North Fort Myers Neighbor Living — northfortmyersneighbor.com — October/November 2023
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he Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has gone live for its 12th season and this year’s nesting period promises to be one of the most interesting yet. With the apparent demise of matriarch Harriet last year in the midst of raising a brood of two with mate M15, the question this year is whether the returning male will find a new mate. The answer looks to be yes. Virginia PritchettMcSpadden, one of the founders of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, said M15 was seeking one toward the end of last season after eaglets E21 and E22 fledged. “There were some potential new females in the area showing signs of meeting a mate. He was away from the nest area for a couple weeks and returned with one of those females,” PritchettMcSpadden said. “They showed signs of courtship and this week entered a potential bond. Signs are that M15 found a new mate.” Pritchett-McSpadden said she doesn’t know exactly how old the female is but, in looking at her plumage, this could be her first mate. That would make her between four and seven years old, the same age M15 was when he showed up in 2015 after Harriet’s original cam mate Ozzie went missing. Ozzie was found, treated for injuries at CROW on Sanibel and released. He returned to the nest but was critically injured again, perhaps as he attempted to retake his territory, and died. The new female has not yet been named, and, assuming M15 does accept her as his mate, it’s not yet known if any new brood will pick up the Enumber sequence or whether their numbered designations will start anew.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA EAGLE CAM/WWW.SWFLEAGLECAM.COM
M15 with potential new mate. McSpadden said giving the eaglets formal names risks viewers becoming too attached as was seen early in the cam years. “When Mother Nature isn’t pretty and something goes wrong, people get upset so we use those scientific names to keep a boundary there,” Pritchett-McSpadden said. This year’s eagle cam will have new features and bring back old ones, continuing with the increase in technology the SWFL Eagle Cam has presented since starting up in 2011. There will be two ultra-high definition 4k cameras placed strategically in the nest tree. Cam 1 will again have the functionality to pan and zoom on action happening in and above the nest, giving viewers an up-close view into an eagle’s ecosphere. Cam 2, the “Nest Cam” will feature eyelevel up close footage of nest activity. The 360-video camera returns after sustaining
damage last season during Hurricane Ian. This camera will also allow viewers to jump into the driver seat and experience real time 360-degree views of M15 and any future eagles in the nest. Soon, they should have a fourth camera called the “pond cam” that will give a look south at the pasture. “The second nest camera gives a different view of the nest. After the hurricane last year we wanted to do something different,” PritchettMcSpadden said. “The detail we’ll be able to bring will be unprecedented. I believe we are the only eagle cam to have 4K capability.” Viewers of all ages can watch and track the action on the SWFL Eagle Cam website, dickpritchettrealestate.com, the official Facebook page, Instagram account and YouTube channel. NFMNL
Rosy Tomorrows sold to longtime Southwest Florida entrepreneurs
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osy Tomorrows Heritage Farm in North Fort Myers has been sold to a pair of customers who will introduce the new concept, Blossom & Brie Farmside Dining & events in the near future. The 86-acre property was purchased by longtime entrepreneurs Rodney and Stacey Poole. Named for its current residents, “Blossom” the donkey family matriarch and “Brie” the Jersey dairy cow. Blossom & Brie will continue the legacy of farmside dining, special events and warm hospitality that has delighted guests for years, a release
announcing the sale states. Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm was founded by Rose O’Dell King. "Over a decade ago, O’Dell King, a former sheep farmer, French Culinary Institute trained chef, certified Sommelier, and food and wine columnist, wanted healthy, good quality food for her family," the release states. "After searching for a year, she and her husband Gary King found the nearly 100 acres in North Fort Myers where Rosy Tomorrows currently sits. They decided that they could produce food organically, holistically, sustainably, humanely, and as close to nature as possible on that land and did so for the past 10 years."
Worthington Realty, Inc. brokered the purchase of the popular Southwest Florida destinations. Broker Brian Rodgers represented the buyers. Worthington Realty has a nearly 35-year history in Southwest Florida’s real estate market and has earned a reputation for trustworthy leadership at Lexington Country Club in Fort Myers and an expanding list of surrounding communities, where its team serves homebuyers, renters and investors with specialized knowledge and expertise in residential sales, rentals and development. This was Worthington's first commercial transaction. NFMNL
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
Story by Chuck Ballaro
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SWFL Eagle Cam’s 12th season takes wing
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contents on the cover North sports Athletics reign supreme in North Fort Myers where the Red Knights rule.
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Previous Breeze Newspapers’ Athletes of the Week Andre Devine Evie McCarthy Isabella Hull
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ARC’s Bean, a 12-yearold black lab mix, finally gets his fur-ever home.
GoldenFest XIII set for Nov. 12 at the Shell Factory.
11 New North Fort Myers High School head football coach David Pasquale knows what it takes to be successful.
North Fort Myers Pop Warner football and cheer a Saturday tradition.
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Happy October — Full schedule ahead The North Fort Myers Civic Association had a busy September. We finished up our golf tournament on Sept. 16. It was our rain date from back in June and I'll tell you the weather was beautiful, and everybody had a good time. We started with 18 teams coming back and before the registration was through, we had six new teams sign up that hadn't played on the first round but wanted to play this time, so we ended up with 24 teams. Our first place winners of $300 were The Tsquares, Greg Asbury, Dan Acker, Keven Mellady and Nick Knickerbocker. They came in at 20 under Par. At our September meeting we went over our Fall and Winter schedules of community events coming up: On Oct. 20, the North Fort Myers Civic Association will be one of the vendors that will join the North Fort Myers Parks and Recreation Family Fall festival at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center football field. We hope you'll come out and stop by our tent to say hello.
We also will be doing some Ghouling and Ghosting at the Faith Assembly Church Trunk or Treat on Oct. 31. Thinking ahead, we're also planning for our Thanksgiving Community give back where we will be giving out a $100 gift card to either Publix or to Winn Dixie for some lucky family's Thanksgiving dinner. All you need to do is sign on and like our new Facebook page northfortmyerscivicassociationinc. The page with all red logo. Or on our website www.nfmcivic@gmail.com As we get closer to Thanksgiving there will be a link to sign up for the drawing. And, of course, let's not forget our annual Santa Parade. This year the parade will be on Dec. 9. Santa and his elves and Mrs. Claus will be handing out presents to the boys and girls of North Fort Myers. This year the neighborhood will be Palmona Park. Deservingly so this year, our Angel tree at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center will be dedicated to the veterans of North Fort Myers. We
hope that you will stop by and pick an angel off our tree anytime after Nov. 1 and buy a gift for a veteran, wrap it and return it with the name tag attached back to the rec center. You will make the holiday special for the men and women who have given so much to our country. Many are alone during the holidays. And one last thing: The North Fort Myers Civic Association would like to thank Director Bruce Vanderveen for his many years on the Board of Directors. We wish Bruce and his wife, Darlene, many happy years of retirement. Our next meeting is Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 N. Recreation Park Way.
Toni Hill President NFMCA
the pulse School district making progress on all fronts It seems hard to believe, but we are already onequarter of the way through the school year. First quarter report cards will be released through FOCUS on Oct. 19. I hope your student is off to a successful start. As your District 4 School Board representative for the School District of Lee County, it is my pleasure to share with you some of news affecting the North Fort Myers community. One of the big concerns every year is busing. I’m pleased to share that we are already seeing improvements because of the new proximity assignment zones for elementary schools. Bus routes are shorter and our on-time percentage is higher. Middle school principals are reporting buses are running smoother than they have in years. While we’ve made progress, we still have a way to go, as elementary schools like Hancock Creek and Littleton are seeing delays due to their larger enrollment. Our transportation department reviews routes every week and is continuously looking for ways to make improvements. Middle school students should prepare for their new proximity zones. The School Board reviewed the attendance boundaries for the first time on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier will hold a town hall meetings about the proximity plan and his other priorities at Challenger Middle School on Monday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m. I encourage you to attend. The School District just received great news
from the state. An award of $51 million will go towards District Hurricane Ian recovery funding. These funds will be distributed through the Legislative Appropriations Program, a pivotal component of the Framework for Freedom Budget. My thanks to the Governor and Legislature for this support. In the year since the Hurricane, the District has made great strides in recovering from the damage done. The last permanent repair in our community will finish this month, when the roof project is completed at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts. NFMAA had all the drywall damaged by water intrusion replaced and repainted last month and covered walkways replaced in May. Permanent repairs at North Fort Myers High School, including roof work, flooring, windows and cabinets were completed before the start of school. Our maintenance department continues to work on smaller projects. J. Colin English has just two repairs remaining, Bayshore Elementary three, Tropic Isles six and Island Coast High School seven. All these types of projects are expected to be completed before the end of the year. The School District’s Communications Department produced an amazing documentary about the impact of Hurricane Ian and our recovery. If you haven’t seen it, Hurricane Ian: A Lee Schools TV Documentary is available to watch on the District’s YouTube channel at
www.YouTube.com/LeeSchoolsTV. We are quickly approaching the five-year anniversary of the passage of the half-cent sales tax to support the construction, maintenance, safety and technology needs of our schools. Through your support, more than $22 million has gone to schools in North Fort Myers. We have replaced the roof and North Fort Myers High School, installed new flooring and air conditioning at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, increased the safety at J. Colin English, Littleton and Bayshore, and improved the buildings at Hancock Creek while adding Promethean Boards at Island Coast High School. The half-cent sales tax is also being used to purchase the OPENGATE weapons detection system now in use at about half of our schools. This entry technology detects weapons and other contraband not allowed on campus. All our schools will have OPENGATE in place at their entrances by the end of the school year. We remain dedicated to keeping our students and staff safe and secure so that they can focus on learning. To keep us with Sales Tax projects, visit our website at leeschools.net. Debbie Jordan Lee County School Board District 4
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
community connection
6 North Fort Myers Neighbor Living — northfortmyersneighbor.com — October/November 2023
GoldenFest XIII set for Nov. 12 at the Shell Factory
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oldenFest XIII, a huge annual pet fair and fundraiser, promises to be a golden day for dogs and their people. Hosted by Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida, the festival will be held at the Shell Factory & Nature Park in North Fort Myers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. GoldenFest events include dozens of vendors, exhibits, dog obedience, flyball, scent work, trick and agility demos, Sheriff’s Office K-9 demos, live music, dancing by the Calendar Girls, refreshments, a Santa Paws photo booth, a huge raffle and silent auction, and much more. In attendance will be hundreds of goldens rescued by GRRSWF over the years, each sporting a “GRRSWF Alumni” bandana. The rescue, founded in 2009, has saved more than 1,200 goldens and golden mixes, from Florida as well as South Korea and the Midwest. “It is a thrill for us to bring GoldenFest to our community each year. We couldn’t do it, however, without the invaluable help of our special friends at the Shell Factory & Nature Park and many, many volunteers,” said Dennis Guyitt, vice president of GRRSWF and GoldenFest XIII manager. “GoldenFest gets better every year, and we are so honored to share it with everyone in Southwest Florida.” “If you love dogs, GoldenFest is the place to be,” added GRRSWF Fundraising Committee Chairman Cliff Smith.” It is so much fun for dogs, dog lovers and the entire family. GoldenFest only happens once a year, so you don't want to miss it.” There will also be a GRRSWF Alumni Reunion tent for the golden retrievers GRRSWF has rescued since 2009. Since 2015, as part of its international mission, the rescue has saved more than. Seventy goldens from South Korea to raise awareness about the dog-meat industry that still exists in some parts of the world.
IF YOU GO What: GoldenFest XIII When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 Where: Shell Factory, 16554 N. Cleveland Ave., N. Fort Myers Cost: Free Info: www.grrswf.org/goldenfest, info@grrswf.org or 239-369-0415.
DENNIS GUYITT / COURTESY PHOTOS
Information about the popular dog breed will be available at GoldenFest XIII on Nov. 12. “This will be our 13th annual GoldenFest, and it should be our best yet,” said Guyitt. “We added events like obedience, agility and flyball demonstrations, pony rides, live music, and on-site food and beverages. This is the best and largest dog event of the year in Southwest Florida.” The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will have a huge presence at GoldenFest this year, with K9 demonstrations, training demos, an ice cream truck, a SWAT Team Bear Cat vehicle, a robot dog and possibly even a virtual reality vehicle where visitors get to experience a deputy’s real life decision-making. There will be a number of awards presented to supporters of the rescue, as well as the second annual presentation of the coveted “Hero Award” recognizing the individual or organization who
made exceptional contributions to animal welfare in Southwest Florida in 2023. Last year, this award was presented to Sheriff Carmine Marceno and the LCSO Animal Cruelty Task Force for making Lee County a safer place for animals. A group from ABC 4 K9, a dog-training group in North Fort Myers, will be doing obedience and rally demos. Representatives of Bratty Paws in Punta Gorda will do canine agility demos. The Barkaholics Team from Sarasota will share their enthusiastic demonstrations of a canine sport called flyball. and Endless Trails Stables will have pony rides for the kids. Additionally, the event will feature representatives of the North Fort Myers Fire Control District displaying equipment and vehicles. Vendors include a huge variety of pet-related
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NFMNL Happy dogs will abound at GoldenFest XIII at the Shell Factory.
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
businesses, services and nonprofits, as well as numerous other local businesses. A huge raffle features gift cards from restaurants and attractions, pet-related goodie baskets, tickets to sporting events and rounds of golf, wine baskets, luxury items and more. Sponsors include: The Gunterberg Charitable Foundation - Brotherhood of Heroes; Enterprise Holdings; The Burruss Foundation; an anonymous local family foundation; and Subaru of Fort Myers. Additional sponsors are David and Linda Lucas; the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral; Cameo of Lee County; FETCH Specialty and Emergency Veterinary Centers; Jeff Cull and Ella Nayor; Duckberry Designs; Florida Restoration; Roxanne and Cliff Smith; United Way Beesley’s PawPrints; FineMark National Bank & Trust; Flight Fast Track; Florida Blue Medicare; Bay Street Yard; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; the Shell Factory & Nature Park; NBC2; and Florida Weekly. The Shell Factory is at 16554 N. Cleveland Ave. in North Fort Myers. All breeds of well-mannered, leashed dogs — especially golden retrievers — are invited to attend with their owners. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.grrswf/goldenfest.org, email info@grrswf.org or call 239-369-0415.
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A black lab mix given a forever home Bean spent nearly 10 years at the Animal Refuge Center before her companion gave her a foster home
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he devotion of one man over a three-week period captivated a black lab mix’s trust and companionship, forever changing both of their lives. Larry Denmark took Bean home on Sept. 22 after the dog spent nine years, 10 months and 11 days at the Animal Refuge Center in North Fort Myers. “We are immensely happy for Bean. She is a large dog and is going on 12. I hope and pray every day she is one of those large breed dogs that makes it to 14, or 15. I absolutely know she knows how loved she is at the shelter; (the volunteers) treat her like she is their own. She finally gets homegrown again and to someone that is clearly committed to her is fantastic,” ARC Board President Wayne Leinen said. Denmark said he lost his black lab a little more than two months ago. It was his fourth. “I adopted my first one 26 years ago PHOTO PROVIDED from the Humane Society,” he said, learning that black dogs — specifically Larry Denmark became Bean’s foster parent after the lab big black dogs — are the hardest dogs to mix lived at the Animal Refuge Center for nearly 10 years.
find homes for. That bit of information began a tradition. After going through the grieving period for his latest lab, he began thinking about welcoming a new companion into his life. “I just started looking. I thought about ARC, so I looked, and they had a picture of Bean. I filled out their online application, and they called me and said 'Do you want to come meet her,'” Denmark said. Kurt Donovan, an ARC staff member, took Denmark back to see Bean for the first time. “She charged the fence, and she would have eaten me if she could have gotten through,” Denmark said. That did not scare him away but had the opposite reaction. He continued to visit her and Bean continued to bark at Denmark, which only resulted in him reiterating to Bean “You don’t scare me.” “We talked a lot,” he said laughing. “She had been better. She had gotten to where she didn’t bark as much. I still had not gone into her yard. I would sit out-
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PHOTO PROVIDED
Bean, a nearly 12-year-old black lab mix, who has spent nearly 10 years at the Animal Refuge Center, was given an opportunity in September to live out the rest of her life with her new foster parent, Larry Denmark.
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
is all she knows. Now she’s going into a strange place, I will be here this weekend, so everything that might be a little stressor for her, I will be there to settle her down,” Denmark said. About four years ago, he built a pool with a beach entry with six inches of water, which he said Bean will love, as well as the shaded areas in the backyard. “I can’t wait to do this. It is going to be so much fun,” Denmark said. “She is so loving. There are people here that describe her as a Velcro dog. She comes up to me and starts rubbing against me.” He said he does not believe there are any bad dogs. Denmark said it just takes time – people need to just give a little more time to connect with their dog. Leinen said Bean was surrendered by her owner in April 2012 with the explanation that they had too many animals. She was adopted shortly after she was surrendered, but was found running loose by the county and ARC was called upon again. “I went and picked her up. We never got any sort of reply from the people that were supposed to give her a home,” Leinen said. The tall lanky girl is standoffish, and a little touchy, if she does not know someone. “But when she gets to know you, (and you’ve) taken the time to get to know her, she is the most affectionate dog we have had out there,” he said. “She’s very sweet.” Bean is 11 years, 8 months old and has some orthopedic problems, as her hips are starting to give her problems. This is why Denmark is doing a foster arrangement,
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side of the fence and sit in a little camping chair that they gave me. I sit out there and talk to her and give her treats.” Bean began sitting by the fence, but with her back to Denmark. “That’s when she began to trust. She still wasn’t ready. Last Friday she came up and was rubbing against the fence, so she wanted to be pet,” he said. The next day he went into her yard and leashed her to take Bean for their first walk. When he returned again, he followed Bean into her air-conditioned house and sat on her bed while Bean was on the floor. “She got up, came right over and laid down next to me and was kissing me,” Denmark said. The daily visits paid off and created a bond. From then, when Bean heard Denmark talking to the other dogs along the way to see her, she would crawl out from under her house where she dug a hole. “She knows that dad is coming,” Denmark said smiling. The first task the new pair had after leaving ARC Friday afternoon was to take a bath and then help he get settled into her new home. “I have already set back up the dog dishes, the table that I have for her and got three beds – one in my office. She has places to go. I felt today would be a great day to bring her home because I will be home all weekend. She will have a little bit of stress in a new house. She has been here (ARC) and it’s all she knows. Whatever happened before she got here affected her. It has taken time for everybody to make friends with her. But this
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David Pasquale, new North Fort Myers High School head football coach.
Pasquale inherits young, promising North team
North Fort Myers is Red Knight country Story by Chuck Ballaro Photographyby CJ Haddad
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nother school year is under way and athletes at all area high schools are engaged in a variety of sports. Games are played pretty much every day of the week. But Friday nights at North Fort Myers High School during the football season, no matter if they are home or on the road, are always something special. The stands are filled with red-clad fans ready to cheer on their Red Knights. They always travel well and, in recent years, they have had a lot to cheer about. While football my rule. there are other sports at North that are also quite good, particularly with the girls, who always seem
to make deep runs in team sports no matter the season, sport or time of year. There is volleyball which has had a stretch of excellence for more than decade, as well as cross-country, bowling and golf as fall sports for both boys and girls. No matter the sport, fall represents a new year and new possibilities. “Fall sports means a lot to the student body and the community. There’s an excitement about the start of a new year,” North Athletic Director Joe Bowen said. “In fall, there’s always something going on.”
Football is always king It is said the two biggest sports in Florida are football and football, fall and spring, and when it comes to the gridiron, the football program has always been the biggest sport at North since the school opened in 1960.
Every Friday night at Moody Field is one of the biggest social gatherings in the area, bringing in fans who years ago attended these games as students, and the tradition never gets old. North coach David Pasquale, in his second year as head coach, said North football has been woven into the fabric of this community. “It means everything. This community has completely bought into football and North Fort Myers athletics as a whole,” Pasquale said. “We have 500 to 600 people who come and have no connection to the players, but they’re coming and supporting the community.” Bowen said no matter the record, the community comes out to watch the team. “We’re fortunate in that we’ve been here for a long time and have a strong backing and an established alumni base,” Bowen said. “It’s a nice thing to have.”
The program struggled the first few years before Ron Hoover took over in the late 1960s and turned it into a regional powerhouse. The program has produced NFL players such as Tre Boston, Tommy Bohanon, Jevon Kearse and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. There were some worries going into this season, especially after the Red Knights got blown out in the spring game by Port Charlotte as the home team was not only outmuscled, but looked awfully small. However, a 63-0 thrashing of Gateway showed how much work the team, that consists mostly of sophomores and juniors, did over the summer. “We have a young group that comes to practice every day and play their tails off. They get better every day. My motto is consistent, relentless effort. We’ll coach you up, but that’s what I want in everything we do,” Pasquale said. “Our summer workCONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Story by Chuck Ballaro Photographyby CJ Haddad
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avid Pasquale walked in as the new North Fort Myers High School head football coach and found a young squad that was small and inexperienced. Some may have wondered if it would be competitive. While the wins may be coming slow, the Red Knights have been fighting fierce, hanging close in losses against some pretty good teams. Thank Pasquale for that, a man who knows what it is to be successful in Southwest Florida football, both as a player and coach. Pasquale went to Cape Coral High School, where in 2007 as a senior he was named offensive player of the year. He would go on to play Division I football for the University of Toledo, switching from quarterback to running back midCONTINUED ON PAGE 13
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Friday nights at North Fort Myers High School during the football season, no matter if they are home or on the road, are always something special.
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red knight country FROM PAGE 10
North Fort Myers Neighbor Living — northfortmyersneighbor.com — October/November 2023
outs were phenomenal. Eight weeks, four days a week, we had 92 percent attendance.” So far, however, that hasn’t translated to wins as of yet. Even though the Red Knights lost to archrival Fort Myers 32-19, they certainly weren’t embarrassed. That was followed by a 40-14 loss to Dunbar; two close losses, 14-7 to South Fort Myers and a 34-33 heartbreaker to unbeaten Lemon Bay; a big 49-7 win against Cape Coral and another tight loss, 7-6, to Charlotte, Adrian Stone mans the middle of the defense on the line. Andre is the big playmaker and Duross, who hadn’t played quarterback until a year ago, has bought into the position. Sophomore linebacker Keenan Moore and A.J. Phillips The program has been through a lot in the last year with a hurricane and a tropical storm, but it’s been able to persevere, Pasquale said. “My motto is to adapt and overcome. If you don’t know what’s in your way or where you’re going to face it, how are we going to respond and overcome the adversities?” Pasquale said. Bowen said with the youth on the team, the hopes that better times are coming are high. “We’re a very young team compared to the competition out there. We’re going through growing pains but we’re ready to turn the corner,” Bowen said. “I’m optimistic and the hopes are high.”
In for the kill The Red Knights have also built a strong tradition in volleyball. Nancy Eskay’s team has not had a losing season
in more than a decade and she’s not ready to have one now. After a slow start, the girls got things back into high gear, having won every match since. Savannah Hughes, Ava Fields and Payton Tshiams have formed a solid front line, with Tshiams averaging seven kills a game and Hughes averaging six. Hailey Painter leads the team with 16 assists a game, while Presleigh Lucas averages 12 digs per game. Girls sports in general have been very successful at North, particularly the team-based sports like volleyball, soccer and softball. Bowen said it’s something they work on, though couldn’t put a finger on why exactly.
With fun to spare A that sometimes rolls under the radar at North is boys and girls bowling. A relatively new sport that the Lee County School Board approved in 2011, North has produced district titles, trips to the state championship and even an individual state championship, by Brandon Rucker, in 2020. The team started at All-Star Lanes until a fire there in 2015. The team has since been using Bowland in Cape Coral as its home lane, along with a couple other schools. Eric Brounson has coached the team, both boys and girls, from the beginning, and both have been very successful. Another bowling team, the unified bowling team, became the first in school history to win a team state championship, which they did in 2019.
Team sports with individual elements Cross-country is unlike any running event, in that you are not on a track, but up and down hills, on grass, in the sand or even the mud. This requires even more endurance and the ability to be light on your feet if needed. For North Fort Myers, the boys and girls have had their share of ups and downs over the years. This particular team is in the stage of rebuilding, with the stars of the teams being Alexis Newmann for the girls, who consistently places among the top 10 in most races, and Christopher Rote for the boys. Christine Castillo coaches the girls, while Nicholas Masiello leads the boys. In swimming, North Fort Myers has the benefit of its own pool, unlike most of the Cape Coral schools. They also benefit from having some pretty good swimmers despite the lack of numbers. Jacob Terry made states as a sophomore last season in the 50-meter freestyle while teammate Jonathan Rua made regionals. For the girls, Emma Beckman was a district champion in the one-meter diving and will try again in her senior season. Courtney Churchill coaches the boys while Dianira Rivera Colon coaches the girls. There is also golf. Magnolia Landings provides the site for the area’s top young golfers. Andrew Pierre coaches the boys and Samuel Caballero coaches the girls. NFMNL
weight room, doing well academically and getting better as football players,” Pasquale said. That hasn’t translated to immediate wins. But even though the Red Knights lost to arch-rival Fort Myers 32-19, they stayed strong. That was followed by a 40-14 loss to Dunbar and two close losses, 14-7 to South Fort Myers and a 34-33 heartbreaker to unbeaten Lemon Bay, which has 28 seniors on its squad. They then picked up a 49-7 win against Cape Coral, scoring 42 unanswered points in the second half. They then lost to Charlotte 7-6. Even in the Dunbar game, the Red Knights were able to move the ball, gaining around 380 yards of total offense Pasquale said his motto this season has been consistent, relentless effort, not only from the players but from the coaches teaching the game from a big and small perspective. “You can’t say our teams don’t play with effort or the don’t play hard. I’ve gotten praise from opponents about that,” Pasquale said. That meant giving the Manta Rays four quarters of hell that left Pasquale’s team wondering what they could’ve done better to turn that loss into a win. Lemon Bay took the ball with four minutes left and ran out the clock. North has some winnable games coming up. “Everything we want is still in front of us. Dominate our side of the river, the West Zone and put our best foot forward,” Pasquale said. “Looking at this on paper is a promising situation. We attacked the foundation of our program and now we can have these kids grow and develop and get better every week.” NFMNL
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
David Pasquale went to Cape Coral High School, where in 2007 as a senior he was named offensive player of the year.
way through before graduating with a masters in 2013. Pasquale went to Ida Baker as a physical education teacher for three years before coaching for a season in college at Keiser University of the NAIA in 2017. He returned home to become offensive coordinator at North in 2017, left for the private sector for a year, and returned to North in 2019, where he stayed before becoming head coach in January after Dwayne Mack stepped down to become assistant principal. Pasquale doesn’t believe there are rebuilding years in high schools, since players are only there for four years (and usually only on varsity for two). Some years are better than others regarding talent and schedule and a coach’s job is to coach them up to give them the best shot at winning. Using Pasquale’s philosophy, his first season at the helm may come as close to a rebuilding year as one can be. He lost more than two dozen seniors from the 2022 team, leaving only a handful this season who are currently playing. That means it’s the underclassmen carrying much of the heavy lifting. “We’re young. We had a great spring with a core of kids in the sophomore class that are doing a good job and attacked the weight room this summer,” Pasquale said, adding there was a 92 percent attendance rate for summer workouts. Pasquale said his team has left it all on the field for him in every game. They have made some mistakes and have been left with occasional mismatches, but the effort has always been there. “Every week they come in and regardless of what happened on Friday night, they attack the
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pasquale FROM PAGE 11
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North Pop Warner celebrates football, cheer Story & Photography by Chuck Ballaro
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very Saturday during football season there is a familiar sight at the North Fort Myers Community Park. Tents surrounding the football field, filled with parents, friends and even some kids before they are scheduled to take the field. The parking lot is typically full and the concession stand is usually a busy place. This is the North Fort Myers Pop Warner football and cheer program, and for going on 60 years, kids have been playing football, learning to cheer and receiving life lessons they will take with them into adulthood. Many of the people who come to the games, volunteer to coach and provide the needed financial support for the program played Pop Warner as children themselves and now have second- and even third-generation kids and grandkids taking part. Steve Brown, athletic director and head coach of the 12U football team, was one of those who played as a child in the 1980s and has volunteered
The North Fort Myers Pop Warner 8U football team moves the Sarasota defense off the line for a gain during action on August 30. with the league since 2006. He said it takes the entire community to keep the organization going. “We try to afford ourselves to the people in the community. We have one of the lowest registration fees around. The best thing is virtually every team is coached by someone who played or cheered in this organization,” Brown said. “Many of our board members are second- or third-generation board members, so we’re community and family based here.” What makes Pop Warner unique nationally is that it is academic based (It’s proper name is Pop Warner Little Scholars.) Participants are required to have a minimum GPA to play. Youths who are struggling can go on academic probation, where they have to submit progress reports to show they are doing well at school and on the field. And the things they learn on the field are things they can take with them the rest of their lives, which is just as important. “Everything I learned about being a man, I learned on that football field. Bill Cartmell took me on as a 9-year-old and followed me through the rest of my life as a mentor,” Brown said. “Even today, when I need something, I can call him. That’s what youth sports does. It teaches people how to deal with adversity or when things go bad. How to win and lose and how to work as a team.”
The North Fort Myers and Riverdale 10U cheer squads team up to show team spirit during a game on August 30.
North Pop Warner President Joy Moore said there are other great benefits to being in the program. “It keeps the kids active instead of sitting around at home or getting in trouble. We do extra things for the families to get them involved,” Moore said. “We’re all volunteer based so we need to get everyone involved from concessions to chains to picking up trash.” North Fort Myers Pop Warner was founded in 1964 and spent the first nearly 40 years at Hancock Park (now Kurt Donaldson Park). In 2002, the program moved the its current location with larger fields and updated facilities. Looking to join North Pop Warner? You had better sign up early. Every football team had a waiting list of at least 15 kids on top of the full 34-player roster (All of whom must get game action for at least six plays per half). They could have doubled the number of teams, Brown said. However, there weren’t enough quality coaches. Cheer, which has continued to grow the past few years, also had a waiting list. “It was first-come, first-serve this year. It was rough to get in. When you build a good program and people want to come back, it’s what you have to put up with,” Moore said. The teams have enjoyed success. The football teams have made deep runs into regionals and won numerous Peace River Conference championships, while the cheer squads have qualified for nationals, with two teams finishing in the top three nationally in 2021, and winning national championships in 2014 and 2016. And who knows. Maybe that kid who first strapped on the pads at age 5 could nearly 20 years from now be playing in the NFL, as players such as Tre Boston and Tommy Bohanon said. The latest to join the pro ranks is Deven Thompkins, who will play wide receiver and kick returner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, his second in the league. Thompkins showed up for the Red Knights games against Sarasota recently, signing autographs and greeting people. He said he owes everything to the organization he played with for six years for who he has become. “They made my dream come true. I started at age seven and they told me to keep going. They’ve been great to me,” said Thompkins, who attended Island Coast, Bishop Verot and Dunbar in high school and attended college at Utah State. “It’s a blessing to achieve something I’ve worked for my whole life. My coaches would let me hang out at the house with them and showed me a different side of life that I was used to.” NFMNL
15 October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
16 North Fort Myers Neighbor Living — northfortmyersneighbor.com — October/November 2023
In partnership with Lee BIA Builders Care, Christopher Alan Homes assisted in constructing a new ramp at no cost for a Fort Myers couple in need of increased home accessibility.
Christopher Alan Homes partners with Lee BIA Builders Care to build new ramp for local couple in need
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pair of North Fort Myers homeowners now have a ramp for easier access to their home. Hometown Florida builder Christopher Alan Homes recently PHOTOS PROVIDED partnered with Lee BIA Builders Care Kylie Berry & Dan Kliegl of Christopher Alan Homes work to construct a new ramp for a local together to help build a new ramp for a Fort Myers couple. couple in need.
North Fort Myers residents Eric Rivero and his wife are in their late 70s. A cancer survivor, Eric also lives with mobility issues. With two large stone steps that originally led to the front door, the couple had difficulty entering and exiting their home. The new ramp now provide increased safety and easier accessibility.
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About BIA Builders Care A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization under the charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association, the mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency construction services at no cost to elderly or disabled homeowners. Since 2005, Lee BIA Builders Care has completed more than 500 projects in the surrounding community. For more information about Lee BIA Builders Care, visit leebuilderscare.com. About Christopher Alan Homes Christopher Alan Homes is headquartered in Southwest Florida, building in Babcock Ranch, The Hammocks at West Port, Burnt Store Village and Deep Creek as well as on individual homesites in Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee counties with plans to open a new division in Tampa in 2023. A builder-owned company, Christopher Alan Homes is among Southwest Florida’s top five builders for single-family residential permitted units in 2022. For more information about Christopher Alan Homes visit PHOTO PROVIDED www.ChristopherAlanHomes.com; or call 855- Haidee Castiblanco of Christopher Alan Homes and Crystal Stouten, executive director of 44-MYCAH. Lee BIA Builder’s Care, construct a new ramp for a local couple in need in Fort Myers.
a forever home FROM PAGE 9 Leinen said. The medicine costs, and potential of orthopedic surgery someday, could be cost prohibitive to someone who wants to adopt Bean. “It’s better to go out to foster,” Leinen said, as ARC provides free medical care through the shelter, medication, food and surgery. “All the foster has to do is love her and keep her safe.”
Animal Refuge Center ARC is a no-kill shelter and all of their animals have a safety net for life. Leinen thought Bean would be one of those dogs who would live out her life at ARC because of her age and her quirky nature. “Because of Larry she is actually going to go to a home. She will come back to us for check-ups, and meds,” he said, adding that it will give ARC staff and volunteers an opportunity to visit with
her during her appointments. “This dog has been with us for nearly 10 years and is finally getting a home because someone is willing to spend time with her and learn to trust. She is going to reap the rewards.” ARC has about 300 animals – mostly cats, and about 75 dogs – with them currently. Leinen said it is much easier to house cats together with roughly 40 cats per building. There are 11 cat buildings right now. As far as dogs, there are 39 lodges. If dogs can be paired together, they are, but most have their own space. “No animal will ever be let go to make space for others. You have a home for life. If you don’t happen to like other members of your species, you get a lodge to yourself,” Leinen said. There have been four to seven surrender
requests a day in the last three to four months. The reasons run the gamut from moving and cannot take the animal with them, to "I adopted an animal during COVID and I'm now going back to work." With that said, adoptions have been pretty steady recently as well. ARC began in 1988 and has been at the current location for 20 something years. It originally began at Page Field in one of the hangers, as more of a spay and neuter operation, which evolved into 221/2 acres in North Fort Myers, at 18011 Old Bayshore Rd. “We expand as we are able and the funding is available,” Leinen said. For more information about ARC, or to make a donation, visit http://animalrefugecenter.com/. NFMNL
October/November 2023 — northfortmyersneighbor.com — North Fort Myers Neighbor Living
Christopher Alan Homes regularly supports Lee BIA Builders Care with home improvement projects for homeowners in need. Earlier this year, the company completed an entire home rebuild in partnership with Lee BIA Builders Care at no cost to the homeowner.
18 North Fort Myers Neighbor Living — northfortmyersneighbor.com — October/November 2023
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