Have a relaxing Weather and Tides Labor Day page 21 Weekend VOL. 19, NO. 36 From the Beaches to the River District downtown Fort Myers SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 said Horizon Foundation President Dan Prestigious Edison Eveloff. Of special significance for Fort Myers Awards Coming is having the Edison Awards come to a place where Thomas Edison had a family To Fort Myers home and laboratory. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates are visited by more than he Horizon Council and Horizon 250,000 guests each year and are located Foundation are partnering with the less than one mile from the Caloosa Sound City of Fort Myers to sponsor and T Convention Center. host the highly-acclaimed international Named after inventor Thomas Edison, Edison Awards in the heart of Fort Myers the Edison Awards have recognized and over the next three seasons. Beginning honored some of the most innovative new April 21 to 23, 2021 and continuing products, services and business leaders from through spring 2024, the Edison Awards around the world since 1987. The awards will take place at the new Luminary Hotel personify the persistence, excellence and and Co. and Caloosa Sound Convention human drive for innovation, creativity and Center in downtown Fort Myers. ingenuity long personified by the famous “Bringing the internationally recognized inventor. Edison Awards and its high caliber of “We are thrilled that the Edison Awards award-winning entrepreneurs to the City are moving to downtown Fort Myers where of Fort Myers where Thomas Edison Thomas Edison’s greatest innovations maintained his winter home is a very big originated over 150 years ago,” said deal,” said City of Fort Myers Manager Executive Director of the Edison Awards Saeed Kazemi, PE. “We look forward to Frank Bonafilia. “The future of Fort Myers welcoming everyone to our beautiful City of is bright with robust start-up and global Palms.” companies that are leading the charge in As part of the agreement with Edison Yang Yuanqing, chairman of Lenovo, and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX were honored enhancing the quality of life, increasing Universe, the Horizon Foundation and with the 2014 Edison Achievement Award photo provided sustainability and improving educational Horizon Council will contribute $150,000 groups will also assist the Edison Awards more excited and honored to extend our technology.” over a three-year period, and the City of in securing another $50,000 from area global reach with the Edison Awards, which Each year, more than 150 companies ‘ Fort Myers and Community Redevelopment businesses for each event year. will bring business leaders and tourism Agency (CRA) will do the same. The “The Horizon Foundation couldn’t be dollars from all over the world to our area,” continued on page 14 My best friend and I by Isabella Baquerizo images provided shop hours. There will be a free, virtual New Exhibit At opening reception on September 11 Time Travel by Whitney Hackett at 6 p.m. Guests will be able to hear mischievous and subversive ways. The will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday Alliance Not Just statements from the artists and engage exhibition includes works of all media that from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays with questions and feedback throughout entertain while disrupting the status quo; from 9 a.m. 1 p.m. or by appointment by Fun And Games the night. Pre-registration is required at one could easily enjoy it as a collection contacting gallery director Ehren Gerhard he Alliance for the Arts’ September www.artinlee.org/playswellopening. of nostalgia and delight, but the artists at [email protected]. and October exhibition, Plays Well Plays Well with Others is an exhibition have skillfully transformed the lighthearted Exhibiting artists include: Isabella TWith Others, will be displayed from curated by Jessica Todd featuring local theme of “play” into a critical dialogue of Baquerizo (Bonita Springs), Amelia Briggs Friday, September 11 through Saturday, and national artists who create work that contemporary issues. (Nashville, Tennessee) Breana Ferrara October 17 with limited gallery and gift engages with play and toys in interactive, Alliance gallery and gift shop hours continued on page 12 2 THE RIVER - SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 Historic Downtown Fort Myers, Then And Now: Shuffleboard’s Heyday by Gerri Reaves, PhD or much of the 20th century, shuffleboard was a popular recreation option downtown. The sport’s local heyday began Fin 1933, when courts were built in Evans Park, located west of Heitman Street and south of Main. In 1946, the city built 40 new modern courts, pictured here circa 1947, at the Civic Center on Edwards Drive. They were an indication of postwar prosperity, optimism and investment in public amenities. The courts occupied the eastern side of the Civic Center complex, located across from the Fort Myers Yacht Basin between Hendry and Jackson streets. The Civic Center had been created in 1943, when a portion of the 1927 Pleasure Pier Auditorium – today’s Hall of Fifty States – was relocated. The pier had deteriorated and had to be demolished, and only that section was saved. An adjoining structure was constructed on the auditorium’s west side closer to the corner of Edwards Drive and Hendry Street. During the war, that center was a hubbub of social, community and civic activity. It housed the USO and a continual round of activities for servicemen stationed at Shuffleboard players enjoy a nighttime game at the Civic Center in October 1950 nearby Page Field and Buckingham Army Air Force Base, as well as for locals and photo Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System tourists. country as early as the Revolutionary War period. There was a canteen, and a live orchestra played at weekly dances. In 1981, the Civic Center was renovated and became the Fort Myers Tourist Building. Postwar, it continued as a vital center of activity, at various times containing the The auditorium became the Hall of Fifty States. Chamber of Commerce, the Tourist Club, the Edison Festival of Light offices and other However, by the turn of this century, the Civic Center, as well as the courts were entities. dilapidated. Who knows when the final game was played on those courts? People enjoyed games, fashion shows, teas, chess, bridge, recreational sports such as In 2007, the western half of the complex and shuffleboard courts were demolished. badminton and, starting in 1946, shuffleboard. For the first time in over 70 years, there were no public shuffleboard courts Shuffleboard in the U.S. peaked in the 1940s and 1950s, bolstered by celebrities like downtown. Betty Grable, Harry James, Merv Griffin and Alan Ladd. Only the Hall of Fifty States remains of the Civic Center, and the historic building’s The game’s origin goes way back to 16th century England, and it was played in this continued on page 4 In 1946, the City of Fort Myers built 40 modern shuffleboard courts at the Civic Center on The Hall of Fifty States is the only surviving part of the once-thriving Civic Center. It was Edwards Drive. In the left background is the auditorium, today called the Hall of Fifty States. originally a portion of the 1927 Pleasure Pier built on the river near the foot of Heitman Street photo courtesy SWFL Historical Society and was moved to this site in 1943. photo by Gerri Reaves Independently Owned And Operated COPYRIGHT 2020 The River Weekly News Read Us Online: www.IslandSunNews.com LORKEN Publications, Inc. Publisher Graphic Arts/ Reporters Contributing Writers Lorin Arundel Production Gerri Reaves, PhD Kay Casperson Craig R. Hersch Accounting Ann Ziehl, Manager Kathy Kurtz Ferrari Suzy Cohen Capt. Matt Mitchell Mike Terry Amanda Hartman Linda Coin Trinette Nelson Advertising Justin Wilder Marcia Feeney Howard Prager Bob Petcher Katie Frederic Julie Rosenberg, MD Shelley Greggs J. Brendan Ryan, CLU, The River Weekly News will correct factual errors or Tom Hall ChFC, MSFS matters of emphasis and interpretation that appear in news stories. Marion Hauser, MS, RD Di Saggau Readers with news, tips, comments or questions, call 239-395-1213 or write to: Ross Hauser, MD Jeanie Tinch The River Weekly News, 1640 Periwinkle Way, Suite 2, Sanibel, FL 33957. PRINTED ON FAX number: 239-395-2299. Email: [email protected]. Email: [email protected] RECYCLED PAPER The River Weekly News reserves the right to refuse, alter or edit any editorial or advertisement. 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