WEEk of JaNuarY 29, 2025 FLIER INSIDE
Once-a-week Watering restrictions to begin in unincorporated areas of Lee County — INSIDE pINEISlaND-EaglE.com
VolumE 48, NumbEr 39
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Cindee Toliver By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Cindee Toliver said she would describe herself as a Matlacha retail business owner, who sells Native American products, almost exclusively. As the owner of Traders Hitching Post since 1994, Toliver has been witness to a great many happenings on the island of Matlacha. “We used to come out here to Pine Island when we first moved down here. We would come out to eat at the restaurants or to use the boat ramps. We liked the Snook Inn and we’d been frequenting Pine Island ever since the early ‘80s,” Toliver said of herself and her husband Jerry. They both fell in love with Matlacha immediately, she said. Having been a part of the Pine Island landscape for
Cindee Toliver
so long has given Toliver a chance to make many contributions within the community, she said, beginning with becoming a Matlacha Hooker right off the bat, in her first year. She was on the board of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and currently she sits on the board of Pine Island Community Church. If the circumstance called for it, she said she would describe Pine Island as a beau-
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
See PROTEST, page 15
See CINDEE TOLIVER, page 14
Pine Island Kiwanis host 44th Junior Olympic event
Islanders protest bridge construction Pine Island business owners like Cindee Toliver said many of the local businesses have been waiting on the much-anticipated completion of the Little Pine Island Bridge construction, so business might finally see the once familiar seasonal uptick that is generally common this time of year. “We were just recovering from the hurricanes and we thought the bridge was supposed to be single lane by January, but apparently they keep running behind,” Toliver said. A protest organized by Yucatan Restaurant owner Tommy Kolar took place at his restaurant Friday, Jan. 17, for anyone who cared to join. Kolar said he fell in love with the unique qualities Pine Island has to offer but he feels like the bridge project began as a huge win for the community, but over time, became something else. “The problem came with the negligence of the contractor,” Kolar said. The contractor assigned to the Little Pine Island Bridge project by Lee County Commissioners is Ajax Building Company, which, so far, has had no comment on the matter. The Florida Department of Transportation sent an update on the construction project, stating the recognition of the vital role the Little Pine Island Bridge plays in both connecting the community and supporting daily life. The Little Pine Island Bridge sustained severe damage during the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Initially scheduled for 2027, the project timeline was accelerated
tiful, rural island off the coast whose people are both community oriented and fabulous. “I’ve seen so many people come and go over the years, especially now with the storms, but I think Pine Island would be just a great place to live,” Toliver said. Wanting to put a moratorium on Pine Island building any future high-rises and any projects for development, expansion or major planning, she said, she would want that, not just for Pine Island, but also for all of Lee County. “I’ve seen explosive growth here, having been here all this time — when I moved to Cape Coral in 1980 there were 32,000 people. I would go to the grocery store and
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
A group of bridge construction protesters, above, and one of the signs they carried, left. PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY CAROL SCOTT
As kids competed Saturday, Jan. 18, at this year’s Kiwanis Club Junior Olympics, Pine Islanders enjoyed a cool temperate day. Kiwanian Mike Shevlin, who has coordinated these events for many years now, said this year was easily one of the very best Junior Olympic events he’s witnessed yet. “I think it went very smoothly. We did a 50-yard dash, we did the long jump, we did the Frisbee throw, we did the softball throw and then we did the quarter-mile run. We had plenty of help there — the county was great —the Kiwanis people. We had a good amount of parents there to help. I think the kids had a really good time. The food was good and it was just a really fun time,” Shevlin said. Shevlin attributes the change of the Junior Olympics event from December to January, which happened a few years ago, to a more enjoyable and relaxed climate, saying he is glad they changed it from before the kids' winter break to after. He noted other moments enjoyed by attendees as well. “There were a lot of parents who haven’t seen each other for a while, many of whom were contestants themselves at one time, so it was nice for them to be able to see each other again and talk and try to get the island back to normal again,” Shevlin said. More than anything else, Shevlin maintains that anything the community can do to stick together and encourage the children to attend these types of events is something in which he finds great value. He went on to say that he would really like to see a soccer field getting use on Pine Island. “The county needs to put up a nice big soccer field, See JUNIOR OLYMPICS, page 15
Athlete of the Week.........17 Dolphin Tales.....................6 On the Water....................10 insidetoday Cat of the Week...............11 Mahjongg Scores............14 SJCCA Update...................7 Classifieds & Obituaries