I attended the Cape Coral City Council meeting on March 9. I listened and spoke in reference to storm shutters. The majority who spoke were snowbirds with their concerns. I spoke on behalf of senior citizens. I am disabled, use a walker, am a widow and a senior. I start putting my shutters up early when a storm is coming then leave some of them up for the rest of the season. With the new ordinance they are talking about they have to be put up and taken down for each storm. According to Keith Long, the District 6 councilman, ”Just pay someone you pay to have your lawn cut.”  In my neighborhood there are senior widows, 92, 86, 84 and 76. Some of these widows live strictly on Social Security. It is very easy for Mr. Long to say just pay someone. If you have to pay to put them up then take them down numerous times it becomes costly. Then you have the problem if you can even find someone to do the work. As for people who don’t like the look of shutters, we have piles of garbage that are not picked up by Waste Pro, garbage cans that are left out all week, and tall weeds and grass uncut, and boats parked on empty lots and driveways. The code enforcement does not even enforce all these ordinances, so why add another one? Please let me decide when I want to put my shutters up and take them down.

I am a Vietnam USMC veteran, also a second generation American of Ukrainian descent. My father was a U.S. Navy WW II vet of the South Pacific. The last Good War. To this day I don’t know why I was in Nam, why we were in Panama, Grenada, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait. Other than some gutless president wanted to show how “tough” he was, all draft dodgers. Now we have a chance to fight somebody for a reason. Let’s rock 'n' roll!

The thought of using nuclear weapons has been in check since 1945. That, by the very philosophy of detente, aka truce, or deterrent, aka restraining, has been changed in 2022 to threats. Now, one member of the detente can get their way by intimidation knowing the other member will back off because, otherwise, would be the end of the world. How sad.

What would you do if your former reasonable boss retired or was forced out, and was replaced by someone who changed the requirements of your job, asks you to do or ignore things that are unethical or illegal, and threatens the jobs of anyone who doesn’t go along with their demands? Would you stay or would you look for another job? It might be hard if you have spent most of your work life working for the same company that you considered the best in the business. You might feel loyalty to the company even though it is no longer the same, and you might want to try to stay until you retire, and find ways to excuse or justify what has happened to the leadership of the company. I understand why so many people have decided they can no longer be a part of the Republican Party, and I also understand why so many people have remained loyal to the Republican Party even when it has completely changed in leadership, philosophy and goals. It’s hard to even recognize and accept that you can no longer be a loyal Republican without giving up your own true values and identity, it’s so much easier to just look at the past and pretend the Republican Party is still reasonable. But lots of people have gradually recognized the changes in the party and acted on that recognition.

Local students have received $96,000 in scholarships from the Press Club of Southwest Florida since 2007. Here’s what some students have said about these scholarships:

“Gave me confidence that people believed in me.”

“Gave me a shot of pursuing a career in journalism.”

“Having a mentor has been the greatest takeaway.”

“I’m thankful for networking opportunities in the Press Club.”

“Was a stepping stone for my career.”

“Gave me a much-needed push towards my career in television.”

“Meant that the Press Club believed in me, year after year.”

“As I pursue my newspaper career, I’m also now a member of the Press Club.”

Each year the Press Club gives two $1,000 journalism scholarships to students who have graduated or will graduate from Collier or Lee County high schools. Those who meet the criteria are interviewed by the Press Club Scholarship Committee.  Students are also given a mentor, one of the Press Club members, who is an active or retired journalist, and they get a student membership in the Press Club. The scholarships are renewable as long as the criteria are met.

If you are currently or will be a 2022-23 full-time college student, majoring in the overall field of Journalism/Mass Media, consider applying for one of the Press Club $1,000 Journalism Scholarships. The application deadline is April 30, 2022. Applications and criteria are available on the Press Club website, pressclubswfl.org under “Scholarships & Criteria.” For more information, contact Press Club Scholarship Committee Chairman Connie Kindsvater at ckinds@me.com.

Connie Kindsvater, Press Club Scholarship Committee chairman, Naples

I'm sure the construction improvements to the northbound ramp to I-75 at Colonial Boulevard will be great when they are done, but right now the merge onto I-75 is dangerous. There is virtually no acceleration lane to merge onto the highway and no time to look while moving to be sure no vehicle is approaching. I think there should be a full stop sign at the merge to give time to look and be sure it is safe to merge, and there should be a warning of this approaching stop sign so following cars expect the car in front of them to stop..

I managed to close the trunk of my 2001 BMW with my keys in the trunk after shopping at the Publix at Bonita Beach Road and 41. Since I could not think of any way to open the trunk without my keys, I called my husband, who was coming from Fort Myers Beach, and would arrive, eventually.  As I’m standing outside of the car, waiting for him, a large Bonita Springs fire engine pulls up next to me. Three handsome firemen hop out, and immediately ask me what the problem might be. I explain the situation, telling them my husband was on his way. One of them mentioned they could probably go through my back seat to the trunk!  (That seemed like way too much work!)  One of the other firemen asked if he could open the car door.  I said absolutely!  He reached down and hit a little button I had never noticed before, and I have had a 2001 BMW since about 2004! The trunk popped open! I was amazed, and elated! 

Thank you so much to these wonderful firemen for helping this lady in distress! 

Marilyn Quackenbush, Fort Myers Beach

If you want secure borders, less spending, low taxes, low gas prices, energy independence, low inflation and a sane foreign policy vote Republican in the 2022 mid-term and 2024 presidential elections. If not vote for the Democrats and endure the pain.