Congratulations to Nancy Prafke on her second term as Mayor and Lynne Matthews as Vice Mayor. Recently re-elected, Mrs. Prafke will serve 2 more years on the Council, this year as mayor. Mrs. Matthews serves this year on the Council, up for re-election next year.

Local singer-favorite and semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, Emanne Beasha, has signed a record contract with Decca Records (Universal Music Group). A  full orchestra backs her on “Ave Maria,” “O Holy Night” and “All I want for Christmas is You.”

When a Tampa puppy mill was shuttered and 200+ dogs & cats were seized, the Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County offered to take some of the harder-to-place dogs; older, some with health issues. Our community stepped up and adopted all the dogs into loving homes in 3 days.

AeroGuard Flight Training Center, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, offers its premier Pilot Pathway Program, in partnership with SkyWest Airlines, to provide students with a direct path from flight school to employment as a commercial airline pilot. Airline industry projections show that over 790,000 new pilots will be needed over the next 20 years.

Punta Gorda Airport won Bronze for Creativity in Public Relations at the 19th Annual Flagler Awards for its Destination Spotlights campaign. Each Destination Spotlight shows an insider’s view of what to do at each of the 45 places that Allegiant Airline flies to from PGD. The goal of the campaign, according to Kaley Miller, is to promote tourism for Florida & travel between airports.

It is based on four pillars of success – Stakeholder Partnerships, Standards Aligned Instruction, Results focused professional development, and College Career Ready Graduates.  The goal is to increase student achievement by at least two percentage points this school year, which would make Charlotte County Public Schools an A-rated district.

Breast Cancer Awareness Stamps are sold during October to raise breast cancer research funds. Eileen Dimase, at the Punta Gorda P.O., was the top seller in the nation for the 2nd year in a row, selling more than $36.7k worth. Also, the PG Post Office was the top seller in the nation, with $48k in sales. They all deserve a round of applause when we go into our local Post Offices!

The “Florida SUN” (Shared-Use Non-motorized) Trail system will be completing the pedestrian/cyclist bridge over North Fork Alligator Creek in early 2020. The project is part of Punta Gorda’s vision to connect communities via non-motorized vehicles. This bridge corrects a safety issue and finishes another leg of the 18-mile pathway.

This much needed charity started out serving 7,800 meals annually and has grown to over 41,600 meals served per year. Seniors, the disabled and anyone unable to prepare their own meals is served by volunteers. Another great example of our community coming together to help each other.

Thanks to the USAF Thunderbirds, an estimated 75,000 people attended the 38th Annual Florida International Air Show. Weekend visitors filled area hotels, restaurants & shops. Economic impact is estimated to be $8 – $12 million dollars spent in Charlotte County due to the record attendance.

Kudos to Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau for winning an award for its innovative campaign work in tourism marketing (eTourism Summit Excellence Award) from Expedia Group Media Solutions. The bureau’s campaign, “Outsiders Welcome,” also earned an award for best use of video. 

Charlotte County is comprised of neighborhoods of citizens that care. Example:  When Rotonda West Yacht Club recently asked, dozens of volunteers showed up to clean all 23 miles of their canals this year. Good for the ecological environment and for the community in general.