Of Special Note
Fraud seminars for seniors planned
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will host a “Learn to Fight Fraud” seminar, followed by a question and answer session on:
– Today: St. Columbkille Catholic Church, at 12171 Iona Road, Fort Myers, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
– Feb. 6: St. Leo Catholic Church, at 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
– Feb. 14: Christ United Methodist Church, at 1430 Homestead Road N., from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
The seminar covers frauds and scams affecting seniors and their families; how seniors can recognize and report frauds and scams; and how to detect, protect and report health care fraud and abuse.
For information or to RSVP, call the LCSO at 477-1037.
Junior League taking mini-grant applications
The Junior League Fort Myers will provide mini-grants to their community partners.
The league supports local nonprofit organizations having 501(c)(3) status, in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status or under the umbrella of an agency with 501(c)(3) status by awarding funding to projects that focus on women and children within the community, including Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
Nonprofit organizations that meet the guidelines and who agree to the grant agreement included in the application packet are invited to submit applications. The league will review the applications and award grants of up to $3,000.
Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 1. Grants will be awarded about 60 days after the deadline. Electronic applications will not be accepted.
2nd Inland Arts & Music Festival planned
Arts of the Inland will host the 2nd Inland Arts & Music Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 2 at Barron Park in LaBelle. The day kicks-off with a 7 a.m. Rotary pancake breakfast.
Mayor Dave Lyons will open the entertainment at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Firehouse singers. Other highlights include a children’s poetry reading, the Shock Sisters, play readings and an art auction. Additional entertainment will fill out the day.
Artists, crafters, photographers and authors will display and sell their works. Food vendor “Authentic Maine Lobster Bake” and others will be on hand. Vendor space available.
For information or to be a vendor, contact LaVon Koenig at (239) 303-5849 or artsinland@gmail.com.
For information, contact president LaVon Koenig at (239) 303 5849 or atsinland@gmail.com.
Annual craft show seeking vendors
The Alva Community Center is looking for craft vendors for the Craft Show, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Alva Community Park, at 21471 North River Road in Alva.
Spaces are available for a nominal fee of $10. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted for payment. Tables, tents and chairs are not provided. There is no rain date for the show.
Free admission for the public.
For information or to be a vendor, contact Sandra Bates at 728-2882 or BatesSW@leegov.com.
Legion Auxiliary offers history program, Valentine’s Dinner
The American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 323, will offer a 45-minute history program about the Declaration of Independence at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at 1124 Ashlar Drive. The program will be presented by Jackie Moody, Auxiliary Americanism chairman.
The program is open to the public. Dessert and coffee will be provided. Only Legion members and their guests may purchase alcoholic beverages at the event.
The Legion will host a Valentine’s Dinner from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 9. The dinner will include spinach, Mandarin oranges and strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing, chicken cordon bleu with white wine herb sauce, herbed basmati rice, steamed vegetables and dessert plate.
The cost is $10 per person. Tickets are available at the American Legion Post 323 Canteen and must be purchased before Feb. 7. The public is welcome to attend.
Open registration for youth spring soccer
Lehigh youth soccer spring season registration dates continue Feb 4-5 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Lehigh Acres Middle School soccer fields, at 104 Arthur Ave. Ages 4-12. Visit: www.lehighyouthsoccer.com for information.
Spring basketball league signing up children
The Veterans Park Recreation Center, in coordination with the Sheriff’s Youth Activities League, is organizing the 2013 spring basketball League. The league is open to children ages 8-15.
The deadline to sign up is Feb. 5. Practices begin Feb. 19 and are held on Tuesday and Wednesday; games are Wednesday evenings from March 6 through May 1.
Ages, skill level and number of players will determine how many teams there will be and what level they will play. Player skill evaluations are run for the purpose of distributing talent as evenly as possible throughout the league.
Cost is $25 per player and includes a game T-shirt. Make checks out to SYAL; no cash. A $10 facility membership fee is required to participate.
For information, call Veterans Park Recreation Center at (239) 369-1521.
The league is also looking for volunteer coaches. Coaches help players learn skills, good sportsmanship, and team and player development. If you are interested in coaching, call 369-1521.
Church to host games, lunch as fund-raiser
St. Anselm Episcopal Church is planning a party with games and lunch from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 6 at Sixth Street and Joel Boulevard. Donation of $5. All proceeds to benefit church outreach programs. Call Selma at 368-2862 or Perlyn 369-9562.
Ethic Pirohi Dinner set
All Saints Catholic Church on Bayshore Road will serve an Ethnic Pirohi Dinner from 3-6:30 p.m. Feb. 9.
Featured will be Pirohi, stuffed cabbage, vegetables and a dessert of your choice, with coffee or tea for $12 per dinner. Baked goods will also be available for sale at the dinner.
Democratic Women’s Club meeting plannned
Democratic Women’s Club of Lee County will meet at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 9 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers. A lunch will be served following the meeting.
The scheduled speaker is Jim Helms, a retired human resources executive with more than 35 years professional experience in organizational development and employee relations.
He will speak on “Civil Treatment” and how teams and organizations can instill a high level of professionalism and effectiveness through the speech and conduct of team members and leaders.
The Democratic Women’s Club of Lee County will meet again at 10:30 a.m. March 9 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers.
Visitors may make reservations for lunch by contacting Jim Helms at jimbhelms@hotmail.com.
Lee County Community Band to perform
The Lee County Community Band will perform Feb. 10, March 10 and April 7 at Cape Coral High School, at 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd. The events are free of charge, though donations are accepted.
Band members are musicians from all walks of life – career musicians, amateurs and folks renewing skills from years past – who reside in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties. The band rehearses from 7-9 p.m. Thursdays at St. Michael’s Lutheran School in Fort Myers; new members are welcome.
For more information, visit: www.leecountyband.org or contact Norman Jones at 995-2097.
County official to speak at Garden Club meeting
The Garden Club of Lehigh Acres will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Fountain Crest, at 1230 Taylor Lane Ext. The club’s monthly plant auction will follow.
Keith Howard, deputy director of the Solid Waste Division of Lee County Waste Management, will be guest speaker. He will give information about the “Lee County Compost Program.”
New members and guests are welcome at attend. Annual dues are $10. For information, call Terry Pinck at 368-5615.
Florida Native Plant Society announces speakers
The Coccoloba Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society meets at 7 p.m. at the Rutenberg Park Eco-Living Center in Fort Myers. Social time and information corner at 6:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend.
Speakers and topics will be:
– Feb. 14: Judy Ott, of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, on the use of Florida native plants in Southwest Florida restoration projects.
– March 14: Doug Caldwell, of the Collier County Extension Office, on the non-native spiraling white fly and other bugs that may impact native plants.
For additional information, visit online at: www.fnpscoccoloba.org.
March in the Park scheduled
The 5th annual March in the Park will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 9 at Jaycee Park in Cape Coral. Hosted by the Garden Club of Cape Coral, the plant and garden art sale is a fund-raising event for the organization.
Last year, more than 40 vendors were in attendance, selling all kinds of plants, from ground cover to palm trees, and garden art, from stepping stones to glass reflectors. Speakers, raffle drawings, food and music will also be available throughout the day.
If you are a vendor of plants, food or garden-related crafts and want to join the juried show, contact Ginny Huffer at 257-2654 or huffmom5@aol.com.