Marco Island council loses court battle over anchoring law

Marco Island has lost the first legal battle in its anchoring laws. Check this web site for up to date information on it. If you are a boater this is good news for you.
click cruising guide link attached
http://www.cruisersnet.net/index.php

Hopefully this will be the end of these local restrictive laws and people who are buying homes on the water will realize that they are not purchasing the water with the lot.

Picture is our boat in Factory Bay at Marco Island
www.terryandrhonda.com

Bill Moss comes To Naples as City Manager

We met Bill Moss at the Sugden Theatre reception for all the final six candidates. All I knew of him at the time was he was in Marco Island, and I was thinking that is not a good thing, since that community seems like it is in turmoil. I was very pleasantly surprised after talking to him for a few minutes. He looked good and spoke well and was certainly one of the top candidates. As you know, he was selected and I am confident he will be great for Naples. He is a boater and I do not think he favors the controversy that is plaguing Marco Island. His resume is good and some of the people I have talked to in Royal Harbor have spoken to friends that live in North Myrtle Beach where Bill came from before Marco. They speak very well of him. I was also told that the style of government in Marco is very different than the one here in Naples. We have an elected Mayor and they do not. This means the City Manager is always on the HOT SEAT in Marco.

My favorite REALTOR joke

John Doe wanted to see a home Realtor X had listed. It was under construction and as luck would have it while showing the property, John fell through a plywood floor and got a nasty cut on his leg by a nail sticking out of a 2x4. Realtor X wanted him to go to the emergency room but John declined and went about his normal business. The next morning John noticed a red area around the cut but went to work anyway. By night time when he got ready for bed, there was swelling and by morning the red streak up the leg was prominent. He finally called and got a doctor appointment for that evening. The doctor gave him pills and a shot but 3 days later the leg was really swollen and John was admitted to the hospital. The following day he went into surgery to have the leg removed.
Now, the interesting part. The surgeon, by accident, messed up and removed the wrong leg. John awoke in the hospital room to find this out. He immediately was rushed back to surgery and had the correct leg removed. He was devastated and called his attorney who promptly filed suit against the Realtor, the contractor, the home seller, the hospital, the doctors and anyone who had anything at all to do with his now pathetic condition.
The trial was long and drawn out and finally at the end all were surprised at the verdict…
The Judge threw out all charges stating the plaintiff “did not have a leg to stand on”. See, REALTORS have a sense of humor!

Dr. Lee, Naples City Manager farewell

Rhonda and I were invited to the city's farewell party for Dr. Lee, the city manager, at city hall last evening. The city council members and many of the city staff some friends and community citizens were there to say a fond farewell to Dr. Lee. In his short 4 years here in Naples he gave greatly of himself and his talents toward making this community better and the crowd at the gathering was there to exprss their appreciation.
With his wife at his side Dr. Lee remarked that he felt mixed emotions on leaving but felt his career had led him to this point.
There was no doubt that the crowd assembled felt a loss at his leaving. He has made many friends here and has been a shining example of the type of individual needed for this job.
Most there that I talked to felt we would be hard pressed to find another person that can do the job as well and still be as well liked as Dr. Lee.
All wished him a fond farewell.

Naples Marine Officers enforcing 30 MPH limit

I have been told that the Naples police are now enforcing the speed zone laws to the letter of the law. You may go 30 mph in the channel but beware; once you go out of the channel you are to decrease to idle/slow speed. If you are leaving your canal do not kick up to plane until you reach the marked channel or you may get a ticket. I know of several instances where people have been stopped and word is, warnings are not going to be issued but tickets will be given.
Also I have noticed an increase in policing in the waterways. Even boats without markings but with armed officers and lights on the top are stopping boats for a variety of reasons. There are the Naples Police, the Sheriff Dept, Fish and Wildlife, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and others out there, so keep all your safety gear handy. Lifejackets, a throw device, whistle or horn, fire extinguisher and current registration are the items they will request to see. Children age 5 and under must be wearing a life vest. If you are fishing, everyone in the boat better have a fishing license. If they ask for your driver’s license be prepared for a ticket.

Taxing Distric meets to review Royal Harbor area dredging plans

The East Naples Taxing district met today at city hall and reviewed the results of the engineers hired to survey and estimate the dredging of the canals and Bay on bordering Royal Harbor, Oyster Bay and Golden Shores. I attended the meeting and learned that the cost is estimated at over 4 million dollars.
This is to include dredging the canals, removing rock where needed, dredging paths from the along the shore channel in the Bay to the main channel .These access channels are to be approximately where they are now at the North and South ends and a center channel at the Chesapeake/Bluepoint canal exit. Canals will be dredged in the middle leaving 10 feet on the side that the homeowner may wish to contract to be dug or not.
A possible use for the spoil was discussed rather than trucking this out. It was suggested that an environmentally positive approach might be to develop 2 spoil islands in shallow areas already in the Bay. These are located in the now no wake zone in the North end of the Bay.
Reasons to do this are to increase animal and vegetation life. To filter out fresh water and slow the progress of it as it enters the Bay. Also it would be cost effective. This is in the "planning Stage".
Those working on the project are seeking other avenues of revenue but so far the taxing district is alone in this.
The committee sent the plan back to the engineers asking for more information on costs and ideas for other funding. A homeowner survey of the area will take place to try and confirm the whereabouts of the Rocks in the canals.
We hope the Royal Harbor homeowners association will take an active part in the planning of this program. There will be more on this later.

Terry Forshier..
www.terryandrhonda.com

Royal Harbor Fishing

I actually have caught Tarpon off my dock here in Royal Harbor. I have also caught snook, jacks, sheephead, snappers, catfish and several other varieties. It is amazing what the net ban has done to replenish the fish in the bay and canals. Every year in the spring large 3- or 4- foot snook start swimming in and around the canals. These giants do not want to bite, but they are an awesome sight and for a time were not around. In-shore fishing is great fun, especially if you have timid fishermen (kids, etc.) who are not looking forward to going way out in the Gulf. Lots of great fishing abounds here. Here is a picture of castnetting Mullett off the beach.

If you would like to know more about fishing just ask at the Naples Library on Central Avenue in Old Naples about their fishing seminars. They use a local captain who will show you many things such as how to rig your rod, how to anchor your boat, how to select good spots, and the best times to fish for the best chance of success. It is free.

Every week in the paper there are fishing reports from local captains that tell what is biting. Fishing is great here.

Beach Access

Beach Passes

As a homeowner in Naples, you can get a beach parking sticker for your car. Go to City Hall just south of Fifth Avenue. You need a tax bill, library card or drivers license. This bumper sticker lets you park in “special” resident spots and makes access to the beach easier. These are still FREE

Boating and Sailing clubs

Boating and Sailing

Naples has several yacht clubs. Most are invitation-only clubs and you must be invited to join by a current member. Here are the web sites you can open to get up-to-the-minute information on these.

Naples Sailing and Yacht Club… http://www.nsyc-naples.org/ Phone: 774-0424
This club is invitation-only and you must be recommended by a member. A new clubhouse has just been built. The club is seeking permission to expand their dockage out into Naples Bay to accommodate more yachts. This is a popular club with Royal Harbor residents so your new neighbor may well be a member. Ask around.

Naples Yacht Club…… http://www.naplesyc.org/ Phone: 262-6648
This is an invitation-only club. There is a waiting list because it is very popular. The web site has good information on it.

Gulf Coast Sailing Club (GCSC) …… http://gulfcoastsailingclub.org/
This club does not have a club house, and is composed of sail boaters mostly. They have races, monthly meetings and guest speakers and are open to everyone. Their dues are $50/ year at this time. GCSC also has events with a Marco Island sailing group, Sailing Association of Marco Island (S.A.M.I.)...a similar group, and with the group in the Ft. Myers area, the Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. This is an active and fun group known for their antics.

Naples Sailing Center… http://www.naplessailingcenter.com/
A volunteer youth sailing center located on Naples Bay. Check the site for more
information. I know several volunteers live in Royal Harbor and help with
this. You can see the kids sailing the little optimist prams in the bay on most days.

There are other cruise clubs in the area for power boaters, but I was unable to find websites for them. Naples Cruise Club and Marker 40 are two with which I am familiar. These clubs have get-togethers and cruise their boats (mostly powerboats) to various coastal marinas where they visit, have planned activities and sightsee. They are also invitation-only clubs but have many residents in this area as members.
You can call me for informationon these. Terry

Royal Harbor Water Quality

This rainy season has been a lot less rainy than last year. This is actually better for the Bay. Last year city and county officials found that the Bay was getting up to 200 million gallons of fresh water a day at times from the streams that empty into it. (900 million gallons reported at one day one time)The Gordon river was the worst offender and if you were here last year and on the water you had to have noticed the many islands of weeds that were everywhere in the bay and up into all the canals. It was a real problem. Naples even sent out small boats with teams of men to scoop up the debris and haul it out of the canals. At the time I heard one city official report that 80% of the bays oyster beds, 90%of the sea grass and 70% of the mangroves had been lost in the previous decade. A plan is now in operation to reverse this trend and recover the Bay.This plan include the creation of "holding ponds" up river from the Gordon river all the way across pine ridge road. These will be behind the Zoo and along Goodlett Frank and they will be a series of ponds, each feeding the next and filtering out debris and cleaning the water before it reaches the Bay. There is also a study and plan to pond an area in the Davis, US 41, and Airport triangle and running that accumulated water into Haldman's creek. Then a plan to divert some water directly into Rookery Bay. Lastly there is a plan to take the Green area off Broad St in Old Naples Aqualane area and put a series of filtering ponds there.Besides ponds there are other ideas including more rip rap walls, planting and aerating alread existing ponds them makeing them less stagnant and now even trying to pass water retention systems on every new home that is built.Things are getting better. I see more fish in my canals and the water might be a little more clear. (or maybe that is wishful thnking.) AS I learn of more I will pass it on

Royal Harbor Boat Thefts ended

Stolen Boats from Royal Harbor and Aqualane in Naples

This summer there were at least 2 boats I am aware of that were stolen off the canals in Naples. (One in Royal Harbor and one in Aqualane.) Both these boats were alike. They were 36 foot Yellowfins and each had on 3 large outboard motors. There were also several failed attempts to steal boats. All this happened in the matter of a few weeks. At the same time the Sheriff’s department and Highway Patrol had confiscated several boats that were being transported on the highway. These were all found by alert police. These boats had some unusual thing about them. One had a boat being pulled by a car too small, one had been overloaded and was found to have lots of gas and supplies on board. Others found special add on gas tanks had been added etc etc. Several of these boats were being pulled by cars that were also stolen. Their drivers in many cases were found to have no identification and to be here illegally.
There was a lot of speculation as to what was going on. Most I talked to thought these boats were to be used in smuggling people from Cuba to the US on this side of the Florida Peninsula. . In fact we had several cases of this from Sanibel on down to Marco. The arrivals told authorities that their plan was to go out around the Dry Tortugas on the trip up from Cuba and then up the Gulf a hundred miles or so and then East to land further up the coast. They had been told this would take them past the Coast Guard patrols. Evidently it worked. Also they were in very fast boats, like the kind stolen. These would outrun the coast guard and the TV even had a scene from a helicopter of a boat outrunning a coast Guard Cutter and making it to land.
Then a few weeks ago I was told that one of the stolen boats from here was found in Cancun. What was it doing there? Last night on the late news the newscaster reported that the new smuggling plan is to go from Cuba to Mexico. (Cancun) then fly to the border and then cross legally to the US at the border. This way the Cuban refugees comply with the “Wet Foot Dry Foot” law allowing them sanctuary in the US.
As much as we all complain about things here in the US think how much worse it is if so many people are willing to risk so much be here. I think Tony Blair said it best ..”the true worth of a country is measured by how many people want to get in…”
Stepped up patrols on the water and on the roads apparently has worked as no tefts have been reported for several months.

Route 41 and Sandpiper entrance signs ??Where are they?

I got an Email from the City staff today on the entrance signs at Rt 41 and Sandpiper Street. The developer is now finalizing contracts to get these constructed. They tell me that this project will require 2 new electrical services to be run into the parks, each with its own meter and set up. They also need permits for plumbing and the actual signage. But this is all underway and when this is done and permits are finalized they will begin.
At this time there is no timetable available. The man at at the city also said that he would keep me posted when a timetable is set.
We had all hoped this would be completed for this season. Apparently not.