Skip to main content
Search Results for “win

After Ian’s cleanup on land, what do we do about our water? Around here, Mother Nature has most of it handled

It’s obvious that cleanup and rebuilding on the island are moving forward at a good pace, but what about the effects of the storm in local waters, and on fishing? According to local fishermen, the fish are biting … it’s the anglers that are the problem.  There simply aren’t enough places for fishermen to stay. […]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Penny Sims

Shore birds are a favorite subject for Boca Grande artist Penny Sims. She loves the birds, but just about anything in and on the water is likely to end up as a subject on her canvas – or wooden plank, or whatever she decides to use as the base for expressing her love for the […]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Thank you, Boca Grande for spreading Christmas joy to those who need it most

To the Editor: I am writing to thank Boca Grande​​-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child.  Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 […]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: FWC deploys dive team to search for derelict vessels

 To the Editor: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently deployed its Surface Supply Dive Teams, under the leadership of Lieutenant Stuart Spoede, to search for and identify derelict vessels in the Fort Myers area following the passing of Hurricane Ian. Derelict vessels are boats that have been abandoned and left to deteriorate […]

A colossal mission accomplished

When J&S Towers out of Rock Island, IL got a call from a company called Vertical Bridge, asking if they could remove a telecomm tower from a bakery in a tiny town in Florida, their response was automatic. “What does it pay?” Not to mention, the tower company is owned and managed by gentlemen who […]

In all things, lessons can be learned

By Rep. Mike Grant “Thank God!”  I remember holding my wife and kids close after Hurricane Charley, so grateful to be alive and have them with me. Things can be replaced, but family cannot. The power of Mother Nature decimated Charlotte County, made my neighborhood unrecognizable and destroyed my home. Reflecting on what happened 18 […]

Don’t forget about the chowder next Friday!

A more complete list of chefs and restaurants contributing to The Island School’s annual chowder dinner has been released, as well as information about entertainment and an auction. As of press time, the following eateries and chefs will be serving their deliciousness at the dinner: Eagle Grille, Ephesus Mediterranean, Farlow’s on the Water, The Gasparilla […]

Milne rocked the Fust with blues, boogie woogie and more

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Where are the gopher tortoises? What about the roaches?

Other wildlife up here have been luckier. The eagle’s nest behind Boca Dunes is intact although I haven’t seen the occupants yet. And the osprey have rebuilt on every platform in the area. A dead raccoon was fished out of our pool, one of a family of six, I  suspect, seen marching in single file behind Mom a few years ago. It would have been a prize-winning photo if I only had an iphone at the time. On a crazier note, I haven’t seen a cock roach this year as I go for a snack in the middle of the night. Could they also have drowned? It won’t be a Boca Grande winter without them.

Conservation Foundation to host Florida Highwaymen for a one-night-only art event next month

From the early 1950s through the 1980s, 26 African-American artists – now known as the Florida Highwaymen – used vivid and bright colors to paint scenes of beautiful, untouched Florida. Excluded from showing their work in galleries or museums in Jim Crow era Florida, they piled their paintings into the trunks of their cars and sold them along US Highway 1, thus earning the name “Highwaymen.” Today, their vibrant paintings are highly-collectible and widely sought after.