Coastal Breeze News

Marco Bay Yacht Club Commodore’s Ball and Change of Watch Marco Bay Yacht Club Commodore’s Ball and Change of Watch was held January 23 at Hideaway Beach Club.   The objective of the Marco Bay Yacht Club is to encourage safe boating, the sport of yachting, and to promote the skills of seamanship and navigation. Presentation of the Fleet will be held January 30 at the Esplanade at 10 a.m. (Photos by Jeanne Brennan) After Five “Chamber After 5″ at Casa Mia Third Annual Left Bank Art Festival (Photos by Jeanne Brennan) Read More »

With opening night of Sundance 2010 just two days away, it is a balmy 29 degrees in Park City, Utah and snowing furiously.  So far, 12 inches and counting, with five storms stacked up in the Pacific, ready to make their way here.  In the  distance is the boom of avalanche crews dynamiting the accumulated snow to prevent disaster. Historic Main Street in this former mining town is festooned with film festival banners and traffic is at a standstill blocked by rental trucks setting up lounges, party sites, and commercial venues.  Most of the locals are tolerant of this pre-festival mayhem ... Read More »

These last two weeks have been incredible. Never in my wildest dreams did I picture six months ago (or ever, for that matter) that I would be spending my days (and nights, and mornings, and evenings….) writing for and editing a newspaper. I confessed to a few close friends that I have never been a Managing Editor before, and I was several weeks into the job before I realized I didn’t have a job description and had no idea of what I was really supposed to do. “Just do it!”  became my motto, and along with a team of fantastic ... Read More »

Entering by way of the back door might not be the best way to enter a home of distinction.  However, walking up the back steps and opening the old single-hung door of the Everglades City Rod and Gun Club is an experience of which I never tire. In so many cases history becomes obliterated by progress,  something that is forgotten once that back door of the Rod and Gun Club closes. Take a moment to feel the strength of the polished old wood paneling blanketing the walls and high ceiling; feel the power of the wild Everglades animals mounted on ... Read More »

United Church of Marco Island ‘Celebrating God’s Presence, Serving all People’ Reverend Dr. Richard Adair 320 N. Barfield Dr. 239-394-6572 [email protected] Sunday Worship 10 a.m. Church School Adults 9 a.m. Pre-K to Middle School 10 a.m. Nursery provided Wesley United Methodist Church ‘Demonstrating Our Love For God’ Pastor Bill Beebe 350 S. Barfield Dr. 239-394-3734 www.wesleymarco.com Contemporary Sunday Worship 9 a.m. Traditional Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Sunday School Adult 9 a.m. Sunday School Children during both services Jewish Congregation of Marco Island Rabbi Edward Maline D D 991 Winterberry Dr. 239-642-0800 www.marcojcmi.tripod.com Friday Shabbat service 8 p.m. First Family Baptist ... Read More »

 We spend a reasonable amount of time sitting in cars, and the problem with most car seats is the faulty design. The seat was designed around the average posture, which isn’t so red hot! Seats in small cars seem to be the worst culprits. They incline back and encourage your body to collapse, rounding your hips and chest, compressing organs, and restricting your breathing and forcing your head forward. Let’s take a look at the first photo: • My hips are lower than my knees. This jams the leg bone back in the pelvis. • My spine is behind my ... Read More »

Celebrating the mullet might be a questionable activity to some, especially when it is uncertain what mullet is. In this case we are not talking about the haircut. No, we are talking about the fish most fishermen use as bait. The 26th Annual mullet festival officially begins Friday, January 29 at 6 p.m. at Stan’s Idle Hour Restaurant in downtown Goodland. The kick-off party Friday at Stan’s Chickee Bar is a favorite of many locals. It is a time to wish Stan, family, and staff well and is filled with great anticipation for an amazing, fun-filled weekend. Jeff Hilt will ... Read More »

Recently I received a phone call from a  Ft. Lauderdale grandfather, inquiring about a special charter for his grandchildren, to experience a little fishing and viewing of wildlife in the Everglades National Park. What made this special were their ages: his grandson was only 5 and his granddaughter was 6. They had never been fishing before, and he had no idea what their tolerance threshold would be in a boat. He explained that if I was up for the challenge of keeping the children from getting bored, possibly for an hour or two, that he would gladly pay for a half-day ... Read More »

Congratulations to Dr. Fay Biles on winning a Jefferson Award for her outstanding volunteerism! We are so pleased that one of our own Marco Island residents was so honored. If you remember, last year we  had another winner: Shirlee Barcic. It looks as if Marco Island is getting some great recognition. Many people have been asking about the median landscaping on 951/Collier Blvd., north of the Jolley Bridge to Hammock Bay. The section that has recently been completed looks so lovely, and once it has had some growing time will look outstanding. The reason for the holdup on the next ... Read More »

Are Real Estate Commissions too High? For as long as I’ve been in the real estate business, agents have forever been faced with defending their fees. Comments like, “That’s unbelievable”, “I’ll never pay that much”, “You guys charge ‘way too much”,  have become the most frequently discussed issues between sellers and agents. After 40 years of defending my fees, I now get a chance to air my frustrations publicly and let the world (hopefully this paper gets worldwide distribution) know where all the money goes. First, let me say that federal law requires that there can be no effort to ... Read More »

A World Full of Stories in Goodland Goodland is many things to many people. And there are some Marco Islanders, as well as many tourists who, unfortunately, never experience this ‘less than one square mile’ historic fishing village located on the eastern side of Marco Island. In the not-so-distant past, Goodland was a working fishing village. In 1949, cottages of the fishermen and their families were moved from the estate area of Caxambas on Marco to Goodland, paving the way for developers and their dreams.  Many of those cottages exist today. Several were built from wood washed ashore from shipwrecks ... Read More »

Is it ‘a hit’ or ‘a miss’? Now is the time to find out just what you are harboring under your roof. Sort out your family possessions – that ugly painting Uncle Charlie left you – that peculiar piece of china you got as a wedding present – the gaudy piece of jewelry someone brought you from Europe – who knows what it’s really worth? Perhaps you have inadvertently been storing an antique treasure without realizing it. Here’s how you can find out: on February 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Museum Complex on Heathwood Drive, ... Read More »

What makes certain colors trendy?  Is there an omnipotent ‘Color Coordinator’ that makes the grand decision for all of the upcoming colors used in the fashions for the next season, next year’s car finishes or the upcoming bold fabric and accessories in the design industry?  The simple answer is ‘no’, but there is an entire industry, with annual forecasting sessions, that revolve around deciding what the up and coming color trends are for every design-related industry.  Taking cues from trade shows, social media, influential designers, established artists, urban street culture, and style trends, the color industry forecasts what color and ... Read More »

Why is it that our resolve to live a better life, a healthier life, or even, a more daring life weakens as time goes on?  As the beginning of a new year opens to untold wonders we have hope and vision of our dreams and goals manifesting.  Thought is given, lists are made and life, in our minds, reaches to untold heights. A slimmer me, a smarter me, an organized me is as good as it gets.  Why, oh, why, is it so tough to live our passion, to do what we truly want to do?  How can we keep ... Read More »

Boats come in all colors — but wait — a truly green boat is not just green in color. Joe Finn of Storm Port Boatworks of Homosassa will proudly display the Oyster Cracker, an eco-friendly shallow draft boat at the Mullet Festival in Goodland, January 29 – 31. According to Joe, the Oyster Cracker is designed to greatly reduce environmental impact to our fragile marine eco-system. The boat will run in eight inches of water. With a unique tunnel, the boat will not scar grass beds or manatees. Inboard diesel power delivers uncanny fuel efficiency of one-half gallon an hour. ... Read More »

This isn’t about whipped cream and cherry toppings, it’s about hats. For years hats were almost a status symbol that defined those who wore them, from the simplest kerchief or bonnet to the most outlandish egret-trimmed confection, about to spring into the air from a lady’s head. Even in the last century, a lady or gentleman did not leave home without the compulsory hat and gloves, in all kinds of weather. In Florida, hats are protection from the sun, for the most part, as there are not many special social events like high teas or Kentucky Derbies that require them ... Read More »

The USCG Auxiliary, Flotilla 95 on Marco Island is offering a new course this spring titled ‘Weekend Navigator’.  The course based on the requests of local boaters who wanted a course designed to assist them in Chart Navigation basics in addition to electronic navigation.  During the course, students will learn the key concepts of waypoint navigation and the three steps to navigation. In addition, they will be introduced to navigation tools both traditional and digital.  This is hands-on navigation instruction using sample cruises to apply the principles learned.  This 12-hour course is taught over two days (February 3rd and 5th ... Read More »

In his weekly review to residents, City Manager Steve Thompson said staff will prepare a report of water flow and fire hydrant placement for a work session review later this spring. The discussions will include  “health issues raised with limited flow through small water lines, the spacing of hydrants during the initial development of the City, and the on-going replacement of old and malfunctioning hydrants.” Thompson said  there seems to be no crisis requiring immediate action, but there may be  long- term issues requiring long-term financing and correction. An analysis of non-capital alternatives to meet fire needs is in order, ... Read More »

When the Department of Transportation (DOT) is involved in major construction within a community, reaching out to the public is typical, said Debbie Tower, information director for DOT. The Marco Island community was invited to an open house January 13 for a show and tell hosted by DOT at the United Church on Barfield Dr.  Approximately 230 people showed up to look, listen, and ask questions regarding the Judge S.S. Jolley Bridge Capacity Project. The public meeting in the church hall was organized into the various project categories and each venue was manned by members of the project team. Tower ... Read More »

I heard tennis psychologist, Dr. Jim Loehr, first describe the circle of responsibility almost 25 years ago.  In simple terms, he wanted all of his athletes to be fully engaged in their matches and be prepared to stand in the box and take 100% responsibility for their efforts.  As Dr. Loehr broke the circle down, he explained using Jim Courier (one of his students at the time) as an example. If Courier were standing right in the middle of the box, feet inside the boundaries, he would describe a hypothetical match in the following terms: “I played my heart out ... Read More »