The Bonita Springs Community Foundation is looking for generous individuals who spend their time, money or efforts giving back to the community.
Through the “Love of Bonita” reception every year, the foundation honors one individual whose efforts have made a difference in helping to build a stronger community which, is the foundations primary mission.
“Our goal is to find one person that stands out and we do it through a nomination process,” said Melanie Dehon, the chairperson of the event and foundation board member. “We rely on the community to help us find them.”
The recipient of the award that will be given at a reception in January of 2007 must express their love of Bonita Springs by actively making a positive impact on others.
“We don’t want to discourage anyone from nominating someone they know. No thing is too small if you feel they had an impact,” said Dehon, who has sat on the nomination committee that reviews more than 50 entries and picks a winner. “Sometimes I just wish we could print all of them because there are so many great people out there doing exception things for others.”
In the last six years the foundation has honored people for contributions to education like Bonita Springs Elementary principal David Short and the late Dick Miller who was instrumental in bringing the YMCA to Bonita.
“In recognizing their efforts, we feel it helps bring awareness to our foundation and also hopefully gets people to feel a sense of pride for their community,” Dehon said.
The foundation that was started in 1997 has given more than $1.3 million in grants and scholarships to area non-profits and students.
They work as an affiliate of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation who provides the necessary manpower and resources that keep the Bonita Foundation in operation.
“We try to promote philanthropy and build a sense of community in the hopes of improving the lives of the Bonita Springs community,” said Dehon, whose foundation acts as the middle man between donors and agencies that need money for emergencies that aren’t covered by money used for their day-to-day operations.
The recipient of the “Love of Bonita” award also receives $10,000 that will go to the charity of their choice.
“This award is based on the individuals desire and we want to recognize their efforts and show what they have done,” she said. “It helps the community to realize just how much has been accomplished.”
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Bonita adds nine new firefighters to district
Marcus Orlins, 20, has followed in the footsteps of his father who has been with Bonita Springs Fire-Rescue for 20 years – a feat Orlins hopes he will top when he begins working as a firefighter in the same district.
But Orlins’ first honor came during a recent candidate graduation and pinning ceremony in which nine graduates completed a month-long orientation training that welcomed them to the area.
“This is just our Bonita Springs orientation but all these guys are trained and have been through fire school. Some of them have been firefighters elsewhere,” said fire-rescue spokesperson Debbi Redfield of the graduates that include one assistant training lieutenant.
The ceremony that included a reading of the oath and awards for top students in the academic and physical categories also marked a first for the department that recently moved into a new facility off Bonita Grande Drive.
The new facility offers enough space that family members were invited to participate in the ceremony by pinning badges onto their loved ones.
“We feel it’s very important for families to experience it and it adds to (graduates) moment,” Redfield said. “The other meeting room was very small so we didn’t have room for everybody.”
Sherri Bradford, 40, is pleased that she was able to attend the graduation because it was a moment in her son’s life that she didn’t want to miss.
She sat in the front row and happily watched as her husband, clad in his firefighter uniform, pinned Orlin’s badge on his chest.
“It was a very proud moment. I’m very excited and I think (Marcus) will learn a lot and they train well,” said Sherri Bradford, of Bonita Springs.
Father and son exchanged handshakes and hugs and posed for pictures with Orlins’ diploma.
“I’m pretty excited of him, he worked hard for what he did,” said Ed Bradford, 41, of Bonita Springs.
Working hard to get to that final diploma meant passing fire school, followed by Emergency Medical Technician school and then more weeks of training in Bonita protocol, policies, fire district maps and hands on training in various pieces of equipment.
“I’m excited to start my new career as a firefighter and kinda follow in the footsteps of my dad,” said Orlins, of Bonita Springs.
Forestry Resources, Inc. works to save the environment
Forestry Resources, Inc., in Bonita Springs is working to bring a whole new meaning to the words “environmentally-friendly.”
The landscape supply specialist is on a mission to slow down the spread of the melaleuca tree, an exotic species found throughout Southwest Florida.
This species was brought over from Australia as an experiment to absorb the water of the Everglades in preparation for new construction but it wiped out native plants and wetlands.
And, that’s why Forestry Resources, Inc. is taking a stance against this environmental hazard by being the first company to sell it as mulch to landscaping contractors in the area.
“It’s a unique way to get rid of exotics and an environmentally conscious way to save cypress trees,” said Robert Boyd, the new store manager at the Bonita retail store.
The company has other stores in Estero, Fort Myers, Naples, and Cape Coral.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to connect with our core customers, the landscaping contractors that do landscaping installation for new communities or landscape maintenance,” said Boyd, of Bonita Springs.
He has worked with the company for the last two years and for some years before that at the Fort Myers location.
Boyd took a small break to work with a landscaping contractor for a short time but returned when the manager position opened up.
“The opportunity to head up the Bonita office is a nice one and there is a great demand for landscaping supply in this area,” he said about customers who purchase everything from shovels and fertilizers to pruning equipment.
Forestry Resources, Inc. opened in 1983 and the Bonita Springs location is just another expansion of those environmental efforts as it’s the only location that offers storage space for contractors with landscaping supplies like tractors and trucks.
“All we’ve done is raised (space) for contractors because as they grow, contractors have storage problems and this gives them a safe, secure spot and is a convenience for them,” said Alan Shaffer, the vice president of sales marketing and store operations, about the storage facility that used to be owned by an RV storage company.
Providing a storage area for contractors helps them easily purchase supplies and keeps with the companies environmentally safe mission.
And, in keeping with that mission Forestry Resources, Inc. also serves as a horticultural waste dump site that accepts prunings and clippings from contractors.
“By offering a dump site they now have multiple, convenient locations that are closer to their job sites, saving not only time, but fuel costs as well,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer, who has worked with Boyd, said Bonita customers are going to get top quality service from a highly educated horticulturist that is certified by the Florida Certified Horticulture Profession.
“There is high expectations for that market so I think it will be a lot of fun,” Shaffer said. “We love the idea of having him down there, he brings a certain level of education for our company and he brings that to our customer base.”
The landscape supply specialist is on a mission to slow down the spread of the melaleuca tree, an exotic species found throughout Southwest Florida.
This species was brought over from Australia as an experiment to absorb the water of the Everglades in preparation for new construction but it wiped out native plants and wetlands.
And, that’s why Forestry Resources, Inc. is taking a stance against this environmental hazard by being the first company to sell it as mulch to landscaping contractors in the area.
“It’s a unique way to get rid of exotics and an environmentally conscious way to save cypress trees,” said Robert Boyd, the new store manager at the Bonita retail store.
The company has other stores in Estero, Fort Myers, Naples, and Cape Coral.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to connect with our core customers, the landscaping contractors that do landscaping installation for new communities or landscape maintenance,” said Boyd, of Bonita Springs.
He has worked with the company for the last two years and for some years before that at the Fort Myers location.
Boyd took a small break to work with a landscaping contractor for a short time but returned when the manager position opened up.
“The opportunity to head up the Bonita office is a nice one and there is a great demand for landscaping supply in this area,” he said about customers who purchase everything from shovels and fertilizers to pruning equipment.
Forestry Resources, Inc. opened in 1983 and the Bonita Springs location is just another expansion of those environmental efforts as it’s the only location that offers storage space for contractors with landscaping supplies like tractors and trucks.
“All we’ve done is raised (space) for contractors because as they grow, contractors have storage problems and this gives them a safe, secure spot and is a convenience for them,” said Alan Shaffer, the vice president of sales marketing and store operations, about the storage facility that used to be owned by an RV storage company.
Providing a storage area for contractors helps them easily purchase supplies and keeps with the companies environmentally safe mission.
And, in keeping with that mission Forestry Resources, Inc. also serves as a horticultural waste dump site that accepts prunings and clippings from contractors.
“By offering a dump site they now have multiple, convenient locations that are closer to their job sites, saving not only time, but fuel costs as well,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer, who has worked with Boyd, said Bonita customers are going to get top quality service from a highly educated horticulturist that is certified by the Florida Certified Horticulture Profession.
“There is high expectations for that market so I think it will be a lot of fun,” Shaffer said. “We love the idea of having him down there, he brings a certain level of education for our company and he brings that to our customer base.”
Monday, September 18, 2006
A new face for Marlie
Writer's note: This is a story that I wrote as a Sun-Sentinel intern on December 17, 2005. I put this on my blog because I saw the little girl in this story on an update story on TLC. I was shocked to have been there at the beginning of her struggle and now know that she is moving toward the life her mother spoke to me about..marriage, kids and happiness. The only story that has ever truly moved my soul and is the reason I'm in this business. Please read and enjoy. -Alex
Marlie Casseus gave doctors a thumbs-up sign when she woke up from a 17-hour surgery to remove nine pounds of a disfiguring growth from her face.
Though she can't yet speak, the surgery gives the 13-year-old Haitian girl new hope of living a normal life, doctors at
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami said Friday. They are optimistic that they've controlled the genetic disorder that caused the lesion.
"She is doing extremely well. She is a brave little girl and she is very excited," said Jesus Gomez, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who led a team of pediatric surgeons, operating room technicians, and anesthesiologists on Wednesday.
They made intricate incisions that opened her face "like a book" to remove the growth and align her eyes, Gomez said.
She's already off the respirator, but is sedated to control pain, he said.
The growth, which threatened the girl's breathing and eyesight, would have eventually killed her, Gomez said.
The rare growth is caused by Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia, a rare disease that affects one out of every 15,000 to 30,000 people. It began growing five years ago, about the time Marlie hit puberty. It swelled her face to the size of a bowling ball, impaired her speech and crippled her with pain.
Doctors hope to continue rebuilding her face in about eight weeks, a process that will include several more surgeries. Because there is no cure for the disease, they'll continue to monitor Marlie to make sure the growth doesn't return.
Maleine Antoine, the girl's mother, said Friday that she's elated with the results.
"When I would look at Marlie, I would question how they will do such a [surgery]," she said. "It was a terrible shock when I saw Marlie because I'm looking at her and I remember my little girl before she became sick, and now she looked so good. It was a joy for me."
During the long surgery, Antoine said she prayed and focused on the teen's future.
Marlie won't be able to speak or eat on her own until sometime next year. Doctors say her sense of taste and smell will likely never return.
The 80-pound girl arrived in Miami 10 weeks ago after a mission group visiting Haiti learned of her condition. Word spread resulting in an outpouring of donations from around the world -- including Hong Kong, Iceland, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden -- to cover the $95,000 surgery.
Doctors donated their services.
Marlie was seemingly healthy at birth, and her condition went unnoticed in Haiti because of limited medical technology. Early testing could have prevented the growth, Gomez said.
While Marlie rarely complained about the growth, her mother said she was bothered by the reaction of strangers, who often gasped, stared or pointed when they saw her.
Gina Eugene heard about Marlie while on a mission trip to Haiti. She went to the girl's home in Verrettes and persuaded the mother to come to the United States.
"I was not prepared to see her, even though I had been warned," said Eugene, 50. Eugene and her twin sister, Ginette Eugene, run Good Samaritan for a Better Life.
The group works with the International Kids Fund to raise money for the medical needs of Haitian children.
"She has touched the hearts of people all over the world," said Josephine Mora, community outreach manager of the International Kids Fund, a philanthropic program of Jackson Memorial.
On Friday, Marlie's mother said she's glad her daughter's misery is "over."
"I feel so happy that is my dream coming true," Antoine said. "I see that God put me in hands of good people with very generous hearts."
---The International Kids Fund helps children who cannot find or afford
treatment in their native countries. It helps find appropriate doctors and
pay for sophisticated surgeries and treatments. For donations to the
International Kids Fund and to help Marlie, call 305-585-5888. One hundred
percent of the donation will be earmarked for Marlie's surgery and her
post-operation care.
Marlie Casseus gave doctors a thumbs-up sign when she woke up from a 17-hour surgery to remove nine pounds of a disfiguring growth from her face.
Though she can't yet speak, the surgery gives the 13-year-old Haitian girl new hope of living a normal life, doctors at
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami said Friday. They are optimistic that they've controlled the genetic disorder that caused the lesion.
"She is doing extremely well. She is a brave little girl and she is very excited," said Jesus Gomez, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who led a team of pediatric surgeons, operating room technicians, and anesthesiologists on Wednesday.
They made intricate incisions that opened her face "like a book" to remove the growth and align her eyes, Gomez said.
She's already off the respirator, but is sedated to control pain, he said.
The growth, which threatened the girl's breathing and eyesight, would have eventually killed her, Gomez said.
The rare growth is caused by Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia, a rare disease that affects one out of every 15,000 to 30,000 people. It began growing five years ago, about the time Marlie hit puberty. It swelled her face to the size of a bowling ball, impaired her speech and crippled her with pain.
Doctors hope to continue rebuilding her face in about eight weeks, a process that will include several more surgeries. Because there is no cure for the disease, they'll continue to monitor Marlie to make sure the growth doesn't return.
Maleine Antoine, the girl's mother, said Friday that she's elated with the results.
"When I would look at Marlie, I would question how they will do such a [surgery]," she said. "It was a terrible shock when I saw Marlie because I'm looking at her and I remember my little girl before she became sick, and now she looked so good. It was a joy for me."
During the long surgery, Antoine said she prayed and focused on the teen's future.
Marlie won't be able to speak or eat on her own until sometime next year. Doctors say her sense of taste and smell will likely never return.
The 80-pound girl arrived in Miami 10 weeks ago after a mission group visiting Haiti learned of her condition. Word spread resulting in an outpouring of donations from around the world -- including Hong Kong, Iceland, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden -- to cover the $95,000 surgery.
Doctors donated their services.
Marlie was seemingly healthy at birth, and her condition went unnoticed in Haiti because of limited medical technology. Early testing could have prevented the growth, Gomez said.
While Marlie rarely complained about the growth, her mother said she was bothered by the reaction of strangers, who often gasped, stared or pointed when they saw her.
Gina Eugene heard about Marlie while on a mission trip to Haiti. She went to the girl's home in Verrettes and persuaded the mother to come to the United States.
"I was not prepared to see her, even though I had been warned," said Eugene, 50. Eugene and her twin sister, Ginette Eugene, run Good Samaritan for a Better Life.
The group works with the International Kids Fund to raise money for the medical needs of Haitian children.
"She has touched the hearts of people all over the world," said Josephine Mora, community outreach manager of the International Kids Fund, a philanthropic program of Jackson Memorial.
On Friday, Marlie's mother said she's glad her daughter's misery is "over."
"I feel so happy that is my dream coming true," Antoine said. "I see that God put me in hands of good people with very generous hearts."
---The International Kids Fund helps children who cannot find or afford
treatment in their native countries. It helps find appropriate doctors and
pay for sophisticated surgeries and treatments. For donations to the
International Kids Fund and to help Marlie, call 305-585-5888. One hundred
percent of the donation will be earmarked for Marlie's surgery and her
post-operation care.
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