WEEK OF OCTOBER 15, 2025 FLIER INSIDE
Special visits
Island firefighters talk to Pine Island Elementary students about fire safety
— INSIDE
PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COM
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 23
M/PIFCD representatives discuss fire services on island for GPICA members By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Representatives of the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District were the guest speakers at the Greater Pine Island Civic Association meeting last Tuesday, Oct. 7, at First Baptist Church of Pine Island. M/PIFCD Assistant EMS Chief Cody Allen, Finance Manager Sarah Miles and Assistant Chief of Fire Matthew Davis gave a presentation on the current happenings at the local fire department. Allen began with some call data from last year, which, he said, was comprised of 1,841 calls total. He explained that the department shifts are made up of three shifts, each 24 hours on and 48 hours off. The helicopter was used 48 times last year and has already been used 50 times this year. “That’s roughly 5 times a month we’re using the helicopter. We use the helicopter for a variety of different reasons, the majority of them being our distance to many of the specialty care facilities within our area,” Allen said. Many of these facilities are far away, he said, especially taking traffic and time of year into consideration. Using the helicopter gives the patient a much more ex-
PAWS for Reading Program at PIE
Pine Island Elementary is fortunate to have the PAWS for Reading Program on the school campus. This program allows trained therapy dogs and their owners the opportunity to visit PIE each week. During the visits, students spend time reading to trained therapy dogs in the media center. Students feel comfortable reading to these special dogs in this safe environment. Dogs are non-judgmental and their calm demeanor helps students feel open to reading aloud to them. This helps build their confidence in reading and they develop a special bond with these furry friends. Pictured are student Colette Bower with volunteer Virginia Neff with canine companion KD. PIE offers a big thank you to the volunteers and their canine companions that visit PIE each week! PHOTO PROVIDED
The three M/PIFCD representatives, right, talk during the GPICA meeting last week. pedited response time. The majority of the time the helicopter lands in Calusa Cay plaza, behind Publix, he said. At the beginning of the month, the M/PIFCD had a yearly total of 1,300 calls. The majority of their calls, he
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said, are going to be medical in nature. This year there have been 41 fire related calls so far, he added. See GPICA MEETING, page 13
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Mary Lou Martin By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Mary Lou Martin said she would describe herself as somewhat of a life-long volunteer or helper, as she spent many years helping folks achieve a GED through the Beacon of HOPE’s GED program and recently agreed to begin a volunteer job at the Pine Island United Methodist Church working with membership record keeping. “That’s who I am. I’ve always been a people person,” Martin said. Martin said she grew up and worked in the banking industry in Michigan. Her cousin was on Pine Island and said Martin and her husband would love it here. Since they’d retired, they came to visit and realized her cousin was correct. They decided to relocate shortly after visiting. Mary Lou Martin “We came and stayed a few days and it just felt like home. We started to drive back and both decided we’d like to live here,” Martin said. The family was a bit shocked when the Martins anSee MARY LOU MARTIN, page 16
of the Week..........17 Cat of the Week...............14 SJCCA Update...................9 INSIDETODAY Athlete Bridge Beat........................9 On the Water......................6 Worship Directory.............6
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