Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone in Boca Grande for embracing the Art Festival recently. Art On Park Avenue was very successful and I appreciate being able to bring my artist friends to the island for such a prestigious event. I want to thank the downtown businesses especially for […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
On Sunday morning, the day after the Strawberry Festival, a four-year-old boy posed a question. “Can we go to the Strawberry Beach?” The boy, unconcerned with actual geography, thought the whole island was about strawberries. Saturday, he had eaten a whole shortcake by himself, unwilling to share one bite, or split it with his big […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
The COVID pandemic was a terrible thing, but it had some incredibly good and unexpected impacts in some people’s lives. Rebecca Cleveland is one of those lucky people. It was when she discovered she really was an artist. Rebecca is the daughter of a celebrated artist, Gail Cleveland. She is the granddaughter of another acclaimed […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Police & Fire.
BY G.B. (BO) HAMRICKPROJECT COORDINATOR The Boca Grande Fire Department’s Emergency Communications and Interoperability Working Group has completed the new Island (standby) Emergency Operations Center design. The design was presented to and approved by Chief C.W. Blosser of the Boca Grande Fire Department on March 5th. The new Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, is the […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Events, News.
The Barrier Island Parks Society is hosting the 25th Annual Green Gala, after being unable to hold the event last year due to Hurricane Ian. “The Barrier Island Parks Society has really financially suffered from Ian,” said Jennifer Burby, director of BIPS. “There was a lot of damage, and displacements and businesses were shut down, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
BY BOOTS TOOLSDORF Having never experienced a Spelling Bee in my life, either as a contestant or a viewer, I was curious about its origins in this country. Seems it has been an American institution since the mid-1800s. Mark Twain even mentioned “spelling fights” in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And so it continues – […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BOCA GRANDE SEA TURTLE ASSOC. Although there is still a bit of morning chill in the air and in the gulf waters along the beaches of Gasparilla Island, sea turtle nesting season will be heating up very soon. Around May 1st, as female loggerhead and green sea turtles start to haul themselves […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, News.
When the Boca Grande Community Center gets its new roof this spring, it will have something in common with the c. 951 Sobrado Abbey in Galacia, Spain, and many other historic sites across the U.S. and Europe. The Community Center will have historically accurate and long-lasting clay tiles from the company Verea Tile, also known […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Events, News.
Spring breaks have officially begun, and as students from across the country head for the warmth of Florida, expect more crowds and traffic throughout the month of March. Lee and Charlotte counties’ public schools have March 18-22 off, including The Island School here in Boca Grande. Collier County students get March 11-16 off. Among the […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News.
A Dogs for Dogs fund-raiser is being held on Saturday, March 16 to raise funds for the last 25 percent of Suncoast Humane Society’s capital campaign for their new campus. “There is no other place in the country – or in the world – like this,” said Chief Executive Officer Maureen O’Nell. “We literally thought like […]