Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Boca Grande Community Center’s summer camp enjoyed visits from Monty the banded water snake and Charlotte the curly-haired tarantula! TEN YEARS AGO The Gasparilla Inn & Club made Travel & Leisure magazine’s world’s best list of Florida resort hotels. The demolition of the Old Mercabo Conference Center was well underway. FIFTEEN YEARS […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
“The takeaway lesson from the study is that many bites can be prevented if humans are aware of their surroundings and minimize risky behavior such as walking small pets near bodies of water or swimming where alligators are present.” Frank Mazzotti, University of Florida researcher Living or visiting beautiful Florida has always been a great […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
Boca Grande’s Bob and Mary Ridge have been entered into Variety’s America’s Favorite Couple competition. This competition brings together couples from any stage of life to compete for a full spread in Variety Magazine, as well as $20,000 and a dinner date in the Hollywood Hills with actor Jeff Goldblum and his wife Emilie. The […]
Written by Arlene Hall on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BOCA GRANDE SEA TURTLE ASSOC. On June 26, Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) turtle patrollers documented the 400th sea turtle nest of the 2026 nesting season. Coincidentally, on the very same day, the first nest hatched! Over 100 hatchlings came out of the sand overnight and made the mad dash to […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate, Sports & Outdoors.
Centennial Fishing Pier located at 14021 Gasparilla Road in Placida will be closed for repair work starting July 13. The pier is anticipated to reopen on July 27. The pier closing is on Coral Creek, to the north of Gasparilla Road. Both the Boca Grande Fishing Pier on Gasparilla Island and Placida Fishing Pier are […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
Above, the July/August Gasparilla Magazine cover image captured by H Wetzel in Key West in 2023. The new Gasparilla Magazine is out for July/August 2026. Inside are a bevy of stories in one of Florida’s award-winning magazines. The lead story is “Summer in Paradise,” a guide to resort deals across Florida. As things slow down […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, Featured News, News.
The Boca Grande Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade is set for Saturday morning. The event is an annual July 4th tradition on the island. There are no entry fees, and you just need to line up around 8:30 a.m. at the Scarpa’s Coastal parking lot at 321 Park Ave. The lineup will leave at […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, News, Real Estate.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will consider two items at its upcoming meeting next week on July 8, including raising the parsonage on the First Baptist Church of Boca Grande campus to protect it from flooding and removing the historic designation from a house at 1000 10th Street West. The item relating to First […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
As the 2026 election season approaches, Gasparilla Island residents will have several local races on their ballots, including three seats on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. There are two upcoming elections in Florida: the Aug. 18 primary election and the Nov. 3 general election. The November election will include federal, state and local […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
On Sunday, a two-year-old almost drowned near the Range Light. The call came in at 12:41 p.m. on June 28. “We had another near drowning,” said C.W. Blosser, Boca Grande Fire Department chief. The call described a two-year-old; it is unclear what caused the child to lose consciousness. The child, reported to be a boy, […]