The Lee County Board of County Commissioners took action on Feb. 21 on three bridge projects. The commissioners voted to approve resiliency measures and recreational amenities for the Sanibel Causeway and design changes for the Cape Coral Bridge, as well as awarded a construction contract to replace the Big Carlos Pass Bridge
consensus to incorporate the resiliency measures, along with the previously approved recreational amenities into the FDOT project. The cost of the improvements as a part of FDOT's proposed permanent repairs is $285.3 million, of which the Federal Highway Administration would fund $239.3 million and Lee County would be responsible for $46.1 million. Lee County is responsible for the $5.6 million needed for recreational amenities.
Sanibel Causeway Cape Coral Bridge The design changes for the Cape Coral Bridge are to replace both the eastbound and westbound spans, gaining an additional 40-plus years of useful life at the presentday value of $20 million. The commissioners reached consensus on that plan at a Feb. 6 workshop. Previously, plans were to replace the westbound span with a new three-lane bridge and widen the eastbound span to add a third lane. However, the latest FOT design requirements would have significantly increased the cost of widening the eastbound lanes. Construction on the project is slated to begin in 2027. The Cape bridge will remain open and the current four-lane configuration will be maintained throughout construction.
The Big Carlos Pass Bridge connects the south end of Fort Myers Beach to Lover's Key on Estero Boulevard. The $90.8 million construction contract with Superior Construction Co. Southeast includes: ∫ A new fixed span bridge with a 60-foot navigation clearance over Big Carlos Pass with a lifespan of 75 years. ∫ A fishing pier. ∫ Pedestrian/bicycle-friendly features. The new bridge will be constructed on the Gulf side of the existing bridge; motorists will continue to have access to the old bridge throughout construction. It will include one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Estero Boulevard and a 10-foot shared use path along the south side of the boulevard. The project also includes installation of new infrastructure for Lee County Utilities and Bonita Springs Utilities. Construction is expected to begin in late spring. The construction contract also includes creation of an offshore artificial reef using the old bridge.
Supervisor of Elections taking scholarship applications journalism/mass communication major. Additionally, students must have at least a “C” average or above for the previous year, have finished two years of junior college or undergraduate work, and demonstrate a financial need. Applications must be submitted to the elections office of the county where the applicant is registered to vote. Each county will select one finalist to send to the FSE Scholarship Committee for consideration. The committee will select four winners from the finalists submitted. “(I look) forward to reviewing applications and inter-
viewing students, and encourages all who are eligible to apply,” Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle said. Applications are available at https://www.lee. vote/Community-Education-Services/FSE-Scholarship. The deadline to submit applications is March 10. Students can submit their applications via e-mail, mail or in person. For contact information, visit https://lee.electionsfl.org/Contact-Us. For more information, visit www.lee.vote or call 239533-8683 (LEE-VOTE).
Community can rank names for new middle school Education Note The School District of Lee County reported that six potential names suggested by the public have been selected as finalists by an Ad Hoc Naming Committee for the new middle school in Lehigh Acres. The finalists are: Arthur Middle School; Central Lehigh Middle School; Gerald Gould Middle School; Lee Ratner Middle School; Lemuel Teal Middle School; and Veterans Park Middle School. A second survey for students, parents and the community to rank their favorite choice is now available at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QXK2 S87. The survey will be open until March 2 at 6 p.m. The new school is the original Lehigh Acres Middle School on Arthur Avenue. It will reopen in August with room for 900 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. The campus went through an $18.6 million renovation last year to create new classrooms and upgrade the facilities. The committee recommends Arthur because of the school's address on Arthur Avenue. Central Lehigh represents the school's location in Lehigh Acres. Gerald
Gould was the first president of the Lehigh Corporation, which developed Lehigh Acres. Lee Ratner owned the land that became Lehigh Acres and founded the Lehigh Corporation to develop it. Lemuel Teal was a middle school teacher in Lee County for 38 years, 30 of those at Fort Myers Middle Academy. Veterans Park is a finalist because the campus is next to Veterans Park Academy for the Arts and Veterans Park Recreation Center. The committee will review the survey results and recommend one to the school board for approval.
food, not to harm the eaglets. Indeed, M15 decided to allow the intruder to eat and not risk injury to the babies. M15 later went and got another fish to feed the eaglets, this time without the intruder. “This intruder seems to be becoming more fierce with her intentions of stealing food from the nest. This could be a territory fight between the two, with the injuries coming from previous battles,” PritchettMcSpadden said. “It’s amazing to see how this is unfolding.” The intruders arrived shorty after Harriet went missing on Feb. 2. The main one would hang out in the nest edge at first, and M15 didn’t seem to mind as long as she kept her distance from the eaglets. But she soon became much braver and began coming into the nest for food. Harriet has been missing since when she went out after intruders near the nest and
didn’t return. As time has progressed, it is feared that Harriet died somewhere. She has not been located. There has been concern for the lives of the eaglets, who are still about a month or so away from fledging. Pritchett-McSpadden said once that happens — assuming they survive — the question becomes if M15 allows them to stay, or picks one or none of the intruders. In the meantime, these intruders will stick around, knowing the nest is vulnerable. “Within the first 24 hours of Harriet going missing, there were already other eagles circling the area. The eagles can sense the vulnerability,” she said. “How they do it, I don’t know, but it’s pretty amazing.” Pritchett-McSpadden said the eaglets and M15 are defying the odds and believes the eaglets have a shot at making it to the point
Finkelstein makes Dean’s List Aimee Finkelstein, of Sanibel, was named to the fall Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is in the film and animation program. Full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for the Dean's List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of Incomplete, D or F; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.
Intruders From page 2 coming to the nest off of Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers uninvited. This eagle, with a wounded talon, has been looking for food and has been frequently visiting the nest on the Pritchett Farm to grab a free meal. But the food isn’t for her, it's for M15 and the eaglets. Since the eaglets are still relatively helpless at seven-plus weeks, the intruder has helped herself to dinner until M15 flies back and chases her away. Those who watch the eagle cam have seen things get very busy and even a little violent at times in the nest over the past weeks, with more than one scary moment. On Feb. 19, M15 was knocked out of the nest by the intruder moments after arriving with a fish for his now apparently motherless brood. The intruder, with the fish to herself, bit E22 and warned off the other eaglet until she had her fill and flew off. This intruder seems only to be after the
of being old enough to leave the nest and hunt for themselves. “In so many situations like this, the eaglets have succumbed to injury or hunger or the surviving mate can’t deal with it,” she said. “M15 has been the rock star, rolling with the punches and doing the best he can. We’re thankful he has stepped up.” Pritchett-McSpadden said viewers are really getting a chance to see nature at its best, and worst, sometimes all at the same time. “If people’s heartstrings can handle it, it’s time to tune in just because it’s something new and there is so much in the air we can see happen,” she said. “We’ve seen the beautiful and the ugly in nature, but it’s fascinating to watch firsthand.” For more information or to view the eagle cam, visit dickpritchettrealestate .com.
Island Reporter
The Lee County Supervisor of Elections is accepting applications for the 2023 Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) Scholarship. A statewide professional organization comprised of county supervisors of elections, the FSE is awarding four $1,200 scholarships to Florida undergraduate students. Applicants must be registered Florida voters, live in the state for at least the preceding two years, and be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in a Florida university or college. Applicants must be a political science, public administration, business administration, or
breezenewspapers.com
In February 2022, the commissioners directed staff to design additional improvements to the recreational area amenities along the Sanibel Causeway Islands to include a bike lane, turn lanes, designated parking areas and recreational improvements. After Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the causeway in September, the Florida Department of Transportation completed temporary repairs and then hired a contractor to complete permanent repairs. The FDOT has recommended numerous resiliency measures as a part of the design, including sheet pile walls, rip rap, gabion baskets and landscaping improvements to help stabilize the roadway and causeway islands. At a Feb. 6 workshop, the commissioners reached
Big Carlos Pass Bridge
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County board OKs resiliency measures for causeway project