Newswire

Update February 1, 2012

Ceitus Barrier Public Meeting
There will be a public meeting of staff from Lee County and the City of Cape Coral to discuss the replacement of the Ceitus Barrier (aka Cape Coral Spreader Canal issue) at 1:30pm on Tuesday, February 7, in the East Room of the Old Lee County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street, Fort Myers, FL.  Although the public will not be allowed to speak at this meeting, your are encouraged to attend to show your support for replacing the barrier, and thus restoring the health of Matlacha Pass.  

Legislative Redistricting
It appears that the many letters and emails to Tallahassee asking the State Redistricting Committee to keep Greater Pine Island as part of District 76 were only partially heard. The new district line now runs down the middle of Matlacha Pass, effectively cutting Matlacha in half, and putting the portion of Matlacha east of the Pass and Matlacha Isles in the same district as Cape Coral. In fact that district only contains Cape Coral, so the residents of Matlacha and Matlacha Isles would be drowned out. To express your concerns, please contact mydistrictbuilder@myfloridahouse.gov, and contact Representative Aubuchon. 

In an open letter to the State Representatives in Tallahassee, the GPICA Board votes to include Matlacha Shores and Matlacha Isles in District 76

Dear Representatives;

     By unanimous vote, the Greater Pine Island Civic Association Board of Directors has authorized me to send the following letter as our official position on revising of the boundaries of Districts 76 and 77.

Please keep Matlacha Shores and Matlacha Isles WITH Matlacha and Pine Island and the coastal communities in Florida House District 76.

There is currently a map that has House District 76 line through Matlacha Pass, separating Pine Island and Matlacha from Matlacha Shores and Matlacha Isles. 

Matlacha, Matlacha Shores, and Matlacha Isles are one community, sharing 

    Matlacha Community Park, 
    Matlacha Civic Association, 
    Matlacha Post Office, and 
    coffee shop, ice cream shop, restaurants, and art galleries and shops. 

Matlacha Shores and Matlacha Isles, along with Matlacha and Pine Island share 
a community center (Pine Island Center), including pool, tennis courts, ball fields, library, elementary school, 
    Greater Pine Island Civic Association, 
    Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, 
    Pine Island Art Association,
    Winn-Dixie grocery store,
    pharmacy
    printing shop
    Pine Island Eagle newspaper,
    boat clubs,
    hardware store, 
    auto repair,
    marine/boat repair,
    churches,
    food pantry,
    community services and outreach,
    physicians,
    dental clinic,
    veterinarian,
    pet groomer,
    fire department,
    water and sewer service
    and more

Matlacha Shores, Matlacha Isles, Matlacha and Pine Island are a united community, please include all of us together in District 76. 

It would divide our community to separate Matlacha Shores and Matlacha Isles from Greater Pine Island. We do NOT want to be grouped with the inland interests of Cape Coral (District 77).

We ask that the new House District 76 line follow the dividing boundaries of the Cape Coral North and South Spreader Waterway Canals, with a bump-in to include Matlacha Isles. Cape Coral residents are east of the Waterway Canals. The coastal mangrove fringe and estuaries of Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve that sustain our economy would be included in District 76 with our coastal island community--Matlacha Isles, Matlacha Shores, Matlacha, Pine Island

Thank you.
Roger Wood, President, Greater Pine Island Civic Association

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The mangrove protection plan for Pine Island has been strengthened. Read about it here.

The latest on land use and development plans on Pine Island is here.

*******

Update January 19, 2012

Fishing report from the Fort Myers News-Press
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120112/COLUMNISTS09/120112031/1013/lifestyles

 
Please don’t feed the birds – a tip for Pine Islanders in the Pine Island Eagle
http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/520404/Please--don-t-feed-the-birds.html?nav=5049

Chamber of Commerce building targeted by arsonist
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2012-01-16/Chamber-fire-joins-list-of-unsolved-arsons-on-Pine-Island

Mullet Toss
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/528529/Islanders--limbering-up--for-mullet-toss.html?nav=5011

More land conservation a plus for Pine Island
http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/520389/Grants-allow-for-environmental-projects-on-island.html?nav=5051