Wal-Mart market cuts ribbon

“American Idol” Vonzell “Baby V” Solomon sings the national anthem at the grand opening of the Wal-mart Neighborhood Market in south Fort Myers.

The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market opened on Wednesday to throngs of employees and customers anxiously awaiting the store’s grand opening.

The south Fort Myers grocery store held a ribbon cutting that featured the singing of the national anthem by “American Idol” Vonzell “Baby V” Solomon.

“It’s time to kill the competition and do what we came here to do ... take their money,” said Mark Melita, the store manager, to a crowd of cheering employees. “It was one of the smoothest transitions to open this store and we did it.”

Setting up the 40,033-square-foot store that boasts more than 95,000 items was no easy feat but staff worked six and a half weeks to get it done.

“It went beautifully. This store will do very well,” said Susan Muniz, who came in from Kissimmee to help set up the store.

Muniz is usually able to get a store up and running in 4 and a half weeks; having an extra two weeks helped.

“We are going to open 15 minutes early because we have shoppers ready to see it,” said Melita about the store that opened at 7:15 a.m.

Shoppers filed in with shopping carts and took advantage of free cake, snacks, cereal bowls and a hello from the Kellogg's Cereal mascot, Tony the Tiger.

“It’s very convenient. It’s close to us and we are used to going to the store on U.S. 41 but now we can come here,” said Faye Lamack of south Fort Myers, who was visiting the store with her friend Pearl Grant. “We have plans to visit this new store often. We might be here all the time.”

Henry and Judy Schmidt came out to see what their daughter, who works at the store, had been raving about.

“My daughter works here and she kept talking about it ... it’s really nice,” said Henry Schmidt of Fort Myers as he walked into the store.

The store currently employs 94 associates who work in what was once a grocery store that Wal-Mart transformed into a neighborhood market. The Fort Myers Neighborhood Market is the fourth to open in southwest Florida.

With more than 120 stores operating across the U.S., the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market is the company’s youngest store concept, introduced just 10 years ago.

Arizona Pizza tries for special alcohol permit

The Arizona Pizza Company is continuing its efforts to expand throughout southwest Florida and franchise owners have recently opened two locations.

The south Fort Myers location on Gladiolus Drive is open and franchise owners are working to making the North Fort Myers location fully functional.

During a recent Hearing Examiner’s meeting, owners asked for an exception to allow the restaurant to serve alcohol in its outdoor seating area.

“We’d like to serve alcohol on the patio because it serves as a waiting area for our guests,” said Joseph O’Connor, one of five managing members of Arizona Pizza. “We need this special exception for consumption on the premises because of what is allowed on this property.”

The permission O’Connor asked for was approved by the Department of Community Development staff that oversaw the case.

“The outdoor seating area is for six tables that seat 24 persons and we recommend approval but with conditions,” said Josh Overmyer, the community development planner.

Overmyer said the exception would be allowed if the restaurant agreed to serve alcohol at only two tables on the patio.

“I understand only being able to serve alcohol at two tables but my concern is my ability to separate these customers from the rest that aren’t drinking,” O’Connor said in response to only being given permission to serve alcohol in a limited capacity. “We’d prefer allowance to serve alcohol at all tables.”

O’Connor is also facing problems with alcohol consumption on the patio because of a lack of parking spaces for staff behind the patio area.

“We can agree to five tables instead of six because of zoning,” O’Connor said adding that he had spoken to the neighboring Wal-Mart store and managers there agreed to lend parking spaces for pizza company staff.

Deputy Hearing Examiner Richard Gescheidt said he’d allow for the exception but told O’Connor he had to set up another hearing for further exceptions.

“I can’t at this proceeding allow for more seating because in the original development order was for two tables ... not the five you are asking for,” said Gescheidt, adding that O’Connor speak to staff about additional seating and issues with staff parking.

O’Connor was pleased with Gescheidt’s decision and plans to ask the County for another hearing to address additional seating.

“We are pleased that they approved this area and I’d like to find a way to get five tables instead of two,” O’Connor said. “There is an aura that people like with outdoor seating and we want to be able to serve food and drinks there ... these meetings are all just part of the process.”

Another Arizona Pizza Company, O’Connor said, has been approved to open in Fort Myers on State Road 82 just east of I-75.
Arizona Pizza Company specializes in a variety of wood fired pizzas and also serves sandwiches and burgers.

Grants help school purchase mats, cameras

Students at the Evangelical Christian School are getting a boost in their educations.

The school in south Fort Myers recently were awarded two grants that are allowing students to take their classroom lessons into the real world.

Students received two $500 grants from the ExxonMobil Education Alliance Program and Publix Charities, which both focus on helping local schools with supplies or other endeavors.

“Everything that we are doing and every grant we received will be used for teaching the children a skill they can use later in life,” said Lisa Spearman, the director of development at the school.

Spearman wrote a letter to Publix Charities explaining the schools need for a grant to purchase two digital cameras for the schools newsletter and other events.

“We have a growing wish list online and in the letter, I talked to them about it and said that we have significant needs at the school,” Spearman said adding that Publix was quick to respond. “We were able to purchase two cameras and the children are using this stuff so we are teaching them how to use the photography in conjunction with the newsletter.”

The ECS newsletter is a quarterly, 8 page spread that is mailed to parents, grandparents and school alumni.

“The cameras are a big help because we used to use the cameras of the students that worked with me on the newsletter,” said Denise Swafford, the technology coordinator, who oversees the newsletter and the journalism students who work on it. “Now, we can get the quality pictures that we need and it’s 8.1 megapixels and has 15 times the zoom!”

The $500 grant from the ExxonMobil program was used to purchase circle time mats for the K4 program students.

“They had some mats but this gets them two thirds of the way to what they need,” Swafford said about the mats that are being used for story time, game time and bible lessons. “This gives them a place for children to gather indoors and they are not just on the carpet but have a special place to sit.”