Coastal Breeze News

Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children was established in 2001 by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Family Day is a national movement that informs parents that the engagement during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family meals are the perfect time to talk to your kids and to listen to what’s on their mind. Start off with one day in mind where everyone can get together and expand from that point to goal of 3-4 days a week. Sit around a ... Read More »

By Marilyn Honahan As of press time, Paula Aldis was still waiting for a phone call from her husband, Chris, telling her the exact details of his arrival from Afghanistan. He was relaxing in an airport, having endured two delays on the trip so far. His comment, “Afghanistan is behind me.” His arduous return home is over multi-flights, multi-countries and multi-days. She and their two children were anxiously awaiting his next phone call. Chris will enjoy two weeks stateside, before returning to Afghanistan for five more months. By the time Coastal Breeze News is printed and hits the streets, Paula ... Read More »

By Jane A. Marlowe    The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island held an Open House on Sunday, September 18 to welcome back returning members, visitors and prospective congregants. Rabbi Edward Maline, D.D., chatted informally with his guests and leadership members were present to offer tours of the synagogue. Rabbi Maline noted that although a small congregation of some 200 families, the JCMI is very active, particularly during Season, thanks to the devotion of members who volunteer for all the spiritual and cultural events on their calendar. Sue Baum, a 12 year volunteer, along with her husband, Dr. Harold Baum, chatted ... Read More »

Naples, FL Kimberly “Kim” McIntosh has joined Gulf Coast Mortgage of Naples Inc. (GCM) as Vice President. In this role Kim will focus on educating her clients on the mortgage lending process and putting them in the right product to meet their financial goals and objectives. GCM specializes in customizing and closing every loan. GCM has been in Naples, Florida for over 10 years. The firm’s client base ranges from first time home buyers to jumbo financing, foreign investors or even out of the box borrowers who required short?term private money. Kim has been in the finance industry for over ... Read More »

Vickie Kelber  Although we have traveled semi independently in other areas of Eastern Europe, we had never been to Russia. Perhaps growing up in the days of the Cold War still resonated and influenced our decision to book a tour, albeit one that gave us quite a bit of free time, rather than seeing the country independently. Having now spent a few days in both St. Petersburg and Moscow, there is no question in my mind that we would have felt very comfortable negotiating these cities on our own. English is not readily spoken, but with a few words of ... Read More »

Nancy Richie As fellow coastal and island residents, there aren’t many places one can go along the Florida coast without seeing a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). There are seven species of pelicans in the world. Two inhabit North America – the White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. Standing two to four feet tall, with wingspans up to six to seven feet, tip to tip, the Brown Pelicans make their presence known on docks, at marinas and the beach in the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida; along the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to the mouth of the Amazon River ... Read More »

Patricia Huff The court case requesting access to the Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee resumed on September 15, following the first hearing on September 8. Early in the morning, a large crowd of supporters for the Smallwood Store gathered in front of the Collier County Courthouse. Many came from the east coast of Florida where they said the closure of Mamie Street was highlighted in the media. They were astonished that a developer could rip up the only access road to the historic Smallwood Museum. Also participating in the rally were musicians Valerie Wisecracker, JRoberts and Tom Porter (of Goodland) who ... Read More »

Natalie Strom  Panthers, bobcats and gators, oh my! The residents of Goodland may like to think that they are the dominant population in our tiny island village, yet recent wildlife encounters are beginning to prove otherwise. While many of these sightings are incredibly rare, they are, in my opinion, completely terrifying. Sighting #1 In a recent endeavor to get more exercise I have attempted, on at least three occasions, to ride my bike to Marco and back. While cruising along the Betty Bruno Path that leads in and out of Goodland, I, unfortunately, became aware of a new population among ... Read More »

Capt. Pete Rapps  Sometimes keeping up with all of the fishing regulation changes here in Florida are like tracking stocks. If you miss an update, it may cost you. The FWC updated their 2011 Gag Grouper Closure and Fall Harvest season regulations on August 30, 2011. Below is a short synopsis of the observations and updates obtained from their website at www.myfwc.com The latest stock assessment indicates that gag grouper in the Gulf of Mexico are overfished and undergoing overfishing. NOAA Fisheries Service recently announced interim rules that prohibit recreational harvest of gag grouper in Gulf of Mexico federal waters ... Read More »

Frances Diebler As much as we wanted to explore more of the Dominican Republic, it was time to move on from the DR and make our way to Puerto Rico. Every morning the trade winds pipe up between 8AM and10AM and subside in the evening from the effects of the land. While in Luperon, the winds blew harder than usual in the harbor with 18-24 knot winds in the harbor for over a week. Finally, the Offshore Weather Report and our weather fax began to show a downward trend and we decided to make our move and sail directly to ... Read More »

ASK SIMBA   This column is the opinion of a 3 year old African Grey Parrot named “Simba” who has an extremely high intelligence level. While he does not possess a degree from any college or university, he does have a strong opinion of himself and feels that he is the best candidate to answer the complex questions of today’s discerning pets…and the humans they own…   Dear Simba,   I must say I thoroughly enjoyed your last column about “Operant Conditioning”. I was fascinated on how a wild animal can modify its behaviors with the association of a “treat” ... Read More »

Joan Kelly    Stonewalls is just what Al Landers and Tim Burke pictured. The restaurant has an elegant atmosphere, clean and open space, with electronic menus, flat screen televisions and fine food at an exceptional value. Food comes to the table fast and freshly made, with friendly service. FINE FOOD  Fine food and drink is what is promised. From the freshly baked pastries and cake to the homemade soups, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches and pizza diners will find only quality foods. All entrees come with choice of one side, black beans and rice, pasta salad, slaw, side Caesar, lettuce wedge ... Read More »

Tara O’Neill It’s September and you know what that means: SEASON cometh. Artists are gearing up for a busy exhibition schedule; galleries are fine-tuning plans for upcoming events. And you, my friend, still feel like you’re missing something. I’ve seen you out there, nosed pressed to gallery window, eyeballs rolling up and down the walls. I’ve also seen you at the outdoor art festival, staying well in the center of the aisle, craning your neck for a peek at what’s inside that booth you will not enter. “Why so shy?” asked I. Well, it turns out you’ve had several reasons, ... Read More »

Tim Gorman & Keith Pershing  If your car has been sitting for the summer at your condo or home, it’s likely that you’ve returned to a car that is sleeping and won’t wake up. Many things can go wrong, but these are the first suspects. Common problems for customers returning for the winter often involve electronics in cars that are continually draining battery. Sophisticated electronics have a parasitic draw. If your car won’t wake up, it’s probably because the battery is now dead. Even if you disconnected your battery, sometimes they just commit suicide. Due to the hot, humid weather, batteries ... Read More »

Crystal Manjarres  Q. I want to eat healthy, but feel like I don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. Any advice?  A. So many of us struggle to keep up with our jobs, family, school obligations, recreational activities, workouts, and more. It’s no wonder that we are paying the price health-wise. Many times we hurriedly race out of the door, skipping breakfast, work through our lunch break, and overeat at dinner. We rely heavily on fast food, junk food (vending machine, anyone?), and convenience dinners. Most of us eat out the majority of the week, entertaining clients, friends, or because ... Read More »

Richard Alan September is almost over, and I finally got my business moved to my new location at Island Plaza. All my thanks to the contractors, inspectors and my father in-law, Ray, who designed and created the shop of my dreams. September is also the month that has one of the nicest birthstones… the sapphire. A beautiful multi colored gemstone that is also hard and enduring; it can take what life throws at it and not show scratches or chips. The sapphire is a member of the basic superior gem group which includes ruby, emerald and diamond. Sapphire is a ... Read More »

By Jane A. Marlowe  The Marco Island Fire Rescue Foundation sponsored a “Celebration of Courage” on Sunday, September 11, 2011 in honor of 9/11. Dave Elliott, Radio Host of WGUF 98.9FM, Master of Ceremony, welcomed the guests to the beautifully appointed Palms Ballroom of the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa. The Posting of Colors was presented by the North Naples Fire Department Color Guard. The Star Spangled Banner was performed by Mariel Sanchez, a student at Marco Island Academy. Rev. Dr. Kyle Bennett offered an invocation. Dianna Dohm, president of the Fire Rescue Foundation, acknowledged the work ... Read More »

SOUTHERN SKIES  By Mike P. Usher  This particular Autumn is a bad time for early evening planet watchers; bright naked eye planets seem to be missing from the sky. It will be midnight before Jupiter will be high enough for good viewing, Saturn is behind the Sun, and it will be December before Venus will be a decent evening star. It will be spring before Mars and Mercury will be visible at a reasonable hour. At least the glorious summer Milky Way is still visible! You are undoubtedly aware the movement of the sky is a very regular affair; until ... Read More »

Diane Bostick Author: Joseph Finder Publisher: St. Martins Press, 2011. I have given quite a bit of thought since I started writing these reviews as to what makes a book something I want to continue reading. Sometimes it is beautifully detailed descriptions of people and places. Sometimes it is the thrill of the chase. Sometimes it is learning about something I know nothing about, told in an interesting way. But one of the most important things for me in a book of fiction or biography is that I care about the people in the book; that I want to know ... Read More »

By: Doug Browne It’s impossible to comprehend what Novak Djokovic has accomplished this year; 10-1 against both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and winning three out of four Grand Slam singles championships. Just a few summers ago, when Federer surpassed Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record, we were watching the rise of Rafa Nadal as he not only dominated the French Open but he had just won his first Wimbledon crown. No one in the tennis world felt that Novak Djokovic would hurdle over both Federer and Nadal let alone dominate each one. With Djokovic having ‘double-fault-itis’, heat exhaustion problems and ... Read More »