Page 1 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 March 21, 2026 Volume 9 Issue 36 From Island to Bay, News on the Level production@sunbaypaper.com www.sunbaypaper.com Right... All Along Digital Version TO YOU DUMB, TREASONOUS SOBS IN CONGRESS ...WHO CAN SELF IDENTIFY ... USC TITLE 18 TREASON AND SEDITION AND THE LOGAN ACT FOLLOWS ...I SUGGEST YOU READ IT. TRYING TO SHUT DOWN OUR GOVERNMENT WHILE OUR TROOPS ARE DYING TO DEFEND YOU DUMB SOBS ...YOU DON’T DESERVE A TRIAL ...REMEMBER ...TREASON CARRIES A DEATH PENALTYAND NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION ...DID YOU HEAR THAT SCHUMER? YOU LOW LIVES ARE LUCKY I’M NOT ON THE JOB. AG PAM, WHY ISN’T OMAR IN JAILALONG WITH THE REST OF HER CREW ...INCLUDING THAT BIG, FAT, LOUDMOUTH! THE PC AND TONS OF PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING ...LET ME START ...EVIDENCE. Omar took an oath when she became a U S citizen amongst other pledges it states: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.” She took another oath when she was elected to Congress to “protect, preserve, and defend the Constitution”! She has done NEITHER ...NONE OF THE ABOVE! From her own lips she has RECENTLY denounced HER LOYALTY TO THE US, STATING SHE DOES NOT REPRESENT AMERICA ...SHE IS HERE TO REPRESENT SOMAILILAND! NO EXCUSES, SHE HAS TO GO...HAVE THE FBI DRAW UP MAGISTRATE ARREST AND SEARCH WARRANTS FOR OMAR ...IT’S THE EASIEST ...THEN DO THE REST AND LET THEM SPEND LAWYER FEES TO WORK THEIR WAY OUT. Do search warrants on everyone you arrest ...looking for documents FOR THE ENTIRE CREW. GET MAGISRTATE WARRANTS FOR THAT ARROGANT BITCH ...SHE IS MAKING YOU, WHO ARE STILL IN LAW ENFORCMENT, LOOK LIKE FOOLS!!! She married her brother, a felony ...she came to the US poor, and in 3 years she has 30 million dollars ... IRS ...where the hell are you? I worked many cases with the IRS and they were GREAT. Do a total cash flow audit! Oh, is it not yours? “It’s my husbands” ...GREAT we now have a conspirator. AG Pam are you listening? You DO NOT have to go to the Washington District....you don’t even get involved. Turn your cases over to the FBI. Do not indict in the WDC District... you didn’t listen last time ...how did that work out? So have the FBI do it now! Get arrest warrants and search “warrants” for both and arrest them now. They are yours to question and process. You need to disconnect from and do the God Damn things FBI Agents are supposed to do. Then, we will add conspiracy charges, and she can explain it to the jury. LOOK HER UP ...strip her from Congress and her Citizenship ...now God Damn it! NOW! AND get out of the WDC District! Don’t indict ...get a Magistrate Warrant and Search Warrant ...then arrest her and her husband and search every place they own. Once they are in custody, do not allow either to talk to each other or anybody else, NOBODY! She can talk to her attorney AFTER she is processed, there are no time limits. Now you’ll find out who the FBI Agents are and who’s NOT! JUST DON’T TALK TO HER other than the normal identification questions. DO not allow anyone near them who hasn’t made many arrests (if you can find one) and can interview arrests and it will be the only and best time to talk to both ...separately ...after the arrests and search! You can lie to them. Just do not threaten. Don’t allow any attorney to interrupt your processing of your prisoner. More than once, I “interviewed” a subject without speaking directly to them ...I simply engaged with my partner ...talking about, for Cont. on pg. 2 Treason and Sedition Allegations Spark Calls for Arrests of U.S. Lawmakers The Right Side
Page 2 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Arrests of U.S. Lawmakers Cont. from pg. 1 example ...”how easy it is to rob a bank, there’s no risk ...anybody who does that is chicken-shit”, cowardly and the genius subject jumped in and said, to my partner, “Oh yea, well robbing that bank was very risky”. Brilliant, we never told him his rights ...wasn’t necessary. That case went before the 2nd Circuit of Appeals and they held that I was clear and did nothing improper ...guilty! The FBI awarded me with $1,000 as no Agent has ever been commended by the 2nd Circuit! THE LAWS §2385. Advocating overthrow of Government Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons. Traveling abroad to speak against the US military and President during wartime can result in severe penalties, including up to 20 years in prison for violating 18 U.S. Code § 2388 (activities affecting armed forces during war). Other potential charges include seditious conspiracy, which carries up to 20 years in prison. Key details regarding legal ramifications: The Logan Act (18 U.S.C. § 953) is a 1799 U.S. federal law that prohibits unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States. It aims to prevent private individuals from undermining official U.S. foreign policy, though it has never been used in a successful prosecution. Key Aspects of the Logan Act: • Prohibition: It bans any U.S. citizen, wherever they are, from communicating with a foreign government or its officials with the intent to influence their conduct in disputes with the U.S. or to defeat U.S. measures. • Authorization Requirement: The law applies to actions taken “without authority of the United States,” meaning private citizens cannot act as diplomats without government authorization. • Seditious Conspiracy (18 U.S. Code § 2384): If two or more people conspire to oppose by force the authority of the U.S. government or delay the execution of any law, they may face up to 20 years in prison. • Activities Affecting Armed Forces (18 U.S. Code § 2388): During wartime, willfully causing or attempting to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty in the military, or willfully obstructing recruitment, can lead to fines or up to 20 years in prison. Madam Attorney General ...what are you waiting for... You have dozens and dozens of members of the House and Senate you can arrest RIGHT NOW, who should be arrested, tried, convicted and put to death for crimes like Treason (Hillary, Hussein, Obiden, Shitty, Swallow, The Penguin)! and many more, all the way to the Logan Act, Sedition! Take your pick but for Christ’s Sake DO IT! I know the law and all these scoundrels violated too many laws to name here! ...from breaking their Oath of Office to outright thefts ...you have all the evidence you need. So, what’s the holdup ...get IRS involved! Take Hussein Obama ... (PLEASE)! He gave Iran billions of dollars. If that alone is not treason, aiding and abetting the enemy, what is!? The Ayatollah ...oops ...next ...threatened us so many times, admitting he killed our soldiers... what does it take? There are dozens of treasonous acts Hussein committed and there is NO statute of limitation for Treason ...arrest Biden (take your pick for what crime), he will squeal like a pig to try to protect himself! Hillary ...same thing ...she will hand up her husband!!! Hussein Obama, a walking, talking FRAUD from birth ...he isn’t a Naturalized US citizen. His grandmother said so, she attended the birth! His grandmother ... I heard her ... and watched as she explained how happy she is! Years later his wife, in front of witnesses and recorded by the press, said and I watched that too, “He’s not like you and me, he wasn’t born here, he was born in Kenyah”. He was told by his wife he’ll have to change from Islam, stop praying so much, and become Christian! OKAY! “I’m Christian”!!! He tried to pass off “several certificates of birth...location” unknown, as Birth Certificates. Several times counterfeited several documents, besides Birth Certificates, as well as his Social Security Cards...his aunt gave him the card of a dead man from Connecticut. Obtained /found a way to counterfeit his Selective Service Card, counterfeited his Passport ...I can’t write any more my hand is too tired. Please vote Republican. Here ...you take it over... don’t let me down. J. Gary DiLaura, FBI RET Owner, SBP Media LLC therightsidejgarydilaura.com
Page 3 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Trump Is Never Accessible Enough to the Press? The anti-Trump media elites are relentlessly omnidirectional in attacking their target. One day, they’ll complain the president’s too intolerably present in the limelight. But the next day, he’s scandalously inaccessible. When the Trump administration launched its offensive on Iran, they made noise about it being too quiet. CNN correspondent Alayna Treene tweeted: “No senior Trump officials appeared on the Sunday shows today -- not only rare but especially notable given many administration officials recognize the steep task they have in explaining the reasoning behind, and the overall objective, of the Iranian attacks to the American public.” That’s interesting, since CNN demonstrates hourly that it’s devoted to the “steep task” of helping the Democrats defeat Trump. CNN repeatedly put on Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) ripping the president as a “five-time draft dodger,” without any pushback like this: Since Joe Biden received five draft deferments during the Vietnam war, is he a “draft dodger”? Team Trump made a strategic decision to forgo the Sunday shows, perhaps in anticipation of how aggressively the so-called moderators would seek to present the Iran effort as a dramatic failure before the weekend was even finished. Nevertheless, Trump granted a series of brief one-on-one interviews with ABC, NBC, CNN, MS NOW, Fox News, Politico, The Atlantic, Axios, the New York Post, the Washington Free Beacon, the Washington Reporter, London’s Daily Mail and Israel’s Channel 14 News. When that blitz was over, did Trump get credit for being accessible? Of course not. Democracy was still dying in darkness, as The Washington Post assigned media reporters Scott Nover and Liam Scott to explain how this was somehow sneakily anti-press behavior. They turned to former CNN reporter (and now journalism professor) Mark Feldstein to lament this was an opportunity to “relay his talking points without being subjected to a cross-examination.” Access to Trump isn’t enough. He must be antagonized until he says something that can be used against him in the court of public opinion. “It’s impossible for news outlets to resist playing up the immediacy of an exclusive interview with a president in the midst of battle, no matter how pedestrian his comments may be,” Feldstein lectured. “This tactic allows Trump to be everywhere all at once, without the formality of an Oval Office address or the pushback of obstreperous questions at a news conference.” Feldstein and his Washington Post promoters want those “obstreperous questions” on national television. This allows reporters to pose as anti-Trump protesters with notepads, where they are the heroic center of the story. Now contrast this to the way the elitist media pampered President Biden and tolerated his perpetual hiding from press conferences and interviews. Democracy wasn’t dying in darkness as Biden’s handlers spent four years keeping him from being “subject to cross-examination” with “obstreperous questions at a news conference.” When there was a presser, many journalists cooperated in suggesting their questions in advance, so Biden could be handed note cards with the picture of the reporter and their name. That wasn’t obstreperous or noteworthy at all. The public should expect journalists to ask firm but fair questions of all presidents. That’s not what happens. Questions are pitched to undergird narratives, and for Trump, that narrative is typically hyper-negative, to imply Trump’s only engaged in “demolition,” as one Politico editor put it. In their world, Trump’s every policy move is damaging, and his every utterance makes him look incompetent. This is why the Pew Research Center recently found 57% of respondents expressed little or zero confidence in journalists to act in the best interests of the public. They act in their own narrow interests. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Page 4 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 This column will discuss a special procedure that the Social Security Administration routinely uses to help individuals protect their rights to potential benefits. It’s called a “protective filing date.” In a nutshell, if you contact the SSA and tell them you intend to file for some kind of Social Security benefit and give them your name and Social Security number, it establishes a record that could be used as a starting date for any Social Security application you might file later on. Although that protective date is usually good for only six months. The best way to explain this procedure in more detail is by answering some questions I got from readers about this issue. Q: My wife recently tried to sign up for Social Security. She wanted her benefits to start this month when she will be 66 years old. But then the Social Security rep got her all confused because he said their records showed that my wife called them back in June. And he said because she did that, she has to start her benefits in June at a lesser rate than what she would have been due had she been allowed to start her benefits this month as she wanted. She got so confused that she just hung up and ended the call. Now we don’t know what to do. Can you help us? (By the way, my wife did call the SSA back in June. But she told them she was just thinking about filing for benefits and wanted some information about the process.) A: I’ve got a hunch your wife misunderstood what the SSA rep was telling her. Or possibly he just didn’t do a very good job of explaining the situation. When your wife called the Social Security people back in June, they established a “protective filing date” of June for her. And that simply means that if at some point within the next six months she decided to actually file for benefits, she could start those benefits in June if she wanted to. Despite what the agent supposedly told your wife, it did not mean that she must start those benefits in June. So, if your wife wants her benefits to start this month at age 66, she can have them start this month. It’s just that she could decide to have them start in June if she wanted to. If she did that, she’d get about 3% less per month in ongoing benefits. But on the other hand, she would get a big back paycheck. Q: I’ve been reading your column for years, and I’ve also read your Social Security book. So I think I’m a pretty good Social Security expert. I’ve got a friend who is 64 years old. And she recently started her retirement benefits. And she told me she got a check for retroactive benefits. But I knew from reading your column and book that retroactive benefits can only be paid to people who have reached their full retirement age or older. I told her this couldn’t be, since she was only 64 years old. But she showed me her bank statement, and sure enough, there was a Social Security deposit for about $8,000 in back pay benefits. So how did that happen? A: It all has to do with this protective filing date business. You are right that normally, you can only get retroactive benefits if you are past your full retirement age. Or to put that another way, the law says that no retroactive benefits can be made if they involve the payment of reduced retirement benefits. I will bet my next Social Security check that this friend of yours contacted the SSA a number of months before she finally decided to file for benefits. And when she did sign on the dotted line, they used that protected date as her filing date. That’s why she got the back paycheck. And even though she got that back paycheck, it technically was not a retroactive payment. In other words, on Social Security’s books, it’s as if she filed her claim on that past protective date. Q: I will reach my full retirement age in two months. I’m still not sure if I want to file for my Social Security to start then or wait until I’m 70. I recently got a letter from the Social Security people telling me that if I don’t file for benefits by the end of this month, I will lose any retroactive benefits I might be due. I called the SSA immediately and a rep told me something about a “protected date” because I called them last August asking some questions. Now I’m all confused. What’s this all about? A: When you called them in August, that set up a “protective filing date” of August. And because those dates are good for six months, the letter you got was simply informing you that you have another month to decide if you want to use August as a possible starting month for your benefits. But it sounds like you don’t want to do that. You said you want your benefits to begin either when you reach your full retirement age or at age 70. I can understand why that letter confused you. But again, it really was just protecting your rights to those past benefits. If you don’t want the back benefits, just ignore that letter you got. Q: I recently started my Social Security at my full retirement age. I have a neighbor who is about the same age, and he did the same thing. But he got a retroactive benefit check. He said it was because he first called Social Security about four months ago, and they used that date as his starting month. I also called Social Security about three months ago with some general questions. But I didn’t get any back pay. How come? A: I really am not sure. But here is an educated guess. I’ll bet when your neighbor called, he expressed more of an interest in filing for benefits, and as part of that process, gave the SSA rep his name and Social Security number. And that set this whole protective filing date process in motion. On the other hand, when you called, I have a hunch you just asked some questions and never expressed an interest in filing for benefits. You never gave them your name and SSN, no record was made of the call and no protective filing date was established. Tom Margenau If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. Protecting Your Right to Benefits Last issue’s puzzle solution to Phony Numbers ‘Give it a Twist’
Page 5 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Small Household Habits That Quietly Drain Your Wallet Copyright © SBP Media LLC and Sun Bay Paper All rights reserved. This newspaper or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Quote of the Week ““It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” — Dale Carnegie The Sun Bay Paper MAIL: PO Box 471, Sanborn, NY 14132 EMAILS: production@sunbaypaper.com thesbpmedia@gmail.com WEBSITE & DIGITAL VERSION: www.sunbaypaper.com OWNER/PUBLISHER: J. GARY DILAURA CONTRIBUTORS: RICHARD LUTHMANN, BOBBY MIMMO The information contained in this publication is for educational, general information, and entertainment purposes only and is never intended to constitute medical, financial or legal advice or to replace the personalized care of a primary care practitioner, financial or legal expert If money had a sound, the most annoying noise in your house wouldn’t be the teenager’s subwoofer or the dryer thumping an unbalanced load. It would be silence. The quiet drip of habits so small and ordinary that nobody notices them -- until the checking account screams for mercy. Most people don’t overspend in dramatic ways. What gets them instead is a collection of everyday household behaviors that seem harmless, even sensible, but quietly siphon cash week after week. The good news is that nearly every one of these leaks has a fix, and most of those fixes cost less than a single grocery run. Start with the thermostat. Not the obvious “crank the heat to tropical” problem, but the constant nudging up and down throughout the day. Heating and cooling systems work hardest when they’re forced to recover repeatedly, and that effort shows up on the utility bill. A basic programmable thermostat, which can be found for about $30 to $50, removes temptation from the equation by doing the thinking for you. Set it once for sleeping, waking and away hours, then leave it alone. Pair that with a $10 throw blanket or an extra sweater, and you’ve just lowered your energy bill without sacrificing comfort. Lighting is another quiet drain. Not the alllights-on-all-night scenario, but rooms lit long after everyone has wandered elsewhere, porch lights glowing until dawn out of habit, lamps switched on automatically because that’s how it’s always been done. Swapping frequently used bulbs for LEDs costs roughly $2 to $4 per bulb and cuts lighting costs dramatically over time. Adding a $7 plug-in timer for outdoor lights or a motion sensor for entryways handles the forgetfulness factor without any lectures required. Water waste sneaks up in similar fashion. Long showers justified as “a few extra minutes,” faucets running while dishes wait their turn, washing machines started half-full because patience ran out. Water may be cheap, but heating it is not. A low-flow showerhead, available for about $15, cuts hot water use without turning your shower into a drizzle. Faucet aerators, which screw on in seconds and cost around $3 each, reduce flow while keeping pressure feeling normal. Waiting until the washer is full costs nothing and pays off every single month. The kitchen is a particularly friendly place for financial leaks. Food bought with good intentions but forgotten behind newer groceries is one of the most expensive habits in the house. The solution doesn’t require airtight containers or color-coded systems. A simple $1 roll of painter’s tape and a marker to label leftovers with dates works surprisingly well. So does a once-a-week fridge check before grocery shopping, which costs nothing and routinely saves $20 or more by preventing duplicate purchases. Cleaning habits also quietly eat into a budget. Overusing detergent and specialty sprays feels productive, but it burns through supplies faster and often leaves residue that requires more cleaning later. Most laundry loads get cleaner with about half the detergent recommended on the label. Switching to that habit alone can cut detergent purchases nearly in half. A reusable spray bottle, which costs about $2, paired with a simple all-purpose cleaner recipe eliminates the need for a dozen single-use products without sacrificing results. Convenience creep shows up when disposables start replacing reusables. Paper towels for everything, bottled water because it’s “easier,” single-use items filling drawers because they’re handy. A stack of microfiber cloths, usually under $10 for a dozen, replaces rolls of paper towels for years. A reusable water bottle, often $8 or less, pays for itself within a week or two. These swaps feel small but stop an ongoing drain that never announces itself. Electronics play their part as well. Devices left on standby, chargers plugged in permanently, televisions humming to empty rooms all draw power even when they’re not being used. A basic power strip with an on-off switch, available for about $10, lets you shut down multiple devices at once. Turning things fully off isn’t about becoming militant; it’s about not paying for electricity nobody is enjoying. Maintenance habits matter too. Ignoring small issues because they seem minor often turns them into expensive replacements later. A $5 tube of adhesive or a $10 repair kit used early prevents a $100 replacement down the road. Using what you have a little more carefully stretches the life of everyday items far longer than most people expect. What makes these habits dangerous isn’t their size -- it’s their invisibility. They don’t feel like splurges. They feel normal. And that’s exactly why they work so efficiently against your budget. The fix isn’t living like a monk. It’s noticing patterns and choosing simple tools that do the remembering for you. Small adjustments, made once and stuck with, quietly outperform dramatic financial resolutions every time. MARY HUNT EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”
Page 6 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 What’s New around Fort Myers April Programs from Lee County Library System Lee County Library System locations are hosting free programs for all ages. Registration is required for some programs. For more information or to register, please call the library at 239-479-INFO (4636). Program information is also available online at www.leelibrary.net 2026 annual festivals and events Free weekly programs at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island Through April 6 dingdarlingsociety.org Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium Shelling and beach walks Feb. 1, March 1, April 12 Sundial Beach Resort & Spa, Sanibel Island shellmuseum.org 21st annual “Ding” Darling Winter Lecture Series Through April 16 dingdarlingsociety.org Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Third Thursdays Feb. 19, March 19, April 16 shellmuseum.org Spring training Boston Red Sox Feb. 20-March 23 mlb.com/redsox/spring-training JetBlue Park, Fort Myers Minnesota Twins mlb.com/twins/spring-training Feb. 20-March 24 Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers 11th annual Bonita Springs Film Festival April tba Prado Stadium bonitaspringsfilmfestival.org World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, Boca Grande May 13-14 bocagrandechamber.com/worlds-richest-tarpon-tournament 16th annual Fort Myers Film Festival May 14-18 fortmyersfilmfestival.com 14th annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, Sanibel Island May 15 dingdarlingsociety.org/tarpon-tournament National Seashell Day June 20 visitfortmyers.com/national-seashell-day 30th annual MangoMania July 11 pineislandchamber.org/chamber-events/ mangomania Island Hopper Songwriter Fest Sept. 18-27 island-hopperfest.com 41st Cape Coral Oktoberfest Oct. 17-19 & 24-26 German-American Social Club capecoraloktoberfest.com Sanibel Island Writers Conference November tba FGCU fgcu.edu/siwc 36th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship, Fort Myers Beach Nov. 19-23 fmbsandsculpting.com Be sure to enjoy the many downtown Fort Myers celebrations hosted by local businesses and the River District Alliance (RDA). Check out all the happenings this month on the events calendar on fortmyers.gov! Easter: A Story of Spring’s Return and the Traditions That Bring Us Together On a cool early‑spring morning, long before the sun crests the horizon, small groups of people begin gathering on hillsides, church lawns, and lakeshores. They pull jackets tight against the lingering chill, breath rising in faint clouds, waiting for the first streaks of light. It’s a quiet ritual repeated across communities every year—one that signals not just the arrival of Easter, but the return of a season that feels like a collective exhale. For many, Easter is rooted in the story at the heart of Christianity: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a moment that has shaped centuries of faith and tradition. But the holiday’s reach extends far beyond the pews. It’s a day when spiritual reflection meets the simple joys of spring, and when families, neighbors, and even strangers find themselves connected by shared rhythms. Inside churches, the atmosphere is unmistakably hopeful. Choirs rehearse harmonies that have been sung for generations. Children in pastel outfits fidget in wooden pews. The scent of lilies—so many lilies—fills the air. Clergy speak of renewal, resilience, and the possibility of beginning again, themes that resonate in a world that often feels hurried and uncertain. Step outside, though, and Easter takes on a different energy. Parks transform into treasure grounds dotted with bright plastic eggs. Parents crouch behind trees with cameras ready, while kids dash through the grass with the kind of determination usually reserved for Olympic finals. Bakeries unveil trays of hot cross buns, grocery stores brim with chocolate rabbits, and dinner tables are set with dishes that appear only once a year. Nature itself seems to lean into the moment. After months of muted color, the landscape begins to wake up—tulips pushing through the soil, birdsong returning to early mornings, daylight stretching a little longer each evening. It’s no wonder Easter has become synonymous with renewal; the world outside mirrors the message inside. Yet perhaps the most enduring part of Easter is its ability to bring people together. Some gather for worship, others for brunch, others simply for the pleasure of a warm afternoon spent with people they love. In a time when schedules rarely align and digital life often overshadows the physical, Easter offers a pause—a reminder that community still matters, and that hope, in all its forms, is worth celebrating. As the sun sets on Easter Sunday, the day’s moments—solemn, joyful, and everything in between—settle into memory. And for many, that lingering feeling of possibility is the real gift of the season: the sense that even after the longest winters, something bright is always on its way back. Dr. C
Page 7 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Kids Aren’t Picky -- We’re Just Bad Parents It’s not my fault that my kids are picky eaters, I learned today. But it’s my fault if I don’t fix it. That’s what I gleaned from a recent article by Helen Zoe Veit, the author of a forthcoming book called “Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History.” Children are not naturally picky, Veit tells us in her piece. Not at all. In fact, children are voracious eaters of vinegar and raw oysters and tiny crabs still in the shells. They are not engineered to demand Lunchables, then only eat the cheese out of the package and the second you cave and buy 10 of the ones they like, decide that they actually don’t even like the cheese anymore, either. Kids are not born only able to digest chicken nuggets in the shape of a stegosaurus. No. Children are celebrators of turnips and worshippers of cabbage. As with so many things in life, it’s us. The parents, of course, who did it. We made them picky, over generations, through the combination of processed food and lazy mothering. It occurred to me while reading this treatise that the writer has either not met a 6-monthold who won’t eat that boiled asparagus you lovingly pureed or she believes that the baby’s parents have managed to ruin their child’s budding palate in less time than it takes to properly cure a Christmas fruitcake. Parents, she argues, are delivering food the kids don’t even want. Throughout her article (and, one would presume, her book), Veit sidesteps the largest difference between children in 2026 versus children in 1926: How hungry they were. She does admit that kids used to get more exercise and ate fewer snacks, but skates right over the fact that parents sometimes couldn’t afford to fill their children’s bellies, let alone cater to their desires. If being a mom has taught me anything, it’s that loving a child means occasionally erring on the soft side, if you have the privilege to do so. Plus, kids are really annoying when they’re hungry. Our tolerance for our offspring’s discomfort is much lower than it used to be, but things have changed in a lot of areas. Parents of 100 years ago smacked their children and dosed them with opium when they had a cough, too. On top of that, there’s a lower risk these days that a child in the United States will have no access to food at all. Veit recounts the good cheer with which children of decades past used to encounter unpalatable food, mentioning -- without hint of sarcasm -- the low rates of obesity and eating disorders at the time. It appears to have never occurred to her that for the vast majority of human history, and for many currently alive today, dying of starvation was a much more likely fate than having so much food that you could consider letting any of it go to waste. People weren’t turning down measles vaccines or willingly drinking unpasteurized milk much, either. It all smacks of the forced nostalgia that modern middle-class parenting advice is rife with. Things used to be so great, the idea goes, back before TV or air fryers or mac and cheese. As with all nostalgia, this culinary nostalgia is a liar. Kids 100 years ago had diets that were so restricted that nutritional disorders were common. People got goiters from not eating enough iodine, and rickets from lack of vitamin D. Thousands died of pellagra in the first half of the 20th century. Diets were monotonous and not particularly nutritious, and kids, like adults, ate the same few foods, mostly carbs, for every meal and every day. The outlier kids mentioned by Veit were apparently just that: Noteworthy not for the normalcy of their diets, but for their oddity. The whole argument tires me, relying as it does on the distressingly common tactics of scolding and blaming parents, who should never allow their child to decline any type of food. I suppose, in some ways, I am a worse mother than my 1920s counterpart. I am more willing to make a second (or, God help me, on certain rare occasions, a third) different meal for my kids. But in other, slightly more important ways, I am a much better mother than I would have been 100 years ago. Besides, I believe that one day, my kids will grow up and their palates will expand. In fact, they already have. They’ve developed a taste for my lasagna, for seaweed and tofu, for the carrots in homemade chicken noodle soup. In the meantime, then, you’ll pardon me if I trade some dietary daring for a bit of parental sanity. I’ll just be over here, thank you very much, picking the peas out of their spaghetti carbonara. DAILY EDITORIALS GEORGIA GARVEY
Page 8 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Putin’s Great Ukrainian Blunder Four years after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched his blitzkrieg “special operation” to seize and annex every square kilometer of Ukraine, the former KGB colonel finds his corrupt, ineffectual but relentlessly murderous regime in a 21st-century military, economic and political quagmire. Putin told his oligarch devotees the special operation would take three weeks at most. Facts matter. He was dead wrong, and so were several thousand Russians. Some 2,000 (perhaps more) Russian paratroopers and special operations personnel died in the first three days, killed as they attempted to storm Kyiv. It takes years to recruit and train these elite warfighters. They were slaughtered by Ukraine’s surprisingly prepared and confident defenders. Within two weeks, the world learned Ukraine was a nation in arms, a nation of citizen warfighters. Finland, South Korea and Israel are other examples. Switzerland claims to be, but Ukraine definitely is. Ukraine had eight years to prepare. On Feb. 25, 2014 -- during the Obama administration -- without provocation, Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. On March 18, 2014, Putin’s Russia annexed Crimea. That made March 18 in Europe very different from March 17, and for that matter, any day since the end of World War II. Why? Because military aggression in Europe by a major European power had led to political annexation and territorial expansion. Putin’s Russia also violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which traded Ukrainian nuclear weapons for territorial security guarantees. Bill Clinton signed the memo. Western anti-nuke activists touted the agreement as a portent of eventual global nuclear disarmament. Obama sent nonlethal aid to Ukraine. Trump Admin One sent weapons, including the Javelin anti-tank missile. In 2022, Javelin-armed Ukrainians devastated Russian tank and mechanized infantry columns, using tactics similar to Finnish troops attacking Stalin’s invaders in 1940. Russia has suffered enormous losses. StrategyPage.com recently reported: “Total Russian losses since 2022 have been 1.4 million dead, disabled and missing.” StrategyPage estimated Russian forces have suffered 400,000 casualties in the last 12 months and are currently “losing up to 35,000 soldiers a month.” Mediazona researchers confirm by name 200,000 Russians military dead. Russia’s government provides no figures. Two hundred thousand named dead makes a 400,000 death toll plausible. Ukraine has suffered 55,000 military dead and some 300,000 wounded. Fifteen thousand civilians have been killed and 42,000 wounded. Despite Russia’s size, Ukraine continues to resist. The courageous Ukrainian people have proved to be creative warfighting entrepreneurs who can rapidly improvise tactics and weapons. Homemade drone warfare is only one example. Who is winning? Within Ukraine, no one is winning. The two belligerents fight a bitter war of attrition along World War I-like fortified lines. Putin’s invasion maxed out in March 2022, holding 26% of Ukraine. Russian forces now hold about 19% of Ukraine’s pre-war territory. Strategically, however, Russia has suffered huge political and economic losses. Call it Putin’s Great Ukrainian Blunder. Putin’s 2014 Crimea theft revitalized NATO. “Neutrals” Finland and Sweden are now NATO members. Austria and Switzerland are signing on to a Europe-wide air-space defense initiative. Russia belligerence (and Trump theatrics) convinced NATO members to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Putin’s Blunder has left his regime with limited international military, economic and diplomatic leverage. Donald Trump’s America knocked off Kremlin-supported Venezuela. Putin’s Kremlin responded with verbal squawk. Without Venezuelan oil, Cuba strangles. America’s Midnight Hammer bomber raid smashed Iran’s key nuclear weapons facilities. Russian response: U.N. bellowing. America’s Gaza initiative? More Russian blather. Trump proposes the Board of Peace -- a U.N.-like organization where Russia and China have no veto. Putin can only respond with a sneer that even TikTok addicts ignore. Yet Putin strings along Trump-sponsored Ukraine peace negotiations. Is the Trump administration playing 21st-century Machiavelli, cannily freezing Putin with thoughts of Ukrainian territory while toppling Russian clients and criminal actors? No. I think Putin is delusional to the point of insanity. Putin created this horror. In 2004, he indicated he wanted to revive the Russian empire. In 2005, he called the collapse of the Soviet Union a tragedy. Trump bets reality will overcome Vlad’s delusion. Pray Trump’s right, but I think he’s wrong. Time and again, obsessed, powerful despots seize the bloody initiative, pursuing empire or Lebensraum nach Osten or a global caliphate. These destructive actors perpetually scourge humanity. I made this recommendation in a March 2022 column: “The best way out of this stupid, murderous war -- for Russians, for Ukrainians, the rest of the world, including greedy oligarchs -- isn’t more sanctions or more war. The way out for the oligarchs is a Kremlin coup toppling Putin. The gallows humorists call it a nine-millimeter solution -- a bullet to the insane man’s head.” DAILY EDITORIALS AUSTIN BAY Last issue’s puzzle solution to ‘SET A PLACE’
Page 9 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 The Real Cost of Dipping Into a Retirement Account More people are taking loans from their retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), etc.) than ever, simply because they can. Here’s the problem: seeing one’s retirement account as a savings account, or worse, a personal ATM machine. That’s so ridiculous I cannot even tell you. Sure, it’s your money, but it’s not your money now. It’s for later. It is out of your reach, so you need to get it out of your mind. The beauty of an IRS-approved retirement account is that you get to save pretax dollars. It’s no secret that what you see in your paycheck is not the full amount you earned. In fact, the amount in your paycheck is shrinking, and many of our elected officials are trying to shrink that even further by increasing taxes. You know what I mean if you live in California -- one of the most heavily taxed states. (Did I mention my husband and I left California for this very reason?) But I digress. A retirement account allows you to save your money before it gets taxed. If you take your money home, you have to earn about $1 to see 75 cents in your paycheck. But if you put that dollar into a retirement account instead, you get to deposit the entire $1. You get to invest the 25 cents that belongs to the government. It’s not a gift; you will have to pay that 25 cents to the government eventually. But for now, you get to keep all the growth you will achieve by investing the government’s money! Get it? And it’s all locked up, so it is safe from YOU. That’s the beauty of a retirement account. Now, if you go and stick your hands in there and borrow some of that money, you really mess things up. There are rules, conditions and penalties for doing that. But the biggest penalty of all is that you stop the machine that makes those dollars grow. Sure, it can be slow growth as we are experiencing now, but it’s growth, nonetheless. There are lots of reasons not to borrow from a retirement account, but I think the biggest is the rule that should you leave your job for ANY reason, that loan becomes all due and payable. You’ll have a couple of weeks to come up with the money. And if you can’t? That loan will be automatically converted to a cash withdrawal. Between the penalties and taxes you will owe on it right away, it could cost you up to 50%. Gone. Vanished into thin air. That is just too risky. Here’s an example: You borrowed $15,000 from your 401(k) for your daughter’s wedding. You felt OK about that since you immediately started a repayment plan that includes interest to yourself. A couple of months later, you got a pink slip -- a shocking, unexpected layoff. You get a notice that you have 14 days to come up with the entire amount owing, which is $14,650. You can’t do it! The plan’s administrator immediately converts that $14,650 to a “cash withdrawal.” BAM! Just like that you owe 10% penalty on the entire $15,000. Then the entire $15,000 is immediately reported to the IRS as ordinary income upon which you owe federal and state (if any) income tax. Your federal tax rate is 28%, and since you live in California you must also pay 10% to the state. Do the math: 14,800 x (10% + 28% + 10% = 48%) = $7,200. That’s what you owe in taxes. Can’t pay? Then you’ll have to agree to a payment plan with the feds and the state tax board -- plus interest, of course. Ka-ching! Whatever will you do? You don’t have a job; you can’t afford the bills you have already. How will you take on two more monthly payments to creditors who are anything but understanding, kind and forgiving, should you fall behind? Thankfully, this was only an example. Whew! You still have time to reconsider taking a loan from your retirement account. Here’s my suggestion: Don’t! Do not even think about it. The money in your retirement account will become your safety net in the future. Live as if the money is not even there. Just save it and forget it. MARY HUNT EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”
Page 10 The Sun Bay Paper March 21, 2026 Tiny Parasites Can Cause Big Problems for Dogs By David Lewis Q: Why are parasites such a danger to dogs? Dr. Rossman: Parasites can cause dangerous health issues including anemia, gastrointestinal upset, extreme weight loss, and blindness. Parasites are typically transmitted when a dog unknowingly ingests parasite eggs or spores in contaminated food, animal feces, water, or soil. Q. What are the most common internal parasites that affect dogs? How do dogs contract these parasites? Dr. Rossman: Roundworms and hookworms are the most common types of internal parasites. Roundworms are primarily transmitted through the fecal oral route, meaning they are transmitted through ingestion of fecal material. Hookworms are transmitted to puppies in their mother’s milk. Hookworms can also be transmitted through an infected environment or contact with fecal material. Both these parasites can cause serious side effects. Anemia, blindness and death are potential outcomes of parasitic infestation. Q: What are the most common external parasites that affect dogs? How do dogs contract these parasites? Dr. Rossman: Ticks and fleas are the most common external parasites in dogs. Dogs can become infected with ticks in heavily wooded areas, areas with tall grass, or areas populated with deer. Dogs can obtain fleas through concurrent infections with tapeworms, from other affected animals, or environments that have a heavy flea burden. Ticks can be extremely dangerous as they often carry tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Flea infestation can cause anemia and severe dermatitis. Q: What are some symptoms of both internal and external parasites in dogs? What should pet owners watch for? Dr. Rossman: Visually inspect and then run your fingers through your pet’s hair after going outside to be certain ticks have not attached to your dog. If your dog has diarrhea lasting more than 36 hours, is coughing, experiences weight loss or lethargy, or is just not behaving normally, immediately consult your veterinarian. Q: What are the most common treatments for parasites in dogs? Dr. Rossman: There is not one dewormer or antibiotic that works for all parasites. Dewormers should always be purchased through a veterinarian, so the dog owner knows they are using the correct product for their specific pet. This is especially important. Q: Do you have any advice to help dog owners protect their pets from fleas? Dr. Rossman: A monthly flea and tick preventative helps to control external parasites. This can be in the form of an oral chew, topical application, or a collar. Seresto is currently the only collar that I believe is effective, and it requires a prescription. Bravecto Quantum has recently been released as the first-of-its-kind, FDA-approved injectable flea and tick preventative that lasts for 12 months. Canine patients who are six months and older can be given this product. However, I recommend it not be given until 12 months of age since puppies are still growing at six months. It is very important to have your veterinarian evaluate the dog’s stool sample 1-2 times per calendar year. And heartworm testing should be done on a yearly basis. It is always best to diagnose a parasitic infection early before it has begun to cause clinical signs. Dr. Ashley Rossman, DVM is a licensed veterinarian and co-owner of Glen Oak Dog and Cat Hospital in Glenview, Illinois. The advice contained within this column is for informational purposes only. Pet owners are advised to consult with their own veterinarian to evaluate their pet’s behavior, illness or medical condition. David Lewis is a publicist and writer based in Morton Grove, Illinois.
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