Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born. Now Happy Fourth add the age you will of July be this year. The result will be 111 for everyone in the world. VOL. 10, NO. 25 From the Beaches to the River District downtown Fort Myers JULY 1, 2011 Fourth Of July Festivities Around The Area ndependence Day festivities will take place around Lee ICounty on Monday, July 4 with parades, fireworks displays and music. Here’s what’s happening around the area on and around July 4. Cape Coral: The Chamber of Commerce presents the City of Cape Coral’s 4th of July party, RE/MAX Realty Team’s Red White & Boom. For over 11 years the Cape Coral business community comes together every July 4th to Jennifer Hecker, Conservancy of Southwest Florida director of natural resources, and local honor the birth of our nation with recreational angler Ralf Brookes urge state leaders to address the pollution plaguing the a spectacular fireworks show and Caloosahatchee River water supply party. Held at the foot of the Cape Leaders Address South Coral Bridge on Cape Coral Parkway, the event is a day filled Florida’s Water Crisis, Urge Action with patriotic fun. By land or sea, the experience is nvironmental groups and community leaders convened on June 23 in Fort Myers remarkable as over 20,000 citizens at Centennial Park along the Caloosahatchee River urging aggressive action to come together in the Spirit of America. Eprotect Florida’s water supply. Of particular concern are the toxic and noxious There’s something for the whole family from a Free Fun Zone for the kids with inflat- blue-green algal blooms plaguing the river. able bounce houses, climbing walls and obstacle courses, over 100 vendors of food, Kirk Fordham, CEO of the Everglades Foundation explained, “While these algal drinks, novelty items, jewelry, arts and crafts plus giveaways and drawings. blooms are a result, in part, of the ongoing drought, the fact is the Caloosahatchee The Boom Stage will feature national recording acts. The Caloosa Tent & Rental VIP continued on page 15 area will once again take your 4th experience to a higher level as a limited amount of tickets will be on sale to the public. For more information, call 549-6900 or go to capecoralchamber.com. WCI Raises $30,000 For United Way Fort Myers: The Miracle Baseball puts on a spectacular fireworks show on Sunday, July 3, courtesy of TIB Bank and Budweiser. The professional Class-A Miracle team meets its closest rival, the Charlotte Stone Crabs, on the home field at 7:05 p.m. Following the game, the skies combust with a spectacular show of pyrotechnics. Tickets are $6 to $10. Gates open at 6 p.m. The event is presented by Budweiser, TGI Friday’s and Wells Fargo. Call 768-4210 or go to www.miraclebaseball.com. On Monday, July 4, Freedom Fest in Centennial Park begins at 2 p.m. with chil- dren’s play areas and DJ Tommy Tunes. Live music on six stages begins at 6 p.m. continued on page 40 Art Walk: Art Walk Patriotic • Art of the Olympians: Steering Strokes exhibit featuring art of John Holiday Weekend Stillings. Vocalists Lorena Vargas and he July 1 Art Walk will be the start Sam Bostic from Young Artists Awards of a patriotic and festive week- will be performing from 7 to 9 p.m. Tend in downtown Fort Myers. As • Art League of Fort Myers: Opening usual, local art galleries and art stops will of Sizzling Summer exhibit. feature new exhibits and shows during • Arts for ACT Gallery: Opening July’s Art Walk. reception for new group show exhibits Then on Monday, July 4, the River Out of My Mind and Think Inside the District Alliance will put on the Fort Box. Myers Freedom Fest with live music, • Coloring The World: Featuring the Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott with Jake Campbell at Fight Against Hunger family entertainment and fireworks. It all art of Stephen Gray-Blancett, pottery by starts at 2 p.m. Sandy Pond and art jewelry by Raven CI Communities staff, family and friends helped raise more than $30,000 The monthly Art Walk runs from 6 Lamoreux-Dodd. and pack 119,000 meals in support of Building the Fight Against Hunger, to 10 p.m. on the first Fridays. The July • daas Gallery: Opening reception for Wa collaboration between WCI, United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades, and Art Walk will include more than a dozen Skin 2011: a collective exhibit (mature Harry Chapin Food Bank. art galleries and art stops and will feature audiences only). The 350-person volunteer effort took place at the United Way headquarters in new art shows, live music and the tra- • Gallery Showcase and Information Fort Myers, where shift leaders included Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott, Big Mama of ditional after party. The July after party Center at IberiaBank (Bayview Court at Beasley Broadcasting’s B103.9 morning radio show and NBC-2 news anchor Kellie will be held at Spirits of Bacchus on First Street). Art Walk T-shirts are avail- Burns. Hendry Street. able at this location as well as buttons, continued on page 4 Some highlights of the Friday, July 1 maps and brochures. continued on page 19 2 THE RIVER - JULY 1, 2011 Historic Downtown Fort Myers, Then And Now Evolution Of The Heitman Building by Gerri Reaves hen the Heitman Building came on the scene 113 years ago, it was described as one of the most modern Wand well-stocked grocery stores in Southwest Florida. Ever since, Fort Myers’ first brick building has played an impor- tant role in downtown business life. Harvie E. Heitman built it to replace his two-story frame grocery store on the same site, the northwest corner of First and Jackson. Ambrose M. McGregor was his financial partner in the venture. The historic photo, circa 1910, shows the structure in its first incarnation as a highly successful grocery store. Notice the wide metal awnings and the name “Heitman” at the top of the cater- cornered parapet. The man second from the left and under the awning is identified as Boyd Clifton Foxworthy, a well-known Fort Myers merchant and postmaster. He also worked for Heitman in the collection department in the Bank of Fort Myers. Originally from North Carolina, Heitman had come to the city in 1888 at the age of 16 to work for his merchant great-uncle, Howell A. Parker. When he built his own new store 10 years later, he launched a brilliant business career. In fact, it’s difficult to calculate the business and civic leader’s degree of influence during his short life of 49 years. The construction of the Heitman Building began on October 1, 1897 by con- tractors Levick & Moore of Tampa. MJ Miller of Tampa was the architect. Less than three weeks later, the cornerstone was laid, containing the latest issue Downtown’s first brick building has returned to its 1920s look and Heitman’s name no lon- ger appears on the parapet photo by Gerri Reaves of the Fort Myers Press and other documents. The store opened in February 1898. Some 145,000 bricks went into the 323- by 67-foot structure. The lower floor was devoted to Heitman’s mercantile business. On the exterior were ornamental fea- tures of malleable iron, as well as balconies and awnings. Large plate-glass windows provided display space and natural light. These first-floor windows, now sealed off, originally provided Smaller side windows light and ventilation photo by Gerri Reaves also provided natural light and ventilation. And talk about cutting edge -- the store was lighted with 10 electric lamps, a new service in the pioneer town. Customers no doubt appreciated the sidewalks along the still-unpaved streets. The Heitman Building was completed in 1898. In this circa 1908 photo, Boyd Clifton A concrete sidewalk ran along First Street and one of brick on the Jackson Street Foxworthy stands on the left side. courtesy of Florida State Archives continued on page 4 Read Us Online: www.IslandSunNews.com Contributing Writers Click on The River Jennifer Basey Joan Hooper Kimberley Berisford Audrey Krienen Advertising Sales Graphic Arts/Production Photographer Suzy Cohen Scott Martell Isabel Rasi Ann Ziehl Michael Heider Ed Frank Capt. Matt Mitchell Sarah Crooks Office Coordinator Writers Max Friedersdorf Patricia Molloy Co-Publishers Kris See Patricia Molloy Gerri Reaves, Ph D Priscilla Friedersdorf Laura Zocki Puerto Lorin Arundel Anne Mitchell Jim George Di Saggau and Ken Rasi Emilie Alfino Dr. Dave Hepburn Scott White The River Weekly News will correct factual errors or matters of emphasis and interpretation that appear in news stories. Readers with news, tips, comments or questions, please call (239) 415-7732 or write to: The River Weekly News, 1609 Hendry Street, Suite 15, Fort Myers, FL 33901. Fax number: (239) 415-7702. E-mail: [email protected]. The River Weekly News reserves the right to refuse, alter or edit any editorial or advertisement. PRINTED ON RECYCLED Independently Owned And Operated • COPYRIGHT 2011 The River Weekly News • LORKEN Publications, Inc. PAPER THE RIVER - JULY 1, 2011 3 Celebrate Edison’s Favorite Holiday he Fourth of July is believed to have been Thomas Edison’s favorite holiday and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates is celebrating the day with half price admission for Lee County residents. T On the Fourth of July, Edison would devote the entire day to his children waking up early in the morn- ing to set off fireworks. The family would celebrate the holiday with American favorites – watermelon and ice cream.