Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News.
There’s been a surge of non-natives on the Cape Haze Peninsula … and we don’t just mean iguanas. Lately, numerous constrictor snakes have been found in Rotonda and South Gulf Cove, which clearly shows that these apex predator snakes we normally only think of being in The Everglades have made their way to Southwest Florida.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, Featured News.
A parcel on Placida Road, with an empty 1920s cottage just south of the Hacienda condominiums and across from Cape Haze Resort, may have a new owner.
The property was originally listed on the commercial real estate website Loopnet as an 11-acre waterfront development site and offered at $2,750,000. It had been listed by Sunmark Realty Agent Sage Andress, and is now marked as “under contract.” Andress, reached by email, was not able to talk about the sale until “all deals are closed.”
The parcel, also advertised as 8019 and 8436 Placida Road, includes a historic bungalow that has had an extensive history discussion on the Placida/Cape Haze Memories Facebook page. 8019 Placida was advertised at 4.22 acres, and 8436 Placida was advertised at 3.12 acres.
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Opinion.
BY DELORES SAVAS ‘’We are playing Russian roulette with features of the planet’s atmosphere that will profoundly impact generations to come. How long are we willing to gamble?” […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Fire Department’s “Island E.O.C. Emergency Communications and Interoperability Working Group” responsible for creating a new network of emergency communications – both on and just off island – is steadily moving forward. In fact, their efforts have now been stepped up to “Mission Critical” status, after a near-miss from Hurricane Idalia and other systems out in the Atlantic on the move.
The Group’s communications subcommittee is working with Motorola and Suncoast Expeditionary Associates to optimize their efforts in creating a backup auxiliary emergency communications system. Which will allow representatives from all of the island’s key organizations – such as the school, fire, deputies, the GICIA, the Boca Grande Community Center and others – to communicate with each other in the event we have no cell service for any reason.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Hurricanes don’t always bring good things, but the latest hurricane, Idalia, has not only brought the American flamingo back to Florida, but highlighted the potential for the eventual restoration and return of the species to Florida on a permanent basis.
Like so many Floridians, Ashley Scarpa had never seen them in Florida, even as an experienced birder.
“To be honest I went searching for them,” said Scarpa, who has in the past monitored birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Someone had posted that they had been seen in the area, and I sprinted to where they have been seen.”
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Signing up for a library card is easy. If you live, work or go to school in Lee County, you can get a free library card by visiting any branch with proof of eligibility such as valid driver’s license, current school ID and proof of address, utility bill or tax statement. For a complete list of eligibility options, visit leelibrary.net/card. Not a resident of Lee County? No problem. Visitors can obtain a Lee County Library System card for a small fee with a valid ID.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Get ready for fancy and fun drinks coming this season. There is a new bar manager at Scarpa’s Coastal, and he is all about mixing things up.
Mike Teston thinks the term “mixology” is a little pretentious for what he does. However, he loves the chemistry, the imagination, the challenge of finding new ways to tickle people’s tastebuds and open them to new adventures through the drinks he develops. He can’t wait to roll out his new cocktail menu in October.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, Editorial.
If a hurricane doesn’t leave you dead It will make you strong. Don’t try to explain it, just nod your head, Breathe in, breathe out, move on. Those words went through my head a time or 10 on September 28th of last year. Since then, as well, as we’ve had our lives turned upside down […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
Sue Sligar stood watching the Bakery Building come down on Monday, Aug. 28 with mixed feelings. As the new owner of the building (or the space, we should say) she was grateful it would no longer be a hazard to The Barnichol Hardware Store and the general public. But one of the apartments above the bakery had been her home for several years, and she lost just about everything when the tower collapsed on it during Hurricane Ian.
“I lost everything, materially … all of it,” she said. “But in the face of losing it all, I became fearless. What else did I have to lose?”
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
The Gasparilla Island Water Association (GIWA) is investigating why wastewater output flowing through the system during Idalia was so excessive that they had to shut down some lift systems to allow the new treatment facility to keep up with the demand. Ron Bolton, GIWA’s executive director, said the normal range is 200 gallons per hour. […]