Southwest Spotlight - December 2011

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S O U T H W E S T

DECEMBER 2011Vol.2, No.12 FREE

Events, things to do and opportunities to give back to our community in and around Bonita Springs PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAI

FT MYERS, FLPERMIT #980

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOECRWSS

YMCA Update

Issues and AnswerMayoral Election

Assistance Office

Tennis tourney

A specialChristmas gift

Bonitas

Best Friend

Inside

20,000 circulatio12,000 direct-ma

Bonita Fires EMS bidBy Peter R. [email protected]

Bonita Springs Phil Kinsey thought back to days aquarter century ago, before he was Chief Kinsey, leaderof the Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District. Istarted as a probationary firefighter, and they sent me tofire school. When I got out I was a firefighter firstresponder.

Kinsey attended Edison State for advanced training,and he remembers his teacher there. Kim was my paramedicinstructor. I worked with her when she was a medic on theroad. Ive known Kim a long time, said Kinsey.

I have a lot of respect for Kim, and a lot of respect for

her organization, he said.Kim is Chief Kim Dickerson, who runs EmergencyMedical Services for the Lee County government.

Dickerson recalled her time at Edison State where, inthe 1990s, she took a hiatus from almost 30 years at LeeEMS while our kids were smaller. I have a lot of respectfor Phil Kinsey, she said of her former pupil.

Today Dickerson and Kinsey find themselves on oppositesides of an ongoing disagreement between Bonita Fire andLee EMS over who should operate the emergency ambulanceservice in Bonita Springs.

Dickerson believes the current Lee EMS ambulancesystem is working well. Kinsey has a different take. Unfor-tunately, while adequate, it is not an efficient system, hesaid. Bonita Fire can do better, he believes.

Kinsey has asked the Lee County Board of CountyCommissioners to approve Bonita Fires proposal to replaceLee EMS as emergency ambulance provider in BonitaSprings.

Community support for Bonita Fires proposal isextensive. Bonita Springs City Council, the Bonita SpringsArea Chamber of Commerce and community groups haveendorsed it. Over one thousand petition signatures havebeen gathered. Continued on page A12

By Peter R. [email protected]

Bonita Springs The pro-posed new home for theCaf of Life is on a streetnamed Nomad. That sounds

like just the right addressfor the Bonita Springs char-itable organization that hasspent seven years lookingfor a permanent home.

Awhile back the CafsBruce Wheatley was told thata proposed site for his or-ganization did not meet thelocal zoning code. Again.Another site was way tooexpensive. Again. Then a

proposal to serve lunchesfrom a church kitchen, re- jected by the congregation.And on, and on.

The Caf serves hot

lunches to the needy in Boni-ta. Over the years, Wheatleyand his fellow volunteershave learned that their mis-sion of service comes witha burden, the need to dealwith trepidations of others

about the poor they serve.Now, the Caf has fash-ioned a new plan for asite in the Rosemary Park

Cafs search continueson Nomad Street

Continued on page A20

Staff Photo | [email protected]

A Lee County ambulance is parked at the Bonita Springs firehouse on BonitaGrande Drive. The Bonita Springs Fire and Rescue District has asked the LeeCounty Board of County Commissioners to approve Bonita Fires proposal toreplace Lee EMS as the emergency ambulance provider in Bonita Springs.


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Page A2 Southwest Spotlight December 2

Locally owned and

operated since 2010(239) [email protected]

PO Box 1946

Bonita Springs, FL 34133

Southwest Spotlight, LLC

swspotlight.com

S O U T H W E S T

PublisherPeter A. O'Flinn

[email protected]

This monthA5 Lions roar

A6 YMCA update

A6 Winner takes all

A9 A special Christmas gift

A10 Assistance Office

A16 Decorating BonitaA16 Bonitas Hall of Fame

A18 Issues and AnswersMayoral Election

B1 Alternative energy atSpring Creek

B4 Congratulations

B14 Tennis Challenge

B20 The officialconcert band

Every Issue

A6 Up and Down the trail

A9 Ben Nelsons column

A15 SpotlightReal Estate Watch

A16 Bonita Business Beat

A19Opportunitiesto give back

A23 Sunset of the month

A23 Letters to the editor

B1 Why I love living inBonita Springs

B2 Events

B8 Artist of the monthEileen Walden Johnso

B15 Catch of the month

B19 Bonitas Best Friends

B22 Restaurant Guide

Advertising SalesKathy O'[email protected]

Office ManagerKatie O'[email protected]

Contributing WritersBill BarnesCharles J. CavaliereD. K. ChristiMeghan EasterlyChad GillisMax HarrisDorota HarrisBen Nelson Jr.Peter R. O'FlinnHeather Thomson

Contributing PhotographeChris GriffithWilliam L. MeyersDavid MichaelRobert L. Smith

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December 2011 Southwest Spotlight Pag


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By D.K. [email protected]

Bonita Springs Lions roar and may be heard for miles.

The same may be said forthe Bonita Springs LionsClub celebrating its 50thAnniversary in 2012. Theirsuccess is heard far beyondBonita Springs, the smallcity with big ideas.

I joined the Lionsbecause life has been goodto me and my gratitude isexpressed by giving back,said President Bob Hilliard.

Hilliard has been a mem-ber since 2005 and Presidentof the Bonita Springs LionsClub for three years. LionsClub members are men andwomen who strive to makea difference in their localcommunity as well as incommunities worldwidethrough an organizationfounded in 1917. Their vol-unteer efforts go beyond thesupport of vision care, toaddressing unmet healthand education needs world-wide.

Hilliard has two maingoals for the Bonita SpringsLions Club 50th Anniversary

Celebration year. The firstmajor project celebrates theFebruary Grand Re-Openingof the expanded eye clinicto include the eye surgery

center. The clinic is locatedon the Lions Club campusat 10346 PennsylvaniaAvenue. Lions Club Inter-national Foundation Chair-man, Sid Shruggs, willheadline both this event andthe members 50th Anniver-sary Gala February 18. Boni-ta Springs resident, HowardFreedman, M.D., is the vol-unteer Medical Director,assisted by volunteer eyesurgeons and assistants fromBonita Springs and the sur-rounding area. Eye care serv-ices are provided for lowincome patients withoutmedical insurance and alsoinclude clinic day at iTECHin Immokalee.

Bonita resident CharLupke and ten other DeltaGamma sorority alumni vol-unteers perform basicscreening tests prior toexamination by the oph-thalmologist. Vision is ournational philanthropy, andthe chance to provide serv-ices to so many who have

no other options is veryrewarding. Lupkes com-mand of Spanish providesextra help in meeting clientneeds.

Former patient ArthurNavarre thanked the LionsClub after receiving servicesthat made it possible toimprove his academic per-formance, This act (of kind-ness) has truly touched myheart. Nearly 4000 eligiblepatients received eye clinicservices since 2008. Servicesbeyond the scope of the clin-ic have often been met by

local eye surgeons.Hilliards second 50th

Anniversary goal is to seemore new members.

As an older, established

organization, we need newmembers to continue grow-ing and serving. Membersalso enjoy regular dinnermeetings, special functionsand networking. My wife isa member. The camaraderiewith a common mission cre-ates wonderful friendshipsfor life. There are currently140 members. That doesntinclude the organization

specifically for youth, theCubs. Lions Club has nopaid executives and allincome from communityprojects is returned to the

community, approximately$300,000 a year in BonitaSprings. Overhead costs arepaid through membershipsand member activities.

Scholarships, grants andsupport for other commu-nity activities include over$30,000 granted to the LeeCounty School District forEstero High Schools Certi-fied Nursing Assistant pro-gram and a childrens playarea at Riverside Park, acces-sible to children with dis-abilities.

Where does the moneycome from? This all-volun-teer organization has mul-

tiple projects that not onlyraise funds but also providea community benefit. Over2500 square feet of clothing,house wares, furniture andmore are donated and recy-cled for sale to the public atthe Lions Club campus. Asone sorting volunteer said,we sort according towhether we would buy theitem. Special treasures are

always a possibility. Astarted in the 70s widonation of two uschool trailers delivethe current campus lo

Those two trailers expto todays three buiThe Lions Club campuers a half block.

The Saturday moFarm Fresh Market Promenade and thegreen market on OldWednesday morningvide space at a reasocost monthly, and vekeep their own profitsFresh Market is a bufresh, local food chcaramel corn, jewelryand new books (with apresent), a variety oand crafts and morebut not least is the

you can eat Saturday PBreakfast, January thApril, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m

Celebrate the BLions Club 50th Annivwith a new treasurethe thrift store, pancameeting neighbors Farm Fresh Markemore information aboLions Club go to wwwtalions.org .


Bonita Lions roar for their 50th Anniversary

As an older, established organization,we need new members to continue

growing and serving. Bob Hilliard, President,

Bonita Springs Lions Club


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Bonita YMCA reopeninga tantalizing possibility

December is shaping up

as an important time inongoing efforts to reopenthe Bonita Springs YMCA.

We are going tomake an offer, to purchasethe Bonita facility, KenModzelewski told theSpotlight in an interviewat Thanksgiving time.Modzelewski is Chief Exec-utive Officer ofSouth Coun-ty Family YMCA of Venice.The Bonita Springs facilityis owned by a Collier Countyorganization, the YMCA ofthe Palms.

Hopefully we can makesomething happen, saidModzelewski, We wouldlike to have something donein early December. At thesame time, he expressedskepticism befitting a realestate negotiation. The[Palms] is saying Lets talk.I guess you can read betweenthe lines. But I dont knowif what they have in mind isgoing to be palatable to us.If they want to continuespending money keeping itclosed, I guess that is theirprerogative.

Hopefully, the Naplesfolks will accept the [SouthCounty] offer, said DennisChurch, who served as chairof the former Bonita SpringsAdvisory Board to thePalms. According to ThomasSchreck, Churchs formerAdvisory Board colleague,generous Bonita Springsdonors have pledged pre-commitments towards partof the purchase price.

In the six months sincethe Palms put the Bonitafacility in mothballs, the for-mer Bonita Advisory Boardmembers have worked tire-lessly to facilitate reopeningthe facility. That has requireda combination of persistenceand patience.

Along with South Countyand Palms officials they par-ticipated in meetings withnational YMCA of the USAofficials. The Palms hasagreed to give up BonitaSprings as part of its YMCAservice area in contemplationof South County taking itover.

In response to Churchsrequest, the City confirmedthat any change in the useof the Bonita YMCA prop-erty would require anamendment to the 2001 lawthat approved the facility inthe environmentally sensitiveDensity Reduction Ground-water Resource, or DRGR.

Recently, South Countys

board of trustees approveda business plan that includedBonita Springs. Earlier thisyear, the Venice organizationtook over all Lee CountyYMCA operations other thanBonita Springs.

Also, the Palms banklender has reportedly indi-cated it would approve atransfer of the Bonita facilityto South County.

Modzelewski of SouthCounty is keen to limitmonies paid to purchase theproperty because of antici-pated start up costs. Assum-ing a sale is agreed, Schreckanticipates a fundraisingoperating campaign.

Winner takes allThe upcoming Bonita

City Council race in District4, with its four candidates,has a lot of local politicalprognosticators scratchingtheir heads. Will Bonita Baysplit its vote between the twocandidates living in that com-munity? Is there a gendervote in Bonita Springs and,if so, will it benefit the solewoman candidate? Will themore experienced politicalhands split some of the vote?Will the Republican Partyprimary benefit some of thecandidates in this otherwisenon-partisan election?

Its anybodys guess whowill win, but with the crowd-ed field, there is a very goodchance that the winner willnot have a majority of thevotes cast. If that comes topass, it will be a first in theCitys short history. Unlikeprevious elections, theground rules now providethat to win a candidate onlyneeds the highest numberof votes. The requirementfor a runoff between the twotop vote getters, if neitherhas a majority of votes cast,has been dropped.

The rule change is theresult of amendments to theCitys Charter, approved bya 62 percent vote in 2010.That is the subject that wespent more time on thananything else we did, saidDennis Berens, a member

of the Citys Charter ReviewCommittee that year.

The 2008 mayoral runoff,which cost the City over$40,000, was a catalyst thatled to the charter review,said Berens. That was prob-ably the one thing that I gotthe most comments on fromthe public. They felt it was awaste of money for the City,and also a problem for thecandidates because theyessentially had to run again.

It was not a casual exer-cise, said Berens. The com-mittee enlisted the helpof Floridas Gulf Coast

Universitys political sdepartment and Lee Celections supervisor SHarrington in an atto develop a less expalternative.

If the new pluralityprovision previouslbeen in place, the Cityical history might havedifferent turns. In 2000McCurdygarnered 4cent of the vote to Pau24 percent, only to lPass in a runoff. CMayor Ben Nelson, Jr32 percent of the voteleven votes behindHutchins in the 2000 D6 election, but went defeat Hutchins by 20in a runoff.

Some may think thPresident can be electedout a majority, itsenough for City Cseats. In 1992, Bill Creceived only 43% vote and in 2000 GW. Bush actually lopopular vote but woPresidency.

MeanderingsArecent community mheld at Village Walk cilman Bill LonkarCaptain Kathy Rairdthe Lee County Sheoffice addressed commconcerns about noisepractice shooting of firin the area north of Beach Road. Loinformed the groupshooting would cease orange property re

acquired by the Southda Water Managementrict. Residents expconcern that shootintinues at other nearbyFlorida law is generalmissive of shooting ovate property, said RaSafety is the overridincern. Concerning shpractice in unauthareas (for example, shover a public road), trequires deputies to acatch violators in theshooting, she said. drive out there and theguns, but they are not ing, it makes it difficu

us, said Rairden. If decould catch people [illshooting out therewould be the highlitheir weekNothiworse than respondincall about somebody ing at the end of a roa you get there and ahave are shotgun shel


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By Ben Nelson [email protected]

Bonita Springs I dontknow why this one Christ-

mas memory sticks in mymind, but its actually oneof my first memories. I canstill feel the excitement oftearing open the paper, thesmell of the tree... even thecomfy feel of pajamas withfeet built into them. I wasfive years old.

When I opened the boxand found the blue and yel-low plastic wind up seaplane,it somehow immediatelycemented itself in my mindas the greatest Christmas giftI ever received or likely everwould. I barely rememberanything else about it, howlong I had it or what became

of it, but it remains a won-derful, comforting memory.Although the Christmas

spirit remains alive insidemany of us, that unbridledexcitement that we experi-enced in our childhood isdifficult to recapture. Asadults we open our giftspolitely, casually. Sometimes,its an article of clothing thatmakes us wonder if the per-

son who gave it to you hasmistaken us for someoneelse, possibly of a differentgender. We smile and thankthem, and then wait while

they open the gift weve pur-chased for them. As theyunwrap, with politely createdanticipation, what is obvi-ously a book, you say hope-fully I think youll like this!Unbeknownst to you, theperson youve bought it forhasnt read a book in thelast decade, but still they givea cheesy grin and say Ohboy, Thanks. You nodproudly, When I saw thatit was about improving onestable manners I immediatelythought of you! MerryChristmas!

A Christmas or two agoI received a gift from my

wife that was right on parwith that great gift of longago something that I hadwanted in a very elementaryschool way for months. Ihad noticed kids flyingaround the mall on sneakersthat had wheels built intothem, and although theyseemed to irritate mosteverybody... I thought, Howcool is that! You could be

walking along and then justlean back on your heels andglide through (or over) theother shoppers gracefullyand effortlessly! I tugged on

Loris arm and pointed fran-ticly at the speeding teenager.Look at that! Ive got to getsome of those. Seriously?she said. You really think

you can do that? I watchedanother teen with his handsin his pockets casually andsilently whizz by. Oh man!Are you kidding? Look how

easy it is! Suuurrre, shesaid... easy to break yourneck.

So, like a kid, that wasabout all I could talk about

for months, until that Christ-mas when I unwrapped apresent and to my surpriseand delight... THERE THEYWERE. Adult sized Heelys.Suddenly I was experiencingthe excitement of being akid again and the world cameto a grinding halt. I had totry them out immediately,so I plopped down on thefloor, slipped them on and

started lacing themYoud better reainstructions first, wLori shaking her Nah.... I got this.

standing up on the diahard tile floor. I toosteps, leaned back otiny wheels and then idiately hit the floor fmy back, just like Idshot. As I laid there dead fish I stuck myout and asked Heyyou hand me those intions?

Weeks later, despitous bruising in areasdont wish to discuss... ly mastered the shoetaking the wheels othem. Theyre not veryfortable and they mweird hollow pop

sound when I walk..havent fallen downwhich strangely enturns out to be one top priorities these da

So, I suppose thaway it is gifts dont hit the mark, but somthey can certainly lmark, whether in ourory or on our weljust leave it at that.


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By Heather [email protected]

Bonita Springs The BonitaSprings Assistance Office is

known for their financialassistance and food pantryprograms. But the historyof the non-profit goes backfurther than that, and head-ed to the holiday season,when helping others hasbecome a priority for Assis-tance Office volunteers andemployees alike, that historyand heritage is more impor-tant than ever.

Back in 1979, FatherFoley, then pastor of St. Leothe Great Catholic Church,and other members of localclergy would meet on a reg-

ular basis, exchanging storiesand discussing the issuesthey saw going on in theBonita Springs area. Sud-denly, they noticed a pattern

between the names and sto-ries. There were people inthe area that were goingfrom church to church, seek-ing help for the differentproblems they faced. Butthe bottom line that theclergy members came upwith was that most of theproblems that locals facedwere similar: they faced anemergency and were nowbehind and needed imme-diate help with their bills,or they could not pay fortheir groceries that month.And so, an idea was born.The idea was to help thepeoples needs, and to pro-

vide a place where the com-munity would know whereto go if help was needed.

Foley and his fellowsraised $6,000 to found thenon-profit organization,which was eventuallybrought to the Lions Club,who are still the main bene-factors of the organization(they pay two-thirds of theBSAOs rent at their new

offices), where WalterShikany would become thefirst director of operations,and Lois Holland wouldlater take the reins. They

provide a hand up, not ahand out.

The founders of theAssistance Office believedthat we all face challengingtimes, where we dont knowwhere to go. Suddenly wehave exhausted all of ourresources and even thoughwe have a job or incomethe situation we find our-selves in puts us in a placewhere we have to choose:do I feed my family, or do Ipay this bill? We are here tohelp people in those typesof situations get back totheir regular lives, to wherethey can sustain themselves,

says Maribel Slabaugh, cur-rent director of BSAO.

The Assistance Officedoes not seek federal grants.They are limiting as to whowe can help and how muchwe can give them, saysSlabaugh. If someone needshelp now, we will help them,no matter what. Insteadthey run the Stocking Fundevery year, in which they

insert a letter of appeal anda testimony from a personthe BSAO has helped. 35 to40 percent of the organiza-tions yearly income isearned from this fund. It isrun during the holiday sea-son every year, and thedonations are from localpeople in the Bonita Springsarea.

At the BSAO, this yearsholiday season is alreadybeing anticipated. WhatSlabaugh and her team callthe Bonita Springs Christ-mas Project, a joint coordi-nation with charities aroundthe Bonita Springs andSouthwest Florida area inorder to serve children andfamilies in the season, served

close to 1300 childthe area last year. Weipate that this year, ththe economy has beenwill be more to be seshe says.

But what really septhe BSAO from manyitable organizations not only do they p

Holiday Seasonat the Bonita Springs Assistance Office

We are lucky to be apart of such a giving

community, whichreally helps us to give

as much as we doevery year,

and every day. Maribel Slabaugh

We wanted to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude for the help we recently rec

through your office.

I never expected to find myself in such a desperate situation. Ive been a hard-working

fessional all my life, so when I was let go, it was devastating.I never realized the magnitude of services that you provide for the citizens of Bo

Springs.

The assistance you provided my family allowed us to keep our home, and not face evi

on top of everything else.

Im happy to report that I found a great job with benefits shortly after meeting with

people at your office. My son is now working as a result of a job lead you gave him. Thing

improving by leaps and bounds!

I must admit, I was scared and embarrassed to ask for help. Maribel made the pr

smooth and comfortable. She didnt make us feel ashamed. On the contrary, she made us

derstand that our story was very common these days. In fact, Im now inspired to give

through food donation and money when we get in a little better place.

Thank you!

- Anonymous Assistance Office C

Continued on p


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On a November Friday,Dickerson, at her Lee EMSheadquarters off Six MileCypress, and Kinsey andBonita Fire deputy chiefFrank Giuliano, at BonitaFires headquarters on BonitaGrande, discussed BonitaFires bid in extended inter-

views with the Spotlight.

Lee EMS system todayIn the mid 1970s, Lee

EMS began responding tomedical emergencies andtransporting patients toemergency rooms, leavingfar behind the days whenfuneral parlor hearses wereused for ambulance trans-port.

Today, Lee EMS handlesabout 220 calls daily, or80,000 calls per year. It oper-ates 28 full time and five 12-hour ambulances. Callvolume swells in peak seasonwhen population increases

to 1.2 million from 640,000.In tough economic times,

we got the culture to changeto look at a justification ofneed, not a justification ofwant, said Dickerson. Six-sigma process management,pioneered by the GeneralElectric Company, wasapplied throughout Lee EMS.We looked at the process,

she said. Where did we haveroadblocks? Where could wemake changes?

Hospital turnaroundtimes were streamlined; hir-ing and procurement systemswere changed. Proposals torelocate facilities are now runthrough simulated comput-erized models. A computer-ized fluid response systemlooks ahead 20 minutes

and recommends ambulancepositioning.

Ambulance responsetimes have been maintainedat 5 minutes countywide,said Dickerson, in spite ofever growing call volume anda budget that, in 2011, is at2004 levels.

Lee EMS costs about $73per year in property taxesfor a house in BonitaSprings assessed at $400,000,according to Dickersonscalculations.

Bonita Fires proposalIn Bonita Springs, there

are about 4,000 EMS calls a

year. 3,000 of these casesrequire patient hospital trans-port. Collier County emer-gency rooms are thedestination about 77 percentof the time.

Lee EMS has three ambu-lance units in Bonita Springs.Two function around theclock, one from the fire houseacross from Pelican Landing;

the other at the BonitaGrande firehouse. A third12-hour daytime unit is locat-ed at the Mango Drive fire-house, south of Bonita BeachRoad.

If Lee EMS operates theemergency ambulance sys-tem, why are Bonitians accus-

tomed to also seeing firetrucks and ambulances pullup to the front door in amedical emergency?

Thats the result of brain-storming by area fire districtsand Lee EMS in the mid1990s. Many firefighters aretrained as advanced life sup-

port paramedics too. It wasdecided to put their abilitiesto use.

Today, thats what hap-pens. With 31 firefighter/paramedics stationed in fivefirehouses, Bonita Fire typi-cally arrives about 2 min-utes quicker than one of LeeEMS three ambulances, andthen hands off patients to

Lee EMS for hospital trans-port, if necessary.

Under its proposal toreplace Lee EMS as emer-gency ambulance providerin Bonita Springs, BonitaFire would deploy threeambulances.

All three ambulances,

including the one at MangoDrive that Lee EMS currentlystaffs for 12 hours, would bestaffed around the clock. Eachambulance would carry threepersonnel, as compared totwo under the current system.Bonita Fire has suggestedthat, at a later date, a fourth

ambulance may be deployed.In 2010 the Board of

County Commissionersasked Bonita Fire and LeeEMS to develop a cooperativetransportation arrangementusing personnel from bothunits. A workable arrange-ment was not developed,with each side blaming theother.

A difference ofview on costs

Bonita Fire and Lee EMShave prepared differing costestimates for Bonita Fire torun the ambulance service.At a recent Lee County Com-mission meeting, Commis-sioner John Manningcharacterized these estimatesas diabolically opposed toeach other. The Commis-sioners decided to appoint ahearing officer to get to thebottom of this thing. BonitaFire and Lee EMS endorsedthat view.

There is a reason whyBonita Fire and Lee EMS arefar apart in their cost esti-mates. Simply put, they havemeasured two differentthings, and that accounts fora large part of the disparity.

Bonita Fire has calculatedthe extra cost to provideambulance service, over andabove what it is now spend-ing. Lee EMS, on the otherhand, has calculated a totalcost, including current costs,for Bonita Fires ambulanceand overall EMS operations.

We are using the peoplewe already have, said BonitaFires Giuliano.

Accordingly, Bonita Firesestimate, $500,000 annually,includes no cost for addi-tional employees to run theambulances, other than$200,000 in overtime expense

and a $22,500 incresalary of a medical di

You have to hasuppression in a commsaid Kinsey. That is aSo we have people heare on duty twentyhours per day, seven week that can providextra layer of serviceare going to be here wwe do that or not.

more efficient use ofpower.

Bonita Fire estimatovertime, ambulanceand other costs wmore that offset by uscurrently paid to LeeWe expect that wprobably break even said Kinsey.

In Dickersons viewta Fires cost estimates at a minimum inclupersonnel cost of 24fighter paramedics nto operate the ambuparticularly becausecalls represent almost 7cent of Bonita Fires c

call volume.I understand they

prevention and buinspection, but in mythere should be perceof your budget attribuwhat it is you do, so yget a true cost and ovecost for what it takes fto provide a particulaice, she said.


EMSfrom page A1

I understand they do fire prevention and

building inspection, but in my mind, thereshould be percentages of your budget attrib-uted to what it is you do, so you can get a

true cost and overhead cost for what it takesfor you to provide a particular service.

Chief Kim Dickerson,Lee County Emergency Medical Services


13/48

By allocating Bonita Firesbudget based on the percentof fire calls, Dickerson hascalculated its cost at severalthousand dollars per EMScall, as compared to less than$300 per call after fee col-lections for Lee EMS. At aLee Commissioners meeting,Kinsey labeled her numbersas designed for shock andawe value for the unin-

formed.

A difference ofview on service

Bonita Fires proposal isintended to improve theservice, said Kinsey. We arenot doing it to justify jobs.We are not doing it to aug-ment our budget. We aredoing it because it is animprovement to the residentsthat we serve.

We are not saying wecan provide better pre-hos-pital care, he said. We canjust do it more efficiently.

Bonita Fire emphasizedits intention that ambulances

will be stationed in Bonitafor primary response withinBonita.

Lee EMS ambulances sta-tioned in Bonita Springsare frequently diverted toother calls in Fort Myersafter dropping off patientsat Lee Memorial hospital,said Giuliano. We wontget caught up in any of that.

Our vehicles will comestraight back.

Lee EMS draws its unitsout periodically for standby,under its fluid response sys-tem, said Kinsey, resultingin one or more ambulancesbeing removed from BonitaSprings in certain demandperiods. Bonita Fires ambu-lances would be located onlyin Bonita Springs.

Also, there is potentialto significantly reduce theneed for fire trucks torespond, said Giuliano.With three person staffingon an ambulance, asopposed to two, we can elim-inate two vehicles going onmost of the calls. Two peopleare not enough most times

for the care that we provide.Lee EMS fluid deploy-

ment system has been animportant part of achievingacceptable response times ina cost efficient manner, saidDickerson.

With three ambulances,Bonita Fire can hardly expectfaster response times thanLee EMS three ambulancesin Bonita, she said. She noted

that the nighttime call vol-ume at Mango Drive, whereBonita Fire proposes to adda 12-hour night shift, is low.

They are going to beshorting themselves on cov-erage, said Dickerson, par-ticularly as the result ofturnaround times at hospitalemergency rooms, whereparamedics must often waitto transition coverage toemergency room staff.

It does not matter whatshirt you have on when youwalk in with your patient ona stretcher, she said. Youget in line. Priority is deter-mined by the severity of a

patients condition. It is allbased on life threat.

Dickerson disagrees withthe notion that Bonita Firewill come straight backto Bonita Springs after adrop off at Lee Memorial.If they transport up toHealthPark and on the wayback down there is a cardiacarrest, we dont want them

driving by it, she said.If they start getting busy,

she said, at some point wewill have to come in andback them up.

Regarding the need forfire trucks to respond, thatcould stop immediately fornon-life threatening callsthrough available advancedphone screening, says Dick-erson.

Dickerson is concernedthat Bonita Fires proposalwould fragment Lee EMSfluid deployment system, andlead other fire districts tofollow in Bonitas footsteps.We have nineteen ways ofproviding fire service. Wewould have multiple waysof providing emergency med-ical services, she said.

I doubt there are twoother districts in the countythat are considering it, saidKinsey. I dont think theywould really do it or couldafford to do it. He notedthat the Fort Myers Beachand Lehigh Acres fire depart-

ments have provided ambu-lance transport for 30 years,and that fire departmentsperform emergency ambu-lance duties throughout thecountry.

That is small solace toDickerson. We routinelyhave to back up Lehighnow, she said. Last peakseason, Lee EMS posted an

additional ambulance onFort Myers Beach to assistthe fire department.

The next stepIts anticipated that early

in 2012, a hearing officer willbe appointed by the LeeCommissioners to make fac-tual findings and a recom-mendation on Bonita Firesproposal. Bonita Fire willparticipate in selecting thehearing examiner and payhalf of the cost. Followingreceipt of the examiners rec-

ommendation, whichbinding, Lee Commiswill decide whetheris a public necessiapprove Bonita Fire

posal.In the meantime

work together every daalthough there is a diffof opinion, when it ito focus on the patienis what we do, said Dson. That is the nuone thing, to make supatients are taken casaid Kinsey.

December 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page

We are not doing itto justify jobs. Weare not doing it to

augment ourbudget. We are

doing it because itis an improvement

to the residentsthat we serve. Chief Phil Kinsey,

Bonita SpringsFire Control and

Rescue District

Staff Photo | info@swspo


14/48



15/48

By Bill BarnesChief Executive OfficerBonita Springs EsteroAssociation of Realtors

Bonita Springs TheOctober 2011 market report

shows a negative result inboth single family homesand condominium closedsales. The market also con-tinues to show a dividebetween the lower pricedproperties and the expensiveproperties. The $500,000 to$600,000 range in all typesof properties is the weakestlink in the market in southLee County.

The single family homesmarket closed 65 home salesin October, this was the low-est monthly total in 2011.This is in contrast to 131closed sales in April of thisyear. 35 of the 65 closed sales

were under $300,000 withmost sales in the $200,000range. These radical swingsin the market are the effectof both national economicproblems and the dailyimpact of international news.Statewide there is 13 percentincrease in unit sales and inLee County the number ofunits is down but the averageprice is up around $10,000

per home sold.The condominium closed

sales continues in its sixthconsecutive month ofdecline. Fortunately 210 newunits poured into the market,a significant increase over

the 139 units in June. Thevast new inventory may givebuyers the choices they wantin price, style and location.From a high of 175 condosales in March the declinein sales bottomed out inOctober with 65 sales. Thislarge increase in inventorycountered by slow salesshould only lead to a drop

in sales prices this comingseason. Forty four of thesixty four condo sales inOctober were under$200,000 which is by far themost sales in the price rangeswe track.

The inability of residentsin northern states to relocateto Florida, despite their wish-es is frozen by the lack ofbuyers in the North Centralstates. Very limited refinanceoptions to use their equityand the insecurity of pensionplans for retired citizens allcontribute to this market.

The high end of the mar-

ket is holding at a near con-stant level.

Local reports are thatactivity in sales has pickedup considerably in Novem-ber, BEAR agents are report-ing 7 day a week busy

schedules as the NationalAssociation of Realtorsexpects a 4 to 5 percentincrease nationwide in 2012over 2011 due to pent updemand, despite financingchallenges. Florida is a choicestate for people on the move,so next months reportshould show considerablegains.


70

70

CE:SOUR

60

50

40

30

20

10

60

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20

10ckoDtaoB&dnaL,toL

0

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ilymaFelSing

Spotlight Real Estate Watch

45

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50

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

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5

10

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0

Highlightsfrom Octobers top 10 sales

10441 Via LombardiaMiromar Lakes

$2,600,00

26444 Hickory Blvd.Bonita Beach

$2,550,00

26470 Rookery Lake Dr.Bonita Bay $1,300,00

23750 Via Trevi Way, #1701The Colony $990,00

2010

January 160

February 175

March 219

April 263

May 174

June 179

July 144

August 132

September 121

October 80

Monthly TransactionsNumber of real estate transactionsin the Bonita Springs Estero market

December 177

2011

January

February 2

March 2

April 3

May 2

June

July

1August

1

1

September

October

November 125

Jody Burr, of the MLS Service/Data Department of contributed to the reporting in this article.


16/48

Spotlight Staff [email protected]

Bonita Springs Running

a small local business pres-ents its own unique chal-lenges but when successfulit produces a ripple effectthat spreads throughout thelocal economy, contributingto it in many ways. One local

business that has contributedto Bonita Springs, its econ-omy and its people, is Dec-orating Den Interiors.

Cliff Welles, ASID andJudy Underwood, AlliedASID, owners of DecoratingDen Interiors, have ownedmultiple, full service resi-dential interior design studiosin South Florida since 1993.

Today they have studios inBonita Springs and Sanibelwhere they have been votedBEST Home Interiors since2007.

Their business modelincludes complimentary con-sultations. We never chargehourly design fees except forspecial situations and ourpricing is competitivebecause of the significantpurchasing power we enjoywith major manufacturersthrough the Decorating Denfranchise, explained Welles.

Since no business canwork successfully in a vacu-um, they are strong network-

ers with other localprofessionals. We havedeveloped team alliances.Major remodeling projectsare accomplished by ourteam of interior designers,drapery workrooms, licensedcontractors, painters, elec-tricians, cabinetry and floor-ing experts, he said.

Both Welles and Under-wood have been strong sup-


BONITA BUSINESS BEATDecorating Bonita

Bonitas Hall of Fame

Contributed | i [email protected] Welles, ASID and Judy Underwood, Allied ASID,owners of Decorating Den Interiors in Bonita Springs.

porters of community events,the local Chamber of Com-merce and local charitiesincluding MakeA-Wish andthe Literacy Council.

As the sub-franchisor ofDecorating Den Interiors for

Florida, Welles explained thatthey have trained, mentoredand supported dozens ofother decorators. The modelmust be working, as theyhave completed tens of mil-lions of dollars worth ofprojects. According to Welles,Were always in the Top Tenof 450 colleagues across

North America, if not num-ber one.

When working withclients, its so important tolisten and ask the right ques-tions, said Welles. We havedecades of experience and

know that the process is soimportant. What are thegoals of the client, what isthe function of the roomand palette preferences, thepractical aspects such as light-ing and traffic? What are theclients tastes and does he orshe want to work with exist-ing pieces? he explained.

The decorator thenthe client through thority and selection of area rugs, case goodsselection and accessoWe provide friendcomfortable comm

tions throughout theand installation proceWelles.

Welles is quick tWeve been to the fufactories, we know hconstructed. We sell q

Its no wonder DecDen is growing and Springs benefits too.

Spotlight Staff [email protected]

Bonita Springs Did youknow Bonita Springs has itsown Hall of Fame? Its nothoused in a municipal build-ing or an historical building.The Hall of Fame is tuckedinside Buffalo Chips Restau-rant, a local institution for29 years.

Back in 1982, when Old41 was a two lane road sur-rounded by vegetable farms,Al Greenwood converted a2 bedroom apartment withan extra bedroom aroundthe back into a restaurantand kitchen. The formerowners, George and GussieWarfield had run it as theEmpire Court Motel. Afterseveral remodels over theyears to the restaurant andredevelopment of the Old41 corridor, George andGussie probably wouldntrecognize it or the neigh-borhood today. At 5 p.m. onMonday the place is packedwith diners here for thechicken wing special.

Walk inside and youretreated to a dcor unlike anyother. Overhead a pair ofwell-worn sneakers andhockey skates hang from therafters along with BuffaloBills jerseys, a golf bag andon the walls photographs ofgolfer Tom Fasio with Green-wood and others, the authen-ticated boxers robe worn by

Muhammad Ali when hebeat Sonny Liston in 65, anautographed Chubby Check-er photo, a photo of Green-woods appearance on theJay Leno show cooking hisfamous chicken wings,numerous plaques from thecity, the Chamber of Com-merce and the Lions Clubrecognizing Greenwood forhis many years of service tothe community, his cham-pionship wins on the golfcourse, a plaque of the win-ners and the amount theymanaged to eat at the annualwing eating contest (2 lbs.

& 5 ozs in 2011), and a cowpatty in a hermetically sealedcherry cabinet. It seems everyinch of space is taken. Andeverything hung has a story.

If it looks good, wellfind a place for it on thewalls or the ceiling, Green-

wood said. Were a verylarge neighborhood tavern a place where neighborsand friends meet on a regularbasis. Ive tried to make ithomey. Its a place whereyou can bring the grandkidsand they can play games inback.

Were Buffalo Bills back-ers. Thats one of our themes.During football season wehave the Bills on every TV.We dont always win but wealways have a very enthusi-astic Buffalo Bills backersclub, he said. That explainsthe over 20 photos of former

Bills quarterback Jimwho used to frequrestaurant.

Greenwoods graners legacy makes its aance in the fried tomatoes and cornthat appear on the Most of the recipebeen carried down tthe years and havent cthat much, he saiexception is the winwhich has gotten hothotter ten varietiebeque, plain, mild, mhot, oriental, zippy suicide, killer and de

admitted that the sethe fire is in the grouhabaneros. The ressells it to go.

Today, Als sons CJC run the restauranAl is involved in his nous community (Riverfest, Old 41 CCaf of Life, Celebrateand Taste of Bonita) cto raise proceeds for As he surveys thepacked house of happhe asks, Wouldnt thbe a better place if evgot along the way there?

They have

completed tens ofmillions of dollarsworth of projects.

Wouldnt the worldbe a better place

if everyonegot along the way

they do here? Al Greenwood

Staff Photo | info@swspoAl Greenwood has owned Buffalo Chips Restain Bonita Springs since 1982.


17/48



18/48

By Peter R. [email protected]

Bonita Springs As part of continuing election coverage,the Spotlightconducted interviews with incumbent MayorBen Nelson, Jr. and challenger Dave Grothaus on topics ofcitywide interest. January 31 is Election Day. See previousissues at swspotlight.com for their views on the City budgetand economic development issues. Here, in their ownwords, are their views.

Social Services. What is your view on social servicesin the city?Grothaus: There are 32 social service organizations

in our City, a town of 45,000. I would say we are adequately

covered for our needs. It does not mean that I am not acompassionate guy. I want to help the folks.

For example, the Christian Brothers work in RosemaryPark every day. They do a great job. Those are the types oforganizations our community needs to support. We allneed to pitch in, contribute and volunteer.

From a government perspective, we should be advocatesfor these organizations, and help them by patting them onthe back, giving awards or passing resolutions or ordinancesthat assist them in doing what they need to do. But, from amoney standpoint I dont think that is the governmentsbusiness.

If somebody comes to me and says, Dave, we have aproblem here, and we need to address it, I am all forjumping on board and seeing how we can fix it, or recruitone of these organizations to step in.

I think the Caf of Life does good work. That is a realsincere effort to help those people who need it. I commendJay Arend and Bruce Wheatley for their [Rosemary Park]

project. I would want to evaluate how the people in theneighborhood feel. The City should be aggressively gettingtheir opinion.

I would not have been in support of St. MatthewsHouse unless somebody gave me some different informationthan I have now. I drive up and down that road a lot, and Ihave yet to see what I would identify as a homeless personwandering around in that area. So why in the world wouldyou put a shelter there, and attract them there.

Nelson: I believe and I have been taught that its notjust survival of the fittest. It should not be tough luck forthose who have nothing. I think very few people think oth-erwise.

In our community, there are organizations like the Assis-tance Office, Guadalupe Center and the United Way wherehelping is their charge in life. Helping other people issomething they believe deeply in.

As the Mayor, I think it is important that the City act

responsibly when we have an interplay and crossover withthese organizations, like when the Caf of Life is using a

park. Some people were saying that they wanted theirMayor to do the thing that the people in Orlando did,which is to say, Get out of our park, and be mean tothem. I did not think that was the right way to handle that,although that did not stop some of the people from Caf ofLife from being upset with the situation.

We did have the dreaded table incident, but that turnedout to be an opportunity to forward the agenda of both the

Caf of Life and the City.Our staff has worked withthem to consider differentlocations under the com-prehensive plan. That istheir job. Its the samething they would havedone for any business.

Jay Arend and BruceWheatley have done asuperb job. I think they

have figured out some-thing really unique. Theproposed community cen-ter [in Rosemary Park] isa real opportunity for thecommunity.

On St. Matthews, itwas wholly up to them toconvince the public it wasthe right place and to con-vince City Council it wasthe right place. In a zoningrequest like theirs, Coun-cils role is as a judge. Wecant have an opinion, and

must treat them just like we would treat anybody else in azoning case. St Matthews made a shot at it and finally gaveup. What they are doing now I have no idea.

The Old 41 Area. Old 41 redevelopment has been onthe table for at least as long as the City is old. Mostpeople agree that it needs work. What is your visionfor Old 41 and what is the Citys role?Nelson:At the Citys recent strategic planning session

Old 41 came to the top. What I find interesting, and a bitfrustrating, is that even some of the Council members say,We do not have a plan.

We have all kinds of great plans, design plans, streetscapeplans and incentives in place. At this point in time themain problem we have is that people dont know about it.

They dont know how clean it is, how nice it is, and theimprovements that have been made. They dont make theconnection between all the activity and how, if they locatedthere, they would get a piece of that.

They dont know what the incentives are, how inexpensiveit is to build down there, what the side setbacks are, and theparking law incentives.

There are things we need to do. The next step is to getthe merchants association set up. Its slow going becausepeople just dont have the time. They are putting 24/7 intotheir businesses. The people downtown need to be a voicefor what is going to happen there.

Also, the City has a huge investment in downtownBonita. And because of that we need to go a step furtherand start promoting it online, through the Economic Devel-opment Council and through pamphlets at the buildingdepartment.

If we do that it is up to the entrepreneur. I dont thinkanybody is going to pay incentive money to go downtown.I dont think we should.

On Bamboo Village, since the City owns it, we decidedwe would give it every type of vesting and zoning we could.In the future, as soon as this economy turns just a bit, thatpiece of property will be vital.Grothaus: This should be a Council decision with

a lot of citizen input.

I would be curious to know the general feeling citDo people believe there is a pressing need for thi

center downtown? I personally think it is a nice idesomething the City should invest in and spend taxpmoney on? That is the question you have to pose.

When I become Mayor, I will survey and do towmeetings and see if we have any interest. If we have cshow up and say, Yes, we are, or people sending in suthen we should move forward.

Then the second step would be for the City to money where its mouth is. We would need to lobbCounty and our U.S. congressman and say, We areto have a downtown revitalization, and we want thoffice there, we want the County Sheriff, the supervelections, our government offices there. Our Citcould go downtown. We are in a temporary Citanyway. If you do that, you will see coffee shops spria sandwich shop or two or three, and other businessneed to be near government services.

If I have five or ten town meetings and no one shothen there is not interest and it is a dead issue. We n

see what is most cost effective and what the citizensOn Bamboo Village, we need to evaluate whethneed to be paying sewage and water upkeep, and secwhether that is a viable location for the future. If should hang on to it.

The Library. City Council concluded that the LeeCounty library in Bonita Springs is not adequatenoted that City taxpayers have paid many milliointo the system. City Council has asked Lee Couto contribute $4 million to an expanded library.What is your view?Grothaus: I am in favor of a good city Library.

we have now is substandard and I think most peopagree with that.

I like getting a good hardcover book in my hathink a lot of people do. I dont think libraries are pa

The Library task force said we should expand the clibrary. I agree with that. However it might makesense just to build a new one. We would have to crunnumbers. I dont want to do anything unless the funavailable and it is a good financial move. The taskshould be reconvened to assess that.

The basic position is that we should be given inamounts to what we give [to Lee County]. We nlibrary commensurate with our donation.

We are a donating to the Lee County system tolarger degree than we are getting back. Maybe its tisay we should be out of the Lee County system. excess money we pay stayed here maybe there wouample funds there to build our own nice library. So Ithe task force should reconvene, and crunch those bers.Nelson: The City has sent Lee County a letter

the facts as we see it and what we would like them Our staff has been working with the County staff, anumbers are being run.

I think it is time for the Lee County [Commissito send us an official message as to whether they areto fish or cut bait. This is a reasonable thing to ask forsew this up so we have an actual plan to implement. think the library needs expanding, as their staff dothem put it in their five-year plan, along with thewithin that plan to go forward.

If we do this in a methodical and business-likthen I think we will get there. There are a lot of tthat can happen. We need to do whatever the smartis. If it can be expanded at the current site, then finethere may be an existing building somewhere at bargain that the County may be able to get for 25 pof the cost. Then the existing building could be usanother purpose. Its really exciting to look at it ikind of way.

The library is a very well used establishment. Libare learning centers. They are gathering places, and cof technology. I think there is still a future for librari


Issues and answersGrothaus and Nelson vie for Mayoralty

Mayor Ben Nelson, Jr. Dave Grouthaus


19/48


20/48

neighborhood. And with itcomes a familiar refrain. Youknow, it dont come easy.

The Cafs new planThe Cafs three hundred

volunteers, many from the

areas gated communities,serve hot meals on picnictables at the Citys BanyanTree Park in downtownBonita Springs. If you arehungry, we will feed you,said Wheatley. This year, theyare on pace to serve 23,000meals.

The Cafs new planinvolves more than meals.It proposes to spend a halfmillion dollars to build aneighborhood park on apie shaped lot abuttingImperial Parkway, completewith a community building,patio space, playground,basketball courts and a play

lawn. It will cost the Citynothing.

Those picnic tables underthe Banyan Tree receivednotoriety last spring, whenthe then City staff removedthem from the Banyan TreePark.

At a May City Councilmeeting, the tables wereordered returned for theCafs use. Council chambersoverflowed with participantsand spectators that day, whowatched as Council ex-pressed support for the Cafwhile encouraging it to finda permanent home.

At the meeting, Wheatley

pledged to redouble hisefforts. If they had votedus down that day, we wouldhave been out of business,Wheatley recently told theSpotlight.

A telephone callAmong those watching

the meeting was formerMayor Jay Arend, sitting athome and tuned in to chan-nel 98. The next morningArend called Wheatley andsaid he would like to helpthe Caf of Life find a home.

When asked why hepicked up the phone thatmorning, Arend said, Whensix of the seven Council peo-ple said they wanted to helpI thought, This is an oppor-tunity. It was a problem thathad been there a long time,and I guess something toldme I might have a solution.I believe that the manupstairs sometimes gives you

guidance.When the ex-Mayor calls

and says he would like tohelp, I would be a fool notto accept, said Wheatley.The same afternoon BenNelson wrote me and said,A lot of people want to help.While you have momentum,lets make things happen.

Arend remembered thepie shaped parcel on NomadDrive. A remnant of theImperial Parkway right ofway, it is separated from thatroad by a sound wall. LeeCounty owns the land.

Arend sought the viewof former city manager GaryPrice regarding the potentialtransfer of the property tothe City. The City shouldnthave to pay anything, saidPrice, because it had trans-ferred the property to theCounty for Imperial Parkway

construction.Wheatley and Arend

looked at other propertiesbut this just fit, said Wheat-ley. Thirty to forty percentof our clients come fromthis area. That is a pretty bigconcentration.

The more we looked,the better this propertylooked, said Arend. He sawthe potential for a commu-nity park. If we have enoughroom to build the buildingwe need, then the remainderof that land is available. Lets

talk about making it anamenity for the community,Wheatley recalls him saying.

A 3,000 square foot com-munity building with an oldFlorida look was planned,along with park facilities. Acivil engineer and landscapearchitect were hired. Issuesof upkeep, lighting and secu-rity were addressed. The twomen worked with City Man-

ager Carl Schwing to ensureLee Countys readiness totransfer the land.

Caf donors have alreadycontributed $250,000.Wheatley lined up interimfinancing of the remaining$250,000 from a local bank.We want to make this com-mitment to the City, and tothe community, bank offi-cers told Wheatley.

Concerns, and an emailfrom Rosemary Park

In mid November thetwo men, along with CityCouncil member Janet Mar-tin, held an informational

meeting with about thirtymembers of the RosemaryPark community.

There, they heard con-cerns.

The biggest concern Iheard about the Caf of Lifewas, If you are feeding onehundred people a day, andforty are coming from Rose-mary Park, that means sixtyare coming from somewhereelse, said Arend. They areconcerned with those sixtypeople walking through theneighborhood, before andafter eating. That is a legiti-mate concern, and we haveto deal with it.

Rosemary Park residentsraised other issues that night,about the challenges of livingin area. These issues, unre-lated to the Caf, need to beaddressed by the City, saidWheatley.

In a long email to theSpotlight, one neighborhoodresident described those chal-lenges. She requestedanonymity because of thecandor of her comments.

I already do not feel safewalking by myself or withmy dogs. Theft, prostitution,

reckless driving, muggings,stray dogs etc. The sound ofsquealing tires and breakingglass is a regular in the area.In my seven years, I havepersonally seen two deadlycar versus pedestrian acci-dents, and am aware of sev-eral others and too manyclose calls.

Needless to say, this isnot an area where I wouldwant to raise a family andquite frankly I, and I amsure many others, wouldmove if we were not upsidedown on our mortgages.

She expressed concerns

about the proposed project,but also expressed hope thatthe Caf of Life couldbecome a catalyst for change.Will they promote clean upefforts? Once the cityapproves this, why should Ibelieve the City would stillcare about this isolated areaand not just sweep us underthe rug? When a homelessperson comes around, whatis to stop them from settingup camp there?

The Caf would need tobe proactive to gain com-munity support, she wrote.She suggested the Caf form

an informal neighborhoodassociation and host monthlymeetings with representativesfrom law enforcement, codeenforcement, and securityfirms. I believe no one otherthan the Caf of Life has theorganizational power tomake these types of meetingshappen, she wrote.

I think the Caf of Lifecould be a good neighborand maybe that in itselfwould help property valueslevel out from the imminentdecline we can expect dueto our homes being in walk-ing distance to the soup

kitchen.

Moving forwardOne of our goals needs

to be to show people that,This is your park. This isan opportunity, said Arend.This has always been thedistrict with the most needsand the most opportunities,and they need to beaddressed, he said.

We are going to have aneighborhood meeting. Itwill be a big one. The Cafhas made a commitmentthat everybody in that neigh-borhood is going to get an

invitation, said Arenanticipates that actideal with many of thealready raised will builin the community, analleviate concerns.

The City can anaddress those issuesCouncilmember Maa recent City Counciling. The majority Council appears poifavorably consider a lthe Nomad Drive prto the Caf if the neighood meeting showsresults.

Its been over a d

since Wheatley tradedof a good golf game funteer service with hleagues at the Caf oOnly when pressed recent events did he allow that, Sometimget a little down.

This is the next step for us, in helpfulfill a statement that Springs is a communihelps itself, said Wh

There are no prospects as good aone, he said. We mwell take our time, anright.


The Caf of Life proposes to spend a half million dollars to build a neighood park on this lot abutting Imperial Parkway.

Cafefrom page A1

There are no otherprospects as good asthis one. We may aswell take our time,

and do it right.

Bruce Wheatley


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Sunset of the month

Lori Nelson | [email protected]

Decembers sunset of the month was submitted by Lori Nelson. Email your bestsunset photos to [email protected] and your photo could be the next sun-set photo of the month.

I would like to make several commentsregarding the District 4 candidate articles inthe November issue. As a resident of BonitaSprings District 4, I found Four for Fourand Issues and Answers very informative. Imust say that I wish our national press hadthe same fair and unbiased approach that theSpotlighthas in presenting candidates.

Several weeks ago, I read an article in another newspaper discussing the four candidates forDistrict 4. I was surprised at the reference to Barbara Barnes-Buchanan that includednegative comments that should have been fully researched prior to publication. Your articlesregarding the candidates were very informative, interesting, and above all, unbiased.Keep up the good work.Dom Trentadue, Bonita Springs

Letters to the editor policy:The Southwest Spotlightpublishes letters to the editor as spaceallows. Please write thoughtfully on local topics and be respectful of others. Letterscontaining personal attacks and abusive language will not be considered for publication.Include a phone number to verify writers identity. Letters are published at the Spotlightsdiscretion.

Letters to the editorI wish our national press hadthe same fair and unbiased

approach that theSpotlight hasin presenting candidates.

with multiple other organ-izations, but they also haveinformation for those in

need and those who wantto help about organizationsthat provide programs thatBSAO may not.

For Thanksgiving, wefind out what organizationswill be having Thanksgivingmeals, and we tell familieswhere to go. We help pointpeople in the right direc-tion, says Slabaugh. Webecome the vehicle for thosewho want to help others

during the holidays. Wemake sure that everyonegets served.

And for Christmas, theBSAO helps different com-munities adopt children and

their families, buying pres-ents and meals to providea beautiful, joyful holiday.

Everyone deserves awonderful Christmas, espe-cially the children, saysSlabaugh. We are lucky tobe a part of such a givingcommunity, which reallyhelps us to give as much aswe do every year, and everyday.

The Blankets for Bonita

drive will be run duringHoliday in the Park onDecember 6, where theAssistance Office will collectblankets for those in needduring the cold months in

conjunction with Light-house Fellowship Congre-gational Church.

For the AssistanceOffice, providing a handup, not a hand out willalways be their slogan, theirtag line. But it has becomemuch more than that. Asthe founders intended, itis also something so muchsimpler: Helping peoplehelp people.

Assistance Officefrom page A10


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S O U T H W E S T S P O T L I G H T

Events, things to do and opportunities to give back to our community in and around Bonita Springs

DECEMBER 2011Vol.2, No.12 SECTI

By Janet MartinSpecial to the Spotlight

Bonita Springs Why Ilove living in Bonita Springs,let me count the ways Ihad the opportunity to sitin on a few of the manycommunity workshops heldduring the Branding effortby the City of BonitaSprings. The attendees were

asked what one word bestdescribes our city? I ask you now to try to definethe very essence of our com-munity in one word. Iwould not be able to do it.I know. I listened as resi-dents shouted out their toppicks and with each word,I would say, yes, that works,or yes, that is true. I had toagree with every word thatwas added to the long list:charming, historic, beauti-ful, sunsets, smiles, beaches,palms, river, boating, friend-ly, quaint, weather, com-munity, arts, people, village,environment, tourism, andthe words went on and on.Some found it hard to limitthemselves to only one wordso there were phrases like:small town, beautiful weath-

er, friendly people, greenspaces, volunteering oppor-tunities, feeling welcome,golf outings, recreationalopportunities, and enjoyingretirement.

What I learned from theBranding exercises was analmost universal feeling thatthe residents of BonitaSprings took much pridein their, in many cases,newly adopted home.Most of us, have arrivedhere from somewhere else.

Like me, many of us haveescaped the cold, snow andice of the north and tradedit for the warm, beautifulsunshine of this area, and

have received so much morein the process.

So, getting back to whyI love living in BonitaSprings? The answer issimple; it is the strong senseof community. You see itevery day, and in manyways. Residents are helpingothers, they are engaged inour City Advisory Com-mittees, they are busy wel-

coming someone new totheir street, they participatein city, river and beach cleanups, they are volunteeringwith the many BonitaSprings not-for-profit or-ganizations, they attend themany events in RiversidePark with their friends andfamily. This list of examplesgoes on and on just like theadjectives used to describeour wonderful city.

Why do I love living inBonita Springs? Let us allcount the ways

Do you love living inBonita Springs? Let us knowwhy in 600 words or less and your article could appearnext month as part of theWhy I love living in BonitaSprings series.

By Kathy [email protected]

Bonita Springs Ask afourth grader how to harnesswind and solar energy andyou may be surprised by hisor her informed response.

Not just any fourth grader,but one in Mrs. Brownsfourth grade class at SpringCreek Elementary.

The fourth grade class re-cently completed their alter-native energy garden asolar and wind energy project

that powers a mistiand a water fountaiceremonial ribbon wwith cheers and applthe water misting fanto spin and the fopumped water for all

Why I loveliving in Bonita

Janet Martin

Kathy OFlinn | kathy@swspo

The alternative energy garden at Spring Creek Elementary in Bonita Spuses solar and wind energy to power a misting fan and a water founta

Solar and wind poweat Spring Creek

Continued on


26/48

Flesher Family FarmOver one million lights willilluminate the Flesher FamilyFarm on Bonita Grande Drivethis month. A tradition since1986, a walk down candy

cane lane is fun for the wholefamily. Where: 27865 BonitaGrande Dr.

Holiday in the ParkTues., Dec. 6, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.Santa will arrive by horse

and carriage to Riverside Parkin Bonita Springs. A blizzardin the park with a giant snowslide, snow pile, train rides,free cookies and cider. Annualtree lighting and live music.Where: Riverside Park. Cost:Free.

Farm Fresh MarketSaturdays 7:30 a.m. to noonCome to one of the mostpopular markets in theregion. Fully stocked farm-fresh vegetable vendors plusfish, baked goods, cut flowers,orchids, cosmetics, antiques,fashions, jewelry, books andmore. Where: Promenade atBonita Bay. For more infor-mation, visit bonitalions.org.

Fundraisers

Deck the WallsFri., Dec. 2, 5 to 8 p.m.Sat. and Sun., Dec 3 & 4,2 to 7 p.m.Over 50 artists will exhibittheir work in this art showand fundraiser to benefit theLiteracy Council. GrandOpening on Fri. will feature

wine, appetizers and musicby quartets from the NaplesOrchestra & Chorus. Where:Literacy Council, 26820Old 41 Road. Cost: Freeadmission.

For the childrenThurs., Dec. 8, 6 p.m.Pure Elements Salon is host-

ing a holiday open house tobenefit the Childrens Hospitalof Southwest Florida. Grab

your friends for a night ofholiday cheer, shopping andsavory delectables by Chef

Dan. For more informationor to RSVP, call 239-992-7873.

Off the Walls!Fri., Dec. 9, 6 to 8 p.m.A unique evening lottery.For the price of a ticket you

will be entered into a randomdrawing for beautiful art-

works and collectibles valuedfrom $275 to $6,000, whileenjoying catered food andrefreshments. This annualevent is the signaturefundraiser for scholarshipsawarded throughout the yearto local youth participating

in on-campus programs andcommunity outreach pro-grams. Where: The Centerfor the Arts. Cost: $150 perperson. To purchase ticketsor for more information call239-495-8989.

Arts & Entertainment

Alla Prima, Alla Fun!Thurs., Dec. 1,5:30 to 8:30 p.m.Explore your artistic side.Learn the basics of painting

while enjoying the companyof friends, with dinner and

wine and a lot of fun. Paint,brushes, canvas, aprons, wine,pizza and guidance are pro-

vided. Best of all, you gohome with your own com-pleted masterpiece. Where:Center for the Arts. Cost: $42per person. Call the Centerfor the Arts at 239 495-8989to register.

Hot Rods & Hogs Carand Bike ShowSun., Dec. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Fans of vintage vehicles, hotrods, drag and air boats,swamp buggies and worldclass bikes will find heavenon earth with 105 acres ofshow vehicles. Trick riding,music, childrens activitiesand more. Where: Lee CivicCenter. Cost $12, childrenunder the age of 8 are free.For more information visitflhrh.com

National Anthem OpAuditionsWed., Dec 7Thurs., Dec. 8, 3 to 6 p.mThink you have what ito sing before a crowd o11,000? The Red Sox arrently looking for newto perform the naanthem for the upcoinaugural Spring Traininson at Jet Blue Park. Aare welcome to auditionis limited, email or call December 7 to reservaudition spot. Contact ATorigan at 239 226-47atorigian@redsox. com

The Voices of NapleHoliday ConcertThurs., Dec. 8, 7 p.m.Musical selections will inchoruses from HaMessiah, to traditionanot so traditional) Chrmusic as well as a fewtions to celebrate ChanWhere: Promenade at Bay, space #114. Cosmembers; $25 non-meFor more informatiothe Center for the A239 495-8989 to regist

Christmas Boat ParaSat., Dec. 10, 6 p.m.Join the cheering throthe Bonita Springs ChrBoat Parade as boatssizes and shapes navigaImperial River deckedtheir Christmas fBoaters are encouragregister to compete for Where: Viewing areas inthe Fish House, the Im

Boat Ramp off Rt. 4the shoreline of the ImRiver. Cost: Free.

The official concert bSun., Dec. 11, 2 to 4 p.mBring a lawn chairrefreshments for a deli

Page B2 Southwest Spotlight December 2

EVENTS

Continued on p


27/48


Serve as and active member of the Rotary Club of Bonita Springsand former member of its Board of Directors.

Resident of Bonita Bay and recently completed serving onthe Homeowners Transition Committee where we successfullyconverted Community management from the Developer to theHomeowners.

Since 2001, I have served on the Board of the Cracker CoveHomeowners Association and as its President since 2003.

Serve on the City of Bonita Springs, Board for Land Use Hearings andAdjustments and Zoning Board of Appeals. 2009 to present.

Since 2005, Member of the Bonita Springs Chamber of CommercePresidents Club and a 2007 graduate of the Chamber LeadershipBonita program.

Advisory Board member of the Bonita Springs Community Fundsince 2009.

A member of the South Lee County Hospital Committee, looking todevelop a 24/7 Urgent Care facility in South Lee County. Ourlong-range plan is to have a hospital established in South Lee County.2008 to present.


28/48


TOWN TALK

HistoricalfundraiserThe Bonita SpringsHistorical Society is

holding a yard sale atthe McSwain House at27451 Old 41 Roadin historic Bonita onDecember 3 at 8 a.m.Proceeds will help defraythe cost of the initialstages of the restorationof the historic home.

Contributed | [email protected]

Contributed | towntalk@swspot

Runningfor childrenBonita Springsresidents Claude andYvette Weir and Sue

and Roderick Price atthe Take Stock inChildrens Stridesfor Education benefit5K last month. Bothcouples won secondplace in theirrespective age groups.The Prices are mentorsin the Take Stock inChildrens program.

David Michael | [email protected]

CongratulationsGabrielle OBoyle,left, was recently named Vice-President at the Bonita SpringsArea Chamber of Commerce.

David Michael | [email protected]

Many yearBarbara Newell, leftwas recently honorethe Bonita Springs EBoard of Realtors foyears of service and

membership. TerriSpeach, right, recencelebrated 30 yearsmarriage to her husbAl Speach.


29/48



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By Heather [email protected]

Bonita Springs How do you kick off your holidayseason? You could go shop-ping on Black Friday, buteveryone will be doing that.Instead, be sure to make your way to the ImperialRiver between the FishHouse and the New 41bridge at 6 p.m. on Decem-ber 10 for the annual BonitaSprings Boat Parade.

That night, Bonitiansfrom all over the area willconverge on the windingImperial River, crowdingdocks and bridges and boats,and loading beers andsnacks for an evening ofcommunity and holidaycheer. Everyone is invited,and somehow, no matterhow crowded it becomes,there always seems to be

space for everyone. Theparade starts and ends atthe Fish House Restauranton Bonita Beach Road. Theboats make their way upthe Imperial River beforeturning around east of theNew 41 bridge.

For the last few years,Adam Botana of the BonitaSprings Noon Rotary Clubhas been in charge of theBoat Parade, and he hopesthis year will promise notonly greater participation,but a revitalization of whatthe parade used to be.

We have always hadgreat support and a fantasticturnout from the commu-nity. I have been coming tothe parade since I was a kid,when my grandfather wasinvolved. Back then, therewould be tens of boats. Wereally hope to get more boatson the water this year, saysBotana.

Donny Thomson, life-long resident of BonitaSprings, has participatedin the parade in the pastand has been a spectator.It really shows the kindof small town attitude wehave here, says Thomson.Everyone sings the songs,and laughs when the lights

go on and off, and when aboat needs help people helpthem. Its a cool way tounite everybody. Thomsonlaughs about the inevitablemalfunctions that everyboat faces during theparade, but goes on to saythat is just how it is, like atradition. It wouldnt be theBonita Springs Boat Paradewithout it.

Part of the Noon RotaryClubs plan to revamp theevent is that there is no feeto participate this year,and there are cash prizesfor winning boats. Also,there are multiple categoriesin which boats can win theprizes, such as most illu-minated and most spir-ited.


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Southwest Spotlight - December 2011

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