Coastal Breeze News

So…. I was going to write all about the Goodland Art Alliance’s Inaugural Harbor Arts and Music Festival held on March 10th. But then I found out that the GAA’s President and Coastal Breeze Artful Life Columnist, Tara O’Neill had it in mind for her column. Fine, Tara, it’s all yours. Besides, my fingers are tired and blistered from typing and photos are much more fun anyway. A special thanks to photographer Celeste Navara. Her pictures tell the story of what was truly a beautiful day of art and music, to – literally – say the very least.   Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Marco Island’s newest apparel shop has arrived just in time for summer. Featuring the latest trends, straight from Miami, Sol y Arena offers hot styles at cool prices. “This shop is a gift from the heavens!” explains owner, Lidia Tanko. “I love working with clothes, fashion and accessories. I’ve done it all my life.” Thanks to the support of her husband, Andrew Tanko and daughter, Susan Lopez, Sol y Arena offers Latin-inspired clothing that the ladies, both born in Costa Rica, love. As a tour guide for many years in Costa Rica, Lidia brought clothing buyers ... Read More »

GOODLAND LIFE  Natalie Strom  [email protected] Tired of the same old SPAM? Never! At least that’s what we say at The Little Bar. Mark your calendars for June 30th, as the annual Spammy Jammy event in downtown Goodland is fast approaching. Celebrating nearly twenty years of SPAM is no easy task. Yet, year after year, The Little Bar Restaurant in Goodland hosts the event at the start of each hurricane season. In order to pay homage to the Hurricane Gods and Goddesses of Southwest Florida, the party offers up attendees in their pajamas and food and architecture made out of SPAM. By ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Faculty, board members, students, future students and advocates of Marco Island Academy Charter High School made history as they broke ground at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, June 5th at what will be the school’s new home. The new location lies along San Marco Road, just west of Key Marco. As the crowd grew, all involved expressed their excitement of the realization of a dream that has been in the works for quite some time. “This is the day we’ve been waiting for three years!” exclaimed Gail Thawley, Educational Consultant for the high school. Addressing the crowd, ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Three wars and thirty years of service. This is the life of James “Bud” Kornse, Marco Island resident and military veteran. Born March 5, 1927, Bud spent 30 years in the Navy. After retiring, his contributions to his country still continued. From World War II, to the Korean War to Vietnam to the present day, Bud fought for freedom and veteran affairs on the battlefield and beyond. Born and raised just outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Bud was the oldest of four. At the age of five, he began boxing at the local YMCA, where ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Dr. Cade Copeland is not your average back-cracking chiropractor. The Naples-based Doctor of Chiropractic and his wife, nutritionist and personal trainer, Kristen Copeland, will be traveling to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London to care for TeamUSA athletes. What truly sets his practice, LIFEStrength Family Chiropractic, apart is his dedication to Maximized Living, an international approach to chiropractic care which focuses on uniformity and the five essentials for a complete lifestyle. Dr. Copeland and Kristen will be traveling to London at the end of July to spend two weeks working with USA Wrestling, USA Judo and ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Sunday, June 3rd was a day of celebration for the Family Church. Members of both the Marco Island Family Church and the Naples Family Church gathered together at South Beach for a Family Church Barbecue and Baptism. Under the Family Church umbrella is a fellowship on Marco Island as well as a location in Naples. The Naples Family Church hosts services in both English and Spanish. Pastor Tim Neptune of Marco, Pastor Ben Sprankle of Naples and Pastor Mardo Jiminez, Pastor of the Spanish-speaking services, gathered with members of each congregation for a pig roast, kayak ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] The Marco Island YMCA recently wrapped its annual Waterwise Program for third grade students at both Tommie Barfield Elementary and Manatee Elementary schools. As the end of each school year approaches, Miss Dottie, Aquatics Specialist at the Y, teaches these students the importance of boating and water safety. With the help of the Marco Island Fire Rescue Department and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 95, the fifteen-plus year program was, once again, a success. “I designed the program over fifteen years ago,” explains Miss Dottie. “Every third grade class at Tommie Barfield has been ... Read More »