The Catch. of the Day

Transcription

1 Volume 29, Number 3 MARCH 2014 The Catch FortMyersBeach.org of the Day OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER FORT MYERS BEACH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICERS/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: John Gavin, Chair Gavins Ace Hardware David Anderson, Chair Elect Krusty Pete s Robb Capps, Vice Chair Florida Premier Realty Fran Podraza, Treasurer CFS Roofing Services LLC Bud Nocera, President FMB Chamber Fran Myers, Foundation Red Coconut RV Park RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2014 Ann Alsop Associate Member Steve DeAngelis Nervous Nellies Terry Luster Kiwanis FM Gateway to the Island RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2015 Donna Bates AAA Travel Curt Brenner Gull Wing Beach Resort Barbara Farrell iberiabank RETIRING 31 DECEMBER 2016 Jim Lambeth A Better Bugman Bob Layfield Island Sandpaper EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Tom Hart Legal Council Fran Myers FMB Chamber Foundation Norma Jean Pevey Immediate Past Chair FOUNDATION BOARD DIRECTORS: John Albion Ann Alsop C21 Tripower Maryanne Baker Sunstream Realty Inc Linda Beasley Outer Island Mortgage Rob Fowler Fowler Company Ginny Smith Pink Shell Development FOUNDATION BOARD OFFICERS: Fran Myers, President Red Coconut RV Resort Mayor Mandel to Speak at March Membership Breakfast Alan Mandel has a Masters in Business Administration degree from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alfred University. At Jacobson Stores, Alan had 27 years of management experience. As Vice President and Group Manager of Stores, Alan was responsible for strategic and tactical planning; developing and meeting operating budgets; and managing 10 direct reports and 1500 associates. Alan served on the Board of Jacobson Stores Realty Corporation. Alan was previously at Corning Glass Works for seven years in various sales and marketing positions. Alan s concern for and commitment to the present and future Fort Myers Beach quality of life was demonstrated by his service on the Land Planning Agency, the Management and Planning committee, and as Chair of both the Ad Hoc Water Utility and Fertilizer Ordinance committees. Alan and his wife Carla purchased their condo on Fort Myers Beach in 1982 and became year round residents in Alan and Carla enjoy boating, jogging, tennis and walking the beach. Join us Thursday, March 13th 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. at 8:30am at Charley s Boat House Grill, 6241 Estero Blvd, Ft. Myers Beach, for a delicious Membership Breakfast.

2 Estero Blvd. Suite 8 Fort Myers Beach, FL Bud Nocera President Jane Ross Member Service and Volunteer Coordinator Cindi D Andrea Director of Sales Doug McElheny Internet & Social Media Manager Pete Frye Front Desk Kathy Hanagan Roxie Donna Bates of AAA Brandan Brandise Diamond Head Beach Resort Carolyn Crosby Patsy Dorsey of Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Sandy Hein Jackie Hornack Diamond Head Beach Resort Joni Johnson Debby Kildow Cheryl Nye Pam Schindler Jessica Titus of Fort Myers Beach Realty Jean-Ann Walker Debbie Whitehead Elaine Moses NEEDED Looking for people who love the Beach, love people and love to have Fun. Share your knowledge and join our volunteers in the Roxie. Still have a few shifts available. Call Jane Ross at if you can donate some of your time. ROXIE VOLUNTEERS 2 MARCH 2014 March 6 March 12 Executive Committee Chamber Office March 19 Board of Director Bonita Bill s Meeting Room 8:00 am 8:00 am All meetings will be at the Chamber Office unless specified otherwise. Join a committee!! Call Jane Ross THE FLOOD INSURANCE EXPERTS BIGGERT-WATERS ACT IS HERE!! See how this will affect your Flood Insurance Rates? FREE QUOTES FT. MYERS BEACH INSURANCE BROKERAGE Richard D. Karger Agency Principal Office: Cell: Fax: Richard@fmbib.com UPSTAIRS: KEY ESTERO SHOPS 7:30 to 9:00 am Chamber Coffee Sky Zone, located at S. Tamiami Trail 9:15 am Ambassador Meeting (immediately following the Coffee Sky Zone March 13 Membership Charley s Boathouse 8:30 to 10:00 am March 20 5:30 to 7:00 pm Business After Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina CALL for a FREE QUOTE Today! WE RETURN PHONE CALLS! Immediate Coverage Available! We Shop and Quote for You! l 400 Top Rated Insurance Companies l Writing the Entire State of Florida 1661 Estero Blvd. Suite 16, Ft. Myers Beach, FL HOME - FLOOD - AUTO - BOAT - COMMERCIAL-CYCLE - HEALTH -LIFE - MOBILE HOMES

3 March 6th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM FMB Friends of the Arts concerts Location: Fish Tale Marina Featuring country music recording artist Grayson Rogers. March 8 and 9 Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival March 15 Steppin Up A celebration in the Jazz Age A night of dining and Cypress Cove Community Advancement For tickets call Jean Christensen (239) Fran Podraza CFS Roofing Services (CHAIR) Debra Anderson Universal Vacations Robb Capps Premier Florida Realty John Crane - Northwestern Mutual Naples/ Estero Group Jaime Huffman Pieces of Eight Pirate Cruise Denice Knudsen Premier Florida Realty Sandy Lepley Century 21 Tripower Wanda Linatsas Royal Scoop Ice Cream Barb Rich VIP Vacations Jane Ross Jan Ruhstorfer VIP Vacations Charles Stallings Hampton Inn & Suites Eric Tibbs Edward Jones & Co. Finally! Wines that Taste Good. Wine & Wine Gifts Wine Tastings Available All Wines from Florida Hours 10am-10pm Monday - Sunday Old San Carlos Blvd. Ft. Myers Beach, FL Letter to Chamber To whom it may concern: I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the Mayor and Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to serve as Grand Marshal to the Fort Myers Beach boat parade. The entire evening was truly wonderful and I was very fortunate to meet so many wonderful people and enjoy a magnificent display of decorated boats. I was extremely grateful that you presented me with a proclamation and I will treasure those words in the days ahead. Words cannot begin to express how wonderful you all made me and my family feel and it is something I will never forget. Although I can t remember all of the names of those fantastic people I met, please thank them for me and for making it an unforgettable evening. Sincerely, Russel Winsett US Navy Retired MARCH

4 By Bud Nocera The Hospitality Heroes Award & The Howgozit Report Welcome to peak season on Fort Myers Beach. From all the anecdotal reports the Chamber has been receiving from our members, it appears this peak season will be a great one. Our success, both individually and as a tourism destination, very much depends on how well we handle our visitors while they are here. Good customer service deserves to be noted and rewarded. To that end, the Chamber is partnering with the Island Sand Paper to create the Hospitality Heroes Award during the months of March, April and May. The rules are simple: 1. The winner each month will receive $100, courtesy of the Island Sand Paper. 2. It is open to hospitality industry front-line employees from restaurants, accommodations, retail shops or other tourism industry service providers on or near Fort Myers Beach. 3. Nominations for the award will be accepted from business owners or managers. The nomination form will ask that the owner or manager tell us why, in a few words, why they believe the nominee deserves to be recognized. 4. One nomination will be accepted per month from each business 5. Nominations will close on the last day of each month, March April and May. 6. If a person nominated does not win for that month, the manager or owner can re-enter the nominee for the following month. 7. Each month the winner will be randomly drawn at the Chamber luncheon. 8. Nominees need not be present to win. The Chamber and the Island Sand Paper will come to the place of business to make the award and take photographs for both the Chamber Newsletter and Island Sand Paper. 9. One winner per year per business. The Chamber and the Island Sand Paper plan to make this an annual event during peak season. We believe rewarding top-notch hospitality industry service is the best way to encourage it, and keep visitors returning to our beach destination. It is all about providing a great experience for our beach visitors The Howgozit Report The first Trans-Atlantic flights were by Pan American World Airways in the 1930 s. The brave crews of the Pan Am flying boats relied on celestial navigation and ded reckoning (yes, it was ded, a shortened form of deduced, not dead as we see it today) when they were out of range of radio signals. Thus the navigator would create a howgozit report which determined if there would be enough fuel for the rest of the flight. We often get asked how goes it during peak season. This season, as we mentioned at the beginning, anecdotal reports show us in the middle of a really great peak tourist season. Possibly the best in years. Many of the necessary precursors for a great season fell in place: a long, cold and snowy winter up north with contrasting great weather here. Airfares are at acceptable levels, as are gasoline prices. There is good lift into RSW Airport by a number of airlines from our major markets of visitor origin. The national economy, although sluggish, is somewhat better than it has been in recent years. More importantly, Americans are optimistic again. One of my favorite predictors of Florida tourism is the national Consumer Confidence Report, published each month by the Conference Board. It is a monthly sampling of the American public and their confidence in the economy, present situation, and future. In January it stood at 80.7 (1985=100), up from 77.5 in December. A year ago it was at That is a significant positive increase in how Americans are thinking, and a great indicator of how easily they will part with their money for the purchase of big ticket items like going on Vacation. The Present Situation Index (how Americans view their present family or personal economic situation) increased to 79.1 from The Expectations Index (how Americans feel about their personal economic future) increased to 81.8 from 79.0 last month. So the predictors are good, and the visitors are here. We hope you enjoy the flight! 4 MARCH 2014 A Better Bugman Certification Mr. James Stephen Lambeth, of A Better Bugman LLC has passed the Associate Certified Entomologist qualifying exam on January 20, With over 29 years experience in the pest control industry, James continues to expand his education in a ever changing environment to ensure all the customers of A Better Bugman LLC will receive the highest level of service.

5 RTI Insurance Networks Helping you protect what matters most. That's the driving force at RTI Insurance Services on Ft. Myers Beach. Agents Wendy Matura and Alicea Garcia take time to understand what's important to you and your family. With over 25 years of insurance knowledge - you can place your trust Wendy and Alicea to navigate Florida's complex insurance requirements with your best interest in mind. RTI is a full-service, independent agency offering customized solutions for your home, auto and personal insurance needs - all under one roof. We've partnered with over 50 A-rated carriers such as: Travelers, The Hartford, ASI, Tower Hill, Frontline, Progressive and Safeco. We're here to serve all your insurance needs, including: Home Condo Renters Auto Boat/Watercraft Motorcycle Business & Commercial Life & Health We've served Southwest Florida for over 30 years, with offices in Ft. Myers Beach, Sarasota/Bradenton and Apollo Beach. With thousands of happy customers, our promise is to work hard every day to find Ft. Myers Beach residents the best rates with the best carriers. The result? We'll save you time and money protecting what matters most! We'd love to meet you and provide a complimentary insurance review and quote. We invite you to stop by our office at 2801-K Estero Boulevard, Ft. Myers Beach. Or give us a call at (239) We're also open 24 hours a day at Returning Members to our Chamber RTI Insurance shown with Chamber Chairman of the Board John Gavin, Alicea Garcia and Wendy Matura of RTI and Chamber President Bud Nocera. Plaques were handed out at the Chambers February Membership lunch at Charley s Boathouse. PHOTO CREDIT TO KATRINA SALOKAR, PARADISE ADVERTISING & DESIGN MARCH

6 Fort Myers Beach Open House Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce celebrated with a Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday Feb.12 at their new location 1661 Estero Blvd. Suite 8. Shown cutting the Ribbon is Chairman of the Board John Gavin of Gavin's Ace Hardware. He is joined by the Chamber Staff, Chamber members and town dignitaries. PHOTO CREDIT TO BOB PETCHER OF THE OBSERVER Chamber of Commerce President Bud Nocera stands behind his staff shown left to right, Cindi D'Andrea, Jane Ross, Kathy Hanagan, Doug McElheny and Pete Frye. PHOTO CREDIT TO BOB PETCHER OF THE OBSERVER Chamber friends and members gathered at the Caribbean Pearl Restaurant first for refreshments. Music was provided by Dave Dale. PHOTO CREDIT TO BOB PETCHER OF THE OBSERVER The Clydesdales Come To Fort Myers Beach Budweiser Clydesdales visit Fort Myers Beach on Monday Feb. 10. PHOTO CREDIT TO BOB PETCHER OF THE OBSERVER Chamber President Bud Nocera waves from the Budweiser truck. PHOTO CREDIT TO BOB PETCHER OF THE OBSERVER 6 MARCH 2014

7 Coffee Connection iberiabank hosted the February Chamber Coffee Connection for the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce on Thursday February 6 at their 7580 Winkler Road location. Shown left to right is Cheryl Baker of A Shore Thing Cleaning Serv. LLC, Hostess and Board member Barbara Farrell, Board Member and Ambassador Fran Podraza of CFS Roofing Services and Ambassador Sandra Lepley of Century 21 TriPower. Left to right: Hosts Josh Ware and Barbara Farrell of iberiabank with Board Member Terry Luster of Kiwanis Club of Fort Myers Gateway to the Islands. Ambassador Wanda Linatsas of Royal Scoop Ice Cream shares a laugh with the Chambers Jane Ross. From left to right: Board Member Fran Podraza of CFS Roofing Services, Ambassador Denice Knudsen of Premier Florida Realty, Vice Chair of the Board and Ambassador Robb Capps of Premier Florida Realty and Ambassador Barb Rich of VIP Vacation Rentals. Membership Luncheon (left) Doctor Stephen Scholle sponsored the Fort Myers Beach Chamber Luncheon on Thursday Feb. 13 at Charley's Boathouse. Shown left to right is Dr. Gary Freudenthal M.A., Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Doctor Stephen Scholle, M.D. Ph.D and Doctor Joseph Reyes, OD. PHOTO BY JANE ROSS (right) Mr. Jim Nathan of Lee Memorial Health Systems speaks to the Fort Myers Beach Chamber at their February Membership luncheon at Charley's Boathouse. PHOTO BY JANE ROSS MARCH

8 FREE MARINA DOCKAGE with Dock Attendant s Assistance Make sure you pick up a Nellies discount card come in six times and get a FREE meal Nellie s Upstairs Waterside Bar Happy Hour All Day, Everyday with Live music too! Lunch, Dinner, Snacks in Between Award-Winning Restaurant Best Lunch Best Casual Dining Best Waterfront Dining Best Place for Live Music st St., Ft. Myers Beach GPS COORDINATES: N W