WEEK OF FEBRUARY 5, 2025 FLIER INSIDE
Island stewards Calusa Land Trust holds 49th Annual Meeting, honors long-time members — INSIDE PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COM
VOLUME 48, NUMBER 40
Native Floridians return home and open Pine Island Pawn and Jewelry in Matlacha By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Pine Island Pawn and Jewelry owners Zach and Thristina Woodhams were born and raised in Florida. After having traveled to Hawaii and getting to know Polynesian culture for 2 years, they’ve come to Pine Island, where they are hoping folks will come into their shop and say hello. “We really missed home, so we came home. We felt like, if there was anywhere in the world that we could go
and plant roots and actually become a part of a community—well, there’s just nowhere like Pine Island and Matlacha. I’ve never seen a community rebuild so many times together. I’ve never seen such a heartbeat in a place,” Thristina said. Although the couple is thrilled to have finally had an opportunity to open a store of their own, she said, they’ve noticed that people are curious as they walk by or in front of the store, rather than walking inside. Regardless of what might be causing any trepidation, the Woodhams
would like to ease the minds of the people on the island. Sometimes people find themselves in a stressful situation when visiting a pawn shop, Thristina said, adding that if people get to know her and her husband, Zachary, they may feel more at ease about whatever is going on in their life. The Woodhams also have a son, 12 year-old Dallas, a football and baseball player who they admit motivated them to begin their family business. See PINE ISLAND PAWN, page 11
Stone Crab Fest draws big crowd By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce held the 2025 Stone Crab Fest event Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza. According to Chamber President Dave Conner, although the event was moved from November to January, it was very successful. “We were very happy with everything. Beforehand, we weren’t sure about how the turnout was going to end up, because of the construction on the bridge, but it turned out great and everyone seemed to love the event. There was a big crowd and the music was really good,” Conner said. The idea of keeping everything local was the order of See STONE CRAB FEST, page 9
Sandy Paws Island Dog Bakery and DIY Wash ready to help islanders pamper their pets By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
isa Fromm opened Sandy Paws Island Dog Bakery and DIY Wash last April 29. She said she is a Bokeelia resident who has a passion for dogs and has three herself. After working on the mainland for a couple of years, Fromm decided it was time to stay on the island for work. “My dream was always to open a bakery, because I love to bake, but a bakery for dogs was something we didn’t have on the island and we didn’t have any groomers either so that’s how I started,” Fromm said. Fromm said she started out in a trailer and now has a mission to grow her business bigger. Her desire is to do more doggy daycare and more boarding. For now, dogs are the only clients for Fromm, as she said she is allergic to cats.
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“I was working at the feed store, and I started doing the treats there and then I started selling them out of my trailer,” Fromm said. Getting the word out about Sandy Paws is a priority for Fromm, as she said, the business is still fairly new and people may not know it exists yet. Having started at the end of the busy season going directly into summer makes a difficult start, but Fromm is hoping folks will want to take a look at her DIY dog wash as well as her retail items. “We have two groomers in house and when it See SANDY PAWS, page 10 Some of the products available at Sandy Paws Island Dog Bakery and DIY Wash. PHOTO PROVIDED BY LISA FROMM
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA WELCH
Volunteers at the 2025 Stone Crab Fest stand ready to serve the next customer a seafood treat.
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