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20 months ago Mike and Dawn Miller watched as Hurricane Ian destroyed one of the most popular restaurant hangouts on Fort Myers Beach. The Whale, which the Miller's purchased three months before Ian with plans to give it a major upgrade, was gone.

On Monday the Fort Myers Beach Town Council is expected to discuss and dismiss a bid protest from Callan Marine for the beach's big renourishment project. The goal is to award the contract to Ahtna Marine and keep the project on target for a late 2024 completion.

On June 3rd the Fort Myers Beach Town Council will appoint Egret Street resident Jim Dunlap to fill the open seat on the LPA. The seat came open when Patrick Vanasse stepped down after serving for 5 years. Dunlap was the only qualified candidate to apply for the seat.

The 5,408 square foot fire station at 3043 Estero Boulevard is up for sale. The building was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian and has not been used since. The Fire District will be accepting sealed bids on the .14 acre lot until July 8th. The property was recently assessed at $1.1 million. 

The former Tuckaway Cafe building, now owned by Mike and Dawn Miller, at 2301 Estero Boulevard could be converted to Sandy Bottom's Restaurant and open for business by October of this year.

Jacksonville, Florida native Curtis Ludwig has been hired as the new Harbormaster for Fort Myers Beach. He'll be paid a salary of $70,000, $2,500 to relocate, insurance and a retirement contribution. All in, salary and benefits, taxpayers will pay Ludwig $93,112.90 per year.

Help celebrate the 6th anniversary of BTR live from Fox River Brewing in Oshkosh June 22nd from 4-6PM. There will be live music, games and activities before and after the show. Owners Jay and Heidi Supple have created a special beer, shirts and hats with proceeds going to the FMB Art Association. Reserve your seat by e-mail edryan@beachtalkradio.com

Lee County says The parking lot at Lynn Hall Park on Fort Myers Beach will close temporarily Wednesday, May 22, as contractors will be on-site to perform survey and boundary work for rebuilding the park’s restroom building. The lot will reopen Thursday, May 23.  

Lee County Parks & Rec wants your feedback to help improve services and amenities. Lynn Hall Park and Bowditch are both owned by Lee County. It's important you share your opinion on those two parks if you'd like to see improvements.

There will be no show at Margaritaville tomorrow. We're heading up to Tampa to run a Spartan Race at Raymond James Stadium. There will be video. The show returns Sunday at 11AM with Mayor Dan Allers. Send questions in advance to edryan@beachtalkradio.com

5K Fundraisers for the Fort Myers Beach Woman's Club, award-winning journalism, walkarounds and bikearounds all over Fort Myers Beach, 2 weekly video podcasts, 2 weekly newsletters. Your "coffee" support is how we're able to bring you the most comprehensive news about your slice of paradise. Support us in May HERE.

The Friends of Lovers Key will offer five summer camp sessions for kids in June and July at Lovers Key State Park. Kids will explore beaches and mangroves while learning ecology and environmental stewardship. Here's the full schedule and pricing...

Yellow army shirts, Teal Times Square Clock t-shirs, Black or Blue hoodies, pier license plates, tank tops, hats, mugs, koozies, and more are all available in the Beach Talk Radio shop HERE. We ship the next day to anywhere in the United States.

Working with Affinity Homes, Red Viking Construction is hosting two "set events" this month. One is on Shell Mound Boulevard, the other is on Coral Road. Here are all the details about both events.

Members of Beach Baptist will be voting this Sunday to sell a piece of their property for $4 million to a developer. If the land is sold Beach Baptist would use the proceeds from the sale to build a new church.

Mike and Dawn Miller will put shovels in the ground for the new Whale on Friday at 1PM. The Whale will be the first new restaurant/bar to be rebuilt after Hurricane Ian. The plan is to be open in the fall of 2025.

This past Saturday Beach Talk Radio's 2nd Annual Day Before Mother's Day 5K resulted in $6,500 being raised for the Fort Myers Beach Woman's Club. Due to a late flurry of registrations we were able to tack on another $1,500 after donating the original check of $5,000 immediately following the race.