Pine Island Eagle

Islanders come to the aid of Creative Coast Preschool families

Winn-Dixie,

firefighters, others pitch in during holidays

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Whenever Pine Island Winn-Dixie store manager Dan Loughren gets a call for help, he tries to respond This post-hurricane holiday season made it especially difficult for islanders, so when Loughren got a call from local Creative Coast Preschool owner, VPK teacher and director Maria Ramirez, he did what he always does and came

through for her

“Maria, from Creative Coast, got my name from the food pantry like a week before Christmas and she called me to see if I would help She said she had five families still living in tents from the hurricane Three of them were single mothers, so we mustered all the food we could get for them and a cartload of miscellaneous toys,” Loughren said

Ramirez is, in short, being crushed by the weight of her concern for others The load, she explained, is largely financial, because she was raised to do right by others and have compassion for those who are less fortunate She currently sponsors four of her students at Creative Coast, just to be certain they are being fed, educated and cared for. Without her assistance, they would not be able to attend Although Ramirez said she generally plans to

Helping Paws recovering with many cats to adopt

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Marnie Miszewski dedicates her life to Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary in St James City, which is why she finds it so upsetting that since the hurricane, it seems many animals in the region have gone into liver failure

“We’ve now had four of them There’s no rhyme or reason, whether they’re old or young. It could be fear, or the water, who knows? It’s not just us, it’s across the b o a r d - - d o g s , c a t s , o l d , y o u n g - - e v e r y w h e r e , ” Miszewski said

Thankfully, Miszewski reports, there was hardly any hurricane damage at Helping Paws The cats in the shelter, where they remained through the storm, she said seemed more bothered that their routine was off than anything else

“We didn’t evacuate, in fact, we took on other peo-

CW Fudge Factory buries time capsule

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

When CW Fudge Factory owners Carlos Gomez and William Tidball had to replace the floors in their candy shop due to Hurricane Ian, a perfect opportunity presented itself

“When I put the drywall back in, I’m going to put a time capsule in the wall with many items that represent what Matlacha was prior to the hurricane,” Tidball said In addition to burying a small piece of Pine Island

“It’s just a fun thing to do included in there is Bert’s Bar and Bridgewater Inn and things that will def-

Time capsule items placed in the walls of CW Fudge Factory.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WILLIAM TIDBALL

history, Tidball also plans to register the piece with the International Time Capsule Society.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARNIE MISZEWSKI Nancy Benjamin with folks from Compassion Kind Foundation.

Frozen Flip Flop -calling all customers

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com

Sara Brinks, owner of the Frozen Flip Flop in St James City, is trying her best to hold on through what is a very slow season on Pine Island, due to Hurricane Ian.

Although her frozen yogurt shop fared very well structurally through the storm, Brinks said she’s now suffering from a lack of tourism, due to so much damage undertaken on Pine Island “I don’t want to go under, I just got started and my place is perfectly fine,” Brinks said

Among Pine Island Strong memora-

bilia, the Frozen Flip Flop is proud to serve 155 different frozen yogurt flavors with a no sugar added option each week

“It tastes like ice cream, it does not taste like yogurt Lactose intolerant people can handle it because the lactose, during the process of making it, turns to lactic acid, which helps lower cholesterol, and yet it tastes like ice cream I am here and I am open,” Brinks said.

The Frozen Flip Flop is at 10191 Stringfellow Road Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 7 p m For additional information, call 616-5166118

Island Tactical moving, expanding inventory

Store relocating to 10480 Stringfellow Road

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

J a y S a n d e r s o n , o w n e r o f I s l a n d Tactical, said his store will be moving to 10480 Stringfellow Road, beside the Millenium Physician Group

The purpose of the move, he said, is to get into a shop roughly double the size of the one they’ve been in since they opened on the island

“We are expanding our inventory to fishing gear and outdoor fishing apparel, as well as sunglasses Our goal is to have a centralized location for all things outdoors,” Sanderson said

They plan to carry some local retailer items, he said, as another priority for the

s t o r e i s t o d o b u s i n e s s w i t h o t h e r islanders

“Anything made locally, as far as clothing, fishing and outdoor apparel -we certainly want to carry The biggest goal is to support the island We are shooti n g f o r a s o f t o p e n i n g o n F e b 1 5 , although we may not be able to sell guns retail that day, but we will still be able to sell firearms online and have them dropshipped.

"We’re excited to get the doors back opened and by March we should be able to sell firearms again,” Sanderson said

For additional information, call 239558-4925 or email Jay@islandtacticalllc com

Lee County Department of Community Development makes operational adjustments to further assist residents post-Hurricane Ian

Lee County Department of Community Development is making operational adjustments to further assist residents of unincorporated areas who are rebuilding and repairing their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

The adjustments apply to two locations.

Pine Island Community Development is extending Wednesday service for Matlacha-Pine Island residents

The department opened a weekly remote permit office at the Pine Island Public Library, 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia, beginning Jan 4 to allow residents to obtain permits for repairs to existing buildings damaged by Hurricane Ian

Due to the use of the service by island residents the past three Wednesdays, county staff will continue to be at the library four additional Wednesdays – Jan 25, Feb 1, Feb 8 and Feb 15 Hours at the remote permit office will remain the same, 10 a m to 5 p m

Residents acting as their own contractor can submit permit applications, have them reviewed and issued from the remote

office The applicants need only a description of the work and their address and staff will walk them through the process

The remote permit office is in response to Pine Island residents requesting to have staff readily accessible to help them navigate the permit process, as many residences are without internet service Hired contractors are asked to continue to use the existing electronic permitting process

Residents seeking a full demolition or complete replacement of a structure still need to visit the main Department of Community Development permitting office at 1500 Monroe St , Fort Myers

Downtown Fort Myers main office

The permitting lobby for the Department of Community Development, 1500

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARA BRINKS

The interior of the Frozen Flip Flop in St. James City. The frozen yogurt shop is open for business and ready to serve.

On Jan. 10, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the sweeping Executive Order 23-06 in support of improving water quality within Florida

The order directs the state to spend $3 5 billion over the next four years on Everglades restoration and water quality improvements

The order is an ambitious ask from the governor and seeks to improve our water quality around the state and our resiliency into the future As more funding is directed toward Everglades restoration we expect to s

a m a g i n g d i s c h a r g e s t o t h e Caloosahatchee and improved water quality.

The order marks an increase of $1 billion from the executive order that was signed four years ago It also directs additional funding to work to restore the Indian River Lagoon with $100 million earmarked for the creation of a protection program with enhanced water quality monitoring

B e y o n d a l l o c a t i n g f u n d i n g , t h e o r d e r directs the agencies within Florida to continue their efforts to support water quality The o r d e r d i r e c t s t h e S o u t h F l o r i d a W a t e r Management District to expedite Everglades restoration projects and focus on sending more clean water south to the Everglades

It also directs the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection to w o r k w i t h t h e F l o r i d a L e g i s l a t u r e t o e x p a n d t h e wastewater grant program to a d d r e s s i m p a c t s f r o m n o npoint source pollution Nonpoint source pollutants originate from agriculture runoff, stormwater, leaky septic systems, and similar sources and are major drivers of the nutrient pollution in our waterw a y s . T h e S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a Conservation Foundation is excited to work with our partners and the DEP to tackle the i s s u e s o f n o n - p o i n t s o u r c e pollution, algal blooms, and r e s i l i e n c y a n d i m p r o v e Florida’s waters for everyone Additionally, the order provides guidance to the DEP to work with the Department of A g r i c u l t u r e & C o n s u m e r S e r v i c e s t o strengthen Basin Management Action Plans for our waterways and to improve best management practices for agriculture If enacted properly, this could result in less nutrient pollution entering our waters

T h e o r d e r a l s o s e e k s t o reduce harmful algal blooms w i t h i n t h e s t a t e I t c r e a t e s grant funding to work on mitig a t i n g b l u e - g r e e n a l g a l b l o o m s F i n a l l y , t h e o r d e r seeks to increase resiliency around the state and will create a coral reef restoration and recovery initiative to help with coral growth and storm surge protections

The order is a good step on th e p ath to r es to r atio n an d r e s i l i e n c y , a n d i t w i l l b e i m p o r t a n t t o m o n i t o r t h a t funds are directed to projects t h a t w i l l h a v e t h e l a r g e s t i m p a c t o n t h e q u a l i t y a n d quantity of our water

Matt DePaolis is the environmental policy director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Founded in 1967, the SCCF's mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems For more information, visit www sccf org

Islander proposes restoration of Matlacha

e x t Hurricane Ian Now is the time to bring together all of the people and government officials to ensure the will of the people is honored, and the safest and best plan for the future is implemented

e

The cost of restoring Matlacha is small compared to the millions of dollars spent,

lives lost and anxiety caused by Hurricane Ian And planning restoration now will not distract us from caring for those most hurt by Hurricane Ian

No single person knows the best way to restore Matlacha Together we can figure it out

To promote others to think about restoration, I presented some hypothetical renderi n g s o f a r e s t o r e d i c o n i c p o r t i o n o f Matlacha Consider these renderings what Einstein called a Thought Experiment I obtained the 1946 plat of Matlacha, which is c a l l e d “ P l a t o f t h e P i n e I s l a n d F i l l S u b d i v i s i o n ” M a t l a c h a h a s 3 p l a t t e d “Blocks” consisting of #1 adjacent to the “Mainland” (Bert’s Bar, Bridgewater Hotel, Island Seafood, etc ), #2 on West Island and #3 on part of West Island and Little Pine Island.

Then I found a 1954 aerial photo of Block #1, which had the property lot lines

Matt DePaolis

M/PIFCD battles two blazes at same time

On Monday, Jan 16, crews from the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District were dispatched to an outside fire in St James City on Blueberry Lane Upon arrival, a demolished trailer was found to be fully involved Crews were able to quickly contain the fire and protect surrounding structures

While responding to this fire, a second fire call came in Crews were then also dispatched to a brush fire, which was also in St. James City. Some crew members broke away from the structure fire and responded with assistance from Cape Coral Fire Department to the brush fire Upon arrival, it was found to be sparked from an illegal burn that got out of hand It was also quickly contained and extinguished

No injuries to report from either fire In total, crews responded to nine emergency calls that day serving our community

Fire Chief Ben Mickuleit reminds residents to remember to keep debris clear from fire hydrants so first responders have access to them at all times

Matlacha Hookers getting ready for 11th Annual

‘Island Luau’ event Feb. 26

Outdoor fundraiser to be held at St. James City Civic Center

The Matlacha Hookers 11th Annual “Island Luau” event will be held Sunday, Feb 26, from 1-5 p m , outdoors at the St James City Civic Center in St James City. The rain date is March 5.

The Matlacha Hookers is a 501c3 woman’s charitable non-profit organization The organization has over 200 members from Matlacha and the Greater Pine Island area, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Fort Myers

This year the proceeds will be split between the Beacon of Hope and the St James City Civic Center The Beacon is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping the needs of the Greater Pine Island Community The 20+ recipients of Beacon Bites meals cost about $30,000 a year The Beacon also provides transportation to doctor appointments, helps those with financial needs, home repairs and much more

Over the past 10 events, the Matlacha Hookers have raised almost $76,000, and last year the Hookers increased the donation amount to $16,000 for the Beacon

The St James City Civic Association allows members to meet community members with shared interests This facility accommodates various events, groups, clubs and activities Due to Hurricane Ian, the building needs significant repairs to the roof, floors, kitchen and lanai

Join the Hookers for a fun outside afternoon, swaying to live music, and sampling punch, food, wine and beer Get out those tropical shirts, grass skirts, and mu-mu’s

and plan to get “leid”!

Your ticket includes live music, exotic island punch, wine, beer tastings, “welcoming leis” and island food for guests Mark Dupuy, a musician who plays steel drums, trumpet, flute, keyboard and guitar, will perform calypso island rock and fun dance music

Guests can also participate in mystery wines, “Classy L a d y B o u t i q u e “ p r e - l o v e d a c c e s s o r i e s , ” M a t l a c h a Hooker merchandise and beautiful Silent Auction items

Tickets are $40 in advance as none will be sold at the event The event has sold out the previous two years, so purchase tickets early They can be purchased at the following local businesses on the island: Beacon of HOPE Thrift Store (Pine Island), Centennial Bank Drive Up (St J a m e s C i t y ) o r y o u c a n f i n d t i c k e t s o n l i n e a t Eventbrite Key Word: Matlacha Hookers Or ask your favorite Hooker Only 250 tickets are available to the public.

St. John's Episcopal Church to host Game/Card Party this Thursday

The Episcopal Church Women of St John’s will host a Game/Card Party on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p m , in Comfort Hall

Come bring your best game with you and share in the fun

The tickets will be limited and the cost is $20 per per-

son, which includes a delicious lunch with decadent desserts and coffee, tea or lemonade and the chance to win door prizes For tickets, please call Kathy Gredlics at 484-894-4612

St John’s is located at 7771 Stringfellow Road in St James City

PHOTO PROVIDED

A firefighter fights the fire on Blueberry Lane

Verlon Thompson returning to SJCCA for concert Feb. 5

Verlon Thompson returns to St James City Civic Association, Sunday, Feb 5 His last concert here was sold out, so get your tickets soon The cost is $25 and you can get them at sjccapi org

Thompson is a professional songwriter and trave l i n g t r o u b a d o u r . H e toured with Guy Clark for 30 years and has had many artists record his songs His s t o r y t e l l i n g a n d g u i t a r playing will have you mesmerized

Doors open at 6 p m and the concert starts at 6 : 3 0 B r i n g a c o p y o f e m a i l s h o w i n g paid Questions? Call Cindy 954-249-5512

The SJCCA is located at 3300 Fourth Ave., at the corner of Lemon Street, in St James City

SJCCA presents Matlacha Market and Music with Washboard Scotty

Every Monday through season, islanders can bring their chairs and enjoy the music of Washboard Scotty and friends at St James City Civic Association Island vendors will be selling products and Olde Fish House will have food available for lunch

Vendors open at 11:30 a.m. and music starts at noon Next week, Bert's, CW Fudge, Traders and many more vendors will have products

Vendor space is $20 Call Cindy for more details 954-249-5512

The SJCCA is located at 3300 Fourth Ave , at the corner of Lemon Street, in St James City

Friends of the Pine Island Library to hold annual meeting, elect new board directors Feb. 21

According to the late Carl Sagan, “The health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can be tested by how well we support our libraries ” February presents an opportunity for Pine Islanders to actively support the Pine Island Library The Friends of the Pine Island Library is a non-profit, charitable group formed to do just that The mission of the organization is to benefit and enrich the greater Pine Island community through its projects

Over the last several years, the Friends have contributed more than $32,000 to both the Lee County Library System and the Pine Island Library. The group's contributions have supported library activities, including the summer reading program and the annual Reading Festival held every March at the downtown Fort Myers Regional Library location

Have you considered joining the Friends of Pine Island Library? It is a great opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that promote and support the local library and the Pine Island community In addition, it is an organization where membership provides many ways

to have fun such as book discussions, author luncheons and book sales

For more information on membership, please stop by the Pine Island Library and pick up the new Friends of the Pine Island Library pamphlet Fill it out and send it to Friends of PI Library, PO Box 290, St James City, FL 33956 Annual dues are $5 or Lifetime membership is $100

With membership comes the opportunity to join the Friends of Pine Island Library Board Currently, the Nomination Committee is looking for potential candidates to fill several openings Members will be electing several new board directors at the Feb. 21 Annual Membership meeting The meeting is a Zoom hybrid meeting which begins at 2 p m Join us in person at the Pine Island Library or on Zoom Remember, in order to vote, you must be a current member

Dues for 2023 must be paid prior to Feb 21 if attending by Zoom or collected in person at the meeting (cash or check only, please) If attending via Zoom, contact president@friendsofpilibrary org and on the morning of the meeting a link will be sent to you

Mitigation experts offering free rebuilding advice in Lee and St. Johns counties

LAKE MARY, Fla –

8 a m to 5 p m , Sunday

storms

Hurricane Ian Survivors

HOME DEPOT Lee County 3031 NE Pine Island Road Cape Coral, FL 33909

Hours: 8 a m to 6 p m , Monday through Saturday 8 a m to 5 p m , Sunday

Hurricane Nicole Survivors HOME DEPOT St Johns County 1750 U S Highway 1 South St Augustine, FL 32084

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday

While at each Home Depot, FEMA mitigation specialists will answer questions and offer free home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters Mitigation is an effort to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of a disaster The information is geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors

In addition to receiving in-person advice, Hurricane Nicole and Hurricane Ian survivors can call the FEMA Mitigation Line to speak with mitigation specialists The number is 833-336-2487 and is available Monday through Saturday from 8 a m to 6 p m ET

For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from H u r r i c a n e I a n , v i s i t f l o r i d a d i s a s t e r o r g / i n f o a n d fema gov/disaster/4673 For Hurricane Nicole, visit f e m a g o v / d i s a s t e r / 4 6 8 0 F o l l o w F E M A R e g i o n 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and facebook com/fema

Verlon Thompson

As part of a continuing effort to help Floridians rebuild from Hurricane Nicole and Hurricane Ian, FEMA is offering free advice on how to rebuild stronger and safer against

Cat of the Week

bound views of Pine Island Road at the Matlacha Bridge to help residents determine whether there is congestion leaving or entering the Island

View the live feed at https://www leegov com/dot/ traffic and don't forget to bookmark the page so you can check back often

Please note that, according to Lee DOT, the Matlacha live traffic cameras are a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness, helpfulness and usefulness of implement-

ing this type of technology in select areas of the county. The goal is to provide citizens that plan to travel to and from Pine Island through Matlacha with a real-time view of travel conditions on the Pine Island Road corridor This pilot program will run for a period of time and then be evaluated

If you like the live cams and find them helpful, please let the GPICA know so they can pass that info along to the county Email comments to Info@GPICA org

Pine Island Sketchers to meet Jan. 31

Olive

We’re baaaack! Hope everyone is doing better after the hurricane. The kitties are all fine and we hope seeing them in the paper each week will help put a smile on your face This pretty girl is Olive Her favorite past times are eating, playing, eating, climbing on the cat trees and eating She’s not a fat cat, but she is well cushioned That extra padding comes in handy when you fall off your cat tree She’s not clumsy, but she’s only 2 years old, and playing is still one of her favorite things to do. Despite the good times, Olive is on the lookout for her new family. She has a lot to offer and I’m not referring to her size. Stop in and see for yourself! Call Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary at 239-283-9100 for more info If you’d rather just donate, our address is 10060 Mallory Parkway, E , Unit D, St James City, FL, 33956 or there’s always our w e b

ary com

Pine Island Sketchers meet on Tuesdays from 10 a m to noon at various locations around the islands All participants need is to bring a chair and drawing or painting equipment

There is no charge, and beginners are welcome

Tuesday, Jan 31: On Moyer Lane, Bokeelia, for Jeff Abbot’s place with mannequins Please park at the sign “Private Property” and walk down the lane

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Lee County Athletic Hall of Fame inductees announced

The School District of Lee County haas announced the Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame inductees for 2023 Five athletes, three coaches and one contributor are being recognized for their outstanding athletic accomplishments for their school or their students

The Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2023 features: A thletes

■ Kevin Brown, North Fort Myers High

■ Keri Jewett-Giles, Dunbar High

■ Shane McClanahan, Cape Coral High

■ Kyle Miller, Estero High

■ Josh Sheridan, Fort Myers High Coaches

■ Larry Gary, Cape Coral & Lehigh Senior High

■ Loretta Purish, North Fort Myers High

■ James (Jim) Reed, Cypress Lake High Contributor

■ David LaRosa, Fort Myers High School

Kevin Brown: Kevin was a three time all-conference, three time all-area and second team all-state player in baseball at North During his four-year career as a starter for the Miami Hurricanes, he helped lead the team to national championships 1999 and 2001 Kevin still holds the record for highest overall slugging percentage in College World Series history and is a two-time All College World Series Team member He will also be inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame this spring

Keri Jewett-Giles: Keri was named the News-Press player of the year her sophomore, junior and senior seasons of high school at Dunbar She was also selected first team all-state her junior and senior seasons. Keri played at FGCU where she was named to the ASUN Conference’s All-Decade team and set FGCU’s Division I era career scoring average record She was also selected as ASUN Player of the Year Keri later went overseas to play professional basketball

Shane McClanahan: Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 1st round (31st) of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of South Florida, Shane was a News-Press Player of the Year finalist and News-Press 1st Team All-Area He represented the area in the FHSAA Senior State All-Star Game The Tampa Bay Rays named Shane their opening day starter in 2022 and later that season he was named the American League starting pitcher at the All-Star game

Kyle Miller: Kyle was named to the New-Press All Decade High School Baseball Team May 2020 He was the 2012 News-Press Player of the Year after strong senior campaign where he went 9-0 with 0 58 ERA and 98 strikeouts to lead Estero High School on a 25-game winning streak that ended in a regional final Miller played at Florida Atlantic University and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs

Josh Sheridan: Josh was a two-time state wrestling champion in 1999 and 2000, a two-time AAU national wrestling champion and a two-time state runner-up 1997

and 1998 He was the Florida 2A Wrestler of the Year in 2000, a three-time USA Wrestling Magazine AllAmerican and Rotary Scholar/Athlete of the Year in 2000. Josh also excelled in the classroom as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist with a high school grade point average of 4 69

Larry Gary: Coach Gary was hired as Lee County’s first Black head football coach in 1994 In his more than 36 seasons, Gary has helped hundreds of students play in college He has also coached and mentored 13 NFL players Prior to returning to coaching at Cape Coral High School this year, Gary amassed a record of 64-59 while at Lehigh Senior High School and previously at Cape Coral High

Loretta Purish: Loretta coached cross country for 28 years and track for 27 years at North Fort Myers High School She established the first Girls Relay Meet in Lee County in 1990 In 2015, Loretta was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year Her teams were Cross Country district champions in 1997 and 1998 and regional champions in 1997 She led the girls cross country team to multiple top 10 finishes in the state competition

James “Jim” Reed: If there was a volleyball pioneer in Southwest Florida it would certainly be Coach Reed Arriving at Cypress Lake in the late '70s, Reed quickly established Cypress Lake as a local and state powerhouse

Preschool families

sponsor at least one student per year, this year has been so difficult for island families she finds herself pulling quadruple the load

Calling Karen Durand from the Pine Island Food Pantry was indeed the right call to make, as it brought her to Loughren, who was happy to help

“Winn-Dixie gave us toys and the Fire Department came here and gave them toys,” Ramirez said

Ramirez has three student families who have been left homeless from Hurricane Ian Currently, they are living in tents, with one family living on a boat, she said

“The family living on a boat is mom, fad and two little girls one is 5 and one is still an infant I service all of them, and I knew going into the Christmas break they weren’t going to have enough food to carry them through I reached out to Karen Durand who was giving us food from the church pantry and she got me in touch with Dan,” Ramirez said

Because there is no kitchen at Creative Coast, Ramirez is only allowed to provide snacks for the children When the hurricane hit, she said, she lost a great number of children due to out-of-work parents, and only a few of her students returned

Having never reached out for help until now, Ramirez confessed she’d needed assistance

“Right now I am sponsoring four of these families That’s why I talked to Karen I said, I’ve never reached out to any of the organizations on the island to ask for any type of help, because I was able to do it on my own, but now I need help If I don’t offer them free daycare, these parents that still have a job and are trying to rebuild, won’t be able to, because they don’t have anybody to look out for their kids, the kids don’t have a safe place to be I’m their safe haven I know that if they’re here with me, they’re being taken care of and they’re being fed. I will figure out a way to make sure these kids are taken care of -- I have to be here regardless -- whether I have 1 child or 20 children, I still have to be open So, they are coming here for free” Ramirez said

Although, due to her recent income deficit, Ramirez is not able to buy lunch and snacks for the children, as she

had been able to do in the past, she said she will continue caring for her students the best she can, as this is an ongoing process for her In order to keep her doors open, Ramirez finds herself no longer afraid to ask for help.

“Anytime anybody calls me and they want to donate whether it’s used clothes, or shoes or food, I’ll go meet them I tell them, you don’t have to drive here, tell me where to meet you and I’ll go and get it, because I want to make sure that these families are OK It’s one step at a time and every little bit helps,” Ramirez said Currently, she said her families are in need of winter clothes, both for adults and children Sponsoring each

child aged 2 to 4 is $150 per week, and after school care is $85 per week

“I want to say thank you to everyone on the island -all the organizations and individuals that have reached out, like DJ Holloway He came out for Christmas and fed the children, their families and staff that were here for the Christmas party, and he donated money to the daycare We all help each other out I know I need help, but these families need more help than I do Every day is a struggle, but as long as my doors are open I want these people to know that they have somewhere for their kids to come, whether they can afford it or not,” Ramirez said

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAN LOUGHREN

Standing with the carts full of donated food and more from Winn-Dixie are, from left, manager Dan Loughren, Creative Coast Preschool’s Maria Ramirez and Nancy Ricketti, store customer service manager

Helping Paws

Miszewski said

Since many islanders have lost their homes, or suffered damages, Miszewski said they are still boarding animals for residents Only two adoptions have taken place since the hurricane, since no one, she said, is really in a position to adopt a pet For this reason, Helping Paws is not accepting any new animals at this time

“I had to do something I feel like I can do something for those who don’t have a new place yet to go with their animals,” Miszewski said

F o r t u n a t e l y , v o l u n t e e r N a n c y

Benjamin lives on Pine Island and was able to be at the shelter every day after the storm, before Miszewski was able to get there Having to work in the heat, without p o w e r , s h e s a i d , w a s d

initely look different in the future, so when people come in the building in the future, they’ll find it,” Tidball said

Tidball said there is no definitive date for opening the time capsule, as he feels leaving it in the hands of whomever rips down the wall is the best way he can imagine its reopening While he said he has no idea what the future of tourism looks like for the island, his thinking is that we will build back even stronger than before.

“I still live on the island I still want a business on the island and we’re going to continue to move forward -- what the next five years look like for us, we’re not sure We’re living each day, one day at a time,” Tidball said

For now, the rebuilding of CW Fudge takes priority for Gomez and Tidball, as they have established not only the candy store but also their continuous devotion to the needs of their fellow islanders Like many businesses that have been damaged, they look forward to a soft, post hurricane re-opening as soon as possible

Helping Paws

c

l t f o r Benjamin, to whom Miszewski said she gives a great deal of credit Miszewski lost a number of volunteers, she said, and asks i f a n y o n e i s a b l e , t o p l e a s e c o n t a c t

“We’re always looking for volunteers, but it’s even worse now because so many people have lost their homes,” Miszewski said

Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary is at 10060 Mallory Parkway, East, Unit D, St. James City. For more information, call 239-283-9100

Some of the cats at Helping Paws relaxing on a staircase The facility is now open and has cats ready for adoption

“We all call this island a little piece of paradise, but what makes it paradise, it's what we put into it, and we all need to put something into it There will be a plaque on the wall when the time capsule is sealed -- we always say, if these walls could talk, so why not include a fun time capsule into our rebuild? A way to help uncover layers of the building’s history -- we’re happy to know that we are, in effect, leaving a lasting mark on the community that will help future generations to remember the past -- Matlacha, Pine Island strong,” Tidball said

Included in the CW Fudge Factory time capsule are historical gems from CW Fudge factory owners and residents of Pine Island Matlacha; local real estate listings of homes before Hurricane Ian; a Pine Island Eagle and letter from the current editor; artwork and names of kids from Ms F r a h m ’ s P i n e I s l a n d E l e m e n t a r y k i n d e r g a r t e n c l a s s ; McDonald’s Happy Meal toys; local menus; photos of Matlacha before Hurricane Ian; T-shirts and cards; a Pine Island art guide; coins from 2013 (the year CW Fudge Factory opened); coins from 2022 (the year of the hurricane); local business cards; and a letter to the future occupant of 4548 Pine Island Road, where CW Fudge is located

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARNIE MISZEWSKI

superimposed on the land This is similar to the view you can obtain from the Lee Appraiser Geo View on the internet at https://www.leepa.org. Both the 1954 aerial and today’s Geo View of the properties along this part of Pine Island Road adjacent to the drawbridge show that the lot lines extend well out into the water

In my Thought Experiment, I envisioned filling in the lot boundaries of Block #1 to create a larger island The fill would be boulders similar to how the road in Matlacha was rebuilt This new “land” would provide a base for building or raising properties above base flood To protect the island from the next hurricane, I envisioned seawalls along the boundary, which include boulders and “rip rap” sloping to the water I am told that this seawall design would attract the growth of vegetation, including mangroves, very quickly Perhaps this combination of raisi

would meet the criteria for the 100-year flood The same could be done across the street, where nearly all the homes are lost or in the water

Block #2 and #3 similarly could be

built out For example, on the north side of Pine Island Road just before the last bridge going west (last bridge before Yucatan Bar & Grill), all of the property boundary lines go into the water Several residents on that side of the road lost their homes completely Similarly, we completely lost the first home on the south side across this bridge, and nearly lost the next home

attention The horrific aerial picture of the east end of Matlacha appeared

on the cover of Time Magazine Matlacha i s o n e o

o f O

d e Florida. Matlacha is the gateway to Pine Island its 10,000 residents, and its highly-coveted Olde Florida way of life

Let’s get busy on this project, so Matlacha will be on the cover of Time Magazine again at the end of 2023.

Lee County

From page 2

Monroe St , Fort Myers, will be closed to the public Wednesday, Jan 25, and Wednesday, Feb 1, to address workload, although phone services will be available 7 a m to 4 p m while the lobby is closed

The permitting lobby had expanded hours of operation starting Oct 17 to assist homeowners with emergency permits to address damage from Hurricane Ian

However, the volume of building permit applications currently being submitted, both hurricane repair-related and regular permits, has led to a backlog in both the processing and review functions In addition, a large number of e-mails and phone calls are received daily, leading to delayed responses and inhibiting permit processing The planned closures will allow time for staff to address the backlog These closures follow two previously announced closures on Jan 11 and Jan 18 for the same purpose

Lobby hours of operation are 9 a.m. to

4 p m weekdays, with phone availability 7 a m to 4 p m daily, with the exceptions noted above County staff request that contractors continue to file for permits using the county’s online system at www leegov com/dcd

Additional Wednesday closures may be considered as needed Watch for updates at www leegov com

General information

Department of Community Development information can be found at www leegov com/dcd or by calling 239533-8585

Information and resources related to Lee County’s Hurricane Ian response can be found at www leegov com/storm

To receive updates from Lee County government, sign up for the newsletter at www leegov com/resources/newsletters

Follow Lee County government on Facebook at www facebook com/leecountyflbocc.

Recruiting sign-up

Circle, St James City

If you have any questions, call Joe Romeo

Mike Hannon Matlacha

GRAPHICS PROVIDED

Additional renderings of restored homes and businesses in Matlacha, above and below

Athletic Hall of Fame

and maintained that dominance for 14 years His team stats are remarkable: 14 years head volleyball coach; 11 South Florida Conference championships; undefeated seasons in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; regional champs in 1981 and 1982; final 4 appearances in 1981 and 1982 and state champions in 1981

From

David LaRosa: David has worked for 37 years in the School District of Lee County, 11 years as a teacher/coach, seven years as an athletic director in two different high schools, one year as an assistant principal and 13 years as a principal, 12 of those at Fort Myers High School He is the first director of athletics for the School

District, overseeing athletics in all of high schools and middle schools He is a member of the board of directors for the FHSAA where he was president-elect. He was District 13 representative on the board of directors for the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association

The inductees will be honored at a ban-

Mahjongg Scores

quet scheduled for Thursday, April 20, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel The banquet will begin at 6 p m and tickets are available for purchase for $25 per person.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers For ticket information, contact the District Athletic Office at 239-335-1479