Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Kelly Emery is a great person to know when you need to cool down, especially during the steamy days of September in Southwest Florida. Kelly is the change-out coordinator at Grande Aire in Boca Grande. If your air conditioning unit breaks and you call for help, your name and paperwork will most likely […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT Grab your fishing pole and tackle box and come join the family fun at our youth fishing tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Boca Grande Fishing Pier North. The event is sponsored by the Boca Beacon, Boca Grande Marina and Lee County Parks & Recreation. The […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Depending on whom you talk to around the island, we received somewhere between 13 and 16 inches of rain over a five-day period last week, with the official reading from the Gasparilla Island Water Association being 13.13 inches. Some homes along the water did have flood damage, and the Amory Chapel […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUSAN HANAFEE Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles about the forces that have shaped development in Boca Grande and on Gasparilla Island. It’s a scene from the early 1980s that islander Sue Shaffer will never forget: Creighton Sherman climbing to the top of the Silver King complex with […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Mitch Smith recalls spending the summer months of his youth at day camp at the Boca Grande Community Center. His father, Myron, worked for a cleaning business on the island for many years. His mother, Janice, worked as a teacher in Charlotte County for many years and now works for the Department of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA – It has been more than 30 years since the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) bike path was constructed and opened to the public. In that time, with the community’s generous support, GICIA has continued to beautify the 35 acres of property that creates the gateway to Boca Grande. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUSAN HANAFEE Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles about the forces that have shaped development in Boca Grande and on Gasparilla Island. As the tarpon season is getting underway in 1975, a station wagon backs into a gas pump at Millers Marina, rupturing a 5,000-gallon tank. The resulting […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT – The installation of the Boca Grande swing bridge’s new scale lane is almost complete, and it is scheduled to reopen on Monday, Aug. 28 at 5:45 a.m. The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority originally installed the truck scale in 2000. Removal of the old scale began on Monday, July 31. GIBA Executive Director […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN – Known for her smiling face and pleasant manner, Karen Kelley wears many hats at The Island School, where she has been employed since the school started back in 1999. Karen worked in the office that first school year, eventually leading her to other positions as a paraprofessional, creative arts and drama teacher, as […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
A 2002 26’ Glacier Bay boat reportedly stolen from Marina Bokeelia on July 21 has been recovered. The boat, which belongs to Capt. Jack who operates “Capt. Jack’s Boat Tours” in Bokeelia, was docked along with other tour boats behind Capt. Con’s Fish House on Main Street when the owner noticed it was gone at 5 p.m. […]