November 2022 Southwest Florida Business Today

Business leaders share recovery needs

Special to SWFBT

Submitted by Jacob Ogles, Editor

Life-saving efforts were the state’s first responsibility after Hurricane Ian made landfall, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. That was followed closely by restoring basic infrastructure like power and roads. But bringing commerce in Southwest Florida to full strength remains one of the state’s chief priorities now, he said at a Cape Coral roundtable of local business owners held in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

“I do want to thank everyone here in the business community at large because what you saw was you spring into action to help with the relief,” DeSantis said.

He sat at the event alongside Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle, a former Cape Coral state representative, to discuss the greatest needs facing business in the region following the historic storm.

Robbie Roepstorff, Edison National Bank president, lives on Sanibel and has only been able to access her home by boat to assess damage. Her Bank of the Islands office on Sanibel remains unsafe to visit. Beyond reconstruction and road access, she said what business owners need most is commercial restoration. “Then we can be self-independent

— Marty Harrity, Fort Myers Beach restaurateur

and do limited cash transactions,” she said.

“I’ve also spoken with a lot of small businesses, and they need to make payroll. They’re scared and concerned to death about it. It took a long time to get employees back to work. They are affected where they rent, and they will leave us if they don’t get on a good payroll.”

The good news, Roepstorff said, is every large bank in Southwest Florida had at least one bank location open within two weeks of Ian making landfall, so the community had access to accounts and banking services. But she encouraged government leaders to convene bankers from the area together, similar to what happened after Hurricane Charley, and find what shortcuts to economic recovery could be found through waiving regulations.

IN BRIEF

SBA offering federal disaster loans in Ian-affected counties

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering assistance in a disaster area for Hurricane Ian, including all Southwest Florida counties, that began Sept. 23, expanding eligibility to apply for the federal disaster loan program.

Businesses and nonprofits of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

For small businesses, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs

“Keep it going. We’re coming back. It’s just going to take time.

Comfort Keepers elevating human spirit in time of crisis

Comfort Keepers, a franchise network in the inhome care market for seniors and other adults needing care, has taken strides in elevating the human spirit in the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The pro vider of private duty in-home care launched initiatives throughout Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties support ing care teams in Skilled-Nursing Facilities, Rehabilita tion Hospital and Assisted Living Communities.

“It is in times like this that we see our #SWFLStrong Community comes together. After over 16 years serving seniors and families throughout SWFL, we are privi leged to take a lead on rebuilding this amazing place we call home,” said Dawn Pudlin, General Manager Comfort Keepers, living up to its mission in elevat ing the Human Spirit, delivered meals and support to Lee Health Cape Coral Hospital and Coral Trace Rehab in Cape Coral, Encompass Health and Solaris Imperial Rehab in North Naples, Springwood Court Assisted Living and Arden Courts Memory Care in Fort My ers, ProMedica Lakewood Rehabilitation and Arlington Skilled Nursing in East Naples with continued efforts in Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, East Naples and other areas in the weeks to come.

“We know that this recovery will not be one that ends in weeks or even months but just as we have stood through countless storms in the past and the COVID-19 pandemic Comfort Keepers will continue our work around the clock to support families and seniors as well as our partners who do the same throughout SWFL,” said Jacob Winge, director of Business Development for Collier County

A pillar of senior care, SWFL Comfort Keepers will work in public-private partnerships to help direct sup port in resources where they are needed most. The com pany partnered in efforts alongside VITAS Healthcare, Angel’s Care Home Health, and Trilogy Home Health to deliver meals to case management and healthcare teams throughout our region.

Contact Comfort Keepers of SWFL at (239) 331-6501.

LCEC mobilized immediately as storm struck

By Andie Massa Guest Columnist

The lives and livelihoods of the citizens of Southwest Florida were drastically altered by Hurricane Ian. The unprecedented and historic storm resulted in a devastating upheaval to the electric system and to the community at large. The effects have been felt by many in our com munities, including LCEC employees, who also live and work in the area. As an electric dis tribution cooperative, the sole reason LCEC is in business is to serve its members. Every em ployee is committed to that goal.

Before the hurricane struck, LCEC employ ees were called to action. Personal time off was canceled and “all hands on deck” was declared. Employees hunkered down at LCEC headquar ters to ride out the storm to be available to work as soon as it was safe.

The day after the storm, employees con verged to step into their restoration roles. Du ties ranged from food, lodging and laundry services to field supervision, material runner, traffic control, social media and many other critical roles. Every employee had a job.

Many employees sustained severe damage to their homes and some experienced total loss. Despite feelings of overwhelming uncertainty, agony and grief in the wake of the storm, LCEC employees continued to put customers first and never faltered to support the monumental resto ration mission.

Because of the unprecedented nature of Hur ricane Ian, LCEC faced unexpected trials in the days immediately following the storm. Before the storm, nearly 800 line workers reported to Southwest Florida ready to hit the ground when winds subsided. After damage assessment, rein forcements were called in and included support from FP&L, Duke Energy, nearly 50 coopera

A lineman works on power restoration in South west Florida.

Don’t forget to post your in-person and virtual events on our B2B events calendar at www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com/calendar

tive utility crews and many local agencies.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office was instrumental in supporting the restoration process. Within days, many LCEC customers were restored and crews were able to focus on the hardest hit ar eas of the mainland, Cape Coral and North Fort Myers. The army of workers grew to 2,300, allowing for mobilization of materials, equip ment and a base camp to Pine Island within three days, and Sanibel and Captiva after just two weeks. LCEC crews and employees contin ued to work tirelessly until every customer able to receive electricity is powered back on.

Andie Massa is an LCEC Functional Support Analyst. Her job during restoration was check ing crews in and out of base camp and logistics. Contact LCEC at 239-656-2300.

Southwest Florida perseveres through another challenging chapter

only

Florida Business Today over the past 15 years…and yes, this edition happens to mark the 16th anniversary of our first edition in November 2007. We began publication during another challenging chapter in our region’s history, now known as The Great Recession.

in

Our theme for the November edition each year is to celebrate all organizational anniversaries, whether you’ve been in existence for 1, 11 or 30 years. We will also be celebrating anniversaries in our December edition. Or I encourage you to share your Hurricane Ian success story instead, with your local business colleagues—our readers in-print and online—that make up SWFBT’s local audience of 50,000 business owners and professionals each month.

BY KAREN P. MOORE

I wrote this email message below to a long-time business colleague and client, and I felt like it might be the right message to share with all of you, our family of readers and supporters, at this most challenging time.

• • • • •

EVERYONE is in some kind of pain right now and EMPATHY and PATIENCE go a LONG WAY towards making our recovery BETTER so we all come out STRONGER on the other side.

Take care and good luck with all your stuff—we all need to stay POSITIVE and above all, like you said, have PATIENCE! I really don’t understand the drivers who are racing around and cutting you off like they are so

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

much more important—that really floors me at times like these ; ) And then the poor souls who STOP in the middle of the road because they really don’t remember where they are—I think they call it “Hurricane Brain”!-then everyone has to STOP as they hold up EVERYBODY while they cross 3 lanes of traffic!

So let’s make the list say—STAY POSITIVE AND HAVE PATIENCE, EMPATHY AND A SENSE OF HUMOR. ; ) And remember to pay our local vendors who are all facing the same (or worse) struggles as you, in a timely fashion, if you can. Likewise, be as patient as you can as you wait for your local clients to pay you.

Good luck to you guys, good luck to me, good luck to us all!

TOGETHER, we’ll get through it, all the better for it. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” right??

Warm regards and my best wishes, Karen P. Moore

Coral Animal Shelter reopens offering free pet food and supplies to residents

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter opened for adoptions for the first time since Hurricane Ian hit our area. The shelter sustained minor damage to some fencing. All 93 animals residing at the shelter were safe and sound during the storm. “Our founder, Joann Elardo, made sure this structure that

would house so many animals would withstand the strongest hurricanes, and it just did!” said Liz McCauley, executive director, who stayed at the shelter throughout.

Through the generosity of people from all over the state, CCAS has received very large donations of cat food,

dog food, and cat litter, which they are distributing to the community. Anyone in need of supplies for your pet can come to the shelter between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. any day of the week.

The shelter is located on SW 2nd Avenue in Cape Coral, near Sunsplash.

The shelter’s low-cost veterinary

clinic is open limited hours for existing clients only. Due to the lengthy power outage, all the clinic’s vaccines and other refrigerated supplies were lost, and replacements have not been shipped yet.

For more information, visit capecoralanimalshelter.com.

HURRICANE

Local counties face crisis together

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the devastation facing our community is heartbreaking. However, Southwest Florida is strong and we will persevere. Many of you have reached out asking how you can help. We are collecting donations for our Hurricane Ian relief fund in partnership with United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties that deploys the funds based on areas of most immediate need. 100% of funds support SWFL nonprofits helping individuals across our community recover from the impacts of the storm.

BY KEVIN RUANE Guest Columnist

Because this disaster is regional in scope and our urgent critical needs know no boundaries, please find the disaster relief funds established by the three community foundations serving the three coastal counties devastated by Hurricane Ian:

• Collaboratory SWFL Emergency Relief Fund (located in Lee County; serves the entire 5-county region, including two inland and more rural counties also hard hit): collaboratory.org

• Collier Community Foundation Collier Comes Together Hurricane Relief Fund (serving Collier County): cfcollier.com

• Charlotte Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund (serving Charlotte County): charlottecf.com

Contributing to and sharing these funds would be incredibly helpful. Thank you for everything you can do. It will be a long road to recovery and healing for our region and we are always grateful for the collaborative support.

Thank you and God Bless.

Kevin Ruane is a Lee County Commissioner and former mayor of Sanibel. Contact him at dist1@leegov.com and (239) 533-2224.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

Museum provides respite from damage

By now, most of you have seen the horrific images of the damage Hurricane Ian left in its wake along our coast. Homes and businesses destroyed. Boats on top of roofs and cars in the middle of water. The scale of the devastation is incomprehensible.

Over the past few days, I’ve heard so many stories that put a personal face on this epic disaster. A little girl, maybe 4 years old, was building a house out of straws and connectors. “This is my grandma’s house,” she told me. “We can’t use the first floor right now, but the second floor is OK. We’ll get to go back there someday.”

I started to tear up. But the little girl’s grandmother caught my eye and stopped me. “We are fine,” she said. “And this is her way of dealing with the situation.”

Another family came from Fort Myers after escaping the floodwaters that destroyed their Sanibel Island home. The mother was buying toys from the gift shop. “We have to start over at some point,” she said. “It might as well be today.”

She showed me pictures of her oldest son rescuing animals in the Pet Vet Clinic from rising waters. Then another picture of her youngest son making sure that all the people in the wooden doll house were safely hiding from the storm in the stairwell on the second floor.

“They needed this,” she said.

It’s been a Herculean effort on the part of our team, many of whom are dealing

with their own losses from Hurricane Ian. But when we learned our building made it through the storm mostly unharmed, we knew we needed to be open for the community.

If we can provide just a minute of joy, or even just a sense of normalcy, for the children and families in our area, then we know it’s a job well done.

BY JONATHAN FOERSTER Guest Columnist

The mission of Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is to provide an exciting, inspiring environment where children and their families play, learn and dream together.

I think we can also say we are a safe space for children to be themselves, process their feelings and hopefully start healing their wounds.

None of this would be possible without our members and our community. Your support makes it possible. Please consider a gift today.

Best wishes for a brighter tomorrow.

Jonathan Foerster is CEO Golisano Childrens Museum of Naples. Contact him at Jfoerster@cmon.org.

FGCU SOARING

FGCU alum finds passion teaching special needs

Cindy Michaels’ dedication to her students and her profession radiate from her voice when discussing her role as a middle school, ESEAutism Spectrum Disorder teacher.

I love the school that I work at,” said Michaels, who is in her 7th year teaching at Veterans Park Academy for the Arts in Lehigh Acres.

The passion she exhibits as a professional, as a community volunteer and for FGCU have led to the Lehigh Acres resident receiving the Soaring Eagle Award.

“I was excited just to be nominated,” Michaels said. “When the video came out and I was named a winner, I cried, because in education, we don’t get a lot of kudos. I don’t do it for the kudos, but it was amazing to win and get that recognition. It took me aback and I was shocked because there were a lot of great nominees. I’m grateful and thankful in so many ways.”

Her role as mother to two autistic sons, now 16 and 14, and the success the older son’s pre-K teacher had in transforming the non-verbal child, inspired her career choice.

“He had a lot of behaviors and the teacher who worked with him gave him his voice back and he started talking,” Michaels said. “I wanted to do the same thing for other families, and I do it every day and I love it.”

Michaels

Donalds said federal, state working together on recovery

Jacob Ogles,

Rep. Byron Donalds was in Washington when Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida

That has happened, and disaster recovery centers have been set up in locations throughout Southwest Florida.

to the mainland after the storm hit by Coast Guard or FEMA rescue crews.

“A lot of assets were pre-positioned and ready to be mobilized,” Donalds said. “The level of deployment we had, frankly, I’ve not seed it to this scale ever before.”

Sept. 28.

had traveled at a point when the storm seemed on track to hit other parts of the state. But the storm since has dominated his work, much as it has for everyone living in Southwest Florida.

lot of stuff is happening at warp speed,” he said.

the weeks since the disaster struck, he has worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to bring assets to Florida. He encouraged the Army Corps of Engineers to streamline approval processes to allow temporary bridges restore access to Pine Island and Sanibel for utility trucks and residents.

need to be able to make individual declarations to FEMA for assistance and aid,” he said.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

Sports facilities turned into staging areas for first responders, linemen

After the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida, the Minnesota Twins Academy and SodexoMagic acted quickly to provide relief and housing to first responders working in the Fort Myers area. The Twins Academy and SodexoMagic provided meals, clean living facilities and supplies to over 1,200 first responders, state/local police, national guard and FEMA.

The facility is also serving as a home base for helicopters airlifting supplies out to stranded parts of the area like Captiva Island and Sanibel Island.

With 60 living spaces available to house two responders at a time, SodexoMagic is working night and day flipping rooms every few hours to ensure each first responder has a clean set of sheets, new towels and supplies so they can get restful hours off before returning to 12 hours shifts, aiding the community. Each day the facility serves three meals plus grab-and-go snacks to thousands of first responders, ensuring they are receiving proper nutrition during long hours.

While the Republican congressman has little overlap in political interests with President Joe Biden, he said the administration has helped the region with making FEMA assistance available and by quickly declaring Florida counties including Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties as major disaster areas. That allows reimbursement for many storm-related expenses including debris removal for governments and it allows individuals to apply directly to FEMA for support.

“It’s obviously a step in the right direction,” Donalds said.

Donalds said the first priority for the federal government after the storm made landfall was to dispatch search and rescue teams to help individuals trapped on the barrier islands. Many ultimately were taken back

Donalds praised local officials as well for response after the storm, and said he was in regular communication throughout recovery with fire chiefs, emergency personnel and law enforcement leaders. He said local government received what it needed quickly from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in the state and from the federal government.

In October, Donalds held property damage town halls in both Cape Coral and in Naples. He also was part of a survey tour of elected officials that included both Biden and DeSantis and told press at the time it was critical for politics to be set aside during the region’s recovery.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

Fight against fraud steps up amid recovery

Following Hurricane Ian, my fraud fighting squads have been on the ground canvassing neighborhoods to educate impacted families about the dangers surrounding signing their rights away through AOBs and handing off their claims to public adjusters when they didn’t need to. I want to make it very clear – my fraud teams are looking out for bad actors targeting vulnerable Floridians following this storm. Fraudsters will be arrested and held accountable. If you suspect fraud, report it immediately by calling my Fraud Hotline at (800) 378-0445.

Secondly, if you choose to hire a public adjuster to assist with your insurance claim following Hurricane Ian, you must know your rights under Florida law. While many public adjusters are reputable, following every storm we’ve seen bad actors try to get between policyholders and their insurance claims. Consumers should keep their guard up and know their rights. You should never feel pressured to enter into a contract with a public adjuster, and Florida law prohibits them from providing gift cards or offering loans in exchange for services. Know your rights

and don’t let a bad actor come between you and your ability to recover quickly.

Lastly, I issued a public service announcement asking Electric Vehicle manufactures to help address EV vehicle fires following the impacts of Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. Local first responders reported an EV caught fire in a garage at a home on Sanibel Island and burned the entire house down, as well as the house next door. Our first responders and residents are being put in harm’s way. We need a partnership with private sector solutions on how to deal with this issue.

BY JIMMY PATRONIS Guest Columnist

Jimmy Patronis is Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. Contact him at CFO.Patronis@MyFloridaCFO.com or (850) 413-3100.

IAN RECOVERY

IRS extends tax deadlines for those impacted by Ian

By Julie Garrett Guest Columnist

The IRS has announced that victims of Hur ricane Ian throughout Florida will now have until Feb. 15 to file their federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

IRS Extends Tax Relief and Deadlines for Florida Small Businesses Affected by Hurri cane Ian

The tax relief applies to individuals and households that reside or have a business in Florida, as the state has been designated for disaster assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The new February dead line also applies to quarterly estimated income tax payments due on Jan. 17 and the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Oct. 31 and Jan. 31.

Florida Tax Relief Eligibility

The new tax relief applies to the various tax filing and payment deadlines that started on Sept. 23, with Florida-based businesses now able to postpone filing returns and payment of due taxes until the new deadline next year.

Those who had applied for and received a valid extension to file their 2021 returns can also postpone filing payment until Feb. 15. However, the IRS confirmed that 2021 tax pay ments that were due on April 18, 2022, are not eligible for this relief.

How Florida Tax Relief Works

On the IRS website, the national tax collec tion agency explained how the relief works: “The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS ad dress of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief.

“However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.”

Non-Resident Taxpayer Eligibility

The IRS also stated that it will work with any taxpayer who ‘lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area’. Such taxpayers must contact the IRS at (866) 562-5227.

Get the latest headlines from Small Business Trends. Follow us on Google News.

Julie Garrett is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration in the Field Operations Center – East. Contact (404) 331-0333 or julie.garrett@sba.gov.

Naples tourism will navigate challenges

We all find ourselves dealing with the challeng es Hurricane Ian left us with, whether through per sonal property damage, disruption of our lives or the overwhelming stress and strain that the storm has placed upon the region.

I am thoroughly proud of the unwavering and exceptional passion and involvement demonstrat ed by every single member of the CVB team. As an essential County employee, each was assigned to critical tasks necessary to execute the response and recovery for the County. The majority of the team were assigned to the Special Needs call center and the operation of the 311 non-emergency call center. I was personally deployed to the Emergency Oper ations Center to direct the Industry and Commerce collective response and needs across the region. It was an honor for us all to be part of the incredibly orchestrated military precision response to the re gion’s rescue and recovery that ensued.

The CVB was an instrumental player within the Emergency Operations Center ensuring that dis placed residents, first responders, National Guard and essential contractors were able to secure shel ter within the hotels, emergency shelters as well as the staging of National Guard within community centers.

While all this was going on, the CVB remained aligned with our counterparts in Lee County, Visit Florida as well as countless industry organizations while at the same time aligning the cadence of communications and response among our repre sentatives and agencies globally.

Recognizing the emerging threat that hurricane Ian had on Southwest Florida, on Sept. 26, all paid media as well as social media across the entire globe was paused until further notice.

Immediately upon the passing of Hurricane Ian, our Orlando-based call center began executing a daily call to all 116 hotel properties to identify available hotel rooms as well as the status of hotel properties. The expansive power outage and sys tem interruption across the region provided a chal lenge in reaching hotels. Over the first eight days,

on average they were only able to confirm a total of 35 proper ties that were capable of opera tional status. On any given day we were usually only able to identify about 16 unoccupied rooms across the entire county that could be utilized for shelter and housing needs.

Contact Amy McQuagge VP/Director of Marketing (239) 274-6273

Contact John Talmage Director (239) 533-6800

BY PAUL BEIRNES Guest Columnist

Daily updates were sent to our entire global agency and staff base providing them situ ational awareness of the depth and severity of the storm’s im pacts as well as the complexity of our communication strategy going forward.

It was obvious tonality of all communications globally was the single most important strategic consideration for our successful navigation and recovery as a destination. Direction was given to all agency and staff members to stay focused on the resilience and strength of the destination in the path ahead. Communication was given to all indi viduals that no tolerance would be allowed for any posting of excessive storm damage or reposting of sensational images being distributed across social media platforms. Direction was given to all team members and agencies that in no way going for ward would we take on the platform of distancing ourselves from the impact occurring in Lee Coun ty... meaning we would not in any way say, “that’s Lee County, we are fine.” This type of messaging is extremely erosive and will not assist in the re gion’s recovery while also being damaging to our brand integrity and strength. Regional resilience and collective teamwork will pay off much greater in the long run.

Meetings took place between the CVB and senior executives within Visit Florida in order to align our positioning, messaging, and any support ing logistics necessary from the state level.

more local business news and a calendar

Contact Ana Maria Senica Regional Retail Manager (239) 213-6775

local business events,

our

oridabusinesstoday.com

Paul Beirnes and senior executives for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB meet with Sen. Rick Scott to discuss tourism recovery and use of hotel space after the storm.

Pure Florida already returning to waters

We are absolutely humbled and overwhelmed being a part of and watching our community com ing together to recover from Hurricane Ian. Just recently, we welcomed a homeschool group on a field trip. Watching the students love our waterways along with other guest experiences motivate us to get back running as soon as possible to greet the next student, the next family, couple or anglers.

We are going through such a difficult time. We know the first thing on your mind may not be a re laxing cruise on the water or a fishing trip. We get that. We just want you to know we are slowly reopening and if you have a need for a boat, we can help you. We can bring a boat to you and get you to where you need to go. We want to be a commu nity resource. We have our Deck Boats and Jet Skis ready to rent if you need water access and don’t have a vessel. We also have Captains ready to help with any Private Charter.

With that said, Pure Florida is only welcoming bookings for our Rental Deck Boats and Jet Skis along with private charters. We are continuing our Fall Savings program of 20% off our Jet Skis and Boat Rentals and 10% off our Private Charters. On line bookings are not available. All bookings must be made through our phone number (239) 2634949. The Fall Savings is being extended to future bookings. You are welcome to book future experi ences, sunset cruises and all, and use the discount.

If you are an out-of-towner and had a great ex

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

Arby’s to support Fort Myers community through campaign

Arby’s will raise over $3 million as a part of its Make a Difference Campaign to deliver on a mission of “help ing kids Dream Big and pursue their dreams with con fidence.” The donations will benefit the Arby’s Foun dation and support organizations around the country. In Fort Myers, Arby’s partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida and Midwest Food Bank, NFP Inc. (Florida).

Any guest who donates $1 at the register will receive a coupon for free Curly or Crinkle Fries and a cup of Cheddar for dipping on their next visit.

“The Make a Difference Campaign is a time when our restaurants and our guests come together to sup port kids in their community and across the country,” said Stuart Brown, executive director of Inspire Brands Foundation.

Guests can visit any Arby’s and donate $1 to Make a Difference for kids in their community. Donations can also be made online at foundation.arbys.com.

The M/V Double Sunshine is doing well and made it through Hurricane Ian. Pure Florida continues a slow reopening process.

perience with Pure Florida and are looking to return to our beautiful Paradise Coast, please consider pur chasing a Pure Florida Gift Certificate. They never expire and are also a great gift for a family mem ber living nearby who could use a day on the water when they are ready. Any help is much appreciated as we move through these difficult days ahead. You can purchase a gift certificate online.

Regarding storm impact to Pure Florida from Hurricane Ian, we have to go back to Hurricane Irma. That storm hit a few years back and provided us the opportunity to rebuild Tin City Docks back better and stronger. Hurricane Ian hammered us with intense winds, rain and storm surge and even with

HURRICANE

all that, our Tin City Docks are unharmed. Please know that Tin City is not open for business but the docks are safe and walkable. Tin City is working to re-open as quickly as possible.

Our Ticket Office at the parking lot entrance of Tin City took severe storm surge, approximately 6 feet. Our administrative offices just a mile away took on 2 feet of storm surge. Our team is already working to get our offices back up quickly.

Our vessels are all in great condition and were NOT impacted by the storm. The well-known, com munity tourism emblem, M/V Double Sunshine, is doing well along with our fishing M/V Sea Flight Fleet. Our Rental Deck Boats and Jet Skis also made it through the storm and ready to welcome guests.

Our goal is to open fully by Nov. 1 with our Sightseeing and Sunset Cruises, our Dolphin, Eco & Island Shelling Tours to Keewaydin Island and our Fishing Deep Sea and Backwater Calm Bay Trips. We will base everything on demand and how our team members are recovering from the storm alongside their families. If they need more time, we will offer more time and keep experience opportuni ties reduced.

Any questions, please contact our Reservation Team at (239) 263-4949. We got through Hurricane Irma, COVID and now we are confident we will get through Hurricane Ian. We have our neighbors and guests like you to thank. We are so very grateful to you.

Alliance for the Arts sustains minimal damage

and grow.

trying

help our community. Over the past few days, my thoughts return to two things: the evident resilience of Southwest Flor ida and our resolve to improve our community through the arts.

out

Hurricane Ian was not able to take the incred ible sense of community I have had the pleasure of experiencing over the last two years. Fort Myers has welcomed me and my family with open arms. I love it here. I know we will recover together. The Alliance for the Arts is here, ready, willing and able to continue to be what you know it to be: a connection point, a place to gather, explore, learn

BY MOLLY DECKART Guest Columnist

Though we are in a new chapter, our collective story is not written. As we transition to recovery mode, the Alliance for the Arts stands ready to help you. Our staff has suffered losses and will be taking this time to focus on our families and prepare to open our doors to you again. I know there are incredible networks of support being made available to people across the community, but if you have a need that we can help with, please let me know.

Molly Deckart is executive director of the Alliance for the Arts. Contact her at Molly@ArtInLee.org or (239) 939-2787.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

SWFL took a direct hit from Ian, but property values don’t have to

DiStefano, broker, owner and licensed real estate instructor at Royal Palm Realty, said his business is still booming.

With nearly a decade of experience in the SWFL market, he personally had several deals in the works before the storm, and only one has not panned out. He says the key is being open minded and knowing this recovery phase is temporary.

“Homes are still selling in 24 hours at asking price (pre-hurricane pricing) and listings I had pre-Ian are still closing, with the exception of one home that was severely hit by the storm,” DiStefano said. “Some will take a little

more negotiating to make it work. Just yesterday I wrote up a contract on one of our listings for full price, with all repairs on order. The buyers were grateful they could find a house and were willing to pay the asking price. I believe we are going to see a lot of people in the same situation. Realtors, please don’t let seller’s down and devalue property. Be innovative and find ways to make it work for both parties. This is how business works and this is what professionals do.”

Building lasting relationships will help residents and agents alike. In addition to the droves of people looking to relocate to the Sunshine State, many locals who have

Heatherwood finishes Crisp & Green

Heatherwood Construction Company recently completed work on a 3,500-square-foot Crisp & Green Restaurant at the Pointe at Founders Square at the corner of Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard in Naples.

The completion of the project, the flagship location of the Minneapolisbased restaurant chain, brought fastcasual, healthy food dining to an area of Naples looking for such a brand. It also continued Heatherwood Construction Company’s strong relationship with Crisp & Green, which has restaurants in 19 states, including two other locations in Florida in Winter Park and Venice with more planned for the state.

“Our relationship with Crisp & Green has been positive and productive from the start,” said Walter Crawford, president and CEO of Heatherwood Construction Company. “We delivered on a project, which not only pleased the client but also will benefit customers as they enjoy a unique dining experience at this restaurant.”

Heatherwood Construction Company also was the builder of choice for The Pointe at Founders Square. This versatile, 40,000 square-foot, highend mixed use retail space features a variety of locally known and national restaurants, as well as retail and service stores, providing a highly visible location for businesses.

been displaced are buying new homes as their old one is being repaired. Once the former home is restored, these clients return to an agent they trust to help them sell or rent the original property.

“Weathering clean up may seem like a nightmare, but for most Floridians, the opportunity to live, work and play in a paradise in a community we all love, is truly living the dream. We know the community is strong and we know we will recover,” DiStefano said.

For information, visit royalpalmrealtyllc.com or visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/royalpalmrealtyswfl.

Seagate to build self-storage facility

Seagate Development Group is slated to renovate and create Isles Luxury Storage –minutes from the Punta Gorda Airport in the premier community of Punta Gorda Isles.

Coming to the Bal Harbor Plaza at the corner of Aqui Esta Drive and Bal Harbor Blvd., this approximately 20,000-square-foot facility will be fully climate controlled and include 136 units. Unit sizes will range from 5-by5-feet to 10-by-17.5-feet.

This lean construction project, which is scheduled for completion by year’s end, involves an adaptive reuse of many of the structure’s existing features and supplementing those features with first-class upgrades in lighting, HVAC and security. It will also include the creation of a fully enclosed drive-

through loading area for customers.

“As we continue to make our mark on Charlotte County and, specifically, Punta Gorda, our team is looking forward to building another conveniently laid-out and easily accessible storage facility,” said Matt Price, CEO and partner of Seagate Development Group. “This will meet the growing population’s demand for space of this kind as well as take a practical approach to what people look for in a shopping center.”

Isles Luxury Storage is being designed by PDS Architecture, MEP engineered by Energy Concepts of Southwest Florida, and structurally engineered by Select Structural for Broadway Shoppes, an entity led by Chad Commers.

Isles Luxury Storage will come to Bal Harbor Plaza in Punta Gorda in a space renovated by Seagate Development Group.

Opening” took on new meaning for the owners and staff of Sweetgrass Galleries, a Naples premiere resource for design industry professionals and home owners seeking fine couture silk florals, trees and greenery, when two days into the move to a new location, Hurricane Ian made landfall.

business had moved 10 truckloads of inventory (think: individual floral stems, grasses, trees, vases) into the new showroom on Tamiami Trail East in Naples. At the time, it felt like an accomplishment, but inventory became a concern because the new location was in Naples A Zone Evacuation. CEO Norine Fuller, COO Lawrence Martinelli and a full time staff did what they could to secure the new store and went home to wait the storm out.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

opening

massive

around the new building quickly become a torrent river on the store’s live camera feed from their hotel room in Miami.

Martinelli stated, “I had to turn it off,

I just couldn’t watch.”

Fuller and Martinelli acquired the 20-year-old business in 2020, and purchased the new building for a more spacious and bright showroom.

But with Hurricane Ian bearing

Estero Report examines regional economy

The Estero Council of Community Leaders provided the 3rd quarter’s Greater Estero Community Report for 2022. The report focuses on economic progress in our area, including insights into current developments and what to expect in the months ahead.

Here are some current economic indicators for Southwest Florida and Lee County.

The indicators are derived from the Regional Economic Research Institute August Report and Florida Gulf Coast University students. The information is for June 2022, but some information was only available until May 2022.

• The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the region was 2.6% in June 2022, up 0.5 percentage points from the prior month, albeit still 1.9 percentage points below the June 2021 figure.

• Airport passenger traffic at RSW was 836,379 in May 2022, down 32% from April 2022 and 12% from May 2021.

• Seasonally adjusted tourist tax revenues for the region were up 5% in May 2022 compared to May 2021 and 2% over the prior month.

• Realtor Active listings for the coastal counties increased 25% from

For more business news,visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com

May 2022 to June 2022 and were 84% above the June 2021 measure.

• Single-family home sales for the coastal counties decreased by 21% from June 2021 to June 2022, while median prices continued to rise, increasing between 19% to 27% over the same period.

Coastal county single-family building permits decreased by 6% between June 2021 and June 2022.

• Taxable sales data provided by the Florida Department of Revenue tracks consumer spending based on the latest month of merchant collections. Seasonally adjusted taxable sales for Southwest Florida totaled $3.487 billion in May 2022, an increase of 7% from May 2021 but 3% below the April 2022 measure.

• Florida’s Consumer Sentiment Index improved in June 2022, rising 2.1 points to 62.9 from April’s revised figure of 60.8. The increase in June’s consumer confidence in Florida is surprising considering the persistently high inflation. In almost every consumer category, prices rise, but energy prices are exceptionally high, squeezing consumers at the pump.

down, the newly purchased and renovated building was in trouble. All Fuller and Martinelli (who themselves had mandatory evacuation orders) could do was pray as they watched the streets

The next morning, a samaritan friend reported the store got 3 inches of water and began, with a wet vac, the cleanup efforts. The building miraculously never lost power. Therefore, all four AC units continued to run and dried the remaining water. Five days later, 10 more truckloads of merchandise and product began arriving. Sweetgrass Galleries is grateful for all the help received and proud to announce its “Grand Opening!” Fuller wrote in a note to self: “Check the hurricane forecast before a big move!”

An aerial photograph with boundaries marked shows property just acquired by Taylor Road 1 from ORE.

LSI brokers 35-acre mixed-use property

LSI Companies brokered a 35.41acre mixed-use property in Punta Gorda for $2,700,000. The property was acquired by Taylor Road 1 from ORE as Q1 for Newfoundland Five, a Florida corporation. The property is located on Taylor Road in Punta Gorda. The deal was brokered by Justin Thibaut and Christi Pritchett of LSI Companies.

LSI Companies is Southwest Florida’s leading full-service real estate brokerage and development firm. The Company specializes in all aspects of site development, current market and valuation issues, acquisition and disposition services, due diligence evaluation, zoning and permitting, work-out projects, asset management and appraisals.

Sande Ellis CCIM

Sweetgrass Galleries in Naples opened in its new location just two days before Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida.

The Lee Board Commission voted to approve a $1.5 million contract to resurface selected Lehigh Acres roads as part of a $5 million annual Board commitment. The contract, with Community Asphalt Corp., is for resurfacing 86 neighborhood streets and includes resurfacing and striping. This project is expected to begin in November.

Lee County Department of Transportation maintains about 1,500 miles of paved roads in Lehigh Acres.

Each year, certain roads in Lehigh Acres are ranked and selected for paving based on resident requests, road conditions and the number of residences on the road. Paving is paid through Growth Increment Funds, and this program is for neighborhood streets, not arterial or collector roads.

Commissioner Mike Greenwell, whose district includes Lehigh Acres, said the county’s $5 million-per-year commitment for the last five years is significant and has greatly improved Lehigh’s neighborhood streets.

The Board of Commissioners also voted to approve another Lehigh Acres road improvement project: a $1.85 million contract for resurfacing and milling of higher-capacity Lehigh Acres roads that provide transportation out of residential neighborhoods and throughout the community.

SouthLinks Commons of Bonita was constructed and completely leased in full by May 1. McGarvey Development won the category Best Office/Commercial Park Commercial Builder/Remodeler Over $5,000,000.

Waltbillig & Hood – Germain BMW South won the award for Best Office/Commercial Project Commercial Builder/Remodeler over $5,000,000. This new construction project consists of 28,489 square feet and is located on just over five acres.

CBIA recognizes excellence at Sand Dollar Awards

The Collier Building Industry Association 2022 Sand Dollar Awards Gala “The Timeless TwentiesPast-Present-Future,” celebrating 32 years of excellence in the construction industry and presented by CBIA’s Sales and Marketing Council (SMC), was held Sept. 24 at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

Sand Dollar Committee Chair Blanca Vasquez of VCC Contracting spearheaded this year’s event with Vice-Chair Wilfredo Emanuel, Wilfredo Emanuel Designs, and Immediate Past-Chair Lynne Stambouly of Illuminated Design. The Sand Dollar Awards were presented by co-emcees TJ Thornberry, 2022 Florida Home Builders Association President and Thornberry Custom Builders President, and Second Vice President Carl Harris, Carl Harris Co. President and Kansasbased Harris Homes Managing Partner.

Sixty-four companies were recognized with 2022 Sand Dollar Awards, including: All About Closets; AM Design Group, Ave Maria, Avila Interior Design, Inc., BCB DÉCOR, Big Island Builders, Borelli Construction; B-Squared Advertising; BUILD LLC; C.R. Smith; Calusa Bay Design; Cardamon Design; Carrie

Brigham Design; CGU Homes; Clive Daniel Home; Collins DuPont Design Group; D.R. Horton; DeAngelis Custom Homes; Diana Hall Design; Distinctive Gallery Rugs; EDGE Cabinetry; Encore Garage of SWFL; EnviroStruct; Floridian Carpentry; Freestyle Interiors; Home & Design Magazine; Illuminated Design; J. Lynn Design Group; Jinx McDonald Interior Designs; John R. Wood Properties; KDL Interior Design; KGT Remodeling; Knauf-Koenig Group; L Design Studio; LMG Design Consulting; London Bay; Luna Mar Builders; Mattamy Homes; McGarvey Custom Homes; McGarvey Development; Mediterra, Metis Design; Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club; Norris Furniture & Interiors; PBS Contractors; Premier Sotheby’s International Realty; Pulte Homes; PulteGroup; Romanza Interior Design; Smith & DeShields; Stock Custom Homes; Stock Development; Stock Luxury Homes; Stofft Cooney Architects; Stonebreaker Builders; Surety Construction Company; Taylor Morrison; The Lykos Group; The Ronto Group; Van Emmerik Custom Homes; W Design; Waltbillig & Hood; Wilfredo Emanuel Designs; and Wilson Creative Group.

Lee Commissioners approve contracts improving Lehigh roads

Now what good is cryptocurrency?

This is the second in a series of columns by Katkin about cryptocurrency

The most interesting thing in terms of my own perspective on this space happened back around 10 years ago, when Visa decided to not allow Wikileaks to accept donations.

As we’ve seen over the last couple of years in particular, financial censorship is ratcheting up. In fact, I believe we need a full constitutional amendment outlining freedom to transact or a case outlining that payments are akin to speech but cannot be censored, unlike speech, inside a private institution. Why? Simple. Everything is now private, from your phone to the software that runs it, to the network it runs on. My opinions on this aside, one thing networks like bitcoin solve are the ability to censor transactions— they can’t. Anyone can send coins to anyone else on the network (and it is truly global).

Not only that, but it also removes, or really subsidizes the costs, of conventional banking. Now anyone with a basic smart phone can in literal seconds spin up a completely secured wallet and send and receive coins. It’s truly unbelievable how fast and easy it is.

It provides infrastructure for the 30%-plus of the unbanked in the United States (as one example) and far greater numbers in other countries, while also being censorship resistant, one of the main staples of sovereign money. Additionally, because the “blockchain” is accessible by anyone, it introduced a new concept into accounting called “triple entry accounting.” Now auditors, as one example, can audit transactions. Not only do your old books have outgoing and incoming transactions, but the transaction itself is recorded publicly (albeit encoded) so anyone can audit it on the public blockchains, leading to more

BY ZACH KATKIN Guest Columnist

transparency in the nonprofit world, for example.

In a nutshell the areas I see crypto currencies improving the current systems in place include:

1. Less regulations around money transmission, account setup.

2. Access for the poor, which go underserved by conventional institutions due to cost.

3. 24x7x365 uptime – tools like Bitcoin and Ethereum have had 0 downtime, ever. Even major banks and payment networks go offline.

4. Much more secure – will detail this out in future articles.

5. Introduces push-only transactions to financial models (no one can just “pull” money from your account without explicit permission).

6. It’s not directly linked to your identity if set up properly.

7. Virtually impossible to confiscate.

8. Helps avoid censorship in a world where, increasingly, saying the truth, or something as silly as a man can’t be a woman and vice versa, may get you banned and censored from everyday activities.

9. Many more… I’ll dive a bit deeper and explain what a private key is, why it’s so important and how with a greater understanding of these basics, we could have avoided what just happened in the Crypto markets.

Zach Katkin is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned marketing professional with a talent for driving results. He has been working in the blockchain arena for several years. Contact him at (239)273-4113 or zkatkin@gmail.com.

Ally assists employees, community HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

Ally Financial is responding to the natural disaster caused by Hurricane Ian in the Southeast U.S. by supporting employees, customers and community organizations located in the areas hardest hit by the storm.

CUSTOMERS

Ally is committed to helping customers affected by Hurricane Ian. Depending on individuals’ location and the type of account held, customers in impacted regions will have prioritized call center support and may be eligible for fee waivers and refunds, expedited wire transfers and debit card/check orders and adjusted payment schedules. To see if you can take advantage of these disaster relief options, contact us by reaching the customer care team via phone at:

• Bank: (877) 247-2559 (24/7)

• Invest: (855) 880-2559 (24/7)

• Auto: (888) 925-2559 (M-F 8 a.m.11 p.m. ET and Sat 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET)

• Home Loans: (855) 256-2559. Existing home loan applications (M-F 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. ET and Sat 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET). New home loan applications (M-F 8 a.m.-10 p.m. ET and Sat 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. ET)

EMPLOYEES

Ally is supporting teammates located in Florida and across the Southeast region as they navigate the aftermath of the storm. Ally has a customer care center located in Jacksonville and has more than 1,300 teammates based in the state of Florida. Ally has been in contact with team leaders and human resources partners over the past week to ensure safety, maximum work flexibility, and ongoing support through Ally’s benefits program.

Teammates who have been impacted by the storm have access to critical services such as localized emergency

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

support, enhanced medical care and prescription availability, and caregiving resources. Those experiencing financial hardship due to the storm can apply for a grant of up to $1,500 through the Ally Employee Relief Fund. Ally has also activated its Employee Assistance Program, Security Operations Center and emergency hotline, which are available at any time.

COMMUNITY

The Ally Charitable Foundation is committing $100,000 to non-profit organizations operating in Florida in support of disaster response and recovery. The American Red Cross will receive $40,000 for immediate on-the-ground humanitarian needs in Florida, and $60,000 will be allocated to community organizations in the Fort Myers/Naples coastal area, Central Florida, and greater Jacksonville for long-term disaster recovery efforts.

Ally Financial is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to “Do It Right” for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industryleading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, pointof-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a consumer credit card business, a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services.

Our brand conviction is that we are all better off with an ally, and our focus is on helping our customers achieve their strongest financial well-being, a notion personalized to what is important to them. Visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.

‘Tween Waters Island Resort welcomes first guests 13 days after Hurricane Ian

Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa announced on Oct. 11, more than 130 guests arrived on-property and are occupying the resort’s 137 accommodations for a to-be-determined extended stay. The guests are part of ARS Global Emergency Management Island Base Camp, a disaster recovery and restoration company that will serve public and private properties on both Sanibel and Captiva.

“We couldn’t be more honored and delighted to serve as home base for these vital and talented men and women,” said Doug Babcock, CEO of Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts. “These are the heroes who’ll help restore our islands to not only a functional status, but an aesthetic one as well — allowing our tourism-based businesses here to re-open and recover as quickly as possible.”

Noting that ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa is now the island’s largest functional destination, Babcock added, “We anticipate a full recovery of both our flagship resorts — ‘Tween Waters and West Wind Island Resort of Sanibel — much quicker than we first imagined. The public-private sector cooperation in restoring electricity, water, internet, safety and other infrastructure measures is mak-

ing this remarkable comeback possible.”

‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa is also providing food service to their highly welcomed restoration guests, amounting to more than 500 meals daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “We’ve always been among TripAdvisor’s toprated dining destinations,” Babcock noted. “We think our new guests will be in for a treat.”

Badcock

in response

Florida-based Badcock Home Furniture &more has quickly responded to Hurricane Ian recovery eff orts,

other supplies

victims and fi rst responders in areas aff ected by the devastating storm.

Once the storm passed, Badcock store dealers in Southwest Florida began to help with Hurricane Ian relief eff orts. Local store owners Andrew Boyle, Gary Boyle and Rob Ball traveled to the hardest-hit areas to provide help, including fi lling trucks and driving an airboat with generators, water, fuel and other supplies.

“When our neighbors are in need, we feel it’s our responsibility as local businesses to provide help where we can,” said Andrew Boyle, local Badcock Home Furniture &more store dealer. “It’s imperative we give back to our community that gives us so much.”

Andrew Boyle, Gary Boyle and Ball navigated the Peace River helping people with fl ooded homes or without power, as well as fi rst responders, in need of supplies.

As their local Badcock stores in Arcadia, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Naples and Port Charlotte have reopened, the trio is committed to continuing their support efforts.

“We recognize our communities that we serve have a long road to recovery ahead,” Gary Boyle, local Badcock Home Furniture &more store dealer. “When a disaster strikes, it’s people coming together that brings hope to survivors and helps rebuild the place we call home.”

The local furniture dealers have support from their colleagues and Badcock’s leadership team.

“I’m proud to see this group of dealers place

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

their community ahead of themselves during this time and ask nothing in return,” said Badcock Home Furniture & more President and COO Mitchell Stiles. “At its most basic form, it’s the right thing to do when tragedy such as this strikes and helps jumpstart the rebuilding process.”

W.S. Badcock Corporation is a southeastern home furnishings company headquartered in Mulberry, Fla. Founded in 1904, its branded Badcock Home Furniture &more retail chain has grown to more than 380 corporate and associate dealer stores across eight states.

Badcock carries a complete line of furniture, appliances, bedding, electronics, home offi ce furnishing, accessories and seasonal items while offering payment plans just right for its customers.

For more information, visit www.badcock. com.

Feeding South Florida dispatched food to isolated areas after Ian landfall

Feeding South Florida, the leading domestic hunger-relief organization in South Florida, is working to ensure those impacted by Hurricane Ian across the State of Florida have clean water and meals ready to eat.

The organization is working with families in Florida who were impacted by the storm, as well as sharing its resources to help its sister food banks in other parts of the state. Feeding South Florida is deploying its team members and equipment to the affected areas.

Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hungerrelief network in Southwest Florida, serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, has been flooded and the warehouse cannot be accessed at this time. Feeding South Florida is the closest food bank to the area and has been asked to respond to the needs in this community.

BY LIZZY HUSK Guest Columnist

Feeding South Florida’s operations team has already loaded meals ready to eat, water and snacks into a 36-foot trailer and delivered the much-needed food and water to the families. Due to damage on highways, Feeding South Florida was the only food bank in the state who could initially access the affected areas via Interstate-75 (Alligator Alley). Feeding South Florida is on standby and expected to make additional food, water and supply deliveries.

The first truck arrived at Island Coast High School in Cape Coral on Sept. 29.

With as many as 2.6 million without power in Florida, Feeding South Florida’s state-of-theart, 5,000-square-foot community kitchen was ready to ship 4,000 meals to the affected areas and ready to prepare up to 3,000 meals per day for families on the West Coast.

The organization partners with 300 nonprofit partner agencies throughout its quad-county service area – Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties and providing support for 25% of the state’s food insecure population. The nonprofit’s mission is to not only end hunger in South Florida but to aid those in need during emergency situations like this.

Lizzy Husk is the account coordinator for Feeding South Florida. Contact (954) 723-9350 or lizzy@dureeandcompany.com.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

United Way of Collier and the Keys to assist with Hurricane Ian relief

When Hurricane Ian made landfall just north of Collier County, the lives of countless local community members were changed forever. According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Ian was one of the strongest storms to hit Florida since 2017. United Way of Collier and the Keys is already working diligently to assist households impacted by Hurricane Ian’s widespread devastation.

First and foremost, if local residents need assistance, we provide free information and referrals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through Collier 211. This free service is available by dialing 211 or (239) 263-

RECOVERY

Along the same lines, Greg Spencer, CEO of Timbers Resorts, said anything allowing greater capitalization for business will speed reconstruction. His company estimates it will need $800 million to $1 billion to restore its resort property on Captiva and bring it up to modern building standards. That’s achievable, but the construction debt market was tight even before the hurricane. Permitting speed creates another challenge, he said, as it’s not unusual in some jurisdictions for construction permits to take months. With the type of reconstruction ahead in Southwest Florida, that could delay recovery by years.

Eliminating bureaucracy, particularly related to construction, was a priority for many of the business owners. Matt Sinclair, a custom home builder, said many city governments now have lead times of months on permits that at one point were issued within weeks. That has been worsened with many city services down in the aftermath of the storm. Sinclair also noted a labor shortage in the region has made for more expensive construction costs.

caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered physical property damage.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of verified physical damages for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, elevation, retaining walls, and landscaping to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure

4211, or by texting your zip code to 898-211.

Our United Way will be coordinating long-term disaster recovery efforts alongside our 37 grantfunded community partners, but we need your support. If you are able to help, please donate today by visiting uwcollierkeys.org, or to make a contribution by check, please make it payable to United Way of Collier and the Keys and mail to 9015 Strada Stell Court, Suite 204, Naples.

Long after this disaster has faded from the national news, our United Way will continue to help our neighbors recover, just as we did after Hurri-

With so many homes damaged or destroyed, he said government has a responsibility to streamline processes and help reduce burdens so people can return to their homes and there is enough housing available for a mass of construction workers that must come to this region to help.

For Southwest Florida in particular, many said bringing tourism back online remains critical. Jay Johnson, owner of Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon, said many businesses rely on a strong season for the revenues to stay in business all year. That adds urgency to bringing travel avenues and hotel rooms online.

Marty Harrity, a Fort Myers Beach restaurateur, said many business owners remain concerned for their employees. He went overnight from owning five restaurants to one. Before the storm, supply chains had added business costs, and now he’s afraid that will drive up raw material cost for construction. He praised DeSantis for the amount of “cutting red tape” done by the state so far, which helped open temporary bridges to islands already.

“Keep it going,” Harrity said. “We’re coming back. It’s just going to take time.”

website at disasterloanassistance.sba. gov/ela/s/ and should apply under SBA declaration #17644.

To be considered for all forms of assistance, applicants should register at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA mobile app. Applicants may call the FEMA helpline at (800) 621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services, call (800) 621-3362. Disaster loan information and application forms can be obtained by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 28. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 29, 2023.

cane Irma. The outpouring of support for Collier County is appreciated as together the community will navigate the aftermath of this devastating storm.

The United Way of Collier and the Keys is a convener, collaborator, and catalyst for change. Our vision is that all individuals who live and work in Collier County and the Florida Keys have the resources and opportunities they require to thrive. For more information, call the Naples office at (239) 261-7112.

Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED.

ANNIVERSARIES

Law firm celebrates 40 years

Lusk, Drasites & Tolisano, P.A. celebrates 40 years of serving Southwest Florida residents and businesses for all their legal needs.

“When we opened our doors in 1982, we did so to serve the Cape Coral and Southwest Florida community,” said Vince Tolisano, managing partner. “In the last 40 years, we’ve seen Southwest Florida grow, as it has grown, so has our firm. While many things have changed in 40 years, our mission to serve this community remains the same. We recognize there are many big firms for local residents to choose from, but we pride ourselves in offering personalized attention to our clients powered by a team of dedicated and experienced professionals. We look forward to celebrating this milestone year with our community that’s been by our side for four decades.”

Since 1982, Lusk, Drasites & Tolisano, P.A. has grown from four employees to over 20 and continues to go headto-head with large corporations and big out-of-state firms. While many people associate the firm with personal injury, the firm handles a variety of legal fields including family law, litigation, estate planning, criminal defense and real estate.

From day one, the firm has been deeply invested in the Southwest Florida community. In its 40 years of business, the firm has supported various local organizations such as the Rotary Foundation, Cape Coral Animal Shelter, The Community Foundation, PACE Center for Girls, American Cancer Society, Shop with a Cop and several local schools in Lee County.

Visit www.LDTlaw.com or call (239) 574-7442.

HURRICANE

Salvation Army brings blessings in Bonita Springs

In the wake of historic Hurricane Ian making landfall in this region, neighbors are helping neighbors in the beachside city of Bonita Springs, south of Fort Myers. They have partnered together with The Salvation Army to setup an impromptu donation and distribution site at American Legion Post 303, which itself was completely swamped by a reported 16-foot storm surge. All the furnishing from within the lodge sat outside in the hot sun to dry out, while The Salvation Army disaster workers unloaded meals at the distribution site.

“The devastation is widespread here, and we’re honored to be able to serve them in their time of need. We just want to be the hands and feet of Christ here and let these people know they are loved,” said Lieutenant James Guzman of The Salvation Army. Guzman traveled more than 1,100 miles from his home in Conroe, Texas, to assist with the Army’s effort.

Keren Berman, one of the organizers of the distribution site, was visibly shaken as she described the effects the storm wrought on the area.

“Every building in this area was affected by storm

TOURISM

The CVB also initiated meetings with the presidents of all Florida destinations that have being impacted by hurricanes over the past 12 years in an effort to gather any successes and nuances that either contributed to their success or otherwise. We also executed a collective Zoom call with senior executives from every destination across the state of Florida in order to give them a briefing and ask for their assistance in supporting our messaging in a unified manner globally. It was important that they understood the resilience of the destination as well as encouraging them to echo our sentiment to the trade and meetings industry to not count us out and to please remain committed to the long-term success of the destination

The CVB sales team had presence at IMEX meeting industry convention taking place in Las Vegas. The danger of not being at our assigned booth would give the indication that the destination was on its knees and considered down for the count. The meetings industry is not securing bookings for next week or next month, but rather next year. Our presence at this trade show

surge, and most had a foot of mud in them afterwards. Every car in the area was destroyed, so people have no way to get around. That’s why we set up here, to give them somewhere they can get to easily,” said Berman, fighting back tears as she also described the loss in the

is paramount to our long-term recovery strategy.

Similarly, on Oct. 14 in New York City we are executing what had been considered one of the most monumental and media generating partnerships associated with the weddings industry and Sophisticated Weddings magazine, within a gala event as part of Bridal Fashion Week in New York City. The CVB team will continue to have presence at this event for the same reason as the presence at IMEX. This collective destination presence will be an overwhelming demonstration of regional success and resilience.

The balance and tonality of any message will be paramount to our successful navigation and recovery. We are closely monitoring the pace at which the destination is reopening while at the same time being cognizant of the impact upon our colleagues in Lee County.

Virtually every available hotel room in the destination is being utilized for the shelter needs of displaced residents, first responders, FEMA representatives and other similar organizations that are here to support Collier County. In addition, there exists a significant amount of overflow housing needs that are re-

area. “One couple in their 90s, the neighbors were able to rescue them and some of us have been wiping down their photos and things. It’s the only memories they have of a house they lived in for 44 years.”

The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services team from Texas continues to serve survivors in the Fort Myers metro area with life-sustaining meals, drinks, and snacks, while also providing an increasing number of emotional and spiritual contacts with residents.

Since Oct. 1, the team has served around 34,000 meals, 27,000 drinks, 3,000 snacks and 3,200 emotional and spiritual contacts.

The Salvation Army plans to continue its response as long as needed, and is coordinating its efforts with federal, state and local officials, as well as other social service agencies.

To make a financial gift to support the Hurricane Ian disaster relief effort, go to helpsalvationarmy.org or call (800) SAL-ARMY (725-2769). One-hundred percent of designated disaster donations go to direct services for survivors and first responders.

quired for the recovery of Lee County. As a result, the ability to market or even receive out of area tourists for the near term is not practical.

Our branding agency, Paradise Advertising, is already working per my request on an interim paid media as well as social media campaign that will roll out beginning mid-November, with a tone that is aligned with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. The inspiration of this campaign will be centered around the theme of Thanksgiving and how the destination is “thankful for our first responders... thankful for our beautiful beaches... thankful for the resilience of the residents... and thankful for the ability of the destination to rebuild quickly and stronger than ever before.” This campaign will provide us the transition in messaging from a stormfocused message to a positive sense of normalcy and recovery. It will also be accompanied with social media posts such as Facebook live streams of sunrises, sunsets and just simply moments of normalcy and activity such as a live stream from 5th Ave with cars passing by and people enjoying cafe lunches. This will allow us to demonstrate the rebound without actually saying it out loud nor being considered predatory or

insensitive to other areas.

The incredible logistics and efforts of the County were immediately deployed and have achieved remarkable success ranging from power restoration, beach clean up and massive debris pick up.

Access to any beach is significantly hampered by cleanup crews with maybe the exception of Marco Island. Nonetheless, regardless of access to what appears pristine, cleanup continues, and small debris dangers may still be present in the sand. Similarly, unfathomable storm surge also created similar storm runoff making the waters not currently suitable or safe for swimming. Mother nature will remedy this occurrence, but right now any visitors to the area are being asked to refrain from entering the water to allow the crews to continue the clean-up process.

I am more than certain that our destination will be able to navigate this challenge and rebound better than ever with the strong sentiment and support of visitors around the world.

Paul Beirnes is executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB. Contact him at (239) 252-6292 or paul.beirnes@colliercountyfl.gov.

Canteen volunteer Dave Henderson (L) and Lieutenant James Guzman (R) serve meals from a Salvation Army mobile kitchen on Oct. 7, in Bonita Springs.

IAN RECOVERY

Crave Culinaire prepares thousands of meals for American Red Cross relief

Following the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which devastated many areas of Southwest Florida, Crave Culinaire sprang into action immediately after the hurricane to aid those who needed it the most. The prominent catering company has played an integral role in our community and beyond since 2013, led by owners, Chef Brian Roland, Nicole Roland and a team of exceptional individuals.

When asked by the American Red Cross for assistance, the Crave team jumped into action, despite the fact much of its staff was still processing their own damage and losses from Hurricane Ian’s wrath. Preparing 4,000 meals per day, which are picked up and distributed by the American Red Cross, Team Crave is able to help those in need. The Crave professionals were forced to overcome the hurdle of a massive power outage, which affected thousands of homes and businesses in the area, operating solely off of generator power and propane. Once power was restored, team Crave was able to operate at full capacity and is fully open to serve the needs of our community. Due to unprecedented demand, both to service those in need as well as provide the much-needed catering and delivery services to its loyal customers, team Crave is hiring for all positions, including management. Interested parties should apply at www.craveculinaire. com/join.

Crave Companies encompasses a number of top-level brands, including Crave Culinaire, Virtual Venue SWFL, Crave2Go, Crave Event Staffing, Crave Management Group and Zest at Valencia Bonita. The Crave family of brands focuses on high-quality service and upscale presentation, as well as a level of professionalism that can’t be rivaled. With a five-star team

leading the way, Crave Companies has been able to assist its clients in a variety of unique ways, showcasing experiences that are absolutely unforgettable.

Josh Cook, general manager for Crave Culinaire, speaks about the current Hurricane Ian relief efforts and how Team Crave never hesitates to provide a helping hand.

“We are deeply rooted in our community, and when the call for help comes, we’re here to answer it. We are currently working handin-hand with the American Red Cross to help those who are dealing with the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian. Many people are navigating a very difficult situation right now, and when there’s a way for us to help, we jump at the chance,” he explained.

Crave Culinaire is a luxury catering company driven by the pursuit of excellence, immaculate presentation, and breaking boundaries to create the ultimate dining experience by igniting their passion for food in others. Founded by Chef Brian Roland and co-owned by Nicole Roland, its philosophy is simple: Give guests an experience that will heighten their senses, provoke their emotions, tease their palates, and make them smile. Crave Culinaire specializes in in-home dining, private and public events, cooking classes, customized catering, food and wine pairings, and more. Crave Culinaire works hand in hand with its sister company, Virtual Venue SWFL, to create unforgettable events for charity organizations, businesses, and individuals. Crave Culinaire is part of the Crave Companies family of five-star culinary brands. Visit cravecompanies.com.

Contact Crave Culinaire (239) 292-1592 or info@craveculinaire.com.

Faith carried store during disaster HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY

By Paula Guzman-Bell Guest Columnist

How did our store Drink & Think House make out with Ian? Do you believe in miracles? By the grace of God and ‘Angel ‘(the maintenance staff at our buildings) our store was spared.

Two weeks before Hurricane Ian hit, I noticed a small cross in one of my outside pots at the store. I did not think much of it but wondered who had shared such a blessing with me and the store. A couple of days later — I learned it had been placed by one of the maintenance staff, ‘Angel.’ He told me thought I would love to have the cross and had placed it in my outside pot. I was so appreciative of his kindness never realizing this act of kindness would come to mean so much to me.

I opened the store in mid-June after many challenges and detours along the way after signing my lease agreement in December 2021. Like many business owners, we put many hours of work and energy in making our dream come alive that it is hard for most people to understand our dedication and commitment. Customers, the public and the community only see the end result, but there is so much that goes into creating and giving life to a business. Our heart and soul is poured into every detail. It is why my heart goes out to all of the business owners that have suffered damages throughout our area. I pray for their quick recovery and success in the very near future.

I believe that cross and Angel’s kindness was the blessing that saved us from water getting in the store and destroying it. The building where our store is located is the Corsica Building, which is right in front of the Riviera and the St. Tropez buildings. When Ian hit, the water from the river rose up and ran into First Street and across into Dean Park homes. The water came up to the top of our front stairs and missed going into the store by an inch.

I believe in miracles and angels like the man that has become my very own .... ‘Angel.’

Paula Guzman-Bell is the owner of Drink & Think House. Contact (239) 245-7341 or drinkthinkhousellc@gmail.com.

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