FR EE 26 Students Receive Scholarships Beach Kids Foundation
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FortMyersBeach.news FREE Volume 19, Number 25 “By Islanders, For Islanders” June 21st, 2019 26 Students Receive Scholarships Beach Kids Foundation By Gary Mooney agua, Mindy Paniagua, Randy [email protected] Paniagua, Annie Salyers, Jack- sen Sudduth, Mason Sudduth, The Beach Kids Foun- Austin Tezak, Madison Tezak, dation hosted its annual Schol- Jordan Wallace, Sydney Wal- arship Awards Banquet at the lace, and William Holt Wallace. Lani Kai Island Resort on Mon- Each received a $1,000 scholar- day evening, June 17, where it ship to continue their education presented a record 26 “beach at various universities. Founded kids” with $1,000 scholarships in May 1985, the Beach Kids to continue their educational Foundation provides financial pursuits. Lani Kai owner Bob assistance for qualifying Fort Conidaris donated the banquet Myers Beach students through for the roughly 75 attendees at scholarships and educational the 6th floor Island View Restau- supplies. rant. In addition to scholar- The 2019 Beach Kids ships, the foundation hosts the Foundation Scholarship recipi- Spirit of the Holidays to en- ents are Sarah Bestrom, Cam- sure that all Fort Myers Beach eron Fancher, Bailey Faircloth, kids enjoy a Merry Christmas Ben Faircloth, Jacob Franklin, complete with gifts; presents Luciano Christian Gilberti, Alex- the Golden Coconut Award to is Gore, Keara E. Haataja, Ben the Beach Elementary School Hourigan, Summer Ray John- Teacher of the Year; originated son, Allison Jones; Aidan Kahn, the annual community Easter Josey Mayer, Samantha Muller, The 2019 Beach Kids Foundation Scholarship recipients, Egg Hunt now run by the Town with Foundation President Linda Beasley at right. Bridgette Myers, Andy Pani- Cont’d pg.10 Into the Rainforests of Belize A Darn Good Life! Mound House Adventure Travel Evelyn Mason Turns 100 By Gary Mooney rence were married for over 70 [email protected] years prior to his passing. They had three children – Jeff, June, In 1919 Woodrow Wilson and Dennis, who sadly has also was President of the United States passed away. Succeeding gener- but suffered a massive stroke that ations are female-dominated, as left him paralyzed for the remainder Evelyn has 7 granddaughters and of his term; former President The- one great-granddaughter! odore Roosevelt passed away in Evelyn never graduated his sleep; the 18th & 19th Amend- from high school, opting instead ments to the US Constitution went for secretarial school, then joined into effect that respectively prohib- General Motors for the start of her By Penny Jarrett Highlights included the Mayan sites ited alcohol and granted women almost half-century career with the Mound House Education Director of Lamanai, Cahal Pech, Xunantu- the right to vote; the Grand Can- automotive giant as a private sec- nich and Tikal. The weather, while yon became a National Park; the retary, but fate had another idea in The Mound House travel hot, was fantastic, since the only First World War ended; the Na- mind for her! “World War II broke program’s inaugural tour to Belize rain we had was at Tikal that cooled tional Football League began; the out and all the men left to fight, so and Guatemala took seven adven- things down for us before reaching Florida Keys Hurricane killed over I became a factory line supervi- turers on an exciting trip of a lifetime the Central Plaza. Our last stay was 600 people; the Chicago White sor in charge of the production of from June 6 – 13. Our group includ- at Jaguar Reef Lodge where the Sox threw the World Series; the ball bearings. General Motors was ed Gloria and Larry Abramoff, Gay- waters were a brilliant blue and the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth very good to me, and that is why I le Crabtree-Pergoli, Kat and Jim snorkeling at the South Water Caye to the New York Yankees; and on stayed there for about 50 years – I Finderson, Ron Reum and Cherie Marine Reserve was out of this June 26, Evelyn Eviglia was born still receive a pension from GM to- Smith, eagerly led by Penny Jarrett, world with many colorful fish and in Meriden, Connecticut! day.” Mound House Education Coordina- corals. All of the sites were memo- While “Eviglia” was her Another almost 50-year tor. We were greeted at the Belize rable and our tour companions de- maiden name, she spent most of love affair for Evelyn is her time airport by Allan Chan, our in-coun- lightful! her long life as Evelyn Mason, as in Southwest Florida and specif- try guide, and our able driver, Hugh. Cont’d pg.4 she and her late husband Law- ically Fort Myers Cont’d pg.3 NOBODY COVERS THE BEACH LIKE THE ISLAND SAND PAPER! Reliably Serving Fort Myers Beach Since 2001 For advertising options to reach more customers, call or contact us at 239-463-4461 or [email protected] Page 2 The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news June 21, 2019 Located Behind Publix at Snook Bight Marina Departs From 4765 Estero Blvd. Fort Myers Beach June 21, 2019 The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news Page 3 A Darn Good Life! Evelyn Mason Turns 100 Cont’d from pg.1 use any excuse to have a party. I of those lucky people who never play bridge with the girls and poker seems to put on any weight.” with the guys, so if you have a few Evelyn offered sage ad- bucks, come on down and play and vice: “You can enjoy a little alcohol I will send you home broke!” but don’t overdo it. Stay physically active, enjoy your family and find LONG LIFE & GOOD ADVICE yourself a great group of friends you can trust, and if you can do Evelyn always looked to anything for your local communi- the future, judging almost all the ty, do it, as those benefits always changes she experienced in her life come back to you! I like to be treat- for the good, with very few bad. “I ed right and that is how I treat ev- love all the new technology, espe- eryone else.” cially flying, and if I could go to the moon or Mars tomorrow, I would! I PARTY ON! do miss driving, however, but fam- ily and friends convinced me a few For someone who has al- years ago that I should stop, and ways been the life of the party, one today I can say that was the right celebration for a 100th Birthday just decision.” won’t do! Neighbor George Repetti As to her secrets for a long organized the first get-together in life, “Despite all the parties, I drink May with 37 people, explaining that very little alcohol. I am Italian, “many of the folks who live here Evelyn Mason, with a photo collage from the first of her three however, and wine is important to head north for the summer, and it 100th Birthday Parties in May. Photo by Gary Mooney our culture, so when I was young was important to them that Evelyn Beach. “We first moved down to and they became one of its char- and wanted a glass, my Mother knows how much they love her, as South Fort Myers in 1973 but real- ter owners in 1981. “No sooner did would pour it into my soup! I had we are a close community. There ly wanted something on the water, we put down our deposit, then two heart surgery once but my doctor was a second smaller event about and became enamored with Fort seconds later, we had a renter,” she said I was a good candidate and I a week prior to her actual birthday, Myers Beach, but did not initial- recalled with a hearty laugh! “They came through it just fine. I remain hosted by those of us still here.” ly move here, actually driving the wanted to rent it again the next active and was a ‘tomboy’ when I Finally, on June 26, her daughter Florida coast to look at other areas, year, but we said ‘No’ because we was younger, being captain of the June is throwing Evelyn a centen- but everywhere else we saw paled wanted to move in ourselves.” school basketball team and an avid nial celebration at the Turtle Club in comparison. We would say to Today, Evelyn still lives at swimmer in our local river, until one in Naples, where she will see many people at these other places that the Island’s End with son Jeff, say- day I looked behind me and saw a old friends from Connecticut who they were nothing like Fort Myers ing that, “I have never wanted to bunch of snakes following me in the are traveling down for the special Beach and they would reply that live anywhere else since then, as water – you should have seen me occasion. is because Fort Myers Beach was you can’t beat the Gulf view and jump out and climb up the nearby Reflecting on her century special.” we have the nicest neighbors! I bridge at 100-miles-per-hour, and on Earth, Evelyn concluded that, “I It was around that time that had wonderful friends in Connecti- that was the end of river swimming have had a darn good life; I ought the Island’s End Condominiums at cut but even better ones here, for me! At our condominium parties, to write a book – I really should!” the very southern tip of Fort My- and that is so important. We have I would dance all night! I have al- ers Beach was nearing completion Cocktail Hours each Tuesday and ways been thin – in fact, I am one Page 4 The Island Sand Paper FortMyersBeach.news June 21, 2019 Beach Botany Into the Rainforests of Belize PHOTO BY PENNY JARRETT.