Snowbirds bring resources from Maine after Hurricane Ian
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comMike and Sue Douglas said they found a place on Pine Island 9 years ago after their home in Vermont was struck by lightning and then burned down Mike, who's a carpenter, said he rebuilt the house on his own, which he admits was a nightmare While he was doing this, Sue and the kids moved into their cottage in Maine It was n’t long before she decided she and the kids were done with Vermont entirely
“We decided to find a place where it’s nice and warm no ice to fall in low crime good schools, and we found Pine Island,” Douglas said
Although the Douglases fell in love with Pine Island, they admit the culture shock was a bit much and went back up north a year and a week later Not long after, they found another home on Pine Island and began com ing back and forth
“We always feel like we’re islanders, not Mainers,” Douglas said
A few years ago, the Douglas family found them selves owning a home in Flamingo Bay, and when Hurricane Ian began, Douglas said he was watching the cameras on the house from Maine and noticed no one seemed to be leaving the island
“It was like business as usual right up until we lost power,” Douglas said
Having spent years as a fire fighter and an EMT, Douglas said he had already had his share of natural dis asters and he had a feeling Hurricane Ian was going to be bad He knew generators would become a necessity as he and Sue were watching the story unfold on Facebook. As people were crying pleas for help and climbing into their attics, Mike and Sue Douglas knew
Rebuilding Pine Island and Matlacha
Johnson discusses bringing back Bert’s Bar and Grill
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comBert’s Bar and Grill in Matlacha was more than just a neighborhood bar.
Owner Bernard Johnson describes it as a social gathering place for the communi ty Over the years, Bert’s forged a place in the hearts of many islanders and day trip pers looking to connect
Thanks to Johnson, until Hurricane Ian destroyed the bar and grill, they were able to do just that
“We’ll have to figure out how we’re going to come back, one step at a time,” Johnson said
A f t e r H u r r i c a n e C h a r l e y , b a c k i n 2004, Johnson said they were able to re open Bert’s after just a few days With the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, though, he said he doesn’t know how long it will take to rebuild
In fact, he said, the next step is largely dependent on conversations with insur ance companies Beyond that, he said, he’d have to work with architects and engineers to figure out exactly what to build and then go through all the county compliance as far as building codes to determine whether there’s a new Bert’s
“It’s hard to commit and say yes or no to any of it until we’ve been through all the steps But, we want to do it,” Johnson said
He describes his staff as family, saying they are a great crew of people in a small town where everybody
knows everybody After having met with Gov Ron DeSantis, Johnson said, he asked for the road leading onto Pine Island to be rebuilt
“Thanks to Dane Eagle and the governor, and how
Blue Dog Bar and Grill owner Lynch: ‘We’re gonna come back as soon as we can’
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comBlue Dog Bar and Grill owner John Lynch said he’s not sure what to do about his iconic restaurant as well as two Pine Island homes that currently have damage to the foundation caused by Hurricane Ian One of these is the home he bought for his 87 year old uncle, which has been completely destroyed
“I bought it for him to enjoy his final days with a lit tle place in the sun, but the soil eroded so badly the house collapsed It’s now effecting my house It’s erod ing the soil under the foundation of my home My home survived beautifully, but my foundation is starting to become a problem I have no direction from anybody,” Lynch said.
While awaiting word from his insurance company on what his next move should be, Lynch said he’s tak ing some drastic measures to save his house, via spend ing tens of thousands of dollars in an effort to salvage his foundation, while simultaneously wondering if that effort will all be in vain Until he hears whether or not insurance will cover the cost of his damages, it may be just that
“There’s a lot going on My poor uncle is living with my sister on the east coast and he wants to come home He could live with us but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to live there,” Lynch said
Although he’s very familiar with the helpful attitude prevalent among Pine Islanders, Lynch finds himself astounded by the number of people who’ve pitched in
Millins calls Pine Island Elementary ‘the little school that could … and did’
PIE not yet ready to open based on district’s nine safety criteria
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comAccording to Pine Island Elementary School Principal Dr Tom Millins, each school in the Lee County School District must be vetted before re opening after Hurricane Ian The district’s perspective, he said, is to make sure they’re bringing everybody back in a safe and sensible manner.
As of now (Friday), he said, Pine Island Elementary has not yet met the cri teria set by the district
“I think this is important, because we
do not want these schools just to rush back We want these schools to be really ready for kids I am so proud of Pine Island Elementary the little school that could and did,” Millins said
Ecstatic to report PIE had no major water or roof damage, Millins said the school itself did very well He was also delighted by the district’s response to Pine Island, describing it as amazing
Currently, the school is just waiting to meet the nine criteria set by the Lee County School District:
1 Reliable power
2 Safe drinking water
3 Windows roofs and exterior walls must prevent water intrusion
4 Working air conditioning
5 Functioning fire alarm and intercom system
6 Indoor air quality must be assessed by an industrial hygienist
7 Storm debris must be removed or stored in a safe location
8 Must be able to provide students with grab and go meals
9 Professional assessment of building for safety
As of Monday, 13 Lee County schools were scheduled to open Monday, with 15 more set to open Tuesday
“All the teachers are going to have a re unification meeting at the school, and that meeting is going to consist of re unit ing with staff, which will be provided with mental health training to make sure that we are in good standing We are going to provide some normalcy to our students when they arrive on campus, whenever that’s going to be,” Millins said
School staffers say they’re ‘Pine Island Strong’
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comPulling together as a community has
P
Islanders than it is right now. After Hurricane Ian swept in, damaging homes, businesses and disrupting lives on the island last Wednesday, the staff of Pine Island Elementary wasted no time meet
D
their families to make sure they were safe
“Today’s meeting was initially a men tal 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
T
m Millins to assess that damage
T e
T
y afternoon, Oct 4, to check in with one another, said teacher Nichole Pichon, as well as keeping track of students and
Several of the students and families who live on the island have lost their homes, she said, approximating 6 or 7 homes lost with at least 10 more that have been damaged The meeting was important in order to ascertain what is needed to help those who’ve lost every thing
School staffers are not only interested in helping the students they work with each day, she confessed, but want to pitch in any way they can in order 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
moved to a different state temporarily,
oPinions
Stringfellow
Resilient community newspapers for resilient communities
The team at Breeze Newspapers has dealt with hurricanes, large and small, many times over the past five decades, but Ian was my first
Executive
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When I took over the role of publisher of Breeze Newspapers in 2019, I knew hurricanes were something I’d have to deal with To drive that point home, Hurricane Dorian threatened my travel plans as I arrived in Florida on Labor Day Weekend of that year before eventually making land fall in the Bahamas
As a transplant, I learned the intricacies of the forecast cone and hurricane kit, but for three years week after week, month after month, season after season no hur ricanes, a few close calls, but nothing more That is, of course, until Ian first showed his face in the Caribbean and the local TV weather’s usual bubbly presenta tions got more stone faced each day We talked in the same tones here It just felt different And it was
For Breeze Newspapers and likely for each of you, Ian marked a turning point in our lives, now on a course much different than just a few weeks ago
We suffered serious damages from Ian Our Fort Myers Beach office is barely standing and suffered catastrophic storm s u r g e d a m a g e . O u r C a p e C o r a l o f f i c e , which houses the Breeze operations and Ogden Digital and Directories, suffered heavy wind and water damage and is par
tially inoperable right now O u r o f f i c e o n S a n i b e l i s s t a n d i n g , b u t w e ’ v e b e e n u n a b l e t o a s s e s s m u c h beyond that Our office on Pine Island is OK and our p r i n t i n g p l a n t o n J e t p o r t Loop in Fort Myers weath ered the storm well and is up and running again
A t t h e B r e e z e , w e ’ v e b e e n o n d u a l p a t h s s i n c e S e p t 2 8 , t r y i n g t o b e g i n picking up the pieces of our own lives at the same time as getting back to the busi ness of community newspa p e r i n g I ’ v e w a t c h e d i n amazement our teams have gathered news, largely with out the aid of Wi Fi or even cell service in many cases, and assembled makeshift quar ters for sales, ad design and accounting With the support of our corporate offices, we were able to publish e editions in four of our markets on Oct. 5 and a few days later a special print edition of hurricane coverage
Ray EckenrodePublisher ’s Message
cation of our many tourism related products until tourists r e t u r n a n d t h e y w i l l return
There will be an increased f o c u s o n r e a l t i m e d i g i t a l news gathering and digital advertising sales via our web s i t e s : c a p e c o r a l b r e e z e c o m , cap tiv as an ib el co m, f o r tmy ersbeachtalk com, northfort m y e r s n e i g h b o r c o m a n d pineisland eagle com
We’ll continue to publish w e e k l y e e d i t i o n s f o r F o r t M y e r s B e a c h , S a n i b e l Captiva and Pine Island and, a s t h e p a c e o f r e c o v e r y quickens, we’ll return to lim ited print editions, starting with this week’s Pine Island Eagle, likely distributed at just a few key locations at first, until we’re back to full capacity
In Cape Coral, we resumed printing Wednesday and Friday Breeze newspapers last week.
As we recover along with the rest of S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a , y o u ’ l l s e e s o m e changes in our operation.
The big absence in our operation will m i r r o r t h e b i g a b s e n c e i n S o u t h w e s t Florida as we’ll temporarily suspend publi
W e ’ l l a l s o c o n t i n u e t o p u b l i s h o u r monthly Community Lifestyles magazine, which is distributed by direct mail
In short, we’ll do our very best to do w h a t a n y g o o d c o m m u n i t y n e w s p a p e r should do: reflect its community In this case, a community that is resilient and determined
Permit
The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that opinions These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opin ions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper Opposing views are wel come 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@ b r e e z e n e w s p a p e r s c o m ; posted to our Virtual Newsroom at www breeze newspapers com or faxed to 283 0232 All letters and guest columns must be signed and must contain a phone number for verifica tion purposes You also can comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: pineisland eagle com
The Sanibel Causeway heavily dam aged, with a 50 to 60 foot section of the A span collapsed and one of the supporting “spoil islands” awash
M a t l a c h a B r i d g e “ t h e f i s h i n g e s t bridge in the world” breached at its foot
Fort Myers Beach’s iconic Time Square and the Beach pier gone
Cape Coral’s historic Yacht Club pier no more
Hundreds of houses and a multitude of businesses on Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, Matlacha and along Cape Coral’s Gold Coast and all along the Caloosahatchee r i v e r f r o n t a n d G u l f a c c e s s c a n a l s destroyed or heavily damaged
Death, injuries and countless lives and livelihoods left behind in the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Ian, which roared ashore on Cayo Costa just shy of a Category 5 hurricane with winds topping 150 mph and catastrophic storm surge estimated as high as 18 feet
Hurricane Ian was Florida’s deadliest h u r r i c a n e s i n c e t h e G r e a t L a b o r D a y Hurricane that swept over in the Keys with storm surge of up to 20 feet and winds hit ting 183 mph in 1935, leaving 423 dead
Ian’s death toll is expected to exceed that of Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the
Eagle Editorial
was stronger than ever
As we write this, 103 have been reported dead, including 57 of our neighbors ages 19 to 96 here in Lee County Another 24 died in Charlotte, another six in Sarasota County
Damage estimates range from $41 billion to $70 billion
We’ve taken a catastrophic hit
We’re suffered a devastating loss
But we will rebuild
It is what we do
It is what we have done when times have been tough and tough they have been for Southwest Florida over the last couple of decades
Hurricane Charley hit us hard in 2004, also coming ashore at Cayo Costa, with Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva heavily damaged.
We built back
We were the epicenter when the real estate bubble bust nationwide, spawning the Great Recession in 2006
We hung tough, building back livelihoods and businesses to create an economy that
September of 2017, causing $829 million in
C a
Coral saw significant losses along its canal fronts where miles of seawalls collapsed due to receding and returning waters
We built back
And we will build back, have, in fact begun to do so with temporary bridges re connecting Pine Island and, for emergency workers, Sanibel
In the grieving wake of loss of life
From the little to nothing left of lives lived in homes and businesses no longer standing
From the memory of what we, as a com munity, as a region, can be
And will be again
#SanCapStrong
#FortMyersBeachStrong
#PineIslandStrong
#CapeCoralStrong
#LeeCountyStrong
#SouthwestFloridaStrong
Your choice: Politics or professionalism
Do you want politics or professional ism? That is the question voters in Lee County will face in November when they decide whether to maintain an appoint e d / h i r e d p r o f e s s i o n a l a s t h e C h i e f Executive Officer of the Lee County School District or take their chances with a politician if they choose to elect their children’s top schools chief
Our local state delegation introduced and passed a bill to place the question on the November ballot It will be the very last item on the ballot.
Of the 13,567 school districts in the nation, only 1% have elected superintend ents and of the 120 largest school districts in the nation, only 1 has an elected super intendent Florida and Alabama are the only two states that have a statutory scheme that allows for an elected superin tendent In Alabama, no school district with more than 2,500 students has an elected superintendent
Of the 22 largest school districts in the State of Florida, only one county has an elected superintendent School districts like Escambia and Marion, with student populations that range from 30k 40k students, recently moved from elected to appointed/hired superintendents Notably, both Districts were graded a “C” by the State of Florida before moving to the
a p p o i n t e d / h i r e d s u p e r i n tendent model The elected superintendent position in Florida is far more common in smaller, rural districts w i t h s t u d e n t p o p u l a t i o n s below 40,000 students Of the 29 school districts in Florida with an appoint ed/hired superintendent, all but two of them are graded an “A” or a “B” by the DOE. Districts earning a “C” are almost exclusively elected superintendent dis tricts
Chris N. PatriccaGuest Commentary
Our newest superintend e n t , D r C h r i s t o p h e r Bernier, was hired after the School Board conducted an exhaustive national search, allowing for the highest degree of professionalism, expertise, and experience With an elected superintendent, the citizens are limited to choose from only those who live in Lee County Many argue that electing a super intendent ensures the loss of educational expertise I cannot remember a time when the superintendent in Lee County did not have a doctoral degree along with decades and decades of education and education leadership experience The only qualifica
New bold Biden prediction
To the editor:
In a CNN interview on Oct 11, 2022, Joe Biden admits, “slight recession possi ble but I don’t anticipate it ” On the same date, Allianz Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El Erian sounded the alarm on the state of the global economy saying the worst of inflation is yet to come, “very sobering” and there is now financial sta bility risk
Biden stated last year that “no serious economist” is saying inflation isn’t tran s i t o r y . B o t h L a r r y S u m m e r s a n d Mohamed El Erian were warning that “this round of inflation is not transitory” in the middle of last year Biden was wrong again and maybe he doesn’t have any “serious economist” in the White House onboard his administration
He is either lying to the American people a month before the mid term elec tions for obvious partisan reasons, or he is too stupid to understand the dynamics of the economy whose tax payers have made him a multi millionaire through out his lackluster career as nothing more than a plun dering political pirate
Rest assured, if Biden s a y s y o u d o n ’ t h a v e t o worry about a recession, y o u b e t t e r g e t r e a d y f o r some very hard and bitter times ahead, as if any of us need any more of those Max Christian, St. James City
Say NO to changing to an elected superintendent
To the editor:
A proposal to change to
tions a candidate needs to r u n f o r t h e p o s i t i o n o f elected superintendent are to be 18 years old, live in L e e C o u n t y , b e f r e e o f felony convictions, and not b e a d j u d i c a t e d m e n t a l l y incompetent
E l e c t i o n s a r e c o s t l y , t i m e c o n s u m i n g , o f t e n contentious undertakings Winning a campaign in a c o u n t y t h e s i z e o f L e e County is akin to a full time job Appointed/hired superintendents can devote all of their efforts to the operations of the school district Elected superin tendents must divert signif icant time that should be focused on the students to raising money and winning votes Some believe that it is quite coun terintuitive to choose a system that neces sitates the politization of public education over the performance of students in public schools Others argue that it is oxy moronic to infuse partisan politics into an area of public service that thrives in an environment of nonpartisanship
Appointment of a superintendent of schools is a near universal practice and
Letters to the Editor
an elected superintendent will be on our ballot in November here in Lee County I understand the fervor around how impor tant our leadership is at the district and I am in full support of us choosing who represents us That being said I personal ly am not a fan of electing a superintend ent
For those who argue that the super should be accountable to the people, I would argue that he/she is and will be via t h e a l r e a d y e s t a b l i s h e d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e process we have via the elected school board I understand the passion for direct accountability however we cannot place every position on the ballot
I am more focused on having the right person on the job and they be laser focused on execution of their agenda If we put the super in an elected role they
sound business practice dictates that a governing board appoints or hires the chief executive officer of a company Rosalind Brewer was not elected as the CEO of Walgreen’s Ken Frazer worked his way up Merck for 19 years before being appointed as the company’s CEO Citigroup’s CEO, Jane Fraser, did not h a v e t o c a m p a i g n t o b e c o m e C E O because her experience, expertise, and strong leadership skills drove the Board of Directors to appoint her as such The notion of private industry CEOs running for their jobs is ludicrous Yet, that is what is being proposed for the School District, which educates 103,000+ students, man a g e s a $ 2 4 b i l l i o n b u d g e t , e m p l o y s 13,000 people, is the second largest employer in the county, the single largest food service provider in the county, and one of the largest transportation providers in the nation
While we all want someone who can manage the politics of a school district, consider whether you really want a politi cian as the chief executive officer in charge of our children’s education
Chris Patricca sits on the Lee County School Board District 3 She writes this article in her individual capacity, not as a spokesperson for the Board
Dan Loughren of Winn-Dixie asks, ‘What do you need?’
By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers comIf you’ve been on Pine Island for any extended period of time, you’ve likely met Winn Dixie store manager Dan Loughren A pillar of the community, Loughren is often one of the first in line to offer help in a time of crises
As islanders are still cleaning up the mess left behind by Hurricane Ian, Loughren and Winn Dixie are equip ping them with all the products in the store
“For the last two days we’ve been just giving products away,” Loughren said
Pine Island Winn Dixie opened for regular business again after Hurricane Ian Saturday, Oct 8 After having had a visit from the CEO of Southeastern Grocers on Oct. 5, Loughren said headquarters opened the door to help as many islanders as they possibly could
“We had to take a boat out here because roads weren’t opened yet He got to see all the destruction and it really opened his eyes He said, 'anything you guys need' so Thursday we just opened up the store and gave everything away,” Loughren said
As islanders drove their cars into a line, Loughren said they had pallets and carts set up to greet them, with bleach, water, ice, trash bags and anything else sold at the store, found to be useful in this time
According to Loughren, Winn Dixie gave away approximately $200,000 in groceries to islanders in need
“We were just giving everything away When people were coming through our line, if there was a special need they had, like Advil, or Benadryl, we were just going in and getting it all for them He said open the store up and give it away, so we did that,” Loughren said of the SE Grocers CEO
All first responders will receive free grocery items from Pine Island Winn Dixie through Wednesday, Oct 12, Loughren said, adding that whatever they can do to help the community, is a major priority The store hours for now are 9 a m to 6 p m , although Loughren said they are looking to expand those hours
Because many employees left the island before the storm, and lost their homes, they lost quite a bit of help, he added
“We stared with 59 employees and we’re probably down to less than 30," Loughren said
Postal Service operations resume in Bokeelia and St. James City
The Postal Service continues its efforts to restore service as quickly as it can safe ly do so Below is information on addi tional offices which are resuming opera tions following temporary suspensions, due to Hurricane Ian
Customers affected by Hurricane Ian, especially in heavily damaged areas such as Sanibel and Captiva Islands and Fort Myers Beach, are reminded that the most important step they can take now is to file a Change of Address (COA) with the Postal Service A COA can be filed online or in person at the nearest opera tional Post Office Filing a COA ensures customers can receive their mail, pack ages, prescriptions, and other important items as timely and efficiently as possi ble
E f f e c t i v e i m m e d i a t e l y , r e t a i l a n d delivery operations have resumed at these offices:
■ St James City, 4480 Stringfellow Road, St James City, FL 33956 Retail hours: 8:30 a m to 4 p m , Monday t h r o u g h F r i d a y , c l o s e d S a t u r d a y a n d Sunday
■ B o k e e l i a P o s t O f f i c e , 1 5 9 8 0 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922 Retail hours: 9 a m to 1 p m and 2 p m to 4:30 p m , Monday through Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday Operations in the following facilities remain temporarily suspended until fur ther notice The alternate location for each facility is provided, including the site for the Pineland Post Office, which has changed.
Auburndale
Customers normally served by the Auburndale Post Office can obtain retail services at the Mobile Retail Unit in the A u b u r n d a l e P o s t O f f i c e p a r k i n g l o t , located at 201 E. Lake Ave., Auburndale, F L 3 3 8 2 3 H o u r s o f o p e r a t i o n a r e M o n d a y t h r o u g h F r i d a y , 8 : 3 0 a m t o 4 : 3 0 p m , Saturday 9:00 a m to 12:00 p.m., closed Sunday.
Balm
C u s t o m e r s n o r m a l l y s e r v e d b y t h e B a l m P o s t Office can obtain retail serv ices at the Mobile Retail Unit in the post office park i n g l o t l o c a t e d a t 1 5 0 3 6 B a l m R o a d , B a l m , F L 33503 Hours are 9:30 a m to 11:30 a m and 12:30 to 2:30 p m on weekdays, and c l o s e d o n S a t u r d a y a n d Sunday.
Captiva
C u s t o m e r s n o r m a l l y served by the Captiva Post O f f i c e s h o u l d t e m p o r a r i l y pick up their mail at the Fort M y e r s P r o c e s s i n g & D i s t r i b u t i o n C e n t e r ( P & D C ) , 1 4 0 9 0 J e t p o r t L o o p , F o r t M y e r s , F L 33913 Retail services are a v a i l a b l e a t t h e M o b i l e Retail Unit at the Fort Myers P&DC parking lot Retail hours are 9 a m to 4:30 p m M o n d a y t h r o u g h S a t u r d a y , a n d c l o s e d
Sunday
Everglades City
Customers normally served by the Everglades City Post Office can obtain retail services at the Mobile Retail Unit in the Everglades City Post Office parking l o t , l o c a t e d a t 6 0 1 C o l l i e r A v e , Everglades City, FL 34139. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a m to 12 p m , and 1 p m to 3:30 p m , closed Saturday and Sunday
Downtown Fort Myers
Customers normally served by the Downtown Fort Myers Post Office can obtain retail services at the Page Field Post Office, 2655 N Airport Road, Fort Myers, FL 33907 Hours are 8:30 a m to 5:30 p m on weekdays, 9 a m to 12 p m on Saturdays, closed Sunday.
Downtown Naples
Customers normally served by the Downtown Naples Post Office can obtain retail services at the Naples Post Office, 1200 Goodlette Frank Road, N , Naples, FL 34102. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a m to 2 p m on Saturdays, closed Sunday
Fort Myers Beach
Customers normally served by the Fort Myers Beach Post Office should tem porarily pick up their mail at the Fort Myers Processing & Distribution Center ( P & D C ) , 1 4 0 9 0 J e t p o r t L o o p , F o r t Myers, FL 33913 Retail services are available at the Mobile Retail Unit at the Fort Myers P&DC parking lot Retail hours are 9 a m to 4:30 p m , Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
Nocatee
Customers normally served by the Nocatee Post Office can obtain retail services at the Mobile Retail Unit in the post office parking lot, located at 2509
Letters to the Editor
From page 4
to day priorities which are so very important to us all
If you want great personnel to be selected for key roles at the district, elect board members that will make the right decisions
Todd Maurer Cape CoralEverything is bigger is Texas: Ricky Perry, Teddy Cruz and “Buddy” Abbott fail to have the courage to stand tall and say “This is not a state problem The sys tem is broken and we need federal support ”
If memory serves me right, the great migration of the early 1920s consisted of mainly Europeans, mainly Italians
In the ’60s, Castro caused Cubans to flee to Florida
Re-routing immigrants
To the editor:Sending money to Texas to pay for transportation for immigrants to go to New England? Why not those who are here illegally right here in Florida? How about it, Ronnie?
Our governor and senator should be thankful their grandparents encountered politicians with character or perhaps they would have been flown to Alaska
There are good, hard working Republicans in Florida Sadly, the ones in office are lacking character and have lost their core values
David Stafford Cape CoralMeet
New Teachers
Kaylie Stevens
Ms Kaylie Stevens is one of Pine Island Elementary’s first grade teachers She has been an excellent addition to the PIE staff. She is a proud mother, wife and educator. In her free time, she spends time with her family, on the boat, and practicing crafts. Ms. Steven’s is excited to be a part of the Pine Island Elementary family.
School
and how we’re going to be able to contact all of our kids,” Pichon said
Although this was not a school sanctioned 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 accounted 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 housing supplies and collecting money for staff and students who were affected by the hurricane,” Pichon said.
Plans to meet again are already underway as the staff begins to compile information on the students where abouts 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 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 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 hope in the middle of a storm,” said Regina Notarianni
“We are Pine Island strong,” Pichon said
Pine Island Elementary School is located at 5360 Ridgewood Drive, Bokeelia, just east of The Center For additional information about the school, please call 239 283 0505
Health officials urging hurricane cleanup crews to take care
Cape man being treated for ‘flesh-eating’ bacterial infection after removing debris from flooded home
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers comYou may never know what lies below the surface something that Cape Coral a n d S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a r e s i d e n t s a r e unfortunately learning while cleaning up from Hurricane Ian
C a p e r e s i d e n t T e r r y B r e n n e n , 7 9 , u n d e r w e n t h i s t h i r d s u r g e r y o n Wednesday after contracting a “flesh eat ing” bacterial disease attempting to clear debris from his home on Bayshore Drive He and his wife, Carlene, rode out the storm in their home adjacent Redfish Cove with beloved pets Carlene said high waters and a thick muck engulfed their house, leading to flooding and major dam age
“I watched it come in,” Carlene said of the storm surge, the most destructive ele ment of Hurricane Ian as it hit Lee County with winds just shy of a Category 5 storm “It came up over the seawall, a couple of feet above it, and came in flat no rip ple, no wave It came in and hit the front of our house, hit the back It engulfed the front yard and the back yard It came in with us standing there, up to our knees with us standing there ”
W h i l e a f i t f o r h i s a g e T e r r y w a s cleaning up the sludge and grime so they could walk up and down the driveway s a f e l y d a y s l a t e r , h e s u s t a i n e d s m a l l
scratches and scrapes from moving debris The next day, his right leg began to swell. The next day, even more so The next day, his leg was so swollen he couldn't walk That’s when Carlene’s pleads for him to go to the hospital were heard
“When he got in and got all of his labs done, he was admitted right away to the ICU,” Carlene said “It was diagnosed that he had a flesh eating bacteria ”
Carlene said Terry’s doctor was famil iar with the bacteria and that another per son recently had their leg amputated due to the same circumstances.
“The first couple of days we weren’t sure he was going to make it,” Carlene said “We were so scared ”
Terry had all of his skin on the right side of his leg removed, and doctors at Cape Coral Hospital had to cut out rotted flesh Carlene said they hope they can now start treating the bacteria with antibi otics Terry will have the open wound for four weeks, and will have skin graphs taken from his back to replace the skin on his leg.
“Terry wanted to let people know that this stuff is so dangerous,” Carlene said, adding she also fell in the muck injuring her shoulder the other day “It’s every where We’re still pulling up everything we can salvage from waist deep muck ”
Carlene believes every house on her street is a teardown She and Terry are now desperately looking for a rental, one they can stay in for at least a year
Meanwhile, she and her daughter are still in retrieval mode Every house along their circular drive has 10 foot high piles of debris stacked in front.
“It’s still dangerous but we are still try ing to get our stuff out,” she said
L e e H e a l t h I n f e c t i o u s D i s e a s e Specialist Dr Mary Beth Saunders said it’s important for people to understand that while standing water, for the most part, has receded, the same bacteria that was in that water can be on debris
“If you have cuts and scrapes, that puts you at risk for infections and infections with unusual organisms,” Saunders said Saunders said it’s important for those
moving debris to protect themselves with long sleeves, long pants, and gloves
If a puncture is sustained, Saunders said to wash the area immediately with soap and clean water
She advised those that are not up to d a t e w i t h t h e i r t e t a n u s i m m u n i z a t i o n should make sure they do so
Saunders said another aspect of storm aftermath residents should take heed of is the high levels of mosquitos with the amount of standing water the area experi enced
“We don’t see it often, but we can see s o m e m o s q u i t o b o r n e i l l n e s s e s , ” Saunders said “With what has been hap pening, I would be concerned that we may see a rise in some of those illnesses The county is not out spraying as they usually do They're still on rescue and recogni zance ”
So, when is it time to see a doctor?
Saunders said when individuals notice an increase in redness or pain, or drainage from a wound, medical care should be sought Other symptoms could include experiencing fever, chills, or diarrhea
Saunders said Lee Health has seen an increase in the number of patients with storm related clean up injuries, including
See HEALTH OFFICIALS,Lee Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Mary Beth Saunders said it’s important for people to understand that while standing water, for the most part, has receded, the same bacteria that was in that water can be on debris
DeSantis meets with business leaders in Cape Coral
By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers comSitting in front of a group of business leaders from around Lee County at Mercola Market in Cape Coral, Gov Ron DeSantis received frank and direct feedback on their top concerns and issues in dealing with the after math of Hurricane Ian.
C h i e f c o n c e r n s i n c l u d e d t h e w e l l b e i n g o f t h e i r employees out of work, finding housing for workers dis placed by Hurricane Ian and those who have arrived in Lee County from around the country to aid in the cleanup and recovery
“We already had a housing crisis here,” said Steve Rye, CEO of Mercola Health Resources and Mercola Market in Cape Coral Rye said there is now “housing chaos” due to the displacement of workers from the hur ricane and construction workers seeking homes
DeSantis earned praise for the progress he has made thus far in getting bridges up across devastated Pine Island and Matlacha. Marty Harrity, a partner in the ownership of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille, and Dixie Fish Co , called the temporary bridge that went up on the Sanibel Causeway Tuesday “miraculous ” The tempo rary bridge will allow repair crews to cross the island Harrity called the bridge the “umbilical cord” for Sanibel
“Nobody thought we would be able to do that this soon,” DeSantis said
While there have been successes, the bridges leading to the south side of Fort Myers Beach remain closed
“We’re coming back It’s going to take some time,” Harrity said Four of the businesses he has on Fort Myers Beach, Captiva and Sanibel are closed.
DeSantis, flanked by Cape Coral native and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle, acknowledged Wednesday that there was still a lot of turbulence ahead with many displaced from their homes
“There are a lot of challenges we will have to deal with,” DeSantis said “It’s a very disruptive time for everybody, particularly for businesses ”
The widespread loss of power that occurred during the hurricane, and which continues to be felt in places like Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, was a “big interrup tion,” DeSantis said
“Massive piles of debris” in Fort Myers Beach pres ent difficulties in the recovery effort, he said Tommy Kolar, who operated the Lighthouse Inn and Suites on Fort Myers Beach, said the biggest challenge
is replacing equipment
“All our equipment was ruined,” he said DeSantis said there was a need for financing to help b u s i n e s s e s r e p a i r d a m a g e d s t r u c t u r e s a n d r e o p e n
Emergency bridge loans from the state were going out to businesses that had completed damage assessment sur veys DeSantis said millions were given out to 106 busi nesses to meet payroll and cover expenses. The governor said he was awaiting a $30 million federal government grant to aid workers dislocated from their homes in the state
“I’m optimistic we are going to see a bigger bounce back,” DeSantis said
Greg Spencer, CEO of Timber Resorts and owner of South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, said he estimated it would take $800 million to $1 billion to rebuild The tightening of the construction debt market and permit ting were two of the obstacles they will need to over come
“We can’t take 10 12 months,” to get permitted for construction, he said. Spencer said the company would use its workers on the cleanup
Jeff Miloff, partner and broker at Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group in Cape Coral, said there was a “big short age of housing” in the region, particularly for rentals
Cathy Eagle, charter boat captain and owner of Captain Cathy Eagle Boat Tours in Matlacha, said local waters faced troubles from debris in the water, including other boats, trees and refrigerators which have created new obstructions
Matt Sinclair, president of Sinclair Custom Homes, Inc in Matlacha, said the construction industry was already suffering from a shortage of labor and delays in construction materials before the hurricane. He said there is a need to speed up the issuance of permits for construction
“It’s a very resilient area,” he said “It’s going to be a long fight We are going to get through it ”
DeSantis said he supports relaxing local codes to allow property owners to place trailers on their proper ties that they could live in while rehabbing their homes
Among the other suggestions DeSantis heard from the business leaders was that tax notices be delayed this November
Jason Moon, president of Elite DNA Therapy in Naples, said the challenges are also mental in nature “There is a lot of anxiety and depression in the commu nity,” he said A lot of people are without cable, internet and phone service A part of the community was “sick mentally,” he said “We need to be there to help them ”
Jerron Hull, president and CEO of AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. in Fort Myers, said “folks are stretched really thin ” Traffic volumes have increased with the wave of construction and recovery workers in town “Folks need a little space,” he said
Eagle said he was encouraged by DeSantis to “stretch the boundaries of what we thought would possible, cut ting red tape ” DeSantis said there is a job growth fund that he can tap into
DeSantis said the success of the area had been part of the reason for the problems The region was one of the top five places for building homes in the country
“This is a challenging economic environment in terms of supply chain,” DeSantis said “It costs a lot more to repair a roof.”
“It’s hard not to look up and see what a beautiful part of the world we are in,” DeSantis said
Harrity said after the discussion with DeSantis that the Doc Ford’s in Captiva was in the best shape of the four restaurants he operates in terms of when it could reopen The Doc Ford’s on Fort Myers Beach was the worst hit
“It looks like somebody took a big washing machine and spun everything around,” Harrity said “We will have to rebuild outdoor seating The deck is gone and will have to be replaced ” Harrity said the supply chain issues that have been going on since covid, will be crit ical.
Harrity said he liked what he heard from DeSantis, who he called a “take charge guy ” Rebuilding the tourism sector should be a priority, he said “Tourism is the lifeblood of the area,” Harrity said
Snowbirds
they had to do something
“It was just heartbreaking to see this feeling help less from Maine, knowing that people were dying in their attics there were old people, young people I don’t think the news has done it justice,” Sue Douglas said
Not knowing what was happening with their home in Flamingo Bay was nothing in comparison to the knowl edge that people were dying in the storm. It was this thought that prompted them to do something, she said
“We knew we’d have to come down and we knew right from the beginning, if we go down we’re going to add to the relief, we’re not going to take away We made a vow not to take one resource from the island We brought our own gas, our own water, our own food everything,” Douglas said
He went online and bought some generators, trying his best to purchase as many as economically possible, he said Someone recommended the Douglases try to find donations and they’d heard children were also in need of toys in the midst of what all the parents were going through in the aftermath of the hurricane Sue began a toy drive from a middle school in Wells, Maine, and said they even managed to get the Wells Police Department involved When they finished collecting donations up in Maine, Mike and Sue got a U Haul trail er and headed for Pine Island
“We came down with 6 generators to give away We came down with donations of extension cords and some one gave us Walmart gift cards to give out The response was pretty amazing up there People care We didn’t advertise or anything, we were just talking to peo ple down here and if they had kids we gave them toys, if they could get off the island we gave them Walmart gift cards
"The people of this island is what we love about it We couldn’t come empty handed We could have found a pile of sand anywhere, but it’s the people here that keeps us here,” Douglas said
“This is a challenging economic environment in terms of supply chain. It costs a lot more to repair a roof ” Gov Ron DeSantis
Cape Coral Breeze Athletes of the Week
Cape Coral Breeze Athletes oWeek f the
by:
Breeze Staf f Repor t news@breezenewspapers comVoting for the Cape Coral Breeze Athlete of the Month for September is now open
The Breeze had countless top performances from stu dent athletes in its coverage area to start the new year and now it’s up to readers to decide who will earn top honors for the month
Nominees for September include:
■ Mackenzie De Lisle, sophomore, Bishop Verot Vikings: De Lisle opened the year as the top runner in the 5,000 meters at both the Lemon Bay invitational and Dunbar Tiger Jamboree, posting a sub 19 minute time at her most recent event among more than 100 run ners
■ Carter Smith, sophomore, Bishop Verot Vikings: Smith played a major role in the Vikings’ 57 49 win to start the regular season The quarterback threw for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for 85 yards and 3 additional touchdowns
■ Hannah Slutz, senior, Cape Coral Seahawks: The senior leader turned in a pair of solid performances in two Seahawk wins for the week She compiled 26 kills, 27 digs, and 11 aces over the two games
■ G e r v a r
L
p h a r
p
m o r e , I s l a n d C o a s t Gators: The second year back rushed for 135 yards on 20 attempts, scoring three touchdowns including a 53 yard run to help the Gators to a 24 21 win over Everglades
■ Hailey Painter, junior, North Fort Myers Red Knights: Painter helped lead the Red Knights to a pair of victories for the week for a team off to a great start The junior collected 43 total assists, 13 kills, 9 aces and 9 digs over the two contests.
■ Declan Ziomek, senior, Cape Coral Seahawks: The senior set a personal best and was tops at the Fort Myers Cross Country Invitational, posting a time of 16:17 50 Z i o m e k a l s o f i n i s h e d f i r s t a t t h e D D D S o m m e r Invitational and second at the Dunbar Tigers Jamboree
■ Levontai “Bo” Summersett, senior, North Fort Myers Red Knights: The all around athlete set a single game school record for receptions, reeling in 8 passes for 122 yards “Bo” also recorded two interceptions and a forced fumble
■ Bryce Duross, junior, North Fort Myers Red Knights: The junior quarterback was 12 of 22 through the air for 224 yards with 2 touchdowns and ran for another in the Red Knights’ shutout win over Lemon
Bay
■ Jazlyn Forbes, freshman, Oasis High Sharks: Forbes finished second among 78 runners and ran a per sonal best 20:02 50 in the 5,000 meters at the 33rd Triton Invitational, where Oasis finished first The
h P o
Invitational the week prior another first place finish for the Sharks
■ Dustin Paladino, Senior, Island Coast Gators: The running back scored the game winning touchdown from 5 yards out with just 22 seconds left to propel the Gators to a 20 17 come from behind win over East Lee County Paladino totaled 101 yards on the ground via 19 carries
Athlete of the Month nominees are comprised of the Breeze’s staff selected Athletes of the Week for that respective month Due to Hurricane Ian, voting for the Athlete of the Month for the month of September was delayed The winner for September will be announced Friday, Oct 28, and featured in the Nov 2 issue of the Eagle
To vote, visit www capecoral breeze com and click the Athlete of the Month Vote Now icon along the right hand side
Before and after pictures of the home Blue D o g B a r a n d G r i l l owner John Lynch pur chased for his 87 year old uncle Below is the eroding foundation of the other home Lynch owns
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JOHN LYNCHBlue Dog
to lend a hand
From page
“I’m amazed by the people who are showing up to help when their own homes need attention I think a lot of that might be just the background of the island People just showed up to help clean up We didn’t even put the word out By 7 or 7:30 in the morning, I had a whole neighborhood of people and I did n’t call or text a single person saying hey, come do this People just showed up I’m so appreciative for these people, neigh bors, friends and patrons I’m humbled that people would do that for a little local restaurant,” Lynch said.
Although the Blue Dog Bar and Grill
is hardly recognizable after Hurricane Ian swept through the island, Lynch said he and partner Jesse Tincher are doing all they can to get up and running again, something for which he said he feels a sense of urgency “ W e h a v e t o g e t e v e r y t h i n g o u t
Everything inside is a loss The water was about 4 1/2 feet high inside and it just picked everything up It was like a salt water washing machine on spin cycle for s i x h o u r s , j u s t b a s h i n g e v e r y t h i n g around,” Lynch said
T h e k i t c h e n e q u i p m e n t , w h i c h h e described as obscenely expensive, was scarcely able to be salvaged, but without
fresh water to clean the equipment, they are simply at a loss Now, he said, he has to buy all new kitchen as well as dining room equipment
Lynch said, even in the face of all he’s lost, he feels grateful for that from which he’s been spared Thankful to have a building that’s still standing, Lynch said at least he has something to work with
“We’re gonna come back as soon as we can We buy on this island we buy blue crab, our stone crab comes off of this island, our shrimp, our mullet, frequently our grouper we buy from these fami lies and the sooner we can get up and run ning, it’s not just good news for our employees, but it’s good news for their families, too
"I feel like the sooner we get up and running, the sooner we’ll have a sense of normalcy The fishermen will be fishing and the crabbers will be crabbing It helps everybody in the local economy,” Lynch said
infections
She said Lee Health is most commonly seeing the Vibrio illness
“We have seen an increase in the num ber of Vibrio infections,” she said. “And it can be a very serious infection especial ly for those who may be immune compro
mised ”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio bacteria naturally live in certain coastal waters and a r e p r e s e n t i n h i g h e r c o n c e n t r a t i o n s between May and October when water temperatures are warmer About a dozen
Vibrio species can cause human illness, known as vibriosis
T h e C D C s t a t e s t h a t m o s t p e o p l e become infected by eating raw or under c o o k e d s h e l l f i s h , p a r t i c u l a r l y o y s t e r s . Certain Vibrio species can also cause a skin infection when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and salt water It is often found where rivers meet the sea
The CDC continues to state that people w i t h c o m p r o m i s e d i m m u n e s y s t e m s , especially those with chronic liver dis ease, are more likely to get vibriosis Eating raw seafood, particularly oysters, and exposing open wounds to salt water or brackish water can increase a person’s chance for getting vibriosis
The CDC estimates that vibriosis caus es 80,000 illnesses each year in the United States About 52,000 of these ill nesses are estimated to be the result of eat ing contaminated food.
“Most people with a mild case of vib riosis recover after about three days with no lasting effects,” CDC officials stated However, people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation About one in five people with this type of infec tion die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill
Another rare “flesh eating” bacterial infection that spreads quickly in the body
is necrotizing fasciitis According to the CDC, it is a very serious illness that requires care in a hospital Antibiotics are typically the first line of defense, though sometimes they cannot reach all of the infected areas because the bacteria have killed too much tissue and reduced blood flow CDC officials said when this hap pens, doctors have to surgically remove the dead tissue Since necrotizing fasciitis can spread so rapidly, patients often must get surgery done very quickly. It is not unusual for someone with necrotizing fasciitis to end up needing multiple sur geries In serious cases, the patient may need a blood transfusion
Symptoms include a red, warm, or swollen area of skin that spreads quickly, severe pain (including pain beyond the area of skin that is red), fever, blisters, changes in skin coloration, pus or oozing, dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea
Saunders added that flu season is right around the corner, and with the influx of out of state individuals coming to help with hurricane recovery, it’s important to have the vaccine She said both the flu vaccine and COVID 19 boosters can be admitted at the same time at a Lee Health facility or local pharmacy
“This is the time of year to get the flu
Twitter: @haddad
Bert’s Bar
lucky we were to have Honc headquarters right up the street it’s just amazing how fast they got the road rebuilt,” Johnson said
Rebuilding Bert’s is important to Johnson, he said, not because people need a bar, his desire is to give them back their neighborhood place, to be sociable and share the ups and downs of their lives, the way they have for all these years
“After Charley went through, people would come there just to find out what was going on and talk to one another about what to do next,” Johnson said
Bridge
Results
S.W. County Road 760, Nocatee, FL 34268. Hours are 9 a m to 12 p m , and 1:30 to 4 p m on weekdays, closed Saturday and Sunday
Pineland
Customers normally served by the Pineland Post Office can obtain retail services at the Bokeelia Post Office, 15980 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922. Hours are 9 a m to 1 p m , and 2 p m to 4:30 p m , Monday through Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday Placida
Customers normally served by the Placida Post Office can obtain retail services at the Englewood Post Office, 950 S. Rover Road, Englewood, FL 34223. Hours are 9 to 6 p m on weekdays, 9 a m to 2 p m on Saturdays, closed Sunday
Sanibel Main
Customers normally served by the Sanibel Main Post Office should temporarily pick up their mail at the Fort M y e
P
& D
C
( P & D C ) , 14090 Jetport Loop, Fort Myers, FL 33913 Retail serv ices are available at the Mobile Retail Unit at the Fort Myers P&DC parking lot Retail hours are 9 a m to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Change of Address (COA)
All customers impacted by Hurricane Ian should immediately take the critical initial step of filing for a Change of Address with the Postal Service
Customers who will not be able to occupy their home within 30 days should submit a temporary Change of Address request with the Postal Service Be sure to mark “Temporary” on the card/online form A temporary change of address is designed for customers who plan on returning to their residence within six months
Customers who are not planning to return to their cur rent address should submit a permanent COA request Customers can request a COA form from their letter car rier or visit their nearest available Post Office COA requests can also be filed online at: https://movers guide usps com
Customers can reach USPS through our Customer Care Centers at 1 800 ASK USPS (1 800 275 8777) The hours of operation for the
Centers are Monday Friday 8 a
to 8:30
and Saturday 8 a
to
Pine Island Base Camp
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
Help Wanted Immediate Opening: Maintenance Technician (will train) Full-Time, Benefits, Retirement program with company match. Must have clean driving record Business Family Owned for over 50 years. Email jobs@ellsworthair.com or call 239-995-6005
SERVICE TECHNICIAN Help Wanted. Immediate Opening: Service Technician. Full-time Benefits,Retirement program with company match. Must have clean driving record. Business Family Owned for over 50 Years. email jobs@ellsworthair.com or call 239-995-6005