Civic Corner
Dawn on Friday, Dec. 4, the long-awaited Grand Opening of North Fort Myers Marinatown Farmers Market, broke grey and gloomy, as predicted, and those conditions continued all day. It had rained all day the previous day and the weather experts were certain we would get more of the same today. As a result, six pre-paid merchants called to say they would not appear, and the main lot, most conspicuous for passing motorists along Hancock Bridge Parkway, was flooded, causing the experienced and competent operators of the market, Local Roots, LLC, to change their plans and put the event on the smaller lot with less highway exposure. The sun never made an appearance but nonetheless there was a nice turnout of shoppers and lookers – the 26 merchants, the operators and the customers were exuberant and to paraphrase a Sinatra lyric -“in foggy Marinatown the sun was shining, everywhere.” The merchants in attendance promised an even more-extensive inventory and array of products next Friday. Shoppers spoke in glowing terms of how nice a “happening” this was. Rosy Tomorrow’s Heritage Farm sold out of its sausages and many of their gourmet breads and several other items and promised to bring cuts of beef and pork next time… Island Seafood sold out of Florida Stone Crabs early on. Their crab dip was awesome. Corn, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries were picture-perfect and delicious. Every merchant had at least one standout item. If I told you everything that I ate and loved, I would get arrested by the food police, so go try it yourself. Your mouth and tummy will thank you.
Our county commissioner, Brian Hamman, was on hand for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Many of the nautical residents who live on the boats docked at Marinatown were exuberant in their praise of the selection and quality. TP Hoolihan’s will be open every Friday morning for breakfast and lunch.
One of the serendipity moments of that morning came when I stumbled across the very pleasant singing and strumming of Jerry Greene, apparently an afternoon entertainment fixture at Marinatown, performing an almost-continuous concert of light country hits and Beatles standards. It was not by accident that we set up the North Fort Myers Civic Association canopy across from him and Rudy Berndlmaier and I spent four hours participating in the applause, toe-tapping, humming, singing-along and general booty-shaking of passing customers. Jerry will be performing every Friday so come get your music fill.
We also answered questions, explained who we are and what we do, and distributed copies of our NFM Promotional Brochure, our List of Current Projects and Membership Applications. We also will store, refrigerate or freeze your food purchases while you are shopping, boating or lunching at Marinatown.
This weekly event is a home run for North Fort Myers. It makes us a “destination” instead of just a bunch of roads between Cape Coral and Fort Myers. It gives us a sense of “community” and gives us something to be proud of and participate in. So talk this up.come every Friday with a group of your friends and neighbors and have lunch afterwards at one of the several fun restaurants and watering holes at Marinatown. The Market is a great place to be seen. Stefanie Eller, Patrick T. Crissy, Matt Spielman, John Gardner, Rachel Busch, Larry Murphy, The Lightbody’s, Gregg and Bonnie Makepeace, Vince and Teresa Silva to name just a few, were all mixing and mingling. Come join the scene. Maybe we’ll put your name in the paper next time.
Calling all local crafters – this coming Friday and for the next month you will be able to set up a table to display and sell your goods at The Farmers Market. Split a table with several other crafters, or your community -ceramics, pottery, sewing items, artwork, sculpture, Christmas items, glassware, notepads, custom clothing, whatever. Call 239-691-9249 or go to BuyLocallee.com to see the rules or register.
The North Fort Myers Civic Association is holding its Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Caroling next Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. under the canopy in front of The NFM Recreation Center, 2000 N. Recreation Way, behind the Library off Business 41 south of Littleton. Come see how this Charlie Brown Christmas Tree has grown in the last three years and singalong to all your favorites with Graham and Jaine Milligan and Friends and his keyboard. We will have printed song sheets for all. I guarantee that you will feel better after an hour of singing these wonderful songs we all grew up loving. Bring your kids and anyone else’s kids.
This Tuesday evening, Dec. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. the Civic Association will conduct a joint meeting of its Board and General Members in Room 102. The Agenda is full of projects and proposals in all stages including the North Fort Myers Renaissance. This active group is moving and shaking to make North Fort Myers a better place and we need your help, ideas, enthusiasms. Dues are only ten bucks a year and communities and houses of worship can join with no dues! The best deal in town!
And the final meeting of the year is our monthly lunch meeting, usually held the fourth Friday, but because of the Holidays it is the third Friday of the month, Dec. 18, and because it is a Farmers Market day it will be held at T.P. Hoolihan’s at Marinatown a quarter mile west of Rt. 41 on Hancock Bridge Parkway. The important and informative speaker is Lois Knox, director of the Florida Gulf Coast University’s Small Business Development Center. Come learn about the many programs, classes and opportunities they have for small businesses to start up, grow and prosper.
And the first public NFM meeting of the New Year will be on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Rec Center, a joint meeting of the NFM Community Planning Panel and the NFM Design Review Panel. Come meet the newest members of the panels, Jack Hess and Dr. Terry Tucker. Although it is too early to set the agendas, we do know that the Planning Panel will hear an application by Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church to amend the Land Development Code to permit electronic messaging signs on non-arterial roads for houses of worship. The panel will also further consider the issue of mansard roofs as they relate to signage and a motion tabled last month to provide a procedure for filling vacant panel seats. The Design Review Panel at the last meeting on December 1 recommended to county planning staff the approval of the County’s application to re-zone two contiguous parcels of land to permit the building of a new NFM Library at a proposed cost of $13 million, and the approval conceptually of a medical building behind the corner of Slater and Bayshore by Bayshore Dialysis Offices, with the requirement that they return will renderings of the proposed building showing elements of the preferred “Old Florida” style of architecture.
My very best wishes to all of you for a happy holiday season and the happiest of new years. May 2016 see a continuation of the wonderful progress and strides made by the North Fort Myers Renaissance.
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.