Coastal Breeze News

Patrice O’Neal will be appearing at the “Off the Hook” Comedy Club from Thursday, May 12 through Saturday May 14 and he says the appearances her is the next stop on the twenty year journey he has taken in comedy. Patrice was raised in the Roxbury section of Boston and became a star high school football player which led him to Northeastern University and its football program. O’Neal discovered the Theater Arts program and quit sports to concentrate and graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts. O’Neal relates “I was in this club called Estelle’s in Boston and was ... Read More »

Marco Eagle Sanctuary Foundation (MESF) welcomed 150 people into the Art League recently for their first Annual Nest Fest event. A wine and cheese reception kicked off the event providing members an opportunity for congenial conversation. An introduction and welcome by one of the original founding members, Linda Turner, started the formal portion of the event. Linda turned the mike over to speaker Randy McCormick, Environmental Manager of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve. Randy spoke about the delicate balance of our eco-system and how interdependent it is and closed with one of his favorite stories about creating a garden. First ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder “No one has tried to kill me since 1997. I’m happy.” So speaks Ed D’Alessandro, former NYPD emergency services officer and current patrol officer for the Marco police department. The effusive D’Alessandro adds “Most people don’t spend their career picking locks and blowing things up.” Most people don’t spend 12 years in the unit New York policemen call when they need backup. The NYPD Emergency Services Unit had all the bomb-diffusing, building scaling, gun-slinging accessories a city needed to deal with train and helicopter crashes, spy on Gotti’s mob and combat run of the mill drug warfare in ... Read More »

By Donna Fiala Suicide is a very difficult subject to write about – especially when it affects someone you know, and many times it does – but so often people who have suffered such a terrible loss do not know where to turn. A friend of mine lost her mother recently to suicide and the grief was overwhelming. No matter where she looked there was no place to turn. And then Surviving After Suicide found her. This marvelous organization of caring, loving people have helped her through her darkest hours, and she wants others to know that Project H.U.G.S., Surviving ... Read More »

By Vickie Kelber The title of this column comes from a British ex pat we know who has lived in Venice for 30 years. She visited the city as an 18 year old, fell in love with both the city and a charming Venetian, married and settled in. She uses the expression, “odds and bobs”, which is a British version of “odds and ends” or miscellaneous and today I’ll share assorted travel tips. We all know the drill when it comes to passing through airport security lines…..containers with no more than 3.4 oz. of liquids, and they must be in ... Read More »

By Lou Thibeault Your posture or the angle of your body at the address position will probably determine at what position the club face will be in when it contacts the ball. When you watch a player address the ball, you already have an idea that they are in either a good or bad position to make a good swing. Proper posture can be achieved if you stand up straight without a golf club. Bend from the waist and let your arms hang down freely. When you do not bend enough, your arms will hang too close to your body. ... Read More »

By Doug Browne Last week, Pelican Marsh tennis director, Pete Minarich was honored as the 2010 Collier County USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) Professional of the year and will officially receive his award at the Florida state convention in Port St. Lucie next month. One of the many reasons, Minarich was sited for this prestigious award was his relentless and tireless pursuit of one of the most popular events in the area: The Naples/Ft. Myers Tennis Challenge. Minarich, as the tennis director at the Bay Club in Pelican Bay, organized the first county challenge almost thirty years ago and ... Read More »

By Joan Kelly The Habitat Home Store is located next to the Habitat office building on Tamiami Trail. They sell a little bit of everything, all up scale products. You can furnish your home and donate to charity at the same time. Exclusions are clothing and mattresses. Kayla Bratager, the new Assistant Manager, took me on a tour of the building. She has been with Habitat for two months, having graduated in May 2010 in marketing. There is nothing but enthusiasm and energy portrayed by Kayla as she addresses the products in the store and the customers. The store accepts ... Read More »

Under some added pressure inherent with the new beach venue, overcoming the challenges of limited access to the site and a torrential downpour that occurred minutes after setting it all up, the 2011 Relay for Life organizers still pulled off one terrific event! Dr. Loan Lam was this year’s Chairman with Vanessa Warner as co-chair. “We have more than surpassed our goal and had 22 teams that participate in the walk,” said Melissa Felice Executive Director of the Marco Island Unit for the American Cancer Society. “Marriott’s Crystal Shores was very accommodating when the rain hit providing everyone shelter. Cater ... Read More »

Eleven years ago, islanders had no voice in the Collier County government and there was a bit of contention between the islanders and those ‘over the bridge’ in Naples. Then, an East Naples resident stepped forward and ran for County Commissioner, Donna Fiala. She won the seat and now proudly states there isn’t an issue that she put forth for Marco Island in the past 11 years that hasn’t been won! Donna Fiala moved to Collier County in 1974 from Ohio and has lived in the same East Naples home ever since. She is the mother of five and she ... Read More »

By Donna Fiala The long awaited groundbreaking of the Marco Island Taxiway has happen! This airport is the busiest airport on the Collier County airport system (does not include the City of Naples airport), and growing all the time, with much more planned for the future. How many times is a person “exposed” when he is turning 50? I’m not sure, but I thought all of you should know that Robb Vann just turned 50 and had a surprise party to let others know as well. He handled it gracefully considering the surprised look on his face. The party was ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus Cruising ain’t for sissies. What? Let me explain I’m addicted to cruising. Being on the high seas and able to relax away from daily cares is one continuing tonic. The ports of call are almost, but not quite, incidental to the joy of being on a beautiful ship surrounded by miles of ocean. You are pampered, fawned over and constantly fed. Your bed is nicely made every day, there are lots of towels, extra pillows and a cabin person slobbering over you. There’s always something to do – ranging from art auctions to trivia games – even ... Read More »

Marco Island Police and Fire Departments responded to a car fire early one Saturday. No one was hurt in the blaze which engulfed the vehicle and produced thick billowing black smoke. It is suspected that the fire was intentionally started.   Read More »

By Vincent Giannone The North Naples Task Force Hurricane Seminar held at 7pm on April 19, 2011 at the Faith Lutheran Church in Naples, was an event that should not have been missed. The seminar covered a wide range of topics about hurricane awareness and preparedness. The seminar engaged the community of Collier County with valuable information to ensure their preparedness for this year’s hurricane season. According to one source, the ball started rolling on the development of this hurricane seminar due to one question asked by a citizen at a Public Safety Meeting. This person was concerned for the ... Read More »

The Marco Island Strummers played as people gathered May 2nd for a ceremonial ground breaking of the Veterans’ Memorial. “What a fitting day to honor our veterans!” City Council Chairman, Jerry Gibson started off the ceremony to a round of applause. “History is too often rewritten. What we are doing here today cannot be skewed by a keystroke to a website or a pen to paper. This was done by blood, sweat and tears of ordinary men and women doing extraordinary jobs through the years… I see fields of Valley Forge, of Flanders, of Normandy, of ChoSan, of Baghdad, of ... Read More »

By Charlette Roman Stars were shining brightly in the middle of the afternoon at Tigertail Beach in April. Eleven “stars” from Tommie Barfield Elementary School arrived at the beach with their adult tutors in tow to see first hand what lives in the water around Marco Island. Wide eyes and big smiles were seen on faces young and old. This was no ordinary field trip! These second grade students had been working hard all year as part of the “Stars on the Water” afterschool tutoring and enrichment program. The trip to the beach marked a milestone in their progress and ... Read More »

By Jane Marlowe Ten little words: “When it comes to texting and driving, it can wait.” With these words, AT&T launched a campaign last year to urge drivers, particularly teenagers, not to text while driving. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have a long commitment to “projects that create learning opportunities, promote academic and economic achievement and address community needs.” In September, 2009, AT&T made a commitment to raise awareness about the issue of texting and driving. A pattern of driving behavior was emerging which reflected how tragically dangerous and distracting texting at the wheel had become. A driver who is ... Read More »

By Nancy Richie Most people know by now that the protected, threatened, Loggerhead sea turtles will be nesting on Florida beaches during the spring months, with hatchlings emerging in late summer. Sea turtles symbolize the health of the oceans and are very charismatic for residents and tourists alike who embrace them with interest and protection. But, there is another turtle that has the same federal and state protection status, threatened, that nests this time of year that populates Marco Island in relatively high numbers which, unlike the Loggerhead Sea Turtles, does not go in the water, but resides in the ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom After living and working in Goodland for a certain amount of time, it becomes clear that visitors have many questions regarding our small fishing village. Below is a Q & A of some of the most popular questions visitors to Goodland often ask. Q: I’m staying on Marco Island. How do I get to Goodland? A: You’re not far away at all. Your first objective is to find San Marco Road. This main road runs east and west right through the center of Marco Island. You may find this road by taking any of the main roads ... Read More »

By Jeane Brennan Situated on 70 acres of faultless beauty surrounded by the Everglades National Park and Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve is Port of the Island Gun Club. “For more than forty years,” D.J., director of the club and property says, “Port of the Islands Gun Club has been southwest Florida’s primary trap, skeet and sporting clays shooting club and facility. We offer,” D.J. continues, “Trap, skeet, five stand sporting clays, and a fully automated 15 station sporting clays course.” The gun club is approximately 20 minutes from Marco and 20 miles southeast of downtown Naples on the historic Tamiami ... Read More »