121324 Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

By MEGHAN BRADBURY

news@breezenewspapers com

Although an ordinance concerning the reduction of 14 2 acres from Yellow Fever C

d Wednesday morning, many residents of the Village of Entrada asked that planning for the proposed irrigation and potable water storage and pumping facility be

stopped

Residents attending Wednesday's Plan-

shared that the proposed facility would reduce their property values, increase light and noise pollution and harm the wildlife in the preserve

“The residents do not support this project and would like it to be moved,” said

Noelle Tolbert, who has collected 149 sig-

“Relocate this property

President Judy Mitchell said the primitive open space land area of 198 7 acres is designed by the comprehensive plan to be kept in a natural and pristine state

IF YOU GO

The German American Social Club of Cape Coral is hosting its annual Christkindlmarkt this Saturday and Sunday in the Bavarian Garden grounds, with plenty of food, drink, unique items

What: Christkindlmarkt

When: Saturday, Dec. 14, noon to 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec 15, noon to 6 p m

Where: German American Social Club, 2101 S W Pine Island Road, Cape Coral See CHRISTKINDLMARKT, page 29

itself to restoration and protection of this area and development of the original park for passive usages,” she said “To chop another 14 2 acres from the comprehensive plan in this park is not in the interest of our citizens who want open green space We are disappointed that the city is going

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

C

Sizemore was recognized and honored by the Lee County NAACP for his actions regarding a vandalism that took place in the city this November

At the Cape Coral City Council meeting

Sizemore for recognizing a hate crime when vandals broke into a C

Peter Ndiangui's home and painted racial slurs on the walls on Nov 19

CCPD officers volunteered and assisted Ndiangui in cleaning up the damage to his home. M

in South-west Florida, (and) perhaps anywhere in the nation” during the presentation, adding that “any crime is a crime of hate ” Muwakkil gave kudos to Sizemore for recognizing the words on the wall left behind after the vandalism were those of hate, and that Sizemore inspired not just the NAACP, but those in the community

Police Chief Anthony Sizemore

Council discusses forming stakeholder group for Jaycee Park

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Cape Coral City Council agreed to further the discussion of Jaycee Park at a future workshop to address the possibility of putting a stakeholder group together for potential considerations of enhancements

Many council members approved of the stakeholder group idea as long as they were crystal clear of the asks

“I don’t want the residents to think they have a choice in that They don’t because it’s already been done”

C o u

design “I have no issue of residents adding things on ”

Assistant City Manager Connie Barron said the design of the park is at 100% completion and the city is moving forward with getting bids on certain aspects of the project FBC, the construction company, has received bids on site work, which will be discussed with the city next week

“The site work is the single largest category as far as construction goes,” she said

Barron said they have been notified that the city has

District stormwater permit, which they should be receiv-

ing soon The construction group, she said, is putting together an application and applying for a demo permit to continue with work at the park T

Councilmember Joe Kilraine wanted to hold a discussion at a workshop to have a stakeholder group with residential involvement He said he wants to find opportunities and ways to build rapport and build back residential trust on the project

“I think the stakeholder groups is a source that we can build some trust back overall,” Kilraine said

He initially said he wanted to take a pause in the project, but with liability concerns he said he will not go that route

City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner said putting the project on paus e w ill trigger the obligation to expend resources to redesign, coupled with lost of time, which bleeds over to the comprehensive agreement that identifies obligations under the 100% design

He said the city would expose itself to legal liability stemmed from delay, coupled with modifications with designs and agreements to vendors and equipment

“There is no legal justification for stopping – nothing to say that our P3 partner has violated anything they have signed on and approved by the council,” Boksner said, adding that if he was a betting man, they could be sued anywhere from $1 2 to $3 5 million “I cannot legally recommend you go on this course of action ”

Councilmember Laurie Lehmann asked about specifics

with the Jaycee Park improvements – such as the bandshell and if bids have come in for that yet She asked how they could go about possibly not having a permanent bandshell

“That is not a question I can answer,” Barron said “The design was presented to the council and that design was approved by City Council to move forward with ” Lehmann said there is now a new council with new ideas

“All I am asking is, who is doing the bid for the bandshell,” she said

Barron said the bandshell and other structures have to be permitted first before going out for bids

“When you are at 100% design, any modifications would require us to go back and have Pennoni redo the design and there is cost associated with that,” she said, adding that they can do anything, whatever the council asks them to do “There is always usually a cost associated with it Council was the body that approved the design concept that we have now pretty much completed Any change to that design would have to be directed by the City Council We would have to modify their contract ”

Councilmember Dr Derrick Donnell asked if there is anything in the design that are touchable by the council without getting into a myriad of legal pieces

The council was told those items would fall within the second phase of the project – boat slips on the river and offsite parking

City Council strikes stipend language, OKs changes for mayor pro tem selection in its rules of procedure

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The City Council voted to remove the stipend language from its rules of procedure, as well as selecting the presiding officer until November 2025

Councilmember Derrick Donnell pulled the Council

Wednesday’s meeting

“I would like to strike number two and move on with this one Strike two and pass this,” he said

The verbiage states, “The City Council shall set forth the amount of the annual stipend at the organizational

received by the mayor and

Board of Commissioners

Any adjustment(s) or modification(s) to the amount of the annual stipend shall be

which annual stipend shall be for the utilization of the

Board of Commissioners

The rules also include the addition of the presiding officer The council, in the past, has appointed a mayor

needed

City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner said the language was a method of correction for an election year verses a non-election year He said a presiding officer shall hold the position for no longer than one year

who will serve in the role until Nov 5, 2025

Mayor John Gunter said the mechanism is in place in case he cannot be at a meeting

“Trying to put a process in place where we have a backup to run meetings if I am unable to attend Things happen Always better to have a backup plan,” he said

OPINIONS

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

RAYMOND M. ECKENRODE Publisher

VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor

CHRIS STRINE, Editor

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

• Phone 239-574-1110 – Fax 239-574-5693

Member Florida Press Association

Move on

Cape Coral City Council last week snipped a staff “policy” that entangled residential properties in a boardapproved tree fund ordinance intended to give commercial developers options when meeting city codes for landscaping and green space

The elected board decided that requiring residential property owners to make five-figure “mandatory contributions” to a fund designed to let developers meet their green obligations by essentially fulfilling it off-site was an unreasonable request

Using the example presented at last week’s Council meeting by a resident who saw city staff jack the cost of vacating a strip of land near his seawall so his property legally touched the waterline jump from about $2,800 to nearly 10 times that, Council intervened, saying the levy was too high and served no public purpose

O

refund the unauthorized fees already paid by three or four properties owners extracted as a staff-imposed condition dubbed this week by City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn as not an imposed fee, but “voluntary donation ”

There are at least two other previous-council issues that require a similar new-council look

We’d say each one a legal boondoggle in the making, the other a legal quagmire more than $2 million deep and still sucking bucks is costing the city money, but the ATM is ours i e the taxpayers’

A fresh perspective is warranted

Vested rights

The likely legal challenge in the queue is one of vested rights, specifically the city’s decision to halt what it says is the proliferation of car washes and self-storage facilities At issue is that city land development codes, zoning and other regulations allowed these facilities to be built where, in some cases, they now cannot due to Council changing the rules to accomplish its goals

EDITORIAL, page 6

This week’s poll question:

Previous poll question

Who runs Cape Coral?

The five new members of the Cape Coral City Council – elected on their opposition to the prior Council doubling its own pay – are on a fast track to find out who really runs Cape Coral: the Voters or the Administrative State The five fresh faces started out at their first meeting on Nov 27 in a burst of independence, revoking the incumbents’ stipend over the three nay votes from the holdover mayor, Steinke and Long Imagine that The five also voted out the stipend over the objections of the City Attorney So far, the score is: Voters 1 –Administrative State 0.

The next match for the five is over the "Three Fishermen" who challenged the removal of the Chiquita Lock At their first Council meeting, the five members and the world learned for the first time that the city of Cape Coral has paid over $2 million to the law firm representing it in the Chiquita Lock case The last go round, the law firm representing the city only billed about $250,000 Records previously produced by the city in January of this year showed over $1 million paid to the firm before the end of 2023, and the records seem to indicate that the monthly invoices were paid almost by return mail Who was in charge of that?

Also at their first Council meeting, the five heard from the "Three Fishermen" who reported that the city’s outside lawyers were pursuing them for repayment of the $2 million they billed The Administrative State then swung into action the next week at Council meetings on Dec 4 in the person of the unelected City Attorney and the City

Manager. They made impassioned presentations to the Council members defending the attack on the "Three Fishermen:" the C i t y A t

Fishermen" and their attorneys did such reprehensible things during the hearing, and the City Manager telling the Council that he p

lengers and their supporters by promising a $100,000 environmental grant of some kind, to match what they would spend in litigation against the city

The problem is their presentations were false but who would know? The City Attorney failed to report that the ALJ threw out most of the city’s complaints about the "Three Fishermen " More importantly, he failed to report that an appeal has been filed to the Florida First District Court of Appeal to stop any further actions against the "Three Fishermen " The City Attorney also had sent a directive to the Council members’ appointments secretary forbidding any Council member from speaking with any one of the "Three Fishermen" about their plight Then again at the meeting on Dec 4, the City Attorney refused to allow equal time to the legal representative for the "Three Fishermen" (the undersigned) to speak to the Council members about the true version of the case I never thought I would ever invoke the banner of the Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness ” At least one of the new members has taken the City Attorney’s advice and now refuses to meet with the "Fisherman" who

See GUEST COMMENTARY, page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Holiday gifts that benefit Cape wildlife, too

To the editor:

Some fine gifts for Christmas for everyone may be obtained from Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife

Get a Burrowing Owl Adoption Certificate for $100, which gives you the adoption certificate, T-shirt, children’s book, owl pin and magnet

There are lower and higher priced levels as well

To order go to CCFRIENDSOFWILDLIFE org, look for the Adopt an Owl button Click on it and there you go

The $1,000 dollar level even gives you a burrowing owl tour and much more

We will ship all items anywhere you wish

Another gift idea that benefits our city’s official bird is is with Noela Chocolates of Cape Coral

Buy a box of 25 pieces or 49 pieces of Noela chocolates and mention Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and they donate $5 to CCFW

Noela Chocolate shop is at 1309 S E 47th Terrace, Cape Coral There chocolates have a 5-star rating and look beautiful Their gift wapping is unique

Many other lower-priced gifts can be found at Rotary Park at 5505 Rose Garden Road earrings, burrowing owl T-shirts, hats, magnets, children’s books (many) and much more The butterfly T-shirts are quite beautiful and colorful

A majority of the profits goes for buying lots that have Cape wildlife on them including even gopher tortoises

Happy holidays from CCFW

Buy our gifts You can’t go wrong

Carl Veaux Cape Coral

Three Fisherman vs. the Three Blind Mice

To the editor:

I was disturbed to spend another City Council meeting haggling over the repayment of the fisherman who sued the city about the removal of the Chiquita Lock (Loch ness monster) It was based on the ecological damage to our city which will be born out in the future The new council needs to spend meetings on important issues

As part of my Project 2025 for City Council: If the city wants to save money, I recommended the following at that

meeting:

1 Council members who received the illegal stipend, repay all the money back from December 2023 to November repeal Installment payback financed at 8% interest Source: (IRS installment rate)

2. Restore all citizens advisory committees to the previous membership before the old council took a hatchet to all of them This includes the student advisory committee which was altered

3 Restore the CRA to the citizens advisory board before this committee fell to the hatchet

The new council has no business being involved conflict of interest forum

This was used as an excuse for the stipend in the first place

4 Defund Code Enforcement and 311 Code Enforcement has gone from proactive to reactive to inactive

It is a sad state of affairs when two different women addressed the mayor and council at the previous meeting about the Code Enforcement doing nothing to resolve their complaints

5 Defund 311 It does not work as calls are shunted to Collier County 311 Use the land-line number save millions for a broken call system

With the millions saved and a prudent approach to Yacht Club and Jaycee Park rebuild, the city can afford to forgive the Three Fisherman any legal fees The three blind mice council members, Mayor Gunter, Mr Steinke and Mr Long, will have their vision restored

Can we move forward on important city issues? Lou Navarra & Jasper Cape Coral

Local postmaster says Postal Service is 'primed and ready' for holiday shipping rush

To the editor:

RE: Postmaster's Report – Recommended Holiday Shipping and Mailing Dates

As the Postmaster for the city of Fort Myers, I want to assure you that the U S Postal Service is primed and ready

J Michael Hannon Guest Commentary

An update on the progress of our School District

Dear Lee County,

I hope this message finds you well; it’s hard to believe we are upon completing the first half of the 2024-2025 school year It is a privilege to serve as your county-wide school board member I am delighted to have the opportunity to share t h e f o l l o w i n g i m p o r t a n t u p d a t e s a n d developments with Lee County students and their families, ensuring you are wellinformed about the progress and initiatives within our school district:

1 Welcome Dr Denise Carlin

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Denise Carlin as our first elected superintendent in 50 years Dr Carlin brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to our district We look forward to her leadership and the positive impact she will have on our schools

2 New Board Members

Please join me in welcoming our two new board members, Bill Ribble and

Vanessa Chaviano Their

will be invaluable as we work together to enhance the educational experience for all students. Additionally, congratulations to Melissa Giovannelli on her re-election We are grateful for her continued service and leadership

3 F S B A C

Summary

Association (FSBA) conference Here are some key takeaways:

Jada Langford Fleming Guest Commentary

■ T e a c h e r R e t

n

i o n Solutions: Addressing the challenges of teacher retention was a major focus. We explored innovative solutions to support and retain our dedicated educators

■ S c h o o l S a f e t y U pdates: Ensuring the safety of our students and staff remains a top priority We reviewed the latest strategies and technologies to enhance school safety

■ A t t e n d a n c e I s s u e s : We addressed the ongoing challenges of student attendance, both in- person and v i r t u a l S t r a t e g i e s t o improve attendance and engagement were shared and will be implemented in our district

■ Legislative Platforms: We discussed various legislative platforms that will shape the future of education in Florida These discussions are crucial for a d v o c a t i n g p o l i c i e s t h a t benefit our students and schools

4 Things to Come

Keep your eye out for a survey regarding updated start times, primarily focusing on high school students Your feedback will be crucial in presenting this information to the legislative body, so we can best support our students' needs.

We are committed to keeping you informed and involved in the progress of our district

As we approach the holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and your families May you have a joyful and restful holiday season, and here's to a successful second half of the school year! Your support and engagement are vital to our success Thank you for your continued dedication to our schools and community

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year

Jada Langford Fleming is the District 6 School Board Member

Editorial: A couple of city issues could use a new council look

From page 4

A case in point:

Cape Coral City Council determined

l a s t m o n t h t h a t N o

M

d

c

L a n d Company had not established a vested right for the development of a planned car wash on property it owns at Del Prado Boulevard, N , and Dan LeDuke Road

T h e q u a s i - j u d i c i a l h e a r i n g b e f o r e Council came at the request of the company in the wake of a Council-adopted moratorium on car washes

Boos Development Group Inc the contract buyer, planned to develop the site for a Mr Car Wash, a nationally recognized car wash operator

Although city staff found that two of three conditions met vested rights criteria the project was in the works before even staff said it had discussed the moratorium the project failed to meet a third The previous Council, by a 7-1

v o t e , d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e $ 1 7 4 , 0 0 0 invested was substantial but not substantial enough to meet that third vested right benchmark

Besides complete disagreement with what the city apparently considers a “significant” investment, our concern here is

From page 4

to deliver exceptional service during the 2024 holiday rush. Thanks to the substantial progress USPS has made under the Delivering for America plan a $40 billion investment aimed at revitalizing the national postal network our operational, transportation and delivery processes have never been more finely tuned My dedicated team and I are fully prepared to once again handle the peak holiday season surge

As you and your family prepare for the holidays, it's always a good idea to Ship It Early! We encourage everyone to send their holiday mail and packages well in advance to ensure they reach their destinations on time, but we understand that sometimes cards or packages are sent last minute

This year, our recommended send-by dates for expected holiday delivery within the continental U S before Dec 25 are: Dec 18: USPS Ground Advantage serv-

the potential for a Bert Harris lawsuit shared in October by several speakers either with or representing those with vested interests

Florida's decades-old Bert Harris Act, a state statute, puts a value on regulatory “takings,” even when the property is not rendered wholly useless for its intended use

We urge Council to take another look at the vested rights impact, not only for this project but for any others that were in there queue

The ‘Three Fisher men’

The second is the city’s on-going effort

t o s e e k s a n c t i o n s a g a i n s t t h e “ T h r e e Fishermen” for what the city’s legal team contends was a legally meritless lawsuit challenging the city’s second effort to remove the Chiquita Lock

It’s the city’s second shot because the residents, and a number of environmental groups, successfully challenged the lock’s removal during the first go-around in 2019

The city regrouped, re-planned, resubmitted and prevailed

The city did so, in part, by significantly upped the ante, hiring top-gun and

expensive legal counsel and other experts

The city has expended more than $2 million on not only its legal effort to fight the grass-roots challenge but what we predict will be a fruitless effort to recoup those staggering fees from the three Cape residents even if the administrative law judge hearing the case finds for the city and allows for sanctions

The plaintiffs do not have bottomless bank accounts as, it appears, does the city, which, let’s just say it, is attempting to make a point the point that scared off the environmental groups that withdrew from the case once the city made its intent to seek sanctions and spend the money to do it known.

A couple of things

Cape Coral City Council members on Wednesday called its continuing effort to seek sanctions a “process” that should be allowed to play out, that the administrative law judge should decide if the case was baseless to the point of actually being a bad faith filing

Ummm, OK

But at what cost?

Let us be blunt: The city has little-to-no chance of extracting even the portion of

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ice; First Class Mail service

Dec 19: Priority Mail service

Dec. 21: Priority Mail Express service

For a complete list of recommended holiday mailing and shipping dates, please visit usps com/holidayshippingdates And remember: the earlier you send, the better Ship it Early!

We are honored and grateful for your trust in the U S Postal Service Your postal teams at the Fort Myers Post Offices are proud to be the most affordable, reliable way to send cheer this holiday season, and we’re ready to deliver exceptional service during the holidays and beyond Cinnamon Young Fort Myers Postmaster (OIC)

Deep-seated anger toward health care industry continues to rise

To the editor:

Increased death threats for healthcare

insurers has resulted in a new industry of enhanced security for the administrators. With their multi-million dollar salaries and stock options, they must be protected from angry patients with guns They now must live in a bubble of fear themselves - of their own creation Excessive corporate profits harm their patients Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcies for people in the United States because of insurer’s “deny, defend, depose” corporate policies Countless families have been financially destroyed

The reaction to the killing of Brian T h o m p s o n , t h e c h i e f e x e c u

v

f UnitedHealthcare, the country’s largest health insurer, has revealed Americans’ deep-seated anger toward the health care industry. Around the country, stories of the harm caused by not covered medical services have been unleashed with furor by both doctors and patients Insurance companies make money by

the $2 mill dedicated to the sanctions fight from the plaintiffs

If Council truly believes otherwise, we have an enticing commercial P3 proposal to monetize Yellow Fever Creek Regional Park that we’d like to sell the city Throw enough money at it and we promise: The residents are going to love it

Meanwhile, the meter continues to tick as administrative law judge ruling on the city request to seek sanctions is expected in February

Or not

An appeal has been filed with the Florida First District Court of Appeal to strike the city’s renewed motion or to dismiss it contending the city cannot prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that residents’ “participation in this proceeding was knowingly false and done with reckless disregard for the truth ”

Council in theory anyway controls the pursestrings and needs to get this s e t t l e d a n d n o t “ f o r t h e T h r e e Fishermen ”

For the rest of us

Simply put, even if the city wins, we lose

It time to move on

Breeze editorial

turning medicine into

providers - paying the hospitals, doctors, nurses and other health care workers less, denying claims from patients and keeping people from seeking medical care in the first place by instilling fear that their medical care and prescriptions will not be “covered ” If you pay your premiums and never use medical services, they make more

million in income taxes Now wealthy corporations want even more tax breaks And Americans voted for that in the last election Lynn A Hagedorn, MD Cape Coral

Residents’ ‘voluntary donations’ to city tree fund to be returned

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

City Council unanimously agreed to return the voluntary donation that property owners paid for the residential site “vacations” tree fund

Mayor John Gunter said he believes it was three or four different residential vacations that paid into the tree fund since the policy was put into place in January

“My recommendation is to have those individuals that paid into the tree fund on the residential vacation prior to be refunded,” he said

City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn said they did not impose a fee, but accepted a voluntary donation

Last week Ordinance 79-24 was discussed at the City Council meeting, which directed staff to bring it back on Jan 22, so its commercial aspects can be further considered The provisions pertaining to residential sites was eliminated.

In other words, residential property owners requesting site “vacations” from the city of Cape Coral will no longer be required to make a mandatory contribution to the city’s tree fund

Despite more protests, Council says legal process involving ‘Three Fishermen’ must play out

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

City Council chambers were once again filled with a sea of red shirts Wednesday, and many individuals who spoke with high praise of the “three fishermen’s” character

The residents continued to ask Council to stop the efforts to recoup legal fees racked up in a lawsuit contesting the removal of the Chiquita Lock

The three fishermen are Jim Collier, Kevin Sparks and Dan Carney Councilmember Dr Derrick Donnell said the character piece for the three fishermen is undoubted – what they have given to the city is undoubted

“Take the character piece out and now it's legislature on the what and not the who,” he said “The council is looking at the issue There is a process There was a process – it went from 2020 to 2024 When the city prevailed in 2024, whatever this entity is over here brought a case against the ruling of the judge that started the domino and that started attorney fees ”

He said the reason why the city is using phrases like “improper use” and “frivolous” is so the city can get the money back

“It’s a process continuing on because it has to – recoup what the city has paid,” Donnell said

Sparks asked the council to put themselves in their position

“How would you like to have done something that was proper, right and just and well within the law,” he said “The law

requests people to file exceptions to permits Put yourself in our position - $30,000 attorney bill we paid today, and we haven’t had a hearing ”

Carney asked the city to drop the sanction request for fees

“I have to draw the conclusion we have to be the messenger to not interfere with any city actions,” he said “Six months later the city and through its attorney continue to run up the cost of taxpayers' expense The cost is not managed very well by the city It’s an open checkbook by the outside attorney ”

Mayor John Gunter said to him it’s a process

“I heard a lot of emotion,” he said during citizen input “This is a legal case, and it has to go through the process An administrative law judge is the best person to weigh in independently and make a decision Take us out of the equation You need to make that argument in February – not to us ”

Gunter said they have received many emails from individuals saying to let the process play out He said the $2 million in legal fees is being paid for by the residents because of the petition

Shirley Sparks said these men agreed to challenge the city, which was not undertaken lightly She said they spent countless hours and lots of dollars in defending their intentions.

“They are not frivolous people They are actively involved in their community,” she said

Guest Commentary: Who runs city?

From page 4

actually lives in her district.

A s f o r t h e C i t y M a n a g e r M i c h a e l Ilczyszyn’s magnanimous claim, he neglected to review the video of his appearance b e f o r e t h e G r e a t e r P i n e I s l a n d C i v i c Association at its May 2023 meeting where he claimed to have offered the $100,000 grant money The video can still be found on the GPICA Facebook page with a little searching What many members at the meeting thought was an out-andout bribe was only an offer of $2,500 to $7,500 and not $100,000 Mr Ilczyszyn

a l s o c l a i m e d t h a t h e a p p e a r e d a t t h e Matlacha Civic Association meeting in April 2023, to extend the same offer of a $100,000 grant of some kind only to be denied an opportunity to speak The truth is there was never such an offer, and the chairperson for the MCA meeting refused his request to speak because whenever residents of Matlacha appear before the Cape

Coral City Council, they are treated rudely a n d d i s p a r a g e d R e m e m b

D O N ’ T ANNEX MATLACHA? I

lawyers above), at the same meeting members of the city’s own work force appeared and reported that the city’s Administrative State was refusing to negotiate a fair raise for them despite a mandate from a prior City Council for wages in the 75th percentile of similar municipalities At the same meeting, copies of Craig Pittman’s recent story “Be Thankful You Don’t Live [in Cape Coral]” were floating around the City Hall

D

whether you want to work for the city or live in the city? Not so long as it can run the city the way it wants

Let us hope the five new members take back the city

J Michael Hannon is an attorney and resident of Matlacha

Group raising funds for accessible playground at city park

All Abilities Play to host Holiday Family Fun Day Saturday

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

After struggling to find a park that is allinclusive for her son, one Cape Coral resident has taken it upon herself to educate the community and raise funds so everyone has a place to go

“When you get a community involved on something like this, it means a lot to so many people, not just about children with disabilities and not about adults with disa b i l i t i e s I t ’ s i n c o r p o r a t i n g e v e r y b o d y together to have a place to come together to play, talk and socialize,” All Abilities Play project lead Nicole Buday said

This Saturday, Dec 14, from 10 a m to 1 p m , All Abilities Play is hosting a free Holiday Family Fun Day at Jim Jeffers Park at 2817 S W 3rd Lane in Cape Coral There will be photos with Santa, arts and crafts and light refreshments and snacks

Buday said All Abilities Play began in February when she finally said enough is enough and reached out to the city of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department She reached out to see if there were any accessible playgrounds for her 10-year-old son, Owen, who has cerebral palsy

That is the key word – accessible – and not ADA compliant Buday said there is no equipment that is truly accessible to a person in a wheelchair or has a prosthetic

“The city is following ADA rules Mulch is considered ADA compliant,” she said, although a wheelchair or prosthetic in mulch is not an easy task “There are so many memories made at the park It’s not just about the disabled person – it’s others interacting with other disabled and show-

ing compassion ”

To have accessible equipment for all takes quite a bit of money to accomplish, as the surfacing alone is more than half the cost of the playground

“I get it,” she said of the expense “I don’t know how the problem gets fixed ”

That is why five women rallied together and formed a committee to raise awareness and funds to eventually bring a playground to Cape Coral Those women include Buday, Lindsey Harper, Rachelle Lee,

S

Slover

“When you team up with a nonprofit, then we are the boots on the ground and we go out and educate the community of the lack of, need and show them the why,” Buday said “We can apply for different grants We can get businesses involved –

resources ”

The committee is made up of a physical therapist, occupational therapist, special education teacher and moms

“When it comes time to picking out equipment and designing the playground, we will use expertise to design it,” Buday said, adding it will include all groups – the blind, hearing impaired, sensory kids “We are not going to leave anyone out We are going to think of every disability and how we can provide a space that is welcoming to every single person.”

She spoke about the all-inclusive playground that is being considered for the

Unfortunately, Buday said there will only be two pieces of equipment for children in

wheelchairs to play on

The playground All Abilities Play is working on bringing to Cape Coral will include a swing that you can wheel a person in a wheelchair onto, as well as a place for another person to sit The swing comes with a hefty price tag – up to $42,000

“Things that are accessible are a lot of money,” Buday said “That is just our life in general To accommodate a special needs person is triple or quadruple the

amount of money and that is with everything in my life I get it It is expensive We need to come together as a community ”

The playground will also include communication signs, as not everybody is verbal “

boards, brail boards and sign language boards We want to think of all the things

PHOTO PROVIDED

All Abilities Play committee members Lindsey Harper, Rachelle Lee, Project Lead Nicole Buday, Kelly Slover and Stephanie Listowski Wong

Cape Council approves uniform method for collecting non-ad valorem special assessments

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

City Council unanimously approved the notice of intent to use the uniform method of collecting non-ad valorem special assessments, an annual statutory requirement

Deputy Financial Services Director Crystal Feast said the resolution – an annual notice of intent – is to utilize the uniformed method of collection for non-ad valorem assessments

The non-ad valorem assessments the city currently utilizes include utility assessments, residential solid waste, stormwater, vacant lot mowing, fire services, capital facility expansion changes and Del Prado mall parking lot

City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn said city councils in the state of Florida have three ways to raise revenue – taxes, fees and assessments He said when the city levies an assessment, there are two ways to collect on that assessment – through a paper bill or the uniform method of collection, tax bill

“The city, when levying an assessment, opts not to do a paper bill, but utilizes the tax bill to collect that method,” Ilczyszyn said “This resolution is a requirement towards utilizing that mechanism We are not establishing the assessment, whether capital or service assessment All this is doing is allowing us, at an if needed for any assessment in the future, to utilize the tax bill to collect ”

He said they are not contemplating the 17 listed items, nor have they discussed them, they are merely common assessments around the state that are being used

“If in the future budget session, or discussion, we have a way of providing an easy way to bill that as opposed to the cumbersome paper bill,” Ilczyszyn said, adding that the tax bill has nearly a 99% collection rate

Those 17 items listed include:

■ Water, wastewater, and irrigation facilities improvements

■ Traffic calming improvements

New 5 p.m. start time for Cape Coral City Council meetings scheduled to begin Jan. 8

Cape Coral City Council changed the start time of all regular City Council meetings from 4:30 p m to 5 p m

This decision was made at the Nov 20, City Council meeting, and the change will take effect in 2025, starting with the first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, Jan 8

City Council meetings are broadcast live on CapeTV and live-streamed on the City’s website, making them accessible to residents who prefer to tune in from home Community members are also welcome to attend in per-

■ Parking lot improvements

■ Seawall improvements

■ Street lighting maintenance and improvements

■ Neighborhood park improvements

■ Electrical undergrounding improvements

■ Road impact fee deferral

■ Improvement and/or maintenance of bridges

■ Improvement and/or maintenance of roads, roadway medians, and ROWs

■ Alley improvements

■ Sidewalk improvements

■ Waterway lock removal

■ Utility infill capital facility expansion charge

■ Nuisance abatements

■ Environmental mitigation

■ Local government financing for energy efficiency

A few individuals from the public spoke, one of which is Tom Shadrach, who shared concerns as it looks like there was an intent to add these assessments He said he has not heard any discussion to add assessments and encourages

son in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, located at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd

The Council will be on hiatus for the remainder of 2024, with no additional meetings scheduled until the updated time goes into effect in January

For additional information about City Council meetings, including agendas and how to watch live, please visit https://www capecoral gov/department/clerk/agendas and videos php

the Council to reduce assessments

“Council has not gone through and had these discussions about the 17 to 20 additional items for assessments It’s wrong and sends a bad message,” Shadrach said “We shouldn’t be using assessments Let the millage rate work for the taxpayers and residents protected by Homestead by the state of Florida ”

Jay Higgins said he believed it opened up the doors to any assessment that the Council chooses to have for property owners and taxpayers

“It’s too vague, too wide,” he said “You can drive a truck through these things Table it, or kill it and not see it again ”

Mayor John Gunter reiterated what the resolution allows

“We are not setting any rates All we are doing is adopting a mechanism to facilitate if we desire to do so with any type of assessment,” he said “It’s giving us a vehicle and process in which we would like to do that ”

Dr. Piper Center tradition to continue with Christmas Day party for local youth

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

A tradition that has been ongoing for more than a century will return again this year to brighten Christmas Day for area youth

“On Christmas morning, the Dr Piper Center will continue its 109-year-old tradition of bringing joy to local children, thanks to the support of Suncoast Credit Union and several other generous businesses,” Dr Piper Center for Social Services

I

Bourdeau said “The tradition began over a century ago when Sara Williams, the mother of Dr Ella Mae Piper, started the event in her own backyard She gathered a small group of children and provided them with food and toys on Christmas morning ”

The simple act of kindness grew into a community-wide celebration that now supports more than 400 children in Southwest Florida every year

Registration for the event begins at 7

a m Christmas morning, Wednesday, Dec 25, at the Dr Piper Center, 2607 Dr Ella Piper Way, Fort Myers All children, ages 0 to 16, are welcome to attend There is no need to pre-register, as families are asked to show up on Christmas morning to register their child

The doors to Santa’s workshop open at 8 a m providing children with the opportunity to pick out toys of their choosing.

“Simultaneously, we’ll also have our bike raffle, where a lucky child will take home a brand new bicycle,” Bourdeau said “Each child receives two to three new toys, and a healthy snack bag is provided to follow Dr Piper’s tradition of feeding the children on Christmas morning ”

The Dr Piper Center is still seeking donations for new, unwrapped toys for the boys and girls

“We are especially in need of gifts for older children, particularly those ages 14 to 16. Items for this group include makeup, hair styling tools, blankets, electronics,

sporting goods and other accessories,” Bourdeau said “All toys must be new and unwrapped ”

Donations can be made through their Amazon wish list at: https://www amazon com/hz/wishlist/ls/17WDU31U0HU2 7?ref =list d wl lfu nav 2 , or can also be found at www drpiper-center org/christmas-celebration/

In addition to the donations, Bourdeau said they are also seeking volunteers for Christmas morning Shifts start at 7 a m and typically wrap up by 11 a m

“Volunteers are a crucial part of making this event a success,” she said

Volunteers must register in advance by emailing Irvine@drpipercenter org, or by calling 239-332-5346, extension 400 A full name, contact information and T-shirt size is needed The deadline to register to volunteer is Thursday, Dec 19

The event has been successful over the years due to all its support from the community

“We are grateful to Suncoast Credit Union, our title sponsor, for their generous support of this event We would also like to a

businesses for their contributions Purified Air, Gavin’s Ace Hardware, and Bimbo Bakery have been incredibly supportive by s

snacks , and other resources to ensure the event’s success. Gavin’s Ace Hardware donates over 50 bikes each year for the past seven years , and Bimbo Bakery helps provide essential snacks Additionally, the Boy Scout Troop helps by assembling the bikes for the raffle,” she said

Bourdeau said they are also grateful for the Fort Myers Police Department, led by Officer Kenneth McCoy, for organizing Cram-a-Cruiser Toy Drive

“Through this initiative, officers collect toy donations at various locations, including several gated communities throughout town, ensuring that every child receives a gift on Christmas morning,” she said

National Wreaths Across America Day Saturday at Coral Ridge Cemetery

Coral Ridge Cemetery, an official Wreaths Across America location, will host a wreath-laying ceremony, joining more than 4,225 other locations across the country for National Wreaths Across America Day

The program will be held Saturday, Dec 14, with placement at 11 a m and a special ceremony at noon

Coordinated and led by local volunteers,

sponsorship groups have raised funds throughout the year to sponsor the placement of veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of fallen service members laid to rest at the Cape cemetery This annual event seeks to further the yearlong mission to “Remember, Honor, Teach,” ensuring that the memory of those who served our country endures

Coral Ridge Cemetery is at 1630 S W

Pine Island Road, Cape Coral

Organizations participating in the ceremony are Knights of Columbus; American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Gold Star Families; Dr Derrick Donnell, city of Cape Coral; and Patriot Guard Riders

About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue

and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, which was begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992 The organization’s yearlong mission – “Remember, Honor, Teach” – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond

Sunburn Cannabis opens in the Cape

Operators of the Florida-based dispensary focused on being active in local community

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A cannabis dispensary with deep Florida ties opened in Cape Coral recently, bringing high quality products to consumers in a growing market that is hyper-focused on the local community

Sunburn Cannabis, a Florida-based and vertically integrated cannabis operator, opened its first dispensary in Cape Coral (15th in the state) on Del Prado Boulevard on Nov 25

Sunburn Cannabis is inspired by Florida's rich history and the true story of CEO and founder, Brady Cobb, and his late father, Clyde Walton "Bill" Cobb, who was a cannabis smuggler in Florida in the 1970s and '80s The brand is named after "Operation Sunburn," the joint federal and state investigation that brought down Cobb's father's Florida-based cannabis smuggling crew in 1982

“We're very familiar with Southwest Florida,” said Cobb, who previously owned a business with a location in Bonita Springs “We knew the community and knew there was a need there We took our time in finding the right spot We're happy with where the store is located And we're very much probably the only real Florida-focused brand. A lot of our competitors are national companies that have a presence in Florida We are Floridian through and through I'm a born and raised Floridian We really focus on getting into hyper-local activities within the market The Cape Coral/Fort Myers area seemed like one of those places to really lean in, and we look forward to becoming a trusted part of the community”

Sunburn is a premium brand and retail experience, with a team that brings an unyielding commitment to innovation while growing and selling only the highest quality handtrimmed cannabis flower Sunburn also offers pre-rolls, edible gummies, rosin vapes, rosin nectar, concentrates such as Piattella Hash, and their new line of top-shelf flower, “Bill's Reserve ”

Cobb said Sunburn curates every strain to bring out the truest expression of the plant and utilizes advanced extrac-

tion techniques to preserve the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes

Along with providing top-shelf products, Cobb said Sunburn will be a true community partner in Southwest Florida

“You'll see us at events You'll see us at fishing tournaments You'll see us at beach cleanups,” he said “We'll try to be there not selling, but just to be there to support the community and be a good community partner ”

Sunburn grows and produces its product in Orlando, with the entire team calling the Sunshine State home

Cobb said while other dispensaries have a focus on more than one state, Sunburn is fixated on bringing the best there is to offer to only Floridians

“We have very high standards when it comes to how we grow,” Cobb said “We firmly believe and maintain a farm-first mentality, which is one of our mission statements -- is to be a farm-focused company You can't win in this market, or any cannabis market, unless you live and die by the quality of your flower A lot of this team has been together across two businesses in Florida dating back to 2018 We're very proud of what we do, and our team, and how we grow and our commitment to honoring the plant ”

Cobb said the name Sunburn is also a vital fixture in what they do, as it's an ode to Cobb's father and the federal government's name of "Operation Sunburn" in tracking down Bill Cobb and his group of outlaws Cobb said when he visits the various Sunburn locations throughout the state, he often hears stories from customers that had a relative or knew someone that shared similar characteristics of his father's story

“Instead of trying to be this medicinally pharmaceutical company, we've leaned in to that rich culture and history,” Cobb said “We're not celebrating the bad, but celebrating that this is a plant that people wanted access to, and some people took a chance to do it and got in trouble. For us, it's about celebrating that rebellious spirit, that unapologetic fun, and the positives that cannabis can bring And pairing

that with what we believe is a very differentiated retail experience ” When you walk into Sunburn locations, there is no frosted glass, with music playing and a pool table centralized on the floor

“It's like popping into a nice high-end boutique,” Cobb said “We want to reduce the stigma When consumers come see us, we have a high retention rate because it feels like home They're not intimidated You can take as long or short as you want Come play a game of pool ”

Cobb said Sunburn has been successful due to its commitment to the quality of the product, leaning into its authentic Florida story, and having a unique retail experience that is led by the team and feeling when you walk in the door

Sunburn's top tiers of flower are still hand-trimmed, with other flower products that pass the savings onto the consumer machine-trimmed and hand-cleaned Sunburn has a diverse offering for all types of cannabis consumers, from hash, to edibles, to rosin, a beverage, and more

“We wanted to give people an opportunity to try it in many different ways,” Cobb said “We try to make it so there's something on our menu for everyone ”

With Amendment 3 having not reached the threshold to pass in last month's election, Cobb said the fight to make cannabis recreationally legal is not yet over

“The future of cannabis in Florida remains very bright,” Cobb said “It's the largest medical market in the country ” Cobb said he expects a bit of contraction in the market, as well as price compression as other companies spent big dollars in preparation of the amendment passing He said Sunburn was set up to come out of the decision in a positive way regardless of what the results were

“I do think the market is going to shrink up a little bit,” he said “I think you'll see some store closures I think you'll see some companies exit the space But ultimately we're going to be here for the long run, and I think you're

See DISPENSARY, page 22

Ringing in the holidays

The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral hosted its “Holiday Festival of Lights” in South Cape Saturday evening, helping the community kick off the holiday season Among the festivities

w e r e l i v e p e r f o r m a n c e s f r o m s u c h groups as the Calendar Girls, above; the lighting of the Christmas tree, right; vend o r s ; h o l i d a y m u s i c ; a 1 5 - t o n s n o w slide; an early visit from Santa Claus; and much more. The annual event was sponsored by Incredible Bank See additional photos on page 24

Cape woman charged with driving while impaired after striking pedestrian

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A Cape Coral woman was arrested after police say she hit a pedestrian Monday night while driving under the influence

Robin Marie Nicholson, 56, was charged with DUI and serious bodily injury to another, a third degree felony

Cape Coral Police Department officials said officers responded to a traffic crash near Beach Parkway just before 8 p m Monday According to police, the crash involved a red Ford Escape, driven by Nicholson

“Nicholson veered to the right, striking a pedestrian as he was walking in the bike lane along the roadway,” CCPD officials stated

Police said witnesses identified Nicholson as the driv-

er and confirmed her involvement in the crash. At the scene, officers said they observed signs of impairment, and field sobriety test were conducted

“Based on her performance and other indicators of impairment, Nicholson was arrested for Driving Under the Influence,” CCPD officials sated

Once Nicholson was taken to the hospital, police said breath tests resulted revealed a blood alcohol content of 0 118%

Cape Coral Police Department officials told The Breeze the pedestrian that was struck is a 41-year-old male that is still in critical condition in the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon Additionally, police said he was walking with his wife and child when he was hit.

Nicholson was transported to Lee County Jail, and later released on a $10,000 bond

Teen charged in carjacking after chase leads to airport runway

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com com

A 16-year-old from Cape Coral was charged with carjacking after an alleged heist of a vehicle from Southwest Florida Christian Academy led to a chase with law enforcement officers that ended on the tarmac of the Southwest Florida International Airport

Felix Marcial Ayala, whose permanent address is in Cape Coral but who also has a Fort Myers address listed, faces several charges related to the incident

Ayala is accused of stealing a vehicle from a local teacher who was retrieving items from her vehicle at the parking lot of Southwest Florida Christian Academy Friday morning

Ayala allegedly threatened to shoot the teacher by motioning to the waistband of his shorts though he is not accused of having used a weapon

According to a Lee County Sheriff's Office report, “Ayala saw that the vehicle keys were in the backseat and grabbed them, entering the vehicle and fleeing the scene” in the vehicle

About 3 1/2 hours later at about 2:45 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol troopers located the vehicle in the vicinity of Daniels Parkway and Paul J Doherty

P a r k w a y T r o o p e r s a ttempted a traffic stop with their emergency lights and sirens but the vehicle took off Troopers pursued the v e

y crashed into parked cars on the property of Alta

R

P a u l J Doherty Parkway in Fort Myers

Ayala was transported to Lee County Sheriff's Office headquarters and charged with carjacking without a firearm or weapon, one count of trespass on critical infrastructure property and one count of resisting an officer without violence.

Two occupants of the vehicle fled and a foot pursuit followed.

Ayala, who was allegedly the passenger at this point, fled to the Southwest Florida International Airport Troopers jumped the fence of the airport to pursue Ayala

Ayala entered the airport's tarmac “within the secure and immediate area of airplanes before being apprehended by Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies

“With the assistance of Florida Highway Patrol and the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the driver was apprehended and placed under arrest without further incident,” according to the arrest report

The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old, was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol though information on any charges were not immediately made available by the FHP

Both teens were transported to Gulf Coast Medical Center for precautionary evaluations.

Ayala was transported to Lee County Sheriff's Office headquarters and charged with carjacking without a firearm or weapon, one count of trespass on critical infrastructure property and one count of resisting an officer without violence

Ayala was later transported to the Lee County Jail

MARK CLIFFORD

All Abilities Play: Raising funds

From page 8

that people will need to go to a park and have fun and communicate,” she said “Communication is huge If you have a child that is nonverbal, they need to be able to tell that person where they want to go on the playground ”

Buday said although they do not have a timeline in mind because they need to raise the funds, there has been discussions about different locations, with one of those being Lake Meade She said there will be enough room to do what they would like there, but most likely in a phased approach – adding on more as the funds continue to be raised

“What we are wanting is not a small thing, or cheap,” Buday said

The ideas the committee has thought of have been sent to playground designers to create a drawing as well as a cost associated with the desired equipment

“Right now, we want to educate people on the need and get the word out and try to get as much community support as possible,” Buday said

Buday said the nice thing is more and more places are picking up on the need of a

truly accessible playground

“I don’t think people realize how many disabled people there really are In my son’s class alone, there are 11 kids in the classroom that are disabled His school built an inclusive playground,” she said of Gulf Elementary School “Their faces and smiles are my why This is the first time any of them have been able to play on a playground Everyone should have access to play ” For more information, email allabilitiesplay@gmail com, or visit www evieadapts com/play and www facebook com/allabilitiescapecoral

PHOTO PROVIDED

Owen Buday enjoying some time at the park

Lee Heart Walk this Saturday at Centennial Park

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

Thousands of local residents will join together this weekend in Fort Myers to raise awareness for heart health

T

Saturday, Dec 14, starting at 8 a m at Centennial Park Local businesses like Lee Health as Live Fierce SWFL sponsor and American Heart Association volunteers, as well as heart disease and stroke survivors, will participate in the American Heart Association's signature event that promotes CRP awareness and community preparedness

“Nine out of ten people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital do not survive,” wrote Lee Health President and CEO Dr Larry Antonucci, who is also the chair of the 2024 Lee County Heart Walk,

in his blog post “However, immediate action through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can double or even triple survival rates This critical life saving skill is a major focus of the American Heart Association’s Lee County Heart Walk ”

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, Antonucci continued, saying that this year, the American Heart Association, through the Lee County Heart Walk, is focused on making CPR training accessible to help bolster bystander preparedness and confidence, which is a great step toward creating a community of lifesavers

“Each year, the Heart Walk brings together companies, families and friends to raise funds for lifesaving research and to increase awareness about the symptoms

stroke,” Antonucci said

Through fundraising, community edu-

Heart Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for vital research, and save and improve lives from cardiovascular diseases, the number one killer in Lee County.

The Heart Walk will honor heart and stroke survivors by recognizing the top fundraising companies and individuals By participating and donating to the Lee Heart Walk, participants are supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association and safeguarding that fewer people die from stroke and heart disease Organizers said every walker who joins, and every dollar donated, results in more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research, and more lifesaving moments for

everyone Those who sign up for the Lee County Heart Walk will gain access to a 90-second Hands-Only CPR demonstration At the Heart Walk, participants can practice Hands-Only CPR skills on a manikin, strengthening their readiness to help. To sign up for the Lee County Heart Walk, visit www.LeeHeartWalk.org.

This year’s Lee Heart Walk is sponsored by Lee Health as Live Fierce SWFL

, Ambitrans, B&I Contractors, Encompass Health, Evertrust, FGCU, Humana, LCEC, Millennium Physician Group, Paradies Lagardere, Regions Bank and Scotlynn Centennial Park is at 2000 West First Street in Fort Myers

Water plant: Residents oppose proposed land change for preserve

From page 1

back on its promises of the comprehensive plan ” Ordinance 85-24, which amends the city’s “comprehensive plan by amending the conservation and coastal management element, the future land use element, and the recreation and open space element to allow a portion of the Yellow Fever Creek Regional Park to be utilized for an essential service facility” was continued to the Feb 5 meeting, at 9 a m , in City Council Chambers

Principal Planner Chad Boyko said with the text amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan changing a couple poli-

cies, they asked the ordinance to be continued at the February P&Z meeting He said within the Florida statute, the land map amendment goes hand-in-hand with the comprehensive plan text amendment

“You can run both as a small-scale amendment with no City Council transmittal process,” Boyko said

Typically, any text amendment goes b e f o

Commission, followed by the City Council for transmittal and the state for review

According to the backup material, a comprehensive plan was established in 1 9 8 9 f o r t h e Y

k Regional Park, which is nearly 200-acres with a primary use for passive recreation

and nature study

The city initiated some development to the site – such as a welcome center, hiking trails and primitive campsites, as well as parking facilities

“The City of Cape Coral Public Works D e p a r t m e n t a l o

Department have identified a portion of the Yellow Fever Creek Park as an ideal site for an irrigation and potable water storage and pumping facility,” the backup material stated

The facility would have two booster stations, two potable water storage tanks, two reclaimed water storage tanks, and a 4,375-square-foot storage building.

“This amendment would amend three

policies in the comprehensive plan that would reduce the size of the Yellow Fever Creek Park from 198 70 acres to 184 5 acres,” the backup material stated The 14 2 acres would be utilized for essential service facility

allow a subsequent future land use map amendment for the 14 2 acres from the parks and recreation land use classification to the public facilities future land use classification Furthermore, the amendment would also allow for a future rezoning from the single-family residential district to the institutional district

City, county and SWFWMD joint action plan possible to address water levels of the Mid Hawthorne Aquifer

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Water levels in the Mid Hawthorne Aquifer continue to be a topic of concern for the city of Cape Coral, which has led to a joint action plan

Utilities Director Jeff Pearson said from Oct 10 to Dec 5, the city only received 81 inches of rain, almost 4 inches below normal of where they should be at this time of dry season

“The Mid Hawthorne Aquifer is currently hovering just about 90 feet in the aquifer, which is below the minimum developable limit, but it is above the MFL – the top of the aquifer,” Pearson said

There is currently work being done on a joint action plan between the city of Cape Coral, Lee County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District staff He said they are working on comments to submit to the water management district, as there are many proposals

One of those is designating the entire city as a mandatory reuse zone Pearson said residents that are in the utility extension areas can keep their wells not tied into the city’s reclaimed water system, which would change if they went to the mandatory reuse zone

“The Mid Hawthorne Aquifer is currently hovering just about 90 feet in the aquifer, which is below the minimum developable limit, but it is above the MFL – the top of the aquifer ”

Utilities Director Jeff Pearson

“Upon completion of the UEP, it would require residents to tie into our reclaimed water system, similar to what we require with drinking water and wastewater –mandatory connection,” he said

In addition, if there was a replacement well and they were not on reclaimed water, but using a private well, they would not be issued a replacement well permit

Pearson said they have also looked at the shallow aquifer by drilling horizontal wells He said they got about 500 gallons per minute and the wells dried out in a short period of time

The water district, Pearson said, wants to do a test, at its expense

“That is fine if they want us to do that We have already done it and found they are not viable,” he said “Also, the

iron content is very high in that water table aquifer, shallow aquifer ”

Pearson said the city and county are urging the district to direct the county to allow deeper wells into another production zone that is below where the USGS well is located in the Mid Hawthorne Aquifer

“The second production zone is viable and could sustain future growth until the UEP projects come through and we get them connected to the city’s utility system,” he said

There are also proposals from the district in case the USGS well continues to decline, such as maintaining the one day a week irrigation restriction for all private well users in the Mid Hawthorne Aquifer; no longer issuing permits for irrigation use if the minimum flow level declines to less than 5 feet above the minimum flow level, or no longer issuing Mid Hawthorne Aquifer permits for any use and zero days for irrigation if the water levels decline to a certain level

“We have another meeting scheduled with them the first week of January to pick back up on our discussions We will continue to monitor the issue very closely,” Pearson said

Lee County offering free public transportation to state food-assistance event at Lee Civic Center this weekend

LeeTran will provide free public transportation to the

Program event happening 7 a m to 5 p m , Dec 13-15, at the Lee Civic Center, 11831 Bayshore Road, North Fort M

M

MyFLFamilies com/DSNAP

All participating buses will be identified with a “DSNAP” sign and will provide transport to and from the designated pickup points

The two pickup point locations will be Rosa Parks Transportation Center, 2250 Widman Way, Fort Myers, and Merchants Crossing in North Fort Myers Departures to the D-SNAP event site will occur from those two locations at the following times: 6:30 a m , 8 a m , 9:30 a m , 11 a m , 1:30 p m and 3 p m

It's important that shuttle-bus riders note the number of the bus they take to the Civic Center, as they will need to ride that same numbered bus to return to the correct pickup point

Shuttle riders can call LeeTran customer service at 239-533-8726 to check the status of a D-SNAP vehicle

Lee County School Board discusses healthy and fresh food options for meals at schools

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The Lee County School Board continues to ask the food services department to find healthy and fresh options for breakfast and lunch for students

Board member Jada Langford-Fleming said she did not mean to sound harsh, but they can always better their game.

“Every one of our schools should have a garden, K-12, frankly,” she said

The board members were given a sample of what is served at the schools at their b o a r d m e e t i n g T u e s d a y L a n g f o r dFleming said she entered the types food from the meal into an app she had on her phone, which showed how many carbohydrates were in the meal

“Some of these kids eat at 10:30 in the morning and are expected to sustain high academic achievement throughout the day,” she said, adding that too many carbohydrates make both children and adults tired

Board Chair Sam Fisher said he has three kids in the district who eat school meals every day

The presentation showed examples for breakfast – Pop Tarts and donuts, but a healthier version - a K-12 line, which means they have to be whole grain, lean protein and lower in fat and sodium

“It’s still a Pop Tart, donuts. How can we do better?”, Fisher asked, adding that for some kids, school is where they get their main meal

District Food & Nutrition Services Coordinator Amy Carroll said the nutrition standards are set forth by the USDA. She said there are limits on calories, fats and beginning next school year, sugar has to be kept within certain restraints

District Food & Nutrition Services

Coordinator Amy Carroll said the nutrition standards are set forth by the USDA She said there are limits on calories, fats and beginning next school year, sugar has to be kept within certain restraints

“There are weekly requirements that we have to meet,” Carroll said

She said when they had to move all meal services to the curve during COVID there was not prepackaged hot breakfast protein items available

“These items are way too high in sugar,” she said “Over the past couple of years our biggest request is to ‘give us more hot items with protein.’ We are getting more into that ”

Carroll said they are looking into semiscratch cooking verses heat and serve

“It’s a lot of training Training and baby steps Maybe next semester we can go to two semi-scratch menus,” she said

Food & Nutrition Services Director Kandace Messenger said the breakfast requirements must offer at least five items i n c l u d

meat/meat alternative and milk She said students must take at least three items including a half cup of fruit or vegetable

The same stands for lunch A school

chicken nuggets, whole grain dinner roll, reduced-sodium tater tots, apple slices and 1% white milk.

In addition to free breakfast and lunch, the school district also provides super snacks, an after school snack and supper

Messenger said there are 43 schools enrolled for the super snacks, six for after school snacks, 16 for supper and eight community sites for the after school snack program

She said the super meal is a more substantial meal, but also simple to serve as a snack

“We have feedback from the schools that they were concerned the students did not receive enough food with after school snack,” Messenger said

The School District is getting back to serving fresh fruit and vegetable bars This is partially made possible through the 14 school gardens located around the district Carroll said last year the gardens p r o d

pounds of vegetables

“The goal is to get them to consistently be able to furnish their cafeteria with that produce and continue to expand,” she said

There was also discussion about vending machines in schools.

Carroll said some of the items include Coke and Takis, while others provide water

“They are not to be turned on until 30 minutes after the end of the school day We are finding they are on all day We don’t run the vending machines,” she said of the food services

Superintendent Dr Denise Carlin said vending machines is an opportunity for the district to explore

EDUCATION BRIEFS

Lee Schools TV Hurricane Ian documentar y wins Suncoast EMMY Award

The School District of Lee County this week announced it has won a Suncoast EMMY Award for Hurricane Ian - A LeeSchoolsTV Documentary Multimedia coordinator Adam Wright and senior multimedia specialist Rylie Spicker were presented their award at the 48th Annual S

Saturday in Orlando

Hurricane Ian – A Lee Schools TV Documentary was released on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian to look back

at the impact of the storm and recovery from the damage The School District reopened all but two schools in less than three weeks after the hurricane, while also supporting the physical and emotional needs of students, staff and the community

“This award is for all of the employees of the School District of Lee County and those employees of other school districts who came down to help after Hurricane Ian They helped the students get back into the classroom and get back to learning after such a devastating storm,” said Wright during the acceptance speech at the event ceremony Lee Schools TV was also nominated in the category of single news hit for Lee County Teacher Feature: Teaching Beyond S

Spicker

The Emmy nods come on the heels of the School District’s Communications

See EDUCATION BRIEFS, page 26

Staff asked to provide plan for School Board advisory committees

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breeznewspapers com

District staff was tasked with coming back to the School Board with a preliminary plan of board advisory committees during its Tuesday meeting, as they are currently suspended

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ken Savage asked the board at what point do they resume, or make revisions to the current policy in regards to board advisory committees He said the final decision rests on the board

“How do we ensure the district and the board have diverse levels of information and board input that is truly data driven,” Savage said

The recommendation from district staff is to keep the District Advisory Committee (DAC) and School Advisory Committee (SAC) going

“That would be a recommendation we know we can support,” he said "Those are pretty well established ”

Board Chair Sam Fisher said the issue is finding people to sign up, as well as operational issues with committees themselves

“DAC committees have been very successful,” he said “The participation has been extremely tough, especially trying to recruit people Some of the committees went off track ”

Board member Jada Langford-Fleming said DAC is a

great umbrella to serve all those committees She said she has served on several committees and attendance is a huge issue

Langford-Fleming said it is important to give back time to staff to do what is really important

“For the last six years I have been here we have been trying to figure out what the committees are supposed to do,” Board member Debbie Jordan said “The committees were supposed to be here for us What would we like them to work on because they were on our advisory boards We kind of failed as a board to try to figure out what we would like these committees to help us and give us the tools ”

Nearly 600 pounds of food collected at Christmas Carol Sing

Residents and visitors who attended the Christmas Carol Sing at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers Saturday, Dec 7, contributed plenty of food and funds to

Southwest Florida

About 600 pounds of non-perishable food along with generous financial contributions were collected at the 33rd Annual Christmas Carol Sing, which was sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships and Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L C The contributions will help support families in need during the holidays, according to event organizers

“It is so gratifying to see our community coming together to help those less fortunate, especially during these economic times The need has never been greater,” said Community Cooperative CEO Stefanie Ink Edwards

More than 500 people attended the two performances, which featured violin soloist Jeffrey Fabisiak, who once played with the Naples (Italy) Symphony Orchestra; saxophonist Mike Pcolar; soloist Beverly Cox; members of the First Presbyterian Church Choir; and a visit from Santa Claus

By CATHY DUNN news@breezenewspapers com

We are facing a situation in Southwest Florida that is all too familiar to area gardeners: following hurricanes Helene and Milton in September and October, many of our plants were damaged and either broken or required pruning The warm temperatures that followed encouraged a burst of new growth The past two weeks have been unseasonably cool, and that tender new growth will be in danger of being burned by even lower winter temperatures and wind

O v e r t h e p a s t f i v e

l a r g e s t n u m b e r o f c o l d events annually, but cold temperatures also occurred

i n D e c e m b e r , F e b r u a r y and November Based on this pattern, it is wise to

e

u c

c o l d w e a t h e r a n d t a k e some proactive steps to avoid damage to your garden

Even though we don’t usually confront the freezing temperatures that north and central Florida can experience, many tropical plants suffer "chilling injury" at temperatures below 50°F If plants have not been "acclimated" by gradual temperature decreases over a period of time, damage is more likely to occur

How can you recognize cold-damaged plants?

I have recently noted tender plants such as begonias and impatiens, especially those plants in pots, that have suffered chilling injury which makes the plants appear to collapse Plants can also desiccate or dry out; you might notice brown leaf margins or leaf tip burn, or in severe cases, totally yellow or brown leaves This desiccation is usually caused by dry winds associated with cold fronts that move into our area from the north, causing water loss from leaves that cannot be replaced by a cold root system

As you may have noted after Helene and Milton, this damage is not always immediately apparent; many of my plants exhibited wind damage several weeks after these storms when leaves turned brown on the edges and suddenly yellowed and dropped Palms also suffer from cold damage; chilling injuries can result in damaged fronds and trunks, which can encourage secondary fungi and bacteria damage that can cause decay

There are fortunately some practical steps that you can take to protect your plants During cold spells, potted plants should be moved either indoors or onto your enclosed lanai or porch; if you can’t move potted plants on your lanai, you should group them together and bank mulch around the pots to preserve heat Large orna-

Presbyterian Church also presents Mrs Edison’s Hymn Sing as part of the Edison Festival of Light Both events benefit Community Cooperative, which was founded by First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers along with other churches in 1984

The Christmas Carol Sing and Mrs Edison’s Hymn

Cooperative, which works to end hunger and homelessness in Lee County Community Cooperative is an innovative nonprofit organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community It provides more than 26,000 meals each month through Sam’s Community Café, Meals on Wheels programs and school programs, distributes more than 2 1 million pounds of groceries through its Mobile Food Pantries and serves 14,000 individuals and families with homeless

Saxophonist Mike Pcolar performs during the annual Christmas Carol Sing last Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers.

and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers A proud United Way partner, Community Cooperative serves Lee and Collier counties

For more information about Community Cooperative, call 239-332-SOUP or visit www communitycooperative.com. For more information about First Presbyterian Church, please call 239-334-2261 or visit www fpcfortmyers org

Record donation highlights holiday season at Cape Coral Caring Center

Community generosity continues to pour into the Cape Coral Caring Center, including a record donation of food

As the holidays roll out, the community is remembering the importance of the food pantry, giving thousands of pounds and monetary donations to help Southwest Florida residents in need

Recently, Cape-Coral based Nor-Tech, which makes high performance boats, gave the Caring Center a record 7,700 pounds of food, much of it distributed over Thanksgiving The Burandt, Adamski, Feichthaler & Sanchez Law Firm in Cape Coral donated $2,000 worth of gift cards for the purchase of holiday meat

For the Christmas holidays, the Caring Center, located at 1420 S E 47th St , is giving away complete Christmas dinners to clients. A Christmas Toy Store also is underway to make sure local children receive a nice visit from Santa

“As always, despite recent storm events, our community steps up and delivers for us to make sure those in need receive food and other items during the holidays,” Cape Coral Executive Director Julie Ferguson said “We are always thankful for this amazing gift of generosity and hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season”

Looking ahead to the New Year, the Cape Coral Charity Car Show, the Caring Center’s largest fundraising event, is scheduled for Feb 22 at Mariner High School

Association, the non-profit Cape Coral Caring Center offers food and utility bill assistance as well as referrals to other agencies to help those in need

For more information on how to give or for assistance, call 239-945-1927 or visit the organization’s website at capecoralcaringcenter org

Cape Coral hosting Holiday Boat-A-Long Dec. 21

The city of Cape Coral is hosting its annual Holiday Boat-A-Long and Christmas Movie Saturday, Dec 21, from 4-9 p m

This free, family-friendly event will be held at Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Court, featuring stage entertainment, food trucks, crafts and a visit from Santa Claus

The boat parade will begin at 7:30 p m , and "The Polar Express" will be played on a giant inflatable screen at 8 p m Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the festivities!

Residents and visitors can also watch as the boats line

up in Bimini Basin for the parade, which first passes by the park's beach before heading down various canals in South Cape Coral

Those interested in having their boat in the parade should register by calling Sea Tow at 239-945-4820 For more information, visit the Special Events web page

Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the free Holiday Boat-A-Long event shuttle A map of the shuttle bus route at pick-up locations is available on the city web page at www capecoral gov, under the Holiday Boat-ALong link

A cold damaged plant

UF/IFAS

PHOTO PROVIDED

Sizemore: Cape Coral police chief praised by the county NAACP

From page 1

and around the country

Muwakkil said it was inspiring "for a high-ranking law enforcement officer to come out and say that this is a hate crime Keep in mind that none of us wanted it to be a hate crime He inspired us to be the best Americans we can be

"We hope other law enforcement officers and leaders follow his leadership "

Sizemore said while he is being recognized by the Lee County NAACP, as well as the Southern Regional NAACP Lead Office, his honor is a representation of the entire department

"While I'm the recipient of, or the custodian of the award, it's really representative of the work that all the men and women do at the Cape Coral Police Department every day, 24-7, 365," Sizemore said "Treating everybody with the same level of respect and the way you’d like to be

Dispensary: Now open

From page 13

going to see us continue to execute at a high level As an advocate for the plant, it would be really nice to have cannabis be completely legal in Florida We got over the loss of that, and we'll see what happens moving forward ”

As for getting completely legal cannabis use back on the ballot, Cobb said, “I think we'll get another chance at it, but I also think we're going to see some activity at the federal level I think the Trump administration is going to surprise a few people ”

Each week, Sunburn puts out deals on various products, and offers a military and senior discount.

For more information regarding Sunburn's retail footprint, product offerings and other services, visit www sunburncannabis com

Sunburn's Cape Coral location is at 1628 Del Prado Blvd , S , with regular hours being Monday through Sunday, from 9 a m to 8:45 p m

treated I was really humbled and honored to accept the award on behalf of everybody that works here at the department to do the right thing "

Lee County NAACP Criminal Justice Chair Mike Love read from a plaque that was bestowed to Sizemore, outlining his actions

Love said, "In a case the NAACP identified as a hate crime, Chief Sizemore demonstrated courage and trans-

parency by acknowledging the truth based on physical evidence His leadership exemplifies the power of collaboration, ensuing justice prevails and foisting trust between communities and law enforcement

The plaque, in part, states, "Chief Sizemore's exemplary service stands as a model for fostering peace, understanding, and justice, not only within Cape Coral but as a testament to the values our nation holds dear "

Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore, second from right, with representatives of the Lee

Board approves four new job descriptions for School District of Lee County

Another

associate superintendent position discussed

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The School District of Lee County approved four new job descriptions – one of which is an associate superintendent for adult, career, technical and alternative education Tuesday night

Board member Debbie Jordan questioned the need for an associate superintendent, which has a beginning salary of $142,000

“I am confused why we actually need another associate superintendent,” she said, adding that she hears from the community that the district is “top heavy ”

“We are the ones responsible for these job descriptions,” she said,

Superintendent Dr Denise Carlin said one of the very top priorities of this community is to ensure they have more support, particularly around trades

“Our community is loud and proud of the extreme need of students to come out of school and enter jobs I know that multiple people approached me of having resources available,” she said of such things as internships and externships “If we were doing a great job in this area, we would have been meeting those needs We do have a need for leadership and resources in this area ”

The position of the associate superin-

tendent is for that person getting out into the community and garnering resources and contacts Carlin said they have wonderful career academies but there are so many resources that are untapped She said the person will be out in the community 90% of the time

“I anticipate this person will be bringing in much more resources than the salary we are paying them It’s a win-win situation It’s going to be a cost positive for us,”

Board member Armor Persons said

Board member William Ribble agreed that this is a key position as there is a big gap between the business community and the School District

“I totally support this function,” he said “I don’t think you can put a price tag on the return you will get for this ”

The other job descriptions approved include transportation supervisor, transportation coordinator and safety, security and fleet operations chief

Carlin said the next process is to look line by line and discover those must "todos" and "nice to-dos " She said the nice todos will be put at the wayside

“One of the things they care about is the future of our children,” Carlin said “We don’t have enough resources behind this work and that is why I am bringing this forward ”

The annual Chamber of C o m m e r c e o f C a p e Coral “Holiday Festival of Lights” attracted a large crowd to South C a p e S a t u r d a y e v e ning, above. Many came dressed in special holiday attire, left. Another highlight was an early visit from Santa Claus, who shares a moment, as the snow flies, with Thresa Monahan, right

One of the always-popular attractions at the festival is a 15-ton snow slide. As the show flies around him, Elliot Barker, above, hangs on tight as he reaches the bottom of the slide. Two life-size inflatables, right, were also spotted at the festival along Cape Coral Parkway.

MARK CLIFFORD

Superintendent stresses priorities to improve School District

Carlin notes she has an ‘unwavering commitment to staff ’

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Superintendent Dr Denise Carlin shared that she has an unwavering commitment to the staff of the School District of Lee County during Tuesday night’s meeting

“I am proud to share with our community that we are so focused as a district on the five priorities I ran on,” she said “I’m so happy because as a team we talked about our priorities and the laser like focus on our work.”

Those priorities include ensuring safe and secure schools; increasing student achievement; expanding technical education opportunities; increasing teacher retention and recruitment; ensuring fiscal responsibility and empowering parents as partners in education

Carlin said it’s about prioritizing their budget and making sure they are putting dollars where they belong

“How are we going to preserve dollars and generate

From page 18

Communications, and a Gold Award for the annual Impact Report in the category of Publications The MarCom Awards recognize excellence in marketing and communic

Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP)

The School Board of Lee County officially recognized Wright and Spicker for their EMMY Awards and the members of the Communications team for their MarCom Awards at the meeting Dec 10

Women in Business to host

Sweethear ts & Scholarships Feb. 5

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce and its Women in Business Committee invite the community to its annual Sweethearts & Scholarships fundraiser on Wednesday, Feb 5, hosted by HeadPinz Entertainment

w a

s salaries,” she said “I can tell you I have an unwavering commitment to our staff I’ve given a work directive to cabinet They will be coming back with budgets in terms of cuts –go line by line ”

Carlin said the line by line will separate out the “must dos” and "nice to dos ”

“Perhaps putting the nice to dos aside,” she said, adding they have to “focus on high

team members we have in the school district to making sure they are making a livable

EDUCATION BRIEFS

Center Fort Myers

Sweethearts & Scholarships raises funds for Women in Business scholarships, which are awarded annually to nontraditional students at Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida SouthWestern State College and local technical colleges Funds support traditional scholarships as well as gap funding for industry certifications to assist with local workforce development efforts.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Women in Business scholarships

The Chamber is still seeking a scholarship sponsor for this event, which costs $250

Sweethearts & Scholarships will take place from 4-6 p m , Feb 5, at HeadPinz Fort Myers, at 14513 Global Parkway in Fort Myers Admission is $15 for chamber members and $25 for future members and includes one complimentary drink and light appetizers

For more or to register, visit FortMyers org or call 239332-2930

wage That is my commitment We are going to model the way as the central office We are going to start the work ”

Carlin said there was an incident a couple of weeks ago at one of the elementary schools She said OPENGATE caught a weapon that was brought onto campus and stopped it right there

She said as far as increasing student achievement, they heard from numerous teachers during public comment of its importance

“It’s our number two priority right after safety and security. Our team is buckling down. We are looking closely at ways to improve student achievement – it starts with teachers and high-quality practices,” Carlin said

Another priority is making sure they partner with parents, as it is important to empower voices of parents

“My priorities – and now they are our district priorities,” Carlin said “I am proud of that work and can’t wait to get started on it ”

Ar threx Career Showcase on Jan. 8

Arthrex, a leader in minimally invasive surgical techn

Wednesday, Jan 8, in the Arthrex One building at 1 Arthrex Way, Naples

Students can attend either a morning session from 9:30-11 a m or an afternoon session from 3-5 p m

Team members from a variety of departments at Arthrex will be on hand to introduce students to a wide array of career, internship and co-op prospects, including engineering, product management, national sales, information technology, finance, manufacturing, medical education/medical affairs, legal, compliance, operations, orthopedic research, quality, regulatory, human resources, marketing, meetings and events, communications and culinary

Register to attend the showcase and visit Arthrex com to learn more

Superintendent Denise Carlin

Lee County operations adjust schedules for Christmas, New Year’s holidays

Most Lee County administrative operations will be closed Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday, as well as on Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1, for the New Year’s holiday

The holiday schedule adjustments:

Solid Waste

Collections of garbage, recycling and yard waste will continue as normal on Tuesday, Dec 24 There will be no collections on Wednesday, Dec 25, and collections will continue with typical Wednesday collections happening on Thursday, typical Thursday collections on Friday and so on through Saturday, Dec 28

Solid Waste offices will be closed on Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.

The Resource Recovery Facility in Buckingham and the Lee-Hendry Landfill will be closed on Wednesday, Dec 25, but open regular hours on Tuesday, Dec 24

The LaBelle and Clewiston transfer stations will be closed Wednesday, Dec 25

Collections of garbage, recycling and yard waste will continue as normal on Tuesday, Dec 31 There will be no collections on Wednesday, Jan 1, and collections will continue with typical Wednesday collections happening on Thursday, typical Thursday collections on Friday and so on through Saturday, Jan 4

Solid Waste offices will be closed on Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1

The Resource Recovery Facility in Buckingham and the Lee-Hendry Landfill will be closed on Wednesday, Jan 1, but open regular hours on Tuesday, Dec 31

The LaBelle and Clewiston transfer stations will be closed Jan 1

Christmas trees that have had the stand, lights and decorations removed, including tinsel, can be set out with regular yard waste to be ground into mulch As a reminder, plastic toys, ribbons, bows, metallic and plastic wrapping paper and batteries should not be placed in recycle carts Batteries should be brought to Lee County’s Household Chemical Waste Facility located at 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers For a more detailed list of where items should go visit www leegov com/ solidwaste/recycle-coach

Community Development

All Lee County Community Develop-ment lobbies and phones will be closed Friday, Dec 20 Staff will continue working during this time to address applications and departmental workload

Lobbies and phones will be closed Monday, Dec 23, with the exception of Inspections Administration Staff will continue working during this time to address applications and departmental workload

O

Wednesday, Dec. 25, for the holiday.

Lobbies and phones will be closed Monday, Dec 30, with the exception of Inspections Administration Staff will continue working during this time to address applications and departmental workload

O

Wednesday, Jan 1, for the holiday

The electronic permitting portal will remain open during the closures Visit www leegov com/dcd Utilities

The Call Center and the drive-thru window at 7391 C

, Wednesday, Dec 25, Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1

A drop-box is on-site at the front door and another accessible via the drive-thru for payments by check.

LeeTran

LeeTran will operate its regularly scheduled bus service on Tuesday, Dec 24 There will be no bus service on W

Thursday, Dec 26 Visit rideleetran com for specific route information V

TranFL/ for information on services on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Parks & Recreation

Beaches, boat ramps, parks and preserves will remain open Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.

The administration office will be closed Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec 25 Normal hours resume

Thursday,

Dec 26

Pools are closed Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25., resuming normal operating hours Thursday, Dec. 26

Beaches, boat ramps, parks and preserves will be open Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1

The administration office will be closed Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1, resuming normal operating hours Thursday, Jan 2

Pools are closed Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1, resuming normal operating hours Thursday, Jan 2

The county’s four recreation centers – North Fort Myers, Veterans, Wa-Ke Hatchee and Estero – will be closed through the holidays due to scheduled annual maintenance They will be closed from Saturday, Dec 21, through Sunday, Jan. 5. For alternative parks sites, visit www leeparks org The centers will re-open Monday, Jan 6

Librar y System

All branches will be closed Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec 25 Normal hours of operation resume Thursday, Dec 26

All branches will be closed Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1 Normal hours of operation resume Thursday, Jan 2

The Captiva Memorial Library, 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva, and The Johann Fust Community Library, 1040 West 10th St , Boca Grande, remain closed due to Hurricane Milton impacts

The library always is available online at www leelibrary net/online

Lee County Domestic Animal Ser vices

On Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec 25, the Lost & Found Pet Center and the Pet Adoption Center will be closed Normal hours resume Thursday, Dec 26, at 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers

On Tuesday, Dec 31, and Wednesday, Jan 1, the Lost & Found Pet Center and the Pet Adoption Center will be closed Normal hours resume Thursday, Jan 2

Please visit www LeeLostPets com for additional information

CCAS receives grant for assisting DeSoto County Animal Control during Hurricane Milton

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter was granted $4,050 to cover costs associated with Hurricane Milton relief the shelter provided to DeSoto County Animal Control

In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton that struck our area on Oct 9, an urgent plea was put out through statewide emergency response agencies to evacuate as many animals as possible from areas already flooded by Hurricane Helene just

two weeks earlier. DeSoto County Animal Control was among those shelters in desperate need, and it is one of Cape Coral Animal Shelter’s long-standing rescue partners

The shelter immediately loaded its van with empty carriers and headed one hour north to DeSoto Animal Control There they met up with overwhelmed and very grateful animal control officers and 27 ani-

mals --25 cats and two small dogs -- were rescued Taking in 27 animals at one time is difficult for such a small shelter, with only 12 kennels and three small cat rooms CCAS never hesitated to help its rescue partners and animals in need in DeSoto County

In the days after Milton, PetSmart Charities offered grant funding to cover the cost of care for the 27 animals the Cape

Coral Animal Shelter took in, which included medication, vaccines and the cost of spay/neuter and microchipping to prepare the animals for adoptions Several of the kittens broke with severe upper respiratory and required extended medical care

Thanks to the generosity of PetSmart Charities, the burden of taking in so many animals at one time under extreme circumstances was lessened

Christkindlmarkt: German American Social Club holiday celebration

From page 1

and entertainment

Feel the full spirit of the holiday at this G e r m a n C h r i s t m a s M a r k e t , w h e r e S t Nikolaus and Old Saint Nick fill attendees with festive cheer

GASC staff say they are buzzing with excitement while preparing for these traditional German festivities And with typical German Gemütlichkeit (a state of warmth and friendliness), the club invites the Southwest Florida community to make this holiday season as festive as ever by joining in the Christmas cheer – German-style

“We're always excited to have the community come in, especially now during the holidays where we're going to be festive, and set up for Christmas,” said GASC President Erich Kohl “We'll have decorations and hopefully the cooler weather keeps up to give us that up north feel ”

GASC is teaming up with vendors from the community, offering unique holiday g if ts , in clu d in g C h r is tmas d eco r atio n s , crafts, toys and jewelry, while bringing something truly magical to the Southwest Florida community

“We want everyone to get into the holi-

day spirit,” Kohl said “We'll have entertainment to help set the mood Plus it's the friendship, companionship and socializing with loved ones ”

Delicious aromas will fill the air with

German food choices as well as international specialties from food trucks There will be a wide selection of baked goods, Stollen (spiced fruit bread with nuts) and gingerbread

“We'll have a little bit of everything,” Kohl said

Music will be provided by the club’s very own Hafenkapelle, and will include caroling with the club’s Edelweiss Chorus, w

Nuggets” and Manni Daum

Attendees can also enjoy some great German beers, a cup of Glühwein (mulled wine), some great food and holiday cheer

Organizers want the event to be a weekend of fun with friends and family, including fun, crafts and games for children at the Kinderclub corner.

GASC will also partner with Gifts of Hope and collect for a toy drive for disadvantaged children Bring a gift of joy to participate

The event is free to the Southwest Florida community and includes free parking

“It's going to be a great time, and we'd love to have everybody come out,” Kohl said

Negative tide days can prove useful out on the water

This Saturday morning get ready to launch on an -0 7 ultra-low tide, that’s if you can get your boat in the water, with the incoming ever so slowly building throughout the day to a 2 2 high by midnight Expect near same conditions for Sunday along with a full moon

The upside of super low tides is it concent r a t e s t h e i n s h o r e f i s h i n t o o b v i o u s l o c a t i o n s and once found can provide fast fishing For the first time in a while at least you know where the fish aren’t

N e g a t i v e t i d e s c a n also be a plus for the a v i d p o l e a n d s i g h t angler looking for waving redfish tails glistening in the morning dawn as there won’t be any w a t e r u n d e r t h

Capt George Tunison

ng r o v e s t o h i d e t h e s e chow hounds (Remember to check moving mullet schools for redfish, snook and trout hitchhikers - always worth a few casts)

Negative tide days can be especially useful to the new area boater as well This is a great day to not concentrate on fishing but instead choosing to take a boat ride to get a good idea of the lay of the land, showing cuts, ditches, exposed structure, deeper holes and vegetation normally not seen during high water conditions Make notes, take pictures, check different ramps for future low water launching limitations, mark your maps and enter GPS numbers of anything interesting to return to or areas and items to avoid

This is also a day to get an honest evaluation of your boat's true shallow water capabilities, but proceed with caution as it’s also a time to lose a prop or lower unit if you don’t practice common sense as there’s still a lot of floating and submerged items waiting to surprise you and your new, shiny and very expensive engine and hull

Pleasure boaters in larger vessels will do well to not s t r a y f

g through south Matlacha Pass in the early part of the day Here a single foot or two off course could mean grounding or at least a good sanding of your hull's gel coat If you’re going too fast, you’re putting not only your boat in danger but also yourself and your passengers

Currently Boca Grande Pass and any structures associated with the pass are holding the biggest numbers of sheepshead without having to travel out to our nearshore reefs where they have been staging Further inshore,

NEGATIVE TIDE DAYS, page 31

Cape Half Century Plus Softball League recruiting players for Winter 2025 Season

L

The Cape Coral Half Century Plus Softball

Season If you are you 50+ and looking for a great way to stay active, meet new people and have fun, join this CO-REC slow-pitch softball league this winter!

Organizers say the league is all about camaraderie, friendly competition and a good time on the field

G

Wednesdays at 6:30 and 8 p m , beginning Wednesday, Jan 8, at the Cape Coral Sports Complex at 1410 Sports Blvd , in Cape Coral

Wednesday

Boys Soccer

Mariner 5, Palmetto Ridge 1: Neil Zela and Thomas Castano had a goal and an assist each for the 11-0 Tritons Justin

Gabriel Garcia each scored a goal Gabriel Tarra and Gadiel Blanco made assists

Gulf Coast 2, North Fort Myers 1: The Red Knights are 2-7-2

Vikings (5-0-3), Raul Blandon two goals and two assists, and Jayden Danis a goal and two assists Jayden Ramirez and Giovanni Blandon also scored for Bishop Verot

Naples 4, Cape Coral 0: With the loss, the Seahawks slipped to 3-8-1

Girls Soccer

Oasis 8, Golden Gate 0: Erin Vezzola had a hat trick to pace the Sharks (6-3-1) Jazlyn Forbes, Rayne Faltinowski, Kaelyn Andrews, Tessa Kerr and Abigail Klages scored a goal each

North Fort Myers 8, Gulf Coast 0: A four-goal night by Hannah Busenbark led the Red Knights (6-2) Busenbark also had an assist Sophia Quartuccio scored twice, Bailey Root had a goal and three assists, Jaelyn Hoefer scored and Kenlee Dominguez made three assists

Mariner 2, Parrish Community 0: Mariner remains unbeaten at 9-0

Naples 1, Cape Coral 0: Cape is 6-51

Girls Basketball

First Baptist 46, Bishop Verot 29: FBA dropped the Vikings to 5-2

Tuesday

Girls Basketball

O

Sharks (4-1) cruised past an 0-6 Panthers squad

E s t e r o 5 3 , C

:

e Wildcats (5-1) handed the Seahawks their second loss of the year (7-2)

Dunbar 58, Island Coast 34: A slow first half doomed the Gators (2-3) to defeat

Important dates:

■ Player assessments -- all new players must attend at least one session Drop in any Monday or Wednesday in December, 5-6 p m , for open batting practice and evaluations

■ Application & Payment deadline -- Dec 18 for a guaranteed roster spot

■ League Draft- - Jan 3

Download or complete am application at https://halfcenturysoftball com/application

For more information, visit https://halfcenturysoftball com

PREP REPORT

Surrounded

Oasis High guard Llyod Baptiste slips between Triton defenders Owen O'leary (5) and Eryk Jablonski (3) and puts up the shot Monday The Sharks downed the Tritons in the intracity battle, 67-56

First Baptist Academy 46, Bishop Verot 29: Cameron O'Halloran scored nine points and Gwen Pfleger scored eight as the Vikings fell to 5-2

Girls

Soccer

Bishop Verot 2, North Port 1: The Vikings are still undefeated (8-0), getting goals from Katie Pelkofski and Lea Scotti Lila Dinkel made an assist

Boys Basketball

Cape Coral 75, Estero 62: Dylan Bandale had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Isaiah Derkevics had 16 points and 10 boards to pace the 4-0 Seahawks Joseph Rucker scored 10 points with Elijah Felix adding 9 LaBelle 55, Ida Baker 46: The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 2-5

MARK CLIFFORD

Cape Coral Art League announces classes, shows and events for January and February

T h e C a p e C o r a l A r t L e a g u e h a s

announced the following shows, classes and activities:

Open Painting

Wednesdays, September through July, from 1-4 p m

Members $3 / Non-members $6

Open to the public

Student Sundays Sundays, October through June, from 1-4 p m

All materials provided

Ages 6 - 14

$20 cash or check only

Open to the public, pre-registration not required, just come 15 minutes before class starts

Holiday Silent Auction

Now through Dec 18, 11 a m to 4 p m , Monday through Thursday

Januar y shows and events

Water Wonderland

J a n u a r y 9 - 3 0 , 1 a m t o 4 p m ,

Monday through Thursday

Opening reception and presentation of awards Jan 9, 5-6:30 p m

Members Month J a n u a r y 9 - 3 0 , 1 1 a m t o 4 p m , Monday through Thursday

Opening reception on Jan 9 5-6:30 p m

Februar y shows and events

Wild About Wildlife

February 6-27, 11 a m to 4 p m , Monday through Thursday

Opening reception and presentation of awards Feb 6, 5-6:30 p m

Members Month

February 6-27, 11 a m to 4 p m , Monday through Thursday

Opening reception on Feb 6, 5-6:30 p m

Januar y and Februar y classes

(Please see CapeCoralArtLeague org for details and to register)

■ Beginning Acrylic – Mondays, 10 a m to noon

■ I n t e r m e d i a t e A c r y l i c

Mondays, 12:30 p m to 3:30 p m

■ Learn to Draw – Tuesdays, 9 a m to noon

■ Creative Watercolor for the Beginner and Above, Tuesdays, 9 to noon ■ P a s t e

Tuesdays, 12:30 to 3:30 p m

■ The Art of Zentangle – Tuesdays, 13 p m ■ O i

Wednesdays, 9

to 12 p m ■ D

(Adults 16+) – Wednesdays, 3-5 p m

■ H

Intermediate – Thursdays – 9 a m to noon (on hold)

■ Intermediate and Advanced Pastel Painting – 9 a m to noon

Galler y shows

■ January -- Water Wonderland

■ February -- Wild About Wildlife

■ March -- Simply Red

■ April -- Celebrating Color

■ May -- Florida Life

The prospectus for an upcoming show can be found in the show description on capecoralartleague org

The Cape Coral Art League on Cultural Park Boulevard, at 516 Cultural Park Blvd , is a 501(c)(3) non-profit It is an independent community of local artists who support, encourage, and inspire each o

exhibits, and open painting sessions

The League is a place to explore your artistic side; learn from exceptional educators; make new, life-long friends; and enjoy fellowship

For additional information, call 239772-5657

Chill in the air: Protecting your plants when the temperature drops

From page 20

m e n t a l p l a n t s t h a t a r e p l a n t e d i n t h e ground can be covered; the covers must extend to the ground to trap radiant heat and should be anchored with bricks or rocks

During a cold snap two years ago at Christmas I used sheets to cover plants, and while they were helpful, landscape cloth (available on Amazon) is significantly lighter and does a much better job. DO NOT use plastic to cover your plants as the plastic will actually transmit cold air to your plants!

A thorough watering before a cold spell is beneficial to plants because it helps retain heat in the soil and provides a ready source of moisture to help desiccated plants once the temperature rises Running your irrigation system during a cold spell is not recommended since residential irrigation systems are not configured to maintain a film of water on the leaves as commercial irrigation systems do

What should you do if your landscape suffers cold damage?

Any annuals that have collapsed should

be removed from the garden immediately as they will not revive and could promote viral or bacterial growth in their decaying material

Check the soil around your plants for moisture; once the sun is out and the temperatures are climbing, water can help warm the soil and provide the necessary moisture that even injured plants require You can remove dead leaves once they turn brown, but you should wait until new growth appears to do any pruning

You may be tempted to fertilize your plants to assist them in their recovery, however, if you apply fertilizer too early and we have another cold spell, the tender new leaves will be the first to be damaged It is better to wait until March when the danger of cold weather has likely passed before you add fertilizer to your garden

Extremes in our weather will always provide a challenge to gardeners, and we need to be prepared to respond to these events Setbacks in the garden are always discouraging, but thankfully we have the promise of warmer days to look forward to long before our northern friends will experience spring With good preparation and

Negative tide days: Go exploring

From page 30

smaller specimens have been showing up around bars and docks but sizes will increase in the coming weeks

Sheepshead are smart, line shy, hard fighting, armor clad fish but best of all, good on the plate There's an eight fish daily limit per angler with a 12 inch minimum length to harvest

In 1981, Mr Eugene Lechler caught a 15-pound, 13-ounce fish to set the long and still standing Florida state record Not to be outdone, the following year Wayne Desselle caught a New Orleans trash can lid-sized sheepie to set a new and also still standing world record of 21 pounds, 4 ounces Caught, on a dead shrimp

Only three more red snapper weekends left for this year so hopefully the winds won’t keep the fleet at the dock If you can, get out and explore the 120 to 150-

foot depths for a great variety of beautiful red and mangrove snappers, king mackere l , A f r i c a n p o m p a n o a n d o n e o f m y favorite fish to eat, hogfish

This bottom feeding usually colorful oddball will take a variety of dead baits as well as hit jigging spoons and soft plastics as long as they are fished near bottom. Spearing is allowed Absolutely delicious!

A great fighter and almost as good tasting offshore target, the African pompano, is swimming in local waters in those same 120-foot areas These fish not only fight hard and taste great, but can get rather big like the 50-pound, 8-ounce world record

Two per angler, and/or two per vessel, with a 24-inch fork length

Capt George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide You can contact him at 239-579-0461 or via email at captgeorget3@aol com

care after any cold weather events, we are fortunate that our gardens will soon be thriving in our beautiful subtropical climate!

Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master

Gardener volunteer, Garden Club of Cape Coral Member and president of the James E

www gardenclubofcapecoral com Like us on our Facebook page!

CAPE CORAL ANIMAL SHELTER

Lulu is a super senior 12-plus-year-old female She is a seasoned senior cat with a heart as big as her love for cozy blankets

Sure, she may have a couple of age-related medical challenges, but she doesn't even notice them now that the shelter staff put her on meds Lulu is as sweet as pie and gentle, too, ready to sprinkle a little joy and sass into your life River is a 1 to 3-year-old male You might notice his cool little swagger he had hip surgery, so he's got a bit of a limp, but don’t worry, he gets around just fine! He is still working on getting his strength back, so he's kind of like a superhero in training New people can be a bit scary for

him at first, but once he knows you’re one of the good ones, he'll love you to pieces Oh, and blankets? River is a pro at burrowing under them to stay cozy or play “Where's River?”

If you are interested in meeting any of the animals available for adoption at The Cape Coral Animal Shelter, visit its website at www capecoralanimalshelter com for additional information

The shelter is located at 325 S W 2nd Ave , Cape Coral, and hours of operation are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p m , and Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p m Please call 239-573-2002 for additional information

River

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

(Selected by

the Breeze Sports staff)

Absolutely Free

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Garage Sales

Power Boats

Personal Watercraft

Bonita Springs Homes

4-Wheel Drive

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Patriot Home Services

Death Notices Obituaries

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