Southwest Florida is a biodiversity hotspot and home to a wonderfully amazing collection of wildlife. Living in Grandezza means we are really lucky to share this area with large iconic mammals, reptiles and marine life, and such an absurd array of birds that it’s impossible to count them all. Wading birds, shore birds, songbirds, raptors, […]

A nation’s flag is not merely a piece of cloth used to identify a country or mark territory. It also allows people with a shared culture to celebrate what unites and represents them. In other words, flags matter — which may help explain why the American flag has gone through no fewer than 27 iterations. […]

Have you recently gotten a text saying you did not pay an outstanding traffic ticket yet you have no memory of it? Be wary of such a text because it is probably a scam. Read on for advice on how not to fall for such texts. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles […]

I have always loved walking as a form of exercise, yes, but also as a way of slowing down and truly taking in the world around you. Whether traveling by car, bus, train, or plane, you simply can’t absorb your surroundings the way you can on foot. On our trips, Myrna Wernick and I make […]

In a community like Grandezza where neighbors look out for one another, public safety is a shared responsibility. One valuable partner in that effort is Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping law enforcement solve crimes and keep our region secure. WHAT IS CRIME STOPPERS? Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers provides a simple […]

Do you live alone? The Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida finds nearly 22 percent of seniors, 65 and older live alone, putting them at risk for social isolation and other safety concerns. Maybe you’re not a senior, but are still living solo. Living alone safely requires proactive habits: locking all doors/windows, using deadbolts, and […]

All of our Gazette articles are submitted a month or more in advance of the publication to accommodate the production schedule. So, while I am writing this shortly following some of our great end-of-season-events, such as the golf ‘CYA Later’, Grandezza Singers Concert, Tennis and Fitness events, Dinner Dances and so many others – more […]

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is a historical novel inspired by true events in the lives of the author’s family members during World War II. The novel’s storyline oscillates between 1942 and 2016. Key characters during the wartime period are the Smith sisters, Cadence and Briar. In 2016, Mari Starwood, […]