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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sok Nam Park

From Korea to a Boca Grande garden An interesting life is rarely a carefree life. It is in overcoming obstacles that much of the fulfilling and exciting twists and turns of life take place. Sok Nam Park, a resident of Boca Bay, has lived that kind of life, and believes the happiness she has come […]

Patchwork of Policies: How Florida beach towns manage public access

BY MARCY SHORTUSE With a considerable population increase in Florida in the last five years, more and more Florida beach towns are being forced to consider what their options are as far as parking for their “destination” locations, specifically beaches and the more tourist-driven areas. It’s difficult to compare the situation in Boca Grande – […]

Irrigation overuse results in low island water pressure

Irrigation overuse last weekend resulted in a low pressure for water across the island. “We had about 30 percent chance of running out of water,” said Ron Bolton, executive director of Gasparilla Island Water Association. Bolton made individual calls to larger water clients who use irrigation. Because of this, water pressure had to be turned […]

Fund for replacement deputy house now at about $190,000

Fundraising continues for a new house for a sheriff’s deputy house on Gasparilla Island. This week, over $55,000 came in, with a total of approximately $190,000 raised so far. Last week, $76,000 was raised. “We are making good progress,” said Larry Hannah, one of the members of the Boca Grande Disaster Fund who is working […]

Advanced water treatment begins on island

The Gasparilla Island Water Association now has its advanced water treatment up and running. “We turned on yesterday,” said GIWA Executive Director Ron Bolton. “We sent the ‘mixed liquor’ over.” The utility started the switch at 10 a.m. Wednesday, when the pipes were switched over. By 6 p.m., the utility was sending high quality reclaimed […]

Health Clinic breaks ground for Clinic of the Future

With the ceremonial turning of dirt, the Boca Grande Health Clinic has officially launched the construction of a new facility designed to better serve the Island’s healthcare needs – today and well into the future. The Clinic of the Future project is being developed in two phases to allow care to continue uninterrupted during construction. […]

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse reopens after hurricane closure

The Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS) will reopen the historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum at Gasparilla Island State Park on Monday, May 5 after nearly eight months of closure due to hurricane damage.  Nestled at the southern tip of Gasparilla Island, the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, originally built in 1890, has withstood the […]

Birds, paragliders fighting for shore leave

Charlotte County environmental specialists have posted a bird nesting area at the north end of Gasparilla Island in front of Island Court, but numbers have been unusually low due to human disruption. Susie Derheimer, coastal environmental specialist for Charlotte County Community Services, has observed one adult least tern on a nest and five other individuals […]