Coastal Breeze News

After vanishing for half a century, bed bugs are back. In the United States, bed bugs were a problem until after World War II. With the widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and 1950s, bed bugs mostly disappeared in the United States. However, they remained prevalent in other regions of the world. What are bed bugs? What do they look like? Bed Bugs are blood-feeding parasites of human and birds. They are small, flat, broadly oval, wingless bugs. Adult bed bugs reach 5-7 mm in length. They are brown to dark red in color, while nymphs (juveniles) are as ... Read More »

Recently John Patterson sat down with Roger Raymond, Athletic Director at Charter Middle School for an update on the School’s cross country program. Here is some of their conversation: (Q) How is Charter Middle School cross country doing so far since school started? (A) Cross country is going really well so far. Our eighth grade girls have a lot of experience. They have won a lot of meets since they came to school. Partly this is obviously due to ability and, of course, they work hard. This is the year that we predicted we would be really strong. It just ... Read More »

Keller-Williams is pleased to announce two new teams have joined their company: Pat and Katie Wilkins and Greg and Ellen Henderson. During a recent company luncheon, Pat said he was excited to be with the Keller Williams family and was “lifted” by what he heard and saw at a recent Keller-Williams Mega-Agent Camp. Chris Evensen, Team leader/CEO of the Marco Island office, said: “Pat is an Icon on Marco Island and I look forward to assisting him in building his team for the future.” Greg and Ellen Henderson announced “We’re HERE!!!” which garnered a warm round of applause from Keller-Williams ... Read More »

Tonight turn your left shoulder towards the North Star Polaris and you will be looking due east. The first thing that you will see–in fact, you can’t miss it–is a very bright, fat star about halfway up to the zenith. This is actually the giant planet Jupiter. Tonight three of its many satellites are visible with binoculars although often four can be seen. From left to right their names are Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Io is in front of Jupiter at the moment, but will pop out from the glare later tonight on the right. As the days go by, ... Read More »

From earliest life, we struggle to assert our independence—to “do it ourselves”—and that desire and drive to be self-sufficient never ends. Since 1990, Life expectancy nearly doubled and the number of Americans age 65 and older has increased tenfold. The oldest old—people age 85 and older— constitute the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. By 2050, this population—currently about 4 million people—could top 19-20 million. Living to 100 likely will become more commonplace. In 1950, only about 3,000 Americans were centenarians but by 2050, there could be nearly one million. One’s level of debility shapes one’s level of dependence: ... Read More »

Can you believe there are three marinas in our tiny Goodland community now? It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, really, since we are the jumping off point for boating and fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands. Goodland boaters have these great choices: Walker’s Coon Key Marina, Calusa Island Marina, or the new Goodland Boat Park. Jim Walker and his daughter, Amanda, are really proud of their new ship’s store at Coon Key, located on the East side of the island. They have a beautiful place all spiffed up after Hurricane Wilma. No boat launching unless you have a ... Read More »

As an Artist, I am a huge fan of businesses partnering with the Arts in their communities. No big surprise, eh? But, after all, it’s a mutually benefitting alliance that speaks well of a community as a whole. People want to live, raise children, and visit where the Arts thrive. Local businesses have, at individual levels, the ability to help make this happen. This week the people at Iberia Bank, at 605 Bald Eagle Drive, unveiled The Art of Banking. The program was spearheaded by bank V.P and Bank Manager, Keith Dameron, a well-known supporter of the Arts. The bank’s ... Read More »

The Friends of the Museum of the Everglades will host a reception to meet the artist, Connie Bransilver, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, at the Museum of the Everglades, located at 105 West Broadway, in Everglades City. Tenuous Hold: Our Fragile Wetland Habitat is the title of the October exhibit. Many people are already familiar with Connie Bransilver’s photography from her highly successful book, Florida’s Unsung Wilderness: The Swamps, which highlights the diversity of south Florida and is co-authored with Larry Richardson. Her experience and work covers all seven continents and her National Geographic Wild ... Read More »

Copyright by Grand Central Publishing 1990, New York, NY The affluent shores of Long Island were once the wealthiest real estate in America. After the stock market crash of 1929, much of the area was dissected and sold off piece by piece. The Gold Coast of the early 1990s was struggling to hold on to the few grand estates and to an era long gone by. John Sutter is your stereotypical WASP New York lawyer, living in the guest house of his in-laws’ 200-acre estate, known as Stanhope Hall, in the shadow of the massive fifty-room mansion his wife, Susan, ... Read More »

This weekend I was overwhelmed with anticipation about whether or not the fall of 2010 will have good television programming or not. Though I spent many hours contemplating these revelations, I was delightfully surprised with the two shows that I was able to catch. First, on Sunday night, I watched The Sopranos knock off, Boardwalk Empire. The Sopranos’ creator and head writer, Terrence Winter, is on board again as creator and head writer of this new show. The pilot was directed by the auteur filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. So, right off the bat, I knew I was going to see some ... Read More »

This column is the opinion of a 3-year-old African Grey Parrot named “Simba” who has an extremely high intelligence level. While he does not possess a degree from any college or university, he does have a strong opinion of himself and feels that he is the best candidate to answer the complex questions of today’s discerning pets…and the humans they own… Dear Simba, There is a real cute female cockatoo in my neighborhood, but she doesn’t seem all that interested in me. I’ve tried everything. I flex my crest whenever she waddles by, I wave hello, I’ve invited her back ... Read More »

One of my favorite aspects of coaching beginners is that the new player comes to the tennis court with no bad habits. Tennis coaches have the opportunity to mold our new player with solid fundamentals. As we focus on the volley, we urge our players not to have big backswings and we constantly emphasize the importance of watching the ball, not the target. A talented and experienced tennis coach must concentrate on the following items: Great volleyers hold the grip softly and delicately The player prefers to hit the volley out in front of the body The volleyer’s eyes must ... Read More »

When I lived “up north”, fall, as harbinger of the cold, dark winter was not my favorite season. Yet, there were aspects of it that I enjoyed: Cool crisp air. Macoun apples. The brilliant reds and yellows of the various mountain ranges of the northeast. Now, fall means the aspen glow of the Rockies for me, specifically, the Wasatch and Uinta mountains of Utah. Salt Lake City is a good base from which to explore the surrounding mountains. Peak color in this area of the Rockies is mid- to late September and into October. Mornings are chilly; afternoons warm to ... Read More »

One way to develop your interest in cruising is to start building a cruising library. There are quite a few books which over the years have become a must-read staple in many cruisers’ libraries. Of course there are How to books, Why to books, Where to Go books, and so on. How do you know where to start or, if you have already started building a library, where to go next. We started reading and building a library years ago, and have not stopped yet. Of course, some of the information about instruments and boats has changed drastically. The stories, ... Read More »

So many times when we arrive back to the dock with the day’s fresh catch of fish, my clients ask me the same question…… “How do I prepare these nice fillets once we get home?” Oooooh, now I am EXCITED! That’s music to my ears because fishing and cooking are two of my favorite things to do in life! I started giving verbal recipes using different individual spices that would blend well with others for the particular fish they were going to cook. Then I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to blend up a few of those spices so they ... Read More »

The Art League, Marco Island Center for the Arts is pleased to announce that D Michaels has been selected as its new Executive Director. With a background in Shakespearean theater and English literature, Michaels brings with her a wealth of experience in all facets of the arts.  Among her successes are the Downtown Denver Arts Festival which she started in 1998, this event draws over 175,000 attendees.  Michaels has also been heavily involved in arts education and was Executive Director of the Aurora Public Schools Education Foundation which has raised over $2.5 million in scholarship and grant funding.  D was ... Read More »

The City of Marco Island Parks and Recreation will be hosting the annual Halloween Spooktacular event on Saturday, October 23rd from 4:00 – 6:00pm. Everyone from kids to adult is encouraged to dress in their Halloween costumes best and bring a basket or bag to collect all the candy and treats at each craft and game station during Spooktacular. Visitors to Halloween Spooktacular this year will be able to purchase pumpkins at the “Pumpkin Patch” area located near the basketball courts and be able to paint their own pumpkins provided by New Life Community Church of God. Hot dogs, snacks and ... Read More »

By Marilyn Honahan The Chamber of Commerce “See You in the Sand” breakfast was held at the Marriott on September 28.  There were 220 business people, community leaders, and interested residents in attendance. Chamber president, Vip Grover, spoke on the adverse effect that misconceptions about the BP oil spill has had on the economy of our area. The problem took months to create and now it’s up to us to implement the tools needed to remedy the situation. He mentioned a recent study, by the Oxford Economic Foundation of Oxford, England. The study predicts that the cost to the tourism ... Read More »

by Laverne Davy On October 15th the Marco Island Yacht Club will start off the new season with its fifth annual Oktoberfest.  The yacht club arranged for an authentic 18 piece German band “HAFENKAPELLE” from Cape Coral to play at this event.  We invite all members of reciprocal yacht and golf clubs around Marco Island and Naples to join us for the most authentic Oktoberfest on Marco Island. All attendees will feast on fabulous traditional German buffet, which includes Black Forest Chopped Salad, German Potato Salad, Schweinehaxen (Braised Pork Shank), Bratwurst & Knackwurst, Wiener schnitzel with Spaetzle, Traditional Hasenpfeffer and ... Read More »

On September 28, the Marco Cruise Club will begin its thirty-fifth year of boating activities. Their Change of Watch and Commodores’ Ball will be held in January when the following members will be installed to the bridge:Tom Thacher, Commodore; Tony Klein, Vice Commodore; John Nevelus, Rear Commodore,; Helga Kessel, Secretary; and Joan Kenney, Treasurer Overnight cruises have been planned for Key West, Captiva/Gasprilla and Cape Harbor. Luncheon Day Cruises will be held at many local restaurants in Marco, Naples, and Everglades City, along with many other fun activities. Captains with vessels of all sizes are welcome to join the fun.  ... Read More »