WEEK OF JUNE 25. 2025 FLIER INSIDE
What’s the buzz?
Arrival of rainy season brings surge in mosquitoes across Southwest Florida
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PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COM
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 7
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Gianna Reese By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Grown-up Pine Islander Gianna Reese said she would describe herself as a mom, wife and a school social worker. Her husband is in ministry, she said, also making her the wife of a pastor. When she first came to Pine Island, she was 12 years old. Her immediate family moved to the island to be near her grandfather, she explained. “My grandfather had been living on Pine Island for a few years at that point and his mother, my great-grandmother, bought land and built a house here in the 1960s. When my grandfather retired, he decided to move to Pine Island and he moved into that same house,” Reese said. Before her immediate family came out to Pine Island,
Gianna Reese
they lived in Long Island, New York, she said, recalling the differences in the cultural experience between two such different places. “It was kind of a culture shock at first. We lived on a dirt road with nothing but woods around our house. Seeing Pine Island at night — with no lights — it was so natural — just seeing the stars and feeling the stillness — that was really special to me, I always ap-
Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Foundation awards more than $64,000 in scholarships
By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Last Monday, June 16, the Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Foundation handed out this year’s scholarship checks, totaling $64,650, to 30 recipients at Pine Island United Methodist Church on Pine Island Road. Representing the foundation and distributing checks at the event were board member and former Pine Island Elementary School principal Steven Hook, and board member Monica Oakley. Hook said he has been on the board since 2012 and that this year, in particular, he’s found the foundation has been a great benefit to him personally. “The tournament and the scholarship programs have just gotten better and better every year. The board has great passion for what they do and it’s just so fulfilling to be a part of it,” Hook said. This year was especially meaningful to Hook, he said, because some of the scholarship recipients were former students of his from when he was still the principal at Pine Island Elementary. He described the ability
INSIDETODAY
to watch his former students successfully pursue the next part of their journey as very satisfying. “The scholarships we’ve been able to give out over the years has increased, so it’s been very exciting to be a part of it,” Hook said. The board has often discussed its vision for the future, Hook said, and they have agreed that building a community center for the kids on Pine Island is something they would all like to see or help make happen eventually. Oakley, who helped Hook distribute the scholarship checks, found herself taking great pride in the recipients, as they are finding their way to higher education. See SCHOLARSHIPS, page 17 The Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Foundation scholarship award winners and members of the foundation’s board of directors.
Bridge Beat......................10 Kittens of the Week..........17
PAULETTE LEBLANC
Local Tides.......................17 On the Water.....................13
preciate that about Pine Island,” Reese said. She went on to explain how Pine Island will always be a unique place for her to carry through the rest of her life and talked about how fortunate someone like she is to have grown up out here, especially throughout the most pivotal moments of her adolescence. She said it is indeed a treat to be here these days, and talked about the atmosphere on Pine Island, taking her back to her youth. If she had to tell a stranger about Pine Island, Reese said she could think of several examples of the how traveling here might effect someone’s life. “I guess I would say, Pine Island is a quaint fishermen’s island, where everyone takes care of everyone See GIANNA REESE, page 10
Broadway Palm, Collaboratory holding exhibit of Lovegrove artwork
Broadway Palm and Collaboratory have partnered to honor Southwest Florida artist Leoma Lovegrove to further her impact and legacy. Patrons and guests at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre can do the same. Lovegrove’s artwork will be on display at the Broadway Palm throughout the summer and fall of 2025.The exhibit will run through Nov. 15 with the completion of the show, “Pretty Women the Musical.” Guests can purchase pieces from the collection. Lovegrove’s family will donate 10% of all sales to the Leoma Lovegrove Foundation Fund. The fund was established by her family Leoma Lovegrove at the Collaboratory to support the arts. “I think it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Maureen Green-Prather, president of Broadway Palm. “People can buy her artwork, and a portion of the proceeds goes to her foundation. Her art bursts with happiness and that’s what we need right now.” Lovegrove, who passed away in April, expressed her art and lived her life in full color. Lovegrove’s pieces often drew inspiration from the lush landscape and wildlife of Florida, where she established her artistic base on Matlacha Island. Broadway Palm will feature about 20 pieces of her work at a price range of $95 to $800. “We want people to support a legacy for her – to keep that spirit of her work alive any way we can,” said Dawn Belamarich, Collaboratory president and CEO. Lovegrove’s artwork was featured in galleries and See LOVEGROVE, page 12
SJCCA Update...................7 Worship Directory..............6
Classifieds & Obituaries