Coastal Breeze News

By Natalie Strom [email protected] As the winter months in Southwest Florida come to an end, one inevitable question always seems to arise. How did this year’s “season” compare with last year? We attempt to calculate by discussing parking availability at the local grocery stores or by wait times at our favorite restaurants. But do we ever get an accurate answer? It seems that Marco Island’s Postmaster, Michael Gomez, might just hold the key to this question along with many others one might have about our local postal service. Postmaster Gomez and the employees of the Marco Island Post Office at ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] “Get out of the kitchen!” shouts an onlooker at the Marco Island Racquet Center. A comment that may have some confused is actually sound words of wisdom to a fellow Pickleball player. Pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and on Marco Island. Alex Galiana, Recreation Administrative Supervisor for Marco’s Parks and Recreation Department, can certainly attest to this fact. According to Galiana, the first pickleball court was added to the Marco Island Racquet Center only three years ago. “We were seeing 20 to 25 people showing up at 8:00 AM ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff About 600 Marco Islanders and visitors descended on the Marco Island Firehouse on April 15th. It had nothing to do with income taxes; it was all about the Marco Island Fire Rescue Foundation’s Annual Pancake Breakfast. Visitors from as far away as Europe enjoyed their breakfasts. One gentleman from Wales was there with his young daughter. He commented, “We’re here for a week and dropped in by chance. We had no idea it would be this wonderful. The food is great and we’ve received a warm welcome from everyone.” Youngsters, parents and others were able ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Pat Neale, Marco Island attorney, is not only well known on Marco Island; he’s received many awards for his contributions to the Marco Island community, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Neale has now added two more distinguished awards from Legal Aid Service of Collier County to his long list of recognition. He is honored to be selected as the second ever recipient of the Leadership Award, and the first to receive the Attorney of the Month twice – this time for November 2011. Legal Aid Pro Bono Coordinator Jeffrey A. Ahern praised Pat’s ... Read More »

Submitted  Less than four percent of AAA Approved hotels and restaurants receive the Four Diamond Rating.  The Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa has been awarded the esteemed AAA Four Diamond Lodging designation. Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa has maintained the AAA Four Diamond rating for twelve consecutive years, since 2001. Lodgings at this level feature upscale accommodations. They typically offer an extensive array of amenities combined with a high degree of hospitality, service, and attention to detail. Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa is part of a select group within the hospitality industry. For 2012, ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] The Annual Kayak Festival was held this past weekend on Isles of Capri. Over 150 people attended on Saturday and 300 on Sunday! Quite a nice showing for these Paddle Craft experts. That’s a lot of people in our restaurants and hotels! And along with kayaking on the Isles, there was a Hot Air Balloon Show in Immokalee and the Harvest Festival. Here’s a question for you! People love to move to Florida because it is still quaint and practically unspoiled. The tropical atmosphere is so relaxing. The weather is gorgeous for most months. And the Florida ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Car carriers have blossomed on city streets, and they are picking up vehicles to go to this year’s not-so-frozen north as part timers return to their other homes…we wish them well and await their return next year… Look for announcements from Paul Meyer, and Andy Delgado that they will be entering the election campaign for city council. Paul is owner of Meyer Construction, Inc., and a parent who is very active in projects involving Marco Island’s youngsters. Andy is with Andrew Hunter Homes, is a former Marco Island police officer and current member of the ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus [email protected] It’s recently come to light that certain teams in the National Football League have been awarding “bounties” to players who did especially naughty things to opposing players. Presumably this included hitting quarterbacks and other stars particularly hard with the intention of forcing them out of the game. Players responsible for the results of this mayhem were rumored to be paid anywhere from a few hundred to (maybe) a few thousand dollars. In college they get helmet stickers for doing something good – perhaps like a really great “hit”. Some (not a majority) media folks expressed Shock, ... Read More »

By Patty Huff   On Friday, April 6, a small plane crashed after it took off from the Everglades Airpark. Residents witnessed a ball of flame as it hit the ground. There was no chance that the pilot would survive. I heard all this not knowing that the pilot was our old friend, Jose Wejebe, a well-known and respected fishing guide turned TV personality (www.spanishflytv.com). Jose traveled around the world for his adventures. He was a fun loving, first class person. He always had a smile on his face and love in his heart. Jose was born in Cuba and ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Tommie Barfield Elementary second graders were in for a treat this year when Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida brought the “Our Community” program to each of their classes. Special guest speakers included local businessmen and women, from financiers, government officials, entrepreneurs and more. So what is Junior Achievement? JA’s website indicates, “JA is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The program allows volunteers from the community to deliver our curriculum while sharing their experiences with students. Embodying the heart ... Read More »

The principals of Tommie Barfield Elementary School and Manatee Elementary School, along with the parents and siblings of the recipients, attended the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island’s Thursday morning breakfast meeting at Porky’s Last Stand. They congratulated the children as they received their awards. Their teachers wrote how much they enjoy having these students in their class.   Read More »

By Jane A. Marlowe  [email protected]  The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life was held Saturday, April 14 at the Marriott Vacation Club, Crystal Shores, Marco Island. Dr. Loan Lam, Chair of the Relay, welcomed the teams and visitors to the event and described the volunteers’ common goal to raise money for cancer research. The theme, Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back was prominently displayed on placards, T-shirts and at the booths of the teams who gathered on the beach before beginning their walk for a cure. The American Cancer Society registration booth was covered by Dana Cleary and Jan Zilch at the ... Read More »

Submitted  Martha Davis, Community Service Award Chairperson and Barbara Messere, Regent of the Marco Island Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution announced Keith Dameron as this year’s recipient of the DAR Community Service Award. Each year an individual who has displayed outstanding voluntary patriotism to the Marco Island, Florida community as well as to the nation is selected to receive this award. Keith will be honored at a DAR meeting on April 19th with his wife Barbara in attendance. This meeting will be held at the Hideaway Beach Club followed by the formal award presentation and lunch. Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Take some time to check out the three Florida State Parks located right here, in Collier County. Florida State Parks are open year-round and feature a variety of outdoor activities for all to enjoy. The Florida State Parks website, www.floridastateparks.com, offers all the information listed below and more. Visit their website to find out what you’ve been missing regarding these beautiful parks located right in our own backyard. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park 11135 Gulfshore Dr., Naples, Florida 34108, (239) 597-6196.  This mile-long stretch of beach is one of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples. ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus Breakfast with Carl Hiaasen  Carl Hiaasen is a modern day muckraker, only with love for off-beat characters, and a deft comic touch. 150 Floridians were treated to his candid views of the destruction of the Florida wilderness at a gathering at the Oyster House in Everglades City on April 14th. The occasion was a fundraising effort to assist the historic Ted Smallwood Store in its fight to survive the onslaught of unfettered development. And the effort succeeded. Exactly a year ago – April 14, 2011 – bulldozers tore up the roadway providing access to the store, and ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom  [email protected]  The Greater Marco Family YMCA will be hosting their annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 28, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This three-hour event is free to the public and hopes to encourages kids and their parents to get out and get active. “YMCA of the USA has Healthy Kids Day events once a year, usually held the last Saturday of April,” explains Jennifer Bristow, Health Fitness and Aquatics Director of the Greater Marco Family YMCA. “Each YMCA is independent and runs their own healthy kids day, choosing what they want to do for ... Read More »

MUSIC NOTES BY GATOR NATE Nate Augustus [email protected] It’s beginning to look like season is coming to a close. The birds are on the out and the roads are slowly clearing up. Things will be getting back to normal soon. The beaches will go back to being nice, quiet places for burrowing owls and horseshoe crabs. The hot humid summer time gives the local musicians and entertainers a chance to kick back and write some new material for next year. Island music has always carried a laid back vibe. It’s that style of music you listen to while you’re relaxing ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Keep in touch! How often do we include these words in our good-byes to family and friends as they take leave of our beautiful island? Many of us have said it dozens and dozens of times and will again. Two men and a beautiful redhead named Lucy make it easy for Marco Islanders to act on our impulse to stay connected, to keep in touch with the people whom we care about. Mike Held and his business partner, Jiri Mikulinec, opened Keep in Touch in 2008 and just entered their fourth year in business. The ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] “The Everglades is a really raw place. It really is a place that is very primordial. Through Outward Bound, you get an opportunity as an individual to really examine that raw aspect in your own self as you paddle through the Everglades. It creates a metaphor for us to see ourselves as dynamic individuals. Where do we excel? Where are we challenged? Really facing those aspects of our own characteristics. It’s very humbling to sit in the back of a canoe or the cockpit of a sea kayak and be able to bear witness to those ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff On Wednesday, April 11th, the local writers of Marco Island and Naples were set on “the Road to Publication” by guest speaker, Marty Ambrose. Professor Ambrose has worked at Edison State College for two decades as a professor of English, Communications and now Chair and Assessment Coordinator. She teaches an online creative writing course and is currently working on her fifth book in her cozy mystery series, The Mango Bay Mysteries by Avalon Press. The members of the Marco Writer’s Networking Group participated in a Q & A session with Professor Ambrose. We learned about ... Read More »