Housing slump slows plans for Wa-Ke-Hatchee park

The Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreational Center won't be seeing a 50-acre park move into the land around them anytime soon. Budget cuts have put park plans on hold indefinitely.

Add the Wa-Ke-Hatchee Recreational Center to the list of projects the Southwest Florida housing slump has pummeled.

Plans to build a 50-acre park on the Wa-Ke Hatchee in south Fort Myers are on the shelf for the time being.

Project Manager Bob Taylor, of the Lee County Public Works department, said acquiring the necessary permits and a slowing housing market are the reasons.

"It's not necessarily on hold right now. The park is in for permitting ... and we have budgeted approximately $5 million in impact fees and we intend to move forward with that," said Taylor, referring to permits that have been filed with the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The $5 million, Taylor said, will come from impact fees that are tied to the housing market.

The downturn in that market has slowed the fees to a trickle, Taylor said, adding that the permitting process is taking longer than expected because the property has significant wetland areas that might be impacted.

"We have to mark the boundaries ... and if we will impact any of that wetland ... then figure out what we can do to mitigate that impact," Taylor said.

"When the Southwest Florida Water Management district has the permits, we are at their mercy and they are very busy and it takes a little time to get the permits issued."

There is no timeline to start construction Taylor said.

"Until there is a turnaround in the housing industry and fees start to flow smoothly again, we will have to spend the money we have now and see how far it takes us," he said.

The park will include volleyball courts, children's playgrounds and baseball fields for Little League games.

Would-be users are disappointed at this new development.

"It's so sad that it's on hold. It seems to be something we are lacking in this area," said Mari Gutirrez, of Fort Myers Beach. "I think about that park every time I visit the center."

Gutirrez is just one of many parents in south Fort Myers with young children and few places to take them during the day.

Her son Justin, 4, attends computer classes at the recreational center while his younger brother Alex, 2, sits and watches.

"It's hard for Alex because he is so young. We could be out playing now because a class setting doesn't work for him," Gutirrez said.

Steve Cox, the supervisor of the Wa-Ke-Hatchee recreational center, which opened 2 1/2 years ago, said there are about 48 to 50 acres of country property left to develop.

All that open space is what parent Kerry Whitehouse, 31, and her children walk by at least twice a week going to the recreational center for programs.

"A park would be huge. I wish they would build it. We'd be here all the time," said Whitehouse, of south Fort Myers.

She has two children including a toddler who loves to run and explore. "We need more parks in the area and we've been saying that that land should be used for something like a park."

Whitehouse and other parents frequently refer to the land in front of the center that is currently occupied by a few picnic benches. And, they may be all that's there for some time."

Vietnam Veterans Memorial unveiled

Story was written on deadline for the next day's front page.

Arthur James Anderson.

Ralph Lee Ford.

Leo Fred Johnson.

The names were etched in three slabs of cold black granite that stand next to the overpass of the Midpoint Bridge in Fort Myers.

The jarring sound of motorcycles passing by on McGregor Boulevard echoed in the Sunday afternoon breeze.

"It's important to make sure we are constantly reminded of the price of war," Craig Tonjes said.

He spoke to a crowd of veterans, family and friends who'd gathered to remember and honor the 76 area servicemen - the names the stone walls bear - as he unveiled the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Southwest Florida, the area's first.

Tonjes spearheaded the memorial project and helped to collect the estimated $50,000 needed to build it.

"Whether you supported the Vietnam War or not, how can you not help but recognize the efforts of those who served?" he said. "One hundred years from now, I want children to see this memorial and wonder who these men were."

James Alvin Pace.

Allan James Williams.

Nicholas Joseph Cutinha.

"It's a very moving day," said Julia Habig of Fort Myers. She came to honor her son, William Habig, who served in Vietnam. "They took 10 years to build it but it's finally here."

Set back from McGregor Boulevard, the memorial also features a bronze field cross, consisting of boots, a rifle and a helmet.

During combat, the field cross is arranged by soldiers in lieu of a proper funeral when a comrade dies on the battlefield.

"I feel honored to be able to come and see this. ... It's about time they did something like this," said John Belviso, 58, of Cape Coral, who spent a year in Vietnam.

Cullie Wilson Bryant

Donald William Atwell Jr.

Christopher J. Dean Jr.

Sixty thousand veterans live in Lee County and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 594 wanted to make sure they weren't forgotten. The group organized the ceremony to include a re-enactment by the Suncoast Vietnam Veterans of Pinellas County.

At one point, a helicopter flew overhead, startling white egrets that had gathered in a nearby pond.

Dressed in fatigues and rifles held close, a Last Patrol group showed how servicemen in that unit would have conducted a mission behind enemy lines in Vietnam.

"The smoke, music and the people puts you there. As soon as you step out on patrol. ... You are right back (at war)," said Ted Marshall, 56, who lived in Lehigh Acres for 10 years and is an Air Force K-9 unit Vietnam Veteran.

Once the smoke bombs cleared and a final 21-gun salute reverberated in people's ears, guests walked up to the memorial.

Many bowed their heads and looked at the names of the fallen soldiers on the wall.

Others stood straight, heads held high, and gave a final salute as they looked at the letters carved in the black slabs.

Robert Gene Floyd.

Frederick C. Forte Jr.

Stephen Douglas Gucofski.

Junior leaders learn to create ads

Spiro & Associates, a south Fort Myers public relations and advertising company, recently invited the Cape Coral Junior Leadership program to spend a day in the world of advertising and public relations.

The associates, led by owner Chris Spiro, talked to 28 students about their jobs and gave them a behind-the-scenes look at their operations.

"They are like little sponges, they soak up everything we talk about and are so attentive and just looking for information," said an excited Spiro about the chance to give to a group that he was once a part of. "I jumped on the opportunity to spend time with them because they are bright kids and the program is great."

The Junior Leadership program is facilitated by the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce, which selects students based on an application that includes an essay about leadership.

"The program is for kids who have not had the opportunity to be an emerging leader or those wanting to develop their skills," said Diane Allen, the chairperson of the group and member of the chamber for six years. "It's an exclusive process and we have them write an essay and we pick the top-notch group from all the schools in our school system."

The students participate in the eight-week program by attending different sessions about Cape Coral city government, lunch with the local business community and career development day.

Ileana Sanchez, 16, is part of the 2008 junior leadership program and was amazed by the day she spent at Spiro & Associates.

Sanchez and her peers learned about advertising by creating an ad and designing a logo for their 2008 class.

"We did advertising and learned about that field ... I learned that there are different ways and models that you can use to create a logo or ad," said Sanchez, who is a junior at Mariner High.

Spada purchase dream come true for spa owners

Spada Salon and Day Spa in south Fort Myers is under new management and owners Mark and Brandi Borg plan to make the pampering retreat even better.

The Borgs, who purchased Spada more than a month ago, said the purchase was a dream come true for the pair who already owned the U Salon and Day Spa on Gladiolus.

"It was just an absolute mind blowing dream that I was given and I had to find a way to make it work," said Mark Borg, whose been a local business owner for more than two years.

Purchasing Spada was a big deal for Borg because he had spent six years persuading the owners to sell it to him through letters and broker inquiries.

"I always heard about Spada being so fantastic and I always wanted to buy them ... ," said Borg noting that during those years he'd opened two area salons, closed one and had children.

Before breaking ground on the U Salon and Day Spa he tried one more time to contact the Spada owners with an offer to buy but word never came.

"I tried so many times because it was always my dream and the owners have now told me that they never got any of the letters or contacts," Borg said about the salon he now plans to enhance with added customer service. "For me it is absolutely incredible and I couldn't ask or want anything more."

As owners of the two salons, the Borgs are now the largest employer of spa professionals in the area. They also own 10,500 square feet of salon space which makes them the owners of the most spa space in the area.

"We are incredibly excited about Spada ... it's a beautiful salon and spa and we are just over the moon," said Brandi Borg, who was recently certified as a hair dresser and will work alongside her husband on the floor. "We want it to be a place where people can not only inhale but exhale as well."

Spada recently underwent a renovation and the Borgs have no plans to change the business aesthetically or the logo and company branding. They will however work with current staff to improve customer service and make the salon a great place to work.

"We will make the staff a little more relaxed and improve the overall feeling of the salon and the employees," said Brandi Borg about their plans to make changes that the public won't necessarily see. "We think of the clients first and how they would feel when they come in for services. We will go above and beyond what is always expected."

Lone Star stops sizzlin'; 68 jobs lost

This story was written for the weekly and repurposed for the South Lee Growth section on Sunday.

The building that once occupied the Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon in south Fort Myers is vacant and steak lovers will have to go elsewhere for a cut of meat or shrimp and lobster tails.

The casual style dining franchise company closed the location, citing a slow economy and the restaurant's low numbers.

"It was a business decision and that restaurant just simply didn't perform to the standards that we expected," said spokesman Rick Van Warner. "We have no plans in the near future to open another location."

Closing the U.S. 41 location was a difficult decision but was not based on the restaurants managers or employees, Van Warner said.

"It was not a reflection of the managers or anything the employees did ... it was just business," said Van Warner noting that 63 part-time and 5 full-time employees lost their jobs after the closing. "The restaurant business is in a difficult climate right now and it was something we had to do."

Van Warner said all employees will receive severance pay based on their tenure and hours worked.

"We expect that they will find jobs at other restaurants ... the restaurant business is flushed with jobs," said Van Warner adding that the building will remain vacant until it is sold.

The building's signage has been removed and only a letter of thanks to customers remains, inviting them to the nearest location in Orlando. Six other restaurants were closed in Florida.

The company now operates 153 franchises around the nation and employees couldn't be transferred because most restaurants were closed in Florida, Van Warner said.