Whereas, on October 16, 1925 a now-centenarian – known to all here in Lee County as “Gram”- Ethel Adelaide Buss was born, at home in Wassergas, Pennsylvania. From a young age, Ethel was a hard worker. At just 14 years old, she began helping to support her family by working as a caretaker for a local lawyer’s household, cooking and doing laundry. During World War II, she worked at Bethlehem Steel, proudly serving as a true “Rosie the Riveter” making bullets. Ethel later spent 27 years at Champion Spark Plugs as an inspector, carefully ensuring the quality of spark plugs; and

Whereas, Ethel retired to Cape Coral in 1985; but retirement didn’t slow her down for long. She became a beloved face in the community, known for years as the “Grandy Lady” at Grandy’s Restaurant, where she rode the LeeTran bus to work daily in her signature Grandy outfits until she retired in 1999; and

Whereas, in 2018, Gram became an unexpected celebrity when Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes named her their Honorary Spokeswoman after a viral video of her love for their potatoes. She was featured on local television and Bob Evans even replaced her roof after Hurricane Irma; and
Whereas, family has always been her greatest joy and priority. She is the proud mother of one daughter, grandmother to four granddaughters, and GREAT-Grandmother to seven; and

Whereas, today, Ethel still keeps active, filling her days with housework, traveling, and helping those around her. At 100 years old, Ethel continues to be an inspiration—living proof of resilience, hard work, and the power of love for family.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida does hereby celebrate her birthday and proclaims that October 16, 2025 shall be known as
ETHEL STRAUSS DAY

Whereas, 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States with over 300,000 members in the State of Florida being a part of the 6.5 million members across the country; and

Whereas, 4-H is a community of young people who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills; and

Whereas, the Lee County 4-H Youth Development Program exists to develop young people, ages 5 through 18, and has served young people in our state since 1909; and

Whereas, the 4-H Program has molded itself to meet the needs of our citizens by focusing on developing rural, suburban and urban youth and through the Florida Cooperative Extension, and

Whereas, the program uses the research and knowledge base of our state’s land grant institutions, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, known as UF/IFAS Extension; and

Whereas, through “learning by doing” experiences, young people in the 4-H Program practice life skills with the guidance of caring adult volunteer mentors and Cooperative Extension faculty and staff; and

Whereas, 4-H provides Lee County youth the opportunities to develop positive relationships, competencies and attitudes that will assist them in making positive choices for their lives, thereby effectively preparing them to meet the challenges of becoming productive citizens and being workforce ready.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida does proclaim the week of October 5, 2025 as

4-H WEEK

in Lee County and hereby commends the youth participants for representing their pledge to use their Heads for clearer thinking, their Hearts for greater loyalty, their Hands for larger service, and their Health for better living. 

Whereas, Lee Health's Trauma Service District serves five counties in Southwest Florida: Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades. The organization is committed to raising awareness about fall prevention and educating residents on the steps they can take to reduce their risk of falls. This initiative involves
collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Statewide Falls Prevention Coalition, as well as local Area Agencies on Aging, law enforcement agencies, and fire departments; and

Whereas, injuries and deaths from falls are preventable; falling and the fear of falling can lead to depression, loss of mobility, and loss of functional independence; and

Whereas, falls prevention education serves as an essential step in enhancing awareness about the prevention of falls among the elderly and ensuring safety, cost-effective home modification, and community strategies to improve safety and lessen the likelihood of falls and debilitating injuries; and

Whereas, Lee Health's Trauma Services District serves a five-county region in Southwest Florida, including Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades. They are actively working to raise awareness about fall prevention and encourage Florida residents to take steps to protect those at risk of falling. To achieve this, they are collaborating with multiple coalition partners, including
the Florida Department of Elder Affairs/Communities for a L,ifetime, the Florida Department of Health/Office of Injury Prevention, the Florida Statewide Falls Prevention CoaH.tion, and state Area Agencies on Aging. Recent statistics show that death rates related to falls have increased significantly: by over 70% among adults aged 65 to 74, by more than 75% for those aged 75 to 84, and more than doubled for seniors aged 85 and older.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE Board of County
Commissioners of Lee County, Florida does hereby designate September 22, 2025 as FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY
in Lee County.

Whereas, Sizzle Dining, a nonprofit 509(a)(2), supporting Southwest Florida restaurants, the tourism industry and elementary school students is celebrating nine years of boosting our local economy while benefiting area causes; and

Whereas, Sizzle Dining champions 127 local restaurants, their staff and their communities by promoting a dine-with-purpose
fundraiser offering special menus during Sizzle Month from
September 3rd through September 30th; and Whereas, Sizzle Dining helps servers earn more to feed their families, allows dishwashers to get more hours, increases sales for the local produce farmer and more; and

Whereas, Sizzle Dining provides valuable support and funding to
Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, which in turn
provides food and nourishment to elementary school students
throughouttheschoolyear;and

Whereas, Sizzle Dining has made a positive impact on the Southwest Florida community, helping to drive foot . traffic to local restaurants during September, a traditionally slower time of
year for hospitality, while giving back and helping to ensure
children don't go hungry.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE Board of
County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida does declare September as SIZZLE DINING MONTH and recognizes Sizzle Dining for its invaluable impact on restaurants, tourism and students in Lee County for the past nine years.

Whereas, the South Fort Myers Youth Baseball program had the most successful All-Star summer in its esteemed history; and

Whereas, the 10-year-olds advanced to the State Tournament extending South Fort Myers' streak to 25 consecutive years of having atleast one team play in a State Tournament. They advanced tothe final four (semifinals) before being defeated; and

Whereas, the 11-year-olds won the District Championship, advanced to the State Tournament, becoming the 50th South Fort Myers team to play in a State Tournament in the past 25 years. Theyadvanced to the semifinals before being defeated; and

Whereas, the 12-year-olds won 20 consecutive games encompassing the District County Championship, State Tournament Championship, and Southeast Regional Tournament. They beat State Champions from Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. They reached the Regional Championship Game, losing 4-2 in extra innings in a historic game making them the most accomplished team in League history, and got them an invitation to the World ~eries. At the World Series, they won three games before losing · to the Midwest Champions from Missouri. They became the first team in South Fort Myers history to reach the "Elite 8" in the USA, winning 23 out of 25 games.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE Board of
County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida does hereby
recognize the South Fort Myers Youth Baseball 12-year-old
team for the historic run of excellence, State Champions,
Regional Finalists, and a World Series team and winning three
games.