Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

School District continues damage assessments

Still-preliminary estimates range from low of $179 million to high of $273 million

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers.com

The overall impacts of Hurricane Ian on the School District of Lee County could be as high as $273 million to a low of $179 million, depending on the measures used.

The school board was updated this week on its rough order of magnitude, the preliminary estimate of the overall impacts that Hurricane Ian left behind.

Imperium Consulting Group Director Joseph Mascali said they create a high and low range in terms of the preliminary estimates. It ranges from a high the $273 million to a low of $179 million, which is different from the preliminary damage assess-

ment of $230 million.

That difference is mainly driven by the absence of specific categories, he said.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said the numbers will consistently, at any given hour, and day, be an updated version.

Imperium Consulting Group Managing Director Arnold Mascali said Imperium

assists policy holders and public entities with insurance and FEMA. Its diverse group of professionals helps provide different perspectives to accomplish a common goal.

Imperium helps the district through project development, documentation and proper procurement.

“We want to keep pace with you guys while identifying and maximizing funding available,” Joseph said.

Emergent Risk Solutions Managing Director Kipp Nelson said any large public entity, in the aftermath of a disaster, typically has a layered approach to funding, such as the National Flood Insurance, property insurance, other funding sources and FEMA.

“The largest portion is FEMA,” Nelson said, adding that FEMA is the payor of last resort. “Everybody else goes first before them.”

The presentation broke down the

Residential parking back on the table

By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers.com

Cape Coral City Council took another look at parking and storage in residential neighborhoods this week

The debate over what kinds of vehicles can be parked in driveways, storage of trailers and boats on residential property front and rear is not new.

Mayor John Gunter said Wednesday he wants to set parameters for what a possible ordinance would look like moving forward, Council agrees the matter should move forward at all.

It generated some interest.

Councilmember Robert Welsh said with houses having to be built much higher and no basements, it is more difficult to get those boats and trailers to the back of the house.

“I thought maybe we could allow boats to be parked to the side and have a fence for it to be behind,” Welsh said. “I also don’t want to limit it to boats. We have BMX riders who put their bikes, or fourwheelers on trailers or who have travel trailers.”

The city has allowed commercial vehicles with lettering to be parked in driveways, which Welsh said has helped the city, but added, if two such vehicles are allowed, why can’t one of them be a boat?

Free turkey distribution

Community Cooperative will distribute free frozen turkeys to those in need this Holiday season.

The distribution will take place at 3429 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Fort Myers on Dec. 19 from 3 to 6 p.m. or while supplies last.

Limit one per household and must show ID.

The distribution is part of the Lee County Strong campaign which was set up to provide relief and recovery efforts to those in SWFL impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Local actor hits her stride in L.A.

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers.com

“This isn’t the 1990s anymore. We’re 30 years behind on this and I want to have all these avenues open to engage with the community and bring this to a (workshop) meeting,” Welsh said.

Gunter said his concern is for the neighbors.

“Just because you want to keep a trailer in your yard, the neighbor may not want to look at that,” Gunter said. “I like the fence. Most of them were destroyed during the storm and you can see pretty much everything someone has in their backyard and most of it shouldn’t be there.”

Councilmember Patty Cummings was in agreement with Welsh.

However, Councilmember Bill Steinke worried this type of change could be a Pandora’s Box.

“With the beautification of our city being a top priority, we have to be careful with what is allowed,” Steinke said. “We have storage sheds that have privacy fences. When the fences come down, it can be an eyesore.”

Christmas Boat Parade set for Saturday

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

As a way to spread some holiday cheer this season — one where it's needed more than most — residents have again organized a festive event for the city's enjoyment.

The Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association's second annual Christmas Boat Parade will see a convoy of brightly lit and decorated vessels navigate Cape Coral canals.

Boaters set sail on Dec. 17 starting at 6:40 p.m. running until 10 p.m.

All boaters are welcome to decorate their vessel with a holi-

day theme and join in on the route.

“The more the merrier,” said parade organizer Dean Fox. “This is a great event for the community, especially this year after so many people and their lives turned upside down because of the community."

With the city's Holiday Boata-Long cancelled, Fox said he's

heard great response from residents wanting to take in their event.

The parade will be started on the Spreader Waterway just south of Bonefish Canal. The route will traverse east down Bonefish, turn at the end, and head west back to Spreader Waterway. The parade then goes north over to Wazee Lake, and then east down

Hermosa Canal. The route will then head west back to Wazee Lake and follow the shoreline west to Spreader Waterway. From there, the voyage moves north to Horseshoe Canal, then east turning around at the end, and back west to Spreader Waterway where the parade ends.

There is no sign-up sheet to join, boaters can show up at the staging area to take part. With recent events, Fox isn't sure how many vessels will take part. He’s hoping the turnout will be a good one. When decorating, boaters should focus on the bow, starboard, and stern, as these area

Longtime Cape restaurant reopens in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Popular weekly sports feature continues: The Cape Coral Breeze presents Athletes of the Week.

The School District of Lee County engaged with Imperium Consulting Group just before Hurricane Ian hit and mobilized on Oct. 2. The group developed a document management and retention system where the district can track all hurricane-related expenses that will be submitted to FEMA and insurance. Thus far, an advanced commitment of $25 million has been secured.

t 27, one North Fort Myers High School graduate, is no longer an aspiring actor, but a working actor with movie credits and starring roles highlighting her accomplishments.

Meghan Carrasquillo moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to transition from theater to film and television. With Los Angeles being similar to Florida in terms of weather, beaches and palm trees, it was a

no-brainer to relocate to California, especially with opportunities waiting.

"It was easy for me to fall into some great oppor-

See ACTOR, page 6A

NFMH grad Meghan Carrasquillo has lead role in ‘Hider in My House,’ a Lifetime movie. / DANTE YORE/PROVIDED BY MEGHAN CARRASQUILLO

The Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association's second annual Christmas Boat Parade will set sail on Dec. 17 starting at 6:40 p.m. running until 10 p.m. All boaters are welcome to decorate their vessel with a holiday theme and join in on the route.

Cape Council discusses assessment break for conservation

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers.com

The north Cape is scheduled for water, sewer and irrigation services, not just in North 1 where the next city utility expansion is pending but throughout.

However, not all of that land is going to be developed. In North 1, there are three lots that are owned by a conservation group that is going to keep the land as is to allow for burrowing owls, gopher tortoises and other animals’

habitat.

Instead of making the organization pay for utilities they will never need, the Cape Coral City Council reached a consensus that would ensure conservation groups would not have to pay UEP assessment on land meant for conservation.

Councilmember Jessica Cosden proposed the Cape Coral Conservation Program as a way to eliminate costs on sites that will not be developed in the future, which coun-

cil agreed to take on more fully in future meetings.

The amount of funding for this program is $100,000, which would come out of the city’s General Fund reserves and fund three parcels of conservation property that will not receive UEP services.

Cheryl Anderson, president of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, said most conservationists don’t want to accept the fact that a single lot can produce successful habitat for burrowing owls.

“We have proven over 20 years with the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife that a single city lot is viable habitat for this threatened species,” Anderson said. “This is good because all the people get to see them and enjoy them.”

The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust owns the properties in question. However, the city has a lien against them for UEP assessments.

Cosden proposed $115,000. However, Mayor John Gunter said there was $14,000 leftover money in another similar account that was approved in 2019, which should about cover the expected $35,000 cost per UEP parcel for three properties

“We need to make sure that any time we’re going to replenish that dollar amount, that it has to come back before Council,” Gunter said. “We have no clue what the economic future will be.”

Gunter also told City Manager Rob Hernandez that the program was not in the FY 2023 budget and asked when the assessments for the UEP would be paid.

Financial Services Director Mark Mason said those first assessments would be in November 2024, unless property owners choose to prepay between April and July of 2023.

Since there was no formal resolution to pass, Council reached a unanimous consensus, with only Councilmember Keith Long expressing concern over whether this would become a yearly thing if other organizations buy properties or new UEP assessments come into play.

CAPE CORAL BREEZE RAYMOND M. ECKENRODE Publisher VALARIE HARRING, Executive Editor CHRIS STRINE, Editor

The second wave: Housing insecurity shakes our community

Hurricane Ian has brought the specter — and reality — of homelessness to too many of us here in Lee County.

According to still-preliminary estimates provided by Lee County, Ian destroyed 5,076 homes, caused major damage to 13,532, and minor damage to 14,418. Add in the 17,287 additional residences that were impacted in some way and the tally stands at 50,313.

Rentals are lacking or prohibitively expensive.

This means many are sleeping in cars parked in driveways or hastily obtained RVs and campers as they await insurance money or FEMA aid. This means the forced sharing of space with family or friends or trying to find a house share.

It’s trying.

It’s tragic.

But, hopefully for most, it is temporary.

For others, the storm exacerbated the issue of affordable housing and the lack thereof.

For make no mistake, Lee County was in the midst of a housing crisis well before Hurricane Ian.

Driven by inflation and spiraling housing costs, many Lee Countians were already struggling to pay rent, much less buy a home.

Homelessness also is not a new issue. According to the Lee County Homeless Coalition, we, as a community, have long grappled with its challenges and its impacts.

In an early September release —that’s pre-Ian — the coalition estimated that there are more than 3,400 individuals who are homeless here at any given time.

According to the coalition’s latest survey, taken in January, about 8 percent of those living on Lee County streets are chronically homeless — defined as an individual adult “with a disabling condition who has either continuously been homeless for a year or more or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”

The majority were male and white but the demographic ranges across gender, age and race.

Nor is homelessness limited to unaccompanied adults. The survey found 49 families, with 86 children among them, without a place to live.

Data from the School District of Lee County shows numbers significantly higher than that “snapshot.” This year the district has identified 3,014 students as meeting the criteria for the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act which states that children and youths who lack a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” are considered homeless.

This number is not the result of Hurricane Ian alone, the storm has simply given homelessness and housing insecurity a new face.

The problem of existant homelessness is real.

It spans age groups and gender.

It affects individuals and families with kids.

And sometimes it kills.

At least 16 individuals who were homeless died here in Lee County this year alone.

So two things — one for the chronic issue; one for the new and hopefully transient.

One, the Lee County Homeless Coalition will again hold a vigil to remember those who have passed.

The 26th annual Candlelight Vigil for the Homeless will be held Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Lee County Courthouse Steps at 2120 Main St. in Fort Myers.

This event is intended to “educate and inspire the public to support the community’s need for more affordable housing, shelters, and accessible health care.”

Education and support are both sorely needed.

Two, for those in the maelstrom of the storm-caused housing crisis, Lee County is working to help you. The county has launched a housing website, Leegov.com/storm, to better connect storm-impacted residents with resources.

Leegov.com/storm features “a one-stop location for housing resources,” officials said, adding users should click on the house icon, or look for “Housing” in the left rail.

The site encourages those who are homeless or in damaged homes due to Hurricane Ian to apply to FEMA for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov; by calling 800-621-3362; or by visiting a local Disaster Recovery Center, the locations of which may be found at leegov.com/hurricane/storm/availableresources.

The deadline was recently extended to Jan. 12, 2023.

Leegov.com/storm also provides information on available county resources and aid programs, including home repair assistance, insurance deductible assistance, utility assistance and the coordinated entry program for people at risk of homelessness or who are homeless as well as links to other offices and agencies.

Want to help make a difference?

There are numerous charitable efforts under way to help those whose lives were upended by Hurricane Ian.

Donations can make an immediate impact. And long term?

The Lee County Homeless Coalition also welcomes donations, and involvement by individuals, families, businesses and other organizations.

For more information, visit leehomeless.org.

—Breeze editorial

The future of Lee County is bright

Our Christmases here in Lee County have certainly never been white, but the aftermath of the hurricane has us feeling more blue than usual this holiday season. The impact that Ian has had on this community has been devastating: whether you grew up in the area or simply have fond memories of visiting Southwest Florida, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see the heart of our city flooded and the beautiful beaches wrecked.

With loss, however, comes hope, and it’s the perfect time of year to recount how, through tragedy and devastation, our community has never been closer, and we are all stronger for it. As families, friends, and neighbors come together to rebuild, we are reforming connections after a pandemic that sent us all into isolation.

Melisa W. Giovannelli Guest Commentary

Against all odds, our children have continued learning in school, providing a tangible hope for the future of our community. A successful election has brought in three new school board members that I could not be more excited

and honored to work with. I commend them for joining me in the task of helping our students, teachers, and staff get back to normal.

And we will get back to normal; we’ve weathered storms in the past, and this one is no different. At the Lee County School District, we are working hard to make sure that the next generation of Southwest Floridians are safe, secure, and optimistic enough to use this storm and every other storm they may face as an opportunity to grow; that they see the community coming together, and maintain a spirit of hope in the power that lies in coming together.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and the encouragement that the future of Lee County is Bright! Have a safe and Happy New Year!

The gift of understanding can help those for whom the holidays may not be merry

The holiday season is here, and for most people, like the song says, it’s the “most wonderful time of the year.” However, for some, holidays can be especially difficult, particularly for those who have suffered a recent loss or who cannot seem to shake the grief related to losses which occurred a while ago. The fact that those who are grieving are around so many people who seem to be happy and having a good time can exacerbate negative feelings in those who have suffered or are anticipating a loss.

It is important to remember that losses do not have to involve the death of a person in order to be very painful. Loss of a job, a home, a friendship, skills, or the capacity for intimacy can also be devastating. It is not possible to know all the battles others are fighting on a daily basis, and there’s no time like holidays for this to resonate so clearly.

Commentary

Here are some important points to keep in mind this time of the year (not necessarily in the order of importance in any given situation):

■ Grief and grieving are very personal and individualistic. Try hard not to be judgmental about how someone is expressing his/her grief.

■ The first priority for anyone expressing profound grief is to keep them safe! Do not hesitate to ask about self-harm and suicidality. You won't put ideas in their heads, and you may save a life. If suicidality seems at all to be an issue, provide the national suicide prevention hotline (988) and/or refer them to a mental health professional.

■ Express concern for the person who is grieving and ask if they are willing to talk about their grief, but don’t say, “I know just how you feel!” It is very unlikely that you do, and

Remember our burrowing owls this holiday season

To the editor:

Noela Chocolates & Confections is supporting our burrowing owls this holiday season by donating to the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife $5 for each 16- or 25-count box of chocolates sold. Please mention us, CCFW, to help our burrowing owls. Noela’s Chocolates is at 1309 S.E. 47th Terrace just south of Merrick Sea Food Company. Their chocolates are 5star quality and beautifully boxed, too. This offer expires Jan.1. Give a gift to support our owls.

Another gift to our burrowing owls for this joyous season is our Adopt an Owl promotion. A great perk for under the tree is an Adopt an Owl certificate, a T-shirt, magnet and more depending on the level you chose. Please go to CCFRIENDSOFWILIFE. org and click on “Adopt an Owl for details.” It’s another donation for our holidays that makes a great impression on the person who receives it.

A rather important bad gift for the safety to our owls are the green iguanas that ravage our burrowing owls. This goes for all non-native lizards, like the monitor lizards, as well. These animals are detrimental to our birds and owls. What the green iguanas do is eat the eggs of the burrowing owls, chase them out of their burrows, destroy seawalls by burrowing around them and they eat your fruit off your trees to boot. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says we need to get rid of them to save our wildlife. It is as simple as this: iguanas, etc. or burrowing owls. It is up to you. We can’t have both.

When you see these non-native animals call the FWC and report them so the wildlife officers can pick them up. Call the hotline at 888-483-4681.

Everyone have a good fun holiday and hopefully remember our precious wildlife.

Carl Veaux president Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife

County manager raise is insensitive and ill timed

To the editor: How often does something really set you off and you can’t get it out of your brain? For Women For a Better Lee, it is our county commissioners giving a 6% pay increase to the county manager.

We understand an annual pay raise is in Mr. Desjarlais’ contract since he met the “exceeds expectations” level (and, by the way, how did that ever happen?). However, the contract calls for a 4%-6% increase. With residents sleeping in RVs and still camping on their front lawns, and many more out of work, this insensitivity to the needs of those in Lee County is particularly egregious and insulting to us all. At the very least, the commissioners should have given him the minimum increase of 4%. Or perhaps the county manager will donate his $17,700 raise to a local charity helping hurricane victims.

Mr. Desjarlais now earns $312,700 (plus an estimated $35,000 in fringe benefits), while the median individual income in Lee County in 2020 was $29,562. This is just another boneheaded decision by our commissioners and the kind of cronyism they are famous for. The definition of political insanity is voting for the same people and expecting a dif-

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it often seems to diminish the importance of their feelings and their grief.

■ Holiday traditions are important. Encourage the grieving person to be involved in keeping those traditions without attempting to force them or to demand that they participate. Doing normal things can help a person feel more normal, even if it doesn't seem that way at first.

■ If someone is terminal and has limited time, talk to them, and let them talk, if they will. Visit them. Don’t avoid them or their condition, even if it feels awkward or scary to engage with them. If you are friends, that friendship should continue.

■ Provide the grieving person with opportunities to help others, if at all possible. Helping others often makes one’s life seem more meaningful, engenders a feeling of usefulness, and can mitigate the hurt of one’s own losses.

■ Remember that kindness heals. Small acts of kindness can have large benefits for both the one who is kind and the recipient of the kind act(s). Model and encourage kindness and pay it forward.

■ Seek professional help for extended and/or complicated grief, especially if the grief engenders thoughts of suicide.

The holidays can be fun and cause for celebration for some, but they can also be reminders of what has been lost and can stir feelings of regret and grief for others. If you remember the old adage to be kind to others, that can go a long way in helping friends and loved ones who are struggling at this time of the year to persevere and to make it through.

— Ralph (Gene) E. Cash, Ph.D., ABPP

ferent outcome so we really shouldn’t be surprised at this. But it still hurts.

Special Session’s insurance bill will not benefit policy holders

To the editor:

Last year’s gerrymandering electoral districts ensured one party rule in Florida. Predictably the reliable feedbag for “campaign contributions” from the insurance industry greased the necessary hands. Our Florida Legislature shoveled millions of taxpayer dollars at the insurance industry last year. Protections for homeowners in Florida collapsed. Many lost their coverage on the precipice of this last hurricane season.

Floridians rewarded this pay-to-play scheme by re-electing many of the same politicians. The GOP has now decided to call for a “special legislative session” to continue to undermine the very premise of the insurance contract: the possibility of collecting from the insurance carrier after sustaining losses. The GOP legislators; pearl clutching at the notion that those homeowners who paid for a contract with insurers expect the companies to pay out when they suffer losses can get more money out of the industry. Insurance carriers now hope to outlaw the courts as a remedy to enforce a contract between insurance carriers by homeowners. After all, everybody hates lawyers. Legislation preventing lawyers from enforcing through the courts an insurance company’s obligation to honor their contractual obligations is now on the Florida legislative agenda. Those of you who saw the 90-second short film “Bambi vs Godzilla” will grasp how effectively you will be able to pursue a claim against the behemoth of lawyers in your insurance carriers' employ.

Those of you who survived Irma remember the colorful blue roofs scattered about in celebration of the insurance industry's reluctance to pay out on claims. This new Republican effort would pit an individual homeowner against the legal departments of the insurance industry, without competent representation. What could go wrong?

Admittedly excluding law fees from being tacked on to the pay out for recalcitrant insurance carriers can be masqueraded as a cost-saving device. But it is a one-sided savings benefiting only for the insurance carrier.

Anyone remember a time when the insurance industry voluntarily lowered its rates? The legislators are not mandating that savings be passed on to the consumer. (There is no legislation proposed suggesting insurance carriers “save money” by losing their lawyers btw.)

Rather this legislation is intended solely to strip the consumer of any chance at effectively enforcing their contract. To our one-party legislature “insurance fraud” is a dig aimed at the “cheater.” You never hear them use it as a buzz phrase meaning the insurance company that is going to take your money on the false premise of reimbursement, and then drag their heels on paying out until you lose on a technical flub while trying to sue them into honoring their obligation. Predictably this will result in clogging the court system with the righteous but ineffectual individual claims.

More blue tarp roofs, more insurance money for “campaign” contributions.

Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

range of

views of this

welcome.

be emailed to vharring@breezenewspapers.com, or

to the Editor or guest

to 2510 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33904. All letters and guest opinions must be signed and must include a phone number for verification purposes. Readers are also invited to comment on any letter, guest opinion, or editorial online at: capecoralbreeze.com.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

— Melisa W. Giovannelli represents District 2 on the Lee County School Board

Charlotte Newton Women For a Better Lee

Dr. Ralph Cash Guest

Gulf Coast Humane Society gets $50,000 donation from Amazon & Bachelorette celeb

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

A leading international enterprise and Florida-native who found fame on one of TV's most popular shows have teamed up to assist a local non-profit animal welfare organization.

Amazon and Tyler Cameron, a “Bachelorette” alum and the show’s season 15 runner-up, visited the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers on Tuesday to present a check for $50,000 and other supplies to help with Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

GCHS was devastated by the storm in September. Parts of the facility’s roof came off, outdoor areas for animals were swept away, fences that keep animals secure were out of place, and debris from wind and fallen trees littered the property. Water and electricity were unavailable for quite some time.

“We give big thanks to Amazon for choosing Gulf Coast Humane Society for its gracious donation,” said Gary Willoughby, executive director at the GCHS. “Donations like Amazon’s do not only help care for our current shelter animals, but also provide a better future for the incoming shelter animals GCHS will take in. We appreciate Amazon’s generosity to the GCHS’ shelter animals and to our future of providing positive animal welfare in our community.”

Cameron, being from Florida, a rescue-dog owner, and someone who has fond memories of the area, said it was a perfect fit to help support the society’s efforts. The non-profit lost potential revenue due to their closure and are still feeling the effects.

“Amazon really wanted to find a way to give back and help out following Hurricane Ian,” Cameron said. “The Gulf Coast Humane Society really went through it during the hurricane. They do so much for these animals, and a lot of people had to stay here during the storm to help protect and take care of them. Amazon wanted to help out, and donate, and kind of help build back the humane society, replenish their supplies, and get them back to where they were before Ian.”

Cameron, born in Jupiter, said he vacationed in Southwest Florida nearly every summer with his grandparents in Bonita Springs. He remembers going from coast to coast whenever the prospect of a storm would be forecasted.

“I grew up on these beaches and waterways with my family,” he said. “With what happened with Hurricane Ian, it was tough to see because this is a place that’s dear to my heart. I grew up coming here and enjoyed all the great things Southwest Florida has to offer.”

Cameron’s dog, Harley, was rescued from the Bahamas after a hurricane hit the area. He knows just how much organizations like GCHS do for animals that are displaced year-round, and especially during weather events.

“With no federal, state, or county funding, for them to be able to do what they do is quite impressive,” he said. “They take care of almost 3,000 animals each year. They give a tremendous amount of care and love. You see the compassion when you walk through this facility. It means the world to be a part of it.”

He encouraged members of the community donate to GCHS in whatever fashion they can.

“There's so many ways to help out, and it doesn’t even have to be through a big donation,” Cameron said.

He also shed light on how rescuing an animal, especially after an event like Ian where many were surrendered, can be such positive in someone’s life.

“These animals have gone through a traumatic experience,” Cameron said. “These shelters are filling up. A lot of people left their dogs and cats when they evacuated. Right now is a great time to adopt. My dog went through something similar as well, and the bond and way we are with each other is the best relationship I’ve ever had with a pet. If you can rescue a pet, you create a bond that’s so important. You help out the dog, and you can also help out these shelters.”

In addition to the donation to the GCHS, Amazon has cleared the Amazon Wish Lists of other Southwest Florida non-profit organizations affected by Hurricane Ian, including Eva’s Closet and Foundation and Valerie's House.

“Eva’s serves up to 75 families per day and many of our families are still displaced or highly affected from Hurricane Ian,” said Jessica Goodall, founder of Eva’s Closet & Foundation. “We are so grateful for the support of Amazon and for the beautiful donations for our Eva's children for the holidays.”

The GCHS Adoption Center is at 2010 Arcadia St. in Fort Myers. The GCHS Veterinary Clinic is at 2685 Swamp Cabbage Court in Fort Myers. For more information, visit www.gulfcoasthumanesociety.org.

For more information on Eva's Closet, at 16331 Old US 41 #101, visit www.evas-foundation.org.

For more Information on Valerie’s House, at 1762 Fowler St. in Fort Myers, visit www.valerieshouse.org.

—Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj

Actor: Former Cape Coral resident earning starring roles

From page 1A

tunities out here. The right time, right place," she said.

Indeed it was.

She auditioned for her first feature film and booked one of the leads.

"I remember being so scared and not knowing anything, truly, about the industry, but it was such an amazing first learning experience for me for being on a set, a new actor in the industry," Carrasquillo said. "I felt like I truly killed my audition for it, so I was really happy that I booked it. I have grown so much since that first movie."

From there, a second feature film was booked, more auditions, and things took off until the pandemic happened, which put a halt on things for most everyone.

Fortunately, when February 2021 rolled around, things again started taking off. Her next film, "iPossessed," which is slated to come out sometime in 2023, was filmed in Lake Placid here in Florida.

"Ever since I booked that movie in February 2021 I have been working consistently," she said. "Every single movie I have done so far I have played a completely different character. Every single movie I have done so far I have been blessed to book the lead for. People are finally going to start noticing my work and seeing what I can do."

Carrasquillo has the lead role in her first Lifetime movie, "Hider in My House," which was released in July. It was filmed in the St. Petersburg-Tampa, area.

She plays Molly Bachman.

"I loved her. She was a best-selling author, an older loving sister and a woman that went through a horrific experience when she was younger," she said. "It was such an honor to play a role like that."

Carrasquillo said although acting is a lot of work, she thoroughly enjoys it, especially when she knows what it brings to other people.

"Especially after 'Hider in the House' came out. I heard such a huge positive response from it. So many people didn't recognize me as me. It's so crazy. It's a pinch-me moment," she said. "If I can take two hours away from someone's crazy day and bring them into a completely different world and just give them something to enjoy and sink their teeth into, then I have done my job. Everything I have poured my heart into is worth it as long as someone is enjoying it as well."

Robin Dawn, owner of Robin Dawn Academy of Performing Arts, who worked with Carrasquillo during her high school years, said Carrasquillo was a very talented — — very driven — young woman.

"Ever since I started teaching at my school 48 years ago, my goal is to help them achieve their dreams. I want to help them realize it and achieve it. Every time I see them on stage it makes me cry. I know how hard it is. A lot of dedication and sacrifices," she said.

When Carrasquillo's "Hider in the House" hit Lifetime, Dawn said she rushed to watch it and was just amazed to see Carrasquillo on the screen; she is so talented.

Although it is tough to choose a favorite character, Carrasquillo said two come to mind — one from "iPossessed," and the other, "The Squad," both movies slated to come out in 2023.

In "iPossessed," Carrasquillo plays a girl who ultimately becomes possessed. She said it was a challenging character.

"Her character is so beautiful. She starts off as this sweet, kind-hearted girl who has

dealt with a lot of trauma and wears it as baggage on her shoulder. You follow her journey and fall in love with her and then something terrible happens to her," she said.

"The Squad" is an action thriller movie where her character is an undercover drug runner who travels to different cities during spring break with two other drug-runner friends to set up operations and sell drugs.

"It was such a fun juicy role. My character was such a badass. She was a character that knew the business. She was tough and she knew how to walk into a  room and command a room, handle guns, conversations, money and packaging drugs. It's a character that I know I would  never be in real life. It was such a thrilling character to play, so many layers to it," Carrasquillo said.

With many roles under her belt, she is now at the point in her career where she only accepts a project, script and writing that she truly believes in, saying she knows within seconds if she wants to be a part of the production.

"I am really lucky to audition for some great roles. The majority of the roles that I have wanted, I have gotten. I think that is because I truly embodied myself in those characters. I want to be able to tell their stories the best that I can. I want to be able to make the director, producers all really proud of their decision for picking me," Carrasquillo said. "They trusted me to play a part for all of them that they have been envisioning for a long time. I want to make sure I do it justice."

Although she now resides in L.A., there have been quite a few films that have taken her outside of California, back home Florida, as well as Atlanta and, at the end

of October, Oklahoma.

"When I start a new project I really throw myself, mind and body, and everything into the project. Almost going away from home makes it easier for me to disconnect from regular life and go into this other person. When I am done filming, coming back home is a huge relief. I can be myself now and let my hair down and relax, a staycation."

Her longest project was "iPossessed." She spent a month on location. This film had quite a few overnight shoots where she was in hair and makeup by 5 p.m. and they filmed all night until the sun came up.

"After I wrapped, I slept for two days," Carrasquillo said laughing.

While she's embracing the opportunities of her new home state, her roots are here.

Carrasquillo was born in Miami and grew up in Cape Coral, where she resided before relocating west after two years at Florida Southwestern College.

It was there she made her decision to reach for the stars.

"It was during my sophomore year of college that I realized I wanted to really pursue a career in TV and film in acting," Carrasquillo said. "It was an evolving thing for me. I started to find my way and figure out that there is an entire world strictly just for acting and I just dove into that."

Her chops, though, were earned early.

From 9 to 17, she did seven or eight shows at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, which included roles in "The Sound of Music," "Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella," Jack and the Beanstalk," along with numerous Christmas Shows. She also performed in "Catch Me if You Can" at Naples Players Theatre and "Sister Act the Musical." In addition, she did a few recitals

at Cultural Park Theatre.

Although acting began before attending North Fort Myers High School, she said Michele Whitener, her high school drama teacher, was a huge part of her growing up stages of wanting to be an actor.

"She was a huge supporter. Always in my corner while in high school. A huge advocate for me. She was a woman that really believed in me and pushed me," Carrasquillo said.

While in high school she was not quite sure if she was passionate about singing, dancing and acting. She knew singing and dancing were strong hobbies, but grew to learn that acting was her real passion.

"I remember in high school my senior year, she (Whitener) let me direct a one-act play," she said of writing and directing the play. "I got to be a lead in her one-act play."

Whitener said she had Carrasquillo as a student for four years, 2010 through 2013.

"I worked with her in acting, as well as musical theater. I am not shocked by any of this," she said.

In addition to Carrasquillo, there was a group of other students that also stood out — Ricky Manning, who made it to finals on The Voice and is now a songwriter, and Trevor Schmidt, who is a quite talented singer and dancer.

"This was a special group of kids that really wanted it and really had talent and they weren't afraid of work," Whitener said. "It's the people that want to keep working harder and learning more and getting more experience that tend to keep going."

Whitener saw Carrasquillo develop her acting during her junior and senior year.

"She was so connected when it came to doing straight plays, non-musical plays. She was really into that," she said.

Whitener recalls Carrasquillo bringing a light with her when entering a room.

"She was always positive. Walked in with a smile on her face. Very approachable," she said. "She was a good person to be around. As a director you see those people in your cast who just have that good overall feeling about them. She is humble. She is just a great person."

Whitener, who taught at North for 32 years, was there when North Fort Myers High School became an art school in 2005. She recalled different students coming through the arts program, students who were on stage before, as community theater started to heat up in the community.

"I cried when I retired because I had the best job in the world. I had a great job and loved every minute of it," Whitener said.

After graduating from high school, Carrasquillo's focus became the art of straight acting.

Her mom was basically her manager and biggest supporter during her early acting years.

She remains a huge cheerleader for her daughter.

As with many other actresses, Carrasquillo's goal is to one day win an Oscar.

"I am not yet where I want to be, but I also am exactly where I need to be right now," she said. "I know in my heart there will be a finish line one day and I will look back to see everything I did. This is all the rewarding part I want to marinate in and live in because once I am old, and hopefully accepting an Oscar one day, I can look back and see all the hard work and all the memories it took to get to that point."

Meghan Carrasquillo stars in ‘Hider in My House,’ a Lifetime movie.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Tyler Cameron, a “Bachelorette” alum and rescue dog dad, and Penelope, a terrier mix available for adoption at the Gulf Coast Humane Society, are all smiles Tuesday at a check-passing at the shelter, which was hard hit by Hurricane Ian. Donations are still very much welcome.

Young Five Program enrollment under way

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers.com

Parents once again have the opportunity to enroll their child in the Young Five Program, providing an extra year of social and emotional development for students.

Director of Elementary Curriculum Dr. Bethany Quisenberry said they offered the Young Five Program for the first year in 2021-2022, as COVID pushed them back a year.

Quisenberrry began researching what other states were doing to provide help for those younger kindergarten students who may not have had the opportunity for early childhood learning. She said the younger the student is, the greater the difference of just a few months.

In Florida, 4-year-old students have the opportunity to obtain a voucher, regardless of their income, to participate in the VPK program.

“When I started looking at California and Michigan they have transitional kindergarten. It’s offered for students who aren't quite ready, or families who need a little more time,” she said. “We kind of took different information from different states.”

So far, the Young Five Program has been deemed a success.

“We have pinpointed it in different schools. In different zones. For our first year we had 10 schools. It has been very successful. Now these students are at the top of their class socially and academically,” Quisenberry said. “In my opinion, it helps the families and students with social stigmatism for being retained.”

Students must turn 5 years old between May 1 and Sept. 1, 2023 to participate in the program. The Young Five Program, again, is being offered at 10 schools. West Zone:

■ J Colin English Elementary, 120 Pine Island Road, North Fort Myers

■ Patriot Elementary, 711 SW 18th St., Cape Coral South Zone

■ Colonial Elementary, 3800 Schoolhouse Road E., Fort Myers

■ Edgewood Academy, 3464 Edgewood Ave., Fort Myers

■ Orangewood Elementary, 4501 Underwood Drive, Fort Myers

■ San Carlos Park Elementary, 17282 Lee Road, Fort Myers

■ Spring Creek Elementary, 25571 Elementary Way., Bonita Springs East Zone

■ Lehigh Elementary, 200 Schoolside Drive, Lehigh Acres

■ River Hall Elementary, 2800 River Hall Parkway, Alva

■ Sunshine Elementary, 601 Sara Ave., Lehigh Acres

“We did it in partnership with the Early Childhood Program,” Quisenberry said of selecting schools. “The majority of the

schools have Pre-K programs, or ESE PreK programs. They qualify, of course, for the Young Five Program. We choose these schools because they are already focused on early learning and foundational pieces.”

In addition, these schools are logistically spread out providing options for parents.

The majority of the Young Five Program classes are 15 students to one teacher. The certified teachers focus on engaging lessons in literacy, math, social, emotional and motor skills development for their age. The hands-on, interactive environment also supports their development on maintaining kindergarten rigor and high standards.

The Young Five Program is offered for the entire school calendar year and is part of the elementary school. The students have kindergarten standards and go to lunch with kindergarten students, go to specials, as well as recess.

“Before the program started, we built the curriculum and the benchmarks they were going to be taught and what order taught,” Quisenberry said by ensuring more time with those struggling benchmarks.

The focus of the curriculum is at the end of Pre-k, which is stretched out the first

semester of kindergarten, and focused on for the entire year for the Young Five Program.

The teachers of the Young Five Program meet with Quisenberry once a month. The teachers go to the district office and share their ideas and collaborate on planning and activities.

“Just hearing them talk about their students’ success is amazing to hear," she said.

For questions, email Young5@leeschools.net, or call the individual school where the Young Five Program is offered to request a tour, or talk with the teacher.

Enrollment for the Young Five Program is the same as that of kindergarten. While registering families will choose one of the Young Five Program as their first choice and in April parents will receive a letter. The parent will then contact the elementary school and share they are interested in the Young Five Program.

“We typically have space at the beginning of the year. I do have quite a few families that will start in a regular kindergarten classroom and then decide to be in the Young Five Program, so we transfer them over,” she said. “It’s the parent’s choice. The best decision for their child.”

Quisenberry said the schools also do a screening process for kindergarten students and see whether the parents are interested in the program.

She said for those students who have siblings, they can move the child to the same school. The following year they can transfer into the elementary school of their choice for kindergarten.

Damage: District working to formulate claims for maximum reimbursement

From page 1A

FEMA Project Formulation Phases into four with the district currently sitting at the second phase, damage intake and eligibility analysis. The third phase is scoping and costing and the final phase is obligation. FEMA remains at the first phase, operational planning.

“We really want to shape the claim and presentation to insurance carriers and FEMA. FEMA is always lagging a little bit with most catastrophic disasters,” Nelson said.

Some of the eligible cost examples include salaries, wages and fringe benefits; materials and supplies and equipment, as well as contract costs incurred for construction, rental equipment, engineering and design services and project and program management.

Nelson shared the FEMA Project Worksheet, which currently has a project minimum of $3,300 and a small project threshold of $1,000,000.

“In the past 12 months the small threshold has been raised to a million dollars. The prior value was around $150,000,” he said, adding that it is primarily associated with cash flow.

The small projects, according to Imperium’s presentation, are paid at the time of obligation, as well as a reduced administrative burden.

He said the pace of reimbursement is highly unpredictable. All they can do is shape the claim and maximize interface with FEMA.

“We can go no faster than the actual pace of construction. The cash flow will be dependent on construction activity,” he said.

The district engaged with Imperium just before the hurricane hit and mobilized on Oct. 2. The group developed a document management and retention system where the district can track all hurricane-related expenses that will be submitted to FEMA and insurance.

“We were able to secure an advanced commitment of $25 million,” Joseph said, adding that it should be in the district’s bank account this week.

This $25 million advanced commitment came within three weeks of the hurricane from the property insurance companies.

There were also 98 joint inspections performed for the schools to reopen within 21 days following Hurricane Ian. Imperium also assisted in coordinating the opening of all 88 campuses within three weeks.

The campuses were divided into high, medium and low in terms of damage. The high and medium categories captured the most information, as that is where the bulk in reimbursement requests lie.

Joseph said there were 34 reports for heavy and medium campuses, resulting in 45,000 photos of the interior and exterior; 110,000 drone captures and 225 3D scans for 18 campuses.

“We have a lot of information to restore property to pre-disaster,” Joseph said,

Petrella named city’s new Parks & Rec director

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

The city of Cape Coral has a new Parks and Recreation Director.

Cape Coral officials announced Thursday that Joe Petrella was named director of Parks and Recreation this past Monday.

City officials stated Petrel has more than 24 years of parks and recreation experience dating back to 1998 as a recreation supervisor in Vernon, Connecticut.

“He has held multiple leadership positions, including Director of Parks and Recreation in Great Fall, MT, and Recreation Manager in Chandler, AZ,” officials stated in a rlease issued Thursday.

Petrella has a Master's degree in Recreation Management, Sport, and Tourism from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor's in Sociology from the University of Connecticut.

Gulf Coast Writers Association

accepting entries for writing contest

The Gulf Coast Writers Association is accepting entries for its Annual Writing Contest.

The contest is open to the public and there is a separate youth category as well.

The deadline is approaching and the association suggests submitting early. Visit www.gulfwriters.org for guidelines and entry forms.

All submissions must be entered online by Jan. 31, 2023.

adding that part of the 3D scans had thermal scans of the roof to identify areas where there is moisture.

Within the many policies the district has, $13 million is in the layer of the NFIP Insurance and $75 million in property insurance. Joseph said that leaves FEMA with $166.9 million based on high magnitude. He said 90 percent will be paid by FEMA with a 10 percent cost share of $18.5 million.

“It could be paid by the state, as well as other funding sources and opportunities,” Joseph said, adding that they will figure out ways to recoup 100 percent of the funds.

The dashboard, as of Dec. 9, showed the work issued purchase orders for and received invoices. The largest purchase order was for Hector A. Cafferata in the amount of $13,835,822 due to the portable campus. The largest purchase order amount by category lies within prop-

erty damage at $22,312,885.

“The district is beginning efforts on the permanent work front,” Joseph said.

He said there have been $44.5 million of purchase orders as of Dec. 9. The invoices paid equal $5.6 million and the invoices received $9.4 million.

Again, as of Dec. 9, the district has an insurance commitment of $25 million, and has received $816,000 from NFIP.

Joseph said the funding they are anticipating to receive is $43.3 million.

“We also started looking at other funding sources,” he said, citing the Community Disaster Loan of upwards of $5 million, which more often than not can be forgiven. “Those conversations are ongoing. We are looking to increase that other funding source bucket as quickly as possible.”

Former parks and recreation director Kerry Runyon resigned in April and was replaced on an interim basis by Assistant City Manager Connie Barron. Runyon had been the city’s Parks and Recreation director since September 2013 after serving seven years as region manager for Collier County Parks and Recreation.

The majority of the Young Five Program classes are 15 students to one teacher. The certified teachers focus on engaging lessons in literacy, math, social, emotional and motor skills development for their age.

The hands-on, interactive environment also supports their development on maintaining kindergarten rigor and high standards.

Joe Petrella

S PORTS

Beautiful weather makes offshore the place to be

This past week’s beautiful weather made offshore the place to be with a huge variety of fish to pursue from nearshore out to the horizon. Gag grouper fans put out the trolling plugs to comb ledges while the kingfish fans did the same or relied on slow trolled blue runners to make drags scream. Nearshore reefs to offshore numbers produced the usual variety of snappers and groupers even amberjacks and tripletails were caught by sharp-eyed crab float anglers on their way offshore. An end of week front might put the damper on things for a few days with wind and dropping water temps but may also get the inshore sheepshead bite jump started.

For some it’s time to hunt up river where a really big snook might be waiting under a dock for you somewhere around the RR trestle or 75 Bridge. This time of year is also the time to find the biggest and meanest jacks of the year around that same 75 bridge and trestle area where I’ve seen pods of jacks in the 25 pound range several times. Catch-able tarpon frequent these same warm water locales as well.

This winter add an ultra-lite outfit to your rod and reel arsenal to maximize your fun on the water. What’s the point of winching in a 12” trout, rat red, baby tarpon, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, or pompano on a med-heavy or heavy snook or red rod? Boring!

That same winter rat red fought on a quality, ultra-lite 5.5’ to 6’ rod, rated for 1/16 to 3/8 oz. lures, matched with a 1000 sized reel loaded with 6 pound braid will make your drag talk and definitely put a smile on your face. Ho-hum ladyfish bites suddenly become epic drag screaming mini-tarpon battles and if a jack happens to come calling you’ll have a great opportunity to really test your angling skills.

Braided line allows you to pack more line on that tiny reel and also cast further. Remember that most advertised braided line test ratings,

are typically understated. You’ll find that 6 pound braid’s actual breaking strength to be closer to 10 pounds.

A long casting, lite spinning outfit, some jig heads, and a pocketful of paddle tail style grubs is all you’ll need for local inshore action. Swim them straight through the water column, hop them along the bottom, put them under a popping cork, and even buzzed across the surface, they flat out catch fish of all varieties. Make sure to match your grub and proper weight jig head. If you’re fishing a 1/16 – 1/8 oz. jig head with the popular DOA CAL grub (plastic paddle tail) the lite jig head plus a stiffer lure material means little tail wiggle. On a ¼ or larger head, these tails works fine. Often a softer material like that offered from ZMAN lures works out better on the tiniest of jig head weights.

Paddle tail soft plastics are always a great ultra-lite lure choice but don’t forget other mini offerings that are deadly on our winter game fish. DOA’s Tiny TerrorEyze in silver flake perfectly imitates a small bait fish when slow jigged or hopped near bottom and is seatrout magic. This same lure is also a super choice under a popping cork. A 1.75” VuDu Shrimp looks incredibility realistic when retrieved in a straight, slow, non-jigging retrieve then allowed to slowly fall. Trout and actually just about anything else that swims at one time or another love topwater plugs and there’s a large variety of mini-plugs to match your ultralite outfit. Work this little plug over a Spanish mac school and try not getting spooled.

Add a 3-5 weight fly rod to your equipment locker for the same ultra-lite fight enjoyment. A 3-4 pound ladyfish on a 3 wt. rod is a spool emptying riot and even our local school trout suddenly become much “bigger” on a 3 or 4.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol. com.

49th Annual City of Palms Classic Basketball Tournament returns to Southwest Florida

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

One of the most high-profile high school basketball tournaments in the nation returns to Southwest Florida starting Friday.

The 49th Annual City of Palms Classic Basketball Tournament plays out over six days at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State University.

Teams competing in the Traditional Bracket include Archbishop Stepinac (New York), Canterbury, Centennial (California), Charlotte, Christopher Columbus (Miami), Imhotep Charter (Pennsylvania), Isidore Newman (Louisiana), Lake Highlands (Texas), Myers Park (North Carolina), Newton (Georgia), North Laurel (Kentucky), Paul VI (Virginia), Tampa Catholic, Vashon (Missouri), Wheeler (Georgia), Winter Haven.

Signature Series Bracket participants include: Link Academy (Missouri), Patrick School (New Jersey), Saint Francis (Maryland), and The Rock (Gainesville).

This year’s Signature Series will feature some of the best talent ever seen in this bracket, such as Class of 2024 Point Guard Elliott Cadeau (#10 ESPN) along with Class of 2023 Ja’Kobe Walter (#17 ESPN).

Sunshine Series Bracket teams are made up of Florida-based programs IMG Academy Blue, Providence (Jacksonville), The Villages, and Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale).

This year's Hugh Thimlar Tribute Game will be between First Baptist (Naples) and Gateway.

Last year’s Thimlar Game Champion, Columbus High School out of Miami, will be back to take the hardwood and join the Classic Bracket at the 2022 tournament. Columbus features the No. 1 sophomore in the country, Cameron Boozer, and his twin brother, Cayden Boozer, (#24 ESPN). The children of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer showcased their talents during the Thimlar Game of the 2021 City of Palms Classic. With last year’s win in the Thimlar Game, Columbus High School will be one of the top teams to watch in this year’s Classic Bracket.

Other top ranked players coming to Fort Myers include class of 2023 Justin Edwards (#13 ESPN), point guard Isaiah Collier (#14 ESPN), Jared McCain (#23 ESPN) and Reed Sheppard (#28 ESPN). Class of 2024 includes Karter Knox (#11 ESPN), Johnuel Fland (#18 ESPN), Klarius Amir (#38 ESPN) and Ahmad Nowell (#44 ESPN). Two

strong players in the Class of 2025 include B.J. Davis-Ray (#18 ESPN) and Danny Carbuccia (#25 ESPN).

Founded in 1973, the City of Palms Tournament began as a simple, local holiday basketball tournament. Over the years, the tournament has grown and expanded its scope to include the nation’s top athletes and programs. Over the past 26 years, it has set the standard as being the nation’s No. 1 high school basketball tournament in the nation. Classic Basketball Inc. is a 501(C)3 not-for-profit corporation created for the purpose of managing the City of Palms Classic. For tickets, more information and to sign up for the eNewsletter, visit www.cityofpalmsclassic.com.

Suncoast Credit Union Arena is at 13351FSW Parkway in Fort Myers.

Twins announce 2023 Spring Training promotional dates; season, group and ‘pick five pack’ tickets on sale now

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

Spring Training for the 2023 Major League Baseball season is just around the corner, and fans now have a sneak peek of what's to come for one of the two teams that calls Fort Myers home for two months starting in February.

The Minnesota Twins announced their spring promotional lineup Tuesday, as the club will occupy Hammond Stadium for the 33rd consecutive year.

There will be at least one special offer for all 17 games, and the popular “Pick Five Pack,” along with Spring Training season and group ticket packages, are available for purchase now. Additionally, single-game tickets will go on sale beginning Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. ET via phone or online only, while the Hammond Stadium Box Office will open for business on Jan. 14. All Spring Training tickets can be purchased online at twins.com or by calling 612-33-TWINS (612-338-9467) or 800-33-TWINS (800-338-9467).

The Twins’ schedule for the 2023 Spring Training season features 33 total games (17 home, 16 road), featuring a March 9 home game against the World Baseball Classic’s star-studded Dominican Republic team. The Grapefruit League opener is set for Feb.25, where the Twins will play a

pair of split-squad games that day, including a Hammond Stadium tilt against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Highlights of the Twins’ Grapefruit League home schedule includes three contests against the Tampa Bay Rays (Feb. 25, and March 16 and 21) and Atlanta Braves (Feb. 28, and March 19 and 25); two games apiece against the Boston Red Sox (March 3 and 11), Baltimore Orioles (March 7 and 17) and Pittsburgh Pirates (March 14 and 27); as well as single games against the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies (March 1), Detroit Tigers (March 5), New York Yankees (March 13) and Toronto Blue Jays (March 23).

The Twins finished third in the AL Central last year with 78-84 record. The club recently signed former Boston Red Sox backstop and World Series Champion with the Astros last year, Christian Vázquez.

Promotions this year include the new Meal Deal (available every game), featuring a Grandstand ticket, hot dog and Pepsi for $12. The Twins are also introducing a Pregame Happy Hour event before a pair of games (March 3 and 21) and a special Sunday Kids Day — including the opportunity to run the bases postgame — on March 5 and 19. Other highlights include Postgame Fireworks on March 3 (coupled with the Pregame Happy Hour); the annual Minnesota Day on

PREP REPORT

March 5 (including Kids Day); Senior Day specials for fans 55 and older that include a Home Plate View seat, hot dog and Pepsi for just $30 (Feb. 25 and March 1, 7, 14 and 16); and Salute to Service games in which veterans, active military, first responders, police, EMTs, firefighters, healthcare workers and teachers can purchase up to four tickets at half price in The Porch or Home Plate View seating levels (Feb. 25 and 28, and March 17, 19 and 21).

Season ticket packages are also available now, and include access to premium seating locations, discounted parking and additional exclusive perks.

Group ticket discounts are available now for groups of 15 or more, with the savings dependent on the number of tickets purchased (the larger the group, the bigger the discount). Additionally, all groups 15 or more will receive $5 off per ticket to the Feb. 25 and 28 games (restrictions apply). Please note that group discounts are not available on March 13.

Hammond Stadium is at 14100 6 Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers.

—Connect with Associate Sports Editor CJ Haddad on Twitter: @haddad_cj

Walsh, Chloe Brown and Geri Herrera contributed assists.

Tuesday Girls Basketball

Bishop Verot 46, Bonita Springs 27: Cameron O'Halloran scored 14 points to lead the Vikings (6-3). Abby Guerra led the Bull Sharks (2-8) with 10 points.

Cape Coral 64, Island Coast 29: The Seahawks improved to 5-2 by defeating the Gators (3-5).

Lemon Bay 62, Ida Baker 50: Maia Berdebes scored 15 points for the Bulldogs. Jocelyn Hernandez had 11 points and Makayla Nieves 10 for Baker (1-4).

Canterbury 57, Oasis 40: Brynn Stambaugh scored 14 points and Emma Osinski 12 for the Sharks (3-5).

Boys Basketball

Bishop Verot 35, Bonita Springs 34: Verot rallied in the fourth quarter for its first win (1-4) behind Ethan Tipton's 13 points.

Cape Coral 46, Island Coast 42: Isaiah Newsom scored 20 points to lead Cape to the win. The Seahawks improved to 3-1 with their victory against the Gators (1-6). CJ Barker blocked four shots for Cape Coral. Island Coast was led by Elijah Felix with 15 points, while Joseph Hughley scored 10.

Mariner 61, North Fort Myers 54: Mariner won for the fourth time in its last five games to reach 5-6 overall. North Fort Myers (2-4) got 20 points from Quintin Wimbush, 14 from Preston Stahl and 11 from Levontai Summersett.

Canterbury 50, Oasis 47: Kavanaugh Brady scored 16 points to lead the Sharks (3-3), while Jason McArdle-Sykes had 12 points.

Boys Soccer

Mariner 8, North Fort Myers 0: Justin Medero and Maximo Gorosito scored two goals each to lead the Tritons (4-3-2) past the Red Knights (1-9-2). Also scoring for Mariner were Thomas Castano-Rayo, Issac Sandoval, Marcel Tovar and Frank Garcia.

Cape Coral 1, Lehigh 0: The Seahawks improved to 4-32 with a win against the Lightning.

Fort Myers 8, Ida Baker 0: With Tuesday's loss, the Bulldogs are 2-5.

Bishop Verot 2, Bonita Springs 2 (tie): The Vikings (13-3) managed a draw with 5-2-2 Bonita Springs.

Dunbar 8, Island Coast 0: Island Coast slipped to 2-6-1.

Girls Soccer

Mariner 4, North Fort Myers 0: Ryleigh Acosta led the Tritons (8-2, 1-0 District 5A-11) with a goal and two assists. Kira Wilson, Sarah Paddock and Caroline Pelfkofski also scored. Mariner got assists from Gloria Quintanilla and Alesiah Hill. Lataya Simmons made three saves while earning the shutout win in goal.

Cape Coral 8, Lehigh 0: The Seahawks got a big game from Cameron Fallacara with three goals and two assists.Angelina Toro scored twice and made an assist. Mikala Allen had a goal and an assist, Olivia Toro and Isabella Cruz scored, and Kaysie Taylor made an assist. Cape evened its record at 5-5.

Bishop Verot 3, Lely 1: Alyvia Mueller scored twice and Lila Dinkle added a goal for the Vikings (3-3-2). Lindsey

Island Coast 3, Dunbar 0: The Gators earned their first win (1-9) of the season. The victory evened Island Coast's District 5A-11 record at 1-1.

Wednesday Girls Soccer

Cape Coral 8, Dunbar 0: Cameron Fallacara had a hat trick and two assists to lead the Seahawks (5-5). Angelina Toro scored twice, adding an assist. Olivia Toro had a goal and two assists, Mikala Allen one goal and one assist, Isabella Cruz a goal and KaysieTaylor an assist.

Oasis 3, Cypress Lake 1: Mallory Morano made 10 saves to help the Sharks improve to 7-3-1. Ariana Suarez scored twice, and Jaclynn Mars had a goal and two assists.

Boys Soccer

Oasis 6, Cypress Lake 0: Tyler Kerr scored five times as the Sharks (8-3) downed Cypress Lake. Ryan Rosado also scored for Oasis. A defense led by Carlos Martinez and Josh Sykes didn't allow the Panthers a single shot on the Oasis goal.

Girls Basketball

Mariner 43, Oasis 25: Brynn Stambaugh scored 12 points and Maci Stambaugh added 10 for the Sharks (3-6).

Boys Basketball

Moore Haven 64, Cape Coral Christian 28: Moore Haven (1-2) dropped the Crusaders to 0-2.

Capt. George Tunison

Montverde Academy senior and Indiana commit Jalen Hood-Schifino (24) puts up a shot during his team's 60-55 win to capture the Culligan City of Palms Classic championship last year.

MICHAEL PISTELLA / MPISTELLA @BREEZENEWSPAPERS.COM

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

Sponsored by:

Gunter said he appreciated that and expressed interest in doing a similar program for each ensuing UEP.

Anderson said she was pleased with how things went down.

“We got a consensus from Council that this was a good thing. I like the idea of putting in $100,000 for each UEP so we don’t have to do this every time,” Anderson said. “We own three lots in the next UEP where there are 27 owls. This will be very helpful.”

In other business:

■ Council also got updates on the recovery from Hurricane Ian. Finance Director Mark Mason explained the reimbursement and cost sharing for debris removal.

For the first 75 days, the federal government will pay the city 100 percent of total eligible costs, which was through Dec. 7.

After that, the federal government will reimburse the city 75 percent, with the state and city each paying 12.5 percent.

The state has requested the cost-sharing to be modified, with the feds paying 90 percent, with the city and state paying 5 percent each. The request has not been granted yet. If it is, it would be retroactive to Dec. 8.

■ Council gave its unanimous approval of retaining CRA Chair Linda Biondi and Vice Chair James Brantley for 2023.

■ The city received an award as an exceptional employer through the Florida Abilities to Work Agencies for those with disabilities.

provide some light for the parade.

will be viewed along the route.

He asks all participants to keep their boat decorations to a holiday theme (nothing political).

“We want to keep everything in the holiday spirit," he said.

Best places to take-in the show include the end of Tropicana Parkway and the three bridges to Bonefish, Hermosa, and Horseshoe Canal.

Fox said he’d love to see docks along the way be decorated to drive up the festive atmosphere and also

“Not only does it light the way because it gets really dark out there, and all of these boats have lights on them which makes it hard to see,” he said. “Plus, just riding around at night during the holidays, it's nice to see that. It keeps on giving even after the boat parade.”

The rain date is Sunday.

For more information on the parade and the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, visit www.nwcape.com.

The city won the award along with 12 other companies in the state, with the city being the only government entity to win. The city employs 48 people with unique abilities.

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Low maintenance plants!

CAPE

LOCAL LIVING

Business I Homes I Health I Education I Leisure

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

As local businesses continue to build back from the destruction of Hurricane Ian, one Cape Coral staple recently reopened its doors to once again serve up some of the best eats around.

Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon officially welcomed customers back on Dec. 5, just in time to celebrate its whopping 24th anniversary at the Pine Island location.

Owner Jay Johnson said he’s thrilled to welcome back all, from familiar faces to first-time customers, after the longest pause in the restaurant’s history.

“It’s great to be back, and it’s great to welcome our regulars in, and people who have really enjoyed Bubba’s over the years,” Johnson said. “It was kind of weird being closed that long. But we were able to get back just before our anniversary milestone.”

Johnson said Bubba’s sustained minor damage throughout its building, but enough to keep them closed for more than two months. He said a lot of the reason it took the time it did was due to waiting on available tradesman to get the job(s) done.

them know the community does care for them,” Johnson said. “It was a local favorite.”

GARDEN CLUBOF CAPE CORAL

If you’ve ever toiled in the garden in our Southwest Florida heat as I have, you’ve probably dreamed of plants that require less maintenance! It sometimes feels like plants here grow 24/7, requiring lots of attention and pampering to keep them in top form. But it is possible to have a low-maintenance garden and my goal is to provide you with some guidance for selecting undemanding plants that are suited for the conditions of your Southwest Florida landscape.

Low-maintenance plants by definition should require little irrigation, pruning, fertilization, or pest and disease control to remain healthy and attractive, and they should also not be categorized as invasive. Even though this might sound like a fantasy plant situation, the Miami-Dade County Extension Service has developed a list of more than 350 plants in 11 categories that meet these criteria. The list includes an illustrated database of individual plants with detailed information on sun, water and soil requirements, and growth characteristics, and can be found here: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/miami-dade/landscapes--gar-

The roof has been temporarily repaired, and the majority of the damage was sustained in the kitchen area, Johnson said.

When you walk in, you’re not going to see too many changes as far as the guests’ side,” he said. “But we did take the opportunity to repaint the ceilings, had the floor power-scrubbed, did some deep cleaning -- those type of things. All of the damage and repair was done in the back of the house.”

Johnson dedicated much of his time post-disaster to helping other restaurant owners and staff in need. While keeping his staff in mind, Johnson participated in many opportunities to feed and raise money for workers in the area cleaning up after Ian. Now that Bubba’s is back in operation, he plans to continue assisting where he can, both within the restaurant and in his community.

For instance, he’s hired on 10 staff members of Bert’s Bar & Grill, a restaurant on Matlacha that was destroyed during the storm.

“That restaurant was blown out to sea during Ian,” Johnson said. “We’re happy that we were not only able to bring our employees back to work, but bring parts of Bert’s staff back to work.”

For the first month, new staff will wear shirts representing Bert’s, a location with 75 years of history in Southwest Florida.

“We want those employees to be recognized and let

Johnson’s father, Bernard Johnson, owns Bert’s, and said they are hopeful to start rebuilding at some point.

“We don’t know when that will be. There’s a lot of steps that need to be done out there,” Johnson said.

It can be tougher for local, independently-owned businesses to get back on their feet following a natural disaster. A major way the community can rally behind these establishments is to shop and eat locally.

“A lot of the smaller independent restaurants around town have larger hurdles to get through, because they don’t have the stacks of cash that a corporation may have,” Johnson said. “You take a large corporation, while it does have local people working in it, they do have the backing of a national chain that may have another hundred restaurants that are operating. As an independent, we’re in one location. We don’t have any money coming in from other restaurants or stores like the chains do. It makes it tougher on cash flow and tougher on getting back open.”

Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon is back to regular operation, seven-day-a-week, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They have live entertainment regularly and karaoke nights.

Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon is located at 2121 Southwest Pine Island Road. For more information, visit www.bubbasroadhouse.net.

—Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj

UF/IFAS

Verbena

Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon reopens its doors to once again serve up some of the best eats around

‘Ding’ Darling hosts 10th annual photo contest for high schoolers

The 10th annual “Ding” DarlingTheodore Cross High School Photography Contest has kicked off with a deadline of March 1, 2023. It invites high school students in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties to compete for prizes that include a Canon digital SLR camera package, a one-year subscription to Adobe photography software and a one-year family pass to all Florida state parks.

The contest’s namesake, Ted Cross, lived part-time on Sanibel Island; marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; advised the Johnson and Nixon administrations on anti-poverty programs; wrote the influential book Black Capitalism, among others; played a prominent role in President Obama’s election; and created Birders United -- a birding Web site that ranked legislators according to their record of bird protection support.

Late in life, Cross decided to indulge his love for birds and photography and traveled the world to collect stunning portraits and stories to chronicle his adventures. He shot often at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel, and a number of the images in his book reflect his love for the refuge. Cross published "Waterbirds" in 2009 at age 85; he passed away shortly after that in February 2010, just two weeks after he made a presentation at “Ding” Darling as part of its annual lecture series.

NPR’s All Things Considered called Cross’ collection of 179 images and count-

less anecdotes “spectacular.” The New York Times described it as “part visual encyclopedia, part memoir.”

“The Theodore Cross Family Charitable Foundation has made possible this contest with a generous grant to the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge,” said Birgie Miller, DDWS executive director. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that they wanted their donation used in this way for a 10th year.”

“We are so happy to be supporting a contest in my father’s name, a contest that will get our youth involved with nature by looking at it – as my father so loved doing – through a camera lens,” said daughter Amanda Cross.

Digital image entries can be shot from any outdoor venue in the state of Florida. A writing component to the contest requires entrants grades 9 through 12 to submit a 100-word description of the “moment” captured and how it reflects what nature and wildlife mean to the photographer.

Entry rules and guidelines are listed below. Guidelines and prize information are also posted at dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/photo-contests. Call DDWS at 239-2920566 for more information.

All entries and personal information must be submitted in digital format to the email address ddhsphotocontest@gmail .com. Submit your full name, high school, grade and an original photograph that you took of nature and/or wildlife in the open outdoors.

Include a title for the photograph and a written description (minimum 100 words) of the “moment” captured and how it reflects what nature and wildlife mean to you. You and

your entry must comply with the following requirements: ∫ Students attending high schools in Lee,

DANI MOSER

In 2022, Dani Moser from Cape Coral High took first place with her image "Fly."

Southwest Florida Concert Band to present a Florida Family Christmas Dec. 18

The Southwest Florida Concert Band will perform A Florida Family Christmas Concert, with feature vocalist Janna Braun, on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m., at South Fort Myers High School, 14020 Plantation Road.

The 35-member community band will perform a concert of seasonal music and give the audience an opportunity to join in a sing-a-long of their favorite carols. The program will start the journey with An American Christmas and the Christmas classic, "The Most Wonderful Time of Year."

One of the highlights of the show for the young and young at heart will be music from the films "Polar Express" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," which is sure to bring out the kid in all of us.

Guest vocalist Janna Braun will sing the "You Raise Me Up" and the "Grown Up Christmas List" to inspire strength to overcome difficult times.

The band will perform "Festive Sounds of Hanukah," "‘Twas The Night Before Christmas," Leroy Anderson’s "Sleigh Ride" and more.

There will also be a visit from The

Plants: Low maintenance

From page 1C

dening/low-maintenance-landscapeplants-for-south-florida/

Here is a brief overview of the eleven categories which include many familiar plants; I have used common plant names rather than botanical names:

1. Perennials: Defined as plants that live three or more years, low-maintenance perennials include milkweed, ginger, verbena, porterweed, and several kinds of lilies.

2. Annuals: An annual is a plant that typically lives for one year or less; in South Florida most annuals are cool-season plants which are best suited to our winter months with lower temperatures and less rainfall. Recommended annuals include cosmos, sunflower, portulaca, black-eyed Susan, and ornamental sages (salvia).

3. Shrubs and Hedges: Shrubs are typically woody plants with multiple stems, and hedges are a row of closely planted shrubs; hedges may, however, require some pruning to maintain their form. Examples include sea grape, croton, buttonwood, jasmine, wax myrtle and firespike.

4. Flowering and Shade Trees: Recommended low-maintenance trees include gumbo limbo, red cassia, floss silk tree, jacaranda, slash pine and plumeria.

5. Fruit Trees: These trees are typically grown for their edible fruit and may require fertilizer and water during their fruiting periods. Easy-care fruit trees include jackfruit, longan, lychee, mango, avocado and tamarind.

6. Palms, Cycads and Palm-like Plants: This plant group is both tropical in appearance and low-maintenance, and includes Bismarck palm, cat palm, screw ‘pine’, pygmy date palm, and saw palmetto.

7. Ornamental Grasses: Ornamental grasses typically grow in clumps and flower annually on tall stalks. Examples

include pampas grass, pink muhly grass, lemongrass, and mondo grass.

8. Groundcovers: These plants are commonly used to cover areas where grass will not grow, or to stabilize the soil. Groundcovers can be vines, annuals, perennials, or grasses, and include bromeliads, perennial peanut, railroad vine, Chinese juniper, and lilyturf.

9. Vines: Vines are plants that derive their support from climbing, creeping, or twining along a surface; vines can grow vertically as well as horizontally (as a groundcover). Recommended vining plants include bougainvillea, downy jasmine, passionflowers, cape honeysuckle, and allamanda.

10. Epiphytes: Epiphytes are plants that require support and grow on other plants or surfaces such as rocks. Epiphytes are not parasitic, but gather water and nutrients from the air, not the host plant. Epiphytes include orchids, staghorn ferns, night blooming cereus, Spanish moss, and air plants.

11. Herbs and Vegetables: While these food plants are not usually thought of as landscape plants, many have ornamental value. These plants include dill, rosemary, Mexican tarragon, and caper bush.

As you read through the list of eleven categories, I imagine that you were surprised at the variety of plants that are considered low-maintenance, and by your familiarity with many of these plants. Most of these low-maintenance plants are readily available in local garden centers and are not rare or expensive. If one of your resolutions for the New Year is to spend less time in the garden, consider incorporating some of these low-maintenance plants in your landscape!

Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit us at www.gardenclubofcapecoral.com

Fort Myers Coin Club coin and currency show set for Jan. 21

The Fort Myers Coin Club is Southwest Florida's largest and longest running coin club will hold a numismatic coin and currency show Saturday, Jan. 21, at at Masonic Lodge, 10868 Metro

Parkway, Fort Myers. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show will feature 30 tables. Please check out clubs web situate fmcc.anaclubs.org for additional information.

Cape Coral Computer Club to resume meetings

The Cape Coral Computer Club meetings will re-start on Wednesday, Dec 21, at 2 p.m. via Zoom video Conference.

This meeting will be an opportunity to just socialize and tell stories of the survival of Hurricane Ian. Formal programs will start with the

Jan. 4 meeting. Regular club meetings are from 2 to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month via Zoom. All skill levels are welcome to join. For more information, visit the club website: https://www.capecoralcomputer.club/

Brass Monkeys brass quintet for a couple of numbers. Bring your best voices for a chance to sing along with the band on some favorite Christmas carols. All concerts are free with donations

accepted. Information on the group, our scholarship program, and other performances can be found on the band's website: www.SouthwestFloridaConcertBand.org

Assignment of benefits and hiring a public adjustor

Dear Mr. Feichthaler:

Like many homeowners in Cape Coral, I had significant damage from the hurricane. Immediately after the storm I signed a contract with a roofer that included an “assignment of benefits.” Since then, I have made claims for other damage on the property and have received less than half of the actual damages. In the meantime, the roofer won’t return my calls. I was thinking of hiring a public adjuster to assist, is this a good idea?

—Janine L.

Recession hits Cape’s housing market! Where to next?

There, we said it. The Cape Coral real estate market has slowed considerably in the second half of this year, slipping into a recession which has been compounded by the damage from Hurricane Ian. The early signs started showing up in the subtle shifts to the market activity that we were pointing out in this column back in April, May, and June of this year, and they continue today. Homes are still being sold, but at a much slower pace, and prices have been softening, requiring sellers to get more aggressive if they want to get their homes sold. We will begin unpacking this in greater detail later in this column and in future columns, but we will begin with an economic update.

and Geri Quinn

gage substantially higher from around 3 percent a year ago, leading to nine straight months of declining home sales nationally, with October home sales down 24 percent year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors. Thus a national real estate recession.

Homing In

Eric P. Feichthaler Real Estate

Law

Dear Janine: The hurricane has impacted tens of thousands of homeowners in Cape Coral. After the storm, out-of-area contractors descended on our city, many times going door to door in an attempt to have victims sign contracts for various services, including roofing. Although Florida Statutes provides some protections from predatory contractors, it is not all-encompassing. Generally, an assignment of benefits can be cancelled by a consumer within 14 days of signing. In your case, it sounds more like 60 days, so the statute may not allow you to cancel. The contact language may provide you an “out” to the contract, and they may have breached the contract due to lack of work or other reasons. If you can reach the roofer and you wish to terminate the agreement, there is the possibility they will voluntarily do so. If not, you may need the services of an attorney to determine what grounds there are for release from the agreement.

The next issue is your interaction with your insurance company. The top question I receive from clients is whether hiring a public adjuster is a good idea. The role of the public adjuster is to manage your claim, confirm filing requirements are met, and will negotiate with the carrier in an attempt to maximize the benefits paid. A public adjuster is licensed by the State of Florida, and is paid a percentage (usually 10%) of the recovery they obtain on your behalf. If you read my column often, you know that I like to try to handle matters on my own when possible, and I advise clients to do the same when they are comfortable doing so. However, particularly when damage is extensive, where your policy is confusing and hard to understand, a public adjuster can be of assistance. Where you have already done the work in receiving insurance funds but the insurance carrier is nonresponsive or unreasonable low on their offer, an attorney may be the most cost effective way to proceed. Both public adjusters and attorneys can also take the stress away from constantly dealing with insurance companies.

This brings me to a final point on whether you should hire a public adjuster. You have noted you signed an Assignment of Benefits with the roofer. This situation could lead to your public adjuster actually obtaining more money for your roofer, while you pay for the service in getting that money for them. Due you the many aspects at issue, I would recommend seeking legal counsel before hiring anyone else, and possibly assisting you in terminating the original roofing agreement.

Eric P. Feichthaler has lived in Cape Coral for over 35 years and graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral. After completing law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., he returned to Southwest Florida to practice law and raise a family. He served as mayor of Cape Coral from 2005-2008, and continues his service to the community through the Cape Coral Caring Center, Cape Coral Museum of History, and Cape Coral Kiwanis. He has been married to his wife, Mary, for over 20 years, and they have four children together. He earned his board certification in Real Estate Law from the Florida Bar. He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional ethics and legal ability, and is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. He can be reached at eric@capecoralattorney.com, or 239-5424733.

This article is general in nature and not intended as legal advice to anyone. Individuals should seek legal counsel before acting on any matter of legal rights and obligations.

Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association installs 2023 officers and directors

The Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association held its annual Installation Gala of 2023 Officers and Directors at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village Saturday, Dec. 3. The installation was attended by more than 150 officers, members and staff under the 2023 leadership of President Jack Martin, Century 21 Selling Paradise.

The evening kicked off with a welcoming by Chris Lopez, master of ceremonies, community investment manager for Tampa Electric (former Director of Public Policy at RPCRA); inspiration by Bob Wade, Cypress Realty; and pledge by Patrick Quinlan, Harbour Shores Realty.

2022 Board President and Cape City Councilmember Bill Steinke, Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group, honored officers and staff with his outgoing speech and President’s Awards. Chuck Bonfiglio Jr., 2022 Florida Realtors Secretary, gave the secretary address followed by the installation of officers and directors that paved the way for Board President Jack Martin to receive the long-standing tradition of the passing of the gavel.

During his speech, Martin thanked Steinke for his dedication to growing the board, volunteers and awareness on the importance of working with a Realtor. Martin also

This column was written before the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) made their announcement about interest rates at the conclusion of their two-day meeting on Wednesday of this week. Most analysts were expecting the FOMC to increase the Federal Funds Rate by 50 basis points, until the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Tuesday morning showed inflation continued to ease in November, bringing the potential for a smaller 25 basis point rate increase into play. Coming into their December meeting the Fed had raised rates by 75 basis points in each of their previous four meetings, in addition to two 25 basis point increases and one 50 basis point rate hike earlier this year, as they abandoned their earlier view that the record high levels of inflation were simply a “transitory” blip on the screen. In launching their aggressive war on inflation by rapidly jacking-up interest rates, the Fed has brought the economy to the brink of what some say could be a severe recession in 2023. This has led to a number of market experts and economists, most of whom also insisted that inflation was transitory and nothing to worry about, to call for the Fed to abandon their fight against inflation and to “pivot” back to their easy money policies by once again lowering interest rates. Basically, the Fed is trapped in an economic box of their own making as they fear that if they “pivot” away from raising interest rates too soon, inflation will go even more wildly out-of-control, but if they do not back away from raising interest rates at the correct moment, they could plunge the U.S. and the global economies into a deep recession.

In analyzing the November CPI numbers, a smaller group of economists are pointing out that when one digs down into the actual data underneath the surface of the somewhat softer headline inflation numbers, the slight easing in inflation being celebrated by the White House and Wall Street was being driven by lower oil prices and a decline in used car prices. Prices on just about everything else were still high. These economists point out that the recent large decline in oil prices, which has led to much needed price relief at the gas pump, has been driven by the Biden administration's release of oil from our strategic oil supply and by a huge drop-off in oil consumption in China due to their recent COVID lockdowns and recession. The thought is that when “China comes back on line,” oil prices will once again move higher, thus causing inflation to spike higher. For its part the decline in used auto prices is tied to higher auto loan costs caused by the Fed raising interest rates to slow down consumer demand. Past slowdowns in auto sales have tended to be a harbinger of recessions.

The reason we have seemingly drifted away from the topic of the Cape Coral real estate market, is to point out that aside from facing the hurricane recovery process, the biggest influences on our local real estate market are likely to be tied to the actions of the Fed, interest rates, inflation, the economy, and the level of severity of a looming recession in 2023. A lot of it will be out of our control and nobody knows for sure how it will all play out.

While we are seeing predictions ranging from a slight decrease in home prices next year and a mild recession in the U.S., to an all out real estate crash rivaling the last bear market in home prices, the recent decline in mortgage rates from around 7.4 percent to 6.28 percent has been a positive development. This still leaves rates on the 30-year fixed rate mort-

Here is why we are saying the Cape’s real estate market is now in a recession. In the first half of this year we averaged 600 single family home sales per month, versus an average of only 356.2 sales per month so far from July through November, for a decline in sales of 40.6 percent. Home sales have been at post-Ian depressed levels in October (220) and November (285), but on a positive note they appear to have put in a bottom. Mostly prior to Ian, third quarter home sales were 22.6 percent lower than sales in the third quarter of 2021, and down 31.4 percent from the second quarter of this year. One might argue that this was simply a return to more normal historical market trends where the third quarter tended to be the slowest quarter of the year, but this market slowdown also corresponds with aggressive, targeted actions by the Federal Reserve and the widely accepted view that we are in a national real estate recession. For their part, median sales prices and median list prices are still holding above their 2021 levels, but they have softened quite a bit from earlier this year.

As of Tuesday, Dec. 13, there were 1,339 single family homes listed for sale in Cape Coral through the Multiple Listing Service at prices ranging from $259,900 to $4,999,999. The number of active listings is up from 1,326 a week ago, but still down from the 1,411 active listings back on Sept. 20 (the week before the storm). The current median list price remains at $500,000 while the overall median home sales price in November dipped to $400,000 after peaking at $470,000 in April. Digging deeper into the active listings, there were 530 single family homes listed at $450,000 and under, with 355 of these homes priced at $400,000 and under, including 13 homes listed below $300,000. A total of 153 homes in the Cape are listed for $1 million and above, up from 140 homes a week ago. Back on Sept. 20, prior to Hurricane Ian, a total of 513 of the 1,411 homes on the market were listed for $450,000 and under, with 312 of these homes priced at $400,000 and below, including 16 homes priced under $300,000. At the other end of the spectrum, 174 homes in the Cape were listed at $1 million and above.

On Dec. 13, there were 592 pending home sales at list prices ranging from 129,900 to $1.5 million in the Cape, with 65.7 percent of the pending sales at prices of $450,000 and under, and 53 percent of the 592 pending sales at $400,000 and under, including 31 homes priced below $300,000 with ten of these homes below $250,000. There were only 18 pending sales, or 3 percent of the market, under contract for $1 million and above. All of these pending sales numbers indicate the likelihood of some additional price erosion below the higher list prices noted in the paragraph above, adding support to the view that we have entered at least some level of a real estate recession in the Cape.

(The sales data for this article was obtained from the Florida Realtors® Multiple Listing Service Matrix for Lee County, FL, as of December 13, 2022, unless otherwise noted. It was compiled by Bob and Geri Quinn and it includes information specifically for Cape Coral single family homes, and does not include condominiums, short sales, or foreclosures. The data and statistics are believed to be reliable, however, they could be updated and revised periodically, and are subject to change without notice. The Quinn’s are a husband and wife real estate team with the RE/MAX Realty Team office in Cape Coral. They have lived in Cape Coral for over 43years. Geri has been a full-time REALTOR® since 2005, and Bob joined with Geri as a full-time REALTOR® in 2014. Their real estate practice is mainly focused on Cape Coral residential property and vacant lots.)

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Blue Waters Development Group provides land to LCEC in Ian recovery efforts

Blue Waters Development, LLC partnered with Lee County Electric Cooperative and provided land for staging areas so utility crews could continue emergency electrical infrastructure repairs in Cape Coral and on Pine Island.

Land owned by BWDG in northeastern Cape Coral was used by LCEC workers to locate trucks and equipment for various levels of utility work to help restore damaged infrastructure following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ian. Large areas near Pine Island Road suffered significant damage to substations and to power poles.

Although power has been restored to most of the city, LCEC continues to rebuild power supplies as the need necessitates. Utilizing BWDG property on the western side of the city also was critical in restoring infrastructure and power to heavily damaged parts of the city.

Many residents on Cape Coral were without power for over two weeks. The northwestern site also allowed LCEC crews to better serve Pine Island, where damage is so significant many homes, businesses and power sources were destroyed during the Category 4 – almost Category 5 – hurricane.

“LCEC is grateful for community partnerships with companies like Blue Waters Development Group. Their help during Hurricane Ian restoration is a testament to how our community pulls together in a crisis,” said LCEC spokesperson Karen Ryan.

Blue Waters Development Group also offered land for use with the Red Cross.

“Blue Waters Development Group knows that this storm changed the lives of many people, and we want to be able to help our community recover from the historic impacts,” Danny Aguirre said. “It takes all of us working together to help our community recover.”

Blue Waters Development Group LLC, which launched in 2019, is a full-service development company focused on private equity, asset management, and property development services in the following sectors: hospitality, multifamily, office, retail and industrial. Blue Waters Development is comprised of a diversified group of professionals with over 100 years combined experience. For more information, contact 800-695-1031 or visit www.BlueWatersDG.com.

Stevens Construction completes South Florida Emergency Vehicles

Stevens Construction has completed construction of South Florida Emergency Vehicles located at 4655 Cummins Court in Fort Myers, announced Dan Adams, executive vice president/principal, Stevens Construction,

Inc.

Stevens Construction built an 18,980-square-foot metal building to house, service and customize a variety of emergency vehicles. The new facility includes eight bays equipped for graphic installation, detailing and repairing various apparatus. South Florida Emergency Vehicles also includes parts storage, conference room, reception and offices.

The Stevens Construction team includes Project Manager Jay Wolfe, Superintendent Randy Jacobson and Project Administrator Gina Ferentini. Castellanos + Tramonte Architects is the architect of record.

With offices in Fort Myers, Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando, Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals. Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control and warranty service. The company builds healthcare, commercial and hospitality facilities. For information, visit www.stevensbuilds.com or call 239-9369006.

Mayhugh Commercial Advisors announces recent transactions

Mayhugh Commercial Advisors has announces its recent real estate transactions:

∫ Chuck Mayhugh sold 11039 Plantation Road, 17 acres of commercial land in Fort Myers. He also sold 15 acres of land on Oil Well Road in Punta Gorda.

∫ Chuck Mayhugh and Bryan Burchers sold 6361 Metro Plantation Road, a 9,450-square-foot industrial building in Fort Myers.

∫ Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM, IAMC & Justin Ankney sold Gulf City Parcels, commercial land in Fort Myers.

Recent lease agreements by the Mayhugh team include:

∫ 12065 Metro Parkway Suite 203 in Fort Myers –1,150-square-foot office/warehouse space

∫ 950 S.E. 11th Ave. in Cape Coral - 21,365square-foot office/warehouse space

∫ 10251 Metro Parkway Suite 115 in Fort Myers1,621-square-foot office/warehouse space

∫ 11000 Metro Parkway Suite 42 in Fort Myers750-square-foot industrial/office space

Mayhugh Commerical Advisors and its team of commercial real estate professionals specialize in brokerage and consulting, property acquisition, property disposition, landlord representation, property management, tenant representation and marketing and support.

For more information, call 239-278-4945 or visit MayhughCommercial.com.

Bob

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-toceiling columns, sculpted arches, a gourmet kitchen, wine room, separate guest house and panoramic views of the ocean.

thanked the officers for their continued service to the association. Martin spoke on his plans for nurturing the growth of RPCRA, benefits of membership, and to promote the importance of education in homeownership under his 2023 theme of a “Quest for Excellence.”

The 2023 RPCRA Board of Directors includes President Elect Marlissa Gervasoni, Jones & Co. Realty; Treasurer Karen Borrelli, John R. Wood Properties; Secretary Juliana DaCosta, Sellstate Achievers Realty and Past President Steinke

Returning as one-year directors are Sandra Aguilar, EXP Realty; Jessica Gatewood, Sun Country Realty of Florida; Que Raphael, Keller Williams Realty Fort Myers & The Islands; and Shane Spring, The Keyes Company

The two-year director positions are Paul Cohen, John R. Wood Properties; Jennifer Desrosiers, Rose Tree Realty, LLC; Angie Nichols, Grow Prosper Move Realty; Joanna Rowell, Jones & Co. Realty; and Michele Schafer, Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group

MCMURRAY & MEMBERS OF ROYAL SHELL

ber business interests through education, communications and proactive management of industry issues. To learn more about Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association and membership, visit RPCRA.org. S U D O K U

Cryptoquip Solution:

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).

Page 5B CAPE CORAL BREEZE www.capecoralbreeze.com December 16, 2022

Association: New officers, board directors announced

From page 4B

Mercola donates more than 100 toys and canned goods to local families in need

In the spirit of the season, Mercola donated nearly 80 canned goods and over 30 toys to local families in need of more than just holiday cheer this year. The natural health company’s collection was distributed to the Cape Coral Caring Center and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida.

“This can be a difficult time of year for many families, and Hurricane Ian has only made things harder,” said Steve Rye, CEO of Mercola in a prepared statement. “These holiday drives are a way for us to be present for our neighbors in need while bringing our teams together and connecting with local organizations.”

Mercola served as a drop-off site for the annual Merry Givemas Toy Drive, hosted by the Southwest Florida Chapter of Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA), while also asking its teams to donate to the cause.

This is the second year Mercola has held a companywide holiday drive, but the business gives in similar ways throughout the year.

In 2022, its charitable efforts included:

∫ Raising over $2,000 for a nearby animal shelter.

∫ Donating 140 duffle bags with needed items to local foster kids.

∫ Hosting two blood drives with a total of 56 units of blood collected.

∫ Donating 50 healthy lunches to a local youth summer camp.

∫ Filling 350 backpacks with school supplies for elementary schools, which included over 300 donated items from the company.

∫ Offering a “thank you” cup of coffee to all first responders and linemen throughout October.

The Cape Coral Caring Center supports Cape Coral residents with insufficient resources to maintain a suitable lifestyle. For more information about the organization or to donate, visit capecoralcaringcenter.org or call 239-945-1927. The Children’s Advocacy Center

MNMW team members

play Santa for foster children

This Christmas, 49 foster children will receive holiday gifts through Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A.. Every year MNMW team members sign up to participate in a gift donation program for the Foster Care Advisory Services. This year was even more important since the impacts from Hurricane Ian added stress and unforeseen costs to many families in Southwest Florida.

“Our team members look forward to supporting the Foster Care Advisory program every year and quickly sign up for Santa duty,” said Jessica Walker, MA, APR, CPRC, Marketing and Public Relations Manager/Consultant at MNMW. “Our community is still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Ian, so we hope this small gesture helps brighten the holidays for the children and the families that foster them.”

Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company, P.A. is a

BUSINESS NOTES

public accounting and consulting firm with offices in both Fort Myers and Naples. Along with traditional tax and accounting services, the firm offers a wide range of other services, including general business consulting in construction and medical/dental practices. Our expertise also includes not-forprofit accounting, elder services, family mediation, forensic accounting, litigation support, and technology. For more information, call 239-433-5554 or visit www.MarkhamNorton.com.

Foster Care Advisory Services was founded in 1984 and is dedicated to improving the lives of abused and neglected children. This 100% volunteer organization provides additional support for foster care providers. Over the years, Foster Care Advisory Services has provided scholarships for summer camps, purchased clothing, books, and other school necessities, played Santa at Christmas, and even hosted a yearly banquet for the foster care providers. To learn more, please visit https://www.fostercareadvisory.org/programs/.

donate, visit cac-swfl.org or call 239-939-2808.

Celebrating

full-service café and more. To browse over 1,000 premium products, visit mercolamarket.com, and for the most up-to-date health news and information, visit mercola.com.

CONRIC pr + marketing adds graphic designer Ryan

Alyse Ryan has joined CONRIC pr + marketing, adding to its award-winning design team. Ryan will work collaboratively with the creative team to develop imagery for print and digital media as part of the comprehensive services the agency provides for its growing clientele across the country. CONRIC pr + marketing is a full-service digital marketing, branding, advertising, public relations and web development agency recognized as an industry leader in creative visual design.

Ryan is a professional designer with a background in graphic design, advertising, and animation. Before joining the CONRIC team, Alyse was an in-house graphic designer for D.G.Yuengling and Son Inc, the oldest brewery in America.

Alyse was born and raised in Schuylkill County, See BUSINESS NOTES, page 7B

of Southwest Florida supports the foster care community to help ensure abused and neglected children are placed into safe homes. For more information or to

25 years in business, Mercola is a multisided natural health company founded by physician and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Joseph Mercola. It empowers people to take control of their health through research-proven, health-based information while delivering the highest quality, biodynamic and organic supplements, foods, textiles and personal care products for your health, home, pantry and pet. Its retail space, Mercola Market of Cape Coral, serves as a hub for the local community, offering seasonal events, a

PHOTOS PROVIDED Brooke Wilson and Jennifer Benton, APR, CPRC.

Melody Mendez and Tim Colvin.

Coral Oaks reopens full course

All 18 holes at Coral Oaks Golf Course

reopened for play Dec. 15.

Following Hurricane Ian, only nine holes were open with limited tee times, while major debris was removed. Some small debris is still on the course, so players are reminded to be careful when driving in the wooded areas as crews continue removing debris.

Special golfing rates for the remainder of December are $59 until 2 p.m. with a twilight rate of $49 after 2 p.m. These rates went into effect on Dec. 15, and will run through Saturday, Dec. 31.

For more information or to book tee times online, visit www.CoralOaksGolf .com or call (239) 573-3100.

BUSINESS NOTES

From page 6B

Pennsylvania. She holds a 2019 BFA from Kutztown University in communication design, concentrating in advertising and graphic design. During that time, she also studied interactive design, animation, and painting.

See the campaigns CONRIC has created for businesses and community organizations at conricpr.com. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call 239-690-9840.

Hope Hospice receives $12,000 from the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technical Professionals golf tournament

The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technical Professionals golf tournament recently raised $12,000 to support Hope Hospice. Funds were presented to Joanne’s House for Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs at an installation dinner held Oct. 28 at the Quarry Lodge in Naples.

The charity golf event was chaired by Chapter Past President Susan Bowles and Laurie Rozeski-Ellis, CFO of Wildcat Run Golf & Country Club.

With more than 40 years of experience as a local, not-for-profit organization, Hope Healthcare is dedicated to providing care and comfort for people in life’s closing chapter. A compassionate team of staff and volunteers offers practical, spiritual and emotional support for the entire family. For more information, visit HopeHCS.org.

Greater Fort Myers Chamber hires Miloff as membership director

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce has hired Mark Miloff as the business organization’s membership director.

In this role, Miloff leads membership development for the Chamber, which represents more than 725 businesses, professionals and individuals throughout Lee County.

A native of South Florida and a U.S. Navy veteran, Miloff has excelled in a 20year career in Southwest Florida’s real estate market. Prior to real estate, he spent 15 years as a customer service team leader

and project manager at American Express, where he was awarded five Chairman Awards and the company’s global Great Citizens Award for American Express. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Nova University.

Prior to his role with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber, Miloff was active with the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, graduating from its Cape Coral Leadership Class in 2006, serving on its board of directors for several years and helping facilitate its Junior Leadership program. Miloff has also served on the Lee County Homeless Coalition Board. He is active in the community and supports local causes focused on helping people in need.

To learn more about membership opportunities with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber, visit FortMyers.org or email info@fortmyers.org.

Lee Health Welcomes

Four Neurosurgeons to Lee Physician Group

Lee Health’s Lee Physician Group welcomes the addition of four new neurosurgeons into its medical practice.

Through the purchase of Southwest Florida Neurosurgical and Rehab Associates, Gary Correnti, M.D., Wesley Faunce III, M.D., Donald Moyer, M.D., and Douglas Savage, M.D. are now part of Lee Physician Group’s innovative and expert neurosurgery team.

Lee Health’s neurosurgeons work to prevent, diagnose and treat disorders that affect any portion of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and the cerebrovascular system.

“We are proud to continue to expand care across our region with the addition of these high-quality physicians, who have served our region for more than 20 years,” said Kris Fay, Lee Health’s chief officer of community based care. “We are committed to meeting the needs of our community and providing our patients with high-quality, innovative care right here in Southwest Florida.”

Drs. Faunce and Moyer will practice at the LPG Neurosurgery Cape Coral office, located at 632 Del Prado Blvd. N. Drs. Correnti and Savage will be at the Fort Myers office, which is at 12700 Creekside Lane, Suite 301.

For more information about Lee Health’s neurosurgery program, visit www.leehealth.org.

Lee County Homeless Coalition to hold annual Candlelight Vigil Dec. 21

As a tribute to at least 16 homeless individuals who have lost their lives while living on the streets or in shelters in Lee County this year, the Lee County Homeless Coalition will host its 26th annual Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. The community is encouraged to gather on the steps of the Old Lee County Courthouse located at 2120 Main St., in Fort Myers, to mourn those who have passed.

The memorial event is also intended to educate and inspire the public to support the community’s need for more affordable housing, shelters, and accessible health care.

The Candlelight Vigil will include remarks by Therese

Family Initiative to host autism activist Grandin for Redefining Autism speaker series Jan. 7

Family Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and families with autism, is continuing its Redefining Autism speaker series with a presentation by renowned autism activist Dr. Temple Grandin on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 1:30 p.m., at Christ Community Church, 4050 Colonial Blvd., in Fort Myers.

As part of the Redefining Autism series, Grandin will discuss how the world needs to take a closer look at our autism community.

“At the heart of that message is this: Rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that, while it might struggle to conjugate a verb, could one day take us to distant stars. The skills that people with autism bring to the table should be nurtured for their benefit and society’s,” Grandin said.

Grandin, 75, grew up with autism in the 1950s, and became a professor of animal science at Colorado State University as well as a world-renowned autism advocate.

Grandin is an author of several books and published works, has a biographical movie created about her life and is an international speaker working to change the world’s perception on what it means to live with autism.

“Temple Grandin is one of the nation’s foremost speakers on autism, and we are thrilled to bring her to Southwest Florida,” said David Brown, president of Family Initiative.

“Our Redefining Autism speaker series is all about changing the way we look at autism, and Temple Grandin brings fresh insights and perspective into the world of autism.”

Learn more about Temple Grandin, her experience and her ongoing work here: Welcome to Temple Grandin's Official Autism Website, Temple Grandin (TV Movie 2010) - IMDb, Temple Grandin's new book "Visual Thinking" | WAMC and Temple Grandin Wants All Types of Minds to Contribute to Society - WSJ.

Everly, executive, director Lee County Homeless Coalition, and Board Chair Johnny Limbaugh. An opening prayer will be presented by Father Charles Cannon from St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church, as well as a performance by Lee County Human & Veteran Services Homeless Outreach team members Pamela Martin and Rob Gies. Taps will be performed by Harvey Charter, Commander Victor Paul Tuchman Post 400 Jewish War Veterans.

The Lee County Homeless Coalition is a nonprofit organization comprised of community and faith-based service providers, local businesses, people who are currently experi-

HEALTH NOTES

Registration is not required for the Jan. 7 event. For questions and more information, email rfecteau@fi-florida.org. Upcoming events in the Redefining Autism Speaking Series are posted online at FI-Florida.org.

Established in 2015, Family Initiative, Inc. is a Floridabased 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to supporting children with autism and strengthening their families. Its team of clinicians serves children from a compassionate, personalized approach through Applied Behavior Analysis and Occupational Therapy services, and offers autism play groups, teen meetings, parent education, community conversations and more. In addition, the organization provides child welfare caregiver training and support through its Family Impact Program. Visit fi-florida.org or find Family Initiative on Facebook and Instagram at @FamilyInitiative and on Twitter at @FI_Inc.

Green returns as director at P.A. Geraci Child Development

Lateasha Green has rejoined Child Care of Southwest Florida as the center director at the P.A. Geraci Child Development Center in Fort Myers.

With more than 20 years in child care, Green has served six years with Child Care of Southwest Florida as the center director of P.A. Geraci from 2012 to 2017. Returning to the position, Green will oversee the center’s day-to-day operations while building a supportive and encouraging learning environment for children, teachers and families to thrive.

As a Southwest Florida native, Green was raised in the Dunbar area and attended college at Rasmussen University in Fort Myers. She earned an Early Childhood Education certificate, as well as her Child Development Associate credential and Florida Director credential. Prior to her current role, Green served as a director for another local child care center.

Located at 3713 Canal St. in Fort Myers, the P.A. Geraci Child Development Center serves children ages 6 weeks old to 8 years old and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. The center is accredited by the National Accreditation

encing or who have experienced homelessness, and other advocates committed to ending homelessness. The Coalition’s mission is to advocate, educate and promote awareness of issues and obstacles facing homeless individuals in Lee County through community collaboration, planning, and implementing solutions.

For more information on the Lee County Homeless Coalition, visit www.leehomeless.org. Please like and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/leehomeless/.

Commission for Early Learning Leaders and is recognized as a Gold Seal Quality Care Program through the Florida Department of Children and Families.

For more information or to enroll a child, please call 239337-4995 or visit ccswfl.org.

EDUCATION NOTES

Lee Technical Colleges rank second in Florida for post-secondary industry certifications

earned by School District

The School District of Lee County this week announced that once again the Lee Technical Colleges rank second in Florida for post-secondary industry certifications earned annually by a school district. Fort Myers Technical College, Cape Coral Technical College and the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy awarded 685 Industry Certifications in the 2021-2022 school year and earned $562,326 in performance funds toward program improvement.

“The School District of Lee County in conjunction with the Lee Technical Colleges are excited to once again set the standard for post-secondary industry certifications earned by our students,” said Lee County Technical Colleges Senior Director Todd Every. “One of our core missions is to provide an individual the opportunity to seek gainful employment in our community’s workforce. We are excited to work with our business partners and community leaders to ensure each of the communities have employees ready to provide services for us all.”

Fort Myers Technical College offers certifications in 30 careers fields, including construction, education, hospitality, information technology, transportation and public safety.

Cape Coral Technical College offers certifications in 16 career fields including agriculture, business, health care, hospitality and technology.

The Southwest Florida Public Service Academy offers certifications in law enforcement, corrections,

See EDUCATION NOTES, page 9B

Photo contest

From page 2B

∫ Only digital images are accepted and may be taken with any camera, including smartphones.

∫ Images must be submitted in JPEG format and must have a size of at least 2000 x 1500 pixels or resolution of 2 megabytes.

∫ The photograph must be taken of nature and/or wildlife in the open outdoors in the state of Florida, which may include parks, refuges, backyards, and other open spaces.

∫ Panoramic photos are NOT allowed.

∫ Filters, cropping, enhancements and borders are permitted. However, adding any elements not existing in the original scene will not be allowed. Judges, at their discretion, will disqualify any photos that appear to be manipulated beyond these guidelines.

∫ Each participant may enter up to two (2) photos but is eligible to win only one award.

∫ Judging will be anonymous. Please do not put your name or anything that will identify you on your photograph.

∫ There are three judges: A refuge staff person, a professional photographer, and a resident of the five-county region.

∫ Judging criteria:

-- Technical excellence (sharpness, lighting, composition, exposure)

-- Creativity

-- Explanation of photograph (minimum of 100 words)

-- All photos will become the property of DDWS. Photos may be used by the society in any way with appropriate credit.

About DDWS

As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, DDWS works to support J.N. “Ding”

Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s mission of conservation, wildlife and habitat protection, research, and public education through charitable donations and Refuge Nature Shop profits.

To support DDWS and the refuge with a tax-deductible gift, visit www.dingdarlingsociety.org or contact Birgie Miller at 239-2920566 or director@dingdarlingsociety .org.

Collier, Hendry, Glades, and Charlotte (Florida) counties in grades 9 through 12 may enter the contest.

firefighting, emergency medical technician and criminal justice. Most career training programs take about a year and cost less than $8,000.

The Florida Department of Education annually compiles certification data and allocates the post-secondary performancebased incentive funds as provided under Florida law. The funds are based on students who earned industry certifications with a post-secondary funding designation on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. Lee County has awarded the second most certificates and earned the second highest funding for three years in a row.

“We continue to strive for excellence by working with our local business partners and community leaders to develop a productive workforce that helps make Lee County a great place to live,” Everly adds.

The Preserve and Hodges University announce corporate education partnership

The Preserve and Hodges University have announced a corporate education partnership that will allow for The Preserve to recruit through the university, offer internship opportunities and serve the university and its students in a variety of additional ways including guest lectures and job shadowing.

Recruiting and retaining high-caliber talent are significant challenges faced by employers. Studies show that in addition to compensation, perks and wellness offerings, employees value the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills. As a Hodges University Corporate Education Partner, The Preserve will have the ability to offer its employees an added education benefit of tuition discounts and preferred admission interviews. Current and future employees of The Preserve will receive a 20% per credit hour discount for most

credit-bearing programs.

“The Preserve is dedicated to providing the best possible care for our residents and in order to do that we must ensure that we provide our team members with competitive benefits in order to attract and retain top quality employees,” said Ryan Keller, executive director at The Preserve. “This partnership with Hodges University not only will benefit our current employees and future employees but will give us the ability to interact with perspective team members through the university involvement opportunities.”

The Preserve is a Volunteers of America community that offers a continuum of care with its intimate assisted living and memory care neighborhoods, short-term rehabilitation services and long-term care nursing community. To learn more about The Preserve visit ThePreserveVOA.org .

Located at 14750 Hope Center Loop, at the corner of Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Plantation Road, The Preserve offers 75 private skilled nursing suites for senior residents with specialized or advanced health care needs, as well as 21 boutique assisted living apartments and 17 memory support suites. The community serves as a critical resource for post-acute care, offering high-quality medical services, rehabilitative care and social programs. Highly trained staff members and licensed professionals provide continuous medical support and foster a culture of caring and hospitality, creating specialized programs focused on rehabilitative and restorative care. For more information, visit https://www.thepreservevoa.org/ Hodges University, a regionally accredited, private nonprofit institution founded in 1990, has a campus in Fort Myers, providing flexible day, evening and online classes for undergraduate and graduate degrees. Hodges is also the first designated as a Hispanic serving institution in this region, and is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. More information about Hodges University is available at Hodges.edu.