Catching Up with Bayshore

Happy Birthday United States of America! We are proud to be a part of this great country! Yes, we have growing pains here and there, but we are so fortunate to be free, and we hope it stays that way forever!

Our sympathy goes out to the daughter of Jeanne Harvey, the owner of The Real McCaw, on her passing in May. She will be missed by many in the Bayshore area. She reached out to help people in need and be a community advocate. She was such a good lady.

Our sympathy goes out to Al Schantzen for his loss. God Bless you and your Bayshore family!  

*Let’s focus on the Bayshore area right now and give examples of what hard work, community participation, and dedicated people can do to bring a new feeling and many improvements to an area, which can make all the difference in the world! Back in the 90’s Bayshore was a place to avoid; full of crime, drugs, prostitution, and criminals who found a place they could hide right under the nose of the community. The people who were drawn to that area were those who could not find anything they could afford elsewhere, or who wanted to disappear into the dark shadows without anyone knowing where they were, or a place where cities or other communities wanted to store their low-income workforce. Much has happened since that time, including the creation of a marvelous Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) organization, and an MSTU (Municipal Special Taxing Unit) which was then able to raise money from their own businesses and/or citizens to improve the area without asking anything from taxpayers or the government. As the Bayshore area continues to grow more and more popular, it is becoming a shining example of what can happen when a community works together for the betterment of its citizens! It seems every time we turn around, something new and exciting is taking place! I’d like to name a few upgrades that have already come to the area, and more are following suit. Bayshore is growing and improving constantly to attract more businesses such as: The Naples Botanical Garden, 360 Market – which has become a huge draw for Bayshore, thanks to Rebecca Maddox - followed by the exciting Celebration Park. And then along came Ankrolab Brewing Company and a long-standing business, the Mexican Restaurant Taqueria San Julian, a great Mexican Restaurant, and Sicilia Italian Restaurant, a fun place with nice people and good food. Then Naples Popcorn Company across from the Botanical Garden.  

At this point the MSTU has upgraded and widened the roads; added sidewalks, added gorgeous median landscaping, built an up-to-date huge roundabout that can even accommodate boats going to the Bayview boat launch or to the Bayview Park to watch the sunset on the water.  The CRA sponsored a get together for officials and the community to dedicate an American Flag for the Fourth of July, which has been installed in the center of the new roundabout at Del’s Corner, which winds around the area to Bayview Park for boating or just enjoying a sunset, or past the marvelous Botanical Garden from Bayshore Drive; or from Thomasson Rd., where you can access the East Naples Community Park (the realtors want to call us “South” Naples, but that doesn’t work well with most things named East Naples, and the signs on the freeway pointing to East Naples, like the East Naples Championship Pickleball Park) or to access Sugden Park, or the exciting new businesses on Bayshore! The CRA held a celebration to present a new American flag in time for July Fourth with many local dignitaries present, such as the Commissioner for that area, Commissioner Penny Taylor, and Commissioner Andy Solis, the County Manager Mark Isackson, two assistant county managers – Amy Patterson and Sean Callahan; the Executive Director of the Botanical Garden - Donna McGinnis; the CRA Director - Debrah Forester, staff members Tami Scott and Shirley Garcia, plus the dedicated Marine Corps volunteers who have worked on cleaning up the street area for over 25 years! !  Faithfully they have come to the area every month to make it a better place to live and work. Also, present was Pastor Paul from the Haitian Church on Bayshore and CRA & MSTU Board Members: Chairman Maurice Gutierrez, Al Schantzen, and Karen Beatty, Sandra Arafet, James Bixler, Robert F. Messmer, George Douglas Jr., Susan Jan Crumb, and John Smith. A nice touch was the wind briskly blowing so the flag waved beautifully in the wind and looked like it was saluting the event!  

*By the way, a new business is coming out of the ground as I write:  Bayshore Food & Wine Venue, presented by Rebecca Maddox, her newest venture on Bayshore, and across the street from Celebration Park. Hopefully, the business will be open by Christmas, but that’s just hoping. 

Other than Bayshore, things are kind of quiet right now.