Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Tourism takes hard hit in wake of Hurricane Ian

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The devastating impacts of Hurricane I a n s t i l l l i n g e r t h r o u g h o u t S o u t h w e s t Florida’s communities, continuing to affect the number of visitors who come here and boost the local economy

As this past week was recognized nationally as Travel and Tourism Week, Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Executive Director Tamara Pigott presented the most up-to-date information on this past

“It’s never fun to see the negative There were a lot less people staying n hotels, motels paid accommodations Because those units weren’t available or things of that nature.”

— Joseph St. Germain, president/Partner, Downs & St. Germain Research

season at the Tourist Development Council meeting Thursday morning

The numbers, as expected post-Ian, weren’t good Bed Tax collections for the month of

March came in at $5,728,042, down 47 8% from 2022 In terms of Bed Tax for this fiscal year to date, $22,199,122 has been collected, down 44 2% compared to last fiscal year

Inaugural event to be held at Northwest Regional Library

Cape Coral Breeze presents

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Vet Fest packed with resources, food for purchase, arts and crafts and live music in a grand celebration to honor veterans and active military is coming to Northwest Regional Library next week

The first-ever event will take place from 5 to 8 p m Tuesday, May 16 “ T h i s i s e x c i t i n g . M a y i s M i l i t a r y Appreciation Month, so it makes sense for us

A n y o n e c a n c o m e o u t , ” M a n a g e r o f Programming & Community Outreach Manager

Melissa Baker said “Our Northwest Regional Library has wanted to do a big event for a little while Jackie McGuire is the lead reference librarian there She has been the lead coordinator for this event ”

McGuire wanted to do something for the veterans of Cape Coral, as well as the families, to show appreciation and support of the military

With Cape Coral being a Purple Heart City since 2015, Baker said they are aware that veterans are about 10 percent of Lee County’s population

A big portion for the adults are the vendors representing different veteran services and sharing resources

See VET FEST, page 40

What: Vet Fest

Where: Northwest Regional Library, 519 N Chiquita Blvd

When: 5 to 8 p m Tuesday, May 16

Admission: Free

Info: www library net/ events

Tourist Development Tax Collection from fiscal year 22-23 is down significantly from FY 21-22 For March of FY 22-23, $438,993 was collected compared to FY 2122, when $11,351,628 was collected From October of FY 22-23 to current date, Tourist Development Tax Collection are down from FY 21-22

See TOURISM, page 42

City to review its base starting wage

Employees ask for consideration; say Cape’s is the lowest in the area

When it comes to hotel numbers, occupancy in March was 80 2%, down 6% from M

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 w i l l l o o k a t r a i s i n g i t s b a s e s t a r t i n g w a g e

W i t h a s e a o f y e l l o w - s h i r t e d e m p l o ye e s f i l l i n g t h e C o u n c i l C h a m b e r s , C i t y C o u n c i l d e c i d e d t o t a k e a t w o - p r o n g e d a p p r o a c h t o t h e i s s u e W e d n e s d a y , t a c kl i n g t h e p e r s o n n e l s a l a r y r e v i e w b r o u g h t f o r t h b y t h e G e n e r a l U n i o n C o u n c i l a s k e d i n t e r i m C i t y M a n a g e r M i c h a e l I l c z y s z y n t o l o o k a t t h e i m p a c t s o f b r i n g i n g t h e s t a r t i n g w a g e s c a l e u p t o $ 1 5 , $ 1 6 , o r $ 1 7 a n h o u r , a s w e l l a s f o r m i n g a l a b o r m a n a g e m e n t c o m m i t t e e t o r e v i e w w a g e s a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n p a c ka g e s , a s w e l l a s p o s i t i o n s t o c o m p a r a b l e a n d s u r r o u n d i n g c i t i e s U n i o n 2 3 0 1 P r e s i d e n t R i c h a r d J o n e s s a i d C a p e C o r a l h a s t h e l o w e s t s t a r t i n g w a g e f o r e m p l o y e e s a t $ 1 4 3 9 a n h o u r H e s a i d F o r t M y e r s h a d a $ 3 i n c r e a s e t o g e t t h e i r e m p l o y e e s t o $ 1 5 , L e e C o u n t y ’ s s t a r t i n g w a g e i s $ 1 6 . 1 0 a n d C o l l i e r C o u n t y i s l e a d i n g t h e w a y a t $ 1 7 a n h o u r “ I f u l l y u n d e r s t a n d t h a t w e n e g o t i a t e d i n g o o d f a i t h w i t h t h e c i t y a g o o d c o l l e ct i v e b a r g a i n i n g a g r e e m e n t I u n d e r s t a n d t h e c i t y h a s t h e r i g h t t o p r o v i d e w a g e i n c r e a s e s f o r t h e n o n - b a r g a i n i n g e m p l o y e e s a s t h e y s e e f i t I t r u l y w a n t t o s t a y a w a y f r o m t h e ‘ m e t o o ’ T h i s i s a b o u t a r e q u e s t t o t a k e a c t i o n f o r a n i s s u e t h a t w e h a v e , w h i c h i s r e c r u i t i n g

See STARTING WAGE, page 44

CCFD sees busiest year ever; tops 30,000 calls

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The Cape Coral Fire Department recently released its annual report, detailing its missions, vision, and values, as well as a look into the future

The report offered a glimpse inside the everyday workings of CCFD and how they assist the community day in and day out not just by responding to emergencies, but through fire inspections, community CPR classes, and managing major disasters such as Hurricane Ian

CCFD Chief and Emergency Management Director Ryan Lamb, in the report, stated, “The year our City’s leadership took on the challenge of creating Cape Compass, the City's Strategic Plan through 2030 The city’s first goal is to ‘Deliver exceptional City services ’ And ‘Keep Cape Coral safe through public safety service excellence, professionalism, accountability, and transparency ’ This support of the Fire Department is unparalleled and positively impacts the lives of our residents ”

CCFD saw its busiest year ever in 2022, responding to more than 30,000 calls for service 2022 also saw the opening of Fire Station 12, and construction of Fire Station 13 and a fire training facility are scheduled to begin this year

“The year our City’s leadership took on the challenge of creating Cape Compass, the City's Strategic Plan through 2030. The city’s first goal is to ‘Deliver exceptional City services...’ And ‘Keep Cape Coral safe through public safety service excellence, professionalism, accountability, and transparency ’ This support of the Fire Department is unparalleled and positively impacts the lives of our residents ”

In terms of major fires fought in the city’s in a 140-square mile area of coverage, there was a potential property loss of $23 5 million Actual loss was mitigated to $4 6 million, equating to a save of 76%

The department is made up of 228 certified personnel totaling 2,369 years of service, including 33 veterans.

CCFD has 132 EMTs and 96 paramedics The Hazardous Materials Team is made up of 60 technicians trained in areas of hazard pre-planning, chemistry, event mitigation, hazard analysis, and decontamination CCFD’s Marine Team consists of 75 members and three boats, and responds to fires, search and rescues, and vessels in distress

CCFD also has 12 members who are part of Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 6; a regional team made up of personnel from Manatee to Collier County, and can be deployed locally and nationally There were 18 new firefighter hires in 2022, as well as various other positions in the department, and 26 promotions

CCFD's revenue in 2022 was $49,931,519 with the majority coming from the Fire Service Assessment and the General Fund Of the department's budget in 2022, $35,350,016 went towards operations, $3,874,616 to administration, $1,274,040 to logistics, $1,244,494 to fire prevention, $805,198 to professional standards, $681,293 to EMS, and $$363,580 to Special Operations

In 2022, CCFD received $620,000 total in grant funding, one being the Assistance to Firefighters Grant to train 85 CCFD firefighters on the Blue Card Incident Command Program, a nationally recognized incident command certification system that establishes industry best practices for managing emergency incidents.

The report details the local State of Emergency due to Hurricane Ian from Sept 27 to Oct 11 On Sept 28 from 8:11 a m when winds reached sustained gusts of 45 mph to 11 p m when emergency services resumed, more than 900 calls were received and queued for response by CCFD After the storm, clearing the calls took 46.5 hours. Public Works and CCFD personnel worked together to successfully bring water to Cape Coral Hospital, preventing patients from a forced evacuation The week following the storm, firefighters responded to nearly 1,100 calls for service, including 45 structure fires, doubling the average number of calls in a week

“This storm devastated our community and destroyed many homes including those of several firefighters and staff members,” Lamb stated “All members of the Fire Department worked many long hours in the response and recovery effort Their work is awe-inspiring Additionally, we are forever grateful to the many people and departments from across the Country who came to help us in our time of need.”

At the city’s Emergency Operations Center, 1,289 employees were activated for initial response, working 24hour days from Sept 26 through Oct 11 Volunteers and city staff answered 5,462 calls from residents between Sept 27 and Oct 10 Fire stations served as a hub for the community to charge electronics and get information they were unable to receive due to lack of power, internet, or cell service CCFD played a major role in points of distribution and setting up hygiene stations They ordered and managed resources such as generators, lights, and street signs that came in from around the country, and coordinated the housing and feeding of all emergency personnel working for the city and mutual aid. Roughly 2 million cubic yards of hurricane debris from 1,4000 miles of Cape Coral roads has been collected six times the amount from Hurricane Irma

“Hurricane Ian taught us many lessons but most importantly it taught us our community is not buildings or possessions,” Lamb said “Our community is the great people who call Cape Coral home”

Officials said emergency responses in 2022 increased by 11% from the year prior, totaling 30,061 The average response time for CCFD was 1:15 to dispatch, 1:28 to turn out, 6:34 to travel, and 9:27

total CCFD was also out and about in the community in 2022, putting together 24 events reaching 4,735 individuals These included fire safety education programs for elementary students, high schoolers, Boy and Girl Scouts, and more Special events included staples such as CCFD toy drive that collected toys for 500 children, Breakfast with Santa, 9/11 remembrance ceremony, Keep the Wreath Green Campaign, and more CCFD also recognized the outstanding work of individuals in its “Of the Year” recipients Included was Emergency Management Coordinator Caroline Briones, Employee of the Year; Firefighter Nicholas Lorenzo, Probationary

See CCFD, page 45

Ryan Lamb, CCFD chief and Emergency Management director

OPINIONS

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

RAYMOND M. ECKENRODE Publisher

VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor CHRIS STRINE, Editor

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

• Phone 239-574-1110 – Fax 239-574-5693

Member Florida Press Association

Summer slide

If there is one thing students of all ages look forward to, it’s summer Teachers, too, we suspect, though educators do see a down side and it’s a steep one

Call it summer slide, call it learning loss, call it what you will, students lose an estimated 2 to 2-1/2 months of learning especially in reading and math during the weeks they are out of school

This is not a new thing

But post-COVID and its months-long interruption of inschool instruction, and post-Ian with its weeks of disruption, our children are well behind the learning curve of where they should be

Through no fault of their own

Despite the efforts of Lee County’s teachers and the Lee County School District

This year’s “numbers” i e testing benchmarks have not yet been released but we know where we were after the return to “normalcy” following COVID but before Hurricane Ian damaged numerous schools throughout the district, destroying two and forcing students to shuffle to new or temporary classrooms

Those numbers were not good

In fact, as we stated on these pages little more than a year ago, those numbers were abysmal

According to pre-test numbers released last March by the School District of Lee County, 56 percent of second graders kids who never got the benefit of a “normal” school year were performing at a kindergarten level in reading basics

Teachers had to start over fourth-quarter and teach kindergarten phonics to these struggling little guys because, as Teaching and Learning Director Dr Bethany Quisenberry succinctly put it, “You need phonics to be able to read What we are seeing with first and second grade students is they are still unable to read ”

What the district also saw was significant drops in the number of children who met grade-level goals in reading, math and other subjects

The district recognizes that this may be another challenging year, not only in terms of new achievement scores, but for students who are trying their best, but are struggling

For far too many, struggling hard

Lee Schools is addressing the challenge with a wealth of opportunities that offers a concept well worth embracing: Summer school is for everyone

The district is offering a variety of summer learning opportunities for students this year ranging from free Scholastic books for elementary schoolers to face-to-face camps to virtual options for make-good or enrichment

All told, there are more than 30 camps and programs for students from pre-K through 12th grade

They are taught by certified educators and offer “rigorous and engaging curriculum,” according to the school district website, leeschools net

The district urges parents to log onto their child’s student portal to check out what’s available

We do as well

In fact, we’ll throw in checking out the opportunities and programs at Lee County libraries as well

Summer slide is real

And here in Lee County it’s a hot-metal reality with a burn that can carry over into the next school year and beyond Students do look forward to summer

We, as parents, grandparents and guardians, can help make them look forward to some fun summer learning, too

Congratulations to the Class of ’23

As the 2022-2023 school year in Lee County comes to an end, great things have been accomplished by our newest kindergarten students to our graduating seniors When COVID hit in 2020-2021 and then returned in 2021-2022, everyone rallied together to ensure that we addressed the educational needs of our students It seemed like this year students, teachers, support staff, and administrators would be able to return to normal, but then Ian hit! It has been a year of both challenges and achievements for the district

The challenges saw many students and staff faced with the loss of their homes and possessions and most schools damaged and unusable

Two schools, Hector Cafferata Elementary and Fort Myers Beach Elementary, were destroyed Many teachers lost everything in their classrooms, and students had their school year instruction delayed for a month

Armor Persons Guest Commentary

With graduation ceremonies coming up this month to celebrate and highlight the Class of 2023, I am amazed by the accomplishments of this group There is no way to list them all, but here is a sampling:

THE ARTS: Cypress Lake High senior Kristen Noble won the Contemporary A Cappella Society for Best Original Song by a Scholastic Group, TAG There were many outstanding presentations throughout the year in all the arts: Theater, Drama, Film, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

SPORTS: The district offers students many athletic opportunities to compete The following are the 2023 State Champions:

Luke Buzzelli / Ida Baker / Boys

Weightlifting

Reef Gingell / Fort Myers / Boys Weightlifting

Kassidy Emerick / Mariner / Girls Weightlifting

Eliana Cook / Riverdale / Girls Weightlifting

Julia Knowler / Fort Myers / Girls Weightlifting

Jillian Jacobs / Fort Myers / Girls Weightlifting

Max Brady / Mariner / Wrestling

Christopher Minto / Wrestling

CAREER & TECH EDUCATION: The district had the second most graduates in Florida with Industry Certifications in 2022 This year, 2023 is on pace to equal or exceed it Courses are offered in all High Schools with 40,000 students participating Some of the many courses offered are: Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, A/V Technology, Business, Education, Engineering, Finance, Health, Hospitality, Law, Manufacturing, Marketing, Safety, and Security

ADVANCED STUDIES / GIFTED / SPECIAL ED: All the District High Schools offer either International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Advance Placement (AP), Honors Programs, and Dual Enrollment

Approximately two-thirds of high school students are enrolled in at least one Advanced Studies Course There are 5,484 students participating in Gifted Programs, and 12,823 students receiving Special Education Services

The Class of 2023 has earned more than 50 Million dollars in scholarships to attend colleges, universities, and technical centers across the United States Job well done!

I would like to thank all our school staff, faculty, and administrators for adapting to the challenges of this year The Board appreciates all your hard work, early mornings, and late nights Thanks also go to our parents, students, and community for their support through another unprecedented year

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

We are proud of you To all, have a safe and wonderful summer, and we look forward to next year

Armor Persons is the chair of the Lee County School Board He represents District 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mean-spirited law will cause suffering, save state taxpayers nothing

To the editor:

It must be hard for an undocumented child to keep up with school work and learn to write in a foreign language after having worked 8 hours the night before cleaning up blood in a slaughterhouse

Unaccompanied children are at risk Roughly half our “asylum”-claiming undocumented hail from Mexico This democratic nation with no war has a lively child trade of indenture to the border gangs

Both sides of Congress are putting these children at further risk The new rule from the White House proposes these children get to bring their family after migrating to the U S Once they get here, Republicans are happy to put the children to work to pay off their debt to the gangs The Foundation for Government Accountability, based in Florida, is championing as “the right of parents’” efforts to send children back to work, unprotected from unsafe work sites The legal stripping of child protection by Republican legislatures bring us back to the sweatshop days of Oliver Twist and Upton Sinclair

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the FGA inked legislation is designed to weaken federal child labor law protections In six GOP-led states, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota bills to weaken the regulations that protect children have been introduced The Arkansas law repeals protections for workers younger than 16 According to the New York Times’ recent reporting, in astonishing numbers slaughterhouses and other corporations use undocumented children

In this context, the GOP crocodile tears from Florida’s legislature about “curbing” illegal migration through humiliation tactics, with SB1718 and a comparable House bill seem disingenuous Health care providers are supposed to withhold care until after the provider has humiliated the non-whites in the emergency room, demanding to know their immigration status “Those” people will be asked to

confess their legal status before receiving care, in violation of the 14th Amendment

There is no cost saved, no financial upside to Floridian taxpayers to terrify and disrespect injured people in the emergency room with superfluous interrogation The method to stick it to the federal government by getting funds for indigent care, is to expand Medicaid Thanks to the state GOP we in Florida have been denied expanded Medicaid; which was designed to foist indigent medical costs onto the federal budget It is the feds, after all, who are blocking immigration reform on both sides of the aisle

Instead, SB1718, signed by Gov Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, is a mean-spirited spit in the eye of the ill, that benefits no one

The meaningless unkind legislation lies at the font of do- nothing laws to placate their MAGA unemployed and underpaid constituents Demanding the sick be harassed is GOP propaganda designed to pretend they are “doing something.”

While Washington dithers on immigration reform, SB1718 is performative People who are undocumented and everybody else now will need to answer the intrusive birther questioning delaying life-saving care Those who are insulted by the insinuation will likely be those citizens and legal immigrants now waiting in longer ER wait times Unhelpful and absolutely the wrong venue

When the GOP had fleeting control in California 30 years ago they tried to restrict the undocumented population’s access to health care and education CA187 was tossed within months as non-conforming to the 14th amendment in the U S Constitution The upshot was popular outrage and a rout by the Democrats that has left the GOP unelectable in California for decades

Adding this cruel prank has been tried and found, not just wanting, but profoundly un-American, and unenforceable The Florida Legislature must know they are let’s call it ‘massaging,’ their base with a motherism that can’t

See LETTERS, page 6

For those living with mental illness, every day is Mental Health Day

Although the month of May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month, for those living with serious mental illness, every day is a Mental Health Day Mental illness is not something people choose It is not a character flaw It is a disease like any other disease It does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, religion, or economic status It affects all segments of society There is no health without mental health

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults will experience a mental health disorder that can affect their ability to function, to work, and even form friendships Although practically everyone has or knows someone who has struggled with a mental health issue, the stigma around the topic persists, making it difficult for those who are struggling to find the help and resources they need Mental Health Awareness Month gives relevant organizations the opportunity to reduce this stigma, fight misconceptions

From page 4

about mental health, and offer people the resources they need to cope One such organization here in Fort Myers is Hope Clubhouse of SW Florida which helps people who have had their lives drastically disrupted by mental illness find hope and rebuild their lives

Hope Clubhouse is a therapeutic gathering place with structure that promotes healing, opportunity, purpose, and empowerment

T h o s e w h o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a Clubhouse are “members,” rather t h a n p a t i e n t s T h e C l u b h o u s e e m p h a s i z e s e a c h p e r s o n ’ s strengths, talents, and abilities

Dottie

Pacharis

Guest Commentary

Members work side-by-side with Clubhouse staff, as colleagues, in a n a t m o s p h e r e o f m u t u a l c a r i n g a n d respect Membership is voluntary and open to anyone over the age of 18 with a history of mental illness at no costs to members

The Clubhouse offers three programs

stand up to the first Constitutional blush The panders of child labor in the GOP and Democratic party can continue to lower wages with vulnerable children from Mexico This outrageous exploitation has a financial award to evil that shaming sick people in the emergency room won’t address In our one-party Florida, we sport a legislature with no shame We are fast becoming a state with no home insurance, no clean water, no right to local control; and now just plain ugly behavior to non-whites seeking emergency care

Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

Par ty of fiscal responsibility?

To the editor:

The national debt increased by almost $8 trillion under T r u m p a n d t h e R e p u b l i c a n C o n g r e s s N o w t h e Republicans threaten to default on our country’s obligations that they incurred Please explain to me, again, how anyone can believe that the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility And how America remains a functioning democracy

Lynn A. Hagedorn Cape Coral

Save our democracy

To the editor:

Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister of Israel, and Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, are two of the most polarizing figures in contemporary politics Both have been accused of being dangerous to democracy In this essay, we will examine some of the reasons why Netanyahu and Trump are perceived as threats to democratic institutions

Firstly, both leaders have been accused of undermining the freedom of the press, a cornerstone of democracy Netanyahu has been criticized for his attacks on Israel’s media, which he has accused of being biased against him He has also been accused of trying to pass laws that would restrict press freedom Similarly, Trump has been widely criticized for his attacks on the mainstream media, which he has described as “fake news ” He has also been accused of trying to use his power to silence journalists who are critical of him

Secondly, both leaders have been accused of eroding

for career development

Business, Culinary

a n d H o r t i c u l t u r e

Members work in the

d e p a r t m e n t o f t h e i r

c h o i c e H o p e

Clubhouse also encour-

a g e s a n d s u p p o r t s

m e m b e r s w h o a r e interested in furthering their education, works to ensure that members have access to afforda b l e h o u s i n g , a n d a s s i s t s m e m b e r s i n

o b t a i n i n g a p p r o p r i a t e medical care and psychiatric services The Clubhouse has supported more than 750 members over the last 10 years Services are provided Monday through Friday from 8:30 a m to 4:30 p.m. Additional support is provided on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and holidays

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

the independence of the judiciary Netanyahu has been accused of trying to pass laws that would limit the power of Israel’s supreme court, which he has accused of being too liberal. Similarly, Trump has been accused of trying to interfere in the independence of the US judiciary by appointing judges who are seen as politically biased

Thirdly, both leaders have been accused of promoting divisive and discriminatory policies Netanyahu has been accused of promoting policies that discriminate against Arab Israelis and promoting settlement expansion in the West Bank Similarly, Trump has been widely criticized for his anti-immigrant policies and his attacks on minority communities

Finally, both leaders have been accused of undermining the rule of law Netanyahu has been accused of being involved in corruption scandals, while Trump has been accused of obstruction of justice and abuse of power. These allegations have raised serious concerns about the ability of democratic institutions to hold powerful leaders accountable

In conclusion, Netanyahu and Trump have been accused of undermining some of the most fundamental principles of democracy, including press freedom, judicial independence, equality, and the rule of law While some may argue that they were simply exercising their democratic mandate, it is clear that their actions have raised serious concerns about the health of democratic institutions in their respective countries

Dave Kenney Cape Coral

Water play fosters lear ning

T o t h e e d i t o r : H a v e y o u e v e r w o n d e r e d w h a t c h i l d r e n l e a r n w h i l e p l a y i n g w i t h w a t e r ?

T h e r e m a y b e a d a y w h e n y o u w e r e a t t h e p a r k a n d s a w c h i l d r e n p l a y i n g i n t h e s p l a s h p a d , l o o k i n g l i k e t h e y w e r e h a v i n g f u n ! P l a y i n g i n t h e w a t e r i s a n e n dl e s s o p p o r t u n i t y f o r c h i l d r e n t o l e a r n a n d s t r e n g t h e n / u s e t h e i r s k i l l s

C h i l d r e n c a n e x p l o r e , g r o w , a n d e x p r e s s t h e ms e l v e s T h i s e x p e r i e n c e a l l o w s c h i l d r e n t o p l a y w i t h o t h e r s a n d m a k e n e w f r i e n d s C o m m u n i c a t i n g a n d s h a r i n g t o y s w i t h o n e a n o t h e r h e l p s t h e i r s o c i a l s k i l l s g r o w L i m i t l e s s t o o l s a r e a v a i l a b l e , a n d s o m e a r e b u c k -

People with a chronic mental illness can spend a lifetime in and out of emergency rooms, jails, and psychiatric hospitals The power of the evidenced-based Clubhouse program is its effectiveness in keeping members out of the hospital, r e d u c i n g t h e i r e n c o u n t e r s w i t h l a w enforcement, and on a continuous path to recovery Many members will tell you that the Clubhouse saved their life By helping these individuals maintain stability and achieve recovery, the Clubhouse reduces the economic burden on the community Anyone wishing to learn how they can s u p p o r t p l a n s f o r b u i l d i n g a l a r g e r Clubhouse to better serve the growing needs of the community, please contact Erin Broussard, CEO at 239-267-1777 or hopeclubhouse org

Dottie Pacharis is a mental health advocate and author of the book, Mind on the Run – A Bipolar Chronicle

e t s , b a l l s , a n d a n i m a l s W h e n c h i l d r e n s q u e e z e b a l l s , s p l a s h w a t e r , l i f t a n i m a l s , a n d f i l l o r d u m p b u c k e t s , t h e y p r a c t i c e t h e i r g r o s s a n d f i n e m o t o r s k i l l s P r o b l e m - s o l v i n g m a k e s c h i l d r e n t h i n k . C o g n i t i v e s k i l l s a r e e x e r c i s e d b y f i l l i n g o r e m p t y i n g b u c k e t s w i t h t h e r i g h t a m o u n t o f w a t e r a n d h o w t o y s f l o a t o r s i n k I n c o r p o r a t i n g a c t i v i t i e s l i k e t h i s i s a n e x c e l l e n t w a y t h a t c h i l d r e n c a n l e a r n W a t e r p l a y i s a n e d u c a t i o n a l a c t i v i t y t h a t c h i l d r e n m a y f i n d e n j o y a b l e a n d e x c i t i n g E x p e r i e n c e s l i k e t h i s a r e v a l u a b l e b e c a u s e t h e s e a r e t h e m o s t c r u c i a l y e a r s o f t h e i r d e v e l o p m e n t C a i t l y n G a r v e y C a p e C o r a l

This week’s poll question:

What do you think of the verdict in the E. Jean Carroll civil suit?

∫ I agree with the verdict and the monetary compensation awarded.

∫ Does it matter? It changes nothing on the political scene

∫ Another anti-Trump witch hunt proving nothing

∫ Other

Previous poll question

Are you concerned about housing costs?*

∫ Yes, I’m afraid I won’t be able to buy 18.25%

∫ Yes, I’m afraid I won’t be able to rent if I need to move. 17%

∫ Not really There are affordable options out there 12%

∫ No I own and look forward to increasing values25%

∫ Other 28%

* A s o f pre s s ti me

Poll results are not scientific and represent only the opinions of Internet users who have chosen to participate Vote at capecoralbreeze com

v i e w s e x pre s s e d o n the Opi ni o ns pag e s are jus t that o pi ni o ns . The s e pag e s are i nte nde d to c o nv e y a rang e o f v i e w po i nts ; o pi ni o ns pri nte d o n thi s pag e do no t ne c e s s ari l y re f l e c t the v i e w s o f thi s ne w s pape r. Oppo s i ng v i e w s are w e l c o me . Le tte rs to the e di to r o r g ue s t c o l umns may be e - mai l e d to v harri ng @ bre e z e ne w s pape rs . c o m. A l l l e tte rs and g ue s t o pi ni o ns mus t be s i g ne d and mus t i nc l ude a pho ne numbe r f o r v e ri f i c ati o n purpo s e s . Re ade rs are al s o i nv i te d to c o mme nt o n any l e tte r o r e di to ri al o pi ni o n o nl i ne at: c ape c o ral bre e z e . c o m.

COMPACT Act expands care for veterans in crisis

Eliminates cost of care to reduce, prevent suicides

B y M E G H A N B R A D B U RY n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m I n J a n u a r y , t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f V e t e r a n s A f f a i r s e x p a n d e d i t s e l i g i b i l i t y o f c a r e f o r v e t e r a n s e x p e r i e n c i n g a n e m e r g e n c y s u i c i d a l c r i s i s , a t n o c o s t t o t h e m B a y P i n e s V A H e a l t h c a r e S y s t e m C h i e f o f M e n t a l H e a l t h a n d B e h a v i o r a l S c i e n c e s S e r v i c e s D r R o d V e l e z m o r o s a i d t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f V e t e r a n s A f f a i r s e x p a n d e d i t s e l i g i b i l i t y b e c a u s e t h e r e w e r e g a p s i n c a r e a n d t h e r e w a s a n e e d f o r i n t e r v e n t i o n t o r e d u c e v e t e r a n s u ic i d e s “ T h e V e t e r a n s C o m p r e h e n s i v e P r e v e n t i o n , A c c e s s t o C a r e , a n d T r e a t m e n t ( C O M P A C T ) A c t o f 2 0 2 0 a f f o r d s c a r e t o v e t e r a n s u s i n g a h o l i s t i c a p p r o a c h t o i m p r o v e t r e a t m e n t a n d e n h a n c e v e t e r a n s ’ m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d w e l l - b e i n g , ” h e s a i d . “ T h e C O M P A C T A c t r e d u c e s b a r r i e r s b y e l i m i n a t i n g t h e c o s t o f t h e c a r e , t o e v e n i n c l u d e e m e rg e n c y t r a n s p o r t ” A l t h o u g h t h e l a w p a s s e d i n 2 0 2 0 , t h e C O M P A C T A c t c o m m e n c e d o n J a n 1 7 , 2 0 2 3 “ V e t e r a n s a r e c o v e r e d b y t h e C O MP A C T A c t w h e n t h e y a r e e x p e r i e n c i n g a n a c u t e s u i c i d a l c r i s i s , m e a n i n g t h a t t h e i n d i v i d u a l h a s s u i c i d a l i d e a t i o n s , a p l a n , m e a n s , a n d i n t e n t i o n t o a c t , o r s o m e o n e w h o h a s a l r e a d y e n g a g e d i n a s u i c i d e a t t e m p t , ” V e l e z m o r o s a i d I f v e t e r a n s , o r t h e i r l o v e d o n e s , i n t h e e v e n t o f a n e m e r g e n t s u i c i d a l c r i s i s , s h o u l d c a l l 9 1 1 , o r g o t o t h e n e a r e s t e m e r g e n c y r o o m , n o t i f y s t a f f t h a t t h e y a r e a v e t e r a n a n d t h e n s t a f f w i l l t a k e t h e m b a c k t o p r o v i d e t r e a t m e n t “ E m e r g e n c i e s a r e n e v e r p l a n n e d , s o i t ’ s i m p o r t a n t f o r a l l t o k n o w w h e r e t h e c l o s e s t e m e r g e n c y r o o m i s l o c a t e d , ” h e s a i d A p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 m i l l i o n m o r e v e t e ra n s q u a l i f y f o r c a r e u n d e r t h i s a c t . T h e c a r e w i l l p r o v i d e c o v e r a g e f o r u p t o 3 0 d a y s o f i n p a t i e n t , o r c r i s i s r e s i d e nt i a l c a r e a n d o u t p a t i e n t c a r e f o r u p t o 9 0 d a y s V e l e z m o r o s a i d i n s o m e c a s e s , o u tp a t i e n t c a r e m a y b e m o d e s t l y e x t e n d e d t o f i n i s h c o u r s e s o f t r e a t m e n t “ M o s t C O M P A C T A c t c a s e s w i l l a l s o b e a s s i g n e d a s u i c i d e p r e v e n t i o n t e a m m e m b e r t o a i d w i t h t h e c o o r d i n a t i o n o f c a r e , ” h e s a i d I f a v e t e r a n d o e s r e c e i v e a b i l l f o r e m e r g e n c y s u i c i d e c a r e r e l a t e d t o c a r e , t h e y s h o u l d c o n t a c t t h e i r l o c a l V A p a t i e n t a d v o c a t e a n d a s k f o r a c l i n i c a l r e v i e w w i t h a n a p p r o p r i a t e p r o v i d e r , V e l e z m o r o s a i d T h e y c a n a l s o c o n t a c t t h e n u m b e r o n t h e i r b i l l t o i n i t i a t e t h e p r o c e s s “ V e t e r a n s w h o r e c e i v e d C O M P A C Tr e l a t e d c a r e a t a c o m m u n i t y e m e r g e n c y d e p a r t m e n t s h o u l d s u b m i t a s i g n e d , w r i tt e n r e q u e s t f o r r e i m b u r s e m e n t t o t h e i r l o c a l V A m e d i c a l f a c i l i t y c o m m u n i t y c a r e o f f i c e a l o n g w i t h a n a f t e r - v i s i t s u mm a r y / m e d i c a l d o c u m e n t a t i o n a n d a b i l l i n g s t a t e m e n t f r o m t h e r e n d e r i n g p r o v i d e r s h o w i n g d i a g n o s i s c o d e i n f o rm a t i o n a n d a n i t e m i z e d l i s t o f c h a r g e s , ” h e s a i d R e g a r d l e s s o f V A e n r o l l m e n t s t a t u s ,

“Veterans are covered by the COMPACT Act when they are experiencing an acute suicidal crisis, meaning that the individual has suicidal ideations, a plan, means, and intention to act, or someone who has already engaged in a suicide attempt.”

Dr Rod Velezmoro, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Chief of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Services

t h e r e a r e m a n y v e t e r a n s w h o a r e e l i g i b l e f o r t h e i r m e d i c a l e x p e n s e s t o b e c o v e r e d b y t h e V A T h o s e i n c l u d e : ■ T h o s e w h o a r e d i s c h a r g e d , o r r e l e a s e d f r o m a c t i v e d u t y a f t e r m o r e t h a n 2 4 m o n t h s o f a c t i v e s e r v i c e u n d e r c o n d it i o n s o t h e r t h a n d i s h o n o r a b l e ; ■ F o r m e r m e m b e r s o f t h e a r m e d f o r c e s , i n c l u d i n g r e s e r v e s e r v i c e m e mb e r s , w h o s e r v e d m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 d a y s u n d e r a c o m b a t e x c l u s i o n , o r i n s u p p o r t o f a c o n t i n g e n c y o p e r a t i o n e i t h e r d i r e c tl y , o r b y o p e r a t i n g a n u n m a n n e d a e r i a l v e h i c l e f r o m a n o t h e r l o c a t i o n w h o w e r e d i s c h a r g e d u n d e r c o n d i t i o n s o t h e r t h a n d i s h o n o r a b l e ; ■ F o r m e r m e m b e r s o f t h e a r m e d f o r c e s w h o w e r e t h e v i c t i m o f a p h y s i c a l a s s a u l t o f a s e x u a l n a t u r e , a b a t t e r y o f a s e x u a l n a t u r e , o r s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t w h i l e s e r v i n g i n t h e a r m e d f o r c e s “ V e t e r a n s w h o w e r e d i s h o n o r a b l y d i sc h a r g e d m a y s t i l l s e e k e m e r g e n t s u i c i d a l c a r e a t a V A o r n o n - V A e m e r g e n c y r o o m , h o w e v e r V A w i l l n o t c o v e r t h e e x p e n s e s , ” V e l e z m o r o s a i d W i t h s u i c i d e p r e v e n t i o n b e i n g V H A ’ s t o p c l i n i c a l p r i o r i t y f o r a n u m b e r o f y e a r s , h e s a i d , t h e r e h a d b e e n a s u rm o u n t a b l e a m o u n t o f e f f o r t a l r e a d y p l a c e d i n t h i s a r e n a f o r e l i g i b l e v e t e r a n s T h o s e v e t e r a n s w h o a r e s e r v e d b y t h e V e t e r a n s H e a l t h A d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a v e a c c e s s t o e v i d e n c e d - b a s e d t r e a t m e n t f o r n u m e r o u s m e n t a l h e a l t h d i a g n o s i s , w h i c h c a n o f t e n e x a c e r b a t e a n d c o n t r i b u t e s u ic i d a l t h i n k i n g , o r a c t i o n s V e l e z m o r o s a i d c o n d i t i o n s s u c h a s P T S D , a n x i e t y , d e p r e s s i o n , s u b s t a n c e a b u s e , T B I , a r e a l l t r e a t e d t h r o u g h t h e c a r e o f f e r e d b y t h e

V H A

T h e r e a r e o p t i o n s t o u t i l i z e p r e d i c t i v e m o d e l i n g , w h i c h i s a r e s e a r c h t o o l u s e d b y V H A t h a t a n a l y z e s m e d i c a l r e c o r d d a t a t o h e l p c o n f i r m , o r a l e r t p r o v i d e r s t o t h o s e w h o a r e a t h i g h e r s t a t i s t i c a l r i s k f o r a d v e r s e o u t c o m e s “ P r o g r a m s a n d / o r d a s h b o a r d s l i k e R e a c h V e t , C r i s t a l , a n d S t o r m a i d c l i n ic a l s t a f f w i t h b e i n g k e e n l y a w a r e o f r i s k f a c t o r s t h a t m i g h t i m p a c t a v e t e r a n , ” h e s a i d “ O u r c l i n i c a l s t a f f p r o a c t i v e l y u s e t h e s e t o o l s t o r e - e v a l u a t e c a r e , i d e n t i f y o t h e r t r e a t m e n t o p t i o n s t h a t m a y b e o f b e n e f i t , s p e a k w i t h a v e t e r a n a b o u t t h o s e o p t i o n s , c r a f t a c o l l a b o r a t i v e t r e a t m e n t p l a n , c r e a t e a n e n h a n c e d s a f e t y p l a n , a n d e v e n e n g a g e t h e s u i c i d e p r e v e n t i o n t e a m t o h e l p c o o r d i n a t e e f f o r t s a n d a i d w i t h r e c o v e r y ” F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t E m e r g e n c y M e d i c a l C a r e - C o m m u n i t y C a r e ( v a g o v )

Lee School board adopts Guardian Program

Sheriff ’ s Office to train district employees who volunteer to be armed response

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

School District of Lee County staffers who are approved and trained will served as an armed “force multiplier” inside public schools in case of emergency

The School Board of Lee County approved a Guardian Program Tuesday night to provide additional security and safety on school campuses

“I am going to support this, but I do have concerns I have reservations about security overall when I vote for the Guardian Program,” Board member Cathleen Morgan said

Student and staff safety is a district priority and Morgan added that she understands the community expects them to use all tools available

“I think that people think screening and other enhancements will keep trouble out of our schools Infrastructure plans are not being matched I am worried focusing on guns and screening is creating an artificial sense of security making things complacent We know that children are undone with what is happening on social media I am just worried that by saying we have done these things we are taking our eyes off of what we need to do at schools every single day,” Morgan said “The point I am trying to make, all this emphasis on guardians and guns, to me, does not do enough in terms of addressing whether or not children feel safe ”

Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said school safety is about a climate and culture He said principals and staff are working with students to share that everyone is responsible

“Once they are trained and placed in the school, (they will be) well ready to safeguard any school and react to an active assailant Out of 67 counties, 46 have the Guardian Program. It’s not a brand-new program, but new to us. We want to make sure we offer the best training that we can offer that money can buy.”

Mike Miller, Lee County Sheriff ’s Office Commander who oversees the School Resource Officers

“We have to teach that responsibility to our youngest citizens,” Bernier said There was some pushback from the public, as a few individuals shared their concern over the program, asking the board not to move forward with the policy

Dave Montrose, a parent and teacher, said staff was never asked if they think a Guardian Program should be implemented. He said when looking at an actual shooting that has taken place, the person has previously gone to school, or currently attends the school, which gives them an insight of the procedures of where to go, who to target and how to have an effect

“If the schools locked the doors, you have erased 100 percent of the problem We don’t need to put more guns (in school), especially with the unknown Think of the safety of kids No more guns in the schools Vote no,” he said

Lee County Sheriff’s Office Commander Mike Miller, who oversees the School Resource Officers, spoke during the public hearing Tuesday night He told the board that Sheriff Carmine Marceno and the entire Lee County Sheriff’s Office fully supports the program

“Lee County training cadre is bar none,”

he said, adding that the training is the best in the state and the office will be responsible for training the volunteer guardians

Miller said they are well prepared, all ready, and looking forward to it

The Guardian Program as approved requires a 160-hour training block, which is more than the 144 hours that are state mandated.

The guardians will also have shoulder-toshoulder training with SROs during their quarterly active assailant shooter training

“Once they are trained and placed in the school, (they will be) well ready to safeguard any school and react to an active assailant,” Miller said “Out of 67 counties, 46 have the Guardian Program It’s not a brand-new program, but new to us We want to make sure we offer the best training that we can offer that money can buy ”

Bernier said the start of the program will begin slowly with a small group of people

Before the board voted unanimously, Board Member Debbie Jordan asked a few questions that the community sent to her Among the first addressed was liability and accountability of those chosen to be guardians in the event of mishaps

Bernier said with guardians being employ-

ees of the school district, they have the same accountability He said there is accountability for them, and the Sheriff'’s Office as to individuals following proper training and procedures

Board Attorney Kathy Dupuy-Bruno said the district faces liability every single day The best thing that the district can do, she said, is mitigate it and reduce it as much as possible

That has been attempted in working closely with the Sheriff’s Office, as well as having training, part of which will be done at the police academy, above the mandated amount, Dupuy-Bruno said There will also be additional procedures that will support the policy including background checks, psychological tests and drug testing for candidates

Once training has been completed and a certification received, the superintendent will decide whether to appoint an employee candidate as a Guardian His decision will be final

“The superintendent will have a say in who to move forward There are a lot of safety nets that will help mitigate any risk the district has,” she said “The liability falls on the district, the Sheriff’s Office and individuals, if they do not adhere to safety and protocols that are taught If they do not pass the safety, they will not move forward to a recommendation ”

If there are any violations of the safety protocols and expectations, disciplinary actions could include termination, DupuyBruno said

If they are “not following the expectations of the Sheriff's Office and safety and security, there will be significant consequences,” she said.

District reports progress on hurricane repairs

More than 80% of work orders now complete

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The School District of Lee County has completed 81 percent of its hurricane-related repair work orders.

Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier told the Lee County School Board Tuesday that major roof repairs are continuing throughout the district and they are working very hard to get ahead of the rainy season to have permanent roofs in place

“Roofing repairs have been completed on two of our highly impacted schools, both Success Academy and North Fort Myers High School,” he said “Bids were executed for two additional school roof repairs, Diplomat Middle and Skyline School The expectation with that being about a $4 million cost Work is expected to begin following board approval at (the) May 23 (school board meeting) ”

The district also is looking at mitigation opportunities, including improving some of its existing roof systems

“We could go back and just put up shingles on particular roofs We noticed during the hurricane and the aftermath that utilizing metal roofing, standing seam roofing is much better and will help us with our insurance cost,” Bernier said.

The district is working to ensure case-bycase utilization of those standard seam roofs to prevent some damage if and when another hurricane comes ashore

“ R o o f i n g r e p a i r s h a v e b e e n c o m p l e t e d o n t w o o f o u r h i g h l y i m p a c t e d s c h o o l s , b o t h S u c c e s s A c a d e m y a n d N o r t h F o r t M y e r s H i g h S c h o o l . B i d s w e r e e x e c u t e d f o r t w o a d d i t i o n a l s c h o o l r o o f r e p a i r s , D i p l o m a t M i d d l e a n d S k y l i n e S c h o o l . T h e e x p e c t a t i o n w i t h t h a t b e i n g a b o u t a $ 4 m i ll i o n c o s t Wo r k i s e x p e c t e d t o b e g i n f o l l o w i n g b o a r d a p p r o v a l a t ( t h e ) M a y 2 3 ( s c h o o l b o a r d m e e t i n g ) ”

The installation of flooring, ceiling tiles and new cabinetry continues throughout the district The hope is that before the next school year begins, the major projects will be completed

In addition, Bernier said he is happy to report that the district is working very closely with the Lee County Emergency Operations Center and county commissioners

“We have finally received payment of approximately over $1 2 million for our sheltering cost during Ian. I am very proud of our partnership with our community and our county leaders for providing us that opportunity to pay our cost for opening and housing our community during the crisis,” he said

Dr Christopher Bernier, superintendent of schools

District to offer abundance of summer learning opportunities

B y M E G H A N B R A D B U RY n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m A s l e w o f l e a r n i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r s t u d e n t s t h i s s u m m e r r a n gi n g f r o m f a c e - t o - f a c e c a m p s a s w e l l a s v i r t u a l o p t i o n s . “ W e h a v e a l w a y s s e e n a s l i d e i n a c ad e m i c s , e s p e c i a l l y i n o u r y o u n g e r s t ud e n t s b e c a u s e o f t h e s u m m e r , ” C u r r i c u l u m & I n s t r u c t i o n a l I n n o v a t i o n D i r e c t o r D r B e t h a n y Q u i s e n b e r r y s a i d , a s s u m m e r b r e a k i s l o n g f o r y o u n g e r s t ud e n t s a n d i t t a k e s t h e m l o n g e r t o g e t b a c k i n t o t h e s w i n g o f t h i n g s “ I t h e l p s t o a l l ev i a t e t h a t s m a l l f a l l w h e n t h e y g o b a c k i n t h e f a l l ” I n a d d i t i o n , i t p r o v i d e s t h a t e n r i c hm e n t t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t i s n o t a b l e t o p r ov i d e d u r i n g t h e s c h o o l y e a r w i t h s u c h o p p o r t u n i t i e s a s s c i e n c e a n d a r t c a m p s “ W e a r e a b l e t o k e e p t h e k i d s e n g a g e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e s u m m e r a s w e l l , ” s h e s a i d W i t h a v i r t u a l o p t i o n , i t p r o v i d e s r e s o u r c e s f o r p a r e n t s “ P a r e n t s w a n t t o k e e p t h e i r k i d s e n g a g e d , b u t d o n ’ t a l w a y s k n o w h o w , o r h a v e t h o s e r e s o u r c e s , ” Q u i s e n b e r r y s a i d I n p r e v i o u s y e a r s b e f o r e C O V I D , t y pi c a l l y t h e o n l y s u m m e r s c h o o l p r o g r a m s o f f e r e d w e r e f o r t h i r d g r a d e s t u d e n t s , w h i c h w a s s t a t e r e q u i r e d f o r t h o s e w i t h l o w a s s e s s m e n t s c o r e s S i n c e 2 0 2 0 , Q u i s e n b e r r y s a i d a d d i t i o n a l f u n d i n g e n a b l e d t h e m t o o f f e r m o r e c a m p s T h e b u l k o f t h e f a c e - t o - f a c e s u m m e r c a m p s w i l l b e h e l d f r o m J u n e 1 3 , t h r o u g h J u l y 2 0 , M o n d a y t h r o u g h

“We have always seen a slide in academics, especially in our younger students because of the summer It helps to alleviate that small fall when they go back in the fall ”

Curriculum & Instructional Innovation Director Dr Bethany Quisenberry, adding summer break is long for younger students and it takes them longer to get back into the swing of things.

T h u r s d a y f r o m 8 a . m . t o n o o n . A l l s u m m e r s c h o o l o p t i o n s c a n b e v i e w e d a t h t t p s : / / s i t e s g o o g l e c o m / l e e s c h o o l s n e t / l e e - c o u n t y - s u m m e rc a m p s / h o m e ? a u t h u s e r = 0 O p t i o n s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r E n g l i s h

L a n g u a g e L e a r n e r s t h r o u g h a f a c e - t of a c e c a m p o f f e r e d f o r k i n d e r g a r t e n t h r o u g h f i f t h g r a d e s t u d e n t s T h i s o p t i o n i s f o r s t u d e n t s w h o a r e l e s s t h a n t w o y e a r s n e w t o t h i s c o u n t r y “ T h i s c a m p i s s o l e l y f o r l a n g u a g e a c q u i s i t i o n , ” Q u i s e n b e r r y s a i d

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a w o r k b o o k

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2 6

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Cape Coral advisory boards to undergo review

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral advisory board and committees are on the chopping block

During a workshop Wednesday morning, City Council went through a list of council appointed boards and committees to determine which should be kept, sunset, or turned into a stakeholder group

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

“I am for eliminating just about all of t h e b o a r d s , ” C o u n c i l m e m b e r D a n Sheppard said “The time the staff is spending with the different boards, I would rather the time be spent with us We are the random citizens that were chosen Random citizens on the board were picked by eight Random citizens up here were picked by 200,000 I want to invest in the eight All of the boards add an extra step, clouding up the system I would rather that time go to educating us more individually, so we can make decisions and use tax money more wisely ”

He said he is not excluding citizens, as his phone and email works

C a p e C o r a l B r e e z e

“I get emails from citizens and I call them back and return information to them they need I am not excluding citizens at all I am on the budget committee all year long. Citizens can communicate to me and I can go to staff and get the answer and I can relay that information,” Sheppard said “We are paying for an extra step An extra cost for our corporation and business ”

ample time to understand the departments and their budgetary requests

“Do we really need a budget committee when we have a big finance department t h a t w e w o r k c l o s e l y w i t h ?

Councilmember Patty Cummings said

After the conversation, Mayor John Gunter asked if the city should have a town hall budget presentation once a year, giving anyone in the community an opportunity to come and listen, or watch from home

Sheppard

d i f f e r e n t b o a r d s , I w o u l d r a t h e r t h e t i m e b e s p e n t w i t h u s We a r e t h e r a n d o m c i t i z e n s t h a t w e r e c h o s e n R a n d o m c i t i z e n s o n t h e b o a r d w e r e p i c k e d b y e i g h t R a n d o m c i t i z e n s u p h e r e w e r e p i c k e d b y 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 I w a n t t o i n v e s t i n t h e e i g h t . A l l o f t h e b o a r d s a d d a n e x t r a s t e p , c l o u d i n g u p t h e s y s t e m . I w o u l d r a t h e r t h a t t i m e g o t o e d u c a t i n g u s m o r e i n d i v i d u a l l y, s o w e c a n m a k e d e c i s i o n s a n d u s e t a x m o n e y m o r e w i s e l y. ” Councilmember Dan

C o u n c i l m e m b e r T o m H a y d e n d i sagreed, stating that the boards were established to allow citizens the opportunity to have a better connection with their government

“They don’t feel that connection They don’t know what is going on The committees were established to have a part and play a role in the decision-making process and better understand how the government works,” he said, adding that it is ludicrous to take that away “What we do more than anything is take input from citizens to make us make better decisions on policy.”

Hayden said to do away with any of the boards goes against his grain

“We are doing a disgrace to our community and that is absolutely wrong,” he said

Other council members said that there are infinite opportunities for the public to provide input, through emails, phone calls and during citizen input time at council meetings and workshops

The discretionary boards that were disc u s s e d i n c l u d e t h e B u d g e t R e v i e w

C o m m i t t e e , C a p e C o m p e t e s , Y o u t h

C o u n c i l , T r a n s p o r t a t i o n A d v i s o r y

C o m m i t t e e , G o l f C o u r s e A d v i s o r y Committee, Health Facilities Authority, Nuisance Abatement Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Waterway Advisory Board.

The first to receive extensive dialogue was the budget review committee The council discussed if the committee should only meet from July to the first two weeks of September, or a little longer to provide

“We are going to get more of that message out than we are the seven people sitting in those chairs,” he said he said of the council appointees

E a c h c o u n c i l m e m b e r s h a r e d t h e i r thoughts of the board, with Sheppard, Gunter, Cummings and Councilmember Keith Long saying the committee should be sunset

The other boards they chose for sunset

i n c l u d e d t h e G o l f C o u r s e A d v i s o r y Committee, Nuisance Abatement Board and the Waterway Advisory Board

The Cape Competes and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the council, said they would like to turn into stakeholder groups

The matter will come back to Council for a formal determination and vote as ordinance revisions will be required to make some of the changes proposed by consensus

REAL ESTATE

Mr Feichthaler,

Several years ago, a friend of mine and I purchased a property, where we held title as Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship She paid in 20%, and I paid the rest I have lived in the property since then, and paid all of the bills The property has since increased in value, and now my friend is not being so friendly, requiring 50% of any sales price She also said she is considering transferring the property to her son Can she do that? What would happen if I died, would it all go to her son?

Claire J

Digging into home prices and how long it takes to sell

Dear Claire,

I am sorry to hear a b o u t t h i s s i t u a t i o n Many people enter into a purchase like this with a friend thinking a dispute could never happen, but money has the tendency to create disagreements never contemplated

First, I assume from the above you have no w r i t t e n a g r e e m e n t r egarding rights and res p o n s i b i l i t i e s f o r t h e

property Whether property is held as tenants in common, joint tenancy or a corporation or LLC, it is vital that there is a w r i t t e n a g r e e m e n t detailing the ownership of the property

Eric P. Feichthaler Real Estate Law

As of now, if the property is held as Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship (“JTWROS”), if one of you died, the surviving owner would own 100% Based on what you have written, I don’t believe this is what is intended Under Florida law, if the other owner, you, attempts to transfer the property to someone else, this will serve to break the joint tenancy, and convert the ownership to a “Tenancy in Common ” This means that each the owners has separate 50% interests If one of the owners died, that 50% would go to their heirs, rather than the other owner Again, this is not the desired outcome for you. Florida law assumes that jointly held property such as this are owned equally, regardless of who put in what funds

Both owners have a responsibility for property taxes and other expenses, but if you lived there solely during that time, you may not be able to recoup some expenses

Last week we discussed how our real estate market reached its new equilibrium in April of this year based on the number of closed sales and the increase in the number of active listings in our single-family home market over the past year As we pointed out, the beginning and end of the recent real estate boom were directly correlated to two points in time when Florida reopened from the COVID lockdowns on May 4, 2020, and when the Federal Reserve launched its most aggressive interest rate hiking campaign in history beginning in March 2022 Our market then put in a near-term bottom in the number of closed home sales during the fourth quarter of 2022 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, and it has climbed up from those lows to a level that is more in line with our “normal” preCOVID markets, but still well below the market peaks of 2021 and 2022 Today we are going to take a look at the new equilibrium in median sales prices and the metrics for how long it takes to sell a home

Bob and Geri Quinn

Homing In

In the months of March and April of this year, the median sales price for single-family homes in the overall Cape Coral market was lower compared to the same two months in 2022

In March, the median sales price was 1 2% lower than it was in March 2022, and in April it was 10 6% below the all-time single month high of $470,000 in our overall market in April of last year This was the first time since March and April of 2011 and 2012 that we had back-to-back months of a yearover-year decline in the median sales price in our overall single-family home market At this point, it is just a case of median sales prices leveling out at their new lower equilibrium based on the dramatic economic changes over the last year and the post-hurricane impact on our market The wildcard for the direction of our home prices for the remainder of this year will likely be tied to how things shake out with the Federal Reserve on interest rates and a possible recession, government spending and inflation, and geopolitical risks. Add in the question marks about tighter lending standards due to the turmoil in the banking industry and we would be content with a mostly flat trading range type of real estate market that takes some time to consolidate the price gains of the past several years

$400,000 for three consecutive months from November 2022 through January of this year When all things are considered, it is fair to say that our market has held up incredibly well

Another interesting market statistic is the metric for “days to sell,” which measures how long it takes for a home to go under contract with a buyer as a pending sale We will begin with the “median days to sell,” meaning the number of days it takes for half of the homes to go under contract in fewer days and half the number of homes to go under contract in more days This April the median days to sell a singlefamily home in the overall Cape Coral market came in at 28 days, so half of our homes went under contract in less than 28 days and half went under contract in more than 28 days Looking back at our red hot market conditions in April 2021 and April 2022, the median number of days it took for a home to go under contract with a buyer was only 5 days Going back to April 2020 it was 37 days, and in April 2019 it was 43 days So our new equilibrium remains pretty solid at 28 days to sell compared to the more normal and typical pre-COVID market conditions

As we noted in the first paragraph of this column, there was a distinct market correlation to the COVID reopening as measured by the number of days it took for a home to go under contract with a buyer, along with the end point of the booming market that was tied to rising interest rates Going back to August 2020, the median days to sell dropped to 22 days from 41 days in July 2020, as home sales were starting to ramp up, before the days to sell plunged to only 11 days from December 2020 through February 2021 By March 2021, the median days to sell (i e , days to go under contract) dropped to only 6 days in what turned into a string of 17 consecutive months of single digit median days to sell, before the hot market streak reversed with a “jump” to 15 days in August 2022. By December 2022, we were up to 30 days to sell, before topping out at 33 days to sell in February of this year.

In a nutshell, when it comes to the number of days for a home to go under contract with a buyer, lower priced homes and homes priced properly to the current market conditions are typically selling quicker than higher priced homes Again, compared to the normal market conditions that existed in the pre-COVID world, we are still in pretty good shape despite being in a somewhat slower market right now

Next week we will take a look at the average time it is tak-

See RIFT, page 15 See DIGGING, page 15

To crunch the numbers, in April the median sales price in our overall single-family home market came in at $420,000 compared to $470,000 in April 2022, and 335,000 in April 2021 Back in April 2020 the median sales price was $250,000 and in April 2019 it was $252,433 So we had a 1% dip from 2019 to 2020, followed by year-over-year gains of 34% from 2020 to 2021, and 40 3% from April 2021 to April 2022 We have also edged higher from being stuck at

Rift creating difficulties for co-owners of property

Stevens Construction begins The Med Spa

Stevens Construction has started construction of The Med Spa, a 5,409-square-foot build-out located at 9924 Gulf Coast Main St , Suite A120-A124, Fort Myers, announced Daniel Adams, Stevens Construction executive vice president

Providing cutting-age aesthetics, hormone optimization and wellness for men and women in Southwest Florida, The Med Spa will be a regeneration destination with multiple rooms for injectables, consultation, laser, facial and IV treatments Accented by luxurious interior finishes, The Med Spa will also have offices, a break room with kitchenette, storage and restrooms

The project is slated for completion in September 2023

The Stevens Construction team includes Project Manager Mark Pelafas, Superintendent Rich McDonald and Project Administrator Gina Varner PDS Architecture is the architect of record and interior design is being provided by Michele Pelafas, Inc.

With offices in Fort Myers, Sarasota and Orlando, Stevens Construction specializes in

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

providing construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control and warranty service. The company builds healthcare, commercial and hospitality facilities

For additional information, please visit www stevensbuilds com or call 239-9369006

CRE’s recent local real estate transactions announced

CRE Consultants has announced the following recent real estate transactions:

∫ 2865 Rockfill, LLC purchased an 8 52-acre industrial site at the corner of Old Metro Parkway and Hunter Street, Fort Myers from Suncoast Contractor’s Supply for $1,590,000 Stan Stouder, CCIM of CRE Consultants, negotiated the transaction

∫ Alex Thaylon De Oliveria Assis purchased a 0 16-acre commercial site at 2887 Evans Ave , Fort Myers, from Becky P o l a t s e k f o r $ 3 0 , 0 0 0 F r e d K e r m a n i , CCIM, AIA of CRE Consultants, represented the seller and Cozza Investment

Group represented the buyer in negotiating the transaction

CRE Consultants, which provides a full spectrum of commercial real estate and property management services to property owners, investors, landlords, tenants and developers, is at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court, Suite 102, Fort Myers

For additional information, please call 29-481-3800, or visit http://creconsultants com

Studio+ acquires

Assemble Design

Award-winning architecture and design f i r m S t u d i o + h a s a c q u i r e d A s s e m b l e Design, a full-service architectural, brand development and interior design firm based in Northern Michigan

In the process of rebranding as Studio+, Assemble Design was founded in 2021 by Meghan Frederick specializing in retail, h o s p i t a l i t y , a n d w o r k s p a c e d e s i g n Frederick is now a principal at Studio+ and leads two new national studios for the firm: r e t a i l a n d h o s p i t a l i t y A d d i t i o n a l l y , Assemble Design’s Jessica King will join Studio+, working alongside Frederick as

an interior designer

A s s e m b l e D e s i g n ’ s c l i e n t p o r t f o l i o includes nationally recognized brands such as women’s fashion retailer Altar’d State and Britten’s BoxPop, a customized shipping container company specializing in transforming cargo containers into offices, brewpubs, wineries and restaurants nationwide Assemble’s notable projects with Britten BoxPop include Nolo’s Rooftop Bar in Minneapolis, Naples Zoo in Florida and Toledo Zoo in Ohio

Studio+ has evolved from a single office into a national practice with six offices, all united by a shared purpose to create design solutions that transform lives As part of its expansion, the Assemble team will join the new Traverse City, Michigan, office and continue serving clients under the Studio+ name

Based in Fort Myers, Studio+ is a fullservice architectural and interior design f i r m w i t h o f f i c e s i n T a m p a ; O r a n g e C o u n t y , C a l i f o r n i a ; L o s A n g e l e s ; a n d Traverse City, Michigan, providing design solutions that transform lives

For more information, please visit our website at WeAreStudioPlus com

Rift: Co-owners question who has what rights to jointly held property

From page 14

Either owner can file for a partition action for a forced sale, and make claim for expenses made on the other owner’s behalf

You will want to seek legal advice to your specific situation Ideally, you will reach an agreement with the other owner to buy them out or a reasonable agreement in sharing the proceeds from the sale If that cannot be done, you may want to move to

deed your interest to yourself as tenant in common, so that if you died, the property would not pass 100% to your other owner Again, there are a lot of considerations, so obtain advice before proceeding

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral A f t e r c o m p l e t i n g l a w s c h o o l a t Georgetown University in Washington,

D C , he returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008, and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, Cape Coral Museum of History, and Cape Coral Kiwanis He has been married to his wife, Mary, for over 20 years, and they have four children together He earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar He is AV Preeminent

rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability, and is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil M e d i a t o r H e c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e r i c @ c a p e c o r a l a t t o r n e y c o m , o r 2 3 9542-4733

This article is general in nature and not i n t e n d e d a s l e g a l a d v i c e t o a n y o n e I n d i v i d u a l s s h o u l d s e e k l e g a l c o u n s e l before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations

Digging: Examining current home prices and length of time to sell

From page 14

ing for homes to go under contract, along with the cumulative days it is taking for a home to go under contract and become finalized as a closed sale This should help sellers in setting realistic expectations with their time frames We will wrap up today with a look at the current number of active home listings and pending sales in the Cape

As of Tuesday, May 9, there were 1,536 active listings in the Multiple Listing Service for single-family homes in the Cape at prices ranging from $260,000 to $3 995 million The number of active listings edged higher from a week ago when there were 1,523 Cape Coral homes on the market through a Realtor Of note, the number of active listings has climbed about 112% from the 725

homes on the market back on May 17, 2022

Based on our weekly market surveys, which we run every Tuesday, the median list price has been treading water at $535,000 since April 11 A year ago on May 17, 2022, the median list price for Cape Coral homes stood at $575,000 after hitting a peak of $610,000 on April 19 of last year Currently, there are 534 homes in the Cape, or 34 8% of our active listings, priced at $450,000 and under, including 11 homes on the market for less than $300,000 At the other end of the price spectrum there were a total of 220 homes listed at $1 million and above on May 9, which was up a tick from the 219 such homes on the market a week ago The number of active listings has jumped up by 65 4% from the 133 homes on the market in the million dollar plus segment from back on May 17, 2022

The number of pending home sales on the books was at 883 on May 9, down a tick from 884 a week ago The pipeline of pending home sales is ranging in price from $215,000 to $4 15 million, with the second lowest priced home pending at $235,000 The median pending sales price dipped to $401,999 this week from $410,000 a week ago A total of 572 of the 883 pending home sales in the Cape are under contract at $450,000 and under, which includes 31 pending sales below $300,000 In our luxury home segment, there are currently 36 Cape Coral homes under contract at $1 million and above

(The sales data for this article was o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e F l o r i d a R e a l t o r s ® Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee

County, FL, as of May 8, 2023, unless otherwise noted It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral single family homes, and does not include condominiums, short sales, or foreclosures The data and statistics are believed to be reliable, h o w e v e r , t h e y c o u l d b e u p d a t e d a n d revised periodically, and are subject to change without notice The Quinn’s are a husband and wife real estate team with the R E / M A X R e a l t y T e a m o f f i c e i n C a p e Coral They have lived in Cape Coral for over 43-years Geri has been a full-time REALTOR® since 2005, and Bob joined with Geri as a full-time REALTOR® in 2014 Their real estate practice is mainly focused on Cape Coral residential property and vacant lots )

EDUCATION

T HE BREE ZE

MAY 12, 2023

Cape High student publishes children's book about autism

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A Cape Coral High School senior recently published his first book through his capstone creative writing project “People are going to accept them even when they are different and have a disability,” Anthony Longstreet said of how the idea came about “It was a really fun process It was great. I felt very happy. I am really happy everyone likes it ”

His book, “I'm Proud to be Different: A Children's Book about Autism,” is currently ranked No 1 for new releases teaching students with learning disabilities on Amazon Longstreet shares a story through a character that presents the message that even though you feel really alone, there is something out there for him, that he is not going to be alone

In 2019, Longstreet was diagnosed with autism

Feichthaler among National Merit Scholarship winners

s y e a r ’ s N a t i o n a l M e r i t

$2,500 Scholarship winners The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program

Among the recipients was Eric P Feichthaler of Cape Coral who attends Oasis High School After graduating, he will be attending Georgetown University and studying environmental science

O n l y o n e o t h e r L e e C o u n t y s t u d e n t , L a r a J e a n Kendall or Sanibel, received the $2,500 scholarship She attends the Canterbury School and would like to pursue a degree in medicine

N a t i o n a l M e r i t $ 2 5 0 0

Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors

These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official

This is the second announcement of winners in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program On April 26, about 840 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and on June 7 and July 10, some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced

By the conclusion of this year’s competition, more than 7,140 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $28 million

For additional information about the National Merit S c h o l a r s h i p P r o g r a m , p l e a s e v i s i t www nationalmerit org

“I wanted to write this book and help kids From my experience, I want to spread the message, they are not alone,” he said, adding that people will accept you for who you are “ E v e n i f t h e y h a v e a u t i s m People are going to learn that they are different and accept them ”

Anthony Longstreet

A l t h o u g h h e e n c o u n t e r e d some challenges during his middle school years, the transition t o C a p e C o r a l H i g h S c h o o l changed everything for him

“

O n c e I m o v e d t o C a p e Coral High School, everything was great,” Longstreet said

His best memories were working with his creative writing teacher, Aaron Smoly, and his IEP teacher, Cathleen Cloonan He said his teachers helped him with writing his book, showing they cared about him finishing.

“I can't thank them enough,” Longstreet said With his high school years concluding as an honor roll student, he said he wants to take a few months to a year off of school to figure out what he wants to do One thing for sure, he said, is to write another book, maybe this time a chapter book

“ I a m d e f i n i t e l y g o i n g t o w r i t e m o r e b o o k s , ”

Longstreet said

The book can be purchased through Amazon for $8 A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the books goes to Autism Speaks, a non-profit autism awareness organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States.

Florida Department of Education honors top STEM students at Sunshine State Scholars Conference

The Florida Department of Education celebrated academic excellence at Florida’s 26th annual Sunshine State Scholars conference in Orlando, honoring the state’s top performing 11th grade students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) More than 100 student-scholars and their parents attended the prestigious t w o - d a y e v e n t , w h i c h w a s h o s t e d b y t h e F l o r i d a Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation Twenty-eight students also received 1-year scholarships funded by State Farm and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

“Sunshine State Scholars celebrates the best of the best in STEM learning,” said Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr “Thank you to all of our scholars who attended the event, and it is my hope they will choose Florida’s number one ranked higher education system when deciding where to continue their education ”

Each year, Florida school districts select their top 11th grade STEM students for the Sunshine State Scholars program These scholars, along with their parents, engage in an extraordinary program designed to connect them with F l o r i d a ’ s p o s t s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d employers that specialize in the STEM fields This year, 105 scholars participated in a “think tank” addressing difficult Florida challenges, which included problem-solving activities and presentations from industry and research experts Each scholar also received a brand new iPad, c o u r t e s y o f A T & T , a n d S e a W o r l d P a r k s a n d Entertainment provided each scholar with two tickets to enjoy a day at the park

The 2023 Sunshine State Scholars also met with representatives from Florida’s top ranked higher education system ranked #1 in the country for the past six years in a row including members of both the Florida University System and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. The university representatives conducted informational sessions on college funding, held interactive panel discussions with STEM industry professionals, and communicated higher education opportunities in Florida

The Department recognized each scholar during the

event and presented 28 students with one-year scholarships to attend one of Florida’s top ranked higher education institutions The 2023 Sunshine State Scholars scholarship winners are:

∫ Abigail Dagiins, Alachua

∫ Thien-Nhi Nguyen, Brevard

∫ Arya Gujarathi, Broward

∫ Badrinath Konidala, Broward

∫ Andrew Herrmann, Collier

∫ Michael Marcy, Collier

∫ Brody Forrest Crews, Columbia

∫ Kayleigh Goodman, DeSoto

∫ Andrew Diaz, Duval

∫ Sophia Milian, Duval

∫ Katie Poquette, FAU Lab School

∫ Hailey Griffis, Gilchrist

∫ Madalyn Sapia, Hernando

∫ Michael Hemingway, Hillsborough

∫ Ella Hancock, Lafayette

∫ Casey Nathanson, Lake

∫ Gabriel Wright, Lee

∫ Sarayu Vanga, Leon

∫ Braydon Bernard, Manatee

∫ Matthew Maurer, Manatee

∫ Andrew Huber, Nassau

∫ Clea Judilla, Okeechobee

∫ Lillian Shoemaker, Orange

∫ Sharanya Chatterjee, Orange

∫ Matthew Cai, Palm Beach

∫ Robert (Bob) Sager, Sumter

∫ Paul Gunter, Suwannee

∫ Jacob Friedman, Volusia

The 2023 Sunshine State Scholars conference was m a d e p o s s i b l e t h r o u g h t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e F l o r i d a Education Foundation, and generous sponsors including State Farm, Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Florida Lottery, Kyra Solutions, Helios, Lockheed Martin and Nagarro

For more information about the Florida Education Foundation, please visit: floridaeducationfoundation org/

Eric P Feichthaler

PHOTO PROVIDED

The 2023 Sunshine State Scholars scholarship winners

Excellence in Education awards presented

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

It was a night of kudos and recognition in the realm of education Monday night at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers, as more than 60 teachers and students were highlighted for their exemplary accomplishments in and out of the classroom.

The 31st annual Excellence in Education Awards, held by the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee and sponsored by the Breeze Newspapers, highlighted the importance of committed educators, and assisted the scholastic ventures of high school seniors as they embark on their next journey

Students and teachers from the elementary, middle, high school and college level were honored, representing the West Zone of the School District of Lee County, which includes Cape Coral and North Fort Myers

Ray Eckenrode, publisher of the Breeze Newspapers, kicked things off by thanking everyone for coming out to such a wonderful night of paying homage to the community’s brightest young minds and skilled educators

“As we emerge from the tumult and trauma of the past few years into a world that needs fresh vision and new leaders more than ever, we want to recognize all the teachers, administrators and education professionals who play such a vital role in the process of helping you people grow into those roles,” Eckenrode said

This year’s keynote speaker was Career Specialist and H I R E Program Coordinator at Fort Myers Technical College, and 2016 Golden Apple recipient while at Cypress Lake High School, Christian Zimmerman

Zimmerman talked of the true meaning of what teachers “make” -- not in terms of a paycheck or salary

“Our rewards come intrinsically, not extrinsically,” he said “They're not seen on a pay stub, or even in a benefits package We get paid in epiphanies We like to call these ‘light bulb moments ’ When you're sitting in that classroom and go, ‘oh wow,’ or ‘ah-ha ’ That's how we get paid True compensation never comes in the form of paper, it comes in what you feel within your heart, and within your soul when you lay your head upon you pillow every night ”

Zimmerman asked those in attendance the next time they visit the doctors, to ask themselves, "Who taught that doctor to think analytically? Who taught the lawyer to write? It was a teacher

“And in this room, we have the fruits of those labors The students are fruits of that same tree You see what we do does not end with us It lends long after we have left this earth Because education, and teaching, immortal There's no secret to it, you just do what you love And you empower other to do the same ”

Zimmerman said the event itself is a testament to the power of education, and that the impact of a caring teacher has a ripple effect throughout generations

“You're here because at some point in your life, a teacher made a difference,” Zimmerman said to the educators “Students, you're here because a teacher, several teachers, countless teachers, made a difference in your life

“It's about drawing those real-world connections for your students, and getting them to see the promise that

they have within themselves ”

Each student and educator recognized received a plaque to commemorate their outstanding efforts, with high school and college students each receiving $1,000 in scholarship money to go along with their hardware

Ida Baker High School's Ella Peterson was among those recognized for her achievements Peterson has a long list of accomplishments, including being part of the National Honor Society, Student Government, Health Occupations Students of America, tennis captain, and more

“It feels great,” Peterson said of being honored “It makes me feel special Ever since freshman year, we've dealt with obstacles, especially being the class of 2023, so at this moment, I feel great working as hard as I did I put my true self out there for sure ”

Peterson has plans to do a summer semester at the University of Central Florida majoring in biology, including pre-health professional dental school She graduated from Ida Baker with her CNA

Her advice to underclassman on their academic journey?

“To always persevere,” Peterson said “Even if you think that it's your last chance to win at something -- no it's not You're going to keep on getting back up on your horse and keep on going ”

Ida Baker's educator being recognized was Video Technology and Production teacher, Geralyn Wilkinson Wilkinson has a total of 18 years in the Lee County School system, and has been at Ida Baker for 15

“It's been an honor,” Wilkinsons said of the evening “I

love working for the kids, and with the kids I really enjoy what I do The students make every day special ”

She is known for being an educator that blends learning with integrating technology, and prides herself in supplying her students, grades 9 through 12, with the latest professional-grade software used across the globe

“They get to know and work with each other from different grade levels and form relationships,” Wilkinson said “Our programs are very advanced, and can even get certified ”

Eric Feichthaler was chosen to represent Oasis High School, and has plans to attend Georgetown University next year where he will study environmental biology

“It's amazing to be here,” Feichthaler said “The last four years, I've been focusing on a lot of extra-curriculars, being passionate about so many things, putting 100% into everything at school It means a lot ”

Feichthaler said Oasis has been a great environment, as he is a member of the Key Club, National Honor Society, a n d N a t i o n a l E n g l i s h H o n o r S o c i e t y H e i s a Congressional Award Gold Medalist, National Merit S c h o l a r s h i p f i n a l i s t , a n d o n e o f 1 0 K e y C l u b Distinguished Vice Presidents out of all Florida clubs

He said his goals to pursue environmental issues stems from visiting National Parks

“My trip to Yellowstone in 2015 is what really sold me on nature and protecting it,” Feichthaler said His advice to fellow students is: “To put 100% into everything you do It always pays off in the end ”

North Nicholas High School in Cape Coral Language Arts teacher Elmira Sablosky was recognized for her efforts in the classroom

Sablosky, a first-year educator, collaborates with staff to share useful and proven strategies that support her students, and feel that all students should be supported and given goals that will help them be successful

“I love helping the kids,” she said “To see their success, that's my success Don't ever give up on the kids Every student needs as much attention as we can give to them When they're successful, happy and learn something, it's just the best feeling in the world ”

Aaysha Sidikka Mohamed Aki Jawaha was chosen as North Nicholas' student honoree, and has a perfect attendance award to go along with a Positive Performer technology award

“It feels so good to be here,” she said. “My teachers have helped so much with my education, and I want to thank them ”

Jawaha said she loves attending North Nicholas, where she is also part of the environmental club She said finding the right fit and passionate teachers makes all the difference

“Find that school, with good students, teachers, studies, and make friends,” Jawaha said

Island Coast High School senior Paige Klotzbach was chosen to represent her school, and will enroll in Florida Gulf Coast University's Nursing Program next year

“I feel so extremely honored I can't put it into words,” Klotzbach said of being recognized “I feel like I worked very, very hard I came from a very small town but I

CJ HADDAD

The elementary school students honored Monday night at the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce Education Committee’s Excellence in Education program at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers

CJ HADDAD

Christian Zimmerman, Career Specialist and H.I.R.E. Program Coordinator at Fort Myers Technical College, was the keynote speaker for the awards program.

Mulch: Humble but important

By SHERIE BLEILER news@breezenewspapers com

Mulch, that bottom layer of your garden. Humble, unassuming Yet it can do so much for your landscape Visually, it adds a dark edge between the green grass and the plant bed, making a nice outline to your landscape

Haitian Heritage Month Family Fun Day & Health Fair Saturday

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A day full of information, screenings and activities will be held this Saturday, May 13, by the Haitian-American Community Coalition of SW Florida for the entire community to enjoy

HACC Scholarship Chair Betsy Vaughn sa although the Haitian-American Family Fun Day & Health Fair has been held in the past, COVID interrupted the annual event

“It’s part of the vision and mission of HACC We do things for the benefit of the community and actually it goes beyond We focus on the Haitian-American community, (but) this is a community event, of course everybody is welcome Everybody will fin value in coming out for the various activities and lots of information that they can get,” she said

This year the Haitian Heritage Month Family Fun Day & Health Fair will be held from 11 a m to 3 p m Saturday at The Rock Church of Fort Myers, 940 Tarpon St , Fort Myers. The admission and activities are free. The Rock Church will be holding a fundraiser the same day selling a barbecue lunch for attendees to purchase

health aspect ”

Another huge component of the day is inviting Lee County Supervisor of Elections to provide attendees with the opportunity to register if they are eligible Vaughn said those who, in the past, registered to vote by mail are no longer registered unless they register again

The School District of Lee County will also be n attendance to share information about such topics as the proximity plan and the Head Start program

“A lot of people in the community, their children qualify for Early Head Start, or Head Start,” Vaughn said, adding that VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) classes are also free “That is always very important because e have a lot of families, many have younger children, and they can get information on that.”

Others that will be in attendance include Goodwill Industries, Fort Myers Police Department, Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Lee County Library System Vaughn said attendees can sign up for a library card and free books will be given to kids

“It’s a big deal,” Vaughn said of the event “We really spend a lot of time getting people to come in They all have something to share and some education ”

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

More importantly for me, if you keep it at least 2 inches thick, it limits most weeds from getting a start Weed seeds often do not make it to dirt level, and when they do, mulch shades the emerging seedlings from getting sunlight It shades the roots of the plants from the sun’s heat Rocks actually absorb heat, so using them as mulch cooks the roots, making it more difficult for them to grow

Mulch allows rain to run through it and holds the moisture from evaporating longer than bare dirt It is easy to move aside when you add new flowers or some vegetables Eventually, mulch degrades into black dirt, adding nutrients back to the soil So although we need to reapply mulch each year, we are building our soil from mostly sand into rich soil, full of nutrients and life-giving microbes.

Recommended mulch in Lee County:

■ Florimulch from melaleuca trees

■ Pine straw = pine needles

■ Chipped wood from tree trimmers

Florimulch is not made from cypress trees, which is huge Precious cypress trees in Florida have been heavily logged in the past and need not be destroyed for mulch A great alternative is mulch made from the invasive melaleuca tree These trees were brought here from Australia for beauty and

to dry up our swamps Instead, they spread like kudzu, displacing our native vegetation and presenting a fire hazard As they work to eradicate it from our wetland areas, it is turned into mulch Lab tests show melaleuca is naturally termite resistant Termites do not eat it nor do they like living under it After a couple of weeks, the mulch fibers knit together and tend not to float or wash out There is even a quote on the b a g b y M a r j o r y S t o n e m a n D o u g l a s p r o m o t i n g Florimulch for its benefits to the Florida ecosystem

Pine straw is sold in bales, unless you are fortunate to find some in an empty lot This is my go-to mulch because it is lightweight I can easily handle the bales myself It does not form a crust or wash away in the rain. The needles form a mesh and stay put. It does not significantly acidify the soil and lasts for two years It more easily allows rain to flow through into the soil

Pine straw is fully sustainable and renewable No trees

See MULCH, page 20

Another vendor will be selling Haitian snacks and drinks at the event

The day of activities includes a plethora of vendors for the health fair, including Lee Health and the pediatrics Lee Physicians Group There will be a variety of screenings done, such as glucose testing, blood pressure, hearing and vision

Vaughn said there will also be medical professionals there to answer questions and provide information on such topics as smoking, sexually transmitted diseases, strokes, Social Security disability, Medicare and Medicaid

“It’s a huge variety in addition to the ones that we have from Lee Health,” she said, adding that health care organizations will provide information on particular services they offer “It’s a health fair, fun day It’s huge on the

The day also includes fun with bounce houses for the children, the fire department, a deejay playing music, several performances and door prizes Vaughn said they will have a piece of paper for attendees to fill out with their name, number and email to receive free prizes.

“Every half hour we will pull a couple of names and they can get their prize,” she said.

The event will also include a special presentation by Dr Arthur Boyer on Haitian history

Vaughn said there will be something for everyone of all ages at the Family Fun Day & Health Fair

“It is heartwarming to see how many people come out and want to help,” she said “They want to share the information that they have and really do community service ”

Jordan’s Blessings marks 7th anniversary with gifts to community

Jordan Ashley Gutheim, a 20-year-old Evangelical Christian School graduate and junior at Florida State University and her boyfriend Benji Piechoczek were killed in a car accident on May 12, 2016 by a careless commercial truck driver

The Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation was soon formed to spread “Jordan’s Blessings” which are presented annually every May to honor Jordan’s life Jordan was known for her kind and loving spirit, her joyful personality and her willingness to go out of her way to help others Jordan was passionate about animal safety, family, the elderly, children and serving the needy in impoverished countries The fund supports efforts including no-kill animal shelters, elderly health and wellbeing, humanitarian mission trips, driver safety, family services and an annual four-year scholarship to FSU

Over the past seven years, the foundation has supported a variety of non-profits including: MADD, Lee County Sheriffs Youth Activities League Teen Drivers Challenge, Dr Piper Center for Social Services grandparents program (senior classroom mentors), Community Cooperative (soup kitchen), Valerie’s House, While We’re Waiting (Christian based organization for bereaved parents), the Gulf Coast Humane Society, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, an annual FSU scholarship, three mission trips, food to frontline workers during Covid at HealthPark Medical Center where Jordan was born, Pace Center for Girls, Our Mother’s Home, Clinic For The Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties, and Hurricane Ian relief

T h e J o r d a n A s h l e y

G u t h e i m F o u n d a t i o n announces its seventh annual J o r d a n ’ s B l e s s i n g s T h i s y e a r ’ s r e c i p i e n t s i n c l u d e :

PACE Center For Girls (Lee County) funding the second year of a three-year pledge to support the Reach Program Services which offers social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health counseling to girls ages 11 to 17 and their f a m i l i e s T h e f u n d s a r e specifically used to expand the counseling suite which is n a m e d a f t e r J o r d a n ; O u r Mother’s Home completing a two-year pledge to fund the Early Childhood Learning Center which will be named after Jordan Our Mother’s Home provides a safe and nurturing environment for young moms (ages 11 to 21) in foster care and their babies and will be moving into their new facility this year; Valerie’s House completing a two-year pledge to fund the Art Shack in their new facility which will be completed this year The Art room is already named after Jordan Valerie’s House supports children who have lost a parent and the surviving spouses; and Alvin A Dubin Alzheimers

See JORDAN’S BLESSINGS, page 22

Mulch is valuable for your home landscape.

Jordan Ashley Gutheim

India Association of Fort Myers to hold Mother's Day Brunch at Lakes Park

The India Association of Fort Myers will be hosting a M o t h e r ' s D a y B r u n c h , Sunday, May 14, at Lakes P a r k S h e l t e r C 1 , 7 3 3 0

G l a d i o l u s D r i v e , F o r t Myers

The brunch event promises to be a sensory delight with a live dosa and vada b a r a l o n g w i t h a m i x e d chicken grill

There will also be funfilled activities, snow cones and more

The brunch is free to active members To become a member, visit the associat i o n ' s w e b p a g e a t https://iafm clubexpress co m/

R e g i s t r a t i o n i s r e c o mmended and payment in full can be made in advance or at the event

The cost for non-members is $40 per adult and $20 for children 2-12

T h e c o s t f o r m e m b e r guests is $30 per adult and $15 for children 2-12

The official address of the India Association is PO Box 07183, Fort Myers, FL 33919 You can call the a s s o c i a t i o n a t 4 0 4 - 6 4 30576

Mulch:

From page 18

Needles are collected after they fall off t h e t r e e T h e y a r e h e l d together with string, not plastic bags

are destroyed

W o o d c h i p s : A n o t h e r s u s t a i n a b l e a n d i n e x p e ns i v e w a y o f o b t a i n i n g mulch is to contact tree trimmers If they are trimming trees in the neighborhood, they are often happy to dump a pile of chipped wood on your driveway to a v o i d h a v i n g t o p a y t o d u m p i t e l s e w h e r e Y o u may also come to Rotary Park,

where there are piles of mulched wood free for the t a k i n g F i l l y o u r e m p t y buckets or bins and drive them home for your personal use Free!

Mulch is more than an attractive addition to your landscape It is a sustaina b l e w a y t o s u p p r e s s weeds, preserve soil moisture, keep plant roots cool a n d a d d n u t r i e n t s Y o u r mulch selection is one part of an eco-friendly yard Happy gardening!

Sherie Bleiler is a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral

Chris Spiro inducted to the Florida & Caribbean Advertising Hall of Fame

Inaugural class honoree

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A locally-based business leader with more than three decades of experience in his realm is being inducted into an inaugural hall of fame class

Chris Spiro, founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Spiro & Associates, was inducted into the first-ever class of the Florida & Caribbean Advertising Hall of Fame The hall of fame honors individuals who have distinguished themselves during advertising careers of more than 20 years working in Florida or the Caribbean Spiro was inducted along four others during the American Advertising Federation’s District 4 Annual Conference

“It’s very humbling,” Spiro said of being inducted “It’s an organization and an industry I’ve spent a lifetime in I was very humbled by it, especially looking at the other honorees that are being inducted There are folks that are being honored that are just hallmarks in our industry, and I’m just humbled to be considered in this inaugural class with them ”

Among Spiro’s noteworthy accomplishments is his involvement with AAF He has chaired the district meeting, chaired the local and 4th District “Addy” awards, was co-creative director for the 4th Dress For Success campaign, and is one of the original Table 1 card holders

Chairman of the Florida & Caribbean Advertising Hall of Fame Mike Weber said of the class: “This very exclusive group of advertising professionals have had distinguished advertising careers and remarkable professional achievements that elevated the advertising industry in Florida and the Caribbean for more than 20 years Chris stands out because of how he blended outstanding advertising practices, and award winning creativity, with community involvement and economic development ”

The AAF's 4th District comprises the state of Florida and

“It’s very humbling. It’s an organization and an industry I’ve spent a lifetime in. I was very humbled by it, especially looking at the other honorees that are being inducted There are folks that are being honored that are just hallmarks in our industry, and I’m just humbled to be considered in this inaugural class with them ”

Chris Spiro, founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Spiro & Associates

the Caribbean, and serves as an advocate for the advertising and marketing world Spiro said the association has evolved over the years, now at the forefront of artificial intelligence and the digital era

“The AAF as a whole has been the keepers of the ad industry,” Spiro said. “4th District, we do things a little differently So much of what we do is focused on tourism and the building industry, that there’s some very good strategic alliances that have been built through the AAF accordingly It’s very, very rewarding ”

Spiro, who has 34 years in the industry, has seen it all when it comes to the changing world of advertising and marketing Spiro has earned hundreds of advertising and community awards, including being named Cape Coral’s Citizen of the Year in 2004

He has helped redefine how businesses look at themselves by creating brand awareness and marketing campaigns that have been game changers He has helped 13 client builders sell more than 2,750 homes in a single year Spiro has brought many projects to reality,including a $200 million technology park and a $176 million high-rise condo complex in the Fort Myers River District Spiro built a new national product manufacturing deal that retained jobs and improved distribution Besides their cutting edge and transformational work with local clients, Spiro and his team of self-proclaimed

“maverick marketers” are constantly connecting regional clients with people who live and work from as far away as Colorado and California

“There’s also fun stuff,” Spiro said “To hear from the creative director who created ‘Kool-Aid Man’ and the whole ‘Kool-Aid’ campaign To hear from the creative director that created the Absolute Vodka campaign, which is still running today I’ve had the opportunity as part of this association, to

See SPIRO, page 43

Jordan’s Blessings: Anniversary marked with more gifts to community

From page 18

R e s o u r c e C e n t e r ( T h e D u b i n C e n t e r ) which provides education, support and social opportunities to caregivers and persons living with all forms of dementia

In addition, congratulations to Raven Gadson who was selected for the seventh annual Jordan Ashley Gutheim four-year FSU Scholarship

Jordan attended Evangelical Christian School from preschool through high school and loved the school. Jordan’s love of the school extended to its teachers, students, athletics (playing both varsity soccer and

track) and student government Jordan’s Blessings completed a five-year grant, and this year provided a new four-year grant to the Lee County Sheriff’s Youth Activities League for the Teen Driver Challenge class Seniors at ECS take the class and learn how to keep safe on the roads The Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation donated the blessing in loving memory of three o f h e r c l a s s m a t e s J o r d a n S a d l e r , J o n Valentin and Joe Marcelek who died in a car crash in June 2014

Over the last seven years, Jordan’s f o u n d a t i o n h a s p l e d g e d $ 4 3 5 , 5 6 1 o f which $400,561 has already been funded

Jordan’s family is grateful to everyone who has donated to help keep Jordan’s memory alive and support all that she loved

The fund is available for anyone who w o u l d l i k e t o c o n t r i b u t e b y v i s i t i n g http://bit ly/JordanAshleyGutheim or sending a check to Collaboratory Additionally, y o u c a n v i s i t J o r d a n ’ s w e b s i t e a t https://www jordangutheim org to learn more about Jordan’s life and Jordan’s Blessings

About Collaboratory

Collaboratory is committed to coordinating the solving of all of Southwest

Florida’s social problems on an 18-year deadline including homelessness, poverty, mental illness, racism, illiteracy and more Collaboratory was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation It has made over $100 million in grants since then and is home to more than 400 philanthropic funds It is upon that legacy of a commitment to community that Collaboratory plans to fulfill on that mission at the level of its greatest expression

To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www collaboratory org

Excellence in Education: Cape Chamber recognizes local students

From page 17

worked really hard to keep As and Bs throughout my high school career ”

She said she's always had the calling to help others, which is why she chose to pursue nursing

“I've just always had a want to help people and make a difference in people's lives,” Klotzbach said “Just seeing that I'm actually helping them, it makes my entire day ”

A special scholarship was presented to a Junior Leadership student in the name of Cindy Gallagher, who passed away from cancer in 2018 This year's recipient was Ida Baker High School's Mattison Caron North Fort Myers High School's Jessica Newman was also awarded a 2,000 schola r s h i p o n b e h a l f o f t h e C h a m b e r o f Commerce Education Committee

The full list of honorees include (student followed by teacher):

■ Caloosa Elementary School: Alice

Zou and Anne Bravard

■ Cape Elementary School: Ella Garcia and Kristy Jones

■ Diplomat Elementary School: Daniel Perez and Wynell Jones

■ Gulf Elementary School: Makenna Peace and Leslie Mikell

■ Hancock Creek Elementary School: Zella Smith and Danielle Hopkins

■ Hector A Cafferata Jr Elementary S c h o o l : J h i m o n P i e r r e a n d S t e p h a n i e Alzate

■ O a s i s C h a r t e r E l e m e n t a r y N o r t h :

Juliette Ramos Perez and Amy Cardwell

■ O a s i s C h a r t e r E l e m e n t a r y S o u t h :

Luca Giallombardo and Esmeralda Arroyo

■ Patriot Elementary School: Parker Messick and Heather Howdyshell

■ P e l i c a n E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l : J a d a Powell and Kelly Young

■ Pine Island Elementary School: Elvin

Ajin and Melinda Manguson

■ Skyline Elementary School: Jakelyn Macias and Michelle Law

■ Trafalgar Elementary School: Brady

Allison and Marlo Bromfield-Smalls

■ C a l o o s a M i d d l e S c h o o l : N o a h Marrero and John Crayton

■ Challenger Middle School: Aubrey

Duncan and Dyan Spero

■ Christian Life Academy: Matthew

Guzman and Julie Zearfaus

■ Diplomat Middle School: Ben Uphoff and Mark Dahlberg

■ Gulf Middle School: Jayden Torres and Laurie Kane

■ Mariner Middle School: Carlie Crane and Kelly Murray-Takacs

■ M i d C a p e G l o b a l A c a d e m y : Anamarie Poueriet and Mindy Swat

■ North Fort Myers Academy for the A r t s : M i l e s H o l m e s a n d M a r g a r e t

Bregenzer

■ Oasis Middle School: Jaylea Frye and Amy Pawloski

■ St Andrew Catholic School: Sarah Gosma and James Less

■ T r a f a l g a r M i d d l e S c h o o l : C u l l e n

Zsebe and Natasha Pratt

■ Cape Coral High School: Annette Noe and Jessica Recupito

■ Ida Baker High School: Ella Peterson and Geralyn Wilkinson

■ Island Coast High School: Paige Klotzbach and Rodina Carmona

■ M a r i n e r H i g h S c h o o l : B e r k Aydogmus and Rory Shallis

■ North Nicholas High School: Aaysha Sidikka Mohamed Ali Jawaha and Elmira

Sablosky

■ N o r t h F o r t M y e r s H i g h S c h o o l : Melcha Walker and Vivian Gomez

■ Oasis High School: Erich Feichthaler and Tomika Breese

■ C a p e C o r a l T e c h n i c a l C o l l e g e : Brandon Casterline and Christy Bessette

■ Ida S Baker High School: Mattison Caron, $1,000 Scholarship recipient

■ N o r t h F o r t M y e r s H i g h S c h o o l : J e s s i c a N e w m a n , $ 2 , 0 0 0 S c h o l a r s h i p recipient

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

Greater Pine Island Civic Association to help fight removal of Chiquita Lock in Cape Coral

By CRAIG GARRETT news@breezenewspapers com

First, it was boater safety This time it’s keeping manatees from getting crushed or hurt

That second argument put forth Tuesday, May 2, by the city of Cape Coral didn’t convince the Greater Pine Island Civic Association, as its members gave $2,500 to fight the city’s plan to remove the Chiquita Boat Lock, a Gulf access site along Safe Harbor Marina

The busy boater lock, built in the 1970s to slow sheeting storm water, is fed by the Camelot Canal and Southwest Spreader Water-way Boaters had complained of clustering and run-ins as the lock shifted water levels Cape Coral argues that manatees and a species of sawfish are trapped or killed in the exchange

Cape Coral pushed to close the lock in 2016 A judge sided with the opposition in 2020 The city filed an amended plan 10 months later Boater safety was the i s s u e , t h e c i t y a r g u e d A s t a t e j u d g e s i d e d w i t h the Greater Pine Island Civic Association The city couldn’t use the same argument before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the permitting agency Groups and individuals had filed a petition to argue a g a i n s t t h e s t a t e a l l o w i n g t h e l o c k ’ s d i s m a n t l i n g

The GPICA is helping pay for pending litigation, not as a litigant, its members decided Tuesday

The issue for the GPICA is keeping the Chiquita Boat Lock to slow and filter nutrient-rich rain and to balance fresh and salt waters, a so-called plug to limit damaging run-off, its members said The group succeeded in keeping the lock open in an earlier legal contest

The Florida DEP had received a petition for an administrative hearing regarding the Notice of Intent to Issue an Environmental Resource Permit for the South Spreader W a t e r w a y E n v i r o n m e n t a l I m p r o v e m e n t a n d

Sustainability Project, a spokesperson said DEP’s Office of General Counsel is currently reviewing the petition for sufficiency with applicable Florida rules and statutes. If deemed sufficient, it will be sent to the Division of Administrative Hearings and a hearing date set, said Brooke Keck, a spokesperson for the agency’s South District office

GPICA members Tuesday also approved a second “dollar-for-dollar” measure for a matching grant for legal fees of up to $5,000 The association won’t join in a lawsuit but instead forwards its cash to resolve things in its

favor, members said Tuesday The vote, by a show of red cards, was unanimous

Mike Ilczyszyn, Cape Coral’s interim city manager, shared the city’s side Tuesday, insisting the Chiquita Boat Lock had served its purpose, that the city would update its stormwater system, plant 3,000 mangrove trees and take other steps such as new oyster beds in protecting the waterway A new dual lock was too expensive, he added He even offered to partner with the GPICA on an unspecified project

He was “happy to have the opportunity” to share the city’s perspective, Ilczyszyn said after the meeting “We all have a common interest ”

GPICA board member Sue Dahod presented opposition in closing the lock She and others argued Cape Coral should first address septic-to-sewer conversions and several large housing projects on the books before closing a boat lock, the last of three Cape Coral had operated

And not cave to impatient boaters and the extra 30 minutes it may take to run the lock, she and others added

“Get all the other things done first understood,” Ilczyszyn said in confirming what was said, adding that Cape Coral had “gone above and beyond” guidelines of the failed permit process that began in 2016 “We’re trying to put our best foot forward ”

The Chiquita Boat Lock one of several built to manage sheeting rainwater when Cape Coral’s developers reportedly removed mangroves without permits in the 1970s lifts or lowers boaters on the waterway

Tuesday.

When pressed on documenting manatee deaths from l o c k o p e r a t i o n s , I l c z y s z y n s a i d h e w o u l d f o r w a r d those necropsy reports There were anecdotal reports of dead manatees in city canals attributed to the lock, he added

City to host ribbon-cutting ceremony for SUN Trail

The city of Cape Coral invites the public to a ribbonc

The ceremony will be held on the northwest corner of Kismet Parkway and Northwest 9th Avenue No reservation is required to attend

The SUN Trail Network is a statewide system of paved trail corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians In

2017 the Florida Department of Transportation awarded the City of Cape Coral a $1 8 million grant to design and engineer a 12-foot-wide, 6 5-mile-long SUN Trail segment along Van Buren Parkway, El Dorado Boulevard, and Kismet Parkway, connecting Burnt Store Trail to Del Prado Boulevard

This ribbon-cutting marks the completion of Phase I, which is 3 5 miles long, runs along Kismet Parkway

from Nelson Road to El Dorado Boulevard, and connects with Van Buren Parkway and the Burnt Store Trail

Phase II is anticipated to begin in 2025 and will include an additional 3 miles of the SUN Trail segment from Nelson road to Del Prado Boulevard

The city will soon work to design a Phase III, which would connect Del Prado Boulevard to the city limit at Northeast 24th Avenue

The Greater Pine Island Civic Association has agreed to support those trying to stop the city of Cape Coral from removing the Chiquita Lock, located at the end of the South Spreader Waterway near Cape Harbour.

CRAIG GARRETT

Cape Coral interim City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn speaks about the Chiquita Lock at the Greater Pine Island Civic Association meeting last

80’s Ladies Night Thursday at Palmetto-Pine Country Club

Breeze Staf f Repor t

news@breezenewspapers com

Breeze Newspapers will present 80’s Ladies Night Thursday, May 18, from 6-9 p m at Palmetto-Pine Country Club where all things retro are front and center

Attendees will be treated to an entertaining night of shopping, dancing, singing, hors d’oeuvres and drinks

“Tickets are really starting to sell! We still have some left, but don't wait,” said Breeze Newspapers advertising director Laurie Ragle

Attendees are encouraged to bring a pal for some “girl time” and enjoy an ’80s-themed costume contest, karaoke and door prizes

“ W e a r e v e r y e x c i t e d a b o u t o u r d e e j a y , M i c h a e l

Bollea,” Ragle said “Michael has decades of experience as a deejay and selecting just the right music to make any

event memorable He has played for very large, national venues and opened for national music artists He has syndicated radio programs, as well W believe Michael will be one of the keys to a fun night!”

She went on to say, “We also have a swag bag for each attendee with great items to bring home that can also be used as a shopping bag at the event We'll have fantastic vendors set up with merchandise ready to sell Don't f o r g e t t o w e a r y o u r b e s t ' 8 0 s o u t f i

Someone will win a $100 gift card for ence vote for the best costume ”

Vendors at the event will include Color Street Nails, Mary Kay, Your CBD Store, Pure Romance, Jenmar

Skincare, HOTWORX and Azul Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa More vendors are being added ly

“At the end of the evening one lucky rockin' lady will win a 3 day/2 night vacation package to their U S destination of choice!” Ragle said G e t t i c k e t s n o w a t B r o w np a p e r t i c k e t s c o m a n d s e a r c h C a p e Coral or

80's Ladies Tickets can also be purhased by calling 239-574-1110 ckets are $35 until May 17, and $40 at door on the day of the event

Palmetto-Pine Country Club is at 1940 S W 9th Court in Cape Coral

Moms get in free this weekend at Sun Splash Family Waterpark

This Mother’s Day, treat mom to a day of fun at Sun Splash Family Waterpark The park is offering free admission and a Hawaiian themed gift to all moms during Mother’s Day Weekend, May 13 and 14, from 10:30 a m to 6 p m The free admission offer is valid only at the gate Sun Splash is currently open on Wednesdays through Sundays until May 25. The park is open daily for

Memorial Weekend and will go to daily summer hours of operation on May 31

Season passes are on sale now for a limited time for just $69 99 plus tax The 2023 Season Pass provides unlimited admission and includes free parking, one bring-a-friend free ticket (valid for a 1-time visit), early entry into the park, plus discounts on cabana rentals, food and beverages,

and more! The new Pineapple Pass is being offered this season and allows the pass holder to bring a guest with them on every visit plus an unlimited drink wristband along with the other great pass perks

For more information about Sun Splash, season passes, admission rates, birthday parties, hours, and directions to the park, visit www.SunSplashWaterpark.com.

Wicked Dolphin to hold benefit for MUSELLA Foundation

Wicked Dolphin will host a family-friendly event with live music by the Riverside Band, drinks, food trucks and raffle baskets to benefit the MUSELLA Foundation for Brain Tumor Research The event will be held Saturday, May 13, from 4-8 p m , at the Wicked Dolphin Tiki Bar

MUSELLA is a nonprofit public charity that provides emotional and financial support, education and advocacy for brain tumor patients Additionally, the foundation is committed to raising money for brain tumor research

The event is being organized by Zachary and Morgan,

brain tumor survivors and thrivers who want to raise awareness in the community about the challenges that brain tumor patients face

Attendees can enjoy live music, drinks at the Wicked Dolphin Tiki Bar and delicious food from popular food trucks like Freshly Prepped, Big Boyz BBQ Pit and Scoop Me Up Ice Cream

In addition to the festivities, guests can participate in a raffle and have the chance to win baskets donated by generous organizations such as Everblades Hockey tickets,

Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, Cooper’s Hawk, Pappy Van Winkle, and Wicked Dolphin First Batch Rum

Plus, the first 100 people to arrive at the event will receive a ticket for two to Off the Hook Comedy Club in Naples

For more information, please contact Chad@wickeddolphin com or Joann@wickeddolphin com or Republic National Distribution Cape Spirits Inc The Wicked Dolphin is at 131 SW 3rd Place, Cape Coral Call 239242-5244

Cape Museum of History seeking volunteers for Brew Fest

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

An inaugural event that benefits the preservation of Cape Coral's history is looking for volunteers

The inaugural Brew Fest at Cultural Park is set for Saturday, May 20, from 2-5 p m , and will be put on by the Cape Coral Museum of History

Organizers are looking for a myriad of volunteers to help put on the event at varying times between 9 a m and 6 p m

Positions to help set up, work the front of the house, VIP tent, beer tents, ticket sales and clean-up/break down are all being sought

“The museum could not perform at the level we do without the help of volunteers,” said museum Executive Director Janel Trull. “From front of house and docents, to those who work behind the scenes setting up, breaking down and doing all the thankless jobs, volunteers are the life blood of the museum and we truly appreciate them ”

Volunteers are needed in the following time slots for individual roles, they are:

■ 9 a m - 12:30 p m Event Set-up: 10 people needed

■ Noon - 3 p m Front of House: 13 people needed

■ Noon - 3 p m VIP Tent: 4 people needed

■ 12:30 - 3 p m Beer Tent Pourer: 10 people needed

■ 2:30 - 5:30 p m Front of House: 7 people needed

■ 2:30 - 5:30 p m VIP Tent: 4 people needed

■ 2:30 - 5:30 p m Beer Tent Runner: 2 people needed

■ 2:30 - 5:30 p m Beer Tent Pourer: 10 people needed

■ 2:30 - 5:30 p m Traveling ticket sales: 2 people needed

■ 4 - 6 p m Clean-up/Break Down: 10 people needed

The museum will have a volunteer orientation on May 15 to go over all duties and to help pull together any event equipment, etc

“Let us know what you can do,” organizers said “Have a friend who wants to volunteer? Send them the list and have them sign up ”

All volunteers will have access to water and choice of hot dog or hamburger during the event

At the event, attendees can sample two to four choices from each of the participating breweries as many times as they wish, taste treats from various food trucks, shop local vendor booths and enjoy live music from area performers

Tickets are on sale now, with three different levels available: VIP, general admission

and designated driver All proceeds will benefit the museum, its mission and programming

Brew Fest at Cultural Park will feature at least 10 breweries on site, including 3 Daughters Brewing, Coastal Dayz Brewing, Florida Avenue Brewing, Kona Brewing, Millennial Brewing, Motorworks Brewing, Riptide Brewing, Scotty’s Bierwerks, Tampa Bay Brewing and Wicked Weed Brewing

The event space will have two stages and will feature the band Resolution, Deena da singer and two additional musical acts

VIP tickets are $75 and include early admission to the event at 1 p m and access to the VIP tent during the event with snacks and seating provided A tasting cup and VIP lanyard are included with the ticket price. Tickets also include entry to the VIP reception and auction to be held at Nice Guys Pizza on Cape Coral Parkway on May 18, from 68 p m

General admission tickets are $40 each with tasting cup included Designated Driver tickets are $20 each and include access to soda and water during the event

“All proceeds from the event will go the Cape Coral Museum of History to help with operational funds, programming and future

events,” Trull said “The last several years have been very challenging, and just when we thought we were on the upswing, Hurricane Ian had other plans The Brew Fest is our major fundraiser for the year and, thanks to the generosity of our 20 event sponsors, we are hopeful that we will be able to meet our fundraising goals ”

The event is for adults 21 and older IDs will be checked at the admission tent and before receiving your tasting cup The event is rain or shine, and will be relocated to the German American Social Club if needed If a venue change is required, a decision will be announced by May 17

To purchase tickets, visit capecoralmuseum org/brew-fest

Online ticket sales end May 19. General admission and designated driver tickets will be sold at the door VIP tickets will be sold the day-of if available For questions about the event, contact the museum at 239-7727037 or email info@capecoralmuseum org

Cultural Park is at 528 Cultural Park Blvd

The Cape Coral Museum of History is at 544 Cultural Park Blvd Call 239- 772-7037 for additional information, of visit https://capecoralmuseum org/

Faith Presbyterian Church to host Ladies’ Tea Wednesday

Faith Presbyterian Church, at 4454 Coronado Parkway, Cape Coral, will hold a Ladies' Tea Wednesday, May 17, at 2 p m

The guest speaker for the event will be Janel Trull, executive director for the Cape Coral Museum of History Musical

guests will be The Notables Barbershop Quartet Door prizes will be presented

The cost is $10 per person and a portion of each ticket benefits breast cancer research

For additional information, call 239542-2858 or visit www fpcfl org

Volunteers needed for ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ food drive

H a r r y C h a p i n F o o d B a n k a n d t h e United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties are seeking volunteers for the 2023 Stamp Out Hunger food drive Saturday, May 13

Now in its 31st year, the National Association of Letter Carriers event is the largest single-day food drive in the nation, providing residents with a convenient way to donate food to those in need On May 13, customers are encouraged to leave donations of non-perishable food items next to their mailboxes Mail carriers will collect donations along their regular postal delivery routes and distribute the items to food banks and other participating organizations

United Way will need about 75 volunteer drivers to help letter carriers pick up food left by mailboxes on designated Lee County routes To volunteer as a driver, visit https://unitedwaylee org/volunteer/

Harry Chapin Food Bank needs approximately 300 volunteers to help with set-up,

unloading trucks and sorting items at the Page Field Post Office, Six Mile Annex and the Cape Coral Post Office

To volunteer, visit https://harrychapinf o o d b a n k o r g / v o l u n t e e r a n d s u b m i t a n application

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t L o r i Harrington, volunteer manager, at lharrington@harrychapinfoodbank org

Food collected in Lee County will be distributed by Harry Chapin Food Bank and other participating agencies, free of charge The National Association of Letter Carriers food drive is pivotal in helping food banks, such as Harry Chapin Food Bank, and the agencies they serve stay supplied with food during the summer months, when school is out and there is a significant increase in food insecurity for children and families

N o n - p e r i s h a b l e f o o d i t e m s i n c l u d e unopened, non-breakable containers, such as peanut butter, pasta, tuna, rice, beans, canned meats, fruits, vegetables and soups

About Harry Chapin Food Bank

Harry Chapin Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the largest hungerrelief organization in Southwest Florida. The food bank rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to children, families, and seniors who are hungry through a series of food distribution programs that feed more than a quarter of a million people each month

Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed

$61 5 million worth of food in fiscal year

2022 Through our food distribution programs, we supplied 34 7 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 12 million pounds of fresh produce. The food is the equivalent of 29 million meals distributed to those who are hungry

The Harry Chapin Food Bank’s membership with Feeding America enables us to amplify our food and distribution efforts and bring in food from various retail and grocery stores, national food producers and distributors, and growers locally, national-

ly, and even internationally

Harry Chapin Food Bank is proud to be named a Blueprint Partner by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival Harry Chapin Food Bank is also a United Way partner agency For more information or to make a gift, please call 239 334 7007 or visit harrychapinfoodbank org

About United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades

United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades is a volunteer driven organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all people in our community This is accomplished through fundraising, fund distribut i o n , c o m m u n i t y b u i l d i n g , v o l u n t e e r advancement, and information and referrals

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c a l l United Way at 239 433 2000 or visit UnitedWayLee org

Pine Island Potters’ Guild’s end-of-season show Saturday

Come to the Potter’s Guild end-of-season show and enjoy the work of local artisans exhibiting in the courtyard of Koucky Studios -- the last showing of 2022-2023 until Oct 14, when they kick off the 2023-2024 season

The show will run from 10 a m to 2 p m at Koucky Studios, 5971 Bay Point Road, Bokeelia

This is the first time this popular show has extended to May The 2022-23 season’s shows have been well received, and the guild is celebrating with an additional

day of displaying art and fine crafts

This month’s show will again feature works in pottery, woodworking, jewelry, paintings, sculpture and ready-to-wear art, as well as island-themed décor, candles, perfume oils, children’s books, T-shirts and hats, jams, jellies, hot sauces, local honey, fresh-baked cookies, pies or loaves of fruit bread

Back by popular demand, potter Chuck Koucky and some of his students will demonstrate the art of firing horsehair pottery at 11 am As the name implies, horse-

hair pottery incorporates hair from the tails and manes of horses into its design The random lines and patterns, the signature of t h i s s t y l e , a r e c r e a t e d w h e n a p p l y i n g strands of hair onto the surface of a hot raku clay pot that has just been removed from the kiln

This small, inviting venue provides a welcoming environment to chat with local artists and artisans, inquire about their craft and learn about opportunities in the Pine Island area for classes and workshops All works by participating artists

and artisans will be available for purchase

Plan to drop by and enjoy this relaxing show While you are there, ask for a tour of Koucky's newly remodeled clay studio, where students will be working on their projects If you are interested, stop by Koucky's pottery table at the show to inquire about pottery classes, which are now offered year-round

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c a l l Nancy at 239-233-3003

HOTWORX coming to Cape this summer

Gym offers ‘3D Training,’ including heat

By KATIE EGAN news@breezenewspapers com

A new type of gym is coming to Cape Coral this summer

HOTWORX’ patented sauna combines heat, infrared and exercise what the gym calls "3D Training "

This includes heat, which raises the body’s core temperature and speeds up the metabolism Less time is also required for warm ups in a heated studio

Infrared activates and strengthens the regenerative process in the body The isometric postures accelerate detoxification by physically removing toxins from the organs via muscle contraction

Exercise increases the heart rate and helps burn calories.

Two forms of exercise are done in the

Lady Cakes owner volunteers to mentor local Girl Scout troop

Business owner and entrepreneur

Bess Charles has taken on a new hobby

W h e n C h a r l e s i s n ’ t a t L a d y C a k e s

Bakery making and decorating delicious cakes and goodies, she loves to volunteer and mentor young women

Lately, Charles has been spending time with local Girl Scout troops and e m p o w e r i n g t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n o f strong women She recently shared an evening with Girl Scout Troop 707 in Port Charlotte led by Doria Malenzi, Scout Leader

There were 20 girls in attendance, ages ranging from 7 to 13

The night began by honoring the nation with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise, a beginning ritual for each Scout meeting

Charles recalls her early childhood m e m o r i e s s p e n t i n G i r l S c o u t s , i n Upstate N Y

“I truly believe this is where my passion for creativity started – I was able to be the carefree girl I was without judgement,” she said

Charles shared her children’s Story “ T h e A d v e n t u r e s o f L a d y C a k e s ; Kindness is Sweet” with the group and every girl received a signed copy that evening

The girls concluded the evening with cupcake decorating and listening to Charles' story that led her to owning her own bakery today

If you or someone you know is involved with Girl Scouts and would like to connect with Charles, please contact LadyCakes Bakery at 239-5492253 You can also purchase a copy of C h a r l e s ' c h i l d r e n ’ s b o o k w h e r e v e r books are sold

LadyCakes Bakery is at 2924 Del Prado Blvd , S , Unit 7, Cape Coral V i s i t w w w i l o v

sauna These include isometrics and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) With isometrics, a variety of exercises can be used, such as yoga and Pilates With HIIT, a short 15-minute routine with a cycle or rowing machine provides just the right amount of workout results when combined with heat and infrared energy

“It’s more workout in less time,” said franchise owner Jessica Zonker

With HOTWORX, cross training and consistency are key to achieving results

There are over 400 locations worldwide

HOTWORX Studios have up to 10 infrared saunas and all workouts are taught by a virtual instructor, which enables members to book workouts 24/7 through the HOTWORX Burn-Off app

Some of the benefits include stress relief, skin rejuvenation, detoxification and muscle recovery

Members will have access 24/7 and s taffed hours are 1 1 a m to 8 p m , Monday through Thursday; 9 a m to 6 p m on Fridays; and 11 a m to 4 p m on Saturdays

Zonker said some members prefer to use HOTWORX in addition to their normal workout routine

“The reason I got into it was I used to be a runner,” she said. “But then I couldn’t run anymore I was looking for something to give me that runners high ”

Zonker said she wanted to open HOTWORX in Cape Coral because the area didn’t have anything like it

“All levels of someone’s current fitness status can do it,” she said “All ages An infrared environment is different from

HOTWORX

Where: 1539 Del Prado Blvd , S , Cape Coral

When: Members have access 24/7

Staffed hours: 11 a m to 8 p m , Monday through Thursday; 9 a m to 6 p m , Friday; 11 a m to 4 p m , Saturday

Information: 239-790-2838

working out in the heat

“Some people may think, ‘I live here why do I want to workout in sauna?’ There is no humidity ”

Zonker urges the community to come in and try it because “you really need to experience it ”

Premier Mobile and FK Your Diet team up to help local community

Premier Mobile Health Services and FK Your Diet have announced their partnership to provide food and healthcare to underserved communities in South Fort Myers

“Access to affordable and nutritious food is a basic human right that not everyone enjoys FK Your Diet restaurant is making an impact in this area by providing meals to people who are unable to pay for t h e m ” , s a i d D o u g M i l l e r a n d A m y Eldridge, founders

Those with limited access to food face the same issues when looking for quality, affordable health care

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida honors three as 2023

Business Hall of Fame Laureates

J u n i o r A c h i e v e m e n t o f S o u t h w e s t Florida recently celebrated 35 years of honoring and recognizing business leaders in Southwest Florida with a record-breaking gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples On Tuesday, April 18, over 400 business leaders gathered to induct 2023 Laureates JoAnn Elardo, founder of Cape Spirits Inc ; Thomas M Moran AIF Chairman, CEO and CIO of Moran Wealth Management; and Mark Stevens, president of Stevens Construction, into the JA Business Hall of Fame

This year’s event, chaired by Stacey Herring of Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Laureate Chair Michael Wynn of Sunshine Ace Hardware, raised $213,000 to support local JA programs that teach students the importance of financial literacy, career and work readiness and entrepreneurship

JA is the world’s largest organization

dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship

Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with classroom business volunteers during the 2021-2022 school year to provide nearly 135,000 hours of instruction to nearly 14,800 students in 589 classes throughout Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties

For additional information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, visit www JASWFL org, call 239-225-2590 or email info@jaswfl org

N a d i n e ( D e a n i e ) S i n g h , A P R N , founder of Premier Mobile Health Services said, “We share the same passion for serving our community and we believe that a partnership with the restaurant will help us make an even bigger impact As part of this partnership, Premier Mobile Health Services will be providing health care by bringing our mobile medical clinic to FK Your Diet.”

Premier specializes in serving members of the community that fall below the poverty guidelines Because of this, 67% of the population they serve receive their health services for free or they are given a sliding scale The mobile medical clinic will offer a range of health screenings, including blood pressure checks, STD checks, blood sugar screens, medication refills, as well as acute and chronic disease management

Premier’s Mobile Medical Clinic will be at FK Your Diet, 19630 S Tamiami

T r a i l , F o r t M y e r s , F L 3 3 9 0 8 , o n Wednesday, May 17, and Wednesday, May 31, from 9 a m to 1 p m

For additional mobile clinic locations, to learn more about services available and how the public can get involved, please visit the websites at www premiermobilehealth org and www fkyourdiet com

PHOTO PROVIDED

From left, Mark Stevens, president Stevens Construction Inc ; JoAnn Elardo, founder Cape Spirits Inc ; Angela Fisher, JASWFL president and CEO; and Thomas M. Moran AIF, chairman, CEO, CIO Moran Wealth Management.

My first stolen tarpon or you can’t pick your family

For years I dreamed about tarpon, had read every outdoor book about tarpon, every magazine article and watched every video that I could get my hands on and at this point was more than ready to do battle I was consumed by it, simply dying to catch one

I saved my money and the next year my cousin, fishing partner and I flew down to the Keys for our firstever May tarpon trip I was so excited I couldn’t sleep! Early the next morning, we shared the charter boats transom both watching a rod on each other’s side, each loaded with a big mullet out swimming close to the 7 Mile Bridge mullet, extreme danger zone

After 15 minutes or so of n e r v o u s c h i t - c h a t w i t h m y eyes always glued to the rod, I turned around and took 3 steps to grab a bottle of water Hooked fish were jumping up and down the bridge structure Suddenly a drag was singing, the captain yelling, as I quickly turned back I saw a giant chrome fish leap skyw a r d , t w i s t i n g a n d t u r n i n g then crashing mightily back into the ocean, hooked up to my rod now being handled by Cousin Tim! I was crushed!

I take fishing very, very seriously and always have Catching a tarpon had always been #1 on my bucket list I didn’t speak to my cousin for a year or so and later he apologized I swallowed my pride and accepted it

Now everyone knows there’s nothing worse than a low down, conniving tarpon thief but he was family so eventually we started fishing together again, this last time on an expensive trophy musky trip way up in Canada. Fortunately Tim was an incredibly loud snorer which allowed me to not have to worry about him catching me in the cabin the night before pulling out 25 yards of his 80-pound Power Pro and ever so slightly nicking the lines with a razor on his 3 best casting rods that were already lure loaded

Today’s huge and heavy musky lures cost from $30 to over $100 each He raged and kicked as the 3rd lure snapped off on the cast, flying high and catching way up in a tall tree in the distance

“I told you that you should have changed that old line” was all I quietly offered as he cursed everything in sight My 6-foot-4, 300-pound cousin left this world recently for much better fishing grounds which is the only reason I now feel physically safe relating this story again All in all, I sure do miss him Tight lines Cuz!

May is time to experience inshore angling's greatest thrill, testing your patience, fighting skills, endurance and equipment After all, this is the birthplace of big game fishing and where the first recorded tarpon catch occurred back in the late 1800s Before that it was, “A giant silver devil, a fish that can never be tamed with rod and reel!”

Right now Boca Grande is tarpon central with a variety of live baits working, but small pass crabs get attention on fast moving tides

Thirty miles out to over a hundred, bottom structure offers something for everyone from red grouper to the big tasty three -- lane, mangrove, and yellow tail snapper, along with sheepshead and the occasional jumbo offshore snook Keep a crab or two ready to cast to wandering and always unpredictable cobia and even permit that might come to the top

Hit the beaches for boat or barefoot snook action day

See TARPON, page 39

Cypress Lake Golf Club’s Wells qualifies for PGA Championship

Jeremy Wells, director of player development at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, has qualified for t h e p r e s t i g i o u s P G A C h a m p i o n s h i p a t O a k H i l l i n Rochester, New York In the second of the PGA Tour's four major championships, he'll be competing against the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth Wells, of Estero, was among 312 PGA professionals c o m p e t i n g f o r j u s t 2 0 a v a i l a b l e s p o t s i n t h e P G A Championship at Oak Hill PGA professionals are members of the Professional Golfers Association and often work as golf club pros, club managers, course superintendents, golf instructors and tournament directors

“I have been playing golf since I was 5 years old, always dreaming about the chance to play in a major and compete with the world’s best golfers,” Wells said “It’s a great opportunity and I’m excited to share this experience with my family and friends who will be there, too ”

Wells played golf collegiately at the College of William and Mary, where he earned a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing After moving to Southwest Florida, he competed professionally on the West Florida Golf Tour for a few years before becoming a full-time teaching professional, first at a driving range and golf center before joining Cypress Lake Golf Club in 2019 as the historic club launched its 60th anniversary celebration

At Cypress Lake Golf Club, Wells provides individual instruction, clinics and playing lessons for golfers of all a b i l i t i e s , i n c o r p o r a t i n g t e c h n o l o g y l i k e T r a c k m a n , Boditrack, Blast Motion, Eyeline Golf and Perfect Putter into lessons Cypress Lake has an expansive practice area that includes a full driving range, short range, fairway and greenside bunkers, and a putting green

Wells qualified for the PGA Championship after a solid a l l - a r o u n d p e r f o r m a n c e a t t h e P G A P r o f e s s i o n a l Championship, held April 30 to May 3 at the Twin Warriors Golf Club and Santa Ana Golf Club in New Mexico Wells made the cut, but after the third round, he was in 29th place – outside the top 20 that would be granted spots at the PGA Championship After completing the

front side at 1-under par, Wells birdied 10 and 11 before making eagle on the 12th and one more birdie on the 17th His final round score of 66 was the lowest of the day His caddy was Chris Black, a Cypress Lake club member and board member.

Wells, a member of the South Florida PGA, has finished strong at several recent events, including a third-place finish at the 2022 S o u t h F l o r i d a P G A S e c t i o n Championship, fourth at the 2021 Florida State Open and third at the 2 0 2 1 N a t i o n a l A s s i s t a n t P G A Professional Championship

“Going into the back nine, I knew that I’d need a run to finish in the top 20,” Wells said of his performance at the PGA Professional Championship “After a birdie, birdie and eagle on consecutive holes, I knew my form was strong and I just needed to keep making aggressive swings to hit my targets After reaching the green in two shots on the 18th hole, I was finally able to relax and enjoy what I'd just accomplished It was by far the most important nine holes of my career ”

Wells earned a $21,000 payday for his 7th place finish

The PGA Championship will be held May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester Early estimates are calling for upwards of 200,000 fans to come through the gates at Oak Hill, but Wells takes comfort in the fact that family and friends will be by his side, including his caddie and childhood friend, Daryl Chappell

“I teach for a living, so being able to take a week to play in the PGA Championship with my family there is incredible,” Wells said “If I hit the ball well and make my putts, hopefully I’m in a position to make the cut after the second round, and that would be quite an accomplishment playing alongside the best golfers in the world ”

Verot softball team wins regional opener

Wednesday SOFTBALL

REGION 3A-3

First round

Bishop Verot 14, Clearwater Central Catholic 0 (5 innings): Alexalys Torres knocked in three runs for the Vikings, going 3-for-3 with a double Melanie Moreno homered and doubled, scoring three runs with two RBI Sarah Yamrick scored twice and drove in two, Victoria Ash had two RBI and McKenna Robbins scored four runs Amara Martinez scored three runs as Verot (22-4) advanced to next week's semifinals Ash and Yamrick combined to hold CCC to three hits, one walk and no runs over five innings

Calvary Christian 4, Lake Placid 2

Academy of the Holy Names 4, McKeel Academy 1

Tampa Berkeley Prep 4, Tampa Catholic 3

Tuesday's region semifinals

Games scheduled 7 p m

At higher seeds

Academy of the Holy Names at Calvary Christian

Tampa Berkeley Prep at Bishop Verot

REGION 5A-3

Games scheduled 7 p m

Thursday's first round

St Petersburg at Parrish Community (#1 seed)

Barron Collier at Immokalee

Ida Baker at North Fort Myers (#2 seed)

Mariner at Fort Myers

Tuesday's region semifinals

At higher seeds

SP/PC winner vs BC/I winner

IB/NFM winner vs. M/FM winner

PREP REPORT

BASEBALL

REGION 5A-3

Friday's region semifinals

Games scheduled 7 p m

Naples at Tampa Jesuit

Island Coast at Osceola

Tuesday's region championship

At higher seed

REGION 3A-2

Friday's region semifinals

Games scheduled 7 p m

Bishop Verot at Calvary Christian

Tampa Berkeley Prep at Tampa Catholic

Tuesday's region championship

At higher seed

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

FHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT

At Tallahassee

Friday

First round

Bishop Verot vs Vero Beach, noon

St John Lutheran vs King's Academy, noon Quarterfinals

BV/VB winner vs SJL/KA winner, 6 p m

Saturday Semifinals, 10 a m Championship, 3 p m

Capt George Tunison

Jeremy Wells

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze

Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

From page 38

SPRING FOOTBALL

Friday

Scrimmage: Mariner and LaBelle at ECS, 6 p m

May 17

North Fort Myers vs. Port Charlotte, 7 p.m.

May 25

Jamboree: Cardinal Mooney and DeSoto County at

TIDES CHART

Sponsored by:

PREP REPORT

Island Coast, 6 or 6:30 p m

May 26

North Miami Beach at Bishop Verot, 7 p m Ida Baker at Gateway, 7 p m Mariner at Dunbar, 7:30 p m No game scheduled Cape Coral, Oasis

Tuesday

BASEBALL

REGION 5A-3

First round

Tampa Jesuit 12, North Fort Myers 2 (6 innings): Jesuit, the No 1 team in Class 5A, ended North's season at 13-15 The Red Knights scored two runs on just a pair of hits

Tarpon: Family tale

From page 38

or night, with a real trophy a possibility Cast the surf zones as well as moving inside the passes where over-slot and always hungry redfish are also looking for a meal Set up, chum and enjoy shallow water shark fun or fish grass flats for better than average trout

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

Naples 5, Seminole 4: The Golden Eagles will travel to Tampa Jesuit on Friday

Osceola 10, Hollins 0 (5 innings): Second-seeded Osceola (21-6) will be home for the semifinals against Island Coast

I s l a n d C o a s t 3 , P a r r i s h C o m m u n i t y 2 : K e v i n Martinez battled for 6 2/3 innings, throwing 109 pitches, before Mason Blackburn came in to get the save for Island Coast The Gators (20-3) advanced to the semifinals despite managing only four hits and a walk Blackburn had an RBI and a run scored, Juan Torres had an RBI, with Emilio Gonzalez and Jordi Guerrero scoring Island Coast runs

REGION 3A-2

Tuesday's first round

Calvary Christian 11, Bell Creek Academy 1 (6 innings): Calvary Christian, the top seed, will be home against Bishop Verot on Friday

Bishop Verot 4, Clearwater Central Catholic 2: Fidel Alviar drove in two Vikings’ runs, and Maddix Simpson added an RBI Grayson Carpenter, Jason Bello, Owen Rardin and Simpson scored the runs for Bishop Verot

Tampa Catholic 2, Fort Meade 0: Tampa Catholic, the No 2 seed in the region, blanked Fort Meade to advance

Tampa Berkeley Prep 11, Avon Park 1 (6 innings): Berkeley Prep will face crosstown foe Tampa Catholic in the semifinals

Vet Fest: Set for Tuesday, May 16

From page 1

So far Lee County Human Veterans Services, Mariner Middle School, Hearts & Homes for Veterans, United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, Florida Gulf C o a s t U n i v e r s i t y , M i l i t a r y H e r i t a g e Museum, Wounded Warrior Project and the Fort Myers Vet Center have confirmed they will be at Vet Fest

“There are quite a few different booths available displaying and sharing information about their services,” Baker said Although the event will connect veterans to resources, Vet Fest also is designed to celebrate and entertain

A live musical performance will be provided by Rocker, a local band, and food for purchase from Big Daddy’s BBQ and Rita’s Italian Ice

“You don’t have to plan dinner that night Have dinner with us,” Baker said of Big Daddy's BBQ, which is owned and o p e r a t e d b y t h e F a r m e r ’ s M a r k e t Restaurant

The live music will go on for the duration of the event in the meeting room

“Take your food in and enjoy the concert,” she said

There also will be activities in various areas of the library, including the Outreach

T e a m p r o v i d i n g f r e e b i e s f o r a l l a g e s Therapy dogs will also be on site, allowing whoever wants to read with the opportunity

The children will have the opportunity to do some little crafts that will teach them to appreciate veterans Baker said there will be card making, as well as other hands-on crafts for children and teens

“It’s our first event and hopefully it

“It’s our first event and hopefully it won’t be our last I am hoping there is going to be a big crowd to enjoy the evening with us. I am super excited that we could support this initiative that she brought to us and make it a special event for veterans and their families in Cape Coral ”

Melissa Baker, manager of Programming & Community Outreach

won’t be our last I am hoping there is going to be a big crowd to enjoy the evening with us,” Baker said, adding they hope is it will become an annual event “I am super excited that we could support this initiative that she brought to us and make it a special event for veterans and their families in Cape Coral ”

She said the library will always support veterans and connect them with resources to help meet their needs

“This shines a light on a service that we are already offering and doing,” Baker said “It is shining a light on, ‘We are here for you ’ We are always here for you and will continue to be here for you. They have given so much for our nation and community We want to honor and support the military that supports us all year long ”

Northwest Regional Library is at 519 N Chiquita Blvd

Tourism: Big drops seen in most major metrics as recovery continues

From page 1

2022 The average daily rate was $246 51, down 15 4% from 2022, with revenue per available room at $197 69, down 20 5% from the same time last year

“Of course, all of the metrics you’re going to see are down,” Pigott said “No surprise ”

For vacation rentals, occupancy is down 50 5% from last year, as is the average daily rate

With RSW celebrating its 40th year, Pigott said in March, 1,166,442 passengers came through the airport, down 23% from 2022 For the calendar year to date, 3,066,754 passengers have come through RSW, down 17 3% from the same time last year.

President/Partner at Downs & St Germain Research, Joseph St Germain, presented the January-March 2023 quarterly report looking at visitor tracking, occupancy, and economic impact He said while in some regards January through March was still “busy,” the data shows numbers decreasing across the board and with different kinds of visitors

“(This time of year is) largely filled with a lot of leisure visitors, people coming for vacation,” St Germain said “One of the things we noticed this time is there’s just more purposeful visiting, meaning coming to see mom and dad, or a sporting event like Spring Training, or for a meeting or what have you, and less of that general leisure ”

Visitor and lodging statistics show a 34.6% drop off in visitors from January through March of 2023 compared to 2022, totaling 736,300 Visitor days were down 28 6%, room nights down 30 6%, and direct expenditures down 31 4%

The total economic impact in dollars of those months from 2022 to 2023 is down 31 1% with $1,548,508,200 being collected in 2023 down from $2,247,346,400

in 2022

“It’s never fun to see the negative,” St Germain said, adding the year-to-year visitors coming to stay in their second home or with a relative didn’t move much from ’22 to ’23 “There were a lot less people staying in hotels, motels paid accommodations Because those units weren’t available or things of that nature

“If you visit your mom and dad every February, most of them still came back this February, most of them just stayed with mom and dad as opposed to a hotel/motel/resort ”

St Germain said a reason the drop-off numbers from 2022 to 2023 are so drastic in really credited to how good 2022 was for Southwest Florida

“These numbers look down because you’re not only having a hurricane to deal with, but coming off such a great year,” he said

When it comes to tourist destinations inland versus coastal, St Germain said inland hotels and resorts are nearly back to full operation

“Inland is very close to back to what it was in terms of availability in units,” St Germain said. “Occupancy was down a little bit, but rates were up and things of that nature As you recover, inland is close to what it used to be

As you look at (coastal) especially the available units, that’s where we see our biggest decreases ”

From October to December of FY2023, available room nights for coastal spots are down 69 1%, and down 57 1% when looking at January through March

“There are very few units open on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach,” Pigott said “Very, very few ”

When it comes to inland, available room nights are down just 4% from January through March compared to last fiscal year

Overall, 69 1% of hotel/motels/resorts/rentals are operating throughout the county as of March

“We’ve been at (69%) for a while, and I think that’s where we’re going to be,” Pigott said “Most of what we’re talking about is major renovation or rebuild going forward

“The supply chain issues around electrical equipment, there’s a huge delay Even when you’re ready to go, you’re hampered by some of these parts and equipment you need to make your property work ”

St Germain presented a statistic that showed 58% of visitors considered choosing other destinations when planning their trip, an increase of 38% from January to March of 2022

“This year, three out of five of your visitors considered other destinations before ultimately picking here,” he said “That’s the highest number that we’ve seen It basically means your messaging, your marketing, things of that nature, you have to fight harder to get your current visitors given what you have ”

As for those who chose Lee County, 33% came to relax and unwind, while 28% came to visit friends and relatives, and 16% to see sporting events

In terms of where people are coming from the most, 37 4% traveled from the Midwest, 20 6% from the Southeast, and 19 3% from the Northeast

“Post-hurricane, international hasn’t gotten back to pre-pandemic levels,” St Germain said “We were starting to get back and then it kind of faded a little bit with the hurricane ”

Visitors spent an average of 8 3 nights, and 25% were first-time visitors

“We are not backing off the international market,” Pigott said “We know the value of it We have a lot of special things planned and

having a press conference showing our recovery to this point ”

Sanibel and Captiva

Summer is typically the slower part of the year for the islands, but officials are anticipating a season like none experienced before for 2023 as the ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts due to Hurricane Ian will be a longterm journey for the community

“We are expecting it to look very different than what we’ve probably ever seen before,” SanCapChamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said

He explained that there is a “tremendous” shortage of lodging units available Before the storm, there were about 2,600 units across Sanibel-Captiva As of early May, about 200 units were operational

“We don’t expect that number to change significantly in the next few months,” Lai said, adding that officials do believe the current inventory might double though by the end of the summer season

He noted that 95% of the islands’ economy is tourism-driven

“When that is the case, lodging is key,” Lai said

“Ian is certainly going to have a devastating effect on our 2023 year, both in the winter season and our summer season,” he added

However, officials are optimist about the future because of the progress made so far.

“All of our beach facilities, with the exception of Lighthouse Park, are open,” Lai said, noting that beach shorelines along both Sanibel and Captiva look great, plus the water quality is excellent

“We’ve seen about 76 businesses reopen,” he added of the islands, explaining that they are doing really well, especially the businesses in the beach rental industry, like

See TOURISM, page 43

Tourism: Hoping for a rebound

From page 42

golf carts and beach items.

Lai pointed out the reopening of the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

“Which is a huge draw for us,” he said

Among the reopened businesses are restaurants on both islands Lai explained that the chamber is collaborating with them to ensure that they are being promoted at every available opportunity Also, the chamber is working on keeping day-trippers up to date and aware of what is open and what is not

Next week, the chamber will reopen its Francis P Bailey Jr Visitor Center

“Which is key,” he said “Because we can direct people to the right places ”

Because of the reduced lodging for the summer, the chamber is focusing on drawing inland properties and surrounding counties to come, visit the beach, have lunch or go shopping, and then head home

“We’re in a different state right now,” Lai said “We’re trying our hand at attracting the day-trippers ”

As for the fall-winter “season,” normally the busiest time of the year, the news was not all bad.

“There’s reason to be optimistic,” he said, citing traffic count figures “A lot of that has

to do with the people helping to rebuild our islands. They did give a nice bump to the restaurants that reopened ”

“What we are hearing is they had very strong February and March numbers,” Lai added

Statewide, a busy summer season projected

As Southwest Florida continues to rebuild, forecasters are predicting a busy Sunshine State after a down “season” following Hurricane Ian

According to statistics from a new AAAThe Auto Club Group, 83% of Floridians plan to travel this year, with more than half taking a summer vacation The most popular vacations being planned are: beach destinations (40%), theme parks (37%), city/major metro (27%), resort vacation (25%), and national/state park (22%)

“Travel demand has come roaring back this summer and we’re already seeing large crowds at popular domestic and international travel destinations,” stated Vice President of Travel for AAA, Debbie Haas “The recent decision to lift all international travel restrictions will only add to demand ”

Spiro: Honor is a career-capper

From page 21

be a speaker myself around the state and the Caribbean, and to serve as a judge for the ‘Addy’ awards, which is such an honor ”

Spiro also is a community builder, leading efforts that helped lower impact fees for builders and their clients in Lee County through his connections with the Lee County Building Industry Association He is credited with increasing membership 23% as a board member for the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association.

“With the relationships that I’ve built in the nearly 40 years that I’ve been in business in Lee County, I’ve been able to put people with people, to help them understand how they can mitigate impact fees, (and) how they can maximize the footprint of the land that they’re (working),” Spiro said

Spiro has been a Cape Coral resident since 1970 and is a University of Florida grad Spiro & Associates opened its doors in 1989, and is a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm boasting several national awards and accolades that offers services from branding, to ad production across all mediums

Wanting to immerse himself in the community, Spiro became a public speaker, conducting engagements for colleges and universities, business groups, real estate events, Lee County Public Schools gatherings, the Disney Institute, Women’s Council of Realtors, the Ford Motor Company’s Next Generation Learning initiative for students and the local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiative for high school students He also began serving on boards of directors and executive committees including the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, Florida’s Southern Gulf Chapter of the American Red Cross, Cape Coral Council for Progress, Lee BIA’s Sales and Marketing Council, the Southwest Florida Gator Club, and was named President of The Horizon Foundation in 2022 (now immediate past president)

With four generations of his family having worked in print, Spiro thought he’d live his life with ink under his fingernails.

Instead, he wanted to show his artistic and creative side

“I like to create I’ve been blessed to be able to provide ideas,” Spiro said

He said his favorite moments to date have

been hiring his father and children to work at his business

“As you look at the history of this firm, you’ll see my children’s smiling faces in campaigns,” Spiro said

A memorable campaign was the Engle Homes “The End Is Near” campaign Spiro & Associates had launched right as the housing market was crashing

“And we were able to get our client out of their inventory hell and sell 141 of 145 homes in 90 days,” Spiro said

“But the biggest success we have is when we get that ‘thank you’ from our clients ”

Spiro also is proud of his work with nonprofits and improving the quality of life for our community He was the primary catalyst for a food donation campaign, called “SOS: Save Our Summer-Feed the Cape” to benefit the Cape Coral Caring Center

“We do that pro bono We do that because we want to keep this as a better place than we found it, and help feed people that are hungry,” Spiro said

He also has donated personal resources to Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, the Cape Coral Council For Progress and many other groups

Spiro said he’s also proud of his former employees who go on to successes of their own, and of those who call the office home today

Spiro took out an ad in the hall of fame induction program of a photo of his face made up of Spiro & Associates members past and present

“It’s not just a thank you for the award, but it’s a thank you to all the faces, hands, and minds that have built this brand over the nearly 40 years I’ve been doing this,” Spiro said “I’m very blessed and surrounded by some of the greatest minds and greatest hands in the business ”

The other honorees of the inaugural Florida & Caribbean Advertising Hall of Fame are: Terri Brown, CEO of MLB Creative St Thomas; Art Rowbotham, President of Hall Communications Radio Group Lakeland; Pete Barr Sr , retired founder of Fry, Hammond, Barr (now &Barr) Orlando; and Troy Dunn, President & CCO of Dunn&Co Tampa

Starting

wage: Impact study, compensation review, to be undertaken

From page 1

a n d r e t a i n i n g e m p l o y e e s a n d b e i n g c o mp e t i t i v e i n t h e m a r k e t , ” h e s a i d J o n e s a s k e d t h e m t o s t e p o u t s i d e t h e n o r m a l b u d g e t p r o c e s s , o u t t h e n o r m a l c o l l e c t i v e b a r g a i n i n g a n d s e e i f t h e y c a n ’ t f i n d a w a y t o m a k e t h e s a l a r i e s o f t h e s e e m p l o y e e s , t h e i r e m p l o y e e s , c o mp e t i t i v e i n t h e m a r k e t “ W e h a v e t h e l o w e s t s t a r t i n g w a g e i n t h e l o c a l o p e r a t i n g a r e a I a m h e r e t o d a y t o r e q u e s t t h a t y o u c o n s i d e r l o o k i n g a t s o m e s o r t o f a c t i o n t o t a k e c a r e o f y o u r m o s t v a l u a b l e a s s e t , w h i c h i s y o u r e m p l o y e e s , ” h e s a i d I l c z y s z y n s a i d t h e y h a v e a r e s p o n s ib i l i t y t o m a k e s u r e t h e y p r o v i d e a f a i r a n d c o m p e t i t i v e c o m p e n s a t i o n p a c k a g e “ W e h a v e n o t u p d a t e d a n y o f t h i s d a t a i n i t s e n t i r e t y s i n c e 2 0 1 5 M y r e c o mm e n d a t i o n w a s g o i n g t o b e t h a t w e u p d a t e t h i s I h a v e a l r e a d y m e t w i t h o u r f i n a n c e d i r e c t o r . W e c a n h a v e t h i s c o mp l e t e d b y O c t o b e r , ” h e s a i d o f a c o m p e ns a t i o n p a c k a g e a n a l y s i s “ M y r e c o m m e nd a t i o n i s w e u p d a t e t h i s b o o k l e t I t w i l l g i v e u s a p i c t u r e t o f i g u r e o u t w h e r e w e c o l l e c t i v e l y w a n t t o g o I s t i l l b e l i e v e 7 5 t h p e r c e n t i l e i s a g o o d t a r g e t Y o u h a v e t o d o t h e r e s e a r c h a n d c o l l e c t t h e d a t a I n o r d e r t o s e t a t o t a l c o m p e n s a t i o n p a c k a g e t h a t w i l l n o t o n l y r e t r a c t , o r r e t a i n i n d i v i d u a l s f o r a n e n t i r e c a r e e r , y o u h a v e t o l o o k a t a l l a s p e c t s o f p a y ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d t h e i d e a i s t o s e t t h e p a y s c h e d u l e f o r a l l p o s i t i o n s a t t h e 7 5 t h p e r c e n t i l e H e s a i d t h e y d i d n o t w a n t t o d r i v e t h e m a r k e t , b u t r a t h e r b e a p a r t o f i t “ T h e 7 5 t h p e r c e n t i l e i n t h e m a r k e t i s

“I fully understand that we negotiated in good faith with the city a good collective bargaining agreement I understand the city has the right to provide wage increases for the non-bargaining employees as they see fit I truly want to stay away from the ‘me too ’ This is about a request to take action for an issue that we have, which is recruiting and retaining employees and being competitive in the market.”

Union 2301 President Richard Jones. who said Cape Coral has the lowest starting wage for employees at $14.39 an hour.

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w a g e u p t o $ 1 5 b e c a u s e i t c o u l d c r e a t e c o m p r e s s i o n H u m a n R e s o u r c e D i r e c t o r L i s a S o n e g o s a i d a t t h e t i m e $ 1 5 w a s n o t m o v e d u p b e c a u s e i t w o u l d h a v e b e e n f o r 2 0 p l u s e m p l o y e e s , s o m e t h i n g n o t o f i n t e r e s t “ W e d o n ’ t w a n t t o l o s e w h o w e h a v e W e a r e a l r e a d y s h o r t h a n d e d . H e l p w h o w e h a v e t o s h o w w e a p p r e c i a t e t h e m , ” 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 s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t s h e w o u l d b e i n f a v o r o f p r ov i d i n g a s m a l l i n c r e a s e u n t i l t h e r e s t o f t h e d a t a c o m e s “ I a m i n f a v o r o f m o r e t h a n 5 p e r c e n t j u s t t o g e t c a u g h t u p I w a n t t o b e b e t t e r t h a n a v e r a g e I w a n t u s t o b e a g r e a t c i t y a n d t h e e m p l o y e e s d o d e s e r v e t h e b e s t I t i s h a r d f o r u s t o f i n d m o r e w o r k e r s b e c a u s e w h o i s g o i n g t o w o r k f o r $ 1 3 a n h o u r ? I t i s t i m e I a m i n f a v o r t o s t a r t i t i m m e d i a t e l y , s o w e c a n s t a r t g e t t i n g p e o p l e h i r e d . W e a r e g r o wi n g a n d i t i s a l o t o f l a n d I a m i n f a v o r o f t h i s a n d I f e e l i t i s s o m e t h i n g w e s h o u l dn ’ t w a i t u n t i l O c t o b e r I f w e b r i n g t h i s w a g e u p , I f e e l w e c a n g e t m o r e p e o p l e o n b o a r d t o h e l p w h a t w e a r e l a c k i n g " I l c z y s z y n s a i d i t a p p e a r e d t h a t C o u n c i l w a n t e d t o d o s o m e t h i n g , b u t h e h a s n o t h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o d i s c u s s a n y d e t a i l e d f i n a n c i a l s w i t h t h e f i n a n c e d i r e c t o r “ I w o u l d a t l e a s t l i k e t o r e q u e s t s o m e t i m e t o m e e t w i t h s t a f f t o d e t e r m i n e w h e r e t h e s e f u n d s a r e g o i n g t o c o m e f r o m a n d c o m e b a c k t o y o u I s t i l l w o u l d l i k e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e v i e w o u r f i n a nc i a l s a n d b r i n g b a c k a d e t a i l e d p i c t u r e o f w h a t t h a t m e a n s , ” h e s a i d

CCFD: Cape fire department working towards accreditation status

From page 2

Firefighter of the Year; Firefighter Henis Bitri, Paramedic of the Year; Lt Laurel Cornelius, Firefighter of the Year; and Battalion Chief Christopher Moore, Fire Chief’s Award recipient

CCFD is also working towards its 5-year goal of accreditation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence and Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

Why is accreditation important? Lamb said to compare it to a school an individual would send their child to, or a doctor There is peace of mind and standards to expect when an entity is accredited by an esteemed organization Lamb said there are 308 accredited fire departments worldwide, 24 being in Florida

“Accreditation is more than a sticker,” Lamb said “It’s about the process that you took to achieve that And so we’re already going through the process as we’ve taken care of a number of the steps to get to accreditation (and) we’ve identified a lot of areas that we need to take some action to improve That’s part of this process You look at all of these different areas and you continuously look for improvement ”

Lamb said the new vision for the fire department moving forward is, “Exceptional service, together ”

“All of us together need to work towards this goal ”

Components of accreditation include having a SelfAssessment Manual, Community Risk Assessment/Standards of Cover, and Strategic Plan

Lamb said the department’s goal is to reach the 90th percentile to provide upstanding service to residents The department is currently working on its Self-Assessment Manual (have already completed other steps) that covers 11 different areas from governance and administration, to fire prevention, to training, resources, and more.

“There are 287 categories that we have to look at and self (assess),” Lamb said

The department, for each category, has to develop a description defining what they currently do, an appraisal, or how has it performed, and then a plan on how to improve it, with references

“This is good for our community, it’s good for our firefighters, and it’s good for our entire organization,” Lamb said

“Accreditation is more than a sticker. It’s about the process that you took to achieve that. And so we’re already going through the process as we’ve taken care of a number of the steps to get to accreditation (and) we’ve identified a lot of areas that we need to take some action to improve That’s part of this process You look at all of these different areas and you continuously look for improvement ” Ryan Lamb, CCFD chief and Emergency Management director

Lamb said the department is on track to finish its SelfAssessment Manual in July They hope by October a peer team of independent reviewers will come in to look over documents to prove CCFD meets the standard Lamb said if all goes according to plan, CCFD could be accredited by March of 2024

“Continuous improvement is what this is all about,” Lamb said “As we identify issues, we plan on how to improve it We implement and execute those changes, and then review how that process has worked and continue to go through it ” He added accreditation status is not a “one-and-done,” it will be checked in on and maintained continuously

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