Fort Myers Beach Observer/The Beach Bulletin

VOLUME 37, NUMBER 50

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Fort Myers Beach Elementary School could be at risk of closing for good this holiday season At least two of the outer buildings will have to be torn down due to extensive salt water damage, Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr Chris Bernier said Monday at a meeting with the

community that was organized by school board trustee Chris Patricca at SkipOne Seafood on San Carlos Boulevard.

The main building, which is on the National Registrar of Historic Places and dates back to the 1940's, may not have to be torn down though Bernier didn't rule it out “My goal is to remediate the build ing,” Bernier said Bernier said he would

prefer not to tear down the historic build ing, which would require a federal waiver Bernier did disclose that he has been in talks with a company that has offered to remediate and clean the building at no cost, which could potentially cut down on the scope substantially According to Bernier, the historical designation of the building slowed the cleaning as well as a

loss of his emergency powers The school has been closed since the week of the hur ricane in September.

While Bernier spoke of options about rebuilding or tearing down the school, he suggested that enrollment could be raised from its current level of 50 to 150 or more though specifics on how that would

Fort Myers Beach residents pulling out of rubble, worry about future

By NATHAN MAYBERG

t’s been more than two months since

Hurricane Ian left its scars on Fort Myers Beach. Dozens of homes are gone, along with at least 14 people and numerous businesses

Many residents are now grappling with whether to stay and rebuild while they live with friends and family Even many of those who will not have to rebuild are still forced to stay off island due to damage to their condo buildings such as at Island Wind and Bermuda

attended the Shrimp Festival, donated gifts for the Bonita Bill’s children’s fish ing contest Mr Johnson chaired the town’s Marine Resources Environmental Task Force and belonged to the local tar pon fishing club After a trip back to Illinois to see family they have decided they will rebuild

“We’ve cleaned out the whole house

down to the studs,” Mr Johnson said “It’s going to be really difficult to build a brand new house,” Mrs Johnson said “Everything Is very expensive right now,” she said Older residences on fixed incomes will be among the most vulnerable, she said Their boat, a 23

STILL RECOVERING, page 2

STAFF REPORT

Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday that up to $25 million in state funding will be made available to proper t y o w n e r s i m p a c t e d b y Hurricane Ian to purchase build i n g m a t e r i a l s and up to $35.2 million in dona t i o n s t o t h e

Florida Disaster F u n d w i l l b e u s e d t o a l l o w v e r i f i e d n o n profit organiza tions to conduct c r i t i c a l t e m p o rary repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Ian. Funds from the Florida Disaster Fund will also address needs such as transportation, food assistance, h o u s i n g a i d , c l o t h i n g , a n d h o u s e h o l d goods

DeSantis made the announcement dur ing a press conference in Punta Gorda

“We are providing building materials and supporting nonprofit organizations to provide repairs so impacted residents can m o v e b a c k i n t o t h e i r o w n h o m e s , ” DeSantis said “Floridians are resilient, and the state stands by them every step of the way as they continue their recovery ”

To apply for temporary or permanent housing repairs and to connect with other important recovery resources, impacted r e s i d e n t s c a n v i s i t t h e U n i t e F l o r i d a H u r r i c a n e I a n R e c o v e r y P o r t a l a t IanRecovery fl gov/Unite

Johnson were heavily involved in civic and political activities in town

Cindy Johnson stands next to the remnants of the Hideaway Village Motel which swept onto her prop erty but was recently cleaned out of the canal NATHAN MAYBERG

Governor Ron DeSantis

Still recovering

foot Carolina Skiff, was totaled

For the Johnsons, making their deci sion on whether to rebuild isn’t as much about the 50% rule because their damage wasn’t near the 50% mark, but a matter of whether they want to risk not building higher and risking another nine foot storm surge

They spent weeks painstakingly clean ing out their home, boarding up the win dows and washing the mud off belongings they could save In recent weeks, contrac tors with the state began clean out piles debris from the canal behind their house

The remains of the Hideaway Village Motel made up a large portion of the debris The collapsed hotel floated down to the edge of their property with several people hanging onto it One of the motel's guests, Nishelle Harris Miles, was found dead under the rubble.

They have also applied for a trailer so

From page 1

they can stay on their property

Trash has been slow to be picked up Weeks after Ian, many properties still trash piled up in garbage bags in front of their homes “After four weeks, we still hadn’t had a single piece of trash picked up on our street,” Mr Johnson said

A table floated up on their property and became their office. Mr. Johnson lost his stamp collection “There are a lot of things we still wish we had,” he said

The Johnsons are grateful for assis t a n c e t h e y h a v e r e c e i v e d f r o m t h e

Pembroke Pines Fire Department and Florida Gulf Coast University students in cleaning out the debris from the back of their home The Pembroke Pines Fire Department were a “wrecking crew,” Mr Johnson said Johnson said about 20 FGCU students just showed up one day and started carrying away debris.

They also wanted to point out the

efforts of the town’s Utilities Director Christy Cory “She’s a rockstar,” Mrs Johnson said “The water department was in the neighborhood from the beginning,” she said “Her team would take people up in carts to Topps to do free laundry and to get food ” Mrs Johnson also credited Cory and her team for filling up sandbags for residents before the hurricane.

“It’s like the salt mine Every day, we show up,” Mr Johnson said “It’s a grind Your body is bent to hell It’s a time in life where you just roll up your sleeves ”

The couple had been staying at the home in the early days after Ian Now they are staying at a condo off the island through a friend

“You can’t find housing,” Mr Johnson said Even hotel rooms are tough to come by “I found one for $300 a night,” Mrs Johnson said. They have applied for a trailer, which they are hopeful for

“You can start living your life again,” Mr Johnson said Mrs Johnson said the approval of trailers for people to stay on their properties would prevent them from leaving the town

Mr Johnson expressed concern that developers would buy lots and sit on them

“A ton of people won’t be able to rebuild, to stay here two years and rebuild through the devastation,” he said

Mrs Johnson said she believed some older residents may not be willing to stay around “Some older people, they are just thinking ‘I don’t have that many years left ’”

They think the debris removal effort has been improving “It seems you are able to get around better,” she said Getting on and off the island to the south side is still an issue due to the 7 p.m. cur

SUMMER STOCKTON

Summer Stockton (front), Sarah Kemlage (mid d

Stockton and Brook's Home on Palermo Circle down Estero Boulevard to the Matanzas Pass Bridge the day after Hurricane Ian damaged their home.

SUMMER STOCKTON

Summer Stockton and Sheena Brook stayed at a neighbor's home on Palermo Circle with friend Sarah Kemlage and survived Hurricane Ian by staying on the third floor of the house. From there, they witnessed the destruction Ian brought to their neighborhood.

NATHAN MAYBERG

Cindy and Steve Johnson observe debris from Hurricane Ian that was situated on the canal behind their home for weeks A large por tion of the debris is from the Hideaway Village Motel, which floated down to the edge of their property with several people hanging onto it. One of the motel's guests, Nishelle Harris-Miles, was found dead under the rubble. Debris in the canal behind Cindy and Steve Johnson’s home off Seminole Way was picked up in recent weeks.

few in Bonita Springs

“The only thing that is going to restore the island is hard work,” Mr Johnson said

“What’s the island going to become? That worries me,” Mrs Johnson said

Sheena Brook and Summer Stockton

Summer Stockton, a former Town of Fort Myers Beach councilmember, and local musician Sheena Brook are not sure if their home will fall under the 50% rule The Palermo Circle house is still standing but don’t know if it will need to be elevat ed “It’s a very difficult decision to make,” Brook said They had remodeled the place where the couple lived with Stockton’s parents before the hurricane All four lost their vehicles in the hurri cane

They have received some help from F E M A , B r o o k s a i d . T h e F o r t M y e r s Beach Woman’s Club helped as well

From page 2

“ W e d o l o v e o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d , ”

Brook said A home was stuck in front of their driveway which was moved by neighbor Joe Orlandini. Another home

washed up in their backyard

“We really got hammered pretty hard Everything landed on us,” Brook said They were fortunate that a neighbor let

them stay in their house to ride out the hurricane They were able to find shelter on the third floor, where they stayed safe from the flooding

Stockton said a neighbor and a friend joined them during the hurricane after his home was wiped out The neighbor had to swim across the street to their house with his dog. Despite being bloodied, the neighbor successfully made It up the stairs They stayed in a closet during part of the ordeal At one point there were seven people and three dogs on the top floor

“It was a crazy experience,” Stockton said

B r o o k s a i d o n e o f h e r f r i e n d s i n Nashville was calling emergency respon ders tor her “She was freaking out Her friend was calling the county to try and get help during the hurricane “not know

STEVE JOHNSON

CINDY

NATHAN MAYBERG

The Wyndham Garden Inn on Fort Myers Beach took a massive blow from Hurricane Ian Myerside Resort and its cottages were hit hard by Hurricane Ian

Steve Johnson looks at the debris in the canal behind his home off Seminole Way on Fort Myers Beach Much of the debris was from the fall en Hideaway Village Motel

Dave Nusbaum, President of the Island Winds Condominium Owners Association on Fort Myers Beach, stands underneath the association's carport built by the Conidaris Brothers, which survived Hurricane Ian fully intact

m b e r

W

f o r t m y e r s b e a c h t a l k . c o m

Phone: (239) 765 0400 Fax: (239) 765 0846

Please Do Not Judge Me

Or do I stay to protect it? Will the storm really come?

Or will it take a turn?

My head spins as I listen to the reports They do their best to keep us informed, But theirs is not an easy job

E d i t o r N a t h a n M a y b e rg n m a y b e rg @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m A d ve r t i s i n g D i re c t o r L a u r i e R a g l e l rag l e @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

Advertising Sales

O b i t u a r i e s D e b b i e C a r l e t t i o b i t s @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m P ro d u c t i o n m a n a g e r R o b B r a i t l i n g r b ra i t l i n g @ b re e z e n ew s p a p e rs c o m

S u b s c r i p t i o n s 1 y e a r, $ 6 2

C i rc u l a t i o n ( 2 3 9 ) 5 7 4 1 9 3 6

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hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a m to 5 p m , except major holidays

It is a fluid process, Constantly changing Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with I decide to stay I have my reasons.

The impending doom is frightening I prepare my home, And stock up on supplies I have done all that I can Now I wait

Then comes the news, It is heading straight for me I am stuck here now

I must wait it out.

I will hunker down with my friends We will comfort each other Maybe it will not be as bad as predicted It is here now

And it is bad I watch cars float into the street I watch the water enter my building I am frightened

When the storm passes, I view the devastation I am saddened I am exhausted.

It is unbearable

I am told to evacuate It is unsafe to stay I grab what I can fit into a small suitcase I am trucked out of my city

My son waits in a safe area, To take me to his home I feel fortunate to have a place to go

Not everyone does.

But what comes next?

Will my home be standing when I return? Will my city ever be the same? Where will I live?

I am grateful to have survived, But unless you have lived through this, It is impossible to understand how it feels

And when people say, “you should have left,”

I think but for the grace of God, there go you.

So give me your prayers, Give me your empathy, Give me your kindness But please do not judge me

Lisa Andrews Maine

Partnerships bring sweet dreams for Southwest Florida children

Hurricane Ian damaged a lot in Southwest Florida, but it didn't touch our spirit of com munity

In the two months since the storm, we've experienced the best in humanity neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers, and busi nesses helping anyone who needs a lift

Longstanding partnerships prove invaluable during times of crisis, and the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades has been tapping into its vast n e t w o r k d a i l y O n e r e c e n t e x a m p l e i n v o l v e d m u l t i p l e partners.

Jeannine Joy

The School District of Lee County has its pulse on fami lies across the community Teachers, guid ance counselors and social workers have been speaking directly with students and par ents, learning that many are displaced In fact, the number of students experiencing homelessness spiked from 1,400 before the storm to at least 3,600 after the hurricane

“It’s been an around the clock effort to try to engage with those families, get them the support they need and connect them to resources in the community so these students can be successful in school,” school district Coordinator of Social Work Services Paul Milford said

need a communi ty relations manager at $95K?

Although school resumed in mid October, social workers and counselors learned that many students have been sleeping on sofas or floors because their beds were flooded or damaged The school district reached out to

the United Way, which then reached out to Rooms To Go, a Florida based company with a history of generosity after natural disasters

“Rooms To Go has worked w i t h U n i t e d W a y o f L e e , Hendry, and Glades in the past, so when they called for mattresses to help kids who were sleeping on the floor, we w e r e m o r e t h a n h a p p y t o assist,” Rooms To Go Senior Vice President Janis Altshuler said “We are grateful for the great work United Way does, f o r i t s q u i c k r e s p o n s e a n d thoughtful process of acquisi tion and distribution. We are glad to do our part to help the c o m m u n i t y r e c o v e r a n d rebuild ”

Rooms To Go committed to providing 1,000 mattresses

Then, the United Way began searching for a partner to provide bed frames In stepped Amazon, which offered a corresponding number of platform frames

Next, the United Way tapped into the Southwest Florida Emergency Relief Fund to provide blankets, sheets and pillowcases.

Report your news to FORTMYERSBEACHTALK COM oPinions Web Poll Current Web Poll Question D o e s t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h F i r e C o n t r o l District

Once those items were secured, school staff began sending messages to impacted families, inviting them to select an appoint ment time to pick up items The school dis trict offered space for a distribution event, and just days later, trucks and SUVs flowed through the line as appreciative parents picked up new beds for their children At two distribution events before Thanksgiving, par

ents also were handed a basket full of food and snacks to make their holiday meal a suc cess

One of those parents was Roni Price, of San Carlos Park During the hurricane, her ceiling caved in, flooding everything inside her home. She is temporarily living else where, but worried about furnishing her home once repairs are completed

“It’s like starting over with the things you would need to move into a new place beds, couches, mattresses, TVs, blankets,” Price said “I’m thankful that United Way is out here helping us out because we really do need it and it’s so much appreciated ”

We know the need is far greater than 1,000 mattresses Families need clothing, food, transportation, financial assistance and more, and the United Way will continue serv ing as a conduit to connect families with the resources they need

The United Way and School District of Lee County are planning an additional mat tress and supply distribution event on Dec 9 Parents in need of assistance are encouraged to speak with their child’s school counselor or social worker to register to attend

Jeannine Joy is president and chief execu tive officer for the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties. It is a volunteer driven organization dedicated to improving the qual ity of life for all people in the community through fundraising, fund distribution, com munity building, volunteer advancement, and information and referral For more informa tion, visit https://unitedwaylee org/ For more about the Southwest Florida Emergency Relief Fund, visit UnitedWayLee org/hurricane ian relief fund

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You also can comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: fortmyersbeachtalk com

Lyn McElhaney lmcelhaney@breezenewspapers com

Guest Commentary

Still recovering

ing nobody could rescue you,” Brook said.

When the hurricane subsided and they returned next door to their home, they found people sleeping in their bed “They were renters,” Brook said They ultimate ly left Friday morning

After the hurricane was over, their cars totaled, they walked across the Matanzas Pass Bridge They saw some people load ing up grocery carts with liquor found in the debris They were able to get a ride over the bridge after spotting a friend driving. After making it onto Main Street, they hitched a ride to HealthPark in Fort Myers where their friend had her car Not everybody could fit into it so their friend Sarahs’ parents drove from Naples to get them while Stockton and Brook went back to their home to get Stockton’s par ents but were initially not let over the Matanzas Pass Bridge by police After parking their car in the county’s park and ride lot of Main Street, they were ulti mately able to get back over the bridge with the aid of a sheriff’s deputy.

Stockton thinks the town and county should have been honoring residents who had hurricane passes The town started issuing hurricane passes after Hurricane Charley in 2004 “Nobody asked for my hurricane pass,” Stockton said “We did n’t learn anything from (Charley).”

Stockton said 10 days of not being able to get back home was “really wrong” and “so unethical ”

“Where else in the world can people keep me from property I own?”

Stockton said it was wrong for some residents to be blaming former Mayor

From page 3

Ray Murphy “It’s not good that everyone is blaming him Those five people are all equal. Nobody has more power.”

Both Brook and Stockton were both ered by the restrictions placed on residents from entering back onto the island while search and recovery operations proceed ed “The quicker you get there, the more you can salvage,” Stockton said Stockton s a i d o n e o f t h e r e a s o n s t h e y s t a y e d through the hurricane was due to bad experiences in being allowed back on the island after Hurricane Charley Stockton’s mother lost photographs and has since found a new job. They all lost clothes.

Brook, who is a popular musician, said her most valuable guitar survived the hur ricane intact in its case “I put it really high in my studio,” she said “I don’t know how but that guitar didn’t get one drop on it ” Another guitar was complete ly submerged in water and she is trying to save it Another guitar works “but smells really bad,” she said She lost her sound e q u i p m e n t b u t h a s b e e n a s s i s t e d b y friends who have bought her new pedals

The weekend earlier Brook was head lining shows and performing around Fort Myers Beach and Lee County as part of the Songwriter’s Fest She said she has lost half her income since Ian

Their home was uninhabitable but luckily they have a friend from Kentucky who owns a trailer in the area they could stay in Stockton said she has been frus trated by FEMA “Everything that should take one or two steps is taking 100,000 steps,” she said They have received a por tion of their insurance payout She had to spent $60 to overnight a check to the mortgage company to have it signed “There are a lot of forms and paperwork Not one thing goes right It’s all a fight Nothing is easy,” Stockton said

Island Wind Condominiums

At Island Wind on the south end of Fort Myers Beach, condo association president Dave Nusbaum has been over seeing repairs which he estimates will cost more than $4 million He called the devastation on the island “heartbreaking” though his building was luckier than oth ers

The entire first floor and its four units were gutted There was extensive damage to the pool area, mechanical room, water pumps, and both elevators Most of the outdoor lighting, which was made to be complaint for turtle nesting season, will need to be replaced Condo owners also

lost 14 vehicles “One of them ended up across the street,” he said.

There are some positives, Nusbaum, said The carport, built by Conidaris Brothers, survived intact without nearly a scratch with its intricately built wood roof supported by thick steel beams on top of concrete In the early days after Hurricane Ian, workers for Florida Power and Light slept underneath the carport, Nusbaum said It was one of the few places to put cots There were also some squatters in the first week “We had to kick them out,” he said. They erected some fence in the rear of the property to discourage looters and lookie loos

Water and power began being restored last month

Despite all the damage, Nusbaum isn’t complaining He expects the work to be done in a year. Residents will be able to return to live there “well into next year,” he said

“The beach is still here,” Nusbaum said “There is still going to be a 200 to 300 yard walk to the water’s edge.”

As quickly as he thinks his condo building can get back looking like it used to, he is hopeful the rest of the Beach will also be able to bounce back quicker than some may expect

Nusbaum said he is here to stay and has a daughter who intends to live on the island one day

“There is a spirit on this island that is going to surprise a lot of people in terms of the time it takes to recover,” Nusbaum said. “We will put the Beach back togeth er ”

There are a lot of forms and paperwork Not one thing goes right. It's all a fight. Nothing is easy.”

SUMMER STOCKTON

NATHAN MAYBERG

Island Winds Condominium Association owners lost 14 vehicles to Hurricane Ian, including this BMW which was considered totaled

The first floor of Island Winds on Fort Myers Beach has been gutted.

D a v e N u s b a u m , P r e s i d e n t o f t h e I s l a n d W i n d s Condominium Owners Association on Fort Myers Beach, stands next to fencing erected behind the property to keep out looters and squatters

Dave Nusbaum, President of the Island Winds C o n d o m i n

Myers Beach, estimates the total damage to the property at more than $4 million including most of the mechanical room, the pool area and the entire first floor

Dave Nusbaum, President of the Island Winds Condominium Owners Association on Fort Myers Beach, stands on the first floor of the building which has been com pletely gutted

STAFF REPORT

B e v e r a g e c o m p a n i e s P e p s i C o a n d C E L S I U S announced a $200,000 investment to support businesses impacted by Hurricane Ian The “Save the Shore” pro gram will aid 30 businesses, including the Lani Kai Island Resort and Salty Sam’s Marina in Fort Myers Beach Businesses as far away as Daytona Beach will also receive aid

The donations will benefit employee relief funds as well as aid in re opening parties Some businesses will also receive free product, according to an announcement from the companies

There will also be a donation to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association on behalf of each business

Melissa Schneider, marketing director for the Lani Kai Island Resort, said the hotel received a $30,000 donation from PepsiCo for its recovery efforts “and all we’ve been putting in to rebuild off of our structurally sound Old Florida buildings ”

Schneider called the gesture by PepsiCo “a phenom enal, kind hearted donation that will really help our recovery efforts ”

She said a part of that donation is from Pepsi will go to its grand reopening party next year

“Our Lani Kai crew, whatever department they'd work in while we're open, whether managers, kitchen staff, housekeeping, front desk, barista, bartender, has been working every day to clear and prep our property for the next stages of our full and complete renovation We're following in the footsteps of Bob Conidaris, who origi nally opened the Lani Kai in several stages, and his fam ily is proud to continue his legacy and follow in his path We have many steps ahead of us, but little by little, we're getting there,” Schneider said

“Being headquartered in Florida, it’s our responsibili

ty to step up for the communities we serve At PepsiCo, we took immediate action to funnel our resources to address the damage left in Hurricane Ian’s wake,” said Heather Hoytink, PepsiCo Beverages North America, President, South Division.

“Florida’s coastline is full of iconic businesses that play an integral role for locals and visitors alike The ‘Save the Shore’ initiative especially hits close to home with our brand being based in South Florida With our partnership with PepsiCo for the ‘Save the Shore’ initia tive, we hope to alleviate some of the stress for these business owners by helping their establishments get back on track, giving employees relief, and revitalizing the region for the new year,” said CELSIUS® Director of Human Resources & Administration Danielle Babich

“We are so thankful to our wonderful partners at

PepsiCo and CELSIUS for their generous donation directly to these iconic FRLA Members who were among many devastated by recent events,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) “These funds will help so much as our restaurants recover from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole We are proud to be a part of this effort and will also continue to assist through the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund as we rebuild our industry ”

PepsiCo plans to sponsor reopening parties at the Lani Kai Island Resort and Salty Sam’s Marina as well its var ious businesses including Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, The Original Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill, Salty Sam’s Pirate Cruise and Sight Sea R Dolphin and Sunset Cruises The events will honor and celebrate local first responders who played an integral role during Hurricane Ian and in the wake of its aftermath

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Pink Shell Beach Resort began offering a daily salad bar and lunch buffet on Monday at its restaurant Jack’s

The resort, which announced recently that power and water have been restored, will be serving lunch seven days a week from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm

Jack’s is located in the resort’s Captiva Villa building, adjacent to the main build ing

The cost of the buffet style lunch is $14 99 and includes soup, a self serve salad bar, and a soft drink The buffet menu changes daily The resort will be accepting credit or debit payments only no cash

“We’re making a lot of progress,” said Bill Waichulis, General Manager of the Pink Shell Beach Resort “We’re putting Humpty Dumpty back together,” he said

By Dec. 19, Waichulis expects to have 43 rooms available for guests to stay in There will be no access to the pool and no elevator service for the time being as repairs continue Maid service will be every third day, he said

The resort’s location on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Beach makes it the first restaurant to open on the side of the

island with a beach view

“You’re on the beach and you get a beautiful view,” Waichulis said “You are sitting in an air conditioned space looking at the beach There are not any places you can do that right now ”

Lunch guests are permitted to the restaurant area only Access to other parts of the resort including the beach is strictly prohibited

Guests who arrive will be greeted by security and parking staff and directed

into Jack’s Parking must be validated by showing your receipt to security at your departure.

The resort suffered the most damage to its ground floor, with sand and debris, damage to the bar area, pool and the loss of its marina docks

Waichulis hopes to have the pool open during the first quarter of next year Pumps and heaters need to be replaced He said the biggest challenge was replac ing the fencing around the pool

Waichulis said the hotel is using the buffet to feed its employees The resort hasn’t yet hired back all of its staff yet but hopes to do so as it gets more rooms open in stages

The resort had approximately 300 workers before Hurricane Ian Currently, there are a little less than 100 workers on site Some have moved up north, others moved in with family or found other jobs during the hurricane, Waichulu said “We want to get them back ”

“This was a huge win for our food and beverage staff,” he said Before the salad bar opened, they were working on scrub bing and cleaning dry wall

“It’s been tough,” Waichulis said of the recovery from Hurricane Ian “We all look for wins every day ”

NATHAN MAYBERG

Lani Kai

Salty Sam’s Marina

Beach School

be done were not addressed

As parents begged Bernier and Patricca not to close their school in the wake of H u r r i c a n e I a n , P a t r i c c a a n d B e r n i e r referred to enrollment numbers and spoke about the school not being “self sustain able ”

Parents spoke of ways to boost enroll ment at the school, talked about the M a r g a r i t a v i l l e d e v e l o p m e n t b r i n g i n g more workers with children, and offered to volunteer to clean up the school and save taxpayers money

For a district with a budget of more than $2 billion, the numbers for what it will cost to repair and rebuild the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School were not presented Monday

No cost figures were cited at Monday’s meeting on what it would take to remedi ate, rebuild or any of the other options Bernier spoke of Asked after the meeting for figures on the cost of remediating and rebuilding, Bernier said he didn’t have those numbers School district spokesper son Robert Spicker said in an email Monday that cost estimates were not available and would be made in a presen tation Dec 13 to the school board He said reimbursements from insurance and other agencies will take time and are not yet known

Money was a central focal point for Patricca in determining the fate of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School Patricca is one of seven on the school board and cited the district’s cost per student figure at the elementary school as an important factor in her decision

From page 1

CHRIS PATRICCA

What

—MONICA SCHMUCKER

From

Patricca referred to data which showed that the cost per student at Fort Myers Beach Elementary School was higher than other districts, due its low enrollment, at $21,243 per student. “Am I saying that your children don’t deserve that? No,” Patricca said “I represent 100,000 chil dren How do I justify $21,000 for 52 kids and $8,800 for the rest of the chil dren in the district?”

Patricca said “the reality of the situa tion is I have to make decisions that bene

fit every child in the district ”

Parent Monica Schmucker said the dis trict should allow the school to expand its enrollment to Summerlin Road which would bring the cost down per student.

Schmucker said the district should be supporting the school, which is ranked third in the district overall, 188th in the state and first among K 5 schools

“We offer the best K 5 education in the district,” Schmucker said “What your focus needs to be is how to make all

schools as good as our school ”

Schmucker said the focus should be on making the school efficient and increasing enrollment, “not closing the best K 5 school ”

Parents were reminded of the declining school population which was 79 before Hurricane Ian and now stands at 50 for those Beach Elementary students attend ing San Carlos Park Elementary School Before the covid pandemic the enrollment was more than 100 students Veteran teachers spoke of a school population that hovered at more than 200 students more than two decades ago when the full time number of residents on Fort Myers Beach was twice as many as the approximately 5,500 that were considered residents before Hurricane Ian

Patricca said she had been in talks with other communities that had been through hurricanes and said that after Hurricane Katrina, schools were closed in New Orleans without even consulting the com munity "This isn't New Orleans," said parent John Koss

The fact that the school hasn’t been cleaned yet still stings many of the par ents

“ F r o m a n i n s u r a n c e s t a n d p o i n t , m y p o l i c y a n d e v e r y b o d y ’ s p r i v a t e p o l i c y s a y s t h e s a m e t h i n g Y o u m u s t t a k e i m m e d i a t e a c t i o n t o m i t i g a t e f r o m f u r t h e r d a m a g e , ” P a t r i c k V a n a s s e s a i d “ Y o u r l a c k o f a c t i o n a n d y o u r l a c k o f c r i t

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I represent 100,000 children How do I justify $21,000 for 52 kids and $8,800 for the rest of the children in the district?”

Lee County School District 3 Board member

your focus needs to be is how to make all schools as good as our school,”

an insurance standpoint, my policy and every body’s private policy says the same thing You must take immediate action to mitigate from further dam age,”

PATRICK VANASSE

NATHAN MAYBERG

Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr Chris Bernier

L e e C o u n t y D i s t r i c t 1 C o m m i s s i o n e r K e v i n

Ruane

Lee County Schools District 3 board member Chris Patricca.

Monica Schmucker, mother of a Fort Myers Beach Elementary School student, speaks out in support of saving the school Monday as fellow parent Jonathan Koss listens

Fort Myers Beach parents and members of the community met Monday with Lee County Schools Superintendent Chris Bernier and Lee County School Board member Chris Patricca for a discussion on the future of the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School

Beach Living

Mini Christmas tree festival and auction

Staff Repor t

The Fort Myers Beach Woman’s C the 5th Annual “Mini” Christmas Auction Dec 10 at the Man Caves Suites located at 10950 Old Sou Myers from 3 pm 7 pm

Beach Kids Foundation collecting toys, gifts

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The Beach Kids Foundation was hoping to have its annual fundraising dinner gala at the DiamondHead Resort this year for the first time since the covid pan demic, and then Hurricane Ian happened

Unlike every other year when the Beach Kids Foundation conducts their annual toy drive for chil dren on Fort Myers Beach, they no longer have the l u x u r y o f c o l l e c t i n g w i s h l i s t s f r o m t h e B e a c h Elementary School either since that has been closed, Beach Kids Foundation President Linda Beasley said

This year, the organization will be collecting toys for Beach youth in a slightly different way. The organization has an Amazon wish list up under “Beach Kids Foundation” which the public is wel come to buy gifts for children under The organization is also asking that any toys and gifts alternatively pur chased be dropped off at the Fort Myers Beach Fire District station on San Carlos Boulevard

On Dec 17 at noon, parents of Beach Elementary School students will be invited to the SkipOne Seafood Restaurant on Fort Myers Beach to “shop” and pick up the donated gifts for their children for the holidays

Beasley said the foundation has received a large amount of donated toys and gifts She said the gifts range from baby items to teen items and bikes There will be wrapping paper and tape available for the gifts

Beasley said the need to help the children was more now than ever before

“They have lost their homes, they’ve lost every thing,” she said

She estimated that half or more of the youth from Fort Myers Beach are living off island so there won’t be the usual delivering of gifts with the fire depart ment. The streets are still difficult to pass through.

While there won’t be a fundraising dinner to sup port scholarships for Beach students this year, the foundation will still be accepting donations Checks made out to the Beach Kids Foundation can be sent to:

Beach Kids Foundation

Care of Outer Island Mortgage 13881 Plantation Road, Fort Myers, FL 33912

“Thanks to the gracious donation o the owner of the White Egret in Anna M Florida, the Fort Myers Beach Woman able to continue our tradition of creatin kind trees for the public to purchase ” sa Allers, Co Chair of the Christmas Tree “We have received over 100 trees and that have been decorated and will be r deliver immediately ”

“We also will have decorated trees mitted from local non profit organizat on Fort Myers Beach,” said Fort My Beach Woman's Club Board memb Mari Torgerson “We are also thrilled have local food trucks participating so that we can continue this beach tradi tion ”

The trees will be available online to bid on starting Dec 32auctions com/theminitreefestival

e Woman’s Club will be donating 50 who were affected by Hurricane Ian and Fort Myers Beach If you have a fami like to nominate for a free tree, you can ir story and register their name ww surveymonkey com/r/9HSTCYL rom the donated trees will go towards the WeAReFMB Fund. This fund donates ack to the residents of Fort Myers Beach ve losses suffered from Ian The trees by area non profits will retain their s raised

e Festival is open to the public and free harge VIP tickets are available for pur se on our website The Woman’s Club o asks that guests bring an unwrapped y for the Beach Kids Foundation

For more information visit https://www fmb wc org/index .php/upcoming fmb events/ or email events@fmb wc org

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

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O n c e r e s i d e n t s h a v e c o m p l e t e d a F E M A a p p l i c a t i o n , t h e n t h e y c a n a p p l y f o r S t a t e o f F l o r i d a h o u s i n g a s s i s t a n c e b y v i s i t i n g w w w I a n R e c o v e r y f l g o v T h i s i s t h e U n i t e F l o r i d a p r o g r a m p a g e I t ’ s f o r p e o p l e w h o n e e d

t e m p o r a r y s h e l t e r i n g a n d t e m p o r a r y o r p e r m a n e n t r e p a i r s t o t h e i r h o m e s I t a l s o o f f e r s h e l p w i t h u n m e t n e e d s s u c h a s t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , s e n i o r s e r v i c e s a n d h o u s e h o l d s u p p l i e s A d d i t i o n a l f e d e r a l , s t a t e a n d l o c a l r e s o u r c e s a r e a v a i l a b l e T h e n e w l y l a u n c h e d h o u s i n g d e d i c a t e d l a n d i n g p a g e e x p l a i n s t h e p h a s e d i n h o u s i n g p l a n p o s t h u r r i c a n e t h a t F E M A a n d i t s p a r t n e r s u s e T h e r e i s a l s o i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t 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 l o a n s f o r h o m e o w n e r s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n L e e 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 ’ r e c o v e r y r e s o u r c e s f o r h o m e o w n e r s a n d r e n t e r s T h e s e i n c l u d e h o m e r e p a i r a s s i s t a n c e , 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 , u t i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e a n d t h e c o o r d i n a t e d e n t r y p r o g r a m f o r p e o p l e a t r i s k o f h o m e l e s s n e s s o r w h o a r e h o m e l e s s

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T h e h o u s i n g d e d i c a t e d l a n d i n g p a g e i s j u s t o n e o f a n a r r a y o f o p t i o n s f o r r e s i d e n t s a t w w w l e e g o v c o m / s t o r m A d d i t i o n a l l a n d i n g p a g e s a r e d e d i c a t e d t o r e c o v e r y r e s o u r c e s a n d d e b r i s , f o r e x a m p l e T h e r e a r e a l s o l i n k s t o H u r r i c a n e I a n r e s o u r c e s f o r c i t i e s a n d c o n s t i t u t i o n a l o f f i c e s s u c h a s t h e C l e r k o f C o u r t s , P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r a n d T a x C o l l e c t o r

Lee County launches housing website to better connect Hurricane Ian-impacted residents with resources

FWC announces Florida Vessel Turn-in Program

Information provided by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

The Florida Vessel Turn In Program (VTIP) allows for Florida residents and businesses who have received a written citation or a written warning for their vessel being At Risk, to voluntarily surrender their unwanted vessels to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission free of charge Surrendered vessels will be removed from Florida waters and destroyed The removal of unwanted vessels is a preventative measure targeted towards the reduction of derelict Vessels in the state of Florida Unwanted At Risk vessels are at increased risk for becoming derelict, hazardous, and harmful to the envi ronment Additionally, a derelict vessel is far more expensive to remove and incurs criminal liability for the owner The Florida VTIP allows for vessels to be removed before reaching this critical point

The Vessel Turn In Program will award VTIP removals on a First Come First Served basis FWC will accept applications on a continuous basis until available funding has been exhausted or the program ends, whichever occurs first The costs of removal, destruction, and disposal of eligible surrendered VTIP vessels listed on complete and eligible applications shall be funded 100 percent by this program There will be no cost to the owner of the vessel for this removal, destruction, and dis posal process.

Rebuilding

Building materials

From page 1

Up to $25 million from the State of Florida’s general revenue fund will be dedicated to purchasing building materi als to conduct temporary or permanent repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Ian Materials that may be purchased under this program include, but are not limited to:

∫ Cleaning and sanitizing products

∫ Concrete and cement products ∫ Lumber and framing accessories ∫ Doors and windows ∫ Electrical products and plumbing materials

∫ R o o f i n g p r o d u c t s r e q u i r e d f o r weatherproofing

∫ Tools for muck and gut

Beach School

l e t ’ s h a v e t h a t d i s c u s sion ”

A number of questions are outstanding such as how much will the district’s insur ance policy cover, how much state and federal aid will the district receive to rebuild

Vanasse said that the social impact and from a mental health perspective, having a school on Fort Myers Beach was superior to having students spending two hours a day on the bus going to San Carlos Park Elementary School

Patricca said her daughter at one time had to be on a bus at 4:45 a m to take a bus from Estero to Dunbar

Some in the audience spoke of the excess tax payments property and busi ness owners make to the school district which they believed paid for the school’s operations, but which Bernier said was not enough due to the low student popula tion

“It shouldn’t be about money We con t r i b u t e w a y b e y o n d o u r f a i r s h a r e , ” Margaritaville developer Tom Torgerson said “We are contributing way beyond our burden, excessively beyond our bur den ”

Torgerson said the community was hit by the most “horrific financial, natural disaster in Florida history and just needs the help from this board to go forward ”

Application Process

Private citizens and businesses are eligible for the Florida VTIP Program The vessel must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership, and the applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel

1 Download and complete the Florida VTIP applica tion Please do not leave any box blank

2 Attach proof (copy) of Title that lists the Florida VTIP applicant as the titled owner of the vessel, any at risk citations the owner has received for the vessel, copy of applicant’s valid government issued ID and photos of the vessel These documents must be in PDF, JPEG, or WORD format

3 Attach the completed and signed VTIP Waiver and Release form

4 Confirm that all the information provided on the application is true, correct, and complete

5 Email the application and required supporting doc uments to VTIP@myfwc com You will receive confir mation that your application has been received within 5 business days If you do not receive confirmation, please verify that the application email address was input cor rectly

6 If any information on the application changes before receiving your application decision inform the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) immediately by contacting our office staff at

(850)488 5600 or emailing VTIP@myfwc com

7 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 Commission (FWC) will notify vessel owner(s) via email if their application has been accepted or rejected within 3 weeks of the application submission dates

Removal Process

1 I f a c c e p t e d , 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 Conservation Commission (FWC) will mail the owner a s e l f a d d r e s s e d s t a m p e d e n v e l o p e t o s u b m i t t h e i r

JUNKED title to the FWC program office The junked title submitted at this stage must be the original, NOT a copy Please refer to the useful links section for an exam ple of a junked title.

2 The titled owner must convert their title to JUNKED by marking in pen or marker the word JUNKED across the face of the vessel title The titled owner must then sign and date directly above the word “JUNKED ”

3 The owner will then place the JUNKED title into the self addressed postage paid envelope and mail to back to the FWC VTIP program office

4 Once the JUNKED title has been received by the program staff, the removal project for the vessel will be awarded and the applicant notified of additional steps in the process.

Aid to nonprofits

Up to $25 million from the Florida Disaster Fund will be awarded to housing organizations for lodging for volunteers, protective equipment for volunteers, and other necessary supplies and commodi t i e s S e v e n t e e n a d d i t i o n a l n o n p r o f i t organizations will receive a total of $10 2 million from the Florida Disaster Fund to address unmet needs identified through the Unite Florida portal, including:

Feeding Florida

Harry Chapin Food Bank

Hope Hospice

Safe Children Coalition

Senior Connection Center

Senior Friendship Centers

Senior Resource Alliance

From page 7

Torgerson suggested the district con sider making the Beach School a charter school

“Our number one goal is to get our kids back (at Beach Elementary),” Koss said “Bring some normalcy back to our fami ly.”

L e e C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r K e v i n Ruane (District 1) spoke up to support the school He asked for more time so he could lobby the state legislature and gov ernor’s office for assistance during their special session this month Bernier said he has been in talks with the governor’s office

Complicating the delay in the cleanup, Bernier said, was the school’s status on the National Registrar of Historic Places While Bernier said he intends to preserve the historic building, there is still a possi bility it could be torn down Bernier said he still has unanswered questions more than two months after Hurricane Ian Among them are whether the district would have to raise the height of the school to meet FEMA and state regula tions for rebuilding after a hurricane, or if the district would grant a waiver And if the building were propped higher, that could preclude kindergarten and first graders from attending since state educa tion law says they can’t be taught on a

Children’s Network of Southwest Florida

Community Legal Services of Mid Florida

Elder Source Area Agency on Aging for Northwest Florida To apply for temporary or permanent housing repairs and to connect with other important recovery resources, impacted r e s i d e n t s c a n v i s i t t h e U n i t e F l o r i d a

H u r r i c a n e I a n R e c o v e r y P o r t a l a t

IanRecovery fl gov/Unite

The Florida Disaster Fund, spearhead ed by First Lady DeSantis, has raised more than $57 million to help with recov e r y i n c o m m u n i t i e s i m p a c t e d b y Hurricane Ian. The Florida Disaster Fund is the state’s private fund overseen by Volunteer Florida established to provide financial assistance to our communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster In partnership with public, private, and other non governmen tal organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery a c t i v i t i e s T o c o n t r i b u t e , v i s i t w w w F l o r i d a D i s a s t e r F u n d o r g o r t e x t DISASTER to 20222

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e d n e s d a y , D e c e m b e r 7 , 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

second floor, Bernier said Fourth grade teacher Lori Zamniak, w h o h a s t a u g h t F o r t M y e r s B e a c h Elementary School students for 27 years, spoke of the “unbearable” stress of worry ing about what would happen to the Beach School while having to teach in another school

One of the last to speak was former Fort Myers Beach Elementary School Principal Larry Wood, now chair of the F o r t M y e r s B e a c h B o a r d o f F i r e Commissioners

He warned that if the district were to decide to close the Beach School, it would be “irreversible ” The land would be bought and developed, he said He sug gested the district consider making it a magnet school.

Bernier, who never seemed to run out of options on the night, said after the meeting there was another possibility He spoke of “mothballing” the school, clos ing it until enrollment figures were to increase Exactly how the district’s enroll ment would go up after closing the school w a s n o t d e t a i l e d A n i n t e r v i e w w i t h Bernier after the meeting was cut short by an aide

“There are not a lot of easy paths,” Bernier said.

T h e o t h e r o p t i o n s f o r F o r t M y e r s

Beach Elementary School as laid out by Bernier:

1) Tear down the entire building “That is not my goal I don’t like the idea of tear ing down historic structures,” Bernier said The federal government would have to provide a waiver since the school is on the National Registrar of Historic Places

2) Remediate the historic structure, bring it back to a safe condition and pos sibly restructuring the interior Bring back enrollment to pre hurricane levels and potentially grow the enrollment If the building has to be elevated, it could poten tially impact decisions

3) Restore and renovate the historical building, potentially relocate it as a com munity school district The district could potentially be transferred to town or turn ing it into a charter school which Bernier said could save teachers

4) The school could be remediated and left as a shell and then transferred to the town

T h e s c h o o l b o a r d w i l l n e x t m e e t Monday, Dec 13 at a work session during which there will be no public comment A final decision and action by the school board on the future of the school is expected in January

There will be a breakfast with Santa on Dec 18 Children 12 and under are $5.50 and adults are $8.95. Reservations are required and they are going fast To reserve a spot, contact is 995 2141, ext 110

“Santa will be here on other dates, too So, check the website to see when he’ll be here,” General Manager Anne Sheridan said

In the Holiday House, there will be 20 percent off all collectibles throughout December.

But the biggest event will be the Nature Park fundrais er at Scallywags Fun Park on Dec 17 from 11 a m to 3 p m Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under, and it includes a free carousel ride, free mini golf, free pass to the Nature Park when it reopens and the opportunity to see several of the animals up close, includ ing Hootie the Owl

“We’re bringing the animals to the people The ani mals are fine, but their homes are messed up,” Sheridan said “With what you get for the price of admission real

ly makes this a bargain ”

All proceeds will go toward the rebuilding of the Nature Park, which was badly damaged during the storm and will take about $300,000 to repair Sheridan said they are looking for corporate sponsors, with three levels at which companies can participate

“A company may want to have their name on an enclosure, they can donate $5,000 or $3,000 We’ll take anything we need. We hope to be open by Christmas,” she said

Tommy’s is open, the Southern Grill has reopened and The Players Circle Theater has shows on stage “The Lady with All the Answers,” a production about famed advice columnist Ann Landers, will run from now through Dec 18

For more information, visit www shellfactory com or call 995 2141

The Shell Factory & Nature Park is at 2787 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers

and Charlotte Counties The band wel comes new members every year Persons interested in joining may phone Frances Pace at 239 691 3115

Band members are musicians from all walks of life who reside in Lee, Collier,

Lee County Community Band concerts are free of charge (donations accepted), and open to the public. All concerts are at Cape Coral High School, 2300 Santa

Barbara Boulevard, one block north of Veterans Parkway, beginning at 3 p m

An institution in Southwest Florida, the band enjoys a large, loyal, and enthu siastic audience at every concert Plan to arrive early for best choice of seating For a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w

countyband org

FILE PHOTO

Pam Cronin, owner of the Shell Factory & Nature Park, in the Holiday House

Tickets on sale for the Southwest Florida Symphony’s Holiday Pops

The Southwest Florida Symphony, the only profession al orchestra in Lee County and fourth oldest orchestra in the state, is excited to announce tickets are available for its annual Holiday Pops The concerts, called The “SWFLSO Christmas Show!” will feature regularly featured locally beloved guest artist, returning from Philadelphia, Andrew Lipke

Under Andrew Lipke’s direction, the orchestra will explore what makes beloved holiday hits so timeless through new twists on old classics. The performance will feature a mash up of the Nutcracker themes blended with traditional favorites and new lyrics

The audience will also have an opportunity to sing along as the Southwest Florida Symphony performs the “12 Days of FLORIDA Christmas ”

Concerts will be held:

∫ Dec 11 at 4 p m : The Gulf Theater, 900 W Marion Ave , Punta Gorda

Music Festival Orchestra, in addition to touring the coun try with the critically acclaimed Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out He has produced dozens of records for local and regional artists and released five solo albums

To purchase tickets or learn more, visit swflso org/tick ets/.

About Southwest Florida Symphony

∫

Dec 12 at 7 p m : The Village Church at Shell Point, 15100 Shell Point Blvd , Fort Myers

∫ Dec 13 at 7 p m : First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs

The Southwest Florida Symphony is excited to be joined by Andrew Lipke, a Philadelphia based instrumen talist and composer, for these performances Lipke, who was born in South Africa and attended The University of

The Arts, is a critically acclaimed and sought after arranger, producer, composer, performer and educator He has performed as a vocalist with several prominent American orchestras, including the Indianapolis Symphony, North Carolina Symphony and Colorado

The Southwest Florida Symphony made its debut as a community orchestra on April 15, 1961, playing in schools and community centers, with a roster of only 24 volunteer musicians Today, the symphony boasts a roster of 70 world class musicians, and is Lee County’s only fully professional orchestra The Southwest Florida Symphony’s 62nd year continues the orchestra’s tradition of artistic excellence as newly appointed Music Director Maestro Radu Paponiu leads his inaugural season of spec tacular performances Maestro Paponiu, the sixth music director in the organization’s history, also serves as the associate conductor and youth orchestra director for the Naples Philharmonic in addition to guest conducting with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe

For more information about the Southwest Florida Symphony, upcoming season performances and subscrip tion and ticketing information, visit swflso org or call 239 418 1500

Magic of Santa’s Wonderland continues through Dec. 24 at Bass Pro Shops in Fort Myers

Bass Pro Shops is proud to invite families to the beloved tradition of visiting Santa Claus this holiday sea son during the annual Santa’s Wonderland experience The festivities run through Saturday, Dec 24

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s will help millions of happy families experience Santa across North America this holiday season Photo sessions began Nov 6 Reservations are recommended and can be made at www basspro com/santa

Throughout the holiday season, visitors will have the opportunity to:

• Visit Santa and get a FREE printed 4×6 photo

• Reserve a spot to see Santa up to a week in advance through digital reservation system

• Enjoy holiday themed games and receive festive giveaways

• Send their holiday wish list to the North Pole via mailbox

Bass Pro Shops is at 10040 Gulf Center Dr , Fort Myers

PHOTO PROVIDED Andrew Lipke, guest artist

PHOTOS PROVIDED

San Cap Community Bank holding holiday toy drive

9 3 1 1 C

P a r k w a y , F o r t M y e r s

∫ D o w n t o w n B r a n c h , a t 1 5 3 3

S t , F o r t M y e r s

∫ G a t e w a y B r a n c h , a t 1 1 6 9 1

G a t e w a y B l v d , F o r t M y e r s

T h e t o y s c o l l e c t e d w i l l b e d i s t r i b u t e d a t t h e 1 0 7 t h A n n u a l D r

Local musicians are coming toge er to support a local nonprofit’s h day toy drive by presenting “A V Rowdy Christmas” (A Totally N Rowdy Event) concert on Saturd Dec 17 from 6 to 9 p m at Fort My Brewing Company

A production by The Music H the free, family friendly Christm spectacular will feature multiple l music acts including Irish pub s and showband The Rowdy Bar along with special guests Shee Brook and Chris Bepko The sho will also spotlight lively performan es by students of the Naples Schoo of Irish Dance as well as a specia solo sung by concert emcee and 96 9 WINK FM on air personality Maggie Potts

The Christmas spirit will come alive with a big, old fashioned Christmas carol sing along and free photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs Claus Fort Myers Brewing will also be pouring an array of specialty holiday brews and several local food trucks will be serving up food onsite

A t t e n d e e s a r e e n c o u r a g e d come in their most festive attire a t o b r i n g d o n a t i o n s o f n e w , unwrapped toys to benefit the Lewis P T a b a r r i n i C h i l d r e n ’ s M u s i c Outreach Foundation’s annual toy d r i v e , b r i n g i n g h o l i d a y c h e e r t o children in need across the region Additionally, all contributions to the musicians’ tip jar that evening will go directly to the Foundation, which provides musical instrument group lessons through the School of Rock Fort Myers to local children who are unable to afford lessons In 2021 22, the organization provided over 300 hours of music education to d e s e r v i n g k i d s w h o o t h e r w i s e

wouldn’t have the resources to be exposed to music at all “Our Christmas concert will be packed with great entertainment and holiday spirit it’ll be just as much fun for the adults as it is for the kids,” said Slim Gillian, chief visionary of The Music Hub “Our nonprofit benefici ary for the show has a special place in our hearts, and we’re excited to shine the spotlight on their work As artists and musicians, we all had people in our lives to help foster our love of music, and the Foundation is doing the same for dozens of children who oth erwise wouldn’t have access ”

“A Very Rowdy Christmas” is pre sented by Dorcey Law Firm Additional event sponsors include Worthington Realty, FrontLine Cyber Solutions, MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, Builders Glass of Bonita, York Services, The Treasure Chest, Adam’s Glass Services & Repairs, Lacy McClary Studio & Gallery, Gibson Pro Service and Cadence Music

The holiday festivities will be held at Fort Myers Brewing Company, 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, in Fort Myers For more informa tion and latest event updates, visit TheMusicHubUS com

P i C e n t e r C h r i s t m a s D a y t i o n o n C h r i s t m a s m o r n h e n t h e c e n t e r w i l l o p e n i t s o o v e r 4 0 0 c h i l d r e n f r o m u n b a r c o m m u n i t y a n d a l l L e e C o u n t y t o “ s h o p ” f o r i n i t s v e r s i o n o f S a n t a ’ s o p . c e n t e r i s a c c e p t i n g t o y s f o r o f a l l a g e s b u t i s i n p a r t i c o f i t e m s f o r p r e t e e n s a n d s , s u c h a s s p o r t s e q u i p r t s u p p l i e s , b o a r d g a m e s , s , g i f t c a r d s , j e w e l r y , p u r s a k e u p , b a c k p a c k s , h a t s a n d b i k e s I t e m s m u s t b e n e w a n d u n w r a p p e d

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LCDAS plans ‘Flip This Kennel

Christmas Edition’

Lee County Domestic Animal Services will hold its 2nd annual “Flip This Kennel Christmas Edition” competition on Dec 10 at 5600 Banner Drive in Fort Myers, when the outside of a dog kennel or cattery will be decorated in holiday themes to help bring attention to adoptable pets

The public can stop by to vote for their favorite kennel or cattery All the pets in a decked out run will have adoption fees waived that day with an approved applica tion People also may vote on Animal Service’s Facebook page by liking the pic

ture of their favorite Winners will be announced on Dec 11

Valued at $600, the adoption package includes spay or neuter, microchip, up to date vaccinations, county license and a 10 day health guarantee.

Volunteers and staff are ready to intro duce a new family member Visit the adoption center from Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a m to 3:30 p m at 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers

To see pets available for adoption or for an application, visit www leelost pets com

Shell Point to present Sandi Patty

COMMUNITY

Lee County students to present ‘The Nutcracker

TRAILWAYS CAMPS

Trailways Camps holds session

The Trailways Camps hosted a camp session on Nov. 14 17. Established in Southwest Florida to develop and provide camping experiences for adults with spe cial needs and respite for their caregivers, its mission is “Enabling adults with spe

cial needs, and those who care for them, to grow their social, emotional and spiritual relationship ” Additional camp sessions are planned for Jan 9 12 and Feb 20 23 For more information, visit www trail wayscamps org

Its 20th year for the production, the North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts will per form “The Nutcracker” on Dec 7 at 7 p m at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall, at 13350 FSW Parkway, Fort Myers A spe cial production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, the two act ballet is a multi faceted arts educational experience for students of all ages and arts disciplines at the school and will feature over 200 students ages 6 14 on the stage. Tickets range from $15 35. The proceeds will support the arts education pro grams and special arts opportunities at the school For more information or tickets, visit w w w B B M a n n P A H c o m , c a l l 2 3 9 4 8 1 4849 or stop by the Mann Performing Arts Hall box office

The Shell Point Retirement Community will present world renowned vocalist Sandi Patty on Dec 8 at 7 p m at The Village Church, at 15100 Shell Point Blvd , Fort Myers As one of the most highly acclaimed performers with five Grammy awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three platinum records, five gold records and 11 million units sold, she is simply known as “The Voice ” Tickets are $47 For more information or tickets, visit https://www tribbyartscenter com/ or call 239 415 5667. SHELL POINT RETIREMENT

MCG METROCREATIVECONNECTION COM

Dress for Success SW Florida to host

‘Season of Giving’ online auction Dec. 4-10

Dress for Success SW Florida is hosting its “Season of Giving” online auction from now through Dec 10, fea turing vacations, staycations, designer accessories and tickets to concerts and sporting events.

Some of the travel packages include:

∫ A Taste of New Orleans: Hotel accommodations, dinner and a cooking class

∫ Explore Old Savannah: Hotel accommodations, dinner, walking tour and cemetery tour

∫ Monserrat Caribbean Villa: Three bedroom, three bathroom mountain and ocean view suite with private pool and terrace

∫ Nashville Fine Dining: Hotel accommodations, din ner and distillery tour

“The last few months have been challenging for everyone in Southwest Florida, which is why this holiday season is so important,” Executive Director Nickole Hendra said “‘Season of Giving’ offers an opportunity to show our loved ones how we really feel by giving them a t

resources to a nonprofit that serves so many women in our community ”

The proceeds will support Dress for Success' mission to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life Programs help women find and main tain employment, as well as achieve health and wellness, as they address social and economic needs F o r m o r e

PHOTOS PROVIDED

and distillery tour

United Way campaign to kick off annual campaign

United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades will host its annual campaign kick off on Dec 14 at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.

Networking and light breakfast items will be available at 8:30 a m The pro gram will start at 9 a m

The event is the start of the United Way’s annual fundraising effort Team members, partner agencies and volunteers will unite to raise awareness in the com m u n i t y t h r o u g h t h e t e s t i m o n i a l s o f d o n o r s , a d v o c a t e s a n d r e c i p i e n t s Pacesetter results will be announced United Way Pacesetters are companies that run their campaigns early to set the pace for the rest of the community The event also allows attendees to network

“United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades is our United Way,” Jackson said “With one gift, you can help 90 agencies and over 260 programs that make a dif ference to people from early childhood

through senior life One person, one donor, one volunteer can make a differ ence in the lives of many of our friends and neighbors We want United Way to be your way to make a difference.”

“Being the chair of the United Way Campaign is an honor and a challenge,” Humphreys added “It is a huge responsi bility to raise nearly $11 2 million for our United Way, especially in the aftermath of a disaster, but I will pursue the goal with passion and enthusiasm When people ask me why I support our United Way, I answer that it is one of the most efficient, effective and compassionate ways to give back to the community I love It is the best way to connect people who need help with people who can help ”

A two year lease for a 2022 Acura

from Scanlon Auto Group will be given away to an annual contributor of $240 or more from the 2020 21 United Way Campaign Five donors to the campaign will be drawn at random, and one will dis cover the keys in a gift box at the event

All money raised for the United Way campaign stays in the local community to help support the local human service net work Partner agencies and initiatives include The Alvin A Dubin Alzheimer’s R e s o u r c e C e n t e r , P a r t n e r s f o r B r e a s t

Cancer Care, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Boys and Girls Clubs and United Way 211, to mention a few

Tickets are $15 and are available at https://bit.ly/UWKickoff22 23.

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

Edison, Ford estates to host wine and dessert pairing

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is partnering with The Wine Room and Banyan Café to offer an opportunity to sam ple dessert and sparkling wine on Dec 16 from 6 7:30 p m in the river pavilion, along the Caloosahatchee River, in Fort Myers

Each attendee will receive four, two ounce sparkling wine tastings Prosecco, Red Lambrusco, Grapefruit Spritzer and Rosé Prosecco and four dessert samples An instructor from The Wine Room will dis cuss the wines, and the owner of the Banyan Café will provide an overview of the

desserts

Attendees will also get to listen to holi day music and can stroll the decorated grounds after the event

Tickets are $100 for non members and $90 for members and include Holiday Nights admission

Registration is required by Dec 12; space is limited

For more information or to register, visit EdisonFord org

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is at 2350 McGregor Blvd , Fort Myers

with hundreds of United Way supporters U n i t e d W a y C a m p a i g n C o C h a i r s Sally Jackson and Matt Humphreys will lead the kickoff event to the goal of $11,186,558 The theme of this year’s campaign has shifted to “United More Than Ever ”

EDISON AND FORD WINTER ESTATES

Attendees enjoy beverages and a sunset along the Caloosahatchee River at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers

Symphony, ballet to per for m 'The

Nutcracker'

Gulfshore Playhouse extends ‘Steel Magnolias’

‘SISTAS: the Musical’ to open Dec. 16

T h e L a b o r a t o r y T h e a t e r o f F l o r i d a w i l l p r e s e n t t h e s o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a p r e m i e r e o f D o r o t h y M a r c i c ’ s “ S I S T A S : t h e M u s i c a l ” T h e s h o w r u n s f r o m D e c 1 6 t h r o u g h J a n 1 5

A f t e r G r a n d m a ’ s d e a t h , t h e w o m e n i n t h e f a m i l y c l e a n o u t h e r a t t i c a n d u n p a c k l o v e a n d m e m o r i e s . T h e y s i n g h i t t u n e s t h a t t r a c e t h e h i s t o r y o f B l a c k w o m e n , f r o m t h e t r i a l s o f t h e 1 9 3 0 s t h r o u g h t h e g i r l g r o u p s o f t h e ’ 6 0 s t o t h e e m p o w e r m e n t o f t h e ’ 9 0 s

“ S I S T A S : t h e M u s i c a l ” i s s p o n s o r e d b y A r t Z u p k o

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∫ D e c 1 6 , 1 7 , 2 8 , 2 9 , 3 0 a t 8 p m

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a t 8 p m a n d a n e w T h u r s d a y n i g h t s p e c i a l t i c k e t p r i c e o f $ 3 0 e a c h f o r a d u l t s . F o r t i c k e t s , p l e a s e c a l l t h e b o x o f f i c e a t 2 3 9 2 1 8 0 4 8 1 o r o n l i n e a t w w w l a b o r a t o r y t h e a t e r f l o r i d a c o m

N o t e s o n y o u r v i s i t

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

T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r c o o p e r a t i o n a n d y o u r s u p p o r t o f T h e L a b o r a t o r y T h e a t e r o f F l o r i d a

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w L a b o r a t o r y T h e a t e r F l o r i d a c o m

T h e L a b o r a t o r y T h e a t e r o f F l o r i d a i s a t 1 6 3 4 W o o d f o r d A v e . , F o r t M y e r s .

‘The Parking Lot’ to open at Alliance theater

T h e T h e a t r e C o n s p i r a c y a t t h e A l l i a n c e f o r t h e A r t s w i l l p r e s e n t “ T h e P a r k i n g L o t ” o n D e c . 8 1 0 a n d 1 5 1 7 a t 7 : 3 0 p m a n d o n D e c 1 8 a t 2 p m a t t h e a l l i a n c e , a t 1 0 0 9 1 M c G r e g o r B l v d , F o r t M y e r s B y A d a m S z y m k o w i c z , “ T h e P a r k i n g L o t ” i s d i r e c t e d b y M a d e l a i n e W e y m o u t h a n d s t a r s R a c h a e l E n d r i z z i a n d K e n Q u i r i c o n e J a n d T e r r y a r e m a r r i e d , b u t t h e y m i g h t n o t s t a y t h a t w a y f o r l o n g W h i l e m o s t c o u p l e s h a v e t h e

Free autism screening for young children

In partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a , t h e Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to 5 years of age

The next screening will be held on Dec 9 from 9 a m to 2 p m a t t h e P e d i a t r i c Specialist Office, at 15901 Bass Road, Suite 102, Fort Myers

The ASD screening is con ducted by the children’s hospi tal The screenings are admin i s t e r e d b y a n A d v a n c e d P r a c t i c e R e g i s t e r e d N u r s e , who has extensive training and e x p e r i e n c e i n t y p i c a l c h i l d development and developmen tal disorders

A physician referral is not required

To schedule a screening or f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c a l l 239 343 6838

b e n e f i t o f n e g o t i a t i n g t h e u p s a n d d o w n s o f m a r r i a g e i n p r i v a t e , o r i n t h e r a p y , J a n d T e r r y h a v e t a k e n a d i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h I n s t e a d t h e y h a v e c h o s e n a p a r k i n g l o t a s t h e s e t t i n g t o a n s w e r o n e o f l i f e ’ s b i g g e s t q u e s t i o n s : S h o u l d w e g e t d i v o r c e d ?

T i c k e t s a r e $ 2 5 f o r m e m b e r s a n d $ 3 0 f o r n o n m e m b e r s

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 : / / w w w a r t i n l e e o r g / e v e n t / p a r k i n g l o t / 2 0 2 2 1 2 0 8 /

Alzheimer's Association to hold virtual event

T h e A l z h e i m e r ' s A s s o c i a t i o n w i l l h o s t a v i r t u a l B r a i n B u s e v e n t , c a l l e d “ U n d e r s t a n d i n g A l z h e i m e r ' s a n d D e m e n t i a , ” o n D e c 1 3 f r o m 1 1 a m t o n o o n v i a Z o o m

Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging L e a r n a b o u t t h e i m p a c t o f A l z h e i m e r ' s , d i f f e r e n c e between Alzheimer's and dementia, stages and risk fac tors, current research and treatments available for some symptoms, and Alzheimer's Association resources

T o r e g i s t e r , v i s i t h t t p s : / / a l z o r g z o o m u s / m e e t i n g / r e g i s t e r / t J I r c O 6 o r z I i G N T y E E 7 2 j J u c

j J O 8

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T h e a t e r : D e c 1 7 a t 8 p m

∫ P o s t p e r f o r m a n c e t a l k b a c k : J a n 8

i c k e t s a r e $ 3 7 e a c h o r $ 1 5 f o r s t u

e n t s w i t h v a l i d s t u d e n t I D s T h e r e a r e h a l f p r i c e d p r e v i e w s o n N o v 2 a n d 3

11th Annual LCEC Goblin Gallop 5K/ Kid Run rescheduled

The 11th Annual LCEC Goblin Gallop 5k/Kid Run to benefit the United Way has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan 7, at 7:30 a m , at Jaycee Park in Cape Coral The Goblin Gallop was originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct 29, but has been rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian and clean up efforts and recovery following the storm

The Kids Fun Run starts at 8:45 a m

Registration fees are $30 for the 5K run/walk before Jan 6, and $35 after The Kids Fun Run (12 and under) is $15 by Jan 6, and $20 after The cost for the Virtual 5K is $30 before Jan 5, and $35 after

Packet pickup will be Thursday, Jan 5, and Friday, Jan 6, from 10 a m ro 5:30 p m At The Run Shoppe, 1407 Cape Coral Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 33904. All virtual racers can pick up their items during packet pickup

Check payable to: LCEC/UW 5K, P O Box 3455, North Fort Myers, FL 33918

Visit uw lcec net for race information including the regis tration link Contact 5k@lcec net with questions

Since its inception, the Goblin Gallop has raised nearly $24,000 to benefit the United Way! LCEC sincerely thanks all the sponsors, volunteers and participants who make the Goblin Gallop a spooktacular success for the United Way!

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary to present one-day, ‘Boat America’ class

T h e U S C o a s t G u a r d A u x i l i a r y i s o f f e r i n g a o n e d a y , “ B o a t A m e r i c a ” c l a s s S a t u r d a y , D e c 1 7 , f r o m 9 a m t o 4 p m , a t C y p r e s s L a k e C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h , 8 2 6 0 C y p r e s s L a k e D r i v e , F o r t M y e r s .

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

T h e c l a s s p r e s e n t e r s a r e t r a i n e d U . S . C o a s t G u a r d A u x i l i a r y m e m b e r s w h o f a c i l i t a t e s h a r i n g e x p e r i e n c e s a n d r e l a t e c o u r s e w a r e t o t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h a r e a G r e g M a s o n i c k , t h e F l o t i l l a C o m m a n d e r o f t h e F o r t M y e r s B e a c h F l o t i l l a 9 1 s t a t e d , “ E d u c a t i o n a n d a w a r e n e s s o f p o t e n t i a l r i s k s w h i l e b o a t i n g i s t h e k e y t o s a f e b o a t i n g U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e h a z a r d s i s e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t a f t e r a h u r r i c a n e P a r t i c i p a n t s l e a r n t h e d i f f e r e n t s t y l e s o f l i f e j a c k e t s , m i n i m i z i n g r i s k s , b e i n g p r e p a r e d , a n d e x e r c i s i n g g o o d j u d g m e n t

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

T h e c o s t i s $ 4 5 p e r p e r s o n a n d i n c l u d e s s t u d y m a t e r i a l A d v a n c e r e g i s t r a t i o n i s r e q u i r e d , b y p h o n e a t 2 3 9 6 9 0 6 7 8 0 o p t i o n 1 o r o n l i n e a t h t t p : / / w w w a u x 9 1 f m b o r g / s a f e b o a t i n g / t h e c l a s s f i l l s u p q u i c k l y s o r e g i s t e r t o d a y

T h e U S C o a s t G u a r d A u x i l i a r y i s t h e l e a d a g e n c y p r o t e c t i n g A m e r i c a ’ s s e a w a r d f r o n t i e r i n r e c r e a t i o n a l b o a t i n g s a f e t y O u r v e s s e l s a n d a i r c r a f t d e p l o y a c r o s s t h e U S a n d a i d o r s a v e c o u n t l e s s b o a t e r s e v e r y y e a r E v e r y d a y t h e a u x i l i a r y s a v e s h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f d o l l a r s i n p r o p e r t y a n d s a v e s c o u n t l e s s l i v e s .

T h e C o a s t G u a r d A u x i l i a r y i s t h e u n i f o r m e d c i v i l i a n c o m p o n e n t o f t h e U S C o a s t G u a r d a n d s u p p o r t s t h e C o a s t G u a r d i n n e a r l y a l l m i s s i o n a r e a s T h e A u x i l i a r y w a s c r e a t e d b y C o n g r e s s i n 1 9 3 9 F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e v i s i t w w w c g a u x o r g

Anglers: Compete in new trophy bass fishing competition, Battle of the Lakes

The Florida Fish and Wildlife

C o n s e r v a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n i n v i t e s the public to participate in the Battle of the Lakes trophy bass fishing competition to determine which lake is crowned the best trophy bass fish ery in Florida

The FWC’s Florida Trophy Bass Project is pitting two popular fishing d e s t i n a t i o n s a g a i n s t e a c h o t h e r : Orange Lake versus Fellsmere Water Management Area (also known as Headwaters) to determine which of these two waterbodies will be the 2022 23 Florida Trophy Bass Lake of the Year Anglers fishing in these locations should submit their trophy size largemouth bass to TrophyCatch

for the chance to win special prizes

T h e l a k e t h a t t a l l i e s t h e h i g h e s t weight of trophy bass in Season 11 (Oct 1, 2022, through Sept 30, 2023) of FWC’s TrophyCatch pro gram will be the winner

JT Kenney and Shaw Grigsby talk about their two favorite fishing spots and visit the Battle of the Lakes rules to learn more about how to qualify catches for TrophyCatch and com pete in this exciting Battle of the Lakes!

The Florida Trophy Bass Project i s F W C ’ s n e w e f f o r t t o e n s u r e Florida is the Trophy Bass Capital of t h e W o r l d t h r o u g h m a n a g e m e n t , d o c u m e n t a t i o n a n d p r o m o t i o n

TrophyCatch is the FWC’s trophy bass documentation program that rewards anglers who catch, docu ment and release largemouth bass weighing 8 pounds or heavier in F l o r i d a F W C b i o l o g i s t s u s e TrophyCatch data for bass research to make informed decisions about the management of Florida bass fisheries and to promote the catch and release of trophy bass

Now let’s find out which of these two lakes is the best trophy bass lake in 2022 23!

For more information about the T r o p h y C a t c h p r o g r a m , v i s i t TrophyCatch com

Refuge rangers earn archery certification

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society Friends of the Refuge reported that three J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge rangers recently attended the biennial U S Fish & Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center's Visitor Services and Outreach Workshop in West Virginia While there, rangers Jessica Barry, Katy Hosokawa and Tucker Phillips became certified as USA Archery Level I instructors through USA Archery, as part of overall education on engaging with the urban community

Prior to the half day long in person training, the team completed a four hour online course to famil iarize themselves with archery equipment, safety pro cedures and the basic steps of setting up an archery range The in person training consisted of running drills as both “student” and “coach,” practice firing recurve and compound bows, and a how to for instructing a safe, basic level archery course for the public of all ages and abilities The team plans to take its skills into the community by eventually providing archery lessons for individuals and families.

Local Red Sox Foundation scholarship applications are now available online

$80,000 in scholarship funds to be awarded

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

REFUGE/DDWS

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Ranger Jessica Barry is ready to fire.

WHAT A CATCH!

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Capt. Dave’s Fishing Report

It has taken weeks to get one of our boats, the offshore boat, back into busi ness The bay boat remains in the shop, undergoing repairs, since Hurricane Ian ravished our community It was good to b e b a c k o n t h e w a t e r , d e s p i t e t h e reminders in the form of debris that litters the waterways and mangrove islands.

On Friday, Nov 25, I fished in various spots to 18 miles west of New Pass with Jerry Jenkins and his grandson, Lucas They used squid to catch and release a d o zen k eep er s ized , b u t o u t o f s eas o n lane snapper to 14 inches, along with three triggerfish to 14 inches They also released seven red grouper shorts to 18 inches, as well as a 16 inch gag grouper As for fish tacos, fourteen keeper grunts to 12 inches saved the day I spotted a red tide bloom about six miles off the beach, right around the artificial reefs, but saw none of that further out

Saturday morning, Nov 26, I fished a8 miles west of New Pass with Jeff and Beth H eimrich, their s on Tanner, daughter Maddie, and Uncle John They used squid to catch and release twelve triggerfish shorts to 14 ½ inches, three lane snapper, and an 18 pound goliath grouper They boxed twenty five nice sized grunts

Capt. Dave’sFishing Tips

Fishing tip #1: Lots of folks love the thrill of a goliath grouper on their line

These fish are a protected species. Care must be taken to release them while they are still in the water; anglers who do not do so face penalties These fish can get huge The largest I have caught, using girth and length measurements was esti mated at 384 pounds! For these mosters, I use a 9/0 Aftco Star rod with 125# test (Andi) with 250 lb steel cable, and a small piece of 20 oz weight I use a 14/0 Sea Demon hook with BIG live bait Stingrays and batrays work best Good luck!

Fishing tip #2: The king mackerel bite is hot a few times per year around here Live, rocky bottom in 25’ to 35’ has his t o r i c a l l y p r o d u c e d s t e a d y a c t i o n M y favorite way to fish for them is with light tackle which, in my opinion, provides an edge over heavy tackle. With either mono or braided line, a three foot, 30 # leader and 6 “ of Tyger Leader, I use an extra long 1/0 or 2/0 hook Shrimp, herring and blue runners are top choices for live bait A light drag will help decrease break off when he hits and heads for the horizon A small amount of live chum will keep the action steady A commonly known small ledge off the Waldorf Astoria in north Naples is often a good spot, if the kings are running yet, and water temp is in the mid 70s: This spot should appear on local charts

Angler Aaron Matlock with a 12-inch mangrove snapper, one of eight mangrove snappers he and his friends caught on shrimp in southern Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.

Capt. Dave Hanson

Angler Jack Eaves with a 25 inch redfish, caught on shrimp in southern Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter. Redfish opened on Sept. 1, so this one was a keeper.

Angler Dave Schorrenberg with a 13-inch sand bream, caught on shrimp in southern Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.

Angler Dave Schorrenberg with a 14 inch sheepshead, one of three this size he and his friends caught on shrimp in southern Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.