Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- Work will soon begin on a new parish hall for the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, as the project was approved unanimously by the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 10. After a short introduction by Father Jerome Carosella, a slideshow presentation was given by […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- Prior to 2020, many local kids (and their parents) looked forward to the beginning of summer camp, which is held at the Boca Grande Community Center and usually starts the week after school ends. This year, though, things are different. It’s not as simple to drop your child off with a kiss […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
STAFF REPORT- Gasparilla Island Water Association, Inc. (GIWA) will be temporarily changing the disinfection process for its Placida and Boca Grande potable (drinking water) water supply. From June 15 at 8 a.m. through July 27, GIWA will disinfect the water with free chlorine rather than combined chlorine/ammonia (chloramines). This conversion to chlorine (which is a […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON- It’s the first time in a while people in Boca Grande are considering attending an event involving a considerable portion of the community. Glass Bottom Rentals on Boca Grande is holding ‘Paddle for Peace,’ an afternoon to paddle out across the waters that border Gasparilla. Amid consistent protesting nationwide, the upcoming ocean […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
One of the strangest plants of Southwest Florida, the night blooming cereus, is a member of the cactus family that resembles nothing more than a dead bush most of the year. It is rarely seen in the wild because of its inconspicuousness. But for one midsummer’s night each year, its flower opens as night falls, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- Without our history, it’s difficult to remember where we came from. These words of wisdom have been repeated quite often as of late, but they take on a new meaning when pertaining to the island. Gasparilla Island has changed so much, it’s difficult to picture what it used to be like. A […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
SUBMITTED BY THE SUNCOAST HUMANE SOCIETY– During worrisome and unknown times, Suncoast Humane Society had to make many quick decisions. On April 1st, an urgent plea was made to our community to help foster dogs, cats and rabbits by providing safe, loving homes before the statewide Stay-at-Home order went into effect. Our wonderful community showed […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor, and to the community of Boca Grande: When we were faced with the reality of distance learning with nine weeks left in the school year, The Island School’s teachers, staff, students, and families had to adapt quickly to a new way of teaching and learning. Although we adjusted to our online “classrooms” […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
George “Ashley” Gray, 48, of Venice, Florida, passed on May 27, 2020, as a result of a motorcycle accident near Woodsboro, Maryland. Born on June 7, 1971 in Washington, DC, he was the son to Mason W. Gray IV and the late Hannah Tyson Lee Sharp Gray. Along with his father, Ashley leaves behind his […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
Life imitates art, but cartoonists draw what they see… BY OLIVIA CAMERON-Page five always comes with a splash of color, talking sharks, a peg-leg captain, tourist shenanigans or all of the above. Life imitates art in Tim Banfell’s comic strips. Cartoonist Tim may be known for his classic comics in our own newspaper, but some […]