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Scarpa’s Coastal coming soon! Old Theatre Building to come back to life

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Boca Grande is abuzz with talk of the new restaurant that will tentatively be opening around May 1 in the Old Theatre Building, where PJ’s Seagrille used to be located. “We are super excited about this, and we hope everyone else is, too,” said Ashley Scarpa, co-owner of the new eatery that […]

Mercabo eco-restoration continues, tours offered to the public

■ SUBMITTED BY GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) is pleased to announce that the State permits for the Mercabo Cove Project have been issued. This project, which will transform the basin area of the Mercabo Preserve into a marine sanctuary, will provide long-term benefits, including improved water quality, enhanced fish and bird […]

The light has been relit!

Last Saturday evening, February 9, 2019, the Barrier Island Parks Society had a celebration to officially relight the historic Boca Grande Rear Entrance Range Light, now officially designated the Gasparilla Island Light. The ceremony was a “thank you” to the “miracle workers” who restored this island icon, and a tribute to the 650+ donors whose […]

The 2019 Strawberry Festival: Having fun and helping others

■ BY SUSAN HANAFEE Pam Hannah’s dining room table has been covered with papers for the last several months, but it doesn’t bother her. As president of the island’s United Methodist Women, Pam understands that a little clutter – along with a lot of volunteers – is necessary to pull off a successful 2019 Strawberry Festival. […]

Profile: Jack Carley

■ BY SUE ERWIN After graduating from college in 1962, Jack Carley had almost a year before entering officer candidate school, so he decided to drive to California to do some sightseeing and a little political networking. He had just turned 21 that summer, and some very important things happened on that trip. But let’s go […]

A picture speaks a thousand words …

To the Editor: I had the opportunity to stop by the Smart Studios on Boca Grande last week to view their “Nature Protests” art exhibit in an effort to increase environmental awareness of what is impacting our beaches in Southwest Florida. Several local artists used a mixture of watercolor, oils, multi-media collages and photographs to […]

Alice Gorman to speak at the library about her novel – Valeria Vose

■ BY SUE ERWIN It started out as a memoir in the 1990s. Alice Gorman began to chronicle her life. More than two decades later, Gorman published her first novel, “Valeria Vose.” “I sent the manuscript to an editor who had been one of my fiction teachers, and asked if he thought it was worth publishing,” […]

The Boca Grande Woman’s Club Dog Show is back!

■ STAFF REPORT Get ready for more hilarity and fun as the Boca Grande Woman’s Club Dog Show comes to the stage for it’s biannual return. On Saturday, March 16 at 10 a.m. at the Boca Grande Community Center, the Boca Grande canine community will have its day as dogs will compete in breed classes, […]

Next ‘History Bytes’ event planned for Feb. 13

■ BY SUE ERWIN History Bytes, sponsored by the Boca Grande Historical Society and U.S. Trust, will be held again on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. in the Johann Fust Library Loggia. Hank Hendry is a sixth-generation Floridian. His great-great-grandfather Francis Asbury Hendry first visited Fort Myers in 1853 as a scout for the Army […]