Pine Island Eagle

Celebrating Pine Islanders: Jimmy Williamson

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Jimmy Williamson describes himself as the vice president of Williamson Brothers who was raised on Pine

Elementary as a youngster and was in the last year of Pine Island Middle School

Williamson’s family originally came to Pine Island in 1967

“They (his family) came from Cairo, Georgia My grandfather used to run Nott’s Dairy Nott Road is named after that farm My grandfather started a separate company the company he started was Williamson and Sons and my father and uncles worked for my grandfather In 1996, my brother and I created Williamson Brothers and went off on our own,” Williamson said.

Although Williamson Brothers and Williamson and

Sons are both marine contractors, Williamson Brothers includes docks and boat lifts along with seawalls and commercial roofing in their services, he said

Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow program in need of funding

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

The young people of Pine Island have had an afterschool enrichment program for elementary school aged kids, all the way up to the high school youth for more than 10 years now According to Nichole and Paul Pichon, fundraising to keep the Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow (PILOT) program going strong is old hat by now and is also the only way this program is funded

“It’s how we fund supplies and any field trips that we take It basically pays for the whole program,” (Nichole) Pichon said

While the program’s focus for the young children is mostly helping them with homework assignments and mentoring with social skills they’ll need as they get older, the emphasis with the teenagers is more along the

lines of leadership and community involvement A good example is that they are all required to perform community service

“They have to get 20 hours per year to stay in the program it’s basically their way of paying for it,” Pichon said.

Evidence that the PILOT program does an excellent job at what it sets out to do was shown recently by the progressive leadership of a former PILOT program student who has benefitted from gaining what they need-

See FUNDING, page 16

Students in the PILOT program participate in a group activity

PHOTO PROVIDED

Williamson realized what a unique and extraordinary place Pine Island really is The solitude found on the island remains unmatched to him, especially in light of the more crowded and restricted life the city of Cape Coral seems to offer He said his love for Pine Island was most clearly demonstrated in 2022, just after Hurricane Ian, when islanders were most vulnerable

“After the hurricane, our efforts were focused in transporting gasoline and diesel to Lavenders Landing in Bokeelia by barge when the bridge was down, so the residents could power their generators,” Williamson said

He contends the best way to relate the island to someone who is unfamiliar with it is simply to describe it as a place that is picturesque “Old Florida,” with folks who are both genuine and caring

Chrissy Frahm Scholarship available through island church

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Pine Island Community Church officials would like to remind everyone about the Chrissy Frahm Scholarship money available to anyone who would like to attend a trade school or get their GED Chrissy Frahm, passed away in 2011, and a fund was started, in her name, that might see young people through to where they need to be

Pastor Michelle Browne would like to tell anyone who is seeking a diploma or degree, that this funding may be available to you

“We’ve been passing out these little coins for Chrissy it’s just these little containers all throughout town A lot of the local businesses will put them up, so we wanted to raise awareness that, that’s what it’s for The money stays right here on the island It’s available,” Browne said

This money is also available for gas or a new interview outfit if necessary, she said

“The scholarship fund will cover that,” Browne said.

Chrissy Frahm Scholarship

Chrissy was born in 1991 on Pine Island to Chad and Cathy Frahm Chrissy was 2 years old when she was involved in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury (T B I ) Due to this injury, she dealt with academic difficulties but strived very hard to overcome and achieve good grades

See SCHOLARSHIP, page 10 See JIMMY WILLIAMSON, page 6

The Williamson brothers. PROVIDED

Chrissy Frahm

Beacon of Hope

sets schedule of activities for June

The Beacon of Hope has scheduled the following activities for the month of June

n Samaritan Health and Wellness, a primary care clinic, is now open at the Beacon every other Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This clinic provides care for the uninsured and underinsured The cost is $50 Help is available if needed People of all ages are welcome Mental health services are also available Call 239-3607520 to make an appointment

n C a s e M a n a g e r s

Wednesday, and Thursday They can help with government programs and economic issues Call to make an appointment

n Beacon Bites (our meals on wheels) are available Call if you need to sign up

n Transportation to medical appointments and treatments is available to anywhere in Lee County. Please call and reserve 48 hours before your appointment

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

n ESOL classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p m

n T h e F o o d

Emergency Pantry is available on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday

n B l o o d p r e s s u r e s c r e e n i n g i s a v a i l a b l e e v e r y Wednesday from 1-2 p m and Saturday from 9-10 a m

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

n Fundraising Committee – Monday, June 17, at 10 a m Tickets are available for another Beacon Madness

See BEACON OF HOPE, page 10

Pole painting project on the island

A Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce committee is working with LCEC to get approval for artists or interested parties who would like to leave their mark on Pine Island by painting a LCEC utility pole. The community has embraced this project with approximately 90 poles already approved with 30 already completed. The chamber launched the project to the public on April 1. LCEC has a crew of six employees that will be painting two poles in St. James City at the end of May. The pole above left is on Stringfellow Road in front of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church, the center pole is at Stringfellow and Maria Drive and the pole at right is on Sesame Drive

Work along Pine Island Road continues

BARTOW, Fla – This weekly report is prepared by the Florida Department of Transportation to inform the public about u p c o m i n g r o a d w o r k i n S o u t h w e s t

Florida

Pine Island Road Causeway and Bridge Permanent Repairs Construction project: As part of the

Emergency Restoration of the Pine Island Road Causeway and Bridge, crews will be working in the project boundaries along CR 78 Pine Island Road from west of Little Pine Island Bridge (Bridge No 120111) to West of Shoreview Drive

n UPCOMING: Motorists can expect occasional lane closures shifting work to the opposite side of the road so crews can b e g i n p e r m a n e n t u n d e rground utilities on south side

n Motorists can expect a new traffic pattern Variable message signs will be in place to alert drivers

n Please be alerted to construction equipment in the construction zone To maintain safety, motorists should find alternate parking areas

l Pedestrians and bicy-

zone

l Please use caution and watch for workers and construction vehicles entering and exiting the roadway

l Noise from construction equipment in the area is to be expected

l Please be patient and plan for additional travel time as it may be slower than usual in the area

For more information, please visit the FDOT project w eb p ag e at h ttp s :// www swflroads com/project/451937-2

PHOTO PROVIDED

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

Circulation (239) 574-1936

Web Poll

n Yes

n No

in Cape?

n Maybe, the plan needs some tweaks first Share your opinion at pineisland-eagle com

Understanding sunshine and its role in skin cancer

We all appreciate the great outdoors and soak in the sun from time to time After all, sunshine is one of the primary reasons we live in Florida

We don’t all get skin cancer, though Every individual has a distinct genetic profile, and over a lifetime, has a different history of sun exposure

Certain individuals with lower risk factors might get away with greater periods of sun exposure Meanwhile, someone who spends the same amount of time outdoors could develop basal or squamous cell carcinoma, the two most common types of skin cancer often caused by sun exposure, or possibly melanoma, a rare and dangerous type of skin cancer that causes the most skin cancer-related deaths

Everyone – regardless of their genetic disposition – is at risk of developing skin c a n c e r I t ’ s e s t i m a t e d t h

Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives There are certain risk factors out of our control: individuals with lighter skin color, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, skin that burns easily, freckles, large number of moles and a family history are more likely to develop skin cancer

Older age is also a factor

The No 1 contributing factor to skin cancer, though, is something entirely within our control – exposure to harmful UV rays that are strongest on sunny, summer days

As with all cancers, one factor that vastly

Plagiarism has been a par t of Biden’s persona for decades

To the editor:

A c c o r d i n g t o “ S n o p e s , ” J o e B i d e n dropped out of the 1988 Presidential race after admitting to plagiarism and exaggerating his academic record. Their fact check says “True” on this one

CNN published a report in mid-May stating, “Fact Check: Biden again falsely claims inflation was 9% when he became President This same report goes on to point out that year over year inflation was 1 4% in January 2021, the month Biden was inaugurated

Plagiarism is the act of taking credit for work done by someone else and clearly Biden is once again going down that road in his desperate attempt to distance himself from the catastrophic inflation he inflicted

outcome is an early diagno-

affect interior parts of the

always presents itself on the outside That’s why individ-

Check:

asymmetrical shapes, whereas moles are circular or oval

B – Border Cancerous spots tend to have uneven edges or borders

C – Color. Moles are typically medium brown or dark

Dr

Brown Guest Column

contain varying hues of brown, black or tan, or even red

D – Diameter and Darkness Large spots or a spot that is darker than surrounding moles indicate a need for further evaluation

E – Evolving Cancerous spots tend to change size, shape, color or elevation over time They also can be itchy, crusty or bloody

If any of the ABCDEs present a cause for concern, schedule an appointment immediately with your primary care physician or board-certified dermatologist For many

Letters to the Editor

on the citizens of the United States of America since he took office

So, he’s either lying again, doesn’t know if he’s lying again or maybe the special council’s findings during his investigation of Biden’s illegal withholding of classified d o c u m e n t s f o r d e c a d e s w e r e accurate: Robert Hur wrote in the report, investigators concluded that it “would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him – by then a former president well into his 80s – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness ” Hur’s report says the investigation “uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his Vice Presidency when he was a private citizen ” Hur did not find him guilty or innocent as that was not his job, but he did cast doubt on

The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that opinions These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opinions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Opposing views are welcome Letters to the Editor or guest columns may be mailed to: Pine Island Eagle, 10700 Stringfellow Road, Ste. 60, Bokeelia, FL 33922; e-mailed to pineisland@ breezenewspapers com; posted to our Virtual Newsroom at www breezenewspapers com or faxed to 283-0232 All letters and guest columns must be signed and must contain a phone number for verification purposes You also can comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: pineisland-eagle.com

types of skin cancer, outpatient surgery to remove the cancer is often the first step However, radiation therapy is

forms of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and m

energy beams can be precisely focused on cancerous cells, sparing impacts to surrounding tissue and minimizing potential side effects often associated with cancer treatment

With summer about to take a

Florida, be smart when heading outdoors. Lather on your sunscreen, grab a hat and try to avoid outdoor activities when the sun is at its strongest between 10 a m and 4 p m Also, use technology to your advantage and set a recurring event on your smartphone calendar for the first day of every month – make that your ABCDE Self Check day

Dr Alan Brown is a board-certified radiation oncologist with Advocate Radiation Oncology and sees patients at the practice’s Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs c a n c

AdvocateRO com for more information

This, ladies, and gentlemen, is your president wrapped in his plagiarism, his mishandling of almost every challenge; inflation, crime, the border, drugs streaming across from the cartels, human trafficking, illegal forgiveness of student debt in exchange for their votes, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Iran and his weaponization of the DOJ to prevent any political rival from an opportunity to take his job He did not deserve the first term and he certainly does not deserve to be elected now just because he may be able to quash his opponents

Max Christian, St. James City

Enforce the law to keep our waters clean

To the editor:

As a business owner and mother to two teenagers living in Florida, water quality is important to me When I moved here from Wisconsin in 1995, going to the beach and weekends on the boat were a major source of happiness

I never would have dreamed that one day I’d feel anything other than joy about being near the water, much less concern over my kids going in that water! Checking the news

Biden’s ability to be found competent to stand trial along with his personal feelings about the willingness of a jury to convict him

Alan

Hurricane season is fast approaching. Are you prepared?

Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District Community Emergency Response Team will be providing a series on disaster preparedness for islanders )

By NARCISSUS E. MAGTURO and KAREN TITOLO, CERT team members

Welcome to your CERT team’s series of Disaster Preparedness articles

According to NOAA, the Atlantic basin saw 20 named storms in 2023, which ranks fourth for the mostnamed storms in a year since 1950 Seven storms were hurricanes and three intensified to major hurricanes Hurricane Idalia was the only U S landfalling hurricane in 2023 It made landfall as a category 3 hurricane on Aug 30 near Keaton Beach, Florida, causing storm surge inundation of 7 to 12 feet and widespread rainfall flooding in Florida and throughout the southeast

An average hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes Whether you have weathered many storms or this is your first season, this guide series is intended to help not only prepare for hurricanes but is also a useful resource for any unexpected emergency that may affect our community Hurricane season is June 1 to Nov 30 The Colorado State University forecast anticipates that the 2024 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be extremely active The forecast calls 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes (sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater)

To help you be prepared, each week we will cover different topics We begin with actions you can take now, ahead of a disaster.

What you can do now! Part I

1 Get informed about the hazards and emergencies

CERT Update

that may affect you and your family The Lee County

Copies are available at M/PICFD Station #1 It can also be found online, in English and Spanish, at www.leegov com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/plan/ahg

2. Learn what to do for specific hazards. Though any community can experience any hazards, the most common hazards in our community are fires, flooding, lightning, hurricanes and tornadoes

3 Develop an emergency plan

n The time to develop an emergency plan is prior to a disaster Hurricane Idalia in August went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane within 24 hours It made landfall as a Category 3 This did not leave residents much time to prepare for its’ arrival, let alone make the decision to evacuate as the storm intensified

n Plan your escape routes in the home; two exits per room are recommended.

n Be sure all family members know who to call or where to gather if you become separated

n Decide where to meet - near the home or outside in the immediate area

n Let family and friends in other locations know your evacuation plans

n Family communications - include a contact name, phone number and email, and an outside-of-state contact During Hurricane Ian, it was actually easier to communicate with others living outside of the affected areas

n Insurance and vital records - review insurance and keep a copy with your disaster supply kit A disaster supply kit will be covered in more detail in a future article

Letters to the Editor

From page 5

for the fecal monitoring report and hoping the bluegreen algae coming from Lake O won’t ruin a vacation for visiting friends and family is now part of life

Rainy season is coming and massive amounts of Lake O’s polluted runoff water will be sent to the Caloosahatchee River When they last stopped the release it didn’t take long at all for me to notice the difference while driving over the bridge to Sanibel pale blue is much more inviting than smelly reddish-brown

We have many groups in Florida trying to tackle

these growing issues with some success, but we have LAWS that have been in place that regulate the amount of pollutants like agriculturally sourced pollutants, septic runoff or fertilizers that need to be enforced! I found an effort that looks to do just that

Go to www Floridarighttocleanwater org Print out the petition Match your signature to your voter registration card, and mail it to the given address If you want to help with our efforts to get this amendment on the ballot, please email LeeRighttoCleanWater @gmail com

Carrie Cremia Cape Coral

8 Special needs Lee County provides a Special Medical Needs Shelter for those residents who require it The shelter is provided at no cost to residents If you plan to use a special needs shelter, you must register ahead of time Registration can be done online at www leeEOC com or by calling Lee County Emergency Management at 239-533-0622 If you registered in a previous year, keep in mind you must update your information every year

Next time we will cover Disaster Supply kits

Below is a summary list of actions you can take now, ahead of a storm, to be prepared Future articles will provide more details of each, but use this list as a reminder each week of actions you can take now to be better prepared

Prepare Now actions:

1 Make an emergency plan (this article)

2 Know your warnings and alerts

3 Register now with Lee County if you have Special Needs - online at www leeEOC com or by calling Lee County Emergency Management at 239-533-0622; Pre-registration is required!

4 Review important documents

5 Strengthen your home

6 Get tech ready

7 Help your neighborhood

8 Gather supplies

Have Questions about this article? Interested in volunteering with our CERT team? You can contact the M/PIFCD, Station #1, at 239-283-0030, MondayFriday, 7:30 a m to 4:30 p m

Dolphins and their fresh water intake

If a dolphin lives in saltwater, how does it obtain freshwater for its wellbeing?

Swallowing saltwater can be very harmful, yet the dolphin needs water to survive

The bottlenose dolphin’s fresh water intake comes entirely from its food

The dolphin’s diet consists of fish, squid and crustaceans such as s h r i m p T h e s e f o o d s o u r c e s a r e composed of approximately 70% fresh water. Adult bottlenose dolphins eat 4% to 6% of their body weight in food each day Water is produced internally by the metabolic breakdown of the food

Dolphin calves will nurse up to 3 years but will begin to forage food at 3-4 months old It is a learned behavior and often you can see the dolphins simply playing catch with the fish The calf still relies on its fresh water intake from its mother’s milk.

Dolphin Tales

D o l p h i n s d o n ’ t a c t u a l l y c h e w their food They grab fish with their teeth and swallow them whole usually head first If necessary, they will rub them along the seafloor or seawall to rid the food of any sharp edges

I’m happy to report that as of May 16, 2024, there is no presence of red tide (Karenia brevis) reported by FWC on our Southwest Florida coast This means lots of yummy food for our

d o l p h i n s F W C ( F l o r i d a W i l d l i f e C o m m i s s

nearshore and offshore conditions using satellite imagery You can visit myfwc com to get updates

When red tide is present, it kills fish by producing a potent toxin that affects the central nervous system of the fish Fish begin to swim erratically and die within an hour They are unable to escape the dead zones that are created when the algae responsible for red tide starts to die The decaying process consumes the oxygen in the ocean This causes dolphin to have to search for food outside the dead zones The algae can be harmful to dolphins as well, even causing them to cough and sneeze

Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 40 years boating on our local waters As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours Visit CaptainCathy com or call /text 239 994-2572. Welcome aboard!

Firefighters offer CPR/First Aid instruction at PIE

On May 17, the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District taught a modified CPR/First Aid class to the Pine Island Elementary fifth graders. The students were eager to learn and the firefighters were just as eager to teach. This is something everyone should know and it is the district's goal to teach each graduating PIE class this life saving skill.

If you are interested in learning CPR, please reach out to the M/PIFCD by calling 239283-0030

SJCCA Schedule

announced the schedule for its upcoming activities:

Thursday, May 30

n Ping Pong, 9-11 a m It's a fun way to meet the neighbors and play ping pong

n MahJongg, 1-4 p m This is a great place to learn to play mahjongg!

Tuesday, June

n Ping Pong, 9-11 a m

n Dominos, 6-8 p m Dominoes is a game everyone can play -- kids, adults and even the elderly Fifteen players showed up last week Join us!

More details, contacts and ticket sales are available on the center’s website at SJCCAPI ORG

All activities are held at St James City Civic Association, at 3300 Fourth Ave , St James City

Jimmy Williamson

Undoubtedly, his greatest wish for the island, he said, would be to remain unincorporated

“With incorporation, you have regulations and restrictions You’d lose that flavor of Pine Island You wouldn’t be able to have an old mullet boat sitting beside your house You wouldn’t be able to do many things like Cape Coral,” Williamson said

From page 1

Williamson Brothers has purchased Jug Creek Marina and Fish house, due to the fact that it is so historically Pine Island

“We wanted to do our best in preserving that bit of history I believe Jug Creek is the last remaining fish house in Lee County,” Williamson said

Capt. Cathy Eagle

June brings warm, sunny days -- and afternoon thunderstorms

The month kicks off hurricane season and the beginning of summer across Southwest Florida June brings warm sunny days and calm seas followed often with afternoon thunderstorms Although Southwest Florida is rapidly growing with many moving here to enjoy the outdoors, you will notice a big decline of boats on the water over the summer.

As always with how fishing goes, there will be good and slow days With the summer heat the bite is often better early and late in the day, however, be aware of thunderstorms in the afternoons If you have the opportunity, fishing after a late-day thunderstorm is often good once the storms pass However, we have very nasty and dangerous thunderstorms, do not put yourself or others at risk if lightning is in the area

Tarpon are in full swing through the month, fishing around the full and new moon tides may give you the best shot at conquering the silver king You can make tarpon fishing as easy or difficult as you like. They are big fish with a large appetite and a palette for a lot of different foods You can spend the day to get in the perfect position to place a hand-tied fly in a tarpon's path in hopes he gobbles it in or you can simply anchor up in known tarpon travel lanes and a place a variety of baits out, place the rods in holders, kick back relax and let them come to you

Warm water brings a lot of sharks to our coast, if you want to battle a big fish and avoid the tarpon crowds this may be for you Anchoring up with fresh bait soaked on

decent size grouper beginning around 70 or 80 feet, but for the larger grouper and red snapper you need to fish deeper water well over a hundred feet The month will bring days with flat calm water to make the long ride comfortable

The best snook fishing during the summer months is often near the Gulf passes and islands Snook may range in size from under 20 inches to big females over 40 inches This is mating season with schools found along the beaches and nearby structure with good tide movement If they’re active and hungry, they will pounce on a variety of baits, if not, they can be difficult to entice Snook season is closed with catch and release only

Look for redfish under the shade of mangrove shorelines and structure such as docks and piers Live bait, cut bait and lures all work, just some better than others at different times An easy and productive method is to soak oily cut bait or crab on bottom and let the scent bring in the fish It works great for redfish, and often snook and big trout, just be prepared to unhook a number of catfish

Spotted seatrout, a tasty inshore fish, are plentiful throughout the inshore waters Most are caught over grass flats in 4-8 feet of water Over the summer they can also be caught along the beaches and passes, often mixed

PHOTO PROVIDED

Anglers fishing near-shore waters in the Gulf of Mexico for snapper are reporting good numbers of out-of-season large gag grouper. Captain Tanner Peer caught and released several fishing hard bottom in 40-foot depths west of Captiva

bottom or under a float while waiting in the shade with a cool beverage is relaxing and productive Blacktip and spinner sharks are strong, fast, and acrobatic, often rivaling a tarpon While shark fishing, do not be surprised if you hook a tarpon

If you are looking to bring home dinner, snapper may be your best bet Decent size mangrove snapper move inshore as well as the Gulf passes Large mangrove snapper, plus grunts and other bottom dwellers, are often plentiful in Gulf waters within sight of land over hard bottom and reefs. Shrimp, squid and small pinfish or pilchards are candy to snapper, but you need to remember they have keen eyesight and easily become leader shy If the water clarity is good, dropping down to 10 or 12-pound fluorocarbon leader may be necessary to fool the larger fish A fresh block of chum also helps with the bite, especially offshore

F u r

waters, American red snapper season reopens this month, plus it

require going a good distance to deep water You may find some

with snook Fishing over grass flats you can expect a mixed bag including ladyfish, mackerel, jack crevalle, sharks, bluefish and other species It’s possible to hook seatrout on a variety of lures and live baits

As we enter summer, seasoned anglers prefer to get an early start and back to the dock before the afternoon heat and thunderstorms kick in If you fish all day or only a few hours, bring plenty of water, refreshments and drink often to stay hydrated It’s easy to get caught up in the moment on a hot day and before you realize it you are past the point of return

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

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service at (239) 410-8576, on the web at www fishpineisland com or email: 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 around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years

Capt Bill Russell

On the Water

Fishers of Men Lutheran Church Noisy Offering donated to Museum of the Islands

On April 28, Pastor Tom Hafer from Fishers of Men Lutheran Church welcomed Jenny Olson, volunteer coordinator for the Museum of the Islands, with the church's February Noisy Offering

This Noisy Offering is a special coin (hence, noisy offering) collected each Sunday in buckets for special groups on the islands

The Museum of the Islands is located on Sesame Drive near the center, not far from our church Through fundraisers and volunteers, renovation and preparing the

building, the old Pine Island library became a place to preserve the island's colorful past in late 1989 The Museum of the Islands was dedicated Sunday, Feb 4, 1990 Since the beginning of its development, the museum is manned entirely by volunteers and is a 501(c)(3) corporation

Fishers of Men is located at 10360 Stringfellow Road with Sunday worship at 9 a m The church's doors are open to everybody

Obituaries

PHOTO PROVIDED

Pastor Tom Hafer, right, presents a Noisy Offering donation to Jenny Olson of the Museum of the Islands.

Voting underway for Breeze Readers’ Choice Athlete of the Year

Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers com

It’s been quite a year for high school athletics in the Cape Coral Breeze coverage area during the 2023-2024 high school season

The Breeze will be recognizing its Athletes of the Week at the Breakfast of Champions event Saturday, June 1, at V i n e y a r d C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h T h e r e , each Breeze selected Athlete of the Week for the entire year will be honored.

Additional awards will be given for male and female Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, and team of the Year

There is also a Readers’ Choice Athlete of the Year, with 11 nominees to choose from the Breeze list of this year's Athletes of the Week Voting will run until May 31 Voting can be found on the home page of www capecoralbreeze com

The Breeze sports staff has selected the following student athletes to be nominated for Readers’ Choice High School Athlete of the Year:

n Max Brady, Mariner High School: B r a d y d e f e a t e d B r a d e n t o n M a n a t e e ’ s Luke Arthur by major decision in the 132-pound final to take home the FHSAA 2A State Championship in the 132-lb weight class This is the third consecutive state championship for Brady, who finished the season with a 47-2 record

n Mackenzie De Lisle, Bishop Verot High School: De Lisle finished second overall in the FHSAA 2A girls cross

c o u n t r y S t a t e C h a m p i o n s h i p s i n Tallahassee Her time of 17:52 2 helped pace the Vikings to a fourth-place finish in the team standings She also won the FHSAA Class 2A championship in the

1 6 0 0 m e t e r s H e r w i n n i n g t i m e o f 4:59 82 was more than a second faster than the next-best competitor

n Justin Lewis, Mariner High School: The senior two-sport athlete excelled on both the gridiron and basketball court this year once again. He scored four touchdowns in the annual Black and Blue Bowl and was a key starter for the hoops team that went to the state final four

n Mia Lane, North Fort Myers High School: The junior led a Red Knights team that made it to the regional final with 7 home runs this season, while posting an impressive 516 batting average She scored 43 runs on the year, compiling 49 hits, and led the team in slugging percent-

age and RBI with 52

n Carter Smith, Bishop Verot High School: One of the top quarterbacks in the region showed why he’s a special player throughout the year, setting several Lee County records at his position The junior helped lead the Vikings to the regional final game The University of Michigan commit threw 29 touchdown passes and rushed for 19 more, posting a 129 4 quarterback rating He threw for 2,223 yards on the year

n R y l e

School: The Athlete of the Month for February and University of Florida commit, the senior standout helped the Tritons

3

a

Regional Championship with an assist in the opening round versus Seminole, and a two-goal, two-assist performance against Naples in the semifinal match.

n Melissa Blaine, Cape Coral High School: Blaine finished second in the 200 individual medley in the FHSAA Class 3A State Championships in Ocala, and brought home a fifth place finish in the 500 freestyle The senior also contributed to the Seahawks’ 200 medley relay team that came in eighth; and a seventh place in the 400 freestyle relay

n Saige Thibodeaux, Ida Baker High School: The senior was on top of her game in both volleyball and weightlifting this year for the Bulldogs The senior was t o p s i n D i s t r i c t 2 A - 1 3

Weightlifting in the 169-pound weight c

2 9 0 pounds She led the volleyball team with 199 kills, 247 digs and hitting percentage

School: French, with a sparkling 54-1 record at 126 pounds, was a FHSAA 2A State Champion in Kissimmee The junior captured his first state title winning after twice being a runner-up via major decision against Rylan Herrera of Clay n Sophia Kerns, North Fort Myers High School: The senior was a major player in the Red Knights trip to the state championship this year, leading the team

Mahjongg Scores

We had 11 players for mahjongg on May 23 Taking first was Clem Moors with 130, second went to Stephanie Lattiny and third place went to Patt Gulliver with 115 Fun was had by all

We play mahjongg every Thursday from 1-4 p m at the St James City Civic Center at 3300 Fourth Ave on the corner of Lemon Street.

For more information about the weekly game, please call Carolyn at 239-233-7682

n Katarina Hagler, Oasis High School:

The senior bowler continued her stellar high school career this season, helping the Sharks take home a district championship Hagler was inducted into the Florida State

Performance, and set a new state record for high school bowling with her 5-game total at FHSAA state championships, as well as increased another 10 Lee County records along with high average for the county

Scratch Off Raffle Tickets will be available at the Beacon The drawing will be at the American Legion on July 4.

n Strange Arrangement – Monday, 67:30 p m A musical experience

n Pine Island Boy and Cub Scouts will be meeting Wednesday evenings at 6 p m at the Methodist Church

n Girl Scout Troop will meet on Friday nights at 6

n The Attic (Thrift Store) is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a m to 3 p m Saturday hours are 10 a m to 3 p m

Donations are accepted until 2:30 p m

Tuesday is 50% off clothing, shoes and

From page 1

Her schooling included Pine Island Elementary, Gulf Middle School, Ida Baker and Edison Community College

Her parents always supported Chrissy and her younger sister

At the age of 15, Chrissy started experiencing symptoms of migraines, vomiting, hair loss and sleepiness Sadly, one week before her 16th birthday, physicians diagnosed Chrissy with a glioblastoma, a

treatment at Children’s Hospital in Tampa

Bay Amazingly, while undergoing her treatments, she became involved with pet therapies

Chrissy began a Pine Island/Matlacha community effort collecting tabs from cans to support the Ronald McDonald House in South Fort Myers Through all of her medical treatments, Chrissy was constantly searching for ways to help other children

G

stopped her from reaching out and helping

similar items The next 50% off “almost everything” will be Tuesday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 18.

n Pine Island Cares, made up of representatives from the island non-profits, meets quarterly The next meeting will be on Monday, July 8, at 10 a m

The Beacon of Hope, at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St James City, is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Computers, fax and printer are available for use Case Managers are available at these times, as is the Grants Manager Contact the Beacon at 239-283-5123

others

In 2011, at the age of 19, Chrissy died from her illness In honor of her short life, her parents and sister created the Beacon of Hope GED program for anyone who wants to receive their high school diploma This program is still flourishing to this day, where 45 people have proudly received their GED.

Church is sponsoring “Coins for Chrissy ” Banks for coins will be located at local businesses for donations All proceeds will be used to provide GED schooling, tools for trade and other miscellaneous expenses related to education and helping

(including clothing for interviews) This fund is NOT based on GPA or college

acceptance Cathy, Chrissy’s mother, will keep the community updated on how students have benefited from these scholarships and what they were able to achieve

Banks can be picked up at Pine Island Community Church and ALL funds will be used to help fellow islanders. When a bank is full, simply drop it off at the church

If someone you know could benefit from the Chrissy Frahm Foundation, simply contact the Beacon of Hope for information on their GED program or Pine Island Community Church for other types of education and career planning assistance

Thank you in advance for using your spare change to help our beautiful island and its people!

Tilton receives University Honors at FSU

University awarded honors medallions to 339 high-achieving graduates during the April 29 ceremony in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall

The FSU Honors Program supports the efforts and talents of some of the university’s most intellectually curious students who have the potential, dedication and drive for creating change

The honors medallion recipients, along with their hometowns, academic majors and award designations include: n P i n e I s l a n d - - M a d i s o n T i l t o n , English (editing, writing and media) and history, University Honors

ed, not only to succeed outside the program, but to come back after graduation as an employee of PILOT

“One of the most important pieces to me is the cyclical nature that is ingrained from the very beginning It seems to be happening a little bit more successfully now, because we have older students who have been participating longer, but even when it was high schoolers that were helping with elementary school, it was still really cool to see people that just a couple of years ago were in the same position, ” Paul Pichon said

A l t h o u g h P i n e I s l a n d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h h o u s e s PILOT and pays the couple, in part, the fundraising they do is the only way the program can continue

“Ultimately, what the program looks like, depends on how much we raise,” Nichole Pichon said

PILOT fundraising letter

Dear Friends,

It is because of donors like you that Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow (PILOT) After School Enrichment Program has been successful the past decade of operation We hope we can again count on your support as we kick off our PILOT Fundraising Campaign We were able to operate PILOT three days a week for the ‘23-’24 school year but will need $38,000 in order to operate the program four days a week in '24-’25 Your donation will fund coordinator/mentor salaries, supplies and enrichment activities (field trips)

Your financial support ensures PILOT continues to have a tremendous impact on our student’s success and resulting program recognition The most important results are how our students are doing Here are a few examples: National Recognition

● PILOT is recognized as a leader by Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP), which promotes the positive development of middle (6th-8th grades) and high school teens (9th-12th grades) through curriculum-guided, interactive group discussions; positive adult guidance and support; PILOT and The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida

were given a partnership award from United Way of Lee County in 2016 for their work together on the TOP program; We were asked to pilot the new curriculum offered by Wyman in 2017; Nichole is asked yearly to lead trainings at the Children’s Network for new TOP facilitators

● PILOT is recognized as one of the top 10 Builder’s Clubs by Kiwanis International whose goal is to build leaders by providing opportunities for students to learn, engage, serve and lead to benefit school, community and world.

● Several students have been awarded grants for their community service learning projects through Disney Friends for Change Local Recognition and Achievements

● A majority of PILOT students are island scholarship recipients This year two of our current juniors are graduating early, two seniors are graduating and planning on continuing their education and three of our graduates who took a year break are planning on attending college in the fall

● Four of our PILOT graduates have graduated from college and have entered the workforce

● One of our former students that dropped out of PILOT and high school completed their GED this year with the help of PILOT and is now a volunteer

● Coordinator Nichole Pichon was nominated for Lee County School District’s New Teacher of the Year and also received a rating of Highly Effective on her final evaluation She is the first, first-year teacher to ever receive a Highly Effective rating from former Principal Tom Millins who has been working for 19 years

Testimonials

● “Being part of PILOT was so important to me because it opened up tons of learning chances and let me pick up new skills and hobbies. It was a place where I felt connected to my community and could really contribute ”

Lilly Overbaugh, PILOT student 2014-2021

● “PILOT has always been a second home to me Ever since fourth grade, I have looked forward to PILOT every day It was a place where I knew I was welcome Even on

hard days where I felt that not a single person was on my side, I would come to PILOT and within the program, there was always someone there to support me I will never take for granted everything I’ve learned while being in the program Although we had our fair share of difficulties along the way, our family would always stand strong PILOT for life ” Jocelyn Ranno, PILOT student 20162024

● “PILOT has given me a community to be a part of It is a place where I can be myself and where I am encouraged to do my best. Nichole and Paul, as well as the other mentors there, always make sure I am successful with the things that I do ” Mo Vida, PILOT student 20212024

● “PILOT has been very impactful in my life, especially in my middle school years PILOT provided an environment that gave me support so that I could be successful throughout school, and in my future PILOT gave me many opportunities to give back to my community and the people around me, and I am extremely thankful to have been in the program ” Triston Sistare, PILOT student 2015-2024

Can we count on you to help ensure Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow continues as a free nonprofit, non denominational after school enrichment program, whose mission is to challenge the hearts and minds of Pine Island youth to encourage growth and excellence in vital areas such as critical thinking, responsibility, group dynamics, and community involvement?

To donate, please make your check payable to “Pine Island United Methodist Church” with “PILOT Supplement” in the memo section or Give Online and add "PILOT Supplement" in the comments section

All funds donated will be used specifically for the PILOT program and may be tax deductible. Your donation will allow this important program to continue to ensure a successful future for our island children

Thank you for your consideration, Nichole Pichon and Paul Pichon