FOR LISA WARD, THAT INSTANT WAS LAST YEAR BETWEEN Thanksgiving night, when she discovered a lump in her breast, and the morning of Christmas Eve, when she met Tammy Zinn.
Habitat for Humanity of Collier County needs help from the public in order to serve more families in need of affordable housing options, a problem that has hit crisis levels in the community. The organization is seeking financial contributions to help build homes and create safe and healthy communities that will change the lives of hard-working families in Collier County.
¦ THROUGHOUT OCTOBER
Tommy Bahama on Third Street South will donate $1 for every Pink Hibiscus Lime Cooler cocktail or glass of Marqués de Cáceres Rosado rosé sold to the Garden of Hope & Courage on the downtown Naples campus of NCH.
Most of the time, women getting their routine mammogram will receive a letter within 30 days saying the results were normal. But if doctors find something suspicious, they’ll call you back — usually within five days — to take new pictures or get other tests.
Numerous studies have shown that getting a mammogram and a breast exam reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. Breast cancers found during a mammogram are more likely to be smaller and still confined to the breast.
Immokalee elementary school students Salvador Vaca and Juan Diego Hernandez weren’t interested in books or reading when they started first grade. But after participating in The Immokalee Foundation’s Immokalee Readers tutoring program, both boys read two levels higher and delight in things like bringing home a backpack full of library books.
Beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of breast self-exam. Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a health professional as soon as they are found. Finding a change does not necessarily mean there is a cancer.
As Pope Francis left New York in a helicopter the other day, he asked the pilot to circle Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Perhaps he was searching for some sign of the beacon that could help guide Americans, and the world, through so many contemporary problems.
There’s the Iran Problem, for example (possibly nuclear, and they hate us).
One in four American women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. That’s more women than are affected by breast cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer combined. Still, more than one-third of Americans have never discussed the issue.
Watching the migrant crisis unfold in Europe is a horrifying spectacle. Four million Syrians are on the move looking for safety and a new life far from the civil war that has enveloped their country, and there are hundreds of thousands more following their example, fleeing from the political chaos in the Middle East and Africa.
The U.S. has joined the global bidding on Syrian refugees. At first it said it would take 10,000 Syrians. Now it says it will increase the annual U.S. overall refugee intake from 70,000 to 100,000 during the next three years to help deal with the migrant wave deluging Europe.
English as a Second Language classes start Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Marco Presbyterian Church, 875 W. Elkcam Circle. The free classes will meet from 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday through March.
All are welcome.
For more information, call the church office at 394-8186, email jan@marcochurch.com or visit marcochurch.com. ¦
With two children attending different schools and two working adults in charge of them, I’m sure it’s not difficult to believe our family is a little pressed for time. Charging from one end of town to the other and slapping dinner on the table (or on a bad night, Cheerios and a fruit bowl) over homework tears are not challenges unique to our family.
¦ Naples Ship Modelers is an informal group dedicated to the hobby of building wooden ship models. Members meet at 9:30 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of every month at the Landmark Naples community in North Naples. The next meetings are Oct. 3 and 17. For more information, call Dick Ritchie at 594-0868 or email dcritchie@comcast.net.
A free biblical exploration class starts Sunday, Oct. 4, at Moorings Presbyterian Church and continues weekly, meeting from 11:15 a.m. to noon and followed by time for questions and answers. Childcare is provided.
People with a genetic predisposition for age-related macular degeneration significantly increased their odds of developing the blinding eye disorder if they had a history of heavy smoking and consistently did not exercise or eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to an observational study of women funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
¦ Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida holds the third annual Water Ball Classic on Friday, Oct. 2, at West Bay Club in Estero. Same-day registration opens at 8 a.m. for $100 per player and includes greens fees, cart, two beverages on the course and a scoreboard party after the tournament. Call Shannon O’Neil at 643-1990.
From Cuba, with love
Do you find yourself distracted, frazzled and too stressed to enjoy life? Are you squandering the present moment worrying about past events you cannot undo or future events beyond your control?
The Department of Health in Collier County hosts the second annual Immokalee Big Bus Event at the DOHImmokalee campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.
This week’s adoptable pets are from Brooke’s Legacy Animal Rescue, an all-volunteer, foster home rescue organization. For more information, call 434-7480, email Admin@ BrookesLegacyAnimalRescue.org or visit brookeslegacyanimalrescue.com.
A dog’s play behavior is unmistakable. We all recognize the play bow: forelegs down, rear up in the air, mouth open in a big smile and tail wagging madly. Sometimes the play bow is accompanied by verbal encouragement in the form of a stutter-bark (arr-ruff!) or a noisy growl that’s all in fun.
As your poor discontented diva pens this missive, her surgery recovery moves at a slow, but certain pace.
My dear readers may remember about three weeks ago when I detailed my latest injury due to my most recent attempt at healthy living. It went pretty much like this:
A DEAD PARROT.
No matter what comedian/actor/writer John Cleese accomplishes - in life, he’ll be forever associated with a dead Norwegian blue parrot.
What are young up-and-comers to do when they realize Southwest Florida is mostly a playground for people who have already made it? Local organizations are addressing the area’s brain drain problem by starting young professionals groups to keep 20- and 30-somethings engaged in the area so they stop moving away.
¦ The theme music for the very British “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” is the very American composition “The Liberty Bell” by John Philip Sousa.
While Hillary Clinton’s team of consultants is locked in a room somewhere trying to figure out how she can project authenticity, Joe Biden is out doing it.
Let me pick a point central to the upbringing and early gun educations of many of today’s decision makers — say 1960, when American cinema frequently harkened back to the 1870s or ’80s in the western United States.
Since it was founded in 1972, Youth Haven has provided a safe harbor for traumatized abused, neglected and homeless children. The shelter now serves more than 2,400 children and family members every year. Jim Jessee joined the board of directors in 2011 and is completing a two-year term as president.
It’s time to fulfill pure driving fantasy. That’s the true expectation once a car passes the $100,000 threshold. The $129K Jaguar F-Type R Coupe seen here does not attract buyers who need a back seat for the family or a trailer hitch for the boat. Instead, this is the sports car for drivers looking for sophistication, power and plenty of flash.
New York City Police Officer James Frascatore has given new meaning to the Grand Slam of tennis. Last week, he violently assaulted retired tennis champion James Blake in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, tackling Blake as he was waiting for a ride to watch the U.S. Open.
Here’s where Collier County Sheriff’s Office traffic-enforcement deputies will be the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 2:
Monday, Sept. 28
Davis Boulevard and Countryside Drive: Aggressive driving
Airport-Pulling and Pine Ridge roads: Red-light running
Collier Boulevard and Fiddlers Creek Parkway: Speeding
Hodges University presents its eighth annual Diversity Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Naples campus, 2655 Northbrooke Drive. Activities include music, art, dance, history, food and more to promote understanding, education and inclusion.
English as a Second Language classes start Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Marco Presbyterian Church, 875 W. Elkcam Circle. The free classes will meet from 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday through March.
All are welcome.
For more information, call the church office at 394-8186, email jan@marcochurch.com or visit marcochurch.com. ¦
AARP offers classes to help older drivers learn about new traffic laws, refresh their driving skills and reduce their risk for tickets and accidents. Drivers over age 55 might be eligible for a discount on auto insurance.
Do you find yourself distracted, frazzled and too stressed to enjoy life? Are you squandering the present moment worrying about past events you cannot undo or future events beyond your control?
The fall schedule of classes for adults offered by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Renaissance Academy includes an extensive and diverse curriculum of single lectures and short courses on topics ranging from iPad/iPhone basics to tai chi and yoga, creative writing, foreign and classic films, astronomy and espionage, orchids and birding.
Design Studio by Raymond is making its Naples showroom available to local nonprofits, businesses and individuals to hold meetings and social events.
The two-story, 8,500-square-foot design and product showroom at 990 First Ave. N. in downtown Naples has ample space to accommodate up to 150 people. General parking is available along with space for valet services.
Your English teacher was right
Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one is invited to Avow’s Remembering Memorial Service at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, in the Ispiri community center on the Avow campus at 1095 Whippoorwill Lane. The program features music, readings, a candle lighting and reading of names of those being remembered.
¦ Women readers searching for a book club are welcome to visit the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island when seasonal meetings being at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, with a discussion of “Orphan Train” by Christine Baker Kline.
University of Florida Health researchers have uncovered more evidence of a link between the brain’s stress response and a protein related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Learning leads to better performance, and at NCH, our learning organization leads to better outcomes for patients.
Imagine you’re a young soldier stationed in Afghanistan, running missions every day in pursuit of insurgent leaders, and the one thing that keeps you and your platoon motivated is the promise of a boat trip.
PATRICK HENRY BELIEVED IT WAS A PLOT TO ESTABLISH SOMETHING like a monarchy. Years earlier, the attorney and politician had stirred his countrymen to war against England with his famous words: “Give me liberty or give me death.” Many had indeed died during the American Revolution for that liberty, and now Mr. Henry recognized it was being threatened once again.
I can’t wait for the Florida bear hunt finally to get underway next month.
For too long now, two decades in the Sunshine State, people who live in gated communities surrounded by large shopping malls have made decisions about living outside of those gates that deeply inhibit the rest of us.
While Jeb Bush feuds with Donald Trump and others kowtow to him, only one candidate is seriously gaining on him.
Ben Carson is now tied with Trump in one Iowa poll and is close in others. His rise suggests that it’s possible to catch the populist wave roiling Republican politics and yet not be an obnoxious braggart. Ben Carson is a superior outsider to Donald Trump.
Applications are being accepted for the 2016 Diamond Volunteer Awards that honor nonprofit organizations and volunteers for their work in Collier County. Three winners are chosen each year to receive a cocktail reception for volunteers and board members, media coverage, educational opportunities and a framed award.
Having a fox in charge of the hen house is a depressing state of affairs. Instead of Mr. Fox being fenced out, the predator is fenced in, and bird is on the menu. The metaphor applies to the present circumstance in Florida. The state’s environmental assets are shockingly vulnerable to plunder by those in charge of their stewardship and protection. If we thought to give Mr.
A local dog breeder is receiving major kudos from the American Kennel Club after devoting the last 60 years to grooming Coquina Papillons for competition. Arlene Czech, who also teaches classes at the Naples Dog Club, was named 2015 AKC Breeder of the Year in the toy dog category and could take the top spot overall at the AKC annual awards dinner in December.
A paper drone
The least expensive convertible in Florida is also the cheapest drop top in the country, but it has more value in the Sunshine State. We can enjoy open motoring every month of the year, which means a getaway-inspiring car can brighten up any commute home.
Collier County Public Schools hosts College Night 2015 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the gymnasium at Golden Gate High School. Admissions representatives from approximately 100 colleges and universities will be on hand to meet students and parents and to answer questions about programs offered, entrance requirements, expenses, financial aid, campus life and more.
¦ Pi Beta Phi alumnae in Naples, Bonita Springs and Marco Island are invited to socialize from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at Baleen Restaurant at La Playa Beach and Golf Resort in North Naples. For reservations or more information, call Barbara Craig at 908-7301 or email bhc9514@gmail.com.
From the area’s youngest citizens to public servants and residents of retirement communities, people of all ages throughout Collier County took time on Friday, Sept. 11, to observe the 14th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Early childhood educators, administrators and parents can register now for the 2015 Early Childhood Education Symposium presented by Collier Child Care Resources from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Hodges University.
More intensive management of high blood pressure — below a commonly recommended blood pressure target — significantly reduces rates of cardiovascular disease and lowers risk of death in a group of adults 50 years and older with high blood pressure.
One of our most essential and important functions is to deliver healthy babies. The NCH caregivers who dedicate themselves to this service are all heroes. Here’s a story about one of them, shared by Courtney Avirett, R.N., in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit:
In love with the furry tube of fun that is the ferret? These members of the mustelid family (hint: that means they’re stinkers) are inquisitive and energetic — think toddler-on-chocolate energetic. Their busy nature makes them entertaining companions, but it also means they get in to everything.
Moorings Park invites the next presentation in the “An Afternoon to Remember” lecture series by Catherine Cruikshank, director of education for the Alzheimer’s Association-Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29.
This week’s pets are from Collier County Domestic Animal Services. Adoption fees for cats are $60 and dogs are $85 and include sterilization surgery, vaccinations, pet license, ID microchip and a bag of food. Visit DAS at 7610 Davis Blvd. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday- Saturday. Adoptable dogs and cats from DAS are also at For Footed Friends in Marquesa Plaza on Livingston Road from 11 a.m.
“Season” is almost here again in Southwest Florida and in the rest of the United States: health insurance season, the threemonth enrollment period through the exchanges or Health Insurance Marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act.
“Season” is almost here again in Southwest Florida and in the rest of the United States: health insurance season, the threemonth enrollment period through the exchanges or Health Insurance Marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act.
I’m beginning to wonder if there are just some people who are meant to lounge around the house all day enjoying cheese and chocolate while sipping wine and doing nothing more strenuous than online shopping.
I’m beginning to accept that I belong to this sedentary tribe of non-athletic, softer people.
IT’S COMING, AND IT’S PROBABLY COMING sooner rather than later: The Collapse, whether economic, political or martial, following an act of war or an immense natural disaster.
Local and visitors who have a special spot in their hearts for the Naples Pier — perhaps she said “Yes!” when you popped the question there, or you reeled in record catch in over the rail — can own a piece of the landmark by purchasing one of 1,000 planks that have been removed as part of a renovation project underway.
The rise of Donald Trump is, in part, a function of a vacuum.
He is thriving in a Republican field that is large, talented and, so far, underwhelming. To paraphrase Bruce Springsteen, there’s 17 candidates and nothing on. Except Donald Trump.
Could it be true?
The greater one’s comfort and ease, the less prepared one becomes for the inevitable catastrophe all of us must someday face together.
For so-called preppers or survivalists, especially the serious ones who appear in this week’s front-page story, the answer is, yes. Unequivocally, yes.
Erika wore me out. As a native Floridian, I have seen enough and experienced enough to know that neglecting preparation in advance of a hurricane is a serious mistake. I was home alone, my regime untested for severe weather, and my preparation incomplete to prepare for a multi-day siege of inoperable systems.
As chair of the Trusts & Estates, Family Services Practice Group at Akerman LLP, Jonathan Gopman’s practice focuses on sophisticated wealth accumulation and preservation planning strategies for entrepreneurs. While he is an accomplished attorney in his field, he wanted his Profile in Paradise to focus on his family and the travails of dealing with cystic fibrosis.
Formed by former book publishers in partnership with local business sponsors, Little Birdie Adopt a School updates budget-stripped school libraries with new books to inspire young readers. The nonprofit recently delivered 100 new titles to Golden Terrace, Shadowlawn and Lake Park elementary schools.
This is a car that always provides a snappy response when driving with friends. They’ll comment on the quick acceleration, and you’ll tell them it’s an efficient hybrid. They’ll ask if it’s a Honda in disguise, and you’ll show them ultramodern features.
