Mound House museum reopens

STAFF REPORT

The Mound House museum has reopened to the public

The Mound House property, at 451 Connecticut St in Fort Myers Beach, has been accessible to the public though the museum itself has just completed a rehabilitation project due to Hurricane Ian

The museum and museum store will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9 a m to 4 p m The grounds, kayak launch, observation pier, and restrooms will continue to be open daily 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p m Overflow parking for the Mound House is available at 216 Connecticut Street

The public grounds of the Mound House, which spans three acres overlooking Estero bay, reopened in January The outdoor property includes native plants, a walking path and picnic tables

The Mound House is the oldest home on Fort Myers Beach and is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places The home dates back to the turn of the 20th century and sits atop a centuries-old shell mound constructed by the ancient Calusa tribe The Mound House provides tours of the shell mound and the home, which has been restored

In related news, Keep Lee County Beautiful and Mound House are joining together for a neighborhood cleanup Saturday, April 22, from 9 a m to 11 a m for an Earth Day beach cleanup

The starting point will be the Mound House at 451 Connecticut Street Parking is available at 216 Connecticut Street Registration is required For more information, contact the Mound House at 239-7650865 shotgun start out front of the Sanibel lighthouse Che in will start at 5 a m According to the rules provided Dilalo and Thomas, all teams must check in with star boat, which will be located at 34 Nortech with t pole flags located out front of the Sanibel lighthou Pier Once checked in, all further questions or co cerns can be handled via channel 69

On Saturday, there will be a shotgun start tim beginning at 6:30 a.m. with boats required to be bac to the dock no later than 3:30 p m All vessels wi need to be in sight of a spotter will be placed a Bowditch point This tournament will be restricted to a max depth of 120 feet No bent butt rods or electric reels will be allowed during the duration of the tournament Weigh-in will be measured off of the two largest grouper. Grouper chose for weighin will be angler’s choice Anglers will be allowed to carry a personal scale to help in deciding which fish will be weighed for each boat

The rules further include the following:

All teams in the money will have fish gutted to confirm no alterations have been made to the fish

A polygraph test will also be conducted for all teams in the money