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GICIA Mercabo Cove nearing completion

SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA- Construction at the GICIA’s Mercabo Cove site is nearing completion. TSI Disaster Recovery, the company hired to bring the Cove plans to life, is beginning to wrap up the final construction items. Construction began on March 2 and is anticipated to be completed by Halloween. The Cove project is designed to […]

Historic Preservation Board to hear case for NHR proposal

BY MARCY SHORTUSE- The first of four meetings regarding parts of the downtown historic residential district’s nomination to the National Historic Register will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. in the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium, which is when the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will hold their monthly meeting. This discussion […]

Island restaurants go the extra mile during COVID

BY OLIVIA CAMERON- As we begin to see our little town unfold itself and prepare for the beginning of another season, businesses on Gasparilla Island are preparing for high visitation. With a bustling golf cart path and Northerners eager to taste their favorite Boca Grande flavors once again, all eyes are on the operations of […]

Obituary: Dick Brown

Richard Eugene (Dick) Brown died September 30, 2020 in Rotonda West, Florida. Known to many as “Coach Brown,” Dick loved kids, sports, the Florida Gators, fishing, and storytelling. While coaching nearly every sport at Venice High School during his storied career, he specialized in baseball and basketball. He was referred to as the “Father of […]

Obituary: Audrey Millican

Audrey Millican, born March 27, 1928 in Bell California, passed away on September 26, 2020. Andrea Ruth Broz was the youngest of the three children born to Eva Trobec and Rudy Broz. She met her husband, Paul Millican, in Avalon on the 4th of July, 1948.   She and Paul married on September 19, 1949, […]

PROFILE: Kathy Abraham

Love is the main ingredient of her recipes… BY OLIVIA CAMERON- Nothing evokes the beginning of a season here on Gasparilla Island quite like the thought of sweets and pastries. From cakes to cheesecakes to cake pops, local bake master and certified medical assistant Kathy Abraham brings her baked goods for her coworkers at the […]

Meetings set to hear National Historic Register proposal: And still more answers come to light regarding the pros and cons of an NHR listing

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Dates for meetings regarding an ultimate decision to place parts of the residential area of the Boca Grande Historic District on the National Register of Historic places have been firmed up since our report last week, and a bit of new information has come to light. Meetings on this topic, which […]

History Center receives gift of rare documents detailing commercial establishment of Boca Grande

BY KAREN GRACE AND THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER – A few weeks ago, a phone call was received at the History Center. The caller was not familiar with Gasparilla Island but had found the Historical Society’s website and was interested in information regarding the early phosphate industry especially the Bowker Chemical Company.  Jim Blaha, chairman […]