Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY George Eliot, famous novelist, poet, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian Era, said that “Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” The love and adoration of pets on Gasparilla Island is testimony to Eliot’s assessment of why […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Matthew Gilmour Thompson, 83, died on September 24, 2025. Born in Richmond on June 3, 1942, to Madeline Waller and Edward Thompson, Matt is survived by Janet Herring Thompson, his wife of 64 years; sons, Matthew G. Thompson, Jr. (Nancy) and Carter P. Thompson (Chase); and a daughter, Douglas Donnan Thompson O’Keefe (Stewart). His brother, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Deborah A. Cooper-Heimann, 73, of Cape Coral passed away unexpectedly Sunday September 28, 2025. She was born in St. Louis, MO in 1951 to her parents Christopher and Rosalinda Basso. Deborah graduated from Riverview Garden High School in 1970. Deborah moved to Florida when she was 20 as a salesperson for Banana Boat. She met […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Constance Weiser Gregg (Connie) passed away on September 27, 2025, after a short illness. Born on December 3, 1929, in Williamsport, Pa., she was the daughter of F. Walter Weiser and Ruth Crowe Weiser. She graduated from Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Ill., in 1948, and spent her summers at Lauderdale Lakes in […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO A freak storm took out a big tree in the Sister’s Restaurant parking lot. Lee County Sheriff’s Office was looking for the owners of an abandoned bike. TEN YEARS AGO The Historic Preservation Board approved the renovation of 411 Palm Ave. which was being used by Native Gardens. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO The […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History, Featured News.
BY KAREN GRACE,BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER Betty and Jack Barndollar first came to Gasparilla Island in 1959, a year after the bridge had been built. Three years later, they built a house and moved to Boca Grande. In her book, “A Very Special Island,” published in 1970, Betty shares how the area changed during the […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
“All magic comes with a price, dearie” Rumpelstiltskin, a character on ABC’s Once Upon a Time On Aug. 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a white paper and supporting materials on genetically engineered mosquitoes used for pest control. These materials, according to the EPA, outline considerations for the design of these insects and propose […]
Written by John Fletemeyer on . Posted in Uncategorized.
By JOHN FLETEMEYER Key West is America’s southernmost city. Cuba is only 90 nautical miles away. It’s a city steeped in nautical history that boasts many eccentricities and oddities that are found nowhere else. One life-is-stranger-than-fiction oddity is the population of six-toed cats that roam the grounds of the late Ernest Hemingway’s home. Not surprising, […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Editorial.
The last real top 40 hit from James Taylor was a duet with J.D. Souther. The song “Her Town Too” did not reach that high on the Billboard list in 1981, but many will remember it as a lament about how the familiar sights change after a breakup. It is unclear if it was Carly […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE Since the early 1900s Boca Grande’s beach streets have been openly designated for public use. In 1925, these water access points were clearly marked on plat maps created by the railroad’s own land development company, and they were used as such for 100 years. In newspaper articles over the years it has […]