close

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

4 min read

Christmas services on the Beach

– Once again St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church located at 5601 Williams Drive Fort Myers Beach will be having special music for both the evening and morning Christmas services. The Christmas Eve services at 7 PM and 10 PM will feature solos by opera singer Jessica Marcrum accompanied by Frank Zilinyi on the organ. Both Ms. Marcrum and Mr. Zilinyi are graduates of Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, OH. Ms. Marcrum is currently studying for her Master’s in Classical Voice Performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and Frank Zilinyi is studying for his Master’s in Organ at the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music. The Christmas morning service at 10 AM on Christmas Day will feature special music by Sierra and Logan Coleman accompanied by Saint Rapheal’s organist Jean Matthew . Sierra and Logan Coleman of Juneau, Alaska are the grandchildren of the Zack & Chris Zack of Fort Myers Beach.

– The 13th Annual Christmas Eve Service On the Beach by the pier (Lynn Hall Park, Fort Myers Beach) is Dec. 24 at 7 p.m.

Songs will be led by “Lady Blue” (Stephanie Kirch).

The service is hosted by The New Church of Southwest Florida and Rev. Nadine Cotton, 10811 Sunset Plaza Circle in Fort Myers.

The service comprises Christmas carols and Christmas readings. Programs will be provided.

Bring a beach chair or blanket, flashlight and a candle. Bring a non-perishable food item with you to help replenish the church’s emergency food pantry.

– St. Peter Lutheran Church will conduct candlelight worship services of Christmas carols and lessons on Christmas Eve at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., with Holy Communion.

Christmas Day Worship Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. with Holy Communion. All are welcome! St. Peter Lutheran Church is at 3751 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach.

For more information, call Susan Frantz at the church, 463-4251.

Downtown services

 

– The Story of Christmas will be shared in two special ways this year at the Christmas Eve services, Wednesday evening, Dec, 24, at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Myers. 

First, the Children’s Participation Service at 5:30 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center allows the children to dress in simple costumes furnished at the church. The children are invited to participate in the re-telling of the birth of Jesus through scripture and Christmas carols. A real live baby plays the part of Jesus. Pastor Jim Mitchell said, “This service, in its first year, is ideal for families with preschool and young children. Also, adults without children will enjoy the simplicity and inspiration of the service.”

The Family Candlelight Christmas Eve Service is at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. The Choir will sing a special anthem and Pastor Jim Mitchell will share a Christmas message. The service will conclude with the lighting of individual candles and the singing of “Silent Night.”

First United Methodist Church is at 2466 First Street in Downtown Fort Myers. For more information, call the church office at 332-1152.

– First Baptist, 1735 Jackson St., is to host a Christmas Eve Communion Service     at 5 p.m.

– First Presbyterian, 2438 2nd St., hosts a Candlelight Serve of Lessons and Carols  at 6 p.m. Call 334-2261 for more.

Open Mic

A Holiday Open Mic is set for Friday, Dec. 26, 4 to 6 p.m. at The Bean on Sanibel, 2240 Periwinkle Way.

The end of the eventful year 2008 will be celebrated on as writers, residents and visitors to the islands are invited to celebrate the outgoing exciting year, 2008, and greet 2009, the Year of Hope and Change by reading and listening to original and favorite selections of poetry and prose.

For the last seven years, Open Mic at the Bean on Sanibel have become very popular throughout the entire Southwest Florida region. Poets and writers from Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University, Charlotte and Collier County as well as writers from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America have participated in the Open Mic at the Bean.

Open Mic readings are informal. The only requirements are that performers sign the Reader’s List and limit their reading time to five minutes. If you choose not to read, you are welcome to listen.

For further information,  call Joseph Pacheco, 472-1280 or the Bean, 395-1919.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

6 min read

Check your charity

h Are your mailboxes filling up with year-end solicitations for charitable donations? Deciding to whom to give is not always easy. There are no laws that require charities to use a specific percentage of your donations on charitable purposes. It is up to each of us to make sure our charity giving is used wisely for those in need, instead of lining the pockets of for-profit fund raisers and questionable organizations.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office recommends:

u Make an annual charitable giving budget and list and stick to it! Keep your list to a manageable number of charities.

u Don’t judge a charity by an impressive sounding name. Many organizations have names similar to other well-known charities.

u Ask for a written description of programs, staff, finances, and tax deductibility of the charity, such as an annual report.

u Most telephone appeals are made by salespeople employed by professional fund raisers. Most of your donation goes to the fund-raiser, not to the charity.

For detailed reports that rate charities and tell you how your donations will be used, go to these national charity watchdog resources on the Internet: charitynavigator.org and give.org.

For information on local charities, contact the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org or call your local BBB.

For assistance, call the Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line: 477-1242, or CASE, Communities Against Senior Exploitation.

Decorating contest

h The Greater Fort Myers Beach Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the Annual Christmas Decorating Contest in four categories: Residential, Condos, Businesses and Mobile Homes. They are:

Residential

First Place – Mike Dagnese, 3046 Shell Mound Blvd.

Second Place – Marvelli Rodeheffer, 130 Sabal Drive.

Third Place – Bill Van Duzer, 5615 Lewis Street.

Condos

First Place – Royal Pelican, 4511-4591 Bay Beach Lane – includes 10 buildings

Businesses

First Place – Gulfshore Grill, 1270 Estero Blvd.

Second Place – Red Coconut RV Park, 3001 Estero Blvd.

Mobile homes

First Place – Oyster Bay RV, 1711 Main Street.

The event is sponsored by the Fort Myers Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Florida Power & Light. The cash prizes are $75 for first place; $50 for second place and $25 for third place.

Downtown fun

 

h The streets are already decorated and the Holiday House is coming to the Burroughs and Langford/Kingston houses. There will also be nativity scenes, four services on Christmas Eve and the annual presentation of “A Christmas Carol” at First United Methodist Church.

   Hol iday House is a local institution presented every Christmas by the Fort Myers Women’s Community Club. For the first time, the showcase of elaborate decorations and displays will be presented at the Burroughs and Langford/Kingston houses through Dec. 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. This will be a rare opportunity to visit both of these magnificent houses that have so much history and beauty. Tickets are $5, children under 12 are admitted free. Visit fmwcc.com

Next door at First United Methodist Church, 2466 First St., will be convenient parking available for a donation, as well as a nativity scene outside and refreshments inside the Life Enrichment Center. It’s open every night for the Holiday House events and has more decorations inside so people can warm up with some hot cider and popcorn.

The church will also present “A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 17 (dinner at 5:30 p.m., Pre-school celebration begins at 6, Show begins at 7), Dec. 19 (dinner at 6 p.m., Show at 7), Dec. 21 (lunch at noon, show at 12:45) and Dec. 22 (show at 10 a.m., healthy snacks at 11 a.m.).

Christmas at church

 

h The Story of Christmas will be shared in two special ways this year at the Christmas Eve services, Wednesday evening, Dec, 24, at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Myers. 

First, the Children’s Participation Service at 5:30 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center allows the children to dress in simple costumes furnished at the church. The children are invited to participate in the re-telling of the birth of Jesus through scripture and Christmas carols. A real live baby plays the part of Jesus. Pastor Jim Mitchell said, “This service, in its first year, is ideal for families with preschool and young children. Also, adults without children will enjoy the simplicity and inspiration of the service.”

The Family Candlelight Christmas Eve Service is at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. The Choir will sing a special anthem and Pastor Jim Mitchell will share a Christmas message. The service will conclude with the lighting of individual candles and the singing of “Silent Night.”

First United Methodist Church is at 2466 First Street in Downtown Fort Myers. For more information, call the church office at 332-1152.

h First Baptist, 1735 Jackson St., is to host a Christmas Eve Communion Service     at 5 p.m.

h First Presbyterian, 2438 2nd St. hosts a Candlelight Serve of Lessons and Carols     at 6 p.m. Call 334-2261 for more.

h Dec. 14 is a Christmas Cantata at First United Methodist.

h Dec. 17, 19, 21 and 22, see “A Christmas Carol” at First United Methodist.

h Once again St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church located at 5601 Williams Drive Fort Myers Beach will be having special music for both the evening and morning Christmas services. The Christmas Eve services at 7 PM and 10 PM will feature solos by opera singer Jessica Marcrum accompanied by Frank Zilinyi on the organ. Both Ms. Marcrum and Mr. Zilinyi are graduates of Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, OH. Ms. Marcrum is currently studying for her Master’s in Classical Voice Performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and Frank Zilinyi is studying for his Master’s in Organ at the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music. The Christmas morning service at 10 AM on Christmas Day will feature special music by Sierra and Logan Coleman accompanied by Saint Rapheal’s organist Jean Matthew . Sierra and Logan Coleman of Juneau, Alaska are the grandchildren of the Zack & Chris Zack of Fort Myers Beach.

Open Mic

A Holiday Open Mic is set for Friday, Dec. 26, 4 to 6 p.m. at The Bean on Sanibel, 2240 Periwinkle Way.

The end of the eventful year 2008 will be celebrated on as writers, residents and visitors to the islands are invited to celebrate the outgoing exciting year, 2008, and greet 2009, the Year of Hope and Change by reading and listening to original and favorite selections of poetry and prose.

For the last seven years, Open Mic at the Bean on Sanibel have become very popular throughout the entire Southwest Florida region. Poets and writers from Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University, Charlotte and Collier County as well as writers from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America have participated in the Open Mic at the Bean.

Open Mic readings are informal. The only requirements are that performers sign the Reader’s List and limit their reading time to five minutes. If you choose not to read, you are welcome to listen.

For further information,  call Joseph Pacheco, 472-1280 or the Bean, 395-1919.