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Park Avenue reno given ‘ok’ by Historic Preservation Board

■ BY SUE ERWIN There was just one item on the agenda at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Society monthly meeting held on Wednesday, May 9, and the Board approved it unanimously. Many know it as “the house with the blue gate,” but the Historic Preservation Board called it 220 Park Avenue when it granted […]

Attorneys on both sides of Three Sisters suit agree to extension, toll

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Attorneys representing all sides of the ongoing “Path to Three Sisters” court case have agreed to cool things down for a time. In a court document filed in Lee County Circuit Court on Tuesday, May 8, Attorneys Jenna Persons (representing Boca Grande Isles homeowner Chad Pike), Mark Trank (representing Lee County) […]

Island LEO beat: Bug in ear leads to possession charge of more than 20 grams, Gulf Boulevard cash theft reported

■ STAFF REPORT An island man was arrested last week after Lee County deputies found him in possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and paraphernalia, as well as a weapon and ammunition. According to Lee County Sheriff’s Office reports, Peter Brownell O’Brien, 37, with a last known address of 800 E. Railroad Ave., […]

Fishing families take the stage, islanders in front of the camera and behind in ‘Mullet and Mangroves’

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – On Thursday, May 3 a new documentary on barrier island life had its debut on local television stations, and it featured several familiar faces and places. But don’t worry – if you missed it, then you will get a chance to see it again. “Mullet and Mangroves: The Pioneer Fishing Families of […]

Obituary: Dean L. Beckstead

Laurier Donald Dean Beckstead, 74, passed away peacefully at his Palm Island home in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 25, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 18, 1943 and raised in Emerson, Manitoba, Canada. His family was part of the Beckstead family that pioneered the Canadian movement west, […]

A pioneering Florida family: The Albrittons

BY TIMMY SPAIN The man in this photo was a true Florida Cracker. Aaron Robert Albritton was his name, but everybody called him Twister. I guess he couldn’t afford a horse, so he trained that steer to haul him around the woods. Those woods are in Hardee, Manatee and Desoto counties. He was born in […]

Profile: Josh Freeman

BY SUE ERWIN – Josh Freeman was born and raised in Boca Grande. He started working at PJ’s Seagrille as a busboy when he was 14 years old. Since then, he’s learned just about everything there is to know about the restaurant business. “I worked my way up and have done just about every position in this […]

Recreational and commercial trap fishery workshops scheduled for May; your input needed

To the Editor: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) needs your input on the recreational and commercial stone crab and blue crab fisheries and the commercial spiny lobster trap fishery. Share your feedback on potential regulation changes for this fishery. The FWC is hosting public workshops throughout the state in May to develop […]