WEEk of JulY 17, 2024 FLIER INSIDE
Leading the way Highlighting some of the area’s Local Women in Business — INSIDE pINEISlaND-EaglE.com
VolumE 48, NumbEr 11
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Jay Johnson By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
If you’ve ever been at the turquoise building at the four-way, you may have met Jay Johnson of Island Exchange Realty. He said he would describe himself as a Pine Island real estate broker. He is also one of the former presidents of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, which he took on after serving for several years on the board of directors. Johnson said he grew up in Fort Myers, only after his Michigan parents began spending winters in Florida, which began around 1952. “When I was in the first grade, they (his parents) started to come down south in the winter. They would lease restaurants, because back in the 1950s a lot of restaurants would close down for the summer months and then open back up in the winter months for all the tourists,” Johnson
said, adding that things changed as air conditioning became more common. Johnson said his parents made a permanent move to Fort Myers when he was in his sophomore year in high school. “I went to elementary school in Fort Myers Beach in the winter months and then attended Fort Myers High School and graduated and then Jay Johnson graduated Edison College and Florida Atlantic University,” Johnson said. He bought his first property on Pine Island in 1981, through high school friends that were in real estate, he
said. Years later, at a party one night in Captiva, some of Johnson’s friends were talking about properties they’d developed in the area, to which, Johnson said, if there was an opportunity to get involved, he would be interested. “I got a call about 6 months later, they said they found this property on Pine Island and they were going to develop it into condos, so I said ‘count me in.' That’s sort of how I ended up on Pine Island,” Johnson said. It was around 1990 when he made the move to St. James City, where he resided until Hurricane Ian. Johnson said he knew Pine Island was a special place as early as the 1960s, when he would come to Matlacha to buy oysters. “We’d put the oysters on a grill — basically it was a See JAY JOHNSON, page 16
Works of Pine Island Art Association members on display at Cape Coral Library The walls of the expansive art gallery in the Cape Coral Library, located at 921 S.W. 39th Terrace, are featuring the artwork by seven artists who are all members of the Pine Island Art Association and have taken classes at PIAA over the years. They also happen to be friends and have decided to team up for this exhibit that will run from July 3 through Aug. 24. The result is an exciting mix of painting media, subjects and different styles. ■ Kay Atwood works in watercolor. Her favorite subjects are Italian villas and Florida scenes, especially sunsets on the beach. She enjoys employing vivid colors and doing abstract artwork. ■ Lisa Burke came to Cape Coral almost 15 years ago and soon discovered “the wonderful world of watercolors.” Moving forward in time, she is now teaching classSee PIAA, page 8
Manatee rehabilitated at Sea World released in Matlacha Second sea cow returned to the wild the same day in Pineland By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Matlacha Civic Association President Carol Scott reported last week that Matlacha residents Dave and Sherry Howardson found a manatee floating in their canal off Island Avenue back in April. Dave Howardson called Florida Fish and Wildlife with concerns about the manatee, who some locals have named “Lacha” after Matlacha. “I noticed the back of the manatee out of the water
early in the morning and then it stayed in the same spot until she was in distress of some sort,” Howardson said. His call to the FWC was returned promptly, and he See MANATEE, page 12 Above, FWC volunteers and Sea World staff releasing Lacha the manatee in Matlacha. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CAROL SCOTT
PHOTO PROVIDED
One of PIAA member Lisa Burke’s watercolors on display at the Cape Coral Library.
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