Janet Gillespie recalls the origin of the Bike Parade and other events at History Bytes

Gillespie arrived on the Island in December 1978 to work in management for the newly constructed Boca Grande Club. She tells this story and 25 years worth of other information at the first of this season’s Historical Society “History Bytes,” presentation at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Johann Fust Library. The Boca Grande Club had one condominium building and only pilings for the restaurant building in 1978, and Janet recalls that the town of Boca Grande except for Nabor’s gas station, Fugate’s and the Temptation was run down and boarded up.