WEEK APRIL 30, 2025 FLIER INSIDE
‘Upcycling’
Pine Island Elementary students create objects using trash and recyclables — INSIDE PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COM
VOLUME 48, NUMBER 51
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Ila Valcarcel By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Ila Valcarcel said she would describe herself as a mother of four who has been a Pine Islander for 30 years helping run her family’s business. “I’m also an aspiring artist,” she admitted. When her family first arrived from California in 1993, she said they went to the east coast of Florida. At the time, they had both been highly interested in flying airplanes, as her husband, Frank Valcarcel, had his pilot’s license then and she had a student pilot’s license. “We moved from West Palm Beach to Pine Island and that’s when we bought the airstrip off of Woodstock Road,” Valcarcel said. After that, she said, the family endeavored into both
Ila Valcarcel
palm tree and tilapia fish farming. In doing so, she said she found a love for the Pine Island community that she is certain would keep her right here for good. “I always loved Pine Island,” Valcarcel said, explaining that the feeling was immediate. When it comes to contributing to the island, she said, there was a time years ago when one of the island churches was closing down
its Pre-K, so Valcarcel hired a teacher and set up Pre-K for nine Pine Island children for 10 months. She also said Hurricane Charley comes to mind. The Valcarcel family invited volunteers from the Fire Department to ride out the storm at their house, since the property was high enough above sea level to warrant that offer, something, she confesses, makes her very proud of her husband. “They (Fire Department volunteers) were able to cut their way out through Woodstock Road and have their trucks running in order to help people, right away,” Valcarcel said. In addition to rooting for Pine Island from behind the scenes, Valcarcel also served in the public eye as she was See ILA VALCARCEL, page 8
CLT calls Earth Day concert ‘a fun success’
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Plein air painting - fun and free By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
M
useum of the Islands volunteer Karen Hartshorne is very interested in using her education as a graduate level painting and drawing student, coupled with her experience at LSU, to teach plein air painting to mostly kids, although all ages are welcome, around Pine Island, beginning Monday, April 28, from 8-10 a.m., through the summer months. Hartshorne said she will let everyone who is interested know where the next painting location will be. “No charge, no class, just painting plein air together. Whatever medium everybody wants to bring is fine, everybody brings their own supplies. There’s no instruction — everybody works independently, and then after the two hours is up, everybody can put their
work up on display for everyone else and we’ll have a little critique and that’s the point where people can ask questions,” Hartshorne said. Plein air painting, meaning “in the open air” in French, is the practice of painting outdoors, directly from nature, with the subject in full view. This type of open-minded program structure is just the right fit for Hartshorne, as she lives by it. “This morning when I woke up, my first thought was, let the kids paint historical sights so they can learn the history at the same time we’re painting,” Hartshorne said. See PLEIN AIR PAINTING, page 7 An example of plein air painting on the island. PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAREN HARTSHORNE
According to Calusa Land Trust Board Member John Kendall, without the 2025 Rubber Duck Race fundraiser (loss of venue), Isaac Holeva and his Pipe Dream rock band stepped up to highlight an Earth Day Concert April 20 at the St. James City Civic Association facility. An estimated crowd of about 500, with most parked in their golf carts, cheered on the musicians while also visiting over 20 vendors plus the Horse Eyed Jake American Sliders food and the Utterly Twisted ice cream trucks. The event raised approximately $3,500 in funds needed to support CLT’s land conservancy mission. “The special quality of this event was the public relations of the Land Trust and getting people together. I think that was the main benefit. Everybody had a good time,” Kendall said According to Fellow CLT Board Member and secretary, as well as Pine Island Garden Club president, Marty Kendall, the event was a wonderful celebration of eEarth Day, which could not have gone better, as both organizations were well represented for having attended. “One of the things we did in advance was we filled up about 200 packets with wild flower seeds and gave them to everyone who came in,” Kendall said. This was something special, she said, regarding adding beauty to the island while celebrating Earth Day. Among the vendors, she said, which varied from selling plants to jewelry to even plant additives, rounding out the event nicely. They set up the St. James Civic Center and waited for the golf carts to come, she said. “We were able to get new members for the CLT and we were able to get a lot of interest in it — there were people who were not totally aware of what we do, so It was the capability of being able to explain that and offer for them to be a part of it,” Kendall said. CLT board members were also able to hand out maps See EARTH DAY CONCERT, page 7
INSIDETODAY Bridge Beat........................8 On the Water.....................10 Worship Directory........ ......6 Athlete of the Week..........13
Cat of the Week................11
SJCCA Update...................6
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