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VOL. 17 NO. 1
JANUARY 2024
Report from Your Master POA We have turned over the last page in our 2023 calendar and now start over with our new Word-a Day calendar. Our family still remembers the January 1st word many years ago… ”cismontane”…which means “on this side of the mountain”. That is a difficult word to work into a conversation, especially in Florida where the any sides of mountains are hard to find! We start this new year with the sad news of the passing of JJ Basso. JJ and his wife, Jeanne have been important leaders in Grandezza for many years. JJ was President of the Grandezza Master Association for over 10 years including several years when our community was caught in the Florida real estate meltdown. During that time over 10% of our residents were delinquent in paying quarterly assessments and over 100 homes were in foreclosure. Hard to believe that compared to the current demand for our homes. Some of our neighborhood associations had to live off their reserves either using existing funds or reducing the reserve assessments. During his tenure, the Master Association was a leader in the southern part of Lee County including arranging a large
delegation from our community to protest development proposals before Lee County that would have impacted our community. In addition, he was a key member of our negotiation team that persuaded the County to require our developer, Stock, to provide funds for our community to finance berm/buffers for a large parcel within Grandezza next to the FPL site. At that time Lee was proposing a main road to connect Collier Boulevard in Collier County to Ben Hill Griffin for an evacuation route on the east side of I 75 (like Three Oaks on the west side of I 75). The County has cancelled that project and we are unaware of any plans for the land at this time. We still have a concern that they might build a road through this land to provide a bypass for the very busy Corkscrew/Ben Hill Griffin intersection. JJ remained in close contact with the County Board to protect our community. In addition, he and Jeanne were leaders in establishing the Grandezza Girlfriends, the very successful social gathering which welcomes newcomers to Grandezza.
JJ was also concerned about the community beyond our borders and was a key supporter for the establishment of Estero as a village to protect our borders from annexation to other communities. He was also a principal in establishing the East Corkscrew Alliance, an unofficial group that meets quarterly to discuss development of the lands on our East border. This Alliance includes our County Commissioner, the Estero Village Manager and representatives from other interested partners including the land developers. This group was a key supporter of the improvement of Corkscrew Rd and the extension of Alico Rd. JJ we thank you for your important work for our community! You were the right person at the right time for GRANDEZZA ! It is unusual to use this space to remember JJ but there are many new residents who do not know JJ or his impact on Grandezza and Estero and the Master Board honors his dedication. Fred Thompson
Grandezza Girlfriends By Cindy Fitzpatrick, Social Media Committee The December luncheon was filled with the holiday spirit. An arts and crafts show was held beforehand that raised over $1000 for KKids. Program Director, Laine Hamill, helped us find this amazing organization. KKids is a nonprofit helping children wherever, whenever, and however it is needed. If you would like to learn more about them, please visit their website at www.kkidsinc.org. The Girlfriends generously donated an additional $1000. It was a group effort and thanks go out to the talented artists Ellie Wasserman, Joanne Oslosky, Shirley Cook, Maggie Long, Cheri Dunlap, Ellen Fox, Anita Schaff, Susan Baker, Carole Ann Levi, Michelle Francesconi, Cheryl Weinrich, Mary Ellen Fowler, Linda Sullivan, Peggy Eagan, Jeri Greaf, Sue Koser, Cindy Fitzpatrick and members of the A&C group. Also thanks to Brenda Woodcock for her donation
to the silent auction. We couldn’t have done it without the help of the volunteers, Sue Koser, Mel Roehrig, Nancy Rajtik, Denise Agnew, Suzanne Goldberg, Sydell Zimmerman and Margie Fillipo, who stayed until the very last item was packed up. After lunch we were entertained by our very own Grandezza Singers. What a fantastic show!
We celebrated the birthdays of Elaine Bakke, Alice Farling, Ellen Fox, Denise Grabowski, Beth Kantner, Judy Kirby, Lyn Lindell, Mary Melhorn, Carol Navigato, Jeanne Ruby, Michelle Wright and Sydell Zimmerman. Congratulations to the winner of the bracelet, Susan Baker. Grandezza Girlfriends on page 3
United Way’s Mission United We hope you had a wonderful Holiday season, and we wish you a Happy, Healthy New Year! Did you know? 1.5 million veterans call Florida home. “Every single day, Mission United™ is accomplishing its mission by serving veterans in need. Mission United™ walks the walk, and not just talks the talk.” -Lt. Col. Gary Bryant, retired U.S. Army veteran and Mission United advocate. Throughout our nation’s history, the brave men and women of the U.S. military have served with honor and dedication to protect our country’s freedoms. Yet when the time comes for them to reacclimate into society, it can be difficult to find basic services such as employment, healthcare, or housing. And with Florida having the third-largest veteran population in the nation, collaboration and coordination of services is mission critical to the health and well-being of those who have served. “For all their sacrifices, our active-duty military, veterans, and their families deserve to be connected to and empowered by resources that can help them navigate the complex and often
fragmented services available to them,” said Linda Hafner, vice president, United Way 211 at United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades. “That’s where Mission United™ can help.” A program of United Way, Mission United™ serves as a single phone point of entry, utilizing the 211 number to empower local U.S. active military, veterans, and their families and direct them to vital services and resources. Trained United Way 211 Community Resource Specialists are available 24/7 to assess the callers’ needs and refer them to the appropriate resources in the community. All calls are kept confidential. From securing a roof over their heads to finding stable employment to mental and physical health treatment, the needs vary greatly. “It can be very tough for veterans to ask for help, and one of the greatest benefits is that callers can be connected to Veteran Care Coordinators for direct peer support,” said Hafner. “Not only have Veteran Care Coordinators also served our country and can offer an empathetic ear, they are trained to screen the callers for safety risks and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment.” “They often problem-solve in the moment,” Hafner added. “By getting to the root cause of the challenges the caller is facing, the Veteran Care Coordinators offer advocacy and work closely with veteran and social service organizations
to provide access to community programs and fill gaps in services. We couldn’t do this without the support of our partnership with Bonita Bay Veterans Council walking alongside Mission United and helping us when needed.” Once those needs are identified, the Mission United™ team immediately make appropriate referrals or connects the client to the resources directly, in the moment, depending on the urgency. The care coordinators then follow up within ten days to check on the caller and offer any next steps for support or additional referrals. Last year alone, United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades’ Mission United™ served 2,965 veterans, active-duty military, and their families through care coordination, service navigation, United Way’s Mission United on page 3
Editor Quote “The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat.” -Jacques Cousteau Susan D. Baker PhD, suzbakgranmb@gmail.com