Local artist strives to ‘Light up the Matlacha Night’
By day, Matlacha is a bright and colorful village serving as the gateway to Pine Island, but as night falls, those colors fade to black. One woman however is working toward changing all of that as she has vowed to “Light up the Matlacha Night” with the help of local residents and visitors. Artist Leoma Lovegrove is very familiar with incandescent glow as she herself has spent a lot of time in the spotlight, but now she seeks to cast those rays on the bleak roadway.
“The main road through Matlacha is primarily businesses and we would really like to extend our business hours beyond sun down. By adding lighting, we could not only stay open later for our customers, but the lights would make the roadway much safer and more welcoming to those who are visiting or just passing through,” Lovegrove said. “Matlacha is perhaps the last fishing village around and people should be able to enjoy it even into the evening hours. Lights would encourage more people to stroll about and enjoy all of the things this wonderful village has to offer.”
According to Lovegrove, purchasing and installing street lights comes with a high price tag and in addition to soliciting assistance from the county and exploring grant options, Lovegrove has developed her own marketing strategy.
Utilizing recycled boards from historic Matlacha, Lovegrove has adorned the slats in bright lettering that reads ‘Matlacha’ which she intends to sell during the upcoming Creative Coast Weekend. The boards range in length from 18 inches to nearly five feet and a portion of the sales will be directly earmarked to fund the addition of street lighting in Matlacha. It is Lovegrove’s hope that other businesses in Matlacha will join her in this effort.
“If we all work together, we can light up Matlacha,” said Lovegrove. “I am sure that other businesses here will also see the benefit of adding street lights to Pine Island Road and will contribute as well.”
Also recognizing the benefits of adequate lighting is Matlacha business and property owner, Donna Loibl, who earlier this year was a victim of arson and burglary at her Matlacha business complex.
“As a business and property owner, I think additional lighting would be a benefit as far as a crime deterrent is concerned. Our area is really dark at night and additional lighting would help, however, I think it is important that we consider the residential property owners when it comes to placement and it is important to make sure that the lights are not obtrusive,” said Loibl. “The other thing that should be considered is the type of lights that are used. I would hate to see the typical street lights placed along the roadway and think that the ones they use should be decorative in keeping with the ambiance of the area.”
At this time a fund has been set up at a local bank to collect donations for the street lights in Matlacha. For more information about the “Light up the Matlacha Night” call Leoma Lovegrove at 822-4109.