Brothers save drowning woman at Mediterra Beach Club

Two brothers saved a woman from drowning on Bonita Beach Thursday evening.
It happened while they working at Mediterra Beach Club.
Brothers Zack and John Murray were working at the Mediterra Beach Club in Bonita Springs Thursday evening when they heard screams for help coming from the beach.
A woman in her 60's was drowning... and the men took off toward the water.
"When we came down there, she had no pulse. She was ice cold - no movement at all, no breathing, no nothing. She was gone."
John said he jumped in to give the woman CPR - something he learned in a life guarding class.
"It was pure instincts basically kicking in. After a little bit of CPR, when she made a movement, I knew she was still alive, so I kept going."
"I was checking her pulse and I called EMS and I was on the phone with them the whole time."
"We started talking to her the whole time, like, 'Hey Karen, you're going to be fine. You're doing great. Can you hear us? Can you talk to me? Nod if you can hear me?' and she finally came back with a little nod and that's when I knew she was coming back to be responsive and was conscious."
After about 15 minutes of help from the men, an ambulance arrived.
"I'm never going to forget it in my life. I've never experienced it. I thought she was gone and then she came back to life."
The men only know the woman's first name, so they have not been able to get in touch with her to find out how she is doing.(source: winknews 3-27-2010)

Cashion named controller for The Club at Mediterra

Stephen J. Cashion has been named club controller at The Club at Mediterra in North Naples. In his new position, Cashion will be responsible for the financial management of The Club including payroll/ benefits, fiscal reporting, bank relations, taxes, budgeting, member relations and process implementation.

Cashion has more than twenty-five years experience in financial management with an emphasis on results-oriented financial leadership in land development and country club environments. Prior to joining the professional team at Mediterra, Cashion was club controller at Spanish Wells Golf & Country Club in Bonita Springs and also served as chief financial officer of West Bay Development in Estero. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.

In December the members purchased The Club at Mediterra from the community’s developer. The members now own all The Club facilities including the two championship golf courses, golf learning center and short-game practice area, the 25,000-square-foot clubhouse and Sports Club with five Har-Tru tennis courts, outdoor pool, three spa rooms and fitness center. The members also own the private Mediterra Beach Club on the Gulf of Mexico which features an elevated swimming pool, expansive sundeck, and indoor and al fresco dining.

The Club at Mediterra has achieved national recognition as one of the top golf facilities in America. It has been honored with the Environmental Leaders in Golf Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and Golf Digest magazine and has been named by Golf Magazine as one of the 50 Best Golf Communities in America. Mediterra has also been named one of the top 100 golf communities in America by Travel + Leisure Golf for four consecutive years and twice by Links magazine. It was the first-ever 36-hole course to earn Audubon International’s Silver Signature Sanctuary status.
Mediterra is located on Livingston Road two miles north of Immokalee Road in North Naples.(source: Gulf Coast Business Review, 3-23-10)

Bonita Bay golf club now owned by members

Southwest Florida’s largest golf club is now owned by its members.

The club's developer, Bonita Bay Group, and the Bonita Bay Club Turnover Committee today completed the sale of club assets to the members for $11.5 million in cash.
The money for the purchase came from the members of the new club. Nearly 1,900 people joined the new club, exceeding the expectations of the Turnover Committee, which handled the negotiations for members.

“The Turnover Committee is extremely grateful to the members for their enthusiastic support throughout the turnover process,” said Cynthia White of the Bonita Bay Club Turnover Committee in a statement. “Bonita Bay Club is unlike any other private golf club in South Florida, and our members are excited about our club’s solid financial future.”
The sales agreement includes 90 holes of championship golf, including three Arthur Hills-designed courses within the community and two nearby golf-only Tom Fazio courses, two clubhouses, three practice facilities, an 18-court tennis and swim center and a fitness center.
Bonita Bay is Bonita Bay Group’s flagship community. Bonita Bay Club’s sale to members follows the successful transition of The Club at Mediterra, Shadow Wood Country Club and The Commons Club.

“This process required a great deal of time, dedication and leadership from the members of the Bonita Bay Club Turnover Committee,” said Brian Lucas, vice chairman of Bonita Bay Group, in a statement. “Their diligent efforts have led us to this milestone, and we are confident that the future of our flagship club is in very capable hands.”(source: naples news 3-18-10)

Bonita Bay Groups websites win 3 international web awards

Three of Bonita Bay Group's revamped Web sites have won 2007 WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association, including first-place honors for Verandah in the real estate category. The community Web site for Mediterra and the corporate site for Bonita Bay Group, also entered in the real estate division, received Standard of Excellence Awards, given to entries that achieved a certain score. The winners were recently announced by the Web Marketing Association, an organization dedicated to setting high standards for Internet marketing and Web site development. Entries, judged by industry leaders, were evaluated on seven criteria: design, innovation, content, use of technology, interactivity, copywriting and navigation. Verandah's site, noted one judge, was "the best site I have seen in this judging."
The competition, now in its 11th year, attracted more than 2,400 Web sites from 40 countries. Awards were presented in 96 categories. "It's quite an honor to be able to say that Verandah's Web site is the best in the real estate industry," said Amanda Wilson Watkins, vice president of sales and marketing for Bonita Bay Group. "Each of the three sites we entered was recognized with an award or honor by our peers." Bonita Bay Group's Web sites were recently redesigned to offer a better sense of the lifestyle experiences at Verandah and Mediterra, said Terry McKyton, director of e-marketing for Bonita Bay Group. "We really wanted to give visitors to our sites a better feel of what it's like to live in these communities." Verandah's site, which received a perfect score, opens with an interactive illustration that offers a perspective of moving along the community's 1.75-mile stretch of the Orange River. As the Web user moves the cursor, the illustration pans to the right and activates the site's animation - a breeze tousles a woman's hair as she strolls along a riverfront boardwalk, an angler gets a tug on his fishing line, a young girl waves from a tree swing and a woman rocks on a front porch. Palm fronds and plants rustle in the wind. Both Verandah and Mediterra's Web sites offer video footage of residents talking about the lifestyle experience at their community; photo galleries of homes and amenities; and home finders that allow users to search by price point, home type and features. The corporate Web site (BonitaBayGroup.com) offers similar interactive features, in addition to video footage, a home finder for all Bonita Bay Group communities and news items. "There's also a calendar of events and activities for each community," said McKyton. The corporate Web site was honored earlier this year as a 2007 Webby Awards official honoree. Bonita Bay Group is a diversified company involved in the planning, development, sales and management of master-planned communities, free-standing recreational amenities and commercial facilities.

The company is respected for its commitment to meticulous planning, environmental stewardship, integrity and attention to detail. Bonita Bay Group employs more than 1,300 individuals and is currently developing seven master-planned communities - Bonita Bay, Shadow Wood at the Brooks, Mediterra, TwinEagles, Verandah, Sandoval and Murphy's Landing - along with 14 golf courses and two marinas. Additional information about the company is available at www.BonitaBayGroup.com. Author Information(source: Jennifer Laderer, bonita bay group 3/8/10)