Coastal Breeze News

Just back from southern California; San Diego to be exact. I realize that 3,000 miles might be a bit further than most want to travel in Jeane’s suggested jaunts. However, the saga of the west, including the culture, the color, historic struggles of survival, the passion of obtaining one’s dreams and the freedom of spirit that I was fortunate to be born into isn’t much different than those who pioneered, survived and adapted into life of southwest Florida. No one can know what all the reasons were in which people chose to explore and settle new land. We can only ... Read More »

What does it mean “to keep our soul alive?” And, how do we do it? I would imagine there are many people who rarely give it much thought, or, at least, surely question the concept of one’s own soul and/or relating it to the interpretation of passion. Musicians singing with soul share the love and heartaches of life with the depth of feeling that reaches into our core. We are lured to “the city with a soul,” and the concept of finding a “soul mate” is a dream come true for many. This is what Robert Lewis Stevenson says about ... Read More »

“Mine’s better than yours” (this is the cleansed version) or “Bob and Mary’s house sold for “x” dollars  and ours is much nicer.” Statements like these are frequently made by owners who intend on selling their property. So what determines if Bob and Mary’s house is worth less or more than someone else’s? First, let’s determine who dictates the marketplace. “It’s the greedy real estate agents,” you say. Wrong! In today’s market, it’s the buyers who want to steal properties and sellers who allow them to do it; and let’s not forget the banks who contributed the collapse of the ... Read More »

The truth is that there never was a pirate named “Gasparilla.” Despite the fact that the Annual Gasparilla Festival started in 1904 to celebrate ”Pirate Jose Gaspar’s” life which included numerous Gasparilla parades on both land and water and, of course, The Tampa Bay “Buccaneers” – nothing about Gasparilla has ever been confirmed, outside of one sole source: Juan Gomez also known as John Gomez. Much of the “proof” for Gomez’s story of this pirate has to do with local place names and how they fit nicely into the legend. However, the name “Gasparilla” is on maps as far back as 1772 – twelve years before “Jose ... Read More »

While the world’s focus was on Iran and Afghanistan for the last year or so; some important and rather ominous things have been happening in a part of Russia called the Caucasus. This particular region of Russia is geographically and demographically closer to the greater Middle East than to Europe and thus influenced more by radical Islamic fundamentalism in general and the Iranian regime of Mullah’s and their attempted influence in the area in particular. What has been taking place in parts of Russia may actually be closely related to people and events in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan In ... Read More »

Out of the twenty-three woodpecker species listed in my Field Guide to the Birds of North America, eight of these species are seen in southwest Florida. Some are more common than others. Belonging to the scientific Family of Picidae, these birds have strong claws (tow toes forward, one toe back), short legs, and stiff tail feathers for tree trunk climbing with sharp bills to chisel for insect food and nests and drum territorial beats to rivals. They are a family of species that typically have contrasting black and white colored feathers with the males mostly having red heads. The eight ... Read More »

What is Code Compliance? Code Compliance is the effort of trained City employees to enforce the City Codes and keep the quality of life for all. What is the goal of Code Compliance? The goal of Code Compliance is to ensure compliance with the City Codes through education, not generate revenue or punish code violators.  Generating some revenue comes through punishing violators that fail to comply when asked. Code Compliance rather than Code Enforcement means, gaining compliance first, and then using enforcement measures when needed to gain compliance with the code. What happens when a violation occurs? Generally speaking when ... Read More »

Meet Lola Dial When I arrived at Mackle Park to interview Lola she immediately said “Oh, I forgot you were coming! You know I used to remember everything; go to the store with 50 things in mind and get every one of them. Now, I have to write a list for just four things otherwise I forget!” Lola Dial, and her husband Eric, have three grown children and one grandchild. During the past three years as a City of Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department employee, Lola has meet thousands of people. This is a story about Lola today; but ... Read More »

Light & Temperature Bougainvilleas are tropical plants, being native to Brazil, that thrive in areas outdoors with low rainfall and intense heat. For maximum blooming, they need direct sunlight for at least 5 hours per day. Bougainvillea thrives in hardiness zones 9 and up (Marco Island is a perfect setting for just that). For you seasonal residents, Bougainvillea can be enjoyed in other zones as long as they are protected and brought indoors during the winter months. Feeding Bougainvilleas are heavy feeders, and they require regular fertilization, especially during the flowering months (Sept – Nov and Mar – May). It ... Read More »

Dear Editor, CURVES of Marco Island ran their annual food drive the whole month of March. With the generosity of so many donors from our membership and the community, it was a huge success. I designated the charity Bedtime Bundles to be the recipient of the food collected. On Saturday morning, April 3rd, a caravan of volunteers set out to deliver the food. We all followed Karen Saeks, head of Bedtime Bundles, to the homes of the migrant families. They received us with big smiles and delight (and some happy tears) at the sight of 150 shopping bags of groceries. A “Big Thank You” to all who donated food, money, or time. Your ... Read More »

Mabel Flora Swank Zieglar, a resident of Marco Island since 1977, will be celebrating her 100th birthday on April 12th. Mabel was born at home in Crawfordsvile, Indiana. Her parents were Catherine and George Swank.  During her early school years, she would ride to school in a mule drawn buckboard (her school bus). Mabel graduated nursing school from the Methodist Hospital in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (1937). Mabel was a nurse at Witham Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, Indiana. When she moved to Marco Island she was a private duty nurse till the age of 80. She kept up her nursing license ... Read More »

By now, if you’re not aware of what a ‘CRA’ is you may be spending too much time at the beach! The City Council agenda for April 5th included a second reading of a proposal to establish a ‘CRA’ in the vicinity of Town Center. It’s obvious from public comment heard at the meeting most people feel strongly about the subject one way or the other. Business owners, residents, the Chamber of Commerce and Lee Spector, with direct CRA experience, were represented. In the end, Council had more questions than answers. A motion was made, and passed, to form a committee ... Read More »

If you break the law when no one is looking and you don’t get caught on camera, have you really broken the law? What if you’re at the grocery store, you’ve checked out your cart and when you get to your car, you discover a small item that you didn’t pay for wedged in the cart. Do you go back inside and pay or just drive away? Is that illegal? How about when you go to the drive-through at the bank and discover that you received an extra $20. Is it like a winning lotto ticket if you keep the money or against the law? When it’s 3:00 a.m. and ... Read More »

We can all see the car transports busily picking up winter residents cars to head back up north. These wonderful people have brought much to our community over the last few months and we thank them. We wish them well during the coming summer months and look forward to their return in the late fall. Some of you have noticed the land clearing taking place at one of the entrances to Lely Resort across from the McDonald’s on U.S.41 East. According to Brian Stock of Stock Development they are clearing the 9-acre parcel of land that was previously permitted for a mixed-use development consisting of boutique retail shops, commercial, 150 residential units and ... Read More »

More than once in my career as a goldsmith I have been unwillingly appointed to be the advisor to a mother’s emotionally painful decision to present or not to present their departed mother’s or grandmother’s most precious treasure… her diamond ring, to her beloved son for him to betroth the inherited engagement instrument to the love of his life. The new fiancée to be or not to be may be loved by all but… This is a family heirloom and when purchased many decades ago cost $900 of grandpa’s hard earned money. That diamond in this day and age has ten ... Read More »

Before every ride, you should check your bike for the following to be sure it is in safe riding condition. Tire pressure-the amount is listed on the side of your tires. Check tires for wear, cuts or debris. Worn tires may blow the tubes while riding. Check all brakes for proper working condition. Saddle at proper height and secure. Handlebar and stem secure. Spin wheels to be sure they are straight and tightened properly to frame of bicycle. We highly suggest a bicycle tune up at least once a year depending on how much you ride. A few other safety features that ... Read More »

The five recipients of the prestigious “Spirit of Marco Island” awards have been announced by the Marco Island Noontime Rotary Club: Stan and Donna Niemczyk They were surprised by the announcement made at a recent Kiwanis meeting. Donna Niemczyk works for the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce and is the current President of the Kiwanis Club. Stan Niemczyk, a realtor with Keller Williams Realty, is the past President of the Sunrise Rotary Club. They were selected for their numerous contributions to the community including efforts which raised over $100,000 for their respective clubs in the past two years. They ... Read More »

The Marco Island Police Department recently held an awards ceremony celebrating the department’s 10th Anniversary while recognizing the individual achievements of Marco Island’s finest. Kicking off the evening after the pledge and invocation Cpt. Dave Baer followed by City Manager Steve Thompson. Presenting awards were Captain James Hassig-emcee, Lt. Dave Baer, Lt. Pete Beucler, Lt. Matt Goetz and Lt. Mike Peña.  (Chief Thom Carr was unable to attend.) HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AWARDS: Citizen/Business Commendation Bernardo Bezos Deb Sanders Dick Shanahan Douglas Andrews Terry Busch Dave and Deborah Aune Paul Orr Glen and Diane Kelnhofer Marco Island Police Foundation USCG Station ... Read More »

Little did Kenny Gaskin know within weeks of earning his First Aid Badge in Boy Scout Troop #234, he’d use one of the techniques learned to save his own grandfather, Roger Wunstel! Kenny spent three weeks practicing various life-saving techniques taught by Marco Island’s Fire/Rescue Department’s Chris Byrne and Don Jones, just two of the scout leaders assisting with the troop under Scout Master Rick Groovefelt. Training for the badge included first aid, CPR, and the Heimlich maneuver. “While sitting down to dinner one night, my grandfather started to choke.” said Kenny. Kenny’s mother adds her father has Parkinson’s Disease. While ... Read More »

Game #1 @ 6:15pm:  Nacho Mama’s def. Eli Contracting, 18-15 Nacho Highlights 3 HITS: Justin Ramierez, Greg Curry, & Kevin Sullivan 2 HITS: Jordan Weatherbee Eli Highlights 2 HITS: Juan Martinez, Elex Parker, Christian Polanco, John Wright, & Jon Sally Game #2 @ 7:30pm:  Cocomo’s Grill def. Sunset Grille, 20-4 Cocomo’s Highlights 4 HITS: Scott Gibbs 3 HITS: Rich Busch, Brian Day, Mike Watkins, & Neal Alberry 2 HITS: Kevin Hennings Sunset Highlights 2 HITS: Donnie Montroy, Pat Baldwin, & Chad Clawson Game #3 @ 8:45pm:  Sand Bar/Integrity Insurance def. DaVinci’s, 14-5 Sand Bar Highlights 2 HITS: Jason Berning & ... Read More »