Columns
Island Health: Are you lonely? If so, you’re not alone.
September 6, 2024
BY THE BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC
Loneliness is more common than you might think and touches many lives. According to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, America is facing an “epidemic of lonel…
EcoWatch: Are wind turbines a threat to wildlife?
August 29, 2024
“The lessons here are that wind power is not environmentally friendly, it is not cost-effective, and even if it were, its intermittent, weather-dependent generation isn’t particularly practical. It’…
Pace slows, no new crawls in 2024 season: Boca Grande Turtle Patrol
August 29, 2024
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY
With no new crawls this past week, it is almost certain that we have seen the end of the nesting phase of the 2024 season. After a certain number of consecutive d…
Rip currents are by far the biggest beach hazard
August 29, 2024
BY DR. JOHN FLETEMEYER
You would think that the TV weather reporter, being the professional that they report to be, would know the difference between a rip current and rip tide, but often they do…
EcoWatch: Let’s look at the other side of wind turbines
August 22, 2024
“Industrial-scale wind turbines can cause significant harm to the environment, wildlife, and people. The wind’s low-power density means massive materials and land/sea area requirements, along with h…
What to do if you encounter baby turtles: Boca Grande Turtle Patrol
August 22, 2024
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY
Even though Debby disrupted most of the incubating nests on the island, many of those that survived her onslaught are going about their business as usual. As of S…
History: A primer on the school buildings of Boca Grande
August 22, 2024
BY KIM KYLE
From 1893 to 1908 there was a school located on 4th Street in a frame building. The building may have also been used as a church. The first school on Gasparilla at the north end of th…
Debby and Manatee and Sarasota water quality
August 22, 2024
Florida experiences sewage spills by local government facilities after every significant rain event, such as Tropical Storm Debby. Over six million gallons of untreated sewage were dumped as Debby p…
EcoWatch: It’s time again for armchair activists to get active
August 16, 2024
“We can sit back, do nothing, and watch our planet be destroyed. Or we can take action, become advocates, and start making lifestyle choices that are kind to people and the planet.”
Kira Simpson…
Turtle Patrol: 235 of 313 nests gone after Debby, could have been worse
August 15, 2024
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY
On August 4 and 5, Debby was “only” a tropical storm when she scooted up the gulf more than 100 miles to our west; as we know, she became a Category 1 hurricane b…