Southwest
Regional News
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| Lee County Tourist Development Council | ||||
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...voted to recommend funding for outside improvements at the Mound
House archaeological site on Fort Myers Beach. The entire project,
including renovations to the oldest house in the city, and completion
of an underground shell mound exhibit, are on track to be completed
by 2009. http://www.fort-myers-beachobserver.com/ news/articles.asp?articleID=4056 |
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| Lee County, Boca Grande Accepting Applications | ||||
| • | Applications
are available at the Johann Fust Community Library and the Lee County
Reference Library at the Boca Grande Community Center. Applications
are also available from the Lee County Government website at lee-county.com/public resources/Advisory_Committee_App.pdf . Please complete and mail your application to the: Public Resources Office, Advisory Committees, P. O. Box 398, Fort Myers, FL 33902-0398. |
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| • | ...seeks a new member for their Historic Preservation Board. Lee County will also need a new member, since John Worth of the Randell Research Center will be moving to Pensacola this summer. Members of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board must be permanent residents of Lee County and comply with the financial disclosure laws of Florida. This is a board that meets year round. | |||
| • | Applications will be received through May 25. Commissioner Robert Janes, who represents Boca Grande, will recommend appointments for County Commission approval in May/June 2007. | |||
| • | Lee County is looking for a person to assist the historic preservation program staff with their program. Affordable housing will be included as part of this position. Contact Gloria Sajgo at the County building in Fort Myers with any questions (Monroe Street). | |||
| Caloosa Camp | ||||
| • | ..in North Fort Myers is an opportunity for girls (12-17) to learn and experience new skills and crafts. It is sponsored by Girl Scouts. Lessons about archaeology and nature in Lee County are included. For additional information regarding summer camp registration or to receive a camp brochure, please call Melissa Mason at 561-1800 ext. 402 or email MelissaM@gsgcf.org. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves more than 10,000 girls in Lee, Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Collier counties. | |||
| South Florida United Methodist Camp | ||||
| • | ...in Alva is located in woods along the Caloosahatchee. Campers will learn new skills and spend a lot of time outdoors. Lessons in archaeology and Native American history also are planned for this summer’s campers. South Florida United Methodist Camp 6355 CR 78 West Alva, FL 33920 863/675-0334 | |||
| Okeechobee Archaeological Finds | ||||
| At
other places in Okeechobee, many archaeological finds have been made.
Recently, the dry bed has revealed some human bones (likely to be
those of Native Americans who pre-dated the Seminoles and Miccosukees
in this area) and other important finds. Graves need to be left undisturbed
unless that is not found to be possible, and other finds must be properly
recorded and collected, unless they are thought to have been left
with graves. Archaeologists in the area are working quickly to document
these finds before changing lake levels make that impossible. Some
of this work has been briefly described in news reports, but I think
it is important to clarify a couple of points here for those interested
in such things. All materials found in state waters belong to the state, whether or not said water is dry or even absent at the time of discovery. That is because laws specifically state that Florida owns all materials found below the MEAN water line. Legislation was written this way to protect archaeology no matter what current water conditions may be. We stand to learn a great deal from finds which have been waterlogged for centuries or longer. This is best done by professional archaeologists, and all finds in such areas should be reported as quickly as possible especially since dry conditions can quickly change and even destroy many objects, especially those made from bone and wood. I have been working for the past year to try to educate many of the students and civic groups in our area about the importance of our history here, since I see it as a shared responsibility we citizens have to protect that past. If you are interested in learning more about archaeology, please visit www.flpublicarcheology.org, but leave combing Okeechobee for significant finds to the professionals. For more information, or to get involved with archaeology projects which are open to the public, please contact www.flpublicarcheology.org |
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