Events on the Island
First Baptist Church of Pine Island:
March 29
The First Baptist Church of Pine Island will have a Good Friday service on March 29 at 7 p.m., 5363 Ave D in Bokeelia.
The church will also have a Hugh Adams pancake breakfast at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 31. Please sign up and bring ingredients, or griddles, or a man to help. It would be helpful to have all the ingredients dropped off at the church by Good Friday service.
For information call 283-1737.
Matlacha Hookers: March 30
What is the Bag ‘n Tag? Each year, The Matlacha Hookers host the Bag ‘n Tag to raise monies for their “Hooked on Education” Scholarship program. It will be held at the Moose Lodge on Stringfellow Rd., on March 30, 2013. Shoppers can purchase a brown paper grocery bag for $5 and fill it with as many clothing items that they can fit in the bag. In the past, shoppers have garnered anywhere from $30 to $125 worth of items for their $5 investment. Hooker Hagglers will be on hand to assist shoppers interested in other items.
You can’t shop on an empty stomach; so mark your calendar. Saturday, March 30, the Matlacha Hookers will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Pine Island Moose Lodge on Stringfellow Road. You will not leave hungry!
Work up your appetite by cleaning out those closets, drawers, attic and garages. Consider donating those items of gently worn clothing, household items, appliances, tools and furniture to the Matlacha Hookers for this event.
Donation items can be dropped off at Trader’s Hitching Post in Matlacha or Century 21 on Stringfellow Rd. during normal working hours. Donated items must be dropped off by March 22. Larger items can be dropped off on the day of the event before 8:30 a.m.
For more information, please call Sonya at 458-8757. Keep your eyes on the Eagle for more details.
Guided Kayak Nature Tour: April 2
The Useppa Island Archeological Kayak Tour, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., will feature a special kayak tour to this unusual, private island. Your guide is a Florida Master Naturalist that knows the ins and outs of the route through the grass flats and mangrove islands of Pine Island Sound and the history of the area. We will visit Useppa Island’s museum, which details 10,000 years of human habitation on Useppa.
This island has a fascinating history, both ancient and modern. We will eat lunch at the historic Collier Inn and get to see the beautiful flora and interesting fauna of the island. The fee is $70 per person, which includes entry fee to the museum and parking, plus the cost of lunch. All equipment included. Reservations needed. 239 694-5513.
Golden Brush: April 9
The Golden Brush Painting Group of St. James City Civic Association will sponsor a workshop on April 9 from 1-4 p.m. with Joan Roberts. The medium is acrylic and oil and the topic is beach scene.
All workshops meet at SJCCA building on corner of 4th and Lemon Street. For information or to sign up call MaryAnn at 283-9337 or Melissa at 283-5203.
Golden Brush:
April 16
The Golden Brush Painting Group of St. James City Civic Association will sponsor a workshop on April 16 from 1-4 p.m. with Deborah Swetsch. The medium is silk scarf and the topic is chair yoga. This is the second workshop offered with Swetsch due to a waiting list.
All workshops meet at SJCCA building on corner of 4th and Lemon Street. For information or to sign up call MaryAnn at 283-9337 or Melissa at 283-5203.
Guided Kayak Nature Tour: April 19
The Mangrove Mazes of Matlacha Pass Kayak Tour with GAEA Guides – Guided Kayak Nature Tours will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Matlacha. Visit the Mangrove Mazes and Tunnels of Matlacha Pass, “Nature’s Cathedrals.” Lots of birds, fish and critters in these mysterious tunnels. Includes all equipment and a Florida Master Naturalist as your guide. The fee is $50 per person. Reservations needed. 239 694-5513.
Guided Kayak Nature Tour: April 26
The Matlacha Pass Backwaters Kayak Tour with GAEA Guides from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wander through some fascinating mangrove creeks, see many birds (white pelicans, may be here from the North), manatees and dolphin. Learn about the critters and the ecology of the estuary. Eat lunch on the water in this tranquil area. Fee is $50 per person includes all equipment and a Florida Master Naturalist Guide. Cape Coral. Call for your reservation at 239 694-5513.
Wounded Warrior Anglers: May 26
The Original “Redfish Poker” Fishing Championship will be held on Sunday, May26, with lines in the water no earlier than 7 a.m. and check in at the Olde
Fish House Marina no later than 4 p.m. The Captains Meeting will be at the Olde Fish House on Saturday, May 25, at 7 p.m. a member of the team and all kayak participants must be present.
Ultimately, “Redfish Poker” Fishing Champion-ship is played just like seven card stud poker with the best five card hand winning the championship, but with a unique twist. The unique twist is how the teams receive their cards to play the hand. Each team or individual will receive a playing card for each slot redfish between 18″ to 27″ with a maximum of seven cards for the team or individual. Where it becomes fun is that an 18″ redfish that is typically around 2 1/4 lbs. is now equal to that 27′ redfish about 8 lbs. This makes it more fun because the average angler has effectively had the playing field leveled to compete with local professional redfish tournament fishermen.
All fish will be photographed on an approved “Redfish Poker” fishing championship measuring board with each fish laid with the nose to the front and the belly against the bottom board and released in their home waters to rejoin their school. When the team or individual returns to the weigh masters station they must bring their camera or smartphone with the proper USB cable. One weigh master will download the pictures and then all of the team’s pictures will be reviewed by two weigh masters to determine how many cards are warranted.
For information visit redfish-poker.eventbrite.com/ or call 423-620-9103.
Events on the Island
Ladies of the Elks: March 21
The Ladies of the Elks will be having a fashion show luncheon at the Elks Club on Thursday March 21. Doors are open at 11 a.m. A delicious lunch will be served followed by a fashion show sponsored by Belks Department Store. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased prior to the event. For tickets and more information call Ann Thomas 283-0415/cell 292-2972, Pat Barnhart 283-4042 or Lynn Fettig 283-2313.
Pine Island Garden Club: March 21
The Pine Island Garden Club is excited to welcome Jenny Evans as its speaker for the March 21 meeting.
Evans has always enjoyed teaching people about the natural world and helping them make the connection between plants, people, and wildlife. She came to the horticultural world in a roundabout way, with undergraduate training in biology and theatre (costume design) and a graduate degree in public garden management. Her professional experience has ranged from leading school groups as an environmental educator in Washington state, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, to working and volunteering in several botanical gardens around the country. Since 2005, she has been the manager of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Native Plant Nursery.
Evans presentation will help make the connection between your garden and the environment.
Monthly Garden Club meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at the Fishers of Men Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10360 Stringfellow Road, and begin at 9 a.m., with coffee and refreshments followed by the guest speaker’s presentation and finishing up with a brief member’s business meeting.
Club meetings are free and open to everyone. If you are interested in attending a meeting or becoming a member (annual dues are $20), please call Kathie Reiter, Membership Chairman, at 283-3176.
Please visit our website: www.pineislandgardenclub.org., for membership information and events.
St. John’s Episcopal Church: March 22
Franciscan Mystery Players of Holy Name Province are presenting “The Way of the Cross” at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 7771 Stringfellow Road in St. James City, on Friday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.
This is a dramatic multi-media presentation of the passion and death of the Lord. It is offered during the Lenten season in church sanctuaries and a living meditation on the Stations of the Cross. Written and directed by Father Francis Pompei, a Franciscan Friar from Holy Name Province and team member of St. Francis Inn soup kitchen, Philadelphia. The Mystery Players are made up of 14 teenagers and four adults. The performances will be in the tradition of the medieval Mystery Plays, which were frequently sponsored by Franciscans who advocated popularizing scriptural events.
“The Way of the Cross” calls for no speaking parts. Through the use of special lighting, inspirational music, drama, and soul-searching meditations, a person is able to get in touch with themselves, their goodness, struggles, and their sins. Then, in a very unique way it becomes a prayerful vehicle for the Lord’s spirit to forgive, heal, and renew.
It is the kind of event that one can experience over and over again and always walk away with something new each time. You won’t want to miss this, everyone is welcome.
Pine Island Women of the Moose: March 23
The women will be holding their annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. 12 p.m. The age groups for participation are 2-4 year olds, 3-7 year olds and 8-10 year olds. Children must be able to hunt on their own with no parental assistance. At the end of the hunt the Easter Bunny will be there to greet the children.
The signup sheet is at the Pine Island Moose Lodge or you call and reserve by calling 282-0453 form 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Please sign or call in advance by March 15 at 3 p.m. The children’s Easter Egg hunt is open to the public but please reserve in advance so we have enough treats for the children.
Spa 33: March 25
Spa 33 is offering another monthly free class that will educate the community on the various uses of essential oils. The March 25 topic will discuss “Medicine Cabinet Makeover” at 6 p.m. Those who attend will learn how to use Theraputic Grade Essential Oils to treat common illness such as fever, cough, insect bites and much, much more. Call to reserve your seat at 558-8217.
Gambling Trip: March 25
Allstar Charters and Sarah Furia are doing a free day trip to the Seminole Immokalee Casino on Monday, March 23. You pay $30 and get $30 free play, plus a $5 food voucher and your round trip to Immokalee. We will be leaving at 10 a.m. from the boat ramp at Pine Island Cove and leave the casino at 5 p.m. Call Sarah Furia for reservations at 283-8410. There can be a pick up at Winn-Dixie parking lot. Make sure to bring a photo ID. If mailing a check make it out to Allstar Charters and mail to Sarah Furia, 4990 PinFish Lane, St. James City, FL 33956.
Friends of Pine Island Library: March 26
Many years ago in upstate New York, Denege Patterson’s career-preference test indicated she might be an Author, and she thought it was a mistake. At the time, she was a math major. (A semester of differential equations convinced her otherwise.) She switched to psychology, and after a most interesting career as a family therapist, she moved to Bokeelia, where she explored art, archaeology, and authorship. Today she belongs to the Pine Island Writers, the Pine Island Sketch Group, the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society, and the Friends of the Randell Research Center at Pineland, where she leads weekly tours as part of their partnership with Captiva Cruises.
Her 2010 book, “Edisonia Native Girl,” is the Life Story of Florence Keen Sansom, Artist Born on the Edison Estate, Fort Myers, Florida, is an authentic oral history as told to Denege by the daughter of Thomas Edison’s groundskeeper of 1917. Florence’s award-winning art illustrates this beautiful book, for more information visit her website at denegecreates.com.
Meet the author will be held Tuesday, March 26 from 12-2 p.m. at the Pine Island Elks Lodge, 5630 Pine Island Road. For luncheon reservations call Joy Veatch at 239-821-3942 or email joywalkes2@aol.com
Golden Brush: March 26
The Golden Brush Painting Group of St. James City Civic Association will sponsor a workshop on March 26 from 1-4 p.m. with Joanna Bowles. The medium will be watercolor and the topic is parrots. All workshops meet at SJCCA building on corner of 4th and Lemon Street. For information or to sign up call MaryAnn at 283-9337 or Melissa at 283-5203.
Matlacha Hookers: March 30
What is the Bag ‘n Tag? Each year, The Matlacha Hookers host the Bag ‘n Tag to raise monies for their “Hooked on Education” Scholarship program. It will be held at the Moose Lodge on Stringfellow Rd., on March 30, 2013. Shoppers can purchase a brown paper grocery bag for $5 and fill it with as many clothing items that they can fit in the bag. In the past, shoppers have garnered anywhere from $30 to $125 worth of items for their $5 investment. Hooker Hagglers will be on hand to assist shoppers interested in other items.
You can’t shop on an empty stomach; so mark your calendar. Saturday, March 30, the Matlacha Hookers will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Pine Island Moose Lodge on Stringfellow Road. You will not leave hungry!
Consider donating those items of gently worn clothing, household items, appliances, tools and furniture to the Matlacha Hookers for this event.
Donation items can be dropped off at Trader’s Hitching Post in Matlacha or Century 21 on Stringfellow Rd. during normal working hours. Donated items must be dropped off by March 22. Larger items can be dropped off on the day of the event before 8:30 a.m.
Please call Sonya at 458-8757.