Fort Myers Beach Observer/The Beach Bulletin

VOLUME 39, NUMBER 36

Town opting for new trailer instead of new town hall

State passing on cost of trailers to town

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Town of Fort Myers Beach might not have a new town hall for three to four years, according to a new plan briefly discussed at a recent Town Council meeting

Town of Fort Myers Beach Operations and Compliance Manager Frank Kropacek, hired earlier this year and

recently promoted from contracts manager, spoke to Council recently about a new project he is working on to create a new temporary town hall with a trailer on the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus The new trailer would mean a move from the current complex of trailers on the former Topps supermarket lot owned by the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District

The trailers provided by the state to the Town of Fort Myers Beach since Hurricane Ian now have a price tag Kropacek said the state recently started passing on the rental cost of the trailers to the town

According to town records, the Texasbased firm SLS sent Fort Myers Beach a bill in August for $41,258 90 for the period of July 14-Aug 10 for the trailers (also known as modular buildings)

Kropacek said the town will move the “quad-size” trailers to the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus by Oct 1 with a trailer 36-feet wide to house town chambers

During the Council meeting, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers asked Kropacek about the cost Kropacek did not state any figures but said the vendor is “willing to work with us because of our

See TRAILER, page 13

Beach spared from worst of Idalia

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Hurricane Idalia left Fort Myers Beach with flooded roads, in some cases flooded homes and one displacement of a temporary roof when it swept by 100 miles off the coast this past week toward its target a few hundred miles up the gulf

Yet it was nothing remotely close to what the town felt a year earlier and with that comparison and perspective, Hurricane Idalia was more of a nuisance than the disastrous flooding that shook the Big Bend area north

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

In a town that could use some good news, the Fort Myers Beach Farmer’s Market brought it and then some with its r e o p e n i n g F r i d a y m o r n i n g f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e s i n c e

Hurricane Ian This time at a new location in Times Square

Just a couple days earlier, storm surge brought about by the passing of Hurricane Idalia off shore delivered about foothigh’s worth of sand to Times Square, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said

By Friday morning, town staff had swept up Times Square clean enough that “you could eat off the ground,” Fort Myers Beach Farmer’s Market organizer Linda Miller

About 40 vendors were at Times Square with fresh fruits and vegetables, natural fruit juices, fresh ground seasoning

and spices, baked goods and jewelry

“It’s breathing new life into the community,” said Fort Myers Beach Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force member Jennifer Rusk Rusk was volunteering with a MERTF pop-up booth of her own to educate visitors on the

See FARMER’S MARKET, page 14

Leni Grajales prepares fresh lemonade at his Natural Health Food stand at the Fort Myers Beach Farmer ’s Market Friday at Times Square The farmer ’s market, which previously ran at the Beach Baptist Church and Santini Plaza, reopened for the first time since Hurricane Ian with a new location at Times Square. The market will run every Friday.

NATHAN MAYBERG

The culprit of flooding once again was storm surge this time 2 to 4 feet, rather than the 18 feet some saw during Hurricane Ian Tropical storm force winds were felt on the island not the hurricane strength that would be felt around landfall at Keaton Beach The hardest-hit sections of the island were downtown around the Matanzas Pass Bridge, Old San Carlos Boulevard and the area around the Margaritaville project

Numerous downtown streets were closed off around Crescent Street on Wednesday though they had reopened by Thursday The flooding actually began around the Matanzas Pass Bridge on Tuesday before

See IDALIA, page 15

NOAA GRAPHIC

Fresh food, natural j ui ces highlight r et ur n of f ar mer ’s market to Times Square

f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r

Town to issue code enforcement letters for unsafe

and abandoned structures

B y N AT H A N M AY B E R G n m a y b e r g @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h w i l l b e g i n s e n d i n g o u t l e t t e r s a n d c r e a t i n g c o d e c o m p l i a n c e c a s e s f o r h o m e o w n e r s w h o s e b u i l d i n g s a r e d e e m e d t o b e u n s a f e , d o n o t p r o v i d e i n a d e q u a t e e g r e s s , c o n s t i t u t e a f i r e h a z a r d , o r w h i c h , i n r e l a t i o n t o e x i s t i n g u s e , c o ns t i t u t e a h a z a r d t o s a f e t y o r h e a l t h , T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h s p o k e s p e r s o n J e n n i f e r D e x t e r a n n o u n c e d F r i d a y “ A s t h e T o w n m o v e s f o r w a r d w i t h t h e r e b u i l d i n g o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h , w e a r e s t a r t i n g t o a d d r e s s t h e p r o pe r t i e s t h a t h a v e b e c o m e u n s a f e s t r u c t u r e s o r t h a t h a v e

b e e n a b a n d o n e d , ” s a i d T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h

M a n a g e r A n d y H y a t t “ W e a r e s y m p a t h e t i c t o t h e l o s s o f p r o p e r t i e s a n d c h a l l e n g e s w i t h i n s u r a n c e t h o u g h w e m u s t n o w a d d r e s s s o m e a r e a s o f t h e T o w n f o r t h e c o m m o n g o o d a n d t o p r e v e n t f u r t h e r l o s s e s a n d h a r m ”

A t a t o w n c o u n c i l m e e t i n g l a s t m o n t h , H y a t t s a i d t h a t h e a n d T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O p e r a t i o n s a n d C o m p l i a n c e D i r e c t o r F r a n k K r o p a c e k h a d b e g u n d r i vi n g a r o u n d t h e i s l a n d t o t a k e s t o c k o f n e i g h b o r h o o d s w i t h a l i s t o f b u i l d i n g s i n b a d s h a p e

A c c o r d i n g t o a s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d b y D e x t e r , t h e t o w n ’ s C o d e C o m p l i a n c e D i v i s i o n w i l l b e s u r v e y i n g

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

“ T h e p l a n w i l l b e t o r e q u i r e u n s a f e s t r u c t u r e s t o b e

r e p a i r e d o r d e m o l i s h e d b y c e r t a i n d a t e s i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e U n s a f e B u i l d i n g A b a t e m e n t C o d e , ” D e x t e r s a i d . D e x t e r s a i d t h a t p r o p e r t y o w n e r s w i t h s t r u c t u r e s

c o n s i

ENFORCEMENT LETTERS, page 18

Council waives procurement policy for Bayside Park electric, Times Square clock installation

By NATHAN MAYBERG

Council voted

waive its

procurement policy at a meeting last month in order to approve several contracts with Kelly General Contracting and Precision Power to install electric lines at Bayside Park as well as Times Square, which will allow for the installation of a new Times Square clock

The council approved contracts of $96,000 and $55,000 for the installation work at Times Square with Kelly General C o n t r a c t i n g a n d P r e c i s i o n P o w e r According to the resolution approved by

the council, the electrical, site, and paver work is required due to storm surge damage from Hurricane Ian to the electric at Times Square.

The town had also received a proposal o f $ 5 5 , 8 9 3 f r o m B e r k s h i r e B a y Contractors for the work though that did not include the use of ground-penetrating radar and other additional work and servi c e s o f f e r e d t h r o u g h K e l l y G e n e r a l Contracting and Precision Power

The town’s operations director Frank Kropacek said the town needed to use ground-penetrating radar since the town’s records for the electrical layout at Times

See COUNCIL, page 18

e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 6 ,

Workers for Kelly General Contracting break ground at Times Square for an electrical line project approved by the town for the installation of a new replacement clock

NATHAN MAYBERG

f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

2 3 n

OPINIONS

f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 0

Report your news to FORTMYERSBEACHTALK COM

Guest Commentary

P u b l i s h e r R a y m o n d M E c ke n r o d e re cke n ro d e @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

E x e c u t ive E d i t o r Va l a r i e H a r r i n g v h a r r i n g @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

E d i t o r N a t h a n M a y b e rg n m a y b e rg @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

A d ve r t i s i n g D i re c t o r L a u r i e R a g l e l rag l e @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

Advertising Sales

No DCF Responsible Fatherhood Initiative Grant Award for SWFL

O n J u l y 2 8 , 2 0 2 3 , Department of Children and Families in Tallahassee awarded a total of 18 education and d i r e c t s e r v i c e s R e s p o n s i b l e

F a t h e r h o o d I n i t i a t i v e g r a n t s but none of the awards included Southwest Florida, an area that stretches from Manatee to Monroe counties

quartered in Lehigh Acres, had submitted an application for Lee County SDO is a collaboration between a group of prior and active single dads with sole or joint custody of their children

Lyn

McElhaney lmcelhaney@breezenewspapers

com

O b i t u a r i e s D e b b i e C a r l e t t i o b i t s @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m P ro d u c t i o n m a n a g e r R o b B r a i t l i n g r b ra i t l i n g @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

s

Early in March 2023 the State of Florida made social service history by releasing through DCF the details of a grant application process inviting grassroots, community organizations under the auspices of HB 7065, referred to as the R e s p o n s i b l e F a t h e r h o o d I n i t i a t i v e G o v DeSantis signed that legislation into law April 2022 in the hopes of “making better Florida fathers ”

S i n g l e D a d s O u t R e a c h o r g , a n o n p r o f i t 501c3 Florida corporation presently head-

e l e s

s t h a n L e e C o u n t y

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , SingleDadsOutReach org, is available on the internet and SDO has a social media presence through Facebook Groups: Ft Myers Single Dads Outreach and Naples Single Dads Outreach

SDO is also seeking female or male, working or retired Social Work, Corrections, Mental Health and Law Enforcement professionals with a passion for fatherhood to complete its Advisory Council Prior seasoned fathers can find out about volunteering as mentors at these sites as well

Contributed by Joshua Krakow, SDO Active Dads Administrator and Sean Ryan, President, Single Dads Outreach, Corp

Understanding, managing and treating arthritis

According to the Centers for D i s e a s e C o n t r o l a n d Prevention, 24% of all adults i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s h a v e arthritis This means 58 5 million Americans suffer from the condition

Arthritis affects everyone differently, but it hinders mostly anyone who has it. They may feel a painful sensation of b o n e s r u b b i n g a g a i n s t e a c h other in the impacted joint, a l m o s t l i k e l u b r i c a t i o n i s required Even seemingly mundane activities, such as walking up or down stairs, typing on a computer, writing or even holding a coffee cup, can become tiresome, painful and almost impossible, de-pending on the severity of the condition and the joint involved

Dr Thomas Hunt

a l l o w s f o r f r i c t i o n l e s s j o i n t motion, but enough damage can allow the bone to grind directly onto the bone, which causes pain and restricted movement I f s o m e o n e d e v e l o p s rheumatoid arthritis, which is a very common form of inflamm a t o r y a r t h r i t i s , t h e b o d y ' s immune system attacks the caps u l e s u r r o u n d i n g t h e j o i n t , along with the other important anatomic structures that prov i d e j o i n t s t a b i l i t y C o n s e q u e n t l y , t h e u n s t a b l e joint becomes deformed, and function is altered Additionally, the inflammatory cells within the joint itself cause swelling and eventually destruction of cartilage and bone

How is ar thritis diagnosed?

∫

Unsure, 6%

Current Web Poll Question

Should repairing the Fort Myers Beach Pier be a top priority for Lee County?

∫ Yes, one of the most important priorities

∫ Important, but there are many other equally important projects

Are there different types of ar thritis?

T h e t w o m a i n t y p e s o f a r t h r i t i s (osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis) damage joints in different ways. However, in both cases, people may experience joint pain, t e n d e r n e s s , s t i f f n e s s , a n d w a r m t h a n d swelling

O s t e o a r t h r i t i s i s m o r e c o m m o n a n d involves wear and tear to the joint’s cartilage Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and

Arthritis is normally diagnosed during a physical exam A physician will check the joints for swelling, redness and warmth They will ask you to move your joints and do some exercises or functional activities Blood tests can frequently confirm inflammatory a r t h r i t i s a s c a n a n a l y s i s o f j o i n t f l u i d Additionally, doctors may first request Xrays, occasionally followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an ultrasound or a computerized tomography (CT) scan

1 y e a r, $ 6 2 C i rc u l a t i o n ( 2 3 9 ) 5 7 4 - 1 9 3 6 C l a s s i fi e d / D i s p l a y A d ve r t i s i n g ( 2 3 9 ) 5 7 4 - 1 1 1 0 Customer service hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a m to 5 p m , except major holidays Letters to the editor must be typed or hand printed Your name and phone number must be affixed to the copy In the event of an advertising error, we are responsible only for the first incorrect insertion of the ad itself We are not responsible for any credit or reimbursement after 30 days from publication Postal Information: Third class postage paid at Fort Myers Beach, FL Permit 521 Postmaster: Send address changes to the Beach Observer 19260 San Carlos Blvd Fort Myers Beach FL 33931 The Observer and Bulletin is published every Wednesday 19260 San Carlos Blvd Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 Phone: (239) 574-1110 Fax: (239) 574-5693 Web: fortmyersbeachtalk com We want your opinion

L e e H e a l t h p r i m a r y c a r e p h y s i c i a n s , rheumatologists or orthopedic specialists can diagnose arthritis and work together to get you treatment and on the path to recovery To learn more, visit https://www leehealth org /patient-resources/for-patients/schedule-anappointment

Can common sports injuries cause arthritis?

Sports injuries, such as sprains, strains or fractures can potentially lead to an increased risk of osteoarthritis Sports injuries often affect the joints, especially the wrist and hand, ankle, knee and hip. This is because fast, vigorous activities that involve jumping, twisting, turning and gripping can damage the joints and cartilage When this cartilage is healthy, it absorbs shock and together with the normal joint fluid, allows joints to move smoothly, with minimal friction and wear But when the cartilage layer is damaged, it becomes easier for someone to develop osteoarthritis

Some ways to help safeguard against sports injuries include maintaining flexibility and strength, heat and stretching before and ice and stretch after exercise and sporting events, using proper techniques and taking time to rest, ensuring that you heal completely if you develop pain or other symptoms

Other recommendations include wearing

See ARTHRITIS, page 10

5 n W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 0 2 3 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

Brick by Brick, Bella Mozzarella begins anew

By NATHAN MAYBERG

nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

There are many places on Times Square that visitors of Fort Myers Beach will long miss It’s safe to say that about a dozen eateries and storefronts won’t be returning from the wreckage caused by Hurricane Ian. Nearly everything at Time Square was ruined

Out of all the places washed away, one of the few buildings to survive was the iconic and centrally located Bella Mozzarella Pizza & Grill and 2000

Flavors Ice Cream Facing Fifth Street at the busy intersection with Old San Carlos Boulevard, it’s the first place many visitors to Fort Myers Beach will stop at to eat on their way into Times Square and the beach at Lynn Hall Memorial Park It’s also the last place many families will go before they leave the island Now, at

Times Square, it’s one of the only places to go.

Folks still come as much for the pizza as they do the ice cream and Italian ices

While nearly everything around Bella Mozzarella fell down, the sturdy bricks laid down in the front entrance show no signs of ever letting go and tell the tale of how the building survived Ian The shop has been on the island in one fashion or another for more than four decades and has gone through several different ownership changes

Valentina Chavez helps manage the property for her family, which runs the place

While it may look as if hardly anything changed since Hurricane Ian when you step inside, Ms Chavez assures you that almost everything inside underwent a change

“We had to rebuild,” Chavez said “We got flooded all the way to the top. We put in a new roof, new walls, new floors We had to rip everything out ”

After extensive repairs and renovations, they opened in May They missed out on the island’s bounceback season in the spring and have gone through a slow summer for Fort Myers Beach “Business has been OK,” Chavez said “It hasn’t been the same Thankfully we have construction workers coming in for lunch That has really helped ”

Chavez complains about the lack of lights outside, from county poles that haven’t been replaced to the traffic light that the state installed two years ago and is now out of commission

“We have no light outside,” Chavez said “After sunset, it is pitch black ”

Chavez believes it is a safety issue

The Town of Fort Myers Beach requested funding from the state for new lights during the state budget cycle earlier this year The town submitted a request for $1 8 million for turtle-friendly lights but it never made its way into the state budget

Since that time, the town now estimates it needs about $7 9 million for new lighting, which it has applied to the state for through the Department of Emergency Management’s hurricane recovery pool

“It’s dangerous,” Chavez said “There is literally no light ”

She hopes that lights can return before season returns this fall

“We definitely worked very hard to build this up We were really lucky that we weren’t swept away,” Chavez said “We are lucky that we are still standing ”

Mozzarella Pizza

is open daily from 11 a m to 9 p m

Bella

& Grill

NATHAN MAYBERG Valentina Chavez takes an order at Bella Mozzarella Pizza & Grill at Times Square

Ice cream is served at 2000 Flavors Ice Cream, which is run by the same family that operates Bella Mozzarella Pizza & Grill at 1000 Fifth Street at Times Square

Arches Bayfront developer submits plans to town

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Ben Freeland, who is proposing to transform Moss Marina from a quiet boat storage and repair facility with a restaurant to a three-hotel complex with 400 rooms in the heart of downtown Fort Myers Beach, recently submitted the plans to town staff

Since first rolling out plans to the community at a forum at the Pink Shell Beach Resort in May, Freeland said only some “small tweaks” were made based on input from the project’s neighbors near the project site at Harbour Court.

The main changes would be increasing the height of the hotels to six stories for two of the hotels (from five as originally outlined) and five stories for the third hotel

Freeland said the project’s main plan hasn’t changed, with two hotels housing 150 rooms and a smaller boutique hotel with 100 rooms The hotels would be approximately four- to-five stories high They would need to be built 13-16 feet above ground level to meet hurricane code

Freeland cautioned that the plans are still being worked on “These are not final-designed buildings,” he said. He expects town staff to provide comments on the proposals and for there to be more changes “It’s in front of the staff for their review ”

Freeland would need approval from the town council for a commercial planned development and will need to go before the Local Planning Agency

Freeland said he thinks Fort Myers Beach can handle the added density due to the loss of hotel rooms and short-term vacation rentals lost during Hurricane or currently inoperable

The Freeland family has operated Moss Marina for the past four decades

Hurricane Ian, with four of the six buildings on site wiped out and demolished Two other buildings which survived would be replaced under the current plans

Moss Marina would continue to operate approximately 55 wet slips while abandoning its dry storage barns

The site is also home to Rude Shrimp Co

Under the redevelopment plans, the four-acre bayfront property overseeing Matanzas Pass and the bay would open up access to pedestrians and bicyclists along a 1,000-feet linear park overlooking the bay down to Snug H

Nervous Nellie’s Freeland envisions spots along the baywalk being opened up to vendors He is also exploring options for restaurants and shops.

Freeland said 50% of the complex is devoted to public space, such as the linear park and baywalk

Water ferries, waterboats, kayaks and charter boats would also be welcome at the marina Freeland wants to

put a focus on water ferries, or water taxis, to facilitate more efficient travel on and off the island Freeland said he has spoken with other businesses and marinas about coordinating ferry service

Freeland said he thinks the location of the hotels near the downtown area would reduce the amount of daily traffic since guests can “walk to restaurants, bars, the beach and retail shopping ” There will be 500 parking spaces at the hotel with four stories of parking.

Moss Marina continues to house the U S Coast Guard, which Freeland expects to continue through the year until their new complex is completed

“It’s been a blessing for us,” Freeland said

FILE PHOTO

Beach Living

Lee County Property Appraiser notice regarding potential Hurricane Idalia property tax refunds

Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell reminds all property owners that the “Refund of taxes for residential improvements rendered uninhabitable by a catastrophic event” (FS 197 319) may apply to properties impacted by Hurricane Idalia. Those property owners whose residential property (eight units or less) was rendered uninhabitable for more than 30 days following Hurricane Idalia can apply for the refund on the P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r ’ s w e b s i t e , www leepa org, starting Sept 30 The

deadline to apply for Hurricane Idalia Property Tax Refunds is April 1, 2024

Please note that if your property was already categorized as uninhabitable as of Jan, 1, as a result of Hurricane Ian, then the Idalia refund process does not apply. Questions can be directed to hurricaneupdate@leepa org Please reference “Hurricane Idalia” in communications for this event

For more information or other property appraiser questions, please visit our website at: www leepa org

Do you have an interesting feature story worthy of print or know of someone who has accomplished something that needs to be noted in a local paper? Send an email to: nmayberg@breezenewspapers com and plug your angle

New ballfield ceremony on hold

Volunteers from the Town of Fort Myers Beach joined town staff and Jason Clark of ICS Materials, who donated his time and equipment to prepare the Fort Myers Beach Little League baseball fields to be finished at the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus Originally slated to open last week, the opening ceremony was postponed due to Hurricane Idalia

NATHAN MAYBERG

Tur tle Time nest data

For t Myers Beach

Nests: 71

Non-nesting emergence: 201 Nests Hatched: 57

Bonita Beach

Nests: 151

Non-nesting emergence: 268

Nests Hatched: 126

Never shine a light on or use flash photograph on a hatchling If you see a hatchling at night, “Hands off” let it crawl to the water If you find a hatchling wandering/lost in daytime, please place it in a DRY container and call 239-481-5566 right away

Turtle Time volunteers ask that Beach residents and visitors remember to turn off or shield their lights at night, and remind everyone never disturb a sea turtle or nest. For more information or to report a nest, please contact Turtle Time, Inc. at 481-5566. visit Turtle Time at turtletime.org.

9 n W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 0 2 3 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

School District’s rescheduled Virtual Recruiting Fair set for Thursday

The School District of Lee County has rescheduled its Aug 17 Virtual Recruiting Fair for Thursday, Sept 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p m This is an opportunity for job seekers interested in working with the School District as teachers, school counselors and instructional professionals for the 2023-2024 school year to meet and interview with school administrators

Anyone interested in attending must

Arthritis

register in advance at https://app brazenconnect com/a/leeschools/e/jPeDy

A current list of School District job openings is available at https://www lee schools net/careers The webpage also provides information on job descriptions, salaries and how to apply

Teacher and School Counselor candidates eligible to attend must meet one of the following criteria:

From page 4

protective equipment, staying hydrated, wearing the right shoes or gear, taking your time and consulting your physician to get proper treatment if you injure yourself

How is ar thritis managed?

Thankfully, there are a variety of treatment options and ways to manage arthritis

Treatment options help improve joint function and relieve symptoms For some people, it may take some trial and error to see what types of treatments or combinations of treatments work best. Physicians may prescribe:

∫ N o n s t e r o i d a l a n t i - i n f l a m m a t o r y drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil or Aleve to help reduce inflammation and pain

∫ Corticosteroids like prednisone to slow joint damage and reduce inflammation

∫ C o u n t e r i r r i t a n t s i n t h e f o r m o f creams and ointments that contain cap-

saicin or menthol to help reduce pain

∫ Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage

∫ Physical therapy exercises that can h e l p i m p r o v e r a n g e o f m o t i o n a n d strengthen muscles surrounding and supporting the joints

∫ Braces, wraps or walking assistive devices

If the above methods do not help improve symptoms and pain is persistent over time, doctors may eventually suggest surgery For those with joint damage that is not directly correctable, an alternative that is highly effective is joint replacement, known as arthroplasty

Traditional ar throplasty versus robotic-assisted ar throplasty

Arthroplasty or joint replacement surgery is a surgical procedure designed to reduce pain and restore the function of a

∫ Hold a valid standard teaching certificate (Florida or out-of-state) OR

∫ Expected to graduate from a college of education by August 2023 OR

∫ Hold a bachelor's degree in an area where certification can be obtained or any degree major and a passing score on a subject area exam

∫ School Counselors must hold a master's degree in the proper area

To see if a bachelor's degree can lead towards certification, applicants can visit the Florida Department of Education's website If a degree major does not equate to a certification area, those interested can register to take a subject area exam

For support or additional questions, job applicants can send an email to Careers@leeschools net or call 239-3378676

joint This involves resurfacing the bones and inserting an artificial joint or prosthesis

Normally, the whole joint is replaced with an artificial joint made of ceramic, heavy-duty plastic or metal Recovery time from traditional arthroplasty varies from person to person, depending on the joint that was replaced, the type of procedure and the person’s age

I n s o m e i n s t a n c e s , r o b o t i c - a s s i s t e d arthroplasty may be a better option when compared to traditional arthroplasty

Some surgeons consider it to be more precise and customizable to each patient By using a CT scan before surgery, a physician can plan exactly how much bone should be removed and ensure the accuracy of the alignment of the new joint

The robot helps ensure that the individual components of the artificial joint are in the best possible alignment, so they mesh together and work smoothly

Since the technology was acquired last

year, Lee Health has performed 586 robotic-assisted arthroplasties Our data indicates that patients stay in the hospital one day less than traditional surgery with a 2% rate of readmission at 30 days after surgery compared to 7% with the traditional approach So far, robotic-assisted arthroplasty at Lee Heath has not resulted in surgical site infections.

I t ’ s i m p o r t a n t t o m e n t i o n t o y o u r physician as soon as possible if you think you’re experiencing any arthritis symptoms There are a variety of nonoperative treatments and solutions available, but the key is to obtain a proper diagnosis

To learn more about any potential risks a n d t r e a t m e n t o p t i o n s , p l e a s e v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w l e e h e a l t h o r g / p a t i e n tr e s o u r c e s / f o r - p a t i e n t s / s c h e d u l e - a n -

appointment

Dr Thomas Hunt is chief physician e x e c u t i v e o f t h e L e e H e a l t h Musculoskeletal Institute

n W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 0 2 3 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

situation and do the right thing and help out” and said that if the town stayed in its state-supplied trailers “for an extended period of time” it would cost double what the new trailer will cost

A public records request sent to the town last week seeking quotes provided to the town for the new trailers the town is seeking and any agreement, was not fulfilled as of press time Tuesday

Asked about the agreement last week, Kropacek said there were only three vendors who can build such trailers and said he got the best price Kropacek said the town is also using insurance money from the former town hall for the new trailer Kropacek said there will be a four-year lease for the trailer He expects the town can use the property for three to four years

A message left with the Florida Division of Emergency Management seeking comment on why the costs for the trailers have recently pushed on Fort Myers Beach, was not responded to

Funding

During the council’s August meeting, Allers asked about whether the town had adjusted its funding request to the state for the town hall replacement project

“Currently, we are only going to get so much from FEMA You are going to get a matching allocation through the state That is what we are hoping for,” Kropacek said “That gets us about a good chunk of the way to our end goal On the back side of that, there is going to be another recourse to ask for funding to fill up that gap. We are currently working on that,” Kropacek said

Earlier this year, the town’s former managers Chris Holley and Keith Wilkins forwarded a set of legislative priorities to state legislators for funding the town needed in the wake of Hurricane to help rebuild

Among those requests to the state legislature was $24 4 million for a town hall reconstruction which was pushed forward by Rep Adam Botana (R-76) and Sen Jonathan Martin (R-33) yet never made its way into the state budget. The state legislature approved a $350 million fund for hurricane recovery that the town now has to apply to though the town has not issued another request for the $24 million

Instead, the town has requested an $800,000 loan or grant from the state through the hurricane recovery fund to expand the town hall, a $350,000 loan for temporary trailers

In questions sent to Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Andy Hyatt and Communications Director Jennifer Dexter last month regarding the town’s plans for a

permanent town hall, Dexter said “questions about specifics on funding related to Town Hall are premature Those questions will be answered as serious planning and secured funding takes place which has not been yet Information about those plans will be shared during Town Council meetings and likely in other ways so I would encourage you to stay connected to our website and social media to keep up on those as they happen ”

Allers said in response to questions regarding funding that “along with insurance and FEMA money, we will be looking to appropriation requests and the current loan we have in place for funding options ”

The town has received $982,000 from insurance for its town hall, which was demolished last month

Botana said in August there will be funds for a new town hall for the town “The town hall appropriation was rolled into the $350 million pot that is run by Florida’s department emergency management (director) Kevin Guthrie,” Botana said “He’s going through the process right now of distributing those funds and will be done by the end of August There will be money in there for Fort Myers Beach Town Hall,” Botana said Yet there is currently no state funds

directed for the town hall

Botana had previously said that the town’s lack of assuredness over where the town hall would be built, was one of the reasons the state legislature didn’t approve the funds for the town hall in its budget

The state legislature didn’t approve any of the funding requests the town submitted including $8 million for revenue reimbursement and $1 8 million for lights The town is now seeking $7 9 million from the state for lights

While the town can apply for funds out of the $350 million recovery fund, those funds are for every municipality in the state to compete for and currently the town does not have a plan to apply for funding for a permanent town hall

In April, Gov Ron DeSantis awarded the town an $11 9 million loan which would have to be repaid within a year though the town has been told by state officials that the loan could potentially be forgiven depending on the town’s financial situation

The governor’s office did not address queries as to why the town’s town hall funding request and other legislative priorities were not included in the state budget he signed earlier this year

Changing plans for town hall

Allers has previously stated that the town’s plans to swap property with the fire department to utilize the former Topps lot for a town hall where its trailers are currently would be beneficial since infrastructure for where the trailers are could be utilized for a new town hall Yet now it appears the Topps lot may not be in the town’s plans after all

Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt said he and other councilmembers have been briefed by Hyatt on a plan being worked on which would move the town hall to the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus where a new community center had previously been proposed. That plan would replace the recreational center gymnasium by storing the town’s vehicles inside and would involve the construction of a new gym and moving the town pool to the former Topps lot The town may also consider building workforce housing there

“It’s very conceptual,” Atterholt said Atterholt expressed confidence the town will receive state funding for a new town hall “I am hoping Fort Myers Beach being the tip of the iceberg (during Hurricane Ian), will get its share,” he said

NATHAN MAYBERG

Town hall was demolished last month The town is in talks with the Fort Myers Beach about swapping the town hall property with the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District’s property at the former Topps lot, where the town currently is operating town trailers Under a new plan, the town will build a new temporary trailer to serve as town hall as it awaits funding from the state to build a permanent town hall

Farmer’s market

island’s environment and resources

The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce kicked off the reopening of the market with a ribbon-cutting ceremony

The market, which will be running each Friday from 9 a m to 1 p m , brought a number of new vendors as well as the return of some old ones The market was formerly at Beach Baptist Church and Santini Plaza The market owners hope to return to Santini Plaza as well later in the year

The overcast, humid day worked out well for Leni Grajales and his Natural Health Foods booth, which had a line of thirsty visitors seeking out his natural fruit smoothies, fruit salads, orange juice, mandarin juice and six flavors of freshlysqueezed lemonade. The booth is always one of the most popular hits at the market

Don Dennis, who recently relocated to the area from Michigan to expand his Eagle Solar energy business, was waiting in line with his family for the lemonade and fruit smoothies Along with his wife

From page 1

and children were his mother-in-law

They picked up blueberry smoothies and lemonade to quench their thirsts

If fruit juices was not enough to perk you up, the scents from the freshly-grinded spices of Matt and Teresa Torella’s Southern Sol were there to do the trick.

Based out of Lake Placid, two hours north, the couple brought down their assortment of fresh ground seasoning and rubs from turmeric, coriander and cumin to their unique “Jamaican Me Crazy for t h e J e r k ” r u b t o “ W h o l l y S m o k e d Jalapeno Rub ”

T h e i r b i g g e s t s e l l e r i s “ J e d d y ’ s Season,” their “signature blend of 20 herbs and spices,” Ms Torella said Mr Torella, who grew up in nearby Naples, said they freshly grind herbs and spices to create the “best flavor ”

Another returning vendor was Gili Acajale who runs Gili Anna Design at Santini Plaza Acajale has not been able to open her business at Santini Plaza since it w a s f l o o d e d d u r i n g H u r r i c a n e I a n Acajale said she plans to return there

when it reopens hopefully this winter Acajale said she has been working for an event florist in Naples designing merchandise

Acajale said Friday’s market was a good start

“I’m very grateful for this market,” Acajale said “Especially for being out of business for a year ”

Jan and Jay Ruhstorfer were out hawking their 25 flavors of gourmet dip The couple used to attend the farmer’s markets at Beach Baptist Church and Santini Plaza Mr Ruhstorfer is a sales representative for a heavy equipment operator based in Michigan Their farmer’s market booth is a side project for them. Their dips range from asiago roasted garlic to New

Other options on the day included vendors with Greek food, seafood, sandwiches, bagels and muffins

“It was a steady trickle (of visitors) all day long,” Miller said

Miller said she was pleased by the town’s public works department staff and the town’s harbormaster, Austin Gilchrist, who she said helped sweep the sand off Times Square the day before the farmer’s market opened She said workers did “amazing work” and “pulled out truckloads of sand the last couple days ”

“We’re real pleased with the exposure,” Miller said

England lobster to sweet Maui onion

NATHAN MAYBERG

Matthew and Teresa Torrella drove down two hours from Lake Placid to bring their best homemade “Southern Sol” spices, fresh ground seasonings and rubs to the Fort Myers Beach Farmer's Market.

Gili Acajale hopes to return to Santini Plaza to reopen her store Gili Ana Design but in the meantime was enjoying selling jewelry and necklaces at the Fort Myers Beach Farmer's Market at Times Square Friday.

Fort Myers Beach Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force member and pop-up tent volunteer Jennifer Rusk provides information and resources on the town's environment at Times Square during Friday’s farmer ’s market.

Don Dennis (rear), owner of Eagle Solar, recently relocated his business to the area and brought his family to the Fort Myers Beach Farmer ’s Market opening Friday. With Don is (left to right) wife Jamie, daughter Abby, son David and Jamie's mother Debbie Shaw.

Idalia

Hurricane Idalia approached

While Hurricane Idalia did not make a hit on Fort Myers Beach, the passing of its outer bands off the coast left widespread flooding downtown and on numerous side streets as storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico was felt particularly in the heart of downtown and on Main Street in San Carlos Island The Town of Fort Myers Beach advised motorists to stay off town roads Wednesday due to winds and high waves from Hurricane Idalia Water was flowing over Estero Boulevard, making for treacherous driving The town also advised beachgoers to stay away from the emergency berm

Seaside Resort’s temporary roof dislodged, Allers said

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District responded to one vehicle stuck in floodwater and a power line down

Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth said “Fort Myers Beach and San Carlos

Island experienced local areas of flooding overnight, specifically during the period of high tide Low-lying areas along San Carlos Boulevard, Main Street, and Times Square had approximately 6-12 inches of water The flooding began around 12:30 a m and subsided at approximately 3:30 a m Other areas along Estero Boulevard, including several of the side streets experienced flooding as well.”

Wirth said “The district did well, there were a few power and cable lines down, a few trees, and a few structures that showed outward signs of damage ”

Steve Johnson, who chairs the town’s Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force, said his street on Seminole Way was flooded Wednesday morning

“The street was a mess,” Johnson said “Water came up as high as Irma and left behind a mess to clean up With the full moon king tide and the wind blowing in, the flooding centered around the high tides ”

Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Bill Veach said there was “a ton of Hurricane Ian debris washing up from Idalia” on the beach behind his property including construction materials, lumber, chairs and crab traps

Some plants that he and wife Randa had recently planted were lost to the hurricane and the spray salt, though their trailer was not impacted by Idalia. Veach said the emergency berm of sand along the beach installed this year was flattened a bit by the hurricane but also weakened the waves from the Gulf from causing wider flooding damage

Veach said he was concerned about the debris in the gulf He said he hadn’t been made aware of any plans by any government agencies to clean it out He recently contacted Keep Lee County Beautiful about having another beach cleanup day

The entrance to the Mound House was filled with water, Veach said The Beach

Baptist Church suffered damage to one of its tents

“Overall, everything held up well on the beach,” Allers said “The hardest-hit area was probably Times Square with over a foot of packed sand We had washouts onto Estero on the north end of the island and around Connecticut Street where the water got behind the berm on properties that did not have it. We have standing water from the storm and high tides on the low-lying streets and around Crescent Staff is out again today cleaning up ” Allers, who had warned residents living in trailers on Monday not to stay in them as Idalia approached, said Wednesday that “the trailers held up well ”

Despite the amount of sand that Idalia washed up on Times Square, town workers responded quickly By Friday, the sand had been cleared in time for the farmer’s market to open there.

STEVE JOHNSON

Seminole Way was flooded after Hurricane Idalia passed by Fort Myers beach Wednesday morning with tropical storm force winds blowing in water from the Gulf of Mexico and back bay, causing flooding damage to homes.

ELIZABETH FABBRI

The waves from the Gulf of Mexico roar over the remnants of the Fort Myers Beach Pier and over the foundation of the former PierSide Grille and Famous Blowfish Bar at Times Square after tropical storm winds were felt Wednesday morning on Fort Myers Beach from the passing of Hurricane Idalia. Times Square was covered in sand Wednesday.

e d n e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r

f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h B u l l e t i n

Code enforcement letters

“ A c o d e c o m p l i a n c e c a s e w i l l b e c r e a t e d f o r e a c h b u i l d i n g t o r e q u i r e t h e p r o p e r t y o w n e r ( s ) t o r e c e i v e a b u i l d i n g p e r m i t p r i o r t o O c t . 3 1 , 2 0 2 3 , t o e i t h e r d e m o l i s h o r r e p a i r t h e s t r u c t u r e ” D e x t e r s a i d t h a t “ p r o p e r t y o w n e r s r e c e i v i n g a n u n s a f e b u i l d i n g n o t i c e m u s t a c q u i r e a n i s s u e d b u i l d i n g p e r m i t p r i o r t o O c t 3 1 , 2 0 2 3 , t o e i t h e r d e m o l i s h o r r e p a i r t h e s t r u c t u r e ”

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e l e t t e r s e n t b y D e x t e r , “ p r o p e r t y o w n e r s m u s t d e m o l i s h o r r e p a i r t h e i r s t r u c t u r e s a n d c l o s e t h e i r p e r m i t s b y r e q u e s t i n g a n d p a s s i n g a l l

From page 3

Square has been lost “We had reached out to four other electrical companies These were the only games in town to meet our deadline,” Kropacek said Kropacek said the value of the clock was “close to $40,000 ”

The clock is being donated to the town by George and Linda Merschman as a replacement for the former Times Square clock that was washed away by Hurricane Ian The council approved the acceptance of the clock in June

Kropacek said the work would also help the town with future electrical work at Times Square Councilmember Bill Veach, who expressed concern with the cost of the work, asked if the work could be reimbursed from FEMA Kropacek

From page 3

r e q u i r e d i n s p e c t i o n s w i t h i n 1 8 0 d a y s o f p e r m i t i s s u a n c e ” F o r t M y e r s B e a c h V i c e M a y o r J i m A t t e r h o l t s a i d “ a l o t o f r e s i d e n t s e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e d e r e l i c t p r o p e r t i e s ” A t t e r h o l t s a i d t h e t o w n h a d b e e n “ r e t ic e n t ” t o s t a r t t a k i n g e n f o r c e m e n t a c t i o n s a g a i n s t p r o pe r t y o w n e r s s t i l l r e b u i l d i n g f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n b u t s a i d t o w n o f f i c i a l s b e l i e v e t h e t i m e i s r i g h t n o w t h a t t o w n h a l l h a s b e e n d e m o l i s h e d

“

I h o p e t h e t o w n i s d i s c e r n i n g a n d s y m p a t h e t i c t o t h o s e w h o a r e t r y i n g ( t o a d d r e s s t h e i r s t r u c t u r e s ) o r

said the town could request reimbursement from FEMA from the work

A t B a y s i d e P a r k , t h e c o u n c i l a p p r o v e d c o n t r a c t s n o t t o e x c e e d $83,400 and $60,000 for electric work there The council voted to waive its procurement policy, which requires purchases over $25,000 be approved by town council unless competitive procurement is waived

The town has been rushing to repair Bayside Park and open it before the upcoming Island Hopper Songwriters Fest All of the electric and equipment at Bayside Park needs to be replaced due to damage from Hurricane Ian The work includes the removal and reinstallation of the existing pavers in coordination with

w h o c a n s h o w t h e y h a v e i n s u r a n c e o r p e r m i t i s s u e s

I t ' s t o u g h o u t t h e r e P e o p l e a r e s t i l l w a i t i n g o n i n s u ra n c e c h e c k s , ” A t t e r h o l t s a i d .

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

electrical repairs around the park The electric will be prepared for when the replacement lights arrive at a later date, according to the resolution The work entails underground electric and site work The town’s operations director Frank Kropacek, formerly the town’s contracts manager, requested the town waive its procurement policy to award the contracts

The new clock is being donated to the town by George and Linda Merschman as a replacement for the former Times Square clock t h a t w a s w a s h e d a w a y b y

Hurricane Ian FILE PHOTO

WHERE TO GO WHAT TO DO WHO TO SEE

Return of the Songs

sland Hop per Song writ er Fest heads back to Fo rt Myers Beach

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com

One day after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian, the ninth-annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest will be getting under wa Myers Beach

On Friday, Sept. 29, the music festiva kickoff its weekend on the island with a s at the DiamondHead Beach Resort Bet Sept 29 and Oct 1, venues hosting live formances will include Pink Shell B Resort, DiamondHead Beach R Matanzas Inn, Lighthouse Tiki Bar, B Park and Mound House

The headliner for this year’s event Chris Janson, a winner of multiple Aca Country Music Awards Janson will be h the Pink Shell Beach Resort Pool Party Oct. 1.

With 90 performers scheduled to play at locations around the county, this year’s festival has the makings of another success The festival begins a week earlier on Captiva island beginning Sept 22

A slew of performances will happen around Fort Myers Beach between Friday, Sept 29, and Sunday, Oct 1 Most of performances will be free, featuring a large number of Nashville-based country musicians

The festival is organized by the Lee County Visitor’s Bureau in conjunction with Broadcast Music Inc , iHeartMedia and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.

Nancy MacPhee, product development manager for the Lee County Visitor’s Bureau, said the Sept 29 show at the DiamondHead Beach Resort will be a preview party of the performers, providing a “good opportunity to see songwriters ” Each songwriter is expected to perform one song to help festivalgoers get a feel of where they may want to spend their time over the weekend

With the damage to a number of local hotels and resorts

during Hurricane Ian, MacPhee said, “We didn’t think we had had enough rooms” for the songwriters initially MacPhee said, “We had very generous hotel partners” that were able to offer free rooms to songwriters e festival Fort Myers Beach resorts so included the DiamondHead, ghthouse Inn and Pink Shell each Resort.

The Pink Shell pool figures o be a good time Oct 1 when nson plays with special st Kristian Bush, a twoGrammy Award winhe show will run from Tickets are $45 Last ol party was eerily ys before Hurricane gh Janson is known m McGraw’s 2012 hit “Truck Yeah” and for his own solo album “Buy Me a Boat ” His new single “21 Forever” features Dolly Parton and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash The song appears on Janson’s latest album “The Outlaw Side of Me ”

Other scheduled shows set for Fort Myers Beach include a benefit Saturday, Sept 30, at the Mound House titled “Music on the Mound” with Fort Myers Beach musician Sheena Brook and Fort Myers native Brian Sutherland from 2-4 p m Tickets are $45

MacPhee said this year’s lineup will feature “a lot of diversity ” In addition to the large numbers of country music performers, there will also be Latin music and pop artists

Other artists set to perform during the festival include Autumn Nicholas, Ben Burgess, Clint Daniels, Sonia Leigh and Emily Shackleton

Among the other performers on the schedule are singersongwriters who have penned No 1 hits for such artists as Carly Pearce, George Strait and Morgan Wallen will perform at multiple Lee County venues from Sept 22 to Oct 1

For more information and festival schedule visit www island-hopper fest visitfortmyers com

I

Sizzle Dining showcase tops 95 restaurants for 2023

Participating eateries offering special menues Sept 7-27; Blessings in a Backpack to benefit

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

An annual food extravaganza sees a record number of participants for its 2023 event, with proceeds benefitting a local non-profit that addresses child hunger

Sizzle Dining runs from Sept 7 to 27 and gives participants the chance to sample Southwest Florida flavors and delectable cuisines This year, foodies will have the opportunity to dine at 95 restaurants throughout the month, for less

Sizzle Dining features a set-price menu at $19 or $29 for two-course lunches, and $29, $39, or $49 for three-course dinners

The charity-driven promotion gives residents the experience of new restaurants, hidden gems to be discovered, and e s t a b l i s h e d f a v o r i t e s a r o u n d B o n i t a Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Marco Island, Naples, Sanibel Island and Babcock Ranch Each participating locat i o n w i l l o f f e r s p e c i a l S i z z l e D i n i n g menus, so customers can try different types of food may normally be outside their comfort zone price-wise

“This is a special event that takes place in the restaurant where everyone from the dishwasher to the valet, hostesses, cooks, c h e f s , a n d o w n e r s p a r t i c i p a t e s , ” s a i d

Sizzle Dining founder Guy Clarke “It’s a way for them to give back and do something

“It’s heartwarming,” he adds “To get the kind of positive feedback we receive and to see the donation checks each

restaurant sends to the charity, knowing how hard everyone is working That’s why Sizzle Dining is a success.”

For every Sizzle Dining lunch or dinner meal purchased during the three-week event, each restaurant donates $1 directly to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, a local chapter of a national 501c3 charity that feeds 7,500 food-insec u r e e l e m e n t a r y - a g e d s t u d e n t s e v e r y weekend in Lee and Collier Counties during the 38-week school year

“Blessings in a Backpack is an obvious choice,” Clarke said “We’re in the industry and we feed people every day. But there are children in our community who don’t have access to food on a daily basis ”

Last year’s hurricane-shortened Sizzle Dining event raised more than $20,000 for the non-profit

“It’s been a wonderful partnership in the sense that we are able to pull together the restaurant community and give back to help support children,” said Cecilia St Arnold, Blessings in a Backpack executive director, in a prepared statement

Created to cater to every type of palate and diner, options range from small, independently owned specialty restaurants to high-end dining establishments Sizzle

D i n i n g p r o v i d e s c u s t o m e r s w i t h t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o d i s c o v e r a n d t r y n e w things, while restaurants get to showcase their best menu items The menu is what tends to be the deciding factor when customers are choosing what restaurants they want to visit, Clarke said

Deciding what the menu will feature, isn’t always easy for participating restaurants Factors to consider include staying within budget, adjusting portion-size, and keeping true to the brand of the establishment.

“I consider our existing production load, the seasonality of local products, and the feel of the group of items within o u r e x i s t i n g c u l i n a r y i d e n t i t y , ” s a i d General Manager Marcus Preece of Cielo on Sanibel Island, in a prepared statement He noted that one of Cielo’s $49 Sizzle Dining dessert course selections will feature a classic caramelized vanilla bean custard, served with the bounty of fresh

fruits and berries from South Florida this summer.

Sizzle Dining was founded in Naples in 2016 by Clarke, who also is the creator of BaconFest Naples along with his wife Erin Clarke, a culinary school-trained chef and restaurant management consultant The promotional event originally launched with 26 restaurants as dinner only Today, Sizzle Dining has grown into a 21-day event that draws thousands of visitors to restaurants

“Last year, we really focused on the power of collaboration,” Clarke said.

“

T h r o u g h S i z z l e D i n i n g , r e s t a u r a n t owners see that the best way to pivot is to pivot together instead of seeing the restaurant down the street as a competitor ”

Bonita Springs participants include A Table Apart, Corner Spot Diner + Drink, D e R o m o ’ s , E l B a s q u e , H a r v e s t & Wisdom, La Fontanella Ristorante and Pinchers – Bonita Springs

Estero participants include El Nido M o d e r n M e x i c a n , R u t h ’ s C h r i s , a n d South Fork Grille,

To see the full list of the record-breaking 95 participating restaurants (menus added daily), visit www sizzledining com and make your reservation directly with each restaurant

For more information on Blessings in a Backpack, visit swfl blessingsinabackpack org

Collaboratory’s Night Market to celebrate literacy

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Next week’s Night Market in Downtown Fort Myers will feature celebrity readers and activities to mark International Literacy Day

The event, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, on Collaboratory’s campus, marks the fourth Night Market since the event started last year as a means for Collaboratory to engage with the community

“We created the Night Market that would be cool, fun and people come to, but also to give us an opportunity to expose the community to the work of Collaboratory,” said Collaboratory Systems Sites and Experience Lead Kim Williams

“To have a fun party with the philanthropic social vibe,” she said “It’s really kind of cool to see people on the campus just hanging out and chatting It’s a solid community event where people are connecting and making connections ”

The events, which include community and business partners, are held quarterly

“It’s very family friendly,” Williams said

The event will include live music and food trucks

“We have partnered with the Line Up Band from the beginning,” Williams said, adding that she heard the guys play years ago and loves their vibe “They are perfect ”

Food trucks an vendors will include Vesuvius Wood F i r e d P i z z a , C a r i t o s G o u r m e t E m p a n a d a s , F o r e v e r

Grounded Coffee, Southern Snoballs, The Dawg Pound, Brookes Nugget Wagon, Flying Eagle Kombucha and Dynasty Guacamole

As far as retailers, vendors will include Amorist J e w e l r y , L o v e M u f f i n s , W a j o l i A f r i c a n W e a r , Chaotically Copeland Creations, Henna Magick, Groovy Growing, Willow & Hitch, The Adventuring Nerd, The Herb Appeal, SummaVitaLinx, Sugar High Cotton Candy, Jayce’s Freeze Dried Candy Shack, Citrus Circus, Personalized: by Lilly, Rabbit Paws - Art and More and Wild at Heart Flower Truck

“We have a couple youth entrepreneurs,” Williams said

Lee County Library Bookmobile will be on site, as well as Building Talent Foundation and Patty’s Place

FutureMakers will have an activity room setup for children and their families with people who are extremely passionate about reading and literacy

“There will be some celebrity guests reading books The Fort Myers fire chief and chief of police will be there to do some reading,” FutureMakers Coalition Director Tessa LeSage said “There are a lot of ways to have fun and engage around literacy ”

The Night Market also provides an opportunity for

“We created the Night Market that would be cool, fun and people come to, but also to give us an opportunity to expose the community to the work of Collaboratory.”

Collaboratory Systems Sites and Experience Lead Kim Williams

Collaboratory to support small businesses in the community, as spaces are provided without charge

In addition, the event provides resident partners that are doing socially aligned work in the building the opportunity to also engage with the community

The previous three events have been successful, as Williams has seen an upwards of 400 people attend

The Night Market is typically aligned with Music Walk However, this quarter’s Night Market, instead of b e i n g h e l d d u r i n g M u s i c W a l k , w i l l b e h e l d o n International Literacy Day Collaboratory’s campus is at 2031 Jackson Street, Downtown Fort Myers

Inter national Literacy Day

LeSage said there is a real struggle throughout Florida and definitely in Southwest Florida with the literacy rate She said less than 50 percent of third graders are proficient in reading

“Our school-aged children and families have been through so much with COVID and Hurricane Ian. We are at a critical point where we need to come together as a community to start to shift the tides on our reading proficiency outcomes,” LeSage said “It is going to take all of us to turn this around There is a lot of work to be done We really are all responsible for making sure our students are achieving their education outcomes, so they can become part of a skilled workforce and have a really strong community going forward ”

With the Night Market, the idea is to help folks understand this is an issue, as well as bring together community partners that are willing to help students increase their reading proficiency, she said.

“There are opportunities for folks to invest in programs and some of the work FutureMakers is doing to try to create opportunities for partnerships with our schools and other nonprofit organizations to support the level of enrichment that is needed right now to increase reading proficiency,” LeSage said “Night Market is a great place to come and get involved ”

They are trying to raise funding to create opportunities for public, private partnerships with schools They also

want to train volunteers so, when they enter the schools, they can address the needs of students

“FutureMakers is working with partners to see what organizations would want to go into the schools on a regular basis as volunteers and be trained and support the s t u d e n t s ’ a d d i t i o n a l r e a d i n g n e e d s , ” L e S a g e s a i d “Ideally, if we get the funding we need to do this, we are looking to have a volunteer coordinator to help support this effort and support our local schools If enough people are interested and raise enough money, FutureMakers Coalition could take on the administrative work of making sure the volunteers are connected with schools and get the training they need ”

To get involved with FutureMakers’ Reading Support Initiative, contact Kaleigh Rodden at krodden@collaboratory org

LeSage said FutureMakers is a regional five-county coalition made up of about 150 cross-sector organizations working together to transform the Southwest Florida workforce

“We believe the workforce development starts before kindergarten,” she said

Collaborator y

C o l l a b o r a t o r y , f o r m e r l y t h e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a Community Foundation, has been in the region for nearly 50 years

“The foundation has evolved so much since I started,” said Williams, who started 12 years ago “We have grown leaps and bounds. There continues to be new opportunities and space for growth The work, what we are doing, you can devote your life to and be proud of it There’s a lot of passionate people here putting everything they have into it above capacity ”

Collaboratory evolved over the years While they do all the granting of funds to nonprofits and scholarships, they also spend time on systematic changes that need to happen

“For example, our granting has shifted to support coalitions, cross-sector organizations working together to solve a particular issue versus organizations that are working in silos,” Williams said.

C o l l a b o r a t o r y a l s o h a s t h e p h y s i c a l s p a c e a s a resource for the community The last fiscal year they had approximately 140 different organizations use the space Organizations can come in, sit down and get to work in a business space

“They can get a great cup of coffee on us The Collaboratory team is all about hospitality and supporting the work of the nonprofits using our space,” Williams said

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre accepting video submission for roles in ‘Elf the Musical’

Broadway Palm is currently accepting video submissions for the role of Michael Hobbes and children’s ensemble roles in their upcoming production of “Elf the Musical ” They are also accepting submissions for LOCAL adult musical theatre performers for the 2023/2024 season: “Elf,” “Elvis A Musical Revolution,” “Beautiful The Carol King Musical,” “ T h e A d d a m s F a m i l y ” a n d “ M a r y Poppins ”

The theater is seeking the following:

∫ Michael Hobbes (12 - 13 years old) - Buddy’s stepbrother who is excited to have a new friend and brother Funny and smart, he quickly bonds with Buddy and is determined to share a great Christmas with his entire family Must have an unchanged singing voice. Vocal range top: G5; vocal range bottom: F3

∫ Ensemble Children (8 - 14 years old) - dancer/singer/actors with bright personalities to play elves, citizens of New York and ensemble roles

∫ Adult Ensemble (18 and above)dancer/singer/actors The theater is specif-

ically looking for actors with housing in the Fort Myers area Must be strong dancers Tap and partner dancing are a plus Actors of all ethnicities and types are welcome to submit - we are specifically looking for actors of color for all roles These are paid positions

For children, the rehearsal period will be Oct 26 through Nov 10 Rehearsals will be after school hours (4-7 p.m.) with a few earlier afternoons (12:30 start time) during tech week (Nov 7- 9) Actors must

commit to the full rehearsal schedule to be considered All children’s roles will be double cast

For adults (18 and above), the rehearsal period for Broadway Palm productions are full rehearsal days (10 a m to 6 p m ), with a 12:30-10 p.m. schedule during tech week Actors must commit to the full rehearsal schedule to be considered

The performance schedule for "Elf" is Nov 10 to Dec 25, with evening shows Tuesday through Saturday as well as v a r y i n g m a t i n e e s a n d t w i l i g h t s h o w s Sunday evening For the complete show schedule please visit https://broadwaypalm com/shows/elf/

For the role of Michael, please submit a video with the following materials along with headshot, resume and audition form- Michael Side #1, Michael Side #2 and “There is A Santa Claus” - song selection

All materials are included in the link: https://www dropbox com/scl/fo/e97ojce botwszsa02lo72/h?rlkey=xwkfny64oxcz kai9uwri8kz8m&dl=0

For children’s ensemble roles, please

submit a video with 16 bars of an uptempo musical theatre song of your choice along with a headshot, resume and audition form

For adult roles (18 and over), please submit any vocal and dance reels you have on file, along with headshot, resume and audition form

A u d i t i o n f o r m s a r e a v a i l a b l e a t https://www dropbox com/scl/fo/kfsf2od 2xbk1627r651dl/h?rlkey=6iswtysnhyrtni71313zksqy9&dl=0

Submissions are due by Sept 15please send to brian@broadwaypalm com (artistic producer) and amy@broadwaypalm com (director/choreographer) F

Like the For t Myers Beach Obser ver & Beach Bulletin? Read us daily at For tmyersbeachtalk.com!

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium upcoming events

The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium is at 3450 Ortiz Ave , Fort Myers It sits on 105 acres of wilderness within the city limits In the Nature Center there are over 35 different animals including 3 bald eagles, 2 adult alligators and 2 baby alligators There is almost 2 miles of walking/hiking trails one a 1/3 mile shell path that is an easy walk the other 1 ½ miles that takes you out into the w i l d e r n e s s a r o u n d t h e p r o p e r t y T h e B u t t e r f l y Aviary is stocked with native butterflies, native plants and a Raptor Aviary which houses birds of prey

In addition, the Calusa Nature Center has the only Planetarium within 90 miles of Fort Myers The Planetarium does 4 different shows per month broke out by even and odd days with 2 shows occurring each day, one at 12:15 p m and the other at 2:15 p m

All Aboard the Orient Express at Broadway Palm through Sept. 16

C o m e a b o a r d t h e l u x u r i o u s O r i e n t E x p r e s s a n d f o l l o w t h e t w i s t s a n d t u r n s o f A g a t h a C h r i s t i e ’ s c l a ss i c m u r d e r m y s t e r y , “ M u r d e r o n t h e O r i e n t E x p r e s s , ” p l a y i n g A u g 1 8 t h r o u g h S e p t 1 6 , 2 0 2 3 T h i s p l o t - t w i s t i n g m a s t e r p i e c e f r o m t h e w o r l d ’ s m o s t p o p u l a r m y s t e r y w r i t e r w i l l k e e p y o u g u e s s i n g “ w h o d u n i t ” T h i s c l e v e r a d a p t a t i o n o f t h e A g a t h a C h r i s t i e c l a s s i c b o a s t s g l a m o u r , i n t r i g u e , s u s p e n s e , a n d h u m o r T h e O r i e n t E x p r e s s i s s u r p r i s i n g l y f u l l f o r t h e t i m e o f t h e y e a r , b u t b y m o r n i n g t h e t r a i n i s o n e p a s s e n g e r f e w e r A n A m e r i c a n t y c o o n l i e s s t a b b e d

Faces of Pace Celebration & Gala to benefit Pace programs in Lee County on Oct. 21

Pace Center for Girls, Lee will host its Faces of Pace Celebration & Gala on Saturday, Oct 21, from 6 to 10 p m at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater, at 1375 Monroe St. Fort Myers.

The gala will feature dinner, dancing and live music by Bay Kings Band, as well as a spirited live auction with proceeds benefiting Pace programs and services Recognizing all the Faces of Pace who have played an integral part of the center’s mission to change the lives of girls and young women, the evening will include messages from founding members and alumni of Pace Lee

Presented by B&I Contractors, a range of sponsorship opportunities are still available for the gala, including the Creating Partnerships sponsor at $10,000, Invest in the Future sponsor at $7,500, Focus on Strengths sponsor at $5,000, Honor the Female Spirit table sponsor at $1,500 and in-kind sponsorships

The signature event is led by co-chairs Noelle Casagrande and Lt Angelo Vaughn with honorary chair Sandy Stilwell Youngquist B&I Contractors is the gala’s title sponsor

The fundraising event supports Pace Lee in providing girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy Programs are based on the belief that all girls and young women, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, should be uniquely cared for, supported and encouraged to become the best versions of themselves through a path of healing and recovery Through Pace Lee, 100% of students improved their academic performance, 100% had no involvement with the juvenile justice system within one year of exiting the program and 95% were either in school or gainfully employed after leaving Pace Lee

For more information, visit PaceCenter org/Locations/Lee or call 239-425-2366

t o d e a t h w i t h h i s d o o r l o c k e d f r o m t h e i n s i d e I s o l a t e d a n d w i t h a k i l l e r a m o n g t h e m , t h e p a s s e ng e r s r e l y o n d e t e c t i v e H e r c u l e P o i r o t t o f i n d t h e m u r d e r e r b e f o r e h e o r s h e s t r i k e s a g a i n P e r f o r m a n c e s a r e W e d n e s d a y t h r o u g h S u n d a y e v e n i n g s w i t h s e l e c t e d m a t i n e e s . T i c k e t s a r e $ 6 0 t o $ 8 5 w i t h g r o u p p r i c e s f o r 2 0 o r m o r e a v a i l a b l e T i c k e t s a r e n o w o n s a l e a n d c a n b e r e s e r v e d b y c a l li n g 2 3 9 - 2 7 8 - 4 4 2 2 , b y v i s i t i n g B r o a d w a y P a l m c o m o r b y s t o p p i n g b y t h e b o x o f f i c e a t 1 3 8 0 C o l o n i a l B l v d . , F o r t M y e r s .

For t Myers Mighty Mussels home games

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

Wonder Gardens offering enhanced guest experiences for the summer

T h e W o n d e r G a r d e n s i s o f f e r i n g e n h a n c e d g u e s t e x p e r i e n c e s f o r t h e s u m m e r G u e s t s w i s h i n g t o g e t u p c l o s e a n d p e r s o n a l w i t h s o m e o f t h e a t t r a c t i o n s c a n s c h e d u l e a W i l d W o n d e r s A n i m a l E n c o u n t e r H a b i t a t C h a t s p l a n n e d o n T h u r s d a y s a l s o o f f e r n e w a n d a d d it i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e s

W i l d W o n d e r s A n i m a l E n c o u n t e r s w i l l a l l o w g u e s t s t o f e e d S u l c a t a t o r t o i s e s , R a i n b o w L o r i k e e t s a n d A m e r i c a n a l l i g a t o r s T h e A n i m a l C a r e a n d E d u c a t i o n s t a f f w i l l l e a d g u e s t s o n a n a d v e n t u r e t h a t l a s t s a n y w h e r e f r o m 3 0 m i n u t e s t o a t l e a s t a n h o u r E n c o u n t e r s a r e o f f e r e d a t t h e d i s c o u n t e d o f f - s e a s o n r a t e s o f $ 2 0 p e r p e r s o n f o r W o n d e r G a r d e n s m e m b e r s a n d $ 2 5 p e r p e r s o n f o r n o n m e m b e r s , p l u s p a r k a d m i ss i o n G u e s t s m a y v i s i t W o n d e r g a r d e n s o r g t o v i e w a v a i l a b i l i t y a n d b o o k a n e n c o u n t e r f o r 1 1 : 3 0 a m o n s e l e c t d a y s I n a d d i t i o n , W o n d e r G a r d e n s h a s a d d e d H a b i t a t C h a t s a t 1 p . m . o n T h u r s d a y s . H a b i t a t C h a t s a r e a n e w a n d i n t e r a c t i v e w a y g u e s t s c a n l e a r n a b o u t t h e a n i m a l s a t t h e G a r d e n s C u r r e n t l y , t h e e x p e r i e n c e c o m b i n e s a n a l l i g a t o r f e e d i n g d e m o n s t r a t i o n w i t h i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t d i e t , c o n s e r v a t i o n a n d f u n f a c t s T h e C h a t s a r e o f f e r e d f o r a l l W o n d e r G a r d e n s F o r i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w o n d e r g a r d e n s o r g / p r o d u c t / w i l d - w o n d e r s / o r c a l l

Between Planetarium shows there is a live animal talk in the Nature Center at 1:15 p m

Upcoming events:

∫ Saturday, Sept 9, from 9 to 11 a m

Monthly Nature Explorers Program for children 5 to 11 This month is Predators and Prey "Predators have ways to get their prey and Prey have ways to not get caught We are going to have fun while learning about the amazing lives of Predators and Prey "

∫ Sunday Sept 10, at 10:30 a m

M o n t h l y S e n s o r y S u n d a y P r o g r a m " W i l d e s t Weather in the Solar System"

"A spectacular journey to witness the most beautiful, powerful, and mysterious weather phenomena in the solar system Find out on which planet it rains diamonds! Audiences will fly through the thick acid clouds of the atmosphere of Venus, g i g a n t i c m a g n e t i c s t o r m s o n t h e S u n , l i q u i d m e t h a n e s h o w e r s o n T i t a n , a n d a n t i c y c l o n e s whirling at hundreds of miles per hour on Jupiter "

The show has been altered to remove loud noises, soften the lighting, and remove abrupt changes t h a t m i g h t d i s t u r b p e o p l e w i t h s e n s o r y i s s u e s Tickets $ 5.

∫ Wednesday, Sept 13, at 7 p,m, Monthly Nature Speaker Series This month Kenny Coogan will be speaking about Carnivorous Plants

" Florida has more native species of carnivorous plants than any other state in the country These plants use appealing scents, leaves, and sticky fluids to trap and imprison insects Learn why Florida is a hotspot of carnivorous plants "

Presented by Kenny Coogan, author of the book “Florida’s Carnivorous Plants”

Non-members $15 / Members Free

Things get busy with the Friendly Forest celebration, Sept 23 and 24, Haunted Walk beginning in October and Holiday lights in December

The Calusa Nature Center is open from 10 a m to 4 p m , Tuesday through Sunday Admission, w h i c h i n c l u d e s a l l o u r p r o g r a m m i n g , a n i m a l s , trails, and Planetarium cost $10 for adults and $5 for children 3 - 12 years of age Discounts offered for seniors and military

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www calusanature org/

PET PALS

Help two lovely dogs

By ISABELLE WELLS

Co-founder of the Find a Home, Give a Home pet rescue organization of Fort Myers Beach

There are so many dogs abandoned in shelters right now After 12 years of rescuing I don’t think I’ve ever seen the amount of pets euthanized in a single week We all try to do our share but I can tell you it is taking a toll on all of us Many beautiful dogs and cats will be destroyed all over the United States and Southwest Florida is one of its hot spots These two girls were scheduled to be euthanized and made it out If you can help and share their story please do Interested in adopting or foster/adopt call Isabelle at 239-281-0739. Both are good with other dogs you can also email us at pets@findahomegiveahome com

Snuggle Bunny

Hayden was a stray and running the streets of Fort Myers blind and deaf (probably 80%) and ended up in the shelter where she could not stay since it was too scary for her She is approximately

4 years old and weighs 60 pounds Her special needs will not stop her from being a lovable pet. Loves kisses

Perfect lady

Angelica is such an angel! She is great She is friendly with both people and dogs and was scheduled to be euthanized. Angelica is always in a good mood She is totally housebroken Angelica was in a home before and we think she was dumped and lost her puppies She is 3 years old and weighs 52 pounds

Follow us on Facebook at Find A Home Give A Home Pet Rescue and see all the amazing pets we saved these past few months

Please note our new PO Box #864, Bonita Springs, Fl 34133

You can also make a donation at www.findahomegiveahome.com using the donation tab using PayPal

Please make sure you do it through “Friends and Family” so there is no fee and all the donation comes to us directly.

One of our busiest kitten seasons on record

By Jo Knobloch Saveourstraysfmb@yahoo com

Founder

of

Save Our Strays Cat Rescue

a 501c3 organization on Fort Myers Beach

It is still kitten season and has been one of the busiest on record If you should see any young kittens please call so we can get them rescued and safe Also there are still many missing strays that were lost during the hurricane They need rescued so please call if you see any cats roaming around anywhere They need food and water and if are domestic cats need to be brought in. Please call 239-8513485

W e d e s p e r a t e l y n e e d h e l p f e e d i n g t h e s t r a y c a t s o n F o r t M y e r s B e a c h t h a t s u r v i v e d t h e h u r r ic a n e F o o d w i l l b e p r o v i d e d a n d i t d o e s n ’ t t a k e t h a t l o n g t o d o W e a l s o n e e d h e l p i n t h e P i n e R i d g e a r e a n e a r S u m m e r l i n R o a d E v e n i f y o u c o u l d o n l y d o o n e o r t w o t i m e s a w e e k i n a f e w p l a c e s i t w o u l d h e l p a s 1 0 l o c a t i o n s a r e c u r r e n t l y o n o n e p e r s o n t o d o d a i l y a s v o l u n t e e r s t h a t u s e d t o h e l p a r e n o l o n g e r o n t h e i s l a n d d u e t o h o m e s d e s t r o y e d P l e a s e c a l l 2 3 9 - 8 5 1 - 3 4 8 5 i f y o u c a n v o l u n t e e r t o f e e d .

Peaches

Peaches is a 10-week-old orange and white female kitten She is from a litter of three that were raised inside with their calico mom Peaches is very playful and enjoys running and chasing her two littermates She is available for pre-adoption now

Amber

Amber is also a 10-week-old female torti shell kitten and sibling of Peaches Amber is very quick and loves to run and play and is also available for pre-adoption now

If you would like to meet Amber or Peaches, please call 239-851-3485 to schedule an appointment.

Hayden

Angelica

SPORTS & RECREATION

Tee it up for GCHS!

Shelter to host second Top Golf Tournament Sept. 17

Grab those drivers and iron golf clubs out of the bag and join the fun for the Gulf Coast Humane Society’s Top Golf Tournament, Sunday, Sept 17, from 1-5 p m at Top Golf, 2021 Topgolf Way, Fort Myers.

No matter how you fair in the tee box, your participation will be a winner for the GCHS shelter animals, with the Top Golf Tournament being one of the shelter’s biggest fundraisers of the year

“Last year, everyone had a great time at the Top Golf Tournament and it became an important fundraiser for the shelter,” said GCHS executive director Gary Willoughby “We are expanding the event this time around to add more enjoyment and hopefully raise more funds for the shelter animals ”

Sign up today here: https://bit ly/47hWpnI or visit https://gulfcoasthumanesociety org/events/

This year, there is a new VIP Experience for $1,500 per bay. The VIP Experience will include six players with access to comfy couches in each bay, a premium top shelf open bar, exclusive Fajita Fiesta buffet and three hours of unlimited gameplay

But the VIP Experience is limited to 10 bays, so it is urged to potential teams to register as soon as possible

There will be 26 open bays which costs $800 per golf team This package includes six players, access to the Fajita Fiesta buffet and three hours of unlimited golf play

Each team is also able to register up to two extra

Mighty Mussels

Promotional Calendar

guests to join The cost for VIP guests is $100 (which includes the buffet and open premium bar) and $50 for nonVIP (which includes the buffet)

There will be plenty of extracurricular fun, including raffle prizes and a silent auction Prizes will also be won by participating golfers

Sponsorships are available for the event Please contact Lori Burke at lori@gulfcoasthumane society.org or 239-332-0364 ext 321 for more information

Shoot an ace for the GCHS shelter animals by competing in the Top Golf T o u r n a m e n t ! S i g n u p t o d a y h e r e : https://bit ly/47hWpnI or visit https://gulfcoasthumanesociety.org/events/.

About Gulf Coast Humane Society:

Gulf Coast Humane Society is a regional organization dedicated to helping companion pets find their forever homes, no matter how long it takes. GCHS provides an adoption center, spay-neuter and veterinary clinic, as well as education and awareness to the public about the welfare of homeless pets

GCHS’ mission is to care for companion pets in need by offering safe refuge, providing medical care and facilitating adoptions GCHS promotes the concept the “Adopt, Don’t Shop” and help educate the community about proper and responsible animal care, while providing quality, affordable veterinary care

To learn more about GCHS, visit its website at www gulfcoasthumanesociety org

Fish & Wildlife seeking public input on new information for snook regional management

T h e F l o r i d a F i s h a n d W i l d l i f e Conservation Commission is seeking public input on new recommendations for snook recreational fishing regulations The FWC is adopting a holistic management approach for snook that includes a review of several environmental and human factors such as habitat, fishing effort and stakeholder feedback to evaluate the fishery at a more local scale Newly released data and recent public feedback suggest additional regulation changes may be warranted

During the virtual workshop, staff will review the new data and recent public feedback and seek input on potential regulation changes to respond to this information The possible additional regulation changes that will be presented include:

∫ Making snook catch-and-release only in the Tampa Bay Region beginning in 2024

∫ Adding September to the closed season for the Southwest Region

∫ Establishing a 2-fish vessel limit statewide

The commission will consider this feedback when making their decision on a final rule at an upcoming Commission meeting The virtual workshop will start at 6 p.m. (EDT) Thursday, Sept 7 Connect to the meeting by going to MyFWC com/Marine a n d c l i c k i n g “ R u l e m a k i n g : S u b m i t a Comment/Attend a Workshop” and then “Upcoming Public Workshops ”

If you are unable to attend the virtual meeting, you can still submit comments online by visiting the Saltwater Public Comments page A recording of the presentation will be available by Thursday, Sept 7, on the FWC Saltwater Fishing YouTube channel

For information on public workshops, call 850487-0554 or visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “ S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g ” t h e n “ P u b l i c M e e t i n g s f o r

San Carlos Bay Sail & Power Squadron

America’s Boating Course schedule

America’s Boating Course (8 hr) Sept 9, 8:15 a m

America’s Boating Course (8 hr) Oct 7, 8:15 a m

America’s Boating Course (8 hr) Dec. 2, 8:15 a.m.

For more information call 239-466-4040 or visit

http://www scbps com, Facebook: https://www facebook com/San-Carlos-Bay-Sailboat-and-PowerboatSquadron

Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Sports Complex is at 14400 6 Mile Cypress Pkwy, Fort Myers

For Mighty Mussels ticket information call 239-768-4210 or visit https://www.milb.com/fort-myers/tickets/.

All giveaways, promotions and event dates are subject to change All Times ET Subject to Change

Wednesday, Sept. 6 @ 7 p.m.

vs. Bradenton Marauders

Game Highlight: Dollar Dog Night

Every Wednesday home game, all fans can get $1 hot dogs all game long | Presented By 102 9 BOB FM

Game Highlight: Guaranteed Win Night

We are guaranteeing a Mussels victory! If the Mussels lose all fans in attendance get a free ticket to the next day's game

Game Highlight: Silver Sluggers

It's Silver Sluggers Wednesday! Join our Silver Sluggers Club to get free tickets and parking to each Wednesday home Mussels game | Presented By Amavida

Game Highlight: Ladies' Night

Ladies get 2 for 1 Seltzer's & Wine at each Wednesday Mussels Home Game

Thursday, Sept 7 @ 7 p m

vs. Bradenton Marauders

Game Highlight: $1 and $2 Beer Night

It's the biggest party in town every Thursday with the Mussels with $1 12 oz cans & $2 draft beers during the game! | Presented By Budweiser, Twin Peaks & Gator Country 101 9

Game Highlight: Miracle Throwback Nights

Every Thursday we're throwing it back to the Miracle days and the Mussels will wear Miracle uniforms! Plus get $1 and $2 beers!

Game Highlight: College Night

All College Students get $5 tickets with Student ID

Game Highlight: Golf Giveaway Night

We'll be giving away great golf prizes and free rounds to lucky fans throughout the game!

Friday, Sept 8 @ 7 p m

vs. Bradenton Marauders

Game Highlight: Pre-Game Happy Hour

Get 2 for 1 on all Bacardi drinks at the Rusty's bar at Hammond Stadium from 6-7 P M | Presented By Rusty's, Bacardi

Game Highlight: Fan Appreciation Night

Game Highlight: Friday Fireworks

After each Friday game the Mussels will light up the sky with the best fireworks show in Southwest Florida!

Saturday, Sept 9 @ 6 p m,

vs. Bradenton Marauders

Game Highlight: Guaranteed Win Night

We are guaranteeing a Mussels victory! If the Mussels lose all fans in attendance get a free ticket to the next day's game

Game Highlight: Bark in the Park

Bring your dog to the game as all dogs get in free and join Lee County Sheriff's Office as they spread the word against Animal Cruelty! | Presented By Lee County Sheriff's Office

Game Highlight: Hispanic Heritage Night

Game Highlight: Cancer Sucks Night #9

In the ongoing battle to fight Cancer the Mussels will partner with area organizations to raise money for the fight | Presented By Budweiser

Sunday, Sept. 10 @ noon

vs. Bradenton Marauders

Game Highlight: Sunday Brunch

Join the Mussels for Brunch & Baseball! Get an all you can eat Brunch from 11-1 for just $15 with your game ticket

Game Highlight: Kid's Club Sundays

Kids can join the Mussels Sprouts and get tickets to each Sunday home game plus a shirt and access to VIP events for just $33! | Presented By Choice Charter Schools, The Law Offices of Spencer Cordell

Game Highlight: Kids Run the Bases

All kids can run the bases after each Sunday home game | Presented By BRANDT

Game Highlight: Kid's Catch on the Field

All kids can play catch on the field prior to each Sunday home game from 11-11:30 a m

Source: www milb com

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