Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Useppa Island Club has a presumptive new owner, led by Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, CEO and owner of Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group of Fort Myers. “The letters have gone out to the homeowners,” said Youngquist, who owns the Key Lime Bistro in Boca Grande and operates a group of restaurants and inns under her […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, Featured News.
FIVE YEARS AGO We lost a legend this week five years ago, when Artie Brooks passed away. He worked all over the island in many jobs, from butler to janitor to chauffeur to helping out at the old Loons on a Limb. He was true Boca Grande, and many loved him for it. TEN YEARS […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Columns, Community.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner I started looking at some recipes that have been given to me. I stumbled across a recipe that I made for Thanksgiving back in 2020. The recipe is from a lady named Karen Fitzgerald who I never met. I was given the recipe from one of her relatives, whose […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The dog park at Wheeler Road Community Park, closed since June, will reopen to the public at dawn on Wednesday, Nov. 22, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The county started construction on the dog park in June 2022. The project was 90 percent complete, but the opening was delayed due to Hurricane Ian. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
A new meeting has been scheduled for late November for Commissioner Kevin Ruane to meet with the Boca Grande Parking Panel, in order to sort out the details in the creation of a rough draft proposal to present to Lee County Commissioners regarding Gilchrist Avenue and Historic District beach access parking. Parking Panel Chair Mary O’Bannon […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Education.
Trumpeter Rex Richardson, who has played with many of the greats of jazz, gave students at Lemon Bay High School lessons in music, and life, at a Friday seminar sponsored by the Punta Gorda Symphony. Richardson said that no matter what they improvise, the students should never forget the harmony and form, and “always kind […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in ham-it-up.
BY ANGEL GODWIN
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday, Nov. 8 featured a presentation by Friends of Boca Grande regarding their proposed renovations for the Community Center, The Island School, the Teacherage, the Dishong-Bowen House and the Crowninshield Community House. They wanted to see how the Board perceived their ideas and, to their benefit, everyone on the Board seemed to have no objections at all.
Three speakers were included in the presentation – Bayne Stevenson, from the Friends of Boca Grande Board of Directors; Marta Howell, Chief Executive Director of Friends; and Jeff Mudgett, an architect from Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc. out of Fort Myers (the planners of The Island School).
Stevenson spoke first, explaining that the $11 to $12 million dollar project was strictly in the preliminary stages. Friends has sent out about 300 booklets to members of the island, to stress the importance of Louise du Pont Crowninshield’s part in the origin of the community center and the Crowninshield House. Keeping to the original vision and community use of the buildings, as well as the architecture, is vital to them, Stevenson said, as well as honoring its history.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
Fire Chief C.W. Blosser and the Island EOC Emergency Communications & Interoperability Working Group would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) for its participation in the island Auxiliary Emergency Radio Communications System (AUXCOMM) project.
The GIBA Board voted to approve “a not-to-exceed amount of $60,000 for the purchase of components of the emergency communications system that will be owned and maintained by GIBA.” This will fund the entire cost of the bridge’s antenna and radio repeater installation, staff handheld radios and extensive training.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured News.
Imagine a dramedy of manners in a dining room on Gilchrist Avenue. Add 16 scenes time-traveling between 1917 and today. Throw 17 actors into the mix – half well-known RPP stars, the other half, brand new to our audience. Then assign each actor at least two different roles playing characters of different ages. A dash of music from each time period, plus a narrator to set the scenes, and you’ve got the recipe for a fun evening with the title, “The Dining Room on Boca Grande.”
Roger Lewis, the narrator, had a brilliant idea. What if he is a friendly ghost inhabiting this mansion who shows the audience some of the behaviors he observed over the years. His idea was the last ingredient to pull the show together.
The newcomers added just the right amount of zest.