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Profile: Boo Thayer Gemes

■ BY SUE ERWIN After 27 years of working in the fashion industry on 7th Avenue in New York City, Boo Thayer Gemes perceived a void in the market for stylish and affordable separates, so she created a collection of clothing that appeals to women of all ages. “I design clothes for real people, clothes that […]

Obituary: Leonard Mathew Saari

Leonard Mathew Saari of Riverside, CT, and Boca Grande, FL, died as a result of a sudden stroke on October 19. 2019, at Greenwich Hospital.  He was born in Los Angeles, CA, on January 19, 1938, to Mathew A. Saari, originally from Raahe, Finland, and Esther E. Saari, originally from Tampere, Finland. Raised in Baltimore, […]

Red tide update

In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to very low concentrations in and/or offshore of Pinellas County, background to high concentrations in Sarasota County, low to high concentrations in Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in and/or offshore of Lee County, and background to high concentrations in and/or offshore […]

Veterans, heroism and whistleblowing

■ BY MARY BESSWe need to understand the spark of divinity within human beings who put their lives at risk to benefit others. Of particular interest are those who commit acts of heroism for which they will not be honored and may even be vilified, despised and ostracized. Especially on Veterans Day,  helicopter reconnaissance pilot Hugh […]

Mercabo Cove restoration set for March of 2020

■ SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association has announced that the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection permits, both of which are necessary for the construction of the Mercabo Cove Project, have been issued. “This gives us the green light to schedule the official groundbreaking […]

GIWA announces water facility update, sewer line rehabilitation

■ BY BONNIE PRINGLE, GASPARILLA ISLAND WATER ASSOCIATION The Gasparilla Island Water Association is wrapping up Phases I and II of our much-needed wastewater treatment facility rehabilitation on The Gasparilla Inn golf course. To minimize the impact on golfers, our lease with The Inn allows construction of the new facilities between May 1 and November […]

Garden Club presents Lolo Weir Memorial Buddy Bench to The Island School

■ BY CATHERINE S. BALLMAN Anyone who knew Lolo Weir knew she was a lot of fun. This made Lolo, who died December 21, 2017, the spark- plug for many island activities, including the Boca Grande Garden Club. For many years she designed and created the floral table pieces that highlighted the Club’s monthly teas. […]

Flying monkeys do exist: an afternoon well spent with bats

■ BY SUE ERWIN While a tiny evening bat sat nestled in the front pocket of her jacket, Shari Blissett Clark gave a 90-minute presentation about Florida bats at the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 25. Clark is president of the Florida Bat Conservancy. She’s dedicated the past four decades of her life […]

The bats of Boca Grande

■ BY SUE ERWIN A colony of evening bats surprisingly became nightly entertainment in September for Susan Hanafee and Ian Rogerson at their home in Seawatch at the north end of the island. Each night at dusk, they’d watch from their second-story balcony as the little creatures took flight to find their twilight feast of […]

Mosquito control treatment times have changed

■ BY SUE ERWIN The Lee County Mosquito Control District held its regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17 in Lehigh Acres. According to LCMCD’s Public Information Director Eric Jackson, the major part of the meeting included approving the budget for the purchase of fuel and insecticides for the upcoming year. Other items on the agenda […]