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‘Pandora’s Box’ opened at GIBA meeting

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE      The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority announced at its quarterly board meeting on Wednesday, April 20 that it would be implementing a trial exception period for overweight trucks, which brought about a debate one board member likened to “opening Pandora’s box.” Several local businesses were represented at the meeting, including […]

Come celebrate Lighthouse Day this Saturday

■ STAFF REPORT      Visitors to Gasparilla Island State Park will have the rare opportunity to tour the lamp room at the top of the Historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse on April 16. The Barrier Island Parks Society and Florida Park Service invite everyone to come celebrate Florida Lighthouse Day from 10 a.m. to […]

Range Light update: Donations up to $725,000, but still a long way to go

■ STAFF REPORT      Larry Hannah, chair of the Gasparilla Island Light fundraising effort, reported that donations have reached $725,000 in cash and pledges. That’s still well short of the project budget of $1.783 million but within reach of the minimum $1.2 million deemed necessary to begin significant phases of restoration during the summer […]

GIBA discusses updates, special requests at engineering meeting

■ STAFF REPORT Construction status updates, vibration analysis reports and a special request were on the agenda for The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Engineering Committee meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 in the Bridge Authority conference room. A request from Wagner Trucking to drive a metal track vehicle over the causeway was discussed as well, […]

Clinic events raise more than $350,000

■ STAFF REPORT       The Boca Grande Health Clinic had an exciting two days last week, as their annual fundraising festivities began with a quarterly meeting on Thursday, April 7 (see page 20 for that story) and ended with the Hank Wright Golf Tournament on Friday, April 8. A new and exciting event was […]

Residents observe GICIA Preserve at public meeting

■ BY SUE ERWIN      Committee Chair Bayne Stevenson of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association unveiled a large reproduction illustrating the envisioned GICIA Preserve at a public meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 at the property, located at Gasparilla Road and the Boca Grande Causeway. He thanked the crowd for the support […]

GIBA says ‘thank you’ for another great season

Letter to the Editor; Like the tides on the beaches of Boca Grande, seasonal vehicles come and go with both predictability and occasional extraordinary highs. Each new seasonal tide provides us with good customers and a continually refreshed community. The statistics these last six months* confirm that Boca Grande has experienced new record highs, like […]

PROFILE: Jim Benson

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE & JIM BENSON Jim Benson may be a young man, but his passion for life and his work ethic run deep. That’s not to say he’s a guy who can’t have a good time – he definitely can – but he has proven to be one of the most up-and-coming real […]

Bike Florida to bring 500 cyclists to Boca Grande on April 14

■ BY SUE ERWIN      Approximately 500 cyclists will be spinning down Gasparilla Road on Thursday, April 14. But don’t be alarmed – precautions have been well planned out, and the event shouldn’t have much effect on the island. Bike Florida is organizing its first tour of Florida’s Gulf Coast Region, and for the […]