Plexiglass has gotten a lot more use in the last two years than ever before thanks to COVID, but now you see more and more of it being discarded. Local artist Gail Cleveland found some pieces that were headed to the dump and took advantage of a true artistic – and recyclable – moment. Using an old art form with a new twist, she is painting with acrylic on the polymer sheets … and saving the universe and the environment a little bit of grief as well.
The Strawberry Festival silent auction won’t be a quiet one for the winning bidder “syndicate” of a dinner for 24 that features the music of the local Grande Bande and a fabulous view of the Gulf of Mexico. The fun-filled evening is one of 12 special items offered at the festival on Saturday March 5 at the Boca Grande Community Center grounds.
BY BRET KUEBER, MDBOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC Back in 2009 a study was completed on the people who lived on Ikaria Island off the coast of Greece. It was known that people lived longer there than on the mainland, and researchers wanted to find out why. There are some lessons in this study, especially with […]
Eleanor Aherne was the wife of the stage and movie actor, Brian Aherne. Kelli remembers movie posters from Brian’s movies on the walls of the house and a sign on one of the bedroom doors that said “We don’t rent to thespians,” proving that Brian like Eleanor had a sense of humor. Kelli has also seen a photo of the couple in bed where Eleanor has a lampshade on her head. While Brian died before Kelli met Eleanor, she has heard that he was very British and formal but that the couple held hands as they walked in Boca Grande.
Now scheduled for Thursday, March 3 from 1 to 5 p.m., the Art and Architecture Home Tour is Boca Grande Art Center’s ever-popular fundraiser. It’s a fabulous opportunity to tour six Boca Grande homes and is one of the highlights of the Boca Grande season.
The festival also will feature a special area for children that will include progressive storytelling, strawberry balloon sculptures, mural painting, carnival games, a cupcake challenge and balloon volleyball. Donated toys and games will be for sale in a separate area near the children’s activities and will include doll houses, stuffed animals, books, puzzles, bikes, Wii, baby equipment, sand toys, among others.
That’s how the Kate Leigh Mother-Daughter Resort Wear line was born.
“This line is inspired by our love for this island and our passion for raising funds for breast cancer. I have always believed that you should follow your heart and dream big. Kate and I have reached for the stars and took a leap of faith to follow our dream of creating our very own mother-daughter resort wear line. Our collection is made with love and manufactured in our very own U.S.A.”
Kate Leigh is a brand that celebrates women and girls, but especially mothers and daughters.
“Working on the development of this brand and custom prints allows the legacy of my late mother, whose nickname with close friends and family was ‘Penny,’ to shine through and make all of us feel magical.”
Born and raised in Connecticut, later moving to Berwyn, Pennsylvania with her husband Dan, Sharon learned how to play tennis at the local YMCA, where she taught aerobics classes.
“I started playing tennis when I was 27. I worked at the local YMCA, so I got free babysitting for my children. They came with me because they were zero and two years old at the time. I also got free classes, so I got to take tennis. I had never picked up a racket, but I thought it would be kind of fun. I fell in love with the game.”
Sharon met her husband, Dan, at Denison University in Ohio. After graduation, they traveled through Europe.
“When we came back, we said whoever gets a job first, the other will move to that area. Dan found a job in Berwyn, so I moved here, and we’ve been there ever since.
“My son Charlie works for a catering company in Orlando, and he loves it,” she said. “My daughter Laine works in Manhattan, but due to the pandemic, she decided to stop paying rent because she could never go to her job. Now she’s a nomad, spending a few weeks in Boston and here in Boca Grande. She says that it’s been the best thing ever for her. She was paying so much money in rent, and now she can live anywhere.”
“This is an issue where we can’t tell if this property is contributing or non-contributing,” said Hahn. “And as we looked at the history, although we originally placed it as a contributing property, it was listed as a non-contributing property. When it was nominated into the national register, and it was all under one person’s ownership, it was listed as part of a complex. The building is considered part of the historic district. We think that based on the evidence provided here, the building should be considered contributing.”
By Dr. Raymond James, Boca Grande Health Clinic If you’re looking to have a long, productive life, there’s a lot to be learned from the lifestyle choices made by people in the world’s “Blue Zones” – places where people live the longest and are healthiest. These “secrets to longevity” were discussed in the January 25 […]
