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Obituary: Eliot N. Vestner

Eliot N. Vestner Jr. passed away on July 10, 2020 in Boca Grande, following a two-year battle with sarcoma. He is survived by his wife Louisa; two children, Alice-Lee Vestner and Charles F. Vestner; two step-sons, Donald F. Cutler IV and Q.A .Shaw Cutler; and five granddaughters. Just three months before passing, Eliot published “Ragtime […]

Obituary: Robert ‘Bobby’ Sullivan

Former Boca Grande resident Bobby Sullivan, 83, died July 13, 2020 after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.   At his request a service in his honor was held at the Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, Florida 32311 on Tuesday, July 21 at 11 a.m.

PROFILE: Kerri Jacobs

Behind the strong woman are three boys cheering her on… BY OLIVIA CAMERON-As a mother of three boys and a co-owner of an eye-catching new café, Kerri Jacobs barely has enough time to stop and smell the coffee. However, her integrity has taken her further than she envisioned. Kerri was born and raised right here […]

Remembering Bobby Sullivan…

STAFF REPORT- A son of Boca Grande – Bobby Sullivan – passed away on Monday, July 13. He will be missed by many.  “Bobby and I graduated together from Boca Grande High School, we were teammates on the 1955 high school basketball team,” said his lifelong friend, Babe Darna. “He was one of the hardest working people […]

Spark plans in the works

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- When diving into the thoughts of local Spark Boca Grande founder and CEO Erica Ress Martin, there’s much planning to be done in spite of the all-encompassing pandemic.  “I currently have a two-track system,” said Martin, referring to the two ways she would like to take the Island’s path of at-home entertainment. […]

Lee County surpasses recycling rate, becomes one of three counties in Florida to meet goal of 75 percent

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Lee County established an 80 percent recycling rate in 2019, 5 percent higher than the original goal set for 2020. And now Lee County’s recycling participation has increased from the previous recorded rate of 77 percent. The County has recycled approximately 1.8 million tons of the 2.27 million tons of recycled material […]

Renourishment project required equipment staging in Harbor

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- For months, the sight of a barge has interrupted the endless ocean view from the south end of Boca Grande. Since February, a pile of equipment has been an unexplained puzzle to locals.  Many island organizations were unsure of its sudden placement, but local fishermen have spent enough time on the water […]

Obituary: Mary Whiteside

Mary Charlotte Herrington Whiteside, age 90, passed away suddenly on March 8, 2020 due to complications of the Covid-19 virus pandemic in Kirkland, Washington. Unfortunately, she was in a rehabilitation facility recovering from surgery, almost ready to be discharged, when symptoms of the virus came on, as one of the early cases, and was transferred […]

PROFILE: Donna Larson

For Donna, the destination is determined by the journey… BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Combing the shoreline of Gasparilla Island, local Turtle Patroller Donna Larson dedicates six months each year to protecting our hatchlings. Born into a southern lifestyle, Donna hardly considers Troy, Michigan her hometown. During her early childhood, she learned to get her hands dirty […]