The Roar Offshore Powerboat Races Return
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FortMyersBeach.news FREE Volume 19, Number 15 “By Islanders, For Islanders” April 12, 2019 The Roar Offshore Powerboat Races Return Dozens of race teams are expected to compete in the OPA National Championships in Fort Myers Beach in October. See story on page 4 Chapel Kitchen Renovated Not The End of The Road Spaghetti Dinners Resume Bridge Projects to Follow By Gary Mooney we replaced a few things here By Gary Mooney already working on Segments 3 [email protected] and there, while putting off others. [email protected] and 4, that we are combining into Now hot food stays hot and when one segment, and that should be Chapel By The Sea (CBTS) we turn on the hot water, we know Several topics were on the done by July 2020, and we will last month resumed hosting its it will be 143 degrees. It is bright Management & Planning Session combine the final two segments 5 community Spaghetti Dinners the and clean and everything works!” agenda for the Town of Fort Myers and 6 into one, with that complete second Saturday of each month, “And,” added Denise Armstrong, Beach Council on Thursday, by December 2021, so we are on- from 5 to 7 p.m., but for “Momma the CBTS office administrator, “it is April 4, including the possibility track for our 2021 completion date.” Chapeletti,” also known as Arlene large enough where we no longer of shifting its election date from Council member Bruce Fisher, that two-hour meal is a bump into each other all the time!” March to November, a Mooring Butcher commented that Segment week-long labor of love! That, The only thing left to Field expansion discussion, 2, particularly around the Red however, is now a great deal easier complete is attaching the gas line. initial conversations for the 2019- Coconut RV Park, “seems like it is since the four-month renovation “We submitted our application last 20 Budget and potential design taking a long time.” “We discovered of the formerly antiquated CBTS October,” explained Denise, “with proposals for Times Square, some gravity sewer lines under the kitchen is almost complete. the final connection to occur soon, Bayside Park and a new parcel for road,” Meurer responded, “and “Ordinarily, we host as Lee County cannot finish it until the Bay Oaks Recreational Center. that is taking a long time. Section Spaghetti Dinners from October the conclusion of season. Right The meeting began, however, 2 turned out to be difficult, but it through July,” said Arlene, “but now, we are running off propane with a reFRESH Estero Boulevard will be complete by June.” Butcher due to the badly-needed kitchen tanks and have gone through three Projects update from Assistant Lee asked about Estero Boulevard bus makeover, we did not have our already, and they are expensive.” County Manager Doug Meurer. stop shelters, but Town Manager first one in 2019 until March. Folks “Things are going well,” he Roger Hernstadt stated a possible obviously missed it, as we enjoyed WHAT’S OLD IS NEW reported. “Cooperation between obstacle is the Town policy a record attendance of 220 people! the County and Town is as good as preventing advertising in such We gutted the old 1980s kitchen By late 2016, it was it has ever been and we are moving structures, as well as the narrow right down to the concrete walls, obvious that the kitchen required along right now on the current Estero Boulevard Right-of-Way in as it was so outdated, we could renovation, so in January 2017, schedule that will have Segment 2, many places. Butcher suggested not provide proper food service CBTS hosted its first Spaghetti where the bulk of the construction identifying potential bus stop shelter anymore. Before this renovation, Dinner, with all profits Cont’d pg.3 is now, complete by June. We are locations, “so we can Cont’d pg.6 Page 2 The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news April 12, 2019 Located Behind Publix at Snook Bight Marina Departs From 4765 Estero Blvd. Fort Myers Beach MENTION Top-of-the- THIS AD line fleet of AND GET pontoons, 10% OFF tritoons, YOUR BOAT and RENTAL runabouts. YOUR GATEWAY TO THE Rent One BOATING LIFESTYLE! Relax ~ Fish ~ Sun Bathe Today or Join Our Boat Club We bring the boat, and Get Unlimited you bring the fun! Access! 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A meal like this catering companies.” doesn’t happen without dedicated The Spaghetti Dinner volunteers, especially my husband menu includes spaghetti, sauce Steve, along with Ed Milde, Tanya and homemade meatballs, spicy Podley, and John and Kaye Rotach. sausage with peppers, salad, Kaye came up with the original homemade garlic bread, and meatball recipe and people love it chocolate brownies and vanilla ice – they are nice, soft and the perfect cream for dessert, with coffee, tea size!” and lemonade. “The big change In addition to Spaghetti this year is we now have the permit Dinners, CBTS will offer an Easter to sell red and white wine,” said Brunch on April 21, immediately Arlene. “Wine tickets are $5 for a following its service that begins at 10 two-glass limit. We think this is a.m. “We will serve egg casserole appropriate because not only did and French toast casserole,” Arlene Jesus drink wine, but he made his stated, “with pancakes, biscuits-&- own! We also have a fundraising sausage gravy, Greek salad, and raffle, featuring a gift basket with pastries, along with juice, coffee and Denise Armstrong (L) and Arlene Fisher in the renovated Chapel By The Sea a handpainted Italian dish, two lemonade, at $10-per-person. The kitchen, preparing 18 gallons of sauce for Saturday evening’s Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser. PHOTO BY GARY MOONEY. wine glasses, a bottle of wine, and first Sunday of each month year- chocolate. Tickets are $2 each or round we offer a complementary dedicated to that cause. “At that Spaghetti Dinner fundraisers remain three for $5. In March, we raffled off Communion Lunch, though we same time, Town Council member crucial,” Arlene related, “as we still two baskets and made over $300!” appreciate donations, and the Rexann Hosafros, who was the new owe $35,000. We added electrical menu varies. Anything left over, we clerk of sessions of our governing outlets and boosted services for THE PROCESS donate to ‘God’s Table,’ and the council, was looking at some old future appliance upgrades. No one people there really look forward to records,” recalled Denise. “She liked the additional expense, but The spaghetti sauce is this.” exclaimed excitedly, ‘look what we there was no point in doing the work Arlene’s own secret recipe “that Chapel By The Sea is at found!’ It was an old news clipping if we did not do it right. We want to I made for my own family for 100 Chapel Street, next to Town from March 1940 reporting that explore using the new facility as a years! To be honest, it is not the Hall; for information see chapelbts. approximately 200 guests attended soup kitchen, where we can make ingredients so much as it is the org or call 239-463-3173. It hosts a benefit CBTS spaghetti supper to and freeze these to distribute to our process.” “The Process” requires Sunday services through Easter raise funds to equip its newly-built parishioners who may be returning five days of preparation! “We start at 8 and 10 a.m., then returns to a kitchen! It was so interesting and home from the hospital or can no on Tuesday, when we make 18 single worship service at 10 a.m. coincidental that our forbearers had longer cook for themselves. Now gallons, to allow plenty of time for “My greatest joy,” concluded Arlene, the same idea for the same cause, we have a commercial-grade the spices to bloom. On Saturday “is seeing the people’s faces while proving that great concepts have kitchen that not only serves our morning, we slowly simmer it in they savor our spaghetti and no time limit!” needs, but we can explore renting big roasters, while we make the the rest of the meal. My kids and As happens with many out the facility to outside groups.” homemade meatballs and peppers grandkids live all across the country, improvement projects, the “Silver Hall seats 260 that take several hours to cook. so I have no one down here to cook estimated $75,000 price doubled people,” Denise said, “so it is perfect We serve everyone on real plates for, so everyone who attends our to $150,000 by the time CBTS for wedding receptions, with room with real silverware, as spaghetti Spaghetti Dinners is my family!” incorporated everything it needed on the stage for a band or DJ, and on a paper plate is an accident for present and future uses. “The a sound system. Another possibility Page 4 The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news April 12, 2019 Beach Botany The Roar Offshore by Jim Rodwell Powerboat Races Return By Gary Mooney horsepower “but still go around 80 miles-per-hour,” he stated, “all the “The Roar Offshore” will Fort Myers Beach was way up to the Unlimited category not just be another OPA race, but once home to extraordinarily pop- that can go 170 miles-per-hour! To the season-ending National Cham- ular offshore powerboat races until optimize the race experience for pionship, with Tim calling it “The the event left after 2006, but thanks beach spectators, the Start & Fin- Granddaddy of Them All! There to Tim and Cyndee Hill of Fort My- ish Line will be in front of the Dia- are 6 races in the OPA series, ers Offshore, this heart-thumping mondHead Resort, with the boats starting in May and culminating extravaganza returns on October heading south to Turns #3 and #4 with Fort Myers Beach, with teams 12 with “The Roar Offshore!” at Junkanoo on The Beach, with accumulating points based on how “Cyndee and I are board those turns roughly a quarter-mile they finish, so that will make ‘The members of the local powerboating apart.