Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

INSIDE; Latin Music Festival

Yacht Club ‘deconstruction’ consensus: Out with the old

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council determined Wednesday there is little worth saving from among the historical elements of the 61-yearold Ballroom at the Cape Coral Yacht Club complex Council took a consensus of fixtures to be saved and possibly incorporated into a new structure, reaching agreement to save the glass doors from Ballroom and not much else, depending on the cost analysis in a pending

Each of the Council members shared their opinion of what they would like to see incorporated or have designed as similar features in the new building Discussion centered around four areas the Yacht Club stakeholder group identified interior ceiling beams, stonework, fountain and interior glass doors

“deconstruction” bid to tear down the building James Pankonin, with Kimley Horne, took Council through a presentation that highlight-

ed what the Yacht Club stakeholders group wanted to preserve

The appointed citizen panel had an opportunity to walk through the Yacht Club

Ballroom on Aug 23, to look at elements for potential preservation, such as the interior ceiling beams, stonework, chandeliers/sconces, terrazzo flooring, fountain, exterior posts and beam supports

Pankonin said the idea was how the elements could be preserved or incorporated into a new design in a meaningful way

Through these discussions, many challenges were shared, ranging from cleaning

See YACHT CLUB, page 12

Residents set Redfish Pointe protest march

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral Breeze

Inaugural Latin Music Festival to take place Saturday

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Afirst-of-its-kind music festival paying homage to Hispanic and Latino culture is set for this weekend in Fort Myers

The inaugural Latin Music Festival, put on by Nice Guys Productions, takes place Sept 16 at

See FEST, page 18

O s m a n i G a r c i a i s a p o p u l a r C u b a n singer and songwriter known for the catchy and upbeat reggaeton and Latin music /PHOTO PROVIDED

If You Go

What: Inaugural Latin Music Festival

When: Saturday, Sept 16, from noon to 10 p m

Where: Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, 2101 Edwards Dr , Fort Myers

A group of residents will make their voices heard later this month in opposition to a proposed development to be built on marked-for-preservation land near Rotary Park

Members of “Protect our Wetlands Cape Coral” will gather for a protest on Sept. 27 starting at 8:30 a.m.,in rejection of the Redfish Pointe development as submitted to City Council Redfish Pointe, which sits just east of Tarpon Point totaling 350 acres, has more t h a n 4 , 5 0 0 l i n e a r f r o n t a g e a l o n g t h e C a l o o s a h a t c h e e R i v e r T h e “ R e d f i s h P o i n t e M i x e d U s e P r e s e r v e D i s t r i c t , ” Future Land Use text amendment, was submitted to the city The 110 22 acres for development improvement plans features a 90 37-acre mixed use site to include 800 residential units, resort hotel, restaurants, retail shops, office space, parking garage and boat slips

Members of the organized group say the wetlands provide critical protection from storms, such as Hurricane Ian, and would increase flooding, destroy critical wildlife habitat, disrupt the hydrology and ecology degrading the natural character and appeal of Rotary Park, increase traffic congestion, and strain infrastructure

The protest will begin at Rotary Park

See MARCH, page 18

City nixes electric school buses; may explore vehicle pilot program

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council agreed Wednesday that getting involved with electric school buses is not the route to go, but a pilot program for small electric vehicles could be worth looking into

Cape Coral Fleet Manager AJ Forbes said the workshop presentation was a followup from a study with CST Consulting regarding recommendations for some electric vehicles on a small scale at City Hall, North Water Plant, Everest and the new fleet facility

Interim City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said the conclusion of the analysis and investigation determined that moving into electric vehicles for heavy equipment and buses is not beneficial at this time He said if anything, it would be a of couple pedestals in a few locations and conversion of any smaller vehicles to get mechanics and equipment in place and start off smaller

As far as buses are concerned, many Council members shared their lack of interest in being pioneers in the industry of electric school buses

After research, Councilmember Dan Sheppard said his opinion has changed

“A year ago, I was a fan of this, but after all the research, I have learned it is not a good idea The technology is not there yet There are positives in the technology, but a lot of negatives as well I would not be in favor of investing in electric buses I would not be for investing in electric vehicles at this time ”

Councilmember Dan Sheppard

As of June, a 71-passenger electric vehicle bus is $386,707 37 with a 200-mile range, compared to a diesel consideration for $117,535 00 with a 400-mile range

“A year ago, I was a fan of this, but after all the research, I have learned it is not a good idea The technology is not there yet There are positives in the technology, but a lot of negatives as well I would not be in favor of investing in electric buses I would not be for investing in electric vehicles at this time,” he said.

Mayor John Gunter agreed that electric buses are not a direction he thinks the city should pursue as they do not have the infrastructure

He would not be opposed to looking into a pilot program for smaller electric vehicles

“I would like to see what you have in mind, cost, cost of infrastructure, cost of vehicle, hiring additional mechanics, or training for existing mechanics,” Gunter said

Councilmember Robert Welsh said he was in favor of putting charging stations in right now, so 10 years down the road they would not have to rip anything up He said being ahead of the game instead of retroactively going back and ripping up a new parking lot is going to cost more in the future

“I’m in favor of a pilot program,” he said. “Get people more familiar Electric technology is going to get better ”

Councilmember Keith Long suggested they look to their neighbors to the north as they have city infrastructure for electric cars, and they have converted some of their fleet, as far as gathering information

Cape Coral launches economic survey

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The city of Cape Coral is looking for input from its residents when it comes to future economic development in the Cape

The city has launched an online public survey that “aims to drive economic growth and enhance the quality of life in Cape Coral ”

The “Economic & Business Development Public Survey” will run until Oct 13 at 5 p m , and officials say it will help establish an Economic Development Strategic Plan

“Obtaining public input is essential because it provides diverse perspectives that allow the plan to reflect the needs and desires of the community, and it promotes inclusivity by

involving residents and businesses in the project,” said Cape Coral’s Economic & Business Development Director Sharon Woodberry

According to city officials, key objectives of the public survey are:

■ Promote Public Engagement: The city encourages every resident to participate, as their input is invaluable in shaping the future of Cape Coral

■ Resident Occupancy: Identify the most common length of resident occupancy, helping the city understand the dynamics of our community.

■ Infrastructure Investment: Determine the most pressing needs for infrastructure investment to enhance the livability of Cape Coral

■ Government Role: Gauge public support for the role of government in driving economic development and community improvement

■ Job Market: Obtain information on the current status of the job market in Cape Coral.

■ Educational System: Identify gaps in the educational system and how the city can improve opportunities for our youth

■ Commercial Development: Evaluate public opinion on enhanced commercial development, particularly in South Cape

■ Building a Great City: Discover what is missing in Cape Coral to make it an even greater city for all residents

Cape Coral officials state the city is committed to making data-driven decisions, and that resident participation in this 10-question survey will help ensure that Cape Coral’s future development aligns with the desires and needs of the community

“The survey will help the city of Cape Coral identify its strengths and strategize how to use them for economic growth while addressing our community’s urgent needs Incorporating public input into economic development planning leads to more robust, community-oriented, and sustainable strategies,” Woodberry said

To participate in the survey, visit www surveymonkey.com/r/2Y5LZ5Z.

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

Southwest Florida: It’s not just for tourists

Nothing says “normalcy” better than a return of events, festivals and other traditions

The roof may still have a tarp, the insurance company may still be balking, but the ability to walk away for an afternoon or evening, to enjoy a little music, a little food and a beverage of choice with family, friends, or neighbors known or not shows there is a bright spot on a familiar horizon

The return of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is one of those events and the addition of Cape Coral venues into the 10-day queue of music makes this year’s all the more welcome

Launched nine years ago by the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau as a way to attract visitors during the lag between summer and “season,” the festival kicks off on Captiva and runs from Friday, Sept 22, through Sunday, Sept 24, at Mucky Duck, Green Flash, ’Tween Waters, RC Otters, Key Lime Bistro and the South Seas Island Resort performance tent

It then moves to Cape Coral, thanks to the Westin which is providing rooms for out-of-town artists In the Cape the fest will be celebrated Monday, Sept 25, and Tuesday, Sept 26, at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village’s Nauti Mermaid, Gather, High Tide Social House and Pinchers

Downtown Fort Myers is the next stop on Wednesday, Sept. 27, and Thursday, Sept. 28, at City Tavern, Banyan Hotel, Downtown Social House, Luminary Hotel and Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

The festival wraps up on Fort Myers Beach with performances from Friday, Sept 29, through Sunday, Oct 1, at Pink Shell Beach Resort, Diamondhead Beach Resort, Matanzas Inn, Lighthouse Tiki Bar, Bayside Park and the Mound House

Chris Janson, a winner of multiple Academy of Country Music Awards, is one of the 90 or so performers and will headline the Pink Shell Beach Resort Pool Party on Oct 1 Fort Myers Beach musician Sheena Brook, known for her selection in NBC’s season 12 of The Voice, is scheduled for multiple performances on both the Beach and Sanibel/Captiva

A local songwriter event is also scheduled It will be Wednesday, Sept 27, at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, 2301 First St , Fort Myers

Some of the shows require tickets Most are free

For a full list of shows, performers, admission information, including ticket costs, if any, visit www IslandHopperFest com

It’s been a long dozen months since Hurricane Ian

And it’s time for a little staycation.

Southwest Florida: It’s not just for tourists

Get out Kick back And enjoy

Hope Clubhouse provides hope

Although September has been designated Suicide Prevention Month, every month should be Suicide Prevention Month U S suicides hit an all-time high of nearly 49,500 in 2022, the highest number ever according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention In Florida, suicide rates in 2022 were higher than any of the last four years at just more than 3,400 people

Higher rates of depression and limited availability of mental health services have contributed to this increase according to the CDC Nine in 10 Americans believe this country is facing a mental health crisis according to U S Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra

Guest Commentary

Psychopath, wacko, crazy, nuts, maniac words I frequently hear used to describe people suffering from mental illness Would we refer so callously to people with cancer, muscular dystrophy, or Parkinson’s disease? Mentally ill individuals have a disease, and they need treatment

I am the mother of a son who struggled with severe bipolar disorder for 13 years After his first attempt at suicide, and again following his second attempt, his family begged him not to ever do it again Yet despite the extraordinary and loving efforts of his family who supported him and advocated for him, his brain was telling him he wanted to die His third attempt was successful He had just turned 40 years old

Today, behind so many of those smiling faces we see are people like my son suffering from depression and other mental disorders who battle suicidal thoughts 24/7

Some people reach such depths of despair and pain that they begin to believe that they would be better off dead

Many believe their families would be better off without them

Mental illness is cruel and embarrassing It is not something people choose It is not a character flaw It is not a sign of laziness or weakness It does not discriminate based on age,

class, or ethnicity It is an illness that can be successfully treated with medication. Mental illness does not have to result in suicide

The behavioral health community in Fort Myers is in crisis While the prevalence of mental health disorders continues to increase, the number of crisis-care centers, psychiatrists, and mental health counselors continues to decline Many residents are unable to access the care they need and succumb to a psychiatric episode

Hope Clubhouse of Southwest Florida is the only non-profit organization in the Fort Myers community that supports adults living with mental illness. These adults can spend a lifetime in and out of emergency rooms, jails, and psychiatric hospitals The power of the Clubhouse program is its effectiveness in keeping its members out of the hospital, reducing their encounters with law enforcement, and on a continuous path to recovery Hope Clubhouse provides opportunities for paid employment, access to education, affordable housing, and assistance in obtaining appropriate medical and psychiatric services The Clubhouse is not a treatment facility Rather, it is a gathering place with structure that promotes healing, opportunity, purpose, and empowerment It offers three programs for development Business, Culinary, and Horticulture Members work in the unit of their choice Membership is open to anyone over the age of 18 with a history of mental illness at no cost to members For more information on Hope Clubhouse(www hopeclubhouse org)

Fort Myers is the sixth fastest growing city in the nation according to the Census Bureau Access to mental health resources has not kept pace with this surge in population There is no health without mental health

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Leave Jaycee Park a ‘green space’ park

To the editor:

We have a jewel in our city Jaycee Park, a relatively small park uniquely situated on the shoreline of the Caloosahatchee It is the place where hundreds of people come daily and weekly to refresh and revive in a quiet, peaceful atmosphere to exercise and relax, to meet and share ideas, meals, family gatherings, to walk in the shade, to sit beside the river under the trees and watch dolphins and shorebirds, owls and butterflies

picnic tables), additional head-on parking along Southeast 20th Place if necessary, the addition of more shade trees to provide a canopy over the paths, plantings to surround the north field to make it a tropical meadow with native plants, flowers and trees on the perimeter using memorial benches for seating, adjustment of the traffic pattern by adding driveways on the north and south ends of the park for egress and safety

Breeze editorial

Agree? 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

It is a green space passive park in the style Frederick Olmstead (architect of Washington D C Capitol grounds and N Y Central Park, et al) designed ensuring that “the body of the people” would have access to natural beauty He believed parks were “the lungs of the city” offering spaces that could foster physical and mental well-being Growing evidence suggests that green spaces can boost the immune system, lengthen life expectancy, lower levels of stress, reduce depression and anxiety, reduce cortisol levels and improve general wellbeing The CDC says parks can provide environmental benefits by reducing air and water pollution, protecting areas from inappropriate development and mitigating urban heat islands (cdc gov>parks-recreation)

And, we have it here! We have an area along the river for walking and running Australian pines (planted to control erosion, provide shade and protection from storm winds and restore nitrogen to the soil ) supply shade for the walkers through much of the day and keep the asphalt cooler for the dogs The asphalt makes for a better walking/running surface since it is softer and easier on the body than running on concrete Aside from runners or walkers, you can find the park being used by birdwatchers, children, cyclists, crafters, dancers, fishermen, fitness enthusiasts, meditators, photographers, picnickers, readers, yoga practitioners and others all in this beautiful, natural environment

We can certainly make improvements shading for the playground and swings, a splash pad for the children with appropriate covered seating for supervising adults, more parking facing the river (so people can easily get to benches and

All this for a cost far less than that of the current proposal Let’s vote to keep Jaycee Park’s status as a passive park, a natural environment There are more than 200 restaurants and a soon-to-be completed food truck piazza at Bernice Braden Park just 5 minutes away for those wanting a more commercial setting A band shell can be created at a different location with its own designated parking, restroom facilities and other amenities, making it a destination in its own right

Pat Germinario Cape Coral

Jaycee Park ser ves the city well as is

To the editor:

It looks like our city readers want to destroy another established gem of our city, Jaycee Park Leave the park alone! It has served the city well for the 34 years I have lived in “Paradise,” or should I call it “pair of dice ”

Do we need to cut down trees to make room for food trucks, more traffic, circling seagulls looking for food truck handouts and picking the garbage cans or Dumpsters for meals?

I’m surprised that the real estate crowd hasn’t demanded to build more apartments on the property (yet) Do we need more boat slips to ruin the view of the river? Hopefully the Corps of Engineers will not allow the city to foul up the river shoreline for those added boat slips

Our only hope to save this gem is to elect people who have the courage to say no to the insane project

Gary Bongers Cape Coral See LETTERS,

page 6

Dottie Pacharis

Governor denies clean energy funds to Floridians

The Federal Office of State and Community Energy Programs recently released its recommendations for state administrators of Home Energy Rebate Programs that were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress in 2022 Under the programs, citizens can receive rebates to help with the purchase of energy efficient appliances and home improvements that increase energy efficiency These rebates can be significant for homeowners interested in saving on energy bills and reducing their carbon footprint For example, rebates on energy efficient heat pump air conditioners could be as high as $8,000 or $1,750 for a heat pump hot water heater Many other appliances and home energy improvements are also covered

However, there is a catch for Florida residents The federal rebate programs are designed to be administered through block grants to states Last month, Gov Ron DeSantis turned down the money available to Florida residents As a result, those of us

From page 4

Trickle down Ian-omics

To the editor:

living in Florida will not be able to receive any of the home energy rebates That decision deprived Floridians of over $350 million that could have gone to help homeowners and renters to reduce their home energy bills, reduce pollution and support the transition to cleaner sources of energy Florida was one of only six states to turn down the federal money The result is that money that would have been available to Florida residents will now be distributed to residents of other states

In a summer where Floridians are experiencing record heat waves as a result of climate change and communities across the state are struggling to recover from recent hurricanes made worse by warmer waters and rising seas, it seems inconceiv-

Bob Moore Guest Commentary

able that an elected leader would deprive his constituents of assistance to become more resilient and reduce future risks While the governor and state Legislature are finally taking steps to address adaptation to the effects of climate change, there is a chronic denial of the need to mitigate future risk by reducing energy consumption and transitioning to energy sources that do not emit climate warming pollution That means our state is more vulnerable to the future risks of climate change It also means we are missing out on billions of dollars of investments that are going to states like Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and others to build the clean energy economy of the future

For those interested in making their

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

So please don’t embarrass yourself by your actions in demeaning those true heroes that afforded you and all in our nation our freedoms

Waiting for the traffic signal to change when the siren and flashing lights along with the PA system ordered me to pull into the shopping lot

Your tag on the license plate has expired You can go to court and maybe get it dismissed The fine is $113

In the 20 years living here, the DMV has always been timely I asked them what happened and they said “Not your fault The hurricane threw the Postal Service into a spin ”

Why the ticket when we are all watching our pennies?

Oh, well At least you know why some of Cape Coral’s finest are held in low esteem

Just venting.

Four teenth Amendment

T o t h e e d i t o r :

Jack Wagner Cape Coral

homes and businesses more resilient and sustainable, it is important to note that the home energy rebates work in tandem with federal tax credits that allow taxpayers to deduct from their taxes as much as 30% of the cost of energy efficiency and renewable energy investments made on their homes Nonprofits are also eligible for the 30% benefit through a direct payment program Fortunately, the federal tax credits are still available to Floridians, but the absence of home energy rebates makes purchases more expensive for Floridians, especially lower income residents

Bob Moore is co-chair of the SanibelCaptiva Renewable Energy Working Group

It is a coalition of city, business, environmental and academic groups focused on promoting green energy practices He serves as a member of the SanCap Citizens for a Resilient Future Moore is co-founder of the Lee County Chapter of Climate Reality and a trained member of the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps

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

3 2 3 % t o a 4 % i n t e r e s t r a t e C h e c k m y m a t h , b u t a

David Stafford Cape Coral

Wannabe ‘heroes’ an embarrassment

To the editor:

President Joe Biden finally made it to Vietnam after requesting to be deferred from serving his nation during the Vietnam War five times as a student, then given a medical classification for asthma It took a G20 Summit to get him to Vietnam over 50 years later

I wonder if he made those claims of asthma when he was required to pass the physical testing during that time he was a lifeguard and football player. All this occurred in the same time period, and apparently this claim of asthma didn’t come into play then

Draft evasion was generally considered to be a criminal offense Making false claims in avoidance of serving, by any means, fell under this criminal offense I am, by no means, excusing any of his predecessors that were also guilty of this criminal offense

As a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran who answered the call of my nation, and who served with many of my heroes, when asked, “Ask not what you country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country,” I am appalled by many of those in the political arena who raise their hand to their head to salute our military or dignitaries Their cowardice by evasion does not equate to the sacrifices made by those real heroes in protecting our nations freedoms For those who truly served this nation over the years we all realize that, “For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know ”

So President Joe and those before you, who try to equate yourselves to those great leaders of this nation who knew the true meaning of sacrifice, please discontinue dishonoring our heroes that truly gave so much

In reading the many letters to the editor it is easy to pick out those writers with a partisan agenda Those writers, with their infinite wisdom, as professed in their rhetoric, are for the most part the wannabes that know how to save the world, but would never write a blank check to the United States of America, as our veterans did, for up to and including their life

And you, President Joe, are one of those wannabes

T h e t h i r d s e c t i o n o f t h e F o u r t e e n t h A m e n d m e n t t o t h e U S C o n s t i t u t i o n ( 1 8 6 8 ) r e a d s : “ N o p e r s o n s h a l l b e a S e n a t o r o r R e p r e s e n t a t i v e i n C o n g r e s s , o r e l e c t o r o f P r e s i d e n t a n d V i c e - P r e s i d e n t , o r h o l d a n y o f f i c e , c i v i l o r m i l i t a r y , u n d e r t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , o r u n d e r a n y S t a t e , w h o , h a v i n g p r e v i o u s l y t a k e n a n o a t h , a s a m e m b e r o f C o n g r e s s , o r a s a n o f f ic e r o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , o r a s a m e m b e r o f a n y S t a t e l e g i s l a t u r e , o r a s a n e x e c u t i v e o r j u d i c i a l o f f i c e r o f a n y S t a t e , t o s u p p o r t t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , s h a l l h a v e e n g a g e d i n i n s u r r e c t i o n o r r e b e l l i o n a g a i n s t t h e s a m e , o r g i v e n a i d o r c o m f o r t t o t h e e n e m i e s t h e r eo f B u t

C o n g r e s s m a y b y a v o t e o f t w o - t h i r d s o f e a c h H o u s e , r e m o v e s u c h d i s a b i l i t y ”

T h e y c a n a l s o b e r e m o v e d f r o m o f f i c e b y c i t i z e n s I ’ m t h i n k i n g o f f a r - r i g h t R e p u b l i c a n t r a i t o r s w h o r e p e a t e d l y c h o o s e p o l i t i c a l p a r t y o v e r d e m o c r a c y a n d w h o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t r y i n g t o s t e a l t h e 2 0 2 0 p r e s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n T h e y s h o u l d b e d i s q u a l i f i e d f r o m h o l d i n g o f f i c e : T r u m p , S c o t t , R u b i o , D e S a n t i s , C a m m a c k , D i a zB a l a r t , D o n a l d s , D u n n , F r a n k l i n , G a e t z , G i m e n e z , M a s t , P o s e y , R u t h e r f o r d , S t e u b e a n d W e b s t e r W o u l d y o u t h i n k i t O K i f D e m o c r a t s h a d d o n e t h i s i n 2 0 1 6 w h e n T r u m p w a s e l e c t e d ? N o n e o f t h e s e p e o p l e d e s e r v e t o b e i n g o v e r n m e n t j o b s a n d i t l o o k s l i k e , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e 1 4 t h A m e n d m e n t , t h e y a r e p r o b a b l y i n e l i g i b l e t o s e r v e

C h e c k v o t i n g r e c o r d s b e f o r e y o u v o t e S t o p s u p p o r ti n g p o l i t i c i a n s w h o w o u l d i m p o s e t h e w i l l o f t h e m i n o ri t y o n t h e r e s t o f u s i n F l o r i d a a n d n a t i o n a l l y L y n n A . H a g e d o r n C a p e C o r a l

Par tisan politics driving U.S. debt

T o t h e e d i t o r :

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M A G A R e p u b l i c a n c a uc u s i n C o n g r e s s t h r e a t e n e d t o h o l d t h e i r b r e a t h u n t i l b l u e b e f o r e v o t i n g i n f a v o r o f r a i s i n g t h e d e b t c e i l i n g

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e n o n p a r t i s a n C o n g r e s s i o n a l B u d g e t O f f i c e t h e d e g r a d a t i o n o f o u r c r e d i t s c o r e c o u l d r e s u l t i n e v e n h i g h e r i n t e r e s t p a y m e n t s i f o u r d e b t h o l d e r s a d o p t F i t c h R a t i n g s P a y i n g h i g h e r i n t e r e s t t o s e r v i c e d e b t c o u l d i n c r e a s e f r o m t h e c u r r e n t 2 7 % i n t e r e s t r a t e

$ 3 1 0 b i l l i o n a n n u a l t a x i n c r e a s e ; j u s t t o s t a y i n d e b t , i s n o t s o m e t h i n g I w a n t t o t r a d e f o r a G r e g S t e u b e , B y r o n D o n a l d s ’ p h o t o o p w i t h M a r j o r i e T a y l o r G r e e n e p i t c hi n g a d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n t h e s t a n d a r d h i s s y f i t T h o s e h o l d i n g o u r d e b t a r e u n a m u s e d b y i n d i v i d u a l c o n g r e s s i o n a l n a r c i s s i s t s s e e k i n g t o “ r a i s e t h e i r p r o f i l e ” b y r e c k l e s s l y e n g e n d e r i n g u n n e c e s s a r y t a x h i k e s J a p a n , C h i n a a n d U K o w n o u r d e b t T h e s a m e c h e s t - p o u n d i n g y a h o o s b e l l i c o s e t o C h i n a a n d i t c h i n g f o r a f i g h t i n t h e C h i n a s e a , a r e t h e s a m e M A G A c o n g r e s s p e r s o n s a c t i n g o u t o n t h e d e b t . W e d o n ’ t h a v e a l o t o f w i g g l e r o o m i n t h e g o o d w i l l f r o m o u r n a t i o n a l d e b t h o l d e r s S p e a k i n g o f d e t e r i o r a t i o n o f g o v e r n a n c e , o w n l o c a l F l o r i d a C o n g r e s s p e r s o n G r e g S t e u b e , e a g e r t o c u r r y f a v o r w i t h t h e M A G A c r o w d , w a n t s e v e r y b o d y t o w a t c h a s h e f i l e s f o r i m p e a c h m e n t , ‘ c u s w h y n o t ? I m p e a c h m e n t i s b e i n g u s e d a s a b e a c h b a l l t o b e b o u n c e d i n t h e c h a m b e r o f t h e H o u s e w h e r e F l o r i d a r e p s d o n ’ t w a n n a d o t h e h a r d e r w o r k o f b i p a r t i s a n g o ve r n a n c e S u c h p e t u l a n c e s h o u l d b e r e s e r v e d f o r a f t e rn o o n n a p s , n o t m a t t e r s o f n a t i o n a l c o n s e q u e n c e E l l e n S t a r b i r d C a p e C o r a l

This week’s poll question:

Should the city of Cape Coral begin a conversion to electric vehicles?

∫ Yes

∫ Maybe I have no problem with buying some vehicles and evaluating their use

∫ Not at the is time The current cost difference, as illustrated by the numbers for the school buses, is too great

∫ No

Previous poll question

Would you like to see food trucks in city parks?

∫ Yes 21%

∫ Maybe the larger parks 11%

∫ No 68%

Right to clean water can transform policies that hurt planet and people

The good folks at St Andrew’s R C C have been very helpful and generous in collecting food for a Cape Coral food bank It’s how they help care for their neighbors in need, and it reflects how live their faith

Inside St Andrew’s, a mural dominates one wall of the church It is of Jesus sitting on a grassy hillside with open blue waters and a nearby hamlet in the distance A small child sits in Jesus’ lap and others are at his feet

Joseph Bonasia Guest Commentary

If the water wasn’t there the hamlet wouldn’t be there because the water provides food and livelihoods But the water is there, and the mural offers a lovely image reminiscent of Psalm 23: of lying down in green pastures and beside still waters, free of want, and feeling restored

On Oct 4, Pope Francis will publish an update to Laudato Si’, his globally influential environmental encyclical, which was addressed to all people, not only Roman Catholics It will be an emphatic call to take urgent, meaningful environmental action because doing so is a spiritual responsibility and a moral imperative He stresses that because everything is connected, caring for the natural world is simultaneously caring for our neighbor Consequently, when our stewardship falters, people suffer What if the Pharisees permit a mining operation to pollute the pristine water the children swim in, their fathers fish in, and which provides everyone with drinking water? What if nutrient run-off from human and animal waste of a Roman encampment pollutes the water making people sick and causing fish die-offs? What if Herod builds a palace in shoreline wetlands that serve as breeding areas for the fish the village depends upon?

“We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social,” writes the pope, “but rather with one complex crisis which is both environmental and social ” You wouldn’t have to tell these villagers that

Often, those least responsible, like these villagers, suffer the most, and none are less responsible than children today The children in Jesus’ lap have no clue of the impending environmental and social crisis awaiting them Sept 1 through Oct 4 is the Season of Creation when Christians unite for prayer and action regarding the natural world This year’s theme is “Let justice and peace flow,” like a mighty river What if these villagers appeal to the proper authorities to stop the pollution that threatens the water and thus their well-being, but the authorities take no meaningful action, putting their own interests

before that of the villagers?

This is why Season of Creation guidelines expressly encourage “practical advocacy ” In his recent Season message Pope Francis insists “We must transform the public policies that govern our societies and shape the lives of young people today and tomorrow ”

This is certainly true in Florida, for whom this Season’s theme should more aptly be “Let justice and peace flow” like a mighty and clean river, for there is no justice or peace in a mightily polluted river, of which is no lack in Florida

Nine thousand miles of rivers and streams here are contaminated with fecal bacteria

Eight hundred of the state’s one-thousand springs are polluted Additionally, red tides have increased in alarming frequency and duration Blue-green algae blooms commonly choke Florida waters, and manatees are starving as seagrass beds disappear

Floridians have appealed to our state government for years to stop the degradation, but our waters grow worse, and we are suffering the consequences to our health, local economies, and the wildlife we cherish

There are efforts to amend Florida’s state constitution with a right to clean and healthy waters for all citizens With this fundamental right, we could “transform public policies” as Pope Francis insists we must

Virtually all faith traditions “get it,” and they teach sound stewardship is caring for Creation and for one’s fellow man

The National Association of Evangelicals, for example, states, “Clean air, pure water and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order Therefore, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from environmental degradation and from human suffering that it causes,” and The United Methodist Church urges it members to “Advocate for water as a basic human right.”

FloridaRightToCleanWater org is calling upon all Floridians to sign the petition to qualify the proposed amendment on the 2024 and get five others to sign

With only months left to collect enough petitions, we need a minor miracle, but 76 percent of Floridians live faith-based lives Compelled by spiritual responsibility and moral imperative, understanding that collecting signed petitions is just as much a reflection of their faith as is collecting food for those in need, they can make this happen Learn more at https://www floridarighttocleanwater org/creationcare

Joseph Bonasia is SWFL regional director for FloridaRightToCleanWater org

City staff to come back with modified Jaycee Park concept plan

Cape Council reaches consensus on possible design elements, amenities to be included

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council directed the interim city manager on Wednesday to come back with another concept design for Jaycee Park, incorporating community surveys which would not preclude anything currently proposed from being included

After lengthy Council discussion and some contentious citizen input, the design plan homed in on five topics on which Council came to a consensus food, alcohol, bandshell, splash pad and boat docks Although the majority on Council was on favor for all five topics, a handful were against serving alcohol Those included Council members Patty Cummings, Tom Hayden and Jessica Cosden

“I have liked the idea of making improvements at Jaycee The concept was good, but I had some concerns,” Cosden said “The deal breaker for me and it keeps bothering me is selling alcohol at this park It will be a deal breaker for me ”

Councilmember Bill Steinke said although he is not in favor of a full-fledge bar, in almost every city event they do, they roll in a beer or wine truck.

Overall, Council was in favor of adding amenities to the park, with a few hesitations on how that would play out with a few of the concepts

Councilmember Keith Long said this has been a project he has been happy to support He said he considers himself relatively young with young children who utilize a lot of parks in the city

As a parent, who has other friends as parents, he enjoys finding places to gather

“We get conflicting generations, I think. There is a spirited discussion on both sides. The concept itself sticks.”

Councilmember Keith Long

can see what the difference would be between an Australian pine compared to another tree that would be its replacement

Public Forum update

Jaycee Park provides a concept for that

“We get conflicting generations, I think There is a spirited discussion on both sides The concept itself sticks,” Long said

What he was not comfortable moving forward with was a plan as a half measure He said the core component dies if such things as the food trucks, splash pads and bistro are eliminated

“That to me is the core to the whole decision, do we want to strip it down to millions on sidewalks and waterfront and have no other draws to come in and appreciate?”

Long said “Put infrastructure and wait and see if the food trucks come and make a heck of a lot of noise, providing these pads alleviate that issue ”

Before the Council began its discussion, the chambers filled with residents who wished to voice their concerns about the proposed improvements Throughout the almost two dozen speakers, greenspace and keeping the quaint space the way it is was voiced over and over again

Councilmember Tom Hayden said he has taken notice of the public input 5,000 signatures that are opposed to the proposed changes to Jaycee Park; the 200 to 300 emails he has received; phone calls and participation of those who spoke at the Wednesday morning workshop for the full 60 minutes allotted to citizen input

“I don’t think it does fall on deaf ears We are probably going to disagree on the overall concept I like the idea of enhancing the park For me it is a destination place You are making a trip for a specific reason,” he said

Elimination of shade was among the concerns brought forth from the community, as the proposed changes include eliminating the Australian pines from the shoreline The towering pines, planted years ago, are now considered an invasive species

“I am for some type of improvement to benefit everyone in the city One thing I am for is shade A lot of these parks are brand new, but no one wants to go there because there is no shade,” Councilmember Dan Sheppard said “I know and witnessed the trees we are trying to save is invasive The county and city spend millions of dollars to eradicate that particular tree (Australian pine) ”

He said he is for what the citizens want, but the city is cleaning up the environment and spending tax dollars to stop the pines from spreading because it is doing damage to wildlife and the ecosystem

“They are producing the seeds that are blowing across the city and starting new ones Growing seems like an endless cycle,” said Sheppard, who is a palm tree farmer

Councilmember Bills Steinke said shade studies are available and used a lot, as they

Assistant City Manager Connie Barron took Council through a lengthy presentation that outlined an Aug 31 forum, as well as the community survey She said the forum at Mercola Market had topic related stations staffed by city employees and representatives from Pennonni, as well as a 2-mintue concept video Feedback cards were also distributed with some questions concerning timelines, financials, Australian pines, shade and heat, traffic, noise, environmental impacts and memorial benches answered

The forum attracted 217 residents who went through and 244 written comment cards, as some attendees wrote on more than one card

Of those 217 comments, 136, or 62% were opposed, 55, or 25% were in support, or partially supported the plan and 26, or 12% just had questions about the plan

Some of the focus for partial support stemmed around disliking the north parking, bar, bandshell, boat docks and food trucks

There was lower-than-expected participation with 1,495 submissions, 1,069 of which had comments, for the community survey

Those who took the survey had the opportunity to supply their selection for specific amenity choices, such as shade trees, signature trees, bistro design, food choices, other shade, yard games, splash pad, dog cooling station, pathway lights and trail markers

See JAYCEE PARK, page 9

Residents continue to protest Jaycee Park changes

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers com

JoAnne Harrison, who lives next to Jaycee Park attended Wednesday’s Cape Coral City Council workshop because of the anger she is feeling

“All of you is what is wrong with the world today,” she said

Harrison said the Council is average citizens elected for the purpose of fulfilling the needs of the people who voted them into office

“You boldly, arrogantly, and absolutely ignore our voice How dare you presume better for us We know what we want and what we need Shouldn’t you tell us whose goal you are trying to fulfill You are seriously affecting our physical, mental, and spiritual health Jaycee Park is a treasure to us How dare you put us millions of dollars into debt for something we do not want We do not want a band stand that will cause the loss of peace and quiet, hideous food trucks, concrete covering our soil and bar whose alcohol will bring with it smoking and not just cigarettes,” Harrison said “We need Jaycee Park to stay a friendly neighborhood park for our children Our children need this park in its natural state There are not many places left like this ”

The main message from the citizens who

“The input that you give to us through emails and here through public comment, unless the eight of us are at this table we cannot discuss that. We cannot talk behind the scenes (with) those emails and public comments that you give us It all has to be done here Just because it is on the agenda it doesn’t mean it is something we are approving; it means it is something we can discuss that we don’t get to discuss privately ”

Councilmember Bill Steinke

Cape Coral I’m not trying to minimize your input, I am putting it into perspective ”

Council’s eight members do not know the answers yet, as they are going through the process, he added.

turned out again this week was they wanted the green space to remain the space that offers walking paths for exercise, trees for shade and, ultimately, a space to relax, mingle with others and become centered again

“We know that development rules, real estate people have the upper hand Seventyfive percent of us want green space The people have spoken, we want green Please find it within your soul and heart to vote for green to make this a beautiful city,” one man said Another said he found peace at Jaycee Park and met his wife there

“I go there to pray, go sit by the river in the morning to pray. I won’t be able to do that if the trees are gone Please hear what we are saying,” he said

Another resident said she was sick to her stomach over what is going on at her quiet park

“Our minds are open; our eyes are open,

and we see what is going on here Why would you want to dismantle this wonderful park and make it a destination? It is a park It is nature,” she said, adding that the seniors of Cape Coral plan on holding the line here “Why can’t we be flexible and work with the residents to find out what the true need of the park is/”

Mayor John Gunter said the city is going through a process with Jaycee Park, which involves discussions and a design to which Council allocated $800,000

He also said it is a city park for all residents

“I think that we are always looking at the city as a whole,” he said “We represent all of the citizens of Cape Coral, the 215,000 plus There are about 60 citizens, 20 to 22 that made comments Take the 5,000 petitioners that you say you have collected so far, that is about 2 3 percent of the population here in

“We are still moving forward I don’t know where we are going to end up For me personally, I will continue to say, we have to make sure we fulfill the 2018 GO Bond obligation first Then for me personally, then we can look outside of that scope of work to see where else we want to improve the park system,” Gunter said

Just because an item is on the city agenda does not necessarily mean it is something Council will support, he said

“The Jaycee Park decision time is not here today,” Gunter said

Councilmember Bill Steinke also shared a few comments after citizen input

“The input that you give to us through emails and here through public comment, unless the eight of us are at this table we cannot discuss that,” he said “We cannot talk behind the scenes (with) those emails and public comments that you give us It all has to be done here Just because it is on the agenda it doesn’t mean it is something we are approving; it means it is something we can discuss that we don’t get to discuss privately ”

Jaycee Park: Next step is for design firm to develop, submit, updated plan

From page 8

Only 959 participated in the amenity choices, 64 percent of the participants

Next steps

Interim

City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn

said the whole plan for the concept was to go to the community and get feedback He said they can either ignore the input or create a different concept and then vote on allowing to design it

“We created a concept and brought it to

the community and got feedback,” he said, adding that there are some things to consider and incorporate those elements and go back to the design firm to make those tweaks and then come back with the final concept

Barron said Pennonni was expecting to

hear from her Wednesday, as far as what direction council would like to take She said the concept will take about two weeks to develop and come back to council

Yacht Club: Cape Council looks at options for historic preservation

From

page

and refinishing items, potential for breakage, as well as storing the items, items not original to the building, and having structural evaluation and certification before using in another structure.

Pankonin said Cape Coral Museum of History representatives identified some of the control panels, as it had a vintage electronic fixture that they wanted to incorporate in a display at the museum

In addition, there was a desire to keep all of the onsite donation plaques, which Pankonin said would be collected and reused, or displayed in an appropriate manner One of those options could be an onsite museum, room, or hallway, in the new ballroom design

Each of the Council members shared their opinion of what they would like to see incorporated or have designed as similar features in the new building, which eventually turned into a consensus of what they would like to place in a bid for the demolition of the Yacht Club That stemmed around four areas the stakeholder group identified interior ceiling beams, stonework, fountain and interior glass doors

Staff said the beams would be the most costly to salvage

Stonework

Mayor John Gunter said he has had the unfortunate opportunity to tear down fireplaces before, which typically just crumble He was in favor of making an outdoor fireplace similar to the one inside the Yacht Club, but not necessarily with the actual stone

A suggestion Gunter gave was to dismantle the fireplace and give some of the stone to the community, or individuals interested in having a piece of the fireplace

Another idea thrown out by Councilmember Bill Steinke was to have an outdoor reflection area, a memory area by recreating the fireplace exactly the way it is with new material Another idea was to commission an artist to make items out of the material which could be sold with proceeds benefiting the history museum

Fountain

Council was not married to the fountain in place now, but all wanted to see a new fountain incorporated in the design

“The fountain was dedicated to an employee there for 30

years If we put a fountain in, I would like to see that plaque put up I want to save and recreate and put into a new design because there is a reason why it was dedicated I do believe we need a fountain,” Councilmember Robert Welsh said.

Interior beams

There were conversations about saving and not saving the Ballroom’s interior beams, an aspect of the mid-century design

“The concept is more important than the actual structure or material we are talking about The interior beams, we can incorporate in a new design to mimic what we have here I don’t think we need to use the exact same beams that we have there,” Gunter said

To save the interior beams, they would have to be carefully removed before demolition by peeling off the existing roof, strapping the beams to a crane and then cutting them

Councilmember Keith Long said they can certainly replicate the beams, as the original ones are laminated wood

“I wouldn’t support that to put in a bid package to remove

laminate wood beams,” he said

Councilmember Tom Hayden took issue with the process, which included asking for citizen volunteers, choosing electronically from among the applicants to get a good mix and then ignoring what those stakeholders had to say There is no reason to do these groups if Council is not going to listen to what they have to say, he added

Other Council members said they would like to save portions of the beams once the building is demolished

“I am not for spending extra money to remove them We can go and save what we can Grab some scraps and pieces and hire an artist to put something together,” Councilmember Patty Cummings said.

Glass doors

There was one solid consensus for preservation

All of the Council members were in favor of saving the glass doors, with some having ideas as to how to incorporate them into the design of a new building at the city park off Driftwood Parkway

Hayden said he would like to see a room dedicated to the preservation of the history of the old building with pictures and plaques

“It’s a great opportunity to show and preserve history,” he said

Welsh said the glass doors could be entry doors to a hallway that has all the history

It was later shared that those doors could also be the entrance to a room dedicated to the history of the Yacht Club

Cape Coral City Council voted to demolish the buildings at the complex that dates back to the community’s founding after Hurricane Ian

Ian destroyed the fishing pier at the riverfront park, heavily damaged the waterfront amenities and the Tony Rotino Senior Center but did surprisingly little damage to the park’s centerpiece the Ballroom building itself

The cost of making repairs, though, coupled with the heavy cost of what officials called “deferred maintenance” to the center, and FEMA’s 50 percent rule which requires that rebuilds be up to current code made the saving the building too expensive, Council determined

REAL ESTATE

Home ownership & protecting partners

Dear Mr. Feichthaler:

My partner and I have been together for over 20 years, and we have a great relationship He has never wanted to speak about what would happen to me if he passed away, so we don’t have any plan Now that we are older, I think the time has come. I wasn’t sure if being together this long gives me any rights to the home we live in, which is titled only to my partner Any advice?

Dear Kelly:

Cape Coral home price and home inventory facts and myths

-Kelly B

This issue is on the m i n d o f m a n y o f m y clients, both married and n o n - m a r r i e d A l t h o u g h surviving spouses have rights an protections in a situation like this, unmarr i e d p a r t n e r s h a v e n o rights to their partner’s h o m e s t e a d p r o p e r t y With the property in your partner’s name only, the property would descent either to your partner’s heirs, or whomever your partner names in the will or trust In your situation, with no estate plan i n p l a c e , t h e p r o p e r t y would pass based on the Florida Statutes regarding intestate succession Intestate means the decedent passed without a will or other plan If your partner had children, it would go to them first If none, then any living parent, and so forth Unless a homeowner wants the statute to determine where properties and other assets go on their death, planning is very important If the intent of your partner is to give you rights on t h e i r d e a t h , t h e r e a r e s e v e r a l w a y s t h i s c a n b e approached

On an almost daily basis we continue to see national media reports about the generally slowing number of sales in the real estate market, typically followed by comments that sales prices are remaining high because of a lack of both new and existing home inventory throughout the country Basically, the consensus view seems to be that there are simply not enough homes available on the market for the number of people wanting to buy a home, and therefore, home prices are remaining high Locally, we have seen some recent media reports that the Southwest Florida real estate market is experiencing the same thing – a low supply of homes listed for sale on the market causing home prices to remain high So today, we will dig a bit deeper into local home prices and our housing market inventory

Eric P. Feichthaler Real Estate Law

First, if the intent is for you to own the property at your partner’s death, an enhanced life estate deed can be prepared, which would name you as remainderman (or beneficiary) Upon death, the property would be yours with the recording of a death certificate, subject to any mortgage on the property

If the intent is to allow you rights, but not ownership, a trust can be created to hold the property For example, the trust provisions can provide you with rights to live in the home for your life, with the property transferring to a family member or other beneficiary of your partner As owner, your partner can create a plan to accomplish your specific goals For every client I meet, I express our two main goals: Avoiding the expense and stress of probate, and making sure that the wishes of the client regarding distribution of assets is accomplished

Whatever you both decide how that plan should look, it is important to seek legal counsel to ensure your wishes are met

Eric P Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral After completing law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D C , he returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008, and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, Cape Coral Museum of History, and Cape Coral Kiwanis He has been married to his wife, Mary, for over 20 years, and they have four children together He earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability, and is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator He can be reached at eric@capecoralattorney.com, or 239-542-4733.

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

and Geri Quinn Homing In

First, as we have been tracking on a weekly basis in this column, we do not have a lack of supply in the number of homes available for sale in Cape Coral In fact, the inventory of homes listed for sale in the Multiple Listing Service has gone up substantially over the past two years, and it continues to climb on a weekly basis At the same time, the number of homes going under contract with buyers as pending sales has been softening lately, while the number of closed home sales have returned to something more in line with the pre-COVID levels of 2018 and 2019 Settling back into these more “normal” market levels after the post-COVID sales frenzy, which ended about 15 months ago, is healthy for our market We seem to have returned to our more seasonal, historical market trends, where the number of closed home sales slows down in the summer and fall months, before ramping back up during tourist season

The reason we say that we have “seemed” to return to our more seasonal market trends, is that we are not completely sure that the impact from the recent spike up to some of the highest mortgage interest rates in the last 20 years is fully baked into the market numbers yet If mortgage rates remain higher for longer above the 7 percent threshold, there could be some additional fallout on the way when it comes to the housing market and home prices The recent data is already showing fewer people are applying for mortgages due to the higher financing costs, not to mention the increased costs for homeowners and flood insurance, all of which is reducing the purchasing power of buyers who can still qualify for a mortgage Unless interest rates drop, this is likely to put a further

squeeze on home prices

Speaking of home prices, we have been noting a “softness” in prices for more than a year, as our local prices are down below their peak levels from back in the first half of 2022, while not collapsing as much as some potential buyers were hoping for Some market experts have been saying they believe home prices have already put in a bottom, while others are still predicting home prices are still likely to drop sharply from their current levels Who knows? But we are noticing what we will call some concerning cracks in the foundation of home prices as our supply of homes continues to grow and more homes sit on the market unsold Momentum has been building in the number of daily and weekly price reductions being made by sellers hoping to attract a buyer to their home as they compete with other sellers There are also some less visible things going on under the surface of the market, such as existing homes having to compete with a fairly robust new home construction market in the Cape, with a growing number of home builders offering various incentives and discounts to buyers

One example of what is happening with home prices is from a 2 38 acre, 11,190 square foot estate home built back in 2002 by a highly successful former professional athlete in a gated community in South Fort Myers This property has about every bell and whistle one would expect, and it was initially listed for sale at $8 5 million back in February of this year After two price decreases down to $7 million,they took it off the market in July, before coming back on the market for $6 85 million on September 6 Doing the math, that is a total price reduction of $1 65 million on this home, bringing the current list price 19 4 percent below their initial list price We plan to monitor this listing to see what it eventually sells for, but it is just one example of many homes struggling to find a buyer in the current market conditions

To our other point from above regarding the competition between the existing home market segment in Cape Coral versus the new construction home market, potential homebuyers are faced with a variety of trade-offs when choosing between these segments Aside from the fact that new construction homes will be built to all of the new building codes, they are often built at higher elevations and with brighter, more open concepts making them an attractive option However, some of

See FACTS AND MYTHS, page 15

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Stevens Construction completes Plantation Somerset

Stevens Construction has completed an interior renovation and outdoor amenities improvement to the clubhouse at Plantation Somerset located at 10401 Dartington Drive in Fort Myers, announced Dan Adams, vice president/principal, Stevens Construction, Inc

Stevens Construction provided a 12,650-square-foot interior renovation of the community clubhouse, which includes the fitness facility, meeting rooms, library, bathrooms, offices, outdoor bar and event room Additionally, Stevens Construction built four new pickleball courts, two new bocce bar courts, shade canopies and expanded the spa and renovated the sauna

Stevens Construction provided six months of preconstruction services, which included assembling and coordinating the design team, providing constructability reviews and cost savings suggestions, which saved the client hundreds of thousands of dollars while not affecting scope Additional items were added to the project scope because of the cost savings provided in preconstruction

For information, visit www stevensbuilds com or call 239-936-9006

Christopher Alan Homes hires Lincoln as corporate vice president of purchasing

Chris Lincoln has joined Christopher Alan Homes as the corporate vice president of purchasing. In his role, Lincoln works with purchasing teams across the company to establish best practices and collaborate to create strategic sourcing opportunities for use in all markets

Lincoln has over 30 years of experience working with national homebuilding, development and engineering companies His areas of expertise include production homebuilding procurement, purchasing strategy, project management and trade practices Lincoln holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Illinois State University

A builder-owned company, Christopher Alan Homes is a Southwest Florida’s privately owned homebuilder It is a preferred 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

Bob

Facts and myths: Cape home priceand home inventory facts

From page 14

these new homes may be located in less populated areas that are on well water and septic In some cases, these new homes are priced competitively with older existing homes The trade off is that many “older” existing homes tend to be located in what some buyers would consider more convenient, established areas that already have city water and sewers In addition, many of these existing homes have been updated and remodeled, making them attractive to a lot of buyers, but some of these homes may not “show” as well as a new home Again, it is generally a series of tradeoffs for buyers

Here is a breakdown of new homes built in 2023 versus the existing home market in Cape Coral As of Tuesday, September 12, there were 540 active listings in the MLS for new construction homes priced from $309,990 to $7 59 million The number of these new construction homes for sale totaled

27 75 percent of the total number of 1,946 homes listed for sale in the Cape that range in price from $258,000 to $7 59 million The overall median list price for the 1,946 single family homes on the market in the Cape was $512,675 versus a median list price for the 540 new construction homes of $499,900 There were a total of 675 homes under contract with buyers as pending sales at prices ranging from $175,000 to $2 299 million, with 300 of these 675 pending sales for new construction homes, equalling 44 4 percent of the total number of pending sales The prices for the new construction pending home sales ranged from $304,990 to $1 449 million The median pending sales price for the total number of the 675 pending sales was $398,885 as of September 12, while it came in a bit lower at $379,995 for the new construction homes

The location of the active listings for the 540 new construction homes showed 255

homes or 47 2 percent in the Northwest Cape; 152 homes or 28 2 percent in the Southwest Cape; 110 homes or 20 4 percent in the Northeast Cape; and 23 homes or 4.3 percent in the Southeast Cape The breakdown for the current number of 300 pending sales in new construction homes was 135 homes or 45 percent in the Northwest Cape; 91 homes or 30 3 percent in the Northeast Cape; 61 homes or 20 3 percent in the Southwest Cape; and 13 homes or 4 3 percent in the Southeast Cape The Southeast Cape was the first area developed in Cape Coral, so it has the fewest available vacant lots for building new homes

(The sales data for this article was obtained from the Florida Realtors Multiple

Listing Service Matrix for Lee County, FL, as of Sept 12, 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, however, they could be updated and revised periodically, and are subject to change without notice The Quinn’s are a husband and wife real estate team with the RE/MAX Realty Team office in Cape Coral They have lived in Cape Coral for over 43years Geri has been a full-time REALTOR since 2005, and Bob joined Geri as a fulltime REALTOR in 2014 Their real estate practice is mainly focused on Cape Coral residential property and vacant lots )

The tentative, adopted, and/or final budgets are on file in the office of the above referenced taxing authority as a public record

COMMUNITY

One year after Ian

Sometimes it is hard to believe that one year has passed since Ian roared through SW Florida We see constant reminders of the devastation; empty spaces on our beautiful beaches where buildings once stood, blue tarps on many of our roofs, and damaged trees and shrubs in our landscapes But I am constantly amazed at the resilience of the landscape and how quickly many gardens have resumed a lush, subtropical appearance I must admit that when I returned from Florida’s East Coast three days after the storm, I scanned my gardens and thought they would never recover The destruction seemed insurmountable; trees were blown over, shrubs were ripped apart, palms were stripped of their fronds It was difficult for me to even know where to begin, but after I established a sort of ‘triage’ for my damaged landscape things began to fall into place And now, one year later, I can reflect on what happened with a clearer perspective and even a little gratitude.

A Daughter of the American Revolution celebrates upcoming Constitution Week

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

GARDEN CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

Former chapter and Idaho State Regent Ann Beebe has been a part of the Daughters of the American Revolution since the organization’s 100th anniversary in 1990 She also served on the National Board of Management in Washington before taking a job with Idaho Gov C L “Butch” Otter

The most significant contribution from Ian was allowing me to confront some of my gardening missteps and correct them I had made some errors in judgment when I first moved to SW Florida because I was used to the slow growth rate of plants and shrubs in more moderate climates Some of the shrubs that I planted when we first moved here five years ago had become overgrown and required constant pruning; they were the first plants to come out of the landscape! A beautiful silvery pink bougainvillea that provided shade for my fern collection and gorgeous blooms in the winter had become a nuisance and took several days to remove I lost my shaded area, but gained room for plants that loved the sun and provided more diversity in my garden.

Adjusting the plantings that I wanted to retain was a second contribution from Ian I have five dwarf poinciana trees that were blown over; I decided that I wanted to keep these trees because their blooms attract butterflies, and their lacy foliage offers a nice contrast in the landscape I consulted a horticulture friend to ask how I should treat these trees once I had them staked in place He told me to cut them back hard, and to use this opportunity to reshape the growth into a more upward habit This year the trees are more beautiful than ever, and their ‘corrected’ shape is so much more attractive

Observing the plantings that did well after Ian offered the opportunity to concentrate on these types of plants in my garden My crape myrtle trees lost most of their leaves, but their flexible branches saved them from damage and shortly after Ian they leafed out again in a lush canopy Bromeliads survived the storm almost unscathed; if they were uprooted, they could wait for me to replant them since they are epiphytes and don’t actually require soil And as you might suspect, all my native plants were quick to recover even though many were almost defoliated

And there were plants that did not fare well during Ian Foxtail palms are much more prone to lose their fronds than other palms; native palms like the cabbage palm suffered little damage. Several of my hybrid hibiscus plants were twisted and broken by the winds Large mixed container pots that were too heavy to move were blown over and broken; I now have the remaining large pots on wheeled saucers so I can relocate them

Overall, I believe that Mother Nature brilliantly displayed her resilience and adaptability after Ian, and that is exactly what we had to do as well Even as many of us are putting on new roofs and refurbishing damaged homes, we remain strong and resilient As we endure another busy hurricane season, I feel that the lessons Ian imparted are a valuable reminder that life does go on – maybe differently, but if we take recovery one step at a time, we might even discover a silver lining And if we approach our gardens with the knowledge gained from Ian, perhaps we’ll have a more vibrant and diverse landscape that can more effectively weather future storms

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

“Constitution Week is about the founding fathers spending a whole summer in Philadelphia, beating the Constitution into shape before any of the representatives would even vote on it ” Islander Ann Beebe

The United States Constitution has been upheld in Beebe’s family as one of the biggest priorities Her mother, Elizabeth, was a member of the DAR in South Carolina and her maternal grandmother, Ottie Lee Rast, was a charter member Beebe feels most people don’t typically spend too much time studying and pondering U S history, the way they did when she was young

“My mother’s mother was a charter member of the DAR when it was first founded (1880), so I always grew up with that kind of pride I was kind of late getting involved in DAR because when I was young I thought they just put on their hats, pins and white gloves and went to the meetings and sat around and drank tea and talked about relatives When I got involved it taught me a lot more about our founding than I had paid attention to Constitution Week is about the founding fathers spending a whole summer in Philadelphia, beating the Constitution into shape before any of the representatives would even vote on it,” Beebe said

Constitution Week is Sept 17-23 It was enacted Aug 2, 1956, by President Dwight D Eisenhower, but it was President George W. Bush who officially declared Constitution Week in September 2002 The DAR had petitioned Congress prior to Eisenhower's enactment to recognize the importance of the Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is a most impressive document, Beebe said, adding that it is so inclusive and enduring, in her opinion it had to be from the minds of pure genius

The term “founding fathers,” conjures up images of a group of older men, but most of them were relatively young Despite the presence of Benjamin Franklin, who was 81, the average age of the signers was just 43 James Madison, father of the Constitution, was only 36 years old, while the articulate Alexander Hamilton was an even more youthful 31 The youngest delegate, Jonathan Dayton from New Jersey, was just 26 years old

The delegates to the convention as a group were very well educated Thirty-one attended college and 15 graduated Three were college professors and two were college presidents The schools they represented included the most prestigious in America at the time namely Princeton, Columbia, William and Mary and Harvard Six attended universities in England All of this education aided the delegates in creating a new government Drawing on their training in philosophy of political theory and history went a long way toward helping the founding fathers produce a the Constitution

“These men worked together in close quarters and a closed up building in Philadelphia from May to September

See CONSTITUTION WEEK, page 17

Friends of the Cape Library meeting Saturday

All are invited to the Friends of the Cape Coral Library General Meeting Saturday, Sept 16 The morning will begin at 9:30 with light refreshments The business portion of the meeting will start at 10 a m , and followed by the program featuring guest speaker Greg Rule, WINK News Meteorologist Rule will give a presentation on hurricane forecasting and preparedness- recapping the timeline of Hurricane Ian, what was learned and what can be done better if another major hurricane hits our area He will also give us a look

at real time satellites and radar and what-- if anything-- is brewing in the tropics

FOCCL General Meetings, which take place in the large meeting room of the Cape Coral Library at 921 S W 39th Terrace, are free and open to the public Everyone's welcome to bring a guest or two

For more information on Friends of the Cape Coral Library, please visit www capefriends org and follow the group on Facebook

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ANN BEEBE

Above, young Ann Beebe, left, and her mother Elizabeth Below is Ann Beebe’s grandmother, Ottie Lee Rast, who was a charter member of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Southwest Florida Symphony ends ‘Cinema with the Symphony’ with a screening of 'Quartet'

The Southwest Florida Symphony, the only professional orchestra in Lee County and fourth oldest orchestra in the state, will feature “Quartet” as the final film of its “Cinema with the Symphony” summer movie screening series The showing will take place at 6:30 p m , Friday, Sept 22, at the symphony’s new Artistic & Operations Center at Coconut Point, 23050 Via Villagio, Ste 101, Estero, next to Five Guys

Maestro Radu Paponiu, the Southwest Florida Symphony’s music director, will introduce the film The pre-screening remarks begin at 6 p m

“Quartet” is a British comedy-drama film based on the play by Ronald Harwood and was actor Dustin Hoffman’s directional debut At a home for retired musicians, the annual concert to celebrate Composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean, portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith, an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents. The star-studded cast includes Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon

Tickets are $20 Popcorn, wine, soft drinks and movie style snacks will be available for a suggested donation Proceeds from these fundraising events will be used to support the symphony's programming and educational initiatives Attendees will receive a discount code that can be used toward the purchase of concert tickets during the symphony’s 2023-24 season

To reserve tickets, visit swflso org or call 239-418-1500

The Southwest Florida Symphony made its debut as a community orchestra on April 15, 1961, playing in schools and community centers, with a roster of only 24 volunteer musicians Today, the symphony boasts a roster of 70 world-class musicians, and is Lee County’s only fully professional orchestra The Southwest Florida Symphony’s Music Director Maestro Radu Paponiu, the sixth music director in the organization’s history, also serves as the associate conductor and youth orchestra director for the Naples Philharmonic in addition to guest-conducting with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe Learn more at swflso org

Constitution week

From page 16

of 1787 Imagine how hot it would’ve been in a closed building they even kept the window shut to keep out eavesdroppers during the summer with no air conditioning They were totally focused on creating

a constitution which would establish the rights and privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship. I wonder if they knew at the time that their efforts were the foundation of the most incredible governmental document in human history,” Beebe said

S e p t e m b e r 1 5 , 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 1 8 From page 1

Fest: Inaugural Fort Myers Latin Music Festival set for Saturday

t h e C a l o o s a S o u n d A m p h i t h e a t e r i n d o w n t o w n F o r t M y e r s A t t e n d e e s c a n j a m t o e x c e p t i o n a l L a t i n m u s i c a r t i s t s a l l d a y a n d n i g h t , w i t h i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y - a c c l a i m e d a r t i s t s f r o m C u b a , P u e r t o R i c o , a n d S o u t h A m e r i c a O r g a n i z e r o f t h e f e s t i v a l , E d d i e L a t o u r o f N i c e G u y s P r o d u c t i o n s , i s C u b a n - A m e r i c a n , a n d f e l t t h i s k i n d o f e v e n t i s e x a c t l y w h a t t h e c o m m u n i t y n e e d e d “ W e ’ r e l o o k i n g t o m a k e t h i s a n a n n ua l e v e n t , ” L a t o u r s a i d “ I n t h i s m a r k e t , t h e r e ’ s w e l l o v e r 2 5 % o f H i s p a n i c p o p ul a t i o n A n d a l o t o f i t i s C u b a n T h e m u s i c w i l l r e s o n a t e w i t h t h e m a n d t h e L a t i n c o m m u n i t y h e r e ” T h e f a m i l y - f r i e n d l y e v e n t w i l l i n c l u d e m u s i c , f o o d t r u c k s , a n d a k i d s ’ z o n e w i t h f o u r b o u n c e h o u s e s a n d w i l l r u n f r o m n o o n t o 1 0 p m H e a d l i n i n g t h e m u s i c f e s t i v a l w i l l b e s o m e o f t h e m o s t w e l l - k n o w n a r t i s t s i n L a t i n m u s i c a l o n g w i t h r i s i n g s t a r s i n t h e m u s i c i n d u s t r y A m o n g t h e p e r f o r m e r s w i l l b e : ∫ O s m a n i G a r c i a i s a p o p u l a r C u b a n s i n g e r a n d s o n g w r i t e r k n o w n f o r t h e c a t c h y a n d u p b e a t r e g g a e t o n a n d L a t i n m u s i c G a r c i a p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e N a t i o n a l F e s t i v a l o f C u b a a n d r e c e i v e d s e v e r a l a w a r d s H e c o - f o u n d e d E l D u o d e C r i s t a l , w h i c h p l a y e d t h r e e d o m e s t i c C u b a n t o u r s w i t h s o n g s r e a c h i n g n u m b e r o n e o n t h e C u b a n c h a r t s ; ∫ L u c y G r a u i s a M i a m i - b a s e d s i n g e r a n d s o n g w r i t e r w h o h a s b e e n d u b b e d t h e “ L a t i n D i s c o Q u e e n ” f o r h e r s o u l f u l a n d e l e c t r i f y i n g p e r f o r m a n c e s S h e m a s t e r s b o t h E n g l i s h a n d S p a n i s h a s s h e p r o v e s i n h e r h i t s “ L a s t D a n c e ” a n d “ O n t h e R a d i o ” ( s a l s a v e r s i o n ) , t h e D o n n a S u m m e r c l a s s i c s s h e c h o s e a s a r e n d i t i o n t o t h e l a t e s i n g e r ∫ T h e C e l i a C r u z A l l S t a r s i s a g r o u p o f m u s i c i a n s a n d s i n g e r s w h o o n c e p l a y e d w i t h t h e l e g e n d a r y “ Q u e e n o f S a l s a , ” C e l i a C r u z F a n s c a l l t h e g r o u p “ c l a s s i c C e l i a ” w i t h a f u n k y , c o n t e m p or a r y t w i s t ∫ B i a n c a L e o n y w a s b o r n i n M i a m i o f C u b a n - A m e r i c a n p a r e n t s w h o m a d e t h e L a t i n r h y t h m p a r t o f h e r s o u l H e r g r a n d m o t h e r B i a n c a V a r e l a w a s a

The family-friendly Fort Myers Latin Music Festival will include music, food trucks, and a kids’ zone with four bounce houses and will run from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept 16

Headlining the festival will be some of the most well-known artists in Latin music along with rising stars in the music industry

Pictured at left, Lucy Grau, a Miami-based singer and songwriter who has been dubbed the “Latin Disco Queen,” will be among those who will perform at the Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers /PHOTO PROVIDED

r e n o w n e d o p e r a s i n g e r i n C u b a a n d i s t h e i n s p i r a t i o n f o r L e o n y ’ s m u s i c “ T h e s e a r e r e c o g n i z a b l e n a m e s , ” L a t o u r s a i d o f t h e m u s i c l i n e u p “ W e w a n t t h i s t o b e a s u c c e s s f u l e v e n t ” T h e f e s t i v a l a l s o w i l l f e a t u r e s o m e r i s i n g F l o r i d a L a t i n s t a r s , i n c l u d i n g J o e H e r n a n d e z y s u O r c h e s t r a C l a s s i c a , S e s s i , A i v y a n d D J L E X X T h e f e s t i v a l w i l l s h o w c a s e a v a r i e t y o f L a t i n m u s i c g e n r e s , i n c l u d i n g s a l s a , b a c h a t a , m e r e n g u e , r e g g a e t o n , a n d m o r e , a c c o r d i n g t o o r g a n i z e r s

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A p o r t i o n o f t h e p r o c e e d s f r o m t h e f e s t i v a l w i l l s u p p o r t l o c a l n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n M u s i c a L I V E S W F L , f o r m e d i n O c t o b e r , 2 0 2 2 , i n t h e a f t e rm a t h o f H u r r i c a n e I a n t o p r e s e r v e a n d p r o m o t e l i v e m u s i c i n S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a

March: ‘Protest our Wetlands Cape Coral’ opposed to proposed development

From page 1

and venture to Southwest 6th Place, where the proposed entrance to the development is planned

“We want people to have a voice, and to include as many people in this as we can,” said Cape resident Ruth Hague, whose home is not far from the proposed project “We talk to people every single day, and they want to know how to help and be involved A lot of times people can’t attend City Council meetings or aren’t comfortable speaking in public

“We also want to remind ourselves that we now know the power of what these storms can do We consider this project a future crime scene of sorts ”

Organizers say the landowners, ZZW Development, LLC, have proposed building an entrance road at the intersection of Rose Garden Road and Southwest 6th Place through a section of Rotary Park to reach their landlocked property This road would cross a Conservation Easement signed in 1991 between the City of Cape C o r a l a n d t h e S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t o f Environmental Regulation The easement states that the wetlands will be preserved forever in their natural state and specifical-

“We want people to have a voice, and to include as many people in this as we can We talk to people every single day, and they want to know how to help and be involved. A lot of times people can’t attend City Council meetings or aren’t comfortable speaking in public.”

Ruth Hague, Cape resident

zation ”

ly states no roads are to be built on it, they said

“We feel that this is a crime against the hydrology and ecology of Rotary Park, and the flora and fauna and the wetland,” Hague said “And a crime against the citizens of Cape Coral who are unwilling to accept increased risk of future storm and flood damage. I think this is a wildly unpopular idea and concept, and probably would have slipped through the cracks if we not had just went through what we did with Ian ”

The group maintains storm damage from Hurricane Ian would have been worse for residents in the southwest part of the city if not for hundreds of acres of wetlands, including mangroves, which lie

immediately south of Rotary Park

“We can’t step back and allow a development to come through and take what we c o n s i d e r a r e l i f e - s a v i n g m a n g r o v e s , ” Hague said “We are woefully deficit for mangroves in Cape Coral We already have so many damaged from the storm We’re in the rebuilding process, and they want to pull more.”

Another member of the group and Cape resident, Paul Bonasia, at a recent City C o u n c i l m e e t i n g p l e a d e d w i t h t h e landowners to sell to a conservation group

“None of the Southwest Cape residents want to increase the risk of flooding in the future,” he said “The (landowners) should honor their family legacy in Cape Coral and sell the land to a conservation organi-

Other features at Redfish Pointe would include a 20-foot-wide boardwalk and 120-spot public parking area, 75-footwide landscaping/natural area buffer, conveyance of 54.02 acres of high-quality wetlands, and a 2 26 acre, 100-foot-wide access road connection from Rose Garden Road to the internal roadway, including bike and pedestrian paths and landscaped median

A city Planning and Zoning hearing is pending

“We anticipate there will be a planning and zoning hearing on the Redfish Pointe d e v e l o p m e n t i n O c t o b e r , ” t h e c i t y ’ s Communication’s Office said Thursday

Rotary Park is at 5505 Rose Garden Road

For more information on the development, visit redfishpointe com

Residents interested in learning more and getting involved in environmental protection locally can visit protectourwetlandsincapecoral org

Neither ZZW Development nor its representatives could not be reached for comment as of press time

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

Final budget hearing set for next Thursday

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The city of Cape Coral final budget hearing is set for next Thursday

Cape Coral City Council last week gave its penultimate nod to an overall budget of $1,095,678,549, a 13 25% increase over the fiscal year 2023 budget, during its first budget hearing Thursday night

Council also approved the operation millage rate at 5 3694 mills, which is 12 99 percent more than the rollback rate, and set the millage rate for the Parks General Obligation Bonds at 0.1675 mills.

One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property valuation

Financial Services Director Mark Mason told Council the city has two millage rates for property taxes, with the larger of the two generating funds for the general operations of the city He said it is not the sole revenue sou

Mason said the tentative millage rate is not to exceed 5 3694 mills, approved by the City Council in July and noticed in the TRIM notice that went to all property owners within the City of Cape Coral

“The tentative rate is 12 99% increase over the rollback rate of 4.7519 mills,” Mason said.

The rollback rate is the rate at which the city would receive the same amount of revenue from property taxes as the year before If property value increases on an individual property, taxes increase even if the tax rate remains the same

The city manager’s tentative budget is based upon the millage rate of 5.3694 mills.

Overall, the General Fund, a 5 41% increase over fiscal year 2023, is $228,269,306

“This is certainly less than what we have seen from an inflationary rate over the last couple of years,” Mason said

The 13 25% increase, the majority of the costs included, are associated with capital improvements for utilities, he said

Mason said the budget included some identified changes discussed during the budget workshops, which was a little more than $4 6 million

The changes included adding three additional firefighters with funding coming from the General Fund and the fire assessment fund; adding an additional patrol officer; increasing transfers out from the general fund for the fire bay doors, as well as adding additional city beautification funds

“The total amount of changes was $4 7 million, which

arrives at the $1 095 billion budget,” Mason said

In addition, the budget includes 63 new positions added, although the city eliminated some positions as well

“We also moved some positions from the General Fund, as well as from other funds throughout the organization,” he said “Some of the things that we are looking to do with the stormwater, we are looking to add additional crews in order to decrease the overall backlog that we have for stormwater improvements ”

With police, Mason said the city is bringing on a number of police officers, including within the investigative services bureau as well as patrol, which meets the strategic plan for the Cape Coral Police Department The budget also includes bringing on additional firefighters and engineers to continue to meet minimum staffing for the fire department

“Overall, we have had 82 5 positions that have been added, 19 and a half of those are in the charter schools We have an enterprise fund between stormwater, as well as the utilities fund, 22-1/2 positions, with 20 positions in the general fund,” Mason said

The second and final budget hearing will be held Sept 21, at 5:05 p m in Council Chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd

‘Never Forget:’ Cape Coral marks 9/11

b e r t h e e v e n t s t h a t t o o k p l a c e o n S e p t 1 1 , 2 0 0 1

A n d o n M o n d a y m o r n i n g i n C a p e C o r a l , f i r s t r e s p o n d e r s , c i t y l e a d e r s , a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b l i c g a t h e r e d t o “ n e v e r f o r g e t ” O n t h e l a w n i n f r o n t o f C i t y C o u n c i l C h a m b e r s a t 8 : 3 0 a m , d o z e n s g a t h e r e d t o p a y t r i b u t e t o t h e t h o us a n d s w h o l o s t t h e i r l i v e s i n t h e t e r r o r i s t a t t a c k t h a t r o c k e d n o t j u s t t h e n a t i o n , b u t t h e w o r l d 2 2 y e a r s a g o “ O n S e p t 1 1 t h , o u r w o r l d w a s s h a k e n b y a c t s o f t e r r o r i s m , ” s a i d C a p e C o r a l M a y o r J o h n G u n t e r “ T o d a y , w e s t a n d u n i t e d t o r e m e m b e r t h a t d a y , a n d h o n o r a l l t h e l i v e s t h a t w e r e l o s t o n t h a t p a r t i c u l a r d a y ” P r e s e n t a t i o n o f c o l o r s w a s p e r f o r m e d b y t h e C a p e C o r a l F i r e a n d P o l i c e H o n o r G u a r d s A n i n v o c a t i o n w a s r e a d , a n d r e m a r k s w e r e m a d e f r o m M a y o r J o h n G u n t e r , P o l i c e C h i e f A n t h o n y S i z e m o r e , a n d F i r e C h i e f R y a n L a m b A m o m e n t o f s i l e n c e w a s h e l d a t 8 : 4 6 a m , t h e e x a c t t i m e w h e n A m e r i c a n A i r l i n e s F l i g h t 1 1 i m p a c te d t h e W o r l d T r a d e C e n t e r N o r t h T o w e r T h e t e r r o r i s t a t t a c k o n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s r e s h a p e d t h e p a t h o f t h e n a t i o n m o v i n g f o r w a r d , a n d t r a g i c a l l y , n e a r l y 3 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e l o s t t h e i r l i v e s a n d s t i l l m a n y f e e l

a f t e r e f f e c t s t o d a y G u n t e r s h a r e d s y m p a t h y f o r t h e f a m i l i e s w h o l o s t a l o v e d o n e o n t h a t d a y , a s t h e y h a v e t o r e - l i v e t h e i r p a i n n o t j u s t o n c e e v e r y y e a r “ T h o s e f a m i l i e s t h a t l o s t l o v e d o n e s , t h e y h a v e t o w a k e u p e v e r y s i n g l e m o r n i n g , a n d t h e y h a v e t o d e a l w i t h t h a t l o s s o f l i f e , ” G u n t e r s a i d “ W h e t h e r i t w a s t h e i r h u s b a n d , w i f e , m o t h e r , f a t h e r t h e y h a v e t o d e a l w i t h t h a t e v e r y d a y ” P o l i c e C h i e f A n t h o n y S i z e m o r e w a s w o r k i n g a s a p a t r o l o f f i c e r w i t h t h e C C P D o n S e p t 1 1 , 2 0 0 1 , a n d r e c a l l e d c o m i n g i n t o w o r k t h e n e x t d a y w o n d e r i n g w h a t t o d o a n d w h e r e t o g o “ V e r y q u i c k l y , w e w e r e g a l v a n i z e d a n d k n e w t h a t o u r m i s s i o n w a s t o b e t h e r e f o r t h e c o m m u n i t y , ” S i z e m o r e s a i d “ I d i s t i n c t l y r e c a l l f i r e t r u c k s w i t h t h e A m e r i c a n f l a g w a v i n g o f f t h e b a c k A m e r i c a n f l a g s o n h o m e s n o t f l a g s o f a c a n d i d a t e t h e y l i k e o r a c a n d id a t e t h e y h a t e b u t t h e A m e r i c a n f l a g A n d t h e r e w a s a t r u e c o m i n g t o g e t h e r “ I t h i n k t o d a y , m o r e t h a n e v e r , i f y o u l o o k a t a d i v i d e d n a t i o n , w e n e e d t h e s p i r i t o f 9 / 1 2 ”

C C F D C h i e f R y a n L a m b s h a r e d t h e s t o r y o f a p a ss e n g e r o n o n e o f t h e p l a n e s t h a t s t r u c k t h e W o r l d T r a d e C e n t e r , a n d t h e v o i c e m a i l h e l e f t h i s w i f e b e f o r e i m p a c t H o w h e t o l d h e r t o h a v e g o o d t i m e s , t h a t h e l o v e d

FAR

LEFT: Attendees planted 2,977 American flags, each with a name of a victim, in the front lawn of City Hall in remembrance of the attacks on our country on Sept. 11, 2001.

L E F T: P r e s e n t a t i o n o f colors were performed by the Cape Coral Fire a n d P o l i c e H o n o r G u a r d s . T h e 9 / 11 r e m e m b r a n c e a l s o included an invocation and remarks by Mayor J o h n G u n t e r, P o l i c e C h i e f A n t h o n y Sizemore, and Fire Chief Ryan Lamb /PHOTOS BY SARAH NEWCOMB,

h e r , t h a t h e w a n t e d h e r t o h a v e a f u l l l i f e , a n d t h a t h e ’ d s e e h e r i n t h e a f t e r l i f e . L a m b t h e n d e t a i l e d t h e t i m e l i n e o f e v e n t s o n S e p t 1 1 , 2 0 0 1 H o w t h e N o r t h T o w e r w a s s t r u c k f i r s t , t h e n t h e s e c o n d H o w a p l a n e i m p a c t e d t h e P e n t a g o n H o w b o t h o f t h e i c o n i c T w i n T o w e r s c o l l a p s e d T h a t a p l a n e w a s d o w n i n a f i e l d i n P e n n s y l v a n i a t h a t w a s a l s o e a rm a r k e d f o r d e a d l y i n t e n t i o n s “ T h e e f f e c t s o f t h o s e a c t i o n s a n d e v e n t s a r e s t i l l b e i n g f e l t t o d a y b y t h o s e t h a t a r e s t i l l h a v i n g m e d i c a l e v e n t s f r o m G r o u n d Z e r o , ” L a m b s a i d “ H o w e v e r , t h e s i t e h a s n o w b e e n c l e a r e d o f d e b r i s , a n d a n e w b u i l d i n g h a s b e e n b u i l t i n i t s p l a c e B u t t h e p e o p l e l o s t t h a t d a y c a n n o t b e r e p l a c e d . W e c a n o n l y r e m e m b e r t h e i r s a c r if i c e “ W e r e c o g n i z e t h o s e t h a t r a n t o d a n g e r , a s o t h e r s f l e d ” T h e c e r e m o n y e n d e d w i t h a t t e n d e e s s t a k i n g 2 , 9 7 7

A m e r i c a n f l a g s , e a c h w i t h a n a m e o f a v i c t i m o f t h e a t t a c k s , i n t h e f r o n t l a w n o f C i t y H a l l t o h o n o r t h e i r m e m o r y a n d r e a f f i r m i n g t h a t “ W e W i l l N e v e r F o r g e t ” O f t h e n e a r l y 3 , 0 0 0 t h a t p e r i s h e d , 3 4 3 w e r e F D N Y f i r e f i g h t e r s , a n d 7 1 l a w e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c e r s

A b r o a d c a s t o f t h e c e r e m o n y c a n b e v i e w e d o n t h e C a p e C o r a l F i r e D e p a r t m e n t F a c e b o o k p a g e ( @ C a p e C o r a l F D )

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Keep Lee County Beautiful earns Keep America Beautiful 2022 President’s Circle Award

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, has presented Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc with its 2022 President’s Circle Award The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance by certified affiliates of Keep America Beautiful in creating clean, green and beautiful communities

In qualifying for the President’s Circle Award, KLCB has met standards of merit of Keep America Beautiful by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index; calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio; and administering initiatives to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify Lee County’s community

Keep Lee County Beautiful is one of more than 700 community-based affiliates in the Keep America Beautiful network whose programs, initiatives, and efforts, supported by millions of volunteers, help transform public spaces into beautiful places

“Achieving the President’s Circle Award means Keep Lee County Beautiful is working in strategic, creative, and sustainable ways to keep and create beautiful communi-

Estero Historical Society kicks off 202324 Lecture Series with event at Koreshan

A History of the Koreshan Unity Settlement will be the topic of the first event of the 2023-24 Saturday Lecture Series hosted by the Estero Historical Society

The event will be held at the historic Art Hall in the Koreshan State Park located at the northwest corner of U S 41 and Corkscrew Boulevard The event is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a m , Saturday, Sept 16 A continental breakfast will be served The presenter will be Ron Westcott, the lead docent of Koreshan State Park

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Koreshan Unity Settlement, a religious sect, founded by Dr Cyrus R Teed in Chicago, moved to what is now Estero in 1893 The utopian community was based on a commitment to communal living and a belief that the universe existed on the inside of the Earth They were an industrious community that built and operated a printing facility, boatworks, cement works, sawmill, bakery, store and hostelry The Koreshans had a profound effect on the development of Southwest Florida which Westcott will detail in his presentation.

Koreshan State Park charges a $5 entry fee at the

ties,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Lawson “Every day KLCB engages the community members of Lee County to take the responsibility of keeping clean neighbors, of growing beautiful places, and teaching others of the importance of waste reduction in and out of the home We are thrilled to celebrate your excellence and are grateful for your example and leadership ”

“Keep Lee County Beautiful is honored to be recognized for our dedication to the community,” said Trish Fancher, Executive Director, KLCB. “We have been serving Lee County for over three decades and will continue to inspire, educate, and engage the community in improving, beautifying, and protecting our environment KLCB is committed to its mission and looks forward to continuing our work with the volunteers and community partners ”

Each year, Keep Lee County Beautiful engages over 5,000 volunteers in more than 400 community improvement initiatives Make sure to follow KLCB on Facebook or Instagram to stay updated on future events You can also visit www klcb org or call 239-334-3488 to find out how to get involved and support KLCB and their efforts

ranger station Visitors can tour the park following the presentation In addition, attendees are asked to register for the presentation in advance on the Estero Historical Society website (www esterohistoricalsociety com) EHS members pay $10 each and non-members pay $15 each Learn more about the Estero Historical Society at the w e b s i t e r e f e r e n c e d a b o v e o r b y v i s i t i n g http://facebook com/esterohistory The historical society museum, housed in two early 20th century buildings, is located inside Estero Park at 9285 Corkscrew Palms Blvd.

See ANNOUNCEMENTS, page 26

From page 20

Foghat to headline opening show of 2023 season at Caloosa Sound Amphitheater Oct. 12

Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, the outdoor entertainment venue located adjacent to Luminary Hotel & Co , has announced its highly anticipated inaugural show of 2023 featuring legendary rock band, Foghat On Thursday, Oct 12, Foghat will rock the stage, taking concertgoers on a “slow ride” of musical nostalgia with a show that promises to relive classic hits and make new memories celebrating music, community, and the vibrant spirit of Downtown Fort Myers

“Our team is excited to present Foghat for the inaugural show of our 2023 season at the Caloosa Sound Amphitheater,” said Robert Nokley, general manager of Luminary Hotel & Co “The start of the new concert series underscores our dedication to creating unforgettable experiences and bringing exceptional live entertainment to the riverfront.”

Foghat was a mainstay of 1970s rock 'n' roll with a rich m u s i c a l h i s t o r y s p a n n i n g m o r e t h a n f i v e d e c a d e s Achieving eight gold records, one platinum and one double platinum album, the band is known for such hits as “Slow Ride,” “Fool for the City,” “Ride, Ride, Ride” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You ” Drummer and founding member Roger Earl and lead guitarist Bryan Bassett (a 24-year member of Foghat) lead the band Scot Holt, former Buddy Guy guitarist, and Rodney O’Quinn round out the group

Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, Sept 1, at 10 a m , and can be purchased at CaloosaSoundAmp com

A selection of VIP, reserved seating, and general admission tickets will be available, ranging from $37 general admission (seat not provided) to $120 VIP on stage Concertgoers can enjoy food and drinks served inside Caloosa Sound Amphitheater; outside food, drinks and coolers are prohibited Small lawn chairs and blankets are permitted in the general admission lawn area

For more information about the event, ticket availabilit y a n d f u t u r e

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Amphitheater, visit CaloosaSoundAmp com or follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Fashion to a Tea set for Oct. 25 in Por t Charlotte

The Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit, will host its fourth annual Fashion to a Tea fundraising event Wednesday, Oct 25, in Port Charlotte, where fashionistas of all ages will gather for a fashion show and elegant high tea luncheon

This year, Fashion to a Tea’s volunteer models will be sporting cocktail and party dresses, formal wear, business attire, casual wear and athletic apparel provided by Anthony’s Ladies Apparel in Punta Gorda Models will be the foundation’s very own Guardian ad Litem Volunteers, board members and supporters.

Fashion to a Tea will be held from 11 a m to 2 p m at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club, 4400 Lister St in Port Charlotte

Tickets are $55 per person and include a luncheon, fashion show, silent auction and fun surprises Guests are encouraged to wear hats that complement the high tea environment Sponsorships start at $500 and include event tickets, marketing opportunities and public recognition during the event

Proceeds from Fashion to a Tea support programs for children and teens who have been abused, neglected or abandoned as they navigate the judicial and child welfare systems Court-appointed volunteer child advocates can request funds through the Children’s Needs Program to cover expenses that foster parents and guardians are unable or unwilling to cover, including birthday parties, tutoring, summer camp programs, movie tickets and registration fees for clubs and sports Funds also support Beds for Kids, a program that provides bed frames, mattresses, pillows, linens and stuffed animals so caregivers can provide a safe, comfortable home for children

To purchase tickets, secure sponsorships or donate items to the silent auction, please call 239-245-7787 or visit VoicesForKids org/fashion-to-a-tea/

85th Annual Brighton Field Day Festival Feb. 16-18

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is hosting their 85th Annual Brighton Field Day Festival Feb 16-18 The “Kid’s Day” is scheduled for Friday, Feb 16, with free admission to all schools Gates open at 9 a m

The Brighton Field Day Festival will feature American Indian arts and crafts, native dancers and music, authentic Seminole food, alligator wresting, PRCA rodeo, concerts and more The goal for this event is to offer a hands-on and immersive experience that showcases rich Seminole culture and heritage

As part of this endeavor, they have curated a cultural village and various Field Day events that will enable students to engage directly with Seminole traditions and gain valuable knowledge

The Brighton Field Day Festival will be held at the Fred Smith Rodeo Arena, which is located at 17400 Sports Complex Road, N E , Okeechobee, Florida, 34974 Please contact the Brighton Education Office at 863-763-3572 to schedule your field trip

American Cancer Society announces Lee County Cattle Baron’s Ball will be held Oct 14

The American Cancer Society has announced the 2023 Lee County Cattle Baron’s Ball eill be held at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa Coconut Point on Saturday, Oct 14 The Cattle Baron’s Ball is the American Cancer Society’s signature western event with more than 50 events nationwide

Since its inception, the event has raised $4 million to s u p p o r t t h e A m e r i c a n C a n c e r S o c i e t y ’ s m i s s i o n t o improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer

This year’s mission moment will support the newly created Lee and Collier County Health Equity Fund Cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, but it does not affect everyone equally Many barriers can impact a person's

See ANNOUNCEMENTS, page 38

Cape looks at establishing ‘tree fund’ for developers

Parks, medians, beautification projects could benefit from allowing builders flexibility to meet requirements

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

Commercial developers may have an opportunity to pay into a Tree Trust Fund to reduce the number of trees on their property within the city of Cape Coral

C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l o n Wednesday was in favor of a proposed Tree Trust Fund within the landscape ordinance, but with further fleshing out as to how much it would cost developers to reduce the number of trees on their property

“The tree fund allows developers to properly develop the site for usage of the site while providing existing tree preservation,” said Omar Leon, city arborist “The tree fund would be utilized by the city to pursue to obtain trees, irrigation, and costs associated with establishing the trees ”

He said the fund itself would support the proper planning, management and growth and add additional tree canopy to existing city parks, medians, and beautification projects

The Tree Trust Fund would be split into two funds, one for the CRA, and the other for the general fund

P u b l i c W o r k s D i r e c t o r P e r s i d e s Z a m b r a n o s a i d u p t o 3 0 p e r c e n t o f required trees can be reduced administratively by Public Works Due to the CRA land code, parcel size and type of development, their option to get a tree reduction is based up to 100 percent

Leon said with commercial development, other than the CRA South District,

there is an allowance for a 15 percent r e d u c t i o n i n t h e t o t a l t r e e a m o u n t required In addition to that, they can go beyond to 30 percent, which requires additional review and approval of the plan

“The goal of this is to allow for proper usage of our tree canopy in landscape design and after that is exhausted, have another opportunity to utilize the trees that cannot be used on the property,”

Leon said

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 w h e n t h e y w e r e l o o k i n g a t i n c r e a s i n g t r e e c a n o p y c i t y w i d e , t h e y brought the first-ever arborist into the city and with him, the idea of a Tree Trust Fund for an opportunity to deploy trees throughout the Cape

At the same time there were a couple of developments, which had to comply with the existing land development code, he said, including ABC Supply Building and Aspire on Chiquita Boulevard

Ilczyszyn said ABC Supply is in an industrial complex with a massive wareh o u s e s u p p l y i n g r o o f i n g a n d b u i l d i n g

Omar Leon, city arborist

material He said the number of trees they had to put on the property literally would choke themselves out, leaving them having to weed whip the entire property

“In the back of the yard is another set of landscaping that can’t be seen by anybody,” Ilczyszyn said

The other property has sabal palms that are two feet from each other, which blocks the architecture, and they, too, cannot mow their grass

“We want the canopy This flexibility still requires the tree count The offsite o p t i o n w o u l d g o i n t o t h i s f u n d a n d improve medians and parks and some elements in the city It’s another option in our tool bag to work with developers and obtain tree canopy,” he said, adding that this is not the majority of the projects

Questions were brought forth concerning the developer having to contribute $1,500 to the CRA Tree Trust Fund and $2,500 to the Tree Trust Fund general fund if they want to reduce the number of trees on the property

Leon said it is market cost for the contractor to come in and install a tree and

guarantee the establishment of a tree For a 2-inch caliber tree it ranges between $1,100 and $1,600 and a 3-inch caliber ranges from $2,000 to $2,500 The price also includes incorporating the cost of the irrigation, design and installation

“That is where you get the number It’s not a wholesale cost buying a tree at a nursery,” Leon said

C o u n c i l m e m b e r R o b e r t W e l s h s u ggested that they add that the trees should be used within a certain number of miles for the property, so it stays in that particular district

Ilczyszyn said developers always have options, but it comes down to dollar and cents

He said with fees and rates, with anything there are three places in the market w h a t i t c o s t s , b e l o w a n d a b o v e Ilczyszyn said if they want a lot of people to put funds in the Tree Trust Fund you set the fee below market At market is for those who have development issues and the above market is for those who really want to use it and cannot redesign their site

“We can bring all three options We don’t want below market We will get 30 percent less landscape At the market we can refresh annually and set just above it to get more trees to put throughout the city,” he said.

Wednesday’s Council meeting was a workshop designed for discussion and direction to staff for further action, if any While a consensus may be reached, no formal votes are taken

“The goal of this is to allow for proper usage of our tree canopy in landscape design and after that is exhausted, have another opportunity to utilize the trees that cannot be used on the property ”

Former Cape councilmember Dolores Bertolini remembered

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

The city of Cape Coral is mourning the loss and remembering the life of an impactful woman that served in countless roles to make the community a better place Dolores Bertolini, 89, passed away on Sept 29 Bertolini was long-time Cape Coral resident after relocating from New York in 1986, and served as District 4 Councilmember from 2005 to 2009 As noted in her obituary, Bertolini was instrumental in bring EMS to Cape Coral, working closely with the Cape Coral Fire Department and always being present in the Emergency Operations Center during every storm She was a participant and G r a n d M a r s h a l o f t h e C o l u m b u s D a y Parade, president of CLOUT, and member of the Republican Club, Sons of Italy, Relay for Life, and Civic Association.

“ O u r h e a r t s a r e h e a v y a s w e b i d farewell to former Councilmember Dolores Bertolini, a dedicated public servant who served the residents of Cape Coral for nearly four years on the City Council,” said Mayor John Gunter in a prepared statemen t “H er p as s io n , co mmitmen t, an d unwavering dedication to our community were truly remarkable, and her memory will continue to inspire us all Our deepest condolences go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time She will be dearly missed, but her contributions to Cape Coral will never be forgotten ”

Bertolini was also recognized was the 2004 Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral Citizen of the Year, and in 2018, was bestowed the “Distinguished Service A w a r d , ” a n a t i o n a l C o m m u n i t y Emergency Response Team honor for the everlasting impact she has made through-

out the Cape Coral CERT chapter Bertolini was an important and impactful advocate for Alzheimer’s and dementia, becoming a spokeswoman for the Alvin Dubin Center providing education and solace for those with the disease She was also a twice cancer survivor

“Dolores was very devoted to her city and its residents when she served on City Council,” said District 3 Councilmember Tom Hayden “We talked constantly about the issues when I was a journalist and that’s when I got to know her well After she s e r v e d , s h e b e c a m e i n v o l v e d w i t h Alzheimer’s causes, something her husband suffered from What always struck me about Dolores was her passion for life and wanting people to always do the right thing ”

Bertolini and her husband moved to Cape Coral in 1985 from New York She and Aldo wanted to get involved in the

community and learn about the city to which they had just moved

They went to the fire department and heard about the potential for a CERT program that piqued their interest

After a couple close calls with storms that could have done much more damage than they did, Bertolini and like-minded residents in the community got to work on how they could be better prepared for events like hurricanes

In 1997, the Cape Coral CERT team was officially organized, the first of its kind in Southwest Florida, and would face its first major test in the form of Category 4 Hurricane Charley in 2004

As a volunteer she helped people get off of the road during the storm and worked in the Emergency Operations Center, getting information out to different agencies across the city

“Councilmember Bertolini had a passion for service She trained in the EOC and no matter where or what type of disaster or storm, she was available,” said former city councilmember Gloria Tate “Her heart was huge and she watched every dollar that Cape Coral spent She was smart, intelligent, funny, and I will miss her dearly ”

H e r i n v o l v e m e n t w o u l d d r a s t i c a l l y grow after Charley, as well as the rest of the community’s Now, CERT is a welloiled machine that it hyper-aware of what to do if impending storms are on their way

A close friend of Bertolini’s, Linda Biondi, said she will miss her dear friend who was always there for others, no matter what

“She was an amazing person,” Biondi said “If you needed anything, she was there. Just a good person.”

Biondi met Bertolini through the Sons of Italy nearly 30 years ago, and their friendship grew through both of their investments in the community.

“We did Relay for Life and put purple bows downtown,” Biondi reminisced “We hung banners We walked for Alzheimer’s

“She would give you advice, help you, and do all of these wonderful things ”

Biondi recalled Bertolini being there for her during her cancer diagnosis

“She was so helpful to me when I had cancer,” Biondi said “She came with me and Bob (Biondi’s husband) to the doctor because I knew she knew what they were talking about, and I didn’t

“Holidays together. Events together. She was a really, really good friend ”

Biondi also remembers Bertolini helping a mutual friend whose father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

“Dolores went an helped her and guided her on how to get the help, where to go she would go and visit with her to make sure she was OK,” Biondi said “That was Dolores She would go out of her way to be helpful

“She was a wonderful friend She loved her family and she loved her city She lived a beautiful life, and now she’s reunited with Aldo ”

Survivors include her son, Michael Bertolini; daughter, Linda Reilly; three grandchildren; and one great grandchild

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church on Sept 18 at 11 a m

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to the Dubin Center or Hope Hospice A memorial can be viewed and condolences left at fullermetz com

Dolores Bertolini

Looking for a loving home

Korbyn is a 6 months to 1 year old male He is a big and beautiful puppy who is a "work in progress" with his manners Korbyn is a very active boy, so an active family who would take him in daily hikes or walks would be best Because of how energetic Korbyn is, a home with children 12 years and older is better suited for him

Moki is an 8 to 11-year-old female cMolly is a 1–3-year-old female She is a little on the shy side, but warms up to you after a few minutes Miss Molly does

well with the other cats here at the shelter, so a home with another kitty friend would help her gain her confidence

If you are interested in meeting any of the animals available for adoption at The Cape Coral Animal Shelter, please visit its website at www capecoralanimalshelter com for more information

The shelter is located at 325 S W 2nd Ave , Cape Coral, and hours of operation are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p m , and Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p m

Molly

Korbyn

T HE BREE ZE BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Inc. 5000 rankings show strength, diversity of Lee County’s economy

By Holly D. Smith

Inc Magazine recently released its 2023 Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the U S This year, a whopping 16 businesses based in Lee County made the prestigious list

Dissecting the list generates some interesting analysis As an economy historically driven by tourism, there was quite an impressive and growing diversity of industries among the 16 Lee County honorees: construction (4), business products and services (2), financial services (2), logistics and transportation (2), consumer services (1), consumer products (1), energy (1), health services (1), manufacturing (1) and software (1).

GUEST COMMENTARY New Career Connections Lecture Series launches at FSW Sept. 18

There also was growing geographic diversity, showing the 16 top-performing companies don’t just stick to the region’s industrial core: Fort Myers (9), Cape Coral (3), Bonita Springs (2), Estero (1) and North Fort Myers (1)

What does this all mean?

Southwest Florida has emerged as a larger force in Florida’s economy Across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, 24 locally owned companies made the Inc 5000 list

That puts us well ahead of the Gainesville-Ocala region (10), Panhandle (11) and Sarasota-Bradenton region (13) What’s truly impressive is Southwest Florida has just one fewer company listed than the Jacksonville-St Augustine metropolitan region, which has a much larger population

We shouldn’t envision Southwest Florida being the next Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa-St Petersburg or OrlandoKissimmee, and really, that’s a good thing Leading that next group of mid-sized regions is exactly where we want to be

The Inc. 5000 rankings use a three-year period to measure revenue growth To qualify, companies needed at least $2 million in sales last year The Lee County companies on the list reported three-year growth rates from 74% to 1,253%

“It’s extremely difficult just to earn a spot on the Inc 5000 list, but even harder to stay on it because you need to sustain elevated growth over a longer period,” MY Shower Door President and Founder Bill Daubmann said in announcing his company’s inclusion on the Inc 5000 list for the seventh time Another Daubmann family enterprise, D3 Glass, also earned a spot for the first time

Joining Daubmann on the Inc 5000 list was Mark Stevens, president of Stevens Construction, and Ryan Carter, president of Scotlynn USA The three all work in different industries – consumer products/manufacturing for Daubmann, construction for Stevens and logistics/transportation for Carter All three leaders are among the community’s strongest advocates for our local economy Each is a valued investor of the Horizon Foundation, a nonprofit that raises private-sector money to support efforts of the Lee County Economic Development Office and Horizon Council to improve the area’s business climate Their support helps inspire growth and ensures that Lee County can recruit the right companies to the area while still maintaining and improving the region’s standard of living.

“Investing in the Horizon Foundation is an investment into the future of Lee County,” Stevens said “Building a stronger economy takes time and effort, and economic development extends far beyond just attracting new businesses to the area You must provide a support network that allows existing businesses to grow and thrive, and that’s what the Horizon Foundation has done for Stevens Construction and hundreds of other local businesses ”

F l o r i d a S o u t h W e s t e r n S t a t e C o l l e g e ’ s C a r e e r Connections Lecture Series launches this month This engaging series of talks will provide students and the community with valuable insights and real-world experiences from industry experts, empowering them to make informed career choices and take steps toward their professional aspirations Lectures will be held at the FSW Fort Myers Campus, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers

The first installment of the Career Connections Lecture Series, “Tackling Challenges in Forensic Science” with Pricilla Doyle, will be held at 6 p m on Monday, Sept 18, in Building AA, room 177

Doyle is a senior forensic death investigator with the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office and an adjunct instructor in the School of Business and Technology at FSW

The second installment, “Vision to Venture: Gaining Entrepreneurial Insights,” featuring Susan Frantz, founder and CEO of Frantz Marketing Solutions; Lafe James, owner of 1923 Trading Co ; and Stefani Gutierrez, CEO and president of Spot On Performance, will be held at noon on Wednesday, Sept 27, in Building AA, room 177

These experts will share their entrepreneurial journeys, s u c c e s s e s , a n d c h a l l e n g e s , p r o v i d i n g a t t e n d e e s w i t h invaluable guidance for venturing into the world of business and entrepreneurship

The Career Connections Lecture Series is free and open to the public

For more information, contact Whitney Rhyne, assistant vice president, Division of Workforce Education, at whitney rhyne@fsw edu

BUSINESS NOTES

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank promotes Hall to assistant vice president

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has promoted Dawn Hall to assistant vice president Hall was promoted to a residential loan officer in 2022 and is based in the Winkler Branch, located at 7040 Winkler Road, Fort Myers Previously, she was a loan coordinator in the bank’s residential lending division at the McGregor Branch, located at 15975 McGregor Blvd Hall has more than 15 years of experience in the residential lending, banking and sales industries

Founded in 2003, and celebrating its 20th anniversary, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has seven open locations throughout Lee County A visual timeline of Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s 20-year history is available at cheersto20years sancapbank com

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s team members provide customized individual and business banking services and specialize in residential and commercial lending

The bank offers free personal and business checking, deposit accounts with competitive interest rates, instant issue debit cards and a full array of digital banking produ c t s a n d s e r v i c e s T o l e a r n m o r e , v i s i t www SanCapBank com

The program will discuss how to attract a board filled with diversified and talented members, how to become a board member and what to know before committing to a new board

Panelists include John Bodner, chief administrative officer at Lee County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller; Emily Golden, senior public relations manager of Priority Marketing; Alicia Miller, executive director of Our Mother’s Home of SWFL, Inc ; Bob Stamp, senior consultant, Florida market director of Empreinte Consulting, LLC; and Jen Whyte, founder and owner of Fort Myers Brewing Company The moderator of the panel is Eric Lane, major gifts officer of The Salvation Army of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties.

The event will be held at The Salvation Army, Fort Myers Corps , at 10291 McGregor Blvd , in Fort Myers T h e e v e n t i s s p o n s o r e d b y O u r M o t h e r ’ s H o m e Leadership NEXT’s annual sponsor is the Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Association

Registration is $10 for current members and $20 for future members at FortMyers org Food will be provided by Hope Clubhouse during the event

Greater For t Myers Chamber’s Leadership NEXT to highlight ‘The Power of Board Membership’ Sept. 26

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber’s Leadership NEXT committee will host “The Power of Board Membership: Joining and Attracting an Impactful Board” Tuesday, Sept 26, from 5-7 p m

Serving Lee County and surrounding areas since 1989, the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Inc is a business organization that provides solutions and serves as a catalyst for growing the economy The Chamber represents nearly 750 professionals and businesses throughout Southwest Florida, empowering, connecting and uniting members through meaningful networking, educational and community- and business-focused programs and events For additional information regarding membership opportunities or events, please call 239-332-2930 or visit www fortmyers org For the latest news and updates, foll o w t h e C h a m b e r o n F a c e b o o k a t www facebook com/gfmcc See INC 5000, page 38

Participants can expect a panel discussion surrounding both joining and attracting an impactful board of directors

Susan Frantz Pricilla Doyle Lafe James

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Wading into another world of fishing

A quietly wading angler slowly moving through the water is almost as stealthy as a push poled skiff and an often productive and fun way to fish while beating the heat, especially with local redfish already schooling in the shallows and hiding under high tide mangroves If you’ve never gotten out of the boat and into the fish’s world you should as it offers a unique experience not possib l e a b o v e w a t e r a n d a l s o something the walking angler can take advantage of

W e F l o r i d i a n s a r e v e r y boat centered, always getting in the boat to go fishing, while redfish and trout anglers in other parts of the country like Texas and Alabama, use their boats just to get to their spots, then jump out to fish

During fall, trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, pompano, and sharks are all available both on the inside and outside of B u r n t S t o r e B a r g e n e r a l l y from Two Pines up to Pirate Harbor The bar is also a prime wading, spin and fly rod destination, and an always interesting area for photography including million dollar sunset and bird shots There’s parking and access at Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park off Old Burnt Store Road on Northwest 44th Place You do have to walk about a third of a mile to get to the edge of the harbor or come by boat

Here walk-ins can choose to fish the inside of BSB while walking or wading along the eastern shoreline or wade out to the bar and fish the harbor side or the inside from the bar If you would like to try wade fishing this season, before grabbing a rod and marching off into the nearest body of water, first check your bottom A no pun intended waders needs a firm bottom Otherwise he could become a permanent stick in the mud facing a rising tide and circling dorsal fins Not sure if Sea Tow would consider this a soft grounding and pull you out? A sandy bottom is the wader’s friend and in this part of Charlotte Harbor there are miles of walkable and “wadable” clear water areas along the bar to explore

If you find that you like getting out of the boat to fish you might consider buying proper footwear to protect yourself from a painful encounter with a suddenly startled stingray minding its own business on the bottom It’s not unusual to see big as car hood rays around the area Unfortunately today’s waters contain more than pure water and marine creatures which is why many waders now insist on wearing

TIDES

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 in Fort Myers, located at 2021 Topgolf Way

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

For the last stretch run to the big event, GCHS is offering a price reduction of $200 o n t h e t r a d i t i o n a l b a y s (which suits six golfers) to drop the registration fee to $600! This is to help ensure a sell out of the bays, going by the adage of “The more, the merrier!”

This package includes six players, access to the Fajita Fiesta buffet and three hours of unlimited golf play

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.

Each team is also able to register up to two extra guests to join The cost for VIP guests is $100 (which includes the buffet and open premium bar) and $50 for non-VIP (which includes the buffet)

“Last year, everyone had a great time at the Top Golf

Wednesday Volleyball

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/47h WpnI or visit https://gulfcoasthumanesociety org/events/

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@gulfcoasthumanesociety org or (239) 332-0364 ext 321 for more information

Shoot an ace for the GCHS shelter animals by competing in the Top Golf Tournament! Sign up today here: https://bit ly/47hWpnI or visit https://gulfcoasthumanesociety org/events/

PREP REPORT

Oas i s 3 , V i l l ag e S c ho o l o f N apl e s 0 : G r a c y n Hendershot had 10 kills and Alison Ortiz added eight in a 25-4, 25-20, 25-6 Sharks sweep. Mia Poskon dished out 31 assists and added six service aces Estero 3 , Mariner 0 : The Tritons suffered their second loss in as many nights, falling 25-12, 25-20, 25-13 against Estero (5-2) to fall to 4-3

Tuesday

Volleyball

Canterbury 3 , Bishop Verot 1 : The Vikings (8-3) had a five-match winning streak snapped, falling in the semifinals of the Private 8 tournament The 25-11, 25-14, 1825, 25-22 defeat at Canterbury put Bishop Verot in the c o n f e r e n c e ' s t h i r d - p l a c e m a t c h T h u r s d a y a g a i n s t Community School of Naples.

Girls Golf

Cape Coral, Lehigh & Ida Baker, no team scores

At Palmetto-Pine

Individual: Isabella Lauzon (CC) 46, Gia Serrano (IB) 49, Maggie Paolino (IB) 53, Kaydance Hytonen (L) 59, Evalyn Klein (CC) 64, Alyssa Houck (IB) 75

Boys Golf

Cape Coral 1 7 9 , Ida Baker 2 1 0

At Palmetto-Pine

Cape Coral: Justin Czerniak 39, Don Kennedy 39, Brady Fanter 41, Zahary Distel 60

Ida Baker: Justin McCann 47, Tripp Lee 48, Michael Hutchinson 50, Michel Valdez 65 Mariner 1 9 0 , Gateway 2 3 8

At Coral Oaks

Gateway: Felix Flores 48, Brock Schmidt68, Jacob Steuber 58, Cody Benson 64 Mariner: DJ Dwire 40, Randy Wood 46, Brayden Nagel 49, Gavin June 55

Boys Bowling

Riverdale 3 , Bishop Verot 2 : Nolan Wagner rolled a 214 to lead the Vikings, while Josh Peltier paced Riverdale with a 190

Lehigh 5, Oasis 0: Charles Broadley led the Sharks with a 113 game

Girls Bowling

Oasis 5 , Lehigh 0 (forfeit): Katarina Hagler had seven strikes in her 225 game. Meesha Neujahr rolled a 332 and Cosmo Pina posted a season-best 103 game

Bishop Verot 5 , Riverdale 0 (forfeit): Mia Gasperini bowled a 136 game for Bishop Verot

Volleyball

Riverdale 3 , Mariner 0 : The Tritons (4-2) were swept 25-13, 25-15, 25-8 by visiting Riverdale

Monday

Volleyball

Bishop Verot 3 , SW Florida Christian 1 : The Vikings (8-2) moved into the semifinals of the Private 8 tournament with a 25-19, 25-20, 18-25, 25-21 victory against SWFC (9-4). Bishop Verot makes the short trip to Canterbury (7-4) for Tuesday's semifinal match The Private 8 final is Thursday

Ida Baker 3 , South Fort Myers 0 : Saige Thibodeaux had 11 kills and Madison Autrey added nine for the Bulldogs (3-3) Taylor Foster and Jenny Munera had eight digs each, and Cassara Easterwood blocked three shots

Cypress Lake 3 , Cape Coral 0 : After a 25-14, 25-18, 25-23 defeat, the Seahawks slipped to 2-5 on the season

Friday’s Football

First Baptist Academy at Bishop Verot

Cypress Lake at Cape Coral

Ida Baker at Port Charlotte

Island Coast at Estero

Mariner at Riverdale

Lemon Bay at North Fort Myers

Oasis at Community School of Naples

Capt George Tunison

PHOTO PROVIDED The Top Golf VIP Experience

Two manatees, a mother and calf, were found stranded in a canal connected to the Coral Oaks Golf Course Wednesday With the help of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Lee County Sheriff's Office, both manatees were safely rescued, city of Cape Coral officials said FWC performed health assessments on the the mother and 1-month-old-calf, deemed them both to be in good health, and safely released them back into the wild /SOURCE: CITY

Fishing: Come prepared if you plan to wade and fish

From page 37

waders as a precaution Then, of course ,there are always sharks and alligators so maybe that stringer of bleeding fish attached to your belt might not be a good plan. Most dedicat-

ed waders pull a float rig with aeration, coolers, and tackle

Wading obviously doesn’t always mean chest or even waist deep water It can be as simple as getting the boat close to a shallow island, secured, and walking in knee

deep or less, fan casting the area as you go then getting low while making side arm casts under the islands mangroves surprising big fish hiding way back in the shady shallows Make sure you’re aware of what the tide is doing so when you return you’re not stranded I know

There’s another group of on-foot summer anglers that always prays for rain You’ll find this gang at dams, weirs, any type of spillway or flowing water outlet after a big rain knowing that predators gather to chow down on small baitfish, frogs, anything washed over to the waiting

mouths below Here you’ll find a wide range of fish from bass to bluegills and invasive cichlids, snook, reds, to tarpon, even sharks Most local spots are well known so bug proof yourself and night fish

Red snapper recreational harvest, open every Friday Sunday during September, October, and November Delicious!

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

From page 26

ability to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer and the American Cancer Society is committed to actively working towards ending cancer disparities This fund will support programs related to transportation and lodging grants, as well as increasing screening efforts with partners in our community.

The 19th annual Lee County Cattle Baron’s Ball will feature music from Whiskey County, along with a live and silent

auction, bull riding, axe throwing, Heaven’s Door bourbon tasting, Dunkin’s Diamonds Diamond Heist and a custom designed menu from the Hyatt

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, volunteer opportunities, or to purchase tickets, please visit leecattlebarons.com or contact Nina Gasparrini, Associate Director of Development, at 239321-5018 or nina gasparrini@cancer org

Inc. 5000: Lee County shines

From page 30

Stevens Construction was founded in 2003, expanding from a single office in Fort Myers to include full-scale operations in Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota

Founded in 2010, Scotlynn USA’s network now expands across North America, growing from its initial 1,000-square-foot office to a new 60,000-square-foot headquarters that opened two years ago

“The Horizon Foundation is an important piece to our public-private puzzle here in Lee County,” Carter said “Our support, along with that of other stakeholders, is our way of helping to ensure a bright and promising future for our community ”

MY Shower Door was founded in 2003 and opened its ninth showroom last year,

the company’s first on Florida’s east coast

The Daubmann family started D3 Glass in 2012 to fabricate, temper and laminate glass for its sister company

“As a family-owned company, we started local and started small,” Daubmann said “Every entrepreneur looks toward the future, and the Horizon Foundation provides businesses with resources and a network to achieve their goals ”

Holly D Smith is president of the Horizon Foundation, a charitable 501(c)(3) organization that provides a funding vehicle for businesses to invest in Lee County’s long-term economic development and vitality For more information, please visit HorizonCouncil Foundation com or call 239-533-6800

OF CAPE CORAL

Manatees rescued in Cape Coral

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

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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CUSTOMDOCKS &BOATLIFTS

WEBUILDQUALITY DOCKS HAWLEY CONSTRUCTION OVER20YEARS OFEXPERIENCE ALLINLEECOUNTY. FREEESTIMATES

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