Grandezza Master Association Board

Email received August 4, 2010

Dear Residents,

We are sending you information indicating the candidates running in the August 24th primary who are endorsed by the Estero Council of Community Leaders. (ECCL)

Don Eslick, President of ECCL has given us assurances that they have received commitments from all endorsed candidates that they will oppose multi lane route 951 between Corkscrew and Alico. The ECCL believes it can get 951 south of Corkscrew out of the county transportation plan based on environmental issues. They also have commitments from endorsed candidates that they will oppose the Alico West project on the Ghin Property as currently proposed adjacent to Grandezza. This project has been submitted to Tallahassee and includes 1 million sq ft of commercial units. Additionally, we have been to two ECCL planning panel meetings and they have been an advocate for Grandezza in regard to the University Highlands Project across the street. This panel vetted Coconut Point and are very knowledgeable in this arena. Finally, you might also recall, we supported ECCL financially last fall and, they were instrumental in defeating new mining permits along Corkscrew Road. We hope this will help you be a better informed voter!

Please take a look at the ECCL literature below.

Thanks and Best regards,

Grandezza Master Association Board

Florida’s Primary Election is Just Around the Corner

With Bob Janes’s death three of the five County Commissioner seats are up for election in the August 24 Primary Election.  The County Board has strongly supported us, but this election could change everything.

As you know Bob Janes, a consistent supporter of Estero’s needs, died in March. Historically his successor has been elected in the Republican Primary election. A group of Estero leaders has interviewed all four Republican candidates running to replace Bob.

Republican Primary

We believe that the best candidate for Estero in this election is Bob Chilmonik, a long time resident of Lee County and a retired corporate manager. Chilmonik has twice been elected county-wide to the Lee County School Board where he emphasized fiscal accountability. He is committed to following in Bob Janes’s footsteps in his support for good land use planning, community planning, land conservation and restoration and protection of our water supply and water quality.

We also interviewed all the candidates running for the other two County Board seats. We recommend the incumbent Commissioners in those two races….Tammy Hall and Brian Bigelow, both of whom have supported us on almost every critical vote.

Tammy Hall is unopposed in the Republican Primary but will face a "no party affiliation" candidate in the November General Election. Tammy has gone back to school to learn more about planning; has developed a thoughtful, realistic vision of where the County should go and understands what needs to be done to get there. As President of the Board she doesn’t just vote for good proposals but actively represents the County in implementing them.

Brian Bigelow has three opponents in the Republican Primary election. As a lifelong Lee County resident and a professional planner he is a strong supporter of planned development; strongly opposed to sprawl and strongly committed to land and water protection and conservation. He has grown in his position these last three years and now understands our issues well and is philosophically in agreement with our objectives. It would be risky to choose one of his opponents.

Our current State Senator Dave Aronberg has decided to run for Attorney General. So we have important contests in both the Republican and Democratic Primaries on August 24^th. This district is a swing district with current registrations slightly favoring the Democrats. The same group of Estero leaders also interviewed all five candidates, three Republicans and two Democrats, running for this important seat.

We encourage all Estero Republicans to vote for Sharon Merchant, a four term former House member who knows the system, has a strong independent streak and a good record on environmental protection and growth management. We have met with her early and often and she has spent considerable time touring our area and learning our issues and concerns.

Democratic Primary

On the Democratic side we encourage a vote for Pete Burkert. Pete is a retired attorney now serving as a professional mediator. He is the only candidate who is a long-time resident of Lee County. He knows the County, its history and its needs. Lee County, the seventh largest in Florida, has not been represented by a resident in the Senate for 12 years.

Voting by Absentee

Absentee voting has become more and more popular in Florida in recent years since the legislature has made it so easy and more and more people have tried it and found it to be so easy. As a result about 35,000 persons have already requested an Absentee Ballot for the August 24^th Primary. That’s two-thirds the totals votes cast in the last non-Presidential Primary election in 2006.

You still have time to request an absentee ballot for the August 24^th Primary… whether you plan on being home in Florida or up north. 

To request an absentee ballot for yourself and your family,

call 239-533-6919.

The Supervisor will start mailing out the ballots on July 29th.

If you have already requested an absentee ballot for this election please complete it and mail it back to the Supervisor as soon as it is received.

In the 2008 Primary Election about 50% of Estero’s votes were cast by absentee. If we are to keep a responsive Lee County Board we need your vote and all the other "Estero Snowbirds" that you know.

Thanks for your help!