Pine Island Eagle

VolumE 48, NumbEr 1

Island crews, backed by other local squads, battle simultaneous blazes

pINEISlaND-EaglE.com

Celebrating Pine Islanders: Nichole Pichon

By PAULETTE LeBLANC

pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Regardless of her role as a teacher at Pine Island Elementary, a mentor and coordinator of an afterschool program, co-leader of the PILOT (Pine Island leaders of Tomorrow) Program, founder and president of Pine Island Playhouse, Kiwanian Nichole Pichon says she simply has a heart for Pine Island kids

Her family moved to Pine Island in the 1970s, before she was even born, although she moved out with her husband Paul in 2012. While visiting for Christmas one year, Pichon explained, she was having a conversation with her cousin, late, beloved artist, Mel Meo, and she had gone on in some detail about the frustrations of her

job in Indianapolis

“Mel said, ‘Just move down here and start a community theatre ’ So, I did that It was December I went back and made the decision to leave in January or February,” Pichon said

her childhood, Pichon said,

Island and thought it was a very unique place, where

Back from Ian

By CRAIG GARRETT news@breezenewspapers com

Kolar looks

Tshe was able to enjoy the freedom to explore being an artist along with her cousin, as they often painted together.

“It always felt like the place that I wanted to be based on Mel really She was the reason I came here and started Pine Island Playhouse I knew if I had her behind me I would be able to pull this off,” Pichon said

In Pichon’s opinion, there are not many places like Pine Island left in the country Defining it for someone who has never heard of it, she said, would be summed up as a close-knit community where everyone still looks out for one another She said she can’t help but think of

PIE ‘taste testers’

pick new ice cream flavor for Spots Ice Cream, Crepes and Sauces

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com

Spots Ice Cream, Crepes and Sauces owner Sarah Crawford said she and partner Aimee Gantt wanted to throw an event that included the community, so they decided Pine Island Elementary School students would make great candidates for a taste test to decide on the creation of an ice cream treat named after the school

“We wanted to have them help create a specialty dish inspired by them,” Gantt said

Including the community is an important part of running the store, she explained Getting students from PIE to weigh in on their favorite ice cream and then create a special dessert to call their own was their aim and it worked out great

“They can be excited that they got to help create and choose and be a part of that,” Gantt said

PIE has a school store where students can shop who have earned points through good behavior, such as good attendance or grades “Taste tester” for Spots Ice Cream Crepes and Sauces became an option for approximately 30 students to choose it as an item from the school store

Hurricane Ian stormed across Southwest Florida with

See BACK FROM IAN, page 14

owner had endured in recent times his multi-generational finances at stake, three small kids at home and staff looking to him for answers optimism should have been in short supply Kolar, who is 40 and co-owner of the Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill in Matlacha and a restaurant and hotel properties on Fort Myers Beach with his father Tom, had spent millions to hold

Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill has reopened CRAIG GARRETT

Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill re-opens in Matlacha PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY SARAH CRAWFORD AND AIMEE GANTT Student “taste testers” sample the ice cream

Nichole Pichon

Island firefighters, other local units, battle two fires at once

M

District crews had two major events on Wednesday, May 1

Units PI-1, PI-2, PI-3, Cap-150, E151, E-152, E-153, E-154, T-151, R151, Lee County EMS M-10 and LCSO responded to a structure fire called in by a U P S d

Street Upon arrival, crews found a residential structure with smoke coming from the eaves The fire was quickly contained to the attic by the crews, however, the home had significant fire and smoke damage Luckily the neighbor was able to rescue the pets inside the structure before crews arrived

While crews were working the structure fire, another emergency call came in.

Lee County Dispatch advised of a possible brush fire in St James City off Monaco Lake Drive A few Pine Island units were able to break away from the structure fire and respond to the brush fire

The fire was about .25 acre in size and had multiple spot fires because of the heavy winds In addition, heavy fuel load (trees) surrounded the area Pine Island crews, with assistance from Cape Coral E8, were able to hold the fire under control until the North Strike team arrived

The district had assistance from Cape Coral E-8, BC-2, North Fort Myers B-2, Tice B-208, Lehigh B-103, Fort Myers Shores B-81, Forestry Cal 2 and Dozer 69 in addition to Pine Island R-151, T151, B-151, PI-1 and PI-2.

Open house,

Crews from the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District, with the assistance of other local squads, battled two fires on the island last Wednesday

The house fire, left, was off of Missouri Street, and the brush fire, below left, was off of Monaco Lake Drive

PROVIDED

information session

Friday to discuss possible K-8 school on island

An open house and information session for a possible new K-8 school in Bokeelia will be held this Friday, May 10, from 6:30-8 p m , at First Baptist Church Pine Island, 5363 Avenue D, Bokeelia

Life Prep Christian Academy will be at the First Baptist Church, which is across from Pine Island Elementary, for

the open house and informational session

Interested islanders are urged to not miss out on this opportunity to see firsthand what makes this hybrid program special

Academy Fort Myers, FL

PHOTOS

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

Web Poll

Protecting your personal information

Every day, you do something to protect yourself

You lock your door at night You look b o th w ay s b ef o r e cr o s s in g th e s tr eet o r pulling out into traffic

But when you think of safety and security, do you think about ways to protect your personal or financial information? Keeping this kind of information safe is extremely important

Identity theft is a common problem and occurs when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission Thieves can gather this kind of information in many ways including through the trash, which is why it’s so important to properly dispose of documents that contain information like your home address, Social S e c

n d credit card numbers, or anything else identifiable on it

Unfortunately, identity theft continues to rise

According to the U S Department of Justice, at least 1 in 5 people have fallen victim to identity theft in their lifetime

As Lee County’s official record keeper, the Clerk’s Office goes to great lengths to ensure personal information is protected in

Fight to the bottom

To the editor:

Everyone should be interested in what our government has done to help us.

Unfortunately the current administration has sent shock waves into everyone’s lives with a 20 percent increase in basic foods

Gas prices back up to where people can’t afford to drive their cars to work Forcing battery-operated vehicles on us that break down in the cold and batteries refusing to c h a

inside their vehicles with no way to get out

Open borders that strain our cities’ ability to house and feed these people and cause overcrowded class rooms.

To make up for high inflation higher wages are the answer Biden claims as we watch the new higher wage standards apply, while McDonald’s and others raise their food prices so much that these eateries are closing down

Everyone points to how well the stock market is performing by shrinking down every last package of food they produce along with even higher prices It’s not pro-

your public records and we want to help you do everything you can to keep your c o n f i d e n t i a

home safe

My office has hosted two free shredding events in the last six months to help community members keep their private information secure In total, we shredded more than 13,700 pounds of confident i

o c u m e n t s a t t h o s e events, which we called The Big Shred We plan on making The Big Shred a semiannual event, with the next stop in Lehigh Acres this fall (We’ll announce more details on the next Big Shred as we get closer to the date To be the first to know about future events, sign up for our newsletter at www leeclerk org/subscribe )

If you weren’t able to make it to one of our previous events, there are other ways you can protect yourself

I highly recommend purchasing a small home shredder if you’re able and shredding

Letters to the Editor

ductivity that leads the way to higher wages, but plain greed by those pushing for higher corporate profits

T h i s i s s u r e l y n o t s o

y

President can brag about It is destroying our country

Biden’s totally inept way of running our country is leading us all to a be poorer Only Jimmy Carter can be used as a model and pointed out as one of the worst presidents ever to hold office and no doubt history will look at Joe Biden as his close equal Leo Amos Matlacha

If I were president

To the editor:

I f t h r o u g h s o m e f l u k e ( a v e r y b i g

FLUKE) I suddenly became President of the USA, what would I do First I would change my name from Miller to WHO? Since that’s what I’d be called Next I would order that we close the southern border completely except for well-inspected vehicles and one gate that would be used to toss illegal border

Know your payment

show up when it’s supposed to call the company and inquire

your personal information,

guarding your

hours if someone tries to

deed in your name You can sign up at www leeclerk org/fraudalert

Please do everything you can to protect yourself and your family from identity theft and fraud

Kevin Karnes is Lee County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

crossers back into Mexico As undocumented aliens in the rest of the country seek financial public support I would arrange for them to be returned to their original countries I would also order that the mass of recent Chinese immigrants be investigated as to who they are and why China sent them here If all they can claim is to be marijuana farmers or something equally destructive, they should be tossed out, too So much for my first day

On the second day I would open up oil and gas production and eliminate bans on their exports. Then, I eliminate half of the Department of Energy and the promotion of EV’s If people want to buy them, they should be free to do so without government subsidy or coercion Speaking of federal departments, I will eliminate the Department o f E d u c a t i o n e n t i r e l y E d u c a t i o n i n t h i

country has only worsened under their leadership

Every woke, DEI and climate change program, particularly as to carbon dioxide, throughout all the offices and departments of the government will be eliminated immediately If staff employed in these programs can’t be put to better use, they can be let go Top echelons of all alphabet soup departments (FBI, CIA, DOD, EPA etc ) should be let go down to the point that they will be led by employees not focused on politics rather than their originally intended purpose

That should do it for my first week in office By then the Democrats will be screaming for impeachment You get the drift of what I would do in my second week We’ll see if the American people agree. Neil Miller Cape Coral

ion online at: pineisland-eagle.com

Kevin Karnes Guest Commentary

Family, friends holding fundraisers for woman seriously hurt in boating accident

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

A fundraiser was held this past weekend in Cape Coral to assist a local woman who survived a harrowing boating accident

The Sunday at Venture Out Bait and Tackle in Cape Harbour in Cape Coral, a barbecue fund-raiser, was held May 5 for Nichole Hall

T h e f u n d r a i s e r w a s o r g a n i z e d b y Amanda Hooker and Amanda Bolebruch, who are close friends of Hall and her family

“It is heartwarming to see the community pull together for Nichole during this difficult time,” Hooker said “The continued support for Nichole is a true testament to how she touches the lives of those around her Her strength and positivity is contagious, and it’s important to show Nichole that she has an army behind her It truly does take a village, and together, we will continue to ‘Fight like Nichole ’” Hall, 29, was involved in the incident on April 20 while traveling home after performing charity work to assist a friend,

kayaking from boat t o b o a t c o l l e c t i n g money for the good cause

On the way home, she and a few friends were on a boat of their own, traveling at a low rate of speed

There, the boat hit either a wave or an object in the water, causing Hall and two

Unfortunately, Hall was hit by the propeller, and was quickly helped by others on the boat to get her treatment

“The boys on the boat saved her life t

Nichole's father, Scott Hall

After a tumultuous 24 hours following the incident, including the amputation of her left leg, Hall woke up the next day and was able to communicate via notebook After a few surgeries, she was eventually able to stand on her own next to her hos-

pital bed

“She continues to have a great attitude, and amazes the nurses daily,” Scott said. While Nichole continues to fight, her family says the type of amputation that was required, a hemipelvectomy, is a rare and uncommon amputation of the entire leg, as well as a portion of the pelvis Not many have even survived this type of amputation Hall’s family said she will require custom prosthetics that are essentially non-existent

Nichole, a Pine Island/Matlacha resident for some time now, and sales and marketing director at Atrium at Liberty Park in Cape Coral, is described as a “saint” by her family

“She is always helping anyone, anywhere,” Scott said “She has touched so many hearts over the years She definitely doesn’t deserve this tragedy, but she is also tough as nails and we believe that God has big plans for her and needed her here ”

What demonstrates her positive attitude and willingness to take on anything, Scott said when the doctors asked her if

she was ready for the amputation surgery, she held up the classic “rock ‘n’ roll” symbol with her index and pinky fingers up

Scott also shared his thankfulness to c o m m

Nichole that have reached out and stepped up

“The prayers, love and support from friends and everyone in the community has been overwhelming for us, and words can’t describe how much that means to us,” he said

It will be a long road to recovery, and a

towards Nichole’s medical bills and rehabilitation costs

This will be one of a few different fundraising

throughout Lee County For those who were not able to be there in person, the QR code here can be scanned that is linked to a Venmo account set up for Nichole.

Pine Island Potters' Guild’s end-of-season

show set for this Saturday at Koucky Studios

Come to the Potter’s Guild end-ofseason show Saturday, May 11, from 10 a m to 2 p m , and enjoy the work of local artisans exhibiting in the courtyard of Koucky Studios Saturday’s show is the last showing of the 2023-2024 season, and it is just in time for Mother’s Day shopping! Don’t miss this opportunity to honor Mothers and support local artisans

This month’s show will feature works in pottery, woodworking, jewelry, paintings, sculpture and ready-to-wear art, as

well as island-themed décor, candles, perfume oils, children’s books, T-shirts and hats, jams, jellies, hot sauces, local h o n e y ,

loaves of fruit bread

Koucky and some of his students will demonstrate the art of firing horsehair pottery at 11 a m The random lines and patterns, the signature of this style, are created when applying strands of hair from a horse’s mane or tail onto the surface of a hot raku clay pot that has

just been removed from the kiln No two pieces are ever the same on these beautiful and unique pots

Enjoy music by Pat and Becky of the Fiddler and I as you wander through this small, inviting venue that provides a welcoming environment to chat with local artists and artisans, inquire about their craft, and learn about opportunities in the Pine Island area for classes and workshops

All works by participating artists and artisans will be available for purchase

Plan to drop by and enjoy this relaxing show While you are there, ask for a tour of Koucky’s newly remodeled clay studio, where students will be working on their projects If you are interested, stop by Koucky’s pottery table at the show to inquire about pottery classes now offered year-round Koucky Studios is at 5971 Bay Point Road, Bokeelia

For more about the studio or the Potters’ Guild show, please call 239233-3003

Nichole Hall

Diplomat Elementary Principal Chuck Vilardi receives USF’s Education Dean’s Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award

Former Pine Island Elementary principal recognized

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

s e r vi c e w i t h i n e d u c a t i o n , o r a r e l a t e d p r o f e s s i o n “ T h i s h o n o r w a s a h u g e s u r p r i s e I a m d e e p l y h o n -

o r e d a n d h u m b l e d F o r m e , i t r e p r e s e n t s a l l t h e t e a c h e r s ,

s t a f f , a n d c o l l e a g u e s I h a v e w o r k e d w i t h o v e r t h e y e a r s

w h o t a u g h t m e s o m u c h , ” D i p l o m a t E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l

P r i n c i p a l C h u c k V i l a r d i s a i d “ I a m t h a n k f u l f o r U S F

f o r b e s t o w i n g t h i s a w a r d u p o n m e . I t i s t h e h i g h e s t a n d

m o s t p r e s t i g i o u s h o n o r a u n i v e r s i t y c a n g i v e t o t h e i r a l u m n i I a m g r a t e f u l f o r t h e e d u c a t i o n I r e c e i v e d a t

U S F ”

T h e r e c e p t i o n , w h i c h w a s h e l d W e d n e s d a y e v e n i n g

a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h F l o r i d a C o l l e g e o f E d u c a t i o n , g a v e h i m t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m e e t m a n y f a c u l t y a n d f o r -

m e r f a c u l t y m e m b e r s , a s w e l l a s o t h e r a w a r d w i n n e r s “ B e i n g w i t h o t h e r e d u c a t o r s t h a t s h a r e t h e s a m e p a s -

s i o n a n d d r i v e f o r t h e i r w o r k i s i n s p i r i n g , ” V i l a r d i s a i d

A p r o d u c t o f t h e s c h o o l d i s t r i c t , h e a t t e n d e d P e l i c a n

E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l , G u l f M i d d l e S c h o o l , C a p e H i g h

S c h o o l , a n d g r a d u a t e d f r o m M a r i n e r H i g h S c h o o l i n 1 9 8 9

A s a y o u n g b o y h e w a n t e d t o b e a m o v i e s t a r , w h i c h c h a n g e d a f t e r t h e c i t y o f C a p e C o r a l g a v e h i m h i s f i r s t j o b w o r k i n g w i t h e l e m e n t a r y a g e d c h i l d r e n a t 1 6 y e a r s

o l d . “ A t t h e a g e o f 1 8 , I r e a l i z e d t h a t a c t i n g a f f e c t s p e op l e f o r o n e n i g h t T e a c h i n g c a n a f f e c t p e o p l e f o r a l i f et i m e I t ’ s a n o b l e p r o f e s s i o n I h a v e t h e b e s t j o b i n t h e

w o r l d N o t w o d a y s a r e t h e s a m e , ” V i l a r d i s a i d

N o w i n h i s 3 1 s t y e a r a s a n e m p l o y e e o f t h e d i s t r i c t , h e h a s b e e n a p r i n c i p a l a t D

The Matlacha Hookers will hold a blood drive this Saturday, May 11, from 10 a m to 3 p m , at the American Legion at 4106 Stringfellow road in St. James City

Look for the Big Red Bus

U S N

w

a n d W o r l d R e p o r t a s o n e o f t h e b e s t e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l s “ A l l o f t h e s e a c c o l a d e s a r e d u e t o t h e w o n d e r f u l t e a c h e r s a n d s t a f f m e m b e r s t h a t I h a v e h a d t h e h o n o r o f w o r k i n g w i t h , ” V i l a r d i s a i d “ T h e y k e e p m e m o t i v a t e d t o d o b e t t e r a n d h e l p m e s t r i v e t o c o n t i n u e f i n d i n g w a y s o f h e l p i n g o u r s t u d e n t s I a m p r o u d t o s a y t h a t U S F g a v e m e t h e g u i d a n c e a n d t o o l s t o b e c o m e s u c c e s s f u l ” T h e k i d s a n d a m a z i n g p e o p l e h e w o r k s w i t h r e m a i n h i s f a v o r i t e p a r t o f t h e j o b “ H e l p i n g a s t u d e n t l e a r n , o r e v e n t h r o u g h a t o u g h t i m e , f i l l s m y h e a r t M y j o b i s t o h e l p m a k e t h e i r w o r l

All donors receive a $20 eGift Card, a OneBlood Tshirt and a wellness checkup, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.

Arrive early or stay after your donation The Legion serves lunch from 11:30 a m until 2 p m and lunch is

PHOTO PROVIDED Diplomat Elementary School Principal Chuck Vilardi accepts the 2024 University of South Florida Education Dean’s Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award.

It’s tarpon time across local waters

It was a warm week across the waters of Southwest Florida Fishing was good at times and a struggle at times Tides were often slow moving but the weather was great for the better part of the week The better bite often came during times with good water movement.

It’s tarpon time around the islands A few of the hot spots included Pine Island Sound near the intracoastal channel, a short distance off the beaches of Sanibel, Captiva and Cayo Costa Islands in 10 top 20-foot depths; mid Charlotte Harbor in 12 to 20-foot depths; and Boca Grande Pass Tarpon were hooked on a variety of baits including fly, Hogy lures, pinfish, thread herring, squirrel fish or sand perch, small live crabs, and cut mullet or c

On the Water

anglers fishing Boca Grande Pass scored hook-ups drifting

small crabs Juvenile tarpon were reported around islands and creeks in south Matlacha Pass and the spreader canal in northwest Cape Coral

With snook season ending the first of the month, catchand-release fishing was up and down often influenced by water movement Snook were caught in the surf along the beaches, around Blind, Captiva and Redfish passes, B u l l a n d T u r t l e B a y i n Charlotte Harbor, and island points and oyster bars across Pine Island Sound Clouser minnow flies and small jigs both in a white color worked well along the beaches early and late in the day Live baits including pilchards, pinfish, pigfish, thread herring and shrimp worked best inshore

Redfish to 28 inches were caught and released from several of the areas mentioned for snook on cut and live bait, plus chunks of fresh blue crab. Reds were also hooked under mangrove overhangs and off oyster bars over the morning incoming water in south Matlacha Pass near the power lines Schooling jack crevalle were also reported from south Matlacha Pass

Spotted seatrout came from areas throughout Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor Fish up to 21 inches took a variety of baits including live and imitation shrimp under popping corks, live pilchards and pinfish, plus a

Legion Post 136 scholarship application deadline May 16

If you attended Pine Island Elementary School, reside on Greater Pine Island or have an immediate family member who is a member of the American Legion Post 136, SAL member at Post 136, or Auxiliary member at 136, you qualify to apply for scholarships offered by the American Legion Post 136

The scholarship committee is interested in students attending accredited programs, colleges, and some programs for nursing, boat mechanics, technical, trade schools, welding, and construction and others

You can get your applications downloaded from www post136fl org

Applications need to be post marked no later than May 16

This big one was caught and released

variety of lures and flies Fish were located over areas along sand bars where the shallow bar transitioned to deeper water and the perimeter around oyster bars on high water Floating grass in the Sound often made it difficult to keep bait clean, especially over the falling tides. Many anglers report a lot of just undersized fish with a few bigger ones mixed in

If you have been on the water, you have probably noticed pelicans diving and other bird activity both inshore and offshore There are large baits schools around and if you locate one it could be a great place to bend a rod A mix of fish including Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, seatrout and others were hooked while fishing near bait pods in Charlotte Harbor, the north ends of Matlacha Pass, Pine Island Sound and off the beaches Cobia were either sighted or hooked -- look for them prowling around bait schools or riding the back on large rays, manatees or sharks

With days of light winds offshore, boats found red grouper up to 27 inches fishing hard bottom in depths from 70-110 feet A snapper mix including mangrove, yellowtail, lane and vermilion were caught from the same depths Sharks, goliath grouper, amberjack, permit and barracuda were reported over wrecks from 40 feet and deeper, plus Spanish mackerel

S

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 Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years

Capt Bill Russell

PHOTO PROVIDED

Anglers are chasing tarpon all around the island

in Boca Grande Pass fishing with Capt Jason Ramer out of Tarpon Lodge

Island volunteers needed

31st Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Saturday

Food collected during United States P o s t O f f i c e ' s 3 1 s t a n n u a l S t a m p O u t Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11, will benefit the Pine Island Food Pantry

Due to the Food Pantry volunteers' efforts to help with previous postal carrier donation collections, this year all of the food collected on the island will stay on the island, officials have said Last year, the drive raised 920 pounds o f f

l a n d e r s D u e t o Hurricane Ian, that total was a lot less then the prior year which raised over 6,000 pounds The Food Pantry staff is hoping for a better outcome this year. Islanders are asked to please be on the lookout in their mailboxes close to May 11 for a post card with directions for donations

In order to achieve full coverage and assistance across the carrier routes for all Pine Island and Matlacha post offices, the Food Pantry is working with the carriers and many other organizations on the island to recruit volunteers for that day The plan is to have volunteers going out in advance of the carriers' Saturday morning run between 8:30-9 a.m. to lighten their load. Volunteers will take the collected donations back to the Pine Island Food Pantry where the donations will be weighed and categorized

Islanders who would like to help by collecting food in their neighborhood or on their street should give Guy D’Alessio a call at 917-774-7397

Residents can also help by either dropping of nonperishable food items at their

local St. James City, Bokeelia or Matlacha post offices or at one of the other Food Pantry locations, which include WinnDixie, V F W, American Legion, Moose or Centennial Bank, this week or leave them near their mailboxes on May 11 before 8:30 a m for volunteer pick up On May 11, people should not be alarmed if they do not see someone in an official postal vehicle picking up their donations All volunteers will have a poster on their dashboard vehicle identifying them Some letter carriers may also be picking up donations left at individual mailboxes on their route

In terms of what’s needed, the pantry can really use any type of food donation as long as it’s nonperishable

A complete list of foods the pantry dis-

https://pineislandfoodpantry org/

Monetary donations can also be made online or by check, payable to the Pine Island Food Pantry

The Food Pantry greatly appreciates the support of the community to help with both donations and collection of donations on May 11. Pine Island is one of the few

donations stay within the local community and every little bit helps the pantry help your neighbors

The Pine Island Food Pantry, which is a 501 (3) nonprofit, serves the Pine Island and the greater Matlacha area and is operated by an all-volunteer staff in the life Center of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church on Stringfellow Road in Bokeelia The goal of the Pantry is to ensure “No one goes Hungry” on the island Visit the website to learn more

Mahjongg is played every Thursday from 1-4 p m at the

SJCCA Schedule

The St James City Civic Association

h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e s c h e d u l e f o r i t s upcoming events and activities

Thursday, May 2

Ping Pong, 9-11 a m It’s a fun way to meet your neighbors and play a game of ping pong

Mahjongg, 1-4 p m This is a great place to learn to play Mahjongg!

Tuesday, May 7

Ping Pong, 9 a m to 12:30 p m

Dominos, 6-8 p m Dominoes is a game everyone can play; kids, adults and even the old 15 players showed up last week. Join us!

For additional details, contacts and ticket sales, please visit the association’s website at sjccapi org

All of the scheduled activities are held at the SJCCA, located at 3300 Fourth Ave , at the corner of Lemon Street in St James City

PHOTO PROVIDED

St James City Civic Association

Calusa Waterkeeper guides ‘Eyes on Seagrass’ pilot program

Calusa Waterkeeper has announced the start of the “Eyes on Seagrass” pilot program in Lee County, a program developed and managed by Florida Sea Grant in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Scientists (UF/IFAS) This initiative aims to monitor and protect vital seagrass habitats along the coast that are under threat.

Seagrass beds are crucial ecosystems that support a diverse array of marine life, stabilize coastal sediments and play a significant role in carbon sequestration

H o

threats, including pollution, boat propeller damage and climate change

The Eyes on Seagrass program empowers community members to become stewards of their local environment by engaging in seagrass monitoring activities Through citizen science efforts, volunteers will collect valuable data on seagrass health, density and distribution, providing scientists and policymakers with essential information for conservation and management efforts

Eyes on Seagrass surveys have been executed in Sarasota and Charlotte counties by the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant respectively. The program also runs in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties The Calusa Waterkeeper is well equipped to pilot the program in Lee County, in part because of its

Waterkeeper has trained hundreds of citizen scientists in its Ranger Program over the years who are the boots on the ground or fins in the water helping the Waterkeeper protect and restore nearly 1,000 miles of waterway.

CLT's last work/fun party of the season Saturday

The Calusa Land Trust's last work/fun party of the season will be held this Saturday, May 11, at the St James Creek Preserve (meet at the tiki huts at 9 a m)

This preserve is located in the St Jude Harbor subdivision (entrance to which is just south of the American Legion in St James City) and includes the St Jude Nature Trail with its Norm Gowan and Smith/Dewane Vistas, the Ward Memorial Bridge all within a 420-acre preserve straddling St James Creek

Hurricane Ian caused havoc to the preserve and in particular the nature trail with downed foliage and heavy damage to the boardwalk. A contract with Williamson Brothers has been signed in order to provide for the reconstruction of the boardwalk/deck Islanders' fiscal donations help subsidize this kind of major expense needed to maintain its preserves damaged by major events Past work parties have worked to remove stormcaused downed foliage, however, invasive plants now need major attention, particularly along the roadways defining the preserve’s west boundary

As an all-volunteer land conservancy, the Calusa Land Trust relies upon work/fun parties to accomplish its stewardship mission on its 2,300-plus acres of preserved lands. It is recommended that volunteers provide themselves with work gloves/clothing, pruning tools, chain saws and a happy spirit CLT will reward participants with cold beverages, a pizza lunch and warm feelings of accomplishment

For more information, contact John Kendall at 239283-8175 or john@calusalandtrust org

FDOT updates live online link for Pine Island Road Shared Use Path Feasibility Study

The Florida Department of Transportation understands that some people may be having issues registering for the Live Online Event for the Pine Island Road Shared Use Path Feasibility Study on Thursday, May 9, at 6 p m

If you have been unable to register, please use the direct link at: https://attendee gotowebinar com/register/3169166782701490781

All times and dates previously advertised have not changed

For all study and workshop details, please visit the p r o j e c t w e b s i t e a t w w w s w f l r o a d s c o m / p

landroad/sharedusepath/

“We are excited to help launch the 'Eyes on Seagrass' pilot program in Lee County,” said Calusa Waterkeeper Capt Codty Pierce “Seagrass ecosystems are critical for the health of our coastal waters, and by involving the community in monitoring efforts, we can work together to safeguard these important habitats for future generations.”

Participants in the program will receive training on seagrass identification and monitoring techniques, equipping them with the skills needed to contribute meaningfully to conservation efforts By harnessing the collective power of citizen scientists, "Eyes on Seagrass" aims to enhance our understanding of seagrass dynamics and promote informed decision-making for coastal management

“The Calusa Waterkeeper Rangers are playing a vital role in expanding the program into Lee County by pro-

viding a combination of local and technical knowledge,” said Kate Rose, the Florida Sea Grant agent who runs Eyes on Seagrass in Charlotte County and leads efforts to expand the program statewide “The goal of Eyes on Seagrass is to address a need that the entire state is facing (seagrass loss) while allowing local entities to explore phenomenon that they are concerned about. We are excited to welcome them into a community we hope will continue to expand throughout Florida ”

The Eyes on Seagrass pilot program represents a significant step forward in coastal conservation efforts, demonstrating the potential for community-driven initiatives to make a tangible impact on environmental sustainability

For more about the “Eyes on Seagrass” program or to get involved, call 239-899-1440, email info@calusawaterkeeper org or visit calusawaterkeeper org

Fishers of Men Lutheran Church makes donation to Calusa Land Trust

Each Sunday a special offering, using metal buckets so we can hear the jingle, is collected at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church This Noisy Offering is collected for 12 island agencies The January Noisy

O

Rosenberg, treasurer, for The Calusa Land Trust The Calusa Land Trust is a local, not-for-profit land trust supported by volunteers The members donate their time, talent and financial support by acquiring, managing and preserving sensitive lands to protect the irreplaceable, natural diversity and beauty of the Pine Island region.

Deadline to submit Holloway

scholarship

applications is Friday

The Bobby Holloway Memorial Fund is accepting applications for its 20232024 scholarships

The Holloway Fund gives away nearly $30,000 per year that is raised through its annual fishing tournament, which was held April 6 at Jug Creek Marina in Bokeelia

This year will kick off a special opportunity for students pursuing vocational or trade school with scholarships available through a special donation The Holloway Fund helps students who are pursuing higher education whether it be through college, trade school, academies or vocational training

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

In addition, applicants must be residents of Pine Island or attended Pine Island Elementary. Applications can be picked up from school counselors, the Pine Island Library or Centennial Bank on Pine Island

A

should be sent together in one packet to: BHMF-Scholarship PO Box 712

St James City, FL 33956

Applications must be submitted by May 10 and must include the essay and both letters of recommendation to be considered.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Back from Ian

mind-bending destruction

The super storm ruined much of Pine Island and St. James City; Matlacha was essentially washed away, structures vanished or crushed, collapsed into sinkholes, roads twisted and gone, boats and cars slung about like toys Some were left homeless, many lost everything Losses in Southwest Florida were in the billions Dozens of people were killed in Lee County

But like many around it, the Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill has emerged The K

d replanted the grounds that the U.S. Coast Guard had used as a supply base after Ian

Thursday at the lushly landscaped restaurant, a soft opening in April There’s a fresh new interior with more space, a thatched roof, newly added valet parking, an easy vibe that had diners smiling and chatting as happens when devastation fades into memory

Roped and swinging bar seats, waterside tables and chairs, TVs to watch games, fresh swag, the return of super

From page 1

professional servers and barkeeps and upgrades dot the family friendly Yucatan

An expanded menu, boating docks and other surprises are on the horizon, as well, Kolar said

“So glad to see Yucatan opening back u

L i s a Warden, posting her thoughts on social media in mid-April “Went for soft opening tonight and food was much better than I remembered The staff was awesome We will be back when fully open ”

But it was a long hard ride, first thoughts after the storm about closing shop, then the glass-half-full stuff kicked in, Kolar said

“I kept thinking about my kids and our staff,” Kolar said “We pretty much had to start from scratch it was literally the most challenging time of my life But I knew my dad and I could turn things around And luckily, I’ve got a great family ”

As other island businesses have following Ian, the Yucatan kept its prestorm feel Entering the grounds, steel drum calypso or Jimmy Buffett softly

Nichole Pichon

the island as small town America

In her mission to bring a community theatre to the island, Pichon said, the goal was to ensure locals could enjoy shows, free of charge, which she has done successfully for 10 years now, by declining money, outside of donations for productions As far as keeping the youth from getting into trouble or developing bad habits as teens, Pichon said the proof is in the results for both the afterschool pro-

From page 1

gram as well as youth involvement in the Pine Island Playhouse

“I was actually looking at the numbers of teenage crime and the numbers have

theatre alone is a huge thing, where people can participate,” Pichon said

Nothing Pichon has done in working with the youth in the afterschool programs or in theatre productions has ever

wafts about Diners can park in a small lot or have a valet do it Others choose to park alongside Pine Island Road, which should be done with caution

There’s a hanging marlin and crab buoys under the rain portico In Fort Lauderdale that would be a themed franchise But Pine Island clings to its immediate past, a still active seafood and fishing market, a quirky (and recovering) art

seafood, barbecue and basket food as birds dip and wheel, dolphins and manta rays skim by as the sun sets like a blood red orange

“There’s a blessing in everything,” Kolar said of returning from such devas-

Yucatan) justice ”

The Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill is at 4875 Pine Island Road It's open every day, 11 a m to close, with available takeout and swag For more information, visit yucatanwaterfront com or call 239-2830113

been about the money for her or her husband Paul, who do much of their own fundraising for projects

“Time is the most valuable commodity I have to offer and I give a lot of my time to the island,” Pichon said

Overall, Pichon said she hopes the youth grow to appreciate all they have had access to on Pine Island, from the support they’ve received, to ensure their future success

“I already see it in a lot of my kids who have graduated and gone off to go to college and they have that knowledge that where they came from is very special I see them coming back and giving some of their time back to the community I want it to be a cycle I want our kids to be supported and loved and if and when they get the chance to do the same thing,” Pichon said.

CRAIG GARRETT

The Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill has reopened in Matlacha.

Pine Island Elementary to hold annual Step Up Day May 28

Pine Island Elementary School will be hosting Step Up Day Tuesday, May 28, from 9 to 9:45 a m on the school’s campus

S t e p U p D a y o f f e r s

n c o m i n g

Kindergarten students an opportunity to visit the school campus and classrooms to learn more about what to expect next year A welcome packet will be given to each child who attends Parents are required to

Mahjongg Scores

E

Thursday, May 2, at the St James City Civic Association Clem Moors, Jacky Mallery and Judy Burchianti tied for first place with 105, and Andy Sacco and Tony Lindsey tied for second

On April 25, Bonnie Kellen took first place with 160, Karen Kurstead second with 145 and Clem Moors third with 120 Mahjongg is played every Thursday from 1-4 p m at the SJCCA at 3300 Fourth Ave., on the corner of Lemon Streets For more information, call Carolyn at 239-233-7682

organizers know if you plan

If you have any questions about, please

Cat of the Week

Not the most original name, but this sweet girl has plenty of

make up for it Kitty is an 11year-old declawed tabby with lots of snuggles to give She's tolerant of the other kitties, but much prefers the company of humans She will readily trade you purrs for any petting you can spare. If you have room in your heart for this gentle soul, p

Animal Sanctuary at 239-283-

donate, our address is 10060 Mallory Parkway, E , Unit D, St James City, FL 33956, or there’s always our website www helpingpawsanimalsanctuary com

From page 1

“It took several months but the school called and said, ‘We have our taste testers lined up When can you come?’ so we scheduled it and went over with three different kinds of ice cream and they got to sample the flavors and choose their favorite They overwhelmingly c h o s e t h e C o o k i e M o n s t e r i c e c r e a m a n d t h e n Strawberries and Cream and then Brownie Caramel,” Gantt said

Crawford explained a Pine Island Eagle Sunday will be created in honor of Pine Island Elementary so all participating students and staff can see the results of the taste

test

Shop specials include:

■ Monday Madness - First Monday of the month, receive double stamps

■ Wacky Wednesday - Every Wednesday through the summer, win best two out of three Rock, Paper, Scissors and receive 10% off your order Also, take your picture with our picture wall, tag us on social media and receive a free waffle cone upgrade that day

The shop now has extended hours during

The youngsters on the “taste testers’ panel, right, and more of the students, left, with PIE Principal Michael Galbreath

the week It is now open Monday through Thursday, 11 a m to 8:30 p m , and Friday and Saturday, 11 a m to 9 p m

Spots Ice Cream, Crepes and Sauces is at 10700 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, For additional information,

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY SARAH CRAWFORD AND AIMEE GANTT

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes

Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

TOMáSCONCRETE,INC