Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Early voting begins Monday; high turnout expected

By CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Early Voting for the 2024 General Election begins Monday

Registered voters in Lee County can begin casting their ballots on Oct 21, with the Early Voting period running through Nov 2

There are 12 locations throughout the county where individuals can vote, as well a

Locations will be open from 10 a m to 6

“People are very interested in voting in this election, and we expect a very high turnout. Vote early to eliminate any possibility of lines on election day. If you do encounter lines, please remain patient If you plan to vote in person, I suggest you review your sample ballot so that you’re prepared when voting at the polls ”

Tommy

Doyle, Lee County Supervisor of Elections

Lee County Supervisor of Elections

Tommy Doyle said he and his staff are

ready for the Early Voting period and have ensured equipment is ready to handle the turnout

Herzlich Willkommen: Two weekends of Oktoberfest fun begins

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Not even Hurricane Milton could bring a halt to Cape Coral’s annual ode to German culture, as an event that is the largest of its kind in the state of Florida is still going on as planned, with two weekends of celebration starting today

The German American Club of Cape Coral’s 39th Annual Oktoberfest will welcome thousands to the Bavarian Garden grounds this weekend, bringing their version of the staple event in Munich to life here locally

“We’re very excited to bring Oktoberfest back this year,” said GASC President Erich Kohl “Hurricane Milton did pass a little visit, but fortunately, the damage was nothing like Ian The club has rallied, and we've caught back up ”

The GASC’s Oktoberfest runs from Oct 18-21, and 25-27, where the community, regardless

See OKTOBERFEST, 26

will be among those offering a warm welcome to German American Social Club guests this weekend and next. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

“We thoroughly test all 232 tabulators and electronic poll pads that will be used in the election,” Doyle said “We also conduct a state-mandated public Logic and Accuracy Test of the voting equipment and voting system to ensure they’re tabulating and counting votes accurately ” Voting locations include:

Library

921 Southwest 39th Terrace,

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

As residents begin the cleanup after hurricanes Milton and Helene, the city of Cape Coral, as well as Lee County, urges property owners to pull permits to repair the storm damage, as they are required by state law to ensure the work meets Florida Building Code standards

They also are mandated by FEMA, which monitors rebuild efforts post-storm. Appointments are not required, but are recommended, for permitting until further notice for the city They can be made at www capecoral gov/gless

Permit applications can be submitted by property owners who are acting as their own contractors They must bring their photo ID that matches the property being repaired

Community Development opened a remote permit office at Pine Island Public Library, 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia from 10 a m to 3 p m Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until the end of October Property owners acting as their own contractor can

reviewed and, in some cases, issued from the remote office Only a description of the work and the address is needed, as staff will walk them through the process From 7:30 a m to 4 p m Monday through Thursday the permitting counter is

Council praises staff for Hurricane Milton response

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council members on Wednesday gave an abundance of praise to city staff for their work during and after Hurricane Milton

“Incredible” was among the words Councilmember Bill Steinke used in his remarks

“What you see on the news today you don’t see Cape Coral on the news because we were ready,” he said “There were people still scratching their heads on Saturday what are we going to do and our farmers market was open Overall, for a city to respond like our city did is nothing short of incredible ”

One of the issues that followed Hurricane Ian was a lack of communication to citizens, Steinke said

This go-around, there was so much more communication shared

“Nothing short of phenomenal and such a tremendous improvement Six days after an event and we can drive around our city and it almost seems like nothing happened,” he said.

City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn said, unfortunately, the city has been through enough hurricanes to know the playbook

“Nothing short of phenomenal and such a tremendous improvement Six days after an event and we can drive around our city and it almost seems like nothing happened ”

Councilmember Bill Steinke, who said preparation was “incredible ”

“As a result of that we have the opportunity, starting tomorrow, and even this weekend, of helping other communities avoid FEMA issues and lessons learned,” he said “We continue to impart our wisdom on other cities ”

All departments spoke on how they prepared and responded to the storm

Emergency Management & Resilience Director Ryan Lamb said they had about 800 employees ready to go as soon as the higher sustained winds stopped The city saw 45 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 90 mph In addition to heavy rain, the city saw 4 7 feet of storm surge in the southeast section of Cape Coral and 5 6 feet of storm surge in the northwest section of Cape Coral

Interim Development Services Director Matthew Grambow said they staged 13 teams to prepare for the impact survey initiative Additional teams were sent out following the storm To date, 104,535 impact survey inspections had been done

“Thankfully the damage was less than anticipated,” Grambow said

At each of the survey sites the property was marked not affected, affected, minor damage, major damage, and destroyed

There were 1,466 affected properties, four minor damage, 10 major damage and two destroyed properties The destroyed properties included a fire following the storm; the other was a property under construction that had a failed structure due to wind

Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said when the winds hit 45 mph, city staff, including first responders, are locked down and they have to wait for the conditions to improve

“At that time, we had all hands-on deck Our building was housing well over 300 people. Around 1:30 in the morning we had our first push,” he said

That first push consisted of more than 100 police officers in marked vehicles that looked for wind damage, areas of surge, impassability and hazards on the roadway and focusing on the back log of calls of service They also helped with the intersections that had power outages or damage

By Saturday at 7 p m , things were scaled down to normal operations

Acting Fire Chief Mike Russell said they had 120 personnel double the number they normally have working They had about 20 calls in holding after the winds sustained 45 mph

There was a residential fire, motorcycle accident and a pediatric emergency

Public Works Director Matt Williams said before the storm, they had crews out looking at storm water systems and by 1:30 a.m. Thursday they began deploying to the streets. He said they wanted to clear the roads by 7:30 a m before the public started using the roadways

Within 36 hours, traffic signals became operational Williams said there are 25 signals that received damage, which Lee County is working on repairing The city also replaced, or repaired 185 signs, or supports stop signs and school zoned signs There are more signs to go

“As the storm wound down, we activated crews Friday, Saturday, and Sunday out there clearing up the CRA Getting commerce back going was very important for the city to get on its feet,” he said.

The survey crew also did a good job, Williams said, as there were 65 surveyed highwater marks and 1,800 acres of drone footage to help supplement the high-water marks

Utilities Director Jeff Pearson said when staff was able to do the first push, they immediately mobilized the generators for the well fields

“We didn’t lose pressure We didn’t have to declare a citywide boil notice,” he said Pearson said there were 199 wastewater lift stations without power the Thursday following the storm, so generators were ordered, and vac trucks came on Friday, which were deployed immediately

“There were no reported sanitary sewer overflows,” he said “Utility staff did a great job mobilizing for this event Now we are only down to one wastewater lift station that we have to replace power services to ”

The city parks also held up very well from Hurricane Milton

Parks and Recreation

Director Joe Petrella said Yacht Club Beach had severe damage to the beach front That was cleaned up, as well as was debris docks that floated to the shore

“The beach opened for the weekend and bathrooms are going to be put back there shortly,” he said “I’m excited to see the parks do a good job of sustaining the hurricane.” The playground structures held up well Staff cleared the grounds and put the sunshades back up

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

Introducing Bert Harris

c t i o n i s e a ti n g u p l i m i t e d c o m m e r c i a l l a n d i n v e n t o r y e s p e c i a l l y p r i m e c o m m e r c i a l l a n d i n v e n t o r y a l o n g m a j o r r o a dw a y s . W e c a n d e b a t e w h e t h e r t h e c i t y h a s “ t o o m a n y ” d o ll a r s t o r e s , o i l c h a n g e b u s i n e s s e s , s t r i p m a l l s , c a r w a s he s , s e l f - s t o r a g e u n i t s o r w h a t h a v e y o u W e c a n e x p l a i n h o w s u p p l y - a n d - d e m a n d w o r k s a n d h o w c o n s u m e r s d r i v e c o m m e r c i a l e n t e r p r i s e

B u t i t c o m e s d o w n t o t h i s : G o v e r n m e n t s c a n a n d d o i m p o s e l a n d u s e a n d d e v e l o p m e n t r e g u l a t i o n s t h a t d e t e rm i n e a n a r r a y o f t h i n g s f r o m h o w m a n y t r e e s y o u n e e d

t o p l a n t a r o u n d y o u r s h o p p i n g c e n t e r t o w h e r e y o u c a n b u i l d a p a r t i c u l a r b u s i n e s s I t ’ s n e i t h e r n e w n o r u n i q u e a n d s u c h r e g u l a t i o n s h a v e t h e m s e l v e s p r o l i f e r a t e d l i k e m a r s h r a b b i t s , s o m u c h s o t h a t i n 1 9 9 5 t h e s t a t e p a s s e d s i g n i f i c a n t p r o t e c t i o n s f o r

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

v i a r e s t r i c t i o n s , r e g u l a t i o n s o r l a n d u s e c h a n g e s a n e l e c t e d b o a r d d e t e r m i n e d w e r e f o r t h e p u b l i c g o o d

E s s e n t i a l l y , i t m e a n s t h a t t h e p u b l i c t h a t b e n e f i t s h a s

t o p a y i e c o m p e n s a t e t h e l a n d o w n e r f o r t h e f i g -

u r a t i v e “ t a k i n g ” o f t h e p r o p e r t y r i g h t s e x i s t i n g b e f o r e

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

a n e x i s t i n g u s e o f r e a l p r o p e r t y o r a v e s t e d r i g h t t o a s p e c i f i c u s e o f r e a l p r o p e r t y ”

The Bert Harris Act, named after a former legislator and adamant private property advocate, has been amended three times since its passage, most recently in 2021, when Gov Ron DeSantis signed legislation dubbed the “Relief From Burdens on Real Property Rights” co-introduced by Rep Jenna Persons-Mulicka, part of the Lee County delegation

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

See EDITORIAL, page 28

Creating role models and mentors

The year 2020 was a monumental time in America and across the world as communities near and far struggled to find a new normal during a global pandemic that turned our day-to-day lives upside down At the time, I was in seventh grade, and I never would have guessed that an idea to

uncertain chapter would grow to become

impacting more than 200 elementary, middle and high school students in Fort Myers

During the Covid-19 pandemic, remote learning was a major challenge Aside from missing out on making new friends and socializing in a classroom setting, many students in our community struggled with

In addition to recruiting student mentors at Canterbury School, we invited juniors and seniors at other local high schools to join CRAM with the goal of reaching more students and schools We even sought out experts, including Dr Michael J Karcher, a leading expert in school-based and cross-age peer mentoring who has significantly influenced CRAM’s development

Today, our team of vetted and trained high school mentors exceeds 75 students that work with more than 200 middle, elementary and high school students.

required to attend school That’s when my brother, Noah, and I decided we could help younger students by supporting them with their homework or even just by hanging out and being friends during a scary time

My brother and I quickly realized that we needed more mentors, so I presented our idea to my seventh-grade class on Zoom, and that’s when CRAM, Creating Role Models and Mentors, was born. In the beginning, 19 of my classmates and friends agreed to become mentors and committed their time to support younger students, both

Academy, a United Way Community Partnership School

We’ve teamed up with the United Way Community Partnership School program to identify students who might benefit from a peer role model or mentor During school hours and in after school programs, mentors visit with mentees face to face and offer academic support, positive reinforcement and friendship

Since founding CRAM more than four years ago, I have had the honor of watching dozens of students, both mentors and mentees, grow and succeed through this succ

mentees, for example, was struggling in school due to a language barrier. He didn’t have resources at home to help him with his homework and practice his English I was able to provide him tutoring and mentorship and

See GUEST COMMENTARY, page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Hurricane histor y: Those who have lear ned little doom us to repeat it

To the editor:

Hurricane Milton was a major storm, there’s no doubt about it My wife and I live on Cape Coral, just north of Fort Myers in Florida, and Milton made landfall 75 miles to the north up the coast The size of the storm meant that we were fully vested in the storm as it traveled to that later destination Our area experienced the rainfall, winds and tornadoes that made Milton such a nasty hurricane As the sun shines on this following day, the temptation is to try to put that experience behind you, fix what got broken and move on But I think that’s a great mistake

Just two years ago, our area took a direct hit from Hurricane Ian This devastated Fort Myers Beach under 15foot storm surges that overwhelmed everything in their path At the time, people were talking about “The Storm of the Century.” My own house was flooded, costing $150k to put right, and I am just a drop in that ocean

Once again with Hurricane Milton, politicians from high to low were doing their usual parade of warning people to evacuate, emphasizing the severity of the storm and the imminent danger to lives They promised the usual army of workers to clear up debris and get lives back on track In this case, both President Biden and Gov DeSantis took prominence, warning of the dangers to come At the same time the media pundits, both large broadcasters and small vloggers were monetizing the storm by sensationalizing every small detail they could come up with the lowest pressure recorded, the highest wind speeds, the explosive formation of the storm, the awesome size of Milton. A few small voices mentioned that we may be breaking records because of man-made climate change

The media exposure, now moving on to other weighty topics, can be largely dismissed because they have to be showmen in order to keep their audience and maintain advertising revenue Very few are interested in simply presenting the important facts of where will the hurricane make landfall?, how powerful it will be? and the implications of that force That’s because that would be boring and they have 24 hours of airtime to fill So instead, they fill the airwaves with hyperbola to get their viewers ever more anxious That is to be expected, however debilitating

The politicians are the real problem, of course They are busy telling people to prepare, evacuate and do the right thing, without any real thought for the implications for the citizens I

was not in my house for Hurricane Ian two years ago As a result the water that intruded in my house was devastating Not only that, but my premium for flood insurance more than doubled the following year to over $5,000 That was on top of the $3,500 for regular home insurance which includes hurricane coverage, albeit with a hefty deductible that means it only pays out if the damage is around 10% of the value of the house The net effect for hurricane coverage is that it rarely pays out and if it does, you’re still on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars of expense But given the astronomic rise in flood insurance, like many, I decided to forgo it and “self insure ” That means that I am almost mandated to stay and defend my home when a storm is on the way Mandatory evacuations mean nothing I have to be ready for what the storm serves up; taping up doors, laying down flood barriers, readying the generator, preparing escape routes etc

Our governor’s attempt to “solve” the hurricane/home insurance problem in Florida was to give the insurance companies a financial bailout at taxpayers’ expense and introduce some restrictions on lawyers suing insurance companies to force them to make payouts against their will With these steps in place, the insurance premiums show no signs of coming down Flood insurance is separate of course, being underwritten by FEMA, but is equally out of control because nothing is being done to reduce the risks

I’m sure it’s quite deliberate, but little is being done in this regard, just Band-Aids Homes are being built on higher mounds of earth Funds are being provided for clean-up Linesmen from other states are being recruited to repair power lines The next storm will simply be a repeat of what we saw with Hurricane Ian and now with Milton

Why is Florida not burying power and utility cables? Why is Florida not building coastal defenses? Why is Florida not restricting the building locations of mobile home parks? Where is the governmental study into risk mitigation for future storms?

As long as Florida’s right-leaning government won’t acknowledge climate change, and only considers near-term financial benefits for a few individuals and corporations, we are condemned to repeat the fiasco that we have just witnessed with Milton The lives of the citizenry and the perils they have to endure will continue as normal

And the hurricane season is not yet over

Dylan Moon Guest Commentary

Simon Rowell Cape Coral

New FEMA rules will go into effect Jan. 1

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

e

C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l w i l l d i v e

The changes will affect FHA-insured mortgages and HUD-assisted multifamily properties, in terms of the requirement to be two feet above base flood elevation. This will impact about 25% of mortgages, City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn said.

Permit: City, Lee County, working to meet FEMA

page 1

ers with applying for permits There will be additional staff available at the counter, answering emails and phone inquiries to further assist property owners, business owners, and contractors

C o n t r a c t o r s m u s t c o n t i n u e u s i n g www capecoral gov/energov, the electronic permitting portal The same goes for contractors the existing electronic permitting process for Lee County

P

o p

i a

Flood Hazard Area Cape Coral residents or businesses must obtain a permit for all repairs, both water intrusion and d a m a g e F o r a s s i s t a n c e , e m a i l flood@capecoral gov with contact information, property address, type of damage and height of the water that entered the home

County property owners seeking a full demolition, or complete replacement of a structure, need to visit the Community Development permitting office at 1500 Monroe St , Fort Myers

Property owners who live in unincorporated areas must also pull permits to work on storm damage repairs. Those within the Special Flood Hazard Area homes, or businesses must obtain a permit

For assistance email FIRMinfo@leegov com with contact information, property address, type of damage and height of the water that entered the home

l y n Mullen said for city residents whose home is in the Special Flood Hazard Area and experienced water intrusion or sustained wind damage are encouraged to contact the D

compliance standards

guidance on permits and repair requirements

“Please send an email to flood@capecoral gov as soon as possible,” she said Mullen said all repairs in the Special

including the submission of a substantial improvement/substantial damage application from the City of Cape Coral A

inquiries email permits@capecoral gov, or call (239) 574-0546

The city has been working with FEMA to help them through the process of being

System classification, which provides a 25% discount on federal flood insurance policies

Emergency Management & Resilience

Council’s Wednesday meeting that staff is still actively working through the NFIP process with the correction action plan that followed Hurricane Ian

He said they are keeping with the pace to achieve their timeline

The next plan submission deadline to meet is Nov. 18.

That plan was applied and put through practical use during hurricanes Helene and Hurricane Milton W

obtained from Hurricane Ian, they are helping with assessments on Boca Grande and other communities in North Florida

Lamb said they have been recognized as experts in the field sharing lessons learned and what they have been able to accomplish in Cape Coral

From

Cape Coral restricts locations for new self-storage facilities

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council approved an amendment to its land development code r e g a r d i n g s e l f - s t o r a g e f a c i l i t i e s o n

Wednesday, suspending a moratorium that put a temporary stop to new construction

T h e o r d i n a n c e p a s s e d 7 - 1 , w i t h

Councilmember Richard Carr dissenting

It was one of a pair of ordinances approved by the elected board to regulate allowable locations for two types of businesses city officials say have proliferated within the Cape, the other being car washes

New locational limitations mandate a one-mile separation between like facilities and require that they be a minimum of 500 feet away from major intersections

As with the related measure, provisions that limit where self storage units may be built was an issue within the business community

B

Mazurkiewicz said he supports the city’s making self storage facilities a conditional use, but expressed issues with the one-mile radius and distance-to-intersection restrictions

“Within 500 foot of an intersection, you have taken two potential uses away from a private property owner You have created

winners and losers,” he said “The first one is precluded from anyone coming in second This is a taking It’s not a form of American governance,” he said

“Taking” is defined as a government action that devalues property via regulatory action Under state law, the property owner may seek legal redress in the form of compensation for the “taking ”

The ordinance also provides that enclosure is require; mixed use inclusion; building and site aesthetics; perimeter landscaping; outdoor storage and display; hours of access and prohibitions

Self-storage facilities will be collectively be limited to a citywide maximum of 10 square feet per resident

The current allowance based on population provides for 2 13 million square feet

The existing square footage that is either built or pending is 3.10 million square feet. The allowance, based on the max population of 375,000, would be 3 75 million square feet citywide

The estimates come from the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, and the city, which will track what is permitted

There are also mixed-use inclusions in

mixed-use developments There are four areas that must be met Those include it must predominately front directly along and towards the adjacent rights-of-way and no storage unit or area may o

ground level S

include having an appearance of a multi-floor structure and p

g and unloading zones shall be oriented away from residential districts and right of way Anthony Santora, senior p

cussed two items the council wished to look in conjunction with self-storage facilities v e h

n t a l s , and vehicle and trailer permanent storage

T h e s t o r a g e c o m p o n e n t had too many moving parts and could not be specifically ad d r es s ed w ith in th e o r d inance Santora said city staff w o u l d h a v e t o a d e q u a t e l y develop guidelines for vehicles and trailers for permanent storage, which would be approached at a later date as a separate item

A s f a r a s r e n t a l s , allowances could be made Council approved removing subsections specifically r e g a r d i n g p r o h i b i t i o n s o f rental and parking

Santora said that all vehicles and trailers associated would have to be permanently parked behind the facility, and not along rights-of-way, or adjacent to residential uses unless buffering and enclosures were provided

Santora said rental areas are done as a condition of approval through the conditional use process

Cape Coral restricts locations for car washes

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council on Wednesday approved a number of additional restrictions on new car wash facilities looking to come into the Cape, including separation requirements one critic warned could prove costly to the city

The approved ordinance, which includes a new subsection requiring more landscape buffering, calls for a minimum separation distance between such facilities of one mile

Car wash locations also are limited to primary frontage on minor collectors, major collectors, minor arterial, major arterial and principal arterial roadways

The facilities also must be located at least 500 feet away from any major intersection involving any combination of collector and or arterial roadways

The location requirements were the primary concern expressed by the business sector

BJM Consulting, Inc President Joe Mazurkiewicz, who served as mayor before founding the consulting firm, said he and his multiple clients were in support of allowing

The approved ordinance calls for a minimum separation distance between car washes of one mile They also must be located at least 500 feet away from any major intersection involving any combination of collector and or arterial roadways

car washes as a “conditional use” as this is a positive change

The one-mile separation and 500 feet away from major intersections, though, are cause for concern

“Take those two limiting conditions out and the ordinance will work,” Mazurkiewicz said “It will do what you want it to do Please You all know limiting conditions limit the value of the property This law is a potential taking Take those two things out Pass it and make it better for the city ”

State law provides that if government action devalues your property through regulatory action, the owner may seek compensation for the “taking ”

Councilmember Bill Steinke said it was a tough vote because he is a strong property rights proponent

“This is certainly not saying there can’t be one It is just identifying a few places where there can’t be one for purposes of major inter-

sections and spacing I spent long and hard consideration of this with the thought of property owner rights I don’t think it prohibits them so much that if someone wants to open a car wash, they can’t find a place to open a car wash and meet these requirements,” he said

The ordinance passed 7-1 with Councilmember Dan Sheppard dissenting Anthony Santora, senior planner, explained the added buffer requirement

The landscaping width shall be in excess of 150% of the required buffer width and shall include either a six-foot tall bermed earth feature or an eight-foot-tall separation wall to shield residential property lines

The new subsection is to protect the portion of property line along the canal way, he said

Other revisions include defining a car wash facility, making them a conditional use in specific districts and providing for the new

conditional use requirements

There also is a new section that lays out specific regulations for car washes

The section includes applicability and exceptions; the aforementioned locational requirements; enclosure requirements and exceptions; residential adjacency requirements; the outlined landscape screening requirements; outdoor signage and display prohibitions; hours of operation limitations; noise mitigation requirements; water recycling requirements and general prohibitions

Specific exemptions regarding applicability primarily concern accessory uses

In addition, all the systems and equipment an ancillary or accessory to the operation of the facility must be completely within an enclosed building

Exemptions include that centrally designed vacuum facilities are permitted to have apertures, nozzles and piping associated with servicing of a vehicle exposed

The changes also specify car wash facilities that are adjacent to residential zoning, or use must have not only the additional screening but that equipment and uses must be oriented away from the residential district/use

Lakes Park reopens following Hurricane Milton; Fall Festival events rescheduled

Lakes Park will reopen at 6 p m , today, Oct 18, and Hurricane Milton-postponed Fall Festival events will begin

Reopening updates:

■ Park hours: Vary, depending on what you plan to do

-- 7 a m to 9 p m for Fall Festival events

-- 7 a m to dusk for other park amenities - regular park operating hours

■ Main Train Playground remains closed due to Hurricane Milton

■ Small playground near Shelter D-1 remains open

and closes at dusk

■ Splash pads remain closed due to Hurricane Ian Fall Festival events resume:

The Fall Festival, Oct 18-31, will include a pumpkin patch, bounce houses, hayrides, Scarecrows in the Park, the very popular Halloween Express train and concessions Event hours are:

■ Halloween Express train ride hours:

-- 6 to 9 p.m., Monday-Friday -- 10 a m to 9 p m , Saturday & Sunday -- Ends Thursday, Oct 31

■ Pumpkin Patch hours:

-- 6 to 9 p m , Monday-Friday

-- 10 a m to 9 p m , Saturday & Sunday

-- Ends Sunday, Oct 27

■ Scarecrows in the Park:

-- 6 to 9 p m , Monday-Friday

-- 10 a m to 9 p m , Saturday & Sunday

-- Ends Sunday, Oct 27

■ Parking for the Fall Festival event is $3 per vehicle. Prices vary per activity

For more information visit www leeparks org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: ELECTION 2024

Recommendations for Cape Council

To the editor:

In the Cape Coral City council Election, here are my picks for who to vote for:

Laurie Lehmann: Confidence in her abilities and willing to listen to us

Deborah Lee McCormick: She will fix the city she knew and loves We need an elder statesperson

Richard Carr: Appointed to City Council He needs to be tested as elected

Joseph Kilraine: He will “Make City Hall Great Again ” His issues are on target with our needs

Rachel Kaduk: she remembers the Yacht Club and budget overrun Council needs a “watch dog ” No vote:

Dan Sheppard: Says he listens to the citizens He never met with me “Break Time ”

Derrick Donnell: Former City Council member for two terms His terms favored tax hikes When asked by me, why? His reply was to save the city from Mayor Sullivan’s reckless policies

Jennifer Nelson: She served one term on council Then was defeated in 2020

If the electorate voted her out four years ago, why vote her back in for another term?

Charlie Pease: Text book candidate. Sounds good but can and will he deliver?

Michael David Harper: Mr Harper is new to politics of the city He needs to take issues to citizens input

All candidates have promised to rescind the illegal pay raise that Council gave themselves Some want to restore the voluntary committees which were all abolished by council as well as other issues the current council has dismantled

Lou Navarra Cape Coral

From page 4

We need NOAA, vote Harris & Walz

To the editor

I live in Florida, As I write this we await news about the pathway Hurricane Milton will travel, and whose lives and homes are most threatened My updates come every six hours from the NHC, the National Hurricane Center, which provides weather and climate forecasts and warnings.

As I get all the current details of this storm on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NHC (National Hurricane Center) site, Project 2025 is outlining how to cripple it Project 2025 was designed for candidate Trump and his transition team and calls for a broad dismantling of government agencies should he win Project 2025 takes four pages to describe how NOAA, the National Weather Service and its NHC “should be broken up and downsized ” But we need these protective services across the country

The League of Conservative voters has said that Project 2025, which describes NOAA as “Primary component of c l i m a t e c h a n g e a l a r m i n d u s t r y , w o u l d d i s m a n t l e t h e National Weather Service and NOAA” Those actions would undermine the agency’s independence from the executive branch and eliminate internal departments Hence life-saving information about hurricanes, heat waves and extreme weather events would be reduced

Compare, contrast, vote for Joe Kilraine

To the editor:

Vote Joe Kilraine for District 5 Cape Coral City Council a man dedicated to improving the functioning of Cape Coral FULL TIME

His opponent, Charlie Pease, already has a full-time job as the Director of Cape Coral Technical College and is fully embedded in the political scene in Cape Coral and Lee County. IMHO Mr. Pease will merely be a rubber stamp on the Gunter agenda that is systematically destroying the history of this city and ignoring the wishes of our citizens with overdevelopment without any concerns for the adequacy of our infrastructure

This is where Joe Kilraine will shine He has lived in the Cape for 20 years and watched the non-representative council for 15 years before deciding to run for office He is no novice to the city and policies

Joe Kilraine has decades of real-time experience tackling the engineering difficulties that Cape Coral Water Quality, reverse osmosis and geo-structure expertise directly applicable to Cape’s water challenges He knows city operations, budget and has done projects exceeding anything the city has on the horizon and managed budgets over $20 billion and oversaw 10,000 employees who relied on his leadership in sustaining a profitable operation

The decades of leadership and vision articulation are key attributes that are of more consequential importance to longterm lasting effects within the city as Council has the potential to project influence upon city policy and its future, well beyond the defined role contained in the city charter

With Joe Kilraine’s background and real time management expertise in engineering and managing/troubleshooting issues like water quality would be HIGHLY beneficial to the city Fluid dynamics is his area of expertise, he has essentially done it his entire career

Mr Pease has alluded that Joe Kilraine is old and irrele-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Project 2025 says the agency “should focus on data gathering services and should commercialize its forecasting ” This is a considerable limit on work and services they provide The intent seems to be to render the agencies ineffective

I do not support this proposal

Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Vote by mail.

Kathleen Callard,RNBS North Fort Myers

It’s time to prioritize well-being and autonomy of individuals and families

To the editor:

In response to Ms Zalesky’s letter entitled, “No joy in Harris’ target issue,” she writes that abortion is all about death

I hope the letter writer will realize for other families, abortion can preserve life as it did for my daughter The experience of my daughter’s pregnancies and the choices our family had to make have shown me the importance of safe and accessible abortion protocols My daughter’s life was at risk during her second pregnancy, and the option of a safe abortion not only saved her life but also allowed her to have a healthy pregnancy and birth later on

Individuals and families must retain the freedom to make

Guest Commentary:

From page 4

today, he is fluent in English and doing well in school I remember what it was like when we first met, and to see the person and student he has become today is really special

As I prepare to head to college next

year, I have high hopes for the future of CRAM We have an awesome board of directors made up of dedicated students who have done some incredible things over the past four years. From vetting and training our team of mentors to organizing fundraising events, the board and our volunteer students have been all in from day

vant That Joe Kilraine’s background as an oil guy whose skills are not applicable or transferrable to city governance

SERIOUSLY? Last December, the Cape Coral Council essentially voted themselves a 100% stipend rationalizing it because the council members were putting in too many hours performing the duties of the council requires

One must ask how Mr Pease intends to fulfil his duties as Director of Cape Coral Technical College and be able to attend all the meetings with staff, other council members, attending Committee of the Whole meetings (which are held in the mornings) and regular council meetings in the late afternoons Then add in special events council members are required to attend and, IMHO, there simply are not enough hours in the day for Mr Pease to adequately perform the duties of his director’s job and do the research, perform the duties of council members and attend council meetings to benefit the citizens of the Cape

You tell me how a man with the following educational background does not have skills that transfer to city governance Just look at the educational “qualifications” of the current council No one comes close to the expertise Joe Kilraine has:

Education/degrees: BS Chemical Engineering Bucknell University 1972, Master Business Administration (MBA) University of Scranton 1974, MS Polymer, metallurgical, ceramics Engineering /MS Chemical Engineering Lehigh University 1977, Doctorate Business Administration (Contracts) California Western University 1992 and Executive Leadership Training Programs spanning several years with Peter Drucker, arguably the guru of effective executive leadership

Now look at Mr Pease’s real time experience in matters such as water control or any of the issues Cape Coral is inundated with I see none

Marie

Kavanaugh Cape Coral

these difficult decisions based on their unique circumstances, with the support of their trusted medical professionals and their own beliefs Government restrictions on reproductive care not only infringe upon this freedom but also have negative implications for a mother’s life and therefore, our state’s economy and workforce

Limiting access to reproductive care can drive young couples away from Florida, hampering the growth of our workforce and economy Additionally, imposing invasive screening requirements before emergency female care can discourage tourists from choosing Florida as a vacation destination, leading to a decrease in tourist income for the state

Furthermore, the rise of abortion restrictions in the 1970s was driven by political agendas rather than genuine concern for the well-being of families and individuals These restrictions are not rooted in biblical law, and they have no place in dictating personal and family decisions

I urge policymakers to recognize the importance of allowing individuals and families to make their own reproductive health decisions in consultation with their healthcare providers and to refrain from imposing unnecessary restrictions

It’s time to prioritize the well-being and autonomy of individuals and families in our state

one Through our fundraising efforts, we have generated more than $13,000 for students, families and classrooms in our area Most importantly, we have, and we are eager to continue our mission of mentorship and support for students in our community

For more information on CRAM and how to become a mentor or mentee, visit www crammentor org

Dylan Moon, a Canterbury School senior, serves as Board chair/president of Creating Role Models & Mentors, a student-run non-profit he co-founded

The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that opinions. These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opinions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Opposing views are welcome. Letters to the editor or guest columns may be e-mailed to vharring@breezenewspapers.com. All letters and guest opinions must be signed and must include a phone number for verification purposes Readers are also invited to comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: capecoralbreeze.com.

Karyn Edison Fort Myers

ARC to host Barktoberfest

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Local residents in October celebrate Oktoberfest Wouldn’t it be great if dogs could celebrate a similar October event as well?

Well, now they can

Come bark at ARC on Saturday, Oct 26, from 3 to 6 p m for the inaugural Barktoberfest at the Animal Refuge Center in North Fort Myers

Southwest Florida’s largest no-kill shelter is opening its doors to the community for a Halloween-themed and pet- friendly family event

This in advance of the upcoming 30th annual Starlight Auction next month, ARC’s largest fundraising event of the year

ARC Board Vice President Rob Spicker said the event was inspired by similar events shelters were doing Since ARC does a lot of off-site events, they wanted to try on on-site, since most adoptions are done via appointment.

“This was a new idea brought up by the staff as a way to open up our facility to the community so they can see where we keep the cats and dogs and what makes us unique,” Spicker said “It’s all in the Halloween spirit so bring your dog, put them and the kids in costumes and enjoy a fun afternoon with ARC ”

There is no cost to attend so anyone can come Attendees can bring their dogs and their kids to tour the shelter, have some food

and maybe win some prizes in their costume contest or raffles

Barktoberfest also will feature the Lee County Sheriff’s Office ice cream truck, a raffle, tours of the shelter and more

For the canines, there will be a dog costume parade, PAW Grooming and Boarding, healthy treats from the Wiggle Bar and more Who knows, maybe you’ll find a dog (or cat) to adopt and give a forever home to.

All vendors will be donating part of their proceeds from the event to support the ARC mission to shelter, adopt and educate

The next big event for ARC will be the Starlight Auction on Saturday, Nov 30 For more information on the Animal Refuge Center, go to animalrefugecenter com

The Animal Refuge Center is at 18011 Old Bayshore Road

South Cape Spooktacular Pub Crawl set for Saturday

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Those looking to enjoy some Halloween festivities can do so this weekend via an annual event in the South Cape sure to bring the tastes and treats of the season

The South Cape Entertainment and Hospitality Association's 11th Annual South Cape Spooktacular Pub Crawl takes place this Saturday around varying establishments from 7 to 11 p m

The 21-plus event takes attendees to 12 different locations to enjoy drink and food samples, with guests encouraged to dress in their best costumes

"The Spooktacular Pub Crawl is an absolute blast," said SCHEA spokesperson Shannon Quinn "For first-timers, it’s a lively night filled with festive costumes, cocktail samples, candy and a fun crowd Each stop offers a unique vibe, and there’s always something exciting happening -- from themed drinks to contests It’s a perfect way to celebrate Halloween with friends, explore local bars and stores and enjoy the spooky fun that everyone looks forward to every year "

Quinn added the $500 cash prize costume contest this year is sure to bring out some amazing looks, from scary to sweet

"It’s incredible to see attendees go all out with their costumes for the Spooktacular Pub Crawl," Quinn said "More than any other SCHEA event, Halloween brings out everyone's creativity and flair With the $500 cash prize costume contest on the line, people put extra effort into their outfits, making the night even more exciting and full of amazing looks We definitely see extra creativity "

Limo buses will be provided to take drink-or-treaters to four designated areas, where they can walk to multiple participating locations

Each attendee will be provided a passport to have stamped at all 12 locations To enter the grand prize drawing, leave a completed passport on a limo bus, or at a participating location

Participating locations and samples include:

■ BackStreets Sports Bar - Pumpkin Pie & Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

■ Cruiser's Lounge - Drunk Witch & Candy Bars

■ The Dive - Poisoned Apple & Caramel Square Candy

■ Dixie Roadhouse - Witches Brew & Oreos

South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat Event for the littles

As a precursor to Saturday’s trolley event for adults, SCHEA will host its 6th Annual South Cape Business Trickor-Treat Event on Oct 19th from noon to 4 p m

Bring your kids for an afternoon of fun as they fill their bags with goodies from South Cape businesses Each location will be handing out candy, trinkets, or one of many fantastic higher-value treats, including gift cards to some amazing local spots A limo bus will safely transport children and families across Cape Coral Parkway

“South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat is a fun way for families to explore local businesses, dress up, and enjoy festive activities,” said SCHEA spokesperson Shannon Quinn. “It’s a great opportunity to support the community while spending quality time together in a family-friendly atmosphere ”

Don’t forget to visit the official photo booth located at SCHEA (1322 Lafayette Street Unit A) to snap a spooky picture for free The Photo Booth Contest has cash prizes of

■ Hooked Island Grill - TBD

■ John Michael's Jewelry - Witches Sangria & Wrapped Candy

■ Monkey Bar Steak & Seafood - Flying Monkeys & Lollipops

■ Paradise Pizza - Sangria Paradise & Hershey Bars

■ Rack'em Spirits & Times - Vampire's Kiss & Fireball Candy

■ Rusty's Raw Bar & Grill - Are you afraid of the dark? & KitKats

■ Tiki Hut Bar - Pumpkin Punch & Mixed Candy

■ WOW! Wing House - Watermelon Lemon Drop & Nerds

“Halloween is the perfect time for participating locations to get creative with their drink concoctions,” Quinn said. “From spooky-themed cocktails to festive shots, each bar really embraces the holiday spirit, coming up with unique and fun drinks that add to the excitement of the Spooktacular Pub Crawl It's a great way for attendees to try something new while kicking off the Halloween season ”

$150 for first, $100 for second, and $50 for third.

“SCHEA is especially excited to see all the fantastic costume ideas from kids and adults this year,” Quinn said “We have a photographer at our Photo Booth capturing the fun and a cash prize costume contest for kids, there’s even more reason to get creative and show off their best Halloween outfits ”

Quinn said the more than 30 participating local businesses love taking part in the event, spreading some seasonal goodness around for the youth

“Local businesses are thrilled to be part of the South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat,” she said. “It gives them the chance to welcome attendees into their stores and restaurant locations, where visitors can check out menus, explore retail offerings, and learn more about what each business has to offer all while enjoying the festive event in the South Cape "

The event is free to attend, with registration available on

Tickets are $20 in advance ($15 for Designated Drivers) Day-of tickets (if available) are $25

Early check in is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Big John’s Plaza (near Pinch-a-Penny) or Dolphin Key Resort (under the front awning) Late check in runs 7:30 to 10 p m at Dolphin Key Resort (under the front awning) All ticket holders must be present with ID to receive a wristband, passport and checkin trinket

To enter the photo booth contest, have your picture taken at the official photo booth at Dolphin Key Photos will be uploaded to Facebook, and the public will vote

After experiencing Hurricane Milton, Quinn said the trolley event is a great way to enjoy the season and have a great night out with friends or family

“A night of fun and entertainment is exactly what everyone needs after the stress of Hurricane Milton,” she said “It’s a great way to unwind, connect with friends and enjoy a muchneeded break from the challenges the hurricane brought The Pub Crawl offers a chance to laugh, celebrate and enjoy the festive atmosphere, helping to lift spirits and bring the community together.”

Lee County continues to clean up after Hurricane Milton

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

More than 200,000 homes and businesses lost electricity during Hurricane Milton, leaving the county with downed power lines, flooded roads and scattered debris while leaving its worst damage for counties to the north

Residents were also asked to avoid local beaches for the next couple days while the cleanup continues The Lee Department of Health also issued health warnings to avoid going into the water due to health risks

Hurricane Milton hit Captiva and Boca Grande hardest The approach to Blind Pass Bridge in Captiva was damaged County crews worked to restore access to Boca Grande after sections of Gasparilla

R o a d w e r e w a s h e d o u t , L e e C o u n t y

Public Safety Director Ben Abes said

Other roads were damaged and the county is also assessing all of its bridges, Abes said

In Matlacha, a tornado touched down ahead of Hurricane Milton on a day when the National Weather Service reported a record number of tornadoes for Florida Homes and businesses were damaged The tornado spread through the back bay of Fort Myers Beach to Hickory Island

The good news was there were no deaths reported in the county attributed to Hurricane Milton a scenario far different than two years ago when Hurricane Ian killed dozens in a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasts had been warning of a catastrophic hurricane that could bring damage as bad as Ian though the worst part of the storm was felt in Sarasota County where Ian made a direct hit as a Category 3 hurricane

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to more than 600 storm-related calls He said low-lying areas of the barrier islands in the county saw “significant surge ” The worst storm surge was seen in the county’s barrier islands, where surge levels approached six feet

The National Weather Service recorded the second-highest storm surge on record for their Fort Myers station - second to Hurricane Ian

“ T h i s i s w h e n s t r a n g e r s h e l p

2024 FIAS Airshow in Punta Gorda canceled due to Hurricanes Milton and Helene

In light of the significant impacts of Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene o n t h e c o m m u n i t y , o r g a n i z e r s h a v e made the difficult decision to cancel the 4 3 r d A n n u a l F l o r i d a I n t e r n a t i o n a l Airshow in Punta Gorda The dual hurricanes have caused widespread damage and disruption across the region, making it impractical to proceed with the event.

"Our community is facing tremendous challenges as we recover from the destruction caused by these two powerful storms," said Denise Dull, president of the airship "The safety of our attendees, vendors and volunteers is our highest priority, and at this time, it is clear that the best course of action is to focus on supporting our community’s recovery efforts "

B o t h h u r r i c a n e s h a v e r e s u l t e d i n extensive damage to homes, businesses and essential infrastructure, with many residents still without power or access to vital resources As the region continues

its recovery efforts, event organizers believe the community’s attention and r e s o u r c e s a

d rebuilding and aiding those affected by the storms

While the airshow is an annual tradition that brings joy and excitement to the area, the decision to cancel was made out of an abundance of caution and care f o r t h e c o m m u n

Organizers are committed to bringing the event back stronger once recovery efforts are complete and the community is ready to come together in celebration

"We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors, volunteers, and community partners who have worked tirelessly in preparation for this year’s event," added Dull "We look forward to the 2025 Airshow, where we can host an amazing event in a way that reflects the strength and resilience of our community "

For more information on how to a s s i s t i n r e l i e f e f

www coadfl org

strangers,” Marceno said

More than 9,000 people sought safety in county shelters during the storm

U S Sen Rick Scott joined county officials for a briefing on Thursday at the L e e C o u n t y E m e r g e n c y O p e r a t i o n s Center Scott said he was thankful nobody appeared to have died in Lee County during Hurricane Milton but said residents had to be extra cautious not to get hurt while recovering from Milton and repairing damage

“Don’t use a chain saw if you don’t

know how to use it,” Scott said “We all have to be careful Take your time ” S c o t t s a i d u n e x p e c t e d t o r n a d o e s throughout the state led to deaths including several in St Lucie County, Scott said “We had some horrible tornadoes ”

The Associated Press reported at least 1

Milton

Scott said he spoke with President Joe Biden Thursday morning

“He agrees that Congress needs to comeback and make sure federal agencies are fully funded,” Scott said.

Scott said he has spoken with Biden about getting block grants to farmers and ranchers and getting FEMA centers open as close to impacted residents as possible

Scott called on the public to contact his office if they have any problems with FEMA

Abes urged residents using power generator to do so safely and recommended users follow tips provided online and on Lee County G overnment’s w ebs ite at www leegov com

Southwest Florida International Airport resumed operations and flights Friday morning

Debris pickup began Monday at sunrise Abes said residents should keep separate piles for yard debris, appliances, electronics, construction and demolition debris Do not put out debris in plastic bags (FEMA restriction)

“There are a lot of neighbors helping neighbors,” Lee County Board of County C o m m i s s i o n e r

C h

i r m a n M

k e Greenwell said “That’s what makes Lee County strong Please help your neighbors ”

Tommy Bohanon Foundation’s 5th Annual Softball Tournament and Toy Drive set for Nov. 30

Foundation Softball Tournament and Toy Drive is set for Thanksgiving weekend, with team registrations now open

The seasonal family event will take place Saturday, Nov 30, starting at 8 a m , at the Northwest Cape Coral Softball Complex, 1030 N W 16th Place

w

The one-day tournament and toy drive

Attendees will be able to enjoy bounce houses, holiday craft vendors, food trucks and exciting action on the softball fields. Plus, Santa himself will make a special guest appearance to add to the holiday excitement

The admission fee is a new, unused toy on the day of the tournament

More than $70,000 worth of toys and c o n t r i b u t i o n s w a s r a i s e d d u r i n

event’s first four years All donations go toward a shopping spree at which the recipients can purchase both gifts and necessities

The registration fee is $300 or $300 worth of unwrapped, new toys per

team, for up to 12 players

To register a team or make a donation, visit: tommybohanonfoundation org/softball/

Opportunities to help as a volunteer, participant or donor can be found at T o m m y B

katie@tommybohanonfoundation org

About the Tommy Bohanon Foundation

The Tommy Bohanon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young athletes reach their highest potential on and off the playing field Former NFL fullback Tommy Bohanon returned to his hometown in Southwest Florida to pursue his vision of ending generational poverty for at-risk y o u t h T h e f

scholarships, sports equipment grants to local high schools, youth football camps, seminars and programs, as well as funding for other local nonprofits

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club shed was washed off its Sterling Avenue property into a nearby canal by Hurricane Milton

United Way, Collaboratory, relaunch SWFL Emergency Relief Fund

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, a pair of local non-profits have teamed up to provide relief for those impacted by the storm that blew through Southwest Florida nearly two weeks ago

As the clean-up and recovery from Hurricane Milton moves forward in earnest over the next several days and weeks, United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades is working to ensure all those in need of assistance are supported Financial donations and volunteers are needed to support the region’s recovery.

United Way’s 211 helpline is still operating 24 hours a day, providing free information and referral services to anyone in Southwest Florida in the wake of the storm Community Resource Specialists provide real-time information and support

United Way, along with Collaboratory, has relaunched the “SWFL Emergency Relief Fund ” This easy-to-use portal for monetary donations is active at UnitedWayLee org/Donate

“As a community foundation, we collect the funds and then provide them to our nonprofit partners who perform the direct service, the majority going to the United Way,” said Dawn Belamarich, Collaboratory president and CEO “This is what we’re here for As a community foundation, as a regional convener, our job is to raise funds and partner with organizations that are doing direct service work It’s an honor to do so, and that's what we're here for ”

Donors can select “Disaster Relief” to contribute to the fund Those who donate directly support survivors of Hurricane Milton, with 100% of the funds supporting individuals affected by Hurricane Milton

Donors can select “Disaster Relief” to contribute to the fund. Those who donate directly support survivors of Hurricane Milton, with 100% of the funds supporting individuals affected by Hurricane Milton.

“We launched the fund hoping that donations would come in, especially from outside of the area or people who were not affected, but that doesn’t always happen,” said United Way of Lee, Henry and Glades President and CEO Jeannine Joy “Especially with Helene coming in and Milton causing so much havoc as well, the donations to the fund are not where we would like them to be But for us at the Unite Way, we’re going to do what we need to do, no matter what ”

Joy said through the United Way’s gifts in-kind program donated goods from companies and organizations throughout the country they have received more than $250,000 worth of goods since Hurricane Helene, and have distributed more than $1 3 million in goods to the community

“Those include things like muck buckets, and water, flooring, blow-up mattresses,” Joy said “All different sorts of things that will help people that have been immediately affected And that’s just in donated goods ”

United Way’s staff have been reaching out to partner agencies to assess where the most aid is needed Some of the most affected neighborhoods include Cabana City and Lake Fairways in North Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers Shores, Villas, Pine Island, Sanibel Island, and Captiva Island

Joy said the local United Way is working with three of its “core” partners when it comes to relief on barrier islands Those include Beacon of Hope, F I S H of SanibelCaptiva, and Fort Myers Beach Strong

“We immediately released funding to them to help with relief efforts right away,”

Joy said “Things like giving them gift cards so people could replace food that was lost, or items that were lost from the storm.

“We wanted to make sure we were meeting those initial needs right away We’re approaching the $100,000 mark on gift cards that we’ve gotten out already "

Working with more than 90 Partner Agencies to ensure the community has its immediate needs met, United Way is looking for volunteers to help distribute meals, assist with home clean up, debris removal, and more

“There are tons of opportunities available (for people to volunteer),” Joys said “There are people who are helping home-bound elderly who may still have debris in their yards and helping clean up Helping people rebuild their homes and just get them ready There are distribution events people can also volunteer for, and so if people find themselves in a fortunate situation and maybe don’t have the dollars to contribute, we can always use the hands to help ”

Joy said her biggest concern, taking scenarios from previous disasters that happened, is the trickle-down effect storms have on families and individuals struggling to get by

“You had families that had their kids home for almost a week, so they couldn’t go to work,” she said “Families where their business was closed, and because it was closed they didn’t pay, so you missed out on days of work Or businesses that were destroyed And families that were just making it a little above paycheck to paycheck are going to feel this as we move forward

because they had to miss wages or buy things to prepare for the storm We’re going to see that over the coming weeks, and families are going to start struggling to pay either a utility bill or their rent, because they’re going to find themselves falling behind So we’re prepared to address those issues when they come up through our partner agencies and United Way 211 ”

Funds will be allocated to meet immediate needs, including food, clothing, and other related items Resources will also help individuals facing financial hardship due to lost wages from business closures, ensuring they can cover essential expenses during recovery

“Monetary donations allow our agencies and United Way to change as the needs change in the community,” Joy said “It’s better for us to have the dollars to do that Think about you’re in your darkest place you’ve ever been Your home has just been destroyed because of either surge or a tornado, and the last thing that is going to be helpful is something that doesn’t fit you properly Giving people that hope and dignity to be able to hand them a gift card to go out and purchase what they need, gives them that boost of hope they need at this time It really does make a difference in helping them see that there is light and the end of the tunnel That they’re going to be able to move forward and recover from this And we can meet the needs at any given time if we have the dollars to do it ”

Belamarich added, “It’s a tax-deductible donation And quite frankly, keeping dollars in the community is how we all support each other If you have the means and the opportunity to support the fund, it will go directly to partner organizations that are supporting our residents

“It’s easy to get bogged down in your indiSee RELIEF FUND, page 26

Name a growth-related challenge and/or oppor tunity you see for the nor th Cape. How should it be addressed or encouraged?

Primary ElEction - District 2

❑ laurie lehmaNN

With more homes being built in the North Cape and wells drying up, the challenge is getting city water and sewer to the north Cape at a reasonable cost to homeowners The Utilities Expansion Project (UEP) is being undertaken but not fast enough, hence costs go up Before the roads are resurfaced put in the city water and sewer in the north Cape so roads do not have to be done twice thus double spending on the same roads Water is essential to daily life

One of the main challenges of the north Cape is the cost of the Utilities Expansion Project (UEP) It is imperative that all residents have access to clean potable water We have an opportunity to aggressively seek grants and other funding mechanisms to bring the cost down We should encourage all our local, state, and federal representatives to partner with us in seeking all funding opportunities to bring the cost down for all our infrastructure initiatives beginning with the UEP Additionally, we have an exciting opportunity to develop the north Cape into a unique and desirable destination I would like to encourage the public to get involved in the planning, expansion, and development of the north Cape ❑

DerriCk DoNNell Der rickDonnell.com

Each week through the General Election, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response.

To address growth in North Cape, encouraging proper commercial development will reduce the need for residents to travel long distances for goods and services, minimizing traffic congestion Expanding the UEP, completing new parks, and focusing on beautification projects will enhance the community Key opportunities include the upcoming Lee Health facility on Veterans Parkway, which will meet local medical needs, and improved boating access off the Spreader Canal, boosting recreational opportunities and property values These efforts will create a more self-sufficient and attractive environment for families and residents alike.

Primary ElEction - District 3

I would like to see more businesses in retail and the food industry come to North Cape There are plenty of opportunities for us as a city council to encourage small businesses to take advantage of our growing population and open space in North Cape This will not only provide local residents with closer options for shopping but will also provide additional opportunities for tax revenue, benefiting everyone in the Cape

Primary ElEction - District 4

❑ riCharD Carr (iNCumbeNt) VoterichCar r.com

Growth in North Cape, both residential and commercial, is inevitable While this brings opportunities, it also presents challenges, with the biggest being the need to keep up with infrastructure demands Requiring large projects to bring necessary infrastructure to their properties before approving construction is a good way to ensure we can support the city’s expansion Additionally, accelerating the completion of our utilities expansion projects will help accommodate rapid residential growth We should make every effort to identify ways to reduce costs for residents in the Utilities Expansion Project (UEP) areas

Important dates

∫ General Election: Tuesday, Nov 5

∫ Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: Was Oct. 7.

∫ Mail ballots: First vote-by-mail ballots were sent out on Tuesday, Oct. 1; new requests will be sent within 48 hours of being received. Last day to request one is Thursday, Oct. 24.

∫ Early Voting: Monday, Oct 21, through Saturday, Nov 2, from 10 a m to 6 p m daily Visit lee vote/Early-VotingInformation/Early-Voting-Dates-and-Locations for locations

JeNNifer NelsoN NelsonforDistrict4.com

The Seven Islands project is our largest growth opportunity in the Northwest since 2017 This project must be completed with thoughtfulness due to the environmental, traffic, and tranquility impact it will have on our residence in that area Also, we know that the only hurricane evacuation route out of the northwest part of our city is through Burnt Store road to I-75 This is where the I-75 connector from Del Prado would be an important asset to our city, especially considering economic growth and safety for hurricane evacuations

Resources

The Lee County Supervisor of Elections posts all city-election related documents, including campaign reports at lee.vote. Lee.vote also offers a wealth of elections-related information concerning registration, voting, dates and candidate lists and documents Information on the Constitutional amendments appearing on the ballot may be found at lee.vote/Election-Information/ProposedBallot-Measures

∫ The League of Women Voters, Lee County offers electionrelated information on its website, my.lwv.org/florida/lee-county.

DaN shepparD (iNCumbeNt)

Name a growth-related challenge and/or oppor tunity you see for the nor th Cape. How should it be addressed or encouraged?

primAry eleCtion - distriCt 5

❑ Joseph KilRaine Kilr aineforcape com

The greatest challenge in the North, which affects the whole city, is the sustainability of the potable water aquifer source The Mid-Hawthorne aquifer is shallow, being depleted and on the brink at which South Florida Water management could curtail building killing our city's primary economic engine ie building trades (90% of Cape’s remaining growth is in the North) The fix is a new North water reclaim plant, re-ordering & accelerating the UEP Supplemental federal funding must be prioritized to alleviate resident UEP cost burden Also, an easily achievable opportunity is opening the already formed cut for easy gulf access which will increase home values instantly

Each week through the General Election, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response.

❑ chaRlie pease votecharliepease.com

Bringing the right mix of commercial development to north Cape Coral presents both opportunities and challenges Enhancing our commercial tax base is essential to alleviate the property tax burden on residents as our population grows We must also recruit economic development that brings attractive career opportunities, such as technology and manufacturing companies, and a possible university satellite campus that can serve as an anchor However, infrastructure challenges, including utilities expansion and road improvements, often impede progress To overcome these challenges and accelerate impactful mixed-use projects such as Cape Coral Grove (130 acres in NW Cape) and Victory Park (230 acres in NE Cape), collaboration with industry is key. Innovative solutions, including tax increment financing, are vital for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes

generAl eleCtion only - distriCt

7

❑ Rachel KaduK R achelK aduk.com

We all know the challenges for the North Cape, so I would like to present the following opportunity The city has recently received a grant for $30 million for a new facility that will be a recreation center as well as a disaster shelter I think the city should look into additional funding to add additional square footage onto the facility for a not-for-profit daycare center for the city workers and any teachers that teach in the Cape With the city struggles in finding as well as keeping good employees, I feel that this additional benefit would be helpful in attracting more qualified employees

The Utilities Expansion Project cost and execution is crucial We must continue to find grants to offset the cost for homeowners We need to connect the Del Prado extension to I-75 This would serve as an evacuation route and help economic development The intersection at Northeast 10th Lane (Del Prado) and Northeast 10th Place (Pine Island) is dangerous and needs a light The roundabout at Littleton and Corbett Road should’ve been placed at Kismet and Northeast 24th Avenue Gator Circle is booming and now an extremely dangerous intersection We need the fully funded lane at Avrill to be completed ASAP

About CApe CorAl Cit y CounCil

Cape Coral has a city manager/council form of government A Council-appointed, contract city manager runs the day-to-day operations of the city Cape Coral City Council is an elected eight-member board comprised of a mayor and seven council members who set policy and are accountable to the voters The mayor may live in any district Council members are elected “at large” meaning while candidates must live in the district they seek to represent, the seats are filled via non-partisan, citywide elections Every registered Cape voter, no matter their party affiliation or city address, may cast a ballot in every race in both primary and general elections.

Each week first through the primary and then through the General Election, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 or so words, for their response

■ Week 1, published July 5:

Why are you running? What are your top three issues?

■ Week 2: published July 12:

Should the stipend approved by Cape Coral City Council in addition to member salaries be retained, rescinded or modified?

■ Week 3, published July 19:

How will you weigh projects with a potential citywide benefit but also a perceived neighborhood impact?

■ Week 4, published July 26:

How would you define your position on public-private partnerships?

■ Week 5, published Aug 2:

How would you build consensus to accomplish your objectives?

■ Week 6, published Aug. 9:

What is your first impression of the city's working budget for the next fiscal year?

■ Week 7, published Aug. 16:

What are your views on “accessory dwelling units?

■ Week 8, published Aug. 30:

What should be done with the old golf course acreage?

■ Week 9 published Sept. 6:

Where do you see the city in terms of overall employee compensation, i e wages and benefits? What, if any, changes should Council consider?

■ Week 10, published Sept 13

What, if anything, should be done to address transparency?

■ Week 11, published, Sept 20

Should members of Council comment on issues outside of scheduled meetings? Should Council appoint a single spokesperson for media and other inquiries?

■ Week 12, published Sept. 27

What role, if any, should the city play regarding affordable and/or “workforce” housing?

■ Week 13, published Oct. 4

With mail ballots on their way, please answer the question you’ve been waiting to be asked

■ Week 14, published Oct 11

With a number of expansive park plans in the queue, how should the city fund these projects?

■ Week 15, published today, Oct. 18

Name a growth-related challenge and/or opportunity you see for the north Cape? How should it be addressed or encouraged?

❑ Michael david haRpeR

COMMUNITY

Reduce stormwater runoff -- Florida Friendly Landscaping Principle #8

By JANETTA FOX news@breezenewspapers com

Florida receives a considerable amount of annual rainfall, especially during the summer The stormwater can remain and soak in where it falls, evaporate or wash away This latter occurrence is known as stormwater runoff Why should we be concerned about runoff? After all, it is just water, right? Not quite

Let’s look at residential

a r e a s a s a n e x a m p l e

GARDEN

CLUB OF CAPE CORAL

Rainfall that flows off the property does so without the benefit of the natural filtering of impurities that trees, turf, ground cover and other permeable surfaces such as paved walkways provide Therefore, the flow, and the various sediment and pollutants gathered up along the way work their way, unchecked, into sewer systems, aquifers, streams, canals, rivers and other waterways

No matter where we live, whether or not in the vicinity of a body of water, we all live in a watershed and our local actions have considerable impact “downstream ” Until I began looking into the negative impact runoff has on the environment, I never gave much thought to it I now recognize that, as homeowners, we can help reduce the amount of runoff on our properties by asking a few questions, a handful of which are shared below, and then taking mitigating action.

Are grass clippings allowed to remain on the lawn? After mowing, if you notice that portions have migrated to your driveway or into the roadway, sweep or blow the clippings back into the landscape, where they will add beneficial nutrients for turf health during decomposition The same goes for leaves and other yard debris Otherwise, the vegetation and the nutrients they contain, i e , nitrogen and phosphorus, will get caught up in the flow And, as we know, these two nutrients have been known to feed algal blooms which lead to fish kills

How are downspouts positioned? Are they positioned so water remains in the landscape and away from the driveway? By making simple adjustments to spouting, rainwater can flow into landscaped areas for use by vegetation You could also consider placing a rain barrel or cistern in the area to capture downspout water, which would serve to harvest the rainwater for future use

If you observe that an area accumulates too much water in a storm’s aftermath, think about turning the area into a rain garden, making certain that the native or other Florida friendly plants you choose for inclusion not only enjoy wet feet but are also drought tolerant With proper selection and a focus on right plant/right place you will better ensure that, once established, the plants will prove hardy with no special care or use of fertilizers and pesticides normally needed A win-win for both your wallet and the environment!

And speaking of fertilizers and pesticides, do you use only as needed and according to label directions? When applying more than necessary for either, the excess nutrients that fertilizers contain and chemical content of pesticides have to go somewhere and when it rains that somewhere is into our waterways

Is animal waste disposed of properly or left where deposited? And, if you have a septic system is it wellmaintained? Animal waste and leakage from a malfunctioning system contribute bacteria and harmful microorganisms to the runoff mix Therefore, be sure to pick up waste when walking your dog and get your septic system inspected every couple of years

OCTOBER 18,

‘New Beginnings’ Gulf Coast Village and North Fort Myers Art Association partner for exhibit opening Nov. 5

Gulf Coast Village, Cape Coral’s only life plan community, has collaborated with the North Fort Myers Art Association to launch an art exhibit entitled “New Beginnings ” The first installation of the nonprofits’ joint venture to display rotating art exhibits will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 46 p m , at Gulf Coast Village’s auditorium in Cape Coral

“New Beginnings” will feature artwork by talented local artists and Gulf Coast Village resident artists A celebration will begin at 4 p m with a ribbon-cutting by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral and a welcome speech by Ryan Keller, regional vice president of senior living at Volunteers of America National Services, and Judy Biddle, president of the North Fort Myers Art Association

The exhibit will allow guests the opportunity to learn more about the artwork on display, network with one another and appreciate the talent of local artists

“ W e ’ r e l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o

launch of the upcoming collaboration between our community and the North Fort Myers Art Association,” said Keller “Not only is it an opportunity for our residents and local community to appreciate art, but it’s a chance to experience a new beginning of your own by trying something new ”

Notable pieces of art will be on display, some of which will be marked for sale to the general public Champagne and hors d’oeuvres will be available for guests to enjoy as they take in the artwork, and Barb Atkins, a local pianist, will provide musical entertainment

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will occur in the front lobby of Gulf Coast Village, located at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd The art exhibit will be on display throughout Gulf Coast Village’s hallways and elevator lobby area through Friday, Dec 6, for those who are unable to attend “New Beginnings” but would like to view the artwork

To register for the event, please RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 22, by calling 239-510-8712 To learn more about Gulf Coast Village, visit GulfCoastVillage org

United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties set to host annual campaign kickoffs

United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades has announce two events to launch the 2024-2025 annual campaign This year’s theme, "United We’re Stronger,” reflects United Way’s commitment to bringing the community together for a stronger future

The Hendry and Glades’ Campaign Kickoff will debut a new format this year at LaBelle Brewing Co , 670 W Hickpochee Ave , LaBelle The event will take place on Thursday, Oct 24, from 5-8 p m , and promises an evening filled with delicious food, exciting raffles and lots of fun Tickets are available for just $15 at the United Way

LaBelle, or online at UnitedWayLee org/Events The campaign co-chairs for the Hendry and Glades campaign are Dr Barbara Mundy of Hendry County School District and

Bob Beville, Community Volunteer Tickets are limited, so make sure you get yours today

The Lee County Campaign Kickoff will take place Thursday, Nov 7, at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall Doors will open at 8:30 a m for networking, with the program starting at 9 a m Tickets are available now at UnitedWayLee org/Events The Lee County campaign is co-chaired by Dr Scott Nygaard of Lee Health and Dan O’Berski of Trinity Commercial Group

The Lee County Campaign Kickoff will feature photo opportunities, special guests, and a reveal of the winner of a two-year lease on a brand-new Lexus, courtesy of Scanlon Auto Group

For more information, please call 239-433-2000 or visit UnitedWayLee org

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Classic Car Fest Saturday cancelled

The Cape Coral Museum of History Classic Car Fest scheduled for this Saturday, Oct 19, has been cancelled The next Classic Car Fest is scheduled for Nov 30 with the theme of Shop Small Saturday!

Residents and visitors are invited to bring the whole family to enjoy a morning of classic vehicles, music, food trucks, merchant vendor village for great local, handmade gifts, hands-on activities and free museum tours!

Th free public event provides a chance for visitors to gather and engage with history No reservations are necessary for the public, but are encouraged for planning purposes

To register a vehicle for the show, or to sign up to be a craft or business vendor sign up on the museum website at h

information/

Additional future Classic Car Fest dates include Feb 15 - Heart Health Month, and April 12 - Spring Fling Cape Coral Ar t League to hold Beading for Cancer event Nov. 15

The Cape Coral Art League will be holding a Beading for Cancer event to benefit the American Cancer Society Friday, Nov 15, from 1-4 p m The cost is $15 per person and children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult

The public is invited to stop by and string some bracelets -- two to keep and two to donate to the American Cancer Society Crystal and glass beads will be used to string the bracelets

Light snacks will be available.

The Cape Coral Art League is at 516 Cultural Park Blvd For additional information, call 239-772-5657, email capecoralartleague@gmail com or visit www capecoralartleague org You can also check out Cape Coral Art League on Facebook

Sands bringing Sinatra's 'That's Life' concer t to Cape Cabaret on Halloween

Tony Sands' production of Frank Sinatra’s "That's Life" concert will be performed Thursday, Oct 31, at 7 p m , at Cape Cabaret in Cape Coral Sands, who has received praise for his uncanny vocal recreation of Sinatra along with his mannerisms that help create the illusion of 'Ol' Blue Eyes,' will be performing such hits as "That’s Life," "Come Fly With Me," "Luck Be A Lady,"" My Way," "New York" and many more Sands will be accompanied by a live six piece band Cape Cabaret, which features dining, dancing and live music, is at 4725 Vincennes Blvd , in South Cape Call 2 3 9 - 5 4 9 - 3 0 0 0 f o

Haunted event at civic center opens on Halloween

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

Hurricane Milton may have put the brakes on the largest haunted house event in Southwest Florida, but Halloween will happen at the Lee Civic Center

T

Invasion: (Chapter 2) Area 31,” which was set to kick off Friday at the center’s Tinsley Pavilion, has been postponed and will begin on Halloween Night, Thursday, Oct 31

The new dates are Oct 31-Nov 3 and Nov 8-10 Gates will open at 7:30 p m and the doors will open at 8

The civic center is being used for recovery staging post-Milton, which is a reason for the postponement.

Those who purchased tickets for the event on Oct 18-20 and Oct 25-27 are welcome to show up with those tickets for any date of their choosing

The largest haunt in Southwest Florida f e a t u r e s a 1 7 , 0 0

through maze, with frights at every corner

The largest haunt in Southwest Florida, The Legends of Oblivion’s “Alien Invasion: (Chapter 2) Area 31, features a 17,000-square-foot walk through maze, with frights at every corner The size of the attraction allows for storytelling that transports visitors to the journey of the unknown

The size of the attraction allows for storytelling that transports visitors to the journey of the unknown

Wayne Anderson created this spectacle

Originally from Fort Myers, he spent more than a decade in Los Angeles as a special effects creature designer, working on films such as “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and the remake of “Ghostbusters.”

In 2018, he returned to the area to achieve his goal to create the ultimate haunting experience and held his first event at the Lee Civic Center

This time the event is meant to be a sequel for the first one

“A lot of the characters are original, sculpted by me and cast and painted The Area 31 vibe is kind of like Area 51,”

Anderson said “Since it’s on State Road 31, we decided to call it Area 31 and had an alien abduction vibe ”

However, what was supposed to be an annual event ran into issues, both personal and out of his control

“In 2019 we had our first child, in 2020 was COVID We had another child in 2021 and then there was Ian and then the future of the civic center was up in the air with the contract with the fair association expiring,” Anderson said “We kept it low key until we were able to come back,” which was six years

“Alien Invasion” is not going through the motions for this For them, this is a big deal to make this season the best and scariest and they need all the help they can get,

especially following the postponement

They have nearly 60 people on board, putting the set together, doing makeup, portraying the characters, and doing the things behind the scenes to make this a success

online ($30 at the door), VIP Express Line is $45 online ($50 at the door) and for the Close Encounters Experience it’s $69 ($74 at the door), which includes a priority line, secret rooms within the haunt and a mystery swag box at the gift shop. Children under 12 are free

For parents, the attraction may be too intense for children under 12 Parental discretion is advised

Parking is $1, which will be donated to The Marine Corps Toys for Tots of Lee C

Bayshore Road

The Lee Civic Center is at 11831

Bayshore Road on the corner of State Road 31 For more, go to hauntedswfl com

City’s popular Trunk-or-Treat returns Oct. 25

By JOHNATHAN MINEHAN news@breezenewspapers com

The city of Cape Coral will hold its third annual Trunk-or-Treat next Friday with a new feature Cape Coral’s first drone show

The free fest will take place from 6 to 9 p m , in front of Cape Coral City Hall on Oct 25 with the drone show set for 8:30 p m

This year’s movie on the lawn will be “Hotel Transylvania ” The movie will play

This year ’s free event will feature Cape Coral’s first drone show and an on-the-lawn outdoor screening of “Hotel Transylvania.”

on the giant inflatable movie screen at 7 p m

Other treats include a candy giveaway with costumes both welcomed and encouraged

Attendees also can purchase treats from Between the Bunz, Hot off the Press, Spelltacular Treats, and Love Boat Ice Cream

Food offerings will includes hotdogs,

hamburgers, paninis, ice cream, and sweet treats

“The event is free for attendees to have a great time with the community and celebrate the holiday spirit , ” city officials said

Attendees may park in the visitor and employees parking lot

C a

Cultural Park Blvd

For more information, visit capecoral gov

Community Cooperative’s annal Becoming

Cosmopolitan fundraiser rescheduled for Nov. 7

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Community Cooperative has rescheduled its 18th popular fundraising event, Becoming Cosmopolitan, to next month The new date for this year’s event with its fun twist

“Mad about Hunger” is Nov 7

“As always, Community Cooperative is on the ground as soon as possible after storms impacting our community with hot meals, donations, mobile food pantries and Meals o n W h e e l s , ” s a i d S t e f a n i e I n k E d w a r d s , C E O o f Community Cooperative, in a prepared statement “It’s what we are charged to do This event, while a light-hearted way to raise much needed funds, is critical to our ability to be there every time for our community ”

The event will be held Thursday, Nov 7, at 6 p m , at The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd , Fort Myers Tickets are $250 for VIP and general admission tickets are $150 Visit CommunityCooperative com/ Events/Becoming-Cosmopolitan-Mad-About-Hunger/ to purchase tickets Auction items will be added closer to the event

There still are sponsorship opportunities available, which range from $10,000 for the Queen of Hearts VIP sponsorships to the girlfriend package of $500 Community Cooperative Development Director Jade Bird said they are still looking for catering sponsorship for $10,000; valet for $3,500, entertainment for $3,500, photo booth for $2,500 and dessert sponsorship for $1,000

“We can have custom sponsor packages created,” Bird said, adding that sponsorship opportunities can be found at www communitycooperative com

The event will feature a mad tea party and treats, cocktails and silent auction

The program will include a cocktail hour, program section, an after party, silent auction and awareness.

“We will bring awareness to services and programs, give an impact statement of what we have done in the last 40 years We are hoping to have some good entertainment and a whimsical, wondrous time,” Bird said

The past couple of years the theme had been Gone Country

“This year it is Mad About Hunger with a twist on Alice and Wonderland,” Bird said, adding that the idea stemmed from velvet tablecloths that they saw last year while planning the event “The funds raised goes directly to programs and services to provide help to those in need ”

The engagement event is for supporters to see what Community Cooperative does in a fun way

Community Cooperative’s mission is to end hunger and homelessness in Southwest Florida through innovative and different approaches Some of those programs are Meals on Wheels, Community Market, mobile locations, Sam’s Community Cafe, and a school lunch program

The Meals on Wheels offers 450 meals a day about 900 miles driven by volunteers T

Participants come and get emergency groceries once a month about 40 households a day

“Our market is a choice model where you can come and grocery shop We don’t want to give people what they are going to throw away It keeps the dignity there We don’t just give you what we can Choose what you like to eat, and what you can eat,” Bird said

The organization also offers an On Demand Market through appointments that are convenient for the family

There are 14 mobile locations for those in need of emergency groceries once a month The locations also provide a hot meal

Sam’s Community Cafe offers individuals the opportu-

nity to get a hot meal from 10:30 a m to noon, an option that feeds 150 people every day

“We also do a community outreach for homelessness a social service program. We get someone in a home, or try to keep someone in the home – proactive instead of reactive,” Bird said.

Community Cooperative also has a food literacy coordinator who goes out into the community to teach about food, nutrition and how to grow food

“If you grow a tomato, maybe you don’t have to give a tomato,” Bird said

In total, they feed anywhere from 1,200 to 1,700 people a day through their many programs In 2023, Bird said they served 250,000 meals in the cafe kitchen on site

“Last year, we delivered almost 120,000 meals to the homebound senior elderly community who can’t get to the grocery store to buy food, or can’t cook for themselves,” she said

T h

Community Cooperative served, which Bird said is not even scratching the surface of those in need

“We are tiny, but mighty There’s such a need This event is important to spread the awareness of food insecurity in the community and homelessness in the community,” she said “We can’t do more without money That is why we have fundraising events ”

In addition to raising funds, Community Cooperative is always in need of volunteers, especially in the East Zone

Those who cannot donate money are invited to hold food drives The food goes directly on the shelves for people to bring home the very next day

“It’s such a beautiful, bitter thing,” Bird said of the community coming together to fight hunger “It’s so awful that we have to do what we are doing, but it’s so amazing to see the community that I am raising my own family in give back to the community ” F

www CommunityCooperative com, or contact Bird at Jade@Community Cooperative com, or call 239-3327687, extension 101

Family Initiative’s fourth annual All In For Autism Casino Night fundraiser Oct. 26 at Overtime Sports Bar

Family Initiative is excited to announce its fourth annual All In For Autism Casino Night fundraiser, a night

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Southwest Florida This exciting event will be held Saturday, Oct 26, at Overtime Sports Bar, located at 1708 Cape Coral Parkway, W , #1, Cape Coral

The All In For Autism Casino Night will feature classic casino games, live and silent auctions, complimentary cocktails and food, music, and more all in support of local families The event begins at 5:30 p m , promising an evening of excitement, generosity, and community connection

This annual event is more than just an entertaining evening; it’s an opportunity to raise crucial funds that

Chronic Pain Self-Management Workshops to star t in Cape Coral on Nov. 5

Would you like to learn how to better manage chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, headaches and more?

Lee Health’s “It’s All About You,” Chronic Pain SelfManagement Program” a Self- Management Resource Program with the SMRC is offering a research based Chronic Pain Self-Management program for the community

The workshop is free and meets weekly for six weeks

Information presented in the workshop can help you become empowered to improve your quality of life Learn how to more easily manage your medications; understand the benefits of exercise; manage symptoms of stress, pain and fatigue; and make smarter decisions related to health eating Participants will also receive a copy of the book

directly benefit the programs and services provided by Family Initiative for children and families in the local community

“We’re excited to bring the community together for a night of entertainment and to spread awareness,” said David Brown LCSW, co-founder and president of Family Initiative “Every ticket purchased and every dollar raised will directly benefit the programs and services we offer to children and families ”

Tickets for the event are available at Event Details (onecause com) and sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses and individuals looking to make a meaningful impact in the community

For more about the event and the latest updates, please visit https://www fi-florida org/casinonight/

HEALTH BRIEFS

“Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain ”

The sessions will be held on Tuesdays beginning Nov 5, from 9:30-12 p m , in person at Lee Health Solutions, 501 Del Prado S , Cape Coral

Please call 239-424-3121 for more information or to register

Free autism screening for young children

Nov. 15 at Pediatric Specialist Office

Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to 5 years of age

The next screening will be held on Nov 15, from 9 a m to 2 p m , at the Pediatric Specialist Office, 15901 Bass Road, Suite 102, Fort Myers

About Family Initiative

Established in 2015, Family Initiative is a nonprofit organization based in Cape Coral dedicated to supporting children, teens and young adults impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder through innovative programs and evidence-based therapies Family Initiative provides clinical services, educational programs, and community support, empowering individuals and families across Southwest Florida Through its private specialty school, Thrive Academy, Family Initiative offers a unique, individualized educational experience focused on academic achievement and vocational training In addition to autism services, Family Initiative provides training and support for child welfare caregivers To learn more, visit FI-Florida org or call 239-910-0712

It is estimated that one in every 44 children is diagnosed with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined

Medical consultants for the project stress that an early diagnosis can make a vast difference for toddlers and their families They say early intensive behavioral intervention can make an immense difference not just in the development of the child, but in their families as well

The ASD screening is conducted by the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida The screenings are administered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who has extensive training and experience in typical child development and developmental disorders

A physician referral is not required

To schedule an autism screening, please call 239-3436838

City approves $38 million land buy for reservoir

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

City Council approved the purchase of 1,202 acres, which is located east of U S 41 in Charlotte County for $38 million for the development of a water supply reservoir for Cape Coral’s irrigation water system

Utilities Director Jeff Pearson said currently the city receives all of their irrigation water from the freshwater canal system He said they are permitted for 66 7 million gallons per day on a maximum basis

“The system that we have, the reliability for the system depends on the canal levels remaining static, especially during the dry season,” Pearson said, adding that the

reservoir can provide up to 16 million gallons a day in dry season through the freshwater canal system

There is also 17 million gallons that can be produced from the water reclamation facilities and an additional 9 million gallons a day from the interconnection with Fort Myers

B P Limited Liability Company and Neslund Family Limited Partnership II are selling the land to the City of Cape Coral

The land is north of the Lee County line, south of Zemel Road, east of U.S. 41 and west of 1-75 in Charlotte County

This property has been used by the city since 2017 as a water supply reservoir Pearson said with frequent dry conditions,

it has required the city to pump supplemental water from this property into the U S 41 swells

There was a Southwest Florida Water Management District Water Use Permit obtained in 2020 between the city and the seller, which is for 20 years

According to backup information, the inter-district transfer agreement allows the city to pump up to 1 44 billion gallons of water between the two-water management district drainage basins during the dry season.

Pearson said the seller has indicated that he will continue under the same terms through the property closing

The city has a 100% engineering design plan to construct a 3-mile, 36-inch raw water pipeline and pump station on the reservoir property The pipeline is capable of delivering approximately 20 million gallons per day to Gator Slough – the primary freshwater canal that recharges the

northern section of the city’s freshwater canal system

The agreement also includes the seller and their engineer completing the construct i o n p h a s

g services/engineer of record services and CEI for the pipeline and pump station In addition, the seller shall include the shop building, fuel storage tanks, diesel pumps, all culverts, existing utility poles, monitoring wells and two dewatering pumps and power units in the property sale

The city is also working to modify the current WUP, which would allow the city to pump additional water from the future Bond Farm Reservoir and Cecil Webb Babcock Wildlife Management area during the dry season

Pearson said they looked at all available sources for irrigation and water supply and the reservoir was the most economical He said alternative options would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop and it would be five to six years before they would receive additional water

If the city is not satisfied at any time during the due diligence period, they can terminate the contract and receive the earnest money back

Debt funding will fund the project, which could be repaid by a 2 5% utility rate increase, or an increase in

Early voting: Cape City Council races among items on the ballot

Cape Coral

From page 1

■ Lee County Elections Cape Coral Branch Office – 1039 Southeast 9th Ave

■ Northwest Regional Library – 519

Chiquita Blvd N , Cape Coral

■ North Fort Myers Recreation Center – 2000 N. Recreation Parkway

■ Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers - 4224 Renaissance Preserve Way,, Fort Myers

■ Lakes Regional Library - 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers

■ Lee County Elections Center –13180 S Cleveland Ave , Fort Myers

■ Fort Myers Regional Library – 1651 Lee St

■ Lehigh Acres Elections Office - 600 Homestead Road Suite #9, Lehigh Acres

■ East County Regional Library – 881 Gunnery Road N , Lehigh Acres

■ Estero Recreation Center – 9200

Corkscrew Palms Blvd , Estero

■ Lee County Elections Bonita Springs Branch – 25987 S Tamiami Trail #105

Taking advantage of the Early Voting period and not waiting for Election Day itself could prove to be a benefit to voters

“People are very interested in voting in this election, and we expect a very high turnout,” Doyle said “Vote early to eliminate any possibility of lines on election day If you do encounter lines, please remain patient If you plan to vote in person, I suggest you review your sample ballot so that you’re prepared when voting at the polls ”

Doyle also spoke to the importance of voting in an election, especially this year

“The politics are so divided that it’s fir-

“We thoroughly test all 232 tabulators and electronic poll pads that will be used in the election We also conduct a state-mandated public Logic and Accuracy Test of the voting equipment and voting system to ensure they’re tabulating and counting votes accurately.”

Tommy Doyle, Lee County Supervisor of Elections

ing up voters,” he said “Many view the upcoming election as one of the most critical elections of our lifetime, so it’s important that you exercise your right to vote ”

In addition to the hotly contested presidential race highlighted by the Donald Trump/JD Vance and Kamala Harris/Tim Walz faceoff, races and state constitutional amendments on the General Election Ballot in Lee County include:

■ City of Cape Coral City Council

District 2- Laurie Lehmann and Dan Sheppard (incumbent)

D

Deborah Lee McCormick

District 4- Richard Carr (incumbent) and Jennifer Nelson

District 5- Joseph Kilraine and Charlie Pease

District 7- Michael Harper and Rachel Kaduk

Cape Coral City Council races are nonpartisan, at-large elections meaning Cape Coral voters may cast a ballot in each race no matter in which district they reside

■ Lee County School Board

D i

Sheridan Chester

The District 7 race is at-large, meaning

all Lee County voters may cast a ballot in this race

■ District Superintendent of Schools

Denise Carlin (REP) and Victor Arias (DEM)

■ Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, incumbent (REP) and write-in Michael Hollow

■ Board of County Commissioners

District 3- David Mulicka (REP) and write-in Jake Cataldo

District 5- Mike Greenwell, incumbent ( R E P i n c u m

(DEM)

Lee County Commission races are atlarge elections meaning Lee County voters may cast a ballot in each race no matter in which district they reside

Board of Directors

District 5- Daniel Alder, Kathy BridgeLines and Joseph R Gambino

United States Senator

■ R i c k S c o t t ( R E P ) a n d D e b b i e Mucarsel-Powell (DEM) and three other challengers

■ Representative in Congress District 19- Byron Donalds, incumbent

(REP) and Kari L Lerner (DEM)

■ State Representative

incumbent (REP) and Denise McCleary (DEM)

■ Constitutional Amendments

Voter vote yes to approve, no to oppose A 60% majority is required for passage

Amendment No 1- Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards

Amendment No 2- Right to Fish and Hunt

Amendment No. 3- Adult Personal Use of Marijuana

Amendment No. 4 - Amendment to L

Homestead Exemptions

Amendment No 6- Repeal of Public

https://www lee vote/Portals/Lee/2024%2 0GEN%20SB%20Voter%20Sample%20 Ballot%20Web pdf Thursday, Oct 24, is the last day voters can request a Vote-by-Mail ballot to be mailed by the Lee County Supervisor of Elections office for the 2024 General Election.

Oktoberfest: Celebration is set for Oct. 18-20 and Oct.

of cultural background, can gather for some Gaudi (leg-slapping, joyous fun) and Gem tlichkeit (that warm feeling of belonging and being a part of something special)

The festival kicks off on Fridays at 4 p m and goes to midnight, and opens again on Saturdays from noon until midnight and on Sundays from noon until 8 p m

“With the atmosphere, and our entertainers keeping people involved in dancing and singing, along with good food, good drink, and good times, people just have a special place for this event,” Kohl said “(After Milton), people can take a day to relax, enjoy the music, and have some good food Hopefully they’re at a point where they need a break and can get out and just have a good time and take their mind off of what happened ”

The event offers Herzlich Willkommen (a warm welcome) filled with fun, delicious food, German beer and spirits, live music, and dancing everything from Polka to Fliegerlied, and of course, the Bobb and Chicken Dance

“We’ve got a lot of great German beers and wines, as well as your domestics,” Kohl said “Lots of refreshments for adults and

children In-house, we’re serving sit-down dinners from our kitchen providing German food, such as sauerbraten and schnitzel There will also be vendors having tastes from around the world ”

This event, regardless of heritage, is truly for everyone

“It’s one big party,” Kohl said “We incorporate a lot of different ethnic groups, and they all bring different things We’re one people, and it’s a party, and everyone loves to have a party We want people to come out and enjoy themselves ”

With music-makers flown in from Germany, alongside performances by local favorites and entertainment for all ages, there is plenty of fun throughout each day

Welcoming back as the main band from Germany is once again the Zimmerer Kapelle, the big band from the small town of Biberach, Germany GASC officials said the band just loves the community, and is returning once again to be a part of the fun Also flying in from Germany are Die Flotten Oberkrainer, featured often on Germany’s Traumschiff; their version of Love Boat

Pure Country and Martini Russa, an international blues and rock band, plus Schuhplattler dancing performed by the Sunshine State Trachtenverein

“We have a little bit of everything, for everyone,” Kohl said

Also, Cape Coral’s own Hafenkapelle, Manni Daum Trio, and many more

There will be non-stop foot-tapping music on three stages under the tent, in the gardens, and inside in the Edelweiss Hall

“So, dust off your dirndls, launder your lederhosen, and join us for an epic time of stein slurping with your beste Freunde, even those you’ve just met,” said GASC spokesperson Susie Zimmer

After its success in 2023, the GACS’s VIP program is back, featuring exclusive seating, drink specials from sponsor J germeister, a sit-down meal in the Von Steuben Hall, a beer stein with refills, and much more.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into planning,” Kohl said “Our beautification team works months ahead of time We get our orders in for all the beer, wine, soda Our kitchen starts prepping in batches It’s like getting your house ready for guests, but on a larger scale We want to make it inviting and make it look good ”

Attendees can also stop for a photo shoot with Ms Oktoberfest 2024, Alexandra Reifschneider

“The dedicated GASC members, each one of them volunteering their time and effort to create the region’s most successful event, welcome you to enjoy German heritage,” Zimmer said “Once you capture the magic, you’ll want to become a member as well ” Kohl added, “Being a member is a good time If you enjoy meeting people we have a lot of great people here We’re always looking for new members to join It’s our own little community."

The event will also feature local favorites like The Boots, Deb & the Dynamics, A’Finnity, and award-winning acts such as

Featuring outdoor exhibitors, food vendors that offer both German food and international, or a sit-down dinner in the Von Steuben Hall, Oktoberfest has so much to offer GASC members work tirelessly to endure patrons have a time they won't soon forget

Advance tickets are $8, and $10 at the gate Children 12 and under are admitted free All event dates are rain or shine VIP tickets can be purchased online

For more information, visit https://capecoraloktoberfest com The GASC is at 2101 Southwest Pine Island Road From page 1

Relief: Donations and volunteers needed to help recovery effort

From page 15

vidual needs, and we all do, but I think our community does a fantastic job of coming together and I’m proud to be a part of that collaboration ” Joy said in the next few weeks, there will be mattresses coming from a United Way partner to help replace those lost in the storm

“We’re trying to resource more things that we know people are going to need and get them into our area and out to people as we need them,” Joy said

Collaboratory’s main function is to bring philanthropic dollars in, and put them back out to non-profit partners in the Southwest Florida community

“And we’re really doing that through this

kind of collaborative effort,” Belamarich said “All of our partners come together by cause, and we really try to fund the projects and organizations that are going to move the data points in the right direction on the social issues we face ” Joy reminded Southwest Floridians, no matter where on the scale damage from Milton or Helene impacted them, to fill out

their FEMA reports

“If you had expenses if you evacuated, if you lost food, even if you didn’t have damage to your home, you need to apply for that FEMA individual disaster relief,” she said Volunteers can view available opportunities and register at Volunteer United WayLee org

From page 4

d e t e r m i n e d a m a g e s o w e d

C o u n c i l w a s p u t o n n o t i c e W e d n e s d a y

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

F o r m e r m a y o r J o e M a z u r k i e w i c z ,

l o n g s i n c e a p o l i t i c a l a n d b u s i n e s s c o n -

s u l t a n t w h o h a s “ m u l t i p l e ” c l i e n t s w i t h a

v e s t e d i n t e r e s t i n t h e s e o r d i n a n c e s , u r g e d

C o u n c i l t h e r e m o v e t w o p r o v i s i o n s h e

s a i d w e r e c h a l l e n g e a b l e : A o n e - m i l e s e p -

a r a t i o n b e t w e e n l i k e b u s i n e s s e s a n d a

r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t t h e y b e 5 0 0 f e e t a w a y

f r o m m a j o r i n t e r s e c t i o n s . “ T a k e t h o s e t w o l i m i t i n g c o n d i t i o n s

o u t a n d t h e o r d i n a n c e w i l l w o r k , ” M r

M a z u r k i e w i c z s a i d d u r i n g c o m m e n t o n

t h e c a r w a s h o r d i n a n c e “ I t w i l l d o w h a t

y o u w a n t i t t o d o P l e a s e Y o u a l l k n o w

l i m i t i n g c o n d i t i o n s l i m i t t h e v a l u e o f t h e

p r o p e r t y T h i s l a w i s a p o t e n t i a l t a k i n g

T a k e t h o s e t w o t h i n g s o u t P a s s i t a n d

m a k e i t b e t t e r f o r t h e c i t y ”

M r M a z u r k i e w i c z h a d s i m i l a r c o m -

m e n t o n t h e s e l f - s t o r a g e o r d i n a n c e “ W i t h i n 5 0 0 f o o t o f a n i n t e r s e c t i o n , y o u h a v e t a k e n t w o p o t e n t i a l u s e s a w a y

f r o m a p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y o w n e r Y o u h a v e c r e a t e d w i n n e r s a n d l o s e r s , ” h e s a i d “ T h

GoldenFest XIV set for Nov. 17 at Hammond Stadium

Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida will host GoldenFest XIV from 10 a m to 2 p m , Sunday, Nov 17, at the Lee H e a l t h S p o r t s C o m p l e x - H a m m o n d Stadium, 14100 6 Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers

Open to well-behaved leashed dogs of all breeds, the event includes vendors, a huge raffle, live music, other entertainment and tasty fare.

For details: www grrswf org, info@grrswf org or 239-369-0415

BUSINESS

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Ralston named CFO of Collaborator y Sharon Ralston, ACMA, has been promoted to chief financial officer of Collaboratory She previously served as the organization’s controller for the past two years

Ralston has 35 years of international accounting and management experience with a proven track record of developing and implementing controls that safeguard assets

Originally from Manchester, England, she has worked with large multi-national corporations in industries ranging from healthcare to manufacturing in England, USA and Canada She is a chartered management accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Collaboratory is a regional community foundation with an evolved mission committed to coordinating the solving of Southwest Florida’s major social problems by 2040 across all five counties: Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte and Collier

To learn more and get involved, call 239-2745900 or visit www collaboratory org

Bieski joins Beach Homes Realty

Florida-based agent Bernard Bieski has moved his real estate license to Beach Homes Realty – a national beach-focused real estate company

With the brokerage, Bieski will specialize in beach homes and land on and around Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, and Captiva, Florida

Bieski brings over 20 years of experience in

Wallenpaupack region of Pennsylvania and now in Southwest Florida

Before transitioning to real estate, Bernard had a successful 30-year career in business education, coaching football and NCAA track and field Beach Homes Realty (Beach-Homes com) is a national beach-focused real estate company Beach Homes Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage in 14 states and is growing rapidly into additional states

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t h t t p s : / / b e a c hhomes com/

CRE Consultants announces recent real estate transactions

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

■ Hickcox Brothers Marine leased a 7,700square-foot industrial space at 847-905 S E 9th

T e r r a c e , U n i t A , C a p e C o r a l , f r o m R & R Engineering Properties stan stouder, CCIM of CRE Consultants and Phil Deems of Phil Deems Realty negotiated the transaction

■ K e y B a n k N a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n

5,000-square-foot office space in University Park at 12830 University Drive, Fort Myers, from Uccello University, LLC Enn Luthringer, CCIM of CRE Consultants negotiated the transaction

■ Superior Waterway Services, Inc leased a 2 , 1 0 5 - s q u a r e - f o o t i n d u s t r i a l s p a c e a t 1 3 8 5 0 Treeline Ave , S , Unit 7, Fort Myers, from 13850 Treeline, LLC Randy Mercer of CRE Consultants negotiated the transaction

■ AeroCare Holdings, LLC leased a 2,000square-foot industrial space in Metro Commerce Center at 11270 Metro Parkway, Unit 13, Fort M y e r s , f r o m M e t r o C o m m e r c e C e n t e r , L L C Randy Mercer of CRE Consultants negotiated the transaction

CRE Consultants | Brokerage Services, which provides "a full spectrum of commercial real estate and property management services for property owners, landlords, tenants and developers," is at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court, Suite 102, Fort Myers For additional information, call 239-4813800 or visit https://creconsultants com/

The Wyndham Garden Inn, pictured after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida two years ago, has been noticed by the Town of Fort Myers Beach that it is slated for demolition

Wyndham Garden Inn on Beach faces demolition

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Wyndham Garden Inn, once one of the jeweled beachfront hotels on Fort Myers Beach with one of the most expansive spots for enjoying the sand and peering out to the Gulf of Mexico, is slated to be demolished by the Town of Fort M y e r s B e a c h i f i t s o w n e r d o e s n o t d o s o b

Thanksgiving

The property was cited by the town with a notice on Sept 25 as an unsafe building structure The town council and management began a new policy of citing unsafe structures earlier this year with letters threatening demolition by the town

The Wyndham Garden Inn, located on Estero Boulevard close to Santini Plaza, was among the hardest-hit commercial

structures on the southern portion of the island after Hurricane Ian struck two years ago. It has been in disrepair ever since

The town’s notice was sent out to the address of record for the owner FMBH LLC, which has a registered address at 501 Goodlette Road North, Suite D 100 in Naples According to state records, the registered agent for the LLC is BP Financial The title manager for the LLC is Herbert Pohlmann with an address at 4100 Corporate Square, Suite 15, in Naples

The town's notice, issued by building official Joseph Specht, gives the owner 60 says to vacate and arrange for the property to be demolished before the town does the demolition itself and charges the owner for the cost

The property owner has 30 days to appeal

Better Together, Grace Church job fair Oct. 24

Better Together is partnering with Grace Church to host a community job fair from 11 a m to 2 p m , Thursday, Oct 24, in Fort Myers

Registration is now open for hiring employers and job seekers to participate in the October event The church-based job fair connects job seekers with local employers who are ready to hire, while also providing resources to facilitate stronger connections and more hires Free one-on-one job coaching sessions are available to job seekers to review resumes and interviewing skills, and additional services will be available onsite.

The community job fair is part of Better Together’s “Better Jobs” program, which has helped nearly 40,000 applicants connect with employment opportunities across 24 states At job fairs hosted by Better Together, two-thirds of attendees get a job interview, and one in four receive a job offer on the spot Some 70% find work within six weeks

The Oct 24 job fair will take place at Grace Church –Central Campus, located at 2415 Grand Ave , in Fort Myers Job seekers and employers can register at BetterTogetherUS org/Events/FTMyers-JF or by texting “JOBS” to 844-9873949

Churches interested in hosting a Better Together job fair can visit BetterTogetherUS org for more information

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive Better Together is privately funded and professionally supported organization In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners

For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS org

Finalists announced for 2024 Industry Appreciation Awards

The Horizon Foundation, Horizon Council and Lee County Economic Development Office have announced the finalists for the 2024 Industry Appreciation Awards

The Industry Appreciation Awards celebrate Lee County businesses that drive the local economy, employ our workforce and shape their industries Winners will be announced at an awards luncheon Friday, Oct 25, at Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers

One winner will be recognized from among the three finalists in the following categories:

■ Large Business of the Year: B&I Contractors, Liberty Aluminum Company and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank

■ Small Business of the Year: Fire & Rice, LSI Companies, Inc and TenderCare Pet Salon

■ Diverse Business of the Year: Ferrer's Custom Carpentry and Remodeling Services, International Roofing, LLC and Pirozzi Organizational Development Solutions, LLC

■ Supplier Diversity Award: Chris-Tel Construction, Enterprise Mobility and Florida Blue

■ Innovative Technology Award: 2D Wellness, Inc , B&I Contractors and MY Shower Door

■ Small Manufacturer of the Year: Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems, Custom Packaging & Products and S4J Manufacturing Services, Inc

■ Large Manufacturer of the Year: D3 Glass, Drake Ready Mix and Golden Boat Lifts & Marine Systems

■ Partnership Award: Alair Sanibel, Peyko Venue and Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel

■ C o m m u n i t y S p o t l i g h t A w a r d : C h a p m a n I n s u r a n c e Group, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille and Titan Contracting

“These companies are outstanding representations of the diverse, quality businesses that operate here in Lee County,” said Dr Guido Minaya, chairman of the Horizon Council and CEO of Minaya Learning Global Solutions “Each one of them is highly deserving of the award for which they have been nominated ” The event at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center, 1375 Monroe St , Fort Myers, starts with networking at 10 a m with luncheon and awards at 11 a m Tickets for the 2024 Industry Appreciation Awards are $50 each and available online at Industry-AppreciationAwards com Tables of eight and 10 are also available Registration closes today, Oct 18

NATHAN MAYBERG

Reviewing the best ways to secure boats for the next storm

My heart goes out to those that experienced damage and loss from our latest weather event, especially those that just rebuilt or are still suffering from the last round of extreme weather Boats AWOL, sunk or, in my neighborhood, drifted off the dock and deposited up in the yard next to the screen cage door requiring expensive crane services Sea Tow sent out emails offering recovery info help for boats disabled in the water or high and dry on land F

high and ropes secured to the dock pilings to minimize swinging Depending on bilge pumps alone is risky if batteries go

plugs With water weigh-

Adding another rope to a secure land-based anchor

o u r boat at home in the event of lift or total dock failure

Boats on trailers should be kept away from potential damaging falling limbs and drain-clogging debris Boats tightly secured to their trailers in my totally flooded neighborhood did well by hammering anchors into the ground and attaching ropes to the bow and two off the stern leaving enough slack for the whole rig to float without pulling the anchors

I recently became aware of long screw-into-theground anchors used to hold down house trailers that could be of great future help During this year’s dry season, which can’t come soon enough, some plan on digging into the ground and pouring concrete at three points finished off with heavy metal rings at the top to rope trailers to

Obviously, there is no sure way to defend against random extreme wind and water when it comes to homes and boats as storm conditions vary greatly, often from block to block and, as we’ve recently seen, from state to state Let’s all hope and pray that the newest possible threat AL94 or Nadine doesn’t amount to much

For those lucky enough to escape Mother Nature’s latest wrath, please help out those less fortunate around you, especially members of our large, seasoned citizen population

In the meantime, if you made it through the storm, the fish haven’t left town and fall redfish, trout and snook

Cape Coral Power and Sail Squadron announces dates for local waters seminar

The snowbirds are returning to Cape Coral, and the members of the Cape Coral Power and Sail Squadron | America’s Boating Club Cape Coral know many will be looking to get out on the water, some for first time From experience club members know that after their first trip they will be wondering a few things

Learning the waterway on your own is not a good thing to try here To help novice boaters, the Cape Coral Power and Sail Squadron has created a “local waters” seminar In the seminar, the squadron provides information about the things people have said they wish they knew before heading out on the waters

The Cape club has been a member of the community since 1964 Members have an in-depth knowledge of local waterways which they are always willing to share With over 50,000 registered vessels on shallow waters, boaters new to Lee County find boating nothing like it was “back home ”

offered throughout the snowbird season The next session is Tuesday, Nov 12 It will be offered again on Jan 14, Feb 11 and April 8 The seminar starts at 7 p m and lasts approximately two hours Seating is limited and pre-registration is needed to ensure a seat. Registration information can be found on the Events Page at www ccsaps org

The seminar will be presented at the Cape Coral Sail

and Power Squadron at 917 S E 47th Terrace

Plenty of parking is available behind the building and students can enter through the back door

For those who can’t wait to get into one of the seminars, the CCSPS office sells copies of Barret Bonden’s “Local Knowledge Recommended” - things you wish someone had told you about boating here! The seminar is based on the material in this book The squadron also sells water-

Guide” and “Safe Boating in Southwest Florida, Your Guide to the Many Channels on our Waterways,” which looks at over 80 marked channels boaters will pass as they travel from the Franklin Lock and Dam, into San Carlo Bay and up to Bokeelia

The office is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 9 a m to noon The Cape Coral Sail & Power Squadron also has booth at the Cape Coral Farmer’s Market at Clubhouse Square Local members have lots of local knowledge and are happy to answer any questions you have about local boating, the club's courses, seminars and the benefits of being a member of the largest boating club in Cape Coral

PREP REPORT

Wednesday Volleyball Tournaments

District 5A-12

Bradenton Southeast 3, Cape Coral 1: Cape's season ended with a hard-fought 25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 30-28 loss

Braden River 3, Mariner 0: The Tritons fell 25-10, 25-14, 25-18 to finish 2-14

Thursday's semifinals

Bradenton Southeast at Port Charlotte, 7 p m

Braden River at North Fort Myers, 7 p m

Saturday's championship

At highest seed, 10 a m

District 6A-12

Thursday's championship

Ida Baker at Charlotte, 7 p m District 3A-10

Thursday's championship

Oasis at Bishop Verot, 6 p m

FACA District 18 Volleyball honors Player of the Year

Rural: Preslynn Baker, Moore Haven

1A: Alexa Haley, Seacrest

2A: Zara Stewart, First Baptist Academy

3A: Madeline Knaak, Bishop Verot

4A: Sophia King, Estero

5A: Olivia Znotens, Riverdale

6A: Payton Stanton, Charlotte

7A: Jaiden Powell, Lehigh Coach of the Year

Rural: Ramona Baker, Moore Haven

1A: Danny Mahy, Babcock

2A: Marcie Walker, First Baptist Academy

3A: Christy Curtis, Bishop Verot

4A: Jon Ban, Estero

5A: Shannon Puder, Fort Myers

6A: Michelle Dill, Charlotte

7A: Amy Dalsgaard, Lehigh Senior all-stars

Zara Stewart, First Baptist Academy

Madeline Knaak, Bishop Verot

Nigeria Hart, Port Charlotte

Abigail Willis, Charlotte

Sophia King, Estero

Alexa Haley, Seacrest Country Day

Bumping a ser ve

Seahawks’ setter Amelia Wusterbarth bumps a serve in Cape High’s recent game against the East Lee High Jaguars See PREP REPORT, page 33

Baker, Moore Haven Boys Golf

Mariner 181, Cypress

Capt. George Tunison

Preslynn

Lake 186 At Coral Oaks Golf Club Mariner (181): DJ Dwire 38, Trenton Taylor 45, Caleb Kiraly 47, Gavin June 51, Justin Medero 52

MARK CLIFFORD

Bell Tower to host Cor vette and Open Car & Truck show Oct. 26

The Bell Tower in Fort Myers will host a Corvette and Open Car & Truck Show

t o g e t h e r w i t h C o r v e t t e s o n t h e G u l f

Saturday, Oct 26, from 9 a m to 3 p m

Entrants wishing to display their vehicle will need to pre-register; registration costs $30 in advance or $35 (cash only) on the day of the show

Mail-in pre-registration ends one week before the show Online pre-registration will remain open until 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct 23 Day-of-show registration is from 9 a m to noon and awards – including club

p a

Halloween costume award, and more than 60 trophies – will be presented at 3 p m

A portion of the proceeds from this event will support local charities During

From page 32

Tuesday Cross Countr y Private 8 Conference At North Collier Park GIRLS

Team: Community School of Naples 26, Bishop Verot 45, Canterbury 91, St John Neumann 111, SW Florida Christian 1 2 3 , F i r s t B a p t i s t A c a d e m y 1 2 9 Evangelical Christian no team score

I n d i v i d u a l : 1 M a c k e n z i e D e L i s l e (BV) 18:23 8 2 Sienna Aubrey (CSN) 19:31 0 3 Gianna Gyruch (BV) 19:33 3 4 Hanna Hagenbuckle (CSN) 20:23 5 5 Anna Kate Casto (CSN) 20:55 4 Also: 6

C a r o l i n e M u d d e l l ( B V ) 2 1 : 0 8 3 1 5 Jocelyn Sweeney (BV) 23:08 9 22 Lea Scoti (BV) 24:24.2. 26. Denise Ramirez (BV) 24:59 1 34 Zoe McCurry (BV) 25:44 8 46 Lana Schmidt (BV) 28:09 8 47 Mia McMasters (BV) 28:40 2 48 Morgan Wilson (BV) 28:52 3 56 Devin Archibald (BV) 33:33 2 BOYS

Team: Bishop Verot 19, Community School of Naples 70, St Jon Neumann 84,

SPORTS BRIEFS

the event, there will also be an adult costume contest (no costumes with weapons allowed), a decorated car contest, a 50/50 contest and treats (while supplies last) No outside food or drinks allowed

To learn more about this event or to regi s t e r f o r t h e s h

https://bit ly/3ZPNOrc

Special Pops to hold 18th Annual Golf Classic Nov. 2

G

lations has scheduled its 18th Annual Golf Classic for Saturday, Nov 2, from 7 a m to 12:30 p m

The four-player team scramble will be held at Cape Royal Golf Club, 11460 Royal Tee Circle, Cape Coral The entry fee is $155 per person, with an early bird discount available for those who register

by Oct 21

pops org or call 239-574-0574

The entry fee includes a continental breakfast, complimentary beverages and a buffet All proceeds will support our neighbors with intellectual and physical disabilities

Heritage Cares Foundation, Harr y Chapin Food Bank to host 2nd annual ‘Drive Out Hunger’ golf outing Oct. 28

Harry Chapin Food Bank, Southwest Florida’s leading hunger relief organization and only Feeding America partner in Southwest Florida, is once again partnering with the Heritage Cares Foundation, the charitable arm of Heritage Golf Group, to host the annual “Drive Out Hunger” golf

PREP REPORT

SW Florida Christian 90, First Baptist Academy 112, Canterbury 175 Evangelical Christian no team score

Individual: 1 Zachary Zielke (BV) 16:04 8 2 Andrew Marino (BV) 16:21 8 3 Dennis Olsen (BV) 16:32 1 4 Trey M

Casto (CSN) 16:36 8 Also: 6 Rafael Casillas (BV) 16:36 8 7 Zachary Engel (BV) 16:51 2 9 Thomas Eichten (BV)

23 01 1 57 Logan Meyer (BV) 25:16 3

Volleyball

Tournaments

District 6A-12

Ida Baker 3, Palmetto Ridge 2: The Bulldogs rallied from a 2-1 deficit, overcoming the visitors 25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11 Taylor Foster had 40 digs and 35 assists to lead the way. Addison K a

, Laurynn Mayery 20 digs, Gracie Swetman 10 kills, and Cassara Easterwood added 8

Securing boats: Reviewing plans

From page 32

will always be hungry and looking for your lure, fly or bait Red October is still in full swing so cast those gold spoons and topwaters along the mangrove edges or to the edges of spotted schools, then skip cast soft plastics under the brush or docks during high water periods Camping out on high percentage spots and placing smelly bottom baits as far back under the thick stuff as you dare cast is a sure winner as redfish have a keen sense of smell and will come running Give a spot 20-30 minutes before moving on and setting up again

Snook are still along the beaches and passes but most have already left, fleeing eastward to eventually settle into their cold w a t e r p e r i o d l o c a t i o n s s o y o u m i g h t encounter them just about anywhere along the way with any structure a potential hot spot

Trout are becoming happier and hungrier as the water cools and wind drifting a

grassy flat with ultra-light rigs and cast soft plastics or classic popping cork and shrimp offerings seldom fails Be quiet in the boat and cover water

Tarpon were ladyfish-eating happy in the harbor before the storm, and may still be found there now

Weather permitting, red snapper are still waiting offshore for your weekend opener baits (Oct 18-20) as well as yearround open mangrove and lane snapper action Lots of Spanish macs action from coastal to offshore locations

Tripletail fans are happy to see stone crab trap floats in the water. Crab claws must be at least 2 7/8 inches to harvest with 1 gallon of claws allowed per harvester Check the FWC site for registration and rules

Capt George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol co

Stormwater runoff: Local impact

From page 19

So, there you have it, a very brief introduction to the impact of stormwater runoff on the environment and actions homeowners can take to lessen that impact For additional information, please visit

https://ffl ifas ufl edu/media/fflifasufledu/d ocs/FFL-Handbook 03172022 web pdf

Janetta Fox is a Lee County Master Gardener volunteer and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral

kills and 12 digs Ida Baker travels to face top seed Charlotte on Thursday Charlotte 3, Gateway 1 Thursday's championship Ida Baker at Charlotte 7 p m

District 3A-10

Oasis 3, Gateway Charter 0: The S h a r k s a d v a n c e d t o T h u r s d a y '

final with a 25-12, 25-15, 25-23, improvi

t o 1 5 - 4 o n

V

Moriarty led the offense with 14 kills, while Tessa Bexfield made 10 assists Sarah Mikulus and Jordan Baksh anchored the defense with 18 and 13 digs, respectively Oasis is back to a district championship for the first time in a decade During their last visit in 2014, they clinched the school's first district championship in volleyball

Bishop Verot 3, Clewiston 0: Sidney Blackwood had 10 service aces and 10 assists to lead the Vikings to a 25-5, 25-8, 25-7 sweep of the Tigers Maddie Knaak

Nectar (Nyla) is a 3 to 5-year-old female She is a super sweet and wellmannered girl who just loves people and has been great with the kids she has been around Nectar enjoys playtime with her doggy pals, but what she is really looking for is my new forever family to call her own

Baker is a super Senior 12+ years young female She is a senior kitty with a heart as big as her cuddly, chunky self She absolutely adores her humans and loves nothing more than spending time lounging by your side Once she gets to know you, she'll even give sweet little

tournament Monday, Oct 28

The event begins at 11:30 a m , and will be held at The Club at Pelican Preserve, 9 8 0 2 P

Myers

The tournament begins with registration at 11:30 a m , followed by a shotgun start at 1 p m Cocktails and dinner follow at 5 p m

Heritage Golf Group, one of the fastestgrowing country club companies in the U S , operates 33 clubs nationwide, includi

Originally focused on supporting employees in need, the Heritage Cares Foundation now assists local nonprofits in communities where their clubs are located

Registration for the “Drive Out Hunger” tournament is $125 per person or $450 for a foursome Golfers can sign up online at me-qr com/l/PelicanGolfHCFB

had 12 assists and 8 kills Haylee Masiero had a perfect 3 0 serve receive rating Thursday's championship Oasis at Bishop Verot, 6 p m

Boys Bowling

Bishop Verot 4, Bonita Springs 0: CJ Carranza led the Vikings with a 179 game

Girls Bowling

Bishop Verot d Bonita Springs, forfeit: Sienna Gasperini rolled a 210 for Verot, and Mia Gasperini had a 176 game

Girls Golf M

scores

Ida Baker: Franchesca Vazquez +16 (four holes), Alyssa Houck +23 (six holes), Naveah Tedder +23 (six holes)

Mariner: Emma Tuescher +21 (six holes), Anna Egler +22 (six holes)

kisses on your hand! Baker is on the hunt for her forever couch somewhere soft, cozy and perfect for a cat like her to snuggle up If you are interested in meeting any of the animals available for adoption at The Cape Coral Animal Shelter, visit its website at www capecoralanimalshelter com for additional 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 Please call 239-573-2002 for additional information

Baker

CAPE CORAL ANIMAL SHELTER

Nectar (Nyla)

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

(Selected

by the Breeze Sports staff)