Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
BY CHIEF C.W. BLOSSER, BOCA GRANDE FIRE DEPARTMENT – On Monday April 6 the Boca Grande Fire Department building and apparatus were decontaminated in an effort to keep the building and the Firefighters healthy. The Department in response to COVID-19 has stepped up our cleaning and decontamination procedures as well as focusing on prohibiting anyone […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – A majority of our island churches have plans for Holy Weekend services, albeit online, while the 30-day stay at home request stretches on. St. Andrews Episcopal church has gotten used to creating pre-recorded videos from multiple locations in Boca Grande. Reverend Michelle Robertshaw enjoys filming from familiar spots around town. “Just […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
Born in New York City at the height of the deadly Spanish Influenza on Sept. 24, 1918, Frank Edward Marra succumbed to complications of COVID-19 on April 5, 2020, in White Plains at the age of 101. The son of the late Arthur and Mary Marra, Frank resided for most of his long life in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – In a move that surprised many, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 2020-91, the “Safer at Home” Order, on Wednesday, which means that all people in the state of Florida at this time should “limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
STAFF REPORT – The Boca Grande Woman’s Club announced today it will establish a $250,000 Emergency Relief Fund to provide immediate relief for the economic hardships incurred due to the shuttering of businesses and all economic and social activity in order to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. “Funds will be available to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Nina Rodale Houghton, a former Boca Grande resident who made a tremendous impact on our island, passed away on March 15, 2020. Nina was born on November 13, 1937, and raised in Allentown, Pa. She was the daughter of Anna Andrews and Jerome Irving Rodale, a publisher (Rodale Press), editor, author, playwright, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – As the Florida Department of Health and private labs are able to provide more and more tests for Florida residents, numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases are exploding. As of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, there were 7,773 cases confirmed, with one of the highest 24-hour jumps reported – 819 new cases […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Executive Order 20-91, Section 3 “Essential Activities states: “For purposes of this Order and the conduct it limits, “essential activities” means and encompasses the following: Attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and houses of worship; and participating in recreational activities (consistent with social distancing guidelines) such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running, or […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – Francis ‘Skip’ Branin has dedicated his work to preserving financial stability within the community of Boca Grande. His skillset has allowed him to monitor the funding for island organizations. Before he was ever wintering on Gasparilla Island, Skip grew up in Cranbury, New Jersey, and now spends summers at the “Jersey […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
Helen Thrash Fraser passed away at home on March 20, 2020. She was born in 1930 to Dorothy Louise King and Charles Wilson Thrash. Helen had one brother, Charles Wilson Thrash, Jr. – deceased. She suffered with emphysema, COPD, and congestive heart failure. Helen took her Southern twang, grace, wit, beauty and talents with her. […]