Coastal Breeze News

ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan [email protected] March wound up being a busy month of making diamond purchases. Actually, it was amazing! Diamond sales have been sluggish to say the least in the past few years, yet all my diamond vendors are claiming demand is up and business has been improving steadily. The demand for my diamonds was in earrings, pendants and several engagement rings, the Halo design being the most popular style. The Halo design is a center diamond, round, square or cushion shaped. It’s surrounded by smaller diamonds or precious stones and very affordable because the center diamond does not ... Read More »

READ MY TIPS Doug Browne [email protected] One of the key tactical mistakes doubles teams frequently make, is that they completely underestimate their opponent’s ability to execute a variety of shots during a big tennis match. Inexperienced doubles teams assume that all doubles teams will hit lobs when they are in trouble and this is simply not true. “There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Cavalry.” George Armstrong Custer. Over the course of the last five weeks, I have viewed four different tournaments and have also observed several league matches and I have noted one huge mistake ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff In a ceremony at the Community Room on Monday evening, March 26th, Police Chief Don Hunter promoted officer Hector Diaz to sergeant and appointed officers Paul Keys, Joe Mack and Nick Ojanovac to be detectives. The actions were replacements for vacancies, and no new personnel were added to the Police Department. Family members, fellow officers, city councilmen Jerry Gibson and Wayne Waldack, former Chief Thom Carr, and a number of members of the Marco Island Police Foundation attended the ceremony. The newly designated officers were each “pinned” with a new badge by a family member. ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] One thousand miles in one hundred days. This is the goal of The Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition. Whether it be hiking, kayaking, horseback riding or wading through knee-deep swamps, Carlton Ward Jr., Joe Guthrie, Elam Stolfutz and Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, have been trekking across the state to raise awareness towards the need of a viable corridor, or natural passageway, from the Everglades to Georgia. This diverse team of four began their journey on January 17, right in our own backyard. Beginning their trek in the Everglades National Park, the team is now only two weeks away ... Read More »

Digging up the past at MarGood By Natalie Strom [email protected] A recent archaeological dig at MarGood Park in Goodland salvaged more than 1,000 pieces of ancient artifacts. The dig, which took place only a week prior to the official opening of the park, went by rather unnoticed for four days. A group of four archaeologists and archaeological technicians chose a very small section of the park for a very specific reason. This is not the first dig that has taken place at MarGood Park (also known as Goodland Point), let alone, Southwest Florida. According to research by the Archaeological and ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected] We can already see that our winter residents are heading back up north, and I say that with a little sadness because all of the festivities we have been enjoying will slowly grind to a halt, all of the entertainment and performances, the fund raisers and dinners, the events at places like the Botanical Garden and the Conservancy, the art shows, etc. Everything slows down to a crawl until the winter residents start coming back. This has been a fantastic year for everyone! We have been busier than we’ve seen in almost five years and our economy ... Read More »

By Jane A. Marlowe [email protected] “The Fire Department is like the Police Department, a base core of community services. On the fire side we are the life, health and safety component of city government. We deal with issues from the beginning of construction of homes, multi-family residences and commercial properties, from permitting all the way to completion and/or demolition of properties. Our focus is with the occupants of these residences and the users of commercial buildings.” Thus began a conversation with Chief Mike Murphy of the Marco Island Fire Department. Modern day fire departments and their personnel do not fit ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus  [email protected] This year I nailed it. Or so I thought. My tax papers for 2011 were carefully arranged. Or so I thought. My bank stuff and credit card stuff was perfectly organized. Or so I thought. I was ready to fill out my tax form, get a HUGE refund and spend my days eating bon-bons and enjoying the eternal sunshine of Marco Island. It was going to be a slam-dunk this year. With glee I set about preparing to fill in the blanks on my form. My big “tax box” was overflowing with receipts, W-2 forms, 1099’s, ... Read More »

COASTAL HISTORY  Craig Woodward  [email protected] An article titled “The Headstone Project” was published in this column on October 7, 2011. Donations were requested for the purchase of a headstone for Elizabeth (Lizzie) Weeks Barnes Sawyer. Granny Sawyer, as she was known before her death, was buried in an unmarked grave at the Marco Island Cemetery. She died in 1939, in the middle of the depression and her family had a simple burial at the cemetery, later adding a tabby mortar slab, where her name had once been scratched in the surface. For over half a century there was no visible clue ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] The Beautification Advisory Committee has chosen recipients for the 2012 Marco in Bloom Landscape Awards. Awards were given in five different categories: Single Family Home, Condominium, Commercial Non-Residential, Institutional and Cul-de-Sac. In choosing the winners, the Beautification Advisory Committee considered the use of native and water-wise plant material, use of color and contrasting plants, visibility to the public and overall creativity. Each nominee submitted an application, ten photos of the property and an essay on why the the area deserved recognition. The recipients were announced at the April 2nd City Council meeting by the Beautification Advisory ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST Tarik Ayasun [email protected] Spc. Dennis Weichel, 29, of the Rhode Island National Guard died in Afghanistan last week with what the Pentagon news release said was “due to injuries received in a noncombat related incident.” I did not know Spc. Dennis Weichel. I do not know his family or the three young children he left behind. However, I decided to write this piece about him because I think he is an American hero who embodied everything our country stands for and more. In the aftermath of the incident where a US Army Sergeant allegedly massacred nine Afghan ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Point… Counterpoint. That’s the name and idea behind one of Marco Island’s newest social groups. The interactive meetings take place at the Marco Island YMCA from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on the last Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to attend this free “meeting of the minds” where controversial topics are discussed in an educational, open forum. Only three months old, Point… Counterpoint has already created quite a stir. With topics such as “Will a Republican defeat Barack Obama in the upcoming election?” and “The 1% vs the 99%,” the conversation is anything but ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff The official opening of the Isles of Capri Paddle Craft Park was held this week. The park is located at the corner of 951 and Isles of Capri Boulevard. The park is a joint effort between the State of Florida, Collier County Parks and Recreation and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve. On hand for the ribbon cutting were Gary Lytton, the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Director, Greg Munson, DEP Deputy Secretary of Water Policy and Environmental Restoration, Leo Ochs, Collier County Manager, Donna Fiala, Collier County Commissioner, Randy McCormick RBNERR Assistant Manager and ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST Tarik Ayasun [email protected] My friends and my business associates are used to it by now. I still remain faithful to a lot of Turkish traditions I grew up with and use hundreds of proverbs which apply to daily life. I learned these traditions and proverbs through my interactions with the elders in my family, especially from my dear grandfather who had barely escaped the wrath of the Bolsheviks during the Communist Revolution in his homeland of Tblisi, Georgia back in 1917. He would never directly give his advice or opinion on matters; instead he would tell you ... Read More »

By The Friends of Fakahatchee Are there pythons in the Fakahatchee? Fortunately, the answer is “not many”. But, that can’t be said for neighboring areas in Collier County and in the greater Everglades. To learn more, attend an illustrated lecture on Sunday, April 15, when author Larry Perez will be talking about “Everglades Pythons; A Decade of Change.” This dynamic speaker has been a ranger in several South Florida parks and has just published a new book, Snake in the Grass, which he will be signing at the event. He says, “Natural landscapes across the country are often managed with ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus It was an afternoon for the kids on March 29th at the Marco Island Charter Middle School field. Marco Island’s YMCA partnered with the National Football League’s Players’ Association to put on a clinic for kids between 6 and 14 years old. The venue was fitting since the clinic was held in the shadow of a new goalpost installed earlier in the day thanks to a donation by Mike Vanderjagt, former all-pro kicker for the Indianapolis Colts. Mr. Vanderjagt, now a Marco Island resident and owner of Vandy’s 5 Brothers Pizza on Elkcam Circle, has also devoted ... Read More »

By Jane A. Marlowe  [email protected]  The Marco Island Fire Department is actively working on two significant proposals which could consolidate and streamline emergency medical services in the next several months. The Isles of Capri Fire District approached Marco Island FD, and asked for assistance in developing a new paradigm to deliver fire and emergency services in its district. Chief Murphy’s response was that Marco Island FD will help in any way to support and assist Isles of Capri. The Isles of Capri Fire Board appointed a committee after notifying the Collier County Board of Commissioners of their desire to discuss ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Australian blues artist, Michael Charles, is coming to both Naples and Goodland. The six-time Grammy elected artist will play on April 7th at Freddie Rebels in Naples and on April 9th at The Little Bar Restaurant in Goodland. The magic of Michael Charles reveals a lifetime of musical and career accomplishments which span both decades and oceans. Born in Australia, and with a soul full of blues, Charles did not choose music, but music chose him. At the age of 5, “MC” picked up his first guitar. By age 12, he took to the stage ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Smokin’ Joe, as he was known in these parts, was the trolley driver. He had driven the trolley for the past 22 years. “He loved driving that trolley, it was his life,” said one of Joe’s acquaintances. Can you imagine the number of people who must have had their first real view of Marco Island with Smokin’ Joe at the wheel? Joe passed away on March 14th at 6:20 AM. Joe moved to Marco Island in 1988, because his wife, Diane, wanted to come here. Years earlier, while attending college at the University of Miami, ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff About 6,000 bingo players come through the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island each year all hoping to hear, “It’s a good bingo!” The crew at JCMI is about to close out its 13th season. The game is no small effort needing about 25 volunteers to make sure it runs smoothly during season. “Most of these bingo workers have been with us since the beginning,” said Sue Baum, the bingo director. “They’re an asset! Players are comfortable because they’re familiar with each of the bingo workers. The volunteers don’t miss a beat, they know their assignments ... Read More »