Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Proposed Cape Coral city budget total tops $1 billion

B y C H U C K B A L L A R O n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e c i t y o f C a p e C o r a l a d m i n i s t r at i o n - p r o p o s e d F Y 2 0 2 4 o p e r a t i n g b u d g e t f o r a l l f u n d s t o p s $ 1 b i l l i o n O v e r a l l , i t ’ s a $ 1 2 4 , 0 9 4 , 7 5 3 i n c r e a s e f r o m t h e c i t y ’ s F Y 2 3 A d o p t e d B u d g e t o r a 1 2 8 3 % i n c r e a s e i n t o t a l b u d g e t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e d o c u m e n t s u b m i t t e d f o r C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l c o n s i d e r a t i o n “ T h e F Y 2 4 P r o p o s e d B u d g e t r e f l e c t s o u r f o c u s o n a d d r e s s i n g p r e v i o u s l y

d e f e r r e d m a i n t e n a n c e , m e e t i n g t h e d e m a n d f o r s e r v i c e s a n d i n f r a s t r u c t u r e w h i l e m a i n t a i n i n g t h e C i t y ’ s s t r o n g f i n a n c i a l p o s i t i o n , ” 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 s a i d i n h i s

m e s s a g e t o t h e m a y o r a n d o t h e r m e m b e r s o f C o u n c i l . “ W e b e g a n t h e y e a r w i t h a b u d g e t r e t r e a t e s t a b l i s h i n g g o a l s f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a p r o p o s e d b u d g e t W e h e l d a s e c o n d r e t r e a t o n t h e c a p i t a l p l a n s

Southwest Florida Eagle Cam legacy lives on

By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers com

To d ay ’ s A d I n s e r t s*

The 2022-23 season for the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam was unlike any other in its 11-year history

It started even before any eggs were laid, as Hurricane Ian destroyed the nest off Bayshore Road, forcing Harriet and mate M15 to work double-time to rebuild, allowing Harriet to lay her eggs right about on schedule

Eaglets E21 and E22 hatched around the new year and, for a month, everything seemed to be the norm with E21 bullying its sibling for food

and all the usual things that have happened in and around the nest since the internationally renown cam went live 11 years ago

That changed on Feb 2 when Harriet flew away to chase off some intruders and never returned This put M15 in charge of taking care of two eaglets, a good two months away from fledging

The odds were certainly against the now single

CAM, page 33

f o r t h e f u t u r e m a n y o f w h i c h a r e i n c l u de d i n t h i s P r o p o s e d B u d g e t D e p a r t m e n t s h a v e h e l d t h e i r b u d g e t s t o t h e f o r e c a s t m o d e l w i t h n o n - d i s c r e t i o n a r y a d j u s tm e n t s t o m e e t c o n t r a c t u a l o b l i g a t i o n s a n d i n f l a t i o n a r y p r e s s u r e s o n c e r t a i n c o m m o d i t i e s W e h a v e a d d e d s t a f f w h e r e n e e d e d t o a d d r e s s g r o w t h , i n c r e a s e d w o r k l o a d s , s e r v i c e e x p a n s i o n s , o r a s r e q u i r e d b y c a p i t a l i m p r o v e m e n t s w i t h

See BUDGET page 27

Commercial watercraft use of city parks making waves

Cape Coral looks to limit or prohibit businesses at ramps

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council is considering discontinuing the Commercial and Jet Ski and Boat Program, which would require businesses to leave city parks, possibly by the end of the year, as their permits expire on July 31

The consensus for that option among three was taken at Wednesday’s workshop meeting but is not a formal vote meaning the issue still is pending a determination

The Commercial Recreational Watercraft Rental Permit Program began in July of 2020 as a way to address issues regarding boats and personal watercraft using Horton Park, Rosen Park and Burnt Store boat ramps for commercial purposes

Currently, the fees are $150 per month with a minimum of three months, or $1,800 per annual rolling agreement The hours are from sunrise to sunset and the agreement with the city is required to launch commercial recreational watercraft from a designated Cape Coral boat ramp A monthly request is sent to the city from the vendor for its approval of locations, dates and times for use at least 10 calendar days before the first day

See WATERCRAFT, page 28

Two tax increases are proposed: An increase in the city’s Fire Services Assessment from 62% recovery to 70% and an increase in the city’s electric franchise fee with LCEC from 3% to 4.5%.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DICK PRITCHETT / SOUTHWEST FLORIDA EAGLE CAM

See EAGLE

Public hearing sought on Yacht Club Ballroom’s fate

City looks to form citizen stakeholders group as plans for demolition of historic building continue to move forward

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 f o m e r c i t y c o u n c i l m e m b e r s p e a r h e a d i n g a n e f f o r t t o p r e s e r v e t h e C a p e C o r a l Y a c h t C l u b B a l l r o o m h a s a s k e d f o r a p u b l i c h e a r i n g G l o r i a T a t e , w h o s e e f f o r t s g o t t h e s i t e i t s r e c e n t s t a t e h i s t o r i c d e s i g n a t i o n , s a i d a n y o n e w h o a p p l i e s f o r t h e d e s i g n a t i o n h a s t h e r i g h t t o a p u b l i c h e a r i n g , a s i t i s p a r t o f t h e c i t y ’ s l a n d u s e c o d e s “ I a m f o l l o w i n g t h e p r o c e d u r e i n t h e l a n d u s e c o d e , ” s h e s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e c o d e s t a t e s t h e h e a r i n g b e h e l d w i t h i n 6 0 d a y s o f t h e n o t i f i c a t i o n s h e s e n t t o t h e m a y o r a n d o t h e r m e m b e r s o f t h e C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l T a t e s a i d T h u r s d a y t h a t s h e w a s w a i t i n g t o h e a r b a c k f r o m t h e c i t y a s t o h o w t h e h e a r i n g w o u l d w o r k a n d w h a t t h e n e x t s t e p s i n c l u d e “ I a m j u s t f o l l o w i n g t h e l a n d u s e c o d e a n d w a i t i n g t o s e e w h a t t h a t s p e c i a l h e a r i n g e n t i t l e s m e t o a n d h o w i t w o r k s I d o n ’ t k n o w i f a n y o n e h a s e v e r d o n e o n e , s o I g u e s s I w i l l b e t h e f i r s t , ” s h e s a i d T a t e , a m e m b e r o f o n e o f t h e C a p e ’ s “ p i o n e e r ” f a m -

“We are not going to be able to accommodate everyone that wants to be a part of this. The idea is to try to get a good cross generation of people that have been in the community for a small amount of time to those who have been in the city before it was a city ” interim City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn on his plan to gather a cross-sectional group of residents for input on what might be salvageable from the ballroom building which is on track for demolition as early as November

i l i e s , s a i d s h e i s h a p p y t o h a v e r e c e i v e d t h e s t a t e h i st o r i c a l d e s i g n a t i o n f o r t h e Y a c h t C l u b ’ s m a i n b u i l d i n g . “ I w a s v e r y e x c i t e d a b o u t t h a t a n d I w a s v e r y p r o u d o f t h e f a c t t h a t t h i s h i s t o r i c a l b u i l d i n g q u a l i f i e d f o r a l l t h e r i g h t r e a s o n s , ” s h e s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t “ s h e w a s v e r y d i s h e a r t e n e d t h a t i t i s n o t g o i n g t o c h a n g e t h e d i r e c t i o n o f t h e c o u n c i l ” S h e a l s o i s p u r s u i n g i n c l u s i o n o n t h e N a t i o n a l R e g i s t e r o f H i s t o r i c P l a c e s w i t h t h e s t a t e d e s i g n a t i o n h a v i n g b e e n a f i r s t s t e p D u r i n g W e d n e s d a y ’ s C o u n c i l w o r k s h o p , a n u p d a t e w a s p r o v i d e d a s t o w h e r e t h e c i t y s t a n d s o n m o v i n g f o rw a r d w i t h t h e d e m o l i t i o n o f t h e b u i l d i n g a n d o t h e r s t r u c t u r e s a t t h e c i t y - o w n e d p a r k c o m p l e x , w h i c h t o o k a h e a v y h i t f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n . D i r e c t o r o f C a p i t a l I m p r o v e m e n t P a u l C l i n g h a n s a i d b e c a u s e t h e c i t y w a n t s t o g e t a s t a k e h o l d e r s g r o u p t o g e t h e r s o t h e i r i n f o r m a t i o n c a n b e i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o t h e b i d t o g o o u t i n S e p t e m b e r , i t c o u l d b e N o v e m b e r b e f o r e t h e d e m o l i t i o n o f t h e Y a c h t C l u b t a k e s p l a c e T h e c i t y p r e v i o u s l y s a i d t h e y e x p e c t e d s i t e t o b e c l e a r e d a s e a r l y a s O c t o b e r T h e c u r r e n t t h o u g h t p r o c e s s , 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 s a i d , i s t o i n c l u d e p e o p l e w h o h a v e b e e n r e s i d e n t s o f t h e c i t y a n y w h e r e f r o m 7 0 y e a r s a l l t h e w a y t o t h e l a s t 1 0 y e a r s a n d t o c r o s s g e n e r a t i o n s t o i n c l u d e t h o s e a s y o u n g a s t h o s e s e r v i n g o n t h e c i t y ’ s Y o u t h C o u n c i l “ T h e n w e c a n h a v e a s y s t e m t h a t p u l l s o n e f r o m e a c h g r o u p , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d “ W e a r e n o t g o i n g t o b e a b l e t o a c c o m o d a t e e v e r y o n e t h a t w a n t s t o b e a p a r t o f t h i s T h e i d e a i s t o t r y t o g e t a g o o d c r o s s g e n e r a t i o n o f p e op l e t h a t h a v e b e e n i n t h e c o m m u n i t y f o r a s m a l l a m o u n t o f t i m e t o t h o s e w h o h a v e b e e n i n t h e c i t y b e f o r e i t w a s a c i t y ” H e s a i d h e h a s b e e n t h r o u g h t h e b u i l d i n g w i t h m a n y o f t h e c o u n c i l m e m b e r s a n d t h e r e i s n o t a l o t l e f t “ T h e t a b l e s a n d f l o w e r s a r e n o t t h e r e W e a r e d o w n t o c a b i n e t s , f l o o r i n g a n d r o o f i n g , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d S t a f f w i l l w a l k t h r o u g h t h e b u i l d i n g t o s a l v a g e i t e m s f o r o t h e r o p e r a t i o n s a n d p r o g r a m m i n g t h e f i r s t , o r s e co n d w e e k o f A u g u s t I n a d d i t i o n , t h e y w i l l b u i l d t h e c i ti z e n s s t a k e h o l d e r s g r o u p , w h i c h w i l l a l s o g o i n t o t h e b u i l d i n g t o h a v e a l o o k a t i t e m s f r o m a h i s t o r i c a l n a t u r e t o p r e s e r v e “ W h a t I e n v i s i o n i s g e t t i n g t h e l i s t f r o m t h i s g r o u p a n d i n c o r p o r a t i n g t h a t i n t o t h e b i d t o t h e d e c o n s t r u c t i o n p r e s e r v a t i o n , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e r e w i l l b e a r e c o n c i l i a t i o n b e t w e e n w h a t t h e g r o u p w o u l d l i k e t o s e e p r e s e r v e d a n d h o w m u c h t h e c o u n c i l a n d c o m m u n it y i s w i l l i n g t o p a y “ T h e c o n t r a c t o r w o u l d b e a b l e t o s u p p l y b i d a m o u n t s t o p e r f o r m e a c h o f t h e a c t i o n s T h e

b e a m s c o u l d b e a n e x t r a $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 o n t h e t o t a l c o s t I t i s a c o l l e c t i v e d e c i s i o n t o g o a n d i s s u e a n a w a r d o n e x a c tl y w h a t w e w a n t ”

H e s a i d t h e y h a v e n o t m a d e a c a l l t o o f f e r f o r p e o p l e t o j o i n t h e s t a k e h o l d e r s g r o u p y e t

C o u n c i l m e m b e r D a n S h e p p a r d s a i d w h e n h e s t a r e d a t t h e b u i l d i n g f o r 3 0 m i n u t e s h e u n d e r s t o o d w h a t a l o t o f p e o p l e f e e l a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y a n d s a v i n g o f t h e b u i l di n g H e s a i d w i t h p e o p l e l o o k i n g t o h o l d o n t o t h e i r m e m o r i e s , m a y b e t h e y s h o u l d h a v e s o m e t h i n g s i m i l a r t o w h a t t h e y h a v e a t r i b b o n c u t t i n g s w i t h a s e n d i n g o f f k i n d o f e v e n t T h e t h o u g h t S h e p p a r d s h a r e d w a s m a y b e t h e y s h o u l d h a v e p e o p l e b r i n g t h e i r m e m o r i e s p i c t u r e s , p h o t og r a p h s a n d a n y h i s t o r y t o g i v e t o a p r o d u c t i o n c o m p a n y t o c r e a t e a v i d e o t o h a v e a f a r e w e l l O t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d f o r t h e Y a c h t C l u b c o mp l e x i n c l u d e d t h a t b e a c h b a t h r o o m a n d t w o p a v i l i o n s a r e b e i n g t o r n d o w n , w h i c h s h o u l d b e c o m p l e t e d i n t h e n e x t c o u p l e o f w e e k s I n a d d i t i o n , t h e c i t y i s o b t a i n i n g p e r m i t s f r o m t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n a n d t h e A r m y C o r p s o f E n g i n e e r s r e g a r d i n g t h e r i v e r f r o n t b e a c h r e o p e n i n g

C l i n g h a n s a i d t h e y c a n n o t d o m e c h a n i c a l r a k i n g i n t h e w a t e r , b u t m u s t r e m o v e d e b r i s b y h a n d A s f a r a s l a n d , t h e c i t y n e e d s a p e r m i t f o r t h e s a n d . T h e p l a n w i l l m o s t l i k e l y c o n s i s t o f g e t t i n g s c u b a d i v e r s i n t h e w a t e r t o l o c a t e t h e d e b r i s A m o n g t h e d a m a g e c a u s e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n w a s t h e l o s s o f t h e p a r k ’ s f i s h i n g p i e r “ I d o n ’ t k n o w h o w m u c h d e b r i s i s i n t h e r e T h e r e a r e s t i l l g o i n g t o b e t h i n g s t h a t m a y b e m i s s e d W e t a l k e d a b o u t p u t t i n g u p s i g n s o f t h i n g s t h a t m i g h t f l o a t a n d w a s h u p d u r i n g s t o r m e v e n t s , ” h e s a i d S h e p p a r d s a i d i t a p p e a r s t h a t t h e y l o s t a d r a m a t i c a m o u n t o f s a n d a n d b e a c h “ W e l o s t s o m e o f t h e b e a c h , ” C l i n g h a n s a i d C o u n c i l a l s o a d d r e s s e d s o m e o f t h e t a l k i n t h e p u b l i c r e g a r d i n g t h e p o t e n t i a l o f a P u b l i c P r i v a t e P a r t n e r s h i p f o r t h e Y a c h t C l u b I l c z y s z y n s a i d w h a t h a s b e e n d i s c u s s e d i s t h e p o t e nt i a l o f h a v i n g a P 3 , o p e r a t o r s r u n n i n g c e r t a i n p a r t s o f t h e f a c i l i t y a t a l a t e r d a t e H e s a i d a t t h i s t i m e d i s c u ss i o n w o u l d b e p r e m a t u r e

“ T o d i s c u s s t h e m n o w i s c o m p l e t e l y p r e m a t u r e W e h a v e n o t h i n g i n t h e w o r k s N o s o l i c i t a t i o n s I t i s a d i sc u s s i o n t h a t n e e d s t o h a p p e n , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e d i s c u s s i o n o f w h a t i s g o i n g t h e r e n e e d s t o t a k e p l a c e f i r s t b e f o r e t h e y f i g u r e o u t w h a t t o s o l i c i t p r i v a t e o p e r a t i o n o f , i f a n y t h i n g

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

Sales tax holiday much welcomed this year

Approximately 100,000 students will head back to Lee County schools next month and parents are gearing up for a first step to get them there: Back-to-school shopping

The National Retail Federation is projecting a pretty big number this year as parents break out the wallets to buy clothes, supplies and often, electronics to equip their kids from kindergarten through college for the classroom

According to a release issued last week by the NRF with data collected by Prosper Insights & Analytics, another record spending year is projected with spending “expected to reach an unparalleled $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year and the previous high of $37 1 billion in 2021 Back-to-college spending is expected to hit $94 billion, about $20 billion more than last year’s record ”

How does that break down per kid?

“Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890 07 on back-toschool items this year, approximately $25 more than last year’s record of $864 35 and a new high,” the NRF reports

For parents with children in college, the number is higher “College students and their families are expected to spend an average of $1,366 95 per person, up from $1,199 43 last year, and a new record from the previous record of $1,200 32 in 2021,” according to the NRF which adds, that since 2019, back-to-college spending has nearly doubled

Budgeting for back to school is seldom easy for most of us and this year, with many still in recovery mode from Hurricane Ian, it’s even harder

But there are at least two things coming up that can provide a bit of a break the state’s back-to-school sales tax holiday begins Monday and the annual Big Backpack Event that provides supplies for children in need has a record number of backpacks available for distribution.

The 2023 tax holiday runs from July 24 through Aug 6 and applies to many back-to-school necessities including clothing, footwear, backpacks, school supplies and electronics, including personal computers and accessories, tablets and book readers

There are some conditions: Clothing, footwear and qualifying accessories need to be $100 or less per item; school supplies are limited to $50 or less per item; learning aids $30 or less; and qualifying electronics must cost $1,500 or less and must be for noncommercial home or personal use

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated 24th annual BIG Backpack Event is set for 11 a m to 2 p m Sunday, July 30, at the Fort Myers Skatium

Thanks to event sponsors, including the Lee County Sheriff’s Office which donated 500 packs, organizers plan to distribute 2,500 free supply-stuffed backpacks to students ages 5 to 12 at the drive-thru giveaway

As an added bonus this year, the Midwest Food Bank and Community Cooperative will provide food for those who take part

For more information, we invite you to read Meghan Bradbury’s story in today’s Breeze, which includes information on how to volunteer to aid the effort

Even in the good years, every little bit helps. Breeze editorial

Business visionaries invest in Lee County’s workforce and future

Just drive through Lee County and it’s evident by the bustling construction, new buildings opening and increased traffic that the area is booming, and statistics overwhelmingly support that conclusion

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lee County’s population has grown by 3 3% annually and is currently estimated at 802,178 On average, there are 90 new residents moving to Lee County every day Business growth continues as well, with approximately 43,000 businesses now operating in Lee County Job growth is up 5% over last year and Lee County has enjoyed explosive growth in every business sector, including health care, life sciences, logistics, manufacturing and technology In fact, Lee County is the fifth-most economically diverse county in Florida, according to Florida Atlantic University

Holly Smith Guest Commentary

To continue this successful track, a thriving Lee County business climate is dependent upon support from community partners as well as the private sector As members of the Horizon Foundation, local business “visionaries” commit financially to Lee County’s economic future The nonprofit Horizon Foundation privately funds the Horizon Council, a public-private board that advises Lee County’s Board of County Commissioners and Lee County Economic Development Office on economic development issues The groups’ mission is to improve the business environment by retaining and encouraging the growth of existing business while also attracting new, diversified employers Known as the “voice of business” in Lee County, this trifecta partnership of the Horizon Council, Horizon Foundation and Lee County Economic Development Office has created a business-friendly environment that continues to attract top talent, new companies and entrepreneurs from around the globe

Given the growth we’re experiencing, one of the greatest areas of focus for businesses in Lee County has been workforce development Since 2010, Lee County averaged 10,000 to 15,000 new jobs a year In 2020, though, there were 20,000 new jobs added to the local economy The momentum continued after Hurricane Ian, too, with Lee County adding 18,800 jobs in the six months following the

Tear it down!

To the editor:

storm Currently, Lee County has approximately 20,000 job openings, but only 8,000 job hunters We are encouraged by several new initiatives, including micro-credentialing, which is aimed at helping students and employees learn or advance their skills for employment and growth opportunities

After the Lee County Economic Development office gave a $1 million grant to cover the cost of micro-credential courses for Lee County residents, funding that was provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, several Horizon Foundation investors, including Scotlynn, stepped up to offer micro-credentialing or digital badge courses and guarantee interviews upon completion These programs are offered through the area’s higher education institutions, including Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida SouthWestern State College and Hodges University, at no cost to students Micro-credentialing is helping close the gap between skilled workers and employment opportunities in our region

This is just one example of Horizon Foundation members collaborating and demonstrating their support for Lee County’s business community As Lee County continues to grow, so must the investment in our economic development Annually, more than 100 business leaders invest through the Horizon Foundation to fund Lee County’s proprietary employment database, a real estate website, site selection and relocation marketing to attract new business, and multiple marketing and business technologies aimed at supporting existing businesses while attracting new ones to the market In turn, investors receive access to these tools as well as multiple marketing and networking opportunities More importantly, they have a voice and a role in the economic prosperity of Lee County

By investing today, business leaders are guaranteeing the success of what’s on the horizon To learn more about becoming a Horizon Foundation investor, visit HorizonCouncilFoundation com/Investors

Holly D Smith is president of the Horizon Foundation, a Sanibel City Council member and the former mayor of Sanibel

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

As a millennial homeowner in Cape Coral, I find many issues concerning such as the lack of sidewalks, hurricane resilience planning, and rising insurance costs, but restoring the Yacht Club is not one of those concerns Cape Coral City Council members were correct in voting to take the first steps to demolish what remains of the building after Hurricane Ian City leaders have done an excellent job in taking Cape Coral out of the past and into the future with many exciting projects such as the newly announced food truck park and The Cove condos and shops on Cape Coral Parkway. The freshly announced application for historical status on the club is a waste of time and a step backward in building the Cape Coral of tomorrow The estimated $3 2 million that it would take to restore the club to its former self could be better spent elsewhere addressing more significant issues facing the exploding population of Cape Coral

Gloria Tate is wasting taxpayer time and money with her attempt to halt the demolition and should cease all actions trying to reclassify the club as a historic site Hurricane Ian was devastating to the city of Cape Coral and caused unprecedented damage as seen with the destruction of the Yacht Club The city should continue its current path of building new for the future as the city continues to grow and leave old outdated buildings in the past City leaders need to ensure that Cape Coral continues to evolve and grow in its hurricane preparedness as the state continues to feel the effects of climate change Leaders

should not waste their time worrying about an old outdated building that holds no significant value to many residents In short, tear it down!

Barry Anderson Cape Coral

Beach without basic amenities?

To the editor:

I see we they are going to tear down the restrooms at the Yacht Club beach So now what, bring in stinky, gross portable potties? No way to wash your hands! My solution is going over and use the restrooms at the Boat House. I’m sure they won’t mind

Debbie Zalesky Cape Coral

Build-now mentality not good for the city

To the editor:

Seems the city of Cape Coral quietly has submitted plans to Lee County to develop the old golf course off Palm Tree Boulevard into low- to moderate-income housing

After years of promising the residents of the city that they would buy it and keep it green making it the largest park in the Cape

After more than 10 years of giving lip service to the people and saying the owners of the course first must clean

See LETTERS, page 6

up the arsenic in the ground before buying it

Now it looks like the city is willing to change the zoning and have the landowners and builders make a huge profit even with arsenic in the ground

The city of Cape Coral should put a moratorium or at least slow down the development and growth significantly of building in the Cape. The city does not have the infrastructure whether it be for electricity, water, sewers, etc for all this development that is going on City council and all others need to think ahead to how we all are going to get from place to place rather than just gleefully accepting monies from developers and lining the city coffers with cash from developers who don’t care because they will just build and run

The effects of developing the old golf course in downtown Cape and other large developments in the city cause a problem with the roadways and traffic congestion which leads to spending more time in cars and trucks, which can lead to higher pollution Sprawling developments also drain and destroy wetlands that absorb floodwater, leading to a higher susceptibility to flooding

City officials seem to work under a build now attitude and worry about the details later that overwhelm the current plans on funding for the schools, roads and other infrastructure needed to support new and current residents and how it affects the community and residents in the future I realize that new construction brings more revenue to the city but there must be a time where the wellbeing of the city comes before money

The city mayor and council seems to becoming disconnected with its residents and trying to make this city into something else instead of the community we have enjoyed for years which makes this city great

Lou Walker Cape Coral

Preser vation of the Chiquita Lock is not environmentally friendly

To the editor:

The Breeze has previously published letters to the editor regarding removal of the Chiquita Lock in southwest Cape Coral The lock has been responsible for the deaths of several manatees in recent years and they are an endangered species Removal of the lock would stop this from happening

It recently came to my attention that the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Fund is financially backing a group that is trying to force Cape Coral to keep and maintain the lock The website sponsored and maintained by SCCF lists a number of beliefs and activities, with the No 1 issue being to protect wildlife (which would obviously include manatees) How can an organization like this raise money for their not-for-profit enterprise and then give that money to a group that wants to keep a lock in place that kills manatees? Sounds like they are not living up to what they represent to donors

Duncan Russell Cape Coral

Rental market should not be viewed as a cash cow

To the editor:

Cape Coral is a changing city We have enjoyed the space and the freedom of living here for eight years I have not followed local government very well but read often in letters to the editor concerns about growth at the expense of plants, trees, residential neighborhoods and changing e s t a b l i s h e d l a n d m a r k s s u c h a s t h e Y a c h t C l u b building.The pine woods are hard to lose to developments but Ian destroyed our forests so the loss of forest is not so great They were destroyed anyway

But I am taken aback at the new apartment buildings being constructed in so many areas, many in the heart of conventional residential neighborhoods On the one hand I feel bad about the change in the neighborhood and on the other hand I like to see people who are being bullied by house landlords have an avenue to escape selfish and

greedy claws of house landlords

I live in a neighborhood that uses well water. Mine is a new home and had a water system when I moved into it but the contractor, like so many, tried to make every extra buck he could and did not put in a system with potable water It was so salty that I could not drink or cook with it So, I installed a reverse osmosis system and have a good supply of excellent water

A new landlord in the neighborhood bought a house with a reverse osmosis system and unbelievably removed it from the house The renters had to live with bad water and their pleas and lack of potable water in the house fell on deaf ears It took them a short time to decide that was not the way to live and moved out After raising rents in this area by 25-40%, you would think landlords could afford to leave a system installed that is already there That is one of the greediest actions I have seen but I see rentals in my neighborhood that are neglected by the owners who act like slum landlords

This act is only one of many ways that landlords shortchange their renters to make an extra buck This is an illustration of greed at its highest Corporations are grabbing as much real estate as they can at the lowest buck they can find Then they squeeze every ounce of money they can by providing poor service and a downgraded product I am concerned that their aggression in the market ruins the opportunities for people to own their own homes.

It offends me that some in America have lost their respect and desire to provide a proper rent or product to the customer They are letting greed guide their management of the property showing their moral values

Oh well, they are only imitating our socialistic government in Washington, who are buying votes with taxpayer money instead of improving America

John A. Benedict Cape Coral

U.S. climate policy must be maintained

To the editor:

The climate policy must not be repealed, and House Republicans have passed a bill rolling back clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the debt ceiling debate While the proposal would be dead on arrival at the Senate, this is an important opportunity to push back on any plans to dilute or discard climate policy

We must get our House representatives by name and thank them or express disappointment with their vote on the bill Climate policy boosts the economy with the U S seeing $40 billion in clean energy investment There are more than 100,000 climate-friendly jobs in the first three months after the IRA became law Applaud any local clean energy investments to make sure we have what it takes to fight for climate justice and better air quality for everyone to live on planet Earth

It’s fiscally irresponsible to roll back climate policy: In 2022, the U S endured 18 separate billion-dollar disasters and extreme weather events cost the U S $165 billion If lawmakers are genuinely worried about the national debt, they should keep the climate provisions of the IRA in place and take further climate action to mitigate the effects of global warming and improve the lives of their constituents We need to make change for the better of the world with more clean energy and allow more people to admire to places they live in after what’s happening with the wildfires and smoke coming from Canada to the U.S. We must reduce carbon emissions and help conserve more energy for all of us for the better of the world we live in Ashrith Varidhireddy Fort Myers

The cost of poor policies and politics

To the editor:

According to the Consumer Price Index and Fox News on July 11; Florida at a 9% inflation rate in the last 12 months, is paying more than double the 4% inflation rate of the rest of the US.

If we agree that price gouging triggered the recent spate of inflation in our country, then it stands to reason that the rapacious profiteering engineered by our GOP Governor (DeSantis) and his GOP legislature, may be partially at fault for Florida’s double whammy inflationary experience

Just as inflation is almost always more pronounced in the world’s nations which are governed by corrupt officials, so too Florida’s experience is worse than states more fiscally prudent in legislating against consumer abuse Nanny legislation can restrain the worst impulses of the rapacious Here our GOP has been busy waiving any legislative restraint to price gouging in the insurance industry, housing profiteers, agricultural mega-donors, etc This may have contributed to hyperinflation here in Florida

While Gov DeSantis has audaciously pursued all 12 of the transgendered children off the school yard playing field; he has done so at the risk of one of our most ecologically benevolent and lucrative corporations: Disney Almost all other legislation passed this year that did not involve a uterus, has been legislation to relax or remove consumer protections

Is it, do you think, a coincidence that DeSantis’ PAC raised $20 million this year since March, according to NBC? His super PAC support (expenditure only committee) has taken in an additional $130 million dollars for living the high life on the campaign trail, wine, song and dining himself and his friends The origin of nearly half of those dollars has not yet been identified

According to OpenSecrets org which reports political donor sources, the $130 million appeared this year since the end of the GOP feeding frenzy of corporate give aways, aka the legislative session Some of the less clandestine money raked in by DeSantis’ PACs comes from such euphemistically titled nom de guerre as “Club for Growth” or “Floridians for Economic Advancement ”

Our Florida Health Department has added to the flavor of the third world experience; in addition to double whammy inflation we now also have malaria back in Florida What’s next? Paving the roads with nuclear contaminated waste? A tsunami of algae?

Meanwhile the unwoke Ron DeSantis cluelessly blames “the media” for his poor performance in the voter polls

Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

This week’s poll question:

How are you looking to budget your back-to-school shopping this year?

∫ I plan on spending more

∫ I plan on spending more; unfortunately, prices have gone up.

∫ I plan on spending about the same

∫ I plan on spending less

∫ I can’t do back-to-school shopping this year; we’re going to make do

∫ I don’t back-to-school shop

Previous poll question

Are you concerned about student test scores?

∫ Yes, the drop in the number of students on grade level in language arts and math is concerning

∫ Given the impact of COVID and Hurricane Ian on student learning, I think students are doing as well as can be expected I believe they can catch up

∫ No

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

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.

Court intervention sought in Cummings residency complaint

B y VA L A R I E H A R R I N G v h a r r i n g @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e a t t o r n e y f o r a C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l m e m b e r a c c u s e d o f n o t l i v i n g i n h e r d i s t r i c t w h e n s h e q u a l i f i e d t o s e e k o f f i c e h a s f i l e d a p e t i t i o n a s k i n g t h e C i r c u i t C o u r t t o i n t e r v e n e A t t o r n e y J a y P L e c h n e r , w h o i s r e pr e s e n t i n g 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 , f i l e d f o r a “ w r i t o f p r o h i b it i o n ” l a s t T h u r s d a y , s a y i n g C u m m i n g s p r o v i d e d p r o o f o f t h e r e q u i r e d r e s i d e n c y e s t a b l i s h i n g a “ p r i m a f a c i e c a s e ” a n d t h a t s h e h a s b e e n d e n i e d d u e p r o c e s s r i g h t s o u t l i n e d i n t h e c i t y ’ s c h a r t e r . T h e p e t i t i o n a s k s t h e C i r c u i t C o u r t o f t h e T w e n t i e t h J u d i c i a l C i r c u i t t o p r o h i bi t C o u n c i l f r o m f o r w a r d i n g t o t h e S t a t e

A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e i t s i n d e p e n d e n t i n v e st i g a t i v e r e p o r t t h a t f o u n d C u m m i n g s d i d n o t r e s i d e i n D i s t r i c t 4 u n t i l M a r c h o f t h i s y e a r T h e p e t i t i o n c i t e s t h r e e r e as o n s :

C i t y C o u n c i l e x c e e d e d i t s a u t h o r i t y b y r e f e r r i n g t h e m a t t e r t o t h e S t a t e

A t t o r n e y ; t h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y d o e s n o t h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n t o i n v e s t i g a t e w h e t h e r

C u m m i n g s q u a l i f i e d f o r h e r o f f i c e ; a n d C o u n c i l d o e s n o t h a v e t h e p o w e r t o r e m o v e C u m m i n g s f r o m h e r s e a t “ i n c o n t r a v e n t i o n o f t h e w i l l o f t h e v o t e r s , ” a s s t a t e s t a t u t e r e s e r v e s t h a t p o w e r t o “ e x c l u s i v e l y t o t h e G o v e r n o r a n d t h e G o v e r n o r a l o n e ” T h e c i t y ’ s c h a r t e r e s t a b l i s h e s d u e p r o c e s s r i g h t s f o r m e m b e r s o f C o u n c i l w h o m a y f i n d t h e m s e l v e s t h e s u b j e c t o f a c o m p l a i n t T h o s e r i g h t s i n c l u d e p u b l i c n o t i c e a n d a p u b l i c e v i d e n t i a r y h e a r i n g b e f o r e C o u n c i l c a n s u b m i t a n y r e q u e s t f o r t h e r e m o v a l t o t h e g o v e r n o r , t h e p e t it i o n s s t a t e s

“For everyone that’s been following this, I highly recommend you please read the document from my Attorney Jay Lechner ”

“ T h e C i t y C o u n c i l ’ s a t t e m p t s t o c i rc u m v e n t t h e d u e p r o c e s s r e q u i r e m e n t s s e t f o r t h i n t h e C h a r t e r t o i n a p p r o p r i a t el y e x p e d i t e P e t i t i o n e r ’ s r e m o v a l a r e i n a p p r o p r i a t e , v i o l a t e P e t i t i o n e r ’ s d u e

p r o c e s s r i g h t s , a n d s h o u l d n o t b e c o u n t en a n c e d , ” t h e p e t i t i o n s t a t e s . T h e d o c u m e n t a s k s “ C i t y C o u n c i l o f C a p e C o r a l t o p r o m p t l y s h o w c a u s e w h y t h e r e q u e s t e d w r i t o f p r o h i b i t i o n s h o u l d n o t i s s u e ”

T h e B r e e z e r e a c h e d o u t t o t h e c i t y , t h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e a n d C u m m i n g s f o r c o m m e n t

T h e c i t y d e c l i n e d c o m m e n t

“ T h e C i t y d o e s n o t p r o v i d e c o m m e n t s o n p e n d i n g l e g a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s , ” c i t y c o m m u n i c a t i o n s s p e c i a l i s t K a i t l y n M u l l e n s a i d v i a e m a i l T h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e s a i d i t s i n v e s t i g a t i o n r e m a i n s o p e n “ W e a r e c o n t i n u i n g o u r i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o C o u n c i l w o m a n C u m m i n g s , ” s p o k e s p e r s o n S a m a n t h a S o y e n s a i d v i a e m a i l C u m m i n g s , w h o s i g n e d t h e p e t i t i o n v e r i f y i n g f a c t u a l c o r r e c t n e s s , r e s p o n d e d v i a t e x t , s u g g e s t i n g r e s i d e n t s r e a d t h e p e t i t i o n “ F o r e v e r y o n e t h a t ’ s b e e n f o l l o w i n g

t h i s , I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d y o u p l e a s e r e a d t h e d o c u m e n t f r o m m y A t t o r n e y J a y L e c h n e r , ” s h e w r o t e T h e r e s i d e n c y c o m p l a i n t , i n i t i a t e d b y a r e s i d e n t w h o i n i t i a l l y r e q u e s t e d w h i st l e - b l o w e r a n o n y m i t y , w a s r e f e r r e d t o t h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e b y C o u n c i l l a t e l a s t m o n t h C o u n c i l f i r s t r e j e c t e d a b i d t o c h a r g e C u m m i n g s w i t h v i o l a t i n g t h e c i t y ’ s c h a r t e r r e s i d e n c y r e q u i r e m e n t s w h e n s h e q u a l i f i e d , s a y i n g t h e i n d e p e n de n t “ f a c t f i n d i n g ” r e p o r t i t c o m m i s s i o n e d w a s i n c o m p l e t e T h e r e p o r t w a s p r e p a r e d b y a t t o r n e y V i c k i L S p r o a t o f B o y A g n e w P o t a n o v i c M i l l e r , w h o w a s r e t a i n e d b y t h e c i t y o n M a r c h 2 4 t o c o n d u c t t h e t h i r d p a r t y i n q u i r y U s i n g w h a t s h e c a l l e d a “ p r e p o n d e ra n c e o f e v i d e n c e s t a n d a r d , ” S p r o a t f o u n d t h a t “ C u m m i n g s w a s n o t a f u l l - t i m e o r p a r t - t i m e r e s i d e n t ” o f t h e h o m e s h e l i s te d o n P a l m T r e e B o u l e v a r d d u r i n g t h e r e l e v a n t p e r i o d a n d t h a t “ C u m m i n g s d i d n o t r e s i d e i n D i s t r i c t 4 u n t i l M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 2 3 ” S p r o a t a l s o f o u n d t h a t “ C u m m i n g s f a i l e d t o c o o p e r a t e i n t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n , ” c i t i n g w h a t s h e c a l l e d “ t h e g r e a t e r w e i g h t o f t h e e v i d e n c e ”

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Councilmember Patty Cummings

Council discusses terms for Academic Village site sale & development

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The sale of acreage off the Del Prado Extension where the city once hoped to entice a college or university edged closer to a contract this week

Potential buyer TRG has made a $17 5 million offer to purchase the Academic Village site from the city to develop Del Prado Point, a project to include mixed residential, general commercial, flex, light industrial and retail

“When you look at the Academic Village property process we have gone through, it has been a long and winding road,” Assistant City Manager Connie Barron told the Cape Coral City Council at its Wednesday workshop “It is hard for me to believe it was 20 years ago that we purchased this property at Kismet and Del Prado ”

The city purchased the property with plans to attract and develop an educational complex

“Through many stops and starts along the way, it became fairly clear an Academic Village was not going to be a viable option,” Barron said

The city purchased the original 171 acres for $6 8 million two decades ago and then acquired adjacent parcels for a total of 180 acres In 2019, $900,000 in freshwater mitigation credits were purchased for required monitoring of an 41 59-acre conservation easement

In February 2021 Council amended its comprehensive plan to change the land use to mixed use and the following February, the property was declared surplus property

After calls for offers were provided, a previous city manager selected TRG as the evaluation team, with negotiations beginning in

As proposed, Del Prado Point will consist of three development components: District A, the most flexible piece, earmarked for retail, general commercial, flex and light industrial use; District B with flex and light industrial space; and District C with mixed residential.

For residential, the developer envisions two sections, the first consisting of four-story garden-style apartments, the other townhomes for rent aimed at workforce housing to support the businesses the developer hopes to attract

The proposal also calls for a preservation component

September 2022

“The beginning of this year, we met in January and gained consensus as far as the terms and had some mapping and some other detailed work and provided that to TRG They provided us with a signed contract in the middle of May,” Barron said

The development contract will come to Council on July 26 for introductions with the first public hearing scheduled for Aug 16

“TRG has offered a purchase price of $17 5 million The last appraised value that we provided was in March of last year at $13 2 million,” Barron said

The contract deal points also include a refundable $200,000 to escrow within five days after the effective date, as well as $325,000 deposit into escrow within five days after the due diligence period

That due diligence period can be extended for one additional 30-day period with an option of two additional 30-day periods

There is a nonrefundable $20,000 to escrow at the beginning of each extension period

The contract also includes zoning require-

ments, as the buyer has to apply to rezone the property to a Planned Unit Development Zoning District

There are four planned uses for the property a required 23 percent conservation easement, and a minimum of 3 percent commercial, 15 percent light industrial and a maximum of 10 to 20 percent residential

Barron said they have also agreed to meet on a monthly basis to ensure the project remains on schedule

TRG Director of Acquisitions Josh Wills said Del Prado Point will consist of District A, which is the most flexible piece with retail, general commercial, flex and light industrial use, while District C consists of the mixed residential piece The District B consists of flex and light industrial

With residential, Wills said they envision two sections, the first four-story garden style apartments, while the other would be townhomes for rent

“It’s workforce housing to support businesses that are coming in They can live in one of these rental units for a year before find-

ing a home in Cape Coral,” he said TRG Director of Acquisitions Ryan Fuesting said the site would be perfect for a state-of-the-art cold storage facility for grocery and food chains, businesses that use vital products that need to stay refrigerated, cold or frozen.

The spaces could also include seven to ten quick-service restaurants District B can include such businesses as manufacturing, packaging, retail and development space, or showrooms

Interim City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said the city set a maximum for residential with TRG

“On the face, you have 80/20 Eighty non residential, 20 residential All those non residential uses we wanted to make sure the contract had a blend of those and not one singular purpose A minimum of what they might have to do in each of those categories,” he said “You are getting an 80/20 project, but if you back out the 20 percent required conservation, you can look at that as a 60/40 project ”

Ilczyszyn said they set minimums so they get some industrial, some light and some heavy commercial

Mayor John Gunter said he personally prefers no residential component, but would do with somewhere near the 10 percent mark

“I prefer to see something closer to 15 percent commercial as well because that is what the city is lacking I don’t want another apartment waiting for commercial to come,” Council member Robert Welsh said Ilczyszyn said they will have some discussions regarding the residential component and see if there is any willingness to discuss that before bringing the contract to the council

School District: New proximity plan impact has been ‘minimal’ in terms of student movement among schools

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Although there has been an impact with the School District of Lee County’s new proximity plan for elementary school students, it has been slight as it pertains to the number of children moving to a new school, officials say.

District spokesperson Rob Spicker said 89 percent of students districtwide had minimal to no impact in terms of what schools they were attending He said in other words, students and families chose to stay at their current school, or received their first choice in their new zone

“It was disrupted, but not to the degree i t c o u l d h a v e b e e n , ” S p i c k e r s a i d “Families made the choices that were best for them, including staying at the current schools, or getting choice one It was not as major of a ‘rock the boat,’ as it could have been ”

Cape Coral schools included a high percentage of students electing to remain at their current school

Numbers by school

At Caloosa Elementary, 84 percent elected to remain at the school There were 542 students living in their proximity zone, while 243 lived outside of the new zone needing to take action A total of 203 were pre-placed and completed the “grandfather” form

At Cape Elementary, 89 percent elected to remain at the school There were 374 students living in their proximity zone, while 256 students lived outside of their

“It

new proximity zone needing to take action

A total of 227 were pre-placed, or completed the grandfather form

At Diplomat Elementary, 96 percent elected to remain at the school There were 587 students living in the proximity zone, while 302 students lived outside of the zone and needed to take action A total of 291 students were pre-placed, or completed the grandfather form.

At Gulf Elementary School, 100 percent elected to remain at the school There were 520 students living in their proximity zone, while 502 lived outside of their zone, needing to take action A total of 502 students were pre-placed, or completed the grandfather form

Seventy-seven percent elected to remain at Patriot Elementary There were 322 students living in their proximity zone, while 353 lived outside of the zone needing to take action A total of 271 students were pre-placed, or completed the grandfather from

At Pelican Elementary 81 percent elected to remain at the school There were 418 students living in their proximity zone, while 319 lived outside needing to take action There were 259 students either pre-

Rob Spicker, district spokesperson

placed, or completed the grandfather form

At Skyline Elementary School 76 elected to remain at the school There were 369 students living in their proximity zone, while 427 lived outside of the zone needing to take action There were 325 students pre-placed, or completed the grandfather form

At Trafalgar Elementary, 91 percent elected to stay at their school. There were 503 students living in their proximity zone, while 244 lived outside needing to take action There were 222 students who were pre-placed, or completed the grandfather form

Transportation

As part of its plan to compress zones so children attend schools closer to home and so save money on busing costs, the school district will not be providing bus transportation to students outside their new proximity zone. Parents who opted to keep their children in the school they attended last year are now responsible for transportation if the school outside their zone

Spicker said with a large number of students staying at their school, the drop off and pick up lines may be more congested

“Our advice for parents is to be prepared for that The first week of school is always very crowded with new first timers. Roll into the second and third week, those pick up lines are going to be longer because more parents are driving,” he said

The new proximity plan had an immediate impact on incoming kindergarten students, elementary students new to the district and rising elementary students living outside of the current school’s proximity attendance zone and needing transportation

“Proximity” replaces the current threezone “choice” assignment lottery with much smaller zones. The district currently assigns students through a zoned, lotterybased School Choice program Parents rank schools within their assigned zone with most students assigned to one of their top choices

The new proximity plan provided an opportunity for rising elementary students to be “grandfathered” under the plan, meaning they would be allowed to remain at their school until they complete the highest grade offered The district, though, told parents it would not provide transportation for students who stay at a school outside their new zone

Spicker said every elementary school is offering before and after school care, s o m e t h i n g t h e d i s t r i c t b e g a n w o r k i n g towards in February It is now established, with some limitations to capacity because of staffing

See PROXIMITY, page 29

was disrupted, but not to the degree it could have been Families made the choices that were best for them, including staying at the current schools, or getting choice one It was not as major of a ‘rock the boat,’ as it could have been ”

Legal Aid expands services to aid immigrant minors

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A nonprofit organization which provides free civil legal aid to indigent Lee County residents has expanded its services to assist immigrant children and teens who may have entered the country alone.

“The most rewarding part of the job is taking something that everyone needs at one time or another and making it accessible to everyone,” Lee County Legal Aid Society Executive Director Andrew Banyai said

Their focus for more than half a century has been helping children of Lee County

One of the things they have identified as a gap in the service is the children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected who are often here without parents and are doing the very best with what they have, Banyai said

A provision to the family law code allows them to approach family court on behalf of a child who is abused, abandoned, or neglected to obtain a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) This is then followed by an I-360 SIJS petition to U S Citizenship and Immigration Services

“The neat thing about that is it places them on a pathway to be lawful U S residents and lawfully earn a living,” Banyai said

This will benefit youths 18 and younger So far this year, 10 children have received immigrant juvenile status

Once the status is awarded the applicants can apply for the adjustment of status to lawful permanent residency, which allows them to apply for a work permit and Social Security card

“Immigration matters are so specific to the circumstances,” he said of how long it takes to obtain that status “There are a number of different forms we have to file after the special designation in the court system Some can have status and ability to lawfully work in the future as soon as a few months.”

For others, depending on the need to investigate circumstances of abandonment, it may take up to a year Banyai said it all depends on the immigration officials and how much interest they take in a particular set of facts

In late 2022, the three-year effort was funded by a federal American Rescue Plan Act grant of approximately $490,000, which

A provision to the family law code allows them to approach family court on behalf of a child who is abused, abandoned, or neglected to obtain a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) This is then followed by an I-360 SIJS petition to U S Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“The neat thing about that is it places them on a pathway to be lawful U.S. residents and lawfully earn a living ”

Andrew Banyai, Lee County Legal Aid Society Executive Director

was administered by the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties

“One of the main referral sources is the United Way Field Houses The United Way maintains houses, spaces, where people can go and get services,” Banyai said “They are distributed throughout Lee County, so that there is somebody in the community that hopefully has developed a trust within the community ”

Community partners include the Guardian ad Litem 20th Judicial Circuit, Florida Department of Children and Families and Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Venice

As the program gains momentum, they will find out how many out there are in need of this service

“As we get more attention, we may find there are more children out there that need our help. We have the capacity to help them,” Banyai said “I think that having a child here who has been abandoned creates problems for all of us Everybody in the community is much better off when children, who are here at no fault of their own decision-making, are provided with a pathway to live their lives legally I think that is better for everybody ”

The Lee County Legal Aid Society was founded in 1967 as a private, nonprofit organization that provides no-cost civil legal aid to low income families in Lee County For more information, visit www.leecountylegalaid org, or call (239) 334-6118

Installation of traffic signal at de Navarra Parkway to begin Monday

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Construction of a new traffic signal at Del Prado Boulevard and de Navarra Parkway is scheduled to begin Monday, July 24

To ensure the safety of motorists and construction crews, the speed limit on Del Prado Boulevard approaching the de Navarra intersection will be reduced from 50 mph to 35 mph Left turns onto Del Prado from De Navarra will continue to be restricted throughout construction

The traffic light will be installed as part of the agreement with the developer of the Entrada subdivision, which was created by ordinance in 2005

The ordinance included a provision stating that when the traffic signal was warranted that the Commercial Center at Entrada and Entrada would construct the traffic signal and that the city would not participate in funding for those improvements

At the time of the ordinance vote in February, the Entrada Community Association did not have the full funding

(nearly $120,000) for the light because of holdouts on payments and asked the city council to move the project forward

The organization would reimburse the city within two years from the agreement and post a bond.

Residents nearby lodged complaints during Cape Coral City Council meetings about the speeding on Del Prado, how the intersections on de Navarra and Averill have become more dangerous and how the need to make a U-turn going into Entrada on Del Prado has further backed up traffic

As a stopgap, the city’s Public Works Department implemented a split left diversion, meaning no left turns from de Navarra onto Del Prado North and no throughway across Del Prado North on de Navarra, which will remain in place until the signal is installed

City officials were unavailable for comment

The traffic signal is anticipated to be completed in early 2024

BIG Backpack school supply giveaway set for July 30

Still time to volunteer if you want to help out at annual event that this year will distribute 2,500 packs, plus food

T h i s y e a r , t h e n u m b e r o f b a c k p a c k s i n c r e a s e d b y 5 0 0 , a s S h e r i f f C a r m i n e M a r c e n o d o n a t e d a n o t h e r 5 0 0 b a c k p a c k s f o r t h e e v e n t T h e b a c k p a c k s w i l l i n c l u d e p e n c i l s , n o t e b o o k s , f o l d e r s , g l u e s t i c k s a n d c r a y o n s a n d o t h e r s u p p l i e s

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

I n a d d i t i o n , f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e M i d w e s t F o o d B a n k w i l l p r o v i d e f o o d t o b e d i st r i b u t e d C o m m u n i t y C o o p e r a t i v e w i l l a l s o p r o v i d e f o o d f o r t h o s e w h o a t t e n d

t h e e v e n t

“

IF YOU GO:

What:

24th Annual BIG Backpack Event

When: Sunday, July 30, from 11 a m to 2 p m

Where: Fort Myers Skatium, 2250 Broadway

More Information: For more information visit http://multicultural-centre org

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 N o w i n i t s 2 4 t h y e a r , t h e a n n u a l B I G B a c k p a c k E v e n t w i l l o n c e a g a i n f i l l t h e g r o u n d s o f t h e F o r t M y e r s S k a t i u m t o p r o v i d e 2 , 5 0 0 b a c k p a c k s t o s t u d e n t s 5 t o 1 2 y e a r s o l d “ T h e k i d s b e n e f i t f r o m t h e p r o g r a m T h e y c o m e b a c k a n d v o l u n t e e r ( s a y i n g ) ‘ I r e m e m b e r r e c e i v i n g b a c k p a c k s ’ T h a t i s h u g e T h e b e s t i n v e s t m e n t t h a t w e c a n m a k e a s a c o m m u n i t y , a s a h u m a n , i s o n t h e c h i l d r e n T h e y a r e t h e f u t u r e , s o w e h a v e t o i n v e s t i n t h e m T h a t i s t h e b e s t i n v e s t m e n t , ” s a i d L e o n a r d o G a r c i a , B I G B a c k p a c k E v e n t f o u n d e r , a n d f o u n d e r o f t h e M u l t i c u l t u r a l C e n t r e o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a T h e e v e n t , w h i c h w i l l a g a i n b e d r i v et h r u c u r b s i d e , w i l l b e h e l d f r o m 1 1 a m t o 2 p m S u n d a y , J u l y 3 0 , a t t h e F o r t M y e r s S k a t i u m , 2 2 5 0 B r o a d w a y . “ W e a r e g o i n g t o d o t h e d r i v e - t h r u a g a i n b e c a u s e w e n o t i c e d w h e n w e d i d a n i n s i d e e v e n t t h e y c a m e a t 5 i n t h e m o r n i n g a n d w i t h t h e h e a t a n d h u m i d i t y , k i d s a n d f a m i l i e s s t r u g g l e d W e h a d t o g e t a b u n c h o f w a t e r t o m a k e s u r e t h e y a r e f i n e , ” G a r c i a s a i d W i t h t h e e v e n t c h a n g i n g t o a d r i v et h r u a t m o s p h e r e , h e s a i d t h e k i d s a r e h a p p i l y l i s t e n i n g t o m u s i c i n t h e c a r a n d f a m i l i e s w e r e s m i l i n g “ F o r t h e b e n e f i t o f t h e c h i l d r e n a n d f a m i l i e s , w e n e e d t o k e e p i t t h i s w a y , e s p e c i a l l y w i t h t h e h e a t t h a t i s g o i n g o n r i g h t n o w , ” G a r c i a s a i d

T h e r e i s g o i n g t o b e a l o t o f f o o d t o t a k e h o m e , ” h e s a i d .

T h e a n n u a l e v e n t a l s o w i l l f e a t u r e s o m e e n t e r t a i n m e n t a l o n g t h e r o u t e t o p i c k u p t h e b a c k p a c k a n d f o o d “ W e d o h a v e e n t e r t a i n m e n t t o m a k e s u r e t h e k i d s a r e h a p p y , ” G a r c i a s a i d

T h e H o n o r a r y E v e n t C h a i r t h i s y e a r i s F o r t M y e r s M a y o r K e v i n A n d e r s o n

“ I t i s a s i n c e r e p l e a s u r e t o b e n a m e d a s h o n o r a r y c h a i r o f t h e 2 0 2 3 B I G

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REAL ESTATE

Protecting yourself from title thieves

(Editor’s note: The following column was published previously in The Breeze )

Dear Mr. Feichthaler:

In the county of Lee and/or the state of Florida is home ownership protected from title thieves? Does my original title insurance protect me against title thieves? There has been a lot of TV advertising about this subject which puts a question in my mind

Dear Byron:

First half of 2023 for Cape homes is more of the same

Byron L

The mid-year results in the Cape Coral single-family home market offered up more of the same of what we have been seeing for the past year. Median sales prices have come down off of their 2022 highs, but they have not collapsed into the market crash many buyers were waiting for The number of closed home sales have dropped significantly and are now more in line with the pre-COVID levels seen back in 2019

The number of active listings for Cape Coral homes in the MLS continues to climb, reaching 1,769 listings on Tuesday, July 18, up from 1,732 on July 4, and 35% higher than the 1,309 active listings one year ago on July 19, 2022 Pending home sales, which were running above 1,000 in the pipeline about 16 months ago as home sales hit their peak, have steadily declined since then and seem to be settling into a tight range a bit below 800 pending sales for now Mortgage rates remain elevated around 7%, shifting the focus onto the Federal Reserve meeting next week

and Geri Quinn

Homing In

Eric P. Feichthaler Real

Estate Law

The commercials for “title lock” services have become more and more prevalent, so I expect many consumers have taken these companies up on their offers. Do these services really prevent deed theft? Although there are several methods fraudsters use to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners, the general scheme is for the perpetrator to find a house that is not the owner’s primary residence Often, these owners will be from out of state, or even outside the United States That person then prepares a deed and uses either a complicit notary, or prepares fake documents to trick a real notary That new deed will, on its face, transfer ownership to the improper party, who will then seek to sell the property soon after

The services you see on television cost around $150$200 per year Although they will monitor the public records for activity against your property, title lock services are not insurance Also, it does not stop a scammer from recording a deed on your property, it just informs you that it happened So, in reality, your title isn’t “locked” at all, and the use of the term is deceptive, in my opinion

There is a very easy way to be informed about this activity, and it is free The Lee County Clerk of Court offers a free service, aptly named “Fraud Alert,” which can be accessed on the clerk’s website After enrolling, you will be notified immediately any time a deed or lien is recorded against your property I have personally enrolled and it really works

If you are ever the victim of deed fraud, you should immediately contact an attorney to stop any damage from occurring, like a sale to another owner A timely response will greatly reduce the potential time and cost to reverse the issue

You asked whether your original title insurance policy will provide protection if a scammer records a fraudulent deed, and the answer is no Title insurance, which is an important part of any real estate purchase, insures that you have clear title at the time of acquisition Your title insurance will not be valid for purposes of reversing a fraudulent deed The good news? Attempted title theft is incredibly rare, and will be unsuccessful if you sign up for Fraud Alert This eliminates the need for signing up for a pay service that will likely provide no additional benefit

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral After completing law school at Georgetown U n i v e r s i t y i n W a s h i n g t o n , D C , h e r e t u r n e d t o 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,

See TITLE THIEVES, page 15

In the overall Cape Coral single-family home market, there were 459 closed sales in June, down 26 2% from 622 homes sold in June 2022, and 15 6% below the 544 sales in May of this year. In the second quarter, there were 1,498 closed sales, which was 19 6% below the 1,863 sales in the second quarter of 2022, but 23 8% above the 1,210 sales in the first quarter of 2023 In the first half of this year, a total of 2,708 homes were sold in the Cape, down 25% from 3,611 sales in the first six months of 2022

The median sales price overall for Cape Coral singlefamily homes was $415,000 in June, which was down 6 7% from $445,000 in June 2022, and 1 2% below the $420,000 in May of this year In the second quarter, the median sales price averaged $418,333 per month, which was down 8 4% from the average of $456,667 per month in the second quarter of 2022, but up 1 6% from the average of $411,666 per month in the first quarter of this year

In the first half of 2023, the overall median sales price averaged $415,000 per month in the Cape, which was a decrease of 3 7% versus the average median sales price of $430,833 per month in the first six months of 2022

Indirect gulf access canal homes

In the Cape Coral single-family indirect gulf access canal home segment (homes with bridges in the canal sys-

tem), there were 46 closed sales in June This was 33 3% less than the 69 sales in June 2022, and 19 3% below the 57 sales in May of this year. In the second quarter, there were 152 closed sales in this segment, or 28 6% less than the 213 sales in the second quarter of 2022, but 40 7% above the 108 sales in the first quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, a total of 260 indirect gulf access homes were sold in the Cape, down 33% versus 388 sales in the first six months of 2022

The median sales price in the Cape’s single-family indirect gulf access canal home segment was $777,000 in June, which was down 9.7% from $860,000 in June 2022, and 4 1% below the $810,000 in May of this year In the second quarter, the median sales price in this segment averaged $802,333 per month, which was 2 7% below the average of $824,200 per month in the second quarter of 2022, but 4 5% more than the average of $767,500 per month in the first quarter of this year In the first half of this year, the median sales price averaged $784,917 per month in this segment, or 3 7% below the average median sales price of $815,008 per month in the first six months of 2022

Direct sailboat access canal homes

In the Cape Coral single-family direct sailboat access canal home segment (no bridges in the canals to get out to open water), there were 28 closed sales in June This was 28 2% lower than the 39 sales in June 2022, and 20% below the 35 sales in May of this year In the second quarter, there were 107 sales in this segment, down 31 4% from 156 sales in the second quarter of 2022, and 4 5% below the 112 sales in the first quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, a total of 219 direct sailboat access canal homes were sold in the Cape, down 35 8% from the 341 sales in the first six months of 2022

The median sales price in the Cape’s single-family direct sailboat access canal home segment came in at $831,500 in June, down 3 3% from $860,000 in June 2022, but up 11 6% from $745,000 in May of this year In the second quarter, the median sales price in this segment averaged $770,157 per month, down 19 6% from the average of $957,477 per month in the second quarter of 2022, but 5 1% above the average of $732,500 per month in the first

See MORE OF THE SAME, page 15

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

CRE Consultants celebrates 25 years in commercial real estate

CRE Consultants, a leading commercial real estate and property management firm in Southwest Florida, celebrates its 25th anniversary Since its inception in 1998, CRE Consultants has been dedicated to providing strategic, client-first solutions for property sales and leasing, property management, development, research and consulting services

"We're proud of our commitment to our clients, employees and community service," said Randal Mercer, cofounder of CRE Consultants "Our team of commercial real estate experts has helped businesses of all sizes optimize their property values and make informed decisions through in-depth research and consulting services "

Stan Stouder, CCIM, co-founder of CRE Consultants, added, "We're excited to continue serving as a strategic real estate partner to businesses across Southwest Florida, helping them navigate the ever-changing real estate landscape and achieve their goals " A key to our longevity is one of our core values; “People over profit and ethics over earnings ”

If you are looking for a trusted partner to help solve your commercial real estate challenges, visit our website at www CREconsultants com or contact us at (239) 4813800 With our proven track record of success, industry expertise, and unwavering commitment to our clients, we’d be honored to help you achieve your goals

Mayhugh Commercial Advisors announces transactions

Mayhugh Commercial Advisors has announces the following recent real estate sales and lease transactions

Sales:

∫ 3350 Hanson, LLC: 25,000 square feet industrial at 3350 Hanson Drive, Fort Myers, from Ozinus Hanson LLC, for $2 45 million (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the buyer)

∫ Wayne Moomjian: 9,315 square feet industrial at 3744 Ironbridge Blvd , Fort Myers, from K P Properties of Florida, LLC for $1 75 million (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney CCIM represented the buyer)

∫ 3756 Ironbridge Holdings, LLC: 9,246 square feet

See REAL ESTATE BRIEFS, page 15

Bob

Realtors lace up bowling shoes for charity

Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association members participated in Florida Realtors District 5 Bowling Tournament benefiting the Florida Realtors Silent Angels Saturday, July 15, hosted at HeadPinz Entertainment Center in Fort Myers

The tournament showcased a fusion of sportsmanship, community spirit and charitable efforts, all aimed at making a positive impact on the lives of those in need

Florida Realtors Silent Angels, a nonprofit Realtor-backed charitable organization, is dedicated to helping people in the community, and has long been committed

to improving the quality of life for their beneficiaries The District 5 Bowling Tournament bolstered the group's efforts by raising $2,745 to support ongoing programs and initiatives By bringing together Realtor members from the areas of Fort Myers, Bonita, Cape Coral and Naples, the tournament succeeded in making a substantial difference in the lives of those facing unique challenges

"We are incredibly grateful to all the teams, players and supporters who made the District 5 Bowling Tournament a remarkable event," said Jack Martin, 2023

RPCRA president "Their dedication and generosity will make a noteworthy difference in the lives of those we serve ”

Some of the participants in the recent Florida Realtors District 5 Bowling Tournament at HeadPinz Entertainment Center in Fort Myers

More of the same: State of single-family home market in Cape Coral

From page 14

quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, the median sales price averaged $751,328 per month in this segment, for a decrease of 17 9% versus the average median sales price of $914,652 per month in the first six months of 2022

Freshwater canal and lake homes

In the Cape’s single-family freshwater canal and lake home segment (landlocked waterfront homes with no boating access to the river or open water), there were 42 closed sales in June This was 35 4% lower than the 65 sales in June 2022, and 12 5% below the 48 sales in May of this year In the second quarter, there were 142 sales in this segment, down 30.4% from the 204 sales in the second quarter of 2022, but up 11 8% from 127 sales in the first quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, a total of 269 homes were sold in this segment, down 30 5% versus the 387 sales in the first half of 2022

From page 14

industrial at 3756 Ironbridge Blvd , Fort Myers, from K P Properties of Florida, LLC for $1 75 million (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the buyer)

∫ FMB Properties, LLC: 2,600 square feet industrial at 2107 Andrea Lane, Fort Myers, from Orkin, LLC for $375,000 (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the buyer and the seller).

∫ Best Supply Properties, LLC: 12,746 square feet industrial at 8031 Mainline Parkway, Fort Myers, from JCT Mainline, LLC for $4,377,850 (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the buyer and the seller)

Leases:

∫ Mangual Enterprises One, LLC: 3,900 square feet retail at 9230 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the landlord and the tenant)

∫ All Repair and Restoration LLC: 4,000 square feet industrial at 6220 Arc Way, Fort Myers (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represent-

The median sales price in the Cape Coral single-family freshwater canal and lake home segment was $527,500 in June, down 7 5% from $570,000 in June of 2022, but 3 8% above the $508,000 in May of this year. In the second quarter, the median sales price in this segment averaged $510,583 per month, down 8 8% from $559,983 per month in the second quarter of 2022, but 0 8% above the average median sales price of $506,667 per month in the first quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, the median sales price averaged $508,625 per month in this segment, down 2 4% versus the average median sales price of $521,142 per month in the first six months of 2022

Dry lot homes

In the Cape’s single-family dry lot (noncanal) home segment, there were 342 closed sales in June, down 23 5% from 447 sales in June 2022, and 14 9% below the 402 sales in May of this year In the second

quarter, a total of 1,089 homes were sold in this segment, down 14 9% from 1,279 sales in the second quarter of 2022, but up 26 6% from 860 sales in the first quarter of this year In the first half of 2023, a total of 1,949 dry lot homes were sold in the Cape, down 21% from 2,466 sales in the first half of 2022

The median sales price in the Cape Coral single-family dry lot home segment was $385,000 in June, down 3 8% from $400,000 in June 2022, but up 2 5% from $375,495 in May of this year In the second quarter, the median sales price in this segment averaged $379,828 per month, down 4 6% from the average of $398,117 per month in the second quarter of 2022, but 2 5% above the average of $370,697 per month in the first quarter of this year. In the first half of 2023, the median sales price averaged $375,263 per month in this segment, down 0 6% from the average median sales price of $377,558 per month in the first six months of 2022

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

ed the landlord and the tenant)

∫ Dana Safety Supply, Inc : 5,000 square feet industrial at 3350 Hanson St , Fort Myers (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the landlord and the tenant)

∫ TransCore, LP: 5,000 square feet industrial at 2164 Andrea Lane, Fort Myers (Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney, CCIM represented the landlord) Mayhugh Commercial Advisors specialize in brokerage and consulting, property acquisition, property disposition, landlord representation, property management, tenant representation and marketing and support For more, call 239-278-4945 or visit MayhughCommercial com

NCCER, Lowe's to hold RRCA graduation ceremony

On Friday, July 28, at 10:30 a m , NCCER and Lowe’s will hold a graduation ceremony for the second graduating class of the Rapid Recovery Construction Academy program that was created to help infuse more skilled craft professionals into Southwest Florida communities to help with rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Ian

Title thieves: Protecting yourself

From page 14

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 Mediator He can be reached at eric@capecoralattorney com, or 239-5424733

This article is general in nature and not i n t e n d e d a s l e g

before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations

The program was made possible through a $250,000 donation from Lowe’s as part of its ongoing efforts to support the Southwest Florida community The sixweek, tuition-free nationally recognized construction training program was designed to allow displaced workers and those interested in working in the trades the opportunity to help with storm rebuilding and restoration efforts

NCCER enlisted Florida Masonry Apprentice and Education Foundation to teach students the essential skills needed to jumpstart their construction education and expand the construction workforce in the hardest-hit and most damaged communities near Ft Myers

The ceremony will be at Luminary

The sales data for this article was o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e F l o r i d a R e a l t o r s Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County, Fla , as of July 17, 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 Quinns 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 C a p e C o r a l r e s i d e n t i a l p r o p e r t y a n d vacant lots

Hotel, Oxbow Room, 2nd Floor & Terrace, 1300 Hendry St , Fort Myers Lunch will be provided following graduation at 12 p m

NCCER is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) education foundation created by the construction industry to develop standardized curricula and assessments with portable credentials and certifications for skilled craft professionals NCCER provides a comprehensive workforce development system that includes accreditation, training, assessment, certification and career development solutions for the construction and maintenance industries For more information, visit www nccer org or contact NCCER customer service at 888-6223720

PHOTO PROVIDED

School district responds to state audit findings

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A state auditor reported nine findings in an operational audit of the Lee County School District for fiscal year 2021-22

The audit was performed by Auditor General Sherrill F Norman, CPA The findings summarized in a report dated June 2023 ranged from district employees not completing required mental health awareness and assistance training to employees granted unnecessary or inappropriate information technology user access privileges

School Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier provided responses and resolutions to further improve operations via a management’s response letter dated June 7

Among those findings, according to the report No 2020-201 were:

■ Finding 1: District records did not demonstrate that alleged fraud involving district unemployment benefit claims during Spring 2020 was properly investigated

School District response:

“The employees selected by the Auditor General’s Office for review as of May 23, 2023, are still in ‘Decision not Receive’ in FLDEO’s system,” Bernier wrote “All claims were paid and were to be adjudicated by FLDEO at a later time DeGroot Management Services is working with administrators at FLDEO to determine when claims will start to be adjudicated from the pandemic To date, the district has not received credit for the selected active employees who filed a claim in 2020 ”

As a resolution, Bernier stated that the Human Resources Department will “immediately begin an inquiry on any allegation related to wrongful filing of unemployment compensation ”

■ Finding 2: As of January 2023, 71 percent of the district school employees had not completed the required mental health

The findings in the audit performed by Auditor General Sherrill F Norman, CPA, ranged from district employees not completing required mental health awareness and assistance training to employees granted unnecessary or inappropriate information technology user access privileges.

awareness and assistant training

School District response:

Bernier responded that the district received information from the Department of Education in February 2023 and are aggressively offering training to reach the required 80 percent threshold to fulfill the requirement by July 1, 2023

■ Finding 3: District did not verify that school resource officers during the 20212022 fiscal year had completed the statutory required mental health crisis intervention training

School District response:

The district plans to include a verification process to address the mental health crisis intervention training The Crisis Intervention Training can be completed through the SWFL Public Safety Academy, which is a district program, or through individual police departments that are taught by the National Alliance of Mental Illness

“Moving forward, the District’s Safety & Security Department will access ATMS (a state of Florida database for law enforcement) to receive proof of training for any new SROs that work with the district,” Bernier wrote “If it is not there, the Safety & Security Department will contact the individual agencies and require them to provide proof of the training within six months of the start of school ”

■ Finding 4: Only 8 percent of the district non-instructional school employees during the 2021-2022 fiscal year completed the required ethical conduct training

School District response:

“In order to address the ethical conduct

training requirement, the School District of Lee County will include ethical conduct training as a mandatory professional learning requirement for all employees for the 23/24 school year,” Bernier wrote

■ Finding 5: District did not obtain the statutorily required internal audit services during July 2021 through February 2022

The District Internal Audit Department was not organizationally independent School District response:

“The district agrees that there was a period of time where there was no contract with an internal auditor that reported to the board, as required by statute,” Bernier wrote “As the audit report stated, the district rectified that situation in March 2022, and understands the importance and necessity of having continuous internal audit services to the board ”

He said the district’s chief financial officer will engage the Auditor General’s office for a resolution for the next fiscal year

■ Finding 6: District did not comply with state law by timely posting on the website graphical representations of summary financial efficiency data and fiscal trend information for each public school within the district School District response:

“The budget department has included this item on its yearly calendar to assure that this is completed timely each year after the final budget is approved by the board,” Bernier wrote, adding that the required graphical representations of financial data were not on the district’s website at the beginning of the audit

■ Finding 7: District procedures did not always ensure that minutes for board meet-

ings were timely approved, which is contrary to Sunshine Law

School District response:

“The chief of staff developed a permanent resolution, which included the development of a minutes tracking sheet that executive assistants in the board and superintendent offices complete on a weekly basis as minutes are completed and approved by the board,” Bernier wrote “The chief of staff is the responsible party for monitoring this process to ensure this is adhered to ”

■ Finding 8: Although the district received certain deliverables from vendors based on other governmental entity contracts that were competitively selected by those entities, the board did not always establish contracts with those vendors

School District response:

“Last fiscal year, the district began working on adopting the practice of creating an additional contract directly with an awarded vendor when piggy backing a contract In partnership with the district legal team, the procurement department has created a contract template for this purpose,” Bernier wrote

■ Finding 9: Six employees were granted unnecessary or inappropriate information technology user access privileges that increased the risk for unauthorized disclosure, modification, or destruction of human resources and finance information to occur

School District response:

Bernier wrote that the district is implementing two corrective actions to address this issue The first is regular PeopleSoft permissions reviews for all department heads, and the second is implementing permissions management software by PathLock that will “allow the information systems department to automate a significant portion of permissions management and improve capabilities to monitor for inappropriate permissions ”

T HE BREE ZE COMMUNITY

Our Mother’s Home awarded $110,000 Lowe’s Hometowns grant

Our Mother’s Home of Southwest Florida has received a grant of $110,000, selected as one of 100 community projects across the U S as part of Lowe’s Hometowns program These funds will be instrumental in completing the necessary renovations of a transitional living home to help teenage mothers and their children in the foster care and human trafficking systems

Jatropha integerrima compacta tree - a jewel

By ANN BLOCK news@breezenewspapers com

Moving from the northeast six years ago, I wanted a garden full of flowers I started researching small flowering trees in Southwest Florida and to my surprise one stood out It is called the dwarf jatropha tree It has showy tiny clusters of vivid red flowers that bloom all year I was in love with it and ended up planting four in my new garden They were easy to trim and they became denser and more prolific with those beautiful red flowers

The dwarf jatropha tree ( J a t r o p h a i n t e g e r r i m a ' C o m p a c t a ' ) i s t h e o n e m o s t c o m m o n l y s o l d a t nurseries It is a perfect accent tree for my sunny areas of the garden, which is most of my garden! It h a s d e e p g r e e n l e a v e s which accentuate the versatile red blooms

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

I learned that this red flowering evergreen tree is actually a jatropha shrub trained to a single trunk or you can grow it as a bush, and, as it matures, keep the base cleaned up for a multi-trunk tree look.

One of Southwest Florida's most consistent butterfly attracting plants / trees, jatropha is also a favorite with hummingbirds It has slender stems These trees or plants can reach about 15 feet tall with equal spread if untrimmed Like many trees and plants in Florida, all parts of jatropha are poisonous There are two types of species that grow very well in Southwest Florida, Jatropha integerrima and Jatropha mulfifidi I’ve had both, however, Jatropha integerrima is by far my favorite, which is why I am focusing on the former

According to my research, Jatropha integerrima is native to the West Indies and Cuba and sometimes called peregrina or spicy jatropha. The flowers are generally red although a pink-flowered variety does exist Love seeing monarchs, swallowtails and zebra longwing butterflies on my trees

The best part of the Jatropha integerrima is that it is LOW maintenance and drought tolerant Our welldrained soil in Southwest Florida is perfect for this plant or tree Jatropha grows well in Zones 10 and 11 They handle full sun to partial shade, however they are not salt tolerant It can work well in a large container on a porch or patio Jatropha is a prolific bloomer 365 days a year and can withstand humidity and high heat!

Pruning is easy if you want to keep it a certain size and you can prune any time of year When pruning, make sure to wear gloves as it has a milky sap which can irritate sensitive skin

Plant your dwarf jatropha in a well-drained spot in your yard adding composted cow manure Water every day for a month You will enjoy this tree every day of

As the company’s largest-ever community impact program, Lowe's Hometowns is a five-year, $100 million commitment from Lowe's to rebuild and revitalize c o m m u n i t y s p a c e s n a t i o n w i d e OMH was among the 100 projects c h o s e n a c r o s s 4 1 s t a t e s a n d Washington, D C , to receive funding in order to make a meaningful impact in their communities Last year, more than 1 4 million people benefitted from Lowe’s Hometowns projects

“OMH is deeply grateful for this generous grant from Lowe's and the impact it will have on helping these young mothers and their babies who rely on our services,” said Alicia Miller, executive director of Our Mother’s Home “This funding will make our vision of transitional housing a reality, allowing us to expand our services to mothers aging out of foster care as they work to become independent adults ”

Purchased last year, the future OMH building has not been used in five years and requires extensive renovations to be suitable as a residence for young mothers and their children The Lowe’s Hometowns project will focus on transforming a portion of the upstairs space into three bed-

GCWA meeting to focus

rooms, two bathrooms, a living room and dining area, to house 18- to 22-year-old moms and their babies as they can continue using resources and services and transition to independent adulthood

Renovations to the second floor will include the installation of new flooring, drywall, window treatments and light fixtures Bathrooms will be fully renovated with new fixtures and lighting In addition, the kitchen will be upgraded with new cabinets, a c o o k t o p a n d m o d e r n a p p l i a n c e s Lowe’s will host a “Red Vest Day” as part of its 100 Hometowns, where employees will come out to volunteer with painting, furniture assembly and other finishing touches to the new space

As part of its ongoing capital campaign, OMH continues to seek donors a n d b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r s t o u n d e r w r i t e t h e remaining renovations of additional residential spaces, a d m i n i s t r a t i v e o f f i c e s a n d c o m m u n i t y p r o g r a m m i n g rooms that will make up its future location Upon completion, the new OMH building will not only include housing but also enable the organization to expand its services through a community pantry, providing items such as diapers, wipes, formula and other much-needed supplies for young parents in need

In addition, there will be a community education room that offers free classes on topics such as parenting, budgeting, birth control and more for moms in the broader community

To learn more about OMH and its mission, visit OurMothersHome org

on creating uploadable video

Annual writing contest winners to be announced

Tired of being the publishing world’s best-kept secret? Want to catch the attention of agents and increase the audience for your writing?

Here’s an easy way for existing and aspiring writers, editors and others to get noticed, expand readership and sell more books.

This Saturday, July 22, during Gulf Coast Writers Association’s monthly meeting in south Fort Myers, Robert (Bob) S McCarthy, a veteran writer, editor and GCWA member, will demonstrate how to create a video presentation using MSOffice and how to upload it for the world to see!

Winners of GCWA’s annual writing contest, now in its second decade, will also be announced at the meeting This year’s awards will go to winners in four categories

The meeting will be held at the Word of Life Church, 6111 South Pointe Blvd , Fort Myers, from 10 a m to noon General admission is free for first-time visitors, $5 for subsequent visits and free for members The meeting is also available on Zoom To register for Zoom attendance, go to the GCWA website at https://gulfwriters org/

McCarthy’s talk is part of GCWA’s ongoing series on

marketing for writers Previous talks in the series by other presenters have focused on how to find a literary agent and on preparing to publish McCarthy will show step-by-step how to create a working video script and to add dialogue or narration, resulting in a presentation with impact He will illustrate the process with a video he created and posted on YouTube promoting his services as a writer and editor

A longtime Fort Myers resident, McCarthy is a retired professional writer and editor He has worked freelance, in-house and with partners to help clients get noticed A video he scripted for a Connecticut manufacturer was awarded Best Training Video by the Oil Heat Managers Association. Bob’s articles have been published in regional, national and international magazines

Founded in 1995, the Gulf Coast Writers Association Inc provides a forum for fellowship, education, and information for writers, editors and associates Based in Fort Myers, the organization attracts members from throughout Southwest Florida At monthly meetings, speakers and workshops offer expert advice on such topics as writing techniques, publishing, and marketing GCWA’s website is https://gulfwriters org/

Brick paver fundraiser to benefit nonprofit learning center in Fort Myers

Child Care of Southwest Florida has announced a brick paver fundraiser for the Children's Learning Center in Fort Myers, an initiative that gives community members an opportunity to help support high-quality early education programs for local families

Engraving a paver can be a great way to honor a loved one, share a memory or promote a business, all while raising critical funds for an important cause Residents and business owners are invited to purchase a custom red paver to be installed in a pathway leading up to the front entrance of the Children's Learning Center, located at 37 Barkley Circle, in Fort Myers

Pavers are available in three different sizes at donation levels of $75, $150 and $500.

In addition, donors can upload their own personal logo

or choose from a selection of clip art to etch on the brick for an extra fee of $10 To order a custom paver, visit PolarEngraving com/ CCSWFL

Child Care of Southwest Florida provides early learning education to more than 350 children, ages 6 weeks through 8 years old, at five learning centers across Lee and Hendry counties The Children's Learning Center is a c c r e d i t e d t h r o u g h t h e

Learning Leaders and

Department of Children and Families Additionally, centers maintain five-star ratings through the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida

To learn more about Child Care of Southwest Florida learning centers, visit CCSWFL.org.

PHOTO PROVIDED Jatropha tree blossoms,

Breakfast and lunch available at no cost to students at all Lee County public schools

The School District of Lee County today announced that it is again part of the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / National School Breakfast Programs for the 2023-24 school year Every student in the District’s 82 traditional schools and four special centers will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge

The school sites include: Allen Park Elementary, The A l v a S c h o o l , A m a n e c e r E l e m e n t a r y , B a y s h o r e

Elementary, Bonita Springs Elementary, Bonita Springs Middle, Bonita Springs High, Buckingham Exceptional Center, Caloosa Elementary, Caloosa Middle, Cape Coral High, Cape Elementary, Challenger Middle, Colonial Elementary, Cypress Lake High, Cypress Lake M i d d l e , D i p l o m a t E l e m e n t a r y , D i p l o m a t M i d d l e , Dunbar High, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, East Lee County High, Edgewood Elementary, Edison Park Elementary, Estero High School, Franklin Park Elementary, Fort Myers Beach Elementary, Fort Myers

H i g h , F o r t M y e r s M i d d l e , G W e a v e r H i p p s

E l e m e n t a r y , G a t e w a y E l e m e n t a r y , G a t e w a y H i g h

School, Gulf Elementary, Gulf Middle, Hancock Creek Elementary, Harns Marsh Elementary, Harns Marsh

M i d d l e , H e c t o r C a f f e r a t a E l e m e n t a r y , H e i g h t s

Elementary, Ida Baker High, Island Coast High, J Colin English Elementary, James A Stephens Elementary, Lehigh Elementary, Lehigh Acres Middle, Lehigh Senior High, Lemuel Teal Middle, Lexington Middle, Littleton Elementary, Manatee Elementary, Mariner High, Mariner Middle, Mirror Lakes Elementary, North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts, North Fort Myers High, Oak Hammock Middle, Orange River Elementary, Orangewood Elementary, Patriot Elementary, Pelican Elementary, Pine Island Elementary, Pinewoods Elementary, Ray Pottorf Elementary, Rayma C Page E l e m e n t a r y , R i v e r H a l l E l e m e n t a r y , T h e S a n i b e l School, Skyline Elementary, South Fort Myers High, Spring Creek Elementary, Success Academy, Sunshine E l e m e n t a r y , T a n g l e w o o d E l e m e n t a r y , T h r e e O a k s Elementary, Three Oaks Middle, Tice Elementary, Tortuga Preserve Elementary, Trafalgar Elementary, Trafalgar Middle, Treeline Elementary, Tropic Isles Elementary, Varsity Lakes Middle, Veteran's Park Academy for the Arts, Villas Elementary and Young Parents Educational Program

For additional information please contact: The School District of Lee County, Food and Nutrition Services, Attention: Kandy Messenger, Director Food and Nutrition Services, 2855 Colonial Blvd Fort M y e r s , F l o r i d a 3 3 9 6 6 , ( 2 3 9 ) 4 6 1 - 8 4 4 9 , KandaceM@LeeSchools net

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U S Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e g B r a i l l e , l a r g e p r i n t , a u d i o t a p e , A m e r i c a n S i g n Language, etc ), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have

See BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, page 30

Rhodes receives $10,000 Gold Award Scholarship from Girl Scouts USA

Girl Scouts of Gulf Coast Florida

A m b a s s a d o r G i r l S c o u t A u t u m n Pepper Rhodes is the recipient of the 2 0 2 3 N a t i o n a l G o l d A w a r d Scholarship As a scholarship recipient, Rhodes will receive $10,000, as well as recognition in local and national Girl Scout promotions.

Rhodes is one of 12 GSGCF members to have earned the Girl S c o u t G o l d A w a r d i n 2 0 2 3

The Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn It is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to Girl Scouting

A project must involve a minimum of 80 hours and include the following steps: identifying an issue, investigating it thoroughly, getting help and building a team, creating a plan, presenting the plan, gathering feedback, taking action and educating and inspiring others It is more than just a good service project it encompasses organizational, leadership and networking skills

The issue that Rhodes identified for her project was a lack of gender parity within the fields of aerospace and aviation, as well as a lack of opportunities within Girl Scouts for girls to explore aviation. She hosted three workshops in her community for young women to learn about engineering and aviation and invited successful women pilots as speakers to inspire interest in aviation among girls

Her workshops gave girls the opportunity to learn about careers in engineering and aviation and take part in a discovery flight experience

She created a website filled with videos, educational resources and scholarship information for girls interested in aviation She also started an online petition urging GSUSA to lift their safety restrictions and allow discovery flights as a Girl Scout activity

Rhodes’ petition has over 1,700 signatures and counting, and can be accessed on her website, www.girl-

swhosoar com

“This experience has inspired me and proved that I am able to make a d i f f e r e n c e i n m y c o m m u n i t y , ” Rhodes said “I plan to continue a d v o c a t i n g f o r a v i a t i o n i n G i r l Scouting and press the Board of Directors to implement an aviation career badge to inspire young women around the country I will undoubtedly continue to advocate for more women in S T E M , and it has conf i r m e d m y d e s i r e t o w o r k a s a Certified Flight Instructor and mentor for other young aviatrix ”

Rhodes said that her favorite Girl Scouting memories include participating as a C I T at Camp Honi Honta and serving on the National Media Team for the 2017 G I R L National Convention S h e w i l l b e a t t e n d i n g R i c e University in Houston in the fall, pursuing a dual major in mechanical engineering and astrophysics She is a licensed pilot and aspires to one day become an astronaut

Girl Scouts were able to apply for the scholarship between March 15 and April 17, 2023 Eligible Gold

Award Girl Scouts included high school seniors or graduates who earned the Gold Award between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Each applicant was required to provide proof of their Gold Award and submit four 500-word essays about their Gold Award One recipient per council was selected nationwide

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida council has a membership of nearly 3,500 girls in grades K-12, and more than 1,500 adult members GSGCF is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves girls in ten counties including: Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry and Collier The council is governed by a volunteer board of directors who represent the geographic, ethnic and social demographics of the council’s jurisdiction For more information about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida visit www.gsgcf.org.

EDUCATION NOTES

Pencek named to ODAC All-Academic Team

WINCHESTER, Va -- Dylan Pence, of Cape Coral was one of 294 Shenandoah University student-athletes named to the 2022-23 Old Dominion Athletic Conference AllAcademic Team

The nearly 300 Hornets listed are part of the 2,514 student-athletes from across the conference to earn the honor

This year breaks the school record for most student-athletes on the ODAC All-Academic Team, topping last year's total of 291

To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have had a 3 25 GPA or higher during the 2022-23 school year The full list of honorees for each ODAC school can be found at odaconline com

Shenandoah University was established in 1875, and is headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with additional educational sites in Clarke, Fairfax and Loudoun counties Shenandoah is a private, nationally recognized university with approximately 4,000 students in more than 200 areas of study in six different schools For more information, visit su edu

School District of Lee County looking to hire teachers, suppor t staff

Department is actively hiring to fill hundreds of teacher and support positions before the start of school on Aug 10 In an effort to recruit future employees, district staff

will be in the main lobby of the Lee County Public Education Center from 8:30 a m to 4:00 p m , Monday, July 24, to Friday, July 28

Additionally, district recruiters will have a table in the main lobby during the Back to School Rush event Saturday, July 22, from 9 a m to 1 p m Anyone interested in employment in the district can stop by the main building at 2855 Colonial Blvd in Fort Myers and talk to a recruiter during these times.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes if possible

Details about the jobs available and hiring requirements a r e p o s t e d o n t h e S c h o o l D i s t r i c t ’ s w e b s i t e a t www leeschools net/careers Recruiters can be contacted via email at Careers@leeschools net

AHVED to host two Back 2 School Fests

The Association of Haitians Living Abroad for Development announces that it will be hosting a two-day Back 2 School Fest 2023 in Fort Myers and Immokalee

The first event will be held on Saturday, July 22, at 3822 Broadway, Ste C , Fort Myers, from 10 a m - 2 p m The second event will be held on Sunday, July 23, at 1502 Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee, from 11 a m - 3 p m

Students will receive free backpacks, notebooks, penSee EDUCATION NOTES, page 30

PHOTO PROVIDED Girl Scout Autumn Pepper Rhodes

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

Effort to stop Redfish Pointe development underway

By FRAN THOMAS news@breezenewspapers com

Approximately 1,700 Cape Coral residents have signed a petition to stop the Redfish Pointe development with a good number of them attending a speaker-heavy meeting organized by Concerned Citizens of Cape Coral at Rotary Park Saturday

The crowd in the meeting room overflowed onto two patios and organizers joked they might have to hold the next meeting at Hertz Arena

The proposed development on acreage south of the park calls for 800 residential units, 300 hotel rooms; 38,000 square feet of commercial space, a 200-slip marina, and parking To access the site, a road requiring an amendment to a conservation easement established in 1987 would be built intersecting Rose Garden Road

O n e r e s i d e n t t e r m e d t h e p r o p o s e d ingress and egress to the site a joke He said statistics show the average number of trips each resident makes per day is 10 Ten trips times 800 residents would strain the infrastructure greatly, he maintained.

Like much of Southwest Florida, southwest Cape Coal incurred heavy damage f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n R e s i d e n t T e r r i Monarchio estimates 40 percent of her neighbors’ homes have not been repaired or have been torn down

“I have a newer home, so I only got about two to three feet of water Older homes got much more flooding,” she said

Another resident, Linda Liberty, also expressed serious concerns.

“If it goes through, I’ll probably move,” she said

She feels Cape Coral has no long-range plan to protect people or wildlife in the area

One of the scheduled speakers, Jim Collier, a local environmentalist and conservationist, said the rationale behind the endeavor to stop Redfish Pointe is to protect structures from future hurricane damage by maintaining the existing wetlands, which provide a buffer

“We want to avoid Cape Coral getting substantially worse,” he said “Mangroves stabilize the shoreline, so removal would weaken the buffering capacity ”

He pointed out that the mangroves surrounding Naples averted an estimated $1 5 billion in damages from Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Southwest Florida in 2017

L e e C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r K e v i n Ruane, a Cape Coral resident, spoke in agreement

“My district would be devastated without mangroves,” said Ruane, who repres e n t s D i s t r i c t 1 , w h i c h e n c o m p a s s e s Captiva, Sanibel, much of Cape Coral and Pine Island

He encouraged residents to get involved in this issue and offered himself as a resource Replying to a question about the possibility of Lee County Conservation 20/20 program’s ability to purchase the land, Ruane indicated that fund has money, so that might be an avenue to pursue.

Redfish Pointe proposal

The proposal calls for the establishment o f t h e R e d f i s h P o i n t e M i x e d U s e Preservation Future Land Use District

If established, it would allow development of approximately 110 acres of the site near Rotary Park while preserving the remaining 240 acres, or two-thirds of the property, according to site-related documents

“Redfish Pointe is privately owned and has 4,530 linear feet of frontage on the Caloosahatchee River This site is currently zoned PRFLU (Preserve) and has a Future L a n d U s e o f P R ( N a t i o n a l Resource/Preservation),” states a Nov 18, 2022, letter of intent, as amended on March 3, to the city regarding a possible a m e n d m e n t t o C a p e C o r a l ’ s Comprehensive Plan

The project would meet the city’s existing objectives with benefits to include create job creation, public access and preservation of most of the site, according to the correspondence

“ T h e c r e a t i o n o f t h i s n e w R e d f i s h

Pointe Mixed Use Preserve Future Land Use District is being sought due to the unique qualities of this parcel and its potential to realize many important City of Cape Coral’s Comprehensive Plan Objectives,” the correspondence states

The correspondence to the city from Avalon Engineering provides the positives of the designation:

“The intent of the proposed Redfish Pointe Mixed Use Preserve Future Land Use is to create a vibrant waterfront mixed use community accessible to the public while continuing to preserve important national resources The proposed District is visioned after the Tarpon Point and Cape Harbour communities applying similar land use development parameters established for those communities, as well as several other recent land use districts, such as, Bimini Basin, and the Seven Islands,” the correspondence states “All these developments have or will provide public access to waterfront activities and services not offered in other areas of the Cape While the City of Cape Coral has miles of privately owned gulf access canals, there is a shortage of publicly accessible waterfront ”

Planned development elements as listed are:

“ T h e R e d f i s h P o i n t e M i x e d U s e

Preserve Future Land Use will provide

local environmentalist and conservationist, spoke at Saturday’s meeting.

waterfront opportunities for residential, office, retail, entertainment, recreational and educational venues which will include:

Residential Units

“A Resort Hotel with specialty retail shops and restaurants

“Waterfront Restaurants

“Office and Retail space

“Bike and Canoe rentals

“Boardwalks, bike and walking paths, viewing areas, educational and information stations, public parking, benches, nature trails, passive recreational areas, water taxi, educational/training opportunities for institutional, governmental, and private environmental departments or companies ”

Wetland preservation is included in the project, the correspondence states

“This new Future Land use will preserve a large area of the existing wetlands, while providing unique housing opportunities and commercial uses that will connect t h e r e s i d e n t s o f C a p e C o r a l t o t h e Caloosahatchee River and to a wide array of species and native plant communities that call Redfish Pointe home This development will foster a love for the environment, and appreciation of the Cape’s waterfront lifestyle ”

The land on which Redfish Point would be built is presently not zoned or designated for development

Concerned Citizens of Cape Coral urges active opposition

Movement forward is contingent upon

Cape Coral City Council agreeing with the land use amendment requested

C o l l i e r t o l d t h o s e i n a t t e n d a n c e a t Saturday’s meeting that the project has gained traction and a survey already has been conducted That is a concern, he added.

“Surveying is very expensive They don’t survey for no reason, and the city cooperated with it,” he said

Those spearheading the petition process urged residents to attend any and all meetings of Cape Coral Council and to speak out They advised using key points when speaking with officials: resiliency, compatibility, and storm water Residents can also email City Council monthly Those who wish to contact state legislators should do so by phone to be most effective

Concerned Citizens has reached out to state officials and to U S Representative B y r o n D o n a l d s w i t h o u t g e t t i n g a n y responses as of yet A suggestion to contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection drew skepticism from Collier

“We need them to pressure Cape Coral, but it probably won’t happen ”

The implications of Redfish Pointe development go beyond the impact it might pose to nearby residential homes Rotary Park itself would be negatively affected, Concerned Citizens maintains

The history and importance of Rotary Park were also discussed during the meeting.

Elmer Tabor, president of Wonderland Realty, got emotional as he related how the park came about

“This is my baby,” said Tabor, a Cape pioneer, longtime Rotarian and city historian

The idea for a park arose 40 years ago The permitting process took eight years and cost $17,000 The park has been the site of 17 Eagle Scout projects The investment has totaled $3 5 million in non-tax dollars

C o n s e r v a t i o n i s t C h e r y l A n d e r s o n underscored the importance of Rotary Park to wildlife The park is home to a variety of species The Lee County Tourist Bureau has one of its live cameras in the Butterfly House to allow people outside the area the pleasure of observation The park is also the No 1 birding site in Lee County Birders bring $2 billion in revenue to the county, she said

“People come from all over the world We’ve had visitors from as far away as Australia,” Anderson said

With a very similar development nearby at Tarpon Point, residents question the need for a second development A man in the audience summed up the feelings about Redfish Pointe

“Once you pave it over, it’s gone ”

Lee County in the top five for Florida recycling

Lee County has been named as one of Florida’s top five recycling counties by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Strong participation by both residents and businesses has enabled Lee County to earn the fourth spot out of 67 counties

Lee County received credit for recycling 1 5 million tons of the total 2 7 mil-

lion tons of waste generated locally in 2022, according to FDEP This brings the county’s recycling rate to 72%

The amount of material Lee County residents recycled in 2022 would be enough to fill 158 football fields with material 70 feet high – as tall as the White House

Prior to Hurricane Ian, Lee County

was on track to once again earn a top recycling spot The storm, which made landfall Sept 28, caused enough destruction that 6 3 million cubic yards of debris were collected in unincorporated Lee County and about 12 million cubic yards countywide Despite this challenge, Lee County residents continued to recycle when they could, earning them a spot in

the top five.

For additional information on what to recycle, handling household waste, recycling electronics and other items, please v i s i t w w w l e e g

cling

Additional Solid Waste information is a

FRAN THOMAS

Jim Collier, a

August programs set at Cape Coral Lee County Public Library

Next month’s roster of activities at Cape Coral Lee County Public Library offers topics for all ages The following activities are free to the public:

Adult Programs

English Café

6 p.m., Tuesdays, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

10 a.m., Fridays, Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25

F r e e i n f o r m a l c o n v e r s a t i o n s e s s i o n s f o r a d u l t

ESOL/ESL students

Book Discussion: “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks

11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2

A scientist from Australia and a Nigerian-American art historian become connected by their shared interest in a 19th century race horse, one studying its remains, the other uncovering the history of the Black horsemen who were critical to its success

Crafts at Cape: Watercolor Art

11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 9

Join this fun, beginner-friendly class for those looking to learn how to paint with watercolors We will be recreating two simple images Registration is required Supplies and instructions will be provided Seating is guaranteed until the start of the program.

Download Drop-In

11 a m , Thursdays, Aug 10, 24

R e c e i v e p e r s o n a l i z e d h e l p d o w n l o a d i n g e - b o o k s , m o v i e s , m u s i c a n d m o r e f r o m O v e r d r i v e / L i b b y a n d Hoopla, two of Lee County Library System’s largest online content providers Bring your fully charged digital device for this hands-on help session Note: Please bring any passwords you may need for downloading apps Kindle users will also need an Amazon account and their password for accessing it

Caregiver Support Group

10 a m , Mondays, Aug 14, 28

The Caregiver Support Groups facilitated by The Dubin Center allow caregivers of those living with a dementia-

related illness to learn effective coping strategies, share their current challenges and successes with others who are facing similar situations and create a safe space to release their feelings in a loving and understanding environment Registration is required.

Frauds, Scams and Identity Theft Prevention

11 a m , Tuesday, Aug 15

P r e s e n t e d b y T i f f a n y W o o d , F r a u d P r e v e n t i o n Specialist from the Lee County Sheriff's Office Learn how to safeguard your identity and personal information, what to do if you become a victim and about current trends, cons, credit card fraud and card skimmers

Crafts at Cape: Murmuration Art

11 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 24

Continuing with watercolor, we will be recreating our own version of murmuration art Murmuration is a flock of starlings and the formation they create in the sky during flight Registration is required and supplies will be provided Seating is guaranteed until the start of the class

Children’s Programs

LEGO Club

4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2

For all ages. Drop in for building challenges the whole family will enjoy No registration required All materials are provided

Kids Read Down Fines

1-2 p m , Saturday, Aug 5 5:15-6:15 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16

Children and teens can earn a $2 credit on overdue fines for every 15 minutes they read in the designated area for a total of $8 in one session Please bring your library card Please check in at the Youth Services desk

Pete the Cat Storytime

10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16

For ages 3-5 Join us for a groovy storytime to celebrate our friend, Pete the Cat No registration is required, but space is limited Please arrive early and pick up a ticket at the Youth Services desk

STEAM Club

4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16

For ages 5-11 Be ready for fun experiments and proje c t s a s w e e x p l o r e t h e w o r l d o f S T E A M ( S c i e n c e , Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Dress for mess Your registration is only guaranteed until the start of the program All materials provided

Baby Play Date

10:30 a m , Wednesday, Aug 23

For ages up to 24 months Meet new friends and explore sensory activities that promote the development of early literacy skills through free play, games and toys Dress for mess No registration is required, but space is limited Tickets are available 30 minutes before the start of the program

Bluey Slime Time

10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 30

For ages 3-5 with an accompanying adult to assist. Join us for this slime-tastic program where you and your child

See AUGUST, page 26

Cape Coral Lee County Public Library

Cape native serving aboard U.S. Navy warship in Mayport

By Mass Communication Specialist

1st Class JAMES GREEN

Navy Of fice of Community Outreach

MILITARY NEWS

Christian School, joined the Navy one year ago

“I joined the Navy to follow in my father's footsteps,” said Scott "My father recently passed away and I wanted to do what he did "

Today, Scott relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Cape Coral to succeed in the military

“Growing up, I learned to show up on time and do my job,” said Scott. "I feel like having those characteristics instilled in me from an early age has me ahead of most "

These lessons have helped Scott while serving in the Navy

Winston S Churchill is a guided-missile destroyer that provides a wide range of warfighting capabilities The destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea The ship is equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system

More than 300 sailors serve aboard Winston S Churchill Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill The jobs range from maintaining

engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials

With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy

“Our mission remains timeless - to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat ready at all times, focused on warfighting

leadership at every single level,” said Adm Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “This is our calling And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy ”

“The U S Navy is instrumental in maintaining the security of our coasts and our values,” said Scott "We protect our assets and our freedoms "

Scott and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service

“I'm most proud of my performance in ‘A’ school,” said Scott "While in ‘A’ school I excelled in every way graduating with the top score in my class ”

As Scott and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy

“Serving in the Navy offers me an opportunity to jump-start my life,” said Scott "I plan on becoming a firefighter when I get out of the Navy and I feel the Navy will help me along that path ”

Scott is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible

Serving

the

means Scott is part of

a l l i a n c e s , m o d e r n i z i n g c a p a b i l i t i e s , increasing capacities and maintaining military readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy

“I would like to thank my dad, Lt Cmdr Jamie Scott, and mom, Allison Scott, for pushing me in this direction,” said Scott "They were examples of how a citizen of this country should act ” “ I w i l l b e g e t t i n g m a r r i e d i n N o v e m b e r , ” a d d e d S c o t t “ M y f i a n c é makes me happy and pushes me to be a better person ”

Parks & Rec Summer Plant Sale Saturday at Rotary Park

plant for the right place Come early for the best selection

Plant experts will be on hand to answer questions and help you choose the right

For additional information about the summer sale, please call Rotary Park at 239-549-4606

MAYPORT, Fla - Fireman Apprentice

Christian Scott, a native of Cape Coral, Florida, is serving aboard USS Winston S Churchill, a U S Navy warship, operating out of Mayport, Florida Scott, a 2022 graduate of Evangelical

PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION

SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS BRYAN NIEGEL

Fireman Apprentice Christian Scott

The Cape Coral Parks & Recreation Summer Plant Sale will be held Saturday, July 22, from 9 a m to 1 p m , at Rotary Park, 5505 Rose Garden Road in Cape Coral

Shop from various native trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, butterfly plants and tropical edibles

Art by Gomes, Krust, Blewett featured in Cape Library gallery

Changing exhibitions in the Cape Coral Library’s large art gallery are sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library The library is located at 921 S W 39th Terrace, off of Mohawk Parkway, and the current exhibit is open for viewing during their regular business hours through Aug 30

Gourd art by Barbara Gomes and Veda

Krust is on exhibit in the three lighted display cases A lengthy process is involved in creating these beautifully decorated and embellished pieces of art It starts with collecting an assortment of special gourds that have been dried for about two years The gourds are then carefully cut open and cleaned out Wood-burning, drilling, carving, dying with ink or painting may then be e m p l o y e d f o r a d e s i r e d v i s u a l e f f e c t Natural materials, beads, pieces of costume jewelry or other decorations can be applied

resulting in unique works of art

The local community has had the opportunity to appreciate Gomes and Krust’s creations at various art shows, craft fairs and g a l l e r i e s - a n d n o w a t t h e C a p e C o r a l Library

Thirty paintings by award-winning artist Beth Blewett are featured on the walls of t h e g a l l e r y S h e p a i n t s p r i m a r i l y w i t h acrylics but occasionally employs pastels or oils, and her beautiful artwork covers a wide range of subjects She is a retired plant b i o l o g i s t a n d c o r p o r a t e R & D d i r e c t o r Painting is now her avocation, enjoyment and the medium through which she hopes to convey her love for the world of nature, the people and the places of this blue planet we call home

Blewett is a member of the Cape Coral Art League, Pine Island Art Association,

Alliance for the Arts and the Visual Art Center in Punta Gorda Her paintings have won numerous awards across these locations, including “Best of Show” at the 2017 and 2019 Pine Island Art Shows

For additional information, please email art gallery chairperson Monica Rahman at g a l l e r y @ c a p e f r i e n d s o r g o r v i s i t www capefriends org Follow “Friends of the Cape Coral Library” on Facebook

A Sea Turtle Gourd by Veda Krust. Decorative gourds by Krust and Barbara Gomes are featured in the lighted display cases at the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library The exhibit runs until Aug 30

PHOTO PROVIDED

August: Programs and activities scheduled at Cape Coral Library

From page 20

will be able to make some wackadoo slime together Dress for a mess All materials provided. Register in advance, as space is limited

Teen Programs

LEGO Club

4 p m , Wednesday, Aug 2

For all ages Drop in for building challenges the whole family will enjoy No registration required All materials are provided

Kids Read Down Fines

1-2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5 5:15-6:15 p m , Wednesday, Aug 16

Children and teens can earn a $2 credit

on overdue fines for every 15 minutes they read in the designated area for a total of $8 in one session Please bring your library card

Please check in at the Youth Services desk

Game On

3 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15

Now's the time to settle the score Join in the fun and challenge your friends to a variety of board games and video games Light snacks provided This program is intended for attendees ages 11-18 to attend independently. Please speak with staff if caregiver assistance is required

Random Acts of Tech: LED Matrix Creations

4 p m , Thursday, Aug 24

Join us for this program series and learn about coding and robotics with Sphero spk+ robots Each month we will build on the skills we have learned from the previous activity All supplies provided No registration required This program is intended for attendees ages 11-18 to attend independently Please speak with staff if caregiver assistance is required

The Cape Coral Lee County Public Library is located at 921 SW 39th Terrace i n C a p e C o r a l F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n about a program or to register, please call the library at 239-533-4500 Check the Lee County Library System’s website at www leelibrary net to find out about programs at other locations Call the host library, or Telephone Reference at 239-

479-INFO (4636), for more information about a specific program.

To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www leegov com/resources/newsletters

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lee County will not disc r i m i n a t e a g a i n s t q u a l i f i e d i n d i v i d u a l s with disabilities in its services, programs or activities To request an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a r e a s o n a b l e m o d i f i c a t i o n t o p a r t i c i p a t e , contact Joan LaGuardia, 239-533-2314, F l o r i d a R e l a y S e r v i c e 7 1 1 , o r j l ag u a r d i a @ l e e g o v c o m A c c o m m o d a t i o n will be provided at no cost to the requestor Requests should be made at least five business days in advance

Budget: City Council to set not-to-exceed property tax rate Wednesday

From page 1

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Dates

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Watercraft: Consensus supports discontinuation of commercial use

of the month

From page 1

The issue was addressed again Wednesday, as the city began receiving input of overuse at the boat ramps from citizens.

Interim City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said they first began exploring the Commercial Recreational Watercraft Rental Permit Program because the city administration received some complaints at Horton Park The situation generated from traffic coming from the now-closed Yacht Club to Horton Park after Hurricane Ian devastated the area

He said there was competition for space at the boat ramp

Councilmember Bill Steinke said the complaints arose from Horton Park when the commercial watercraft business began to infringe on other people’s ability to enjoy the park

“The boat ramps are there for an amenity for all residents The idea is to launch and recover, not repetitive launch and recovery on a short-term basis,” he said “To maintain the equipment at the park all day, that is conducting a business in the park and that is something I cannot support ”

Councilmember Jessica Cosden said the permit program was a response to an issue, which is now unfolding into more issues

Ilczyszyn said after the hurricane, the Yacht Club closed, and those who typically used the Yacht Club moved to Horton creating a bottleneck problem

“I agree that parks should be for residents We started allowing this three years ago and started talking about taking it back I think that is wrong to do (We are) not being a good neighbor to just pull the rug out,” Cosden said

Through review and deliberation by staff,

Councilmember Bill Steinke

Ilczyszyn said the No 1 item the community asks for is activating the waterfront Council was presented with three options:

■ Option 1: discontinue the commercial personal watercraft and boat program to refer to private property, define commercial use on park property at municipal boat ramps, unload and load only for all activities and host live aboard boat at Rosen to oversee weekend activities

■ Option 2: amend ordinance if necessary to accommodate commercial use and Livery, request for proposal/franchise for commercial activity limit kayak, watercraft and boat rentals available at selected boat ramps and limit boat ramps for Livery use

■ Option 3: continue current program with increased oversight and limit capacity of boat and personal watercraft rentals

Staff recommended the second option, franchise

Council wanted the first option, eliminate Many who operate their businesses out of the parks spoke during public input sharing how franchising would change the livelihood of their families

“We strongly encourage you to take your time and really consider the gravity of this situation and decision Our livelihood and our families depend on it,” one business owner said

Another business owner asked the council to preserve the integrity of local businesses, as they are deeply invested in the city’s success and growth

Ilczyszyn said what he envisions with a franchise is qualifications, a track record and the number of available personal watercraft, or boats they have, as well as a franchise fee paid on revenue, just like LCEC and Solid Waste

We are “giving someone access to a market that they could not get elsewhere. The franchise is the payment for getting access to the market,” he said, adding that the franchise would give an opportunity to have a different income stream to support Parks and Recreation

With the second option of requesting a franchise, he said it would provide keen awareness of who is infringing business rights In addition, it would reduce the amount of conflicts at boat ramps because there would be a single operator at the ramps of the city’s choice, Ilczyszyn said

With that said, Ilczyszyn said staff will go anyway the council directs him to go Cosden initially said allow six months notice; Mayor John Gunter suggest elimination in 60 days, or by Oct 1; Steinke, suggested Dec 31; Councilmember Robert Welsh suggested three months but was OK

until the end of year, or October; and Councilmember Keith Long suggested 90 days, adding the end of year also would be fine

Gunter said as a business owner there are certain elements that come along with opening a business and he supported a different option

“I do not feel that the responsibility should be on the city to provide any locations at any of our parks for private business My preference is option one,” he said, adding that the amenity, the parks, is for the community “Allowing businesses to work at our parks, what are we going to offer to the rest of the community as a business owner?”

Gunter said if a business owner wants to open a business, he supports that

“We should not allow businesses to be run out of our parks Parks are designed for the amenity of our community and our residents,” he said “If you are a business owner there are responsibilities that come along with that and sometimes that is a location to run your business out of It’s not the responsibility of a local municipality ”

Welsh agreed with Gunter in stating that there are plenty of properties, waterfront commercial properties available for the businesses

“There is plenty of opportunity for a commercial company to either rent, build, or become a business,” he said, adding he would not support the second option “The last thing the city needs to do is to become a landlord for more things The city does not need to be a property owner Our job is to be a city and not be a landlord.”

Ilczyszyn asked for guidance of time to demobilize and consider other alternatives

“The boat ramps are there for an amenity for all residents The idea is to launch and recover, not repetitive launch and recovery on a short-term basis To maintain the equipment at the park all day, that is conducting a business in the park and that is something I cannot support.”

Proximity: First day is Aug. 10

From page 9

“Parents that are interested in that need to contact their school for more information and how to register,” he said, adding that the care is offered at an affordable cost. “It’s uniform across the district Every school is charging the same amount ”

The long-standing choice program has become more and more challenging due to transportation staffing and cost issues

As of Tuesday, July 18, Spicker said they have a bus driver for every route, which is the major positive impact of the new proximity plan With that said, they are still in need of more bus drivers, for at least a 10 percent buffer

“We know that some of those that are with us today will not be with us in August. We are going to need substitutes,” he said “The routes have been consolidated and the need for the number of drivers consolidated ” Bus routes, and times, are already availa b l e o n t h e d i s t r i c t ’ s w e b s i t e , www leeschools net, under transportation, or in FOCUS

“ W e a r e f o l l o w i n g b o a r d p o l i c y Students are provided a bus to and from their home There are no stops routed to after care facilities There is a possibility for students to still potentially take a bus to some after care facilities, but there are a number of criteria to be met for that to happen,” Spicker said

Those criteria include it being in the same zone, there has to be an established stop along an established route near the after care facility

“We won’t create a stop for an after care We will use the stops we already have It depends where they are and if your facility is near, or in, a residential area there could be stops near you. Any family that wants to inquire about taking a bus should work with the school on established routes, space on the bus, and permission from the principal,” Spicker said

What else is new

Other information regarding the first day of school, Thursday, Aug 10, as well as updates, will roll out early August for students and families The schools are already posting their school supply lists, which can be found on the school’s web page Schools will also start advertising their open houses, as teachers return to school on Aug 2

“Last year we opened things back up on the first day of school We want our campuses open to our parents We want them to visit and volunteer We encourage them to do so Some schools will have specific plans in place of how to manage that,” Spicker said

Again this year, all 82 traditional schools, and four special centers, will provide free

The school district will not provide bus transportation to students attending school outside of their proximity zone. Nor will the district create stops for bus transportation specifically for private after care facilities

Bus routes, and times, are available on the district’s website, www.leeschools.net, under transportation, or in FOCUS.

breakfast and lunch, due to the Community Eligibility Program Spicker said they continue to meet the threshold for every student to qualify due to the income levels across the county

New this year is OPENGATE, the weapons threat detection system that will slowly be at every school in the district The system allows for fast and automatic screening, with no removal of backpacks, bags, or purses with easy walk through flow The device detects contraband by its formation and shape

The groundbreaking weapons detection system, OPENGATE, was approved by the School Board of Lee County at its April 11 meeting The approval was to piggyback the Interlocal Purchasing System for Technology Solutions Products and Service to Communications Technologies, Inc from April 11, through April 10, 2024 The system has a price tag of $3,221,372,45, which is funded through sales tax dollars

The district will have a slow roll out of the new system at schools with the hopes of it being in every school by the end of the year Spicker said it will roll out in a smart way

“Some schools present more challenges than others in terms of their design,” he said “We are going to put it in schools where we know it will be more successful first Rather than rush it and have trouble, we are going to roll it out in phases, so it is successful every time we put the system in place ”

A few tips for the system include students taking their Chromebooks out of their backpacks before going through the detector Spicker said the Chromebooks will alert OPENGATE, so they will have someone outside of the OPENGATE system for the students to hand off while walking through

“Along those lines we recommend plastic thermos, instead of metal (because it) will have the same effect,” Spicker said

In addition, they recommend that parents leave as much as possible in their cars when going onto campus, as they too are subject to the search.

Floral arranging class offered at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

On Saturday, Aug 5, from 10-11:30 a m , Edison and Ford Winter Estates will o f f e r a T r o p i c a l F l o r a l A r r a n g e m e n t Workshop.

Floral designer Anita Singh will teach the art of tropical floral arranging, including how to choose the right flowers, how to weave areca palms and how to put all of the pieces together to create an arrangement Participants will be able to take their tropical floral arrangement with them to d i s p l a y i n t h e i r h o m e o r o f f i c e Registration is required for this hands-on workshop All flowers, tools and supplies

w i l l b e p r o v i d e d N o e x p e r i e n c e i s required

Space is limited Class may be purchased as a gift. Cost: Edison Ford members $75; non-members $85

For additional information or to register for classes, visit EdisonFord org Edison and Ford Winter Estates, the internationally known winter home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, is located on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers

T h e s i t e i s o p e n e v e r y d a y e x c e p t Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a m to 5:30 p m and until 9 p m during the month of December for Holiday Nights

Jatropha tree: Colorful blossoms

From page 17

the year! I am hoping you will love this jewel of a tree as much as I do I would like to leave you with this from David Hobson

“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my soul, to challenge the e l e m e n t s o r t o c h a l l e n g e m y patience, for novelty, or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy of seeing them grow ” Check out www gardenclubofc a p e c o r a l a n d l i k e u s o n o u r Facebook page

Ann Block is Past President of the Garden Club of Cape Coral

A jatropha tree with its colorful red blossoms The trees are popular yard/garden addit i o n s a c r o s s S o u t h w e s t Florida.

PHOTO PROVIDED

EDUCATION NOTES

From page 18

cils, pens, food, free school physicals and a health screening. AHVED is anticipating 500 attendees between both events The public is invited to attend these free events where attendees at the Fort Myers event will enjoy a fun kid’s zone, popcorn, snow cones, food and fun for the entire family The event in Immokalee will include back to school supplies, school physicals and health screenings

AHVED is teaming up with Florida Blue, Godoy Law, P A , VaxTruths, Radio Evolution Inter 88 3 FM, Jacquet & Associates, Mado Tax Services, Denis

Services and Midwest Food Bank to help make this event possible This is only the beginning of more services that AHVED plans to provide the community in the future

AHVED is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit network of Haitians, Haitian-Americans, Haitian émigrés, community organizers and their supporters Founded in 2007, the organization was formed by a group of concerned Haitian-American professionals with the unified mission to empower all Haitians at home and abroad

For more information about the Back 2 School Fests or AHVED Resource Center, call 239-249-3423

Breakfast and lunch: At schools

From page 18

speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimi

1 Mail: U S Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D C 20250-9410;

2 Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3 Email: program intake@usda gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider

Cape Coral to host inaugural Development Discussions event Aug. 3

The city of Cape Coral is kicking off a new outreach i n i t i a t i v e c a l l e d D e v e l o p m e n t D i s c u s s i o n s to help residents and develo p e r s c o n n e c t w i t h a n d learn more about the city's D e v e l o p m e n t S e r v i c e s

Division

The first meeting will be Thursday, Aug.3, from 7:30 - 10 a m at Knickers Pub, C o r a l O a k s G o l f

C o u r s e , 1 8 0 0 N o r t h w e s t 28th Ave

D e v e l o p m e n t Discussions aims to provide information on how to navigate as a developer and the best way to obtain information as a resident Attendees will also be able to connect with the following organizations:

■ C a p e C o r a l

C o n s t r u c t i o n I n d u s t r y Association

■ Lee Building Industry Association

■ Code Compliance

■ Permitting Services

■ Building Inspections

■ C i t y P l a n n i n g a n d

Conservation

■ Land Development

■ Plan Review

■ F i r e R e v i e w /

Inspection

■ U t i l i t i e s R e v i e w /

Inspection

■ S t o r m w a t e r / P u b l i c

Works Review/Inspection

The event is free and open to the public

R S V P b y c o n t a c t i n g

J e n n i f e r I n g r a m a t j i ngram@capecoral gov

I f y o u h a v e q u e s t i o n s you want answered at the event, please include them when you RSVP

Al-Anon, Al-Ateen meetings

Are you concerned with a friend or family member's drinking? Let us help C a l l o u r 2 4 - h o u r helpline at 941-564-5098 or visit www SouthFlorida Al-Anon org Meetings are h e l d e v e r y d a y i n L e e County Al-Ateen meetings are also offered for ages 10-18

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Read online for daily updates.

T HE BREE ZE BUSINESS

JULY 21, 2023

Xfinity to 'pick up the tab' at Lady Cakes Baker y in Cape Coral

BUSINESS BRIEFS Sportsman’s Warehouse opens store on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral

Over the last year Xfinity has offered its “Xfinity Picks Up the Tab” program to provide a little “pick-meup” to its business neighbors Now making its way into the Cape Coral market, Xfinity is supporting small local businesses

X f i n i t y i s p a r t n e r i n g

with LadyCakes Bakery to “Pick up the Tab” on select days in July and August Xfinity will be covering up to $7 of any tab for all walk-in customers (up to 3 0 0 c u s t o m e r s ) o n t h e d a t e s l i s t e d b e l o w .

Shoppers can stop in and enjoy some freshly made cookies, cupcakes, brownies, crumb buns, cakes and more from LadyCakes Bakery and receive up to $7 off – covered by Xfinity

“Pick up the tab” program

D a t e s t h a t X f i n i t y w i l l “ P i c k u p t h e T a b ” a t

LadyCakes Bakery in Cape Coral, are Saturdays, July 22, July 29, Aug 5 and Aug 12

For more information about this partnership or to have Xfinity pick up your tab, contact LadyCakes Bakery at 239-549-2253 or in person at 2924 Del Prado Blvd, Unit 7, Cape Coral, FL 33904

Grand opening celebration Aug. 4-6

Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc announced this week that it is opening its sixth store in Florida The public is invited to the grand opening celebration of the new location in Cape Coral starting Friday, Aug 4

“With the success of our new stores in Naples and Tampa Highwoods this year, we are ready to serve the local community in Cape Coral, Florida, too where there are numerous, year-round activities like fishing, camping, hiking, and all kinds of water sports,” said Tara Clements, Sportsman’s Warehouse regional manager “Still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022, we hope to provide this community with the in-demand outdoor gear and emergency essentials they need to help them prepare for future storms and also create new outdoor memories with family and friends ”

The new store includes over 21,000 square feet of space packed with over 60,000 items including major brands

Customers will enjoy an easy-in, easy-out experience, award-winning service and everyday low prices backed by a best-price guarantee

Everyone is invited to the free, grand opening celebration at the store at 527 S W Pine Island Road, Cape Coral Starting at 9 a m Aug 4, and going through Sunday, Aug 6, attendees will enjoy the following:

■ On each day of the grand opening celebration, the first 200 customers in

line will receive a free Sportsman’s Warehouse hat and gift card (one per family)

■ There will also be an in-store sweepstakes to win items like guns, knives, binoculars, a YETI cooler and gift cards.

■ Special discounts will be available, and various brand representatives will be at the store with giveaways, product demonstrations and exclusive offers

“Our new Cape Coral location is also looking for outdoor enthusiasts who want to be part of our growing team,” states Clements “You can learn more about these exciting career opportunities at https://careers sportsmans com ”

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e G r a n d O p e n i n g Celebration call (239) 217-8200

About Sportsman’s Warehouse

Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc is an outdoor specialty retailer focused on meeting the needs of the seasoned outdoor veteran, the first-time participant and everyone in between It provides outstanding gear and exceptional service to inspire outdoor memories For more information, visit www sportsmans com

Harriet remembered with memorial

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

On Feb 2, Southwest Florida’s most famous eagle, Harriet, flew away from her nest on Bayshore Road and never returned, leaving her mate to care for their two eaglets

On May 19, fans of the famed eagles celebrated the nearly 20 years Harriet lived at the Pritchett Farm by donating a plaque for the eagle matriarch on the fence along the property of the Church of the Nazarene, where many eagle viewers come to watch and photograph the eagles

The 2022-23 nesting season had nearly come to an end, as E22 had not quite left the nest and so the pair’s youngest was present for the dedication, watching from the church snag

The plaque reads “In memory of the Matriarch of SWFL, our Queen Harriet, Last Seen February 2nd, 2023

The plaque was donated by Harriet and M15 SWFL Eagle Addicts The photo was by Marie Chism Photography Chism started a fundraiser on Facebook to create a memorial for Harriet shortly

after it became apparent she would not be coming back Donations came via her Facebook fol-

lowers and they raised so much that the remaining money was donated to the Clinic f o r t h e R e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f W i l d l i f e o n

Sanibel in Harriet’s memory.

Ginnie Pritchett McSpadden, who was not involved with the plaque effort, said there are a lot of Facebook groups that get together to talk about the eagles

“Everyone wants to try to memorialize Harriet in their own way It’s hard because people process grief differently If it gives people a way to cope, I think it’s nice,” Pritchett- McSpadden said “We’ve been so focused on getting through the season I was thinking afterwards we can do something a little more special ”

It is unknown how old Harriet was when she disappeared after chasing some intruders away from her nest The expected lifespan of an eagle in the wild is 25 to 30 years However, Harriet was rumored to be a l i t t l e o r e v e n a l o t o l d e r W i l d l i f e Conservation Commission records had her at least 28 years old at the time of her presumed death

She had moved to the Bayshore location with her previous mate, Ozzie, in 2006, but was at a nest across the street from the Pritchett farm for several years before that.

Eagle cam: Southwest Florida Eagle Cam looks to season ahead

From page 1

parent, but despite numerous intruders vying for his affections and the dangers of having to leave his babies alone in the nest as he hunted for food, M15 was able to keep his brood alive and both successfully fledged

Each eaglet also went missing for brief spells, but returned to the nest. E21 flew the coop out on its own E22 has hung around a little longer than expected and M15 continued to provide for the younger sibling

Every step of the way, the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has brought fans the m o m e n t o u s o c c a s i o n s a n d t r o u b l i n g tragedies that occur in nature

Ginnie Pritchett-McSpadden, one of the Eagle Cam founders, said this year has been an amazing experience for everyone involved

“It’s amazing how the eagles have been able to handle everything that has been thrown at them They’ve given me so much hope This is one for the record books,”

Pritchett-McSpadden said

The eagle cam has had more than 204 million views from nearly every nation in the world and has been used by teachers worldwide to teach students about bald eagles and how America's national birds live It has also spawned a book series about the late matriarch Harriet and brought bird watchers from all over get a closer look at the eagles from the church next door

How it started

Harriet and her previous mate, Ozzie, had nested across the street the Pritchett Farm on Bayshore Road for a long time before moving to the farm in 2006

In 2012 the Pritchett family decided it wanted to document on video the daily lives of the bald eagles in the nest, so they raised some money, got the necessary a p p r o v a l s , a n d s t a r t e d t h e S o u t h w e s t

Florida Eagle Cam

“We observed them coming in and out of the office every day Photographers came and took pictures of them as social m e d i a w a s d e v e l o p i n g , ” P r i t c h e t tMcSpadden said “Eagle cams were springing up all over the country and decided to try it out ”

Pritchett-McSpadden and her husband and Andy Pritchett, her brother, helped set

it up with their IT experience, then set up a Facebook page, and the rest is history

It started with one camera positioned six feet above the nesting tree, 60 feet in the air, equipped with night vision or infrared light, which emits no actual light The eagles do not see or hear anything coming from the camera.

The founders had no idea how the eagle cam would be received by the public, but t h e y l e a r n e d s o o n e n o u g h : T h o u s a n d s watched as Ozzie and Harriet hatched Hope and Honor, the only eaglets given formal names Both fledged

This made that first season (2012-13) the most rewarding in the eyes of the founders

“It was such a learning experience for everyone and the bond these eagles had was very special,” Pritchett-McSpadden said.

“We didn’t know what to expect To say we had achieved our original goal would be an understatement at this point,” said co-founder Andy Pritchett online

The following season, a second camera was added, approximately 60 feet from the nest to capture images of the nest action outside the view of Camera No 1

Viewers also got their first glimpse of tragedy as E3 died just six weeks after hatching At the time, those watching were aghast, but the Pritchetts warned viewers that they would see the best and worst nature can deliver

The 2014-15 season brought a second additional camera and even more drama E5 died just 25 days after hatching, leaving E6 the only eaglet to fledge

Even more drama occurred on March 17, when Ozzie was found disoriented and i n j u r e d b y F l o r i d a F i s h a n d W i l d l i f e Conservation Commission officials and taken to the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel for evaluation

After 97 days of care at CROW to recover from a broken left clavicle and a broken left coracoid bone, Ozzie was released back into the wild near the nest

On Sept 27, after he was seen fighting with a male eagle in the area, Ozzie was found injured and again admitted back into CROW’s care, where he died two days later

Enter M15

A new male, dubbed M15, bonded and mated with Harriet ahead of several other suitors The 2015-16 season turned out to be an interesting one

After the season started a month late, one of the eaglets, E8, had to be cut free from the nest after getting monofilament fishing line wrapped around its leg and foot just two weeks after hatching E8 was taken to the CROW clinic for treatment and released back to the nest three days later

M e a n w h i l e , t h e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a Eagle Cam’s future was placed in doubt when the nest deteriorated and collapsed Also, after an owl attack, E8 was again hospitalized after being found with a broken leg The eaglet spent three months at CROW before being released

The 2016-17 season, after Harriet and M15 returned to rebuild the nest, saw Harriet produce another unviable egg and E9, who thrived being the only chick, earned the record for the shortest time to fledge

After two more successful seasons, 2019-20 proved heartbreak and hope The first clutch of eggs produced an unviable egg and the death of E14 from a broken blood feather

For the first time, Harriet produced a s e c o n d c l u t c h , w h i c h h a t c h e d j u s t a s COVID came around at the end of March This time, both eaglets fledged

In 2020-21, eaglets E17 and E18 were removed from the nest by CROW after contracting Avian chlamydiosis, a bacterial disease commonly carried by birds

T h r o u g h o u t a l l t h i s , t h e S o u t h w e s t Florida Eagle Cam has added two more cameras, one close to the pond to capture the activity going on there, and a fourth is the Cam 360, located in the nest tree and the first-ever live camera in history to capture a 360-degree look into a bald eagle’s daily activity This cam allows you to click and drag to any viewing area

These cameras have shown many things that were overlooked over the years We are now able to see the moment the eaglets fledge, close-ups of the eggs when we see a pip and shots of where the birds are on the tree, as well as the encounters with the lone natural enemy of bald eagles the great-horned owl, a species which has con-

stantly knocked the local pair off their tree, perhaps to take their nest This year, a pair of the owls raised a brood of their own on the Pritchett property in nest built and abandoned by the eagles

“We have come so far and our story has evolved so much with Harriet and Ozzie and Hope and Honor to now and so much in between,” Pritchett-McSpadden said “We’ve had life soaring and some death Our goal was to bring the life of these raptors to the population and it’s been a job well done ”

The future?

What does the future hold for the Eagle Cam after the death of Harriet?

It’s anyone’s guess

P r i t c h e t t M c S p a d d e n t o l d W G C U recently that she isn’t sure what will happen after the season winds down

“We have to wait and see what happens in the next several months Whoever ends up in the nest will have big talons to fill A lot of people pulled from her (Harriet's) strength and energy That’s why the cams h a v e b e e n s o p o p u l a r , ” P r i t c h e t t McSpadden said

The cameras will be brought down for maintenance and repairs, with this year being especially key because of damage caused by Hurricane Ian

A s f o r n e x t s e a s o n , P r i t c h e t t McSpadden said right now next season is a go, depending on what Mother Nature has in store for the nest

The big question is whether M15 will return, this time with a mate Or if a mature offspring will return to the nest Or if the owls take the nest and they start an owl cam Pritchett McSpadden said she doesn’t know what will happen

I f M 1 5 d o e s r e t u r n , P r i t c h e t t McSpadden said she would finally give the male eagle the name it deserves, as Ozzie got She said she would get help from the community to choose a name for M15 and his new mate

They wanted to do that this past year, but with everything that happened with the storm, it never came to pass

“We just know we are thankful and very proud of this journey Being able to talk about it today is very cool,” Pritchett McSpadden said.

Harriet and M15 welcomed two new eaglets, E15 and E16, into the world in April of 2020

Seems everything is biting … get out early to beat the heat and storms

It’s a good time to take advantage of the still relatively calm weather to round up some offshore table goodies Scattered storms predicted for the weekend mixed with Saharan dust clouds means get out and back to port before the afternoon fireworks show begins

Seems that most all the species are cooperating, like p o p u l a r r e d s n a p p e r w h i c h closes to harvest on July 31. A long list of various snapper species, all great on the plate, await your dropped baits and jigs Mangrove or greys, yellowtails, lane, and vermillion are all delicate and delicious fish and worth the journey out past the 60-mile mark Sharks patrolling the reefs can make getting a whole fish back to the boat a problem and then you have the Goliaths wanting a share as well.

Cape Sail and Power Squadron featured in America’s Boating Channel videos

Since 2017 the United States Power Squadrons has p r o d u c e d b o a t i n g v i d e o s t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e o n T h e America’s Boating Channel YouTube channel During those seven seasons over 90 videos have been created and the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron has had the pleasure of being featured in many of them

The America’s Boating Channel videos are produced by Lafferty Media Partners under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund administered by the U S Coast Guard

Last January Lafferty was in Cape Coral to work on season seven This is the third time that the CCSAPS has participated in these videos Scott Steele Commander of CCSAPS supplied Lafferty with 10 boats and crews to shoot scenes used in six of the videos for season seven

When asked about the experience Steele said, “Having been involved in these outstanding videos it is great to see them in finished form These are great education pieces boaters can easily access to gain knowledge on topics of interest The 5 to 6-minute videos get to the point very quickly CCSAPS members had a wonderful time for a great cause ”

Capt George Tunison

Don’t be caught without an approved descending device or venting tool if you bottom fish for grouper and other important reef dwellers and remember that participation in the reef survey is also mandatory For info and to sign up, check the FWC website

The tarpon scene remains much the same with Boca Grande still the focal point although more fish are moving into the harbor while others continue to ride the coastline from a stone’s throw off the beach to two or three miles off the surf zone Some tarpon reports from Charlotte Harbor’s three deep holes as well as reported large bull sharks also there if you want to try for a possible heat stroke fighting these always strong critters

Actually with our hot water, a prolonged battle especially with the larger guys like tarpon and sharks can be deadly for the fish and even the angler alike, especially for the already health compromised or a visitor not at all prepared for this level of intense heat and steam I’ve been enduring the Southwest Florida heat for 20 years now and I still keep hearing that “Oh, you’ll get used to it ” I keep waiting

Savvy inshore anglers are beating the heat by fishing early morning or working the night shift Fishing bridges and docks is always a good choice with depth and shade providing comfort to lethargic fish. Nighttime, fish and bait attracting dock and bridge lights gets the party started with a variety of different sized predator fish attracted to the dinner table Just like daylight fishing, chose a moving tide for best results

Often with lit docks you’ll see smaller snook moving around illuminated areas and are fun to target, especially with rather small minnow imitating flies but, I also like exploring the darkness outside of the lit area where the big guys lurk often right along the shoreline or laying down deeper in the dock structure Lure skippers getting those soft plastics back in and under the dock darkness should always be prepared for an instant battle using 40pound test leaders as a bare minimum. If you’ve ever tried to pry a really large and powerful snook from under a dock, especially one with current, you might think 80pound test leader material as a starting point if only truly big snook are on your mind

Low tech, night shift beach walkers, hopefully well prepared for bugs, can tie into a lifetime trophy snook fishing the surf zone while smaller snook haunt inshore mangrove points and shady spots, with under-slot redfish companions

In April, the USPS launched a streaming version of America’s Boating Channel Anyone can subscribe for free to the on-demand app on Roku or Amazon FireTV The channel is also continuously playing live on Sports TV

In announcing the new streaming service, Kathy Strachan, America's Boating Channel's vice president of business development said, "America's Boating Channel will become the first full-time television destination totally focused on boaters, with boating lifestyle, sports, news, and entertainment genres of TV programming combined

with the best of boating safety and boater education videos ”

The new streaming service is partnering with a variety o f o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n c l u d i n g t h e W a t e r S p o r t s Foundation, the American Canoe Association, National Safe Boating Council, the Corps Foundation, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, Sea T o w F o u n d a t i o n , A m e r i c a n W h i t e w a t e r , S a f e K i d s Worldwide and Water Solutions Group

The channel also features Boat Fails, Boating News, Boat Races, Boating TV Programs, Movies for Boaters, Cooking on Board, Boating Cartoons, Military films from the U S Coast Guard and Navy, and coverage of the U S S a i l i n g T e a m S o m e o f t h e T V p r o g r a m s i n c l u d e “McHale’s Navy,” “Sea Hunt” and “Flipper,” along with movies “Key Largo,” “The Cain Mutiny,” “Operation Petticoat” and “The Sea Hawk ”

The Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron has been a proud member of the Cape Coral community since 1964 Their members participate in a variety of boating activities from kayaking to fishing to cruising The organization also serves the community with free loaner life jackets, vessel safety checks and an education program that offers classes and seminars for boaters of all skill levels.

For more information about CCSAPS, visit its website at ccsaps org or stop by our office at 917 S E 47th Terrace, Cape Coral The current office hours are Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a m – noon

Mighty Mussels drop first two to Marauders

Errors, free passes prove costly for Mussels in 9-6 loss BRADENTON – After jumping out to an early four-run lead, Mighty Mussels pitching allowed six runs in its final four innings of work Wednesday in a 9-6 loss to the Bradenton Marauders at LECOM Park

Between five pitchers, the Musse 12) surrendered six walks and hit fi while their defense committed two They have now lost four of their five since returning from the All Star Break

With no score in the top of the first the Mussels loaded the bases on singles from Ricardo Olivar an Danny De Andrade, and a walk Carson McCusker Rubel Cespedes followed with a walk that forced in Olivar to give Fort Myers a 1-0 lead The next hitter was Dylan Neuse who drove a sacrifice fly to deep right field that scored De Andrade to make it 2-0

In the top of the second, Yohander Martinez singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch With one out, Olivar belted a double to the wall in left-center that brought in Martinez to extend the lead to 3-0 Two more wild pitches in the frame scored Olivar from second to push the Fort Myers lead to four runs.

Still 4-0 in the bottom of the second, the Marauders (50-35, 15-5) loaded the bases on a double, walk and hit batter With one out in the frame, Enmanuel Terrero drew a walk to force in Bradenton's first run Termarr Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to right center that cut the Mussels’ lead to 4-2

After Bradenton added on another run in the third to make it 4-3, Fort Myers threatened for more in the top of the fifth when McCusker led off the inning with a walk With one out, Neuse cracked a double to deep right-center that scored McCusker from first to make it 5-3

In the bottom half of the same frame, Bradenton rallied with runners at second and third after a walk and an error by pitcher Samuel Perez (5-2) With one away, Omar Alfonzo punched an RBI single to right that brought Bradenton’s deficit to one Later in the inning, a hit batter

loaded the bases with two outs for Terrero, who rolled a grounder deep in the hole at short After De Andrade made the back-handed stop, he made an errant throw to third that scored two runs and gave the Marauders a 6-5 lead

After Bradenton notched back-to-back singles to place runners at the corners in the bottom of the sixth, inclement weather delayed the game for one hour and two minutes Once play resumed, Shalin Polanco sent a sky-high pop-up that dropped on the right side of the infield due to bright skies While the Mussels did record an out on the play, Rodolfo asco scored from third to extend Bradenton’s age to 7-5.

e bottom seventh, the Marauders kept the line when Terrero blasted a solo homer to center to ead to 8-5

After Bradenton scored once more in the bottom of the eighth to make it 9-5, Fort Myers looked to rally in the top of the ninth After two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out, McCusker sent a grounder to short that scored Martinez to cap the scoring at 9-6

White homer moves Marauders past Mussels, 5-2

BRADENTON – Lonnie White Jr broke a 1-1 tie with a line-drive two-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday, pushing the Bradenton Marauders past the Mighty Mussels 5-2 at LECOM Park

In a level game in the bottom of the sixth, Rodolfo Nolasco singled against Mussels (42-43, 8-10) reliever Wilker Reyes (1-2) Three batters later, White Jr lined a homer slightly over the wall in left to give Bradenton a 31 lead The ball left his bat at 105 3 mph and left the bat at just a 23-degree launch angle

After Bradenton (49-35, 14-5) tacked on a run in the seventh, the Mussels fought back in the top of the eighth With one out, Ricardo Olivar pulled a double into the left field corner The next batter was Danny De Andrade, who belted an RBI triple to the wall in right to cut the deficit to 4-2 Carson McCusker then ripped a grounder to third, but Jack Brannigan made a lunging grab and threw out De

See MIGHTY MUSSELS, page 39

Healthy Lee’s family fun Healthy Sports Expo July 29 at The Skatium

Lee Health invites third, fourth and fifth grade students and their parents to attend a free Healthy Lee Sports Expo Saturday, July 29, from 8 a m to 12:30 p m , at The Skatium, 2250 Broadway St , Fort Myers Open skating is from 12:30 to 2 p m

The purpose of the Family Fun Healthy Sports Expo is to let kids try different sports, meet new friends and have fun Physical activity helps promote health, well-being, learning new skills and building self-esteem

There will be opportunities to practice basketball, boxi n g , s o c c e r , s k a t i n g , h o c k e y , g o l f i n g , m a r t i a l a r t s ,

wrestling, Zumba and yoga

There will also be food and a bounce house, along with education on sports injuries, pediatrics and heart health

Playing sports also helps children develop and improve cognitive skills and it can even help improve a child’s academic performance since playing sports requires the child to focus, use critical thinking skills and work as a team

Playing sports can also benefit children of all ages and joining a team early can help reinforce these valuable life skills

“We are pleased to be able to offer this collaborative

opportunity to the community,” said Stephanie Wardein, Lee Health’s system director of community affairs “It’s so important for children of all ages to find a hobby or sport they love doing It offers numerous benefits and Lee Health is proud to be a part of that Events like this through Healthy Lee are fun for the entire family ”

This is a free event and no registration is required Please join us on July 29, from 8 a m to 12:30 p m , at The Skatium, 2250 Broadway St , Fort Myers Learn more about Healthy Lee by visiting www HealthyLee com

FWC issues executive orders to close recreational harvest of red grouper, greater amberjack

At its July meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order to close recreational harvest of red grouper in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, excluding state waters off Monroe County The 2023 recreational season for red grouper in Gulf state waters will close on July 21 and remain closed through the end of the year, consistent with the closure in Gulf federal waters

In addition, the FWC also issued an executive order to

close recreational harvest of greater amberjack in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico The 2023 recreational season for greater amberjack in Gulf state waters will be open Aug 1 through Aug 25, consistent with the Gulf federal season

Consistent state and federal recreational seasons for red grouper and greater amberjack will help prevent quota overages and ensure future harvest opportunities

For more information about Commission Meetings,

Get out early: Fish are biting, beat the storms

From page 38

Family fun Spanish mac and bonito schools moving from the passes to offshore while sharks of all sizes wait for bait Threadfins and glass minnows are plentiful across Charlotte Harbor but desirable whitebait takes some lucky scouting One thing for sure is, if you overcrowd your hot summer livewell your time spent collecting it will be wast-

ed Give your bait plenty of room and aeration to keep your players alive and frisky Various locations have reported catchable bait but overall the Jug Creek area still produces

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

Mighty Mussels: Fort Myers club drops two

From page 38

Andrade at the plate to thwart the rally

Fort Myers starter Jack Noble turned in another solid start Tuesday, allowing just one run on three hits over five

innings He struck out four, with the long run scoring on a Brannigan solo homer

With Bradenton leading 1-0 in the top of the fourth, McCusker, Rubel Cespedes and Carlos Aguiar strung together three consecutive singles to tie the game

including the July 2023 Commission meeting presentat i o n , v i s i t M y F W C c o m / C o m m i s s i o n a n d c l i c k o n “Commission Meetings.”

For current red grouper or greater amberjack regulations, visit MyFWC com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Grouper” or “Amberjack” These pages will be updated with the new season dates

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Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).

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