Cape Coral Weekend Breeze

Cape overall property valuation up 14%

B y C H U C K B A L L A R O n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m L e e C o u n t y ’ s o v e r a l l p r o p e r t y v a l u at i o n c o n t i n u e d i t s a n n u a l t r e n d u p w a r d f r o m t h e J u n e e s t i m a t e s , e s p e c i a l l y i n C a p e C o r a l a n d i n L e e C o u n t y o v e r a l l , w h e r e v a l u a t i o n s h i t a n i m p r e s s i v e m i l es t o n e P o s t H u r r i c a n e I a n t h a t w a s n o t t h e c a s e w i t h t h e g u l f c o m m u n i t i e s , w h i c h d r o p p e d e v e n l o w e r i n t h e n u m b e r s r e l e a s e d M o n d a y b y t h e L e e C o u n t y P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r ’ s O f f i c e .

Cape Coral saw its just overall taxable valuation increase by 14.18 percent, which was much less than the 38.9 percent the city had in 2021, but still an impressive gain due to the volume of commercial and residential development, according to preliminary estimates released late Monday by the Lee County Property Appraiser ’s Office Lee County’s island communities, devastated by Hurricane Ian, saw plummets in the mid double-digits

C a p e C o r a l s a w i t s j u s t o v e r a l l t a x a b l e v a l u a t i o n i n c r e a s e b y 1 4 . 1 8 p e r c e n t ,

Cape marks Parks & Recreation Month

Activities and discovery opportunities abound

Throughout the month of July, Cape Coral officials are encouraging residents to get out and explore local parks as part of a nationwide program

C a p e C o r a l P a r k s & R e c r e a t i o n Department is again actively participating in National Park Month, and will host a s l a t e o f a c t i v i t i e s a t d i f f e r e n t p a r k s throughout the month Parks & Rec has taken part in this initiative each year since 2007, and it is an initiative of the National Recreation and Park Association.

“ T h i s y e a r ’ s t h e m e ‘ W h e r e Community Grows’ highlights how Cape Coral is stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient through parks and recreation,” city recreation specialist Keith Locklin said “It also celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bring-

See PARKS, page 25

Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve FILE PHOTO

w h i c h w a s m u c h l e s s t h a n t h e 3 8 9 p e rc e n t t h e c i t y h a d i n 2 0 2 1 , b u t s t i l l a n i m p r e s s i v e g a i n d u e t o t h e v o l u m e o f c o m m e r c i a l a n d r e s i d e n t i a l d e v e l o p m e n t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e p r e l i m i n a r y e s t i m a t e s O v e r a l l t a x a b l e p r o p e r t y v a l u a t i o n i n c r e a s e d f r o m $ 2 2 , 5 4 5 , 0 6 9 , 6 2 3 t o

$ 2 5 , 7 4 1 , 6 6 2 , 4 5 4 , a n i n c r e a s e o f a l m o s t $ 3 2 b i l l i o n J u s t t a x a b l e v a l u e o n n e w

See VALUATION, page 24

Cape resident celebrates her 104th birthday

B y F R A N T H O M A S n e w s @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m

I n 1 9 1 9 , w h e n E l e a n o r E v e t t w a s b o r n , W o o d r o w W i l s o n w a s p r e s i d e n t , t h e G r e e n B a y P a c k e r s t e a m w a s f o u n de d , a n d C o n g r e s s e s t a b l i s h e d G r a n d

C a n y o n N a t i o n a l P a r k O n J u l y 5 , 2 0 2 3 , E v e t t c e l e b r a t e d h e r

1 0 4 t h b i r t h d a y

R e s i d e n t s o f T h e

W i n d s o r o f C a p e

C o r a l , w h e r e

E l e a n o r h a s m a d e h e r h o m e f o r s i x o r s e v e n y e a r s , g a t he r e d t o g i v e g i f t s a n d s h a r e c a k e

T h e y e a r s h a v e n ’ t d i m m e d E v e t t ’ s w i t W h e n a s k e d h e r a d v i c e f o r a l o n g , h a p p y l i f e , s h e r e p l i e d , ” J u s t k e e p b r e a t h i n g ” S h e a c k n o w l e d g e d s h e h a d a g o o d m o t h e r a n d f a t h e r a n d a h a p p y m a r r i a g e S h e a n d h e r h u s b a n d B u d w e r e m a r r i e d f o r 6 1 y e a r s a n d h a d t w o s o n s T h e y m e t C h r i s t m a s c a r o l i n g ; g o t e n g a g e d o n J u l y 5 , 1 9 4 0 ; a n d m a r r i e d t h e f o l l o w i n g J u l y H e r s e c r e t f o r a h a p p y m a r r i a g e i s t o r e f r a i n f r o m p i c k i n g o n e a c h o t h e r S e v e r a l o f t h e g i f t s E v e t t r e c e i v e d

See BIRTHDAY, page 26

Some out-of-state driver’s licenses no longer recognized

New Florida law that is aimed at undocumented migrants went into effect on July 1

C e r t a i n c l a s s e s o f d r i v e r l i c e n s e s C o n n e c t i c u t ,

Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont are no longer valid in Florida

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has published a list of out-of-state license classes that are invalid as of July 1 in accordance with Senate Bill 1718.

Each of the five states has classes of licenses that are invalid, including “limited purpose driver’s license,” “limited purpose instruction permit,” “limited purpose provisional driver’s license” and “not valid for use for official federal purposes” for Hawaii

The bill specifically prohibits the issuance of a driver’s license to anyone who does not provide proof of lawful presence in the U S

“Someone who is in our country illegally and has violated our laws should not possess a government-issued ID

“Someone who is in our country illegally and has violated our laws should not possess a government-issued ID which allows them access to statefunded services and other privileges afforded to lawful residents. The Biden administration may continue to abdicate its responsibilities to secure our border, but Florida will stand for the rule of law Even if the federal government refuses, Florida will act decisively to protect our citizens, our state, and our country ”

which allows them access to state-funded services and other privileges afforded to lawful residents,” Gov Ron DeSantis said in a prepared statement this week “The Biden administration may continue to abdicate its responsibilities to secure our border, but Florida will stand for the rule of law Even if the federal government refuses, Florida will act decisively to protect our citizens, our state, and our country ”

DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718 earlier this year In addition to prohibiting the issuance of a driver’s license to anyone who does not provide proof of lawful presence in the U S , it “specifies that out-of-state driver licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens are invalid in Florida ”

“FLHSMV and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol are prepared to strictly enforce Senate Bill 1718,” Executive Director Dave Kerner said in a prepared statement “This legislation supports two of our primary goals: to enhance homeland security and to interdict criminal activity It communicates our state policy that Florida will not provide incentives to undocumented immigrants, while reminding criminal cartels and those who are planning to unlawfully cross our national border that Florida should not be their destination of choice Florida will not accept driver licenses from those who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the United States By doing this, we

commit to a safer Florida ”

Lee GOP Chairman Michael Thompson said this means that Florida residents are going to be even more protected He said there is nothing wrong with protecting the residents of your state

“It is unfortunate that he had to take these measures It’s unfortunate that he had to have an immigration bill as well,” He said

The root cause is we have no border from the southern border, which is allowing Governor DeSantis to come in and take control over the security of Florida residents, Thompson said He said there were none of these bills two to three years ago

“They are there for a specific reason We don’t need to look too far from the southern border,” Thompson said He does not believe it will stop tourism, or put Florida’s economy into question

“This is the state of freedom The people that want to be here have to follow the law,” Thompson said

The Lee Democratic Party had a different outlook of the bill.

Lee Democratic Party Chair Kari Lerner said the State of Florida has the right to whatever requirements they want on driver’s licenses, which she said is discriminatory and hateful

S h e s a i d t h e d r i v e r ’ s license is a very small portion of the bill As a former legislator, she read through the entire bill and is surprised there are not other sections being talked about, such as a requirement of hospital’s collecting immigration status of patients

“ T h e y a r e r e q u i r e d t o report quarterly to the state, the immigration status of each and every patient that c o m e s t o t h e h o s p i t a l , ”

Lerner said “The part that says anyone that transports an undocumented individual can be charged with human trafficking Those are pretty t e r r i f y i n g a s p e c t s o f t h i s bill ”

S h e s a i d e v e r y s i n g l e person that goes to the hospital is going to be reported to the state

“You are also, as an indiv i d u a l A m e r i c a n c i t i z e n , going to be reported to the state every time I go to the hospital That is incredibly i n v a s i v e a n d i n t r u s i v e t o each and every person in the s t a t e o f F l o r i d a , ” L e r n e r said

She said the bill does not only impact immigrants “Think about what this r e q u i r e m e n t i s I t s h o u l d chill each and every person in this state The invasiveness and intrusiveness of this legislation,” Lerner said The license list is available at flhsmv gov/driverl i c e n s e s - i d - c a r d s / v i s i t i n gflorida-faqs/

OPINIONS

CAPE CORAL BREE ZE

2510 Del Prado Blvd • Cape Coral, FL, 33904

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

Member Florida Press Association

Misson possible

Last March, Gov Ron DeSantis signed legislation its proponents said would eliminate “high-stakes” testing in public schools

T h e l e g i s l a t i o n r e p l a c e d t h e F l o r i d a S t a n d a r d s Assessments with something called progress monitoring, a series of three tests administered to students throughout the school year to measure student progress in pretty much the same areas as the old FSAs language arts and math as well as other core subjects.

The new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) tests provide reports to families as to how their child is doing as they work to meet, at minimum, grade level Florida Benchmark for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST) content standards (yeah, we know) as all Florida schools transitioned to the new program

So instead of one “high-stakes test,” students take one at the beginning of the school year, one at the midpoint and one at the end with the last one being the most important

The concept makes sense and School District of Lee County officials said last year that it actually has been using progress monitoring for years

There’s good and bad in the first-year numbers just released by the Florida Department of Education

The good?

Here in Lee County there was significant progress from the first monitoring assessment and the third in both language arts and math

Overall and across the board, the needle moved as expected As the FDOE explains, each testing period measures “the full year’s content expectations” and so scores get better as “students are exposed to the content and instruction is adjusted to meet student needs ”

In language arts the number of students on grade level or above in grades 3-10 shot from 30 percent in the first assessment to 37 percent in the second to 46 percent in the third or final test

In math, the number of students on grade level or above in grades 3-8 went from 13 percent in the first monitoring period to 27 percent in the second to 54 percent in the final

The bad?

Overall, 54 percent of students in grades 3-10 are not reading at grade level and 46 percent are not on grade level in math

While the numbers vary by grade, we will look at two In grade three, the year where students “stop learning to read and read to learn,” only 42 percent were reading on grade level at the end of the school year; 58 percent are not Fifty-five percent are on-level for math; 45 percent are not

Only 45 percent of 10th graders were reading at grade level; 55 percent were not

The FDOE has said these numbers should not be compared with last year’s The achievement levels for the 2022-23 school year are provisional and will be reported on a new scale after the State Board of Educations adopts new student achievement expectation in the fall, the FDOE’s results charts state

Fair enough

We will not make comparisons to years past

We will, though, point out that Lee County students continue to lag behind their peers statewide where 50 percent of students in grades three to 10 were on grade level in reading at the end of the year with 56 percent at grade level in math in grades three to eight

In Collier County to the south, the numbers were 54

Criminal ‘justice’ vetoes are unjust

Gov Ron DeSantis’s recent vetoes of two criminal justice bills, both of which passed the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, demonstrate once again that politics currently trump good policy in the Governor’s office.

One of the vetoed bills (HB 605) would have allowed eligible adults to expunge a criminal record despite having used one prior juvenile expungement The legislation was narrowly written and applied only in cases where an individual was not charged, had charges dropped, or was acquitted of the charges Legislators described the effort as a workforce issue which would have assisted individuals who had never been convicted of a crime to obtain employment

The barriers to employment for those caught up in the justice system and the demonization of people arrested, even if the charges are unfounded hurt our economy and should be an affront to Floridians Gov DeSantis could have worked to right this systematic failure, but he chose instead to pander to the “tough on

crime” crowd It’s stunning that bills with unanimous and near unanimous legislative support are not good enough for the current governor

The second bill vetoed by Governor DeSantis (SB 1478) passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. It sought to, through the use of alternative sanctions, reduce jail populations for technical violations of probation deemed “low risk ”

Vetoing SB 1478 means more people will be in jail for a longer time It costs thousands of dollars to unnecessarily house these folks in jail These are people who could be productive members of society

Gov DeSantis offered no rationale for these vetoes, which were announced by form letter after regular business hours The veto decisions undermine the clear consensus crafted, through hard work, by Florida’s elected representatives

Luke Newman is the president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

‘Yes Day’ helps spoil teens (and that’s OK)

Older generations often characterize today’s youth as spoiled After all, you don’t have to look far to see teens driving nice cars around town, making social media videos on their new iPhones and sporting designer-label threads Many teens hear “yes” all the time Mom, can you buy me a new dress for homecoming, and maybe some jewelry, too? Dad, can you give me $20 so I can go out to eat with my friends?

Not every child hears “yes,” though Hidden across Southwest Florida are children and teens who have been hearing “no” their whole lives No, you can’t buy new clothing No, you can’t go to the movies No, you can’t get a cellphone

Many children who are abused, neglected or abandoned and living in foster homes or temporary shelters are hesitant to even ask the question; they know “yes” is not possible

Guest Commentary

The Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit, developed its Children’s Needs Program to say “yes” to vulnerable youth Court-appointed volunteer child advocates can request funding for “extras” like birthday parties, tutoring, summer camp programs, movie tickets and registration fees for clubs and sports It’s all about creating a sense of normalcy for children whose lives have been anything but normal Recently, the foundation developed the concept of a Yes Day Through support from Macy’s, the foundations’ Board of Directors and private donors, the foundation would take a

Path to public trust

To the editor:

group of teens to Macy’s Coastland Center for a day of shopping the latest styles, walking the red carpet and exploring new looks through mini-makeovers The plan was to register 25 youth for Yes Day, but those slots filled within 15 minutes The foundation then opened 25 additional slots, and those filled in 40 minutes

On May 20, a total of 58 teens had an opportunity to feel special at Yes Day A Macy’s personal stylist accompanied them while shopping for shoes, dresses and jewelry They had a cosmetologist choose complementary colors and apply makeup They had opportunities to try on necklaces, bracelets and earrings Yes Day provided those 58 teens with new clothing, shoes and accessories, but it also provided a huge emotional boost and raised the students’ sense of self-worth

When teens browsed through clothing racks at Macy’s Coastland Center, they heard “yes” a lot Yes, you can buy those jeans Yes, you can have that purse Yes, you can get those sneakers Yes, you have worth Saying “yes” to a teen in foster care is not spoiling them It’s showing you care for them, and that’s exactly what these children need in their lives

Jessica Stanfield is executive director of the Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit For more information, visit VoicesForKids org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

made by some of us and our forefathers to protect our nation’s freedom and laws

The Breeze quoted the mayor as looking to have “public trust” for the voters of Cape Coral

The City Council needs public trust in their operations of city government by:

1 Calling for an independent audit of Cape Budget

2 Stop reckless taxing and spending of taxpayer dollars

3 Listen to the citizens’ input at meetings Follow their wishes not Council’s own ambitions

Country’s laws must be obeyed

To the editor:

It is truly a sad time in the United States of America when undocumented, illegal and those who fraudulently falsify documents for working in my country march and protest that their rights are being violated It is also truly sad that we have some American citizens symphonizing and supporting these unlawful acts of illegal immigration Unfortunately, those American citizens have no idea what sacrifices of No Greater Love were

I was truly appalled in watching the local news when during this protest march a Mexican flag was waved and there were a shouts of Viva Mexico Law enforcement, local and federal, should have made arrests and started deportation procedures of those illegally in violation of our laws.

I read the letters to the editor from many who condemn the laws and governor of Florida All I ask of your knowledge from divine intervention is to provide, along with your condemnations, a brief Bio of your personal sacrifice (not your father’s or relatives) in contributing to nation building and our freedoms Always remember, I have heard all the excuses of why you did or could not serve your country It is easy to present an opinion on pen and paper No Greater Love and Sacrifice means writing a check to the United States of America for up to including your life

How sad that this nation built on sacrifice and love has fallen prey to crime out of control and no accountability

May God Bless my America For those of us who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know

u

Green space is a quality-of-life issue; Cape must retain what little it has left

Cape Coral right now is crossing into the vital crossroads as a very young town whether to be truly green or pave the town over and become a humdrum east coast town

all, it is a vital source of water for the Cape’s 430,000 at build out and ohhh, the traffic it will create

w w w . c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e . c o m

The town council has it in its hands to be a vibrant ecological young town with environmental parks and green strips and even substantial green areas of over a hundred acres with abundant wildlife that live there, and lots of drinking water The city council needs direction from you who are reading this if we want a town with wild animals in it or a town devoid of native fauna and drinking water for all

There are five crucial decisions that will determine what our town will look like environmentally

The first one is Redfish Pointe This 175acre plot of land is mostly wetlands It has all kinds of wildlife on it from bobcats, foxes and coyotes all the way down to vast amounts of butterflies and birds There is a wildlife easement on it I have heard rumors that the city plans to trade Redfish Pointe land for other land to negate this wildlife easement We would like to see Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 buy this land Please ask the city council to pursue buying this land through 20/20 or the city buy it The site is almost 175 acres and the only environmentally sensitive land in that section of town One of our members surveyed it and was up to her armpits in water It is not land to put 600-plus houses, a hotel, marina and a huge commercial center on it right in a hurricane zone This development could endanger hundreds of mangroves and endanger manatees and sawtooth sailfish that stay right where they want to put the mariana Council, please keep this area green to stop the carnage of chasing out the wonderful wildlife and potentially causing flooding to the Westin and houses around it It will destroy Rotary Park’s wildlife, too Most of

The old golf course off of Palm Tree Boulevard is proposed to be developed as a low- to moderate-cost home development, according to plans submitted by the city to Lee County for a share of Hurricane Ian relief money

These people did not do their homework on the history of the golf course Residents, especially the ones that live on and near the course like myself, have opposed such development plans in the past I orchestrated a 10,500-plus petition to save all of the course and keep it green We had great support from the Cape Coral City Planning Commission and they voted no to make it a development. D.R. Horton Home Builders pulled out of buying the land and not putting over 650 homes on the course and have control over most of the rest of the ground The city council said save it

Carl Veaux Guest Commentary

great horned owls, American kestrels, ducks (yes, even Muscovy ducks,) many other species of birds, foxes, rabbits and squirrels by the score

Some of these animals radiate out into the suburban areas around the course for thousands to enjoy The last creature is probably is the most important. There are Miami butterflies which are very rare, threatened and endangered

The way this city is currently building out there will be no animals left in such a broad majority and variety as we have right in the middle of our wonderful city

This menagerie is found on Redfish Pointe as well

five star quality A swimming pool where the old one was A large quality putting green Running and bike trails where the animals are not in a den or living A large herb garden and resurrect the old clay tennis courts Of course, stock the lakes for fishing Years ago, someone caught a 10-pound bass out of one of the lakes

The other green spaces are fairly safe Hundreds came out to save Hunters Ridge Golf Course and Jaycee Park. They will not be developed, we hope Any big development should include in the plans to have at least one third green space and even more Are you listening developers and Council people?

For many years the Ryan Companies, the owners, have dragged their feet about cleaning up the arsenic on the course to the standards the city wants and the city said they would not buy it until the owners did so So it has sat fallow for almost a decade The city could have bought the private course by making a deal with Ryan Companies and helping them to clean up the environmentally sensitive land to the standards the city wants but the city just wouldn’t do this Lazy, non- creative city managers

Why should the city buy the old golf course? First of all, it is a wildlife mecca There are a pair of eagles, burrowing owls,

There is no time to wait to have green space in the Cape We are running out of large parcels of land. The green space left in our city Remember we voted Conservation 20/20 which is Lee County’s environmentally sensitive program land acquisition buying program which was voted in my just over 84% of the voting public Over $40 million annually Another environmental land acquisition program, Amendment 1, by the state passed by 74% and Lee County 77% Over $300 million yearly but up to the Florida legislature

What are some of the things we could do for the golf course? Put a senior and boys and girls club there with numerous pool tables

Two story building with a zip line on top An extensive arcade room with a snack bar

Three indoor tennis courts and four pickle ball courts with the tennis courts that can be turned into pickle ball courts as needed or a basketball court A free-standing restaurant of

From page 4

percent at grade level in reading compared to Lee’s 46 percent; 69 percent in math compared to Lee’s 54 percent

In Charlotte County and Sarasota County to the north, the numbers were 52 percent 59 percent respectively in reading; 58 percent and 66 percent respectively in math

It is fair to say Hurricane Ian impacted student learning this year in Lee County with students displaced from their homes and even from their schools as they doubled up on campuses elsewhere

But the gap in achievement among Southwest Florida’s coastal counties is consistent, no matter the monitoring method of choice, no matter the place in time

Too many of our kids are struggling to attain not proficiency, but to just keep up, to feel successful so they can feel confident taking on the next educational challenge and the next

Let us point out that while the new tests/progress monitoring reports may not be “high stake” one-shots, as with the old FSAs, students must pass certain tests to be promoted to the next grade, must pass certain tests to graduate, must know how to read and do rudimentary mathematics to be successful in whatever path they choose after high school

That number for third graders not reading on level as they head into fourth grade, that 58 percent? Each point represents hundreds of children who hit their first key edu-

cational benchmark and were unable to jump the hurdle

Despite monitoring Despite progress

And yes, despite the efforts of an education team led now by a superintendent whose efforts to improve not just the district’s internal processes but its educational emphasis on the classroom should be acknowledged

The district has some inherent challenges:

Student absences and out-of-classroom time compounded first by COVID and then by Hurricane Ian

Teacher absences and teacher shortages which can hamper the learning process

A student demographic that represents the diverse community that is Lee County

A student demographic that represents the economic reality of Lee County

We agree with educators who say there are few easy solutions and we’ll go so far as to say the district’s vision “to be a World-Class School System” is and has been a pretty far stretch.

The district’s mission, though, is both possible and laudable: “to ensure that each student achieves his/her highest personal potential ”

Breeze editorial

In summary, development of Redfish Pointe and the old golf course will create a traffic nightmare on Cape Coral Parkway We are already the 9th worst city in Florida for the most heavy, slow and hard-to-negotiate traffic Development will take away millions of gallons of drinking water from us Green space along the water will prevent storm surge. Development will decimate every wild animal in the heart of the city We and children will at no time see them We will never have the allotted acreage of green space deemed necessary to have a quality city according to the expert city planners

Will we have the quality of life which we came to live here for? Only Council will decide Call 574-0427 ask to talk to all council members or email or write to them Please tell the council to not develop Redfish Pointe or the old golf course No building of homes or commercial construction. Only you, the voters can make a difference Will we cross the right road and have a quality city or another humdrum eastern city

Carl Veaux is a local environmental activist with 17 awards to date marking his efforts to “stand for all the wild animals ”

This week’s poll question:

Does the city of Cape Coral’s vision for its waterfront match what you would like to see?

∫ Yes, I would like to see more amenities in the parks and any privately owned parcels appropriately developed, hopefully to include public spaces

∫ I would like to see additional passive recreation amenities in the parks but say no to commercialization and no to any development in environmentally sensitive areas

∫ No

Previous poll question

Do you agree with Florida’s recently approved immigration legislation?

∫ Yes 57 27%

∫ For the most part 91%

∫ No 41 82%

Poll results are not scientific and represent only the opinions of Internet users who have chosen to participate Vote at capecoralbreeze com

The v i e w s e x pre s s e d o n the Opi ni o ns pag e s are jus t that o pi ni o ns The s e pag e s are i nte nde d to c o nv e y a rang e o f v i e w po i nts ; o pi ni o ns pri nte d o n thi s pag e do no t ne c e s s ari l y re f l e c t the v i e w s o f thi s ne w s pape r. Oppo s i ng v i e w s are w e l c o me . Le tte rs to the e di to r o r g ue s t c o l umns may be e - mai l e d to v harri ng @ bre e z e ne w s pape rs . c o m. A l l l e tte rs and g ue s t o pi ni o ns mus t be s i g ne d and mus t i nc l ude a pho ne numbe r f o r v e ri f i c ati o n purpo s e s . Re ade rs are al s o i nv i te d to c o mme nt o n any l e tte r o r e di to ri al o pi ni o n o nl i ne at: c ape c o ral bre e z e . c o m.

A ministry dedicated to service: Cape Vineyard Community Church

A Cape Coral church that has served the community since the mid-90s has, and continues to play a large role in helping those in need

If you were out at Cape Coral’s largest special event of the year, Red, White & BOOM! this Fourth of July, you may have seen Cape Vineyard Community Church’s food truck serving up free meals throughout the day The truck, which was acquired following Hurricane Ian to bring food to residents on Pine Island, was full of volunteer staff distributing tacos at no cost to attendees

Associate Pastor at Cape Vineyard, Charles Minton, said the church’s presence at the city event is a culmination of decades of service to the community that started with Hurricane Charley in 2004

“The Red, White & BOOM! is really the end of a long journey of us finding who we are as a church,” Minton said

He remembers back to Hurricane Charley when they were the only building with power in the area after the Category 4 storm blew through Southwest Florida.

“We had power for some reason and at the time we weren’t using our commercial kitchen,” Minton said

So, they started cooking

And never stopped

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cape Vineyard distributed 78,000 meals via a drive-thru service After Ian, the food truck was purchased and food relief tasks were being performed to those struggling

“But we knew that the truck was going to have a bigger role than just hurricane relief,” Minton said

Having not tapped into the Cape event schedule, having only done some events outside of the church along Southeast 47th Terrace and an event at a local park, Cape Vineyard thought the Fourth of July would be a great way to connect

Minton said Cape Vineyard has really made a commitment with the truck to make it a truly free of charge experience for those they serve Even when someone asks if they can make a donation, they do not budge.

“We’re not going to take a dime We’re just going to bless,” said Minto of the messaging from senior pastors Jamie and Kim

Stilson “We’re going to just be a blessing to our city

“We got to connect with people, connect with families, and it goes beyond the truck It’s to get connected within the community and our heart is in feeding the city ”

Minto praised Cape Vineyard’s volunteers, who were out in the heat holding down tents, cooking up food, and spreading their message to the attendees

“Everything is driven by our volunteers,” Minton said

He hopes the food truck can pop up at other locations around Cape Coral to serve various residents

“The truck is going to find its way into our city as we build our teams,” Minton said Cape Vineyard, in addition to offering services on Sundays at 9 and 10:45 a m , provides a myriad of other services for their parishioners and the public, including its Thursday Dinner Church.

Every Thursday night, Cape Vineyard prepares a free hot meal, groceries, and a short service for anyone in need

The community outreach portion of the night begins when doors open at 4:30 p m Individuals can register to take home a free bag of groceries once a month (in partnership with Harry Chapin Food Bank) that includes items such as fresh produce, dry goods, snacks and frozen meat (as available) A Lee County Photo ID is required to receive groceries

Attendees will also be able to take free bread each week regardless of whether they register for groceries or not

Those just coming for dinner will find servers bringing around donuts, cakes, other snacks, and drinks to the table once seated At 5:30, the team prays and then delivers the main course always hot and fresh, never cold or frozen

At 6 there is a short worship service, where the band plays worship songs before a pastor delivers a message

There are youth groups for all ages, from children to high school teens The NOVA meets on Wednesday nights for sixth to eigth graders, and ninth to 12th grade

The Adventure Land Children’s Ministry is offered at both Sunday services for children in their infancy up until the fifth grade

“There’s tons of stuff for families,” Minton said “We’re hoping to be a genera-

tional church ”

The Stiltons have been in the ministry for 40 years, spending their first 17 years in ministry leading a church on Sanibel Island, but planted the Cape Vineyard out of that church in the mid 1990s and have been the lead pastors ever since

“They really enable us to dream and to help our city,” Minton said Cape Vineyard Community Church is at 923 Southeast 47th Terrace

For more information on the church, services, programs, and to get involved, visit www capevineyard com

Red, White & BOOM! proves to be a blast

The fireworks went off without a hitch at this year ’s Red, White & BOOM!

Fourth of July celebration

The event is put on every year by the City of Cape Coral Parks & Recreation Department, and takes place on Cape Coral Parkway, at the foot of Cape Coral Bridge.

The city touts the event as “the largest single-day event in Southwest Florida,” with thousands in attendance every year.

In addition to the fireworks and live music throughout the day and into the evening, there wasfood, drink and a game area for the kids

Barricades on either side of the road allowed attendees to walk freely, or set up camping chairs and coolers.

At right: One of the dozens of blasts that lit up the night sky.

Symbols of the Cape

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CCPD responds to two fireworks-related fires

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A Fort Myers man who was recently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing police officer Adam Jobbers-Miller has filed for appeal Wisner Desmaret, 31, filed for appeal according to court documents released Monday Desmaret shot Fort Myers Police Department Officer Jobbers-Miller, who had responded to an assault and larceny call at a gas station in July of 2018 Jaime Lapidus Esquire, of Piotrowski

Law, is handling Desmaret’s appeal

In an email to The Breeze on Thursday, Lapidus said, “Simply put, we firmly b e l i e v e t h e p r o c e e d i n g s t h a t o c c u r r e d throughout the life of Mr Desmaret’s case demonstrates clear and significant issues of constitutional concern and consequence that must be litigated in the appellate arena We look forward to bringing those issues to light ”

The state sought the death penalty in the case, but the jury did not make the unanimous findings necessary, under the law at

the time the case was tried, for a death sentence

In a release from State Attorney Amira Fox following Desmaret’s sentencing, who prosecuted the case with Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner, she stated inpart, “Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller is a hero, who was performing his official duties, in trying to stop the chaos caused by the defendant that day, just feet away from a very busy and populated roadway His heroic actions in a dangerous and erratic situation exemplified what it is to be a law

enforcement officer He will forever be remembered ”

A m e m b e r o f t h e F M P D s i n c e September 2015, Jobbers-Miller was a life-long public servant, as he was a volunteer firefighter in his home state of New Jersey where his father served as fire chief of Wayne Fire Company No 2 for 30 years Jobbers-Miller fought for his life inside Lee Memorial Hospital for a week before succumbing to his injuries He was 29

Appeal filed following guilty verdict in officer’s shooting death Investigative billings in residency complaint top $23,000

n e w s p a p e r s . c o m B i l l i n g s f o r t h e c i t y o f C a p e C o r a l ’ s f a c t - f i n d i n g i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o w h e t h e r a s i t t i n g c o u n c i l m e m b e r m e t c h a r t e r r e s id e n c y r e q u i r e m e n t s w h e n s h e r a n f o r o f f i c e t a l l y i n a t $ 2 3 , 4 2 5 T h e f o u r i n v o i c e s f r o m B o y A g n e w P o t a n o v i c M i l l e r , w h i c h c o v e r a p e r i o d f r o m t h e i n i t i a l p h o n e c a l l t o t h e l a w f i r m o n M a r c h 2 3 t o a f i n a l p h o n e c a l l w i t h t h e m a y o r a n d t h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e o n J u n e 2 8 , e n c o m p a s s i n v e s t i g at o r V i c k i L . S p r o a t ’ s e f f o r t s t o a s c e r t a i n w h e t h e r C o u n c i l m e m b e r P a t t y C u m m i n g s l i v e d i n D i s t r i c t F o u r w h e n s h e r a n a n d t h e n a s s u m e d t h e s e a t a f t e r t h e N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 2 m u n i c i p a l e l e c t i o n S p r o a t ’ s t i m e w a s b i l l e d a t $ 2 5 0 p e r h o u r T h e c o s t f i g u r e d o e s n o t i n c l u d e c i t y s t a f f t i m e a c c r u e d b y t h e C i t y A t t o r n e y ’ s

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a l l e g a t i o n a s t h e o f f i c e h a s s u b p o e n a a u t h o r i t y , s o m e t h i n g t h e c i t y ’ s i n d e p e n de n t i n v e s t i g a t o r l a c k e d C u m m i n g s c a s t t h e d i s s e n t i n g v o t e “ A l l t h e i n f o r m a t i o n i s t h e r e ( I a m ) p u t i n t h i s s i t u a t i o n t o w h e r e y o u h a v e a l l t h e d a t a t h a t w a s s e n t f r o m m y a t t o r n e y I h a v e t o s a y n o , ” s a i d C u m m i n g s , w h o m a i n t a i n s t h a t h e r d r i v e r ’ s l i c e n s e , v o t e r I D a n d o t h e r d o c u m e n t s p r o v i d e d t o b o t h t h e c i t y a n d S p r o a t ’ s o f f i c e s h o w r e s id e n c y i n D i s t r i c t 4 a s r e q u i r e d T h e S t a t e A t t o r n e y ’ s O f f i c e h a s c o nf i r m e d t h a t i t h a s a c c e p t e d t h e r e q u e s t , w h i c h a s k s t h e o f f i c e t o “ a s s u m e r e s p o ns i b i l i t y f o r t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n m o v i n g f o rw a r d ” w i t h t h e c i t y t o p r o v i d e t h e r e p o r t i t c o m m i s s i o n e d a n d a n y r e l a t e d d o c um e n t s a l r e a d y c o l l e c t e d T h e o f f i c e , l i k e m o s t i n v e s t i g a t i v e a g e n c i e s , d o e s n o t c o m m e n t o n i n v e st i g a t i v e m a t t e r s w h i l e t h e y a r e o p e n .

EDUCATION

EDUCATION NOTES Valerie’s House awards college scholarships

Dougher ty graduates from Special Jesuit Liberal Ar ts Honors Program at Scranton

S C R A N T O N , P a - - C o n o r J

Dougherty of Cape Coral was among 42 m e m b e r s o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Scranton's class of 2023 who graduated from its Special Jesuit Liberal Arts

H o n o r s P r o g r a m , w h i c h i s o n e o f Scranton's programs of excellence

Dougherty graduated summa cum laude as a neuroscience and philosophy double major. Dougherty was also a member of the university's Undergraduate Honors Program

The University of Scranton is a Jesuit u n i v e r s i t y l o c a t e d i n N o r t h e a s t e r n Pennsylvania For additional information, visit www scranton edu

Russ inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

BATON ROUGE, La -- Yvonne Russ of Cape Coral was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society Russ was initiated at Nova Southeastern University

R u s s i s a m o n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7 5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction

Today, the society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others ”

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t P h i Kappa Phi, visit www.phikappaphi.org.

Valerie’s House, a nonprofit organization in Southwest Florida helping children grieve the loss of a loved one, has awarded $54,000 in college scholarships for graduating high school seniors who have come through and found support in the Valerie’s House grief support program

graduated from Bishop Verot High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University

■ Jacob Jordan of Fort Myers, who graduated from North Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University

■ Kaitlyn McCormack of Naples, who g r a d u a t e d f r o m B a r r o n C o l l i e r H i g h S c h o o l a n d p l a n s t o a t t e n d F l o r i d a SouthWestern State College.

■ Sam Mejia of Naples, who graduated f r o m L o r e n z o W a l k e r T e c h n i c a l H i g h School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University

■ Bailey Spotz of Fort Myers, who graduated from Cape Coral High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University

■ Kendall Sulmasy of Naples, who graduated from The Village School in Naples and is undecided on which college to attend

“We believe it is important to empower our youth to strive for big things and to know that loss doesn’t have to limit their dreams,” said Valerie’s House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin “We are very grateful to our donors who have made this scholarship program possible ”

house org/donate

I t ’ s t h e s e c o n d y e a r t h a t V a l e r i e ’ s House has offered the scholarships of $1,000 to $2,500 per year for four years Six local students were chosen based on an essay they each wrote about their personal grief story and how their loss shaped them as the person they are and the person they want to become

The scholarship recipients are:

■ Jason Bishop of Fort Myers, who

The scholarship funds may be used for classes, materials, or anything they need during the school year

“The students are asked to check in with Valerie’s House each college semester and tell us something that they worked through that was challenging during the semester, and something great that they believe they might have accomplished, “ Melvin said

To donate and help the Valerie’s House S c h o l a r s h i p F u n d , v i s i t w w w v a l e r i e s

Valerie’s House provides a safe, comfortable place for children and their families to heal together following the death of someone they love Valerie’s House offers support groups and other activities at a home on 1762 Fowler Street in Fort Myers and a home in Naples at 819 Myrtle Terrace Valerie's House also holds group meetings in Charlotte County Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c a n b e f o u n d a t www valerieshouse org

Free back-to-school vaccination clinics scheduled

Premier Mobile Health Services, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Lee County, will offer free back to school vaccinations for school aged children at the following locations, dates and times:

■ July 11 -- Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M I , 151 N E Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, 9 a m to 12

■ July 13 -- Pine Manor Community Center, 5547 Tenth Ave , Fort Myers, 9 a m to 1 p m

■ July 19 -- Gladiolus Food Pantry,

10511 Gladiolus Drive, Fort Myers, 9 a m to 1 p.m.

■ July 20 -- New Image Tabernacle, 81 Pondella Road, North Fort Myers, 3-6 p m

■ July 21 -- Cafe of Life, 26724 Nomad Drive, Bonita Springs, 9 a m to 1 p m

Premier will have its mobile medical clinic on site during these vaccination events to provide primary care services including, but not limited to, chronic disease management, diabetes testing and monitoring, blood pressure and cardiac monitoring, and COVID 19 testing

The mission of Premier Mobile Health Services is to provide health care to all. They offer quality health care services to the medically vulnerable and to those who are at most risk of developing and experiencing long term illnesses and hospitalization As a 501(C)3 tax-exempt organization, they provide service through donations and grants They are changing the way that health care is delivered in Lee County For further information call 239-288-7949 or go to their website at www premiermobilehealth org

We e k ly B R E E Z E R e c ap

Blue-green algae blooms reported, warnings issued

State and city officials are warning residents of algal blooms popping up at various bodies of water around the county, including Cape Coral

Data from the Florida Department of E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n s h o w s t h r e e positive tests for algal blooms in Cape Coral since June 12, with four more in the North Fort Myers area, and even more in the surrounding area In the Cape, positive tests for blue-green algae were identified at Jaycee Park on June 26, Rubicond Canal on June 28 and Rivers Condo on June 29

On June 29, city of Cape Coral officials sent out a public warning for blue-green algae in the area of Jaycee Park, noting a signage update was performed

“Blue-green algae has been reported at several locations in the Caloosahatchee River, so City officials encourage the public to exercise caution when near any waterway,” the city report stated

DOH officials from June 23-29 visited 47 sites and collected samples, with algal

bloom conditions observed by samplers at 28 of the sites Officials said satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee from June 29 shows “moderate to high bloom potential” on roughly 70% of the lake, with the highest bloom potential in the northeast section

Officials added that imagery of the Caloosahatchee and St Lucie estuaries shows “no bloom potential on visible portions of either estuary ”

According to the Florida Department of E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n , b l u e - g r e e n algae, or cyanobacteria, occur frequently in Florida’s freshwater environments

“Blue-green algae are microorganisms that function like plants in that they use light energy from the sun and nutrients acquired from the environment to help them grow,” DEP officials state Blooms occur when rapid growth of algae results in an accumulation of individual cells that, discolor water, can produce floating mats that give off unpleasant odors, and may negatively impact aquatic life

Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are “sunny days, warm water temperatures, still water conditions and a plentiful supply of nutrients ”

Officials state that reducing the supply of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus in particular, can help decrease the intensity and duration of blue-green algal blooms

Cape Coral officials state they routinely monitor for the presence of harmful algae and potential toxins within the city’s waterways using a private contractor, as well as information from county and state partners The city is working to deter the p r e s e n c e o f b l u e - g r e e n a l g a e i n l o c a l canals by activating bubble curtains during the incoming tides

“The City reminds residents that pet waste, grass clippings, and fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus entering waterways can worsen algal blooms,” officials said in a release

According to city ordinance, the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus is not permitted between June 1 and

Sept 30, and grass clippings should be disposed of as horticulture waste

With algal blooms come cause of concern when it comes to your health Several side effects can come from being around a bloom or in algae waters, such as nausea and headache Research has been ongoing when it comes to potential long-term effects and links to neurodegenerative disease

To report a bloom to DEP, call the tollf r e e h o t l i n e a t 8 5 5 - 3 0 5 - 3 9 0 3 o r a t www floridadep gov

To report fish kills, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 1800-636-0511

Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center, call 1-800-222-1222 to speak to a poison specialist immediately

If you have additional health questions o r c o n c e r n s a b o u t b l u e - g r e e n a l g a e b l o o m s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t t h e F l o r i d a Department of Health in Lee County at 239-690-2100

Sandelli will not seek re-election to County Commission

Lee County District 3 Commissioner Ray Sandelli, R-Bonita Springs, said he will not seek re-election in 2024

“I am going to m i s s t h i s t r e m e ndously,” he said “I a m l o o k i n g f o rward to every day trying to make it a l i t t l e b e t t e r , ” h e said of his remaining time on the Lee

The owners of the Pink Shell Beach Resort have large ideas for Fort Myers Beach ambitions its management says are a win-win situation that could help alleviate the town’s longstanding parking issues while benefitting the resort with more rooms for either condos or as hotel guest suites

The resort has forwarded plans to Town of Fort Myers Beach planning staff to review a seven-story, 109-room proposal that includes three stories for a 200-space public parking garage

Parking on the Beach was a constant problem during season before Hurricane Ian

“We have the solution,” Pink Shell Beach Resort General Manager Bill Waichulis said

The resort’s plans were originally formed before Hurricane Ian though they have recently been sent over to town staff for review The plans would need to be reviewed by the Local Planning Agency and would require a variance for the added density to the site

“We started having these conversations with the town manager and council (before Ian),” Waichulis said

Waichulis said the need for the parking garage is greater now with the development of the Margaritaville project having replaced the large public parking lot that was located downtown at Helmerich Plaza He said that has led to further traffic past Pink Shell Beach Resort as folks look for a place to park “When you had Helmerich Plaza you had about 150 parking spots that were down there,” Waichulis said

The loss of that parking “caused people to drive up and down the Beach to find a parking spot, down to Bowditch (Point Park),” Waichulis said Those who look to park at Lynn Hall Memorial Park and find it full often will turn down Estero Boulevard towards Bowditch Point Park, which is past the Pink Shell Beach Resort and has less than 20 public parking spaces Some were also turning into the Pink Shell’s parking lot, Waichulis said

“We had to hire security guards to guard our parking lot,” Waichulis said

The cost to construct the parking garage amounts to about $40,000 per space, Waichulis said That is why the 109, twobedroom units are needed to generate revenue, he said Waichulis said those rooms could be condos or hotel guest suites The hotel and garage would go up on about two acres of property across the street from the Pink Shell Beach Resort’s main building at 275 Estero Blvd

The hotel currently has 140 parking spaces for its guests at its lot across the street The new parking garage would be in addition to that lot

In addition, the Pink Shell Beach Resort is planning to replace four cottages that were destroyed by Hurricane Ian with workforce housing for its employees Previously, 16 of its employees lived at three of the cottages

“ W o r k f o r c e h o u s i n g i s e s s e n t i a l t o t h e c o m m u n i t y , ”

Waichulis said

The plans also include space for a Lee County Sheriff’s Office satellite office and an area where the town could store vehicles during a hurricane evacuation, Waichulis said There would also be parking for electrical vehicles and charging stations

C o u n t y B o a r d o f C o u n t y C o m m i ssioners

Sandelli, whose d i s t r i c t i n c l u d e s Fort Myers Beach, was appointed to his seat by Gov Ron DeSantis in 2019 to succeed the late Commissioner Larry Kiker Sandelli won an election to the seat in 2020

“It was certainly not an easy decision (not to run again) I was flattered when the governor appointed me,” Sandelli said

Sandelli, who is 75, said he would be 80 at the end of another term

“I just feel like it's time for my wife and I to spend some time with our kids going forward ”

Sandelli is a managing partner with C R E C o n s u l t a n t s , a c o m m e r c i a l r e a l estate and property management firm. His decision not to run again comes at a time when the county is expected to receive approximately $2 billion in federal funds from the U S Department of H o u s i n g a n d U r b a n D e v e l o p m e n t t o help the county rebuild from Hurricane Ian

REAL ESTATE

Cape luxury home sales down, inventory up and prices soften

Dear Mr Feichthaler:

I have heard horror stories about probate fees when no estate planning is done for a home I want my two children to own the property equally if I were to die Should I add them to my title as owners?

Dear Jada:

First, you should be commended for asking this question Estate planning provides peace of mind, while making things a bit easier for your kids if they lost you Probate is a legal procedure where assets of a person who has died, or “decedent,” is transferred to new owners Probate can be expensive and time consuming Probate costs often exceed $20,000, and are based on the asset values of an estate A home is always a major portion of that asset base Avoiding probate on all assets is ideal, but having a home transfer without probate will result in a large expenditure and stress avoided

I always caution my clients to avoid adding children to ownership of their property for several reasons First, if you decided to later sell or mortgage your home, they would have to agree to the sale or mortgage Also, their portion may not be protected by Florida Homestead laws, which could result in liens attaching to your home later

If your goal is for your kids to immediately receive ownership of your home, but only after your passing, the Enhanced Life Estate Deed is an ideal choice You retain all rights and privileges of ownership, including the right to sell or mortgage without permission of your kids You also retain full homestead protections and benefits By naming your two children as beneficiaries on this deed, they will assume ownership upon the recording of a death certificate in the public records If you currently have a mortgage, they would need to arrange for refinancing it, or selling the property to pay for it

Anyone seeking to make a change in ownership of property should consult with an attorney before attempting to do so There can be pitfalls relating to title, documentary stamp tax, gift tax and loss of homestead that may not have been considered when transferring property to family members

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 U n i v e r s i t y i n W a s h i n g t o n , D C , h e r e t u r n e d t o 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 239-542-4733

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

I t i s t i m e o n c e a g a i n f o r o u r t i p o f t h e h a t t o R o b i n L e a c h , t h e l a t e g r e a t h o s t o f “ L i f e s t y l e s o f t h e R i c h a n d F a m o u s , ” a s w e o f f e r u p a n o t h e r t o a s t o f c h a m p a g n e w i s h e s a n d c a v i a r d r e a m s b y t a k i n g a l o o k b a c k a t t h e C a p e C o r a l l u x u r y h o m e m a r k e t i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f 2 0 2 3 A l t h o u g h t h e p a c e o f l u x u r y h o m e s a l e s h a s s l o w e d d r a m a t ic a l l y f r o m t h e r e c o r d l e v e l s o f a y e a r a g o , w e a r e s t i l l p o s t i n g s o l i d r e s u l t s b a s e d o n h i s t o r i c a l m e a s u r e s F o r t h e r e c o r d , o u r d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e s i n g l ef a m i l y l u x u r y h o m e m a r k e t s e g m e n t i n C a p e C o r a l c o n s i s t s o f h o m e s t h a t h a v e s o l d a t p r i c e s o f $ 1 m i l l i o n a n d a b o v e . O n e y e a r a g o i n o u r c o l u m n p u bl i s h e d J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 2 2 , w h e n d i s c u s s i n g t h e f i r s t s i x m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 2 i n t h e C a p e C o r a l s i n g l e - f a m i l y l u x u r y h o m e m a r k e t o u r h e a d l i n e r e a d , “ H u g e f i r s t h a l f f o r l u x u r y h o m e s a l e s , c h a l l e n g e s a h e a d ” T h e c h a l l e n g e s w e w e r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t b a c k t h e n m o s t l y r e v o l v e d a r o u n d t h e i m p a c t w e w e r e a l r e a d y f e e l i n g i n o u r r e a l e s t a t e m a r k e t a t t h a t t i m e a s a d i r e c t r e s u l t o f t h e J e r o m e P o w e l l - l e d F e d e r a l R e s e r v e s a g g r e s s i v e p o l i c y s h i f t t o w a r d s h i g h e r i n t e r e s t r a t e s a s t h e y l a u n c h e d t h e i r w a r o n i n f l a t i o n . O n e o f t h e i r s t a t e d o b j e c t i v e s i n t a c k l i n g t h e o u t - o f - c o n t r o l l e ve l s o f i n f l a t i o n w a s t o h i k e i n t e r e s t r a t e s h i g h e n o u g h t o c r e a t e “ d e m a n d d e s t r u c t i o n , ” a n d t h e r e b y s l o w d o w n t h e h o u s i n g m a r k e t , a m o n g a n u m b e r o f o t h e r t h i n g s W e w e r e a l s o p o i n t i n g o u t t h e s h a r p r i s e i n t h e i n v e n t or y o f e x i s t i n g h o m e s b e i n g l i s t e d f o r s a l e a n d t h e s i gn i f i c a n t s h i f t w e w e r e s e e i n g i n b u y e r a t t i t u d e s a s t h e b i d d i n g w a r s e n d e d a n d t h e m a r k e t s h i f t e d m o r e i n t h e i r f a v o r B y t h i s t i m e l a s t y e a r , t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o s e l l y o u r h o m e a t t h e r e c o r d h i g h s a l e s p r i c e s f r o m e a r l i e r i n 2 0 2 2 w e r e g o n e T h e n i n l a t e S e p t e m b e r , H u r r i c a n e I a n a d d e d t o t h e m a r k e t d a m a g e a l r e a d y s t a r t e d b y t h e F e d

t h a t b e g a n i n M a r c h 2 0 2 2 W h e n w e e x a m i n e d t h e C a p e ’ s s i ng l e - f a m i l y l u x u r y h o m e s e g m e n t i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f t h i s y e a r , t h e d r o p i n t h e n u m b e r o f c l o s e d s a l e s g l a r e d b a c k a t u s i n t h e f o r m o f a 4 4 7 % p l u n g e t o 1 3 5 s a l e s f r o m t h e 2 4 4 l u x u r y h o m e s a l e s i n t h e f i r s t s i x m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 2 A s b a d a s t h i s d r o p s e e m e d , s e v e r a l t h i n g s s t r u c k u s a b o u t t h i s s l o w d o w n i n l u x u r y s a l e s F i r s t , t h e d e c l i n e i n s a l e s w a s o f f o f t h e a l l - t i m e r e c o r d s e t f o r s a l e s i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f t h e y e a r i n

In

2 0 2 2 S e c o n d , i t w a s i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f t h e F e d ’ s y e a r l o n g d e m a n d d e s t r u ct i o n p r o g r a m a n d t h e d i r e c t h i t f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n T h i r d , d e s p i t e a l l o f t h i s , w e s t i l l m a n a g e d t o o u t p a c e t h e

1 1 1 c l o s e d l u x u r y h o m e s a l e s p o s t e d b a c k i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f 2 0 2 1 M i x i n t h e f a c t t h a t m e d i a n l i s t a n d s a l e s p r i c e s f o r o u r l u x u r y h o m e m a r k e t h a v e , t o d a t e , m e r e l y s o f t e n e d a n d n o t c o l l a p s e d a f t e r c o m i n g u n d e r t h e a d d i t i o n a l p r e s s u r e f r o m t h e “ c l e a ra n c e s a l e s ” o f a n u m b e r o f s t o r m d a m a g e d h o m e s a n d w e w o u l d t e n d t o d e c l a r e t h i s a v i c t o r y o f s o r t s i n a n i m p r e s s i v e l y r e s i l i e n t , “ d o w n b u t n o t o u t ” m a r k e t s c en a r i o . T h e n u m b e r s f o l l o w . I n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f t h i s y e a r , c l o s e d s a l e s p r i c e s i n o u r l u x u r y h o m e s e g m e n t r a n g e d f r o m $ 1 m i l l i o n t o $ 3 9 2 5 m i l l i o n T h e s e c o n d h i g h e s t - p r i c e d s a l e c a m e i n a t $ 3 3 m i l l i o n a n d t h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e f o r l u x u r y h o m e s i n t h e C a p e c a m e i n a t $ 1 3 m i l l i o n i n t h e f i r s t s i x m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 L a s t y e a r , l u x u r y h o m e s i n t h e C a p e w e r e s o l d a t p r i c e s r a n g i n g f r o m $ 1 m i l l i o n t o a h i g h o f $ 4 3 m i ll i o n i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f t h e y e a r , w i t h a t o t a l o f t h r e e h o m e s s e l l i n g f o r $ 4 m i l l i o n a n d u p T h e m e d i a n s a l e s p r i c e f o r t h e 2 4 4 s a l e s i n t h e l u x u r y h o m e s e g m e n t w a s

See LUXURY HOMES, page 17

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

GMA Architects & Planners completes Bacino Vista Condominiums in Cape Coral

GMA Architects & Planners has completed work for Bacino Vista Condominiums, a new multi-family building located at 5126 Coronado Parkway in Cape Coral

Located along the 80-foot-wide Atlantic Canal in South Cape Coral, the 49,000-square-foot, two-story-over-parking residential building overlooks boat slips with wooden decks available to each unit The canal provides direct access to the Caloosahatchee River and a short ride to the Gulf of Mexico

GMA Architects & Planners’ design showcases a Bahamas-inspired architectural style featuring flat tilecovered pitched roofs with gable accents including characteristic exposed end trusses and support brackets Wide soffits, open balconies and Bahama-style shutters complete the illusion The ground floor-covered parking also provides individual storage space for each tenant

The plan includes 12 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom upscale living units with upgraded appliances and fixtures, tiled showers and granite counter tops Walk-in clothes closets and kitchen pantries provide uncommon storage Open balconies accessible from the living rooms and master bedrooms bring the outdoors inside.

A common pool deck and gathering space overlooking the boat basin completes the water theme

GMA Architects & Planners’ partners on the project i n

Structural and Wadsworth O’Neal Associates

GMA Architects has been a leading Southwest Florida architectural design firm since 1981 For more information, call 239-275-0225 or visit www GMAarchitect com

Lee Clerk to host free class on how to handle the eviction process

Lee County landlords and tenants who need information about the eviction process are invited to attend a free class hosted by Clerk Kevin Karnes

Following Hurricane Ian, the Lee County Clerk’s office saw an increase in the filing of evictions and wants to help educate the community on the process associated with filing and responding to an eviction case

The class will be held from 2-3 p m , Wednesday, July 12, at the Fort Myers Regional Library in meeting room AB The library is located at 2450 First Street in Fort Myers To register, visit www leeclerk org/seminar

During the class, attendees will learn the following:

∫ Landlord & tenant rights and responsibilities

∫ What forms and information are required to file an eviction

∫ How serving a summons works

∫ The steps needed in responding to an eviction

∫ Time limits & related fees

∫ Additional steps to follow after filing and responding to an eviction

∫ Available resources for landlords and tenants

This class is part of the “How To” series provided by the Lee Clerk’s office to educate the community about all of the resources available to them Past “How To” classes help customers learn how to apply for passports and marriage licenses, file a small claims case, and seal and expunge a criminal record Recorded tutorials are available at www leeclerk org/howto

See REAL ESTATE BRIEFS, page 17

Estate planning can make things easier for your heirs

Law

Luxury homes: Number of Cape sales down and inventory increases

From page 16

$ 1 3 5 m i l l i o n o v e r t h a t t i m e f r a m e S o w e a r e s e e i n g s o m e s o f t n e s s i n s a l e s p r i c e s , b u t n o t h i n g e v e n r e m o t e l y l i k e t h e t o t a l m a r k e t c o l l a p s e t h a t o c c u r r e d r o u g h l y 1 2 t o 1 5 y e a r s a g o d u r i n g t h e G r e a t R e c e s s i o n O n e o f t h e o t h e r b i g m a r k e t s h i f t s h a s b e e n w i t h t h e n u m b e r o f a c t i v e l i s t i n g s a n d p e n d i n g s a l e s A s o f T u e s d a y , J u l y 4 , t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 1 , 7 3 2 a c t i v e l i s ti n g s f o r s i n g l e - f a m i l y h o m e s i n C a p e C o r a l t h r o u g h t h e M L S , i n c l u d i n g 2 1 9 l u x u r y h o m e l i s t i n g s a t $ 1 m i l l i o n a n d a b o v e W e c u r r e n t l y h a v e 7 8 6 p e n d i n g h o m e s a l e s i n t h e C a p e , i n c l u d i n g 2 6 l u x u r y h o m e s u n d e r c o n t r a c t w i t h b u ye r s A y e a r a g o o n J u l y 5 , 2 0 2 2 , t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 1 , 1 7 7 a c t i v e h o m e l i s ti n g s i n t h e C a p e , i n c l u d i n g 1 9 3 l u x u r y h o m e s l i s t e d a t $ 1 m i l l i o n a n d a b o v e A t t h a t t i m e , t h e r e w e r e a t o t a l o f 7 5 9 p e n di n g h o m e s a l e s i n t h e C a p e , i n c l u d i n g 3 3 p e n d i n g s a l e s i n o u r l u x u r y s e g m e n t S o t h e n u m b e r o f o v e r a l l a c t i v e h o m e l i s ti n g s h a s i n c r e a s e d b y 4 7 % i n t h e p a s t y e a r , w h i l e t h e n u m b e r o f l u x u r y h o m e l i s t i n g s i s u p b y 1 3 5 % , a n d t h e n u m b e r o f o v e r a l l p e n d i n g h o m e s a l e s i s 3 6 % h i g h e r , w i t h t h e p e n d i n g s a l e s i n o u r l u x -

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3 0 3 % , w i t h l u x u r y h o m e l i s t i n g s r i s i n g b y 1 8 8 % W h i l e o v e r a l l p e n d i n g h o m e s a l e s d r o p p e d b y 2 4 % , i n c l u d i n g a 6 % p l u n g e i n t h e n u m b e r o f p e n d i n g s a l e s i n o u r l u x u r y m a r k e t T h e C a p e ’ s h i g h e s t - p r i c e d h o m e s a l e i n t h e f i r s t h a l f o f 2 0 2 3 w a s f o r a h o m e o n t h e r i v e r i n t h e Y a c h t C l u b a r e a , w h i c h c l o s e d o n J u n e 1 5 f o r $ 3 9 2 5 m i ll i o n T h e s e l l e r o r i g i n a l l y p u r c h a s e d t h e p r o p e r t y f o r $ 6 9 0 , 0 0 0 i n J u n e 2 0 1 9 , w h e n i t c o n t a i n e d a 1 , 7 2 7 s q u a r e f o o t h o m e b u i l t b a c k i n 1 9 6 0 T h e y p u l l e d a d e m o l i t i o n p e r m i t i n A u g u s t 2 0 1 9 t o t e a r

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

From page 16

Heatherwood Construction Company builds Del

Webb

Oak Creek gatehouse

Heatherwood Construction Company recently completed construction of the gatehouse at Del Webb Oak Creek, a new Pulte residential community

The gatehouse welcomes residents and guests with an aesthetically pleasing twostory design, including two fountains at the entrance The gatehouse features a stucco, brick design with a metal roof. The project was led by the Bonita Springs-based team’s senior project manager, Rafael Valdes and Superintendent, Rob Matson.

Del Webb Oak Creek is a 55-over community, located at 17536 Winding Oak Lane in North Fort Myers The development features a variety of single-family homes and several amenities for residents For more about the development, visit www delwebb com or call 239-356-0417

Heatherwood Construction Company is a full-service, commercial general contractor serving the west coast of Florida from Marco Island to the Panhandle Since 1980, the firm has provided complete construction services, including site search and selection,

feasibility analysis, site development, value engineering, vertical construction, LEED certification, and more Recent projects include schools, multi-family, retail, restaurants and community amenities F

Heatherwood Construction Company, visit heatherwoodconstruction com or call 239949-6855

CRE Consultants transactions update

CRE Consultants has announced the following local transaction:

∫ Stewart Title Company leased 2,146 square feet of office space in University Park at 12800 University Drive, Suite 360, Fort Myers, from Uccello University, L L C E n n L u t h r i n g e r , C C I M o f C R E Consultants negotiated the transaction

CRE Consultants, which provides a full spectrum of commercial real estate and property management services to property owners, investors, landlords, tenants and developers, is at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court, Suite 102, Fort Myers

For additional information, please call 239-481-3800, or visit http://creconsultants com

d o w n t h e o l d h o m e a n d s t a r t e d c o n s t r u ct i o n o n t h e i r n e w 3 , 5 5 1 - s q u a r e - f o o t h o m e i n J a n u a r y 2 0 2 0 , e v e n t u a l l y l i s t i n g t h i s n e w e r h o m e f o r s a l e a t $ 4 5 m i l l i o n i n J u n e 2 0 2 2 A f t e r s e v e r a l p r i c e d e c r e a s e s , t h e h o m e w e n t u n d e r c o n t r a c t w i t h a b u y e r o n S e p t 6 , 2 0 2 2 , a t $ 3 9 9 9 m i l l i o n i n a d e a l t h a t f e l l a p a r t a f t e r H u r r i c a n e I a n T h e l i s t i n g w a s w i t hd r a w n f r o m t h e m a r k e t o n O c t 1 2 , b e f o r e i t e x p i r e d o n J a n 1 o f t h i s y e a r I t c a m e b a c k o n t h e m a r k e t a s a n e w l i s t i n g w i t h a d i f f e r e n t a g e n t o n J a n 1 6 f o r $ 4 5 m i l l i o n A f t e r t h e s e c o n d p r i c e r e d u c t i o n d o w n t o $ 4 1 5 m i l l i o n o n M a r c h 1 3 , t h e h o m e w e n t u n d e r c o n t r a c t w i t h a b u y e r o n A p r i l 1 5 , b e f o r e t h e s a l e w a s f i n a l i z e d i n a c a s h d e a l a t $ 3 9 2 5 m i l l i o n S o t h e s a l e s p r i c e e n d e d u p c o m i n g i n $ 5 7 5 , 0 0 0 b e l o w t h e i n i t i a l l i s t p r i c e ( 1 2 8 % l e s s ) , a n d 5 4 % b e l o w t h e l a s t r e d u c t i o n i n t h e l i s t p r i c e T h i s i s a p r e t t y c o m m o n t h e m e i n o u r c u r r e n t m a r k e t w h e r e i f a n e w l i s t i n g d o e s n o t g e n e r a t e a l m o s t i m m e d i a t e i n t e r e s t a n d g o u n d e r c o n t r a c t w i t h i n t h e f i r s t t w o t o f o u r w e e k s o n t h e m a r k e t , t h e p e r c e p t i o n i s l i k e l y t h a t t h e h o m e i s o v e r p r i c e d H o m e s t h a t a r e p r i c e d p r o pe r l y t o t h e c u r r e n t m a r k e t a r e t y p i c a l l y d r a w i n g f a i r l y q u i c k o f f e r s r a n g i n g f r o m

a b o u t 7 % b e l o w l i s t t o f u l l p r i c e M o s t b u y e r s s e e m f o c u s s e d o n f i n d i n g w e l lm a i n t a i n e d , c l e a n a n d u n c l u t t e r e d h o m e s t h a t h a v e b e e n u p d a t e d , a n d t h a t a r e i n m o v e - i n r e a d y c o n d i t i o n I f a h o m e i s i n n e e d o f r e p a i r s o r u p d a t i n g , b u y e r s a r e t y p i c a l l y l o o k i n g f o r s i z a b l e d i s c o u n t s T h e s a l e s d a t a f o r t h i s a r t i c l e w a s o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e F l o r i d a R e a l t o r s M u l t i p l e L i s t i n g S e r v i c e M a t r i x f o r L e e C o u n t y , F l a , a s o f J u l y 3 , 2 0 2 3 , u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d I t w a s c o m p i l e d b y B o b a n d G e r i Q u i n n a n d i t i n c l u d e s i n f o r m at i o n s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r C a p e C o r a l s i n g l ef a m i l y h o m e s , a n d d o e s n o t i n c l u d e c o nd o m i n i u m s , s h o r t s a l e s o r f o r e c l o s u r e s T h e d a t a a n d s t a t i s t i c s a r e b e l i e v e d t o b e r e l i a b l e , h o w e v e r , t h e y c o u l d b e u p d a t e d a n d r e v i s e d p e r i o d i c a l l y , a n d a r e s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e w i t h o u t n o t i c e T h e Q u i n n s a r e a h u s b a n d a n d w i f e r e a l e s t a t e t e a m w i t h t h e R E / M A X R e a l t y T e a m o f f i c e i n C a p e C o r a l T h e y h a v e l i v e d i n C a p e C o r a l f o r o v e r 4 3 y e a r s G e r i h a s b e e n a f u l l - t i m e R e a l t o r s i n c e 2 0 0 5 , a n d B o b j o i n e d w i t h G e r i a s a f u l l - t i m e R e a l t o r i n 2 0 1 4 T h e i r r e a l e s t a t e p r a c t i c e i s m a i n l y f o c u s e d o n C a p e C o r a l r e s i d e n t i a l p r o pe r t y a n d v a c a n t l o t s

American Advertising Federation Southwest Florida announces board

The American Advertising Federation of Southwest Florida General Membership event included the swearing-in of its elected board members for 2023-2024 year beginning July 1

The officers, directors and committee c h a i r s a r e T e r e s a A r a q u e , H o d g e s University, president; Jenny Boyd, Jenny B Creative, immediate past president; Mike Haley, M&M Multimedia, vice president and ADDY Awards chair; Wendy P a y t o n , R i v e t B r a n d s , t r e a s u r e r a n d ADDY judging co-chair; Laurie Ragle, Breeze Newspapers, secretary; Don Gross, Spiro & Associates, government relations chair; GG Gubelman, Gohman Design, e d u c a t i o n c h a i r ; T o d d “ T J ” J o r d a n , Hodges University, programs chair; Caryn Clark, The Hip Chick Voice!, membership chair; Duncan Metts, Bald Man Media, p u b l i c s e r v i c e c h a i r ; a n d K a t e K i n t z , Priority Marketing, ADDY judging cochair

“This is a dynamic organization that supports and promotes the advertising industry in our region and throughout the state,” said Araque “Our board is made up entirely of professionals in the industry who are passionate about what they do They volunteer their time because they understand the importance of promoting

the industry through education, advocacy, and having a voice in Tallahassee to look out for the interests for an industry that is an economic engine in the state ”

working events, luncheon programs, and the annual ADDY Awards Gala These efforts are built around the core pillars of the organization: networking, education, government relations, diversity & inclu-

Front row from left, GG Gubelman and Duncan Metts; and back row from left, K a t e K i n t z , C a r y n Clark, Mike Haley, Te r e s a A r a q u e , Jenny Boyd, Laurie R a g l e , To d d “ T J ” Jordan, Don Gross and Wendy Payton

sion, and public service

For additional information about the American Advertising Federation SWFL, visit AAFSWFL com

Greater Fort Myers Chamber to host annual Nonprofit Expo luncheon Tuesday

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will spotlight nonprofits in the c o m m u n i t y w i t h i t s a n n u a l N o n p r o f i t Expo, to be held from 11:30 a m to 1:15 p m , Tuesday, July 11

During the luncheon, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a dozen local nonprofits about the work that they

do and the services they provide to the Southwest Florida community

The nonprofits being showcased are: Best Buddies, Community Cooperative, Dress for Success SW Florida, Harry C h a p i n F o o d B a n k , I n t o t h e J o r d a n M i n i s t r i e s , J u n i o r A c h i e v e m e n t o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a , K e e p L e e C o u n t y

Beautiful, Lake Michigan Credit Union, P a c e C e n t e r f o r G i r l s , T h e H e i g h t s Foundation, United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades and Valerie’s House

The chamber luncheon will take place at The Plantation Golf and Country Club, located at 10500 Dartington Drive in Fort Myers Admission is $25 for Chamber

members and $35 for future members

Registration will close Friday, July 7

The luncheon is sponsored by HBKS Wealth Advisors and Krisis Flood Bags

To learn more or to register for the luncheon, please visit FortMyers org or call 239-332-2930

Annual Sizzle Dining scheduled for Sept. 7-27

Over 50 restaurants from across Southwest Florida set to participate

Sizzle Dining (restaurant week) is an annual, 3-week-long, community-driven event that celebrates the culinary landscape in both Lee and Collier counties by offering 3-course dinners and 2-course lunches at a discounted, set price

Over 20,000 Sizzle meals were sold last year even after losing the last few days because of the hurricane

H e l d e v e r y S e p t e m b e r , t h e e v e n t includes 50+ of the best restaurants from Cape Coral down to Marco Island and everywhere tasty in between

This year from Sept 7-27, each of the participating restaurants will offer a 3course prix fixed dinner menu for just $29, $39 or $49, and some restaurants will also offer a 2-course lunch for only

$19 or $29 Just pick from the participating restaurants (the website goes live Aug. 5), make your reservations directly with each restaurant and enjoy the Sizzle Dining menu

For every Sizzle Dining meal purchased during the three-week event, each participating restaurant will donate $1 directly to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, a local 501(c)3 charity that feeds local food-insecure elementary students every weekend during the school year

Sizzle Dining promotes local businesses and boosts the local economy by over $2 million

To participate in the event, go to www SizzleDining com, look through the

available menus, make a reservation to lock in your seats and enjoy

T h e S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a r e s t a u r a n t s scheduled to participate are: 21 Spices by Chef Asif, A Table Apart, Bar Tulia Mercato, Barbatella, BHA! BHA! Persian Bistro, BiCE Ristorante, Bistro 821, Bleu Provence, Blue Pointe Oyster Bar, Buon

A p p e t i t o C a f e , C a f e N o r m a n d i e , Campiello, Chez Guy Parisian Bistro, Corner Spot Diner + Drink, Cote D'Azur, Del Mar, DeRomo's Gourmet Market & Restaurant, Dorona Steakhouse, Fathoms, Gather, Grappino, Il Pomodoro, K-Rico

M e x i c a n G r i l l , K a r e e m ' s L e b a n e s e K i t c h e n , L a F o n t a n e l l a R i s t o r a n t e ,

Lamoraga, Maria's Pizzeria & Restaurant, Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro,

M e d i t e r r a n o , M e r c a t o I t a l i a n o , N e x t Door, Nosh on Naples Bay, Ocean Prime, Osteria Capri, Osteria Tulia, Real Seafood Company, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Sea Salt, Seasons 52, Seventh South Craft F o o d + D r i n k , S h u l a ' s S t e a k H o u s e , Stoney's Steakhouse, The 239 Naples, The Bevy, The Boathouse on Naples Bay, T h e C a v e B i s t r o & W i n e B a r , T h e Continental, The Franklin Social, The French, The Med, The Nauti Mermaid, U S S Nemo, Veranda E @ Escalante

H o t e l , W a t e r m a r k G r i l l e a n d Z i g g y D'Amico's Whiskey Bar & Diner.

Additional information will be available when the Sizzle Dining website at w w w S i z z l e D i n i n g c o m g o e s l i v e o n Saturday, Aug 5

SCHEA blood drive for Lee Health July 15 in Club Square

The community is in significant need f o r b l o o d d o n o r s T h e S o u t h C a p e Hospitality and Entertainment Association will host a Lee Health blood drive on Saturday, July 15, from 11 a m to 4 p m The bus will be parked in Club Square, behind the BackStreets Sports Bar on Southeast 47th Terrace

Type A- and O- remain critically low, and supply levels for all other blood types are also below normal Please consider making a donation to help the local community.

Lee Health is offering all donors a limited edition cooler bag and wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening

Donors will also receive a punch card with complimentary offers from the following local businesses: BackStreets, chips & bourbon chipotle quasi; Cape Cleaners, 10% off laundry or dry cleaning services (excludes alterations); The Dive, 10% off your next visit; Dixie Roadhouse, no cover charge for two people before 11 p m ( e x c l u d e s s p e c i a l e v e n t s ) ; E i g h t - F o o t

Brewing, select draft; Fish Tale Grill, 10% off total check (cannot be combined with any other offer); Genius Computer Repair & Service, $10 off any repair or service; G r e e k S p o t , p i e c e o f b a k l a v a ; H a i r Artistry, blow out w/purchase of a hair cut; Karma and Coconuts, pocket sized crystal heart; Lehne Burger, pretzel bites spa;

Maria's Pizzeria, small one-topping pizza; Merrick Seafood Company, 10% off total check (cannot be combined with any other

offer); Nice Guys Pizza, order of regular or vegan garlic knots; Penny's Coffee Bar, small hot or iced coffee; Perk & Brew Coffee Shop Cafe, $5 off purchase of $15 or greater; Rack'em Spirits & Times, 1 hour of billiards (up to 5 people); Tiki Hut, well drink, wine or domestic draft; and Zak's Jewelry, watch battery replacement

All blood donated will stay local to Lee County, and appointments are available to eliminate wait times Please text Shannon at 239-900-4028 (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or email info@southcapeentertainment com to secure your time slot

Stay tuned to everything SCHEA via Facebook and SCHEA's website

Small

business class in Cape starts on July 31

I n d i v i d u a l s w h o a r e thinking about starting their own business and have not developed a plan to guide their start-up or strengthen an existing business, can a t t e n d G o o d w i l l ’ s S W F L

M i c r o E n t e r p r i s e I n s t i t u t e , scheduled for July 31 until Sept 7

The MicroEnterprise Institute is a six-week training program to help emerging entrepreneurs start new ventures and grow small businesses. Graduates will complete a feasibility plan and m a n a g e m e n t t r a i n i n g course, working with ment o r s w h o a r e s u c c e s s f u l b u s i n e s s p e o p l e , a n d h e a r from subject matter experts in areas of accounting, legal m a r k e t i n g , i n s u r a n c e a n d funding

Classes will be held on

M o n d a y a n d T h u r s d a y s , from 6-9 p m , at the Public W o r k s B u i l d i n g , 8 1 5

N i c h o l a s P a r k w a y , E a s t , Cape Coral

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, visit www goodwillswfl org T o a p p l y , p l e a s e v i s i t www goodwillswfl org/mic roenterprise, or call 239995-2106, extension 2215 E m a i l A p r i l W i l l i a m s @ Goodwillswfl.org

Roelens Vacations to pay for all adoptions at GCHS July 15

R o e l e n s V a c a t i o n s i s stepping up big time for the G u l f C o a s t H u m a n e S ociety’s shelter animals by paying for all adoption fees on Saturday, July 15, from 12-5 p m , at 2010 Arcadia St , in Fort Myers

Currently, GCHS is caring for over 200 shelter anim a l s a n d w i t h a d o p t i o n numbers suffering through 2023, as well as owner surrenders up, Roelens Vacations Adoption Day July 15 could be an important boost for the shelter

All adoptions on July 15, w i l l b e s p o n s o r e d b y

Roelens Vacations - with an approved adoption application - and includes puppies, kittens, adult dogs and cats and specialty breeds

Potential adopters with o t h e r p e t s i n t h e h o m e , s h o u l d b r i n g a n u p d a t e d

rabies vaccine certificate GCHS is open 12-6 p m , T u e s d a y - F r i d a y ( c l o s e d Mondays) and 12-5 p m

Saturday and Sunday Call 239-332-0364

J u l y 7 , 2 0 2 3 ■

w w w . c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e . c o m P a g e 2 4

Valuation: New residential, commercial project boost Cape numbers

From page 1

c o n s t r u c t i o n c a m e i n a t $ 7 4 1 , 6 7 8 , 5 8 4 , m o r e t h a n $ 3 3 m i l l i o n b e t t e r t h a n t h e J u n e e s t i m a t e s w h i c h a r e w o r k i n g n u mb e r s a s t h e P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r ’ s O f f i c e c o m p u t e s t h e J u l y r e p o r t t o b e s u b m i t t e d t o t h e s t a t e E s t i m a t e d o v e r a l l j u s t v a l u a t i o n i n L e e C o u n t y r o s e 1 1 2 5 p e r c e n t o v e r l a s t y e a r C o u n t y j u s t v a l u a t i o n w e n t u p f r o m

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$ 1 2 0 1 b i l l i o n , a n i n c r e a s e o f $ 7 5 1 b i ll i o n o r 6 . 6 7 p e r c e n t . T h e s c h o o l t a x a b l e v a l u a t i o n n u m b e r s w e r e h i g h e r w i t h a n i n c r e a s e o f n e a r l y $ 1 1 4 9 b i l l i o n , o r 8 9 8 p e r c e n t P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r M a t t C a l d w e l l s a i d t h e r e a l e s t a t e m a r k e t w a s s o a r i n g b e f o r e t h e h u r r i c a n e , a n d c o n t i n u e s t o b e s o d e s p i t e t h e s t o r m “ P e o p l e w h o h a v e l i v e d h e r e m o r e t h a n a d a y k n o w h o w h e a t e d t h e m a r k e t h a s b e e n , b u t t h e h u r r i c a n e h a d a n i m p a c t , ” C a l d w e l l s a i d “ W h e n y o u s e e t h e n u m b e r o f h o u s e s b e i n g b u i l t i n t h e l a s t y e a r , a t o n o f n e w c o n s t r u c t i o n v a l u e w a s a d d e d , m o r e t h a n $ 3 b i l l i o n A l l t h a t d e v e l o p m e n t h a p p e n i n g i n C a p e C o r a l a n d L e h i g h o u t s i d e t h e m a j o r l y i m p a c t e d s t o r m a r e a s ” P r o p e r t y t a x i n c r e a s e s a r e c a p p e d i n F l o r i d a , w i t h o w n e r - o c c u p i e d r e s i d e n t i a l p r o p e r t i e s r e c e i v i n g t h e g r e a t e s t p r o t e c -

Hurricane Ian, now classified as a Category 5 storm, devastated the island communities, and, just as the preliminary increases were greater than the estimated ones a month earlier for areas more inland, valuation decreases were higher than the prelim numbers for the islands:

In Sanibel, the total just value declined 25 percent while the taxable valuation was down a whopping 33 46 percent

Fort Myers Beach fared worse. Just value was down 34.32 percent while the taxable valuation dropped 42.24 percent, with both fire districts seeing similar losses.

t i o n i f t a x i n g a g e n c i e s d o n o t a d o p t a r o l l b a c k t a x r a t e , t h e r a t e a t w h i c h t a x e s r e m a i n l e v e l f o r e x i s t i n g p r o p e r t i e s w h e n v a l u a t i o n s s o a r H o m e o w n e r s w i t h t h e H o m e s t e a d E x e m p t i o n f a c e a m a x i m u m 3 p e r c e n t t a x i n c r e a s e T h o s e w i t h o u t i t a r e c a p p e d a t 1 0 p e r c e n t F o r t a x i n g e n t i t i e s , i n c r e a s e d t a x a b l e v a l u a t i o n c a n m e a n a n i n c r e a s e i n r e ve n u e a t t h e c u r r e n t r a t e o f t a x a t i o n ; t h e “ r o l l b a c k ” m i l l a g e r a t e k e e p s r e v e n u e f l a t N o w m a y n o t b e t h e b e s t t i m e t o b e l o o k i n g a t t h e r o l l b a c k r a t e , o n e C a p e C o r a l C i t y C o u n c i l m e m b e r s a i d C a p e C o r a l C o u n c i l m e m b e r T o m H a y d e n s a i d d e s p i t e t h e g a i n s , h e d o e s n ’ t s e e t h e c i t y g o i n g t o a r o l l b a c k r a t e w i t h

e v e r y t h i n g i t n e e d s t o d o “ W e ’ r e s t i l l g o i n g t o f a c e d e f i c i t s

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e ’ r e a g r o w i n g c i t y s o I t h i n k t h e b u d ge t h a s t o p o r t r a y t h a t , ” H a y d e n s a i d “ T h e r e a r e t h i n g s t h e p o l i c e a n d f i r e d e p a r t m e n t s n e e d a n d o t h e r t h i n g s t o l o o k a t ” H u r r i c a n e I a n , n o w c l a s s i f i e d a s a C a t e g o r y 5 s t o r m , d e v a s t a t e d t h e i s l a n d c o m m u n i t i e s , a n d , j u s t a s t h e p r e l i m i n a r y i n c r e a s e s w e r e g r e a t e r t h a n t h e e s t i m a t e d o n e s a m o n t h e a r l i e r f o r a r e a s m o r e i n l a n d , v a l u a t i o n d e c r e a s e s w e r e h i g h e r t h a n t h e p r e l i m n u m b e r s f o r t h e i s l a n d s ,

I n S a n i b e l , t h e t o t a l j u s t v a l u e d e c l i n e d 2 5 p e r c e n t w h i l e t h e t a x a b l e v a l u a t i o n w a s d o w n a w h o p p i n g 3 3 4 6 p e r c e n t F o r t M y e r s B e a c h f a r e d w o r s e

J u s t v a l u e w a s d o w n 3 4 3 2 p e r c e n t w h i l e t h e t a x a b l e v a l u a t i o n d r o p p e d 4 2 . 2 4 p e r c e n t , w i t h b o t h f i r e d i s t r i c t s s e e i n g s i m i l a r l o s s e s C a l d w e l l s a i d t h o s e i s l a n d s w e r e a p a r t i c u l a r p r o b l e m b e c a u s e o f t h e n u mb e r o f c o n d o s t h e r e , i n d i f f e r e n t s t a t e s o f d i s r e p a i r o r r u i n “ A b u i l d i n g m i g h t n e e d p o w e r c i rc u i t s b u t a r e r e a d y t o g o o t h e r w i s e , w h i l e a n o t h e r n e e d s t o b e c o m p l e t e l y g u t t e d a n d r e b u i l t , w h i c h w i l l t a k e m u l t i p l e y e a r s “ T h e r e w a s c h a n g e , b u t n o t a t t h e s c a l e y o u w o u l d s e e W i t h $ 2 0 0 b i l l i o n d o l l a r s i n p r o p e r t y , y o u n e e d a $ 2 b i l l i o n s h i f t t o r a i s e t h e p e r c e n t a g e a p o i n t , ” C a l d w e l l s a i d T h e f i r e d i s t r i c t s i n u n i n c o r p o r a t e d L e e C o u n t y s a w m i x e d r e s u l t s L e h i g h A c r e s s a w o v e r a l l t a x a b l e p r o p e r t y v a l u a t i o n i n c r e a s e 2 4 7 p e r c e n t , B a y s h o r e w e n t u p 4 6 8 p e r c e n t , w h i l e M a t l a c h a d r o p p e d e x a c t l y 6 p e r c e n t a n d N o r t h F o r t M y e r s 5 5 3 p e r c e n t , t h e l a t t e r r e p r e s e n t i n g i t s f i r s t d r o p i n v a l u a t i o n s i n a d e c a d e T h e f i n a l f i g u r e s o f a l l t a x i n g d i s t r i c t s w i l l b e s e n t t o T a l l a h a s s e e f o r a p p r o v a l w h e n f i n a l i z e d

T R I M T r u t h i n M i l l a g e n o t i c e s w i l l b e m a i l e d t o p r o p e r t y o w n e r s i n A u g u s t P r o p e r t y o w n e r s w i l l t h e n h a v e 2 5 d a y s t o r e s o l v e a n y d i s a g r e e m e n t i n v a l u e w i t h t h e p r o p e r t y a p p r a i s e r b e f o r e t h e t a x b i l l s c o m e o u t i n N o v e m b e r

Lee County marks Park & Recreation Month with free pool admissions, parking

Lee County Parks & Recreation will offer free pool admission and free parking on Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, i n r e c o g n i t i o n o f N a t i o n a l P a r k a n d Recreation Month.

Lee County Parks & Recreation sites offering free swimming or free parking include:

■ Parks: Lakes Park, Manatee Park, H i c k e y C r e e k M i t i g a t i o n P a r k , Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Caloosahatchee

Creeks Preserve

■ Beach sites: Bowman’s Beach and Turner Beach (north side only of Blind

Pass)

■ Boat ramps: Alva, Matlacha, Davis, Lavender’s Landing and Imperial River

■ Pools: Lehigh Community Pool, North Fort Myers Community Pool, Pine Island Community Pool and San Carlos Community Pool Bonita Beach Accesses No 1 and No

Bunche Beach Preserve currently offer free parking until further notice These sites were severely impacted by Hurricane Ian and reopened in March with limited amenities Residents and visitors are encouraged

to always wear beach shoes when visiting beach parks Debris continues to wash onshore and quickly may be obscured by sand

County that are owned or maintained by other government entities are not included in

swim/free parking weekend These include: Barefoot Beach, beach access points managed by the Town of Fort Myers Beach, and City of Sanibel sites, including the south side of Blind Pass

The free pool/free parking weekend

approve a resolution designating July as National Park and Recreation Month in Lee County In the resolution, commissioners recognized that Lee County Parks & Recreation touches the lives of individuals, families, groups and the entire community and positively impacts the social, economic and environment quality of the county For more information about Lee County Parks & Recreation locations, amenities and special events, visit www leeparks org, c a l l 2 3 9 - 5 3 3 - 7 2 7 5 o r e m a i l leeparks@leegov com

Parks: Cape Coral offering special activities throughout the month

From page 1

ing people together, providing essential services, and fostering the growth of our communities ”

Various activities are planned for residents of all ages and abilities including a free Florida-friendly landscaping class, an ice cream social, and free boat trailer parking

Special activities and dates include:

■ June 7: Vino’s Picasso Paint Party from 7 to 9 p m at Rotary Park

■ June 15: Free Block Party at the William Austen Youth Center from 10 a m to 2 p m

■ June 17: Free Ice Cream Social at Lake Kennedy Center from 2 to 3 p m

■ J u n e 2 1 : F r e e F l o r i d a - F r i e n d l y Landscaping at Rotary Park from 10 a m to noon

■ June 22: Native Plant Sale at Rotary Park from 9 a m to 1 p m

■ June 23: Check in at parks and com-

plete Cape Coral Quest (register at capecoral gov)

■ June 29-30: Free boat trailer parking at all city boat ramps

■ Free tour of the Butterfly House every Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 a m

Locklin said Parks & Recreation staff are proud to join Cape Coral residents in celebrating National Parks Month this July and highlighting the importance of parks including:

■ Showing how Cape Coral parks connect all members of the community to programs and services that improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of life

■ Highlighting that living close to parks and recreation facilities is consistently related to higher physical activity levels for both adults and youths Parks provide a c o n n e c t i o n t o n a t u r e , w h i c h c a n h e l p r e l i e v e s t r e s s , s t r e n g t h e n i n t e r p e r s o n a l

relationships, and improve mental health

■ Recognizing that Cape Coral’s Parks & R e c r e a t i o n s t a f f a r e c h a m p i o n s i n addressing our city’s environmental challenges Staff play a vital role in the protection of our environment through green infrastructure, maintenance of public lands, and preserving wildlife habitats

City officials said this month is all about getting out and enjoying your favorite park in Cape Coral, or even exploring new and updated parks via the GO Bond Residents can also bike 90-plus miles of connected trails, visit the Butterfly Garden at Rotary P a r k , c h

employees work hard to show their commitment and dedication to the stewardship of our beautiful parks,” Locklin said. “Our City’s parks contribute to this community’s health, happiness, and growth through programs, facilities, events, and open spaces

The dedicated staff, community supporters, and partners organize youth activities, provide educational programming, and ensure that park facilities are safe and accessible places for all citizens to enjoy ”

,

o u r Freedoms Park fitness program, or visit Coral Oaks Golf Course where July is PGA Family Month

Locklin said staff works hard yearround to give Cape residents the best experience they can

N R P A a n d C a p e C o r a l e n c o u r a g e everyone who supports Parks & Recreation to share how it has improved their quality of life and why their local park and recreation professionals are essential to them on s o c i a l m e d i a w i t h t h e h a s h t a g

#WhereCommunityGrows

To learn more about National Park and R e c r e a t i o n M o n t h , v i s i t w w w c a p e p a r k s c o m a n d www nrpa org/July

Birthday: Cape resident celerates as she marks her 104th year

w e r e c a n d y “ C h o c o l a t e , c h o c o l a t e , c h o c o l a t e N o t h i n g i s b e t t e r t h a n c h o c o l a t e I k n o w w h a t I ’ m g o i n g t o e a t t o n i g h t , ” s h e s a i d

A n e a r b y s t a f f m e m b e r c o r r o b o r a t e d t h a t E v e t t h a s a b i g - t i m e s w e e t t o o t h T h e C h i c a g o n a t i v e w a s a c h a r t e r m e m b e r o f G r a c e

B a p t i s t C h u r c h i n 1 9 8 3 a n d s t i l l a t t e n d s s e r v i c e s w e e k l y S h e a l s o w a s i n v o l v e d i n t h e f o u n d i n g o f t h e C h i l d r e n ’ s B a p t i s t F o s t e r H o m e H e r f a i t h i s v e r y i m p o rt a n t t o h e r , a n d h e r b e l i e f i s t h a t i f s o m e o n e b e l o n g s t o s o m e t h i n g t h e y s h o u l d k e e p i t g o i n g

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

A s w i t h m a n y p e o p l e a s t h e y a g e , t i m e p a s s e s r a p i dl y A s s h e r e a d a c a r d m e nt i o n i n g h e r 1 0 4 t h b i r t h d a y , E v e t t s a i d , “ B o y , t h a t c a m e u p f a s t ”

T h a n k i n g t h o s e w h o c a m e t o c e l e b r a t e w i t h h e r , s h e s a i d s h e p l a n s t o c o n t i n u e t o e n j o y l i f e t o i t s f u l l e s t

“

“ M a k e y o u r l i f e w h a t y o u w a n t i t t o b e , ” s h e s a i d

I t ’ s u p t o y o u ”

S h e ’ s “ a f a v o r i t e a m o n g t h e r e s i d e n t s a t T h e W i n d s o r f o r h e r w i t a n d w i s d o m ” “ W e ’ r e v e r y b l e s s e d t o h a v e E l e a n o r a t T h e W i n d s o r , ” s a i d R e s i d e n c e D i r e c t o r G i n a R a t h , C D P “ S h e ’ s a l w a y s h a p p y , c o m p l a i n s t o n o o n e a n d i s k i n d o f h e a r t a n d s o u l W e j u s t l o v e h e r S h e ’ s a n i n s p i r a t i o n a n d w e ' r e t h r i l l e d t o c e l e b r a t e h e r 1 0 4 t h w i t h g u e s t s f r o m t h e l o c a l m e d i a ”

PHOTOS PROVIDED

An adult zebra longwing butterfly, Florida’s state butterfly

Zebra longwing butterfly

The zebra longwing is our official state butterfly and usually quite common around town Yet they have been strangely absent from Cape Coral since Hurricane Ian Let’s help them make a comeback!

Zebras are 3-4 i n c h e s w i d e a n d black with creamy white stripes They a r e o f t e n f o u n d gently fluttering in the shade At sunset, they gather and roost in groups and d i s p e r s e a t f i r s t light To feed, they u n c u r l t h e i r l o n g t o n g u e , o r p r oboscis, which works like a straw to sip nectar from flowers Unlike most butterflies, they can also digest pollen, which allows them to live up to six months, instead of a couple of weeks

Besides searching for food, zebra’s spend their lives looking for mates and finding their favorite plant, the passion vine, to lay their eggs Butterflies are v e r y p a r t i c u l a r a b o u t t h e p l a n t s o n which they lay their eggs There are several varieties of passiflora that they will use Maypop (passiflora incarnata), with large purple f l o w e r s , a n d c o r k y s t e m ( p a s s i f l o r a suberosa) are both passion vines native to Florida Other non-native vines are blue, white, yellow and purple "Lady Margaret," with a striking deep red flower, is fine However, coccinia or other red passion vines are deadly to the zebra caterpillars Passion vines prefer sun and a tall trellis although corkystem will grow in shade along the ground if it has no support Maypop sends underground runners and may pop up far from the vine, which are objectionable to some people

Zebra butterflies lay multiple tiny cream colored eggs on the tips of new growth or on the vine tendrils

Caterpillars are white with black hairs which look like spikes, but are really soft

By eating the passion vine, the caterpillar eats a toxin which makes him taste bad to birds His bold white and black coloring is a sign to predators to stay away Yet wasps do not heed the warning

Eggs and caterpillars make easy to digest food for wasp larvae Other predators are lizards, our local anoles Ants

See ZEBRA LONGWING, page 29

Cultural Park Theatre to present ‘The Freecoasters’ Fundraising Event Saturday

The Cultural Park Theatre Company in C a p e C o r a l h a s a n n o u n c e d “ T h e F r e e c o a s t e r s ” F u n d r a i s i n g E v e n t t h i s Saturday, July 8 Doors open at 6 p m when the fun begins in the theater lobby with over 10 raffle baskets to bid on and more

T h e F r e e c o a s t e r s a r e a n a t i o n a l l y known Ska-Reggae-Soul touring group Tickets can be purchased through the

theatre's secure online webpage at h t t p s : / / s e c u r e b

The public is invited to enjoy the raffle bidding and performance in air-conditioned comfort in the newly-renovated theater and lobby area and remember -- free parking is always available!

Cultural Park Theatre is located at 528 Cultural Park Blvd , b e t w e e n H a n c o c k B r i d g e Parkway and Nicholas Parkway, in Cape Coral

For more about the theater and its schedule of performances / activities, please call 239-7725862 or visit www culturalparktheater com

Big Storm Brewing to hold Quarter Auction

Tuesday for Cape Coral Museum of History

Come out to Big Storm Brewing Co in Cape Coral to support the Cape Coral Museum of History through a Quarter Auction on Tuesday, July 11, from 6-8 p m

In addition to the variety of items up for bid, there will also be chance auction items, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle All profits received from the event will benefit the Cape Coral Museum of History

Food and beverages will be available for

Church of the Epiphany in Cape Coral to distribute Hurricane Preparedness Kits

Thanks to the generosity of Episcopal Relief & Development and the Diocese of SWFL, a grant in the amount of $5,000 for Hurricane Preparedness Kits has been received by Church of the Epiphany, 2507 Del Prado Blvd , Cape Coral, FL 33904 Kits including items such as flashlights, batteries and bottled water will be distributed at the parking lot of the church Saturday, July 15, from 10 a m to 2 p m at the entrance from Del Prado Blvd

For information, call 239-574-3200

Friends of Cape Coral Library General Meeting set for July 15

All are invited to the Friends of the C a p e C o r a l L i b r a r y G e n e r a l M e e t i n g Saturday, July 15 The morning will begin at 9:30 with coffee, tea, light snacks and social time The business portion of the meeting will start at 10, followed by the program: “Books We’ve Read ”

This is one of the group's most popular programs where participants all talk about books they’ve recently read and would recommend Each person in attendance may talk about a couple of books, or more if time permits (Or, if you’re shy, you can just enjoy listening )

FOCCL General Meetings, which take place in the large meeting room of the Cape Coral Library at 921 S W 39th Terrace, are free and open to the public You’re welcome to bring a guest or two

For more information, visit Friends of the Cape Coral Library at www capefriends org and follow us on Facebook

purchase through Big Storm, which is located at 4721 S E 10th Place, Cape Coral

For information or to RSVP for the quarter auction, please visit the museum website at capecoralmuseum org/quarterauction/ or call the museum at 239-7727037

Founded in 2012, Big Storm Brewing Co now has five taprooms in the Sunshine

State: Clearwater, Odessa, Cape Coral, Orlando and Ybor There are 20 Big Storm craft beers on tap in each taproom and food is served daily at all of the taprooms! For more information, call 239-257-1401

The Cape Coral Museum of History is at 544 Cultural Park Blvd For more about the museum, which features diverse exhibits dedicated to the history of the Cape Coral area please call 239-772-7037

Zebra longwing: State’s official butterfly common around the area

From page 27

also patrol passion vines. At the base of each leaf, the vine exudes a nutritious nectar which the ants eat In return, the ants patrol the vines and protect them from those that might eat it, including zebra caterpillars Few zebra eggs make it to a mature butterfly

After the caterpillars munch away for

10-14 days, they attach their back end to the stem, hang upside down and shed their skin for the last time As their skin falls off, a b r o w n l e a f s h a p e r e m a i n s a s t h e chrysalis After 7-10 days, the skin breaks open and a butterfly emerges The transformation is miraculous!

T h e T o m A l l e n B u t t e r f l y h o u s e a t Rotary Park is raising zebra butterflies and hopes to help populate the Cape with zebra

Cape Democratic Club to meet July 15

Cape Coral Democratic Club meetings every third Saturday of the month at 1 p m at the Union Hall, 1216 S W 4th St ,

Suite #6, Cape Coral, FL 33991 This month's meeting is on July 15 All are welcome

b u t t e r f l i e s o n c e a g a i n T h e open butterfly garden at the south Cape Coral Library, 921 S W 3 9 t h T e r r a c e , i s a l s o releasing zebra butterflies into this garden, where the Garden Club of Cape Coral has planted many passion vines You can help too! Plant passion vine plants at your house and they will come! You can find them at several local nurseries: All N a t i v e , D a n n y Y a t e s , Riverland and Thrifty Garden next to Butterfly Estates Be careful not to get the ones with bright red flowers as they will be toxic and kill the caterpil-

lars Help the zebra butterfly become a frequent visitor to our yards and a pollinator of o u r f l o w e r s o n c e a g a i n ! Please plant passion vines and help beautify the Cape with our state butterfly!

Sherie Bleiler is chairperson, library butterfly garden, and Garden Club of Cape Coral member

A zebra longwing butterfly caterpillar

C a p e C o r a l B r e e z e w w w . c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e . c o m J u l y 7 , 2 0 2 3 ■ P a g e 3 0

“KISS” or “Keep it simple ” is something you’ll hear well known DOA lure inventor Mark Nichols use quite often in his public presentations and videos when describing productive retrieve presentations using his many successful and widely copied soft bait lure designs Simple: meaning casting it out and reeling it back at a medium speed No two step, jerk and twitch, pause twitch - twitch, or speed reel and pause, none of that fancy razzle dazzle that gets wise old fish pointing and chuckling or simply scares them away from that crazy rattling thing passing through their hood

Partners in Care fundraiser returns to Cape Coral, debuts in Sarasota

From costumed kids portraying their favorite superheroes to work teams united for a common cause, more than 500 Southwest Florida runners and walkers helped generate close to $50,000 toward head and neck cancer education, screening and treatment at two recent charity events in Cape Coral and Sarasota

JULY

Probably the oldest lure design of all, the simple jig is a lure that actually “does it all” from top to bottom, with retrieve styles only limited by your imagination and past successful experiences Of course, the word jig not only describes the lures design but to most people, a hop and fall retrieve style as well Now apply the KISS rule using a simple cast-it-out and reel-it-in method and you have the classic big snook lure, the long-tailed flair hawk jig which has consistently accounted for many trophy snook over the years, especially for night bridge anglers using this simple straight line retrieve

In the Cape Coral event, a record-breaking 429 participants descended on Jaycee Park on April 29 for the annual Partners in Care 5K Run and 2-Mile Walk with another 60 volunteers donating their time

Hometown runner Nicole Walstein Keller was the top female finisher, with Blake Ware of Fort Myers pacing the male runners

The walk debuted in Sarasota in early April with hometown runner Sadika Saigal taking top honors among female participants and Peter Liakakos of Venice the top male finisher among a field of 133

Capt George Tunison

With tarpon season in full swing, Nichols' popular soft bait creations, the DOA BaitBuster and Swimming Mullet, are hard to beat when fished properly If you’re casting out and doing your favorite erratic lure retrieve to fool a big eyed tarpon, be it 20 pounds or 200, you need to try a new plan Tarpon often like to follow or track your lure and the best lure presentations often use a straight and steady, medium retrieve The DOA BaitBuster and Swimming Mullet definitely perform best using this method

If you like the BaitBuster, make sure you also try the previously mentioned ZMAN HERCULEZ Swimbait as well This soft plastic swimbait is a bit bigger than the DOA product with an upright molded in 7/0 hook but also an attachment point on the bottom of the bait I add a beefy split ring and a 6/0 barbless hook to it which gives me extra holding power on tarpon jumps but still allows for easy releases

Well known Florida guide and You Tube personality CJ Richardson rigs one of his favorite tarpon baits in a unique way He removes the treble hooks from an old-time classic snook bait, the 52M MirrOlure, then attaches a pinch of surgical tubing covering the nose screw eye opening He then runs a 7/0 circle hook through the tubing securing it Cast it out and reel back slowly, straight and steady, no frills, in front of a school and hang on Looks like a small lifeless piece of plastic moving steadily with tide but definitely produces bites unless you start an erratic retrieve Using this MirrOlure mod and lifeless retrieve we jumped several fish in Key West Harbor then later in the Ten Thousand Islands casting to laid-up tarpon in shallow warm winter bays

Using standard MirrOlure plugs for tarpon definitely works but a deeply hooked fish with a throat full of treble hooks is bad news and a fine way to get yourself or fish in big trouble A wildly bucking 3-pound ladyfish hooked to one end of a top water plug and two trebles buried in my hand on the other end definitely ramped up my pain factor, causing me to put on quite a show during the first 15 minutes of a trip with brand new to angling visitors The sudden chaos, flying blood and ladyfish slime splattered across her face and clothes, with me howling in pain while trying to subdue the panicked fish scared the poor woman half to death Imagine the same scenario with a green triple digit tarpon Don’t be that guy! Discard those trebles for in line single hooks

“Even as we’ve expanded our mission across the country, our hometown support continues to grow,” said Kathy Tolentino, director of the Fort Myers-based, nonprofit Partners in Care Foundation “Both Cape Coral and Sarasota deserve a huge round of thanks for helping make the cancer journeys of multiple local families a bit more manageable ”

The charitable foundation hosts a nationwide series of spring charity runs, with additional events in California, Colorado, North and South Carolina, West Virginia and Florida’s East Coast

The race series began 11 years ago to bring awareness to head and neck cancers and to raise money for those unable to afford costly recovery therapies that often aren’t covered by insurance, or which require a very high copay

About Partners in Care Partners in Care, founded in 1996, is a not-for-profit charitable foundation dedicated to cancer patients The foundation helps to provide financial assistance, cancer screenings and support groups for patients, as well as additional educational programs The foundation serves patients in 18 states More than 8,700 patients have been

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PRIORITY MARKETING

Cancer survivors Dorothy and George Rea of Cape Coral stand beside the start and finish line at the Partners in Care 5K Run/2-Mile Walk The April charity event drew a recordbreaking 429 participants to Jaycee Park, with another 60 volunteers donating their time.

served since 2007 and over $1 million has been provided in financial assistance The goal of the foundation is to continuously expand to provide support to patients so that they can have one less thing to worry about during their fight against cancer For more information, call 888-850-1622 or visit www YourPartnersInCare org

Florida to be well represented at 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh

TALLAHASSEE - The 2023 National Senior Games begins today, July 7, and continues through Tuesday, July 18, in Pittsburgh Over the 12 days of competition in 20 sports, a total of 615 Florida athletes will be in action

For the 2023 National Senior Games, which included softball, in May, more than 11,500 athletes will compete Including the eight Florida softball teams, over 750 Florida athletes will compete in the 2023 National Senior Games The more than 750 athletes is fourth among all states with athletes in the Games

The 2023 National Senior Games Celebration of Athletes will be held, Friday, July 14 at PNC Park, prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants game that begins at 7:05 p.m. Leading the Florida athletes at the Parade of States will be John Shultz, a table tennis player from Sarasota and Ayenza Matthews, a track and field athlete from Miami

Since 2001, nearly 8,000 Florida athletes have registered to compete in the National Senior Games and regularly ranks in the top five of state representation of athletes

Three athletes will be representing Cape Coral: Gerald Nichols, Archery - Mens - Barebow Recurve - 65-69; Mike Welter, Pickleball - Mens Doubles - 70-74; and Jon Williams, Road Race - Mens - 10K and 5K - 55-59

Athletes of the Year representing Florida

Representing the state of Florida will be 12

Athletes of the Year ranging from the latest recipients to the 2003 Athlete of the Year

■ Andrea Collier (2021, Track and Field)

■ Toby Kaye (2021, Pickleball/Racquetball)

■ Gabriel Wong (2020, Tennis/Pickleball)

■ Peggy Peck (2019, Track and Field)

■ Deb Harrison (2018, Pickleball/Table Tennis)

■ Brian Hankerson (2018, Track and Field)

■ Mike Welter (2017, Pickleball)

■ Rudy Vazmina (2015, Swimming)

■ Avis Vaught (2010, Track and Field, Softball, Volleyball)

■ John Shultz (2009, Table Tennis)

■ Harry Carothers (2004, Basketball)

■ Madelaine “Tiny” Cazel (2003, Track and Field)

Competitors from North Fort Myers are Roberta Little, Pickleball - Womens Doubles - 65-69; and Peggy Owens, Swimming - Womens - 50 Breast and 500 Free - 70-74

nearly $50,000 for head and neck cancer patients

Setzer ear ns Spring 2023 Dean's List honors at Roger Williams University

BRISTOL, RI I -- Kyle Setzer of Cape Coral has been named to the Spring 2023 Dean's List at Roger Williams University, in Bristol, R I Full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a grade point average of 3 4 or higher are placed on the Dean's List that semester

Roger Williams University offers 50 majors and graduate and professional programs across eight schools of study including Rhode Island's only law school, with campuses on the coast of Bristol and in Providence, R I With small classrooms and a focus on undergraduate and graduate research and community engagement, a Roger Williams education blends the strength of liberal arts and professional studies

For more about the university, visit www rwu edu or call 1-800-458-7144

Phillips makes Dean's List at Monmouth College

M O N M O U T H , I l l -S a m u e l P h i l l i p s o f C a p e Coral, a member of the Class o f 2 0 2 3 a t M o n m o u t h College, has been named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2023 semester To qualify for the academic honor, a student must have earned a g r a d e - p o i n t a v e r a g e o f a t least 3 5 for the Spring 2023 semester while maintaining at least 3 0 course credits

F o u n d e d i n 1 8 5 3 a n d affiliated with the Presbyt e r i a n C h u r c h ( U S A ) , Monmouth College is a residential liberal arts college

EDUCATION NOTES

that is the birthplace of the women's fraternity movement The college enrolls approximately 750 students with 40 major programs, 43 minors and 17 pre-professional programs in a core curriculum

For additional information, visit www monmouthcollege edu

Galbreath receives degree from Washington and Lee University

LEXINGTON, Va - Hannah Grace Galbreath of Cape Coral received a bachelor of arts degree from Washington and Lee University on May 25

Commencement ceremonies for 453 Washington and Lee seniors were held on the university’s historic Front Lawn Galbreath majored in environmental studies, with a second major in biology

Washington and Lee University, the nation’s ninth oldest institution of higher educ a t i o n , i s a m o n g t h e

TIDES CHART

nation’s premier liberal arts colleges and universities. For information about W&L, visit www wlu edu

Car ty receives degree from Geor gia Tech

ATLANTA -- William Carty of Cape Coral has earned a bachelor of science in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta

Carty was among more than 5,300 undergraduate and graduate students to be presented Georgia Tech degrees during the Institute's 264th Commencement exercises

May 5 - 6, 2023, at Bobby Dodd Stadium

Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its more than 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students, representing 50 states and more than 148 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning

For more information, visit gatech edu

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Cape Coral

In Memory of Victor Strauss

March 25, 1950 - May 14, 2023

Cape Coral

Bret Michael Watkins, 51 of Cape Coral, passed away on July 1, 2023. Arrangements are by Coral Ridge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, Cape Coral. Please visit www.coralridgefuneralhome.com for additional information.

Deborah Ann Bartimore, 76, of Cape Coral, passed away Thursday, June 29, 2023. Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

Frank Joseph Romano, 70 of Cape Coral, passed away on June 30, 2023. Arrangements are by Coral Ridge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, Cape Coral. Please visit www.coralridgefuneralhome.com for additional information.

Barbara Ann Samson, 74, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away June 28, 2023. Arrangements by Lee County Cremation Services.

David P. Maurer, Sr., 82, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away July 5, 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services. www.fullermetz.com

Eduardo Enrique Ramos, 60, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away June 29, 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Lee County Cremation Services-Cape Coral.

Marvin Ralph McCall, 86 of Cape Coral, passed away on June 26, 2023. Arrangements are by Coral R idge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, Cape Coral. Please visit www.coralridgefuneralhome.com for additional information.

Victor grew up in Denver, Colorado along with his two brothers, Robert and Richard, and two sisters, Janet and Darlene. He was a lively and spirited young man who brought excitement to his family.

He joined the Navy at seventeen years old and was deployed to Vietnam as a boatswain mate. He served his country in Vietnam for two years. Upon returning home, Victor studied music in college which led him to play keyboard for several bands.

Victor loved the fourth of July and would splurge heavily on fireworks. It was on Independence Day in 1983 that he would meet his wife, Cynthia. Victor and Cynthia enjoyed about forty years together. He became a great stepfather to Cynthia’s sons, Joe, Robert, and Doug. He later became a grandfather to six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Victor will be laid to rest in Golden, Colorado.

Juan Francisco Richardson, 47, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away June 29, 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services. www.fullermetz.com

Donald Eric Waddell, III, 59, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away June 30, 2023. Arrangements by Lee County Cremation Services.

Giuseppe Walter Cortese, 97, of Cape Coral, passed away Sunday, July 2, 2023. Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

David Kwong-Ho Chue, 83, of Cape Coral, passed away Monday, July 3, 2023. Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

Jesse R. Lane, 83, of Cape Coral, Florida passed away June 27, 2023. Arrangements by Lee County Cremation Services.

Ann Marie Seaburg, 56 of Cape Coral, passed away on June 25, 2023. Arrangements are by Coral Ridge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, Cape Coral. Please visit www.coralridgefuneralhome.com for additional information.

Lesley Reid Aldrich, 91, of Cape Coral, passed away Thursday, June 29, 2023. Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

Fort Myers

Jose Ramon Labarca, 80, of Fort Myers, FL passed away on June 30, 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Lee County Cremation Services – Fort Myers.

Patricia Anne Donovan, 68, of Fort Myers, Florida passed away July 1, 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Lee County Cremation Services-Fort Myers.

Jeremy C Greenidge, 37, of Fort Myers, Florida passed away June 23, 2023. Arrangements by Lee County Cremation Services.