The Forest Matters Another Seabreeze Publication www.seabreezecommunications.com
VOL. 31 NO. 10
OCTOBER 2024
FPOA President’s Update Since May of this year your Executive Committee has met and worked to operate our community during the summer months to assure those who remain here and those who travel to more temperate climes our systems and operations will continue on a normal basis. I commend to you the members: Paul Ben-Susan, Vice president; Fred Lepard, Treasurer; Robert Henderson, Architectural Review Committee chair; Joe Machingo, Sub-Association representative; Michael Murphy, Landscape Committee chair; Robert Verdonck, Rules and Bylaws Committee chair; Scott Rasor is awaiting confirmation as Secretary of the committee at the next FPOA board meeting. Our property manager, John Paul Siervo also serves on this committee. Along with the population growth of Southwest Florida comes the building of homes of all kinds. This brings the use of vacant land and the reduction of available areas for black bears to roam, nest and forage for food. The last sighting of one of these animals here in The Forest about which your correspondent is aware was a few years ago dining on the contents of a garbage can. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) has alerted residents of our area to be on the lookout for more frequent intrusions. Yes, they look cute, furry and friendly. In fact they are dangerous. If aroused, startled, or, if you should recklessly try to feed them and run out of food, they may attack. So, avoid them unless you can
run away faster than 35 mph or climb a 100-foot tree in less than 30 seconds. They can. If you spot one of these animals in your yard or wandering around The Forest please call FWC and report it: (888) 4043922. The bear, and its cubs, if present, will be removed to an area which will provide abundant land for them to thrive. Recently a tour of our roads and sidewalks was taken with our consultant who is familiar with this subject. No roads evinced the need for repair, but several sections of sidewalks did. This was caused by the root structure of adjacent trees. These situations will be remedied soon. While this letter is being written at the beginning of September you will not receive it until the end of that month. The frequency of hurricanes in Southwest Florida is at its height beginning in mid-September and extending through the middle of October. Please refer to the hurricane preparedness section of The Forest website for suggestions on what to have on hand should we experience a storm. It has always been the duty of the FPOA to make sure everyone abides by the rules, bylaws and deed restrictions in place. For this reason copies of same are provided to all newcomers to The Forest. They are also available on our website for reference: https://theforest.connectresident.com. Results from mistakes in enforcing these codes which may have been made in the past cannot be repeated.
Alliance For The Arts Special Events This World Is Not My Own – A Film Screening Date and Time: October 16, 6 to 9 p.m. Cost: Member’s price, $10, Nonmember’s price, $12 Join us on Wednesday, October 16, for another exclusive film screening from the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers!
Chewing-gum sculptures, a wealthy gallerist, a firebrand wrestler, a notorious murder case and the segregated south – it’s all part of Nellie Mae Rowe’s boundless universe. This World is Not My Own reimagines this self-taught artist’s world and her life spanning the 20th century. With Uzo Aduba as the animated version of Nellie Mae Rowe. Catch the trailer for this headline worthy documentary on self-taught artist Nellie Mae Row here: https://vimeo. com/799921368. Popcorn and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., film begins at 6 p.m. Following the screening will be an intimately set Q&A session with one of the film’s producers and a special guest moderator. The filmmaker will be present for questions and answers.
Bluegrass Concert Series Presents Morgan Brake And Duck Wallow Lane
The Forest Matters
Date and Time: October 27, 3 to 5 p.m. Cost: Member’s price, $18, Nonmember’s price, $20 Duck Wallow Lane is a small town bluegrass band, doing what they love to do! We are thrilled to welcome Morgan Brake and Duck Wallow PRSRT STD Lane back to the stage at the US POSTAGE Alliance! Morgan Brake is PAID FT MYERS FL part of the next generation PERMIT 751 of up and coming Bluegrass musicians taking flight. She is a fantastic singer songwriter and is already making waves in Bluegrass and Americana across the country. Alliance For The Arts on page 3
Our first Forest Property Owners Association full board meeting of the 2024/25 season will take place on September 30. It will be at 7 p.m. at The Forest Country Club. All residents are welcome. The budget for 2024/25 will be voted upon at this meeting. As before attendees will have an opportunity to speak at the beginning of our meeting to inform, complain or commend. Speakers are limited to three minutes. Please consider this is the same amount of time it took Abraham Lincoln to make his historic address at Gettysburg in 1863. Stay well, Chuck Patten, President, Forest Property Owners Association
Mark Your Calendar For The Craftie Ladies’ Fall Craft Fair Submitted by The Craftie Ladies of St. John XXIII Catholic Church The Craftie Ladies of St. John XXIII Catholic Church are once again having their Fall Craft Fair. If you’ve been to one of our craft fairs before, you know we have a large variety of top quality, homemade items for sale. In addition to our well-known, exquisite quilts, afghans and hand-knit and crocheted items, there will be pillows, table runners, placemats/napkins, handmade rosaries, jewelry, mother/daughter aprons, tooth fairy pillows, novel baby items, lots of lovely holiday décor, including our fabulous wreaths, and so much more! Some of our always fabulous raffle baskets include BBQ, Evening in Paris, Chocolate, Cat, Dog, and Layette baskets, plus more made by our wonderfully talented women. The drawing for each basket will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. You don’t have to be present to win! Come and join us on: Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Craftie Ladies came together 15 years ago. The group has grown to nearly 40 talented and dedicated women. All proceeds go directly back into the community. Just a few causes we donate to: A.C.T. Blankets And Blessings Eva’s Closet St. John XXIII Villas St. Martin De Porres We hope to see you at our Fall Craft Fair at St. John XXIII Catholic Church Parish Life Center, located on Palomino Lane, just north of Daniels Parkway. Stop by, have a chat and maybe get some early shopping done.