Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – If you’re one of the many whose world has been turned upside down by the quarantine, and you’re trying to take phone calls with a child on one hip and a barking dog in your ear … just be glad you’re not doing those things while trying to help people maintain their […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY DALY WALKER, MD – I recently talked with a young doctor who is working at the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States. The father of three small children, he is an associate professor in Columbia University’s School of Medicine. He is a Johns Hopkins trained urologist and robotic surgeon, but now […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
STAFF REPORT – Island food barrels were picked up earlier this month and stored for the season, but not to worry – they will be back next season. Jane Caple, one of the coordinators of the food bank program on Gasparilla Island, said she wanted to give Jim Benson kudos for allowing them to store […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
Letter to Editor, As a follow up to last week’s letter from Sue Sligar, “What a blessing it is to live here,” I want to thank and commend Ashley Scarpa and her Super Scarpa Seamstresses. Ashley and her team have been working hard, making face masks for this community. The Scarpa’s Coastal dining room has […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
BY CHIEF C.W. BLOSSER, BOCA GRANDE FIRE DEPARTMENT – On Monday April 6 the Boca Grande Fire Department building and apparatus were decontaminated in an effort to keep the building and the Firefighters healthy. The Department in response to COVID-19 has stepped up our cleaning and decontamination procedures as well as focusing on prohibiting anyone […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – In the time of social distancing, the island has now taken to YouTube to unveil hidden talents. Entertainment is now virtual, and you can find it all on Spark Boca Grande TV. The YouTube channel was born from inspiration at the beginning of April. Erica Ress Martin created the program to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – With increasing Coronavirus cases in the U.S., officials are recommending mask wearing when in public or at work. Essential workers have boosted safety precautions and it is encouraged that those at home should do the same. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using a cloth face covering as opposed […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Nina Rodale Houghton, a former Boca Grande resident who made a tremendous impact on our island, passed away on March 15, 2020. Nina was born on November 13, 1937, and raised in Allentown, Pa. She was the daughter of Anna Andrews and Jerome Irving Rodale, a publisher (Rodale Press), editor, author, playwright, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – As the Florida Department of Health and private labs are able to provide more and more tests for Florida residents, numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases are exploding. As of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, there were 7,773 cases confirmed, with one of the highest 24-hour jumps reported – 819 new cases […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – The first week of virtual schooling for The Island School and the Charlotte County School System is in the books. While it was a little more like herding cats than teaching kids (or more like teaching a herd of cats to walk on their hind legs, as far as the elementary school […]