Member News

Local program highlights mentorship and community partnerships
FORT MYERS, Fla., January 5, 2018 –Dress for Success SW Florida is pleased to announce that the successful Women Empowered Through Employment Series (WETES) will resume this year. Introduced in 2017, this original program provides mentors for women and builds awareness in the community, and strives to create partnerships with other nonprofits. The six week program kicks off with an orientation on January 10 and will be held each following Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through February 21^st at the Dress for Success SW Florida location in Fort Myers. WETES is open to eligible women in Southwest Florida at no cost.
Karen Anderson, President of the Board of Directors for Dress for Success of SW Florida, is the chairperson for this exciting program. “WETES is a program designed to not only provide participants with practical tools for finding employment, but it also provides them with the opportunity to build relationships with other women and mentors who have shared experiences,” said Anderson. “Many of those relationships last far beyond the program.”
WETES is an employer-driven program designed by Dress for Success SW Florida for unemployed and under-employed women seeking jobs and new careers. The program aims to educate women through a variety of targeted career growth sessions including dressing for success, interview skills, and resume writing. Courses are led by area employers to share real world experience. Participating businesses include: Chico’s FAS, Inc., FGCU, First Florida Integrity Bank, Hertz, Image Matters, Lee Health, LeeSar, Shell Point Retirement Community, and Walmart.
Anderson will present a workshop on interview skills on February 7 as part of the program.  She is Vice President, HR & Technology/Corporate Compliance Office at Shell Point Retirement Community.
About Dress for Success SW Florida
Founded by Barbara Dell in 2010, Dress for Success SW Florida is responsible for both Lee and Collier counties. The mission of Dress for Success SW Florida is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life.  The non-profit helps women achieve self-defined financial and professional success. Dress for Success SW Florida serves job-ready women by referral only. For more information, visit www.dfsswflorida.org or call 239-689-4992. Dress for Success SW Florida is located at 12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 153, Fort Myers, FL  33907.

Fort Myers, FL, Jan. 10, 2018 – More than a dozen acclaimed and best-selling authors are coming to Fort Myers to meet fans and talk about their books at the 19th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival on Saturday, March 3, at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St., downtown Fort Myers.
The Reading Festival attracts popular authors for adults and children from across the country. The festival this year will relocate to the Fort Myers Regional Library due to construction surrounding the Harborside Event Center. The move also will tie the event more closely to library services and the library’s mission of promoting reading and life-long learning.
The festival is a daylong event filled with author presentations, lively activities for children, the latest library technology, book signings and a free book for every child.
The Reading Festival is the largest one-day reading festival in Florida and has been designated a “Top 20 Event in the Southeast” for the month of March by the Southeast Tourism Society.
“The festival invites popular authors to participate by sharing their real life experiences, thought processes and the evolution of their characters,” said Lee County Library System Director Mindi Simon. “It is fascinating to hear how they craft their page-turner plots and tie all the details together.”
The festival kicks-off Friday evening, March 2, with the Evening with the Authors event at the Fort Myers Regional Library, at which authors meet and mingle with attendees. Among the award-winning authors scheduled to attend the events include adult authors Scott Turow and J.T. Ellison and children’s author Michael Hall. The complete list of authors can be found at www.ReadFest.org.
The Reading Festival is free and community-supported through donations, sponsorships and grants. To help ensure the continuation of this free community event visit www.readfest.org to make a secure online donation.  Author information, directions to the event and more, is available at www.readfest.org or by calling 239-479-4636.
ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA READING FESTIVAL
Lee County Library System produces the Southwest Florida Reading Festival to inform the community about the resources and services available at their local Lee County libraries and to remind them that these resources and services are free with a library card. The Reading Festival is free and features a variety of activities for all ages and presentations by best-selling authors. Some of the authors who have attended in the past include Sue Monk Kidd, Susan Mallery, R.L. Stine, Janet Evanovich, Nelson DeMille, Erik Larson, Jeff Lindsay and hundreds more.
The Reading Festival’s objectives are to promote reading and literacy, increase awareness of the library’s programs and resources and foster partnerships between the Lee County Library System and the community. The Reading Festival aims to build a literate community by encouraging children to develop an interest in reading independently, which fosters an increase in vocabulary and improved writing skills. For more information go to www.ReadFest.org.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 AT 10AM
(Fort Myers) – Ventriloquist, Darci Lynne will perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW on Saturday, May 5 at 7:00PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 12 at 10AM at the Box Office, online at www.bbmannpah.com or call 239-481-4849.
Darci Lynne is the youngest contestant to ever win “America’s Got Talent.” Following AGT, she sold out her headlining show in six minutes, having to add more shows. She is a young ventriloquist who is inspiring the next generation to keep it alive.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Darci has always been close to her family and relies on their support and encouragement. In her younger years, she had a timid demeanor that she was able to overcome through talent-based pageants. She was soon introduced to the art of ventriloquism and decided to try it out for herself. After only having her first puppet for two weeks, Darci was determined to audition for her first talent show never knowing it would lead her to audition for the biggest talent show on earth.
Darci dazzles the audience, leaving them with smiles on their faces. She is so grateful to her mentor Gary Owen and her vocal coach Tiana Plemons for all they have done for her. During her “America’s Got Talent” audition she received the golden buzzer sending her straight to the Quarterfinals. Her winning final performance has over 21M views on AGT’s YouTube, more than any other finals performance on the show.
Performance Date:          Saturday, May 5 – 7:00PM*
Ticket Prices:                     $99.50* (VIP Meet & Greet)       $49.75*                $39.75*                $29.75*
*All shows, dates, times and ticket prices are subject to change.

Fort Myers, Florida — The law firm of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., is pleased to announce that Attorney Christina (“Christy”) O’Brien has been elected stockholder.
O’Brien joined the firm in 2013. She concentrates her practice solely in the family law arena, handling matters of divorce and dissolution of marriage, custody, paternity, child support, domestic violence injunctions, post-judgment modifications and dependency issues.
O’Brien serves on Board of Directors for the Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida and Fort Myers American Little League. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Family Law Professionals, Family Resource Center of Southwest Florida, and Lee County Legal Aid Society.
O’Brien is active in the Family Section of the Florida Bar and is a member of the Domestic Violence, CLE, and Rules and Forms Committees. She is also a member of the Lee County Bar Association, the Association of Family Law Professionals, and the Lee County Association of Women Lawyers. O’Brien is also a member of the Fort Myers Track Club.
O’Brien received her undergraduate degree (cum laude) from the University of Tampa (1996) and her law degree from Florida State University (2000). She can be reached at 239.344.1279 or via email at [email protected].
Henderson Franklin is the largest, locally-based law firm between Tampa and Miami with over 55 attorneys dedicated to providing a wide range of legal services in the areas of business and tax planning, estate planning, family law, business and civil litigation, eminent domain, intellectual property, workers’ compensation, employment law, real estate, and land use and environmental law. Since 1924, Henderson Franklin has been assisting clients to build their homes, businesses, and communities in Southwest Florida. Henderson Franklin operates offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples and Sanibel Island. For more information on O’Brien, please visit www.henlaw.com.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2018) – Shell Point Retirement Community invites the community and art enthusiasts to join its 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale, taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18. Open to the public and free to attend, the event will be held at the Grand Cypress Room at The Woodlands at Shell Point.

For those who wish to be inspired by local artists, or enhance their collection with a new piece, the art exhibition will offer a variety of oil and acrylic paintings, photographs, watercolors, pastels, collages and other two-dimensional art. Hosted by the talented residents of Shell Point, the 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale will feature original works by Shell Point artists, many of whom were featured in 2017’s highly successful Ageless Creativity exhibition at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.

There is no cost to attend the 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale, however, artwork is available for purchase by cash or check only. After shopping, guests can enjoy a meal at one of Shell Point’s on-site public restaurants. For more information on the upcoming event, visit www.ShellPoint.org.

About Shell Point Retirement Community           

Shell Point Retirement Community, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers, Florida. Shell Point offers independent retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care for its 2,400 residents in an active, resort-style environment. Lifestyle amenities include deep-water boating access, six public restaurants, a championship 18-hole golf course, and many other recreational and educational activities. Learn more at www.shellpoint.org or 1-800-780-1131.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2018) – Attorney Christopher L. Pope has been named a partner at Pavese Law Firm. Pope concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate law, condominium and homeowners’ association law and construction law.

Prior to practicing law, Pope worked as an area construction manager for a national home builder, where he oversaw the new construction of hundreds of homes. He has also managed condominium rehabilitations, underground utility installations and site work.

Pope obtained his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University, where he majored in Management of Information Systems. He then went on to obtain his Juris Doctor and Diploma in Civil Law from Louisiana State University. Pope holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from the Boston University School of Law.

Pavese Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and West Palm Beach.  The firm provides a broad range of legal services for individuals, families, small businesses and large corporations.  Practice areas include agricultural, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business and corporate, civil litigation, condominium and homeowners’ association law, construction, employment, environmental and water, estate planning, probate and trust, marital and family, land use and government, and real estate law.  Established in 1949 as a one-person general practice firm, Pavese Law Firm has grown into one of the largest legal practices in Southwest Florida.  With a long history of service to Southwest Florida, Pavese Law Firm has played a significant role in the growth of local businesses, communities and major development projects.  For more information, visit paveselaw.com.

ATTENTION RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, COMMUTERS
Homeland Security Exercise
Thursday 1/11/2018
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Please share this information.
An emergency training exercise will take place along Fowler Street from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Edison Avenue on the above date. The exercise will involve a number of first responders including law enforcement, fire, EMS, chemical response teams, bomb squads and others from Fort Myers, Lee County and surrounding counties.
THIS IS ONLY A TRAINING EXERCISE.
SWAT Teams and emergency vehicles will respond to this area, volunteers will portray victims and traffic will be interrupted at times.
Media is expected to be on scene.
Your cooperation and assistance is appreciated.

Free event offers demonstrations, seminars and activities geared for anglers, amateurs and families

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2018) – Sunshine Ace Hardware invites the Southwest Florida community to its third annual Reel in the Sunshine free fishing expo on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sunshine Ace Hardware store in Bonita Springs, located at 9100 Bonita Beach Rd. The free expo, suitable for fishing enthusiasts of all levels, will feature fishing seminars taught by local expert fishing captains and vendor product experts, as well as fun activities and demonstrations for the whole family to enjoy.

Throughout the event, guests will have the opportunity to view product demonstrations from more than 20 brands including Accurate Fishing, DOA Lures, Hook & Tackle, Shimano, and more. The family-friendly event will also include tasty samplings from grilling demonstrations, special retail offers, hourly giveaways and casting demonstrations. The Reel in the Sunshine hourly fishing seminars feature Captain Danny Latham, Captain Chris Turner, Captain Ryan Clase, Eric Backnik, Mark Nichols, Captain Mike Avinon, Captain David Holzhauer, Captain John Brossard and Dave Justice.

In addition to the grilling samplings, the event will include a charitable lunch benefiting the Southwest Florida Muscular Dystrophy Association, offering the choice of a hotdog or hamburger with chips and a drink for $5 per person. An avid supporter of MDA, Sunshine Ace Hardware has raised more than $176,000 during the past six years in support of the organization’s mission to aid adults and children living with muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and other diseases that severely weaken muscle mobility and strength. For more information about MDA, visit www.mda.org.

About Sunshine Ace Hardware

Family owned and operated since 1958, Sunshine Ace Hardware serves Florida with eight locations in Collier, Lee, Charlotte and Pinellas counties staffed by a long-term, friendly and knowledgeable team. Focused on customer service, Sunshine Ace employees are best known for building relationships and going above and beyond to help solve a home repair or maintenance issue or to simply guide customers to the right tool for the job. For in-home support, Sunshine Ace provides a range of professional services such as rod-tip repair, screen, glass and equipment repairs. Free delivery and assembly is also provided on items such as grills, power tools, mulch, soil and more. Sunshine Ace offers a wide variety of products including plumbing, hardware and electrical supplies, houseware, fishing gear, power equipment, paint, painting supplies and more. Sunshine Ace proudly carries quality brands including Benjamin Moore paints, Scotts lawn and garden products, Craftsman tools, STIHL power tools, Weber and Big Green Egg grills, as well as Penn and Shimano fishing gear. In addition to serving residential clients, Sunshine Ace services commercial accounts, with flexible options to support contractors in managing and growing their business. For locations and hours, visit www.SunshineAce.com.

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 8, 2018 –  Dr. Jorge Valenzuela has joined Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida as an internal medicine physician.
Dr. Valenzuela earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
His residency was completed at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, NY., where he helped implement the Patient Centered Medical Home training as part of the Internal Medicine program.
Dr. Valenzuela has worked as a primary care physician in Fort Myers for the past five years.
He is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Valenzuela will see patients at the Fort Myers Family and Internal Medicine office at 7381 College Parkway.
Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida, a physician-owned and operated medical practice, was formed in 1996 by many local physicians and has grown to become the largest independent multi-specialty primary care practice in Southwest Florida.
Medical specialties include pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology.  Offices are conveniently located in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lehigh Acres.  For more information, visit www.ppcswfl.com.

The Shell Factory & Nature Park has long been SW Florida’s Number 1 Family Entertainment Destination, but will now add Custom Made T-Shirts to its long line of FUN things to do and experience. Your Custom T-Shirt can be made while you & your Family shop, dine, visit the Arcade with FREE Pool, or just take in the 4 FREE Museums. The Custom T-Shirt Department can be found in the Beach Shack located in the Retail store and will be open during current Store hours. Tom and Pam Cronin purchased the equipment to create the Shirts at a recent buying trip and thought they would make a great personalized souvenir. The Custom Shirts will also be marketed to Sports Teams, Civic Organizations, Schools and Youth Groups, and even private Events held in the Dolphin Room. “We have a lot of our own Events like Gumbo Fest, Bike Night, St Patrick’s Day, and Nam Jam where we can produce an Event T-Shirt for sale as a remembrance of the occasion ” said Rick Tupper CFO/ Marketing Director.  Both Tom and Pam Cronin feel this addition to The Shell Factory’s FUN Family Experience will be a hit with young and old alike. For further information about individual or multiple T-Shirt orders call 239-995-2141 Ext 110.  Also visit www.shellfactory.com or The Shell Factory Facebook page for information on all our upcoming Family Friendly Events. Don’t forget Gumbo Fest January 28th 11am-6pm and grab a Gumbo Fest T-Shirt.