The 29th annual Hank Wright Auction to benefit the Boca Grande Health Clinic was held on Monday, Nov. 13. Over 200 guests joined in on the fun at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club and bid merrily during the live auction.
FIVE YEARS AGO We lost a legend this week five years ago, when Artie Brooks passed away. He worked all over the island in many jobs, from butler to janitor to chauffeur to helping out at the old Loons on a Limb. He was true Boca Grande, and many loved him for it. TEN YEARS […]
The Boca Grande Woman’s Club is pleased to announce the reopening of Boca Bargains on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to noon. The store will be open every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through April 27, except Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1. Donations will be accepted from 9 […]
Ronald Malcolm Peasley, 78, died peacefully, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 at 9:39 p.m., after battling lung cancer. Ronald traveled Home to Jesus Christ. Ronald was anointed, blessed, confessed his sins and received the Body of Christ on Thursday, placing his soul at peace. During his passing, Ronald was surrounded by love, the sound of his […]
The dog park at Wheeler Road Community Park, closed since June, will reopen to the public at dawn on Wednesday, Nov. 22, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The county started construction on the dog park in June 2022. The project was 90 percent complete, but the opening was delayed due to Hurricane Ian. […]
A new meeting has been scheduled for late November for Commissioner Kevin Ruane to meet with the Boca Grande Parking Panel, in order to sort out the details in the creation of a rough draft proposal to present to Lee County Commissioners regarding Gilchrist Avenue and Historic District beach access parking. Parking Panel Chair Mary O’Bannon […]
Bringing a message of love and hope, the Rt. Rev. William Mostert will be the guest preacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church this weekend on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Bishop William recently retired as Bishop of the Diocese of Christ the King in Johannesburg, South Africa. “I’m retired, but not tired,” he quipped. Traveling to […]
Trumpeter Rex Richardson, who has played with many of the greats of jazz, gave students at Lemon Bay High School lessons in music, and life, at a Friday seminar sponsored by the Punta Gorda Symphony. Richardson said that no matter what they improvise, the students should never forget the harmony and form, and “always kind […]
The meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday, Nov. 8 featured a presentation by Friends of Boca Grande regarding their proposed renovations for the Community Center, The Island School, the Teacherage, the Dishong-Bowen House and the Crowninshield Community House. They wanted to see how the Board perceived their ideas and, to their benefit, everyone on the Board seemed to have no objections at all.
Three speakers were included in the presentation – Bayne Stevenson, from the Friends of Boca Grande Board of Directors; Marta Howell, Chief Executive Director of Friends; and Jeff Mudgett, an architect from Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc. out of Fort Myers (the planners of The Island School).
Stevenson spoke first, explaining that the $11 to $12 million dollar project was strictly in the preliminary stages. Friends has sent out about 300 booklets to members of the island, to stress the importance of Louise du Pont Crowninshield’s part in the origin of the community center and the Crowninshield House. Keeping to the original vision and community use of the buildings, as well as the architecture, is vital to them, Stevenson said, as well as honoring its history.
Fire Chief C.W. Blosser and the Island EOC Emergency Communications & Interoperability Working Group would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) for its participation in the island Auxiliary Emergency Radio Communications System (AUXCOMM) project.
The GIBA Board voted to approve “a not-to-exceed amount of $60,000 for the purchase of components of the emergency communications system that will be owned and maintained by GIBA.” This will fund the entire cost of the bridge’s antenna and radio repeater installation, staff handheld radios and extensive training.