WEEK OF MARCH 27, 2024
VOLUME 62, NUMBER 19
Registration open for summer VPK classes By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER
Corps announces rest period from Lake O releases
O
n March 22, Captains For Clean Water reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it will conduct a two-week rest period from the discharges from Lake Okeechobee toward the coasts. The rest period, which will start on March 29, is intended to bring salinity levels back up in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, which have both been receiving flows for the past 35 days. Captains For Clean Water continued that the Corps stated it will evaluate the conditions on the lake during the two-week period, as well as the weather forecast, so it can determine a new schedule for coastal discharges after that time — which it hopes will be lower volumes than the current releases.
“After five weeks of high-volume discharges, the changes we've seen in our coastal water quality have been heartbreaking,” Captains For Clean Water shared. “This break for the estuaries will provide some very short-term relief, but it's important to keep in mind that the only way we'll be able to avoid high Lake O levels and high-volume discharges in the future, without having to deal with this situation year after year, is by building infrastructure and completing critical restoration projects — like the EAA Reservoir — that store, clean and move more beneficial water south where it once flowed naturally.”
A shorter version of the Voluntary PreKindergarten program will be offered this summer for students entering kindergarten in the fall. Head Start Program Coordinator Tiffany Franklin said one of the requirements for participating in the VPK program is offering it both during the school year and the summer. There is a requirement of 300 hours for students to complete the program. “Typically, the kids that attend the summer program have not attended the school year program. It’s a little more intensive in instruction because of less time,” she said. The classes are held from June 10 through July 29 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Early Childhood Learning Center, at 3650 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers. The School District of Lee County has had decent participation with four classrooms and 48 children taking advantage of the summer program in the past. The classes are taught by certified teachers. See VPK CLASSES, page 21
IslanderInsIde
See LAKE O RELEASES, page 21
CFI’s Leadership Sanibel-Captiva program wraps up sessions The Charitable Foundation of the Islands' annual Leadership SanibelCaptiva program recently concluded for the 13 island residents and employees who participated as the Class of 2024. The program's first three sessions focused on Government, Environment, and Health, Wellness and Social Services. Held on Feb. 29, the fourth session concentrated on Business and Community Prosperity. The fifth and final session, which took place on March 7, centered on Arts and Culture. On Feb. 29, the participants heard from See CFI PROGRAM, page 21
alsOInsIdetOday Guest Commentary........................4 Web Poll.........................................4 Captiva Current..........................6-7 Business......................................8 Preserving Paradise.....................10 Island Living................................12 CHARITABLE FOUNDATION OF THE ISLANDS The participants in the Charitable Foundation of the Islands' annual Sports.........................................16 Leadership Sanibel-Captiva program take part in the Business and Community Prosperity session on Feb. 29.
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