The Forest Matters
As I write this, The Forest is recovering from Hurricane Milton. It’s been quite a month, with Milton being the second hurricane to hit Florida (Helene being the first). We managed to avoid the brunt of both storms, although The Forest received the second and third highest storm surges in 60 years. We were quite fortunate that our community suffered no significant damage to our homes, although the surge created quite a bit of debris.
The way our three canals work is worth an explanation. Storm surge which is generated from the Gulf of Mexico works its way east through Fort Myers Beach, through the creeks west of us,
namely Mullet and Hendry. The canals work in two ways: normally, during a rain event they expedite the flow of water from The Forest (which is a watershed) to the creeks. In times of surge, they work in the opposite direction. Thus, the last two hurricanes created significant surge which flooded The Forest.
When flooding occurs, we tend to lose power. FP&L is working to restore reliable power and has a gargantuan task throughout the state due to the epic nature of the back-to-back hurricanes. Crews from all over the country have come to assist in the restoration process and are providing urgent services.
Hotwire, which is provided to all the homes and some condo associations, went down during Milton due to a distribution box outside Jonathan’s Bay which needed to be repaired. Service was restored in 40 hours, which was significantly better than our experience during Ian.
The Forest has survived two hurricanes in three weeks. It will continue to be one of the best places to live anywhere.
Stay well,
Paul Ben-Susan, Vice President Chuck Patten, President Forest Property Owners Association Board of Directors
Alliance For The Arts
SPECIAL EVENTS
OOPS, WE’RE A TROUPE! PRESENTS DISORDER IN THE COURT
Date and Time: November 1, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Member’s price, $18, Nonmember’s price, $20
Oops, We’re A Troupe, local improv, presents Disorder In The Court. A fully improvised, long-form, musical courtroom drama … minus the drama! Be part of the fun by making suggestions along the way! Expect the unexpected in this hilarious 90-minute show, where everything is made up on the spot!
Oops, We’re a Troupe has been performing together all over Southwest Florida since the pandemic, featuring
guests from all over Southwest Florida and Tampa.
Adam Santa Fe, Caitlynn Wilde, Julian Sundby and Lucy Sundby. This performance will feature special
PATCHOULI & TERRA GUITARRA
PERFORM THE LANDSCAPE OF GUITAR: ANIMATED PAINTING CONCERT EXPERIENCE
Date and Time: November 9, 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Member’s price, $20, Nonmember’s price, $25
With 22 albums recorded and appearances on TV, film and radio programs around the world, the duo’s sound is a soulful fusion of blazing Spanish and World guitar
PATCHOULI AND TERRA GUITARRA
PERFORM THE LANDSCAPE OF GUITAR
instrumentals, heartstring tugging lyrics, lush vocal harmonies, and epic folk-rock anthems.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT MARKET
Date and Time: November 13, 5 to 8 p.m.
Reoccurs Once: 12/11, 1/08/25, 2/12/25, 3/12/25, and 4/09/25
Join us every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m. for our monthly pop-up market.
We feature a selection of local vendors, art, live music, food trucks and beer and wine.
Forest Assistance (Who To Call)
Emergency (Fire, Life or Death) 911
Sheriff (Noise, Trespassing, etc.) 477-1000
Gatehouse (Authorizing Guest) 482-6666
FPOA Office (Rules, Lighting, etc.) 482-1109
Mosquito Problems 694-2174
Animal Services (Unleashed dogs) 432-2083
FL Fish & Game (Gators, Raccoons) (888) 404-3922
Forest Country Club 482-8378
Production Directors
Stephen Miller
Elizabeth Miller
Sales Department
Margo Williams
Becky Pruitt
Miranda Ledbeter
Alyssa Debban
Accounting and Sales Support
Selina Koehler
Production Manager
Lee Nostrant
Production Department
Elaine Donholt
Ruth Nekoranec
Katie Heystek
Dianne Strout
Karen Kalisz
Michelle Feeney
Andie Reynolds
www.seabreezecommunications.com
Seabreeze Communications, Inc. does not endorse any advertising as it relates to the communities. Advertising is not screened by Seabreeze Communications, Inc.
Bestselling Authors Headed To Fort Myers This March
MELISSA BAKER, FESTIVAL COORDINATOR
Lee County Library System will be bringing in more than two dozen authors for the 26th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival this March. Authors for all ages are coming to Fort Myers to showcase their books and meet fans from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 2025. The free event will be held on the beautiful outdoor campus of the Fort Myers Regional Library, located at 2450 First St. downtown.
The Southwest Florida Reading Festival is a time-honored tradition in the community, with attendees coming back year after year to hear author presentations and have their books signed. This outdoor celebration gives fans the opportunity to meet and greet a diverse lineup of bestselling
authors, participate in arts and crafts and discover the latest books and digital resources offered by the library. There will also be food truck vendors, storytelling programs, youth writing award presentations and a free book given away for every child and teen attending the event.
“The Lee County Library System is honored to share the power of reading with the community, and this year’s authors won’t disappoint!” states Melissa Baker, Festival Coordinator.
The lineup of award-winning talent includes a mix of authors from all genres, from crime thrillers and mysteries to cozy fiction and romance. Youth authors will feature teen fantasy, thrillers and rom coms, along with picture books, easy readers, chapter books and nonfiction.
These are just a few of the highly anticipated writers that will be a part of the event:
Reed Farrel Coleman is The New York Times bestselling author of over 30 novels, including six in the Jesse Stone series for the estate of the late Robert B. Parker. He
is a four-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel of the Year and a four-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories. He has also received the Authors on the Air Book of the Year Award, the Scribe, Audie, Macavity, Barry and Anthony Awards.
Lisa Genova is a Harvard educated neuroscientist and The New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including Still Alice which was adapted into an Oscar–winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart. Her TED talks on Alzheimer’s disease and memory have been viewed over eleven million times.
Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Leftover Woman, Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown . Her work has been published in more than 20 countries and taught in schools across the world. All of her novels are in development for film and television.
Returning festival author and fan favorite Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Macomber’s novels have spent more than 1,000 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, with 15 hitting the #1 spot. Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas,” Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies.
The Lee County Library System is honored to share the power of reading with the community, and this year’s authors won’t disappoint!
YOUTH AUTHORS
Renée Ahdieh is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling young adult author of The Wrath & the Dawn series, the Flame in the Mist series and The Beautiful quartet. Emilio Sloth’s Modern Manners is her debut children’s picture book.
Molly Idle is the Caldecott Honorwinning creator of the picture book Flora and the Flamingo and a flock of books featuring Flora and her Feathered Friends. She is also the author and illustrator of the mermaid tales Pearl and Coral. Her most recent picture books are Witch Hazel and I Don’t Care
Megan McDonald is the creator of the widely popular and awardwinning Judy Moody and Stink series for older readers. She is also the author of three Sisters Club stories, two books about Ant and Honey Bee and many other books for children, including her brandnew series for young readers, The Fairy Door Diaries.
The full list of authors can be viewed on the festival’s website at www.ReadFest.org or by downloading the festival’s mobile app “SWFL Reads” at the App Store or Google Play. Anyone with the app already downloaded from last year will need to perform a software update to see the newly loaded content.
Attendees who want more exclusive access to meet and mingle with this year’s festival authors can do so at An Evening with the Authors, a fundraising dinner scheduled to take place at the waterfront Burroughs Home and Gardens on the evening of Friday, February 28. Tickets will be available by mid-November on the festival website.
The Lee County Library System has 13 branches to serve Lee County residents. Library programs are always free and open to the public. For more information about other library services and programs offered, visit www.leelibrary.net or call (239) 479-4636.
Montage Women’s Club
The Montage Women’s Club is a social and philanthropic club open to all women residing in Lee County. We normally meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at The Landings Yacht, Golf, and Tennis Club (community entry off McGregor Boulevard between Cypress Lake Drive and College Parkway). Meetings begin at 11:30 a.m. with a short social period followed by lunch at noon, followed by an informative speaker program and a short business meeting. Within the organization are various interest groups for members’ participation. Membership is open
to both year-round and seasonal residents. We welcome you to visit Montage for a luncheon.
Our next meeting will be held on Friday, November 22 (a week early due to Thanksgiving). Our speaker will be Ms. Jan Farrington who will be sharing details of her “Be Kind” project. She truly believes there is a lot of good in this world, and she always wants to believe that it starts with kindness. Farrington, a retired high school special education teacher, has been recognized in conjunction with this project on national TV.
Luncheon fee has recently increased to $34 per person, and you always have a choice of either a regular menu entree and/or a vegan/plant-based entree.
If you would like to attend a Montage meeting, need further information, or would like to make a reservation, please call Rita Artwohl at (239) 703-7787. Reservations cutoff to attend this meeting is noon, Thursday, November 14.
ArtFest Fort Myers High School Art Competition – Art Under 20
In this rapidly evolving world, it is more important than ever to keep challenging opportunities available to our community’s students. Their education needs to create skills and knowledge that connect in evolving ways. The arts – visual and performing –fulfill that need.
Art Under 20 was created through ArtFest Fort Myers’ dedication to the fact the arts are essential to the complete education of our youth. The arts teach students innumerable lessons – that are critical to success in the everevolving creative economy that lies ahead. The arts teach youth that there are several paths to take when approaching problems and that all problems can have more than one solution.
DID YOU KNOW?*
Youth who participate in the arts are
• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
• 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance
• 2 times more likely to read for pleasure
Continue the conversation! What is your passion for the arts as part of a complete education for youth?
*Americans for the Arts
Accepted research shows impressive benefits of arts in education – encouraging students to stay in school, succeed in school, succeed in life and succeed in work. Art Under 20 Sponsor Suncoast Credit Union supports the belief that arts in education is a vibrant part of our community and everyone benefits from it.
Art Under 20 exhibit and competition at ArtFest Fort Myers the first weekend in February provides a professional setting for students to display their artwork and compete for $10,000 in annual cash awards. Over the past 24 years, 5,500-plus students have participated from all Lee County high schools and have won $175,000 in total awards.
All Lee County high school students (public, private and home-schooled) are invited to participate in Art Under 20. Entries are accepted in seven categories: digital, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, 3-dimensional and art created using recycled materials.
People and organizations that believe in supporting art opportunities for our youth can support Art Under 20 in a variety of ways. Some include creating additional award categories, providing scholarship funds for winners, or
hosting art experiences for participants. Contact ArtFest Fort Myers for more information.
Art Under 20 Entry Forms and more information are available through all Lee County high school art departments or at ArtFestFortMyers.com/au20. The deadline to enter for the 2025 Art Under 20 is December 4, 2024.
ArtFest Fort Myers, Southwest Florida’s premier art festival, takes place February 1 and 2, 2025 in the Fort Myers River District. Join 200 artists from across the
county: the largest high school art exhibit and competition in south Florida with free interactive art experiences for children of all ages and a community stage with continual performances and fine food and entertainment.
QUICK FACTS
WHAT
Southwest Florida’s premier art festival featuring 200 national artists, high school art competition, street chalk art competition, children’s art activities, fine food and entertainment
ART UNDER 20
Located in the 3,000-square-foot tent at the west end of the art festival under the U.S. 41 bridge.
WHEN AND WHERE AND PARKING
• February 1 and 2, 2025, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Downtown Fort Myers River District on Edwards Drive
• Look for bright Event Parking signs and flags.
• Parking lots adjacent to festival, remote parking with trolley service, street parking and city garages are open.
Consumer Alert
ALEXANDRA HOUSE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND DIGITAL MEDIA INTERN
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT ON PHISHING SCAMS
Have you ever gotten a text or email warning you that something is wrong with an account online? Maybe it says your streaming account is about to be suspended unless you respond quickly. It might even have a link that will supposedly fix your account’s problems. The message looks real. But is it?
Your first instinct might be to click to solve your problems. Don’t click. There’s likely nothing wrong. Instead, it might be a phishing scam. That’s when
scammers pose as well-known companies to get you to give up sensitive information via text or email. A phishing email might:
• say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or login attempts—they haven’t.
• claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information—there isn’t.
• say you need to confirm some personal or financial information—you don’t.
Don’t
click on any links in unexpected emails or texts.
While real companies might send you emails or text messages, they won’t do things like send a link to update your payment information. Only scammers do that. Even opening a link in an unexpected text or email can expose you to scammers—even if you don’t enter any sensitive info.
So, don’t click on any links in unexpected emails or texts. If you’re concerned, contact the company directly using a link you already use or a phone number you know is correct. And if you think you’ve given someone your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and get a recovery plan. If you clicked on a link in an unexpected email, update your security software and run a scan to look for viruses and malware.
Then report the phishing scam. Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, forward suspicious texts to SPAM (7726), and forward suspicious emails to ReportPhishing@apwg.org.
Mark Your Calendar For The Craftie Ladies’ Fall Craft Fair
THE CRAFTIE LADIES OF ST. JOHN XXIII CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Craftie Ladies of St. John XXIII Catholic Church are once again having their Fall Craft Fair.
If you’ve been to one of our craft fairs before, you know we have a large variety of top quality, homemade items for sale. In addition to our well-known, exquisite quilts, afghans and handknit and crocheted items, there will be pillows, table runners, placemats/napkins, handmade rosaries, jewelry, mother/daughter aprons, tooth fairy pillows, novel baby items, lots of lovely holiday décor, including our fabulous wreaths, and so much more!
Some of our always fabulous raffle baskets include BBQ, Evening in Paris, Chocolate, Cat, Dog, and Layette baskets, plus more made by our wonderfully talented women. The drawing for each basket will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. You don’t have to be present to win!
Come and join us on:
Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Craftie Ladies came together 15 years ago. The group has grown to nearly 40 talented and dedicated women. All proceeds go directly back into the community. Just a few causes we donate to:
A.C.T.
Blankets And Blessings
Eva’s Closet
St. John XXIII Villas
St. Martin De Porres
We hope to see you at our Fall Craft Fair at St. John XXIII Catholic Church Parish Life Center, located on Palomino Lane, just north of Daniels Parkway. Stop by, have a chat and maybe get some early shopping done.
