The city admits it just learned about the leak last month, but neighbors say they spotted it long before then. Frustrated residents started contacting the city’s 311 Call Center and posting about the leak online. While the city insists it’s not a major break, it’s not pouring out hundreds of gallons an hour, the delay drags on. The reason is that workers had to place a special order for six new valves, and they’re still waiting for the parts.

In the meantime, people living nearby are worried, especially with the current watering restrictions. The city estimates repairs will start and finish within the next month, but there’s more disruption ahead. Fixing the pipe means shutting off water temporarily for businesses and medical facilities in the area, and traffic on Cape Coral Parkway could get messy. 

City staff say they’ll coordinate with contractors to limit the headaches as much as possible and promise to notify affected businesses once they sort out the timeline. For now, everyone’s waiting on those elusive replacement parts.

The post Cape Coral’s Costly Leak: Old Pipe Waterfalls Under Local Bridge appeared first on Englewood Review.

Take this one: The Wild Man of Englewood.

Are you a fan of true crime, murder and tales of local legends appearing in the moonlight at the end of Yale Street? Then this story is right up your alley. 

Josephine Cortes came to Englewood in 1954 from the Washington D.C. area with her two children. Jo knew journalism inside and out. A year after arriving, she became editor of the Englewood Herald, our first local paper. Then, in 1956, she launched the Englewood News. For more than a decade, she reported for a Sarasota paper, but Englewood’s community affairs always drew her in.

Here’s a fun fact for you: Jo started Englewood’s very first Pioneer Days Celebration back in 1956.

In 1960, she published a fascinating, albeit gruesome, piece in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about the legend of the Wild Man of Englewood. 

The Wild Man of Englewood

By Josephine Cortes

The sensation of the West Coast of Florida in 1910 was a ‘wild man’ who devoured raw cattle and hogs in Manatee County. Yesterday we learned that the notorious creature was (pardon the expression) a resident of Englewood, where he was captured.

Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Anderson of Wentworth Street showed us a newspaper clipping about the man whose arrival in Tampa on May 1. 1910 after his capture was greeted with a blazing headline, “Wild Man from Manatee Here,” as his convoy of deputies transferred him from a wagon to a train and took him’ to Chattahoochee to the “insane asylum.”

Excited reporters “interviewed” the wild man “wearing a bearskin,” and said he had been captured by a Manatee rancher “who found him gnawing away at a quarter of raw beef and going to it like a boy would to chocolate drops.” The rancher was Stuart’s father. J. D. Anderson, whose ranch was located north of Englewood near present-day Manasota Beach Road and SR 776.

Stuart remembers the “monster” well. Though news accounts at the time of his capture described him as a “huge man,” Mr. Anderson said the man actually was rather slightly built person. He agrees with newsmen who said he was a Cuban “slightly out of his mind,” but believes his mental derangement may have been at least partially caused by bin solitary existence and his diet of raw animals.

There is general agreement that the man was a fearsome creature to behold. His costume was a vile smelling garment fashioned caveman style of a piece of animal hide and he was usually barefoot, although during very cold weather his feet were wrapped with pieces of hide. He had glittering black eyes. and a vast black tangled beard matched the unkempt shagginess of his uncut coarse hair, matted with dirt and vermin.

His only speech was a rare grunt, heightening the terrifying effect he created. As a youngster, Stuart helped his brother Clyde who brought the mail from Myakka River Landing to the Englewood post office which was located in a corner of the Lemon Bay Trading Company store at the foot of Yale Street.

The store was owned by H. C. Nichols, founder of the town of Englewood. The Anderson boys often saw the wild man around the back door of the store and soon noticed the set pattern of his appearances.

The schooners that served the afore came in twice a month with supplies, among which were huge wheels of cheese. The wild man would show up at the back door of the store shortly after the supplies were unloaded, but he would not venture into the store if there were other customers present.

When the store was empty, the wild man would creep through the back door and silently point to the cheese, meanwhile fumbling inside the top of his bearskin shirt, from which he would withdraw a dirty piece of rag and then with much peering around to see if anyone was watching, produce a gold coin.

It was obvious from his gestures that he wanted the whole wheel of cheese, but Nichols sold him only a portion of it since it would be a month before another shipment came in.

Most frequently the portion he got amounted to a gold coin’s worth, but sometimes the portion was smaller, and then Nichols somehow managed to convey to the man that he had some more merchandise coming for his money. Then the wild man would point to whatever struck his fancy and, his purchases completed, he would dart out the back door.

He would almost immediately disappear from sight and a few attempts to follow him met with defeat. Always the trail was lost in the vast wilderness along the bay near where Morrison Street is now located, an area that is even today undeveloped, a tangle of mangrove pine trees and dense underbrush.

No one was too concerned at first about the man, however, except to speculate about who he was, whether he was a mute or if his lack of speech was due to ignorance of the language and, most important, where he got his gold and how much of it he had.

There were those who figured they knew the answer to the gold question.

Sometime before the man appeared in the vicinity of the store, a man had been murdered on Palm Ridge, as the beach was known at that time. The murdered man was said to have had a huge hoard of gold that was never found after his death.

Thus, some of the cracker barrel philosophers had it, the wild man was the murderer who stole the gold and escaped from the beach by swimming across Lemon Bay, or maybe he had a boat, but since he didn’t bother anyone and didn’t appear to be running away, they would postpone plans to investigate to some other time. Besides, those who did try to find his lair, couldn’t locate it.

Eventually, however, ranchers north of the area began to miss an occasional steer from their herds and when Stuart’s father and uncle discovered similar losses, they began to suspect that someone was slaughtering the animals, since diligent search failed to find the cattle anywhere.

Recalling the foul odor that rose lie a cloud when the wild man came to the store, the ranchers made him their prime suspect and a group of them, led by Stuart’s father, set out to find him. 

Wandering into the forest, beyond the present site of St. Raphael’s Church, they continued toward the bay and after several hours of searching they were assailed by the rank odor of rotting flesh.

Following the scent, they came to a small clearing in the midst of which squatted the object of their search, chewing on a huge piece of raw meat. The clearing was littered with rotting carcasses of numerous hogs and cattle, though the animal he was eating was freshly slaughtered. It was obvious that he would kill an animal, eat whatever he wanted, and leave the remainder to rot in the sun.

They surrounded and overpowered him, and after binding him securely with strong ropes, removed from his person the dirty little bag that contained a few gold coins. The stench of the carcasses drove them rapidly from the clearing, bearing their captive with them.

He was hauled by wagon to the sheriff’s office in the Manatee County seat, which at that time was in Bradenton, and the gold coins were given to the sheriff. This official, finding it impossible to converse with the silent captive who would only grunt occasionally, decided the man was insane and escorted him, with the help of a group of deputies, to the mental institution in Chattahoochee, traveling by way of Tampa where the wild man was a sensation.

No clue was ever found to his identity. Stuart Anderson personally believes the man was a Cuban who jumped ship in this area from one of the many boats that plied the great shipping lanes that existed in those days along our coast between Tampa and Key West and Cuba.

An interesting sequel to the story is that promptly after his capture, practically every able-bodied man in the Lemon Bay area helped ransack the palmetto shelter where the man lived and tore up land nearby for miles around, braving the foul smell for the gold hoard they believed to be there. None was ever found or if it was, it was such a small amount that the finder was able to escape detection.

No trace of the clearing remains today, but legend has it that if you walk to the end of Yale Street toward the bay on a moonlight night and look northward you might see the wild man creeping along the shore and if the wind is right, you will get a whiff of the sweet sick odor of a freshly killed animal!

It’s compelling stories like these that remind us why we need to keep our history close. Without the Lemon Bay Historical Society, these tales would simply vanish. Do yourself a favor and check out one of Englewood’s most treasured organizations. 

For more stories, including “The History of Englewood” by Josephine Cortes, and information about Lemon Bay Historical Society, click here.

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Since removal programs began, contractors have pulled out over 23,500 pythons across Florida. But the snakes find ways to hang on. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says the Everglades used to be the center of python activity, but now they’re established from south of Lake Okeechobee, all the way to Key Largo, and as far west as Collier County. Pythons are masters of hiding, so by the time evidence piles up, they’ve often already settled in and made themselves at home.

Now, there’s a confirmed “satellite population” in Charlotte County, north of Naples and Fort Myers, according to an FWC spokesperson. Adult pythons face almost no threats from natural predators in Florida. They eat just about anything, including plenty of native animals, some of which are already threatened or endangered.

What do these invaders look like? 

Adult Burmese pythons can top 20 feet, though most found in Florida are between six and ten feet. They’re hulking compared to native snakes. Their tan bodies sport dark, irregular patches fitting together like puzzle pieces, almost giraffe-like. Look for dark wedges near the tops and bottoms of their heads, and right behind their eyes.

Fighting back, Florida has launched two major programs: the FWC’s Python Action Team (PATRIC) and the South Florida Water Management District’s Python Elimination Program. These initiatives pay qualified people, those with experience wrangling big, nonnative snakes, to track and remove them across South Florida. PATRIC contractors usually pull in over thirty pythons a year. Since the start, state efforts have tallied over 23,500 removals, with over 11,000 handled by PATRIC and the Python Elimination Program.

The call’s open for hunters, anglers, and anyone who knows how to handle an enormous snake. The Python Elimination Program contracts removal agents to patrol Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Palm Beach counties. Pay varies depending on where you’re looking, $14, $20, or $30 an hour, for up to ten billable hours a day.

The problem isn’t going away. But for every nest found, and every python caught, it’s a small victory for the native wildlife struggling to hang on.

In other Burmese python news, a wild scene played out in Florida, caught on TikTok: a massive female Burmese python coiled protectively around a mountain of eggs, all hidden away in a patch of thick ferns. It looked dramatic, and it was, because that cluster of eggs represented not just one snake, but potentially dozens more apex predators getting ready to push even deeper into Florida’s fragile ecosystem.

The video, posted by thesnakeaholic (@thesnakeaholic), shows what happens when you catch a python brooding over her nest. He explained, “This big female python was coiled up in the ferns, sitting on a huge pile of eggs!” He didn’t stop there. “Removing invasive pythons saves native wildlife, but it is especially important to remove nests like this because it stops an entire generation of invasive apex predators from being born into the ecosystem. We saved A LOT of wildlife with this removal!” 

That’s the key: if you only remove the adults as you find them, you chase shadows while their eggs quietly hatch and restart the cycle. Nests are the heart of the problem.

The post Beyond the Everglades: Python ‘Satellite Population’ Confirmed in Charlotte County appeared first on Englewood Review.

The 2026 Florida International Air Show, happening November 7 and 8 at Punta Gorda Airport, does all that and more.

This year, the show’s lineup brings some serious talent and horsepower. International aerobatic pilot Aarron Deliu is back, along with Red Bull pilot Kevin Coleman, the Franklin Flying Circus, The Chuters Jump Team, and the MIG-17’s unforgettable howl. You won’t just see them, you’ll feel them.

Precision stunts, energetic routines, parachutes popping open just above the runway, and the ear-splitting rumble of historic jets, it’s all there. Forget watching airshows on your screen. This is the real thing, live and impossible to duplicate.

But the excitement isn’t just in the sky. On the ground, families find plenty to do, from exploring static aircraft displays, meeting exhibitors, sampling food trucks, and diving into hands-on aviation activities and merchandise. Kids and adults get a closer look at flight, tech, and aviation careers, and maybe spark a lifelong interest.

The Florida International Air Show isn’t just about airplanes; it’s about bringing people together and connecting them to aviation’s roots in the community. “For a lot of guests, the Air Show means more than watching airplanes fly,” says Denise Dull, the show’s president. “It’s the sound and spectacle, meeting the performers, wandering among the displays, and making memories that stick with families long after the show.”

The tradition continues: aviation, education, entertainment, and community, all rolled into one unforgettable weekend at Punta Gorda Airport.

2026 Florida International Air Show 
November 7–8, 2026 

Punta Gorda Airport 
Gates open at 9:00 a.m. on both days.
Tickets available now at FloridaAirShow.com.

The post Sun, Sand, and Sonic Booms: The 2026 Florida International Air Show Takes Off This November appeared first on Englewood Review.

Food & Culinary Expertise

The restaurant’s menu features a mix of fresh seafood and land choices, ranging from Ahi Tuna Tartare and Tropical Gulf Shrimp Ceviche to Classic Smash Burgers (made with a 4-ounce blend of Chuck, Brisket, and Short Rib Certified Angus Beef served on toasted brioche with ranch fries or vegetable slaw).

The kitchen is led by Chef Michael Klocinski, who holds the distinction of being the only American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef in Southwest Florida between Fort Myers and Venice. He brings extensive kitchen experience from top establishments like Muirfield Village Golf Club, Shaker Heights Country Club, and Boca Bay Pass Club.

Family & Community Roots

Mako’s is built around a true family effort and community engagement:

• Family Effort: Chef Mike’s wife, Alexis, manages marketing; his daughter, Karli, designed the logo; his son, Tyler, installed the tile work; and his son, Riley, assists throughout the business.
• Local Art: The restaurant showcases artwork by Sebastian, a 13-year-old Sarasota angler and artist whose wildlife pieces have been recognized by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC).
• Animal Welfare: Chef Mike actively supports local pet adoption organizations, offering food events with restaurant gift cards to customers who adopt pets.

Quick Details

• Address: 2828 South McCall Road #34, located in Tiffany Square
• Phone: (941) 626-9765
• Website: makoscoastalkitchen.com

The post Meal of the Week: Mako’s Coastal Kitchen (Video) appeared first on Englewood Review.

Treating foot and ankle problems isn’t always about making a diagnosis.

For Dr. Edwin Bautista, DPM, who recently joined LECOM Englewood Family Practice in September, comprehensive foot and ankle care involves helping patients understand their conditions and giving them a voice in deciding what comes next.

As he begins accepting new patients, Bautista brings a patient-centered approach to the Englewood practice, ensuring patients understand their treatment and surgical options for common conditions, complex injuries or deformities.

His practice includes common conditions such as heel pain, bunions, hammertoes and ingrown toenails, as well as diabetic foot care, wounds, sports injuries, fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, and conditions requiring surgery.

His approach focuses on shared decision-making, patient education, conservative and surgical treatment options and when appropriate, minimally invasive techniques.

“A big philosophy of mine is to not only diagnose what’s going on, but to explain it to patients in a way they understand,” he said. “Reasonable options are available and we will make those decisions together.”

Part of this philosophy was influenced in part by his own experience as a patient.

“I felt sometimes I was being told what to do, rather than being presented with choices,” he said. As he puts patient education at the forefront of his services, he understands some patients may prefer conservative care over surgery.

Not every path leads to the operating room, he said. In some cases, conditions may need to be treated immediately. In others, evaluation can help establish a baseline to monitor the condition over time.

“If someone comes in with a foot deformity or another concern, the options might range from treating it now, to simply establishing a baseline and monitoring for changes,” he said. “There’s a whole spectrum of treatment options for patients.”

Bautista encourages patients to seek an evaluation when a foot or ankle problem is persistent, changing or concerning rather than waiting until it significantly affects their daily activities.

Some foot and ankle deformities are progressive, he explained. A condition noticed in your 20s may cause little discomfort at first but become increasingly more painful as you age, he said.

When a condition does progress to the point where surgery is appropriate, Bautista’s training includes minimally invasive surgical techniques. For certain conditions and patients, minimally invasive techniques can provide another surgical option using smaller incisions and specialized instruments, which may contribute to shorter recovery in some cases.

After years of medical and surgical training, Bautista is looking forward to welcoming new patients and putting his approach to foot and ankle care in practice.

“I’m really excited to be meeting the patients in the area,” Bautista said. “I spent years and years training for this point, so I’m really looking forward to developing these relationships and becoming part of the community.”

Originally from Chicago, Dr. Bautista completed his three-year Podiatric Medicine and Surgery residencythrough LECOM Medical Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. He earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Since moving to Englewood in June, he has had the opportunity to explore local restaurants, food trucks and outdoor recreation ahead of his start date. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking and beach activities.

“Englewood is a really good fit for me,” he said.

LECOM Englewood Family Practice is located at 2828 S. McCall Road, Suite 21. Call 941-290-5111 to schedule your appointment.

The post LECOM Englewood Family Practice Welcomes New Provider appeared first on Englewood Review.

While this marks a step forward, it’s not the end of the road, as there’s still no final approval.

For years, the Yacht Club served as a local favorite, a place to swim, launch boats, or just relax by the water. Now, they have fenced off much of it for construction, and its future remains very uncertain.

Dozens of residents showed up at City Hall to voice their concerns. Repeatedly, people made it clear: they don’t want a resort-style hotel or pool. They don’t want townhomes dropped into the mix, either. At the heart of their critique is a simple question: who is this development really for?

The city council listened and picked one of the two competing private proposals for closer consideration. The KMB Marine plan, unlike the even more ambitious one from Forest Development, sticks closer to the city’s original ideas and leaves out the townhomes and automated boat storage. Mayor John Gunter called the KMB proposal the stronger of the two, even if, in his words, “neither one of them are perfect.”

Still, the hotel remains an issue for the opposition. Plenty of residents aren’t on board with that piece, and the mayor emphasized that moving forward now doesn’t guarantee approval later. City staff still need to fine-tune everything from hotel plans and pool design to public access and project costs.

While Cape Coral’s Yacht Club is a step closer to transformation, the story is not over yet. The details are up next, and the final decision rests with the council after those conversations play out.

Click here for more information about Cape Coral Yacht Club.

The post Cape Coral Advances Yacht Club Rebuild Proposal Featuring Hotel and Marina, But Final Approval Pending appeared first on Englewood Review.

Here’s what the DeMarcos had to say: “When we’re not traveling, we’re home in Englewood. But this year, from late May to early July, we hit the road. First stop: Virginia for a week with the grandkids. Then two weeks exploring Newfoundland, three quick days in London, and a huge adventure driving the ring road around Iceland for two more weeks. Before heading home, we spent another week with the grandkids in Orlando.”

Their travels weren’t short on sights, either. Mountains, waterfalls, geysers, hot pots, and glaciers, plenty of those. Wildlife? Everywhere. They spotted a bear, an otter, an arctic fox, moose, seals, and even a whale. In Iceland, reindeer wandered through the landscape. And those puffins, both Newfoundland and Iceland, had hundreds. Icebergs floated by or sat massive and unmoving, some as big as entire city blocks, slowly melting away.

The best part? Getting to hug the grandkids at the start and end of their trip. That’s what made the journey unforgettable.

So, where’s your next adventure with the Englewood REVIEW? Our little newspaper isn’t staying put in town; it’s going global. 

What about you? Next time you’re off to explore, take the REVIEW with you. Whether it’s a sunny beach, a mountain climb, or a cozy café, snap a photo. Send it our way. Let’s see just how far the REVIEW can travel.

How to participate:

1. Grab your copy of the Englewood REVIEW.
2. Snap a photo of yourself with it in an exciting or unique location (a tropical beach, a mountain peak, or even your favorite cozy local café).
3. Share your photo in the comments below or post it on your feed and tag us! Better yet, email it to michele@englewoodreview.com and we’ll feature you in an upcoming edition.

Happy Travels!

The post Join the Adventure: Show Us Your Englewood REVIEW Traveling the World appeared first on Englewood Review.

The weather feels like late summer, but it’s football season, and the Lemon Bay High School Manta Rays are all in. These students haul themselves out of bed at 5:45 a.m. practices, pouring their hearts into building a team our whole Englewood community can cheer for. Go Manta Rays! 

This issue packs in captivating stories, as always. With Pioneer Days 2026 behind us, let’s shine a light on Kim Parks. She’s the Membership Coordinator for the Englewood Chamber, and she’s everywhere. Ribbon-cuttings, grand openings, community events, you name it, Kim’s right in the middle of things, always sporting that big, unforgettable smile. You have to think of the Mary Tyler Moore theme: “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” That’s Kim to a tee. And since the Chamber never stops, neither does she. 

Rita Bertler’s story stands out, too. She founded Dollars for Mammograms because the fight for early detection hit close to home. This group offers free breast cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured folks in Charlotte County and South Sarasota County, including Nokomis. We caught up with Rita, plus Kathleen Callahan from Xpertech, to talk about their plans. The first Trailblazer 5K, on October 24, is right around the corner, uniting Dollars for Mammograms and the Englewood YMCA in their mission to keep our town healthy. Circle October 7th for The Pink Luncheon; you don’t want to miss it.

We also want to take a moment to honor and celebrate the life of Thomas “Tom” Dignam, whom we lost on September 18, 2026, at 84 years old. A true Englewood original: lifelong resident, business owner, community leader, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and loyal friend. Tom poured his soul into this place for nearly eighty years, and you felt his presence in everything that shaped Englewood. We honor Tom and Annette, his beloved wife. Read more about his remarkable life in our latest edition. 

With fall settling in, despite our tropical Florida seasons, we are a community that honors the cycles and beauty of nature. This season always reminds me of Bhuwan Thapaliya’s words: “Autumn is a quiet lesson in surrender: the trees let go of their leaves, embracing change with grace, and in their fall, they teach us how to meet the coming cold without resistance.”

The post Englewood REVIEW’s Latest Issue: Trading Florida’s Endless Summer for Autumn Skies: Celebrating a Life Lived in Full Color appeared first on Englewood Review.

She grew up in Indiana, so yes, there’s clearly more than just cornfields there. Kim moved down here eleven years ago, trading in icy Midwest winters for Florida sun, and she hasn’t looked back. 

She’s been the Chamber’s Membership Coordinator for nearly eight years; most people just call her the “Chamber Cheerleader.” And she owns it. “Yes, I was a cheerleader years ago,” she laughs, “and I can still do a cartwheel.”

Kim’s full of surprises. “I’m a former radio DJ, and I still have the gift of gab,” she says. “I even tried a little stand-up comedy.” It shows, as her energy is contagious.

What keeps her going? “Work keeps me busy,” Kim says, “but I love having my toes in the sand as much as possible. My guy and I chase live music wherever we can, taking quick trips to concerts all over the country. I’m a foodie, so exploring new restaurants and snapping pictures of all my meals is my thing. Some people eat to live—I live to eat!” 

Englewood couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader than Kim Parks.

What do you most value in your friends? 

What I value most in friends is loyalty and love.  The ones that are there when you need them without you having to ask them is such a great feeling.  You can have fun with anyone, but when someone is there in dark times, they brighten your world.

Who is your hero of fiction? 

Barbie.  She has done it all!  She taught me that I can be anything I want to be and look good doing it. 

Who are your heroes in real life? 

My parents.  I am adopted, which I saw as a special thing.  I was raised being told that “I was picked.”  My parents loved me like their own and that is something truly incredible. They proved that you don’t have to be blood to be loved.   

What is it that you most dislike? 

Those that reward for bad behavior. 

What is your greatest regret? 

Not running away and joining the circus after college.

What is your motto? 

Mean what you say and say what you mean.  “Sometimes funny, always hungry” 

Every edition, Englewood REVIEW spotlights someone who stands out in the community. We ask each person to tackle The Proust Questionnaire; a classic set of questions created by Marcel Proust, the French writer.

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