Coastal Breeze News

Frank E. Mackle Community Park, 1361 Andalusia Terr. Marco Island, FL 34145. 239-642-0575 www.cityofmarcoisland.com PARKS AND RECREATION NOTES Get connected with  Parks and Recreation programs by: All new Parks and Recreation Facebook page Website: www.cityofmarcoisland.com Sign-up for Recreation Notices through email on our  Parks and Recreation website. MACKLE PARK PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH TOT YOUTH PROGRAMS, Ages 3 – 5yrs Open Gym Tiny Tumblers will be held every Saturday morning from 9:30am – 10:30am at Mackle Park. Cost is $8/child, walk-ins are welcome. YOUTH PROGRAMS, Ages 6 -14 Freestyle Martial Arts for Kids Offered by Defense Fitness Club, children will learn martial arts fitness ... Read More »

Join us for some fun this spring for the youth basketball season. Everyone makes the team, and everyone plays each game! Financial assistance is available. Boys and girl’s team’s ages 11-12 boys, 11-14 girls, 13-14 boys, and boys/girls 14-16. Must be in high school. Location: Marco YMCA and Naples YMCA. Program Fees: $50/Y members; $75/community members. Team registration: April 1 to May 7. Program dates: April 25 to June 11. Week of April 25: First practice. April 30: First game. June 11: Last regular season game. Games will always be on Saturdays. Practice days and times will vary for each ... Read More »

Seeking donations of food and toiletries The Shelter for Abused Women & Children is seeking donations of food and toiletries to help support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence seeking refuge with the nonprofit domestic violence center. “Our 60-bed emergency shelter has been running at capacity for weeks so we are looking for additional support to ensure we can meet the needs of those seeking safety,” explains Volunteer & Resource Coordinator Rebecca Grabau. Items currently needed include: Canned vegetables, fruit & juices; Canned meats & tuna; Cooking oils (olive, canola, etc.); Peanut butter & jelly; Pasta & sauce; Mac ... Read More »

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Effective Saturday, March 26, 2011, SFWMD has imposed the following water restrictions: In the City of Marco Island, residents can irrigate between midnight and 8 a.m. For even numbered addresses, the scheduled days are Thursday and Sunday. For odd numbered addresses, the scheduled days are Wednesday and Saturday. Read More »

Sunshine Booksellers is proud to announce the forthcoming book signing of Bringing Adam Home, the abduction that changed America!  In brief, it is the harrowing account of the abduction of Adam Walsh in Hollywood, Florida in 1981 (the son of John Walsh who went on to create “America’s Most Wanted”).  The crime that went unsolved for a quarter of a century, until now! The book signing will be with the author Les Standiford with Det. Sgt. Joe Matthews. Date: Friday April 1st, 2011, at 4:30pm. Location: Sunshine Booksellers, 677 S. Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL 34145. Tel: 239 393 0353. This book was promoted last week on NBC’s Today Show with Matt Lauer interviewing both the ... Read More »

by Danielle Dodder When Tom Moore started roofing in college, it’s safe to say he didn’t imagine that motivational guru Tony Robbins would become a source of inspiration for him one day. Moore, who majored in money management but found the concept of a desk job stultifying, would tell himself, “I’ll get a real job someday.” His roofing business, Moore’s Metal Roofing, continued to grow, however, and six years later he found himself having an unusual conversation with friend and client Mike McCarty. McCarty was a Tony Robbins fan and wanted to recruit Moore to attend a Robbins motivational seminar. ... Read More »

Join the Greater Marco Family YMCA and the National Football League as we welcome 25 former NFL players* to the Marco Island Charter Middle School on Thursday, March 24, 2011 for an afternoon filled with skill drills like punt, pass, kick and fun! Fun! Fun! And best of all, it’s FREE! All attendees will be eligible for great prizes including autographed items!   The NFL Former Players Youth Football Clinic is designed with you in mind. This special Greater Marco Family YMCA program is open to children ages 6-14 years old. The clinic will be held at the Marco Island Charter Middle School Athletic Field located at 1401 ... Read More »

A memorable day of family fun, music and pool games will be enjoyed by all who attend Be sure to bring your bathing suit Race Day: Saturday, March 19, 2011 rain or shine Race time: 11:00 a.m.- Until all the ducks are in Race Pond- Aquatic Center Registration Fee: $15 / duck or $25 for two ducks Celebrity/ Cowgirl Duck- $30 duck/ $50 for two ducks- you keep the duck Corporate/ Cowboy Duck- $30 duck/ $50 for two ducks- you keep the duck Charitable Deduction- All proceeds go to the YMCA Aquatic Program For additional information- Call Dottie at 239-394-3144 ... Read More »

The final “Music for the Soul” concert will be 6:00 p.m., Sunday, March 20. Marv Hollenbeck will play a potpourri of gospel, patriotic and familiar hymns on the church’s Yamaha Grand Piano. Hollenbeck has spent most of this adult career in church music. He currently serves as Marco Presbyterian Church’s director of music and had served as minister of worship and creative arts for many years in Michigan prior to moving to Marco Island. A dessert reception will follow the free concert. A love offering will be received. The church is located on 875 West Elkcam Circle, Marco Island. For information or directions to March Presbyterian Church call 394-8186 or visit marcochurch.com. Read More »

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By Val Simon In 1938 Walt Tucker was 18 years old. A priest told him he should go in the army or end up in jail. The army it was! “I had a buddy who went into the Civilian Conservation Corp and then onto Hawaii. I decided I wanted to go somewhere exotic like Panama. The next day I woke up and had a change of heart, I don’t want to be a hero, Hawaii would be a better choice. I was assigned to Pearl Harbor.” At the time, Walt says the population of Hawaii was dominated by people of ... Read More »

The Rotary Club of Marco Island is proud to announce that Myrt Rose was selected as the first recipient of the 2011 Spirit of Marco Island Award. Mrs. Rose was surprised by the presentation in front of nearly 250 people at the Marco Island Historical Museum in the Rose History Auditorium Hall, which was named after Bill and Myrt Rose who personally contributed to its construction. Linda Sandlin presented the award to Myrt Rose on behalf of the noontime Rotary Club and noted that the club also wished to honor the memory of Bill Rose as together he and Mrs. ... Read More »

Once again Marco Islanders opened their wallets to support a vital cause – The American Cancer Society. The Annual Hope Ball was a huge success! Thanks to the generosity of attendees and sponsors the goal of $50,000 was beaten by leaps and bounds. Funds raised at the Ball are targeted locally to support their R.O.C.K. programs designed for kids with cancer. The Hope Ball was held on February 26th at Marco Island’s Historical Museum, and featured best-selling author Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas is most well known for “Dear John”, “The Notebook” and “Message in a Bottle” each adapted into movies. Among ... Read More »

Our world changed on September 11, 2001. In common with the Alamo and Pearl Harbor we will never forget that tragic day. This September marks the 10th anniversary, and there will be commemorations throughout the country. One of those events, starting a bit early for fund-raising purposes, was the display of a two ton steel beam retrieved from the Twin Towers. Mike Fagan, owner of Kerry’s Café in Shops of Marco, showed the beam outside Kerry’s on recent Sunday in February. The display was in conjunction with an ongoing fund raiser for the building of a Freedom Memorial Wall in ... Read More »

By Donna Fiala It’s a busy time of year, but isn’t it fun! Our weather has been gorgeous, our visitors have been flocking in to enjoy the area, and we are grateful that they are here. We’ve had so many events that a person could never get bored, that’s for sure. Sunday, March 6th was another marvelous St. Paddy’s Day Parade with Father Tim and Father Pat leading the parade, Steve Stefanides orchestrating the procession, Kathleen Reynolds organizing the teams, and so many more involved that it is impossible to name all the wonderful people who participated. Our Supervisor of ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus Marco Island has a lot of nifty amenities besides the beach and the periodic comedy routine at City Council meetings. One of those amenities is the $5 a session workout for “Over 55 Year Olds” at Mackle Park. Although my wife clearly looks younger than 55, she managed to dupe the authorities into believing she qualified, and they cheerfully accepted her credentials and her five bucks. The first session went swimmingly or, rather, physically terrific. She returned home, tired, exuberant, and certainly thinner. The exercises include lifting some free weights and doing a lot of roly-poly stuff ... Read More »

By Tarik Ayasun It never ceases to amaze me when most of the Western world chooses to act like ostriches in the desert and bury their heads in the sand when the evidence is before them, as bright as a sunny summer day. First, it was Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq who turned his own people into a listless crowd of voiceless slaves; killed masses of them using chemical weapons; spent and plundered the treasures of Iraq as if it was his own; invaded a neighboring country, stealing their treasures, raping their women and destroying their homes; and fought a ... Read More »

By Camden Smith On your mark, get set, go! The March 5 Summer County Games for Special Olympics Collier County hosted 71 athletes in more than 10 athletic events serving as qualifiers for the regional or Area Summer Games in Charlotte County the end of March. Lori Lefferts, 33, has been competing in Special Olympics since the age of eight, and her father Dale says her pride in participating is what drives her. “In her bedroom, she has a trophy case literally of 25 years of metals and ribbons she’s earned throughout the years, and it’s truly a matter of ... Read More »

By Gina Sisbarro All that yapping means “The 3rd Annual Mutt’s & Martinis Yappy Hour” is happening on March 23rd from 5 – 7 pm at CJ’s on the Bay. The event is the largest fundraiser for the organization Bedtime Bundles, which is a not for profit that supplies basic necessity bundles (items stuffed in a pillowcase) to migrant children throughout Collier County. The original event goes back to the year 2009 when it was called “Doggie Happy Hour” co-chaired by volunteers Cheryl Mueller and Jan Temkiewicz. The event has grown both in number of participants, number of auction items, ... Read More »