WEEk of may 10, 2023 fLIER INSIDE
Helping islanders Letter carrier’s annual food drive to benefit Pine Island Food Pantry — INSIDE pINEISlaND-EaglE.com
VolumE 47, NumbEr 1
Rep. Donalds turns out to assist in marine cleanup in St. James City By FRAN THOMAS
news@breezenewspapers.com
A partnership among local fishermen, industry and the federal government is making headway in removing debris from area waterways. As of April, approximately 400,000 cubic yards of debris are gone, but much more remains. Congressman Byron Donalds and representatives of AshBritt were working Tuesday with Fishermen’s Disaster Response to finish the job. AshBritt, based in Deerfield Beach, is a national emergency management and disaster response contrac-
tor. In its 30-year history, it has been involved in the recovery efforts after 60 federally declared disasters. Casey Streeter, a St. James City resident and owner of Island Seafood Market in Matlacha, founded Fishermen’s Dis-aster Response when his own home and business were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Donalds said immediately after Hurri-cane Ian, people weren’t congressman focused on the state of the mangroves. Byron Donalds
They were understandably concerned with their own homes. Seven months later, the area looks vastly different than it did, but abandoned boats remain a problem. That’s where Streeter and his 13-person crew come in. These local fishermen know their way around and can reach the boats and other debris. Streeter said, “It is life changing to help bring the waterways back. They drive this area.” Work is expected to go on for the next few months. As the next hurricane season begins, getting rid of flying See DONALDS, page 19
Salty Girls Island Café now open and ready to serve By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
GPIcA to help fight cape lock closing By CRAIG GARRETT
news@breezenewspapers.com
First, it was boater safety. This time it’s keeping manatees from getting crushed or hurt. That second argument put forth on Tuesday by the city of Cape Coral didn’t convince the Greater Pine Island Civic Association, as its members gave $2,500 to fight the city’s plan to remove the Chiquita Boat Lock, a Gulf access site along Cape Harbour. The busy boater lock, built in the 1970s to slow sheeting storm water, is fed by the Camelot Canal and Southwest Spreader Waterway. Boaters had complained of clustering and run-ins as the lock shifted water levels. Cape Coral argues that manatees and a species of sawfish are trapped or killed in the exchange. Cape Coral pushed to close the lock in 2016. A judge sided with the opposition in 2020. The city filed an amended plan 10 months later. Boater safety was the issue, the city argued. A state judge sided with the Greater Pine Island Civic Association. The city couldn’t use the same argument before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the permitting agency. Groups and individuals had filed a petition to argue against the state allowing the lock’s dismantling. The GPICA is helping pay for pending litigation, not as a litigant, its members decided Tuesday.
The issue for the GPICA is keeping the Chiquita Boat Lock to slow and filter nutrient-rich rain and to balance fresh and salt waters, a so-called plug to limit damaging run-off, its members said. The group succeeded in keeping the lock open in an earlier legal contest. The Florida DEP had received a petition for an administrative hearing regarding the Notice of Intent to Issue an Environmental Resource Permit for the South Spreader Waterway Environmental Improvement and Sustainability Project, a spokesperson said. DEP’s Office of General Counsel is currently reviewing the petition for sufficiency with applicable Florida rules and statutes. If deemed sufficient, it will be sent to the Division of Administrative Hearings and a hearing date set, said Brooke Keck, a spokesperson for the agency’s South District office. GPICA members Tuesday also approved a second “dollar-for-dollar” measure for a matching grant for legal fees of up to $5,000. The association won’t join in a lawSee GPIcA, page 19 The city of cape coral is again pursuing the removal of the chiquita Lock, located at the end of the South Spreader Waterway near cape Harbour. FILE PHOTO
Since Hurricane Ian ravaged Pine Island, Lisa Dence has had her eyes fixed on the opening of Salty Girls Island Café. The café, formerly Little Lily’s Island Deli, complete with artwork from beloved islander Mel Meo and new Salty Girls T-shirts, had its opening day on Tuesday, May 2. Dence was happy to see familiar island faces smiling back at her, and welcomed them with open arms. For now, she said, she and her staff are navigating unchartered waters, as they make decisions about what works and what doesn’t. “This is a whole different path. Even though we’ve been in the restaurant business for years — we did lunch See SALTY GIRLS ISLAND cAfé, page 20
Owner Lisa Dence took this photo of her first two customers when the café opened.
insidetoday cat of the Week...............20 Letters to the Editor..........4 Worship Directory.............6 classifieds & Obituaries Athletes of the Week.........8
Dolphin Tales.....................7
On the Water....................10