Coastal Breeze News

By Natalie Strom [email protected] A large grey mass floats in the middle of a canal in Goodland. At first glance it looks like a large, misplaced rock, but upon further investigation, the “rock” is actually Florida’s state marine mammal, the manatee. This manatee, in particular, is in clear distress and has a large pink gash across its back. It has now become clear that the beautiful, slow-moving creature has been struck by a boat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that approximately 87 manatees are killed every year due to human interference. Almost 90 percent of these fatalities are ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Marco Island resident, Steve Zandy, is getting a new bike. After his custom-made, three-wheeled bicycle went missing sometime between Sunday evening of June 17 and early Monday morning, June 18, an outpouring of donations from the community has made it possible to build Steve a new bike. Upon hearing the news of the stolen bicycle, Karen Nettles of Marco Island, contacted Steve Stefanides of Christmas Island Style and Tiffany Holmuth of Mutual of Omaha Bank. Together, they set up a donation fund where individuals could drop off checks in Steve’s name at Mutual of Omaha ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Go Gators! The University of Florida’s Pride of the Sunshine Fightin’ Gator Marching Band has been invited to perform at the 2012 London Olympics! Just about a year ago, Music and Band Director, Dr. Jay Watkins, announced to the very surprised, and subsequently, very excited 350 University of Florida students and band members that the Olympic Committee had invited them to the Olympics and he had graciously accepted! Two Marco Islanders, Lely High School alumni, will be traveling to London with the Gator Band – Senior, Madeleine Richie and Sophomore, Bailey Quinn. Madeleine, a piccolo ... Read More »

Plant Talk by Mike Malloy [email protected] Passion vines are some of the most beautiful plants you can have in your garden, not only for yourself, but for three of Florida’s most abundant butterflies. The Zebra, Gulf Fritillary and Julia, which use Passion vines as their host plant (plants that female butterflies seek out to deposit their eggs on). The females of these species can detect their host plants from quite a distance and will seek them out wherever they are grow­ing. There are four to five hundred differ­ent species of passion vines, so there are plenty to choose from. The flower ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected]  Marco Island’s sea turtles are in trou­ble. A recent nest count has revealed that Tropical Storm Debby washed away 14 sea turtle nests on Marco’s beaches. Prior to Debby, the total nest count on Marco Island’s beaches was at 37. Now there are only 23. This isn’t the only troubling news. Evidence of human tampering with nesting sea turtles and reports of people on the beach late at night searching for sea turtles are being blamed for the al­ready unusually low nest count. As Tropical Storm Debby pounded Collier County’s beaches for three days, the Collier ... Read More »

By Carol Glassman The City of Marco Island Code Enforcement Board met at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, July 10 at City Hall. Chairman Lou Prigge called the meeting to order and introduced the new member of the Board: Rony Joel, appointed by Councilman Trotter. Present were Rony Joel, Richard Adams, Lou Prigge, and Phil Kostelnik. Absent: Dawn Henderson. The seven-person board still lacks two appointees, although Chairman Prigge said Debra Shanahan would be appointed at the next city council meeting. It was recommended that Lou Prigge will remain Chairman with Richard Adams as Vice Chairman, until November, when most members ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] Fourth of July on Marco was truly spectacular from start to finish! The beach was not overcrowded, but pleasantly busy. You couldn’t help but feel the joy of the occasion and the love of our community and our Country everywhere! Many have repeated it was one of the best fireworks displays they have seen. The music from the beach and the fireworks bursting in air were marvelous! The 10th floor view from the Barcic’s Balcony couldn’t be matched. We are all so very blessed to live in the United States of America, where freedom reigns! Let us ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST  Tarik Ayasun  [email protected] After two issues where I did not have my column, I am back. There are so many things to write about, one needs to be choosy, not by choice but by circumstance. One of the most important events of the past two weeks was the Syrian Government’s shooting down of a Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet. Syria claimed that the jet was violating their territory and Turkey claimed it was not. Nevertheless, the plane was shot down and two young Turkish pilots were killed. Their bodies were retrieved by an American company (Nautilus) and their nationally ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus [email protected]   Sometime ago I set a very important goal for myself…free laundry on cruises. Just thinking about it sent me reeling. Imagine, packing only about a third of our normal load (including my dear wife who totes an Elizabeth Taylor sized luggage collection on every trip), and having fresh clothes throughout the journey, and all free! My life’s new goal was achieved in April, 2012. On our next cruise aboard an unnamed cruise line once featured on a television series, we shall receive free laundry, dry cleaning, shoe polishing and hors d’oeuvres on formal nights. Wow! ... Read More »

We would very much like to express our thanks to Karen Nettles, Tiffany Homuth and Sharon Krohn at Mutual of Omaha Bank and Steve Stefanides of Christmas Island Style for setting up the fund to replace Steve’s bike. To the Marco Island community who has so generously responded. Very special thanks to Mark, Island Bike’s supplier and always to Matt Walthour, who once again has shown unbelievable effort and friendship in order to help Steve.  Tina, Steve and Kim Zandy Read More »

BUZZ FROM THE SWAMP By Patricia Huff [email protected] During the week of June 25 through the 29th, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) sponsored the “Build-a-Boat” project with the Everglades City students participating. Volunteers also assisted with the program. On Friday, June 29, the students and CCSO staff launched the boat at the city dock at the end of Broadway in Everglades City. “Build-a-Chair” project is starting the week of July 16. Everglades City celebrated Independence Day on Saturday, June 30, with a grand parade and festivities in McLeod Park including “best patriotically dressed” kids’ contests. Adults enjoyed the music, arts ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff   PLANNING BOARD AND PARKING Marco Island’s Planning Board spent most of its meeting time on July 6th reaching consensus on goals and objectives with an eye toward a July 16th Workshop with the City Council. The Board considered 18 questions, but did not vote them up or down. Instead the Board developed recommendations for discussion with the City Council, allowing for a broader exchange of ideas. Some of the highlighted items of the meeting were: 1. Consensus that swale parking will not be permitted on Swallow Avenue, Huron Court, Panama Court, Collier Court, Seagrape Drive, ... Read More »

BUSINESS BASICS By Camden Smith DREAMFly Marketing As business owners, we think we can do no wrong sometimes, until of course a customer brings to our attention the fact that we may be wrong. The simple solution is to remember the customer is always right; however when it comes to publicity and the public’s reaction it is much tougher to control the result. Recently, news arose about a young life guard who saved a drowning person out­side of his protection zone and was then fired because he went out of his employer’s insured or covered area. The media blitz that ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected]   In one way or another, nearly every person I have come in contact with during my passage through life has influenced my development by either providing a learning experience, enhancing my skills, or strengthening my resolve.” The man behind these words is Roy Eaton. A Naples resident since 1991, Eaton is a retired high school math teacher and wrestling coach. For more than twenty years, Roy worked towards motivating students to see that they can achieve the impossible. His coaching legacy includes training eight All-American wrestlers and being inducted into the New York Military Academy ... Read More »

ALL THAT GLITTERS by Richard Alan [email protected] My grandfather would often lament that they just don’t make things like they used to. I would hear him say it from the 1960’s when I was knee high to a grasshopper and continually until the day he sadly passed away. And you know something? Today, he would have been so right. My house is only five years old. I have replaced my living room television and kitchen microwave three times, a security and garage door opening system that has been replaced or repaired innumerable times, at least three new pool pumps and let’s not ... Read More »

TO YOUR HEALTH  C. Scott Campbell  [email protected]    With this column, I continue the discussion on the “Getting 2 Great” cultural transformation effort at Physicians Regional Healthcare System. In brief, Getting 2 Great is our framework for achieving excellence in people, service, quality, innovation, finance, and growth. Perhaps most important, Getting 2 Great is our compass for delivering exceptional patient-centered care. At Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard, we are very proud to have one of the top-rated Emergency Departments in the nation according to Press Ganey, our industry’s recognized leader in health care performance improvement. Furthermore, Press Ganey has placed Physicians ... Read More »

By Julia Barnett Good food, good wine, and good times—all the hallmarks of a fun night out. Which is exactly what a group of guests had at the recent annual wine dinner at local restaurant, CJ’s on the Bay. The event was held on Tuesday, June 26, and began at 6:30 PM. Guests were treated to a wine foursome with accompanying select foods, a collaboration of CJ’s on the Bay’s head chef, Laura Owen, and beverage manager James Hubbard. The wine dinner, affectionately called the Summer Supper by Chef Laura, was open by reservation, and is an annual event hosted ... Read More »

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Submitted  Family and friends came from as far away as California to celebrate the wedding of Shari Winterhalter Meyer and Troy Summers on beautiful Resident’s Beach, June 16. It was a lovely day until a sudden summer rainstorm popped up at precisely 6:30 P.M. and guests fled for the tiki huts on the beach. A half an hour later, the storm had subsided and a beautiful rainbow appeared over the beach. Shari and Troy were united in a sand ceremony which celebrated the merging of two families, Shari and her son Zach with Troy and his sons, Jackson and Brody. ... Read More »

GOODLAND LIFE  Natalie Strom  [email protected] It’s been a summer of celebration for the quiet village of Goodland. Even as the temperatures rise, the tropical storms wail and the population plummets, we still find ways to have a good time. Whether we’re celebrating the life of a loved one, eating Spam in our pajamas or shooting off fireworks for the Fourth, one thing is for sure: Goodlanders throw a party like no one else can! On June 24, Goodlanders gathered with people from all over Southwest Florida and beyond to pay our respects to Stan Gober. Tropical Storm Debby couldn’t stop hundreds ... Read More »