North Fort Myers Living

Whew!! It is mighty warm out there!

Speaking of things that are warm, our shoe spring fling giveaway has heated up as well.

I went to the post office today. It's the first time I've been there in a couple of weeks because, as most of you know, I have had a total knee replacement so I haven't been to the post office or anywhere else in a while

Well, lo and behold what do we have!

We were given a check for $1,000 for our backto-school fundraiser from Candace Kelley. A donation from the MJ Kelly foundation. Candace matched our $1,000 call for a good cause, giving us a grand total a $4,450 for back-to-school shoes for kids who live in North Fort Myers or attend school in the North Fort Myers school district

A total of 89 students will have new school shoes this year All from the hearts of North Fort Myers

residents and businesses How do we thank you? All of you are what makes this happen.

Our other sponsors were North Fort Myers Civic Association, Ellsworth H&AC , ABC Plumbing and Septic, All Superior Auto, Cindy Bushnell, Laura Lewis and a few I am sure I have missed recognizing

I must tell you that I had the best seat in the room I was able to see each student smile as they came up for their gift card There were two who especially touched my heart. High school student Layla was ready to go shopping and I can't blame her. And then there was Hunter. That guy had already been shopping online and he had the biggest smile and I hope that he found just the pair he was looking for

Thank you North Fort Myers Last year we gave away 23 pairs of shoes My goal this year was an ag-

gressive 200 and I'm proud to say that we did darn good and I'm very proud of the North Fort Myers Civic Board members who jumped in and spread the word. And our membership who also came out.

Since the ad many of us ten time shopping selves and soc Groceries and delivered to our front door, commun cation is done text or email a many of us are spending more doors

The effects o technologies h sulted in a loss

ation between ction in comt

of us know neighbors, are unable to recognize em when outof our comdevelopments tle attention yday activiccur near and our homes

These “new” behaviors are detrimental to neighborhood security as they often allow suspicious activities to go unnoticed Additionally, it makes it difficult to ensure the wellbeing of elders living nearby.

With over 1200 square miles (inclusive of waterways) and over 800,000 residents, the eyes and ears of our community members are an enormous component of public safety and depended upon by law enforcement agencies!

Knowing and interacting with your neighbors, periodically gazing out of your windows, checking on senior

Toni Hill President NFMCA

The next regular meeting of the North Fort Myers Civic Association board is Oct 10 at 6:30 PM to be held at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center our agenda will be addressing the fall and winter schedule If you are interested in volunteering for an event, let us know. Better yet, join the NFMCA and become a board member and make a difference in your community and your neighborhood We hope to see you then Thank you

Thanks to program sponsors & donors the pulse Safety & Security tip: Being neighborly

residents who tend to be more vulnerable and paying closer attention to persons and vehicles entering and exiting your neighborhood make for a more secure and amicable community Sharing concerns with local law enforcement has allowed us to keep our paradise safe.

I remind all Lee County residents to “See it, say it, make the call!”

Marceno, Lee County Sheriff

Carmine

NFMCA shoe giveaway a success

Story by Chuck Ballaro

After the North Fort Myers Civic Association was able to donate nearly two dozen pairs of shoes to back-to-school students last year, the goal for the following year was to give away more

And thanks to the generosity of local sponsors, the organization was able to nearly triple the total this time around.

At the NFMCA monthly meeting Tuesday at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center, the equivalent of 57 pairs of shoes were given to area youths so the kids could start the school year on the right foot This still left a few more shoes to be given away, which the organization will do on a quieter basis NFMCA president Toni Hill said sign-ups started

slow and she started to worry before things picked up in the last week.

“Up until last week we only had about 12 kids But we pulled it out and ended up with 57 children and enough money to buy 67 gift cards We can always pass those out to people who need it,” Hill said “We didn’t reach the 200 I wanted, but there’s always next year ”

The parents need only to sign up for the shoes, regardless of family income, and have children of school age. They received a $50 gift card from Sketchers and a discount coupon which could net each child two pairs of shoes if they shopped right One of the mothers, Erica, got gift cards for two of her daughters She said it was a good way to start off the school year

“It’s nice to start with a new pair of shoes It’s

nice to have an opportunity to do that,” she said. “Hopefully, we can get a buy-one, get-one for half off and get them another pair ”

Hill said he was happy the kids were able to get new shoes What she got from this was something even better

“For me it was the last young man The smile on his face said it all He had been thinking of picking out a new pair ever since he found out. He is why I do this,” Hill said. “I got to see every smile from every kid and every parent. And I got to give them a good feeling from some caring residents and businesses ”

For any money donated to the cause, Ellsworth Heating & Cooling and ABC Septic Service each matched the first $1,000 raised, tripling the amount

For more information visit nfmcivic com NFMNL

Florida Native Butter fly Society finds new home at the Shell Factor y Nature Park

Story & Photography

by Meghan Bradbury

The Florida Native Butterfly Society has found a new home at the Shell Factory Nature Park in North Fort Myers at which to create a butterfly garden and educate the public.

When the doors officially closed for Butterfly Estates, in downtown Fort Myers, in July, curator Sherri Williams said the Shell Factory took their koi and the conversation about the possibility of a butterfly garden began and took shape

"We are very excited about having a place to build a garden and grateful for the Shell Factory for allowing this to happen," she said, adding that they began establishing the garden on Aug. 15. "We have about 20 hours under our belt taking care of the garden."

Before leaving Butterfly Estates, they were able to take all the potted plants from the glass conservatory, which will be added to the new space at the Shell Factory

Williams and a few volunteers have been weeding the area, as well as planting some milkweed and passionvine host plants for the butterflies.

"Right now we are trying to get host plants in the ground and figure it out from there," she said.

Butterflies are also being released at the garden, which included three atala butterflies due to coonties, its host plant, already being established at the park

"We are hoping to start another colony," Williams said "It took about three years to get a colony going at Butterfly Estates "

In addition to releasing the atala butterflies, Williams said she is also placing atala chrysalis at the Shell Factory to begin another generation of the butterfly at the park The hope is once they become established, they will be able to have people bring their coontie to the park for the atala to lay eggs on and bring back to their garden, a program they began at Butterfly Estates

Shell Factory has also been given an onsite building to Florida Native Butterfly Society, which is a work in progress.

"That is going to be our educational room, "

Williams said "We are looking for volunteers to educate I can't be there every open hour to educate people We are looking for people that we can teach and then teach the public."

After providing education in the screen-enclosed

The malachite butterfly

White peacock.

Queen butterfly.

native butter fly FROM PAGE 7

room, they will walk through the garden and point out plants and butterflies that are present

"The more butterflies that we release there, the more, of course, we will have," Williams said

Instead of releasing butterflies into a conservatory as they did at Butterfly Estates, the butterflies will be released into the outdoor garden at the Shell Factory.

"The butterflies will be outside, which I kind of like," Williams said

The society has already released atalas, white peacock butterflies, malachite and queen butterflies

Like before, if anyone has caterpillars and is running out of host plant food in their own garden, they are more than welcome to email Williams at fnbs321@gmail com and she will meet them at the Shell Factory gate

"We will raise them and release the butterflies into the park We are still taking them," she said

To help start the new garden, Florida Native Butterfly Society has a wish list of items needed, including dirt, mulch, trellis, chicken wire and a

butterfly shaped bench for people to sit on. Other items include nectar plants, such as pentas, cone flowers and zinnias An Amazon wish list will be posted to their Facebook page, Florida Native Butterfly Society

Williams said they also are still in need of volunteers who would like to give a helping hand pulling weeds and planting plants. Those under 16 years old are more than welcome to come as well is accompanied by a supervising adult

The volunteer hours currently are from 7:30 a m to 11:30 a m Monday through Friday She said they are trying to get as much done as possible during those four hours before the sun becomes too hot. Those interested in volunteering can email fnbs321@gmail com

The Shell Factory is at 16554 N Cleveland Ave , North Fort Myers

The nature Park is open daily from 10 a m to 5:30 with last admissions at 4:30 p m Visit shellfactory com for admission prices and more information.

The atala butterfly.

Lighthouse of SWFL: A beacon of hope

Story by Chuck Ballaro

People who are visua ly impa red blind or have vision loss have a strong resource in Lee County

Southwest Florida the Lighthouse of SWFL, at 35 W Mar ana Ave in North Fort Myers is comm tted to empower ng people of all ages to overcome vis on loss and blindness, whether they were born with sight or not.

Dotty St. Amand execut ve director sa d the facilty has provided thousands of people with support and ife skills.

“We are the only vision rehabil tation center serving Lee Hendry, and Glades counties Which makes our services very important for fo ks who hear about us. To get the assistance they need,” St Amand said “We help out between 350 and 400 clients every year of all ages the majority of wh ch are older adults with low v sion and not born

blind ”

V sion impairment is a spectrum St

Amand said L ghthouse provides instruction based on the client’s needs

“Some peop e m ght need white letters on a black background more than someone else or someone who isn’t color blind might see a bright yellow ” St Amand said “It depends on the person and the eye condition ”

The Lighthouse was incorporated in 1974 as the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) of Southwest Florida It served to provide social support for those with low v sion or bl ndness and evolved to include vis on rehabil tat on

In September 2012 the name and ogo were changed to Lighthouse of Southwest Flor da to be more easily recognized as serving those with low vision and bl ndness, as are hundreds of other simi arly-named “Lighthouse” agencies throughout the United States

Today, Lighthouse has 18 staff posit ons

Lighthouse to recognize White Cane Day

Story by Chuck Ballaro

One of the most dangerous things a person who is blind or visua ly impaired can do s cross a busy ntersection

That’s especially true in Southwest Florida, where some of the busiest intersect ons see tens of thousands of cars every day.

On Monday, Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bell Tower n Fort Myers, the Lighthouse of SWFL will ho d its annua White Cane Day to br ng attention to those in our commun ty who have ow vision or blindness and to the White Cane Law

Part cipants will have the opportunity to experience what those with poor or no vision do when they cross the street by crossing one of the busiest ntersections in Lee County

Michae Rust orientat on and mobil ty specialist at Lighthouse of SWFL founded the event in 2007, shortly after oining the organ zation

“There were other organ zations holding smal er events and we decided why don t we do it. We’re an agency that deals w th the blind ” Rust said

and 20 steady volunteers to go along with many others who volunteer occasionally

About a third of the employees and volunteers are blind or have vision loss

Among them is Anne Hatton who has a guide dog with her when she isn t helping those with low v sion use technology for what they want or need it to do, whether it be mag-

nification or text to speech

“Peop e who come here and are new to blindness are afraid or sad and they see an-

The event has been held since 2007 and, until 2019, it was held in North Fort Myers near the L ghthouse facil t es, at the intersections of Pine Island Road and U S 41 and Business 41

Mike Brust, certified orientation & mobility specialist, teaches FGCU Occupational Therapy students about orientation and mobility, and the proper use of a white cane./PHOTO PROVIDED

Dotty St. Amand, MSW, Chief Executive Officer, works with two Lighthouse of SWFL students baking brownies ./PHOTO PROVIDED

Dotty St Amand

Lighthouse of SWFL: A beacon of hope

Story by Chuck Ballaro

People who are visua ly impa red blind or have vision loss have a strong resource in Lee County

Southwest Florida the Lighthouse of SWFL, at 35 W Mar ana Ave in North Fort Myers is comm tted to empower ng people of all ages to overcome vis on loss and blindness, whether they were born with sight or not.

Dotty St. Amand execut ve director sa d the facilty has provided thousands of people with support and ife skills.

“We are the only vision rehabil tation center serving Lee Hendry, and Glades counties Which makes our services very important for fo ks who hear about us. To get the assistance they need,” St Amand said “We help out between 350 and 400 clients every year of all ages the majority of wh ch are older adults with low v sion and not born

blind ”

V sion impairment is a spectrum St

Amand said L ghthouse provides instruction based on the client’s needs

“Some peop e m ght need white letters on a black background more than someone else or someone who isn’t color blind might see a bright yellow ” St Amand said “It depends on the person and the eye condition ”

The Lighthouse was incorporated in 1974 as the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) of Southwest Florida It served to provide social support for those with low v sion or bl ndness and evolved to include vis on rehabil tat on

In September 2012 the name and ogo were changed to Lighthouse of Southwest Flor da to be more easily recognized as serving those with low vision and bl ndness, as are hundreds of other simi arly-named “Lighthouse” agencies throughout the United States

Today, Lighthouse has 18 staff posit ons

Lighthouse to recognize White Cane Day

Story by Chuck Ballaro

One of the most dangerous things a person who is blind or visua ly impaired can do s cross a busy ntersection

That’s especially true in Southwest Florida, where some of the busiest intersect ons see tens of thousands of cars every day.

On Monday, Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bell Tower n Fort Myers, the Lighthouse of SWFL will ho d its annua White Cane Day to br ng attention to those in our commun ty who have ow vision or blindness and to the White Cane Law

Part cipants will have the opportunity to experience what those with poor or no vision do when they cross the street by crossing one of the busiest ntersections in Lee County

Michae Rust orientat on and mobil ty specialist at Lighthouse of SWFL founded the event in 2007, shortly after oining the organ zation

“There were other organ zations holding smal er events and we decided why don t we do it. We’re an agency that deals w th the blind ” Rust said

and 20 steady volunteers to go along with many others who volunteer occasionally

About a third of the employees and volunteers are blind or have vision loss

Among them is Anne Hatton who has a guide dog with her when she isn t helping those with low v sion use technology for what they want or need it to do, whether it be mag-

nification or text to speech

“Peop e who come here and are new to blindness are afraid or sad and they see an-

The event has been held since 2007 and, until 2019, it was held in North Fort Myers near the L ghthouse facil t es, at the intersections of Pine Island Road and U S 41 and Business 41

Mike Brust, certified orientation & mobility specialist, teaches FGCU Occupational Therapy students about orientation and mobility, and the proper use of a white cane./PHOTO PROVIDED

Dotty St. Amand, MSW, Chief Executive Officer, works with two Lighthouse of SWFL students baking brownies ./PHOTO PROVIDED

Dotty St Amand

lighthouse of swfl FROM PAGE 11

other blind or low vision person doing it and discover there’s hope,” Hatton said “I get where they’re coming from so we talk about things. At the end of the day, I leave the same way they do.”

Mildred Eads, a certified therapist who also has low vision, works with low-vision adults with the use of devices to help people do what they want to do to stay independent

“Reading is a key component to stay independent, from reading mail to prescription bottles and communicating with individuals,” said Eads, who has worked with people as old as 106. “Most people I meet with have had declines in vision. The older people I’ve seen have had macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts ”

Gara Kreider, program services supervisor, said she works with many at the beginning of their journey at Lighthouse, many of whom are adults

“I identify what their needs are and develop a plan with them and connect them with the instructors they need,” Kreider said. “It includes adjusting to blindness counseling for all new people.”

“It takes a lot of courage for someone to walk through the door or call us It’s important to be here and be responsive to their request for services and giving them that hospitable and warm touch to sit

down with them and talk about what’s going on,” St Amand said “The first step is to get them to acknowledge and ask or accept services.”

Lighthouse has a variety of programs for not only those who are impaired, but also their families, from infants to adults of all ages

Lighthouse provides early intervention services for families and children from birth to age 5 with visual impairments Parents can join an education group, a way to share pertinent information and resources with parents and caregivers of students

Lighthouse Kids focuses on school-aged children to support their developing independence, learning and experiences. The Transition program prepares young adults for adult life, from work experience to a real job offer The adult program helps improve lives and assist adults with gaining and maintaining their independence

Jenny Havelton has brought her son, Booker, 9, to Lighthouse since he was a baby Booker was born blind and Havelton knew there might be an issue when Booker would not make eye contact with her.

Booker was soon was diagnosed as blind. Havelton learned about the Lighthouse and enrolled him there at 8 months old

“Booker never had any fear He just figures

things out and the Lighthouse has really helped him,” Havelton said “I have never experienced blindness and the Lighthouse has helped me help him navigate his way through life.”

Booker has also learned Braille, which is how blind people read, with bumps designating a particular letter of the alphabet

“I read with my fingers I’ve learned to read faster and learned contractions I like to learn it,” Booker said

He has also found his artistic side and learned to play the piano at an early age. Quite well, in fact.

Booker has figured out how to navigate his way around the house and even around the neighborhood

“He’s been taught how to listen for cars and look for the 'Booker Bumps' on the road that means a crosswalk is there It’s usually in yellow for those who are able to see,” Havelton said

The person responsible for teaching that is Michael Rust, orientation and mobility specialist. He teaches people how to travel and navigate using a white cane.

“There’s a lot of skill involved It’s a specialty you can read about and understand it, but you need

Lighthouse of SWFL student Booker Hazelton utilizing technology./PHOTO PROVIDED

white cane day

The event was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic, scaled back in 2021 when it was held at FGCU, and cancelled in 2022 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Dotty St Amand, executive director of Lighthouse, said the event was moved because organizers sought a more centralized location to the three counties it serves Lee, Hendry, and Glades .

FROM PAGE 11

Rust said to teach someone the skills to walk the streets takes months, since you need to use your other senses, such as hearing, to be able it do it more safely

“Lee County has also built a new transfer station for the bus system right there across from the Bell Tower This provides Michael and our instructors to highlight the many facets of what we do,” St Amand said “Besides, some people can’t make it to North Fort Myers ”

lighthouse of swfl

to do it to become proficient and pick up on the other skills to be safe and effective,” Rust said

Lighthouse will also aid people in navigating the area via bus or who need to make their way through Edison Mall or the airport or downtown Fort Myers with its popular outdoor dining, Rust said.

Lighthouse of SWFL also provides transportation to those with visual impairment, which is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation

Lighthouse of SWFL is a nationally-accredited

“You’re listening for traffic one way, paying attention to it the other way, all at the same time That takes practice,” Rust said. “For people who do it for the first time, it’s an eye opener. They don’t know what’s involved with a blind individual. They take it for granted ”

Participants can expect to be aided in navigating all four crossings by volunteers and by some who are blind or have low vision The Lee County Sheriff ’s Office is expected to participate as well

“I want people to appreciate the dangerous envi-

FROM PAGE 12

human services agency partially funded by civic, corporate, and individual donors, as well as by the United Way, Division of Blind Services, Florida Agencies Serving the Blind, Lee County and the FDOT St Amand said it costs around $1 5 million to run Lighthouse annually.

Among the events the agency holds annually is White Cane Day, which brings attention to those with poor vision or blindness by having ordinary citizens cross a busy intersection while experiencing

ronment that blind individuals find themselves in We live in a time when there are too many distractions for drivers,” Rust said “They’re looking at their GPS or texting, we’re all in a hurry, and the area has grown ”

The event is also to bring awareness to the state’s White Cane Law, which states that when a pedestrian is crossing a public street or highway, guided by a dog or carrying a cane which is white in color or white tipped with red, drivers must come to a full stop and allow the pedestrian to cross

For more information on Lighthouse of SWFL, go to lighthouseswfl org or call 997-7797

blindness This year ’s event will be held on Oct 16 at the Bell Tower

Its big fundraiser is Dining in the Dark, a unique sensory awareness fundraising event that raises between $30,000 and $40,000 to help continue its mission of providing vision rehabilitation and support services.

For more information on Lighthouse of SWFL, go to lighthouseswfl org or call 997-7797

NFMNL

Gara Kreider, program services supervisor at Lighthouse of SWFL, demonstrates aids to help people with low vision read./CHUCK BALLARO

LCEC Public Relations Team wins at FPRA Golden Image Awards

The LCEC Public Relations team took home two awards at the 2023 Florida Public Relations Association 66th Annual Golden Image Awards gala held in August at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando

The team took home an Award of Distinction for the “LCEC Response to Hurricane Ian” and an Award of Distinction for the “LCEC Intranet Design.”

The Golden Image Awards competition is conducted annually by FPRA to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Florida and to encourage and promote the development of public relations in the state

An Award of Distinction is presented to entries that meet the standards of excellence set by a panel of judges

NFMNL

The LCEC Public Relations team took home two awards at the 2023 Florida Public Relations Association 66th Annual Golden Image Awards gala held on Aug. 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando.

LCEC appoints two directors to leadership team

Amanda Smelker and Allan Ruth have been named as directors on the LCEC leadership team Smelker accepted the position of director of Administrative Services.

Smelker has been with LCEC for 15 years with increasing roles and responsibilities throughout her tenure including, Sr IT Business Analyst, Sr Project Manager, Supervisor of Business Analysts/Process Practitioner, Head of Project Management Office, System Transformation Program Manager, and Manager of Business Alignment & Governance before stepping into the role of interim Director Administrative Services

She has both a master of science degree and a bachelor of science degree in Computer Information Systems from FGCU Additionally, she is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Change Management Practitioner through Prosci, a Certified Manager of Quality and Excellence through ASQ, and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Ruth accepted the position of director of the

newly formed division of Business Continuity Ruth brings 38 years of LCEC experience to this role, the majority of which has been in progressively responsible leadership positions including Manager of Operations Business Support, Manager of Construction

& Maintenance, Senior Supervisor of Contract Management, Supervisor of Contract Construction, Supervisor of Vegetation Management, Supervisor of Maintenance & Construction, and will bring a variety of perspectives to the role.

He began his career with LCEC in the warehouse as a Storekeeper, then completed the Apprentice Program to become a journeyman lineman, prior to taking on leadership roles Most recently, Ruth has laid the groundwork for a formal LCEC Business Continuity Program through his accomplishments as Incident Commander for the LCEC Hurricane Ian Emergency Restoration effort He has established relationships and represented LCEC at the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, the Florida Department of Emergency Management, the Florida Public Service Commission the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, and various local municipalities/counties/civic associations to name a few

NFMNL

PHOTO PROVIDED

Amanda Smelker

Allan Ruth

Civic center sur vey results come in

Story by Chuck Ballaro

The Lee Civic Center was known as a place where the country’s best performers would come to do concerts and other shows And if Lee County officials listen to residents, it may be that once again with money and work Lee County released the results of its survey seeking input on the future of Lee Civic Center, with most of the 4,200 who responded saying they would like to see the Civic Center to again be a concert venue, with perhaps an amphitheater.

Mack Young, director for Lee County Parks & Recreation, said the idea was to hear from residents on what they would like to see happen to the complex

“We sent out one survey and got thoughts from the 4-H people and sent out another one Last week’s meeting was meant to bring those surveys up to show them what the results were,” Young said in August.

A concert venue and amphitheater was the top vote getter, with more than 2,500 responding they would like to see musical acts return there, which

they weren’t able to after the bleachers were condemned years ago

Nearly half wanted to see the county add barns, stables and a rodeo arena and to have the 4-H presence at the fair continue, with maybe a permanent location for them at the complex..

“We are a big supporter of the 4-H Club and we want to make sure we take care of them and make the Civic Center a long-term home for them,” Young said

Among other amenities suggested were a walking/ running loop, playground, horse trails, athletic fields, and a community garden, among other things.

Respondents said they do not want the site to be razed and rebuilt, rather to make the fixes and updates required to the main building

Young said the first thing they need to do is address the life-threatening and serious issues at the facility

“Once we figure out what we want to see there from the surveys, we will go to work to make this a very nice place,” Young said. “Years ago, the Civic Center hosted a lot of events and concerts, and hopefully we can get it back to something like that ”

They also said they want some operations revamped but keep the shows and the fair and 4-H activities.

Among the concerns residents had included the traffic on Bayshore Road and State Road 31, neighboring properties having to deal with noise generating activities, and even the possibility of turning the Civic Center into a storm shelter

The results of the survey will be brought before the Board of County Commissioners for a workshop, Young said.

FILE PHOTO

Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation provides $371,000 in grants to benefit Habitat for Humanity programs in Lee County

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties has received a total of $371,000 in grants from Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation

i n g t o f i n a n c e , m a i n t a i n o r o w n a h o m e D u e t o H u r r i c a n e I a n ’ s s t ru c t u r a l d a m a g e t o H a b i t a t ’ s m a i n o ff i c e s , t h e F o u n d a t i o n a l s o p rov i d e d a $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 g r a n t t o h e l p re l o c a t e i t s o p e r at i o n s A n a d d i t i o n a l $ 2 1 , 0 0 0 w a s g r a n t e d t o i t s H u r r i c a n e R e c o v e r y H o m e R e p a i r P ro g r a m i n o rd e r t o a s s i s t t h o s e s t i l l a ff e c t e d i n t h e c o m m un i t y T h ro u g h t h e p ro g r a m , l o w - i n c o m e h o u s eh o l d s i n L e e C o u n t y a re a b l e t o re c e i v e m u c h - n e e d e d u rg e n t re p a i r s , s u c h a s ro o f re p a i r o r re p l a c e m e n t , s i d i n g , d r y w a l l , p a i n t i n g , a n d w i n d o w s a n d d o o r s T h e f u n d s w i l l b e u s e d t o h e l p H a b i t a t a c h i e v e i t s g o a l o f p a r t n e r i n g w i t h 1 0 0 l o w - i n c o m e f a m i l i e s t o re b u i l d t h e i r h o m e s t h i s y e a r S i n c e 2 0 0 4 , S h a d o w Wo o d C h a r i t a b l e F o u nd a t i o n h a s d o n a t e d a t o t a l o f $ 3 5 m i l l i o n t o H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y t o s u p p o r t a ff o rd a b l e h o u si n g p ro j e c t s i n L e e C o u n t y S h a d o w Wo o d re s i d e n t s h a v e a l s o v o l - NFMNL

u n t e e re d m o re t h a n 8 , 0 0 0 h o u r s t o a s s i s t w i t h t h e c o n s t ru c t i o n o f t h e h o m e s t h e y h a v e s p o n s o re d To l e a r n m o re a b o u t H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y o f L e e a n d H e n d r y C o u n t i e s a n d i t s p ro g r a m s , v i s i t H a b i t a t 4 H u m a n i t y o rg /

16 North Fort Myers Neighbor Living northfortmyersneighbor.com September/October 2023

Clean water issues, solutions and actions explained at League of Women Voters' educational event Oct. 7

Th e L e a g u e o f Wo m e n Vo t e r s o f L e e C o u n t y w i l l h o l d a LW V L e e E d u c a t i o n a l E v e n t c a l l e d C l e a n Wa t e r i n L e e C o u n t y : I s s u e s , S o l u t i o n s a n d A c t i o n s o n S a t u rd a y, O c t 7 , f ro m 9 t o 11 a m

T h e e v e n t w i l l b e v i r t u a l a s w e l l a s i n p e r s o n a t

C o l l a b o r a t o r y a t 2 0 3 1 J a c k s o n S t i n F o r t M y e r s R e g i s t r a t i o n a n d n e t w o r k i n g w i l l s t a r t a t 9 a . m . a n d t h e p ro g r a m w i l l b e g i n a t 9 : 3 0 . “ C l e a n w a t e r i s e s s e n t i a l t o o u r h e a l t h a n d e c o n o m y i n L e e C o u n t y Ye t s e r i o u s t h re a t s e x i s t i n c o n d i t i o n s s u c h a s t o x i c a l g a e , ” a re l e a s e f ro m t h e L e a g u e s t a t e s T h e p ro g r a m ’ s s p e a k e r s , J o s e p h B o n a s i a a n d C o d t y P i e rc e , w i l l l e a d a n i n f o r m e d d i s c u s s i o n o n t h e i s s u e s , s o l u t i o n s , a n d a c t i o n s t h a t c a n b e t a k e n t o s o l v e t h e i s s u e s . B o n a s i a i s a re t i re d t e a c h e r a n d c u r re n t l y s e r v e s a s C h a i r o f F l o r i d a R i g h t s o f N a t u re N e tw o r k ( F R O N N ) a n d O p e r a t i o n a n d C o m m u n i c at i o n s D i re c t o r o f F l o r i d a R i g h t To C l e a n Wa t e r o rg , t h e t w o o rg a n i z a t i o n s b e h i n d t h e c a m p a i g n t o a m e n d o u r F l o r i d a C o n s t i t u t i o n w i t h a f u n d a m e nt a l “ R i g h t t o C l e a n a n d H e a l t h y Wa t e r s ”

B o n a s i a w i l l e x p l a i n w h y F l o r i d a n e e d s a c o ns t i t u t i o n a l r i g h t t o c l e a n w a t e r H e w i l l e x p l a i n h o w t h e a m e n d m e n t w i l l h e l p p ro t e c t o u r w a t e r s , p ro v i d e s p e c i f i c e x a m p l e s re g a rd i n g S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a w a t e r q u a l i t y i s s u e s , d e s c r i b e t h e a m e n dm e n t p ro c e s s , t h e s t a t u s o f o u r c a m p a i g n , a n d h o w LW V m e m b e r s c a n h e l p q u a l i f y t h e a m e n dm e n t f o r t h e 2 0 2 4 b a l l o t P i e rc e , C a l u s a Wa t e r k e e p e r, i s a l i f e - l o n g re s id e n t o f t h e C a l o o s a h a t c h e e w a t e r s h e d G ro w i n g u p a l o n g o n e o f i t s m a n y t r i b u t a r i e s h e l p e d s h a p e h i s p a s s i o n , l o v e a n d a d m i r a t i o n f o r t h e a re a ’ s h i s t o r y a n d b i o d i v e r s i t y T h i s c o m p l e x e c o s y s t e m t h a t h a s s u p p o r t e d f l o u r i s h i n g c i v i l i z a t i o n s l o n g e r t h a n w r i t t e n re c o rd , h a s b e e n a n a t u r a l i n s p i r a t i o n

t o h i m , w h i l e g ro w i n g u p i n t h e c o m m u n i t y P i e rc e ’ s e a r l y b a c k g ro u n d i n re p t i l e s , w e t l a n d re s t o r a t i o n a n d n a t i v e p l a n t l a n d s c a p i n g c o u p l e d w i t h a c a re e r a s a p ro f e s s i o n a l f i s h i n g g u i d e h a s c re a t e d a u n i q u e c o l l a g e o f i n - t h e - f i e l d e x p e r i e n c e a c ro s s l o c a l u p l a n d s , w e t l a n d s , e s t u a r i e s a n d n e a r s h o re G u l f w a t e r s . To p ro t e c t a n d re s t o re t h e C a l o o s a h a t c h e e R i v e r f ro m L a k e O k e e c h o b e e t o c o a s t a l w a t e r s i s t h e m i s s i o n – a n d i n P i e rc e y o u w i l l f i n d t h e p a s s i o n t o u n i t e a n d p ro t e c t t h i s s p ec i a l w a t e r s h e d F re e t i c k e t s t o t h e e v e n t a re a v a i l a b l e a t e v e n t b r i t e c o m o r c a l l

Screening

Sprinkler Systems & Irrigation

Tony’s Tree Service