Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Chef Richard Gordon has been cooking up delectable dishes at Fusion for the past two years, and that’s a result of decades of experience dating back to when he was a teenager. “My first job was as a dishwasher when I was 15,” he said. “And since then, I’ve done just about […]
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■ BY SUE ERWIN This year’s Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament was an extra-special one, with 41 boats releasing 33 tarpon and $22,960 in prize money given to three winning teams. The artwork to commemorate Ladies Day was very special as well. Created by artist Brendan Coudal, the rendering portrays […]
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■ BY SUE ERWIN Persistent and adventurous is a perfect description for Capt. Parker O’Bannon. He is a sixth-generation Floridian born in Fort Myers and raised in Boca Grande. He is an only child, and he follows in the footsteps of 100 years of notable O’Bannon guides spanning four generations, who have hunted and fished all over […]
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■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Lee County Planning approached the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 8 with three projects on the agenda, but one stood out as a point of contention and spurred conversation that lasted well over an hour. Coincidentally, it was also one of the first home […]
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■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE The fish tank is still there. The general look is the same, and the phone number is, too. The sign came down last week for PJ’s Seagrille, Scarpa’s Coastal sign went up, and a new dining opportunity has come to fruition. If you called Scarpa’s Coastal Restaurant on Wednesday afternoon, the […]
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■ BY SUE ERWIN Tricia Heaton describes herself as a needlepointing, party throwing, traveling bookworm. An eternal optimist who sees beauty in everything, she almost always has a camera in hand. Both her paternal grandmother and her mother were needlepointers, and she enthusiastically learned to stitch by the time she was six. “As a teenager I […]
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■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE The artwork for the 2019 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament hit the streets last week, and it still has people tearing up a little bit. According to Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Wesley Locke, artist Kelly Reark put a lot into this one. The artwork features the boats that won […]
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Janet Johnson has one of the most scenic views she has ever had from a desk job. Her current position with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as administrative assistant at Gasparilla Island State Park affords her a spot that overlooks the beach, lighthouse and Boca Grande Pass. Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Janet moved to west Tennessee […]
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BY SUSAN ERWIN – Becky Hunt is passionate about pursuing her goals in life, and that diligent trait has clearly been passed along to her daughter, Evie, who has been The Island School reporter for the Boca Beacon since last fall. Becky was born in Clermont, Florida, a town just west of Orlando. “My parents […]
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■ BY SUE ERWIN Boca Grande Health Clinic CEO Hilja Bilodeau announced at the annual meeting held on Thursday, April 11 at the Boca Grande Community Center that the Clinic had the highest recorded volume of visitors in its history. And the Clinic needs more space – which is the reason they are planning to […]