■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE This past Saturday was the traditional Halloween Carnival, an event that island kids have treasured for almost 40 years. It was ra...

Be ready to face challenges to GICIA
To the Editor: Susan Hanafee has done our island a great favor by researching and describing for us the tortured history of the Gasparilla Island Act....

Historical Society thanks supporters of new archival research area
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Historical Society sincerely thanks the Boca Grande Woman’s Club and Mark Spurgeon of Boca Grande Real Estate for their...

Disaster planning for residents with pets
■ SUBMITTED BY CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER Residents with pets face additional tasks when preparing for a disaster. All Charlotte Cou...

Never forget that Texas could have been us
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE This week many of us watched in horror as Hurricane Harvey turned into a nasty houseguest who wouldn’t leave and left thousands of...

Letter to the Editor: Many thanks to Dr. Jeff for all of his turtle work
To the Editor: As his time on our island winds down, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association wishes to extend a generous thank you to Dr. Jeff Humbarge...

Mote Marine launches new online game: ‘Who wants to be a Sea Star?’
■ PROVIDED BY MOTE MARINE Do you love trivia? Mote Marine Laboratory recently launched a new online game called “Who Wants to be a Sea Star?” on mote....

Hey FWC, are you in it for the wildlife or are you in it for the profit?
■BY MARCY SHORTUSE – I’m sure most of you have heard social media mutterings regarding those kids from Manatee County who have appeared in multi...

Many thanks to all who helped restore the Range Light
To the Editor: Having been a founding member of the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), president of BIPS for a lot of years “back in the day,” and d...

Do we need more signage at our southern beach access points?
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE The time has come to start a new discussion on more specific signage at our southern beach access points. The two stories on the f...