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VOLUME 49, NUMBER 1
Parking plans for Blue Dog addressed at GPICA meeting By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
The Greater Pine Island Civic Association general meeting was held Tuesday, May 6, at the First Baptist Church of Pine Island. Greg Stuart of Stuart and Associates Planning and Design Services was asked to speak on behalf of the Blue Dog about the restaurant’s request for deviations to parking zoning rules that would allow it to continue to offer outdoor seating. Members will have an opportunity to vote on the proposed changes. Stuart began his presentation by telling members he’s been a resident of Matlacha for 29 years and has been involved with the Greater Pine Island Plan since 1992. “I’m here representing John Lynch, one of the co-own-
ers and co-founders of the Blue Dog,” Stuart said. He has been working with John trying to get the county to allow Lynch to build a deck for outdoor dining at the restaurant. So far, Stuart said, this decision seems to have been based on a lack of parking accessibility. “John has sponsored a regulatory reform, if you will, for parking — we’ve managed to change the rules to reduce the parking by around 40%,” Stuart said. He went on to say that he has run numbers, which show Matlacha has lost a significant amount in property values, jobs and revenues. It is of the utmost importance, he added, that everyone does everything possible to support a viable build back of Matlacha. “The original thrust of the Pine Island Plan was community, character and conservation and it’s been rela-
At left is one of the colorful decorations for the high tea at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church. Below are event leader Debbie Smith and hostess Marilyn Moore.
On Saturday, May 4, Fishers of Men Lutheran Church held a high tea event, in honor of Mother’s Day, for the ladies and friends of the church. Marilyn Moore, who was honored as hostess and emcee for the event, said over 60 people attended and the event, she described as very lovely. The high tea was technically free of charge, however, guests were encouraged to make a $15 donation to offset some of the cost. “This was an event that you
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Noel Anders
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
would not think a fishing island might do because it was so elegant. The food was well prepared by the committee,” Moore said. The food, she went on to say, was likened to cuisine one might find at a high tea of long ago, such as finger sandwiches with meats and Dijon cheese, smoked salmon, crab and cucumber crepes. No effort to make participating guests feel welcomed was missed, she explained. “Place settings were pink, white See HIGH TEA, page 11
See NOEL ANDERS, page 11
Elegant Mother’ Day high tea enjoyed by many at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
See GPICA MEETING, page 12
Pine Islander Noel Anders said, if he were going to, although he runs 8 different companies, he would describe himself as a palm tree farmer. “I raise the palm trees and I sell them to all the small landscape guys here down at the Center. I grow the trees. I’ve always liked growing things,” Anders said. Although Anders is a 5th generation Floridian, he said he came to Pine Island in 1991. Before landing on the island, however, he attended Florida State University where he received a master’s degree in geology. A love for this area came easily he said, as both his father and grandfather were boat builders. “They built a lot of boats for the fishermen on Pine Island and sometimes I got Noel Anders to go with my father to deliver the boats by water. We would camp out on Cayo Costa and I started buying property out there. One of the things my family and I did was we donated 4 acres, right on the beach, to Lee County,” Anders said. Anders shared that he is also a real estate investor and that he and his family own over 200 properties throughout the west coast of Florida, which he manages with the help of his wife, son and daughter. Something which attests to his love for Pine Island is his contribution in helping in the beginnings of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association. He credits a woman named Anna Stober, a retired administrative nurse, and a man named, Gene Boyd, two of the GPICA founders, with his getting involved.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY KAREN HARTSHORNE AND MARILYN MOORE
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
tively successful — it’s done a good job — but now that we’re 2% into the 21st century, we’ve got to change the orientation for Matlacha,” Stuart said. He went on to say that he was not including Pine Island itself in that statement, but Matlacha only and that the orientation needs to be changed, to include not only community and character but build back and recovery. Stuart went on to share seven rules and policies he’d thought might be a good idea for Matlacha. He also shared that support is, quite obviously, needed. “My gosh, Matlacha, we’ve lost our heart and soul. We’ve lost Leoma, we’ve lost Bert’s, we’ve lost the Olde Fish House — we’ve lost so much,” Stuart said.
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