Pine Island Eagle

Winn-Dixie's annual food drive Saturday

Donations will help stock the island Food Pantry for the summer

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Pine Island Winn-Dixie store manager

D a n L o u g h r e n i s e x c i t e d a b o u t t h e upcoming annual food drive coming to the store Saturday, April 1, from 11 a m to 3 p m , and said all proceeds will be going to the Pine Island Food Pantry

Loughren, who admits his goal is to

feed the community, said th annual food drive is just on way islanders can show sup port toward one another In addition to the food drive, there will be food bags, just as Pine Island Winn-Dixie has through the holiday seas o n . T h e s e a r e a l r e a d y a v a i l a b l e f o r $ 1 5 , w h i c h began Wednesday, March 22

The store’s lobby is full of dry food products avail-

Froggy’s reopens

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Froggy’s owner Dennis Borcky is happy to announce that the restaurant has officially reopened since Hurricane Ian The first day back in business was March 17

“We had 4 feet of water and everything pretty much had to get gutted,” Borcky said

S i n c e e v e r y t h i n g , i n c l u d i n g t h e restaurant’s roof, refrigeration and air conditioning units, had been lost, the e n t i r e p l a c e h a d t o b e r e b u i l t f r o m scratch, he said, which took about six months

Although he said financially it was a struggle to have been closed for so long, Borcky admits he had a few things going for him

“Since I have only owned the business for 6 months, I relied on income to cover the business expenses Luckily I have a build and design background and

repaired.

was able to handle the devastation,” Borcky said

He’s also very thankful, he said, that countless people from the community came out to help in many ways Having

See FROGGY’S, page 14

a b l e f o r p u r c h a s e , Loughren said

“People can just buy the food and throw it in their bags We will also accept cash donations at all the registers,” Loughren said

T h e W i n n - D i x i e c o r p orate office has donated gift cards, Loughren said, adding that there will be a raffle able set up in addition to a hot dog and soda cart, live music and small town fun

“This is to replenish islanders through the summer, which can be a little challenging It’s also good timing considering since Hurricane Ian, there are still people living in tents we’re still donating product to those people in need, and this will stock up the Food Pantry to get them through the summer This is like a summer kick-off,” Loughren said.

Loughren explained that whether people shop his store or not makes no difference to him, saying his real goal has

See WINN-DIXIE, page 14

Centennial Bank to hold customer appreciation day

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Pine Island Centennial Bank manager

Elsie Stearns is happy to bring customer appreciation day back to her island branch on Friday, March 31, from 11 a m to 5 p m , for the first time since the year 2020

“It’s an important event because we appreciate our customers It’s just a nice gesture,” Stearns said

With the box trailer set up behind the bank, complete with a grill, she said, Centennial Bank employees will be able to cook hot dogs and hamburgers, along w i t h t h e i r p r a c t i c a l l y f a m o u s , g r i l l e d onions, making this a real community event.

In addition to a free lunch, there will be a gift basket that someone will win as well as a prize for whomever places the last piece of the Pine Island map puzzle.

Retail team leader Lynn Foshee, commercial lender Jodi Mikan and financial advisor Chris Andrews will also be at the event to meet and greet current customers and answer any questions future customers may have

“This is a great way to say thanks to the community for all of their support The island has been through so much,” Stearns said

Although this event is primarily for the bank’s customers, Stearns said, it’s also a good time to stop in and get to know the staff and layout if someone is thinking they may want to begin banking at the

PAULETTE LEBLANC

As part of its customer appreciation day, Centennial Bank will be awarding a gift basket to the person who places that last piece of its Pine Island map puzzle

Centennial Bank Pine Island branch

“Centennial does a great deal of community centered things in many areas We’re hoping everyone will turn out Businesses have worked hard to get people back on their feet,” Stearns said Pine Island Centennial Bank is located at 5551 Sunset Lane, St James City Call 239-283-1618 for information about the bank or the customer appreciation day

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DENNIS BORKY Froggy’s Bar has reopened after extensive damage from Hurricane Ian was

Additional outreach available for Pine Island Mobile Disaster Recovery Center

LAKE MARY, Fla – FEMA's initial outreach has ended successfully and additional outreach for the Pine Island Mobile Disaster Recovery Center has been confirmed These are the remaining two stops:

■ Monday, March 27, through Saturday, April 1, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4353, 8150 Stringfellow Road, St. James City, FL 33956

The hours for outreach will be 9 a m to 6 p m

A l t h o u g h t h e d e a d l i n e t o a p p l y f o r assistance for damage from Hurricane Ian has passed, survivors who were affected by Ian can still contact FEMA to:

■ Get help understanding your FEMA decision or request for information letters

■ Check the status of your FEMA application

■ Update your contact or banking information

■ Get information about help with rental assistance or other basic needs

■ Get referrals to agencies or non-profits that may offer assistance FEMA is not able to provide

You can go online to disasterassistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 The line is open every day from 7 a m to 11 p m ET

According to FEMA, help is available in most languages

Hurricane Ian survivors can also call the FEMA Mitigation Line to speak with mitigation specialists about protecting your home and property from future natural disasters The number is 833-336-2487 and i s a v a i l a b l e M o n d a y t h r o u g h S a t u r d a y

Macomber's 16th Southwest Florida Reader Rendezvous at Torched Bar & Grill in Cape April 1

Local author Robert N Macomber's fans and friends are invited to celebrate the new and final novel of his acclaimed Honor Series, "Full Naval Honors," at Torched Bar & Grill in Cape Coral on Saturday, April 1, from 12-3 p m

The gathering is Macomber’s 16th Annual Southwest Florida Reader Rendezvous same tradition but a new location!

There will be live music starting at 1

p m , with time to eat, drink, dance, buy signed books and honor Peter Wake's finale

shirts on sale at this event.

from 8 a m to 6 p m EST

For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian, visit florid a d i s a s t e r o r g / i n f o o r f e m a g o v / d i s a st e r / 4 6 7 3 F o l l o w F E M A R e g i o n 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook com/fema

F E M A ’ s m i s s i o n i s h e l p i n g p e o p l e before, during, and after disasters.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status If you believe your civil rights are being viol a t e d , y o u c a n c a l l t h e C i v i l R i g h t s Resource line at 833-285-7448

Moose Lodge to hold drivethru Easter fling April 5

Easter is here!

On Wednesday, April 5, from 10 a m to noon, the Pine Island Moose Lodge is having a drive-thru Easter fling for island kids ages 110

The lodge is inviting all organizations and businesses to join the fun at the Pine I s l a n d M o o s e # 1 9 5 4 , located at 8903 Stringfellow Road in St James City, 33956.

For additional informat i o n a b o u t t h e E a s t e r extravaganza at the Moose Lodge, call Ann Bokros at 9 8 9 - 6 1 4 - 0 8 3 5 o f 2 3 9283-4245

OPINIONS

Who’s minding the store?

To the editor:

The inflation shock that began in 2021 for U S consumers has eroded the buying power of our dollars for more than two years now.

Letters to the Editor

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

Debbie Carletti obits@breezenewspapers com

Under this administration, the Federal Reserve failed to recognize the severity of the problem for over a year when they finally admitted that once again, Biden was wrong when he said inflation was “transitory ”

The Fed was ignoring their own “dot plots” and erred on the side of the administration to the detriment of every U S resident that depends on “dollars” to pay their bills and buy necessities

Inflation is what caused a B-B-Q pork sandwich with a side of cole slaw to go from $7 to about $20 It was the silent earthquake that began as soon as this president came up with his “Build Back Better” $1 2 trillion spending plan that should have been named “Build Back Poorer” since the incredible inflation it created did exactly that

Finally, the Fed began to at least appear to tackle inflation and started raising rates, albeit at an anemic pace considering they started a year too late There has been little, if any, evidence of a reduction of inflation but the rate of inflation has begun to slow. That does not mean you are in better shape It means that you are in “less worse” shape than you would have been if they had done nothing to address it

Now we have the aftershocks and tremors following the inflation earthquake Few if any of us have reason to worry about Credit Suisse or Silicon Valley Bank in any direct context but, these names are causing a huge economic impact in the “back rooms” of the Fed and the entire U S banking system The Fed and California regulators were, once again, asleep at the wheel and that inability to do their jobs has caused the failure of SVB and several other regional banks in the last 30 days The regulations were in place They were not adhered to By the Fed or California regulators

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question: Should Daylight Savings Time be made permanent with no need to “Spring Forward”and “Fall Back?”

■ Yes 84%

■ No 14%

■ It doesn’t really matter to me 2%

Current Web Poll Question:

Should the benefit terms of Social Security be re-evaluated

■ Yes

■ Maybe, but not on retirees

■ No

■ The Feds should provide a private retirement option

Share your opinion at pineisland-eagle com

It's too early to say what the fallout will be both politically and economically from the bank failures but one thing should be abundantly clear Either no one is minding the people’s store or, whoever is in charge is a complete and utter failure.

Max Christian St James City

Oh, SNAP! Florida lets kids go hungr y

To the editor:

The Federal SNAP emergency food allotments ended in February for Florida Our

state legislators could have accepted the ongoing Federal assistance for poor families t o r e c e i v e n u t r i t i o u s f o o d . I n s t e a d t h e R e p u b l i c a n - l e d l e g i s l a t o r s a n d G o v e r n o r decided to turn down the extra food assistance for Florida’s children

Giving poor children food would require Florida to receive, at no additional cost to Floridia taxpayers, ongoing aid from the federal government to supplement food for a starving child who is a citizen with two parents earning $2,495 or less In March those families will only get food aid if earning less than $1,920 a month in Florida You will recall the average rent in Fort Myers starts above $2,000 a month The legislature of the Republican Party while ostensively busy protecting zygotes chooses to turn down the help This punishment of the post-born children of Florida, apparently for no reason, describes the meanness of spirit of Florida’s GOP lawmakers

Food supplements, of course, also are a boost to farmers, and grocery stores, and e

, because the sales volume increases their b

i a b i l i t y . C h i l d r e n d o b e t t e r i n school when fed, etc

Meanwhile last week, the Coalition of Immokalee (farm) Workers marched across the state to request fair food wage increases, and additional agreements of food sales corporations They ask is for a code of conduct to not traffic in human slavery, and address sexual assaults on the job Their petitions are not frivolous demands The CIW program also asks a penny per pound incentive to farmers for wage bonuses for workers Farm machinery and H visa “temporary” workers from Mexico compete with these working families for minimum wage jobs in the tomato fields Obviously this competition is used by the corporations for suppressing wages downward CIW has a website for more information

Ellen Starbird Cape Coral

DeSantis to Washington as Prez?

To the e di to r:

Y e a r s a g o , a c o l l e a g u e t o l d m e t h a t i n e v e r y n e g a t i v e s i t u a t i o n t h e r e w a s a p o s it i v e y o u j u s t h a d t o r e a l l y l o o k f o r i t W h a t i s t h e p o s i t i v e i f G o v R o n D e S a n t i s g o e s t o W a s h i n g t o n ? A n s w e r : H e w o n ’ t b e i n F l o r i d a a n y l o n g e r D av i d S taf f o rd Cape Co ral

Is America safe?

To the editor:

Is there anything that government does

We want your opinion

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. Letters to the Editor or guest columns may be mailed to: Pine Island Eagle, 10700

Young angler catches big snook

To the editor:

My grandson, Hunter Dooley, who is 6 years old, landed his first 37-inch snook, fishing with his mom and dad, Shane and Sherry Dooley, on Spring Break

He's still talking about it lol!

Rhonda Dooley Bokeelia

that is more important than keeping its citizens safe? Yet our cities have become gradually worse over time

Recently there was an article saying that the notorious gang MS13 is expanding to Mexico of all places to compete against the cartels Can you imagine that we have made crime so successful that they can expand to Mexico? MS13 proves that America doesn’t go to war against crime.

America is big enough and has enough tools to stop almost anything and certainly gangs like MS13 is a small operation compared to ISIS and the like The fact that America doesn’t go to war against crime is purely political

Minnesota has digressed as much as any state Politically Minnesota took two steps They tried to defund the police and they installed liberal attorneys that were soft on crime letting criminals arrested loose in a few hours and then not prosecute. Can you imagine how insulting and unsatisfying it would be to have someone throw away your work of catching a criminal by letting him loose without even a hearing? The police responded by retiring early and quitting to get a job with some other town Minneapolis is now short 22% of their budgeted number of police An attractive pension awaits but many will not suffer for years to qualify for a pension

The result of all this is a step change in crime. People in the cities, stay away from

The endearing dolphin smile Lee Health Bloodmobile to visit

T h e e n d e a r i n g dolphin smile is a result of the shape

o f t h e d o l p h i n ’ s face When humans s m i l e , w e s i g n a l happiness, contentm e n t a n d e n j o yment to each other

A dolphin’s toothy g r i n i s n o t a n expression of joy

I t i s s i m p l y a n a n a t o m i c a l a n o m -

aly

B o t t l e n o s e d o lphins are intelligent a n d c h a r i s m a t i c D o l p h i n s a r e t h e s t a r s o f m a n y aquarium shows throughout the w o r l d T h e i r p e r m a n e n t s m i l e gives the appearance of happiness, but the curved mouth does not always express happiness Dolphins kept in captivity and r e s t r i c t e d f r o m t h e i r n a t u r a l habitat can become aggressive and depressed

Dolphin Tales

Pine Island Moose Lodge April 22

f a c e t o b r e a t h e again He let her go and she sank to the bottom of the tank

T h a t d a y , R i c

O ’ B a r r y t u r n e d from dolphin trainer to dolphin campaigner, fighting to keep dolphins out o f c a p t i v i t y T h e

a v e r a g e d o l p h i n

t a n k i s 2 4 f e e t wide Life in solitary confinement is d e v a s t a t i n g f o r dolphins They are e x t r e m e l y i n t e l l ig e n t , s e l f - a w a r e , s o c i a l m a m m a l s .

W h e n i n c a p t i v i t y , t h e y c a n become aggressive towards both humans and their own species

When not able to express their natural behaviors, they experience extreme stress

The Lee Health Bloodmobile will be visiting t h e P i n e I s l a n d M o o s e L o d g e a t 8 9 0 3 Stringfellow Road in St James City on Saturday, April 22, from 8 a m to 12 p m

All the blood collected remains in Lee Health, which includes the Golisano Children's Hospital of SW Florida, the Regional Cancer Center and the only Trauma Center (which is located in the Lee Memorial Hospital) within a 5-county radius

The blood also supports Cape Coral Hospital and Gulf Coast Medical Center

All donors will receive a free health checkup, cholesterol screening, and gift

N e w s t u d i e s s h o w t h a t d o n a t i n g b l o o d i m p r o v e s y o u r o v e r a l l c a r d i o v a s c u l a r h e a l t h

Regularly donating blood helps men in particular to reduce the amount of iron in the blood This can r e d u c e t h e c h a n c e o f h e a r t a t t a c k b y 8 8 %

Additionally, regular blood donation can lower the risk of severe cardiovascular events such as stroke by 33% You also burn 650 calories! It's a win-win!

Please help us make our goal of 20 units of blood

Requirements for donating blood:

■ Weigh at least 115 lbs

■ Be at least 16 years old (16 requires parental written consent)

■ Be relatively healthy

■ Provide photo ID

■ Have 56 days between donations

■ Eat a meal before donating blood and be sure to drink plenty of fluids before and after your donation

Questions about donating? Call us at 29-3432333

Pine Island Garden Club suppor ts local causes

S o m e o f u s r e m e m b e r t h e series “Flipper ” One of the stars of Flipper was a dolphin named Kathy Her trainer’s name was Ric O’Barry During the series and as it was ending, Kathy was kept in a tank alone Over time, s h e b e c a m e l e t h a r g i c a n d stopped eating She was alone and in captivity She was dying of depression, having been separated from her family and pod

When O’Barry heard of this, he went to visit her He put on his gear and went into the water. She swam into his arms, looked him in the eye, and didn’t sur-

Our local bottlenose dolphins live within a 5-mile radius of their Pine Island Sound home They can head offshore to fish and play but return to the safety of the sound with their pod. It is an extremely healthy environment and we see them 99% of the time on a typical day on the water They are free! Come out in the wild and visit the truly happy dolphins!

Capt Cathy Eagle has spent over 40 years boating in our local waters As a professional charter captain, she specializes i n d o l p h i n a n d n a t u r e t o u r s . Visit CaptainCathy com or call 239 994-2572

With funds derived from the 2022 Garden Gala, the Pine Island Garden Club has tendered combined donations in excess of $5,000 to three benevolent organizations. From left, Garden Club Treasurer Barb Riordan, on behalf of the Beacon of Hope; President Marty Kendall, on behalf of CROW; and Calusa Land Trust President Robert Ballard were all present to receive their respective checks at the club’s March meeting.

Capt. Cathy Eagle

PHOTO PROVIDED

PIE thanks Barreda and Legion for donations

O n b e h a l f o f P i n e I s l a n d E l e m e n t a r y, Principal Dr. Tom Millins would like to thank C o m m a n d e r A a r o n B a r r e d a a n d t h e American Legion for the generous donation for the annual Spring Fest The request to the members was for the legion to sponsor 20 of PIE's children to attend at a total cost of $300 The members voted to donate $1,500 and an additional $215 dollars were raised in the same evening for a total of $ 1 , 7 1 5 f o r t h e c h i l d r e n o f P i n e I s l a n d Elementary.

Pine Island Sketchers Sked

T h e P i n e I s l a n d S k e t c h e r s m e e t o n T u e s d a y s f r o m 1 0 a m t o n o o n a t d i f f e r e n t v e n u e s a r o u n d P i n e I s l a n d f r o m N o v e m b e r t h r o u g h A p r i l J u s t b r i n g y o u r a r t s u pp l i e s a n d a l a w n c h a i r . T h e r e i s n o c h a r g e a n d b e g i n n e r s a r e a l w a y s w e lc o m e ■ T u e s d a y , A p r i l 4 : A h o m e a t 6 0 6 8 C a l u s a R i d g e T r a i l , B o k e e l i a F r o m P i n e I s l a n d C e n t e r t a k e S t r i n g f e l l o w R o a d t o w a r d B o k e e l i a f o r 1 8 m i l e ( j u s t p a s t t h e C a t h o l i c C h u r c h ) a n d a r r i v e a t t h e C a l u s a R i d g e G a t e W a i t f o r g a t e , t h e n t u r n l e f t t o 6 0 6 8 C a l u s a R i d g e T r a i l a n d p a r k a l o n g t h e l a k e .

■ T u e s d a y , A p r i l 1 1 : P i n e w o o d T r a i l s P a r k , a L e e C o u n t y P a r k A t t h e f o u r - w a y s t o p a t P i n e I s l a n d C e n t e r s t a y o n P i n e I s l a n d R o a d t o g o s t r a i g h t p a s t t h e f i r eh o u s e , t h e n t u r n l e f t o n t o F r a n k i e L a n e T h e p a r k w i l l b e o n t h e r i g h t .

■ T u e s d a y , A p r i l 1 8 : P r i v a t e h o m e a t 8 2 4 1 M a i n S t , B o k e e l i a , o v e r l o o k i n g C h a r l o t t e H a r b o r T h e i n t e r i o r i s u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d n o t a c c e s s i b l e i n s i d e , s o b r i n g a l a w n c h a i r . P a r k i n g w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e d o w n S e a g u l l B a y C o u r t , a t a h o m e # 1 9 7 1 1 w i t h f a c i l i t i e s a n d a n o t h e r h o m e # 1 9 7 1 3 P l e a s e d o n o t p a r k i n o t h e r d r i v e w a y s n o r b e h i n d w o r k e r s ‘ t r u c k s ■ T u e s d a y , A p r i l 2 5 : T a r p o n L o d g e o n 1 3 7 7 1

W a t e r f r o n t D r i v e , P i n e l a n d F r o m P i n e I s l a n d C e n t e r , d r i v e t o w a r d B o k e e l i a o n S t r i n g f e l l o w R o a d f o r 5 m i l e s T u r n l e f t a t P i n e l a n d R o a d , a n d g o s t r a i g h t u n t i l a r i g h t t u r n o n t o W a t e r f r o n t D r i v e . A t t h e T a r p o n L o d g e d r i v e w a y , p l e a s e g o a l l t h e w a y b a c k t o t h e p a r k i n g l o t I f s t a y i n g f o r l u n c h , t h e T a r p o n L o d g e r e q u e s t s a t w od a y c o u n t i n a d v a n c e f o r a g r o u p , s o p l e a s e t e l l o r c a l l D e n e g e a t 2 3 9 - 2 8 2 - 2 6 1 8 a n d l e a v e a m e s s a g e w h e t h e r y o u a r e d i n i n g .

■ W e e k o f W e d n e s d a y , M a r c h 2 9 , 2 0 2 3 b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s . c o m P i n e I s l a n d E a g l e

PHOTO PROVIDED

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Calusa Waterkeeper issues monthly water report for area

Results this month are fairly “normal,” meaning that only 32% of local sites “passed” meaning the most probable number of colony-forming units was less than 70 per 100ml, and 68% of sites failed Good news is, all of FDOH’s beach sites passed when they sampled last week on the 13th, and, as a side note, the red tide is appearing to lessen in the area at the moment.

When you look at the map you will see that almost all area tributaries failed, with the usual suspects leading the way - Billy’s Creek, Manuel’s Branch, Imperial River and Estero River -- were the worst water quality this month Manuel’s Branch at Cortez was the biggest loser this month, at 6,488 (remember, the EPA/ FDOH considers under 35 as safe, and under 70 as acceptable)

Some other interesting locations that stand out this month: the Franklin Lock measured in at 241, and the Davis Boat Ramp at 327, implying that the water coming down the Caloosahatchee has elevated FIB levels before it reaches Fort Myers currently.

Hendry Creek at Gladiolus was only 20, but all the other Hendry/Mullock Creek sites were elevated (75228)

Pine Island was OK, with the exception of Pineland (120) and Matlacha Pass was just over the limit at 75

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Sponsored by:

Beacon activities and programs for April

An agreement has been made between the Beacon of Hope and Samaritan Health a n d W e l l n e s s C e n t e r , a n d b e g i n n i n g Wednesday, April 6, the clinic will be open at the Beacon every other Wednesday from 8 a m to noon This primary care clinic it to provide care for the uninsured and underinsured

The cost is $50 and help is available if needed Call the Beacon at 239-283-5123 to make an appointment

■ Coffee Klatch – Every Friday at 10:30 a m Pine Islanders have experienced so much loss and trauma with Hurricane Ian, coupled for many with an increased sense of connection and community

The idea of the Coffee Klatch is to help all islanders cope with the many emotions they have been experiencing like exhaustion, sadness, anger and fear Come share

your experiences, offer support to others, help heal ourselves and others Call Mary Sheehan at 941-404-6567 if you have any questions

■ There are people at the Beacon on Monday and Wednesday helping people sign up for Florida disaster relief Call the Beacon to make an appointment

■ The Food Bank – Every Saturday at 9:30 a m The Emergency Pantry is available when we are open

■ Wellness Committee – Next meeting will be Sept 11 at 10 a m

■ Blood pressure screening is held every Wednesday from 1-2 p m and every Saturday morning from 10-11 a m

■ The Veteran’s Support group meets on the first Friday of every month from 9 a m to 12:30 p m Call 239-283-5123 to make an appointment

■ Strange Arrangement – Monday 6-

7:30 p m Lessons given A musical experience

■ Funds/Communications meeting –Monday, April 17, at 10 a m

■ Grants Committee meeting – To Be announced

■ Homelessness Committee – to be announced

■ Pine Island Boy Scout Troop will be meeting Wednesday evenings at 6

■ Girl Scout Troop will meet on Friday nights

■ GED classes are on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a m to 2 p m

n ESOL classes are held every Monday from 7 p m and every Thursday from 6-8 p m

■ The Attic (Thrift Store) will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a m to 3 p m Donations are accepted until 2:30 p.m., unless they get overloaded. Every Tuesday is 50 percent off clothing, shoes and similar items The next discount day will be April 11

The Beacon of Hope, located at located at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St. James City, is open Monday, Wednesday and T h u r s d a y f r o m 9 a m t o 5 p m Computers, fax and printer are available for use

Call the Beacon of Hope at 239-2835123 for additional information about any of the programs or schedule

VFW Post 4353 Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Dinner today

Every year, March 29 is recognized as Vietnam War Veterans Day This year begins a tradition with Greater Pine Island VFW Post 4353 in welcoming home and honoring those veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices over 50 years ago 2023 is the 50th anniversary of t h e P a r i s P e a c e a c c o r d s t h a t e n d e d American’s full-fledged involvement in the war against North Vietnam, although the war did not officially end for another two years the American draw down began

Those veterans who served in that conflict were never welcomed home with parades and accolades, but that all ends

with this event Today, March, 29, VFW Post 4353 will be hosting a dinner for all V i e t n a m v e t e r a n s w h o s e r v e d i n t h i s 10,000-day war with a complimentary meal and drinks They will also be honored and presented with the special comm e m o r a t i o n c o i n f r o m t h e V i e t n a m Veterans Association

The free meal of roast beef with scalloped potatoes and a vegetable will be served from 5-7 p m and will include two drinks

Please call ahead for reservations and bring other veterans that have served All veterans and the public are invited to join

the

Island Mahjongg

If you’re looking for a challenging game to learn, give mahjongg a try. The players at the St James City Civic Association are happy to teach new players and, of course, welcome experienced players

Mahjongg is played every Thursday,

year round, from 1-4 p m The SJCCA is located at Fourth Avenue and Lemon Street in St James City

On March 23 the top players were Carolyn Crosby with 75 points, Judith Engle with 95 and Sue Rasmussen with 140

Deadline approaching for HACC scholarship applications

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Four $1,500 scholarships are up for grabs from the Haitian-American Community Coalition of Southwest Florida (HACC) for deserving students of HaitianAmerican heritage who will be graduating from high school this year

“HACC's mission is to improve the quality of life in t h e l o c a l H a i t i a n - A m e r i c a n c o m m u n i t y , ” H A C C Scholarship Chair Betsy Vaughn said. “We care deeply about education We want to ensure that all children are

Cat of the Week

provided the proper tools for academic success and that they have the opportunity to pursue a postsecondary education ”

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is April 3 In order to apply, students must be of Haitian-American heritage and be a graduating Lee County high school senior, who is either enrolled or will be enrolled in a degree, or certificate program at a technical college, state college or university by Sept 1 The application also includes two letters of recommendation and a 300 to 500-word personal essay

The applications can be mailed to Haitian-American Community Coalition of Southwest Florida, 3949 Evans Ave , Suite 304, Fort Myers, FL 339901

The recipients will be announced on, or before, Monday, May 1

Vaughn said they began the scholarship in 2017 and to date have awarded $20,500 to 22 students

“There will be four scholarship recipients from the class of 2023 Each will receive $1,500,” she said “HACC holds an annual Haitian Heritage Scholarship Gala every October This is our major fundraising event for the scholarships We were unable to hold our gala in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions, however, we received many generous donations from supporters that enabled us to fund our scholarships in those two years. In 2017, we awarded $500 each to three students Awards were $1,000 between 2018 and 2022 Again, this year we are able to give four $1,500 awards ”

Those who have any questions can email Vaughn at esv460@gmail com

PROVIDED Little Miss

PHOTO

This picture shows a petite, 1-year-old dilute calico kitty It does not show how sweet, gentle and very food motivated Little Miss is It also can't show how she likes being talked to and scratched behind the ears There are a lot of things pictures can't show about our kitties, but they would be happy to tell you Stop by Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary and meet some of our fur kids. Little Miss will be glad to see you! For more information call Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary at 239-283-9100. 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

St. John’s Episcopal Church invites Pine Island community to Easter Week Services

St John’s Episcopal Church will start off Easter Week Services with the blessing and distribution of Palms at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, April 2, followed by a procession into the church Palm Sunday recalls an

Froggy’s

From page 1

a hand in everything from demo, to helping the restaurant operate its outside parties, Borcky said it was this help that made it possible to open up again

“The hardest thing about being closed for 6 months was that not only did I need to invest in the rebuild and buy new equipment, but I had to also cover the building expenses and had no income,” Borcky said

Thankful for hardworking and loyal employees, who were eager to get back to work, Borcky also finds himself grateful for his staff.

“They were there countless hours, for no pay, helping where they could Every employee I have is very loyal to Froggy's and is staying on board It was crucial for us to reopen as soon as possible Froggy's has been a staple to the Pine Island community for a long time and opening up our establishment just brings a little more hope that normalcy is around the corner,” Borcky said

Froggy's is located at 3620 Stringfellow Road, St James City. For additional information about the restaurant, please call 239-283-3773

From page 4

stores and downtown areas as much as they can; have to take safety measures to work downtown; have to buy a gun to protect their household; have to get used to gunshots in the neighborhood in the middle of the night; live where their kids are

event in the Christian scripture (The New T e s t a m e n t ) o f J e s u s e n t e r i n g i n t o Jerusalem and being greeted by the people waving palm branches For Christians, it is a reminder of the welcoming of Jesus

into our hearts and of our willingness to follow him

Maundy Thursday services will be at n o o n o n T h u r s d a y , A p r i l 6 M a u n d y Thursday is part of the Christian celebration of Easter and marks the night of the Last Supper as told in the Bible At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded that people should love one another, and he then washed the feet of his disciples as an act of kindness

Good Friday services will be at noon on Friday, April 7 Good Friday is a C h r i s t i a n h o l i d a y c o m m e m o r a t i n g t h e crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum Easter Sunday Services will at 9:30 a m April 9 starting with the Flowering of

the Cross, a Christian tradition that some scholars say can be traced back to the sixth century. It starts with an empty wooden cross placed in front of the congregation on Easter morning Each congregant places flowers on the cross The bare wooden Cross is transformed into a beautiful sign of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ

Please come join St John's Episcopal in Easter Week services You can bring flowers from your own garden or flowers will be provided at the church

Please call Kathy Gredlics at 484-8944612 if you have any questions. Everyone is welcome

S t J o h n ’ s i s l o c a t e d a t 7 7 7 1 Stringfellow Road, St James City

Veterans Assistance Program April 7

The Veterans Assistance Program will meet Friday, April 7, from 9 a m until 12:30 p.m., at the Beacon of Hope, 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St James City

One of the things that will be discussed is the expansion of possible benefits from Agent Orange exposure in overseas coun-

Winn-Dixie

always been to feed the hungry

tries during Vietnam If you have any health issues that you feel could be related to this or any other service acquired injury or disease, come visit Call the Beacon of Hope at 239-2835123 to make an appointment or for additional information

From page 1

“I remember when I was a little kid, at Thanksgiving and Christmas, we always had strangers, who had nowhere to go, sitting at the table. Feeding everyone

Letter to the Editor

exposed to gangs, rape, murder, etc Kids then see crime as normal and might even get involved Many stores are moving out of the severe crime areas The common element in these cities is the governance b y D e m o c r a t s . M i n n e a p o l i s h a s 1 3

Democrats on the council and one Green Party member

The Dems’ strategy overall is to pursue special interest and they have enough of those to turn an election In Minnesota, not only has Minnesota become very soft on crime but now they are passing a law to let felons vote. There are 4.6 million felons in this country that could become a special interest market for Dems

kind of stuck with me,” Loughren said T h e W i n n - D i x i e i s a t 9 8 6 4 Stringfellow Road, St James City Call 239- 283-4404 for additional information.

Should Americans suffer extra crime to help the Democrats gain power?

Do you think it is too much to expect to be safe when you live in America?

John Benedict

Cape Coral

CLT kayak trip Friday

The Calusa Land Trust will hold its second kayak trip of the season on Friday, March 31, at 10 a m Depending on the weather, the group will either launch into the open water of Charlotte Harbor or B a c k B a y i n t h e p r o t e c t e d w a t e r s o f Bokeelia Island In either case, the group will meet behind Cap’n Con’s Restaurant, 8421 Main St. in Bokeelia, which is at the north end of Pine Island

The guided tour will meander around local waters observing resident birds, dolphin and fish species Since it is also a fundraising effort, a donation of $10 for CLT members and $20 for non-members is requested

Membership applications will be avail-

able if you wish to join before the trip

The trip should last about two hours and parking is free for this event compliments of Bokeelia Fishing Pier and Boat Ramp Afterwards, lunch is available at either Cap’n Con’s, Jug Creek Marina or any of the other restaurants on the island

K a y a k s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r r e n t a l a t Carmen’s Kayaks by calling 239-3337332

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 For more information, please call Gerry Krall at 987882-1953

Burns and Sunny Jim concert at SJCCA

On Friday, March 31, from 6-9 p m , the St James City Civic Association will p r e s e n t B r e n t B u r n s a n d S u n n y J i m together for an outdoor concert Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at sjccapi org or by calling Cindy at 954-2495512

A twice wounded, Purple Heart-winning combat veteran, Burns also has the distinction of being the first American entertainer to perform for troops overseas a f t e r t h e t r a g e d y o f S e p t 1 1 , 2 0 0 1 Burns’ musical career has taken him to Italy, Australia, Mexico and coast to coast in the U S B u r n s ’ p h i l a n t h r o p i c p r o j e c t s h a v e continued throughout the years A portion of his CD sales goes to charities including

the American Cancer Society, Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo and Habitat for Humanity

Burns’ Habitat tribute song, “Build Them A House,” is available for free download at www brentburns com

Brent’s CD sales and songwriting skills continue to make him a highly soughtafter artist and perfor-mer.

White, was born in San Antonio, raised in California, and then spent 12 years in the Cayman Islands In the Caribbean, he perfected his solo show featuring guitar, vocals and backup tracks He added steel drum and soaked up the culture of the West Indies, infusing his songwriting with the influences of Caribbean masters

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

25th Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Fishing Tournament Saturday

The 25th annual Bobby Holloway Jr M e m o r i a l F i s h i n g T o u r n a m e n t B o a r d welcomes Pine Island residents and visitors to join in the festivities Saturday, April 1, at Alden Pines Country Club, 14261 Clubhouse Drive, Bokeelia

The event has something for everyone, and this year it’s more important than ever to come and show support All proceeds benefit the Bobby Holloway Jr Memorial Fund, which helps children of the Greater Pine Island area and Lee County “ T h i s y e a r d u e t o t h e d e v a s t a t i n g effects from Hurricane Ian, we know that many of our sponsors are not able to give their support, as they have in years past Unfortunately, the needs of our community have grown since Sept 28 We decided to move forward with this year’s tournament so that we can continue to help those in need, as we have for the last 25 years, and to give our community something p o s i t i v e t o l o o k f o r w a r d t o , ” s a i d Ernestine Holloway-Squires, whose son, Bobby Holloway, died in a tragic accident 26 years ago, spurring her and others to create a fund-raising event in his memory to help youth.

There are three ways residents and visitors can help out and also have fun: raffle, meal purchases and live auction participation

Of course, anglers are welcome There is still time to enter; go to Facebook for Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Fishing

Tournament for details. For anglers and visitors, here’s what you need to know:

Friday, March 31:

■ Captain's Meeting presented by Monroe Canal Marina, 7 p m at Alden Pines Country Club

Saturday, April 1:

■ All activities take place at Alden Pines

■ Fishing begins (honor start) at 7 a m and concludes at 3 p m (Photo tournament with the iangler app )

■ Meal service begins at 3 p m Nonanglers can pay for a meal; tournament participants receive meals as part of entry fee

■ Awards at 4:30 p m

■ Raffle at 5 p m immediately following awards

■ Live auction at 5:30 p m

This year, the Bobby Holloway Board especially asks for community support.

E v e n t p r o c e e d s h e l p 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 F i s h i n g Tournament Board support children and families in many ways, such as:

Pine Island Democrats to meet Saturday in library meeting room

The Pine Island Democrats will meet Saturday, April 1, at 10 a m at the Pine Island Library meeting room

Russell Road in Bokeelia

Mary Lewis Sheehan will be leading a time of healing, sharing and recovery as many have experienced losses and

Deadline April 1 for Holloway Fund scholarship applications

The Bobby Holloway Memorial Fund has opened the 2022-2023 scholarship application process as of March 1 The

H o l l o w a y F u n d g i v e s a w a y n e a r l y $30,000 per year raised through its annual fishing tournament, currently in its 25 year.

The 25 annual tournament will take place April 1 at Alden Pines Country Club This year will kick off a special opportunity for students pursuing vocational or trade school with scholarships available through a special donation

To be eligible to receive a scholarship, students must fill out the application along with two letters of recommendation and an essay on why they feel they should receive the scholarship

■ Books for Pine Island Elementary School;

■ Summer camps, swimming lessons and church activities for youth;

■ Support of local high school sports, band and ROTC programs;

■ Hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships;

■ Bicycles and gifts for children at Christmas and meals during the holidays; and,

■ Generators, food and necessities after Hurricane Ian

For more information about how to become involved, email Bobbyholloway

In addition, applicants must be residents of Pine Island or have attended Pine Island Elementary Applications can be picked up from school couns e l o r s , t h e P i n e I s l a n d L i b r a r y o r Centennial Bank on Pine Island

All applications, letters and essays should be sent together in one packet to: BHMF-Scholarship PO Box 712 St James City, FL 33956

Applications must be submitted by May 5 and must include the essay and both letters of recommendation to be c o n s i d e r e d H o l l o w a y F u n d o f f i c i a l s look forward to helping students of all ages take this next step in their education

tourney@gmail com or call HollowaySquires at 239-281-8225

“We are so proud that Bobby’s legacy has continued to live on through this tournament and in the lives of those impacted t h r o u g h t h e c o m m u n i t y ’ s s u p p o r t , ” Holloway-Squires said P a r t i c i p a t i n g a n g l e r s c o m p e t e f o r c a t c h - a n d - r e l e a s e r e d f i s h , s n o o k a n d seatrout. They receive Captains’ Dinner, ramp use, parking, Captains’ Bucket, barb e c u e a n d f i s h f r y , a n d r a f f l e e n t r y Fishing tournament prizes range from $500 cash to $3,000 cash Registration is $250 per boat for up to four anglers

trauma as a result of the hurricane Sheehan is hosting the Coffee Klatch at the Beacon of Hope on Friday mornings, providing support to islanders, and this will be a similar experience

This will be the Democrats first meeting since Hurricane Ian Coffee and refreshments provided

Springtime fishing has arrived

The week started with cold weather for our standards and finished with sunny, warm days Fishing started a little slow but picked up as the weather improved with the arrival of spring

The best Spanish mackerel reports of the year were reported inside the Gulf passes and Charlotte Harbor Macks were caught off bar edges in Charlotte Harbor near Bokeelia, in Pine Island Sound over grass/sand mixed bottom inside Captiva and Redfish passes, and between the B and C span of the Sanibel Causeway on the Gulf side Land-bound anglers hooked into macks from the Matlacha Drawbridge

Live shrimp under a popping or a rattling cork was the top bait, with live pilchards, small spoons and Gotcha lures also catching fish

Capt Bill Russell On the Water

Sand holes and areas around oyster bars held spotted seatrout up to 23 inches in Pine Island Sound with a good number of fish released in the 20inch class Seatrout reports also came around Bokeelia, including grass flats to the north and west, and in Burgess Bay. To the south, trout were caught between Tarpon Bay and Blind Pass and east of Chino Island Snook and redfish were a

g o o d o p t i o n a f t e r m i d - w e e k with rising water temperatures

B o t h s p e c i e s w e r e h o o k e d around Captiva, Redfish and Blind passes, plus keys and islands throughout Pine Island Sound Snook were reported in Matlacha Pass but not many

redfish Most fish were caught with free lined live shrimp, pilchards and pinfish, plus Berkley Gulp Baits and Rapala X-raps

Fishing for both species will improve as spring brings us warmer water and higher tides

Early in the week, sheepshead was a good option over the cooler days Prime sheepshead season is winding down but fish up to 5 pounds were caught around the Gulf passes and barrier islands Shrimp and mud crabs were top baits.

Anglers hooked into sharks ranging in size from 2-6 feet Black tip, sharp nose and bonnetheads were caught while fishing trout and mackerel in previous mentioned areas Baits included cut mullet and ladyfish, plus live shrimp and pinfish

Also, tarpon are beginning to roll in as we are getting reports of hook-ups in the Sound and Charlotte Harbor Tarpon will become more plentiful over the next few weeks

March is notoriously known as a windy month in Southwest Florida, on my account, the windiest of the year. Good news, winter is over, and spring has arrived. Moving forward, windy conditions should become less frequent, plus fewer, and weaker cool fronts Spring kicks off maybe the best weather and fishing of the year Get on the water and enjoy it!

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,

PHOTO PROVIDED

Tarpon have arrived! Ron Smits of Bokeelia holds a tarpon caught by Jeff Pearce visiting from New Lenox, Illinois. See SPRINGTIME, page 20

Deadline Monday to apply for Hurricane Ian Property Tax Refunds

Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell reminds all property owners that the deadline to apply for 2022 Hurricane Ian Property Tax Refunds is April 3

Those property owners whose residence was uninhabitable for more than 30 days

in 2022 can apply for the refund on the P r o p e r t y A p p r a i s e r ’ s w e b s i t e a t www.leepa.org.

I f y o u h a v e a l r e a d y a p p l i e d , t h e Property Appraiser will be contacting you in the near future regarding the status of

your refund application Caldwell encourages all taxpayers, especially those who were impacted and continue to be impacted by Hurricane Ian, to visit the Lee County Property Appraiser website for the most up-to-date information as they

prepare the 2023 property tax roll

Questions can be directed to 239-5336100 or hurricaneupdate@leepa.org.

For more about Hurricane Ian and for county updates, visit www leegov com/ storm or https://ianprogress leegov com/

Two local Lee County Parks & Rec Easter egg hunts April 8

Recreation sites are offering opportunities for children to put their egg-hunting skills to the test in advance of Easter, which

The dates and locations for upcoming events are:

The Pine Island 6-8 Grade Golden Egg Hunt will begin at 10 a m , Saturday,

April 8, on the baseball fields at Phillips Community Park, 5675 Sesame Drive , Bokeelia This free event is for middle s c h o o l - a g e c h i l d r e n P a r t i c i p a n t s w i l l receive a candy bag and will have the chance to find golden eggs with special prizes Registration begins at 9 a m April 8 at Phillips Park Spring Fest will be held 11 a m to 2 p m , Saturday, April 8, on the football

Open mic events planned at SJCCA

The St James City Civic Center, located at 3300 Fourth Ave , is holding an open mic event Friday, April 7, from noon to p.m.

The SJCCA is looking for local musicians to take the stage and folks to enjoy the music!

Organizers are planning to hold the open mic activities inside the building

All tips directly fund repairs to the St James City Civic Center.

For information, call Denise Huber at 208-290-2512 or Myra Watson at 717817-1512

field at North Fort Myers Community Park, 2000 North Recreation Park Way, N o r t h F o r t M y e r s A c t i v i t i e s i n c l u d e music, yard games, photo booth, bounce house and food trucks The event is free

This event is co-sponsored by Rotary Club of North Fort Myers For more inform a t i o n , c a l l t h e N o r t h F o r t M y e r s Recreation Center at 239-533-7200

Applications available for Matlacha

Hookers’ ‘Hooked on Education’ Scholarships

The Matlacha Hookers are continuing their tradition of awarding scholarships to deserving and potential students These scholarships are not only for college, but for trade schools as well as technical s c h o o l s a n d f o r

education Since 2003, over $227,000 has been awarded to deserving students by the Matlacha Hookers

The eligibility requirements in order to apply for a scholarship include a high school diploma or equivalent and ONE of the following: 1

2 Current member for at least one year of the Matlacha Hookers

3 Immediate family member for at

Springtime

least one year of a current member of the Matlacha Hookers

4 Resident of Greater Pine Island for at least one year

Applications are available to download on matlachahookers org Click on scholarship application 2023 Print the application, review eligibility requirements, complete and mail to:

Matlacha Hookers

Scholarship Committee 2006 N W 11th Court Cape Coral, FL 33993

Applications must be postmarked by April 12 Submission deadline is April 14 Hardcopy applications will also be available at a few Pine Island locations in the near future

From page 18

contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239410-8576 (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 the waters a r o u n d P i n e I s l a n d a n d S o u t h w e s t Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years

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