Civic and Community Corner, Week of Nov. 22
It has been six weeks since I wrote my last column- that week began with an emotional high resulting from the overwhelming success of the North Fort Myers Renaissance Campaign Kickoff Luncheon on Oct. 9 before a capacity crowd with all five county commissioners on hand. Our North Fort Myers Promotional Brochure was distributed to all attendees, the Renaissance concept was explained, our three speakers were succinct and effective, Commissioner Hamman announced that the County Commission had approved the expenditure of $50,000for a market study for North Fort Myers, and everyone left enthusiastic and hopeful.
Later in the day I completed the paperwork for a cash sale for my friends’ home for $240,000 and so I decided to “celebrate” these two events by indulging in my favorite recreational activity-listening to live music. I wound up in a horrific auto accident severely lacerating both eyelids, fracturing many bones in my face and nose, numbness on the left side of my face, severe lacerations of my face, fracturing four transverse lumbar vertebrae, a huge hematoma on my right thigh and much more resulting in my spending two weeks in the Intensive Care Trauma Unit at Lee Memorial Hospital and another two weeks in rehab, three eye surgeries so far and more to come, blurred vision in my right eye because of a scarred cornea and a left eye still too swollen to open but tentatively scheduled for a skin graft in mid-December, and an endless parade of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pills, ointments, and pains everywhere. But this too shall pass and my spirit is indomitable, so here is my first article since the worst thing that ever happened to me.
Going back to the Renaissance Campaign lunch, awards were presented to:
Carter-Pritchett Outdoor Advertising for donating four billboards to the Civic Association with the slogan “I’m sold on North Fort Myers- the Opportunity Side of the River”. This was the first step in what became the Renaissance.
Tom Cronin, owner of The Shell Factory, for encouraging us to move forward with our Promotional Brochure displaying the many attractions and opportunities we have, and for donating his Capt’n Fishbones Restaurant for our Renaissance Campaign Kickoff Luncheon. This was the second step.
Greg Stuart, Urban Planner, with a wonderful track record of success in Matlacha and elsewhere, for donating his time and talent to research and develop his suggestions for how to bootstrap Our Town from its doldrums.
Our other speaker at the luncheon, John Talmage, also gave us the benefit of his decades of wisdom and experience as an economic development expert, and then texted me a few days later and said that he’d only given us 10 percent of his ideas at the luncheon due to time constraints and so he accepted my offer and gave the Civic Association the other 90 percent at its next regular evening meeting on Oct. 13.
At its next regular business meeting on Nov. 13 (always the second Tuesday of the month 7 to 9 pm at the Recreation Center) the NFM Civic Association passed a motion creating a NFM Renaissance Committee to follow through and expand on the ideas and enthusiasm generated at the luncheon, said committee to meet monthly and to consist of community leaders, major stakeholders such as our businesses, developers, shopping centers, and other bright and motivated people including representatives of county and area agencies. I also want to invite to serve leaders of our communities gated or not. It is usually difficult to find out who the leaders in these communities are and how to contact them, so if you are one of them, or know who one or more are, please get me the contact info so I can reach out and invite them to sit on this important group. There is a wind of change blowing in North Fort Myers-a wind of hope, of enthusiasm, of optimism of “yes we can!” that hasn’t existed for the last 15 years. So if you want to serve (even if you are not a captain of industry or a community leader, but have good ideas and feel you can help) please contact me. This committee will also explore ways of creating cultural and educational opportunities for our residents, since we have precious little of these now. We have plenty of land for a small college campus, museums, galleries, studios and a cultural arts center with workshops. Maybe it’s time to explore a small hospital, since Lee Memorial has announced it is moving its Trauma Center 20 miles away and as I learned firsthand, if you are bleeding badly and on blood thinners, that may be just a tad too far. The same for other emergencies like heart attacks and strokes.
Another question we must ask ourselves is “How do we instill pride in the residents of our little hamlet? Since we are part of unincorporated Lee County, we have no City Hall or Plaza, no Mayor, no sense of “town” or central focus. We should explore having community events, holiday parties, maybe a community logo or slogan, a sense of civic pride and enthusiasm-without these we have nothing no matter how many shiny new buildings we get. Many of our residents are snow birds and many live in gated self-contained communities and venture out once or twice a week to food shop, go to church or get their hair done. We’ve got to help convince them that there is or can be other things to attract and interest them- we have to make a special effort to reach out to these people.
And we should try to create a cultural arts program bringing together talented artists, sculptors, pottery and ceramic workers, music, small concerts, dramaI could go on forever about my hopes for this committee, but space prevents me. Please go to our website, www.northfortmyerscivicassociation.com, or our Facebook page and read more about the NFM Renaissance – if you or someone you know has special skills, or a desire to help, please contact me and serve on this committee or let us have your ideas.
Look for the Grand Opening of the North Fort Myers Marinatown Farmers Market on Friday, Dec. 4, at 9 a.m. This open air market. a quarter of a mile west of Rt. 41 on Hancock Bridge Parkway, with about 30 vendors of farm-to-table freshness in food and food-related products operating every Friday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 25, also offering family programs and entertainment, is certain to become a mainstay in our community life. I am pleased to announce that Rosy Tomorrow’s Heritage Farm has agreed to be one of the food vendors. This will be the very first farmer’s, flea or other market that Rose O’Dell King has ever agreed to participate in because the others did not meet her very high standards and so she has been supporting her 100-acre farm by opening it to the public on Wednesdays out on Nalle Grade Road. But here is an opportunity to buy her cuts of Heritage beef and Red Wattle pigs and Heritage chickens at the centrally-located Marinatown Farmer’s Market. I have tasted her products and they are exceptionally delicious. Treat yourself right – eat her beef, pork and chicken products, all free of preservatives and chemicals, to see what fine dining is all about! Chef Justin Fleming of Hoolihan’s Restaurant and Pub will be open for breakfast and lunch on Farmer’s Market Fridays, and will also have some of his delectable dishes for sale at the market. Several of the other merchants in Marinatown will be open as well, such as the Yoga store, bait and tackle shop, ship’s chandler, the water limo, fishing and cruising boats docked there, and much more. Commissioner Hamman will be there for the Grand Opening as well and will be available for your question s and input. Directly across the street is the very interesting Snow Bird Station with a deli and several merchants designed to be of assistance to snowbirds.
The speakers at the Civic Association’s monthly lunchtime meeting on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, at The Road 41 Grill, 13351 N. Cleveland Ave. (southbound on Rt. 41 2d driveway below Hancock Bridge Parkway) will be Jean Baer and Betsy Ventura, the Managing Members of Local Roots, LLC, who will be operating the Marinatown Farmers’ Market, and who operate six other very successful farmers’ markets throughout Lee County. They will have with them various handouts including applications for vendors, Rules and Regulations, flyers and much more. This non-business meeting is an opportunity to ask these talented and bright women questions, meet them before and after the meeting and learn more about this landmark ongoing event.
This is the type of happening that might help to instill a sense of civic pride and a feeling of involvement on the part of many of our residents, as well as an appreciation that we have many farms and farmers in our healthy mix. That sense of civic pride and involvement might be fostered by a NFM sports team, or an Arts and Cultural Center. And isn’t it strange that with over 18 miles of riverfront we don’t have a public boat ramp? And only one riverfront restaurant? And only two riverfront places of public lodging? Doesn’t that suggest that we need some riverfront re-zoning? And wouldn’t it be nice if the North Shore Outlook Park with its beautiful views could be dressed up a bit, since it is the first thing people crossing the bridge from Fort Myers see, by dumping a few truckloads of sand along the shore, and perhaps building a small peninsula jutting into the river, and cleaning up the occasional water pollution there, so people could really enjoy sunbathing and a day at the beach without spending an hour trying to get onto the congested Fort Myers Beach? These are all things that the NFM Renaissance Committee can help accomplish. PLEASE Join our committee or give me your ideas.
And looking ahead, the speaker for next month’s lunchtime meeting is Lois Knox, Director of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Small Business Development Center. Because of the Holidays, that meeting will be on the third Friday, Dec. 18, at noon. In addition, all Friday monthly daytime meetings during “Farmer’s Market” season (December through March) will be held at Hoolihan’s in Marinatown, Hancock Bridge Parkway, a quarter mile west of Rt. 41 to coincide with the Farmer’s Market- those attending any of these luncheons will be allowed to store, refrigerate or freeze any food purchases they made earlier that day until the lunch meeting is over.
The NFM Civic Association has scheduled its annual Community Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Caroling event for Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. in front of The NFM Recreation Center behind the Public Library on Business 41 between Littleton and Pine Island Roads. The caroling will again be led by Graham and Jaine Milligan and Friends featuring his keyboard with printed song sheets for all. This hour will speed by, you’ll have fun and you’ll feel s-o-o good afterwards!
The North Fort Myers Design Review Panel, under the able leadership of Dick Thomas, will meet as always on the first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at The Rec Center on December 1st to consider applications to: 1.) re-zone the two lots the county has agreed to purchase subject to this proposed re-zoning as the site for the new $12 million Public Library, being the
lots to the immediate south of the current Library which will be used for parking. 2.) For a Minor Planned Development to permit the construction of a RaceTrack service station with food and beverage at the vacant “point” where the two 41’s meet. The NFM Community Planning Panel will meet right afterwards and will continue its ongoing discussions regarding a definition of “mansard roof” for signage purposes and a possible suggestion that either the NFM Land Development Code be amended to include such a definition or that this group request the county commissioners to make a policy ruling, and the possible amendment to the Bylaws regarding vacancies. As always the public is invited to observe and be heard at all meetings.
PUBLIC APATHY IS THE PLAGUE OF THE 21ST CENTURY! VOLUNTEER-IT’S GOOD FOR THE MIND AND THE HEART.
Contact me at 239-823-3631 or mike-land@live.com if you have some event, project or idea that you would like in this column, or with any comments or questions.