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PROFILE: Byron Maxwell

Sustaining state parks for four generations…BY OLIVIA CAMERON – Visitors from across the nation come to Boca Grande to dip their toes in the gulf, trek a park path and watch the sun dip under a blanket of blue. Our go-to activities are made possible by the upkeep of the local parks.  With years of […]

Bad weekend weather makes for many fire calls

STAFF REPORT- Labor Day weekend weather was temperamental, including some major storms, which led to several fire calls. On Saturday, Nov. 5 the Boca Grande Fire Department received a call of a watercraft in distress in local waters, as a storm came up quickly and they were taking on water. 

The horse doorbell: Another piece of island history

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Just a week ago, master metalsmith Alex Klahm was back on Gasparilla Island with another restoration project, this time at a residence on First Street. Klahm is a trusted lighthouse restorer, known for his work on the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse restoration project and 34 other lighthouses across the country. He had just […]

PROFILE: Nick Gassman

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Some people come to Gasparilla Island for its renowned beaches, to reminisce on the Olde Florida feel or to sip on cocktails inspired by ocean puns. No matter where people are visiting the island from, we all frequent the same store in the heart of this small town. Nick Gassman works at […]

Obituary: Janice M. Carleton

Janice M. Carleton (Watts) 84, loving wife of James R. Carleton Sr. passed away peacefully in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, at Knox Center for Long-Term Care in Rockland, Maine.

PROFILE: Chas Madden

Fishing on the fly… BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Chas Madden has fond memories of spending a portion of his childhood on the island. Even before he can remember, Chas was brought from his home in Orlando to Boca Grande to fish and spend time out at sea. His parents, Charlie and Carolyn, appreciated the simplicity of […]

Spend a day in a park ranger’s boots

One man explains what it’s like to work our state park system BY OLIVIA CAMERON- A workday in the sweltering heat is a breeze to Gasparilla Island Beach State Park Ranger Joseph Berger, who remembers the days scraping ice off his windshield in Cincinnati. However, daily operations have taken on a new meaning for Berger in […]