Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
Here’s a look at the newest timeline provided by Steele Construction, Inc. as to when the tower might be up. Now that the bakery is gone things should move quickly, but this schedule is an optimist’s look at what could happen … if everything goes right.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
Sue Sligar stood watching the Bakery Building come down on Monday, Aug. 28 with mixed feelings. As the new owner of the building (or the space, we should say) she was grateful it would no longer be a hazard to The Barnichol Hardware Store and the general public. But one of the apartments above the bakery had been her home for several years, and she lost just about everything when the tower collapsed on it during Hurricane Ian.
“I lost everything, materially … all of it,” she said. “But in the face of losing it all, I became fearless. What else did I have to lose?”
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
The Gasparilla Island Water Association (GIWA) is investigating why wastewater output flowing through the system during Idalia was so excessive that they had to shut down some lift systems to allow the new treatment facility to keep up with the demand. Ron Bolton, GIWA’s executive director, said the normal range is 200 gallons per hour. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) adopted a 2024 budget of $3,827,064 at their Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 quarterly meeting, which also included drainage issues, salary and investments.
Board Chairman Ginger Watkins began the meeting by moving up a public comment from a customer regarding the expiration of her toll account funds. Non-agenda public comment is traditionally at the end of the meeting. After the comment, Watkins reminded that all 7,700 accounts and customers are treated exactly the same, and thanked the customer for coming. (Toll passes expire after one year.)
Executive Director Kathy Banson presented members with updated traffic and revenue figures for the first nine months of the 2023 fiscal year. Toll revenue was down by comparison with last year by 3 percent for discount passes and 12 percent in cash nondiscounted tolls. Overall traffic was down by 5 percent. Bridge openings were down 21 percent.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Mostly forgotten 1970s teen idol Leif Garrett is reputed to have told Justin Beiber not to believe his own publicity, as every “chicken hawk wants a piece of you.”
That might be an apt warning for the nation’s newest media travel darling destination, Boca Grande, which seems to have an endless supply of effusive travel writers highlighting the island in the last few months.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
A new housing development has sprung up near SR 776 and Gulfstream Blvd., just west of the Home Depot. It is a temporary solution to continued housing problems for people in the area, due to Hurricane Ian.
The approximately 40 single wide mobile homes have been put in place and people have been moving in over the last two weeks. Only 18 families have been placed there so far, but according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson, grass is beginning to replace bare dirt, and personal household items are visible on the small porches by the front doorways.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
The Boca Grande zip code 33921 is one of the top 50 highest-valued real estate zip codes in the U.S., according to new data from Zillow that measured typical home value, akin to a median value.
At 46th on the list, Boca Grande ranks just ahead of resort towns like Aspen’s 81611 at $2,848549, the Hamptons’ Quogue zip 11959 at $2,765,902 and Apple headquarters zip 95014 in Cupertino, Calif, which is 56th on the list, and had an average house value of $2,616,572.
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
John Gaffney has never had a job he didn’t love. The one he has now is no exception. John collects tolls at the Boca Grande Swing Bridge.
“Being a police officer will always be my favorite job,” John admitted, “but this job at the bridge is a job where I get to enjoy it and not worry as much. I can go to work and just have fun. I get to talk to the people and it’s not stressful. The job is great.”