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Harvey WaldenCommunity Member
5 hours ago
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HAHarvey Walden
2 hours agoSt. Michael's Church Provides Update on Recovery
The cross still hangs, the candles haven't moved from the back altar and the children's chapel heart prayers box still sits on the altar. Dear Friends, Representatives from FP Restoration who were contracted by our church insurance visited St. Michael's today. Damage from water intrusion is significant but the buildings appear to be structurally sound. They will begin working immediately to secure the property, dry the buildings to prevent further damage, salvage what can be saved, and develop a plan for the restoration. We were able to retrieve all the silver chalices and other vessels, vestments and a few stoles by a beach wagon and then walked to a boat. These are already being cleaned and restored with the help of parishioners. More items will be taken out by the restoration team. Chuck Ketteman and I will be back on the property on Friday with the insurance adjustors. The Memorial Garden fared very well, only one occupied niche was compromised; and that family will be notified. The scope of the damage prohibits us from using any volunteers; please stay out of the buildings, there are health and safety hazards. It is not safe to be in the buildings and we are thankful we have professionals with the proper equipment on the job. More pictures will be published; but just wanted to give you a quick update on the day. Housing Update from Deb Larson: We continue to look for HAVES and WANTS among our parishioners for TEMPORARY HOUSING. If you HAVE a spare room in your home, please provide your Name, Address, contact email and cell number and size of space and number of persons you can accommodate. Also, please state whether you will allow pets and how you feel about smokers. If you NEED temp housing, Please state your name, contact email and cell, the number of people in your group and approximately what your anticipated length of stay. (We realize that this will be difficult to estimate, but best guess will be fine.) Please email to : [email protected] or please text to : 703-966-9474 As of October 6, we had three requests for housing..so far no offers to accommodate or house. If you even have an extra room or a property that survived Ian(condo or home) that could house someone even for a short time, we do have a great need. Snowbirds, if you have not yet returned and your property is available, this is a perfect use for it! Many thanks in advance for your your kindness and generosity. If you have need of accommodations for a night or two or three while you check on your home, one of our parishioners can offer a room in their home in South Ft Myers. Please text or email Deborah Larson. [email protected] or text :703-966-9474 Resources: Operation Blue Roof is active in your county. Deadline to apply is October 23. This is a FREE, NO COST program, where a contractor installs a fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until homeowners can make permanent repairs. You can sign-up three ways: Call 888-766-3258; visit Blueroof.us ; or go to the mobile sign-up location. Mail Pick up has been moved for Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach residents to JetLoop Park by the airport. The Causeway was opened today for emergency trucks; we saw a line of electric vehicles going over, and it was just announced it will be open by October 21 for Sanibel residents and recovery and restoration vehicles. Peace, Bill+
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HAHarvey Walden
2 hours agoChurch Update: Gathering and Contractor Arrival
Dear Friends, A big day tomorrow so this will be a short update. Just wanted to share some good news. First, we had a wonderful gathering of almost 90 parishioners at our temporary home at Peace Lutheran Church on McGregor yesterday, followed by an update by staff and then coffee hour hosted by the good people of Peace Lutheran. How wonderful to see so many in person, share hugs and moments of gratitude and goodness in the midst of this challenging time. You can watch the service and update here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQAy3Kv3xNU We got the word that Church Insurance has contracted with one of Florida's leading full-service emergency clean-up, mold remediation, restoration, and repair companies and they will be on the property starting tomorrow! After talking with the director, I am impressed with their plan to first assess the integrity and condition of the structures, secure the property and then start salvaging anything that is still in good condition or can be restored or repaired. They will have contractors on site all this week, get portable power going and get the ordering of materials underway, We had a plan to use volunteers to try and go in, but have switched to letting this professional company do the job for us; they have the large experienced crews and equipment needed to get the job done quickly and safely. Thanks to generous parishioners who are sharing a boat and experienced captain to help with this important step until the company can get their barges in with equipment and labor. We will be taking lots of photos and videos to share around the whole campus, including the Memorial Garden which we haven't been able to see yet. I have also asked Chuck Ketteman to be the point person for working with the insurance company. He has vast business experience and I greatly appreciate him saying yes to this important task. If anyone has experience with commerical insurance, please contact Chuck. More good news; the Hurricane Relief Fund is now at $ $28,395 = $18,395 + $10,000 match We are only $1,605 from the second $10,000 match. Thank you to all who have contributed and/or spread the word on the fund – www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org Donations are accepted online or checks can be made out to St. Michael's Hurricane Relief Fund and mailed to Susan Gonzalez's home at 10436 Peso Del Rio Drive, Fort Myers, FL 3390 Resources: The city of Sanibel did not have a briefing today, so I'll just remind everyone that there are several FEMA disaster sites set up around the area and they have a wealth of information and assistance to provide. Consider stopping by to learn more to help you or a neighbor or friend. Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers, FL 33919 A LeeTran shuttle will run from the Kelly Road Soccer Complex, 10750 Kelly Road to the center. The shuttle is free and will run continuously, beginning at 8 a.m. daily. Fort Myers DMS Building, 2295 Victoria Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33901 Please pray for the health and safety of all who who are working on the island. Remember if you are going to the island, please be safe, and bring water and a first aid kit. After being on the island several times, I urge you to use abundant caution, drink plenty of water and be very careful as there are many hazards. Peace, Bill+
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HAHarvey Walden
2 hours agoPresiding Bishop Calls for 'Season of Prayer for Revival'
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invites Episcopalians everywhere to mark the season after Pentecost with 30 days of prayer leading up to and encompassing the 80th General Convention in Baltimore, Maryland. “A Season of Prayer for Revival”—from June 12 through July 11—will feature daily prayers drawn from the Book of Common Prayer. Individuals can sign up online to receive the prayers and inspirational messages via email. The prayers will also be posted daily on social media accounts for The Episcopal Church and Forward Movement. Downloadable bulletin inserts are available for congregational use. All materials are in Spanish and English. “As we move toward and adapt to a shorter, smaller General Convention, I invite every Episcopalian—whether you’re in Baltimore or Alaska or Honduras, whether you’re a deputy, a bishop, or a new member sitting in the pews—I invite all of us to pause each day just for a moment to pray for the expansive, reviving power of the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds,” Curry said. “We are people of common prayer; may we embrace this season as an opportunity for us all to become a church that truly lives, looks, and loves like Jesus.” The 80th General Convention is scheduled for July 8-11.
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Community Remembrances
Chamber Hears SCORE Business Services
2 hours ago
"SCORE Volunteer Mentor C. Robert Leadbetter was guest speaker of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce business luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Captiva Island Yacht Club. Leadbetter discussed services offered by SCORE, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering vibrant small businesses through mentoring and education."
Church Update: Equipment Arrival and Causeway Opening
2 hours ago
" Dear Friends, 1. Our Restoration company is working on a strategy and the process of moving some of their equipment and crews to the church property via barge. This will enable them to secure the property and begin the drying process. More pictures will be posted on the website tomorrow. With the good news that the causeway will be opening on October 21 that will greatly improve their ability to work on the recovery process before the restoration begins. Click here to see video of the Convoy arriving on Sanibel. Click here to see video of the convoy driving on Periwinkle. 2. Zooms This Week : A reminder of the Thursday Bible Study tomorrow (at a special time this week 11:00am). Join by Zoom ~ ID#: 930 4599 7623 https://zoom.us/j/93045997623 AND Evening Prayer Meeting ID: 835 8757 2066 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8358757206 6 Phone-in (no video): 1-646-931-3860 ID: 835 8757 2066 3. Join us for Worship this Sunday at Peace Lutheran Church, 15840 McGregor Blvd at 11:30am followed by coffee hour . 4. Coming next week, Friday Oct. 21, Suzy Post will facilitating a group; a time to be together, to support each other through listening and sharing our stories. “ After Ian, caring for ourselves and each other ..” It will be held at Peace Lutheran and the time will be announced in the Friday brief. We are deeply grateful to Peace Lutheran and their willingness to host us. 5. Housing Update from Deb Larson : We continue to look for HAVES and WANTS among our parishioners for TEMPORARY HOUSING. If you HAVE a spare room in your home, please provide your Name, Address, contact email and cell number and size of space and number of persons you can accommodate. Also, please state whether you will allow pets and how you feel about smokers. If you NEED temp housing, Please state your name, contact email and cell, the number of people in your group and approximately what your anticipated length of stay. (We realize that this will be difficult to estimate, but best guess will be fine.) Please email to : [email protected] or please text to : 703-966-9474 As of October 6, we had three requests for housing..so far no offers to accommodate or house. If you even have an extra room or a property that survived Ian(condo or home) that could house someone even for a short time, we do have a great need. Snowbirds, if you have not yet returned and your property is available, this is a perfect use for it! Many thanks in advance for your your kindness and generosity. If you have need of accommodations for a night or two or three while you check on your home, one of our parishioners can offer a room in their home in South Ft Myers. Please text or email Deborah Larson. [email protected] or text :703-966-9474 Resources : Important Info from tonight's City Briefing : If you have any electric powered vehicle on your property on Sanibel, a car or golf cart, please call the Sanibel Fire Department right away as they need to inspect them due to the fire risk. 239-472-5525 Operation Blue Roof is active in your county. Deadline to apply is October 23. This is a FREE, NO COST program, where a contractor installs a fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until homeowners can make permanent repairs. You can sign-up three ways: Call 888-766-3258; visit Blueroof.us; or go to the mobile sign-up location. Mail Pick up for Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach residents is now at : Jetport Loop Mail Facility (14080 Jetport Loop, Fort Myers) Hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday – Saturday Peace, Bill+ "
St. Michael's Church Celebrates Completion, Announces Holiday Services
2 hours ago
" Today's Excitement Dear Friends, Today was a day to celebrate! LCEC trucks arrived to install the new meter and energize it so the new HVAC system in the sanctuary can be started up! Then a couple hours later, we passed the City of Sanibel final inspection and we were given the Certificate of Completion; the final step in our permit process which started last May. We are very grateful to Councilwoman Holly Smith, City Manager Dana Souza and all the city and LCEC employees who assisted in these final steps and of course to all the FP workers and their subs for all their hard work these past several months and the Property Restoration Team; the working group was there to receive the good news today. We are very busy getting the spaces ready for opening weekend starting with our 4th Advent services this Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 8am and 10:30am (livestreamed). Then we will have 3 Christmas Services at 4pm, 8pm (livestreamed) and 10:30am. Thanks to the volunteer teams who have been washing dishes in the kitchen, putting books on the bookshelf, hanging wreaths and a 100 other details. It is a stunningly beautiful space and we can't wait for all to experience it again for the first time in 15 months! Bill + "
Hirdie Girdie Gallery to Host Annual 'Shells & Art' Event
3 hours ago
"Shells & Art Hirdie Girdie Gallery’s annual “Shells & Art” starts Saturday, December 2nd! Come see nature’s art in locally collected shells. Local shell crafters will display their creations, so don’t miss this opportunity to see the beauty found right here!"
Hirdie Girdie Gallery Open House - Free Fun!
3 hours ago
"Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery is hosting an Open House-Saturday April 12, 2025, 1:00-4:00pm. Gallery artists will offer art-making opportunities and others will be giving demonstrations. A scavenger hunt will be held in the gallery with prizes and live entertainment by our own member/musician Laura Black and husband Russ."
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