Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Brian Darna remembers going fishing with his uncle, Capt. Babe Darna, many times when he was a teenager. He specifically recalls catching a 132-pound tarpon that took him more than 30 minutes to bring to the boat. “We used to come down in the summer and my dad would bring us […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY KATHY BANSON-VERRICO The swing bridge and two other bridges sustained no damage during the storm. We re-installed the protective traffic gate arms, performed a successful test opening, and the swing bridge opened to boat traffic on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 a.m. No opening requests have been made as of press time on […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Would you believe we have been dealing with Irma in our daily lives since Monday, Sept. 4? That was the day, at about 9:20 a.m. when we first received word that this particular hurricane might affect our island. The spaghetti models were aimed at Southwest Florida, and people were urged to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE You will have to forgive me this week as far as the content of the paper goes, our office has had no way to put out a newspaper this week. We have no power, no phones, no internet. This paper was created in my home in South Gulf Cove, put on […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Boca Grande Fire Chief C.W. Blosser addressed a very crowded room on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. Each person in attendance was a piece in the Emergency Operations Center puzzle for our island, and Blosser briefed them regarding plans for our particular community. As of that meeting, tropical storm winds […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Members of the Lighthouse United Methodist Church of Boca Grande set a challenge for the congregation to collect items and put together flood buckets and hygiene kits for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Pastor Matthew Williams spoke about the challenge at the service last Sunday, and church members stepped […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Kelly Emery is a great person to know when you need to cool down, especially during the steamy days of September in Southwest Florida. Kelly is the change-out coordinator at Grande Aire in Boca Grande. If your air conditioning unit breaks and you call for help, your name and paperwork will most likely […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
■ SUBMITTED BY CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER Residents with pets face additional tasks when preparing for a disaster. All Charlotte County shelters accept pets except the special needs shelters. Pet owners are encouraged to prepare ahead of time, should there be a need to evacuate for a possible disaster. Pet-friendly shelters provide a safer […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUSAN HANAFEE Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles about the forces that have shaped development in Boca Grande and on Gasparilla Island. It’s a scene from the early 1980s that islander Sue Shaffer will never forget: Creighton Sherman climbing to the top of the Silver King complex with […]