Community Corner
🌱 How risky is life on Marco Island’s postcard-perfect barrier island?
You won't want to miss Marco Island Chamber After 5 on the Marco Island Patch calendar

Good morning Marco Island! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How risky is life on Marco Island’s postcard-perfect barrier island?
- How Irma’s Marco Island landfall led to a stronger Everglades visitor hub
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Marco Island? Post it to Marco Island photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Find out what's happening in Marco Islandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Marco Islandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 78 and low of 61 degrees.
- Wednesday: Sunny and beautiful, temps: high: 78, low: 63.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 80 and low of 69 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Florida keeps packing people and buildings on barrier islands. It comes at a high cost (miamiherald.com) — Marco Island is highlighted alongside other Florida barrier islands as a postcard-perfect but highly vulnerable place where dense development faces growing hurricane, flooding, and insurance risks. The piece explains how building booms, costly beach renourishment, and fragile evacuation routes on islands like Marco Island drive up insurance rates and taxpayer spending statewide. It also explores how engineering fixes may encourage even more risky coastal growth.
![]()
• After year of layoffs and shutdowns, Everglades National Park gets a new visitor center (wlrn.org) — Marco Island residents will recall that Hurricane Irma’s 115‑mph landfall there helped destroy Everglades National Park’s Gulf Coast visitor center in nearby Everglades City. After years of delays and a big maintenance backlog, a new, storm-hardened Marjory Stoneman Douglas visitor center has finally opened, elevated and fortified against surge, restoring full access to the Ten Thousand Islands wilderness.
![]()
📸 Around Marco Island
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Marco Island
- Marco Island Chamber After 5
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa , 560 S. Collier Blvd. , Marco Island
12:30 pm - Marco Island Noontime Rotary Club
Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce , 1102 N Collier Blvd , Marco Island
11:30 am - Shrine Club of Marco Island
Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce , 1102 N Collier Blvd , Marco Island
11:30 am - CIS - Cookies & Milk with Santa
Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce , 1102 N Collier Blvd , Marco Island
5:00 am - CIS - Marco Island Annual Christmas Boat Parade
Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce , 1102 N Collier Blvd , Marco Island
1:00 pm - Sunrise Rotary of Marco Island
Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce , 1102 N Collier Blvd , Marco Island
7:00 am
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Saturday December 20
Tuesday December 23
📣 Marco Island Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- 100 Layer Lasagna | Barbatella
Barbatella , 1290 Third Street South , Naples
10:00 am - Turtle Tails: Children’s Story Time | Books on Third
Books on Third , 1300 3rd St. S , Naples
10:30 am - Silver Oak Chardonnay Debut | Sea Salt
Sea Salt , 1186 3rd St S , Naples
6:30 pm - Kwiat Fine Jewelry Trunk Show | Marissa Collections
Marissa Collections , 1167 3rd St S , Naples
10:00 am - December 2025 Luncheon
The Players Club & Spa , 8060 Grand Lely Dr , Naples
11:30 am - An Evening of Style to benefit Naples Cancer Advisors | Daniella Ortiz
Daniella Ortiz , 1185 3rd St. S , Naples
4:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Marco Island PatchAM possible:
- Excellence Companion & Homemaker, LLC — (239) 427-4586
Providing Care with Excellence!!
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Iguana Burrows – DIY Repairs
Yesterday, I was so happy to remove this very offensive Iguana for a lady who loves her pool but cannot stomach the feces and pee that a particularly… (Nextdoor Marco Island) - Tired of your old pool tile ?
let us improve your pool with the latest styles in pool tile , coping , interior finishes! 27 years experience, best priced ! Call 239-314-6553… (Nextdoor Dogwood Drive)
- Marriott International posted a job opening for Room Service Server in Marco Island. Apply here.
- Southeastern Grocers posted a job opening for Cashier Associate in Marco Island. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Marco Island here.
🗞 Nearby News
Lely
- VOTE: SW FL Boys Athlete of the Week sponsored by MY Shower Door for Dec. 8-13 (naplesnews.com)
Naples
- Naples Winter Wine Festival focuses on children's health (floridaweekly.com)
- Eight candidates running for Naples City Council on Feb. 3 (news-press.com)
- Bachmann to take over as Riko's Pizza CEO on Jan. 1, 2026 (westfaironline.com)
Ok Marco Island! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
👉 Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.