The Fort Myers Beach 2009 Sand Sculpting Championship is in the books. It appears crowds this year were slightly less than last year. Perhaps the windy weather or economy held things down. Those in attendance were treated to an excellent contest and the following pics show the talent of the 16 Master carvers.
The themes ranged from the whimsical to the patriotic. This eagle was a crowd pleaser.
Imagine the time spent carving these geo designs !
Dolphins are always popular and this carving was a hit with the kids !
Castles in the sky or on Fort Myers Beach. Crowd favorite Amazin' Walter makes it look easy !
And the winner is ?!?!?! This entry qualifies the carver for the World Championship in Washington D.C.
Hope you enjoyed my pics of the 2009 Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting Championships. All pics takes with a Nikon D80, 18 - 155 tele or Sugma 10-20 wide angle.
Let me help you find your own castle here in paradise !
The 2009 Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting Championships are in high gear with 16 National and World Champions working feverishly to meet the deadline for completion and judging. Crowds drove, cycled, walked, bused and trollied to the Holiday Inn on Fort Myers Beach to see the carvers up close.
Carvers use different things for inspiration and some of the entries reflect an eclectic flair.
Would your kids even know what this is ?!?!
Some sculpting seem to defy gravity !
Looking for a room with a view far above the madding crowd ?
This one is more of a geometric interpretaion.
And my personal favorite from " Amazin' Walter " .
The action is really starting to heat up as the carvers are allowed to start the " pound up " for their creations. The " pound up " as it is affectionately known is when the carvers, without any help, position their wooden forms ontheir designated plot of sand. The sand is native to Fort Myers Beach and considered to be some of the best inthe world.
Each wooden form is filled by shovel with sand for 3-4 inches. Then water is poured in the form and the carver then " tamps " the mixture with a 15 pound tamper ! This is brutal, back breaking work which goes on for several hours. As each form is filled to the top the carver then positions another on top of the first. At this point shoveling sand and hoisting buckets of water become even more difficult as some of them are 3 or 4 forms high !
Men and women compete against each other for top honors. No helpers allowed !
The weather has taken a turn for the cooler and some dark menacing clouds threatened to risrupt the hard work of the carvers. The event goes on regardless of the weather !
Crowds are building for the final presentation and judging on Sunday. I'll be there! Hope your enjoying the 2009 Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting contest as much as I am !
The 2009 Fort Myers Beach 23rd Annual Sand Sculpting contest Day 3 was Thursday Nov 5, 2009. The individual piles of sand are in place and ready for the carvers to begin ! This picture shows a contestant assembling the forms for her entry. After the forms are in place the carver, without help from otherss ) starts filling the form with sand. After filling several inches of sand the contestant pours water into the form and uses a 15 lb tamper to pack the water/sand mixture. This is brutal work and gets even more difficult as the forms get higher and higher.
The first sculpting involves creation of corporate logos for sponsors. This is done free hand and often involves handing the carver a business card from which they must create an exact replica. In this picture you can see a business card in the left hand of the carver and her design starting to take shape !
The corporate logo pile is located directly in front of the Holiday Inn on the beach side.
Some of the amazing detail on the logos makes wandering among the sculptings a real treat !
After many hours the corporate logo pile begins to take shape !
The 2009 Fort Myers Beach 23rd Annual Sand Sculpting Contest - Day 2 photos. Things are definitely heating up as world class sculptors converge on the beach in front of the Fort Myers Beach Holiday Inn to begin carving in earnest. The first challenge is to turn what was a huge pile of beach sand into a collection of corporate logos !
These sand piles are the raw material for what will eventually be the finished sculptings. The sand is from our beach and considered some of the best in the world for it's " carving, holding and finishing " characteristics.
This huge pile of sand sits in front of the Holiday Inn and provides a terific public relations boost for the corporate sponsors. All carving is done free hand with various tools and a whole lot of patience !
Carvers will complete the corporate logo sandpile and then begin the individual sculptings.
Visitors to the island can watch the competition from the Tiki deck at the Fort Myers Beach Holiday Inn or stroll through the individual carvings. Admission ( Fri _ Sun ) is $3/kid, $5/adult & $10/family.
The 23rd Annual Fort Myers Beach Sand Sculpting contest runs through Sunday Nov 8, 2009. Bring the family and don't forget the camera ! I'll post Day 3 tomorrow ! Your comments are always welcome !
The annual Fort Myers Beach Sand Castle contest started Tuesday Nov 3, 2009. This day is used for welcoming sculptors, layout for the various locations and preparing for the first carving event. There are several significant changes in the event for 2009. Rather than spread out between the Fort Myers Beach Holiday Inn and the Outrigger Resort this year will see a smaller footprint consisting of the main activities on the beach side of the Holiday Inn and the Point Estero building. This should make it easier for visitors to see all of the entries.
Shown here is the mound of sand destined for the corporate logos of sponsors. Katie Corning, Site Director and accomplished sculptor, discusses the finer points of the sand found right here on Fort Myers Beach . It is considered to be some of the best in the world !
The Chamber of Commerce also determined that the " Master " entries would be roped off and admission would be charged starting Saturday: $3 for kids, $5 foradults & $10 for a family pass.
This is how the site looks after initial preparation. Next will come the individual sites for each of the carvers. The contest is carefully monitored and carvers are not allowed any helpers once the event kicks off.
Bill Gillhespy is a Century 21 Realtor, resident of Fort Myers Beach and loves sharing the island with visitors. 239 699-7128
Point Estero is one of the finest addresses on Fort Myers Beach and this 15th floor 2/2 has a panoramic view of the Gulf of Mexico and bay. Recent upgrades make this an excellent value. On-site rental program available with approz $28k rental income. Beautifully furnished and located on the widest beach on the island.
This building allows rentals or full time residency by the owner. Or, you could use it for personal use and rent to friends and family.
The lush pool and landscaping add to the enjoyment and privacy. Private tennis courts included.
Point Estero is located close to shopping, restaurants, movie theater, island golf course and pharmacy.
This unit has sweeping views from all rooms and stunning sunsets at days end.
Owner wants ofers on this spectacular 2/2 unit. Just reduced to $699. Compare to lower floor units and call to schedule a showing: Bill Gillhespy 239 699-7128.
I was doing an OPEN HOUSE at my 8305 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach listing and decided to get some practise with my new camera. This engaging fellow was kind enough to patiently pose for me while I fiddled with the settings. Cranes are common here on the island and seem to enjoy being photographed !
The shot was taken with a Nikon 78-135 tele lens about 15 feet away. He was looking for some lunch in the canal below.
The house is an executive ranch, 3/2 with caged pool and covered boat lift.
This canal home is on the preferred south end of Fort Myers Beach. Current owners love this place and also do approx $30k in rentals ! To arrange a showing or additional details please contact me direct: 239 699-7128.
A friend just sent me this joke. It has been around for awhile so for those who haven't seen this one and I have no clue as to the author !
Subject: THE DEAF WIFE
THE DEAF WIFE A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss. Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response." That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?" No response. So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no response.Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again he gets no response. So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey,what's for dinner?" Again there is no response. So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?" (I just love this) "Ralph , for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!"
A growing number of homeowners around the country are using a foreclosure defense that may help them retain their homes. It’s called “Produce the Note” and we want you to know this is not a mere technicality that should be treated lightly by the lender or by the Court.
Everyone needs to understand the importance of this issue. When a lender can’t produce the original note, allowing a foreclosure to proceed puts the homeowner at risk of owing that debt again to another party in the future. Therefore, great caution must be taken before a judge can allow someone who can’t produce the original note to cash in on your home.
What if Your Lender CAN’T Produce the Note?
So, what happens when the lender tells the Court it can’t produce the original note, because it is lost? Let’s start with the basics. If a lender wants to foreclose on a property, it has to be able to show that it is, in fact, the appropriate person to whom the money is owed. That right to foreclose belongs ONLY to the person who has legitimate POSSESSION OF THE ORIGINAL NOTE - not a copy, not an electronic entry, but the original note itself with the original signature of the person(s) who allegedly owes the money along with appropriate raised notary seal and signature. So, if you are faced with a foreclosure, you have every right to demand that the person or entity trying to take your property, first prove to the Court that they have the legal right do to so in the first place by proving they have legal possession of the original promissory note.
In my opinion, an original mortgage note is much like legal tender and should be guarded and protected as such by the person holding such an asset. Loosing an original mortgage note is like loosing a $100 bill or a gift card or a lottery ticket. What if I scratched that million dollar ticket and just stuck it somewhere and misplaced it? Do you think I could just show up at lottery headquarters and claim my prize without having the winning ticket? The same principle applies to the person or entity claiming to be the legal holder of an original mortgage note. He who holds the note holds the key.
What the Lender Must Do
What often happens, however, is that the lender claims it doesn’t have the original note, because that note has been lost or destroyed. If the lender is making such a claim, the law requires the lender to prove all of the following under the “Uniform Commercial Code”, which is a set of laws governing commercial transactions that many states have adopted. It contains a specific provision on this subject (Section 3-309) which states that a person can enforce a promissory note without having the original, BUT only under certain limited circumstances.
1. The person or entity has to swear and attest that it no longer has the original note; 2. The person or entity has to prove that it was properly in possession of the note and was entitled to enforce it WHEN it lost possession of the note; 3. The person or entity has to prove it didn’t “lose” possession simply because it transferred the note to someone else (i.e., it’s not really lost); and 4. The person or entity has to prove that it cannot produce the original note because the instrument was destroyed or its whereabouts cannot be determined or it was stolen by someone who had no right to it.
All of these matters have to be definitively proven by the person or entity trying to foreclose on the property. It is not the obligation of the borrower to prove or disprove any of this. The borrower can challenge the right of the person or entity trying to foreclose and demand proof.
The Court’s Important Role
It is up to the Court to determine whether the lender has satisfactorily proven why it no longer can produce the original note. The Court also has to be satisfied that when the original note was lost, the person trying to foreclose on the property had possession of the note at the time it was lost. Until the Court has been satisfied of all of this, the foreclosure cannot proceed.
It is also important for the Court itself to understand that this issue is not merely a “technicality” and the judge should not be satisfied with anything less than full proof of this issue. The Court itself needs to appreciate the fact that if it should agree that an original note has been legitimately lost (and allows the foreclosure to proceed) it is the borrower who is still at risk.
Why? Because incredibly, even if a Court has found that the original note is lost and the foreclosure sale is finalized, if someone later turns up with the original note and proves that it is the proper holder of the note, and not the person who foreclosed on the property, the original borrower is STILL LIABLE.
That’s right. Someone took your home and the Court allowed it because it believed that the lender proved that the note was lost and it was the proper party. Then someone legitimate shows up in the future with the actual note and you still owe that person the money even though your property was taken with the blessing of the Court. Trust me, this is a very serious issue regarding post foreclosures and post pre-foreclosure short-sales. It has happened to three of our own clients! These homeowners had the need to sell their property by means of a negotiated short-sale (so they could avoid a foreclosure) only to find out that the entity claiming to have the legal right and authority to enter into such negotiations and accept such settlements sold their note to another entity and weren’t even aware of it. Several months later, the newly assigned lenders (now claiming to be the rightful owners of our client’s original notes) have since come forward and have also filed suite seeking to recover their entire outstanding principle balances owed to them (prior to the homeowners closing their short-sale transactions with the wrong note holders).
How fair is that?!?! It’s not! And that’s why homeowners need to start fighting back when someone is trying to take their home by foreclosure, especially since an overwhelming percentage of mortgages granted over the last 3 to 5 years have been packaged into securities and re-sold and re-assigned numerous times since the inception of the borrower's original note and mortgage. In some states, homeowners have better than a 50/50 chance of being successful in defending themselves against a completed foreclosure. Why wouldn’t anyone who owns a home do everything in their power to protect and defend it?
All the Best,
Rick D. Misitano, Senior Paralegal Law Offices of James M. Bosco & Associates Methuen Executive Park 240 Pleasant Street Methuen, Massachusetts 01844 Phone: (978) 687-8804 Fax: (978) 687-8872 boscolaw@comcast.net
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
This building allows rentals or full time residency by the owner. Or, you could use it for personal use and rent to friends and family. 
Owner wants ofers on this spectacular 2/2 unit. Just reduced to $699. Compare to lower floor units and call to schedule a showing: Bill Gillhespy 239 699-7128.
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