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Saying good-bye to the old Boca Grande Swing

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE On Friday, Feb. 12 the last piece of steel was removed from the old swing bridge, and with it a significant piece of Gasparilla Island’s history turned into lore. According to Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Executive Director Kathy Banson-Verrico they will still be breaking up concrete, taking out pilings and taking […]

Growing up in Boca Grande in days gone by: History Bytes ‘Our bikes didn’t need brakes, because there were no cars around to stop for’

■ BY SUE ERWIN Rick Montgomery and Loretta Tucker-Atha spoke to a crowd at the Johann Fust Library on Wednesday morning about their childhood memories of growing up in Boca Grande in the late 1960s through the early 1990s. The event was part of the 2016 History Bytes series. The Montgomery family lived above The […]

Ocean CREST Alliance hosts conservation fundraiser on Palm Island

BY SUE ERWIN – Ocean CREST Alliance teamed up with Palm Island Resort last Friday, Feb. 5 to hold a fundraiser to benefit five ocean conservation organizations. The “Your Life, Your Legacy, Adopt an MPA” banquet was held Friday at the resort on Palm Island. An “MPA” is a marine protected area that is clearly defined, […]

EDITORIAL: Boca Grande’s Hope for Haitians reaches 200 homes

BY BEN SCOTT AND ANGEL ALOMA – Thirty-three families left homeless by the devastating 2010 earthquake have received homes in a new village in Gressier, Haiti. Built by Boca Grande’s Hope For Haitians Committee through the international and relief organization, Food For The Poor, the village is the committee’s fifth Friendship Village and marks the […]

Zika virus found on Gasparilla Island

BY DR. JEFFREY HUMBARGER – This is the first in an ongoing series of posts by myself regarding current medical topics. Certainly you’ve heard about Zika Virus. The CDC has issued travel warnings and the Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed that certain Florida Counties are in a state of Medical Emergency. So what’s the big deal? […]

Watkins, Major retain chair and co-chair seats on GIBA Board

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Ginger Watkins and Lee Majors retain their seats as chairman and co-chairman of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, as a vote was cast at the board’s quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The board also voted in Drew Tucker as the Audit and Finance Chairman, replacing Bill Holmberg who is moving […]

FPL land use change passed by commissioners, so what’s next?

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Developers looking into purchasing the 9.98 acres at the south end of the island, commonly known as the former FPL land, are one step closer to their goal as Lee County Commissioners recently voted to redesignate the future land use from “public facilities/port” to “urban community.” Two developers, Seagate Development Group, […]