Pine Island Eagle

State, county staff join islanders for GPICA meeting

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

At the Tuesday, Feb 7 meeting of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association, President Helen Fox encouraged members to manage the recent unforeseen changes with diligence, goodwill and persistence

“GPICA committees are researching new development on the island and informing us on how to make our voices heard Both as a civic organization and individuals, we should be contacting our elected representatives, letting them know what we think and thanking them when they stand up for us,” Fox said

To answer islanders' questions from the previous

meeting were representatives from the Deputy County Manager’s office, Veteran’s Services, Solid Waste, as well as representatives both from the Florida Department of Transportation and FEMA Deputy Director of Human and Veteran Services

Pine isl and Power CouPle

Spotlight on Mike Silberg and Leoma Lovegrove

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

has to plan, has to think it out, but she said, ‘we don’t have time for that, let’s go,’” Silberg said with a chuckle

Jeannie Sutton told members that although the FEMA assistance deadline had passed, they may still seek assistance with housing rehabilitation, utility, rent, mortgage and insurance deductible programs

Postcards have gone out to homeowners, she said, regarding housing related programs, including elevation and reconstruction programs, funded through the hurricane mitigation program. The applications are coming up and there will be an informational public hearing on Feb 16 at 5:30 p m at Pine Island Elementary School, she said If you have gotten one of those postcards and are

See GPICA, page 16

Kiwanis takes over after-school program, welcomes volunteer readers

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

A

l y n H e r r i n g , s i n c e Hurricane Ian, the after-school program, sponsored by Lee County Parks and Recreation at Matlacha Park, is no longer being offered

“We heard about this in our Kiwanis Club, raised the funds, along with other Kiwanis Clubs around the district, and we are sponsoring the after-school program at Pine Island Elementary School now So the children that used to go to the Parks and Rec program are now doing the after school program at the elementary school,” Herring said.

Beginning Jan 10, when school began after Christmas break, this endeavor was taken on by Kiwanis Clubs all over the district, including the Pine Island Kiwanis, Herring said, explaining the club’s mission to incorporate reading to the children by local first responders On Wednesday afternoons, as many as four members of the Pine Island Kiwanis Club will be reading to kids when they attend the after-school program, she said

“We are starting out with our members and then we are going to try to bring in the Fire Department and EMTs, as well as others,” Herring said, adding that it will be an opportune time to bring in more members.

Those involved in this mission, along with Herring, are Kiwanians Tonya Player and program director Gus Hawkins The Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow (PILOT) program has also invited Kiwanis Club members to read to the elementary-aged kids in their program Both organizations invite adult readers to volunteer

Mike

Silberg and Leoma Lovegrove have been married for 44 years They said their courtship to marriage process was like a whirlwind that has yet to come to a full stop

“I picture our marriage like the scene from ‘Ben Hur,’ when he was being dragged by the chariots Leoma said, ‘let’s go let’s do this,’ and I’m the kind of person that

Still very much caught up in one another, the couple has found a balance in their opposing personalities that

“Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time Kiwanis is sponsoring the after school program and we’re also going to be reading to the kids once a week as a district mission and we’re hoping to spread it to the PILOT program,” Herring said.

If you’re interested in reading to children in either or both programs, please contact Nichole Pichon (PILOT) 239-677-9492 or Gus Hawkins (Kiwanis) 219-2014150

Islanders Mike Silberg and Leoma Lovegrove PHOTO PROVIDED

Randell Research Center announces guided walk schedule for visitors to the Calusa Heritage Trail

The Florida Museum’s Randell Research Center has announced its guided walk schedule for February through April 2023 Visitors can tour a limited portion of the Calusa Heritage Trail with a highly trained docent to learn about the fascinating Calusa people and how they thrived in Pineland for thousands of years

Morning tours begin at 10 a m and are offered Tuesday through Saturday Afternoon tours begin at 1 p m and are offered Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday

Reservations are not required; visitors are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes before the start of the tour Guided tours begin at the Calusa Heritage Trail’s visitor center located at 13810 Waterfront Drive in Bokeelia

The Randell Research Center, dedicated to teaching the archaeology, history and ecology of Southwest Florida, is a program of the Florida Museum of Natural History The Calusa Heritage Trail is the publicly accessible portion of the Research Center where visitors can tour this internationally significant archaeological site

R e q u e s t e d d o n a t i o n s f o r v i s i t o r s t o t h e C a l u s a Heritage Trail are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for c h i l d r e n M e m b e r s o f t h e F r i e n d s o f t h e R a n d e l l Research Center are admitted free Guests who are unable to pay are welcome to enjoy the trail as a guest of the Friends group

Visit the Research Center’s website to learn more about the history of the region, stay up to date with recent recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian, and sign up for the newsletter, which includes information about upcoming events and opportunities You can also follow the

Research Center on Facebook

The Florida Museum of Natural History has been inspiring people to value and protect the biological richness and cultural heritage of our diverse world for more than a century. Located on the University of Florida cam-

pus, the Florida Museum is home to more than 40 million specimens and artifacts, one of the nation’s largest natur a l h i s t o r y c o l l e c t i o n s F o r m o r e F l o r i d a M u s e u m research and collections news, visit www floridamuseu m u f l e d u / s c i e n c e / o r f o l l o w u s o n s o c i a l m e d i a , @FloridaMuseum.

County

Lee County has announced a set-out deadline of Wednesday, March 1, for the remainder of unincorporated areas to place Hurricane Ian debris at the curb

This final set-out date pertains to areas that have not had a previous deadline, such as Matlacha, St James City, North Fort Myers, San Carlos Island, Punta Rassa, J o n a t h a n ’ s H a r b o r , H a r l e m H e i g h t s , B u c k i n g h a m / Orange River, Tice, Alva and the Corkscrew Road corridor Addresses along Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach also will have this set-out deadline

As the county transitions away from public right-ofway collection of storm debris in compliance with a March 29 FEMA deadline, residents needing assistance with removal of storm debris on private property are reminded to apply to the Florida Division of Emergency Management by visiting www iandebriscleanup com or calling 850-961-2002

The county reminds residents that it will take several weeks for all collections to occur and residents are asked to have residential storm debris at the curb by the final set-out date of March 1 Residents can use regular curbside collection services after the March 1 deadline

Please note, this debris collection is for residential storm debris only and does not include debris from land c l e a r i n g o r c o m m e r c i a l s i t e s , i n c l u d i n g a g r i c u l t u r e Those entities must pay to remove materials or self-haul materials to an appropriate site Go to www leegov com/ solidwaste for more information

Lee County has collected about 6 million cubic yards of debris to date When the March 29 FEMA reimbursement deadline passes, an estimated 12 million cubic yards of debris will have been collected throughout unincorporated Lee County and the six municipalities.

Previous debris set-out deadlines were established for t h e f o l l o w i n g u n i n c o r p o r a t e d a r e a s : L e h i g h A c r e s , Gateway, Briarcliff, Daniels Parkway corridor, Eagle Ridge, Florida Gulf Coast University / Miromar areas, Gasparilla Island / Boca Grande, San Carlos Park, The Villas, Whiskey Creek / McGregor, Maravilla, Pine Manor, Page Park, Beacon Manor, Winkler Road corridor, Royal Tee, Burnt Store, Herons Glen, Tara Woods, Pine Island north of the Pine Island Road/Stringfellow intersection, Waterway Estates, Fort Myers Shores, Iona/McGregor, Island Park, Cypress Lake and Captiva Collection in these areas h a v e b e e n c o m p l e t e d o r will be soon Residents in these areas can have veget a t i o n a n d h o r t i c u l t u r e w a s t e p i c k e d u p b y t h e county’s normal waste-coll e c t i o n h a u l e r s S e t - o u t standards can be found at w w w l e e g o v c o m / s o l i dwaste/residential R e s i d e n t s c a n t r a c k debris collection progress, learn how to stack debris and gather other Hurricane Ian debris information at w w w l e e g o v c o m / s t o r m / d e b r i s I n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t n o r m a l c u r b s i d e pickup of garbage, recycling and yard waste can be f o u n d a t w w w l e e g o v com/solidwaste

PHOTO PROVIDED

Part of the Calusa Heritage Trail in Pineland on Pine Island.

Storm debris set-out deadline announced for remainder of unincorporated Lee

OPINIONS

Sometimes a single person can right a very big wrong

And sometimes that person is a child with courage greater than their years and their time in history

Publisher Raymond M Eckenrode reckenrode@breezenewspapers com

Executive Editor Valarie Harring vharring@breezenewspapers com

Editor Paulette LeBlanc pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Advertising Director Laurie Ragle lragle@ breezenewspapers com

Advertising Sales

Charlene Russ cruss@breezenewspapers com

Design & Layout Chris Strine cstrine@breezenewspapers com Obituaries Debbie Carletti obits@breezenewspapers com

In 1963, a high school senior named Rosalind Blalock wanted to attend a Lee County high school that would better prepare her for the career she was planning

Rosalind wanted to attend Fort Myers High School, which had the lab equipment and books she thought would help get her ready for medical technology coursework

There were two problems:

Rosalind was Black

And the only public school open to her was L e e C o u n t y ’ s a l l - B l a c k h i g h s c h o o l i n

Dunbar

She was denied admission for Fort Myers High although it was nearly a decade after the U S Supreme Court ruled in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that “segregating children in the public schools by race was inherently unequal” and that districts across the nation must move with “all deliberate speed” to desegregate their public schools

Rosalind sued

She won

And, all told, it took 35 years for the School District of Lee County to reach “unitary status,” meaning the district had finally “eliminated its dual systems of education ”

The history synopsis above is from the United States District Court Middle District of Florida, which did not find compliance until 1999, when it ended the consent decree under which the School District of Lee County had been forced to operate until full desegregation was reached.

As the School District of Lee County pre-

Get real

To the editor:

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question: Are you satisfied with the county’s response after Hurricane Ian?

■ Yes 45%

■ No 23%

■ Somewhat 23% ■ No comment 9%

The completely absurd and baseless argument by the Socialist Democratic Party on gun control here in the USA seems to find comfort in the original date of the 2cd Amendment (1791) and the firearms of the day, being mostly single-shot muskets, and some with two barrels and two shots. They claim we have no such second amendment rights with modern firearms of today because the 2cd amendment was never intended to offer that much firepower to mere “US Citizens.”

That is, once again, a huge (incorrect) a s s u m p t i o n o n t h e p a r t o f t h e L i b e r a l Socialist

The citizens of that era were, in fact, armed

pares to end its cumbersome School Choice l o t t e r y s y s t e m , w h i c h h a s i t s r o o t s i n Rosalind’s lawsuit, let us dip back into The Breeze story archives

Rosalind Blalock vs Lee County Schools was filed in 1964 with the help of the NAACP The suit led to the desegregating of the school system in 1969-1970 with the school district implementing a new and, ultimately, troublesome boundary-based assignment system

F r o m 1 9 7 0 - 1 9 9 5 t h e d i s t r i c t m o v e d school boundaries as Lee County’s population grew, often resulting in long bus rides, particularly for minority students

Unhappy with the transportation issues and shifting boundaries that changed assigned schools, students and parents protested

In 1996, the school board approved a new policy for the 1998-1999 school year the creation of three geographic zones that would allow parents to rank the schools within “their” zone with assignment to be determined by a School Choice lottery

The plan worked, well enough to get the district into compliance with the court-issued consent decree but parents have long complained about the issue upon which Choice has come to fail again, transportation

Long bus rides for many

Late drop-offs resulting in tardies and missed classes

So School Choice, as originally formulated, is coming to an end

In its wake will come a new elementary school proximity plan, approved by the School Board of Lee County this week to save on

with the same weapons that were possessed by our military and as such, were “equally armed” if the need should ever arise Our citizens of today are already restricted from purchasing or even owning most of the arms possessed by our modern military as the rights of our citizens have been diminished or eliminated considerably by big government as we have been pushed closer and closer to the w o k e u t o p i a n i d e a l s o f t h e S o c i a l i s t Democrats

T h e n u m b e r o f m u r d e r s b y f i r e a r m s dropped in 2021 from 2020 to 12,520 The National Highway Safety System said that 42,915 people died in traffic accidents in the U S in 2021 None died in 1791 from automobile traffic accidents Does that mean people should not be permitted to own or drive

The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that opinions These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opinions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Opposing views are welcome.

be mailed to: Pine

transportation wear-and-tear and the resultant cost on kids and buses alike

Something similar at the middle and high school levels is coming next

District staffers and School Board officials alike see some pain ahead as the transition takes place as some parents now face the choice of changing their child’s school or getting them there themselves as bus transportation out-of-zone will not be provided

They also see positives getting kids into seats more efficiently and having more money for classrooms to boot

District officials assure us parents, guardians and taxpayers all that choice of school (small “c” as there will be fewer schools from which to choose) will remain, thus ensuring that schools offer the same learning opportunities and environment

As well Lee County’s schools certainly should and must do

Let us also recall another courageous woman of color who painted a picture a tad more Orwellian

Former School Board member Gwynetta G i t t e n s , w h o s e a d v o c a c y f o r t h e S c h o o l District of Lee County’s East Zone, never lacked passion, pointed out that when looking hard at investments in infrastructure that schools may be equal but some schools seem more equal than others when it comes to adding seats and determining where and when to build or rebuild

For Proximity to be an improvement on Choice, not only the district staff, but the board

cars?

How many people died in 1791 of fentanyl overdoses in the U S ? Probably close to zero but in 2020 in the U S we lost 56,516 of our citizens to this “permissible” epidemic W e l o s t 5 8 , 2 2 0 m i l i t a r y p e r s o n n e l i n Vietnam. That conflict lasted almost 20 years and yet, in one year we lost almost the same number of Americans to fentanyl as we lost in a 20-year war Protest after protest accompanied that war and yet no one protests our open borders that contribute so heavily to annual fentanyl deaths that exceed firearm murders by over 400 percent per year

Firearm deaths, to the media, are nothing more than a red herring Every time some nutjob goes crazy and kills multiple victims with a firearm, the media lights up the airways for a week or two in hopes of getting control of y o u r f i r e a r m s a n d e r a s i n g y o u r 2 c d Amendment rights but for every one person killed by a firearm there are 4 dead from fentanyl and open borders Where is the sensationalistic media guilt trip then?

Where is the media screaming for closing the border and stopping this massacre and the insane Biden border policies that no one understands? They should be screaming at least four times louder Their answer to firearm deaths: take your guns away Their answer to fentanyl deaths: what problem?

Max Christian St James City

‘All About Bromeliads’ and ‘Post Ian Repairs’ topics of Pine Island Garden Club meeting

This Thursday, Feb 16, the Pine Island Garden Club, at its monthly meeting beginning at 9 a.m. at the Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, will host fellow member Julie Stein who will enlighten everyone on bromeliads The topic will discuss the various species/cultivars, potting or planting and their maintenance, especially in a post-hurricane environment

Stein is the president of the Caloosahatchee Bromeliad Society and has engulfed herself into this flora culture

Also featured will be Gary and Donna Schneider, who

are owners of Pine Island Tropicals, which was founded in 1993 and offers fresh tropical fruit, organic vegetables, heliconia, ginger and bromeliads In 2015, their business was nationally honored as a Martha Stewart American Made enterprise The Schneiders will provide tips and advice to nurture plants from the hurricane trauma

Founded in 1975, the Pine Island Garden Club mission includes the protection and conservation of natural resources, encouraging island beauty and stimulating the study of the fine art of gardening Its civic duties include

the creation and maintenance of the grounds at Phillips Park, Museum of the Islands, Bokeelia Post Office and the butterfly garden at the Pine Island Elementary School

The club produces the Garden Gala (which will return in 2024), the proceeds from which are utilized to financially support several island benevolent organizations, such as the Beacon of Hope, Calusa Land Trust, CROW, Kiwanis Children’s Park and the Pine Island Food Pantry

For additional information, please visit pineislandgardenclub org or contact Marty Kendall at 239-283-8175

Reminder for Pine Islanders: The how-tos of curbside waste collection

Hurricane Ian debris pickup to only normal curbside collections, and Lee County Solid Waste would like to remind residents how to properly place out waste

Household garbage should be placed in containers of 40-gallon capacity or less with two handles and a tightfitting lid; 50-pound weight limit including trash - unless you live in an area that has automated collection and you

Cats of the Week

have been provided a county-issued container There is no limit to the number of containers residents can place curbside each week

The use of animal-proof containers is recommended; haulers are not responsible for spilled cans or torn bags

Large steel drums are not approved cans

Place cans and/or bags less than 6 feet from the roadside no more than 24 hours before the scheduled collection; remove empty cans within 48 hours after pick up.

Large, bulky items such as furniture and appliances can be placed at the curb next to your regular garbage If the item does not fit in the regular collection truck, your hauler will notify the home office and a separate collection truck will come out within three business days to

pick it up

Recyclables should be empty, clean, dry and loose in the cart

Yard waste must be placed in a container (50 pounds or less), or securely tied into bundles not heavier than 50 pounds and no longer than 6 feet in length Up to 50 pounds of unbundled palm fronds may be placed at the curb

Any excess palm fronds must be tied into bundles. Containers should be properly placed at the curb for collection no later than 6:30 a m on the collection day

Additional information about residential waste collection can be found at www leegov com/solidwaste/residential or by calling customer service at 239-533-8000

Patsy & Merle

These adorable siblings came to us shortly before the hurricane Now 6 months old, they are still waiting and hoping someone has room in their lives for one or both of them It is adopt-one-get-one free Patsy the torti, is the outgoing one While Merle (gray), is the shy sweet one Both kittens are fixed, up to date on shots and microchipped Stop in and meet them. It is pretty hard to resist such cuteness! For more information call Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary at 239-283-9100. If y o u ’ d r a t h e r j u s t d o n a t e , o u r a d d r e s s is 10060 Mallory Parkway E, Unit D, St. James City, FL, 33956, or there’s always our web-site www helpingpawsanimalsanctuary Thank you so much!

Eagle Editorial

From page 4

itself, will need to follow the academic benchmarks and the money to make sure all schools are equal as in f a i r a n d a p p r o p r i a t e among the new mini-zones

That will be the continuing task at hand and we urge our school system to make it a priority

M a y n o s c h o o l e v e r again be lesser-than May no student find lesser-than their only option

PHOTO PROVIDED

Pine Island Public Library receives Lee County One Org Employee Recognition

The Pine Island Public Library staff received a Lee County One Org Employee Recognition from the Department of Community Development Beginning in January 2023, the Pine Island Public Library has hosted the Remote Permit Office on Wednesdays, run by the Department of Community Development, to serve the people of Pine Island during the recovery process after Hurricane Ian The Department of Community Development recognized the Pine Island Library staff for their professional courtesy, helpfulness and care for the people of Pine Island.

The One Organization Employee Recognition program is intended to recognize a commitment to One Organization and its PITCH principles

One Organization, sometimes referred to as “One Org,” is a philosophy where the success of the organization is incumbent on people working together with a common goal of providing services to each other and our community

Award-winning author Macomber to headline 2023 Cracker Dinner

I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y - a c c l a i m e d a u t h o r Robert N. Macomber will headline the annual Cracker Dinner Monday, Feb 2 0 , a t t h e B r o a d w a y P a l m D i n n e r Theatre, hosted by the Southwest Florida Historical Society Macomber will speak on the topic

“ T h e A d v e n t u r o u s L i f e a n d S t r a n g e Death of the U S Navy Schooner Annie on Our Coast ” Annie was a U S Navy blockade ship during the Civil War that captured five ships

“Her life was impressively successful, her skipper wildly unpredictable and her strange demise is still a mystery to this day,” Macomber said Macomber is a multi-award-winning author best known for his Honor Series o f n a v a l th r ille r s d e s c r i b in g th e lif e o f a f ic t io n a l American naval officer Peter Wake His 16th novel in the series, “Code of Honor,” was released last April and has received the Editor’s Choice Award by Historical Novels Review He also has been honored as the Florida Writer of the Year by the Florida Writers Association, among dozens of other awards

In addition to his writing, Macomber is an internationally-recognized lecturer on 58 maritime topics and has been a consultant to the U S Department of Defense, spe-

cializing in strategic vision and planning by utilizing historical analogies.

W h e n n o t t r a v e l i n g t h e w o r l d o n research treks, lecture tours or book signings, he lives on Pine Island, the same coast where he grew up

The presentation will be accompanied by m u s i c p e r f o r m e d b y l o c a l s i n g e r J o h n Goulet

Buffet dinner starts at 5:30 p m and the program begins at 7 p m Tickets cost $40 and are available at the Broadway Palm, 1380 Colonial Blvd in Fort Myers There also will be door prizes, a silent auction and a book signing by Macomber

The annual Cracker Dinner is sponsored by George T Mann General Contractor and Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L C , among others

Funds raised at the annual dinner will be used to support the mission of the Southwest Florida Historical Society which is dedicated to preserving the history of our area by archiving donated historical documents, photos and maps and stimulating public interest and appreciation for local history

F o r a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e S o u t h w e s t Florida Historical Society, please visit https://www.facebook com/SWFLHS/ or call 239-939-4044

Matlacha Hookers, Winn-Dixie team up to host blood drive

The Matlacha Hookers are hooking up with WinnDixie to host its quarterly blood drive. For your pint donation, OneBlood will provide and a $20 eGift Card and a long sleeve T-shirt Donors will also receive a wellness check that includes blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screening

Mark your calendar for Saturday, Feb 18, from 10 a m until 3 p m at Winn-Dixie on Pine Island at 9864 Stringfellow Road Look for the Big Red Bus Remember that every donor can save up to three oth-

ers!Space is limited due to social distancing and donors are strongly encouraged to schedule appointments online. P

o n a

o w a n d u s e sponsor code #10492 For more information, please contact DJ at 239-910-3829

The Matlacha Hookers have also been selected as the Winn-Dixie Community Bag sponsor for the month of February Purchase a Community Bag for $2 50 and the Matlacha Hookers will receive $1 from every purchase

Bridge Beat

Robert Macomber

PIE's Little Free Library replaced

Pine Island Elementary’s Little Free Library was ruined by Hurricane Ian This library offers a variety of free reading material at any time to kids They can borrow a book to return, keep one from this library and/or bring one of their own to donate

T h a n k s t o t h e B o b b y H o l l o w a y J r M e m o r i a l Foundation, PIE now has a new Little Free Library made from composite materials that require no maintenance

Thanks goes to the school’s building supervisor, Rich Barber, for assembling the library

PIE wants to share the love of reading with others in the community Stop by the library and grab a book to read

Legion District 13 to host Veteran Suicide Awareness Event Feb. 25

The American Legion District 13 family is holding a Veteran Suicide Awareness Event and raising funds for Project: VetRelief and District 13 Saturday, Feb 25, from 10 a m till 4 p m

This event will be held at American Legion Post 136, 4106 Stringfellow Road, St James City The event will include multiple vendors and will start with a 2 2mile walk to remember the 22 veterans who die each day from suicide.

This event is a premier fundraising event where the money raised allows Project: VetRelief to fulfill its core mission of assisting Florida's veterans, active-duty military members and their families in their time of need They can confront issues by addressing a veteran’s, service member's and family member’s condition in a time of crisis, working to secure benefits, and offering a support system Project: VetRelief provides services to lessen the burden carried by our veterans, servicemen and women and deter these significant issues from affecting their lives

Project: VetRelief and District 13 are helping ensure that veterans, servicemen and women have the backing necessary to live successful and thriving civilian lives We assist during times of immediate need, work to secure benefits earned with service and provide encouragement through mentorship

Each year, organizations choose to support this event by donating $500 - $5,000 to Project: VetRelief and District 13 American Legion District 13 help raise funds for Project: VetRelief to help homeless veterans in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties These funds are needed to provide programs and services at absolutely no cost to those seeking help.

If you are interested in supporting or sponsoring this e

Checks can be made to American Legion Post 136, in the notes, write, VetRelief and mail the checks to American Legion Post 136, P O 776, St James City, FL 33956

PHOTO PROVIDED

Standing by Pine Island Elementary’s Little Free Library are Kelly Harley, Aubri Stuart, Adrian Perez Guadarrama, and Elvin Ajin

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Sponsored by:

‘Peter Ordway’ Paddling Tour’s monthly

The “Peter Ordway” Paddling Tour s e a s o n h a s r e c o m m e n c e d a n d t h i s month’s outing will be held Friday, Feb 24, at the Calusa Land Trust’s first preserve (1976), Calusa Island All interested paddlers are invited Participants will meet at Lee County’s Lavender’s Landing b o a t r a m p ( o n B a r r a n c a s A v e n u e i n Bokeelia) at 9 a m

Parking is free at the facility and paddlers are encouraged to bring their own water and lifejackets

The guided tour will meander around C a l u s a I s l a n d o b s e r v i n g t h e a n c i e n t

Calusa Indian midden (mound) and the resident birds, tortoises, dolphin and fish species

A post-paddle recommendation is the mullet sandwich at the Jug Creek Marina

The Calusa Land Trust is Pine Island’s all volunteer land conservancy, which sponsors events for public education and enjoyment The paddling tours are held on a monthly basis in season Kayaks are available for rental at Carmen’s Kayaks, at the end of Porto Bello on Jug Creek, 239-333-7332

Since it is also a fundraising effort, a donation of $20 per person/$10 for CLT member is requested.

Please contact Jim Friedlander at 860608-1158, jimfri29@gmail com for your reservation and further information

Ed Chapin, standing, leading one of the Ordway paddling tours PHOTO PROVIDED

Friends of the Pine Island Library Book Sale set for

Feb. 24

It was a tough bite over the week

Between wind, low water and possibly a trace of red tide in areas, it was not the most p r o d u c t i v e w e e k o f f i s h i n g F i s h w e r e caught but it often took a good amount of effort

As the wind blew much of the week, offshore fishing reports were scarce A few boats that made the short journey to 40 to 50-foot depths in the gulf found large sheepshead willing to bend a rod Fishing l i v e s h r i m p f i s h e d o n t h e b o t t o m a l s o worked for snapper, grunts, plus catch-andrelease gag grouper.

Inshore, many anglers found tough fishing with a slow bite There were a few exceptions where action was steady with quality fish, but for most it was more fishing than catching

Bill Russell On the Water

Snook up to 29 inches were caught and released fishing around structure around the gulf passes, canal mouths around St James City, and Burgess Bay Baits included live shrimp, pilchards, pinfish and sub-surface lures Redfish, with a few pushing 30 inches went for live shrimp around structure inside the passes and a couple were sight-fished around sand holes on the low water near Burnt Store Marina

Spotted seatrout ranged in size from babies barely a foot long up to 21 inches They appear to be on the move as an area may produce fish one day then not much the next The best bet is to fish an area for a short time, if no results, move to another area, and repeat until you find a

bite. Most trout reported came from 3 to 6foot grass flats in Pine Island Sound and the drop off of bar edges around Charlotte Harbor Ladyfish, an occasional pompano and bonnethead sharks were hooked by trout anglers as well

Those putting in the time scored with decent sheepshead fishing inshore around the gulf islands, oyster bars and structure Baits included shrimp, either live or cut pieces, and mud crabs, all fished on bottom

No hot bites were reported, but patient anglers were rewarded with a bucket of good fish

Another weekend, another windy cool front By mid-week winds should settle down and get fishing back on track Only q u e s t i o n , w i l l t h e w e a t h e r r e p e a t t h i s upcoming weekend?

To keep up on current fishing regulations, you can go to www myfwc comor download the Fish Rules app for the latest rules and regulations

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www fishpine island com; or via email at gcl2fish@ live com

Have a safe week and good fishin’

As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning

County remote permit office at Pine Island Public Library

Lee County Department of Community Development opened a weekly remote permit office at the Pine Island Public Library, 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia in early January 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 each Wednesday at least through Feb 15

Scheduled hours at the re-mote permit office are 10 a m to 5 p m

For more information, visit www leegov com/dcd or call 239-533-8585.

the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years

PHOTO PROVIDED

Windy and cold is a good time to find a protected area and fish for sheepshead This nice one plus others were caught on a live shrimp fished on a jighead near Cayo Costa State Park fishing with Capt Bill Russell

Capt

works like magic Silberg admits they are still finding things out about each other after all these years, and says he finds that exciting

Lovegrove said spontaneity plays a big part of why the magic has lasted so long for the couple, while Silberg gives his wife the credit for being so creative, admitting what first attracted him to her was her love for life.

“She loves animals, she loves anything that’s new almost like a child it’s just very rare in adults and I was so attracted to that, and that’s never stopped, she’s always looking for new things it’s an adventure,” Silberg said

In addition to being handsome, Lovegrove said the qualities she most admired about her husband were his kindness and gentility

“I grew up in very chaotic family and Mike was so gentle and kind I never saw that in a man before It was almost like love at first sight,” Lovegrove said Lovegrove said although she and Silberg had similar

backgrounds, as far as being raised in the Christian faith, she feels that in many ways, he raised her

“He had so much good in him and I didn’t really know what was right and wrong Being a young adult raised in an oddball atmosphere, I felt like Mike raised me and taught me about God and Jesus, kind of pointing me back in the right direction, so I could continue to create and I could continue to enjoy life,” Lovegrove said

In contrast to Lovegrove’s limelight artistry, Silberg said his passion is theology, in addition to hugging his wife as often as possible Jesus and the Bible have become an intense desire for him, as he has his own ministry, where he preaches online to quite a following This online ministry began shortly after the pandemic, when many people were not able to attend church

“I’ve been teaching and writing and involved in the ministry through the years, but this seems to be something that I truly enjoy,” Silberg said

Lovegrove said she often enjoys painting as her husband preaches on major holidays, offering her a nice mix, although she admits the stress of painting live keeps her from doing it all the time

When the charismatic movement came around in the 1960s, Silberg said he jumped in with both feet, crediting the movement for the shaping of his faith at a young age, as he considers himself both non-denominational and independent

Her husband’s faith was a welcome addition, as Lovegrove describes the island, when the couple first moved here 28 years ago, as “rough and tough ”

“We moved here because it was the only place we could afford We wanted to be on the water, so Mike came up with this thing Pray for Matlacha, and we’ve been praying for Matlacha ever since,” Lovegrove said

Silberg admits, although plans changed for the couple several times since Hurricane Ian, often having them wondering what they would do, things are finally taking shape and falling into place for them He describes the hurricane as a major setback but says he believes things will come back strong It is this brand of optimism and concern that Lovegrove counts as one of her husband’s biggest attributes.

“I think Mike’s biggest asset to Matlacha is his prayerfulness for all these years,” Lovegrove said

In response, Silberg believes his wife to be a powerful connector, bringing people together at the right time and for the right circumstance

“She knows a lot of people from all walks of life when anything happens, Leoma is able to connect the dots and get the people who are really needed to act,” Silberg said

What’s kept these two on Pine Island for all these years, they say, is a combination of the beauty of the island and the people

“For me it’s the tropical foliage and all the people who have come for 25 years, we’ve gotten to know them really well, and even all their families it’s really a community of family,” Silberg said

“The people really inspired my paintbrush Someone once coined me as the people’s painter, and I really kept that,” Lovegrove said

Mahjongg Scores

On Feb 9 there were 13 ladies who played mahjongg at St James City Civic Association The top scorers were Jeanne Nattress with 120 points, Sue Rasmussen with 125 and Peggy Finley with 175

Mahjongg is played every Thursday from 1-4 p m , year round SJCCA is located at Fourth Avenue and Lemon Street in St James City Players of all abilities are welcome We gladly teach new players

CLT’s 24th Annual Great Calusa Rubber Duck Raffle to be held March 4

Raffle has 3,000 rubber ducks at $10 each plus 50/50 raffle tickets and the White Elephant sale

H

benches

For these reasons, the Calusa Land Trust is ready to host a big party, Pine Island Strong!

The main event Great Calusa Duck

GPICA

The first place duck wins $2,000 for its ticket owner and second place wins $1,000 Participants need not be present to win

Remember, all the net proceeds from the event go to the Calusa Land Trust to acquire and maintain environmentally sensitive or historically important lands i n t h e G r e a t e r P i n e I s l a n d a r e a . Donations are very much appreciated

From page 1

interested, Sutton recommends calling the hotline- 239-533-7996

Lee County Solid Waste Director Doug Whitehead told GPICA members county collection material needs to be out on their curbs by March 1 There is a state prog r a m a v a i l a b l e f o r a p p l i c a t i o n a t Iandebriscleanup com Solid Waste will be on the island, he estimated, for a month after the deadline

B u i l d i n g o f f i c i a l o f L e e C o u n t y Department of Community Development Shawn McNulty said demolition permits are currently being prioritized He assured islanders the DCD is working as hard and as diligently as possible to process permits, but said he will re-evaluate the number of people working on this task

Islanders were concerned that trash and debris from damaged and ruined homes is not being removed fast enough, leaving uninsured islanders the job of removal themselves

Florida Department of Transportation Project Manager James Hefflefinger gave an update on the island roads, saying FDOT is committed to improving quality of life for the community and property owners of Pine Island An executive order from Gov DeSantis reads, “Pave the way for urgent planning and design for permanent Pine Island road, causeway, and bridge repairs ” Hefflefinger recommends v i s i t i n g w w w s w f l r o a d s c o m / p r ojects/451937-2 to view updates or submit comments He shared some of the project g o a l s , i n c l u d i n g , d e v e l o p , d e s i g n a n d deliver phases of construction to provide for a permanent roadway meeting the a p p l i c a b l e s t a n d a r d s w i t h i n t h e L e e

County right-of-way.

G P I C A b o a r d m e m b e r D e b o r a h Swisher-Hicks reported island development, with a focus on the Pine Island Plan The proposed used car lot located at 3640 S W Pine Island Road has been approved by the hearing examiner, she said, and will now be moved to the commissioner’s board Three islanders attended the meeting and all three plan to return to submit objections to the proposed project, Hicks said

Hicks also gave an update on developer Jefferson Lake, with plans to put a 6 0 , 0 0 0 - s q u a r e - f o o t s e l f - s t o r a g e u n i t behind the Publix at Calusa Cay as well as a sheriff station with increased footage from the previous allowance of 35 feet to 38 feet This project has already been approved by the hearing examiner as well as Lee County Commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner Kevin Ruane The GPICA is awaiting Ruane’s recommendation

The fire department has requested the installment of a helicopter pad in St James City This project has already been approved by the hearing examiner

The number of homes being built in the Orchid Cove project at 5200 Pine Island R o a d , N W , w h i c h w a s a p p r o v e d i n 1984, is 94 low-rise multi-family units, Hicks said

Board elections resulted in Helen Fox being re-elected board president, Mike Sweeney re-elected for board treasurer, and Tim Heitz, new board member.

To view this meeting in its entirety, visit the GPICA Facebook page

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