petrella added A lot of it is baby steps moving forward I hate to use that terminology, but we can t go from (what we have now) to having premier fields We do want to reinvest in our staff and get them the training and skills they need We want to have staff find innovative new ways to maintain and manage fields It s something I d love to see more If you re stuck doing things from 30 years ago and you’re set in one way you’re going to get the same result ”

Flannelly said the department is looking into new products and soil health -- what is the best for the Southwest Florida environment “It’s about educating our staff on how to maintain fields properly Flannelly said

The patch of grass used for soccer at the Cape Coral Sports Complex is well over a decade old, and the city has plans for the surface to get scraped leveled and redone this April

C o n n e c t w i t h t h i s r e p o r t e r o n Twitter: @haddad cj

Classifieds

Page 11B

Add some color to your spring garden

By DEBORAH HAGGETT news@breezenewspapers

CAPE CORAL BREEZE

LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

BREEZE NEWSPAPERS

Badcock Home Furniture &more helps residents recover from Ian

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers

com

is no exception

com

Spring brings the blooming of many showy, ornamental flowers Two standouts are the Easter lily and the Barbados lily The Easter Lily Lilium longiflorum is native to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan Its large white, fragrant, trumpet-s haped flow ers s ymbolize purity, rebirth and hope while announcing the arrival of spring and the Easter holiday The Nellie White cultivar is the most common lily found this time of the year Other cultivars are available if you would like to add yellow cream or pink colors to your spring garden F o r m o r e s t r i k i n g , v i v i d c o l o r s , c o n s i d e r adding the Barbados lily Hippeastrum striatum, to y o u r g a r d e n A l t h o u g h this native to Central and S o u t h A m e r i c a i s c o mmonly called a lily, it is n o t c l a s s i f i e d i n t h e Liliaceae family Instead it is part of the Amaryllis family The red striped showy flower is thought to symbolize the wish to love and be loved It is often seen in stores grown in containers ready to bloom in the winter; however when planted outside it will bloom again in late spring

Immediately following the storm local Badcock dealers focused on providing relief to Southwest Florida residents impacted by Ian Badcock s Naples location was hit the worst, and lost all showroom inventory due to flooding with four feet of water Amidst their own store’s devastation local owners Andrew Boyle Gary Boyle and Rob Ball set out on an air boat to provide generators fuel and other supplies to Southwest Florida hurricane victims The Naples store owners traveled to help the community in need while their business was forced to close

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

Both plants are striking perennials and can be featured accents to your garden or a beautiful border along your flower bed Both grow to about three feet tall from bulbs in rich organic well-drained soil Plant the Easter lily bulb about three inches deep and the Barbados lily bulb with half of the bulb buried in the soil and the rest of the upper bulb or neck rising above the surface Both prefer indirect light or sun-dappled shade cool temperatures and a period of rest before blooming

The leaves of the Easter lily are green lanceolateshaped and about six inches long Each stem has numerous, narrow leaves and produces two large blossoms growing three to seven inches long Each plant can yield multiple stems with 12 to 15 flowers providing a very lush and fragrant oasis in your garden

The Barbados lily has glossy, green, strap-shaped leaves growing 12 to 36 inches long Its stem also produces two or more funnel-shaped flowers with a larger span, measuring five to eight inches across These con-

See COLOR, page 9B

“We did a lot in the community for not just our customers but for as many people as we could ” said Badcock Regional Manager Tanya Saez The Naples location recently had its grand re-opening, featuring all new floors, walls and merchandise

Badcock also offers insurance for customer accounts that covers hurricane loss if the individual chose to have it Store officials have been trying to spread the word for those looking to become whole and working with insurance agencies to do so

Saez said Badcock's Cape Coral location has been the busiest regarding repurchasing of furniture

Badcock also sent supplies to its employees who paid it forward by donating items to community members

We allowed customers to come into some of our locations to wash clothes, we offered to hold medicine in our refrigerators for them, we did same-day deliveries to try to get customers who were missing alliances or didn't have power ” Saez said Badcock is not just a furniture store it also offer items such as generators and lawn equipment

At the Arcadia location, Boyle and Badcock employees actually delivered generators via airboat to those in badlyflooded areas as well as pick up those stranded

Saez said in Cape Coral “We were trying to be there for the community making sure people could get air conditioning and Wi-Fi, whatever we had available we were offering, they didn t even have to make a purchase

Badcock also helped those with financial strains due to the storm as owners at times made down payments for individuals seeking generators that were not able to pay anything up front

We tried to assist any customer we could and treat them right in their time of need and help, Saez said It was great to see us all at Badcock pull together ”

Local store dealer Gary Boyle in a statement said “Tending to our community was our first response priority

m Badcock's Naples location, above, was hit the worst, and lost all showroom inventory due to flooding with 4 feet of water The store has now reopened and local dealers played a large role in helping Southwest Florida residents recover

because we felt it was our responsibility as local business leaders to provide help and resources where we could ”

Badcock President and COO Mitchell Stiles stated “I was inspired watching our Badcock family give back to their community before helping themselves After seeing the (Naples) store s damage, we wanted to provide the same relief they gave the community making sure the dealers had whatever they needed to get back on their feet ”

Saez reminded residents that Badcock is an option when looking to prepare for hurricane season

We now offer generators, lawn equipment, appliances, freezers, lift chairs, tractors, lawn mowers, things like that, she said “We offer so many different things including easy financing We have several different options and deals we're always running And a lot of protections and warranties that will protect our customers in this situation

Founded in 1904, its branded Badcock Home Furniture &more retail chain has grown to more than 380 corporate and associate dealer stores across eight states For more information visit www badcock com

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj

F i r e h o u s e S u b s h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e grand opening of its newest Cape Coral restaurant Located at 1519 N E Pine Island Road and part of the new Cape Coral Commons development the restaurant is owned by Lee County residents Dan and Lisa Redolphy

T h e R e d o l p h y s o w n f o u r F i r e h o u s e

Subs restaurants in Southwest Florida –two in Fort Myers and now two in Cape Coral The husband and wife duo met 20 years ago while working together at a popular country club in Naples Dan was an aspiring professional golfer while Lisa was working in the food and beverage department

We are excited to expand our footprint and bring the popular flavors of Firehouse Subs to a new part of town as a part of the highly anticipated Cape Coral Commons shopping center, said Dan Redolphy My wife Lisa and I look forward to welcoming in new and loyal guests ”

The Cape Coral Commons Firehouse Subs restaurant opens at 10:30 a m every day and closes at 9 p m Sunday through Thursday, and 10 p m on Friday and Saturday The restaurant offers a variety of

hot specialty subs, piled high with premium meats and cheeses that are sliced fresh daily in-restaurant and steamed together to bring out the ingredients’ natural flavors Redolphy is dedicated to sharing the b r a n d ’ s c o m m i t m e n t t o g i v i n g b a c k t h r o u g h F i r e h o u s e S u b s P u b l i c S a f e t y Foundation which has granted more than $517,000 to first responders and public safety organizations in greater Fort MyersN a p l e s , i n c l u d i n g C a p e C o r a l P o l i c e

Department, Cape Coral Fire Department and Lee County Sheriff's Office A portion of every purchase at any Firehouse Subs in the U S benefits the Foundation which p r o v i d e s l i f e s a v i n g e q u i p m e n t a n d resources to first responders and public safety organizations across the country

Founded by former firefighting brothers, the restaurant décor reflects the founding family s decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by l o c a l f i r e d e p a r t m e n t s T h i s r e s t a u r a n t boasts a custom hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas featuring a Cape Coral Fire Department truck as well as a police cruiser It also features the Redolphys two dogs, Moose and Sammy, a s w e l l a s t h e i r 1 0 - y e a r - o l d d a u g h t e r Grace F o u n d e d i n 2 0 0 5 F i r e h o u s e S u b s

P u b l i c S a f e t y F o u n d

Page 3B CAPE CORAL BREE ZE w w w capecoral breeze com March 31 2023

Grace Church to host ‘I AM SPECIAL’ event Saturday

s

I AM SPECIAL, a celebration of relationships built through Trailways Camper a n

Sharon and Jerry Miller in honor of the lives of their sons Robert and Benjamin, will be held Saturday, April 1, at Grace

Church 13 S E 21st Place Cape Coral

Community Church Captiva Chapel by the Sea and new individual and organizational donors are stepping up to provide replacement sponsorships for entertainment, food, caregiver respite and more

The Millers will introduce a newly formed Trailways Camps Inc 501c(3) with a collaborative vision and mission Trailways Camp Director Jamie Senkeleski will share some of her most remarkable first year impressions

The I AM SPECIAL event was first held in July of 2007 It began as a celebration event honoring the life of Robert V Miller in whose memory a camping program for adults with special needs was initiated in Central Texas Over time the gathering has become an annual camper reunion event at which the camper participants their families and caregivers gather together to celebrate their birth days and to honor their connection to their communities

The Miller family moved full time to Sanibel in 2011 and decided to initiate the camping program in Southwest Florida

Jehovah’s Witnesses to present ‘You Can Face the Future with Confidence!’ program

In the face of widespread economic strain, national conflicts and social unrest, surveys indicate that confidence in the future is at an all-time low in many count r i e s i n c l u d i n g t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s

According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, 24 of the 28 countries surveyed are seeing all-time lows in the number of people who think their families will be better off in five years ”

Against this backdrop of pessimism a

Epiphany Episcopal Church

announces Easter Week

ser vice schedule

Epiphany Episcopal Church in Cape Coral has announced its church service schedule for Easter Week 2023 as follows:

Palm Sunday Services at 8 a m and 9:30 a m , Sunday, April 2; Maunday Thursday Service at 5 p m , Thursday, April 6; and

display Saturday at Cape Coral Public Library The

public is

special global program featuring the theme, " Y o u C a n F a c e t h e F u t u r e w i t h Confidence!" will be held on the weekend of April 2 2023 The free 30-minute prese n t a t i o n w i l l b e h o s t e d l o c a l l y a t t h e N i c h o l a s P a r k w a y K i n g d o m H a l l o f Jehovah s Witnesses, with a videoconferencing option available Please check the “Attend a Meeting” section on the homepage of JW ORG for local addresses and meeting times

The challenges of today may seem too much at times, but the Bible holds out practical advice that can help us today and a powerful hope for the future ” said Rudy Romero local spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses Some may be scared of tomorrow; this global program is designed to give all those who attend tangible reasons to face the future with confidence ” The special talk is the first of two free programs that will be held in all 118 000

RELIGION NOTES

Good Fridays Service will be at noon Friday April 7 Easter Virgil Service will be Saturday, April 8, at 7 p m , and Easter Sunday Holy Eucharist Service will at 8 a m and 9:30 a m , Sunday April 9

All are welcome to this very friendly church located at 2507 Del Prado Blvd S Cape Coral FL 33904

Any questions should be directed to the church office at 239-574-3200

Tommy “O” to per for m

at St. Columbkille Parish

Tommy "O" will perform “Music From the Broadway Stage To the Hollywood Screen and Everything in Between, Sunday, April 2, at 2 p m , in Iona Hall at St Columbkille Parish, 12171 Iona Road

congregations of Jehovah s Witnesses during the first week of April The public is also invited to join nearly 20 million other global attenders for the annual observance of the Memorial of Jesus Christ’s death to be held on Tuesday April 4 Admission to both programs is free, and no registration is required Details on when and where these events will be held locally are available on JW ORG the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses

in Fort Myers Tommy O will be accompanied on special musical selections by Lee Van Asten Tickets are $30 which can be purchased in the parish office in advance or at the door

REAL ESTATE

Buyer wants escrow deposit returned after seller backs out of deal

Mr Feichthaler: I read your column weekly and have taken the information to heart So I entered into a contract to purchase a property in Cape Coral with an “as-is” contract which gave me 10 days for inspection During that time you have noted a buyer can cancel for any reason, or no reason at all Everything looked fine, so we went beyond that date and on to the projected closing date On the day of closing the seller advised she would not sign the documents saying that I offered too little for sales price She signed the contract as did I and the price is at market condition, so she may have just changed her mind, I don t know I asked the title company for my $5,000 escrow deposit back and they said they cannot provide it without a “Cancellation and Release” signed by buyer and seller The seller now won’t answer any of my emails or phone calls Why can t the title company just give me the money with these facts? - Corey D

Dear Corey: Thankfully the situation you have described doesn t happen often, but it does happen Sellers can back out of deals for various reasons like an emotional attachment a change in circumstances, or realizing a negative tax c o n s e q u e n c e o n s a l e

None of these reasons are a justification to back out of a contract, but sellers don t always do what s required

First the contract likely gives you the option to s e e k s p e c i f i c p e r f o r ma n c e f r o m t h i s s e l l e r

Cape Coral condo market remains resilient in February

r

r

P Feichthaler

Real Estate Law

That is, you can require the seller to sell you the property at the agreed-upon price through a legal action

Your contract likely provides for attorney’s fees to the prevailing party which may be awarded to you if you pursue enforcement action

The other option, which it appears you have chosen, is to have a full return of the escrow deposit if the seller fails to complete the deal However the way the standard contract is written the funds cannot be released by the law firm or title company holding the deposit unless a Cancellation and Release is signed by all parties This document effectively ends the contract, provides there is no liability to Realtors (typically) and directs the escrow holder where to send the funds If either Seller or Buyer won’t sign the escrow holder has no choice but to hold the funds Eventual-ly, the escrow holder will typically deposit the funds with the local courts through an interpleader action This will result in a reduction in the amount of deposit held to pay for the interpleader action

It is always ideal to work out an agreement with the seller even if it means allowing them to retain part of the deposit Even though you may be 100% in the right and entitled to the funds, the stress and time to fight over these funds may or may not be justified

One way to avoid this issue is to add specific language to the contract that requires the return of the deposit in certain situations like yours If the contract is clear that the funds can be distributed based on the seller

See ESCROW DEPOSIT, page 5B

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Bob and Geri Quinn Homing In

o u r o v e r a l l c o n d o m a r k e t , o r 2 3 % b e l o w t h e a v e r a g e o f $ 2 6 8 7 5 0 p e r m o n t h i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 G u l f a c c e s s c a n a l c o n d o s I n t h e C a p e C o r a l g u l f a c c e s s c a n a l c o n d o s e g m e n t w h i c h i n c l u d e s a l l s a l t w a t e r c a n a l c o n d o s , t h e r e w e r e 2 4 c l o s e d s a l e s i n F e b r u a r y T h i s w a s

2 7 3 % l o w e r t h a n t h e 3 3 c o n d o s s o l d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 b u t 2 0 0 % a b o v e t h e 8 s a l e s i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 3 2 g u l f a c c e s s c o n d o s s o l d i n t h e C a p e , o r 4 7 5 % l e s s t h a n t h e 6 1 u n i t s s o l d i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 T h e F e b r u a r y m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e c a m e i n a t $ 3 6 4 , 9 5 0 f o r t h e C a p e s g u l f a c c e s s c o n d o s e g m e n t , w h i c h w a s 1 2 3 % a b o v e t h e $ 3 2 5 0 0 0 p o s t e d i n b o t h F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 , a n d i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 t h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e i n t h i s s e g m e n t a v e r a g e d $ 3 4 4 , 9 7 5 p e r m o n t h , w h i c h w a s u p 1 3 1 % v e r s u s t h e a v e r a g e o f $ 3 0 5 0 0 0 i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 D i r e c t s a i l b o a t a c c e s s c a n a l c o n d o s I n t h e C a p e C o r a l d i r e c t s a i l b o a t a c c e s s c a n a l c o n d o s e g m e n t w h i c h i s a s u b g r o u p o f g u l f a c c e s s c o n d o s r e pr e s e n t i n g p r o p e r t i e s w i t h n o b r i d g e s i n t h e c a n a l s y st e m , t h e r e w e r e 1 1 c l o s e d s a l e s i n F e b r u a r y T h i s w a s d o w n 5 0 % f r o m t h e 2 2 c o n d o s s o l d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 b u t 2 6 6 7 % h i g h e r t h a n t h e 3 u n i t s s o l d i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 1 4 c o n d o s s o l d i n t h i s s e g m e n t , w h i c h w a s

6 3 2 % l e s s t h a n t h e 3 8 s a i l b o a t a c c e s s c o n d o u n i t s s o l d i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y o f 2 0 2 2

$

T h e F e b r u a r y m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e c a m e i n a t

3 9 5 0 0 0 f o r t h e C a p e ’ s d i r e c t s a i l b o a t a c c e s s c o n d o s e g m e n t , w h i c h w a s 2 6 % a b o v e t h e $ 3 8 5 , 0 0 0 p o s t e d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 a n d u p 1 9 7 % f r o m $ 3 3 0 0 0 0 i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 , t h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e i n t h i s s e g m e n t a v e r a g e d

$

3 6 2 5 0 0 p e r m o n t h w h i c h w a s u p 2 5 % v e r s u s t h e a v e r a g e o f $ 3 5 3 , 7 5 0 p e r m o n t h i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y o f 2 0 2 2 D r y l o t c o n d o s I n t h e C a p e C o r a l d r y l o t ( n o n - c a n a l ) c o n d o s e g m e n t , t h e r e w e r e 1 5 c l o s e d s a l e s i n F e b r u a r y , w h i c h w a s

3 4 8 % l o w e r t h a n t h e 2 3 c o n d o s s o l d i n F e b r u a r y

2 0 2 2 , a n d e v e n w i t h t h e 1 5 s a l e s i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 3 0 d r y l o t c o n d o s s o l d i n t h e C a p e , w h i c h w a s d o w n 2 5 % f r o m t h e 4 0 d r y l o t c o n d o u n i t s s o l d i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y o f 2 0 2 2 T h e F e b r u a r y m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e c a m e i n a t $ 2 4 3 0 0 0 f o r t h e C a p e ’ s d r y l o t c o n d o s e g m e n t w h i c h w a s 9 % a b o v e t h e $ 2 2 3 , 0 0 0 p o s t e d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 , a n d 1 5 7 % m o r e t h a n t h e $ 2 1 0 0 0 0 i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 , t h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e f o r d r y l o t c o n d o s i n t h e C a p e a v e r a g e d $ 2 2 6 5 0 0 p e r m o n t h o r 5 8 % a b o v e t h e a v e r a g e o f $ 2 1 4 0 0 0 p e r m o n t h i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y o f 2 0 2 2

7 3 1 % a b o v e t h e 2 6 s a l e s i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f t h i s y e a r , t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 7 1 c o n d o s s o l d o v e r a l l i n t h e C a p e d o w n 3 7 2 % f r o m t h e

1 1 3 c o n d o u n i t s s o l d i n J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y o f 2 0 2 2

T h e F e b r u a r y m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e c a m e i n a t

$ 2 9 5 0 0 0 f o r t h e o v e r a l l C a p e C o r a l c o n d o m a r k e t w h i c h w a s 1 2 4 % a b o v e t h e $ 2 6 2 , 5 0 0 p o s t e d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 a n d i t w a s u p 2 8 3 % f r o m $ 2 3 0 0 0 0 i n J a n u a r y o f t h i s y e a r I n t h e f i r s t t w o m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 , t h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e a v e r a g e d $ 2 6 2 , 5 0 0 p e r m o n t h i n

The sales data for this article was obtained from the Florida Realtors Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County Fla as of March 24 2023 unless otherwise noted It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral condominiums, townhouses and villas, and it does not include any single-family homes short sales or foreclosures The data and statistics are believed to be reliable, however, they could be updated and revised periodically and are subject to change without notice The Quinns are a husband and wife real estate team with the RE/MAX Realty Team office in Cape Coral They have lived in Cape Coral for over 43 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

REAL ESTATE BRIEF

Deadline Monday for Hurricane

Ian Proper ty Tax Refunds

The Lee County Property Appraiser's Office recently reminded property owners that the deadline to apply for 2022 Hurricane Ian Property Tax Refunds is Monday April 3

Owners whose residence was uninhabitable for more than 30 days in 2022 can apply for the refund For those

who have already applied, the office will contact them regarding the status of their refund application

To apply for the refund please visit www leepa org

Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell encouraged all taxpayers especially those who were impacted and continue to be impacted by Hurricane Ian to visit the website for the most up-to-date information

For additional information, call 239-533-6100 or visit hurricaneupdate@leepa org

Eric

Cooperative

Community Cooperative is asking businesses and the community to help support a peanut butter and jelly collection drive through April 24 Peanut butter and jelly are some of the most frequently requested items at mobile food pantries because it is kid-friendly shelf-stable and protein-rich

butter and jelly sandwiches are a simple way to feed kids who lack access to food when school is out for the

e f o u n d e r

Sam Galloway Jr who with many others

peanut butter and jelly drive

own drives

began the Soup Kitchen in 1984 by handing out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches after church in downtown Fort Myers to people who found themselves in need of a meal

Donations are needed of any brand or type of peanut butter almond or alternative nut butter, jelly or jam in plastic jars instead of glass Also, no expired or homemade items or pre-made sandwiches will be accepted

A weigh-in to see which team and individual collected the most peanut butter and jelly is planned for Monday, April 24, from 2-4 p m , at Community Cooperative w i t h p r i z e s f o r w i n n e r s B u s i n e s s e s schools churches and community neighborhoods are encouraged to organize their

For more info on the PB&J drive, email

Janelle@CommunityCooperative com A Food Drive Tool Kit and printable flyers are available to decorate collection boxes or bins Financial donations to purchase peanut butter and jelly for the drive are also welcome

For additional information, please visit

CommunityCooperative com

About Community Cooperative Since 1984, Community Cooperative has worked to effectively eliminate hunger and homelessness in southwest Florida while simultaneously inspiring and supporting sustained positive change in its clients by delivering innovative food edu-

cation and social service programs With a dedicated team of volunteers, board of d i r e c t o r s a n d s t a f f , C o m m u n i t y Cooperative stays committed to its core r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o c o l l e c t a n d d i s t r i b u t e resources through a strong and viable network of community partners Community Cooperative is an exemplary steward of the resources entrusted to it and serves clients with compassion and integrity Through c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d o n g o i n g e d u c a t i o n C o m m u n i t y C o o p e r a t i v e s u p p o r t s a n d strengthens those whose lives have been a f f e c t e d b y h u n g e r a n d h o m e l e s s n e s s , e n s u r i n

Environmental Funding Awards

Escrow deposit: Seller backs out of deal, buyer wants funds returned

From page 4B

Holiday 4 Heroes donation to help student take trip to Washington, D.C.

Holiday 4 Heroes has helped a local student looking to raise funds for a trip to Washington, D C this summer

Dante Ellis a sophomore at Mariner High School was n o m i n a t e d t o a t t e n d t h e N a t i o n a l Y o u t h L e a d e r s h i p

Forum: National Security - Diplomacy Intelligence & Defense, to be held in the nation s capital this July 23-28 Ellis, a JROTC student, and his family needed to raise $ 5 , 0 0 0 t o c o v e r t h e c o s t o f t h e t r i p , a n d w h i l e a GoFundMe account and a home bake sale/garage sale helped it was Holiday 4 Heroes that came through to make the student s trip a reality

Ellis mother Jessica reached out to Jonette Kessack, the founder of Holiday 4 Heroes, and she said she would help

The group holds two major fundraisers a year and recently held Designer Purse Bingo Through the fundraiser and an anonymous donor Kessack and Holiday 4 Heroes were able to present a $5 000 check to Ellis for the trip

Jessica Ellis said Holiday 4 Heroes has been a huge

influence on her family's life

We are so thankful for their generosity, Jessica said “It has relieved a significant financial burden from our family and allows our son to have an experience we wouldn't be able to provide ” She also said that Dante attended the Designer Purse Bingo fundraiser and said he's never felt more loved Holiday 4 Heroes raises funds to send 100-200 monthly packages as well as 1 000 packages at holiday time to brave men and women serving in the U S military To find out more about Holiday 4 Heroes and its efforts visit holiday4heroes com

Dante Ellis, right, receives a $5,000 donation from Jonette Kessack, founder of Holiday 4 Heroes, at the Designer Purse Bingo event

PHOTO PROVIDED

EDUCATION NOTES

Prejean attends

Design and Production student from Cape Coral, attended the Coterie and MAGIC trade shows at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City Prejean and peers met with vendors and buyers as they detailed fashion lines for the Fall 2024 season and studied upcoming trends, colors and silhouettes

Students in Lasell University's School of Fashion have attended Coterie as a Connected Learning opportunity since 2012

For more information contact: Samantha Mocle assistant director of communications at 617-2432386, or smocle@lasell edu

Oasis High School to host

Camp Invention June 12-16

Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment program, is coming to Oasis High School the week of June 12-16

program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to tap into their natural curiosity and use their creativity to solve problems Through hands-on See EDUCATION NOTES, page 8B

a c t i v i t i e s , C a m p I n v e n t i o n p r o m o t e s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning; builds confid e n c e l e a d e r s h i p p e r s e v e r a n c e a n d resourcefulness; and encourages entrepreneurship -- all in a fun and engaging environment

Each year, the program features a new curriculum inspired by some of our nation's m o s t w o r l d - c h a n g i n g i n v e n t o r s - - t h e

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees

This year s Wonder program encourages children to be confident in their ideas and explore their innovativeness though hands-

on activities including:

Catching Air: Taking a confidencebuilding ride through physics engineering and art children design and build their own skate park

Invention Celebration: Campers take on the role of event planners as they throw a party celebrating creativity and innovation

MimicBot: Children show their unique style when they transform a robot that mimics sounds into a one-of-a-kind animatronic stuffie

Pop-Up Venture: Big ideas come to life as campers design their own mini pop-up business

All local Camp Invention programs are

facilitated and taught by qualified educators who reside and teach in the community Camp Invention serves 118 000 students every year and partners with more than 2 200 schools and districts across the nation For more information or to register, visit invent org/camp

31st Annual The Future of Ar t: Student Exhibit at the Alliance for the Ar ts

The Alliance of the Arts Gallery April will be featuring the 31st Annual The Future of Art: Student Exhibit

The alliance has partnered with Lee Arts Educators Association (LAEA) and t h e s h o w f e a t u r e s a r t w o r k f r o m L e e

C o u n t y e l e m e n t a r y m i d d l e a n d h i g h schools with hundreds of works in a variety of mediums

The show features more than 40 schools and hundreds of works in a variety of mediums Winners will be selected in several categories and the Best in Show will be awarded This exhibition will be divided into two, two-week sessions ■ Elementary/Middle School: On disp l a y A p r i l 5 - 1 4 ; o p e n i n g r e c e p t i o n Wednesday April 5 5-7 p m ■ High School: On display April 20-29; opening r e c e p t i o n T h u r s d a y , A p r i l 20 5-7 p m Both receptions are free and open to the public The High School opening reception will feature pizza provided by Downtown House of Pizza (DHOP) ■ T h e a t r e G a l l e r y : Digital Lee (April 5-15) and C y p r e s s L a k e H i g h School s Media Art (April 20-29) The Lee County Alliance for the Arts is at 10091 M c G r e g o r B l v d F o r t Myers For more information, call 239-939-2787

Summer VPK registration underway in Lee, Collier, Hendr y and Glades counties

Registration for Voluntary Prekindergarten is now open for summer VPK prog r a m s i n L e e C o l l i e r Hendry and Glades counties The free educational program is available to 4y e a r - o l d s t h a t r e s i d e i n Florida, regardless of family income V o l u n t a r y P r e k i n d e rg a r t e n g i v e s c h i l d r e n a j u m p - s t a r t b y p r e p a r i n g them for school and enhancing their pre-reading, premath, language and social skills VPK classrooms are taught by certified teachers w i t h a f o c u s o n s c h o o l r e a d i n e s s a n d s o c i a l a n d e m o t i o n a l w e l l - b e i n g B y developing the early skills c h i l d r e n n e e d t o b e c o m e s t r o n g s t u d e n t s t h e y a r e more likely to be successful in school

To be eligible children must live in Florida and be 4 years old on or before Sept 1 of the current school year T h r o u g h E a r l y L e a r n i n g C o a l i t i o n o f S o u t h w e s t Florida, parents can register t h e i r q u a l i f y i n g c h i l d t o attend 540 hours of preschool during the regular school year or 300 hours of summertime preschool In 2021-2022, Early Learning C o a l i t i o n r e p o r t e d 7 4 6 4 children attended 260 diff e r e n t V P K p r o g r a m s i n L e e , C o l l i e r , H e n d r y a n d Glades counties T o r e g i s t e r , f a m i l i e s must first apply for a VPK v o u c h e r o n l i n e a t VPKSWFL org Individuals c a n a l s o v i s i t t h e E a r l y L e a r n i n g C o a l i t i o n o f f i c e f r o m 8 a m t o 5 p m Monday through Friday, for assistance, located at 2675 Winkler Ave Suite 300 in Fort Myers The office provides free kiosks and no appointments are needed T o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t summer VPK, please visit VPKSWFL org or call 239935-6100

Gulf Coast Writers Association holding writing contest

Color: Some plants to help brighten up your home garden this spring

spicuous flowers are known to bloom for three to four weeks adding vibrant color to your garden

Neither plant suffers from serious diseases or pests, but aphids or mealybugs may occasionally be found feeding on the p l a n t s A p h i d s a n d m e a l y b u g s c a n b e hosed off with a strong spray of water On a cautionary note, all parts of the lilies and particularly the bulbs are toxic to humans and pets, especially cats, if large quantities are eaten

With care the Easter and Barbados lilies add color and lush greenery to your emerging spring garden They are a welcome sign of renewal and hope Happy spring!

D e b o r a h H a g g e t t i s a L e e C o u n t y Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral Visit us at www gardenclubofcapecoral com

References Barbados Lily - Hippeastrum | North C a r o l i n a

REDBARN

Demolition/Estate Sale S aturday,April1st Sunday,April2nd 8amto4pm 5353BayshoreAve (offElDorado) CeilingFans, Windows,Cabinets, Appliances,BoatLift, A/C,Poolpump& heater,Vanitytops, Garagedoor&opener, Motorizedsolar shades,Generator, P avers,Trees& Shrubs,Clothing, Home&Gardendecor, A ntiques&Collectibles.

Donátmissthissale!