Coastal Breeze News

With the mosquitoes finally starting to buzz around the swamp during this hot and muggy month, the residents of the Everglades area are relaxing and enjoying the quiet of the season. On June 4, our eight graduates made us proud as they all accepted their high school diplomas from Mary Ann Gemmill, Chief Administrative Officer of the Collier County School Board. The following week, the elementary school students received awards, and June 10 was the last day of school. (Remember when you couldn’t wait until the last day of school and summer started?) The Everglades Community Church is being renovated ... Read More »

Averaging ten feet in length and between 800 and 1,200 pounds as an adult, the West Indian Manatee, commonly see in the Marco Island canals, Marco River, the bays, inlets and Gulf of Mexico, is closely related to an elephant.  Scientists believe this mammal could have evolved from wading, plant eating mammals. One could almost see that, with the gray skin and large body.  Most of the visible likeness stops there.  This gentle giant, never leaving the water, has a large rounded gray body that tapers to a large paddle-shaped tail.  “Arms” are flippers that are used in coordination with ... Read More »

Each of you out there knows your own boat’s storage capacity, length of time for your expected voyage, and the amount of time you want to devote to food preparation.  This said, we should all be prepared for the unexpected delays that may and will occur at one time or another.  Weather may deteriorate; there may be breakdowns to boat equipment, loss of refrigeration, injury or illness to you or your crew, or any other imposition which may keep you away from your destination.  So, where do you begin when it comes to provisioning your next trip, especially if you ... Read More »

I had to do something totally against character the other day: I refused to repair a piece of jewelry for a new customer. Now wait… those of you that know me personally are probably shocked and appalled because normally I will accept all jewelry repairs no matter how complicated or challenging. The hundreds of repairs my shop pushes out a month, be it season or off season, proves this. The funny thing about the “piece” in question is it was purchased only a week ago in some Caribbean jewelry emporium.  There it lay on my counter the poor hapless ring ... Read More »

My aim in writing this column is not to convert you into an ardent soccer fan but to give you a little history and appreciation of the game, with a global, USA, and Marco Island  focus.  For more history of soccer, go to my previous columns at coastalbreezenews.com. In soccer footwear makes all the difference: “Boot it”, a well known British expression basically means the act of forcing or clearing the ball away. The original soccer footwear was high ankle guarding boots (not cleats). A considerable change from the sleek multi-colored low cut boots/cleats of today. Also a far cry ... Read More »

Rediscover the fine dining experience at the Blue Heron Restaurant, just minutes from Marco Island and Naples. This culinary jewel located at the water’s edge on the Isles of Capri is known for its sunsets, excellent food, comfortable atmosphere and superb service creating a standard of excellence that has been maintained for over 35 years. Alex Alexander, owner of the restaurant for the past eight years adds her individual flair derived from years of 5-star restaurant management in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Alex has added a beautiful new deck, landscaping and four boat slips. The new slips can ... Read More »

Author: Sue Miller Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York We all have roles to play. But what happens when the expectations from that role do not fit the depths of our soul? In The Lake Shore Limited four characters find a way out of their guilt and grief.  Deeply layered in nuances of infidelity, passion, guilt, and loss we see the ambivalence of the situations and find self-forgiveness, hope, and grace. Using a “story within a story” we get to see the characters work through their issues while in a play about a terrorist bombing on a train, a ... Read More »

Two and a half years ago I moved to Goodland. When I got here I called my father and detailed the sleepy little village. “What, are you living on a commune now?”  he asked.  I, of course, explained to him that Goodland is not at all a commune but it most certainly is a community. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago – where one city blurs into the next – Goodland was like something I had never seen before.  Even the four years I spent in the cornfields at the University of Iowa didn’t prepare me for the small ... Read More »

Father’s day is a great time and a perfect occasion to schedule a day of fishing and grilling out with dad! The latter half of June is here and the fish bite is on!  Daytime air temperatures are now hovering around 92 degrees each day, bringing the water temperatures up over 86 degrees.  Since the daily storms usually show up midday, you will need to get an early start so you can get a few productive hours of fishing in before they come. The Trout bite right now is steady.  They are generally a little smaller than the winter Trout, ... Read More »

First Family Baptist Church 1450 Winterberry Dr. 239-394-1646 fbcmarco.org Jewish Congregation of Marco Island 991 Winterberry Dr. 239-642-0800 marcojcmi.tripod.com Marco Lutheran Church 525 N. Collier Blvd. 239-394-9073 marcolutheran.org Marco Presbyterian Church 875 W. Elkcam Circle 239-394-8186 marcochurch.com New Life Community Church of God 590 West Elkcam Cir. 239-394-3469 newlifemarco.org San Marco Catholic Church 851 San Marco Rd. 239-394-5181 sanmarcochurch.com St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church 13520 U.S. 41 E., Naples 239-417-2084 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 1101 N. Collier Blvd. 239-394-7242 stmarksmarco.org United Church of Marco Island 320 N. Barfield Dr. 239-394-6572 [email protected] Wesley United Methodist Church 350 S. Barfield Dr. 239-394-3734 wesleymarco.com Capri Christian Church 111 East Hill St., Isles of Capri 239-642-6233 caprichristianchurch.com Chokoloskee Church of God Demere Lane, Chokoloskee 239-695-3735 Copeland Baptist Church ... Read More »

“You don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it” is the song Ral Donner recorded in 1961 which still rings true today, especially when we are talking about our health. How important is good health? We all know the answer to that question. But, who has the time to run around to different physicians to find out just how good our health really is. How about if those physicians came to you! That’s right, a dozen medical specialists in one place providing free medical tests, consulting and advice. IBERIABANK/MARCO and Physicians Regional Healthcare System are partnering to bring medical ... Read More »

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Members of Marco Island Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol, the uniformed volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, are flying photo missions to document the shape of Florida’s Gulf coast as a “before” snapshot in the event oil from the offshore Deepwater Horizon drill site reaches the state’s shores. Images from the mission, flown at the request of the state Department of Environmental Protection, will be used by state and federal agencies for damage assessment purposes. Two Marco Island pilots, Capts. Richard Farmer and Bob MacNeill completed a five-hour flight profile on May 27 over ... Read More »

On Wednesday, June 23, Marco Presbyterian Church, 875 West Elkcam Circle, begins Dinner and “The Truth Project.” The evening consists of dinner at 6 pm, followed by Focus on the Family’s DVD-based “The Truth Project” at 6:15 pm and concludes at 8 pm. The twelve-week study looks at life from a biblical perspective and explores the importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life. The dinner and the Bible study are free.  Donations are accepted. Reservations may be made by calling the church office, at 394-8186. For information on “The Truth Project” visit:  thetruthproject.org. Read More »

On June 3rd many proud parents, relatives and friends watched as the Marco Island Charter Middle School eighth graders graduated and were promoted on to High School. At the conclusion of the ceremony an “after party” was held and happily attended by 110 of the 122 graduates. Many local businesses graciously donated items as a tribute to the students and the community that we all live in. Pizza came from Joey’s, Vic’s Island Pizza, Vandy’s Five Brothers and Jimmy’s Italian Deli. Kinetico donated cases of water for the thirsty dancers. Eagle Packaging came through with the goody bags individually labeled, ... Read More »

EVENT:  Reel Kids Camp Instructor: Jennifer Marquis DATE: Week 1 June 14-18 “Make A Horror Movie” Week 2 June 21-25 “Make A Music Video” Week 3 June 28-July 2 “Experience Green Screen” Week 4 July 5-9 “Explore You Tube” PLACE: Art League, Marco Island’s Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry, Marco Island, FL, 34145, 239-394-4221 HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected] FEES: $150 per week Time: 1:00pm-5:00pm Students of all levels, will work with a professional movie producer to experience digital movie making from initial idea to completed DVD.  During this one week camp, students will collaborate on an idea for that week’s theme, then write a ... Read More »

Hurricane season has officially started here in Southwest Florida and we all know what that means. It’s time to start stocking up on fresh water, batteries, flashlights, and generators. However, purchasing all these supplies can become very time consuming as well as expensive. If you don’t have the time or money to be prepared I suggest taking a trip down to the Little Bar in Goodland on Saturday, June 26th for their annual Spammy Jammy party. For those of you that have never heard of the now famous Spammy Jammy, it is the easiest way to prepare yourselves for Hurricane ... Read More »

James C. Riviere, PhD Interim City Manager On June 10, 2010 City Manager Dr. Jim Riviere, City Councilman Larry Magel, and Deputy Chief Chris Byrne traveled to Miami for a meeting with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Peninsula Unified Command. Upon their arrival they were met by the Deputy Incident Commander who began an incident briefing with the City representatives. The briefing included members of his Command Staff specializing in Prevention, Information Science, Environmental and Wildlife Biology. The Superintendent of Everglades National Park also participated as a member of the Command Staff. The briefing began with an overview of ... Read More »

  Residents and visitors enjoy southwest Florida beaches. The following is an excerpt of an email message Coastal Breeze News received from Vip Grover, President of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce: “As you are all aware, the Deep Horizon Oil Spill is an event that MAY have an adverse affect on the ecological and physical beauty of our area. The possibility of an adverse economic affect also exists and is, in some ways, already being seen. Obviously, as a community-at-large we have to prepare for the POSSIBILITY that we may have to do more than plan for it. ... Read More »

Local Curves Fitness Center Challenges Women to Get Strong with Free Workouts on “Try Us Tuesdays”.  Non-members can work out at the Marco Island Curves for free on Tuesdays. Curves of Marco Island is challenging women in the local area to get strong by offering free workouts to non-members on “Try Us Tuesdays” throughout the summer. This special offer is part of Curves’ “Strong Woman” summer challenge.   Beginning June 1, non-members can come in and try Curves for free on Tuesdays. Members will be challenged to encourage each other to identify their own inner strengths, and commit to work out ... Read More »

The following were arrested after an incident at 1069 N. Collier U-205: Oscar Frank Amestica, Male, age 29, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Charged with no Drivers License, Felony Retail Theft, Criminal use of false ID, Possession of ID card similitude. Guiselle Castro, Female, age 40, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL –  Felony Retail Theft, Criminal use of false ID, Possession of ID card similitude. Additional suspect(s) being sought. This is all the preliminary information that is being released while the investigation is still pending. Read More »