July 15, 2025 • 20 mins
Betty Jean isn't just a Fort Myers Beach icon—she's a living testament to embracing life with unstoppable energy at age 97. Her journey from Wisconsin bar owner to beloved beach personality offers a masterclass in aging gracefully through constant engagement and community connection.
Arriving on the island in November 1990, Betty found herself "hooked on the beach" after what was supposed to be a brief family visit. Having operated a neighborhood bar in Wisconsin for 16 years, she quickly immersed herself in Fort Myers Beach's hospitality scene. From the Pink Shell to Jimmy B's (until Hurricane Charlie destroyed it in 2005), through the Fishmonger, Naughty Turtle, Nervous Nellies, and Hurricane Tina's 5 Star Dive Bar—Betty's career traces the evolution of the island's beloved establishments.
What's truly remarkable is her current schedule: She regularly works four to five double shifts weekly, maintaining a pace that would exhaust people decades younger. Beyond work, Betty stays active with bingo nights, yard work, and enjoying live music—living her own philosophy of "work hard and party hard."
The wisdom Betty shares comes from nearly a century of experience: "An old mind is like an old horse—you gotta keep it working." Her perspective on Fort Myers Beach highlights what makes this community special: despite different opinions, when someone needs help, everyone comes together. This spirit of mutual support became especially evident following Hurricane Ian, when residents rallied around each other.
Want to meet more incredible neighbors like Betty? Nominate your favorite local legends and island businesses by visiting CaboWaboJim.com or calling 239-427-4100 and discover why Fort Myers Beach is truly a slice of paradise.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor
Podcast, where the sun's alwaysshining and the stories are even
brighter.
Each episode we bring youcloser to the neighbors, local
legends and beachside businessesthat make Fort Myers Beach the
slice of paradise we all love.
Pull up a beach chair, grab adrink and let's meet the people
who make this island feel likehome.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
(00:21):
Jones State Insurance, usa andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
Love to Eric Tibbs from EdwardJones State Insurance, usa and
Home Well Care Services FortMyers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
Here's your host, cabo.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, welcome good neighbors to the Good Neighbor
Fort Myers Beach podcast.
Today we have Good NeighborBetty Jean.
She's been an icon on theisland for years and we're going
to learn a little bit about herstory.
So, without further ado, yousaid what you got here in 1990?
.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
November 1st of 1990.
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
From Wisconsin right.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
From.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Wisconsin.
Where in Wisconsin, milton,milton, wait a second.
I know where that is.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
30 miles straight south of Madison.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Since I was born in Hillsboro, which is by Beaver
Dam in Boston, and I think someof my ancestors and relatives
lived in Milton.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I had a bar for 16 years on Lake Tushkanon.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
In Milton.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
In Milton, really Outside of Milton, wow, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And how did you get involved in Ephesus?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Well, I lived in Rockford and worked at Amrock
Corporation, which was a bigbuilding downtown Rockford, but
we had a cottage on LakeTushkanan that we would go up to
on the weekends in the summerand my husband would bartend at
the little local bar and I wouldcocktail.
(01:57):
And we did that for two years,three years.
And we did that for two years,three years, and then on New
Year's Eve day of 1964, theowner, male, got up, went to the
bathroom and died.
Wow, like you hear, yeah, yeah,I'm just following it right.
(02:21):
And when the renewal of thelicense was due in July, the
owner did not want to run it byherself.
So she said she would sell itto us, which we did on a land
contract, which she practicallygave it to us rather than sell,
(02:44):
you know, and that's how I gotit.
And so then we had to move toWisconsin, right?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Nothing wrong with that.
I was the other way.
I was born in Wisconsin andgrew up in Illinois, but I still
my heart's in Wisconsin.
I love it there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
It's a lot different and but we love it.
Uh, no, supper club, fish fries, anything like that it's just a
little neighborhood bar rightbefore.
Anything was called a diningbar, I guess, but it was just a
local in a little um uhsubdivision out on the lake.
Okay, wow.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's all of Wisconsin.
There's a bar in every corner,right yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well, there was a very popular, well-known supper
club I don't know what that'sabout Called the Buckhorn, okay,
that a lot of people came to,yeah, that a lot of people came
to and they would eat therebecause it was over here.
And then come the block overafter eating for the
entertainment at our bar,because we had music every night
(03:55):
of the week or we had somethingboth every night of the week,
and then another block overthere was a sort of a breakfast
place and breakfast and lunchplace and just a little place.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So brandy old fashions.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
No, I think Southern Comfort old fashions.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Until one day I got stupid, so I quit.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It's probably a good decision, right, good decision,
there we go.
So how did you end up down inFort?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Myers.
Well, my parents lived in FortMyers and my daughter and
granddaughter were down here inthe Bellevue-Otella area, okay,
and my youngest son was alsoworking down here and a
stepdaughter was here in FortMyers Beach.
(04:53):
And when I moved down here Ibought a house in Ocala well,
bellevue and then came down hereto see the stepdaughter and she
said can you stay for a weekand watch the granddaughter
(05:17):
while she had to go to a seminar?
And I said, yeah, no problem.
And then she got back and shesays well, I have to go up to
Georgia, can you stay anotherweek?
Well, by then I was hooked onthe beach.
I had always lived on water,she said.
I felt sort of like dried up upthere.
(05:37):
So I said, the heck with upthere.
My daughter moved into thehouse I bought up there.
I sit down here and pay rent.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Not a bad deal right by the beach right.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
No, I'm not by the beach, I'm up in Iona.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But you're close to the water right.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm not by the beach, I'm up in Iona, but you're
close to the water, right, I'mclose to the water.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
So did you start working when you were down here,
or how did that work?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
The first of December I started at what then was a
little pink pantry at the PinkShelf, yeah.
And then that was in December,the first part of December,
because I ran into somebody thatsays why don't you come work
down here for us?
And then how did I get toGleisley Lumber?
(06:24):
Anyhow, in February I startedat Gleisley Lumber, which is
gone now, and then in so thatwas 71, I mean 91.
And then in I think it was Juneyeah, june of 91 that Jimmy B's
(06:45):
opened and I went to work therein the evenings.
I worked at the lumberyard inthe daytime and Jimmy B's, I
worked at the lumberyard in thedaytime in Timiti's, and then
the manager they had left andthey said what are we going to
do for a manager?
And one of the girls said well,betty had a bar in Wisconsin.
She ought to know how to managethe place.
(07:09):
You got nominated and I wasthere until Hurricane Charlie
took it out.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Oh, that was early 2000s, right About 2005.
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Friday, the 13th.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
That's fun.
And that was the first majorhurricane we had in a long time.
In a while, yeah, back in the60s, right, wow.
And then where did life takeyou after, charlie?
Speaker 1 (07:32):
To what was then Channel Mark Okay, over here,
you after charlie.
To what was then channel markokay, over here, and uh, and
then when uh, tim went out, thenI went to what was jimmy b's
rooftop above what dusseldorf's,and that was, yeah, and then
the town bought that property.
(07:53):
I went there the first of themonth, whatever, whenever it was
, I don't remember the date, butI went there to do my inventory
for the month, you know, andthe manager called the owner,
called me up and said Betty, wearen't opening.
Call everybody and tell themthere's a water leak and we
(08:15):
can't opening.
Call everybody and tell themthere's a water leak and we
can't open, and because theydidn't want to broadcast yet,
and so, anyhow, that was that.
And where did I go from there?
I think I went to thefishmonger from there, and then
(08:36):
they.
And then when did I go fromthere?
I think I went to theFishmonger from there, and then
Nauti Turtle opened and theywent over there.
Then, when it closed, I went toNervous Nellies and then, when
the Oasis opened, or the NautiParrot opened.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
I went there Right, back and forth Right just back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Right, I got a beautiful resume.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
I'm sure You've seen a lot.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Yeah, the reason you left it closed, oh there you go.
It closed.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I bet it can work for you.
We'll close shortly, don'tworry.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Wow, and now you're at Siricantino's, I'm here three
mornings a week and then I workat the Naughty Parrot away to
South Island 41 four nights andSundays when needed and the
Sundays are usually optional tothe band and I work at the Bel
(09:35):
Air Beach Club, which is atimeshare on the beach, as
assistant office manager.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Wow Wednesdays and Saturdays, you just keep busy.
You continue to keep going andkeep busy.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I do four, sometimes five doubles a week.
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Good for you.
And you're what A young.
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
now I'm 97.
97.
Soon to be 98.
When's your birthday?
October?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
October.
What day, oh, you're not goingto tell me?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, I'm a big.
Then you have my month, my year, my date.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
All right, all right, all right.
I'm a big Sammy Hagar fan.
I'm sure you probably don'tknow who that is, but his
birthday is October 13th, so wehave a big party on the 13th.
Lots of tequila, I'll justremember.
Well, in October I'll justdrink to your birthday All month
.
It's a month-long birthday.
It's a month-long birthday.
I always have a month-longbirthday.
I always have a month-longbirthday.
So how would you say working onthe beach and being involved
(10:38):
with the beach has evolved theperson you are or changed your
life?
Speaker 1 (10:43):
It's made me the person I am because of all the
wonderful people that are hereand being around people.
When I was in Wisconsin, eventhough I had a bar, my father
ran it in the daytime, myhusband was an over-the-road
semi-driver, I worked for anattorney, I worked in an office
(11:10):
with a paralegal up there andbecause of that I had a notary's
license and when I moved toFlorida I just transferred it to
Florida and one day we were atJimmy B's and the manager they
(11:31):
got a reservation for severalrooms for a wedding and they
asked the desk clerk, do youknow anybody that can perform
the wedding?
And they said, well, we have anotary that works for us, that
can do it, and that started itall.
And several hundred, couplehundred weddings later, wow, and
(11:54):
that's one thing.
Being around people, yep,People, and they're all so
wonderful people.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
And I think that helps keep you young and caring
people Right.
It's about good people andkeeping the good energy around
you, and you're just a welcomingperson on top of it too.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I just love being around people because that's
what I've been all my life yeah,between working in the big
factory and there and justeverything.
It's been people.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
And I just don't want to be home alone.
I don't blame you who doesright?
Sometimes, when I'm at thebeach, I like to be alone, but
other than that, I like to bearound people.
Right To be around people, Iagree, I agree.
So, talking about Fort MyersBeach, you work an awful lot,
right?
What do you do when you get amoment of free time?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
When I get done work at night especially after a
double which is Monday, thursday, friday and Saturday I go
somewhere after work where I cansit and have a beer and listen
to music.
Live music is great, live music, live music is great Live music
(13:10):
.
Except on Thursday nights I goto Valerie's and play bingo.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Oh, are you good at bingo.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I've been sort of lucky lately, yes, and I just
love to play bingo.
That's the only gambling I doReally, except getting fools.
Oh yeah, that's not evengambling, no, except getting
fools at football oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
That's not even gambling.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
No.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
I don't call that gambling.
You stay young in a lot ofdifferent ways, right and then.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I take care of my backyard.
Before Hurricane Ian, I tookcare of Seven Yards, wow.
Or the owner that owns SevenProperties around me, wow.
But then, after Ian, he hired afull-time Mike that owns the
Duplex and he hired a full-timemaintenance man.
(14:02):
So I don't get to make it.
That's my own yard.
You can't come in my yard,that's it.
You can do your own thing,that's great.
So Friday mornings that I havefree, and sometimes Sundays when
I'm not at my other jobs notworking real hard, I get paid
(14:23):
for it, but then I work reallyhard in my backyard and don't
get paid.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Isn't that the way it ?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
really is, so I'd rather be working.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's a little bit easier, right, you can relax.
I'm going to work to relaxtoday, it's okay.
Wow, so is there somethingabout Fort Myers Beach that we
can share with our listeners?
You mentioned the people, butmaybe that we can share with
people that are new to the areaor coming to visit to the area?
Speaker 1 (14:54):
I don't know.
It's just that it's a veryfriendly island and, even though
we might have different ideason different subjects, when
somebody needs help they allcome together for you.
Everybody comes helps.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Community supports community.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yes, a very supportive community in every
way.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And we saw a lot of that support through, obviously,
hurricane Ian and what happened.
Everybody kind of came togetherto help each other and
especially Tina, who fedeverybody and had the food wagon
out front and helped everybody.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Everybody helped everybody.
But one thing they had at HertzArena they had a fundraiser for
the beach people and allLeonard Skinner, rude, was there
and, um, I forget the otherbands, big bands, and I was
(16:17):
management, that I was there, Ididn't know it.
So halfway through the evening,when the bands were changing
out, the stage manager came outand he said I need your
attention, everybody.
And he says we have a90-year-old lady in the audience
(16:39):
, probably knows over 200 peoplehere.
She has seven jobs and she'sgoing on, you know.
And he says Betty, stand up.
I was like I am.
And he says Betty, stand up,I'm like I am.
And we had moved from where wewere supposed to be sitting to
another place and they weretrying to zero in on me over
(17:00):
here and they finally caught meand found me, but then Alan was
sitting two rows in front of me,so he got in on the spot too,
but it was, you know, made mefeel good.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
You've done a lot of good things for the area and the
island and the people in thecommunity and we appreciate
everything you've done and beinga part of what Fort Myers Beach
really is.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
I know a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So if the beach were to give you a nickname, I'm sure
you've got quite a few, but isthere a certain nickname that's
stuck over the years?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
no, I'm just just betty, just betty, betty boop on
the beach.
There you go nothing wrong withthat betty, I'm just betty,
miss betty, very good very goodany last as far good.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Very good as far as I know, right, yeah, as far as
you know, I haven't heardanything different.
Any last words for ourlisteners today.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Just work hard and party hard.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I love that I love that and eat right, eat good
stuff and drink good stuff.
Right, I say life's too cheapto drink, gotta have a little
party Right.
Exactly that's what keeps youyoung Work hard and party hard,
Following your advice.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
And then they always say a body in motion stays in
motion.
And one thing I do when I'm notbusy here or at the naughty, I
do word search, and one of themthat I did it had little sayings
that you had to find in thewords and and this has stuck
(18:39):
with me too and it said an oldmind is like an old horse.
You got to keep it working, Ilove that.
So you got to keep working, yougot to keep moving, keep moving
.
Don't be sitting at home onyour you know what?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
And you're a prime example of that, and we love you
.
Thank you, betty, for beingsuch a good neighbor and
everything you've done for FortMyers Beach, and we hope to see
you at one of the bars.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Well, I don't drink on the beach very often, right,
because it's eight miles.
I mean mean it's four milesback up there in my house.
Yeah, you don't want to bediving all the way back there
not to drink here and drive backoff of the beach because
they're the uh local departmentsits along the road waiting for
(19:30):
somebody and being an olderperson.
If, if anything happened, itwould be my fault, even if it
wasn't.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
So better be smart.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Party close to home, right, so I drink locally.
There you go Closer to home.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
And that's the important part.
Yeah Well, Betty, thank youagain today and thank you for
your time and we love you andthank you for everything you've
done.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Well, thank you for all the wonderful people on Fort
Myers Beach.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Thanks for tuning in to the Fort Myers Beach Good
Neighbor Podcast, wherecommunity meets paradise.
If you love what you heard,share it with a friend and keep
the good vibes going Until nexttime.
Stay sunny, stay salty and keepbeing a good neighbor.
Also, to nominate your favoriteneighbors, local legends,
heroes or island businesses tobe on the show, go to
(20:26):
CaboWaboJim.
com.
That's CaboWaboJim.
com, or call 239-427-4100.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
Jones State Insurance USA andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor
Podcast, where the sun's alwaysshining and the stories are even
brighter.
Each episode we bring youcloser to the neighbors, local
legends and beachside businessesthat make Fort Myers Beach the
slice of paradise we all love.
Pull up a beach chair, grab adrink and let's meet the people
who make this island feel likehome.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
(00:21):
Jones State Insurance, usa andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
Love to Eric Tibbs from EdwardJones State Insurance, usa and
Home Well Care Services FortMyers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
Here's your host, cabo.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, welcome good neighbors to the Good Neighbor
Fort Myers Beach podcast.
Today we have Good NeighborBetty Jean.
She's been an icon on theisland for years and we're going
to learn a little bit about herstory.
So, without further ado, yousaid what you got here in 1990?
.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
November 1st of 1990.
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
From Wisconsin right.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
From.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Wisconsin.
Where in Wisconsin, milton,milton, wait a second.
I know where that is.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
30 miles straight south of Madison.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Since I was born in Hillsboro, which is by Beaver
Dam in Boston, and I think someof my ancestors and relatives
lived in Milton.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I had a bar for 16 years on Lake Tushkanon.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
In Milton.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
In Milton, really Outside of Milton, wow, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And how did you get involved in Ephesus?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Well, I lived in Rockford and worked at Amrock
Corporation, which was a bigbuilding downtown Rockford, but
we had a cottage on LakeTushkanan that we would go up to
on the weekends in the summerand my husband would bartend at
the little local bar and I wouldcocktail.
(01:57):
And we did that for two years,three years.
And we did that for two years,three years, and then on New
Year's Eve day of 1964, theowner, male, got up, went to the
bathroom and died.
Wow, like you hear, yeah, yeah,I'm just following it right.
(02:21):
And when the renewal of thelicense was due in July, the
owner did not want to run it byherself.
So she said she would sell itto us, which we did on a land
contract, which she practicallygave it to us rather than sell,
(02:44):
you know, and that's how I gotit.
And so then we had to move toWisconsin, right?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Nothing wrong with that.
I was the other way.
I was born in Wisconsin andgrew up in Illinois, but I still
my heart's in Wisconsin.
I love it there.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
It's a lot different and but we love it.
Uh, no, supper club, fish fries, anything like that it's just a
little neighborhood bar rightbefore.
Anything was called a diningbar, I guess, but it was just a
local in a little um uhsubdivision out on the lake.
Okay, wow.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's all of Wisconsin.
There's a bar in every corner,right yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well, there was a very popular, well-known supper
club I don't know what that'sabout Called the Buckhorn, okay,
that a lot of people came to,yeah, that a lot of people came
to and they would eat therebecause it was over here.
And then come the block overafter eating for the
entertainment at our bar,because we had music every night
(03:55):
of the week or we had somethingboth every night of the week,
and then another block overthere was a sort of a breakfast
place and breakfast and lunchplace and just a little place.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So brandy old fashions.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
No, I think Southern Comfort old fashions.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Until one day I got stupid, so I quit.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It's probably a good decision, right, good decision,
there we go.
So how did you end up down inFort?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Myers.
Well, my parents lived in FortMyers and my daughter and
granddaughter were down here inthe Bellevue-Otella area, okay,
and my youngest son was alsoworking down here and a
stepdaughter was here in FortMyers Beach.
(04:53):
And when I moved down here Ibought a house in Ocala well,
bellevue and then came down hereto see the stepdaughter and she
said can you stay for a weekand watch the granddaughter
(05:17):
while she had to go to a seminar?
And I said, yeah, no problem.
And then she got back and shesays well, I have to go up to
Georgia, can you stay anotherweek?
Well, by then I was hooked onthe beach.
I had always lived on water,she said.
I felt sort of like dried up upthere.
(05:37):
So I said, the heck with upthere.
My daughter moved into thehouse I bought up there.
I sit down here and pay rent.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Not a bad deal right by the beach right.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
No, I'm not by the beach, I'm up in Iona.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But you're close to the water right.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm not by the beach, I'm up in Iona, but you're
close to the water, right, I'mclose to the water.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
So did you start working when you were down here,
or how did that work?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
The first of December I started at what then was a
little pink pantry at the PinkShelf, yeah.
And then that was in December,the first part of December,
because I ran into somebody thatsays why don't you come work
down here for us?
And then how did I get toGleisley Lumber?
(06:24):
Anyhow, in February I startedat Gleisley Lumber, which is
gone now, and then in so thatwas 71, I mean 91.
And then in I think it was Juneyeah, june of 91 that Jimmy B's
(06:45):
opened and I went to work therein the evenings.
I worked at the lumberyard inthe daytime and Jimmy B's, I
worked at the lumberyard in thedaytime in Timiti's, and then
the manager they had left andthey said what are we going to
do for a manager?
And one of the girls said well,betty had a bar in Wisconsin.
She ought to know how to managethe place.
(07:09):
You got nominated and I wasthere until Hurricane Charlie
took it out.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Oh, that was early 2000s, right About 2005.
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Friday, the 13th.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
That's fun.
And that was the first majorhurricane we had in a long time.
In a while, yeah, back in the60s, right, wow.
And then where did life takeyou after, charlie?
Speaker 1 (07:32):
To what was then Channel Mark Okay, over here,
you after charlie.
To what was then channel markokay, over here, and uh, and
then when uh, tim went out, thenI went to what was jimmy b's
rooftop above what dusseldorf's,and that was, yeah, and then
the town bought that property.
(07:53):
I went there the first of themonth, whatever, whenever it was
, I don't remember the date, butI went there to do my inventory
for the month, you know, andthe manager called the owner,
called me up and said Betty, wearen't opening.
Call everybody and tell themthere's a water leak and we
(08:15):
can't opening.
Call everybody and tell themthere's a water leak and we
can't open, and because theydidn't want to broadcast yet,
and so, anyhow, that was that.
And where did I go from there?
I think I went to thefishmonger from there, and then
(08:36):
they.
And then when did I go fromthere?
I think I went to theFishmonger from there, and then
Nauti Turtle opened and theywent over there.
Then, when it closed, I went toNervous Nellies and then, when
the Oasis opened, or the NautiParrot opened.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
I went there Right, back and forth Right just back
and forth.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Right, I got a beautiful resume.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
I'm sure You've seen a lot.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Yeah, the reason you left it closed, oh there you go.
It closed.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I bet it can work for you.
We'll close shortly, don'tworry.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Wow, and now you're at Siricantino's, I'm here three
mornings a week and then I workat the Naughty Parrot away to
South Island 41 four nights andSundays when needed and the
Sundays are usually optional tothe band and I work at the Bel
(09:35):
Air Beach Club, which is atimeshare on the beach, as
assistant office manager.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Wow Wednesdays and Saturdays, you just keep busy.
You continue to keep going andkeep busy.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I do four, sometimes five doubles a week.
Wow.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Good for you.
And you're what A young.
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
now I'm 97.
97.
Soon to be 98.
When's your birthday?
October?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
October.
What day, oh, you're not goingto tell me?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, I'm a big.
Then you have my month, my year, my date.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
All right, all right, all right.
I'm a big Sammy Hagar fan.
I'm sure you probably don'tknow who that is, but his
birthday is October 13th, so wehave a big party on the 13th.
Lots of tequila, I'll justremember.
Well, in October I'll justdrink to your birthday All month
.
It's a month-long birthday.
It's a month-long birthday.
I always have a month-longbirthday.
I always have a month-longbirthday.
So how would you say working onthe beach and being involved
(10:38):
with the beach has evolved theperson you are or changed your
life?
Speaker 1 (10:43):
It's made me the person I am because of all the
wonderful people that are hereand being around people.
When I was in Wisconsin, eventhough I had a bar, my father
ran it in the daytime, myhusband was an over-the-road
semi-driver, I worked for anattorney, I worked in an office
(11:10):
with a paralegal up there andbecause of that I had a notary's
license and when I moved toFlorida I just transferred it to
Florida and one day we were atJimmy B's and the manager they
(11:31):
got a reservation for severalrooms for a wedding and they
asked the desk clerk, do youknow anybody that can perform
the wedding?
And they said, well, we have anotary that works for us, that
can do it, and that started itall.
And several hundred, couplehundred weddings later, wow, and
(11:54):
that's one thing.
Being around people, yep,People, and they're all so
wonderful people.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
And I think that helps keep you young and caring
people Right.
It's about good people andkeeping the good energy around
you, and you're just a welcomingperson on top of it too.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
I just love being around people because that's
what I've been all my life yeah,between working in the big
factory and there and justeverything.
It's been people.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
And I just don't want to be home alone.
I don't blame you who doesright?
Sometimes, when I'm at thebeach, I like to be alone, but
other than that, I like to bearound people.
Right To be around people, Iagree, I agree.
So, talking about Fort MyersBeach, you work an awful lot,
right?
What do you do when you get amoment of free time?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
When I get done work at night especially after a
double which is Monday, thursday, friday and Saturday I go
somewhere after work where I cansit and have a beer and listen
to music.
Live music is great, live music, live music is great Live music
(13:10):
.
Except on Thursday nights I goto Valerie's and play bingo.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Oh, are you good at bingo.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I've been sort of lucky lately, yes, and I just
love to play bingo.
That's the only gambling I doReally, except getting fools.
Oh yeah, that's not evengambling, no, except getting
fools at football oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
That's not even gambling.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
No.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
I don't call that gambling.
You stay young in a lot ofdifferent ways, right and then.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I take care of my backyard.
Before Hurricane Ian, I tookcare of Seven Yards, wow.
Or the owner that owns SevenProperties around me, wow.
But then, after Ian, he hired afull-time Mike that owns the
Duplex and he hired a full-timemaintenance man.
(14:02):
So I don't get to make it.
That's my own yard.
You can't come in my yard,that's it.
You can do your own thing,that's great.
So Friday mornings that I havefree, and sometimes Sundays when
I'm not at my other jobs notworking real hard, I get paid
(14:23):
for it, but then I work reallyhard in my backyard and don't
get paid.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Isn't that the way it ?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
really is, so I'd rather be working.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's a little bit easier, right, you can relax.
I'm going to work to relaxtoday, it's okay.
Wow, so is there somethingabout Fort Myers Beach that we
can share with our listeners?
You mentioned the people, butmaybe that we can share with
people that are new to the areaor coming to visit to the area?
Speaker 1 (14:54):
I don't know.
It's just that it's a veryfriendly island and, even though
we might have different ideason different subjects, when
somebody needs help they allcome together for you.
Everybody comes helps.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Community supports community.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yes, a very supportive community in every
way.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And we saw a lot of that support through, obviously,
hurricane Ian and what happened.
Everybody kind of came togetherto help each other and
especially Tina, who fedeverybody and had the food wagon
out front and helped everybody.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Everybody helped everybody.
But one thing they had at HertzArena they had a fundraiser for
the beach people and allLeonard Skinner, rude, was there
and, um, I forget the otherbands, big bands, and I was
(16:17):
management, that I was there, Ididn't know it.
So halfway through the evening,when the bands were changing
out, the stage manager came outand he said I need your
attention, everybody.
And he says we have a90-year-old lady in the audience
(16:39):
, probably knows over 200 peoplehere.
She has seven jobs and she'sgoing on, you know.
And he says Betty, stand up.
I was like I am.
And he says Betty, stand up,I'm like I am.
And we had moved from where wewere supposed to be sitting to
another place and they weretrying to zero in on me over
(17:00):
here and they finally caught meand found me, but then Alan was
sitting two rows in front of me,so he got in on the spot too,
but it was, you know, made mefeel good.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
You've done a lot of good things for the area and the
island and the people in thecommunity and we appreciate
everything you've done and beinga part of what Fort Myers Beach
really is.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
I know a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So if the beach were to give you a nickname, I'm sure
you've got quite a few, but isthere a certain nickname that's
stuck over the years?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
no, I'm just just betty, just betty, betty boop on
the beach.
There you go nothing wrong withthat betty, I'm just betty,
miss betty, very good very goodany last as far good.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Very good as far as I know, right, yeah, as far as
you know, I haven't heardanything different.
Any last words for ourlisteners today.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Just work hard and party hard.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I love that I love that and eat right, eat good
stuff and drink good stuff.
Right, I say life's too cheapto drink, gotta have a little
party Right.
Exactly that's what keeps youyoung Work hard and party hard,
Following your advice.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
And then they always say a body in motion stays in
motion.
And one thing I do when I'm notbusy here or at the naughty, I
do word search, and one of themthat I did it had little sayings
that you had to find in thewords and and this has stuck
(18:39):
with me too and it said an oldmind is like an old horse.
You got to keep it working, Ilove that.
So you got to keep working, yougot to keep moving, keep moving
.
Don't be sitting at home onyour you know what?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
And you're a prime example of that, and we love you
.
Thank you, betty, for beingsuch a good neighbor and
everything you've done for FortMyers Beach, and we hope to see
you at one of the bars.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Well, I don't drink on the beach very often, right,
because it's eight miles.
I mean mean it's four milesback up there in my house.
Yeah, you don't want to bediving all the way back there
not to drink here and drive backoff of the beach because
they're the uh local departmentsits along the road waiting for
(19:30):
somebody and being an olderperson.
If, if anything happened, itwould be my fault, even if it
wasn't.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
So better be smart.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Party close to home, right, so I drink locally.
There you go Closer to home.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
And that's the important part.
Yeah Well, Betty, thank youagain today and thank you for
your time and we love you andthank you for everything you've
done.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Well, thank you for all the wonderful people on Fort
Myers Beach.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Thanks for tuning in to the Fort Myers Beach Good
Neighbor Podcast, wherecommunity meets paradise.
If you love what you heard,share it with a friend and keep
the good vibes going Until nexttime.
Stay sunny, stay salty and keepbeing a good neighbor.
Also, to nominate your favoriteneighbors, local legends,
heroes or island businesses tobe on the show, go to
(20:26):
CaboWaboJim.
com.
That's CaboWaboJim.
com, or call 239-427-4100.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
Jones State Insurance USA andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
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