Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
One of the strangest plants of Southwest Florida, the night blooming cereus, is a member of the cactus family that resembles nothing more than a dead bush most of the year. It is rarely seen in the wild because of its inconspicuousness. But for one midsummer’s night each year, its flower opens as night falls, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- Without our history, it’s difficult to remember where we came from. These words of wisdom have been repeated quite often as of late, but they take on a new meaning when pertaining to the island. Gasparilla Island has changed so much, it’s difficult to picture what it used to be like. A […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
SUBMITTED BY THE SUNCOAST HUMANE SOCIETY– During worrisome and unknown times, Suncoast Humane Society had to make many quick decisions. On April 1st, an urgent plea was made to our community to help foster dogs, cats and rabbits by providing safe, loving homes before the statewide Stay-at-Home order went into effect. Our wonderful community showed […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor, and to the community of Boca Grande: When we were faced with the reality of distance learning with nine weeks left in the school year, The Island School’s teachers, staff, students, and families had to adapt quickly to a new way of teaching and learning. Although we adjusted to our online “classrooms” […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor, to the citizens of Lee County and my family members at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office: I want to personally thank the residents of our great county who play a huge role helping keep the peace in our community. It saddens me to see the social unrest taking place across our nation […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
George “Ashley” Gray, 48, of Venice, Florida, passed on May 27, 2020, as a result of a motorcycle accident near Woodsboro, Maryland. Born on June 7, 1971 in Washington, DC, he was the son to Mason W. Gray IV and the late Hannah Tyson Lee Sharp Gray. Along with his father, Ashley leaves behind his […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
Life imitates art, but cartoonists draw what they see… BY OLIVIA CAMERON-Page five always comes with a splash of color, talking sharks, a peg-leg captain, tourist shenanigans or all of the above. Life imitates art in Tim Banfell’s comic strips. Cartoonist Tim may be known for his classic comics in our own newspaper, but some […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- Capt. Chuck Jenks had just dropped his tarpon fishing clients off at Pine Island on the afternoon of May 19 and was looking forward to dipping some crabs at the Boca Grande swing bridge. It was a good thing he did, too, as he ended up saving the lives of three Punta […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY BONNIE PRINGLE, GIWA- Gasparilla Island Water Association, Inc.’s 2019 Water Quality Report is now available online at mygiwa.com/2019CCR.pdf. This report is designed to inform our membership about the sources and quality of their drinking water. GIWA is pleased to report that GIWA’s water meets or exceeds all federal (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and state-established drinking water […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE- There are few woman in any first-world country who could sit at the finest table in the finest home, and casually discuss how she skinned a goat on board a cruise ship to the Galapagos Islands, or how she drank heated mare’s milk with urine to get her day started in middle […]