Coastal Breeze News

By Natalie Strom [email protected] In honor of the Second Annual National Everglades Day, April 6th, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR) was ready to throw a party. Just last year the date was chosen as it is the birthday of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, a champion of the Everglades, known best for her book, “The Everglades: River of Grass.” She was at the forefront of the fight towards redefining the Everglades as a treasured river rather than a useless swamp. Much has been learned about “The River of Grass” since Douglas wrote the book in 1947, but the devastation to ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus [email protected] The beginning of “Zero Dark Thirty” is controversial and unsettling. Shortly after the first scene at the World Trade Center, the site changes. A CIA operative has an Al-Qaeda member in a dank dungeon – a “black site” – somewhere in Pakistan. It’s 2003. What makes the scene disturbing is the sequence of torture that takes place – slapping, naked abuse, waterboarding and ultimately forcing the prisoner, Ammar (Reda Kateb) into a tiny box. What makes the scene controversial is the question it raises. Some observers think it glorifies torture. Others believe it demonstrates that torture ... Read More »

Submitted The Saul I. Stern Cultural Series, opens the 2nd event of its 19th season, with a presentation about “Jerusalem”, Wednesday, February 6th, 2012, at 7:30 pm, at the Marco Island Jewish Congregation, located at 991 Winterberry Drive. The speaker, Chaim Silberstein, a native of Jerusalem, is a lifetime scholar of Jerusalem. He will present the city with a visual demonstration from 1920, to-date, and discuss “To Divide or Not to Divide” Mr. Silberstein brings new information he gained from his research. After the presentation, there will be a Question and Answer period conducted by Roger Blau. A reception to ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] On Saturday, February 9, The Knights of Columbus will have you laughing all night long as they host an evening of entertainment featuring comedian Tim Walkoe. Sign up for this one-day event and chuckle in the name of children’s charities supported by The Knights of Columbus. If you haven’t heard of Tim Walkoe, you may as well be living under a rock. The Grand Prize winner of ABC’s “America’s Funniest People” has been on HBO, Showtime, A&E, TNN, PBS and much more. A headliner of over 100 comedy clubs nationwide, including the Comedy Stop in Las ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder As part of the Ten Thousand Islands, the National Park Service aptly refers to this area as “a labyrinth of water and mangroves.” Add approximately 5,000 area boats out at any given time to enjoy this natural beauty, and it’s not a big surprise that Collier is one of the top ten counties in Florida for boating accidents, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The FWC adds that inexperience, inattention and speed were top causes of these accidents. “There are many reasons to understand safe boating around Marco Island,” points out Laura Carney of the ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder “Did you know that when you sell a house, you trigger a minimum of 18 other commercial transactions?” Debra Meredith-Peters is passionate about bringing home the point that her profession is a stronger engine for growth than it’s often given credit for in a post-real estate crash world. Peters is the broker/owner, who along with her partner, Rocky Farhat, purchased the Re/Max franchise on Marco after it was due to expire last fall. The partners also own Re/Max franchises in Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties and are excited to be extending their market share into Marco Island. ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff On Monday, January 14, the Calusa Garden Club held its monthly meeting at 1:00 PM in Fellowship Hall of Wesley United Methodist Church. An optional pre-meeting workshop,”All About Vines,” was conducted at 11 AM by Sue Oldershaw and Donna Kay. Donna listed a variety of vines, including pictures, that can be used in Southwest Florida. The business meeting included updates on environmental issues, Junior Gardeners at Tommie Barfield, the garden therapy program, “How Our Garden Grows,” at Sanitasole, upcoming field trips, and planning for the March 16 – 17 flower show. Dolly Tomalina presented a ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Saturday, January 12th, marked the start of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 2013 Python Challenge. The month long hunting competition aims to both educate the public and better understand the invasive Burmese python. Senator Bill Nelson joined the hunt alongside FWCC Commissioner Ron Bergeron on January 17th to bring awareness to the devastation of the Everglades caused by the constrictor snake. Before heading out on the hunt, Senator Nelson and Commissioner Bergeron addressed media alongside I-75 at the Mile Marker 41 Boat Ramp. Senator Nelson discussed the urgent need to control the ever-growing python ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder The littlest members of the community are lining up for repeated hand washing throughout their school day and local pharmacies are running out of the flu vaccine. As visitors from all over arrive for warm beaches, so does the seasonal germ influx. Wash your hands and cover your nose; flu season is alive and well on Marco. Dr. Joe Vickaryous practices family medicine at the Marco Island Medical Center. He observes, “This season on Marco has seen unusually high numbers of flu cases in our practice.” Vickaryous adds that his cases span all age ranges and the ... Read More »

Submitted Saturday night January 19, 2013 was the most prestigious event of the year at the Marco Island Yacht Club. The Commodore’s Ball and Change of Watch is a formal event the entire Club anticipates each year. The Commodore has responsibility for the cruising and racing fleets of yachts, regattas, boating programs, matters relating to the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs and all social activities. The 2012 outgoing Commodore Stuart Curtis performed the ceremony, swearing in Commodore Jim Marr for 2013. Jim swore to uphold the Mission Statement; “To provide an outstanding boating, social, and dining environment that is friendly, ... Read More »

by Fran Diebler I will be following s/v Moonbeam and her crew as they sail from Marco Island and through the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand completing a Pacific Circuit. Moonbeam is a 52’ Island Packet Cutter. There will be updates from time to time as they push forward to achieve their objective which is from Marco Island to New Zealand via the Panama Canal, visiting many South Pacific Islands along the way. A return trip to Marco by completing the circumnavigation is expected in the Spring of 2014. Ken Bardon, owner and skipper of the s/v Moonbeam, is a ... Read More »

By Julia Barnett Nestled in Marco Island’s Town Center Plaza, The Marco Players’ theater sits waiting to be filled for its next show; for laughter, for tears, for the next story to come alive inside its walls. Now in its 38th season, the Marco Players is a non-profit theater company that began putting on productions in hotels, churches and other borrowed locales. It eventually found the Town Center Plaza space and has made it home for the last thirteen years. The theater is run by a board of directors, all very hands-on in their involvement, whether it be financially or ... Read More »

Murder, mystery, danger, intrigue, puzzlement and humor are all words that describe the gamut of emotions experienced while watching the Marco Players Theater current play “The 39 Steps”. The same words can apply to the artwork that greets you as you enter the MPT’s gallery hallway. Setting the tone for the play are Ginny Mueller’s intriguing clay bugs along with the mysterious mix of multi-faceted elements in Clair Keery’s assemblages. Bill Moseley’s three stepped abstract acrylics lend a clue to the mystery to come while bits of torn paper put together in humorous puzzle fashion by artist Joanne Rose will ... Read More »

By Steve Reynolds The 2nd Annual Rib Cook-Off was recently held at the Marco Island Brewery and a capacity crowd was on hand to taste the succulent ribs served hot off the grill. The Marco Island Brewery was again the host venue for the event which benefits the Marco Police Foundation. Seven “Ribbers” took part in the event which raised over $3,000 for the Marco Police Foundation. Celebrity Judges sampled the offerings for such categories as taste, look and overall greatness. Only 1 and 1/ 2 points separated the winner from the 2nd place runner –up. Jan Graf, who submitted ... Read More »

By Craig Woodward The former Coconut Island was a traditional place to raft up your boat, along with your friends’ boats, on a lazy Sunday afternoon and have a cookout on the beach while everyone swam and simply relaxed. It was a beautiful location – just north of the future Hideaway Beach, due east of Isles of Capri, situated in the mouth of the Marco River and the view to the west was of the Gulf of Mexico and the setting sun. Hurricane Donna created Coconut Island in 1960 when the south tip of Cannon Island was cut off; over ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Everyone deserves a second chance; a fresh start; a clean slate. At AMIKids Big Cypress, at-risk male youths are offered just that. Teens are sent to the program for anywhere from six months to a year depending on their juvenile criminal history. Rather than treating these boys as criminals, they are shown love and compassion and are given the chance to learn real world skills and how to be a part of a team. The program turns boys into young men. On January 10, two of these young men graduated from the program. The ceremony was ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Beef – it’s what’s for dinner. And now you can purchase it at the Marco Island Farmers Market. Newcomer to the Wednesday market at Veterans Park is Arrowhead Beef, offering farm-direct, hormone-free, pesticide-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed beef from Florida. What a mouthful! And what a concept! Co-founded in 2010 by George Fisher and Tom Pellizzetti, Arrowhead Beef, LLC is a cooperative of family farms located near Chipley, Florida. Every family-owned farm that is a part of the co-op raises French cattle known as Parthenais. “Our cattle’s bloodline goes back to the 1890s,” explains Steve Dunn, Market Ambassador ... Read More »

PROTECTING & PRESERVING Nancy Richie [email protected] It is common knowledge on Marco Island that Florida Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) are present, popular and so abundant that they are found in almost every neighborhood on the island. Not only do our residents enjoy these charismatic birds of prey, but people travel from all over the world to see them. Professional photographers charge top dollar to school the amateur how to photograph them in the “best light,” though any ol’ camera will do. One can’t go wrong when the subject has big yellow eyes, long downy legs and attitude that could take on ... Read More »

INVESTMENT INSIGHTS Darcie Guerin [email protected] In the last column, we outlined the first six of twelve suggested financial resolutions; today we’ll address the remaining six. Committing to fearlessly evaluate and potentially change one’s behavior can be a bit intimidating. I’ve never felt that it was fair to ask others to do anything that I’m not willing to do, and because my financial life is already in good shape (it had better be!), the area I’ve chosen to focus on are organizational skills and I’ll be working with an efficiency coach this year. The idea of being accountable to another person concerning ... Read More »

SPEAKING OF TRAVEL Vickie Kelber [email protected] The most popular destinations for tourists visiting the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy are the towns of Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, and Ravello. The many shops and restaurants in Amalfi reflect its popularity as a stop for tour buses and cruise lines. Shops feature ceramic products, leather goods, jewelry, everything lemon including soaps and candies, and, of course, limoncello. In fact, there is an overwhelming choice of decorative bottles and types of limoncello. After having tasted a few different kinds, my favorite was green in color, made from lemons just as they are beginning to ripen ... Read More »