On Sunday, Jan. 16 at 6:37 a.m. the winds of change blew at 110 mph for many residents of Gasparilla Mobile Estates. The EF-1 tornado that touched down and cut a narrow swath through the park completely destroyed seven mobile homes, and up to 33 more had damage. Many of the homes that were not destroyed still have been tagged as unfit for inhabitance. That means while people can still go in and get belongings and look at damage at their own risk, they cannot live there.
Out of the homes affected, only two were insured.

Volunteering is a simple way to improve your health, ease feelings of loneliness and broaden social networks. Nature lover and Lemon Bay Conservancy Wildflower Preserve’s volunteer chair, Lucia Schattleleyn, is a lifelong volunteer and considered by those who know her well as an expert on the subject. Three in five Americans surveyed in a recent polling report felt lonely. Researchers attributed these findings to a variety of factors, including a lack of social support, infrequent meaningful social interactions, poor physical and mental health, and an imbalance in daily activities. Furthermore, studies show that volunteering not only helps people feel less lonely, it can also improve physical well-being.
Loneliness often times stems from unwanted solitude. A potential cure? Kindness toward others and our environment. Opportunities to give back are becoming more readily available than they were last year, and the need for volunteers steadily continues to grow. “Volunteering is one of the best, most certain ways that we can find purpose and meaning in our life,” shares Lemon Bay Conservancy member Marian Schneider.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept a $120,000 grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the construction of an artificial reef approximately 15 miles off the coast of Captiva.

It was a busy Wednesday morning at the Boca Grande Community Center, as the Historic Preservation Board Meeting was called to order.
The first item on the agenda was the Special Certificate of Appropriateness (SCA) Case 7th Street Boathouse and Marina Alterations (SCA2021-00021).
“This is a non-contributing property that has been previously approved,” read Peter Blackwell, Lee County Planner and Zoning. “Replace the existing boathouse with a new design boathouse. That construction has not occurred yet, and what the applicant is asking for today is a revision to what was previously approved, I believe, in 2018. The main item that concerns staff or that’s relevant to staff review is the exterior elevations on the South elevation. Staff finds that none of these changes are really a change in the character of the building. It’s maritime industrial design either way, and they’re still keeping the metal siding.”

It is a new year, the weather is cooler, island activities are picking up and there is a steady stream of users on the GICIA Bike Path. The GICIA’s Bike Path property includes approximately three miles of a pedestrian-friendly walking path and five miles of a 10-foot-wide paved path. This linear park is shared by many different users including walkers, runners, skaters, as well as people on golf carts, bikes, and wheelchairs. With activity on the Bike Path increasing, the GICIA encourages all users to adopt a “Share the Path” mindset.