Pine Island Eagle

Rep. Donalds turns out to assist in marine cleanup in St. James City

By FRAN THOMAS news@breezenewspapers com

A partnership among local fishermen, industry and the federal government is making headway in removing debris from area waterways As of April, approximately 400,000 cubic yards of debris are gone, but much more remains Congressman Byron Donalds and representatives of A s h B r i t t w e r e w o r k i n g T u e s d a y w

Disaster Response to finish the job

AshBritt, based in Deerfield Beach, is a national emergency management and disaster response contrac-

tor In its 30-year history, it has been involved in the recovery efforts after 60 federally declared disasters.

owner of Island Seafood

a St James City resident

destroyed by Hurricane Ian

Byron Donalds

GPIcA to help fight cape lock closing

By CRAIG GARRETT news@breezenewspapers com

First, it was boater safety. This time it’s keeping manatees from getting crushed or hurt

That second argument put forth on Tuesday by the city of Cape Coral didn’t convince the Greater Pine Island Civic Association, as its members gave $2,500 to fight the city’s plan to remove the Chiquita Boat Lock, a Gulf access site along Cape Harbour.

The busy boater lock, built in the 1970s to slow sheeting storm water, is fed by the Camelot Canal and Southwest Spreader Waterway Boaters had complained of clustering and run-ins as the lock shifted water levels Cape Coral argues that manatees and a species of sawfish are trapped or killed in the exchange

Cape Coral pushed to close the lock in 2016 A judge sided with the opposition in 2020 The city filed an amended plan 10 months later Boater safety was the i s s u e , t h e c i t y a r g u e d A s t a t e j u d g e s i d e d w i t h the Greater Pine Island Civic Association The city couldn’t use the same argument before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the permitting agency Groups and individuals had filed a petition to argue against the state allowing the lock’s dismantling The GPICA is helping pay for pending litigation, not as a litigant, its members decided Tuesday

The issue for the GPICA is keeping the Chiquita Boat Lock to slow and filter nutrient-rich rain and to balance fresh and salt waters, a so-called plug to limit damaging run-off, its members said The group succeeded in keeping the lock open in an earlier legal contest

The Florida DEP had received a petition for an administrative hearing regarding the Notice of Intent to Issue a n E n v i r o n m e n t a l R e s o u r c e P e r m i t f o r t h e S o u t h Spreader Waterway Environmental Improvement and Sustainability Project, a spokesperson said DEP’s Office of General Counsel is currently reviewing the petition for sufficiency with applicable Florida rules and statutes If deemed sufficient, it will be sent to the Division of Administrative Hearings and a hearing date set, said Brooke Keck, a spokesperson for the agency’s South District office

GPICA members Tuesday also approved a second “dollar-for-dollar” measure for a matching grant for legal fees of up to $5,000. The association won’t join in a law-

They were understandably concerned with their own homes Seven months later, the area looks vastly different than it did, but abandoned boats remain a problem. That’s where Streeter and his 13-person crew come in These local fishermen know their way around and can reach the boats and other debris

Streeter said, “It is life changing to help bring the waterways back They drive this area ”

Work is expected to go on for the next few months As the next hurricane season begins, getting rid of flying

See DONALDS, page 19

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Since Hurricane Ian ravaged Pine Island, Lisa Dence has had her eyes fixed on the opening of Salty Girls Island Café The café, formerly Little Lily’s Island Deli, complete with artwork from beloved islander Mel Meo and new Salty Girls T-shirts, had its opening day on Tuesday, May 2

Dence was happy to see familiar island faces smiling back at her, and welcomed them with open arms. For now, she said, she and her staff are navigating unchartered waters, as they make decisions about what works and what doesn’t

“This is a whole different path Even though we’ve been in the restaurant business for years we did lunch

The city of cape coral is again pursuing the removal of the chiquita Lock, located at the end of the South Spreader Waterway near cape Harbour.

Owner Lisa Dence took this photo of her first two customers when the café opened

Lee County Commission looking to replace Little Pine Island Bridge

Work expected to begin after Easter 2024

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted last Tuesday to ask the Florida Department of Transportation to incorporate a full replacement of the Little Pine Island Bridge as a part of the permanent repairs to Pine Island Road through Matlacha, which expedites the bridge construction and makes it more resilient to future storms as soon as possible.

The bridge construction is slated for after Easter in April 2024 Prior to that, i n t e r m i t t e n t n e c e s s a r y w o r k t h a t w i l l increase resiliency will happen in the vicinity of the bridge from late spring through fall Motorists may experience temporary one-lane traffic Digital message boards and the Roadwatch Update, w w w l e e g o v c o m / d o t / r o a d w a t c h u p d a t e , will be updated in advance of the work

When bridge construction begins, this will involve full-time one-lane travel, as the north side of the bridge is rebuilt to

include a shared-use path Then, two-way traffic will be restored as traffic will shift to the rebuilt north side of the bridge and new path as the south side is rebuilt Onelane traffic flow will be maintained by a temporary traffic signal.

The county understands that construct i o n w i l l b e i n c o n v e n i e n t a n d t h a t m o t o r i s t s w i l l e x p e r i e n c e d e l a y s . T h e work is necessary due to the severe damage to the bridge caused by Hurricane Ian on Sept 28, 2022 This includes significant soil loss as well as loss of the seawalls and the bridge approach slabs

T h e F l o r i d a D e p a r t m e n t o f Transportation made emergency, temporary repairs to the bridge that allowed it to reopen just five days after Ian’s landfall Lee County remains grateful for FDOT’s assistance and now for the state’s partnership with these permanent repairs to make the bridge more resilient to future storms

It is important to note that pedestrians and bicyclists are not permitted in the construction zone and there will be noise from construction equipment in the area Along with the expected delays, motorists should use caution and watch for workers and construction vehicles

Lee County is committed to communicating with the Greater Pine Island residents to keep everyone aware of the work as they travel on and off the island for work, school, medical appointments and other needs

T h e M a t l a c h a B r i d g e w i l l n o t b e impacted by the work

FDOT has a Little Pine Island Bridge project hotline at 239-214-3364 E-mail inquiries can be sent to PineIslandInfo @qcausa com and project information is a v a i l a b l e a t w w w s w f l r o a d s c o m / p r oject/451937-2

In addition to the Little Pine Island Bridge-area work, FDOT crews currently are working on the east side of Matlacha

on the segment of Pine Island Road that Ian washed out.

Digital message boards are already in place, and traffic may be restricted intermittently on and off Pine Island to a single lane, alternating direction of travel, as work crews install temporary asphalt and a low-profile barrier Flaggers will be u s e d a s n e c e s s a r y t o i n c r e a s e s a f e t y ; motorists are asked to use caution

For non-bridge related Matlacha questions, the Greater Pine Island residents c a n e m a i l t h e c o u n t y a t R e s t o r e Matlacha@leegov.com. Additional posthurricane updates and resources are availa b l e a t w w w l e e g o v c o m / s t o r m a n d https://ianprogress leegov com

To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter at w w w l e e g o v c o m / r e s o u r c e s / n e w s l e t t e r s F o l l o w L e e C o u n t y G o v e r n m e n t o n Facebook, www facebook com/leecountyflbocc

Pine Island Potters’ Guild extends season, adds one more show at Koucky Studios

Come to the Potter’s Guild end-of-season show and enjoy the work of local artis a n s e x h i b i t i n g i n t h e c o u r t y a r d o f Koucky Studios -- the last showing of 2022-2023 until Oct. 14, when they kick off the 2023-2024 season

The show will run from 10 a m to 2 p m at Koucky Studios, 5971 Bay Point Road, Bokeelia

This is the first time this popular show has extended to May The 2022-23 season’s shows have been well received, and the guild is celebrating with an additional day of displaying art and fine crafts

This month’s show will again 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, Tshirts and hats, jams, jellies, hot sauces, local honey, fresh-baked cookies, pies or loaves of fruit bread.

B a c k b y p o p u l a r d e m a n d , p o t t e r Chuck Koucky and some of his students will demonstrate the art of firing horse hair pottery at 11 am As the name implies, horsehair pottery incorporates hair from the tails and manes of horses into its design The random lines and patterns, the signature of this style, are created when applying strands of hair onto the surface of a hot raku clay pot that has just been removed from the kiln

This small, inviting venue provides a

n t t o c h a t w i t h 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, which are now offered year-round

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c a l l Nancy at 239-233-3003.

OPINIONS

33922 Phone: (239) 283-2022

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

obits@breezenewspapers

Special to The Eagle

The Letter Carrier’s Food Drive is a remarkable effort by the United States Postal Service to raise nonperishable food items for local pantries to help feed the hungry across America This year it will be happening here on the island Saturday, May 13 It is the largest single day food drive in our country

We are very proud that due to our volunteer efforts to help our postal carriers collect donations, all the food collected continues to stay on our island Last year, the drive raised more than 6,000 pounds of food to benefit our fellow islanders Please be on the lookout in your mailbox close to May 13 for a post card with directions for your 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 them and many other organizations on the island to recruit volunteers for that day We plan to have volunteers going out in advance of the carrier’s Saturday morning between 8:30-9 to lighten their load Volunteers will take the collected d o n atio n s b ack to th e P in e I s lan d F o o d Pantry where it will be weighed and categorized

Celebrating a member of the ‘Greatest Generation’

To the editor:

On Friday May 12, 2023, Cpl Wilbur Riepel will turn 103, reaching a milestone most of us only dream about He is a longtime Pine Island resident and a proud member of the “Greatest Generation ”

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question:

What do you think of the state legislation banning most abortions past 6 weeks?

■ I support it 33% ■ I think the 15-week ban is sufficient 11% ■ Abortion should be legal 50% ■ Abortion should be illegal 6%

Current Web Poll Question:

Do you support islanders’ attempts to stop the removal of the Chiquita Lock? ■ Yes ■ No ■ A more environmentally safe solution is needed Share your opinion

Greater Pine Island VFW Post 4353 is inviting the whole community to be part of this special day Numerous organizations and business have come together to help celebrate this momentous event with generous donations There will be a small parade/convoy, from his house on Cubles Drive, which will proceed to the VFW at 8150 Stringfellow Road, with a short detour past Pine Island Elementary to be cheered on by the students Our community, that has been through so much, has come together for this special day and there will be plenty of food and drink for all, don’t miss out May 12 at noon! All are invited to be part of the parade/convoy which w i l l b e l e d b y L e e C o u n t y S h e r i f f ’ s Department and VFW and Legion motorcycle riders, the guest of honor will be riding in a Humvee with escort from the M/PIFD.

Island neighbors who would like to help by collecting food in their neighborhood or on their street should give me a call at 917774-7397

I n d i v i d u a l r e s i d e n t s c a n a l s o h e l p b y 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, the week of May 8 or leave them near their mailboxes on the morning of May 13 before 8:30 a m for volunteer pick up On May 13, people should not get 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, we can really use any type of food donation as long as it’s nonperishable Think about what your family typically eats and then look for BOGO-

Born in 1920, Cpl. Riepel joined the Army Air Corps on July 20, 1942, and was discharged Nov 17, 1945 He served 17 months in the Italian Theater of operations with the 15th Air Force as a supply clerk supp o r t i n g t h e b o m b i n g m i s s i o n s o f B - 2 4 Liberator squadrons He is a part of the “Greatest Generation,” and has seen many changes in his long life Although being from New Jersey, he has been a long-time islander and is a proud lifetime member of VFW Post 4353

Less than 100,000 World War II veterans are alive with approximately 234 dying every day Over 10 million Americans answered the call to arms during World War II and they deserve our utmost respect and for their sacrifices and the legacy they have left behind, The United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave

Please join with us to honor those who served, died and are still with us, Cpl Wilbur Riepel

Respectfully,

Tom Ferguson VFW Post 4353 Semper Fi, Always Faithful

type sales which might make it easier to donate the free item A complete list of foods we distribute can be found on our website https://pineislandfoodpantry org/ Monetary donations can also be made online or by c h e c k , p a y a b l e t o t h e P i n e I s l a n d F o o d Pantry.

We greatly appreciate the support of the community to help with both donations and collection of donations on May 13 Pine I s l a n d i s o n e o f t h e f e w l o c a t i o n s i n S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a w h e r e d o n a t i o n s s t a y within the local community and every little bit helps us help your neighbors This is such an important event for us

The Pine Island Food Pantry, which is a 501c3 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 our website to learn more

Pine Island Food Pantry

Removal of Chiquita Lock will help save the manatees

To the editor:

The article in the Breeze on April 21 r e g a r d i n g t h e c i t y a n d t h e F l o r i d a D E P approving taking out the Chiquita lock would have the reader believe that the only reason t h e c i t y w a n t s t h e l o c k o u t i s b e c a u s e “Petitioners state the city has only offered one reason for the removal and that’s to allow boaters to navigate the Spreader Waterway without having to wait for operation of the lock ” Essentially, damn the environment

That is simply not true

The city and hundreds of residents would like the lock out:

1 Manatees are being killed/crushed in the l o c k A c c o r d i n g t o t h e F l o r i d a F i s h & Wildlife Conservation Commission records, since 1999 10 manatees have been killed in the Chiquita lock, with four killed in the last two years FWC supports removal of the lock

2 The answer is not a “Manatee Protection System.” Glades County locks have had a Manatee Protection System since 2012 Just last year six manatees were killed in the lock, and 18 since 2012.

3 Those who oppose taking out the lock say they are for the environment, but apparently don’t care about the manatee

The environment:

A combination of projects has been proposed by the city to improve water quality in the Spreader waterbody and receiving waters, as well as to satisfy the public interest and mitigation criteria

The city has proposed the following activities listed below:

1 The replacement of stormwater catch

Bill to hide governor ’s travel takes Florida down dark road

Legislators who can’t seem to ever say no to Gov Ron DeSantis are about to repeal the people’s right to know where he’s been traveling on their dime and who’s been visiting him at his Capitol office, at the Governor’s Mansion where he and his family live rent-free, or anywhere else he goes as he explores the possibility of running for president of the United States

It’s just more destruction that’s in store for Florida’s once-vaunted public records laws The state Constitution says all government records are public unless specifically exempted, but the exemptions there are now already more than 1,100 are fast devouring the rule

The newest subversion comes in Senate Bill 1616 and its House companion, HB 1495, which would block public records requests to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and any other law enforcement agency for information pertaining to the transportation and security provided for the governor’s travel and residence

Those records presently provide the only means to track the governor’s travel or identify who’s been visiting him if he doesn’t care to announce it, which is often the case. Those are always legitimate questions of public interest, all the more now that DeSantis, the most secretive governor in recent memory, is busily visiting early primary and battleground states that would figure in a presidential campaign

In the last month DeSantis, apparently to test the national political waters, has given speeches in New Hampshire, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan

The bills originally impacted only travel records, but legislative committees amended them to also exempt “records relating to the security of the Governor’s office

From page 4

basins which drain to the Waterway;

2 The improvement of the stormwater management system associated with the dog park at Rotary Park;

3. Contributions to the study of endangered smalltooth sawfish;

4 T h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a n a q u a t i c v e g e t a t i o n removal program.

5 The planting of over 3,000 mangrove seedlings along the waterway, as well as installing oyster reef balls in the area where the seawall is being installed Oyster and reef balls have been very successful in other parts of Florida

6 The city has negotiated with the city of Fort Myers on an interlocal agreement for the city to purchase and

and mansion, including mansion security, facility operations, screenings and clearances,” as summed up in a Senate staff report

It’s artfully worded: “Screenings and clearances” mean visitors

Senate Bill 1616 was pushed through t h e S e n a t e o n W e d n e s d a y a n d w a s approved by a party line vote An amendment by Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) to narrow the exemption failed, again along party lines The bill now goes to the House where it is expected to pass

From the outset, the bills made the exemptions retroactive with no cutoff date

In the House Judiciary Committee, Rep Michael Gottlieb tried to amend the House bill to open travel records once the travel is completed The Republicans shot that down

Martin Dyckman

Guest Commentary

In doing that, they exposed their pretext for the legislation as a flat-out lie The bill’s backers assert that the secrecy is necessary to protect high-level officials and those who guard them Revealing names and places afterward could not possibly compromise any legitimate security concern

The Constitution requires the Legislature to justify public records exemptions with a specific reason The exemption can be “no broader than necessary” to serve the stated purpose DeSantis and his minions are counting on the courts to swallow their guff

The exemptions in this legislation are far broader than necessary to serve any legitimate purpose The proposed

Letters to the Editor

dispose of reclaimed water generated by Fort Myers (the “Connect Project”) This Connect Project will result in a substantial reduction of nutrients to the Caloosahatchee River

7 A detailed public education program concerning endangered species, boater safety, and water quality protection

The lock was severely damaged in Hurricane Ian and has been open seven months with no degradation to the mangroves The water is actually clearer now than at any time in the 21 years I have lived in Cape Coral This week we saw a large manatee go under our dock and moved along the seawall to our neighbor’s dock One of the neighbors has spotted five manatees in Round Lake feeding on seagrass The manatees are in Round Lake because

iron curtain around travel and visitors shields not just the governor and his family but also the lieutenant governor, cabinet members, the Senate president and House Speaker, the chief justice, and any other persons for who many of those officials have requested transportation or protection from law enforcement

The Constitution also requires a twothirds vote to enact any exemption, but there haven’t been any open government bills defeated during these last two years The Republicans do what they’re told and the Democrats, some of whom can be flaky themselves on Sunshine issues, don’t have enough votes to stop them

The concealment of DeSantis’s travel and visitors isn’t the only worrisome assault on Sunshine still pending in the Legislature Although it’s not couched as a public records exemption, SB 7050 amends election law to require quarterly campaign financer reports from state and local political candidates prior to filing their actual qualifying papers current law already requires candidates to file those reports monthly

Voters should make a note of how their legislators vote on these matters Open government needs to become an issue in every election campaign As the Washington P o s t ’ s m a s t h e a d s l o g a n s a y s w i t h s i m p l e elegance,“Democracy dies in darkness ”

Martin

Dyckman,

FLCGA News

the lock is open I can’t remember before this ever seeing a manatee in the water behind our house

I am not a scientist, I am not associated with any governmental entity, I am an infrequent boater The protection of the manatees is more important to me than anything to do with having to wait a few extra minutes to get through the lock.

The same reporter for the Breeze who wrote the April 21 article wrote an article on June 30, 2022 entitled “Manatee deaths up at Chiquita Lock ” It is worth reading

I think those who resist the removal of the lock have greatly misrepresented the positions of the city and its residents

Dennis

Costello Cape Coral

Osprey mating season

Osprey are found yearround in Southwest Florida Our resident osprey population will reuse their nests f o r m a n y y e a r s N e s t i n g b e g i n s i n D e c e m b e r i n Southwest Florida and the nestling period extends into t h e s u m m e r m o n t h s However, there are competi n g o s p r e y w h o n e e d a place to nest

M i g r a t o r y o s p r e y species arrive in Southwest Florida in the spring and the fall They migrate from Central and South America, traveling as much as 5,000 miles across the Caribbean Sea to their breeding site The migrating species are looking for a nest as well

Dolphin Tales

On Sept. 28, many of our local nests were destroyed by Hurricane Ian I have s e e n t w o c o u p l e s s h a r i n g a n e s t i n Matlacha Pass I’m observing that perhaps mom and dad osprey have welcomed back their pregnant offspring and are sharing the nest It looks like there are four fledglings and four adults in the nest Or it could be a migrating couple that our Matlacha/Pine Island Strong community have welcomed into their nest

The osprey is a species of raptor that

is often mistaken for the bald eagle However, the ospreys are much smaller t h a n t h e b a l d e a g l e a n d have very different markings

T h e o s p r e y h a s a n i m p r e s s i v e 5 t o 6 - f o o t wingspan and a very dist i n c t i v e d a r k l i n e t h a t extends behind the eye. The bald eagle has a wingspan t h a t c a n r e a c h 7 - 8 f e e t They have a very distinctive yellow beak and white tail feathers

Ospreys are also known as “fish hawks They are experts at fishing, diving feet first to grasp fish with their talons The male will bring food to the female to keep her from mating with another osprey. Females lay two to four yellowish eggs that are incubated for about 32 days Both male and female tend to the eggs and the nestlings Young ospreys take their first flight around 55 days after hatching

Capt Cathy Eagle has spent over 40 years boating in our local waters As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours Visit C a p t a i n C a t h y c o m o r c a l l 2 3 9 9 9 42572.

Adopt-A-Manatee for Mother's Day

Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift? Why not Adopt-A-Manatee from Save the Manatee Club? Your mother figure will receive a personalized adoption certificate with photo and biography of a real living manatee It’s a great way to show your appreciation while also helping to protect manatees

All manatees in the Adopt-A-Manatee program are living manatees studied by research teams in Florida and have known histories that are traced through female matriarchs One popular adoptee is Annie, a very nurturing manatee who has given birth nearly e v e r y t w o y e a r s s i n c e 2012! She has now had six c a l v e s , m o s t r e c e n t l y a f e m a l e t h a t w a s b o r n a t Blue Spring State Park on March 17, 2023 Another is Lily, who has returned to Blue Spring each year since 1974 and has had at least 10 calves Calves usually stay with their mother for o n e t o t w o y e a r s b e f o r e b e i n g w e a n e d , d u r i n g which time they nurse, learn how to find fresh water and w i n t e r w a r m - w a t e r s i t e s , a n d n a v i g a t e t h e w a t e rways

Each symbolic manatee adoption starts at $25 and includes a one-year Save the Manatee Club members hip M embers receive a q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r , T h e M a n a t e e Z o n e , w i t h updates on adoptable manatees and additional important manatee information.

Personalized adoption certificates are emailed instantly, so manatee adoptions

make a great last-minute gift!

Funds from the Adopt-A-Manatee program directly support Save the Manatee Club in its mission to protect manatees and their habitat, including emergency rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts; education and public awareness programs; and other critical work to address the ongoing manatee mortality crisis in the Indian River Lagoon

To Adopt-A-Manatee, visit savethemanatee org/adopt or call 1-800-432-JOIN

(5646)

Capt Cathy Eagle

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week

Cape Coral Breeze Athletes Week of the

(Selected by the Breeze Sports staff)

Sponsored by:

Ida Baker ’s Buzzelli voted Cape Coral Breeze April Athlete of the Month

Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers com

The votes are in for the Cape Coral Breeze’s April Athlete of the Month, and the winner is Ida Baker High School's Luke Buzzelli

Buzzelli won the FHSAA Region 2A-4 traditional weightlifting championship at 169 pounds thanks to a dominant performance in the bench press during his nomination week

The senior already had the class won with his first lift of 335 pounds, but he went on to up his bench press to 355, giving him a total score of 585 pounds

Buzzelli went on to win the Class 2A traditional weightlifting title at 169 pounds matching his regionalw

“It feels awesome being able to bring home the win at regionals," Buzzelli said during his nomination week "Looking forward to states, I’m nervous but have never been more confident I have been working towards this moment for 3 years now and my lifts have never been better so I plan on taking home the gold ”

He did just that

Voting for May's Athlete of the Month will open toward the end of the month Stay up to date on capecoralbreeze com

Fishing picks up after slow start to the week

Fishing slowed after the recent cool front brought s t r o n g w i n d s a n d s l o w l y r e g a i n e d t r a c t i o n b y t h e week’s end

S a m e a s t h e w e e k before, winds pushed tarpon out of the passes to u n k n o w n a r e a s i n G u l f waters After several days they moved back into the p a s s e s a n d n e a r b y a r e a s where the bite was often g o o d A f e w h o t s p o t s included Pine Island Sound off the intracoastal channel; 20-foot or less depths off t h e b e a c h e s o f S a n i b e l , C a p t i v a a n d C a y o C o s t a islands; and in Captiva and Boca Grande passes over the late afternoon and early evening tides Tarpon went for various baits including fly, Hogy lures, pinfish, thread herring, live crabs and cut baits

On the Water

If you have been on the water, you have probably noticed pelicans diving and other bird activity or observed bait fish raining on the water surface over the calm mornings There’s a lot of bait fish in our waters and these areas are a great place to bend a rod A mix of fish including S p a n i s h m a c k e r e l , b l u e f i s h , l a d y f i s h ,

s e a t r o u t a n d

o t h e r s w e r e

h o o k e d w h i l e

fishing near bait

p o d s i n C h a rlotte Harbor, the

n o r t h e n d s o f

M a t l a c h a P a s s and Pine Island

S o u n d , a r o u n d

the Sanibel Causeway, plus off the beach of Cayo Costa State Park Silver spoons and small shiny lures, along with live bait fish, worked best Don’t be surprised if a tarpon, shark or cobia gets in on the action

C a t c h - a n d - r e l e a s e s n o o k fishing was decent over the morning incoming tides fishi n g a r e a s a l o n g t h e G u l f beaches, the eastern and west walls of Charlotte Harbor and island points and depressions

a l o n g e a s t e r n P i n e I s l a n d Sound White deceiver flies and jigs worked along the b e a c h e s w h i l e l i v e b a i t s , including pilchards, pinfish and thread herring , worked best inshore Several redfish up to 26 inches were also caught along island points and depressions in Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor The bite was often slow early in the week and picked up heading into the weekend

The best reports of spotted seatrout came from areas of northern Pine Island Sound and 4 to 8-foot grass bottom inside Redfish and Captiva passes Baits included shrimp or Gulp shrimp under rattling floats, spoons, shad tails and small live bait fish

As we move closer to summer, mangrove snapper will become more abundant around our inshore waters Snapper up to 13 inches were caught along mangrove shorelines, submerged structure and o y s t e r b a r s , p l u s a r o u n d d o c k s a n d bridges The best bite came fishing areas with good water movement with live shrimp on a small hook and light leader

Offshore, boats boxed their limits of red grouper fishing hard or live bottom in depths from 65 to 110 feet A snapper mix including mangrove, yellowtail, lane and vermilion were caught from the same depths Hard-fighting bruisers including bull sharks, goliath grouper, amberjack and barracuda were reported over wrecks in waters sixty feet and deeper

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

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

Have a safe week and good fishin’

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

Hundreds attend 74th annual Pioneer Picnic

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

T h o s e w h o r e m e m b e r w h e n F o r t Myers ended at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Winkler and when Daniels Parkway was a dirt road came to the Lee Civic Center on Saturday to get together with other long-timers

The 74th annual Lee County Pioneer Picnic was at its usual home this year at the Tinsley Pavilion

Pat Mann, president of the Pioneer Club of Lee County, said the day was all about enjoying some food and for people to remember the good old days and get reacquainted

“It’s to come pat each other on the back, give a hug and enjoy each other who they only see once a year,” Mann said “I h a v e f r i e n d s f r o m J a c k s o n v i l l e a n d Naples who visited me last night who came just for this event ”

In the past, people have come from as far as Washington state and Alaska for the p i c n i c A l l e n R i c h a r d s o n c a m e f r o m Colorado this year, making him the person who had the longest trek

The oldest pioneer woman was Betty Anderson at age 94, while the oldest man and oldest person overall was (again) Jim Sieple, 98 The couple married the longest was Earl and Helen Stanaland, 68 years

A requirement for the Pioneer Club is that you had to live in Lee County 50 years ago Many of these people have lived here their entire lives and remember

a more bucolic Lee County, much of which has been supplanted by shopping centers, large resorts and concrete

Rocky Lamp, North Fort Myers High School Class of '72, was a football star and remembered how Ron Hoover put the area on the map

“He used to write letters to us from the other teams and paint the stadium and blame the other school to get us fired up,” Lamp said “I was from Pine Island and sometimes we would hitchhike to school,

which you can’t do now It was a special time The motivation of what kids do now has changed ”

Glenn Lawhon, a lifelong Lee County resident who lives in Olga, said Lee County was much better when he was a kid than it is now

“We had traffic issues on Fort Myers Beach because of the swing bridge, but back then it was slower paced and fun We could ride our bicycles across town and didn’t worry about it,” Glenn said

“Today, it’s so crowded that wherever you go, especially during the season, you don’t want to leave your house ”

His brother, Ken, was coming to the picnic for the first time and said he would come back He added that Fort Myers was not a tiny town, as it had everything most cities have, from car dealerships to a shopping mall

“It just wasn’t as packed as it is now It was the perfect place to grow up We didn’t realize how blessed we were until we looked back on that,” Ken said.

Where the picnic will be in the future is more up in the air as its long-time home, the Lee County Civic Center complex on Bayshore Road near SR 31 faces an uncertain future The club is expected to discuss its options in the coming weeks and months

Mann said the only thing they know is that the 75th picnic will be held the last Saturday in April like it always has

Stan Ink, from the Fort Myers High School Class of 1949, helped design the Lee Civic Center, transforming it from when it was the Kickapoo Ranch to the complex it is now

He said there was the feel of a small town back when he was a child

“There were 13,000 people in Lee County when I was in high school It was much quieter and less traffic We had one traffic light on First and Fowler,” Ink s a i d “ M a n y o f t h e p e o p l e l i v e d o f f McGregor

Capt. Bill Russell

PHOTO PROVIDED

Look for seatrout over grass bottom with moving water. Mary Valpie caught this 24-inch gator in north Pine Island Sound on the morning incoming tide fishing with Capt. Bill Russell.

CHUCK BALLARO

Earl and Helen Stanaland, who have been married 68 years, attended the 74th annual Lee County Pioneer Picnic at the Lee Civic Center Saturday

Calusa Waterkeeper issues April fecal bacteria report

The Calusa Waterkeeper has released its latest update on the April fecal indicator bacteria map for the local watershed The map can be viewed atcalusawaterkeeper.org/issues/bacteria-monitoring/

The interactive google map is embedded in the page, so you can click on the map and make it full screen to click around to see the full Legend with all the historical data for each site

The Calusa Waterkepper reports that 47% of sites have passed this month, and 53% failed This is about average for dry season testing, they said

Some new sites were sampled in North Fort Myers on some tributaries of the Caloosahatchee - North Fort Myers Judd Park, 185, and North Fort Myers Riverbend Boulevard, 364

An additional upstream site on Manuel’s Branch was

Manuel’s Branch upstream at Cleveland, 131; Manuel's Branch at Cortez Avenue, 7,270; and Manuel’s Branch Tidal, 121.

A new Mullock Creek site at 41 where it exits the San Carlos Park neighborhood was also sampled and showed

Same as last month, Manuel’s Branch at Cortez was the biggest looser this month, at 7,270 – beating last month’s score by nearly 800 points.

(Remember, the EPA/ FDOH considers under 35 as safe, and under 70 as acceptable)

Last CLT work/fun party of season Saturday at Wigert/Barron Preserve

The Calusa Land Trust's last monthly work/fun party for the season will be held this Saturday, May 13, at the Wigert/Barron Preserve beginning at 9 a m

This preserve is located in Bokeelia at the east end of Barrancas Avenue at its intersection with Aura Lane Effort will be concentrated on invasive plant and hurricane debris removal

The 32-acre preserve boasts three distinctive habitats: a rare coastal scrub environment, transitional uplands and a mangrove forest abutting Jug Creek The former contains a thriving gopher tortoise colony The upland portion has undergone a major invasive plants

See CLT WORK/FUN PARTY, page 18

‘Greetings from Pine Island’ mural dedication Thursday

Display painted by islanders Steward, Ruocco

The Fort Myers Mural Society invites the public to join in celebrating the first in a s e r i e s o f m u r a l s c e l e b r a t i n g L e e C o u n t y ’ s u n i q u e c o m m u n i t i e s T h e

“Greetings from Pine Island” mural will be dedicated at 4 p m , Thursday, May 1 1 , a t t h e E a g l e s N e s t R e s t a u r a n t a t

10880 Stringfellow Road on Pine Island

The mural project is a partnership b e t w e e n t h e L e e C o u n t y V i s i t o r & Convention Bureau and the Fort Myers Mural Society and is meant to highlight the unique attributes of each neighborhood in Lee County through art Visitors will be able to interact with the mural’s design by taking and sharing photos that will stimulate interest in visiting the destination

Placemaking is a new priority for the V C B , t h e l e a d m a r k e t i n g a g e n c y f o r tourism to Lee County This collaborative p r o c e s s s t r e n g t h e n s t h e c o n n e c t i o n between people and the places they share

The ultimate goal is to improve residents' wellbeing, quality of life and community pride. It also helps generate sustainable tourism and supports economic development

According to VISIT Florida, “mural art is hot in the Sunshine State, inspiring

travelers to go out of their way to take in the scenes, which have become backd r o p s f o r e n g a g e m e n t p h o t o s a n d Saturday night selfless ”

V I S I T F l o r i d a p r o m o t e s m u r a l s s t a t e w i d e w i t h F l o r i d a ’ s M u r a l T r a i l There are approximately 117 murals in Lee County

The mural has been painted by artists Doug Steward and Roland Ruocco, both o f w h o m a r e P i n e I s l a n d r e s i d e n t s Ruocco has been a member of the FMMS for 5 years and is delighted to have designed and painted the mural representing Pine Island

“As a resident and local artist, Pine Island's unique natural beauty, wildlife and serenity are elements that I appreciate daily and are expressed through my art,” he said

The Fort Myers Mural Society is a non-profit organization with objectives that include the revitalization, preservation and economic enhancement of the c o m m u n i t y t h r o u g h t h e p a i n t i n g o f murals that depict the rich history of the area

For additional information on murals in Lee County, visit www fortmyersmuralsociety com

Lee County Library System to feature ‘All Together Now’ Summer Reading Program

L e e C o u n t y L i b r a r y S y s t e m p r e s e n t s i t s a n n u a l S u m m e r R e a d i n g P r o g r a m f o r a l l a g e s J u n e 1 t h r o u g h A u g 1 T h i s y e a r ’ s t h e m e i s “ A l l T o g e t h e r N o w ” a n d f e a t u r e s f r e e l i b r a r y p r o g r a m s a n d a n a l la g e s r e a d i n g a n d k i n d n e s s c h a l l e n g e E v e r y c h i l d a n d t e e n v i s i t i n g t h e l i b r a r y a l s o w i l l b e o f f e r e d a f r e e , n e w b o o k w h i l e s u p p l i e s l a s t T h e g o a l o f t h e a n n u a l s u m m e r r e a di n g p r o g r a m i s t o n u r t u r e a n d g r o w a l i f el o n g l o v e o f r e a d i n g a n d l e a r n i n g , a n d t h i s y e a r ’ s t h e m e a d d s a n e m p h a s i s o n k i n d n e s s a n d c o m m u n i t y F o r s t u d e n t s , t h e p r o g r a m c a n h e l p

p r e v e n t s u m m e r l e a r n i n g l o s s t h a t t y p ic a l l y h a p p e n s a f t e r t h e s c h o o l y e a r e n d s “ T h i s y e a r ’ s f e a t u r e d e v e n t s a r e d e s i g n e d t o s p a r k c u r i o s i t y a n d l e a r n i n g t h r o u g h f u n a n d e n g a g i n g p e r f o r m a n ce s , ” s a i d M e l i s s a B a k e r , m a n a g e r o f p r og r a m m i n g a n d c o m m u n i t y o u t r e a c h f o r t h e L i b r a r y S y s t e m S p e c i a l e v e n t s a r e h a p p e n i n g i n l i b r a r y b r a n c h e s a l l s u m m e r H i g h l i g h t s i n c l u d e l i v e t h e a t e r p e r f o r m a n c e s , a r t w o r k s h o p s , p u p p e t s a n d m a g i c s h o w s , s c i e n c e p r e s e n t a t i o n s , b u n n y y o g a a n d a c o m e d y s t u n t s h o w b y a s u p e r s t a r p e rf o r m e r A l l p r o g r a m s a r e f r e e t o t h e p u bl i c b u t m a y r e q u i r e a d v a n c e d r e g i s t r a t i o n d u e t o l i m i t e d s p a c e T h e c o m p l e t e s c h e d u l e o f l i b r a r y p r o g r a m s c a n b e f o u n d a t l e e l i b r a r y n e t / e v e n t s P r o g r a m p a r t i c i p a n t s c a n c h o o s e t o c o m p l e t e c h a l l e n g e s o n l i n e o r o n p a p e r i n o n e o f f o u r a g e c a t e g o r i e s : 5 a n d u n d e r , K i d s , T e e n s a n d A d u l t s T h e o n l i n e r e a d i n g c h a l l e n g e i s a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h t h e R E A D s q u a r e d a p p o r w e bs i t e F o r a n y o n e w h o w a n t s a f u l l y

CLT

From page 14

removal project

An informational kiosk, butterfly garden, interpretative signs and trail markers have been added, which allow hikers to follow the “Nancy Rogers Nature Trail” and loop through the various habitats and v i e w R u b y e ' s P o n d a n d t h e S a r a Schwandt bench along the way

The Calusa Land Trust is an all-volunteer land conservancy and relies upon motivated Pine Islanders to assist in the

o f f l i n e e x p e r i e n c e , p a p e r - b a s e d

K i n d n e s s B i n g o i s a v a i l a b l e a t a l l L e e

C o u n t y L i b r a r y S y s t e m l o c a t i o n s

A n y o n e w h o c o m p l e t e s e i t h e r t h e r e a di n g c h a l l e n g e o r t h e K i n d n e s s B i n g o w i l l b e e l i g i b l e f o r t h e e n d - o f - s u m m e r p r i z e

b a s k e t d r a w i n g s f i l l e d w i t h a g e - a p p r op r i a t e b o o k s a n d g i v e a w a y s T o f i n d o u t m o r e a b o u t t h e L e e C o u n t y L i b r a r y S y s t e m ’ s A l l T o g e t h e r N o w S u m m e r R e a d i n g P r o g r a m , v i s i t w w w l e e l i b r a r y n e t / s u m m e r I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e A m e r i c a n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s A c t , L e e C o u n t y w i l l n o t d i s c r i m i n a t e a g a i n s t q u a l i f i e d i n d iv i d u a l s w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s i n i t s s e r v i c e s , p r o g r a m s o r a c t i v i t i e s T o r e q u e s t a n a u x i l i a r y a i d o r s e r v i c e f o r e f f e c t i v e c o m m u n i c a t i o n o r a r e a s o n a b l e m o d i f ic a t i o n t o p a r t i c i p a t e , c o n t a c t J o a n L a G u a r d i a , 2 3 9 - 5 3 3 - 2 3 1 4 , F l o r i d a R e l a y S e r v i c e 7 1 1 , o r j l a g u a r d i a @ l e eg o v . c o m . A c c o m m o d a t i o n w i l l b e p r ov i d e d a t n o c o s t t o t h e r e q u e s t o r

stewardship of its 2,400-plus acres of preserved lands

H a p p y p a r t i c i p a n t s s h o u l d i n c l u d e work gloves/clothing and pruning tools and for their efforts will be rewarded with cold beverages, a pizza lunch, shared warm friendships and a sense of accomplishment

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t L e s S m i t h a t 9 7 8 - 6 1 8 - 7 4 4 7 o r l e s m a n atee3355@gmail com

s u i t b u t i n s t e a d f o r w a r d s i t s c a s h t o resolve things in its favor, members said Tuesday. The vote, by a show of red cards, was unanimous

Mike Ilczyszyn, Cape Coral’s interim c i t y m a n a g e r , s h a r e d t h e c i t y ’ s s i d e Tuesday, insisting the Chiquita Boat Lock had served its purpose, that the city would update its stormwater system, plant 3,000 mangrove trees and take other steps such as new oyster beds in protecting the w a t e r w a y A n e w d u a l l o c k w a s t o o expensive, he added He even offered to partner with the GPICA on an unspecified project.

He was “happy to have the opportunit y ” t o s h a r e t h e c i t y ’ s p e r s p e c t i v e , Ilczyszyn said after the meeting “We all have a common interest ”

GPICA board member Sue Dahod presented opposition in closing the lock She and others argued Cape Coral should first address septic-to-sewer conversions and s e v e r a l l a r g e h o u s i n g p r o j e c t s o n t h e books before closing a boat lock, the last of three Cape Coral had operated

And not cave to impatient boaters and the extra 30 minutes it may take to run the lock, she and others added

“Get all the other things done first understood,” Ilczyszyn said in confirming

Donalds

debris is a must

From page 1

Rob Ray, senior vice president of AshBritt, said Florida Emergency Management is reaching out to owners to advise the locations of their boats as they are found. If vessels are uninsured, owners can sign them over to the state

what was said, adding that Cape Coral had “gone above and beyond” guidelines of the failed permit process that began in 2016. “We’re trying to put our best foot forward ”

The Chiquita Boat Lock one of sev-

Donalds said his work with state and local governments has never stopped Although islanders have a can-do attitude, and Gov Ron DeSantis has met the call, he acknowledged that FEMA is not doing a tremendous job.

“I am calling on FEMA to reverse its

eral built to manage sheeting rainwater when Cape Coral’s developers reportedly removed mangroves without permits in the 1970s lifts or lowers boaters on the waterway When pressed on documenting

I l c z y s z y n s a i d h e w o u l d f o r w a r d those necropsy reports There were anecdotal reports of dead manatees in city canals attributed to the lock, he added.

order to remove its trailers before hurricane season,” Donalds said

H e a l s o s a i d t h e S m a l l B u s i n e s s Administration has approved loans but not funded them

“When the cameras left, so did the federal agencies,” Donalds said

His priority is putting small businesses back to work With many people still displaced, the federal government needs to remove encumbrances

“ W a s h i n g t o n n e v e r h a d a p r o b l e m spending money,” he said.

CRAIG GARRETT

Cape Coral interim City Manager Mike Ilczyszyn speaks about the Chiquita Lock at the Greater Pine Island Civic Association meeting last Tuesday.

Cat of the Week

Salty Girls Island Café

and dinner, and now we’re doing breakfast and lunch. We love what we’re doing and we love the support, but with every new business there are bumps in the road, so we are just asking the community to have patience with us,” Dence said

Business hours, Dence said, are not set in stone, as they may change over the summer, but simply what works for now, as they take a “wait and see” stance Special dinners are likely to begin in October, she said, as there are certainly island favorites she has made in the past and plans to bring to the café

“Right now we are hiring We’re looking for a cook Salty Girls Grab and Go will be opening by Memorial Day Weekend,” Dence said

From page 1

For now, Dence said, you can get breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a m and lunch from 11 a m to 3:30 p m Since opening, the huevos rancheros, fried rice and veggie wrap have topped the menu, along with the reuben and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches

“It’s going to take some time to find our niche to figure out what works and what doesn’t on the menu Right now what we have is the spring menu We’ll see what works and then we’ll make some changes,” Dence said

Overall, Dence is thrilled to be exactly where she belongs, greeting customers, feeding the island and finding her groove.

“We want to say thank you for all the support We’re really happy to be back at work serving our community and doing what we love to do We look forward to this new journey the next chapter of our lives, and we’re excited to share it with the island,” Dence said Salty Girls Café is at 10700 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia For additional information, call 239-5584912

PHOTO PROVIDED Ar thur

This handsome boy is hoping to be the center of your world. Arthur was very scared when he first came to us, but time and kindness have turned him into a lap cat. He enjoys foll o w i n g t h e v o l u n t e e r s a r o u n d , b u t t h e moment a lap is available, he’s in it Arthur prefers to be petted on his head, which makes us curious about his history and if someone hurt him He’s approximately 2 years old and is hoping to be your best friend For more i n f o r m a t i o n c a l l H e l p i n g P a w s A n i m a l Sanctuary at 239-283-9100 If you’d rather just d o n a t e , o u r a d d r e s s i s 1 0 0 6 0 M a l l o r y Parkway, E., Unit D, St. James City, FL, 33956 or there’s always our website: www. helpingpawsanimalsanctuary.com

PAULETTE LEBLANC

Interior photos of the new island café

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