To the Editor: The Fifth Street Beach Access on Boca Grande has been closed as a safety precaution because Hurricane Idalia eroded the beach and washed away the access ramp. The Beach Access points north and south of Fifth Street remain open. Visit leeparks.org for more details. Residents and visitors are reminded that Gasparilla State […]
Two pieces up on new tower … work will begin again next week (Cover photo by Bob Melvin) Joe Steele and Luke Boultonhouse have become very acquainted with our regional airports. They are two of the representatives from T Steele Construction, Inc., a telecom construction company out of Rock Island, Illinois, who have been working […]
Volunteers gathered on Gasparilla’s beaches for the annual International Coastal Beach Clean Up, held across the world, and on island, on Saturday, Sept. 16.
“We even had a couple of walk-ons,” said Susan Heyl, one of the volunteers for the day. A volunteer from sponsoring group Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), she was working the 7th Street beach cleanup site with Danielle Domke of Grande Escapes, another one of the sponsors of the day.
The Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will hold their annual fall golf tournament to raise money for scholarships at an off-island venue.The tournament will be held at Wellen Park Golf and Country Club, a new 18-hole course in the new planned town of Wellen Park, off of River Road in Venice. […]
Local experts on seacoast ecology are leading state efforts to reconcile scheduled beach replenishment and the environment at the second Florida Resilience Conference, set for Sept. 27-29 in Fort Lauderdale. The conference brings together local, national and international experts to address issues with Florida’s beaches and waterways.
One of the lead speakers is Michael Poff, a Lee County professional engineer. His work includes getting the Federal Emergency Management Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and dozens of other parties to sign off on regularly scheduled Lee County beach rebuilding efforts and at the same time, repair the damage from Hurricane Ian.
“They all have to agree on everything,” said Poff, who is who is president of Coastal Engineering Consultants. “It’s one less disturbance to the environment.”
FIVE YEARS AGO It’s been five years since we lost Mark Futch. TEN YEARS AGO The Barrier Island Parks Society was one step closer to owning the Range Light as the Department of Defense signed off. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO One week after Hurricane Ike, islanders were starting to take notice of some serious beach deficits. […]
Annie Elizabeth Oakley Parsons, 84, went to be with the Lord Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Annie was born to Cary and Mildred Oakley on July 10, 1939, in Dora, Alabama. Due to her ever-loving and devoted parents, she enjoyed an amazing childhood growing up in the countryside in Gorgas, Alabama. She earned bachelor’s degrees in […]
There is a personality “type” the psychology professionals call “The Caregiver” or “The Consul.” People of this sort tend to be outgoing, loyal, organized, and tender-hearted. They gain energy from interacting with other people, according to the “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide,” used by many folks who study such things.
These caregivers are typically described as “outgoing and gregarious.” They have a way of encouraging other people to be their best. In Boca Grande, one of the best examples of this type of person is Richard Malcolm. Richard has not only made his life reflect these characteristics, but makes a living at it, as well.
Richard – not Rich or Rick or Ricky – lives in Englewood, but has been a fixture on Gasparilla Island since the early 1990s. He started out working in the restaurant industry, working as a waiter, bartender, busboy … whatever was needed. His first gig was at Uncle Henry’s, where he recalls an incident that may have started him on the road to being a professional “helper.”
The case of the property at 161/181 Gilchrist Avenue went before the Lee County Hearing Examiner on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with a full house in the audience and two attorneys giving their sides of the story.
Donna Marie Collins, Esq. heard Attorney Megan Strayhorn, representing the property owners, gave her presentation first. She outlined the facts of the April meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board and explained that while the COA in front of the board was to approve the building of a home and several accessory buildings on the two-strap property, controversy about the Whispering Bench took precedent over the matter at hand.
With a projected expenditure amount of around $300,000, the Island EOC Emergency Communications and Interoperability Working Group gratefully accepted a $75,000 contribution from the Boca Grande Woman’s Club this week. Others who have contributed so far are the Boca Grande Disaster Relief Fund ($50,000) and $1,500 from Boca Grande Charities (for 10 Btech radios for BGFD volunteers).