Week of Wednesday, May 17, 2023 ■ Page 4
OPINIONS
Congratulations to the Class of ’23 10700 Stringfellow Road, Ste. 60 Bokeelia, FL 33922 Phone: (239) 283-2022 Fax: (239) 283-0232 Web: pineisland-eagle.com Publisher Raymond M. Eckenrode reckenrode@breezenewspapers.com Executive Editor Valarie Harring vharring@breezenewspapers.com
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As the 2022-2023 school year in Lee County comes to an end, great things have been accomplished by our newest kindergarten students to our graduating seniors. When COVID hit in 2020-2021 and then returned in 2021-2022, everyone rallied together to ensure that we addressed the educational needs of our students. It seemed like this year students, teachers, support staff, and administrators would be able to return to normal, but then Ian hit! It has been a year of both challenges and achievements for the district. The challenges saw many students and staff faced with the loss of their homes and possessions and most schools damaged and unusable. Two schools, Hector Cafferata Elementary and Fort Myers Beach Elementary, were destroyed. Many teachers lost everything in their classrooms, and students had their school year instruction delayed for a month. With graduation ceremonies coming up this month to celebrate and highlight the Class of 2023, I am amazed by the accomplishments of this group. There is no way to list them all, but here is a sampling: THE ARTS: Cypress Lake High senior Kristen Noble won the Contemporary A Cappella Society for Best Original Song by a Scholastic Group, TAG. There were many outstanding presentations throughout the year in all the arts: Theater, Drama, Film, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts.
Web Poll Previous Web Poll Question: What do you think of the state legislation banning most abortions past 6 weeks? ■ I support it. 33% ■ I think the 15-week ban is sufficient. 11% ■ Abortion should be legal. 50% ■ Abortion should be illegal. 6%
Current Web Poll Question: Do you support islanders’ attempts to stop the removal of the Chiquita Lock? ■ Yes. ■ No. ■ A more environmentally safe solution is needed. Share your opinion at pineisland-eagle.com
Guest Commentary
Letters to the Editor
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SPORTS: The district offers offer either International Baccastudents many athletic opportulaureate (IB), Cambridge Adnities to compete. The followvanced International Certifiing are the 2023 State Chamcate of Education (AICE), Adpions: vance Placement (AP), Honors Luke Buzzelli / Ida Baker / Programs, and Dual EnrollBoys Weightlifting ment. Approximately twoReef Gingell / Fort Myers / thirds of high school students Boys Weightlifting are enrolled in at least one Kassidy Emerick / Mariner / Advanced Studies Course. Girls Weightlifting There are 5,484 students particEliana Cook / Riverdale / ipating in Gifted Programs, and Girls Weightlifting 12,823 students receiving Julia Knowler / Fort Myers / Special Education Services. Armor Persons Girls Weightlifting The Class of 2023 has Jillian Jacobs / Fort Myers / earned more than 50 Million Girls Weightlifting dollars in scholarships to attend Max Brady / Mariner / colleges, universities, and techWrestling nical centers across the United Christopher Minto / States. Job well done! Wrestling I would like to thank all our school staff, CAREER & TECH EDUCATION: The faculty, and administrators for adapting to the district had the second most graduates in challenges of this year. The Board appreciFlorida with Industry Certifications in 2022. ates all your hard work, early mornings, and This year, 2023 is on pace to equal or exceed late nights. Thanks also go to our parents, stuit. Courses are offered in all High Schools dents, and community for their support with 40,000 students participating. Some of through another unprecedented year. the many courses offered are: Agriculture, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE Architecture, Construction, A/V Technology, CLASS OF 2023! We are proud of you. To Business, Education, Engineering, Finance, all, have a safe and wonderful summer, and Health, Hospitality, Law, Manufacturing, we look forward to next year. Marketing, Safety, and Security. ADVANCED STUDIES / GIFTED / Armor Persons is the chair of the Lee SPECIAL ED: All the District High Schools County School Board. He represents District 5.
Chiquita Lock kills manatees; city’s ‘mitigation plan’ questionable To the editor: Mr. Costello recently wrote that the City of Cape Coral and hundreds of residents would like the Chiquita Lock removed to save the manatees and are willing to make accommodations to “ensure” minimal environmental impact and maybe even benefit. I would like to respond, point by point, as a trained soil scientist, part-time boater and lifelong skeptic. 1. Manatees are killed/crushed in the lock. Ten manatees killed in the lock in 23 years doesn’t seem like a huge number. Manatees are also killed by boaters. I witnessed a boat speeding through the back bay of Matlacha last year and it suddenly became airborne after colliding with an underwater object on the edge of the channel. A manatee carcass was found a couple weeks later near the site. I would be interested in reading the necropsy reports before blaming the lock for the deaths. 2.The answer is not a “Manatee Protection
System.” This statement needs to be balanced against manatee density in the Glades County locks area. If the manatee population is 2-3 times higher than the Cape Coral area, the protection seems to be working at reducing mortality. 3. Those who oppose taking out the lock say they are for the environment, but apparently don’t care about the manatee. The manatee is just one part of the marine environment. Sea grass is an important forage for the manatee. Anecdotal evidence suggests the sea grass quality and quantity has been degraded in the Matlacha Pass since the removal of the Ceitus Lock. Perhaps the manatees are using the locks to commit suicide because they are starving ?? Mr. Costello goes on to list the projects proposed by Cape Coral to ameliorate the predicted consequences of the lock removal. 1. The replacement of storm water catch basins which drain to the waterway. How does replacing the catch basins change the course of the water leaving in pipes from the catch basin? The catch basins
We want your opinion The views expressed on the Opinions pages are just that — opinions. These pages are intended to convey a range of viewpoints; opinions printed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Opposing views are welcome. Letters to the Editor or guest columns may be mailed to: Pine Island Eagle, 10700 Stringfellow Road, Ste. 60, Bokeelia, FL 33922; e-mailed to pineisland@ breezenewspapers.com; posted to our Virtual Newsroom at www.breezenewspapers.com or faxed to 283-0232. All letters and guest columns must be signed and must contain a phone number for verification purposes. You also can comment on any letter or editorial opinion online at: pineisland-eagle.com
are 50 + years old, they are going to need replacing as a matter of course. 2. The replacement of the storm water management system associated with the dog park at Rotary Park. Really, What’s going on at the dog park? I’m told by friends, who use that park, that the owners pick up their dog’s poo. No poo, no nutrients going into the water. Besides, dog poo has organic matter that holds the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) for a slower plant useable release, unlike the mineral fertilizer everyone likes to spread on their lawns along with the “bonus” weed or bug control. 3. Contributions to the study of the endangered smalltooth sawfish. How much? Fifty dollars, maybe a C-note? How generous is Cape Coral with Ol Mother Nature and the people who want to protect her? Put it in writing! 4. Implementation of an aquatic vegetation removal program. Why? Maybe the manatees are eating that vegetation because they can’t get enough sea grass. There’s the outside chance it would go away if y’all would convert to native plants in your yards instead of wasting water, chemicals and mineral fertilizer on non-native species which contributes to canal water pollution and subsequently marine life degradation. 5. The planting of 3,000 mangrove seedlings and installing oyster reef balls. So the city is going to plant seedlings in the water along the seawall? Are they going to tend them and replace what may sicken and die? Hurricane Ian took out a couple of oyster reefs in Matlacha Pass, is Cape Coral going to See LETTERS, page 11