In the 20 months since Hurricane Ian, the island has seen three churches bounce back. The iconic Chapel By The Sea was razed this spring and now sits alongside the old town hall and Topp’s Suoermarket lots as wide open, empty spaces. The Catholic Church at the bend in Estero Boulevard, the gateway to our south end, has been quietly shuttered since, cloistered like the nuns who once lived there.
Church of the Ascension surrounded by a shrouded barrier fence on May 8, 2024
The FMB Islander has been trying for months to gain any insight as to what’s next for the large, south end property. We reached out to the contacts we could find for parish staff, spoke with local parishioners and contacted the Diocese of Venice by phone, e-mail and website contact form. We reached out to the publication for their diocese, quoted herein. We then turned our attention north to Tallahassee, contacting the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and other organizations. This query began in September 2023. We finally heard back from the diocese two weeks ago.
We were told to check back in two weeks, so we checked with Bishop Frank Dewane Tuesday morning, via the diocese communications office, to gauge his readiness to make a formal announcement regarding Ascension Parish. “Not ready yet,” was his answer, “but soon,” he promised. “Bishop did mention that more progress on the plans underfoot was made earlier this morning,” said Communications Director Karen Schwarz.
Church of the Ascension, 6025 Estero Boulevard, is the island’s lone Catholic Church, part of the Diocese of Venice, Fla. According to thefloridacatholic.org, “Two of the most dramatic impacts [from Ian] in the Diocese were to St. Isabel Parish on Sanibel, as well as to Ascension Parish and the Poor Clare Monastery of San Damiano on Fort Myers Beach.”
The article compares damage to the two parish properties and says that at Ascension “the destruction there was more complete. Contractors have been on the property since two weeks after Ian’s landfall dealing with what was left over after the storm surge blasted through the church, hall, rectory, and monastery.”
Signs were hung along the shrouded security fence by Abraham Construction Group of Naples last summer. We called this morning for comment, but all they would say is that they are under contract with the diocese and all information will come from them. A cursory check of the town’s permitting database shows an OTC electrical permit dated June 2023 for work to be completed by Tri-City Electrical Contractors Inc.
According to island historian Ellie Bunting, “In 1953, the first Catholic mass was held in the dining room of the San Carlos Inn. The parish purchased 21 acres of land from Leroy Lamoreaux on Estero, and in 1955, services were held in the original structure in the 1960s. The sanctuary was enlarged in the 1980s and the new building opened in the 1990s.”
Church of the Ascension as it looked in April this year 19 months post-Ian
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the island’s south end used to begin at Santini Plaza and end at Church of the Ascension.
Gina Campise organized a fundraiser on GoFundMe on behalf of Anne Dolores Doyle to help the Poor Clare Nuns at the church. Campise raised nearly $20,000 towards the stated goal of $100k.
Image used on the GoFundMe campaign site
“The Poor Clare’s Sisters are a cloistered community of women who intercede with our Creator for the good of all humanity. When Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers Beach, The Poor Clare’s property was severely damaged. Anne (Dolly) Doyle is a former member of the Poor Clare Sisters of Ft. Myers. She volunteers within their parish regularly and works closely with the Pastor of the church. The funds are being earmarked for replacement clothes, toiletries, vehicle repairs, and parish repairs. We thank you for helping to provide the parish’s sisters and priests with financial support as they begin rebuilding their lives,” according to the campaign website.
As far as we know, the sisters were housed off-island in Ave Maria and Naples and will not be returning to the monastery on Ascension’s campus here.
“This is going to be a long process and we know we are not alone in facing these challenges,” Joe Rego, Diocesan Buildings Director, told The Florida Catholic in November 2022. “We ask everyone’s patience as we work our way through this complicated process. In the end, we will build back better; it just might take a while.”
Every week, we update you on the latest music happenings on the island. This week’s local music locator is sponsored by Beach Mom Creates, whose handmade custom gifts are available weekly at Times Square and Moss Marina Markets, or online.
Don’t forget Mom on Sunday! Take her to one of these great venues and #SupportLocalMusic.
Cinnamon Crows take to the Bayside Park Stage on Sunday at 4 p.m., part of the ongoing concert series presented by the town and FMB Chamber of Commerce. Catch this week’s featured artists, Megan Rose & Aaron Akulis, at Rude Shrimp CO. on Friday, or she performs solo every Sunday at Wahoo Willie’s.
BEACH BEATS is brought to you by the FMB Islander and local business partners. If you appreciate this service and the island-specific news, like and follow the page and stay in-the-know on all things FMB related. The BEACH BEATS page is growing but needs your help. If you don’t already follow the page for daily updates on weekday gigs and venue calendars or specials, please do so and invite your friends. These small gestures take little time or energy but go a long way in supporting our hard work.
Beach Mom Creates is owned and operated by area resident Diane Buck who can be reached for custom print work by e-mailing beachmomcreates@gmail.com.
The earth is about to move and shake on the island’s bustling north end before the Margaritaville crosswalk as an iconic landmark embarks on an ambitious rebuild some 20 months after Ian destroyed what was there. The owners of The Whale invite the public to a ceremonial groundbreaking May 17 at 1 p.m.
Older locals still call it “The Beached Whale” and it sits primed and ready to be the first bar/restaurant to build from the ground up since Cat-4 Hurricane Ian decimated this island paradise.
Architect’s rendering of what the rebuilt Whale will look like from Estero Boulevard
With permits approved and shovels in-hand, owners and management plan a three-day celebration featuring food trucks, live music and giveaways over the May 17th weekend. A VIP section under their tent will be available, to invited guests only, beginning that day at noon. Renderings and blueprints plus an animated video of the planned three-story structure were unveiled in early December last year. An open Tiki Bar concept on the third level should provide patrons views of the Gulf of Mexico. There will be music stages at both bars on the top two levels.
Dawn and Mike Miller speak with NBC-2 eight months ago after erecting a tent at The Whale
Source: Mr. and Mrs. Adventure’s Blog, famous content creators and YouTubers who were directly impacted by the 2022 storm
In the above photo, taken just days post-Ian from above the canal behind The Surf Club, the total devastation to Sea Gypsy Inn and The Whale looking south towards the Lani Kai is difficult to look at. The content creators who shared this perspective from their blog, were here a few days later helping his father clear muck and debris from the family home nearby.
Dawn fell in love with the island in the 70’s when her parents owned a condo at Island Winds Condominiums on FMB’s south end, 6610 Estero Boulevard. She and husband Mike purchased property nearby on the bayfront in 2018 and became full-time islanders “the summer of COVID” in 2020, she explained. She had no recollections of The Beached Whale from her time here previously as her focus was the beach and the south end. “The Holiday Inn was our spot,” she said referring to the Wyndham Gardens Hotel by the name locals remember it originally. That’s where the Millers would vacation with their daughters.
“I don’t think The Whale marked in my brain,” she recalls of her earlier years on the island. “I have no memories of it, though I’m sure we went there.”
Their interstate business interests prior to Whale ownership were primarily in metal parts. She told us that they had never even dabbled in the hospitality industry before their 2022 purchase of the iconic FMB restaurant. It had been remodeled, with the addition of the front porch, and renamed The Whale by previous owners. And when the Millers took ownership, it was no longer a home to live local music.
The FMB Islander remembers when it was The Beached Whale and locals knew it was the place to go for the best live music—10,000 Views, Soapy Tuna and SuperBot were three favorites. Locals Timmy and Drea Johnston would be plying their craft, him on guitar and vocals with Stet Howland (drums) and Johnny Hyatt (lead guitar) as 10,000 Views, his wife behind the bar. Our editor and his girlfriend would sit at the upstairs bar, looking out over the Gulf of Mexico and The Mermaid, enjoying the island’s best beach bread. That was a decade before the current owners and partner/manager Greg von Krumreig were there.
The Whale at 1249 Estero Boulevard is still hosting great local acts, like Sideshow Bob (Tabarrini) and an acoustic version of his band Red Hannah. Tabarrini books music for them and has been a big supporter of their rebuild, appearing before town council at several hearings.
An image of the destroyed building taken from a drone above the beach thay we shared to our Facebook page, source uncredited or unknown
After collapsing under a constant barrage of more than 15 feet of storm surge plus rogue waves pushed ashore by Hurricane Ian, the Millers were determined to bring their restaurant back to life. Dawn had the vision to erect a tent and bring in temporary facilities. Then the couple retrieved new tables and chairs purchased just before Ian and stored up in Ohio. Since April 2023, they’ve been operating from below the white tent, serving drinks, hosting local food vendors as well as local artists, like Magic Mike [Yost] for trivia on Wednesday’s and island crooner Steve Farst. Late last September, they resurrected The Mermaid tradition of Sunday “Church” featuring one-dollar Bloody Mary’s and other inexpensive drink specials.
The Mermaid sold and was razed to become the Margaritaville pool across the street from The Whale’s white tent. Surf Club was gutted by Ian and still sits on the edge of the sidewalk a blue shell, still in the shape of a Waffle House, which it was originally back when Mermaid was Surf Club (both owned by siblings). The Cottage, one of our oldest and most beloved businesses, sitting in the shadow of the Lani Kai, was no more than some broken pilings as of September 28, 2022. These island hangouts closed permanently before or during Ian, left The Whale as the lone icon on the north end of our beach, no disrespect to downtown establishments known for live local music or as a locals bar, like the Tiki Bar at Lighthouse.
TRANSITIONING TO A SECOND LOCATION Meanwhile, down at 2301 Estero Boulevard in the old Tuckaway Cafe/Royal Scoop Building, work is progressing on Sandy Bottoms Bar & Grill. Set to open May 23rd, a week after the groundbreaking up the street, Dawn and Mike appear before the LPA and Town Council May 14th for final approvals, including for a new Tiki Bar out front, dumpster placement, parking and landscaping. They have their work cut out for them, managing both a total ground-up rebuild and a remodel all while running a business, which once The Whale reopens, will be their twin to Sandy Bottom’s, represented by a pink, hula skirt-clad cartoon manatee.
“The kitchen build-out should start in July and take a couple of months,” Dawn told us Monday. Until then, operations at Sandy Bottoms through the summer and early fall will look a lot like The Whale with their bar and seating underneath an open tent and a rotation of food trucks, “probably through November,” she added. Their kitchen, to be opened at that time, will feature Whale favorites like beach bread, Ahi tuna nachos and bean dip. And, of course, there will be live entertainment just as they’ve done since reopening under a tent in April 2023.
“We’re going to keep the memory of The Whale going for as long as we can, until we open,” Miller said.
Tabarrini looks forward to the day the new Whale and Sandy Bottoms exist as sister restaurants offering great, local music, in addition to food and beverage options. He told us, “those two businesses [will be] the top two live music destinations on Fort Myers Beach.”
Mascots Blue and Buzz
Dawn loves the marketing side of the business, creating all the flyers and colorful content for social media and their website. The cartoon characters, like Sand Bottom, the manatee, and her predecessor, Blue the whale were a collaborative effort. “I have an artist who draws all of my characters…he and I just jived.” Miller is speaking of Dave Drotleff, who was working on Sanibel Island when the two met. Buzz the bird is the second character the pair created, just to give the establishment a new identity. “They all have their own personality. After we bought The Whale…we needed to rebrand it and make it our own. He came up with all of them,” she said of Drotleff creating the cartoon mascots. “All I gave him was that we needed a whale…then as I came up with my different shirt ideas, he added characters.”
MAY 17-19 EVENT As for the VIP event before the ceremonial groundbreaking at The Whale, Miller excitedly told us, “We want everyone there!” Dignitaries she’s invited include Florida Governor and First Lady Ron and Casey DeSantis. He has declined, but the First Lady has not yet responded, she added, hopeful. U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds’ and U.S. Senator Rick Scott’s offices were also alerted to the groundbreaking VIP event. Sen. Scott’s office provided a letter of support in lieu of his attendance.
After the 1 p.m. ceremony, the party continues with live music, a dunk tank, cornhole tournament, food from a different food truck each day—Luna’s Little Cheese, 3 Piggies and Tia’s Kitchen—and drink specials. “We will have live music from great local acts starting at 2 on Friday until Sunday at 7, with maybe 30 minutes in between,” Miller added. Proceeds from a fundraiser Saturday will benefit The Beach Kids Foundation, and on Sunday The Lewis P. Tabbarini Children’s Outreach Music Foundation, two great causes helping local children. Even those who can’t make the weekend-long event, can click the blue links above and support these incredible causes with likes, shares and monetary donations.
“I want everybody who loves the island to be there and I want them all to know they’re important to me (emphasis hers). We need everyone to be a part, it’s such a big deal,” Miller said in conclusion. We caught up with her Monday at Junkanoo Below Deck.
The FMB Islander will provide full coverage of the May 17 activities, starting at noon. Follow our Facebook page for updates over the next 10 days.
Hurricane season begins June 1st and experts warn that it could be a record year for tropical activity. In February, AccuWeather started “sounding alarm bells for a supercharged season in 2024 with a risk for many storms,” said Jon Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist.
WGCU, the local public broadcast station, began sounding the alarm in late February calling the season a potential “blockbuster.” In their reporting, Megan Borowski, Chief Meteorologist for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, said that “sea surface temperatures — they are very warm in the lower latitudes of the Atlantic — on the order of 1-2 degrees above average now, and if the forecast holds, they will remain warmer than normal into the hurricane season.”
In their 4 April 2024 Extended Range Forecast, the climate experts at Colorado State University (CSU) called the outlook for this hurricane season “extremely active.” Their preseason forecast, now in its 41st year, bears that out with 23 named storms predicted, 11 of them hurricanes and 5 major—Category 3 or above—hurricanes.
Screen capture from ohiostormchaser’s 2023 video on YouTube
Two of the largest factors at play are the developing La Niña, which keeps water temperatures cooler in the eastern Pacific Ocean and lessens wind shear potential over the Caribbean, and the rising temps of the eastern Atlantic Ocean where potential cyclones form off the coast of Africa. The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) Director Dr. Michael Brennan explains, “The combination of warm SST’s [sea surface temps] in the Atlantic and a developing La Niña which does seem to be the most likely scenario…is certainly concerning.” The official forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which runs the NHC, is due out later this month. They have already increased the chances of La Niña conditions during the peak of hurricane season to 74%.
Forecasters like Ryan Hall, of YouTube fame, agree with the CSU forecast calling for an extremely active season. Hall points to recent La Niña years 2005 (27 named storms, 14 hurricanes) and 2020 (30 named storms, 14 hurricanes) as an indication of what this year’s cooling of the Pacific could bring. The former included seven major landfalling hurricanes, “an unprecedented three reached category 5 status,” according to NOAA’s 2005 Annual Tropical Cyclones Report. The “decreased upper-level winds [due to La Niña] result in reduced vertical wind shear, favoring Atlantic hurricane formation and intensification,” says the CSU report. Professor Emeritus Bill Gray began this world renowned, preseason forecast in 1984.
As far as costliest hurricane seasons, the recent La Niña years 2005 ranks second and 2020 seventh. The former saw Cat-5 hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The latter saw nine major hurricanes, seven hit the U.S. In August 2020, Hurricane Laura, a Cat-4 storm, roared ashore in Louisiana packing 150 mph winds and taking 77 lives. This isn’t a scare tactic by forecasters and climatologists, but rather a warning to be prepared and stay vigilant.
Last year, though the lower 48 only suffered one landfall, Idalia, it was the fourth most active season, boasting 20 named storms. Forecasters are quick to remind the public that it only takes one storm.
In the last 21 years, there have been 15 named preseason storms. The earliest of those to form in the month of May was Tropical Storm Ana on May 8, 2015. Named May storms, five in total, have formed in 2018-21. The year before saw Tropical Storm Arlene on April 19, 2017. The NHC was watching an area of disturbance in the intertropical convergence zone at the beginning of the month, however there is nothing being tracked at the time of publication.
STORM SURGE The NHC’s Deputy Director Jamie Rhome sat down in April with KHOU-TV (Houston, TX), and explained, “We’re always advancing the modeling every year, especially on storm surge, there’s been this rapid research and development thrust, as we try to move people from the traditional Saffir-Simpson scale and ‘the cone’…their simplicity is the problem. It’s not allowing us to convey the nuances…especially the flood” risks from storm surge. Rhome talked about the NHC’s ability to more accurately pinpoint those risks with “greater lead time,” so they can communicate to the public with greater efficacy.
In the lead up to Hurricane Ian, the experts did predict 12 to 15 feet of surge, only that risk was communicated too late for many to evacuate. Beach Baptist Pastor Shawn Critser told CNN just days after the storm, “And when the evacuation came, we’re like ‘24 hours? That’s not a lot’,” not for residents to gather families, their pets and most essential items only to get stuck in traffic.
Lee County native and beach resident Dana Mailloux told Fox 4 last summer, “No we weren’t told till it was almost too late for us to evacuate and then we had to scramble to find somewhere at 10pm [the] night before storm made landfall.” Fox 4’s investigation in May last year revealed that county officials should have acted sooner.
We asked the county for a response to these concerns, but did not hear back.
WHAT TO EXPECT LOCALLY Once a state of local emergency is declared, the Town will enact its Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), updated in 2023 after Ian. The CEMP requires that our town government coordinate with county, state and federal agencies to ensure our residents’ safety and names the following to its Emergency Response Team:
After an emergency, the coordinating agencies will require up to five days for search and rescue and to ensure the safety of our island in worst case scenarios, like Ian. At that point, law enforcement officials will begin allowing residents reentry as long as they have a hanging tag from the town. It’s imperative that residents get their allotment of two per household. Find out more on the Town of FMB’s Facebook page, or click the links in this article.
Now is the time to prepare for the next potential “big one.” Make a plan to include pets, important documents, an evacuation plan, drinking water and fill up on gas. These are just a few of the necessary steps experts recommend for hurricane season.
The county reminds local residents in today’s press release, “Don’t wait until a storm is forecast to impact Lee County. Take this weekend to prune any trees or shrubs that could damage your home or pool cage. Survey the property for any items that would become a projectile during a storm. Secure them or set them out for disposal next week. Keep in mind that typically garbage collections are suspended 24 hours prior to a hurricane making landfall in our area.”
This Cinco de Mayo edition of the BEACH BEATS FMB Music Locator is sponsored by The Whale, 1249 Estero Boulevard under the big white tent. Sunday is Cinco de Mayo and Sunday Church at The Whale, so there will be multiple drink specials. The weekend calendar, plus weekday gigs at your favorite watering holes and featured local artists, can be found on our brand new Facebook page. Click the blue link above and follow the page for regular updates and music-related content.
Our featured artist this week is Jon Halmi, who can be found on Facebook, as well as these local venues—La Ola Surfside, The Rude Shrimp CO. and The Whale—this week.
Make note this week, the new music schedule for live acts at Tiki Bar at The Lighthouse Island Resort begins at 2 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. Also, Wahoo Willie’s moved Sunday music, this week only, to the Bayside Park stage (see below).
The public is invited every Sunday to a free, outdoor concert at Bayside Park presented by the Town of FMB and our local Chamber of Commerce. This week’s Bayside Park Concert Series features a Cinco de Mayo doubleheader with Megan Rose & Aaron Akulis at noon and Remedy at 4 p.m. These great local artists take to the stage tucked between Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant and Nervous Nellie’s, two of three title sponsors.
Aerial view of Bayside Park, courtesy of the Town’s Facebook page
BEACH BEATS is your weekend live music locator, now a month old. We are happy to have Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant as this week’s sponsor. The Friday, Saturday and Sunday music scene on FMB, from DiamondHead to Danny’s, is covered here.
Sunday’s feature is the 4 p.m. Bayside Park Concert Series brought to you by the FMB Chamber and sponsored by Snug Harbor, Wahoo Willie’s and Nervous Nellie’s, parkside establishments providing beverage and food options. Concertgoers are asked to refrain from bringing outside food or drink into the park.
We invite you to follow our new Facebook page dedicated to the FMB music scene, where you will get updates including weekday entertainment. As locals and musicians, we appreciate the variety and flavor our local artists provide to our island paradise.
Dr. Kohler clarified that families don’t have to live or work on the island to send their kids to school there, as they are an “open enrollment” public school.
Fort Myers Beach Elementary is wrapping up a stellar first year since reopening almost halfway through the current school year, and there is plenty to brag about.
The FMB Islander caught up with the principal and technology specialist Friday morning to discuss the school’s present and future. None of the staff we ran into could believe it’s been five months since the school welcomed back more than 40 beach students.
Beach Elementary is consistently rated an “A” school and this year was named by the State Board of Education a “School of Excellence,” one of 11 in the Lee County School District. Beach Elementary Principal Dr. Traci Kohler attributes that to current and former staff and teachers as “it reflects years of excellence at our school,” and adding that “it’s a testament to them.”
We reported last July that the badly damaged school would reopen to students in November. The school district worked feverishly to meet that goal and on December 5th finally welcomed families back for the first day of classes. At that time Dr. Kohler, recognized the 14 months of academic growth by her students “in spite of the challenges we faced…they moved from surviving to thriving.”
In the above photos, once empty classrooms outfitted with new desks and white boards were bustling with activity on December 5th when we visited the school’s long-awaited reopening.
Derek Szczygiel, Tech Specialist, runs the gizmos and gadgets procured through a $200k Rotary International Grant. Dr. Kohler called him into the Flex Room and he was all too eager to demonstrate their latest STEM “toys,” like the Augmented Reality Sandbox. Part XBox 360, part virtual reality, the virtual sandbox gives students a hands-on experience with land and water science.
Derek exhibits the new Augmented Reality Sandbox, part of Beach Elementary’s new STEM technology
Arcology dome residential building from Sim City 2000
There are Dash Robots, controlled by students using block coding, and for students as young as kindergarten, the Bee Bot. “The other ‘academic tools’ to challenge students’ logical and sequential thinking are Ozobots,” Dr. Kohler explained. They are smaller bots controlled by markers on special paper. These techno tools not only provide a hands-on technology experience but also teach problem solving skills. Additionally, grant funds purchased a 3-D printer, a mat printer, an indoor herb growing station and engineering workbooks for students to use next year. The herb tower is like something from an old school Sim City game simulation and is already green with growth.
The expanded STEM curriculum was made possible through a partnership with local Rotary Clubs in Bonita (Sunset Rotary) and Lakewood Ranch, but as Dr. Kohler explained, an international grant like the one her school was awarded only come through Rotary International partnerships. “We were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Barbados.” Dr. Kohler and her team began working on the grant last summer.
New Audio-visual equipment at the school, using green screen technology and Wi-Fi for remote reporting, allows the tradition of student-led, TV News style announcements to continue every morning
Dr. Kohler clarified that families don’t have to live or work on the island to send their kids to school there, as they are an “open enrollment” public school. “Anyone who can get their kids here, can enroll at Beach Elementary,” she explained. Adding the benefit of after-school programs next door at Bay Oaks Park, “From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. your kids will be cared for, taught and loved.”
We asked about the 150 enrollment number that Lee Schools asked to see in five years. She told us, “It’s not a student number, necessarily.” So long as enrollment is “in line with other barrier island schools, Sanibel and Pine Island” our beach school will meet the county’s requirement for enrollment and remain open for business.
In addition to the Rotary Clubs, Dr. Kohler is leveraging relationships with Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and other places of learning to enhance future student’s educational experience. FGCU will provide field trips for teaching ecology and natural science, marine biology and other subjects special to our area. The Mound House will also provide hands-on learning about the environment, archaeology and our island’s rich history, she said.
“I’m looking forward to the school having more involvement in our surroundings. FGCU, Lovers Key, Ostego Bay, Mound House, Beach Clean Ups/ Community projects, I feel like these resources/connections are going to be instrumental in bringing the school into its next phase,” said PTO Treasurer and alum Jenny Tardiff-Paradiso.
She told us her “kid is so happy to be back on campus. It’s been a wild 18 months for everyone. The fight we fought to save the school was hard. And it’s not over,” speaking of the fight parents and teachers experienced convincing Lee County School District to keep Beach Elementary going for future generations.
Tardiff-Paradiso also recognized partnerships with the Town’s Bay Oaks Recreation Campus and local charities, like the FMB Women’s Club, who contributed to making the school’s reopening in December last year possible.
“All the Non Profits have stepped up to help,” she stated. “They have all had a hand in supporting the school. One recent case in point is the Women’s club just bought the school their much needed storage. Also I want to mention how great everyone has been at Bay Oaks. That team they have is something special. They have a great youth program there and I feel like they don’t get the recognition they deserve. But in all reality we wouldn’t have been able to reopen the school without them.”
Szczygiel likened beach student’s public school to an expensive private school experience with an incredible student-to-teacher ratio. He should know as he attended a private preparatory school. Our editor agrees, saying the 2011-12 school year at Beach Elementary provided his two children an unparalleled learning experience while they were on-island.
Enhanced security measures installed at all Lee County Schools in March, like metal detectors, meet students and visitors at both entrances to Beach Elementary. A Ring camera-type “doorbell” is also installed at the front door, allowing office staff to verify identification and communicate with visitors.
Tardiff-Paradiso grew up on the island and attended the school. She is one Islander who loves our town, Estero Island and vows to continue fighting for the school as an active parent and PTO volunteer. “I love that little school with all my heart. And I love the teachers , staff, children and their families that fill it. Dr K is doing a good job. I feel like she’s been put in a hard place but she’s making the best of it. I definitely believe she cares for the school, staff and kids.”
“Being at Beach Elementary just feels right. This island needs that school to ground us. To remind us that we are a community. Not just a resort town,” added Tardiff-Paradiso. The FMB Islander couldn’t agree more. We congratulate students, parents, volunteers, faculty and staff on a successful first school year since Hurricane Ian. As she concluded in her speech before the December 5th ribbon-cutting at the school, “Long live Fort Myers Beach Elementary!” (Click the link to watch her 2:45 speech that monumental day).
The nation’s largest sand sculpting competition ends its four year hiatus, thanks in part to COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian, on Fort Myers Beach, November 21 – 24, 2024. Artists from around the world will turn our powdered sugar sands into massive sculptures behind DiamondHead Beach Resort, 2000 Estero Boulevard.
In a release yesterday, the FMB Chamber stated, “the American Championship is making its long overdue return to Estero Island, bringing back fan favorite Master and Advanced Amateur champion sand sculptors!” The annual event typically hosted by Wyndham Garden Hotel on the island’s south end had to find a new host site thanks to Hurricane Ian. The 33rd annual American Sand Sculpting Championship graced our sandy shores behind the Wyndham (aka old Holiday Inn/Pinchers) November 2019. This year, the 10-day event has been pared down from 10 days to five. The Chamber is still lining up the family-friendly vendor area with food and craft vendors and finalizing the competition schedule (see links at bottom of article for more).
Source: fmbsandsculpting.comSource: fmbsandsculpting.comOur editor’s daughters at the event in Nov 2011
They invite the public to make plans in advance, saying in a statement, “Don’t miss the artistry, wonder and excitement that this event brings to Fort Myers Beach, reserve early as hotel rooms and vacation rental space is limited.”
“The sand sculpting competition is quintessential Fort Myers Beach!,” exclaimed Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt. “When we first moved to Town Jacki from the Chamber got me volunteering for the competition and I met so many wonderful people. This helped lead to my work on the LPA and Town Council. The event being in the off season is a huge draw for our island and a big boost to our economy in a traditionally slow time of year. Cheers to another step toward a return to normalcy!”
The live, local music scene on Fort Myers Beach has never been hotter, even on these mild Spring weekends. Nobody has the scene covered like your FMB Islander. Our editor and roving reporter was about the island Sunday and captured these photos.
Special thanks to Peter and Billy at Wahoo Willie’s for sponsoring this week’s Beach Beats music calendar. We wouldn’t be able to continue providing this public service were it not for our generous supporters. They and Snug Harbor, along with Nervous Nellie’s help to bring you the Bayside Park Concert Series every Sunday at 4 p.m. Taking the Bayside Park Stage this weekend is local favorite and patriotic themed Simply-Fi, featuring a world-class, revamped rhythm section. The FMB Islander saw these crowd pleasers Saturday night at the Lighthouse Tiki.
We have a vibrant local music scene full of great musicians, like the ones featured in this week’s calendar. Make plans accordingly, as our wonderful Spring weather continues, Accuweather calling it “pleasant with plenty of sunshine.”
If you have weekend gigs to add to this calendar, please use the form to contact us. We are seeking weekly Beach Beats sponsors for this calendar, as well. A sponsorship email will be going out to businesses and local venues this week.
Please support local businesses that support local music. The bartenders, servers and musicians are the heartbeat of this island community and give it a unique character, flavor or “FMB vibe,” if you will. And, as always, please remember to tip them well.
The FMB Chamber’s “welcome wagon,” Roxie has become a Times Square fixture welcoming folks to our beach, providing free tourist info and hosting weekly Power Hour
The luau’s $60 ticket price includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets, live entertainment, a photo booth and more. This year, the Chamber will be issuing awards for both 2022 & 2023 as this is the first Annual Meeting since Hurricane Ian.
”It’s super exciting to finally be able be host this event again because, obviously, we had to take last year off,” said FMB Chamber President Jacki Liszak. “It’s where we install our new board of directors, and then recognize everybody from the past year who served as board ambassadors and also give out our community awards.”
AWARDS FOR 2022 & 2023 Seventeen special awards will be presented to area businesses and individuals for their outstanding contributions. The 2023 “Commitment to Community Award” honors Beach Baptist Church and recognizes their collaboration with area food banks serving our island and providing a refuge for the community to find fellowship and solace.
The “Civic Award,” will honor the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation (2022) for their commitment to responding to the changing and emerging needs of our community through education, health and welfare; and Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club (2023) for their continued support of our community with their initiatives including, but not limited to, reviving the Bay Oaks Easter Egg Hunt, Pub Passports, fundraisers for other island organizations including 33931 Fund, FMB Strong, and more.
The “Outstanding Service Award,” will honor both the FMB Fire Control District (2022) and Lee County Sheriff’s Office (2022) for their heroic actions and assistance to the Fort Myers Beach community in the days and weeks that followed Hurricane Ian. The 2023 award winner is the Employees of the Town of Fort Myers Beach. The Employees of the Town of Fort Myers Beach continued to work tirelessly throughout 2023 to restore our community. Their contributions to the restoration of the Town’s infrastructure and improvements made to the Town’s facilities will impact our island community for generations to come.
The Chamber has chosen La Ola Surfside Restaurant’s Thomas Houghton (2022) and Beach Talk Radio’s Ed & Kim Ryan (2023) to receive its “Friends of the Beach Award.” In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Houghton demonstrated resiliency, creativity, and tenacity by quickly pivoting and reopening La Ola in a new and reimagined layout. The Ryans and Beach Talk Radio has become an integral part of our Island Community, always ready to lend a helping hand whether it be organizing and fielding volunteers to paint in Times Square, to set up and tear down events, or hosting fundraisers for area organizations.
The “Environmental Award,” will be presented to Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel (2022) and Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. (2023). Tunaskin’s initiatives in beautification, ending litter, and waste reduction with their Beach Keepers’ Club makes Tunaskin stand out as a leader in the fight to protect our fragile environment. In 2023, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. held events across the county removing 85,769 pounds of trash and debris and planted 145 trees to help reestablish the lost tree canopy. Much of that effort was spent on FMB cleaning up debris from Hurricane Ian.
The “Special Recognition Award” is presented to an individual or organization for outstanding service in a specific effort or cause that improves our community. The Chamber is pleased to honor the King Family Foundation (2022) and FMB Strong (2023) with the “Special Recognition Award.” The King Family Foundation believes that the best way to celebrate the King Family legacy and residency on the island for over 63 years, is to give back right here in Fort Myers Beach. In 2022, the King Family Foundation donated over $150,000 to FMB Strong, the FMB Woman’s Club, FMB Community Foundation, FMB Chamber of Commerce Water Foundation, Friends of Lover’s Key, the Lions Club, and various other causes. FMB Strong has served as a resource for residents to overcome the barriers to recovering from Hurricane Ian. In addition to a food pantry, goods, and rebuilding supplies, FMB Strong routinely provides hot meals for residents and assist with special needs.
Mitch Pacyna from his Facebook profile
The 2022“Citizen of the Year Award” winner is Mayor Dan Allers. In the face of a natural disaster, Mayor Allers stepped up and showed leadership, communication, and compassion. He selflessly gave of himself through rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts despite his own personal losses. We are honored to announce that the Chamber has chosen Mitch Pacyna to posthumously receive the Chamber’s 2023 “Citizen of the Year Award.” Mitch was an integral part of our island community and his dedicated, outstanding service along with his ever-present camera, genuine sense of humor and infectious smile was a joy to be around. Stories of Mitch and his contributions to our island community will live on long into the future.
The “Ambassador of the Year Award” is given to a person that exemplifies volunteerism, attends Chamber functions, such as Ribbon Cuttings, Business After Hours, and more. For their service and dedication, the Chamber Board of Directors wishes to honor Barry Frank (2022) and Lisa Chambers (2023).
Eliza Aguilar, who everyone remembers from Buttonwood Food Pantry and FMB Strong, is the new Events Director for the Chamber and has put together this Hawaiian-themed party in her first weeks on the job. For her, “the most special moment besides the award presentation is celebrating everyone coming together again,” she told the FMB Islander Monday. “We’ve got more members now than ever. It is a moment of celebration and moving forward…A night of celebration and fun!”
”We’re going to host a competition for the best group who can sing ‘Tiny Bubbles’,” added Liszak. “We’re going to have hula dancers…and some karaoke. We are going to have so much fun.”
The April 26th event at DiamondHead Beach Resort is open to the public. Tickets are available online. Hawaiian shirts, khaki shorts and flip flops are not required for entry, but should be expected. Nose coat optional.
FMB Islander 