RARE 2012 TRANSIT OF VENUS JUNE 5TH

On June 5th 2012, Venus will pass across the face of the sun, producing a silhouette that no one alive today will likely see again. Transits of venus are very rare, coming in pairs seperated by more than a hundred years. This years transit is the second of an 8-year pair. The last transit of Venus was in June 2004. June 5th will be the last chance to see a transit of Venus until 2117.

The Calusa Nature Center and Planatarium along with the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society invites you to come safely observe this event FREE at Centinnial Park in Fort Myers from 5pm to sunset. The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium also has a limited number of solar viewing glasses available for $1 Dollar at their location.

MAILBAG: PLANET GREEN FUNDRAISER

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

Dear Enviro-Friend,


The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc. has just signed up to fundraise by recycling inkjet cartridges, cell phones and other small electronic with Planet Green. Please watch this video and help our organization reach its fundraising goals by recycling. Most of us have these recyclable items sitting around our homes collecting dust and now you can recycle them and help us raise money at the same time.

KIDS FISHING TOURNAMENT JUNE 2ND

Florida Lung and Sleep Associates is hosting their 2nd annual Kids Fishing Tournament on Saturday, June 2nd 2012 from 8am to 1pm at Mirror Lakes Country Club. The cost is $25 donation per participant. Lunch is included. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please RSVP to Ahmed Fahmy by calling

239-369-8314 or emailing at AFahmy912@Yahoo.com.

LEHIGH ACRES 2012 RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Last month we asked our Facebook members to list their favorite restaurants in Lehigh Acres. The top 4 results have been placed on our site to vote for our first annual "Best restaurant in Lehigh Acres" award. The top 4 are Canton House, Country Roads Cafe, Lozano's, and Maria's. Voting ends midnight, June 30th.

FGUA: $3 MILLION IN DRINKING WATER UPGRADES

Rotten eggs and chalky water are among some of the complaints the FGUA has received regarding the water quality by Lehigh Acres residents.

The Florida Government Utility Authority (FGUA) is responsible for water and sewage treatment. The agency owns, operates, and maintains drinking water and wastewater facilities that serve the Lehigh Acres area.

They are currently working on a $3 Million Dollar upgrade to our drinking water system. This upgrade includes new pipes and filtration which should improve the odor, taste, and color of the water. It is funded by utility customers and should be completed by December.  For information or to provide public input, please contact the customer service office at 239-368-1615.

POLL RESULTS REVEAL TOP CONCERN FOR LEHIGH RESIDENTS

Our May poll results are in and have indicated that crime is the biggest concern for the residents of Lehigh Acres. Although statistics are showing that crime is steadily decreasing in Lehigh, it is on the rise all around the nation and it is expected not only for our community, but everyone in America to have security as an issue of concern at this time.

With that being said... We didn't create this poll just for fun. We created it to ask a question then do our part to assist in correcting it.

We are reaching out to community watch programs, law enforcement professionals, security specialists, and most importantly YOU to assist in defeating this issue.  We will be posting more security related topics in the future with several tips to promote a safer community.

PROJECT YOUTUBE: PATTI SNIDER

           

Patti Snider (Lehigh Spring Festival)

Project Youtube: Submit your video by uploading it to YouTube with the title or description "Lehigh Acres". Send the link to our Facebook or Email! We will happily place your video on our site.

PROJECT YOUTUBE: BREAKING THE REPUTATION

                                  

Lady Antebellum Performs at Lehigh Spring Festival (2008)

In today's society, many people use YouTube to get their information regarding a topic. From learning how to tie a tie to choosing a place to live.

Anyone who has searched "Lehigh Acres" in YouTube has been bombarded with videos about foreclosed and abandoned homes, many of which are completely outdated and now have occupants living in them.

MyLehighAcres.com is calling on YOU to break this by uploading your videos of our great community to YouTube!

Whether it be a funny video of your grandpa dancing, area attractions, catching a fish,  or musicians playing at a local venue. Be sure to have "Lehigh Acres" in the video title or description.

Once your video is uploaded we ask that you send the link to our Facebook page or by emailing us. We will happily place your video on our site.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEOS

KIWANIS AWARDS "HOMETOWN HEROES"

Last week, the Lehigh Kiwanis Club hosted it's fourth annual Kiwanis Community and Scholarship awards banquet. 14 local teachers received "Service to youth" awards and 10 students received scholarships.

Four community members received "Hometown Hero" awards.

Virginia Packer has completed 11,500 hours of community service and still continues to volunteer at Lehigh Regional Medical Center.

Rae Nicely has served local residents as the leader of the community outreach organization by offering food, financial aid, job counseling, among other things.

Lee County Deputies James Campbell and Robert Margrander were the responding officers to a recent shooting where a teen was killed and another injured by an assailant armed with an AK-47. Deputies Campbell and Margrander put themselves in harms way when they faced the murderer in an effort to protect the victims and nearby civilians.

BILLY FUCILLO PRESENTS HUGEFEST MAY 31ST

Billy Fucillo

Billy Fucillo, Owner of Fucillo Kia is back at it again and its Huge! The Fucillo Kia "HUGEfest" event well be held on May 31st. The event includes rock group STYX, country artists Randy Houser, Joe Diffie, Aaron Tippin and Sammy Kershaw. The country lineup is hosted by Cat Country 107.1. STYX will take stage after those performances.

Fucillo also plans to give $10,000 to 25 different winners who have filled out a "Don't Text and Drive" pledge card. A 2012 KIA Sorento will also be given away.

The concert event is from 4-11 p.m. There is no reserved seating provided, but lawn chairs are permitted. Pets, coolers, tents and umbrellas are not allowed. Parking will be available in clearly marked lots and will be posted online prior to the event.

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DONATION DRIVE AT SWEETBAY

The start of summer vacation means many children will go without the regular meals they received at school. In Lee County, more than 50,000 students receive either free or reduced lunch during the semester. Far too often, the only food those kids eat is what they get at school. To fight summertime hunger, Sweetbay Supermarket stores in Lee and Collier Counties will collect jars of peanut butter and jelly from June 1st through June 10th to feed children in need.

The number of jars donated at any Sweetbay store will be matched by Sweetbay and delivered to the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, which serves summer children's programs, social service organizations and homeless shelters.

To contribute, stop by Sweetbay Supermarket at 61 Bell Blvd or any other participating Sweetbay and donate jars of peanut butter and jelly in the boxes located at the front of the stores.

SR 82 WIDENING PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION

SR82Lee.Com

Construction is expected to be completed this summer on the S.R. 82 widening project which multi-lanes the existing roadway to six lanes from Ortiz Avenue to south of Lee/Colonial Boulevard and reconfigures the intersection at Buckingham Road. New traffic signals have already been placed at the forum intersection and will be adding another signal at the Buckingham Road intersection.

At this point the crews are finishing up landscaping, surface work, and moving signals/light poles.

NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

While two tropical storms have already formed, the 2012 hurricane season doesn't officially begin until Friday. And to help residents prepare, the National Hurricane Center has declared this week "National Hurricane Preparedness Week".

During this entire week (May 27- June 2), the National Weather Service has highlighted an important hazard for each day, as well as information and actions to take when a hurricane approaches.

FAMILY FUN EXPO THIS SATURDAY- JUNE 2ND AT GERMAIN ARENA

The Family Fun Expo presented by Parent & Child is back at Germain Arena this Saturday, June 2nd from 10 am to 3pm.

Activities include bounce houses, interactive games, face painting, and prizes.

$5 for adults, $2 for children (12 and under) Free for children 2 and under. Parking is free.

Purchase tickets HERE

TWO NEW SCHOOLS IN LEHIGH ACRES FOR 2012-13 SCHOOL YEAR

Two new schools are set to open in Lehigh Acres for the 2012-13 school year next fall. Both schools are STEM schools. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) is a program which prepares students for employment by teaching them to understand, design, produce, and manage in order to contribute and function in a technological society.

Tortuga Preserve Elementary: View Website
Grades Kindergarden- 5th
1711 Gunnery Rd. N, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
The school will require uniforms.

Harns Marsh Middle: View Website
Grades 6-8
1820 Unice Ave N, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
The school will require uniforms.

JOHN PATRICK SAYS.. BERYL NOT TO DIRECTLY AFFECT SWFL

ABC-7

"Tropical Storm Beryl will not directly affect the weather in Southwest Florida." Via Facebook


John Patrick is the Chief Meteorologist at ABC-7 and a resident of Lehigh Acres.


Tropical Storm Beryl, a 70 mph storm made landfall near Jacksonville, FL early Monday morning. It is expected to weaken as it turns to the north and heads into Georgia.

LOCAL MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS

Fort Myers Memorial Gardens
1589 Colonial Blvd, Ft. Myers
9:30AM - Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home and cemetery will hold a Memorial Day Ceremony. There will be patriotic songs, color guard, flyover, and a cookout.

Lee Memorial Park
12777 State Road 82
9:30AM - Hodges Funeral Home in Lehigh Acres. Free breakfast for military personnel, followed by a celebration and flyover program.

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR A CAUSE

View the Event Page Here

Susan Alderman is losing her battle with Cancer, and needs our help! She is the single Mom of a 7 year old angel named Roman, who wants to meet Santa. We can give them Christmas NOW, through love, music, and support. Please join us, and consider bringing a wrapped package for Roman to put under our tree. Donations are needed and so is your attendance. Over ten bands, local comedians and raffles and auctions will be on hand to entertain you. Volunteers are welcomed, please contact Christine Sullivan, Christine Marengo Becker Thurston, or Lowanda Mendoza for auction donations, or to volunteer. Financial donations may be sent as well. Let's make this special for this family! Thank you all for your support!

Monday June 4th from 6pm to 1:30am at Backstreets Sports Bar in Cape Coral.