A beached manatee, later found to be safe, was the highlight of a Boca Grande visit for Columbus, Ohio resident Heather Gilligan on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
“This morning my original plan of going to Key Largo was canceled,” said Gillian. “So I just felt led by God to come out here.”
She had heard about Gasparilla Island from a friend, Lucy, who had been here in March.
“She finds the coolest places to go,” said Gilligan. “She just said it was really beautiful, really peaceful, and one of the safest places she had ever been.”
The magazine Coastal Living has “discovered” a new secret island, Gasparilla.
The new fall edition of the magazine put Gasparilla on its front cover with the caption “Florida’s Secret Island. The Old-School Charm of Gasparilla.” Boca Grande, however, did not make the actual cover photo; that honor was reserved for the Reethi Rah resort in the Maldives.
Writer Tracey Minkin cited the “affinity for blue-blood Northeasterners” as an island that grew with a “sporting forward generation” that discovered “wily, hard-fighting tarpon.” Dressing is described as where “Salt Life criss-crosses with dressing for dinner.”
If you’ve been seeing a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) truck out on the Boca Grande Causeway lately, it’s because it’s prime season for iguana hunting.
While the Lee County portion of the island uses trapper George Cera, who has been on the job for about 16 years, the Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) takes care of the iguana issue in the Charlotte County part of the island. They hired the USDA about 10 years ago.
As cash deals continue, the Lee and Charlotte County regions slightly lag the rest of the state in July real estate statistics, according to information released this week from the Florida Board of Realtors and local boards.
Statewide, existing single-family houses sales were down 6.4 percent year-over-year, to 22,198, while existing condo-townhouse sales were down 9.4 percent, to 8,463.
For Lee County and the Cape Coral Fort Myers area, closed sales were down 5.3 percent to 1,106, comparing July to July. Closed sales in the county so far for all of 2023 were down 14.6 percent, to 8,431. The median sales price in that metro area was $434,980, down just 1.1 percent for the year so far.
Daniel Martinez has found himself a home at the Boca Grande Fire Department. He’s only been here since June, but he envisions himself retiring from this department one day. Since he is 24, that means he will be here a long time.
“I’ve lived in the area pretty much my whole life,” Daniel said. “I was born in Hollywood (Florida) and moved over here when I was about five, to Rotonda West. Basically, every time I wanted to do something fun, I would come to Boca Grande. I’ve lived so close to the island, I was out here a lot as a kid. My prom was out here. I used to do the Turkey Hoop Shoot whenever I could. I ran the 5K out here sometimes. So the island’s always been a part of my life.”
He has discovered a new depth to the community since joining the fire department, though.
The next Lee County Parks & Recreation Boca Grande Youth Fishing Tournament is scheduled for September 16, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Boca Grande North Fishing Pier, on the road just south of Kappy’s Market. All kids 13 and under are welcome to this catch-and-release-only tournament. Bait will be provided – no lures allowed. […]
After a disaster, when first responders aren’t able to communicate with each other and the public cannot communicate with them, there’s a feeling of hopelessness and anxiety that in this technological day and age we seldom feel. In part, that is why one island organization – the Boca Grande Disaster Relief Fund – has stepped up to make an initial donation of $50,000 to an island committee in charge of purchasing and implementing a new emergency operations/communications system that will be vital to our island.
There is hope that other island organizations will donate as well to help the committee reach their goal, which is a fluid number at this time – somewhere around $270,000.
The need for this type of technology became apparent after Hurricanes Irma and Ian, as Irma created a situation in which communications and cell phone failure took place sporadically up and down the Gulf Coast. Ian was worse, obviously. Not only did the island lose its cell tower, but also there was the realization that this one lone tower was serving us for just about the entire signal we had. If a tower goes down on the mainland, one might get a signal here and there – sometimes even a clear one – by repositioning and triangulation of other cell phone towers in the area, but we do not have that luxury here.
Last Saturday, the island officially hit 101 degrees, after a week of highs around 97 or 98. The “feels like” temps were, at times, around 118 degrees.
Through this heatwave and others, some places in Boca Grande still rely upon, and prize, the extra cooling potential of the humble A/C window unit.
On a hot afternoon at Gasparilla Adventures, Sam Fletcher (aka ‘Socks in Crocs’) and Brittani Salmon are still cheery when helping customers renting golf carts and bikes. Their not so secret weapon? A GE brand window unit, blasting out cool air next to the cash register. A second upstairs window unit, which keeps the second floor cool enough for Snow Mizer, had other benefits in this month’s heat and humidity.
This generational pilot boat captain has crossed the bar Capt. Robert W. Johnson passed away on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at his family home, the historic Quarantine House. Robert was born on November 27, 1938 to Carey and Carrie Johnson on the south end of Boca Grande. Robert graduated from Boca Grande High School in […]
