WEEK OF DECEMBER 11, 2024 FLIER INSIDE
Helping islanders Greater Pine Island Elks Lodge donates 130 pounds of goods to Food Pantry — INSIDE PINEISLAND-EAGLE.COM
VOLUME 48, NUMBER 32
GPICA members talk about 2025 Ongoing efforts, other updates also addressed By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
Greater Pine Island Civic Association Vice President Nadine Slimak led the Dec. 3 membership meeting, with a focus on 2025, which was given in an open Microphone format. Slimak announced the upcoming GPICA Adopt-ARoad events will be held Jan. 8, February 5 and March 5. She also reminded everyone to please take the online Resiliency Survey, which can be done by scanning the
QR code found on the GPICA.org website. She also opened the floor to those members who wanted to have a discussion about the organization’s potential focus for 2025. A member asked about the outcome of the Chiquita Lock case and how much was spent, to which GPICA board member Sue Dahod said, over the summer it was decided that Cape Coral could remove the lock. According to Slimak, this should be done by April 2025.
She also brought up a development issue going on at South Seas Plantation on Captiva, relative to building height and density, that she said may have future insinuations on Pine Island. “They’re basically looking at an increase of 500 or so residents out there under the new building height regulations, so there’s a coalition out on Captiva, that includes Sanibel, also, that are trying to fight those changes and that’s working its way through legal channels as well right now. We’re keeping an eye on it, I think it’s got implications for what could happen to us out here,” Slimak said. A member commented on property which has been See GPICA, page 12
Grand jury proceeding and budget related to Lee County Sheriff’s Office discussed at Commission meeting U.S. Attorney’s Office also now reported to be conducting an audit into Sheriff’s Office finances By NATHAN MAYBERG
nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com
Celebrating Pine Islanders: Paul Pichon By PAULETTE LeBLANC
pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com
ine Island Leaders of Tomorrow Program and Pine Island Playhouse co-founder Paul Pichon said while art is an enormous part of his identity, he would describe himself as a teacher and mentor, however, perhaps a more apt description, he admits, might be to describe himself as someone who loves to learn. “I’m very interested in learning and furthering my own understanding. It seems very interesting considering how I handled my own school-life when I was young,” Pichon said with a chuckle. Much of his life as an artist is carried out in public, such as it is acting in the Pine Island Playhouse. While other aspects of art in his life are more private and meditative, he said. Pichon came to Pine Island with his wife, Nichole, in 2010. Her family, he said, had been out here for quite a while, since the 1970s.
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“We moved here from Indiana and hit the ground running — tried to figure out how to get involved with things. Eventually we got to the afterschool (PILOT) program and figured out how we could be helpful in the community, which was also a way to get to know people in the beginning, that turned into a lot of different things,” Pichon said. Within a year of moving here, he said he and Nichole were making home-goods, such as items one might see for sale at any of the island markets, and working with Nichole’s cousin Mel Meo, collecting enough sea grapes to make jelly in order to can and sell it later that weekend. It was then that he knew Pine Island was home. “It felt very islandy to go around — this was Mel See PAUL PICHON, page 12 Paul Pichon with his wife, Nichole. PHOTO PROVIDED
The existence of a grand jury proceeding related to an investigation involving the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was disclosed at a meeting of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday. District 2 Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass said that a grand jury will be convening over “the next 10 days” regarding the investigation. Pendergrass said Thursday he believes the proceeding is looking into permitting involving the Lee County Sheriff's Office at its Six Mile Cypress Parkway property. Pendergrass also said Thursday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is conducting an audit of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The budget of the office has grown from $196 million in 2020 to $315 million for the 2024-25 budget. Lee County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Anita Iriarte responded to questions about the investigation by saying the office is cooperating. “As always — and in all matters — the Sheriff’s Office is working cooperatively, and cohesively with our law enforcement partners,” Iriarte said Thursday via email. A grand jury proceeding it secret until charges, if any, are filed. The comments by Pendergrass at Tuesday’s meeting were in response to a proposal from District 2 Commissioner Brian Hamman to fund the Lee County See SHERIFF”S OFFICE, page 13
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