Last week two real estate transactions took place that were quite important to the downtown historic district – the purchase of the Railroad Plaza building in the 400 block of E. Railroad Avenue and the Fugate’s building, which includes Fugate’s, The Patio Shoppe, Key Agency and Parsley-Baldwin. 

Two news legends took the podium at the Johann Fust Library Foundation’s first-ever Author’s Luncheon Thursday, April 7, at the Gasparilla Inn. The crowd of 100 was enthralled by the wit and charm of the principle speaker, as well as the man who introduced her.
Tom Brokaw, resident of Boca Grande, and retired television journalist and author, presented his friend and fellow television journalist Lesley Stahl at the Johann Fust Library first-ever “Author’s Luncheon” on Thursday, April 7 at The Gasparilla Inn and Club.

An analysis of the counties in Florida where residents earned the most income from investments in 2018 has been completed, and Lee and Sarasota counties came in strong for the state at fifth and sixth place, respectively. The year 2018 was used as it had the most complete (returned) information to date. The study compared counties across three metrics using IRS data: ordinary dividends, qualified dividends and net capital gains. Counties where residents earned the greatest amount of income in these categories were those that ranked the highest.

In three years America will be celebrating its 250th-year anniversary. Friends of Boca Grande Community Center has gathered eight renowned historians, including Rick Atkinson and Nathaniel Philbrick, to explore the American Revolution from its origin to the year 1783. On Wednesday, April 20 to Friday April 22, go beyond the facts and dates and rediscover the American Revolution from military, social, cultural, economic and historical perspectives.

There were two croquet grounds on the island when Lucinda arrived. One was a Boca Bay amenity for residents of Boca Bay. The other was a Gasparilla Inn amenity for guests of The Inn and Inn owner Bayard Sharp. Lucinda, who lived in Boca Bay across from the court, took up the sport along with Boca Bay neighbors Blaine and Sheila Davis. Blaine and Sheila became particularly expert, so much so that Blaine was invited to play with Mr. Sharp. Blaine also had a vision: that The Inn Club become open to outside membership, as are The Inn Golf and Beach Clubs. Mr. Sharp was receptive to Blaine’s vision, thus the Gasparilla Mallet Club, with a subscription membership, was born. The Mallet Club now hosts the annual USCA- sanctioned Blaine Davis Invitational Six-Wicket Croquet Tournament, in Blaine’s honor and memory. 

The Annie-T was the serendipitous  collaboration between Sarasota’s legendary modernist architect Edward J. “Tim” Seibert FAIA , an original member of the Sarasota School of Architects, and Florida’s most celebrated wooden boat builder, George Luzier. Also collaborating was Seibert’s father, Capt. E.C. Seibert, USN, Ret., a naval architect and marine engineer who had been designing sailboats since the 1920s.