The Catch. of the Day

Transcription

1 Volume 30, Number 4 APRIL 2015 The Catch FortMyersBeach.org phone fax of the Day OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER FORT MYERS BEACH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICERS/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: David Anderson, Chair Krusty Pete s Robb Capps,, Chair Elect Premier Florida Realty Fran Podraza, Vice Chair CFS Roofing Services LLC Sandy Lepley, Treasurer Century 21 Tripower Bud Nocera, President FMB Chamber RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2015 Curt Brenner Gullwing Beach Resort Ellis Etter Pink Shell Resort & Marina Barbara Farrell iberiabank RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2016 Bob Layfield The Island Sand Paper Wanda Linatsas Royal Scoop RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2017 Bill Fagan SPD Solutions, Inc. Mary Poelker Majestic Transportation Kristin Fay Lee Memorial Health Systems Meet David Hamblett, of SCORE, at Our Membership Breakfast David Hamblett, SCORE Mentor and Outreach Chair was a senior executive and entrepreneur. Throughout his career, David worked E I DuPont in the Research, Customer Service, and Marketing department handling their largest account, IBM, for photopolymer products. He was also Vice President of Marketing and Research and Development for Computer Circuit Technology and started several small businesses in the fields of energy conservation, heat transfer units and direct response marketing of consumer products, using SBA loans during rapid expansion, which he successfully paid off. He also has experience successfully selling small businesses, which he did when he retired. David joined SCORE because he saw it as a way to give back and continue his volunteer work by helping friends and acquaintances with marketing challenges and strategies and new product development to drive business growth. David has a Bachelor of Science in Printing Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology and counsels SCORE clients in the areas of business operations, strategy and planning, new product development and marketing and sales. 1. Roxie volunteers are on hold until a new home is found for Roxie. 2. The Chamber has been assigned Alva St. beach access as part of the town's Adopt a Beach program. Chairman David Anderson and President Bud Nocera have been cleaning it three times a week. 3. Third Annual Mini Masters is still looking for sponsors and teams. 4. May 3 will be our 20th Annual Taste of the Beach. Yes, that's TWENTY. Join us Thursday, April 9th at 8:30am at Charley s Boat House Grill, 6241 Estero Blvd, Ft. Myers Beach, for a delicious Membership Breakfast sponsored by Fish Tale Marina. Our Membership Luncheon will be in the morning this month to help everyone beat the traffic. Join us Thursday, March 14th at 8:30am at Charley s Boat House Grill, 6241 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach for a delicious Breakfast Buffet.

2 Estero Blvd. Suite 8 Fort Myers Beach, FL p f Bud Nocera President Jane Ross Member Service and Volunteer Coordinator Doug McElheny Internet & Social Media Manager Pete Frye Front Desk Lisa Beckham Accounting Kathy Hanagan Roxie April 2 7:30 am to 9:00 am Coffee iberiabank 7580 Winkler Rd. 9:00 am Ambassador iberiabank Donna Bates of AAA Brendan Brindise of the Brindise Group Inc. Carolyn Crosby Judy Cultice - Kiwanis Club Donna Faulhaber Sandy Hein Bubby Howell - Capt. Bubby's IsLAND Tours Leslie McElheny Bev Milligan - Myerside Peg Moreland Elaine Moses Joanne Mufalli Cheryl Nye Michelle Pyle - Truly Scrumptious Pam Schindler - Retired Military/Lee co. Elections Tony Scopel Jessica Titus of Fort Myers Beach Realty Roland Weinmann - Myerside Debbie Whitehead ROXIE VOLUNTEERS April 8 Executive Committee Chamber Office 8:00 am April 9 Monthly Membership Charley s Boathouse, 6241 Estero Blvd. April 14 Third Annual Mini Skip One and Jungle Golf 8:30-10:00 am 4:00-8:00 pm April 23 5:30 to 7:00 pm Special Business After Sea Gypsy Inn, 1698 Estero Blvd. rescheduled from February 4 LUNCH SPONSOR: Fish Tale Marina April 15 8:00 am Board of Directors Hampton Inn & Suites, Summerlin Sq. Blvd. Join a committee!! Call Jane Ross Get Insurance From a Las Vegas Rock & Roll Hall of Famer D.J. Dice Martin...LOL FT. MYERS BEACH INSURANCE BROKERAGE Immediate Coverage Available! We Shop and Quote for You! 400 Top Rated Insurance Companies Writing the Entire State of Florida. Richard D. Karger Agency Principal Office: Cell: Fax: Richard@fmbib.com WE CAN DO IT ALL BY FAX, PHONE OR FREE QUOTES 1661 Estero Blvd. Suite 16, Fort Myers Beach, FL WE RETURN PHONE CALLS! HOME - FLOOD - AUTO - BOAT - COMMERCIAL - CYCLE - HEALTH - LIFE - MOBILE HOMES 2 APRIL 2015 FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG

3 Friday May 1 Jacaranda Festival Friday May 1: From 2 to 4 pm High Tea at the Fort Myers Beach Woman s Club. Tickets are $35.00 and will benefit the Women s Club. The Fort Myers Beach Women s Club is located at 175 Sterling St. Friday May 1: Join in for Jacaranda sunset cocktails at Junkanoo s. Time 5:00 pm. Music and Dancing. Saturday May 2: Friends of the Mound house is hosting Kentucky Derby Day at the Mound House located at the end of Connecticut Street. Watch the Kentucky Derby, enjoy great drinks and appetizers. Celebrate Island style, wear your Derby hat. Prize for the best and the craziest hat. A silent auction of surprise hat boxes donated by generous islanders will be featured. Tickets are $25.00, to benefit the Mound House. Calling all bartenders and mixologists. A contest will be held for who creates the best Jacaranda Cocktail on the Island. Vote boxes will be installed at establishments for your vote. Winner with most votes wins a trophy and will be presented at the Taste of the Beach on Sunday May 3. For more information please contact Barbara Hill at JohnaBarbHill@ aol.com or call Loyal A Better Bugman A Better Bugman is owned and operated by Clifford Daniels and James Lambeth. Together they have more than 50 years of pest control industry experience in the Southwest Florida area. Clifford was born on Ft Myers Beach and has lived close to the beach for his whole life. He started in pest control in 1986 and after years of working for other local companies partnered with James in 2007 to fill a much needed void in the local pest control industry. James was born in Maryland and relocated to Ft Myers with his parents in James started working in 1984 for a friend s dad s pest control company. James met Clifford here and they worked together several times until finally opening A Better Bugman. A Better Bugman LLC specializes in Good Old Fashion quality pest control service while still utilizing state of the art products and techniques. They can design a program to fit the needs and budget of their customers. Services include general pest control, commercial pest control, termite control, fumigation, lawn treatments, rodent control, honey bee control, bed bug control and other pest related services. We have enjoyed the business relationships that we have shared in the past and look forward to satisfying all your pest related needs in the future. Could your business use a little more loyalty? We ll help you turn new customers into brand advocates. No one knows Southwest Florida better than The News-Press Media Group. From brands to customers, we connect more audiences, in more places, in more ways with the right mix of marketing. But it s more than having the right tools; it s knowing how to use them. We ll help you stay ahead of what s trending for the best ways to build your business. CALL advertising@news-press.com VISIT marketingstrategies.news-press.com We Know Marketing. Computer Solutions Service-Sales- PC-Mac-Support Installation-Networking-Consulting Now with a second location in Naples, Florida Alpha Networks, LLC McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, Florida FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG APRIL

4 The afternoon of March 16, 2015, may well be remembered on Fort Myers Beach as the Day the Music Died. On this day the Town Council, in workshop, instructed town staff to move forward to public hearing a new noise ordinance that may seriously hinder the ability of our local restaurants to have amplified live music at happy hour. The town council moved forward with a recommendation to limit the noise emanating from a commercial establishment (read as: restaurant) to 72 decibels. That is the amount of noise made by causal conversation among diners in a busy restaurant on a typical evening. It leaves little, if any, room for a one man (or woman) band to have amplified music. The council members did not want the noise ordinance to be measured at the property of the person making the complaint. The reason given was a fear of reprisal on the complainant by the entity making the noise. The Day the Music Died By Bud Nocera It was unclear to the audience exactly from where the sound will be measured. Restaurant owners in the audience took this to mean it would be measured from the restaurant property line. If that is indeed the case, it virtually eliminates the ability of an open air restaurant to have music that can be heard above the ambient crowd noise. It also means that a person who is not hearing any music at their property can still call in a complaint to harass a restaurant owner. Not that that would ever happen on this beach, either by a resident or a competitive restaurant. The most chilling part of the new ordinance is that a restaurant found in violation two times to the low sound threshold can lose its consumption-on-premises license. No owner will want to risk that. The ordinance as it is being written may well have a detrimental effect on tourism to this island. Visitors expect to hear music with their cocktails or dinner. If you don t think this is true, ask the new owner of Nervous Nellie s what has happened to his evening business since they were enjoined from playing music on the outside patio. The ordinance as it is being written is just plain bad for business. The ordinance, as it is being written, will be a boon for the restaurants on the other side of the bridge. Being outside the town limits, they do not have to follow town ordinances. And their music will waft across the bay and the local residents will still be aggrieved. So what is the answer? The answer is for the town leadership to bring restaurant owners and local residents together and work out an equitable solution. We are lucky that we have one member of the town council, Rexann Hosafros, who is a retired professional mediator. Now is the time for reasonable people to come up with reasonable solutions. The consequences of an onerous ordinance will not be good for the island. Ultimately it will hurt: property values of commercial property; tourism; jobs; and at some point it will even affect the property values of those residents who complain the most. Let reason and goodwill prevail. Have News? Anything New and Noteworthy going on in your office? New employee? New Rep? Move? Please jane@fmbchamber.com or call us at so that we can make note and update our file. 4 APRIL 2015 FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG

5 Meet Mike VonPlinsky I am proud to be the Executive Director and Board Chairman of the Florida Helps Foundation, a non-profit organization raising funds for our PADLS Program Persons with Autism or Disabilities Learn to Swim. Our flagship fundraising event, the Fort Myers Beach Bash, is held annually on Fort Myers Beach, FL. We also Help U Help Others by providing our non-profit status, tools, services and support to those that want to host their own charity fund raising events or to help establish and grow your non-profit organization! See I am also the founder of BIZolutions Consulting, a growing consulting firm focused on business and marketing plan generation, start-up support and mentoring, financial plans and projections, proposal and grant writing, automated decision support applications, website design and development, real estate development and investment support, etc. I ve also been a licensed real estate agent in FL for the past 10 years. See Additionally, I ve had many challenging and rewarding career assignments over my prior 27 year Military & Defense Dept.-related career (Air Force Captain, 81), culminating as a Corporate Vice President of a Defense & Information Technology firm. Over the last 10 years, I transitioned to non-profit volunteering and real estate development, also owning and operating a pub and restaurant on Fort Myers Beach with focus on its redevelopment to build a luxury set of Apartments / Condos and a high-end Deli and Market (project failed with the credit market & banking collapse of 2008). Education: BS in Aerospace Engineering, Penn State University; MS in Astronautical Engineering, The Air Force Institute of Technology; MBA in Management, Penn State University; Executive Certificate, Small Business Management, Robert Morris College; Non-Profit Management courses, Miami-Dade College I have also taken many post-grad and professional development courses. I have held Defense Dept. security clearances above Top Secret. Meet Carrie Grunewald Carrie Grunewald is a Fort Myers native and is currently the Marketing Director of Salty Sam s Waterfront Adventures. She received a Double BA in Business and Advertising from FAU and has been in the marketing field since During college, she travelled around the U.S. to places like Texas, Indiana, and Seattle working at different marketing jobs and even scored a job at Nintendo. Once in Florida, she received a job as a marketing manager for auto dealerships which brought her back to Fort Myers. In her free time, she dabbles with an event website for Lee County, and sits on the board of FMCancer.org. She currently holds the publicity chair of the ABWA Cape Coral Caloosa Chapter and is part of the Ambassador Committee for the Fort Myers Beach Chamber. Carrie does have some exciting news to announce she is expecting a baby boy, Dean Stuart, on July 7, 2015! Fran Podraza CFS Roofing Services (CHAIR) Debra Anderson Pink Shell Resort and Marina Robb Capps Premier Florida Realty Donna Fagan SPD Solutions Lisa Farrell Bay Pointe Properties John Gavin Gavin's Ace Hardware Wayne Gibson R & W Gibson Promotional Products Carrie Grunewald Salty Sam's Marina Jaime Huffman Lani Kai Beach Resort Darrell Kendzior Traction Plus Denice Knudsen Premier Florida Realty Sandy Lepley Century 21 Tripower Wanda Linatsas Royal Scoop Ice Cream Jane Ross Leslie McElheny R.J. Snider Paradise Advertising and Design Charles Stallings Hampton Inn & Suites Eric Tibbs Edward Jones & Co. Megan Zelenak - The Sea Gypsy Inn FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG APRIL

6 Colton Miller of Fresh Catch Bistro Chamber President Bud Nocera presents Colton a check for $ Representing Fresh Catch is manager Luigi Longo with Chairman of the Board David Anderson. Also nominated were: Corey Hager of RAL Resorts Mirna Gomez of Matansas on the Bay Valenia Schaller of Publix located at San Carlos Blvd. and Summerlin Rd. Chamber Members Aid Other Chamber Members and the Chamber to Support Local Children and Community The Gateway to the Islands Kiwanis Club has recruited 59 Lee County restaurants to participate in the 7th annual Delicious Dining Discounts Book by offering dining discounts. Discounts are buy one, get one, some with restrictions such as purchase of two beverages and/or a maximum dollar discount amount; and most are valid April 15 through November 15. Profits from the $20 book serve local children and the local community, through agencies such as Children s Advocacy Center, Gladiolus Learning and Development Center, Early Learning Coalition, and Heights Elementary School. 59 Lee County Restaurants Participate in 7th Annual Delicious Dining Discounts Book New restaurants include Fort Myers Beach locations Bootleggers Waterfront Barbeque, Castaway s Bar & Grill, Flipper s on the Bay, and Truly Scrumptious along with many others. Thirty Six returning restaurants include Fort Myers Beach familiars Bayfront Bistro, Charley s Boat House Grill, Chloes, Doc Ford s Rum Bar & Grille, Matanzas on the Bay, Nervous Nellie s, Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, Pierside Grill, Skye s Mexican Restaurant, South Beach Grille, and The Beached Whale. For a complete list of all participating restaurants, go to KiwanisGTTI.com and click on the Dining icon. Options to purchase the books are the Fort Myers Beach Chamber office, the club website KiwanisGTTI.com for credit card orders, or by visiting one of the sales locations found on the website. Books may also be obtained by ing KiwanisGTTI.Dining@gmail.com or call Terry Luster at for information. 6 APRIL 2015 FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG

7 Coffee Connection On March 5, Board member and Ambassador Wanda Linatsas, owner of Royal Scoop Ice Cream on FMB, hosted the Chamber's early morning Coffee Connection. Dwayne Bowes, Director of Sales with the Residence Inn Fort Myers/Sanibel, with Cheryl Baker, owner of A Shore Thing Cleaning Service, LLC. (left to right) Board members Bill Fagan of SPD Solutions, Barbara Farrell of iberiabank, Chamber President Bud Nocera and Jim Lambeth of A Better Bug Man. Adopt the Beach Chairman of the Board David Anderson and Chamber President Bud Nocera cleaning the beach as part of the Adopt the Beach program. Member Luncheon Chairman of the Board David Anderson welcomes new members (left to right) Molly Scott of Chris-Tel and Lisbeth (Beth) Freeman of Lisbeth Freeman Law PLLC. Mayor of Fort Myers Beach Anita Cereceda addresses the Chamber Membership on Feb. 12. Photos by Jane Ross FORTMYERSBEACH.ORG APRIL

8 Phone: Crane/Bucket Truck Street and Parking Lot Lighting Flag Pole Installation and Lighting Concrete, Aluminum, Steel, and Wood Poles Installed Stadium Lighting LED and Neon Lighting Installation and Repairs Commercial/Residential Communication/ Data Systems Networks Surge Protection Systems Control Wiring, Trenching and Boring Exhaust Fans and Motor Replacement Surveillance Cameras Service Panel Installations and Upgrades Solar Electric (PV) Installation and Repairs Tankless Water Heater Systems ASK ABOUT OUR FINANCING OPTIONS GENERATORS LED LIGHTING Phone: Bruner Lane Suite 100, Fort Myers, FL 33912

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12 3rd Annual Mini Masters Golf Tournament Tuesday April 14, pm Jungle Golf San Carlos Blvd. Please see sponsorship opportunities on the back! Company Name Contact Phone NAME YOUR PLAYERS Captain Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Player 8 Cost is $240 per team Don t want to play but still want to take part in the fun? Then sign up for the Gallery for $5 per person. Name Name Please make checks payable to Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce 1661 Estero Blvd. Suite 8 Fort Myers Beach, FL You can also register and pay online at For more information please contact jane ross at or jane@fmbchamber.com

13 3rd Annual Mini Masters Sponsorship Opportunities Eagle Sponsor: $1,000 Team entry for the event Hole Sponsor sign and banner on the fence 16 raffle tickets per team member 3 mulligans per team member A special thank you before the awards are handed out Complimentary 2 months of newsletter inserts (must be provided to the chamber) A special post on the Chamber website naming these sponsors and linking to their business website. 1 month banner on the chamber home page (620x80 banner provided by the business) Your logo on the mini-masters website with a link to your business website. Birdie Sponsor: $750 Team Entry for the event Hole Sponsor OR banner on the fence 8 Raffle tickets per team member 3 mulligans per team member A special thank you before The awards are handed out Complimentary 2 months of newsletter inserts (must be provided to the chamber) A special post on the chamber website naming these sponsors and linking to their business website. Your logo on the mini-masters website with a link to your business website. Actual Value: $895 Actual Value: $1,255 Par Sponsor: $500 Team entry for the event Either 8 raffle tickets OR 3 mulligans per team member (must be the same for all team members) A special thank you before the awards are handed out. A special post on the chamber website naming these sponsors. Your logo on the mini-masters website with a link to your business website. Actual Value: $550 Hole Sponsor: $50 Your logo will be prominently displayed on a sign on one of the 18 holes. You must provide us with a hi-res logo for your business. Please to doug@fmbchamber.com by April 13th. Banner Sponsor: $50 Your company banner will be hung along the course Fence for all to see. You must deliver your banner to the chamber by Monday April 13th. You can also have both for $75 Both of These sponsorships include your logo on the mini-masters website with a link to your business website. Business Name Check Applicable: Eagle Sponsor Birdie Sponsor Par Sponsor!! Hole Sponsor Banner Sponsor Hole and Banner Sponsor Card # Expiration Date CVV # Billing Address Amount Please make checks payable to Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce Please fax or mail to 1661 Estero Blvd. Suite 8, Fort Myers Beach, FL FAX