Pine Island Eagle

Pine Islanders remain resilient in the face of catastrophe

Islanders still weathering the storm on Pine Island

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Captain Cathy Eagle has spent more than 40 years boating in local waters As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours, During this time of cleanup from Hurricane Ian, though, she’s taken a break from h e r r e g u l a r g i g t o h e l p o t h e r islanders

From giving cans of gas to pass ing vessels that may be running low out on the water, to bringing gro

ceries, by boat, to neigh bors in need who have no way of leaving their waterfront homes, and more importantly, shut tling islanders to what’s left of their homes to assess damage, Eagle has undertaken the role of caretaker to everyone around her and, right now, it seems to be a need that’s insurmount able.

“My nephew, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was on board and also my brother who flew helicopters and was doing rescues in Vietnam well they both said this is a war zone,” Eagle said

At the time of this interview, Eagle, who had been on the water for eight days, said most people have only seen Pine Island from the air Not yet having access to television or the internet has given her a uniquely limited perspective, forcing her to live in the moment firsthand

“All I see is at eye level, in real time, every day. It really is a war zone. That, to

me, is the most poignant thing As I’ve been out with some home and business owners it’s been up to four and five times for some of them each day they take in a little bit more and begin to real ize the gravity of the situation,” Eagle said.

Pine Island Kiwanian Darcy Conner and her husband, Chamber Board member Dave Conner, decided to vacate Pine Island and head to Port St Lucy at the last minute, just before Hurricane Ian hit

Elementary school staffers say they’re ‘Pine Island Strong’

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Pulling together as a community has never been more important to Pine Islanders than it is right now After H u r r i c a n e I a n s w e p t i n , d a m a g i n g homes, businesses and disrupting lives on the island last Wednesday, the staff of Pine Island Elementary wasted no time meeting with school Principal Dr Tom Millins to assess that damage

Teachers got together on Tuesday afternoon to check in with one another, said teacher Nichole Pichon, as well as keeping track of students and their fami lies to make sure they were safe

“ T o d a y ’ s m e e t i n g w a s i n i t i a l l y a mental health check in That was what we did first. We were making sure everyone who was here was OK That was priority one,” Pichon said

Several of the students and families who live on the island have lost their homes, she said, approximating six or seven homes lost with at least 10 more that have been damaged The meeting was important to

ascertain what is needed to help those who’ve lost everything

School staffers are not only interested in helping the students they work with each day, she said, but want to pitch in any way they can to help their island community

“Today we created a plan We have a Google Doc that Shannon Schaal and Regina Notarianni have started, so we can track whether we have heard from our students and what they need in their current situation, or whether they’ve moved to a different state temporarily, and how we’re going to be able to con tact all of our kids,” Pichon said

Although this was not an official school meeting, the teachers, as well as Millins, felt it was vital to figure out what they could do to pinpoint students and families Most grades were account ed for, Pichon said, although, so far, they have not been able to reach everyone.

“This was nothing official We were just coming together to figure out what we could do to help people We’re hous

ing supplies and collecting money for staff and students who were affected by the hurricane,” Pichon said

Plans to meet again are already under way as the staff begins to compile infor mation on the students whereabouts as well as their needs

“Jaime and Eddie Barnhill have been amazing in transporting supplies and people back and forth on and off the island. They have lost their home and yet they have put that to the side and put

Dan Loughran of Island Winn-Dixie asks, ‘What do you need?’

B y PA U L E T T E L e B L A N C p l e b l a n c @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m

I f y o u ’ v e b e e n o n P i n e I s l a n d f o r a n y e x t e n d e d p e r i o d o f t i m e , y o u ’ v e l i k e l y m e t W i n n D i x i e s t o r e m a n a g e r D a n L o u g h r a n A p i l l a r o f t h e c o m m u n i t y , L o u g h r a n i s o f t e n o n e o f t h e f i r s t i n l i n e t o o f f e r h e l p i n a t i m e o f c r i s e s

A s i s l a n d e r s a r e s t i l l c l e a n i n g u p t h e m e s s l e f t b e h i n d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n , L o u g h r a n a n d W i n n D i x i e a r e e q u i p p i n g t h e m w i t h a l l t h e p r o d u c t s i n t h e s t o r e

“ F o r t h e l a s t t w o d a y s w e ’ v e b e e n j u s t g i v i n g p r o d u c t s a w a y , ” L o u g h r a n s a i d .

P i n e I s l a n d W i n n D i x i e o p e n e d f o r r e g u l a r b u s i n e s s a g a i n a f t e r H u r r i c a n e I a n S a t u r d a y , O c t 8 A f t e r h a v i n g h a d

PHOTO

See

Cathy

PHOTO PROVIDED

As islanders are still cleaning up the mess left behind by Hurricane Ian, Winn-Dixie store manager Dan L o

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a

a

W

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e equipping them with all the products in the store.

Pine Islanders remain resilient in the face of catastrophe

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

According to Pine Island Centennial Bank manager Elsie Stearns, islanders are trying to work through a great deal in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Communication is difficult because many Pine Islanders have no access to television, phone service or even radios to find out what may be going on around them, she said

Evidence of the community pulling together is already happening, as Robin Pearl, owner of Sun Shrimp, has agreed to attempt to provide ice for islanders who still remain Stearns, who is awaiting word from her corporate office regarding the Pine Island Centennial Bank branch, said although people were aware of Hurricane Ian’s approach, the storm surge was underestimated by every day folks.

“We’ve never had the surge before the way we have now They’ve talked about the surge but we’ve never actually had the surge until now,” Stearns said shortly after the storm passed Stearns is resilient in her faith that islanders will ascer tain necessary resources in order to work through rebuilding the community

“It’s devastating to say the least but we a lot of good resources and a lot of good people that can pull together,” Stearns said

On a positive note, Derrick Stearns, owner of Stearns Custom Builders, is ecstatic to report, the stringent codes followed during the building of their homes, has reaped successful results, in that all 17 of the houses he’s checked, including some in Fort Myers, built by Stearns remain standing

“We have no damage on our houses whatsoever,” Derrick Stearns said of his and his parents’ homes “After driving all around the island, including Matlacha, one of the things that stood out to me was that the new codes are working most notably the new pile foundations are standing strong with no damage The codes are working and it’s a positive thing to see This is a testament to it being worth it to see these homes still standing with no, or minimal damage,” Stearns said

Rescuers help evacuate Suzanne Tomlinson, a resident who rode out the storm, as they carry her to a waiting boat in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island.

Amanda Webster, a resident of Pine Island who evacuated and since returned to retrieve some of her belongings, sits and waits for a boat to take her off the island, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island Oct 1 The only bridge to the island was heavily damaged so it could only be reached by boat or air. / AP PHOTO/GERALD HERBERT

Volunteers form a human chain to offload emergency supplies that arrived by boat in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island in Florida's Lee County, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. The only bridge to the island is heavily damaged so it can only be reached by boat or air / AP

An islander relaxes

deck

Tami Tackett hugs her husband Dewey Tackett as he evacu ates by boat and she remains, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island, Oct 2 The only bridge to the island was heavily damaged so it could only be reached by boat or air

PHOTO/GERAL D HERBERT

Editorial

#SouthwestFloridaStrong

t i n g 1 8 3 m p h i n 1 9 3 5 , l e a v i n g 4 2 3 d e a d

h t C l u b p i e r n o m o r e

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D a m a g e e s t i m a t e s r a n g e f r o m $ 4 1 b i l l i o n t o $ 7 0 b i l l i o n

W e ’ v e t a k e n a c a t a s t r o p h i c h i t

W e ’ r e s u f f e r e d a d e v a s t a t i n g l o s s

B u t w e w i l l r e b u i l d

I t i s w h a t w e d o

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W e w e r e t h e e p i c e n t e r w h e n t h e r e a l e s t a t e b u b b l e b u s t n a t i o n w i d e , s p a w n i n g t h e G r e a t R e c e s s i o n i n 2 0 0 6

the Firehouse

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W e b u i l t b a c k .

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I n t h e g r i e v i n g w a k e o f l o s s o f l i f e

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B r e e z e N e w s p a p e r s e d i t o r i a l

all in this together!

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∫ E v a c u a t e d o v e r 1 , 0 0 0 c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s v i a a i r o r b o a t o p e r a t i o n

∫ S i n c e l a n d f a l l , c r e w s h a v e a n s w e r e d n e a r l y 6 0 0 e m e r g e n c y c a l l s

∫ A l l f o u r s t a t i o n s h a v e b e e n a n d w i l l

c o n t i n u e b e i n g o p e r a t i o n a l ( S t a t i o n 1 h a s m o d e r a t e d a m a g e )

∫ T h e t h r e e s t a t i o n s o n P i n e I s l a n d ( B o k e e l i a , S t J a m e s C i t y , a n d t h e C e n t e r ) c o n t i n u e t o o p e r a t e o n g e n e r a t o r s

I c a n ’ t t h a n k e v e r y o n e e n o u g h f o r h o w w e h a v e a l l c o m e t o g e t h e r a s a c o m m u n i t y a n d s u r v i v e d T h i s d i s a s t e r h a s h i g h l i g h t e d o u r c o m m u n i t y ’ s s t r e n g t h a n d p e r s e v e r a n c e . I t ’ s a b s o l u t e l y i n c r e d i b l e .

I t ’ s v e r y i m p o r t a n t t o r e m e m b e r , y o u r f i r e d e p a r t m e n t w a s t h e F I R S T e m e r g e n c y r e s p o n s e t e a m o n M a t l a c h a / P i n e I s l a n d t o p r o v i d e e m e r g e n c y s e r v i c e s W e h a v e b e e n w o r k i n g t i r e l e s s l y s i n c e t h e d a y s b e f o r e t h e s t o r m t o p r o t e c t a n d s e r v e t h e c o m m u n i t y w e l o v e a n d c a l l h o m e W e ’ r e a l l i n t h i s t o g e t h e r !

B e n j a m i n M i c k u l e i t , F i r e C h i e f , M / P I F C D

Benjamin Mickuleit

Water conservation is important For the next week please refrain from filling pools and pressure washing We have limited production capacity This gives us a week to bring everyone back on

1 WATER TO HOMES SCHEDULE:

a PINE ISLAND PROPER:

a.i. North of Winn Dixie, water service is now 24 hours a day, with periodic outages to fix water main breaks, or service generator Notice boil water before drinking, but good to shower in Water may be off tonight based on generator repairs at the water treatment plant

a ii South of Winn Dixie, we APOLOGIZE:

a ii 1 Water service was OFF all day Monday With t h e c r i t i c a l e l e c t r i c a l p o l e w o r k M o n d a y a l o n g Stringfellow Road south of Winn Dixie, right next to the Saint James City watermain we felt it more prudent to not have flowing pressurized water in the main in case it was struck by auger used for digging power poles holes, or inadvertently broken with power poles being pushed back into place

a ii 2 Water service likely OFF all day Tuesday The water treatment plant generator is down We have serv ice techs in route to look at generator We did receive a second temporary generator and it is on site However, it is not wired in If the in route generator tech cannot get the main plant generator running, we will wire in the temporary

a.ii.3. We may receive utility power Tuesday. If we do, the generator will not be necessary and we can flow water south of Winn Dixie

a ii 4 If generator repairs go well and/or we get util ity power, the intent was to run water from 8 a m to 8 p m

a ii 5 Notice boil water before drinking, but good to shower in If you are not getting water during these times call Customer Service at 239 283 1071

b. MATLACHA:

b i Water services south of Pine Island Road turned on Monday

b ii Water services north of Pine Island Road are being turned on Tuesday

c ROYAL TEE, MATLACHA ISLES, SADDLE

WOOD FARMS:

c i Water service 24 hours a day, with periodic out ages to fix water main breaks Notice boil water before drinking, but good to shower in Likely boil water to be lifted on Thursday or Friday this week

2 Free DRINKING water at 9550 Stringfellow Rd Please bring your own container. Take as much as you want There is a big plywood sign to help you find it

a By the street there is water available 24 hours for 2 gallon and smaller containers

b Between the hours of 7 a m to 7 p m we can also fill larger containers such as 55 gallon drums, etc

3 Cold water, outdoor SHOWER available:

a Near Center at 9550 Stringfellow Road between the hours of 7 a m to 7 p m

b. Matlacha at Matlacha Avenue and Pine Island Road working 24/7

c Saint James City on Stringfellow Road near Bob & Annies’ not working as of Tuesday, but in the future will be operational between the hours of 8 a m to 8 p m

Lee County building damage assessments, permits and inspection guidelines

Due to both public and private damage g e n e r a t e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n , Unincorporated Lee County is temporari ly altering routine construction permitting and inspections for rebuilding Damage assessment:

U n i n c o r p o r a t e d L e e C o u n t y , f o l l o w i n g t h e N a t i o n a l F l o o d I n s u r a n c e P r o g r a m ( N F I P ) r e q u i r e m e n t s , h a s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o d e t e r m i n e " s u b s t a n t i a l d a m a g e " a n d " s u b s t a n t i a l i m p r o v e m e n t , " a n d h a s i m p l e m e n t e d t h e p r o c e d u r e s t o d o s o

∫ Substantial damage is defined as damage of any origin sustained by a struc ture whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its “before damage” condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure (Note: The cost of the repairs must include all costs neces sary to fully repair the structure to its “before damage” condition )

∫ Substantial improvement is defined as any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addi tion or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure ( b e f o r e a n y i m p r o v e m e n t s a r e p e r formed)

Historic structures may be exempt from these requirements if the compliance would threaten the structure’s continued eligibility for historic designation

These laws are required by the NFIP to protect lives and investment from future flood damages The county must enforce these laws in order for federally backed flood insurance to be made available to Unincorporated Lee County residents and property owners

FEMA 5 0 % rule:

∫ This is in effect and will be enforced during review

∫ Basic rule: If the cost of improve ments or the cost to repair the damage exceeds 50% of the market value of the building, it must be brought up to current floodplain management standards Visit www leegov com/dcd/flood/building/imp rovements or www fema gov/sites/default

more information

Permitting:

Phase II of the Disaster Recovery pro cedures extends permitting, review and inspection services to all record types regardless of damage, while ensuring those with hurricane damage are given priority

Please review the Phase II Disaster Recovery Permitting Requirements and the Guides and Forms webpage for infor mation about Permitting Requirements by record type

1 . Work not requiring a permit:

∫ Removal of debris from on or inside a structure

∫ Minor demolition to prevent injury or prevent further damage to buildings

∫ Structural shoring and bracing

∫ Replacement of broken glass within existing framing for windows and doors

∫ Repair/Replacement of soffit and gutters

∫ Roof Shingle replacement of one square of shingles (10 foot by 10 foot area, or less)

∫ Minor non structural repairs made to the exterior of structures

∫ Repair of minor water leaks that do not involve structural, mechanical or elec trical systems

∫ P r e

destroyed due to the storm may be re installed, like for like, in the exact same location

2 . Minor damage

∫ Permits for minor damage, consist ing of roof covering, screen enclosures, wood decks, doors, windows and other n o n s t r u c t u r a l c o m p o n e n t s m a y b e obtained upon the submission of an item ized list from the contractor or owner

builder stating the items to be repaired, with an accurate cost estimate of the repairs It will be the responsibility of the owner builder or contractor to request the required inspections from the Lee County Inspections Office at 239 533 8997 or use an approved architect or engineer to p e r f o r m t h e i n s p e c t i o n s a n d p r o v i d e inspection reports to the Lee County Building Inspections Office

3 . Major damage

∫ P e r m i t s f o r m i n i m a l s t r u c t u r a l c o m p o n e n t s s u c h a s d a m a g e d g l a s s r o o m s , t r u s s e s o n s i n g l e f a m i l y h o u s e s , c l a d d i n g ( r o o f a n d w a l l s h e a t h i n g ) a n d n o n s t r u c t u r a l c o m p o n e n t s , i n c l u d i n g m e c h a n i c a l ( a i r c o n d i t i o n i n g ) , e l e c t r i c a l a n d i n s u l a t i o n , m a y b e i s s u e d t o a c o n t r a c t o r o r o w n e r b u i l d e r u p o n s u b m i s s i o n o f a n i t e m i z e d l i s t s i g n e d a n d s e a l e d b y a n a p p r o v e d a r c h i t e c t o r e n g i n e e r

∫ Considered Substantial Damage per FEMA guidelines, requiring a more com plex permit review process described here: www leegov com/dcd/flood/build ing/improvements

4 ∫ Permits for collapsed roofing sys tems, destroyed walls, foundation dam age, damage to beams and other major structural components, will only be issued upon submission of detailed construction d r a w i n g s p r e p a r e d a n d s e a l e d b y a n approved architect or engineer

∫ Considered Substantial Damage per FEMA guidelines, requiring a more com plex permit review process described here: www leegov com/dcd/flood/build ing/improvements

Expired permits/permits due to expire:

∫ E x i s ti n g p e r m i t ti n g r e c o r d s ( a ll record types) that have an expiration date of Sept 26 through Oct 31, 2022, will be auto extended, with a new expiration date of Nov 1, 2022 and is subject to further extension

Inspections:

∫ All inspection requests are being accepted at this time, with priority being given to hurricane related repairs

∫ It will be the responsibility of the contractor or owner builder to request the r e q u i r e d i n s p e c t i o n s , b a s e d o n t h e approved scope of work The use of an approved private provider inspection firm to perform the necessary inspections and provide inspection reports to the Lee County Building Inspections Office is a c c e p t a b l e E m a i l i n s p e c t i o n s @ l e e g o v com

∫ I n s p e c t i o n s c a n b e s c h e d u l e d via eConnect/ACA or by phone at 239 533 8997

∫ Inspections must be scheduled by 5 p m for next business day inspections Lee County is temporarily suspending same day inspection scheduling

Tips for rebuilding:

∫ Homeowners may perform their own repairs per state statute 489.103.

∫ Anyone hired to do repairs for the homeowner must be a properly licensed contractor The homeowner should visit the Florida Department of Business & P r o f e s s i o n a l R e g u l a t i o n w e b s i t e at www myfloridalicense com or contact the Lee County Contractor Licensing Office at ContractorLicensing@leegov com, to assure the contractor is properly l i c e n s e d t o p e r f o r m t h e w o r k b e i n g requested

∫ Getting a permit for permanent repairs will help prevent post storm scams and price gouging Your community’s permitting process can help ensure that repairmen are licensed and performing repairs to code

Pl e as e no te : T h e s e p r o c e d u r e s a r e designed to facilitate permitting during the aftermath of a major catastrophic event Changes may occur, depending on circumstances

Hurricane Ian recovery updates and resources can be found from Lee County government by following @Lee County G o v e r n m e n t o n F a c e b o o k , w w w f a c e book com/leecountyflbocc

M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n i s a v a i l a b l e at www leegov com/storm

Weathering the storm

From page 1

“We finished boarding up the house, we looked at the news and then loaded the dogs up with our toothbrush es for the next day and that was it We left everything behind,” Conner said

While Conner said she was relieved not to have irreparable damage to her Bokeelia home, she said she came back to what seemed like a completely different place Having three dogs to move with each journey is an issue for the Conners, who have already made sev eral post hurricane trips back and forth to the island, which she now describes as a war zone

“I have no words People who are just coming back and seeing things for the first time well, the pictures don’t do it justice The life that we know our routine everything is gone It’s not about rebuilding Of course, we can rebuild There are people still missing It’s not about property,” Conner said.

Greater Pine Island Chamber Board Administrator Tammy Aeschliman spent her time during Hurricane Ian by herself

“I was preparing to stay on the island with my hus band and our dog and then at the last minute I have some friends (up north) who called and asked what we were doing I told them we were going to stay on the island and they insisted we go to their winter house in Cape Coral,” Aeschliman said

At the last minute, she packed her things and headed for Cape Coral Aeschliman’s husband, Daniel, who she described as a determined Pine Islander, works at Tarpon Lodge and decided to stay on the island through the storm

“He wanted to stay close by so that after the storm he could help out at Tarpon,” Aeschliman said

Although she knows many people were scared in the storm, being all by herself through Hurricane Ian was terrifying, she said

“I just stayed in a closet for about 11 hours,” Aeschliman said

The people who evacuated for the storm and have yet to return to the island, she said, are there in their hearts and souls and would do anything for Pine Island.

In this aerial photograph made in a flight provided by mediccorps.org, damage from Hurricane Ian is seen in St. James City on Pine Island on Sept.

PHOTO/GERALD HERBERT

Hurricane Ian severely damaged Pine Island Road leading to the Matlacha Bridge for a time leaving many islanders stranded on Pine Island and emergency and service vehicles unable to get there

Weathering the storm

“As a chamber, we try to do so much for the community We also want to help rebuild, so we have a Go Fund Me page We’re a strong community and we’re all p u l l i n g t o g e t h e r I t s a d d e n s m e , b u t instead of being sad, we need to start say ing, look, this is what we’re doing,” Aeschliman said.

John Hayes, who is helping to clean up the mess Ian left behind at the Blue Dog Restaurant, lives just across the street Although his house has been left in sham bles, like most islanders, he’s happy to help out in any way he can "We’re going to rebuild They can’t

run us out My house is there, but every thing washed out the door I’m going to help out until I’m no use anymore I’ll stay with a friend off the island and keep coming to clean up,” Hayes said

Maria Steelman is a Matlacha resident with minnows swimming in her pool She finds herself amazed at how closely the community has been pushed together in the wake of last week’s hurricane

“We were neighbors, but now we’re family We went from not even really knowing each other to being a family,” Steelman said

Jesse Minoski is a fishing guide who

said his business has been hit hard by hur ricane Trying to find a way to help, he’s been running insurance adjusters back and forth by boat while sharing whatever he has of use onboard

“Our fishing business is hurting but there’s work We’re taking people out to see their houses on Pine Island, Sanibel and Captiva You gotta find the positive in all of this It will all rebuild, everything will come back Everyone will want to come down in season to see it There will always be something, even if we’re giving tours It will never die there are too many positive people,” Minoski said

Tari Riechers is busy getting her 88 y

a n d cleaned out, without revealing too much to her to save her from the shock

“I displaced my mom up to Bradenton Her house is a teardown We have friends on Burnt Store Road, where we went and stayed during the storm. She’s doing bet ter than I am but I don’t want her to see the house I try not to tell her too much

To the other islanders I’d say, next time get off the island There were so many people that stayed Get off,” Riechers said

Many

Above,

More examples of the destructive force of Hurricane Ian when it struck the islands, above and below / PAULETTE LEBLANC

Winn-Dixie

a v i s i t f r o m t h e C E O o f S o u t h e a s t e r n G r o c e r s o n O c t 5 , L o u g h r a n s a i d h e a d q u a r t e r s o p e n e d t h e d o o r t o h e l p a s m a n y i s l a n d e r s a s t h e y p o s s i b l y c o u l d “ W e h a d t o t a k e a b o a t o u t h e r e b e c a u s e r o a d s w e r e n ’ t o p e n e d y e t H e g o t t o s e e a l l t h e d e s t r u c t i o n a n d i t r e a l l y o p e n e d h i s e y e s H e s a i d , ‘ a n y t h i n g y o u g u y s n e e d ’ s o T h u r s d a y w e j u s t o p e n e d u p t h e s t o r e a n d g a v e e v e r y t h i n g a w a y , ” L o u g h r a n s a i d A s i s l a n d e r s d r o v e t h e i r c a r s i n t o a l i n e , L o u g h r a n s a i d t h e y h a d p a l l e t s a n d c a r t s s e t u p t o g r e e t t h e m , w i t h b l e a c h , w a t e r , i c e , t r a s h b a g s a n d a n y t h i n g e l s e s o l d a t t h e s t o r e , f o u n d t o b e u s e f u l i n t h i s t i m e

A c c o r d i n g t o L o u g h r a n , W i n n D i x i e g a v e a w a y a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 i n g r o c e r i e s t o i s l a n d e r s i n n e e d “ W e w e r e j u s t g i v i n g e v e r y t h i n g a w a y W h e n p e o p l e w e r e c o m i n g t h r o u g h o u r l i n e , i f t h e r e w a s a s p e c i a l n e e d t h e y h a d , l i k e A d v i l , o r B e n a d r y l , w e w e r e j u s t g o i n g i n a n d g e t t i n g i t a l l f o r t h e m H e s a i d ‘ o p e n t h e s t o r e u p a n d g i v e i t a w a y , ’ s o w e d i d t h a t , ” L o u g h r a n s a i d o f t h e S E G r o c e r s C E O

A l l f i r s t r e s p o n d e r s w i l l r e c e i v e f r e e g r o c e r y i t e m s f r o m P i n e I s l a n d W i n n D i x i e t h r o u g h W e d n e s d a y , O c t 1 2 , L o u g h r a n s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t w h a t e v e r t h e y c a n d o t o h e l p t h e c o m m u n i t y , i s a m a j o r p r i o r i t y T h e s t o r e h o u r s f o r n o w a r e 9 a m t o 6 p m , a l t h o u g h L o u g h r a n s a i d t h e y a r e l o o k i n g t o e x p a n d t h o s e h o u r s

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

“ W e s t a r e d w i t h 5 9 e m p l o y e e s a n d w e ’ r e p r o b a b l y d o w n t o l e s s t h a n 3 0 , ” L o u g h r a n s a i d

page 1

PHOTO PROVIDED

Pine Island Winn-Dixie gave away approximately

in groceries

islanders in need after Hurricane Ian.

Repairs made to Pine Island Road

Construction crews worked quickly to repair a portion of Pine Island Road leading to the Matlacha Bridge, allowing residents and emergency service personnel and repair and replenish crews on and off the island Hurricane Ian severely damaged the roadway making it impassable until the tempo rary repairs were made. / PHOTO PROVIDED BY GIBSON AND CAPT CATHY EAGLE

Pine Island Road leading to the Matlacha Bridge has been temporarily repaired and cleared, and is open for residents and essential service providers

roadway was damaged by Hurricane Ian and covered with debris

a g l e

P i n e I s l a n d

GPICA meets on Zoom

B y PA U L E T T E L e B L A N C

p l e b l a n c @ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m

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F o x s a i d s h e h a s r e c e i v e d u p d a t e s f r o m L e e C o u n t y C o m m i s s i o n e r K e v i n R u a n e o n t h e t e m p o r a r y b r i d g e a n d r o a d , w h i c h G o v R o n D e S a n t i s s a i d h e w a n t e d c o m p l e t e d b y S a t u r d a y , O c t 8 T h e b r i d g e o f f i c i a l l y r e o p e n e d l a s t W e d n e s d a y , a f e w d a y s a h e a d o f s c h e d u l e

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Island

their focus on the needs of others before their own,” said Shannon Schaal

The list of people and businesses the staff describes as remarkable in their effort to help others includes Scotty Darna, the Miceli family, Monroe Canal Marina, and Brian Hale. Many of those supporting hurricane help efforts have kids in tow, who have come along to help as

District’s goal is to open schools on Oct.

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

Lee County schools hope to re open on Oct 17 most of them, anyway

Lee County Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier announced Friday during an afternoon press conference that the district’s goal is to return to an educational envi ronment next Monday

Not all schools will hit that goal

“Unfortunately I have to report that schools will remain closed Certified inspectors have evaluated our buildings and special centers,” he said “The majority of our schools are considered what is called a low needs environment Meaning they need very little more in order to open ”

The reason some schools will remain closed this upcoming week is the district still has significant and dis proportional challenges to overcome as not all the dis trict's buildings were impacted in the same manner by the storm There are at least eight schools that do not have power

“Some schools, most schools, do not have suitable drinking water Most of our schools remain on a boil water notice We still have safety and debris issues, which will impact the safe pick up and delivery of our students both to and from our schools,” Bernier said “We have to reopen in a way that is safe for our students and staff and sensitive to their needs, while being effec tive enough to be able to provide teaching and learning that we expect.”

There are schools that remain in the high needs cate gory with some significant damage, with some needing time for repairs and some needing longer to rebuild

The list of schools not ready to open, as of the con ference, include Fort Myers Beach Elementary, Hector Cafferata Elementary School, Heights Elementary School, Pine Island Elementary School, Skyline Elementary School, Caloosa Middle School, Cypress Lake Middle School, Diplomat Middle School, Gulf Middle School, Lexington Middle School, Mariner Middle School, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, Trafalgar Middle School, The Sanibel School, North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, North Fort Myers High School, Fort Myers Tech Center and Success Academy

Bernier said they have plans in place for the schools that are not able to reopen to ensure they have educa tional environments for those children He said the dis trict will do its very best to keep those communities of learning, those students, teachers and principals together in the process

“There could be the possibility of double sessions based upon the buildings that we have ready to go,” Bernier said

As of Friday the calendar has not been revised to show the days students have missed because they do not have an official reopening date When that date is final ized they will work with the Department of Education and unions to ensure they revise their calendars

The community has rebounded nine days post hurri cane, but they are just not ready to reopen next week, he said In the upcoming week debris will continue to be removed, power will be restored, drinking water will return to the school buildings, as well as further assess ing staff's ability to return to work

“My academic team, my cabinet and my board mem bers are committed to developing a plan and revising plans to return all of our students, no matter the status of our school buildings, to an educational environment There are still many factors that I previously mentioned that must be overcome,” Bernier said

Teachers need the opportunity to return to the school buildings, set for Thursday, Oct 13 Bernier said that will begin with a reunification of staff and support to help them in the transition He said depending on where families live and where the school their child attends, their return and how the district goes about will reflect the disappropriate challenges

“Their response and our support professionals' response will provide another critical determining factor

well, such as Waylon Squires and Chase and Chance Barnhill, who are powerhouse workhorses, according to the staff

“The elementary school still stands, like a beacon of

to reopening,” he said “That is our staff, our support pro fessionals and teachers' readiness to return We cannot ignore this storm has impacted all of us ”

Bernier said he realizes that all students, just like staff, may not return

“We as a district will remain flexible with our parents and students during this period of time, just as we will remain flexible for staff,” he said “When we return to an educational environment we will be and have the oppor tunity to provide our students with the learning they need ”

The return also will depend on staff, as the district wants to be sensitive to their needs as well

“We have staff that has been impacted by complete loss of home, flooding, all their personal belongings We continue to work with what we refer to as the coalition of willing ”

On Oct 5 the district surveyed its staff, including sup port professionals and teachers, which revealed that 65 percent at the middle and elementary schools are already in the position where they believe they can return

“We saw a number approaching 65 percent with our high school people as well,” Bernier said “That was on Oct 5 and that was a staff check in ”

On Oct 13 staff will have the chance to reunify and those without a school building will be provided with another location

“We understand there is a lot of displaced people in the community We also know there are a lot of people that have lost their jobs Our Human Resource Depart ment is ready, willing and able We have great jobs here in Lee County,” Bernier said

On Wednesday, Oct 12, the School Board discuss an updated reopening plan.

“Nine days ago Hurricane Ian landed directly in Lee County The storm’s impact was historic and dispropor tional across this great Southwest Florida community People have lost lives, their homes and much, if not all of their personal property None of us were untouched by this hurricane Citizens, community members, support professionals, teachers, this hurricane touched us all,” Bernier said “As a community, we were all impacted ”

He went on to say that out of the devastation, they know Lee County will rebuild and it will recover

“We all love this community and we will take back what this storm has attempted to take from us,” Bernier said

The school district closed all of its schools before Hurricane Ian swept through the area, as a safety meas ure for children and staff, as well as providing the oppor tunity to open 12 campuses as a shelter

“We are thankful to the Lee County EOC team for asking us to step into that process and provide food, water, supplies and support We continue to do that today We have had food drives, food distribution sites and we will continue to support this community in every way possible,” Bernier said

Since the landfall of Hurricane Ian, the School District has kept the schools closed due to the support need of shelters and the damage caused by the storm and associated safety hazards

“We have been working in partnership over these last nine days with the governor’s office, the Florida Department of Education, Lee County Emergency of Operation Center and our community partners to help heal and recover from the store and begin the process of reopening our schools,” Bernier said

As a new resident of Lee County, he said he and his family are proud to see the way the community has responded in such a catastrophic event. Bernier said he is also proud in the way their employees teachers, administrators, support professionals and all staff has also responded

“I have to thank the EOC command team members, the Florida Department of Education and all of my fellow 66 school districts in the state of Florida,” Bernier said “All of them have responded and offered their support They have shared plans, their knowledge and their staff to help us We are forever, and will be forever grateful ”

hope in the middle of a storm,” said Regina Notarianni.

“We are Pine Island strong,” Pichon said

It’s important to submit an SBA loan application

TALLAHASSEE FEMA may refer survivors of Hurricane Ian to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with information on how to apply for a disaster loan Homeowners, renters, business owners and certain nonprofits may be eligible It’s important to submit the loan application as soon as possible

If your application is approved, you are not obligated to accept an SBA loan but failure to return the application may disqualify you from other possible financial assis tance from FEMA and State of Florida

SBA disaster loans are the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors SBA offers long term, low interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

SBA disaster loans cover losses not fully compensat ed by insurance or other resources Survivors should not wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an

Assessing damage to your home and business following Hurricane Ian

LCEC urges customers remaining without power to inspect damage to their home or business as a result of Hurricane Ian. It is essential to understand what LCEC is responsible for and what the customer is responsible for

Use caution and be aware of possible downed power lines Visually inspect the electric facilities that bring power into your home or business This includes the weather head, the riser conduit that covers the wires, and the meter can. If there is damage, a licensed electrician must make repairs If water has entered the home through flooding or rainwater seep ing into the walls around electric wiring, a licensed electrician should inspect to determine potential dam age.

If overhead electric lines power the home or busi ness, keep the following in mind when inspecting and planning for repairs:

LCEC is responsible for:

∫ Service drop these are the wires running from our pole to your home

∫ Electric meter this device measures your elec tricity usage in kilowatt hours

Customers own and are responsible for repairing:

∫ Weatherhead and insulator this is located where our electric lines connect to your home

∫ Service entrance cable this wire extends from your weatherhead to the meter and from the meter to the fuse box or circuit breaker

∫ Meter can your electric meter is mounted in this box

∫ Fuse box and circuit breaker box this is the service panel that houses your fuses or circuit breaker

∫ Wiring this is the interior wiring that moves electricity through your home

It is important to remember that:

∫ Restoring power to damaged facilities could cause a fire

∫ Once repaired, customer owned electric systems must be inspected by local government officials before power can be restored

∫ LCEC repairs damage to the electric grid facili ties and electric meters Customers are responsible for repairs to the meter box, including pipes and wires coming into and out of the box as well as the house

∫ If your home or business has structural damage or water intrusion, turn off your electricity at the breaker panel

Customers and line workers alike plan an impor tant role in the safety and reliability of electric serv ice. For restoration updates, safety tips and more, visit lcec net

SBA loan application They may discover they were underinsured for the deductible, labor and materials required to repair or replace their home

You may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at dis asterloanassistance sba gov/ or by visiting a Disaster Recovery Center Paper applications may be requested by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800 659 2955 If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7 1 1 to access telecommu nications relay services or send an email to disastercus

tomerservice@sba gov There is no cost to apply for an SBA disaster loan.

SBA disaster loan specialists are available to speak with homeowners and renters at all Florida Disaster Recovery Centers, which are open seven days a week from 9 a m until 6 p m

Homeowners may be eligible for a disaster loan up to $200,000 for primary residence structural repairs or rebuilding SBA may also be able to help homeowners and renters with up to $40,000 to replace important per s o n a l p r o p e r t y , i n c l u d i n g a u t o m o b i l e s d a m a g e d o r destroyed in the disaster

For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from H u r r i c a n e I a n , v i s i t f l o r i d a d i s a s t e r . o r g / i n f o a n d fema gov/disaster/4673 Follow FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at face book com/fema

Insurance resources for businesses after Ian

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r e v e r c h a n g e d t h e F l o r i d a c o m m u n i t i e s i n i t s p a t h , a n d i t s d a m a g e i s s t i l l b e i n g e v a l u a t e d a s r e s c u e e f f o r t s c o n t i n u e T h e r e s i l i e n c e o f F l o r i d a w i l l b e s u p p o r t e d b y t h e s t a t e ’ s i n s u r a n c e c o m m u n i t y , i n c l u d i n g s u r p l u s l i n e s i n s u r a n c e c o v e r i n g m o r e t h a n 7 , 5 0 0 f l o o d p o l i c i e s f o r p e o p l e a n d b u s i n e s s e s i n L e e , C h a r l o t t e a n d C o l l i e r c o u n t i e s ( a c c o r d i n g t o 2 0 2 1 d a t a ) T h e F l o r i d a S u r p l u s L i n e s A s s o c i a t i o n i s h e l p i n g t o h i g h l i g h t a v a i l a b l e r e s o u r c e s f o r f a m i l i e s a n d b u s i n e s s e s i n t h e r e c o v e r y p r o c e s s “ S u r p l u s l i n e s a g e n t s a n d p a r t n e r s t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a t e a r e d e e p l y s a d d e n e d b y t h e c a t a s t r o p h i c d a m a g e c a u s e d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n , ” s a i d F S L A P r e s i d e n t E l e c t D a v e D e M o t t , C P C U , A M I M , A R M , A U , o f G r i d I r o n I n s u r a n c e U n d e r w r i t e r s “ W e s t a n d w i t h t h e p e o p l e a n d b u s i n e s s e s o f S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a a n d a r e r e a d y t o h e l p a i d a n d a s s i s t w i t h t h e r e b u i l d i n g o f c o m m u n i t i e s A s a f i r s t s t e p , w e u r g e p o l i c y h o l d e r s t o d o c u m e n t d a m a g e a n d c o n n e c t w i t h t h e i r a g e n t s i f y o u c a n n o t f i n d y o u r p o l i c y , c o n t a c t y o u r i n s u r e r o r t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s ( D F S ) h e l p l i n e ”

F o r a s s i s t a n c e w h e n f i l i n g p o s t s t o r m c l a i m s , Floridians can call 1 877 MY FL CFO (693 5236) or visit www MyFloridaCFO com FSLA has rounded up tips and resources for businesses regarding ways to safe ly operate after a storm at https://www myfsla com/hur ricanes/

“The state has also coordinated several in person cen ters where Floridians can file claims, receive immediate checks and learn more about the options and resources available in the rebuilding process,” added DeMott

I n s u r a n c e c a r r i e r s w i l l b e o n h a n d t o a s s i s t r e s i d e n t s w i t h t h e i n s u r a n c e c l a i m s p r o c e s s a t d e s i g n a t e d D F S I n s u r a n c e V i l l a g e s C u r r e n t l y , t h a t i n c l u d e s t h e P o r t C h a r l o t t e I n i t i a l P a y m e n t C e n t e r i n t h e P o r t C h a r l o t t e T o w n C e n t e r ( P a r k i n g L o t ) , 1 4 4 1 T a m i a m i T r a i l , P o r t C h a r l o t t e , F l a . , 3 3 9 4 8 , o p e n d a i l y f r o m 8 a m 6 p m

I n a r e l e a s e , D F S u r g e d p o l i c y h o l d e r s t o b r i n g a s m u c h d o c u m e n t a t i o n a s t h e y c a n , i n c l u d i n g i d e n t i f i c a t i o n , i n s u r a n c e c a r d s / i n f o r m a t i o n a n d p i c t u r e s o r d o c u m e n t a t i o n o f t h e p r o p e r t y b e i n g c l a i m e d a s a l o s s

H e l p f u l r e s o u r c e s f o r b u s i n e s s e s c a n a l s o b e f o u n d a t t h e s t a t e ’ s D i s a s t e r R e c o v e r y C e n t e r , l o c a t e d a t t h e L a k e s R e g i o n a l L i b r a r y , 1 5 2 9 0 B a s s R o a d , F o r t M y e r s , F l a , 3 3 9 1 9 , o p e n d a i l y f r o m 9 a m 6 p m H e r e , F l o r i d i a n s c a n e x p l o r e t h e s t a t e a g e n c i e s , p a r t n e r s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s a v a i l a b l e t o h e l p i n d i v i d u a l s a n d b u s i n e s s e s r e c o v e r . A d d i t i o n a l D i s a s t e r R e c o v e r y

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u r p l u s L i n e s A s s o c i a t i o n ( F S L A ) i s a n a s s o c i a t i o n r e p r e s e n t i n g e x c e s s a n d s u r p l u s l i n e s a g e n c y m e m b e r f i r m s a n d a s s o c i a t e m e m b e r s i n F l o r i d a O v e r t h e p a s t 6 0 y e a r s , F S L A h a s p r o m o t e d t h e r e g u l a t o r y a n d l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e r e s t s o f F S L A m e m b e r s a n d t h e F l o r i d a s u r p l u s l i n e s i n d u s t r y , w i t h a f o c u s o n s u p p o r t i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s a n d i n s u r i n g r i s k s t h r o u g h o u t F l o r i d a T h e F l o r i d a S u r p l u s L i n e s A s s o c i a t i o n s e r v e s a s a v o i c e a n d a r e s o u r c e f o r i t s m e m b e r s a n d i s c o n s i s t e n t l y r e c o g n i z e d f o r b e i n g o n e o f t h e m o s t a c t i v e i n t h e n a t i o n , r a n k i n g a m o n g t h e t o p t h r e e s u r p l u s l i n e s a s s o c i a t i o n s i n t h e c o u n t r y L e a r n m o r e a t w w w m y F S L A c o m