Letters to the Editor, May 4

Creative accounting to pay for roadway repair?

It is or was my understanding that when the water/wastewater utilities were purchased they were to be run independent from the city of Marco Island general fund.

The bonding for the purchase of the water/wastewater utilities was to be paid by the rate payers and not from the general fund and general fund debt was not to be paid by the water/waste water utilities.

The statement that I read from former councilperson Amadeo Petricca states that councilor [Jared] Grifoni wishes to use water/wastewater utility funds to fund roadway repairs which is a city of Marco Island general fund project. That would seem to be commingling of funds for all the reasons above plus we must remember that not all city of Marco Island water/wastewater utility users are property owners therefore they should not be forced to pay for general fund repair projects. 

If there is excess monies in the water/wastewater utility funds, those monies shall be applied and used to pay down the purchase cost of the water/wastewater utility when possible. Also excess monies from the water/wastewater utility shall not be used to pay down the STRP (Septic Tank Replacement Program) debt as it is a property owner debt.

Wayne Waldack, Marco Island

Thankful for surprise delivery

There are very few times in our lives that we can be totally surprised by the arrival of a letter. When the large red envelope with only my name, an obsolete P.O. address and an obsolete ZIP code arrived recently, my name had been circled in ink and my present street number had been written on it in bold black marker.

Whoever it was that might have known of me was an angel to mark it and I want to thank the employees who took the time to get it to us.

The envelope contained an invitation to a convention in May. I had served as the state junior director for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs from 1962 to 1964, when I lived in Miami. During my tenure, Jane Parks (of Naples) served as the conservation chairwoman and it was

her leadership that created the Fakahatchee Strand as a preserve in Florida.

It has been 54 years since that happened and I am grateful to know that the General Federation of Women’s Clubs is still going strong.

I may not get to the meeting, but at least I will have the opportunity to send my best wishes to the new officers for continued success in a great organization. Thank you for making that possible.

Emily C. Savage, Marco Island

Generous wheelchair donations

On April 15, the Noontime Rotary Club hosted its 10th annual Spirit of Marco Island Awards event, recognizing seven great citizens and corporate partners.

Recognized for their incredible dedication to community service were Rene and Tish Champagne; Diana Dohm; Gary Landis; Philip Penzo, and Carl Titgemeier. In addition, Lee County Electric Cooperative was recognized for the great job its team did in restoring power to our island after Hurricane Irma and for its corporate support of many island organizations and events. In addition to awards, this year our club, in conjunction with the Wheelchair Foundation, made an appeal for support to fund wheelchairs for disabled individuals whose families simply cannot afford to purchase one. The Wheelchair Foundation was established to meet this need and through its purchasing power, it is able to secure for $100 a wheelchair that would normally cost $500.

A short heartfelt video was presented depicting how disabled individuals around the world and their families are dramatically impacted by the inability to afford a wheelchair. After the video presentation, an appeal for pledges was made and the response was overwhelming, with many guests pledging from $100 to $1,000. We had several guests who increased their pledges from $500 to $1,000.

Capping off the appeal was a generous pledge of $10,000 from Jim and Allyson Richards to purchase 100 wheelchairs. In total, nearly $30,000 was raised.

This tremendous outpouring of spontaneous support was awe-inspiring and truly reflected the theme of our event, which was the “Spirit of Marco Island.”

On behalf of the Noontime Rotary Club, we want to thank all those who supported the Wheelchair Foundation that evening for making a difference. We are privileged to share this island with all of you.

Al Diaz, Marco Island