Coastal Breeze News

Beautiful Marco Island serves as the setting for this February 6, 2013 event with up to twenty local artists capturing the essence of our island community while painting from any of several picturesque island (or nearby) locations with spectacular views of Marco Island. After completing their original paintings during the day, artists will bring their pieces to the Marco Island Historical Museum – Rose History Auditorium for display beginning at 5:30 pm, with the exciting live auction starting promptly at 7:00 pm hosted by Chris Lombardo. As a business sponsor, your $50 sponsorship will include: Your company’s name on all ... Read More »

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners is seeking applications for positions on several advisory committees. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee currently has three vacancies representing the following: Employers in Local Jurisdiction (Term expires on October 1, 2014); Labor Actively Engaged in Home Building (Term expires October 1, 2015); and Alternate Member. One of the above must be a resident of Immokalee. This is an 11-member committee created by Ordinance No.91?65, as amended, to monitor the implementation of the Affordable Housing Task Force’s recommendations, and the goals, objectives, and policies of the Housing Elements of the County’s Growth Management Plan and the ... Read More »

A yearlong celebration commemorating the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s discovery of Florida begins on Jan. 8 when the Board of Collier County Commissioners present proclamations to the consuls general of Spain, France, and Great Britain in recognition of the three European powers that once claimed and governed Florida. Accepting proclamations will be Christina Barrios, consul general of Spain, Gael de Maisonneuve, consul general of France, and Christopher Wade, Great Britain’s regional director consul to the United States. Also accepting will be Ana Zabia, curator of the Museum of America in Madrid and Bridgette van den Hove-Smith representing the Big ... Read More »

We will all meet on January 9th at the Mutual of Omaha Bank at 10 am. Call Bob Prestyly @ 239-394-9183 for more info. Read More »

Submitted Marco Presbyterian Church kicks off their Winter Women’s Bible Study with “Going Deeper with Carol Kent.” This is the first time Kent, a frequent Women of Faith speaker, best-selling author and a popular international public speaker, has given a presentation on Marco Island. “Carol is authentic, personable and what she teaches she lives,” said Karen Hollenbeck, MPC women’s Bible study planning team member. Hollenbeck has known Kent since she was a college student. “Carol has walked where no parent ever plans or wants to go,” said Hollenbeck who watched as Kent lived through the experience of having a son with an ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff The journey to a completed Veterans’ Park has been seven years in the making so far, from the initial proposal by the local VFW Post to completion of the first phase: a series of flags, benches and paving stones. An ambitious plan for a new Veterans’ Memorial Fountain and Flag Plaza for Veteran’s Park got the green light at the December 20 city council meeting. Phase II of the Veterans’ Park Memorial will include the installation of a fountain and flag plaza. The committee’s goal is to dedicate these enhancements next Veteran’s Day; November 11, ... Read More »

READ MY TIPS Doug Browne [email protected] Mark down this date and time: Thursday, December 27, at 4 PM on centre court at the beautiful Hideaway Beach Club. Matt Browne’s opponent is the highly-acclaimed Port Royal Head tennis professional Franco Matta. Matta is the former number one collegiate star from Florida Gulf Coast University and Naples City singles champion who is a proud member of the 5.0 USTA champions from our area. Just a few months ago, Matta and his southwest Florida teammates competed in the Nationals and finished in second place. With Franco’s immense experience, he will be a heavy favorite ... Read More »

ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan [email protected] Over the course of a single day, I can be asked lots and lots of questions pertaining to my profession. The questions can begin with: Why? How come? Or my favorite… How do you know? For those of you reading my column for the first time, let me catch you up to speed. I make my living as a goldsmith. In a nut shell, the following is what many goldsmiths do… He or she is a technical professional who works with gold and other precious metals and gemstones. A goldsmith can design, create and fabricate original ... Read More »

PLANT TALK Mike Malloy [email protected] For all of us who want to have one of the showiest trees in town in our gardens (Royal Poinciana) and just don’t have the room because of their size, here are some of my favorite small trees that can be grown in courtyards, containers and small yards here in southwest Florida that can also be as special as the big boys. Dwarf Poinciana (Caesalpinina pulcherrima) is the little brother to the Royal Poinciana but a much smaller size. This evergreen shrub that can be pruned and trained into a specimen small tree, usually about 10 ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder “Another avenue for citizen input shut down.” The chair of the city’s Beach Advisory Committee found city management’s proposal to consolidate city committees into four bodies plus a magistrate, distressing at the December 20 meeting and workshop. From city inception, volunteer committees have been a cornerstone of citizen input and oversight in local government. City council members agreed, passing on the proposal that would have merged seven committees down to three: a cultural advisory committee, environmental advisory committee and a financial advisory committee. The Planning Board would have been renamed the Quasi-Judicial Board. The Beautification Committee has ... Read More »

By Carol Glassman When city staff showed “irreparable and irreversible damage” had been done to environmentally protected gopher tortoise burrows on an undeveloped lot, at the December meeting the Code Enforcement Board ruled that AAA Lot Service owner Bernard Wegman mitigate with a contribution of $1,950. The money will be used to purchase warning signs and Wegman will also pay the $250 administration cost incurred. One of Wegman’s employees, terminated from his job since the incident, mowed not just the right of way at the undeveloped lot at 1750 Dogwood Drive, but also, according to city environmental expert Nancy Richie, ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder Water Rate Increase Voted Down The water rate debate has been a slow and costly one, spanning years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in consultancy fees. It’s also arguably a major reason three of the four new city councilors ran and won seats. On December 20, they voted to halt the process of setting new rates which were approved by previous council, set to go into effect on December 28. The M-54 model, recommended by Burton & Associates, is a revenue sufficiency model designed to compensate for negative elasticity of demand. In other words, when a ... Read More »

Donna Fiala [email protected] First, I hope everyone reading this column had a wonderful holiday! We are so blessed to be able to worship in any manner we want! We are so blessed to live in America! Being that most of my five kids and all of my grandchildren live right here, we celebrated together as a family for Christmas. And I wish everyone a very Happy New Year filled with good health and much happiness. I couldn’t help but exclaim over Barb and Lou Prigge’s home completely adorned by darling angels everywhere! What an outstanding display for all of us ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus [email protected] For the last few weeks the Police Department (at least it appears that way) has been stationing official cars at certain places with no drivers, or others, in the cars. Apparently someone in the P.D. believes that these “dummy” cars will encourage drivers to slow down and also obey all other traffic laws. I believe otherwise. My view is that drivers of other cars will divert their attention to see who is in the “dummy” car, thereby increasing the chances of accidents. Admittedly, it is conceivable, but not likely, that a corps of special midgets has ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder It’s almost too easy to see cycling enthusiasts as hobbyists living in their own little niche of speedy bikes and neon, zipping down their path on the side of the road, but for the group of them who make up the city’s volunteer bike paths committee, concern for creating a safe riding environment extends to the entire community, including its youngest members. The Safe Routes to School project wrapped its first phase of construction this month: installation of eight-foot sidewalks around the perimeter of both Tommie Barfield Elementary and Marco Island Charter Middle, up Cushing Avenue to ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] In an effort to develop a statewide trail and paddle system, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Division of Recreation and Parks recently updated the overall vision for the Florida Greenways and Trails System (FGTS). The new five-year plan lists the River of Grass Greenway as a priority. In early fall, the Division of Recreation and Parks launched the new plan, calling for public comment on what specific trails and paddle ways should be considered areas of initial importance. After hosting six public meetings throughout the state, opportunity and priority maps were developed. This ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] “You better not pout, you better not cry, you better not shout, I’m telling you why… Santa Claus is coming to town!” For more than a decade, Santa and his sleigh have been making a regular stop at the Marco Island YMCA in mid-December to make phone calls to local children. This year, he stopped by on Sunday, December 16, along with Rudolph and a few of his elves. Children were delighted to hear from Santa and were surprised to learn that Santa really did know if they had been bad or good. With Rudolph’s bells ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Another 950 children were able to celebrate Christmas thanks to all those who contributed to the Joy of Giving. Year after year, this non-profit charity has provided the less fortunate families of Collier County with the means to provide a real holiday experience for their children. The children and their siblings are identified through teachers and after school youth organizations. “Major sponsors include Island Country Club and Walmart, but there are so many groups that contribute, I wish I could name them all,” said Nicki Davis, founder of the Joy of Giving. The Island Country ... Read More »

PEDAL IN PARADISE By Matt Walthour If you are reading this, either the world didn’t end, or you snuck out of your bunker and hopefully pedaled your bike to the closest newsstand and grabbed this issue of Coastal Breeze. Whatever the reason, I am happy we are all still alive and you have found the time in your renewed life to read my article. As I look towards 2013, and reflect on 2012, I think about all the bicycles I see, whether on the back of cars, in bike racks, at stores or schools, and the hundreds of people I ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Our typical weather patterns are here as December rolls into January, and we are seeing some of our first 40 degree mornings here in the 10,000 Islands. It is certainly our coolest period of the year, however the days when the fronts are absent, the sun is shining, and the thermometer gets up into the mid 70’s, can make for some awesome fishing! January is another month that you should keep an eye on your tide chart before planning your day on the water. We have some extremely low tides around both the Full ... Read More »