WEEk of march 27, 2024 FLIER INSIDE
Now open Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony held at Sweet Floret Cakery in Matlacha — INSIDE pINEISlaND-EaglE.com
VolumE 47, NumbEr 47
GPIA utilizes Camp Noah to educate island youngsters during Spring Break By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Camp Noah was offered to Pine Island youngsters during Spring Break by the Greater Pine Island Alliance when GPIA Founder Aaron Barreda and Executive Director Erin Lollar Lambert were asked to speak on long-term recovery at a conference hosted by the American Red Cross. According to GPIA Executive Administrator Janine Harbinsky, who
directed the project, which spanned Monday, March 18, until Friday, March 22. Much of the camp was focused on resilience in the wake of a disaster, such as Hurricane Ian, and preparedness in going forward. “They’ve been meeting in small groups and telling us their stories each day. They have a mental health coordinator on site as well. For the younger children, a lot of it is drawing pictures and telling us what happened during the disaster,” Harbinsky
said. The children were given backpacks called “Preparedness Packs” complete with supplies, such as a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, water bottle, toothbrush, toothpaste, flashlight, whistle and games, in an effort to teach them to feel more confident and comfortable to handle a possible storm in the future, she said. Lollar-Lambert emphasized the importance of having the camp running parallel with Lee County School District’s Spring
Break vacation, in an effort to provide child-care for parents who are financially unable to take vacation or time off while their kids are on break. “GPIA is doing this in collaboration with the American Red Cross. We have about 20 volunteers from the community, which is outstanding. The St. James City Civic donated the location to us — the Civic Center is not charging GPIA to use See CAMP NOAH, page 14
Matlacha Park and Boat Ramp parking lot to close for maintenance Temporary closure April 1-2
Matlacha Pier reopens Damage caused by Hurricane Ian repaired By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
As of 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 13, the pier in Matlacha Community Park has officially re-opened, since its closure due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Matlacha Civic Association President Carol Scott said members would have liked a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the occasion, but the moment did not present itself. That notwithstanding, Scott expressed gratitude on the behalf of Matlacha and Pine Island residents who have waited with bated breath for the re-opening. “People came up here and opened it
up and everyone was so excited. It did not take long for people to get on that pier. We had fisher-people and other people were walking their dogs on it — taking pictures. It was fun,” Scott said. Matlacha Park itself is a place destined for family excursions, Scott said, See MATLACHA PIER, page 17 The repaired Matlacha Pier is now open, above. At right, Kathy and Rodger Herrin with granddaughter Kinder on the Matlacha Pier. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CAROL SCOTT
Lee County Parks and Recreation has announced that the Matlacha Park and Boat Ramp at 4577 Pine Island Road in Matlacha will be closed temporarily from Monday, April 1, through Tuesday, April 2, for scheduled parking lot maintenance and repair. The park is scheduled to reopen at dawn Wednesday, April 3. Signs have been posted to alert patrons of the upcoming closure. The temporary closure is scheduled following Spring Break for local schools and the Easter holiday, which traditionally marks the end of peak winter visitor season. During the closure, Pine Island-area boaters can still use the county’s nearby ramp at Lavender’s Landing, 7290 Barrancas Ave. N.W., Bokeelia, seven days a week. For additional information about Lee County Parks and Recreation locations, amenities and special events, please visit www.leeparks.org, call 239-533-7275, email leeparks@leegov.com or visit leeparksandrecreation on Facebook and Instagram. To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters. Follow Lee County Government on Facebook, www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc.
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