Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – Even without hot stage lights and quirky costume design, the theatre lives on in Spark Boca Grande’s eyes. With the technical help of a 21-year-old, their visions of a socially distant live play will become a reality. On Saturday, May 2, the Spark actors will team up with New York playwright […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Island native turned New Orleanian Seale Paterson was recently honored by the Louisiana Library Association with the 2020 Alex Allain Intellectual Freedom Award. This doesn’t come as a shock to those who know her, as she has devoted her career to the New Orleans Library System for more than 20 years. […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Featured News.
BY CAPT ROBERT W JOHNSON The Boca Grande Quarantine Station, located on the south end of the island, was built in 1892 on the beach next to the Boca Grande Lighthouse for the Florida State appointed quarantine doctor. Ships that had been placed in a quarantine status in ports that they had previously been to […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Barrier Island Parks Society wants to say thank you to the many local residents who made our 2020 Giving Challenge an incredible success. In just 24 hours, BIPS received over $75,000 in donations from 338 individuals. The Giving Challenge was hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Obituaries.
Billy Lee Spurgeon has “gone Home” to meet his Savior and unite with his loving wife, Nancy. He passed away on March 18, 2020. Bill was born on October 23, 1929 at his family farmhouse in Abingdon, Illinois. Bill was an all-conference football standout in high school. After graduation he enlisted in the Air Force, […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Profiles.
Local Nancy Jo Powers, who now goes by Jo Powers, may be recognizable to avid fans of Island TV, the program that sheds light on public service announcements and provides coverage of local events. When Jo decided to reinvent herself, Boca Grande was the perfect fit. After growing up in Dover, New Hampshire, Jo attended […]
Written by BBadmin7502 on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, Opinion.
To the Editor: It is way past time to logically discuss the evil-villain, the invisible-monster running wild in the world. We need to begin in China where an incomplete science-experiment Coronavirus escaped from wherever you want to believe it resided and in whatever manner most fits your beliefs. These details won’t matter until it is […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – A case, or cases, of COVID-19 have finally showed up on the radar of the Florida Department of Health this week, as they are reporting “five or less” cases in the Lee County portion of the island on their dashboard. The addition of island cases showed up on Tuesday’s update. In […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
STAFF REPORT – With nearly 200 requests for funding continuing to arrive and checks being processed to those in need, the BGWC Emergency Relief Fund is turning its attention to raising additional funds to help the effort. “We knew the need would be great,” said President Vicky Winterer, “and we are committed to helping as […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
SUBMITTED BY THE GASPARILLA ISLAND BRIDGE AUTHORITY – GIBA Board of Supervisors held their quarterly board meeting on Wednesday, April 22. Island residents Ronald Drake and Kenneth Richardson were welcomed to the two open advisory member positions. Traffic and revenue figures for the cumulative fiscal year 2020 were up four percent before the beach closures […]