March 2011

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By Peter R. O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – In an im-
portant moment of transi-
tion for downtown Bonita
Springs, the Piper family’s
stewardship of the Everglades
Wonder Gardens, a defining
presence on Old 41 for sev-
enty-five years, may be draw-
ing to an end. The Wonder
Gardens is for sale and its
fate is unclear.
In the early stages of the
sale process, the Piper family
has been exploring the fea-
sibility of a sale that would
preserve the property for
public use. “We need to do
what is best for the family,
but we also want to see our
heritage fulfilled,” said David
Piper, co-owner of the Won-
der Gardens property. Piper
has engaged Cullum Hasty,
a local realtor, for the sale.
“The main reason why we
went with Cullum is because
he is an environmentalist to
the core...and that he could
approach people who would
be interested in saving it, at
least the trees,” said Piper.
”We believed we would put
our best foot forward, my
brother and I, for the interest
of the public good.”
“In the right hands, the
Wonder Gardens site could
preserve a key part of the
city’s ecological history and
promote the development
of the area,” said City Coun-
cilman Stephen McIntosh.
At a recent City Council
meeting, he explained that
Page 28 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
S O U T H W E S T
MARCH 2011 Vol.2, No.3 FREE

Events, things to do and opportunities to give back to our community in and around Bonita Springs
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
FT MYERS, FL
PERMIT #980
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
ECRWSS
Inside
Bonita
Blues Festival 20
Town Talk 13
Bonita Assitance
Office 23
Swamp Buggy
Races 9
Outside your
window 5
Everyone’s wondering
Robert L. Smith | [email protected]
William L. Meyers |
[email protected]
Wonder Gardens owners
try preservation path
Spotlight Interview: David Piper on
Wonder Gardens then & now
By Peter R. O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – David Piper runs the busi-
ness of the Everglades Wonder Gardens with
his wife Dawn Marie, and owns the property
with Buck Piper, his brother. The Wonder
Gardens has been in the Piper family since it
opened seventy-five years ago.
In a recent extensive interview with the
Spotlight, Piper talked about the Wonder
Gardens, its founding and development,
the legacy of its founders, his deep respect
for his grandfather, and his intentions and
hopes for the property, which sits on three
and one half prime acres astride the Imperial
River.
Continued on page 17 Continued on page 26
Page 2 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
Publisher
Peter A. O'Flinn
[email protected]
Advertising Sales
Katie O'Flinn
[email protected]
Kathy O'Flinn
[email protected]
Contributors
David Di Martino
Max Harris
Dorota Harris
William L. Meyers
Ben Nelson
Mary Shallies
Robert L. Smith
Locally owned and
operated since 2010
(239) 287-6474
[email protected]
PO Box 1946
Bonita Springs, FL 34133
S O U T H W E S T

Southwest Spotlight, LLC
swspotlight.com
Fundraisers
Save the Wolves
Sat., March 5, Noon to 8 p.m.
Sun., March 6,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Sacred Wolf Path Cele-
bration will benefit Wolfdog
rescue and the Shy Wolf Sanc-
tuary. Musicians, storytelling,
rescued Wolves and Wolfdogs,
fire and drum circles and
more. Where: Sutherland
Lane, just South of the Bonita
Nature Place and the YMCA
on Kent Rd. Cost: $10 dona-
tion requested. For more in-
formation call 239-290-9867.
Bowlathon
Sat., March 5, 11:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m.
NCH Healthcare System has
teamed up with Beacon Bowl
for this Relay for Life fundrais-
ing event. Where: 5400 N.
Tamiami Trail, Naples. Cost:
$20/2 games & shoes. For
more information, email kel-
ly.miller@ nchmd.org. Many
teams are working hard to
raise funds for the Relay for
Life being held at the YMCA
in Bonita April 8 and 9.
Susan B. Komen
Race for the Cure
Sat., March 12, 8 a.m.
There are many ways to par-
ticipate and raise money to
help end breast cancer forever.
Where: Coconut Point Mall,
Estero. For more information,
go to komenswfl. org.
Cruisin’ for C.A.R.E.
Sun., March 27,
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This first annual Car, Truck,
and Motorcycle show will
benefit 21st C.A.R.E., a foun-
dation for cancer assistance,
research and education.
Where: 2234 Colonial Blvd.,
Fort Myers. Cost: $20. For
more information, go to
21stcenturycare.org.
The Fast and the Furriest
Thurs., March 31, 6:30 p.m.
This 5K run and one mile
walk will benefit the Gulf
Coast Humane Society.
Where: Coconut Point Mall,
Estero. For more information
call 239-332-0364.
Arts and Entertainment
Live at the Promenade
March 3, 10, 16, 18, 19, 24
An exciting lineup of artists
are set to perform this month
at the Promenade including,
Rick Compton and Betsy
Bennett, Clarita Filgueiras,
The Kellyn Celtic Arts Irish
Dance Academy, Joey &
Maria’s Comedy Italian Wed-
ding and Naomi Niskala.
Call the Center for the Arts
of Bonita Springs at 239-495-
8989 for tickets and show
times.
Bonita Bay Boat Show
March 4 & 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
March 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The annual boat show is open
to the public for the first time
in four years. Cost: Free.
For more information call
239-495-3222 or visit
bonitabaymarinaclub.com.
Family Days
at the Art Center
Sat., March 5, 12, 19, 26,
1 to 3 p.m.
Children can come create art
from tools and everyday ob-
jects this month during Tools
in Motion: Works from the
Hechinger Collection. Tools
in Motion, on display through
April 30, is an exhibition of
witty, light-hearted works by
emerging and prominent con-
temporary artists. Children
and parents join instructors
for a quick tour of the artwork
and then spend time creating
their own artwork. Cost: Free,
pre-registration is required.
For more information, call
the Center for the Arts of
Bonita Springs at 239-495-
8989.
Big band in Bonita
Sun., March 6, 2 p.m.
Fri., March 18, 6 p.m.
The Townsmen Big Band Or-
chestra under the direction
of Pat Callen will present a
free concert of popular fa-
vorites as performed by the
most celebrated bands of the
big band era. Where: Riverside
Park. Cost: Free.
Bonita Blues Festival
March 11 & 12
The 5th annual Bonita Blues
Festival will bring legendary
and international artists to
Riverside Park. Proceeds from
EVENTS
Continued on page 19
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 3
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Page 4 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
By Ben Nelson Jr.
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – It’s not
much fun having a bad cold.
Besides feeling like you’ve
been run over by a truck, if
you’re made to stay home
and rest it can be really bor-
ing. And when it came my
turn to be sick this season, I
spent the day sitting there
pouting, staring out our back
window at Leitner Creek
with my head propped up
in my hands. But soon, be-
cause I had to sit still for
more than five seconds, I
began to notice details out-
side that I’ve rarely paid
much attention to.
It was a busy day in the
thick green foliage surround-
ing the creek. There were
doves hanging out on the
bird feeder, bobbing their
heads and picking at the seed
and as you might expect, a
couple of squirrels were scur-
rying around on their daily
commute, jumping from tree
to tree. Just past them in an
Oak tree, I noticed an un-
usual looking “green fly-
catcher.” When it quickly
flew off I leaned forward and
started searching the trees,
because it was really getting
busy outside. There on a cy-
press tree was a large Pileated
Woodpecker, working its way
around the trunk, searching
for bugs and on a feeder
right in front of me, a pair
of beautiful Painted Buntings,
apparently having just arrived
for the winter, were comically
burying their heads deep into
the feeder. A flash of bright
red caught my eye and there,
further down the creek, was
a pair of Cardinals flitting
around on a cocoa plum
bush.
I leaned forward across
the table some more; my
head turned to the right,
barely touching the window
so I could watch the pair fly
peacefully up the creek. Very,
calm… very tranquil.
“BLAM”… Something
slammed loudly into the
window right in front of my
face! It sounded like a gun
going off! I reeled backwards
in cold medicine induced
slow motion. “Arrrrrrrrrgh!”
I bellowed, sounding strange-
ly like Arnold Schwarzeneg-
ger. As I began to realize that
I hadn’t been shot I looked
back out the window just in
time to see that a dove had
just performed a “Kamikaze
maneuver” straight into our
window! A Red Shouldered
Hawk had dive-bombed our
bird feeder leaving behind a
cloud of dove feathers and
panicked doves frantically
scattering in every direction.
The hawk came to a rest on
a custard apple branch and
calmly sat there admiring
his handiwork.
Even though I’m not a
professional birder and even
though all doves pretty
much look alike, there’s at
least one that I can pick out
of a line up. It has left a
perfect “dove smudge” im-
print of his surprised bird
face, wings askew to the
sides, on our window. Ac-
tually, as I look at the
smudge now, it’s probably
the same expression that
was on my face at the instant
of impact. Of course, the
dove – unless it has window
pane induce amnesia –
probably won’t ever forget
what I look like either.
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 5
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Lori Nelson | Special to the Spotlight
A female Painted Bunting enjoyed a tasty treat outside the Nelson residence
recently.
Neil Nelson | Special to the Spotlight
Page 6 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
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Staff Report
[email protected]
American history essay
winners announced
Paul Revere rode once
again as history-minded
Bonita Springs students from
the fifth through the eighth
grade competed by writing
his memoirs as Paul himself.
On the 275th anniversary of
his birth, the Barefoot Beach
Chapter of DAR sponsored
the essay competition as it
has for the last five years.
The Chapter’s American His-
tory Committee was head -
ed by Chairman, Jean Hutt;
Co-Chairman, Kay Spring -
ston and members, Mary
Musto and Fran Oster-
houdt. The committee mem-
bers oversaw the project and
served as judges. The judges
were also joined by retired
nurse, Susan Tinkle of Boni-
ta Springs.
Participants included
homeschooled students and
students from Bonita
Springs Elementary School,
Bonita Springs Middle
School, Bonita Springs Per-
formance Academy and
Spring Creek Elementary
School. At each grade level,
the winning entry received
a medal and a framed cer-
tificate along with their cash
award. Second, third, and
Honorable Mention earned
a certificate and a cash
award. The winning entries
will be submitted for judging
and awards at the State level
and have the potential of
reaching judges at the Na-
tional level.
The local winners were
as follows:
Fifth Grade:
1st - Casey Clark, Home-
school, Bonita Springs
2nd- Celeste Mendez, Spring
Creek Elementary School,
Bonita Springs
3rd- Brianna Bohankamp,
Spring Creek Elementary
School, Bonita Springs
Honorable Mention - Drew
Parrish, Spring Creek Ele-
mentary School, Bonita
Springs
Eighth Grade:
1st - Bethany Namour,
Homeschool, Bonita Springs
2nd - Samantha Wells, Boni-
ta Springs Middle School,
Bonita Springs
The Barefoot Beach
Chapter of the DAR has
served our Bonita Springs
community since 1994
by pursuing projects that
promote historic preserva-
tion, education and patri-
otism. The recent essay con-
test exemplified all three
elements.
Science and
Engineering Fair
Two Bonita Springs stu-
dents received first place
awards in their divisions
among the 500 entrants in
the Lee County Schools Sci-
ence and Engineering Fair.
Katie Thorp of Bonita
Springs Middle School re-
ceived her award for “The
effect of aeration on algae
and dissolved oxygen in
ponds.” Austin Young of Es-
tero High School received
his award for “Teenagers and
Headphones: The effect of
exposure to sound through
earbuds.”
TV 98: More
than meetings
New programming is in
the works at TV98. While
you can still watch the meet-
ings for the Zoning Board,
City Council, Fire District
and others, TV98 has a lot
more to offer. The City
Council is working hard to
provide transparency in our
government and TV98 is a
platform.
“This is where you can
go to check out what’s going
on in your city,” said Lora
Taylor, Community Rela-
tions Coordinator for the
City of Bonita Springs. The
newest segment that is
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 7
Up and Down
the Trail
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
Front, Fifth grade essay competition winner Casey Clark with her mother Lisa,
and eighth grade winner Bethany Namour with her mother Jennifer. Back, DAR
Regent Beverly Wagner and Jean Hutt, Project Chairman.
Continued on page 26
Page 8 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
By Kathy O’Flinn
[email protected]
Collier County – Colorful
racecars with rocket-like
bodies and large 4-foot high
metal wheels with narrow
rubber treads eagerly wait
their turn to drive into the
muddy track. The competi-
tion director yells, “Start
your engines,” and an ex-
plosion fills the air as the
first cars descend into the
swamp water for Swamp
Buggy Races at Florida
Sports Park. This is the only
place that races swamp bug-
gies. Locals and tourists are
the lucky ones who get to
cheer on what is perhaps
the craziest and most un-
usual event in all of motor
sports. On race weekends in
January, March and October,
over 6,000 fans typically
crowd the stands as swamp
buggies compete for cash
prizes and for the title
Swamp King.
Every buggy has a name.
Rebel Attitude, Lunatic
Fringe, Dog Will Hunt, Rap-
ture, Pressures On, Viper,
The Secret Weapon and 70
other buggies recently filled
the paddock on race day.
When the green flag is
dropped, engines roar and
take off at terrific speeds
spraying smelly swamp water
as high as 20 to 30 feet. Tires
are immersed in water any-
where from 16 inches to four
and a half feet deep causing
the steering to break and
gears to freeze. The bigger
and more powerful buggies
do wheelies before taking
off at fast speeds but some
never make it to the finish
line. Drivers attempt to ma-
neuver around precipitously
deep holes as they make their
way around the figure 8 style
track affectionately called
the Mile o’ Mud. Those that
don’t avoid the holes can
find themselves neck deep
in swamp water and brought
to a dead stop. Then they
must wait until the end of
the race to either be towed
out by a bright orange Kab-
ota tractor or even more
embarrassing, lifted out by
a huge bucket.
Bonnie Walsh is a veteran
racer. “My mother started
racing back in the 1950’s
in... the powder puff,” she
recalled. “Back then women
raced each other. She was a
Mud Duchess,” the name
given to the women winners.
“ As a little kid, I saw that
big gold trophy. I thought
that was pretty neat. I think
it was in 1984 when I got
my first buggy. I painted it
pink and black. I named it
Fatal Attraction.” She went
on to win the King title in
the Budweiser Cup Series in
2005. Her secret to success
is, “When you take off you’ve
got to beat them off the line
‘cause when you get ahead
of them, these things have
such a spray out the sides
the spray hits the guy beside
you.”
Bobby Williams, who
drives a sunset colored 800
horse-powered buggy he calls
Barefoot Florida Living, has
a simple theory, “to finish
first you must first finish.”
Many drivers don’t.
Leonard Chesser also of-
fered sage advice. Recently
retired, he is the legendary
driver of Dats Da One.
Chesser, who started racing
in 1956, has won more Big
Feature races than any other
driver. He believes he knows
what it takes to win. He, like
so many drivers, designed
his own buggies. “You keep
it lighter and it takes off
your time,” he said. His huge
metal wheels have thin rub-
ber tires with deep treads
and skis next to the wheels
that give it lift. “I taught my
daughter when she was 8, 9
years old. She won 2008,
2009,” he said.
The history of the swamp
buggy goes back to the early
1920’s. A Bonita Springs
man, Ed Frank, is considered
to be the real father of the
Swamp Buggy, according to
David Southall of the Collier
County Museum. Frank,
who lived in Bonita Springs
before he moved his garage
to Naples, was a mechanic
and entrepreneur. He owned
a Ford garage back in the
early 20’s and 30’s and had
access to junk parts. He start-
ed taking cars apart to build
vehicles that would get you
into the Everglades and back
for hunting deer, hog and
turkey. They were originally
utilitarian vehicles. Frank
had lived for a time in Cali-
fornia and as a hobby built
dune buggies with large rub-
ber tires. He used some of
that same ingenuity in de-
signing swamp buggies. In
the 20’s and 30’s there were
few roads. Imperial Parkway
was just two dirt ruts and
Bonita Grande was under
water for five months of the
year. The start of hunting
season in October demanded
a vehicle with a lot of power
that could get you through
the mud and water. Frank
developed a buggy with two
transmissions in a series. As
Southall tells it, “A car can’t
start in high gear because it
doesn’t have sufficient
torque. Frank, a practical
guy, used the parts from two
junk cars to make one. It
gave the buggy incredible
power that went into the
rear axle.” By the late 40’s
swamp buggy owners would
race to get back to camp. It
was more an obstacle course
with the drivers’ skill and
local knowledge paramount.
Inevitably, racing became
the focus and buggies were
being designed more for rac-
ing than for hunting.
In 1949 Swamp Buggy
Inc. was formed and they
sanctioned the races and the
buggies have evolved into
what you see today. Other
traditions have evolved over
the years including the
Swamp Buggy Queen Schol-
arship Pageant, a Swamp
Buggy Parade in October
and a whole weekend of ac-
tivities three times a year in
January, March and October
including a Swamp Buggy
dance with country music
on Saturday night.
After the National An-
them and the invocation but
before the green flag went
down for the first race, newly
elected U.S. Representative
David Rivera greeted the
crowd. “I saw my first race
in 2002 and have been here
every race since,” he said.
The Swamp Buggy Queen
posed for photos with the
fans between tossing out
Frisbees to the crowd. This
year’s Queen, Christa Jo
Roberts, said she was looking
forward to an annual tradi-
tion – jumping into the Sippy
Hole in gown and tiara with
the winner at the end of the
featured race.
The traditions are sure
to live on. John Weeks, a
racer from Bonita Springs
said, “My granddaughter’s
out here. She wants to race
so bad. She’s 9...when she’s
16 she’ll be out in the track.
I guarantee you.”
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 9
Colorful and crazy
races in Collier
Staff Photos | [email protected]
Bobby Williams, driver of Barefoot Florida Living, works on his buggy before the
January race. The Swamp Buggy Races return to Florida Sports Park this month.
If you go…
Swamp Buggy Races
Where: Florida Sports Park.
When: March 6, 12:30 p.m.
Cost: Cost: $17.50 in advance;
$20 day of the race.
For more information:
swampbuggy.com
“To finish first you
must first finish.”
– Bobby Williams,
Driver of Barefoot
Florida Living
“I saw my first race in 2002 and have been
here every race since.”
– U.S. Representative David Rivera
Page 10 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
Ristorante
Enrico
26831 Tamiami Trail S.
off West Terry Street
(239) 949-2204
Mon-Sat 10-10, Sun 11-10
Three years in the same location
Dotti 239-272-4946 ‡ Bob 239-272-3006 ‡ Mike 239-340-5455 ‡ Sandy 239-292-4044
4 Professionals.
1 Goal... RESULTS!
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26269 S. Tamiami Trail Bonita Springs, Fl 34134 ‡ 239-498-9200
WOODLAKE AT BONITA BAY BAY CREEK AT PELICAN LANDING WOODLAKE AT BONITA BAY SANCTUARY AT BONITA BAY GLEN LAKES AT SHADOW WOOD
























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26269 S. Tamiami Trail Bonita Springs, Fl 34134
BAAY
1,850,000
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Mike 239-340-5455
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WOOD W T SHADO AAT SHADO S AKE
By Kathy O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – Mike and
Kay Toolan have a passion
for waterskiing. Every Sunday
afternoon at the Miromar
Outlets from late February
to July and again in Sep-
tember through early De-
cember, the Southern Ex-
treme Waterski Show Team
entertains the crowd with a
free show worthy of Cypress
Gardens. Kay, the show’s
MC, delivers a patter that
reflects her knowledge and
love of the sport. Her hus-
band Mike, with hair sun-
bleached from the daily class-
es spent teaching the sport,
is the club’s new president
and spokesperson. Watching
the one hour show, per-
formed by a troop of 30,
aged 7 to 60, it’s easy to un-
derstand the Toolan’s and
the team’s enthusiasm.
The skiers jump off
ramps going 32 miles per
hour, do 360’s on one ski,
and construct 4-level human
pyramids 23 feet high with
as many as 16 skiers. The
barefoot pyramid is per-
formed with 2 skiers below
and one above going 42 miles
per hour. One spectator said
her feet hurt just watching
it. “The audience loves the
pyramids,” according to
Mike who says that perform-
ing for the team is “a reward
and a high.” On Fourth of
July weekend they performed
for a crowd of 15,000 to
20,000 with fireworks after
the last show. The team has
its share of showboaters, he
says. Having a good time,
they learn it’s okay to be
goofy.
As the Toolan’s tell it,
they and four other families
started skiing together years
ago. They were previously
on another team which sub-
sequently broke up. Wanting
to continue skiing, they need-
ed to find a better lake. They
were practicing on a lake
behind the Waffle House off
Bonita Beach Road that had
rocks in it. When the Miro-
mar Outlets saw their film
promo in 2000, they were
quickly offered the oppor-
tunity to perform on week-
ends on the lake behind the
outlets. With a home to call
their own, they practiced
weekdays and weekends and
in 2007 won the state cham-
pionships beating more es-
tablished teams. “It was awe-
some. We’re still high about
that,” said Mike.
Mike is quick to add that
it’s not about awards but all
about learning new skills,
getting the whole family in-
volved, teaching respect and
love of the sport. Parents of
the skiers always have some-
thing to do behind the scenes
or at the shows, designing
and sewing costumes, serving
as board members, designing
logos, spreading the word
about the team shows, work-
ing as dock crew or driving
the boats.
The skiers, many of
whom started as beginners
with the team, begin with
the basics. “We love to teach
the kids. We’re teachers at
heart,” said Mike. Kay ex-
plained that they use the
kneeboard then move on to
two skis after learning to put
on and remove them in the
water. Arms straight and
knees bent is their mantra.
Crossing the wake and stay-
ing in control can be
achieved in about six weeks
time. The boys enjoy doing
360’s on one ski and are
soon supporting a girl on
their shoulders. The girls
who have been cheerleaders
know how to keep their body
tight and are not afraid to
climb. They start with the
flag flying display.
The acts are designed with
talent and safety in mind,
never having more than one
new skier in a pyramid.
“In the 4-high pyramid
everything has to be right,”
said Kay. They count on
the skiers’ experience. Jump-
ing is not for everyone. Those
who enjoy it train by jump-
ing over wakes and using
the trampoline. Behind
the scenes the skiers are kept
busy, lining up skis and
rolling ropes so that it all
runs smoothly from one
act to the next. Mike tells
them, “you’re all spokes
in the wheel, everything is
important.”
In the early days, team
members used their personal
boats and equipment. Today
the equipment is club owned,
but according to Kay, “the
boat engines are over ten
years old and it’s hard to get
parts.” A new 200 hp engine
costs $20,000 so they’re look-
ing for a used one for $6,000
to $10,000. At the fourth of
July shows they sold glow
sticks and on Sundays they
pass the hat but it’s not
enough to pay for needed
replacements. Mike’s goal is
to line up a local business
sponsor or two so the team
can put a budget in place
and ensure a future for the
next generation. Building a
bigger team and recruiting
more local skiers is also high
on the list. “We’re completing
the paper work for 501c3
status. Hopefully that will
help us raise some more
contributions,” added Mike.
“It’s an exciting time for
us because we’re starting a
new season with a new group
of people and ... fresh ideas,”
said Kay. When they pass
the hat at intermission Mike
says, “Don’t leave before
the second act, there’s more
to come.”
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 11
PLEASE PRESENT COUPON BEFORE ORDERING. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS OR DISCOUNTS. NO CASH VALUE. EXP. 3/31/11

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Open for Breakfast & Lunch Every Day 7:30-3:00
Dinners Friday and Saturday 5:00-9:00
10530 Wilson St · Downtown Bonita Springs
thesurveycafe.com · 992-CAFÉ (2233)
Across from Riverside Park, behind Benson`s Grocery
6,03/()/25,'$&+$50&$68$//$,'%$&.'(/,&,286
Best Key Lime Pie in Bonita!
Step back in time to when Bonita Springs was
known as Survey and enjoy old-fashion southern
hospitality in this historic home turned Café where local
art and antique tools adorn the walls. A nostalgic Florida
experience. your new favorite place!
We feature two Chef Specials for
Dinner every weekend!
Reservations Recommended
Breakfast Specials ~ Sandwiches ~ Wraps ~ Smoothies
Espresso ~ Fresh Baked Desserts ~ Beer & Wine
Extreme skiing is back at the Miromar Outlets
Staff Photo | [email protected]
Mike Toolan, of the Southern Extreme Waterski Show Team, says the audience loves pyramids. If you stop by the Miromar Outlets
Sundays at 4 p.m. you might see them go four levels high.
If you go…
Southern Extreme
Waterski Show
Where: Miromar Outlets,
10801 Corkscew Road, Estero.
When: Sundays at 4 p.m.
Cost: Free.
For more information:
southernexteme.com
“It’s an exciting time for us because we’re
starting a new season with a new group of
people and ... fresh ideas.” – Kay Toolan,
Southern Extreme Waterski Show Team
Page 12 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
Molinos Molinos
’’
# 1 I T A L I A N R I S T O R A N T E
OPEN DAILY FOR LUNCH & DINNER, 11:30AM-9:00PM
RESERVE A PRIVATE WINE CELLAR DINING ROOM
Reservations Required - 992-7025
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IN THE PROMENADE
26841 South Bay Drive - Bonita Springs
VOTED ++++
Sunday-Thursday, 6pm-9pm
2 FOR 1
DINNERS
TOWN TALK
RIBBON
CUTTING
A ribbon cutting
ceremony is sched-
uled for March 4
at Noon at River
Park at 27550
South Tamiami
Trail behind Tuffy
Auto Service
Center and Bonita
Boat Center. A
new boardwalk
leads to where this
photo was taken.
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
Staff Photo | [email protected]
Bill Skidmore, owner of Amoré Jewelers, donated
jewelry to Betty Joyce Dietzel, Chairperson for
Merchant Solicitation, for the 2011 Lighthouse Bay
Charity Pentathlon. The Pentathlon event held March
26 raises money for the Children’s Advocacy Center
of SW Florida, Harvest Time Ministries and Healthy
Start of SW Florida. Lighthouse Bay started the event
as a Triathlon eleven years ago, raising $7,000. Last
year $30,000 was raised and divided amongst the
three charities. For more information on making a
donation, email Betty at [email protected].
LIGHTHOUSE BAY CHARITY PENTATHLON
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 13

TOWN TALK
BARK IN THE PARK
Cris Stevens, Dog Trainer at Bonita Boarding Kennel,
Goose, center, and Dixie, right, at the 1st Annual Bark
in the Park at Riverside Park last month. Cris and
Goose were the winners of the pet/owner look-alike
competition.
Staff Photos | [email protected]
BONITA BLUES
FESTIVAL
Len Eckert and Teri Lamaine
want you to know the 5th
Annual Bonita Blues Festival
returns to Riverside Park
March 11 and 12. Tickets
can be purchased at
bonitablues.com.
David Di Martino | [email protected] S
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BONITA SPRINGS
NATIONAL
ART FESTIVAL
The Bonita Springs National
Art Festival returns to the
Promenade March 12 and 13
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The
January festival drew over
20,000 people. Proceeds from
the event allow the Center for
the Arts to give $70,000 worth
of art scholarships to local
youth to come to the Center for
the Arts each week throughout
the year for dance, painting,
theater, pottery and more.
The festival is ranked in the top
20 in the United States.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Rick Gallo, of Structure
Linx and his wife Barb
Mary Saunders, of the
Saunders Law Firm, and
her husband Chadwick
Saunders, of the Saunders
Group Downing-Fry
Realty
Submit to Town Talk. Tell us what’s going on
in Bonita and we’ll talk about it.
Email [email protected].
David Di Martino | [email protected]
Staff Report
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – “When I
came to Bonita Springs I did
not know many people but I
was accepted very readily, and
I just counted my blessings to
be part of Bonita Springs as it
was growing up,” said Hank
Hochstetler, recalling his arrival
over thirty years ago.
By all accounts, that feeling
– and the love – is mutual. So
on March 24 Hochstetler will
receive the Love of Bonita
award, an honor given to the
Bonita Springs resident who
exemplifies the goal of helping
to build a stronger commu-
nity. The Bonita Springs
Community Fund of the
Southwest Florida Commu-
nity Foundation gives the
award annually.
Hank “has loved this com-
munity since Bonita Beach
Road was a two-lane gravel
road to the beach,” said Debi
Braendle, chair of the Com-
munity Fund, noting the
words of Hochstetler’s nom-
ination letter. She added that
the selection committee found
that “Hank’s volunteerism
has been instrumental in the
development of our city and
its personality.”
“I think I receive more
benefit from volunteering than
the people that I help,” said
Hostetler. “It came from my
father and my grandfather.
They were great volunteers
in the community. We lived
on a farm in Iowa. That’s
where I was reared and they
were my mentors as long as
they lived.”
A long-time member of
the Rotary Club of Bonita
Springs, Hochstetler serves
on the board of the Bonita
Springs YMCA, volunteers
with Hope Hospice and is a
member of the Bonita Springs
Elks and Moose clubs and
First Presbyterian Church,
where he has been an elder
for twenty years.
“I was a part of the Cham-
ber of Commerce when it
was still in a mobile home on
Terry Street,” he said. He
served as President of the
Chamber as well as the Bonita
Springs Board of Realtors and
Bonita Springs Main Street
and was a member of the
Bonita Springs Community
Redevelopment Agency com-
mittee. He was named the
1995 Bonita Springs Citizen
of the Year by the Chamber
of Commerce and was hon-
ored as 1996 Realtor of the
Year. He was also active in
the committee to form Bonita
Springs as a city at the centu-
ry’s turn.
In the early 1980’s Bonita
Springs did not have city sew-
ers. “I got a call one day,”
Hochstetler recalled, “and they
said ‘We would like to have
you come to a meeting’ to
discuss the situation. I went
and they elected me chairman
of the building committee…
it just kind of went from
there.” He has been a member
of the Bonita Springs Utilities
Board of Directors since 1990,
serving as Board President,
Vice President, Treasurer and
Secretary.
The Bonita Springs Com-
munity Fund has promoted
philanthropy to enhance the
spirit and quality of life in the
Bonita Springs area since 1997
through stewardship of per-
manently endowed funds.
Hochstetler, to be honored dur-
ing a March 24 luncheon at
the Hyatt Regency on Coconut
Road, will choose a Bonita
Springs charity to receive a
$2,500 grant in his name.
Hochstetler is “humbled”
by the Love of Bonita award.
“I have just been privileged
to be in our town where there
is a small town atmosphere
even though we have grown,”
he said. “I really appreciate
the friendliness of people…I
have so very many friends
that it just gives me that old
town feeling.”
Page 14 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
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Hank Hochstetler named 2011
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Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
Hank Hochstetler, a Bonita Springs resident since
1979, will receive the 2011 Love of Bonita Award
March 24.
“I was a part of the
Chamber of
Commerce when
it was still in
a mobile home
on Terry Street.”
– Hank Hochstetler
A Bonita Springs
charity will receive
a $2,500 grant
in his name.
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 15
Opportunities
to give back
Staff Report
[email protected]
Candy and flowers
The Bonita Estero Association
of Realtors is collecting candy
and flowers this month for
Joanne’s House at Hope Hos-
pice. Joanne’s House is lo-
cated on Imperial Parkway
in Bonita Springs. Donations
can be dropped off at the
B.E.A.R. offices at 25300
Bernwood Drive off Old 41
Rd., next to the Lee County
Tax Collector.
Car raffle
The Gulf Coast Humane So-
ciety has been bringing people
and pets together for over 60
years. The Humane Society
is raising funds this month
by raffling off a brand new
2011 Audi A4. The winning
ticket will be pulled at the
Fast and the Furriest 5k/1
mile walk at Coconut Point
Mall on March 31. Only 500
tickets will be sold. Tickets
are $100.
Literacy Council
of Bonita Springs
The Literacy Council provides
free English instruction in
reading and writing for adult
speakers of other languages.
A Moms and Tots Family
Literacy program for mothers
and their young children is
also available. Additionally,
work-site literacy programs
are offered at 17 local golf/gat-
ed communities. Volunteers
can provide valuable assis-
tance no matter how little
time they have to give. For
more information, email
[email protected],
or call 239-676-5202.
Saint Vincent de Paul
Thrift Stores
With locations in Naples and
Bonita Springs, St. Vincent
de Paul’s thrift stores are well
stocked with a wonderful va-
riety of household items, in-
cluding clothing and furniture
that have been donated for
distribution. Volunteer case-
workers give many
items freely to those in need.
Funds raised through sales
to the public support financial
assistance to pay bills for the
needy. Over 200 volunteers
serve the society in the thrift
stores. Call 239-775-1667 if
you would like to volunteer.
YMCA of the Palms
The YMCA of the Palms
wouldn't be able to offer qual-
ity programs, provide excel-
lent service or build strong
kids, strong families and
strong communities without
its dedicated, gifted and gen-
erous volunteers. Volunteers’
roles are as varied as sup-
porting community pro-
grams, greeting members and
participants, coaching and
watching over children. For
more information call 239-
597-3148, or email info@
ymcapalms.org.
Page 16 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
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March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 17
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The Wonder Gardens was
not supposed to be available
for sale. Piper recounted sev-
eral unsolicited offers that
he turned down over the
years. However, he has quietly
suffered for several years from
serious medical ailments, in-
cluding an inoperable tumor
on his spine and a painful
nerve disease diagnosed by
the Mayo clinic.
“We just did not tell a lot
of people,” he said. Since the
onset of his affliction, his
wife Dawn Marie has taken
on much of the work of two
people. “She not only did
her job but took on a lot of
my responsibilities,” said
Piper. “Bless her heart, she
has been taking the brunt of
a lot of the work load for a
long time.”
Now, at the age of 48,
Piper would like to spend
more private time fishing,
a sport he first enjoyed as a
nine-year-old when he
would be dropped off at
Naples fishing boats for deep
sea fishing.
Since childhood, Piper
was groomed by his grand-
father to run the Wonder
Gardens. “I would hang out
with grandpa,” he said.
“When I was a very small
boy he cut a rake handle
down for me, and shovel
and all the tools he thought
I would need. He gave me
small paintbrushes to help
paint signs and things. He
would let me mess up and
he would fix it. He would
say bad words, you know,
and stuff like that but I al-
ways looked up to him...
Grandpa never let you be a
child. He looked at my
hands when I was little – I
had wide palms and long
fingers – and he said those
are hands for working. I re-
member him saying that –
and I was real proud.”
“Grandpa” was Lester
Piper, who with his brother
Bill founded the business as
the Bonita Springs Reptile
Gardens. David Piper has
great respect for his grand-
father, a self-reliant man with
a storybook worth of lifetime
experiences.
Lester Piper’s lifelong
passion was animals, trees
and plants but his first career
was in another business, a
relic of which hangs from
the rafters of the store in
the Wonder Gardens. It is a
skiff boat.
It is estimated that during
the prohibition era, 75 per-
cent of all the liquor brought
into the United States came
through the rivers around
Detroit Michigan. It was big
business, and the Piper broth-
ers were a part of it – skating
across the Detroit River from
Canada to Wyandotte Michi-
gan with that skiff full of
whiskey in tow. Lester Piper
had counseled his older
brother Bill against his deci-
sion to start another business
– a bar in Michigan com-
peting with others to which
they were supplying whiskey.
Retaliation inevitably ensued,
in the form of a visit to the
bar by two thugs in trench
coats armed with shotguns.
“They had to skedaddle,”
said Piper, and they came to
a place they had previously
visited, Bonita Springs. Lester
Piper purchased land near
the Imperial River, then called
the “lowlands,” because it
would provide an excellent
place to grow his plants.
He brought his love for
animals with him. “If he saw
a snake, turtle or raccoon, if
it was injured, he would bring
it home and provide it shelter.
That is why we are one of
the oldest rehabilitation cen-
ters still operated by the same
family in the United States,”
said Piper. “That is also how
grandpa became the first per-
son to have Florida Panthers
in captivity.” Panthers were
bred and then released. “He
is recorded by the state for
releasing 5 or 6.”
Lester and Bill Piper also
quickly developed a business
supplying animals to zoos
around the country. Lester
“realized that even zoological
people like Marlon Perkins
were not into the real Ever-
glades thick scariness.” While
waiting transport to zoos,
the animals were kept on
what is now the Wonder Gar-
dens property. After “hearing
about what these eccentric
bothers had in their back-
yard...neighbors would be
knocking on the gates to see
the animals,” said David
Piper. As the flow of the cu-
rious grew, the brothers set-
tled on the idea of an edu-
cational park where people
could learn about animals.”
On February 22, 1936
the first paying customer
enter ed the park, then called
the Bonita Springs Reptile
Gardens, for an admission
fee of 35 cents. Over time,
the park grew in reputation
as a singular Florida road-
side attraction featuring
exotic birds, panthers, alli-
gators, crocodiles, reptiles,
otters, flamingoes and bears.
One illustrious resident
for over sixty years was Big
Joe, an American crocodile
who grew to a size of 15
feet, weighing 1,400 to
1,600 pounds.
“I am most proud of my
grandfather and my uncle
because they were conser-
vationists before there was
any such thing that was wide-
ly accepted,” said Piper.
“They cared not only for
wildlife, but also about plants.
They wanted to make a dif-
ference.” That difference is
on display throughout the
gardens – in what is now a
mature canopy of trees from
around the world, including
the rare and unusual. “If the
Naples Botanical Garden
were a person, they would
give their two front teeth for
this tree,” said Piper, referring
to the rare Ackee tree, from
West Africa. Another tree,
the Kapok, produces a fiber
more buoyant than cork, and
was used to make flotation
devices. Among the towering
mahogany and oak trees are
coconut trees and varieties
of palms, carimbola and cit-
rus like orange, lemons,
cumquats and loquats, and
cashews. A botanist is cur-
rently cataloguing all of the
trees. The work has been de-
layed because three trees can-
not be readily identified.
David Piper was raised
to appreciate wildlife, growing
up on his family’s “Mule
Pens Ranch”, eight square
miles of property in Collier
County including land on
which Twin Eagles, the Quar-
ry and the east golf courses
of Bonita Bay are now lo-
cated. “On the ground, we
probably had 1,500 to 1,600
head of cattle at any one
time,” he said. Piper Boule-
vard, near Immokalee Road,
is named for his family.
His introduction to ani-
mals began as a small boy
“just simply because my fam-
ily believed that is how it
should be. My grandfather
wanted to make sure that we
really appreciated wildlife,
and understood them. So
that’s how we grew up as
kids, raising orphan bobcats
at home and fox to release.”
“The whole object of
working with animals is that
you want to make sure they
have the absolute best care
but you want to do it intelli-
gently... the secret is to think
how they think,” Piper said.
“If you are around animals
...you must pay attention to
the movement of their bodies
and their eyes and sounds.
When we walk among alli-
gators it’s because we know
their movements. I can tell
the way they breathe. Same
thing with bears, when their
ears start to move just a little
bit, I can tell the way they
move their heads.” Wonder
Gardens employees receive
extensive training. “When
you work around animals,
you appreciate their abilities,”
he said. “ If you underesti-
mate their abilities you can
get hurt.”
As a boy, Piper’s first job
at the Wonder Gardens was
“doing a set of pens,” the
daily process of cleaning and
raking bird enclosures. In
time, he served as a tour
guide. “I was always around
the gardens in the summer
time, doing odds and ends –
whatever grandpa wanted
me to do.” After graduating
college, he became a manager,
working with his brother,
Buck Piper.
He has run the Wonder
Gardens since Lester Piper,
his grandfather and mentor,
died in 1992. New attrac-
tions were added. “You have
to have excitement...some-
thing better than the next
guy,” he said. Sidewalk width
expanded to accommodate
larger crowds and available
parking doubled. “One of
the first things I did was to
put a lot more money into
advertising than my grand-
father ever did.”
Piper explained that the
Wonder Gardens recently
has enjoyed some of its best
years. Yearly attendance has
reached all time highs, he
said, currently approaching
70,000. Attendance in 2010
was off somewhat due to the
effect of the BP oil spill on
summer European tourism
to the area.
Piper reveres the legacy
of the past but is clear eyed
about business reality. “It is
said that the 50’s are the
good old days,” he said. “But
if we had as many people
come through the gardens
annually as they did in the
1950’s, we would have been
closed down a long time ago.
That is absolutely a fact.”
David Piper Interview
from page 1
“I am most proud of my grandfather and
my uncle because they were conservationists
before there was any such thing that was
widely accepted. They cared not only for
wildlife, but also about plants.
They wanted to make a difference.”
– David Piper
“When you work
around animals,
you appreciate
their abilities. If
you underestimate
their abilities you
can get hurt.”
– David Piper
William L. Meyers | [email protected]
Page 18 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
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the two-day festival will ben-
efit the Bonita Assistance Of-
fice, the Wounded Warriors
Project and Music for Minors.
Cost: Friday, $15; Saturday,
$20, Kids 12 and under free
with paid adult. You can also
purchase a two-day pass
in advance for $30 at
bonitablues.org. Turn to page
20 for more information.
Evening in the Park
Fri., March 11 & 25, 5 p.m.
The artists of the six historic
cottages at Riverside Park in-
vite you to join them for an
evening in the park and view
their most recent work. The
Bonita Springs Historical So-
ciety will be at the Liles Hotel,
adjacent to the cottages where
you can view history of Old
Bonita Springs and talk to
City Historians. Where: River-
side Park, Bonita Springs.
Cost: Free.
The official
concert band
Sun., March 13, 2 p.m.
Bonita Springs Concert Band,
Enjoy an afternoon of
music marches, pop, ragtime,
big band, light classics and
show tune medleys conduct-
ed by Dr. Dennis Hill.
Where: Riverside Park. For
more information, email
bonitaspringsconcertband@
yahoo.com. Cost: Free.
Films for Film Lovers
Mon., March 14 & 28, 7 p.m.
The Center for the Arts Film
Society presents two even -
ings of Films for Film Lovers.
Twelve films will be shown
as part of a series that runs
through May. Mamma Mia
and Ma Vie en Rose will be
shown this month. Where:
Promenade at Bonita Bay.
Cost: $8. For more informa-
tion, call the Center for the
Arts of Bonita Springs at 239-
495-8989.
Historical Society
Speakers’ Forum
Wed., March 16, 7 p.m.
This month, Charles LeBuff,
a well-known local historian
and author of Everglades
Wildlife Barons: The Leg-
endary Piper Brothers and
their Wonder Gardens, will
talk about one of Bonita’s
signature attractions and the
men who started it, the late
Bill and Lester Piper. During
the last century these tough
men were the premier wild-
life personalities in Florida.
Where: Bonita Springs Com -
munity Hall on Old 41. Cost:
Free. For more information
call 239-992-6997.
Whale Wars
Sat., March 19, 2 p.m.
Pedro from Animal Planet’s
program Whale Wars will be
speaking about his adventures
aboard ship Sea Shepard
while saving the whales in
the waters off Antarctica.
Where: Bonita Nature Place,
Kent Rd. Tickets can be pur-
chased at City Hall. Tickets
are $10 each and only 60
will be sold. For more infor-
mation, call 239-949-6262.
Bonita Village Band
Sun., March 20, 2 p.m.
The Bonita Village Band has
been performing in the Boni-
ta Springs area for over 20
years. The band is patterned
after the Philadelphia Mum-
mers, and consists of banjos,
accordions, saxophones, and
a variety of rhythm instru-
ments including piano and
tuba. Where: Riverside Park,
Bonita Springs. Cost: Free.
Author Luncheon Series
Thurs., March 24, 11:30 a.m.
Reservations are now being
taken for the Friends of Boni-
ta Springs Library Author
Luncheon Series being held
at Pelican Nest Country Club.
The third luncheon of the
season is with Deborah Sharp,
a former USA Today reporter
and author of the Mace Bauer
mystery series. Registration
is required in advance. Checks
are accepted at the Bonita
Springs Library. For more
information, please contact
Fran Gallo at franinflorida@
gmail.com. Where: Pelican
Nest Country Club. Cost: $32.
Local artists show
Fri., March 25, 5 to 7 p.m.
The Bonita Springs Recreation
Center is holding an art show.
The evening will showcase the
talents of the Recreation Center
members. Light refreshments
will be served. Cost: Free. For
information, call 239-992-2556.
Sporting Events
Senior Games
March 5 to 11
The Senior Games will be
held at the Bonita Springs
Recreation Center this
month. You can register at
the Recreation Center. For
more information call 239-
992-2556
Hockey in the
Everblades
March 4, 5, 12, 13, 23, 25, 26, 30
Come see the team that has
never had a losing season
and hasn’t missed the playoffs
in 12 years. The Florida
Everblades, our minor league
hockey team, has eight home
games in March. Where: Ger-
main Arena, Estero. For tick-
ets, go to floridaeverblades.
com.
Markets
Get it while it’s fresh
Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. to noon.
Lions Club Farm Fresh Mar-
ket at the Promenade
Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Farmer’s Market at Riverside
Park.
Fruit Trees
Sat., March 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tropical fruit trees will be
on sale in Riverside Park
March 5.
Meetings
Come watch the action
live and in person
Wed., March 2, 5:30 p.m.
Wed., March 16, 9 a.m.
Bonita Springs City Council
Where: Council Chambers,
9101 Bonita Beach Rd. For
more information, call 239-
949-6262.
Cypress
Masonic Lodge
March 10 & 24
Cypress Masonic Lodge No.
295, F. & A.M. meets on the
second and fourth Thursday
of each month. Where: Ma-
sonic Temple, 5850 Tamiami
Trail North, Naples. Dinner
is at 6 p.m. and the meeting
is at 7 p.m. Traveling brethren
are always welcome. For more
information, call 239-597-
3030.
All dates, times and prices
are subject to change.
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 19
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KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE
www.bestofeverythingnaples.com
Just south of Bonita Beach Rd., next to KFC
EVENTS
from page 2
By Peter A. O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – Legendary
and international talent re-
turns to Riverside Park
March 11 and 12 during the
2011 Bonita Blues Festival.
Proceeds will benefit the
Bonita Springs Assistance
Office, Music for Minors
Foundation, Inc., providing
musical instruments to local
youth and The Wounded
Warriors Project, to benefit
local war veterans.
The first festival, held in
2007, was a one day event.
“It was small, just a couple
hundred people,” said Teri
Lamaine, of the Bonita Blues
Charitable Foundation Steer-
ing Committee.
Now, in its fifth year, 4,000
people are expected to make
their way to Riverside Park
for another fun-filled week-
end. “We have become one
of the most respected festivals
in the United States. Many
people come from Chicago,
Maryland, New England,
and they focus their vacation
here in Bonita for March’s
Blues Festival,” said Lamaine.
The Bonita Blues Chari-
table Foundation has do-
nated $30,000 to worthy
causes since its inception.
Last year, some of the pro-
ceeds from the festival pro-
vided fourteen musical in-
struments to children in Lee
County.
“Everybody keeps asking
me ‘which is the best day to
come?’” said Lamaine.
“That’s such a hard question;
you should just buy the
weekend pass and come for
the whole weekend.”
Nine bands will perform
during the two-day festival.
Eddie Shaw, one of the most
respected blues musicians
alive today, will perform at
7 p.m. March 12. The Chica-
go legend has been perform-
ing for decades, and will cel-
ebrate his 74th birthday this
month. He has won numer-
ous awards including Blues
Music Awards' Instrumen-
talist – Horn in 2006 and
2007, Living Blues' Critics
Award Most Outstanding
Blues Musician in 1996 and
the Howling Wolf Award in
1996. He was also a W.C.
Handy Award nominee from
1999 to 2005.
Blues
inBonita
The Bonita Blues Charitable Foundation
has donated $30,000 to
worthy causes since its inception.
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
Joanne Shaw Taylor, winner of the British Blues
Award 2010 for Best British Female Vocalist, will per-
form during the 5th Annual Bonita Blues Festival at
Riverside Park this month.
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
Eddie Shaw has been at
the heart of the Chicago
music scene since 1957.
He has worked with
blues luminaries such as
Muddy Waters, Freddie
King, Magic Sam, Earl
Hooker and Otis Rush.
playing at Johnny Malloy’s
the following night from 9
p.m. to 1 a.m.
Tickets to the festival
are $15 at the gate on Friday
and $20 at the gate on
Saturday and $30 for a
weekend pass if purchased
in advance. Tickets can be
purchased in advance at
bonitablues.com.
If you go…
Bonita Blues Festival
Where: Riverside Park.
When: March 11, 2 to 9 p.m.,
March 12, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $15 Friday; $20 Saturday;
$30 for a weekend pass in advance.
More Information:
bonitablues.com.
Page 20 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
Joanne Shaw Taylor, win-
ner of the British Blues Award
2010 for Best British Female
Vocalist, is set to perform at
6 p.m. March 11.
Music in the park stops at
9 p.m., and continues into
the night at two after hours
parties. Albert Castiglia will
perform at Stevie Tomato’s
from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on
March 11. JP Soars will be
•The Survey Café
•Dolly’s Produce Patch & Eatery
•Buffalo Chips Restaurant
•The Fish House Restaurant
•Brewista Coffee House
•Bonita Olde Country Kitchen
•Stan’s Super Subs
•Mike’s Auto Repair
•Bonita Springs Public Library
•Bonita Springs Recreation Center
•The Center for the Arts
Pick up a copy at:
The Southwest
Spotlight is mailed
to 12,000 homes
each month.
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 21
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Page 22 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
By Mary Shallies
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – Founded
in 1979 by local ministers
and the Lions Club, the
Bonita Springs Assistance
Office has spent the last 30
years tirelessly lending a
helping hand to the com-
munity. Aid is provided not
by coddling, but by offering
temporary assistance with
such things as food, medical
bills or a rent or mortgage
payment. This assistance al-
lows those who have fallen
on difficult times to main-
tain the dignity necessary
to help themselves overcome
their adversity and remain
productive members of our
community. The organiza-
tion’s philosophy of pro-
viding a hand up, not a hand
out well describes the effort
to help others so that they
may help themselves.
For the entirety of its ex-
istence, the Bonita Springs
Assistance Office has been
generously housed in the
headquarters of the Bonita
Springs Lions Club. With
the expansion of the Lions
Club Eye Clinic, BSAO will
close its operations in their
current location, and open
a new, larger office and food
pantry this month. The
move brings a welcome
change, despite leaving the
support and friends of the
Lion’s Club. The new office
is a mere 2.6 miles from the
old, and the food pantry
has been expanded to 1,610
square feet. The front office
is also larger. A bus stop is
conveniently located just
outside at the new Bernwood
station, next door to the Lee
County Tax Collector.
Those involved in the
non-profit organization are
excited and optimistic about
the move, including Board
President, Mike Prioletti,
who said, “The Bonita As-
sistance Office Board of Di-
rectors saw this as an op-
portunity to find a space
that would enable us to ex-
pand on the essential work
we’ve been doing for years
and be more effective in
providing food to hungry
residents of Bonita Springs.”
For some, the move rep-
resents a time for looking
back and reflecting, as well
as peering towards the future,
as Executive Director Maribel
Slabaugh shared, "This is a
bitter-sweet time for the
Bonita Springs Assistance
Office family. On one hand,
we are very excited at starting
a new chapter in our history
of serving the community.
On the other hand, we have
been housed by the Bonita
Springs Lions Club from our
foundation, and leaving their
location is like leaving a par-
ent’s house. On behalf of the
Board of Directors and the
families we serve, I want to
express our immense grati-
tude to the Lions Club; they
are the epitome of a loyal
and supportive partner. For
over thirty years they have
believed in our mission, the
quality of work we do and
they have pledged to continue
to support us in enhancing
the lives of many in Bonita
Springs."
Whatever the future holds
for the Bonita Springs Assis-
tance Office, it will continue
to benefit our community.
An open house will be held
this month at the new loca-
tion at 25300 Bernwood
Drive, Unit 6, off Old 41
Road.
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 23
BonitaSpringsAssistanceOfficemovingforward
Mary Shallies | Special to the Spotlight
The expanded food pantry was under construction last month at the Bonita
Springs Assistance Office’s new location, next to the Lee County Tax Collector.
“We are very excited at starting
a new chapter in our history of serving
the community.”
– Maribel Slabaugh, Executive Director,
Bonita Springs Assistance Office
Page 24 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
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By Max Harris and Dorota Harris
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – What kind of dog should you have if you
are a groomer who doesn’t want to take your work home
with you?
Dawn has the perfect answer. She has five Chinese
Hairless Dogs, or Chinese Crested Dogs to use their correct
name. When we visited, she had two of them with her –
delicate little dogs whose bodies are completely hairless,
whilst the paws have small tufts of fur, the tail is plumed,
and the head has the long flowing crest which gives the
breed its name.
Curiously, not all Chinese Crested Dogs are born hairless.
Lack of hair is not a complete dominant trait within the
breed. The same litter can contain both hairless puppies,
and “powderpuff” puppies, which have a long soft coat.
The skin can be any color, and may be solid, mixed or
spotted all over. The breed is still not common, although it
has had some celebrity enthusiasts. One of the first kennels
dedicated to breeding these dogs in the US was founded by
the burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee.
Dawn, who owns Pet Pals on Bonita Beach Road, has
spent her working life with dogs, including her beloved
Cresteds. Most clients stay with their groomer for the lifetime
of the dog, so we asked, what is the key to a successful
grooming relationship? She gave us two pieces of advice.
First, start grooming visits when the dog is young, and
prepare at home with your dog. Many dogs cannot be
groomed until they develop a more mature coat. But they
should still come to the groomer for light maintenance
from a young age, so that they become accustomed to being
left in the salon, and to being touched. Puppies must become
accustomed to having their faces and paws handled. Owners
should practice handling their puppies at home, so that it
will not be a first-time event when the groomer does it.
Second, when leaving your dog at the groomer, don’t be
nervous! If you act as though you are upset or nervous, and
worried about how the dog will behave, it will quickly pick
up your fears. How can we expect a dog to be relaxed
during grooming if it is obvious that the owner is worried
about leaving it there?
The powderpuff has a thick double-coat, with a layer of
undercoat beneath the visible topcoat. Sometimes an owner
will suggest shaving a double-coated dog, particularly in
the Florida heat. It is however inadvisable to cut into the
undercoat, as this reduces the likelihood that the dog will
recover its full beauty when its coat grows back.
But aren’t some dogs really difficult to manage, we ask.
Dawn explained that experienced groomers, like experienced
dog owners, can “read” a dog’s personality and its state of
mind, and therefore manage any dog safely. It’s an essential
skill of the grooming trade.
As we speak, the Chinese Crested Dogs are pirouetting
around us. They may look unusual, but they are very lively,
and certainly very charming!
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 25
Grooming your best friend
What is the key to a successful
grooming relationship?
Many dogs cannot be groomed until they
develop a more mature coat.
Max Harris | [email protected]
Dawn has five Chinese Hairless Dogs, or Chinese
Crested Dogs to use their correct name. Not all
Chinese Crested Dogs are born hairless.
he had approached Florida
Gulf Coast University, and
that Wilson Bradshaw, its
president, along with other
officials, have twice inspect -
ed the site. “There continues
to be a general agreement
among those officers that
the site has potential for
university teaching and
research,” said McIntosh
“but the stated price makes
FGCU’s involvement unfea-
sible.”
Piper has not publicly
disclosed a sales price. He
stated that a full appraisal
of the property, including a
botanical appraisal of its
canopy of trees, is in process
(see related article).
Mayor Ben Nelson Jr., re-
ferring to the fact that the
price has not been publicly
disclosed, said, “In my mind,
until there is a specific price
that is mentioned, it is kind
of hard to go down that
road.” He also encouraged
the involvement of the com-
munity. “One thing I would
love to see is ... people come
together and say, ‘You know,
we feel so passionately about
this that we are going to
make this happen.’”
McIntosh suggested that,
“any number of possible
public-private partnerships”
could be pursued. He men-
tioned involving the Eco-
nomic Development Com-
mittee, finding a group of
citizens willing to form a
501(c) 3 not for profit, and
approaching potential bene-
factors or entrepreneurs in-
terested in preserving the
site’s ecology. “Having the
city take it over at taxpayer’s
expense should be the option
of last resort,” he said.
Others are also trying to
develop constructive ap-
proaches. The Wonder
Gardens “is a no brainer
for us,” said Alex Size of
the Trust for Public Lands.
The Trust for Public Lands,
a private non profit organ-
ization, has helped to
preserve significant “land
for people” throughout the
United States since it saved
the Marin Headlands across
from the Golden Gate
Bridge in the early 1970’s.
Among the historical prop-
erties it has helped preserve
are Florida landmarks like
the Key West Customs
House, Cypress Gardens
near Lakeland and the
Caribbean Gardens in
Naples.
Size made a presentation
to the Bonita Springs City
Council in January. He ex-
plained the Trust’s mission,
which is to expedite the
transfer of significant prop-
erties at fair value for public
use by working with owners,
municipalities and other par-
ties. Its services would be
provided to the City free of
charge. Its activities include
appraisal work, fund and
grant raising, conservation
and real estate expertise, fi-
nancing with its conservation
finance arm, community
polling and, as appropriate,
acting as an interim buyer
between private and public
ownership.
The property is not listed
on the open market – at least
not yet. Piper explained that,
depending upon progress for
a sale locally, he was making
plans for a more standard
commercial “national cam-
paign.” He added that his
family could continue to run
the park if a sale was not
consummated. He said, “The
Lord has really blessed us be-
cause we have a viable busi-
ness which is successful.”
Page 26 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
Preservation Path
from page 1
“Any number of possible public-private
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– Stephen McIntosh,
Bonita Springs City Council
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planned to be added is titled,
Your tax dollars at work. “It’s
going to highlight some of
the big projects your tax dol-
lars are being spent on,” said
Taylor.
“It’s not just a city meet-
ings channel,” said Antonio
Correia, a multimedia con-
sultant to the city, who has
been working on channel
98 since 2006. The three
flagship programs that you
won’t want to miss are
Beautiful Bonita, The City
Report, and Government
Works. The City Report
provides a summary of city
meetings if you don’t have
time to watch from gavel
to gavel. The Government
Works program discusses
issues including beach
cleanups, road construc-
tions and zoning issues.
Timely notices and emer-
gency information are avail-
able on the channel as well.
Correia has the ability to
update the bulletin board
on the channel at a moment’s
notice through his cellphone.
When the boil water notice
was in place earlier this year,
it was posted on TV98 within
the hour.
To view the current
TV98 schedule, go to boni-
tatv.org.
City Manager
Sixty-two applications
have been received for City
Manager position that meet
minimum requirements
prescribed by the City
Council. The new City
Manager will succeed Gary
Price when he retires later
this year. Price became our
first and only City Manager
in 1999 after serving as City
of Sanibel City Manager.
Meg Weiss, Deputy City
Clerk, estimates that the
number of applicants will
exceed eighty. She is devel-
oping procedures to be con-
sidered by the city council
for selection among the fi-
nal applicant pool.
Up and Down the Trail
from page 7
March 2011 Southwest Spotlight Page 27
Staff Report
[email protected]
The newly formed Bonita
Springs Economic Devel-
opment Council will hold
the last informational meet-
ing and membership oppor-
tunity prior to establishing
the founding board of di-
rectors March 3 at 5:30 p.m.
at the Trianon Bonita Bay at
3401 Bay Commons Drive.
A question and answer ses-
sion will follow the presen-
tations.
The Chamber’s TechXPO
2011 is set for March 10
from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
at the Embassy Suites at
10450 Corkscrew Commons
Drive. The TechXPO is a
business expo showcasing
companies that have a tech-
nology aspect to their busi-
ness. All displays are inter-
active and have demonstra-
tions of the products or serv-
ices they offer. The event fea-
tures raffles, short seminars,
complimentary appetizers
and drinks for attendees to
enjoy. Contact the Chamber
to register at 239-992-2943.
The sixth annual Market
Pulse is March 25 at the
Florida Gulf Coast Univer-
sity Student Union Ballroom.
With the economy on the
forefront of the national
agenda, the Chamber has
shifted the focus of Market
Pulse from residential and
commercial real estate trends
to a broader level of under-
standing the state of our
economy. Federal Reserve
Bank President and CEO
Dennis P. Lockhart, Sixth
District, will be the keynote
speaker at the sixth annual
Market Pulse event. Popular
market trend forecaster
Bradley Hunter, Director of
Metrostudy South Florida
Division, will also make a
return appearance. Contact
the Chamber to register at
239-992-2943.
The Posh Plum, a new
consignment store, opened
in November in the Bern-
wood Design Center at the
corner of US 41 and Old 41.
Crazy Woman Kayaks is
now open for the season at
Fish Tale Marina in Fort My-
ers Beach behind the Santini
Marina Plaza just north of
Lovers Key. Sales, rentals and
instructions are available.
Coconut Jack’s Waterfront
Grille is now open at 5370
Bonita Beach Road. Cus-
tomers can come by land or
by boat to the tiki bar. Florida
Community Bank will be
celebrating their Grand
Opening March 19 from
11a.m. to 2 p.m. at their
Bonita branch opposite Pub-
lix. There will be activities
for the kids including a
bounce house and Fire De-
partment vehicles; the event
will also include drawings
and prizes for the adults as
well as free lunch.
The Bonita Springs
Chamber of Commerce cel-
ebrated the ribbon cutting
ceremony of Noah’s Ark
Academy last month wel-
coming the business to the
community. Their mission
is to provide quality devel-
opmental and educational
programs that challenge and
encourage children to achieve
their fullest potential. As a
child care center, Noah’s Ark
Academy accepts children
from the age of 6 weeks to
12 years old. The programs
range from after school, be-
fore school, before and after
school, daytime, drop-in care,
emergency care, full-time or
part-time.
Mike Joyce at Gulf Coast
Coin and Jewelry in Bonita
Springs will host an auction
of rare coins, bullion, dia-
monds, new jewelry and es-
tate jewelry on March 19.
Auctioneer Rick Gallowill get
things started at noon.
Bonita Business Beat
Contributed | Special to the Spotlight
From left to right, Brad Collins, Mary Shallies, Teri Lamaine, Karen Tarpin, Angelis Winn, Russ Winn,
Christine Ross and Kevin Smale at the ribbon cutting for Noah’s Ark Academy.
By Peter R. O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – In an im-
portant moment of transi-
tion for downtown Bonita
Springs, the Piper family’s
stewardship of the Everglades
Wonder Gardens, a defining
presence on Old 41 for sev-
enty-five years, may be draw-
ing to an end. The Wonder
Gardens is for sale and its
fate is unclear.
In the early stages of the
sale process, the Piper family
has been exploring the fea-
sibility of a sale that would
preserve the property for
public use. “We need to do
what is best for the family,
but we also want to see our
heritage fulfilled,” said David
Piper, co-owner of the Won-
der Gardens property. Piper
has engaged Cullum Hasty,
a local realtor, for the sale.
“The main reason why we
went with Cullum is because
he is an environmentalist to
the core...and that he could
approach people who would
be interested in saving it, at
least the trees,” said Piper.
”We believed we would put
our best foot forward, my
brother and I, for the interest
of the public good.”
“In the right hands, the
Wonder Gardens site could
preserve a key part of the
city’s ecological history and
promote the development
of the area,” said City Coun-
cilman Stephen McIntosh.
At a recent City Council
meeting, he explained that
Page 28 Southwest Spotlight March 2011
S O U T H W E S T
MARCH 2011 Vol.2, No.3 FREE

Events, things to do and opportunities to give back to our community in and around Bonita Springs
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
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PERMIT #980
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
ECRWSS
Inside
Bonita
Blues Festival 20
Town Talk 13
Bonita Assitance
Office 23
Swamp Buggy
Races 9
Outside your
window 5
Everyone’s wondering
Robert L. Smith | [email protected]
William L. Meyers |
[email protected]
Wonder Gardens owners
try preservation path
Spotlight Interview: David Piper on
Wonder Gardens then & now
By Peter R. O’Flinn
[email protected]
Bonita Springs – David Piper runs the busi-
ness of the Everglades Wonder Gardens with
his wife Dawn Marie, and owns the property
with Buck Piper, his brother. The Wonder
Gardens has been in the Piper family since it
opened seventy-five years ago.
In a recent extensive interview with the
Spotlight, Piper talked about the Wonder
Gardens, its founding and development,
the legacy of its founders, his deep respect
for his grandfather, and his intentions and
hopes for the property, which sits on three
and one half prime acres astride the Imperial
River.
Continued on page 17 Continued on page 26

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