Coastal Breeze News

ARTFUL LIFE Tara O’Neill [email protected] In nature, as in life, it’s always breathtaking when fledglings take flight. The Goodland Arts Alliance, our area’s fledgling cultural non-profit, has just taken its first flight ‘over the bridge’ (that’s island-speak, by the way). For the month of May artist members of the GAA are exhibiting at the Norris Center in Naples. The exhibit features four of the twelve founding members: photographers Celeste Navara and Jim Freeman, seashell mastermind Judy Wittwer, and myself, the oil painter. It’s not always easy for Island artists to get their work displayed on the other side of our ... Read More »

GATOR NATE’S MUSIC NOTES Nate Augustus [email protected] Men-tor (noun) – “A trusted counselor or guide.  A tutor or coach.* Richard Pierce Havens: January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013. “I start strumming my guitar and the word freedom comes out of my mouth as FREE-dom, FREE-dom, with a rhythm of its own. My foot takes over and drives my guitar into a faster, more powerful rhythm. I don’t know where this is going, but it feels right and somehow I find myself blending it into an old song, ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,’ a great spiritual song my ... Read More »

ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan [email protected] Another steamy off season day on the rock, and while I’m still trying to recover from six months of a busy season, I’m counting the days until I have returned to the Balearic Island in Mallorca, Spain, a small coastal village called Cala Fornells. My idea of paradise is being perched on a Mediterranean seaside cliff overlooking the beach with my derrière parked in a lounge chair complete with a good book, a (legal) Cuban cigar and an ice cold pitcher of freshly made sangria…. Excuse me, now where were we? Back to reality… ... Read More »

Well, there are so many techniques and ways to catch a Snook that the answer is not all that cut and dry. To really be able to effectively target Snook, you have to know their habits, eating patterns, tides, water temperatures, moon phase, and a few other things. They migrate and move around a lot so you have to know where they typically spend time during different times of the year. Since we are now about to enter summer here in the 10,000 islands, I would recommend that you fish the outside points of the mangrove rivers where you have ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] My last article reported us leaving St Lucia and sailing to the island of Bequia which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Wow, what a sail we had that day! As long as we were in the lee of the islands, we had little or no wind and a calm sea. We poked our nose out first into St. Vincent Channel and later Bequia Channel into the “Bequia Blast.” We were flying with a reefed mainsail, a reefed Genoa, and a staysail! Eventually, we rolled in the genny. For many years prior to ... Read More »

“I’m not confused, I’m just well mixed.” Robert Frost Question: With current market activity, should I review my portfolio? Answer: Yes, let me use an example to illustrate why periodic monitoring is important. Until recently, our home decor was a mix of “contemporary cocker spaniels” and “early grandkids.” The kids are no longer toddlers and the dogs are well past puppy stage. External circumstances changed and it was time to respond. We enlisted the help of a professional, choosing to work with a woman who understands our lifestyle and priorities. Establishing this sort of relationship was a little scary and ... Read More »

by Herman Koch Hogarth Books 2012 The Dinner is a feast for anyone with a taste for dark humor and satire. I found it to be a positively enthralling story. It is the type of book hard to describe without giving away too much. When I read it, I had no prior knowledge about it except the blurb I read in the public library’s newsletter. Two couples, each with a 15-year-old son, meet at a fancy restaurant in Amsterdam to discuss said sons who may be facing grave legal consequences for some recent impulsive behavior that resulted in the death ... Read More »

READ MY TIPS Doug Browne [email protected] On a quarterly basis, the area tennis professionals get together to share ideas and offer insights to improve their coaching methods and yearly planning. Each pro has an opportunity to discuss the strengths of their programs and their biggest challenges. Without a doubt, my peers tell me that my club is an anomaly because we run weekly men’s clinics. Translation: Men, as a rule, do not have a scheduled weekly team practice or clinic. Naturally, I had to quiz my buddies about this phenomenon because it doesn’t make sense to me. After all, doesn’t ... Read More »

By James M. Lang, Commander, Marco Island VFW Post #6370 A Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at Veterans Community Park on Bald Eagle Drive on Monday, the 27th of May at 11:00 am. All are invited to attend and honor veterans for their service to our country. There will be members of the Marco Island fire and police departments, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts and the VFW Post. Music will be provided by the Marco Island Strummers, including patriotic songs and a double-bugle taps. The Civil Air Patrol will be doing a fly ... Read More »

The race is on to find a professional city manager for Marco Island. On the heels of City Manager Jim Riviere’s retirement announcement last month, the Marco Island City Council voted 6-1 to issue an RFQ for head hunting firms interested in helping the city find his replacement. Councilman Chuck Keister was alone in his dissent. “I don’t agree we need to hire a search firm,” Keister told City Council. “I don’t think we need to spend the money for a search firm.” After nearly an hour of debate, though, council ordered city staff to issue the RFQ and coordinate ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Keller Williams put out a call to their local agents in preparation for their annual Red Day. The challenge: help a child with autism. Red Day (which stands for Renew, Energize and Donate) is a local service day for Keller Williams agents held in communities around the world. So, the call went out, do you know of an autistic child who could use our help? There was no response. Finally, one agent, Ellen Henderson, responded, “If you don’t find anyone, my daughter has three year old autistic twins.” Plans were immediately set in motion to ... Read More »

By Noelle H. Lowery [email protected] Last week, the Marco Island City Council unanimously approved to spend $976,143 to replace its water utility’s Marco Lakes Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) Pump Station. Council also gave a nod to the three-pronged team to complete the project. The decision to replace the 48-year pump station could not have come soon enough for Marco Island Utilities’ General Manager Jeff Poteet. “The pumps in this station are obsolete,” he explained to council. “The parts must be manufactured, and that causes extended down time and higher repair costs.” Originally slated to be completed in 2011, the Marco ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] It’s a big year for Florida; so many reasons to celebrate. The year 2013 marks the 500th Anniversary of the discovery of Florida, the 85th Anniversary of the Tamiami Trail and the 90th Anniversary of Collier County – all of which are noteworthy in their own right. So, plan on parties throughout the year. Some may be similar to the night of May 8th, where a full auditorium celebrated the 90th Anniversary of Collier County thanks to the efforts of the Collier County Museums. The evening was held at North Collier Regional Park and promised four ... Read More »

By Noelle H. Lowery [email protected] It’s almost that time of year again, parents. Summer break! Now, now, no heavy sighs. From the city of Marco Island Parks and Recreation programs to the Greater Marco Family YMCA to local churches, parents will be happy to know that Marco Island is teeming with organized summer activities for their kids — many of them starting June 5, the day after school is out for the summer. This is good news for everyone. According to the American Camp Association, organized camp experiences are the safest experiences for children, while also helping them develop social ... Read More »

By Chris Sparacino City of Marco Island CFM, Planner/Floodplain Coordinator In the wake of Super Storm Sandy in October 2012, and the recent April flooding events in the Midwest, the reality and need for flood insurance once again becomes an important topic. With 98 percent of Marco Island lying within the Special Flood Hazards Area (SFHA) many residents are already bound by their lenders to the mandatory purchase of federally backed flood insurance. Many new homeowners are surprised to find out that their homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover flooding. Even if a single family residence is located in an ... Read More »

By Randall Kenneth Jones For what seems like two full years out of every four, politics dominates the media—speeches and rhetoric, profiles and promises. Understandably, those pursuing the highest offices in the land receive the vast majority of the attention. However, no single elected official runs our nation. Yes, “it takes a village” to preside over the countless villages, towns, cities and municipalities throughout our nation. But there are innumerable unsung heroes at the local and regional level—veritable fixtures in our assorted home towns who, without fanfare, ultimately serve as the backbone of our government. By her own admission, Collier ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] “When you go to bed at night your skin should be as clean as a baby’s bottom when you put it to bed.” This somewhat odd sounding sentence couldn’t sound any sweeter when spoken by Pamela Campbell of Marco Island Skin & Body Boutique. Open for just over a year, Campbell’s company offers a wide array of skin treatments, “after all, your skin is the largest organ you have, but it’s so easily neglected,” points out Campbell. Marco Island Skin & Body Boutique offers massages, waxing, make-up, facials, micropeels, dermal rejuvenation, collagen CO-Q10 facials and more. ... Read More »

By Noelle H. Lowery [email protected] Aqua Beachwear has relocated. After ten years at its Marco Walk location, Aqua Beachwear has taken over the space formerly used by Island Drug in Marco Town Center. The move has increased the shop’s size from 1,900 square feet to 3,000 square feet, allowing Aqua Beachwear to expand it offerings to more than 5,000 bathing suits, cover-ups and various beachwear accessories. “We chose our new location to enlarge our selection, offer more accessibility to our customers and gain more visibility,” explains Don Bauer, owner of Aqua Beachwear. “We are very pleased with the move. Our ... Read More »

By Eddie Webb The U-12 Marco Island Optimist Eagles opened the short spring season against the Lee County Hawks at Fleishman Park in Naples. After joining the newly formed “South West Florida Youth Football League” the Eagles were looking forward to the first game. What could only be described as a “David vs. Goliath” when it came to the size of the teams, the football game was about as even a match as could have been hoped for. The Marco Eagles team of only 13 players went against the Hawks who fielded a team of over 40 young players. The ... Read More »

Submitted The City of Marco Island Beach Advisory Committee is conducting a monthly beach clean-up on Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 8 AM, at the South Beach boardwalk access. All public is welcome to participate! Partnering with the Beach Advisory Committee in the beach clean-ups are Publix Supermarket and Marco Island Civic Association (MICA). Both have sponsored the monthly beach clean-ups for the past two years, providing bags, gloves and bottled water to all participants. MICA assists with a beach vehicle to cart the supplies, tired participants and the full bags of trash. MICA also disposes properly all trash and debris ... Read More »