New watchdogs hope to have loud bark
Charlie Whitehead had forgotten how his booming voice could command a room.
Attending a meeting a few months ago to protest the proposed Bay Harbor high-rise condo project on Main Street on San Carlos Island, a non-working microphone spurred him into action.
“Joanne Semmer was the leader, but there were about 100 people there and she couldn’t be heard,” said Whitehead. “I’m a pretty loud guy, so I just took over.”
And it got him thinking. Whitehead, a San Carlos Island resident who used be a reporter for the Naples Daily News, has always had an interest in community affairs. In fact, he covered Fort Myers Beach back when it became incorporated, in 1995, and recalled how a group called the Fort Myers Beach Civic Association was active.
A few years ago, when the group fizzled out due mostly to its members aging, Whitehead’s Little League group received its money when it emptied its coffers.
So, the association was on his mind when he decided the area needed a group where opinions and questions could be aired about most anything.
“I’ve decided to start it up again – we’re going by the Beach Area Civic Association, because there are concerns beyond just the beach,” said Whitehead, who has held two meetings thus far, attended each time with about 30 people he said, with another scheduled for Thursday. “I want this to be a long-term mission. I want it to be a place where people can talk about the issues that affect us and get answers. I didn’t feel there was a place like that to go.”
At the first meeting, Whitehead said several people were shy about opening up.
“I saw a lot of puppy-dog eyes,” he said. “I could tell they were concerned about things in the community but weren’t ready to say much. What I did hear was, ‘We really need this.'”
At the second meeting, developer Tom Torgerson of the controversial Grand Resorts proposal for downtown Fort Myers was the guest speaker.
Was Grand Resorts a catalyst for the group’s formation?
“No, I had thought about this before they came along, but that’s a good example of an issue that’s on people’s mind,” Whitehead said. “He was great and it was a perfect, informal setting for a dialogue.”
Mayor Anita Cereceda was encouraged by the arrival of the new association.
“I think a civic association can be a vibrant and vital part of a community and I’m happy to see it rekindled in a new form,” she said, noting the original association was a support group that helped with things such as setting up chairs at meetings and answering the phones when the town government finally found a home.
“They played a big role in our incorporation,” Cereceda said of the members.
But Whitehead said he sees the new version of the group being less cheerleader and more watchdog.
“The old civic association had a newsletter that was a bit political at times, if I remember right, but I also remember them doing things like sponsoring the Fourth of July parade and I don’t know if this new group wants to take on projects like that,” Whitehead said. “Mostly, we want to keep people informed and develop a voice. The plan is to establish a charter and become a not-for-profit 501(c)(4), which will mean we can politic and lobby. I see us holding candidate forums, taking positions at government meetings, thing like that.
“Whether we agree with the town on an issue or disagree, we’ll be heard.”
For now, Whitehead said he’ll attend government meetings and be sure to keep his new group informed as it grows.
“At a minimum, we’ll offer people a chance to be heard,” he said. “In time, I think we’ll have a strong voice that will need to be heard.”