Grandezza - June 2024 by Seabreeze Communications

Master POA Report

We welcome Susan Sherwin as our new editor-in-chief of the monthly Gazette!

Summer has arrived a little early this year. Our temps are already in the 90s, the humidity is in the mid 70s and the summer rains have returned! Our pool is feeling very comfortable even without a chiller like the Club installed! Another sign of summer, fewer containers on trash day, indicates that many of our snowbirds have left for the northlands. Weather up north has been rather windy this year and I hope that none of our Grandezza neighbors have been impacted! By the time you receive this, we will be in the official Hurricane season. The SWFL season is more active in the August- October period but, as we have learned, it only takes one and it can arrive anytime.

The May Master Board meeting is our last scheduled meeting until September when Mickey Wheeler, our Treasurer, and our directors will be well into the work on our 2025 budget. When the 2024 budget was approved last fall, Mickey alerted us that to keep the assessment the same as 2023, we would have to use some of our accumulated prior year retained surplus.

We felt that this would assist the neighborhood budgets in recovering from Ian expenses. He expects that the Master Association will have to increase its 2025 assessment (included in the neighborhood quarterly assessment) to cover the contractual increases in some of our large contracts for cable/ internet, landscaping and access control salaries. The Board agrees that we should continue to replenish our Restoration Reserve to cover hurricane damage expenses in case we have another storm. We are pleased that the Board has had sufficient reserves to cover the Master expenses for the last two major storms without a special assessment.

The May Board meeting also appointed a new Bulk Services Committee to start planning for the negotiations for the renewal of our cable/internet contract to replace our present Comcast contract. It is our largest contractual service and matures in the next four years. When we renewed the last contract about seven years ago, it included a requirement that Comcast install fiber optic transmission wiring and equipment

Master POA Report on page 3

Let’s Release Our Stress

By Yvette Bernosky, B.Ms., Director of Fitness & Wellness, The Club at Grandézza

At a recent convention I attended, I was intrigued to learn more about the positive effects moving meditations, breathwork and myofascial release can have on combatting stress.

Stress can manifest through toxic relationships, unhealthy work environments, pressures we place on ourselves and even through an unhealthy intake of the daily news. Additionally, it can negatively impact our health through disease, mental health issues and destructive coping mechanisms. As none of us are immune to experiencing stress, below are some stress-relieving techniques that can help improve your mood and quality of life.

Myofascial Release

When we experience stress, we tend to tense up. We may carry the tension in our upper back by wearing our shoulders as earrings, across our foreheads or collapsing our postures. With repetition, we tighten the fascia within our bodies. The fascia is the connective tissue surrounding our muscles, organs, and bones. Tightened fascia can cause pain and restrict movement, causing more physical and psychological stress. Releasing fascia can be done through foam rolling, using massage sticks and applying pressure to trigger points. Seeking a therapist who specializes in myofascial release is also a great option.

Your Comcast Service Bundle

In February of 2017, your Grandezza Master Property Owners Association negotiated a contract with Comcast to provide each homeowner with fast internet service and a wide range of television choices.

Your current service includes internet at more than 400 Mbps, well over two hundred TV channels, your Gateway modem, five TV boxes, one hundred hours of DVR recording space and all fees and taxes for $97.83 per month. Our contract with Comcast runs through February of 2028 and includes an annual escalation of 4%.

Comcast released their latest schedule of pricing for all these services on May 1st. If you were to buy these same services on the retail market at full price, it would cost $267.58 per month including fees and taxes!

This Comcast contract represents the largest portion of the quarterly assessment from your GMPOA - $293.49 out of the total assessment of $540 which is included in the quarterly assessment from your local HOA. The balance of this assessment covers all of the remaining expenses of the GMPOA including the gates access control and patrols, landscaping and grounds maintenance, irrigation, electricity, lakes and preserve maintenance and, importantly, reserves for replacing major capital items and a reserve for recovery from hurricane damage.

Although our contract still has almost four years to run, we are beginning to gather our thoughts toward the next set of negotiations. If you have any input you would like to provide, please contact the chairman of the Bulk Cable Services Committee, Peter Dersley, at pgdersley@gmail.com.

Finally, although the committee has worked very hard to ensure that Comcast is responsive to service interruptions, “stuff” happens. If you encounter a problem with your service that you cannot solve through normal means, be sure to send an email to our property manager, Cheryl McFarland at cmcfarland@vestapropertyservices. com and she will do her best to expedite resolution.

GMPOA Bulk Cable Services Committee.

Moving Meditations

This program was created by Jani Roberts and fascinated me. Seated on the floor, we began a moving meditation to music focusing on gratitude and appreciation. We gently swayed from side to side, moving our arms and legs. We became more energetic with the choreographed movement patterns, releasing our chi energy and bringing us into a positive mental space. You couldn’t help but smile. Each song thereafter correlated to emotions we were experiencing from frustration, doubt and confidence. I experienced firsthand how good it feels to release stress and become grounded through physical movement.

Box Breathing

Our breath is our life force, and scientific research has proven its instantaneous calming effect on our nervous system. While there are many powerful breathing techniques, box breathing is very simple. This is a go-to to diffuse any stress right at the onset.

• Breathe in through your nose for a four count.

• Hold that breath for a four-count.

• Exhale for a four count.

• Repeat three to four times.

Note from the Editor

Thank you to Susan Baker for her service to our community and expertise as the previous Editor-in-Chief of the Grandezza Gazzette! She has left big shoes for me to fill as the new Editor, and I am honored to follow in her footsteps.

“Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest.”

- Charles Dickens

Future submissions to the Grandezza Gazzette may be emailed to me: sjsherwin18@gmail.com. Susan Sherwin

New Price in the Grande Estates

Just Sold in Villa Grande

Pending in Shadow Wood at The Brooks

Grandezza Girlfriends

By Cindy Fitzpatrick

We had around 60 members attend the May luncheon. Our guest speaker, Ann Marie Wildman, the Executive Director at JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge shared with us the many programs they have for both adults and children. There’s something for everyone. The refuge, located on Sanibel, is home to over 245 species of birds. They have a nature store, education center, exhibits, and a hands on area for children. You can take the 90 minute tram tour with a guided naturalist or you can walk or bike the four mile Wildlife Drive. It’s a great place to visit.

Reader’s Corner

By Faina Menzul

From acclaimed American author Kristen Hannah comes Home Front, a powerful story of the indelible impact wars make on soldiers and their families. This novel is a departure from Kristen Hannah’s previous ones as she dives deep into dangerous and heart-wrenching problems soldiers face returning home from war.

Jolene is a wife, mother, and a soldier. An only child of alcoholic parents Jolene has learned to fend for herself. After her parents died in a car accident Jolene sought legal help to become emancipated before the age of seventeen. A young attorney Michael Zarkades agreed to help her. After Jolene graduated from high school she enlisted in the Army looking for the stability she lacked at home. Jolene and Michael met again several years later, fell in love, and married.

Now Jolene is a mother of twelve year old Betsy and four year old Lulu. The family lives in a village on the shores of Puget Sound, an hour from Seattle where Michael practices law with his father. Trained as an Army helicopter pilot Jolene joined the National Guard, a service that enabled her to take care of her children yet continue flying. Jolene manages her household as efficiently as she does her National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crew whom she considers as extended family.

Master POA Report from page 1

to each residence to replace the original “builder installed” cable that was reaching the end of its effective life. Our Bulk Services Committee will review the other local cable company services and negotiate a replacement contract. If there are Grandezza residents who would like to provide input to the committee for this project, please contact Peter Dersley (pgdersley@gmail.com) Chairman of the committee. Peter has included an article in this Gazzette with additional information about the contract.

Elsewhere in Florida, the multiple impacts of the 2024 Florida legislative season continue to roll out as the governor signs the bills. Hopefully by the end of the summer we will have defined the approved laws and hear of their impact. Already we are hearing of residents in older high rise condo buildings complaining about the increases in their building reserve assessments. Apparently, some have already forgotten the lessons learned in Surfside!

You will be glad to hear that the Florida alligator census is now complete. They found that there are at least 1.3 million gators in the state. The Fish and Wildlife Dept. considers the protected alligator program one of its most successful programs. The alligators are a good measure in determining the health of our various wetlands and help control the population of some of the smaller invasive animals. Based on the number of tourist alligator pictures, they are good for phone pictures and news reporting too!

Peter Dersley and I attended the May meeting of the East Corkscrew Alliance which is a group of representatives of the Corkscrew Rd. present and planned developments. At the meeting, our Florida State representative, Adam Botana, discussed his 2024 motion to have the State Government

We celebrated the birthdays of Julie Applegate, Michelle Francesconi and Barbara Parsons. This month’s bracelet winner was Patricia Kipp. It was Elaine Bakke’s lucky day, she won three different raffle prizes. Congrats to all! Enjoy those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer Girlfriends!

On a surface, her family and marriage appear to be happy, but Jolene feels a growing distance between herself and Michael. Michael is grieving for his father who recently died after a long fight with cancer, resents his long daily commute, and spends many hours away from the family dealing with a heavy case workload. He also is not comfortable among Jolene’s National Guard friends.

Despite their differences Jolene still hopes to mend their relationship, even after Michael misses her birthday and tells Jolene “he no longer loves her.”

When Jolene’s National Guard unit is called up to active service in Iraq, the couple’s relationship becomes even more strained. Michael demands that Jolene quit the National Guard and stay home. Even though she is deeply conflicted about leaving the children, Jolene feels it is her duty as a soldier to serve when she is called. With Jolene leaving to serve, Michael

establish a panel to discuss a route for SWFL residents on the east side of I 75 to evacuate north. This is always a state concern for waterfront areas in Florida in case of a major problem (such as a major hurricane). This motion was tabled this year but Botana hopes to have action at the 2025 legislative period. His point is that there are 3 major evacuation routes on the west side of I 75 (US 41; Three Oaks; and I 75) but only one on the east side (I 75). Ben Hill Griffin is the only north/south road east of I 75. As we know, an extension of FL 951 (Collier Bouvard) to Corkscrew has been discussed for many years. This has been turned down because of the estimated cost (over $100 million) to bridge the swamp between Bonita Beach Rd and Corkscrew Rd. As you probably remember, the northern end of that road would terminate on the County-owned land in Grandezza. Grandezza leadership has been very vocal in condemning such a plan because it would, in effect, divide Grandezza into two communities. Adam has agreed that the legislature should look at all alternatives and not concentrate using the 951 corridor. There is no present strong move to proceed with an eastern evacuation route but as more of the gulf front communities expand east, an eastern route will have to be considered by the state.

Your Master Board will continue to follow this matter. As there has not been any work on planning the extension, Peter and I believe that it can not happen in less than 20 or more years.

We hope everyone has a safe and fun summer!

is overwhelmed trying to balance both work and the needs of his daughters, whom he barely knows.

Soon after Jolene’s deployment to Iraq Michael takes on a difficult case to defend Keith, a young veteran who admits killing his wife, but who refuses to talk to anyone. A happy, easygoing man before the war, Keith has become moody and suspicious after serving two tours in Iraq. He loves his wife but frequently explodes in rage for no apparent reason. After he engages a psychologist to treat Keith, Michael learns of the deep psychological traumas many soldiers have after experiencing the terrifying realities of war and seeing their friends blown to pieces. Although Jolene assures her family that she is “very safe” in Iraq, Michael begins to understand the dangers she is exposed to every day.

However, when Jolene’s helicopter is shot down, Jolene loses her leg and her co-pilot and best friend Tami is gravely wounded. After Jolene is transferred to a stateside hospital for rehabilitation, Michael tries to help her. But Jolene has changed. She grieves the loss of her best friend, and has lost any hope of saving her marriage. She doesn’t trust Michael and feels that he tries to only help her out of a sense of duty.

While defending Keith, Michael begins to understand the full magnitude of the PTSD that Keith suffers from traumatic experiences on the battlefield. Once Jolene returns home with a temporary leg prosthesis she has trouble getting around the house. She becomes impatient and angry when the girls expect her to take care of them like she did before. Also, Jolene has nightmares and wakes up screaming, but does not remember anything in the morning. When Michael tries to help, Jolene pushes him away. It is only after Jolene and the family face trying experiences do they begin to realize how to rebuild their trust and empathy for each other and to rebuild their lives.

Home Front brings to life traumatic experiences of soldiers during war and the difficulties upon returning home to their families. While the characters in the book are fictional, their long-term life-changing experiences are all too real. This country owes a debt of gratitude and care for all the men and women who answer the call to duty and risk their lives in foreign lands.

On a side note, we thank everyone for the wonderful notes and thoughts on the May passing of my wife. She enjoyed meeting our neighbors at the Club and the Grandezza Girlfriends!

Fred Thompson

Travel Corner

Highlights of A Journey Through The Netherlands and Belgium

By Susan Sherwin

After airport delays and our almost missing our flight from Toronto to Amsterdam Mark and I landed at Schiphol Airport and were onward to the beautiful Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht Hotel with its stunning lobby sculpture by Marcel Wanders.

Amsterdam, nicknamed “the Venice of the North,” is built on marshland several feet below sea level. It has165 canals or ‘grachten’ and the waterways add up to more than 100 kilometers or about 60 miles. Spanning the city’s 90 islands are 1281 bridges with 80 alone within the center of this upbeat cosmopolitan city, and the most famous wooden drawbridge is the Mager Brug. Most of the Amsterdam’s buildings date from between 1500 and 1800 and there are approximately eleven million long wooden poles that sink through the mud and are fixed in deep sandy layers to support the buildings.

I have never seen so many bicycles in my life! There are approximately 881,000 bicycles in Amsterdam and oddly enough, there are only about 799,400 people living in the city. Between around 100,000 bicycles are stolen each year and 25,000 end up in Amsterdam’s canals. Oddly, they say only 8,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals annually.

Some of the world’s greatest museums are here, and we had the opportunity to explore several, but surely not enough. The Van Gogh Museum houses more than 200 paintings by Dutch impressionist Vincent Van Gogh and many drawings and letters. Among his many works we enjoyed seeing the “Almond Blossoms,” “Cypresses,” “Irises,” “Tree Roots,” and landscapes. Displayed there were also works by his contemporaries Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Grandezza Directory

Gatehouse (239) 498-8895

Gatehouse (DwellingLIVE Automated # to register guests) (239) 986-8627

Address 11450 Grande Oak

Clubhouse (239) 948-3569

Grandezza Express - Take Out Food (239) 738-7113

Golf Pro Shop (239) 948-2900

Tennis Pro Shop (239) 738-7111

Wellness Director (941) 999-1331

Golf Maintenance (239) 947-6296

Vesta Property Services

cmcfarland@vestapropertyservices.com (239) 947-4552 x 932

Property Management Professionals

stephanie@pmpofswfl.com (239) 353-1992

Gazzette Editor for HOA

Susan Sherwin (973) 615-4222 sjsherwin18@gmail.com

GRANDEZZA

The Anne Frank House is the site where Anne and her family hid for two years until they were betrayed, captured and sent to the Bergen-Belsen death camp in 1944. We climbed the steep, narrow stairs leading up to the hiding place and learned about the family and the people with whom they hid.

Next up for us was the Verzets Dutch Resistance Museum. The Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany during WWII from May 1940 to May 1945, and we saw, heard, and read fascinating stories about how the Dutch people responded to increasing antisemitism, sub-human restrictions and oppression of the occupying power. The resistance consisted of helping Jews, forging papers, removing personal index cards from the municipal register, helping English pilots, carrying out armed attacks on prisons and the Germans and their accomplices, and also preparing and distributing illegal newspapers and books.

In Amsterdam we also enjoyed a guided canal boat cruise along its century-old canals and a guided tour of the matchless Rijksmuseum filled with great works by Dutch Masters. Pictures one sees in books cannot match the beauty of seeing in person the art of Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” Rubens, Vermeer,’s “The Milkmaid” and “The Love Letter,” de Hooch, Steen, Van Dyck, and Velázquez.

A visit to Keukenhof in Lisse was a unique tapestry of horticultural splendor. The park, which covers over 70 acres, is rightfully billed as “the most beautiful spring garden in the world” and is filled with dazzling blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring bulbs. Tulips have been cultivated in Holland for 400 years and we enjoyed exploring tulip varieties dating back to the 17th century. Walking through the gardens is magical, even in the rainy April cold.

Windmills at Kinderdijk, a Unesco World Heritage Site: Nowhere around the world can you find a place like Kinderdijk with so many windmills concentrated in such a short area. In the mid 18th century nineteen pumping mills were built there at the end of a long drainage channel that feeds into the River Lek to prevent flooding. Today Holland still needs to dispose of the water that comes from rain, and the pumping of the marshes continues, although it is now performed by dieselpowered and electric pumping stations. We were able to visit the inside of one of the working windmills too.

An evening visit to The Hague , the royal city of Den Haag to the Dutch, featured dinner, live music, and a tour showing additional Dutch Golden Age paintings at the Mauritshuis Museum. The art at the Mauritshuis is housed in a historic 17th century building and we were able to view additional masterpieces by Brueghel, Rembrandt, Rubens, Steen, Fabritius’ “The Goldfinch,” and my one of my favorites, Vermeer’s “The Girl with

the Pearl Earring.” Delft , in Southern Holland on the Schie Canal, was Vermeer’s birthplace, and his home city is immortalized in a famous townscape now at the Mauritshuis. During its golden age in the 17th century Delft became one of the seats of the Dutch East India Company, which imported porcelain from China, and the blue and white Delftware became a popular branch of industry. At the Mauritshuis large sculptural earthenware collections are on display.

We visited one of Holland’s oldest cities, Dordrecht , situated at the point where the Maas (Meuse) is joined by the Waal, an arm of the Rhine. A walking tour along historic alleys and lanes was notable for its medieval inner city architecture, monuments and the ring of 19th century buildings, making us more aware of our own country’s young history.

And, after enjoying The Netherlands we were on to Belgium. Bruges, known as “Venice of the North” and where the world’s first stock exchange originated, is a medieval city with many canals and bridges. We took in the guild halls and the Gothic style Church of Our Lady dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries with its 379 foot tower. It is the tallest structure in Bruges and the third tallest brickwork tower in the world. The prominent flying buttresses on the exterior were constructed way back in the 1270s and 1280s. In Bruges we also had our first exposure to shops specializing in lace and local Belgium chocolate.

Antwerp , a port city and the capital of the Belgian province of Flanders, is regarded as the capital of the diamond trade of the world. Ninety percent of the larger diamonds (1000 carats) are now cut, polished, and travel through Antwerp. Beer is king in Belgium, and one of our favorite activities was a pub crawl in Antwerp. We visited three pubs, learned how Belgian beers are made, and we sipped different brews, including the most amazing Mort Subite cherry beer.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and was the last stop of our river cruise.

While everyone seems to speak English the three official languages are French, Dutch and German. The 1958 World Exposition was held in Brussels and we visited the Atomium, a 335-foot tall structure resembling atoms that was built for the Fair, and we followed with a walking tour of the Grand Place. However, when I think of Brussels I will always remember the delicious waffles and the decadent chocolate we had there. Chocolate is a one hundred billion dollar industry in Belgium and from our tour at a chocolate factory we learned the ins and outs of chocolate making from the harvesting of cacao in Ghana and the Ivory Coast to its transformation in Belgium into dark, milk, or white chocolate delights. Indeed, the chocolate as well as the rest of our journey was a delight.

Do you have a travel story to share?

Travel Stories From Grandezza Residents...

Now that the Covid cases have diminished here at home and in many countries around the world, our Grandezza friends and neighbors are beginning to travel again. Hopefully you noticed we have started a “Travel Corner” in The Grandezza Gazette with the help of our traveling residents. We would like to invite you and your traveling friends to share your travel experiences and tell us about any interesting, or unusual destinations and experiences along the way. We would love to hear about your best stories/ logs from your past, or present travels. Have you visited an “off the beaten path” place, or discovered a new or special attraction nearby? What was the most interesting/memorable, or the least interesting? Do you have any special/personal tips or advice that would help

others planning to visit the same places? Would you recommend your trip to others? If not, why not? You get the idea! We’re looking for our Grandezza residents to write a short recap of your highlights (200-600 words) in any direction you wish to pursue. There are no ground-rules except they must be personal resident experiences and not travel tips etc. from commercial travel agents. Virtually everyone loves to travel, so we expect the readership to be very high.

Hopefully, you have some travel experiences you would like to share. If so, please send them to Al Meyer at meyer815@aol.com and we’ll get them printed as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance for helping to make The Grandezza Gazzette more interesting for our readers.

Golf Etiquette 101

By Cory Titensor, PGA Director of Golf,

the

Club

at Grandézza Golf is a game of skill, strategy, and sportsmanship. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, adhering to proper golf etiquette is essential for an enjoyable and respectful experience for everyone at the course. Here are some keys to golf course etiquette rules, providing beginners with a solid foundation to build upon.

Respect The Quiet Zone

One of the core principles of golf etiquette is maintaining silence while others are taking their shots. Keep your conversations hushed and avoid any distracting noises.

This respect for the “quiet zone” allows players to concentrate and make accurate shots.

Stay To The Side

When someone is ready to take their shot, ensure you are not in their line of sight. Stand to the ball side of the golfer, maintaining a safe distance. This basic golf etiquette practice prevents distractions and enhances safety.

Repair Divots

After hitting a tee shot or an approach shot, repair the damage caused by the stroke. Properly fill the divot with sand to cover the damaged area making sure the sand is slightly below the top the grass and smooth it with the sole of your shoe. This simple act helps the turf heal and will ensure the grass will properly regenerate. It also gives other golfers a better playing experience maintaining a similar playing experience.

Repair Ballmarks

After landing on the green, repair any ball marks or divots you create. This simple act of golf course etiquette can be

done by using a ball mark repair tool to gently restore the putting surface. Repairing ball marks is a sign of respect for the course and future golfers.

Keep Pace Of Play

Maintaining a reasonable pace of play is crucial to prevent backup on the course. Play efficiently, be ready for your turn, and keep up with the group ahead. Slow play can lead to frustration for fellow golfers and is one of the most important (if not the most important) pieces of golf etiquette to make sure you adhere to.

Rake Bunkers

Basic golf etiquette: If you find yourself in a bunker, use the provided rake to smooth out your footprints and any disturbances in the sand. Leaving bunkers in good condition ensures fairness for all players.

Be Prompt With Your Shots

Avoid delays by being ready when it’s your turn to play. Select your club, assess the distance, and take your shot efficiently. Remember that keeping the game moving is a key part of golf etiquette.

Avoid Disturbing Wildlife

Many golf courses are home to various forms of wildlife. Show respect for the environment by not disturbing animals, and keep your distance. This is an important aspect of golf course etiquette, and your personal safety.

Replace Flagsticks Carefully

When removing or replacing the flagstick from the hole, do so gently to prevent damaging the cup. Avoid letting the flagstick drop into the hole or on the green.

Follow Dress Code

Respect the course’s dress code by wearing appropriate golf attire when playing or using the practice facilities. Adhering to the dress code shows respect for the course and its traditions, and golf etiquette.

By following these essential golf etiquette rules, all golfers will enjoy a smoother and more enjoyable experience on the golf course. Remember, golf etiquette isn’t just about following rules; it’s about showing respect for the game, the course, and your fellow golfers. So, as you embark on your golfing journey, practice these basic golf etiquette principles to ensure a positive experience for everyone on the course. See you on the course!

Tennis Improves Your Life!

By David Dekeersmaker, Director of Tennis, The Club at Grandezza

Tennis outperforms all other sports in developing positive personality characteristics & physical fitness development, according to Dr. Jim Gavin, author of “The Exercise Habit.”

As we all know, the sport can be incredibly competitive, yet its essence is social. It’s a great way to meet new friends who share a common interest.

We here in Southwest Florida often seem to play in the form of doubles or mixed doubles which is a lot of fun.

Tennis develops Social Skills: you can play with others both across the net and on Grandezza teams as well as on inter-club leagues. Tennis is for players of all ages and abilities, and you can make new friends as well as expand your social network.

Enjoy Family and Friends: Tennis is great for the entire family regardless of your age. Minimal equipment is required and besides our beautiful Tennis Facility, there are nearby parks and schools, making it easy to find a game.

Teamwork and Sportsmanship: From doubles, team and league play, tennis develops your ability to communicate, coordinate and work together, and you learn to compete and play fairly with others.

Tennis Improves Your Self Image: According to a Southern Connecticut State University study, tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism & self-esteem, while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety, and tension than other athletes and non-athletes.

“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life, tiptoe if you must, but take the step.”

Traffic Congestion

Key Takeaways From The Recent Public Forum

By Allan Bowditch, Engage Estero’s Chief Communications Officer

Residents in greater Estero, concerned about the escalating traffic congestion, voiced their concerns, leading Engage Estero to organize a public forum. The event at Estero High School on April 16 saw a turnout of nearly 100 residents. The panelists, each with a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective fields, included these individuals.

• Max Forgey Planning has over 30 years of professional experience in Florida’s local government planning and community development.

• Wayne Gaither, Florida Department of Transport, has 20 years of experience in the transportation industry in Southwest Florida.

• Carmen Monroy, Stantec Inc., has over 35 years of experience in multimodal transportation planning and focuses on transportation, performance-based management, visioning, creative engagement and planning.

• Ted Treesh, TR Transportation Consultants, is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in transportation engineering and planning.

The full report (Part 1 and Part 2) of the meeting can be viewed at this website, https://www.esterotoday.com/trafficcongestion-1/https://www.esterotoday.com/traffic-congestionin-greater-estero-part-2-public-concerns-future-actions/.

Some of the key points to emerge were as follows. The East Corkscrew Road Congestion And Delays To Road Widening

Carmen Monroy illuminated the seemingly slow process, explaining that it’s a deliberate approach to ensuring the necessity and appropriateness of the solution and ruling out other options. This process, though timeconsuming, is crucial and not a cause for frustration. The apparent slowness to build and address a traffic solution is intentional to ensure the solution is needed, appropriate alternatives are developed, and other solutions are not an option.

Resident NoticeEntry Gate Access

Please advise all contractors and visitors that access to the community is only allowed at the main gate located on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway. Most GPS applications will direct drivers to the entrance gates at Savona and the maintenance area on Corkscrew Road. Unauthorized vehicles attempting to enter the community at these gates causes backup for the residents and in some cases we have experienced damage to the gate equipment.

Your attention to this request is appreciated and will facilitate entrance to the community by contractors and visitors.

Grandezza Master Property Owners Association

• The policymakers, politicians, and others involved play a crucial role in the decision-making process. They must visit and stand on the road they plan to modify. They must look in both directions and take in the current “sense of place,” appreciating that it will disappear and a new visual experience will emerge. This has to be considered and agreed upon.

• Policymakers need to understand the complexity of infrastructure systems. The road is not just the surface; it is a system of multiple utilities comprising water, sewer, communications, traffic controls, etc., all of which need to be considered in the roadway’s design.

• One of the road development process’ most difficult and time-consuming aspects is the various easement requirements. This process is very complex and lengthy as it involves every landowner and their access to the proposed roadway. You cannot begin until all easements are agreed upon and in place.

However, it remains a significant concern for those living on East Corkscrew and those planning to live there. What Can We Expect In The Months And Years Ahead?

Overcoming the traffic congestion issues in Southwest Florida, specifically in greater Estero, will be difficult for many reasons. Florida’s budget is under considerable pressure due to remedial costs from recent hurricanes and normal budgetary items.

Despite Governor DeSantis’s focus on Florida’s future and transportation in particular, with a historic investment of $15.6 billion in funding for statewide transportation projects, this will be spread out over the state. The projects and costs included in FDOT District 1 (which covers Lee County and Southwest Florida specifically) are appended. Their five-year budget for the district, which includes Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Polk and Sarasota, for the five years through to 2028 is $6,337.6 million.

As we heard stated during the public forum, while there are options that could be considered from other countries that could improve traffic congestion, we have to recognize that the mindset of residents in America is somewhat different from that of Europeans and other countries.

• Public transport use and availability in the United States are much lower. Its availability and general attitude towards public transport are key factors.

• The road layouts in many localities, especially in Florida, where few grid systems are in place, are not conducive to some solutions used elsewhere.

• The view in the United States that the car is “king” is an issue, and people do not want to give up the car in a hurry!

• The dangers of cycling and walking in Southwest Florida dissuade many from taking that option – all play a role in limiting what improvements can be considered.

So, what is possible?

3. The Village of Estero seriously considers workforce housing in future development projects. The ability of important employees, such as teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, etc., to live much closer to their place of work will reduce traffic and the number of staff who might otherwise leave their positions due to the high living costs and lengthy travel time.

4. The Village has also reduced construction projects and the resulting increase in traffic by purchasing several important parcels of land within the Village of Estero and rezoning them to eliminate any prospect of a commercial or residential building on them.

5. The Village of Estero could consider providing more local public transport, such as a small bus or trolley service, to enable people to travel to key places such as medical facilities, shopping districts, etc., reducing the need to use their vehicles. In the future, local public transport could be linked to public transport from other locations outside greater Estero to provide a more integrated public transport system.

6. The Village of Estero supports the Rails to Trails initiative, which would enable bikers and pedestrians to travel north/south between Alico Road and Bonita Beach Road. In addition, if the development of another east/ west route between Via Coconut and U.S. 41 is confirmed, interconnectivity will be improved, resulting in more people riding bicycles, scooters, rollerblades, etc., to get around.

7. Road widening to four lanes will be implemented along Williams Road east/west. Another east/west road between Williams Road and Corkscrew has been considered, but no decision has been made yet. LDOT recognizes the need for the likely development of a six-lane highway along East Corkscrew, although that is still many years away. However, with appropriate public pressure, it could be brought forward.

8. Extending Alico Road to S.R. 82 will help alleviate some of that traffic. The extension will cut a nine-mile path through untouched territory. Phase One starts east of the Airport Haul Road intersection and goes to Green Meadow Road. “Workers have two ways to travel: Daniels or Colonial from Lehigh Acres,” said Brian Hamman, the Lee County Commissioner for District Four. “If we can take Alico Road and connect it up to Sunshine Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, we can create another route from Lehigh Acres to help people get to work.”

9. Adjusting people’s local travel times will also help. Avoiding rush hour will improve travel times.

1. The state-of-the-art system that LDOT has can be improved even further with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). This will enable traffic patterns to be discerned quickly, and remedial action will be sent to traffic lights to adjust the light sequence to speed traffic flow even more efficiently than is currently the case.

2. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and LDOT will consider installing more roundabouts to improve safety and traffic flow at the junctions where they are installed.

10. FDOT should consider providing HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes on I-75 and U.S. 41. HOV lanes are intended to incentivize throughput (move more persons per car, per lane) and save carpoolers and bus riders time by enabling them to bypass congestion in the regular or “general purpose” lanes. This option has been used in other countries and parts of the United States.

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Grandezza Classified Ads

To place a classified ad e-mail sjsherwin18@gmail. com. An ad will run for THREE (3) MONTHS after first submission (except for Service Offerings). Please notify us when the item has been sold or if you wish to have it deleted from the column so that you do not continue to receive phone calls. You must notify us to continue an ad for an additional cycle after the initial 3-month period has expired or it will be deleted.

Items for Sale

Suntrex adult tricycle: With over size tires with very little usage. Asking $350.00 Call 230-401-0939.

Sunburst shape mirror: 31 inches in diameter mirror by Tahari. AST $50.00 Call 239-401-0939.

Service Offerings

Airport Rides: Airport rides any time or day at affordable rates and a resident of Grandezza. Call or text Sue at 708-846-1985.

Concierge Service: Assists by Comer. Grandezza resident offering 5-star concierge and home watch services. For assistance call 407-928-4646. Home Automation Services: Tyler’s Technology & Automation Services includingiPad/iPhone/Laptop Assistance & Tutorials. Call or Text 239-887-5049 for free estimates.

Home Health Care: Fox Private Home Healthcare is a family owned and operated service for in-home healthcare. Custom care options. Experienced, caring, and flexible with overnights and light housekeeping as options. Contact Donna Fox at 424-8968 or (mobile) 607-483-4428.

Nanny & Pet Sitter: Nanny/ light housekeeper/ house manager/ pet sitter with 20+ years of experience. Available evenings and weekends. Newborn through school aged children. CPR First Aid certified. Contact Jessica Ward at 203-556-6130.

Pet Sitting: Planning to travel and cannot take your 4-legged family member with you? Call Kathie Karp at 561-715-7868 or kthka8@gmail.com to stay at your home and watch over the welfare of your dog.

Travel Concierge: Retired fulltime resident, over 35 years travel experience offering the best prices & service for cruises, tours, packages, all-inclusive safaris...The advice is free, the planning priceless. Contact Larry @ Ljackman1@ aol.com.

Tutoring and Pet Sitting: Dog walker/caretaker and K-12 Certified English and Reading Tutor: Grandezza resident who will care for your family. 30 years of experience with pets and 20 years of experience with students. For more information call Shannon at 561-8084040 or email: shannonleaschwartz@gmail.com.