Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN A group of heroic residents stepped up over the weekend to remove the piles of dead fish from island beaches. A huge “thank you” goes out to Braxton Bowen and his family, and the Combrink family, and many other anonymous helpers, for working in 95-degree weather elbow-deep in dead fish without […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
John Dean Compton of North Port, Fla. passed away June 25, 2018 surrounded by his family. He died of natural causes after a short period of declining health. John was born March 20, 1930 to John E and Verdilla Compton in Menominee, Michigan. He graduated from Menominee High School, where he excelled in football, swimming […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■BY MARCY SHORTUSE When Amira Fox turns onto the Boca Grande Causeway, she feels a sense of relief come over her that is well earned. She is the chief assistant state attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, which serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties, and her office heard more than 62,000 cases last […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The 2018 4th of July Bike Parade that has made the island famous will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4. That means be at PJ’s Seagrille side parking area (between the Old Theatre Building and Englewood Bank & Trust) by at least 9:50 a.m. to get a primo spot […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
From Friday, June 29 to Monday, July 2 residents can use the dumpster that will be located at the west end of 7th Street in Boca Grande, Gulf side, to dispose of fish carcasses related to the presence of red tide. Plastic bags and latex gloves can be picked up outside the Parks & Recreation […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Hype on social media and on local television news channels continues regarding our red tide bloom, and it’s easy to see why. It’s been a few years since we had a fish kill of this magnitude, particularly in combination with the death of larger fish and aquatic mammals. In the last […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Coughing and sneezing due to red tide is annoying enough … but as dead fish piled up on island beaches this week, the stench in the air certainly added to the unpleasantness. One thing is for sure, you have the beaches pretty much to yourself now. Boca Grande continues to be […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT At the quarterly meeting of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority held on Wednesday, June 27, it was discussed that Boca Grande North is petitioning Charlotte County to change the name of the roadway from Boca Grande Causeway to Gasparilla Road. A member of the Boca Grande North Homeowner’s Association suggested the idea, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN So far this season, there are far fewer sea turtle nests on Gasparilla Island when compared to last year. The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 281 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests on the island. There were 352 on June 23, 2017. No Chelonia mydas (green) turtle nests have been discovered […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT You’re invited to partner in the fifth annual Sarasota Lionfish Derby, hosted by Mote Marine Laboratory, in cooperation with Reef Environmental Education Foundation. This year’s event will be based at Mote, with a Captain’s Meeting June 6, lionfish hunting July 7 in the Gulf of Mexico – tournament boundaries are defined as […]