Village Council Meeting
2024-05-01 09:30 (America/New_York) | Village of Estero, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
Among the items to be discussed

A resolution allowing the Village Manager to submit a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grant Fund application for the utility extension projects for Charing Cross, Estero Bay Village, Sandy Lane, See See Street, Estero River Heights, Sherrill Lane, Luettich Lane, and Broadway Avenue.
A resolution allowing Village Manager Steven Sarkozy to submit proposed projects to the Lee County Hurricane Ian Recovery and Resiliency program, which would also allow him to accept and authorize these grants for use on Village projects.
A resolution supporting the Bonita-Estero Rail Trail (BERT) project, which would authorize Sarkozy to approve a $5 million appropriation from the Estero Capital Improvement Program for the purchase of a section of the Seminole Rail Line. This move also allows the Village Manager to submit funding requests to various county, state, and local government agencies, with the $5 million serving as the “match” to any grants requiring one.
A second reading of an ordinance that would amend the Commercial Planned Development Zoning for the Bella Terra community to allow for a wireless communication facility and cell tower on land located at the front of the community. This item was deferred from the April 17 meeting.

Board of Lee County Commissioners Meeting
2024-05-07 09:30 - 10:30, 2024-06-04 09:30 - 10:30 | Old Lee County Courthouse Commission Chambers 2120 Main Street Fort Myers, FL 33901
​​​Agendas are posted approximately one week prior to the meeting.​ You can stream the meeting video on LeeTV, Youtube, or Facebook Live during the meeting and rewatch the recording on Youtube.

Breaking the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Issues
2024-05-07 11:30 - 13:00 | Lee County Sheriff’s Office Miromar Outlets Community Outreach Center, Suite 190 at the Miromar outlets
Presented by Park Royal Behavioral Health Services. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL “LUNCH & LEARN” EVENTS. PLEASE EMAIL YOUR REGISTRATION REQUEST TO GARY LEVINE AT glevine@sheriffleefl.org.

Board of Lee County Commissioners Zoning / Comp Plan Hearings
2024-05-08 09:00 - 10:30, 2024-05-22 09:30 - 10:30, 2024-06-05 09:30 - 10:30 | Old Lee County Courthouse Commission Chambers 2120 Main Street Fort Myers, FL 33901
​View the Agenda.​ Agendas are posted approximately one week prior to the hearing date.​​

Helping to Quickly Locate Missing Children and Vulnerable Adults
2024-05-09 11:30 - 13:00 | Lee County Sheriff’s Office Miromar Outlets Community Outreach Center, Suite 190 at the Miromar outlets
Presented by United Way ReUnite Program. Lunch generously provided by Luigi’s Pizza e Pasta. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL “LUNCH & LEARN” EVENTS. PLEASE EMAIL YOUR REGISTRATION REQUEST TO GARY LEVINE AT glevine@sheriffleefl.org.

Planning Zoning Design Board Meeting
2024-05-14 16:30, 2024-06-11 16:30, 2024-07-09 16:30, 2024-08-13 16:30 | Village of Estero, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
Agendas are posted the week prior to the meeting. Council meetings are open to the public.
The Village Planning, Zoning and Design Board will discuss several important matters at its next meeting.
These meetings are an opportunity for residents to learn more about growth, development, and zoning changes within Estero and to voice questions, concerns, and comments on these topics.

Village Council Meeting
2024-05-15 09:30, 2024-06-05 09:30, 2024-06-19 09:30, 2024-07-03 09:30, 2024-09-18 09:30, 2024-10-02 09:30, 2024-10-16 09:30 | Village of Estero, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, Estero, FL, 33928, United States

Healthy Coping Mechanisms in Older Adults
2024-05-15 12:00 - 12:30 | Online
In this virtual event, learn healthy coping mechanisms for mental health and awareness of the dangers of unhealthy coping mechanisms. RSVP.

Mobile Blood Drive
2024-05-21 09:00 - 14:00 | Lee Health Coconut Point
Donate blood. Walk-Ins Welcome.

Board of Lee County Commissioners Meeting
2024-05-21 09:30 - 10:30 | Old Lee County Courthouse Commission Chambers 2120 Main Street Fort Myers, FL 33901
​​Agendas are posted approximately one week prior to the meeting.​ You can stream the meeting video on LeeTV, Youtube, or Facebook Live during the meeting and rewatch the recording on Youtube.

Community & Membership Meeting: Proton Therapy for Cancer
2024-05-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Estero Park & Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
Read a SummaryPart 1: Proton Therapy for Cancer Treatment
Engage Estero was delighted to bring you an important program for the May 23rd Community and Member Monthly meeting. Lee Health has partnered with Advocate Radiation Oncology to provide Proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy that uses protons rather than traditional X-rays. It targets tumors and cancer cells more precisely. This means less damage to surrounding tissue, resulting in a lower risk of side effects and a better quality of life during and after cancer treatment. It is a highly effective cancer treatment option for patients diagnosed with:

Breast cancer
Brain cancer
Esophageal cancer
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers
Head and neck cancer
Lymphoma
Lung cancer
Prostate cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pediatric cancer
Soft tissue cancer
and more...

Our Speakers
Todd A. Pezzi, M.D., M.B.A., is an Advocate Radiation Oncology Board-certified Radiation Oncologist. He first became interested in oncology at a young age after seeing cancer impact his own family. He is passionate about delivering state-of-the-art oncologic care to the residents of Southwest Florida.
Dr. Pezzi completed a four-year residency program at the nation’s largest radiation oncology department, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Arie Dosoretz, M.D., MBA., earned a joint MD/MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School of Business. He completed his residency at Yale University’s New Haven Hospital, Department of Therapeutic Radiology in New Haven, CT. He returned to his hometown of Fort Myers in 2015. He is a widely published researcher in nationally recognized peer-reviewed journals, and is a member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Ben Spence is the Chief Financial Officer of Lee Health and a senior executive team member. He joined Lee Health in 1995 and has served in many key roles during his career in healthcare finance. Ben’s responsibilities include overseeing and guiding all system financial functions and corresponding financial performance, as well as developing and executing long-term and short-term financial plans to provide the resources needed to achieve the health system’s strategic initiatives, vision, and mission.
Dr. Mark Roh serves as Lee Health’s chief physician executive of oncology services. He is responsible for providing direction and support to the medical staff while working collaboratively with the operations team and other cancer care leaders. Dr. Roh will partner with Debra Wilson, the vice president of oncology services. Alongside Wilson, he will be jointly responsible for Regional Cancer Center operations and developing and executing the strategic plan for oncology services. Before joining Lee Health, Dr. Roh most recently served as Orlando Health University of Florida Health Cancer Center president.
Part 2: Estero's Sense of Place
Estero’s “Sense of Place” and Future Priorities Suggested by ResidentsSee a Statement Describing Estero’s Sense of Place
Engage Estero is also pleased to bring you the results of the March 2024 survey. The study explored residents’ opinions about what Estero should convey to residents and visitors about its “Sense of Place.” Estero may not be well positioned in the minds of its citizens or visitors. It needs distinction! Estero's “Sense of Place,” or brand, should convey a favorable character, culture, and attractive image to visitors and its citizens so said survey respondents.
The study also explored what priorities the Village should focus on. Details of the survey results and the winners of the Sense of Place competition will be announced, along with a statement describing Estero’s Sense of Place and other findings relating to the priorities residents would like to see addressed by the Village.
Speaker: Allan Bowditch, Engage Estero’s Chief Communications Officer.

Lunch & Learn: Men's Health
2024-06-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Lee Health Coconut Point
Join Kyle Waisanen, MD, Lee Health urologist, as he discusses some of the most common ailments men are experiencing today.

World Wellbeing Week
2024-06-24 12:00 - 2024-06-28 12:30 | Lee Health Coconut Point Category: Health
Lee Health is hosting two days of Symposium covering a broad spectrum of ways to increase your personal well-being. To RSVP call 239-468-0050.

Safe Streets 4 All
2024-06-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Collaboratory, 2031 Jackson Street, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States
The first public meeting of the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan will be held on Monday, June 24, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Collaboratory, 2031 Jackson Street, Fort Myers, FL.
The purpose of the meeting is to gather safety issue feedback and present initial crash findings. MPO staff and consultants will be available at the meeting to answer questions and provide a brief presentation.

Planning Zoning Design Board Meeting
2024-09-10 16:30 | Village of Estero, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
Agendas are posted the week prior to the meeting. Meetings are open to the public. Residents who wish to comment during the meeting should complete a Public Comment Card. E-comment forms are also available before meetings and must be returned by noon the day before the meeting.
The Planning, Zoning and Design Board will address the following items during this meeting.
The board will make a decision on the development order for the new Estero Entertainment District, a 21-acre project at Williams Road and Via Coconut. Two public hearings have already been held.
A request from the University Highlands development to build two additional commercial buildings (totaling just under 16,000 square feet) for restaurant and retail use.
Redevelopment of the former Goodwill building on Corkscrew Road into Celebree School, including building a playground. Goodwill is moving to an outparcel in the Lowe’s shopping center slightly west.
Rezoning of the parcel at Corkscrew Road and Sandy Lane to allow a two-story townhome development by Estero Townhomes. The land, known as The Colonnade, is currently zoned for a continuing care facility.

Village Council Meeting - Budget
2024-09-11 17:05 | Village of Estero, 9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle, Estero, FL, 33928, United States

Community & Membership Meeting: Improving Health Outcomes in Greater Estero
2024-09-27 10:00 - 11:30 | Estero Park & Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
Summary: Improving Future Health Outcomes In Greater Estero
The meeting provided a wealth of important information on Artificial Intelligence and telemedicine increasing use in healthcare; the benefits and services available to those who need help and support for a variety of circumstances in our community: available help for carers and patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
Following the introductions and acknowledgments to the speakers, the meeting commenced with Jonathan Witenko’s summary of the way that Lee Health has embraced several developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Telemedicine.
Jonathan Witenko is the System Director, of Virtual Health and Telemedicine at Lee Health.
The value of telemedicine was identified by Jonathan following a serious head injury to his daughter several years ago, who has thankfully fully recovered because of the urgent need to see a neurosurgeon, where few existed, plus the need to transfer his daughter from Fort Myers to Miami, the importance of having immediate access to a specific specialist who could determine a diagnosis quickly and determine treatment offered significant advantages. While telemedicine became an important means of communicating with physicians during the peak of the COVID pandemic, Jonathan explained its introduction was now a part of Lee Health’s medical services. It offers particular value for patients who experience a stroke. Given the importance of receiving an assessment of the patient’s condition and suitable treatment because any delay will impact the patient’s outcome this is a valuable option. Because a specialist can be called upon immediately via a telephone link the time to treatment is significantly reduced leading to markedly improved outcomes.
Jonathan spoke briefly about the value of AI in the clinical, patient, and back-office setting. There is a need for its value to be carefully assessed and verified before implementation. He explained its value in:

Drafting replies to inbox messages.
Assisting physicians and nurses in preparing patient notes following their appointments. In this instance, the recording of the discussion will filter out unnecessary information and convert only the key information for retention saving a considerable amount of time.
Imaging Assistance: where AI provides guidance on the significant aspects that have emerged and pinpoints their significance or otherwise.

Other areas where AI has been shown to provide additional value and improve efficiencies are

Important steps have been made with the introduction by NCH, The Millenium Group, and Lee Health of the “Epic” system to enhance “interoperability”. This enables patient information to be more quickly and easily shared across different organizations when a patient happens to be involved with different organizations that carry out tests or where a physician is seen, to eliminate having to do repeat tests and have immediate access to the latest information about the patient regardless of who they saw.
Collecting a patient’s vital information from attached or implanted devices.
As a self-triage tool symptom checker.
Enhancing the overall information available in a patient's hospital room.
A Self-Service Chatbot: Chatbots deliver instant, personalized support, and seamless experiences by eliminating frustrating wait times and ensuring consistent support across various channels.
More efficiently tracking the patient through various stages of their investigations and/or treatment.

Jonathan pointed out that contrary to many who fear its introduction it will allow them to carry out their work more efficiently, and reduce the time spent on more menial tasks. Furthermore, they think they may lose their job, given the likely fall in the number of physicians and nurses that can be expected over the next few years, because of the interest and excitement by medical staff who have begun to understand the full benefits of AI (although care is needed to check its accuracy and performance) it will attract more people to the profession.
Barbara Shearer, President, Neighbors Network of Lee County.
Barbara spoke passionately about the purpose and work of this very worthwhile organization. Its mission is to make the experience of aging in one’s home a feasible choice with neighbors helping neighbors across generations to create a socially connected community that benefits everyone. Once fully rolled out, its volunteers will provide a wide array of support services to help people live independently at home and in their local community.
As has been well-documented, loneliness has a very marked effect on reducing life expectancy. A neighbor in the Neighbors Network of Lee County brings joy and many benefits to both those who help and those who receive it.
There are many services available such as Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention, Breath-Body-Mind for stress management through control of breath, and Strong People-Strong Bodies, funded in part by Dr Piper Center Retired and Americorp Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) contract. This latter program is based upon two decades of clinical and community-based research that demonstrated the benefits of progressive strength training on midlife and older women’s health- specifically muscular strength and mass, bone health, heart disease, diabetes, frailty, falls, arthritis, depression, and sleep!
A new seminar series for 2024-2025 begins in October with a program on Medicare changes in 2025. Upcoming programs will cover making one’s home safe from falls, disaster preparedness, evidence-based complementary medical treatments, and reframing aging.
Check out the wide range of information available on the Neighbors Network of Lee County website: https://leeneighbors.org/
Telephone # 239-209-9867
Mary Schoeffel, Executive Director of The Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida.
Mary explained that Parkinson’s Disease is a disease that can affect people without them realizing it. Other than signs of aging such as muscle aches, constipation, and poor sleep patterns it can develop over ten years without a person knowing until tremors might begin. There is no definitive diagnosis but a DaTScan can be helpful in some cases. The best treatment was developed over 50 years ago – carbidopa/levodopa which helps replace diminishing levodopa in the brain. While there is no cure for this disorder the organization fosters a supportive community for those affected by PD. Their efforts aimed at patients and their caregivers encompass dedicated support programs, advocation, raising awareness, and educating healthcare professionals and the wider community about Parkinson's disease.
For those who would like more information, there is a lot of helpful information on their website. You can also reach out to Mary or her colleague Sally Watts.
The Website: https://parkinsonassociationswfl.org/index.html
Telephone # 239-417-3465.
Kay Jasso, CEO, The MS Center of SWFL.
Unfortunately, due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the local flooding in Kay’s neighborhood, she was unable to make the meeting. However, for those with family members or friends with MS and would like to learn a little more about the guidance provided by The MS Center you can check out their website and give Kay a call as she will be only too happy to help.
Website: https://centers4ms.org/ms-center-of-southwest-florida/
Telephone # 239- 319-0904
Jim Gilmartin, Engage Estero’s President.
Jim summarized several items that the organization is currently focused on.
Jim explained that the executive team has been busy, besides addressing issues related to improving health, safety, education, and the environment:

Save the date: The 2024 Don Eslick Estero Persons of the Year award will be presented at the Vines Country Club on February 27th, 2025. The award will be given to Joe Pavich and his wife, Joni, for their long-term dedication and generosity to many deserving causes in Estero.
Improving road safety in SW Florida: You will not want to miss an important meeting on October 24th at Estero Recreation Center!

iii. Environment: A public forum on the impacts of climate change in Estero will be held on November 12th at 6 p.m. at FGCU’s Cohen Ballroom. This key discourse will address many aspects likely to affect us locally and what steps can be taken to mitigate the impact.

Converting septic systems to the main sewer significantly improves the Estero River and Estero Bay contamination. The process is lengthy because the Village must secure grants to minimize the cost to citizens. Engage Estero is monitoring this process.
Workforce Housing: This is significant for two reasons: a) to ensure we have teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers who can live in affordable accommodation and retain their services. b) to help reduce traffic density as a consequence.
Fundraising: Our mission is to conduct thorough research by listening to our citizens, evaluating local activities, and providing citizens with informed, unbiased facts. Furthermore, we organize educational forums to facilitate meaningful discourse and collaborate with other nonprofits to address significant community improvement efforts, such as focusing on Traffic, Growth, Development, and Water Quality issues. Secondary issues could include topics of immediate interest to citizens and donors. Financial support is required to continue our mission.

2024 Beach Gala
2024-10-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Margaritaville, 251 Crescent Street, Fort Myers Beach, Fl 33931
Join Happen365.org for a night of sunset toasts and fun times to celebrate their 2nd year as a non-profit fighting childhood obesity.
