Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: If you lived in Boca Grande and fished or flew, you knew Mark Futch. I had the good fortune to be his neighbor when he and his family lived at the end of Tarpon Avenue near our house on Waterways at the end of Lee Avenue. I saw Mark on a regular […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN At a public hearing on Tuesday, September 25, Charlotte County Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance to adopt a small-scale plan amendment to the development of the Fishery property, located at 13000 Fishery Rd. The “Village & Marina at Boca Grande” project, spearheaded by real estate developer Jay Feinberg, went before commissioners […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Chronicling a legend: We’re pretty sure Mark Futch would like the way that sounds, and it’s pretty apt. Every time a small plane flies low over the island, every time tarpon season comes and goes, every time another tall fishing tale is told, we’ll be looking instinctively for Mark. And now he won’t be there […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Mote Marine Laboratory (Mote) gathered on Monday, Sept. 24 for the State of Florida’s press announcement of a new partnership initiative to address red tide. A related roundtable discussion with scientists and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY SUE ERWIN – Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association volunteers have been busy documenting hatchings on island beaches. No new nests have been reported this week. The season officially closes on October 31. “We are continuing to have a robust hatching season, and nesting activity appears to be over,” said Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association Board […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY SUE ERWIN – Christi Legere has worked in Boca Grande ever since she graduated from high school. She found a job at Fugate’s and worked at the store for about two years, and eventually started working at PJ’s Seagrille, where she started out clearing tables. She worked at PJ’s until the day the restaurant closed in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: I wanted to write and say how sorry I am to hear of his passing. When we were filming the film “Hoot,” there was no one more helpful and valuable to our production than Mark. I flew many times in his seaplanes, and his skillful flying can be seen throughout the film. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
BY CAPT. VAN HUBBARD – I’ll just offer some memories and share some thoughts. Mark Futch was so much more than a tarpon captain and pilot. He excelled at both – just look at his accomplishments in both fields. Winning so much was more than enough for most men. Creating the sea- plane career was even […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE On Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 island residents were shocked to hear of the passing of Capt. Mark Futch, a man taken far too early who will be missed very much by many. While his brother David will be writing a full obituary that will run next week, we want to acknowledge […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY DR. LAUREN M. HANA MD BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC The Florida Department of Health has issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory for residents and visitors. The first U.S. cases were reported in New York City in 1999, and the first reported case in Florida was in 2001. All 48 contiguous states have now […]