Del Webb residents Gwen Moore and Linda Helfer shot back-to-back holes-in-one on the par-3, 106-yard hole 6 at Heritage Bay. Golf Digest has calculated the odds of two players making consecutive aces at 17 million to one. "We were so glad our husbands were there," Mrs. Helfer said. "Because they never would have believed it."
Click for more from the Naples Daily News
Márton Váró, who worked for more than two years carving the marble bas-relief of the Annunciation on the Ave Maria oratory, is suing his business manager and partner, Michael Windfeldt, seeking an accounting of what he was paid and what he was owed. The lawsuit does not involve Ave Maria University. Above, at a happier time, Mr. Windfeld is at far right with his hand on Mr. 'Váró's shoulder after the final piece of the sculpture was mounted in January, 2011.
Click for story from Naples Daily News
One half of the $39-million project to widen Oil Well Rd. now is completed, with traffic moving on both of what will eventually be the westbound segments. The project is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2012. Above, Oil Well Rd. looking east, with the entrance to Ave Maria on the left..
Click for full story
AT&T has announced that it has upgraded its wireless capability in Ave Maria, adding additional mobile broadband capacity to the tower it uses near South Park.
Click for full story
Don Stuller (left with Fr. Robert Tatman) was all smiles seeing the largest turnout yet for the 4th of July celebration put on by the Knights of Columbus at the Ave Maria waterpark.
Click for full story
The Knights of Columbus are putting on an old-fashioned 4th of July picnic and celebration at the Ave Maria water park from noon to 4 p.m. on the 4th. Admission to the park is free, and the Knights will supply free hot dogs, hamburgers and water but ask that families attending bring a side dish to share.
Click here for a PDF of the event flyer with more details.
Collier County Commissioners approved about $2 million in incentives for Arthrex Tuesday, but the medical device manufacturer says it still is not certain it will go ahead with plans to build a plant in Ave Maria and expand its North Naples facilities. Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of the incentives, but Arthrex spokesman Scott Price said later that because there was one dissenting vote - that of Commissioner Georgia Hiller - the company is still considering expanding in Lee County instead and will make its decision in 30 days.
Click here for NBC News 2 story with comments from Scott Price
Click here for story from Naples Daily News
 Residents and community leaders in Immokalee, Golden Gate Estates and Ave Maria say they hope a planned Arthrex manufacturing plant in the area could be the catalyst to develop a new industrial base in the area. "We need industry," said Fred Thomas (right), president of the Eastern Collier Chamber of Commerce.
Click for full story
Six weeks of highly competitive Super-Y league soccer kicked off Saturday at North Park in Ave Maria. Ten traveling soccer teams from across Florida will be playing every Saturday, except July 2, until July 30.
Click for full story
The Ave Maria Swim Team is reforming this summer, with sign-ups scheduled for Monday, June 20, at the water park. The team, open to children aged 5 and older, practices four mornings a week at the water park with meets Thursday nights at the Golden Gate Aquatic Center.
Click for full story
 Tony Schweikle has won a Silver Ace award in the screenplay competition of the Las Vegas Film Festival. He'll receive the award at the festival in July.
Click for full story
The fire board, which is responsible for fire and rescue services in Ave Maria and Immokalee, will hold a special meeting Tuesday, June 7, at 6 p.m. and the district's budget will be a major item on the agenda. The board will review the controversial lay-offs of six firefighters as well as other budgetary matters. The meeting is open to the public at the district's offices, 502 East Newmarket Rd. in Immokalee.
Click for background from Naples Daily News
The Donahue Academy awarded 14 high school diplomas Friday, its largest number of graduates in the school's four-year history.
Click for full story
 The Maine-based Jackson Laboratory has announced it has ended its plan to build a research center in Florida, saying the tight Florida budget does not make enough state funding available to support the project.
Click for full story
Don and Mary Stuller are closing their Ave Maria Inspirations/Qwik Pack and Ship store, one of the first businesses to open in the Ave Maria town center, and are holding an inventory reduction sale. "The town just didn't grow as fast as we needed it to," Mr. Stuller said.
Click for full story
The Donahue Academy Shamrocks six-man football squad play their only 2011 spring game Friday, June 3, at 5:30 p.m. against the Nicaea Academy Lions. The game will be played at the Ave Maria University practice field located behind the baseball diamonds. Admission is free but there will be concession services.
After going winless in their first season last year, the Ave Maria Tigers Minor A Little League team posted a 14-3 record this year.
Click for full story
Arthrex has begun discussions with Collier County officials on economic incentives it is seeking to build a 160,000-square-foot facility off Oil Well Rd. in Ave Maria. Barron Collier, which plans to donate 21 acres to Arthrex for the development, also intends to seek approval to move some of the commercial zoning from an area near Camp Keais Rd. to Oil Well Rd. to support the project, as it had planned to do for the proposed Jackson Lab development.
Click for story from Naples Daily News
Ave Maria University President Jim Towey is bringing in two former colleagues from St. Vincent College for key roles in his new administration -- one as VP of Enrollment and Marketing and the other to a new position of Chief Information Officer. Mr. Towey also announced he will be searching for a new head of Development as Carole Carpenter will be assuming new responsibilities working directly for Tom Monaghan.
Click for full story
Sculptor Márton Váró, who has spent almost two years working in Ave Maria, is back at his home in California, hoping to return to Ave Maria at some point to complete two more marble carvings to adorn the front of the oratory. "This project probably has been the happiest time of my career," he said. Above, Mr. Váró working on the face of Mary.
Click for full story
|
|
