Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: At a press conference earlier this week, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium leadership provided exciting updates regarding the planned Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) at Nathan Benderson Park. Updates included sharing remastered renderings of the iconic facility, announcing a major milestone in the Oceans for All campaign in support of Mote […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
Eliot N. Vestner Jr. passed away on July 10, 2020 in Boca Grande, following a two-year battle with sarcoma. He is survived by his wife Louisa; two children, Alice-Lee Vestner and Charles F. Vestner; two step-sons, Donald F. Cutler IV and Q.A .Shaw Cutler; and five granddaughters. Just three months before passing, Eliot published “Ragtime […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
Behind the strong woman are three boys cheering her on… BY OLIVIA CAMERON-As a mother of three boys and a co-owner of an eye-catching new café, Kerri Jacobs barely has enough time to stop and smell the coffee. However, her integrity has taken her further than she envisioned. Kerri was born and raised right here […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON AND MARCY SHORTUSE- Local real estate and rentals have flourished after getting back on the market in the past few months, despite previous travel restrictions and social distancing recommendations. Don Lutz of Boca Grande Real Estate compared their rental bookings this summer to those of mid-May to July in 2019, reporting a […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Education, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- The long-awaited announcement that begins to outline how the 2020-21 Island School academic year will play out was made on Wednesday, July 15 by Head-of-School Jean Thompson, and it appears there will be more options than most parents thought. The long-awaited announcement that begins to outline how the 2020-21 Island School academic […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Entertainment.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON- When diving into the thoughts of local Spark Boca Grande founder and CEO Erica Ress Martin, there’s much planning to be done in spite of the all-encompassing pandemic. “I currently have a two-track system,” said Martin, referring to the two ways she would like to take the Island’s path of at-home entertainment. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON- For months, the sight of a barge has interrupted the endless ocean view from the south end of Boca Grande. Since February, a pile of equipment has been an unexplained puzzle to locals. Many island organizations were unsure of its sudden placement, but local fishermen have spent enough time on the water […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
Mary Charlotte Herrington Whiteside, age 90, passed away suddenly on March 8, 2020 due to complications of the Covid-19 virus pandemic in Kirkland, Washington. Unfortunately, she was in a rehabilitation facility recovering from surgery, almost ready to be discharged, when symptoms of the virus came on, as one of the early cases, and was transferred […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
For Donna, the destination is determined by the journey… BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Combing the shoreline of Gasparilla Island, local Turtle Patroller Donna Larson dedicates six months each year to protecting our hatchlings. Born into a southern lifestyle, Donna hardly considers Troy, Michigan her hometown. During her early childhood, she learned to get her hands dirty […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Education, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Local high school students who graduated this past school term were looking forward to normalcy, with plans to hold graduation ceremonies this summer. The ceremonies were postponed from their original dates to wait out the COVID-19 outbreak in the hope that they could conduct traditional but safe graduations thereafter. However, all in-person […]