Photos by Jessica Waters

  • Stirring renditions of patriotic songs such as the 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' 'Wind Beneath my Wings' and the 'Armed Forces Salute' were performed by the Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, the South Fort Myers High School Band, the Diplomat Middle School 7th- and 8th-grade Girls Chorus and the Lehigh Senior High School Marching Band.
  • 'Good evening Lee County' - veteran Adrian Cronauer's long-distance greeting - brought smiles of recognition from the large crowd at the Pride and Patriotism event Thursday. Cronauer's 'Good morning Vietnam' sign-on while he was a U.S. Air Force DJ in Vietnam became famous with the airing of the 'Good Morning, Vietnam' movie in 1987, starring Robin Williams as Adrian Cronauer.
  • The Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, under conductor and music director Michael Simpson, provided music for the event.
  • Local veteran Anatole 'Tony' Kurdsjek, center, presents Sarah Hunter, an Estero High School senior, with the first-place award at the fourth annual Pride and Patriotism event last Thursday evening at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers. EHS senior Chloe Persing, left, placed second in the Grade 12 art category.
  • 'JR' Stubbe and Colleen Retzer belt out the chorus to classic rock favorite.
  • Stubbe, left, and Stachler churn out a few hard-rock riffs while drummer Frank Hawley, bottom right, keeps them on beat during the Fall Festival concert.
  • Punched Onion vocalist Colleen Retzer, left, and keyboardist Scott Shaner at the Fall Festival performance in San Carlos Park.
  • Colleen Retzer, Miss December in the Americas Female Firefighters Calendar 2007 and lead singer for the local band Punched Onion, does not give the impression of being shy, but that is a big change. 'She was very shy, but slowly her confidence grew and now she's rather cocky,' joked fellow firefighter and Punched Onion member Matt Stachler. Stachler himself is both Mr. August and the coverboy for the 2007 San Carlos Park Fire Department Calendar.
  • Bass guitarist Matt Stachler of the five-member Punched Onion band entertains the Halloween crowd at the San Carlos Park Fall Festival last month.
  • Despite the abundance of campaign signs and commercials, as well as numerous candidate forums throughout the county, voter turnout at Tuesday's Lee County primary election was the lowest it has been in 20 years. A total of 56,862 voters, or 17.6 percent of registered voters, cast their ballot for the 2006 primary, compared to 24 percent in 2004 and 26 percent in 2002.
  • Three-year emergency room volunteer Don Scherzer makes sure the IV carts are stocked and inventories equipment and supplies as part of his duties.
  • Betty Wells, left, trades jokes with volunteer Michael Pascal while visiting her friend Clyde Stedcke at HealthPark Medical Center.
  • The long-awaited construction of the new San Carlos Park arches began Tuesday as German Ventura, left, and Romulo Pozos, right, began digging up the area behind the still-standing guard shack in preparation for laying the foundation. 'Laying a foundation in this weather, with the rain, is the hardest part of the project,' said Normand Gadoury, project manager with Made in Rio, Inc. 'You always hope to start a project during the dry season, but in this case, it just didn't work out that way.' Made in Rio, hired as project construction manager in February, sees traffic control as the most difficult aspect of the job. Construction will be arranged on alternate days to avoid any necessity to close down both lanes of traffic on Constitution Boulevard at any time.
  • The construction of the new San Carlos Park arches, originally estimated at $35,00, is expected to cost approximately $350,000. Who exactly will bear the burden of that cost remains uncertain as the county continues to try and recover damages from the Texas-based cement company Krehling Industries, which has subsequently been acquired by Cemex. Project Manager Normand Gadoury, of Made In Rio, Inc., said the worst-case completion date is in November, but company officials expect the project to be done in significantly less time, depending on the weather and the effects of any hurricanes hitting the area.
  • Planet Earth Book Center in Fort Myers offers a wide range of supplies, tools and information relating to what owner Helen Warkus terms 'spiritual self help.'
  • Alan Arcieri, psychic medium, chats with people hoping to communicate with relatives and loved ones Sunday at Planet Earth Book Center in Fort Myers.
  • The new permanant readerboard sign for the San Carlos Park Civic Association is in place in front of the fire station on Sanibel Boulevard in San Carlos Park. The sign will keep area citizens informed of meetings and special events.
  • Despite the bright and cheerful colors of the still-unopened Zoomers Family Amusement Park in South Fort Myers, the venture seems to be stuck under a dark cloud of delays.
  • Only approximately seven acres of the total 18 are being used for the fist phase of construction at Zoomers Family Amusement Park. Future plans may include water rides, according to part owner Tim Miles.
  • Deborah Simon raised $1,824 for the campership fund of the Florida Lions Camp during Saturday's Gulf Coast Charity Swim at Miromar Lakes. More than $17,000 was raised to help disabled children and adults, as well as their siblings, attend the camp in Central Florida.
  • Estero-South Fort Myers Lions Club President Nancy Cleary raised $1,150 during the Gulf Coast Charity Swim to benefit the Florida Lions Camp. Each $750 raised allowed another disabled child to attend the summer camp at Lake Wales in central Florida.
  • Jim Mercer, left, helps friend and fellow Miromar Lakes resident Chuck Risch, center, navigate the swimming pool to participate in the Gulf Coast Charity Swim to raise money for the Lions Club Camp. Risch's son Eric, right, of Estero, lent a hand getting his paraplegic father into the pool.
  • A surprising number of talented singers, as well as those with as much 'Irish courage' as skill, parade their talents during the Margarita Grill's Karaoke Night on Wednesdays and Open Mike Night on Mondays. Here Charlie Becker of Estero belts out 'Ice Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice as regular patron Natalie Akins of Fort Myers provides the moves to go with the tune.
  • Chris Carlson, Margarita Grille bar manager, mixes up a specialty drink for a customer. Getting customers to try new drinks is a key part of the fun at the bar, Carlson said. 'We want them to try something they don't drink every other time — something they don't drink at every other bar. That's part of the fun.'
  • Bartender Ryan Hostetter keeps patrons happy with a quick smile and quicker hands as he flips bottles Wednesday night at Margarita Grille. Wednesday night is both Karaoke Night and Lady's Night at the popular watering hole.
  • Barbara Breininger, host of Wednesday Karaoke Night at the Margarita Grille on U.S. 41 south of Alico Road, looks on as karaoke regular Manny Nota of Cape Coral performs the Dean Martin classic 'Return To Me.' Breininger has a library of more than 24,000 songs available in her karaoke music library.
  • This osprey nest at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Alico Road has worried area residents who think it will slide from its precarious perch during a storm. The nest, now empty after the fledgling osprey and their parents abandoned it nearly two weeks ago, will likely be used again next season unless the nest is removed and some sort of obstruction placed on the pole to prevent another nest from being built.
  • The recently opened Embassy Suites Hotel in Estero boasts 151 rooms, all of which are actually two-room suites with two televisions, three sinks and a fold-out sofa in the sitting room.
  • The courtyard design of the Embassy Suites Hotel in Estero features a full-service restaurant, a bar and comfortable seating as well as large buffet and conference rooms available for corporate conferences and weddings.
  • The Embassy Suites Hotel ,off Corkscrew Road near Interstate 75 in Estero, utilizes the open, airy design common to Embassy properties. The Embassy Suites brand name and the quality reputation that accompanies the name are key component to the hotel's success, according to Assistant General Manager Charles Vitale.
  • Women's Network member Sharon Torregrossa, left, and organization president Marlene Knoll, right, draw the winner of a Chico's gift certificate at Wednesday's monthly luncheon meeting.
  • The Women's Network provides an opportunity for businesswomen in the Lee County area to exchange information and referrals as well as enjoy time together with other like-minded women.
  • Humans were not the only ones sporting the patriotic red, white and blue during the Independence Day parade and celebration Saturday in Bonita Springs. The parade, put on by Bonita's firefighters, was themed 'From Sea to Shining Sea.' It was followed by assorted city-sponsored activities at Riverside Park.
  • Thomas Maurer, 2, and his sister, Evelyn Maurer, 3, of North Naples, enjoy a little booth-to-booth delivery service provided by their mom after marching with their tae kwon do class in the parade Saturday in Bonita Springs.
  • Red, white and blue were the colors of the day as Bonita Springs began its Independence Day celebration Saturday at Riverside Park. Festivities wrapped up last night with a fireworks display.
  • Races for the kids as well as a hot dog eating contest and a pie contest were some of the attractions at Riverside Park on Saturday as Bonita Springs got an early start on celebrating Independence Day.
  • Clint Wagner, left, and Lee Bochee of the Veterans of Foreign Wars brought out the patriotic spirit in parade-viewers along Old 41 during Saturday's parade in Bonita Springs.
  • Andrea Kama, 8, center, and other members of Catholic Charities waved flags and tossed candy to spectators lining the sides of Old U.S. 41 during Saturday's parade in Bonita Springs.
  • Members of the Fort Myers Sons of Confederate Veterans lent a historical air to the Bonita Springs parade Saturday.
  • Robin Richardson, left, and Victoria Olson, 11, right, help collect Beanie Babies and supplies for U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq at Sunday's Beanies for Peace fundraiser at Mama Mia's Pizza.
  • Cindy Maiolo, left, of Fort Myers, and her sister-in-law, Bridget Oliver, right, brought a sack of Beanie Babies to the Beanies For Peace event organized by Robin Richardson, center.
  • As well as collecting Beanie Babies d supplies for soldiers serving in Iraq, the Beanies For Peace and supporting Our Troops event Sunday at Mama Mia's Pizza in South Fort Myers gave kids and adults the change to write notes to the troops. This note by 6-year-old Dalton expresses in simple words the wish on many adult minds: 'I hope you defeat the bad guys.'
  • Natural Nails, a tenant in the former Winn-Dixie shopping plaza, has no plans to move its location even if a new anchor store is not found.
  • Despite optimistic statements by Professional Reality Consultants of Lee County, property managers for the entire mall, back in September, no tenants have been found to replace Winn-Dixie.
  • Empty nearly a year now, the former Winn-Dixie was the anchor store of the San Carlos Marketplace. No new tenant has stepped forward to replace the old grocery store, and the smaller tenants of the strip mall have noticed a slow-down in business as a result.
  • The empty shell of the former Winn-Dixie on U.S. 41 in San Carlos Park is a reminder of more convenient days to some area residents who now have to travel farther to do their weekly grocery shopping.
  • Hurricane Wilma ripped off the tin roof of the Mcnair's porch, used as both a laundry room and storage area. William Mcnair put up the plywood sheets while waiting for West Coast Aluminum to start the repairs.
  • Michaela Mcnair has dealt with the inconvenience of a blue-tarped roof and flattened walls to her shed and lanai since Hurricane Wilma ripped through the Sheltering Pines Mobile Home Village last year. After giving West Coast Aluminum & Storm Protection of Cape Coral a $1,500 downpayment on repairs, she and husband William have waited in vain for work to begin.
  • Leslee Salyer, a volunteer at Lee County Animal Services, cradles one of the cats available for adoption. Holding your pet and soothing them with your presence and voice is often as effective to calm them during fireworks as the use of tranquilizers.
  • Although cats, and especially dogs, are a common focus for pet owners during noisy Independence Day celebrations, those who own other pets such as rabbits, birds and even larger animals, such as horses, should take extra precautions to insure the animals comfort and safety.

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