Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) held a special Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 to discuss the authority’s investments, and its reporting and handling of those instruments. At the meeting, the Finance Committee offered a resolution led by Jay Feinberg to be presented at the next GIBA board meeting. The resolution stated […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) adopted a 2024 budget of $3,827,064 at their Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 quarterly meeting, which also included drainage issues, salary and investments.
Board Chairman Ginger Watkins began the meeting by moving up a public comment from a customer regarding the expiration of her toll account funds. Non-agenda public comment is traditionally at the end of the meeting. After the comment, Watkins reminded that all 7,700 accounts and customers are treated exactly the same, and thanked the customer for coming. (Toll passes expire after one year.)
Executive Director Kathy Banson presented members with updated traffic and revenue figures for the first nine months of the 2023 fiscal year. Toll revenue was down by comparison with last year by 3 percent for discount passes and 12 percent in cash nondiscounted tolls. Overall traffic was down by 5 percent. Bridge openings were down 21 percent.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
The Library of Congress has deemed him a “national treasure.” He has the ability to hear and comprehend four symphonies in his head at one time. His talent is unfathomable to most people and touches all realms of music, from classical to bluegrass to ragtime to blues. You could tell, though, from his half-closed eyes and rapt expression that ragtime is his true love, as is entertaining an audience. And there was certainly no shortage of entertained audience members at Tuesday night’s performance.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There aren’t many years that start out with so much hope for a “back-to-normal” life, only to have a big old sledgehammer come at the end of the third quarter, but 2022 provided that. Hurricane Ian picked up our island and shook it like a snow globe, and while we didn’t have the same devastation […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Opinion, Profiles.
When we built a house a few years later, we thought ourselves the luckiest people alive. Oh, to be able to plan a few months each winter in Boca Grande! But even then, smitten as we were with Boca Grande, we had not a clue how it would become so much more than just a winter island respite from the snow-slushy north. Boca Grande began for us as a winter escape, not a “destination.” Then it absorbed us. Over the past 20+ years, we were submersed into a community of wonderfully involved, interesting and interested people, fabulously close friends. Unlike other of Florida seashore locales, Boca Grande was not a beach, a resort. It was a life.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
At its spring quarterly meeting Thursday, May 5 the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority had some interesting news about the traffic flow in recent days, particularly about two days this past March. GIBA Executive Director Kathy Banson-Verrico gave a report on the traffic passing through the toll booths during the first six months of the fiscal year. She reported that traffic numbers were up. Cash tolls were about 13 percent above the same time last fiscal year. Customer service tolls, or bridge passes, were up by about 10 percent, and overall traffic was up eight percent. She said this represented about 47,000 more vehicles than the number from the same period last year.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Would you like to become part of the Gasparilla Island’s community of visual artists? The time is now to stop by the Boca Grande Art Center and pick up your application to become an exhibiting member for our 2022/2023 season. You are invited to join a group of colleagues working together to encourage each other’s artistic achievements and progress.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
This weekend the Boca Grande Art Center will present their annual President’s Art Show, featuring four past presidents of the long-standing organization. It will feature works in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor by Barbara Vanyo, Lona Kissinger, Ginny McCloskey and Carol Harden Hall.
Regular show times are Friday, Jan. 28 and Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
When Boca Grande artists Emerson Wickwire, Linda Wolcott and Nancy Bass sat down together and looked at each other’s proposed art pieces for a show they were putting together, they all had a moment of clarity.
Each one of them was featuring animals in their work.
“We looked at each other and said, wait a minute. Animals. It just sort of happened,” Wickwire said …
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE A proposal to renovate a private home to an assisted living facility on East Railroad Avenue was not well received in the Boca Grande community, and it brought more than 40 people to the first of two Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board meetings in the last two weeks. The meeting at […]