Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT This Saturday, Sept. 21, join with your friends and neighbors and help clean-up the island. This year’s clean-up is sponsored by Gasparilla Vacations and Gulf Coast International Properties, who have partnered with “Keep Lee County Beautiful” and the Ocean Conservancy. Many have signed up to volunteer, including the Friends of the Boca […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWINEvan Merritt has been coming to Little Gasparilla Island since he was a baby. His parents would come here on the weekends and for several weeks each summer. “We used to rent places in Englewood and on Little Gasparilla Island and that’s when I first started making contacts in Boca Grande,” Evan said.His […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN There’s a new author in town, and he happens to be a first grader at The Island School. Hampton Boney had a dream last year that he caught a 500-pound tarpon, breaking the record for the biggest fish ever caught of that species. His vivid memories from that dream inspired him to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Local seasonal resident Lucile Turner James passed away peacefully at home here on the island on August 16th, 2019 after a 4-1/2 year battle with metastatic lung cancer. Lucile was born on October 9, 1951 in Lynchburg, Va. She is survived by her mother, Ann E. White of Boca Grande; husband of 43 years, David […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Last Friday, Aug. 8, Lee County Code Enforcement began an earnest attempt to clean up some of the complaints about businesses that were left lingering on the books in the Boca Grande Historic District. So far, all complaints have been closed – with the exception of one against The Loose Caboose […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: The phrase, “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs,” was originally intended to describe a heavy downpour of rain. Right now, however, in addition to the rainy season, Suncoast Humane Society is experiencing a heavy downpour of cat and dog admissions. Suncoast Humane Society currently has nearly 150 canines and felines waiting for new […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Mary Mazyck spent almost four years in Ecuador serving with the Peace Corps before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, where she spent a year riding horses for a living. “I wanted to experience a new adventure while doing something good in the world,” Mary said. While in Ecuador, she mostly taught […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Mary Ann Wade, 87, of Fort Myers passed away on July 12, 2019. She was born to George and Inez Wilhelm on October 31, 1931 in Boca Grande. Mary Ann was married to her beloved husband Carl C. Wade for 34 Years before his passing. Mary Ann was a graduate of Fort Myers High School. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: The Florida Retail Federation (FRF), the state’s premier trade association celebrating more than 80 years of supporting Florida’s retailers, is encouraging consumers and retailers to prepare for the upcoming Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. This popular annual “holiday” takes place August 2-6. During this time, consumers will not have to pay sales tax […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: The 2019 spiny lobster season opens with the two-day recreational mini-season July 24 and 25, followed by the regular commercial and recreational lobster season, which starts Aug. 6 and runs through March 31, 2020. “Spiny lobster season is an exciting time of year to be on the water,” said Florida Fish and […]