Coastal Breeze News

Donna Fiala [email protected] Just a little heads up – starting June 24th, Alligator Alley (I-75) toll fees will be increasing, according to Johnny Limbaugh from FDOT. The fees for the SunPass will increase to $2.75 and with cash the fare will be $3.00. Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club hosted a “Sports Camp” for the sixth year in a row for 24 students from Parkside Elementary School in Naples Manor. This heart-warming two-week event was the dream and creation of Sally Lam of Eagle Creek. Each year 24 qualified Parkside students are bused to Eagle Creek every day for a ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] Ooooo, it’s really getting hot, humid and very buggy. It seems there are more mosquitoes than normal for this time of year. Oh well, it only lasts for a few months and then we have our marvelous weather for the rest of the year. Tim Pinter advised the county recently that the Interlocal Agreement between the County and the City of Marco Island concerning the public restroom and Erosion Control Structures for Hideaway Beach have received a Certificate of Substantial Completion. The Building Department still has final inspections, which are scheduled to be completed shortly, so if ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] Soon you’ll see changes in advertising and promotion from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. For the first time, the Florida and Collier County bureaus will be promoting “Brand USA.” This is a national tourism program to advertise in other countries that come to the United States; countries like England, France, Germany, Sweden, and Brazil. The program is just kicking off now, so it will be interesting to watch as it moves forward, and see what impact it will have in our particular part of Florida. Recently I attended the 10th Annual Tourism Awards held at the Marco ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] Last week, invited guests were treated to a ribbon cutting for a new, wonderful addition to our community and The Conservancy – the “von Arx Wildlife Clinic.” I’m sure you have seen the pictures in the local news featuring injured animals brought to The Conservancy, carefully and lovingly brought back to good health, and in most cases released back into the wild. A number of us were invited to see the conditions they are working under right now until the Clinic has its actual grand opening. Thank heavens there are benefactors in our community who see a ... 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 »

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 Donna Fiala [email protected] My goodness, isn’t the year going by quickly? I can’t believe it is almost Easter and soon our Winter Residents will be leaving…………. which means a huge portion of our volunteers will be leaving, because these people come down from up north, roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help. Another thing we will see is all the fun and activities, parties and fund raisers, events, plays and entertainment will scale down to a minimum until they come back again next fall. This year has been a good year for all. Many of our unemployed ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected] If you enjoy history then you’ll enjoy a fashion show of wedding gowns from 1894 to present day at the Marco Island Historical Museum on Monday, March 12th at 2:00PM. $15 tickets are available at the gift shop. Wedding cake and punch will be served. Monday, March 19th from 1:30 to 3:00PM will be a portrayal of “Jackie O”, featuring little known facts of her childhood and her behind the scenes life to her death, portrayed by Bonnie Bozzo. Tickets are $6. The show starts at 1:30PM. The folks at Eagle Creek attended in full force a ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected]  The 7th Annual Marco Island Kiwanis Car Show was even more successful than the last six! John DeRosa and his team of dedicated, determined, hardworking Kiwanians prepared beautifully, even to ordering perfect weather! I remember when he first suggested the idea, everyone was a little ambivalent, concerned that it would never be a good fund raiser. As most of you know, the Kiwanians (and Rotarians as well) raise money throughout the year to help the children in our community and the extended Collier County community; it’s for those little tykes who cannot help themselves, or who need ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected] It’s exciting to see all the delightful events we all enjoy each season presenting themselves once again this year,and we’re blessed with gorgeous weather, as well! One such event which was introduced last year for the first time is the Bayshore Festival of the Arts, a two day event held at Sugden Regional Park on U.S. 41 E & Lakewood Blvd. Usually, the first time an event is presented the attendance is lacking because no one really knows if it’s worth attending. However, this event was different. Over 7,000 people attended between the two days! An amazing ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected] Most of the cheerful twinkling lights and decorations have now been taken down and stored away until next year. I loved the feeling they gave the community. They are missed already, but – now we have something to look forward to next year. For now, there’s not much of anything more beautiful than Marco Island, so let’s drink in its beauty and enjoy its community spirit. Many people have asked why the County doesn’t have a Gas to Energy plant at the landfill, and I’m happy to tell you we now have one. I promised to write ... Read More »

COASTAL COMMENTS Donna Fiala [email protected] The Marco Island Christmas Island Style Parade was just terrific! Almost everyone on the Island was outside in the beautiful weather greeting the parade participants and toasting their neighbors. There were 4 cars in my little section of the parade, and the people with me were flabbergasted at the community spirit displayed! There were lots of tailgating parties between neighbors and friends, and people were dressed for the holidays. It makes me so proud to be your commissioner and your friend because YOU are what community spirit is all about! Speaking of Christmas, let me ... Read More »

Donna Fiala  [email protected] It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas………..everywhere we go. And that it is! Everything looks so happy and cheerful, brightly colored lights and decorations. It almost makes my heart sing, and it certainly puts us all in the mood to enjoy this time of year, no matter what religion we practice. The Vietnam Wall memorial event presented on Dec. 7th -Pearl Harbor Day-was very moving and emotional. I had the honor of sitting next to Walter Tucker, a survivor of Pearl Harbor and a World War ll veteran. What a terrific guy Walter is! At nearly ... Read More »