March - May 2016
View from the Oval Office
What would be better than taking a shower in your own master bathroom? Ah, the things you take for granted when you are renovating a house. Next month I will have been in Fort Myers for five years. For the first 3 ½ years I lived out of a suitcase at a Marriott Courtyard near my office. It took that long to find a home here that Julie and I could agree upon. Actually, there were six islands I was looking at from the very beginning from my home. River Forest Island was one of them...
In retrospect, it is funny to consider that Julie or I visited nearly 120 homes (less than 10 of them at the same time) over those 3 ½ years. None of the homes, however, was in a community like River Forest. I knew right away my River Forest house was the one I wanted. Okay, it had purple counter tops, carpeting in every room, way too many paint colors and no matter where you stood in the house, an arch was visible. But it had a beautiful view of the river and we knew with a little work, a beautiful arch-less home would be forthcoming.
My thoughts turn to our Clubhouse and I think of what it may look like 5, 10, maybe 20 years from now. In January the members met and approved a new tiled floor for the main room, kitchen and bar area. It is very exciting to think of how significantly the floor will be improved with new tiling. With care this will likely be the last floor we have for many years to come.
The addition of new fans brings a more modern look inside the main room. They are much more attractive too. Soon there will be a 50” television to replace the rear-projection unit that stopped working recently. We have lots of decisions left to be made. The bookcases will need to be removed in order to tile the main floor. Do we put back the library in the same place after the new floor is retiled. Do we remodel the lanai – maybe make a reading nook. Is it time to repaint the inside of the clubhouse.
Storage room A also provides an excellent opportunity for improvements as there is consideration underway of removing the walls and fixtures to make one large room. Storage room A will never be a Donna room, so removing the bathroom wall and fixtures will make it a more efficient storage area.
Lots of options and decisions. Whatever decisions we make, what I like the most is that our members have the skills and desire to bring the changes to a conclusion.
Bruce Squillante
President
In retrospect, it is funny to consider that Julie or I visited nearly 120 homes (less than 10 of them at the same time) over those 3 ½ years. None of the homes, however, was in a community like River Forest. I knew right away my River Forest house was the one I wanted. Okay, it had purple counter tops, carpeting in every room, way too many paint colors and no matter where you stood in the house, an arch was visible. But it had a beautiful view of the river and we knew with a little work, a beautiful arch-less home would be forthcoming.
My thoughts turn to our Clubhouse and I think of what it may look like 5, 10, maybe 20 years from now. In January the members met and approved a new tiled floor for the main room, kitchen and bar area. It is very exciting to think of how significantly the floor will be improved with new tiling. With care this will likely be the last floor we have for many years to come.
The addition of new fans brings a more modern look inside the main room. They are much more attractive too. Soon there will be a 50” television to replace the rear-projection unit that stopped working recently. We have lots of decisions left to be made. The bookcases will need to be removed in order to tile the main floor. Do we put back the library in the same place after the new floor is retiled. Do we remodel the lanai – maybe make a reading nook. Is it time to repaint the inside of the clubhouse.
Storage room A also provides an excellent opportunity for improvements as there is consideration underway of removing the walls and fixtures to make one large room. Storage room A will never be a Donna room, so removing the bathroom wall and fixtures will make it a more efficient storage area.
Lots of options and decisions. Whatever decisions we make, what I like the most is that our members have the skills and desire to bring the changes to a conclusion.
Bruce Squillante
President
Annual Dinner Meeting, January 16, 2016
Sleepy Hollow did a bang up job right down to the decorations. The food was superb. Thanks for all your hard work. Everyone had a great time, and the meeting was organized and ran through fast. Way to go RIFCA!
February Dinner Dance, Februay 20, 2016
Ox Bow hosted our February Dinner Dance featuring Tripleshot Band per your request. The dinner was wonderful and Janet and her team can be very proud. The band members said the food was better than the catered dinner for the 50th anniversary. That is quite a compliment. It was wonderful to see so many people on the dance floor. They filled the inside dance floor and pushed back the serving table to make more room to dance on the porch. The band knew just want to play and they kept the people hopping. It was a good evening to say the least and everyone showed their appreciation. Thanks Tripleshot for coming back and entertaining us!
Lee County Mosquito Control District
The Lee County Mosquito Control District, along with air conditioning, is most responsible for your ability to live in Southwest Florida. Located at the end of Homestead Road, on a portion of the old Buckingham Army Air Force Base, in Buckingham, the control maintains UH1H Huey helicopters and C-47 planes used to spray larvicide and adlticide to control the mosquito population, allowing residents to survive during our warm weather. The interior of these planes has been stripped to allow installation of equipment, such as tanks for spray, and the cockpit includes specialized GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment for locating and logging times and destinations of each spraying...
In this way, records are kept of areas covered and when, as well as the altitude height of each spraying and quantity of spray. Spraying attachments are either built into or attached to these planes for delivery of spray.
Early the evening before spraying, small trucks, equipped with roof-mounted flat "funnels" and bag-type traps, capture a quantity of mosquitoes to determine the major type of mosquito of annoyance in any given area. Spraying is generally done very early the next morning, so you often see these planes prior to children leaving for school.
In years past, the Mosquito Control planes utilized a diesel fuel and larvicide combination, the fuel facilitating the spray's descent to the ground, and required three loads of 800 gallons each per spraying. Today, with more effective use of chemicals available to them, the control planes use only one load of 120 gallons of either a larvicide or adulticide for approximately the same area of coverage.
Depending on the need, an adulticide ingredient is sprayed at a level of 2000 feet by the C-47s, where it slowly descends to the ground, effectively killing the adult mosquitoes in the air. In areas of more swampy land, larvicide spray is delivered low to the ground from the Huey helicopters. This larvicide spreads over the surface of the water, thus killing the mosquito larvae before they can hatch.
The control district's planes are flown by experienced pilots, required from previous flight jobs and/or the military. Although slow during the winter months, at which time the planes are constantly serviced and maintained, the spring, summer and fall months are extremely busy periods for these pilots as they keep Lee County residents comfortable!
~ Southwest Florida Museum of History
In this way, records are kept of areas covered and when, as well as the altitude height of each spraying and quantity of spray. Spraying attachments are either built into or attached to these planes for delivery of spray.
Early the evening before spraying, small trucks, equipped with roof-mounted flat "funnels" and bag-type traps, capture a quantity of mosquitoes to determine the major type of mosquito of annoyance in any given area. Spraying is generally done very early the next morning, so you often see these planes prior to children leaving for school.
In years past, the Mosquito Control planes utilized a diesel fuel and larvicide combination, the fuel facilitating the spray's descent to the ground, and required three loads of 800 gallons each per spraying. Today, with more effective use of chemicals available to them, the control planes use only one load of 120 gallons of either a larvicide or adulticide for approximately the same area of coverage.
Depending on the need, an adulticide ingredient is sprayed at a level of 2000 feet by the C-47s, where it slowly descends to the ground, effectively killing the adult mosquitoes in the air. In areas of more swampy land, larvicide spray is delivered low to the ground from the Huey helicopters. This larvicide spreads over the surface of the water, thus killing the mosquito larvae before they can hatch.
The control district's planes are flown by experienced pilots, required from previous flight jobs and/or the military. Although slow during the winter months, at which time the planes are constantly serviced and maintained, the spring, summer and fall months are extremely busy periods for these pilots as they keep Lee County residents comfortable!
~ Southwest Florida Museum of History
Grace Layne Ryan
River Forest Inventor Performs With Professional Ballet Company. You may remember reading a previous newsletter article about Grace Layne Ryan, now a 5th grader at River Hall Elementary and a life-long resident of River Forest. Grace was inspired by her older brother, Andrew, to enter the world of science and invention and was first bit by the “invention bug” when she was in first grade. Grace has gone on to successfully represent her school at the Thomas A. Edison Regional Science & Invention Fair, including this year, meeting her goal for five consecutive years which is a school record!
What you may not know is that Grace is not only an avid inventor but also a dedicated dancer! She has studied ballet, tap, and modern dance for five years at Dance Bochette in downtown Fort Myers.
This year marked Grace’s second successful audition to perform in the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russion Nutcracker. Last year she was cast as a Chinese Doll and this year she was dual cast as both a Party Guest and a Russian Doll. Grace was honored and excited to perform alongside professional dancers at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. It has been a “twice in a lifetime” opportunity and a great learning opportunity!
In addition to dancing and inventing, Grace also enjoys golfing, acting, singing and playing the piano - and is a piano student of River Forest resident, Millicent (Callobre) Francois. At school, Grace serves as the Student Council Secretary and is a member the Honor Choir Quartet and News Crew. She has a busy schedule but thoroughly enjoys every minute of it!
If you like theatre, Grace will be performing in the The Little Mermaid, Jr. at the Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theatre on Sanibel in June. It is a children's production put on by the Creative Theatre Workshop. Please visit www.creativetheatreworkshop.com or call 239-738-3525 for show and ticket information.
What you may not know is that Grace is not only an avid inventor but also a dedicated dancer! She has studied ballet, tap, and modern dance for five years at Dance Bochette in downtown Fort Myers.
This year marked Grace’s second successful audition to perform in the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russion Nutcracker. Last year she was cast as a Chinese Doll and this year she was dual cast as both a Party Guest and a Russian Doll. Grace was honored and excited to perform alongside professional dancers at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. It has been a “twice in a lifetime” opportunity and a great learning opportunity!
In addition to dancing and inventing, Grace also enjoys golfing, acting, singing and playing the piano - and is a piano student of River Forest resident, Millicent (Callobre) Francois. At school, Grace serves as the Student Council Secretary and is a member the Honor Choir Quartet and News Crew. She has a busy schedule but thoroughly enjoys every minute of it!
If you like theatre, Grace will be performing in the The Little Mermaid, Jr. at the Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theatre on Sanibel in June. It is a children's production put on by the Creative Theatre Workshop. Please visit www.creativetheatreworkshop.com or call 239-738-3525 for show and ticket information.
