Coastal Breeze News
Coastal Breeze News, Inc.
1857 San Marco Road #C-216 • Marco Island, Florida 34145
Phone: 239-393-4991 • Fax: 239-393-4992
Publisher
Val Simon
val@coastalbreezenews.com
Office Administrator:
Janice Baptiste
Production
Erin Perchalski
erin@coastalbreezenews.com
Circulation
Pam Amos
Editorial Contributors can be reached by contacting val@coastalbreezenews.com, or by calling the Coastal Breeze News office at 239/393-4991.
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Local Matters!
This is for Donna Fiala, Coastal Comments. What are the chances of Target building a store like at the old K-Mart Freedom Square? I think it is MUCH needed and would be HUGE success for this area!!
Smokehouse Bay Bridge on Marco Island. Well, the numbers, costs, and dates keep changing. What else did we expect? To address Councilor Honig’s comment in the May 19th meeting that “Mister Harris’s comments can not stand without comment”, and that “this IS not, and WILL not, be a $12Million bridge”, I offer the following figures: $7,625,328 contract with Quality Enterprises; between $530,157 and $650,000 CEI costs to TY Lin; $400,000 for landscaping; $1,881,338 interest on the loan; $2,000,000 paid to TY Lin for design work; $100,000 design charettes; $95,000 paid to Cardno TBE; that all adds up to well over 12 million dollars, for the Smokehouse Bay bridge. These figures are a matter of public record. Of course, Mr Honig doesn’t think we should add things like the 1.8 Million dollars for interest, even though we (the taxpayers) will have to pay that. And I partially agree with him – this is probably not a 12 Million dollar bridge, but that’s what we will have to pay for it. And then, the prime contractor (QE), along with our city’s management and oversight, cannot even put together a plan that would ensure all the prerequisites (like getting permission and permits to install utility poles on private property) are planned for and executed in sufficient time. Otherwise, Mr Medwedeff and the Marriott have wasted the million bucks they spent to buy the votes to have the Marriott’s expansion approved, and the bridge construction expedited. And now, two of our esteemed Councilors want to be reelected so they can continue in this fine fashion. Shameful!! … and I believe there’s a clause in our contract with QE that says if we, the city, are at fault for any delays, they (QE) will be absolved of any penalties when the project completion is delayed. Well, guess what? We’ve already caused delays. And the advertised 8 months project is false. Notice to proceed was July 1st, 2014. Advertised final completion is August 1, 2015. Maybe my math is rusty, but that sure sounds like 13 months – NOT 8 months. Perhaps the Council can inform me of the new math that they’re using.
Hi there, my name is Michael Milton and my wife Sue and I are renting a place on Bald Eagle Drive for the first two weeks of November 2014. We both have stressful jobs and a fortnight of idleness is long overdue. I play guitar and I wondered if you could advise me if there is anyone on the island from whom I could rent a steel strung acoustic guitar. I found Bob Duffy through internet research, however he seems to have dissappeared from the radar and his store appears to have ceased trading. Do you know of anyone from whom I could rent a guitar and also if there are any impromptu jam / open mic nights anywhere on the island? Look forward to hearing from you. Regards Mike and Sue Milton
Marriott Parking Already an Issue
Less than a week since our illustrious City Council approved the Marriott’s expansion amendment, and already we’re seeing parking issues. It was stated repeatedly that the Marriott has never had a parking issue on Marco, and most of our Council echoed that same story over and over. One Councilor, Amadeo Petricca, asked during the readings how many times the Marriott has used the Citizens-paid and supported Veteran’s field for their overflow parking. All of these same questions were answered with “the Marriott has NEVER, in 40 years, had a parking issue on Marco”. Yet this week, while another “convention” (even though supposedly “the Marriott doesn’t do conventions”) we’ve had Veteran’s field filled with the Marriott’s overflow parking. They’ve even taken over the parking lots at our schools. I watched cars being parked at Tommie Barfield school all day, and Marriott vans shuttling people from the school’s parking lots to the Marriott all day.
If they cannot facilitate the parking in their existing facility, how on earth do they plan to handle parking in their new, vastly expanded, facilities?
How can our current Councilors look at themselves in the mirror after selling us that pack of lies?
Remember those who voted in favor of the Marriott’s expansion this November (Kiester, Brown, and Batte), and SHOW THEM THE DOOR!
In reference to the recent articles on Beach Trash and Duane Thomas up on code enforcement charges again.
Duane Thomas is the least of our problems, as is the trash on the beach. Unfortunately most of the visitors using South Beach on the holidays and the summer months are visitors from who knows where, so the majority of these visitors never see your paper. In observing South Beach for the last 10 years, there are more and more people using this access. A number of questions come to mind: What are these people using for restrooms??. How many signs are posted to the things are not allowed. More and More tents and coolers arriving early in the morning and staying all day. Dogs on the beach and unleashed. Mounds of trash. How are the offenders being policed? Can’t be done by driving an marked car up and down the beach once in awhile. It seems that if some enforcement was done, the word would get around and people would be more tuned into what is not allowed. Instead of improving all the facilities at Mackle Park, or bussing people to the different beach accesses, they should consider building restrooms at each access first. Marco has become a beach destination for many people and more to come water quality is going to be an issue. We have been in Marco for 20 years, the water quality everywhere, in and around the island has deteriorated and its not from Duane Thomas’s dock shavings.
Why is there no RESTAURANT LISTING included in the paper anymore? That was a very helpful resource for phone numbers….thanks!!
Thank you, Diane Bostick, for sharing your reviews/blog/column for the past two years. Book Remarks is always the first column I look for in each issue of “Coastal Breeze.” While I wasn’t always inspired to read the books you reviewed, you always had interesting things to say. GULP was one of your best. I enjoyed your clear writing style, your thorough commentary, and your delightful insight. You will be missed. See you on the tennis court.
Just wanted to let you know that Roy Eaton’s article on Nero fiddles as Rome Burns was a magnificent piece of writing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Roy Eaton could go down as one of the GREAT WRITERS of OUR GENERATION! JUST FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!
In aug we bought a condo in South Naples and spent most of our time on Marco Island. I brought back to Ohio a copy of CoaatalLife. I want to subscribe and have it delivered to me here. How can I subscribe….I need my Marco Island fix!!!!!
I think your paper is one of the best circulationg on Marco Island. Problem is a lot of the readers who pick up your paper do so by chance. It would be helpful if you publish somewhere where it can be obtained.
I would like to place a classified ad and regular ad for your Feb 11 paper.
I think it would be a good idea to cover the Lely High football games. Lots of kids from Marco Island are students there. And, my grandson, Kit Fowler, is a quarterback on their team, the Trojans. Go Trojans!
The suggestion of having book reviews in your paper is a good one. The art column, “Art Uncovered” by Tara O’Neill, is certainly well-received
Your newspaper is already very impressive. Keep up the good work!
how come no one has delivered the june 4th paper to bank of america on the island???
Great idea! We’ll be in touch….
I think it would be great if you had a book review in your paper. Belonging to a book club here on Marco, we are always looking for good book reviews. It might be good to get the itinerary of the authors that frequently grace our local bookstores for book signings as well.
Claire, we increased the size of the type since your comment was written. Hope it’s better! Val Simon
I enjoy crosswords, but the print size of the clues make it almost impossible to do, even with bifocals.
We received your 1st issue of the paper at City Hall. Will you please put us on your list to continue to receive the paper? We all loved it and can’t was for the next issue. It is also nice to have on hand for the contractors so they can see the real Marco news. If there is something we need to do to make sure we receive the paper, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks