Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE It was a very large crowd of islanders who took their seats a few minutes after 2 p.m on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the Boca Grande Community Center auditorium. As Lee County Director of Parks & Recreation Jesse Lavender called the public hearing regarding the proposed dog park on Wheeler Road to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT United States Coast Guard Capt. Robert A. “Bob” Melvin III, (deceased), father of islanders Sandy and Bob Melvin, served his country honorably in the U.S Army and the U.S. Coast Guard. He risked his life time and again over his career to help others during his service. Below is the official account […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY GIWA The Gasparilla Island Water Association had planned to begin replacing aging clay gravity sewer lines on Gasparilla Street this week, but an area of greater concern was discovered on Harbor Drive by a sewer video inspection crew last week; therefore, the Gasparilla Street project has been temporarily postponed. As is customary […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Evelyn Carter McKinney took her first breath of air in the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. She was born in 1934 in a bedroom of the circa 1890 Lighthouse that doubles as a museum of regional history. Her father, Light Keeper Osmund McKinney, served as the keeper of the establishment from 1931 to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ 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 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
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, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
Janet M. Thibodeau, 83, wife of Gerald Thibodeau, passed away peacefully, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, a the Sussman House in Rockport. Born in Camden, July 17, 1936, she attended Camden Schools. On July 3, 1954 she married Gerald Thibodeau. Together they raised six children and were married 65 years. Janet was a great cook and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Obituaries.
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 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
■ 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 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ 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 […]