Council elected Dan Allers as the next mayor Monday, after the swearing in of new councilmembers John R. King and Karen Woodson in a process that led to Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt exiting under a resigna tion that was accepted at the same meeting and then turned into a suspension with pay
under the direction of Woodson and a 3 2 vote by the council
The council voted to give Allers the a
DAN ALLERS FORT MYERS BEACH MAYORp l a c e m e n t f o r Hernstadt, which he said he had already been in talks about before being elected mayor Allers said he has spoken with county, state and federal officials about finding a replacement for Hernstadt who had just given his letter of resignation
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
Erickson & Jenson and Trico On Oct 19, the Florida Department of
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for Quotations for the removal of debris associated with Hurricane Ian On Oct 27, the work was awarded to three
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A letter sent by the Florida Department of Emergency Management to Lee County, has put into question town policy to allow property owners to rebuild their homes after Hurricane Ian if the damage to the structure was limited to 50% of the market value of the home plus 20%
The Lee County Board of County Supervisors had been planning to pass a resolution allowing for a markup of 15% before receiving the letter from the state on Tuesday
In the letter, the Division of Emergency Management stated that improvements proposed for buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas which constitute “substantial improvement” and whether buildings damaged by any
cause have incurred “substantial damage,” the tax assessed value is “only the value of the building (exclud ing land, land improvements, and accessory features such as pools, walkways, fences, and accessory structures) ”
The letter, provided by the county and unsigned, stat ed that “codifying a fixed adjustment factor in the local ly adopted definition of market value is inconsistent with published FEMA guidance” and “not consistent with the m a r k e t v a l u e d e f i n i t i o n a p p r o v e d b y F E M A Headquarters and FEMA Region IV in 2013 ”
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e D i v i s i o n o f E m e r g e n c y Management, the “County Property Appraiser is the appropriate government official to determine adjustment factors, which should be determined within the bounds of the property appraiser’s authority and professional expe rience ”
Valerie’s House is participating in N a t i o n a l C h i l d r e n ’ s G r i e f A w a r e n e s s Month in November The nonprofit that helps children grieve the loss of a loved one, will host two events and will share p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s f r o m f a m i l i e s d u r i n g videos, podcasts and other profiles posted on Facebook and on their website They organization is encouraging residents to share their own stories of loss on social media and how they have survived the trauma
Counselors also have been invited into Lee County schools during November to train school personnel on how to help chil dren experiencing the trauma of losing their school or home to Hurricane Ian “ T h e l o s s a n d d e s t r u c t i o n t h e Southwest Florida community has experi enced from Hurricane Ian now further compounds the emotions grieving chil dren are experiencing Children are griev ing so much their schools, their homes, their entire neighborhoods, another loved one in their life may also have died,” said Valerie’s House founder and CEO Angela Melvin “We must stand with them and support them now more than ever ”
Two major events are planned during the month:
∫ Valerie’s House in Fort Myers will host an open house so the public including families, school professionals, and other community members can tour the house and learn more about its grief support services Thursday, Nov 17, which is N a t i o n a l C h i l d r e n ’ s G r i e f A w a r e n e s s
Day Professionals who work with chil dren are encouraged to wear blue and drop by Valerie’s House at 1762 Fowler St from 9 a m to 4 p m Please RSVP to molly@valerieshouse org
∫ Valerie’s House in Naples will host a Live Art Event on Friday, Nov 18, at 819 Myrtle Terrace Visitors are invited to drop by from 6 p m to 9 p m to meet local artists, enjoy small bites and a raffle as well as an opportunity to tour Valerie’s House and learn more about how art helps children heal Tickets are free RSVP to sarah andrus@valeries house org
Throughout National Children’s Grief Awareness Month, Valerie’s House will share personal stories from families dur ing videos, podcasts, interviews and other profiles posted on Facebook and on their website They also are encouraging resi dents to share their own stories of loss on social media and how they have survived the trauma
“We are asking everyone to join with us in helping Reach out to anyone you know who is grieving and tell them about Valerie’s House Let them know we are here for them and that they are not alone Give them a voice, let them know you
hear them,” Melvin said
Valerie’s House counselors have been invited into Lee County schools during November to train school personnel on how to help children experiencing the trauma of losing their school or home to Hurricane Ian
“A lot of kids are grieving the loss of their school and their classmates in addi tion to the loss of their homes They need a sense of normalcy, which we will strive to provide so that school personnel can better respond to students impacted by Ian,” Melvin said
Valerie’s House first opened its doors with 20 children and their caregivers on the evening of Jan 11, 2016 in a small house in downtown Fort Myers Since then, the organization has grown to help more than 2,000 children and expanded i n t o t h r e e a d d i t i o n a l l o c a t i o n s a c r o s s S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a , i n c l u d i n g N a p l e s , Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and its newest location in Pensacola
One in seven children in Florida is pre dicted to lose a parent or sibling before the a g e
Valerie’s House provides a safe, com fortable place for children and their fami lies to heal together following the death of someone they love Valerie’s House offers support groups and other activities at a home on 1762 Fowler Street in Fort Myers and a home in Naples at 819 M y r t l e T e r r a c e V a l e r i e ' s H o u s e a l s o holds group meetings in Charlotte County at First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda at 507 W Marion Ave and at Holy T r i n i t y L u t h e r a n C h u r c h a t 2 5 6 5 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte
Support services are also offered in Pensacola. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations More informa t i o n c a n b e f o u n d at www valerieshouse org
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e D i v i s i o n o f E m e r g e n c y Management’s letter, local officials can only adjust the tax assessment value to market value only when the adjustment factor:
∫ Is provided, in writing, by the County Property Appraiser, ∫ Is a single factor, and ∫ Is provided for a single use for specified individual buildings or, if intended for use for multiple buildings, the Count Property Appraiser specifies the period during which the factor is valid (e g , 3 months)
Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Roger Hernstadt said Town Attorney John Herin Jr. was reviewing them matter
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel and his wife Alexis Joel wasted no time making a major donation to help the vic tims of Hurricane Ian
T h e c o u p l e , t h r o u g h T h e J o e l F o u n d a t i o n , d o n a t e d $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 t o
Community Cooperative in one of the sin gle largest charitable contributions made since the disaster killed 61 in Lee County, including at least 14 on Fort Myers Beach.
Mrs Joel, in an interview with the Fort Myers Beach Observer Sunday, said the charitable contribution was one of many the foundation has made in recent years
“The last three years, it has been one thing after the other,” Mrs Joel said From helping musical education programming during COVID 19 to food pantries, the organization has been active around the country Mrs Joel said she regularly goes on GoFundMe pages to find worthwhile causes.
The devastation on Fort Myers Beach, particularly to the shrimp boaters, resonat ed quickly with the Joels who enjoy fishing Mr Joel has been an avid fisher man and boater The couple live in Florida and felt connected to what transpired
They chose Community Cooperative because “we wanted a small organization where we could see where the money would go through and directly into the community,” Mrs Joel said
“They are doing a great job,” she said.
Just last week, the organization provid ed local fishermen and other local resi dents and workers with free meals at Key West Express off Main Street in Fort Myers Beach
“It went even better than we thought it would be,” Mrs. Joel said. “A lot of the s h r i m p e r s w e r e l i v i n g o n t h e i r b o a t s before the storm and are still living on boats A lot of people are worried about how to pay their bills ”
More than 40 shrimp boaters are esti mated to be out of work with their boats out of commission, awaiting state efforts to rescue their ships
“Cooperative identified this group as one needing extra support,” Community Cooperative CEO Stefanie Ink Edwards said. The nonprofit is working to offer long term recovery assistance and has set u p a p o p u p d i s t r i b u t i o n c e n t e r a t Matanzas Harbor where “shrimpers, fish
“They
Edwards said the donation from The Joel Foundation “is supporting relief and
to the town the night before.
Councilmember Bill Veach called for a more open process that followed the town’s policies and procedures “It appears that the mayor has a plan that he hasn’t real ly laid out for us,” Veach said
Veach said those policies required the interim manag er to solicit a new interim manager “not putting a friend in the job ”
The council appointed former interim manager Jim Steele to the post at no salary for a week Steele is the uncle of Councilmember Jim Atterholt
Before the debate ensued, former mayor Ray Murphy, who lost his home as well during Hurricane Ian and was voted out of office, thanked Hernstadt and “his staff, who you assembled” for their work in stepping up during Hurricane Ian “They have risen up to the job here,” he said
“We’ve all shared in this loss,” Murphy said
Allers began his mayorship with a statement that ran approximately six minutes In between sobs and pauses, Allers said Hurricane Ian “did not take away our drive, our determination or our culture ”
Allers said “our goal should be to organize the coun cil to ensure every member is engaged and fully informed on all matters.” Allers said “the only way we will make progress and keep the community engaged is through open, accurate and consistent communications and feed back ”
Within minutes of ascending to the mayor’s post, Allers issued a flurry of directives to the rest of the coun cil and the town’s staff
Allers called on the town’s accounting staff to work with the audit committee to determine the town’s fiscal situation and how much revenue has been lost and what expenses will increase
Allers called for a new finance director and then called on councilmembers, who serve on the council part time on salaries to take on new duties and asked for a moni toring of real estate transactions
From page 1
bers had voiced their intention to replace H e r n s t a d t d u r i n g t h e i r c a m p a i g n , a n effort initiated by Councilmember Dan Allers last year Allers was named the new mayor Monday
The act to suspend Hernstadt with p a y w a s i n t r o d u c e d b y n e w c o u n cilmember Karen Woodson, who was e l e c t e d l a s t T u e s d a y a n d s w o r n i n Monday Woodson had stated during her c a m p a i g n s h e w o u l d n o t r e n e w Hernstadt’s contract though she had also stated that Hernstadt was strongly sup ported by town employees John King, who had also been elected Tuesday to the town council and sworn in Monday, said the town council should move on by v o t i n g t o a c c e p t t h e r e s i g n a t i o n b u t voted against the suspension along with councilmember Bill Veach
Voting in favor of the suspension were Mayor Dan Allers and Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt Allers had been elected by the council as the new mayor earlier i n t h e m e e t i n g A l l e r s r e p l a c e s R a y Murphy, who was voted out of office
Veach defended Hernstadt, saying he had done a good job in getting the town back on the right foot after one of the most destructive hurricanes in Florida history
“I really think that right now in this state we have, where there is so many moving pieces, and Roger has done such a good job at making major moves that have helped us be in a better position t h a n p e o p l e w e r e a f t e r H u r r i c a n e M i c h a e l a n d n u m e r o u s o t h e r h u r r i canes,” Veach said. Veach noted that H e r n s t a d t h a d m a d e a n a r r a n g e m e n t w i t h L e e C o u n t y t o o v e r s e e d e b r i s removal which will free up funds for the town
BILL VEACH FORT MYERS BEACH COUNCILMEMBERHe called on Veach to monitor real estate transactions and to make reports each week “Make sure each mem ber gets copies of that data,” Allers said
He asked King to lead oversight of finances with a report each meeting
He asked Woodson to coordinate with the town man ager “on hiring efforts to ensure quick action” and to identify budget needs and make a report at each meeting
Allers said he wanted Atterholt to oversee department head reports and citizen communications “for the pur pose of keeping the council and community informed and following up on unresolved matters with the town man ager ”
Allers, a native of Minnesota, made multiple refer ences to the term “culture” during Monday’s meeting He said “we need to know who and what will be the taxpay er base of the future,” he said “Will they be seeking vari ances? Will the variances be good for the rebuild or counter to our culture?”
At the end of his statement, Allers said “the culture of FMB will live on ”
Atterholt said the town should issue a resolution in support of the mayor’s proclamation “I would move that we consent to the wishes of the mayor,” Atterholt said Town Attorney John Herin Jr said the town council historically appoints councilmembers as liaisons to com mittees
Veach questioned the directives by Allers. He said he didn’t necessarily object to the assignments themselves
but the method for how they were dispatched. Veach said in the past the town council would discuss liaison assign ments they wanted to take, “not have it laid in front of us ”
The town council operates on a “weak mayor form of town government” who is supposed to be ceremonial in nature, Veach said Appointed by the town council them selves to represent the council, they are not supposed to have any powers greater than any other councilmember, Veach explained “The mayor runs meetings and is just another councilmember,” Veach said
“I don’t think it’s typical to have the mayor kind of dictate it. It would usually come from more open discus sions,” Veach said
“I could certainly respect your opinion on that,” Allers said “This is by no means an attempt at dictating any thing It was a way for me to try to get ahead of the game to try to decide what was the best action to divide and conquer if you will to get weekly updates, to provide information to this council ”
The council ultimately voted to accept the assign ments and duties ordered by Allers
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy called it “an honor to serve” the town Murphy said the toughest part of Hurricane Ian will be the rebuilding. Murphy thanked the agencies who had helped the town through the after math of Hurricane Ian “We owe them a debt that can never be repaid,” Murphy said
Asked to comment on the council’s actions regarding the accepting of the resignation by Hernstadt, before sus pending him with pay pending a separation agreement, Atterholt said “my hope is that we move forward in the rebuilding phase, that we can do more outreach to the community and the media to keep them informed I wish Roger no ill will ”
Atterholt said the town needed “somebody who needs to communicate effectively with the public.”
Allers did not respond to messages seeking comment
Woodson, citing her experience in c o r p o r a t e h u m a n r e s o u r c e s , s a i d s h e believed that once somebody had sub mitted a resignation letter they have “checked out ” Woodson then suggested the town suspend Hernstadt with pay
Under the terms of his contract, if Hernstadt were to be terminated without cause, he is entitled to five months (20 weeks) of severance pay plus pay for accrued vacation time and sick time
“So we would be paying Roger for not being here and paying an interim manager for being here,” Veach said
“ N o , ” s a i d W o o d s o n , w h o t h e n argued that the town wouldn’t be paying his benefits
For King, the situation boiled down to “what is the cheapest right now? Accept the resignation or terminate?”
Unless the town were to hire a man ager at half of Hernstadt’s salary, the town would end up paying more The town could potentially hire an individual at a higher per diem rate plus additional benefits
“Having to pay 20 weeks of sever ance and hire somebody else, I assume a c o m p a r a b l e s a l a r y t o w h a t R o g e r i s m a k i n g , w o u l d e n d u p b e i n g m o r e expensive,” Veach said “I have a hard time understanding how the math of having paying for the severance and then having to pay an interim manager would end up being less than allowing Roger to continue with his resignation as planned and allowing us to find a replacement ”
Atterholt said “we need to have a transition but I want that transition to be smooth and I want it to be seamless ”
Atterholt asked if Allers had a plan that would be “seamless” for an immedi
ate transition
Allers said “I have an idea for a plan.”
Allers said he had been given reas surances from state, county and federal government officials who he said would be there to step in and provide assistance t o t h e t o w n a f t e r t h e d e p a r t u r e o f Hernstadt “They have assured me that help is there,” he said
Among those Allers said he had been in communications with was state offi c i a l s U S R e p B y r o n D o n a l d s ( R N a p l e s ) , t h e L e e C o u n t y S h e r i f f ’ s O f f i c e , C i t y o f S a n i b e l a n d o t h e r unnamed entities
Veach pressed Allers for more details o n w h a t t h e p l a n w a s f o r r e p l a c i n g Hernstadt
“There is capable people out there who have offered their resources to us through different levels of government,” Allers said Allers said those unnamed people could be made available as early as this week “There are options out there,” he said
“Before I jump off the diving board I like to know there is water in the pool It seems like we are jumping off the diving board here without clarification on what this future looks like,” Veach said
Atterholt said a group of 14 state leg islators had met with Allers the day before
Atterholt moved to accept the letter of resignation but to make it effective immediately
Hernstadt said he would still offer his assistance to the town to make the tran sition "as smooth as possible "
Town attorney John Herin Jr then suggested the council formalize a sepa ration agreement
Atterholt said his intent was to keep Hernstadt available for consultation
Hernstadt said he didn’t think a sepa ration agreement was necessary He said if the council wanted to keep him avail able to the town “now and till forever for whatever technical assistance I can pro vide it is very simple Accept my (resig nation) letter effective today ”
Herin said he thought “the best prac tices would be to put it in the form of a separation agreement ”
H e r i n s a i d t h a t H e r n s t a d t ’ s l e t t e r would make the effective date of the res ignation April of 2023. Hernstadt also has 80 hours of leave to which he is entitled
Herin again suggested the council follow through with a separation agree ment
Woodson said she wanted a separa t i o n a g r e e m e n t p u t t o g e t h e r b y a n e m p l o y m e n t l e t t e r a n d a c c e p t H e r n s t a d t ’ s r e s i g n a t i o n e f f e c t i v e a s today or a “suspension with pay pending a separation agreement ”
Woodson said “it would be a leave of absence beginning this moment ”
In that case, Herin said the council would have to rescind its previous vote to accept Hernstadt’s resignation
“I just feel like we are making this harder than it needs to be,” King said
King thanked Hernstadt for his serv ice and his offer to be a consultant to help with the transition
“We have already voted on it It’s time to move on,” King said
Atterholt then deferred to Woodson due to her “HR background ”
Atterholt asked Woodson “would you
3 ■ W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 2 2 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r
The mayor runs meetings and is just another councilmember.”
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Previous experience has demon strated that recovery from a storm like Ian is likely to take many years As communities begin the hard work to build back, Hurricane Nicole is likely to set some of those initial efforts on their heels Habitat for Humanity affili
Roxanne Young
ates across the state have been actively engaged in efforts to help Florida communities in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s landfall, but also long term recovery through the assessment and repair of damaged homes, and planning for the construction of new affordable homes
Storms like Hurricane Ian tend to most adversely impact the lower income populations that Habitat serves As one of the largest nonprofit housing organizations in Florida, Habitat is uniquely positioned to help those most in need rebuild stability through safe and resilient shelter.
Letter to the Editor
To build back the place we all call home, Habitat calls on the greater Florida community to support our efforts to ensure that everyone at the end of the storm has a safe place to call home Together, we can do that
Though we are unlikely to know what impact Nicole will have on our communities for days to come, we know for certain that there is a need now for your continued support
To help fund recovery efforts related to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, visit the Habitat for Humanity of Florida Hurricane Fund. These resources will be allocated to Habitat affiliates in communities across the state where recovery efforts are and will be tak ing place
Roxanne Young is the executive director of Florida Habitat for Humanity
I worked 42 years for the Department of Defense and held a top secret clearance sup porting military operations and contingency planning worldwide But now, I find myself being called an enemy of the state, a threat to democracy, a fascist and an insurrectionist because I am following the oath I took to the Constitution That oath was not to an individual politician or political party It transcends poli tics and pledges allegiance to the fundamental tenets of the Bill of Rights, The Constitution and the Republican form of government it established. That oath has no expiration date, it is a life long commitment
It is a mystery to me why the occupier of the oval office calls me a fascist because I whole heartedly disagree with what he is doing to the Constitution to which I took that oath
I am not a barbarian or troglodyte as liberals taint people who disagree with them I hold an Master’s degree in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the military war college and a PhD in Public Policy, but apparently my informed opinions and beliefs, based on experience and training, which disagrees with the democrat totalitarian orthodoxy of the Obama/Biden
regime, makes me an enemy of the state and a fascist
I would argue that most of my Democrat /liberal/progressive/neo communist detractors lack the level of experience and education that has allowed me to form rational cognitive posi tions, not political double speak spouted off by TV talking heads and gaslighting (lying) Democrat politicians
So why is it that all of a sudden, I am a threat to national security? I guess it’s because Joe Biden, Obama, Susan Rice, Valerie Jarrett et al said so And why did Joe Biden label me a threat to national security after 42 years of hold ing a security clearance? As with all totalitari ans it is simply because I disagree with the col lectivist, authoritarian policies and tactics of the Democrat party
I am an enemy because I want to follow and defend the Constitution, the rule of law (includ ing voting and border security) and make America the greatest country on earth, not the tarnished example of crime, violence and decay that decades of democrat rule and policies have devolved our cities into
The First Amendment does not apply in Biden’s America. When critical of Democrat totalitarian policies, opposition to the neo com munist Democrat theology becomes a crime to be stamped out by the coercive power of the state using DOJ, FBI, IRS and numerous other
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alphabet federal agencies to harass and perse cute political opponents using complicit media as the cover for this behavior. Obama started this weaponization of government by using the IRS and Lois Lerner to stifle and destroy the conservative tea party movement And now, Biden will hire an additional 87,000 armed IRS agents to come after Americans who disagree with Democrats and hired yes Lois Lerner to hire, train and deploy them
Totalitarians use the techniques of projec tion, transference, gaslighting, othering and scapegoating to dehumanize their political tar gets and condition their weak minded syco phants to accept any form of atrocity against “the enemy ” What is frightening is the unifor mity and vitriolic tone of the cries of fascist from all Democrats to demonize 71 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump, ques tions the 2020 election, turning us from energy independent to energy dependent or borrowing trillions of dollars for ineffective Green New Deal handouts to crony Democrat supporting capitalists and corporation
That is exactly the tactics Hitler, Lenin, Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot and every dictator used to justify horrendous atrocities against those who they labeled as “enemies of the state ”
After decades of abandoning history and
civics in the collectivist education system, much of America is in a media induced coma either not understanding or not caring that the real danger is not MAGA but the totalitarian DNA that has infected the Democrats in power
MAGA is not evil and a threat to democ racy, it is a set of principles grounded in the Bill of Rights and Constitution of the United States The underlying principles of MAGA include “charity begins at home” by focus ing on the problems in America, not being the piggy bank and police department for the rest of the world Our infrastructure, culture, national debt and fractured political system are in jeopardy and need primary focus and attention yet we send billions of dollars and US troops to countries that hate us
The tenets of MAGA are in the roots of “conservatism” which means to conserve the guiding principles in the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, our Constitutional Republic governance structure and the enu merated powers that restrict the type of out of control governance and taxation we see now
MAGA, like the left elements ANTIFA/ BLM/Black Panthers etc. has its fringe ele ments which most who believe in America first, disavow any violence or use of force for political reason whether by fringe groups or government
When we objectively look at an America first platform, we see things like adherence rule of law and equal application of law to all strata of society, not a two tiered applica
tion for the politically connected elite and the rest of us or the catch and release of career criminals that have made urban cen ters unlivable, leading to mass exodus from many Democrat cities and states
MAGA also believes in individual liber ty and freedom, so laws and regulations that inhibit the guaranteed rights of individuals should be limited in scope Most govern ment rules that control our behavior are reg ulations promulgated by the various self perpetuating government agencies
MAGA stresses individual, professional and political responsibility and accountabili ty It believes in the Constitutional guaran tees of individual liberty in which people choose courses of action If you commit a crime, expect to be punished If you choose to take out a loan for a worthless college degree, expect to pay it back If a politician or government bureaucrat makes policy with negative outcomes, own it and take respon sibility, not blame everybody else Dependency on government programs and largesse makes us susceptible to extor tion and coercion Government can simply say, comply, obey or have your benefits denied With dependency comes servitude whether it is dependency on other coun tries for critical material or on government for sustenance
MAGA focuses on enforcing voting laws, not making it hard to vote and disen franchising any group, but making it hard to cheat and ensuring the principles of being a citizen and identifying yourself as a regis tered voter. MAGA supports one citizen,
rebuilding efforts in Southwest Florida for those impacted by the storm, for children and school programs, and the local mar itime community ”
Mrs Joel visited Southwest Florida a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall to survey the damage Two of Billy Joel’s band members live in the Tampa area
Joel said it was important to her and Mr. Joel to support the commercial fish ing industry She said they enjoy fishing
From page 3
prefer that I rescind my motion and that it be restated with your proviso ”
Woodson said she would prefer a separation agreement
The council then rescinded the previ o u s r e s o l u t i o n a c c e p t i n g H e r n s t a d t ’ s r e s i g n a t i o n , w h i c h K i n g a n d V e a c h voted against
Woodson then made the motion to “suspend the town manager’s employ ment with pay pending further discus sion and we introduce an agreed upon separation agreement at our next meet ing ”
Veach said “I don’t know what bene fit we get for not having Roger doing his job for the next week.”
The council then made the same 3 2 vote on suspending the manager with Allers, Atterholt and Woodson in favor K i n g a n d V e a c h v o t e d a g a i n s t t h e majority for a third time
A t t e r h o l t t h e n a s k e d A l l e r s w h o w o u l d r u n t h e t o w n A l l e r s s a i d h e would reach out to the state Atterholt then called upon his uncle, former inter im manager Jim Steele, to be the new manager Steele has been serving the town as the chair of its audit committee. Steele volunteered to handle manage
From page 2
with their children Mrs Joel likes to catch striped bass She said fishing is “very relaxing ”
Mrs Joel said their foundation mostly concentrates on assisting music education programs facing trouble and they are looking into possibly supporting music education programs for Fort Myers Beach Elementary School students The school has remained closed since Huricane Ian.
“We are waiting to see how it plays
one vote in the tradition of a Constitutional Republic
MAGA focuses on border security After 42 years of working in National Defense, open borders are the biggest threat we face I watch the news and see millions of military aged males from countries run by crimi nal/government cartels and sworn enemies of the United States, being let loose into a country with already double digit millions of illegals and millions of accessible firearms This year alone 2 million illegals have walked uninhibited across the border. An Army Division is about 10,000 members and there are 120 in active status That means Biden has allowed over 200 army Divisions of possible hostile forces to enter the US What reason could there be for that use your head
Perhaps open borders make rich liberals in safe suburbs feel virtuous, but it is a national security risk to anyone who can think beyond their liberal emotive state
MAGA supports moms at school boards wanting to take back control of their kids’ education from “progressive” teacher unions and school boards who consider their chil dren to be wards of the state Remember, Hillary Clinton said it takes a village to raise our children, and that village is the govern ment Yet, these concerned parents are con sidered domestic terrorists by the govern ment for wanting to diminish the govern ments total control over their children and indoctrinating them with their own personal view of the world The government wants compliant procreators to have their children
and turn them over to the indoctrination mills/neo communist madrassas we call the education system
I taught at the University level for 10 years and saw the results of the lack of criti cal thinking skills and emotional fragility resulting from this system
MAGA supports national self sufficiency and dominance in energy production, critical manufacturing capabilities, supply chains and not incurring $35 trillion in debt for pro grams that only benefit a few while the tax payer pays the bill.
The behavior projected by Democrats on MAGA are the exact actions they that total itarians have used such as divide and control (Biden labeling MAGA/racism behind every tree,) scapegoating and othering, intimidating/incarcerating political oppo nents, inciting violence in the streets with their militia (ANTIFA/BLM), destroying the economy and strengthening the coercive power of the state (87k armed IRS agents)
They are propelled and supported by a controlled and complicit media that lies (Russia hoax), hides (Hunter laptop) and dis plays such overt bias that anything they report should questioned
I am not a fascist, enemy of the state or other terms used to discredit dissent and opposition by Democrat totalitarians I am an American who took an oath to uphold the Constitution and an advocate of making and keeping America great and Joe Biden and his warped ideologues can kiss my patriotic butt!
Anthony Cosenza Cape Coralout,” Mrs Joel said
To support Community Cooperative’s Lee County Strong Emergency Relief
direction from the state is to recover, refloat, and deliver back to its owner each of the stranded shrimp trawlers
The companies have begun working
F u n d , p l e a s e v i s i t
CommunityCooperative com/LeeCounty Strong or call 239 332 7687
From page 1
to get the boats back onto water but it has been a slow process with cranes required to complete the work
through over the next few years is the best route for the town,” he said
V e a c h s a i d t h e c o u n c i l w o u l d b e “foolish” not to keep Hernstadt until A p r i l a n d c o n d u c t a s e a r c h f o r h i s replacement
Town of Fort Myers Beach Councilmemberment duties with no pay for the next week until an interim manager is named Herin said that would be a conflict of interest for Atterholt under the state’s ethics laws Atterholt then recused him self Monday from the appointment.
A l l e r s , w h o c a l l e d H e r n s t a d t “ a friend,” had unsuccessfully attempted to oust Hernstadt from office last year but was rebuffed by the town council At the time, Allers had cited no specific actions b y H e r n s t a d t t o r e m o v e H e r n s t a d t e x c e p t f o r u n s p e c i f i c c o m m u n i c a t i o n issues and that others he had spoken to wanted to remove Hernstadt Last year,
Allers praised Hernstadt for leading the town out of the financial management issues it had dealt with On Monday, Allers again credited Hernstadt for help ing restore the town's fiscal standing
“I think he has been very strong in what he was brought in here to do He was brought us here to get us out of financial crisis and he did an excellent job at that,” Allers said
A l l e r s a g a i n b r o u g h t u p c u l t u r e “Keeping this culture is the most impor tant thing for this community,” he said. “ I b e l i e v e h a v i n g s o m e o n e t h a t c a n stand in there that is willing to see this
Allers is expected to bring forth a candidate for the town manager's posi tion to the town council next Monday
It was an unceremonious end to the tenure of Hernstadt, who had been town m a n a g e r s i n c e 2 0 1 7 a n d w h o s e h o m e burned down the day after Hurricane Ian His wife Jessica was just recently appoint ed as president of the Fort Myers Beach Kiwanis Club, one of the town’s most prominent charitable organizations.
O n e m e m b e r o f t h e p u b l i c a t Monday’s council meeting was happy with the performance of Hernstadt and the council through Hurricane Ian
Before the meeting, former Mayor Anita Cereceda thanked the council and Hernstadt for their work through the hurricane, saying the town had made more progress quicker than it had during Hurricane Charley, which was not near ly as devastating to the island
“ Y o u h a v e m o v e d m o u n t a i
Cereceda said
"I have a hard time understanding how the math of having paying for the severance and then having to pay an interim manager would end up being less than allowing Roger to continue with his resignation as planned and allowing us to find a replacement."
Bill Veach
"Keeping this culture is the most important thing for this community,"
Dan Allers Fort Myers Beach Mayor
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
Just a few weeks ago, the debris was piled so high at the end of Old San Carlos Boulevard that the mere con cept the road would be cleared and businesses would be open six weeks after the deadliest and most destructive hurricane to hit Fort Myers beach seemed hard to imag ine in such a short time
Yet there it was at Wahoo Willies under a tiki bar dozens of folks enjoying a Sunday of football with drinks and food almost as if Hurricane Ian had never landed if they hadn’t seen the bottles on the sidewalks, the blown out roofs or the downed lamp post
Of course the hurricane did land and its effect could still be felt, even if it hovered in the background at the restaurant owned by the partners of adjacent Snug Harbor Peter Ennis and Nick Ruland
Ennis and Ruland are fortunate Their restaurant, which is being managed by Bill Ignatti, survived largely intact The tiki is still standing nearly untouched
They lost some equipment, which has required them to do their cooking out of a food truck out back with a limited menu.
They know they are fortunate
“Considering the devastation everywhere else, we feel extremely lucky,” Ennis said “It feels great for a little normalcy for locals People
have somewhere to go We’re very appreciative to be able to do this and people seem to be apprecia tive as well,” Ignatti said “It’s a good feeling ”
Ignatti said there has been a lot of cleaning since Hurricane Ian. “Rough, rough times,” he said “To come over the bridge, it’s tough some mornings ” Ignatti and Ennis thanked the town and the debris haulers for their assistance in cleaning up the road Ennis said the restaurant received assis tance from town management in getting back up and running
“The debris was high, halfway through our building all the way to the water,” Ennis said “So
many people contributed to helping,” he said
“Everyone is working together,” Ruland said on Sunday, one day before the town council parted ways with Town Manager Roger Hernstadt
The owners of Wahoo Willies said they worked hard to remove garbage and debris from the properties between Wahoo Willies and Snug Harbor Four ledges blew off the Wahoo Willies deck with two being located They also lost television sets
They repaired what they could and still have to replace some equipment They are hopeful nearby Bayside Park will be repaired after taking a hard hit from Ian
Todd Lincoln, who was with his wife Michelle and daughter Sara, were surprised to find out the restaurant was operating “We had no idea that anything would be open,” he said The family splits their time between Michigan and Bayside Estates off the island.
The business of food, what Fort Myers Beach does best, is back alive on the island The Yucatan Beach Stand, on Old San Carlos Boulevard, opened this week The restaurant is providing folks on Fort Myers Beach some much needed food and drinks after a month of no restaurants being open on the island.
The Yucatan Beach Stand Bar & Grill opened its smoker on its property this week behind the restaurant off Old San Carlos Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach, offering wings and steak tacos, along with refreshments
On Friday, they sold out of approximately 30 pounds, or about 150 wings, within a few hours
The restaurant is currently operating Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a m to 4 p m The operators were hop ing to have the swing bar open this week They believe they were the first eatery to open back up on Fort Myers Beach this past week
Wayne Warren, of Ohio, was with his wife grabbing some cold beverages at the Yucatan Beach Stand
“Everything’s good It will be great when it’s open again It’s sad We like the mom and pop places,” Mr Warren said
Jennifer Emard was with her husband Dan catching some refreshments as well while sitting at a picnic table They have a place on Fort Myers Beach and split their time between here and Illinois
Their condo was spared any damage from Hurricane Ian “We got lucky,” Ms Emard said “We are just hop ing (Fort Myers Beach) rebuilds,” she said “We’re just happy to have a place go to right now. We come here all the time when it’s open ”
An outdoor music festival that was to feature Jack Russell’s Great White and Firehouse at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, has a lineup change
The two headlining acts for the Nov 18 show will be replaced by Frank Hannon of Tesla and the Ben Allen
They are rebuilding their home, which Mr Lincoln expects to take months They have had a home at Bayside Estates for more than 15 years
“We were shocked it was still here,” Rich Vetter said Vetter, of Fort Myers, was with Ellie Sandler, who operates a massage therapy and skin care business k n o w n a s W e l l K n e e d e d M a s s a g e Therapy in Fort Myers They lost their business in Hurricane Ian but opened up a new location on Winkler Road
Shelley Griffin, of Ohio, was with her friend Susan Miller
“We are down here to support the rebirth of tourism and to show support for the community,” Griffin said
“We’re here to support getting the economy back up,” Miller said “We know it’s going to take some time.”
Ms Sandler said her condo is fine but she lost clients from Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding area due to Hurricane Ian Sandler called Wahoo Willies “awe some ”
Ennis and Ignatti said they plan to expand the menu to offer steaks, pizzas, New Orleans baked oysters, seafood and sandwiches
Out in front, musician Mary Winner was playing familiar songs on an acoustic guitar.
Ennis said they will be focusing next on opening up Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant by the beginning of the year
“We want to keep the local seafood at Snug Harbor,” Ennis said
Currently, Wahoo Willies is open from 11 a m to 6 p m seven days a week
“We are trying to accommodate the town with the curfew,” Ennis said
K r i s t i n C a r r i n g t o n , o f F o r t M y e r s Beach, said she was “excited” by the opening of Wahoo Willies. “We live on the northern end, we would usually ride our bikes to this area,” she said while standing in line at the busy bar Sunday
From page 6
Band, Nice Guy Production announced
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation
The concert will take place at the Alliance for the Arts at 10091 McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers from 5 p m to 10 p m
#SWFLSTRONG is a family friendly live music
event with food, drinks, and vendors Proceeds will also benefit Music aLive SWFL
Other acts on the bill are Roxx Revolt & the Velvets, and Vallion
Tickets can be purchased for between $25 and $75 at https://niceguysproduction com/event/swflstrong bene fit concert/
The Fort Myers Community Concert Association will dedicate its 73rd season at Barbara N Mann Hall to the memory of the late Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann, whose mother Barbara B Mann founded the nonprofit organization in 1949
Frank Mann, who was also a state legisla tor for more than a decade, was a life long supporter of the Fort Myers Community Concert Association, which brings classical entertainment to Southwest Florida at affordable prices.
The first concert of the season will feature the New York Philharmonic’s
on Jan 8 “Franklin loved the work his mother started so many years ago,” said his widow
string quartet Mary Lee Mann, whoLocal animal shelters were lucky to have not sustained major damage in the storm, but throughout the event, many pets were displaced and many came in as surren ders.
Officials with the Cape Coral Animal Shelter and Lee County Domestic Animal Services shared their experi ences over the last month and how they are working to continue to find dogs and cats forever homes
CCAS Executive Director Liz McCauley said thanks to the building being built just recently and to withstand hurricanes, minimal damage was had to trees and fencing in the immediate area Due to the power outage, the shel ter did lose all of its refrigerated vaccines and medical tests
On the day of Ian, the CCAS had 93 animals in its shelter and others in foster homes. That number increased after the storm, as more than 100 animals have been taken in since The bright side? More than 100 animals have been adopted from the CCAS since Ian
“We have definitely seen an increase in requests for owners to surrender their pets because they lost their homes, have to relocate, and are unable to take them,” McCauley said. “Unfortunately, this is sad, but we know we will find forever homes for these animals, which is a comfort to their owners ”
Luckily, many lost pets were microchipped and own ers were able to be contacted
“ W e c a n n o t s t r e s s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f n o t o n l y microchipping you pet, but keeping the information up to date,” she said
McCauley, who has tight connections with local shel ters around Florida, said all facilities are feeling the same strains The CCAS helps municipal shelters such as the LCDAS, DeSoto County, and others where stray animals end up.
When it comes to supplies, she said the generosity from the Cape community has been overwhelming and generous so much so that it was able to take food and other items to hard hit areas such as Pine Island, Golden Estates, Windmill Villages and others.
“While we are grateful for all donations, monetary donations will help us the most right now,” McCauley said “Lost revenue from our clinic and a decrease in (cash) donations are concerning to our future as our com munity attempts to rebuild ”
The CCAS was able to reopen its clinic with limited hours and resources on Oct. 4. Full operations picked up by Oct 13
“There is definitely a need for low cost veterinary services now more than ever, and we are so glad to be here to serve our community,” she said
McCauley's message to those looking to adopt a pet of their own?
“We have the most amazing dogs and cats just waiting for a forever home, and we have the right pet to suit your lifestyle,” she said
McCauley also added that the CCAS is hopeful to continue to serve the community in the impactful capac ity it has since its inception nearly three years ago.
“Just two and a half years ago, Cape Coral didn’t have
an animal shelter or a low cost veterinary clinic Despite a global, two year pandemic and now a catastrophic hur ricane, our small but mighty shelter has saved over 3,000 animals and provided veterinary care to thousands more,” she said “I can’t imagine what our community would do without us, and we hope with continued sup port we can move forward with our expansion plans for both the shelter and clinic The impact we have made already in this community is great and we will be able to help even more in the future as we continue to grow ”
At the LCDAS in Fort Myers, trees and fencing around the area also sustained damage, but have since been repaired The clinic at the facility got up and run ning at the beginning of October, and it also had a mobile veterinary clinic from the University of Florida at Terry Park for two weeks offing free services
Karen Fordiani, spokeswoman for the LCDAS, said they certainly saw an increase in pets coming in after the storm, but that many pets were also claimed
“There was an influx of animals reunited with their owners after the hurricane especially on Fort Myers Beach,” she said “About 50 pets have been reunited with their owners on Fort Myers Beach We had relocated some pets out of the state prior to the storm with the help of the ASPCA ”
As of Nov 3, there were 25 dogs and 19 cats up for
adoption at the LCDAS, according to its website Fordiani said the number of donations coming in has been great enough that it, too, has shared with its neigh bors
“We have been very moved by the generosity shown by our community and people all over the state and coun try,” she said “We have been operating mobile pet pantries to distribute the donations to the community ”
Fordiani shared her thoughts on how a pet can change a life not only for the animal, but the owner
“Not only do pets give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically and physi cally beneficial to their companions,” she said “Caring for a pet can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen feelings of loneliness And when you adopt, you also help an animal in need This is especially true after an event like Hurricane Ian when so many pets have experienced losses, too ”
The Lee County Domestic Animal Services is at 5600 Banner Drive in Fort Myers For more information, such as adoptable pets and services, visit leegov.com and find the Animal Services tab
The Cape Coral Animal Shelter is at 325 S W 2nd Ave For more information, including adoptable pets or to make a donation, visit www capecoralanimalshelter com
The Lee County Domestic Animal Services will hold mobile pet pantries for residents affected by Hurricane Ian at the following locations:
∫ Today, Nov. 16, from 9 to 11 a.m.: Bonita Springs Library, at 10560 Reynolds St , Bonita Springs
∫ Nov 18 from 9 to 11 a m : Cape Coral Library, at 921 S W 39th Terrace, Cape Coral
Dry dog and cat food will be available first come, first served
For updates, check www leegov com/storm or follow “Lee County Domestic Animal Services” on Facebook
L o c a l R o o t s i s a d j u s t i n g a n d r e l o c a t i n g s o m e o f i t s m a r k e t s a c r o s s L e e C o u n t y f o l l o w i n g H u r r i c a n e I a n T h e f o l l o w i n g m a r k e t s w i l l b e o p e r a t i o n a l w e e k l y : ∫ W e d n e s d a y f r o m 9 a . m . t o 1 p . m . a t H a r b o u r P l a z a , a t 1 7 6 6 0 S o u t h T a m i a m i T r a i l , F o r t M y e r s ( p r e v i o u s l y t h e L a k e s P a r k F a r m e r s M a r k e t )
∫ T h u r s d a y f r o m 9 a m t o 1 p m a t C o c o n u t P o i n t , a t 2 3 1 0 6 F a s h i o n D r i v e , E s t e r o ( C o c o n u t P o i n t F a r m e r s M a r k e t )
∫ S a t u r d a y f r o m 8 a m t o n o o n a t T h e P r o m e n a d e a t B o n i t a B a y , a t 2 6 7 9 5 S o u t h B a y D r i v e , B o n i t a S p r i n g s ( B o n i t a S p r i n g s F a r m e r s M a r k e t )
∫ S u n d a y f r o m 9 a m t o 1 p m a t F o u n d e r ’ s S q u a r e a t B a b c o c k R a n c h , a t 4 2 8 5 0 C r e s c e n t L o o p , B a b c o c k R a n c h ( B a b c o c k R a n c h F a r m e r s M a r k e t ) T h e D o w n t o w n F o r t M y e r s F a r m e r s M a r k e t i s o n h o l d d u e t o I a n ' s i m p a c t t o t
The Gulf Coast Harmonizers in their 30th year entertain ing 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
The FREE show will be held Nov 20, at 2 p m at Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church 8260 Cypress Lake Dr , Fort Myers There will be a free will offering that will be shared with Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church to help with damage they sustained from the hurricane
The Harmonizers are led by Director Nathan Johnston, member of the 2022 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 arrangements. Donations can also be made at www gcharmonizers 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 cappella style of harmony Gulf Coast Harmonizers is a membership organi zation 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 sur rounding counties The Harmonizers are affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society, a 501(c)(3), non profit edu cational organization based in Nashville, TN, which sup ports local nonprofits and youth services. To learn more, visit www gcharmonizers com or call 855 425 3631
The Appalachian Road Show blue grass concert that was scheduled for Nov 11 at Edison and Ford Winter Estates is being postponed due to fore casted inclement weather conditions
The concert has been rescheduled for March 31, 2023 Ticket holders will automatically be transferred to the new date unless they request a refund
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
From page 11
assumed presidency of the concert associa tion in 2011, shortly before Barbara B Mann died at almost 101 years old “He grew up in the arts, playing in his high school and university bands and singing in the church choir He had a true appreciation for classical artists ”
The announcement was made at the fall meeting of the Community Concert Association Board November 6 sponsored by FineMark National Bank & Trust Co.
All performances will be at the Barbara B Mann Hall on the Florida SouthWestern State College campus in Fort Myers All five concerts begin at 7:30 p m and are included in one ticket price, which ranges from $155 for orchestra seats to $85 for lower balcony seating and just $65 for upper balcony A few $165 prime orchestra seats and mezza nine seats are still available, Mann said
For season memberships for all five con certs, call Community Concerts at 239 693 4849.
Single tickets will go on sale December
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 dur ing the month of December for Holiday Nights
T h e c o m m u n i t y i s i n v i t e d t o j o i n t h e L e e
C o u n t y B o a r d o f C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r s a n d o t h e r p u b l i c o f f i c i a l s i n t h e d e d i c a t i o n o f t h e L e e C o u n t y G o v e r n m e n t C e n t e r i n h o n o r o f t h e l a t e C o m m i s s i o n e r J o h n E M a n n i n g T h e c e r e m o n y w i l l b e h e l d N o v 1 7 a t 1 0 a m a t 1 0 3 9 S E 9 t h P l a c e , C a p e C o r a l .
I t w i l l f e a t u r e b r i e f r e m a r k s b y t h e c o m m i s s i o n e r s a n d o t h e r o f f i c i a l s
T o a t t e n d v i r t u a l l y v i a F a c e b o o k L i v e , v i s i t w w w f a c e b o o k c o m / l e e c o u n t y f l b o c c
M a n n i n g w a s a p p o i n t e d t o t h e c o u n t y c o m m i s s i o n i n 1 9 8 8 a n d s e r v e d f o r m o r e t h a n 1 5 y e a r s H e w a s a C a p e r e s i d e n t f o r m a n y y e a r s P r i o r t o b e i n g a p p o i n t e d a c o m m i s s i o n e r , M a n n i n g s e r v e d a s a m e m b e r o f t h e C a p e c i t y c o u n c i l H e d e d i c a t e d m o r e t h a n 2 5 y e a r s o f h i s l i f e t o p u b l i c s e r v i c e M a n n i n g p a s s e d a w a y i n J u l y
e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 2 2 f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m F o r t M y e r s B e a c h O b s e r v e r
1 Call the Barbara B Mann Hall box office at 239 481 4849 or visit www bbman npah com
The schedule is as follows:
∫ New York Philharmonic String Quartet January 8, 2023 The New York Philharmonic String Quartet consists of four principal musicians from the orchestra The group, formed in 2017, made its debut as a solo ensemble in John Adams’ Absolute Jest in New York in 2017. All four members are multiple prize winners, and have appeared as concerto soloists with the Philharmonic and orchestras throughout the world They are joined by acclaimed young American pianist Drew Petersen, winner of the 2017 American Pianist Award
∫ The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine January 16, 2023 The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine was established in 1902 and has hosted some of the world’s greatest conductors and musicians in classical music. The orchestra is a regular participant in international festi
vals, has toured extensively around the world and recently completed several highly acclaimed recordings This concert is sponsored by the U S State Department
∫ A Celebration of Song the Classics to Broadway February 7, 2023 This upbeat concert by Concerto Soloists Internationale features popular highlights from grand opera to Broadway to pop per formed by international soloists from four continents with a live on stage orchestra and an emcee
∫ The English Chamber Orchestra March 9, 2023 The English Chamber Orchestra is the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world The orchestra has performed with some of the world’s greatest soloists The orchestra has recorded many movie soundtracks, including scores for Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, and several James Bond movies
∫ The Royal National Ballet Direct from the Republic of Georgia Fire of Georgia
March 27, 2023 The Royal National Ballet will be making its American debut during this season The performance, called the “Fire of Georgia,” combines Georgian folk dances with modern attitude towards the choreography and costumes The compa ny’s program illustrates the variety of the world’s folklore and classical dance ele ments, acrobatics, stunts and temperament of the dancers
For Community Concert Association information, visit www fortmyerscommuni tyconcerts org
The Fort Myers Community Concert Association, now in its 73rd concert season, is an all volunteer not for profit organiza tion founded by Barbara B Mann in 1949 to bring world class entertainment to Southwest Florida at affordable prices The association consists of more than 1,200 members, underwriters and sponsors
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates will hold its annual Garden Festival on Nov 19 20 from 9 a m to 4 p m outdoors in Fort Myers
More than 40 garden vendors from around the state will have exotic and native plants and trees for sale Vendors will have many types of plants and trees, includ ing African violets, bromeliads, butterfly plants, cacti, fruit trees, herbs, hibiscus, orchids, palms, succulents and more In addition, the Edison Garden Shoppe will be open and stocked The festival will also feature food trucks and live music
“Because of the hurricane, many gardeners now have e m p t y s p a c e s t o f i l l i n t h e i r h o m e l a n d s c a p e s , ”
Horticulture Director Debbie Hughes said “With all the different vendors, the Garden Festival offers a place where locals can essentially shop at 40 garden centers in one place ”
Parking and admission to the festival is free A limited number of garden carts will be available, so attendees are encouraged to bring a cart or wagon for transporting plants
Members will receive a discount on Garden Shoppe purchases
For more information, visit EdisonFord org
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is at 2350 McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers
Paul Todd Jr will pay tribute to Michael Bublé and the great crooners of the past with “The Michael Bublé Experience” on Nov 18 at 7:30 p m at the Gulf Coast Symphony's Music & Arts Community Center, at 13411 Shire Lane, Fort Myers An accomplished entertainer, singer and songwriter, Todd got his musical start performing in shows alongside keyboard virtuoso father, Paul Todd He is known for his energetic stage persona, versatile vocals, percussion prowess, and his ability to emulate music greats like Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Josh Groban, Franki Valli and more Tickets range from $35 45
For more information or tickets to either performance, visit https://gulfcoastsymphony org/ GULF COAST SYMPHONY
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers offers educational programs for grade school children throughout the year. Day camps are held when Lee County schools are closed and camp is h e l d d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r m o n t h s Registration is open for camps during the 2022 23 school year
Camps take place in the “living labora tory,” where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford made history No experience is required to participate Each camp is designed for students currently in grades K 5, unless otherwise noted Campers must bring their own lunch and snacks All camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The scheduled camp offerings include: ∫ Nov 21 23: Fantastic Physics
The camp will explore experiments that relate to all kinds of waves, including water, sound, and light Campers will explore different experiments that relate to Newton’s Laws of Motion It is a conceptu al physics camp Cost is $135 for member and $150 for non members
∫ Dec 22 23: Simple Machine Science
The engineering camp is focused on the six simple machines: wheel and axle, wedge, lever, screw, ramp, and pulley Campers will engage in engineering chal lenges that relate to each simple machine All activities demonstrate how each machine applies a mechanical advantage to make work easier Cost is $90 for member and $100 for non members
∫ Dec 26 30: Designing the Future (Engineering and Design)
In the design and innovation camp, campers will learn how to manage “the problem space” with an engineering design process In addition to solving engineering challenges, campers will also learn simple computer aided design (CAD) and get to work with 3 D printers and 3 D pens Cost is $160 for member and $185 for non members
∫ Jan 2 6: The Four Forces of Flight (Rockets and Flight)
The camp focuses on the four forces of flight: lift, gravity, drag, and thrust. Activities include paper airplane design,
foam rockets, and water rockets all tied to concepts of Newton’s Laws of Motion and the forces of flight. Cost is $160 for member and $185 for non members
∫ March 20 24: Creative Coding (Grades 2 5 only)
The camp is only for grades second through fifth, as it requires basic literacy skills Campers will learn Scratch and other “word block” coding Essentially, it is a code crash course Campers will work to create a finished program that can be a story, game, or an interactive card to a family member or friend Campers will learn the basics, such as “if/else” state
The 2nd Annual Rock the Stage semi finals showcase will be held on Nov 19 from 4 to 9 p m at the A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s , a t 1 0 0 9 1 McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers
The top 25 top 12 from each division will perform for their chance to make the finals
Tickets are $10 for general admis sion and $100 for VIP
Proceeds from this year's music competition will go toward helping the Southwest Florida music commu nity that suffered from Hurricane Ian
For tickets or more information, v i s i t h t t p s : / / w w w e v e n t b r i t e c o m / e / r o c k t h e s t a g e 2 0 2 2 s e m i f i n a l showcase tickets 400848878787
Students learn about science, tech nology, engi neering, art, mathematics and history during the Edison and Ford Winter Estates day camps in Fort Myers.
EDISON AND FORD WINTER ESTATES
Nice Guys Production will host a #SWFLSTRONG Strong Benefit Concert on Nov. 18 p m at the Alliance for the Arts McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers
It will be a family friendly even drinks and vendors The lineup wi Frank Hannon of Tesla and the Ben Al with special guests Roxx Revolt A Velvets and Vallion
The proceeds will benefit Music a SWFL and the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation’s #WEAREFMB for Hurricane Ian recovery.
Music aLive SWFL is a non pro organization created to help provide
fi a ial d ational and other assistance to musicians, and those who support live music in ida in the face of pandemic, disaster or dship
EFMB is a non profit organization that d to help those put out of work due to the 19 pandemic Now money raised from REFMB goes directly into the hands of n desperate need following Hurricane Ian live in the 33931 zip code
Tickets are $25 75; active and retired ilitary and first responders are free with an ID
For tickets or more information, visit h t t p s : / / n i c e g u y s p r o d u c t i o n com/event/swflstrong benefit concert/
The Gulfshore Opera will present Latin Infusion! on Nov 17 at 6 p m at Bodega Ole, at 965 4th Ave N , Naples Experience a kaleidoscope of Latin music including boleros, Zarzuela latin pop, traditional folk from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Spain, and more Join Latin Divo Fernando Gonzalez from Cuba and GO Diva Erika Ramirez from Venezuela, with Cuban gui tarist, pianist and percussionist The indoor concert will include a four course Spanish dinner, cava cock tail and glass of wine Tickets are $150 For tickets or more information, visit https://www gulfshoreopera org/ GULFSHORE OPERA
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F r i n g e F o r t M y e r s i s t h e n e w e s t F r i n g e t h e a t e r f e s t i v a l i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , a n d t h e f i r s t e v e r i n S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a
F r i n g e F o r t M y e r s w i l l m a i n t a i n t h e l o n g s t a n d i n g t r a d i t i o n s o f b e i n g 1 0 0 % u n c e n s o r e d , 1 0 0 % u n j u r i e d a n d 1 0 0 % i n c l u s i v e E v e n b e t t e r , 1 0 0 % o f t i c k e t s a l e s g o d i r e c t l y t o t h e a r t i s t s . W h i c h m e a n s y o u ' r e 1 0 0 % g u a r a n t e e d t o h a v e t h e s i n g l e g r e a t e s t e x p e r i e n c e o f y o u r l i f e
W i t h 3 0 p e r f o r m a n c e s o n f o u r d i f f e r e n t s t a g e s , F r i n g e F o r t M y e r s h a s s o m e t h i n g f o r e v e r y o n e ! F r o m o n e p e r s o n s h o w s , t o d a n c e a n d m u s i c , m a g i c , s t a n d u p c o m e d y a n d s o m u c h m o r e M o s t s h o w s a r e 6 0 m i n u t e s i n l e n g t h , s o m e a r e s h o r t e r W a n t t o b e o n e o f t h e s h o w c a s e d a r t i s t s ? A r t i s t A p p l i c a t i o n s a r e a v a i l a b l e n o w , w i t h t h e e a r l y b i r d p r i c i n g o f $ 2 5 P r i c e s w i l l i n c r e a s e a f t e r N o v 2 8 , a n d a l l a p p l i c a t i o n s m u s t b e s u b m i t t e d b y 5 p m M o n d a y , D e c 1 2 . A l o t t e r y d r a w i n g w i l l b e h e l d o n M o n d a y , D e c 1 9 , 2 0 2 2 b o t h i n p e r s o n a n d o n l i n e
F r i n g e F o r t M y e r s i s a p a r t n e r s h i p b e t w e e n A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s a n d t h e B r o a d w a y P a l m D i n n e r T h e a t r e a n d i s p r o u d l y s p o n s o r e d b y B r u c e & J a n e t B u n c h
F r i n g e F o r t M y e r s k i c k s o f f o n J u n e 1 , 2 0 2 3 w i t h t h e f u n a n d f r e n e t i c T e a s e r S h o w , w h e r e e a c h p e r f o r m a n c e g r o u p g e t s 2 m i n u t e s t o s e l l y o u o n t h e i r s h o w a n d h o w t h e y d o i t i s u p t o t h e m ! O v e r t h e n e x t f o u r d a y s t h e y w i l l p l a y h o s t t o 3 0 p e r f o r m a n c e s o n f o u r d i f f e r e n t s t a g e s a t t h e A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s a n d B r o a d w a y P a l m D i n n e r T h e a t r e .
e d n e s d a y , N o v e m b e r
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f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m
can call 211 or 239 439 3900
Boys & Girls Clubs, Harry Chapin partner for local turkey giveaway
Sponsored by the Harry Chapin Food Bank, the event is open to all families in Southwest Florida Recipients do not need to be club members. Each family will receive a frozen turkey and side dishes to prepare for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, including vegetables, stuffing and other holiday sta ples
County resumes yard-waste collection in service areas
at this time; those items will be collect ed at a later date by the county’s storm d e b r i s c o n t r a c t o r u s i n g s p e c i a l i z e d equipment
Residents are asked to use containers, paper lawn and leaf bags or clear plastic b a g s t o s e t v e g e t a t i v e m a t e r i a l including palm fronds curbside on their regular collection day Black plas tic bags and bundled yard waste are not being collected with curbside yard waste
Residents are asked to keep their containerized yard waste separate from any hurricane debris piles
Residents who do not want to wait for storm debris trucks can bring bun dled horticultural waste to one of the four citizen debris drop off sites The
sites are open daily from 7 a m to 5:30 p m T o f i n d t h e l o c a t i o n s , v i s i t www.leegov.com/ storm/debris.
For Hurricane Ian response updates a n d i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www leegov com/storm or follow “Lee County Government” on Facebook or at www facebook com /leecountyflbocc
To receive updates, sign up for the n e w s l e t t e r a t w w w l e e g o v c o m / resources/newsletters
“Although the past two months have been i n c r e d i b l y d i f f i c u l t f o r e v e r y o n e i n Southwest Florida, we should all pause to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy,” Chief Executive Officer Denise Gergley said “The Turkey Give a Way is a great opportunity to connect with our com munity and let families know we’re here to support them ”
Volunteers will also distribute hurricane relief items, including hygiene products, cleaning supplies, home care items and more The turkeys and items will be distrib uted on a first come, first served basis
Commission approves grant agreements for housing assistance
Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties
∫ $2 5 million: Owner occupied rehabil
itation for a minimum of 32 low income households.
Lee County Housing Development Corp
∫ $ 2 7 5 , 0 2 5 : O w n e r o c c u p i e d r e h a b i l i t a t i o n f o r a m i n i m u m o f t h r e e h o u s e h o l d s a f f e c t e d b y I a n w i t h p r i o r i t y b e i n g g i v e n t o s p e c i a l n e e d s , v e r y l o w a n d l o w i n c o m e h o u s e h o l d s
∫ $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 : M o r t g a g e a n d I n s u r a n c e D e d u c t i b l e A s s i s t a n c e f o r a m i n i m u m o f 1 5 h o u s e h o l d s a f f e c t e d b y I a n w i t h p r i o r i t y b e i n g g i v e n t o s p e c i a l
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association recently announced the launch of the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund, an initia tive to provide economic relief for Florida’s independent restaurants and lodging estab lishments and their employees who are financially needy or distressed due to Hurricane Ian
Administered through the FRLA Educational Foundation through grants val ued at up to $10,000 per independently owned restaurant or lodging location, the goal is to provide immediate financial sup port
An independent restaurant or lodging establishment is defined as restaurant or lodging establishments owned by a corpora tion, limited liability partnership, general partnerships, or sole proprietorship Franchisees of national chains are eligible, but only if the owner owns no more than three franchised locations Independent
restaurant and lodging chains qualify. Only one application is required for all multi unit operators
A minimum of 1/3 or 33 percent of the support provided must be earmarked to sup port employees in financial need For own ers or employees in financial need, disaster relief funds may be used for:
∫ Assistance with rent, mortgage pay ments, or car loan payments
∫ Assistance with school tuition and higher education costs to permit a child to attend school
∫ Reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or rehabilitation of a personal residence (rented or owned)
∫ Reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or replacement of the contents of a personal residence due to Ian
For more information, visit FRLA org/relief
n e e d s , v e r y l o w a n d l o w i n c o m e h o u s e h o l d s .
∫ $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 : R e n t a l A s s i s t a n c e f o r a m i n i m u m o f 2 0 h o u s e h o l d s a f f e c t e d b y I a n w i t h p r i o r i t y b e i n g g i v e n t o s p e c i a l n e e d s , v e r y l o w a n d l o w i n c o m e h o u s e h o l d s
Ce nte r f o r Inde pe nde nt Li v i ng Gul f Co as t
∫ $ 9 7 0 , 0 0 0 : O w n e r o c c u p i e d r e h a b i l i t a t i o n f o r m i n i m u m o f 1 0 h o m e s a f f e c t e d b y I a n w i t h p r i o r i t y b e i n g
g i v e n t o s p e c i a l n e e d s , v e r y l o w a n d l o w i n c o m e h o u s e h o l d s .
T h e r e i s n o r e q u i r e m e n t f o r t h e c o u n t y o r a p p l i c a n t t o p r o v i d e a m a t c h f o r f u n d s a w a r d e d
F o r r e s i d e n t s l i v i n g i n u n i n c o r p o r a t e d L e e , T o w n o f F o r t M y e r s B e a c h , V i l l a g e o f E s t e r o , o r t h e c i t i e s o f B o n i t a S p r i n g s , F o r t M y e r s o r S a n i b e l , t h e a p p l i c a t i o n i s a t w w w l e e g o v c o m / d c d / p l a n n i n g / s h i p
SBA Business Recovery Centers set up
T h e U S S m a l l B u s i n e s s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d F l o r i d a S B D C N e t w o r k a r e w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r t o a s s i s t F l o r i d a b u s i n e s s e s t o r e c o v e r f r o m t h e i m p a c t o f H u r r i c a n e I a n
They are operating the following SBA Business Recovery Centers in Lee County:
∫ The Hub at SWFL, at 25071 Chamber of Commerce Drive, Bonita Springs Hours are Monday through Sunday from 9 a m to 5 p m
∫ Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, at 3 6 0 S a n t a B a r b a r a B l v d . S . , C a p e C o r a l H o u r s a r e M o n d a y t h r o u g h Thursday from 8 a m to 6 p m
A p p l i c a n t s m a y a p p l y u s i n g t h e Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disaster loanassistance sba gov/ela/s/ and should
apply under SBA declaration #17644
To be considered for all forms of assistance, applicants should register at DisasterAssistance gov or download the FEMA mobile app If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants can call the FEMA toll free helpline at 800 621 3362
Disaster loan information and appli cation forms can also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800 659 2955 or emailing D i s a s t e r C u s t o m e r S e r v i c e @ s b a g o v
Loan applications can also be down loaded from sba gov/disaster
The filing deadline to return applica tions for physical property damage is Nov 28
The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 29
World renowned dancers will take stage on Nov 18 at 8 p m for Arts Heal a fundraising effort to benefit the artistic organizations affected by Hurricane Ian at the Artis Naples in Naples
The event is an initiative of the new Florida Gulfshore Ballet and will bring together artists and champions of goodwill, under the direction of artis tic directors Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero
It will showcase choreographies from Ballet Xtreme (Zurich), Ballet de Barcelona, Ballet Nacional del Perú, Miami City Ballet, United Ballet Theater of Orlando, Tampa City Ballet, Arts Ballet Theater of Florida, Houston Ballet and alumni of the Gulfshore Ballet School
All proceeds will be received and disbursed by the Collier Community Foundation's Arts Heal Fund and Collaboratory's Fund for the Arts in Southwest Florida, which are deploying the funds to help restore and strengthen the arts community across Lee and Collier counties
“The arts illuminate the human condition, bring people together and provide a crucial vehicle for healing Disaster recovery includes addressing the emotional and spiritual healing of the community, in addition to material necessities,” Lopez said. “After the massive devastation brought to us by Hurricane Ian, we are touched and humbled by the dancers’ willingness to donate their time and efforts to support their fellow artists Arts Heal recognizes the need to uplift and protect local artists and artis tic organizations in the area, in addition to provid ing much needed funds during this recovery process ”
Tickets range from $25 150
For tickets or more information, visit https://artisnaples org/events/florida gulfshore bal let.2223.1118
The Artis Naples is at 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples
music lineup also includes Brian Kelley, Tracy Lawrence and Ted Nugent
R o c k & R o l l H a l l o f F a m e g r o u p L y n y r d S k y n y r d w i l l h e a d l i n e a H u r r i c a n e I a n B e n e f i t C o n c e r t a t H e r t z A r e n a i n E s t e r o , T h u r s d a y , D e c 1 T h e n i g h t w i l l a l s o f e a t u r e p e r f o r m a n c e s b y I r a D e a n , B r i a n K e l l e y ( o f F l o r i d a G e o r g i a L i n e ) , T r a c y L a w r e n c e a n d T e d N u g e n t N a p l e s r e s i d e n t c o m e d i a n J i m B r e u e r w i l l h o s t t h e e v e n i n g A d d i t i o n a l i n c r e d i b l e a r t i s t s w i l l b e a n n o u n c e d i n t h e u p c o m i n g w e e k s
L y n y r d S k y n y r d ’ s J o h n n y V a n Z a n t s a y s , “ Y o u k n o w w e a r e a F l o r i d a b a n d a n d t r u e F l o r i d i a n s , w e h a v e g r o w n u p w i t h H u r r i c a n e s b e i n g a p a r t o f o u r l i v e s H u r r i c a n e I a n d i d m a j o r d a m a g e a n d p e o p l e l o s t l o v e d o n e s a n d e v e r y t h i n g t h e y h a d T h e f o l k s i n L e e a n d C o l l i e r C o u n t y , t o o k t h e d i r e c t i m p a c t o f t h e s t o r m , g u i t a r i s t R i c k e y M e d l o c k e a n d o u r t o u r m a n a g e r , b o t h l i v e i n F o r t M y e r s . W e c o u l d n ’ t s i t b y a n d n o t t r y t o h e l p p e o p l e i n a t i m e o f n e e d H o p e f u l l y , w e c a n r a i s e a b u n c h o f m o n e y f o r t h e v i c t i m s o f t h e s t o r m , g e t s o m e m u s i c i a n f r i e n d s t o c o m e d o w n a n d j o i n u s , a n d b r i n g s o m e s m i l e s t o t h e f a c e s o f t h o s e p e o p l e t h a t h a v e l o s t s o m u c h W e c a n ’ t w a i t t o s e e e v e r y o n e o n D e c e m b e r 1 a t t h e H e r t z A r e n a ! ’ # F l o r i d a S t r o n g ”
T h e e v e n t i s p r o d u c e d b y L i v e N a t i o n a n d I r a D e a n f o r B o o t s o n t h e S a n d , I n c P r o c e e d s f r o m t h e c o n c e r t w i l l b e d i r e c t e d t o d i s a s t e r r e l i e f e f f o r t s t h r o u g h V o l u n t e e r F l o r i d a a n d t h e C o m m u n i t y F o u n d a t i o n s o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a
D e a n a d d s , “ M y b e t t e r h a l f , J e n n i f e r P a r i s i , a n d h e r w h o l e f a m i l y a r e f r o m N a p l e s , F l o r i d a , s o F l o r i d a i s m y s e c o n d h o m e I t h i n k w e a l l h a v e s e e n t h e n e w s f o o t a g e o f c a r s t u r n e d u p s i d e d o w n , b u t t h i s d o e s n ’ t c a p t u r e t h e f u l l p i c t u r e d o w n h e r e S p e n d i n g a t o n o f t i m e i n S W F L , I k n o w t h a t i t i s l a r g e l y m a d e u p o f b l u e c o l l a r , h a r d w o r k i n g f o l k s I d i d n ’ t r e a l i z e t h e d e v a s t a t i o n t h a t I a n l e f t i n i t s p a t h u n t i l I g o t d o w n h e r e t o c h e c k o n t h e h o u s e I s p e n t t h e w e e k w i t h J e n n i f e r , i n N a p l e s a n d s a w p e o p l e s l e e p i n g i n t h e i r f r o n t y a r d s , a n d w i t n e s s e d p e o p l e i n t e a r s t h a t l o s t l o v e d o n e s I k n e w r i g h t t h e n I h a d t o d o s o m e t h i n g S o , w i t h a l o t t a h e l p f r o m J e n n i f e r , w e p a r t n e r e d u p w i t h H e r t z A r e n a ( t h e H o f f m a n n f a m i l y ) , L i v e N a t i o n , a n d i H e a r t R a d i o , a n d b e g a n c a l l i n g a l l m y m u s i c i a n f r i e n d s t o t h r o w a H u r r i c a n e R e l i e f c o n c e r t , w h e r e 1 0 0 % o f t h e m o n e y r a i s e d g o e s t o t h e v i c t i m s o f t h i s d e v a s t a t i n g d i s a s t e r ”
T i c k e t s w e n t o n s a l e N o v 7 a t T i c k e t m a s t e r c o m a n d t h e H e r t z A r e n a B o x O f f i c e
About Boots on the Sand, Inc. Boots on the Sand, Inc , a Florida Not for Profit Corporation, is dedicated to the recovery of Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, one of the top
Ian
The Korean War is often called the forgotten war
But the veterans from Chapter 155 can never forget it
“Korean people love Korean veterans because we saved their country and we know that They really look up to and admire Korean War veterans to the highest esteem,” Korean War Veterans Southwest Florida Chapter 155 President Bob Kent said “That’s probably the best thing that came out of this war ”
Fought from 1950 53, the Korean War is often over shadowed by World War II, which ended five years before the Korea War began, and the Vietnam War, which started five years after the Korean War concluded
The Korean War saw the United States, South Korea and their allies wage battle against North Korea and the Chinese Communists
Kent, who was a support person in Okinawa, Japan, joined Chapter 155 in 2002 when it had 150 members.
Now they have 41 Membership has gone down due to members aging out of the organization
One of the things Kent enjoys about being part of the chapter is its commitment to veterans in the community Chapter 155 has an endowment scholarship with Florida Southwestern that began in 2008 The scholarship is award ed to a veteran or a child or grandchild of a veteran For the past five years, it has also provided $500 scholarships to Cape Coral Technical College and Fort Myers Technical College
The Facebook group has about 200 members and that is one of the ways the chapter stays active Kent said it also collects dues and maintains an active board of directors
And each Tuesday at about 11:30 a m , a few of them meet along with some Vietnam veterans at the American Legion Post 90, at 1401 S E 47th St , Cape Coral
At one point, members had to be in the Korean War for a
certain period of time during the conflict
“But because national membership has dwindled, they’ve opened it up to anyone who has served in Korea for one day,” Kent said “We are open to accepting any service per sonal who has served in Korea ”
Chapter 155 is always looking for more members, espe cially younger members who can take over one day
“If we don’t get younger members, we’re going to cease to exist,” Kent said
Widows of Korean War veterans can also join Normally, they stay in the chapter after their significant other, who was a veteran, passed away because they have made friends, he said
“I joined for some camaraderie and I was interested in knowing other Korean veterans and the activities they do to help support veterans,” Kent said “It’s just a veterans thing ”
Those interested in joining or learning more about Chapter 155 can contact Kent at 239 945 3018 or rkent9000@aol com
Social Security is here to help millions of people secure their today and tomorrow by providing benefits and financial pro tection We continue to protect the integri ty of our disability programs by ensuring we make the correct decision on each claim However, if you disagree with the decision on your claim, you can ask for your case to be reviewed by filing an appeal
Generally, there are four appeal levels If you are not satisfied with the decision at one level, you may appeal to the next The appeal levels are:
∫ Reconsideration: A reconsideration is a complete review of your claim by
someone who did not take part in the first decision We look at all the evidence sub mitted in the original determination, and any new evidence
∫ Hearing: If you disagree with the decision at the reconsideration level, you may ask for a hearing An administrative law judge, who had no part in the original decision or the reconsideration of your case, conducts the hearing.
∫ Appeals Council Review: If you dis agree with the hearing decision, you can request a review by Social Security’s Appeals Council The Appeals Council looks at all requests for review They will decide whether or not there is a reason to return your case to the judge for further review
∫ Federal Court Review: If you dis agree with the Appeals Council’s deci sion, you can file a lawsuit in a federal district court as the last level in the appeals process
For more information, visit our Appeal A D e c i s i o n w e b p a g e a t www ssa gov/benefits/disability/appeal ht ml
If we denied your claim, you have 60 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal The easiest and quickest way is to f i l e y o u r a p p e a l r e q u e s t o n l i n e a t www ssa gov/benefits/disability/appeal ht ml This is where you can submit associ ated documents electronically You can also call your local Social Security office or 800 772 1213 to obtain the forms Y o u c a n f i n d y o u r l o c a l o f f i c e a t www ssa gov/locator
A representative or attorney is not
required to file an appeal Whether you choose to appoint an attorney or author ized representative is completely up to you You may choose to have someone help you with your appeal or represent you Your representative may be a lawyer or other qualified person familiar with you and the Social Security program We will work with your representative just as we would work with you. They can act for you in most Social Security matters, and they will receive a copy of any decisions we make about your claim
If you need us to review your case, go online at www ssa gov/benefits/disability /appeal html or call 800 772 1213
For more information, visit the Social Security Administration at www ssa gov People can also contact the area office in Fort Myers at 888 318 9114 or the national number at 800 772 1213 for assistance.
i v e u n t i l f u r t h e r n o t i c e C o n s e q u e n t l y , m a n y p r o g r a m s a n d e v e n t s a r e c a n c e l e d .
∫ D e p u t y R e f u g e M a n a g e r E r i n M y e r s a n d R e f u g e R a n g e r T u c k e r P h i l l i p s t o o k o u t r e a c h e f f o r t s s o u t h r e c e n t l y f o r t h e P a n t h e r F e s t i v a l a t t h e N a p l e s Z o o O t h e r o u t r e a c h o p p o r t u n i t i e s c o m i n g u p i n c l u d e t h e 1 2 t h a n n u a l B u r r o w i n g O w l F e s t i v a l i n C a p e C o r a l o n F e b 2 5
∫ S t a r t i n g o n D e c 1 , s t a f f w i l l s e l l N a t u r e S t o r e i t e m s a n d t a l k t o v i s i t o r s a b o u t t h e r e f u g e a t a P o p u p S t a n d a t t h e C o c o n u t P o i n t F a r m e r ’ s M a r k e t i n E s t e r o T h e D D W S t h a n k e d L o c a l R o o t s f o r m a k i n g s p a c e f o r t h e s e t u p e a c h T h u r s d a y f r o m 9 a m t o 1 p m
a r l i n g & D o c F o r d ’ s T a r p o n
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T h e D D W S t h a n k e d t h e 2 0 2 3 s p o n s o r s T o b e c o m e a n e v e n t s p o n s o r , c o n t a c t A p r i l B o e h n e n a t a p r i l b @ d i n g d a r l i n g s o c i e t y o r g
∫ W h i l e s t a f f i s f o c u s e d o n r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s , t h e y a r e m a k i n g t i m e t o o f f e r o c c a s i o n s f o r l o c a l s t o e n g a g e a n d h e a l t h r o u g h n a t u r e W a t c h f o r n e w s i n t h e c o m i n g w e e k s o f f r e e M i n d f u l n e s s W a l k s a t B a i l e y T r a c t f o r g r o u p s a n d i n d i v i d u a l s F o r t i m e s a n d d a t e s o r t o r e s e r v e a g r o u p w a l k , c o n t a c t S u p e r v i s o r y R e f u g e R a n g e r T o n i W e s t l a n d a t T o n i W e s t l a n d @ f w s g o v o r R a n g e r J e s s B a r r y a t j e s s i c a b a r r y @ f w s g o v P e o p l e c a n a l s o t u n e i n t o t h e g u i d e d p o d c a s t s v i a A n c h o r o r S p o t i f y
By FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
November is Manatee Awareness Month, an impor tant time for boaters to go slow and lookout below to watch for manatees as they travel to warmer water sites around the state.
Manatees depend on water generally warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive the winter, so in the fall they travel to Florida springs, power plant discharges and other warm water sites
While manatees are large, they can be difficult to see in the water That is why it is important to: follow guide lines and follow all manatee protection zones; look out while boating; wear polarized glasses and always give them space Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs and maps of manatee protection zones are available online at MyFWC com/Manatee by clicking on “Data and Maps.”
During the colder months, seasonal manatee zones require boaters to slow down in certain areas to prevent manatees from being injured or killed by motorboats or personal watercraft Boat strikes continue to be a major threat to Florida manatees. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement officers are on patrol in state waters to inform boaters of the season al manatee speed zones and take appropriate enforcement actions Boaters are reminded to abide by the regulatory signs they see on the water
Remember, disturbing manatees at warm water sites can cause them to swim out of protected areas and into potentially life threatening cold water Manatees are a protected species and it is illegal to feed, harass, disturb or harm them
Physically handling a distressed or stranded manatee can cause more harm. Instead, report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888 404 FWCC (3922) or by dialing #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone so trained responders can assist The FWC and U S Fish and Wildlife Service contin ue to investigate and respond to an elevated number of manatee deaths along the Atlantic coast of Florida The FWC and USFWS take manatee conservation seriously by actively implementing science based conservation measures that are making a difference for manatees and habitat Learn more about how officials are responding to this event by visiting MyFWC com/Manatee and clicking on “Learn More” in the banner at the top of the page. Resources for boaters, educators and other interested
MyFWC com/Manatee What should you do if you see a manatee? The Viewing Guidelines page provides helpful tips on respectfully viewing manatees, additional guide lines for boat and personal watercraft operators, and information on what you can do to help these amazing
T h e F l o r i d a F i s h a n d W i l d l i f e C o n s e r v a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n p r e v i o u s l y a p p r o v e d a f i n a l r u l e e f f e c t i v e J a n 1 m o d i f y i n g t h e r e c r e a t i o n a l s e a s o n f o r g a g g r o u p e r i n s t a t e w a t e r s o f t h e G u l f o f M e x i c o
T h e m o d i f i c a t i o n f o r g a g g r o u p e r i n G u l f s t a t e w a t e r s i s i n t e n d e d t o p r e v e n t o v e r f i s h i n g , i m p r o v e s t o c k a b u n d a n c e a n d h e l p e n s u r e f u t u r e g a g f i s h i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s T h e c h a n g e i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h p e n d i n g r e g u l a t i o n s i n a d j a c e n t f e d e r a l w a t e r s i n t h e G u l f o f M e x i c o
T h e F W C i s c o m m i t t e d t o c o l l e c t i n g c r i t i c a l r e c r e a t i o n a l h a r v e s t f i s h i n g d a t a t o i n f o r m m a n a g e m e n t o f g a g g r o u p e r , i n a d d i t i o n t o o t h e r r e e f f i s h T h e S t a t e R e e f F i s h S u r v e y u s e s i n p e r s o n i n t e r v i e w s a n d a m a i l s u r v e y t o c o l l e c t i n f o r m a t i o n o n r e c r e a t i o n a l f i s h i n g f o r r e e f f i s h , s u c h a s g a g g r o u p e r , f r o m p r i v a t e b o a t s . T h e s e m e t h o d s p r o v i d e t h e F W C w i t h a c l e a r e r p i c t u r e o f t h e h e a l t h o f r e e f f i s h s t o c k s t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a t e a n d h e l p e n s u r e t h e l o n g t e r m s u s t a i n a b i l i t y o f r e c r e a t i o n a l f i s h i n g i n F l o r i d a
T h e S t a t e R e e f F i s h A n g l e r d e s i g n a t i o n i s r e q u i r e d f o r r e c r e a t i o n a l a n g l e r s a n d s p e a r f i s h e r s w h o i n t e n d t o f i s h f o r o r h a r v e s t c e r t a i n r e e f f i s h s p e c i e s f r o m a p r i v a t e v e s s e l i n F l o r i d a T h e d e s i g n a t i o n m a k e s r e c r e a t i o n a l a n g l e r s e l i g i b l e f o r s e l e c t i o n t o r e c e i v e a m a i l s u r v e y c o m p o n e n t o f t h e S t a t e R e e f F i s h S u r v e y T o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e S t a t e R e e f F i s h S u r v e y , v i s i t M y F W C . c o m / S R F S . F o r c u r r e n t r e c r e a t i o n a l g a g g r o u p e r r e g u l a t i o n s , v i s i t M y F W C c o m / M a r i n e a n d c l i c k o n “ R e c r e a t i o n a l R e g u l a t i o n s , ” “ R e e f F i s h ” a n d t h e n “ G r o u p e r ”
An event scheduled next month came to bring the community together throug while raising funds for students, educa through a Hurricane Ian relief fund
The Hurricane Ian Relief Flag Footb will be held at 8 a m Saturday, Dec High School, 3800 Edison Ave , Fort M
“As a teacher at The Sanibel School, blessed with the outpouring of support f nity and strangers near and far,” tourna Joe Camputaro said “I felt that it would forward and serve as a goodwill ambass program that I have implemented with my fifth grade students at our school titled, Blueberry Ambassadors.”
Camputaro, a 2021 Golden Apple recipient, is an advocate of the work that the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools CEO and President Marshall Bower does for the students and educators of the county
“I have also served as league coordi nator for various adult intramural leagues through the School District’s employee wellness program When I returned home from evacuating the hurricane, I shared my vision with employee wellness and the foundation Both were incredibly supportive and let me run with the ball, so to speak, to organize this tournament Since its inception, many individuals from the foundation and the school district, including full support and endorsement of district leadership, have made this possible,” he said
Participation is $10 per person and will go towards the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools Hurricane Ian Relief Fund Those interested must register by 11:50 p m , D e c 1 , b y v i s i t i n g h t t p s : / / p l a y p a s s com/HurricaneIanFlagFootballFundraiser
Additional donations are encouraged, but not required
“There is no max number for registration The tourna ment will be 7 vs. 7 adult only (18 plus years or older) to play There is a men’s division and a co ed division Teams can have as many players on their roster as they
wish, however only seven players can be on the field for their respective team during the game,” Camputaro said
He said the event would not be possible without the incredible support of the School District of Lee County, the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and those who are volunteering for the tournament
“In order to ensure all funds go directly to the Hurricane Ian Relief Fund, myself, our officials and any one else who is helping us on the 3rd are volunteering their time to bring our community closer and support our a m a z i n g S c h o o l D i s t r i c t e m p l o y e e s a n d f a m i l i e s , ” Camputaro said
To make donate to the fundraiser, scan the QR Code or visit https://thefoundationforleecountypublicschools n e t w o r k f o r g o o d c o m / p r o j e c t s / 1 7 2 8 4 0 f l a g f o o t b a l l hurricane ian relief fundraiser.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t h t t p s : / / p l a y p a s s c o m
/HurricaneIanFlagFootballFundraiser
The Boston Red Sox Foundation will once again be awarding $5,000 scholarships in the spring of 2023 to one deserving student from each of the 15 public high schools in Lee County
Again this year all Lee County charter and ALS schools are also included with one $5,000 scholarship also being awarded to a student from this category for a total of 16 scholar ships worth $80,000.
Applications are now open and available at https://www redsoxfoun dation org/leecountyscholarship/
The deadline to apply is Jan 13, 2023 All applications should be sub mitted to flscholarships@redsox com
“The Red Sox are great partners with the School District of Lee County, and we sincerely appreciate their con tinued commitment to our students,”
said Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier “I encourage our seniors to apply for this scholarship Selecting just one student from each high school will not be easy, but I look forward to meeting the selected recipients "
The scholarships are for academi cally talented students who have shown a commitment to community service and are pursuing a two or four year degree at any college or university.
Scholarship funds are raised annual ly from proceeds of the Red Sox annu al Swings for the Sox Golf Tournament To date, the Swings for the Sox has raised more than $497,000 for local charities and specifically $437,175 for the scholarship program
Due to Hurricane Ian this year’s tournament was cancelled
“The Red Sox Foundation contin
ues its commitment to providing the funds for these scholarships,” said Brennan Whitley, senior manager Florida business operations for the Boston Red Sox “Our 11th annual Swings for the Sox golf tournament was cancelled but we are proud to still be giving more money for these schol arships for deserving students ”
The Red Sox Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox The foundation’s primary focus locally is in serving the health, education, recreation and social service needs of children and families across Southwest Florida The Red Sox Foundation is one of the most success ful in all of Major League Baseball
For more information about the Red Sox Foundation, please visit its website at www redsoxfoundation org
