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Gulfshore Business

Gulfshore Business Daily: December 2

December 1, 2020
Lead Photo: STARability Foundation’s STAR*Made Studio workers create candles for l Finding Sanctuary shop. Details below.

 

LEE COMMISSIONERS APPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH BONITA SPRINGS

Lee County commissioners on Tuesday approved an interlocal agreement for Lee County Natural Resources to provide surface water management services for the city of Bonita Springs. Typical services provided by Lee County to Bonita Springs include response to flooding complaints, assistance with water quality issues, regional water studies and development reviews, and assistance with the city’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) State permit. The five-year agreement with Bonita Springs does not include the cost of capital projects or maintenance of their existing stormwater system. The city will pay the county $100,332 annually.
 

LEE HEALTH HOSPITALS RATED IN TOP 5% IN U.S.

Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital and HealthPark Medical Center are the recipients of several Specialty Excellence Awards and have been named among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Specialty Care™ for 2021 by Healthgrades, a leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems. This designation recognizes hospitals that deliver superior quality and patient outcomes within a number of specialty service lines and focus areas. All four hospitals earned superior performance ratings in the specialty areas of critical care, pulmonary care and stroke care, while Cape Coral Hospital and Lee Memorial Hospital also saw high-performance ratings in the areas of gastrointestinal care and general surgery. Additionally, each hospital earned Specialty Excellence Awards for cranial neurosurgery and neurosciences as well as bariatric surgery (LMH and HPMC). For more information, visit healthgrades.com and LeeHealth.org.
 

Video courtesy of WINK News

CAPE CORAL-BASED ZOTTER CHOCOLATES SEES BUSINESS BOOM

One Cape Coral woman is Southwest Florida’s version of Willy Wonka. Her gourmet chocolate business has been seeing sales soar from customers all over the world. Barbara Dolleschal has developed the art of shipping her products in bulk. Her business, Zotter Chocolates, ships gourmet cholates from Cape Coral. “The chocolate, we make them from scratch in Austria, so it’s really a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, sourcing the cocoa beans from everywhere in the world, Fair Trade. The chocolate is made from scratch,” Dolleschal says. She is shipping about 150 boxes per day, so the pandemic has barely made a dent in the chocolate business the way it has many others, WINK News reports.
 

AMMUNITION SHORTAGE MAKES HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING DIFFICULT

Gun shop owners say that despite guns often being a high-demand gift, one thing is different this year. There’s an ammunition shortage. There are two reasons for the shortage, panic-buying during the pandemic and the presidential election, said Corey Rugg, owner of Gulf Coast Clays gun club in Collier County. “Coronavirus shut down a lot of the manufacturers which supplied all the ammo and now all their inventory is gone and with all the panic buying everybody’s just starting to try and catch back up,” he says. So, if ammunition is on your shopping list this holiday season, be ready to look around, drive farther or pay more, WINK News reports.
 

Video courtesy of WINK News

ULTIMATE RELAXATION MASSAGE OPENS AT MIROMAR OUTLETS

Ultimate Relaxation Massage has now opened at Miromar Outlets. The center’s newest store and first-ever massage studio offers a variety of massage treatments personalized to an individual’s needs for relaxation and revitalization of body, mind and spirit. Ultimate Relaxation’s massage menu includes Swedish, deep-tissue, and trigger-point massages. Customers can choose chair, table and foot massages. Ultimate Relaxation is located on the south side of the mall between The Llama’s House Bar & Grill and Oakley Vault and accepts walk-ins and appointments. Visit Ultimate Relaxation Massage in suite 424 or call (239) 676-7259 for more information.
 

OPULENT LIGHTING & DESIGN LAUNCHES VIRTUAL VENUE

Opulent Lighting & Design has added a new focus and space for virtual events. The company is partnering with Rick Gallo, benefit auctioneer, and Drew Townsend of The Naples Studio to provide services for nonprofit and charity events, and corporate and individual celebrations. Opulent Lighting & Design can customize any event offering lighting, drapery, and luxury rentals, for physical and virtual gatherings. For additional information on products, services, and venue space, click here or email sales@opulentlightinganddesign.com. 
 

STAR*MADE STUDIO STAFF CREATE CANDLES FOR FINDING SANCTUARY SHOP

Lisa Kahn, CEO of Lisa Kahn Designs and founder of Finding Sanctuary, has enlisted the help of the staff at the STARability Foundation’s STAR*Made Studio to create all-natural, hand-poured candles exclusively for her new Finding Sanctuary Shop. The studio provides part-time employment and vocational job training in Naples for more than 30 people with disabilities who have aged out of the school system. The special Finding Sanctuary candles can be found at shop.findingsanctuary.com. In addition to candles, the STAR*Made Studio artists also focus on photography, ornaments and other home décor items sold at the STAR Store: Upscale Resale & Stellar Art, located at 106 10th St. N. in the Naples Design District. STARability offers a biannual community-based photography workshop open to all STAR participants. For more information, visit starability.org.
 

IN THE KNOW

 

BNY Mellon Wealth Management names Guffey senior director in Naples

BNY Mellon Wealth Management has announced the appointment of Dawn Guffey to senior director of wealth management, where she is responsible for managing portfolios as well as providing strategic planning and advice for ultra-high-net-worth-families and their private foundations. Based in Naples, Dawn reports to Market President Barry McKenzie. Dawn joined BNY Mellon in 1984, and has since served in various investment management roles, including as a chief investment officer in the Cash Investment Strategies Group, and most recently, as a corporate senior information risk officer (CSIRO) and privacy steward for BNY Mellon Investment Management. Other roles include executive vice president and senior portfolio manager for BNY Mellon Cash Investment Strategies, senior portfolio manager at Standish Mellon and portfolio manager and trader for Mellon Bank in the Capital Markets Business.
 

Cindy Guido

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank hires Guido

Cindy Guido has joined Sanibel Captiva Community Bank as a customer service representative and teller at the Bridge Branch, located at 9311 College Pkwy. She is responsible for assisting customers with personal and business banking transactions. Prior to joining the bank, she was employed by another financial institution as a teller supervisor and customer service representative.
 

Keep Lee County Beautiful announces 2021 Board of Directors

Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc. (KLCB) announces a new member to the board of directors, as well as the full slate of officers and board members for the year 2021. Joining the KLCB board is Rodney Ford, Fort Myers territory general manager at Coca-Cola Beverages Florida. The Keep Lee County Beautiful slate of board members for 2021 include chair Molly Schweers, Lee County Solid Waste; vice chair Todd Hoagland, city of Cape Coral; treasurer Ron Kitlas, Famular LLC; secretary Melissa Kruse, Passarella & Associates; past chair Tom Mueller, Covanta Energy; chairman Emeritus Keith Banasiak, Waste Pro; Katie Berkey, Becker Lawyers; Linda Eroh, Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation; Jay Fandel, Boston Red Sox; Debi Greenfield, Greenfield Marketing; Jacki Liszak, Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce; Chip McElroy, Hodges University; Katie Moses, Lover’s Key State Park; Andrew Santos, T3 Communications; J.B. Schuetz, City of Fort Myers; Jim Suter, Advanced Disposal; and Amy Turner. Advisory board members are Ron Clayton, Mindy LaCroix, Peggy Lince, and David Scott.

 

Christopher T. Spiro

Spiro & Associates executive appointed to Uncommon Friends Foundation board

Christopher T. Spiro, chief creative officer at Spiro & Associates Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations and Brand Architecture, has been appointed to the Board of the Uncommon Friends Foundation. This comes after recommendations by seated members and the nonprofit’s executive director. The 30-plus-year industry veteran will join other outstanding leaders and community members in furthering character education and workplace ethics, specifically by rebranding and reenergizing the 501(c) (3) organization.
 

Lauren Faby

Baby Basics of Collier County welcomes board members

Baby Basics of Collier County has appointed Lauren Faby to its board of directors. A realtor with John R. Wood Properties, Faby produced and directed Baby Basics’ Virtual Fashion Show, held in November, and has been instrumental in the development of the nonprofit’s marketing plan. Joining her recently are board members Todd Lyon, director of talent management at NCH Healthcare System, and Nolvia Valladares, business services representative at First Citizens Bank. 
 

The Immokalee Foundation helps middle school students jump-start their future

The Immokalee Foundation recently welcomed 61 middle school students into Career Pathways, a career-oriented education curriculum that provides a valuable jump-start to students on preparing for their future professions. Career Pathways offers a broad curriculum for Immokalee middle and high school students to place them on pathways to well-paying, in-demand careers in Southwest Florida in four employment sectors: engineering construction management, education and human services, health care, and business management and entrepreneurship. Students first learn about career possibilities in grades six through nine during six-week rotations focused on the four sectors. Once students choose a desired career path, the foundation’s program team helps plan their high school years to ensure they obtain the needed education, training, and internships to prepare for postsecondary programs and future jobs. To purchase needed supplies from The Immokalee Foundation’s Amazon Wish List, click here.
 

CHARITABLE NOTES

Lee commissioners donate three residential lots to affordable housing nonprofit 

Lee County commissioners voted Tuesday to donate three surplus residential lots to a local nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing to the elderly, disabled, veterans and youth aging out of foster care. The lots donated to the Affordable Home Ownership Foundation Inc. are 1007 Eisenhower Blvd., Lehigh Acres; 1001 Eisenhower Blvd., Lehigh Acres; and 429 Sacramento St., North Fort Myers. The lots previously were acquired by Lee County due to non-payment of taxes. For more information on the Affordable Home Ownership Foundation Inc., a Fort Myers-based 501c(3) organization, go to ahf.today. For more information about surplus property, go to leegov.com/countylands/surplusproperty. 

 

Pace Center for Girls hosting Virtual Holiday Auction Dec. 7-11

Pace Center for Girls, Lee County will host its first Love That Dress! Virtual Holiday Auction on Dec. 7-11, offering an expansive selection of high-end packages, products, and experiences up for bid to support Pace programs. Each year, generous donors provide dozens of silent auction packages to feature at Pace’s Love That Dress! shopping extravaganza. Although this year’s shopping event was postponed until 2021, Pace is opening the array of auction items up for bid in time for the holiday season, offering holiday gifting opportunities that also help support an important cause. Items up for bid include an island staycation for up to eight people with four days and three nights in a private home on North Captiva Island; and a private in-home wine sampling experience for up to 12 people from PRP Wine International. Bidding for the Virtual Holiday Auction opens at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7, and closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. The community can pre-register for bidding and receive sneak previews at Shop4TheGirls.GiveSmart.com.

 

The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center virtual fundraiser set

The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center present their winter fundraiser, The Virtual Luncheon, at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 on the Museum’s YouTube Channel. There is no charge to attend and no registration required. Fully deductible event sponsorships are available, with sponsor recognition on the museum website, event promotion, and during the event. The program theme is “The Courage of Castellanos.” Col. Jose Arturo Castellanos was an El Salvadoran diplomat who issued citizenship papers for almost 40,000 European Jews, protecting them during the Holocaust, according to the Holocaust Museum. One of the families he saved was that of Holocaust survivor, museum board member and Naples resident Rob Nossen. The program will include a discussion between Nossen and Castellanos’ grandsons, as well as a preview of their recent documentary, “The Rescue,” about their grandfathers’ story. Additional information is available at HMCEC.org, or at Info@HMCEC.org or 239-263-9200. 
 

Samantha Scott, APR, Hannah Ramsey, Patricia Crump, and Annelise Przywara

Pushing the Envelope’s 10th annual CAN IT! Campaign most successful yet

Pushing the Envelope Inc. on Nov. 15 completed its 10th Annual CAN IT! Campaign, a food drive benefiting those less fortunate in Southwest Florida. The campaign collected 4,571 non-perishable food items for Community Cooperative Inc. (CCI), the most collected since the campaign’s inception and more than doubling this year’s 2,000-item goal. From restaurants and apartment communities to daycares, salons, and gyms, Pushing the Envelope partnered with 23 Southwest Florida businesses and organizations to collect donations. The full list of participating drop-off locations can be found here. With the completion of this campaign, the CAN IT! Campaign food drive has collected thousands of items amounting to more than 16,400 pounds of food donated to CCI since the campaign started in 2010.
 
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