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The Spadaro family returns to Boca Grande …

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.

Joseph Spadaro came to Boca Grande in the 1920s. On Sunday, March 26, 2023, his great niece, Celeste Markle, came to the Boca Grande History Center to learn more about him. Her brother Bill Perta who lives in Vermont had called a few weeks earlier looking for information about his great uncle. Since Celeste was visiting from New Haven, Connecticut with a friend in Venice, Bill gave her the information that the History Center had created three notebooks about Spadaro and the Boca Grande Hotel he’d built and opened in 1929.  

Commissioners to approve donation from Boca Grande Disaster Fund for Wheeler Road Community Park Improvements 

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.

If passed it will award competitively solicited contracts to American Facility Services, Inc., At Your Service Cleaning Group, Inc., and United States Service Industries, Inc. for custodial services in Lee County Central Zone, on an as-needed basis for an initial three-year period with an option to renew the contracts up to an additional three years. 

History Bytes: The Boca Grande Hotel, post mortem

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community History, News.

There was a rivalry between The Gasparilla Inn and the Boca Grande Hotel for some time. They tended to attract much of the same clientele, but there were differences. It is said that Spadaro decided to invest in Boca Grande when he and his wife were excluded from the Inn’s dining room because of the way they were dressed, even though they had the financial wherewithal to pay for anything they wanted.

The Grande Chorus wants you

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Entertainment, News.

We all think it’s Grande that singers that you have enjoyed watching sing solos in Royal Palm Players’ shows like Alice Court and James Martin are singing with you. A few seats away are the people who take part in the annual Christmas tree lighting like Nancy Garraghan, Jeff Lehrian and Oakley Johnson. They are sitting next to people like Ken Anderson (name has been changed to protect to innocent) who you’ve witnessed being glared at by his wife as he sings loudly in the audience when an All That Jazz concert is going on. Everyone is welcome.

Boca Grande Hope For Haitians campaign starts strong with 12 homes 

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.

Submitted by Food for the Poor The challenges in Haiti continue to mount, but Boca Grande Hope For Haitians is standing firm in its drive to provide 40 more homes for vulnerable families living in extreme poverty in Périgny. Led by longtime Food For The Poor donors Ben and Louise Scott, Boca Grande Hope For […]

Island daughter talks about how it was growing up in Boca Grande in second ‘History Bytes’ of the series

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community History.

Julie Jean is the manager of Barnichol Hardware, located in the heart of Boca Grande. She is also the daughter of Captain Jimmy and Marjie Robertson and grew up in Boca Grande … and on the water surrounding it. The stories of her life with her beloved family allowed the audience to relive some of their own childhood memories.  

Kids Classic tournament handed over from Boca Grande Charities to Chamber of Commerce

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.

When Capt. Sandy Melvin, Bill Klettke and Michael Vaughn founded the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic more than a decade ago, it was with one objective in mind – to create a fast-paced, action-packed fishing tournament for kids, while teaching them about the value of helping others. Kids helping kids. That was what it was all […]