‘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

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