Former Eagle editor recalls years on Pine Island
(Editor’s note: With the Pine Island Eagle marking its 50th anniversary this year, Meghan Bradbury looks back at her time as editor of the Eagle)
To the editor:
Although it’s been more than a decade since I was the editor of the Pine Island Eagle, the memories have not faded. I was quickly welcomed to the Pine Island community, as I was considered an “outsider,” for living in Cape Coral.
With that said, the fondest memories stem from all the benefits, fundraisers and events that this island held, always for a cause, helping one another out. When I left the paper to go on my next adventure in Tennessee, the goodbye from the community was heartfelt at Little Lilly’s Island Deli – a spot that I frequented for a quick lunch multiple times a week where I was always greeted with an amazing smile from Robin.
The Matlacha Bridge project – an $18 million project that began on Oct. 11, 2010 – was one of the bigger stories I covered. The project was a replacement bridge and provided 50 feet of horizontal and nine feet of vertical clearance for boats when closed and was four feet wider than the one before.
Another big story was the fire that took place at the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce in 2022, which completely destroyed the building. The fire, which began at 3:02 on a Friday morning, was put out in less than an hour, was determined to be arson by the State Fire Marshall. The outpouring of support was instant of those who offered a helping hand, so the chamber could continue to operate.
The story that I still find myself sharing to this day was the release of a bald eagle on Castile Road in St. James City. Once the eagle got her bearings after leaving the carrier, she took flight to a tree branch where she perched. The sound of those wings flapping up and down is a sound I will never forget due to the pure strength and beauty.
Residents of Clyde Street experienced ospreys attacking the female bald eagle in 2011. The rescue of the eagle was very exciting to say the least, as she went from a roof top, to trying to land on a piling of a deck, before landing in a canal where it had to be rescued. Phil Buchanan, a CROW volunteer, was able to deliver the eagle, so it could get the help it needed for its left wing at the animal hospital.
The time I spent working at the Pine Island Eagle are among my favorite years as a reporter. The people of Pine Island love their community newspaper, many stopping by the day it was delivered to grab their copy, which was what kept me immersed in the community as much as possible, so I could capture what was happening in their backyard.
Meghan (McCoy) Bradbury
Cape Coral