Judy Brentano, Editor

Annual Meeting, A Showcase of Activities

 Hundreds packed the PGI Civic Association on November 8 for the fifth Annual TPG meeting.  Nancy Prafke, CEO, highlighted some of the over 40 activities launched and/or completed so far this year.

Recognition was given to the many partners who have collaborated with TEAM to see these projects through.

Special thanks to Roger Peterson, outgoing Board President, and outgoing Board members Bill Hughes and George Guttschalk for their years of service to the origanization.

Kunik points to "The Spirit of Punta Gorda" photo.

 See for yourself by visiting the City's website www.pgorda.us 

Click on "What's New." 

If you like to play in the dirt, plant flowers, spread mulch, and make things beautiful, have we got a great project for you!  Our Beautification Committee is working with the City to identify parks that need tender loving care.

Heleen Schouten of Twin Isles and Suzanne McCormick of TEAM hard at work.

We're pleased to announce that Twin Isles Country Club has adopted the recently renovated Herald Court Plaza.

TEAM is picking up the care of its inaugural landscape project, the strip along Marion Avenue across from River City Grill.  If you have a group that would like to Adopt-A-Lot, contact us at team@teampuntagorda.org

THIS JUST IN:  Volunteers are are cordially invited to help plant 200 potted poinsettias and spread mulch on the Marion streetscape.  

When:  Wednesday, December 1, at 8:30 a.m.

Where:  By the town clock on Marion across from River City

Why:  To dress up downtown in time for Santa's arrival!

RSVP to Mary Mazur memazur@comcast.net

 Pavers from the Heart. . .  show someone you really care through the purchase of a personalized paver to be located at the interactive fountain in Laishley Park, downtown Punta Gorda. 

Proceeds from the sale of pavers go straight to TEAM's Beautification Committee's projects.  You have seen the results of their good work all around the City.

Purchase 4x8-inch engraved pavers for $100 each, three for $250, or five for $400.  Your purchase of one or more pavers commemorating a friend, pet, loved one or even yourself, will help fund ongoing beautification projects.  Preserve your place in Punta Gorda history!

Frank Mazur firmly believes in community involvement.  "It is the key to preserving and growing a community," he said.  Before retiring from IBM as an engineer/manager and moving to Punta Gorda from Vermont, he was very involved in his state government.

 Serving in the State House of Representatives, he was Chair of House Transportation, Vice Chair of Appropriations, and Chair of Correctional Oversight. As if that's not enough to fill out a career, he was Chair of the Public Transit Authority for 20 years.

He brought tremendous background and experience to TEAM as a volunteer, and today is the Community and Economic Development TEAM leader.  Besides serving in the House, he says the most notable accomplishment in his life was marrying his wife Mary, another very active TEAM volunteer. [We featured her in the October newsletter.]

On November 3, The Charlotte Sun's Editorial Page featured a nice writeup about the collaboration between TEAM and citizens in Charlotte County who are interested in revitalizing the area around the hospitals, and are looking to form their own citizens' advocacy group. 

TEAM pledged to provide organizational guidance and back-office support to the new group to help in their start-up efforts.

 The editorial stated, "For Port Charlotte, the slow slide into blight took decades. But the best gift TEAM Punta Gorda can give to its sister organization across the Peace River is the promise that recovery is closer than we have any right to believe."

Truly an example of hands reaching across the Harbor and neighbor helping neighbor.  It's the spirit of the Season!