Coastal Breeze News

On the southwest coast of Florida, a bloom of the Florida Red Tide organism, Karenia brevis, continues alongshore in medium to low concentration levels. The bloom originated early last week off Tampa Bay. Now, the Red Tide organism has been found to be present in various concentrations along the Collier County beaches. Recent satellite imagery was partially obscured by cloud cover alongshore; but some patches of elevated to very high chlorophyll were visible extending as far as southern Collier. Winds will be mostly from the south with a slight westerly shift on Friday, which may increase the chances for impacts, such ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder Marco Island currently has approximately 200 miles of seawall. They perform the key functions of preventing land loss and keeping channels navigable, but many of them are reaching the end of a 30 year lifespan. On average, a concrete seawall costs $300 per foot. One million and fifty-six feet of Marco seawall translates into about $316,800,000, a potentially huge source of revenue for business and a large cost investment for the 8,000 or so homeowners now on waterfront property. A newly- passed city ordinance is forcing the seawall industry to re-evaluate how it does business, and how ... Read More »

SPEAKING OF TRAVEL  Vickie Kelber  [email protected]  Summer and early fall in Park City, Utah were marred by countless days of smoke filling the atmosphere, obscuring the normally bluebird skies and bright foliage. Fortunately, it was all smoke and not too much fire. There were two nearby small fires, one caused possibly by sparks from a truck traveling down the highway and another by someone shooting at metal targets. The west is dry, drier than we in southwest Florida can really imagine, even during our driest months. Tinderbox dry brush is easy prey to a spark, lightening, or inane acts such as ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder The Marco Island Police Department recently completed a study of accident trends from 2008 to 2011 and found incidents involving cars and bicycles, or pedestrians, has increased 50%. “We need to share the limited amount of space we have and do it properly so we don’t injure each other…when we see this increasing trend [of accidents] we need to ask ourselves, why?” Assistant Chief Dave Baer said that the department is teaming up with the city Bike Paths Committee and the Knights of Columbus to improve bike safety awareness on the island. Ben Farnsworth is the current ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder Since 2006, Fire Captain Tom Bogan has been steadily pursuing the acquisition of a fire-rescue boat for the Marco department. With a price tag just under 400 thousand dollars, it’s been a long, slow asking process, but 2012 has arguably been the year to sadly justify his persistence. “We used to commandeer regular boats [to respond to an emergency].” Bogan explains the ‘evolution’ of the departments’ offshore emergency services. Today they respond to accidents and fires on the water with a Pathfinder, a recreational boat whose emergency performance in recent disasters proved to be an epic fail. ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Within the 2012 General Election Ballot which is six pages, you’ll see the races most individuals are interested in casting their vote for: President, Vice-President, Senate, Congress, and County Commissioner. In addition to those races, numerous judges are included, as is the office of Sheriff. The nine candidates vying for four Marco Island City Council seats are listed. Even a seat on the Collier Mosquito Control is open to vote on. A question on whether the Collier County School District should reduce the capital millage and increase the operating millage by .25 mills for another ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected]   Not many of you know that I conduct tours every year of county facilities. We’ve seen places like the landfill, a waste water treatment plant, a water treatment plant, the Jail, Museums, Botanical Garden, the Emergency Operations Center, etc. Well, I’m beginning to plan for this year’s tours and wondered if anyone on Marco would be interested in going. In the past I’ve had a few Marco Islanders join me, so just maybe this year I’ll again have some people interested in learning a little about the inner workings of the county. I am now asking ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus  [email protected] Halloween is the strangest of all our holidays. For one thing it apparently originated as some sort of Pagan ritual. No, it did not involve a bunch of folks in animal skins munching on turnips (Americans invented pumpkin pie of course). Rather, the worship of the sun, moon, Manchester United Football (that’s European for soccer) Team, or the particular God or Goddess in vogue at the time. I suspect that on a chilly day in October (by our calendar) some early Brits of a Druid or comparable persuasion hoisted a few and then thought it would ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST  Tarik Ayasun  [email protected] When the last US troops left Iraq, Al-Qaida terrorists were believed to have around 1,000 fighters remaining in the area. The last intelligence estimates clearly indicate that there are now more than 2,500 fighters; and various new terrorist training camps have opened all around the desert areas of Iraq and the numbers of these terrorists are growing daily. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is re-organizing and getting ready to take over as soon as our combat troops leave sometime during 2014. We will be leaving approximately 30,000 Special Forces and other military personnel behind, however it ... Read More »

By Carol Glassman The Marco Island Code Enforcement Board met on Tuesday, October 9, to discuss mitigation of fines on several properties, and to discuss a stop-work order on at 531 Bald Eagle Drive,(formerly Glass of Marco). Realtor Allen Duquet spoke on behalf of his client, Mr. Tran, who owns this commercial property. At the suggestion of Duquet, Tran had employed contractor John Miles of Collier Custom Building to clean and paint the property’s interior, and remodel it without a permit, to prepare it for sale. Miles, who was not present, had apparently informed both Duquet and Tran that a ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Forging a new path in the Naples/Marco Island, Everglades City area is Rashmi Sharma, M.D. She is an Endovascular/ Vascular Surgeon, the only female vascular surgeon in the area. Dr. Sharma joined Physicians Regional Medical Group and moved to this area in April. “I am a beach lover, and had vacationed here. I fell in love with the lifestyle of the area. The restaurants, the shops and of course, the beach,” said Dr. Sharma. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Moorhead University in Minnesota, she received medical school degrees at the University of North Dakota. ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom  [email protected]  The Marco Island Historical Society Re-enactors are taking on a new role. Beginning this November, the program is being expanded to offer historical tours of Marco Island. Sponsored by the Re-enactors, proceeds from the tours will go towards the Marco Island Historical Society. Fun and entertaining for both individuals or groups, all tours begin at the Marco Island Historical Museum. “Every tour starts out with a short viewing of the University of Florida film, ‘Domain of the Calusa,’” explains Betsy Perdichizzi, founder of the MIHS Re-enactors and well-known for her portrayal of Tommie Barfield. “Then we ... Read More »

By Carol Glassman Ikebana, the fine art of Japanese flower arranging, is enjoyed all over the world. Rather than putting a bouquet of flowers in a vase and moving the stalks around so that they ‘look pretty’, the student of Ikebana works in a disciplined way to balance blooms, stems, and leaves to emphasize shape, line, and form. It’s a practice that has been evolving for over 500 years, and under the umbrella there are seven main schools of styles: Ichiyo, Ikenobo, Ohara, Saga Goryu, Sangetsu, Sogestu, and Wafu Kai. At Ikebana International #160 – Naples, Florida, a very active ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom Grab your paddle and head to The Esplanade on November 4th, for the second annual Marco Island Paddle Challenge. The day of family fun features paddle board and kayak races for all ages. Prizes, games, music, food and drinks await all those who attend. Hosted by the alumni of Leadership Marco and the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, the Island Paddle Challenge, “is a fun day event for the whole family,” states Tiffany Homuth, 2007 Leadership Marco graduate and co-chair of the event. “The first race starts at 10:00 AM and the last race will be at ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Are you interested in serving on the Marco Island Charter Middle School Board? The school is seeking a qualified candidate who would be willing to serve for the next three years as a volunteer on the Board. School Board members establish school policies and lend their expertise to securing the financial future of the school. Over the next three years, the Board is scheduled to launch a multi-million dollar Endowment Campaign to secure the financial future of the school; so, qualified candidates should be able and willing to further this objective. An application is available ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom  [email protected]  “I always get inspired when Day of the Dead comes around,” explains local artist, Esau Rodriguez. The holiday, el Dia de los Muertos, celebrates death as a transition rather than a finality. “It helps you realize that death is just a part of life and then you can see the comical side to it,” adds the 26-year old who has used the celebration as a muse for his canvas oil paintings. Bright colors, masks, whimsical skeleton figures or “calacas,” and sugar skulls are all a part of the Mexican tradition and are also incorporated into Esau’s ... Read More »

By Elinor Stanton  Have you ever had a pet? Have you ever become attached to a cat, dog or other little being from the animal kingdom? And have you experienced the loss of a beloved pet? If so, this is meant to help anyone who finds themselves grieving over the death of a pet, whether it be a cat, rabbit, dog or any other living creature with whom you have had a close bond. In my experience people who dearly love their pets experience deep pain and a sense of loss when these pets die. Often they are embarrassed by ... Read More »

TO YOUR  HEALTH  C. Scott Campbell  [email protected] October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Originally launched in 1985, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month began as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries. Initially, this focus on breast health was conceived to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer—a goal that remains as relevant today is it did in 1985. About one in eight U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. However, to those of us in the ... Read More »

Bruce Greene, 77, passed in Peace, Thursday, September, 20, 2012. Born in Bristol, Conn., he was raised to observe, appreciate and respect all of nature, especially wildlife. On one of his many walks with his father, he found his first arrowhead, thus, began his curiosity and passion for all human cultures. Stationed in Sendi, Japan, as a meteorologist, he received his honorable discharge from the US Army Air Corp 1958. His interest and study of the Japanese culture was as natural as the beauty he found there. This began his career path in anthropology and archeology. Following college, he was ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Russell Kish is running as an Independent for the Collier County Commission District 1 seat currently held by Republican incumbent Donna Fiala. Originally from Boston, Kish moved with his wife, Lynn, and their three sons to Port of the Islands in 2006. Kish has a B.S. in Pharmacy from Northwestern University and has been a career pharmacist for 33 years. Today, he works at both Naples Community Hospital and Golden Gate Pharmacy. “My background is math, science and business,” says Kish, who considers himself part of the ‘silent majority’ that can no longer be silent. ... Read More »