Pine Island Eagle

Easter special

Winn-Dixie, PI Food Pantry to provide holiday meal to islanders in need

Hookers latest luau another big success

Special to The Eagle pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Mother Nature smiled on the Matlacha Hookers and delivered a picture-perfect day Sunday, Feb 25, as the group held its 12th annual Luau fundraiser

What began at Alden Pines as a wine tasting back in 2012 has grown into an event that benefits a rotation of Pine Island charities Hooker Madam Linda Bohacek said the recipients this year are the Beacon of Hope and the St James City Civic Association where the festivities took place

Last year’s luau brought in $20,000, and organizers are hoping the proceeds will be greater this time The

Civic Association building is still staging a comeback after the devastation of Hurricane Ian, and the Beacon’s funding for everyday operations has dwindled as folks directed donations toward hurricane relief A sellout crowd should help address these goals

According to Sandy Kerr, event co-chair and graphic designer, 350 tickets were sold

Cindy Walton said in addition to the wine, they now serve beers, sangria and rum punch Lining the main room were 41 baskets to be auctioned along with 17 other prizes such as trips and artwork The Bling

GPICC Island Fest with Mullet Toss set for Saturday at Phillips Park

By PAULETTE LEBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Anevent that has become an island tradition returns this Saturday, March 9, when the Island Fest with Mullet Toss takes place from 10 a m to 5 p m at Phillips Park Ball Field, located at 5675 Sesame Drive in Bokeelia

“The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce continues the tradition, in spite of being mid-recovery f r o m H u r r i c a n e I a n , ” c h a m b e r o f b o a r d m e m b e r Cynthia Welch said last week.

Pine Island is known for its fishing industry and in more recent times, skills at throwing mullet, Welch pointed out, challenging everyone to put their skills to the test By age groups, contests will continue all day, she said, in an effort to discover who can throw a fish the furthest

Two of the highlights of the festivities, she said, are

Department and Lee County Sherriff’s Department and new this year will be a Championship Toss, which will elect King and Queen Mullet 2024

“Bragging rights and cash prizes should make for a fun afternoon,” Welch said

The chamber is very happy to “throw fish,” Welch said, with over 60 island businesses represented at this year’s Island Fest Hopefully, Welch went on, the word is out by now that Pine Island is open for business and still having fun

“We are so happy to be back at the Phillips Park

A competitor lets a fish fly during a previous island Mullet Toss competition.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA WELCH

Island Potters’ Guild Show this weekend

Spring has come to Pine Island, and the Pine Island Potters’ Guild will be relishing Florida’s beautiful weather with its March Potters’ Guild Show, held on Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the courtyard of Koucky Studios Come to the guild show (there is ample parking) to meet local artisans who are pleased to talk with you about their work and medium

This month, the guild will feature demonstrations in a variety of mediums Bernadette’s Designs will demonstrate its fabric printing and painting using local leaves, flowers and fauna as the templates and inspiration Come chat with Bonnie and Jessi (a mother-daughter team) as they explain their craft

Have you ever wanted to try to create a piece of pottery on a potter’s wheel? Stop by and enjoy an opportunity to immerse your hands in clay and shape the clay under the direction of Chuck Koucky or other experienced potters

At 11 a m , see the guild’s monthly horsehair raku pottery demonstration by potter Koucky and some of his pottery class students Horsehair pottery, as the name implies, incorporates hair from the tails and manes of horses into its design The random lines and patterns are the signature of this style are created when applying strands of hair to the surface of a hot raku clay pot that has just been removed from the kiln

Demonstrations in beaded jewelry-making and woodturning will be available as well.

The Guild Show welcomes new vendors Come meet Sam and Brittanee Almeida of Pine Island Mushrooms, who will be offering their freshly made bread and a variety of locally grown mushrooms Enjoy colorful paintings and prints by artist Lisa Marino Her floral works are available as originals, prints and note cards

The show features works in all mediums: ready-towear art, tropical home décor, books, note cards, locally made jams, honey, mustards and hot sauces All pieces will be available for purchase This small, inviting venue provides a welcoming environment to chat with island artists and craftsmen. Be sure to inquire about their craft,

See POTTERS’ GUILD, page 16

Community Cooperative announces March Mobile Food Pantry times and locations; Pine Island visit set for March 15

Community Cooperative has released its March 2024 food pantry schedule The reality for many is a struggle to put food on the table Community Cooperative recognizes this disparity and steps forward to alleviate the burden for those in our community

The Mobile Food Pantry will provide nutritious meals to those in need at the following area locations throughout this month:

■ Wednesday, March 6, 9-11 a m -- VA Healthcare Center, 2489 Diplomat Parkway E., Cape Coral (Use Corbett Road entrance ) For veterans and veteran families only

■ Tuesday, March 12, 9:30-11:30 a m -- Literacy Council Gulf Coast, 26820 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs

■ Wednesday, March 13, 3-5 p m -- Cape Coral Technical College, 360 Santa Barbra Blvd , N , Cape

Coral

■ T h u r s d a y , M a r c h 1 4 , 1 0 a m t o n o o n - -

Presbyterian Apartments, 925 Virginia Ave , Fort Myers

■ Friday, March 15, 10-11:30 a m -- Pine Island United Methodist Church, 5701 Pine Island Road

■ Monday, March 18, 10 a m to noon -- Mariner’s Landing, 2120 Carrell Road, Fort Myers

■ Tuesday, March 19, 10 a m to noon -- Pine Manor Community Center, 5547 Tenth Ave , Fort Myers

■ Wednesday, March 20, 9-11 a.m. -- VA Healthcare Center, 2489 Diplomat Parkway, E , Cape Coral For veterans and veteran families only

■ Wednesday, March 27, 3-5 p m -- North Fort Myers High School, 5000 Orange Grove Blvd , North Fort Myers

■ Thursday, March 28, 3-4:30 p m -- Island Coast

High School, 2125 De Navarra Parkway, Cape Coral

Please check Community Cooperative's website and social media pages for any updates or changes to the schedule

About Community Cooperative

Since 1984, Community Cooperative has worked to effectively eliminate hunger and homelessness in southwest Florida while simultaneously inspiring and supporting sustained positive change in its clients by delivering innovative food, education, and social service programs

T h r o u g h c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d o n g o i n g e d u c a t i o n , Community Cooperative supports and strengthens those whose lives have been affected by hunger and homelessness, ensuring that they have access to the resources necessary to transform their lives with dignity

CLT work/fun party Saturday at Wigert/Barron Preserve

The Calusa Land Trust will hold a work/fun party this Saturday, March 9, at the Wigert/Barron Preserve beginning at 9 a.m. This preserve is located in Bokeelia at the east end of Barrancas Avenue at its intersection with Aura Lane

Effort will be concentrated on invasive plant and continue hurricane debris removal The 32-acre preserve boasts three distinctive habitats: a rare coastal scrub environment, transitional uplands and a mangrove forest abutting Jug Creek The former contains a thriving gopher tortoise colony The upland portion has undergone a major invasive plants removal project An infor-

The Wigert/Barron Preserve on Pine Island

mational kiosk, butterfly garden, interpretative signs and trail markers have been added, which allow hikers to follow the “Nancy Rogers Nature Trail” and loop through the various habitats and view Rubye's Pond and the Sara Schwandt bench along the way

The Calusa Land Trust is an all volunteer land conservancy and relies upon motivated Pine Islanders to assist in the stewardship of its 2,400+ acres of preserved l a n d s H a p p y p a r t i c i p a n t s s h o u l d i n c l u d e w o r k gloves/clothing and pruning tools and for their efforts will be rewarded with cold beverages, a pizza lunch, shared warm friendships and a sense of accomplishment

For more information, contact Les Smith at 978-6187447 or lesmanatee3355@gmail com

Garage sale and breakfast Saturday at the SJCCA

The St James City Civic Center Garage Sale will be held Saturday, March 9.

The sale is a fun way to meet the neighbors and see what you might like to add to your treasures Items available include lamps, dishes and artwork New donations come in often

Vendors can join The cost is $10 for members and $20 for non-members

Breakfast will be served at the SJCCA from 8-10 a m The meal includes scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, sausage gravy, pancakes, cinnamon toast, strawberries with whipped cream, coffee and tea The cost is $9 per person

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W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a r c h 6 , 2 0 2

The March 19 Presidential Preference Primary will be here soon If you plan to vote by mail in this year's elections, you must submit a new request. I encourage you to act now! Voting by mail is the most convenient way to cast your vote Visit www lee vote to request your mail ballot

To continue providing superior election services, we implemented BallotTrax a secure ballot tracking and notification service that provides you with a series of updates on the state of your Vote-by-Mail Ballot through email, text and phone alerts during the election

When you sign up for this free service, you will receive notifications every step of the way from the time your ballot is mailed, to when it is received and counted If an issue arises with your ballot, you will receive an alert with instructions on how to resolve it

To sign up for BallotTrax and customize your notification preferences, visit our website at www lee vote

Instilling trust in the election process and

Greater Pine Island Kiwanis Club now a 501(c)(3) foundation

To the editor:

Island residents are already well acquainted with Kiwanis through our many projects on the island, including the Fall Festival at P i n e I s l a n d E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l , K i w a n i s Park, summer pool parties, reading to kids at school and providing scholarships to high school seniors

We are now a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, created to support and advance the goals of Kiwanis in the community If someone would like to make a tax deductible donation towards scholarships or another designated project, they now have that opportunity Since our inception, we have already received a very generous donation from an anonymous donor, who is a long time Pine Island resident The funds will be used for a number of island related educational projects, including scholarships

Additional information can be obtained by c o n t a c t i n g u s a t P I K i w a n i s F o u n d a t i o n @ gmail com

Thank you

Gus Hawkins

Greater Pine Island Kiwanis Club Foundation

‘Answer’ not at all clear

To the editor:

Normally I do not reply or make com-

i n c r e a s i n g t r a n s p a r e n c y i n conducting elections in Lee County is paramount Physical s e c u r i t y a n d c y b e r s e c u r i t y remain top priorities in keepi n g o u r e l e c t i o n s s a f e a n d accurate

B e g i n n i n g t h i s y e a r , w e will use Clear Ballot a post-election audit system certified by the state of Florida to verify election results This s y s t e m a l l o w s u s t o s c a n 100% of the ballots used in an election and compare election r e s u l t s f r o m V o t e - b y - M a i l , E a r l y V o t i n g a n d E l e c t i o n Day to ensure the accuracy of our tabulation system This w i l l f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n o u r election process and provide greater assurance to voters

Florida has the strictest election laws in the United States to prevent voter fraud My team and I, together with the Supervisors of

ment to any view expressed in the “letters to the editor” editorial section After all, opinions vary and being able to express differences is a basic right in our society However, one recent letter was so inaccurate with d i s d a i n , a s w r i t t e n , t h a t i t d e s e r v e s a response

I am referring to the letter of Feb 28 titled “The Gift ”

T h e w r i t e r o b v i o u s l y h a s a v e n d e t t a against Donald Trump to whom she refers as “The former President ” The writer accuses him of “blatant support” of Russia (Putin’s) interest The letter goes on to say, the “former president” used his “treacherous power of revenge” to bully the speaker of the House into rejecting a bill in Congress to fund various foreign governments The letter says he did it as a “gift” to Putin The letter ends with “Who will run our government if the ‘former president’ is successful in his reelection effort?”

The last sentence puts this over the top and is non-rational and hateful: “The answer is clear, Putin ”

I wonder if the writer realizes how shallow and obviously one-sided this letter is.

It does not take much to put facts first and above disdain and hatred for a particular candidate

I end with this comment to ponder

“When your hatred for one man is greater than your love for our country, and the val-

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E l e c t i o n s a c r o s s t h e s t a t e , work diligently to uphold the statutorily mandated voter registration and election procedures that work to preserve the i n t e g r i t y o f t h e e l e c t i o n process

A s y o u r S u p e r v i s o r o f Elections, let me assure you that my team and I remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of elections in Lee County by continuing to cond u c t a c c u r a t e , s e c u r e a n d transparent elections

As your trusted source for e l e c t i o n i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns

T o m m y D o y l e i s t h e L e e C o u n t y Supervisor of Elections For more information, visit https://www lee vote/ or call 239533-8683

ues we hold dear, You might be part of the problem”

Tom Gunderman

Cape Coral

Reagan would be appalled at today’s ‘Reagan Republicans’

To the editor:

i v e a g e n d a , b u t h e u n d e r s t o o d h e h a d a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o a l l A m e r i c a n s , n o t j u s t t h o s e w h o a g r e e d w i t h h i m Ray Clasen North Fort Myers Report your news to PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COm OPINIONS 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 Subscriptions 1 Year $52 To Pay For Your Subscription P O Box 151306 Cape Coral FL 33915 Circulation (239) 574-1936 Classified Advertising (239) 574-5644 Display Advertising (239) 283-2022 Customer service hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a m to 5 p m , except major holidays Letters to the editor must be typed or handprinted Your name and phone number must be affixed to the copy In the event of an advertising error we are responsible only for the first incorrect insertion of the ad itself We are not responsible for any credit or reimbursement after 30 days from publication Postal Information: Bulk rate postage paid at Fort Myers, FL Postmaster Send address changes to the Pine Island Eagle Permit # 521 The Eagle is published every Wednesday 10700 Stringfellow Road, Ste 60 Bokeelia, FL 33922 Phone: (239) 283-2022 Fax: (239) 283-0232 Web: pineisland-eagle com Web Poll Previous Web Poll Question: Should the GPIA apply for a HUD grant for continued storm recovery? ■ Yes, it can’t hurt to try 50% ■ Yes, if it’s a benefit to all islanders 11% ■ Maybe depending on the request 0% ■ No 39% Current Web Poll Question: Will you be voting in the upcoming presidential primary?

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Dolphin play

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Like humans, dolp h i n s p o s s e s s t h e ability to beneficially alter their surroundings, solve problems a n d f o r m c o m p l e x s o c i a l g r o u p s . T h e y h a v e h i g h l y d e v e loped social skills and s e l f - a w a r e n e s s , w h i c h p r o p e l t h e i r playful nature Dolp h i n s , l i k e h u m a n s , require social structure for communicat i o n , b r e e d i n g a n d protection D o l p h i n s l o v e t o play as humans do E v e n a m o n g a d u l t s they play with each other with objects and with their food In the wild, play objects are seaweed, wood pieces, feathers, fish and plastic bags or bottles Of course, we want to remove as much plastic from our local waterways as possible When boating, always keep a net onboard and make it a teaching experience to remove any plastic items from the water

Capt Cathy Eagle

Dolphin Tales

then they are on their way Certainly, curiosity is a common trait among dolphin If you are a pregnant woman, the dolphins a r e l i k e l y t o h a n g around longer Their e c h o l o c a t i o n a l l o w s them to see the fetus and hear the heartbeat

However, if a dolphin approaches you in the wild, it is best to not engage, pursue or otherwise interact with the dolphin It would be unwise and p o t e n t i a l l y d a n g e rous to try to pet a wild dolphin They are large, powerful, wild animals

D o l p h i n s e x p r e s s l o v e a n d affection among each other with g e n t l e b u m p i n g a n d t o u c h i n g They rub each other with their pectoral fins, engage in synchron i z e d s w i m m i n g , u s e v o c a l i z ations and protect each other from potential threats

Pine Island Food Pantry Easter Holiday Food Drive continues

To help those in need ahead of the Easter holiday, the Pine Island Food Pantry is partnering with Winn-Dixie to host an Easter food drive through March 15 Customers can support the food drive by purchasing a $15 food bag with all the fixings for an Easter ham dinner at the Pine Island Winn-Dixie store

On Saturday, March 15, from 11 a m to 3 p m , the Pine Island Winn-Dixie will also host a community celebration with live music, giveaways and more All donations received during the event will benefit The Pantry

In December, The Pantry partnered with Winn-Dixie for a holiday food drive that resulted in over $2,000 in donations The pantry has been in existence since 1993 and is run by 100% volunteer staff, all donations go directly

to those in need Since Hurricane Ian, the client base has increased by 50% and is still growing so the need is greater than ever

T h e p a n t r y a l s o k i n d l y r e q u e s t s a l l Snowbirds to consider dropping off extra food before leaving for the season Food items can be dropped off at the pantry or at any of the Pine Island Food Pantry “drop off box” locat i o n s a t W i n n - D i x i e a t 9 8 6 4 S t r i n g f e l l o w Road, St James City; Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church at 12175 Stringefellow Road, Bokeelia; Centennial Bank at 5551 Sunset Lane, St James City; and Matlacha Post Office at 4547 Pine Island Road, Matlacha.

Winn-Dixie and pantry officials say thank you all in advance for your generosity this Easter season

Friends of the Pine Island Library to present free Zoom Author Talk March 14

D o l p h i n s a l s o e n j o y p l a y i n g with humans, which may be why people enjoy dolphins so much D o l p h i n s l e a r n h u m a n g a m e s quickly and they also make up their own games and teach them to people Most of this play occurs with dolphin in captivity They are being taught by skilled trainers and are rewarded with food

P i n e I s l a n d E a g l e

I n t h e w i l d , d o l p h i n s w o u l d rather spend time away from us u n l e s s t h e r e i s f o o d i n v o l v e d However, it is illegal to feed any wild marine mammal. If you are in the water swimming, dolphin may come to check you out briefly, but

These strong bonds are unique c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a m o n g o u r l o c a l b o t t l e n o s e d o l p h i n s I t i s w h a t drives their intimate social structure and keeps the pods strong

B o t t l e n o s e d o l p h i n s a r e extremely intelligent Their brain to body mass is second only to humans

Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 40 years boating on our local waters As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours. Visit CaptainCathy com or call/text 239-9942572 Welcome aboard!

The Friends of Pine Island Library will host a Zoom Author Talk with bestselling author Samantha Silva Thursday, March 14, at 2

required to acquire the Zoom link. Please regi

PILibrary@gmail com

Florida author and Friends member Marty

Results from Thursday’s cribbage games at the St. James City Civic Association”

1st Place John Hennessy

2nd Place Dennis Gettys

3rd Place Joel Schuitema 4th Place Sue Mulder

Ambrose will talk with Silva, author of the novels “Love and Fury” and “Mr Dickens and His Carol ”

Silva is also a screenwriter who has sold projects to Paramount, Universal and New Line Cinema.

T h e P i n e I s l a n d L i b r a r y i s a t 1 0 7 0 1 Russell Road, Bokeelia Contact the library at 239-533-4350

"Lamb of the Week -- Linda Bessette (2nd loser - Pam Placek )

Cribbage is played on Thursday evenings at 6:30 at the SJCCA at 3300 Fourth Ave , at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Lemon Street Come out, have some fun and bring a friend

Cribbage Corner

St John’s Episcopal Church Card/Game Party March 19

T h e S t J o h n ’ s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h

Card/Game Party will be held Tuesday, March 19, from 10 a m to 2 p m

Tickets are $25 To buy a ticket please email stjohnspineislandfl@gmail com or

Church of God of Prophecy chicken dinner this Saturday

The Church of God of Prophecy will be having a c h i c k e n d i n n e r S a t u r d a y , March 9

Dinner will be takeout only, no dine-in.

The price is $10 per dinn e r c h i c k e n , m a s h e d potatoes and gravy, corn or green beans, dinner roll and dessert Chicken is fried in peanut oil Gluten free and b a k e d c h i c k e n a v a i l a b l e upon request

C a l l y o u r o r d e r i n t o

239-283-2128 as soon as possible, quantities are limited.

M e a l p i c k - u p i s f r o m 12:30-3 p m

The church is located at 15146 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia

call 239-283-1820 and leave a message

Join the fun and be treated to a quiche, salad, fruit and dessert lunch

The church is at 7771 Stringfellow Road

Fishing in March? Anything is possible!

It's been a wet, windy a n d c o l d w i n t e r f o r S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a s t a ndards With luck, March will kick the pattern as we exit winter and move into s p r i n g S p r i n g f i s h i n g i s looked upon as some of the best of the year with a wide variety of species willing to bend a rod As days get l o n g e r a n d w a r m e r , t h e water temperature will rise Schooling bait fish return t o l o c a l w a t e r s w i t h t h e warming waters This is a combination that rings the dinner bell for fish along our coastal waters

Capt Bill Russell

On the Water

The winter sheepshead run should come to a close over the month As they complete their spawning d u t i e s , t h e y d i s p e r s e t o w h o k n o w s

where There’s still a good c h a n c e t o h o o k b i g o n e s around inshore structure and n e a r s h o r e r e e f s I n s h o r e , pompano is a possibility if fishing with shrimp or small pompano jigs S p a n i s h m a c k e r e l a r e a great target as they are ferocious feeders, lightning fast and offer a good fight Plus, p r e p a r e d f r e s h , t h e y o f f e r excellent table fare that is o f t e n o v e r l o o k e d . T o m e they are the perfect fish when looking for fun and action When mackerel are present odds are good that sharks are nearby; sharks love snacking on mackerel

This month kicks off good snook

See MARCH page 9

For her birthday, Terri Rolfes along with husband and good friends spent the day fishing nearshore gulf waters They brought home a cooler with a variety of tasty fish while fishing 35 to 45foot depths with Capt. Bill Russell

PHOTO

March

From page 8

fishing along our coastal waters. Water temperature is critical for snook -- too cold and they are often dormant As the water rises to 70 degrees or above and holds, we can look for snook to become active, on the move and hungry Like many of our gamefish, their primary diet will become oily bait fish Snook season is open through April

With the invasion of bait fish and warming water, big trout become common catches Many of our largest seatrout of the year are caught this month Trout are in their first and largest spawn cycle of the year, look for the bigger fish to get aggressive and hungry

Following months of daytime low tides and often not much water to navigate, our first spring high tides begin Higher tides allow for good opportunities to target redfish along mangrove shorelines and over oyster bars Early morning low tides also allow anglers great shots at tailing redfish over the shallow flats

Offshore, on days the weather allows there are good o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r a v a r i e t y o f f i s h , i n c l u d i n g r e e f d w e l l e r s l i k e s n a p p e r , g r o u p e r , g r u n t s , p o r g i e s , sheepsheads and others As the water warms, schools of fast-moving Spanish and king mackerel, plus false albacore or bonito and even some blackfin tuna, are making their way up the coast and busting up any schooling bait fish they encounter within sight of land Keep an eye out for tripletail around buoys or floating debris and don’t be surprised if a big cobia makes its presence around your boat while bottom fishing Fishing around one of the public artificial reefs is always a good choice for a variety of fish

Early season tarpon begin to show a few miles off the beaches, to the southern part of our region slowly making their way up the coast Tarpon hook-ups are possible

Cat of the Week

Rambo

Look at those chubby cheeks! Rambo is not only adorable, he is sweet and cuddly as well He loves attention and all the snuggles. Unfortunately for him, he tested positive for FIV. FIV cats are often overlooked because of fear or lack of information. In a nutshell, FIV cats have a compromised immune system. They are not contagious to people or other species FIV can be spread from mother to kitten and through deep penetrating bite wounds Rambo is a lover not a fighter, so that’s not something to worry about He is only 2 years old and has no other health issues Rambo is one of those cats you can’t help but fall in love with He just needs someone to give him a chance. For more information, call Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary at 239-283-9100 or come meet this amazing cat. 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 website www helpingpawsanimalsanctuary com

inshore as the waters warm over the month.

March is a month where anything is possible, and you should always expect the unexpected We generally have some cool and windy days, but they will be offset with stretches of great weather as we break into the spring season If you have company down from the north, it’s a great time to get them on the water There's nothing better than a day with nature, away from the congested roads and crowds to show them what a good time in Florida is all about

Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting www myfwc com Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help identify fish

As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Flori-da, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years

Matlacha Community Yard Sale Saturday

There will be a Matlacha Community Yard Sale this Saturday, March 9, starting at 8 a m

A number of houses will be participating Look for balloons marking the locations for the sale

Multiple items will be available, including original paintings, decorative tiles, dishes, furniture, fishing equipment, plants, clothing, kitchen items, CDs and much more

Mahjongg Scores

It was a very jolly group of mahjongg p l a y e r s o n t h e l a s t d a y o f F e b r u a r y Welcome back Adrienne and thanks for the cookies!

Top scorers were Carolyn Crosby with 195 points, Jackie Mallory with 140 and Judith Engle and Linda Selleck each with

135 points

We play Mahjongg every Thursday from 1-4 p.m. at St James City Civic

Fourth Ave

Come and join us and learn a new skill! Call Carolyn at 239-233-7682

Bridge Beat

Bridge is played every Wednesday at 12:30 p m at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church Anyone who plays a decent game of bridge is welcome and does not need a partner It costs $3 to play, some of which goes back to three winners

L a s t w e e k ’ s w i n n e r s w e r e M a r t y Peyer, 1st place; Mary Tobias, 2nd place; and Karen McWright, 3rd place Fishers of Men Lutheran Church is at 10360 Stringfellow Road in St James City

Obituaries

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W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a r c h

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Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Island Fest

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Ball Field, where we’ve had it before, now that we’re moving on from the hurricane We’re also happy to present the new competition of the King and Queen Mullet 2024, which is a contest to see which male and female can throw the fish the furthest it should make the g r a n d f i n a l e t o t h e t h r o w i n g p r e t t y e x c i t i n g , ” s a i d Welch

If you find that you’re not interested in throwing a fish, she reasoned Island Fest has something for everyone Event highlights include:

■ Pine Island artisan, craft and business booths

■ Food and adult beverages

■ Boats and fishing seminars

■ Mermaid and pirate best dressed contest

■ Kiwanis Fish Drop

■ Live music from island band, Pipe Dream

The schedule of events is as follows:

Mullet Toss: sign up at Island Fest, the contests start at 10 a m

Hookers luau

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Boutique featured gently used donated jewelry Well over 100 mystery wines were available for a $10 donation each

Randy and Andy Ross of Randy’s Catering dished out barbecued chicken and sides Randy, a native Floridian, has been catering for 20 years, yet still considers it a hobby because he’s having so much fun doing weddings and events like this one C W Fudge provided desserts

Each year, a local artist is featured. This year’s choice was acrylic and watercolor artist Jill Cadwell of J L Cadwell Designs Mark Dupuy performed a relaxing set list on guitar, flute, and steel drums

Pine Islanders are known for pulling together in times of need Doing so while enjoying food, beverages, and music couldn’t be any more typical of the place we call home

Randy Ross of Randy’s Catering served barbecue chicken meals for the luau

PHOTO PROVIDED

Potters’ Guild

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and learn about opportunities in our area for classes and workshops.

Koucky Studios is located at 5971 Bay Point Road, in Bokeelia, at the corner of Bay Point and Stringfellow

Registration from 10 a m Judging starts at noon

Fishing Seminars: Ongoing throughout the day, presented by Big Boy Bait & Tackle

Music: Pipe Dream live on stage from 3 p.m.

Kiwanis Fish Drop: 4:30 p m Buy your “fish drop” ticket, closest to the bullseye wins

The Chamber asks for a $5 donation at the gate A portion of the proceeds benefits the island youth programs, including the Little League, Kiwanis youth programs and Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow (P I L O T )

Roads, just after Mile Marker 11, on the east side of Stringfellow. For more information about the Potters’ Guild Show, please call Nancy Koucky at 239-2333003

i n e I s l a n d E a g l e

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W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a r c h