Coastal Breeze News

To start 2013 on a positive note, MIPO would like to take this opportunity to clear up any misconception about its mission and charter. Simply stated, our endeavor is to be ADVOCATES for ALL owners; condo, single family home and business alike. Come join us on January 17, 10 AM, at Mackle Park to hear how MIPO plans to accomplish this on your behalf. Kindly RSVP to [email protected] as seating is limited to 200 and a large turn out is expected. Please help us help YOU by completing our first annual MIPO Survey available on www.marcoislandpropertyowners.com. It is an opportunity to have YOUR opinion heard. We take our lead from ... Read More »

– Target Dates of January 10-17 – Resource management staff at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve have released plans for their firstprescribed burns in 2013. Weather permitting, prescribed fires will commence around 9:00 am Thursday, January 10 through January 16 along Shell Island Road and the Tower Road/Barefoot Williams area. For a map of the precise locations please clickhere. Residents of adjacent areas will see and possibly smell smoke from the fire, and fire activities may temporarily inconvenience motorists along Shell Island Road. Fire personnel will contact visitors in the area to ensure their safety while traveling near activity areas and will carefully monitor the fire throughout the day until ... Read More »

Join us for a really unique “Olde Florida” treat. The Friends of Fakahatchee are hosting Coastal Cruises through the mysterious mangroves of the Ten Thousands Island. On the way, you will probably see dolphins cavorting with the tour boat. When you arrive at Fakahatchee Island, a naturalist will point out unusual plants on the path up the ancient shell mound to the old cemetery. On the return journey, the boat passes by a famous rookery where the birds will be settling down for the evening. We might think of “Fakahatchee” as a swamp with Ghost Orchids and Florida Panthers but to ... Read More »

What do homemade soup and handmade ceramic bowls have in common? They’re being featured at the Saturday, January 26 Empty Bowls event being held at Cambier Park, Naples. The Naples community is gearing up to participate in the sixth annual event, which will take place between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is an annual fund raiser for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. For a $10 donation, those attending can select a handmade ceramic bowl and sample from at least 38 tasty soups. Not only would the selected bowl be a wonderful, useful item in the home, but the ... Read More »

The Florida scrub-jay becomes more threatened each day as encroaching destroys its habitat. To create more awareness, AuthenticFlorida.com, has joined forces with Oscar Scherer State Park and Clyde Butcher, Jack Perkins and Jeff Klinkenberg to present “Authentic Florida Meets Real Florida.”This special event is January 18, 2013, 10-11:30 a.m., at the Girl Scout Event Conference Center, 4740 Cattlemen Road in Sarasota. Emmy Award-winner and author Jack Perkins will serve as master of ceremonies. Special guest speakers include the renown local photographer, Clyde Butcher, widely considered the “Ansel Adams” of Florida, and journalist and author Jeff Klinkenberg. Sponsored by AuthenticFlorida.com, tickets are $30 per person. ... Read More »

“Twenty years! It seems like yesterday that we began the joyous hard work creating the dream of Big Cypress Gallery in a setting surrounded by the peace of over a million acres of wilderness. The public has been a big part of that dream, and we invite everyone to join with us as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our Big Cypress Gallery” Clyde will be in the gallery all three days to greet guests and autograph books from 10am-5pm. This rare opportunity to meet the photographer will also feature family friendly activites throughout the weekend including speakers throughout the day: Rangers from ... 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 »

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 »

Submitted Back by popular demand for three shows only are New York City entertainers, Will & Anthony! Performing their ‘BROADWAY, OUR WAY’ Concert. Sunday, January 13 thru Tuesday, January 15 at 6 PM. This dinner and concert event will be held at Marco Island’s House of Mozart. Hear Broadway, classic standards and Italian music! Acclaimed as “displaying an engagingly brassy professionalism” by The New York Times, NYC performers Will & Anthony return to the Naples Waterside Shops’ Barnes & Noble for a CD signing and short performance on Sunday January 13 at 2pm and then on to Marco Island’s House ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Typically, when visiting a farmer’s market, patrons are looking for the freshest fruits and vegetables they can find. The Marco Island Farmer’s Market, which takes place every Wednesday at Veterans Park from 7:30 AM until 2 PM, is no different. With a wide array of fruit and veggie stands to choose from, shoppers can find exactly what they are looking for. Inyoni Farms of North Golden Gate Estates sets up a stand every Wednesday at Veterans Park. Specializing in offering the freshest produce, owner Nick Batty is very particular when it comes to his product. “Everything ... Read More »

GOODLAND LIFE Natalie Strom [email protected] The signs are all around us. Season is here and a change is in the air. Not only can we feel it, but we can see it too. Especially in Goodland. Take a trip down our long and winding road and see for yourself what I’m talking about. Many have noticed that the sign at the entrance of Goodland has gone missing. The hand-carved and hand-painted piece or art was taken down as a part of a restoration effort between the Goodland Civic Association and the newly formed Goodland Arts Alliance. The sign was in desperate ... 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 »

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 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 »

The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island welcomes back the Naples Philharmonic Brass Quintet for another fine concert on Saturday, January 5th at 7:30 PM. This performance is part of the Congregation’s Cultural Series, now in its’ 19th year of offering exceptional program to this area. Highlights of this concert will include the Fire Dance, Gershwin, “Duke” Ellington, Fats Waller and William Handy. This production is an outreach program of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts and the Naples Museum. There will be delicious pastries available at a Viennese table and Starbucks Tasting following the show. The public is invited. Come ... 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 »