Minutes matter; The NCH Project will save lives

I wanted to share my support for what our local hospital, NCH, is doing for our community.

My husband has had two heart attacks and three stents in the past decade. It was a huge relief to live just 12 minutes from one of the Boston area’s leading cardiac care centers, a Harvard teaching facility, where he received excellent care, recovered in a private room spacious and has fully recovered.

I was thrilled to hear about NCH’s plans to build a new Heart, Vascular and Stroke Institute less than 10 minutes from our new residence here in Naples, where we now spend most of the year.

Over the past three years, the advice I’ve gotten from too many Naples residents has been, “if you need medical attention, go back to Boston” or “go to the clinic in Cleveland.” I think it’s time to change that perception. We need this high caliber cardiac facility that will help in the recruitment of the best doctors in Naples to work in this center. We’re not talking about building a mall or a parking garage or a condo complex or a golf course. We are talking about something that can help save lives here in Naples.

I fully support their efforts which can be beneficial for all of us!

Julie Kalustian, Napoli

Support Jude Richvale for Bonita Utilities

I am a former Bonita Springs District 2 Councilman and one of the founding members of the Town of Bonita. I am also a soil scientist by training. Red tide, flooding and high water costs have been long term issues here.

I reviewed Dr. Jude Richvale’s Feb. 2 guest post “Multiple Wins in Bonita Water Plan” and was delighted that the idea he offered addressed all three water problems. Mr. Richvale’s plan is based on science and would conserve fresh water and reduce pollution on our beaches. It would also reduce flooding. I support Mr. Jude Richvale for the BSU Board of Directors and his plan for a better Bonita. In the many years that I have known him, he fought with integrity for the good people of Bonita.

Bonita recently received a large infusion of state and federal funds to help deal with flooding. Bonita City Council has to face the fact that all water issues are linked. When you’re controlling summer flooding, the water has to go somewhere. It can flow into ASR wells and increase our supply of cheap reclaimed irrigation water, or it can flow into tidal estuaries and pollute the Gulf. BSU must come to terms with the fact that it can and should help reduce flooding and pollution of beaches. Mr. Richvale’s vision, intelligence and experience in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) would help the BSU Board and City Council address these issues in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Alex Grantt, Bonita Springs

Plan to reduce pollution, flooding, costs

The City of Bonita Springs recently received a large infusion of state and federal funds to help deal with flooding and all water related issues. When you’re controlling summer flooding, the water has to go somewhere. Summer floodwaters can flow into wells in the Florida Aquifer System and increase our supply of cheap reclaimed irrigation water, or stormwater can flow into tidal estuaries and pollute the Gulf of Mexico. Bonita Springs Water and Sewer Monopoly (BSU) is to help reduce flooding and beach pollution. Jude Richvale’s proposal and experience in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) would help the BSU Board and City Council address these issues in an environmentally sustainable way.

I read Dr. Jude Richvale’s Feb. 2 guest article “Multiple Wins in Bonita Water Plan” and was impressed with his proposals on flooding, pollution, and waste costs. Jude’s plan is based on science and would conserve fresh water, reduce pollution to our beaches, and reduce flooding. I support Mr. Jude Richvale for the BSU Board of Directors and his plan to a better Bonita. In the many years I have known him he fought with integrity for the good people of Bonita.

Dave Jaye, Bonita Springs

gap between good and evil

Thank you very much, News-Press, for your fascinating story about the Sitkowskis, a Polish family who saved the life of a Jewish family from Nazi murderers, during the Holocaust years of World War II. History also demonstrates the large number of individuals who were born as a result of heroic effort during those horrific times.

Nevertheless, attention should also be drawn to those countless citizens of occupied countries who greedily aided the Nazis’ reign of terror by pointing out or capturing Jews, in addition to serving voluntarily in the German army. Thus, the question arises as to how or why three countries, Bulgaria, Denmark and Albania were able to save most of their Jews. The enormous chasm between good and evil best describes this episode in human history.

Samuel Frazer, Fort Myers

Space junk in the ocean

In the paper the other day, NASA acknowledged the end of the International Space Station. NASA will deliberately crash the ISS into the ocean, and this will be its aquatic grave. My guess is that re-entry will burn much of the space station, but the remaining pieces of metal and debris will settle to the ocean floor. NASA has launched booster rockets in the waters off Florida’s east coast as long as the space agency has launched rockets.

We see similar activities in our own backyard. The best I can say is that a popular fishing spot Edison Reef is part of an old bridge. It may be a unique idea to build artificial reefs, but dumping concrete and steel into the Gulf just seems wrong. I also learned about sinking old barges and ships to create additional fishing holes. If it’s such a great idea, why isn’t it part of our waterway conversations?

Jack Holt, Cape Coral

Slow-walks hotel development in Naples

As a resident of Old Naples for six years, I have watched with concern how slowly the Four Seasons hotel project proceeds on Gulfshore Boulevard, literally dragging on since approval in 2019.

After reading two stories on the front page, I now understand. It seems that the city council is slowing down the project. Having spent a career in trading and investing, I know how important it is to deal in good faith. I am appalled at how our elected officials are treating a nationally recognized company that has dealt in good faith with City Council, promising to build what will be a five-star property, one that any other city would covet. Naples has a reputation for being one of the happiest and healthiest communities in the country. We certainly don’t want “unwelcoming” added to this list by sending a message to other businesses or individuals considering Naples as their next home.

This project will be a boon to the local economy and in keeping with the sophisticated city that Naples has become. Additionally, the developer appears to be meeting all of the council’s demands, including the 104-acre conservation easement on the property, which to me is a landmark achievement.

So what’s up? Why does the council dwell on this and insist on making all decisions about the project, even depriving its own staff of mere administrative decisions? Is the city council trying to stop development? What is the endgame? The council needs to move on, let the cleanup of the old hotel begin and, more importantly, clean up its own act.

Ronald SippelNaples