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MCMURRAY & MEMBERS OF ROYAL SHELL
Record-breaking $11.7M home sale on Sanibel
McMurray & Members of Royal Shell Real Estate recently announced that it set a new record for the highest home sale on Sanibel.
Listed and sold by Mike McMurray, the 3.29-acre estate is located at 3845 West Gulf Drive and includes five-plus bedrooms and six bathrooms. The record-breaking sale closed on Nov. 30.
Sold for $11.7 million, the home features 6,654 square feet of total living space and 300 feet of beachfront on the Gulf of Mexico. It includes floor-to-ceiling columns, sculpted arches, a gourmet kitchen, wine room, separate guest house and panoramic views of the ocean.
SANIBELCAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
SCCF focuses on vigilance at annual meeting
TheSanibel-CaptivaConservationFoundationreinforced its core commitment to conservation and community during its 2022 Annual Meeting on Dec. 6 at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott in Fort Myers.
“Aside from the 1960s and '70s, there has never been a time more important than now to remain vigilant against external development pressures, ” Chief Executive Officer JamesEvanssaid. “Iwanttothankourcommunityforstanding strong in the face of what we expect to be tremendous challenges that threaten our wildlife, our way of life, and our local economy. ”
“There is no question that the conservation spirit continues to glow brightly on our islands and is a beacon of hope for future generations, ” he added.
Recognizing leaders from Sanibel and Captiva, Evans thanked them for their support of the SCCF's mission to protect and care for the region's coastal ecosystems.
SCCFmemberswelcomedfournewtrusteestotheboard, appointed new officers, heard leadership reports, and watched a 17-minute episode of “The Rebuild” that featured the SCCF's boots-on-the-ground hurricane and community recovery efforts. Outgoing Board of Trustees President Don Rice applauded the way the SCCF responded to the historic storm.
“I simply want to declare SCCF — our leaders, our team — performed magnificently, and continue to perform with great courage, competence, and commitment, ” he said. “We are where we are today, and we have the strength we have because of our legacy of work, our selfless dedication to the task at hand, and … the sacrifices and personal losses that our own folks have suffered at the same time they remain committed to our conservation mission. ”
Treasurer John Raho shared a financial report.
“The overall financial strength of SCCF remains solid in the face of challenges from COVID overhang, the ongoing weak equity market, and now Ian, ” he wrote. “We still face headwinds in fundraising from an uncertain economy, but we remain cautiously optimistic as the team has already achieved momentum. ”
Recognizing the challenges and opportunities that the SCCF faced during the July 2021 through June fiscal year, Rice cited the transition from outgoing Chief Executive Officer Ryan Orgera to Evans in January as a key shift.
“We were able to expand the roles and capabilities of many staff people, and James moved to a more collegial and collaborative approach to mission fulfillment, ” he said as he reported on successes across all of the SCCF's programs.
Evans encouraged attendees to read the FY 2021-22 Annual Report to learn about the mission-focused work the SCCF accomplished, including a four-page Hurricane Ian insert.
“We view Hurricane Ian as more of an opportunity than a hardship and we will build back better than before the storm. Rising seas and more intense, more frequent storm eventswillcontinuetoshapethefutureofourcommunities, ” he said. “We must rebuild in a way that not only makes our infrastructure more resilient to climate change, but also protects our unique wildlife habitats and the character of our barrier island sanctuaries. ”
ThenewtrusteesincludeJohnMorse,MaryEllenPfeifer, Lisa Riordan and Doug Ryckman. The new officers are President Anne Nobles, Vice President Doug Ryckman and Secretary Megan Doss.
In a post-Ian resolution, all current trustees will continue to serve through the end of the fiscal year, including Rice, outgoing Secretary Ran Niehoff, Bob Brooks, Laura DeBruce, Sandra Gross, Nik Khakee, Tom Libonate, Jill McCormack, Dick Pyle, Chip Roach, Laura Shaffer and Christine Szymanczyk.
Legacy Society inductions included the Estate of Sally Lichtenstein,EstateofBeverlyBall,EstateofThomasBone, Estate of Breese Tomick, Jill and John Kirkpatrick, Peter Siegenthaler, and Daniel P. Hagerman Foundation, represented by George, Audrey, and Lisa Hagerman.
LILY & CO. JEWELERS
Lily & Co. closes island storefront post-storm
By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Lily & Co. Jewelers announced the closure of its Sanibel shop.
Last month, co-owners Dan Schuyler and Karen Bell shared via social media that their physical storefront at 520 Tarpon Bay Road would not be restored and reopened following the storm.
“It is with great sadness that Dan and I let you know that the physical business of Lily & Co will no longer be a part of Sanibel, ” Bell reported, adding that they decided to sell the “historic gem. ”
The building has a rich history, spanning over 100 years, according to the company's website. Constructed in 1915, it was originally owned by the Florida Baptist Convention of Jacksonville. In 1929, the building opened as a school for Black children during Lee County's efforts to update the educational facilities throughout the county. The school remained in service until around 1963.
At that time, the building was converted into the Schoolhouse Art Gallery. As the years went by, it served as a bank and podiatrist's office. On July 8, 1999, the school was added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to the website. In 2006, the building was transformed into Lily & Co.
“The physical store Lily & Co. will no longer be able to be up and running, ” Schuyler shared.
“We're not going away, ” he added. “We're just going online. ”
Bell explained that the shop will have an online presence, especially through the end of the year for holiday shoppers. She added that Lily & Co. will be able to accommodate its customers online.
“One of the other things we really want to say is thank you so much for the last 16 years, ” Bell shared. “I've loved Lily & Co. I've loved this family. I've loved the gals that work with us. I've loved all of our vendors. I've loved everything about this opportunity — I'm very grateful. ”
She noted that people were not quite sure when they started the business 16 years ago.
“But Lily & Co. became a part of Sanibel, and Sanibel is a very special place. You all — our family, friends, and customers — have made our lives amazing, ” Bell reported.
“Sanibel is a very special place and will be even better than it was before. ”
Schuyler shared the same sentiment.
“We want to thank everybody for being there and that everybody is safe and sound through this tough situation with the hurricane, ” he reported.
Schuyler encouraged people to stay tuned online for updates.
“We'll keep you (apprised of) what's going on as we move forward in the future, ” he said. “So we're going to say goodbye for today, but not for forever. ”
For more information about Lily & Co. Jewelers, visit LilyJewelers.com.
VIP Realty Group announced its top producers for the month of November.
Teresa Baker had the top sales. Since becoming a Realtor, she has furthered her education by obtaining her designation from the Graduate Realtor Institute and the Sanibel Captiva Island Specialist, as well as her broker’s license.
Karen Bell and the Bell Team, which includes John Bates, Holly Peeples and Sherrill Sims, had the top listings and were the top producer. Since 1986, Bell has been a prominent broker in the region. She was recognized as the “Best of the Islands” Best Realtor in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017. The Bell Team was recognized as the “Best of the Islands” Best Real Estate Team in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
For more information, call 239-472-5187 or go to SanCapIslandRE.com.
VIP Realty Group is at 1560 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
Teresa Baker
