Fort Myers Beach Observer/The Beach Bulletin

Water service restored to more than 60 streets

B y N AT H A N M AY B E R G

n m a y b e r g @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m T h e T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h a n n o u n c e d t h a t 6 0 s t r e e t s h a d a c c e s s t o w a t e r r e s t o r e d M o n d a y , f o l l o w i n g a t h r e e w e e k l u l l i n s e r v i c e c a u s e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h U t i l i t i e s D i r e c t o r C h r i s t y C o r y s a i d 5 1 % o f t h e t o w n ' s s t r e e t s h a v e h a d w a t e r r e s t o r e

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T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h M a n a g e r R o g e r H e r n s t a d t h a s a p p r o v e d a l l o w i n g h o m e s t o r e c e i v e w a t e r w i t h o u t a n e l e c

t r i c i a n ' s i n s p e c t i o n o r s t r u c t u r a l e n g i n e e r i n g s u r v e y T h o s e s u r v e y s a r e s t i l l r e q u i r e d f o r p o w e r t o b e r e s t o r e d

C o r y s a i d t h e t o w n h a s b e e n w o r k i n g w i t h L e e C o u n t y U t i l i t i e s o n r e s t o r i n g w a t e r s e r v i c e a n d c h e c k i n g t h e w a t e r m a i n s o n e a c h s t r e e t t o e n s u r e s e r v i c e i s s a f e t o b e r e s t o r e d t o r e s i d e n t s F o r t M y e r s B e a c h r e m a i n s o n a b o i l

Community resource centers open

Public restrooms, showers available at Santini Plaza, Beach Baptist Church

By NATHAN MAYBERG

nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

T h e T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h announced that a new community resource center has opened at Santini Plaza with water, food, showers, laundry and rest rooms and is open 24 hours a day

Many questions raised, answered at first town council meeting since Ian

Three weeks after Hurricane Ian left at least 14 dead and a wave of destruc tion on Fort Myers Beach never before experienced by those with memories on the island, the first town council meeting attracted more than 100 residents and p r o p e r t y o w n e r s w h o s e h o m e s w e r e badly damaged, or had been wiped out

lost almost everything in

The town is also looking to potentially add community resources sites at CVS, Publix or one of the town’s parking lots on the north end

A s e c o n d location is open a t B e a c h Baptist Church a t 1 3 0 C o n n e c t i c u t Street with ice, f o o d , w a t e r , showers, laun d r y a n d r e s t rooms 24 hours a day State and f e d e r a l r e s o u r c e s a r e available at the site This loca tion will be open 24 hours a day, with rep resentatives from the various agencies available from 9 a m to 5 p m daily

Both sites have hot meals available 11 a m to 5 p m daily and information boards

The town is also looking to potentially add community resources sites at CVS, Publix or one of the town’s parking lots on the north end. The town has been working with the New York City Fire Department on logistics and setting up the sites

Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt discussed the plan with the town council Thursday and said the plan is being worked on with the New York City Fire Department and Alison Giesen, director of the town’s culture, parks and recreation department

Giesen said Friday details are still being worked out as the town works to engage the various property owners on providing the amenities there

B y N AT H A N M AY B E R G

n m a y b e r g @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m

Fort Myers Beach remains on a boil water notice and residents are strongly advised to avoid entering any waterways, canals or channels due to the threats posed by Hurricane Ian

“We’re not some big deity up in the sky or anything like that We are your neighbors and we are your friends I am a 40 year resident of Fort Myers Beach 40 years If I wanted to leave, I would have left a long time ago I have no intention of leaving Fort Myers Beach They will carry me out by my feet when I leave here so that’s my commitment to you. My commitment is that I am staying and regardless of where I am in my political time I am going to be here for the redevelopment of Fort Myers Beach.”

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy

NATHAN MAYBERG

Rick and Amy Loughrey, who own a home on Estero Boulevard that has been condemned, are seeking an acceleration of the permit-approval process so they can rebuild.

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Town Council candidates sound off

T h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r h a s p r o v i d e d q u e s t i o n s t o t h e c a n d i d a t e s r u n n i n g t o s e r v e o n t h e T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h C o u n c i l A l t h o u g h t h e q u e s t i o n s w e r e f i r s t s e n t o u t a m o n t h a g o , t h e e v e n t s o f H u r r i c a n e I a n h a v e d e l a y e d t h e a n s w e r s W e w i l l b e r u n n i n g o n e a d d i t i o n a l s e c t i o n o n t h e c a n d i d a t e s i n n e x t w e e k ’ s e d i t i o n w i t h m o r e d e t a i l e d q u e s t i o n s

T h e f i r s t q u e s t i o n s a r e i n t r o d u c t o r y i n n a t u r e .

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R a y M u r p h y , i n c u m b e n t , F o r t M y e r s B e a c h M a y o r A g e : 6 4

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

W h a t a r e t h e g r e a t e s t s t r e n g t h s o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h ? O u r r e s i d e n t s , s e n s e o f c o m m u n i t y a n d t h e r e s i l i e n c e o f k e e p i n g o u r p i e c e o f p a r a d i s e f o r o u r f a m i l i e s a n d v i s i t o r s t o e n j o y ”

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F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r

C a n d i d a t e s w e r e a s k e d t o l i s t t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e a s o n s t h e y a r e s e e k i n g t o s e r v e o n t h e t o w n c o u n c i l , w h a t b r o u g h t t h e m t o F o r t M y e r s B e a c h a n d w h a t t h e g r e a t e s t s t r e n g t h s o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h a r e

J o h n R . K i n g

A g e : 6 4

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E d u c a t i o n : c o l l e g e c l a s s e s

R e s i d e n c y : P u r c h a s e d o u r c o n d o i n N o v e m b e r o f 2 0 2 0 a n d b e c a m e f u l l t i m e r e s i d e n t s i n A p r i l o f 2 0 2 1

W h a t b r o u g h t u s t o t h e a r e a : M y w i f e C h r i s a n d I h a v e v a c a t i o n e d i n t h i s a r e a o n a n d o f f f o r 2 0 y e a r s O u r l o v e o f t h e w a t e r , t h e w e a t h e r a n d t h e p e o p l e a r e w h a t m a d e u s f u l l t i m e r e s i d e n t s W h a t a r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e a s o n s y o u a r e s e e k i n g t o s e r v e o n t h e t o w n c o u n c i l ? I a m s e e k i n g t o s e r v e o n t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h T o w n C o u n c i l t o b r i n g m y l e a d e r s h i p , c o m m u n i c a t i o n s k i l l s a n d c o m m o n s e n s e t o t h i s b o d y I w a n t t o m a k e t h e t o w n g o v e r n m e n t w o r k f o r t h e t a x p a y e r s i n s t e a d o f t h e t a x p a y e r s f e e l a s i f t h e y w o r k f o r t h e g o v e r n m e n t I w a n t t o r e m o v e t h e r o a d b l o c k s t h a t t a x p a y e r s a n d b u s i n e s s e s f a c e a n d t h e r e b y f a c i l i t a t e t h e i r s u c c e s s

E d u c a t i o n : V i l l a n o v a U n i v e r s i t y S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s P o l i t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e : T h r e e t e r m s o n t o w n c o u n c i l , i n c l u d i n g c o n s e c u t i v e t e r m s a f t e r i n c o r p o r a t i o n o f t o w n i n 1 9 9 5 a n d m o s t r e c e n t l y e l e c t e d i n 2 0 1 9 M a y o r s i n c e 2 0 2 0 , a n d p r e v i o u s l y s e r v e d a s m a y o r f o r o n e y e a r i n e a r l i e r t e r m o n c o u n c i l R e s i d e n c y : 4 0 y e a r s o n F o r t M y e r s B e a c h

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e a s o n s w h y y o u a r e s e e k i n g t o r u n f o r c o u n c i l ?

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

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

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E d u c a t i o n : B A i n p o l i t i c a l s c i e n c e , W e s t e r n I l l i n o i s U n i v e r s i t y ; M a s t e r ’ s D e g r e e i n s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n , U n i v e r s i t y o f P h o e n i x

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B a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n : A s s i s t a n t s c o u t m a s t e r w i t h B o y S c o u t s o f A m e r i c a R e s i d e n c y : M o v e d t o F o r t M y e r s B e a c h i n 2 0 1 8

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e a s o n s w h y y o u a r e s e e k i n g t o r u n f o r c o u n c i l ?

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W h a t a r e t h e g r e a t e s t s t r e n g t h s o f

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K a r e n W o o d s o n

A g e : 6 8

R e s i d e n c y : I g r e w u p o n a f a r m i n s o u t h e r n I l l i n o i s , m o v e d t o S t L o u i s a f t e r g r a d u a t i o n a n d t h e n s p e n t m o s t o f m y a d u l t l i f e i n M i n n e a p o l i s u n t i l w e m o v e d t o F o r t M y e r s B e a c h i n 2 0 1 8

O c c u p a t i o n : R e t i r e d f r o m h u m a n r e s o u r c e m a n a g e m e n t , m a n a g e s f i r s t f l o o r o f d u p l e x a s a s h o r t t e r m r e n t a l

P o l i t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e : T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h L o c a l P l a n n i n g A g e n c y ( L P A ) m e m b e r , B a y O a k s R e c r e a t i o n a l A d v i s o r y B o a r d ( B O R C A B ) m e m b e r B a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n : I v o l u n t e e r a s a d i r e c t o r o n t h e B o a r d o f t h e F r i e n d s o f L o v e r s K e y a n d o n t h e b o a r d o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h F r i e n d s o f t h e A r t s I a m a l s o a n a m b a s s a d o r f o r t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e a n d a n a c t i v e m e m b e r o f t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h W o m e n ' s C l u b

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e a s o n s w h y y o u a r e r u n n i n g f o r t o w n c o u n c i l ?

W e t r u l y l i v e i n p a r a d i s e , a n d a s s u c h n e e d t o p r e s e r v e a l l t h i n g s F M B ! B e i n g s o i n v o l v e d i n t h e c o m m u n i t y , I s e e v e r y g o o d t h i n g s a b o u t o u r i s l a n d b u t I a l s o s e e t h i n g s t h a t n e e d t o b e c h a n g e d A s a r e s u l t , I a m r u n n i n g f o r t o w n c o u n c i l w i t h a f o c u s o n t h r e e m a i n a r e a s : p u b l i c s a f e t y , q u a l i t y o f l i f e a n d l e a d e r s h i p I l o v e t h i s i s l a n d a n d I b e l i e v e I c a n m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e M y p r o c o m m u n i t y , p r o e n v i r o n m e n t a n d p r o b u s i n e s s b a l a n c e w i l l b e a v a l u a b l e a d d i t i o n t o t h e s i t t i n g t o w n c o u n c i l m e m b e r s

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John R. King

Karen PWoodson atrick RRomcoe ay Murphy, incumbent Fort Myers Beach mayor

DeSantis pledges tax relief for homes hit hardest by Ian

Delay on payments offered while promising

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Standing in front of a large mound of debris in front of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille on Fort Myers Beach where restaurant partner Marty Harrity announced he intends to reopen by Thanksgiving, Gov Ron DeSantis announced that he would sign an executive order extend ing the deadline for the payment of property taxes for property owners whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Ian DeSantis pledged Thursday at the San Carlos Island restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf that he would give home owners a break on their property taxes that he would seek to make permanent through the state legislature DeSantis said the state would, in turn, have to compensate the local municipalities affected by the property tax rebate.

“The debris is there, we can’t put that back together and pretend it didn’t happen but we can make it as easy as pos sible for people to get back on their feet,” DeSantis said DeSantis said the executive order would delay payment dates and then the state legislature can act to provide prop erty tax rebates to property owners DeSantis said he expects the state legislature to hold a special session before the end of the year to make the tax rebates permanent “par ticularly those who had a total loss for their home or their business ”

Asked if the state would be making efforts to aid the town and county in its debris removal, DeSantis said that K e v i n G u t h r i e , d i r e c t o r o f t h e F l o r i d a D i v i s i o n o f Emergency Management, would be addressing that D a n e E a g l e , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e F l o r i d a Department of Economic Opportunity, said the decision to grant the property tax relief was a result of input from lead ers of the local business community at a roundtable dis cussion held last week in Cape Coral

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy said he spoke with DeSantis to ensure the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency will be able to cover the expense of the removal of debris and asked for an answer on who will compensate those who have to remove homes or buildings that were blown away to another property and who will pay for the demolition of buildings

“We’re hoping that FEMA will cover all of it,” Murphy said He the state and FEMA have to work together on addressing the coverage He expects an answer over the weekend

Harrity, who attended the meeting, was happy with what he heard from the governor

“Every time he comes here it’s more enlightenment and enthusiasm to keep moving forward,” Harrity said He called DeSantis a “can do guy” and called the state’s efforts to build a temporary bridge to restore access on the Sanibel Causeway “miraculous ”

Harrity said he hopes to have his Fort Myers Beach eatery, named as TripAdvisor’s “Best Everyday Eats” restaurant in the nation last year, open by Thanksgiving

“It won’t be for a lack of effort,” Harrity said “We want to rock and roll ”

Standing in front of a large pile of debris that was extri cated out of his restaurant after Hurricane Ian and sitting in the middle of the restaurant’s parking lot, Harrity said

“I need this parking for Thanksgiving Whatever it takes, I need it out of here ”

Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce President Jacki Liszak helped give DeSantis a tour of the town and its businesses.

“We talked about the struggle businesses are going to have in the future,” Liszak said Liszak said if the state were able to give property own ers a break on their property taxes, it would be make a big impact for those struggling to pay bills for the repairs on their homes “That’s huge,” Liszak said Liszak said the chamber has resources available for b u s i n e s s e s o n i t s w e b s i t e a t h t t p s : / / w w w f o r t m y e r s beach org/hurricane ian recovery resources/ Liszak said debris removal was “way better than it was last week ”

Debris removal remains a top concern for residents Lee County took over the management of contractors handling

the debris removal from the town but there are questions if enough trucks are available to handle the debris as some residents have stated that little to no debris removal has been done on their streets, three weeks after the hurricane struck

According to the Town of Fort Myers Beach, more than 120,000 cubic yards of debris has been collected though much more remains stacked along town streets

A c c o r d i n g t o L e e C o u n t y G o v e r n m e n t ’ s P u b l i c Information Office, there were four to five trucks pulling trailers (eight to 10 collection units) on Estero Boulevard and road right of ways on Wednesday. Lee County Solid

work on rebates

LEFT: Doc Ford's Rum

Marty Harrity points

a

stacked up in front of his restaurant.

most

what had to be removed from inside the

said

the

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o

getting the restaurant b

Thanksgiving.

NATHAN MAYBERG

Waste Department employees were providing oversight and guidance of the project Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt said the town has requested more resources from the contracts, and if necessary, more contractors may need to be hired

Murphy said the removal of debris was in the county’s hands “If they can get more (debris trucks), the more the merrier ”

Lyn McElhaney

lmcelhaney@breezenewspapers

Vote ‘No’ on Lee County School District referendum

have run

these pages in recent weeks

number

guest opinions and letters to the editor urging a “No” vote on a ballot ref erendum that would repeal a decades old local resolution that establishes the appoint ment of the School District of Lee County’s superintendent of schools If approved, the top administrative post would become an elected position

These “vote No” submissions, summed up succinctly, argue that a hired superintendent, q u a l i f i e d b y e d u c a t i o n a

board system still provides the best balance of skill specific expertise and public i e voter control

Appointment provides a nationwide pool from which to select the person best qualified to operate a school district with 96 campus es, more than 97,000 students, 13,000 employees and a $2 4 billion budget to, in effect, serve as the CEO of one of Lee County’s largest and most complicated busi ness enterprises

It is a political put up job juggernauted through at the state level by our local L e g i s l a t i v e D e l e g a t i o n w i t h a w i n k n o d action anticipated in the shadiest recesses of political byways: Create new lucrative parti san offices here in Lee County Then, grease the skids for candidates of choice

p

o f e

o n a l expertise, should lead the day to day opera tions of our school system to ensure the best education for our children Voters, these con tributors point out, elect school board mem bers who set the policies that reflect local community standards and, to the extent pos sible, control where and how tax dollars are spent

It is the best of both worlds system used universally in all states but Alabama and Florida, where the state constitution allows for a choice and an elected superintendent is a relic among some of the state’s smaller school systems

Lee County school boards have appointed the public school system’s superintendent since 1974 when voters approved the local resolution this referendum seeks to overturn

We agree with our community contribu tors: Our appointed superintendent/elected

The seven member elected board assures that not only parents, but the entire commu nity, has input into the direction of the schools we entrust to educate our children

We’ve not run a single guest column, not a single letter, in support of the referendum that would replace a vetted educator with the best politician campaign financing could, perhaps, buy

The reason?

We have not received one, not a single submission

Which surprises us not at all

This ballot initiative to establish an elect ed superintendent was not a concerted call from parents and those of us with children in the School District of Lee County’s public school system

This referendum was not a groundswell request that rose from our community It was not initiated by teachers or staff, by

Here’s what you have not yet read in the w e l l r e s e a r c h e d a n d c a r e f u l l y p r e s e n t e d columns and letters urging a “No” vote on the referendum for an elected superintendent of schools

Those hoping that voters agree that the superintendent is not a professional position, but a political one, are already gearing up with all hope for the 2024 election

The next stop?

A similar legislative gambit to put a refer endum calling for an elected county manager on the ballot if this one gulls enough Lee County voters

You gotta love the political machine here in Lee County.

From watching the latest constitutional office incumbent retire shortly before the next election to seeing the handpicked parti san pol appointed so as to run as an incum bent, it may be predicable but it’s seldom boring

o w n c o u n c i l

K a r e n a n d I w o r k e d t o g e t h e r f o r n e a r l y 1 5 y e a r s , w h e r e s h e h e l d t h e r o l e o f h u m a n r e s o u r c e s d i r e c t o r r e p o r t i n g d i r e c t l y i n t o m e K a r e n i s a s e l f s t a r t e r S h e i s v e r y a c t i o n o r i e n t e d , s e t s s t r e t c h g o a l s , a n d d r i v e s t e a m s t o w a r d s t h e i r p u r p o s e I h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d h e r t o j u g g l e m a n y p r i o r i t i e s a t o n c e a n d v i e w h e r a s a p r a g m a t i c a n d p r a c t i c a l d e c i s i o n m a k e r K a r e n ’ s s u p e r p o w e r i s b u i l d i n g a n d n u r t u r i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s S h e h a s a g r o w t h m i n d s e t , a l w a y s l e a r n i n g , a l w a y s s t a y i n g c u r i o u s , a l w a y s f i n d i n g w a y s t o b r i n g p e o p l e t o g e t h e r t o i n n o v a t e , t o s o l v e p r o b l e m s , t o s t r i v e t o b e b e t t e r v e r s i o n s o f t h e m s e l v e s H e r n a t u r a l p e r s o n a l i t y t r a i t s a r e b a c k e d b y h e r s k i l l f u l a b i l i t y t o a s k o p e n e n d e d q u e s t i o n s , w i t h a g e n u i n e i n t e r e s t o f l i s t e n i n g a n d l e a r n i n g . K a r e n h a s a k n a c k w i t h c a n d o r . I h a v e k n o w n K a r e n t o s p e a k h e r m i n d , o f t e n r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e v o i c e o f o t h e r s o n t h e t e a m i n p u r s u i t o f a d v a n c i n g g o a l s a n d t h e w e l l b e i n g o f o t h e r s A l l o f t h e s e t r a i t s a n d c a p a b i l i t i e s c o m b i n e d a l l o w K a r e n t o n a t u r a l l y a n d a u t h e n t i c a l l y b u i l d t r u s t

K a r e n h a s i m p e c c a b l e i n t e g r i t y H e r w o r d i s h e r b o n d I h a v e f i r s t h a n d w i t n e s s e d K a r e n f r a n k l y g e t s t u f f d o n e N o t o n c e h a s K a r e n e v e r l e t m e , o r m y t e a m d o w n o n a n y c o m m i t m e n t t h a t s h e h a s m a d e S h e i s t h e f i r s t p e r s o n t o r a i s e h e r h a n d t o h e l p s o m e o n e o u t w h e n t h e y e i t h e r n e e d e d a d d i t i o n a l e x p e r t i s e o r c a p a c i t y P e o p l e a r e g e n u i n e l y a t t r a c t e d t o h e r e n e r g y , h e r c a n d o , w i l l d o a t t i t u d e a n d h e r p a s s i o n

O v e r t h e y e a r s , o n a p e r s o n a l l e v e l g i v e n K a r e n ’ s r e t i r e m e n t , h e r

a n d h e r h u s b a n d M a r k h a v e b e c o m e c h e r i s h e d f r i e n d s K a r e n i s t h e k i n d o f p e r s o n y o u c a n c o u n t o n w h e n y o u a r e i n n e e d S h e q u i e t l y i s j u s t “ t h e r e ” w h e n y o u n e e d h e r S h e g i v e s o f h e r s e l f , s h e i s s e l f l e s s a n d d e p e n d a b l e I a m g r a t e f u l f o r h e r m a n y l e a d e r s h i p a t t r i b u t e s , a n d i t i s f o r a l l o f t h e s e r e a s o n s , b o t h p r o f e s s i o n a l l y a n d p e r s o n a l l y t h a t I e n d o r s e h e r f o r T o w n C o u n c i l W h i l e w e m i s s K a r e n h e r e i n M i n n e s o t a , I k n o w K a r e n t o b e a d r i v i n g f o r c e i n b o t h m y w o r k c o m m u n i t y , a n d i n l i f e G i v e n h e r l o v e o f t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h c o m m u n i t y a n d a l l o f t h e c h a l l e n g e s t h a t l a y a h e a d f o r F o r t M y e r s B e a c h , I c a n a t t e s t t h a t y o u w i l l w a n t a p e r s o n l i k e K a r e n b r i n g i n g p e o p l e t o g e t h e r , c o l l a b o r a t i n g , f i n d i n g s o l u t i o n s a n d d r i v i n g a c t i o n .

H e a t h e r L e m k e M i n n e t r i s t a , M i n n e s o t a

Vote No on elected superintendent of schools referendum

To the editor:

The League of Women Voters of Lee County and the League of Women Voters of Sanibel encourage all voters to vote NO on the Lee County Referendum on School Superintendent Election on Nov 8

The person in charge of our schools should be the most highly qual ified educator our county can hire He or she must have extensive expe rience in order to manage the 13,000 employees on a budget of $2 bil lion

Our 100,000 students deserve more than someone who may or may

school leadership or Lee County School Board members

Lee schools, students, best served with professional leadership, not a politician

Quality Schools for the Future of Lee County, a coalition of concerned communi ty members, was formed in response to the Referendum on the Nov 8, 2022, General Election ballot for in Lee County, Florida

The Referendum asks if voters want the Superintendent of Schools in Lee County become an elected politician voted on every four years, instead of a professional educator fully vetted, selected and appoint ed by the non partisan, elected School Board of Lee County Schools, as is cur rently the case

Quality Schools for the Future of Lee County opposes this referendum for sever al important reasons, one of the most important is the need for an experienced, non partisan educational professional to l e a d o u r l a r g e , c o m p l e x D i s t r i c t w i t h 13,000 employees, 120 school buildings, and a $2 4 billion budget in good times, times of crisis and times of rebuilding

The need for an experienced profession al has been highlighted by the outstanding w o r k o f a p p o i n t e d S u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f Schools of Lee County, Dr Chris Bernier, in the preparation for and in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian This devastating, deadly s t o r m c a u s e d w i d e s p r e a d c a t a s t r o p h i c destruction throughout the county and to the School District

Prior to the storm, Dr Bernier consulted

Referendum

But we digress

with local safety officials to ensure readiness, arranged for schools to be opened as e m e r g e n c y s h e l t e r s , a n d conducted a comprehensive communications and out reach campaign so that all families, students, employ e e s , v e n d o r s , c o m m u n i t y partners, and School Board M e m b e r s w e r e f u l l y informed of the District’s c h a n g i n g s c h e d u l e s a n d plans

I m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w i n g the storm, Dr Bernier set in m o t i o n a c o m p r e h e n s i v e plan to locate and assist e m p l o y e e s , r e e s t a b l i s h communications, and con duct damage assessments He conducted fact based press conferences, conferred with public safety agencies, and kept the organization focused on the core mission of providing a safe and securing learning environment for our students

Guest Commentary

state and federal funding streams, FEMA procedures, school law and administra tive codes, and emergency o p e r a t i o n s p r o t o c o l s Because he had worked in schools and school districts f o r d e c a d e s , h e a l r e a d y knew which administrators he needed to gather for deci sion making, which external agencies he needed to con sult with, and how best to provide clear and convinc ing information to parents and employees about the way forward

This knowledge, experi e n c e , a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l preparation is exactly what a School Board looks for when it appoints a superintendent Even before the storm arrived, our School Board could have com p l e t e t r u s t a n d c o n f i d e n c e t h a t t h e Superintendent was fully ready to deal with the crisis

cian whose only requirements for the office were to be a resident of Lee County, at least 18 years of age, registered to vote, and not adjudicated a felon or mentally incompetent How could an inexperienced politician serving as superintendent be ready to make real time, critical decisions about school closures, evacuations, and s h e l t e r i n g i s s u e s w i t h o u t a n i n d e p t h understanding of school districts?

We are heartbroken for the tragedies so many people are suffering because of this terrible storm, and we are grateful to have a professional superintendent helping our families, students, teachers, and communi ty recover from it

Quality Schools For The Future, a PAC, is not affiliated with any political party, provides no funding to any political party or candidate, and accepts no funding from any political party

We urge you to keep our public schools non partisan so they serve all fairly and are trusted by the entire community. Vote No on the Referendum at the end of your bal lot

Although only a Lee County resident for a few months, Dr Bernier already pos sessed extensive professional expertise in leadership, management, staff supervision, i n t e r a g e n c y c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , p h y s i c a l plant operations, transportation systems,

From page 4

The issue is not that we, as taxpayers, will have to pay twice if this referendum passes once for the people with the actual knowledge to do the job and then again for the person who will take credit for it as they smile for the camera, slather on another layer of social media and PR gurus and campaign on the job for their next term or political stepping stone

The issue is, quite simply, what is best for the education of our children

Because the change requires voter approval, the choice is in our hands:

The current process by which our

elected school board establishes a set of academic and educational criteria, insti tutes a nationwide search for qualified applicants, vets those applicants down to semi finalists and finalists, holds one on one and public interviews, conducts back ground and reference checks and hires the person deemed the best qualified?

Or the method outlined in the referen dum voters will decide on Nov 8 which limits the pool to Lee County residents who are at least 18 and haven’t committed a felony; that gives the victor all but carte blanc to operate our growing by the day school system for the next four years

That’s because they knew the experi enced superintendent leading the School District of Lee County was ready to face the storm

This, most likely, would not have been the case if the superintendent was a politi

in between campaigning and accepting campaign contributions, of course?

The answer is pretty plain to us: Elect policy makers Hire expertise That means securing the system that we have

Here is how the referendum appears on the Nov 8 ballot:

“Repealing Resolution Providing for an Appointed, Rather than an Elected, Superintendent of Schools

“Currently, by resolution of the Lee County School Board, the Superintendent of Schools for the Lee County School District is an appointed, rather than an e l e c t e d , p o s i t i o n S h a l l C h a p t e r

Letters to the Editor

Madelon V Stewart, Ed D, is a team leader for Quality Schools for the Future of L e e C o u n t y ; qualityschoolsforthefuture com

2 0 2 2 ‐ 2 3 3 , L a w s o f F l o r i d a , w h i c h repeals the aforesaid resolution and pro vides that the Superintendent of Schools shall no longer be appointed by the Lee County School Board, but rather shall be elected in a partisan election by vote of qualified electors residing in Lee County for a term of 4 years, beginning with the 2024 general election, become effec tive?”

Our children deserve better than this Vote No

From page 4

have any experience in the fields of education or man agement

Vote NO

The League of Women

A question of priorities

To the editor:

There is a very important issue for the coming election

The Democrats seem to be using abortion as the top rea son for voting for a Democrat That does not seem reason able to me Dems are even inventing stories about abortion being in danger of being outlawed in this country

The correction of the Roe v Wade ruling hasn’t elimi

nated abortion It is still legal in the vast majority of the states and in some states like California they are expand ing abortion services to accommodate other states

Abortion is really an emergency contraceptive that affects a tiny minority of women How can that be more important than rampant crime in our cities causing many deaths, open looting, and carjacking (600 in Minneapolis alone in the last year) Our cities are not safe and, with the defunding of the police, there is no prospect for this to change in the near future

How can emergency contraceptives still available be more important than inflation? Our cost to live in the last year went up 9%, even more for groceries and gasoline

How can emergency contraceptives still available be more important than Biden’s open borders? Millions of individuals are coming across the border illegally, increas ing crime and costing taxpayers billions in education and support for those illegals Times estimated the illegal immigrant economy at $20 billion, triple what it was under Trump Illegal immigration is also the fastest growing industry in Mexico The Cartels are enjoying billions of dollars for escorting illegals across the border while com mitting rape, murder and theft They are including and funding their drug smuggling at the same time Crime on this side of the border is making it unsafe to own property

near the border

Those are just three of the items we have received from the Democrat government now in charge in Washington DC It is hard for me to comprehend choosing emergency contraceptives still available over correction of these heinous issues damaging all Americans

John Benedict Cape Coral

Pick your poison carefully

To the editor:

Global Inflation is an important problem to consider in national economies. Thanks to the British demonstration of late, we in America now have a real world experience to consult Consider that England tanked their economy with precisely the formula recommended by Republicans: lower taxes for the rich Within a month, inflation sky rocketed to 20% in England and their currency was getting dumped faster than a Trump bride

Biden is not exciting, but if you’re hoping for a steady economy, the Democrats are the worst choice; except for the only other alternative on the ballot Please vote, early if you can

Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

Sarah McDonald, President

Voters

Robyn Cook,

Madelon V. Stewart

Pink Shell Resort recovery under way

REPORT

nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Pink Shell Beach Resort announced that it is currently in the process of working towards reopening to house relief workers and plan for a larger renovation, the Fort Myers Beach resort announced Robert Boykin, chairman of Boykin Management Company, which owns Pink Shell has expressed said “it will take time to be fully functional again, and we have a long road ahead, our goal is to provide housing for all the various parties that will need lodging help in the rebuild of the town ”

While the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina did not sustain structural damage, there was significant damage to the ground floor and second level including the lobby, signature restaurants and bars, as well as the marina Clean up and recovery efforts have begun and the resort is working to continue to support its employees and their families With the support of an experi enced restoration team and its employees, the resort is currently in the process of working toward reopening to house relief

workers and planning for a larger renova tion

“We would like to thank the local authorities for their support in getting the much needed utilities needed to reopen It will take time to be fully functional again, and we have a long road ahead, but our goal is to provide housing for all the vari ous parties that will need lodging to help in the rebuild of the town,” said Robert Boykin, chairman of Boykin Management Company, which owns and operates Pink Shell “We know how important it is for these people to have access to the commu nity, and we want to be able to do what we can to help local residents get the help they need ”

The resort, with 195 condo style villas,

was in the direct path of Hurricane Ian Although the resort did not sustain any structural damage, there was significant damage to the ground floor and second level including the lobby, signature restau rants and bars (Rae’s and Bongos), as well as the marina. The resort is in the planning stages for a renovation that will ensure some of the resort’s most famous and loved amenities return including the giant octo pus that was a highlight of the swimming pool

“We are committed to getting up and running as quickly as possible so that we can support the community, but we are also going to use this opportunity to make enhancements to the property,” continued Boykin “Pink Shell is beloved by guests

who have been vacationing on the shores of Fort Myers Beach year after year for decades We want to thank all of our guests for their outpouring of support, and let them to know that we will be welcoming guests back very soon. We just ask for their patience while we work toward creating a new and improved experience for all ”

A reopening date has not been set, but on Thursday, October 13, Pink Shell wel comed back a group of its employees to assist in the clean up and recovery efforts a l o n g s i d e t h e r e s t o r a t i o n c o m p a n y , Gilbane Restoration Services The resort's p r i o r i t y i s t o c o n t i n u e s u p p o r t i n g i t s employees and their families as they work toward a reopening plan and getting more of their staff back to work on the property Because they value their guests and staff like family, the property has established the Pink Shell Associate Relief Fund via a GoFundMe page All donations will go directly to the resort’s team members who have lost access to vital resources, faced significant damage to their homes, or have b e e n d

s p l a c e d i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f Hurricane Ian

NATHAN MAYBERG

While the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina did not sustain structural damage, there was significant damage to the ground floor and second level including the lobby, signature restaurants and bars, as well as the marina. Clean up and recovery efforts have begun and the resort is working to con tinue to support its employees and their families. the property has established the Pink Shell Associate Relief Fund via a GoFundMe page. All donations will go directly to the resort’s team members who have lost access to vital resources, faced significant damage to their homes, or have been displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

“We are committed to getting up and running as quickly as possible so that we can support the community, but we are also going to use this opportunity to make enhancements to the property ”

Robert Boykin, chairman of Boykin Management Company, which owns and operates Pink Shell

Massive charity effort under way

Numerous efforts to raise funds to aid Hurricane Ian victims

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Hurricane Ian caused historic damage resulting in an historic cleanup so it’s no surprise there likely will also be historic charitable fundraising to aid victims

As the community cleans up and rebuilds, a vast array of organizations, foun dations and businesses have set up relief funds to help the Southwest Florida com munity Many of the funds are organized through long standing and trusted groups while others are through crowdsourcing platforms like GoFundMe and might require a bit more caution from donors.

“I’ve seen disasters bring out some of the best in humanity but unfortunately the worst in some,” says Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis “As we saw during the tragic Surfside building collapse, scam artists will use the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian to scam people for their own personal gain It’s absolutely despicable, and the best way to avoid falling victim is to do your research before giving to any recovery fund or char ity ”

What follows is a lengthy (but still par tial) list of Hurricane Ian relief efforts in the region:

The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce

The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce is among the organizations that have set up a Hurricane Relief Funds

“The Fort Myers Beach Chamber is committed to helping our island rebuild and we need your help All donations will go to aid our island businesses, with the focus primarily on helping those left unemployed in the wake of the disaster Funds will also help sustain our Chamber during this trying time,” its website states

Those interested may contribute to the chamber at fortmyersbeach org/hurricane ian recovery how you can help/

The website also provides a number of direct links to aid Beach businesses at the same site under Chamber Member’s Personal Campaigns, which includes links so you can donate directly to these Chamber members:

■ Bayfront Bistro

■ Beach Pottery

■ Best Western Plus Beach Resort

■ Cabanas of FMB

■ Captain Bubby’s IsLAND Tours

■ Chapel By The Sea

■ Charley’s Boathouse Wine Bar & Grill/Outrigger Beach Resort

■ Clemons Property Improvement

■ Community Cooperative

■ Cottages of Paradise Point

■ Florida Gulf Coast University

■ Gili Anna Design

■ Grandview at Bay Beach

■ Harbour House

Hideaway Village

■ Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Holiday Water Sports

■ Junkanoo/Fresh Catch Bistro

■ Kahlua Beach Club

■ Lahaina Inn Resort

■ Lani Kai Island Resort

■ La Ola Surfside Restaurant

■ Lighthouse Tiki Bar

■ Mango Rita’s

■ Mid Island Water Sports

■ Mojoe’s Coffee Cafe

■ Mound House

■ Myerside Resort & Cottages

■ Neptune Resort

■ Nervous Nellie’s

■ Oliver’s Place

■ Paradise Parasail

■ Parrot Key Caribbean Grill

■ Pete’s Time Out

■ Pierside Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar/Matanzas on the Bay

■ Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina

■ Plaka Restaurant

■ Ray’s Pizza

■ Royal Scoop

■ Shell Point Retirement Community

■ Shuckers at the Gulfshore and The Cottage Bar

■ Smokin’ Oyster Brewery

■ Silver Sands Villas

■ Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant

■ South Beach Grill

■ Sun Palace Vacations

■ Sunset Beach Tropical Grill & The Playmore Tiki Bar

■ Sunstream Resorts

■ The Cigar Hut

■ The Goodz

■ The Rude Shrimp Co.

■ The Salty Crab Bar & Grill

■ The Sea Gypsy Inn

■ The Whale

■ Tuckaway Cafe

■ Tunaskin

■ Yucatan Beach Stand

Fort Myers Chamber also has set a fundraiser for The FMB and Sanibel Chambers

“Here at the Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce we want to help our fellow chambers on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel We know they have not only lost the use of their buildings, but their mem bership has been devastated,” the chamber website states, adding “we are announc ing that $100 from every foursome sold at our November 4th golf tournament will be donated to the Fort Myers Beach Chamber and the Sanibel Captiva Chamber ”

Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation

#WeAreFMB

The Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation is accepting donations to aid recovery

“With the level of destruction caused by Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation realizes it is crucial to put out a plea to those near and far to make donations immediately to support the entire FMB community in their time of greatest need through the #WeAreFMB fund at: fmbcommunityfoundation com ”

Lani Kai Is l and Re s o rt

A G o F u n d M e p a g e h a s b e e n s e t u p t o a s s i s t m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 w o r k e r s o f L a n i K a i I s l a n d R e s o r t t h a t h a v e b e e n a f f e c t e d b y t h e s t o r m

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

A s o f m i d O c t o b e r , m o r e t h a n $ 2 8 , 0 0 0 h a d b e e n r a i s e d f o r t h e L a n i K a i I s l a n d R e s o r t s t a f f t h r o u g h t h e G o F u n d M e s i t e a t h t t p s : / / t i n y u r l c o m / 2 o n t q l z y

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

United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades and the Collaboratory

As of mid October, 1,800 donors have contributed more than $1 8 million dollars for Southwest Florida disaster relief efforts, with an additional $457,000 committed Donations can be made by visiting www collaboratory org

Collaboratory Communications Lead Noelle Casagrande said the beauty of the partnership with United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades is through the relief fund, Collaboratory can collect and house the funds, while the United Way can deploy them

One hundred percent of the funds donat ed will be deployed directly through local nonprofits to assist Southwest Florida neighbors impacted by Hurricane Ian

“Collaboratory wants to provide a safe and reliable location for those who want to assist their Southwest Florida neighbors as they recover from the storm,” Collaboratory President and CEO Sarah Owen said in a prepared statement

American Red Cross

Since Hurricane Ian impacted Lee County, 1,800 people from the Red Cross are supporting the operation on a statewide level with a large portion of those volun teers on the ground in Southwest Florida

American Red Cross Regional Communications Director Rachel Nelson said someone can make a financial donation and designate it to go directly towards Hurricane Ian survivors

Donations can be made by visiting www redcross org, by calling 1 800 RED CROSS, or text Ian to 90999, which will make a $10 donation that will appear as a charge on the donors cellular bill

“The Red Cross is focused on making sure people have a safe place to stay, food to eat and access to different types of healthcare and support,” Nelson said

There are also 100 Emergency Response Vehicles that are circulating through communities Nelson said the vehi cles pick up hot meals from kitchens and deliver them to communities in need

She said if someone lives in a neighbor hood where they have not seen services, they should call I 800 RED CROSS and report that, as staff circles back and follows up with those calls

For up to date information on services, individuals should visit their Facebook page @SFLRedCross

Lee Health Foundation

Although the Lee Health system suf fered $10 million in damage to its facilities, the greater challenge is helping their staff get back on their feet as many have lost their homes and cars, as well as focusing on childcare and basic needs The Lee Health Foundation has set up SWFL Stronger Together Employee Relief Fund, which the community can support by visiting www leehealthfoundation org/donate

As of early October, approximately $300,000 has been raised, with more funds continuing to be donated

Chief Development, Marketing and Communications Officer Chris Simoneau said the fund was set up immediately after the storm and is focusing on helping employees get back on their feet

When Hurricane Ian swept through the area, it totaled 400 or more cars when flood waters came in at HealthPark and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida The foundation is trying to help employees with their deductibles, which he said will

cost about a half a million dollars

“Almost everyone has been impacted The scale of the impact is very wide as well For some people that had small damages to people who have lost everything People on Sanibel lost cars and homes and today are living at hotel rooms with suitcases they left the island with,” Simoneau said of the broad array of damage

Lee Health has hundreds of units across their system, with one of them being NICU He said the unit has a white board with pho tos of who has been affected by the storm, 100 people

“It’s scary The scope of the need is real ly scary,” Simoneau said

Transportation is one of the key areas the foundation is trying to assist with, to make sure they can get to and from work In addition, he said they have opened all of their childcare facilities and currently are not charging anyone

The desire is to raise some additional funds to extend the length of time families will not be charged

Another hurdle is finding uniforms for employees, as a great deal of people have lost their clothing

Another massive problem, Simoneau said is finding a way to help their employ ees get back on their feet with short term housing

Although the need is beyond great, the generosity of the community is undeniable

“I spoke yesterday with one of my board members She was in Bonita Beach and she couldn’t speak,” he said in early October, as she was so overwhelmed with the loss of her home “‘I don’t have the words, but I want to support you ’ She and her husband gave a $10,000 gift to support our staff She was thinking of others That is the beauty of Southwest Florida The generosi ty and willingness to come together and support each other, it is remarkable ”

Simoneau said last week he called a cou ple of friends in the donor community, which turned into a much greater effort with 25 on the call from Marco Island to Sarasota He said they are all individually working to help their community, as well as pledging to help each other

“It’s not competitive, it’s a collaborative fundraiser We are trying to maximize for Southwest Florida and not compete We are trying to leverage as many resources as we can for the community,” Simoneau said

Foundation for Lee County Public Schools

In early October, The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools created a Hurricane Ian relief fund to meet the imme diate needs of educators and students

President and CEO Marshall Bower said as of mid October more than $100,000 has been raised Both Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier and Bower are making the major decisions of how the money will be given based on conversations with prin cipals, teachers and students

Bower said they have heard a great deal of students losing everything and being misplaced, with one being relocated to Tampa

“They will come back here and put into some other temporary housing,” he said

In addition, Bower said he has also heard of principals who have lost their homes, others losing their cars

“The extent of damage and need is still coming in, but I think it is rather large with students and teachers,” he said

AnswersFrom page 1

houses, some had homes but few posses sions

There were many questions over the four hour meeting:

When will water, sewer, internet and power return?

When will the debris be picked up?

Who should be allowed on the island and who shouldn’t be?

When should residents be allowed on the island and why are there curfews and restrictions on accessing the island?

Can permits be accelerated for home owners to rebuild?

How can a home that has landed on another property be removed and who will pay for it?

Which contractors are allowed to do work and what licensing do they need?

Will the town communicate informa tion better?

What are the red and orange tags on properties?

Town of Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, City Manager Roger Hernstadt and department heads had answers to many of those questions though much of it was delivered near the end of the meet ing when most had departed along with new information: the town hall and much of Bay Oaks Recreational Campus will likely need to be replaced, the New York C i t y F i r e D e p a r t m e n t i s l e a d i n g t h e town’s incident command and money and resources are on the way to aid the town’s recovery

Hernstadt, whose home burned down the morning after the hurricane struck, said the town is accessing lines of credit and is eligible for other federal funds

Four of the town’s council members were rendered homeless by Ian A fifth

councilmember, Jim Atterholt, suffered damage to his condominium.

In explaining the housing situation of the town council, Murphy asked those in a t t e n d a n c e s o m e o f w h o m w e r e unhappy with the handling of the hurri cane response, to work together with the town

“It’s going to take buy in from the town,” Murphy said

Murphy, who has met President Joe B i d e n a n d G o v R o n D e S a n t i s s i n c e Hurricane Ian struck, said he has been given assurances the town will receive the resources it needs

“I am at those meetings and I damn well believe that,” Murphy said

“We are with you shoulder to shoulder through this process,” Murphy said to the crowd “We’re not some big deity up in the sky or anything like that We are your neighbors and we are your friends I am a 40 year resident of Fort Myers Beach 40 years If I wanted to leave, I would have left a long time ago I have no inten tion of leaving Fort Myers Beach They will carry me out by my feet when I leave here so that’s my commitment to you My commitment is that I am staying and regardless of where I am in my political time I am going to be here for the rede

velopment of Fort Myers Beach ”

The meeting was held off island at the former SkipOne Seafood Restaurant on San Carlos Boulevard and the raw emo tion of the meeting began with Murphy’s introduction speech as well as an emo tional invocation led by Councilmember Jim Atterholt The town’s utilities direc tor Christy Cory would also be brought to t e a r s i n e x p l a i n i n g t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s i n d e l i v e r i n g w a t e r f r o m L e e C o u n t y Utilities and Bonita Springs to town resi dents desperate for water and the chal lenges of getting the town’s wastewater treatment center in sync with the county’s sewer system for town residents

A candidate for town council, John R K i n g , a d m o n i s h e d t h e b o a r d f o r i t s “acquiescence to other authorities ” The town and its council, he said, “should take a back seat to no one ”

The town and county, working togeth er on the removal of debris, have agreed to limit the days and hours by which town r e s i d e n t s c a n e n t e r t h e i s l a n d t o W e d n e s d a y s t h r o u g h S u n d a y s f r o m 9 a m to 5 p m It is an issue that has ran kled some who believe residents should be able to come and go, but not as much a s o t h e r s b a s e d o n t h o s e w h o s p o k e

Thursday

More were concerned about who was being allowed to enter the island

Some expressed fear of looting and t h o s e d i g g i n g i n t o d e b r i s p i l e s B o b Miller said he saw people digging into debris looking for items to sell in flea markets and motorcycles going by “sight seeing ”

Rick Loughrey, a former owner of Distinctive Beach Rentals, said the prop erty at his condemned home on Estero Boulevard had been the subject of loot ing Others have expressed unease with “lookyloos” coming down their streets

There were competing interests a desire to limit entry to the island, but other worries about traffic backing up and facilitating a quick removal of debris

Some suggested the use of hurricane passes or stickers though Hernstadt said t h e r e w o u l d e n d u p b e i n g t o o m a n y exceptions anyway than just residents contractors, insurance inspectors, munici pal workers, friends and family of proper ty owners, businessowners and workers, etc

Councilmember Dan Allers pushed to set up an off site area where such island passes could be set up though there did not appear to be support for such a meas ure.

Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been guarding access onto the island and on Sunday night were blocking non residents from accessing the island and signs posted along San Carlos Boulevard warn residents they will not be allowed entry into Fort Myers Beach on Mondays and Tuesdays

NATHAN MAYBERG

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy speaks with town residents John and Andrea Albert following the council’s first meeting since Hurricane Ian, held at the former SkipOne Seafood Restaurant on San Carlos Boulevard off island in Fort Myers Beach

Town of Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, who has met President Joe Biden and Gov Ron DeSantis since Hurricane Ian struck, said he has been given assurances the town will receive the resources it needs

Four of the five members of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council were left without homes after Hurricane Ian They included (left to right) Councilmember Dan Allers, Vice Mayor Rexann Hosafros, Mayor Ray Murphy and (far right) Councilmember Bill Veach Councilmember Jim Atterholt (second from right) had some damage to his condominium

BELOW RIGHT: Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt, who lost his home to fire the day after Hurricane Ian

ABOVE: Fort Myers Beach Utilities Directory Christy Cory said the department is going street to street to ensure water mains are safe for restoring water serv ice

Photos by NATHAN MAYBERG

r s b e a c h t a

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T o m T o r g e r s o n , c h a i r m a n o f T P I which is building Margaritaville, said the r e s o r t d i d n ’ t s u f f e r s t r u c t u r a l d a m a g e though he said the historic Cigar Hut b u i l d i n g o n t h e p r o p e r t y w o u l d n e e d action from the town council to allow the company a waiver from codes to save the building

Town officials told residents to ensure they apply for permits and receive electri cal inspections and structural engineering reports before doing any repair work on their properties The electrical inspections a n d s t r u c t u r a l e n g i n e e r i n g r e p o r t s a r e required to make sure the homes are safe before Florida Power & Light will restore power, and before the town will restore water In response to those seeking quick er permit approvals, officials explained that the town has to follow state and fed eral codes to ensure they receive full r e i m b u r s e m e n t f r o m t h e F e d e r a l E m e r g e n c y M a n a g e m e n t A g e n c y a n d their insurance Murphy said the town will be receiving a boost of federal man power to back up those handling the per mit requests to speed up the process

Hernstadt related that in a former posi t i o n w i t h M i a m i D a d e C o u n t y a f t e r Hurricane Andrew he was tasked with working to combat FEMA’s clawback of $51 million the county had received in a i d H e r n s t a d t s a i d F E M A h a s s e v e n years to recover funds it has disbursed in disaster aid Hernstadt said it took three

years, but he was able to get the county all of the money back by showing the county followed all of the codes and regulations

T h e t o w n ’ s c o m m u n i t y s e r v i c e s a d m i n i s t r a t o r , D a p h n i e S a u n d e r s , s a i d 100 properties had power restored as of Thursday She explained how the town is checking the licensing of contractors and electricians to ensure they are licensed in Florida before the town approves their i n s p e c t i o n s o f p r o p e r t i e s a n d r e t u r n s power and water to those homes and busi nesses Contractors must be licensed in F l o r i d a t o d o a n y h u r r i c a n e r e c o v e r y work under state law Unlicensed contrac tors can be charged with a felony

The town has relaxed its contractor list, meaning residents can hire contrac tors who are not on the town’s approved contractor list Contractors must still be licensed in Florida

The emotional tone of the meeting shifted at times from frustration to pleas for basic needs

“My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered,” Miramar Street resident Jennifer Rusk said Rusk said water was sorely needed “We need water now,” she said

The town announced Friday that 12 streets in town were now able to receive water

Cory, who in turn became tearful in explaining her desire to return water to the island, said town staff would be going

street to street to inspect the water mains to ensure water can be delivered to homes and checking on individual homes that have received electric and structural engi neer inspections to receive water Cory said the utilities department has been aided by Miami Dade County Utilities which has sped up the town’s recovery process The county has been providing the town resources in its recovery follow ing a call for assistance from Hernstadt, who once worked for the county The t o w n h a s b e e n m e t h o d i c a l l y b r i n g i n g backs its water and wastewater treatment operations to ensure there are no health threats or sewage issues The town relies on Lee County Utilities for its water and sends its wastewater to Lee County to be treated A boil water notice is in effect for anyone on Fort Myers Beach who has water

Atterholt said the progress that has been made by Cory on the town’s water and wastewater system was “tremendous” and far ahead of schedule

“It’s amazing what they have done,” he said

Councilman Bill Veach urged the pub lic to avoid all waterways, due to the heavy pollution they have taken in since Hurricane Ian and the dangerous bacteria and other waterborne illnesses that pose a threat to the public health The waterways also have debris and sharp objects Rusk said she was surprised by the

lack of debris removal trucks on her s t r e e t D e b r i s a n d h o u s e h o l d t r a s h remains piled along the street, she said

“It’s getting toxic It’s unhealthy,” she said

“My street doesn’t look like it’s been touched,” Allers said

L e e C o u n t y G o v e r n m e n t h a s b e e n overseeing the debris removal trucks

Hernstadt said he has been told by the county there are 20 trucks from the con tractors devoted to Fort Myers Beach though the county stated Thursday that only four to five trucks were in operation that day with eight to 10 trailers

Hernstadt said he has asked the con t r a c t o r s t o d e v o t e m o r e r e s o u r c e s t o debris removal and that more contractors might need to be hired for debris removal

According to the town’s public works director Jason Freeman, the recent avail ability of Lovers Key State Park to bring debris now that Big Carlos Pass Bridge has opened up, will help speed up debris removal Freeman said some debris needs to be separated by residents from house hold garbage

Some residents have complained that is not feasible

Hernstadt said the contractors have requested that debris be separated from household trash

Some residents have complained that

A Lee County sign along San Carlos Boulevard informs Fort Myers Beach residents they will not be allowed over the Matanzas Pass Bridge onto Estero Island on Mondays and Tuesdays, as part of an agreement between the town and county to facilitate quicker debris removal

Recovering

From page 10

trash is not being picked up Though off island and outside the town limits, the route to Fort Myers Beach along San Carlos Boulevard is full of dozens of g a r b a g e b a g s t h a t h a v e b e e n s i t t i n g u n t o u c h e d f o r w e e k s p i l e d a l o n g s i d e appliances that have been placed near the c u r b p a r t i c u l a r l y n e a r t h e B o a r d w a l k Caper in an example of how slow the garbage removal process has been in the area since Hurricane Ian

Murphy said that all of the answers to questions posed at Thursday’s meeting will be posted on the town’s website

Robert Lazzell, of Dundee Road, said the town needed to be providing daily updates and that officials should already have the answers to questions

“ I t ’ s b e e n t h r e e w e e k s , ” h e s a i d . Lazzell said garbage and debris removal needed to be improved

Lazzell argued against the closing of the island to residents on Mondays and Tuesdays

“What about working people?” Lazell said residents did not want to stay at a hotel “They need to go to work,” he said

One question that was addressed was how the 50% rule will affect homeowners looking to repair their homes

Under FEMA code, homes with more than 50% of the value of their structures damaged will need to build up to the cur rent code and elevate their homes higher which will mean many of the older

wooden homes will face the greatest hur dles

Lee County Schools Board member Chris Patricca said the board was still awaiting answers on the future of the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School as to whether it will need to be gutted or a complete teardown Patricca said a tem porary solution will involve putting up trailers on the site Fort Myers Beach Elementary School students returned to c l a s s e s T h u r s d a y a t S a n C a r l o s P a r k Elementary School

Nebraska State Sen Mike McDonnell, w h o h a s a h o m e o n S a b a l D r i v e , expressed anger with the way residents h a d b e e n l i m i t e d f r o m a c c e s s i n g t h e i s l a n d a n d s a i d t h o s e c l e a r i n g d e b r i s should be working at night, not just the day

Later in the meeting, Hernstadt would make all of the town’s department heads

a v a i l a b l e t o a d d r e s s m o s t q u e s t i o n s though by that time most of the crowd started filing out

There was at least one call by a resi dent for Gov Ron DeSantis to appear at the town council meetings. Murphy said he would make that request Murphy also said he would have Florida Power & Light at the council’s next meeting

Hernstadt said the red and orange tags being placed on properties are from the U S Army Corps of Engineers indicating which properties are in the worst shape and need demolition (red) and which ones are in bad shape but need more study (orange), though he said those assess ments are just preliminary and do not mean any orders will yet be issued for any demolition work

In response to whether the town and c o u n t y a r e w o r k i n g c l o s e l y t o g e t h e r , there was different responses Lee County

Commissioner Ray Sandelli, whose dis trict includes Fort Myers Beach, said he was in contact with town officials each day Murphy said the town and county have never worked more closely together and said he was meeting with county offi cials each day Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Rexann Hosafros said she had reached out to a county commissioner and his secretary after the hurricane, whom she did not name, and still had not heard back

Atterholt said the availability of the town’s department heads made a big dif ference in alleviating the concerns of him and others Atterholt said he liked that Hernstadt indicated the town would begin working to have an in person kiosk and presence to handle permits Presently, Saunders said the town was only handling permits online

With not everyone having access to i n t e r n e t a n d t h e m y r i a d o f q u e s t i o n s regarding permits, Atterholt said the in person presence of staff to address con cerns was important

“The more we make our department heads available, the better off the people of Fort Myers Beach will be,” Atterholt said

E d i t o r N a t h a n M a y b e r g c a n b e reached at Nmayberg@breezenew

ABOVE LEFT: Nebraska State Sen Mike McDonnell, who has a home on Sabal Drive, wants the town to open up access to the island and for debris removal trucks to work later hours.

ABOVE: Hurricane Ian knocked down several of the animals who call Jungle Golf home on San Carlos Boulevard

LEFT: Lee County Commissioner Ray Sandelli said he is in daily contact with town officials

Photos by NATHAN MAYBERG

Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt said the red and orange tags being placed on properties are from the U S Army Corps of Engineers indicating which properties are in the worst shape and need demolition (red) and which ones are in bad shape but need more study (orange), though he said those assessments are just preliminary and do not mean any orders will yet be issued for any demolition work.

Recovering

Individuals can either make a donation at www leeschoolfoundation org, or by sending a donation designated to Hurricane Ian relief to P O Box 1608, Fort Myers, FL 33902.

Blessings in a Backpack SWFL

Donations are currently being sought to help feed children in the community, which currently serves more than 6,200 students in 28 school based programs in Lee and Collier County Through Blessings in a Backpack, children are provided with back packs full of nutritional food for the week end With a $130 donation, a child will be fed for an entire school year Donations can be made at https://swfl blessingsinaback pack.org/hurricane ian response/.

“I like to tell my donors, your dollars stay here We want dollars to stay local There is going to be such a need for our program moving ahead past the storm,” Executive Director Cecilia St Arnold said “Kids that weren’t eligible for the program are now displaced from the storm ” Now they are eli gible

She said last week and this week she has been able to feed 10,000 kids Blessings in a Backpack SWFL has partnered with other organizations and agencies to help feed chil dren, by delivering shelf stable food

“The bottom line, I do it and then ask for forgiveness after the fact The kids need to eat,” she said, which is why the donation page has been set up

Now looking forward, she said there are numerous kids who have been displaced from their schools, especially on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Pine Island, as well as a few schools in Cape Coral There is an esti mated nearly 2,000 children that have been displaced and now in need of services

“Two of my schools are blessing schools that will now be getting hundreds of more kids displaced that will be eligible for the program,” she said

St Arnold said there are a lot of kids on

“We are going to have a new poor in Lee County that we didn’t have two weeks ago,” she said

Community Cooperative

A Lee County Strong Emergency Relief Fund was set up for Community Cooperative to address the long term recovery that will take place Individuals can donate to the cause by visiting www leecountystrong com Community Cooperative Chief Executive Officer Stefanie Ink Edwards said there are lot of people here helping from all over as an initial reaction to the storm ensuring their are supplies and food, which is wonderful. She said after they all the leave, the community still has a long road ahead and they wanted to an opportunity to specifically raise funds for that

There has not been a goal set for the amount to be raised, as Ink Edwards said there is no number too big to raise

“If we raise all the money in the world it is going to take a lot to put the community together,” she said, adding that although Hurricane Irma was bad, Hurricane Ian’s impacts are way worse. “Multiple communi ties that are completely devastated and people have lost everything ”

Ink Edwards said there has been an evolu tion of the help needed since the area was first impacted by Hurricane Ian At the beginning people were seeking generators, clean water and food It has transitioned to a much deep er need in terms of housing, individuals not working, baby supplies, cleaning supplies and long term recovery

“Today we tarped a roof for a gentleman who had a tree fall through the roof,” she said

Ink Edwards said there are two subsets of individuals, those who had wind damage, and those who experienced flooded homes and temporary housing

London Bay London Bay announced in early October a $50,000 match challenge for Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief For every dollar gifted through Nov. 1, London Bay will match. According to a release, 100 percent of the donations will support efforts established by the two community foundations, The Collaboratory and the Collier Community Foundation

“The work of rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Ian has already begun, thanks in large part to the instrumental work activated at the city, county and state levels to mobi lize people, resources and funds to begin the recovery efforts throughout our community We are grateful to these heroes,” Mark Wilson, president and CEO of London Bay, said in a prepared statement “While the road to recovery will be a winding journey, London Bay is committed, more than ever before, to Southwest Florida We invite the public to join with us and help double efforts to rebuild, and create, once again, a beauti ful oasis for people to live, play and work ”

Donations can be made at www london bay com/hurricane ian relief

The Collier Community Foundation’s Collier Comes Together Relief Fund is over seeing the match challenge for both organi zations At the end of the campaign the funds will be split between the two

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce

A GoFundMe has been set up to help sustain the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, as members will not be billed for the rest of this year and the first two quarters of next year, so far

“We have set up a fund to help our cham ber sustain for local businesses in the next year, two years, how long it takes for us to rebuild We will continue to operate and assist the city, state and federal levels as we build our infrastructure and progress as we get closer and closer to opening,” President

New York’s Bravest on Beach

City

and CEO John Lai said

As of mid October, he said they have raised some money, but have not put a goal on the fund

“We have been looking at our strategic partners and our outside community, our visitors as we send that out,” Lai said

As far as financial needs, he said they have businesses that will not be able to employ their servers and cooks

“Therefore we really would like to give them assistance so we don’t lose them to another state, or county,” Lai said, as those employees build the destination and service the islands have been known for “We have to keep the good employees that have made Sanibel special ”

Donations can be made by visiting www sanibel captiva org

Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, which has raised $4,270 as of mid October Donations can be made at www gofundme com/f/help rebuild pine island florida

Executive Administrator Tammy Aeschiliman said they want to do help as much as they can, with the funds going towards business needs that are necessary She said although the chamber office has yet to open, they are here for any kind of help

“As with many towns, the small busi ness owners of Pine Island are the back bone of our community,” stated the cham ber’s Facebook post “They are an amaz ing network of individuals and families who have worked tirelessly to build their businesses, create jobs, provide goods and services to the area, and contribute gener ously, in a multitude of ways, to our com munity The damage to these small busi nesses owners has been significant, but their spirit is strong

Fort Myers Beach who are now homeless In addition, she said many people do not have insurance

t h e b a n d F i r e h o u s e i n a s h o w t h a t w i l l b e n e f i t t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h C o m m u n i t y F o u n d a t i o n ’ s # W e A r e F M B e f f o r t a s w e l l a s M u s i c a L i v e W F L

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

v e n d o r s f r o m 2 p m t o 1 0 p m a t A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s , l o c a t e d a t 1 0 0 9 1 M c G r e g o r B o u l e v a r d i n F o r t M y e r s .

T h e s h o w w i l l a l s o f e a t u r e s p e c i a l g u e s t s R o x x R e v o l t & t h e V e l v e t s , B e n A l l e n B a n d , V a l l i o n , F e l i c i t y a n d t h e S c h o o l o f R o c k F o r t M y e r s H o u s e B a n d

T h e c o n c e r t i s b e i n g p r o m o t e d b y N i c e G u y s P r o d u c t i o n s T i c k e t s r a n g e f r o m $ 3 5 t o $ 1 0 0 a n d c a n b e p u r c h a s e d a t h t t p s : / / n i c e g u y s p r o d u c t i o n c o m / e v e n t / s w f l s t r o n g b e n e f i t c o n c e r t /

Jack Russell’s Great White will be performing at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers Nov. 18 with Firehouse.

Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation will share proceeds from Hurricane Ian -related charity show

Appalachian Road Show performing at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host the acoustic ensemble, Appalachian Road Show, for the first Rhythm on the River concert of the season set for Nov. 11.

The group performs bluegrass and folk music, as well as original songs The event will take place on the Ford lawn, along the Caloosahatchee River Gates open at 6 p m and the concert starts at 6:30 p m

Band members include Grammy nominated banjoist Barry Abernathy, Grammy winning fiddler Jim VanCleve, vocalist and mandolinist Darrell Webb (who has recorded and toured with Dolly Parton), Grammy winning bassist Todd Phillips, and guitarist Zeb Snyder Abernathy, VanCleve, and Webb were each born and raised in Appalachia Abernathy sang in his church as a young boy, VanCleve has played the fiddle since he was 6 years old, and Webb grew up with the influence of bluegrass music.

The group's music tells stories from the mountains and val leys of North Carolina and Virginia and the coal mines of West Virginia and Kentucky Those stories include topics of logging, coal mining, trains, and lost love in their hit songs such as “I Am Just a Pilgrim,” “Little Black Train,” “Dance, Dance, Dance,” and the ballad of love and loss in “Anna Lee ”

The band’s first album had three number one songs on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay charts Then, in 2019, the band was nominated for the New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (“Dance Dance Dance”) at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards In 2021, the group was named Instrumental Group of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Food and beverage vendors will have refreshments avail able for purchase No coolers or picnic baskets will be per mitted Free parking is available in the main Edison Ford parking lot at 2350 McGregor Boulevard

Tickets may be purchased online or at the ticket counter Individual tickets purchased in advance are $30 for Edison Ford members or $35 for non members; tickets at the door will be $40 Individual ticket holders should bring a lawn chair A VIP seating area may be reserved by the table for $225 Each table holds up to 5 people; table ticket price includes the use of a table and chairs For more information or

to purchase tickets online, visit EdisonFord org

Edison and Ford Winter Estates

Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the internationally known winter home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford More than 220,000 visitors walk through the location each year from all around the globe The organization has received many awards, including the National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the

National Garden Clubs’ Historic Preservation Award The property is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures," a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site The Edison Botanic Laboratory is a National Historic Chemical Landmark

The site is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a m to 5:30 p m and until 9 p m during the month of December for Holiday Nights

Edison and Ford Winter Estates is at 2350 McGregor Boulevard

Appalachian Road Show toperform at the first Rhythm on the River concert of the season set for Nov 11

Gulf Coast Har monizers announce retur n with free show

The Gulf Coast Harmonizers in their 30th year enter taining Lee County are bringing back the canceled “Fall Harmony Fest” with a couple of changes After Hurricane “Ian” the community could use some music to lift spirits

FREE show will be held Nov 20, at 2 p m at Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church 8260 Cypress Lake Dr , Fort Myers

will be a free will offering that will be shared with Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church to help with dam age

sustained from the hurricane

Johnston, member of the

International Quartet

Gold Medal Winners “Quorum ” This unique, 40 plus, men’s a cappella chorus will be performing a variety of old and new songs that is sure to captivate the audience through the harmony of it’s “barbershop” style arrange ments Donations can also be made at www gcharmoniz ers com using the PayPal donate button on the bottom of the main page, Hope to see you there

About Gulf Coast Harmonizers: The Gulf Coast Harmonizers have been entertaining SW Florida since 1992 and is open to men of any age

who have an interest in singing in the barbershop a cap pella style of harmony Gulf Coast Harmonizers is a membership organization of singers who meet regularly to rehearse,perform and socialize Currently the Chorus has over 40 singers from all walks of life, and from all parts of Lee County and surrounding counties The Harmonizers are affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society, a 501(c)(3), non profit educational organization based in Nashville, TN, which supports local nonprofits and youth services To learn more, visit www gcharmo nizers com or call 855 425 3631

T h e T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h i s i n f o r m i n g r e s i d e n t s a n d b u s i n e s s o w n e r s t h a t i f t h e i r p r o p e r t i e s w e r e i m p a c t e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n i n a w a y t h a t d a m a g e d t h e i r a b i l i t y t o r e c e i v e m a i l a f t e r H u r r i c a n e I a n , t h e y s h o u l d p r o v i d e t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s P o s t a l S e r v i c e a c h a n g e o f a d d r e s s F o r t M y e r s B e a c h p r o p e r t y o w n e r s a f f e c t e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n c a n p i c k u p m a i l t h a t h a s n ’ t b e e n a b l e t o b e d e l i v e r e d t o t h e i r p r o p e r t i e s b y g o i n g t o t h e F o r t M y e r s P r o c e s s i n g & D i s t r i b u t i o n C e n t e r

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O n M a y 3 1 , s h e h a d a d o u b l e m a s t e c t o m y , a s h e r d o c t o r s t o l d h e r t h e r e w a s m o r e t h a n a 9 0 p e r c e n t c h a n c e o f t h e c a n c e r r e c u r r i n g

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

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H e r f i r s t c h e m o t r e a t m e n t w a s o n J u l y 2 5 , f o l l o w e d b y a t l e a s t t w o m o r e c h e m o t r e a t m e n t s a n d e i g h t t o 1 2 w e e k s o f r a d i a t i o n o n h e r r i g h t b r e a s t a n d T 5 . F o r t h e n e x t 1 0 y e a r s , s h e a l s o h a s t o t a k e a n o r a l c h e m o t h e r a p y b e c a u s e o f h e r a g e a n d t h e n a t u r e o f t h i s c a n c e r

S h e s h a r e d h e r s t o r y i n a d v a n c e o f B r e a s t C a n c e r A w a r e n e s s M o n t h , w h i c h i s O c t o b e r

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

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

B r e a s t H e a l t h N u r s e N a v i g a t o r F r a n c e s H u t c h i n s o n s a i d t h e y h a v e a 3 D m a m m o g r a p h y , w h i c h c a n d e t e c t 4 0 p e r c e n t m o r e ; t h e r e f o r e r e d u c i n g f a l s e p o s i t i v e s I f a p a t i e n t n e e d s a d d i t i o n a l d i a g n o s t i c i m a g i n g , t h e r e i s t h e u l t r a s o u n d g u i d e d b r e a s t b i o p s y , 3 D s t e r e o t a c t i c b i o p s y a n d M R I g u i d e d b i o p s i e s

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

T h e r e i s a l s o a s s i s t a n c e p r o v i d e d t h r o u g h a m a m m o g r a m f u n d f o r t h o s e w h o a r e u n i n s u r e d o r u n d e r i n s u r e d a n d c a n n o t a f f o r d t h e o u t o f p o c k e t c o s t I n d i v i d u a l s w i l l g o t h r o u g h a n a p p l i c a t i o n p r o c e s s a n d , i f t h e y q u a l i f y , t h e a s s i s t a n c e w i l l b e p r o v i d e d f o r t h e s c r e e n i n g a n d d i a g n o s t i c u l t r a s o u n d s T h e r e a l s o i s a s s i s t a n c e t h r o u g h t h e S h a r o n M a c D o n a l d F u n d f o r t h o s e d i a g n o s e d w i t h b r e a s t c a n c e r a n d i n n e e d o f a s s i s t a n c e A s s i s t a n c e c a n a l s o b e p r o v i d e d w h e n a p a t i e n t l o s e s t h e i r h a i r

H a i r F X O w n e r S u s a n M u r p h y , a 1 1 y e a r b r e a s t c a n c e r s u r v i v o r , h a s a c o l l e c t i o n o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0 0 w i g s a t h e r s a l o n A l t h o u g h s h e h a s p r o v i d e d w i g s f o r m u s i c a l s f o r 3 5 y e a r s , i t w a s n o t u n t i l a c l i e n t w a l k e d i n w i t h a w i g t h a t d i d n o t s u i t h e r w e l l , t h a t h e r f o c u s t h e n

i n c l u d e d c a n c e r p a t i e n t s

“ I t ’ s a m a z i n g w h e n y o u m a k e s o m e o n e b e a u t i f u l W h e n y o u g i v e a c a n c e r p a t i e n t a w i g , y o u a r e c h a n g i n g t h e i r l i f e Y o u a r e h e l p i n g t h e m g e t t h r o u g h i t , g i v i n g t h e m c o n f i d e n c e T h e m o r e t h e y a r e t a k i n g c a r e o f t h e m s e l v e s , t h e b e t t e r t h e y f e e l g o i n g t h r o u g h i t , ” M u r p h y s a i d

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

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

Celeste Clutter, pictured as she underwent chemo treatment describes her journey as riding a roller coaster in the dark. She shared her story in advance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which now coming to an end. / PHOTO PROVIDED

Lee Health Breast Centers offer services at four Lee County breast health centers:

∫ Surfside, at 2441 Surfside Blvd, Suite 104, Cape Coral;

∫ The Sanctuary, 8960 Colonial Center Drive, Fort Myers;

∫ C o c o n u t P o i n t , 2 3 4 5 0 Vi a C o c o n u t P o i n t , Estero;

∫ HealthPark Commons, 16281 Bass Rd, Suite 204, Fort Myers

To schedule an appointment, call the central sched uling department at 239 349 3182

For more information, visit leehealth org/our servic es/women s health/breast health.

Other resources include:

∫ Southwest Florida Affiliate of Susan G Komen for the Cure; 26800 Tamiami Trail, Suite 210, Bonita

Local resources

S p r i n g s ; P h o n e : 2 3 9 4 9 8 0 0 1 6 ; info@komenswfl org; www komenswfl org;

∫ Partners for Breast Cancer Care; 9470 Health P a r k C i r c l e , F o r t M y e r s ; ( 2 3 9 ) 4 5 4 8 5 8 3 ; www pfbcc org;

∫ American Cancer Society; 4575 Via Royale, Suite 110, Fort Myers; 239 936 1113 (donations), 800 227 2345 (patient services); www cancer org

Local cancer support groups:

∫ Radiology Regional Center

6140 Winker Rd, Fort Myers; (239) 936 2316;

Time: Last Monday of each month at 6 p m

∫ Lee Memorial Women’s Cancer Support Group Regional Cancer Center, 8931 Colonial Center Drive, Fort Myers (4th floor conference room); (239) 343 9511;

Time: Third Tuesday of each month 2:15 3:45 p m

∫ 21st Century Care

Location: Villas Civic Assoc Building, 2306 Sunrise Blvd, Fort Myers; (239) 938 9303;

Time: Thursdays 10 11:30 a m

∫ Center for Mind Body Therapy (Group Healing Experience)

The Terraces, 8660 College Pwky #230, Fort Myers; (239) 433 1403

∫ Caregivers Support Group

Regional Cancer Center, 8931 Colonial Center Drive, Fort Myers; (239) 343 1126;

Time: Second Wednesday of each month 4:30 6 p m

Note: Locations and hours may have been affected by Hurricane Ian Call for information and updates

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins evaluating damaged homes

Surveys to begin from the road on homes requiring demolition

y N AT H A N M AY B E R G

U S Army Corps of Engineers has begun evaluating which homes on Fort Myers Beach will need to be demolished.

will be a three tier system based on views from the road to determine which homes are clearly unsafe and will need to be demolished and which ones will require

further review

T h e e v a l u a t i o n w i l l a s s i s t F e d e r a l Emergency Management Agency reviews of the Hurricane Ian disaster recovery and to aid in safety efforts, Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt said

Hernstadt said properties without roofs or which are clearly unstable and need to be demolished will be marked red to be

demolished “to make sure nobody goes into a structure that is unsafe We don’t want anybody getting hurt ”

Those needing further review will be marked orange Hernstadt said the red tags are just a first step for demolition orders Hernstadt said the state and FEMA will need to still work out funding for how dem olition will be handled

The review will help FEMA document

how many homes and businesses were destroyed on Fort Myers Beach and need to be torn down

Hernstadt said the town will be working with the state and FEMA to determine how property owners will be notified as to when the buildings will be demolished and how long they will have to do the work

FEMA extends renewal grace period for Florida Flood Insurance policyholders affected by Hurricane Ian to jumpstart recovery

W A S H I N G T O N C e r t a i n N a t i o n a l F l o o d I n s u r a n c e P r o g r a m p o l i c y h o l d e r s i m p a c t e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n n o w h a v e a l i m i t e d o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e n e w t h e i r p o l i c i e s w i t h o u t a c o n s e q u e n c e o f a l a p s e i n c o v e r a g e

P r e v i o u s l y , N F I P a n n o u n c e d t h a t p o l i c y h o l d e r s b a s e d i n F l o r i d a w h o h a d f l o o d d a m a g e f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n h a v e a 9 0 d a y g r a c e p e r i o d t o r e n e w t h e i r p o l i c i e s a n d f i l e a c l a i m f o r f l o o d d a m a g e

T h e e x t e n s i o n a p p l i e s t o p o l i c y h o l d e r s w h o s e f l o o d i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y e x p i r a t i o n d a t e s b e g a n o n A u g 2 5 , 2 0 2 2 , t h r o u g h a n d i n c l u d i n g O c t 2 3 , 2 0 2 2 F o r e x a m p l e , i f t h e o r i g i n a l r e n e w a l d a t e f o r a p o l i c y w a s A u g 2 5 , 2 0 2 2 , t h e p o l i c y m a y b e r e n e w e d o n o r b e f o r e N o v 2 3 , 2 0 2 2 , a n d y o u c a n f i l e y o u r c l a i m f o r d a m a g e r e c e i v e d f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n I f t h e r e n e w a l d a t e w a s O c t 2 3 , 2 0 2 2 ,

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D e a n n e C r i s w e l l “ B y p r o a c t i v e l y e x t e n d i n g t h e r e n e w a l d e a d l i n e f o r f l o o d

Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator

i n s u r a n c e , w e a r e s t a n d i n g b y t h a t c o m m i t m e n t a n d a l l o w i n g p o l i c y h o l d e r s w h o f a c e d i n c r e d i b l e l o s s t o r e n e w t h e i r p o l i c y a n d f i l e a c l a i m i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f o n e o f t h e m o s t c a t a s t r o p h i c s t o r m s i n F l o r i d a ’ s h i s t o r y . ”

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