Gateway Women’s Club

GATEWAY WOMEN’S CLUB, BRADY VOGT, AND FORT MYERS – GLADIOLUS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

BRADY VOGT, AUTHOR, HISTORIAN, AND FORMER GROWER OF GLADIOLUSES AND CHRYSANTHEMUMS

STEPHANIE MENA

Brady Vogt brought smiles to members of Gateway Women’s Club (GWC) as he rekindled the almost forgotten times when Fort Myers was known as the Gladiolus Capital of the World. In the 1930s gladiolus growers got the most production out of their acres. The warm climate and many days of bright sunshine created the perfect growing environment. They could plant the bulbs year-round.

Vogt graduated from Florida State University in 1971. His first job was as a crime reporter for The News-Press. His attention turned to a nursery career that spanned nearly 50 years. In 1975 he started working in the gladiolus and chrysanthemum industry. Vogt was a grower and manager of a 60-acre nursery. He shared with the Gateway Women several memories of the general history of rural Lee County, personal anecdotes and interesting facts about the times, authors and all things Florida.

Later in his career, Vogt came to work as a crew manager at the Edison-Ford Winter Garden Estates. He became a consulting horticulturist and volunteer. Vogt donated to the estates some 600 Florida gardening, horticulture and landscaping books that were incorporated into their research library. Vogt is the former owner of Everglades Fine Books and owns a large collection of Florida-themed books, having one of the largest collections of fine antiquity and collectors’ books anywhere in this country. In 2000, he published a fictional novel based on those heady days in the flower fields called Gladiolus Drive.

Location is everything for growers. Fort Myers has the most year-round sunny days of any Florida city. Gladiolus Drive earned its name as tribute to the expansive fields of gladiolus farms that once grew along this route. Gladiolus growers employed hundreds of workers caring for 2,500 acres of flowers. Millions of stems were delivered each year to florists around the world. This industry grew smaller in the 1990s to the mid-2000s when government regulations changed, and available agricultural acreage dropped off as more profitable land developers brought new homes to the area. Today gladioluses are grown around the world including Mexico and South Africa.

Brady Vogt does book and library appraisals for single books or collections. For more details, visit his site at http://[email protected].

BOOK CLUB

BARBARA HANLIN

The GWC Book Club will be meeting at 7 p.m. on January 14. Co-hostess will be Becky Stover and Barbara Nicholson as the discussion leader. The group’s chosen book is a Florida selection, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Hoot is a mystery/adventure set in South Florida concerning the endangered burrowing owls. The story takes place in Florida, where new arrival Roy makes two oddball friends and a bad enemy. Roy joins an effort to stop construction of a pancake house which would destroy a colony of burrowing owls who live on the site. The book won a Newbery Honor award in 2003.

Please contact Barb Hanlin if you would like more information. Barb’s information is in the Gateway Women’s Club Directory.

BRIDGE

LAUREL BORGIA

Bridge 101 will meet January 7 and 21 at Hampton Park Amenity Center at 10 a.m. Please contact Susie Kravetz by phone or email (her information is in the GWC Directory), to let her know if you are attending. The group needs a number count and names of attendees so you can get in the gate. They welcome anyone who plays bridge.

DINING OUT

SUSAN ROBERTS

Gateway Women’s Club’s Dining Out group recently enjoyed fine Italian dining at La Fontanella in Fort Myers. Tucked away in a small strip mall off Daniels on Winkler, La Fontanella is a hidden gem with its fabulous food, superb service, and attractive atmosphere.

It was no surprise to the Gateway Women’s Club diners that La Fontanella is a local favorite spot. Walking into the restaurant is reminiscent of a scene from Cheers, and fitting of the show’s memorable lyrics: “Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came.”

La Fontanella exceeded all expectations. The ambiance of La Fontanella is smart and stylish, but unpretentious. La Fontanella’s warm and inviting vibe, along with its friendly and professional service provides diners with an unforgettable, exceptional culinary experience. The restaurant’s private dining room nicely accommodated the 36 members and guests from Gateway Women’s Club. Every morsel of food, from appetizer to dessert is worth savoring one bite at a time and is complemented by a wide selection of fine wines. As owners Jamie and Natalie Stalowski explain, “We pride ourselves in serving authentic, from-scratch Italian dishes made only from the freshest, highest quality ingredients.”

The highest compliment a diner can offer a restaurant is to return. The Stalowskis look forward to serving their many repeat customers, noting, “It is always our pleasure to serve you.” Among the repeat customers will be Gateway Women’s Club diners, who are eager to return to La Fontanella for many more memorable dining experiences.

SIT AND STITCH

ELEANOR STUART

The next Sit and Stitch meeting will be hosted by Frances Brewer on January 13 at 1 p.m. Please contact Frances if you plan to attend. Her information can be found in the GWC Directory. The group includes many GWC members working on different projects. The members are still working on projects for Hospice and scarves for college-attending students who were in foster care. Any GWC member is welcome to join.

GATEWAY GALS ON THE GO

SHARON DESROSIERS

Twenty attendees of Gateway Women’s Club recently gathered at the Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve East in North Fort Myers. The weather was perfect for exploring the trails of a nicely maintained park. The preserve provides paved parking, picnic and restroom facilities, and is pet-friendly. There are three trails of different lengths, some at ground level and some with sections of boardwalk.

All the marked trails were dry and there were no annoying mosquitos. The ladies split into groups and went off on the different trails. Everyone could proceed at their own pace. Some crossed paths and did more than one trail. Signs along the way helped them to identify different plants and trees. Those with plant apps on their phones helped them identify even more. Some intrepid explorers finished the marked trails and went on to explore the more primitive trails looking for a view of the Caloosahatchee. They had to turn back due to wet conditions but vowed to return in the dry season. After all that exercise, some of the group gathered at the picnic tables to chat, and others went on to dine out. All seemed satisfied with their walk in the woods.

SPECIAL EVENT

KATHY FLAHERTY

On Sunday, November 24, Mary Mills, Mimi Rossi, Gail Kedrus, Noreen Jediny, and Kathy Flaherty went to appreciate the Sand Sculpting Championship on Fort Myers Beach. There were 18 magnificent sand designs made by different sculptors. Besides walking around and enjoying the sand sculptures, there were many different vendors. The ladies enjoyed walking on the beach and checking out the vendors while appreciating the sand sculpture. The weather was perfect for this activity, and they had a wonderful time.