On March 22, the annual Guadalupe After-School Program Tutor Celebration Dinner was held at the Fiddler’s Creek Club & Spa. This by-ticket-only dinner celebrated the accomplishments of the 20 Senior Tutors from Immokalee High School. 50 high school students are hired by the Guadalupe Center to tutor at-risk Kindergarten through Second Grade students at Pinecrest and Highlands Elementary Schools, RCMA Charter School, and children in the Guadalupe Center Early Childhood Education Program.

These tutors assist younger students with tutoring, contribute to their family’s income, earn scholarships to college, receive mentoring from members of various Naples communities, and benefit from the services of college counseling. For the past 3 years, 100% of our seniors in the Tutor Corps Program have been accepted into college!

In past years, most of the Mentors to these high school students were residents of Marco Island. Since 2007, Fiddler’s Creek homeowners have become increasingly involved working in the Tutor Corps program. Today, 15 tutors are mentored by Fiddler’s Creek homeowners, and another Fiddler’s Creek couple is awaiting assignment of a tutor for the next school term. It is not necessary to be a year-round resident to participate.

Mentoring a tutor is a wonderful way to give back. The Celebration Dinner presents an opportunity to witness the special relationship that develops between Mentors and Tutors. If you have an interest in learning more about how the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee helps at-risk children by breaking the cycle of poverty through education, please contact Don or Susan Popejoy at 775-9617 or donpopejoy@comcast.net.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Creek Course at Fiddler’s Creek has been included in Golfweek Magazine’s Top 100 Best Residential Golf Courses list. Featured on the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 lists as well, this 18-hole, Par 72 course, designed by Arthur Hills, features a series of holes that are strategic and challenging, yet accessible for golfers of all skill levels from seven sets of tees.

“We are honored to once again be selected for this prestigious list,” states Ron Albeit (Fiddler’s Creek General Manager) “and we take great pride in providing the finest golf facilities to our members and their guests.”

Reviewed by over 300 course raters representing each state in the U.S., the Creek Course was evaluated along with 1,800 other courses. The design excellence-based criteria can include overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorability of holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other statistical data.

Opened on February 1, 2002, the Creek Course has also received recognition in Links Magazine as one of America’s 100 Premier Properties and Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine’s America’s Top 100 Golf Communities List.

Living in Fiddler’s Creek there are many opportunities to participate with your neighbors and friends in extravagant dinner dances, theme parties, concerts, and educational classes to fill our days mentally, physically and socially.

However, what do you do after you have danced the night away and eaten your fill of decedent delights? And, what do you do after you are physically fit from hours spent in the gym or a day of beauty at the Spa? When you have played all the games and sports or learned to prepare a wonderful meal at a cooking class or broadened your mind from discussions at the book club, what comes next?

When you are a resident at Fiddler’s Creek the answer is simple and one that enlivens your spirit. Our many residents welcome the opportunity to volunteer and participate in worthwhile causes which allow us to put others first and give something back to the community. Here are a few examples of the numerous organizations our residents volunteer and support.

Toy Drive
Christmas time is traditionally always a time for us to open up our hearts and wallets to help others in need. This recent holiday season was no different than the past. Even in today’s difficult economic times, many toys were contributed again to the Toy Drive for less fortunate children in the Manatee Elementary School. Volunteers collected and delivered to the school assorted age appropriate toys and games for the children. What makes this drive extra special is that it is a combined effort of residents and employees of Fiddler’s Creek. Again, this year there was no disappointment for the young school children. Their joy was expressed by the numerous hand crafted thank you notes received at the Fiddler’s Creek office.

Adopt-A-Highway
The Fiddler’s Creek Community Development District #1 was granted permission to “adopt” the 2 mile stretch of Route 951 from the entrance of Fiddler’s Creek to Manatee Road. Our volunteers have agreed to periodically pick up, bag and discard all the litter on both sides of the roadway. This is no easy undertaking. One would think there would not be too much trash along the roadway. At our last clean up day, 16 trash bags full of debris together with a piece of tire and a couch cushion were collected and disposed of! Kudos to the volunteers who participated in the blazing heat of the day to keep this roadway spotless, their efforts are appreciated by all.

Community Emergency Response Team
Volunteers participating in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) have the opportunity to learn vital safety information. Under the instruction of the East Naples Fire Company, the volunteers learned CPR, instructions on the use of defibrillators, and emergency response procedures for disasters and pandemics. The staff of volunteers had experienced what it would be like to have a “disaster” happen in our area and learn the correct response and procedures to follow in a “mock disaster drill.” The Management and Security Department at Fiddler’s Creek were instrumental in preparing and coordinating this event. March programs included, “Urban Search and Rescue” and in April, “a Countywide CERT Drill.” Learning from experts the correct response during an emergency helps not only in community situations, but in the private household. The ongoing instructional information is essential and invaluable.

Boys & Girls Club
Investing in our youth, the future of our nation, is a worthwhile cause and one that many in our community have made a major commitment to. The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County has been the only academically based youth development program in Collier County. The mission of the Boys & Girls Club is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential and help them build the skills they will need to be successful in life. The 6th Annual “Fore-the-Kids” Golf Tournament was held in the fall on the beautiful championship Creek Course. With the help of the members of The Fiddler’s Creek Golf Club the day was a great success raising over $100,000.

Tutor Corps
Another program that draws our residents to volunteer their time is the Tutor Corps. Our residents act as mentors to assist High School tutors who are hired by the Guadeloupe Center Early Childhood Education Program. This program helps at risk children break the cycle of poverty through education.

Bedtime Bundles
Bedtime Bundles, Inc. is a local charity which helps the children of migrant farm workers who live in camps in tiny trailers with holes in the floors, broken windows and no furniture. These children are innocent victims of circumstance and spend their young lives crisscrossing the country traveling from crop to crop with their family. Some of our residents have contributed volunteer hours, donations of clothing, household items and monetary gifts to this worthwhile cause. The second annual Mutts & Martinis Happy Hour event was on March 24, 2010 at the Esplanade on Marco Island. This year Fiddler’s Creek has graciously and generously donated a round of golf for two on the beautiful Creek Course as an item for auction. All donations received benefit the children.

Men’s Singing Group
Seniors helping seniors is another area that is dear to the hearts of our residents. The Fiddler’s Creek Men’s Singing Group is comprised of 15 members who take their talents to local nursing homes for concerts during the months from January to April. Their concerts are marvelous and, in fact, the group sang at the St. Patrick’s Day Party at Fiddler’s Creek.

It is not just the unsurpassed amenities, pristine grounds and beautiful homes in Fiddler’s Creek that make it one of the most desirable communities in which to reside in Southwest Florida. It is the residents themselves who make it the place where you want to “hang your hat”. We have all heard the old adage, “it is better to give than to receive”. But those many Fiddler’s Creek residents who contribute their time and energy in helping others find that it is in giving that you do receive.

It’s hard to believe that Memorial Day is just around the corner. For those residents wishing to relax and let someone else do the work on this holiday, Fiddler’s Creek offers a day filled with fun and entertainment. Festivities include the annual BBQ at Gator Grille including favorites such as Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork BBQ, Hamburgers and Marinated Chicken Breasts. Corn-on-the-Cob, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Sliced Watermelon and the infamous Baked Potato Bar are but a few of the accompaniments. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment, Happy Hour drink pricing as well as kid’s poolside activities and complimentary snow cones. It promises to be a fun day for all involved!

Many of Fiddler’s Creek residents will be tapping into their adventurous spirit, sailing away to exotic ports-of-call with fellow members during the upcoming months.

May, 2009 brings an Eastern Mediterranean cruise aboard the new Celebrity Solstice with ports-of-call including Sicily, Italy; Athens, Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Rhodes, Greece; Santorini, Greece and Naples and Rome, Italy. Residents can partake in optional land excursions viewing exciting attractions such as The Acropolis in Athens, The Coliseum in Rome or The Grand Bazaar in Ephesus.

Residents can also cruise the Antarctica in February, 2010 aboard the 5-star ship Celebrity Infinity. Polar mountains and floating ice floes are but just a few sites seen along the way. Sea elephants, humpback whales and Magellanic penguins far outnumber the visitors who travel to this barren and ever-evolving continent.

Bon Voyage!

Links magazine has included Fiddler’s Creek in its America’s Premier Properties Listing for a second, consecutive year.

According to Links magazine, upscale golf communities have done better than expected in today’s slowing real estate market. One reason given is that upscale golf communities not only provide a physical home and surroundings, they also spoil their residents with amenities that can’t be quantified.

As Links describes, great clubs provide a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere in which members can enjoy their golfing lifestyle with family and friends. Whether dining, playing tennis or a round of golf, clubs are the centerpiece for members to gather and socialize. This aspect of the community is a strong draw for many residents whose lifestyles are centered around the clubhouse.

Fiddler’s Creek is one of just 16 communities voted “Best for Club Life” in this year’s listing. The communities in this category have shown to give residents the best foundation to come together and enjoy the company and camaraderie of their fellow members.

Travel & Leisure Golf magazine has included Fiddler’s Creek in their annual listing of America’s Top 100 Golf Communities for a second, consecutive year.

The January/February 2009 issue of Travel & Leisure Golf showcases the listing highlighting communities boasting superb golf, luxury residences, extraordinary locations and a myriad of lifestyle options.

According to Travel & Leisure Golf magazine, eligible communities for Top 100 consideration must be able to offer property owners an opportunity for membership in an affiliated private golf club. Each community is reviewed by the following six criteria, in order of importance: golf amenity; residential architecture and style; location, including natural setting and proximity to cultural activities; management, service and programming options; non-golf amenities, such as a full service spa, equestrian center or marina; and environmental stewardship. For the 2009 listing, a concern for residential asset value, implicit in the previous years’ rankings, is of heightened value in the editors’ deliberations.

Construction on The Tarpon Club’s Dry Boat Storage Facility has been completed. The new facility, located on Isles of Capri, is designed to accommodate up to 150 boats, the largest being 35 feet in length. A key element in the design is flexibility since the racks holding the boats can be adjusted to meet market demand. There is also space to store an additional 30 boats or so outside the building bringing the total capacity to approximately 180. The dry storage building has approximately 25,000 total square feet.

Dry storage units are available for lease to the public. For more information, please call (239) 393-1449.

Additional planned facilities and services to be offered at The Tarpon Club Marina include a full-service marina with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, wet slips, a casual and fine dining restaurant providing panoramic views of Johnson Bay and a ship’s store. All wet slips within the Tarpon Club Marina will be available for rental to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chef Emmanuel Boscherel, Pastry Chef for Sale e Pepe Fine Italian Cuisine, has placed first for the second consecutive year in the Sugar & Chocolate Centerpiece Competition. This competition is part the larger American Culinary Federation Challenge Expo held annually in Orlando each September.

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) Challenge Expo is one of the largest culinary competitions in the country. Each year, for the past 15 years, the ACF has hosted chefs and cooks from all around the world who come to Orlando to participate.

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico on Marco Island, Sale e Pepe is located at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, a AAA Four-Diamond and Preferred Hotel property. Under the direction of native Italian Executive Chef Alberto Varetto, Sale e Pepe presents authentic Italian cuisine in surroundings of aged stone, marble floors and hand-painted frescoes.

Experience both Chef Varetto and Chef Boscherel’s expertise monthly at The Tarpon Club’s popular Taste of Tarpon events where their creativity is showcased within an entertaining and instructional format.