Southwest Spotlight - July 2011

Page 32 Southwest Spotlight July 2011
S O U T H W E S T
JULY 2011 Vol.2, No.7 FREE
Events, things to do and opportunities to give back to our community in and around Bonita Springs
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Fire training 30
YMCA update 13
An odyssey 19
Doctors orders 5
Town Talk 6
State of
real estate 9
Artist of the
Month 27
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Y Man
Staying
in Bonita
Staff Photo | info@swspotlight.com
Dale Rogers sculpture, Away, located in Riverside Park, is staying in Bonita
Springs.
By Peter R. OFlinn
prof@swspotlight.com
Bonita Springs The Y may
have left the building, but
the Y man is staying put.
The gleaming 12-foot
stainless steel sculpture with
its red head stands on a
pedestal in Riverside Park
aside Old 41, directly across
from Bensons Grocery.
It has the feeling of a
person stretching his arms
upwards and away, and his
hands going up in a Y, kind
of like the YMCA guys, says
Dale Rogers, the sculptor.
Yes, he is letter Y from
the song, said Rogers.
The sculpture faces east
welcoming the morning sun,
toward the now very well
known Bonita YMCA build-
ing two miles away.
While the drama of the
Bonita YMCA has been play-
ing out, it appeared that this
sculpture, named Away,
might be on its way out of
town.
But, like the YMCA, those
who brought it here worked
hard to keep it here. Thanks
to their efforts, and the gra-
ciousness of the sculptor
who did not grab for the
last buck, Away is staying
in Bonita Springs.
The fate of the sculpture
has left some thinking that
just maybe, with a dollop of
karma, it portends hope for
the building on Kent Road.
When told of the coincidence
of the two events Rogers,
the sculptor, said Yeah, man,
if it helps in any waythats
cool.
Dale Rogers has a na-
tional reputation as a metal
sculptor, and is best known
for his iconic American
Dog pieces. My love for
Continued on page 10
By Peter R. OFlinn
Bonita Springs Ben Nelson
Jr. recently declared his can-
didacy for re-election as May-
or of Bonita Springs. Election
day is in late January 2012.
In a recent extensive in-
terview with the Spotlight,
Nelson talked about the may-
oralty and city government,
his hopes for the city, and
about matters ranging from
Spotlight Interview: Ben Nelson on the
Mayoralty and City Government
SS_JULY_1 and 32 6/28/11 1:35 PM Page 1
Advertising Sales
Kathy O'Flinn
kathy@swspotlight.com
Office Manager
Katie O'Flinn
katie@swspotlight.com
Contributing Writers
Charles J. Cavaliere
Meghan Easterly
Max Harris
Dorota Harris
Ben Nelson Jr.
Peter R. O'Flinn
Contributing Photographers
William L. Meyers
David Michael
Logan Newell
Robert L. Smith
Locally owned and
operated since 2010
(239) 287-6474
info@swspotlight.com
PO Box 1946
Bonita Springs, FL 34133
Southwest Spotlight, LLC
swspotlight.com
S O U T H W E S T
Publisher
Peter A. O'Flinn
peter@swspotlight.com
This month
5 Doctors orders
9 Real Estates
President
13 YMCA update
19 An odyssey
20 Community activist
Richard Barber
29 City elections
30 Fire training
Every Issue
27
15
3 Sunset of the month
5 Ben Nelsons Column
6 Town Talk
13 Up and Down the Trail
15 Bonitas Best Friends
16 Events
23 Bonita Business Beat
24 Opportunities to give Back
24 Catch of the month
27 Artist of the month
Ed Tacaks
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 2
July 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 3
Bob Munns | sunset@swspotlight.com
Julys sunset of the month was submitted by Bob Munns. Email your best sunset
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 3
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 4
By Ben Nelson Jr.
Bonita Springs I know
that Wave Runners make
you angry, buzzing noisily
around your boat while
youre trying to fish or flying
back and forth past your
favorite relaxing sunbathing
spot, but I will make you a
bet no matter how much
you hate them, as soon as
you get on one, open up the
throttle and go skipping
across the waves you will
automatically smile. Its a
complex phenomenon called
fun. I know, I know!
They are evil, stinky, dan-
gerous, devil machines that
many people think should
be outlawed but Im just
saying, they are fun and will
make the meanest old poop
grin like an eight-year-old.
And therein lies the problem.
They also have a tendency
to make you act like an eight
year old. Case in point.
I admit it several years
ago we owned a Wave Run-
ner. It was great. Lori and I
would cruise around, Lori
with her arms around me
as I drove around, stopping
at secluded beaches, having
lunch at dockside restau-
rants. It was all great fun.
Of course the more we rode
around the better we got at
maneuvering it. It was an
amazing machine! Even with
Lori seated behind me I got
to where I could be going
30 mph and then by just
cranking the handle bar to
the side, immediately spin
around and be going the
opposite direction with-
out wiping out. And I never
lost Lori once!
Anyway, that went on for
a couple of months and then
one day Lori tells me, You
know, that seems like fun
I want to do it. Lori is a
great driver so I wasnt wor-
ried. As soon as we changed
places, Lori punched the
throttle and took off. We
were shooting out into the
Gulf going at least 50 mph,
Lori hunkered down over
the handlebars and me hang-
ing on around her waist
both of us with maniacal
grins on our faces. Suddenly,
Lori leaned back and yelled,
So, do I just turn the handle
bars to make it spin
around? I put my mouth
up to her ear and yelled
Yeah, but And thats
the last thing I remember
until I noticed that it
had become absolutely quiet
and I was on my back look-
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wasnt touching the water
and the wind was blowing
really hard AARGGGHH!
I realized that I was flying
through the air at 50 mph
and then I hit the water!
After flipping and spinning
through every yoga pose in
the book I finally came to a
halt and bobbed there in
the water. I looked around
behind me and there was
Lori, laughing hysterically
and about 300 feet behind
her was the stupid Wave
Runner still upright and
idling quietly, slowly turning
in a circle like an animal in
a cage. I swam over to Lori,
made sure she still had all
her parts and then said, As
I was saying Yeah, but
you have to slow down first!
Although we thought we
were okay, the next morning
we both woke up with
extreme whiplash and what
our family doctor diagnosed
later that day as a case of
strained everything. In the
doctors office after the
examination he calmly wrote
a prescription out. This
should take care of it, he
said as he ripped it off the
pad and handed it to me.
Usually you cant read their
writing but this one was
written very clearly and care-
fully. It said SELL YOUR
WAVE RUNNER! It was
the cheapest prescription
Ive ever filled.
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Just what the doctor ordered
Neil Nelson | Special to the Spotlight
Its a complex
phenomenon
called fun.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 5
TOWN TALK
The Captain
and the
Commodore
Breakfast with the Presidents
National Association of Realtors
President Ron Phipps spoke last month in
Bonita Springs at Spanish Wells Country
Club. Turn to page 9 to learn more. From
left, Gerry Teeven, Vice President of
Element Funding, Pam Olsen, President of
Bonita Springs Estero Association of
Realtors, Ron Phipps, Heather Wightman,
President of Bonita Springs Estero Chapter
of Womens Council of Realtors, Ben
Nelson, Mayor of Bonita Springs, and
Nigel Fullick, Vice President of Element
Funding.
Logan Newell | McLogan Photography
Relay for Life
Bobbi Bird, Chair of
the Bonita Springs
Relay for Life, at a
planning meeting last
month at Hodges Uni-
versity. The next relay,
raising money for the
American Cancer
Society, is coming to
Riverside Park in April.
Rebecca Antelis | towntalk@swspotlight.com
The stage at Riverside
Park will be graced with
real pirate history and an-
tiques from the late 1600s
to late 1800s during Star
Spangled Bonita on July 4
at 6 p.m. It has taken
Johnny O and Yellow
Beard over 10 years of
plundering to gather their
private collection. Johnny
O is played by Bonita
Springs resident John
OKelly.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 6
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 8
By Peter A. OFlinn
peter@swspotlight.com
Bonita Springs Pam Olsen,
President of the Bonita Springs
Estero Association of Realtors,
surveyed the large crowd settled
in at the Spanish Wells Country
Club last month and declared,
You are all here today to wit-
ness history.
Ron Phipps, the President
of the National Association of
Realtors, travelled from Wash-
ington D.C. to address the June
meeting, the first such visit to
Southwest Florida by a sitting
President of the organization
in over a decade.
Bonita Springs was proud
to have Phipps. And Nigel Ful-
lick was proud of Bonita. We
should be proud of Bonita
Were not Naples, were not
Fort Myers, were Bonita
Springs and we have an identity,
this is a special place, and we
should start selling Bonita,
said Fullick, Vice President of
Element Funding in Bonita
Springs.
Fullicks colleague Gerry
Teeven introduced Phipps, his
friend since their days 40 years
ago at Bishop Hendricken High
School in Warwick, RI. At that
time Phipps, an elected school
leader, was busy organizing
hunger walks and visiting the
elderly.
Phippss talk was, in part,
motivational. Seize the day,
he said. You can not be a
spectator in your own life. It
is your responsibility to be
proactive and engaged.
Just as you have the Gulf,
said Phipps, in real estate the
tide goes up and down, and
values can do the same. What
you look at is the long-term
trend.
For a long time in real
estate we enjoyed a tremendous
flow of value and activity, he
said. We were so busy
responding to the immediate
need of our customers and
clients we werent watching
the horizon, we werent watch-
ing how it was happening.
Hopefully, history will not
repeat itself, because we
learned.
In largest measure, Phipps
talk was informative, reflecting
knowledge of an industry vet-
eran who spends much of his
days in the corridors of the
nations capital reminding peo-
ple that, Its in our national
best interest to encourage home
ownership if we want self-
reliance.
Phipps is concerned that
encouraging hints of improve-
ment are being swamped by
reports that persistently focus
on just market averages. The
problem is the national media
looks at sum total, and what
you know about averages
is that a very bad situation can
bring all of the numbers
down, he said. National
dynamics should not be
ignored, he said, but the
focus should be on the local
market.
Phipps described the chal-
lenges of the political environ-
ment in Washington. Excesses
in loose mortgage underwriting
have been cleaned up, he said,
and he is concerned that the
pendulum is swinging too
far back.
We met recently with a
Congressional Committee and
we said to the committee,
Youve already amputated the
gangrene underwriting arm.
Its gone. People who cant
sustain homeownership cant
get financing. Stop giving us
chemotherapy.
Phipps recounted a con-
versation with Secretary of
Housing and Urban Develop-
ment Shaun Donovan, I said,
Secretary, itd really be nice if
the administration just simply
stopped talking about housing
I dont mean to be disre-
spectful, but every time you
have this new idea to fix the
market you cause my buyers
and my sellers to pause. Let
the market seek its own level,
itll work it out.
The number one priority
of the National Association of
Realtors is the reliable flow of
capital. Leaders of the associ-
ation have met with the five
largest lenders as well as FHA,
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Phipps is concerned with
the time required to process
mortgage applications and
what he views as unrealistically
The state of real estate
Ron Phipps, President of the National Association of
Realtors, addressed a crowd of over 200 people at
Spanish Wells Country Club in Bonita Springs last
month.
We should be proud of Bonita
Were not Naples, were not Fort Myers,
were Bonita Springs and we have an
identity, this is a special place, and we
should start selling Bonita.
Nigel Fullick, Vice President of Element Funding
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 9
sculpture is abstract geo-
metric and that is how I like
to do my design, he said.
Nigel Fullick, chair of the
volunteer Bonita Springs Art
in Public Places Board,
recalled his first meeting
with Rogers two years ago.
One Sunday afternoon, Ful-
lick received a call from Jackie
Hauserman, a fellow board
member.
She was all excited, said
Fullick.
I have found this piece.
You have to see it, she said,
referring to Rogers work at
the Bonita Springs National
Art Festival.
Great, said Fullick, who
was in Fort Lauderdale, Ill
give you a ring on Monday.
Nigel, Hauserman said,
He is leaving for Massa-
chusetts tonight.
So, I drove like a lunatic
140 miles across Alligator
Alley, said Fullick.
Rogers described the
Riverside Park location Ful-
lick showed him. It is really
a flagship location, he said.
But, Rogers reckoned, his
existing smaller Away
sculpture really did not hold
enough volume for the pre-
poured pedestal and location.
He suggested that he design
the larger 12-foot sculpture
that stands there today.
The name Away fits
the upward stretching of
the piece that, Rogers says,
conveys a sense of family,
community and harmony.
I enjoy putting accents in
my work, he said, referring
to the flock of birds laser
cut into the side. They give
it a little pop and discovery
when you are moving
around the piece.
And what about money?
When told by Fullick of the
very limited budget of the
Art in Public Places Board,
Rogers offered to lend
Away to the City of Bonita
Springs cost-free for eighteen
months.
As that period was draw-
ing to a close earlier this
year, a large company wanted
to purchase the piece. In the
meantime, We became very
fond of it. But we could not
afford it, said Fullick.
Fullick proposed a two-
year lease. Rogers agreed.
He also agreed that if we
can find a sponsor, or a way
of purchasing the piece, he
will sell it to us for $10,000,
which is $4,000 less than he
would get if he sold it today,
said Fullick. He has been
more than gracious with us.
Bonita Springs has such
an enthusiastic and appre-
ciative art community, said
Rogers. I am happy to be a
part of it and I just hope
you can continue to keep
more art coming.
As for Fullick, he has three
more pedestals ready
Y Man
from page 1
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 10
TOWN TALK
Rotarian
of the Year
Steve Agius and Sheila
Seacat, at the Rotary
Club of Bonita Springs
Noon installation party
last month. Steve received
the Rotarian of the Year
award at the Rotary
Disctrict 6960 confer-
ence. He also received
the Dave Clark Pulling
Each Other Along
award. The district in-
cludes all Rotary Clubs
from Sarasota to Naples.
Staff Photo | towntalk@swspotlight.com
The Stage
gives back
The grand finale of the
Going to Nashville
Karaoke Contest at the
Stage was held last
month in Bonita Springs.
Maribel Slabaugh,
center, Executive Director
of Bonita Springs
Assistance, was on hand
to accept a donation of $1,030 from the Stage. Mayor Ben Nelson Jr., left, and Lori
Nelson, right, helped judge the contest. Las Vegas tribute bands perform every
Thursday night this month at the Stage.
Contributed | towntalk@swspotlight.com
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 11
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Staff Report
YMCA developments
As reported first by the
Southwest Spotlight last
month, YMCA of the Palms,
the Collier county organi-
zation that owns the Bonita
Springs YMCA, balked some
months ago at transferring
the Bonita Springs facility
to South County Family
YMCA of Venice. YMCAof
the Palms wanted to be paid
for the property, something
South County was not will-
ing to do.
South County YMCA
Chief Executive Officer Ken
Modzelewski recently told
the Spotlight that a cost free
transfer was still on the table,
although it would be more
difficult now that the doors
are closed.
While South County
YMCA stands pat, the rules
of the game are becoming
increasingly clear. It appears
that any non-YMCA buyer,
including a church or other
non-profit, will need
approvals from the City of
Bonita Springs under its land
use laws.
In late June, the Citys
Department of Community
Development staff issued
an initial zoning verifica-
tion letter stating that any
use other than the YMCA
would require an amend-
ment to the 2001 ordinance
approving the facility.
Also, the property is in
the environmentally sensitive
Density Reduction Ground-
water Resource, or DRGR.
In that area some uses,
including certain non-profit
uses, might also require
amendments to the Citys
comprehensive plan. In
addition, City staff indicated
that any future user would
need to protect the City from
potential litigation by envi-
ronmental groups that settled
with the YMCA in 2001,
allowing the facility to be
built.
The action of the Palms
to close the Bonita facility,
rather than transferring it
to another Y to keep it open,
is controversial primarily
because over $7 million was
raised locally to pay for the
facility.
Lets be clear, the money
was raised for that facility.
It included the land, it
included in kind donations.
It included projections of
operating loses, said Dennis
Church, Bonita Springs
Advisory Board Chair, at a
recent community meeting
hosted by the Palms and its
Bonita Advisory Board. The
Bonita Advisory Board sup-
ports the idea of a cost free
transfer, but it has only an
advisory role to the Palms
trustees, which has said no
to the idea.
At the community meet-
ing it was apparent that noth-
ing has changed in the
publicly stated position of
the Palms. It still says it wants
to be paid, and the Bonita
Advisory Board wants the
Palms to reconsider.
William Burke, Chair of
the Palms Trustees, said it
believed certain expenses
associated with the construc-
tion and operation of the
property represent a debt
of $1.5 million, to the
Palms, an issue he allowed
was not without some dis-
agreement.
For his part Modzelewski
said South County YMCA
was financially strong, but
was not in a position to take
on debt. I am down here
to have a conversation and
to help the community, he
said.
At the meeting, a few
blanks were filled in the his-
torical record. Some time
ago, the YMCA of the Palms
received a letter of intent
from St. Matthews House
to purchase the facility.
Obviously the folks in
Bonita were not happy to
hear about that, said
Church. There is no offer
pending, said Brandon
Dowdy of the Palms.
Also, it was revealed that
the Palms trustees voted
6-4 to turn down a cost free
transfer, apparently with just
one Collier County trustee
siding with the three Bonita
Springs representatives on
the Palms Trustee board.
The Palms press release
referred to the meeting as a
community conversation,
but members of the com-
munity were told not to
speak. Rather, they were
asked to submit questions
in writing to be answered
by YMCA representatives.
These ground rules seem in
vogue for potentially con-
troversial discussions involv-
ing Collier County non-
profits, and those attending
appeared comfortable with
them. They were also applied
at a recent St. Matthews
House forum.
City employee pensions
So what is an employer
to do when it finds its
employees compensation
arrangements changed by
someone else? That peculiar
question is unheard of in
the private sector. But the
Bonita Springs City Council
recently faced it.
In the recent legislative
session, Governor Rick Scott
and the state legislature
adopted a program intended
to close the States $4 billion
budget gap. To save the state
an estimated $1 billion,
changes were made to the
benefits and funding require-
ments of the Florida Retire-
ment System Pension Plan.
The legislation reduces the
state governments funding
obligations, and requires state
employees to contribute
three percent of their salaries
toward funding of the pen-
sion plan, starting July 1.
The Florida Retirement
System was established in
the 1970s to cover both
employees of the state and
other governments in Flori-
da. With $127 billion under
management, it is one of
the largest and healthiest in
the country, according to its
most recent annual report.
It reported a 14 percent
return in fiscal 2009-2010.
In making its changes,
the Florida legislature also
reduced Florida Retirement
System contributions
required by other partici-
pating governments, like
Bonita Springs, and instead
required their employees to
contribute. As a result, start-
ing July 1, Bonita Springs
employees will be required
to contribute, effectively
reducing their compensation
by 3 percent.
So what did the City
Council do? By a vote of
four to three, it voted to pay
city employees an amount
equal to 3 percent of com-
pensation for three months,
when the current City budget
year ends. The cost totals
$23,000.
Did City Council simply
preserve the status quo or
did it increase employee
compensation? It depends
on whether you agree with
the four or agree with the
three, and it depends where
you start.
We should not consider
any increases in compensa-
tion in the current fiscal year
until we find out what the
circumstances are in the new
budget, said Councilmem-
ber Bill Lonkart, who
expressed concern about
possible budget shortfalls.
He, along with members
John Spear and Steven
Slachta, voted against the
proposal.
Why do I feel guilty?
said Slachta. The next door
neighbor who is a state
employee is going to be bur-
dened with this. Why should
I be exempt?
I look at this in a dif -
ferent light, said Mayor
Ben Nelson Jr., We have
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 13
By Peter R. OFlinn
Bonita Springs The first
time Richard Barber walked
through the doors of the
Bonita Springs YMCA it
was under doctors orders,
in 2006. I needed to get in
shape, and I was told the
way to do it was to get into
a fitness program, he said.
The newly opened Boni-
ta YMCA was the place, and
Barber started on a cardio
workout regimen that he
continues to this day five
to six times a week. On
weekdays, his workout
begins at 5:30 a.m., giving
him enough time before
work as Naples Postmaster.
In 2006, Barber could
hardly have foreseen that
just five years later he would
emerge as a grassroots leader
in the fight to preserve the
Bonita Springs YMCA. Yet
there he was, stirring the
pot, at a Bonita Springs City
Council meeting in early
June.
June 1, 2011 is the day
our Y closed, said Barber.
From my side of the podi-
um, it feels lousy.
The decision of the
YMCA of the Palms, a
Naples based organization,
to close the Bonita YMCA
has proved controversial to
many in Bonita Springs.
The YMCA of the Palms
cited financial problems and
balked at handing the facility
to another Y that was willing
to take and run the opera-
tion.
South County Y is inter-
ested in us, to take over
responsible management of
this YMCA. Can that hap-
pen? If it can, it should,
said Barber. Will the
YMCA of the Palms be
taken to task for what they
have done? That remains
to be seen.
There is nothing more
important in my mind than
your YMCA, he said. It is
a place of normalcy in trou-
bled times. I have been
called in my home by CEOs
of YMCAs from all over the
nation. Strangers who dont
know us. They are implor-
ing me to stay the course,
to keep on pounding and
to keep it in the public
view.
Barbers trip to City Hall
that night was his second
in just two weeks. The first
time he led scores of YMCA
members in urging City
Council members to sup-
port his request for a foren-
sic audit of the Y. City
Council member John Spear
thanked Barber for his
efforts. I am thrilled that
this community has woken
up to the frustrations that
are associated with the
YMCA, said Spear.
The City Council was
only one stop in Barbers
travels since the Bonita
YMCAs closure was
announced on May 3. He
has been a ubiquitous pres-
ence, rallying his fellow Y
users, handing out fliers,
attending meetings and get
togethers, like a Bonita
Springs Chamber of Com-
merce gathering at the grey-
hound track, and calling in
television reporters from
Fort Myers.
I can not swear to what
happens at Golds Gym or
some place like that, said
Barber. All I know is that
when you went to the
YMCA on Kent Road it was
a total family package. It
was a hotbed of activity. It
was truly a community
gathering place.
Barber has met people
from all walks of life at
the YMCA, retirees in the
Silver Sneaker program,
members of the 5:30 a.m.
basketball league, families
using the day care facilities,
soccer league members and
Estero High School athletes.
Barber, who maintains
the accent of his New York
birthplace, has been a Bonita
Springs resident since the
early 1970s. His grassroots
activism dates to that time
and, literally, to grass roots.
Lee County gave us the
sod for the ball fields on
West Terry Street in the
early 1970s, said Barber.
Twelve of us lay that sod
on four baseball fields every
day after work. We took a
fledgling group of teenagers
that had no direction in the
early 1970s. We raised
money and four years later
they had a place of their
own. Today that place has
grown into the recreation
center on West Terry Street.
When this came on,
said Barber, referring to the
YMCA closure, it put me
back in the mode of the
70s and 80s when a few
people had to grab the reins
and run with it, or you were
going to be forgotten about.
I saw this as an opportunity
to do the most good in a
short period of time.
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YMCA activist got his
start in the 1970s
The YMCA was a hotbed of activity.
It was truly a community gathering place
Richard Barber
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 14
By Max Harris and
Dorota Harris
Bonitas Best Friends
Bonita Springs This month
we are writing about a breed
which everybody instantly
recognizes but to be
honest, we were not very
familiar with the dog at
first hand. We mean the
English Bulldog.
The Bulldog is ubiquitous
as a symbol of tenacity and
strength. England of course
adopts the bulldog as an
emblem most particularly
on mugs and T-shirts for the
tourists. But others who have
recognized its value as a mas-
cot range from Mack Trucks,
thru a litany of high schools
and universities, to the United
States Marine Corps.
So it was with great antic-
ipation that we invited Buster
to meet us in our home,
bringing in tow his owners
Sally and Dave. (Buster is
the kind of dog that looks as
though he could tow the car
too if they ran out of gas).
And really, Buster was
very charming a true gentle
giant. In a word, a softie!
Sally and Dick had owned
two bulldogs before and are
obviously big fans of the
breed. Buster was bought on
the internet something they
dont recommend to others
and was supposed to be
called Betsy after their grand-
daughter. Unfortunately,
when they met him at the
airport and he rolled happily
onto his back, it was obvious
he was no Betsy. He became
Buster from that day on.
Early on Dave and Sally
took Buster to day-care to
ensure he was properly social-
ized. Things did not go
smoothly. He stole a toy from
a Doberman, refused to give
it back under any circum-
stances, and was thrown out
of the group for stirring up
trouble. We werent surprised
to hear this upon arrival
in our home Buster had
instantly seized a bone, and
made it clear he would keep
it come what may (eventually,
he left the house with it!)
Luckily our standard poodle
Blue has more common
sense than a Doberman
he could see the writing on
the wall, and gracefully aban-
doned his bone to the visitor!
(No offense intended to
Dobermans we had two,
and they were wonderful
dogs, but common sense was
not their strong suit).
Now some interesting
facts about English Bulldogs.
They do not need a lot of
physical exercise, so they are
well suited to life in apart-
ments. And since they are
also very sensitive to heat,
they should not spend much
time outdoors in Florida in
the summer.
They also of course have
an unusual body shape,
characterized by a head that
is exceptionally large rela-
tive to the body. This makes
their birth difficult, and
over 80 percent of bulldog
puppies are delivered by
caesarean section.
Most importantly, two
centuries have passed since
the dog was used for bull-
baiting, and time has mel-
lowed the breed. Today it is
invariably described by those
who know it well as a peo-
ples dog. We could see that
Buster was truly affectionate,
and thrived on the attention
of people around him. And
bulldogs are famously good
with children.
So we enjoyed Busters
visit, and conclude that the
English Bulldog is a mar-
velous dog for those who
have time and affection to
lavish upon him and Buster,
not short of either, is a most
companionable dog.
A symbol of tenacity and strength
Max Harris | info@swspotlight.com
Upon arrival at the Harris residence Buster had instantly seized a bone, and
made it clear he would keep it.
Bonitas Best
Friends
If you have a dog that
you think is particularly
wonderful, contact us at
info@swspotlight.com,
and he or she could be
the next dog featured
in this column.
Bulldogs are
famously good
with children.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:38 PM Page 15
Arts and Entertainment
4th of July Parade
Mon., July 4, 9 a.m.
Watch the parade as it begins
in downtown Bonita. This
years theme is Honoring Our
Community Service People.
Watch out for water balloons!
Star Spangled Bonita
Mon., July 4, 6 p.m.
Party in the park with live
music from Cahlua & Cream
and Jay Frost & 3 Below. The
evening includes a laser light
show and firework finale.
Pirates, relay races, hotdog
& watermelon & ice cream
eating contests and fun for
the whole family. More info
at cityofbonitasprings.org.
Alla Prima, Alla Fun,
Pears
Thurs., July 7, 5:30
to 8:30 p.m.
This is a new way to learn
the basics of painting while
enjoying the company of
friends with wine and dinner.
Youll take home your own
finished masterpiece. Where:
The Center for the Arts. Cost:
$42 per person. Call 239-
495-8989 to register.
Country western
Thur., July 7, 7 p.m.
Put on your cowboy hats and
boots and hear Nashville
singer Joe Taylor sing songs
from his new album, Live at
the Promenade. Where:
Promenade at Bonita Bay.
Cost: $15 members/$20 non-
members. For more infor-
mation, call The Center for
the Arts of Bonita Springs at
239-495-8989.
Hot, Hot, Hot
Fri., July 8, 6 to 8 p.m.
The opening reception for
this summer themed art show
and campus-wide open house
will feature artist demonstra-
tions and displays. Where:
The Center for the Arts of
Bonita Springs. Cost: Free.
King of the jungle
Mon., July 11, 6:30 p.m.
Family Movie Night at the
Promenade is a recipe for
fun and entertainment this
month with the Disney classic
The Lion King. Refresh-
ments are available. Where:
Promenade at Bonita Bay.
Cost: $8 adults/$5 children.
Art Walk
Thur., July 28, 4 to 7 p.m.
Visit Artists Studios, view
their art, demonstrations and
enjoy a live concert, light
refreshments, and visit other
merchants. Where: Prome-
nade at Bonita Bay. Cost: Free
Fundraisers
Sounds of Sinatra
Fri., July 5, 6 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of your
favorite Frank Sinatra songs
performed live by nationally
acclaimed celebrity stylist
Tony Avalon. Proceeds benefit
St. Matthews House. Where:
Naples Philharmonic Center
for the Arts Daniels Pavilion.
Cost: Tickets are $100/couple
or $75/person and include
heavy hors doeuvres and two
complimentary drinks. Call
239-298-5033 to register.
Guys Night Out
for Charity
Tues., August 2, 6 to 9 p.m.
The guys raised $4,000 in
February to support the Boys
and Girls Clubs. This month,
the Bonita Springs Assistance
Office will be the beneficiary
of Guys Night Out for Char-
ity. Where: Hurricane Grill
& Wings, Coconut Point
Mall. Cost: $40. To register,
go to www.bonitaassistance.
org.
Contact us
Is your organization holding a
fundraiser to benefit a local
charity? Let us know at info
@swspotlight.com.
Sports
Extreme fireworks skiing
Sat., July 2, 6:30 p.m.
Come watch the Southern
Extreme Water Ski Show
Team and the Annual Inde-
pendence Day Celebration
and Fireworks Display.
Where: Miromar Outlets.
Cost: Free.
A bunch of bulls
Fri. & Sat., July 8 & 9, 8 p.m.
The Professional Bull Riders
Pro Division Touring comes
to town this month. See what
happens when you put an
adrenaline charged cowboy
on the back of a hulking,
snorting, temperamental
2,000 pound bull. Its Amer-
icas original extreme sport
and one of the fastest growing
sports in the country. Where:
Germain Arena. Cost: Go to
germainarena.com for ticket
prices.
Roller Hockey
Championships
Fri., July 15 to Sun., July 31
The national championship
finals of hockey without the
ice are coming to Germain
Arena. Visit germainarena.
com for game times and
schedule. Where: Germain
Arena. Cost: Free.
Meetings
Come watch the action
live and in person
Wed., July 6, 5:30 p.m.
Wed., July 20, 9 a.m.
Bonita Springs City Council.
Where: City Council Cham-
bers, 9101 Bonita Beach Rd.
For more information, call
239-949-6262.
Business After Hours
Thur., July 14, 5:30
to 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy networking, hors
doeuvres and door prizes.
Where: Hampton Inn and
Suites/Fort Myers-Estero.
Cost: Contact kim@boni-
taspringschamber.com for
pricing.
All dates, times and prices
are subject to change.
EVENTS
Small Town Charm.
Big Bright Future.
Small wn Charm. T
Big Bright Future.
Small
Big Bright Future.
wn Charm. o TTo
Big Bright Future.
wn Charm.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 16
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By Meghan Easterly
Bonita Springs Students in
Bonita Springs began an
Odyssey of their Minds this
year that took them on an
unforgettable journey. Teams
from Bonita Middle School
and Spring Creek Elementary
won first place in state and
local competitions of Odyssey
of the Mind and traveled to
the World Championships at
the University of Maryland.
Odyssey of the Mind
(OOTM) is an international
educational program that chal-
lenges students to use their
imaginations to solve problems
creatively.
OOTM helps students
exercise their creativity and
problem solving skills in a fun
and exciting way, said Robin
Richards, coach of the Spring
Creek Elementary Team. Life
is full of opportunities and
challenges, OOTM helps stu-
dents see that all challenges
we face can be overcome with
creative thought, teamwork
and action.
Teams are given a problem
to solve and each student brings
a skill set to the table. Each
problem has definite criteria
that will be judged.
How spectacularly they
solve the problem will set them
apart from the rest of the
teams, said Kristi Parrish,
coach of the Bonita Middle
School team. My team usually
starts by brainstorming about
the different scenarios or story
lines that they could use, usually
there is some role playing
involved while they narrow
down the theme and main
idea behind their perform-
ance.
This year the elementary
team was given a long-term
problem called Full Circle
that was sponsored by NASA.
This type of problem is one
they can work on before com-
petition. The team had to create
a play that had something
change three times and then
turn back to its original form
and had a signal notifying the
audience of the change. The
play had to have a serious char-
acter, a funny character, some-
thing in the play made of
recyclables, an original song
and an original dance. The
team created the play, the set,
costumes, wrote a song and
created a dance.
It is amazing to watch
these kids create their solutions;
the wheels are just spinning
all the time, Richards said.
They share stories and ideas
and recall random thoughts
that end up taking flight. They
are naturally creative and
OOTM is a place where they
can explore their creativity.
The team started by coming
up with a story line. One of
their students told a story about
putting on a red towel with a
hood and creating a rap called
Little Red in the Hood. The
team created a humorous story
including many not-so-tradi-
tional fairy tale characters who
helped Little Red learn some
life lessons along the way.
She understands at the
end that she liked being herself
and the Fairy God Hobo just
wanted her to like who she
was and not try to be anyone
else, said fourth-grader Haley
Adkins.
The most challenging part
was making sure that every-
thing was working with the
sets and costumes, said fifth-
grade student Bradley Mel.
We had to keep tweaking the
props to make them better so
that they would work at com-
petition time.
Besides working on the
long-term project during the
school year, students also have
to prepare for a spontaneous
problem that they will be pre-
sented with at competitions.
The judges give them a small
time allotment to solve a verbal,
hands-on or combination
problem.
We practice spontaneous
problems which keep their
brains sharp and creative,
Parrish said. The spontaneous
portion of the competition
counts as one-third of the scor-
ing and shouldnt be over-
looked.
Both the middle and
elementary teams placed first
in the local and state compe-
titions. When they went to the
world competition at the Uni-
versity of Maryland, just outside
of Washington, D.C. Spring
Creek placed ninth out of 68
teams. Bonita Middle placed
14th out of 79 teams.
There were approximately
860 teams that competed from
countries including India,
Africa, Germany, Switzerland,
Poland, Canada, Mexico, China,
Korea, Japan and more. The
US was represented by the
majority of states.
This year, our team was
incredibly talented; several of
the team members could sew
and made most of the cos-
tumes, Parrish said. We had
seasoned set builders who were
comfortable using power tools
and we had experienced per-
formers who could sing, act
and dance. In my opinion, the
most important traits of an
OMER (OOTM team mem-
ber) are that they must be cre-
ative and fearless!
We all get so close were
pretty much a family by the
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
This team from Bonita Middle School traveled to the
Odyssey of the Mind World Champions at the Uni-
versity of Maryland. Back row, left to right: Madi-
son Cernohous, Chloe Pallak, Drake Philip, Amanda
Patterson, Jared Harrison. Front row, left to right:
Savannah Faulkner & Elise Parrish
An Odyssey of the Mind
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 19
downtown redevelopment to
St. Matthews House.
Those who attend meetings
at City Hall, or watch endless
reruns of City Council meetings
on BTV Channel 98, can observe
Nelson trying to coax a cheerful
good morning from a preoc-
cupied crowd, always asking:
Councilman Slachta, will you
please lead us in the pledge of
allegiance?, or cajoling an
unruly group: As Americans,
we want people with dissenting
views to be comfortable here.
So you need to ratchet it back
so that people are not booed or
applauded.
At one time, Strangely
enough, I was painfully bashful,
says Nelson. Not anymore. He
enjoys a laugh and not infre-
quently tries to get a laugh at
City Council meetings, often at
his own expense. During a recent
YMCA discussion at City Hall,
a Silvers Sneakers participant
recounted that his wife had
harangued him to get to the
gym on a regular basis. Broth-
er, Nelson interjected, I feel
your pain.
Sometimes the laughs seem
aimed at breaking tension, like
his comment to a Vasari resident,
who approached the City Coun-
cil podium amidst an unpleasant
community rumble. Red shirt
and red shoes. Very nicely done.
Like I am a clotheshorse? Right.
Behind the mirth, there is
more than a little moxie. Enough
so that Nelson is the only person
to serve on City Council since
its inception. Starting with the
District Six Council seat (I
barely won my first election,
but I did) to which he was re-
elected, Nelson became Mayor
after defeating Jay Arend, Bonita
Springs second Mayor, in a 2008
run-off election.
Nelson repeatedly stressed
his belief that, for Bonita Springs
to be most successful, it needs
to continually build relationships
with other governmental agen-
cies that have an effect on Bonita
Springs. People said You need
to be tough on them, said
Nelson. My philosophy was
No.
It is not like we are going
to pick up and move from Lee
County, he said. We are always
going to be doing business with
them, he said. When we are
done working with them on the
Bonita Beach Road widening,
we are going to be working on
the library, and when we are
done with the library it is going
to be something else. So that
relationship needs to be respect-
ful, strong and polite.
Nelson recounted the com-
ments he made at a public meet-
ing with the South Florida Water
Management District shortly
after his election as Mayor. On
behalf of the 46,000 people in
Bonita Springs, he said, I want
to say that you are doing a great
job. If there is anything we can
do to help you, let me know.
Support, he says, enables other
agencies to do their job better.
He believes being nice pays
off. Because we have been able
to forge relationships, it has paid
a lot of dividends, he says. As
examples, he cited the Citys
collaboration with Lee County
to advance the six-lane project
for Bonita Beach Road, and the
South Florida Water Manage-
ment Districts investment of
$500,000 in the Citys storm
water master plan and related
projects. That is what they are
supposed to do, but they get
sidetracked sometimes, said
Nelson.
Nelson complimented his
fellow City Council members.
I am very proud of this Coun-
cil, he said. I have seen what
happens in a lot of cities. There
is argument, fighting, embar-
rassment, tension, screaming
and drama. I dont want that
for my City.
We lowered taxes three years
in a row at a time when most
cities are scrambling on how to
do things. That is a tribute not
only to this Council and staff,
but to previous City Councils
as well. They set the template
on how to do business.
Nelsons near term priority
is supporting new City Manager
Carl Schwing. He is a very
intelligent, savvy, polite, awesome
person but Council cant expect
him to know the history of
almost every issue, said Nelson.
Not that you shouldnt take a
shot at solving it in a different
manner, but you need to know
what that history is and what
the true collective will of the
Council is.
He has several other priori-
ties, including higher education
(We are hoping to get Edison
State College to come down
here.), road projects (There
is not much money to go
around. We need to use it in
places like Bonita Beach Road,
where there is a definite pay-
back.) and Old 41 redevelop-
ment (It is all about designing
the walkable community. The
template is setwith different
incentives. We need to get more
people to use the park.)
The City needs to work with
the residents of Hickory Boule-
vard, Nelson said, to create an
overlay designed to protect their
vision for the Bonita Beach area.
We are twice the size of the
City of Naples, and we dont
have a city planner. I believe
that there needs to be someone
who develops an historical
knowledge, he said.
And what about St.
Matthews House? I know that
some people think this is the
beginning of the end of Bonita
as we know it, and some people
may have translated my unwill-
ingness to publicly judge that
as tacit approval or tacit denial
of that, Nelson said. Because
it is a zoning case, I am not
going to judge these matters
until I am asked to do so in a
proper legal forum. Those are
judicial functions, he said.
The only thing you can
hope for, in my position, is that
you are judged by the content
of your character and by the
entirety of your record, said
Nelson.
We need to keep building
Bonitas reputation, because this
is a wonderful place we live in,
he said. More people need to
know about that. Mostly, the
people who live here need to
understand what a truly great
place they live in.
Disclosure: Ben Nelson Jr.s monthly
human-interest column appears in the
Southwest Spotlight.
Nelson from page 1
Mayor Nelson declared his candidacy for re-election as Mayor of Bonita Springs
last month at the Survey Caf in downtown Bonita Springs.
We need to keep building Bonitas
reputation, because this is a wonderful
place we live in. Ben Nelson Jr.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 20

Mr. Abrams, whose
three restaurants
in New York served
125000 diners last
year, says that any
business that isnt
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changing itself.
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 21
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 22
Staff Report
Bonita Springs Business
is growing in Bonita Springs.
Randys Paradise Shrimp is
now open at 25010 Bern-
wood Drive off Old U.S. 41
in Bonita Springs.
The popular Naples restau-
rants new location is much
more than a restaurant and
fish market. Its also a food
manufacturing facility for
national distribution of Randys
products. Key lime pies, soups,
cocktail sauces, seafood dips,
and key lime pie slices on a
stick dipped in chocolate are
prepared and packaged for
national distribution.
More than 35 new
employees have been hired.
In season it should go up to
around 50 or 60, said Randy
Essig, owner of Randys Par-
adise Shrimp.
A lot of time and money
has been invested in Bonita.
It took Randy 17 weeks to
build out the facility. Syn-
ovus Bank has helped with
part of the funding.
The Bonita Springs Area
Chamber of Commerce
launched a new program
last month, Where You
Want to Belong. The pro-
gram is designed to reener-
gize its existing members
and to attract new members
to our areas only Five-Star
Accredited Chamber.
As the economy begins
to recover and the business
community moves forward,
we want to ensure that our
members are fully engaged
and that they understand
the benefits we provide,
said Christine Ross, Presi-
dent and CEO of the Cham-
ber. We go far beyond
networking at business after
hours, extending our reach
to economic development,
government affairs and
building relationships among
our business and City part-
ners, said Ross.
Cliff Welles and Judy
Underwood, of Decorating
Den, were at the Chambers
Business-to-Business-Expo
last month at Vi at Bentley
Village. Welles and Under-
wood were recently named
Franchise Business Owners
of the Year. Previous awards
they have won include
Dream Room Design, indi-
vidual sales, franchise sales,
regional sales and region of
the year.
In other business news,
Corinne Kleinberger, of The
Salon in the Bonita Bay
Plaza, recently raised $693
for the Everglades Founda-
tion. The vision of the foun-
dation is to restore and
reclaim the Everglades and
its surrounding estuaries.
For more info about the
Everglades Foundation, go
to evergladesfoundation. org.
A Taste of Brooklyn
Pizzeria in Pelican Landing
Publix Plaza is now Pinos
Pizzeria and Italian
Kitchen. Due to a great
deal of confusion with
another pizza place in close
proximity and name, we
have made the tough deci-
sion to change the business
name, said Joe Russo,
owner of Pinos Pizzeria and
Italian Kitchen. Russo is
originally from Bensonhurst,
Brooklyn.
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce kicked off its Where you want to belong program last month. The new program is designed to reinvigorate
our local business community.
Bonita Business Beat
More than 35
new employees have
been hired.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 23
BONITA
TASTE OF
Sunday, November 20, 2011
SPONSORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
S O U T H W E S T
Bonitas
Community Newspaper
www.tasteofbonita.com
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estaurants, a childr ea r ar
8,000 and 10,000 people. The day featur
largest annual events, with attendance estimated between
downtown Bonita Springs. T
, November 20, 2011 at Riverside P to be held Sunday
Sponsorship Opportu

ea and live music. Ther ens play ar estaurants, a childr
es food fr 8,000 and 10,000 people. The day featur
aste of Bonita is on rings. TTa
, November 20, 2011 at Riverside P
unities for the 18th Annual T

e is ea and live music. Ther
om over 25 es food fr
s aste of Bonita is one of the city
ark in , November 20, 2011 at Riverside P
aste of Bonita TTa

of charitable causes and organizations which The Rotar
om T oceeds fr The net pr
, family with a worthy
publicized event. In addition, your business becomes associated
opportunity for considerable exposur
aste of Bonita p The TTa
y to the event. no cost for entr

of charitable causes and organizations which The Rotar
aste of Bonita go towar m TTa
-oriented community cause. , family
e in a high-pr opportunity for considerable exposur
ovides your business with a unique aste of Bonita pr
y to the event.

y Club of charitable causes and organizations which The Rotar
d a wide range aste of Bonita go towar
-oriented community cause.
ole, well e in a high-pr
ovides your business with a unique

Full sponsorship details ar
and many others.
Hospital), Shelter Box USA, Gif
ehab of pediatric oors at L Ofce, Jenns Kids (r
o High School scholarships, Bonita Springs Assistance Ester
of Bonita Springs Noon supports thr

e available on line at Full sponsorship details ar
t of Life, Wheelchair Foundation Hospital), Shelter Box USA, Gif
ehab of pediatric oors at L
o High School scholarships, Bonita Springs Assistance
oughout the year of Bonita Springs Noon supports thr

t of Life, Wheelchair Foundation
ee Memorial LLe
o High School scholarships, Bonita Springs Assistance
, including oughout the year

www.

tasteofbonita.com www.

tasteofbonita.com
Contributed | catch@swspotlight.com
Barry Nicholls with his personal record Scamp (10 pounds) caught on a live
pinfish in 180 feet of water last month off of Fort Myers while fishing with Cap-
tain Chick Melfi and Yasmin Workman on her 33 foot Contender. Email your
photos to catch@swspotlight.com and your photo could be the next catch of the
month.
Staff Report
For the troops
American Legion Post 388
will hold a collection for
our troops July 9 from 8a.m.
to 12 p.m. at Bonita Springs
City Hall. You may also drop
off items at City Hall during
business hours Monday to
Friday leading up to the
collection. Bring snacks, toi-
letry items and reading
materials to be distributed
to our troops serving in
Afghanistan.
Blood drive July 4
The bloodmobile will be at
Stans Super Subs & Deli
on July 4 from 8 a.m. to
noon. The drive takes place
before, during and after the
4th of July parade through
downtown Bonita Springs.
Donors will receive a special
donor gift and a $1 off card
from Stans Super Subs &
Deli. The blood drive is
made possible by Stans
Super Subs & Deli and
Bonita Springs Professional
Firefighters Local 3444.
Stans Super Subs & Deli is
located in Nelson Plaza at
26880 Old 41 Road, just
north of Terry Street.
Hurricane supplies
The Bonita Estero Associa-
tion of Realtors is collecting
hurricane supplies this
month. Supplies will be dis-
tributed to the needy by the
Bonita Springs Fire & Res-
cue District. Donations can
be dropped off at the
B.E.A.R. offices at 25300
Bernwood Drive off Old
U.S. 41 Rd., next to the Lee
County Tax Collector.
B.E.A.R. is also collecting
books for the VA clinic and
non-perishable food items
for area food pantries. For
more information call 239-
992-6771.
Wee Waggin Rescue
Wee Waggin Rescue is a
non-profit, no-kill rescue
organization that rescues
dogs in danger of being
euth anized in over-crowded
shelters, turned in by owners
who can no longer care for
them and abandoned strays.
The Bonita Springs organ-
ization finds loving new
homes for these dogs. Wee
Waggin Rescue is funded
entirely by donations and
is manned exclusively by
volunteers. If you would
like to volunteer, go to
weewaggin.com or call 239-
344-9538. Wee Waggin Res-
cue, Inc. is a 501(c)3
tax-exempt organization.
All donations are tax
deductible.
Parkinson Association of
Southwest Florida
The mission of the Parkinson
Association of Southwest
Florida is to promote quality
of life for persons with
Parkinson Disease and their
care partners. Their services
are available at no cost and
are paid for through member
donations, grants and special
events. Volunteers are needed
for office reception, one day
a week for three hours,
fundraising and education.
Donations are welcome. Free
exercise classes for persons
with Parkinson Disease and
their care partners are held
on Mondays and Wednesdays
at Community Hall, at 27381
Old 41 Road. For informa-
tion, email pasfi@aol. com
or call 239-417-3465.
Opportunities
to give back
Catch of the month
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 24
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SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 26
By Meghan Easterly
Bonita Springs When the
paintbrush of Ed Tacaks
touches the canvas, some-
thing magical happens; a
bird takes flight across a pre-
viously white canvas, an ele-
phant stares into a viewers
eyes, a hippo glides beneath
the water. Animals come to
life and are captured in time
for the viewer to watch and
enjoy forever.
I have always loved ani-
mals, Tacaks says while
painting in his Center for
the Arts Studio at The Prom-
enade at Bonita Bay. I did
my first drawing in kinder-
garten and then when I was
working at Burger King in
high school I started doing
dog portraits, because that
was much better than work-
ing at Burger King.
When his art teachers saw
his work, they arranged for
Tacaks to study figure draw-
ing at the University of
Miami.
They wouldnt let you
draw nudes in high school
so they sent me to the
University and it was a great
experience, Tacaks says. I
learned a lot about drawing
and I have just always loved
to draw.
The artist says that was
the extent of his formal train-
ing. When viewers look at
the detail of his work and
the life and personality of
his wildlife subjects they
know that this is a naturally
gifted artist that truly sees
life as it stands before him.
Without looking at the
lists of awards and honors
Takacs has received or know-
ing how well his work is
received by galleries, anyone
can see where his talent, and
his love, lies.
I feel lucky that I am
doing what I want, Takacs
says. Im doing what I love
and this is all I can do now.
Takacs works in oil,
acrylic and watercolor, what-
ever media lends itself best
to his subject. He works from
photographs he has taken,
first sketching the subject
and then painting. His paint-
ings may come from one
photograph, or a collection
of shots, depending on what
he wants to show.
Thats the good thing
about being an artist, you
can change it on the canvas,
Takacs says. You change the
background, change the tusk
of an elephant, move a leg
out; but you really have to
know a lot about muscles
before you start moving
things around.
A lot of his work involves
studying animals up close
and taking good photo-
graphs that he can use in
his studio. He does this by
studying local birds in their
habitat, visiting zoos and
animal wildlife refuges and
by traveling throughout the
United States and to Africa.
He says he takes as many
photos as he can while he is
observing the animals so
that he has good references
when he sits down to work.
With the zoos I really
love just getting up close
to the animals, I think that
is sometimes why I do a
lot of portrait style paint-
ings, Takacs says. But
since going to Africa, its
a little more scenery.
He has traveled to Africa
twice and plans to return
next year. This fall he is going
to Alaska. His work reflects
animals from all over the
United States and other areas.
He says that when he can
plan his excursions out to
study animals he thinks
about the light and the time
of the day, but often on guid-
ed trips and safaris, he has
no control over the time of
day and just shoots a lot of
photos.
When walking past the
studio of Takacs at The
Promenade, viewers will
often find the artist absorbed
in his work. He sits in the
window painting and seems
not to notice the passersby.
Before him, the wall is lined
with canvas after canvas of
animals, all with their own
personalities staring out. His
work can also be found on
his Web site at www.
edtakacs.com and in galleries
in Fort Myers, Key West and
other parts of Florida. He is
a regular in shows at the
Center for the Arts of Bonita
Springs and the Von Liebig
in Naples. Others may rec-
ognize his work from the
July/August 2010 edition of
Florida Wildlife Magazine.
He says that most people
are interested in the story
behind the painting, and
that is part of the reason he
enjoys traveling to different
areas to photograph wildlife
for his paintings.
People ask you, where
did you get this, where did
you get that? Takacs says.
Well, I was there.
Animals come to life
Call for Artists
2nd Annual "Deck the Walls" juried art show
December 2 - 4, 2011
Deadline is September 15
The Literacy Council of Bonita Springs
Artists will be juried based on samples of their current work.
For more information go to bonitaliteracy.org
Ed Tacaks | Special to the Spotlight
Ed Tacaks took pictures of this elephant during a trip
to Kruger National Park in South Africa. His paint-
ings come from one photograph, or a collection of
shots, depending on what he wants to show.
Ed acquired the rights to a photograph by Tim Rucci
used for reference for this painting. Ed is going to
Alaska in September where he hopes to see some
more puffins.
Ed Tacaks won first place in the 2010 Florida
Wildlife Magazine art contest with Egrets. This
painting is on the cover of the July/August 2010
issue of Florida Wildlife Magazine.
Meghan Easterly |
Ed Tacaks, at his Center
for the Arts Studio at The
Promenade at Bonita
Bay, works in oil, acrylic
and watercolor, what-
ever media lends itself
best to his subject.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 27
high credit score requirements.
His focus is on reminding
banks that if people are credit
worthy then lets not make it
difficult for them. Lets make
the process easier, said Ful-
lick.
What we are working on
in an aggressive way is to try
to protect the opportunity
for the average American
family to own a home, said
Phipps. It takes that family
14 years to put 20 percent
down. In 2010, 68 percent
of home-buyers put less than
20 percent down.
Another challenge to the
real estate industry is finding
a successor to Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac, one that
would provide liquidity to
the market while avoiding
their mistakes. The private
market for mortgages repre-
sents less than 3.5 percent of
all of the mortgages out
there, he said. We need to
have mortgages placed some-
where.
Phipps believes preserving
the mortgage interest deduc-
tion is essential, and that the
30-year fixed rate mortgage
provides a predictable cost
underpinning sustainable
home ownership.
Rents nation-wide are
going up 5 percent this year,
and up 5 percent next year
If you lock-in and you can
qualify for sustainable home
ownership, you can fix that
payment, with obvious
adjustments for taxes and
utilities, but fix that payment
for the life of your presence
there. Isnt that good com-
mon sense? he said.
At the end of this talk,
Phipps shared the perspective
of over three decades in the
business. This storm and
these rough seas will pass,
he said but we need to be
disciplined, focused, and of
common sense.
Phipps
from page 9
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 28
made a commitment to our
employees to provide them
with a certain standard for the
current budget year. I see it as
a serious commitment. He,
along with members Stephen
McIntosh, Janet Martin and
Martha Simons voted for the
proposal.
This is temporary, said
Martin. People need the time
to adjust and I am willing to
give them that time. When we
get into the budget cycle its
going to be a brand new ball
game.
City employee salaries and
benefits have been frozen for
over three years, the result of
the need to balance the City
budget in tough economic
times. Recently, City Council
approved reinstituting a
program under which quali-
fying employees can receive
merit increases of up to 2 per-
cent of salary. None have been
granted to date.
City elections
Bill Lonkart is running for
a second term as District 6
City Councilman. Lonkart said
constituent service is his first
priority, whether that is looking
after sound walls for Hunters
Ridge and balky traffic lights
on Bonita Beach Road or work-
ing for a bigger library for
Bonita Springs. A problem is
an unsolved opportunity, he
said; keeping an open line
is the key. He will also continue
to focus on unpaved roads.
We are on the threshold
of some very good times when
the economy turns. We have
a lot of good stuff going on,
Lonkart said, citing active
residential development in
certain areas and commercial
projects in the works for Boni-
ta Beach Road. A resident of
Bonita Springs since the early
1990s, he had a career in the
insurance field.
When John Spear declined
to run for re-election in District
4, he expressed confidence that
there were many who could
step up and serve. Elections
are over six months away,
and already three people have
formally declared their candi-
dacy: Roger Brunswick,
Wesley Norris and Peter
Simmons. Two others, Bar-
bara Barnes-Buchanan and
Allen Perry, have expressed
serious interest.
Brunswick, a Bonita
Springs resident since the
early 1990s, currently serves
on the Zoning Board and has
been heavily involved in the
turnover committee of the
Bonita Bay Community Asso-
ciation. I want to help, he
said. Bonita Springs is a great
city, and I want to continue
to see it grow and prosper.
We really have a need to create
jobs. Brunswick is a realtor
with John R. Wood.
Norris came to Bonita
Springs in the early 1980s and
was in the construction busi-
ness for almost 25 years. He
served on the Zoning Board
for nine years. We need to be
hard at work in bringing clean
industrial business into this
town, he said. We have I-75,
we have a railhead, we have
the workforceWe can either
stand still or move forward.
We have to move forward care-
fully.
Bonita Springs is a city
but it has a hometown feel for
us, says Simmons. He started
the Simmons Group to focus
on nonprofit and political
fundraising locally, statewide
and nationally. I know the
struggles I go through as a
small business owner, he said.
We have to continue to make
Bonita, Lee County and Florida
a business friendly environ-
ment. Simmons and his
family moved to Bonita Springs
two years ago.
Perry has not formally
declared, but very little is
going stop me from running,
he said. Perry owns Paradise
Security Consulting. He has
lived in Bonita Springs since
2002, and worked in the City
for eight years as a Lee County
deputy sheriff, starting in 1999.
When I was approached to
run by some good friends, I
thought it was a great oppor-
tunity because I want to be a
voice for the people of District
4, he said. I have no other
agenda than to be representa-
tive of those people.
As previously reported in
the Spotlight, Barnes-Buch-
anan, a realtor and former
assistant city manager, is con-
templating a run. She is mon-
itoring how the field develops.
City Manager
Carl Schwing
I almost feel guilty because
it feels so great, said Carl
Schwing, who began work as
Bonita Springs City Manager
in early June. The staff, the
City Council members and
the residents I have met have
been as welcoming as they
could be. I feel very comfortable
being here and look forward
to the opportunity to make a
contribution working as a
team with the staff and the
City Council.
Preserving history
The citys volunteer His-
toric Preservation Board,
chaired by Charlie Strader,
has applied for two grants
through the Florida State
Board of Historic Preserva-
tion. One project will provide
a self-guided audio narrative
of the downtown historic
district, for download to an
iPad or smartphone. A video
walking tour also will be
distributed to schools and avail-
able for download. The other
project would sponsor an
educational workshop on the
benefits of heritage tourism,
bringing in experts who have
developed successful programs
in other areas.
John Gucciardo, assistant
City Manager, is optimistic
that the grants will be
received.
Up and Down
from page 13
end of it, said eighth-grader
Amanda Patterson. I love it
because it teaches you how to
work together, how to work
as a team player, and how to
work on your own without
your parents, siblings, or
friends outside the team help-
ing you. My favorite part
would be competing mostly
because you get to meet so
many new people.
Some of the students have
been participating in Odyssey
for many years and most say
they plan to stick with the
program which is open to
grades kindergarten through
high school.
At world finals my favorite
thing to do was watch the
high school teams perform,
said BMS student Drake
Philip. I enjoyed seeing all
the talent these older teams
had and the quality of their
skits were nearly professional.
Watching them made me
wonder what OOTM would
be like for me in high school.
Odyssey gave me a creative
outlet to express myself and
meet new people, said fifth-
grader Drew Parrish. I mainly
enjoyed the adventure and
humor round every corner.
The students work
through out the school year
perfecting their problem-solv-
ing skills to win the competi-
tions and raising money to be
able to go to the competitions.
The coaches say that they enjoy
the program just as much as
the students and appreciate
the support that they get from
the community.
Once I became involved
with the program, I was
hooked, said Coach Parrish.
It is an amazing thing to wit-
ness creativity in action. I love
seeing what they come up
with and watching their ideas
become reality!
It takes so much work
and standing in the hot Florida
sun doing car washes to earn
thousands of dollars, but its
all worth it once you get there,
Patterson said. You get to
experience talking to people
from all over the world and
see all the different cultures
come together. OOTM has
opened up a different way of
solving things and working
out problems.
Odyssey
from page 19
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 29
By Kathy OFlinn
kathy@swspotlight.com
Bonita Springs On a dark
rainy night a few years ago a
car flipped over, pinning a
woman occupant in a flood-
ed ditch on I-75. As the water
rose, she was straining to
breathe when Bonita Springs
firefighter Paul DeVane
arrived on the scene.
As emergency personnel
struggled to right the car,
their jacks sunk into the mud.
Seeing this, DeVane slid
under the vehicle, positioning
himself next to the woman.
He kept her airway open and
the murky water out of her
face.
It was a once-in-a-career
moment for DeVane, a 23-
year veteran and fourth
generation firefighter. He
wasnt supposed to be diving
under a car, and he knew it.
But she might have died if
he hadnt.
We got her out. She sur-
vived, he said. When asked
what he enjoyed most about
his career, he said, Helping
people.
We see things most peo-
ple dont get to see or most
dont want to see really, said
Lieutenant Paul Phillips.
The Bonita Springs Fire
and Rescue District has 81
firefighters. 27 are on duty
at any one time, working in
24-hour shifts. About half
come from firefighting fam-
ilies, Phillips said. He is a
third generation firefighter.
Phillips is a training leader
for the district. These fire-
fighters dont get an oppor-
tunity everyday to fight
structure fires, said Lieu-
tenant Phillips, so training
with their equipment is
essential. You work unsu-
pervised a lotyou need to
know moments count.
Maintaining a state of
readiness requires two hours
of training per day and one
hour of physical workouts
in the firehouse gym. Refresh-
er classes on procedures and
the increasingly technical
equipment are part of the
monthly training schedule.
Recently, Phillips led a
ladder truck training class at
the Districts facility on Boni-
ta Grande Drive.
The ladder truck, known
as Truck 25 43 feet long,
11 feet high and weighing
over 53 tons, uses outriggers
to balance the vehicle, which
stretch 16 feet wide at its
base.
The truck, barely two
years old, responds to all
structural fires. While ladders
set up at ground level will
only reach a third story, aerial
truck ladders extend higher,
with a reach of 70 feet.
The aerial ladder and
bucket also allow for rescues.
Several pick offs can be made
rapidly from windows and
balconies. The bucket can
hold up to 1,000 pounds.
Thats four fully equipped
firefighters or two firefighters
and several victims.
Truck 25 is a vehicle to
be mastered and an impor-
tant part of the firefighting
protocol. The class began
with light banter but quickly
became an exchange of
shared experiences, and help-
ful facts and figures for work-
ing on the apparatus.
The firefighters have a
vocabulary all their own with
acronyms like TIC (thermal
imaging camera) and RIT
(rapid intervention teams),
positive pressure vent, gallons
per minute, flying standpipe,
salvage, overhaul, spotting
and outriggers.
Positioning this behe-
moth at the scene of a
fire can be a challenge.
Each crewmember must size
up the situation. Its called
spotting.
Obstructions such as trees,
vehicles and overhead lines
present challenges. Cars and
curbs also present difficulties
for the outriggers. The crew
looks for a spot as close to
the fire as possible. It needs
to know how far and at what
angle it canextend the bucket
from a location and whether
pump flows will reach the
structure.
Crew responsibilities
include shutting off utilities,
setting up ladders and getting
water flowing. The fire source
often is determined through
thermal imaging.
The company officer has
overall responsibility but,
according to Phillips, the
entire crew should always
check the whole building
because someday they may
be riding the front right
seat with full responsibili-
ty.
The crew, or truckies
as they call themselves, rarely
pull hose lines. The bucket
platform has 2 water streams,
manually and remotely con-
trolled. Additional lines can
create more water streams.
During the class Phillips
looked over at Fireman Bruce
Sheffield who was controlling
the bucket and said: He
operates it with skill, hes
developed a feel. You have
to put the time in to be pro-
ficient.
To reduce fire loss, crews
are trained to use waterproof
canvas to cover and to protect
property inside a structure.
To extinguish hidden fires,
firefighters will open up
floors, walls and ceiling spaces
to save as much property as
possible. The public appre-
ciates it if you can save their
electronic equipment and
reduce their fire loss, said
Phillips.
Its dangerous work. Its
becoming more and more
technical, said Phillips, and
firefighters have developed
specialties. Theres vehicle
extrication, hazardous mate-
rials, special operations, high
angle rescue, below grade
rescue and road rescue.
I dont know if there is
a more physically demanding
job, said Phillips. Firefighters
have a shorter life span than
the general public. The num-
ber one killer is heart attack.
Accidents involving vehicles
either going to a call or work-
ing on the scene are second.
Its demanding physically
and mentally stressful but I
dont know a fireman that
doesnt love it, he said. You
kind of have to.
Fire Department prepares to be ready
Lieutenant Greg DeWitt climbs up Bonitas ladder
truck.
Bonita Springs firefighters Paul Devan and Bruce Sheffield practice firing 1,645 gallons of water per minute
at their training facility on Bonita Grande Drive in Bonita Springs.
Firefighters look into to a fire that awaits them during a training exercise last
month.
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 30
SS_JULY 2011 6/28/11 4:39 PM Page 31
S O U T H W E S T
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Fire training 30
YMCA update 13
An odyssey 19
Doctors orders 5
Town Talk 6
State of
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Artist of the
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Y Man
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in Bonita
Dale Rogers sculpture, Away, located in Riverside Park, is staying in Bonita
Springs.
By Peter R. OFlinn
Bonita Springs The Y may
have left the building, but
the Y man is staying put.
The gleaming 12-foot
stainless steel sculpture with
its red head stands on a
pedestal in Riverside Park
aside Old 41, directly across
from Bensons Grocery.
It has the feeling of a
person stretching his arms
upwards and away, and his
hands going up in a Y, kind
of like the YMCA guys, says
Dale Rogers, the sculptor.
Yes, he is letter Y from
the song, said Rogers.
The sculpture faces east
welcoming the morning sun,
toward the now very well
known Bonita YMCA build-
ing two miles away.
While the drama of the
Bonita YMCA has been play-
ing out, it appeared that this
sculpture, named Away,
might be on its way out of
town.
But, like the YMCA, those
who brought it here worked
hard to keep it here. Thanks
to their efforts, and the gra-
ciousness of the sculptor
who did not grab for the
last buck, Away is staying
in Bonita Springs.
The fate of the sculpture
has left some thinking that
just maybe, with a dollop of
karma, it portends hope for
the building on Kent Road.
When told of the coincidence
of the two events Rogers,
the sculptor, said Yeah, man,
if it helps in any waythats
cool.
Dale Rogers has a na-
tional reputation as a metal
sculptor, and is best known
for his iconic American
Dog pieces. My love for
By Peter R. OFlinn
Bonita Springs Ben Nelson
Jr. recently declared his can-
didacy for re-election as May-
or of Bonita Springs. Election
day is in late January 2012.
In a recent extensive in-
terview with the Spotlight,
Nelson talked about the may-
oralty and city government,
his hopes for the city, and
about matters ranging from
Spotlight Interview: Ben Nelson on the
Mayoralty and City Government
SS_JULY_1 and 32 6/28/11 1:35 PM Page 1

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