Get your own Christmas tree, stop by St. Raphael Church on Lee Blvd.
From Now thru Dec 22, 2012 the Christmas Tree Sale is open from 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It has been 17 years under the Red and White Big Top.

The Chancel Choir of Christ United Methodist Church will present a Christmas Cantata “The Night Christ Was Born” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 in the sanctuary.
Bring non-perishable food for the Our Daily Bread Community Food Pantry.   Christ United Methodist Church is located at the corner of Lee Boulevard and Homestead Road North.

Register for your space now! This is a great way to sell your stuff.

Clean out your closets, garages and homes; turn your trash into another’s treasure.

Take advantage of the crowds that a community yard sale can generate, or just stop by and shop until you drop.

The Community Yard Sale will be held in the Rec Center parking lot. (more…)

“The Truth” by Michael D’Antuono

An artist’s shocking painting of President Barack Obama that has many talking at Bunker Hill Community College.
Some used words like disrespectful, blasphemous and shameful to describe the painting, but the man behind the image used just one word: Art.
The painting shows President Obama in a Christ-like pose, as if nailed to a cross, with a crown of thorns on top of his head.
The painted, titled “The Truth,” is on display at Bunker Hill Community College’s art gallery through December 15. (more…)

Lehigh Acres is the 16th most affordable market in the country, according to the Coldwell Banker Real Estate statistics released today from its annual Home Listings Report.

It’s one of four Florida markets in the top 20. The others are Poinciana, fifth; Hastings, sixth; and Fort Pierce, 13th.

The study is based on the sales of four-bedroom, two-bath houses in 2,479 markets. Lehigh’s average sales price was $92,819.

(more…)

Whenever I see local residents while out and about, I always get asked, “How’s the market doing?” Well, it is still a seller’s market and with snowbirds in town, I’ve been showing a lot of homes. The next thing I usually get asked is if the buyers are local or from out-of-state?

The answer to this question is a bit complex and may surprise some people. It seems that the world knows that Florida and U.S. housing is for sale at a discount. In August 2012, an anonymous Russian buyer purchased 3 Indian Creek Island Road in Miami for $47 million in Miami痴 most expensive sale ever. Russians, it appears, have been buying up some of the most affluent properties across the U.S. and making headlines. Quoting a Forbes magazine article by writer Morgan Brennan, “The reason the Russians get so much attention is that they buy the highest ticket trophy properties,” says Jacky Teplitzky, a managing director at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, who represents sellers in New York City and South Florida. “But if you go by number of buyers, you have much more activity coming from places like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.” (more…)

by Debra J. Mitchell – United States Postal Service
Special to the Lehigh Acres  Gazette

Ready, Set, Go!  The holiday mailing season is here and your local Postmasters have some great tips for you:

Insure your packages against loss or damage.  You can add $50 of insurance coverage to your package for only $1.85.  Insurance is not automatically included in USPS pricing!  You can insure your package for up to $5,000.

When preparing your package use a sturdy box with cushioning.  Seal your package with reinforced nylon tape.  Please do not wrap your package with paper as it can be torn away in processing.  Include a name and address inside the package in case the address becomes illegible.  No string on your package please! (more…)

Varsity Lakes Middle School is presenting their first ever 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, Dec. 1st from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The school is located at 801 Gunnery Rd N in Lehigh Acres.

All proceeds from this event will go to the VLMS National Junior Honor Society’s Charity (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and the VLMS Athletic Department.

Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome as are parents with strollers. There will be awards for winners of all age groups as well as T-shirts for sale at the event.

First Community Congregational Church is hosting a Christmas Bazaar, Saturday, December 1st, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the church.

Children will be able to decorate sugar cookies and Santa is scheduled to make a surprise visit around noon. There will also be fifteen vendors, including Tupperware, Purses, Jewelry, Perfume, Handmade Christmas Items, Recipe Books, Kitchen Utensils, and much more!

Hot Dogs, Chips, and a Drink will be sold.
Other Homemade Baked Goods will be available as well.

A 25 vendor flea market will be outside from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hospitals in the Lee Memorial Health System rank in the top 10% of hospitals in the nation according to a new report from Healthgrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital. The report, American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, evaluates how approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide performed on risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for nearly 30 of the most common conditions treated and procedures performed from 2009 through 2011. (more…)

WHAT:           Publishers Showcase Event

WHERE:        Lee County Public Education Center, Caloosahatchee Room, 2855 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers

WHEN:          4 – 7 p.m. Monday, December 3rd

WHY:             Publishers will have the opportunity to display instructional materials and present overviews of math and reading programs to the stakeholders of Lee County Public Schools.  The Showcase is open to principals, teachers, parents, and community members who are interested in reviewing the instructional materials available for the adoption.