Coastal Breeze News

By Marya Repko The Everglades area community rallied around on Saturday, September 24, to support the family of 9-year-old Mikey Rain of rural Copeland who is under the care of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital with serious health problems. Before the benefit kicked-off officially, Collier County Commissioner Jim Coletta presented a resolution of commendation to Dwain Daniels who rescued 90-year-old Margaret Webb from an alligator in front of her home, also in Copeland. The highlight of this well-attended neighborhood fundraising event was the raffle of a Clyde Butcher print but there was much interest in a large HD-TV and many ... Read More »

The Collier County DAS Donation Trust Fund has made it possible to save yet another injured dog’s life. Chi-Chi, a 4-½ pound 6-7 year old Chihuahua was brought to DAS by a Good Samaritan on Friday, September 16, with serious wounds to her abdomen and chest. Chi-Chi’s injuries are believed to be the result of an attack of another dog. DAS Veterinarian Dr. Karen Brown recommended Chi-Chi as a trust fund recipient. Dr. Brown coordinated surgery with Dr. Amelia Foster of Anima life Veterinary Center. Chi-Chi is now recovering from her surgery. “Chi-Chi is a very sweet little girl and ... Read More »

Marco Island is habitat for approximately 90 Burrowing Owls, a State of Florida “Species of Special Concern”. From the meeting place at Mackle Park, Nancy Richie, Environmental Specialist, will lead a walk to one or two nearby locations to view the owls and their burrows. Onsite information will be provided about the biology, history, habitat, behavior, etiquette in maintaining and viewing owls and their burrows, and the human impacts on the Burrowing Owls in the urban environment. Parks and Recreation’s Owl Prowl events will be offered Wednesday, October 19th and Wednesday, November 30th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. The class ... Read More »

The Shelter for Abused Women and Children. With 72 people and 16 pets residing in our emergency shelter and on-site kennel — the largest census we’ve experienced to-date. This brings to mind two important facts: Our outreach and awareness efforts are working as people who need our services are accessing them and Our doors are ALWAYS OPEN! Yes, there are challenges in meeting the needs of so many individuals under one roof – imagine having 72 guests, some cats, dogs, lizards, birds and turtles at your house tonight – but this is exactly why The Shelter’s Beau Venturi Home exists. ... Read More »

On September 19, the City of Marco Island’s Parks and Recreation Department held the nationwide NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition at Mackle Park. Forty three participants took part in the City’s sixth year of hosting the competition. The NFL Punt, Pass & Kick football competition allows young athletes to showcase their talents in the skills of punting, passing and kicking. Their scores are based on distance and accuracy and the highest cumulative score for one punt, one pass, and one kick determines the winner in each age group. The winners of this year’s Marco Island Competition are: Girls 10-11 ... Read More »

Sheri Samotin Headlines Event at The Arlington, Naples Newest Senior Living Community LifeBridge Solutions, LLC, President, Sheri Samotin knows that planning ahead is the best way to ensure that family and financial affairs are in good order. During a recent special event for The Arlington, Sheri spoke with an intimate group of older adults who are planning for their golden years and considering a move to Naples’ newest upscale senior living community. “I always enjoy the chance to talk about the need for transition planning. Many people don’t want to consider the inevitable until it is too late, whether it ... Read More »

Florida leads the nation with 18 percent of its population age 65 and older. By the year 2030, over 27 percent will be over age 65, and half of them will be 75 or older. Mirroring this growth, an increasing proportion of licensed drivers in Florida are getting older. Today’s older drivers are driving for longer and driving more miles per year than in the past. In fact, most older adults can expect to outlive their ability to safely drive by 7 to 10 years. To prepare and meet the challenges of Florida’s aging population, the Florida Department of Transportation ... Read More »

The 4th annual WINK News Feeds Families Hunger Walk Kickoff Breakfast, hosted by Northern Trust Bank, was held recently. The main topic of discussion was the need for sponsorships by businesses or individuals. Lois Thome, WINK news anchor, is the honorary chair of the 2012 event, which will be held on Saturday, January 21, at Miromar Outlets, Estero. The walk is a major fund raiser for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Presenting sponsors for the 2012 event are Panera Bread, Garden Street Iron & Metal, and JoAnna and Wilson Bradshaw. Co-chairs of the event are Sandy Robinson, Northern Trust Bank, ... Read More »

Operation Christmas Child—The Shoebox project Plans are underway at four Marco churches to be a part of world’s largest Christmas project, Operation Christmas Child (OCC). OCC is the international holiday outreach of Samaritan’s Purse. Last year shoeboxes filled with small toys, school supplies, shoes and clothing were sent via plane, cargo ship, truck, bus, train, helicopter, boat, dog sled, mule and elephant to 8.8 million children in more than 130 countries. For many of these children, the shoebox gift will be the first gift they have ever received. Information on OCC and how to pack and prepare your box may ... Read More »

The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island is now starting its 13th year. Bingo provides great fun, community fellowship, lots of good food and prizes. They are very lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteers who run their Monday night Bingo starting October 3rd and running through May 7th. The doors open at 5:30pm and the first game is called at 7pm. Everyone is served a free kosher hot dog supper with mustard, relish, sauerkraut, pickles, beverage and desserts. Large pots of money to be won. JCMI is located at 991 Winterberry Drive. Telephone is 239/642-0800. Read More »

Local women’s fitness club accepts proof of recent mammogram or cancer donation in lieu of new member fee October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Curves continues to work to raise awareness in women about the life-saving importance of risk management, early detection and treatment. Throughout the month, Curves of Marco Island women’s fitness center is waiving the joining fee for new members who show proof of a mammogram within the past year or make a $25 donation to breast cancer research. According to statistics from the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly 230,480 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast ... Read More »

The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) adopted its FY 2012 budget – a budget that that holds the line on property tax rates for the third consecutive year. The budget also marks the fifth straight year of reductions in the county’s General Fund. The General Fund budget has been reduced by more than $86 million or 21.8 percent since fiscal year 2007. The decision to not increase the property tax rates in the General Fund and the Unincorporated MSTD General Fund will result in an average reduction of 5 percent in the county portion of the tax bill for non-homestead ... Read More »

Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and CVS Caremark released a study this week examining diabetes social media sites and the role they play in patient education. According to the news release, these sites were reviewed with a critical eye because they represent an important health care tool of the future. And while the conclusion was diabetes social media sites need to be studied further, they remain incredibly impactful resources for people with diabetes. David Edelman, founder and president of www.DiabetesDaily.com – one of the diabetes social networks examined in the study – believes diabetes social networks are a critical ... Read More »

The Collier Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is announcing the opening of a 30-day public comment period for an amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011/12 through FY 2015/16 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The MPO Board will be asked to approve the FY 2011/12 through FY 2015/16 TIP Amendment with consideration of all the comments received during the public comment period. A public hearing will be held on the FY 2011/12 through FY 2015/16 TIP in conjunction with the MPO’s regular meeting on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioners chambers, third floor, Collier County Government Center, ... Read More »

Sunset Cove, which boasts 36 two and three bedroom timeshare units, is located between Winn Dixie and Veteran’s Community Park and is one of two recent Holiday Inn Club Vacations® acquisitions! The new management intends on keeping the current employees of Sunset Cove. One local staffer said they are starting from scratch in going over every department and operation. “We are excited with future possibilities under the new ownership.” As the hands-on publisher of a community newspaper, vacation time is hard to come by. Combined with the budget constraints, my family decided to opt for a ‘staycation’ this year and ... Read More »

Over the past 10 years, the number of Collier County voters exercising their right to vote during Early Voting and by Absentee/Mail ballot has steadily increased. During the 2010 General Election, 71% of eligible Marco Island voters cast their ballot early – nearly 40% voted during Early Voting and 31% cast an Absentee/Mail ballot. Conversely, voting on Election Day has continued to decline. Considering this voting trend, the Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office is making changes to precinct boundaries and consolidating precincts to improve voter services and better serve the voters of Collier County. In developing the consolidation plan, ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder  Exactly one hour before this article was written, a US military convoy was attacked in Farah province by Taliban militants and five security guards killed, according to the Wakht News Agency wire, a local news service that reports in Farsi and English. As US troops seek to keep order, roads, supplies and fuel all moving forward in this western Afghan province, Taliban routinely target the soldiers, along with the aid workers and demining agencies trying to push back against the danger and misery. Island veterans are anticipating upcoming ceremonies to reflect on their military past, but an ... Read More »

Craig Woodward  I appreciate the many people who commented or called about the last article written about John Weeks and his family. One point that concerned readers was the comment that his wife, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Weeks Sawyer was buried in an unmarked grave at the Marco Cemetery. Clearly the wife of the first settler of Collier County, who moved here in 1862, deserves more recognition. Lizzie died in 1939 in the middle of the depression and although there were four generations of Weeks living on the Island at the time, the family was not affluent. However, her grave site is ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom  Is it a brassiere? Is it a piece of art? It’s both! The artists of the Artist Colony at the Esplanade displayed their “bra art” at their monthly ArtWalk on Wednesday, September 28th. These hand-crafted pieces of lingerie/artwork were then brought to the Marco Island Center for the Arts for the “Bras for Life” Auction benefiting the American Cancer Society. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the seven bras on display at the ArtWalk were a part of the twenty bras auctioned off on October 6th. The success of the auction was certainly due to the ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  The Marco Beach Ocean Resort received the Waste Reduction Award for contributing to the greater good of Collier County by promoting the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” philosophy, thereby helping to prolong the usable life of the Collier County landfill, thus keeping all of our landfill fees lower. Jeffrey Bullock, Hotel Manager, and Branka Guberina, Operations Manager, received the award for the hotel. In 2010, the Marco Beach Ocean Resort was awarded a Green Lodging designation by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. They expanded their recycling program to include placing recycling containers throughout the 98 units, two offices and ... Read More »