Fort Myers filmmaker and artist Gerard Damiano premieres his short film, “Kineticscope: The Life and Inventions of Thomas Edison” tomorrow night, as part of the Edison Festival of Lights “Light up the Town” celebration. Kathleen Moye has more

The Blanchard house museum in Punta Gorda reopened to the public this past weekend. The museum is in the city’s historic black district and received significant damage from Hurricane Charley. But now it’s back – and organizers say it’s better than ever. W-G-C-U’s Valerie Alker reports.

Object

Object

Naples author Carl Steinhouse is out with the third book in his Holocaust series. WGCU’s Amy Tardif has more.

www.carlsteinhouse.com
www.authorhouse.com

One of the few original settlers left on Sanibel island has been honored by the state. The Bailey Family property is one of 81 in Florida to be named a Pioneer Farm. The State’s Century Pioneer Family Farm program was set up 25 years ago to encourage original families to retain ownership. Wendy Humphrey reports.

Heritage

The Military Heritage and Aviation Museum in Punta Gorda is relocating. A legion of volunteers is carefully packing up the exhibits – shrink wrapping the display cases and transporting their contents about five miles across town. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.

This year the Mote Marine laboratory in Sarasota celebrates its 50th birthday. Today it’s on the forefront of global marine issues – with research into red tide, coral reefs, aquaculture and sharks. The laboratory began in a two-room cottage but now maintains seven research centers, a fleet of vessels and employs 240 people. WGCU’s Amy Tardif has the story of the lab’s humble beginnings thanks to the desires of one young lady eager to enter a man’s field in 1950’s. To learn more about the life of Dr. Eugenie Clark – tune in to Earth Edition tonight at 8:30 on WGCU public television.

The Charlotte county commission Tuesday decided the fate of the Old County Courthouse in downtown Punta Gorda. It will proceed with plans to restore the building, which these days, sits empty and neglected. Valerie Alker has more. (AUDIO)

This month, WGCU-TV’s Untold Stories series travels to LaBelle in Hendry County. LaBelle is a small, rural town located 30 miles east of Fort Myers, on the oak lined shores of the Caloosahatchee River. Hendry County Commissioner William T. Maddox Junior is a LaBelle native. He recently shared some memories of his father, William Senior, who had a long career in area politics and law enforcement. To learn more about LaBelle and its people, tune in tonight to Untold Stories of Southwest Florida on WGCU-TV at 8:30. (AUDIO)