112024 North Fort Myers Living

Gulf Coast Village and North Fort Myers Art Association partner for ‘New Beginnings’ art exhibit

Gulf Coast Village and the North Fort Myers Art Association have collaborated to launch an art exhibit entitled “New Beginnings ”

The first installation of the nonprofits’ joint venture to display rotating art exhibits was held on Nov 5 at Gulf Coast Village’s auditorium in Cape Coral

“New Beginnings” featured artwork by talented local artists and Gulf Coast Village resident artists, a ribbon-cutting by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Cora, a welcome speech by Ryan Keller, regional vice president of senior living at Volunteers of America National Services, and Judy Biddle, president of the North Fort Myers Art Association

Notable pieces of art were display, some of which were be marked for sale to the general public

Among them was the work of Roseline Young, a resident at Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral and a member of the North Fort Myers Art Association

Young, a retired art teacher from New Orleans,

Roseline

Young specializes in weaving, quilting, spinning and fabric manipulation to create masterpieces that motivate action./PHOTO PROVIDED

is concerned with promoting better stewardship for our environment, recognizing that art can start a conversation and call attention to our problems

While she originally started as a painter, Young

Lee Commissioners accept grant funds to improve internet speed and equipment at North Fort Myers Recreation Center

The Lee Board of County Commissioners has accepted $1 1 million in grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to furnish a computer lab, upgrade WiFi and audio-visual equipment, and expand broadband service at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center

In 2022, Lee County, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Office of Broadband, asked residents and visitors to take a survey and an internet speed test to evaluate broadband capabilities and determine areas in need of added service Surveys were taken online or in person at Lee County libraries and recreation centers in July 2022

Participation in the survey and speed test helped to identify local gaps in high-speed internet service and advance the state’s overall broadband infrastructure expansion goals.

In response to the survey results, Lee County applied for and was awarded the grant to support the installation of fiberoptic broadband internet service at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center It will enhance existing Wi-Fi by adding access points and create a computer lab within an existing classroom

Furthermore, the AV equipment in the multipurpose rooms, weight room and sports venues will be upgraded and expanded.

Currently, the recreation center offers broadband access at 50 Mbps, which will be upgraded to 250 Mbps Broadband access will also be extended to the 4H annex and maintenance buildings Inside the recreation center, the Wi-Fi system will feature 12 access points to ensure reliable coverage throughout the 33,000 square-foot facility, while the 4H annex and maintenance building will each receive one access point to enhance connectivity in those areas

The new computer lab will be equipped with:

• 12 all-in-one desktop computers

• AV equipment

• Furniture to accommodate a classroom for 11 students and a teacher.

The upgraded internet service and public computer lab will enhance workforce development training, financial literacy classes and other educational opportunities

The North Fort Myers Recreation Center is at 2000 North Recreation Park Way

now specializes in weaving, quilting, spinning and fabric manipulation to create masterpieces that motivate action She draws her inspiration from the earth and water, from flowers to rivers and anything in between

She’s partnered with the Lee County Black History Society, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Lee County Arts Center, Lee County Parks & Rec, and Art Fest Fort Myers to raise awareness of environmental and social problems in Lee County Her art can be found at Alliance for the Arts and Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, among others, and she teaches weaving classes locally, including at Gulf Coast Village

In the early 2000s, Young had the opportunity to weave and hand-deliver a Christmas Ornament for President George W Bush and First Lady Laura Bush Her artistic impact is spread far and wide Barb Atkins, a local pianist, provided musical entertainment

ECHO hires agriculture specialist from Kenya to lead East Africa Regional Impact Center

ECHO, a Southwest Florida-based international non-profit advocate for sustainable agriculture and food security based in North Fort Myers has hired a new director for its East Africa Regional Impact Center

Charei Munene, a leader in Agroecology/Ecological Organic Agriculture from Kenya, will succeed Erwin Kinsey in Tanzania

“We’re excited to have someone of Charei’s experience as part of our leadership team,” said ECHO CEO Dr Abram Bicksler “His knowledge of the region and experience in the field of sustainable agriculture will be a tremendous benefit to our organization and the people we serve ” Munene comes to ECHO with more than 10 years of experience in the African Agricultural landscape. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Botany and Zoology and a Master of Science Degree in Plant Pathology, both from Egerton University

As director, Munene will work to expand and strengthen the capacity of the regional network to improve lives through sustainable food and agricultural strategies in East Africa He’ll be responsible for building upon the current network by identifying, validating, sharing and measuring the success of agricultural strategies

Prior to his hiring at ECHO, Munene was the Infonet Content Manager at Biovision Trust, where he managed the database and content as well as provided online and field training for agricultural stakeholders Munene also held positions at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Rootooba Limited and the Technical University of Kenya For more information about ECHO and how to support its mission, call 239-543-3246 or visit ECHOnet org

ABOUT ECHO

ECHO provides hope against hunger around the globe through agricultural training and resources As a Christian technical networking and resourcing organization, ECHO builds a diverse, global network and serves that network by sharing validated contextualized agricultural options with technical excellence ECHO’s goal is to serve its network members to advance food security and sustainable livelihoods ECHO’s North American Regional Impact Center is located in Fort Myers, Florida with a global presence through four Regional Impact Centers in the USA, Thailand, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso For more information about ECHO call 239543-3246 or visit echonet org or ECHOcommunity org

on the cover Neighbor to neighbor

Santa’s helpers spend their holidays in Nor th For t Myers.

Donnelly twins ear n Eagle Scout ranks

Babcock Neighborhood School brought the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay, to the community for a special performance.

Nor th Chamber honors best in business

Chamber holds annual Calvin Peete Classic

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Toni Hill President

Donnelly twins earn Eagle Scout ranks with projects at Adventist Community Ser vices Food Pantr y

Story by Meghan Bradbury

Twin brothers, who have donated their time for more than five years, decided to give back to the Adventist Community Services Food Pantry as part of their Eagle Scout project

Caleb and Declan Donnelly, North Fort Myers residents and Bishop Verot High School sophomores, recently earned their Eagle rank To receive this rank, each scout has to earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community service project.

The two, who are 15, have been scouts for 10 years now

“Caleb and Declan, along with their Scout Troop 761, helped to make our volunteer bathroom and client waiting area much nicer and more comfortable The client waiting area was a kind of catch all before and now it is clean and roomy as well as inviting We could only seat six people before the

improvements and now we can seat eight The bathroom was dark and dreary, needing updating It looks much cleaner and brighter now Our clients and volunteers are very grateful for their help and dedication to helping our pantry, at the ACS of Cape Coral,” said Food Pantry Program Manager Alexandra Berru in a prepared statement

The food pantry is in Cape Coral. The pantry provides food for approximately 2,500 people a month, clothing, and resource counseling to those in need

Caleb said he has volunteered at the food pantry for five years He said with volunteering there for so long, he saw there was a need to renovate the central bathroom After running the idea through the pantry manager and scout leader, he started on the project

“I got all the supplies together and went to stores for donations,” Caleb said. “We had 22 scouts there Individually, the scouts put in 10 hours of work, 220 hours overall, and I put in an extra four or five hours of planning ”

He said the finished project looks really good

The project included painting the common area, replacing fixtures, and installing shelves

“It felt really good knowing I could help out a lot of people in need,” Caleb said

Declan’s project was renovating the guest area of the food pantry – painting the entry, replacing fixtures and furniture and installing white boards

Declan said it took a lot of paperwork, time, and effort to make his project come to fruition There was 175 hours put into the project, which included assistance from others, as well as 30 hours of planning on his end

“It feels really good,” Declan said of completing his project and being able to help other people “I would like to thank all the people that helped –friends, family, grandparents, and the scout troop ” They both maintain a 4 5 GPA and take honor and AP classes.

Declan would like to pursue business school after high school Caleb wants to go to medical school

The Donnelly brothers, Declan and Caleb./PHOTOS PROVIDED

Nesting season begins early this year!

Story by Chuck Ballaro

It looks like egg watching season has started a little earlier this year Southwest Florida Eagle cam star F23 laid her first egg of the nesting season Nov. 6 at around 2:38 p.m., with the second egg arriving Nov. 9 at 6:15 p.m.

“F23 was laying on the nest and then she got up and went into labor Her body quivered, her wings were out from her body as she went into contractions She then laid her first egg and stood over it for about 14 minutes before those on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam got to see it at 14:49 p m , ” according to Lady Hawk, posting on the Cam, which for 13 years now has allowed viewers worldwide to following the nesting season at the Pritchett Farm off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers.

Each season, the cam draws millions of views

This is the earliest eggs have been laid at the nests since the cam’s inception

With former matriarch Harriet, eggs were typically laid around Thanksgiving, with the eaglets hatching between Christmas and New Year ’s Day

Ginnie Pritchett-McSpadden, founder of the South-west Florida Eagle Cam, said it’s definitely earlier than anyone expected

“F23 and M15 were seen hanging around the nest more but we didn’t think anything of it because their usual egg-laying time is around Thanksgiving,” Pritchett-McSpadden said “They surprised us with the earliest egg ever ”

Pritchett-McSpadden said that this early arrival could be the new normal for pair, which is nesting together for just their second time

“This could be a new timeline for them We’ll have

M15 rolls the first egg laid by F23 on Friday. A second egg followed on Monday with both eggs coming in earlier in the season than any laid previously at the nest on Bayshore Road.

to continue to watch We know due to delayed incubation and bonding periods, a second egg comes three or four days after the first,” PritchettMcSpadden said.

Expect these eggs to hatch sometime in midDecember assuming a typical 35-day incubation period The pair will take turns incubating the eggs, turning them regularly so they can warm evenly and avoid the eaglet attaching to the shell

Viewers can again catch all the action in the nest, which started its 13th season last month as the eagles returned home early to work on their nest before mating M15 and F23, who became M15’s mate after

Harriett died in 2023, are producing their second set of offspring Last year, they pair was only able to raise one eaglet because the second egg cracked prematurely and became unviable.

It was F23’s first attempt at motherhood, so inexperience could have been to blame for what happened

The 2024-2025 season will again catch all the action using four cameras incluing one in the nest tree a first ever live camera in history to capture a 360-degree look into a bald eagle’s daily activities

Visit 24/7 at dickpritchettrealestate com/southwest-florida-eagle-cam/

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA EAGLE CAM

Neighbor-to-neighbor: Holiday giving

Story by Meghan Bradbury

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Is it beginning to fee a lot like Christmas? The community is invited to attend the annual Cocoa with Claus at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center next month, complete with a visit from the jolly old elf himself

The annual event will be held from 6 to 8 p m Friday, Dec 13

“It’s ust a nice time to have the kids come in It’s fun to see the kids running around and having fun,” Recreat on Center

Supervisor Steve Cox said, as everyone is usually in a good mood “It’s a n ce way to add to the Christmas spirit for the community Somet mes it is all the family has to get out and do something free of charge ”

“We usually expect about 250 kids with the adults,” he said “We have cocoa outside when they first come n, and some snacks It’s just a good t me w th music playing spreading a litt e Christmas cheer ” Both the yard and the ins de of building are decorated for the event

Cocoa w th Claus also will feature yard games, games in the gym arts and crafts, the option of writing Santa Claus letters and photo opportunities Attendees are asked to br ng their own cameras or phone for the photographs Games w ll include Jenga, cornhole, reindeer games and a big

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Community is invited to attend the annual Cocoa with Claus Tommy Bohanon Foundation to host fifth annual Softball Tournament and Toy Drive

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North Fort Myers Civic Association President Toni Hill./PHOTOS PROVIDED

Beginning Nov. 1 the Veterans Angel Tree – a 9-1/2

foot Christmas tree – will be set up at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center through Dec . 15.