Kudos!

For the 15th consecutive year, the City of Punta Gorda has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The award recognizes Punta Gorda’s commitment to effective community forestry programs.

But wait, there’s more! Punta Gorda was also awarded the Tree City USA Growth Award, which recognizes environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities.

In conjunction with this honor, the City of Punta hosted its annual Arbor Day celebration in Gilchrist Park on April 28 and 29. Arbor Day was founded on the premises set forth by the Arbor Day Foundation that “trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal.” Following the Tree City USA Award and Tree City USA Growth Award presentation, more than 300 1st graders from Sallie Jones, Neil Armstrong and East elementary schools planted 11 new trees.

 

Southwest Florida College celebrated the opening of its Port Charlotte campus with a ribbon cutting on April 30 followed by a grand opening carnival extravaganza on May 16. The new campus, located at 950 Tamiami Trail, offers diploma programs in medical assistant, medical billing and coding technology and early childhood care and management. The campus also has associate programs in health information technology, medical assistant and surgical technician. During the grand opening, nearly 250 guests toured SWFC’s new state-of-theart classrooms, medical assisting laboratories and surgical technician operating room.

“We are very excited about bringing educational opportunities to the greater Charlotte County area,” said Dr. Stephen Calabro, executive vice president for Southwest Florida College. “Southwest Florida College has earned a reputation for providing quality career education that leads to jobs in fields with high growth potential. Our presence in Port Charlotte will add to the growing list of educational options for Charlotte County residents and will also extend our reach to other areas, such as North Port and Arcadia.” For more information on the new Southwest Florida College – Port Charlotte campus, call (888) 526-7973 or visit www.swfc.edu.

 

The Brignoni Center hosted Charlotte County’s first Care for the Caregiver Day, where four well-deserving women won a day of pampering and relaxation. There are more than 50-million people who take on the responsibility of caring for a chronically ill, disabled or elderly family member or friend. While being able to assist a loved one in their time of need can be incredibly fulfilling, it can also be very demanding and tiring work. The caregiver is often neglected or stressed and feels no one understands how their life has changed.

Christine Cristina, a licensed aesthetician at Brignoni and caregiver to her mom who has Alzheimers, understands the stress and loneliness caregivers face on a daily basis. Wanting to reach out to other caregivers and provide them with a day of relaxation, Care for the Caregiver was created. To participate, caregivers submitted a one-page essay explaining the circumstances of their caregiving. Over 50 entries were submitted. Two grand prizes winners and two runner ups were awarded a day of pampering.

Congratulations — and a big thank you — to the winners, shown above from left to right with Christina (in black): Sally Reiter, grand prize; Roe Budin, runner-up; Charlene Volpe, runner-up; and Beatrice Ramirez, grand prize.

 

At the 8th annual Tourism Unity Awards on May 13, the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau honored individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to Charlotte County’s tourism industry. Our very own Jimmy Dean served as the event’s emcee and Nicki E. Grossman, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the guest speaker.

Marilyn Thorndycraft was presented with the Promotional Award for her efforts in consistently contributing to the successful promotion of Charlotte County as a tourist destination. Dave Allen of the Port Charlotte Kayak Club received the Community Service Award while Georgette Sibbio of TEAM Punta Gorda received the Volunteer Service Award. Paul Holmes, founder of Environmental Voice of Southwest Florida and past president of Peace River Audubon Society, was presented with the Eco-Tourism Award for positively affecting our county’s ecological and educational tourism experience. Bob Armstrong, president of Punta Gorda Mural Society, received the Arts & Tourism Award. Finally, Fishermen’s Village was honored with the 2009 Annual Tourism Achievement Award for its outstanding and long-term commitment to economic development in Charlotte County.

 

Dr. Antoine Dakouny, in conjunction with the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce, celebrated his new office’s grand opening and ribbon cutting on May 20. Dakouny is an internist and primary care physician who treats a wide array of conditions, including heart failure, heart attacks, strokes, urinary incontinence, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anemia and fatigue, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lipid disorders, depression, infections, sexual dysfunction, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, arthritis and systemic diseases. His practice is located at 100 Madrid Blvd., Suite 511, in Punta Gorda. To learn more, call his office at (941) 347- 7203 or visit www.antoinedakouny.com.