Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, Opinion.
To the Editor: As Yogi Berra once said about Coney Island, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” Are we going to turn Gasparilla Island into Coney Island? How many cars do we have to have before it’s too crowded? 500, 1,000, 5,000, more? Are we supposed to take every square foot of our beautiful […]
Written by VAN HUBBARD on . Posted in Columns, Featured News, Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
Tarpon season is in full swing. The Ladies Day tarpon tournament was successful despite windy weather. Capt. Frank Davis aboard the Native guided his sister-in-law to two silver kings and a first place win for their team. Ten tarpon were released. Boca Grande Pass live bait fishing has been productive with good catching in fair […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Family Tradition takes first place in the Quarantine Queens Classic, the island’s answer to the Ladies’ Day Tarpon Tournament when Covid gets in the way. TEN YEARS AGO The Island School was busy wrapping up their school year with several activities, including the talent show and the Mother’s Day Tea which was […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL,BGSTA SECRETARY The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) is back out patrolling the beaches of Gasparilla Island for sea turtle nesting activity, and we didn’t have long to wait for some action. The nesting season began on Thursday, May 1st and not only were the volunteers eager to get the season going, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Ruane chairs Tourism Development Council The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau and Lee County Parks & Recreation have partnered to give local residents and visitors new ways to kick off summer fun and win great prizes. Parks, Points & Perks is a new program to encourage exploration of area parks, beaches, preserves, recreation centers, […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Almost 500 parking spaces lost to unpermitted gardening At the parking community meeting on Tuesday, May 13, Lee County Commissioner David Mulicka presented several large maps prepared by county staff that broke down public street parking in Boca Grande. The maps, entitled Boca Grande Parking Review, show in detail every street and part of the […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum opened May 5, after, what they generously called, eight months of “stormy setbacks.” The re-opening was a celebration, as Linda Edic, the wife of the late historian Bob Edic, was there to sign copies of her husband’s history, “Fisherfolk of Charlotte Harbor.” The opening came after Lighthouse Day […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The 2025 Grande Tradition honorees were the late Freddy Futch and Capt. Wayne Joiner. Freddy Futch was local fishing guide and grew up at Gasparilla Village, north end of island. He was born in 1933 to parents Rayford “Sug” Futch and Pearl Lowe Futch and died in 2018. Wayne Joiner is one of the owners […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Emily Wheeler, owner of Aqua Boutique and Boca Grande Trading Company, is ranked third in the world for three different types of Spartan races. Throughout this year she will be racing for another world title in December. Last Saturday, May 10, Wheeler competed in a Spartan race at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stadium, placing third […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Tuesday, May 13, over 200 community members gathered in the Lighthouse United Methodist Church to discuss parking regulations. Lee County Commissioners David Mulicka, Cecil Pendergrass and Brian Hamman were in attendance. The meeting, which was moderated by Larry Hannah, began with Peter Soderberg telling the group that the churches and the residents on Gilchrist Avenue […]