volume 20, number 21 council approves fireworks · 2020-05-21 · fishing charters we’re open!...

Volume 20, Number 21 “By Islanders, For Islanders” May 22, 2020

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FortMyersBeach.news

A divided Council for the Town of Fort Myers Beach approved a $27,000

contract to provide a fireworks display, but not necessarily for the Fourth of July. In a 3 - 2 vote, Council authorized Town Manager Roger Hernstadt to sign the agreement with Garden State Fireworks for a date yet uncertain between July 4th and New Year’s Eve. Council will ultimately select the actual date depending on the COVID-19 pandemic and steps the Town can take to implement social distancing standards, including possibly closing Times Square the evening of the display.

When discussing the contract that would allow Fort Myers Beach to host a fireworks show sometime between July 4, 2020 and December 31, 2020, Council member Bill Veach stated, “We are in a very different time, where the COVID-19 infection is not going away anytime soon. We reduced the infection with more folks social distancing but now we are losing that, so it is important to our businesses and health that we select the method that offers the least risk. The idea of a lot of people shoulder-to-shoulder for fireworks that do not provide a great deal of business does not make much sense from the business or health standpoints,

even if we delay to New Year’s Eve.”Vice Mayor Rexann Hosafros noted, “If

we go forward with the Fourth of July, I

have yet to see any plan for how we do that. I favor the motion to host fireworks sometime between the Fourth and New

Year’s Eve, with a plan to come forward to see how we could do that.” Council

Council Approves FireworksSplit Decision; Date UncertainBy Gary Mooney

[email protected]

COUNCIL cont PG 6

Meet Jenny DexterTown Communication Coordinator

COVID-19 Testing Quick Test; Slow Results

Jennifer Dexter became the Communications Coordinator for the

Town of Fort Myers Beach on Monday April 6. This is a brand-new position for the Town, and her responsibilities will require her to be the Social Media Coordinator and Public Information Officer as well.

“I am originally from Hillsboro, Ohio,” she offered, noting that she prefers “Jenny.” “That is a very small town in the Appalachian part of the state near the Kentucky border. I attended Eastern Kentucky University where I earned my Public Relations degree, with an accreditation through the Public Relations Society of America. After graduating college, I moved to a suburb of Cincinnati near the Kings Island Amusement Park, where I could see their fireworks every night! I am single, with a 23-year-old son, Garrett, who is a proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Marketing degree from its Business College. Garrett just married in January. My 86-year-old Mom, Marilyn, is up north, but the plan is that she will stay with me during the winter months, and I have a sister, Paula.”

Prior to Fort Myers Beach, “I was Communications Manager for the City of Fairfield (Ohio),” Jenny explained.

“I was there three-and-a-half years and, like this position, was their first Communications Manager. Before that, I spent 15 years with the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services where I did community relations, social media, website, and publications, including raising money for and running its levy campaigns. Prior to that, I was with the Warren County

By Gary [email protected]


COVID-19 cont PG 18DEXTER cont PG 10

For the past two months, state and federal officials have continuously

preached the importance of COVID-19 testing, particularly to reopen the nation’s economy, yet in many parts of the nation, tests are unavailable. For Lee County residents, however, there is a COVID-19 testing site at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex at 14100

Six Mile Cypress Parkway that is open to the public, free, does not require an appointment or doctor’s permission, and is complete in a short period of time. Testing is offered daily including weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This reporter went through the Hammond Stadium COVID-19 testing

Fort Myers Beach Town Hall. File Photo.

Jenny Dexter, Town of Fort Myers Beach Communications Coordinator.

Photo provided.

Cars approach the COVID-19 testing tent at Hammond Stadium.

The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news May 22, 2020

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Getting Back to BusinessFMB Chamber & FGCU Study


The Greater Fort Myers Beach Cham-ber of Commerce is encouraging its

members to participate in the Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) “Coronavirus Business Impact Study,” said FMB Cham-ber Executive Director Jacki Liszak. “Origi-nally, we were going to do our own study of the impact of the coronavirus on island businesses, but when we learned that FGCU was going to do a major regional analysis, there was no point in duplicat-ing what they could probably do better, so we suggested to our membership to work through them. FGCU conducts its survey the final week of each month and releases its results about two weeks later, using raw data factors like gross revenue, number of employees, business loca-tions, and other Southwest Florida met-rics. It is quite comprehensive, with 484 people responding so far. The Chamber sent the link to all our members, to get as many people to participate as possible.”

The April FGCU results indicate that 93% of all area businesses sustained a fall in sales, with 66% reporting declines in excess of 50%. The biggest hit is to busi-nesses with less than 25 employees, with 70% experiencing a decrease in demand for their products or services by 50% or more. Only one percent of Southwest Florida companies experienced an in-crease in sales and revenue. To participate in future studies, call the FMB Chamber at 239-454-7500 for the link or contact Dr. Chris Westley, the Dean of the FGCU

Lutgert College of Business, at [email protected]; to view the study to date, see bit.ly/isp191

A Good WeekendLast weekend was the first that most of

Fort Myers Beach as well as Florida busi-nesses could reopen under Phase One of the plan from Governor Ron DeSantis. “Word is that businesswise it was a good weekend,” Jacki related. “Hotels reported decent occupancy and restaurants had a fine first weekend with their limited in-door seating, but it was not large enough to begin to pull people out of the weeds by any means. That said, business own-ers are grateful for all the support they received from throughout the island community and Southwest Florida, as I personally know a number of people who came over the bridges to help the Town. Our customers were a combination of locals and travelers, though the bulk was locals, including from Cape Coral, Fort Myers and throughout Lee County.”

This is however still just one small step, cautioned Jacki. “Our island unemploy-ment remains high, perhaps at nearly 50%, if I had to guess. It is tricky to say that because at this time of year, with our busy season over, unemployment would go up anyhow going into the summer, but you simply cannot compare this year to any other! Restaurants are still at 50 percent indoor seating, hotels are limit-ing their occupancy, and short term vaca-

tion rentals and bars cannot open yet, so people like housekeepers and bartenders still cannot work.”

When asked if she views COVID-19 as an “anti-small business virus” or “anti-Flor-ida business virus” due to our reliance on the tourism industry and its necessity of person-to-person contact, Jacki respond-ed with “WOW! That is a difficult question! I don’t think that the virus particularly zeroes in on tourism and its businesses in particular, but its effect on businesses and the economy of tourism is devastat-ing, as it has been a disaster for us on Fort Myers Beach! The response taken by our state and local leaders was necessary but most assuredly a detriment to our tour-ism businesses. They had to do what they had to do, to get their arms around this thing, and two months down the road, I can’t say they were wrong, because it was inconceivable to all of us three months ago that something like this could pos-sibly happen.”

FireworksAt their May 18 meeting, the FMB Town

Council approved fireworks, but has yet to commit to hosting them on The Fourth of July. “Their hesitance is understand-able,” Jacki related, “and their caution is appreciated because we don’t know what will come in the future. We all would like to see fireworks on the Fourth and I hope it will happen, as nobody loves fireworks more than me, but if it is not safe, then

we need to think about other options. Council still as a little time to explore how they can creatively and safely host the fireworks on the Fourth, as Council mem-ber Bill Veach floated the idea of shooting them off from a barge at mid-island, to make the event work in a safe and respon-sible manner, but if Council concludes it really is not safe, they should not do it, as the safety of our residents is the ultimate bottom line.”

CHAMBER cont PG 13

Jacki Liszak, President of the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce is

optimistic about the recovery of beach businesses.


A rare and endangered member of the Cactaceae (Cactus Family), Mistletoe cactus, Ripsalis baccifera, is an evergreen perennial; an epiphytic cactus that grows in trees. Multiple leafless drooping stems are narrow(1/8”) & cylindrical in shape, without hairs or spines.

Translucent areoles grow from stem nodes that eventually turn into very small yellow to greenish/silvery white flowers. The flower has five bulky petals and several whitish stamens and a female style. The solitary inflorescence is up to ¼” wide. When pollinated by flying insects, they turn into a berry. Blooming occurs year around.

The plant came from the old world and can be found in several states, including Florida where it only grows naturally in the Everglades. The species is not related to the parasitic Oak Mistletoe that kills trees. Baccifera is a cactus but doesn’t look one. The specimen in the photo is in my front yard.

Beach Botany

Mistletoe Cactus

By Jim Rodwell

By Missy [email protected]

Special Districts on BallotQualifying Dates Near

While the November 3 General Election is more than five months

away, the deadline to run for local office is less than a month away for a number of local offices. There are eight seats up for election on three Special Districts that include the island.

Fort Myers Beach Special Districts

The Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control Board, a three-member board, has two seats on the ballot in 2020: Seat 2, currently held by Joanne Semmer and Seat 3, now held by William Semmer. Mosquito Board members are paid an annual salary of $4,800.

The Fort Myers Beach Library Board, a seven-member board, has three seats on the ballot: Seat 5, now held by Sallie Seabury and Seat 6, now held by Rick Sebastian. Seat 7 is currently vacant. Library Board members are not paid.

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Board, a five-member board, has three seats up for election this November: Seat 2 currently held by Ron Fleming; Seat 4 held by Larry Wood and Seat 1 which is now vacant. Fire Board members are paid $6,000 annually.

The qualifying period for all special district board seats is from noon, June 8 to noon, June 12, 2020. Pre-qualifying begins May 25, 2020. Special District elections are non-partisan. Candidates run for a specific seat on each board

and are required to pay a $25 filing fee. All candidates must file multiple forms with the Lee County Elections Office prior to the qualifying deadline to be placed on the ballot.

Anyone interested in running for a special district office should contact the Lee Elections office at 239-LEE-VOTE or visit lee.vote.

Lee County Races

The Lee County Board of Commis-sioners has three of the BOCC’s five seats on the ballot this year: District 1 seat, now held by John Manning, Dis-trict 3 seat, held by Ray Sandelli, and the District 5 seat held by Frank Mann. Voters in Lee County vote for all district commissioners.

The Lee County constitutional officers will all be on the ballot this year: Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Property Appraiser, Elections Supervisor and Tax Collector.

The Lee County School Board has three seats up for grabs for District 2, District 3 and the at-large District 7. Island voters will be able to vote only for the District 3 seat and the at-large District 7 seat in this non-partisan election.

The Lee Memorial Health System Board of Directors will have two seats in each of three districts (1, 3 & 5) on the ballot in 2020. The Lee Health Board is a non-partisan race.

ElEction DAtESThe Primary Election will be held

Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Florida is a closed primary election state. If you want to vote in a partisan primary, you must be a member of the political party holding the primary. However, there will be races for non-partisan offices on the August 18 ballot and ALL VOTERS, including those without any party affiliation, vote in those races. The deadline to change your party affiliation or register to vote in the primary election is July 20, 2020.

The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The deadline to register, if you are not already registered, is October 5, 2020.

The Lee County Supervisor of Elections, Tommy Doyle, is encouraging all voters to sign up for a Vote-by-Mail ballot, for both upcoming elections. To do so, just call the Lee Elections office at 239-533-8683, visit lee.vote or email [email protected].

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What’s In The Water?New Testing Date May 23

The new What’s In The Water testing date for the Fort Myers Beach island-

wide water quality program is Saturday, May 23, from 7 to 8 a.m. Organizers have rescheduled the dry season testing from the original March 28 date due to coronavirus precautions that closed Fort Myers Beach. They chose this new date and timeframe to get a dry season reading before the onset of the rainy summer months and to coincide with low tide.

Fort Myers Beach’s historic Mound House has partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Planet Stewardship Education Program for the What’s In The Water program to study non-point source pollution coming from Fort Myers Beach into the Gulf of Mexico and Estero Bay, paying particular attention to nutrients that contributed to the Red Tide Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB) that led to the Summer 2018 water quality crisis.

“We conduct tests at low tide on Fort Myers Beach,” explained What’s In The Water and Mound House Educational Coordinator Penny Jarrett, “because low tide is the best time to detect nutrients that almost assuredly come exclusively from the island’s non-source point pollutants, per the NOAA grant guidelines. This allows us to get the best possible comparisons to add to our previous two tests for things like Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus.” Penny wrote the NOAA-approved grant that included $2,500 for items such as student education kits and native plants, with FGCU donating the water sampling bottles, coolers, laboratory analysis and research expertise.

Social Distancing constraintsContrary to the first two rounds of

testing in 2019, Penny is not seeking any additional citizens-scientist volunteers for now. “Because of social distancing constraints, this is not the right time to train new folks. Fortunately, I received a tremendous response from our original volunteers; so good, in fact, that most will test just one individual site, where at the conclusion of the last year’s rainy season, I had to assign many to two locations. By using people with prior training, we gain a greater continuity in the test results, as they already know how to meticulously collect samples through proper protocol. Another reason is that we previously included an educational component for when volunteers returned the samples to the Mound House, but coronavirus precautions prevent us from doing so now, though we hope to again in the future.”

Volunteers picked up their water sampling packets at Newton Beach Park on Tuesday with social distancing protocols in place. Volunteers took water samples from 46 island locations on October 5, 2019 to build upon initial baseline tests from the first testing a year ago on May 18, 2019.

The volunteers on May 23 will collect two water quality samples, then take those to the Mound House, where they will return them to Penny and FGCU students at the kayak launch area, but social distancing affects this as well. There will be a cooler into which FGCU’s Nicole Weigold, who runs this aspect of the

project with Graduate Assistant Hannah Sims and fellow student Cierra Homic, places the samples. Once they collect them all, they proceed to the Vester Marine Science Field Station to conduct essential tests that they previously would do before the volunteers right at the Mound House.

Penny stressed, “You do not have to wear a facecover when you gather your samples and return them to the Mound House, but if you do so while you conduct your daily activities, we encourage you to do so. Most volunteers who collect the samples do so individually, and at the Mound House, we will employ all appropriate social distancing measures. I will ensure that everyone practices safe social distancing and will constantly wipe everything down, for the safest possible conditions.”


Dr. Mike Parsons of FGCU, is flanked by Penny Jarrett, left, and Alison Giesen of the Mound House, during the inaugural water sample collection in

May 2019 for the What’s in the Water? project. WATER cont PG 11


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member Jim Atterholt said he felt, “This gives us a plan to move forward with flexibility.” Council member Dan Allers asked when Garden State needs to know the actual display date, while Mayor Ray Murphy asked, “My question to the Town Manager is how will we manage this crowd, to keep people apart?”

Hernstadt stated that the contract calls for the Town to provide Garden State with half the amount as a down payment and felt they would need roughly one-month’s notice for the show, “so June 1 for the Fourth of July. That triggers the Special Events Permit and our meeting with the rest of the stakeholders, like the Lee County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) and Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, and the COVID-19 plan comes from that. I don’t know that we can enforce appropriate public behavior, as that is up to each individual. It is possible we can close Times Square, to keep it from being too overcrowded, and that is about the extent we can do, as at the end of the day, there will be too many people to ensure they all follow appropriate behavior.”

“Knuckleheads” Public PolicyMurphy did not favor “approving the

contract today, as we do not have a plan to protect people.” “Everyone who lives in this Town is one to two degrees of separation from someone who will work or recreate downtown,” said Veach, “so there is a lot of risk and the benefit to business is small.” Allers stated, “People are already going above-and-beyond what we ask them to do for social distancing.” Hosafros noted that some Town residents are not happy with the current LCSO beach enforcement efforts, with Murphy stating that LCSO patrols are to increase, especially for the upcoming Memorial

COUNCIL from PG 1

COUNCIL cont PG 16 Bay Oaks Recreation Center. Photo by Sarah List.


OpinionEDITORIAL LETTERS

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The deadline for Classified ads and Letters is Noon Wednesday

Letter PolicyThe Island Sand Paper welcomes original letters of up to 300words on local issues. All letters must include the name and cityof residence of the author, plus a phone number for verification.We reserve the right to edit for clarity, length, accuracy and toprevent libel. No poetry. Letters are printed at the discretion of theEditor. Repetitive letters from the same individual on the samesubject will not be printed. There is a publication limit of two lettersevery 4 weeks. Submissions over 300 words may be consideredfor publication as a Guest Commentator based on available space,relevance and the quality of the submission.

The Island Sand Paper welcomes original photos for publicationbased of available space, relevence and quality.

Bay Harbour HearingOnce again the developers of Bay Harbour Marina Village on Main St. have

petitioned the county to accept yet another proposal that does not seem to fix the citizens of San Carlos Island’s concerns. A hearing was held on May 11th that Islander’s attended but the bottom floor elevators were locked that initially limited ADA access (eventually opened) and the microphone system was off so the discussion was very hard to hear.

Also it seemed that the Lee County Attorneys office stated that they supported the settlement agreement before the public or the Special Magistrate had a chance to read it. The developers plans have been denied twice already and their new plans do not address the primary concerns of the Island residents. I.E., building height, population density, traffic impacts, water run off into Hurricane Bay just to name a few.

I urge the community not support inappropriate development on the Island.

Randy Shaul, San Carlos Island

Be Safe. Be NiceI have lived in Southwest Florida for almost twenty years and in the City of Naples for

the past ten. In that time, I have worked in advertising, marketing, photography, and as a pastry chef and restaurant manager/district manager. Covid-19 was unexpected, unyielding, and continues to affect our home, but what is more alarming is the Floridian response. We closed our doors to wait for more, better information about a virus to keep each other healthy and safe.

Now that we have reopened, the threat is far from ended in Florida and we are struggling to decide how to serve our community as an industry. We are pummeled with expectations of service, cleanliness, and consideration, but our patrons have no interest in complying to those same graces in a hypocritical, entitled defiance.

Our community desperately needs caution and empathy to guide our actions. We need to wear protection to keep each other safe. My mask doesn’t protect me; it is worn for the benefit of others. Let us try to remember that the servers, and clerks, and management of these businesses are willing to risk their own good health and that of their families. Let us do them the courtesy of keeping them safe in return and let us show compassion and kindness to those who are serving us in spite of potential health risks.

With a little kindness, we can change the world in a big way. Wear a mask. Keep a distance for now. Be nice.

Daniel P. Vogel, Naples, FL

Memorial DaySo much meaning…Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May whose

purpose is to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the United States military.

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer. Ask any kid. In a good year, school is out by Memorial Day and the three-day weekend is the first outdoor week-end with picnics, parades and that first day of pool fun.

Memorial Day in Fort Myers Beach this year is a glimpse of our future. Will visitors fill our businesses? Will our Island employees take home enough pay to cover the rent? This first holiday weekend with hotels & resorts open, restaurants now at 50% indoor capacity and vacation rentals open will surely be viewed as a test. How will we do?

Our two month dance with COVID-19 has impacted all three meanings of the holiday as traditional Memorial Day gatherings have been cancelled and the start of summer just doesn’t have the same oomph when you haven’t been in a classroom for two months.

Business owners are anxious to see how this weekend goes. A good weekend won’t wipe out the last two months, nor will it refill those bank accounts that have been drained. But it might offer some hope that our economy is headed in the right direction; hope that we can open up the economy and follow CDC safety guidelines at the same time.

Our businesses are doing a great job of letting customers know what they are doing to make it safe to patronize their business. Keep it up!

Island businesses know by now that the key to a healthy beach economy isn’t whether any government agency says it’s ok to open, it’s whether customers feel comfortable coming out and patronizing a business and being around other people.

Those that don’t feel safe out and about in public for whatever reason are going to stay at home. Those that believe there’s no health risk would be out no matter what any guidelines recommend.

In the middle are thousands of potential customers. They miss going out to dinner and shopping. They are bone-tired of staying home, but are a bit nervous about go-ing out and, following CDC guidelines, may opt to wear a mask. Let’s make wearing a mask just another personal choice and not a political statement. Let’s thank them for coming out!

Let’s welcome everyone back to Fort Myers Beach this holiday weekend!

Missy Layfield Editor


OpinionLETTERS LETTERS

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Save Bayside ParkDoes Fort Myers Beach know, very soon they will no longer have an unobstructed

view of the back bay? Or be able to view the Boat Parade again? Or watch the pirate battle on the back bay again?

Bayside Park or Fountain Park is located between Nervous Nellie’s and Marina Village. It is the only public access area which gives an unobstructed view of the back bay. It has hosted the pirate battles during the Pirate Festival. It has hosted viewers as the Roar Offshore power boats pass by. It is the only public viewing area for people to watch the annual Christmas Boat Parade. It is a wonderful viewing area for dolphin watching. It serves as back drop by hundreds of photographers.

Recently, the Town (Anchorage Advisory Committee) approved conceptual design for construction of a multi-story building at the water’s edge. No open dialog or notice was made to adjacent neighbors. Construction of this building will completely obscure/alter the view of the bay.

Is this new building for the benefit of the entire Town? No, it is not. This building is for the sole use of boaters using the mooring field. This building will house showers, restroom and laundry and an office. Boaters will get a shiny new building, and the community gets a forever encumbered Bayside Park. All other options should be explored. This is an idea that serves those few boaters living/using in the mooring field and robs everyone else.

Unobstructed views of the water are a valuable, disappearing resource. They are to be protected. The area directly in front of the water should be open, allowing people to gather, to watch events, and to walk the waterfront.

This is a bad idea that serves only a special few in our community and punishes everyone else. This building should NOT be built. Thank you.

Len J. Lemmer, Fort Myers Beach Nervous Nellie’s owner

Editor’s note: A previous design for an upland service building for the mooring field in Bayside Park was altered due to the location of the main water and sewer lines for the entire island that run under the park. Town Council has not yet approved the new design.

Be Safe. Be Kind.I am a full time resident of FMB and frequent Publix on the island. Yesterday, I

shopped at Publix and was pleased to see the staff wearing masks and sanitizing carts and products.

I was astonished, however, that most shoppers were not wearing masks. I wear one in public to protect others, but these shoppers did not show the same respect for me or others in the store. Do they think that this health crisis is over?

We are reaching over 100,000 deaths in this country. It is not just a number. Each one is a mother or father, a grandmother or grandfather, a daughter or son, a sister or brother, a wife or husband, or a dear friend.

Is it too much to expect that you cover your face, especially when handling food? The package or box that you touch and put back on the shelf might be the one I pick up later.

Isn’t it time that we care about one another and protect each other? Please wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and pray that we get through this. Be safe and keep others safe. Let’s show a little love and kindness to each other.

Pamela Pohlman, Fort Myers Beach

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The New Normal has begun. I, for one am very happy about the reopening

of businesses all over Florida and hope that everyone follows the rules of mask wearing where needed and social distancing. No one said this was going to be easy. However, we are all in this together, and with some common sense we should be able to slowly get back to some semblance of what once was.

I’ve been sheltering in place with my wife since the middle of March. We are fine. We still love each other and are mostly smiling at one another. I’m now, more than ever, very sure I married the right person. Actually I was pretty sure of it years ago when she helped nurse me through cancer and a stem cell transplant.

The only sufferers from sheltering in our house are our three cats. They are a mess thanks to over pampering and attention.

I think they would love it if we would disappear for a couple of days. Hopefully for them and us that will happen sooner rather than later.

Freedom to roam has been one of the things I’ve missed the most. It used to be so easy to jump in my truck and go to the beach, go fishing, dine at my favorite restaurant, or shop for albums at the record store. Yes, I like vinyl better than downloads. I’m a ‘touchy, feely’ person when it comes to shopping, and while Amazon and other online stores are a blessing, I miss holding something and examining it before purchasing.

I’ve missed the outdoors in general. Walking the streets of my neighborhood for exercise isn’t my thing, so I bought a bicycle and it’s been somewhat liberating. I ride almost every day while sticking to the back streets and learning more and

more about the small neighborhoods of my town. I highly recommend it. The parks recently reopened and I’ve been taking the bike there for rides on the trails. It ain’t the beach, but I will say, it’s the next best thing. I love early morning fresh air and the wildlife I’ve seen while riding.

Social media meetings have been an interesting sidebar during the shutdown. I’ve mostly been using Zoom, an application that allows lots of users to video conference online as a group. Sort of like FaceTime on steroids. My friends

and I participate in a weekly virtual

cocktail party and share news, virtual drink toasts and talk about how much we miss each other. It’s not as good as visiting friends and family in person, but it’s much safer at this point and is better than nothing at all.

Gosh, do I miss fishing. It’s been a very long time since I’ve casted a line in either salt or freshwater. It feels very strange to think about the thousands of days I’ve spent on the water, and now nothing. I’ve promised myself that once this mess is behind us I will never ever make an excuse for not going fishing or to the beach. During quiet times when I’m relaxing on the couch I often think about how nice it would be to sit in a beach chair with a good book, an icy cold libation, just listening to the waves lapping on the shoreline.

Last, but certainly not least. Thank you to all the special folks that kept working during the peak of the pandemic and still continue to take care of us. Doctors, nurses, police, firefighters and the many workers performing other essential services. They all deserve a medal.

Hang in there. Remember, we’re Floridians and we’ve toughed out many bad situations. This too will pass in time.

The New NormalFootprints in the Sand

By Captain Rob Modys

The beach is calling. Photo by Rob Modys.

Fond memories - Capt. Rob enjoys some beach fishing. Photo by JoNell Modys.

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Mental Health & Recovery Services, doing much those same things, including the levy campaigns. My first job out of college was with ABX Air, Inc., in Wilmington, not far from Hillsboro, that was a package delivery company that is now an aircraft maintenance facility, so up until now, I spent my entire career in Ohio.”

Promoting the townWith Garrett now out of college

employed and married, “I was at the point in life where I could see what else was out there,” Jenny said. “I was looking around the web, thinking about places like Chicago or California, when I saw the job for the Town and the description fit me perfectly! I wasn’t deterred that it was a brand new position, because every one of my previous jobs were that way as well, so I have experience in being a trendsetter, and who wouldn’t want to work for a beach town, so I applied. The Town offered me an interview in January, either via Skype or in person, so I flew down to get a better feel for the Town and they me. I received the offer toward the middle of February but I needed to wait until near the end of

March, to qualify for my 25-year pension with the State of Ohio as well as to wrap up an 18-month branding campaign for Fairfield, so the Town was nice enough to hold off my start until April 6. When you add everything together, this was meant to be, so I purged most of my belongings, packed up what I had left in a small U-Haul, brought my two little dogs, and here I am!”

Her duties for the Town include its website management, Jenny explained. “I am super impressed with how so many of my staff colleagues did such a good job with it already, considering it is not a part of their job descriptions and they already have so many other duties! I will do content management and redesign the website, but fortunately, the current content management system is the same one used by Fairfield, so I am already familiar with it. I will reorganize and add to the Town’s Facebook presence and launch new ones, such as Instagram and Twitter, and expand social media for the Mound House and Bay Oaks Recreational Center.”

Jenny will continue to expand the use of the new Town logo “that the Council adopted during my hiring process, and I very much appreciate how Council is throwing its full support behind it.

One more crucial concept will be the implementation of ‘TextMyGov’ that is a public information tool we will introduce in the next week or two. All these are essential aspects in building a comprehensive plan to positively promote the Town to move forward, and that is particularly important now due to the coronavirus. I am excited to be on the job, grateful for the support I am already receiving from Council and my coworkers, and eager to get to it.”

new & ExcitingJenny had some previous familiarity

with Fort Myers Beach. “My parents actually wintered in Fort Myers about 20 years ago, for about seven years, so I vacationed in the area. One of my all-time favorite family photographs is of Garrett when he was around two-years-old, as his first experience with the ocean was right on Fort Myers Beach! I am holding him by his armpits, with his feet kicking away, as he is so excited to get to the water, so that is pretty cool!”

While still new to the beach community, Jenny already encountered several nice surprises. “What I did not expect and has really struck me is how much the Town and its residents love and respect their history! I knew nothing

about the Mound House that I visited for the first time last week, and it is such a marvel and so impressive! I know the Mound House has its own marketing campaign but I am excited to assist them in any way possible. Other new elements to me include the Mooring Field, and I can’t wait to learn more about Bay Oaks. Because of COVID-19, in my off-hours, it has been a challenge being out-&-about, but I soon look forward to getting to know the island’s many restaurants and shops.”

She finds the beach “amazing” and enjoys “magnificent sunsets” almost every evening. “While I am doing a lot of walking with my dogs, I look forward to exploring the Town’s other natural resources, as I am just now learning about its parks, the back bay, and how our citizens value the nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. This is completely new to me, after spending so many years in the suburbs of Cincinnati, and so exciting!”

Family traditionDue to the coronavirus and all its

various restrictions and precautions, Jenny is well-aware that her Fort Myers Beach career begins at a bizarre time, not only locally but nationally and internationally. “I am a people-person, but must social distance from my new coworkers, and have yet to even meet in person all the Town Council members, so all this is unusual for me, but we now live in an unusual time for us all. When I first started, Town employees were on ‘A’ and ‘B’ work weeks, so it was tough to learn not only names but titles and their responsibilities, but a cool thing was that I worked out of a desk that is outside my normal area, so I was able to hear staff working on projects like permitting, zoning, and short term rentals, and was able to start to pick up on those things and that is very helpful.”

Public service is a family tradition for Jenny. “Mom was a public school teacher and Dad was a director of a government agency that served people with disabilities in the town where I grew up, and I had two uncles and an aunt in government service, so it is deep within our family to make a positive difference for the people in our communities. To me, being a public servant means that we are totally cognizant that we serve the public, to provide them with the best quality of life available to them, and that we wisely allocate the moneys they entrust to us. Most of us in government work long hours; far more than people assume, and we do not come in at 9 or leave at 5, but when you have a passion for service like I do, you do that gladly.

“It is a privilege to work for you and that is a responsibly that I and my coworkers take seriously, to ensure you can enjoy the best possible life. I am really excited to be a part of the Fort Myers Beach community and look forward to working for and with you for a very long time, as being here, for me, is a blessing and a gift!”

DEXTER from PG 1

The Town’s new logo.


interesting ResultsOnce at Vester, Nicole and her

colleagues will immediately test one sample from each testing site for turbidity, chlorophyll, Color Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) and salinity and record the data, and freeze the other to send to their FGCU laboratory for orthophosphate, nitrate/nitrite, and ammonium analysis at a later time. Penny noted, “Dr. Michael Parsons, a professor from FGCU’s Water School as well as a member of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Blue-Green Algae Task Force, will interpret the data and add it to our ongoing report that we will share with the island community, with our next collection date later this year, near the end of rainy season.”

According to Dr. Parsons, the early results from the first two 2019 water quality tests seem to indicate that organic matter from Fort Myers Beach is low, with the negative values indicating a lack of inputs from Lake Okeechobee, including less CDOM than in the FGCU tap water used as the ‘zero’ value in their calibration. Chlorophyll was slightly elevated and Phosphate was much higher. “In a nutshell,” he noted. “I’d say these indicate a lack of Lake Okeechobee influence, as low salinity and low CDOM as discharges were generally low, and noticeable localized phosphate inputs, though I won’t say significant yet – we need to continue the data collection. Phosphate sources would include fertilizer and waste water, septic and discharges from waste water treatment plants. The lack of similar nitrogen increases suggest it might not be waste water, or algae took up the nitrogen and we see residual phosphate. They could not use bioassay tests to help figure this out. Interesting results!”

Penny added that “testing so far indicates Phosphorous levels twice those of Nitrogen. This could be important because it may indicate the influence of fertilizers primarily from Fort Myers Beach may feed alga blooms. If further test results prove that, we can make relatively straight-forward changes in how people should and should not apply fertilizer on the island, to better understand necessary landscaping restrictions to improve our clean water quality. The results may ask Fort Myers Beach residents to use more native plants that require less or no fertilizer, and are drought-tolerant and do not require much water, as any water you use on a barrier island will basically run off into the Bay or Gulf and directly impact

our waterways. That connection between land and water is really important for everyone to understand!”

Penny is delighted with What’s In The Water to this point. “The involvement of island volunteers gives them a sense of involvement, while keeping water quality front-and-center on people’s minds at the local level. Our test results will not only help Fort Myers Beach leaders to implement better water quality regulations, but will eventually guide further state and federal policies. What’s In The Water started out as one simple meeting with FGCU and grew into what it is now. I know our citizens have a strong sense of community, with a dedication to water quality, so this is so rewarding to me!”

FGCU students inspect water samples at the Mound House during a What’s in the Water? event. Photos by Don Hutchinson.

WATER from PG 5

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BlooD DRivEWant to be a hometown hero? Spend a few minutes and save a life. One unit of blood can help save the lives of several people and there is always a significant need for blood donations, especially now. Bonita Bill’s is sponsoring Lee Health’s Bloodmobile on Friday, May 22 from 1 – 5pm. The drive is in honor of Lorraine, Bonita Bill’s bookkeeper who was recently diagnosed with cancer and required a blood transfusion. Her birthday is Friday, too! All donors receive a thank you gift and wellness checkup. The blood drive will be conducted using social distancing guidelines and appropriate infection control protocols. If you’d like to donate blood but are not available Friday afternoon, stop by the Lee Health Blood Center at 15880 Summerlin Rd, Fort Myers any time between 8am and 4pm Monday-Friday or until 7pm on Wednesday. Questions about blood donation? Call 239-343-2333.

KinDERGARtEnIt’s time to register for Kindergarten at Fort Myers Beach Elementary School! Parents or guardians are asked to scan and email the following documents to [email protected] Original birth certificate; Current School Physical Form; Social Security Card, if available; Florida Immunization Card; Proof of Address; Proof of Custody; Parent’s Driver’s License. If you are unable to scan and email the documents, the Beach School office will be open for kindergarten enrollment on Friday, June 12 from 9am – 2pm. The school is located at 2751 Oak Street, Fort Myers Beach. If you have any questions, call the school before noon at 239-463-6356.

HoliDAy ScHEDulESDuring the week of May 25, all trash, recycling and yard waste collections in Fort Myers Beach will be delayed by one day for the week. The Topaz Court Household Chemical Waste Collection Facility will be closed Monday. Please recycle the plastic, metal and glass from your Memorial Day weekend activities. LeeTran will not run bus or trolley service on Monday, May 25.

BEAcH liBRARyThe Fort Myers Beach Library remains closed, but curbside pickup of held books is available Monday – Friday 9am - 4pm. Place holds through the catalog tab at the top of the Beach Library website at fmb.lib.fl.us/ using your library card or if you know the titles you want, call 239-765-8162.

MounD HouSEThe Mound House is now open on Tuesday and Saturday from 9am - 4pm for self-guided tours. The Museum Store is closed, but the grounds are open to all from sunrise to sunset each day.

BAy oAKS REc cEntERThe weight room and cardio room are now open by reservation only from 8am - 7pm Monday to Friday and 10 am - 7pm on Saturday. Four reservations for each room will be taken for the top of each hour. After 45 minutes the room will be cleared and cleaned before the next group of four is allowed to use it. Reservations must be made at least two hours in advance by calling 239-765-4222. No walk-ins allowed. The Bay Oaks grounds are open from sunrise to sunset, but the community

pool, ball fields, public restrooms and playground remain closed until further notice.

vAcAtion REntAlSShort-term (30 days and less) vacation rentals are now allowed in Lee County. Information on guidelines and rules pertaining to vacation rentals can be found at bit.ly/isp192

toWn ADviSoRy coMMittEESThe Town of Fort Myers Beach is seeking interested residents to serve as members of volunteer advisory boards that advise Town Council. There are current openings on the Local Planning Agency (LPA) and the Community Resource Advisory Board (CRAB). Visit bit.ly/isp25 to learn more about advisory committees or to apply.

FooD RESouRcESBeach Baptist offers to-go hot meals on SU from 9 – 10am (upstairs); WE at 5:30pm (outside) and TH 9 – 11am. Lee Schools Grab & Go breakfast/lunch bags for kids age 18 and under are available for pickup at Beach Baptist from 9 – 11am MO – FR. No registration or school enrollment required. On Thursday, from 10am - 3pm, the Choice Market food bank is open at Beach Baptist. Volunteers are needed to assist. Please call 239-247-1029 or email [email protected] if you can help.

tuRtlE nEStinG SEASonThe sea turtles are back! They are breeding in offshore waters and nesting on our beaches. Please help by keeping boat speeds to idle within a half mile of the shoreline. Make sure you have no lights that shine on the beach from your property or from inside your home.

Around & About

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District is accepting letters of interest and resumes for a vacancy in

Fire Commissioner Seat 1.

This position may remain open until filled, however, the first round of letters of interest and resumes must be received by 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, on June 16, 2020. Letters of interest and resumes should be addressed with attention to the Office of the Fire Chief- Fire Commissioner Selection, and can be submitted via email to [email protected], United States Postal Service or in person to 100 Voorhis Street, Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931.

For more information on the process and on the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, please visit www.FMBFire.org or contact us at (239) 590-4200.


Turtle Tally

Around & About

Go with the flow!

Fort Myers BeachNests ................................... 26False Crawls ........................ 30Hatched ................................ 0

Bonita BeachNests ................................... 19False Crawls ........................ 17Hatched ................................ 0

Jacki noted, “One of the Council members said you don’t make decisions to control the ‘knuckleheads,’ but you don’t need regulations for people who already fol-low the rules. Our Council is on the right path by weigh-ing all their options while being cautious, and if that means closing Times Square during fireworks, that is something they need to consider as one of their options, as at times like this, anything is on the table.”

new Ways of BusinessThe FMB Chamber continues to host as many of its

monthly events as possible during the coronavirus pan-demic, though several are virtual. “We are doing ‘Coffee Connections,’ ‘Business After Hours,’ ‘Business Referral Group,’ and our Chamber Board Meeting virtually,” re-ported Jacki, “and will continue to do them that way at least through June. We are, however, reopening the Chamber Office on Monday, June 1. We are examining our option to host the ‘Bowling Bash’ in July but sadly do not anticipate the resumption of our monthly Chamber Lunch Programs until restaurants can return to close to full capacity, as we average an attendance of 60 people and you can’t put that many into a restaurant that has a limit of 40 seats right now.”

How does Jacki view FMB business for the balance of 2020? “I am always an optimist by nature! There will be a lot of good that will come out of all this in the end. We will all be different, and different is not necessarily a bad thing! People genuinely have a greater appreciation for their lives and this trickles down to their businesses and how they feel about their coworkers and customers. They are looking for new ways to improve how they run their companies and their lives, and I don’t care what business they are in; we are all discovering new things and new ways to do more with less and that will make us all better. Those are the same questions we ask ourselves here at the Chamber Office and I hear the same things from businesses all over the island. Everybody is trying new things to keep their businesses going while keep-ing their guests and employees safer, and that is what make Fort Myers Beach a great community! People are excited to be getting back to business, and you can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices!”

CHAMBER from PG 3

Florida restaurants may now open at 50% indoor capacity and outdoor seating with six feet of separation.

Local Government Meetings Tuesday, May 26 at 6:30pmLibrary Board Meeting, Beach Library, 3rd floor Community Room.

All meetings take place in Town Hall, 2525 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach unless otherwise noted. Meetings are subject to change.

Draw the drapes or blinds to shield inside lights after dark. Use only Amber LED bulbs in outdoor fixtures that can be seen from the beach. Pull beach furniture, boats and toys back behind the vegetation line so turtles do not get tangled up in them. Turtle friendly light fixtures and bulbs can be found at bit.ly/lites4turtles If you accidentally hook a turtle or find one in distress contact the FWC hotline at 888-404-3922, *FWC, #FWC or text [email protected]

coviD-19 tEStinGA virus testing site is now open at CenturyLink Stadium (Hammond Park), 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, seven days a week from 9am - 3pm(gates close). This site tests for active infection. It is NOT an antibody test site. Testing is free and only for ages 18 and up. Bring a photo ID and face covering. For more information see leegov.com under COVID-19 Information > Testing.

SHoREBiRD nEStinGIt’s shorebird nesting season! The Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area (CWA) and Carlos Point/Castle Beach temporary refuge has been posted for active nests. Wilson’s plovers, snowy plovers and Least terns have all been seen in those areas and several nests are active. The Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area is closed to people from April 1 – August 31 to allow the shorebirds to court, nest and fledge. An FWC biologist will monitor the CWA and Carlos Point areas each day through the end of August.

To protect the nesting shorebirds, do not walk in any posted areas or in the CWA. Keep all pets away from the area. Dogs are never allowed in the CWA, but may be on other parts of the beach with 6ft leash. Anyone planning to photograph the nesting birds, should do so only from a long distance with a zoom lens. For more information about nesting shorebirds visit bit.ly/FWCShorebirds

BEAcH KiDS ScHolARSHiPSThe Beach Kids Foundation is offering scholarships to students who will attend college, university or trade school in the fall.

Applicants must reside on Fort Myers Beach or be the child of a parent who works on the beach. A completed application, essay and three references are required. Application must be postmarked by 5pm, June 12, 2020. Applications are available by calling Tracey at 239-849-3603. Completed applications should be mailed to Beach Kids Foundation, 2801 Estero Blvd, Suite B, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931. Contact Linda at 239-980-0661 with any questions.

votER REGiStRAtionVoters are reminded that a Vote-by-Mail ballot may be requested for a specific election or for all elections through the next two general election cycles. No reason is needed. Any voter, their legal guardian or an immediate family member may request a vote-by-mail ballot online at lee.vote or by calling 239-LEE-VOTE. Voters can track their ballot online and see when it was mailed, received and counted.

WAtER REStRictionSDue to a severe drought, Lee County has announced mandatory restrictions on landscape watering effective immediately. Landscape irrigation is restricted to one day per week for all parts of Lee County, including Fort Myers Beach. If your address ends in an even number, you may water on Sunday. If your address ends in an odd number, you may run your irrigation on Wednesday. All landscape irrigation is prohibited between 9am and 5pm.

coviD-19 RESouRcESFlorida Dept. of Health: floridahealthcovid19.govFDOH COVID-19 Dashboard: bit.ly/isp4123Lee County Government: www.leegov.com/covid-19/CDC COVID: www.coronavirus.govLee Health: COVID info page: www.leehealth.org/public-health


F 22 High 2:37 AM 1.8 6:37 AM Rise 6:38 AM 0 22 Low 6:01AM 1.5 8:12 PM Set 8:19 PM 22 High 12:33 PM 3.0 22 Low 7:58 PM -0.2

Sa 23 High 3:23 AM 1.7 6:37 AM Rise 7:18 AM 0 23 Low 6:16 AM 1.5 8:12 PM Set 9:15 PM 23 High 1:00 PM 3.2 23 Low 8:36 PM -0.4

Su 24 High 4:13 AM 1.7 6:37 AM Rise 8:04 AM 1 24 Low 6:33 AM 1.6 8:13 PM Set 10:12 PM 24 High 1:32 PM 3.3 24 Low 9:17 PM -0.5

M 25 High 5:11 AM 1.7 6:36 AM Rise 8:55 AM 4 25 Low 6:51 AM 1.6 8:13 PM Set 11:08 PM 25 High 2:10 PM 3.3 25 Low 10:05 PM -0.5

Tu 26 High 2:54 PM 3.3 6:36 AM Rise 9:51 AM 9 26 Low 10:57 PM -0.4 8:14 PM

W 27 High 3:44 PM 3.2 6:36 AM Set 12:00 AM 16 27 Low 11:54 PM -0.4 8:14 PM Rise 10:50 AM

Th 28 High 4:46 PM 2.9 6:36 AM Set 12:49 AM 25 28 Low 8:15 PM Rise 11:52 AM

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Day Weekend. Hosafros questioned, “Lee County recently received a great deal of federal government stimulus money; why should the Town pay for extra security when Lee County opened their beach properties? I did not hear them mention that at their recent meeting.”

Atterholt suggested the Town not make its decision based “on a few knuckleheads who are not compliant. We should set public policy knowing we can trust people to do the right thing. Let’s see how things work out over the Memorial Day weekend, as that will give us time to see how the whole thing pans out. I challenge the Town Manager to look at other communities to find creative ways to make this work!” Veach offered that perhaps fireworks could be on a barge at mid-island, to spread out the crowd, then addressed Atterholt’s “knucklehead” comment: “we make public policy based on people who do not follow the rules nor show common sense!” Council then approved the Garden State contract but did not stipulate that the display will be on the Fourth of July by a 3 to 2 vote, with Murphy and Veach against.

Health & WealthUnder “State of Local Emergency:

Florida Recovery Phase I,” Veach noted that Lee County Commissioners sent Governor Ron DeSantis a request to lift his Vacation Rentals moratorium effective Wednesday, May 20, with Veach describing most of its points as “vague and unenforceable.” Murphy agreed, saying, “The Governor does not want people coming from New York City, but how do you enforce that?” Veach added, “We need to look at this as an opportunity to create our ‘New Normal,’ through clean and safe rentals. We need

to send the message that we are looking out for our health and not just our wealth!”

Hernstadt reinforced that “until the Governor lifts his Vacation Rental Order, his supersedes any Town Emergency Declaration.” Allers asked if Town Code Enforcement dealt with any Vacation Rental violators over the past weekend. Hernstadt replied, “We asked them to make other arrangements, like at a local hotel. The message I got was that people were very cooperative.”

“Good to Be Back”For the first time since late March,

Council met in Town Hall Chambers, with ample social distancing before a handful of residents. “It’s good to be back in Town

Hall,” enthused Murphy, “and good to welcome our three new Council members here for the first time!”

Kevin Ruane, Sanibel Mayor and current Florida League of Mayors President, attended the meeting and asked Council for their support to address Lake Okeechobee release standards to allow Southwest Florida to receive enough water in the dry season while containing flows that can lead to Blue-Green Algae and Red Tide in the wet season. “We must manage the Lake in an effective way,”

Ruane reported, “like the last two years, to ensure all user groups benefit and not just one.”

Atterholt noted that the Florida Legislature allocated $625 million in the current State budget for water quality projects and asked if that funding were in jeopardy due to coronavirus issues? “I don’t believe it is,” responded Ruane. “The federal government CARES Act provided the State $8.3 billion. These projects provide jobs and it is important that people keep working, so I am encouraged.”

lPA Applicants neededIn other matters, Council unanimously

approved several agenda items. Under

their Consent Agenda, Council approved the “Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant” for $184,284; allocated $126,013 to Infinite Construction for the Bay Road & School Street Sidewalks; authorized the Town Manager to apply for a Clean Vessel Act Grant through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; and allocated $7,460 from Beach Renourishment Funds to initiate a state funding application. Council by a 4 - 1 vote appointed Sarah Torgerson, one of three candidates, to the one opening on the

Marine Resources Task Force.Council deferred naming a new person

to the Local Planning Agency (LPA), to give the public more time to submit applications via the Town website. “This is a very important committee,” said Allers, “and we need the best possible candidates.” Atterholt noted, “Council relies heavily on the LPA for zoning matters. For folks who really want to have their finger on the pulse of the Town, the LPA is that committee.” The two open seats on the LPA are a result of former LPA members Allers’ and Atterholt’s election to council.

Under Town Manager Items, Hernstadt noted that the Bay Oaks Recreational Center cardio and weight rooms are open in 45-minute increments by appointment only at 239-765-4222 to a maximum of four people each hour, with staff doing a comprehensive cleaning the remaining 15 minutes of each hour. “Restrooms are open by request only, and all instructors can hold classes out on the field. The Mound House is a greater challenge, so it will only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are self-guided, with one staff member per floor. People can use the restroom but we will close the Museum Store.” Allers inquired about reopening children’s programming, with Hernstadt responding, “Camps create a greater challenge; we have no solutions yet.”

Town Attorney John Herin, Jr. told Council he is planning to hold an Executive Session prior to either the June 1 or June 15 Council Meeting to discuss two issues, one being the south end private beach dune walkover. Once he recommends the date, Council will hold their Executive Session at 9 a.m., with the Council Meeting starting roughly one hour later.

COUNCIL from PG 6

Let’s see how things work out over the Memorial Day weekend, as that

will give us time to see how the whole thing pans out.


Open Air Family Seafood Restaurant On the Gulf Inside and Outside Seating

We are taking all necessary precautions to keep our staff and you safe.

We look forward to serving you again!

SERVING BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER • LATE NITE MENU

PUT YOUR FEET IN THE SAND AND LET US SERVE YOU! FUN FOR ALL AGES!

Live Music

Side Show Bob

Sat & Sun

NEW Cottage Cabana

(Lower Level, Under Shucker’s)

Enjoy our Sunset View! OPEN DAILY Shucker’s

8am-CloseNEW!

The Cottage Beach Cabana 11am-Sunset

1250 Estero Blvd l Fort Myers Beach, FL l 239.765.5440

HAPPY HOUR3-6pm Mon-Fri

OPEN MAY 26th

8am

• Family Cruises• Adult Cruises• Cruises Running Daily

$5 Offwith the purchase of two tickets

Not valid with any other offers,promotions, or coupons.

EXPIRES May 29, 2020 ISPOFF2

• Private Charters• Bachelor/ette Parties• Corporate Outings• and More!

800-776-6171 • FloridaPirateCruise.com


process on two separate occasions: to receive my own test on Saturday morning, May 9, then again when I took my parents on Tuesday morning, May 12. On May 9, I arrived at 11:30 a.m. and drove out a 12:04 p.m. after just 34 minutes. On May 12, we entered at 11:40 a.m. and exited at 12:36 p.m. after 56 minutes. On each occasion, there were no cars on Six Mile Cypress Parkway waiting to enter the Hammond parking lot, with roughly a dozen cars in line to access the testing tent on Saturday and approximately double that on Tuesday, though when we left, the line was nearly twice that long.

Everyone seeking a test must be at least 18 years old, wear a facecover, and have a valid Driver’s License or photo identification, or the Florida National Guard personnel will not admit you. You do not, however, need to be a Lee County or even Florida resident, and all receiving a test must sit by a working window. At the entry, everyone must don their facecover and hand their photo I.D. to the driver.

The National Guard member asks the driver to lower their window, where they inspect each I.D., gets a telephone number for every person, writes these on the Testing Information Packet, and distributes one for each individual. The driver then places these and the corresponding I.D.s on the front dash, rolls their window up and proceeds toward the testing tents. From that point on, until the test, all windows remain up, with no signatures required during the process.

testing tentsAnother National Guard member

directs your car to the appropriate testing

lane. At the registration tent, an aide or nurse wearing gloves and a facecover notes your name, address, date of birth, gender and telephone number from your I.D. and information packet on the dash. They hold these up to your closed windows for confirmation, then insert the nasal swab specimen bag under your windshield wiper.

You proceed to the test/swab tent,

where a medical person in full protective gear including boots conducts the nasal swab test. As the technician goes to each window, only then does that window come down. You face the technician, lean your head back, lower your mask just enough to expose your nose but cover your mouth, and the tech inserts the soft swap deep into each nostril and rotates it for approximately 30 total seconds,

changing their gloves after every test. Once each person receives their nasal swab test, you retrieve your I.D. and information packets from the dashboard and exit the Sports Complex.

I personally recommend you bring sunglasses, as other than when you are under the registration or testing tents, you wait in line in your car without shade. Make sure you have enough gasoline, so you can run your air conditioner for comfort. I suggest as well you bring tissues or paper towels, as the deep swab made my eyes tear, and I actually sneezed shortly after pulling away from the testing tent, so be ready should it affect you in the same ways.

test ResultsWhile the COVID-19 test is quick,

unfortunately the response is not! The normal processing time after the laboratory receives your test is 72 hours and if it is positive, it is another 24 hours before they telephone you. If the result is negative, it can be an additional 5 days. In my case, I did not learn that my May 9 test was negative until Monday afternoon, May 18, and as of press time, my parents still do not know theirs. The good news is if the lab does not call you with a positive result after the first four days, it’s unlikely that you have the coronavirus. If you still do not hear from the laboratory, the information packet provides a Medical Associates Network telephone number to call.

Lee County officials say the shortest wait times for tests are from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Officials can administer 750 tests-per-day and the Hammond Stadium site reached its quota several times during the last two weeks.

COVID-19 from PG 1

The medical technician conducts the Nasal Swab. Photos by Gary Mooney.

E077 SOLUTION


1300 Estero Blvd.Fort Myers Beach | Florida

tunaskin.co

TUNASKIN IS COMMITTED TO BEING A LEADER IN THE AQUATIC SPORTS INDUSTRY PROVIDING APPAREL AND SPECIALIZED PRODUCTS THAT ENHANCE, CAPTURE, AND PROMOTE THE

LIFESTYLE OF AVID AQUATIC SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS.

NEWARRIVAL

LADIES SWIM


Vacation Rentals AllowedFull Phase 1 Takes Effect

vacation Rentals open

Lee County vacation rentals are open as of May 20 following approval

of Lee County’s submission of an application and safety plan by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation(DBPR).

In his Full Phase 1 order, effective May 18, DeSantis opened the door for individual counties to request approval to allow vacation rentals by submitting a written request and a safety plan to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation(DBPR).

Lee County submitted a request to the DBPR on May 18 to allow vacation rentals of less than 30 days to resume on May 20. The county request includes a safety & disinfection plan that follows CDC guidelines and would reopen vacation rentals to Florida residents only for the first 30 days and prohibit international travelers and those “from a state or locality with substantial community spread of COVID-19.” The rules would be enforced by the DBPR.

Vacation rentals of 30 days or less have been banned statewide since March 29. The Governor’s original Executive Order 20-87, was for a two-week period, but it was later extended. The Town of Fort Myers Beach issued a Declaration of Emergency Regulation No.2 on March 29, 2020, which banned all short-term lodging, including vacation rentals, hotels, resorts and time shares within the town for 90 days. This was later amended to expire May 15. Hotels, resorts and time shares were allowed to resume renting out lodging on May 15, but vacation rentals remained prohibited under the statewide ban. While Governor DeSantis initiated the statewide ban, he later indicated that he wanted counties to direct a lifting of the ban.

Full Phase 1Monday, May 18 marked the first day of

Full Phase 1 as defined by Governor Ron DeSantis for the recovery of the State of Florida. The Executive Order allows restaurants to increase indoor capacity

from the previously allowed 25% to 50%, while still encouraging outdoor seating. Retail stores may now operate at 50% capacity indoors also.

Gyms and fitness centers were allowed to open for the first time since DeSantis closed them on March 20. Museums and libraries were given permission to open at 50% capacity providing local governments approved.

As of May 18, bars and movie theaters remain closed, though DeSantis’ latest order allows professional sports venues to open for games, events and training. Schools remain closed except for distance learning and long term care facilities are still not allowed visitors. Amusement parks may submit re-opening plans to the state. The governor opened barbershops, hair and nail salons May 11 with required safety protocols.

Mound House & Bay oaksResponding to the Governor’s new

guidelines, the Town of Fort Myers Beach

announced late Monday, May 18 that they would open the Mound House Museum and the weight & cardio rooms at Bay Oaks Recreational Center on Tuesday, May 19. The Bay Oaks exercise rooms would be limited to 4 people at the top of each hour for a maximum 45-minute session. Then the room and equipment would be sanitized before the next group of four would be allowed in to exercise. Reservations are required at least two hours in advance by calling 239-765-4222. Reservations will be taken for the start of each hour from 8am – 7pm Monday – Friday and 10am – 7pm on Saturday. Walk-ins will not be allowed.

The Mound House Museum will be open Tuesday & Saturday from 9 am to 4pm. They will allow 50% of their usual capacity into the museum for self-guided tours. All guests at Bay Oaks and the Mound House will be expected to follow social distancing and CDC guidelines.

The grounds at the Mound House and Bay Oaks remain open from sunrise to sunset. The Community Pool, ball fields, public restrooms and playground at Bay Oaks remain closed.

lee countyThe County Pier opens on Friday,

May 22, along with county pools, playgrounds, pavilions, splash pads and multi-purpose fields. County pools will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am - 4pm for laps and exercise only. No more than 25 patrons will be admitted to each pool at the top of every hours for 45 minutes. The Fort Myers Beach Community Pool is a town-owned facility and remains closed.

The Topaz Court Household Chemical Waste Center, at 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers, is now open and accepting residential chemical waste and electronics. Their hours are 8am – 5pm Monday – Friday and 8am – noon the first Saturday of the month. For more information on county facilities, see leegov.com/

From the beginning of this pandemic, the response of our elected officials has

prioritized private profits over saving lives.Senate Majority Leader Mitch

McConnell, for example, recently came out against federal support for state budgets, saying state pensions were unworthy of being bailed out. In short, he’s using this crisis as an opportunity to deny millions of workers benefits they’ve worked for their whole lives.

Covering his tracks with divisive rhetoric, McConnell said what he opposed was a “blue state bailout.”

The response of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose own state needs help battling the fallout of the pandemic, unfortunately wasn’t much better. He tried to pit New York against McConnell’s Kentucky, calling Kentucky a “taker” from the federal budget.

That’s the same lie of scarcity McConnell was peddling. Cuomo himself is proposing to cut billions of dollars from

education, health care, and other social programs in New York while refusing to consider increasing taxes on the wealthy in the state.

We cannot fall for these cynical attempts at misdirection and division. “At the center of all these issues is not the red or blue divide, but actual people and their lives,” the leaders of the Poor People’s Campaign in Kentucky and New York said in a joint statement.

“This is not a state against state issue,” they insisted. We’re all “being forced to exist within an economic framework that time and time again [protects] wealth over life.”

They’re right. We should have ample resources to survive this crisis.

Billionaires in the United States have seen their wealth dramatically increase since the pandemic set in. Trillions of dollars have been funneled to corporations. Recently closed hospitals are sitting empty, along with millions of

homes and hotel rooms, and millions of pounds of food are being destroyed.

The lie of scarcity is a screen for policies that undermine not only our human rights to health, housing, and food, but also our democracy.

In the coming months, as state governments put together their budgets, the extent of this immoral opportunism will become even clearer. Sharp declines in sales and income taxes, along with increased strains on Medicaid and unemployment insurance, will leave states in severe budget crises.

What happens next can be deadly, as we saw in the criminal poisoning of Flint, Michigan.

In Flint, it was an unaccountable fiscal “emergency manager” who overruled local officials and switched the city’s water source as a cost-saving measure — and then refused to take necessary safety precautions, causing the entire city to be exposed to lead poisoning.

As Claire McClinton, a long-time Flint community organizer and leader, said: “They could not have taken our water away without taking our democracy first.” Turning our present public health emergency into a financial emergency is the next step in this process.

We cannot be silent in the face of cruelty masquerading as necessity. Just as we refuse to cooperate with irresponsible calls to re-open businesses before it’s safe, we should refuse to allow corporate-backed politicians to balance budgets by denying rights — especially when we have the resources to honor those rights.

We can provide health care, incomes, housing, education, food, and a healthy environment for all — if we choose to. If we value human life over private profits, there is no need for scarcity, not even in a pandemic.

What we can’t do is allow petty divisions to distract us from that.

GuEST COMMENTARY

Avoid DivisionRev. Liz TheoharisOtherwords.org


Answers Pg 22


A74

A75

E074 SOLUTION

E075 SOLUTION

I PUZZLES


Who’s Playing WhereOn and Around the Beach

The week of May 22-28, 2020

The Who’s Playing Where Page is a free service for current Island Sand Paper advertisers who regularly offer live music at least two days per week. ALL LISTINGS ARE SUPPLIED BY THE ADVERTISERS. Advertisers may send their music schedule to [email protected] by noon Wednesday. Call Sandy at 239-463-4461 for advertising options.

Cottage 1250 Estero Blvd

765-5440

2-5pmSideShow Bob

2-5pmSideShow Bob

Dixie Fish714 Fisherman’s Wharf

233-8837

5:30 - 8:30pmMark Wesley

5:30 - 8:30pmSome Little Fish

5:30 - 8:30pmGirl Meets Boy

5:30 - 8:30pmTequila Tom

5:30 - 8:30pmBobby Blakey

5:30 - 8:30pmSam DeArmond

Matanzas on the Bay

416 Crescent St.463-3838

5:30-9:30pmDaniel D

12-4pmScotty Bryan

5-9pm Mary Winner

12-4pmMatt Freed

5:30-9:30pmSailor Larry

5:30-9:30pmScotty Bryan

5:30-9:30pmSailor Larry

5:30-9:30pmPete Beard & Greg Watts

5:30-9:30pmMary Winner

OUTRIGGER 6200 Estero Blvd

463-3131

5-8pmAlan Small

3-6pmSmokin’ Bill

3-6pmSmalltown

5-8pmJenny Ve

5-8pmMeagan Rose

5-8pmEndre D

5-8pmNicole D’Andrea

Parrot Key2500 Main Street

463-3257

7-10pmDeb & the Dynamics

PierSide1000 Estero Blvd

765-7800

2 - 6pmJeff Whidby

2 - 6pmFrank Thomson

2 - 6pmFrank Thomson

2 - 6pmAnthony Wayne

2 - 6pmBill Zink

2 - 6pmBill Zink

2 - 6pmBill Zink

CLuB FRIDAy SATuRDAy SuNDAy MONDAy TuESDAy wEDNESDAy THuRSDAy

Tequila Tom

Anthony wayne

Sam DeArmond

Alan Small

Scotty Bryan

Deb & the Dynamics

Jeff whidby

Girl Meets Boy

SideShow Bob

1249 Estero Blvd. 239-463-5505

www.TheBeachedWhale.com

The Best Happy Hour on the Beach!

Lee County’s Newest

Waterfront Restaurant& Fish House!

www.dixiefishfmb.com714 Fishermans Wharf • 239.233.8837

Other Locations:Sanibel Island • Captiva Island

www.DocFords.com708 Fisherman’s Wharf • 239.765.9660

Live Music • Outdoor Waterfront Seating • Stone Crab Claws

“For the sun-kissed & sun-desirous

alike, a vacation on a plate.”

WE’RE BACK!We hope everyone is doing well, and we can’t wait to serve you again!

WE’RE BACK!We hope everyone is doing well, and we can’t wait to serveyou again!

WE’RE BACK!We hope everyone is doing well, and we can’t wait to serve you again!

volume 20, number 21 council approves fireworks · 2020-05-21 · fishing charters we’re open!...

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