Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

By MEGHAN BRADBURY

news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral will spend up to $1 million to demolish the buildings at the historic Yacht Club Park

C i t y C o u n c i l a p p r o v e d t h e n o t - t oexceed amount at its Wednesday meeting after Councilmember Tom Hayden pulled the proposal from the board’s consent agenda

Hayden voted against the motion to approve, which passed 6-1

The 12 lottery-selected Yacht Club Stakeholder Group members who will decide what, if any elements, should be preserved will do a walk through the Ballroom on Aug 23, while the two members representing the Cape Coral Youth Advisory Board and Cape Coral Museum of History will tour a few days to a week later.

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

Ilczyszyn said the intent for is for all the buildings onsite, including the Rotino Center, Harbor Master building, the ballroom, ticket booth, electric building, pool

area and pump house, be demolished

The million dollar figure was computed after consultation with contractors

“We had some discussions with demolition contractors on price points in the mar-

Avery Jones competes in World Championship

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

One of the top youth BMX riders in the world calls Cape Coral home, and most recently, showed she belongs with the best of the best on an international stage

Avery Jones, 14, tested her mettle at the 2023 UCI Cycling BMX World Championship in Glasgow, Scotland last week, competing among 60 others in the 15-year-old girls bracket The 10-day competition was part of the biggest cycling event in world history

Avery raced two different styles of bicycles in Scotland, known as cruiser and 20-inch She was one of four girls from the United States to race for

Team USA and advanced to the semi-finals on both bicycles, and was just one lap away from a world title in both She finished ranked 9th in the world on her cruiser and 13th in the world on her 20-inch, defeating numerous world-ranked riders in the process representing Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, and various other countries

“It was really exciting,” Avery said of taking part of such a large event with top competition “It was a really great opportunity to represent my country.

“The experience I had there, with all the other riders, too, competing at that level, (there are) a lot of emotions I impressed myself with jumping, and

See BMX, page 12

ket,” he said

The discussion led to tallying up the square footage of the buildings in question, as well as filling in the pool area and restoring that area where the pool was to be brought back to grade, as well as some contingency for unknown

Council was told city staff is looking into the possibility of using providers who already have successfully secured contracts

See YACHT CLUB, page 31

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

C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l a p p r o v e d t h e s a l e o f i t s A c a d e m i c V i l l a g e s i t e

W e d n e s d a y

T h e a c t i o n a p p r o v e s a $ 1 7 5 m i l l i o n s a l e s c o n t r a c t w i t h C A P 5

D e v e l o p m e n t , L L C , w h i c h p l a n s t o d e v e l o p t h e a c r e a g e a t D e l P r a d o

B o u l e v a r d a n d K i s m e t P a r k w a y f o r f o u r p r i m a r y u s e s

C o n n i e B a r r o n , a s s i s t a n t c i t y

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1 7 2 5 3 a c r e s , a n a m e n d m e n t f r o m t h e

1 8 0 6 5 p r e v i o u s l y s t a t e d T h e c o n t r a c t w i t h T R G i n c l u d e s a r e f u n d a b l e $ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 t o e s c r o w w i t h i n f i v e d a y s a f t e r t h e e f f e c t i v e d a t e , a s w e l l a s $ 3 2 5 , 0 0 0 d e p o s i t i n t o e s c r o w w i t h i n f i v e d a y s a f t e r t h e d u e d i l i g e n c e p e r i o d

T h a t d u e d i l i g e n c e p e r i o d c a n b e e x t e n d e d f o r o n e a d d i t i o n a l 3 0 - d a y p e r io d w i t h a n o p t i o n o f t w o a d d i t i o n a l 3 0d a y p e r i o d s T h e r e i s a n o n r e f u n d a b l e $ 2 0 , 0 0 0 t o e s c r o w a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f e a c h e x t e n s i o n p e r i o d T h e c o n t r a c t a l s o i n c l u d e s z o n i n g

See ACADEMIC VILLAGE, page 31

Lee County seeks Ian funding feedback

By CRAIG GARRETT news@breezenewspapers com

Sophia Brubaker wondered aloud if a windfall federal aid package would somehow help her and her friends in Sunshine Village in the Iona McGregor district near Sanibel Island The park had lost 144 of its nearly 200 manufactured homes to Hurricane Ian, many owned by fixed-income retirees living their version of paradise she said

Others at that public forum in North Fort Myers were concerned that the $1 1 billion Community Development Block Grant package would instead assist Florida’s undocumented population

Still others at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center quietly absorbed a presentation by Lee County on disbursing the disaster relief package from the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, which is directing the cash to those impacted by the mega-storm that still echoes with tens of thousands of people in Lee County nearly a year later

Speculators and others had urged those in Sunshine Village to sell the land on which their homes had stood

Lee County’s Hurricane Ian draft action plan is at leegov.com/recovery/cdbg-dr for review and comment through Aug. 31. Comments can be emailed to recovery@leegov.com, mailed to Lee County administration in care of the Office of Strategic Resources, 2115 Second St., Fort Myers, Fla. 33901 or provided during one of the public meetings.

before Ian, to accept their losses with insurance buffers or to simply move on, Brubaker said, “but we don’t want to do that We’d like some help,” adding that rebuilding a manufactured home in Sunshine Village would run two or three times the original cost

Lee County soon will dole out more than $1 1 billion in federal aid to those impacted by Hurricane Ian But its staff is first collecting suggestions from locals to include in a detailed commission package on spending to HUD officials A final plan and disbursement dates are yet decided

Thursday’s forum in North Fort Myers brought a dozen or so people to observe a short presentation by Jeannie Sutton, program manager for Lee County’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, the agency compiling facts and figures for county commission approval

Sutton was also soliciting ideas on how to shift $1 1 billion directly back to eligible homeowners, businesses and towns hit hardest by last September’s near Category 5 storm, a gift she termed as “fairly unusual” in the business of government

Housing and public infrastructure were listed as HUD priorities on Thursday At least 70% of the $1 1 billion grant goes to projects benefiting low-to-moderate income households, for example, which HUD defines at or below 80% of area median income, or roughly $65,000 for a family of four Town leaders from Bonita to Cape Coral have also lobbied for a slice of the disaster funds

How to apply and where the money goes was not yet decided, Sutton said, who also revisited Lee County’s draft of an action plan on spending disaster funds–developed by a county Recovery Task Force chaired by Commissioner Kevin Ruane The county compiles those suggestions at the town halls or online and forwards them alongside Lee County’s spending plans by mid-September It is “quite a

long process,” Sutton said of getting a plan together for federal review and ultimate disbursement

Listening intently and hopefully at Thursday’s hearing, Brubaker wasn’t convinced that in the end moderateincome retirees, losing their investments to Ian with little hope of rebuilding, would get a share of federal disaster assistance

“We’re not saying a healthy portion shouldn’t help the poor,” she said of relief cash, “but what’s left over … it’s not going to be a lot of money ”

Lee County’s Hurricane Ian draft action plan is at leeg o v c o m / r e c o v e r y / c d b g - d r f o r r e v i e w a n d c o m m e n t through Aug 31 Comments can be emailed to recovery@leegov com, mailed to Lee County administration in care of the Office of Strategic Resources, 2115 Second St , Fort Myers, Fla 33901 or provided during one of the public meetings

Remaining public meetings scheduled:

■ 5:30 p m Tuesday, Aug 22

The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Drive, Fort Myers

■ 6 p m Wednesday, Aug 23

City of Fort Myers/Stars Complex, 2980 Edison Ave , Fort Myers

■ 5:30 p m

Thursday, Aug 24, Pine Island Elementary School, 5360 Ridgewood Drive, Bokeelia

■ 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29

City of Sanibel/Big Arts Sanibel, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel

L e e C o u n t y ’ s O f f i c e o f S t r a t e g i c R e s o u r c e s a n d Government Affairs has prepared a timeline describing the n e c e s s a r y s t e p s a n d o t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n a t leegov com/recovery/cdbg-dr This webpage will continue to serve as an informational resource for CDBG-DR activities Interested parties are encouraged to visit this resource periodically for updates

Down to the wire for Cape Coral Animal Shelter Online Auction bids

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

There’s still some time to get a bid in for an online auction benefitting local animals

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter’s second annual Online Auction to raise money for animals of the shelter ends today at 5 p m Last year, the shelter raised $22,000, and officials are hoping to exceed that amount this year

Donated items will be shown online, and supporters will have the opportunity to bid on various items through a secure online platform. The highest bid at 5 p.m. on Aug. 18 wins the item

Many local businesses and individuals came forward to help the animal shelter, and some of the auction items are “just incredible,” officials said Bidders will be able to view the link on the CCAS website, social media, and through shared links throughout the community

“We have everything from exquisite jewelry and boating excursions to beautiful artwork from local artists and, of course, pet themed items,” said CCAS Executive Director Liz McCauley “Some of my favorite auction items feature experience packages from local attractions s u c h a s T a r p o n P o i n t , d o w n t o w n F o r t M y e r s , a n d Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda ”

There are handcrafted, one-of-a-kind treasures, spa packages, and unique getaways all available for you to bid on from your computer or your phone All proceeds from this virtual fundraiser will go to assist the Cape Coral Animal Shelter in caring for the 100-plus animals in their care daily

“This past year has been our most challenging year so far with Hurricane Ian wreaking havoc on our community,” McCauley said “We operate at maximum capacity every single day and often take animals with severe medical conditions, puppies, kittens, senior animals that have been abandoned, and heartworm positive dogs. We are constantly reinventing the way we’ve always done things

Visit

to continue to raise enough money to care for our animals

We hope this community will enjoy the auction and continue to support our mission ”

More information on the auction can be found online at capecoralanimalshelter com/online-auction

Since opening in March of 2020, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter has found loving, forever homes for over 3,600 unwanted and abandoned animals, and their lowcost clinic provides full services to more than 5,000 clients and their pets Adoption info may be found at capecoralanimalshelter com

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

Time better spent

A split Cape Coral City Council wrangled with rules on the books and rules in the making Wednesday night

On the rules existing side, Council affirmed a hearing examiner’s denial of a variance applied for by a homeowner whose new house was built too close to the front setback due to a survey error that was not caught until the final inspection.

By a 4-3 vote, the Council majority took the “give them an inch and they’ll take, well, in this case 6 7 feet” approach

The hearing examiner had rejected various arguments made by the property owner/builder’s attorney that centered around the contention that the mistake, made by a surveyor with 23 years experience, was an anomaly and so “constitutes a special and/or unique condition” to the property under which a variance could and should be granted

Council rejected the reiteration of arguments presented again by attorney Amy Sarazen Thibaut of the Pavese Law Firm, including the one on which she said the variance criteria were predicated: That failure to issue a variance would cause unnecessary and undue hardship upon the property owner especially in a situation not caused by the owner

Since the trek through the process began more than a year ago, the property has gone into foreclosure as the construction loan cannot be converted into a mortgage because the city has not issued a certificate of occupancy due to the setback issue, she said

The house is uninsured and uninsurable since companies will not insure a home lacking a certificate of occupancy

Affirming the hearing examiner’s denial would mean the home’s owner a builder who has built more than 100 homes here in the Cape over the last 20 years would have essentially three options, all of them onerous: Tear down the home and start over or try to move the house Reconstruct the garage and/or front of the house to comply with the 25-foot setback Reconstruct the garage to a one-car bay, the lowest-cost option which city staff estimated would cost $60,000

Sounds like undue hardship, one pretty much everyone agrees was not caused directly by the homeowner

The interesting thing, or the sad thing, depending on perspective, is the fact that the homeowner was also the builder a long and successful builder here in the Cape whose efforts have added, literally, millions to the city’s taxable valuation counted against him in applying the conditions for a variance The hearing examiner did not find it “believable” that the owner/contractor, with his level of experience, never noticed the setback violation as construction progressed With a lesser experienced contractor, or a homeowner not acting as the builder, the hearing examiner said she “might be more likely to accept” that testimony and accept that special conditions and circumstances did not result from the actions of the applicant

Strict interpretation of the conditions under which a variance can be granted we do get

Opining on who knew what when or should have known what when is a rules Rubicon questionable to cross

On the rules-in-the-making side, Cape Coral City Council is looking to impose new protocols pertaining to how its members may take part in meetings

With years of allowing remote attendance behind it,

Medicare treatment bias against Alzheimer’s patients must end

For patients like me in the early stage of Alzheimer’s, recent years have brought two major breakthroughs One was medical, with the discovery of the first treatments that can actually slow the progression of the disease rather than just ameliorate its symptoms

The other breakthrough came in July, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services agreed Medicare would cover one of the treatments, brand-name Leqembi What's disturbing is that this decision did indeed require a breakthrough. Had CMS acted within its usual scope of authority, coverage should have been routine

The FDA granted traditional approval to Leqembi in July after having approved it on an accelerated basis in January The trials completed in June demonstrated that Leqembi produced clinical benefits as predicted by the accelerated approval data in this case, slowing cognitive decline in patients by 27%

Philip S Gutis Guest Commentary

We should now be celebrating the arrival of a treatment that reached about 1,800 people per day between January and July this year before their disease progressed past the point at which Leqembi is indicated

The tragedy is that they didn’t. That’s because CMS, departing from all precedent, refused to provide coverage for Leqembi and treatments like it on the strength of the FDA accelerated approval

That sealed the fate of more than a quarter of a million people Thanks to CMS, they are doomed to experience the disease running its course unimpeded through progressive cognitive decline, dementia and death

Leqembi is one of a group of monoclonal antibody treatments that fight Alzheimer’s by reducing the buildup in the brain of amyloid plaque deposits, which have long been associated with the disease Another, with which I am personally

familiar, is Aduhelm It won FDA accelerated approval in June 2021 and embarked CMS on its course of denying coverage

My diagnosis came after months of feeling that something was wrong with my brain My mind wasn’t right, but I didn’t know what was happening Hoping for answers, I scheduled an appointment for a cognitive test as part of a clinical trial for Aduhelm I received a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s and was accepted into the trial

My expectations were low. Because it was a blind trial, for 16 months I didn’t know whether I was receiving Aduhelm or a placebo As it turned out, I had been receiving the medication After the initial trial ended, I enrolled in an open-label trial extension that allowed me to continue receiving the drug

That made me one of the lucky few The CMS decision to effectively block access to an FDA-approved drug was unprecedented

This CMS decision is unfortunately in line with a disturbing pattern Medicare has demonstrated consistent bias against people living with Alzheimer’s by refusing to broadly cover the most critical components of basic care.

For the first time, we have treatments that can alter the course of Alzheimer’s, slowing its progression CMS should no more hesitate to get them to people in the earliest stages of their disease than hesitate to treat a cancer before it spreads

Philip Gutis, a former New York Times reporter who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2016, serves on the board of Voices of Alzheimer’s This piece originally appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Weigh in on Jaycee Park renovations

To the editor:

Jaycee Park in Cape Coral has been a Neighborhood Park since its inception 40 years ago It is nestled along the Caloosahatchee River amongst high rise condos People buy in this neighborhood because of the park a “green park” that was donated to the people of Cape Coral for recreation

It is known as the park to go to for shade, picnics, playground use, dog walking, reading, bird watching, meetings, weddings, birthdays, graduations This is the character of the park that is soon to be disrupted by city plans to cut down the shade trees along the river, install a boardwalk with no shade, construct 24 boat slips, add six food trucks, a bar, a bandshell, and change the park completely even though the city has said they don’t want to change the character of the park

This park is the only one where families who can’t afford to live on the river or a canal can come with their children to peacefully enjoy the river The city seems to value boaters and drinkers over the current park users

Express your feelings on Aug 31, 2 through 6 p m , at the first informational gathering at Mercola Market, 125 S.W. 3rd Place. You can talk with the experts, review site plans, and give your feedback on the proposed plans

Sally Flash Cape Coral

Cape Council has the public boxed in

To the editor:

Now that the mayor and council has approved a car wash and storage buildings on almost every block, where do we go from here?

Council created the “box” no input from the citizens on advisory boards, especially the budget advisory board they torpedoed (What are we hiding, Council?)

ignoring the City Charter Mayor and Council, what is next?

Burn the Box:

Call for an independent budget audit

Restore voter confidence by listening to the voters and act accordingly

“A car wash in every pot, a storage building in every garage ”

Lou Navarra Cape Coral

Staff comments on Redfish Pointe reflective of resident concer

To the editor:

ns

City residents living near Rotary Park have voiced their opposition to the proposed Redfish Pointe development

One of our chief concerns is the heightened risk of flooding due to the loss of wetlands Another is the negative impact on wildlife for which these hundreds of acres of wetlands and uplands are a haven Newly acquired public records reveal that after years of project planning, it appears insufficient thought has been given to either of these two issues.

I am thankful to city staff who are protecting our community’s well-being by ensuring the proposed project meets the goals and objectives of the city’s comprehensive plan

Objective 4 5 of that plan is about the “Peril of Flood,” and states that the “City shall take extra precautions to reduce the community’s flood vulnerability in accordance with the State Peril of Flood Act ”

City staff states, “The applicant should address this point ” Especially after Ian, the fact that this point has yet to be addressed is astonishing

Regarding the hundreds of acres of wetlands that provide significant storm and flood protection, city staff notes that the property owner’s application to amend the city See LETTERS, page 6 See EDITORIAL, page 7

“Restore voter confidence” by consistently ignoring Citizens Input on the Yacht Club, zoning issues etc and so

future land use map “does not allow for sound evaluation The wetlands exhibit is not field based but aerial based and is not adequate given the scope and sensitivity of this project City staff recommends regulatory agencies (DEP, SFWMD) which are the only entities allowed to do so, perform a field inspection and flagging for wetlands delineation and wetlands quality ” In short, they haven’t determined exactly where these wetlands begin and end, nor their quality, and this, of course, is of great concern to residents

Regarding the proposed project’s impact on wildlife and the ecological health of the area, city staff write, “Given the extent and sensitivity of this project, staff recommend providing a more thorough assessment The only field-based survey pertains to Gopher Tortoises Impact to the shoreline by boardwalks should incorporate a fieldbased survey for sea turtle nesting potential The removal of available uplands from a currently complete ecosystem encompassing complementary functions from uplands to salt marshes, to wetlands to surface waters (both fresh and saltwater) must be evaluated and discussed ” This is a great point raised by city staff We can’t talk about uplands and wetlands in isolation This and the impact wildlife other than Gopher Tortoises have not yet been adequately assessed

Staff is direct in telling the owner to “provide an alternate site study for the placement of the dock The current location does not meet the 4 ft or greater requirement This is especially true given the location in the federally critically endangered smalltooth sawfish nursery habitat exclusion zone.”

Evidently, the property owner has given the same insufficient attention to wildlife and ecological concerns as they have to the increase of flood and storm risk to the nearby community Residents are justified in their deep concerns about this proposed development I

Joseph Bonasia Cape Coral

State statutes required school district to implement media access for ms

To the editor:

My attention was drawn to a letter dated Aug 10, 2023 entitled “Media Forms Hinder, Not Enhance, Parental Rights” by Madeline Stewart

I, too, have spoken before the Lee County School Board and have attended board workshops on the development of policies that monitor and control School Media, and its appropriateness for the students of Lee County I speak with knowledge and experience on this matter

The writer states that she represents a large number of similar-minded individuals, but in my experience at meetings, they have not appeared in any quantity

The letter speaks cynically of “community partners” yet does not realize that a large group of “community partners” has been active with opposing views to those of the “purple people” group

This issue has been contentious since parents first became aware of the quality of material their students were being exposed to, and over which they as parents have no control

Conservative members of the community have worked countless hours to improve the quality of school media materials, to remove items which to the group were objectionable, and to attempt to inculcate traditional moral values in the materials offered, to improve the education of the students, and to enhance their development as productive adults in our communities and in our world

It is inaccurate to state that the media access form will prevent parents from allowing their students to access any material in the district’s media centers The form allows for three choices which the parent specifically controls through the signing of the form The first choice is no access to media materials, the second to limited access, preventing the student from accessing challenged materials, and the third to allow complete access to all materials in district media centers This process is not passive; it requires parental attention and action, unlike the previous Media Access Form which allowed unlimited access unless specific books were challenged The challenge process was confusing, time consuming, and could be overridden at any point by a school principal, the CAUC committee, the Superintendent, or the Board This new form streamlines the ability of the parent to block access by requiring an “opt in” to allow their student to gain access, rather than simply allow all students access to everything

Parents can now go to their student’s school website and review each of the books for content prior to approving their

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

use This allows those with specific religious or moral objections to say no, my child may not read that particular material Those parents who wish their student have access to all media may do so And, in the final analysis, parents who wish their students to read ANY book have the right to purchase that book privately, and provide it to their student

The letter was disingenuous in stating the group was concerned about teachers and the learning environment How will this change in access to media material affect teachers or the learning environment, other than to improve it?

Finally, we turn to the Florida Legislature New legislation pertaining to school media material, specifically HB 1467, states that without the policy revision that the board and district have taken, they would be in violation of state statutes This revision in media policy is in line with new state statutes and will keep the district on sound legal footing in regard to media materials, screening, access, and removal of undesirable books and videos

The new media forms policy required a protean effort on the part of District Administration, the Superintendent, and the Board, in a time when tremendous stress to recover the district from Hurricane Ian was being born It is to the great credit of all involved that this policy was developed and made a part of District regulation

Our students, parents, families, indeed all members of Lee County will benefit from this well thought action on the part of the LCSD

Edward F Drass, M D Cape Coral

Char ter Review Commission ineffective as implemented

To the editor:

I attended the recent Lee County Charter Review Commission meeting and left with a bad taste in my mouth The commission members are appointed by the County Commissioners and no way represent the demographics of the county Further, the commissioners ask the appointees how they will vote on a subject before approving them to serve

This is a review mandated to take place every eight years The past history of this committee is a running record of doing absolutely nothing When this was brought up and a request to lower the bar to a reasonable level, the idea was quashed

A Deputy County Attorney was adamant, even though this committee is scheduled to run until September, 2024, that this was the last time for a new topic to be introduced WHY? WHY? WHY?

Watching this spectacle made it easy to understand why the public does not attend However, this is a Catch-22 because not attending further emboldens the politicians, if that is possible

This is nothing but a show to make the citizens believe that this county is run fairly and for its citizens

Wake up Lee County citizens and take an active interest This mess can be straightened out but it takes you to make it happen The resignation of the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce is a good example of what can be done with some effort

Norman Cannon Fort Myers

Lions & Tigers & Bears! Oh my!

To the editor:

We are living in frightening times No Democrats were i n v o l v e d i n t h e a t t e m p t e d c o u p o f 2 0 2 1 A l l a r e Republican and none want to spend their remaining years in prison The legal proceedings are not a “witch hunt ” The Georgia RICO charges are the consequences of their misbehavior when they devised a complex plan with the intent that Republican co-conspirators could overturn the 2020 election and stay in power

Based on the 14th Amendment, esteemed conservative scholars are opining that no one involved in an attempt to overthrow the U S government can ever hold elected office again

Hunter Biden is under investigation for his foreign business dealings Jared Kushner received accepted a $2 billion investment from Arab countries after his father-inlaw left office with boxes of government top secrets that he refused to return Did he sell them?

The “Republican” criminal enterprise wanted to abolish almost 250 years of our democracy experiment with an attempted coup just like totalitarians in third-world countries and turn our country into a fascist state Our former POTUS has been indicted four times in five months Wrap your brains around that!

Democracy The rule of law applies to everyone including our elected officials Speak out loudly and often against injustice We and future generations will have to live with the consequences of other voters’ ignorance and their votes Don’t allow our Democracy to fail because you are too lazy to check the facts Con me once

Lynn A. Hagedorn. MD Cape Coral

Moral choice supercedes par ty platfor m

To the editor:

Is amoral a moral word or the opposite of moral? Webster says the opposite As I contemplate why some people are more moral than others, I know that some people who believe in God and some people who do not believe in God are moral

For the first category there are probably billions of examples how those who believe in God are more moral because of their faith I know a few people personally who were at the bottom of life on drugs, involved with crime, and been in jail who found a moment when they experienced an instant change involving God and became very moral and responsible adults Those are exceptional cases and give most people great joy.

Those who attend church listen every Sunday morning about morality and the reason for being moral You would have to be blind or devoid of thought to think those lessons don’t rub off but I acknowledge that there are some who attend church every Sunday but leave the lessons at church as they go home

In regard to those not involved in a faith, many have very fine morals I have a friend who is atheistic and he is one of the most giving moral people that I know He is one I could trust with my life

So why are the majority of voters amoral? I can think of two reasons First of all, human nature is to want a free lunch or the easy way out as long as it is legal. Morality is not a consideration

Secondly, some make a commitment to a Party If my family told me I was a Democrat I don’t have to think, just do what my family said If I belong to a lobby group then whatever they do is acceptable

But some items are clearly a moral decision Take crime in the cities as an example The politicians have devalued the police and shown preferences for criminals in frequently not pressing charges for crime and not even requiring a bail in many instances Innocents are no longer safe in the cities Property crime has spiked up and there is a big increase in the loss of life Who is responsible for this amoral action? The politicians are Do they warrant being elected again? Absolutely not but voters keep choosing them Is this vote a moral one, the loss of life especially? Absolutely yes But the cities are one Party cities so the vast majority make a political vote

Making a commitment to a Party instead of choosing right or wrong has made this country amoral

Our votes often involve a moral decision rather than a political decision Are you moral or political, or both? Can you be both?

John A. Benedict Cape Coral

This week’s poll question:

What is your opinion of Council’s decision to allocate up to $1 million for the demolition of the Yacht Club’s various buildings?

∫ I agree Tear it down and build new ∫ I disagree The money should be used to repair and retain the historic ballroom Improvements to the park are a separate discussion to be had

Previous poll question

Ron DeSantis or Donald Trump?

∫ Ron DeSantis 60.75%

∫ Donald Trump 3.5%

∫ I’m hoping for a different presidential nominee on the Republican side 5 5%

∫ Doesn’t matter I’m not voting Republican 30% (1,174 votes at ress time )

Residents invited to take part in Breeze ‘Best of Cape Coral’ voting

Ballot books may be found inside today’s edition

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Want to support your favorite local business by voting them “Best Of?”

T o d a y k i c k s o f f t h e B r e e z e Newspapers’ “Best Of Cape Coral” competition, where community members cast their vote on businesses they think offer the best service in a multitude of categories

“It’s the most anticipated event we do a l l y e a r , ” s a i d B r e e z e N e w s p a p e r s

Advertising Director Laurie Ragle “Area businesses are excited by the idea of them being voted by the community as the best ”

In 2022, The Breeze began offering voting via ballots printed in The Breeze, as w e l l a s o n l i n e T h e n u m b e r o f v o t e s eclipsed any year previous, and The Breeze anticipates to have even more votes this year

Winners are encouraged to tout their award by promoting it throughout the year

A digital version of the winner’s award logo can be sent to any of the businesses that won to place on their promotions

Voting starts today, Aug 18, and ends

Editorial:

Sept 1 Ballots can be picked up at one of many locations around town or at home if you get home delivery of The Breeze

Online voting can be found by visiting www capecoralbreeze com

How does the public benefit

From page 4

the elected board deadlocked Wednesday on a request from Councilmember Bill Steinke to attend the elected board’s voting meeting remotely

The 4-4 vote, with Mayor John Gunter and Councilmembers Keith Long, Patty C u m m i n g s a n d D a n S h e p p a r d a g a i n s t allowing virtual attendance, shut him out of an issues-packed agenda

Councilmember Steinke was attending an annual Board of Directors meeting in Orlando to which he had previously committed I t w a s t h e f i r s t t i m e a r e q u e s t t o remotely attend a Council meeting in such a situation or any other was denied

A l r e a d y a b l e t o d e c i d e w h e t h e r a Council member’s request for an absence is “excused,” and whether a council member may attend a meeting remotely, some then said they want to look at whether remote attendance should be allowed at all Ahem

A s C o u n c i l m e m b e r T o m H a y d e n pointed out, it’s 2023 and, post COVID, b u s i n e s s e s e v e r y w h e r e h a v e n o t o n l y learned that remote meetings work but have embraced the concept

As long as there is a quorum in physical attendance there is little issue

For those calling for no exceptions to a required in-person attendance rule, let us point out a couple of things

The first is Family Medical Leave and American With Disabilities Act protections

Agree?

Good luck ruling out requests for reasonable accommodation

T w o , t h o s e l o o k i n g t o b a n r e m o t e attendance argued that elective office is an important job

Indeed it is

We agree, too, people are expected to show up and “earn the paycheck” they receive

But jobs provide sick time, and vacation time, and personal time and, let us point out, Council members do not work for a board majority

They are equal co-workers who work for the people who elected them

Cape residents are pretty vocal

And this complaint and its prospective restrictive rule to deny remote participation is not coming from them

Nor will it benefit the public

Rules must have reason and we see no reason to waste time on this one

Instead, as Council is pontificating on the need to examine existing rules, we suggest one that should have been obvious Wednesday

The builder denied the variance chose to pay out-of-pocket for a private inspector, a practice encouraged by the city as it has not been able to keep up with requests

The inspection requirements for private inspections seem to differ, a point made during the why-wasn’t-the-setbackissue-caught-earlier discussion

Looking at that issue could be time much better spent

Breeze editorial

Disagree?

Weigh in!

Letters, guest opinions, comments welcome

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

w w w . c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e . c o m 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 8

Bacon Fest Trolley Event set for Saturday

A u g u s t 1 8 ,

B y C J H A D D A D c j h a d d a d @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m A S o u t h C a p e t r a d i t i o n s u r e t o b r i n g s o m e s i z z l e r e t u r n s t h i s w e e k e n d f o r i t s n i n t h i n s t a l l m e n t , h i g h l i g h t i n g a t o p t i e r b r e a k f a s t f o o d w i t h a p a s s i o n a t e f a n b a s e T h e S o u t h C a p e H o s p i t a l i t y & E n t e r t a i n m e n t A s s o c i a t i o n ’ s B a c o n F e s t T r o l l e y E v e n t h i t s d o w n t o w n C a p e C o r a l S a t u r d a y n i g h t w h e r e a t t e n d e e s c a n g e t t h e i r f i x o f b a c o n - t h e m e d a p p e t i z e r s a n d d r i n k s f r o m 1 1 p a r t i c i p a t i n g l o c a t i o n s P a r t i c i p a n t s w i l l a l s o g e t t o v o t e o n t h e i r f a v o r i t e d r i n k a n d a p p e t i z e r w i t h b r a g g i n g r i g h t s a t s t a k e “ W h o d o e s n ’ t l o v e b a c o n ? ” s a i d S C H E A s p o k e s p e r s o n S h a n n o n Q u i n n o f w h a t k e e p s p e o p l e c o m i n g b a c k “ I t ’ s p r e t t y i n c r e d i b l e t o s e e n e w f a c e s e a c h y e a r , b u t e v e n m o r e i n c r e d i b l e t o r e c o gn i z e r e t u r n i n g o n e s P e o p l e l o v e t h i s e v e n t P e o p l e l o v e b a c o n ” S o u t h C a p e e s t a b l i s h m e n t s w e l c o m e t h e p a r t y , a s t h e y g e t t o b e c o m e a b i t c r ea t i v e a n d c o n c o c t c r e a t i o n s t o f i t t h e t h e m e “ I s a y t h i s e a c h y e a r , b u t l o c a t i o n s c o n t i n u e t o g e t m o r e c r e a t i v e , ” Q u i n n s a i d “ J u s t w h e n y o u t h i n k y o u ’ v e t a s t e d i t a l l , o u r p a r t i c i p a t i n g b u s i n e s s e s ‘ w o w ’ t h e p a l a t e s o f o u r a t t e n d e e s a g a i n a n d a g a i n T h e d r i n k a n d a p p e t i z e r s s a m p l e s a r e p r e t t y f l a v o r f u l s a l t y , s p i c y , s a v o r y , s w e e t I c a n ’ t w a i t t o s e e t h e e n di n g v o t e s o n t h i s e v e n t . ” P a r t i c i p a t i n g l o c a t i o n s a n d s a m p l e s i n c l u d e : ■ B a c k S t r e e t s S p o r t s B a r B r e a k f a s t S h o t & G r a n d S l a m B r e a d ■ B I G 8 B B Q T h e T i p s y P i g &

If You Go:

What:

South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Association Bacon Fest Trolley Event

When:

Saturday, Aug 19, 7 - 11p m

Check in:

Guests can check in from 6 to 7:30 p m at Big John’s Plaza and Dolphin Key Resort Late check-in runs until 10 p m under the front entry awning of the Dolphin Key Resort (1502 Miramar St )

More information:

For more information and tickets, visit SouthCapeEntertainment com

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■ M o n k e y B a r S t e a k & S e a f o o d

A r n o l d P a l m e r & M a c ’ n ’ C h e e s e w i t h

B a c o n ■ R a c k ’ e m S p i r i t s & T i m e s

E x p r e s s o M a r t i n i & B a c o n B r o w n i e s

■ R a l p h ’ s P l a c e R e d S a n g r i a &

M a p l e C h i p o t l e G l a z e d P o r k B e l l y

■ R u s t y ' s R a w B a r & G r i l l T h e L u m b e r j a c k S h o t & B a c o n C h e e s e

C r o q u e t t e s

■ T i k i H u t B a r & G r i l l P i n o t N o i r a n d H o t & S p i c y B a c o n

T i c k e t s f o r B a c o n F e s t a r e $ 3 0 i n a d v a n c e o n E v e n t b r i t e ( p l u s f e e s ) a n d i n c l u d e a d r i n k a n d a p p e t i z e r s a m p l e a t e a c h l o c a t i o n , w r i s t b a n d t o b o a r d t h e t r o l l e y s , a p a s s p o r t o f l o c a t i o n s , e l i g i b i l -

i t y t o w i n p r i z e s f o r a n s w e r i n g t r o l l e y t r i v i a , a n d a c c e s s t o t h e o f f i c i a l p h o t o b o o t h l o c a t e d a t D o l p h i n K e y R e s o r t u n d e r t h e f r o n t a w n i n g D e s i g n a t e d D r i v e r t i c k e t s a r e $ 2 5 a n d i n c l u d e s a mp l e a p p e t i z e r a n d n o n - a l c o h o l i c d r i n k a t e a c h l o c a t i o n T h o s e w h o t u r n o u t c a n s t a m p t h e i r p a s s p o r t a t e a c h l o c a t i o n t o b e e n t e r e d t o w i n t h e g r a n d p r i z e : 1 5 p o u n d s o f b a c o n a n d a t h e m e d g i f t b a s k e t V i s i t t h e o f f ic i a l p h o t o b o o t h t o h a v e y o u r p i c t u r e t a k e n a n d b e e n t e r e d t o w i n f o u r t i c k e t s t o t h e “ S p o o k t a c u l a r T r o l l e y E v e n t ” o n O c t 2 1 Q u i n n a d d e d t h e e v e n t i s a g r e a t w a y t o h i g h l i g h t l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s “ S C H E A h o p e s B a c o n F e s t a t t e n d e e s g e t a n e x p e r i e n c e o f S o u t h C a p e , ” Q u i n n s a i d “ W e w a n t t h e m t o e n j o y a n e v e n i n g o f d r i n k s a n d a p p e t i z e r s a t p a r t i c i p a t i n g l o c a t i o n s , t o w a l k t h e s t r e e t s , r i d e t r o ll e y s , a n d r e a l l y d e v e l o p a n u n d e r s t a n di n g o f w h a t t h i s c i t y h a s t o o f f e r W h i l e B a c o n F e s t i s j u s t o n e e v e n t , w e h o p e o u r a t t e n d e e s s t o p a t o t h e r e s t a b l i s h m e n t s , c h e c k o u t l o c a l r e t a i l s t o r e s a n d m a k e a r e t u r n v i s i t i n t h e f u t u r e W e w a n t t o b u i l d a w a r e n e s s o f t h e c i t y W e t r u l y f e e l t h i s i s a g r e a t w a y t o s u p p o r t a n d d i s c o ve r l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s ” G u e s t s c a n c h e c k i n f r o m 6 t o 7 : 3 0 p m a t B i g J o h n ’ s P l a z a a n d D o l p h i n K e y R e s o r t L a t e c h e c k - i n r u n s u n t i l 1 0 p m u n d e r t h e f r o n t e n t r y a w n i n g o f t h e D o l p h i n K e y R e s o r t ( 1 5 0 2 M i r a m a r S t ) T h e e v e n t i s 2 1 - p l u s a n d p h o t o I D m u s t b e p r e s e n t e d a t c h e c k - i n F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d t i c k e t s , v i s i t S o u t h C a p e E n t e r t a i n m e n t c o m

First-time festival to benefit history museum seeking volunteers & vendors

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A first-time festival set to hit Cape Coral this September will celebrate Italian culture, cuisine, and arts

The Cape Coral Museum of History is putting on its inaugural Festa Italiana, honoring the heritage of Cape Coral’s any Italian-American residents The two-part event will be held at the German American Social Club of Cape Coral on Sept 30, featuring a festival from noon until 5 p m and evening dinner, dance and show All proceeds benefit the Museum and its mission

“We want to do fundraising for the museum to keep the history of Cape Coral alive, even though we’re a young city relatively, but still an important one,” said Festa Italiana Chair Mark Fleming “We want to preserve as much of the history as we can, and that takes a lot of time and dollars to do In order to preserve the articles and items in the museum, it’s a matter of making sure things are preserved in the right way ”

The afternoon to early evening festival will feature food, entertainment, cooking demonstrations, games, contests, vendors and more In the evening from 6 to 9 p m , nationally recognized entertainer Michael D'Amore will perform in the stylings of a true New York Italian crooner Tickets for the events are separate

Tickets

Tickets for the festival are $10, with children 12 and under admitted free

Tickets for the dinner, dance and show are $40 Tickets for the show only (7 to 9 p m ) are $20

To purchase tickets for the festival and dinner/concert, or to inquire about being a sponsor or vendor, visit www capecoralmuseum org/festa-italiana

Online ticket sales close 9/28/23 Tickets will be sold at the door For questions about the event, contact the museum at 239-772-7037 or email info@capecoralmuseum org

“We wanted to do something fun while spreading the word about the museum and all we do,” Fleming said “We want to bring things to the community that are fun We had success with our recent Brew Fest We want people to get together as a community, and we’re all probably going through some kind of post-traumatic stress between COVID and the hurricane It's about having a good time for a good cause ”

Tickets for the festival are $10, with c h i l d r e n 1 2 a n d u n d e r a d m i t t e d f r e e .

Tickets for the dinner, dance and show are $40 Tickets for the show only (7 to 9 p m ) are $20

Fleming said the museum is looking for vendors and sponsors for the event

“We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities, and we want to make it affordable,” he said “And we have other ideas coming that are sure to be fun ”

To purchase tickets for the festival and dinner/concert, or to inquire about being a sponsor or vendor, visit www.capecoralmuseum org/festa-italiana

O n l i n e t i c k e t s a l e s c l o s e S e p t 2 8

Tickets will be sold at the door For questions about the event, contact the museum at 239-772-7037 or email info@capecoralmuseum org

The German American Social Club is at 2101 Southwest Pine Island Road

BMX: Cape rider began racing at 8; at 14 she’s an international competitor

From page 1

manually just my skill, and being mentally ready for everything ”

Avery is no stranger to the track, and has been racing since she was 8 She said she started her athletic endeavors with gymnastics and ice skating, but it was when her brothers started participating in BMX where she picked up the sport and has never looked back

“I just kept watching and told my dad I wanted to race,” Avery said “I got put into the boy’s class and ended up beating all of them, which of course felt good

“I’m competitive, and I like to win I always like a good challenge It’s good to see what you can do against fast riders, and makes you feel good when you win against them ”

Cape Coral BMX serves as Avery’s home track Her accolades include being a seventime Florida State Champion, and she is currently ranked No 2 in the U S for her age She also rides for the No 1 ranked BMX team in the country; J&R Bicycles. She will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky in September and Rock Hill, South Carolina in October for national racing before finishing up the year in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the USA

BMX National Championship

This year, Avery was the youngest-ever competitor in the Florida State Series Pro-Am Racing Series at 14, where she finished the season ranked 4th out of more than 25 riders, some being twice her age

While she’s already accomplished a lot in a short time, her aspirations are admirable

“My dream is to go to the Olympics, so I just keep coming back to see how much more I can progress myself,” Avery said “With the

younger girls, too, I like riding with them and coaching them and being with and making friends from all over the United States, and now, in different countries ”

Avery’s father, Nick Jones, had a frontrow seat to his daughter’s races overseas, as he served as a team manager/assistant for Team USA

“She’s always been good,” Nick said, adding that things can get overwhelming at times with scheduling and day-to-day life “Every track or race that we go to, she’s always considered one of the best So as she’s progressed, at this point, with all of her rankings and success within the United States, it just seemed like this was the next step in her racing and her progression ”

Being competitive nationally is impressive, but taking your talents to a global stage going up against the top riders the world has to offer is another animal

Avery qualified to race on Team USA back in February at a race in Oldsmar, where she competed against girls from around the country and won the event Leading up to the race, Avery made frequent trips to Sarasota and Oldsmar to train for the race, as they have similar tracks to that in Scotland Her coach, Domingos Lammoglia, lives in Orlando and is a current Olympic BMX coach originally from Brazil Avery puts in roughly 3 to 4 hours of work each day perfecting her craft A home gym was built in the garage, and she’s very much into health and fitness, as well as her diet Off the track, Avery is an honor roll student, and has started her freshman year of high school taking online courses to accommodate her racing and training schedule

It seems all of her hard work paid off.

“For her to go (to the World

Avery Jones, 14, tested her mettle at the 2023 UCI Cycling BMX World Championship in Glasgow, Scotland last week, competing among 60 others in the 15-year-old girls bracket The 10-day competition was part of the biggest cycling event in world history

Championships) and be that successful, it just proved to all of us that she belonged and she’s well on her way to accomplishing her goals,” Nick said “She probably trains harder than any rider I’ve met ”

Naturally, Nick is proud of the way his daughter has carried herself, and the sport has become a catalyst to a strong relationship.

“Yeah, Avery and I are very close going to all of these races together,” Nick said “On the world stage, when she’s on the track and you hear the announcer announce her name; ‘Avery Jones from the United States’ as she's

racing on the track and wearing a jersey that says ‘USA,’ there’s nothing that can compare to that It makes you teary-eyed for sure ”

Avery said, “We've grown a lot with communication, and it doesn’t just go for him and me, it goes for all the riders He has individual relationships with each rider

“But with me, there’s just a lot of emotions built into this sport with my dad ”

Avery will receive the City of Cape Coral’s Community Recognition Award on Aug 30 from the city manager for making it to the BMX World Championships

REAL ESTATE

Ways to avoid probate to protect value of mother’s home

Dear Mr. Feichthaler:

My mother lives in Cape Coral, with the house fully paid for. I am her only child, and she wants me to inherit the property if she dies There is the possibility she will need long-term care, but she doesn’t want the value of the home reimbursing the government What can we do to protect this main asset?

- Gary R

Painting a picture of our market by total dollar sales volume

Dear Gary,

This is an issue that many of my clients face

First, there can be a discussion whether seeking to be considered “lowincome,” and the potent i a l l e v e l o f c a r e received as a result My c l i e n t s g e n e r a l l y t a k e the position that they would like to seek the b e s t c a r e p o s s i b l e , which may mean utilizing the value of their h o m e w h i c h t h e y earned A few clients do wish to be eligible for Medicaid, regardless of level of care, to protect the value of the home for their beneficiaries

Eric P. Feichthaler Real Estate

Law

In Florida, Medicaid does not include the value of the home in most Medicaid calculations Although the state has the ability to claw back monies spent for long-term care from participants in the program, it cannot do so unless there is an estate to obtain the funds from That is why, for my clients, regardless of their goals for their beneficiaries and management of assets, a plan to avoid a probate estate is vital I have previously discussed the substantial cost savings and elimination of stress by avoiding probate through planning, but it also produces an extra benefit: With no probate estate, there should be no claw back of benefits S o , y o u r m o t h e r s h o u l d c o n s i d e r e i t h e r a n Enhanced Life Estate Deed or the formation of a revocable trust with Deed to Trustee Both of these methods will avoid probate of the home It is important to plan for other financial assets as well It is highly recommended to consult with an attorney experienced in both estate planning and real estate so that your goals can be attained without potential negative consequences.

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 G e o r g e t o w n 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 returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008, and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, Cape Coral Museum of History, and Cape Coral Kiwanis He has been married to his wife, Mary, for over 20 years, and they have four children together He earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar. He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability, and is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator He can be reached at eric@capecoralattorney com, or 239-5424733

This article is general in nature and not intended as legal advice to anyone Individuals should seek legal counsel before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations

A s w e h a v e d i s c u s s e d n u m e r o u s times in this column over the past 16 months, based on both median sales prices for closed home sales and on median active list prices, our overall single-family home market in Cape Coral reached their peak prices in March and April 2022 From that point forward, our home prices started to soften as the Federal Reserve launched its aggressive interest rate hikes leading to mortgage rates more than doubling from near record low levels to the highest rates seen in the past 22 years As the calendar turned from April to May of last year, we started pointing out the significant shifts we were seeing in buyer attitudes, as they mostly stopped making full price or higher offers on homes, and instead became very comfortable making below lis t pr ice of f er s on their favorite homes This sudden shift in buyer behavior did not show up in the market numbers right away because of the typical 30 to 45-day lag time from when a home goes under contract as a pending sale until the sale is finalized

Bob and Geri Quinn Homing In

the pre-pandemic total dollar volume in s a l e s o f $ 1 1 5 , 4 1 8 , 5 4 9 p o s t e d i n October 2019

By November of last year the dollar volume numbers started to recover, coming in at $147,388,335 before rising to $ 1 6 2 , 3 9 9 , 5 9 7 i n D e c e m b e r W e reached our year-to-date 2023 peak in May of this year with the total dollar volume of home sales in the Cape topping out at $271,158,099 This was up a remarkable 134% from last October’s l o w , b u t s o m e 2 2 % b e l o w t h e $349,028,151 from May 2022, and 27 8% below the all-time high set in April of last year, as noted above

So what at first appeared to be a subtle cooling off in sales prices from the previously red hot market, finally “hit the tape” in our market statistics in July and August 2022, as closed home sales and sales prices dropped sharply, while the inventory of homes listed for sale rocketed higher

To help illustrate what our housing market looked like from the peak price in 2022 to the post-Hurricane Ian low versus today, we will take a big picture view of Cape Coral home sales on a total dollar volume basis We hit our all-time single month high of $375,325,985 in total dollar volume sales in March 2022, before gradually drifting 10 6% lower over the following three months to $335,432,333 in total dollar volume sales in June 2022

By July 2022, as interest rates started rocketing higher, the total dollar volume for home sales in the Cape plunged 2 9 . 8 % l o w e r c o m p a r e d t o J u n e , c o m i n g i n a t

$235,637,161 In August of last year we dropped to $217,966,615 for the month, followed by a total dollar v o l u m e i n c l o s e d h o m e s a l e s o f $ 1 8 4 , 9 2 6 , 0 9 5 i n September when Hurricane Ian hit late in the month and started to delay some sales that were in the pending sales pipeline In October, post-Ian, the dollar volume hit its low for the year at $115,689,855 in total sales, for a total decline of 69 2% from the March 2022 record monthly high Interestingly, the October 2022 low was in line with

Just to give you another perspective about what transpired in our market from the pre-COVID pandemic year of 2019 through the present, we will take a look at the total dollar volume of home sales for the first seven months of each of these years From January through July 2019, the total cumulative dollar v o l u m e o f h o m e s a l e s i n C a p e C o r a l c a m e t o $930,580,217 This was 2 2% higher compared to 2018, and in 2020 as our market was getting its legs back under it after emerging from the COVID shutdowns, we reached a new record in dollar volume sales for the first seven months of that year totaling $979,142,090 or 5 2% higher than in 2019 Then the bidding war buying frenzy kicked into full gear in a “homes gone wild” fashion In the first seven months of 2021, the total dollar volume of home sales in the Cape blasted 79 8% higher from the same time period of 2020, reaching a cumulative amount of $1,759,249,085 By July 2022, as our market was beginning to roll over from the weight of higher interest rates, our total dollar volume of sales in the first seven months of that year increased by another 24 7% to $2,193.697,931. In July of this year, our seven month t o t a l i s d o w n 2 8 . 3 % v e r s u s a y e a r a g o , t o $1,573,316,037. However, despite the “slow down,” this is the third highest seven-month cumulative total on record and it is still some 69% above where we stood back in 2019

The other big fundamental shifts that have occurred in our local market over the past 17 months have been the rapid rise in the inventory of Cape Coral homes listed for sale through a Realtor and the drop-off in pending home

See SALES VOLUME, page 15

Christopher Alan Homes supports Community Cooperative’s hunger initiatives with volunteer efforts

Christopher Alan Homes team members stepped out of the office recently to serve the community, volunteering at C o m m u n i t y C o o p e r a t i v e i n F o r t M y e r s E m p l o y e e s prepped food for the nonprofit organization’s Meals on Wheels program and mobile food pantries and served lunch at Sam’s Community Kitchen and Cafe

“As a local homebuilder, Christopher Alan Homes is committed to serving our community,” said Ian Schmoyer, president and CEO of Christopher Alan Homes “We have partnered with Community Cooperative in the past and support the impact it’s making in our hometown with a mission of helping and improving the lives of those affected by hunger and homelessness ”

Christopher Alan volunteers recently worked alongside Community Cooperative kitchen staff preparing and packaging nutritious foods for Meals on Wheels, which delivers fresh meals daily to homebound seniors, disabled and chronically ill adults who cannot shop or cook for themselves Supported by all-volunteer drivers, the program also provides valuable companionship and wellness checks

to over 1,000 neighbors, allowing them to recover from illness and surgery at home while maintaining their independence

The Christopher Alan team also participated in lunch service at Sam’s Community Kitchen and Cafe, Community Cooperative’s on-site cafeteria that serves over 1,200 hot meals daily to residents living in the surrounding community For more information about Community Cooperative, visit communitycooperative com With community service as part of its core values, Christopher Alan Homes plans volunteer days for team members to receive paid time off for assisting in sponsored projects

“Volunteerism is at the heart of our business model,” said Schmoyer “We believe in actively supporting local organizations making impactful changes in our community and our team members are always enthusiastic participants ”

For more information about Christopher Alan Homes, visit christopheralanhomes com or call 855-44-MYCAH

Recent transactions announced by CRE Consultants

CRE Consultants | Brokerage Services recently announced the following real estate transactions:

∫ Sapphire Commercial, LLC purchased a 3,366-square-foot office building at 12450 Brantley Commons Court, Fort Myers ,from 12450 Brantley, LLC for $690,000 Randal Mercer of CRE Consultants negotiated the transaction

∫ Home Audio & Security Design, Inc. leased 2,122 square feet of industrial space at 13850 Treeline Ave S, Unit 4, Fort Myers, from 13850 Treeline, LLC Randal Mercer of CRE Consultants represented t h e l e s s o r a n d C o r r i e G a t e s o f S V N Commercial Partners represented the lessee in negotiating the transaction

CRE Consultants | Brokerage Services is at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court, Suite 102 Fort Myers, FL 33966 For additional information, please call 239481-3800

Local transpor tation issues

topic of next REIS meeting

H o w i s t r a f f i c c o n g e s t i o n a f f e c t i n g development? How soon will highway improvements provide relief? Where will new traffic corridors take us?

The answers to these and other important transportation questions will be pres e n t e d a t t h e R e a l E s t a t e I n v e s t m e n t Society’s Sept 12 luncheon meeting

R o b P r i c e , d e p u t y d i r e c t o r o f L e e County Department of Transportation, will

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

provide a status report on area transportation projects, mass transit and autonomous vehicles Attendees will learn the latest news on priorities and initiatives to expedite construction of major transportation projects, including replacement of major bridges and plans for new traffic routes Price is also expected to provide updates on improvements to I-75, U S 41, and State Roads 31 and 82 Following the presentation, Price will respond to questions of specific interest to the real estate investment and development industry

The meeting is sponsored by Sallee Promotions and will begin promptly at 11:45 a m Sept 12 in the Osprey Room at Pelican Preserve’s Clubhouse, on Treeline Avenue at Colonial Boulevard, one mile east of I-75 exit 136 in Fort Myers Admission is $30 for members and $45 for guests, which includes lunch Reservations are required by Sept 7 and may be made at the REIS web site: www reis-swfl org

Wor thington Realty hires Christophersen as assistant proper ty manager

Worthington Realty has hired Wanda Christophersen as assistant property manager for the growing boutique real estate company, which specializes in residential s a l e s , r e n t a l s a n d d e v e l o p m e n t a c r o s s

Southwest Florida

In this role, Christophersen oversees lease agreements, maintenance requests, p r o p e r t y i n s p e c t i o n s , t e n a n t s h o w i n g s , cleaning schedules and delivery of exceptional customer service to tenants and own-

ers Christophersen brings more than two decades of experience in hospitality management Her previous role was as executive assistant to the general manager and the regional director of Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa She also previously served as an executive assistant and human resource manager at The Williamsburg Hotel & Conference Center

Worthington Realty has a nearly 35year history in Southwest Florida’s real estate market, serving homebuyers, renters and investors in residential sales, rentals and development. Its office headquarters are located at 8880 Gladiolus Drive, Suite 102, in Fort Myers For more information, p l e a s e c a l l 2 3 9 - 4 3 7 - 3 3 3 4 , e m a i l i n f o @ w o r t h i n g t o n r e a l t y c o m o r v i s i t

WorthingtonRealty com

Christopher Alan Homes promotes Anderson, adds Meeks

Christopher Alan Homes has announced the promotion of Carissa Anderson to corporate vice president of sales, and that Mike Meeks has joined company as senior vice president of construction

Since joining Christopher Alan Homes e a r l i e r t h i s y e a r a s d i r e c t o r o f s a l e s , Anderson has overseen all sales operations for Southwest Florida and regional emerging markets and managing all aspects of the Christopher Alan Homes customer experience In her new role, Anderson is responsible for leading the company’s sales strategy and establishing strategic partnerships

Anderson has over 15 years of experience in strategic direction, sales execution, marketing and branding She has managed teams at several of the top homebuilding companies in the nation and holds a bachelor’s of science in engineering and technological management from Arizona State University

In his role, Meeks will work collaboratively with each division’s production team Meeks has over 35 years of experience in construction operations, including product development, purchasing and customer service. Previously, he co-founded and coowned various building companies He has also managed multiple teams at top national homebuilding and development companies

Meeks holds a bachelor’s degree in cons t r u c t i o n m a n a g e m e n t f r o m F l o r i d a International University and a master’s of b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n f r o m t h e University of Florida and is a certified general contractor

A builder-owned company, Christopher Alan Homes is a Southwest Florida privately owned homebuilder. Christopher Alan Homes is a builder in The Hammocks at West Port and Burnt Store Village, along with Babcock Ranch The company also builds on scattered homesites in Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee counties in Southwest Florida and Melbourne and Palm Bay on Florida’s East Central Space Coast and is planning to open a new division in Tampa later this year For more information about Christopher Alan Homes, visit christopheralanhomes com or call 855-44-MYCAH

Sales volume: Painting a picture of the Cape Coral housing market

From page 14

sales Back on March 15, 2022, as the Federal Reserve was beginning its war on inflation by jacking up interest rates, there were only 430 active listings for singlef a m i l y h o m e s i n t h e M u l t i p l e L i s t i n g S e r v i c e w i t h a m e d i a n l i s t p r i c e o f

$595,000 As we noted in this column back then, most homes were going under contract with buyers within a matter of a few days, if not hours, after coming onto the market as a new listing in what we referred to as a “just in time” inventory Back then there were 1,034 homes under contract with buyers as pending sales By April 19, 2022, there were 547 active home listings in the Cape with a median list price of $610,000 and 998 pending sales in the pipeline Based on our weekly market surveys, this was the peak level for list prices

By July 19, 2022, there were 1,309

active listings for single-family homes in Cape Coral with the median list price coming in at $545,000 and only 702 pending sales in the pipeline About one year ago on Aug 9, 2022, there were 1,397 active listings with a median list p r i c e o f $ 5 2 4 , 9 0 0 a n d 7 0 7 p e n d i n g sales Post-Hurricane Irma, on Oct 25, 2022, there were 1,276 active listings with a median list price of $499,694 and only 571 pending sales in the pipeline

By Jan 3 of this year, we had 1,330 active listings with a median list price of $509,873 and 522 pending sales, which were down due to the influence of hurricane damage while waiting on insurance settlements and repairs.

This brings us to our current market, where as of Tuesday, Aug 15, we had 1,802 active listings for single-family homes in the MLS at list prices ranging from $249,900 to $7 59 million for a just completed, new 2023 riverfront home in

the Southeast Cape The current median list price came in at $525,000 There are currently 652 homes listed for sale in the C a p e a t $ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 a n d u n d e r , w h i c h equals 36% of the active listings At the other end of the price spectrum, there were 210 homes on the market at list prices of $1 million and above This was down from 223 million dollar-plus homes on the market a week ago

T h e r e a r e c u r r e n t l y 7 6 8 h o m e s i n t h e

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

$ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 f o r a s t o r m d a m a g e d h o m e t o $ 2 . 5 9 m i l l i o n , a n d t h e m e d i a n p e n d i n g s a l e s p r i c e c a m e i n a t $ 3 9 9 , 2 5 0 . T h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 5 0 5 p e n d i n g s a l e s a t

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

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 Aug 14, 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

Ferns – in Florida?

By CATHY DUNN news@breezenewspapers com

When you think of ferns, do you picture a cool, dense forest with filtered light and beautiful ferns spreading under the trees? I know that I do, and it is a refreshing vision indeed when we are in the midst of a stifling heat wave here in Southwest Florida! But ferns actually flourish in Florida due to our temperate to subtropical climate and moisture

American Legion Post 90 in Cape wins several state awards

At the recent American Legion State Convention in Orlando Post 90 in Cape Coral won six awards, beating out all other Florida posts

Post 90 won Best Post Shooting Sports Program, Outstanding Post Scouting Program, and Best Post JROTC

P r o g r a m P o s t 9 0 a l s o w o n r u n n e r - u p a w a r d s f o r Membership, World War II Chaplains Memorial and Public Relations

However, the most prestigious award was given to John Baker as Legionnaire of the Year Baker, the second vice commander for Post 90, was surprised and pleased to receive the award

“I am delightfully surprised and honored,” he said “Post 90 works hard all year on community and veterans’ programs ”

Commander Keith Berres said, “John Baker has dedicated much of his time to the American Legion and deserved this recognition ”

Interestingly, this is the second year one of the Post 90 officers has received this prestigious award

The American Legion Department of Florida hosted its 104th statewide convention on June 15-18 at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Fla Approximately 3,000 American Legion members were in attendance. The American Legion Department of Florida has over 130,000 members with more than 300 Legion posts statewide During this event, the department convention also conducts its annual business, electing new leadership, celebrating successes, and recognizing outstanding individuals and posts

For more information about Post 90, which is located at 1401 S E 47th St in Cape Coral, and membership

Keep Lee County Beautiful Art Contest now open

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

Fern spores have been t r a n s p o r t e d f r o m C a r i bbean Islands to Florida by tropical storms and winds, resulting in a wide diversity of fern species In fact, with more than 123 native fern species and 21 exotic species of ferns, Florida has more species of ferns than any state except Hawaii

While we all love bright colors in our landscape, foliage provides texture and a green backdrop for our vibrant tropical blooms Ferns such as the native sword fern can be used as low-maintenance groundcovers, while the Australian tree fern (Sphaeropteris cooperi) is an impressive specimen plant that can reach a height of 15 or even 30 feet! The staghorn fern, with its distinctive antler-shaped fronds, is a Florida favorite that can be displayed in baskets, mounted on wood plaques or nestled on tree branches (Please note that UF/IFAS has advised that “gardeners should plant staghorn fern with caution and manage its growth to prevent escape.”) Ferns aren’t limited to the landscape but are excellent plants for pots that you can maintain on your porch or lanai to provide a cooling, green accent

While most fern varieties prefer shade or partial shade, there are some Florida ferns that don’t require full shade The foxtail fern grows in full sun to partial shade, but has a fuller, dense habit in full sun Ferns in the Osmunda family include the cinnamon fern, which grows quite well in truly full, all-day sunlight Ostrich ferns will tolerate sun but enjoy protection from harsh afternoon sun Japanese shield ferns are tall, clumping ferns with leathery fronds that are heat and sun tolerant. Golden polypody ferns are epiphytic (a plant that grows on another plant but does not feed from it) and you have probably noticed these ferns growing in the boots (old

See FERNS, page 39

Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc. has announced the annual “Leave the Scene Clean” art contest for students in grades K-12 This contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled students across Lee County The goal of the contest is to encourage students to think creatively about how we can all work together to keep our community clean and protect the environment

To participate, students must create an original piece of artwork that visualizes a correct environmental action such as litter prevention, clean-up campaigns, beautification efforts, protecting the environment and recycling The deadline for entries is Jan 31, 2024, and winners will be announced by mid-February

This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents while also learning about the importance of taking care of our environment The artwork will be judged on creativity, originality and focus on the environmental theme

The four overall winning illustrations will be enlarged and appear on the side of a Lee County Waste Pro truck and printed on reusable tote bags The overall winning and honorable mention artwork will be on public display during April 2024 in honor of Earth month All winners will also receive a certificate and prize pack

The reusable tote bags featuring the four overall winning illustrations will be available for a small donation and will be distributed to public, private, and home schools to serve as a source of funding for school environmental projects Schools keep 100% of the money they raise to be used toward the projects

KLCB appreciates the support over the years and hopes

PHOTO PROVIDED

The 2023 Leave the Scene Clean winners

the “Leave The Scene Clean” art contest will continue to serve as an educational tool across Lee County

Sponsors include Lee County Solid Waste, The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Covanta Energy, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Greenfield Marketing & Media, Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, Southwest Waste and Waste Pro

For additional information on the contest and sponsorship opportunities, please email Tisha@klcb org or visit https://bit ly/KLCBartcontest

American Red Cross of South Florida seeking shelter volunteers

The American Red Cross of South Florida is urgently looking for shelter volunteers, and has issued an invitation to residents to learn more about how they can help the Red Cross care for people in the community when disaster strikes

The Red Cross train-in-a-day event allows volunteers to complete the basic steps to become qualified for their disaster role – all in one day! Training will consist of a brief general overview of the organization, followed by shelter-

ing courses which teach the full cycle of Red Cross sheltering operations Those who complete the training will walk out as a Red Cross Disaster Responder, able to be deployed locally or nationally!

The training sessions will be held Saturday, Aug 26, from 9 a m to 4 p m , in Red Cross chapter offices located in Miami and Fort Myers To register, visit https://volunteerconnection redcross org/?nd=vms public form&for m id=13043

PHOTO PROVIDED John Baker receives the Legionnaire of the Year award from Florida State Commander Eunice Butts

AUGUST

18, 2023

Founded by Family Intiative, new Cape school is for students with autism spectrum disorder

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Families have an opportunity to enroll their child into an academy in Cape Coral dedicated for children with autism spectrum disorder

President and Co-Founder of Family Initiative David Brown said they are in the process of acquiring a location at 3301 Chiquita Blvd S for Thrive Academy

“We are excited about that We are working with the property owner of the space and legislature to lock down the space We are working our tails off to get it done,” he said

Thrive Academy was piloted in 2022 with 10 students enrolled as a micro school that served high school students on the s p e c t r u m R e c e n t l y t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n received $5 million in state funding for the academy, as well as building a special needs shelter to support families and their children if a natural disaster were to take place

The goal for Thrive Academy is to become a statewide model, as every student in the state of Florida is legally entitled individualized education

Brown said they have several moms on the board of directors who are a force of nature, as they are dynamite and tremendous advocates

“Our kids are amazing These kids have taught me expeditionally more than I have ever taught them I am grateful for their parents in trusting us, working with us. We will not let them down,” Brown said.

The school is slated to open and start in September. The targeted goal is to have 30 students

E l i z a b e t h “ L i s a ” C a n n o n h a s b e e n named the inaugural principal for Thrive Academy

“I have known Dave for a very long time and I always admired what they do for this population of children in our community and families I am beyond excited to be a part of it and make their dream come to life Dave always said let’s get ready to conquer the world,” Cannon said “I have always felt that even with my education, my heart has always been so in doing what is best for kids and families This is my time to truly be able to do that I am excited about the work ”

She was the assistant principal at Cape Coral Charter School Authority, and also was a teacher Cannon was a 2017 nominee and 2018 winner of the Lighthouse Award for Teacher of the Year by the City of Cape Coral Charter School Foundation

“ H e r b a c k g r o u n d i s e x t e n s i v e a n d expressive and she did a phenomenal job in the charter school system We couldn’t have gotten a better fit The vision and passion she has for this is a perfect fit for us in the program,” Brown said

T h r i v e A c a d e m y b e g a n w i t h h i g h school and middle school age students

“Our kids are unbelievably talented, funny, fantastic people So many of them have expressed their desire that they want to work and fully integrate into our community,” Brown said about having opportunities once they leave school “That opportunity is not afforded to them through the education system as perceived ”

Thrive Academy will teach, and achieve

“I have known Dave for a very long time and I always admired what they do for this population of children in our community and families I am beyond excited to be a part of it and make their dream come to life Dave always said let’s get ready to conquer the world,” Cannon said. “I have always felt that even with my education, my heart has always been so in doing what is best for kids and families. This is my time to truly be able to do that. I am excited about the work ”

Elizabeth “Lisa” Cannon, principal for Thrive Academy

ly learning. He never came home doing that before,” Rivera said “He is finding an interest in math ever since he started Thrive Academy ”

T h e f i g h t f o r g o i n g t o s c h o o l h a s s t o p p e d a n d i s n o w r e p l a c e d w i t h Emanuel’s own routine to get ready for the day

all the benchmarks for traditional education, while “beefing up the vocational part,” he said The conversations have begun with local employers to see what they are looking for, what the workforce looks like and how to integrate that into the daily work

“We are ensuring we are setting our schools up to be as successful as possible for whatever the future will look like,” Brown said “The kids we work with, they are meticulous in what they do They are super detail oriented If employers understood and knew the kids we spent our days with, they would really fall in love with t h e m a n d t h i n k t h e y a r e p h e n o m e n a l employees ”

Two students from last year’s micro school are currently working for the Lee County Tax Collectors office There is a job coach working with the students, as well as the office to ensure everything is going smoothly

“They are kicking butt Both of those l a d i e s a r e d o i n g p h e n o m e n a l l y w e l l , ” Brown said, adding that the early return f r o m e m p l o y e r s h a s b e e n f a n t a s t i c

“Everybody is super receptive to all of us ”

Family Initiative

Family Initiative began eight years ago as a nonprofit organization that supports children with autism, while giving parents resources they need A social skills playground was created which invited the kiddos to play every Saturday

“We started that program eight years ago Everything we have done following, (has been with) the guidance and insight of our moms and dads,” Brown said “They came to us two and a half, three years ago and talked to us about the struggles they have had with relationships to the experience with education They were pleading with us if we would ever be interested in a concept to have a school for the autism spectrum ”

The parents were persistent and huge a d v o c a t e s f o r t h e i r c h i l d r e n F a m i l y I n i t i a t i v e l i s t e n e d a n d t h u s T h r i v e Academy was born Brown said they talked to state leadership about the model and program, which the state really believed in and felt it was something they should offer in the education system

Families find peace

Vanessa Rivera stumbled across Family Initiative when her son, Emanuel, was about 4 years old This was after her best friend, who has two nephews on the spect r u m , s h a r e d i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e

Saturday playgroup At first the single mom was a little hesitant because her son was so young they were uncomfortable around people they did not know

When Emanuel was 5, they began freq u e n t i n g t h e S a t u r d a y P l a y g r o u p a n d

Rivera began talking to Anjali Van Drie, also a co-founder of Family Initiative, about her son and his struggles The young mom, at the time, had a lack of resources, but soon after talking to Van Drie she had plenty

“He has been there ever since He loves it He has a community feel of belonging with a group He has friends Just really a family,” Rivera said

School has always been a struggle for the duo, as Emanuel, now 12, has struggled since elementary school Although she is n o t p u t t i n g d o w n t e a c h e r s i n p u b l i c schools, she wishes they had more training when it comes to kids on the spectrum

“Every little kid has a niche and frustrations and they are going to react their own way individually based on those frustrations,” Rivera said

Those frustrations became both physically aggressive and verbally aggressive because Emanuel was not able to get his emotions and feelings across to others.

“My child was sitting there and not really learning,"”she said

Rivera said once Van Drie and her team heard how much the kids were struggling and concerns were voiced from parents wondering if their child was going to be taken and admitted to SalusCare because of the lack of training and understanding of a diagnosis

“Every day was very scary,” she said W h e n T h r i v e A c a d e m y w a s b o r n , Rivera did not hesitate to enroll her son into the school.

“They are treated like human beings,” she said, adding that she has not felt this stress free since her son was born “They literally have been a Godsend It’s been amazing ”

Since the switch in schools, Rivera said she has seen amazing growth for his emotions as his verbal and physical aggressions have decreased

“He has had zero physical aggression while at school,” she said

As far as education, Emanuel now comes home and challenges his mom on things he has learned and comprehended at school, such as his times tables for math That in itself jerked some tears of joy for Rivera, as it finally happened for her son at the age of 11

“He actually remembers it He is actual-

“With me it has been a very emotional roller coaster in trying to make the right decision for my son I am a young single mother and I had no idea what to do I had no support. My family and friends were oblivious and in their way trying to look at the positive light of things for my son when he was little and growing up,” she said “Going through struggles by myself and making decisions has been very scary Just to know I have Anjali, David and staff and Thrive Academy is amazing I feel so grateful that he is going to attend Thrive Academy until he graduates That is no longer something I have to worry about ”

The same sentiments were shared by a n o t h e r m o t h e r w h o h a s f o u n d t h e resources she needed with Family Initiative and now Thrive Academy

Elenor Owen-Reich said her son Jacob was diagnosed when he was 6 years old He was nonverbal until he was almost 5 The family began attending the Saturday Playgroup, as she wanted her son to socialize and get out of the house

“He has social anxiety I wanted him to be around like-minded peers and out in the world,” Owen-Reich said

Jacob soon thereafter started Applied Behavior Analysis with Family Initiative, which helped him with his anxiety, as well as teaching him how to be around other children

Jacob attended public schools until March of this year when his mother pulled him out

“When it came to his academics he had no faith in himself He had complete anxiety towards academics,” Owen-Reich said “The public school environment wasn’t for him He was in the ESE room to begin with and transitioned with guidance He was struggling with that As much as I am appreciative for what they did for him, they did not have time to give the spectrum kids one-on-one ”

When Thrive Academy was first discussed as opening, Owen-Reich and her husband sat down and discussed it was the right move for Jacob as he needed the extra support

“When they mentioned Thrive, yes please,” she said “He needs that one-onone ”

Last year, he attended the micro school and everyone was shocked by the turnaround they saw in Jacob

“He does not get upset when he gets something wrong With a smaller classroom and focusing on his academic needs has been amazing He loves going there,” Owen-Reich said “He likes it there He is doing great both socially and academically. He is tackling his school work without getting frustrated He feels safe and he feels comfortable ”

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

Lee County receives Hurricane Ian after-action report

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Nearly a year after devastating Hurricane Ian changed Southwest Florida forever, Lee County Commissioners were presented with the official after-action report

The Lee County Hurricane Ian After-Action Report presented Tuesday morning reviewed the county's preparedness, response and recovery efforts

Lee County Assistant County Manager Christine Brady detailed that Hurricane Ian was the third costliest hurricane to make landfall in the United States, totaling $112 billion in damages

Brady said the report “focuses on county-wide operations, and does not cover department-specific operations

“If focuses on broad, policy-level issues or operational challenges encountered as a result of Hurricane Ian, and does not document department level issues, adjustments, or improvements that have taken effect during or after the event,” he continued

“Observations and recommendations in the report are intended to contribute to Lee County's preparedness and readiness for future storm events ”

The report details 14 different “observations” made in regard to the county's response and recovery actions

before, during and after Hurricane Ian These observations note actions made by the county, such as opening shelters, leveraging resources, the sending of information and other actions

Each of these observations comes with recommendations on how to improve the action moving forward Recommendations include the county coordinating with all Emergency Operation sections and county leadership to develop checklists or job aids for personnel; further developing an EOC guide; continue to explore and evaluate strategies to coordinate shelter operations; convening with other municipalities and entities to establish additional base camp locations, improve information sharing; and more

The report states that post-landfall, the county initiated Urban Search and Rescue missions, bringing in teams across the state via helicopter After the storm, 98% of the county was without electricity and numerous roadways, especially to island towns, were virtually impassable

In the first 36 hours after Hurricane Ian’s landfall, officials state that first responders continued to respond to the pending 752 fire and EMS calls received during the storm and consolidated the list down to 26 outstanding

New scanners on school buses provide tracking for parents

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Parents now have immediate tracking of what time their child gets on and off a school bus, the bus stop where they exit, as well as the bus number through a new Student Ridership terminal, which was installed on the School District of Lee County buses.

“We are excited about the possibilities and security it is going to offer to parents,” District spokesperson Rob Spicker said

The terminals were installed as another safety measure for students, parents and the district, as it allows immediate tracking to determine where the student is through the WheresTheBus parent app

“As they board the bus, they scan that card through the scanner It beeps and shows the driver on a terminal on the other side, the student's name and identifies if the student is on the correct bus,” Spicker said.

He said the terminal will flash red if the student gets on the wrong bus, and off at the wrong bus stop

When the bus reaches the student's stop, the student has to scan their card again as they exit the school bus, which again identifies if the student is getting off at the correct bus stop The parent will be notified of the time they were dropped off at the stop

“We were never able to allow a parent to track the substitute bus,” he said as they did not have the manpower to manage the undertaking “If you are concerned about something, you can say ‘I am worried about my child on bus 222 ’ We can, through the master end, pull up the records of when (the ID card was scanned) and know exactly where (the student got off at a bus stop )”

Another scenario would be if a bus breaks down and students are placed on another bus, parents will now have the new bus number and what time the child boards the bus

Spicker said the new system will give families a peace of mind and security, as they have real time knowledge of which students are on which bus and when they get on and off the bus

In order to receive these notifications, parents must register for the WheresTheBus parent app, which utilizes their child's school ID There is information about the app, as well as the registration process at www wheresthebus com

WheresTheBus app has been spotty as there has been an overload of log-ins Spicker said the app only goes down for a short period of time, which as of Monday was being worked on and fixed

calls due to lack of access

As time passed and recovery efforts continued, so did damage assessment

Throughout Lee County, 24,585 residential structures

e

Property loss was estimated at approximately $3 22 billion The USCG completed its waterway assessment on Friday, Oct 7

According to the county, 5,076 homes and 284 businesses were destroyed throughout the county, with 910 businesses suffering major damage and 1,851 suffering minor damage

The conclusion of the report states, in part: "Hurricane Ian was a massive incident on a scale that few communities will encounter. County staff did work during the response well beyond the typical scope of normal duties, yet seamlessly embraced new and emerging roles and responsibilities This was also true of multi-jurisdictional, private sector and non- profit stakeholders, who were all committed to working together to support the Lee County community "

The full report is published on Lee County website: www leegov com

Greater Pine Island Alliance hands out supplies donated to islanders from Lions Club

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com

On Wednesday, Aug 9, at the Pine Island United Methodist Church, the Greater Pine Island Alliance handed out supplies to islanders in need Executive Director Erin Lollar-Lambert said the International Lions Club reached out to the GPIA asking if the island group could use supplies With their own budget, $10,000 worth of drywall and insulation was delivered to the residents of Pine Island to use as needed

“It’s a great collaboration We are definitely hoping to work with them in the future It took us 32 minutes to give away all $10,000 in supplies, so the need is still very great on the island GPIA is working hard with all of our collaborators to continue to bring supplies to the island,” Lambert said

Fort Myers Lions Club President Jim Brown, who said he comes to Pine Island to fish on occasion, came to the giveaway event and reported that the event went like clock work The money to fund the event, he said, came from the Lions Club International Foundation, which is a national organization

“They have grants and they have disaster relief, so, immediately after the hurricane, Lions Club International was pumping money into this community,” Brown said

The event, he said, is a direct result of the involvement of the local Lions Club The Lions Club International is concerned with world humanitarian outreach, which is then filtered down to the local Lions Club, which focuses on community needs

“They are, in fact, the boots on the ground They see what needs to be done and they go after it,” Brown said

The appeal of the Lions Club, Brown said, is in its ability to offer him an opportunity to serve To see a need and to be able to address it and take care of it is something he has found that’s been lasting

“Many times, the Lions Club member is rewarded just as much as the person we are giving the service to,” Brown said

Lions Club First Vice District Governor, Florida District 35I, Patty Strong, who has been in the Lions Club for 18 years, said she was hooked after the first meeting she attended

“I’m going to die a Lion, and I’m going to die with a smile on my face,” Strong said

Strong said she is very interested in re-building a Lions Club on Pine Island, which has been lost since approximately 2020, with the passing of the former president

PHOTO PROVIDED

Gulf Coast Writers Association set to publish ‘Storm Stories — Hurricane Ian’

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

A collaborative effort to tell “Stories of Survival, Heroism and Humanity” has come together in “Storm Stories Hurricane Ian ”

With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian making landfall in Southwest Florida ap-proaching, the Gulf Coast Writers Association, in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts, will release a commemorative book complied from 83 submissions, including poetry and long narratives

The book’s cover art was done by renowned artist Leoma Lovegrove, who lost both her home and gallery in Matlacha to Ian The foreword was written by award-winning novelist Robert Macomber, who was among the evacuees from Pine Island

“In this collection of stories, you will read of that storm’s profound effects on the people and places of this coast, told by those who endured it,” Macomber said “I am proud to be part of this literary endeavor, for the heart of it is a powerful, vivid story about the better angels of human nature, which emerge when least expected and most needed.”

Lovegrove said working on the project was cathartic

“After the Ian wave hit, our home on Matlacha was a total loss,” she said “Part of the house washed out to sea, so all of our personal belongings now reside in the Gulf of Mexico ”

Taking on this art project was very personal

“When Hurricanes Ian hit, I eased my stress by painting up a storm, and Ian about knocked the wind and paint brush right out of me I did this project because my paintings tell my story the best I offered the art before they encouraged me to write my story I struggled through the writing It was hard to express myself with words It’s much easier to paint,” Lovegrove said

GCWA secretary and project leader Jeanne Meeks

describes the project as a labor of love

It began at post-Ian meeting after the executive committee decided there were enough stories to gather and compile an entire book

W i t h f o u r a c t i n g e d i t o r s a n d Alliance for the Arts partnership, book received the 83 narratives

“Our whole purpose was to give pe ple a voice to get off their chests, t e f f e c t s o f h a v i n g b e e n t h r o u g h t h storm, whether it was the flooding o the aftermath whatever they wen through,” Meeks said

The book runs the gamut, from sub missions from those who took cove from the storm in their attic to those w h o e x p e r i e n c e d i n s u r a n c e i s s u e s post storm

Although most stories in the book are from novice writers, some are p u b l i s h e d a u t h o r s T h e e d i t o r i a l process was performed by members of the GCWA in an effort to clean up any mistakes, without losing the original voice and tone conveyed by the writers, Meeks said

A s o n e o f t h e f o u r e d i t o r s , Meeks admits there are several stories that she found particularly poigna , g a story about a man who stepped outside his Bonita Beach condo and was swept away by the storm surge and knocked into nearby mangroves, where he had to hang on for several hours

“There are several like that it just breaks your heart where they didn’t have enough money to replace things they’re just relying on neighbors and friends,” Meeks said

Meeks went on to note Macomber’s forward is quite interesting, as he talks about being evacuated from Pine Island, becoming a refugee himself

A th toryteller acted quickly by going out immediately to shovel mud out of the homes of others and help to replace their rooftops, she said

“A couple of months later, he was still helping a family get a car and get a place who were displaced by the storm He solicited the help from his community up in Ohio, to sponsor this family and make sure they had what they needed because they’re hardworking people, who just had bad luck

The disaster hit everybody from very poor to rich people and it’s no less devstating,” Meeks said

Although she didn’t take an exact ount of how many writers in the book re from the GCWA, Meeks approxiated that quite a few are current memers

“Some people dropped off stories to e Alliance and some only did it over the ephone somehow recording their ces for the stories So, that’s a differexperience taking somebody’s ce and transcribing it into a story,”

Meeks said

The 400 to 500 hours spent passing out flyers and stopping people to ask for stories on Hurricane Ian paid off, generating good participation in the group’s first book project

“Storm Stories-Hurricane Ian” will be available as a

See ‘STORM STORIES,’ page 25

Macomber receives Gold Medal for ‘Code of Honor’ novel

Local author Robert N Macomber has earned another Gold Medal, this time for his 16th novel in his “Honor Series,” titled “Code Of Honor ” Within this historical fiction thriller, Macomber covers the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905

Here's an excerpt from the recent Florida Authors & Publishers Association newsletter and congratulatory letter M a c o m b e r r e c e i v e d . T h e F A P A P r e s i d e n t ' s A w a r d s Ceremony was held in Orlando on Aug 5

“The FAPA President’s Book Awards recognizes book publishing excellence and creativity in design, content, and production for authors, illustrators, cover designers, and publishers This contest isn’t limited to Florida; it is open to anyone worldwide, as long as the book is written in English We hope to encourage entries from all who share our complex and wonderful language Publishers, librarians, educators, and other professionals in the indus-

try from Florida and throughout the United States volunteer as judges Three judges read each entry, and their scores determine the finalists Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded based on each book’s score and the range of scores in each category Competition is very tight Congratulations again to all of our winners Earning a medal is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to each winner’s skill and talent.” -- Robert C. Jacob III, FAPA president

For more information about Macomber and a list of his books, please visit his website at https://www robertmacomber com/

Island author Robert N. Macomber with his Gold Medal and novel “Code of Honor.”

PHOTO PROVIDED

‘Storm Stories:’ Special publication about Ian

From page 20

trade paperback and hard cover at local book stores; the gift shop at the Alliance for the Arts (artinlee org); at the Alliance’s popular monthly Night Market, and at Leoma Lovegrove’s Art Gallery, now in downtown Fort Myers

It also will be available at other Southwest Florida outlets including Copperfish in Punta Gorda and Annette’s

Book Nook on Fort Myers Beach as well as online from Amazon com in e-book, paperback and hard cover versions

Pre-publication orders for the e-book on Amazon are now being accepted The book is expected to publish in September

GCWA’s website is https://gulfwriters org/

Writing contest winners to read works at GCWA meeting Saturday

The Gulf Coast Writers Association Inc , Southwest Florida’s 28-year-old meeting ground for writers, editors and their associates, invites the public to attend its meeting Saturday, Aug 19, from 10 a m to noon, at which the winners of its 2023 writing contest will read from their winning works

Awards in the adult section were made to persons 18 years and older in three categories: Nonfiction, Poetry, and Fiction Of the nine winners, eight are expected to be reading in person and one will be reading remotely via

Zoom Awards were made in the youth section (ages 1117) in one all-inclusive category One of the youths is expected to be reading in person

The readings will take place at GCWA’s monthly meeting at Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge / Peace Community Church, 17671 Pine Ridge Road, Fort Myers Beach The readings will be the featured part of the meeting and are expected to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Founded in 1995, the Gulf Coast Writers Association Inc provides a forum for fellowship, education and infor-

mation for writers, editors and associates Based in Fort Myers, the organization attracts members from throughout Southwest Florida, including Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel and Punta Gorda At monthly meetings, speakers and workshops offer expert advice on such topics as writing techniques, publishing, and marketing

GCWA monthly meetings are open to the public. There is no cost to attend GCWA monthly meetings for members and first-time guests; subsequent visitors pay $5

September programs 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

10 a m , Fridays, Sept 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 6 p m , Tuesdays, Sept 5, 12, 19, 26 Free, informal conversation sessions for adult ESOL/ESL students

Book Discussion: “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano

11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6

William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him Awarded a college basketball scholarship away from home, he befriends a spirited young woman who welcomes him into her loving, loud, chaotic household But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's p l a n s f o r t h e i r f u t u r e , b u t t h e s i s t e r s ' unshakeable loyalty to one another The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?

Crafts at Cape: Decoupage Jars

11 a m , Thursday, Sept 7

Decoupage is an easy craft technique that uses a special glue to affix paper or fabric to a hard surface Join us as we recreate two different styles, using glass jars This craft can get messy, please wear appropriate clothing Space is limited so registration is required

Download Drop-In

11 a m , Thursdays, Sept 7, 21

Receive personalized help downloading e-books, movies, music and more from Overdrive/Libby and 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

Medicare 101

2 p m , Tuesday, Sept 19

Join SHINE to learn about the basics of Medicare and the importance of enrollment periods

S H I N E ( S e r v i n g H e a l t h I n s u r a n c e Needs of Elders) is a Florida Department of Elder Affairs program managed locally b y t h e A r e a A g e n c y o n A g i n g f o r Southwest Florida SHINE services are

free and unbiased; trained volunteers help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries to understand their health care options s o t h e y c a n m a k e i n f o r m e d d e c i s i o n s

Registration is required

Crafts at Cape: Blind Bag Craft

11 a m , Thursday, Sept 21

Crafters will be receiving a brown paper bag filled with a different craft Blind Bags may include previous crafts we have hosted such as paper quilling, painting with wool, jewelry, greeting card and so much more Join the fun and show us what you make Registration is required Supplies and instructions will be provided for each bag Space is limited to 20

Children’s Programs

Kids Read Down Fines

1 – 2 p m , Saturday, Sept 2

5:15 – 6:15 p m , Wednesday, Sept 20

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 Reference Desk

Preschool Storytime

10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

For ages 3-5 Children attend this prog r a m i n d e p e n d e n t l y w h i l e p a r e n t s a n d caregivers wait nearby First come, first served Space is limited Please arrive early and pick up a ticket at the Youth Services desk

Toddler Tales

10:30 a.m., Wednesdays, Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27

For ages 18-36 months and caregivers

Toddlers and caregivers move and groove d u r i n g t h i s i n t e r a c t i v e s t o r y t i m e F i r s t come, first served Space is limited Please arrive early and pick up a ticket at the Youth Services desk

LEGO Club

4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6

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

Baby Rhyme Time

10:30 a m , Thursdays, Sept 7, 14, 21, 28

For babies up to 18 months Babies and caregivers wiggle and giggle in a supportive environment First come, first served Space is limited Please arrive early and pick up a ticket at the Youth Services desk

Pre-K Pirate Craft

10:30 a.m., Monday, Sept. 11

For ages 3-5. Ahoy me hearties. Arrr ye scallywags ready for a swashbuckling good time? If so, join us in celebrating pirates this month with an arts and craft program

Registration is required All supplies provided All children should be accompanied by an adult for assistance

STEAM Club

4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 13

For ages 5-11 Be ready for fun experiments and projects as we explore the world

o f S T E A M : S c i e n c e , T e c h n o l o g y , Engineering, Art and Math Dress for mess Your registration is only guaranteed until the start of the program All materials provided

Teen Programs

Kids Read Down Fines

1 – 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2

5:15 – 6:15 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20

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 Reference Desk

Anime Club

4 p m , Thursday, Sept 7

For ages 11-18 For teens and tweens interested in anime, manga, Japanese culture and other pop culture genres Snack with friends and make themed crafts while watching anime All supplies provided

Sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library

What the Craft? Zentangle Watercolor Coasters

4 p m , Thursday, Sept 14

For ages 11-18 Create a watercolor effect with ink sprays and draw Zentangle designs with sharpies for a personalized c o a s t e r t o t a k e h o m e N o r e g i s t r a t i o n required All supplies are provided while they last Snacks provided Sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library

Random Acts of Tech: Code-A-Shape

4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 21

Join this program series and learn about coding and robotics with Sphero sprk+ robots Each month we will build on the skills we have learned from the previous activity All supplies provided No registration required

Urban Legends, Social Media and the Ghostly Legends of Florida

4 p.m., Thursday, Septem. 28

For ages 11-18 Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano will share myths created or updated and spread by social media We're keeping the lights on as we talk a b o u t h o w l e g e n d s l i k e S l e n d e r M a n , Nowhere Man and Charlie Charlie have changed how people explain haunted stories in Florida No registration required Light snacks provided

The Cape Coral Lee County Public L i b r a r y i s l o c a t e d a t 9 2 1 S W 3 9 t h Terrace in Cape Coral For more information 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 239479-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

Lee County Library System celebrates successful Summer Reading Program

Lee County Library System’s 2023

Summer Reading Program saw thousands of books go into the hands of children and teens along with outstanding participation from all ages

This annual program fosters the love of reading and helps prevent summer learning loss by students on school break As part of that effort, nearly 13,000 free books were distributed to kids and teens both in and outside of Lee County library branches

The national Summer Reading Program theme, All Together Now, encouraged the community to spread kindness and connect

County Library branches hosted programs like Adam’s Animal Encounters where teens learned about wildlife management, Bunny Yoga and Mindfulness, storytelling

through puppetry, and magic and science shows

Participants of all ages logged more than 700,000 books read as part of the online reading challenge Additionally, the "Kindness Bingo” offline challenge had 7,830 people engaging in good deeds and reading Lee County Library System hosted 10 kick-off events, offered 452 programs and staff visited 100 off-site locations to reach more than 20,000 members of the community

The Lee County Library System, founded in 1964, has 13 branches to serve Lee County residents Library programs are always free and open to the public For more information about the Lee County Library System, visit www leelibrary net or call 239-479-4636

Cape Council amends Sun Splash water park lease

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l a p p r o v e d a n a m e n d m e n t t o i t s l e a s e a g r e e m e n t f o r S u n S p l a s h F a m i l y W a t e r p a r k , w h i c h w i l l p r o d u c e a d d i t i o n a l r e n t a t v a r i o u s p e r c e n ta g e s o f g r o s s s a l e s t h a t e x c e e d $ 4 2 . 1 m i l l i o n . M a y o r J o h n G u n t e r a n d C o u n c i l m e m b e r s K e i t h L o n g a n d R o b e r t W e l s h v o t e d a g a i n s t t h e a m e n d m e n t t o t h e l e a s e a g r e e m e n t C o u n c i l m e m b e r B i l l S t e i n k e w a s n o t p r e s e n t A s s i s t a n t C i t y M a n a g e r C o n n i e B a r r o n s a i d t h e y c a m e u p w i t h a n o t h e r o p t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e f u n d i n g o f t h e w a v e p o o l t h e p a r k i s u n d e r t a k i n g t o c o m e u p w i t h a d i f f e r e n t r e v e n u e s h a r i n g o p t i o n P r e s i d e n t o f P r o P a r k s C u r t C a f f e y s a i d t h e y s a w a 2 0 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e i n o v e r a l l p r o d u c t i v i t y i n t h e b u s i n e s s i n t h e i r f i r s t y e a r p e r f o r m a n c e o f 2 0 2 2 H e s a i d a s p a r t o f t h e o r i g i n a l l e a s e a g r e e m e n t t h e y w e r e r e q u i r e d t o m a k e q u i t e a f e w i m p r o v e m e n t s t o t h e p a r k Those improvements included Little Sharky Reef, 32 cabanas to the property, as well as new food products “ W e f e e l v e r y c o n f i d e n t a s a n o r g a n i z a t i o n t h i s t y p e

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Cape homeowner denied setback variance for home built too close to the road due to survey error

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council affirmed a hearing examiner’s ruling regarding a front yard setback for a newly constructed home

The hearing officer denied a request for a variance

The property, at 302 S W 29th Street, is 12,369 square feet or 28 acres

The issue was brought before Council by attorney Amy Thibaut of Pavese Law

Firm who was requesting an appeal of the decision made by the hearing examiner who denied a front yard setback variance of 6 7 feet for the already constructed home.

The failure to meet the city’s setback requirement was attributed to a survey error not caught until the home’s final inspection

The hearing examiner stated that the front yard variance did not meet six of the seven necessary criteria for approval

The property owner, Joe Martins, was the developer of the home he said he intended to make his personal residence

The staff recommendation was denial of the appeal, “therefore affirming the earlier decision of the hearing examiner ” Thibaut argued that the property met all of the criteria for a variance and said the property owner is suffering a great deal of hardship as there has been a snowball effect The property owner is now in default of his construction loan and facing

foreclosure proceedings because the house h a s n o t r e c e i v e d a C e r t i f i c a t i o n o f Occupancy from the city With no CO, she said he cannot get financing on the home, or property insurance.

Councilmembers Dan Sheppard, Jessica Cosden and Patty Cummings voted against affirming the hearing officer’s denial Councilmember Bill Steinke was not present

Cape Council continues to hone city budget

0

A u g u s t 1 8 ,

The proposed General Fund, or operations budget, increase is $228,269,306 for a total proposed budget of $1,096,630,729.

p o i n t o f o u r b u d g e t w o r k s h o p i s t o w o r k t o g e t h e r I b e l i e v e i t s h o u l d b e a c o l l a b or a t i v e e f f o r t b e t w e e n c i t y a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d C i t y C o u n c i l , ” h e s a i d M a s o n s a i d s t a f f l o o k e d a t p u b l i c s a f e t y f i r s t , t h e n r e q u e s t s m a d e b y t h e c i t y a t t o r n e y a n d d e v e l o p m e n t s e r v i c e s b u d g e t a m e n d m e n t f o r a d d i t i o n a l p e r s o nn e l T h e f u n d i n g a d j u s t m e n t s p r e s e n t e d w e r e f o r t h r e e f i r e f i g h t e r s f o r $ 3 8 0 , 3 9 2 ; f i r e s t a t i o n b a y d o o r s f o r $ 4 2 5 , 0 0 0 ; o n e p a t r o l o f f i c e r f o r t h e p o l i c e d e p a r t m e n t f o r $ 1 7 5 , 6 5 6 ; a n i n c r e a s e i n t h e b u d g e t f o r t h e a t t o r n e y a t $ 2 5 0 , 3 0 3 ; p e r s o n n e l f o r d e v e l o p m e n t s e r v i c e s a t $ 2 1 , 1 5 0 ; s i d e w a l k s a t $ 1 m i l l i o n a n d c i t y b e a u t i f ic a t i o n a t $ 7 4 , 2 3 6 , a l l o f w h i c h a r e f u n de d t h r o u g h t h e c i t y ’ s G e n e r a l F u n d

A r e s c u e u n i t v e h i c l e f o r t h e f i r e d e p a r t m e n t w a s a l s o a d d e d t o t h e f i s c a l y e a r 2 0 2 4 p r o p o s e d b u d g e t f o r $ 3 8 9 , 5 0 0 w i t h a f u n d i n g s o u r c e f r o m f i r e i m p a c t f e e s T h e p r o p o s e d G e n e r a l F u n d , o r o p e r at i o n s b u d g e t , i n c r e a s e i s $ 2 2 8 , 2 6 9 , 3 0 6 f o r a t o t a l p r o p o s e d b u d g e t o f $ 1 , 0 9 6 , 6 3 0 , 7 2 9 S i d e w a l k s T h e r e w a s a l e n g t h y d i s c u s s i o n c o nc e r n i n g t h e m i l l i o n d o l l a r s a d d e d t o t h e s i d e w a l k f u n d , a s t h e r e a l r e a d y i s a l i t t l e m o r e t h a n $ 4 m i l l i o n s e t a s i d e C o u n c i l

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O K t o s w i t c h t h e f u n d s “ I w i l l a l w a y s c h o o s e s a f e t y o v e r b e a u t y a n y t i m e I f y o u h a v e a n u n s a f e c i t y n o o n e i s g o i n g t o c o m e h e r e t o l i v e r e g a r d l e s s o f w h a t t h e t r e e s , c u r b i n g o r l a n d s c a p i n g l o o k s l i k e , ” H a y d e n s a i d T h o s e w h o v o t e d t o s w i t c h t h e m i l l i o n d o l l a r s i n t o t h e b e a u t i f i c a t i o n b u d g e t w e r e n o t a g a i n s t p u t t i n g m o r e s i d e w a l k s i n f o r s a f e t y , b u t d i d n o t w a n t t h e m o n e y t o s i t s t a g n a n t w h e n i t c o u l d b e u s e d f o r i m m e d i a t e p r o j e c t s o f b e a u t i f i c a t i o n

“ I d o n ’ t m i n d p u t t i n g d o l l a r s a t s o m et h i n g i f w e c a n g e t s o m e t h i n g a c c o mp l i s h e d , b u t i f w e h a v e a t w o y e a r t r a c k r e c o r d t h a t w e h a v e o n l y s p e n t a m i l l i o n o f $ 5 m i l l i o n a n d w e h a v e n e e d s o f t h e c i t y w h y a r e w e d o i n g t h a t , ” M a y o r J o h n G u n t e r s a i d C o s d e n a s k e d i f t h e r e a r e o t h e r f u n d s i n t h e b u d g e t t h a t w h e n n o t s p e n t r o l l o v e r t o t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r I l c z y s z y n s a i d i t h a p p e n s w i t h c a p i t a l p r o j e c t f u n d s . “ S o , t h i s h a p p e n s i n b u d g e t s , i t ’ s n o t

a b n o r m a l , n o t u n h e a r d o f a n d i t d o e s n ’ t m e a n t h a t w e t a k e t h a t m o n e y a n d s p e n d i t o n s o m e t h i n g e l s e b e c a u s e w e w e r e n ’ t a b l e t o s p e n d i t t h e y e a r b e f o r e ? W e k e e p i t f o r w h a t i t i s i n t e n d e d f o r I j u s t w a n te d t o m a k e t h a t p o i n t w h e n i t c o m e s t o s i d e w a l k s , ” s h e s a i d T h e r e i s $ 1 3 m i l l i o n f o r g r a n t - f u n d e d s i d e w a l k s a n d z e r o d o l l a r s f o r G e n e r a l F u n d f u n d e d s i d e w a l k s f o r t h e 2 0 2 4 b u d g e t “ B e c a u s e w e w e r e b e h i n d o n g e t t i n g t h i s y e a r ’ s a l l o c a t i o n d o n e , w e a r e k i n d o f u s i n g t h i s y e a r a s a p a u s e A t o n e p o i n t w e t h o u g h t w e w o u l d b e a b l e t o p u t s o m e a d d i t i o n a l m o n e y b a c k i n t o s i d ew a l k s a f t e r t h e J u l y 1 n u m b e r s c a m e o u t , b u t w e w e r e n ’ t a b l e t o m a k e t h a t w o r k , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d I l c z y s z y n s a i d t h e y c o u l d h a v e s p e n t t h e $ 4 m i l l i o n i n t h e s i d e w a l k f u n d , b u t t h e c i t y d i d n o t r e c e i v e a g o o d u n i t p r i c e b i d T h e b i d c a m e i n a t $ 1 6 m i l l i o n f o r e i g h t m i l e s , $ 2 m i l l i o n a m i l e f o r s i d ew a l k s “ W e h a v e t o b a l a n c e t h e C o u n c i l ’ s p r i o r i t y W e w a n t s i d e w a l k s p u t i n w h e r e w e g e t a g o o d p r i c e I t w e n t o u t f o r b i d f o r a l l e i g h t m i l e s , b u t w h a t c a m e b a c k w a s a s t r o n o m i c a l , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d , a d d i n g t h e y h a v e a l s o h a d i s s u e s w i t h t h e h u r r i c a n e , l a b o r , c o n c r e t e d e l i v e r y a n d e s c a l a t e d p r i c e s i n l a b o r a n d m a t e r i a l 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 i n s t e a d o f a d d i n g m o r e m o n e y i n t o t h e s i d e w a l k b u d g e t i t s h o u l d b e p u t t o w a r d s s o m e t h i n g t h a t t h e c i t y c o u l d f e e l t h e r e s u l t s r i g h t a w a y , s u c h a s c u r b i n g a n d b e a u t i f i c a t i o n See BUDGET, page 29

From page 28

o n t o t w o m i l e s f r o m s c h o o l s “ I t h i n k t w o y e a r s a g o o u r s i d e w a l k p r o j e c t w a s m a i n l y f u n d e d b y g r a n t s a n d w e w e r e f a l l i n g b e h i n d , ” H a y d e n s a i d “ N o w t h a t w e h a v e b e e n a b l e t o a t l e a s t c a t c h u p a n d c o n t i n u e w i t h t h e s e p r o j e c t s i t i s b e c a u s e o f t h e c o u n c i l ’ s c o m m i tm e n t t o s a f e t y , a s w e l l a s b e a u t i f i c a t i o n , t h e s e p r o j e c t s a r e a b l e t o c o n t i n u e ”

W i t h t h e u n k n o w n o f t h e e c o n o m y a n d i n a b i l i t y t o k n o w i f f u n d s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e c i t y , h e s a i d t h e c i t y h a s t o f u n d i t t h r o u g h t h e G e n e r a l F u n d . “ I t i s a r i s k t o n o t c o n t i n u e t h e m o m e n t u m o f a p r o j e c t t h a t w e k n e w b a c k i n 2 0 1 6 t o l d u s t h a t o n l y 8 p e r c e n t o f o u r r o a d s h a d s i d e w a l k s T h e g a i n s t h a t w e a r e m a k i n g n o w I c e r t a i n l y w o u l d n o t w a n t t o b e f o r n o t k e e p i n g t h a t m o n e y i n t h e r e A t s o m e p o i n t o v e r t h e n e x t y e a r w e c a n c a t c h u p , ” H a y d e n s a i d “ I t d o e s g o b a c k t o q u a l i t y o f l i f e a n d p u b l i c s a f e t y I d o n ’ t w a n t L e e C o u n t y t o c o n t i n u e l e a d i n g t h e s t a t e i n t h e n u m b e r o f p e d e s t r i a n a n d c y c l i n g d e a t h s a n d F l o r i d a t o b e i n t h e t o p t h r e e i n t h e c o u nt r y w i t h t h e s a m e s t a t i s t i c s E v e r y p r o j e c t w e a r e a b l e t o f i n i s h i s i m p o r t a n t t o o u r s a f e t y a n d q u a l i t y o f l i f e ” F i r e D e p a r t m e n t C o u n c i l a l s o t o o k a c o n s e n s u s t o m o v e f o r w a r d w i t h b a y d o o r i m p r o v em e n t s C o u n c i l m e m b e r K e i t h L o n g s a i d h e d i d n o t b e l i e v e t h e r e w a s a c o n s e n s u s f r o m t h e C o u n c i l r e g a r d i n g p u b l i c s a f e t y a n d f u l l - t i m e e q u i v a l e n t s . H e s a i d h e d i d n o t t h i n k I l c z y s z y n d i d n o t a p p r o v e t h e

r e q u e s t s o r i g i n a l l y b a s e d o n f i n a n c e s a s

C o u n c i l h a s s p o k e n f r e q u e n t l y o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f p u b l i c s a f e t y

“ I c e r t a i n l y w o u l d t h i n k t h a t i f y o u s a w i t d e e m e d f i t a n d n e c e s s a r y y o u w o u l d h a v e f o u n d a w a y a s p a r t o f t h e o r i g i n a l r e q u e s t t o a p p r o v e t h e m i f y o u s a w f i t , ” L o n g s a i d o f s t a f f u n i t s H e q u e s t i o n e d t h e n e e d t o s p e n d m o n e y o n b a y d o o r s f o r a f i r e s t a t i o n , a s a p p a r e n t l y r e s p o n s e t i m e i s w h a t b r o u g h t f o r t h t h e n e e d “ A r e w e i n s t a l l i n g t h e b a y d o o r s o n t h e f r o n t a n d t h e r e a r ? I f w e a r e , m a y b e w e d o n ’ t n e e d t o i n s t a l l t h e m o n t h e r e a r b e c a u s e t h a t i s n o t a t i m e i s s u e C a n w e s a v e m o n e y t h e r e ? T h o s e a r e a l l s m a l l t h i n g s , ” L o n g s a i d F i r e C h i e f R y a n L a m b s a i d t h e r e s p o n s e t i m e s a r e p a r t o f r e p l a c i n g t h e d o o r s , a s w e l l a s a n e f f o r t t o r e d u c e o p e ra t i n g a n d m a i n t e n a n c e c o s t s T h e $ 4 2 5 , 0 0 0 i s a n e s t i m a t e f o r o n e s t a t i o n f o r s i x d o o r s “ W e a r e g o i n g t o f u n c t i o n , o u r t r u c k s a r e g o i n g t o r u n d o w n t h e r o a d s i f w e h a v e t h e d o o r s o r n o t O u r o l d e r s t a t i o n s w e r e b u i l t i n t h e e a r l y ’ 9 0 s a n d h a v e t h e o r i g i n a l d o o r s o n i t W e a r e i n v e s t i n g q u i t e a b i t o f m o n e y t o k e e p t h e m g o i n g , ” L a m b s a i d L a m b s a i d t h r o u g h a s t a f f a n a l y s i s t h e y l o o k e d a t t h e m a n d a t o r y p o s i t i o n s t h a t a r e r e q u i r e d t o b e o n t h e s t r e e t e v e r y d a y T h e d e p a r t m e n t i s a t 5 7 p o s i t i o n s w i t h

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6 2 p o s i t i o n s m i n i m u m e v e r y d a y f o r b a t t a l i o n c h i e f s , l i e u t e n a n t s , f i r ef i g h t e r s a n d e n g i n e e r s . “ T h e n u m b e r o f p e o p l e i t t a k e s t o f i l l

t h o s e s e a t s e v e r y d a y i s

3 9 2 , a l m o s t f o u r p e o p l e t o f i l l o n e o f t h o s e s e a t s , ”

L a m b s a i d F r o m t h e r e t h e y l o o k a t h o w m a n y

F T E s a r e n e e d e d f o r s h i f t w o r k , w h i c h c a m e o u t t o 2 4 3 F T E , o r 8 1 i n d i v i d u a l s p e r s h i f t L a m b s a i d w i t h t h e p r o p o s e d b u d g e t p r i o r t o A u g 1 6 i t o n l y h a d 2 4 0

F T E s “ T o d a y i t b r i n g s i t u p t o 2 4 3 , w h i c h i s r i g h t o n t h e m o n e y o f w h e r e w e n e e d t o b e , ” L a m b s a i d C i t y A t t o r n e y C i t y A t t o r n e y A l e k s a n d r B o k s n e r s a i d t h e $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 , w h i c h i s f o r s a l a r y , b e n ef i t s , t e c h n o l o g y a n d t r a v e l f o r t r a i n i n g , i s a c o n s e r v a t i v e n u m b e r , a s h e i s t r y i n g t o b e m i n d f u l “ I t ’ s s o m e t h i n g t h a t I w i l l h a v e t o e v a l u a t e i n t e r m s o f t h e o f f i c e a n d r e a l l y a d d r e s s w h e r e w e i n t e n d a n d I i n t e n d f o r t h e o f f i c e t o b e i n t e r m s o f i t s e x p e r t i s e a n d k n o w l e d g e T h a t i s g o i n g t o s h i f t a n d s e t t h e g o a l o f t h e o f f i c e , ” h e s a i d “ W h a t i s t h e b e s t m e c h a n i s m t o a c c o m p l i s h t h a t ? T h a t i s d o l l a r s a n d c e n t s ”

B o k s n e r s a i d h e d o e s n o t h a v e s p a c e f o r m o r e a t t o r n e y s , b u t h e w o u l d l i k e t o m a k e s u r e h e r e t a i n s w h o h e h a s a n d w h o i s b r o u g h t i n t o t h e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e T h e f i r s t p u b l i c h e a r i n g i s T h u r s d a y , S e p t 7 , a t 5 : 0 5 p m t o a p p r o v e t h e t e nt a t i v e m i l l a g e r a t e s a n d p r o p o s e d b u d g e t T h e f i n a l p u b l i c h e a r i n g i s s e t f o r T h u r s d a y , S e p t 2 1 , a t 5 : 0 5 p m t o a d o p t t h e m i l l a g e r a t e s a n d b u d g e t

City to host Development Discussions webinar series

The city of Cape Coral is hosting a webinar series as p a r t o f t h e D e v e l o p m e n t Discussions outreach initiative This series will help r e s i d e n t s a n d d e v e l o p e r s connect with and learn more about the city's Development Services Division

T h i s m o n t h l y w e b i n a r series will begin at 9 a m , Wednesday, Aug 23, and will feature a different topic each month through May 2024

These virtual discussions are free and open to the public No RSVP is necessary

For a complete list of dates, times and topics and for more information on the outreach initiative, please v i s i t w w w c a p e c o r a l g o v / developmentdiscussions

Melton named to new post at Bishop Verot

B i s h o p V e r o t C a t h o l i c H i g h S c h o o l r e c e n t l y announced that a new assist a n t d i r e c t o r o f s p e c i a l events, donor and alumni r e l a t i o n s h a s j o i n e d t h e Verot family

Crystal Melton will lead Bishop Verot’s events and alumni relations efforts as the school continues to see r e c o r d e n r o l l m e n t a n d growth.

Melton brings with her experience in the field of e v e n t s , f u n d r a i s i n g a n d community relations She e a r n e d h e r b a c h e l o r ’ s degree in elementary education, and a masters in curriculum and instruction She p r e v i o u s l y w a s o n t h e BVHS School Board and the chair of the Curriculum & A c a d e m i c A f f a i r s Committee for BVHS. Most recently, she was a teacher and director of development a t S t A n d r e w C a t h o l i c School

Drug Free Lee annual meeting Tuesday

Drug Free Lee, celebrating a year of prevention in Lee County, will be holding its annual meeting Tuesday, Aug 22, at 5:30 p m , at C o l l a b o r a t o r y , 2 0 3 1 J a c k s o n S t , F o r t M y e r s T h e m e e t i n g i s f r e e a n d open to the public -- no reservations are required A t t h e m e e t i n g , D r u g Free Lee will be honoring o u t g o i n g L e e C o u n t y Manager Roger Desjarlais with the Hanely Foundation P r e v e n t i o n S u p e r h e r o Award F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , visit https://drugfreelee org/

Yacht Club: All buildings at the city’s first public facility to be torn down

From page 1

with other government entities

The city is evaluating “piggybacking”

c o o p e r a t i v e c o n t r a c t s , s u c h a s O m n i a Partners, Sourcewell, or other public entity contracts Agenda item documents state that there is a job order contracting solicitation for the Pinellas County Schools, “which was solicited and awarded to multiple vendors following all state and federal regulations ” The contract also has been vetted using FEMA related causes, which are required for reimbursement

C a p i t a l I m p r o v e m e n t D i r e c t o r P a u l

Interim City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said the intent for is for all the buildings onsite, including the Rotino Center, Harbor Master building, the ballroom, ticket booth, electric building, pool area and pump house, be demolished. The million dollar figure for demolition was computed after consultation with contractors

12 individual stakeholder members He said he also spoke to the Youth Council member, as well as the Historical Society member because the time of the day conflicted with their school and work schedule

the three-month duration to actually move everything forward Documents are still ready at the end of September,” he said, adding at the end of October, the award would be executed with the piggyback option “October notice to proceed and three months to actually do the work ”

tery to determine if there are components of items within the ballroom building that should be preserved or incorporated into the planned rebuild

So far 11 stakeholders have confirmed they can make the scheduled tour date The city is waiting to hear back from one member

“All the lottery folks go on one day, and then another time to get the historical and student can go,” Ilczyszyn said

Clinghan said as far as the total schedule, if the city “piggybacks” and uses an alreadyapproved vendor they could shave 30 days off the demolition schedule

“At the end of January 2024 could be

There was also discussion about the Yacht Club Stakeholder Group, pulled together by city staff via an application lot-

The Ballroom is a state-recognized historic building Built as a public complex by the city’s developers, the park dates back to the community’s founding

Ilczyszyn said the auditor assisted in pulling the lottery, as well as contacting the

Academic Village: Four planned uses for 172-acre site off Del Prado

From page 1

T h e r e a r e f o u r p l a n n e d u s e s f o r t h e p r o p e r t y a r e q u i r e d 2 3 p e r c e n t c o n s e r v a t i o n e a s e m e n t , a n d a m i n i m u m o f 3 p e r c e n t c o m m e r c i a l , 1 5 p e r c e n t l i g h t i n d u s t r i a l a n d a m a x i m u m o f 1 0 t o 2 0 p e r c e n t r e s i d e n t i a l

a c r e a g e , l e a v i n g 5 7 p e r c e n t o f t h e e n t i r e p r o p e r t y t o b e a m i x o f c o m m e r c i a l a n d l i g h t i n d u s t r i a l “ T h e i n t e n t o f t h a t 2 0 p e r c e n t o f t h e e n t i r e t y , n o t j u s t t h e r e m a i n i n g a c r e a g e l e s s t h e 2 3 p e r c e n t , ” I l c z y s z y n s a i d

T R G t o l d C o u n c i l t h a t i t s g o a l i s t o w o r k w i t h t h e m a n d s t a f f t o d o e v e r yt h i n g t h e y c a n t o m a k e i t a p o s i t i v e p r o je c t f o r t h e C i t y o f C a p e C o r a l

The lottery stakeholder members will do a walk through the Ballroom on Aug. 23, while the other two members will go a few days to a week later r e q u i r e m e n t s , a s t h e b u y e r h a s t o a p p l y t o r e z o n e t h e p r o p e r t y t o a P l a n n e d U n i t D e v e l o p m e n t Z o n i n g D i s t r i c t T h e r e a r e f o u r p l a n n e d u s e s f o r t h e p r o p e r t y a r e q u i r e d 2 3 p e r c e n t c o ns e r v a t i o n e a s e m e n t , a n d a m i n i m u m o f 3 p e r c e n t c o m m e r c i a l , 1 5 p e r c e n t l i g h t i n d u s t r i a l a n d a m a x i m u m o f 1 0 t o 2 0 p e r c e n t r e s i d e n t i a l 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 t h e c o n s e r v a t i o n e a s e m e n t r e p r e s e n t s 2 3 p e r c e n t o f t h e p r o p e r t y a n d a m a x i m u m 2 0 p e r c e n t f o r r e s i d e n t i a l H e s a i d t h a t r e p r e s e n t s 4 3 p e r c e n t o f t h e

Cape Hospital Auxiliary hosts educational program

Speakers discuss hospital's healthcare, expansion, history, more

By FRAN THOMAS news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary held an educational program Thursday, Aug 17, at the suggestion of its board president Jim Eberz Although the public was invited, the event was geared toward auxiliary members

According to Eberz, the volunteers may only see one area of the hospital and be unaware of what is happening elsewhere

Eberz is in his second term as president.

“I’m the front guy for all the volunteers,” he said

In the past three years, the group of 245 v o l u n t e e r s h a s r a i s e d $ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 e v e n though COVID curtailed some of its activities Currently, it holds fundraising sales of merchandise once a month in the hospital lobby plus another six smaller fundraisers

The auxiliary invited several speakers to share the latest hospital news

Michael Wukitsch, chief people officer for Lee Health, discussed how healthcare is changing Florida rescinded certificate of need requirements for building new facilities or offering services in 2019 This has led to greater competition and more spe-

cialized care The trend is toward outpatient care since it is more cost effective

Wukitsch said it costs approximately $2 5 million per bed for inpatient facilities

A finite amount of funding leads to balancing where is the best location for expansion and what are the best services to offer Cape Coral Hospital’s revenue is split almost equally between inpatient and outpatient services Adult admissions totaled 14,687 in 2022

The hospital has increased salaries and incentives to attract and retain employees

They hire approximately 120 employees per week With 380 nursing openings, they are recruiting heavily among new graduates The overall turnover in employees is less than the national average

As Cape Coral’s population continues to increase, so does the need for care. Age is another factor About 25 percent of the population is age 65 or older

Dr Cherrie Morris, chief physician and o p e r a t i o n s e x e c u t i v e f o r C a p e C o r a l Hospital, and Dr Candace Smith, chief nursing and operations executive, shared some of the history of the hospital and addressed program development

patients on July 5, 1977 An expansion occurred in 1982 In 1985, a new ER opened followed by birthing suites in 1988 A fifth story was added in 1993

The hospital joined Lee Health in 1996 Over the years, the hospital has won numerous awards

Overall priorities are workforce engagement, patient satisfaction and the reduction of infections and readmissions

The opportunities for expansion include cardiac care, neuroscience or stroke care, complex care and oncology Six dialysis bays will be added by February 2024 at a cost of $2 8 million The hospital also wants to improve access to primary care

M e d i c a l r e s i d e n t s a r e a n i m p o r t a n t aspect of physician staffing to provide all the services The hospital now employs 12 medical residents per year from Florida State University The number will increase to 16 or 20 per year

Geographic expansions are planned, too At the Surfside outpatient facility, 10,000 square feet will be added in 2024 with a focus on orthopedics and rehabilitation At the Bimini Basin location, services will include labs, radiology, breast care, as well as pediatrics

An effort is being made to move services off campus that don’t need to be in the hospital proper For example, the staff at Cape Coral does all the lab processing for the whole Lee system. This will be moved off site

To the relief of everyone present, parking concerns will also be addressed

Heather Kingery, ICU nursing director, described the ICU expansion of 11,190 square feet and showed photographs of the construction Currently, the ICU has an average occupancy of 97% The new unit will open in mid-December with 12 beds, two patient lifts, staff showers, sleep rooms and a conference room Targeted temperature will be available for cardiac patients Patient monitoring will be more extensive than currently

The hospital addresses spiritual needs as well as medical The Rev Denise Sawyer, d i r e c t o r o f S p i r i t u a l S e r v i c e s f o r L e e Health, spoke about the practice of compassionate listening She encouraged the volunteers to listen generously and from the heart without judgment Being listened to in this way relieves grief and pain in patients

By learning more about upcoming projects and services, Eberz hopes volunteers can act as informed ambassadors in the community

Sanibel beach sand replacement work starts Monday

Trucks will begin hauling sand to northwest Sanibel Monday, Aug 21, to replace sand lost to erosion due to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole last year

The Lee Board of County Commis-sioners voted in January to accept grant funds of $5 million from the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection for Hurricane Ian and Nicole Emergency Recovery to place sand on Lee County beaches

The sand on Sanibel will reinforce the shoreline south of Blind Pass and reduce the vulnerability of Sanibel Captiva Road, which serves as an evacuation route

Engineering estimates from the city of Sanibel determined that the site needs about 70,000 tons of sand

About 25 trucks will deliver sand each day, which means fewer trucks on the road compared with other recent sand-hauling operations in Southwest Florida Sand will

be obtained from the Stewart mine in Immokalee

The work is expected to be complete in about 90 days Public access at Blind Pass Beach Park and Turner Beach Park will remain open Work hours will be dawn to dusk on weekdays

BUSINESS

BUSINESS BRIEFS

SBA to host Disaster Recover y & Resilience Resource Fairs

The Small Business Association is hosting two Disaster Recovery & Resilience Resource Fairs for businesses impacted by Hurricane Ian Advertised as "Your 'One-Stop Shop' for valuable business information and guidance," the events will feature invited partners FEMA, USDA, APEX and SBDC

The first session will be Thursday, Aug. 24, from 37 p m , at The Gathering Place, 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Light snacks and childcare will be provided

The second session is Tuesday, Aug 29, from 2-5 p m , at Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers

Among the topics to be discussed are disaster recovery funding, access to capital, procurement opportunities, financial literacy, economic prospects in the region, g o v e r n m e n t c o n t r a c t i n g a n d c o m m u n i t y e c o n o m i c empowerment

Burlington to open store this fall in Coralwood Center in Cape

Burlington Stores, Inc , a national discount retailer offering low prices every day on brand name merchandise for the entire family and home, is opening a new store in Cape Coral this fall

The store will be located in the Coralwood Center at 2301 Del Prado Blvd , Suite 400, Cape Coral

The new location brings the total number of stores in the state to 96, and the business continues to expand nationwide At the end of the first quarter 2023, Burlington operates 933 stores across the country, offering millions of customers bargains on top brands and the chance to find something new every time they shop.

Those interested in joining an award-winning culture are encouraged to visit BurlingtonStores jobs to apply online for a variety of exciting and rewarding positions

For more information, visit www burlington com

CONRIC pr + marketing expands to Midwest

CONRIC pr + marketing, one of Southwest Florida’s leading public relations and marketing agencies, has announced its expansion into the Midwest as it recently partnered with three of Illinois’ fast-growing brands, Illinois Crafted Hospitality, RealClean Aircraft Detailing and resort community Heritage Harbor

CONRIC brings a wealth of experience in public relations, marketing and digital strategies to the table The agency’s team of skilled professionals will collaborate closely with all three companies to develop plans that align with each organizations’ goals

CONRIC pr + marketing is a leading national creative digital marketing, branding, public relations, advertising, and web development agency with offices based in Illinois and Florida For more information, call 239690-9840 or visit conricpr com

ALDI to purchase Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets

Fresco Retail Group to acquire SEG’s Fresco y Más locations

Southeastern Grocers Inc , parent company of Fresco y M á s, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, this week announced it has entered into definitive agreements with ALDI and Fresco Retail Group, LLC to effectuate a comprehensive strategic divestiture of its businesses

Under the proposed merger agreement, ALDI will acquire all outstanding SEG capital stock in an all-cash transaction, which encompasses all SEG grocery operations under the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners This includes approximately 400 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida where 75% of the stores are located

According to the announcement, following the completion of the sales process, ALDI will serve the customers a n d c o m m u n i t i e s o f W i n n - D i x i e a n d H a r v e y s Supermarkets through the continued operation of the banners’ existing stores Officials said the retailer will also evaluate which locations will convert to the ALDI format For those stores that are not converted, ALDI intends for them to continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores

Concurrently, SEG has agreed to divest its Fresco y Más operations SEG anticipates that the sale of the Fresco y Más banner will be consummated in the first quarter of 2024 The Fresco y Más banner, including all 28 stores and four pharmacies, will be sold to Fresco Retail Group, LLC, an investment group strategically focused on food and grocery Fresco Retail Group, LLC plans for all stores and pharmacies in the Fresco y Más banner to continue operating as they are presently

The merger agreement has been approved by the holders of a majority of SEG’s outstanding shares, and the merger is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions SEG will continue to operate its respective banners and stores in the normal course of business up to and until the transactions are completed

Locally, the Cape Coral Winn-Dixie store is at 1016 Cape Coral Parkway, E The North Fort Myers Winn-Dixie is at 5660

P&P Cleaning Solutions teaming with Cleaning for a Reason to help cancer patients

P&P Cleaning Solutions Inc has joined forces with Cleaning for a Reason, a non-profit organization offering free house cleaning to individuals undergoing cancer treatment Demonstrating its commitment to community wellbeing, P&P Cleaning Solutions is actively raising $1,000 in support of Cleaning for a Reason’s mission

The owners of the local company, Jose Silva and Amarillis Marin, a husband-and-wife team, are committed to extending their services and support to create a significant positive impact on the lives of local cancer patients and their families.

“We at P&P Cleaning Solutions are thrilled and honored to be a part of Cleaning for a Reason,” said Silva, whose business covers the Southwest Florida communities of Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers and Punta Gorda “We all know people who have battled cancer and recognize the immense challenges that families facing cancer endure We believe in the transformative impact of a clean, healthy living environment for individuals engaged in the challenging fight against cancer and its treatments Our privilege lies in extending comfort and tranquility through the provision of a pristine home setting ”

Through partnership with Cleaning for a Reason, P&P Cleaning Solutions supports two cancer patients homes each month for two consecutive months free of charge This is an ongoing service to patients residing in Lee County

Those interested in supporting Cleaning for a Reason’s mission and P&P Cleaning Solution’s fundraising efforts can donate at bit ly/3scBPFv

Learn more about the company at ppcleaningsolutions com

About Cleaning for a Reason

Cleaning for a Reason partners with more than 1,200 residential cleaners throughout the United States and Canada to offer free house cleaning to any household battling cancer Since 2006, the nonprofit and its partners have donated more than $16 million in services, helping more than 50,000 cancer patients In 2017, Cleaning for a Reason was adopted by ISSA Charities, the charitable arm of ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association To apply for services, to join as a cleaning partner, or to support the work of Cleaning for a Reason, visit cleaningforareason org

Night fishing on the river? Don’t get ‘crab trapped’

For many anglers tarpon season is winding down but the fish haven’t been notified You’ll sometimes see them in your kayak just off the beach or miles offshore, but there’s still a large group working Boca Grande and crabs are still good bait if you can get them

Speaking of crabs, I’d hate to be one in the river right now, I’ve never seen so many floats. Am I against crabbing? Heck no, I grew up in the heart of blue crab country the Chesapeake and Delaware bays and have dangled chicken necks on a string, scooped up and cracked open many a bushel of blue claws My only problem is that I wait all year to throw lures at night to river giants but I’m losing tarpon to the maze of floats

If you’ve battled the silver king, you know a hooked tarpon is totally unpredictable when it comes to its fight and flight plan It might take off down river and burn off a ton of line or stay close, jump and slug it out, or even jump in the boat to get a little angry boat and angler payback for his sudden circle hook tooth ache Believe me, it does happen

If you hook up and your fish heads for the float maze, your only option is to put as much heat on the fish as you can and staying as close as possible to the fish while your partner works the electric or engine and keeps a strong light on the line Night fishing hookups around the bridges are typically a mad scramble anyway, but the sea of floats obviously adds to the challenge and often to frustration

For those new to the area, know that our inshore and offshore summer fish do bite day and night and that the night angler not only beats the summer’s heat but also can enjoy some great multi-species angling

If you want to try local night fishing, first order of business is taking a day trip to your target area to help get a feel for the route even though it sure looks differently at night Today’s electronics help if you have them but going slowly is always the smart ticket. Use a high powered spotlight to watch for poles and trap floats but always be courteous with your blinding light when another craft approaches

Even going slowly at night won’t always save you Picture a first time night trip with friends or family Up

See ‘CRAB TRAPPED,’ page 39

TIDES CHART

Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron announces fall boating classes, seminars

America’s Boating Club Cape Coral – Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron has announced its fall 2023 schedule of classes and seminars for the months of September through November All the listed courses and seminars are open to the public and will be held in their classrooms located in Cape Coral

“The Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron Lee County continues to be a leader in providing boating classes and seminars since its inception Our waterways are like nothing else experienced by boaters and desire to learn more about safe boating and our waterways drives interest in our classroom offerings ” said Neil Pignatano, education officer

America’s Boating Course will be offered in starting Sept 11 and will be offered again in October and November This course is recommended to all new boaters and those boaters new to our waterways This course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, the state of Florida and recognized by the U S Coast Guard Graduates will receive their State of Florida Boater Education I D Card

This course covers boat types, required safety equipment, your responsibilities as a boat operator, preparing to get underway, navigation rules, aids and signals, Federal and local regulations, operating your boat under normal conditions, handling adverse conditions and emergencies, communications afloat, water sports safety and PWC operation, trailering, knots and lines and more

This course meets for 6 sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings for 3 weeks from 7-9 p m It will also be offered in both October and Novembers The October class starts on the 9th and the November class will start on Oct 30

Marine Navigation

Learn the essentials of safe coastal and inland navigation using basic GPS in conjunction with charts and other marine data The Marine Navigation course teaches you how to use the GPS along with traditional dead reckoning techniques for planning and laying out safe routes, as well as ensuring that you are on-course while underway

The course meets for 8 sessions starting Tuesday, Oct

10,

at 7 p m

Boat Handling

This course is intended for newer recreational boaters who have completed a basic boating class (like America's Boating Course) and want to gain more knowledge, skill, and confidence to boat safely and have more fun in a variety of situations

Boat Handling covers these topics: Rules of the Road, Docking and Undocking, Slow-Speed Maneuvering, Handling Your Boat Under Way, Anchoring, Emergencies on Board, Knots and Line Handling

The course meets for 7 sessions and is scheduled to start Oct 10 at 7 p m

Marine Communication Systems

This course helps you to learn about the various kinds of digital communication systems for different applications Covered in course are VHF radios, Single Side Band for longer distance communication, and satellite system The use of digital selective calling is also discussed as it is a helpful tool for emergency situations

The course meets for 5 sessions and the start date will be Oct 10 at 2 p m

Preregistration is encouraged for all courses and seminars as class size is limited For details on costs and availability and to register for any of these offerings stop by the office during office hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron offices at 917 S E 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, or call 239-549-9754 Information is also available online at ccsaps org

America's Boating Club Cape Coral – Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron is a unit of the United States Power Squadrons Inc , the world's largest non-profit educational boating safety organization

America’s Boating Club Cape Coral also participates in the Life Jacket loaner program sponsored by BOAT/US This program allows members of the public to borrow life jackets for visiting children, adults or pets Stop by the offices during normal business hours to take advantage of this program when you have friends or relatives visiting that are boating with you

F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva announces registration open and more for annual 10K

Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers com

F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva reported that its Annual 10K Race 4 F I S H planned for this year has been restructured, including a new title and additional activities, to celebrate the resilience of the islands

The 15th Annual F I S H 10K/5K will be held on Dec 2 beginning at 7:30 a m at The Community House on Sanibel

This year marks the first in-person event in recent years. In 2020 and 2021, F I S H offered a virtual race only because of COVID, and the 2022 event was canceled due to Hurricane Ian This year's event will offer a virtual option, but F I S H is encouraging runners to join in-person and enjoy the islands

“Our islands have been through a lot since (Hurricane) Ian, and F I S H has been here every step of the way,” Executive Director Maria Espinoza said “We want our race event to be joyous and one that not only raises funds for F I S H , but also revels our community and how far

we've come since Ian's landfall ”

New this year, the F I S H Race Committee has added a 5K to the day's activities There will also be a kids' race and family fun day, hosted in partnership with the Sanibel Recreation Center on Sanibel

“We feel the 5K will draw additional runners looking to do a shorter race and see it as the perfect opportunity to add other festivities to celebrate our islands,” committee Cochair Diane Cortese said “I'm especially excited about this year's event and raising funds for F I S H while bringing folks to our special islands for a fun-filled day ”

Co-chair Leah Winkler noted that this year's event will b e “ n o t h i n g s h o r t o f s p e c t a c u l a r , ” w h i l e S a n i b e l Recreation Department Director Andrea Miller encouraged the public to stay tuned for further details

“The Sanibel Recreation Department is excited to partner with F I S H to offer a fun-filled holiday themed event, with something for everyone, at the recreation center,” Miller said “We look forward to bringing the community together again for some holiday joy ”

The registration fees are as follows:

∫ In-person 10K/5K: $45 from now through Sept 25

∫ In-person 10K/5K: $50 from Sept 26 through Dec 1

∫ In-person 10K/5K: $55 on Dec 2

∫ In-person 10K/5K (age 18 and under): $35 from now

See F.I.S.H. 10K, page 39

Capt George Tunison

Youth sports: It’s about life skills, not just athletics

Sports and recreation have been core programs since Boys & Girls Clubs were founded in 1906 in Massachusetts

Nationwide, Boys & Girls Clubs have long offered a safe, supervised afterschool outlet for youth sports long before AAU, travel ball and “elite” youth teams became popular.

The reason sports continue to be an integral part of Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide is not to build up a members’ skills so they can earn athletic scholarships or someday go pro Rather, it’s to build life skills, which allow children and teens to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens

That lesson was on full display during Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County’s second annual FGCU Basketball Clinic for m e m b e r s o f t h e S u m m e r E n r i c h m e n t Program. Sure, players and coaches from the Eagles men’s and women’s basketball teams ran club members through basketball fundamentals like shooting, dribbling, passing, defense and footwork While those skills are important, head coaches from both programs hoped the children

a n d t e e n s i n a t t e n d a n c e picked up some other key messages

“We get to teach teamw o r k , e f f o r t , a t t i t u d e a n d enthusiasm, and we just want everyone to have a good time and start to love the game the way we do,” said women’s basketball Head Coach Karl Smesko

“It’s really about work ethic, it’s really about attitude and it’s really about ‘That person looks like me, that player looks like me

T h a t c o u l d b e m e s o m e day,’” added men’s basketb a l l H e a d C o a c h P a t C h a m b e r s “ H a v e s o m e hope, have some dreams and go try to achieve them If you have a great attitude and work hard, you can achieve that ”

Denise Gergley Guest Commentary

After-school and summer programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County focus on five core areas: education and career,

s e r v i c e a n d l e a d e r s h i p , health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation Each program offers life lessons on top of the core programs Ten life lessons from sports include:

∫ Teamwork – The ability to work collaboratively in groups and align with peers to pursue the same goal

∫ Sportsmanship – The ability to handle defeat, as well as winning graciously

∫ Ethics – The ability to f o l l o w r u l e s a n d a v o i d cheating, even if the referee won’t notice That’s integrity

∫ Adversity – The ability to stay focused even when things aren’t going your way A bad bounce or missed call cannot steer you off course

∫ Coachability – The ability to listen and take direction, feedback and criticism Even professional athletes recognize they

don’t have all the answers

∫ Discipline – The ability to grind it out when the going gets tough

∫ Leadership – The ability to recognize when it’s time to step up and take charge

∫ Conflict management – The ability to resolve disagreements amicably

∫ Communication – The ability to connect with a diverse audience

∫ Confidence – The ability to believe in your own abilities, skills and knowledge

“I think the biggest part of basketball is knowing that you are going to mess up; you’re going to make mistakes,” said

F G C U s e n i o r f o r w a r d K y l e R i e m e nschneider, a native of Fort Myers “You just have to keep a good attitude and keep trying your best ”

Denise Gergley is CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County, which operates s e v e n c o m m u n i t y , n e i g h b o r h o o d a n d school clubs in Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, North Fort Myers and Cape Coral For more information, please visit bgclee org or call 239-334-1886

F.I.S.H. 10K: Registration begins for annual Sanibel-Captiva event

From page 38

until Dec 1

∫ Virtual 10K/5K: $50

Race packets will be available for pick up on Dec 1 from 8 to 11 a m at the S a n i b e l R e c r e a t i o n C e n t e r , a t 3 8 8 0

Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, and from 1 to 6:30 p m at Fleet Feet Fort Myers at the Bell Tower Shops, at 13499 S Cleveland Ave , Unit 209, Fort Myers Packets will also be available on event day Dec 2 at the race site when registration is open from 6:30 to 7:15 a m

To register, please visit runsignup com/ Race/FL/Sanibel/ 10K5KRace4FISH.

“We need many individuals to man driveways and water stations during the race to ensure the safety and health and wellness of our runners It's a great way to show support for F I S H and our community and can be loads of fun. Although the race isn't until early December, we need as many commitments as possible ahead of time.”

10K committee member Nancy Craig

In addition, F I S H is seeking volunteers for various positions throughout the morning, including cheering on runners and water station assistance Other opportunities include assisting at TCH with set up, registration and clean up, handing out ribbons, award ceremony assistance and

assisting at the recreation center for the kids' race and family fun day

“We need many individuals to man driveways and water stations during the race to ensure the safety and health and wellness of our runners It's a great way to show support for F I S H and our commu-

nity and can be loads of fun,” committee Member Nancy Craig said “Although the race isn't until early December, we need as many commitments as possible ahead of time ”

Interested individuals can contact Craig at ncraig64@gmail com or F I S H at 239-472-4775

A l s o , s p o n s o r s h i p o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e a v a i l a b l e F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t http://fishofsancap org/

For more information about the event, contact Cortese at Dianerc10@gmail.com or Winkler at leahwinkler12 @gmail com

The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

‘Crab trapped:’ Be on alert when night fishing the Caloosahatchee

From page 38

ahead is a dark, algae covered, crab trap float, with your name on it At slow speed you run over it, the prop grabs the rope instantly winding up the float, rope and trap VERY tightly around it, shutting down your

motor. I once had a whole cage completely twisted and wrapped up around the prop that had to be cut away with wire cutters

When your boat gets “crab trapped,” you can anchor up and call Sea Tow for rescue You DO have tow insurance, right? Or, like my last crabby night adventure, put the

knife in your teeth and jump in the black water and try to cut away the rope underwater without losing fingers or dangling shark snack legs

Large schools of Spanish macs with mixed in bonito are showing up around the area Inshore find small snook and some

reds along mangrove shorelines. Trout school up closer to the ICW

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

Ferns: A wide variety of this plant will grow in Southwest Florida

From page 17

leaf bases) of cabbage palms; these ferns can also be grown in soil or on rocks The Kimberly queen fern is an upright fern with s w o r d - s h a p e d f r o n d s ; t h i s A u s t r a l i a n native will tolerate hot temperatures and some sunlight but is best contained in pots as it spreads rapidly!

I have always been fascinated by the different forms and textures of ferns, and I had a large fern section in a corner of my garden sheltered by a huge bougainvillea T h e n I a n h i t , a n d n o t o n l y d i d t h e bougainvillea have to be removed, but the n e i g h b o r i n g s h r u b s a n d p a l m s w e r e thinned out and left my ferns in bright sun I had to scramble to find shelter for the ferns until I could re-establish some shade

Now that my native firebush shrubs have again filled out, I have relocated my favorite tender ferns to the dense shade under the firebush I also have several varieties of ferns in pots on my lanai where they enjoy the shade and provide a

bright green texture with minimal care

If you’d like to try some ferns in your garden or on your lanai, here are some of my favorite varieties Bird’s nest ferns are native to tropical Asia, so they love our climate I have several cultivars including t h e t i g h t l y s w i r l e d l e a v e s o f t h e ‘Hurricane’ variety; the rippled leaves of the “Lasagna” variety, and the upright “Leslie” variety with ruffles at the end of each leaf Variegated Boston fern/sword fern adds a lime green accent to my lanai and a great pop of tropical color The blue star fern is a distinctive upright fern, which as the name suggests, has a blue tone and is a standout in the garden Maidenhair ferns add a delicate look to your garden as they seem to float above the landscape I also have ostrich ferns that have grown quite large in my garden and offer a feathery complement to the neighboring bromeliads

My favorite fern is the crocodile fern, which, true to its name, has green strappy leaves which bear a crocodile skin pattern

on the top surface I tried, unsuccessfully, to grow these ferns in pots on the lanai, and found that they were much happier out in the landscape under the shade of my firebush These ferns are very slow growing and don’t seem to like a regular watering schedule when planted in pots, but they are thriving now in my garden!

While the vivid blooms on many of our flowering plants are quite enticing, I find that the cool green texture of ferns offers a beautiful contrast in the garden If you’d like to try some ferns, a good starting point might be potted varieties on your lanai

Once you begin to appreciate the texture and softness of these unique plants, I hope you’ll find a shady spot in your garden where you can place these carefree beauties and enjoy them for years to come!

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

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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