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Letter to the Editor: Dr. Jerry Swiacki

| May 30, 2016

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Feature Story | JW Marriott

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Chamber Scholarship Recipients Named

| May 30, 2016

By Don Manley Marine biology, advertising and the fashion industry are just a few of the career paths selected by the eight recipients of the...

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Cheryl Lewis Bacon on My Dad Taught Me
Joe Batte on An Islander’s Reflection on The Wall That Heals
Elroy Cady on Exploring the Secrets of the Mangroves
Gary & Glori Stringham on Saying Goodbye to A Friend
Ragna Peterson Weaver on Saying Goodbye to A Friend

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Marco Makes a Move Or is it just another stalling…

| May 30, 2016

Editorial

Letter to the Editor: Dr. Jerry Swiacki

| May 30, 2016

Letter to the Editor: Gerard Baio

| May 30, 2016

A Busy Start to Summer

| May 30, 2016

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Trending Stories

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Marco Locals Open Lakeside Eatery
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Fort Myers Offshore Makes Their Annual Pilgrimage to Marco
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To the Residents of Collier County:
4
Amateur Sports Complex Coming to East Naples
5
Interested in a Perfect Adventure in Paradise?

coastalbreeze_news

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Marco Island Academy students worked around 90 hours; two to three hours a day in June, July and the beginning of August to paint this colorful mural at the Rookery Bay Shell Island Field Station. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The previously white wall was transformed into a 30-foot long artistic mural portraying the plants, wildlife and research science occurring at Rookery Bay. The mural will also be used as a visual teaching tool for Collier County Public School’s environmental education programs.
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Diversity, relationships, learning, and protection are just some of the themes represented beautifully by paintings of microscopes, sharks, aquariums, and sea turtles. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To read more about what the mural represents, search "MIA Students Create" on our website to see the full article.

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Ground-breaking findings at @corkscrewswamp about ghost orchids and their pollination by moths was published in September in Scientific Reports, an open-access journal from the publishers of Nature.
The Scientific Reports article follows a presentation at Corkscrew in July at which National Geographic explorers Mac Stone and Peter Houlihan revealed photographs showing a Fig Sphinx Moth (Pachylia ficus) pollinating Corkscrew’s legendary “Super” Ghost Orchid. “ This effort not only fundamentality changes the long-accepted theory about ghost orchid pollination, it reminds us that we still have so much to learn about our backyard wildernesses,” said Stone, whose camera took the historic photos.

The authors suggest that their findings have “broader implications for the conservation of an endangered species, orchids globally, and the importance of Everglades restoration.” The study also calls for elevating protection of ghost orchids from state to federal status, saying that “poaching, historical logging, sprawling development and habitat degradation, and climate change” all threaten the existence of ghost orchids.

Visit our website and find the story in the feature section to read more about the fascinating ghost orchids and the report!
Photos by @macstonephoto featuring the “Super” Ghost Orchid and @peter_houlihan photographing the orchid in a bald cypress.

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Rookery Bay Research Reserve Sea Turtle Program has been monitoring sea turtles on the uninhabited islands of Kice and Cape Romano since 2003. In 2019, the Cape Romano Complex has recorded 104 total nests and recorded 4,778 hatchlings!

According to Sarah Norris, during the sea turtle season (May-October) the female sea turtle will come ashore to lay multiple nests per season. The females hang back and return in about 10-14 days to lay another nest. Females lay an average of about four nests. This information is confirmed by the nighttime research that is being done by the Conservancy. The average number of eggs in a nest is from 80 – 120 eggs and Sarah has seen a low of 42 and upwards to 140 eggs.

In these isolated islands, the nests are caged to protect them from predators such as raccoons. A wire cage is placed on top of the nesting area and fitted down 6-8 inches into the ground. The ends fold outwards so if a raccoon starts to dig and hits the flap, that is enough to deter them. These are referred to as “self-releasing cages” where the hatchlings can easily fit through and crawl out on their own.

Pictured is intern Laura Blessings.
Visit our website to read more about the Rookery Bay Research Reserve Sea Turtle Program.

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“Seabirds and Plastic, a Deadly Combination” was the second presentation in the Breakfast with the Birds series hosted by Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. It featured Adam DiNuovo of Audubon, Florida, (AF), who has 20 years’ experience working with shorebirds and seabirds on the East, West and Gulf coasts. For the last four years, Adam has been a biologist for AF and also its Collier Shorebird Monitoring and Stewardship Program Manager.
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According to Brad Cornell of Audubon of the Western Everglades, “Marco Island has one of the biggest nesting colonies of least terns and black skimmers in Florida.” Currently, at the black skimmer colony at the tip of Sand Dollar Island, it is “chick-a-palooza” with many sets of two and three chicks, according to Jean Hall. She also observed that there is a good steady fish delivery going on.
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In his presentation, Adam’s first slide was an idyllic photo of a black skimmer feeding a freshly hatched downy chick. He warned the audience that the rest of the presentation would take on a darker side and “as cute as this photo is, the only thing that does NOT contain plastic is maybe the outside of that fish.”
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Black skimmers nest each summer on gulf beaches, much like Marco Island’s Sand Dollar Island. A Largo resident and nature lover, Karen Mason captured the photo of a black skimmer with a cigarette butt in its beak, feeding it to its fluffy newborn chick. It mistook the cigarette butt for a white minnow that it skimmed off the shallow part of the surf.
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So, how pervasive a threat is plastic to seabirds?
In 1960, 5% of seabirds contained plastic.
In 2019, 95% of seabirds contain plastic.
In 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

How can you help?
Click on the link in our bio, and learn more about the steps you can take to minimize the plastic in our waterways, and preserve our paradise. 📷 Photos by Beth Reynolds & Karen Mason.

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For the third year Marco Island Academy offered the Ambassadors of the Environment (ADTE) camp in collaboration with the Jean Michel Cousteau Ocean Futures Society. Filled with adventure, and learning experiences! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ambassadors Campers head deep into the Cypress Dome to learn about the plants and animals that live there. Jr. Ambassadors observe a mini-reef by Ocean Habitats, and board the Dolphin Explorer learning all about dolphins, mangroves, frigate birds, piping plover, Reddish Egret, and more.
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So many amazing activities, all provided with the same goal of protecting and learning about the beautiful environment in which we reside.

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The Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) needs your help with the Marco Memory Project.
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There are currently thousands of photographs in the MIHS collections with limited context, unidentified people, places, or events. Help the MIHS identify the people, places, dates, and happenings pictured and be recognized in the next issue of Coastal Breeze News.
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To see more photos, this project can be viewed on the Marco Island Historical Society’s Facebook page. Thank you for interest in saving Marco Island history!
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Send your submissions to collections@themihs.org.

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Hurricane season has begun and with it the anxieties of new storms on the horizon. With the scars of Irma still fresh in the minds of many Florida residents, it becomes more pressing than ever to be informed about the nature of hurricanes and what one should do if another happens to strike the area.
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The first line of defense for all residents of Collier County is the Emergency Services Center, headed by the director Dan Summers. “We are actively involved 365 days a year,” says Summers, monitoring for all multihazard threats including hurricanes. They recently unveiled a system called Alert Collier, a service you register for online which sends emergency response alerts and updates straight to your mobile phone – it can be accessed at Collier County’s government website. “Alert Collier is a big push for us,” Summers added, noting how it could prove to be a potent tool which can help better inform county residents and provide important information in such events like hurricanes.
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In the probable event of a tropical storm hitting the area, it’s best to plan ahead to evacuate. In areas like Marco Island, pre-planning is important as the bridges to and from the island are closed when sustained winds get too high. Evacuation plans are especially important if the hurricane reaches upwards of a category four or five. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale notes storms of this kind can reach over 130 mph and can cause significant damage to all structures and utilities, including flattening mobile homes and older houses, leaving some areas without accessible food or water for days, weeks or even a month.
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The goal is to keep vigilant and always be prepared with every coming hurricane season. With the material provided by Collier County and the City of Marco Island websites, among others, it’s advised to begin planning now – it could make all the difference.
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For more info and advice on preparing for hurricane season, click the link in our bio!!

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For the athletes that participated in Sunday’s 33rd Annual Fitness Challenge Triathlon, their experience started 12-16 weeks ago. This triple-treat event combining running, bicycling and swimming has grown in popularity all over the country according to USA Triathlon, the organization that governs triathlon races.
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To add more challenge to this year’s event, an International Distance event was added. It meant a ½ mile swim; bike distance of 18.8 miles and a 5 mile run. With temperature in the mid 80s at start time – you have to dig deep during the last mile of the run.
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It was a bit easier for the sprint portion of the triathlon which started with a 5K run, bike 15 miles and swim ¼ mile on the Gulf of Mexico. The cold water was a refreshing finish to all the tri-athletes.
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Finishers’ medals were guaranteed to all finishers. At packet pick-up, race bags and a tech shirt were included, and a scrambled eggs/pancake breakfast awaited all participants at the finish line.
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The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Course has been the venue for this race for 30+ years. It has been in the news with developer, Athens Group planning to tear down the current hotel with plans to develop a smaller hotel with residential condos throughout the 120-acre property. Residents nearby have been very vocal with their concerns that a seven-story beachfront hotel is not in keeping with Naples’ “small town charm.”
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If this happens, there is talk that the 34th Annual Fitness Challenge Triathlon will be held in nearby Vanderbilt Beach.
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Congratulations to all Marco Island tri-finishers: Nicole Cholka, Tara Snyder, Eileen Poling, Charles Lamb, Dawn Snyder, Paul Tateo, Laura Poelstra, Thomas Lang, Alice Poelstra, Logan Meester, Karla Meester and Michael Jackman
Tag the finishers you know in the comment section below!

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Keriellen Lohrman recently greeted a group of visitors at the parking lot of the Bird Gardens of Naples.
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Keriellen is the owner of the Bird Gardens of Naples, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is parrot welfare. It is an outreach and placement program that places parrots, which are abandoned, abused or in need of a home, into safe custody. They do have a few “nice birds” for adoption, but most of the parrots are too wild to be re-integrated.
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Before you even begin the tour, you can hear the parrots screaming. Keriellen greeted guests with her dog, Roxy, who is going on nine years. Keriellen told the group that for Roxy, this is her forever home, but for the parrots, there is no forever home, as they can live up to 100-plus years.
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The group was invited to enter a large cage with a few ground rules. “If you hold out a nut in your hand, they will fly down the cage and take it. And if you offer them a finger, they will take that, too.” Soon, a beautiful macaw landed on someone’s shoulder, with claws digging into flesh. It was feeding time and the macaws were trained to land from one outstretched arm to the other.
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The group visited rows of caged, beautiful macaws, rose breasted cockatoos, conures and eclectus, and fed them unsalted nuts (no peanuts) through the cages. All enjoying their beauty and intelligence.
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Bird Gardens of Naples is located at 1060 Purple Martin Drive, Naples. Tours are generally at 11 AM, Thursday through Sunday. Reservations are required online at birdgardensofnaples.org. The cost is free but donations are welcome.

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Local swimmer Maddy Burt’s personal breakthrough came about 7 years after she started swimming on the Marco YMCA’s Swim Florida team.
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By her own admission, she’d been an OK competitor in those early years, but at age 12 something clicked. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“I’d been on the (Marco YMCA) swim team since I was 5, but I suddenly thought to myself: ‘Whoa! I might be kind of good at this.’ I could feel I was getting better all the time,” Burt said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Indeed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Fast forward just five short years, and Burt today finds herself within a second of the Olympic qualifying time in her favorite stroke of butterfly over the distance of 100 meters. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
She also finds herself the recent recipient of the Southwest Florida Swimmer of the Year, and in recent months has found herself being wooed by an impressive assortment of schools that include Harvard, Purdue, Navy, LSU, the University of Miami and FSU. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Not to mention the University of Arizona, which won her over during a recent visit to the campus. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Burt trains mornings and afternoons twice a week, varying between sprints and long distance, and she also works out in a gym. Because she burns so many calories during what is basically non-stop training, Burt slugs down lots of chocolate milk and eats plenty of pasta and chicken. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In national competition (six meets), she’s had her good and bad moments, but she takes them in her stride. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Sometimes I haven’t done what I’ve wanted, and I’ve been upset – obviously because I could have performed better,” she said. “But I know I have made it to a national level and that I can work harder.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Congrats Maddy!

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Mary Nelson (@turtleladymary) , Marco Island’s Sea Turtle Lady has been monitoring the sea turtles on Marco’s beaches for over 25 years. According to Mary, last year was a down year. But with the changes made to the beach by the regrade project, she is optimistic that the sea turtles will be willing to nest in those areas.
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Mary has been busy since mid-April checking the beaches from South Beach to the end of Sand Dollar Island everyday looking for signs of early arrivals. In the past, we’ve had a nest during the last week of April.
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According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy about 90% of all sea turtles nesting in the United States takes place on Florida’s beaches between May 1st and October 31st. A very long time ago, Florida’s beaches were dark and quiet, which was perfect for sea turtle nesting.
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Unfortunately, Marco’s beach is now lined with hotels, condos and time shares, and collectively they shine bright artificial lights on the beach. According to Mary Nelson, the number one reason for false crawls are artificial light shining on the beach after 9 PM. If hatchlings veer off the beach, they face a slim chance of survival. Only one in 1,000 hatchlings will make it to maturity.
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Mary has noticed more people on the beach at night making noise, using flashlights, flash photography and cell phones. All of these activities can discourage females from coming ashore to nest or cause them to nest in less than ideal locations.
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The loggerhead sea turtle is protected as a Threatened species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a federally-designated Threatened Species by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule, and by Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act (379.2431, Florida Statutes).
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For more info on how you can help click the link in our bio!

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Getting ready to be wheeled out of his hospital room for cardiac surgery, Jim Paradise, being the consummate entrepreneur, grabs his ringing cellphone from his bedside table to take the call. A news reporter on the other end of the line asks him for a comment on a fire which has burned his 72-foot yacht to the waterline.
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Paradise would turn to his son and ask, “What is going on with the boat?” To which his son replied, “Well Dad, we were going to wait to tell you until after your surgery.” His 72-foot Azmut yacht would be a total loss, but that never fazed its owner.
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Jim Paradise jokingly turned to the anesthesiologist and told him to bump up the dose. He tells that story with a smile on his face and a good-natured chuckle. It’s how the owner of one of the hottest new spots for entertainment and food in the Goodland/Marco area sees life.
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Paradise purchased the Old Marco Lodge over a year ago. He has made a number of upgrades and improvements to the well-known eatery over the last several months and then opened for season. He renamed it Paradise Found after his boat, and the rest has been history.
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The laid-back atmosphere, good food and delicious refreshments, in addition to great entertainment, is what Paradise feels is the winning recipe for the thriving Goodland marketplace.
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Paradise Found is open Wednesday through Monday starting at 11:30 AM and is closed on Tuesdays. They have a complimentary shuttle that transports overflow parkers from the center of Goodland across from Stan’s for those that might need a quick lift around the corner.
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Paradise Found is located at 401 Papaya Street in Goodland

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For the last seven years, Lipman has provided children in need with the supplies required for the coming school year. Now in its fifth year, the annual Lipman 5K Run for Backpacks raises the funds needed to make that happen. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, May 11 at 8 AM at Immokalee High School, 701 Immokalee Drive.

Last year’s Lipman 5K Run raised enough money to fill over 1,500 backpacks with school supplies and provide 200 bicycles, $3,000 in clothing store gift cards, and 100 children’s haircuts at the Lipman Family Farms Backpack Giveaway. “It’s about more than just giving back,” said Jaime Weisinger from Lipman Family Farms, America’s largest open-field tomato grower. “It’s about providing these kids with a brighter future. Every chance we get to help children learn, grow and develop their skills, we are all in. Preparing them for school is just one of the ways we are here for this community.”
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Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Jaime.weisinger@lipmanfamilyfarms.com.
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For more information, visit @lipmanfamilyfarms
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Click the link in our bio to register!!

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Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples’ premier professional regional theatre, has opened registration for its 2019 summer camp programs, serving students ages 6 to 18.
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Children who dream of going somewhere over the rainbow can take part in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” through the “Star in a Show, Jr.” program. Running June 10 through 28, students ages 6 to 8 can participate in “Star in a Show Jr.” for $375.
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Younger students who enroll in the half-day program take on triple roles as Munchkins, Flying Monkeys, and Crows in the musical. The experience concludes with performances on June 27 at 7 PM and June 28 at 3 PM and 7 PM.
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A one-week program will be offered July 8-12. “Broadway Bootcamp” offers participation in songs, scenes and dances from some of Broadway’s biggest hits. The camp is broken into two age groups:
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-Broadway Bootcamp, for ages 9 to 14, will take place from 1 to 4 PM. ($250 fee)
-Broadway Bootcamp Jr. for ages 6 to 8, will take place from 9 AM to noon. ($250 fee)
Both programs culminate in a recital on July 12 at 7 PM.
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Gulfshore Playhouse Education is also presenting this summer “Les Misérables” through their Teen Conservatory program, a pre-professional musical theatre program for students ages 13 to 18. Directed by Broadway veteran Becky Timms of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Cats,” performances will be held Aug. 1-4 and 6-10 at 7 PM and Aug. 2, 4 and 9 at 2 PM. Tickets are available by contacting 239-261-7529.
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To register, visit City of Naples parks and recreation offices.
Need-based scholarships are available for all programs.

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Local surfers enjoy some waves recently on a beautiful spring day at Naples Pier! 🌊
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Photos by @franksteigerphotography

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April 22nd started as an adventurous morning for members of Junior Leadership Marco 2019. A group of 5 students took to the wilder side of Marco forging a chilly crossing of the Tigertail Lagoon to celebrate Earth Day.
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Why is Earth Day important to this leadership group? Chess Felice wrote, “Today is also a day when we can think about additional ways we can protect the Earth.”
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Yosiel Lopez added, “along with my mother’s birthday, Earth Day is a great reminder to begin protecting it because we only have one.”
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Sommar Kashey stated, “We must keep our ecosystem clean in order to keep our wildlife, and even ourselves, safe.”
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Jake Lowe said, “I enjoy fishing, boating and hunting and I would not be able to enjoy these activities without a healthy environment.”
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Bek Rahmonov offered this suggestion: “To keep the air clean, consider riding a bike to the store instead of taking the car. It is important to protect the Earth for generations to come.”
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According to Jayme Lowe, who was the parent coordinator for the morning trip, “It is important to educate others on why this area is so special for endangered species and to create awareness so we become more responsible for our actions and surroundings.”
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The students enrolled in The Junior Leadership Program have visited the Marco Island Historical Museum as part of History Day and also learned how to put out a grill fire using a fire extinguisher under the supervision of the Marco Island Fire Rescue. Beach/Earth Day is the third program in the series.
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In conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, Junior Leadership is a great opportunity for students in grades 8-12 to learn and understand the different facets of Marco Island. It is a unique opportunity to meet many leaders in the community that make a positive impact on our island.
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For more information on the Junior Leadership program, email ocmileadership@gmail.com.
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Photos by Maria Lamb.

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You may have noticed some new inhabitants in the Calusa Park Butterfly Garden of late.
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The Calusa Garden Club recently led the release of 125 of the elegant, graceful, multihued insects at the garden to mark its 10th anniversary. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“It’s survived 10 years,” Susan LaGrotta, chairperson of the club’s Butterfly Garden Committee, told the assemblage before the butterflies were freed. “The first three (years), we didn’t have any water. We would run across from the baseball field with coolers of water to water the plants.”
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LaGrotta and the other attendees stood on a cement walkway bordered by an impressive array of well-tended and healthy native plants and flowers, a far cry from the garden’s rustic beginnings.
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The butterflies were purchased by participants in the event, which occurred just before Easter and also served to honor the memories of loved ones who have passed away.
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Regina Dayton and her husband were among those who attended the butterfly release.
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“I think it’s a beautiful thing to support the garden,” said Regina Dayton. “But I also think that during Holy Week, Susan’s comments about life, resurrection and the beauty of beyond were so telling. So this was an important thing for me to do to remember members of my family.”
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This was the first butterfly release at the park and LaGrotta said the club would like it to become an annual event.
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Photos by Don Manley.

Instagram post 2034315521557780865_3020686036

Twenty years ago, Marco Island Charter Middle School’s Physical Fitness Instructor, Cheryl Toth, asked the Marco Island Fire Rescue Department to help train students in water safety. Mrs. Toth worked with former Battalion Chief Donny Jones to develop a course, which became a regular part of the curriculum for all eighth-grade students.
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This year saw more than 100 students successfully complete the course which included adult, child and infant CPR, as well as the use of an AED. The students learn best practices when it comes to life-saving techniques, including the Heimlich maneuver, and are certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) upon completing the course. Imagine over 2,000 people with the ability to save a life, all through Mrs. Toth’s class!
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Chris Bowden, a paramedic firefighter for the Marco Island Fire Rescue Department was the facilitator of the course at Marco Island Charter Middle School (MICMS) this year, along with Tony Gordon, Dirk Switken, Pat O’Gorman, Brian Asbell, and Hafid Oliver. Bowden credits teamwork for the program’s success. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Since becoming a firefighter, Bowden was directly involved in saving the lives of seven people whose heart had stopped.
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This year, a popular addition was made to the class when the students heard about the MIFRD’s canine mannequin. They requested training for it, too. With just a few extra minutes of training students can now resuscitate man’s best friend! If interested, the MIFRD has an emergency pet care card which is to be completed and kept on the refrigerator. In case of emergency, the card helps the department find care for your pet if you’re not able to care for them. One can also sign up to offer pet foster care.
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Once a month the Marco Island Fire Rescue Department offers CPR classes to the public free of charge at Fire Station #50. MIFRD will provide training at your place of business for larger groups. Watch for more information on upcoming canine CPR training sessions.
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